Sox Take First Live Batting Practice

Rob Duca of the Cape Cod Times caught up with some of the Sox coaches and players following the first live batting practice yesterday.

As is usually the case, pitchers were ahead of hitters.

Tito told Duca, "This is probably the toughest day for hitters in camp. Any bit of confidence that they accrued over the winter is gone today. But when you take that screen out in front of the pitcher it will come back, for whatever reason."

Numerous pitchers took turns throwing, including Jonathan Papelbon, Manny Delcarmen, Bryan Corey, Javier Lopez, Mike Timlin, Craig Hansen, David Aardsma and invitee Lee Gronkiewicz.

"What we want to get done is, since it's the first time they've seen hitters since last season, not to fear the swing of the bat, not to pitch away from contact, to take almost a more aggressive approach to inducing contact," pitching coach John Farrell said. "See the ball hit, see the ball hit the ground, because once we get in games they have to pitch to the strike zone early in the count. So that's the main key — as well as getting up their volume."

Papelbon told the Cape Cod Times, "I'm just trying to get my lower half and my legs underneath me and worry about my mechanics. My arm will catch up later. I'm not going out there trying to throw 95 right now."