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AP Photo/Chris O'Meara |
In yesterday's game against NU,
Jose Iglesias did something that got the Red Sox coaching brass very excited: he got a hit. The only thing keeping the defensive whiz from The Show is his slow progression at the plate. According to manager
John Farrel, the better results are due to a change in the shortstop's batting stance. Said Farrel,
"He's a little more narrow in his base; he's a little bit more upright. It's allowed him to see the ball better, and I really think free up his swing. He got deep in his crouch over time, and I think it kind of caused him to work against his body a little bit, but the fact that he's upright in that stance, he feels like he's able to hit the ball with a little bit more authority to wherever it's pitched in the zone." If he can solve this, and
Xander Bogaerts can play third and
Will Middlebrooks can play first, you will have (along with
Dustin Pedroia) the infield nucleus of what BenCher likes to call "
The Next Great Red Sox Team".