The Trappers' Casey Blake is forced out at second by Portland Beavers second baseman Keith Luuloa on Sunday during the Trappers' 4-0 loss. Maybe he's just plain forgetful. Or maybe Quinton McCracken is colour-blind. How else to explain McCracken trying to hit the ball with a bright orange ring-weight still on his bat every day when the Edmonton Trappers take batting practice.
Most baseball players try to generate bat speed by using a weight while swinging before an at-bat.
In this game, you watch and observe and pick up little things from different people that make them successful. I think it's helped me. McCracken, who has played 484 major league games with the Colorado Rockies and Tampa Bay Devil Rays since 1995, first tried hitting with a weight on the bat during the past off-season. It seems to work fairly well. After the first couple of rounds, I take it off.