A day after the welcome news that Roy Halladay is taking minor-leaguers under his wing, Spencer Fordin reports from Dunedin that another Blue Jay hurler is sharing his wisdom with his new teammates. Miguel Batista, who calls Curt Schilling "the master of the mind game," is willing to pass on a few things he's learned. This can only be a good thing for Aquilino Lopez, who replaces the questionable influence of Kelvim Escobar with a true mentor.
Batista has earned all his knowledge the old-fashioned way: He asked for it. He's gone out of his way to pick the brains of all-time greats, and not just ex-teammates like Schilling or Randy Johnson. In a brief conversation, Batista mentioned advice he's gleaned from a trio of Hall-of-Famers: Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson and Tom Seaver.
Fordin fans will be pleased to know that Spencer knocks the dirt off his cleats and steps into Da Box for a three-part interview, beginning tomorrow.
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20040222102122999