A's Céspedes gets Hall of Fame advice
Rickey Henderson, Oakland Tech High, 1976: Baseball Hall of Famer, Oakland A's. (Frederic Larson / The Chronicle)
Susan Slusser
May 16, 2013
Yoenis Céspedes has overslid the bag at second base several times this year and hurt his left hand with an awkward, rolling slide last month. So Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson is in town to work with Céspedes on his sliding.
Henderson said Wednesday that the best way to prevent oversliding is to count the steps to the bag and to know how many are left every time. That's sheer practice, Henderson said.
"He doesn't realize how fast he is, and doesn't recognize it until it's too late," Henderson said. "Céspedes has got to work on when to slide. Sometimes, you're just thinking about trying to get there, but you also have to figure out how many steps it is."
Henderson also has advice to keep Céspedes from injuring his hands.
"He's got a little bit of bad technique, bracing himself with his hands," Henderson said. "That puts a lot of pressure on the hands, keeps them too stiff and he can jam the hand or wrists. I told him to put something in his hands, grab some dirt, throw it up in the air when he gets there."
Céspedes has benefited from Henderson's input before: Last year, when Céspedes was struggling with moving from center to left field, Henderson helped him with the transition.
Henderson just did a tour of the A's minor leagues and he remains impressed with 19-year-old Class A Stockton shortstop Addison Russell.
"He's like Céspedes - he's special," Henderson said. "He knows what he's doing. He's got the instincts, the comfort level and he's not afraid of anything."
Draft watch: Brandon Moss is keeping a close eye on this year's draft because his friend Clint Frazier, an outfielder/third baseman from Moss' hometown of Loganville, Ga., is expected to be a high pick. Frazier, a senior at Loganville High, hits with Moss in the winter.
"He's tremendous," Moss said. "When he was in eighth grade, he could beat me in a home-run derby with a wooden bat. I'm not kidding."
A'S LEADING OFF
International relations: Closer Grant Balfour has an American wife, two American daughters - and now he is a U.S. citizen after ceremonies when the A's were at Tampa Bay last month. But fear not, Aussies - the Ragin' Australian will keep dual citizenship.
- Susan Slusser