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Fri, Mar 5th 2010, 10:57
Hanley starts off 2010 on the right note
The sights and sounds of baseball returned to Roger Dean Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.
A difference, though, was there was more noise off the bat. The unmistakable “ping” of metal bats reverberated throughout the park.
The Marlins opened their exhibition season with a 19-3 win over the University of Miami.
The college players used their customary metal bats, but the loudest noise was made by a couple of prominent Marlins.
Ricky Nolasco breezed through two scoreless innings, striking out two. He yielded one single to Chris Pelaez, who entered the game batting .650 for the 10th-ranked Hurricanes. Economical on the mound, Nolasco threw 23 pitches, with 16 strikes.
At the plate, two-time All-Star Hanley Ramirez got off to a quick start. In the first inning, the defending National League batting champ belted a three-run homer. He followed that up with a single and a run scored in the third inning, before exiting along with the rest of the regulars.
“That’s the situation I’ve been working on, hitting with men in scoring position,” said Ramirez, who connected off freshman lefty Jerad Grundy. “That’s my job, getting RBIs. I made a good swing and the wind was blowing out, so that’s even better.”
For fun in batting practice, Ramirez, along with Dan Uggla and Jorge Cantu, took some swings with metal bats. With the extra boost it provides, the Marlins’ sluggers put on a home run display.
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