Fun-loving Dee Gordon taking his training with Mariners seriously
Jan 25, 2018, 1:40 PM | Updated: 2:07 pm
New Seattle Mariners CF Dee Gordon talks about making the transition to a new position. (AP)
(AP)
Dee Gordon is going back to the basics.
In his first season with the Seattle Mariners, the former Gold Glove-winning second baseman has been asked to make the move to center field, which means revisiting techniques he hasn’t used in years, from shagging fly balls to mastering the crow hop.
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“I’m so used to just shuffling and staying compact,” Gordon said to John Clayton and Gee Scott during an interview on 710 ESPN Seattle Thursday. “Honestly, the biggest thing for me is the crow hop. It sounds elementary, and I know it probably does to your listeners, but (I’m working to) get that part of it down. I’m going to spring training early to make sure I get it down.”
His only experience as a center fielder came while playing 10 or so games in the Dominican, where he never had to dive for a ball. It’s why the first thing he told Mariners first base and outfield coach Chris Prieto was, “I need to dive.”
An affable and candid Gordon made plenty of jokes, but was serious about one thing: his training.
“When I first got out here, I wanted to be an easy, quick learner, and I wanted to do it the right way,” Gordon said. “If you’re my coach, I wanna make your job as easy as possible.”
Gordon also spent some time discussing his off-the-field work. While with the Marlins in Miami, Gordon created Flash of Hope, a program aimed toward helping children who have lost a parent or guardian to domestic violence. Gordon lost his own mother, Devona, to domestic violence when he was six.
“Any kid who that happens to can go the wrong way,” Gordon said. “It’s just me giving back to the people who helped me become the man I am today.”
The John Clayton Memorial Fund
Benefitting the Multiple Sclerosis Society
