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Geoff Baker covers the Mariners for The Seattle Times. He provides daily coverage of the team throughout spring training, and during the season.

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February 22, 2008 1:16 PM

Sights and Sounds: bunts and live BP

Posted by Geoff Baker

Today's video begins with some bunting practice taken by Mariners hitters, facing a pitching machine. Jose Vidro steps in first and -- being a switch-hitter -- bunts from both sides of the plate. But some funny video (depending on your perspective) of Raul Ibanez up next, shows this isn't the easiest of drills if you aren't used to laying them down.

After that, we show you footage of J.J. Putz throwing live BP. Erik Bedard (No. 45) watches from the side, then comes in to throw some BP of his own. None of the hitters took any swings. They could have, but this is more about pitchers hitting their spots. The hitters like to get their timing down at this point in the spring and often prefer to watch the pitches go by.

After, the hitters go indoors a bit to work in the cages and regroup. They come back out after that for some regular BP and infield work. There was a whole lot of Spanish flying around the infield as the ever chatty Yuniesky Betancourt was carrying on a conversation with Miguel Cairo. After, you see Adrian Beltre and Jose Lopez join in. The segment ends with a Japanese photographer nearly getting clocked by a line drive as she sits down the left field line in foul territory. You hear the players yell and scream as the ball heads for her. She swerved out of the way, then sat there, like a trooper, and kept on shooting.

By the way, John McLaren did not announce the No. 3, 4 and 5 slots in the rotation. There wasn't enough time to get to it because of all the rushing around to avoid the rain. Expect something tomorrow.

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