Braun gets turned around

Mar/30/08 07:51 PM Filed in: Ryan Braun
RyanBraun
It was a little more than two hours before the first pitch of the game today when Brewers manager Ned Yost sat behind a microphone and gave a glowing review of Ryan Braun's first spring as a leftfielder.

He said Braun has looked like a veteran and made a smooth transition from the infield to the outfield. And for the most part, Yost is dead on.

Braun has played the position well. He can definitely cover ground and looked good tracking liners and high fly balls while in Arizona. He also showed an ability to take good routes when cutting off balls down the line or in the gap, holding batters to singles.

His only flub came in the final game at Maryvale when he fly ball in the sun and it nearly busted him on the head. He joked about it afterward, saying he almost made it through spring before the infamous Maryvale sun got him.

Well, it didn't take as long for him to misplay his first ball at Miller Park. Miguel Olivo laced a line drive right at Braun, but over his head, in the sixth inning. Braun turned over his right shoulder and broke back, but the ball was curving away from him, so he turned over his left shoulder and by the time he reached out the ball was by him and off the wall.

It was scored as a double, but it should have been an out, and Braun will probably be the first to say that. Olivo didn't score, however, as Dave Bush got a ground out and line out to end the inning.

Braun, who has proven he never lets his defense bother his offense, came up in the bottom of the inning and doubled off the center field wall, but he didn't score and the Royals still lead 2-1.

(blogs.jsonline.com)