"Short and sweet. Downhill. Cut that ball in half. Get that backspin on it," Hall of Fame designated hitter Frank Thomas told the young outfielder after batting practice, demonstrating with his hands how to stay behind the baseball, not wrap around it or get underneath it.
And when one of the biggest bats of his generation gives you personalized swing tips, you listen, right?
"Definitely. As soon as I hear something from someone like that, of course," said Ward, who's chosen baseball, even though his father, Reggie, played football (alongside Tim Brown) at Notre Dame. "It's really big to have a Hall of Famer come down here and talk to us.