Lakeland, Fla. — Pretty good day for Tigers backup catcher John Hicks.
Not only did he throw out two runners, he also tripled and scored in the Tigers’ 5-4 exhibition loss Monday to the Nationals.
“Early in camp I was kind of jumpy at the plate, chasing pitches,” said Hicks, who is expected to back up behind the plate and first base this season. “I did a lot of work with Mac (hitting coach Lloyd McClendon) and Clarkie (assistant hitting coach Phil Clark) just calming things down and trying to see the ball.
“I feel like I am finally in a spot where I’m in a good position to see every pitch.