March 19, 2015, was a rare spring-training day off for the San Diego Padres in Peoria, Ariz. Cameron Maybin, competing to be their center fielder, took the opportunity to watch his friend, Jace Peterson, play in an Atlanta Braves spring game across the country.
As he watched, the broadcast brought on Kevin Seitzer, the Braves’ hitting coach, for an in-game interview. Seitzer’s description of his approach to hitting caught Maybin’s attention: everything up the middle, as much as possible.
It was a vulnerable point in the 27-year-old’s career.