JUPITER, Fla. — With the Cardinals’ possible opening-day lineup in the field Tuesday morning for the first fly-ball drill of the first full-squad workout of spring, coach Stubby Clapp slipped a ball into the pitching machine and —fwoop! — sent it high and carrying toward the outfield. As they will be throughout the Cardinals’ search for more offense and a cleanup hitter, all eyes turned to left field.
All except for the two eyes in left field.
Tyler O’Neill didn’t see the fly ball coming his way.
The bright Florida sky, no stadium backdrop, the lack of a crack of the bat — any of it could have kept O’Neill blind to the routine fly ball until he bolted as the baseball made its descent.