Rays
ST. PETERSBURG — Steven Souza Jr. emerges from the dugout hours before first pitch every day the Tampa Bay Rays have a game, holding a bat in one hand. In the other, he carries a satchel containing 25 miniature soft baseballs.
The balls comes in two sizes: 15 are slightly smaller than a golf ball and 10 are slighly smaller than a baseball.
Assistant hitting coach Jamie Nelson follows.
The two find a spot on the field. Up the right-field line, down the left-field line, inside the batting cage set up at home plate if it is not being used.