Boldin Swings for the Fences
Jim Omohundro
Cardinals Broadcasting
Arizona Cardinals Wide Receiver Anquan Boldin recently took a break from catching footballs in order to hit baseballs with some Major League talent. The Cardinals star was invited to take batting practice with the Arizona Diamondbacks prior to their game against the Chicago Cubs last Wednesday at Chase Field.
“It’s official. I’ve got my own jersey and everything,” said Boldin, as the Diamondbacks presented him with a full uniform.
After suiting up, Boldin made his way to the field where he took some swings with Diamondbacks star outfielder Luis Gonzalez and infielder Orlando Hudson.
Boldin admits that he was a bit uneasy about the idea of hitting in the company of an All Star like Gonzalez.
“He makes it look easy,” Boldin explained. “He has a nice, smooth swing. It is kind of embarrassing to bat behind the guy.”
Gonzalez, a long time Cardinals season ticket holder, was simply happy that Boldin made the trip to the ballpark.
“Anquan is one of top receivers in the league,” Gonzalez said. “For him to come out and take some batting practice with us, it was nice. It is nice to have interaction with other athletes from different teams around the Valley.”
Boldin struggled to find a groove in the early rounds of batting practice, hitting several consecutive foul balls.
“He might have a problem hitting a baseball, but he doesn’t have a problem catching a football,” joked Hudson.
After a few rounds passed, Boldin started to figure things out. He sprayed the ball around the field like a pro, including a couple of towering home runs.
“I hit one about 390 feet,” Boldin said proudly. “I banged a couple against the wall. I was disappointed because I expected to get more out. All of them were fastballs. I can’t hit anything else.”
Were the home runs legit?
“There were no corked bats,” Boldin said.
Despite his slow start, Boldin ultimately ended up impressing Gonzalez with the long ball.
“He hit a couple out,” Gonzalez explained. “It was good for him to do that. I told him that he can take that back to the locker room. A lot of guys don’t realize how difficult it is to hit a baseball until they get out here and try to do it.”
Boldin was definitely humbled by his plate appearances and has a great amount of respect for Major League baseball players.
“You have a great appreciation,” Boldin said. “I think it is even more once you go through a little bit of what they do. They play a 162 game season plus Spring Training. That’s unbelievable.”
Boldin has already made a name for himself on the gridiron, but what will happen if his football career fizzles out?
“If this whole football thing doesn’t work out, I am going to sign a half-year contract with the Diamondbacks,” Boldin said with a laugh. “They play 162 games. That is too long. I can probably give them about 80 games.”
Jim Omohundro
Cardinals Broadcasting
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Arizona Cardinals Wide Receiver Anquan Boldin recently took a break from catching footballs in order to hit baseballs with some Major League talent. The Cardinals star was invited to take batting practice with the Arizona Diamondbacks prior to their game against the Chicago Cubs last Wednesday at Chase Field.
“It’s official. I’ve got my own jersey and everything,” said Boldin, as the Diamondbacks presented him with a full uniform.
After suiting up, Boldin made his way to the field where he took some swings with Diamondbacks star outfielder Luis Gonzalez and infielder Orlando Hudson.
Boldin admits that he was a bit uneasy about the idea of hitting in the company of an All Star like Gonzalez.
“He makes it look easy,” Boldin explained. “He has a nice, smooth swing. It is kind of embarrassing to bat behind the guy.”
Gonzalez, a long time Cardinals season ticket holder, was simply happy that Boldin made the trip to the ballpark.
“Anquan is one of top receivers in the league,” Gonzalez said. “For him to come out and take some batting practice with us, it was nice. It is nice to have interaction with other athletes from different teams around the Valley.”
Boldin struggled to find a groove in the early rounds of batting practice, hitting several consecutive foul balls.
“He might have a problem hitting a baseball, but he doesn’t have a problem catching a football,” joked Hudson.
After a few rounds passed, Boldin started to figure things out. He sprayed the ball around the field like a pro, including a couple of towering home runs.
“I hit one about 390 feet,” Boldin said proudly. “I banged a couple against the wall. I was disappointed because I expected to get more out. All of them were fastballs. I can’t hit anything else.”
Were the home runs legit?
“There were no corked bats,” Boldin said.
Despite his slow start, Boldin ultimately ended up impressing Gonzalez with the long ball.
“He hit a couple out,” Gonzalez explained. “It was good for him to do that. I told him that he can take that back to the locker room. A lot of guys don’t realize how difficult it is to hit a baseball until they get out here and try to do it.”
Boldin was definitely humbled by his plate appearances and has a great amount of respect for Major League baseball players.
“You have a great appreciation,” Boldin said. “I think it is even more once you go through a little bit of what they do. They play a 162 game season plus Spring Training. That’s unbelievable.”
Boldin has already made a name for himself on the gridiron, but what will happen if his football career fizzles out?
“If this whole football thing doesn’t work out, I am going to sign a half-year contract with the Diamondbacks,” Boldin said with a laugh. “They play 162 games. That is too long. I can probably give them about 80 games.”
