Redman a student of the outfield

John Perrotto profiles Tike.

Redman has logged many hours this spring with special spring training instructor Bill Virdon, the maestro of teaching outfield defense. Redman feels he has improved greatly.

"I have the speed to run down a lot of balls," Redman said. "My biggest problem has been the routes I take to balls. I've put in a lot of work this spring and I feel like I'm getting a better jump when the ball comes off the bat."

What does Bill Virdon think?

For the record, I'm rooting for Tike. If he can hit .315, steal a whole bunch of bases and not get caught, and play great defense in centerfield, we can probably live with whatever OBP comes with that. That's not a prediction but best wishes.