Nice article in the Springfield News-Leader this morning about Koby Clemens and his clubhouse presence/career trajectory.
Yet no one would know about his struggles these days by talking to him or seeing him in the clubhouse, where Clemens has earned a reputation as a good teammate.
Where he could keep to himself, he regularly plays cards. He had to be pulled away briefly for this interview.
Jimmy Van Ostrand:
He's got a great baseball IQ. He's not a rah-rah guy. But when you talk to him, he understands the game and is going to help you out. Early in his career, he could swing it. He just had to figure out what approach worked for him as a hitter. Now he's just doing it a little more consistently."
Hooks hitting coach Mark Bailey:
"Last year he really learned how to hit the ball to the gaps. He's right about where he should be now."
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
