Two Interesting Tidbits About John Buck

The Kansas City Star has an interesting article by Bob Dutton on their website about John Buck’s new workout regimen. The article contains some interesting information and two quotes I want to point out.

First, from hitting coach Kevin Seitzer about Buck: “Last year, I think he got into trouble because he was worrying about chasing pitches. And when a guy is worrying about chasing, he’s usually late on fastballs. And when you’re late on fastballs, your swing looks long and slow.”

So, presumably, Seitzer has Buck looking for fastballs this spring. Apparently, it’s working. Have you seen Buck’s numbers? In 11 games (27 AB), he’s hitting .407 with 3 HR and 8 RBI.

Second, last May, John’s wife gave birth to twins, and according to the article, her life was in jeopardy during the delivery. One of his sons also needed extra medical attention. His wife and son eventually came through it okay, but he kept everything private and returned to the team after a three-day bereavement leave.

Here’s what he said in the article about his family and the 2008 season: “I care about my family way more than the game, but the game is how I support my family. So I tried to keep rolling with it. But did I want to be on the road playing baseball while my wife was in the hospital? Heck, no.”

What a horrible situation to be in. The article doesn’t go into detail, but I’m wondering why Buck didn’t get more time to be with his wife and son. Whatever the case, rather than sitting in his hotel room (when the Royals were on the road) Buck began to work out with David DeJesus (under the supervision of Ty Hill) just to keep from going crazy thinking about his family. And then he began to eat better. All of that lead to him feeling better physically.

Here’s to hoping that John Buck has a great 2009, both on and off the field.