Barmes knows his glove kept him in the Pittsburgh Pirates' lineup a year ago. The veteran shortstop hopes his bat chips in this season.
Posted: Mar. 29, 2013 2:29 PM ET
Barmes says he spent the winter focusing on keeping things simple at the plate. He admits he tried to do too much too soon in 2012, when he hit a miserable .170 during April and May. Barmes eventually raised his average to .229 by season's end. It's been a slow start during spring training, where he's hitting just .178. Regardless, he will be in the lineup when the Pirates open the 2013 season on Monday against Chicago.