More photos » by Steve Nesius - AP

Ben "Zorilla" Zobrist basking in the glory of just one of his late inning lightning moments earlier this season. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)

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DRaysBay has done something nobody else has been able to do; we've caught Zorilla.

After the 2007 season Ben Zobrist's future with the Tampa Bay Rays was uncertain. A year after being the team's opening day short stop, Zobrist was replaced by Jason Bartlett, and went into the 2008 training camp fighting for a roster spot; any roster spot. The Rays decided to groom Zobrist for a utility or the more popular term "super" utility role. He played all over the infield in spring including first base. He was learning all three outfield positions in the process. I'm pretty sure if they asked, he would've donned the catchers gear or took the mound as well.

To this point in his career, Ben Zobrist's value was in his defense and positional flexibility. Offensively, however, he was a mess. Coming into 2008 he was a career .200/.234/.275 hitter with just 13 extra base hits and three career home runs. After showing good place discipline throughout his minor league career, Zobrist had just 13 walks while striking out 47 times in 303 plate appearances. If Zobrist was going to have a serious major league career he would need to fix that. In case you haven't noticed, he's fixed it alright.

In April, I "broke" the Zobrist code. I spoke to the swing mechanic, Jaime Cevallos, that helped turn Zobrist from the hitter I mentioned above, to the man that is hitting .287/.404/.622 with 16 home runs this year. The beast who has hit 28 home runs in his last 477 plate appearances.

Today, I bring you inside Zobrist code from the man, the myth, the legend that is Zorilla, Ben Zobrist.

Recently, I had the honor of speaking with Zobrist about his side of the story. As mentioned above after 2007 Ben was facing uncertainty in his career. As fate would have it, Zobrist and Cevallos's paths would cross. Knowing he needed to improve, Zobrist was open to Cevallos's teachings. "I knew something had to change," Zobrist said. "Jaime approached me at showtime with some video of good big league hitters and compared it with swings he had of mine, showed me the difference, gave me his philosophy of how I needed to change my swing." At first, Zobrist's admits that he was uncertain of Cevallos's technique. However after hearing a familar voice echo the same advice he bought into the system a bit more. "Jaime's techniques made sense but I wasn't too sure about making complete changes based on a guy that I didn't know too well, but when I heard Dan, who I knew well basically telling me very similar things in a different way, I knew I had to go with it," says Zobrist.

The "Dan" he is referring to is Dan Heefner, the head baseball coach at Dallas Baptist University where Zobrist played in college. He also happens to be Ben's brother-in-law. Heefner noticed things very similar to Cevallos and in different ways both coaches helped change the way Zobrist swung the bat. He says that Heffner told him "to stay connected in the swing."  "What he meant," Zobrist explains "was to keep all body parts moving together into the ball instead of fluid separated swing that many hitting coaches teach.  When I worked on these things in my swing, I immediately saw the power difference in BP.  Taking it into the game was tough but I made the adjustments."

Knowing it is almost impossible to quantify a coaches teaching in numbers, I asked Ben if he could elaborate on how both impacted his revamped swing. "I would say it was 50/50 what made me make the change between Dan and Jaime," he claims.  "I saw the evidence from both of them and couldn't refute it.  I was obligated to make the changes when I saw the evidence of a better swing."

In all walks of life change can be a difficult thing. For a major league baseball player who has done things a certain way nearly all his life this can be even more difficult especially while facing the best competition in the world. Zobrist knew this, and yet decided for himself that the change was necessary for the better. "You have to be willing to commit to changing for the better.  Most big league hitters don't want to mess with something that got them so far in the game, but if you already have the tools, sometimes you just need someone to show you how to use them better," explains Zobrist. Ah, nothing like a trip to the ol' mechanics to get you going.

Since training with Cevallos and Heefner, Zobrist has taken what he's learned from both and tried to pass it along to others. "I have told people about it and used some of the same swing truths when doing my own lessons in Nashville in the offseason, without trying to take the credit for coming up with anything," he says. When asked if he is still in contact with Cevallos, Zobrist said that the two were in contact recently and Cevallos is still "encouraging" him to keep up with the training. However, Zobrist added that during the season he tries "not to get too technical during the season especially if I'm swinging it well. I try to see the ball and swing at strikes." Sounds simple enough since swinging well is something he has done and continues to do.

Even the most hardcore statistical analysts continues to marvel at what Zobrist has accomplished over the past year or so. While we at DRaysBay continue to be amazed by what he's doing on the field, Zobrist himself is taken back a bit by all the success he's having. Even with all the hard work he has put in, he admits that he sometimes is surprised by it all. I asked him the following question: Do you sometimes just sit back and say wow, this is pretty amazing? Answering honestly, he said "Yes, especially since I didn't realize I had the kind of power potential I
have shown lately.  I give praise to God for the talents and abilities he gave me, for the opportunities I have right now, and for giving me the wisdom through these people in my life." The guy makes Tim Tebow look like a criminal.

After Akinori Iwamura's injury, Zobrist has worked his way into an everyday player at second base. Even though he's looked comfortable at every position, he admits that the more he plays at a given position the better he feels. "I'm most comfortable where I have been playing most lately." While Zobrist has looked good defensively at each position he's played, not everything has come easy. I asked him which things were most difficult and here is what he said. "The difficulties are usually on certain plays....going back on a ball in the outfield, the 2nd base feed to SS, the backhand at short, etc."

Injuries have shifted the Rays plans for Benzo. He is no longer just a super utility bench player, but now an everyday player without a permanent home. That suits him just fine. "I just want to play everyday to help the team, so wherever that is, I'm good with it." Whether starting or coming off the bench, Zobrist says mentality and attitude have a large role. I asked him about his late inning heroics and if there was a secret to the magic that is "late inning lightning." "Coming in late in the game and doing something good is mostly mental.  You have to maintain a positive attitude and build on little successes here and there, realizing that you might be just what your team needs to win the game.  No pressure, just fun," he replied. See guys, facing Matt Thornton or Joe Nathan with the game on the line is no pressure at all; it's just a little fun.

Nicknames are also fun and nobody on the Rays has more than Zobrist does. Around these parts you may hear him referred to as: Late inning lightning, MVZ, Weapon Z, but he admits that his Zorilla is tops. "Zorilla's my favorite and the one that has been catching on lately," said Zorilla. He goes on to say that James Shields still goes by the moniker  "Big Game" and that recently demoted Andy Sonnanstine was/is known as "Boom Boom." For the player leading the American League in slugging and OPS maybe Boom Boom is a name better suited for himself.

Whether it was the unorthodox teachings of the swing mechanic, the advice of his brother-in-law, good luck, or a bit of all three, Ben Zobrist is proving he is the real deal. As long as he continues to play well and play well for the Rays it doesn't really matter how he got to this point, but hopes that he remains in this spot. The Zobrist code started out as a mystery, but is playing out more like a fairy tale and it could not have happened to a nicer guy.

Huge thanks to Ben Zobrist for taking the time during the season to sit and chat with me. When I say it couldn't happen to a nicer guy I mean it. For the Zobrist Code pt 1, click here.