In search of knowledge, Wil Myers paying regular visits to manager's office

One day early this season, Padres first baseman Wil Myers stopped by manager Andy Green's office with a question. He left feeling better informed. Soon, a habit developed.

"I don't really know if it was just like, 'Hey, let's start coming in every day,' " the former Rays outfielder said. "I just went in there to try to talk to him, and then I was like, 'You know what? I'm getting a lot out of that.' So I've just continued to do it."

Both at home and on the road, Myers has since averaged five or six visits to Green's office per week, each session lasting anywhere between two and 10 minutes, sometimes longer. There is little formality to the drop-ins.

"There's not even a set time every day," Myers said. "I just kind of walk in there. 'Hey, you busy?' 'No.' 'All right, let's take a look at some stuff.' "

The topic, Myers said, often involves the finer points of defense or baserunning. For an inquisitive player, Green, a savvy and analytical baseball mind, is a font of information.

"It's never really about offense," Myers said. "It's more about how to get better at first base, how to be a better baserunner, how to be a better thinker throughout the game. And that's something that I haven't ever really done as a player — I just went out there and kind of played with my ability."

Myers, 26, has shown growth over the last year. A summer ago, he played in his first All-Star Game, representing San Diego in its own Midsummer Classic. In January, a club-record contract extension cemented him as the face of a franchise.

Before spring training, Myers acknowledged that he had grown overconfident after the first half of 2016. He spoke of approaching 2017 with greater perspective, of maintaining an even keel over a full season.

The results so far have been mixed, though it remains early. On Saturday, Myers was given his first game off of the season. An extra-base-hit machine in April, he'd entered the weekend with two hits in his past 26 at-bats. He'd recently tightened his defense, which at times has been sloppy.

His education continues, on the field and off, including in the manager's office.

"Obviously, (Green is) an extremely smart baseball mind, and I don't have as high of a baseball IQ as him," Myers said. "I try to go in there and talk to him about the game, listen to what he was thinking during the game in certain situations, just try to pick up some stuff from him."

The near-daily visits, according to Myers, have a dual benefit.

"I'm trying to become a better player and be able to learn a lot more," he said. "That way, with the younger players, I can kind of know what to tell them.

"It's pretty cool to be able to have that aspect of Andy — for him to be able to share with me and then me be able to share with others."