Eager and exciting. That's pretty much how the first day of spring training goes.
Said catcher Brian McCann,"First day of spring training lets you know that the grind is about to start."
Added manager Fredi Gonzalez,"We hear the smack of the ball behind us here. There's no better part of it for me."
Position players like Chipper and Freddie Freeman don't have to show up until Friday.But there they were today working out with the pitchers and catchers.
Said McCann,"It shows everybody is committed. There are a lot of guys on this team that want to prove something with the way things happened last year."
Kind of hard to forget last year.
Braves blew that eight-and-a-half game lead in September and missed the playoffs. So maybe a fast start this year would help erase that memory.
Said Gonzalez,"I'm looking to start 11-5. Obviously, we go out and start 5-11 in April, and that's going to come back. As far as right now, it's not even in your mind until you brought it up. Thank you."(laughter)
General manager Frank Wren did not make any big moves in the off-season despite the collapse, so is that some sort of confidence boost for the players.
Said infielder Martin Prado,"The main thing is everybody just learn from last year that if we are going to be in the same situation, we are going to have a different mentality."
Atlanta utilized their bullpen a lot last year, which may have caused the pitchers to wear out in September. But manager Fredi Gonzalez says it was hard to avoid.
"We played 41 one-run games, and we played 26 extra inning games. Somebody has got to pitch those innings. All of a sudden, we come out of April and we've played a bunch of extra inning games or a bunch of one-run games. Then we'll watch them."
