Friday, February 24, 2006
Confident Braves report to camp
02/16/2006
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Even at the very beginning, a calm, positive professionalism pervades the camp of the Atlanta Braves.
And why not? The Braves have won a record 14 straight division titles. They are the kings of the regular season. If there had ever been a season in which the Atlanta streak was supposed to be stopped, it was 2005, in which circumstances forced the Braves to use 18 rookies. But the vast majority of the rookies played with poise and maturity, and the streak continued.
What would stop the Braves from turning 14 in a row into 15 in a row? There is obviously the issue of the major offseason improvements made by the New York Mets. But if you're the Braves, there is no need to focus anywhere other than your own team.
There is, as usual, significant quality and depth in the Atlanta starting rotation. In the everyday lineup there is a blend of top-flight veterans and younger players, but younger players who already proved their worth last year, at least one season ahead of schedule.
If you wanted to raise a substantial doubt about the Braves, the bullpen might be your only chance. There is not a tremendous amount of experience here. In the closer role, Chris Reitsma was the job for much of last season and then lost the duty down the stretch after a hyper-extended left knee diminished his effectiveness.
But the Braves have maintained faith in Retisma's stuff and his ability to handle the task. There are other possible candidates to be the closer, but on Thursday, reporting day for the Braves' pitchers and catchers, manager Bobby Cox gave the right-hander a renewed vote of confidence.
"If we had to break camp right now, I think (the closer) would be Reitsma," Cox said.
Reitsma, who will pitch for Canada in the World Baseball Classic, was in good spirits upon his arrival, kidding teammates who had chosen not to participate in the WBC, that their choice was based primarily on a fear of losing to Canada. And he was in a positive mode about his own prospects as the Braves' closer as well as the prospects for the Atlanta bullpen.
"I'm very confident," Reitsma said. "You take out a couple of appearances last year and my numbers were as good as anybody in the league. I'm starting my sixth big-league season, and I feel like I have a lot to offer.
"I know there are some people saying that the bullpen is the weak spot with this team. We don't have a lot of experience, but the arms here are way above average."
There can be little debate with that notion. There has been some debate about what effect the departure of longtime pitching coach Leo Mazzone will have. But the new pitching coach, Roger McDowell, appears to have made a solid early start with the pitchers in pre-Spring Training sessions.
Cox was offered some opportunities to talk about Mazzone on Thursday, but, not surprisingly, he turned those into opportunities to talk about McDowell. "He's fit in already and we haven't even had our first workout," Cox said.
This remains a team that finds the right way, and the right people, to win. A classic example last summer was catcher Brian McCann, who had to be rushed to the Majors as a 21-year-old, coming out of Double A. He handled all phases of the game considerable composure, not to mention with success. The Braves were so impressed with his work that they the felt confident enough to trade the previous starting catcher, Johnny Estrada, to Arizona for bullpen help.
Now Brian McCann, all of 22, is the starting catcher for the division champions. And there is no reason to doubt that he will be up to the task. Like all of the Braves, he understands perfectly what it means to wear this uniform.
"It's starts in the Minor Leagues," McCann said. "They run an unbelievable Minor League program and they breed winning and I think that's why a lot of us came up and did well.
"What the Braves have accomplished in the last decade and a half has been ridiculous. Nobody is ever supposed to do that. It's definitely awesome."
And now? "Last year was to get your feet wet, and this year is to show everybody what you can really do," McCann said. "It's definitely a great feeling to come here knowing that you're the No. 1 catcher and knowing that they've got enough faith in you to go out there and get the job done." Faith in getting the job done, individually and collectively, is at the core of the Braves' success. With 14 division titles in a row, that approach does not require much of a reach. That faith has been earned and earned again.
Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Even at the very beginning, a calm, positive professionalism pervades the camp of the Atlanta Braves.
And why not? The Braves have won a record 14 straight division titles. They are the kings of the regular season. If there had ever been a season in which the Atlanta streak was supposed to be stopped, it was 2005, in which circumstances forced the Braves to use 18 rookies. But the vast majority of the rookies played with poise and maturity, and the streak continued.
What would stop the Braves from turning 14 in a row into 15 in a row? There is obviously the issue of the major offseason improvements made by the New York Mets. But if you're the Braves, there is no need to focus anywhere other than your own team.
There is, as usual, significant quality and depth in the Atlanta starting rotation. In the everyday lineup there is a blend of top-flight veterans and younger players, but younger players who already proved their worth last year, at least one season ahead of schedule.
If you wanted to raise a substantial doubt about the Braves, the bullpen might be your only chance. There is not a tremendous amount of experience here. In the closer role, Chris Reitsma was the job for much of last season and then lost the duty down the stretch after a hyper-extended left knee diminished his effectiveness.
But the Braves have maintained faith in Retisma's stuff and his ability to handle the task. There are other possible candidates to be the closer, but on Thursday, reporting day for the Braves' pitchers and catchers, manager Bobby Cox gave the right-hander a renewed vote of confidence.
"If we had to break camp right now, I think (the closer) would be Reitsma," Cox said.
Reitsma, who will pitch for Canada in the World Baseball Classic, was in good spirits upon his arrival, kidding teammates who had chosen not to participate in the WBC, that their choice was based primarily on a fear of losing to Canada. And he was in a positive mode about his own prospects as the Braves' closer as well as the prospects for the Atlanta bullpen.
"I'm very confident," Reitsma said. "You take out a couple of appearances last year and my numbers were as good as anybody in the league. I'm starting my sixth big-league season, and I feel like I have a lot to offer.
"I know there are some people saying that the bullpen is the weak spot with this team. We don't have a lot of experience, but the arms here are way above average."
There can be little debate with that notion. There has been some debate about what effect the departure of longtime pitching coach Leo Mazzone will have. But the new pitching coach, Roger McDowell, appears to have made a solid early start with the pitchers in pre-Spring Training sessions.
Cox was offered some opportunities to talk about Mazzone on Thursday, but, not surprisingly, he turned those into opportunities to talk about McDowell. "He's fit in already and we haven't even had our first workout," Cox said.
This remains a team that finds the right way, and the right people, to win. A classic example last summer was catcher Brian McCann, who had to be rushed to the Majors as a 21-year-old, coming out of Double A. He handled all phases of the game considerable composure, not to mention with success. The Braves were so impressed with his work that they the felt confident enough to trade the previous starting catcher, Johnny Estrada, to Arizona for bullpen help.
Now Brian McCann, all of 22, is the starting catcher for the division champions. And there is no reason to doubt that he will be up to the task. Like all of the Braves, he understands perfectly what it means to wear this uniform.
"It's starts in the Minor Leagues," McCann said. "They run an unbelievable Minor League program and they breed winning and I think that's why a lot of us came up and did well.
"What the Braves have accomplished in the last decade and a half has been ridiculous. Nobody is ever supposed to do that. It's definitely awesome."
And now? "Last year was to get your feet wet, and this year is to show everybody what you can really do," McCann said. "It's definitely a great feeling to come here knowing that you're the No. 1 catcher and knowing that they've got enough faith in you to go out there and get the job done." Faith in getting the job done, individually and collectively, is at the core of the Braves' success. With 14 division titles in a row, that approach does not require much of a reach. That faith has been earned and earned again.
Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/
