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I really like this Beachy kid Atlanta Braves pitcher Brandon Beachy focused on building a better story | braves.com: News
"It is my story and a part of who I am, but it doesn't really matter much in this clubhouse or on that field," Beachy said. "Eight other guys on the field with you have their own stories. We're all competing together on the same field. It doesn't matter if you are the number one overall pick or you were unpicked. It doesn't matter when you're out there. I'd like to continue mine for a long time, with my back story being on the back burner."
This Freeman kid is not too bad either Freeman aims for Gold Glove and batting title, not HRs | Atlanta Braves
So I asked the 6-foot-5, 240-pounds first baseman, who added about five pounds this winter through an offseason strength-and-conditioning program, if he now considered himself more of a power hitter than people had him pegged as before last season. "I don’t," he said. "I’m still a line-drive guy. I take a lot of pride in hitting for average. I love hitting for average. I lifted a couple of balls last year. Obviously I play a position where home runs are a big key for that position. "I did get stronger in the offseason; we’ll see if it projects to hitting more home runs that 21. We’ll see what happens, but I take a lot of pride in getting on base and scoring runs, driving in guys. I never hit a lot of home runs in my life, really, I always just stayed through the middle and hit line drives."
McCann ready to shake struggles of last season | ajc.com
"The most I ever sat and pondered over a season since I started playing baseball," McCann said. After deep contemplation — along with plenty of offseason golf and vacations to Las Vegas and the Bahamas — he was sure he had arrived at the root cause of the Braves’ epic September belly-flop. By the time he came south, he was prepared to sling a little blame. It was him.
Venters wants to stay strong through September | braves.com: News
"Once you get to September, it's just a grind," Venters said. "I have to figure out a routine that helps me to be better in September. Two years in a row, I have struggled in September. So obviously, I have to do something different. Right now, I don't know what that's going to be."
Tuesday is earliest Hanson will work out | braves.com: News
Hanson jogged around the warning track and played catch for about five minutes on Sunday afternoon at ESPN's Wide World of Sports complex. This marked the first time he had completed any physical activity on a baseball field since suffering a Grade 1 concussion in a one-car accident early Monday morning.
Slimmer Diaz looks for return to form | Atlanta Braves
Through one week of spring-training batting practice, first against coaches and in the past two days against pitchers, the 33-year-old outfielder said he feels a difference. "Really good, free and easy on the swing," Diaz said. "I had some power when I was hitting at the college I’ve been hitting at [during the offseason], but then when I came out here, hitting nice baseballs, I was like, ‘Wow, I do have power.’"
What we’re saying is, Adam Russell is big | Atlanta Braves
Some have joked that he’d be worth having on the major league roster regardless of how spring training goes, as a one-man deterrent against beanballs and brawls. "We need to have him around for all nine innings – nothing would ever happen," said former Braves manager Bobby Cox, upon first seeing the mammoth right-hander.
Vizcaino not guaranteed roster spot with Braves | braves.com: News
"There's an opportunity there," manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "If he pitches good enough and he can make us better and we can get him enough innings, why not?"
Terdoslavich begins transition back to third base | braves.com: News
"It was pretty cool," Terdoslavich said. "I had a pretty big smile on my face yesterday. That was definitely one of the coolest things I've gotten to do. It's work. But it hits you, 'I'm taking ground balls with one of the greatest players of all-time and one of the guys I looked up to growing up.'" Growing up a switch-hitting third baseman in Sarasota, Fla., Terdoslavich grew up idolizing Jones. Now he finds himself a candidate to serve as his successor.