Mark Bowman and David O'Brien are your go-to sources for pitchers and catchers reporting day, which is today. Be sure to follow them throughout the day as they provide some entertaining photos and tweets from the first day of camp.
From O'Brien:
Jonny Venters has a new look going, which eliminates the baldness thing entirely. I think he learned from his teammates, such as Tim Hudson and Peter Moylan.
A great photo of Champion Stadium in the morning.
Part two of the interview with Fredi Gonzalez. A quote or two to focus on:
Q. So you’re not going to make a lineup based solely on sabermetics, on things like WAR or VORP. (Laughter.)
A. No, or – what’s the other one — DIPS? No, we’re not going to do that. Or hit the pitcher eighth. I’m not there yet.
Q. But you don’t consider yourself a dinosaur when it comes to that stuff, either?
A. No, no, no. I look at all that kind of stuff. I really do. [But] you can really get really confused or paralyzed during the course of the game if you get caught up in all that.
-snip-
Yeah, but remember two years ago when Bobby had Mike Gonzalez and [Rafael] Soriano [as co-closers]? Then he would kind of flip-flop them. I remember reading the box score and seeing that Soriano pitched the ninth inning one day, then the eighth the next day when Gonzalez pitched the ninth against lefties. We could do that, and kind of break with that until somebody steps up as that main guy.
O'Brien: "Early arriving #Braves position players include McLouth, Uggla, Prado and Schafer. Just now, McLouth headed to batting cage w/ Schafer."
O'Brien: "#Braves Schafer says he's "100 percent" and ready to go. No issues with wrist that's slowed him 2 yrs. Says that's about all there is to say"
O'Brien: "Jurrjens on #Braves' mood: We got so close to the goal that we all wanted to accomplish. You can see a different environment this year, everybody’s so hyper to get started and try to get in the playoffs again.""
From Bowman:
The Jason Heyward effect: Tents covering the front office cars to prevent more sunroof bashing. Love it.
Bowman: "Uggla, Prado and McClouth are among the position players who have already arrived this morning."
Bowman: "The fantasy football belt has already been moved to Hudson's locker."