By Martin Gandy
For Foxsportssouth.com
March 16, 2010
I've been in the Braves clubhouse before, but walking in there for the first time this spring training was a lot like walking in there for the first time. For someone who not only writes about the Braves, but is firstly a fan of the team, seeing all the players in real life is an almost unimaginable event. We've all seen Chipper Jones interviewed before, but to see him sitting quietly in his locker working a crossword puzzle is priceless.
Walking around and passing the man-mountains of players like Troy Glaus and Eric O'Flaherty is quite something. I'm an averaged size 5 foot 10 inches, but these guys tower over me. As big as those other guys are, when Jason Heyward passes a shadow is cast. The 20-year old kid is already a rare specimen, and I am merely eye-level with his the top of his chest.
I always find it interesting to see who is lockering next to whom.
Brian McCann and Tim Hudson are next to each other, diagonally across from Chipper Jones, who is across from Troy Glaus. Eric O'Flaherty and Peter Moylan are next to Glaus, and on the other end of that row of lockers are the two Japanese-born players, Kenshin Kawakami and Takashi Saito. There is a large contingent of Japanese individuals around the team- from the two translators for Kawa and Saito, to the half dozen or so various reporters and press who are following those two players.
It's also fun to see who else is in the clubhouse. Former outfielder Bobby Bonilla was there talking to players, as he is a rep for the MLB Players Association. The team apparently had just had a meeting before the clubhouse opened to the press. Old AJC reporter Furman Bisher was also wandering around the clubhouse, along with several Spanish-language writers -- the game has truly changed since Bisher started covering baseball in the 1940s, it is now a diverse and international game covered in many languages and by many different types of reporters (including bloggers like me).
While in the clubhouse a player came up and spit his gum out in a trash can I was standing next to, he looked up with a wry smile and low and behold it was Tom Glavine, dressed out in his familiar number-47. He quickly scurried away before any of the reporters could ask him a question. Today was his first day in Braves camp.
Because of the players' meeting the team had to take batting practice and pre-game warmups on one of the back fields behind the main stadium while the visiting Marlins were on the main field. The players did their usual drills with the pitchers long tossing and the hitters taking batting practice in the cages. Reliever Scott Proctor threw for the second day in a row in a simulated game situation, and will pitch in his first spring game on Friday, less than a year removed from Tommy John surgery. Glavine and new closer Billy Wagner looked on and chatted.
On the way back to the stadium a producer for Fox Sports South came up to Glavine and reminded him that he had to do a pre-game show at 12:10. When Glavine asked what time it was right now, the producer said, "noon." Glavine commented that he was wearing too many hats, but that he could make a superman-like change out of his uniform and into his TV clothes. It looks like, for now at least, Glvaine will try and wear at least two hats, that of a Braves announcer and a part-time coach in spring training.
Experiencing baseball from the clubhouse and the dugout is something every fan should be able to do. Until that time, though, I'll continue to bring you fun and interesting stories and happenings from around the Braves.
Martin Gandy is the author of the Talking Chop 2010 Baseball Annual, which can be found at www.talkingchop.com.
