When opening day approaches for the Braves in downtown Atlanta, the players and coaching staff talk with an air of optimism, about contending for a playoff spot. In suburbia, as the AAA Gwinnett Braves prepare to start their season 2011 season, the vibe is much different. While the G-Braves want to compete and win as many games as possible, they all have half their brain focused on someplace they would rather be. They haven’t reached their final destination: the Turner Field clubhouse.
The G-Braves are trying to win some ball games, but they are individually trying desperately to leave base camp behind and head to the summit, the basement clubhouse on 755 Hank Aaron Drive. They know the Gwinnett roster is a liquidy mix, oatmeal that will never harden. Players are destined to be promoted or demoted, traded or released. They also know that the season is about developing talents and refining skills.
There will be no “everyday lineup” for manager Dave Brundage, and because the roster will always shifting, realistic team goals are impossible to set. The season starts Thursday at 7:05 when the G-Braves host the Durham Bulls, but the roster has already been revised, twice. Mike Minor was called up, or maybe it was called down I-85, to replace injured starter Jair Jurrgens on the parent club. Barbaro Canizares, 2011 Media Guide coverboy, had started the last three opening day games for the AAA club but has been released.
Even though the G-Braves aren’t big leaguers, (although many have major league experience) they are pros and many have had at least one stint in the majors. They know what they must do to earn a ticket to the show. This was evident in their comments on media day at Coolray Field on Thursday.
Brundage politely refused to predict a win total or even an opening day line-up just slightly more than 48 hours before the season starts. (The starting pitcher is set, Rodrigo Lopez). Brundage did describe what success looks like to him below the show, “Minor league goals are a little different. First and foremost, you have to develop all of our players, be it young old, or in between. Every time you walk through that [clubhouse] door there is something to be learned.”
The manger’s ducks have fallen in line, or at least been trained to speak the company line. Lopez has 75 wins in the bigs and finished second in the balloting for the American League rookie of the year back in 2002. Twice he has won 15 games, but this year he is trying to help his team and himself, “I’ll do my best to get a win for my team and get back to the big leagues.”
J. C. Boscan is expected to get the most at bats from the catcher position. If past years are any indication, he will have the opportunity to make the Turner Field commute at some point this season. He says that he’ll be working for the opportunity and be ready, “You got to come out everyday and play this game like it’s the last game of your career. And try to show people that you can do a good job [on] and [off] of the field everyday.”
The biggest crowd on media day was gathered around right handed phenom Julio Teheran. The 20 year old Columbia is widely regarded as the Braves top prospect. Teheran was reserved, careful and confident as he spoke about 100 feet from the Coolray Field Pitching mound. He wouldn’t put a number to how many wins or he hoped to reach or where he thought his ERA should settle. But, when asked whether he will be answering questions at the beginning of the season in 2012 at Coolray or Turner Field, he had this to say through his interpreter, “I will be there [Turner Field] next year, if not this year.”
Infielder Ed Lucas had a great spring and almost made it to the clubhouse downtown. He knows his role both now and hopefully soon, “All of us are trying to stay to get our work in and stay positive, help this team win now, and be prepared ton answer the call (from Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez) if and when it comes.” Clearly these guys are all professionals. They have to make themselves attractive to Atlanta general manager Frank Wren. They’re also competitors and want to win along the way.
As the interview session drew to a close, Brundage summed up one universal truth for every guy in uniform on every opening day in any level of baseball. “When the games start, that’s the fun time for me.”
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