NORTH PORT, Fla. — Multiple times over the past couple of years, Braves manager Brian Snitker has referenced a philosophy with designing a spring training program: The Braves want their players to complete their work, but they also are careful about keeping them at the ballpark too long – especially on hot days.
There’s a balance.
“There is, and that’s what I told the guys,” Snitker said Tuesday after the club’s first full-squad workout. “And I learned that over years in watching other managers. And I’ve been in camps that do the other part where you go in and have lunch, you come back out.
“It was more quantity than quality.”
Under Snitker, the Braves strive for an even mix of quality and quantity. They are businesslike, but not to a brutal extreme. This is a laid-back atmosphere, but players know they’re expected to make the most of each day.
Hall of Famer Bobby Cox, the legendary Braves skipper and one of Snitker’s mentors, handled it the same way.
“There’s only so much you can do to get ready to play baseball,” Snitker said. “You can stand around a lot, and I’ve said all that does is just try everybody’s backs.”
At camp, the days often begin at 7:30 a.m., even if players usually don’t stretch until a little after 10 a.m. Coaches arrive early. Hitters might work in the cage, and pitchers go through their routine. Guys work out in the gym.
The workout usually ends around 12:30 p.m. It doesn’t mean the players are done then – some stay later for arm care, treatment or anything else – but they usually don’t have to stay all day.
“I think the players appreciate it that we don’t keep them out there just to be out there,” Snitker said.
Fried throws live batting practice
It is Feb. 21, and we got to see Max Fried versus Ronald Acuña Jr.
Isn’t spring training amazing?
In the main stadium at the Braves’ CoolToday Park complex, Fried faced Acuña, Ozzie Albies, Michael Harris II and Orlando Arcia. Fried threw 35 pitches. Each batter saw five pitches, no matter what.
There isn’t much to report – which is a positive at this time of year. You want players to stay healthy.
Arcia pulled a double to the left-field corner off Fried. Otherwise, his stuff looked pretty good. You usually can’t glean much from live batting practice this early in camp.
Fried threw 20 pitches his first time on the mound, then he sat down. Bryce Elder pitched, then Fried hurled 15 more pitches. Then Darius Vines threw. Elder and Vines each threw 20 pitches.
During Acuña’s second at-bat versus Fried, he watched the first pitch go by him. He didn’t swing.
“Good pitch,” Acuña told Fried in English.
Snitker heads to back fields
From behind the screen in front of the backstop, bench coach Walt Weiss, pitching coach Rick Kranitz and catching coach Sal Fasano watched Fried and the others throw live batting practice.
Snitker wasn’t there. He went over to Field 3, where he saw Ray Kerr, Jake Walsh and Hayden Harris throw live batting practice.
“Some interesting guys,” Snitker said. “I wanted to see a couple of them back there that I’d heard about. Saw them throw sides. Wanted to see a hitter get in there and see what it looks like.”
Stay tuned on a starter
On Saturday, the Braves open their Grapefruit League schedule at 1:05 p.m. in Port Charlotte versus the Rays.
Have the Braves decided on a starting pitcher for that game?
“I think we have, probably,” Snitker said.
They will share it “in a day or so.”
Stay tuned.
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