Braves credit early camp progress to offseason workouts at local baseball field
ATLANTA - When Richard Garland got a call during Atlanta's shutdown about the Braves possibly utilizing Campbell High School’s baseball facility, he had to make sure it was legit.
"Once they said, 'Well I think it’s going to be Sean Newcomb and Mike Soroka,' and I said, 'Oh, I guess we could probably let those guys come practice, we can let them in,'" Garland told FOX 5 Sports on Friday.
It’s not every offseason that professional athletes seek the help of local parks for a space to stay in shape in preparation for the season. But then again, this wasn’t a normal offseason for any professional sports team, including the Braves.
Garland said it was pretty hard to keep it a secret, but keeping it on the down low for the Braves' sake was worth it. He also said the Braves players thanked him every day for the opportunity to use the facility.
"I’ve been parks and recreation for 35 years, and every once in a while, something really cool happens," Garland said. "A cool COVID experience while everyone else is living through the drudgery of working from home, I was able to, through this, be able to spend an hour and a half, two hours every day hanging out with guys that Itypically am either watching from the stands or watching at home on TV."
Before live batters like Ozzie Albies, Ronald Acuña Jr., Johan Camargo and Charlie Culberson showed up, Garland even stepped in the batter's box for a few pitches from Mike Soroka.
"Just from a timing standpoint that would’ve been fruitless," Garland recalled, laughing, "By the time I triggered the ball was hitting the catchers mit."
Other pitchers like Mike Foltynewicz, Sean Newcomb and Cole Hamels went to the field up to six times a week, throwing two bullpens each week.
"It was just one of those things we knew we had to do to stay in shape because at any given moment, the season could’ve started. So we really took it upon ourselves to stay in shape, get in shape," Foltynewicz said Thursday . "So I mean it was really really helpful. We got very lucky to go to that school and play because as you guys know and saw, it’s very difficult to get to gyms and parks and throw, so it was tough. We got very lucky. We had a bunch of guys coming in left and right just to stay ready because like I said, at any time MLB could’ve started us back up and we would’ve had to ship back out to spring training. Just want to thank all those guys who were able to help us because never know what would’ve happened if we didn’t have those guys."
Foltynewicz was almost perfect in three scoreless innings during Thursday’s scrimmage. Manager Brian Snitker said he credits the 10 or so Braves for taking initiative to stay in shape during the layoff and attributes their success so far in intrasquad scrimmages to their time put in at Campbell's baseball facility.