Braves talk baseball, meet fans during caravan stop

The Auburn High baseball team had some special motivational speakers on campus Thursday afternoon.

While in the midst of tryouts, which run through Saturday, the Tigers were visited by Atlanta Braves pitchers Tim Hudson and Tommy Hanson, general manager Frank Wren and former pitcher Jim Nash as part of the Atlanta Braves Community Caravan, which visited Auburn on Thursday.

“It was just a very positive impact these guys had today,” Auburn High head baseball coach Matt Cimo said. “These kids know the Braves, and it was really great of them to come do this today.”

Over the course of a brief question-and-answer session, all four members of the Braves caravan stressed hard work and preparation in not only making the high school team, but also making it to the major leagues.

Wren illustrated this point with the story of current San Diego Padres shortstop David Eckstein, who is only 5-foot-7 and 175 pounds.

“David Eckstein is one of the most unimpressive baseball players in the league,” Wren said. “He’s not big. He’s not fast. He’s not strong. He has one of the worst arms of any shortstop in the majors. But he’s one of the best shortstops in the majors. He prepares more than anyone in the game.”

Hudson and Hanson, a pitcher currently in the minor leagues expected to be a part of the Braves’ major league club at some point this season, stressed hard work, while Nash, who was a big league pitcher from 1966-73 and spent the 1970-72 seasons with the Braves, talked about the importance of positive thinking and surrounding oneself with positive people.

“You’ve got to have positive influences around you,” Nash said. “When I was coming up I got cut for little league as an 8-year-old and a 9-year-old, got cut in eighth- and ninth-grade and when I was a senior a scout with the Los Angeles Dodgers told my coach there was no point in me continuing to pitch, but I didn’t listen to any of that.”

Auburn High player Russell Melton was impressed with the visit.

“It was real good. Good to have major league players talk to you,” Melton said. “They’ve been through what we’re going through.”

Following the AHS visit, the caravan moved to the new Academy Sports + Outdoors store in Auburn, where the Braves signed autographs.

“It’s great to get out and meet kids and talk with people with the present and future of the team,” Nash said during a media session at Academy. “It makes you get excited for the season.”

And this season brings numerous changes for the Braves. Hudson won’t be available until some time around August after undergoing Tommy John surgery last Aug. 8.

“The arm’s feeling good,” Hudson, a former star at Glenwood School and Auburn University, said. “We’re right on schedule with it. It’s a one-year process and we’re about six months into it. I’ll be getting on the mound soon, and that’ll be good. I’ll feel a little bit more like a baseball player.”

Another change in the coming year involves the departure of longtime pitcher John Smoltz, who signed a contract with the Boston Red Sox earlier this month.

“It’s gonna be a big loss,” Hudson said. “He was a great teammate and was the face of this organization for years. He’s not only a great player but a great guy, a great friend to a lot of guys, a great example to the young guys and a great Christian man. You want to have those kinds of guys on your team.

“We lost more than just a great talent.”

But Hudson did praise the acquisitions of pitchers Javier Vazquez, Derek Lowe and Kenshin Kawakami.

Nash was also excited about the current team.

“Well, I think since ’91 we’ve had great talent,” Nash said. “We won 14 (NL Division titles) in a row. This team has great talent, too. We know what we’ll get out of guys like Chipper (Jones) and (Brian) McCann. It’s if the rest of the guys can step up and make something happen.

“If they can stay healthy, they’ll be in the hunt.”

Hudson, who spent two years on the Plains under coach Hal Baird, also said he’s been impressed with new Auburn coach John Pawlowski.

“I like John,” he said. “I’ve had a few chances to spend some time with him since he got hired. We had a chance to hang out when we spoke to some kids outside of Montgomery. The more I get to see him the more I like him. I think he’ll do a good job with the program and with recruiting.

“I let him know whatever help he needs from me I’ll be more than happy to give it.”

| 737-2511

Read Tim Cottrell’s blog here.