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The Braves will break spring training from Orlando on Sunday, and they may be able to practice at Trustmark Park before opening the season at Montgomery on April 7.
So far, manager Brian Snitker said things have gone well. "We've been looking real good," Snitker said. "We've had a real good camp, and other than the weather not cooperating with us at times, we're in good shape."
Snitker enters his fourth year with the AA club of the major league ballclub Atlanta Braves, and he said the team has spent a lot of time getting into shape and trying to field the best team possible. With so many players moving up and down in the different baseball leagues in the minors, it's always a feeling of starting over at the beginning of each year, Snitker said.
"It's a big jump from single A, and double A is a fast level," he said. "Historically, we've been the youngest team in the league, and it takes a while to get your feet on the ground. We've always been the youngest because we draft young players."
The Braves moved to Pearl from Greenville, S.C., after finishing 63-76 in 2004. They battled back from finishing last in the first half of the season in the Eastern Division of the Southern League with a 37-33 record in the second half. They had winning streaks of six and eight games in the second half, but they failed to make the playoffs. The team was second in batting in the league last season, hitting .270, and one of the Braves' top returning players is outfielder Jeff Francoeur.
Francoeur, who was named the top prospect in the Braves organization by Baseball America, played in 18 games with the Greenville Braves after moving up from the Myrtle Beach (High A) team about Aug. 20. He batted .197, but had two home runs and three RBIs in his final game of the season. Francoeur, one of many trying to make the cut, said they've had a lot of fun preparing.
"We're all excited about coming in (to Pearl), and we're looking forward to the season," he said. "I think the team will be really good, and we have some good players with good chemistry. If we can do stuff with that, the season will be good."
Snitker said Francoeur has all the tools and qualities of a good ballplayer to make a big impact this year. "He's a real talented kid who can do it all," Snitker said. "He's a very competitive kid, and he's kept working."
The Braves were fifth out of 10 teams in pitching in the league with an earned run average of 3.87. They were tied for first with 10 shutouts and were second in walks, allowing 94. Snitker said experience in the pitching staff will develop over time.
"None of the guys have enough experience in the league," he said. "Someone's going to have to separate himself and do better than the others. Right now, we don't how anyone will respond."
Blaine Boyer, a pitcher, can throw up to a 95 mile-per-hour fast ball. He was 10-10 at Myrtle Beach (S.C.) last season, and he led the Carolina League with 154 innings pitched. "We all have a ton of confidence, and we know we can go out on any given day and beat any team," Boyer said. "That gives us a leg up, and we all throw fairly hard, and we can find the strike zone."
Mississippi opens with the Montgomery Biscuits, which was the worst team in the Western Division last year. The Braves were 5-7 against the Biscuits last season, and they will play them in their home opener April 18. Snitker said the team will be ready for opening day.
"We have a young, talented team that potentially will have a chance to hit the ball," he said. "We don't know right now what they're going to do, but they have a lot of talent and upside to what their careers will be like."
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Braves ready to start play 
