Brian McCann says speech to Braves 'not big at all'

By David O’Brien

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A day later, Braves catcher Brian McCann downplayed a short speech he made to the team during a closed-door meeting Thursday.

“It was nothing big at all,” he said. “Only about two minutes.”

But others in the organization have noticed the recent assertion of leadership from the four-time All-Star and his burning desire to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2005.

“In this game, the postseason is what matters,” he said. “That’s got to be our goal, to fight for a postseason spot. Because we have every bit as much talent as anybody in our division.”

McCann is not only the last of the “Baby Braves” from the 2005 rookie class who’s still on the 25-man roster, but he’s one of the best young players in baseball, according to many surveys and industry ratings.

He spoke for a few minutes before the Braves played their first game after the All-Star break, a 5-3 win against the Mets in which McCann scored from first on a Matt Diaz double, his helmet and glasses flying as he slid head-first.

Friday night against the Mets, McCann hit a two-run double off the right-field wall in the first inning and a two-run homer in the third. All this after saying how excited he was at the All-Star break to get back to the Braves and get the second half started.

“For me, this is the first time we’ve gotten back from an All-Star break with this good a chance,” he said. “You win with pitching, and we’ve got outstanding pitching.”

The Braves won nine of their last 14 games before the All-Star break.

“And also just the way that everybody taking [good] at-bats,” he said. “All those games in past years that we lost by one run, we feel like we should win them now. There’s a different attitude.”

McCann said it wasn’t being around all the All-Stars in St. Louis that caused him to step up to speak Thursday. He thought about it because the Braves showed they could compete with the best during a stretch of games against the Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies.

They were still six games behind Philadelphia in the division race.

“We’re right there,” he said. “I want to play in the postseason. The last three seasons I’ve watched it on TV. It’s what you play the game for, to make runs at the World Series. We have the team to do it.”

Medical updates

● Utility infielder Omar Infante, recovering from a broken hand, still has not been cleared to begin hitting balls off a tee. Once he’s cleared, it might be two weeks before he begins a rehab assignment.

● Lefty reliever Mike Gonzalez (elbow tendinitis) hopes to test his arm with a bullpen session Sunday, then be ready to pitch in Sunday’s series finale, “to get a piece of the Mets before they leave town.”

● Lefty reliever Eric O’Flaherty said his sore back was better Friday, and he was expected to be available to pitch Friday or Saturday.