Braves like Anderson’s swing, attitude

Lake Buena Vista, Fla. — Garret Anderson played his first game as a Brave on Thursday in about the same way you hear he went about his business for 15 major-league seasons with the Angels.

Quietly, and as his new teammates are noticing, professionally.

Anderson flew out and popped out in his first two at-bats of an exhibition game against Venezuela and then hit the weight room for his 20-minute postgame workout.

And with that, the Braves new left fielder is off.

“At this point in the preseason your swing is not going to be there, but you try to have quality at-bats,” Anderson said afterward. “You try not to venture too far out of the strike zone, and you try not to get wrapped up in the production of what happens when you hit the ball.”

Not that he’s one to get wrapped up in production, period. Just ask Braves first baseman Casey Kotchman, who has known Anderson since Kotchman was 7 years old.

Kotchman’s father, Tom, was manager of the Angels’ short-season rookie-league team in Boise, Idaho. Anderson was the Angels’ fourth-round pick fresh out of high school with the sweet left-handed swing.

Kotchman, who played with Anderson for four seasons with the Angels, sees the same sweet swing today, and the same even-keeled attitude.

“I saw him knock in 10 RBIs against the Yankees a couple years ago,” Kotchman said. “He gets his first curtain call, I believe, 10 RBIs and you’d never even know. That’s a testament to who he is, a humble person.”

His signing came in pretty stark contrast to what had happened around Braves camp just days before. Ken Griffey Jr. had kicked up a media storm by considering signing with the Braves before ultimately signing with Seattle.

What it meant for Anderson was that for the first time in his career, he would be playing for a team other than the Angels.

Good to be in a Braves uniform Thursday?

“Good to be in any uniform,” the 36-year-old outfielder said.

Shortly after last season ended, the Angels bought out Anderson’s $14 million option for $3 million. As time went on during the offseason, Anderson got a taste of the new economy — baseball or otherwise — as the price tag for corner outfielders sank.

Anderson signed a one-year deal with the Braves worth $2.5 million.

“I had the whole offseason to move on,” Anderson said. “Those days are gone and you move forward. You don’t look back.”

He brings with him 2,368 career hits, 272 homers, a career .296 batting average, and perhaps a bat for the cleanup spot. Braves manager Bobby Cox doesn’t clarify his lineup this early in camp, but he likes what he sees.

“He can hit against anybody, hits lefties, hits righties, with men on base,” Cox said. “If you watch him take [batting practice], it’s just beautiful. His shoulder stays right there. It’s quiet. Not a lot of moving parts.”

So yes, quiet, but not without confidence. The three-time All-Star might be in a brand new clubhouse, but he brings a veteran cool and no need to prove himself all over again.

“I’ve never really felt I had to prove myself to anybody,” Anderson said. “It’s not hard to look up what a guy’s done. All anybody wants to do is just do what they’re capable of and do their job well, wherever they are. That’s how my approach is, too.”