His third spring-training yielded better results for Alex Wood, who is still learning to balance his competitive nature with the object of spring training for someone in his position. Which is to prepare for the season, not win a job.
After allowing two earned runs in two innings of his spring debut, then failing to make it out of the third inning of his second start due to a high pitch count (and an error behind him), Wood worked four innings as planned Tuesday in a 2-2 tie with the Astros. The left-hander gave up three hits, two runs and two walks with four strikeouts, and threw 38 strikes in 61 pitches.
“It’s different for me this year than in the years past, because the last two years I’ve gone (to spring training) trying to show what I can do and trying to make the team,” said Wood, who is assured a rotation spot in his second full season. “When that (competing for a job) is your situation – usually that’s the situation for a lot of guys – you’ve got to come out of the gate running. This year, it’s kind of been a new learning experience.”
With his rotation spot secure, Wood has tried to understand how to go about preparing for the season and the difference in facing, say, Washington, as he did in his spring debut, or the American League Astros.
“If you’re throwing against a division rival, that fine line between working on things and going out and competing,” he said. “There’s such a fine line between the two. I feel like I’ve started to understand what I need to do from a preparation standpoint, but as a competitor I also like to go out there and compete. It’s hard to kind of go out there and say, hey, I’m going to work on these things today, for the betterment of my season. But I’m starting to kind of get it and understand it.”
Asked if that comfort level was a good thing, Wood smiled.
“Yes and no,” he said. “For the right people, it’s good for you. For the wrong people, it can be bad. You should never be comfortable. And don’t take what I’m saying wrong – because in no way am I comfortable.”
By that, the University of Georgia pitcher meant that he’s not taking things for granted or resting on his laurels, now that he’s finally got the full-time rotation spot that he wanted so badly the past two years.
