Braves quotes from Nick Swisher, Cameron Maybin, Mike Foltynewicz and Fredi Gonzalez after Saturday’s 7-2 win against the Marlins.
**NICK SWISHER
On his first game as a Brave
“We won, man, that’s all I really care about…. To come here and have the day that we had today, had all the (Braves) legends here, the place was packed, people were excited – to be able to pull off that win tonight was crucial for us.”
On doing the chop when he got to second base on the two-run double
“I don’t know what happened, man, I got to second base and the chop came out. I don’t know, man, I just got super-excited. This day’s been so great, man, and all these guys have made me feel at home on the first day. I can’t thank those guys enough. The organization’s made my family just so set up, I just couldn’t think them enough, either. That makes that transition easy.”
On his energy level and doing the chop
“I like to be excited, man. I’m hyper. I can’t slow down sometimes. I probably won’t sleep a wink tonight. It’s just one of those things, I wanted to come here and bring what I bring to the table. Just try to fit in and be a piece of the puzzle that hopefully can take this team in the right direction. I think that’s all you can do when you come into a new team. You don’t want to come in too big, but you just want to come in and do what you know you can. It’s just been a wonderful day. I’m so excited, I’m so stoked to see my family, man. It’s been one of those days that I’ll never forget.”
On turning that big double play in his first game off the DL
“It’s my first time out on the field (off the DL), big league stadium, there’s lights, there’s fans. I mean, it was crazy. I just tried to go out there and play the best I can, each and every day try to bring that energy, that passion every day, and hopefully it just catches on.”
On Markakis, that what you remember from him in Baltimore?
“Just rakes all day. That’s what that man does, dude, he just rakes. He’s just one of those guys, I’m so stoked he’s on my team so I don’t have to worry about him getting those clutch hits all the time.”
More on the chop
“I’m standing on second base. I haven’t been in this ballpark but maybe once or twice. The (double) goes down, two runs score, puts us up 5-2. I look up, man, the place is going berserk, and the chop just came out. I’m trying to teach my daughter – she’s two years old – I’m trying to teach her how to do that chop, man. We’re going to work on that tonight.”
**CAMERON MAYBIN
On Swisher doing the chop
“The crowd’s been chopping all season, but we haven’t had a player chop. But he’s the kind of guy, his energy alone can spark the clubhcouse, spark a locker room. Add Bourny in there and it doesn’t hurt at all. These guys are upbeat, they’ve been around the league, they’re experienced. Adding those two to our lineup, it creates some danger, creates some more athleticism in there. And again, established guys know how to hit. You saw it tonight.”
On having Bourn’s speed in left field
“I was laughing at Mike tonight, he almost overran a ball. That’s how good he is out there. Having Nick in right, myself in center and having (Bourn) in left, honestly I don’t think there’s too many outfields as good as we are right now. When you add a guy like Mike in left it’s going to be pretty fun to watch the rest of the way.”
On Maybin hustling for a double that turned out to be a big hit
“I’ve been blessed with a lot of talent, man, and sometimes you’ve got to force the issue. I’ve been blessed to be able to run a little bit, and it’s a situation where a guy’s going to his left, not the normal center fielder, so you’ve got to take a chance and it worked out well. Sometimes you’ve got to put pressure on guys, and that’s part of my game.”
On Markakis continued hot streak, another three hits tonight and another game-winning RBI
“I call him Ted Williams. The guy’s unbelievable. It seems like he can’t get out, and it seems like it doesn’t matter if the (pitcher) is righty, lefty, arm’s coming out of his back. He just continues to put at-bats on pitchers left and right. He’s just your ultimate gamer, doesn’t do much talking but goes out and just leads by example. It’s been a pleasure playing with him this year.”
**FREDI GONZALEZ
On the win
“It was two different games – early it was a lot of pitching, and we were able to add on some runs late in the game. Those are big. Those are big runs. I’m glad to see Markakis continue his thing that he’s doing, same thing with Pierzynski. And Swisher came up big there with a couple of runs late in the game. And Mike (Bourn) to get back home and get a base hit.”
On Maybin hustling for double and scoring go-ahead run on Markakis hit
“Those are things you like to see from your baseball team. Maybin’s been doing it all year. He gives us that energy at the top, going to second base there, he kind of set the tone, and we were able to punch one through.”
On Foltynewicz
“Folty had that one inning (third) where he got two quick outs and then the hamster fell off the wheel a little bit (three consecutive walks), but I’m glad to see that he kind of got back on and gave us a solid outing.”
On Swisher’s energy
“And it’s genuine. It’s not fake. You talk to people around the league and you see him play when you watch on TV or from the other dugout, and he loves to play the game. He loves to win. Michael Bourn is the same way. We’ve got a bunch of guys in this locker room right now, that’s the way they play the game. And it goes from Nicky Markakis, who’s been here the whole time, to Pierzynski to the two guys we just added.”
On Folty’s velocity dipping a bit after the three walks, was that just him trying to throw strikes?
“Yeah, we were scared he had hurt himself. We talked to him pretty sternly down in the radar room (adjacent to the dugout) and he said, ‘No, I’m just trying to make an adjustment.’ And he did. He made an adjustment.”
Seemed to work, he retired 9 straight after that
“Right. So whatever the adjustment him and Roger made, or he made himself, that was nice to see. But we were concerned there, that’s why we went out (to the mound).”
**MIKE FOLTYNEWICZ
On the adjustment he made after the three walks
“Yeah, I think I was just a little tired there from about 60 pitches in the third inning (laughs). I was just a little uncomfortable there, too. I just couldn’t find the strike zone and I was trying to just throw it in there. Other than about 14 pitches there (on the walks) I felt like I threw the ball well. But I tried to make an adjustment and throw the ball over the middle of the plate and have them get themselves out, and that’s what I did there.”
On slowing down his pace
“Roger came out there in the third inning and said, ‘Just take a couple of deep breaths, it looks like you’re rushing.’ A.J. said I was rushing there a little bit. I just had to get back to what I did in Baltimore and settle down a little bit, and breathe and go out there. In the fourth and fifth I think I did that a little better.”
“I think I just lost focus (when he walked three in a row with two out). You get two quick outs and you get more relaxed and things just started hitting the fan. I got a little uncomfortable and I just couldn’t find the strike zone.”
On the hard slider that he threw some tonight
“I’m still trying to get a little more comfortable with that. I threw a couple of good ones today. They were just laying off them, but that’s coming along real well, in my opinion. I’ve just got to get more comfortable with that and I think it will be a real good pitch for me. It’s a slider, just trying to throw it a little bit harder, try not to get that loop in it, just get it straight down. It’s coming along real well.”
