Eric O’Flaherty pitched for the Braves from 2009 to 2013, going from a waiver claim to one of baseball’s top left-handed relievers. This past winter he signed a two-year $7 million free agent contract with the Oakland Athletics during what he considered an amiable parting with the Braves, who were only willing to go one year with a reliever coming off elbow ligament replacement surgery. O’Flaherty shared his thoughts looking ahead to next week’s interleague visit against the Braves.
Q: How are you feeling?
A: I feel good. It's obviously physically it's kind of a grind and mentally it's kind of a grind. You don't feel the same and some days it'll be a little sore, something will pop up here and there but overall, grand scheme of things, I couldn't be happier with where I am.
Q: The statistics say you’re the same ‘ol O’Flaherty (1.80 ERA through first 10 appearances, two walks, eight strikeouts) , but they might lie a little?
A: There have been a few outings where I haven't felt as sharp as I'd like to, but for the most part when you're coming back from this surgery your arm really lets you know when you're doing something wrong mechanically so I can definitely feel it but once you get out there you just compete.
Q: Is it almost a relief, when you think back to pitching through pain the last part of your time in Atlanta?
A: It feels so much better now. The stuff I feel now is more like little twinges, little things, nothing that's really alarming, just kind of aches and pains coming back from a surgery. The way it feels now I couldn't be happier. I think I'm throwing around 90 (mph) so that's plenty of velocity. Everything is good. It feels great.
Q: You came back right around 13 months. Did you have any setbacks?
A: No. They were really conservative here which I didn't have any problem with especially coming off of this thing you don't want to push it at all. There were a couple times going through it where after about four or five minor league games, I was like 'All right I'm ready, activate me,' and then they'd throw me an inning plus, two innings and I'd realize I wasn't ready. The recovery is the big kicker. It's really hard, your arm bounces back really slow after outings and the more you get used to it and the more you have to crank it up over and over, it'll slowly get used to it again, but I definitely needed the whole 13 months.
Q: Did you feel for Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy, and knowing Jonny Venters so well, watching them try to come back from a second Tommy John?
A: It's something you can only understand if you've gone through it and you feel guys pain any time you seen somebody go down with it or even been struggling with it or what Jonny is going through right now. I definitely feel guys' pain as they're going through it because for me, more than anything it's a mental battle. I have a lockermate, Dan Otero, on the team who had it five or six years ago, I think. He told me it's going to hurt. There's no way around it. You're going to have terrible days where it just feels like maybe something is wrong or maybe you shouldn't throw today. The trainers with the Giants (his former team) just told him it's going to hurt, just throw through it, keep working and pretty soon it'll stop hurting. I'm at that phase now. I have little stuff that's gets irritated but as far as the whole scheme and the throbbing and the pain you've felt there in the first month of games, that's completely gone.
Q: What’s it been like with a new team, and one that’s playing so well? (Oakland entered the weekend with baseball’s best record.)
A: It's awesome. I couldn't be happier with where I am. Obviously leaving the Braves was tough because that was home for me for so long but to come to another team that's competitive and winning, the environment around here is just great. I still keep tabs on the Braves and I'm pulling for them because they're not in our league. I still keep up with everything that's going on there and a big piece of me will belong to the Braves, but as far as baseball you've got to plan on pretty much anything happens in this game. You could be with a new team any year. You can't get too attached.
Q: Tim Hudson used to talk about how wild and fun it was playing in Oakland. Has it been that way for you too?
A: Yeah it's pretty much exactly what you picture looking from the outside. There's just stuff going every direction, non-stop. It's ridiculous, honestly. But it's a great baseball environment. There're a few rules as far as working hard and showing up on time but they let guys be themselves and I think guys really like that. It's kind of a wild house in the clubhouse.
Q: Have you kept a clean-cut look?
A: Yeah. I'm like the weird normal guy here. That's like a look in itself for this team.
Q: So are the conditions at the Oakland Coliseum as bad as they say?
A: Not at all. It's got what you need. It just doesn't have the things that a lot of guys have become accustomed to. You don't get spoiled here for sure, but they've got everything you need. Everyone that works for the team is happy to work, the clubhouse guys. We make the most of it. It's not bad at all. It's nothing like what I had heard or expected.
Q: How cool was it to play for GM Billy Beane, watching him go out and load up the rotation with trades?
A: It was crazy. The first trade we made was kind of shocking, at the time we did it with (Jeff) Samardzija and (Jason) Hammel, just to make that big move. Any time you're on a team that makes a big move it's really exciting. It energizes everybody. And to make this next trade we made and get (Jon) Lester on top of it is kind of insane, but it's real exciting. And I feel like you can throw our rotation up against anybody right now.
Q: How are things with your mother-in-law? (she’s battling lung cancer, which was party of why he signed with Oakland to be a short flight from home in Washington State)
A: She's doing well. It's been really nice to get to be home, to have them closer. My wife has been able to go home a ton this year to spend time with her mom and she's actually doing a lot better. She's fighting so we're really proud of her. She's had a great outlook the whole time. She's been positive and enjoying every day, just making the best of a bad situation, which is something for me – any time I'm having a rough day at the field I remember what real problems are like. And that shakes me up pretty quick.
Q: What will it be like coming back to Atlanta? Something you’ve looked forward to?
A: Oh yeah, I can't wait. So many good people there, so many people I got close to over the years that I can't wait to see and catch up with. Obviously I've got so many good memories. There's not even a hint of bitterness in me toward anything that happened there. It was all awesome, pretty much the best five years of my life, so just to get to go back and be there again, it'll be nothing but fun for me."
Q: Who will you enjoy catching up with most?
A: Everybody. JHey (Jason Heyward). Jonny (Venters). Craig (Kimbrel). Roger (McDowell) and Eddie (Perez). Everyone that was there for most of that time. You build really strong relationships. Those are the things that you remember and you miss. It's usually the people.
Q: What will it be like to face guys like Jason Heyward and Freeman Freeman?
A: That'll be awkward for sure, but that's kind of what you look forward to – that's just fun. You play with these guys for so long and you know them and then you get to face off against them after seeing them for a long time. That's as fun as baseball gets for me.
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