LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – For those who’ve suggested the Braves should wear name tags at spring training after extensive offseason roster changes, Craig Kimbrel had a similar idea and made it happen.
When players arrived for Saturday’s workout, each had a blue T-shirt waiting in his locker with the depiction of a name tag on the left chest that had an empty square in which to write his name with a Sharpie. On the back of the shirts in red letters: Spring Training 2015.
“I was sitting at home and I said, ‘Man, that’d be a good idea,’” Kimbrel said. “So I called (Braves equipment manager) Ben (Acree) and we called 108 Stitches (a baseball apparel company) and they put them together. They came out good.”
Kimbrel smiled and added, “Freddie (Freeman)’s going to help me pay for them. He doesn’t know yet.”
Most players immediately changed into the new T-shirts and wore them for Saturday’s abbreviated workout, which was moved indoors due to steady rain. The prospects, rookies and many other players wrote their names clearly and with correct spelling. Some veterans scrawled nicknames in the box, including Jason Grilli (“Grill Cheese”) and Kimbrel (“Dirty Craig”).
While Kimbrel was having fun when he came up with the T-shirt idea, it’s also practical for him and others who find it difficult to learn the names of newcomers at spring training. They can just look down at the left chest when players wear the T-shirts in the clubhouse or anywhere else.
“This is going to be my best spring training because I’m going to know everybody’s name,” Kimbrel said. “I guarantee you. I’m going to learn everybody’s name like that.”
