Camp Roger was open for business, formerly known --- you may recall --- as Camp Leo. It's a pitchers thing, and in most cases, purely voluntary. It takes place underground; that is, deep inside Turner Field in the cages. It's intended to awaken those arms that have been sleeping through the winter, though in some cases, such as Tommy Hanson, a rookie you'll be seeing and hearing more of, his arm is coming off a stirring preview in the Arizona Fall League.
On the other hand, there's Tim Hudson, another who brought his arm to Atlanta for one of those injury-imposed vacations. He was in house, but doing nothing more than long tossing. He won't be back on duty until August, they say. It seems the Braves offer haven for sad-sack arms. (Who could forget the sickening case of Mike Hampton, who brought his soupbone here to recuperate at the cost of millions, then jumped ship.) This is a function that got its original name from Leo Mazzone and is basically a pitching coach's operation. Then Mazzone left for Baltimore, and has lived to regret it. He now rises at dawn, drives to the 680 The Fan offices and spends his mornings in one of those gab shows, during which he said one day, "If I had it to do over again [leave for Baltimore], I wouldn't do it."
Roger McDowell succeeded him, and thus the transfer of the camp title. McDowell spent 13 years pitching in the major leagues, all but one working out of the bullpen. As a player, he had a reputation for hijinks and comedy, though he has shown little of that side of himself here. Frankly, the pitchers he has had to work with have given him little time for levity. If there is no promise in quality this time around, at least there is in number. You can never have too many pitchers, they say.
No guarantee comes with this bunch, but you might call them the United Nations staff, 24 on the 40-man roster, 31 altogether. They come from Panama, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Australia, Japan, Colombia, Honduras, Venezuela, Cuba and England. Not to overlook Walla Walla, Wash. And Marietta's Blaine Boyer.
Never before have pitchers arrived in such number. And, yes, one from Japan. That will create a kind of logistical headache they've never had before. When they signed Kenshin Kawakami, a 33-year-old native of Tokushima, the news conference was overwhelmed, not necessarily by Japanese press, but it included an influx of Japanese businessmen as well. Any day he pitches, the press box will suddenly burst out in a flow of Japanese.
Sorry, we didn't get a preview of Kawakami at Camp Roger. That comes later. To make things simpler, he has said, "Just call me Kenshin."
So there you are, 31 pitchers to indulge in, some who are merely passing through, and some fresh faces to look over, besides Hanson, who, by the way, is 6 feet 6; a wit named Boone Logan, who came in the Javier Vazquez deal; an authentic Irishman, Eric O'Flaherty (the one from Walla Walla); and other strangers who may be more than a name, Todd Redmond, Kris Medlen, Luis Valdez, and as I said, you can never have too many. Especially in a season when the World Baseball Classic has to be dealt with, both at home and abroad.
Did I say you can't have too many pitchers?
furman@ajc.com
