Glavine ready to help out Braves younger starters

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Few young pitchers can turn to a 300-game winner for advice.

Tom Glavine is making sure Atlanta's young pitchers know he's available to help.
Glavine, the left-hander who has returned to the Braves after five seasons with the New York Mets, says he won't force his opinions on other young pitchers on the staff, including left-handers Jo-Jo Reyes and Chuck James. He says he's willing to help if asked, and Reyes asked.

But Reyes says he has turned to both Glavine and pitching coach Roger McDowell for help with his footwork.

``I would not consider myself to be an extremely outgoing person, but I try to portray a personality that I'm approachable and you can come up at any time,'' Glavine said Thursday. ``I've told most of them I'm not going to come to you or force-feed you, but if you ever want to ask a question or you ever want me to watch a side session, just tell me a time and I'll be there.

``They've been good. They've asked questions here or there.''

Reyes said he approached Glavine, 41, for advice.

``One day I saw him watching my bullpen and a couple days after I asked him what his opinion was,'' Reyes said. ``My next bullpen, he kind of was helping me out working with me while Roger was behind home plate helping me. (Glavine) was right next to me, talking in my ear.''

Glavine said he talks with young pitchers about more than mechanics.

``Ultimately you want these guys to become their own pitching coach so they can make their own adjustments on the mound and get past that point where three runs have scored and the bases are loaded and here comes that pitching coach to tell you what went wrong,'' Glavine said. ``Fix it yourself, and the sooner you get to that point, the quicker they can take off.

``I think it helps having somebody around who has been around and can maybe help them accelerate getting to that point. ... Honestly I didn't have anybody around who had the success John (Smoltz) and I have had.''

Glavine said one example of a tip he gives young pitchers is how to approach a bullpen session.

``When you're throwing a bullpen, don't just make it a necessary evil,'' Glavine said. ``Get something out of it. When you make a good pitch, make a mental note of it so that when you do something bad, you can make that adjustment.

``When you're practicing, sequence pitches like you would do in a game, because we have a tendency in the bullpen to just go fastball, fastball, fastball, curveball, curveball, curveball. That's not how you pitch. So practice sequencing pitches.''

-- SORIANO ON TRACK: Closer Rafael Soriano was upbeat about his second spring performance, even though the results were mixed Wednesday night. Soriano gave up a two-run homer to Hunter Pence, but he also struck out two Houston batters.
Soriano said he has had no more problems after experiencing discomfort above his right elbow earlier this spring.

``I felt great. I feel good right now,'' Soriano said.

Soriano said he didn't pitch to Pence the same way he would in a regular-season game.

``That guy, I don't want to try to throw three sliders in a row,'' he said. ``During the game in the regular season, I would throw the slider. I threw my fastball and he hit it over the fence, no problem.''

Added Soriano: ``I've got good command last night and that's good.''

Soriano said he expects to make two or three more appearances this spring ``and be ready for the season.''

Soriano was 3-3 with a 3.00 ERA and nine saves last year, when Bob Wickman opened the season as the closer.

-- CUTS COMING: Manager Bobby Cox said he will make cuts after Friday's games.
There are difficult decisions throughout the roster, but perhaps none will be more difficult than in the bullpen. Relievers Tyler Yates, Blaine Boyer, Royce Ring and Chris Resop are out of options.

Soriano, Peter Moylan, Will Ohman, and Manny Acosta are expected to be joined by as many as three relievers. One of the three could be a long reliever, such as Jeff Bennett, who could serve as a spot starter.

``We're going to have some of our toughest decisions in the bullpen,'' said general manager Frank Wren. ``We've got some guys who have thrown very well. It's a good problem.''

-- RENTERIA HELD OUT: Former Braves shortstop Edgar Renteria was held out of Detroit's lineup Thursday night with lower back spasms. Ramon Santiago was the fill-in starter.

-- COMING UP: John Smoltz is scheduled to make his second spring start Friday against Cleveland. Smoltz worked on his own this spring before he allowed five runs three earned in 4 2/3 innings in a loss to Tampa Bay on Saturday.