Alex Anthopoulos

But, you know, I really learned this, you know, when we started making those trades and we brought in Donaldson and Burley and the fact that they posted so much, right?

Burley had never been on the IL.

Donaldson, I don't think had ever been on the IL when we acquired him.

And then getting to Atlanta, Kurt Suzuki, Nick Markakis, Freddie Freeman.

What I learned was these guys that post and play 162 or pretty much 159, whatever, there's just a different mentality.

There's a different mindset.

And yes, I'd love to have those guys take 10 days off, 15 days off potentially over the course of the year.

You just, it's not the way they're wired.

And I think it's so good for the remainder of the, of the club.

And I would rather have that than the alternative, the guy that, ah, we got so-and-so throwing today at my hand.

He's a little sore or, you know, they decided to take a day off or they're comfortable going on the IL.

They don't mind going out.

There's no shame in it.

and that's what I learned from the Donaldsons and Burleys and those guys, and then seeing it here with some of those guys.

So I've got to tell you, the games played calm for me.

I used to ignore it.

It's one of the first things I look at.

It's not the end-all, be-all, but it's certainly important.

It tells me a lot, most likely, about the guy, the makeup, the character, and then obviously you do the remaining work.

Huge.