Ben Ingram

He always has his teams back.

And I think he's a guy who's such a good leader.

I think he knows the game extremely well.

But more than anything, players want to run through a wall for him as overused as that cliche can be.

That's the comment that I get from these players when I ask them the same question you just asked me.

So he's so much fun to be around.

And that's great because we're around these guys, players, coaches, et cetera, more than we're with our own families, more than we're with our own friends and such.

It's every single day.

So you've got to have that chemistry and Walt's the perfect guy for that.

Just such a gamer.

And I remember when he came over from Boston and of course we train in spring training and we play the Red Sox a lot at spring training and their broadcasters are great individuals and become good friends with us.

And they said, man, if he's healthy, he's going to be a difference maker, but he was hurt so many times with not just arm injuries, just bizarre injuries.

uh that he had starting to pile up and he just couldn't get on the field so maybe he needed a fresh start he comes to atlanta he wins the the cy young in his first season last year he missed two months with a fractured rib but when he was out there he was really good and this season out to a great start i think he's just such a special player he's a one of one

I mean, he really is.

I view him similarly through the same lens that I viewed Randy Johnson.

Randy Johnson was a one-of-one.

This big, gigantic lefty who comes from all the way down.

I don't know how any lefty ever sees him because every pitch is coming from behind you and then coming back.

I don't know how anybody touches him.

But he's got two of the best pitches that we've seen in the game in the last 15 years with his fastball and his slider.