Carson Kelly of the Arizona Diamondbacks Addresses Media on First Day Back
It’s Sunday, March 13, one day from the official report date for spring training. However, the players on the Arizona Diamondbacks 40-man roster who live in the Phoenix area began their return to camp Friday morning. Several off-the-record conversations occurred, along with two press conferences. Catcher Carson Kelly was the second player to address the media Friday morning. He spoke on several subjects.
Press Conference
On being back:
Feels great, feels good, coming in and seeing all the guys. I mean, I live only like a couple miles from here. But every time I drive by and I see cars and stuff here, it gets me excited. So it’s been good to be back. I know it’s only been about an hour or so. But it’s good to see everybody catch up with everyone and enjoying everything.
On How It Felt to Drive by the Complex and Not Be Able to Come in:
Very weird. It’s one of those things (where) you love baseball and love being a Diamondback. Driving by, seeing work going on and people playing, gives you that itch. (So) I’m glad to be out here now.
On How He Processed the See-sawing News about the CBA:
During those times, (I tried to) keep a level head. You don’t want to get too excited, but you don’t want to have no expectations. So (I tried to) stay in the middle, just flow, and understand that if it’s ready to go, we’re ready to go.
That whole process happened pretty quickly over the last day or so. So (my thought was) stay in the moment and enjoy it. We’re outside, it’s a beautiful day, and we’re playing baseball.
On How the Players Did in the CBA:
For the most part, I think the majority of us came together and thought it was it was a good place to be. I’m just happy to be out here and playing baseball.
How He Found Out about the Settlement and How the Rest of Thursday Went for Him:
(In) the group message that we have with the team, we were talking pretty much the whole day. Guys were asking questions and saying, “What are the next steps? How’s it going to look? Where are we going with it?” Nick (Ahmed) did a great job helping us. He’s our player rep. He kept us informed. As time went on, we were ready to go. And it went as normal. (I) didn’t get a lot of sleep last night because I was so excited.
On Only Having Six Days to Get the Pitchers Ready for Exhibition Games:
That’s probably one of the craziest things ever. But it’s gonna be a lot of fun. A lot of guys (have) been in touch over this lockout, going to different fields and talking and throwing bullpens and stuff. So we’ve been working together a lot, a few of the guys that have been in town. It’s been good to reconvene with those guys.
What He’s Learned on the CBA Negotiation Process during the Lockout:
I didn’t really know a lot about what was going on. And I understood that, you know, (a lockout) could have been a possibility. Right at the end of the offer, I started asking more questions, reading a little bit more, (basically) being more informed.
On the Short Preparation in 2020 Getting Him Prepared for This Spring:
A little bit. (My teammates and I have) been talking about that. It’s going to be quick. Games start on Thursday, or something like that. So, guys are ready. We’ve been training and have been talking a lot about what we need to do when we get to camp, how can we accelerate things and get things ready to go. I think we’re in a really good spot going forward.
On Whether Fan Support Will Erode Post-lockout:
Haven’t thought a lot about that, with us having 162 games and with spring training being accelerated here. The lockout wasn’t ideal, but since we got going here pretty soon, and since games are going to be played, I think it’s going to be alright. I’m excited to see the fans. We’re outside, and it’s a beautiful day. I’m looking forward to seeing fans in the stands.
On the NL Using a DH:
In the minor leagues, you play with the DH all the time. So guys have experience with it and will continue to adjust and go with the flow.
On What Adding the Pitch Clock in 2023 Will Do to the Battery:
We just have to be more prepared. It’s going to take an adjustment period. We’re going to time different things and see how long sign sequencing takes. But it’s something we’re gonna have to adjust to.
On the Sudden First Day of Reporting:
It happened fast. Most times, you get to circle the date on the calendar and (say), “That’s when we’re starting.” Now, this last couple of weeks, it’s been “ready to go at any time.” It finished yesterday, so here we are, ready to go. I’m excited to put this uniform on and go play.
On How He Feels Physically Coming into the Season after the Injuries Last Season:
I feel good. The wrist feels really good; the toe feels good. It’s been a really productive offseason. I’ve done a lot of good work on recovery and…my mental stuff. It’s been really, really good.
