Brandon's a real nice kid and very easy to talk to while still a little shy. I caught up to him at his locker in the Braves clubhouse about two weeks ago when he was still trying to make the team (he has since been cut and assigned to triple-A Richmond). His answers are bit shorter than most player's answers, and I probably didn't catch him at the most opportune time, but it is what it is -- there's some interesting stuff about Mexico and what he's working on in his swing.
Martin Gandy: So how was your off-season?
Brandon Jones: My off-season was good -- it was kind of short, I went over to Mexico to play winter ball. I was over there for like two and a half months.
MG: That's right you were; you played a lot in center field out there, how was that, was that your first time in center?
BJ: I mean, not really, I played a little bit in center last spring. They needed someone to play center, so I played a little center field over there -- it wasn't bad.
MG: How was playing in Mexico, have you ever done that before?
BJ: No, it was way different. [laughing] Way different.
MG: What was different about it that sticks out in your mind?
BJ: The games are a lot slower over there, and the atmosphere was just different -- just different from the States.
MG: Did you work on anything in particular while you were down there?
BJ: I was just over there getting at-bats in, just trying to help out with staying back on off-speed pitches -- that was basically it.
MG: What kind of hitter do you see yourself as?
BJ: More of a line drive type of hitter. I've got a little power, and I like to try to stay in the gaps and try not to pull too much.
MG: Do you watch any video or film of yourself hitting?
BJ: I mean, I haven't this spring, but I probably need to start watching a little video to see what I'm doing wrong and all that.
MG: Do you feel you're not right yet?
BJ: No, I'm not right.
MG: Does this happen every spring?
BJ: Basically, yeah, I start off slow. Hopefully I can get things going here quick.
MG: What do you think you'll look for when you look at video?
BJ: I've been trying to look at my at-bats this spring so I can correct the stuff that I'm doing or not doing.