My job is to get pitchers better. Walking into the Atlanta Braves [organization], you know the history and the success the staffs have had here. It's a task I'm looking forward to the challenge of.

Obviously, this is exciting. It's special. No, make that real special, given the history of this organization with its pitching and all the winning. There are a lot of good pitchers here. And how many consecutive division titles have they won? Fourteen.

Obviously the success Leo had here was pretty much second to none. Hopefully we will continue that success.

The excitement hasn't worn off. Now, the preparation starts to come to fruition. It's like with a new baby ? that first day is an ecstatic high. Now, it's time to go to work.

Everybody seems to be progressing right where they need to be. It's been a tremendous help, because I've been able to get advance knowledge of knowing personalities and how to gauge their needs. This just gives us a head start so that it doesn't have to happen in Spring Training.

I wouldn't take back anything that I have done because it's who I am. I like to make people laugh. But I'm not a player anymore. I'm a coach, and it's a different job. I want to do my job, and that's to get 11 or 12 pitchers ready to pitch a game.