Speech inspired GreenJackets' second-half run

Playoff baseball returns to Augusta today when the Augusta GreenJackets play host to the Savannah Sand Gnats in Game 1 of their best-of-three South Atlantic League Divisional Series. The GreenJackets earned the right to play in the postseason for the first time since 2008 because of a late surge that gave them a second-half division title on the final day of the regular season.

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It was only two months ago that the playoffs seemed a pipe dream for first-year manager Lip­so Nava and his team of un­der­achieving prospects.

The GreenJackets trudged off the field July 3 with little reason to smile. While the fans celebrated Independence Day early with a postgame fireworks show, the team slumped into the clubhouse after being swept by first-place Savannah in a three-game series.

It was the GreenJackets’ seventh loss in nine games and put them a season-low 13 games under .500. Hitting coach Jose Flores had just left the team for personal reasons, and Augusta ranked at the bottom of the league in hitting.

“Personally, I wasn’t ready to give up,” Nava said. “I couldn’t sleep thinking about how and what I needed to do to get this team better.”

So as the team filed into the locker room, Nava and San Francisco Giants director of player development Fred Stanley locked the door behind them and sat the players down for a talk.

The discussion became one-sided in a hurry, with Stanley –
called “Chicken” within the organization – doing most of the talking.

“I’ll never forget it. ‘Chicken’ said no one was safe,” pitcher Shawn Sanford said. “He said, ‘You think you can come here and just cruise, but anyone can be on the release list tomorrow.’ He said, ‘Some of you have already been on that list.’ ”

Stanley said he didn’t say much different from what the players had heard and had been learning from the sport since they were children.

“It was just a reminder that this is a long season with ups and downs, but the one thing that should never change is your ability to play as hard as you can, and that comes from an inner strength,” he said.

The speech made an immediate impact.

Ever since then it’s been different. After that we clicked,” outfielder Chris Lofton said.

Within 18 days of Stanley’s speech, the GreenJackets had wiped out a seven-game deficit and took over first place.

Augusta might have the upper hand on mound, which is key in a best-of-three and best-of-five series.

Tonight’s starter, Mike Kick­ham, went 3-2 with a 1.78 ERA in August. Sanford, the Game 2 starter, held the best ERA in the league for most of the season and was named the league’s most outstanding pitcher. Taylor Rogers, who will take the mound if the series goes to a Game 3, led the league with 12 wins and finished third with a 2.91 ERA.