We Are So Ready — Brandon Crawford

The first song that came to mind when Austin Slater sent a group text telling us we were finally unlocked?

“We Ready” (by Archie Eversole).

We are so ready.

It’s been great the last couple of days to see everyone again — teammates, coaches, training staff, clubbies, everyone. The only people missing are all of you. Really looking forward to getting the games started and seeing the familiar faces of our Giants fans. You guys are the final piece of getting baseball truly back.

Obviously, this has been the strangest and most frustrating off-season of our careers. I normally work out in the off-season with trainers and coaches at the Giants’ Scottsdale facility. I get into a great routine. I take my swings. I build up that muscle memory before spring training begins.

This off-season I literally got in one day of training at the Giants’ facility before the lockout shut it down to the players. We couldn’t be in contact with anyone on the staff. I was lucky that Brad Lawson, our strength and conditioning coach, had already emailed me all the workouts, otherwise I would have had to figure it out on my own.

I alternated working out at home and at a nearby gym with a trainer. I did my throwing and long sprints on the empty rooftop of the gym’s parking garage. But doing baseball work is another story. You can’t just go out to field and start hitting balls. You have to get to a cage and have somebody there who can flip you balls.

I’d get in swings wherever and whenever I could. Longo has a batting cage at his house, and I worked with him on the few days he and I could coordinate schedules. I took swings and throws with Yaz and Curt Casali at Vanderbilt when I stopped in Nashville on a family trip to Tennessee.

I also went to a kids’ batting cage several times, but that was for Braxton, my six-year-old son. I began shooting video of his swing. Then I began shooting slow-motion video, so I could break down his swing frame by frame. (I think watching slo-mo video of his swing substituted for watching slo-mo video of my own swing, which is what I would have been doing if not for the lockout.)

I was pretty floored by what I saw. His bat angle was already at a really good position. And he cleared his hips by scissoring his back leg, which is a really advanced move — I mean, I learned stuff like that just a couple years ago!

Braxton’s at the point where he’ll go in the backyard by himself and pretend to be different players. I imagine that’s where he picked up some of his mechanics. Juan Soto is one of his favorite players (aside from me ). Stephen Vogt is also a favorite, in part because Vogt was always really nice to him. During last year’s post-season, he started imitating Eddie Rosario from the Braves. He has a unique stance that’s pretty easy to copy.

Yes, Braxton imitates me, too. It’s pretty dead on. He’s got the open stance, his hands out. It’s just now occurring to me that maybe my swing is ready for spring training because of picking up tips from Braxton!

Got to get home. But before I do, two things.

One, what should I choose for my walk-up song this season? (No fair choosing Good Life by Kanye and T Pain, the winner of my 32-song fan bracket in 2020).

Two, huge thanks to Austin for being our union rep. This was not the path he or any of us would have chosen to get back here to Scottsdale and spring training, but we’re here, we’re excited and WE READY.