LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Having realized Christian Bethancourt wasn't capable of being their catcher of the future, the Braves turned toward their past and provided Tyler Flowers a chance to prove it was not too late to realize the offensive promise he had shown nearly a decade earlier, when he was a prospect in Atlanta's system.
What came natural during his childhood days in suburban Atlanta, and the early portion of his Minor League career, proved to be elusive during his oft-frustrating time with the White Sox. His long search to find timing in his swing led him to be routinely agitated whenever a hitting coach or teammate would attempt to provide advice by simply saying, "Start earlier.