MESA, Ariz. -- It was more than four hours before game time. Another early morning in a sea of too early starts during Spring Training, but the D-backs clubhouse was already hopping.
Dancing, actually, as several players showed off their moves thanks to outfielder David Peralta, who had the music blaring bright and early.
As he surveyed the room, Peralta saw some teammates dancing, while others sat in comfortable chairs in a circle talking and laughing.
“I feel the energy,” Peralta said. “Even better energy than last year or the year before for some reason. It’s more loose and that’s what we’re trying to create. We’re hanging out together. You see that group over there? Tomorrow part of that group will be over with that group. And we’re all hanging together.”
The D-backs lost some veteran leaders during the offseason, among them Paul Goldschmidt, Patrick Corbin and A.J. Pollock.
This year a new leadership group is emerging led by Peralta, Jake Lamb and Archie Bradley among others.
Peralta sat down with Goldschmidt for a meal earlier this month and one thing Goldschmidt stressed to him was to be himself.
Though he had a humorous side that he showed to his teammates, Goldschmidt mainly led by example. Peralta talks more and is more outgoing.
And one of Peralta’s beliefs is that guys play better when they’re loose so he works to keep them that way.
“Everything starts in the clubhouse,” he said. “If we have a good vibe, good relationships, everything is going to be fine. Everyone will play with less pressure and stuff and that’s the way it should be.”
Another point of emphasis this spring has been to make sure that the young players and non-roster invitees are included in everything and not left to hang out amongst themselves.
“Because if you get called up to the big leagues during the season you’re going to feel shy,” Peralta said. “But we don’t want that here. We want them to come up and have fun and just be yourself. That’s what we’re trying to set up here. If we create it now, then the guys that don’t make the roster, they’ll feel comfortable if they come up during the season. Because you never know when we’re going to need a guy. And if they’re comfortable when they first come up because of what happens here then they’re going to be able to perform at their best.”
Whereas last year’s Spring Training started with the D-backs coming off a berth in the National League Division Series, this year’s edition is predicted to finish on the outside of the playoff picture.
But that’s not why the clubhouse is looser, Peralta said.
“My expectations and all my teammates expectations are the same -- be in the World Series,” Peralta said. “Out there, whatever they expect we don’t care. They can say whatever they want because we don’t play for them. We play for our teammates.”