Fredi says J-Hey running a sight to behold

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Manager Fredi Gonzalez saw one of his favorite sights in baseball on Friday morning -- outfielder Jason Heyward running the bases.

"He wasn't even going full speed," Gonzalez said. "He's my favorite player I've ever seen run the bases. I love watching him run [out] triples or go from first to third."

On Friday the Braves hit the ground running, as Gonzalez began the full-squad workout with a baserunning exercise.

"It's part of the conditioning that we've tried to implement," he said. "We implemented last year, and it worked well. It also helps them run the bases and [with] the conditioning at the same time. We'll do this every couple of days."

Heyward, who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 245 pounds, wowed his manager of three seasons with the kind of athleticism that made him so valuable as the leadoff hitter late last season.

"Beautiful, graceful, the way he runs the bases," Gonzalez said. "He cuts it."