I think you're okay, Matty.

Another story I forgot to post earlier...this is from DOB's AJC blog nearly two weeks ago.

Diaz says to me, “I come in today and notice I’m not in any of the BP groups and I’m not on the extras list. So all of a sudden I was having flashbacks to the last six years of getting sent down at the end of camp. Or the last two years of worrying about being sent down. People said I was crazy to worry last year, but I still did….”

“I still can’t believe I actually get days off in spring training now” (he was off Sunday, which is why he wasn’t on the lists).

“Yesterday our meal money was up; you can kind of count the days and know when meal money is up and have a good idea when cuts are going to be made. I saw Bobby come out of his office and I instinctively went the other way.”

He’s kind of smiling and chuckling as he says this stuff, knowing how paranoid he sounds, but also knowing how it’s a product of all those years of being the odd man out.

And he doesn’t think the paranoia is such a bad thing anyway:

“It keeps me on my toes, keeps me working hard.”

Matt Diaz is definitely one of my favorite 2008 Braves, and every time I hear a story about how hard-working he is, or how much he loves his family, or what an upstanding Christian he is, I like him even more. I really wish the organization would go ahead and give him a long-term contract, but sadly, I can't make that call.

We're cheering for you, Matty!

By the way, have you ever seen his autograph?

Without the clear E and D, I might not have recognized the name. Hmm.