Hodges adjusting quickly in Minors

It was a classic photograph in the newspaper: father and son playing catch, the idyllic and timeless qualities of baseball expressed in a static image.

There was one small problem. The caption called the son a hopeful pitcher. But Casey Hodges was a shortstop, and if he was sure of one thing at the age of 9, it was that he wasn't going to be a pitcher.

"On draft day, I went back and looked at [the photo] and thought, 'Wait a minute. Somebody knew something before I did,'" Hodges said with a shrug.

Somebody knew that Hodges wouldn't just turn into a pitcher but a professional one, a dominant one. He pitched a grand total of five innings in high school before going to the mound in college. He was selected by Atlanta in the 23rd round of this year's Draft, and the 6-foot-2 right-hander is already making a big impression for Danville in the Appalachian League.

In his first four starts with the D-Braves, Hodges is 2-1 with a microscopic 0.78 ERA. His last start was his best as he allowed three hits and struck out five in seven scoreless innings against the Kingsport Mets.

It had to be a little bit odd for Hodges to pitch against the Mets. You see, the father in that portentous picture is Ron Hodges, a 12-year Major League veteran who spent his entire career as a catcher for the Mets.

Casey grew up cheering for the Amazins in Rocky Mount, Va. -- an outpost of Braves' country. That made Atlanta's run of 14 consecutive division titles, many at the expense of the Mets, even more difficult to handle.

"All my friends back home are Braves fans, so I was an outcast," Hodges said. "It was pretty hard cheering for the underdog."

But heading into the Draft, Hodges had a feeling he would have to switch loyalties. When Atlanta took him out of Mount Olive College, he didn't even get the chance to tease his dad.

"As soon as they [drafted me], I was gonna tell my dad and start trash-talking a little bit," he said. "But it took him about two minutes to start doing the Braves' chop. It was pretty weird but pretty exciting."

His father may not have cooperated with Casey's plans then, but he's been a big part of his son's development as a player. Ron Hodges helped Casey and his three older brothers get into baseball as kids. Casey was the infielder of the group, going along with two outfielders and a catcher.

But his strong arm from shortstop caught the attention of coaches at Radford University, where he pitched out of the bullpen as a freshman. He transferred to Mount Olive in North Carolina, becoming a starting pitcher. It was a tough transition for somebody used to taking the field each day.

"Not playing every day is real tough," Hodges admitted. "It's a little weird watching everybody play and just sitting there waiting for your turn."

The move was made easier, however, by Ron, who could provide a catcher's perspective and teach his son how to approach different hitters and sequence his pitches.

"He knows how to pitch from a catching standpoint," Hodges said. "Every time I start and he's there watching the game, afterwards we can talk about each hitter and what I should have done, what he liked, what he didn't like and things I can do better."

Ron was able to see Casey's first start in Greeneville and his last one in Kingsport. Hodges has yet to take the mound in Danville, but that doesn't mean he hasn't taken the field at Dan Daniel Park.

Rocky Mount is about 60 miles from Danville, and Hodges played at the Braves' home park while in high school. When he does start his first game as a Brave there this week, he expects a big crowd of family and friends.

Hodges admitted he'll be nervous before that start, but that's nothing new for him. After all, he was the starting and winning pitcher in the Division II national championship game for Mount Olive. Hodges gave up a lone earned run over eight innings as the Trojans beat Ouachita Baptist, 6-2, for the title.

"I was jacked up pretty good," Hodges said. "It was my last game as a Trojan, playing for something that could redefine the school's athletic program. That's a great feeling, especially when we came out on top."

That big-game experience has translated to the Appalachian League, where Hodges has been unfazed by professional hitters.

"He's always under control. Every situation is like he's been there before," said Danville pitching coach Derrick Lewis. "The game's slowed down to him. Whatever the game situation presents, he's been there and done that."

Hodges, whose favorite pitch is his changeup down in the zone, thinks something else has made the move to the professional ranks smoother.

"There's no aluminum bat," he said with a smile.

And what kind of shortstop smiles about that?