LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- When given another opportunity to play for his hometown team again this past weekend, Brandon Phillips didn't waver from his decision to approve the trade that ended his long tenure with the Reds and made him the latest addition to the Braves lineup.
"I wanted it to happen a long time ago, but things happen," Phillips said. "There are different sides. I never thought it would happen, but I told my agent, 'You've got to make this happen.' I miss Cincinnati. That's always home. But Atlanta is my home, home."
After arriving at Spring Training and working out with his new Atlanta teammates for the first time Friday, Phillips gave his account of what transpired this offseason as the Braves initially pursued him in November and didn't acquire him until Sunday, when a sudden need allowed them to become the willing suitor the Reds had been seeking for more than a year.