Drew looks forward fresh start<br>
December 28, 2003<br>
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J.D. Drew is hoping that a return to good health and playing closer to home will allow him to discover just how good he can be as a major-league player. 
The native of Hahira, Ga., will join the Atlanta Braves in 2004. Atlanta is just 200 miles from his home. 
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"When I heard the rumors, I was afraid I'd get traded to some big city far away," he told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "I'm really excited about getting to play for the Atlanta Braves. What could be better? 
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"The last few years have been really frustrating," Drew added. "I really want a chance to show what I can do when I'm healthy." 
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Drew, 28, appeared in a career-low 100 games for the St. Louis Cardinals last season because of hip, back and muscle stiffness. He started only 47 games in right field, 22 in center field and one in left. Drew batted .321 in September while driving in 12 of his 15 second-half RBIs after recovering from a strained oblique muscle. 
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"I was never 100 percent last season," he said. "But by spring training I know I'll be ready to go." 
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Drew's career has been defined equally by enormous potential that accompanied him out of Florida State in 1998 and the injuries that have plagued him since he signed with the Cardinals. He hit as many as 27 home runs with 73 RBIs in only 375 at-bats in 2001. However, a patellar tendon injury in 2002 caused him to alter his swing, and last season he averaged fewer than three at-bats per game while finding it difficult to play an entire nine innings. 
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"The Braves need to see what I can do when I'm healthy, and I want to find out myself," he said
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