Brian McCann is ready to finger point. Pitchers, catchers and one unsparing critic reported first to the Braves' otherwise fantasy-based spring-training camp.

The evolving leader of this team just spent the most reflective offseason of his baseball life.

"The most I ever sat and pondered over a season since I started playing baseball," McCann said.

After deep contemplation — along with plenty of offseason golf and vacations to Las Vegas and the Bahamas — he was sure he had arrived at the root cause of the Braves' epic September belly-flop. By the time he came south, he was prepared to sling a little blame.

It was him.