by Gil Elliott
AKA Gil ‘N Mechanicsville
As 2022 comes to a close, it might be appropriate to reflect on what has happened with the Braves since they exited from the playoffs in October. To be sure, there have been both highs and lows on the personnel front. Early on, the first move was to trade minor league RHP Dylan Spain to Colorado for right fielder Sam Hilliard. Hilliard is a light hitting outfielder with power who bats and throws right. Not sure what he brings to the team other than depth to compete for the 5th outfielder spot.
Next was Jake Odorizzi and cash (he was owed $10 million for 2023) to the Texas Rangers for prodigal son Kolby Allard, a lefty pitcher. Look for Allard to vie for the fifth starter spot or long relief spot this spring. In my opinion, he can’t be as underwhelming as Odorizzi was for the Braves. Prediction, Allard will start in Gwinnett unless he wows the staff this spring.
On November 11th, the following players elected free agency: RHP Kenley Jensen (who has since signed with Boston), Jesse Chavez (signed a minor league deal with the Braves), Dansby Swanson (signed for 7 years, $177 million with the Cubs), Luke Jackson (rehabbing from Tommy John), Adam Duvall (rehabbing from wrist surgery), Darren O’Day (unsigned), Robbie Grossman (unsigned) and Ehire Adrianza (who has signed a minor league contract with the Braves). The Braves signed 32 Y/O free agent RHP Nick Anderson. Anderson has not pitched for two years after undergoing elbow surgery for a torn UCL but was very effective for the Tampa Bay Rays prior to the injury. He signed a split major/minor league deal and is viewed as a bullpen depth acquisition.
On November The Braves then acquired RHP Dennis Santana from the Texas Rangers for cash. Santana is a 27 year old from the Dominican who has some speed in his arm. Look for him to compete for a spot in the bullpen. The Cubs claimed minor league third baseman Rylan Bannon off waivers from the Braves, RHP William Woods was claimed by the New York Mets.
On November 18th Alan Rangel, Brooks Wilson, Silvino Bracho, Guillermo Heredia and Stephan Jackson all elected free agency after being designated for assignment. Rangel and Wilson signed minor league contracts with the Braves on the 22nd. On the 24th the Braves signed free agent Styven Francisco (an 18 year old right handed pitcher out of the Dominican Republic) he was assigned to the Dominican Summer League.
On December 5th, the Braves signed free agents Joe Hudson , a catcher in the Reds organization to a minor league contract and AA 3rd baseman Hudson Potts, a 24 Y/O, 6′-3″, 205 lb righty who was originally drafted by the Padres.
On December 7th, the Braves were involved in a three way trade with the Brewers and the A’s which sent Catcher/DH William Contreras to the Brewers and RHP Freddy Tarnok, LHP Kyle Muller, C Manny Pina, RHP Royber Salinas and 2B Esteury Ruiz to Oakland. for catcher Sean Murphy. Murphy subsequently signed a 6 year $77 million extension with the Braves. While the Braves gave up a lot for Murphy, Sean is rated only behind the Philly catcher JT Realmuto for talent in MLB.
On the 13th LHP Yansel Marine another young latin free agent was signed to a minor league contract. On the 16th the Braves acquired SS Hoy Park from the Red Sox for a player to be named. On the 29th Park was DNF by the Braves to clear roster space. On the 19th the Braves signed outfielder Jordan Luplow late of the Diamondbacks as a free agent. On the 23rd, the Baltimore Orioles traded 1B Lewin Diaz to Atlanta,
December 26 RHP Jackson Stephens signed a one year split major/minor league deal with the Braves. On the 28th the Braves traded SS Caeb Durbin and RHP Indigo Diaz to the New York Yankees for LHP Lucus Luetge. Lutege is a 35 year old who pitched 57 1/3 innings out of the pen for the Yankees last season with a 4-4 record and a 2.57 ERA. On the 28th newly acquired 1B Lewin Diaz was DFA.
So, biggest loss was SS Dansby Swanson, biggest gain was C Sean Murphy. Biggest needs, a short stop and a left fielder. The Braves have added an assortment of each but the expectation is there are still trades/ free agents to be signed. In the interim the Braves may decide to go with rookie Vaughn Grissom, who has been working with third base coach Ron Washington, at short or start utility man Orland Arcia. I would not be surprised to see Alex Anthopoulos make another deal but at this point I think he will wait until after spring training to make a big move on the position. As for the outfield, the Braves still have Ozuna (cough), Eddie Rosario, Hillard and Luplow to compete for the job. One thing to remember, the bat plays…
Braves & Stuff 
Terrific, Gil! Thanks so very much for all you do! Maybe one of these days we can figure out why WordPress hates me. 😀
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Happy New Years Everyone 🙂
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And to you, sweet friend! Many, many blessings on you and your whole tribe!
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excellent opine Gil! I Forgot some of the transactions already…ODORizzi is one reason we are into Luxury tax territory , bleh! (Still don’t get it, if you a mil or 2 over, just a 30/40% tax on that overage???? Just don’t get it except where the Mets have to pay double the amount at their super high payroll
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happy new years to everyone as well! 🙂
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There are an awful lot of folks lamenting the Braves crossing the threshold into the luxury tax, or CBT (Competitive Balance Tax) as it is more commonly called. Honestly, I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. Let’s look and see why.
First, the Braves have not even officially reached that threshold yet as their arb eligible players have not been assigned a salary level. So the numbers all the media are tossing about are using estimates. Now those estimates are probably pretty close, but lets go ahead and lay down the actual current numbers so that the “technically correct” part of this opine are on the board.
As it sits this morning on January 2, 2023 (that feels weird), the Braves’ projected tax payroll is $209,523,333 according to Spotrac, the new accepted authority in all things MLB contract related. The official CBT threshold for 2023 is $233,000,000 on the projected tax payroll, so technically speaking, the Braves are still $23,476,667 shy of the cliff. Remember, the projected tax payroll for CBT is the AAV of all qualified salaries, not the actual cash amount being paid out by the team. But we’ll get back to that in a minute.
Fangraphs estimates about $25,400,000 in salaries for arb eligible players. Given that those figures are literally 1-year deals, that is the number added to the current projected tax payroll to give a more realistic idea of where the Braves will be with respect to the CBT when everyone is under contract. I’m no scholar, but that math is pretty easy. The figure rests at $234,923,333, or just $1,923,333 over the line.
Any team that exceeds the CBT threshold is subject to an increasing tax rate depending on how many consecutive years it has done so: 1st year: 20% on all overages, 2nd consecutive year: 30%, 3rd consecutive year or more: 50%. If a club dips below the luxury tax threshold for a season, the penalty level is reset.
There’s also a surcharge threshold for clubs that exceed the base threshold by $20M or more: $20M – $40M, 12% surcharge; $40M – $60M, 42.5% surcharge for 1st year, 45% for each consecutive year after that; $60M or more, 60% surcharge.
Additionally, teams that are $40M or more above the threshold will have their highest selection in the next draft moved back 10 spots unless the pick falls in the top 6. In that case, the team will have its 2nd highest pick moved back 10 spots instead.
OK… now that all that technical junk is out of the way, lets get back to specifics.
Unless the Braves add more payroll to the current figure, which is possible, we’ve established that they are going to exceed the limit by about $1,923,333, which for the Braves will result in $384,667 in penalties.
$384,667
Seriously… is that really something to wail and gnash our teeth about? That’s less than the minimum salary ($720K) for a rookie trying to make the roster.
And given that the actual 2023 team payroll is estimated to be only about $199M, well I doubt Liberty Media is going to have to call an emergency board meeting over $384,667.
And speaking of Liberty Media, here’s a fun fact. When they acquired the Braves in Feb, 2007, Liberty swapped 60 million shares of Time Warner stock for about $1 billion in cash, the Braves and a group of Time, Inc. magazines. At the time, Forbes magazine valued the team at $461M. In March of 2022, Forbes valued the team at $2.1B. Yep, that’s a B on that figure.
Is the CBT really an impediment to the Braves doing what they need to do to remain competitive over the long haul? Not if they continue to build the team the way AA is doing it, with smart and targeted long term commitments that benefit both player and team. And that means not tossing about long term deals for sentiment, but for measured maximum return.
So before this post gets way too long, let me just cut to the chase on a couple of remaining items related to the payroll.
I see 3 remaining items that must be addressed that will still impact the payroll both on 2023 and in the future, and thus have CBT implications.
First, I believe that Vaughn Grissom is the projected long term SS. That means his salary is already accounted for as far as 2023 is concerned, and will not have much impact in the near future unless and until he proves to be a valued core member of the team going forward. Should he cement that in a full 2023 season, there’s little doubt he will be approached by AA about a long term deal in the same manner as Michael Harris II, Spencer Strider, etc. But Grissom has to exhibit that assurance.
Second, I do believe that AA is still open to improving LF if the right deal makes itself present. What is that? I think it would be a guy still looking for a deal as Spring Training approaches that is willing to take a 1-year commitment. Would a dude like Andrew McCutchen still be unattached on Valentines Day? (See what I did there?) Maybe so; maybe not. But that’s the kind of player I’m talking about… veteran presence, great clubhouse guy, still a little left in the tank. Otherwise, I think we’re hoping and praying for a bounceback year for Eddie Rosario and Marcell Ozuna, whom AA has already hinted might have to show a vast turnaround during spring if he wants to go north with the team.
Third, and most impactful, the team must either show a long term commitment to Max Fried, or get hat they can while they can. Max is the best southpaw in the NL. Period. He’s still under arb for 2023 & 2024 before being able to jump in 2025. If the Braves can’t get him locked down soon… maybe even by the time Opening Day 2023, I believe Max will take it to FA. What would a Fried extension look like? Well, this post has already gone really long, so for brevity’s sake I won’t list out comparisons. But based on recent contracts, Max is probably in line for something like 6 years / $180M on an extension, and likely more than that if he holds out for FA. And if Alex backloads it the way most of his deals are structured, the actual 2023 payroll amount would probably be closer to $20M than the $30M AAV. Given that Max was already estimated to make about $12.5M in arb, that increase is only about $7.5M.
And that brings us back full circle to the CBT. Should the Braves manage an extension for Maxie, which I think should be paramount over adding any more players to the roster, they are now looking at around $242,423,333, or an overage of $12,423,333, which would still land in the lower tax bracket for CBT and a penalty of just $2,484,666, which is less than you’re paying Mike Soroka to hopefully be the 5th starter.
Also, the actual cash payout for 2023, the number Alex focuses more on, would be around $206M in payroll, $208.5M with tax added.
So in this fan’s opinion, all the hand wringing over the Braves becoming a CBT team is much ado about nothing.
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Vee, don’t be surprised to see this excellent opine reposted as a lead next week… “The Staff”
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One would think the Braves payroll is coming out of their own pocket. Of course they are the same folks who bemoan the fact Alex didn’t offer the same deal to Dansby as the Cubs made.
It would be grand if Ozuna actually played (hit) like the guy who is being paid the $16 million a year he is getting.
Look for Vaughn to either make the team out of Spring training as the starting short stop or sent to Gwinnett to learn how to play left field. Just my opinion.
As for Fried, I am sure any long term deal would account for the timing of when the excise tax kicks in.
$2.1 billion… or the current average payroll for the Mets…
Well, why not? All those dollars are likely to be devalued anyway.
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The Washington
RedskinsCommanders unveiled their new mascot yesterday, Mr.TurdyTuddy,,, a hog. In the meantime. the team stunk up the place….LikeLiked by 3 people
Here’s some good news!!!
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Greetings Stuffville, little happening on the Atlanta Braves baseball front. Too be expected with so many high powered acquisitions that have taken place in the past couple of months. With the likes of Sam Hilliard and Eli White in the fold, National League pitchers must be racking their brains trying to figure out how to pitch to such a stout outfield.
Let’s be honest, if the Braves were to combine the talents and tools brought to the table by combining the skill set of Ozuna, Rosario, Hilliard, White and Jordan Luplow, they might have a player equal in ability of Adam Duvall. Just my opinion mind you. At least the Braves DNF their resident sword slasher and primary cheer leader.
On the political front, the House of Representatives still has not elected a Speaker. Who knew that having the HOR doing nothing would actually be an improvement over the last session? Just saying…
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Old buddy Bryse Wilson has found a landing spot. The Brewers today traded the much traveled Cash Considerations to the Bucs for the youngster. The Beermen have questions at the back end of their rotation and are willing to let Brysey compete for a spot. Good for him.
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I know folks are not very inspired by the Braves OF additions thus far, but it’s hard to reconcile spending big dollars on a position where you’ve already committed $16.25M to Marcell Ozuna and $9M to Eddie Rosario. Yes, there’s an argument to be made that Marcell is a DH and not a LF, which is fair, but Eddie’s still getting a chunk of cash himself. I think even in his better moments, ERo hits righties at a decidedly better clip than he does lefties. Which is why I keep thinking the Jordan Luplow signing isn’t as marginal as it might seem. The guy actually hits lefties pretty well. And he’s a good glove all over the OF. I like this under the radar move and I think that he and Eddie will form a passable if not productive platoon in LF.
Now that said, if Alex makes a trade tomorrow for a better everyday guy, or even signs a dude like Andrew McCutchen, then I’ll be OK with that too. But don’t sleep on the LupSario combo. They might just surprise some folks.
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Hey, I was just blathering about and disappointed he snubbed Duvall but I am sure Adam will land somewhere and I hope it’s in the American League because he kills the Braves, like Segurea but with power… Oh well, I will root like heck for whoever starts. Rosario never really recovered from his eye issues last season. He will get more hits if for no other reason of no shifts.
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V, thanks for explaining the luxury tax levels and what they mean. seems like something MLBTR would have done long ago….they seem so desperate for news yet there was low hanging fruit they seemingly had no interest in explaining to folks…
but hey, did ya hear about some guy that had 12 M.L. games under his belt thats going to sign with a team in Korea? now that’s interesting!
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Which is why I keep thinking the Jordan Luplow signing isn’t as marginal as it might seem. The guy actually hits lefties pretty well.
V, that one tweet pointed to 31 HR’s in 500+ career ab’s as a leftie, but…but….
He’s not good against them. .221 career BA against them, (.213 career BA) and….the most important stats, are what he’s done the last 2 years against them, right? a .167 BA against them in 2021, and really improved against them to the tune of a…. .171 BA in 2022. in the ball park with the 2nd thinnest air.
his one decent year, 2019, he hit .276 (Didn’t know that 2019 gave many people their best years, cuz…juiced ball, but reading that a fair bit of late) next highest BA for a season? .205 in his rookie year of 2017. Unless one of the hitting coaches has found a huge flaw in his swing, I think at 29 it’s safe to say….hes best suited as the next Guillermo Heredia. That better be all he is for the braves….
by the by, Eddie hit .266 against lefties in 2021….
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Gil, I must have missed the story, AA has no interest in Duvall then????
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Who really knows Ber? Alex himself maybe. I would bet The Braves made an offer which Duvall’s agent is trying to parlay into a bigger deal but as we have seen, the Braves appear to put their best offer on the table straight up.
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The Ozuna conundrum: The Braves owe Ozuna appox $32 million for 23-24 seasons, as it stands, Ozuna is next to worthless as a fielder and his current batting prowess is akin to what was derived from Guillermo Heredia without the swords. His trade value is zilch given his on field performance and his off field baggage. The Braves are loath to DNF him and be stuck with the bill but no team will touch him unless the deal included Fried or Strider and that is not going to happen.
So what to expect to happen? I think the Braves will wait until the end of spring training and see if Ozuna returns to some semblance of 2019-2020 Ozuna. If not they will DNF him, eat the sunk cost and move on to the next chapter.
All kinds of proposals for trade packages including Marcel but to my way of thinking it is like having and automobile that you are still making payments on that is a total loss, sometimes the best deal you can make is to get someone to haul it off for free.
Perhaps the Braves best hope is Ozuna gets hurt and the insurance covers most of his salary Just saying… Of course their is always the straight up trade with the Dodgers for Bauer…. 😉
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I do get, to a point AA wanting to give Ozuna plenty of chances to redeem himself….IF he hit 30 HR’s this year, hit .245 and played 20-30 games in left, that would be alright of course…but, he clogs up the DH spot, leaving Travis D as mainly a 40 game a year catcher it appears, and he’s too good for that (which may mean trading him as V has talked about) just seems like you’d have so much more flexibility if he wasn’t here…. other guys can get an occasional day off…you might even bring back Duvall if he wasn’t here (Hear rumors of Duvall going to…gulp, the Mutts)
But, I think we all know unless he hits .056 in spring training, and doesn’t run hard to first, he’s here with us….
still less of a ___than Bauer….seeing photos of the woman he beat up, he needs to be out of baseball for…forever
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funny, even the mutts are wary of Correa….something must really look bad if even Cohen doesn’t want to risk it, at least for 13 years….
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Well, the flu bug has finally taken hold of me. The wife has been sick for about two weeks and I fended it off but alas I have been zapped. Got my flu shot and everything too.. PS, not Covid but viruses pretty much all act the same. Anyhoo, I have been reduces to reading an occasional comment and opining once in a while. Today I woke up at 6AM and back in bed by 7, I just woke up again at 2P.
So, Ozuna is still with us and the Braves still need a lefty DH. What to do, what to do????
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Gil, please take D!!! Do you take it normally?
zinc too…
take care of yourself!
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Yes, vitamins are a part of my daily regimen. I actually feel a lot better tonight. I made it to the mail box and did a little on my taxes. I am hoping I will push thru this thing quickly. No longer running a fever so that is good.
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yay! Thank God! 🙂
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Looks like the friendly neighborhood Slider Man might be changing neighborhoods.
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I pretty much saw that coming Luke moving on) with all the recent hires. I would not expect him to be back to his old self before July.
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Whew, a bit of a relapse today. Called a tele doc this morning but aside from a couple of prescriptions phones in, was told to pretty much ride it out. Okay but it is pretty much side saddle at this point…
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So sorry y’all. Hope you feel better soon.
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Interesting…
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For the record, the 2 highly ranked prospects declared FA haven’t exactly planned out. Abrahan Gutierrez Is still at high-A for PIT, and Kevin Maitan hasn’t risen above AA for the Angels.
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Officially official.
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We will miss you Luke, be careful out there in San Fran, don’t bend over for the soap in the shower…. Just saying…
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Congratulations DAWG Nation. Complete route of a good TCU team. Methinks the real National Championship game was against Ohio State… Just saying…
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What a game by my Dawgs last night. Back 2 back champs.
Now… that’s over. Time for baseball.
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This makes me so happy I can’t even put it into words. Not that Correa is going back to the Twins so much, but that the rug was completely pulled out from under the Mets.
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true, but an albatross around their neck til 2035 would have been ok too 😉
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Gil, how are you feeling today?
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Well, I would like to say I feel great, unfortunately it would be a big lie… At least my tonsils are not so swollen so I can swallow without pain. Still a lot of chest congestion but I have a great nurse
nagginglooking after me. On the plus side I have cut out my Hydromorphone to about 1 pill every 18 hours. You just can’t cold turkey and be sick at the same time. Been sleeping a lot and watching a lot of movies. I will recover I think. Been rather slow on the uptake doing crossword and sudoku puzzles, the old brain can’t handle a lot of confusion right now…LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha ha ha ha ha
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BTW, for whatever reason, I cannot “like” posts from my phone. I click the star, and it just fades off the page. It’s bizarre. Trust that I simply like every post. 😉
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Correa —> Twins is officially official. The saga ends.
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Think the Correa saga was epic? How about rhe Lewin Diaz adventure? As described by MLBTR:
For Diaz, this is incredibly his fifth DFA of the offseason. He first went from the Marlins to the Pirates by way of waivers, and the Orioles claimed him (for the first time) from the Buccos shortly thereafter. Baltimore traded Diaz to Atlanta, who designated him for assignment five days later. The O’s claimed him again on Jan. 5, but his latest stint on the Orioles’ 40-man roster will apparently last just five days.
He gets around more than a White House intern in the Bill Clinton days…
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Yes, and he probably feels just as screwed…
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At what point do they just call him suitcase?
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Tomorrow is the filing deadline for arb figures. For the Braves, that involves 5 pitchers headlined by Max Fried and AJ Minter. Also on the list are newly acquired Joe Jimenez, Lucas Luetge, and Dennis Santana. In his fan’s opinion, the team will reach a satisfactory figure with all the newcomers. They might reach agreement with Minter, too, but his might be a little trickier. I hope they are working to lock down Fried long term, but it takes 2 to tango and Max may well be desirous to test the rich FA waters. And that is NOT a happy prospect for us Braves fans. Stay tuned.
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To be clear, I mean that Max may want to test FA after 2024, which underlines my opinion that if the 2 sides don’t reach a long term agreement this year when he’s still 2 years removed, they won’t get it done. Next year is too close to the edge.
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Hey guys, I hope y’all stay safe in GA, you too CL, I know how storms like to target Wilmington, y’all are in my thoughts and prayers.
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Thanks, Gil. Kelly and I were fine. The storms left the kitties (and Kelly) edgy for a couple of days, but all is well. Hope you and Jo are doing MUCH better!!
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There it is.
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Thanks for checking on us. Thought this was appropriate.
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Res sky at night, sailor’s delight…
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RED… 😉
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Red sky in morning, sailors take warning. True dat!
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Cutch is going back to PIT. I was hoping he’d land here. I still think a new LF is gonna happen before they leave North Port. Gut feeling. Either that or the homemade veggie soup from last night.
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Gil, thanks for asking, Griffin , about 20 miles away was hard hit, though not to the level of poor Selma AL.
We did lose out power at 4:30 yesterday, our formerly great GA EMC said power would be back in 2 hours. Well, 18 hours after the power went out, we got it back. House was in mid 60s, seriously felt like mid 50s. Was worried about my Dad esp. since he’s 90+ if the power didn’t come back on. Thank the Lord it did, as it’s 41 now. And, seeing people who lose parts if not all of their homes….I really am grateful for just being out of power….
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One absolute truth, overhead power lines + trees + wind is a combination for disaster… Glad y’all are okay…
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Ber, sorry I didn’t know about that ordeal. Haven’t been online all that much lately, haven’t kept up with what’s going on in the world. Very happy that you and your dad made it through! Love ya, my friend.
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The Braves reached agreement on 1 year deals with Dennis Santana for $1,000,000, A.J. Minter for $4,287,500, Joe Jiménez for $2,765,000, and Lucas Luetge for $1,550,000 before today’s deadline. They did NOT reach agreement with Max Fried, thus they will presumably head to arbitration again. That said, they could still be working on a long term deal. Even though the Braves are a “file and trial” team, that really only applies to the 1-year agreements. So prayerfully they might still work something out.
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I’m surprised that Duvall is still out there unsigned. He checks the boxes in so many ways for so many teams. Gold glove defense, power, less than $10 million a year. (Cheap by today’s standards)
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I’m starting to warm to the idea.
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Happy
MLKLee-Jackson Day… I have not forgot…LikeLiked by 1 person
Good morning folks, looks like I am finally on the mend. Not well mind you but feeling well enough to venture out to the drug store etc. Not a lot of news from the Braves, signing some international free agents, one for big money. Look for them in about 6 years or so.
Still waiting to see where Duvall might land. I think the Braves acquired a bunch of low cost (maybies) in case they didn’t land a bonafide star outfielder to play in left. I think they are hedging their bets.
So spring training will start soon and more propaganda will ensue from the Braves.
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glad you hear you are doing better Gil! Flu is nothing to …sneeze at…at any age.
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Duvet to Bahstan.
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Well, at least he won’t be pounding the Braves 18 games a season… Solid pick up for Boston.
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beat me to the punch 😡
thinking A.A. was waiting to sign him for 2-3 mil
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No, that $3M went here. I actually like this signing. Not sure if his bat has any life left, but this guy was an elite glove man and is still very good. Solid 4th OF, and another guy in camp fighting for a roster spot. Solid veteran leader too.
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Pretty sure not all of those outfielders the Braves signed this winter will make it out of big league camp this spring. Marcel is pretty happy he has his hooks into Alex so deep. Maybe he will again hit but I doubt it. one thing for sure, it’s sunk cost.
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Bank on this: unless Marcell actually shows he can still hit in Spring, which I don’t believe he can, he won’t go north with the team. It’s already a sunk cost. Eating 2 years of an albatross contract is hard to do, but 1? He produces or he goes. Bet on it.
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And as you said, all the OF candidates can’t make the team. But the competition will be healthy, and the leftovers can go stay warm in Gwinnett.
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Bowman has just published a piece in which he says he has great doubt that Grissom can play SS. He gives his reasons. Different writers and “experts” have different opinions. I suppose it will all bear out in the next 2 months, eh?
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While I have followed Bowman over the years, I will withhold judgement on his judgement. I am pretty sure there will be a warm body playing short per the MLB rules change for this year. Maybe Elvis would like to reunite with his old boss.
The biggest tell will be on how the pitchers react…
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V, aren’t both 23, and 24 guaranteed for Ozuna?
I don’t get Bowman on this. Didn’t we all see Grissom play SS really well for, what a month or so?
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Bowman is just another wag who listens to what others say to form his opinions. IMHO the Braves will give the kid a shot this spring and if he is too rough they will send him to Triple A. There are dozens of great glove no bat SS drifting around. The trick is to find a solid SS who can also hit.
I remember when left field was the hole in the batting order until they brought up Klesko. There are only so many elite players who can hit and field, most can do one or the other.
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And yes, the Braves are on the hook for $32 million total for the next two years. Remember how hard we all pulled for Alex to sign Ozuna after the 2020 season? I am as guilty as the next fan…
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Gil, I wanted him back in the worst way….I didn’t mean literally
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🙂
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Justin Toscano
@JustinCToscano
Mike Soroka is in good spirits. It seems like he feels like himself again. He’ll be a full go — and on the same schedule as the other pitchers — come spring. He’s really excited to get to camp.
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After all is said and done, to me, the Braves chances on repeating as NL East champs really hinges on how healthy the starting pitching will be. Of course that can be said of any major league team.
Having the best starting 9 in the field depends on the depth of the minor league rosters IMHO… 162 games is a lot to ask any player in today’s environment.
For sure, the Braves will need a healthy Ozzie and Acuna Jr.
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My fault folks. I mistakenly thought 2024 was an option year for Blow-zuna. That’s what happens when I post on my phone from my office with no resources readily available. I miss the good ol’ days of working from home…
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I still think he’s a goner this year though.
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So Chip Carey is leaving the Braves to go call games for the Cardinals.
Bye.
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Of those who have audition tape for the Braves announcer job, my favorite is the CNN guy… He is almost as good as James Earl Jones…
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Because the season is now quite close (just 23 days until P&CR), the Braves say that seeking a new TV announcer to replace Chip Caray will likely have to come from within. Early candidates are studio and stadium guy Tom Hart and radio guy Ben Ingram. Ingram does a great job on radio and would be a real “voice” of the Braves. Hart would obviously have the TV chops, but I’m not sure he can carry the play-by-play as smoothly as Ingram does on radio. Whoever lands the gig is getting a great opportunity because in different circumstances the Braves would almost certainly launch a broader search.
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wow…just wow…
I know that for some reason…..some just don’t like Chip…I do, a lot. I like his voice (It’s not fake like Joe Buck who still sounds like he’s trying to sound like…someone else) yeah, ok, a little bit perhaps, but man, any other team I listen to, sucks, broadcast wise.
I could honestly do without Frenchy. He’s ok, but still so young, and as we all know, don’t really understand baseball enough to really be that good. I like Paul Byrd quite a bit, and most everyone else….I just don’t listen to them much on the radio, I have heard Ben Ingram, voice seems fine (what again is the story with Powell?)
but, but….you need a guy for 9 innings, that works well with others, and is a bit of a homer, sorry, you need that (and I know, Ballys , and S.S. before pushed the guys a bit too much to be that, at times)
we have been so lucky in the past to have really exceptional folks that if some blah guy gets the gig, it will make it hard to watch games, esp if they get off to a slow start….my Dad is not a huge baseball guy, but if the games are exciting he doesn’t mind too much watching (though if way behind or way ahead, we watch Tucker via DVR) but he quite aware if I put on a game in another market, or if we are forced to listen to some “foreigners” do a game, that they are no wheres near as good as the braves team. It’s….boring.
Choose wisely folks, there is soooo much more one can watch/listen to than braves games.
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Good opine Ber, I agree, I like Chip, mistakes and all, it makes him human. I like Jon Shambi too for the short time he was in the booth, he is now with the Cubs.
There are some I have to listen too that I cringe when I hear their voice. I do like the Mets primary play by play guy.
Dear Alex, whatever you do, not try to use Brian Jordan…
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I miss Skip.
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If you’ve never heard Ben Ingram, you’ve missed a great radio call. He’s top notch. I hope he lands the TV gig.
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Bigger loss than Dansby, IMO.
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Alas, it is the natural progression of things. Hopefully the talent pool in the front office is deep enough to cover the loss. A bigger loss would be losing Wash but that is just me.
You can’t fault Brown for wanting to occupy the big chair.
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Any blame him at all. Proud for him in fact. And as you also said, the staff is deep and well talented. In fact, the Braves are not even intending to fill his position this season. They are proceeding with their current direction and will re-assess the need at seasons end.
That is also a testament to Brown in that he was a true leader who developed a capable staff.
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Can’t blame him. Autocorrect strikes again.
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So the parent company of the Bally’s sports networks is going bankrupt. That could really screw with we viewers’ ability to find the games this season if something doesn’t materialize soon. I doubt the Braves would have any problem finding a new network deal with another provider should the existing contract become void, but that could also lead to problems finding them or even having the access to stream them. Also… there is a chance the teams affected, and there are many, could have their expected (and accounted for) network payments not paid. That would cause major problems for the teams. This is a story to follow.
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https://www.nexttv.com/news/its-on-bally-sports-rsns-headed-for-bankruptcy
The story…
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Thanks Vee, Maybe they could get a loan from Ukraine…
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Whew… Back from the edge of the abyss… That has to have been the longest stretch of being sick I have ever had. Still not well but oh so much better. No apatite yet and hate to drink anything but that is not really a bad thing methinks. I needed to shed some pounds.
Still, I feel exhausted most of the time but I am sick of being in bed. Josie has been sick too but appears to be about 2 days ahead of me on the recovery phase of this Covid crap. Honestly, I would like to kick Falsi square in the nuts….
Anywho, scanning the internet for news about the Braves. Just Chip leaving and Snit getting an extra year. Oh, and Dana Brown leaving for Houston… It is almost time for winter here in the Old Dominion. Feb to mid march is it. Jo and I use to take our two week vacation from mid February to March so as to miss the really bad weather.
So, more baseball stuff to come…
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Glad y’all are on the mend.
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Nothing to see here. Somebody has to play the later innings of the early spring games.
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Wow Gil, didn’t know it was Covid, glad you and Josie are on the mend! 2 winters ago, 2 very good friends parents(one Dad, one Mom) died of the China plague. One smoked still (though caught it in the Hospital, after recovering from an unrelated breathing issue) another was still out and about playing golf, flying a plane, got it and died in a week 😦
Fluids are of course the most important thing, as important as we think food is, it ain’t all that and a bag of chips, so to speak 😉
Perhaps spring will come early this year!
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I have been forcing the water down, my stomach is rebelling but you are right, must stay hydrated. For two days I could not keep anything down, just nausea and the dry heaves. I am being careful to not over do it. Anytime I think I am better, I am reminded that I am not yet well, just not as sick. I have been able to keep down bananas and the like. I have developed an aversion to sodas of any type.
However, am powering thru it, I have now seen Top Gum Maverick 12 times…
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On the broadcasting front, it’s being reported that Bally’s has had “some really solid candidates express interest” in the PxP role vacated by Chip Caray. Word is that Ben Ingram prefers to remain on the radio side and that he is likely to get his wish. Tom Hart looks like he could be the front runner, but no one knows the other interested parties and who might emerge from that bunch. DO’B says the network is likely to make their announcement next week.
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yikes! I didn’t even know what Ingram looked like so, looked him up. Not some hideous monster, which is good 😉 was willing to accept him, but bet he knows he’d have to be super duper ra-ra home team….shame…I know less than nothing about Tom Hart, is his voice ok? I mean, it truly could ruin the tv experience for me, and no doubt others…I honestly don’t recall anyone during last season, braves game or elsewhere that stuck me as being even better than average….sigh..
I read the Cards tv guy had…3 DUI’s in the span of 12 months, so I get them letting him go….but something odd was going on with Chip (was I the only one to not know that Chip AND Skip were both born Harry Carey????) why wasn’t he under contract for this season? Were they trying to cut his salary? Will the rest of the crew be back?
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As I understand it, the rest of the crew will all be back. Chip is going to call games for the Bally Sports affiliate in STL anyway. Same boss; different locale. I don’t think there is any more to the story… no acrimony or untold story. Chip has always spoken glowing of St. Louis and his time there. He’s just going home.
Ingram has been in the Braves organization a long time, first calling AA Mississippi games before the suits in Atlanta recognized his talent and brought him here to the flagship radio station where he did pre-season and pre-game/post-game work before getting the promotion to the booth a couple years ago. I’ve heard him for many years. He’s really good and has a distinctive voice that doesn’t sound cookie-cutter trained.
I’m surprised you don’t remember Tom Hart. He did Paul Byrd’s job before Byrdie did. I’ve heard him call baseball, basketball, and football games. He’s very good and has personality. I hope he gets the gig because I think he would knock it out of the park… pun completely intended.
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Looks like we’re getting to the Hart of the matter…
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Yep.
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Why he said. (If I don’t add commentary, WordPress wont post the link alone.)
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Just 2 weeks until P&CR.
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Way too early projected Opening Day lineup:
Acuna, RF (R)
Harris, CF (L)
Riley, 3B (R)
Olson, 1B (L)
Murphy, C (R)
Rosario, LF (L)
d’Arnaud, DH (R)
Albies, 2B (S)
Grissom, SS (R)
Pretty balanced. I won’t be surprised to see an addition for LF/DH candidate before the season starts when teams have to start trimming rosters closer to the season. A lot will be dictated by how well Rosario and Ozuna get back to hitting. I still maintain the Braves won’t carry Ozuna as dead weight unless he has a good spring. I have faith that Rosario will come back closer to his norm.
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Ha yes. Good times for sure. Makes me smile early on hump day.
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“I have developed an aversion to sodas of any type.”
Gil that might just be a blessing in disguise! Esp. if you were drinkin’ colored sugar water. I bet half the cases of Diabetes would disappear in the U.S. if people didn’t drink that stuff. Heck, a friends wife drank the “nutraSweet” junk for years, gave it up and had headaches for more than 6 months afterwards….in fact, she didn’t know that was the cause, and if she had, she said she would have gone back on the poison, as they were that bad! Man, the crud they give us….
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Yep, have gone back to drinking lots of ice tea. Kidneys are working better too. Despite the fact I am morbidly obese, I have never had a sugar problem. I just have an incredibly slow metabolism.
We had a few snow flurries yesterday, it was pretty and another reason to stay inside. I am so tired of being stuck in the house but this flu should be called “The old fooler flu”… When you think you are getting over it, you are not. I am better but not well enough to venture outside just yet.
By the way, did I tell you I bought a “new to me car”? A 2006 Cadillac DTS. I don’t know if you remember I had a 2005 Cadillac Deville that was zapped by lightning which fried the ECMs. This car is nicer but has a lot more miles on it. Oh well, buying a car that is over fifteen years old is a challenge that way.
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All overseen by our governmental FDA. To monitor and keep us SAFE. Umhmm.
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Hey Gil, just looked up the DTS, which, by name….means nothing to me. Oh, it’s a REAL car, sized like a REAL sized car! Myself, I have never had car as New as this one is 😉
I did mention the 1976 Electra I got in late 2021, right????
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Yes, did you get your fuel pump/fuel filter problem solved?
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Morning all, 17 degrees and going up… Hey, it’s been a mild winter but still have a few cold snaps to look forward to. I really want to go outside and play but I am old enough to know not to be stupid…
Still remember a lot of Skip Caray quips. His best always involved some eye candy spotted by the ever searching camera crew.
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Jon Heyman:
Meantime, Carlos Correa’s three deals did provide a lot of drama. But in the end, he may have gotten the right deal — six years with a high $33.3 million annual average — following a lot of headlines. One rival exec predicted no one will ever again get $200M after two failures (one doctor suggested Correa has the worst ankle he’s seen) and called it a “Houdini” job to get that much after a “collapsed market.” But the Twins love him and pay no tax.
Yowser. The Giants should be Uber thankful they made the right decision. Same with the Mets.
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Face palm: Chris, I missed sending greetings on your birthday. I do hope you had the most blessed and happy celebration ever! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, my friend!
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https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fn5QpfDXkA83PDN?format=jpg&name=small
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These days the resulting tackle would get flagged in the NFL. 🤣
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Now that’s funny.
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If he can return to form, I’ll call him Nancy if that is what he prefers…
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https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/ar_16:9,g_auto,q_auto:good,w_1024,c_fill,f_jpg,dpr_3.0/mlb/gote2cm1oaijs7pgg4be
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Documentary om Money Mikee… What a great little player. Anytime you can be compared to Andrew Jones, you are doing something.
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https://www.mlb.com/braves/news/michael-harris-ii-documentary-premiere
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sooo close….man, has this off season seemed longer than ever, or what?
https://www.mlb.com/news/braves-spring-training-2023
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Ber, send me your email address to Elliotgm@aol.com
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Guess who starts reporting tomorrow? #P&CR
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Some actual reporting on the Braves this AM… YEA!
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All-Stars reporting early and getting after it. This is what champions look like. There will not be a lack of leadership on this squad.
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Agreed, it is not as if the roster is filled with 23 year olds. The culture has changed from the “good old days” when rookies were abused by the vets. It is all about the “team” now.
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Always glad to the see the stars/superstars show up early, but IMHO, leadership is how/who comes to the forefront when you are on a losing streak, or an important player is injured. Not going to be nearly as “easy” to win the division this year.
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Good morning Braves fans… Spring has sprung, no, it is not the spring equinox but a more important time when the Orioles, Cardinals and Blue Jays return to Florida. A surer sign of spring than the return of the Robins and Humming Birds to the local environs. I am so exited to read of the arrival of the Braves to North Port and how the kids look, and their enthusiasm to get started.
It is good there is a break in the season lest we become bored with it all. As it is, I can hardly wait to see real games being played again. Who will be the surprise and who will disappoint? All will soon be revealed. 162 games where the wheat will be separated from the chaff.
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Who?!?
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Well, I am willing to give him a chance. What choice do I have. PS It has to be tough going to work for a company which is about to declare bankruptcy. Just saying.
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I know, he had verbal diarrhea of the month at times, and a little too full of himself at times….but, he played for 20 years as a catcher (Remember when he was Steve Carlton’s exclusive catcher at the end?) and almost 40 years as a broadcaster….rest in peace Tim….
https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/rangers/2023/02/16/tim-mccarver-former-mlb-catcher-and-acclaimed-broadcaster-dies-at-81/
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I do not know why I can no longer click the heart to like a post. When I click it, it fades away. Kinda rude if you ask me.
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forgot to pay your email bill eh?
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https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FpIuhtQX0AAwmip?format=jpg&name=medium
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Good morning all, time for a new lede methinks… Lots of info out their now. Of course I hate just retweeting stuff but not being able to attend spring training myself my options are limited. Watch this space…
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Yay! Sadly, none of us are able to attend spring training.
but, if one of these days I win Mega Millions or Powerball, we will all go on my private jet! 🙂
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I got started on it this AM but a bunch of things on the honey do list superseded it, maybe finish up tonight.
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NEW BLOG UP….
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