BRAVES NEWS
Braves Search For Hitting Coach Rolls On
There's really no drama when it comes to the Braves GM search; It's either going to be John Hart or John Coppolella. However, there's plenty of mystery when it comes to who the Braves next hitting coach might be, as evidenced by the fact that the Braves are still searching for the right guy after filling out the rest of the coaching staff. Mark Bowman takes a closer look at the Braves' search for a hitting coach (and also makes the hilariously true point that the job becomes a lot more attractive if B.J. Upton somehow disappears).
5 Moves Braves Must Go Through With Before 2015
Speaking of B.J. Upton, he was mentioned in a fanpost on MLB Daily Dish that was centered on the Braves and the moves that they need to make. Of course, it wasn't anything positive for ol' Bossman Junior. The writer basically advocated that the Braves bench B.J. Now before you say, "But wait, who will replace B.J.? The Braves dumped our savior, Jordan Schafer!" the writer also commented that the Braves should try to go after Cardinals CF Jon Jay as a potential replacement. It's an interesting read, and the featured image is hilarious.
Braves Are "Reloading, Not Rebuilding"
This article actually comes from Lindy Sports, and the name clicked for me because I remember buying their SEC football preview magazines and Braves preview magazines like crazy back when Print Media was the primary way to get in-depth sports news. But that's a pretty big digression, the point is that the people at Lindy have decided to give their take on where the Braves should go this offseason, and although it's a relatively quick read, it's still worth a read.
The Common Traits Of Investors And The Braves
Another quick read comes from Buz Livingston of The Walton Sun. Never heard of The Walton Sun? It's probably because it's from an unincorporated town on the North Florida Coast. Apparently that is still Braves country, because this columnist figured that it was time to give his thoughts on the Braves, comparing the 2014 squad to an inexperienced investor.
'95 Braves Were Among The Best WS Champions At Beating Good Teams
Now we've come to the part of the article where we talk about good Braves teams from the past, and today we get to talk about the only team in the Divisional Dynasty that actually lifted the Commissioner's Trophy: The '95 squad. Scott Lindholm of Beyond the Box Score took a look at what separated playoff champs from chumps. Obviously, you have to be able to beat very good teams in order to make the World Series, and if you aren't able to do it in the regular season (which apparently the Angels didn't do), then you probably won't be able to do it in the Postseason. However, according to Lindholm's data, the two World Series Champions who were the best at doing this were the 2009 Yankees and your 1995 Braves! Now bask in the glory of this video from 1995. Bask in it!
<iframe src='http://m.mlb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?content_id=20118137&topic_id=6479266&width=400&height=224&property=mlb' width='400' height='224' frameborder='0'>Your browser does not support iframes.</iframe>
MLB NEWS
ALCS Is Winning Big In The Ratings
So much for the theory that people will only tune in to see teams from huge markets. Game 1 of the ALCS saw a 9% ratings increase over last year's NLCS which included the Dodgers and the Cardinals. This is proof that a breath of fresh air per se is never, ever a bad thing.
Yadi Makes Trip To San Francisco But Is Still Fighting Oblique Injury
Meanwhile, despite winning Game 2 in dramatic fashion, Cardinal Nation is on pins and needles when it comes to monitoring the status of star catcher Yadier Molina, who currently has an oblique injury. Yadi made the trip to SF, but there's no indication that he'll be able to play, nor is there any timetable for his return. However, considering that this is the Cardinals and it's October, Yadi will either make a miraculous recovery and proceed to make a huge hit in a clutch situation for St. Louis, or the backup catcher will step up and proceed to make a huge hit in a clutch situation for St. Louis.