BRAVES NEWS
Braves Lose To Cap Off Historically Bad Road Trip
The Atlanta Braves actually went into the bottom of the 3rd inning with a 3-1 lead over the Seattle Mariners after Freddie Freeman pulled off a miracle and actually got an extra-base hit with the bases loaded, something that seemed foreign to this team as of late. Then Julio Teheran gave up homers to Dustin Ackley and Logan Morrison in the same inning, and a 3-1 lead became a 5-3 deficit. The score eventually became 7-3, and the road trip ended at 0-8, cementing it as the worst road trip since 1949. Nineteen Forty-Nine.
Fredi On Simba's Sprained Ankle: "Fingers Crossed"
One of the last things that you want to see one of your best defensive players toting around with him is a pair of crutches, but that's exactly what Andrelton Simmons had in tow yesterday after it turned out that he sprained his ankle during Tuesday night's contest with the Mariners. Now, the question is whether or not he can avoid the DL. According to Fredi Gonzalez, that is currently "undetermined," and Fredi told Dave O'Brien that he's got his fingers crossed that this doesn't lead to a DL stint for Simba.
Is A Platoon In Heyward's Future?
Jason Heyward? Platoon? What are you, an extremely irrational fan on the internet who wants everybody traded after a bad loss? No, this is coming from our good friends over at the sabermetrically-inclined blog known as Beyond The Box Score. They point out that Heyward's offensive production has actually been on a bit of a decline since his rookie season. However, they also point out that, well, Heyward's still far too good to be going on a platoon and that if it does happen, it'll be a long time from now. For what it's worth, the Braves official website noted that Heyward is currently on a hot streak of sorts since returning from injury. Since July 8th (and up until yesterday), J-Hey has been hitting .406/.468/.551 with 1 HR, 11 RBI, 4 SBs, and a wRC+ 189. That's lovely.
"Zombie" Braves Are Somehow Still In This Thing
Despite going on one of the single-worst road trips in franchise history, the Braves are somehow still right in the thick of things as far as the Postseaosn is concerned. They'll have to scrap for a playoff spot now, but it;s still very much possible. Grant Brisbee points out that if the Braves get it together, they could be as scary as a zombie, but he also wonders why they aren't doing better. You and me, both.
...They've done remarkably Braves things to keep everything afloat, plugging in young players to replace disintegrating veterans (Tommy La Stella) and plugging in veterans to replace disintegrating young players (Harang). It's kept them in at least one playoff race.
The difference between the two zombie teams [the other being the New York Yankees]: I can't help but be terrified at what the Braves would look like if everyone did what they were supposed to....then I look at the Braves, I don't wonder why the team is where they are, fighting for a playoff spot, but not as convincingly as they might like. I wonder why they aren't better. They seem like a well-run machine that's spitting out chocolates just a little too fast for Lucy and Ethel at the moment, but is still impressive in its efficiency.
2014 Braves Baseball Hall Of Fame Trio Will Take Part In Alumni Weekend Festivities.
Just last week, the trio of Bobby Cox, Tom Glavine, and Greg Maddux were all inducted into Baseball's Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Now, the 3 Hall of Famers who helped bring the city of Atlanta its only major sports championship will be participating in the festivities for Braves Alumni Weekend, and will be recognized during a ceremony before Friday's tilt with the Nationals. Since we're talking about those 3 and championships, here's Game 6 of the 1995 World Series. Let the memories of happier times whisk you away from this forsaken land of winless road streaks and sprained ankles.
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MLB NEWS
Mystery Team Claims Hamels Off Of Waivers
The Phillies recently placed Cole Hamels, Jonathan Papelbon, and Marlon Byrd on revocable waivers. Papelbon cleared waivers, but Hamels and Byrd were claimed, both by unidentified teams. It'll be really interesting to see where those 3 end up, and our Phriends at The Good Phight have mixed feelings on the whole ordeal.
Uggla Rejects Demotion, Becomes Free Agent Again
Nearly a week ago, Dan Uggla was DFA'd by the San Francisco Giants, meaning that he'd have a choice between going to AAA or going home to chillax. Uggla chose option B, which means that his extremely short and pathetic stint with the Giants has come to a close. Now, the possibilities are endless: Who could possibly give Uggla another chance in the big leagues? Will he go to Japan? Will he hang it up and start his own fashion line of Smedium t-shirts? Nobody knows what the future holds.
Padres Get New GM And Win An Exciting Extra-Inning Game
Wednesday was a very good day for one of the Braves' West Coast tormentors. The San Diego Padres officially hired their new GM, it was the anniversary for a couple of milestones by the late, great Mr. Padre himself, Tony Gwynn, and the Fathers also won an extra inning game as they continued their good run of form as of late. They couldn't have done it without an absolutely outstanding and game-saving catch by Alexi Amarista in the bottom of the 9th that forced extra innings.
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