Saturday Morning Chop: Braves 6/29
Jun 28, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Julio Teheran (49) throws a pitch against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the fourth inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Braves quotes after Friday’s win against Dbacks
JULIO TEHERAN
On the game, facing his friend Delgado
"I was excited to pitch against one of my best friends, and to pitch on Chipper Jones’ day."
On recent strikeout totals going up
"I’m feeling like every time I get somebody with two strikes, I can make one pitch and get a strikeout. If I don’t strike him out, just get an out."
Using a lot of different pitches to strike guys out
"I’ve got more confidence in all my pitches, so I feel like I can throw them any time."
FREDI GONZALEZ
On the play Janish made in ninth
"Jani, he might be the all-time best defender I’ve ever been around, and multiple positions. We saw it last year longterm at shortstop and we asked him when we brought him up ‘Can you play third base?’ and he goes ‘Yeah I’ll go over there.’ He’s played a little bit of it but he’s terrific. In the boxscore it’s a groundball to the third baseman but it was much more difficult than that. Instead of being one out nobody on, it’s a double down the line. He gives us that opportunity to defend for anybody we want to on the infield."
On if done more safety/suicide bunts this year than he’s ever done:
"I don’t know. Talk to the some of the SABR guys, I safety squeeze too much. But I tell you what, that was textbook by Reed Johnson. If you execute it like we did there you can’t defend it. Reed did a nice job coming off the bench against a guy who’s throwing pretty good sinkers and getting the job done."
DAN UGGLA
On getting a couple of hits including a triple
"I fought one off and got a hit in my second at-bat, battled the rest of the game and ended up getting a triple. So it was definitely a move in the right direction."
Fredi reflects on talk leading up to trading Delgado
The irony of the impending pitching matchup [Randal Delgado v Julio Teheran] was not lost on Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez during his pregame meeting with the media before Friday night’s game.
"We had to pick from one or the other, or maybe they had to pick from one or the other, and here they are, pitching against each other. It wasn’t like I called Kirk [Gibson] and said, ‘I’m pitching [Teheran] on Friday, would you pitch Delgado Friday?’ We’ll see. I’m sure there’s going to be a little competitive stuff in there."
Worth Noting
Outfielder Jordan Schafer was in line to lead off for the fifth consecutive game before he was scratched from Friday night’s lineup while still dealing with soreness from fouling a pitch off his ankle in Wednesday night’s loss to Kansas City. Schafer is expected to be available for the rest of this weekend’s series against the D-backs.
Atlanta Braves: Chipper Jones Gets Number Retired, Thanks Todd Van Poppel
Why is it that a relatively unknown pitcher, who never played for the Atlanta Braves, and who carries a lifetime record of 40-52 and a career ERA of 5.58, will never have to pay for a drink in the state of Georgia for as long as he lives? Simple: Because fate can be a fickle mistress.
The Braves had the first pick in the 1990 MLB Draft and had their sights set squarely on power-pitching prospect Todd Van Poppel. The eventual first-round selection of the Oakland Athletics told Atlanta that he would not sign with them if the Braves selected him No. 1 overall. The Braves were then forced to change gears and select a young switch-hitting shortstop out of Florida named Larry Wayne Jones Jr., and the rest, as they say, is history. Chipper went on to become a Braves’ legend, and Van Poppel cemented his name as an unintentional Atlanta folk hero.