Morning Chop: Atlanta Braves News 9/25
By Jeff Schafer
Looking ahead to the Atlanta Braves’ postseason
"1. Is Mike Minor still the Game 1 starter? Or has Kris Medlen claimed that honor with his stellar second half? And if so, do you really want Minor starting Game 2 at home and leaving the rookie Julio Teheran to work Game 3 on the road? Sep 23, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Mike Minor (36) pitches in the third inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports2. Does Paul Maholm make the postseason roster? Or does Freddy Garcia make it ahead of Maholm?3. With the struggles of Scott Downs, has Alex Wood now become the No. 1 left-handed reliever?4. Does Dan Uggla make the postseason roster? Does B.J. Upton? And if either/both do, does either/both actually start a game?5. Who’s the most favorable Round 1 matchup for the Braves? The Reds? The Pirates? The Dodgers?6. Who’s the worst Round 1 matchup?7. How should the Braves handle these final six games? Rest everybody and not worry about trying to secure the best record in National League? Play everybody and try to lock down the No. 1 seed? Rest some guys one night and others the next?8. Is the infield-fly rule still in effect for this October?"
Atlanta Braves Rotation Could Hurt Them In October
"The Atlanta Braves hold the best record in the National League as of Monday with 92 wins and 64 losses. The offense has been hit or miss all season long, with B.J Upton really struggling after signing the largest free agent contract in Atlanta Braves history. With the offense struggling, it puts a lot of pressure on their pitching staff. The problem with their rotation is that they don’t have that one pitcher that they can go to and know they have a great chance of winning that game. The Dodgers, Cardinals, Reds, and Pirates each have that guy the Braves are missing.Let’s take a look at their pitching rotation as of right now, with six games remaining. Kris Medlen, Julio Teheran, Mike Minor, Paul Maholm, and Alex Wood make up the Braves rotation. When you look at those five guys, do you see that number one starter that other playoff teams have? No. Kris Medlen is their number one on the depth chart but will he be the one to face the Wild Card Game winner in the first of five in the NLDS? In my opinion, you have to go with Medlen. He started the season absolutely terrible but has picked it up as of late. The only thing about his sudden surge is the teams he is facing. Three of his last four wins have been against teams at the bottom of the barrel record-wise.The other choice that the Braves have is Mike Minor. He is at the opposite end of the spectrum than Medlen. He has lost three straight decisions to bottom-of-the-barrel teams. You want to get hot going into the playoffs and Minor is far from that. His last win was a month ago against the St. Louis Cardinals. The decision will be left up to Freddy Gonzalez to make, but in my opinion, Medlen has to be the guy to go in game one of the NLDS."
Coolray Field to Screen “The Sandlot” on September 21
"Coolray Field, the home of the Gwinnett Braves, will host a screening of “The Sandlot” as the final stop on the iconic baseball film’s 20thAnniversary Tour. The screening is set for Saturday, September 21 at 7:30 PM, with gates opening at 6:30 PM.The Director, Writer and Narrator of “The Sandlot,” David Mickey Evans, as well as the actor who portrayed Tommy “Repeat” Timmons, Shane Obedzinski, will both be on hand for pre-movie meet-and-greets and autographs. Mr. Evans will also host a brief Q&A session prior to the film.The Gwinnett Braves will donate one third of all ticket sales to “The Sandlot Baseball Field Program.” The program coordinates baseball field renovations across the United States so that loyal fans and baseball lovers everywhere will get the chance to enjoy their own “Sandlot” field in their back yards."
Atlanta Braves Warn Fans of Counterfeit Tickets
"Officials with the Braves are warning fans about crooks trying to make a fast buck.“If someone is trying to sell you a ticket off-line somewhere for a lot less price than face value, I can guarantee you that’s a counterfeit ticket, or it was stolen. And you definitely don’t want to buy that,” says Paul Adams, the vice president of ticket sales.Adams says it’s always safe to buy tickets at Turner Field, or on the team’s website.Major League Baseball is also keeping a close eye out for scalpers selling fake passes.“Especially as we get to the World Series, there will be sting operations throughout looking for counterfeit tickets,” says Adams.Although he’s obviously biased, Adams says there’s a major buzz around the team this season.“It’s just been a real fun year. I think they’re ready to move beyond that Wild Card loss last year,” says Adams.Braves tickets to the National League Championship Series go on sale later this week."