Morning Chop: Atlanta Braves News 9/26
Sep 25, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Carlos Gomez (27) is restrained by team mates while confronting Atlanta Braves players after hitting a home run during the first inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Morning Chop – Tomahawk Take’s Summary of Atlanta Braves News
Atlanta-Milwaukee Brawl Was Brewing For Three Months
An awful lot to unpack from last night’s Brewers-Braves bench-clearing scrum/fracas/donnybrook/other term that only gets used for baseball near-brawls. It started after Carlos Gomez took his time rounding the bases after homering off Paul Maholm, jawing at three different Braves along the way. But if you ask Gomez, it really started when Maholm hit him with a pitch back in June.
Gomez was hit by Maholm on June 23, his second HBP at the hands of Maholm, and he believes it was intentional and has been biding his time. “I’ve been in the league seven years,” he said, “and I know when I get hit on purpose and when not.”
Gomez stood at the plate for a second, admiring his blast. He claims he “didn’t disrespect anybody”—he merely told Maholm, “You hit me, I hit you. Now we’re even.”
At first base, Freddie Freeman says he told Gomez “to act like he’d done it before on the bases and start running.”
Stop being slaves to baseball’s stupid macho orthodoxy
Just to review, my take on the Braves-Brewers thing last night is that while Carlos Gomez was certainly out of line, Brian McCann and the Braves were too and that they are the ones responsible for what should have been a minor thing turning into a fight that caused punches to be thrown and a player (Aramis Ramirez) to be hurt. McCann’s walking up the baseline to confront Gomez was pretty damn provocative and immature, frankly, and the playoff-bound Braves should be both smarter and better than that.
Oh, and for what it’s worth, Gomez made a full public apology for his behavior after the game. I’ve yet to hear McCann or his teammates do the same.
[Editorial Note: This is one of the few (so far), that I’ve seen that I agree with! I am a die-hard Braves’ fan, but what some of the Braves players did last night, in my opinion, was worse than what Gomez did, particularly because of what is at stake for the Braves]
Carlos Gomez apologizes for Braves fracas, Brett Anderson sums it up
ou’ll recall that on Wednesday night, Carlos Gomez of the Brewers seemed to take rather intense delight in his home run off Braves lefty Paul Maholm, which led to Brian McCann’s blocking Gomez’s path to the plate in order to deliver a lecture, which led to a near-brawl.
Now, Gomez has, via Twitter, offered a pretty solid apology for his role in all of it:
The way I carried myself on the field is unacceptable, I should have done better to control myself and set a good example.
— Carlos Gomez (@RealCarlosGomez) September 26, 2013
I would like to apologize first to the fans, MLB, my teammates and the Brewers organization as well as the Braves organization.
— Carlos Gomez (@RealCarlosGomez) September 26, 2013
Free Agent Profile: Brian McCann
If you’re looking for a power-hitting catcher, there’s no better choice than Brian McCann. McCann has played eight full seasons in the Majors, ranking worse than third in home runs at the position only one time. He’s averaged 21 bombs per year, and he has 20 this year even though his season didn’t begin until May.
Strengths/Pros
McCann is a bona fide middle of the order bat, at a position for which a .246/.311/.390 line qualifies as average. His career batting line is .277/.350/.474, which is not far from what he’s accomplished in 2013. Along with the big-time power, McCann can also draw a walk, with a career rate of 9.5%.
How many free agents will hit the market coming off a 20 home run campaign? Assuming club options are picked up on Coco Crisp and Adam Lind, just 11 players including McCann will manage the feat. Of those 11, only McCann and Robinson Cano play an up-the-middle position, if we don’t consider Shin-Soo Choo a center fielder. Like Cano, McCann provides offense at a position not known for it.
McCann won’t turn 30 until February, so he’s the youngest prominent free agent bat.
Phillies-Braves Pitching Matchups
At Turner Field, Atlanta
Thursday at 7:10 p.m.
RHP Tyler Cloyd (2-6, 5.40 ERA) vs. Atlanta RHP David Hale (0-0, 0.00)
Friday at 7:30 p.m.
LHP Cliff Lee (14-7, 2.93) vs. Atlanta RHP Kris Medlen (14-12, 3.24)
Saturday at 7:10 p.m.
TBA vs. Atlanta LHP Mike Minor (13-8, 3.22)
Sunday at 1:35 p.m.
RHP Zach Miner (0-1, 3.08) vs. Atlanta RHP Julio Teheran (13-8, 3.09)