Morning Chop: Atlanta Braves’ News 11/8
Oct 3, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves center fielder B.J. Upton (2) in the dugout prior to game one of the National League divisional series playoff baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
Morning Chop: Summary of Atlanta Braves News
Wilson honors Simmons as Braves’ top defender
ATLANTA — Andrelton Simmons notched his first Rawlings Gold Glove Award last week, but the exciting Braves shortstop will have to wait at least one more year to be named Wilson’s National League Defensive Player of the Year.
To the surprise of nobody, Simmons was named the Braves Defensive Player of the Year by Wilson, and there was certainly reason to believe Simmons would be the second consecutive Braves player to earn Wilson’s top NL honor. But in somewhat surprising fashion, D-backs outfielder Gerardo Parra was deemed the winner during Thursday evening’s announcement, televised on MLB Network.
Simmons and Parra were undoubtedly the top two candidates to be named NL Defensive Player of the Year. The 41 Defensive Runs Saved credited to both players stands as the highest total since the metric was first used in 2003. But Parra emerged victorious courtesy of the statistical formula Wilson used to determine the winner.
Wilson’s formula accounted for DRS (25 percent), Defensive Wins Above Replacement (25 percent), Inside Edge’s Fielding Range (20 percent), Inside Edge’s Arm Accuracy (20 percent) and Fielding Percentage (10 percent).
In his first full Major League season, Simmons cemented his status as one of the game’s most efficient defenders. The athletic shortstop posted a 5.4 Defensive WAR (Baseball-Reference’s model), which also stands as the highest mark produced by a Major League player in history.
Atlanta Braves Could Get Even Younger, Part With Tim Hudson and Brian McCann
There’s a whole lot of hullabaloo around veteran experience and leadership these days. I’m not immune to it — on any given night, at any given sports bar or in front of any given TV in any given establishment or living room where the owners of said establishment/living room are gracious enough to allow me to watch one of the all-too-few 162 Atlanta Braves games in a season, I can be heard bellowing incantations to the god’s of the diamond, lamenting the heaping ineptitude of BJ Upton and Dan Uggla, and boisterously signing the praises of the wily Tim Hudson and no-holds-barred competitiveness of Brian McCann. But how necessary is it, this veteran presence? Where do we draw the line? What marks the state of equilibrium between youth and experience, talent and know-how, passion and a steady hand?
It’s hard to say; there likely is no answer. The disparity between youth and age is becoming increasingly noticeable in sport — especially in the way the game is approached and played. The young play with reckless abandon; they are attention grabbers, flashing “get money” signs after touchdowns, flipping the bat and walking to first after home runs (or sometimes even just doubles – how about legging one out next time Yasiel Puig?), staring down umpires and getting into unwarranted confrontations with teammates and coaches. The old, they play. That’s all that really needs to be said. They do their job, they go about it quietly (most of them), and they let what they do on the field speak for itself.
Foul Paul! Court Edition
There were many disappointing players in 2013. Many people lost their leagues because of players like B.J. Upton, Ike Davis, and Starlin Castro. Behaving in a civil manner, lets do what most Americans do when something doesn’t go their way. Lets go to court!
1. The Curious Case of B.J. Upton
Charges: General Terribleness, Falsifying Busting Out of a Slump, Hitting the DL(Ironically the only thing he hit all year)
Upton is the most guilty offender from the 2013 season.
Evidence: .184 BA ,9 HR, 12 SB, .557 OPS, 34% K-Rate
The Case: What the hell? I don’t know if the Upton family spent too much time clubbing with Aaron Hernandez during the season or if they kicked a gypsy on their way to Atlanta, but clearly something weird went on with these two idiots this season. While B.J. is the one on trial here, his brother was definitely an accomplice to these crimes and will be forced to take the stand later.
B.J. struck out and struck out, then had a 2-homer game causing everyone to assume he busted out of his slump, then continued to strike out until the Braves had enough and Upton was placed on the DL with an “injury.” Falsifying busting out of your slump is a serious offense and it only adds to the list of charges against Upton.
Found: Astonishingly Guilty
Sentence: Will be suspect to trade rumors of him being sent to the Marlins but will never actually be dealt. Will also be forced to spend offseasons living in Detroit.