Morning Chop: Atlanta Braves’ News 11/19
March 26, 2013; Lakeland, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher
Tim Hudson(15) reacts after pitching against the Detroit Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Morning Chop: A Summary of Atlanta Braves’ News
Atlanta Braves news: Tim Hudson heads back to the Bay
The Atlanta Braves lost their longest tenured starting pitcher to free agency on Monday, as injured ace Tim Hudson opted to leave Atlanta after spending the last nine seasons with the team and take a two-year, $23 million contract with the San Francisco Giants.
Hudson, now thirty-eight years old, is no stranger to the Bay Area, spending his first six seasons with the Oakland Athletics in which Huddy established himself as a top of the rotation starter, going 92-39 (a .702 winning percentage) with two All-Star appearances and four seasons with at least fifteen victories. Tim’s run with the Braves was equally impressive (113-72 record with a combined 3.56 ERA) but ultimately ended in an unfortunate manner when Hudson broke his ankle on a bang-bang play at first against the New York Mets on July 24th, effectively ending his 2013 season with an 8-7 record, a 3.97 ERA and a 1.188 WHIP.
Tim Hudson was a fan favorite among Braves Country, but ultimately the team had to make a tough business decision: do we bring back the veteran knowing good and well his best days are behind him, or do we instead allow Huddy to head elsewhere and explore other options? According to several Braves’ beat writers, the offer that Atlanta extended towards Hudson was well short of the one he ultimately accepted from the Giants, showing that although the team would have welcomed him back with open arms, they certainly were not willing to break the bank on a player that some could currently consider to be damaged goods.
Cowboy Boots and Cocktails for Curing Kids Cancer
The event Friday night was a lot of fun, and a great opportunity to learn more about the funding needed for childrens cancer research. My friend Kolbi took a few pictures (see the gallery below), and I had the opportunity to talk with Grainne Owen, the founder of Curing Kids Cancer, and Ashley and Craig Kimbrel about the cause.
Kimmie said he learned about Curing Kids Cancer when Grainne approached him at an awards event; he was touched by her son’s story and decided to connect himself to the cause. He’s done a lot of good work for them that you can read about on their website, but of course he did not mention that he has been donating $100 per save and $25 per strikeout to Curing Kids Cancer. Impressive.
His wife Ashley (whose countenance glows in the most lovely way), contributed in her own way on Friday evening. Aside from being a perfect hostess, she took care of four beautiful cancer survivors, overseeing makeovers and gifts. The girls looked so happy; they’ll never forget this event.
Thanks for everything, Huddy
Pretty safe to assume that Huddy was the 5th best starter in Atlanta Braves history, behind the Big 3 and Knucksie. He won 113 and lost just 72, with a 3.56 ERA and 1.242 WHIP for the home team, pretty similar to the numbers he put up in Oakland. Acquiring him for Charlie Thomas, Dan Meyer and Juan Cruz ranks as one of the best trades of the new century.
Huddy is about as cool a guy as you’ll see pass through these parts and he’ll be missed on the mound and in the clubhouse. He also allegedly referred to Tex as “same old douche,” which immediately made him one of my favorite Braves. Hate to see him go, but the price tag (2 years, $23 mil) was too high.
Something tells me Roy Halladay takes his place in Atlanta. That’s not an endorsement, just a prediction.
How to replace Braves Country
If the Atlanta Braves move to Cobb County, monumental changes could take place in neighborhoods around Turner Field. The city would likely demolish the Ted and redevelop 55-acres that primarily consist of sprawling asphalt parking lots. Several Atlantans from different backgrounds described what they think should, and shouldn’t, replace the club’s longtime home.
Richard Dagenhart, professor at Georgia Tech’s College of Architecture, who led an urban design studio that studied Turner Field’s parking lots prior to the Braves’ announcement
It wouldn’t make any difference if the Braves were there. Turner Field could stay or go — it would be the same [plan] just a few more blocks. Because the fringe territory [toward I-20 and the Downtown Connector] is so unworkable, that’s where the parking decks would go. It’s not an ideal location, but it would include a mixture of uses like housing, some office, and some retail. Maybe [we’d include] some public facility that would bring people from other parts of the city to that area so it would become less isolated. Basically everything would be four to six stories with a mixture of uses.
I would put a park in the middle of it, where Hank Aaron hit his home run, which would probably be just the diamond or the spot where it went over the fence. The commemoration of that event when the Braves were there would be important and would affect how blocks were laid out.