Morning Chop: Atlanta Braves News 1/7
By Jeff Schafer
Maddux, Glavine likely to join Cox in HOF class
"Neither of the two were physically imposing off the mound or overpowering on it. And so, the mild-mannered Braves pitching duo of unassuming Greg Maddux and eloquent Tom Glavine didn’t project nastiness that made first-ballot Hall of Famers like Nolan Ryan or Bob Gibson so revered.But those who played alongside Maddux and Glavine in Atlanta saw sides of their personalities not often revealed publicly. Toughness and intensity to go with all that keen intellect. Traits that helped make each a multiple Cy Young Award winner and will surely make each a first-ballot inductee at Cooperstown when the next Hall of Fame class is announced Wednesday at 2 p.m.Maddux and Glavine are expected to head up a heavily Braves-flavored Cooperstown class that could have three or four elected players – Frank Thomas and Craig Biggio are also considered strong candidates – to go with the three retired managers who were already selected including Bobby Cox, the skipper in Atlanta for 25 years including the 1993-2002 period when Maddux and Glavine combined for 347 wins.Maddux got 194 of his 355 career wins and three of four consecutive Cy Young Awards during 11 seasons with the Braves after coming over from the Cubs. Widely regarded as one of the greatest pitchers in MLB history, “Mad Dog” could seriously threaten the record for highest percentage of Hall of Fame votes — Tom Seaver’s 98.84 percent in 1972.“You’ve got to be an idiot not to have (Maddux) as a unanimous pick,” said Leo Mazzone, the former Braves pitching coach. “The greatest control of any pitcher I’ve ever seen. He put it on a gnat’s ass better than anybody I’ve ever seen.”"
Projecting Atlanta Braves 5-Man Rotation for 2014
Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
"1. Mike Minor2. Julio Teheran3. Kris Medlen4. Brandon Beachy5. Alex Wood"
Jameis Winston Now Says He Would Like To Play For The Atlanta Braves
"Though he is most famous for quarterbacking the Seminoles, Winston’s athletic prowess extends beyond football. He also plays for the Florida State baseball team, as a pitcher and an outfielder (with, believe it or not, a cannon arm), and was drafted in the 15th round by the Texas Rangers out of high school. At the BCS Media Day, Winston was asked about his ambition to play both football and baseball professionally. He listed a couple of teams he would like to play for, including the Braves.“A lot of people are going to say, no way, he’s a quarterback, Bo Jackson was a running back. But if I put my mind to it — and the one thing I always seem to do is gain the trust of my teammates — if I can convince those guys I can be your quarterback and still go play baseball for the Atlanta Braves or New York Yankees…”"