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Atlanta Braves Morning Chop – Fri., Nov 7 (Awards/Hires/Events)

By Alan Carpenter

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Braves’ J. Upton Wins Silver Slugger Award

DAVID O’BRIEN / AJC.COM

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Cardinals: The best Silver Slugger performances at each position.
Cardinals: The best Silver Slugger performances at each position. /

Redbird Rants

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  • Phillies stars J.T. Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber win Silver Slugger AwardThat Balls Outta Here
  • Julio Rodriguez wins Silver Slugger, joining Mariners short listSoDo Mojo
  • Minnesota Twins: Luis Arraez wins first Silver Slugger AwardPuckett's Pond
  • Which NL designated hitter will win the Silver Slugger?Call to the Pen
    • Justin Upton

    had a few extended slumps in 2014, but when the Braves left fielder was hot, there were few players in baseball who could match him. And he was hot a lot.

    He had 29 home runs and a career-high 102 RBIs, and Upton was rewarded Thursday with his second National League Silver Slugger Award.

    Catcher Brian McCann was a five-time Silver Slugger from 2006-11, but no other Brave won the award since Andruw Jones in 2005.

    Upton hit .270 with a .342 OBP and was fourth in the NL in homers, third in RBIs, and sixth in slugging percentage (.491). The only NL outfielder with more homers or RBIs was Marlins star Giancarlo Stanton.

    Stanton and Pittsburgh’s Andrew McCutchen were the NL’s other Silver Slugger outfielders. Upton won his previous award in 2011 with Arizona, when he hit .289 with a career-high 31 homers.

    New Front-Office Hires

    >> SOURCED FROM THE ABOVE AJC.COM STORY

    • BILLY RYAN – name Director of Baseball Operations, presumably answering to John Hart (President of same).  Had been the Assistant General Manager under Kevin Towers at Arizona.
    • TOM BATISTA – National (Scouting) Cross-checker
    • MIKE SILVESTRI – Director of Latin American scouting, presumably reporting to Johnny Almaraz, the Director of (all) International Scouting and Operations, and then to Scouting Director Brian Bridges.
    • LEBI OCHOA – Senior Advisor in Player Development
    • DIXIE KELLER – PROMOTED to Manager of Scouting Operations (had been listed as “Office Coordinator – Scouting”)

    “Cape Day” for Children’s Healthcare/Atlanta

    A lot of Braves’ players spent time with the kids being treated at Children’s hospital in Atlanta.  Today is a “Cape Day” (think super-heros) for them, and they have a celebrity super-hero in the house to help them out today: yep, that’s Alex Wood!

    Arizona Fall League?

    Normally I’d give you an update in this space about how our Braves’ farmhands did last night.  Except that they didn’t.  Or rather, they didn’t actually play.  Oh, the Peoria Javelinas played – and won – but none of the seven Braves got into the game.

    We’ll re-rack that for tonight… and I’d expect several to get into the action this time!

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