Atlanta Braves News: The Morning Chop, Box Score, New Right-Field Wall, Hector Olivera

Baseball Reference

Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: The Atlanta Braves took on the Kansas City Royals in game one of their three game series in KC on Friday evening.  The Braves one through three hitters all went 0-4 at the plate.  It’s tough to win a game when that happens.  Ender Inciarte continues to struggle at the plate has his batting average is now at .152 and has only three hits in 26 plate appearances since he’s returned from his hamstring injury.  Will Fredi Gonzalez decide to move him down in the lineup and possibly move Gordon Beckham to the two-hole?  For a game recap, see Alan’s take on last night’s game.

Braves lose 5-1

USA Today

Jose Reyes‘ domestic violence case shows MLB policy has ramifications

Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: Colorado Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes is paying a hefty price as he will forfeit about $7 million and will be suspended without pay until May 31.  The Braves outfielder, Hector Olivera will be on deck for the MLB to hand down his punishment.  Olivera continues to be on administrative leave and is probably (hopefully) still at his home in Miami.  It will be interesting to see what the MLB will do to Olivera after their investigation.

"Next on the docket is Atlanta Braves outfielder Hector Olivera, who is on paid administrative leave after being arrested on April 13 and charged with assaulting a woman at a hotel outside Washington, D.C.MLB is still investigating the incident, but you can be assured it will come down hard.The precedent has been set.Major League Baseball has demonstrated that it has a zero tolerance policy for domestic violence, and the punishment will be severe.Reyes – out $7 million and his livelihood very much in jeopardy – will forever be proof."

MJ AJC

Right-field wall could be game changer at SunTrust Park

Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: One day closer to the opening of the new SunTrust Ball Park.  The Braves play on the field is sometimes unwatchable, but at least we have the prospects and the new facilities to look forward to!  AJC updated us with this article about the new right field wall and how it could be a quite different from The Ted.

"For all the talk of off-field changes fans can expect when the Braves move next year to SunTrust Park, an on-field change will affect play and likely become a signature feature of the new stadium: the outfield wall.“We decided to have some personality in the wall — how it’s designed, how it looks, how it plays,” said Braves vice chairman John Schuerholz, who had considerable input into the field design.At Turner Field, the outfield wall is the same height all the way around — eight feet, four inches. At SunTrust Park, the wall height will vary — six feet in the left-field corner; eight feet, eight inches in left-center and center field; 16 feet from right-center to the right-field line.“It’ll be interesting when the right fielder goes back for a ball and the ball is above the pad and he can’t quite catch it with his glove and it bounces off the brick,” Schuerholz said. “(Right fielders) are going to have to get used to making that play, so that’ll be neat.”"

Jose Reyes‘ domestic violence case shows MLB policy has ramifications

Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: Colorado Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes is paying a hefty price as he will forfeit about $7 million and will be suspended without pay until May 31.  The Braves outfielder, Hector Olivera will be on deck for the MLB to hand down his punishment.  Olivera continues to be on administrative leave and is probably (hopefully) still at his home in Miami.  It will be interesting to see what the MLB will do to Olivera after their investigation.