Atlanta Braves News: The Morning Chop, TV Ratings, OUR Rebuild
By Jeff Schafer
Hart: Braves’ rebuild is going faster than expected
Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: Man, it may be October 7th and other teams playoff baseball is happening, but I’m extremely excited about what’s to come in 2017 for the Atlanta Braves. To think about the final month we had and then to think about the possibilities of seeing more talented prospects in Atlanta next year…wow, NL East better watch out. Other organizations it takes years and years to rebuild, not the Braves! We must have some talented and smart folks running our organization. Yes, we aren’t back to a World Series contender (or are we?), but this team will be competitive in 2017 and that’s something to look forward to.
"John Hart became the Braves’ caretaker on Sept. 22, 2014, the day Frank Wren was “terminated” as general manager. Two years and 11 days later, Hart – the officially titled president of baseball operations – sat in the same room at Turner Field and cast a backward glance. “If you’d asked me to sign in blood two years ago to be where we are now,” he said, “I would have done it.”The great rebuild is not yet, or even nearly, complete. The Braves lack a real catcher. They hope to sign two starting pitchers via free agency. Not everything they’ve tried – and they’ve tried pretty much everything – has worked, but enough has that they’ve cobbled together a competitive big-league lineup and a bullpen of some promise, that they’ve gone from having one of the five worst farm systems to owning the best.Said Hart: “We have a full system now. The major-league club had a good second half. We have a new ballpark. This has all happened in short order. Instead of this being a five-year thing, we’re thinking it’s going to be quicker.”"
Braves’ TV ratings plunge 35 percent to fourth lowest
Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: Yes, this relates to the topic above about being on the rebuild and not being a good ball club in the first part of the 2016 season. Yes, “fans” didn’t tune in to the games because of how bad we were. So it’s difficult to judge this season on the TV ratings side. I’m sure everyone from the front office to the average guy sitting at home knew this seasons ratings would be down. The Braves have always been one of the most popular teams on TV and that will soon be true again. Down year, down ratings…though it sucks, it’s true. In a study of Nielsen data by SportsBusiness Journal, they found this information below…but I think we could have told them upfront.
"The Braves’ ratings in the Atlanta market for their game telecasts on Fox Sports South and Fox Sports Southeast, which averaged 1.35 in the first half of the season, had fallen by last week to 1.18 for the season, the study showed.That tied for the fourth lowest local TV rating among MLB teams this season and was down 35 percent from the year before, the third largest drop among MLB teams."
"The only teams with lower average ratings than the Braves’ 1.18 were the Angels (1.04), White Sox (0.96) and A’s (0.68), SBJ’s analysis showed. The only teams with larger declines than the Braves’ 35 percent were the Diamondbacks (down 37 percent to 2.28) and Padres (down 39 percent to 2.40)."
Next: Braves Scouting Report on Prospect Wes Parsons
Braves Organization All-Stars
Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: It’s pretty cool that the MiLB takes the time to put together this list of minor league All-Stars in each organization. The Braves have some noticeable names on this list as you look below. One name that stood out to me that you may not recognize is Steve Janas. The 24-year-old had an outstanding season in Mississippi and in Gwinnett. He’s a late innings eater. In four save chances he completed all four. Janas had a 2.75 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP in the 85 innings pitched in 2016. He had been a starter until 2016 and the Braves moved him to the bullpen. The 6’5″ 210 right-handed relief pitcher from Marietta, Georgia could be up in the bigs next year.
Catcher — Jonathan Morales, Rome (113 games)
First baseman — Carlos Castro, Rome (84 games)
Second baseman — Ozzie Albies, Mississippi (82 games), Gwinnett (56 games)
Third baseman — Austin Riley, Rome (129 games)
Shortstop — Dansby Swanson, Carolina (21 games), Mississippi (84 games), Atlanta (38 games)
Outfielders — Dustin Peterson, Mississippi (132 games), Ray-Patrick Didder, Rome (132 games), Emilio Bonifacio, Gwinnett (107 games), Atlanta (24 games)
Utility player — Keith Curcio, Carolina (124 games)
Right-handed starting pitcher — Patrick Weigel, Rome (22 games, 21 starts), Mississippi (three games, three starts
Left-handed starting pitcher — Sean Newcomb, Mississippi (27 games, 27 starts)
Relief pitcher — Stephen Janas, Mississippi (18 games), Gwinnett (26 games, one start)