Atlanta Braves News: The Morning Chop, UGA to play at SunTrust, Freddie Freeman 2017 MVP?
By Jeff Schafer
Can Braves’ Freddie Freeman challenge for MVP?
Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: Atlanta Braves Freddie Freeman is one of, if not, the best all around first baseman in the MLB. We’ve covered the 27-year-old since he reached the majors in 2010, hell most of us were following him when he was crushing minor league pitching as well. The Braves drafted Freeman in the 2nd round of the 2007 draft out of El Modena High School in Orange, California. What a pick that was…thanks Frank Wren! JK. Freddie had a career 2nd half of the season in 2016, he seems to catch fire and never cool off. Hopefully he carries that over to 2017 and if he does, he’s got to be in the running for MVP.
"Since 2012, he’s led the team in RBI four times, in WAR among position players three times, and in doubles and home runs twice, and he’s played in 147 or more games a whopping five times. In fact, since 2011, his first full year in the majors, he’s played in 350 more games than any other Atlanta player.So, yeah, the first baseman is the foundation of this offense, and Freeman is coming off perhaps his most impressive season to date. He fought back from a 2 for 25 start and lingering questions about his wrist to hit .302/.400/.569 and finish sixth in National League MVP voting.But can he deliver a similarly torrid pace for the entire season?The answer could see Freeman vie for a piece of hardware Atlanta hasn’t claimed for its own since Chipper Jones in 1999 and it may be just one award he vies for in ’17."
UGA to play in first public event at Braves’ new park
Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: Well this is interesting…not sure if I’m late to the party with this one or not, but I’m just hearing about this. The Georgia Bulldogs will play Missouri on April 8th at the new SunTrust Park. Meaning, construction has even less time. If you look on the Braves LiveCam of SunTrust, it looks as though they still have a lot of work to do. Yes, it’s getting there, but yes it still has work. I’m not in that job-world so they may be right on target, I’m just the guy sitting 200 miles away talking about them. Good luck to those folks, because we’ve got some baseball to play!
"The first public event in SunTrust Park, the Atlanta Braves brand new stadium, will be on Saturday, April 8 and will feature Georgia’s Diamond Dawgs against Missouri. It’ll be final game of a three-game series and proceeds will benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.The Braves are set to play in their new stadium in 2017 but the game between the Bulldogs and Tigers will come before Atlanta plays its first home game in the brand-new, 41,000-seat venue.“Our players and staff are very excited to have this unique opportunity to play the first game open to the public at SunTrust Park,” said Georgia’s Ike Cousins Head Baseball Coach Scott Stricklin in a statement from UGA. “We are looking forward to seeing the Bulldog Nation fill up the seats with Red and Black. I would like to thank the Atlanta Braves organization, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and the Southeastern Conference for making this possible.”"
Next: Spring Fever is in the air...already?!?
Maddux ranks at top of Braves’ free-agent deals
Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: Sure, I’m okay with this statement. How can you not be? Greg Maddux was outstanding in a Braves uniform. We couldn’t have asked for more from that guy. Braves originally traded for John Smoltz, but they did resign him when he was a free agent in 2001. Oh, the Braves of the 90’s…can we have that back?!? Hopefully in 20 years we’ll be saying “wow from 2017 to 2037 the Braves have been fantastic and remember when they traded for/signed ______, that was better than the Maddux signing and the Smoltz trade!” Hey, we can dream, right?
"Braves general manager John Schuerholz was under the impression he had acquired Barry Bonds, until he returned to Atlanta’s Spring Training complex during that morning in 1992, when he learned the agreement he’d made with the Pirates the previous night had been nixed, essentially because of Pittsburgh manager Jim Leyland’s irate reaction to the proposed deal.After eliminating the Pirates from the National League Championship Series for a second straight year, the Braves exited the 1992 season with the hope of snagging either Bonds, the reigning NL MVP Award winner, or Greg Maddux, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, off the free-agent market.Bonds had a definite interest in playing for the Giants and Maddux was widely expected to sign with the Yankees. But as the Braves turned their interests toward enriching a starting rotation that already included Tom Glavine, John Smoltz and Steve Avery, they quickly learned Maddux was willing to take less money than the Yankees were offering for an opportunity to be a part of what the Braves were building in Atlanta."