Atlanta Braves Prospects, Coaches and Executives Talk Rebuild at Hot Stove Event
The Rome Braves held their annual Hot Stove Event on Saturday, and as the organization took time to thank fans and celebrate the team’s 2016 South Atlantic League Championship, players, coaches and executives talked rebuild.
If the large crowd that packed the Forum Civic Center in downtown Rome, Georgia on Saturday was any indication, Atlanta Braves fans are starting to buy into the organization’s rebuild, especially at the minor league level.
Low-A affiliate Rome holds the off-season event annually, and usually features a mix of prospects, current big league players, field staff, and Atlanta front office executives.
This year’s Hot Stove hosted minor league players Mike Soroka, Austin Riley, Chase Johnson-Mullins, Kolby Allard, Touki Toussaint, Max Fried, Patrick Weigel, Stephen Gaylor and Bradley Keller, along with Rome’s trainer Nick Jensen, manager Randy Ingle, pitching coach Dan Meyer, and hitting coach Bobby Moore.
Hot Stove: A nice crowd during a Q&A with many of @TheRomeBraves '16 roster & #Braves executives. #bravescountry pic.twitter.com/nAMaWiuwG7
— Blake Silvers (@JBlakeSilvers) January 28, 2017
From the Atlanta Braves front office were President of Baseball Operations John Hart, General Manager John Coppolella, and Assistant Director of Player Development Jonathan Schuerholz.
As I had a chance to talk one-on-one with Hot Stove attendees, the overwhelming theme of this year’s event inevitably became talk of Atlanta’s organizational rebuild.
Both major contributors to success to Rome’s success last season, pitching prospects Mike Soroka and Touki Toussaint said the winning attitude on the farm last season was not by chance.
“Jonathan [Schuerholz] and Dave [Trembley] came to us last year in spring training and they made it pretty clear that they wanted to build a winning atmosphere,” Soroka said. “That’s ultimately what it’s all about in professional baseball.”
Echoing his teammate, Toussaint talked organizational expectations. “Spring training last year they kind of sat us down and were like this is the year we’re going to start building championship teams,” he said. “I guess we all took that as an expectation and a standard and to not try and fall short.”