Atlanta Braves: Morning Chop 3/17 Braves News
By Jeff Schafer
Introducing the other J. Heyward
Atlanta News, Weather, Traffic, and Sports | FOX 5
The Braves aren’t adding another starting pitcher
The Braves bolstered their suddenly shaky rotation earlier this week when they signed right-hander Ervin Santana to a one-year, $14.1 million contract, but general manager Frank Wren told FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal this morning via phone that he isn’t planning to add another starter even with Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy potentially headed for another Tommy John surgery.
"“Right now, we plan on going with what we have,” Wren said. “We like what we have.”"
McCann relishes first reunion with Braves
Brian McCann hadn’t really been thinking at all about what Sunday would be like. He didn’t circle March 16 on his calendar. As of a few days ago, he figured he’d be in Panama with that half of the Yankees’ roster.
But at some point Saturday night, he realized he’d get to take part in a reunion Sunday and couldn’t hide his excitement.
The Braves got to see their former catcher, minus the beard but with some new pinstripes, on Sunday as they traveled down Interstate 4 to face McCann and the Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field. McCann came out to visit with his former team around the cage during batting practice, hugging and chatting with his old teammates and coaches.
“Just to see the guys, that’s what I was looking forward to the most,” said McCann, who spent nine years in the Majors with the Braves. “The whole experience today was surreal. I got a lot of friendships over there. I came in as an 18-year-old kid and kind of turned into a man in that organization. They taught me how to play the game of baseball and I’ll be forever in debt to them. I loved my time there.”
Yankees’ Masahiro Tanaka strikes out six in win today vs Braves
Right handed starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka has what it takes to compete for the American League Cy Young award. There are a couple match ups that I’m excited to watch this upcoming season and Tanaka vs Yu Darvish is one of those match ups.
Now today, Tanaka and the Yankees took on the Atlanta Braves in Grapefruit League action. Tanaka held Atlanta to just one run over four and one-third innings while striking out six.
Masahiro is having himself an impressive first Spring Training with the Yankees so far, only allowing two runs, striking out 10 in just nine and one-third innings. His splitter is proving to be his most dangerous pitch when batters are down in the count, so opposing hitters are going to have to show a lot of plate discipline.
The Yankees won the game today by the score of 7-4, with catcher Brian McCannplaying his former team. Braves outfielder B.J. Upton stole his fourth base of the Spring off his former teammate, so I’m sure both of these guys had themselves a couple laughs after the game was over.