Atlanta Braves Morning Chop – Happy Birthday, Hammer

Henry Aaron Turns 81 Today

Just in case you may have forgotten just how good he was, let us review a few stats:

the Hank Aaron Award. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Starting in 1955 and continuing through 1973 – 19 consecutive seasons – Hank Aaron produced no less that 4.3 fWAR per year.

If you use the years 1955 through 1971, that’s 17 consecutive seasons of 5.2 fWAR or better.

Number of seasons Aaron hit 40+ home runs:  8, spread between 1957 and 1973.  He also hit 38 once and 39 twice.

Best ever in RBI.  Averaged .860 OPS for his career, hitting .305 lifetime with .374 OBP.

• Also:

Pitch to Freeman? Teams may avoid Braves’ biggest weapon

CORY McCARTNEY / FOX SPORTS SOUTH

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The most compelling question surrounding the Braves’ lineup isn’t who’s going to hit fourth behind

with

and

gone, though it is a direct result of those trades.

It’s who’s actually going to pitch to the two-time All-Star first baseman now?

As presently constituted, the Braves have one player Steamer is projecting to have more than 57 RBI this season, and that’s Freeman. He’s also the only player expected to have more than 15 home runs and WRC+ greater than 101.

President of baseball operations John Hart has succeeded in bringing in hitters with high contact rates — especially Nick Markakis (88.7) and A.J. Pierzynski (83.2), who were both well above the MLB average of 79.4 in 2014 — but in losing 51 homers between Gattis and Upton, there is little protection for Freeman at third in the order.

But it is a group and a situation that gives manager Fredi Gonzalez flexibility. As he said recently, “Who’s gonna hit fourth now that Gattis is gone and Justin’s gone? It could be anybody any day, depends on that matchup that day.”

[ Ed. note:  this is a topic I was intending to write about… in a month.   It’s a valid point:  unless others in the lineup start spraying the ball around, Freeman could end up leading the majors in walks… if he remains patient, which didn’t happen in 2014. ]

Astros clear major hurdle for new spring training site in West Palm Beach

EVAN DRELLICH / HOUSTON CHRONICLE BLOG

The Astros and Nationals have cleared a major hurdle in their effort to build a joint spring training complex in West Palm Beach, Fla.

The Palm Beach County commissioners Tuesday voted 6-to-1 to approve a conceptual plan for the stadium site and a land swap between the county and the city of West Palm Beach to allow for the construction. The Astros hope to have the complex open in time for the 2017 season, but it might have to wait until 2018.

“For three years, everyone’s been telling me we were not going to be able to get this done,” Astros general counsel Giles Kibbe said. “We’ve had some ups and downs along the way, it’s been a very difficult thing, a process. But, you know, it’s not easy to have a county and a city coordinate things to build a $135 million spring training complex, or any facility. This doesn’t happen very often. So it’s been very difficult, but it’s surely rewarding to have final approval today, and we’re really excited about it.”

[ Ed. note:  the days of the Braves at Disney World are numbered… their Spring partners in the middle of the state – Detroit and Houston – are dwindling.  The geography of the situation (for travel purposes) is such that Atlanta and Detroit will soon have to follow suit and choose a coast – either the east or west side of the Florida peninsula – for a future Spring home.  My bet:  Florida’s West side, between the Port Charlotte/Ft. Myers area and Bradenton ]

Next: 24 to Get E-Ticket Rides at Disney

The Atlanta Braves Morning Chop – Thursday, February 5, 2015.