Atlanta Braves News: The Morning Chop Chipper Jones Makes Appearance On TV
By Jeff Schafer
Some chilly projections for the new-look Braves
Tomahawk Take Editorâs Note:  Atlanta Journal Constitutionâs Mark Bradley talks about the Braves heading into the 2015 with the roster they currently have.  Last week, ESPN predicted the Braves would win 73.5 wins in 2015 which put them very close to the bottom of both the National and American league.  Say this season is a wash and Atlanta is playing for the future, we have some talented guys that can turn their careers around and the Braves can ship them away at the trade deadlineâŠif nothing else, the month of July should be an excited month to be a Braves fan.
Pitchers and catchers report to Lake Buena Vista on Friday, and already the analytic-based community has turned thumbs-down on the Braves. Baseball Prospectus has them going 75-87 and finishing fourth in the NL East and 25th in the majors.FanGraphs sees them finishing 71-91 and being MLBâs second-worst team, ahead of only Philadelphia. David Schoenfield of ESPNâs SweetSpot rates the Braves28th and figures theyâll go 68-96.
David Purdum of ESPN offers the projected win totals of the Atlantis sports book: The Bravesâ over/under is 73.5, which is tied with Houston for the fifth-lowest in the majors. Buster Olney, also of ESPN, figures the Braves wonât hit that mark because theyâll be dumping more players at the July 31 deadline.
More from Tomahawk Take
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- The Weakest Braves Homers Since 2015
- Atlanta Braves Sign Joshua Fuentes to Minor League Deal
- Braves News: New Yearâs Eve comes with several questions about the 2023 Braves
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Pittsburgh Pirates: Two relievers ranked in Top 10 by MLB Network
Tomahawk Take Editorâs Note:  Craig Kimbrel continues to be on the top of everyoneâs list when it comes to closers in the MLBâŠand theres no reason he shouldnât.  Though Atlanta may have a down year in 2015, leaving Kimbrel not as many save chances, Craig will still get his numbers.  Braves pitchers and catchers report to Disney for the 2015 Spring Training on Thursday â thatâs the mandatory date, most will arrive earlier. Â
Last season, Melancon, a former ninth-round pick of the New York Yankees, followed up a career-best 1.39 ERA from 2013 with a still-dominant 1.90 mark. Over the past two seasons, the right-hander has racked up 49 saves while finishing 72 games for the Pirates â while keeping his WHIP under 1.000 in each campaign.
According to âThe Shredder,â the Pittsburgh Pirates closer ranks as the seventh-best reliever in all of Major League Baseball, trailing the likes of:Wade Davis and Greg Holland of the Kansas City Royals, Craig Kimbrel of the Atlanta Braves, Dellin Betances of the New York Yankees, the San Diego PadresâJoaquin Benoit and fellow NL Central closer Aroldis Chapman of the Cincinnati Reds.
Paul McCartney, Miley Cyrus, Paul Simon Captivate at âSNL 40â
Tomahawk Take Editorâs Note:  Saturday Night Live had their 40 year anniversary this past weekend bringing back huge names to the showâŠanother name that you may be familiar with, Chipper Jones.  As we see on Chipperâs Twitter feed, he saw himself as well.
Paul McCartney followed-up his impromptu duet with Paul Simon of the Beatlesâ âIâve Just Seen a Faceâ with a bombastic, bleeding-heart rendition of âMaybe Iâm Amazedâ during Saturday Night Liveâs 40th anniversary special. While the performance itself was appropriately celebratory and thunderous, a hat must be tipped to Keith Richardsâ sly introduction: âIn the early Sixties a band came out of England and it changed the world But enough about the Rolling Stones: Ladies and gentlemen, Paul McCartney.â
Music played a big part of SNLâs 40th anniversary festivities, starting with Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake opening song-and-dance number, which channeled years of famous catchphrases and characters. Kanye West also performed a medley of tunes â âJesus Walks,â âOnly Oneâ and âWolves,â â while Martin Short and Maya Rudolph, as BeyoncĂ©, helmed a tribute to SNLâs best musical-comedy moments, including Will Ferrell and Ana Gasteyer as Marty and Bobby Culp, and Bill Murray as lounge singer, Nick Ocean.