Atlanta Braves News: The Morning Chop, FOX Sports South, Bryce Harper’s Comments
By Jeff Schafer
Bryce Harper says baseball is ‘tired,’ blasts sport’s unwritten rules
Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: It’s a shame Harper plays for the Washington Nationals, and probably in the future the New York Yankees, because I really enjoy his play and the attitude he brings to the ball field. But, since he does play for who he plays for, I just can’t cheer for him…doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy watching him play. The 23-year-old is entering his fifth season in the MLB and coming off his National League MVP season. He made a couple comments in the recent article of ESPN The Magazine that has the media stirring.
"In fact, the 23-year-old Harper appears to suggest the game is in the midst of a sea change in philosophy and that a newer generation of ballplayers are starting to thumb their noses at those so-called “unwritten rules” and making the game their own.And in doing so, may be livening up a game mired in declining growth and popularity by adding a much-needed punch of personality.“Baseball’s tired,” Harper says. “It’s a tired sport, because you can’t express yourself. You can’t do what people in other sports do. I’m not saying baseball is, you know, boring or anything like that, but it’s the excitement of the young guys who are coming into the game now who have flair. If that’s Matt Harvey or Jacob deGrom or Manny Machado or Joc Pederson or Andrew McCutchen or Yasiel Puig — there’s so many guys in the game now who are so much fun.”"
FOX Sports South and FOX Sports Southeast to televise 157 Braves games in 2016
Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: Unsure where to find the Braves game on tv? Well, 2016 should be a little simpler for you to find it. 157 ball games will be televised on either FOX Sports South or Southeast. They will also broadcast six 2016 Spring Training games for the Braves starting today – March 11th – against the St. Louis Cardinals. Don’t forget to upgrade your tv package so you have these channels.
"FOX Sports South and FOX Sports Southeast announced they will televise a combined 157 Atlanta Braves games during the 2016 Major League Baseball (MLB) regular season, with 80 games on FOX Sports South and 77 games on FOX Sports Southeast.Four additional Braves games are scheduled to be televised nationally through FOX Sports networks, three on the FOX broadcast network and one on FS1; see attached schedule for details.The Braves open the regular season on FOX Sports Southeast at home against the Washington Nationals on Monday, April 4 at 4 p.m. ET. Coverage begins with a special two-hour Braves LIVE! pregame show at 2 p.m. ET."
How A Braves Home Run Stopped An Atlanta Band’s Break-Up
Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: Awesome stories seem to always be attached to the great game of baseball and this is just another example. Gus Fernandez is a and the songwriter for the Atlanta band Pony League and supposedly Rick Ankiel and his story helped Fernandez continue his career with his band.
"The band has a new single titled “Harder Than A Rick Ankiel,” about the titular Atlanta Braves outfielder. Ankiel hit an 11th-inning home run during Game 2 of the 2010 Major League Baseball playoffs, securing the Braves a win against the San Francisco Giants.Fernandez sat down with Myke Johns to talk about how Ankiel’s fall from being an admired pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, failure in the minor leagues and rise as a home run hitter inspired the song and saved the band from a possible break up.“Seeing somebody who’d been faced with such failure in front of so many people make it to the major leagues not once, but twice was enough for us to say ‘No, no way. We can do this,’ Fernandez said."