Latest news with #BobbyCox
Forbes
3 days ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Drake Baldwin Takes Charge Of National League's Rookie Race
The consensus front-runner for National League Rookie of the Year sat alone on the visiting dugout bench before the rain-delayed game at CitiField Wednesday. Drake Baldwin, a catcher, had the night off because the Mets were starting a left-handed pitcher, David Peterson, and Baldwin bats left-handed. He laughed when a reported reminded him that Hall of Fame manager Bobby Cox once benched left-handed slugger David Justice against left-handed pitchers but then played him every day after the Braves traded Dale Murphy to Philadelphia in midseason. Playing every day, Justice not only proved he could hit lefties but hit them so well that he went on to win the 1990 NL rookie award. Baldwin's bat could win him the same honor; he is the only rookie in the history of the Atlanta Braves to knock in five runs in a game twice (Rico Carty did it for the Milwaukee Braves in 1964, two years before the team moved south). The last time came August 7, when Baldwin had three hits and two home runs against the Miami Marlins. It was the only multi-homer game he could recall. 'I was trying to hit another one,' admitted Baldwin, often deployed as the No. 3 hitter in the Atlanta lineup. 'It would have been nice.' Instead, the young catcher collected an RBI single in his last at-bat. Baldwin wore No. 75 as an unknown rookie during spring training but received No. 30 once the season opened. The soft-spoken Wisconsin native, who hit his way onto the varsity roster with strong showings in the 2024 Arizona Fall League and 2025 spring training, opened the season in the starting lineup after veteran Sean Murphy was sidelined by a fractured rib cage. The same injury later sidelined All-Star pitcher Chris Sale, who has impressed Baldwin whenever the rookie receiver was assigned to catch him. 'He knows what he's doing,' Baldwin said of Sale, the defending National League Cy Young Award winner. Rated Atlanta's top prospect and No. 37 in the majors by Baseball Prospectus, Baldwin started play Wednesday with a .285 batting average, 13 home runs, a .470 slugging percentage, and an .823 OPS. He was tied with Javy Lopez for the second-most homers ever produced by an Atlanta catcher. Baldwin has started 55 games behind the plate and 10 more as a designated hitter. He is enjoying his best stretch since the calendar turned to August. This month, he's batting .324 with an .861 OPS with two home runs and 11 RBIs. Baldwin's latest tear has been pulling ahead in the race for National League Rookie of the Year. Earlier this week, writers at rated the 6-0, 210-pound Wisconsin native the heavy favorite to win the rookie trophy. Others who got votes were Marlins catcher Agustin Ramirez, Brewers rookies Issac Collins, an outfielder, and Jacob Misirowski, a right-handed pitcher, plus Cubs right-hander Cade Horton. Although Atlanta has toyed with the idea of keeping Baldwin's bat in the lineup every day, he's pretty much limited to catching or DH duties. That means either Sean Murphy, the other catcher, or Marcell Ozuna, the regular designated hitter, has to sit. Even as an amateur, Baldwin was mainly a catcher, playing only a little at first base. And Atlanta's first baseman, Matt Olson, owns a streak of 740 consecutive games played, the longest active string in the game. Barring injury, he's not about to sit anytime soon. Manager Brian Snitker, meanwhile, likes Baldwin as a backstop, even comparing him with Brian McCann, one of Atlanta's best catchers of recent vintage. Like Baldwin, McCann was a left-handed hitter with power. Financially, Baldwin is a bargain for the Braves. He's earning the minimum of $760,000 and is under club control through the 2030 campaign, though he could win back a year of service time if he does win the rookie award. If he keeps up his freshman performance, he could even to win a trip to next year's All-Star Game in Philadelphia.
Forbes
5 days ago
- Sport
- Forbes
No Ejections Or Arguments Mar Debut Of First Female Umpire
Atlanta was the perfect place to introduce the first female umpire. Bobby Cox, who managed the Braves for 29 years in two separate stints, was ejected by umpires 158 times during the regular season and three more times in the post-season. Jen Pawol didn't eject anyone in her Aug. 9 debut, when she umpired at first base in the opener of a day/night doubleheader between the Braves and visiting Miami Marlins and moved to third for the nightcap. Nor did she provoke or participate in any arguments over her ball-and-strike calls when she worked home plate in the Sunday afternoon series finale. Now – except for her ponytail – she's one of the guys, though maybe not quite one of the 'men in blue.' Pawol, 48, has been a minor-league umpire for 10 years, starting in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2016. 'It was pretty amazing when we took the field, and it seemed like quite a few people started clapping and saying my name, so that was pretty intense and very emotional,' she told The Atlanta Journal Constitution between games Saturday. 'When we walked the field [is when it hit me],' Pawol said. 'We walked early as a crew, and Gooch [crew chief Chris Guccione] and I were looking at each other, and I said, 'This is it! This is what we worked for!' 'I think it hit me then and we had a really special moment at the end where I went through the final pitcher check for the top of the ninth. We kind of hugged and it really hit me.' Umpires are supposed to be anonymous figures, people needed to preside over a game but not get attention from fans in the ballpark. They are routinely criticized, booed, and yelled at – especially when their calls go against the home team – but never applauded. Until now. When Pawol's name was read over the public address system at Truist Park, she not only received applause but a standing ovation. Like Jackie Robinson in 1947, she had not only cracked a glass ceiling but shattered it. Called up from the minors earlier in the week, Pawol described herself as 'a fully charged battery ready to go.' She admitted she was overcome with emotion – a feeling neutral umpires rarely enjoy. 'It was super emotional to finally be living that phone call that I'd been hoping for and working towards for quite a while,' Pawol told The Associated Press, 'and I just felt super full.' The New Jersey native said reaching the major leagues was like a dream come true. 'It was just incredible,' she said. "I'm so grateful to my family and to Major League Baseball for creating such an amazing work environment. 'To all the umpires I work with … it's been just an amazing camaraderie. We're working hard but we're having fun. I am so thankful.' Saturday wasn't the first time the Major League trailblazer saw her name etched in baseball's record books. Pawol became the first woman to umpire a Triple-A championship in 2023 and the first in 34 years to work a Triple-A game earlier that season. A year later, she also became the first woman since 2007 to umpire a spring training exhibition game. Later that year, she reached MLB's Umpire Call-Up list -- after working more than 1,200 games in the minors. A one-time softball player who got her start as a softball umpire, Pawol had pointed herself toward the big leagues in what seemed like a Quixotic quest. Established umpire Ted Barrett saw her and invited her to umpire camp but warned it could take 10 years to reach the majors – if she ever did. Other women – notably Pam Postema and Bernice Gera – tried and failed. But Pawol, a three-time All-Conference selection as a catcher for Hofstra, had perseverance. Now she's the female version of Jackie Robinson: if she succeeds, she will create a new avenue for other women who want to be involved in baseball. There's one woman in the Baseball Hall of Fame already – former Newark Bears owner Effa Manley – and several who work as broadcasters, publicists, executives, and even uniformed coaches. But Pawol is the first and only umpire. She's in a League Of Her Own. 'Its been absolutely unbelievable,' said Pawol, whose supporters include fellow umpires as well as players, coaches, managers and even a female arbiter from another sport (NFL referee Sarah Thomas). 'It's been blowing up my phone. Pawol's seven seasons umping NCAA softball (2010-16) were her ticket to MLB Umpire Camp in Vero Beach, the one-time spring training home of the Los Angeles Dodgers. One of her biggest boosters has been Guccione, who revealed that his daughter wanted to meet the first female ump. 'This is one of the proudest moments I've had in my career,' he said. 'I've been blessed with working playoffs, two World Series, and All-Star Games, but this is right up there. It gives me chills even thinking about it. 'This is just a great role model for girls and women. She's an incredible person who works hard but also likes to have fun.' Between games of the Saturday twinbill, Pawol and Guccione met reporters and posed for photographers. She also sent the cap she wore in her first game to the Hall of Fame. The trek to the majors is arduous, she admitted. 'I'm aware of the gravity, I'm aware of the magnitude,' Pawol said earlier. 'I believe that I'm going to be a very good steward and representative for young girls and women, and boys and men, that this is possible.' Her advice to other young women is simple: give it a try. 'It's a long road, not an overnight road, and not one promotion,' she said. 'There are countless things that you have to do do. And I think a lot of people give up along that road.' Compared to players, umpires don't make a lot of money – especially in the minors. But if they're among the handful who reach the big leagues, starting pay is usually about $150,000. That increases to more than $450,000 as arbiters accrue service time. Al Clark, who umpired in the majors for 26 years, revealed in his autobiographical Called Out But Safe that he chose the profession rather than follow in the footsteps of his sportswriter dad. 'I wanted to eat steak and not hamburger,' he said.
USA Today
14-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Atlanta icon Bobby Cox's absence felt at MLB All-Star Game: 'Make him proud'
ATLANTA — There is a bronze statue of Bobby Cox outside the first-base gate at Truist Park. There is a plaque and memorabilia inside Monument Garden. There is his retired uniform number on the left-field facade. Everywhere you look, there are reminders that will be treasured forever of Atlanta's Hall of Fame manager, the man who turned a downtrodden franchise into a dynasty. Cox and his wife, Pam, live just a few Hank Aaron blasts from Truist Park, and will take in Tuesday's Major League All-Star Game from his living room, where he religiously watches every Atlanta game. There was always hope that Cox could attend the All-Star Game, appearing on the huge scoreboard for the sellout crowd to stand on their feet and cheer, just as they did when he stopped in a year ago last July, watching the game from chairman Terry McGuirk's suite. The reality now is that it's just too difficult to make the journey. Cox, who suffered a massive stroke six years ago, is confined to a wheelchair, his right side paralyzed. He's still sharp mentally, and comprehends everything, but has extreme difficulty communicating. He has had a myriad of health issues, including congestive heart failure, but just when it looks like the end is near, he fights back. 'I don't have any idea how he's still kicking," says Atlanta manager Brian Snitker, who tries to visit Cox about once a homestand. 'He's the toughest, strongest guy I've ever been around." ATLANTA ALL-STAR GAME: ATL got its game back. But controversial laws 'haven't changed' Snitker, former pitching coach Leo Mazzone, and a few former players like Mark Lemke and Glenn Hubbard, still frequently stop by. But for others, seeing Cox this way is too painful to bear. 'It's just so tough," Hall of Fame third baseman Chipper Jones tells USA TODAY Sports. 'I went over to his house a couple of years ago, and he couldn't talk. It was just awkward being there. I haven't gone back since that day. 'It's just that I want to remember Bobby the way he was, not the way he is now." Jones is not unique in that sentiment. 'I know a lot of former players think that way," Snitker says, 'and want to remember him as that guy. That's fine. I mean, he doesn't look good honestly." Cox, 84, was not only one of the game's greatest managers, leading Atlanta to 14 consecutive division titles, five pennants and a World Series title, but perhaps the most revered by his players. There wasn't a player in the game who didn't want to play for Cox. And there was nobody who played for Cox that didn't believe they became a better player, and certainly a better person, after playing for him. 'He was the best, the absolute best," Hall of Fame first baseman Fred McGriff says. 'Every player who played for Bobby, to this day, has never said a bad word about Bobby Cox. 'He wasn't like these other managers in today's game when everyone is trying to be nicey-nicey, and take care of players. There was no need for us to have a team captain to tell someone in the clubhouse to do something right. Bobby would do it himself. 'Even when I played on all of those great Braves teams, there were times Bobby would close the door, and just wear us out. But no one would know about it. You knew exactly how he felt without reading about it or hearing about it somewhere else." 'Always been a second dad to me' Andruw Jones, who was a 19-year-old rookie center fielder who hit two homers in his first two at-bats in the 1996 World Series, learned firsthand the consequences of not playing the game right. Atlanta was playing the Chicago Cubs in 1998 when Lance Johnson hit a routine fly ball into shallow center field in the eighth inning. Jones didn't even bother hustling to make the catch. Jones retrieved the ball on one bounce, nonchalantly flung it into the infield, and when he looked up, Atlanta outfielder Gerald Williams was rushing on to replace him in the field. Jones ran off the field, entered the dugout and Cox yelled towards him. They went down into the tunnel where no cameras could see them. Cox told him that his effort was inexcusable, and to spend the rest of the game in the clubhouse thinking about how he let down the entire organization. Andruw Jones became a 10-time Gold Glove winner, hit 434 home runs, and is on the brink of being inducted into Cooperstown. 'To be honest with you, Bobby's always been a second dad to me from the beginning of my career," Andruw Jones tells USA TODAY Sports. 'He wanted you to do the right things and grow up the way he'd want. Obviously, we're not perfect, but we wanted to carry ourselves the way he'd want on and off the field. 'I wouldn't have been the player I became without Bobby Cox." Says Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux: 'You can't think of Atlanta without thinking of Bobby. He was the main reason for all of the success we had.'' Maddux had just won the 1992 Cy Young award with the Chicago Cubs when he hit free agency at the same time as two-time MVP winner Barry Bonds. Atlanta owner Ted Turner told Cox and the front office that he had the money to spend for one of the two stars in free agency. It was up to them to decide which. The room was divided between Bonds and Maddux, Mazzone recalls, but Cox had the final call. He chose Maddux, and a month later Maddux was signing a five-year, $28 million contract, winning 355 games in his career, and helping pave the way for Atlanta's dynasty. 'I'm sure glad he picked me," Maddux says. 'Bobby built his teams to win, 2-1, 3-2. We always had good pitching and great defense. But I think our defense went overlooked a lot because of our pitching, but the defense, more than the pitching, made the difference. 'Bobby, along with [GM] John Schuerholz, were responsible for that." Cox, who managed Atlanta in 1978-1981, and then managed in Toronto, returned to Atlanta in 1986 to be their GM. He spent four years overhauling the organization, scouting and developing players better than any team in baseball, before taking over as manager in 1990. A dynasty was born. 'Everyone knows he was a Hall of Fame manager," says Atlanta GM Alex Anthopoulos, 'but what doesn't get talked about enough is that he was an unbelievable talent evaluator. He's one of the best I've ever been around. His success as a GM, drafting players, trading players, signing players. He was incredible. When you have a elite manager in your dugout who can really evaluate players, that's pretty incredible." Cox is the one who drafted stars Tom Glavine, Steve Avery and Chipper Jones, traded for future Hall of Famer John Smoltz when he was a minor leaguer with the Detroit Tigers, and turned a team that had finished last or next-to-last 12 of 16 seasons into one of the most revered organizations in baseball. 'Bobby is the most important person in franchise history," says Leo Mazzone, who spent 15 years with Cox, 'right there with Hank Aaron. The Braves aren't who they are without Bobby Cox. He has meant everything to them." If you played for Cox, you looked and acted like a professional ballplayer, on and off the field. You didn't wear shorts or have your shirt untucked during batting practice. If you wore sunglasses, it better be the flip-down variety, where you don't cover the 'A" on top of your cap. When traveling, sports jackets, collared shirts and dress pants were required. Even in the clubhouse, there was no music. If you wanted to listen to your own music, put on headsets. If you wanted to see your kids, they must wait outside. The way Cox figured it, not everyone liked the same genre of music, so why irritate even one person? Not everyone had the best-behaved children, so why let someone's kids run around annoying players or staff members? 'Even in spring training when we traveled, you had to have slacks on, even if it's 100 degrees out there," former first baseman Ryan Klesko says. 'We were like the old-school Yankees, even with the facial hair. We were allowed to have a trimmed mustache, but if it got a little long, he would come by and say, 'Hey, clean it up a little bit, it's getting a little crazy.' Even the hair. 'I still remember getting traded to San Diego, and the first time we went on the road, there's Trevor [Hoffman] wearing jeans, a collared shirt, and flip-flops. In spring training, guys were coming in wearing shorts and T-shirts. I said, 'Man, this San Diego vibe is crazy.' Playing for Cox, his players will tell you, was like playing for your own father. He always had your back, as his major-league record 162 ejections will tell you. You didn't want to let him down. 'It was one of those things where you had the ultimate respect for him," Klesko says, 'and, man, did he fight for his players. He had your back. If you didn't like a call or something, he'd be the first guy out there to fight for you. 'And if he had a problem with something you were doing, he'd call you into his office, and no one ever knew about it. Players really loved him for that." David Justice, whose homer in Game 6 of the 1995 World Series will be cherished forever with the city of Atlanta capturing its first major sports championship, says there's not a day he steps into Truist Park when he doesn't think about Cox. He hopes somehow they can be together in August to celebrate the 30-year reunion of their World Series championship. 'Man, I'm always asking about Bobby," Justice says. 'You know how much I miss him? He was like my grandfather. He's one of those guys that you just love and you respect. He was one of those lovable guys, man, that allowed you to go out there and play the game, and if you play hard, you're going to be in his good graces. That's why everybody wanted to play for Bobby Cox." Marquis Grissom, the All-Star outfielder and four-time Gold Glove winner, played only two seasons for Atlanta in his 17-year career – including 1995 – but calls Cox his all-time favorite manager. 'Bobby is one of the greatest managers of all time," Grissom says. 'Bobby was a man of very few words, but when he spoke, it was always powerful, and it was always what we needed. I never really had a conversation with Bobby longer than five minutes, because I never got in trouble. I was always on time, I always played hard, and that's all that Bobby demanded.'' Says Chipper Jones: 'Bobby had very few rules. Just basically show up on time, wear the uniform correctly, and play your ass off." Cox had the same impact with his staff. Five coaches under Cox's tutelage become managers. Cito Gaston, Ned Yost and Snitker combined to win four World Series championships, and Jimy Williams and Fredi Gonzalez managed 22 seasons. 'I remember every night game I managed at home," Snitker says, 'Bobby would come down at 6:20, bring a cup of coffee, and sit at my desk until I walked on the field. We'd sit and talk about everything but baseball. 'What I learned the most from him is patience. The patience that man had is unbelievable. He always kept calm, and the way he handled adversity. Everybody remembers him getting thrown out, but he reminded us that this is a really hard game to play." 'We can still make him proud' Cox retired as manager after the 2010 season, and later became a consultant, but he remained the organization's biggest fan, making sure that his eight kids and 23 grandchildren rooted for Atlanta's success. Even though he has difficulty speaking, he still watches and understands the nuances of the game as if he never left the dugout. 'His mind is still sharp, he knows who you are, and what you're doing," Mazzone says. 'He just has trouble communicating. It's been that way for awhile. So I try to get him laughing. That's the best medicine he can have." Cox remains so revered that when Atlanta won the 2021 World Series in Houston, even before the parade, Snitker, Anthopoulos, Schuerholz and McGuirk, drove to Cox's house. They brought along the World Series trophy, all taking pictures together with Cox euphoric as if he had just won another title. 'I'll never forget it as long as I live," Snitker says. 'Here we are, the two managers and GMs that ever won World Series championships in Atlanta. We brought T-shirts, caps, and everything. I know it meant a lot to Bobby. He was happier for us than when he won it. 'It meant everything to be there to share it with him." When Mazzone was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame in 2022, he drove to Cox's house with his plaque, reminding him that it never would have been possible if not for him. 'It's the least I could do," Mazzone says, 'for what that man has done for my career. It's still fun being with him, talking about how awful pitching staffs are handled. So, we still have that in common. 'His feel for the game, his feel for in the game, his understanding on the importance of getting to know everybody, what makes each player tick, making sure the 25th guy on the team got the same attention as the No. 1 guy, that's the gift he has. 'That's what made him one of the greatest managers who ever lived." Now, with the 95th All-Star Game in his hometown, just a 10-minute drive away, with Cox unable to attend. While he can't be there in person, which painfully saddens his former players, his presence still will be felt everywhere. 'I don't think you can come to a game and be part of this organization without thinking about him," says former All-Star pitcher Tim Hudson. "You come here, see the stadium, see the statue out there on the concourse, and wish he could be here. 'He meant so much to all of us, and commanded so much respect, that you never wanted to disappoint him." Yes, even now. 'We all want everything to go perfect for the All-Star Game," Grissom says, 'knowing that even though Bobby can't be here, we can still make him proud.'' One more time. Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale
New York Times
23-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Presenting the Braves' All-Quarter Century Team, the best in Atlanta since 2000
ATLANTA — The past quarter century of Atlanta Braves baseball includes three distinct eras: the carryover and last stretch of National League East dominance for Bobby Cox's 'Team of the '90s' and its three Hall of Fame pitchers; the belt-tightening and rebuilding period with only one division title in 12 seasons through 2017; and the current era of bigger revenues at Truist Park, larger payrolls and seven consecutive playoff appearances and one World Series title. Advertisement I assumed that selecting the franchise's All-Quarter Century Team would be difficult. But it was more fun than arduous. I've covered the Braves daily as a beat writer since 2002, and I also saw them a ton during 1995-2002 as a Marlins beat writer — back when they were the Florida Marlins playing at Pro Player Stadium and when prosperous newspapers sent beat writers to cover postseason games even if their own city's team wasn't involved. That meant I covered a lot of Braves baseball even then, when Atlanta pitchers had a monopoly on the Cy Young Award and the Jones Boys exuded so much swagger that brightly colored accessories weren't required. But that's another discussion for another day. From 2000 to present, the Braves have had two ballparks, three managers, 13 NL East titles, one World Series championship and terrific performances on the mound and at every position. That included one first-ballot Hall of Famer who spent multiple seasons at two positions, allowing for some creativity in this exercise. Without further ado, here's the Braves' All-Quarter Century Team, as selected by me without any outside influence. Freeman was signed and developed by the Braves, with whom he spent 11 full seasons and was the 2020 NL MVP, a 2021 World Series champion and a five-time All-Star. He collected five other top-10 MVP finishes, three Silver Slugger Awards and a Gold Glove. Many Braves fans still — and might always — bemoan that the team didn't re-sign him, pivoting to a trade for Matt Olson when contract discussions with Freeman stalled before the 2022 season. Freeman debuted at age 20 for Atlanta in 2010, and from 2011 to 2021, he hit .296 with an .894 OPS for the Braves while averaging 69 extra-base hits (28 homers) per 162 games. For 11 seasons. Though Olson has been the NL's second-best first baseman since joining Atlanta and led the majors in 2023 with 54 homers and 139 RBIs (both franchise records), Freeman continues as a perennial MVP candidate with the Los Angeles Dodgers and hit a World Series Game 1 walk-off grand slam last year that cemented him in that team's lore as well. Advertisement Giles was a tough call over current second baseman Ozzie Albies, a three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger Award winner. Neither was viewed as a strong defensive player, and both were slowed by injuries. But Giles was the better, most consistent all-around hitter, batting .285 with an .809 OPS and 108 OPS+ in six seasons with the Braves through 2006. Albies, in his ninth season, all with Atlanta, has a .268 career average with a .783 OPS and 106 OPS+. To be clear, Chipper Jones is one of the top third basemen in MLB history. That's his position. But he was also the Braves' best left fielder of the past quarter century, statistically speaking. So, for our purposes, we'll cheat and put Jones in left field so we can also get Riley on this team at third base, where the two-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger Award winner has developed into a strong defender (recent errors notwithstanding) while hitting .273 with an .836 OPS and 123 OPS+ since debuting in 2019. That included a three-year stretch (2021-2023) in which Riley hit .286 with an .878 OPS while averaging 35 doubles, 36 homers, 99 RBIs, 6.2 bWAR and 159 games played and finished sixth or seventh in NL MVP voting three times. I was going to put Simmons on this team over Dansby Swanson and Rafael Furcal simply because 'Simba' is the greatest defensive shortstop I've seen in three decades as an MLB beat writer, as superb with the glove and arm at his position as Andruw Jones was at his. But then I looked deeper into the stats and realized Simmons also had an advantage there over Swanson, with more bWAR (15.6) in three-plus seasons for Atlanta than Swanson (14.9) in six-plus seasons. (Furcal led with 21.9 in six seasons.) Furcal and Swanson were better hitters than Simmons, but on balance each was a below-average MLB hitter with Atlanta, with Swanson and Furcal each posting a 95 OPS+ as Braves and Simmons an 85 OPS+. But Simmons was simply spectacular in the field, beyond a generational defensive talent, and seemingly every other game he left your jaw hanging with his glove work. Because he went on to win a Silver Slugger Award with the New York Yankees and a World Series ring with a 2017 Houston Astros team that was later tarnished by a sign-stealing scandal, some Braves fans seem to forget how good McCann was in his first nine MLB seasons with the Braves. 'BMac' was terrific. He was the best-hitting catcher in the NL, if not all of baseball, for most of those years and an outstanding pitch-framer, game-caller and team leader. In his first six full seasons through 2011, McCann was a six-time All-Star and five-time Silver Slugger Award winner, batting .287 with an .850 OPS while averaging 26 homers and 101 RBIs. This while starting 118 or more games every season at catcher during that span, including years with 129, 130 and 132 starts at the position. Elite hitter, ironman behind the dish. Easy choice here. The best Braves player of the post-Hank Aaron era and one of the greatest switch hitters and third basemen in history. Perhaps the extraordinarily talented Ronald Acuña Jr. will enter that best-Brave-since-Hank discussion eventually, but it'll take a lot more healthy and hugely productive seasons before he could displace Jones, the 1999 NL MVP and first-ballot Hall of Famer who played 19 seasons, all with Atlanta, and finished with a .303 average, .401 OBP, .529 slugging percentage, .930 OPS and 141 OPS+ in 2,499 games. Oh, and hit .303 from the left side and .304 from the right. Advertisement In a nine-year span through 2004, Jones hit .307 with a .950 OPS while averaging 32 homers, 106 RBIs and 155 games. Jones came up as a shortstop, switched primarily to third base as a rookie, was used occasionally in the outfield and moved to left field for two full seasons (2002-2003) to accommodate Vinny Castilla after Castilla signed as a free agent. Of Jones' 364 games played in the outfield, 338 were in 2001-2004. Widely regarded as the greatest defensive center fielder in a half-century and arguably of all time, Andruw Jones debuted at 19 for Atlanta and spent 12 seasons with the Braves, winning 10 consecutive Gold Gloves beginning in his age-21 season in 1998. What makes that all the more impressive is this: During that decade-long Gold Glove streak, Jones averaged 34 homers, 103 RBIs and 158 games played while slugging .504 with an .847 OPS and 5.8 bWAR per season. That included an MLB-leading 51 homers with 128 RBIs in 2005, when he finished a close second in MVP balloting to Albert Pujols. Based on Jones' recent annual voting-percentage increases, he should be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in one of the next two classes, the last two years he's eligible on the writers' ballot. Chipper Jones has called Acuña the most physically talented player ever to wear an Atlanta Braves uniform. That's saying something, considering the franchise was home to the legendary Hank Aaron along with Hall of Famers such as Eddie Mathews and Jones himself. But the sheer all-around exceptional skills of Acuña are obvious, and it all came together in 2023 when he hit .337 with 41 homers, 73 stolen bases, 106 RBIs, 149 runs and a 1.012 OPS from the leadoff spot. Only a pair of serious knee injuries — ACL tears in the right knee in 2021 and left knee in 2023 — have stalled what was shaping up as one of the most prolific starts to any career in decades. The designated hitter was utilized in the NL for the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and then permanently beginning in 2022. Since then, there's been no better DH (outside greater Los Angeles) than Ozuna. After splitting time between DH and the outfield in 2022, and after having his two worst seasons in 2021 and 2022 while dealing with injuries and off-field legal matters, Ozuna moved to DH full time in 2023 and has prospered, to say the least. Since May 1, 2023, Ozuna has hit .296 with 85 home runs (tied with Olson for fourth in MLB), 224 RBIs, a .557 slugging percentage (fourth in MLB) and a .936 OPS in 333 games and 1,410 plate appearances through Wednesday. One of the greatest pitchers in baseball history, Maddux won four consecutive Cy Young Awards, including three with the Braves from 1993 to 1995 after coming from the Chicago Cubs as a free agent. He won a remarkable 355 career games with a 106.6 WAR and 18 Gold Gloves. Though the best years of his 23-season career came in the 1990s, Maddux remained formidable into the 2000s, going 68-37 with a 3.16 ERA during the 2000-2003 seasons for Atlanta with 10 complete games and 900 regular-season innings in that span. Those were his ages 34-37 seasons, and Maddux had at least 16 wins and 34 starts in each. He returned to the Cubs, then the Dodgers and San Diego Padres, for the last five seasons of his career. The left-hander made his MLB debut with the Braves in 2017 and became a full-time starter in 2019, going 71-31 with a 3.06 ERA in 145 games (142 starts) over six seasons through 2024 and helping the Braves win the 2021 World Series with six scoreless innings in a clinching Game 6. Among pitchers with 700 or more innings from 2019 to 2024, Fried ranked second in wins (71), fourth in ERA and tied for ninth in WHIP (1.14). He left as a free agent after last season when the Braves didn't make an offer competitive with others he received, including the stunning eight-year, $218 million deal he signed with the Yankees. Another of the celebrated 'Big Three' starters, along with Maddux and Tom Glavine, each a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Though Smoltz's HOF resume was bolstered by his years as an elite closer — 144 saves as a full-time closer during 2002-2004, a majors-leading 55 saves in 2002, a 1.12 ERA in 2003 — he returned to Atlanta's rotation at age 38 in 2005 and went 44-24 with a 3.22 ERA in 100 starts over three seasons, with 577 strikeouts in 667 1/3 innings. He was twice an All-Star in those three seasons and had sixth- and seventh-place Cy Young finishes, after winning the Cy Young a decade before with a 24-win season in 1996 that included 276 strikeouts in 253 2/3 innings. Maddux and Glavine were regarded as the best pure pitchers, the deep thinkers of the trio, and Smoltz was the power pitcher with the best pure 'stuff' of the trio. He was also the single most competitive athlete I've ever covered, and probably the toughest. Advertisement Hudson was the Braves' best and most productive pitcher in the period between the Big Three and Fried's ascension, but his accomplishments from 2005 to 2013 with Atlanta tend to get overlooked because most of that period came during the lull between the franchise's most successful periods. Hudson was nonetheless a frontline ace after the Alabama native signed with the Braves at age 29, following six seasons and 92 wins with Oakland. Hudson went 113-72 with a 3.56 ERA and nine complete games in 244 games with the Braves, including four seasons with at least 16 wins and a fourth-place Cy Young finish in 2010 after going 17-9 with a 2.83 ERA in 228 2/3 innings. Like his pal Maddux, most of Glavine's best years as a Brave were well behind him by 2000, including Cy Young Awards in 1991 and 1998 and three other top-three Cy finishes and six All-Star selections. But the lefty still had plenty in the tank, as evidenced by his 2000 season with Atlanta when Glavine was 21-9 with a 3.40 ERA in 35 starts and 241 innings at age 34, earning the seventh of his 10 All-Star berths and finishing as the Cy Young runner-up to Randy Johnson. Glavine had 305 wins in 22 seasons, including 244 in 17 seasons with Atlanta. He was 55-27 with a 3.35 ERA during 2000-2002 with the Braves before going to the Mets as a free agent, something many Braves fans held against him for a long time, even after he returned to Atlanta for a truncated age-42 season, his last before retiring. He's at Triple-A Gwinnett trying to make it back to the majors with the Braves, but no one should expect Kimbrel to be nearly the pitcher he was in his previous stint with the team. That's because very few closers ever had a five-year run like Kimbrel with the Braves at the outset of his career, a stretch that ended more than a decade ago. He was 21 when he debuted with Atlanta in May 2010, and by the following season, he was the NL's best closer and remained that when traded in a cost-cutting move during a rebuild before the 2015 season. From 2010 to 2014, Kimbrel was otherworldly, posting a 1.43 ERA and 0.903 WHIP in 294 appearances for Atlanta, with 186 saves and 476 strikeouts in 289 innings. He led the NL in saves in four consecutive seasons, with 46, 42, 50 and 47. Kimbrel was the NL Rookie of the Year in 2011, ahead of Freeman, and was an All-Star every season from 2011 to 2014, finishing in the top nine in Cy Young balloting in each of those seasons and receiving MVP votes in three. (Top photo of Andruw Jones and Chipper Jones from 2007: Greg Fiume / Getty Images)
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bill would ban credit card coding of gun and ammunition sales in SC
Guns are shown at Caso's Gun-A-Rama in Jersey City, New Jersey, which has been open since 1967. (Photo by Aristide Economopoulos/New Jersey Monitor) COLUMBIA— Legislation advancing in the state House would ban credit card companies from tracking sales of guns or ammunition and ensure no government agency in South Carolina keeps a registry of gun owners. Similar legislation has already been signed into law in other Republican-led states. The bill, dubbed the 'Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act,' is set for discussion Tuesday by the House Judiciary Committee. It would leave enforcement to the state attorney general. Any government or company that ignores a warning to cease and desist would face a fine of up to $1,000 per violation. 'We wanted to prevent anything that would infringe on gun owners' rights,' the bill's lead sponsor, Rep. Bobby Cox, R-Greer, told the SC Daily Gazette after a House panel unanimously advanced the bill. The bill has the backing of the chamber's GOP leaders. The 34 co-sponsors include House Speaker Murrell Smith and House Majority Leader Davey Hiott. The proposal does not apply to gun ownership records kept during the 'regular course of a criminal investigation and prosecution.' Legislation similar to the South Carolina proposal started popping up around the country after the International Organization for Standardization, a Switzerland-based group that creates international business standards, approved in September 2022 the creation of unique codes — called merchant category codes — for stores that sell guns and ammunition. Businesses are coded for all sales made with a credit or debit card, whether at a restaurant, a clothing store or the grocery. In addition to banks using the codes to track rewards programs, the coding helps with business accounting systems and tax records. Advocates that pushed for a separate code for gun stores, led by New York-based Amalgamated Bank, argued it was a safety measure that could reduce mass killings. The killers in mass shootings such as the July 2012 Aurora, Colorado, movie theater; the June 2016 Orlando nightclub; and the 2017 Las Vegas music festival all bought thousands of dollars' worth of guns ahead of the massacres, according to a report by The New York Times. Critics of the coding say law-abiding gun owners could be unfairly profiled and tracked as a result. South Carolina's Alan Wilson was among 24 attorneys general nationwide who signed a letter to the heads of American Express, Mastercard and Visa less than two weeks after the international group approved codes for gun stores. 'Generating a 'list of gun buyers' creates the obvious risk that law-abiding consumers' information will be leaked, discovered, hacked, or otherwise obtained and misused by those who oppose Americans exercising their Second Amendment rights,' read the letter dated Sept. 20, 2022. At least 17 states have passed laws similar to South Carolina's bill, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a firearm trade association. They include Georgia, Louisiana and Alabama. Legislators in North Carolina are considering a similar law. The laws were initially preventive measures that didn't do anything, since banks hadn't adopted the coding. But then California passed a law in September 2023 requiring banks and credit card companies to use the codes, followed by Colorado and New York. The codes must be assigned to gun stores in those states by May 1. A bill that would ban the tracking nationwide was introduced last month in the U.S. House. Its 95 co-sponsors include Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina's Second District. 'It's a real issue that is out there,' Neil Rashley, chief attorney for the South Carolina Bankers Association, said last week. 'But it's kind of in flux. With some states requiring the codes and others banning their use, Rashley said companies with national operations will likely have to hire extra staff to ensure they're following the rules for each state. The bankers' association is not taking a position on the bill. Rashley said he's confident banks in South Carolina are not using the gun shop codes, nor do they have any plans to do so. 'We certainly understand your concerns, and we're not standing in opposition to it,' he said.
