Latest news with #Hyers
New York Times
27-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Braves' new hitting coach knew the slug would come. It has, and it's been needed
PHOENIX — The Atlanta Braves fired hitting coach Kevin Seitzer in the fall after a 10-season run that included seven division titles, a World Series championship in 2021 and a historically strong offense in 2023. They replaced him with Tim Hyers, and seven games into the season they were 0-7 with an offense that was the majors' worst, batting .151 with a .485 OPS and 14 runs. Advertisement It would've been understandable if Hyers had begun breaking things out of frustration by the end of that seven-game season-opening trip, or maybe after his hitters struck out 19 times in an April 16 loss at Toronto that left the Braves with a 5-13 record and a .184 average with runners in scoring position. But he didn't. 'He's the same dude every day, good or bad,' Braves first baseman Matt Olson said. The same during that 0-7 start, when the Braves were swept on the road by the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers, and the same in the nearly three weeks since, when the Braves have gone 12-7 while batting over .270 with an OPS above .800. They've won seven of eight games including a thrilling 8-7, 10-inning win at Arizona on Saturday night for their first road-series clinch, despite a four-homer game from the Diamondbacks' Eugenio Suárez, whose last was a tying leadoff shot in the ninth off closer Raisel Iglesias. Braves win a game none of us will ever forget! Buckle up for these highlights! — Atlanta Braves Radio Network 🎙️ (@BravesRadioNet) April 27, 2025 Olson scored on a wild pitch in the 10th, and the Braves held on to win when third baseman Austin Riley made a spectacular game-ending play with a runner at third. He fielded a Randal Grichuk grounder at the back of the dirt on a bad hop and, from the chalk, fired a low, two-hop throw to Olson, who scooped it before Grichuk's foot hit the base. 'Get it, catch it and get rid of it as quick as I can,' Riley said. 'Actually, I work on that bounce throw in practice because it's going to happen. You know, at third base you get some weird hops, you catch balls going back, forward. So I try to work on different angle throws, throwing the ball on the hop, on the run, everything. And it worked out.' Advertisement The play was initially ruled safe and would've scored the tying run, but it was overturned upon review. Game over. 'Obviously, Suárez had a hell of a game,' Olson said. 'And to come out on top, after a little back and forth, it was a good win. He had a hell of a day at the plate, but putting one in the win column is more important.' The Braves had the second-best OPS in baseball since the eighth game of the season (their first win), and they raised it again Saturday. Their hitting coach knew they had it in them. 'I felt confidence in a couple hits being contagious in a couple games when things went our way,' Hyers said of the Braves' offensive turnaround. 'I think the guys are kind of finding their groove and swinging at better pitches and staying to the big part of the field a lot more. Getting the order to turn over and getting some quality at-bats back-to-back, instead of one foot on the gas, one foot on the brake.' The Braves lead the National League with 29 homers in their past 19 games, including three Saturday from Marcell Ozuna, Sean Murphy and Eli White. Suárez homered three times against starter Grant Holmes, the third chasing Holmes from the game in the sixth inning with the Braves trailing 6-2. White continued his recent torrid stretch with a two-run homer in the seventh to get the Braves within 6-4. White has made three consecutive outfield starts, and the journeyman has two homers and seven RBIs in those games. The Braves scored three more runs in the eighth for a 7-6 lead, on an Ozzie Albies RBI single and Michael Harris II's two-run double to the center-field warning track. The fact Braves manager Brian Snitker left Holmes in to face Suárez for a third time says plenty about the state of Atlanta's bullpen, as did Suárez's fourth homer, off Iglesias, who has a 6.30 ERA and five homers allowed in 10 appearances. That's one more homer than he gave up in all of 2024. Advertisement Snitker said if they have a lead of three runs or fewer Sunday, Iglesias would be back in to pitch the ninth. Despite their erratic bullpen, and injuries and mediocre performances from much of their starting rotation, the Braves feel a lot better about their overall situation because their offense is again potent enough to keep them in most games and win plenty of slugfests. A week into the season, after the sweeps at San Diego and L.A., a turnaround anytime soon seemed unlikely, particularly after left fielder Jurickson Profar — the only free agent signed to a multiyear contract by the Braves during the winter — was slapped with an 80-game performance-enhancing drug suspension after the opening series. But Riley started to heat up during the Braves' first homestand, and by the second homestand, so had Olson and Harris. 'I mean, we ran into a gauntlet the first two series,' Hyers said. 'Padres and the Dodgers were at full force. We just came out a little sluggish, and they were at peak performance and put it to us. No excuses, I mean they put it to us. And I think once you got back (to Atlanta) and got settled, got back into a routine, and the guys have settled in now.' Two other developments have been key elements in the Braves' offensive resurgence. First, they activated Murphy from the injured list before the 10th game of the season, and the veteran catcher immediately added another big power threat, slugging over .600 with seven homers in his first 15 games. The other addition: Alex Verdugo, a veteran outfielder who signed as a free agent in the last week of spring training and spent a couple of weeks in Triple A getting in shape. Since joining the Braves at the start of last week's 5-1 homestand, he's been entrenched in left field and atop the lineup, where he provides a spark with what teammates call consistently professional at-bats. Advertisement 'My impression (of Verdugo) is awesome,' Snitker said before Saturday's game. 'He's added exactly what we thought he would, which is no-panic, really good at-bats at the top of the order. I think he's been good for the whole team, witnessing how he goes about his at-bats. He's a really good athlete, too. It kind of coincides with us kind of getting off the mat here a little bit, is getting him up here and playing him every day. It's been great.' With Hyers, there were never any meltdowns when the Braves were at their worst. No shouting at hitters' meetings, no abrupt changes in anything that Braves hitters had worked on with Hyers since the beginning of spring training. Hyers comes across as perhaps the most mild-mannered, mellow coach who's ever put on a uniform. 'There was never any panic in him,' Olson said. 'If there was, it was never portrayed to us. Which, half of being a big-league hitting coach is being a therapist for 13 players. And it's a lot of different personalities and swings and game planning. You have to juggle. And he's done a good job.' Braves players knew Hyers was a hitting coach on World Series-winning teams with Boston and Texas, so they didn't feel any need to reassure him. They were in it with him, and he with them. 'We all went through it together, and I think that's what a good hitting coach does,' Riley said. 'He has remained the same, and there was no panic whatsoever. Through those stretches he came in the exact same every day, and I think that's why he's been so highly talked about. I think he's been great, I've enjoyed working with him. If he did stress, we sure didn't see it whatsoever.' The Braves lineup, much of it the same as the unit that set a major-league slugging percentage record (.501) in 2023, was mired in the bottom third of the league in almost every category just 1 1/2 weeks ago. Coming off an injury-plagued 2024 season, the weak offensive start to the new season had plenty of Braves followers upset. 'At the same time, we faced some really good pitchers early,' Harris said. 'So that's also another reason to not panic. So, it's just looking up from here, and we're keeping an even-keel mindset.' (Photo of Ozzie Albies congratulating Sean Murphy on his home run Saturday: Norm Hall / Getty Images)
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
David Jolly registers as a Democrat, making moves toward Florida governor bid
Democrats may get a second shot at running a party convert for Florida governor in their ongoing effort to claw back the state's battleground status. Former Republican Rep. David Jolly, who has made a national name for himself as a vocal opponent of President Donald Trump, took a step Thursday toward a possible run for governor of Florida in 2026 by launching a state political committee. Jolly, 52, also switched his no-party affiliation voter registration to Democrat on Wednesday afternoon, which would make him eligible to run statewide under the party's ticket by next year's qualification period in June. The ex-Republican first told POLITICO he was weighing the decision to run to succeed Gov. Ron DeSantis in an interview last month, drawing comparisons to former Rep. Charlie Crist, the Republican-turned-independent-turned-Democrat who lost the gubernatorial race to DeSantis by 19 points in 2022. Jolly talked about the new committee in a video he'll be posting to social media, provided first to POLITICO, saying its goal was to 'engage Florida's voters, promote voter registration' and talk about issues like affordability, property insurance costs, 'reinvesting in public education' and 'fixing our broken voucher system.' 'We'll tackle ending gun violence and so many other priorities for Florida voters,' he added. Jolly's political committee will allow him to start raising money for a possible 2026 statewide run, and he posted details about his biography and policy positions at A state committee can accept unlimited sums from companies and individual donors, and candidates are allowed to be directly involved in their operation and decision-making — which isn't the case for federal campaign committees. Jolly is also bringing on Eric Hyers, a prominent campaign veteran for red-state Democrats, to advise his team on the 2026 cycle. Hyers managed winning campaigns for Democratic Govs. Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Steve Bullock of Montana and Gina Raimondo of Rhode Island. Hyers told POLITICO in an interview that Democrats had a 'huge opportunity' to win back middle-of-the-road voters in 2026. 'Jolly is a really pragmatic person,' Hyers said. 'And in this cycle, people are not focused on the letter in front of your name — they want people they trust who do what they think is right and put them first.' Having the support of a surrogate close to Beshear is also significant, given that the Kentucky governor is set to chair the Democratic Governors Association in 2026. It's a midterm year in which 35 states besides Florida will have governor's races — many of which will likely serve as a barometer for how voters are feeling about Trump's policies. Hyers stressed, however, that the political committee would be focused not on nationalizing the race but on finding solutions to 'the challenges and biggest problems facing the people of Florida' such as grocery costs and retirement portfolios. Should Jolly officially file to run for governor, he'd be making a big bet that his electoral prospects might turn out differently than Crist's, the same politician who defeated him in 2016's House race. Mitchell Berger, a major Democratic party fundraiser and prominent Fort Lauderdale attorney who represented former Vice President Al Gore in the post-2000 election Florida lawsuits, argued Jolly's situation would be different. Crist's flip came across as more opportunistic, he said, because it happened after losing elections and because he took a swing at running for statewide office so many times. 'Rep. Jolly is responding to a national emergency — in the spirit of so many others who are choosing to respond in a national emergency — and trying to defeat emerging authoritarianism in the U.S.,' he said. 'We have all heard him speak eloquently on it over the last few years, and we have all heard him speak practically about it as well.' Jolly is joining the Democratic Party as Florida has shifted decidedly to the right despite once being the largest swing state in the U.S. Florida currently has 1.2 million more registered Republicans than Democrats, and no Democrat holds statewide elected office. The state also has served as an informal staffing agency and policy workshop for the Trump administration, with major roles and initiatives from the Sunshine State making their way to Washington. Nikki Fried, the chair of the Florida Democratic Party who mounted her own run for governor in 2022, welcomed Jolly's decision to join the party. 'We want people who want to fight and want to stand up for this moment,' said Fried, who added she would remain 'impartial' in a potential Democratic primary for governor. If Jolly follows through with a run for governor, he could potentially tap into a national network of donors and support given his ubiquitous appearances on cable television the last several years. But the Democrats sizable voter registration gap in the state means a competitive campaign would need to garner support from their own party, nonaffiliated voters and disaffected Republicans. Florida has closed primaries, meaning only Democrats can vote for the nominee of their party. Rep. Jamie Raskin (R-Md.) predicted Jolly would be able to bring 'Florida back into play very quickly,' calling him a 'strong champion on the environment' and citing his objections to how Trump was dismantling portions of the federal government. 'Electoral politics today is a game of inches,' Raskin said. 'If you can bring over huge numbers of independents and 5 percent or 10 percent of Republicans, that will be breakthrough politics in Florida.' Jolly left the GOP in 2018 because he disagreed with the direction of the party under Trump. Running on an aggressively anti-Trump platform is risky in Florida, a state the president won three times and one he calls home. Even after being elected, Trump spends many weekends at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach and could decide to get actively involved in the governor's race and hold rallies here, just as he did for Ron DeSantis in 2018. Trump endorsed Republican Rep. Byron Donalds for governor, though Florida first lady Casey DeSantis is also considering a run. The governor and first lady recently traveled to the White House to ask for Trump's endorsement and blessing — but were denied — in a sign of the president's influence in the contest. Jolly has been meeting with Democrats over the course of the last year and has written in MSNBC about his experiences doing town halls across Florida, saying voters are concerned about their financial security and agency cuts under DOGE. Jolly served only one full term in Congress, where he became known for his centrist stances, but is a well-known figure in Florida and nationally because he's been an MSNBC political contributor for years. Right now no other well-known Democrats have stepped forward to run for governor. State Sen. Jason Pizzo, currently the Democratic leader of the state Senate, has spoken about a possible run. But when asked this week, he said he would make a decision about his political future by September. Berger, the Democratic fundraiser, said he would contribute 'in any way I can' if Jolly were to ask for his support. 'Since 2020 there has been a rapid and unfortunate underperformance for the Democratic Party,' he said. 'I truly believe the underlying Florida voter is someone who is quite independent in thought and will respond to an appropriate, unifying message.'
Politico
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Politico
David Jolly registers as a Democrat, making moves toward Florida governor bid
Democrats may get a second shot at running a party convert for Florida governor in their ongoing effort to claw back the state's battleground status. Former Republican Rep. David Jolly, who has made a national name for himself as a vocal opponent of President Donald Trump, took a step Thursday toward a possible run for governor of Florida in 2026 by launching a state political committee. Jolly, 52, also switched his no-party affiliation voter registration to Democrat on Wednesday afternoon, which would make him eligible to run statewide under the party's ticket by next year's qualification period in June. The ex-Republican first told POLITICO he was weighing the decision to run to succeed Gov. Ron DeSantis in an interview last month , drawing comparisons to former Rep. Charlie Crist, the Republican-turned-independent-turned-Democrat who lost the gubernatorial race to DeSantis by 19 points in 2022. Jolly talked about the new committee in a video he'll be posting to social media, provided first to POLITICO, saying its goal was to 'engage Florida's voters, promote voter registration' and talk about issues like affordability, property insurance costs, 'reinvesting in public education' and 'fixing our broken voucher system.' 'We'll tackle ending gun violence and so many other priorities for Florida voters,' he added. Jolly's political committee will allow him to start raising money for a possible 2026 statewide run, and he posted details about his biography and policy positions at . A state committee can accept unlimited sums from companies and individual donors, and candidates are allowed to be directly involved in their operation and decision-making — which isn't the case for federal campaign committees. Jolly is also bringing on Eric Hyers, a prominent campaign veteran for red-state Democrats, to advise his team on the 2026 cycle. Hyers managed winning campaigns for Democratic Govs. Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Steve Bullock of Montana and Gina Raimondo of Rhode Island. Hyers told POLITICO in an interview that Democrats had a 'huge opportunity' to win back middle-of-the-road voters in 2026. 'Jolly is a really pragmatic person,' Hyers said. 'And in this cycle, people are not focused on the letter in front of your name — they want people they trust who do what they think is right and put them first.' Having the support of a surrogate close to Beshear is also significant, given that the Kentucky governor is set to chair the Democratic Governors Association in 2026. It's a midterm year in which 35 states besides Florida will have governor's races — many of which will likely serve as a barometer for how voters are feeling about Trump's policies. Hyers stressed, however, that the political committee would be focused not on nationalizing the race but on finding solutions to 'the challenges and biggest problems facing the people of Florida' such as grocery costs and retirement portfolios. Should Jolly officially file to run for governor, he'd be making a big bet that his electoral prospects might turn out differently than Crist's, the same politician who defeated him in 2016's House race. Mitchell Berger, a major Democratic party fundraiser and prominent Fort Lauderdale attorney who represented former Vice President Al Gore in the post-2000 election Florida lawsuits, argued Jolly's situation would be different. Crist's flip came across as more opportunistic, he said, because it happened after losing elections and because he took a swing at running for statewide office so many times. 'Rep. Jolly is responding to a national emergency — in the spirit of so many others who are choosing to respond in a national emergency — and trying to defeat emerging authoritarianism in the U.S.,' he said. 'We have all heard him speak eloquently on it over the last few years, and we have all heard him speak practically about it as well.' Jolly is joining the Democratic Party as Florida has shifted decidedly to the right despite once being the largest swing state in the U.S. Florida currently has 1.2 million more registered Republicans than Democrats, and no Democrat holds statewide elected office. The state also has served as an informal staffing agency and policy workshop for the Trump administration, with major roles and initiatives from the Sunshine State making their way to Washington. Nikki Fried, the chair of the Florida Democratic Party who mounted her own run for governor in 2022, welcomed Jolly's decision to join the party. 'We want people who want to fight and want to stand up for this moment,' said Fried, who added she would remain 'impartial' in a potential Democratic primary for governor. If Jolly follows through with a run for governor, he could potentially tap into a national network of donors and support given his ubiquitous appearances on cable television the last several years. But the Democrats sizable voter registration gap in the state means a competitive campaign would need to garner support from their own party, nonaffiliated voters and disaffected Republicans. Florida has closed primaries, meaning only Democrats can vote for the nominee of their party. Rep. Jamie Raskin (R-Md.) predicted Jolly would be able to bring 'Florida back into play very quickly,' calling him a 'strong champion on the environment' and citing his objections to how Trump was dismantling portions of the federal government. 'Electoral politics today is a game of inches,' Raskin said. 'If you can bring over huge numbers of independents and 5 percent or 10 percent of Republicans, that will be breakthrough politics in Florida.' Jolly left the GOP in 2018 because he disagreed with the direction of the party under Trump. Running on an aggressively anti-Trump platform is risky in Florida, a state the president won three times and one he calls home. Even after being elected, Trump spends many weekends at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach and could decide to get actively involved in the governor's race and hold rallies here, just as he did for Ron DeSantis in 2018. Trump endorsed Republican Rep. Byron Donalds for governor, though Florida first lady Casey DeSantis is also considering a run. The governor and first lady recently traveled to the White House to ask for Trump's endorsement and blessing — but were denied — in a sign of the president's influence in the contest. Jolly has been meeting with Democrats over the course of the last year and has written in MSNBC about his experiences doing town halls across Florida, saying voters are concerned about their financial security and agency cuts under DOGE. Jolly served only one full term in Congress, where he became known for his centrist stances, but is a well-known figure in Florida and nationally because he's been an MSNBC political contributor for years. Right now no other well-known Democrats have stepped forward to run for governor. State Sen. Jason Pizzo, currently the Democratic leader of the state Senate, has spoken about a possible run. But when asked this week, he said he would make a decision about his political future by September. Berger, the Democratic fundraiser, said he would contribute 'in any way I can' if Jolly were to ask for his support. 'Since 2020 there has been a rapid and unfortunate underperformance for the Democratic Party,' he said. 'I truly believe the underlying Florida voter is someone who is quite independent in thought and will respond to an appropriate, unifying message.'
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Florida man wins $2 million top prize on Monopoly Secret Vault game
ORMOND BEACH, Fla. (WFLA) — A Volusia County man can buy all the properties after winning $2 million on a Monopoly Secret Vault scratch-off game. According to the Florida Lottery, the $10 ticket was purchased by 50-year-old Bryan Hyers of Holly Hill from the Speedway located at 1102 West Grenada Boulevard in Ormond Beach. Florida Lottery scratch-off ticket worth $1 million sold at Lutz Publix Hyers chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $1,153,865. The retailer will get a $4,000 bonus commission for selling the lucky ticket. The $10 Monopoly Secret Vault features four top prizes of $2 million, with more than $176 million in cash prizes. The game's overall odds are 1-in-3.41. The Florida Lottery has generated more than $48 billion for education across the state, sending more than 1 million students to college through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program. Since its inception, scratch-off games have paid nearly $99 billion in prizes, creating 4,200 millionaires. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lucky lottery winner scratches his way to $2M in Volusia County
A Volusia County man tested his luck when he bought a $10 scratch-off ticket — and it paid off big-time. The Florida Lottery said Bryan Hyers recently purchased his MONOPOLY™ SECRET VAULT ticket at a convenience store in Ormond Beach. What Hyers uncovered was one of the game's four top prizes worth $2 million. Florida Lottery's official website showed two of those top prizes were still in circulation as of March 18. MONOPOLY SECRET VAULT™ debuted in July and the odds of winning a prize are 1-in-3.41, according to state lottery officials. Speedway, located at 1102 West Granada Boulevard in Ormond Beach, sold Hyers his winning ticket. Florida Lottery will award a $4,000 bonus to that retailer for selling the lucky scratch-off. By the way, Hyers chose to receive his prize in a lump sum payment, which means he took home just over $1.15 million. Here's an image of Hyers' winning ticket: Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
