Happy 4th of July
Jul 4, 2022 8:40:06 GMT -5
White Sox GM (Michael), Jays GM (Sanders), and 1 more like this
Post by Bravos James on Jul 4, 2022 8:40:06 GMT -5
HOTLANTA (AP) —Land of the free, home of the brave. Iconic words that don't just apply to our beautiful country on this 4th of July, but also the ODC baseball league, as the Atlanta Braves will enter the birthday of America still without a loss on this season.
When you ask the members of this squad what the secret is, they'll all give you the same answer. OF Aaron Judge told me "It's a team sport, and right now we're entering everyday looking to win as a group."
He isn't wrong. The Braves entered Sunday down 5-8-1 against a scrappy Tigers group, with Aaron Judge getting a day off to end the week. Hope seemed low from the outside, but on the inside, there was nothing but confidence from a group that's been here before.
"When you go into a sunday with Luis Castillo, Zac Gallen, and Zach Wheeler all on the bump, you feel great about your chances." said veteran shortstop Tim Anderson. Sure enough, that was the case as the 3-headed monster of aces gave the Braves 3 QS, 3 Wins, a 1.50 ERA, and a 0.79 WHIP on the most important day of the season. The results from that trio helped flip the result and give the Braves an 8-5-1 victory.
When talking to members of this historic team, it's clear. While Aaron Judge has taken the shine having an MVP caliber season, this truly has been a top-to-bottom effort.
When asked about what the key to success has been, this group just shares the credit. There's no shortage of praise given to catcher Austin Nola, who has hit .311 with a .760 OPS since joining the Braves as part of a mid-season trade. "Noley has just been another stabilizing presence in a locker room that values consistency." said utility infielder Wilmer Flores. "Comes in, gets to work, and is just the best to be around. I am thankful for every second I get to spend around him. He is everything to me and to us" Wilmer got emotional talking about Nola's impact.
When presented with the topic of a perfect season, even new members of the squad gave all the right answers. "At the end of the day, when I look at this uniform I get the honor of putting on everyday and see the big grey patch on the shoulder with those four beautiful, iconic letters (WOOD), I know that he's looking down at us and sees a championship team, and every single member of the team has the exact same mindset. That's what it's about everyday, not a perfect season, but a ring for our gracious Woody" said outfielder Christian Yelich, who is hitting .319 since joining the Braves. We asked Wilmer Flores about the patch on his jersey and what Wood means to him, but he couldn't stop crying.
Next up for the Braves is a matchup with the Padres. Entering this matchup undefeated, in first place in the standings, and in first place in the roto standings has to be a bit of a full-circle moment, considering the first move GM JT made when taking over this bunch was a heavily panned move that sent Fernando Tatis and Eloy Jimenez to these very Padres for current contributors to this undefeated team like Aaron Judge, Rafael Devers, Tim Anderson, Joc Pederson, Miles Mikolas, and Tyler Duffey. The Braves also acquired a rental Carlos Rodon, but were unable to retain his services.
The reaction to the trade was rough. Some said "Dislike this for ATL, seems light for the best player in baseball atm." Some said "Pass. Thanks to JT, after this year the Braves will be right back where they belong in the NLE. The gutter." At the time we asked JT his thoughts on the trade and the negativity surrounding it and he said "I would never allow that to change my vision for where this team could be."
A year later, with the season halfway over and his team undefeated and in first place across the board, he's taking it all in stride. "It's a long season, we know we have a chance when we remember as a group that this is all for Wood."
When you ask the members of this squad what the secret is, they'll all give you the same answer. OF Aaron Judge told me "It's a team sport, and right now we're entering everyday looking to win as a group."
He isn't wrong. The Braves entered Sunday down 5-8-1 against a scrappy Tigers group, with Aaron Judge getting a day off to end the week. Hope seemed low from the outside, but on the inside, there was nothing but confidence from a group that's been here before.
"When you go into a sunday with Luis Castillo, Zac Gallen, and Zach Wheeler all on the bump, you feel great about your chances." said veteran shortstop Tim Anderson. Sure enough, that was the case as the 3-headed monster of aces gave the Braves 3 QS, 3 Wins, a 1.50 ERA, and a 0.79 WHIP on the most important day of the season. The results from that trio helped flip the result and give the Braves an 8-5-1 victory.
When talking to members of this historic team, it's clear. While Aaron Judge has taken the shine having an MVP caliber season, this truly has been a top-to-bottom effort.
When asked about what the key to success has been, this group just shares the credit. There's no shortage of praise given to catcher Austin Nola, who has hit .311 with a .760 OPS since joining the Braves as part of a mid-season trade. "Noley has just been another stabilizing presence in a locker room that values consistency." said utility infielder Wilmer Flores. "Comes in, gets to work, and is just the best to be around. I am thankful for every second I get to spend around him. He is everything to me and to us" Wilmer got emotional talking about Nola's impact.
When presented with the topic of a perfect season, even new members of the squad gave all the right answers. "At the end of the day, when I look at this uniform I get the honor of putting on everyday and see the big grey patch on the shoulder with those four beautiful, iconic letters (WOOD), I know that he's looking down at us and sees a championship team, and every single member of the team has the exact same mindset. That's what it's about everyday, not a perfect season, but a ring for our gracious Woody" said outfielder Christian Yelich, who is hitting .319 since joining the Braves. We asked Wilmer Flores about the patch on his jersey and what Wood means to him, but he couldn't stop crying.
Next up for the Braves is a matchup with the Padres. Entering this matchup undefeated, in first place in the standings, and in first place in the roto standings has to be a bit of a full-circle moment, considering the first move GM JT made when taking over this bunch was a heavily panned move that sent Fernando Tatis and Eloy Jimenez to these very Padres for current contributors to this undefeated team like Aaron Judge, Rafael Devers, Tim Anderson, Joc Pederson, Miles Mikolas, and Tyler Duffey. The Braves also acquired a rental Carlos Rodon, but were unable to retain his services.
The reaction to the trade was rough. Some said "Dislike this for ATL, seems light for the best player in baseball atm." Some said "Pass. Thanks to JT, after this year the Braves will be right back where they belong in the NLE. The gutter." At the time we asked JT his thoughts on the trade and the negativity surrounding it and he said "I would never allow that to change my vision for where this team could be."
A year later, with the season halfway over and his team undefeated and in first place across the board, he's taking it all in stride. "It's a long season, we know we have a chance when we remember as a group that this is all for Wood."
