Taylor Hearn was great for the Braves, except on the field.

A live-armed reliever with an upper-90s fastball and inconsistent command, the Braves picked him up from the eventual World Champion Rangers on July 24, in exchange for an unreported amount of cash.

The Braves clearly valued both his fastball and the fact that he still had options, but five days after his acquisition, he made his one and only appearance in a Braves uniform and immediately pitched his way out of the team’s plans. He came in during the eighth inning of an 11-1 blowout of the Brewers, and immediately yielded two walks, a wild pitch, and an RBI single before recording his only out as a Brave; immediately after that, he gave up a three-run homer, and was yanked by a manager who surely hadn’t expected making a mid-inning pitching change.

He still had the fastball, though, and the options, so the Braves turned around and traded him to the Royals for banjo-hitting glove whiz Nicky Lopez, a one-dimensional player who nevertheless made the postseason roster.

While Hearn’s career with the Braves will really only be remembered by Immaculate Grid completists, he’s actually a really interesting guy and well worth remembering for another reason entirely: the Texas native is, legitimately, rodeo royalty. As the Athletic article explains:

It is Feb. 5, and Hearn is in Tulsa to serve as a guest color commentator for a regional qualifier of The American Rodeo by Teton Ridge, one of the biggest rodeo events of the year, the finals of which will be held in mid-March at Globe Life Field. As part of the day’s proceedings, he’s taking part in a drill where he and Riley Webb, a professional tie-down roper, take turns practicing that portion of the event. Tie-down roping began as a way for ranchers to hold that year’s batch of calves still as they were branded; it consists of “flanking” the calf — upending it and landing it on its side in the dirt — and fastening three of its four feet together with a six-foot length of rope called a “piggin’ string.” It is the first time Hearn has tied a calf in roughly a decade.

Rodeo is the family business. Taylor’s dad Robby was also a professional tie-down roper. So are his uncles Wendell, Harlan and Eldon. And his grandfather Cleo is a legend, known during his time in the sport as “Mr. Black Rodeo.”

Hearn may yet have a long productive career in major league bullpens: many live-armed middle relievers finally find a coach who helps them unlock their potential for a few memorable lights-out campaigns. But it didn’t happen in 2023.

Still, I greatly enjoyed his six days that shook the roster!