Win, win, win. Today’s victory was 9-4 over the Natspos, and in doing so the Braves accomplished their first sweep of 4 game series against this franchise ever.
The Millionaire took the mound for the Braves and for a while looked every bit as good as any of his best starts. Through four innings he struck out 8, walked one, and gave up just one single. In the fifth he left several pitches up in the zone and paid the price, giving up 4 hits and 3 runs in the inning. That splitter has to be below the knees to be effective.
Meanwhile, someone named Brad Lord held the Braves scoreless through 5 innings. But this mid-September version of the 2025 Braves is an offensive juggernaut that can’t be held down for long. They plated 4 in the 6th to take the lead, single runs in the 7th and 8th, and 3 more in the 9th. Ronald, Matty O, and the Big Bear had 3 hits each, including yet another homer from Olson, his 5th in the last 5 days (which TBF includes 6 games). Olson’s OPs is up to .869 (tied for 5th in the NL), and RAJ’s is back over .900. Baldwin, Kim, and Nacho had 2 hits each, and most impressive of all, Ozzie had two (!) bases on balls. MHII did have one hit, but he also struck out 3 times, one on a swinging third strike that bounced 5 feet in front of the plate.
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Today is my father’s birthday. He would have been 95. He did make it to 85, and I am blessed to have had him for so long.
As is true of so many aspects of my life, I can trace my Braves fandom to my Dad. A native Atlantan, he was a Braves fan long before they moved to Atlanta. He grew up just a couple of miles from Ponce de Leon Park, the home of the Atlanta Crackers, and he went to a lot of games as a kid and young man. Eddie Mathews had played for the Atlanta Crackers as an 18 year old in 1950, and he led the Southern League with 32 home runs, including the legendary blast that hit the magnolia tree in center field. (If you haven’t heard that story, see Eddie Mathews: Portrait of the Ballplayer as a Young Cracker – Studio Gary C ). Mathews remained my Dad’s favorite player and the Braves became his team.
When I started following baseball in the early to mid-sixties, my dad loved to tell me about the 1957-58 Braves team. When they announced in 1965 that this team was moving to Atlanta, I was thrilled that the team of Eddie Mathews and Hank Aaron was going to be our team.
One other story about my father and the Braves:
On August 5, 1973, Phil Niekro pitched a no hitter against the Padres. It was a Sunday afternoon, and I listened to the game on the radio as I was driving somewhere. I got home shortly after the game ended, and exclaimed to my dad “Niekro just pitched a no hitter!” Without missing a beat, he replied, “Did they win?” They had won, but given the state of the Braves at that time, it was a reasonable question.
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Three more series, nine more games, to go. We’ve just won 5 in a row. Let’s finish the season with a 14 game winning streak.
I set catching the Marlins as a goal as well… still doable. Hilariously, it is still technically possible to catch the Mets.
I’m just gonna be torn up if they don’t make the playoffs after spending all that money
If there’s one thing you can rely on, it’s that their fans will respond to this philosophically, with equanimity and poise.
It is indeed technically possible to catch the Mets; for that matter, we haven’t been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. Eight and a half back with 12 to play. You know, in 1964 the Cardinals were 6.5 back of the Phillies with 12 to play. Yes, I know we would need not just the Mets but also five other teams to collapse while the Braves basically win out.
So you’re telling me there’s a chance? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCFB2akLh4s
Please don’t make this season go 12 more games Professor 😀
I believe I’ve already demonstrated beyond doubt that numbers are not my strong suit. In this case my typo also weakened the joke. 8.5 back with 9 to play is even better for “So you’re telling me there’s a chance?”
Like your father, Edwin Lee Matthews was my favorite player. My first year of diehard fandom was 1957. I can still name virtually all of the roster. Carl Willey from my home state of Maine pitched for the Braves in those days.
Ha-Seong Kim, in small sample, is on a 4.4 bWAR 162-game pace. I just don’t see Boras not being able to talk Kim into declining the player option and testing the market. That 1-year, $16M deal is going to be out there even if he spends 4 months testing the market.
Been thinking about that too. If he plays like that another week he is probably gone.
Only thing is if he plays like that for a full year he will get a huge deal in 2026. But Boras will surely get an opt out after each season (lol)
Honestly, if Kim opts out, I think he’d command more than $16 million. AA would probably need to offer closer to $25 million to keep him from testing the market. The real wildcard, though, is the CBA expiring after next season. Teams may be hesitant to commit a massive deal to a shortstop with recent health concerns until they know what the new agreement looks like.
If Kim were represented by someone other than Boras, AA would have been working hard to sign him to an extension before this season is over. But my understanding is that Boras pretty much never agrees to those without testing the market.
That was my take as well. He’s clearly better than a $16 million shortstop now. Again, Boras has a chance to negotiate with the Braves before opting out, but the Braves will be bidding against market expectations, and we know how rarely such expectations favor Atlanta’s willingness to pay. Boras makes it even less likely.
Brendan and CJ have been talking up how much he seems to like it Atlanta. See Freeman, Freddie and Swanson, Dansby to see the value of “I like it here.” My best case is two years, $40 million, and I really doubt Boras would go for that. Maybe 1 year, $25 million to line up with the new CBA. In other words, if we get Kim, he will be taking Marcel’s money plus another $5-10MM.
I think everyone’s intuition is right, but I don’t think AA will go for that. You’re telling him “you took a gamble on me, and yeah I want to be here, and I’m under contract to be here, but I’m going to opt out to wring a few more dollars out of you under the threat that I will walk away.”
He has walked away from the table for much lesser insults. In my view, HSK takes the option or he’s gone. The only exception would be to say “I want to stay here but what if we work an extension instead of just 1 year”. Boras won’t go for that, so this is where we are.
tfloyd,
I would offer the often overused phrase “a gentleman and a scholar” as appropriate for your father. I saw him quite often in a 2 year period in Athens.
Thanks, Cliff–I appreciate your saying that. It’s meaningful to hear of the impact he had on so many people, even decades later.
They’re calling up Jhancarlos Lara. He’s clearly not ready – he’s been walking about a man an inning all year, but he’s got a live arm and they must think he’ll benefit from seeing big league action up close and getting to talk to some true masters of the craft in the clubhouse.
Maybe they will tell him to throw it inside that little white box
When he gets in a game the Braves will tie the record set by last year’s Marlins for most players used in a year: 70. And if they also call up Brett Wisely who they just got from San Francisco and assigned to Gwinnett they will have the record.
I think they should call up not Wisely, but all too well.
JonathanF
Your “record setting 2025 Atlanta Braves!!!”
Just noticed how similar Morton has been to Elder. The ERA is exactly the same. Similar IP and HR.
I’m not so sure I’m down on Bryce Elder. His sinker and 2-seamer have improved. What he’s throwing now is harder and it has more bite than in the past and it’s staring to show in results. He just has to live at the bottom of the zone.
Recapped