The Atlanta Braves, less than 20 hours before the July 31st trade deadline, acquire Cubs pitcher Paul Maholm (9-6) and OF Reed Johnson for two minor league pitchers, sources tell ESPNChicago.com’s Bruce Levine. Braves general manager Frank Wren has confirmed with the AJC. For more on Wren’s comments on the trade and what the Braves will be doing up until the 4PM non-waiver trade deadline, click here.

» Continue reading “*UPDATED—BREAKING TRADE NEWS: Braves Acquire Pitcher, OF from Cubs, GM Wren Calls Trade “Perfect Fit””

After controversy of fake/parody accounts, early this week the real future Hall of Famer got with the times and signed up for a Twitter account.

Via Twitter: Chipper lets the fans know what “yicketty” and “whammo” mean on his Twitter account.

Chipper Jones (@TeamCJ10) has only tweeted a few times, but has 69,265 followers so far.
» Continue reading “Chipper Has Confirmed Twitter Account; I Stay on Twitter More As A Result”

The Braves swept the Philadelphia Phillies to begin a 10 game home stand, defeating the Phils 6-2 on Sunday. The Braves have a 5 game winning streak and move on to face division opponent Miami for three games.
» Continue reading “Braves Sweep Phillies, Marlins Up Next”

Braves kick off a 10 game home stand with division rivals and NL East bottom feeders Phillies.

Braves begin another long home stand, 10 games, against the Philadelphia Phillies in Atlanta. We will review facts, statistics, story lines and more after the break.

» Continue reading “Series Preview: Phillies @ Braves”

In an interview with Sports Radio 680 The Fan in Atlanta on The Rude Awakening, Braves General Manager Frank Wren declared the Braves are “moving on” from trying to acquire Chicago Cubs right hander Ryan Dempster in a trade. “I think it’s very highly unlikely” said Wren. He spoke of the trade process, in which there were restrictions on the trade that ended Tuesday. He said the Braves are scouting hard, looking at pitchers and will continue to try and pursue one. Dempster, who has expressed alleged preference to the Dodgers first and the Braves second (as teams he would want to be traded to), Braves fans can find comfort that we won’t be a part of his Dwight Howard-like decision making.

» Continue reading “Braves, Dempster Talks Done, Team is “Moving Forward””

The Braves are notorious for streaks. 14 straight division titles. Longest continuous running franchise in all of professional American sports. They have some bad ones, bad and sorry streaks that this writer (and die hard fan) will neither repeat nor want to remember. This one is so random, I had to share this anomaly with you. » Continue reading “The Craziest Braves Stat of The 2012 Season (So Far)”

Monday sources close to the situation reported to ESPNChicago.com’s Bruce Levine that the Braves and Cubs had agreed to terms on Atlanta acquiring right hander Ryan Dempster in exchange for Braves youngster Randall Delgado. The Braves, who are in desperate need of rotational help, and Cubs are awaiting approval of the trade by the players. Dempster, 35, is a 10-and-5 player, a clause in which a player who has 10 years in the league plus 5 years with the same team, have the right to approve or deny any trade that their team proposes for them. The non-waiver trade deadline is July 31st.

Delgado is the prize the Cubs get in exchange for Dempster, if and when the trade is approved. Delgado is 4-9 with a 4.42 ERA. Last game: ND, 4.42 ERA, 6IP, 1BB, 4SO against Washington on 7/21.

» Continue reading “Braves Attempt To Acquire Cubs’ Dempster As Trade Deadline Looms”

Four days shy of two years since his last pitch in Major League Baseball, Ben Sheets gave the Braves just what they what they needed- six innings of shutdown ball. Sheets was on a pitch count of 80-100, and left the game at 88 pitches, 0 runs, 2 hits, 1 walk, and 5 strike outs. With a little help from his new friends, Sheets was given six runs in the bottom of the fifth before Juan Francisco pinch hit for his spot in the order in the sixth.

Atlanta got production from the old faithfuls in Bourn, Prado, Jones, Heyward, and Freeman and a key walk from newbie Paul Janish. In true Braves fashion the majority of runs were scored with two outs. Those runs came just in time considering Kris Medlen gave up a run in the top of the seventh.

While the outing was impressive, it was not the Ben Sheets one would recognize. The right hander with high 90s overpowering pitches was reinvented as a low 90s fastballs and lots of breaking stuff. There is something to be said for an athlete’s talent and intestinal fortitude to be able to depart from what made you successful the first time around, make it back, and most important to the Braves, win. It is only one outing, but it is a great start for Sheets and the Braves second half with a sweep of the Mets.

Braves sign Barnstormers’ Tiffee.

It’s not often that I post minor league transactions here, but this is too close to home not to. I starting following Terry Tiffee’s career when my sister’s boyfriend (now husband) told us his lifelong friend was a September call up for the Minnesota Twins. What I saw in his first at bat was every kid’s backyard dream- Tiffee homered in his first major league at bat! The rest of his career has not been as dreamy as that first appearance for Terry or his wife Kelly, so there is not much in the world of baseball that would make me happier than being able to see him in a Braves uniform at Turner Field. Good luck Tiffee. I can’t wait for you to make the short trip down I-85!