Official Spring Training Thread

[mossy]

Not that I am on board 100% with this but someone really needs to sit him down and explain basic intelligence. Like getting in a run down in a spring game should be an immediate fine and mandatory film room where you just play new kids and spice girls songs for 5 hours.

Probably easier said than done. How do you tell an athlete not to compete.

[cajunrevenge]

The issue is that he is an athlete doing the team a huge favor that we hope will give us another big discount. What good is telling him no more stealing bases if he leaves to a team that doesnt restrict him when his contract is over.

[Mad Dog Murph]

Acuña is back in under lineup today

Acuña DH
Riley 3B
Murphy C
Ozuna 1B
Wall CF
Luplow RF
Williams Lf
Fletcher SS
Velazquez 2B

Sale on the mound

[cajunrevenge]

Welp, elder is definetely not starting in Atlanta

Lower ERA than the 30 million dollar man Yoshinobu Yamamoto

[cajunrevenge]

Acuña is back in under lineup today

Acuña DH
Riley 3B
Murphy C
Ozuna 1B
Wall CF
Luplow RF
Williams Lf
Fletcher SS
Velazquez 2B

Sale on the mound

Over/Under steal attempts set at 0.5

[steveAKAslick]

How sweet would it be if we hit on Nacho too and he could be our next starting SS after Arcia. Although I’ve heard there are doubts he can remain at SS.

Just now getting caught up on this thread…

This is what I read about Nacho and how he’s looked at SS…

A third baseman at Riverside, the Braves liked how Alvarez’s feet and hands worked, so even though he’s not a runner and has a thicker lower half, they wanted to see how he looked at shortstop. It’s turned out that he’s looked very good, even being mentioned as one of the best defenders in the Mionrs by executives from other teams. If he can stay there long-term, that increases his value and puts a little less pressure on him to become a run-producer, and there’s definitely an up arrow next to his name.

[Tapate50]

Just now getting caught up on this thread…

This is what I read about Nacho and how he’s looked at SS…

A third baseman at Riverside, the Braves liked how Alvarez’s feet and hands worked, so even though he’s not a runner and has a thicker lower half, they wanted to see how he looked at shortstop. It’s turned out that he’s looked very good, even being mentioned as one of the best defenders in the Mionrs by executives from other teams. If he can stay there long-term, that increases his value and puts a little less pressure on him to become a run-producer, and there’s definitely an up arrow next to his name.

I read the same. The reviews have been good. The bat plays at SS and also if he's an above average defender at 3b.

[Runnin]

Snit is saying the right thing about Acuna. He should still be seen as a threat to steal, even if he isn't trying to swipe 70.

[Slippyjms]

I read the same. The reviews have been good. The bat plays at SS and also if he's an above average defender at 3b.

In an ideal scenario he could come up at some point this year and push Arcia to the bench

[Hulavol]

In an ideal scenario he could come up at some point this year and push Arcia to the bench

Ideal scenario is he is good enough to push Arcia to the bench, but Arcia is having a career super-Willie Harris year and inexplicably hitting .400 with 25 bombs so Nacho stays down :)

[bravesnumberone]

Wasn’t sure where to put this but did Bill Shanks ask Kelly Crull on a date and get turned down?

[CyYoung31]

Wasn’t sure where to put this but did Bill Shanks ask Kelly Crull on a date and get turned down?

Wait…what?

[mossy]

Shanks tweeted

“ No more fake blonde hair, no more fake laughs, no more ego on the Braves telecasts this season. Thank goodness.”

[thewupk]

Shanks tweeted

“ No more fake blonde hair, no more fake laughs, no more ego on the Braves telecasts this season. Thank goodness.”

Must be tough when you finally realize your irrelevant

[bravesnumberone]

I went and listened to the clip from his show where he doubled down and said she sat in his assigned seat during a playoff game and was "a bitch" toward him as he was putting his stuff down. Said she was often "not prepared" on the telecasts. I've heard her on the radio plenty of times, seems like a fine and decent person to me...

[Strike3urout]

Shanks tweeted

“ No more fake blonde hair, no more fake laughs, no more ego on the Braves telecasts this season. Thank goodness.”

Wait...did she get canned?

[UNCBlue012]

I went and listened to the clip from his show where he doubled down and said she sat in his assigned seat during a playoff game and was "a bitch" toward him as he was putting his stuff down. Said she was often "not prepared" on the telecasts. I've heard her on the radio plenty of times, seems like a fine and decent person to me...

He could be right, but the guy has lost all clout and doesn't really do anything worthwhile with the Braves anymore. I wasn't a Crull super fan, but she seemed fine.

[bravesnumberone]

Wait...did she get canned?

Effectively, yes. She wasn't renewed. They came out with the new team yesterday.

[Enscheff]

Probably easier said than done. How do you tell an athlete not to compete.

You tell an athlete that he is a professional with hundreds of millions of dollars riding on his right knee whose contributions with the bat dwarf his contributions on the bases.

You use the manager who brings nothing to the table other than his supposedly godlike people skills to explain it to the player and get him on board.

[Carp]

You tell an athlete that he is a professional with hundreds of millions of dollars riding on his right knee whose contributions with the bat dwarf his contributions on the bases.

You use the manager who brings nothing to the table other than his supposedly godlike people skills to explain it to the player and get him on board.

That's nice. That isn't reality, but it's nice.


If there is anything watching sports for the last 30+ years has taught me, it's that superstars generally do what they want to do. We can suggest all we want but ultimately Acuna is going to play the game how he wants to. He likes stealing bases. He likes being a bit showy. But most of all, he seems to genuinely love playing baseball, as he continues to play baseball even in the off-season in Argentina. Pushing back too much on the issue isn't likely to go well for the franchise.


Much like Jeter refusing to move off SS after the A-Rod trade, despite A-Rod being a significantly better defender. The Yankees didn't so **** about it and moved A-Rod to 3b because that's what you do when you don't want to piss off the face of your franchise.