Whatever became of .... ? (a new ongoing thread)

rico43

rico43

<B>Director of Minor League Reports</B>
With the stunning revelation that Matt Lipka was Carolina League Player of the Month for July, we thought we would update departed Braves prospects when we could because many of them have local ties and/or made fans along the way.

We'll start with

STEVE JANAS

The pride of Kennesaw was unexpectedly cut at the end of spring training, but has continued his career with York in the Atlantic League. He's made 20 starts and worked a total of 109 innings so far (second most on the team), so he's still healthy. He has a 3-5 record and a 4.61 ERA for a team that's currently 48-57.

Also on the York roster is the predecessor to Emilio Bonifacio as the outfielder on the AAA/Atlanta shuttle, JOSE COSTANZA

Now 33, he's returned to York after nearly two years in the Mexican League trying to recapture his hitting mojo. Ain't happening; Constanza is hitting just .235 in 102 at-bats. He last year .300 with York in 2015.

Feel free to ask about your favorite former Braves farmhand that seemed to fall off the face of the earth.
 
Knucksie said:
Is Beau Jones still in any organized baseball?
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BEAU JONES last played professionally in 2012, dividing his season between the Marlins and A's farm clubs after becoming a minor league free agent from Texas following the 2011 season.

Since 2013, he has sold Machine Tools in his Native Louisiana, currently working as an outside sale representative for Oliver Van Horn Co. in New Orleans. He lives in Norco, La., in a house he paid for with his signing bonus.

Jones was playing for Rome at the time of the Teixeira deal (which saw its 10th anniversary last week), going 5-0 with 3 saves. He was moved to the Rangers' Clinton club in the Midwest League and went 4-0 for a memorable 9-1 season. But he was a swing man shuttling between three levels without ever getting the call.

Jones is still just 30 years old.
 
WES TIMMONS and his wife became fond of the Rome area when he played for the Rome Braves in 2003. But that was just one of many stops he made during his nine years as a Braves farmhand who never got the call between 2002-2010,hanging in there with the Braves until he was 32 years old. He spent his final two seasons in the Oakland system, ending his 11-year minor league career as a .280 hitter.

He is fondly remembered in part of Atlanta, however, as he was a popular everyday player for the Gwinnett Braves in their first two seasons (2009-2010).

Upon retirement, Timmons turned to coaching, working as an assistant at North Carolina A&T before being hired to be head coach for Rome-based Shorter College in August of 2015. Timmons' Hawks were 23-23 this past season.
 
Briefly, EDWARD SALCEDO is still plugging away, playing for Can-Am League team Dominican (a wondrous 2-15 so far) in 2017.

Salcedo, out of the Dominican Republic, was initially signed by the Cleveland Indioans for $2.3 million -- but to the Tribe's eternal relief, he proved to be underage and the signing was voided. THe Braves, getting MLB to conduct an actual investigation of his age, were assured he was 16 when they signed him for a then-club record international bonus of $1.6 million in February of 2010.
He failed as a shortstop, then as a hitter, but muddled through the system until the Braves traded him to Tampa Bay in February of 2015. He was quickly flipped to the Pirates.

His signing did nothing for the reps of international director Johnny Almaraz and g.m. Frank Wren.
 
VAN POPE was the Braves fifth round pick -- and second third baseman chosen -- in the horrible 2004 draft. Catcher Clint Sammons was the only top 10 selection to reach the majors for more than five minutes. In fact, the only player in the draft to have an appreciative MLB career was their 27th round pick -- Tyler Flowers.

Pope was a sharp defensive third baseman, but was beaten out by Wes Timmons and was only an occasional starter until the Braves released in 2010 after an ill-conceived convert to pitcher. He returned to third and had two decent seasons with Amarillo in the A.A. (11-12), but was done as a player at age 29.

But Pope's troubles were just beginning. In February of this year, he was charged with serial burglary in two different Mississippi counties after a series of breakins at lake homes and was captured hiding in the woods after an extensive manhunt. He was held without bail remains in custody.

Anybody got any more?
 
rico43 said:
VAN POPE was the Braves fifth round pick -- and second third baseman chosen -- in the horrible 2004 draft. Catcher Clint Sammons was the only top 10 selection to reach the majors for more than five minutes. In fact, the only player in the draft to have an appreciative MLB career was their 27th round pick -- Tyler Flowers.

Pope was a sharp defensive third baseman, but was beaten out by Wes Timmons and was only an occasional starter until the Braves released in 2010 after an ill-conceived convert to pitcher. He returned to third and had two decent seasons with Amarillo in the A.A. (11-12), but was done as a player at age 29.

But Pope's troubles were just beginning. In February of this year, he was charged with serial burglary in two different Mississippi counties after a series of breakins at lake homes and was captured hiding in the woods after an extensive manhunt. He was held without bail remains in custody.

Anybody got any more?
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That's terrible
 
Fellow area prospect I told Shanks about before we drafted him, Michael Broadway, what is he up to now? I can't find anything back home about him.
 
drewdat said:
Chuck James
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Probably a miracle that he pitched at all. As a kid, jumped/slipped off a garage roof attempt to jump in a pool and slipped, breaking both wrists. Also, while walking through woods at 4 a.m., was bitten twice by a copperhead and survived without treatment.

After his pitching career ended with a brief go with the Twins in 2011, he spent part of 2012 in the Mets' farm system. He was released on July 5th and officially retired shortly thereafter.

His surgery for both a torn labrum and rotator cuff stemmed from injuring it in 2007 and pitching with damage when the MRI failed to detect a problem.

He then returned to his other career. As a rookie and young ace of the Braves staff, James was frequently the source of humor in that he worked at Lowe's in the offseason. Well, it turns out that it was because he's a pretty good salesman. Beginning late in 2012, he began a career with Window World and still does that while living in Paulding County.
 
rico43 said:
Probably a miracle that he pitched at all. As a kid, jumped/slipped off a garage roof attempt to jump in a pool and slipped, breaking both wrists. Also, while walking through woods at 4 a.m., was bitten twice by a copperhead and survived without treatment.

After his pitching career ended with a brief go with the Twins in 2011, he spent part of 2012 in the Mets' farm system. He was released on July 5th and officially retired shortly thereafter.

His surgery for both a torn labrum and rotator cuff stemmed from injuring it in 2007 and pitching with damage when the MRI failed to detect a problem.

He then returned to his other career. As a rookie and young ace of the Braves staff, James was frequently the source of humor in that he worked at Lowe's in the offseason. Well, it turns out that it was because he's a pretty good salesman. Beginning late in 2012, he began a career with Window World and still does that while living in Paulding County.
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I always liked the guy. I knew something was wrong physically when he dramatically lost effectiveness. Glad he's doing well.
 
MICHAEL BROADWAY, the Braves fourth-round pick in 2005 is ... still active!

A big man who was 6-5, 215 when he started out, has the nickname "Bone Crusher" accordidng to Baseball Reference. The right-hander put his six years in the Braves system and fell to injury right as his minor league free agency arrived. He was a promising 11-6 in Rome in 2006 and went a combined 5-1 in 40 appearances.

In April of 2011, after only four appearances with Mississippi (1-0, 1.80), he had his elbow "cleaned out", a procedure that was supposed to need only a six week recovery period, but wound up costing him the entire season. That off-season, with elbow pain persisting, he was rescheduled for DR. Andrews for an additional procedure -- and Tommy John surgery was not out of the question.

But in an improbable turn of events, he was literally on the table when the medical center underwent a power failure. Andrews refused to work on backup power and the Broadways weren't willing to wait or reschedule. So Michael went home, without having any surgery and rehabbed his arm with motion exercises and platelet rich plasma shots. He signed with the Padres in 2012 and Washington the following year, but was limited to 30 innings each year. But in 2014, he signed a minor league deal with the World Champion San Francisco Giants and promptly injured his shoulder and made only three appearances in the minors. But a sensational winter league in Venezuela convinced the Giants to bring him back.

On June 13, 2015, Broadway made his major league debut. Over the next two seasons, he made a total of 25 appearances for the Giants before being released. In 2017, he was signed and released by Washington, then signed by Tampa Bay. On August 10, he was promoted to Class AAA Durham, where he currently is active.
 
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