Friday, May 29, 2020

Top Braves Bench Players

Mark Bowman’s top bench players in Braves history.
 
David Ross produced a 1.0 bWAR or higher during each of his 4 seasons with the Braves, but never logged 200 plate appearances during any of those seasons. Ross hit a key HR in the 2012 NL wild card game against the Cardinals.
 
Julio Franco ranked third in pinch hit appearances in Braves history. Hit .272 over 194 career pinch hit appearances.
 
Keith Lockhart had the most pinch hit appearances 284 and pinch hits 59. Had more starts than Lemke, Boone, or Graffinino.
 
Martin Prado was a top utility player.
 
Eddie Perez was Greg Maddux’ personal catcher between 1996-2000. Won 1999 NLCS MVP.
 
Ty Cline 1963-1964 and Hank Gowdy 1917-1921 are the only other players in Braves history to produce a 1.0 bWAR or better in multiple seasons of fewer than 200 PA, but neither did so more than twice.
 
Tommy Gregg produces a .800 OPS as a pinch hitter from 1988-1997.
 

Watching The Last Dance, it is interesting that back during their run I knew just about everyone on the Bulls, including bench players. MJ Pippen Luc Longley Cartwright Oakley BJ Armstrong Paxson Harper Horace Grant from Clemson, Kukoc Rodman Wennington Steve Kerr Scott Williams. Besides Williams, there was another UNC player that MJ lobbied Krause to add to the team. In episode 4 it showed MJ on the plane with this player. Can’t remember who it was. But those days I knew almost all the bench players on the Celtics and Lakers as well, like Greg Kite, ML Carr, Cornbread Maxwell, Maravich, and Walton.   
 
There was a thing on the internet asking to rank your favorite Hawk, but they only showed nine Hawks, leaving off Willis, Eddie, Volkov, Moses, Koncak, Harry, even Lou Hudson. They had Maravich Mutombo Spud Dominique Trae Pettit Horford Jason Terry Steve Smith Millsaps Joe Johnson Josh Smith (that’s my order for those nine).
 
My nine would be (1) Maravich (2) Volkov (3) Scott Hastings (4) Tom McMillen (5) Willis (6) Dominique (7) Lou Hudson (8) Spud (9) Doc Rivers.
 
Another person said the Hawks all-time starting five was Hudson Pettit Dominique Cliff Hagan and Al Horford. No Mutombo or Maravich.
 
Last week someone predicted the standings for the NBA e-league standings. Grizz Gaming were ranked ahead of Hawks Talon. The Talon logo and gear looks nice, as does the Grizz stuff. With eleven different items to wear, I’m usually wearing something Grizzlies every day.
 
Last night I watched episode 4 of The Last Dance. Worked until six. Stopped by a thrift store and an ice cream place on the way home. Cooked two chicken quesadillas on the Panini press. Took out the trash. Did the dishes and straightened up. Also watched Being Erica and a couple more holes of The Match. Brady holed his approach shot on six, and immediately went from not saying anything to talking nonstop. Guess he thought since he had been playing so bad that he didn’t want to bring attention to himself. Trevor Immelman was the commentator who helped Brady determine where to drop after Brady’s shot went in the hazard.

Yesterday Ceil had to take Barney to the vet up in SC. Barney had a swollen eye, perhaps accidentally scratching it. So Barney was feeling poorly, but better after getting to ride in the car.
 
Last night while watching TV I saw something out of the corner of my eye. M’s cat scurried across the floor. M’s door was closed so the cat couldn’t get back to his habitat. He scampered under the couch and M couldn’t get him until after I went to bed. Shoot I had been going back and forth outside and had left the back door open. Good thing he didn’t escape.
 
Ephesians 4:15, "speaking the truth in love." Denison: in a postmodern culture that defines truth as subjective and love as tolerance, it is vital that I speak the transforming truth of Jesus in the unconditional love of Jesus.
 
Broke out the Stan Smiths to wear to work today. And for cap day Friday I wore Anna's green Masters cap.

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