Benching Acuna

Snit did the right thing pulling Acuna for not hustling. A good lesson for the kid. Snit wasn't afraid to pull him during the biggest series of the year. Social media blew up with millennials saying Snit had done the wrong thing, that Snit couldn't benched Acuna against the last place Marlins. Had Snit not taken immediate action the lesson wouldn't have been learned, and Snit would've come across as weak. A few years ago Fredi Gonzalez lost control of the clubhouse when he failed to discipline BJ Upton for not hustling. Johan Camargo has had a tough year and has also not hustled. Now he's been demoted to the minors.

On the way downtown we were listening to the Sunday Braves game. Fried just missed a home run, but hustled to make it to second. Then Acuna just missed hitting one out but stood at the plate admiring it. Paul Byrd had it on video. After the game Snit said Acuna handled the admonition maturely, and admitted his mistake. Acuna faced the media and did not hide. The team stepped up and came back to win. This could be the spark to keep the Braves rolling into the postseason.

Former Brave Kevin Gausman struck out six straight batters this weekend, including one "Immaculate Inning" - three strikeouts on nine straight strikes. Must've been the Reds throwback uniforms.

When Gausman was struggling he was out of minor league options. I'm sure the Braves considering moving him to the bullpen but didn't have the luxury of trying it out at Gwinnett first. The reaction has been missed – glad the kid landed on his feet, a blind squirrel sometimes finds a nut, some players are great until they put on a particular uniform, etc. In one game the Reds pitched three different relievers who used to play for the Braves. Do you want Kevin Gausman back on the team?

PHIL NIEKRO was the 300-game-winning pitcher who still needed 269 of those by the time he reached the age of 30. Had turned 25 two weeks before his major league debut. In his 24-season sojourn in the majors, this one-time Cleveland Indian only had three 20-game winning seasons. Won 23 in 1969, 20 in '74 & 21 in '79. At the height of his career, he won the Lou Gehrig Award then the Roberto Clemente Award in successive seasons. He spent 21 seasons with the Braves but also played for NYY, CLE and TOR.

 More throwbacks. Note the 1976 patch above.

 Always fun to see Mike Trout in a different uni.