Favorite Braves List - Left-Hand Reliever

(Previous information on this series can be found here. Of importance, this is not a best list, but a favorites list since I started to follow the Braves. That limits options from 1991-to-now.)

Favorite Braves List 
Ace Starter - Greg Maddux
#2 Starter - John Smoltz
#3 Starter - Tim Hudson
#4 Starter - Tom Glavine
Closer - Craig Kimbrel
RH-Reliever - Peter Moylan
Catcher - Brian McCann
First Base - Fred McGriff
Second Base - Marcus Giles
Shortstop - Andrelton Simmons
Third Base - Chipper Jones 
Left Field - Ryan Klesko
Center Field - Andruw Jones
Right Field - Jason Heyward
Backup Catcher - Eddie Perez
Defensive Replacement - Rafael Belliard

Honorable Mention: For awhile there, Mike Remlinger was as good as any reliever in the game. Also as good as any reliever was Eric O'Flaherty, who in nearly 250 innings with the Braves, had a 1.99 ERA with a 1.16 WHIP. My favorite memory of O'Flaherty was that he was the only Brave who seemed capable of retiring Ryan Howard.

Favorite Braves List - Left-Hand Reliever
Jonny Venters

It is unfair that everything that made Venters so good was also led to the injuries that eventually made Venters a frequent visitor to Dr. James Andrews' clinic. The spiked curveball. The torque on his delivery to get the great natural sinking movement. But the magic couldn't last and now Venters isn't a Brave. Fortunately, he's enshrined on the Favorite Braves List.

Scott Cunningham | Getty Images

Everything about Venters struck you as a long shot. He was drafted in the 30th round in 2003, though I should mention that round was actually a pretty good round in unearthing some major league talent. Ignoring two others that made it to the bigs, but didn't sign after the 2003 draft so that they could be drafted higher in subsequent years...the 2003 30th round gave us Scott Feldman, who's had a pretty decent career, and Eric Young Jr., who appears destined to be a Brave once the 2015 season opens. All things considered, that's a pretty haul for any 30th round, especially when it was book-ended with the selection of Venters as the 907th overall selection.

Venters did not sign right away, though. After graduating from Lake Brantley High School in Altamonte Springs, FL, Venters would attend Indian River Community College before signing right before the 2004 draft. This was the practice known as draft-and-follow, which new rules have ended. Teams would spend a late round pick on a guy, control his rights for a year, and the player would be given the chance to improve his value so that before the next year's draft, the team and the player could decide what was most beneficial. Sign now or head back into the draft. Tommy Hanson is another example of a Brave who went down this route.

It would be accurate to call Venters' minor league career unremarkable. After his first two years, he would undergo his first of now three Tommy John's in 2006. He would make it back to play for Myrtle Beach in 2007, but was limited to a shade under 35 innings in 2008 due to injuries. He actually pitched nearly as many innings for the Honolulu Sharks in the Hawaiian Winter Baseball League. It's sad that the HWB folded after 2008. How cool would it be to vacation in Hawaii during the winter and still get to watch baseball? Anyway, Venters was finally able to stay healthy and pitched a career-high 156.2 ING in 2009. It was hardly much to write home about, except that it was 50 more innings than he had pitched in the previous three years.

The year attracted attention and with his always valuable left-hand arm about to become Rule 5 eligible, the Braves added him to the 40-man roster after the 2009 season. He came to camp and showed great velocity and an improving spike curveball that had Venters on the rise. The Braves began Venters in Gwinnett for 2010, but by mid-April, he was in the bigs. He threw three innings in his first game, a 4-0 loss against the visiting Rockies. In fact, the Braves would lose in six of the first seven games he entered, though not because of him. It took Bobby Cox a month, but by mid-May, Venters was beginning to get action in save opportunities as a bridge to the 8th inning before becoming Billy Wagner's main lead-in two months into his major league career. He had some iffy moments down the stretch where his control became hit-or-miss, but he would finish his rookie year with a 1.95 ERA in 79 games. He struck out 93 over 83 innings and even garnered a Rookie of the Year vote, finishing in a tie for eighth. Venters appeared in all four postseason games. He gave up seven hits in 5.1 ING, but no runners scored against him and he K'd 8. Possibly his most memorable moment came on July 17 when Venters, after a warning had been issued, hit Prince Fielder in the back. It led to a four-game suspension, but that was ultimately revoked.

After his dynamite 2010 season, there was a lot of talk that Venters might replace Wagner, who retired following the season. Or he might serve as dual-closers with Craig Kimbrel, the rookie righty who had arrived later on the scene in 2010. All of that was quickly scrapped and from Day 1 of the 2011 season, when the Braves downed the Nationals 2-0, a three-headed monster had been created. The seventh belonged to O'Flaherty, especially after Peter Moylan went down. Venters handled the 8th and Kimbrel came with heat in the 9th. Together, the trio came known as O'Ventbrel and for the 2011 season, they were as awesome as any trio of relievers have ever been. Kimbrel ran away with the Rookie of the Year after saving 46 games with a 2.10 ERA. O'Flaherty became the first pitcher in history to have an ERA under 1.00 in at least 70 appearances. And Venters? He took his 2010 dominance and became even harder to hit, lowering his WHIP to 1.09 with a 1.84 ERA over 88 innings. The Braves' blueprint in 2011 was simple. Get the lead and turn it over to O'Ventbrel. Wins shall follow.

It was a great plan. Until September. The trio was done by a couple of factors. The offense was miserable and injuries to the rotation, along with Derek Lowe's general suckage, led to a lot of short outings. Only Tim Hudson was able to give the Braves 190 innings that year. O'Flaherty was actually great, but Kimbrel gave up six runs in September, matching his highest single month output. He also gave up two homeruns after just one entering the month, and his WHIP nearly doubled from August to 1.41. The decline was even worse for Venters. His ERA over the final month was 5.11. He walked ten in just 12.1 ING and his WHIP of 1.87 made every outing an adventure. The Braves would eventually complete a collapse on the season's final day against the Phillies. Venters worked around a pair of walks, but Kimbrel gave blew the save in the ninth.

O'Ventbrel's dominance would last really just one year. O'Flaherty and Venters would both miss time in 2012 even as Kimbrel became as nasty as he's ever been. Venters also wasn't nearly as good. His WHIP for the season was an unsightly 1.52 and after surrendering just three homeruns in 171 innings entering 2012, he gave up six in 58.2 ING. It was a sign that things just weren't right with Venters. His last outing came in the 2012 Wild Card Game. With the Braves already down 5-2, Venters came in to face Matt Carpenter. As was typical of that night, Carpenter hit a little soft grounder that neither Venters or Freddie Freeman seemed to want to field. Finally, Venters picked the ball up and missed Carpenter on a tag attempt. All the while, Pete Kozma sprinted from second-to-home to score St. Louis's sixth run. Venters remained in and induced a double play off the bat of Jon Jay. We didn't know at the time, but that was the last pitch Venters would throw as a member of the Brave. And until he comes back, it could be the final pitch he throws as a major leaguer.

This is where this story gets sad. Venters would feel some left elbow discomfort during spring training. He eventually got a plasma injection in hopes to avoid surgery. It only put off the inevitable. Venters' 2013 eventually ended on May 16 with his second Tommy John. After beginning 2014 on the DL, Venters attempted to work his way back toward a rehab assignment. However, setback-after-setback ultimately led to another MRI and the knowledge that he would need yet another Tommy John. Confident that he would eventually return, Venters elected for the surgery last September. He will miss all of 2015 and after the season, the Braves released Venters.

He would eventually find a new home in Tampa Bay on a two year minor league deal. It's the kind of low-cost, high-reward deal smart teams make. We all kind of hope Venters does make it back, though how likely that will be is hard to guess at this point. What we do know is that when he was healthy, his arm was as electric as any in the game. He gave the Braves two amazing years and O'Ventbrel was a sight to see when they were clicking. You could tell the other team felt downtrodden when Fredi Gonzalez went to the bullpen with a lead. Get a hit off O'Flaherty? Venters? KIMBREL? Are you kidding me? Unfortunately, all good things must end.

As an editorial aside, this completes my Favorites Team List. I may add another position at a later date or a player may push one of my guys to the bench, but for the moment, there are no plans to add to the team. Thanks for reading!

Favorite Braves List - Defensive Replacement

(Previous information on this series can be found here. Of importance, this is not a best list, but a favorites list since I started to follow the Braves. That limits options from 1991-to-now.)

Favorite Braves List (so far)
Ace Starter - Greg Maddux
#2 Starter - John Smoltz
#3 Starter - Tim Hudson
#4 Starter - Tom Glavine
Closer - Craig Kimbrel
RH-Reliever - Peter Moylan
Catcher - Brian McCann
First Base - Fred McGriff
Second Base - Marcus Giles
Shortstop - Andrelton Simmons
Third Base - Chipper Jones 
Left Field - Ryan Klesko
Center Field - Andruw Jones
Right Field - Jason Heyward
Backup Catcher - Eddie Perez

Favorite Defensive Replacement
Rafael Belliard

I'm going to warn you. This post makes no mention of Belliard's dWAR or DRS or even UZR.

I call this series my Favorite Braves. It's a group of guys that I watched, followed, and loved. No one better exemplifies the idea of a "loved" Brave than Belliard. Sure, he only hit two homeruns in his 17 year career and I imagine if I looked at his defense enough, I probably couldn't find any real justification for him getting over 2500 PA in the majors when he had a lifetime .530 OPS. But I loved him and he's a fitting addition to this team because...he was my dad's guy.

That's right. Let's get real personal. My mom and dad were not meant to be. When I was born, he was 65. She was 29. A day after a divorce to his second wife (we think) was finalized, he married my mom, who was very pregnant at the time with yours truly. That's not how love stories go. Interestingly enough, a month after I was born, Belliard made his major debut for the Pirates on September 6, 1982. A few years later, my parents would be on their way to divorce and my father moved away to be near his sister. On the other side of the country. My only contact with my father for roughly two years was through the occasional phone call and audio tapes he would record and send in the mail.

When he finally returned, it was just in time for me to begin my all-too brief little league career. I was a very limited player. I had no power, was (and am) a chubster, and my arm - while pretty good - was completely inaccurate. But I loved baseball and as did my father. He made a point to make sure I made it to every game even when I wanted to just stay home and play video games. He also returned to a job he had before he had left for Washington. He was an usher for the Lynchburg Mets and the Red Sox that followed. What this meant to me was that every home game he worked, I got to go for free. The concession staff looked after me and slipped me sodas, hot dogs, and popcorn. I went into the parking lot freely and met other kids that were also hoping for a foul ball to come flying back. It was actually a pretty fun time.

The more I got into baseball, the more I was willing to sit down as a child and watch it on TV. Ultimately, this culminated in us watching whatever game was on. Back then, there were two games that you could count on. The Cubs played in the day and the Braves played in the evening. I never cared for Harry Caray and besides, I often was in school during Cubs games. But the Braves were easier to watch. Hell, they were often on after WCW Saturday Night so we could have a real manly bonding experience (wrestling, baseball, and awful Little Caesers Pizza).

About this time, something weird was happening with the Braves. They started to win. A lot. And my dad, being the non-sabermetric guy that he was, really liked the diminutive shortstop out of the Dominican Republic who the Braves had brought over from the Pirates. Pac-Man had his best offensive season in 1991. He hit .249. But my dad loved him. Like Belliard, my dad was pretty short and nimble...I know the latter because at City Stadium, they called him "Mean Gene the Dancing Machine." And me...being a kid who wanted to impress his father...did something for him. I changed my number from #3 to #2 for the next season of little league. It was this small thing, but I loved my dad.

I stayed with #2 with two other little league squads, including my final year where I convinced the other guys to adopt the team name "Braves." Playing for the Braves with the #2. That 1994 squad won a league title, though I certainly wasn't in consideration for any All-Star claims.

That was also the year I lost my father. It was fitting that the 1994 season would end without a champion that year. It's kind of amazing how you can remember things so vividly. I had came home from school to my mom's house and fell asleep on the couch. When I was woken up, it was to a room full of relatives. My mom had his wallet and told me he went to sleep watching the old Jimmy Stewart movie, Strategic Air Command and never woke up. He loved World War II movies and had been in the war himself. I was 11 when my father died. It wrecked me to the point where middle school was nearly impossible for me. It wasn't until high school that I started to feel normal again.

My escape from the sadness I was not mature enough to deal with was baseball. I could still tune into TBS every night and there would be a game and when Raffy made a nice play, I knew my dad would have told me once again, "that's why he's in there. He might not hit, but he can damn sure get the ball." I remember having an almost cathartic moment in 1995 when the Braves won it all. In the World Series, even when everyone knew that Raffy would put down a suicide squeeze bunt, he still got it down and still drove in a run. Belliard went 0 for 16 in the World Series. He even committed two of the Braves six errors in the Series. But I only remember that bunt.

So, I'm sorry to do this to you. This blog is about stats and analysis, not personal feelings. And this stream of consciousness is probably a sad mess and I'm sorry about that, too. Except I'm not really sorry at all. I'll forget most of what Andrelton Simmons does. But I won't forget Raffy. No way could I ever forget #2.

Favorite Braves List - Pinch Hitter

(Previous information on this series can be found here. Of importance, this is not a best list, but a favorites list since I started to follow the Braves. That limits options from 1991-to-now.)

Favorite Braves List (so far)
Ace Starter - Greg Maddux
#2 Starter - John Smoltz
#3 Starter - Tim Hudson
#4 Starter - Tom Glavine
Closer - Craig Kimbrel
RH-Reliever - Peter Moylan
Catcher - Brian McCann
First Base - Fred McGriff
Second Base - Marcus Giles
Shortstop - Andrelton Simmons
Third Base - Chipper Jones 
Left Field - Ryan Klesko
Center Field - Andruw Jones
Right Field - Jason Heyward
Backup Catcher - Eddie Perez

Honorable Mention: Dwight Smith was a big part of the 1995 World Championship team off the bench. He always seemed capable of providing a big pinch hit when needed. Though he is more known for his platoon work, Matt Diaz was a guy left-hand relievers hated to see come to the plate in a pinch-hitting role. Of course...Francisco Cabrera...he had a big hit.

Favorite Pinch Hitter
Eric Hinske

You just had a feeling, even when he was at his worst, that something special could happen when the Braves called on Eric Hinske to bat. It's kind of rare for bench bats like Hinske to provide the belief that they can be an x-factor. After all, even the most fearsome bench bat is still a bench bat. He probably isn't good enough to be a starter. But ya know, he doesn't need to be. He has a job and he does it well. In a game of specialization that pays handsomely to left-hand relievers getting one out 80 times a year, having a quality bench bat - especially for an NL team - is a requirement for late inning close games.

Hinske wasn't always a bench guy. We often forget that he came up as a big prospect for the Blue Jays back in 2002 and after a 24 HR year with an .845 OPS, Hinske was the AL Rookie of the Year. He would log an additional three seasons of every day work, including a move across the diamond in 2005, but after that year at first base, he transitioned into a role player. Subsequently, he also rolled through the AL East. The Jays sent him to the Red Sox in '06 and the following year, he would hit just .204, but he was a part of the 2007 World Series Champs. He only appeared in three games in the playoffs that year. In fact, of the four consecutive years he was in the playoffs, it was with the Braves that he was used the most (and also the only year he didn't appear in a World Series).

Keeping with the AL East theme, Hinske headed south to Tampa Bay for the 2008 season. He would reach 20 HR for just the second time in his career with the Rays while serving as a left-hand platoon bat in left and right field, along with the occasional start at DH, 1B, and 3B or basically wherever Joe Maddon could find playing time for him. It was the only time in the final eight years of his career that he reached 400 PA. So, it was a little surprising that he only received two at-bats in the playoffs with both coming in the World Series against the Phillies. His pinch-hit homer in Game 4 was one of just two runs the Rays scored in a 10-2 whipping.

Hinske tried the NL in 2009, signing with the Pirates before being traded to the Yankees for the stretch run. He enjoyed the return to the AL East. Of his eight homers in 2009, all but one came after his June 30 deal to the Yanks. Again, once the postseason started, he had to wait until the World Series to get a trip to the plate. In Game 5, he walked and scored a run against Cliff Lee. When the Yankees won in six, he received his second ring.

After the season, the Braves came calling. Interested in adding some depth at first base and right field (it was Jason Heyward's rookie year after all), a player like Hinske was an ideal pick-up. The Braves had tried the bench bat thing with Greg Norton, who had bombed in 2009. They had higher hopes for Hinske and he rewarded them with his best season of his brief NL career. He received a lot of at-bats, mostly playing for the inept Melky Cabrera in left and the deteriorating Troy Glaus at first. In 320 PA, Hinske hit .256, posted a .793 OPS, and finished fifth on the team with 11 homers. It was the kind of productive season that you hope for when you give a journeyman a one-year deal.

For the fourth consecutive season, Hinske was also in the playoffs. Unlike the previous years, he was used in every game of the NLDS against the Giants. His biggest moment of the series and of his time with the Braves came in Game 3. With the series tied at 1-1 and the series shifting to Turner Field, the Braves entered the 8th down 1-0 after Jonathan Sanchez and Tim Hudson had both pitched well. Alex Gonzalez opened the inning with a sharp single to center. Brooks Conrad, bless his heart, couldn't do anything properly in the series and popped up a bunt attempt. Glaus was announced as the pinch hitter for the left-hand hitting Rick Ankiel. The Giants countered by getting Sanchez out and replacing him with Sergio Romo. That's when Bobby Cox went with Hinske. Romo got ahead of Hinske 1-2, but couldn't put him away. After Hinske evened the count, Romo hung a slider and Hinske didn't miss it, blasting it deep to the right field bleachers. Turner Field exploded in jubilation. Of course, a young Craig Kimbrel couldn't keep the lead...

Hinske would play two more years in Atlanta. He was solid enough in 2011, but looked like he was on his last legs in 2012. He tried to prolong his career in 2013 with the D'Backs, but simply was not able to keep it going. He retired after 2013 and spent a month with the Yankees as a scout. His biggest contribution to the Yankees during that time was convincing Brian McCann to head to the Bronx (Thanks 'Ski! /sarcasm). Life as a scout didn't last long because he joined the Cubs as a first base coach for the 2014 season. He will be moved to assistant hitting coach this season under the new manager, and his former manager, Joe Maddon.

While it's easy to look at that one year and that one homer, Hinske was a guy to root for as well. He had a demeanor that reminded me some of Andres Galarraga. For the most part, he was a happy-go-lucky type, but screw with his team or come at him with a fastball high-and-tight and you'll be sitting on your ass. You end up loving guys like that.

Favorite Braves List - Right-Handed Reliever

(Previous information on this series can be found here. Of importance, this is not a best list, but a favorites list since I started to follow the Braves. That limits options from 1991-to-now.)

Favorite Braves List (so far)
Ace Starter - Greg Maddux
#2 Starter - John Smoltz
#3 Starter - Tim Hudson
#4 Starter - Tom Glavine
Closer - Craig Kimbrel
Catcher - Brian McCann
First Base - Fred McGriff
Second Base - Marcus Giles
Shortstop - Andrelton Simmons
Third Base - Chipper Jones 
Left Field - Ryan Klesko
Center Field - Andruw Jones
Right Field - Jason Heyward
Backup Catcher - Eddie Perez

Honorable Mention: Greg McMichael is often forgotten, but the dude was money and posted a 3.03 FIP in 280 games out of the Braves pen. Kerry Ligtenberg, like McMichael, closed enough games to save 44 for the Braves and was also a quality pitcher. Not too shabby for a scab that was acquired for $730 of baseball equipment. Though he wasn't the best Braves reliever by any means, I had a little sympathy for Chris Reitsma for the amount of hate Braves fans gave him.

Favorite Braves List - Right-Handed Reliever
Peter Moylan

Atlanta has had a few sidearm pitchers over the year. Of course, Gene Garber stands out, but Brad Clontz was pretty damn solid for a year or two. In recent years, no others are quite as memorable as Peter Moylan, an Australian native who is one of the few real success stories from the World Baseball Classic. His best days were before Craig Kimbrel, but in my bullpen, he is my primary setup guy from the right side.

Getty Images Sport

Born December 2, 1978 in Attadale, a suburb of Perth, Moylan got his start in the minor leagues like many Australians of the time did - with the Minnesota Twins. What Curaçao is to the Braves, Australia is to the Twins. In addition to Moylan, they have also signed Grant Balfour, Liam Hendricks, and Luke Hughes from "down under." In 1996 and 1997, Moylan would spend two seasons in the Gulf Coast League for the Twins, but was released before the 1998 season. He hadn't been all that impressive but worse, he had been in some kind of fight though he contended another man threw the first punch. Regardless of the particulars, Moylan's dream of being a major leaguer looked like it would come to an end. He returned to Australia, became a sales representative for places like Pearce Pharmaceuticals, and played baseball for some club teams. After two back surgeries, Moylan would adopt his now-familiar sidearm delivery.

Moylan still wasn't getting much interest and actually spent a good amount of time playing first base. However, the switch to sidearm had upped his velocity from high 80's to low-to-mid 90's. As if over night, Moylan was a different pitcher and with the inaugural World Baseball Classic on the horizon, he would secure a spot on the national team.

On March 9, 2006, Moylan introduced himself to the world with an outing against Venezuela. While he struggled with his control and walked five, he still struck out four, including mowing down some pretty talented hitters like Magglio Ordonez and Bobby Abreu. When the WBC ended, Moylan selected the Braves over the Red Sox and after nearly a decade away from professional ball in the states, he was back.

After an uneven 2006 that included 15 games with the Braves, Moylan broke out in a big way in 2007. The 28 year-old actually did not break camp with the team, but an injury to Chad Paronto opened the door for Moylan. He took advantage of the opportunity and would lead Braves relievers with 90 innings over 80 games. Hitters struggled to elevate the ball and Moylan posted a 62% groundball rate during the season. Now, the stathead in me looks at his 3.97 FIP and thinks "yeah, but he wasn't THAT good," but when you combine his unique story with a 1.80 ERA, it's tough not to be happy.

It looked like 2008 would be more of the same, but dealing with adversity is kind of Moylan's shtick. Like a good Braves soldier, Moylan would need Tommy John surgery. However, he bounced back quickly and was ready for the opening of the 2009 season, eleven months after surgery. He didn't miss a beat, posting a 2.95 FIP, the best of his career, while setting a record with 87 appearances and no homeruns allowed. His control did take a step back, though. It took an even larger step back the next season when Moylan appeared in 85 outings, but posted a 1.41 WHIP on the heels of a 5.2 BB/9.

Regardless of some alarming numbers, Moylan was still productive and seemed to love being a Brave. For their part, Atlanta loved him and chose to bring him back in 2011. Unfortunately, he needed a third back surgery that wrecked his season. Once he finally returned, he didn't stay healthy for long before tearing a rotator cuff. He missed half of 2012 before starting a lengthy road back that finally had Moylan in the majors for September. The Braves would choose to cut ties with Moylan after the season. He struggled with the Dodgers in 2013 before missing all of 2014 after needed a second Tommy John. He's currently on the road back and hopes to contribute this season to a team that needs him.

Moylan is why we love baseball, though. Not his FIP or his strikeout-to-walk rate. It's the fact that this guy could have given up on a dream after returning to Australia. He had went for it and things didn't work out. Many of us would say, "well, I did my best and now, I'm going to play slow-pitch softball with my co-workers." Instead, Moylan tinkered and found a new arm slot. He kept working hard and got a chance to play in the WBC. He was able to seize the moment and within a year, he was playing in the major leagues. He worked on his craft and kept coming back for more even as the injuries piled up. His personality made him an even bigger fan favorite and Atlanta fans were already in love with the guy. He seemed to not take himself too seriously and sought to enjoy every moment of getting paid to play a child's game. Other righty set-up guys were better, but he takes a rightful place on my favorite team because he was easily that. A favorite. A guy to root for. A guy you are happy is on your team not just for the stats he puts up, but the person he is.

Favorite Braves List - Backup Catcher

(Previous information on this series can be found here. Of importance, this is not a best list, but a favorites list since I started to follow the Braves. That limits options from 1991-to-now.)

Favorite Braves List (so far)
Ace Starter - Greg Maddux
#2 Starter - John Smoltz
#3 Starter - Tim Hudson
#4 Starter - Tom Glavine
Closer - Craig Kimbrel
Catcher - Brian McCann
First Base - Fred McGriff
Second Base - Marcus Giles
Shortstop - Andrelton Simmons
Third Base - Chipper Jones 
Left Field - Ryan Klesko
Center Field - Andruw Jones
Right Field - Jason Heyward

Honorable Mention: Charlie O'Brien was an influential catcher for his redesigned catcher masks, but he was also a solid guy to pair with the young Javy Lopez. David Ross was as good as backup catchers go, even snaking a playoff start from Brian McCann because he was outperforming the injured McCann.

Favorite Braves List - Backup Catcher
Eddie Perez

I have made it to the bench for My Favorite Team and there's nowhere better to start than to find a backup for our starting catcher. Today's option is the perfect compliment to McCann.

It takes a special perseverance to keep plodding along year-after-year in the minors as prospects pass you by on their way to the majors. It also takes a special player and Eddie Perez is not only that, but also a special person. Originally signed out of Venezuela in 1986, it would take Perez nine years in the minors to finally get to the point where he could claim a spot in the majors, but once he did, he endeared himself to teammates and fans alike.

A smart player with superb glove work, Perez played in places the Braves have long stopped working relationships with such as Burlington, Iowa and Sumter, South Carolina. There wasn't anything amazing about his minor league reign. He did hit pretty well in 1991 for Durham, posting a .728 OPS and setting a personal-high with nine homers. He actually played first base a lot to allow Lopez to get the bulk of starts behind the plate. Perez would play two seasons in Greenville and two in Richmond with a cup of coffee with the big-league Braves in 1995. Due to Bobby Cox's desire to carry three catchers in the playoffs, Perez was even on the postseason roster, though he never got an at-bat.

O'Brien, who had been the primary backup for Lopez during his first two years in the majors, left for more playing time with the Toronto Blue Jays after getting a ring with the Braves. That finally gave Perez the chance to win a spot on the bench in 1996. Greg Maddux would eventually call on Perez to be his personal catcher after not feeling comfortable with Lopez, leading to Perez and Maddux's working relationship. Perez still couldn't hit much, but he did post a surprising .336 average in 1998 with a .941 OPS, out-performing Lopez's weak .868 OPS.

This led to 1999 and Perez's only real shot at being a full-time catcher for the Braves. For the first few months, Perez was doing his typical personal catcher gig, but Lopez was dinged up here-and-there, leading to chances to start more. Finally, in late July, Lopez suffered a knee injury that would sideline him for the rest of the year. This sent Perez to the top of the depth chart. He would not touch his 1998 stats, but he did perform better once he settled into his starting role, hitting .252/.321/.417 after Lopez was hurt. Add that occasional offence with his defense, Perez provided the Braves with enough value. Though the Braves did pick up Greg Myers, he wasn't a threat to Perez's playing time.

1999 ended with another trip to the playoffs and after a four-single performance in the NLDS against the Astros, Perez would put the Braves on his back for a wonderful NLCS run. He had a double and a homer in Game One while also providing a sacrifice bunt that led to the final run in a 4-2 win. He even threw out Roger Cedeno, who had stole 66 bases that year. Perez would have a couple more hits in Game Two, including a two-run blast in the sixth inning that provided the difference in a 4-3 win. He added two more hits in Game Three and this time threw out Shawon Dunston. Game Four was his worst game of the series. He went hitless at the plate and yielded a trio of steals. He did reach base three times in Game Five, but was gone by the time Robin Ventura blasted his famous 15th inning Grand Slam Single. Perez was back with a vengeance in Game Six. His two-run single in the first was part of a five-run first inning. A sacrifice in the sixth led to a two-run single by Jose Hernandez to put the Braves up 7-3. After the Mets tied up the game and eventually went ahead, Perez started a rally in the 8th with a single. Otis Nixon would run for him and swipe second before scoring the game-tying run. Of course, the Braves would end up winning in 11 and in doing so, gave this blog its name.

Overall, Perez was 10-for-20 in the NLCS with 2 doubles, 2 HR, and five driven in. He was selected the MVP of the series. Unfortunately, he was not nearly as successful in the World Series. Perez would suffer through a pair of injury-filled campaigns over the next two seasons before the Braves moved him to the Indians for a minor leaguer before the 2002 season. After two seasons away, Perez would return to Atlanta, but this time he would backup first-year starter Johnny Estrada. He returned to do the same thing in 2005, but shoulder tendinitis sidelined him for most the season, opening the door for a young Brian McCann. Perez would eventually make it back, but only to ground-out in his final at-bat on September 27, 2005.

The next season, he would serve as a player/coach for Mississippi before Bobby Cox named him his bullpen coach in 2007, a role he has served ever since. When people talk about possible replacements for Fredi Gonzalez, Perez's name naturally comes up. He has managed three seasons in the Venezuelan Winter League and is a well-respected coach who wants the shot. Whether that means he'll be a good fit for Atlanta, I don't know. Maybe he should cut his teeth in the minors as a manager for a few seasons. Either way, Perez is likely going to be interviewing for managerial positions over the next few years and might even get a chance, even if it's not in Atlanta. Then again, considering the current regime's love for the Braves Way, what better choice for amanager than a guy who who stuck around in the minors forever just to get a shot in Atlanta?

Favorite Braves List - Right Field

(Previous information on this series can be found here. Of importance, this is not a best list, but a favorites list since I started to follow the Braves. That limits options from 1991-to-now.)

Favorite Braves List (so far)
Ace Starter - Greg Maddux
#2 Starter - John Smoltz
#3 Starter - Tim Hudson
#4 Starter - Tom Glavine
Closer - Craig Kimbrel
Catcher - Brian McCann
First Base - Fred McGriff
Second Base - Marcus Giles
Shortstop - Andrelton Simmons
Third Base - Chipper Jones 
Left Field - Ryan Klesko
Center Field - Andruw Jones

Honorable Mention: Well, David Justice hit that homer in 1995 when he wasn't being an ass so that's enough to remember him fondly. Gary Sheffield was solid in two years with the Braves, though the only thing I really remember is the three hits in 30 AB for the Braves in the playoffs.

Favorite Braves List - Right Field
Jason Heyward

In full disclosure, I have had some issues sticking with this blog. I could tell you a wonderful story about being a father for a second time, returning to school, and so on and so forth and hey, it would be a true story, too. But whatever, it is what it is. One of the long running series for my blog is this one. Some have been confused about it. "Where's Warren Spahn? Rabbit Maranville?" But that wasn't the purpose of this list. If you want to talk about the best Braves of all time, players on my list may or may not be in the discussion, but if you want to spend some time talking about who were my favorite Braves that I actually watched, this list will save you some time from hearing me drone on.

When I started this list with McCann in June of 2012, I honestly thought I would get through the list in the span of a few months. I had them written down and I was good to go. But here we are in 2015 and I'm just adding my 12th player to this team and because it took so long, he has been traded away before he could join Kimbrel and Simmons as active Braves on this list. I'm such a lazy ass.

Jason Alias Heyward was drafted with the 14th overall pick of the 2007 draft. He only fell that far because of signability concerns and the Braves jumped at the chance to add Heyward to their collection of Atlanta-area draftees. Though I hate his nickname, the J-Hey Kid rocketed up the minors and always hit against pitchers much older than him. And he beat them up. One year of rookie ball and a year mostly spent at Rome led him to a 2009 season where he started the year at Myrtle Beach and ended the season with Gwinnett. In the process, he posted a .963 OPS with 17 homers and a BB for every strikeout. I remember seeing him play against the Lynchburg Hillcats as a member of the Pelicans that year. Lynchburg would go on to win the title, but Heyward was long gone by the time the Carolina League playoffs came around that year. In one game at City Stadium, Heyward blasted a homer into the Lynchburg night in a game the Braves won 6-0. Random, but after Craig Kimbrel replaced Brandon Beachy (he was a reliever back then), and Kimbrel came in throwing his typical heat, a Hillcat fan yelled, "we're already losing bad. You can go a little easier on us!" Here is a picture showing Heyward and his best friend on the team, Freddie Freeman, as they prepared for a 'Cats pitcher.

Okay, I might not be a photographer, but getting a chance to watch Heyward back then made me an even bigger fan than I already was. I felt fortunate because he was soon moved up to Mississippi and Gwinnett after that. There was talk that the Braves might call him up before the end of 2009, but with the Braves floundering toward an average finish, they rightfully let Heyward stick in the minors.

That led to spring training before the 2010 season. While the Braves didn't outright say the position belonged to Heyward, they certainly didn't bring in anyone for him to beat out. On opening day, Heyward showed why that he indeed belonged. He would hit 17 more homers and go to his surprisingly only All-Star Game. He added a sexy .393 OBP with the help of 91 walks.

Clearly, he needed to be changed. After struggling with injuries and Chipper Jones challenging his willingness to play with pain, Heyward came to camp in 2012 looking to shake off a bad sophomore season, new Braves hitting coach Greg Walker wanted Heyward to be more aggressive. It would lead to a career high 152 strikeouts, but to Walker's credit, it also led to Heyward's career-best 27 homers. Batting behind Michael Bourn, he also swiped 21 bases, another career high, while winning his first Gold Glove. Yeah, the walks were no longer there, but you can do a lot worse than .269/.335/.479.

Heyward would do worse than that, though. He struggled to open 2013 with Andrelton Simmons hitting leadoff and never getting on base. Once Heyward was moved to leadoff, things began to take off and Heyward's OBP kept climbing toward .350, but an untimely ball to the face from Jon Niese put his season in jeopardy. He would make it back for the playoffs, but managed just four hits in 23 trips to the plate. Even more notable...he didn't walk.

In 2014, there was a bigger spotlight on Heyward and he responded with his best season. With his glove, that is. In the batter's box, his OPS went to the wrong side of .750. After the season, he was traded to the Cardinals. And I cried.

At this point, I have no idea what type of player Heyward is. He's missed significant action twice in five years, posted three seasons with an OPS under .800, and he's blasted 20 homers once and stole 20 bases twice. With the glove, he is tremendous and a real weapon. Plus, watching him run the bases is like baseball porn. And that's the stuff I will miss now that he's gone. I thought the world of Heyward, though I resigned myself to believe he wouldn't be a Brave forever. After all, what kind of market can he really demand? Who's truly comparable? Certainly, it was too rich for the Braves' blood. 

That doesn't stop me from wanting to keep the 25 year-old. If he ever breaks out, he will be among the best in the game and live up to the hype. If he doesn't, he will still be a very good player. Either way, Heyward is a worthy addition to my Favorite Team. I only wish he could be an addition for my favorite team. Or should I say, return to it. 

Favorite Braves List - Closer

(Previous information on this series can be found here. Of importance, this is not a best list, but a favorites list since I started to follow the Braves. That limits options from 1991-to-now.)

Favorite Braves List (so far)
Ace Starter - Greg Maddux
#2 Starter - John Smoltz
#3 Starter - Tim Hudson
#4 Starter - Tom Glavine
Catcher - Brian McCann
First Base - Fred McGriff
Second Base - Marcus Giles
Shortstop - Andrelton Simmons
Third Base - Chipper Jones 
Left Field - Ryan Klesko
Center Field - Andruw Jones

Honorable Mention: Hard not to mention what Mark Wohlers did for the Braves. Even if reading his twitter account is like delving into the mind of a nut-job who overcompensates with his love for guns, he got the final out in 1995 and that alone deserves a mention. Kerry Ligtenberg was one of my favorites, too. His pitching was almost as awesome as his facial hair. Mike Gonzalez was insanely frustrating, but when he was on, he was a joy to watch.

Favorite Braves List - Closer
Craig Kimbrel

I'm a dork.

I can admit that so I have that going for me. If you have been a reader of this blog, you didn't need to be told about it, though. You already are well aware that I'm just a dork. And one thing that gets my dorkometer going is ridiculous numbers that you expect out of a video game on rookie level. Guys like Kimbrel provide that. Last season, Fangraphs re-classified Kimbrel's secondary pitch as a knuckle-curve. They used to call a slider. Neither are correct. Kimbrel's spiked curveball, or power curve, is downright ridiculous. He threw 287 of them last year. Hitters made contact on less than half of them. Of that half they didn't make contact on, almost a quarter of his spiked curve's were swung through. The spiked curveball resulted in 45 strikeouts. Only nine times in 297 usages of the pitch did the hitter reach safely via a hit. Just one resulted in a homer. For a dork like me, I feel like I'm cheating on my wife by looking at these numbers. Don't judge me.

For the last four seasons, Kimbrel has not only dominated the National League (he has led the league in saves in each season), but he has been remarkably durable. He has saved nearly 50 more than the second place guy, pitched in the eleventh most games, and logged the 8th most relief innings. His ERA despite arguably been overused? 1.51. Oh, that's the top in the league for that time frame. If you add his 21 games of work as a middle reliever during the 2010 season, he has a 1.43 ERA in 289 career innings. Of pitchers with 250 or more innings in the long history of baseball, only three players have an ERA under 2.00. Ed Walsh (1.82) and Addie Joss (1.89) join Kimbrel with that elite honor. Granted, they did it in over 2300 innings each, but they also had the spitball. So, even-Stevens?

The most amazing thing about Kimbrel is that while his stuff was never questioned, there was significant questions about whether or not he would find the strikezone enough to be an effective major league pitcher. You're talking about a guy who walked 5.6 per nine innings in the minor leagues. A comparable pitcher to what we thought Kimbrel was limited to was John Axford, a fine righty who has logged 116 saves since 2010, but a guy whose control has limited his effectiveness. You could reasonably have assumed that was Kimbrel's future when he came to the majors. Instead, he has showed unfair control, dropping his only weakness in favor of a walk rate of just 3.36 BB/9 with a low of 2.01.

Another crazy thing is that Kimbrel hasn't been as good the last two seasons as he was in 2012, when he struck out half of all batters he faced. While fangraphs doesn't chart K% that far back, only Aroldis Chapman last year has been able to replicate a percentage of 50% or better. Kimbrel only walked about 6% that year, leaving him with a difference of 44% between the two percentages. Only Chapman eclipses 40%. Kimbrel's FIP that year of 0.78 is eight points lower than the second best season. That season allowed Eric Gagne to win a Cy Young. Kimbrel finished fifth. I'm not a proponent of giving relievers the Cy Young, but damn, if you are going to do it, Kimbrel's 2012 was deserving. Just because there was a feel-good story of a knuckleballer in New York doesn't trump that Kimbrel was super awesome.

Of course, a Kimbrel appreciation article is incomplete without mentioning his pre-pitch stance. It's been called Kimbreling (I guess since wikipedia says so). It's been hilariously mocked. It only adds to the aura of Kimbrel, a guy with filthy stuff that despite being a luxury on a team likely going through a down period, is considered untouchable. He's one of a kind and a worthy addition to the Walk-Off Walk Favorite Braves squad.

Favorite Braves List - Center Field

(Previous information on this series can be found here. Of importance, this is not a best list, but a favorites list since I started to follow the Braves. That limits options from 1991-to-now.)

Favorite Braves List (so far)
Ace Starter - Greg Maddux
#2 Starter - John Smoltz
#3 Starter - Tim Hudson
#4 Starter - Tom Glavine
Catcher - Brian McCann
First Base - Fred McGriff
Second Base - Marcus Giles
Shortstop - Andrelton Simmons
Third Base - Chipper Jones 
Left Field - Ryan Klesko

Honorable Mention: Obviously, Otis Nixon should get a little love for this catch. He might get a little more love if he followed this advice: Crack is whack. Marquis Grissom also made a cool catch. Michael Bourn stopped a long string of awful replacements to today's addition to the Favorites Squad.

Favorite Braves List - Center Field
Andruw Jones

Before there was Andrelton Simmons, there was Andruw. He was the guy we almost grew to expect a big thing to happen from nightly. Baseball players rarely have that that special factor to that demands our continuous attention. Baseball's all about the marathon season and the long haul, not that one moment. That's why it's not like football. When there is a special player, your eyes just focus on them expecting something big. Deion Sanders in his prime. Barry Sanders. Reggie Bush in college. Guys with such a gift rarely are like that in baseball, but Andruw, like Simmons now, had that special ability. It really didn't even become obvious to me until his last couple of seasons when it was pretty much gone. He was still as solid as any center fielder in the game, but more balls to the gap were dropping and more balls were getting over his head. Andruw was no longer special. No longer unique. No longer it.

Born in Willemsted, Curacao, Andruw was a legend long before he monopolized our attention on TBS. He was bigger than those older than him, faster than those leaner than him, and could hit the ball longer than most of the adults who had their jaws drop when they saw him. If he was a Dominican, he would have been the most highly sought after amateur free agent in a generation. Instead, he was from a little island that many teams didn't even scout. The Braves, though, were mining Curacao and Giovanni Viceisza, a businessman and part-time scout for the Braves, made one of the biggest signings in Braves history.

It didn't take long for the rest of baseball to drool at what the Braves had found. The Team of the 90's was ready to restock its major league squad with yet another weapon and Jones was rewarded back-to-back #1 spots in Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects in the Game for 1996 and 1997. Andruw possessed grace that truly was amazing to watch plus a natural smile that never seemed to leave his face. Opposing pitchers must have hated him.

By the end of 1996, he was already in the majors at the ripe old age of 19. While people his age were wondering what to have for dinner - Ramen or Mac & Cheese - Andruw was homering off Denny Neagle (as he did in his second major league game). Six games into his career, he already had a two-homer game. But it was the playoffs that made Andruw Jones the "next big thing." He was pretty quiet through the NLDS and NLCS, though he did homer in the 15-0 thumping the Braves put on the Cards in the deciding Game 7 of the NLCS. That quiet was shattered in Game 1 of the World Series in the House That Babe Ruth Built. He homered in each of his first two at-bats of the Series, becoming the youngest player to do so. Andruw was awesome in the Series, but sadly, the rest of the team wasn't.

Still not able to drink (legally), Andruw would spend 1997 as the fourth outfielder, sharing time in right and center field. It wasn't until 1998 that Andruw would become the starting center fielder for the Braves, a job he would hold until the end of 2007. He would post an OPS of .836 that season, homering 30 times and stealing 27 bases while earning his first of ten consecutive Gold Gloves. Only two outfielders, Roberto Clemente and Willie Mays, have been awarded more Gold Gloves and they were pretty good.

While Andruw's defense was extraordinary and made his pitchers routinely look better than they actually were (and they were pretty damn awesome), his offense never seemed to deliver on the promise that his minor league stats and one night in Yankee Stadium indicated he was capable of. He was very, very good, but it seemed like an .839 OPS in 12 seasons with the Braves was a let down over what we expected. He routinely teased us with glimpses of what he could be. In 2000, when he was still just 23, Andruw went to his first All-Star Game while slashing .303/.366/.541. Publications were positive that he would finish his breakthrough with an even bigger season in 2001. I recall how for three or four years, every season preview The Sporting News put out had Andruw as the preseason MVP.

But it never happened. His OPS fell over a hundred points in 2001 and he would post just one more .900 OPS in his career.

His base stealing ability, which once allowed him to swipe 56 bases in the minors, was completely gone by 2002. His batting average ventured north of .270 just once after 2000. He did post a MVP runner-up season in 2005 when he belted 51 homers to pace the league and it's worth noting he had a solid follow-up campaign in 2006 with a near-.900 OPS.

Then...there was 2007. The pending free agent was probably gone no matter what, but when he slashed .222/.311/.413, he was really gone. What a crappy end to what should have been a long and productive career for the guy who was supposed to be the perennial MVP candidate and the NL's answer to Ken Griffey Jr. But maybe that's our fault. Maybe our expectations were always too high. Maybe it took having Andruw gone and the replacements like Josh Anderson, Nate McLouth, and Jordan Schafer coming through for us to realize what we lost. Even a lesser Andruw was preferable.

But without Atlanta, Andruw was worse, too. He washed out after one excruciatingly awful year with the Dodgers. After that, he transitioned into a backup role with the Rangers, White Sox, and Yankees while largely staying away from center field. Over the last two seasons, he has played in Japan, continuing his quest to be the Curacaoian version of the Three True Outcomes.

His time in Atlanta was exciting, special, frustrating, disappointing, and under-appreciated. His defense alone deserves recognition in Cooperstown. His off-the-field troubles are well documented and he was no saint, but six or seven times a week on TBS, he was one of the best things to watch. Granted, at the time, his competition was the Andy Griffith Show and WCW Saturday Night, but the point still stands.