Thursday Throwback - Reed Johnson

Sometimes, moves just don't pan out like they ought to. That was the case of the 2012 midseason trade that sent Reed Johnson, along with Paul Maholm, to the Braves. The trade was born out of a move that didn't happen and ultimately, failed to deliver despite looking like a good deal on paper for Frank Wren. Even when Wren made the right move, it just didn't seem to work.

But long before that trade, Reed Johnson was born a few weeks before Christmas in 1976. A product of Riverside, California, Johnson was a star in both baseball and soccer in high school. His success there landed him a coveted scholarship opportunity with Cal-State Fullerton, where he was an Academic All-American and posted strong offensive numbers as a catalyst for the Titans' offense. Undrafted out of high school, Johnson played well enough during his college years to move into the 17th round of the draft, which is where the Blue Jays took him. The '99 draft wasn't very good for the Jays. They took Alex Rios with their first round pick and he did develop into a decent player, but only three other players made it to the majors, including Johnson, the second-best player taken that year by Toronto.

After a summer of adjusting to pro ball, Johnson became an overnight prospect in 2000. He spent the year at two different A-ball stops and slashed .298/.420/.479, flashing plus-plus plate discipline and enough power and speed to be a very intriguing prospect. In 2001, this time at Double-A, Johnson became a name to watch. Spending the year with the Tennessee Smokies, Johnson slashed .314/.384/.451. The walk total was a bit of a letdown, but Johnson filled out his baseball card with 29 doubles, four triples, 13 homers, and 42 steals. The Southern League All-Star looked like he was a great late-round find for the Blue Jays and a player that could help them very soon.

After missing most of 2002 with injury, Johnson worked his way into the picture for the big league club in 2003. After opening the year in the minors, Johnson would soon establish himself as a major league performer with a strong summer. In 114 games in the majors, Johnson hit .294 with 10 homers and a .353 on-base percentage. The Jays had opened the year with super sub Frank Catalanotto in right field, but an injury to Shannon Stewart opened left for Catalanotto and allowed Johnson to slide into right field. Bobby Kielty would later join the team, cutting into Johnson's playing time, but Johnson proved his worth by being the Blue Jays' most used leadoff hitter.

For the next two years, Johnson was the regular left fielder for the Jays and was unspectacular in his job before a breakout 2006 campaign saw Johnson hit .319/.390/.479 with 12 homers. He led the AL in getting hit by a pitch that season as well. However, his success was short-lived. During an injury-marred 2007 season, he hit just .236 over 79 games. Johnson struggled the next spring as well and with the Jays feeling a roster crush, Toronto surprisingly released Johnson as spring training was nearing its end. The five-year pro would not remain available for long as he landed with the Cubs. A bench bat and platoon player, Johnson was a perfect fit in Chicago. He OPS'd .778 his first season with the Cubbies before slashing .255/.330/.412 during an injury-shortened 2009 season.

Johnson took his talents out west and played for the Dodgers in 2010, which wasn't much of a trip from the city he was born (Riverside). He struggled with in Los Angeles, though, and lasted just one year before returning to the Cubs in 2011. Like he had never left, his success returned.

That brings us to the 2012 season. The Cubs were in the first year of their rebuild under Theo Epstein. The former Red Sox mastermind had just hired Jed Hoyer to be their General Manager. That season, the Cubs were breaking in young Anthony Rizzo at first base (who, interestingly enough, Hoyer had dealt to the Cubs as the Padres' GM) and Chicago was trying to add young talent to the mix to build what eventually would become a winner. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Braves were trying to get back to the playoffs after their 2011 collapse during then-manager Fredi Gonzalez's first year at the helm. The Cubs and Braves seemed like a perfect match and a week before the trading deadline, a deal seemed imminent. However, neither Johnson, nor lefthander Paul Maholm, were part of it.

Atlanta was desperate to add a starter to their team that they could count on. With Jair Jurrjens looking like a lost cause, the Braves had turned to Ben Sheets. 25 year-old Tommy Hanson was struggling and Brandon Beachy, also 25, had made just 13 starts before going down with injury. They still had Tim Hudson while Mike Minor was improving, as a team with playoff aspirations, Atlanta did not have the kind of rotation that would be able to compete against the big boys of the National League. Atlanta thought they had found their man in Ryan Dempster. The former closer had been excellent to begin 2012 with a 2.11 ERA through his first 15 starts. While Dempster wasn't an ace, he was the kind of bulldog starter that gave his manager and general manager a bit more confidence than hoping Sheets could make it through the summer or that Hanson could turn the corner.

Wren and Hoyer found the right mix of players that would make the deal happen. Atlanta would send young Randall Delgado to the Cubs, which would finally separate the four pitchers of the future (Minor, Delgado, Julio Teheran, and Arodys Vizcaino). Another prospect would head to Chicago as well and the Braves would get Dempster. One little problem, though. With over 14 years of experience, including eight full seasons with the Cubs, Dempster qualified as a 10-5 player and could nix any deal. Dempster was open to a trade, but preferred to head out west where he could join his good buddy Ted Lilly and the Dodgers. While Dempster weighed his options - and definitely held out hope for a move to the Dodgers - the Braves grew agitated. All the perimeters were agreed upon and the deal had been leaked out to the public. Wren set a deadline for Dempster, but the right-hander refused to make a decision as he held out hope Los Angeles would step up. Atlanta ultimately took themselves out of the process rather than watch Dempster play the part of the girl with a date to the Prom all lined up, but is still hoping to go with the high school quarterback rather than the dude that actually wants to be with her. Not that I know anything about that...

The Braves still wanted a pitcher, but could not find a Dempster-like arm on the trade market. Instead, they called Hoyer up and asked about Maholm. A long time Pirate, Maholm had joined the Cubs the previous offseason and he was also having a good season. Not a great one like Dempster, but would give the Braves a serviceable left-hand arm for their rotation. Meanwhile, the Braves did find their front-of-the-rotation arm by moving Kris Medlen into the rotation.  Coming along for the ride with Maholm and some bags of cash was Johnson. The Braves were stacked in the outfield with rookie Jason Heyward joining Michael Bourn and Martin Prado, but the prospect of adding a right-handed bat like Johnson to pair with Eric Hinske coming off the bench was a great fit. The Braves still broke up their four previously untouchable arms by sending Arodys Vizcaino to the Cubs in the deal along with reliever Jaye Chapman. Vizcaino was on the mend after having Tommy John surgery that spring.

Johnson got into 43 games down the stretch for the Braves and hit .270. He would get fairly regular time with Prado moving all over the field and helped to give the Braves their first real backup option to Bourn during the 2012 season. Both Prado and Bourn would be gone the next winter and would be replaced by Justin and Melvin "B.J" Upton Jr. Johnson, a free agent, liked Atlanta enough to return for a second year. He missed all of August with Achilles tendinitis, but missed even more time because Johnson was not a regular in the mix for the Braves even with the failures of the elder Upton. Instead, Johnson took a back seat to Jordan Schafer, who had returned after being claimed on waivers, and rookie Evan Gattis, who occasionally played left field to get his bat into the lineup more often. Johnson received five fewer plate appearances than Gerald Laird during the 2013 season and Johnson struggled to connect the bat to the ball with any authority.

During his year-and-a-half with the Braves, Johnson hit .256/.308/.332 with one homer, a pinch-hit two-run shot off former Braves farmhand Todd Redmond - then a member of Johnson's first team, the Jays. Johnson would struggle during a 2014 season spent as a reserve in Miami and continued his tour through the NL East with a stop in Washington next. A torn tendon in his left calf limited him to just 17 games with the Nats. He returned to DC the following year, but failed to make the roster coming out of camp last spring. I do not know if he's given up the dream of playing baseball again or not, but at 40 years-old, it seems unlikely that he'll continue his career.

His time with the Braves was short and ultimately uneventful. In the end, like many of Wren's deals, it just never worked like it should have. Of course, the Braves ended up re-acquiring Arodys Vizcaino from this deal so it cost precious little for Atlanta - even if it wasn't the deal they wanted.

Previous Throwbacks...
Mike Mordecai (1994-97)
David Ross (2009-12)
Ryan Langerhans (2002-03, 2005-07)

...or view ALL of them.

Thursday Throwback - Mike Mordecai

By self (self) [Public domain],
via Wikimedia Commons

Atlanta had a lot of players come up in the early-to-mid 90's who played a variety of roles. Some were superstars; others were average fill-ins. Outside of 1995, Mike Mordecai was just a guy for the Braves. His biggest hit would come much later in his career well after the Braves had moved on.

Born 12 days before Christmas in 1967, the Alabama native became a star at Hewitt-Trussville High School in the mid-80's. The Pirates selected him in the 33rd round of 1986, but Mordecai balked on signing and honored his commitment to South Alabama University. Twice, he would be an All-American and was a routine fixture on the All-Sun Belt teams while he was with the Jacquars. On June 5, 1989, the Atlanta Braves made him their sixth round pick. Five days later, he signed his first professional contract. '89's draft only produced a handful of major leaguers for the Braves and Mordecai's selection was over-shadowed by the guy the Braves selected in the previous round - Ryan Klesko.

One word to describe Mordecai in the minors was "steady." He was steadily unremarkable in his climb up the ladder. Baseball still valued defense over offense from middle infielders at the time, which aided Mordecai's rise. He also played the infield corners, some outfield, and even embraced his utility role by doing some emergency catching with Richmond in 1993.

1994 marked the third year Mordecai would play at Richmond. It also marked the year he started to show something with the bat. He slashed .280/.340/.461 with 14 homeruns after hitting 15 dingers combined since signing with the Braves in 1989. He also swiped 14 bases and picked up 25 doubles. His year with Richmond would be sandwiched around a brief run with the big league team in mid-May as an injury fill-in. Three times he was used as a defensive replacement, but on May 10, the Braves had him pinch-hit for Rafael Belliard down 8-1. He flied out, but his day wasn't close to being over. In the ninth, the Braves opened the inning with five consecutive singles to cut into the Phillies lead. They would get a hell of a lot closer when Mordecai added to the rally with his first big-league hit: a three-run homer on a 1-2 pitch. to get the Braves within a run. Later in the inning, Atlanta would tie the game. In the 15th inning, with two outs and Deion Sanders 90 feet away from home, Mike Stanton bunted him home for the walkoff. Yeah, 15-inning games just get weird.

Once the 1994 Strike was settled, Mordecai became a "last guy on the bench" for the 1995 Braves. With Belliard hogging much of the playing time behind Mark Lemke and Jeff Blauser, there wasn't many at-bats to be had for Mordecai, but he was productive when used (.280/.353/.480 over 87 PA). That includes a 7-for-29 performance as a pinch hitter with his only pinch-hit homer of his career - a solo shot off Randy Myers in a losing effort at Wrigley. Mordecai stuck around for the postseason and had a go-around RBI single in the ninth inning of Game 2 of the NLDS against the Rockies. He would play in six more games that postseason, going 2-for-7 with 2 K and a sacrifice.

Mordecai's offensive numbers would slip the next two seasons from their 1995 levels. Combined, he hit just .212/.267/.291 over 211 PA. With arbitration on the horizon, Atlanta chose to cut costs and non-tendered Mordecai after the 1997 season. He would land in Montrael and over the next four seasons, he was a regular 10th man for the squad, playing all over the infield with a brief cameo in right and at catcher.

He was in his fifth season with the Expos when he was included in a seven-player trade that sent the utility infielder to the Marlins with Graeme Lloyd and Carl Pavano while Cliff Floyd returned to Montreal. His biggest knock with the Marlins and of his career came the next year. After a bad season at the plate, Mordecai was kept around for October baseball and led off the top of the 8th of Game 6 of the NLCS with a flyout. The Cubs were five outs away from reaching the World Series. And then...some of the most inexplicable things to ever happen on a ballfield took place. With a runner on, Luis Castillo lifted a flyball toward the left field foul territory seats. Moises Alou leaped for the ball, but Steve Bartman reached for it and deflected it away. And then...things got weird. A walk, a single, an error on a potential double play, a double, an intentional walk, and a sacrifice fly. After another intentional walk, the bases were loaded for the guy who began the inning. The Marlins had plated four runs since Mordecai last came to the plate. They added three more on a double by the utility infielder. Florida won the game 8-3 and would go on to beat the Cubs the next night to reach the postseason and force the city of Chicago to blame a fan for doing the same thing all fans do.

It was Mordecai's most meaningful hit. It was also probably his last important one. He slashed just .226/.278/.298 the following year with the Marlins and retired to take a job as a manager at the rookie level squad for the Marlins. Later that year in September, he un-retired to come back long enough to reach ten years of service. After going 0-for-2, he retired for good at the end of 2005. He worked a variety of jobs in baseball after that from coaching positions ranging from the majors-to-high school. More recently, he has settled into minor league instruction position for the Blue Jays.

Recent Thursday Throwbacks...
David Ross (2009-12)
Ryan Langerhans (2002-03, 2005-07)
Special - Rafael Furcal's Near-Signing (2008)
...or view ALL of them.

Thursday Throwback - David Ross

Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

(For my take on Hector Olivera, click here.)

Backup catchers are sort of like backup quarterbacks. You might think spending money on one is a waste of resources until you need him to be there and produce. When that happens, you are happy that you had the foresight to get the best possible backup. For four years, David Ross fulfilled that role for the Atlanta Braves and they are still trying to replace him.

Born in March of 1977 in Bainbridge, Georgia, David Wade Ross later attended the aptly named Florida High School in Tallahassee. The Dodgers tried their luck with Ross in the 19th round of the '95 draft, but he passed and went to college - first at Auburn and then at Florida. It was at Auburn that he teamed up with center fielder and sometimes pitcher, Tim Hudson. Several years later, Hudson and Ross would again be teammates, but we'll get to that.

Ross had transferred to Florida for playing time and it led to him getting picked again by the Dodgers in '98, this time in the 7th round. Expected to be a power hitter behind the plate with advanced defensive skills, Ross began his minor league career in style with a .309/.412/.487 slash with Yakima in Short-Season A-ball after he was drafted. Two years later, a return trip to Florida with the Jacksonville Suns gave Ross his second .800 OPS season. He continued the good run with a .297/.384/.519 triple slash the following season with Las Vegas. His solid game got him to the majors in mid-summer of '02 and again in September. He would notably replace Paul Lo Duca in a 19-1 blistering the Dodgers gave the Diamondbacks. Long-time Cub Mark Grace took the ball to pitch the ninth and Ross put the cherry on the top with a first-pitch homerun. It was his first of what is currently 96 homeruns.

Ross missed much of 2003 before settling in as a backup in '04, though the results were terrible (.170/.253/.291). After failing to beat out Paul Bako for the backup job the next spring, Ross was sent to the Pirates. You might have forgotten he played for the Pirates - I know I did. He struggled with Pittsburgh. A late move to San Diego helped his season stats, but he still finished the year with a .671 OPS. Ross was nearing 30 and looked like a journeyman and not a particularly good one at that.

For the second consecutive spring, Ross was squeezed out of the opening day roster - this time by Rob Bowen - and the Padres dealt Ross to the Reds. It was in Cincinnati that Ross found a little stability. In his first year, he took advantage of the Great American Ball Park's generous dimensions to hit a career-best 21 homeruns with a .932 OPS. His follow-up campaign would see the power sustained (17 homeruns), but he simply could not get on base enough (.271 OBP). He would get a third year with the Reds and the results were a mixed bag. He improved his on-base ability, but his power nearly disappeared. The Reds moved on, releasing Ross that August. He briefly caught on with the Red Sox and would even play a game in the postseason.

That offseason, Atlanta was looking for stability behind Brian McCann. They had gone through Corky Miller, Clint Sammons, and Brayan Pena for two seasons. Pena was the only one to provide any element of offense, but the Braves didn't seem convinced he was a capable enough receiver. McCann had played 145 games, which is still his career-high, and by the end of the year, he continued to produce though he lacked the power he had showed so impressively earlier in the season. Ross would help the Braves in a number of ways. The Braves had gifted Todd Pratt to McCann in the latter's first full season of '06, but the still young-McCann could benefit from a guy who had seen much the game had to offer in Ross. Plus, Ross was seen as a leader for a staff that began the year with 23 year-old Jair Jurrjens and later added 22 year-old Tommy Hanson. While little was expected from his bat, the prevailing assumption was that Ross would be able to contribute a few taters and not be a complete zero at the plate like Miller and Sammons.

Year 1 went about as good as the Braves could have hoped. Ross triple slashed .273/.380/.508 with 7 HR. His pairing with McCann was brilliant and the drop-off was nearly non-existent. His leadership was also present for both McCann and the pitchers he worked with. In the second year of a two-year contract, he continued to excel for the Braves, slashing .289/.392/.479 with 13 doubles, the second-best total for any season of his career. He would go on to appear twice that postseason as a defensive replacement. One of his biggest knocks of his first two seasons came in the fifth inning of the August 31, 2010 game against the visiting Mets. The Braves had began the inning down 2-1, but a two-run double by Jason Heyward and a run-scoring single by Alex Gonzalez had put the Braves on top. A batter after Gonzalez, Ross chased Jon Niese with a Grand Slam to deep left.

After bringing back Ross on a second two-year deal, the Braves catching situation remained the best in baseball in 2011. Ross never matched his production from the first two seasons, but he slashed .263/.333/.428 in 171 PA - a stellar effort from a backup. He picked up his second two-homer game as a Brave on April 26 and on July 2, he smacked his second Grand Slam as a Brave, providing the edge against Jake Arrieta and the Orioles 5-4. On July 27, he tied a 1-0 game with an RBI single against Paul Maholm and the Pirates in the sixth and four innings later, hit a walk-off single to win the game. A year later, he remained sturdy with a .256/.321/.449 slash. While the season would go down as the year Ross started over a hurting and struggling McCann in the ill-fated Wild Card Game, I think 2012 should be all about August 8 in Philadelphia. It was on that night, as the Braves cruised to a ho-hum 12-6 win, that Ross reached first base with two outs on an error. On the second pitch to next hitter, Paul Janish, Ross stole second. In his eleventh year in the majors, Ross has finally stole his first base.

But sure, let's focus on that Wild Card Game. McCann's shoulder was shot and he needed offseason surgery to rectify the situation. The two catchers shared a good deal of time in September rather than there being a clear distinction between the two. It was McCann's worst season - well, until he became a Yankee. Over his final 19 games, McCann had hit just .209 with a .260 OBP and .328 slugging. So, it was not too surprising that Ross played ahead of McCann - yet it still seemed like it was. Ross stepped in and gave the Braves a boost, though. He singled twice and homered over four at-bats. And Fredi Gonzalez's decision probably would have been lauded had the umpires not changed what the meaning of the infield fly rule was. I'm half-kidding, of course.

The Braves had gotten away with paying Ross just $1.625M for the final two years of his Braves' run. Over his four years with Atlanta, he had slashed .269/.353/.463. He deserved a pay raise and the Braves couldn't match what he was worth on the open market. That was not a problem for the Boston Red Sox, who inked Ross to a $3.1M average salary. His season got off to a miserable as he hit the DL in mid-June with concussion issues. When he returned, he was able to regain his place as Jon Lester's personal catcher, which became important in keeping him in the mix for the playoffs. He began to steal time beyond Lester's starts from Jarrod Saltalamacchia and in Game 5 of the World Series, he picked up a go-ahead RBI double off Adam Wainwright that helped the Red Sox win and inch closer to a World Series title. Two days later, with Ross behind the plate, the Red Sox beat the Cards 6-1, giving Ross his first World Series ring.

After another year with Boston that included some miserable results, Ross again hit free agency and joined the Cubs. His first year there was miserable at the plate, though his value in the clubhouse and behind the plate still impressed many. He even pitched two games - and did really well (2 ING, 6 batters up, 6 batters down). He returns for a farewell tour this year that has attracted a great deal of attention, which is a testament to Ross the person moreso than Ross the player.

For four years, the Braves had the best catching situation in baseball with an All-Star and a capable backup. The years since have shown how rare that is to put together. With his career nearly up, one has to wonder what's next after 2016. With how well-liked he is and how his leadership is lauded, hard not to see a coaching future for Ross. Maybe that could be a pathway back to Atlanta. Just spitballing.

Rossy gets some air as Chipper Jones sends a ball through the air against the Phillies on 9/2/12.
Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

Recent Thursday Throwbacks...
Ryan Langerhans (2002-2003, 2005-07)
Special - Rafael Furcal's Near-Signing (2008)
Marquis Grissom (1995-96)
...or view ALL of them.

Thursday Throwback - Ryan Langerhans

I've mentioned before that I love to play Out of the Park on the PC. It's a baseball simulator that gives you loads of customization and all of the stats that you could ever wish for. I just pre-ordered OOTP 17, which comes out later this month, and will probably order OOTP 18. It's the only game that comes out every year in which I purchase each version. Part of that reason is that you grow attached to teams and players inside a mini universe you build. Several years ago, today's Thursday Throwback was one of those players for me. While his career wasn't too significant, Ryan Langerhans developed into an All-Star and study player for nearly ten years for me. As the real version became AAAA filler, my version was hitting second and helping me get to the playoffs. It's enough to cloud your memory of a player because now when I look at Langer's career, I'm a little shocked that it was so...uneventful. Oh, well.

Elsa/Getty Images

A third round pick out of the 1998 draft, Langerhans went straight from Round Rock High School (TX) into a professional career with the Braves. As a prospect, Langerhans was never a high-ranking guy, but outside of a terrible season with the Pelicans in 2000, he was pretty sturdy and developed some decent power and on-base skills along the way. He first made his debut on April 28, 2002 as an emergency injury fill-in. He received just an at-bat and spent the rest of the season in Greenville. He got a bigger look in 2003 with 16 games and 15 PA, but he managed just four singles.

At this point, Langerhans was "just a guy" (h/t Outfield Fly Rule), but in 2004, the 24-year old had a bit of a breakthrough campaign. He spent all of the season with Richmond and hit a stout .298/.397/.518 with 20 HR. It was the perfect time for Langerhans to start to put it all together. In the majors, the Braves still had Andruw Jones in center field, but things weren't nearly as set around him. J.D. Drew was leaving after an MVP-quality one-and-done year with the Braves and in left field, the Braves had moved Chipper Jones back to third base. That gave us a platoon of Charles Thomas and Eli Marrero in 2004, which was very productive. Thomas, of course, would be dealt to the A's while Marrero, who had slashed .320/.374/.4520 over nearly 300 PA, was surprisingly traded to the Royals for Jorge Vazquez. That was probably a salary dump.

John Schuerholz knew he had options on the way. Kelly Johnson would be shifted to left and Jeff Francoeur was closing in on a promotion. With a declining payroll, Schuerholz rolled the dice on a few veterans holding down the fort with Raul Mondesi in right and Brian Jordan in left. Both veterans had sucked the previous year, but the Braves were hoping for a little magic for a year. Behind those two and Andruw was Langerhans, a perfect fourth outfielder. He could sneak at-bats against right-handed pitching and play all three outfield spots. Plus, he was out of options so that helped the Braves make a decision on him.

Langer had a bad first month as he learned to be a backup, but seemed to turn it around from there and after April, Langer hit .275/.353/.435 with 7 HR. He picked up 80 starts as Jordan and Mondesi failed nightly with the latter getting released and the former eventually DL'd just to hide him. The eventual promotions of KJ and Francoeur cut into Langerhans' time, but he remained a key part of the outfield mix well into the summer. He struck out a little too much, but he showed an understanding of the strikezone and walked at a solid rate. While others wore the Baby Braves banner with more fanfare, Langer was a very important part of the 2005 Braves.

Which is part of why it was so surprising that Jordan, who didn't even on-base .300 during 2005, got a Game 1 start in the NLDS over Langer and KJ. We were told that the lefty Andy Pettitte was the reason, but it seemed ridiculous for someone who had hit so poorly playing over the clearer better options. Jordan went 0-for-3 and his rally-killing double play in the 4th when the Braves had fought back to make it 4-3. By the time Langer hit for Jordan in the 9th, it was 10-4 Astros.

Langerhans got the Game 2 start and contributed a pair of singles in Atlanta's 7-1 win over Roger Clemens. He would go hitless in Game 3, but did walk and score a run in Atlanta's 7-3 loss. In Game 4, Langerhans would play all 18 innings and had a single, a double, two walks (one intentional), a HBP, and - amazingly - his first successfully stolen base as a major league player. In the 18th, Langer was the one at the base of the left field wall praying that a miracle would happen as Chris Burke's series-ending homerun reached the fans.

That was a lot written about Langer's 2005, I know. There's a reason for that. In 2006, Langer was still good, but his power numbers fell and his strikeouts went up. A 50 point drop in OPS is not the worst sophomore slump, but it would be the last year he reached the 250 PA plateau as a major leaguer.

2007 got off to a rotten start for Langerhans. It was absolutely woeful. His batting average fell under .100 with a pinch-hit strikeout on April 16. It bottomed out at .049 a dozen days later and he was traded a few days after that. Overall, in 20 games, Langerhans went 3-for-44 with a double, 6 walks, and 16 strikeouts. He was literally that guy from Little Big League who couldn't hack it anymore. When he would get a hit, his manager, the prepubescent Billy Heywood, went crazy until his pitching coach said something to the effect of "don't you think it says something when you get this happy over a seeing-eye single?" Perhaps if the Braves had an option left, they would have kept Langerhans on, but attempting to get something for him, they trade him on a conditional deal to the A's.

I'm not sure what the conditions of that deal were, but when he was traded a couple of days later to the Nats for Chris Snelling, I'm sure the Braves didn't receive much for dealing Langerhans away. Langerhans really didn't bounce back, but a bad Nationals club kept him on. In 103 games with Washington, he slashed just .198/.296/.370. He would continue on with the Nationals in 2008, but he would be banished to the minors in '09 before becoming the answer to "what did the Mariners get for trading Mike Morse to the Nats in 2009?"

After the trade, Langerhans spent a good portion of the last two months with the Mariners, but continued to struggle. Still, he became a bit of a fixture as a guy going up-and-down between Tacoma and Seattle through 2011. Two brief cameos with the Angels and Blue Jays in '12 and '13 respectively put a close to his major league career. He kept his career alive for one year with Sugar Land of the independent Atlantic League in 2014, but the writing was on the wall and Langerhans hung up his cleats. After his sophomore follow-up of 2006, Langerhans had hit just .196/.318/.341 over 716 PA in the majors over seven years and with six different teams.

Since retiring, Langerhans has been part of the Buck Commander tv series with former teammate Adam LaRoche among others. Not really my thing, but hey, I'm sure Chipper and him have a lot to talk about. Me? I just remember how I couldn't have won a couple of World Series in OOTP without Langer being a constant in the #2 spot.

Other Thursday Throwbacks...
Special - Rafael Furcal's Near-Signing (2008)
Marquis Grissom (1995-96)
Terrell Wade (1995-97)
...or view ALL of them.

Thursday Throwback - Like Dexter Fowler, Rafael Furcal Looked Like a Done Deal

Typically, the Thursday Throwback is related to a random player and his time with the Braves. However, in light of Dexter Fowler's stunning decision to pass on the Baltimore Orioles and sign with the Chicago Cubs, I felt it was a perfect time to remember when a similar event kind of happened to the Braves. And bonus - it was far more ugly than just disagreeing about contract particulars.

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

I've referenced Frank Wren's terrible 2008-09 offseason a few times here regarding the signings of Derek Lowe and Kenshin Kawakami along with the desperate settling for Garret Anderson. At my other site, I also went deep into the time Ken Griffey Jr. nearly joined the Braves. Now, we focus on the biggest point of contention related to that offseason - the pursuit of Rafael Furcal.

You might recall that Furcal came to the majors as a not-19 year-old kid back in 2000. I say "not" because he was actually 21 years-old, but hey, who doesn't lie about their age so that they can sign with a major league franchise two years before they are legally able to? Furcal's 2000 was hyper-impressive even after you accept that he wasn't 19 years-old during the season. He stole 40 bases, walked nearly as often as he struck out, posted a .394 OBP, and played a pretty stout shortstop.

Fookie would spend five more years in Atlanta and though he only eclipsed the 40-steal mark once more, he was often a great leadoff hitter who some complained was vulnerable to the Omar Epps-played Willie Mays Hayes syndrome (not an official name). Furcal liked to display his power and overswing despite having the bat control and speed to turn grounders the other way into hits. He stopped bunting doubles (yes, he did that) and hit leadoff homers instead. Still, when your leadoff hitter posts a triple slash of .285/.348/.429 over his final three years with the team, you're kinda okay with the negatives.

A free agent in 2005, Furcal became the latest in a string of high-profile defections from a team no longer maintaining a bloated payroll. The Braves astutely replaced Furcal with Edgar Renteria in 2006 and didn't miss a beat. Renty didn't have the arm Furcal did, but he was a better all-around bat. After 2007, the Braves moved Yunel Escobar into the starting shortstop gig and continued their string of solid shortstop play.

Which was what made Atlanta's interest in bringing back Furcal so curious. Furcal had done quite well with the Dodgers after leaving Atlanta, but missed most of 2008 with back surgery. However, Atlanta wasn't interested in Furcal playing short - they wanted him at second base. That was also kind of curious because Kelly Johnson had posted a triple slash of .282/.362/.451 with 28 HR the previous two years as the starting second baseman (and part-time leadoff hitter). Presumably, Atlanta would have shifted Johnson back to left field (where he played briefly in '05), which would have saved us from the Griffey Jr and Anderson pursuits later that offseason. Though his agent later said it was an issue, Furcal commented on the prospect of shifting to second: "For me, it's no problem."

The Dodgers wanted Furcal back and as the calendar reached mid-December, the two clubs were the final two teams in the running for Furcal. Ned Colletti, the Dodgers GM, had been assured that they would get a final shot to re-sign Furcal, and both teams jockeyed for supremacy in bringing back the speedy middle infielder.

Los Angeles had initially promised just two seasons as they were concerned with Furcal's back. The Braves saw the opening and went for it, negotiating an offer of $30M over three years with a 2012 option that would vest based on plate appearances. Frank Wren felt even more confident that the offer was good enough to bring back Furcal after the shortstop's agent, Paul Kinzer, asked Wren to fax a signed term sheet. Wren was convinced that their efforts had been successful because, according to the Braves, agents don't ask for a term sheet unless an agreement is pending. News leaked that the Braves were a physical away from announcing the deal and even Kinzer said that Furcal "was close" to accepting the offer. He told his client to sleep on it.

Kinzer then began to "backpedal" and said the Dodgers were promised a last chance to sign Furcal. The Dodgers "suddenly" stepped up, matching the Braves' offer of $30M over three seasons with a vesting option. With Kinzer saying Furcal's preference was to stay in LA the whole time, along with staying at shortstop, the Dodgers and Furcal agreed to the contract pending a physical.

In Atlanta, both John Schuerholz and Wren were incensed. Schuerholz boldly stated that the Braves would never again work with Wasserman Media Group, who Kinzer was employed by. That was possibly a CBA violation, but the message was clear. Atlanta felt betrayed and Wren clarified their position by saying that faxing a signed term sheet was the equivalent of a handshake agreement and that Kinzer and his agency had acted unethically in bowing out at the last moment. Wren also accused Kinzer of taking the term sheet to the Dodgers and effectively giving the Dodgers the ammo to know exactly what they needed to do to retain Furcal.

Schuerholz went further. "Having been in this business for 40-some years, I've never seen anybody treated like that....It was disgusting and unprofessional. We're a proud organization, and we won't allow ourselves to be treated that way."

For their part, Kinzer said that there didn't even exist a verbal agreement between the two sides. "We had, 'Things look very good and Raffy's going to sleep on it.'" Colletti chose not to weigh in too much, but did say that faxing a signed term sheet was not the equivalent of an agreement between the two sides in his experience.

If it means anything, this wouldn't be the last time Kinzer's integrity would be called into question. He was dismissed from Wasserman in 2012 for "unresolved issues involving the players, including fees." The biggest issue came in the form of Francisco Rodriguez, who settled for an unknown amount after seeking more than $5.5M in damages. Rodriguez had been traded to the Brewers in July of 2011 despite including Milwaukee on his list of teams that he couldn't be traded to. For some reason, the list was never filed.

Was the Furcal mess unethical? Possibly. It was definitely shady to say the least. The Braves ultimately went back on their "boycott of Wasserman" and later signed Ryan Lavarnway, Cristhian Martinez, Bud Norris, and others. Kinzer started Rep 1 Baseball after leaving Wasserman and Kelly Kinzer, Paul's son, represents Adonis Garcia.

In the end, Furcal went to the Dodgers and the Braves terrible offseason would continue. They wanted Jake Peavy and Furcal. They got Lowe, Kawakami, and Anderson. Their double play combo of Johnson and Escobar wouldn't last long either. But in their favor was that Furcal was only healthy for the 2009 season and hurt after that so they dodged the bullet of paying an injured Furcal. So, there are some silver linings to this.

Other Thursday Throwbacks...
Marquis Grissom (1995-96)
Terrell Wade (1995-97)
Tommy Gregg (1989-1992, 1997)
...or view ALL of them.

Thursday Throwback - Marquis Grissom

(This column used to be called Random Ex-Brave.)

"Mark gets the sign. The wind and pitch, here it is."...It's a fastball on the outside corner that Carlos Baerga hits off the end of the bat.

Matthew Stockman | Getty

He was born in Atlanta in 1967. He attended Lakeshore High School in College Park. He continued his education and playing career with Florida Agriculture and Mechanical University, four hours away from Atlanta in Tallahassee. The fact was that Marquis Grissom was meant to be a Brave. It was in his DNA. After it finally happened for Grissom in 1995, it would be just more than six months later that Grissom would be involved in one of the biggest moments of Atlanta sports history.

He was born for this.

"Swung! Flyball deep left-center."...The flash of old cameras as fans try to capture the moment. The ball travels through the air toward the gap. Those lucky thousands at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium grow louder in anticipation.

In the 1988 amateur draft, the Braves passed on Grissom five times. Instead, they drafted Steve Avery, Jimmy Kremers, Matt Murray, John Kupsey, and Preston Watson. The latter two failed in their effort to get to the major leagues and only Avery really had much of a career otherwise. Instead, the Expos took Grissom in the third round and #76 overall. He would turn into the best player of the third round that year, though Darren Oliver certainly had a long career.

Grissom would need little time to make his presence felt in the Expos system. He played in just 201 minor league games before arriving in Montreal on August 22, 1989. A year later, he would be limited by injuries, but still swiped 22 bases in 98 games. He was part of a brilliant rookie class for the Expos that year, which also welcomed Mel Rojas, Larry Walker, and Delino DeShields to the majors. All three would receive at least a vote for Rookie of the Year, won by Atlanta's David Justice with 23-of-24 first place votes (DeShields got the other). Starting to think it was a Montreal writer who accounts for the one vote for both Walker and Grissom, along with the only first place vote DeShields received.

In 1991, Grissom had a mini-breakout season while settling into the everyday center fielder. He led the National League in steals with 76, but only on-based .310. It would be a year later that Grissom began to show what he was truly capable of. He again led the NL in stolen bases, this time stealing 78, but showed increased muscle with a .418 SLG, an improvement 45 points. The rest of his game would need one more year to come together and that takes us to 1993. An All-Star and Gold Glove winner for the first time, Grissom slashed .298/.361/.438 for the Expos. The steals were down (and this would become a theme), but his overall game was higher. The .789 OPS was the highest OPS of his career until he eclipsed that in 1996.

Grissom was part of one of the best teams to not go to the playoffs since the creation of divisions. In 1994, the Expos were stacked with talent across the board and bonus - it seemed like all were still young. Moises Alou had settled into an MVP contender next to Grissom in left and Walker was one of the league's finest hitters. So good was the outfield that Cliff Floyd had to move to first while Rondell White was stuck in the minors. Also on the infield with Floyd was Wil Cordero, one of the league's best hitting shortstops. The staff was fronted by Ken Hill and Pedro Martinez while John Wetteland and Rojas were lethal in the later innings.

The Expos were just 28-22 through May, which left them 3.5 games behind the Braves in the new NL East. However, they would get hot in June and even took 2-of-3 against the Braves June 27-29, getting them within a half-game of first place for the first time since May. A 14-0 hammering of the Padres on July 8 brought them even with the Braves. They would take over the division for good on July 22, including taking two more from the Braves - this time in Atlanta - in July's final days. On August 11, they lost 4-0 to Zane Smith and the Pirates. That evening, with the Expos up by six games in the division, baseball players went on strike. The season was over. As was Expos' best chance to stick in Montreal. They averaged 24,000 fans in 1994, their best total in a decade. In their final home series before the Strike, the Expos drew no fewer than 30,359 fans for a series against the Cardinals. Their home series in late June against Atlanta had this attendance: 45,291 - 40,623 - 45,960. For those of us that watched Braves games on TBS after 1994, visits to Montreal often saw Skip Carey poke fun at how quiet the Stade Olympique was. In 1994, the it wasn't so quiet.

Grissom hit .288 that season with a .771 OPS. He went to another All-Star Game and won another Gold Glove.

"Grissom on the run." The center fielder tracks the ball toward the alley as fans stand waiting to witness history.

With their players making more and more money because they were so ridiculously talented, the Expos simply didn't have the funds to keep them all. In fact, they would drop their estimated payroll by nearly $7M in 1995. Some of that came as the Braves prepared for the 1995 season. The previous year, they had dealt Deion Sanders and his immense baggage to the Reds in exchange for Roberto Kelly, who OPS'd .784 with the Braves in 63 games before the strike. Not known for his defense in center field, nor the ability to leadoff, Kelly was still a fit for the Braves - but not a particularly good one. Seeing the Expos situation, John Schuerholz pounced and brought Grissom home to Atlanta in exchange for Kelly, decent outfield prospect Tony Tarasco, and Macon righty Esteban Yan. It probably looks worse now than it did then, but I imagine a lot of major league GMs questioned why the Expos would give up Grissom for so little. This was a decision based on budget realities, rather than baseball.

Most people forget, but Grissom had a letdown first season with the Braves. He put a lot of pressure on himself to be that missing piece that would finally take the two-time NL Champion over the hump. Slashing just .258/.317/.376 with 29 steals, Grissom was a letdown in '95. But maybe he was simply saving his best for October. They don't hand out NLDS MVP's, but if they did, it would have gone to Grissom. He was responsible for the first run of the NLDS with a homer off Kevin Ritz in the third inning. He would double four innings later, but foolishly got thrown out at third on a Mark Lemke grounder. It'd be probably his only goof of the playoffs. The next night, Grissom took Lance Painter's first pitch of Game 2 over the wall. Not done, he would homer off Painter again in the 4th. In Game 4, Grissom was perfect. He singled four times, doubled in his other at-bat, and stole a base. The Braves would cruise to a 10-4 series-clinching win. While his follow-up in the NLCS wasn't nearly as eye-opening, Grissom rebounded in the World Series for a 9-for-25 series with a double and three steals.

Oh...and he caught a ball.

"YES! (YES!) YES! (YES!) YES! The Atlanta Braves have given you a championship! Listen to this crowd! A mobscene on the field!" Grissom catches the flyball and runs toward the infield to join his teammates that have made a human pile in the center of the infield.

In 1996, Grissom got a do-over and responded with his best single season in the majors. The 29 year-old slashed .308/.349/.489 with over 200 hits, 32 doubles, 10 triples, 23 homers, and 28 steals. It was the kind of big year that keeps you around with a team for years.

Except, for the second time in his career, Grissom's salary became a problem. While the Braves weren't handed down a demand to blow up the team and save money, they did have a tough choice to make. Grissom and Justice both had long-term contracts and lots of money promised to them. Meanwhile, Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux were a year away from free agency. There was not enough in Ted Turner's deep wallets to keep all four. Frankly, there was only enough to keep two. The Braves sided with the future Hall of Famers and traded 2/3's of their projected outfield days before the opening of the 1997 season for Kenny Lofton, Alan Embree, and much needed financial flexibility. The deal remains hated by Braves fans, though a critical look at the time makes it difficult to hate. For a deeper look, check out my Thursday Throwback column on Lofton.

Grissom lasted one disappointing season in Cleveland before a trade to Milwaukee. He OPS'd just .687 there over three seasons and the Brewers traded Grissom to the Dodgers. He flatlined in 2001, on-basing just .250 before an excellent bounceback season in 2002 where he slashed .277/.321/.410 with 17 HR. The big contract year prompted the Giants to bring him up the coast. For two years, he was a productive center fielder, belting 42 homers. But even the best of us eventually can't continue. 2005 saw Grissom hit a measly .212 before being unceremoniously kicked to the curb.

After a failed attempt to make the 2006 Cubs roster, Grissom would retire and head home to open the Marquis Grissom Baseball Association. According to the Alumni page, they have produced quite a few draftees, but Grissom might be even more proud of the lasting impact the academy he started has had on the young men that have gone through the doors.

One final note...Grissom received four votes in his only year on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2011. It was four more votes than Baerga had that year.

More Thursday Throwbacks...
Terrell Wade (1995-97)
Tommy Gregg (1989-1992, 1997)
Jerome Walton (1996)
...or view ALL of them.

Thursday Throwback - Terrell Wade

(This column used to be called Random Ex-Brave.)

You have to love the Braves' scouting team in the late 80's and early 90's. They owned the draft and added major league talent every year - talent that would help the Braves begin their streak of division titles in 1991. They added players like Andruw Jones and Javy Lopez on the international market, helping to add dynamic offensive threats to the franchise.

Stephen Dunn | Getty

And the Braves were even able to add undrafted free agents to the picture and occasionally, those players defied the odds to make it to the majors. Today's Thursday Throwback, Terrell Wade, wasn't drafted in 1991. Just 18 years-old, he headed to a tryout camp after graduating from Rembert High School in South Carolina. Lean, but with velocity and movement, Wade impressed the scouts enough to get signed and began his career in the Gulf Coast League in 1991. He struggled badly and another year in rookie ball saw similar results.

In 1993, the story changed for Wade. He opened the season for the Macon Braves and, like a light switch was flipped on, began to throw strikes. He had struck out plenty in his first two seasons, but the inability to spot his pitches led to walks and homers. Like upgrading your character in a game, Wade achieved control in 1993, lowering his walk rate from about 7 per nine innings to 4 per nine with the Macon Braves in 14 starts. As a result, homers declined and strikeouts boomed. He would get a handful of starts in Durham before ending the season with 8 starts in Greenville, including his only professional shutout. Wade was a Top 30 prospect after the season and why not? He had struck out 208 batters in 1993. You just don't see 200-K years in the minors all that often.

Not so bad for a guy nobody thought of drafting. Wade's follow-up wasn't quite as solid. In 1994, he struck out 76 fewer batters in nearly 30 fewer innings, but his walks again crept higher. It didn't stop him from appearing in 4 games with Richmond before the end of the season. Wade would spend most of 1995 in the minors as well and, once again, struggled to regain the promise of '93. His strikeouts fell under the at least 1-an-inning banner and his ERA was in the mid-4's. He still appeared in three games with the Atlanta Braves in September, though.

1996 would turn into Wade's big year. After making the Braves that spring, Wade filled both the LOOGY and long-relief role for the Braves and even was the a fifth starter during August. At the time of the last development, he had a 1.04 ERA in 29 games with 39 K's. The move to starting pushed his ERA up, but he was flipped back to the bullpen for the stretch run in September. He was rarely used in the playoffs, logging brief appearances in two blowouts and walking the only player he faced in Game 4.

Wade struggled in 1997, ultimately earned a demotion in June and would finish his last year with the Atlanta Braves with an 1.81 WHIP in 42 innings (mostly as a starter). After the season, the expansion Devil Rays would draft Wade. He would start two games for the first-year team that September, beating the Red Sox 8-4 and losing to the Yankees 3-1. That would be his final major league game.

1999 was a terrible year with Wade as he surrendered 104 earned runs, 21 homers, and 80 walks in 98.2 innings with the Durham Bulls of the International League. Tampa Bay naturally cut bait and Wade would spend a year in the Reds organization, though mostly out of an AA bullpen. After spending two years out of the game, Wade would appear for the independent Macon Peaches with former teammate Mike Cather. It was a return to the place he had became a top prospect back in 1993. Wade would go on to pitch for two Atlantic League teams in 2004 and started three ugly games for Nashua in 2006, but never recaptured his former glory.

With his career over, we are left to ask...why didn't he use his first name? Terrell is his middle name, but Hiawatha is his legal first name. Seriously, Hiawatha Wade is so much cooler.

Other Thursday Throwbacks...
Tommy Gregg (1989-1992, 1997)
Jerome Walton (1996)
Blaine Boyer (2005-09)

Thursday Throwback - Tommy Gregg

(This column used to be called Random Ex-Brave.)

The 1985 seventh round sucked. Of the 26 players selected, only 8 made it to the majors and baseball-reference grades them as a -1.8 overall. The worst player of that not-so-elite eight? Tommy Gregg, our Thursday Throwback. Sorry, Tommy.

Mitchell Layton | Getty

An athlete with a little pop, Gregg was drafted after attending Wake Forest University. It was the third time he was selected after going in the 1981 9th round and the '84 32nd round by both Ohio teams. It wasn't until the Pirates picked him that he signed and began his career in a pretty familiar spot for Braves fans - Macon. At the time, the Braves's SALLY team was in Sumter and they wouldn't switch to Macon until 1991. The '85 Macon Pirates weren't blessed with a lot of talent and finished 26 games under .500, though 20 year-old John Smiley would eventually turn into a serviceable pitcher in the majors. Gregg hit .313 that year with 16 steals so he was already a bit of a prospect.

Gregg honed his craft with both Nashua and its Eastern League replacement, Harrisburg, between 1986-87. His run with the latter was splendid with Gregg slashing .371/.465/.523 with 84 walks to his 47 strikeouts. Wow. He added 22 doubles, nine triples, and 10 HR along with 35 steals. He only stole 96 bases in his minor league career so that's pretty stellar. His big run even earned him a cup of coffee in the major leagues. His first hit came on September 30 during the second game of a double header when he hit a pinch-hit double off Jay Baller and scored the tying run (like a baller...), but the Pirates would fall 10-8 to the Cubs.

In 1988, Gregg spent most of the season with Buffalo and while he hit .294, his other numbers weren't nearly as eye-opening as his Harrisburg stats. He also filled in at different times for the Pirates, going 3-for-15 with his first career homerun off the Padres' Jimmy Jones. Gregg was back in the minors on September 1 when the Pirates announced that he was the Player to Be Named for the trade that occurred four days before which sent Ken Oberkfell to the Pirates. Gregg would get an extended look in Atlanta once he was added to the roster, starting 7 of the 11 games he appeared in. His 10-for-29 run to finish the year had the Braves excited for his future.

With the aging Dale Murphy and Lonnie Smith the only unquestioned starters for the Braves entering 1989, there was plenty of playing time for Gregg along with Dion James and Geronimo Berroa. The only problem was that none of the three produced. Atlanta would later add Oddibe McDowell to the team, moving Murphy to right field, and taking away even more playing time. Gregg added first base to his versatility to stay in the lineup a bit more regularly after McDowell was added, but during his rookie year, Gregg hit a paltry .243/.288/.337 in 298 AB with a 72 RC+.

Gregg would stick around in 1990, but with David Justice at 1B/RF and Ron Gant shifting to center, at-bats were even more difficult for Gregg to find. He did, however, carve out a semi-regular role as a pinch hitter. getting 51 pinch-hit ABs where he added 18 hits and 4 HR. Gregg would continue with the Braves in 1991, though injuries cut into his playing time. His overall numbers were a new low for him (.187/.275/.308), but he did go 9-for-39 in pinch-hitting appearances. In the postseason, Gregg was used 8 times, but managed just one hit and 4 K's. His one hit came before a Greg Olson single that gave the Braves a fighting chance to come back on the Pirates in a 1-0 game in Game 5 of the NLCS, but Mark Lemke and Jeff Blauser couldn't bring him home.

In 1992, Gregg would miss a majority of the season and spent more time in the minors than he did in the majors. He did have a big moment against the Giants on October 1. With the score tied at five, the Giants went to Michael Jackson to get them through the tenth. After a first-pitch ball, Gregg sent the Braves faithful home with his 14th career homerun, including a baker's dozen with the Braves. It would also be his last homer as a Brave. He would be left off the postseason roster and was waived after the season with the Reds picking him up.

Gregg would play in just ten games with the Reds that season despite destroying the American Association to the tune of .318/.398/.934. At 29 years-old, he just wasn't that interesting of a player anymore. After spending 1994 in Mexico, he got his final extended look in the majors with the Florida Marlins and tied his career high with 6 major league taters in 72 games, often back in his pinch-hit role. The Marlins brought him back for 1996, but he spent the entire year in AAA, hitting 22 homers and stealing 10 bases.

In 1997, the Braves brought back Gregg and he spent most of the season with Richmond, hitting a sweet .332/.402/.501. With the Braves never one to say "no" to an old friend, rewarding the Triple-A batting champ with a callup. In 13 games, Gregg had a handful of hits in 19 AB, but with the Braves desperately looking for a bat for their bench in preparation for their NLCS match-up with the Marlins, Gregg was kept on the roster. He went hitless in four at-bats, giving him a 1-for-11 career postseason line.

After a year back in Mexico, Gregg called it quits after the 1998 season and soon transitioned into a coaching capacity with the Braves, spending time with both Macon and Myrtle Beach. He would later work with the Cardinals and most recently, the Kansas City Royals organization. This summer, he finished his seventh season with the Omaha Storm Chasers as their hitting coach. He still lives in Georgia during the offseason.

Other Thursday Throwbacks...
Jerome Walton (1996)
Blaine Boyer (2005-09)
Juan Berenguer (1991-92)