WEBVTT - Atlanta Braves team preview

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, if the Braves come even close to the

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<v Speaker 1>number of injuries they had last year, I don't know

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<v Speaker 1>what they need to do in that clubhouse because that

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<v Speaker 1>would be all time bad luck and back to back years.

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<v Speaker 2>Hammer Territory host Scott Coleman joining us right now on

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<v Speaker 2>Foul Territory. Big crowd in the Atlanta area, really in

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<v Speaker 2>Braves country, all in the Southeast that's watching right now.

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<v Speaker 2>So we're excited to have be on. Scott is the

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<v Speaker 2>most downloaded Braves podcast, So go check it out and

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<v Speaker 2>we're going to get right to biz because we got

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<v Speaker 2>a lot to cover with the Braves. So let's hit

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<v Speaker 2>the storylines. Don't rush me. Ronald Acunya back again from

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<v Speaker 2>a major lower body injury. We'll see how he does

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<v Speaker 2>with the knee. Chris Sales encore, We'll see how he does.

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<v Speaker 2>How often do they maybe rest him to make sure

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<v Speaker 2>that he is ready for a postseason run. But you

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<v Speaker 2>also got to get in Spencer Strike coming back soon.

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<v Speaker 2>And is there a shortstop void with this team? Should

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<v Speaker 2>they have gone after somebody to handle the infield and

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<v Speaker 2>move Orlando Arcia to more of a bentrol All right,

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<v Speaker 2>let's start at the top. Ronald Cunya Junior super important

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<v Speaker 2>part of this team. They didn't have him for a

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<v Speaker 2>good chunk of last season. What do you think of

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<v Speaker 2>what they've said so far and what Ronald has said.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I think the Braves probably learned a lesson a

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<v Speaker 1>couple of years ago when Acuna tore his ACL the

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<v Speaker 1>first time, and while he was still good by at

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<v Speaker 1>least maybe the league standards, Ronald Acunya Junior was not

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<v Speaker 1>the superstar level player that we all have come to

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<v Speaker 1>see when he returned in twenty twenty two after he

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<v Speaker 1>tore his ACL the first time, he just it never

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<v Speaker 1>looked like Ronald felt comfortable. And because of that, I

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<v Speaker 1>think the Braves are showing extra caution, and not only

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<v Speaker 1>just this spring, but even in the offseason. Alex and

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<v Speaker 1>Thoppolos said, I think the winter meetings that Ronald was

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<v Speaker 1>not going to be on the opening day roster, and

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<v Speaker 1>that's a significant statement when you're still four months away

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<v Speaker 1>from opening day at that point. So I think the

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<v Speaker 1>Braves are going to be overly cautious with their superstar outfielder.

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<v Speaker 1>And if it means that if you have a Kunya

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<v Speaker 1>closer to one hundred percent whenever he does make it

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<v Speaker 1>back to the field, maybe in late April or even

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<v Speaker 1>at some point in May. I think the Braves are

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<v Speaker 1>probably playing the long game here and just banking on

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<v Speaker 1>Acunya being more of himself because we know how high

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<v Speaker 1>his ceiling is when everything is clicking and when he

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<v Speaker 1>is feeling good.

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<v Speaker 3>Speaking of guys feeling good last year, Chris sale my boy,

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<v Speaker 3>or as my bay, as Kratz likes to call him,

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<v Speaker 3>because you know, I caught his I caught his debut

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<v Speaker 3>and I've known him for a long time. So Cratz

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<v Speaker 3>and Jels, then nobody likes him that much. Okay, here

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<v Speaker 3>we go, but can he do it again? He's thirty six,

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<v Speaker 3>He had an unbelievable year, you know, Cy Young, the whole,

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<v Speaker 3>the whole Enchilada kind of tweaked his back at the end,

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<v Speaker 3>had a full healthy offseason. Can he do this again

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<v Speaker 3>and be a Chris so because they're going to need

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<v Speaker 3>him to be that Chris silly was last year, especially

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<v Speaker 3>with some of the guys they've lost.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I mean, I know Chris has been on the

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<v Speaker 1>show a couple of times, this time a year ago.

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<v Speaker 1>Of course, he's going to have confidence in himself as

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<v Speaker 1>a competitor and someone who's been doing it at a

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<v Speaker 1>high level for a long time. But I don't even

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<v Speaker 1>know if Chris Sale would have told you that he

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<v Speaker 1>had eighteen and three with a two point four ERA

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<v Speaker 1>and leading Baseball and war still in him. But Sale

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<v Speaker 1>was so impressive last season, and I think the Braves

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<v Speaker 1>handled him perfectly. A year ago, I was looking at

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<v Speaker 1>this earlier. Chris Sale made twenty nine starts last season.

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<v Speaker 1>He had at least one extra day of rest in

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<v Speaker 1>twenty two of those twenty nine starts, and I don't

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<v Speaker 1>think it's a coincidence that up until that very final

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<v Speaker 1>week of the season when the backspasms popped up, that

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<v Speaker 1>Sale was just so dominant basically every single time he

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<v Speaker 1>went out there. So I would imagine the Braves are

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<v Speaker 1>going to have a very similar plan. If it ain't broke,

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<v Speaker 1>don't fix it. And you're absolutely right, I think protecting

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<v Speaker 1>Sale and keeping him healthy and hopefully ready for the

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<v Speaker 1>playoffs should that time come, is going to be the priority.

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<v Speaker 1>And if that means that they have to call up

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<v Speaker 1>somebody from TRIPAA to make a spot start or to

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<v Speaker 1>give Sale an extra day of rest, I think you

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<v Speaker 1>do it because we know just how good this guy

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<v Speaker 1>is whenever he's been healthy, I mean not even just

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<v Speaker 1>last year with the Braves, but basically his entire career.

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<v Speaker 1>When Chris Sale has been healthy, he's been awesome, and

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<v Speaker 1>the Braves are really going to need him in that rotation,

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<v Speaker 1>especially with guys like Max Freed and Charlie Morton moving on.

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<v Speaker 3>Sales stayed healthy all the way till the very end,

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<v Speaker 3>but other key members of that core of that team

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<v Speaker 3>did not stay healthy. Is this going to be a

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<v Speaker 3>trend moving forward here going into twenty twenty five or

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<v Speaker 3>have they figured out how to hopefully curtail that from

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<v Speaker 3>happening again.

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<v Speaker 1>It's a big question, and I just have to think

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<v Speaker 1>that after just an all time unlucky season for the

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<v Speaker 1>Braves with injuries last year, that they're gonna they're do

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<v Speaker 1>some good fortune from the baseball gods. I mean, just

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<v Speaker 1>a quick rundown for folks, if maybe they aren't Braves fans.

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<v Speaker 1>This is like an abridged version of what this team

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<v Speaker 1>lost last year. Spencer Strider missed basically the entire year,

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<v Speaker 1>Acuna tore his acl in May, Austin Riley broke his

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<v Speaker 1>hand and missed the final two months of the season.

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<v Speaker 1>Ozzy Alby's broke his toe and then broke his wrist.

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<v Speaker 1>Sean Murphy, their all star catcher from a year ago,

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<v Speaker 1>had a nasty oblique injury on opening Day, missed two

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<v Speaker 1>months and basically wasn't himself all year. Michael Harris, their

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<v Speaker 1>five tools center fielder, missed two months with a hamstring.

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<v Speaker 1>Aj Minter, who's been one of the better lefty setup

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<v Speaker 1>men in the game for the past couple of years,

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<v Speaker 1>had a hip injury and ultimately underwent surgery. And honestly,

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, the microcosm of the season, guys, was friend

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<v Speaker 1>of the show. Wit Merrifield joined the Braves as an

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<v Speaker 1>injury replacement for Ozzy, always at second base in Mirfield.

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<v Speaker 1>On his very first day in Atlanta, has a nasty

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<v Speaker 1>finger injury in pregame warm ups and ends up missing time.

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<v Speaker 1>And it's been one of the more tougher iron men

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<v Speaker 1>in the game for his whole career. And what happens

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<v Speaker 1>when he shows up and he's in Atlanta for one

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<v Speaker 1>day and then he needs to miss time with a

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<v Speaker 1>finger injury. He also hurt his foot too, So I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>by the end of the year, the Braves were starting

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<v Speaker 1>three waiver claims basically every night because of all the

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<v Speaker 1>injuries they suffered. And I mean, it's a credit to

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<v Speaker 1>them for still winning eighty nine games and getting into

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<v Speaker 1>the playoffs at the very end, but man alive. I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>if the Braves come even close to the number of

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<v Speaker 1>injuries they had last year, I don't know what they

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<v Speaker 1>need to do in that clubhouse because that would be

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<v Speaker 1>all time bad luck and back to.

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<v Speaker 3>Back years and all of that, all of those injuries

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<v Speaker 3>and their all star shortstop from twenty to twenty three,

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<v Speaker 3>Orlando Garcia had a one of my really good friends,

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<v Speaker 3>had an abysmal year, and somehow they still made the playoffs.

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<v Speaker 3>So if you think the Braves are, you know, they're out,

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<v Speaker 3>down and out. Don't like you just forget exactly how

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<v Speaker 3>good this team is. But that shortstop position, are they

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<v Speaker 3>gonna just roll with? Oh? Are they going to then say, Okay,

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<v Speaker 3>we're just gonna keep an eye on it the whole

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<v Speaker 3>time because it's tough to find big league shortstops. Could

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<v Speaker 3>it be a trade part way through the season, or

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<v Speaker 3>is there a prospect in the pipeline that might be

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<v Speaker 3>able to be that next answer at shortstop.

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<v Speaker 1>For them, it sure seems like they're gonna roll with

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<v Speaker 1>Orlando Arcia again in shortstop. I'd be fascinated to know

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<v Speaker 1>behind the scenes what work the front office did to

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<v Speaker 1>try to improve that position. And the story the Braves

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<v Speaker 1>will tell you publicly is they feel that if everybody

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<v Speaker 1>is healthy or at least mostly healthy in that lineup,

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<v Speaker 1>if Orlando Arcia is batting ninth and playing good defense

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<v Speaker 1>and just giving you a little bit of offense in

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<v Speaker 1>that ninth hole at shortstop, they're going to be fine offensively.

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<v Speaker 1>That being said, that was their plan a year ago,

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<v Speaker 1>and then half of the team got hurt and there

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<v Speaker 1>was a stretch where Arcia was batting fifth because he

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<v Speaker 1>had had a couple of good games in a row,

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<v Speaker 1>and it's like, who else is going to hit here?

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<v Speaker 1>Why not have him bat fifth? For Arcia, he just

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<v Speaker 1>wasn't very good last season offensively. He was really really

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<v Speaker 1>bad with runners in scoring position, and it felt like

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<v Speaker 1>by the end of the year it was almost a

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<v Speaker 1>mental block for Arcia where he would come up with

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<v Speaker 1>two runners on base and just the bat and the

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<v Speaker 1>approach was all off, and it was in his head

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<v Speaker 1>at that point so I think the Braves they're just

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<v Speaker 1>hoping and banking that Arcia is more of the player

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<v Speaker 1>he was in twenty twenty three, when funny enough, he

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<v Speaker 1>had a great first half and was actually an All Star,

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<v Speaker 1>and then just hope that it's more of twenty twenty

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<v Speaker 1>three than the player who struggled quite a bit last season.

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<v Speaker 2>Scott, great insight. Of course, you hear all of this

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<v Speaker 2>plus the ft hat that he's wearing on Hammer Territory

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<v Speaker 2>many episodes every single week when there is breaking news,

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<v Speaker 2>they're out there instantly with an emergency episode. You can

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<v Speaker 2>see Scott and Brad there to others as well. It's

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<v Speaker 2>a four team crew to make sure that they've got

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<v Speaker 2>you covered for Braves coverage all year long, many many

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<v Speaker 2>episodes right after games to kind of serving as your

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<v Speaker 2>postgame show. So Scott, great to see you, Thanks for

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<v Speaker 2>the insight, and we'll see you on Hammer.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks Ell, it's great to talk with you all and

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<v Speaker 1>happy to have baseball back.