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Speaker 1: Welcome on NOLL to the Hammer Territory Podcast. My name

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Speaker 1: is Sean Coleman. Hope, wherever you are and wherever you

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Speaker 1: are listening, you are having a wonderful start too, well,

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Speaker 1: excuse me, actually a wonderful week so far. I'm so

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Speaker 1: used to saying wonderful start. But we're halfway through the

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Speaker 1: week that we have been with you quite a bit

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Speaker 1: this week as it's been a fun turn of events

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Speaker 1: for the Braves when it comes to them playing in Chicago,

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Speaker 1: and it got even more fun. A lot of the

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Speaker 1: fun has been off the field earlier this week with

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Speaker 1: the you know, acquisition or claiming of Hassan Kim, Hayden,

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Speaker 1: Harris Worladi Munya is now part of the Braves Major

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Speaker 1: League squad. A lot of news that have we've been

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Speaker 1: waiting for off the field, it's happened this week. But

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Speaker 1: then what we like to finally see of the results

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Speaker 1: on the field, and that's what we saw on Wednesday night,

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Speaker 1: a five to one victory for the Braves and Hawsome

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Speaker 1: Kilm played hero Steven Talbert. We got a glimpse of

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Speaker 1: what he could bring to this Brave squad and it's

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Speaker 1: been really fun to see over his first few games

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Speaker 1: in Atlanta with Atlanta.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, what's up, buddy.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, it was kind of shaving up to be another

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Speaker 3: frustrating one run loss. If you were watching the game,

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Speaker 3: you know Bryce Elder was pitching extremely well. But you

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Speaker 3: know Kate Horton for the Cubs, who we've talked about

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Speaker 3: at length on this show because of his ties to

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Speaker 3: the Rookie of the Year, and he kind of showed

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Speaker 3: why tonight. He threw five shutout and actually hitless innings

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Speaker 3: against the Braves. They actually pulled him at seventy five pitches.

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Speaker 3: They obviously have him on any extremely strict pitch count

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Speaker 3: and Lenny and innings limit because they yanked him with

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Speaker 3: a no hitter going in seventy five pitches. But yeah,

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Speaker 3: it kind of looked like we're gonna have another frustrating

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Speaker 3: one one loss. And then boom, hass On Kim first

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Speaker 3: homer of the year for him for the Braves, And

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Speaker 3: not only that, that was the first home run a

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Speaker 3: Braves shortstop has hit all season, which is insane to

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Speaker 3: think about. We are in September and a Brave shortstop

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Speaker 3: has hit a homer for the first time all season.

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Speaker 3: The Braves were the only team in baseball to not

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Speaker 3: have a home run from their shortstop.

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Speaker 2: I think the next fewest.

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Speaker 3: Was the Rockies with nine, and the Braves had zero

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Speaker 3: coming into tonight, So we finally got on the board.

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Speaker 3: But yeah, it was cool to see hass On Kim

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Speaker 3: really kind of play a role. He had two hits

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Speaker 3: in his first game. He had the big three run

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Speaker 3: homer tonight, and that three year old homer kind of

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Speaker 3: broke the game open. They tacked on a couple extra runs.

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Speaker 3: No Elder pitch great, the bullpen shut it down, and

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Speaker 3: the Braves salvaged one of the three games against the Cubs.

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Speaker 3: But seeing Hassan Kim contribute the way he has immediately,

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Speaker 3: you know, that's you know, when you're talking about storylines

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Speaker 3: leading into twenty twenty six, you know, obviously we have

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Speaker 3: to get past this player option that he has, which

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Speaker 3: we've talked about at length. But that's that's probably the

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Speaker 3: biggest thing going at the moment.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, and that's what stands out right now about this

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Speaker 1: Brave squad in general. Listen, I know that the when

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Speaker 1: we talk about the results on the field, I know

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Speaker 1: that they won tonight. I know the wins are not

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Speaker 1: necessarily coming at a frequent basis that we would like

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Speaker 1: to see. For some that may not necessarily mean a

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Speaker 1: bad thing, because that still means that we're in a

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Speaker 1: favorable spot when it comes to next year's draft. But

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Speaker 1: when you look at the individual results, I don't know

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Speaker 1: if you could really ask for things to mean much

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Speaker 1: better than they are right now. I think the addition

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Speaker 1: of players such as Jake Frayley, Tyler Kinley, who's pitched

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Speaker 1: really well as of late, Hassan Kim though those editions

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Speaker 1: I think were better than many expected those were. That's

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Speaker 1: a better group of added depth for twenty twenty six,

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Speaker 1: added potential contributors for twenty twenty six the many thought

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Speaker 1: we would have coming off a quiet deadline. That's one

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Speaker 1: aspect that I think we are in a better position

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Speaker 1: in than many thought we would be when it comes

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Speaker 1: to ending this year. The other thing is is that

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Speaker 1: many players are ending the year on a good note.

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Speaker 1: Ozzie Albi's Bryce Elder only three earned runs allowed over

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Speaker 1: his past twenty innings across his last three starts. I'm

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Speaker 1: not sitting here all the sudden thing that Bryce Elder

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Speaker 1: is turning to corner. But my overall point is Steven,

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Speaker 1: is that I know that right now the wins are

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Speaker 1: not necessarily coming to prove the point that I'm about

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Speaker 1: to make, But I think that in terms of ending

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Speaker 1: twenty and twenty six on or twenty twenty five on

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Speaker 1: as good a note as possible to take some momentum

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Speaker 1: twenty six, the Braves are doing that when it comes

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Speaker 1: to performance on the field from players that have been disappointing,

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Speaker 1: and when it comes to added depth that is showing

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Speaker 1: that it could be contributors to the Braves twenty twenty

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Speaker 1: six aspirations.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean Ozzy, you know, Ozzie coming.

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Speaker 2: On the way he has.

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Speaker 3: He hit another homer tonight after Kim's homer. Ozzie hit

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Speaker 3: a solo homer to kind of give the Braves some

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Speaker 3: some you know, insurance, And he's really come on the

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Speaker 3: last really since the All Star break. I mean, the

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Speaker 3: power has come back. That's the big thing with Ozzie,

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Speaker 3: quite honestly, is the power. You and I have talked

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Speaker 3: about it at length about how we want to see

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Speaker 3: the power come back to this lineup.

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Speaker 2: I think it's critical.

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Speaker 3: And listen, you know, Matt Olsen and and Uh and

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Speaker 3: Ronnie have both been in a little bit of a funk.

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Speaker 3: Ronnie especially the last week has probably been in one

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Speaker 3: of his biggest slumps.

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Speaker 2: Of the year.

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Speaker 3: But seeing some of the other guys, and we still

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Speaker 3: have not seen Profar and Kim together.

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Speaker 2: Uh.

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Speaker 3: Profar obviously went on the paternity list right as Kim came,

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Speaker 3: so you know it'll be a couple of days, but

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Speaker 3: we're actually gonna get to see both of them in

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Speaker 3: the lineup up.

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Speaker 2: You know, both of.

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Speaker 3: Them hitting with Ozzy. You know, when you have when

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Speaker 3: like those are like kind of your bottom three, you know, Ozzy,

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Speaker 3: Michael Harris, Kim. Depending on how you arrange Profar and

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Speaker 3: the DH like, you can really start to see like

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Speaker 3: a powerful, really productive lineup because the Braves have added

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Speaker 3: so much walk rate. You know, Kim and Profar both

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Speaker 3: are big walk rate guys. They've added more power. Kim

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Speaker 3: obviously has real power. He usually averages about double digit

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Speaker 3: homers a year versus what they had, which was no

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Speaker 3: power at shortstop. And if Ozzy is getting the power

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Speaker 3: back and Michael Harris can get his power back, you know,

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Speaker 3: you can start to like Squint and see a productive

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Speaker 3: lineup for twenty twenty six. Now the Braves obviously have

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Speaker 3: to get DH figured out in the off season. Azunas

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Speaker 3: is almost certainly gonna walk and they're gonna have to

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Speaker 3: figure out a DH. But that could be even another

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Speaker 3: source of offensive production for you. You get that right

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Speaker 3: in the offseason. So it is a big deal to

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Speaker 3: see Ozzy coming along the way ahead. It is a

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Speaker 3: big deal that Profar has had the second half that

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Speaker 3: he's had. It's a big deal that they got Kim

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Speaker 3: off waivers again, they got to get past this player option.

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Speaker 3: We don't know for sure that he's gonna be on

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Speaker 3: the team next year, but assuming he is on the

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Speaker 3: team next year, like all of those collectively, just they

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Speaker 3: just raised the floor of the lineup. And this is

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Speaker 3: a lineup who they needed to raise the floor of

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Speaker 3: this lineup because quite frankly, the floor of the lineup

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Speaker 3: was too low, and we've seen how low this lineup

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Speaker 3: can get, and so that was a move that needed

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Speaker 3: to be made. They needed to raise the floor of

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Speaker 3: the lineup and they've done that with Profar and Kim,

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Speaker 3: and if Ozzy and Michael can continue being productive hitters,

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Speaker 3: it's just that much better.

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Speaker 1: Say the thing, that stands out to me about this

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Speaker 1: is that you're also star to see just the Braves

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Speaker 1: once again being in a good mood playing with each other.

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Speaker 1: You know, I don't think that, you know, we've seen

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Speaker 1: that as consistently this year as we usually do. Don't

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Speaker 1: get me wrong, I think they enjoy playing with each other,

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Speaker 1: but I also think that there has not been just

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Speaker 1: a consistent looseness happiness, you know, just you know, the

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Speaker 1: confidence and knowing that they're going to get the job

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Speaker 1: done because it's so many situations they have not been

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Speaker 1: able to get the job done despite their best efforts.

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Speaker 1: They look like they're having fun playing baseball, and I

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Speaker 1: think that that speaks to though we have not seen

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Speaker 1: Profar and Hasan Kim plays of yet, you know that

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Speaker 1: there's a connection there between those two from their time

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Speaker 1: with the Padres. You know that the Braves typically play

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Speaker 1: their best when they're playing loose, when you can tell

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Speaker 1: they're obviously having fun, when you know that they're confident

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Speaker 1: that even when they run into struggles, they're going to

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Speaker 1: be able to bounce back. If the consistency that the

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Speaker 1: approach of Profar and Hasan Kim can help out in

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Speaker 1: the lineup to make that more consistent. You also could

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Speaker 1: see that reflecting the clubhouse with their personalities, Ozzie getting

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Speaker 1: back going once again. It just seems like they're happier

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Speaker 1: playing baseball, and that typically correlates with better baseball being played,

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Speaker 1: especially offensively for the Braves.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, and I mean you said it like Kim and

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Speaker 3: Profar were best of friends.

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Speaker 2: Uh in San Diego.

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Speaker 3: He there was a report that the Braves kind of

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Speaker 3: went to Profar and asked and asked him about Kim,

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Speaker 3: like what kind of guys he how would he fit

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Speaker 3: in the clubhouse. He obviously had rave reviews about him.

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Speaker 3: He's supposed to be a really good dude, obviously very

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Speaker 3: talented players. So yeah, I mean their buddies, and you know,

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Speaker 3: I just want to see the whole lineup. I want

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Speaker 3: to see Acuna, Profar, Olsen. Obviously we're not gonna have

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Speaker 3: Riley back, that's another big piece for twenty twenty six.

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Speaker 3: But I would just like to see most of the

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Speaker 3: lineup together. You know, when Profar comes back in a

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Speaker 3: couple of days, a see where they stack everybody in

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Speaker 3: the lineup.

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Speaker 2: Does Profar go back to lead off, Does Acuna go back.

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Speaker 3: To the three you know this thing which Baldwin and

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Speaker 3: Marcelo Zuna and Sean Murphy who's been ice cold lately.

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Speaker 3: I just kind of want to see all the pieces

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Speaker 3: fit together to see what we potentially are looking at

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Speaker 3: for twenty twenty six. But it is just it's it's

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Speaker 3: encouraging that they have raised the floor of the lineup.

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Speaker 3: I want that to be kind of the main theme

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Speaker 3: of this is the Braves have gone from multiple black

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Speaker 3: holes at the bottom of their lineup to now you

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Speaker 3: can kind of squint and see a world where they

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Speaker 3: don't have any like just completely you know, offensive empty

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Speaker 3: positions in their lineup where they had multiple in the

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Speaker 3: first half. So a lot of that's going to depend

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Speaker 3: on how Michael Harris plays over a full season. A

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Speaker 3: lot of it's gonna depend on how Azi Albi's plays

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Speaker 3: over a full season. A lot of it's gonna depend on,

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Speaker 3: you know, guys like Akunya and Riley staying healthy and

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Speaker 3: being productive. But again, if you squint and you look

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Speaker 3: hard enough, you can kind of start seeing a the

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Speaker 3: outline of a really productive lineup in twenty twenty six, which,

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Speaker 3: let's be honest, that's kind of the direction we're looking

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Speaker 3: at these days, we're talking more about the future than

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Speaker 3: the present, and you can start seeing a brighter future.

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Speaker 1: For the lineup, absolutely, and you want there to be

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Speaker 1: a brighter future for this lineup because at the end

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Speaker 1: of the day, that's what I think. At the end

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Speaker 1: of the day, that's the calling card for this Braves team.

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Speaker 1: I know the pitching has been the strength over the

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Speaker 1: past couple of years, but when this Braves team is

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Speaker 1: at its best, you clearly know that that gives them

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Speaker 1: their best chance to be able to not only make

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Speaker 1: the playoffs, but compete in the playoffs as well. And

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Speaker 1: I just basically the best way I can sum it up,

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Speaker 1: I feel better about this offense moving forward than I

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Speaker 1: thought I would at this time of year. And it's

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Speaker 1: but and it's for multiple reasons, not only because of

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Speaker 1: the additions that have been made through waivers, but also

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Speaker 1: the fact that players who were, you know, not performing

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Speaker 1: that well are performing much better. We'll discuss more on

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Speaker 1: the offense in just a moment after a word from

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Speaker 1: our partners NFL Fans.

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Speaker 1: The thing that I want to hit on Stephen when

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Speaker 1: it comes to this offense that you know, again we

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Speaker 1: talk about the consistency that Profar Air, that Profar and

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Speaker 1: Hassan Kim can add. That is something that I want

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Speaker 1: to kind of compare it to what we've seen so

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Speaker 1: far up the middle. I think that it's so important

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Speaker 1: if you're looking to contend that you can have reliable

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Speaker 1: sources of production up the middle, that two to three

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Speaker 1: win are better option at most shortstop and second base.

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Speaker 1: And the crazy thing for the Braves is is that

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Speaker 1: in the first half of the year, you could argue

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Speaker 1: they had the worst offensive combination of a second baseman

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Speaker 1: and a shortstop in baseball. The numbers back it up.

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Speaker 1: Ozzy Albi's and Nick Allen struggled that much at the plate. Well,

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Speaker 1: now you come back three to four months later and

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Speaker 1: you now potentially have one of the better up the

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Speaker 1: middle combinations in terms of how Ozzy is playing and

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Speaker 1: what Hasan Kim is capable of. And the reason why

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Speaker 1: I bring that up is because at the end of

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Speaker 1: the day, I don't know the Braves don't necessarily need

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Speaker 1: Ozzie Albi's to be performing at an eight fifty to

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Speaker 1: nine hundred ops level. That would be great. I just

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Speaker 1: don't think it's realistic. They definitely could use Hassan Kim

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Speaker 1: being at around a seven twenty five to seven seventy

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Speaker 1: five ops level, But the big key is they need

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Speaker 1: that to be consistent. They need month in and month out,

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Speaker 1: somewhere between a six seventy five and a seven seventy

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Speaker 1: five ops from those guys around one hundred WRC plus.

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Speaker 1: If they can just get that consistently, it will work

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Speaker 1: wonders for this offense. And that's why I'm saying that

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Speaker 1: one of the things that I think is going to

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Speaker 1: be most evident when profar In Hasan Kim is back

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Speaker 1: is the consistent approach that they have at the plate,

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Speaker 1: the way they work at bats, the way they work counts,

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Speaker 1: the way that they make consistent contacts that should hopefully

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Speaker 1: have a positive ripple effect on both the top and

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Speaker 1: the bottom of the order.

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Speaker 2: I mean, yeah, yeah, absolutely.

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Speaker 3: And you could add center field to that whole conversation too,

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Speaker 3: about up the middle, about having you know, maybe the

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Speaker 3: worst combination of hitters in the first half and in

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Speaker 3: the second half having a much different outlook.

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Speaker 2: One hundred percent.

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Speaker 3: Listen, there's a very good there's a very high likelihood that,

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Speaker 3: assuming the Braves go get a different DH next year,

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Speaker 3: that your shortstop, your second basement in your center field

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Speaker 3: are probably gonna be seven, eight and nine in your

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Speaker 3: lineup somewhere right. You're gonna have Acunya, profar Olsen, Riley,

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Speaker 3: You're gonna have the catchers, You're gonna have the DH

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Speaker 3: probably all batting in the top six. So there's a

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Speaker 3: very good chance you're up the middle guys are gonna

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Speaker 3: be seven eight nine, second base, shortstop in center field

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Speaker 3: in some order. What the Braves have to figure out

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Speaker 3: how to avoid is the complete bottoming out of these players,

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Speaker 3: and that's what they experienced this year, where a number

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Speaker 3: of them at the same time for months out of time.

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Speaker 3: I'm completely bottomed out, and you and I have talked

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Speaker 3: about it at nauseum with Michael Harris about just the

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Speaker 3: unbelievable extremes of his like hot and cold streaks. Ozzie

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Speaker 3: has been very similar. Obviously, shortstop was just an offensive

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Speaker 3: black hole all season, and that will be helped again

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Speaker 3: assuming Kim is on the roster, I do not want

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Speaker 3: to continue. I do not want to just pretend like

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Speaker 3: it's a given that Kim is going to be on

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Speaker 3: the roster next. We have to always include the fact

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Speaker 3: that we don't know that yet, but assuming he's on

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Speaker 3: the roster, it will help tremendously. And that's what the

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Speaker 3: Braids are gonna have to figure out, is how to

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Speaker 3: avoid these massive, massive valleys that come when you have

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Speaker 3: such a streaky collection of hitters. And listen, it's not

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Speaker 3: just the lower guys. Matt Olsen, Austin Riley, even Acunya, like,

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Speaker 3: these guys are all streaky. And you know, that's one

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Speaker 3: of the reasons I want to see home runs come

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Speaker 3: back to the lineup is because that is how you

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Speaker 3: survive streaky hitters as you have guys just popping homers,

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Speaker 3: because then you don't need seven or eight guys hitting

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Speaker 3: at once. You can survive off, you know, two or

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Speaker 3: three of them hitting at once. When you're not hitting homers, though,

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Speaker 3: you need a lot more guys hitting at the same time,

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Speaker 3: and so the streakiness is just harder to navigate. So

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Speaker 3: it is a big deal that the middle of the

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Speaker 3: field produces more offensively. It's been great to see in

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Speaker 3: the second half. I want to continue to see it,

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Speaker 3: and I want to see the home runs continue to come,

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Speaker 3: especially from Ozzie, especially against left handed That's what's been encouraging.

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Speaker 3: Is even tonight, you know, he's hit right handed homers

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Speaker 3: against left handed pitching, which we haven't seen all year.

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Speaker 3: That's huge, So really good signs. You're one hundred percent

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Speaker 3: right middle of the diamond, second base, shortstop, center field.

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Speaker 3: They have to be more consistent offensive producers for Atlanta

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Speaker 3: to avoid the bottoming out.

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Speaker 2: That we saw in the first half of twenty twenty five.

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Speaker 1: And the other thing is is that I think it's

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Speaker 1: I talked with brand about it on Monday. I think

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Speaker 1: that we're getting more and more of an indication, and

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Speaker 1: it's great to see that it's coming from production on

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Speaker 1: the field.

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Speaker 2: Ozzie.

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Speaker 1: I know that people have brought up the injury that

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Speaker 1: he had last year, the injuries that he's had the

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Speaker 1: past couple of years. Maybe he's finally getting in better

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Speaker 1: health and that certainly could be playing a part in

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Speaker 1: him producing better. So we'll count him as getting healthy.

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Speaker 1: Acunya is healthy, you know, I'm going to talk with

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Speaker 1: him about him in just a second. But he's you know, listen,

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Speaker 1: I think that it is probably wearing on him a bit,

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Speaker 1: that you know, he's just it's a new situation all

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Speaker 1: over for him, right It's the fact that he's basically

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Speaker 1: missed half the year. He's not playing for you know,

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Speaker 1: wins right now, really, and he's been up and down

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Speaker 1: different parts of the lineup. I think Acunya probably I'm

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Speaker 1: not saying he's ready to stop playing baseball. I'm just

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Speaker 1: thinking that the sooner we get to the off season

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Speaker 1: with the healthy Acunya, the better it is for him

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Speaker 1: going to be locked in. Hassan Kim, He's dealt with

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Speaker 1: injuries the past year plus. He seems to be healthy.

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Speaker 1: Health is such a needed box to check for this team.

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Speaker 1: Jerrickson profar, he's healthy. Matt Olson, he's healthy. I know

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Speaker 1: Austin Miley's dealing with injuries, but overall this offense maybe

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Speaker 1: the healthy it's been entering an offseason in years, and

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Speaker 1: that is not that you cannot check that box more

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Speaker 1: boldly than I possibly can. I know that I'm getting

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Speaker 1: a bit off track here. My point that I'm getting

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Speaker 1: at is health has been a much talked about, but

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Speaker 1: I don't necessarily think it's really been understood how much

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Speaker 1: of an impact it's had on this offense and that

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Speaker 1: team as a whole. Once again, we're talking about offense

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Speaker 1: being the calling card. A big factor that could help

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Speaker 1: us return to being one of the better offenses next

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Speaker 1: year is having many of our biggest contributors healthy for

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Speaker 1: the off season.

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Speaker 2: Yeah.

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Speaker 3: No, it's why it was important that Acuna came back

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Speaker 3: and was able to play. I know he's cold right now,

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Speaker 3: and you know, Ronnie go Ronnie's not. Ronnie's not as

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Speaker 3: streaky as some of the other hitters were. Like his

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Speaker 3: hot and cold streaks last for months at a time.

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Speaker 2: His normally don't.

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Speaker 3: His normally lasts about ten days. He'll go through like

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Speaker 3: he's striking out a bunch. You know, he's kind of

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Speaker 3: late on his he doesn't have his timing on his

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Speaker 3: toe tap, and he's laid on the fastball. He usually

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00:20:24,320 --> 00:20:27,400
Speaker 3: gets corrected in, you know, a week to ten days.

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Speaker 3: You know, a lot of the other guys on the

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Speaker 3: team will literally go into the tank for like two

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Speaker 3: months at a time, and those are the ones that

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Speaker 3: the brads have got to figure out how to manage.

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Speaker 2: I'm not with Ronnie. I'm really I mean, as long.

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Speaker 3: As he's healthy and like, that's basically what you just said,

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Speaker 3: is that you know he's gonna be able to go

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Speaker 3: into an off season.

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Speaker 2: With a with a pretty.

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Speaker 3: You know, clean bill of health and just have a

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Speaker 3: normal offseason, gets a spring training. You know, I don't.

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Speaker 3: I don't worry about these little ten day cold streaks

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Speaker 3: with Ronnie.

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Speaker 2: I just don't.

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Speaker 3: A because when he's hot, he usually makes up the numbers.

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Speaker 3: His numbers climb right back up to where they were,

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Speaker 3: and b they do not last as long as some

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Speaker 3: of the other kind of streaky hitters on the team.

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Speaker 3: Those are the ones that the Braves are gonna have

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Speaker 3: to figure out how to manage. And I'll say it again,

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Speaker 3: the easiest way to manage it is power is hit homers.

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Speaker 3: Hit the ball over the fence. Tonight, It's a perfect example.

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Speaker 3: The Braves were cold all night, but two guys popped homers.

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Speaker 3: Hassan cam in a three yeun homer, Ozzie hit a

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Speaker 3: solo homer, and the Braves won. Right like, power is

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Speaker 3: how you get through streakiness because you do not require

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Speaker 3: it does not require the entire lineup being on at

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Speaker 3: the same time to score runs. So I want to

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Speaker 3: see this lineup hit for power again starting next year,

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Speaker 3: and hopefully that will help them whether the just inherent

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Speaker 3: streakiness that is built into their lineup because of the

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Speaker 3: individual hitters that they have.

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Speaker 1: So let me ask you this question, you know, and

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Speaker 1: I think that it's a It's a valuable question to

435
00:21:56,800 --> 00:22:00,159
Speaker 1: ask because you know, the Mariners are coming to Atlanta

436
00:22:00,200 --> 00:22:02,720
Speaker 1: to play the Braves, and that means Kevin Sitzer is

437
00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:05,760
Speaker 1: returning to Atlanta for the first time, you know, since

438
00:22:05,800 --> 00:22:07,919
Speaker 1: he was let go by the Braves in the off season.

439
00:22:08,280 --> 00:22:11,040
Speaker 1: The reason I bring that up is because my question

440
00:22:11,119 --> 00:22:14,320
Speaker 1: to you is this, Stephen, is that with the Braves'

441
00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:17,600
Speaker 1: overall offense having improved, and I know that it's improving

442
00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:20,520
Speaker 1: in terms of hittings, with Ruther Dron scoring position, getting

443
00:22:20,560 --> 00:22:22,960
Speaker 1: on base, the power is not necessarily there. But I

444
00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:24,600
Speaker 1: think a big reason why is because you're seeing the

445
00:22:24,640 --> 00:22:27,680
Speaker 1: big three of Olsen, Akunya and Riley right now struggle.

446
00:22:27,720 --> 00:22:30,600
Speaker 1: I think they'll get going once again next year. Where

447
00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:34,440
Speaker 1: does that leave you with Tim Hiers, especially if Brian

448
00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:38,040
Speaker 1: Snicker were to go on his way, We're to retire.

449
00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:40,920
Speaker 1: I do think that time has run its course with Snicker.

450
00:22:41,080 --> 00:22:43,280
Speaker 1: We need a new voice in the manager's chair. But

451
00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:45,159
Speaker 1: where does that leave you with Tim Hiers, Because I

452
00:22:45,160 --> 00:22:48,160
Speaker 1: think it's going to be really interesting if Snicker does

453
00:22:48,280 --> 00:22:51,720
Speaker 1: retire what that means for Rick Kranitz as well as

454
00:22:51,760 --> 00:22:54,399
Speaker 1: Tim Hiers, because you can easily make the case now

455
00:22:54,520 --> 00:22:57,320
Speaker 1: for both that they clearly have put together a resume

456
00:22:57,440 --> 00:22:59,720
Speaker 1: this year that would make you want them to stick

457
00:22:59,720 --> 00:23:03,080
Speaker 1: around for next year in hopes that the success can continue.

458
00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:07,959
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a good question.

459
00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:11,760
Speaker 3: For most of the year, we just assumed Tim Hyers

460
00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:14,440
Speaker 3: would be gone at the end of the year because

461
00:23:14,440 --> 00:23:17,520
Speaker 3: the offense was so bad. We've also just assumed all

462
00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:20,760
Speaker 3: year that there's gonna be major shake up in the

463
00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:24,720
Speaker 3: coaching staff one way or the other, because the the

464
00:23:24,840 --> 00:23:28,480
Speaker 3: general consensus, not just among us, but literally everybody in baseball,

465
00:23:28,760 --> 00:23:31,399
Speaker 3: including on the national level, is that Brian Sticker is

466
00:23:31,400 --> 00:23:33,199
Speaker 3: going to retire at the end of the year. And

467
00:23:33,240 --> 00:23:34,679
Speaker 3: the fact that we've gotten all the way through the

468
00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:37,919
Speaker 3: season and there's not been a single mention even a

469
00:23:37,960 --> 00:23:41,360
Speaker 3: conversation of like, is he gonna sign an extension? Are

470
00:23:41,359 --> 00:23:44,560
Speaker 3: they gonna sign him again? I think that almost certainly

471
00:23:44,600 --> 00:23:46,600
Speaker 3: means he's retiring at the end of the year. And

472
00:23:46,680 --> 00:23:48,520
Speaker 3: so what does that mean for the coaching staff, Like,

473
00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:51,960
Speaker 3: who's going to be the manager? Is it a Is

474
00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:54,639
Speaker 3: it Walt Weiss's job to lose? That's kind of the

475
00:23:54,680 --> 00:23:57,960
Speaker 3: assumption I've had because wa Weiss has been his right

476
00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:00,720
Speaker 3: hand man for so many years he's been as bench coach,

477
00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:04,800
Speaker 3: and what wise has managed in the majors before? And

478
00:24:04,840 --> 00:24:07,040
Speaker 3: if that's the case, does the rest of the coaching

479
00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:10,240
Speaker 3: staff stay intact? They really need to keep brek Kranitz

480
00:24:10,760 --> 00:24:13,040
Speaker 3: if they you know, if they do nothing else, they

481
00:24:13,040 --> 00:24:14,160
Speaker 3: need to keep break Kranits.

482
00:24:15,240 --> 00:24:16,040
Speaker 2: I don't know if.

483
00:24:15,880 --> 00:24:18,679
Speaker 3: Alex is gonna want to change hitting coaches back to

484
00:24:18,720 --> 00:24:23,480
Speaker 3: back years. That's that teams like the Braves look for

485
00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:27,280
Speaker 3: more stability than that that stuff that like more amateur

486
00:24:27,320 --> 00:24:30,520
Speaker 3: gms do where they're just constantly turning over the coaching staff.

487
00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:32,919
Speaker 3: I think the Braves are gonna want more stability than

488
00:24:33,200 --> 00:24:36,480
Speaker 3: literally having to fire hitting coach in back to back seasons.

489
00:24:38,040 --> 00:24:40,640
Speaker 3: But the offense was so bad for such a long

490
00:24:40,680 --> 00:24:42,800
Speaker 3: stretch of the season, I could also see them justifying

491
00:24:42,880 --> 00:24:45,480
Speaker 3: doing so. So I don't know that's a good question.

492
00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:47,520
Speaker 2: Where are you? Do you think they're gonna fire him

493
00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:48,600
Speaker 2: at the end of the year. Do you think he's

494
00:24:48,640 --> 00:24:49,280
Speaker 2: back next year?

495
00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:53,120
Speaker 1: I I don't know, and and and I don't mean

496
00:24:53,160 --> 00:24:56,960
Speaker 1: to be a cop out, but it's just it's it's

497
00:24:57,240 --> 00:25:01,080
Speaker 1: an interesting scenario because I definitely leaf that two things

498
00:25:01,119 --> 00:25:03,320
Speaker 1: I definitely think are true, and I haven't waivered off

499
00:25:03,359 --> 00:25:06,359
Speaker 1: of this, even despite the fact that individually several players

500
00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:10,280
Speaker 1: are getting better. I do think that alex and Thoppolis,

501
00:25:10,359 --> 00:25:12,760
Speaker 1: through some of the waiver wire additions that he's made,

502
00:25:13,160 --> 00:25:17,080
Speaker 1: truly is showing that, hey, he realizes that some changes

503
00:25:17,119 --> 00:25:19,439
Speaker 1: are needed in terms of the personnel that we have

504
00:25:19,800 --> 00:25:22,080
Speaker 1: with you know, profile or a profile being the hitter

505
00:25:22,160 --> 00:25:24,639
Speaker 1: that he is, as on Kim, Jake freeleyb and the

506
00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:28,200
Speaker 1: hitters that they are so organizationally, when we talk about

507
00:25:28,480 --> 00:25:32,320
Speaker 1: a bit of a different offensive philosophy needs to happen,

508
00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:34,679
Speaker 1: I think we're starting to see the beginnings of that.

509
00:25:35,359 --> 00:25:37,440
Speaker 1: I do think this team needs a new voice in

510
00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:39,920
Speaker 1: the manager's seat, and I do think that it likely

511
00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:43,199
Speaker 1: needs to come outside the organization. I think that that

512
00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:48,359
Speaker 1: is the most prominent thing that should happen. And with

513
00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:52,040
Speaker 1: that being said, that likely means that you have a

514
00:25:52,119 --> 00:25:54,720
Speaker 1: chance of seeing Kranits as well as hires move on.

515
00:25:55,160 --> 00:25:55,360
Speaker 2: Now.

516
00:25:55,440 --> 00:25:57,360
Speaker 1: I can't remember, really ot the top of my head

517
00:25:57,400 --> 00:25:59,639
Speaker 1: how this usually happens, where when you bring a manager

518
00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:02,080
Speaker 1: in you typically do see a lot of his staff

519
00:26:02,119 --> 00:26:05,639
Speaker 1: go on. But it's going to be a conundrum Alex

520
00:26:05,680 --> 00:26:08,159
Speaker 1: has to figure out this off season, I feel, and

521
00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:11,000
Speaker 1: I think that it's going to be now a bigger subject.

522
00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:13,760
Speaker 1: Since he's addressed shortstop, you need a new voice in

523
00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:16,800
Speaker 1: that manager's chair. I don't necessarily trust anyone from within

524
00:26:16,840 --> 00:26:18,680
Speaker 1: the organization to be that guy.

525
00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:19,920
Speaker 2: But I also don't.

526
00:26:19,680 --> 00:26:23,520
Speaker 1: Necessarily want to move on from you know what, Crandits

527
00:26:23,560 --> 00:26:26,639
Speaker 1: has always done well in terms of making our pitching staff,

528
00:26:26,760 --> 00:26:28,600
Speaker 1: you know, get the most value out of it that

529
00:26:28,600 --> 00:26:30,359
Speaker 1: we've seen. And I certainly don't want to end the

530
00:26:30,359 --> 00:26:33,560
Speaker 1: momentum of hires, you know, showing that he has been

531
00:26:33,560 --> 00:26:38,119
Speaker 1: a much better than expected voice of hating in the

532
00:26:38,160 --> 00:26:41,359
Speaker 1: off season. So or excuse me, since the All Star break.

533
00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:43,359
Speaker 1: So in general, what I'm getting at is I don't

534
00:26:43,720 --> 00:26:46,879
Speaker 1: have an answer for that, and for that reason, I

535
00:26:46,880 --> 00:26:48,359
Speaker 1: think it's going to be a bigger story than some

536
00:26:48,520 --> 00:26:50,240
Speaker 1: anticipate for the off season.

537
00:26:52,040 --> 00:26:53,080
Speaker 2: Yeah.

538
00:26:53,200 --> 00:26:55,720
Speaker 3: I mean, listen in other sports, like when the head

539
00:26:55,760 --> 00:26:58,439
Speaker 3: coach or the manager or you know, head coach. You know,

540
00:26:58,480 --> 00:27:01,960
Speaker 3: if it's a head coach in basketball, coaching football, if

541
00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:05,920
Speaker 3: he moves on, then you're pretty much replacing the whole

542
00:27:05,960 --> 00:27:08,800
Speaker 3: staff because the new coach is gonna come in as

543
00:27:08,920 --> 00:27:12,440
Speaker 3: and is gonna want his own staff. In baseball, it

544
00:27:12,480 --> 00:27:14,840
Speaker 3: doesn't quite work that way. It's not I don't think

545
00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:17,720
Speaker 3: it's necessarily like a hundred percent that if a new

546
00:27:17,760 --> 00:27:21,000
Speaker 3: manager comes in, you have to have one hundred percent

547
00:27:21,119 --> 00:27:26,040
Speaker 3: new staff around him. I can also see a world though,

548
00:27:26,040 --> 00:27:27,919
Speaker 3: where a new manager comes in and does want his

549
00:27:27,960 --> 00:27:30,200
Speaker 3: own bench coach and does want his own pitching coach.

550
00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:32,639
Speaker 3: And I don't know, some of the will depend on

551
00:27:32,680 --> 00:27:34,439
Speaker 3: who they bring in. I guess who the who that

552
00:27:34,480 --> 00:27:38,399
Speaker 3: manager ends up being. But yeah, that's a good question,

553
00:27:38,520 --> 00:27:40,360
Speaker 3: and that's gonna be a I mean again, we've talked

554
00:27:40,359 --> 00:27:42,560
Speaker 3: a lot about the roster, but like what happens in

555
00:27:42,600 --> 00:27:46,440
Speaker 3: the dugout the coaching, the upheaval on the coaching staff,

556
00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:49,840
Speaker 3: which is gonna happen very quickly after the season is over,

557
00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:53,600
Speaker 3: is a massive story. And like if they can't keep

558
00:27:53,680 --> 00:27:57,040
Speaker 3: rit Kranitz, like if he moves on, because Snit moves on,

559
00:27:57,600 --> 00:27:59,840
Speaker 3: that becomes a massive, massive deal.

560
00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:00,600
Speaker 2: You know.

561
00:28:00,640 --> 00:28:02,560
Speaker 3: If they do end up having to, you know, move

562
00:28:02,600 --> 00:28:04,560
Speaker 3: on from hires and have to hire a hitting coach

563
00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:08,160
Speaker 3: for the second consecutive offseason, that's a massive, massive deal.

564
00:28:08,720 --> 00:28:10,320
Speaker 3: You know, if they got to get a new bench coach,

565
00:28:10,359 --> 00:28:12,119
Speaker 3: a new third base coach first, but like if they

566
00:28:12,200 --> 00:28:14,479
Speaker 3: got to do a whole new staff on top of

567
00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:16,080
Speaker 3: like the stuff they want to do on the roster.

568
00:28:17,040 --> 00:28:18,639
Speaker 3: You're right, I mean, that's a big deal that we

569
00:28:18,680 --> 00:28:21,560
Speaker 3: probably haven't spent enough time talking about. It's just tough

570
00:28:21,600 --> 00:28:24,119
Speaker 3: to know if they would be willing to bring in

571
00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:27,160
Speaker 3: a manager, a new manager, but keep all the other

572
00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:28,600
Speaker 3: pieces around him the same.

573
00:28:28,720 --> 00:28:30,840
Speaker 2: I don't know. I don't know.

574
00:28:30,920 --> 00:28:32,879
Speaker 3: I don't know dynamically how that would work, or if

575
00:28:33,119 --> 00:28:35,240
Speaker 3: it would even be plausible, but it's I think it

576
00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:37,520
Speaker 3: is more possible in baseball than other sports.

577
00:28:38,720 --> 00:28:41,000
Speaker 1: Agreed with that, and I think at the end of

578
00:28:41,040 --> 00:28:45,600
Speaker 1: the day, you know, the reason why I want to

579
00:28:45,640 --> 00:28:48,520
Speaker 1: move on from Snicker more than anything is because when

580
00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:52,320
Speaker 1: it comes to situational decisions, I think that he continues

581
00:28:52,360 --> 00:28:54,800
Speaker 1: to lack a lot of what we need, especially when

582
00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:57,600
Speaker 1: other factors are not where you know, are not in

583
00:28:57,680 --> 00:28:59,520
Speaker 1: as good a position as we had hoped they would be,

584
00:28:59,760 --> 00:29:01,880
Speaker 1: you know at this time and many of these players' careers.

585
00:29:01,920 --> 00:29:04,920
Speaker 1: Maybe that changes next year. I think it's some sort

586
00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:08,080
Speaker 1: of compromise where perhaps you see Walt Weiss take the

587
00:29:08,120 --> 00:29:11,400
Speaker 1: manager's seat and you know, we see what happens with

588
00:29:11,480 --> 00:29:13,760
Speaker 1: that combination. But we'll have plenty of off season to

589
00:29:13,760 --> 00:29:16,760
Speaker 1: discuss that. But I just think, especially with one of

590
00:29:16,760 --> 00:29:19,440
Speaker 1: our bigger needs seeming to be addressed with the addition

591
00:29:19,480 --> 00:29:23,680
Speaker 1: of Kim, how the coaching staff kind of evolves throughout

592
00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:27,080
Speaker 1: the off season, that's going to be another, maybe not

593
00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:30,480
Speaker 1: as expected, but bigger storyline to follow when it comes

594
00:29:30,480 --> 00:29:35,720
Speaker 1: to the next several months. But there's also despite individual performance,

595
00:29:35,760 --> 00:29:39,680
Speaker 1: despite the team overall playing better, the stage is set

596
00:29:39,760 --> 00:29:42,959
Speaker 1: for the Braves in multiple ways, to end twenty and

597
00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:46,680
Speaker 1: twenty six as a team with a good indication of

598
00:29:46,720 --> 00:29:50,800
Speaker 1: where they stand entering or ending twenty and twenty five,

599
00:29:51,080 --> 00:29:53,960
Speaker 1: seeing where they stand entering where they want to be

600
00:29:53,960 --> 00:29:56,360
Speaker 1: in twenty and twenty six. More on Matt in just

601
00:29:56,400 --> 00:29:57,560
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602
00:29:57,400 --> 00:30:01,400
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Speaker 1: So, Stephen, what I was alluding to when I was

625
00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:03,040
Speaker 1: talking about the fact that the braves have the stage

626
00:31:03,080 --> 00:31:06,480
Speaker 1: set for them to be able to in twenty and

627
00:31:06,520 --> 00:31:09,680
Speaker 1: twenty five with a good indication of where they stand

628
00:31:10,120 --> 00:31:14,120
Speaker 1: going into twenty twenty six hopefully getting back to contention,

629
00:31:14,600 --> 00:31:18,480
Speaker 1: is that they in twenty and twenty five playing several

630
00:31:18,680 --> 00:31:23,000
Speaker 1: playoff teams that are in the mix to really that

631
00:31:23,400 --> 00:31:26,520
Speaker 1: still are looking to get in the best position possible

632
00:31:26,680 --> 00:31:29,040
Speaker 1: when it comes to the playoffs, Teams that are fighting

633
00:31:29,040 --> 00:31:31,840
Speaker 1: for wild card position, teams that are fighting for the division,

634
00:31:32,040 --> 00:31:34,320
Speaker 1: teams that are fighting to have home build advantage through

635
00:31:34,360 --> 00:31:37,680
Speaker 1: their respective league. In the playoffs, the Braves will play,

636
00:31:37,840 --> 00:31:42,000
Speaker 1: among others, the Mariners, the Astros, the Cubs. Again, I

637
00:31:42,000 --> 00:31:44,120
Speaker 1: believe they play both the Phillies and the Mets, as

638
00:31:44,160 --> 00:31:48,160
Speaker 1: well as the Tigers. We have several teams who we

639
00:31:48,280 --> 00:31:50,720
Speaker 1: know are likely going to make the playoffs, but the

640
00:31:50,840 --> 00:31:53,360
Speaker 1: overall positioning where they are in the playoffs is yet

641
00:31:53,360 --> 00:31:55,640
Speaker 1: to be determined. The Braves could play a big role

642
00:31:55,680 --> 00:31:59,640
Speaker 1: in determining some wild card, division and overall league races.

643
00:31:59,640 --> 00:32:03,000
Speaker 1: I think that's something that they're looking forward to. Number One,

644
00:32:03,040 --> 00:32:05,080
Speaker 1: to play that role as a spoiler, which is always

645
00:32:05,120 --> 00:32:07,280
Speaker 1: fun when you're out of contention, but even more so

646
00:32:07,320 --> 00:32:09,920
Speaker 1: for the organization as a whole. See where they stand,

647
00:32:09,920 --> 00:32:13,000
Speaker 1: getting good indication of how far away they are when

648
00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:14,880
Speaker 1: it comes to playing some of the better teams because

649
00:32:14,880 --> 00:32:17,560
Speaker 1: they want to perform good against those teams in twenty

650
00:32:17,720 --> 00:32:18,520
Speaker 1: twenty six to win.

651
00:32:21,560 --> 00:32:24,160
Speaker 3: Yeah, so obviously they just play the Phillies and the Mets,

652
00:32:25,040 --> 00:32:27,560
Speaker 3: who are obviously, you know, fighting for playoff spots and

653
00:32:27,600 --> 00:32:29,120
Speaker 3: the Mets are kind of in a dogfight for the

654
00:32:29,160 --> 00:32:32,080
Speaker 3: wild card spot at the moment. And then they just

655
00:32:32,120 --> 00:32:35,560
Speaker 3: played the Cubs. They go home now playing the Mariners

656
00:32:35,560 --> 00:32:39,240
Speaker 3: for three. The Cubs come in for three. They still

657
00:32:39,240 --> 00:32:42,240
Speaker 3: played the Astros, they still play the Tigers. So yeah,

658
00:32:42,280 --> 00:32:44,840
Speaker 3: like they're gonna get a chance to at least dictate

659
00:32:45,120 --> 00:32:48,920
Speaker 3: what happens, you know, around the playoffs. It is funny

660
00:32:48,960 --> 00:32:52,280
Speaker 3: they're playing, you know, three American League teams in September,

661
00:32:53,280 --> 00:32:55,440
Speaker 3: and I don't think they play any They don't play

662
00:32:55,440 --> 00:32:57,160
Speaker 3: the Mets or the Phillies at all in September, but

663
00:32:57,160 --> 00:32:59,880
Speaker 3: they're playing three American League It's a very weird schedule. Actually,

664
00:33:00,080 --> 00:33:03,000
Speaker 3: they in the year with Pittsburgh. I know they do

665
00:33:03,120 --> 00:33:05,080
Speaker 3: play the Nationals a couple of times, but like they're

666
00:33:05,080 --> 00:33:07,920
Speaker 3: done with the Mets and Phillies, which is weird. But Yeah,

667
00:33:07,960 --> 00:33:10,680
Speaker 3: they're gonna get a chance to you know, decide for

668
00:33:11,360 --> 00:33:13,760
Speaker 3: you know, the Mariners right now are kind of hurting

669
00:33:13,800 --> 00:33:16,440
Speaker 3: in a bad way. They've they've gone cold. There are

670
00:33:16,480 --> 00:33:18,760
Speaker 3: all of a sudden in a dogfight. The American League

671
00:33:18,760 --> 00:33:21,440
Speaker 3: Wild Card race has actually got really interesting. The Rangers

672
00:33:21,440 --> 00:33:24,360
Speaker 3: have you know, come back up and are now knocking

673
00:33:24,400 --> 00:33:27,160
Speaker 3: on the door. The Rays are like randomly hot. I

674
00:33:27,160 --> 00:33:29,240
Speaker 3: think they've won six in a row, even like the

675
00:33:29,320 --> 00:33:32,280
Speaker 3: Royals aren't out of it yet completely. And if the

676
00:33:32,320 --> 00:33:35,240
Speaker 3: Mariners keep losing, then you know it's gonna open the

677
00:33:35,240 --> 00:33:36,000
Speaker 3: door up even more.

678
00:33:36,040 --> 00:33:36,120
Speaker 5: So.

679
00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:38,840
Speaker 3: Yeah, the Braves are gonna have a say and and

680
00:33:38,920 --> 00:33:41,080
Speaker 3: what happens in the playoffs, even if it's not the

681
00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:44,080
Speaker 3: same we thought they were gonna have maybe back in March,

682
00:33:44,280 --> 00:33:46,440
Speaker 3: but you know they're they're gonna be able to play

683
00:33:46,480 --> 00:33:50,760
Speaker 3: spoiler down down the stretch. Chris Sale is back, Hearsseall

684
00:33:50,760 --> 00:33:53,080
Speaker 3: Waldrip has been pitching better or you know herschel Waltrip

685
00:33:53,080 --> 00:33:56,240
Speaker 3: has been amazing. They have WinCE, they have Strider Elder

686
00:33:56,280 --> 00:33:59,360
Speaker 3: has been pitching better. They're gonna get Profar back like

687
00:33:59,400 --> 00:34:03,520
Speaker 3: they're gonna get but pretty close to the as complete

688
00:34:03,520 --> 00:34:05,840
Speaker 3: a team as they can have at the moment, you know,

689
00:34:05,880 --> 00:34:08,279
Speaker 3: once Profar gets back, so.

690
00:34:08,280 --> 00:34:09,120
Speaker 2: It'll be interesting to see.

691
00:34:09,120 --> 00:34:12,200
Speaker 3: I just I'm I'm all about storylines at the moment.

692
00:34:12,360 --> 00:34:14,960
Speaker 3: I'm all about how Kim is playing. You know, how

693
00:34:15,040 --> 00:34:17,600
Speaker 3: Kim does the last month is probably the biggest storyline.

694
00:34:17,960 --> 00:34:18,120
Speaker 2: You know.

695
00:34:18,239 --> 00:34:19,960
Speaker 3: Of course, I want to see Acuna get hot again

696
00:34:20,080 --> 00:34:22,360
Speaker 3: just so he goes into the offseason feeling good. I

697
00:34:22,400 --> 00:34:24,840
Speaker 3: want to see Matt Olsen get hot again just so

698
00:34:24,880 --> 00:34:26,560
Speaker 3: he feels goes in the off season feeling good.

699
00:34:27,000 --> 00:34:29,200
Speaker 2: Chris Sale to stay healthy. Strider.

700
00:34:29,400 --> 00:34:31,400
Speaker 3: You know, every start with Strider is kind of a

701
00:34:31,440 --> 00:34:35,040
Speaker 3: new update on how he's doing, how he's adjusting. How

702
00:34:35,040 --> 00:34:38,360
Speaker 3: does herschel Waldrip finish this season? You know that matters

703
00:34:38,400 --> 00:34:42,160
Speaker 3: a lot for twenty twenty six. Michael Harris, Ozzie Albi's

704
00:34:42,520 --> 00:34:44,160
Speaker 3: you know, how do they finish? Of course we have

705
00:34:44,239 --> 00:34:47,239
Speaker 3: this Drake Baldwin stuff at all, you know, every day.

706
00:34:47,920 --> 00:34:49,719
Speaker 3: You know, I just looked at the odds for the

707
00:34:49,800 --> 00:34:52,239
Speaker 3: Rookie of the Year. Caate Horton had a really good

708
00:34:52,320 --> 00:34:54,040
Speaker 3: night obviously, so he kind of jumped out in front

709
00:34:54,040 --> 00:34:56,680
Speaker 3: of everybody. But it's basically him and Baldwin neck and

710
00:34:56,760 --> 00:34:58,880
Speaker 3: neck Rookie of the Year, you know, all the draft

711
00:34:58,880 --> 00:35:01,040
Speaker 3: picks that are tied to that at the draft picks

712
00:35:01,040 --> 00:35:03,640
Speaker 3: that are tied to the record, the final record. The

713
00:35:03,640 --> 00:35:07,000
Speaker 3: Braves in with so plenty of storylines. Even if the

714
00:35:07,040 --> 00:35:09,080
Speaker 3: results on the field maybe don't matter the way we

715
00:35:09,120 --> 00:35:12,920
Speaker 3: thought they would, what happens in these games matter a

716
00:35:12,960 --> 00:35:16,160
Speaker 3: lot for twenty twenty six, and so that's what we're

717
00:35:16,160 --> 00:35:18,279
Speaker 3: gonna track all of September. We're gonna track all of

718
00:35:18,320 --> 00:35:22,080
Speaker 3: these storylines. There's a ton of them, and you know,

719
00:35:22,160 --> 00:35:24,880
Speaker 3: that'll help us set up what hopefully would be a

720
00:35:24,920 --> 00:35:26,560
Speaker 3: bounce back, you know, for next year.

721
00:35:27,840 --> 00:35:30,200
Speaker 1: And the one other aspect of the team, you know,

722
00:35:30,239 --> 00:35:32,480
Speaker 1: we talked about, you know, several members of the offense.

723
00:35:32,480 --> 00:35:35,759
Speaker 1: We talked about Sember members of the rotation. Another storyline

724
00:35:35,800 --> 00:35:38,120
Speaker 1: to follow is going to be the bullpen as well,

725
00:35:38,200 --> 00:35:41,160
Speaker 1: right because we're seeing a lot of you know, I know,

726
00:35:41,440 --> 00:35:44,160
Speaker 1: John Callers, Laura, you know, dasbol Hernandez's or a couple

727
00:35:44,239 --> 00:35:46,600
Speaker 1: other names in tripa A. Maybe we'll see them at

728
00:35:46,600 --> 00:35:48,600
Speaker 1: some point through the rest of the year. But Munyos

729
00:35:48,719 --> 00:35:50,960
Speaker 1: is now up, Harris is now up. We've got Kinley

730
00:35:51,320 --> 00:35:54,680
Speaker 1: in the fold. One big development that I don't think

731
00:35:54,719 --> 00:35:58,440
Speaker 1: we're talking about as much because it's a story of success,

732
00:35:58,480 --> 00:36:00,200
Speaker 1: but we're not really seeing it all that much because

733
00:36:00,239 --> 00:36:02,920
Speaker 1: we're not getting many chances that saves or wins. Is

734
00:36:03,080 --> 00:36:06,120
Speaker 1: just how dominant ricel Iglesias has returned to being he

735
00:36:06,320 --> 00:36:09,279
Speaker 1: just one reliever of the month in the National League. Unfortunately,

736
00:36:09,920 --> 00:36:11,920
Speaker 1: Hurst and Waldert didn't win Picture of the Month. Freddy

737
00:36:11,960 --> 00:36:14,120
Speaker 1: Parlt you know, he just when you looked at the

738
00:36:14,160 --> 00:36:16,239
Speaker 1: pitchers who were eligible to win Picture of the Month

739
00:36:16,239 --> 00:36:18,000
Speaker 1: of the National League, there were plenty of them that

740
00:36:18,280 --> 00:36:22,600
Speaker 1: had a good shot that we're deserving. But rysol Iglesias,

741
00:36:22,640 --> 00:36:25,680
Speaker 1: you know, could the Braves potentially look to bring him

742
00:36:25,719 --> 00:36:28,160
Speaker 1: back next year? I think that that could be a

743
00:36:28,200 --> 00:36:31,960
Speaker 1: bigger possibility than some may see. Seeing how these bullpen

744
00:36:32,040 --> 00:36:35,919
Speaker 1: pieces that definitely are looking to audition for a spot

745
00:36:35,960 --> 00:36:39,600
Speaker 1: in the twenty six bullpen, how they do against quality competition,

746
00:36:39,920 --> 00:36:42,800
Speaker 1: that will be another storyline that if it works out well,

747
00:36:43,360 --> 00:36:46,600
Speaker 1: could could you know, help to address what also is

748
00:36:46,640 --> 00:36:49,759
Speaker 1: adeed in the off season, which is building up bolstering

749
00:36:49,960 --> 00:36:52,680
Speaker 1: another reliable bullpen, you know, something we didn't do last

750
00:36:52,680 --> 00:36:53,120
Speaker 1: off season?

751
00:36:54,440 --> 00:36:57,760
Speaker 3: Yeah, listen, Tyler Kenny has given up one earned run

752
00:36:58,239 --> 00:37:00,799
Speaker 3: since being with the Braves, pitched twelve and given up

753
00:37:00,840 --> 00:37:02,960
Speaker 3: one earned run. You know, we talked about he's got

754
00:37:02,960 --> 00:37:05,640
Speaker 3: a five million dollar option for next year, so how

755
00:37:05,680 --> 00:37:10,600
Speaker 3: he pitches one hundred percent? Like most managers still in

756
00:37:10,640 --> 00:37:13,600
Speaker 3: twenty twenty five twenty twenty six, they want to establish closers.

757
00:37:15,320 --> 00:37:17,080
Speaker 3: Right now, you would have to say the Braves do

758
00:37:17,160 --> 00:37:20,359
Speaker 3: not have an established closer for twenty twenty six. Now,

759
00:37:20,400 --> 00:37:22,600
Speaker 3: they have guys on the team that can do it,

760
00:37:22,640 --> 00:37:25,240
Speaker 3: probably Joe Jimenez being the most likely, assuming he's healthy.

761
00:37:25,880 --> 00:37:28,080
Speaker 3: But what it would not shock anybody if the Braves

762
00:37:28,080 --> 00:37:30,319
Speaker 3: brought Rossio Glacier's back next year. It won't be for

763
00:37:30,360 --> 00:37:32,919
Speaker 3: seventeen million dollars, which is what he's making this year,

764
00:37:33,360 --> 00:37:36,319
Speaker 3: but like on a smaller one year deal, it would

765
00:37:36,320 --> 00:37:39,080
Speaker 3: not surprise anybody. But the way Glaciers has pitched the

766
00:37:39,120 --> 00:37:41,359
Speaker 3: last three months, you know there might be other teams

767
00:37:41,400 --> 00:37:44,600
Speaker 3: around the league that pay him more than that. He's

768
00:37:44,640 --> 00:37:47,400
Speaker 3: pitched that well, I still can't believe he's pitching for

769
00:37:47,400 --> 00:37:50,319
Speaker 3: the Braves. Quite honestly, I can't believe there was not

770
00:37:50,400 --> 00:37:53,560
Speaker 3: a contender that could have thought they could use him

771
00:37:53,560 --> 00:37:56,399
Speaker 3: for the playoffs. But whatever it is what it is.

772
00:37:56,719 --> 00:37:59,480
Speaker 2: So yeah, all over the roster starting pitching.

773
00:37:59,560 --> 00:38:04,840
Speaker 3: A bull and lineup you know in the dugout coaches

774
00:38:05,080 --> 00:38:08,440
Speaker 3: manager like, all over the roster there pretty there are

775
00:38:08,480 --> 00:38:10,799
Speaker 3: massive storylines that are still taking place that are gonna

776
00:38:10,800 --> 00:38:12,960
Speaker 3: have a massive impact on the offseason and then.

777
00:38:12,920 --> 00:38:14,239
Speaker 2: Of course into twenty twenty six.

778
00:38:14,360 --> 00:38:16,919
Speaker 3: So there's still plenty to talk about with this team,

779
00:38:16,960 --> 00:38:19,600
Speaker 3: even though the standings are not what we want them to.

780
00:38:19,600 --> 00:38:23,400
Speaker 1: Be and the one caveat the one thing in context

781
00:38:23,440 --> 00:38:27,200
Speaker 1: Brad mentioned it about hasan kemp specifically, but I do

782
00:38:27,320 --> 00:38:30,720
Speaker 1: think that it's important to mention it as a whole

783
00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:34,759
Speaker 1: for any member of the Braves organization. What happens through

784
00:38:34,880 --> 00:38:39,640
Speaker 1: the end of this year does not redefine the whole

785
00:38:39,680 --> 00:38:44,240
Speaker 1: story of twenty twenty five for anyone. It just simply

786
00:38:44,400 --> 00:38:48,160
Speaker 1: shows that through the struggles that we've had and the

787
00:38:48,239 --> 00:38:51,839
Speaker 1: adjustments that we've made to try to improve, whether it

788
00:38:51,880 --> 00:38:55,680
Speaker 1: be through roster additions, changes and approach, what have you,

789
00:38:56,280 --> 00:38:59,800
Speaker 1: it's working. At the very least in the early stages,

790
00:39:00,120 --> 00:39:05,120
Speaker 1: we're getting good results, no more, no less. The struggles

791
00:39:05,160 --> 00:39:07,640
Speaker 1: that we saw from many players in the first half

792
00:39:07,680 --> 00:39:10,320
Speaker 1: of the season, those are still very much relevant and

793
00:39:10,360 --> 00:39:13,759
Speaker 1: should still have an impact on how we look to

794
00:39:13,840 --> 00:39:19,680
Speaker 1: approach the offseason. But with that being said, this team

795
00:39:19,800 --> 00:39:24,040
Speaker 1: checking as many boxes as possible in that twenty twenty

796
00:39:24,080 --> 00:39:26,800
Speaker 1: six is ending in a better way than we expected

797
00:39:27,040 --> 00:39:30,080
Speaker 1: a month to six weeks to two months ago. However,

798
00:39:30,160 --> 00:39:34,240
Speaker 1: many ways we can say this aspect of the team

799
00:39:34,480 --> 00:39:37,480
Speaker 1: is ending twenty twenty five in a better way than

800
00:39:37,480 --> 00:39:40,319
Speaker 1: we thought. That just sets us up for success more

801
00:39:40,320 --> 00:39:42,520
Speaker 1: in twenty to twenty six. And I'm all here for it.

802
00:39:42,600 --> 00:39:44,120
Speaker 1: And hey, if that means we win a bunch of

803
00:39:44,120 --> 00:39:46,120
Speaker 1: ball games, let's win a bunch of ball games.

804
00:39:47,239 --> 00:39:48,640
Speaker 2: Yeah, And again, I don't.

805
00:39:48,920 --> 00:39:51,839
Speaker 3: I the results stilln't matter to me much at all.

806
00:39:51,840 --> 00:39:52,680
Speaker 2: In you like I don't.

807
00:39:53,719 --> 00:39:56,040
Speaker 3: I really had to be reminded that the Braves lost

808
00:39:56,320 --> 00:39:58,480
Speaker 3: two of three in this series to the Cubs. Like,

809
00:39:59,040 --> 00:40:01,520
Speaker 3: I'm much more more carry I much more care about

810
00:40:01,560 --> 00:40:04,680
Speaker 3: individual performances, right, I just care about individual storylines.

811
00:40:05,120 --> 00:40:05,959
Speaker 2: I could care less.

812
00:40:06,000 --> 00:40:08,160
Speaker 3: The Braves could lose every game from here to the

813
00:40:08,239 --> 00:40:10,239
Speaker 3: end of the season. At this point, I really as

814
00:40:10,280 --> 00:40:13,680
Speaker 3: long as individual players are doing well, you know, maybe

815
00:40:13,680 --> 00:40:15,359
Speaker 3: they lose a bunch of one run games and help

816
00:40:15,640 --> 00:40:18,160
Speaker 3: helps the draft order or maybe they win a bunch

817
00:40:18,160 --> 00:40:21,319
Speaker 3: of games. I really you know, again, I'm not I'm

818
00:40:21,320 --> 00:40:24,040
Speaker 3: not really a big tank guy. I do want the

819
00:40:24,040 --> 00:40:26,839
Speaker 3: Braves to continue to play Drake Baldwin so they get

820
00:40:26,840 --> 00:40:30,000
Speaker 3: an extra draft pick, but like, I care much more

821
00:40:30,040 --> 00:40:30,800
Speaker 3: about storylines.

822
00:40:30,840 --> 00:40:31,560
Speaker 2: I just want to make.

823
00:40:31,480 --> 00:40:35,000
Speaker 3: Sure the fact that they added a real shortstop, like

824
00:40:35,080 --> 00:40:38,520
Speaker 3: this was maybe the major thing in the offseason was

825
00:40:38,520 --> 00:40:41,440
Speaker 3: you got to find a real shortstop, and we have

826
00:40:41,520 --> 00:40:43,280
Speaker 3: to make sure that Kim is actually on the roster

827
00:40:43,360 --> 00:40:47,000
Speaker 3: next year. But like that's a massive move that they've

828
00:40:47,040 --> 00:40:49,759
Speaker 3: already done that. Like, you know, I saw some people saying,

829
00:40:49,760 --> 00:40:52,040
Speaker 3: are they gonna run it back? Well, adding Kim is

830
00:40:52,080 --> 00:40:54,200
Speaker 3: already evidence that they're not just gonna run it back

831
00:40:54,239 --> 00:40:56,560
Speaker 3: because he is already a massive upgrade of what they

832
00:40:56,600 --> 00:41:00,320
Speaker 3: had and so like, and I think are going to

833
00:41:00,360 --> 00:41:02,560
Speaker 3: probably upgrade at d H. So I don't think they're

834
00:41:02,560 --> 00:41:03,960
Speaker 3: just gonna run it back. I don't think they're just

835
00:41:04,000 --> 00:41:06,600
Speaker 3: gonna use like the offense getting hot in the last

836
00:41:06,640 --> 00:41:09,200
Speaker 3: two months of the year as a way to whitewash

837
00:41:09,239 --> 00:41:11,759
Speaker 3: everything that happened before that. I don't see that at all,

838
00:41:12,080 --> 00:41:14,000
Speaker 3: And if that happened, we would criticize them for it,

839
00:41:14,000 --> 00:41:16,719
Speaker 3: because that's not what should happen, and I don't think

840
00:41:16,719 --> 00:41:17,480
Speaker 3: that's what they're gonna do.

841
00:41:17,520 --> 00:41:17,880
Speaker 2: I think this.

842
00:41:18,160 --> 00:41:20,440
Speaker 3: I think this season has been on awakening for Alex

843
00:41:20,520 --> 00:41:22,880
Speaker 3: in a lot of ways, and I think he's added

844
00:41:23,239 --> 00:41:26,360
Speaker 3: some different types of hitters to the lineup. He needs

845
00:41:26,360 --> 00:41:28,200
Speaker 3: more guys to be consistent.

846
00:41:28,640 --> 00:41:28,840
Speaker 2: You know.

847
00:41:28,920 --> 00:41:31,400
Speaker 3: The streakiness of this lineup is still maddening at times.

848
00:41:31,680 --> 00:41:36,160
Speaker 3: But adding additional pieces, new pieces, improving on positions that

849
00:41:36,200 --> 00:41:39,719
Speaker 3: were weaknesses, specifically shortstop already will probably be more in

850
00:41:39,719 --> 00:41:42,399
Speaker 3: the off season is a good start. And so now

851
00:41:42,440 --> 00:41:44,080
Speaker 3: we just need to get a lot of these guys

852
00:41:44,080 --> 00:41:46,319
Speaker 3: to the off season healthy and then we can start

853
00:41:46,360 --> 00:41:48,480
Speaker 3: talking about the offseason and then move into twenty twenty

854
00:41:48,520 --> 00:41:51,400
Speaker 3: six where hopefully the Atlanta Breids start playing like the

855
00:41:51,440 --> 00:41:55,080
Speaker 3: team that they should be, you know, to their talent level.

856
00:41:55,080 --> 00:41:57,799
Speaker 3: Because this I still think this is a talented team.

857
00:41:58,120 --> 00:41:59,920
Speaker 1: And at the end of the day, as many of

858
00:41:59,920 --> 00:42:03,799
Speaker 1: these storylines that can ending in a good way, if

859
00:42:03,840 --> 00:42:06,040
Speaker 1: that were to be the case to end this season,

860
00:42:06,360 --> 00:42:10,759
Speaker 1: that means that they've developed either internally or without the

861
00:42:10,800 --> 00:42:14,479
Speaker 1: Braves giving up anything of significance to improve the team.

862
00:42:14,800 --> 00:42:18,320
Speaker 1: So the emergence of Aldrip, for the rotation bullpen pieces

863
00:42:18,360 --> 00:42:21,480
Speaker 1: being able to stand up and perform well, you know,

864
00:42:21,560 --> 00:42:24,680
Speaker 1: the lineup getting betters can potentially be in the the

865
00:42:24,719 --> 00:42:27,799
Speaker 1: answer for shortstop next year. Those are needs that are

866
00:42:27,800 --> 00:42:30,680
Speaker 1: being addressed now, which means that the Braves can focus

867
00:42:30,760 --> 00:42:33,520
Speaker 1: on creative ways to improve the team even more in

868
00:42:33,560 --> 00:42:35,759
Speaker 1: the off season. Steven, do you have anything else for

869
00:42:35,840 --> 00:42:37,799
Speaker 1: us as we wrap up this edition of the Hammer

870
00:42:37,920 --> 00:42:38,840
Speaker 1: Territory Podcast.

871
00:42:39,960 --> 00:42:41,440
Speaker 3: No, I just want to give a shout out to

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00:42:41,480 --> 00:42:41,920
Speaker 3: the fans.

873
00:42:42,400 --> 00:42:42,520
Speaker 1: Uh.

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00:42:43,640 --> 00:42:49,040
Speaker 3: Our listeners have been incredibly consistent, incredibly you know, helpful.

875
00:42:50,160 --> 00:42:52,040
Speaker 3: Even though it's been a lost season, you guys have

876
00:42:52,480 --> 00:42:55,160
Speaker 3: you know, you guys have still listened and downloaded and

877
00:42:55,520 --> 00:42:59,040
Speaker 3: you know, engaged in comments and all that stuff. You know,

878
00:42:59,239 --> 00:43:01,960
Speaker 3: really a pretty much the same level. There's probably been

879
00:43:02,000 --> 00:43:04,279
Speaker 3: a tiny little dip just because of the standings, but

880
00:43:04,440 --> 00:43:10,399
Speaker 3: like the consistency that you guys support us is pretty wild.

881
00:43:10,239 --> 00:43:13,080
Speaker 2: At times, quite honestly, and we probably.

882
00:43:12,800 --> 00:43:15,760
Speaker 3: Don't say thank you enough, but we're we're just incredibly

883
00:43:15,760 --> 00:43:16,560
Speaker 3: appreciative of it.

884
00:43:16,560 --> 00:43:16,879
Speaker 2: It is.

885
00:43:17,040 --> 00:43:19,279
Speaker 3: It is really cool to see. We will be here

886
00:43:19,320 --> 00:43:22,759
Speaker 3: all through September, all through October, all through November, all

887
00:43:22,800 --> 00:43:24,680
Speaker 3: through December, January, February.

888
00:43:24,320 --> 00:43:24,880
Speaker 2: March, April.

889
00:43:25,160 --> 00:43:26,759
Speaker 3: You know, this is a twelve month podcast, so we

890
00:43:26,800 --> 00:43:29,399
Speaker 3: don't go anywhere, and we will be here to cover

891
00:43:29,480 --> 00:43:32,880
Speaker 3: every single aspect of this team the moment it happened.

892
00:43:32,920 --> 00:43:34,440
Speaker 2: So we appreciate the support.

893
00:43:34,160 --> 00:43:37,520
Speaker 1: As always, absolutely, and it's just good again to be

894
00:43:37,600 --> 00:43:39,839
Speaker 1: able to see a team that's, you know, having some

895
00:43:39,920 --> 00:43:42,600
Speaker 1: fun playing baseball, a team that's going to be playing

896
00:43:42,680 --> 00:43:45,760
Speaker 1: some meaningful games down the stretch of the season. Again,

897
00:43:45,880 --> 00:43:50,399
Speaker 1: this season has not developed or has not you know,

898
00:43:50,840 --> 00:43:53,759
Speaker 1: happened in a way that any of us really expected,

899
00:43:54,080 --> 00:43:57,480
Speaker 1: but again the fact that it is ending perhaps in

900
00:43:57,480 --> 00:43:59,600
Speaker 1: a better way than many of us expected a few

901
00:43:59,600 --> 00:44:01,640
Speaker 1: months ago. I know I keep saying that, but I

902
00:44:01,680 --> 00:44:04,960
Speaker 1: think it's a really big deal for an organization that

903
00:44:05,080 --> 00:44:08,000
Speaker 1: needs as many positive developments as possible to get back

904
00:44:08,000 --> 00:44:10,279
Speaker 1: to being a contender in twenty twenty six. You can

905
00:44:10,320 --> 00:44:14,359
Speaker 1: bind Steven at b Underscore Outliers on Twitter, Slash acts

906
00:44:14,400 --> 00:44:17,719
Speaker 1: myself at stats Sac until next time. You can bind

907
00:44:17,760 --> 00:44:20,799
Speaker 1: Hammer Territory across all forms of social media. FOULT part

908
00:44:20,800 --> 00:44:23,920
Speaker 1: of the Foul Territory family of podcasts. Brad Rowland and

909
00:44:23,920 --> 00:44:26,400
Speaker 1: Scott Colman will be back with you this weekend. Until

910
00:44:26,400 --> 00:44:28,799
Speaker 1: next time, go braves, we'll talk to you again soon

911
00:44:28,840 --> 00:44:30,719
Speaker 1: here on the Hammer Territory podcast