What Will Be John Hart's "Braves Way"
He has only had the job for 24 hours officially, but a looming question will linger over John Hart as he assumes the role of President of Baseball Operations: What will be "the Braves way?"
Hart has already been quoted as saying he wants "Gritty players that seek to win." It could be argued that there are a number of players on the current roster that fit such a description. The names Freddie Freeman, EVAN GATTIS, Jason Heyward, Andrelton Simmons, Justin Upton, Chris Johnson, Craig Kimbrel, Julio Tehran, and Alex Wood come to mind as a short list.
But among these, IMHO, Gattis fits the mold the best. Here is why:
1. He plays with heart and emotion. Even in the slumping September where Gattis was out with kidney stones, he played every game with tenacity and a full fledged desire to win. I saw it more on his face during those games than any other player on that team.
2. He doesn't complain about....well, ANYTHING. Never once have I seen Evan Gattis pull of the level of tantrum that I have seen out of such players as Chris Johnson and, no surprise here, BJ Upton. There is always the ever present temptation for players to put up stinks when a play doesn't get called in their favor. I have rarely seen any such reaction from Gattis, minus a couple of times he chatted up some umpires calling the pitches he frames for strikes as balls. Honestly, I'd be a little pissed off as well. But I digress, Evan has always played the game with humility and dignity.
3. HE GIVES BACK! As I've explained in many of my posts already, Gattis is the most giving and approachable player I have ever seen on the Braves roster. This is evident through his laid back approach to club house interviews, his allowance of Fox Sports South and SportsSouth to make an intimate documentary on his life and journey to the majors, and the pictures and videos documenting of how appreciative and polite he is to his fan base and media alike.
I can go on and on about what a valuable asset that Gattis is to the Atlanta Braves and why John Hart needs to work him into the lineup for as long as we can hold onto him, but I would almost have to write a book about it. Which now that I think about, I'm already writing a made for TV screenplay on his life story. Maybe I can be his biographer, too? I pray I can be provided with such opportunities. LORD, HEAR MY PRAYER!!!!
Hart has already been quoted as saying he wants "Gritty players that seek to win." It could be argued that there are a number of players on the current roster that fit such a description. The names Freddie Freeman, EVAN GATTIS, Jason Heyward, Andrelton Simmons, Justin Upton, Chris Johnson, Craig Kimbrel, Julio Tehran, and Alex Wood come to mind as a short list.
But among these, IMHO, Gattis fits the mold the best. Here is why:
1. He plays with heart and emotion. Even in the slumping September where Gattis was out with kidney stones, he played every game with tenacity and a full fledged desire to win. I saw it more on his face during those games than any other player on that team.
2. He doesn't complain about....well, ANYTHING. Never once have I seen Evan Gattis pull of the level of tantrum that I have seen out of such players as Chris Johnson and, no surprise here, BJ Upton. There is always the ever present temptation for players to put up stinks when a play doesn't get called in their favor. I have rarely seen any such reaction from Gattis, minus a couple of times he chatted up some umpires calling the pitches he frames for strikes as balls. Honestly, I'd be a little pissed off as well. But I digress, Evan has always played the game with humility and dignity.
3. HE GIVES BACK! As I've explained in many of my posts already, Gattis is the most giving and approachable player I have ever seen on the Braves roster. This is evident through his laid back approach to club house interviews, his allowance of Fox Sports South and SportsSouth to make an intimate documentary on his life and journey to the majors, and the pictures and videos documenting of how appreciative and polite he is to his fan base and media alike.
I can go on and on about what a valuable asset that Gattis is to the Atlanta Braves and why John Hart needs to work him into the lineup for as long as we can hold onto him, but I would almost have to write a book about it. Which now that I think about, I'm already writing a made for TV screenplay on his life story. Maybe I can be his biographer, too? I pray I can be provided with such opportunities. LORD, HEAR MY PRAYER!!!!
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