Non-Tender Non-Tender

Last week I discussed how I feel about Moylo's potential non-tender. I had been wondering if the Braves would non-tender any other players, and while I didn't anticipate Brooksy's release, I'm not really surprised. :(

Does this open the door for DeRo to return? (Please say yes, Braves.)

Moylo, don't go anywhere. We want you back. This is one of the few times I wish the Braves would listen to fans.

2011 "Love Notes": Infielders

At the end of 2008, I wrote an end of the year wrap-up on each player in the organization. 2009 was skipped, and last year I decided to write “love notes” instead of a semi-objective wrap up for each player. A few people have wondered if I’m doing the same this year – why not? So here are short little notes to the boys, from one of their biggest fans. Ya know. :)

Names taken from baseball-reference.com, hope I didn’t miss anyone...

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

#5
Dear Fweddie,

If I could give you one hug for every hug you gave another Brave this year, I would. The hugs made this year so, so special. :D

Love,
Lauren

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#26
Dear Huggla,

I never gave up on you in the first 3 months of the season, never wore your shirsey ironically, and defended your defense to every “fan” who was being grumpy. I’m looking forward to the next four years.

Love,
Lauren

PS – The giant tobacco ball looks like poo when you play with it with your mouth opening. Please stop that.
PPS – I would love to see you arm wrestle someone next year. Maybe work it into a handshake? :)

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#2
Dear Alex,

Your cleats are the best on the team, your defense was totally amazing, and I love your gameface. Hope you’re back next year.

Love,
Lauren

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#10
Dear Chipper,

You seemed to be having more fun than usual this year. Keep it up.

Love,
Lauren

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#7
Dear Brooksy,

Thanks for posing for pics in BP like all my pitchers do. That was fun.

Love,
Lauren

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#28
Dear Julio,

Was it the locker?

Love,
Lauren

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#1
Dear Jack,

It was fun to watch you play defense at the end of the year. Loved the Socks Up!

Love,
Lauren

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#24
Dear Diory,

I like your face. Also: BALK OFF! Awesome.

Love,
Lauren

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#30
Dear Wilkin,

You had a really fab jumbotron picture.

Love,
Lauren

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#23
Dear BrandonHicks,

I’ve got nothin’.

Love,
Lauren

Game Day Pictures: Braves vs Mets 9-16-11

Tommy playing bocce ball in BP

Our Braves lost this game in dramatic fashion, 12-2, and my camera battery died right after the Star Wars pre-game parade. (Hey Lauren, you have to charge this battery every time you go to a game.)

But! Laura came to BP with me and she was so amused. It's so fun to watch all the goings-on -- the wrestling, the glove-kicking, the funny hats, the fan interaction -- we didn't even mind having to move around a lot because people were blocking my pictures of our boys. ;)

Here are my pics of the pre-game everything, followed by a few shots Jenna sent over of the players in Star Wars gear on the jumbotron. Click to enlarge!

Martin always shares baseballs with the fans!

VizzyGrin!

Pose, pose, pose, GRIN. Look at EO's grin. It's like he knows I'm taking pictures and he's not going to line up with the others like a good boy, he's just going to smile. Heh heh.

"Psst - he needs to go out there to stretch."

Because he's a catcher, you know. ;)

Yep, those hammies look tight. Better stretch those too. :)

Okay, good to go now.

Spinning his glove like a basketball!

C'mon, Mike! Get with the program! :D

Has he been bleaching the teef again? They look brighter.
(Also, love Meds here. All of the picture, really.)

Oh, he heard me! Good man. :D

Tired of shaggin, hon?

❤

Beard is looking really short! :(

Too cute for their own good

I really do love his smile. It's so cheery!

Heyyy, most of the competition is gone. NOW I'll pose. ;)

gigglebeachy

I never get tired of seeing Jonny flipping his glove. It's almost as awesome as when he gets all relaxed in the 'pen and he looks like he's about to go to sleep on the bench, with his socks up legs out all straight. :)

I don't know but I want to!

Hi Tommy. Look less scary next time, please? Love, Lauren

R.A. Dickey's BEST SHOES EVER

I'm not a big Star Wars geek, but I do own and enjoy all the movies. I'm pretty sure Darth Vader wouldn't be waving at fans, all friendly-like; he would be choking them from afar just for the fun of it. This person was not a good Vader.

Josh Thole walked out for warmups with the parade, in the same pace as the parade, grinning. It was pretty great.

Eddie! And I love that baby Yoda. ;)

Okay, time for Jenna's pics...

Jedi Master

Darth Wright

Padawan Freddie's bat doesn't fit in frame!

I'm seeing a theme here - the veteran starters are regular Jedi?

Hee hee.

I love this picture so much! I retweeted Laura's picture tweet with the comment, "Has there ever been a better picture of @diazfoundation?! :D" and MattE replied, "funny I don't remember ever posing for that pic." Ha! That's what happens when you're a star, dude. People get all sorts of Photoshop crazy!

Wait, how many Han Solos do we have on this team?

At least three?

This just looks weird. As weird as Chipper's? Maybe.

Every time I see Jack Wilson now my first thought is, "he's making twice as much as Alex this year." That's not necessarily a good or bad thing in my head - it's just an odd fact I ran across.

He has such a great mug shot - you can't really mess it up. :)

Wait, is this a Solo too? So this is four, five counting Mac?

I'm running out of things to say about these... sorry Brooksy.

Oh! Some Braves also thanked fans on the big screen all weekend - Jenna got some still shots of those too...

No, thank YOU. Also, I love that he and Huddy posed with bats. ❤

"Hi, my eyes are pretty."

On Saturday they actually had to crank up the audio during his lil speech because it was so quiet. Jonny not the loudest Brave I've spoken with, haha!

I love how the pic of Jenna's fave Brave is so zoomed in. :D ❤  

Gross.

Full album. Thanks for sharing your pics, Jenna, and thanks for sharing your seats and friends Alison!

Game Day Pictures: Braves vs Marlins 9-13-11

Catherine's new wallpaper ;)

Wish I had some great stories from this game, but I think the only thing that happened that y'all will find amusing is that I got caught taking pictures again. This time by Eddie, who saw me taking pics of Jonny as he ran in and was warming up... Alison was like, "Hey..." and I looked over there and Eddie was grinning. Hi Eddie. Have you not seen me taking pics of everyone as they ran in? Ooookay, I'm maybe taking more right this second, but you can't tell! ...Can you?

I had a reader tell me this week, "I'm always amused when you get caught looking or talking or picturing the boys. :D" "Picturing" totally doesn't sound right, but you know what she means! ;) Yes, go ahead, laugh at me. That's fine. :D

Here are some more pics from the game... click to enlarge if you want, enjoy!

Not sure what Kimmie's doing here, but I approve of Jonny's pose and Beachy's Socks UP! :)

DLowe is very tall.

Freddie! Zoom's pretty decent from the outfield, right Laura?

What's that, Brooksy?

Bye, Blurry Mac! Didn't even see you over there!!

Yep.

Look at our supermodels. ❤

Yeah, you too. :)

I think he sat like this for most of BP.

Oh hey Rossy

JJ says *muah*

I do love some socks up.

❤

Bobby Dews & Carlos Tosca

Wrestling is always approved :)

Catherine: "The shadow's really cool. Macho man shadow."

Heyyy New Javy!

Mike Stanton, interacting with fans

MattE!

Someone borrowed my camera; she knows I don't usually take pics in the bullpen from this range. :D I think someone else saw the camera, haha!

Slightly different than the height differences in the previous post. ;)

Mac's about to hit a homer and I TOTALLY CALLED IT. :D

Now if this was clear we could see whether or not it was AWESOME. ;)
I need to get better at this picture thing.

Vizzy is younger than Delgado, according to MLB. Hmm.

That is a bad haircut, Omar. Come on, now.

Watching Jonny warm up

Jonny!

7-1 win!

Full album. :)