February 2010
Jake’s Player Profile: Brian McCann
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Below is the final part of a four-part series titled “Jake’s Player Profile”. Each Monday for the past four weeks I have posted a quick profile of my four favorite Braves. I tell you why I like them, what they did in 2009, and my prediction for what they will do in 2010. Here’s my profile of Brian McCann:
Why I like him: Brian McCann is a homegrown guy who loves the Braves and loves the city of Atlanta. I also know first hand that he’s very appreciative of the fans. I had the opportunity to meet McCann at the Braves caravan this year and he really took the time to thank each and every person who stood in line to meet him. Like Tim Hudson, Brian also is involved in many charities including The Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research.
What he did in 2009: Brian had a rocky first month of the season in 2009 due to blurry vision. He spent a small amount of time on the DL then came back with some new Oakleys and better than ever. After returning to the Major League club in the month of May he hit .394, with a .481 OBP and a .576 SLG. He finished the season with decent numbers and a third Silver Slugger award in only four seasons.
My 2010 Prediction: McCann had Lasik surgery for the second time right after the season concluded. By doing so he hopes to eliminate those cool glasses he wore for much of the season I think that if the surgery was successful we can see McCann back to the form he displayed in 2008. Also, with the addition of Troy Glaus and with a Chipper Jones bounce back (hopefully) Brian will not have so much stress placed on him to display huge power numbers. I never liked the idea of a catcher in the NL as a cleanup hitter. When a guy has to take every fifth day off you probably shouldn’t expect him to lead the team in HRs. So maybe guys like Glaus and Heyward can take some of the load off of McCann.
Jake’s Player Profile: Tim Hudson
![tim-hudson-photograph-c12270879[1].jpg](http://mlblogsbravesblogbyjake.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/tim-hudson-photograph-c122708795b15d1.jpg?w=350&h=280)
Below is the third part of a four-part series titled “Jake’s Player Profile”. Each Monday for four weeks I will post a quick profile of my four favorite Braves. I will tell you why I like them, what they did in 2009, and my prediction for what they will do in 2010. Here’s my profile of Tim Hudson:
Why I like him: Tim Hudson is a guy who knows and loves the game of baseball. During his senior season at Auburn University he bolstered huge numbers for his pitching (15-2, 2.97 ERA) and hitting (.396 BA, 18 HR, and 97 RBI). I’ve always enjoyed watching good pitching more than huge offense and it’s a pleasure for me to sit and watch Tim Hudson baffle hitters with his sinker. One other reason I like Tim Hudson is because of the work he does with many charities including his own Hudson Family Foundation. It’s really awesome to see a guy who has been blessed and still takes time to give back.
What he did in 2009: Hudson was limited to just seven games last season due to Tommy John ligament replacement surgery. However, when he did return to the mound he seemed to be back into his usual Hudson form. Although 2009 was a small sample size Hudson did have some pretty good numbers. He had an ERA of 3.61, he pitched 42.1 innings and had 30 strikeouts, he also posted a 1.46 WHIP. Like I said it was a small sample but it did seem to be enough for the Braves to feel like he was in good enough shape to part ways with Javier Vazquez during the offseason.
My 2010 Prediction: It’s hard to predict what Tim will do in 2010. Due to the marvels of modern medical science some guys have come back better than 100% after Tommy John. In 2009 the chances of a complete recovery after Tommy John were estimated at 85-92%. However there are other guys who have never been the same after the surgery. My guess is that Hudson will be back to the same form he showed in 2008 before he was injured. He will be a solid piece at the top of the rotation who is capable of winning 15-17 games. I think he will also be a relief for the bullpen by pitching later into games. In his last full season (2007) he pitched 224.1 innings which is something that the bullpen will greatly appreciate.
Jake’s Player Profile: Matt Diaz
![Atlanta+Braves+v+New+York+Mets+EQ5kVRA3sybl[1].jpg](http://mlblogsbravesblogbyjake.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/atlanta2bbraves2bv2bnew2byork2bmets2beq5kvra3sybl5b15d.jpg?w=473&h=594)
Below is the second part of a four-part series titled “Jake’s Player Profile”. Each Monday for four weeks I will post a quick profile of my four favorite Braves. I will tell you why I like them, what they did in 2009, and my prediction for what they will do in 2010. Here’s my profile of Matt Diaz:
Why I like him: A word that is overused way too much in sports is “gamer”. However, it’s hard for me to find a better adjective to describe Matt Diaz. He always plays hard and seems to love playing the game of baseball. Matt has never let the fact that he has spent his entire major league career as a platoon player slow him down and that’s something that you have to respect. There’s just some guys that I love to watch play the game and Matt Diaz is one of those guys.
What he did in 2009: Diaz spent most of 2009 platooning in LF with Garret Anderson. However he did find starting time in RF when Francoeur was struggling and when Ryan Church was injured. He made the most of the time that he saw at the plate and he finished the season with a career high 377 at bats. He also toppped his career numbers in OBP (.390), SLG (.488), and HR (13). Matt was a solid bat in the lineup and really led the way for the Braves down the stretch when they went on a tear during the month of September.
My 2010 prediction: Matt will most likely spend most of the 2010 season platooning left with Melky Cabrera. However if the Braves feel that Jason Heyward is not ready for the majors out of spring training Diaz will likely keep right field warm until Heyward is ready to make that leap. My hope is that the Braves will take notice of the hard work that Matt has put forth and offer him the everyday LF spot. I predict that if he can see the 500+ at bats that everyday players get that his HR totals will certainly improve. I know that if he’s given the opportunity Matt will continue to have great success at the major league level and 2010 will be another good one for Matty Diaz!
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