This morning’s Pinch Hitter is Pete Colgan, a soon-to-be 50-year-old who went to the same high school as Joe Girardi and has lived in central Illinois all of his life. “I’ve been told many times over the years that being a fan of a faraway team makes no

As he prepared for his 20th major league spring training, Braves third baseman Chipper Jones paused during a recent workout to share with me some memories of his first two years in big-league camp, 1993 and ’94. The first pick of the ‘90 draft, he was tw

A team-by-team look at the National League entering spring training, including key players each club acquired and lost, and dates of the first workout for pitchers and catchers, and the full squad: EAST Philadelphia Phillies Manager: Charlie Manuel (eigh

"Everybody remembers Bill with real fondness," Dale Murphy said. "He was just comfortable to be around." (Getty Images) ATLANTA -- Less than a decade after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, former Braves owner Ted Turner made Bill Lucas the highes

Sports editor Sean Mayer pinch hitting here. Saw this column on the wire from Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune and thought it might spark some debate while Chad was away for a few more days. Bobby Valentine has managed in the World Series and won a cha

Bobby Valentine has managed in the World Series and won a championship in Japan but he never has taken a major league team to a division title in 15 seasons as a manager. It's not likely to happen this year either. A year after widespread indifference an

Lynchburg’s minor-league baseball franchise has been a continuous member of the Carolina League for 46 years. The city of Wilmington, N.C. , will determine if that relationship continues into the foreseeable future. The Atlanta Braves have reached a tenta

The Atlanta Braves have reached a preliminary "understanding" to buy the Lynchburg Hillcats, with an eye toward moving the team to Wilmington, N.C. But the deal is contingent on construction of a new stadium in the North Carolina city and another Minor L

The Braves hope to move their high Class-A affiliate from Lynchburg, Va. , to Wilmington, N.C. , completing an organizational goal to own all of the Braves’ minor league teams and operate them out of top-grade facilities. The Wilmington City Council voted

The Atlanta Braves brought the big guns to town Tuesday night to meet with Mayor Bill Saffo and the rest of the Wilmington City Council. Retired manager Bobby Cox and general manager Frank Wren attended Tuesday night's City Council meeting in an effort t

Atlanta Braves Executive Vice President Mike Plant, from left, former manager Bobby Cox and General Manager Frank Wren watch a presentation about the possibility of bringing minor league baseball to Wilmington during a Wilmington City Council meeting at

February 7, 2012 - International League (IL) Gwinnett Braves ATLANTA - The Atlanta Braves today officially announced that legendary Braves manager Bobby Cox will manage the "Future Stars" team in the first-ever "Braves All-Stars vs. Future Stars Game." T

Atlanta Braves General Manager Frank Wren, special assistant to the GM Bobby Cox and the CEO of Mandalay Baseball Art Martin will hold a press briefing on bringing baseball to the port city from 5-6 p.m. today in the Hilton. The Braves will also give a p

No. 11 Cardinals: 20th in a series counting down to spring training. Next: Red Sox. The NFL has gone to bed for its six-month nap, leaving an over-under-loving society in a state of withdrawal. But all is not lost. You can apply that betting concept to b

Bobby Cox is coming out of retirement. For one night, anyway. The future Hall of Fame manager is planning to manage a team of Braves prospects against the major league club in an exhibition on April 3, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. The game

ATLANTA -- Bobby Cox managed in 29 World Series games and compiled the fourth-most wins among managers in Major League history. He played with Mickey Mantle and worked for both Ted Turner and George M. Steinbrenner. There aren't many things he has not ex

Bobby Cox will take the helm of a Braves team one more time: When can we start taking bets about which team will win? That will be a cool game. I thought it was a cool idea already, but with Bobby on board that adds an extra layer of interest. No wonder

Talking Chop was the first Braves site to bring you the news that the organization was looking to move one of its minor league teams to Wilmington, North Carolina. Bobby Cox and other Braves executives have had meetings with Wilmington City Counsel Membe

It was the Spring of 2010. He had just been named the no.1 prospect in baseball by MLB.com. All signs pointed to the fact that '07 1st Round pick Jason Heyward was ready. There were some things that had to be considered, however, in any discussion of his