Many picking the Nationals - but I'll stick
with the Braves
By Dave Jordan
As odd as it sounds, the 2019 Major
League Baseball season begins March
20.
Let that sink in: we’re not even
into March Madness, and the Boys of
Summer are about to hit the diamond
for real, playing games that actually
count in the standings.
In their infinite wisdom (sarcasm),
the folks who run baseball had the
bright idea of having the Seattle Mari
ners and Oakland Athletics play two
regular season games in Japan on
March 20-21, eight days before every
body else plays for real and smack-dab
in the middle of every other team’s
spring training schedule.
Then, on March 28, they’ll do it all
over again: all 30 teams will play - in
cluding the Mariners and A’s - and
the regular season will officially be
under way.
Baseball will pump its chest and
call that day “Opening Day,” even
though it’s truly not.
But I digress ...
With the season drawing nigh,
many folks who do such things for a
living have anointed the Washington
Nationals as the team to beat in the
National League East.
Keep in mind, this is the division
the Atlanta Braves won in 2018 by
eight games over Washington and by
10 games over the Philadelphia Phil
lies, who collectively and completely
fell apart in September.
Ehhh, not so fast, my friend: I’m
sticking with the Braves.
Reason 1: Atlanta signed free
agent Josh Donaldson in the off-sea
son to bolster its offense, which really
wasn’t bad at all in 2018. Donaldson
will play third base and likely bat
second in the order, ahead of Freddie
Freeman.
When healthy, Josh Donaldson is
as dangerous a hitter as there is in
baseball. He was the 2015 American
League MVP after posting these video
game-type numbers: 41 home runs,
123 RBIs, 122 runs scored, 41 doubles,
a .297 batting average and a .371 on-
base percentage.
If J.D. plays 140 games, he’ll hit 30-
plus homers and drive in 100+. He’s
that good. And fans will love him: he’s
old school and plays the game hard
and for keeps.
Reason 2: Ronald Acuna turned
20. That sounds silly on the face, but
with Acuna in the lineup from Day 1 -
and likely batting in the lead-off spot
ahead of Donaldson - the Braves will
torment many a pitching staff.
Acuna, too, is good for 30/100 and
should throw in 25-plus stolen bases
for good measure. He might score 130
runs with Donaldson and Freeman
batting behind him, no kidding.
Recall, Acuna was a mere 19-year-
old babe in the woods when he de
buted in 2018, but went on to lead the
Braves in homers with 26 while also
driving in 64, swiping 16 bases and
batting .293 - in just 111 games.
Extrapolate those numbers (great
word) over a full schedule of 162
CCGA Distinguished Speakers Series
to feature RyanGravel
On March 21 the College of Coastal
Georgia Foundation's 2019 Distin
guished Speakers Series kicks off with
an event featuring Ryan Gravel.
Can a big idea transform a city?
Ryan Gravel says he knows it can be
cause he has spent the past 20 years
watching it happen.
While a graduate student at Geor
gia Tech, Gravel used his master’s the
sis to spark a big idea for Atlanta. He
proposed turning a 22-mile stretch of
old railroad lines into a series of multi
use trails, modem streetcar routes,
and parks. From that initial spark was
born the BeltLine, a project that has
fanned the flames of urban redevelop
ment in Georgia’s largest city.
Gravel will be the featured speaker
at the inaugural event of the College
of Coastal Georgia Foundation’s 2019
Distinguished Speakers Series. Gravel
will share learnings from the Atlanta
BeltLine project, sit down for an on
stage interview with former Atlanta
Journal-Constitution Managing Edi
tor Bert Roughton, and field questions
from the audience about what a Bruns
wick-specific big idea could mean for
the future of the region.
Registration begins at 5:30 p.m. and
Gravel will speak at 6 p.m.
The event will be at the Southeast
Conference Center, College of Coastal
Georgia, Brunswick.
Advanced registration is free and
required. Guests can register at coast-
algeorgia.eventbrite.com.
games and that works out to roughly
38 homers, 93 ribbies, 23 steals and a
whole lot of giddy Braves fans.
Reason 3: Brian Snitker is smart
er than Davey Martinez and Gabe
Kapler.
The Braves manager is one of the
more underrated skippers in all of
baseball, and has forgotten more base
ball than the Washington and Phila
delphia managers, respectively, ever
knew.
While Washington’s starting pitch
ing - on paper - might be better than
the Braves, and the Nats’ bullpen - on
paper - might seem stronger, Snitker
will work his magic with the Atlanta
staff more adroitly than Martinez will
March 11,2019, The Islander, Page 13
his.
While Philly’s lineup - now with
studly new faces Bryce Harper, J.T.
Realmuto, Andrew McCutchen and
Jean Segura - may seem more impres
sive on paper, I trust Snitker to wring
just enough runs out of the Braves’
lineup to stay in the hunt the entire
season and clip all other contenders
and pretenders in the end.
Either way, it figures to be one ex
citing season. I, for one, can’t wait.
Baseball, after all, is our greatest
game.
Dave Jordan is the host of The
Coastal Sports Connection, heard
weekdays on Talk Radio 93.7 FM
WBQO.
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