The Atlanta Braves have been A-Town stomping through the National League, sitting atop of the heap with a record of 48-27. The ball club has performed well during this stretch of the season posting a 15-3 record over the past 18 games and are on pace for 22 wins this month, which would set a franchise record for wins in a month.
The team also averaged over seven runs per game while batting over .300 with an OPS of .910. The boys in the ATL have been lifting off as much as Delta Airlines this season, leading the majors with 138 home runs — sixteen more than the next team in that category.
One of the main catalysts behind this Braves powerhouse has been the 2022 NL Rookie of the Year Michael Harris II.
“Money” Michael Harris has been one of baseball’s finest hitters during the Braves hot stretch. The young center fielder has a batting average of .391 with 27 hits, four home runs, 13 RBIs and 12 runs during Atlanta’s dominant month. Harris is getting back to the money at the right time as he was just batting a mere .167 in May; but, earlier this week he was named NL Player of the Week. It’s safe to say that Harris is back to being a big stepper in the league. “That’s how quick this thing can turn around,” manager Brian Snitker said to the media of Harris’ achievement. “Just last week you guys were asking about his struggles and here he is.”
Snitker’s management style could also be a huge reason that Harris is back on track
“I think [players] feel like he trusts them,” Braves’ bench coach Walt Weiss told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “He doesn’t yank them out of their spot in the lineup or out of their role in the bullpen as soon as they struggle. And it’s easy to respond with knee-jerk reactions when you’re in that position because there’s a billion voices telling you what you should do. And everyone wants you to fix everything overnight.
“As soon as a guy has a bad outing, [people say], ‘Oh, he’s done. Don’t play him anymore, don’t pitch him anymore.’ But Snit has a good feel for when to step in in those situations. He’ll give guys a lot of rope to fail. And again, the player feels like he trusts them, and eventually they come out of it. He’s just got a good feel for that kind of stuff.”
Harris II getting out of his slump adds another dimension for the Braves lineup: they are now terrifyingly harder to pitch to. Now that his bat is alive, he provides even more credibility at the bottom of the Braves batting order — a lineup that features MVP candidate Ronald Acuña, NL home run leader Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies. Those three alone have combined for 58 home runs so when Money Mike cashes in, the rich only get richer.
With Harris seemingly slipping out of the sophomore slump, the Braves have the best offense in Major League Baseball and if this continues, Atlanta could be screaming out “Money ain’t a thang” in October.
The Chicago Cubs have been non-committal regarding the future of Marcus Stroman with the club as the organization has not come to terms on a contract extension with their star pitcher.
This came as a surprise to many, due to the fact that the Cubs’ ace has been one of the few bright spots for the rebuilding team.
Stroman has put together a Cy Young worthy campaign, going 7-4 with a 2.42 ERA and 73 strikeouts. He’s been baseball’s most durable pitcher, logging a league-leading 85 ⅔ innings for the Cubs.
Past attempts to negotiate a contract extension between the two parties broke down in the spring and now the latest revelation regarding negotiations were revealed by Stroman himself via Twitter.
How Come Cubs Haven’t Extended Stroman?
“My agent and I made multiple attempts to engage them on an extension,” Stroman tweeted Saturday. “Club wasn’t interested in exploring it now. Will see how it plays out! Love everything about the Cubs organization!”
“I know how narratives get created in media from the top down, once it starts to creep towards the trade deadline and how they try to make it sound like players are unsignable or don’t want to be here, like, I want to be here more than anything,” Stroman said to reporters addressing while his tweet. “So I made that known. There’s been no rebuttal from their side.
“Ideally I’d want to be a Cub, but it’s a business at the end of the day and that’s how it has to be handled at times.”
Despite the Melanated Mound Marauder’s uncertain future in the Windy City, he still finds himself in a win-win situation.
If the Cubs cannot come to terms with their star ace before the trade deadline, Stroman could find himself on a contender and competing for a World Series.
Stroman also has a player opt out clause in his contract, meaning if he continues his stellar season he could be in line for a lucrative nine-figure contract in free agency.
But Stroman is determined to stay in Chicago with the North Siders.
“I want nothing more than to be a Cub,” Stroman told reports. “I kill myself 24/7 on and off the field to perform, to keep my body is position, to keep my mind in position. I truly believe I prepare like nobody else so I know my worth.”
There may be an overcast right now pertaining to Stroman’s future in Chi-Town, but if Stro continues to play his cards right, his days will be much sunnier either on a contending team or with a crisp contract.
After seven weeks on the IL, MLBbro Giancarlo Stanton made his long awaited return to the New York Yankees lineup.
Stanton went 2 for 3 against the LA Dodgers, which included a solo blast off of Clayton Kershaw in the top of the fourth inning.
But even with the return of Big G, the Yankees lost the contest 4-8 in LA.
Slamming’ Stanton Is Back
However there is cause for optimism. Stanton is back healthy and is continuing his solid start to the season batting .273/.310./.600 to go along with his 5 home runs in the fourteen games he played this season.
New York hopes this trend continues in their favor as he and the team have been battling injuries.
“There’s so many tools we have now that you can replicate [at-bats] better than ever,” Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone said to MLB Network regarding Stanton’s readiness.
“In Giancarlo’s case, he’s been doing a lot of physical stuff as far as outfield work and the running buildup. On the hitting side of things, what they’re able to do behind the scenes to speed up that curve has grown exponentially over the last couple of years.”
His big bat is not the only thing the Pinstripers need to climb out of third place in the AL East.
The outfield has been decimated by injuries this season. Even though Stanton is expected to log time at DH, he’ll be needed desperately in the outfield due to the attrition of the outfielders on the Yankees roster.
“I need to be in the outfield. I need to stay moving,” Stanton said. “It’s better for the team as well, so it’s what I’ve got to do.”
Giancarlo Stanton’s return performance came at the right time as the Yankees found themselves struggling to get healthy.
But as the Midsummer Classic looms over the horizon, his production must help translate into wins if the Yankees want to get themselves out of the hole they have dug into.
With the return of the G, the Yankees have a better chance of making up ground in the AL East and not becoming outcasts in the division they have owned for years.
To describe Harry Belafonte as just an entertainer would be an incomplete characterization of the human he was.
Influenced By Paul Robeson
Belafonte was a civil rights activist and humanitarian who was one of the most prominent pop culture figures at the time of the Civil Rights Movement.
He was influenced by fellow actor Paul Robeson, his friend and mentor who inspired many of Belafonte’s beliefs pertaining to the advancement of Black Americans during the 1950’s and 60’s.
Belafonte was a friend of Dr. Martin Luther King, financially assisting King’s various organizations such as the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He would go on to help King and other activists organize the momentous March on Washington in 1963.
The influence of these men were highlighted in his memoir, My Song: A Memoir of Art, Race, and Defiance
“Paul Robeson had been my first great formative influence; you might say he gave me my backbone. Martin King was the second; he nourished my soul.”
Even though he was immensely popular in the United States, Belafonte’s close involvement with the Civil Rights Movement had consequences on his entertainment career.
The first singer to have an album sell over a million records was effectively blacklisted from Hollywood during the Second Red Scare in America.
Nonetheless, he stayed true to his convictions.
“I’ve always accepted the fact that there’s a price to be paid for those who choose to step into the waters of social development, civil rights, and fighting against racism,” Belafonte said during an interview.
“I would rather have not been blacklisted, and perhaps made enough money to get me a private plane – but if in order to achieve that end I have to sell my soul, the answer is no.”
Harry Belafonte & Jackie Robinson
Undeterred, Belafonte continued his humanitarian efforts. In 1959 he formed an alliance with baseball legend Jackie Robinson and actor Sidney Poitier to assist with the funding of hundreds of Kenyans to attend colleges in America. Notable Kenyans such as Barack Obama Sr. were inspired by the program and Obama Sr. would later attend the University of Hawaii.
Belafonte, Willie Mays And Billy Jean King
After nearly seven decades of civil rights and humanitarian work, Belafonte received Beacon Awards with Willie Mays and Billie Jean King at the 2010 MLB Civil Rights Game. The Beacon Awards are intended for individuals whose lives are emblematic of the Civil Rights Movement
“I grew up on baseball,” said Belafonte upon receiving the award. “Jackie Robinson was a close friend.”
Belafonte set a standard for many pop culture and sports to speak on issues concerning the Black community. He used his fame and resources to help his people fight for their rights and individual freedoms during a time period that was dangerous and others to do so.
His humanitarianism was detrimental to his own career, but he recognized the stakes for his people at the time were bigger than him entertaining the same people who were oppressing his community.
That realization made Belafonte’s life become bigger than music and he continued to serve others well into his 90’s.
Belafonte’s lifelong work ended when he passed away on April 25, 2023 at the age of 96. Daylight came and it was his time to go home.
When we define what MLBbro is, we are usually referring to the Black players who make up 7.2 percent of Major League Baseball. Within this exclusive fraternity lies an even rarer commodity: two Black brothers in the same clubhouse.
That’s what the Cleveland Guardian have with Josh and Noah “Bo” Taylor. The two bros amongst MLBros hail from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. They follow in the footsteps of Canadian baseball greats such as Baseball Hall of Fame Inductees Ferguson Jenkins and Larry Walker and former MVPs Joey Votto and Freddie Freeman.
First baseman Josh registered a career season in 2022 when he put up .256/.319/.452 with 20 home runs and 79 RBI. Those were all career high numbers as he bounced back from an ankle injury that sidelined him for most of the 2021 season. His most notable moment of his career was Game 4 of the ALDS when he bombed a homer off Yankees’ ace Gerritt Cole, becoming a viral sensation with his “rock the baby” home run celebration. Josh is currently picking up where he left off from last year, batting .286/.348/.571 with 2 home runs and 5 RBI.
The Guardians’ plans for Bo, however, will be further in the future. At catcher, Bo was a late-first round pick for Cleveland in 2018. Bo put up impressive numbers splitting time between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus. He hit .263 with an .888 OPS belting 21 home runs and 68 RBIs in 118 games. He has been a minor-league mainstay so far in his career except for late 2022 where Bo was called up to Cleveland as an emergency catcher and designated hitter.
“We’re trying to set up a roster the best we think we can,” said manager Terry Francona on Bo’s 2022 call up. “This was something that we felt we wanted to get to and try to get to it before the season was over. So give the kid a little bit of a chance to play a game or two.”
Their first major league game together saw Josh bat fourth in the batting lineup with Bo batting 5th. Bo did not register a hit in his debut.
“I try to get him to learn from my past experiences, whether they’re good or bad, so he doesn’t fall into those issues or traps or whatever the case is,” Josh said to MLB.com. “I am like his learning experience, in a way.”
Josh and Bo Naylor are ages 25 and 23. Their youth is also a key part of Cleveland’s modus operandi in which the organization plays young talent fairly more than any other team. In fact, the average age for last year’s roster was 26.3 years old. Their teammates in the youth movement include pitcher Triston “Dr. Sticks” McKenzie, second baseman Andrés Giménez, and Steven Kwam. None of those players are over 25.
“We’re so young,” said the 63 year-old Francona . “But that’s not an excuse. When you have youth, you have some enthusiasm that comes with it.
“We make mistakes, but we don’t play dumb baseball. I get a kick out of that.”
Even after finding moderate success with the young lineup, the “Baby G’s” of Cleveland needed to add a veteran bat to solidify the middle of the lineup with Josh Naylor.
Enter new addition first baseman Josh Bell.
Bell is expected to not only help produce more runs in the lineup, but to also provide depth at first base and DH. This added depth will see Naylor have a few spells back in the outfield this season.
“I expected to go back out there this year, and I’m excited for it,” Naylor said to Sports Illustrated. “I love playing the outfield. It’s honestly a really cool position. And having the honor to play besides [Myles] Straw and [Steven Kwan] and learn from those guys is something I want to do every day.”
EventhoughBo isn’t entirely figured into the Guardians present plans, the young catcher is on the 40-man roster and is a top prospect in the organization. His brother Josh is on the verge of a breakout season, putting up solid numbers to help Cleveland to 5-2 start on the season. While his brother Bo isn’t an everyday big leaguer yet, Josh continues to be his brother’s keeper in the midst of holding the Naylor family down in Cleveland.
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