Clippings Monday, February 8, 2016 Braves.com

Aaron documentary premieres on 82nd birthday

Crowd gathers at National Center for Civil and Human Rights for 'The Hammer of Hank Aaron'

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | February 5th, 2016

ATLANTA -- Hank Aaron was serenaded as he walked into the National Center for Civil and Human Rights early Friday evening. A cozy crowd had gathered within this downtown Atlanta museum for the premiere of a documentary that celebrates the undaunted determination that carried Aaron into uncharted lands of accomplishment.

But before watching this hourlong feature, some of the men and women took advantage of the chance to sing "Happy Birthday" to an appreciative Aaron, who was joined by his wife, Billye, and his longtime friend, Andrew Young, whose political and civil rights accomplishments led him to become the United States' representative to the United Nations.

"It's nice to be here," Aaron said with a smile. "I'm 82 years old and I feel quite proud of myself, not from a standpoint, but strictly from a health standpoint. I feel quite healthy. The only thing that is bad that I don't have is my two legs. When I started playing baseball, people said the thing that would hinder me was that the legs would give away."

Aaron's need for a walking cane was expedited two years ago when he slipped on ice and broke his hip. But he still gets around pretty well for a man who collected at least 700 more total bases than any other Major Leaguer. And the energy Aaron still possesses at this stage of his life provides yet another reason to be envious of what he has accomplished while overcoming incredible obstacles.

"He could pass for 60," Young said, extending his compliments by saying, "[Aaron] was at the right place at the right time."

Aaron's historical contributions, which extend beyond the baseball diamond, are detailed within "The Hammer of Hank Aaron," which will debut on The Smithsonian Channel on Feb. 29 at 8 p.m. ET. This film is part of Smithsonian Channel and 's "Major League Legends" series, which tells the stories of four players who transcended the National Pastime and left legacies as true American icons: Aaron, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Ted Williams. players

"Martin Luther King [Jr.] said we must learn to live together as brothers and sisters or we will perish together as fools," Young said. "I think it was baseball that brought America together in one of its finest hours. Our sports heroes in general helped make this happen."

Aaron was born one year before Babe Ruth the last of his 714 homers, and Aaron signed his first contract with the Braves in 1952, five years after Jackie Robinson had broken Major League Baseball's color barrier. Thus, he was repeatedly introduced to racial biases and tensions that only heightened as he got closer to breaking Ruth's "unbreakable" home record.

This new film focuses on some of the emotions Aaron felt both as a child in racially charged Alabama and as a baseball hero whose heritage heightened outrage among bigots who did not want to see Ruth's record broken by an African American.

Viewers are reminded that there were days when Aaron's mother shielded him by making him hide under his bed until the Ku Klux Klan passed by their house. Aaron also smirks when he reminisces about moving into a white Milwaukee neighborhood. He gained a sense of what his next-door neighbor felt about his arrival when she told him that her dog was incessantly barking because he "hadn't seen too many colored" folks before on their property.

Like many other documentaries about Aaron, this latest one provides a close look at the vitriol that was included with the death threats and hate mail that Aaron received leading up to April 8, 1974, when he broke Ruth's record by hitting his 715th career in front of the hometown fans at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.

The significance of the accomplishment achieved in the midst of such strife helped award-winning journalist Howard Bryant and many others to recognize how the chase toward that record-breaking home run served as an inspiration as Americans distanced themselves from the segregation and hate that had consumed the South throughout the 1960s. Aaron continues to serve as an inspiration both to those who had the pleasure to watch him play and to those who simply marvel at the legendary tales about what he accomplished during his 23-season career.

Though he is slowed by a cane, Aaron delighted some of the Braves prospects last Saturday when they arrived in the home clubhouse at and saw the legendary figure working out in a manner that indicated he certainly doesn't feel like he's 82 years old.

"I'm still taking therapy and doing all the things I'm supposed to do," Aaron said. "I think [my legs] will be all right. I sleep well at night."

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Five other things about Braves

By Steve Hummer

Five other things about Dansby Swanson – the former Marietta High player acquired by the Braves in the December trade of Shelby Miller – profiled in this weekend’s AJC and on ajc.com:

Coming home was nice, but at first he didn’t know how to react to the trade. After all, just six months before, Arizona had made him the No. 1 overall pick in the amateur draft and now the Diamondbacks were telling him he was expendable.

1. “When it initially happened, I didn’t know what to think,” he said. “I didn’t know whether I should be mad that I got traded or happy that I was coming back home. There were so many emotions running through it.

“I told myself: I’m not going to come to any conclusions for a week and a half. I know it’s going to be an emotional time, I’m going to let it all sink in before I actually look at it.

“One of my friends helped when he told me: ‘Dude, you played like 20 games (in the minors) and got traded for a big league .’ Good point.”

2. Finishing his career at Vanderbilt as a , there was one major league player at the same position he loved to watch. One who now works in California.

“How could you not (enjoy watching )? Even anyone who didn’t know anything about baseball has got to love watching him.”

3. A two-sport star at Marietta, he is a staunch critic of making kids specialize in a single sport (with a little help from his parents). He threw himself completely into whatever was in season, and it worked out OK in his case.

“I was always naturally driven,” Swanson said. “When I was younger, when I was playing basketball I was like I don’t want to play baseball anymore. My parents were like, no, you need to go play baseball, too.

“And when I’d play baseball, I’d go, I don’t want to play basketball anymore. And they’d say, no, just go out there and do it and have fun.”

4. The youngest of three children, he describes an idyllic family life growing up in Cobb.

Yeah, it got interesting with two siblings who were sports-oriented as well. But, he said, “It was not an uber-competitive environment where it makes you a complete jerk. You learned to love competition and winning.”

“My family is like the model for families. We all love each other, keep in touch all the time, feel like we’re all best friends. We don’t ever argue. We are honest and open about everything,” he said.

And does he realize just how special that arrangement is? “Oh, yeah, very aware,” Swanson said. “That’s why I’m super grateful. I’ve been around a lot of different families, obviously, playing in college and high school, and it’s rare to see that.”

5. For a local kid who loved baseball, Swanson didn’t exactly live at Turner Field. He was too busy playing the game.

And when he did go, he really wasn’t all that keen to go hunting for autographs. The signer of many autographs these days, he just didn’t understand the transaction back when he was in the stands.

“I would never say I was a big autograph guy. That’s why it’s funny for me to think about all the people who want autographs because I was never into that,” he said.

“Maybe I was just too shy to ask. I just kept dreaming that (playing baseball) is what I wanted to do. I was too worried about wanting to do what they were doing and not ask them for their time. I just wanted to watch, because I thought it was so cool, so awesome. Still do today.”

Fox Sports

Local product Gordon Beckham receives fresh start with Braves

By Zach Dillard @Zach_Dillard

ATLANTA — For a three-week stretch in the summer of 2008, Gordon Beckham could have run for office in Georgia. As David Perno, Beckham's coach at the University of Georgia, said in the middle of the program's postseason run, "Gordon's got it all. It's all there. He's the best I've ever seen."

Perno's comments addressed Beckham's merits in terms of the top player in Georgia baseball history — stock that skyrocketed as the Bulldogs blitzed their way to the College final thanks to their shortstop's record-breaking junior season — but, in that moment, Beckham was on top of the college baseball world.

Nearly eight years later, Beckham returns home fighting for MLB survival.

"I did really well at Georgia and I was comfortable there. No. 1, a new jersey is huge for me. I've wanted to kind of get a new start somewhere," Beckham said at Braves FanFest, "and what better way to resurrect my career than in my hometown?"

Beckham's narrative is commonplace in the majors: The first-round pick who plateaued. The White Sox drafted him at No. 8 overall that summer, projecting him to be a player who could contribute almost immediately for the parent club. And, at least for a while, they were correct.

Beckham spent a grand total of 59 games in the minors before tearing up MLB pitching as a rookie in 2009, posting 2.3 wins above replacement en route to a top-five finish in the AL Rookie of the Year voting. Chicago appeared to have found a cornerstone in the 23-year-old Atlanta native.

Fast forward to 2016 and Beckham's rookie year still boasts his career highs in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging, stolen bases, RBI, walk rate and WAR. His bat fell off dramatically following the '09 campaign. His hitting coach, Greg Walker, who also spent time with Atlanta's coaching staff, attributed the issue to plate discipline. ("He's getting himself out a lot.") Either way, while he still provides value and versatility on the defensive end, Beckham's career trajectory to date has declined from franchise staple to backup utility infielder.

No one understands this more than Beckham himself, who is surprisingly candid about his mid-career struggles.

"Going up there, there was a lot of expectations," Beckham said of Chicago. "I had a great first year and then didn't meet expectations, so that script flips really quick up there."

" ... I just tried to be more than I could be. If I'm trying, I stink. But if I'm just going out and playing the game of baseball, I'm good. I think a lot of the expectation up there got me out of my game. It was always a little bit of baggage."

Beckham finds himself amongst a handful of value pickups Braves general manager John Coppolella found on the free-agent market this offseason. Now 29 years old, Beckham signed a one-year, $1.2 million deal with Atlanta, setting his sights on a dicey third-base situation. He said the organization told him he'd have an opportunity to compete for the job alongside the likes of Adonis Garcia, and (possibly) converted Hector Olivera.

Given his recent replacement-level production with White Sox, Beckham's starting chances appear slim until further notice — and certainly a reflection of the franchise's issues at the hot corner. His career 72 weighted runs created plus will do little to help baseball's lowest-scoring offense, but he was an average to slightly above-average defender at third, second and shortstop last season. Then there's this sliver of optimism: When Beckham did escape those self-proclaimed expectations in Chicago, he posted a quality .268/.328/.429 slash line in 26 games with the Angels.

Beckham will have company, though.

The front office loaded up on infield depth behind pre-spring starters Garcia, and , adding veterans Kelly Johnson and Emilio Bonifacio to the 40-man roster. Light-hitting middle infielder , who played in 33 games for Atlanta last season, will also be in camp.

"My goal is to be playing third base every day. That's what they told me I have the opportunity to do. We'll go into spring and see what happens. But if that doesn't work out then I'll probably just be going all over the place and playing all the infield positions, which I can do."

Homecomings have their challenges, and times have changed since the last time Beckham suited up for a hometown team.

The former All-American saw a chance for a career revival this offseason, though, and, as luck would have it, very few franchises were capable of offering better odds in a position battle than the Braves. The reset button, particularly considering its location, was a welcome sight.

Thumb healed, Braves' Peterson seeking consistency in second season

By Cory McCartney @coryjmccartney

ATLANTA -- With a new double-play partner and his place in the lineup in hand, will take on a different vibe for Jace Peterson.

"I think the difference is that I know that I'm the ," Peterson said, "but I want to have a better year than I had last year and continue to get better.

And, unlike the majority of his rookie season, he's doing it at full healthy.

Peterson disclosed he played his first year with an 80 percent tear in a tendon in his thumb -- the result of diving for a ball during a May 25-27 road trip against the Dodgers -- and spent the first month and a half of the offseason in a cast. No surgery was required.

"Right when the season ended I got it on, wore it and now it's feeling better," he said.

While he played through the injury, continuing to do so be among the reasons for the drop he saw in the second half of last season. Hitting .265 before that series in Los Angeles, Peterson held on to have a productive June (.263/.362/.424, the latter two being season highs), but began tapering off come July.

He hit .174 that month, followed by a .238 August and .222 September, registering 17 in that stretch. By comparison, he had 15 in May and 14 in June.

Whether it was all due to the injury, or the rigors of his first season, the overall drop saw him hit .252/.328/.348 with 20 extra-base hits in the first half and just .221/.293/.319 and 14 EBH in the second, a decline that resulted in Daniel Castro make 11 starts at second base in September.

"I learned it's a long season and you have to kind of just ride it out," Peterson said. "I think last year I got myself in trouble in different cases and I think that I grew a lot last year in the season. I just took this offseason and got better and did a bunch of stuff in the cage, a bunch of hitting drills, a bunch of throwing drills, a bunch of defensive drills and I feel ready and I'm excited to get started."

The Braves have added options should Peterson struggle again, with veterans Gordon Beckham and Kelly Johnson, and of course the growing issue of and Dansby Swanson. Both , one will likely need to transition to second, and that could put added pressure on Peterson.

But while there may be questions about his consistency at the plate, no one is doubting Peterson's defensive abilities. On 367 balls in the zone his .785 Revised Zone Rating was third-best in the at the position and tied with the Astros' Jose Altuve for eighth-best among all MLB 2Bs.

After beating out Alberto Callaspo for the job out of spring training, Peterson spent his debut season paired with two-time Gold Glove winning shortstop Andrelton Simmons. But he will have a different double play partner in the player Simmons was (in part) dealt for in Erick Aybar.

There will be an adjustment period, no doubt, as the two begin working together later this month. But Peterson lauds Aybar's game, seeing similarities between he and Simmons.

"I've gotten to see (Aybar) play over the last few years just from me growing up," Peterson said. "I've been watching him for a long time. I'm excited to play with him. I think him and Simmons do a lot of things similar. I watched him a ton, and obviously I played with (Simmons) last year.

So I think it's something that we'll have to get to spring training and work on, continue to take reps, turn double plays, take ground balls together and kind of get a feel for each other. But I don't think it should be a problem at all."