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Braves Clippings Saturday, July 25, 2015 Braves.com

Banuelos, Braves drop battle of rookies

By Jenifer Langosch and David Cobb / MLB.com | @LangoschMLB | 1:35 AM ET

ST. LOUIS -- After opening his career with five no-decisions, lefty Tim Cooney notched his first Major League win while throwing a career-high seven in the Cardinals' 4-2 victory over the Braves at Busch on Friday night.

Cooney received most of his support from center fielder Randal Grichuk, who connected for a two- homer and scored twice against Braves starter Manny Banuelos. Three of the four runs Banuelos allowed over five-plus innings came with two out.

The Braves shaved a four-run deficit in half with a two-run sixth that snapped Cooney's 12- scoreless streak. 's RBI off Cooney was Atlanta's only extra-base of the night.

"This was definitely my best command, as well as off-speed pitches," said Cooney, who finished seven innings on 74 pitches. "When you're able to locate the ball, good things are going to happen. I was definitely on today, and I feel like I've been getting a little bit better each start."

With the win, the Cardinals improved to 35-12 at home this year and are a season-high 28 games over .500. The Braves have won just three of their last 11.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Randal rakes: Just as he did on Thursday, Grichuk blasted a two-run homer in his first at-bat of the night on Friday. This one followed a two-out walk by and traveled 421 feet to move Grichuk into second place on the team's leaderboard. Grichuk later singled, swiped second and put the team ahead, 3-0, by scoring on ' two-out hit.

"It's all about approach for Randal," Cardinals said. "If he has an idea and waits and gets the pitch that he's looking for, he can mis-hit a ball and it's still going to leave the park. Just here recently, I think some things are really starting to click for him because you're seeing the consistent at-bats."

Sixth-inning scores: The Braves generated their offense in the sixth when the eight-hole hitter, , led off with a to center and advanced to second on Banuelos' second sacrifice bunt. Maybin doubled for the first time since July 4 to score Simmons, and then the center fielder scored on a wild pitch after taking third on a groundout.

Siegrist shines as substitute: With unavailable after pitching on three straight days, the Cardinals tapped Kevin Siegrist as their closer du jour. Siegrist earned his fifth by striking out to end the game with the potential tying runs on base.

"First and second with Jonny Gomes at the plate, who historically wears out left-handed pitching, you feel pretty good about that situation," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "Siegrist made some nice pitches on him."

Oh, Manny: Banuelos started with a perfect first inning but surrendered runs in each of the next three frames while struggling at times with location in his fourth Major League start.

"Today was a young pitching; all the signs," Gonzalez said. "You get two quick outs, kind of relax a little bit, and then the inning kind of evolves on him a little bit. Other than that, I thought he did a nice job."

Banuelos' four earned runs were the most he's allowed in one start after giving up a total of three -- two earned -- over 15 2/3 innings in his first three starts.

QUOTABLE "That was a tough series in Pittsburgh [to end the first half]. We went into the break and took those days and came back and have played good baseball. -- Grichuk, on the Cardinals winning six of seven games to start the second half

DONE DEALS Both clubs executed trades on Friday, one week ahead of the non-waiver Trade Deadline. The Cardinals sent Double-A reliever Kyle Barraclough to Miami for veteran reliever Steve Cishek, who is expected to be in uniform on Saturday.

Then, shortly before first pitch, the Braves finalized a deal that included and going to the Mets for young right-handers and . Though the trade was not announced until after the game, the Braves had to play the game without Johnson or Uribe available.

"I feel very good because I got traded to a contender," Uribe said. "I would have felt bad if I got released or sent home. I know I'm going to a good team and have a chance to be in the ."

UNDER REVIEW A St. Louis run that would have made the score 5-2 came off the board in the sixth when the Braves successfully challenged that did apply a tag on Reynolds on the backside of a would-be 5-4-3 .

Atlanta lost a challenge in the seventh when a throwing by reliever was confirmed. Terdoslavich did not corral a low throw from Aardsma on a grounder back to the mound by pinch-hitter .

WHAT'S NEXT Braves: The Braves send former Cardinals righty to the mound in the second game of the series on Saturday at 7:15 p.m. ET.

Cardinals: Carlos Martinez will make his first start of the second half in Saturday's game against the Braves. Martinez did pitch the final four innings of an 18-inning loss last Sunday. He's seeking to become the Cards' second 11-game winner this season.

Braves deal Uribe, K. Johnson for Minors

Atlanta adds prospect Whalen, native Gant in exchange for veterans

By Mark Bowman and David Cobb / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | 12:36 AM ET

COOPERSTOWN -- The Braves began unloading some of their veterans, trading Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson to the Mets in exchange for Minor League pitchers Rob Whalen and John Gant, the teams announced Friday night.

This will likely be the first of several moves the Braves make over the next week before the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline as they attempt to gain some value for their veterans who will become free agents at the end of this season.

Whalen has posted a 3.36 ERA in the 15 appearances (14 starts) for Advanced Port St. Lucie. The 21-year-old right-hander has recorded 61 and issued 34 walks in 83 innings. MLB.com had ranked him as the Mets' 18th-best prospect, and he's now the Braves' 24th-best.

Gant has posted a 3.52 ERA in 17 starts for Port St. Lucie and Double-A Binghamton this year. The 22-year-old Savannah, Ga., native produced a 1.79 ERA and recorded 48 strikeouts in the 40 1/3 innings he completed for Port St. Lucie before being promoted.

Rumblings of the move surfaced while the Braves were on the field for batting practice before a 4-2 loss at St. Louis.

"It's tough because, what, an hour, hour and 10 minutes before the game starts, you get pulled off the field, and this is going to happen and you've got to make some lineup changes and you get ready to lose two guys that are pretty good guys on our club," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said.

Atlanta will save approximately $2.7 million with this deal that will take two key components out of its lineup for the remainder of this season, which has long been considered one aimed toward rebuilding.

Johnson resuscitated his career after rejoining the Braves this year and earning a roster spot out of . The veteran utility man has batted .275 with nine home runs and a .772 OPS in 197 plate appearances with Atlanta.

"It's tough. It's a really good group of guys in this clubhouse," Johnson said. "I've known all the coaches forever, the clubhouse guys and everything. So it's like the first time I left Atlanta, it kind of feels like that a little bit. It's home, too."

After spending last year with three different East clubs -- the Yankees, Red Sox and Orioles -- Johnson found some consistency with the Braves, who drafted him in 2000 and kept him in the organization through 2009. He produced a .777 OPS in 172 plate appearances against right-handed pitchers and a .737 OPS in 25 plate appearances against left-handed pitchers.

"This is my fourth time being traded," Johnson said. "I don't have that feeling of, 'Oh, whoa, what just happened?' It's more shock, I guess, in being traded to a team in our division and just the circumstances, too. You know the deadline is coming, but the date can be anytime, obviously. Being a week out is unique."

Uribe enriched the Braves' clubhouse and provided some much-needed stability at third base after he was acquired from the Dodgers on May 27. The 36-year-old veteran batted .285 with seven home runs and an .817 OPS in the 46 games he played for Atlanta. "I was very surprised today, but I know I had no control over it," Uribe said through a translator. "I know that it's going to happen sometimes, but it was not expected today."

Uribe was penciled in to bat fifth and play third base on Friday night, but moved across the diamond from first, where Joey Terdoslavich took over.

"I feel very good because I got traded to a contender," Uribe said. "I would have felt bad if I got released or sent home. I know I'm going to a good team and have a chance to be in the playoffs."

Murphy, Trammell left impression on Smoltz

Hall of Fame career was molded early on by encounters with notable pair

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | July 24th, 2015

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- Though and might never receive the honor of being immortalized in Cooperstown, will enter Baseball's Hall of Fame on Sunday with fond memories of the impact both these men had on the earliest portion of his career.

As an incentive to sign and decline his commitment to attend Michigan State, the Tigers allowed an 18-year-old Smoltz to make a road trip with the Major League club before he played his first professional game. The Michigan native savored the opportunity to be around his childhood heroes and gain a glimpse of why Trammell has long been so well-liked within the baseball community.

"Alan Trammell came right up to me," Smoltz said. "I was sitting in a locker, looking like I don't belong here. He shook my hand and said, 'Whatever I can do for you, please let me know.'"

After Smoltz was traded to the Braves in the famous deal two years later, he spent the remainder of the 1987 season in the Minors. Smoltz then had the fortune of making his Major League debut in '88 with a Braves club that featured a 32-year-old Murphy, a two-time Most Valuable Player Award winner whose professionalism rivaled his tremendous physical talents.

"It's not like I was an old man when he got to the Majors, but he made me feel like an old man," Murphy said. "I remember the trade and getting him. I looked at his mechanics and his velocity and his athleticism. I thought to myself, 'If we can play a little defense behind this kid and score some runs, he's going to be something.'"

Though he was around when Smoltz earned his first All-Star selection in 1989, Murphy was traded the season before the Braves bolstered the careers of Smoltz and by improving their defense with the 1991 additions of , and .

But during the two years they spent as Braves teammates, Murphy saw the fun-loving intensity that enabled Smoltz to become such a great competitor and beloved teammate.

"He loved to power shag," Murphy said. "He probably invented the term. Instead of running to get his workout, he liked to play in the outfield during batting practice. He'd run the ball down like it was a game.

"His athleticism is legendary now because of his competitive nature. He brought that to the mound and competed his whole career, both as a starter and a reliever."

Smoltz posted a 1.49 ERA during his final 13 starts of the 1991 season and helped the Braves get to within one win of a title by posting a 1.52 ERA in four postseason starts that year. It marked the start of a stretch of dominance that has allowed Smoltz to enter the Hall of Fame as the only pitcher in Major League history to record 200 wins and 150 saves.

Murphy blushes at the thought that Smoltz credits him for the professionalism he taught him during their days together.

"He's very kind," Murphy said. "I don't specifically remember anything I said. He was just such a likeable kid. He was fun to be around, and there was something special about him. There's no other way to say it other than he's just such a unique guy. We'll never see another pitcher like him again."

Historic Hall class gearing up for induction

First time 4 players -- Johnson, Martinez, Smoltz, Biggio -- elected on one ballot in 60 years

By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com | 10:41 AM ET

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- This Sunday's National Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony is dominated by three of the greatest pitchers of their era, plus a versatile position player who ended his 20-year career with the Astros with 3,060 hits. The Class of 2015 is composed of , Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz and . The quartet will be honored on the stage behind the Sports Center, during a ceremony that will begin at 1:30 p.m. ET and can be seen live on MLB Network and MLB.com.

"I'm very excited as we're getting closer to the induction," said the Big Unit, winner of 303 games and second on the all-time list with 4,875 strikeouts, echoing the feelings of the other three Sunday inductees. "I'm as prepared as I believe I can be, and I will be more nervous than in any game I've ever pitched."

On Saturday at at 4:30 p.m., Padres announcer will receive the Ford C. Frick Award for excellence during his long career in baseball broadcasting. And longtime Tigers beat writer will be given the J.G. Taylor Spink Award, which is voted upon each year by eligible members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

"I wasn't this stressed doing my first Super Bowl," Enberg said this week about preparing for his big day.

Hall officials estimate there will be a crowd of close to 50,000, which would be one of the top five in Hall history and in the same neighborhood as last year, when about 55,000 saw pitchers Greg and Tom Glavine, slugger Frank Thomas and managers , and inducted on a perfect sun-drenched day.

Cox, La Russa and Torre were elected by the Expansion Era Committee in the first year they were eligible. The Golden Era Committee didn't elect anyone to the Class of 2015. This year, the three pitchers were elected by the BBWAA their first time on the ballot, a year after Maddux, Glavine and Thomas were also first-time ballot electees. Biggio was selected in his third year.

It was the first time in 60 years that writers elected four players and the first time three pitchers were selected in the same year. The BBWAA has now elected 119 of the 215 players into the Hall.

Biggio is going in as an Astro, and Johnson chose the D-backs over the Mariners. They are the first players entering the Hall as representatives of those expansion franchises. Smoltz, who played his first 20 seasons in Atlanta, is donning the emblem of the Braves. Martinez chose , the first Red Sox player inducted since in 2009.

"The class I'm going in with is an amazing group of guys, obviously, and they all had their own style of pitching," Biggio said. "I wish we had a few more hitters going, but those guys were amazing in what they did."

Martinez had a .687 (219-100), the sixth highest in the annals of . He is proud to be the first native of the Dominican Republic elected since in 1983.

"I think this is going to be a very unique Class," Martinez said. "I'm extremely excited about the response of the Dominican people. I know that there are going to be a lot of them [attending]. We waited 31 years for another [Dominican] player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. I'm going to try to have fun and enjoy this special moment."Gammons on Hall of Fame

From Cooperstown, remembers the dominance of Pedro Martinez, the common theme of the 2015 inductees and more

Smoltz's career was bifurcated by surgery. He won 213 games and saved 154 in 3 1/2 seasons as a closer following the surgery. His path to the Hall was paved by , who was inducted in 2004 and had 149 wins as a starter, 48 more as a reliever and 390 saves.

Unlike Eckersley, Smoltz went back to exclusively starting, and he posted 50 more wins during the final six years of his career. Smoltz is the first pitcher who has had Tommy John surgery to be inducted.

Biggio joins 25 other players from the 3,000-hit club in the Hall. All of Biggio's hits were amassed with the Astros, and an astounding 1,014 of them were for extra bases, including 291 homers.

"I think they go hand in hand," Biggio said. "Especially in the National League, the 3,000 hits -- the only way you're going to get them is to go out and play. You have to play offense and defense. That's the only way to get there. If you want to throw in the 1,000 extra-base hits, it doesn't often get talked about, but for a little guy like myself, that's a pretty special number."

Back in St. Louis, Miller reflects on trade

By David Cobb / MLB.com | July 24th, 2015

ST. LOUIS -- Shelby Miller and were spending the offseason as neighbors in , working out at the same facility and preparing for another season as examples of the success the Cardinals find in developing young pitchers into stalwarts.

Then, on Nov. 17, everything changed.

The Braves acquired the right-handed Miller from St. Louis in exchange for and reliever . "It just kind of came as a shock," Wacha said. "Wasn't really expecting it, but he's made the most of every opportunity there and he's been pitching well and it's fun to see."

Miller, who will take the mound at on Saturday night for the first time since the trade, is in the midst of his best season as a pro.

He said it's been an easy transition to playing for a new team and that he "wouldn't have it any other way," but he doesn't expect that to stop an extra bit of adrenaline from hitting him when he faces the club that chose him in the first round of the 2009 Draft.

"For sure. I think that's kind of hard not to have," Miller said. "I'm just excited to go back out there and pitch. Obviously, St. Louis has great fans. They've always been known for that, and I'm sure they're going to have some good crowds this weekend, and it will be fun to go out there and pitch on a Saturday night."

Miller boasts a 2.33 ERA through 19 starts, and he nearly threw a no-hitter on May 17. St. Louis manager Mike Matheny has followed Miller's year and hopes his success continues, though perhaps not in Saturday's game.

"He's just a guy we know who's a good person who put a lot into this organization and is now in a new spot and trying to make the most of it," Matheny said. "He's had a good season and we're happy for him."

Heyward's year has gone well, too, and though Walden has been sidelined with a shoulder injury for much of the year, the trade appears to have benefited both parties -- even though it did come as a surprise for Wacha and Miller, who admitted that it was "a little bit shocking" at first.

"I didn't know what to expect, but going over there [to Atlanta], it's been great," Miller said. "A lot of similarities [between the organizations], the same winning aspects. I think it was a great trade for both teams."

Immortals converge to play game of catch-up

In advance of induction, Hall of Famers gather at Cooperstown hotel

By Marty Noble / MLB.com | July 24th, 2015

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- The clock assigned the number 10:06 to the moment the screen door swung open and put the grandeur of Otsego Lake on display. A brief, indoor exchange with breakfast partners and had preceded the opening. It was the morning after the night before for some of us who had inhabited the Hawkeye Room downstairs at the Otesaga Resort Hotel on Thursday night into Friday. Nature couldn't have provided a more comfortable setting.

The Fords -- Whitey and Joan -- were seated on the veranda. The best baseball seats this side of 's catbird seat in Brooklyn are on the hotel's veranda. Any moment there on this thus-far ideal Hall of Fame weekend is worth 20 minutes anywhere else. Temperate, blue water, blue sky. No clouds. A blimp circles above.

Bobby Cox happens by and points upward. "I said to Glav and Doggie [Tom Glavine and ]. 'Hey, they didn't have a blimp for us last year when we were inducted. Why does Smoltzy get one?"

John Smoltz, a quarter of the HOF class of 2015, comes by later. He's asked about the acceptance speech he'll deliver Sunday afternoon. "I'm working on the 26th one," he says. He was at 25 tries late Thursday afternoon. "He'll be real good," Cox says. "I had him for all those years. The bigger the moment, the better he is."

The biggest moment arrives Sunday for Smoltz, Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson and Craig Biggio. They'd been reminded of that endlessly since their arrival in this lovely, bucolic burg. "Everyone acts like they know you personally," Smoltz says.

Their careers are history now, and they're about to become parts of the most special history in American team sports. Little has changed since they closed the screen door on their career. Johnson still is tall, Pedro and Biggio still are not. And Smoltz still is smiling as he was in January when reality trumped his self doubts. Pedro and The Big Unit were Cooperstown locks, and after enduring three votes -- the third was a distressing almost -- Biggio was on the threshold.

Smoltz was the one who carried uncertainty into the New Year. That unwanted baggage has been displaced by wall-to-wall joy.

The hours on the veranda get better although white clouds form. makes his way to a rocker and provides up-to-date information about his situation -- Lyme disease and its disabling effects. "I'm good, good," he says and the improvement from one HOF weekend to another is obvious. He couldn't make the trip in 2013, and his absence prompted unsettling whispers. "I haven't had a bad day in two months. I stilll get a little foggy. But I get through it."

A year ago, he was taking 30 pills a day. Now he takes one pill of medication and two dozen, mostly vitamins, to maintain his resistance to Lyme disease. "It will never go away," he says. "I don't go anywhere -- except here. I mean I can go to town and get a haircut, but traveling like [wife] Nancy I used to do ... there's too much anxiety."

The little old winemaker from Calistoga, Calif., had arrived wearing a belt featuring figures consistent the passion that has replaced baseball in his life: likenesses of grapes, corks, bottles. He had some of his award-winning best stuff and some older and more impressive bottles forwarded to the Hall so his Cooperstown colleagues could toast their new members in high style.

Seaver's days are filled with vineyard duties: seven hours each day, seven days each week. The demands are physical -- he's had both knees replaced -- and the rewards spiritual. "It keeps you in shape and sharp. because things have to be done properly."

His cabernet is elite. It sells quickly and not inexpensively. And it fills him with pride.

The veranda provides other stories. isn't so tall. The time passed since he last loaded one hasn't been too kind. 's shoulders still are so round, and 's smile still sparkles. and Cal Ripken chat in the hotel lobby as Birds of a feather. Reggie and talk about vintage cars and -- for some reason -- spark plugs. Everyone talks about golf. reinforces his image as a gentleman. The Big Unit carries his credential in his back pocket. But no one questions six feet, 11 inches of distinction. And Frank Thomas looks stronger than Johnson appears tall.

In the adjacent restaurant, former U.S. senator and Tom Lasorda, politicians both, chat. Lasorda has an anecdote for every table.

Biggio shares terrific anecdote. Until the Astros retired his uniform number, 's No. 7 was the only moth-balled 7 in the game. Indeed, every other single-digit number had been retired more than once. But, we find out that Biggio was No. 4 in 1988 and 1989. But when the Astros acquired Steve Lombardozzi in March '89, the new man asked for No. 7. Biggio obliged. "I didn't even ask for a case of beer," he says.

Biggio made team out of Spring Training. Lombardozzi didn't.

Miller faces Martinez, former team in St. Louis

By David Cobb / MLB.com | 12:32 AM ET

The Cardinals were receiving interest in Shelby Miller and Carlos Martinez during the offseason, and they ultimately agreed to send Miller to the Braves in exchange for Jason Heyward and reliever Jordan Walden.

Now Miller and Martinez, both young right-handers, will square off in Miller's return to Busch Stadium on Saturday night, as the Cardinals host the Braves in the second game of a three-game series.

"It's obviously exciting coming back to where I played for two years and seeing some old teammates and friends, and obviously this place brings back a lot of great memories from the stretch I had here," said Miller, who was drafted by the Cardinals in the first round of the 2009 Draft. "At the same time, we're here to do a job and get a win."

Things to know about this game: • Reliever Steve Cishek, acquired by the Cardinals from the Marlins on Friday in exchange for Minor League reliever Kyle Barraclough, is expected to be in uniform on Saturday.

• The Braves are adjusting to life without veteran position players Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe, who they traded to the Mets just before Friday's series opener in exchange for a pair of Minor League pitchers.

• Both teams are 9-6 in games played on Saturdays this season.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Braves quotes after loss to Cardinals

By Michael Cunningham - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

ST. LOUIS—Braves quotes after 4-2 loss to Cardinals on Friday at Busch Stadium

FREDI GONZALEZ

On Manny Banuelos “Today was a young pitcher, all the signs. Three out of the four outs were after two quick outs. That’s a young pitcher pitching in the big leagues. You get two quick outs, kind of relax a little bit, and next thing you know the inning kind of evolves on him. Other than that I thought he did a pretty good job. I thought our did a terrific job after we get two runs, keeping it right there and giving us a chance. In the ninth inning we’ve got Jonny Gomes at the plate who historically wears out left-hander pitching, you feel pretty good that situation. (Kevin) Siegrist made some nice pitches.”

On the two-out walks being costly against a team like Cardinals

“These guys leading in a lot of offensive categories. You’ve got to get two quick outs and you’ve got to put the third our away. It’s a young pitcher learning his way in the major leagues.”

On Cardinals starter Tim Cooney

“He had four pitches going for strikes with command. You look at the video on our guy and there were a couple times he missed the target by a good width of the plate. You do that and you leave balls over the plate or they get put where they shouldn’t be out and they are going to get hit.”

On the trade of Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe

“It’s tough because hour, hour and 10 minutes before the game starts you get pulled off the field and say Hey, this is going to happen’ and you’ve got to make some lineup changes. You are getting ready to lose two guys that are really good guys on our club. They are both loved. Uribe has been here only two months but he fit right away with these guys. You are going to miss that and both of those guys’ productivity. You wish them well and sure see them at least two more times.

On Johnson and Uribe being respected in the clubhouse

“They are both respected guys around the league, too. But you know this is what we signed up for. This is a cruel game and there is a possibility for us to make trades to get better for the near future. This is two guys we are going to lose and we will get two (more) guys and hopefully those guys will come in and help us win some ballgames.”

KELLY JOHNSON

On when he found out about trade

“Sometime right around BP. This is my fourth time being traded so I don’t’ have that feeling of whoa what just happened. More shock I guess in being traded to the team in our division and this early, too. You know the deadline is coming and the date can be any time.”

On if he didn’t see it coming

“Only in terms of it being this early and to the Mets. Just because it’s a team in the division and we aren’t trailing them by too much. But that’s how it goes.”

On if it makes it tougher because he was comfortable with the Braves

“It does. You find something that is comfortable and a good routine when it’s working it’s hard to think about getting out of that. The toughest thing will be finding that routine there. I’m familiar with one of their hitting coaches, , so there is some familiarity and obviously I’m in the division I’m in now and going to see a lot of the same teams. But it’s tough. This is a really good group of guys in this clubhouse. I’ve known all of the coaches forever, clubhouse guys, everything. It’s like the first time I left Atlanta, it kind of feels like that.”

JUAN URIBE (via Spanish interpretation by Eddie Perez)

On his reaction to trade

“I was very surprised today but I know I had no control of it. I knew it was going to happen but I wasn’t expecting today.”

On if it’s harder to leave because he fit in so quickly

“When I get traded I try to be as a family all the time in any clubhouse I’ve been and that’s what I tried to do here. I was trying to be the best for the guys and that’s what I’m going to try to do in the next place.”

On if he was surprised to be traded to a division rival

“I feel very good because I got traded to a team that is a contender. I would feel bad if I got released. I know I’m going to go to a good team and have a chance to go to the playoffs.”

A.J. PIERZYNSKI

On Manny Banuelos “He didn’t pitch that bad. He made some mistakes, the two-out walk to (Yadier Molina), then the home run. Two-out hit by (Jhonny) Peralta, (Mark) Reynolds hit a pretty good pitch to drive in the other run. It wasn’t a bad night. I hope he learns from it and continues to pitch better. He threw the ball fine, he kept us in it. There was a chance there it could have got out of hand. He made some pitches and the bullpen came in and did a good job.”

On Cooney

“He was mixing it up. Keeping the ball down, got some ground balls, keeping us off balance. He was tough. He threw some good pitches and not much we could do. We had a chance in the ninth but unfortunately it didn’t work out.”

On if it was emotional day with the trade

“Yeah, it sucks. Kelly and Juan are both good guys, great teammates. You never want to see those guys go. It’s a business and you understand that but at the same time we probably had a chance to get Freddie back and see what happens but losing those guys is going to hurt for a long time.”

On what to do going forward

“You just play. That’s all we’ve done all year. We haven’t worried about who is here and who isn’t here. All you can do is play. If you are here, you are here; if you are not, you are not. The 25 guys we have here, that’s who we are going to fight with. We’ve done it all year and we’ve done it right. We’ll continue to do that.”

On if he was glad to reunite with Uribe

“I love Uribe. Him and I go back long, long time. He’s one of my favorite people. It was fun having him around and having his energy and hearing his voice. I wish him nothing but the best.”

Offense sputters again as Braves lose to Cards

By Michael Cunningham - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

ST. LOUIS—All season Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez has been forthcoming about his team’s limitations.

The Braves can be competitive when they get quality outings from their starting pitchers and the bullpen holds. Keep the game close and the Braves can scratch out enough runs to win close games.

That formula was their best chance in their weekend series against the Cardinals, who own the best record in baseball.

“We pitch well, we’ll be all right,” Gonzalez said before the series opener on Friday. “We’ve proven that.”

It’s not an easy plan against the Cardinals, especially when the Braves couldn’t get the most important part right. Rookie left-hander Manny Banuelos put the Braves in an early hole and the Cardinals went on to a 4-2 victory at Busch Stadium.

The Braves (45-51) suffered their ninth loss in their last 12 games. The Cardinals (62-34) are leading the NL Central and pointed towards a .

“This is a good club,” Gonzalez said of the Cardinals. “They’ve got a lot of good players at a lot of different positions. Their pitching depth is good. They are fundamentally sound.”

The Braves are a different team than the squads that featured outfielder Jason Heyward, who now is with the Cardinals. They don’t strike out as often but neither do they have enough pop to overcome big deficits.

That was true before the Braves traded away Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson, two of their better power hitters. Quality pitching is even more important for the Braves now that small ball is pretty much all they have most games.

Banuelos couldn’t deliver. The rookie left-hander was in a 4-0 hole after four innings and lasted just five.

The trouble often began for Banuelos when he was close to getting out of innings. The Cardinals scored all of their runs with two outs while building a 3-0 lead.

In the second inning Banuelos got Jhonny Peralta to pop out and struck out Heyward to bring up Yadier Molina. Banuelos walked Molina and then Randal Grichuk smashed his first pitch about 420 feet to left field for a 2-0 Cardinals lead.

Banuelos retired the first two batters he faced in the third inning before Matt Carpenter laced a double. Banuelos issued another two-out walk, this time to , before Peralta poked a single through the middle for a 3-0 advantage. That was all the offense the Cardinals needed because the Braves couldn’t do much against Cardinals rookie left-hander Tim Cooney. He pitched seven efficient innings while allowing five hits and two earned runs and striking out five batters.

Cameron Maybin knocked a one-out RBI double in the sixth inning, went to third on ’s ground out and scored on Cooney’s wild pitch. Maybin’s double was the only extra-base hit by the Braves and was one of just two times they advanced a runner past first base against Cooney.

Heyward chased Banuelos with a single to lead off the sixth inning. Braves David Aardsma got Mark Reynolds to ground into a double play to end the inning, Andrew McKirahan retired three straight Cardinals in the seventh to strand two base runners and induced a bases-loaded double play to end the eighth.

But the Braves couldn’t add any more runs. hit a one-out single in the ninth and A.J. Pierzynski walked with two outs before Cardinals left-hander Kevin Siegrist struck out Jonny Gomes to end the game.

Cardinals 4, Braves 2

By Michael Cunningham - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

ST. LOUIS—A recap of the Braves’ loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday at Busch Stadium.

How the game was won: In a matchup of rookie left-handers, Manny Banuelos couldn’t match Tim Cooney. The Cardinals took an early 4-o lead against Banuelos and the Braves could muster little offense against Cooney while losing 4-2. Matt Grichuk crushed a two-out, two-run homer in the second inning for a lead the Cardinals never gave back.

Number: 10. Consecutive starts without a victory for Braves right-hander Shelby Miller, who has a 3.17 ERA over that span.

Next: The Braves play the Cardinals at 7:15 p.m. Saturday on 1. RHP Shelby Miller (5-6, 2.33 ERA) faces RHP Carlos Martinez (10-4, 2.51 ERA).

Braves agree to trade Uribe, K. Johnson to Mets for prospects

By Michael Cunningham - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Braves have agreed to trade third baseman Juan Uribe and outfielder Kelly Johnson to the Mets for a pair of minor-league pitching prospects.

The Braves will receive right-handed starters John Gant and Rob Whalen in exchange for the two veterans. The trade has yet to be finalized but the Braves scratched Uribe from the lineup and Johnson was not available off of the bench in anticipation of the deal being completed.

The trade will leave the Braves’ already power-deficient lineup with even less pop. Johnson ranked second on the team with nine home runs and Uribe’s seven home runs rank fourth. , the team leader in homers with 12, isn’t expected to return from the disabled list until Thursday.

Johnson signed a minor-league contract with the Braves in January for a chance at his second stint with the team after he played for them from 2005 to 2009. He made the big-league club out of camp and then earned regular playing time while hitting .275 with a .321 on-base percentage and .451 .

The Braves acquired Uribe as part of a trade with the Dodgers on May 27 and made him their regular third baseman. In 26 games with the Braves Uribe hit .285 (43-for-151) with a .353 on-base percentage and .426 slugging percentage.

Gant, 22, has pitched five minor-league seasons after the Mets selected him in the 21st round of the 2011 draft. In 11 starts for Double-A Binghamton this season Gant is 4-5 with a 4.70 ERA and 1.57 walks and hits allowed per inning pitched.

Whalen, 21, hasn’t pitched above the high Single-A level. In 15 games (14 starts) for St. Lucie this season Whalen is 4-5 with a 3.36 ERA and 1.28 walks and hits allowed per inning pitched.

Braves ace Miller eager to face Cardinals

By Michael Cunningham - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Braves right-hander Shelby Miller didn’t try and pretend it would be just another start when he faces the Cardinals on Saturday at Busch Stadium. He’ll be up against the team that traded him to the Braves after last season and Miller said he’d be feeling a little extra juice when he takes the mound.

“For sure,” Miller said. “I think that’s kind of hard not to have that. I’m just excited to go back out there and pitch. Obviously, St. Louis has great fans. They’ve always been known for that. I’m sure they are going to have some good crowds on this weekend and it will be fun to go out there and pitch on a Saturday night.”

The Braves acquired Miller from the Cardinals for outfielder Jason Heyward. After two full seasons with the Cardinals, Miller has blossomed from a promising young prospect into an All-Star with the Braves.

This season Miller is on pace for career-bests in ERA (2.33), walks and hits per inning pitched (1.65) and opponent batting average (.225). He’s already pitched two shutouts, including holding the Marlins to no hits through 8 2/3 innings.

In St. Louis Miller was 26-18 with a 3.33 ERA. He also pitched in five postseason games and posted a 5.27 ERA.

Miller saw six of his old teammates at the All-Star game. He said he looked forward to catching up with some others this weekend.

“This place brings back a lot of good memories from the stretch I had here,” Miller said. “But at the same time, we are in here to do our job and get wins. All of the fun stuff aside, I’ve got a huge start tomorrow morning and I’ll try to go out and get a huge win for the team.”

Ex-Brave Heyward happy with Cardinals

By Michael Cunningham - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

It’s not exactly a reunion for Cardinals outfielder Jason Heyward this weekend at Busch Stadium. The uniforms in the Braves’ look the same but so many of the names have changed that Heyward said it won’t be strange for him to face his old team.

Heyward said playing the Braves also wouldn’t provide any extra motivation because he’s focused on the bigger pitcher as the Cardinals (61-34) try to build on the best record in baseball.

“I want to do well every night,” Heyward said before the series opener on Friday. “This one doesn’t mean anymore to me than the next one. We’ve got a goal as a team. We are in first place in our division. We want to win that and go to a World Series, so one team (opponent) not the difference, especially when they are not in our division.”

Heyward was the first of the major pieces the Braves traded as they retooled the roster after last season. His trade probably resonated most with fans because the Braves drafted him out of McDonough High School and he made the All-Star team as a rookie.

The Braves traded other mainstays after Heyward. One of his closest friends, Freddie Freeman, is still with the Braves but he wasn’t at Busch Stadium on Friday because he’s on a minor-league rehabilitation assignment.

The Braves traded Heyward to the Cardinals for Shelby Miller, who played in his first All-Star game last week. After a slow start at the plate, Heyward has become a key contributor for the Cardinals.

In 44 games since June 1 entering Friday, Heyward hit .318 with a .376 on-base percentage and a .465 slugging percentage while stealing nine bases. In his past seven games before Friday Heyward was 10-for-24 (.417) with two doubles, a , three walks and three stolen bases.

“I’m just trying to become a better player,” Heyward said. “I’m 25 and this is my sixth year. I’m just trying to put some experience together and go be myself and get back to what I was able to do, just react at the plate to go out there and put together consistent (at-bats).

“We’ve got a good lineup, very balanced. I’m just happy they are allowing me to do my thing.”

Heyward said he wasn’t surprised when the Braves traded him. While growing up in Georgia he’d seen the team send away popular players and, more than that, he said the team hadn’t shown any interest in signing him to a new contract after his current deal expires after this season.

He said his favorite memory from his time with the Braves was helping the team clinch the 2013 NL East title after he returned from a jaw injury. He said he appreciated the Braves teammates who helped him become comfortable as a major-leaguer when he made his debut as a 20-year old.

But Heyward said he’s enjoying playing for the Cardinals.

“It’s been a lot fun in general coming to this great baseball atmosphere, a baseball-savvy city and a really fun division in the NL Central,” Heyward said.

Another Braves trade for – you guessed it – young pitching

By Mark Bradley

And away we go. Per multiple reports, the have traded Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe to the for John Gant and Rob Whalen, and if you have to ask, “What position do the new guys play?”, you haven’t been paying attention.

They’re both pitchers, right-handed pitchers, minor-league pitchers. Neither was ranked among the Mets’ 10 best prospects by , Baseball Prospectus, MLB.com or ESPN Insider’s Keith Law before the season.

This trade isn’t to be confused with those that yielded (for ) or Max Fried (for ) or (for ) or Shelby Miller and (for Jason Heyward) or Manny Banuelos (for David Carpenter) or (for ). This is the Braves getting more of what they already have — young pitching.

A month ago, called young pitching “currency.” The Braves keep adding to their stack. Gant, who’s 22, was bumped to Class AA earlier this season and is 4-5 with a 4.70 ERA for Binghamton. Whalen, who’s 21, is at Port St. Lucie — that’s a high-A affiliate — and is 4-5 with a 3.36 ERA.

Even among minor-leaguers, these aren’t big names. They’re currency of a middling denomination. Maybe one of them will become a long reliever for the Braves. More likely, they’ll be packaged in trades for what the Braves lack, which is everything except young pitching. (OK, so they’ve got some middle infielders in the chain.)

I know fans of the current team will hate this latest move — it’s essentially the Braves’ concession speech for the 2015 season — but this season wasn’t intended be anything but a vehicle for making the club better in 2016 and way better come 2017 and Cobb County. Hart and weren’t about to do anything, trade-wise, if they felt all it would mean was a bump from 79 wins to 83. Viewed through the telescope of long-range planning, do you really disagree?

As for K. Johnson and Uribe: You could see this coming. They were veterans who’ll be free agents at season’s end. They helped the Braves some, but their chief value was that they could be used to buy more young pitching, and so they have. This was the first of the Braves’ 2015 deadline deals; it won’t be the last.

Smoltz at Cooperstown: illustrious class to be inducted Sunday

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — One year after thousands upon thousands of Braves fans came to Cooperstown for the unprecedented induction of three same-era Atlanta icons — Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Bobby Cox — into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, plenty have returned this week.

They’re back for Sunday’s induction of John Smoltz, the other of the Big Three pitching that fueled much of the Braves’ run of 14 consecutive division titles under Cox.

The idyllic village in upstate New York doesn’t feel quite like the northernmost outpost of Braves Country as it did last July, but there’s a big representation of Braves fans in town to see Smoltz inducted as part of one of the strongest classes in decades, including multi- Award winners Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez and Craig Biggio.

About 40,000 fans are expected to pack the lawn Sunday at the Clark Sports Center for the 1:30 p.m. ceremony.

All three pitchers were elected on the first ballot, while Biggio, who had 3,060 hits in a 20-year career spent entirely with the Astros, was elected in his third year on the ballot.

Braves legend Aaron and Smoltz pal , the comedian, were on the same Delta flight from Atlanta to nearby Albany, N.Y., on Friday morning. It felt like the Braves Hall of Fame express, loaded as it were with so many fans in team caps and shirts. Another flight landed at the Albany airport at about the same time from Houston, and Astros fans spilled out of the jetway.

Fans have come from all over New England, New York, Arizona and all over to see Martinez and Johnson, who both made big impacts with multiple teams. Martinez’s Hall of Fame bust will be adorned with a Red Sox cap and Johnson’s with a Diamondbacks cap.

The slender, 5-foot-11 Martinez is the shortest pitcher elected to the Hall of Fame since Whitey Ford in 1974, but Martinez was a huge presence on the mound, winning Cy Young Awards in 1997, 1999 and 2000, and posting the lowest ERA in his league five times during an 18-year career with the Dodgers, Expos, Red Sox, Mets and Phillies.

At 6-foot-10, Johnson is the tallest player ever elected to the Hall of Fame, easily surpassing (6-6). Johnson was a 303-game winner and five-time winner, including four in a row with Arizona from 1999-2002, while going 81-27 with a 2.48 ERA in that dizzying span. The towering Johnson and the undersized Martinez rank first and third all-time in strikeouts per nine , Johnson at 10.6 and Martinez at 10.03. Then there’s Smoltz, at 6-3 and, by most accounts, one of finest all-around athletes who ever played baseball. The only pitcher with at least 200 wins and 100 saves, he finished with a 213-155 record, 154 saves in about 3 1/2 seasons as closer and 3,084 strikeouts.

“I consider it the perfect analogy of what baseball is, right?” Smoltz said of the size disparity of the pitchers in the Class of 2015. “You’ve got 6-foot- 11, 6-foot-3 and 5-11 or 5-10. So I’m kind of in the middle. Three guys that dominated in certain points. But those two guys obviously dominated in ways that we haven’t seen in a long time.

“I’m obviously the guy that has changed roles, changed arm angles, did whatever it takes. Could have stayed stubborn in some areas and I’d probably amassed more wins. But I was never about that.”

Smoltz ranks as one of the greatest postseason pitchers, with a 15-4 record and 199 strikeouts in 209 innings in 41 games (27 starts). He’s also among Hall of Fame leaders in arm surgeries with five, including major elbow and shoulder procedures. He holds the distinction of being the first Hall of Famer to have undergone Tommy John elbow surgery.

One year after the Hall of Fame induction of the greatest free-agent signee in Braves history (Maddux), the Braves will see inducted the pitcher who came in the best trade in franchise history. The Braves traded 26-year-old starter Doyle Alexander to in 1987, when the Tigers were in the midst of a pennant race and didn’t mind giving up Smoltz, a hard-throwing minor leaguer with control problems who was a 22nd-round pick two years earlier.

Alexander was 9-0 with a 1.53 ERA in 11 starts for Detroit in that playoff drive, and the Tigers lost in the American League Championship Series. He would go 20-29 over the next two seasons before retiring.

Smoltz broke into the majors with 12 starts in 1988, was 12-11 with a 2.94 ERA in 1989, then won at least 14 games in seven of the next nine seasons and totaled at least 229 innings six times in the next eight seasons.

Martinez is the second player from the talent-rich Dominican Republic to be elected to the Hall of Fame, after the great pitcher Juan Marichal (1983).

How Detroit landed Smoltz — then blew it with him

By Jeff Schultz - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. – The old baseball scout is telling a story.

Here’s the one about the time he convinced a 22nd round draft pick to sign a contract. John Smoltz wanted to go to Michigan State, or at least his parents wanted him to go to Michigan State. But by the end of that summer in 1985 the 18-year-old kid from Lansing was throwing in the low 90s, and the old scout thought the kid wanted to play ball. He just had to come up with a little more money, and sell the parents.

“I told his parents, ‘You know, eventually John is going to do what John wants to do,’” said Bill Schudlich, whose now 75 years old and has spent 51 one of those sitting on old wooden bleachers.

He offered Smoltz a $90,000 bonus and a chance to travel with Detroit, his childhood heroes, for the final few weeks of that 1985 season, the year after the Tigers had won the World Series. That closed the deal.

“His mother said, “OK, but if anything happens to John, I have Italian friends on the east side of Detroit,’’ Schudlich recalled laughing.

“I saw her a few months ago. John had a get together for some friends in Michigan. She came up to me and said, ‘I heard you were mad at me.’ I said, ‘Why would I be mad? You only threatened my life.’ But she admitted things worked out alright for John.”

Smoltz is going into the Hall of Fame this week. Things worked out just fine for everybody. Except maybe Detroit.

The Braves today are focused on selling off pieces of their present for their future. They can only hope one of the trades works out as a well as one in 1987 did.

Late that season, they sent veteran starting pitcher Doyle Alexander to Detroit for Smoltz, who was floundering in his second year in the minors. Alexander went 9-0 down the stretch for the Tigers, who won their division but lost the American League Championship Series to . Smoltz turned into a Cy Young winner and eight-time All-Star with more than 3,000 strikeouts.

That trade, orchestrated by then Bobby Cox, was the impetus in forming the core of the Braves’ rotation. Alexander’s exit in August of 1987 opened a roster spot for a prospect named Tom Glavine.

“I just remember being in Richmond and getting the phone call that I was getting called to the big leagues,” said Glavine, a Hall inductee last year. “The timing was kind of weird because I had just lost a game in Toledo.”

Had he ever heard of Smoltz? “No. I just knew we had traded for some minor-league kid with the Tigers.”

Smoltz likely would’ve been drafted in the first five rounds if teams didn’t believe he was going to Michigan State. He ultimately signed with Detroit the night before he was scheduled to begin classes.

But the Tigers turned one of their potentially greatest signings to one of their greatest missteps. It wasn’t so much the trade — Doyle Alexander gave them what they wanted — as it was failing to realize what they had with Smoltz. Otherwise, they might have made him off limits to the Braves.

Detroit was Smoltz’s hometown team. His grandfather father worked on the grounds crew at the old Tigers Stadium for nearly 30 years. So initially, he wasn’t happy about the deal that sent him to a perennial doormat in Atlanta. But he admits he was a “miserable” talented mess in the minors, The Tigers didn’t have a pitching in Glens Falls, N.Y. (Double-A).

“I had to basically figure things out on my own a lot,” Smoltz said.

“That’s true,” Schudlich said, who’s now semi-retired and a consultant with Cleveland. “We had one pitching coach for all the minor leagues. He’d go to all the teams. (Team president) Jim Campbell didn’t want to open the purse strings.”

Cox made the deal for Smoltz, then dispatched to work with him in the Instructional League. Mazzone fixed him. Quickly.

“When I got to the Braves they had all of these pitching coaches where the Tigers just didn’t,” Smoltz said.

The Tigers had given the Braves a list of a few prospects as potential trade bait for Alexander. They were surprised when the Braves wound up going off the list and taking Smoltz, who at the time was 4-10 with a 5.68 ERA in Glens Falls. But he had caught the eye of scout John Hageman.

“We never thought they’d pick him,” Schudlich said. “But John had athletic ability and great makeup. You could tell he had a baseball sense about him when he was playing in the field. He was coachable. But he wasn’t getting any instruction in Detroit.”

These are the things that crush, or make, organizations.

It’s not uncommon for a team to trade a prospect and later get burned by the deal. The difference in this deal is Smoltz was dying on the vine in Glen Falls, and it wasn’t his fault. He was a young pitcher who just needed some guidance. Schudlich knew as much.

“I can’t tell you that I thought he would be a Hall of Famer. Any scout who says something like that isn’t telling you the truth,” he said. “We sign a thousand guys who you think are good. Ninety percent of the time they’re not good. But he had instincts and the growth potential to get stronger.”

It was a trade neither franchise will forget.

Prices triple for some prime seats in SunTrust Park

Added amenities come with the higher prices

By Tim Tucker - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Many Braves season-ticket holders with lower-level seats between the dugouts at will have to pay three times as much to sit in the same location in the team’s new stadium.

While the Braves haven’t publicly released ticket prices for specific seating sections in SunTrust Park, the sharp increases for the premium seats have become known to season-ticket holders who have visited the stadium preview center since it opened two months ago.

Some shared the prices and other terms of SunTrust Park ticket sales in interviews with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The biggest price increases are in the approximately 1,800 lower-level seats branded in the new ballpark as “Chairman” and “Executive” seats, which come with amenities not attached to comparable locations in Turner Field.

Chairman seats, located between the dugouts directly behind the field-hugging SunTrust Club section, are $215 per game ($17,845 per season), while executive seats, which are behind the chairman seats, are $160 per game ($13,280 per season).

Multiple season-ticket holders said those prices are at least triple what they currently pay for comparable locations in Turner Field, minus the amenities.

Chairman and executive seats will carry the most amenities and highest prices in the Cobb County stadium except for the 160 seats in the exclusive SunTrust Club section, where prices top $300 at Turner Field and will be $475 in the new ballpark. While the Braves are not requiring personal seat licenses — one-time fees for the right to buy season tickets — they are requiring long-term commitments for premium seats, with minimum contract lengths ranging from three to seven years. The Falcons require PSLs for their new stadium.

The Braves, like the Falcons, have followed a recent trend by attaching premium amenities, which traditionally have been found in the middle bowl of , to prime lower-bowl locations. At SunTrust Park, slated to open in 2017, ticket prices for lower-bowl seats between the dugouts include access to posh club lounges, food, beverage and parking. By including such items, teams have found they can charge sharply higher prices for the seats closest to the action.

In the process, however, teams price some long-time customers out of seats they’ve held for years or even decades. That leaves those fans with a choice between moving to lesser locations than they’re accustomed to or walking away from their season tickets altogether.

Gwinnett County businessman Joe Burns is in a group that this year paid $19,562 (including parking) for four season tickets at Turner Field in a low row near the Braves’ on-deck circle. Four season tickets in a comparable location in SunTrust Park would put the group in the chairman section at a cost of $71,380 in 2017, with a minimum commitment of five years required.

A five-year contract for the four seats would add up to $378,966 after factoring in an annual three-percent price increase, according to an email from a SunTrust Park sales rep to another member of Burns’ group.

“That was a little steep, you know,” Burns said. “We all were a little surprised.”

He decided against buying season tickets in the new ballpark.

“Too rich for my blood,” he said.

But Burns said he also can see the situation from the Braves’ perspective.

“As a fan and as a long-time season-ticket holder, it’s disappointing. As a businessman, I can see what their plan is,” he said. “That doesn’t make it any less disappointing.”

Derek Schiller, the Braves’ executive vice president of sales and marketing, said differences in the designs of Turner Field and SunTrust Park, as well as the differences in premium amenities, skew comparisons of seats on the basis of location.

“We are going from a stadium that has about 400 premium seats out of 50,000 seats to a stadium that will have 4,000 premium seats out of 41,000,” Schiller said. “That is responding to a demand of the marketplace and to the amount of amenities that people are wanting to have in sports-entertainment experiences.”

For fans who reject the pricey premium seats, other good seating options are available, Schiller said.

“Because people don’t select a premium seat doesn’t mean that they are priced out,” he said. “There are non-premium seats that we are selling currently and a number of people are opting into that don’t include club access, don’t include food, beverage and parking, and are very similarly priced to Turner Field and are located just to the left or to the right of the premium club.”

The Braves have said non-premium seats will range from $6 to $90 per game in season-ticket packages and that 19,000 seats will be priced below $20, but haven’t provided a breakdown by specific location.

Some season-ticket holders who have low-row seats behind the plate at Turner Field said they are considering moving to low-row seats behind the dugouts at SunTrust Park. They said those seats are priced at $90 per game in 2017 without multi-year commitments required, but said even that is about $20 more per game than they currently pay for a better location.

Ron Currens said he and the other members of his season-ticket group couldn’t retain their current seat location because the price would triple. They plan to buy season tickets in another location, but Currens isn’t happy about the process.

“I would have thought that 34 consecutive years of buying Braves season tickets would give me some kind of consideration,” he said. “A season- ticket holder for only a single year … had the same opportunity as I.”

Currrens expressed displeasure that prices of all seating sections haven’t been made public. He and other season-ticket holders said they haven’t been able to obtain a seating chart with specific prices by section throughout the ballpark.

“The whole thing is very un-transparent,” Currens said.

Schiller said that although a full price list isn’t being provided, season-ticket holders who visit the preview center by appointment can get a price from sales representatives for any seat they are interested in purchasing.

John Shafer, who long has had multiple season tickets in prime seats at Turner Field, said he has signed on for comparable locations at SunTrust Park. “In analyzing what you’re getting, I think the prices for the premium seats are very fair,” Shafer said. “But the sad part is so many people have been displaced because they’re not able to step up financially to these premium locations.”

PREMIUM SEAT PRICES

Prices for the approximately 4,000 premium seats in SunTrust Park, defined as seats with access to club areas and other amenities:

SunTrust Club seats (first four rows between the dugouts): $475 per game ($39,425 per season), with commitments of seven, 10 or 15 years required.

Chairman seats (behind SunTrust Club): $215 per game ($17,845 per season), with commitments of five, seven or 11 years required.

Executive seats (behind chairman seats): $160 per game ($13,280 per season), with commitments of four, six or nine years required.

Terrace Club seats (in middle bowl): $85 per game ($7,055 per season), with commitments of three, five or seven years required.

Notes: Season prices are based on 83 games, including two exhibitions planned each season at SunTrust Park. Seats are being sold only as full season tickets. Terms vary regarding price increases beyond 2017, depending on contract length. Largest increase is three percent per year. Some longer contracts call for prices to remain flat for a number of years.

AMENITIES PACKAGES

Among the amenities included in ticket prices of premium seats at SunTrust Park:

SunTrust Club seats: Access to SunTrust Club lounge, with food, spirits, beer and wine included; in-seat food and beverage service; valet parking; table on one side of each seat; access to Delta Sky360 Club lounge.

Chairman seats: Access to Delta Sky360 Club lounge with food, beer and wine included; in-seat food and beverage service; valet parking.

Executive seats: Access to Delta Sky360 Club with food, beer and wine included; in-seat food and beverage service; parking in “premium” lot.

Terrace Club seats: Access to Terrace Club lounge; $15 per game food and beverage credit per ticket.

Ex-Braves: Gone but not forgotten

By Matthew Bain - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Updates on former Braves around baseball:

Jason Heyward, OF

St. Louis Cardinals

Entering Friday’s series opener against the Braves, he was hitting .309 in July. He had a lower batting average (.284) than Nick Markakis (.289), who took his spot in right field in Atlanta. He tied a career high July 18 with five hits when he went 5-for-5 with two RBIs in St. Louis’ 12-2 win against the Mets.

Justin Upton, OF

San Diego Padres

He missed his fourth consecutive start July 23 with a sore left oblique. He was hitting .251 with 15 home runs and 49 RBIs before the injury. His name has also come up in trade talks, with Baltimore and Houston reportedly in pursuit.

Craig Kimbrel, P

San Diego Padres

He brought his ERA down below 3.00 for the first time since it ballooned to 5.19 on April 29. In 28 appearances in May-July entering Friday, he’s 20- for-21 in save opportunities with a 2.28 ERA.

Evan Gattis, DH/OF

Houston Astros He wasn’t hitting above .200 until May 24, when he got to .201. Since May 25 he’s raised his average to .246 and is hitting .281 (54-for-192) with seven home runs and 29 RBIs. Entering Friday, he led the American League with 56 RBIs since April 26. Joey Bautista was second with 55.

Kris Medlen, P

Kansas City Royals

He debuted for the Royals on July 20 after recovering from his second Tommy John surgery. He allowed four earned runs while striking out four over 3 1/3 innings. His next outing, July 23, went much more smoothly. He allowed no runs over two innings with two walks and a .

Brian McCann, C

New York Yankees

He was hitting .273 on June 23. But entering Friday, he was hitting .190 with 16 strikeouts in 18 games after June 23. He was still tied for first among AL with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs, though.

Dan Uggla, INF

Washington Nationals

He was 16-for-69 (.232) with two doubles, two triples, a home run, 12 walks and 12 RBIs in his last 81 plate appearances entering Friday. Seven of his 20 hits this season had been extra-base hits.

Michael Bourn, OF

Cleveland Indians

As of Friday he led the AL with seven sacrifice hits and was hitting .333 (6-for-18) in the second half. He was hitting .259 on June 4, but in the 36 games after that he was hitting .179 (17-for-95) with four RBIs and 32 strikeouts. He stole 61 bases twice in his career (2009, 2011) but he had only stolen seven this season and one in July. He’d been caught stealing four times.

Yunel Escobar, INF

Washington Nationals

Entering Friday he was hitting .347 (17-for-49) since July 3 with five doubles, a home run and three RBIs. He also led National League third baseman with a .978 and ranked seventh in the big leagues with a .321 average.

Fox Sports South

A year later, HOF weekend has different vibe for Glavine, Maddux

Cory McCartney

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- Last July when he was one of the greats going through the circus that revolves around being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, it was hard for Tom Glavine to believe.

"Everybody told us last year that coming back after you're inducted it would be a lot more calmer, a lot more fun," the former Brave said Saturday near the first tee box of at Leatherstocking Golf Course.

But they were right.

"It is a little bit different when you come in and you don't have to deal with all that other stuff," he said.

Part of the 2014 class along with rotation mate Greg Maddux and their manager, Bobby Cox, they are all back in Cooperstown, this time for Sunday's ceremony for another piece of that Atlanta dominance: John Smoltz.

But after spending last year worrying about extended family members, and whether he was going to leave anyone out of his speech -- "It was a lot more stress in that regard," he said -- Glavine's trip to upstate New York comes with different concerns this time around.

This year's it's just kind of been, my wife and I show up and 'What time are we going to eat dinner?' and "When's our first cocktail?'" he said. "So it's been pretty good." While Glavine is enjoying the changes in his Hall of Fame weekend, Maddux was marveling at what the addition of Smoltz, along with classmates Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez signifies for the pitching in their era.

"It's kind of cool," he said. "With all the hitting that was going on in the 90s and all that, to see right now, it's kind of the pitchers all getting in with Glav last year and Randy, Pedro and Smoltzie this year. It's pretty special."

Like so many fellow Hall of Famers did for him, Glavine imparted some advice on Smoltz. While he expects the Cy Young winner, who is the only player with at least 200 wins and 150 saves, to wake up Sunday morning with the feelings like he's going to pitch a big game, Glavine stressed the simplest of approaches.

"Just enjoy it," he said. "It's natural that when you get here you're going to have a lot of things on your mind ... once you're done (with your speech) all that stuff is pretty much done and there's nothing you can do about it except enjoy it and embrace it and have a blast with it."

Though Glavine admits there is one massive challenge that comes with the ceremony.

"Putting your whole life and 20 years of baseball into 12 minutes is awfully hard to do," he said.

Braves trade Juan Uribe, Kelly Johnson to Mets for young pitching

Zach Dillard

The Juan Uribe Era in Atlanta was successful, albeit short-lived.

The Braves started their trade deadline selling on Friday by dealing the veteran third baseman along with utility player Kelly Johnson and cash to the New York Mets, a team desperate for third-base help without , in exchange young pitching. The Mets' prospects involved in the deal are minor-leaguers John Gant and Rob Whalen.

The Braves acquired Uribe from the earlier this season in a buy-low acquisition, giving up struggling veterans to acquire the ultra-productive third baseman. Unlike his slow start in Los Angeles, Uribe delivered immediately in Atlanta, becoming one of the best hitters in manager Fredi Gonzalez's lineup while posting a .285/.363/.464 slash line with seven home runs. That production is now on its way to New York.

Uribe provides a valuable piece for a Mets lineup that has floundered without Wright, who could return later in the season after being diagnosed with spinal stenosis, and a host of other injuries. An excellent pitching staff, featuring Matt Harvey and Jacob de Grom, has kept New York alive in the division race, but adding offensive help was a necessary step in keeping pace in the playoff hunt. (The Mets also called up Michael Conforto, their top positional prospect, from Doubla-A on Friday.)

Dealing veterans for young pitching is a trend the Braves have followed from the very beginning under first-year president of baseball operations John Hart. The trade could also be seen as a cost-cutting move from Atlanta's point of view, as it saves the $2-plus million remaining on the two major-league contracts, but it's also an apparent sign that the team (understandably) does not see itself as a viable playoff contender in 2015.

After a complete overhaul of the farm system within his first few months on the job, Hart has not shied away from the team's deadline identity as it sits behind the Nationals and Mets in the NL East with a sub-.500 record. By dealing Uribe, one of the team's bets players in 2015, the Braves will almost certainly be in sell mode if the price is right over the next week -- meaning names like Jim Johnson, A.J. Pierzynski and Cameron Maybin will continue to get tossed around.

By also moving Kelly Johnson, who spent time at third base, first base and left field in his career's second stint with the Braves, Atlanta's current options at third base are cut down to struggling Chris Johnson, who started Friday night against the Cardinals. The Braves have been actively trying to trade the latter Johnson, who just last week expressed his interest in being moved given his lack of playing time.

However, Hart & Co. have found it difficult to move the approximate $20 million remaining on his contract. The Braves have not announced a corresponding move to the trade, though infield help could arrive via Triple-A Gwinnett in the coming days.

Gant and Whalen are not considered high-end prospects in the Mets system. Gant, a 22-year-old right-hander and former 21st-round pick, moved up to Double-A after dominating High-A ball earlier this season and owns a 4.70 ERA in 11 starts. A 6-foot-3 arm, the Savannah, Ga., native has shown promise at the lower levels of the minors. Whalen is even more unproven, but he's posted excellent numbers at the lower levels and ranked as New York's 18th-best prospect according to MLB.com. The 2012 draft pick boasts a 3.36 ERA in his first 15 appearances (14 starts) at the High-A level.

Neither pitcher will move the meter quite like earlier Braves acquisitions Matt Wisler, Max Fried, Tyrell Jenkins and so on, but it's clear that the Atlanta front office has a strategy in mind.

Over the next week, it appears that strategy includes the word sell.

ESPN

John Smoltz: A Hall of Fame tribute

A HALL OF FAME TRANSACTION

How do you go from the agate type under Transactions in the newspaper sports section to raised bronze lettering on your Hall of Fame plaque in Cooperstown? Nobody has a better answer to that question than John Smoltz.

He was the pitcher the Atlanta Braves acquired from the on Aug. 12, 1987, in exchange for starting pitcher Doyle Alexander, who -- to be fair -- helped the Tigers get into the postseason that year. At the time, Smoltz was struggling for Glens Falls in the Double-A Eastern League (4- 10, 5.68 ERA, 1.61 WHIP), but Braves scout John Hagemann liked him, and the Tigers valued another pitcher () more, so Braves general manager Bobby Cox settled for this 20-year-old kid from Lansing, Michigan.

Facts and Stats

• BORN: May 15, 1967 in Warren, Mich. • POSITION: Right-handed pitcher • SEASONS: 21 • TEAMS: Atlanta Braves (1988-1999, 2001-2008), (2009), St. Louis Cardinals (2009) • RECORD: 213-155 • ERA: 3.33 • SAVES: 154 • CAREER WAR: 66.5 • HALL OF FAME VOTE: 82.9% (first ballot)

The first time I wrote the name John Smoltz was in 's 1988 spring training preview, for the NL West scouting report in which I picked the Braves to finish last. The ever-hopeful manager pointed to a chart behind his desk and said, "There are some outstanding arms on that chart." . . John Smoltz.

I wrote his name a lot over the next 21 years. How could you not? One of the most athletic pitchers ever, he won 213 games -- 207 more than Searcy -- and saved another 154 after selflessly agreeing to become the Braves' closer. He was a great postseason pitcher both as a starter and reliever, and he never forgot where he came from. Yes, Lansing, Michigan. But also the "Who?" the Braves got from their fans when they traded away Doyle Alexander. He was always approachable, always quotable, always honest. After he was elected to the HOF, he said, "I'm honored, I'm humbled, and when the phone call came, I was -- for the first time ever -- speechless."

In honor of John Smoltz's induction, you might want to take a closer look at tomorrow's Transactions.

--Steve Wulf

HONORS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

The only pitcher in baseball history with at least 200 wins and 100 saves -- not to mention a -- John Smoltz garnered eight All- Star selections and won the National League Cy Young Award in 1996. Getty Images

Smoltz's Stretch For the Ages

Smoltz's "peak" as a starting pitcher occurred from 1989 to '99. During that 11-season stretch, the right-hander ranked as one of the most productive pitchers in baseball.

• NL Cy Young Award winner (1996) • Eight-time All-Star (1989, 1992, 1993, 1996, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007) • NLCS MVP (1992) • champion • 15-4, 2.67 ERA in 41 career postseason games • Silver Slugger Award (1997) • NL Rolaids Relief Man of the Year (2002) • Award winner (2005) • Atlanta Braves retired his No. 29 on June 8, 2012. • The only pitcher in baseball history with at least 200 wins and 100 saves. • Smoltz's 55 saves in 2002 is tied for the third most by a pitcher in a single season (with Eric Gagne in 2003). • Smoltz became a closer full-time in 2002-04; during that stretch, his 144 saves ranked second in baseball behind only Eric Gagne's 152. During that three-season stretch, Smoltz had 23 more saves than . SMOLTZ'S GREATEST GAMES

Oct. 5, 1991 Smoltz went the distance to beat the Astros 5-2 as the Braves coined the NL West title on the penultimate day of the season, the first of many big postseason performances.

Oct. 17, 1991

Against the Pirates, on the road, in Game 7 of the NLCS, Smoltz pitched a six-hit shutout with eight K's in a 4-0 victory, good for a -- the metric designed as a simple way to measure the effectiveness of a pitcher's start -- of 82. He threw 123 pitches -- 82 for strikes -- but more important, this was the game that got the Braves' dynasty rolling and established Smoltz as the team's postseason ace. -- David Schoenfield

Oct. 27, 1991 Ten days later, Smoltz, then 24, battled Minnesota's -- the young gun versus the grizzled veteran -- in Game 7 of the . Smoltz tossed 7⅓ scoreless innings for the Braves, while his elder pitched a 10-inning shutout in a game that finished 1-0.

Sept. 6, 1998 Smoltz's best Game Score was a 93, not in his Game 7 performances against the Pirates in the 1991 NLCS or the 1991 World Series against the Twins. Not Game 5 of the against the Yankees. But rather this regular-season game against the Mets.

I've been to a few hundred Mets games, and this was definitely the best-pitched one I've seen in person. (My father could top me: He was at Jim Bunning's perfect game.) Smoltz struck out 13, walked none and pitched a three-hitter that (at least according to my memory) could easily have been a perfect game.

The Mets had a bit of a rough lineup that night, with Lenny Harris hitting fifth and Jorge Fabregas hitting sixth, and Larry Vanover (to my recollection) had a very wide plate -- six of the strikeouts were looking -- but this 3-0 win was dominance at its finest. --Mark Simon

June 7, 1999

Down 3-0 early in the game, Smoltz smacked a three-run home run -- the fifth and final homer of his career -- off Dave Eiland to tie the game. Then, in his next at-bat, he singled. He finished 2-for-3 in a 9-5 win for the Braves.

Sept. 27, 2002 Smoltz pitched 1⅓ innings to preserve a win for Greg Maddux and notch his 54th save of the season, setting a new National League record. Smoltz would finish with 55 saves, a mark equaled the following season by Eric Gagne of the Dodgers.

May 24, 2007 Smoltz pitched seven shutout innings in a 2-1 win against the Mets to record the 200th win of his career, making him the only pitcher in MLB history with 200 wins and 150 saves. The losing pitcher that night: Tom Glavine.

April 22, 2008 Smoltz struck out the Nationals' Felipe Lopez in the third inning to record his 3,000th career strikeout, becoming the 16th pitcher to reach the milestone. Smoltz would finish with 3,084 strikeouts, ranking him 16th all-time.

FORMER TEAMMATES AND MANAGERS ON SMOLTZ

"People are going to say that John Smoltz was the most competitive player they played with and a selfless teammate. ... Those are true, but I hope in all the celebration of his accolades on the field, we don't lose track of John Smoltz off the field. This is where he challenged me the most. He is a good man with a great heart." -- Former Braves teammate

"I say this about John; he is the most gifted athlete I have ever shared a uniform with. He can do more than just throw a baseball, as many people know. He is also a tremendous person, and I believe his strong passion to be great in that area rivals his passion to be a great pitcher." --Former teammate C.J. Nitkowski

SMOLTZ IN HIS OWN WORDS

"I think it's pretty clear that my career wasn't all about natural talent; I wasn't sprinkled with any magic dust. I wasn't the fastest or the strongest or even the smartest, but I would argue that whatever I lacked in sheer talent, I made up for along the way with tenacity and perseverance; a lot of my success was achieved by constantly learning, adapting, and overcoming obstacles." -- Smoltz in his 2012 book "Starting and Closing: Perseverance, Faith, and One More Year"

"To say the least, [converting to closer] was the hardest thing I'd ever done, the fast track of trying to learn on the job, faster than I was ready for. What most people don't understand is that I failed miserably in the beginning [as full-time closer], and in failing miserably it motivated me, much like the rest of my career, to rally. I gave up eight runs in two-thirds of an inning, I believe against the Mets, and I got booed. And I struggled that whole month due to a thumb injury. And at the end of the year, 55 saves kind of answered a lot of those questions. And kind of made people forget about me as a starter, which at that time was a little tough to swallow." -- In January, at his Hall of Fame news conference

"The Hall of Fame is a pretty incredible place filled with some elite people, and it's hard to feel like you're part of that. I think the biggest thing is that when I walk in this room I may not have the most eye-popping stats, but I have one of the most unique careers." --During his tour of Cooperstown four weeks after being elected to the Hall

"This is for everyone who doubted us. People said I couldn't make the transition back to starting. People said we had too many rookies again. But we proved everybody wrong. This is really something to celebrate." --Smoltz after winning the World Series in 1996

"Why not chase what some see as impossible? Why not believe in yourself? Why not dare to be great ... even if it means being different?" --Smoltz in 1998

Sports Illustrated

Eye Opener: Hall of Famer John Smoltz blazes way to Cy Young

BY

The Hall of Fame's Class of 2015—Craig Biggio, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz—will be inducted in Cooperstown on Sunday, July 26, and in their honor, we're reaching into the SI Vault for features on these all-time greats. Today's pick: Tom Verducci's June 10, 1996 feature story on Smoltz, who was in the middle of his best season as a starter: 24 wins, a 2.94 ERA and 276 strikeouts in 253 2/3 innings, and his first and only Cy Young award.

John Smoltz is the Ringo Starr of the Atlanta Braves' Fab Four rotation. Likable? Sure. You have to like someone who once tried to iron his shirt while wearing it, who calls his mom and dad regularly, and who used to be an award-winning accordion player. Unlike bandmates Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and , all of whom have won 18 games at least twice, Smoltz, who has never won more than 15, has not evoked much appreciation for his genius or his craftsmanship, despite throwing the hardest of the four. It has been too easy to dismiss him as someone just banging on a drum.

Then he walked into the Braves' training camp this spring in West Palm Beach, Fla., grinning like a kid who couldn't keep a secret. "This is my year," he told teammates, his laugh not entirely obscuring his seriousness. "This time it's my turn for the Cy Young."

"He's always joking and goofing around," Glavine says, "but when he came out and said it, even if he was goofing, it was out of character."

Smoltz, 29, knew that his right elbow—on which he'd had surgery to remove bone spurs and chips in September 1994—felt better than it had in five years. He also didn't worry anymore that people expected him to be winning more games because he had the best stuff on the staff. Before this season he sometimes used to vent his feelings on the golf course by turning his clubs into spinning projectiles. Only on the golf course did he snap, like a few of his jettisoned putters.

"I let all the criticism and the expectations rule my life," he says. "I wasn't happy. There were times when the last place I wanted to be was at the ballpark."

With Smoltz pain- and worry-free, guess who's fronting the Fab Four this year? That's right, Ringo is on lead vocals. After losing his first outing of the season, on April 4, Smoltz had reeled off wins in 11 consecutive starts by week's end, becoming the first pitcher to accomplish that feat within a season since the Yankees' did it in 1979. He is the only Braves pitcher to put together such a streak this century. ( won 10 straight starts in '61.) Smoltz reached double digits in wins on May 24, the fastest in the league in 92 years. (The New York Giants' Joe McGinnity beat him by three days in 1904.)

Smoltz's 11–1 start—Atlanta was exactly one third of the way through its season at week's end—betters the pace of , who won 27 games for the Oakland A's in 1990 to tie of the (1972) for the most wins since Denny McLain won 31 games for the Detroit Tigers in 1968.

Smoltz also leads the major leagues in strikeouts (97) and opponents' batting average (.173) and is third in ERA (2.24). And he has yet to heave one of his irons.

"I'm finally at peace," he says. " [the Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder] once told me, 'If you were in a room with 100 people and 98 said nothing but positive things about you, you'd worry about the other two.' He was right. I know I'm going to lose some games and have some rough spots. The difference now is, I won't be concerned about what people say.

"One question, though, really bothered me," he adds. "Somebody asked me recently what I did to turn the corner. Turn the corner? I mean, it made me so angry. It's not like I never accomplished anything before." Only in Atlanta would a resume such as Smoltz's go relatively unnoticed. He was the youngest All-Star pitcher in Braves history (22, in 1989), tied Spahn's franchise record with 15 strikeouts in a nine-inning game in '92, set the record for most career strikeouts (46) in National League Championship Series play and has lost only once in 13 postseason starts, putting together a 5–1 record and a 2.76 ERA. While Glavine deserves praise for playing McCartney to Maddux's Lennon, Smoltz, at week's end, had as many complete games as Glavine (33, in 32 fewer career starts) and a lifetime ERA that was almost the same (3.46 to Glavine's 3.45).

Since his elbow surgery after the strike-shortened 1994 season, Smoltz is 23–8 with a 2.88 ERA in 41 starts. Impressive? Been there, done that. Between the 1991 and '92 All-Star games, Smoltz was 22–8 with a 2.85 ERA in 37 starts. Says Glavine, "People expected him to win 30 games and strike out 500 guys. They'd ask, 'What's wrong with John?' Every pitcher in baseball would love to have bad years like he's had."

Even Smoltz acknowledges that his current hot streak has been charmed. The Braves scored at least seven runs for him in one stretch of seven starts. (They gave him that kind of support only three times last season.) When he was scheduled to pitch on just three days' rest last week in Chicago against the Cubs, a deluge postponed the game. The next afternoon a fully rested Smoltz pitched with a 25-mph wind whipping in from 's outfield. Smoltz blew away the Cubs with a four-hit shutout that included 13 punch-outs, after which Chicago manager said, "He looked as good as I've ever seen him."

Smoltz is so hot that Ed McMahon should be ringing his doorbell any day now. Nothing topped the serendipity of his victory on May 24 in Pittsburgh against thePirates. Smoltz was losing 2–0 when Atlanta manager Bobby Cox pulled him for a with two outs and nobody on base in the seventh inning. A walk, three singles and an error later, the Braves had scored three runs and handed Smoltz a 5–3 win, as well as a bottle of champagne in honor of his 100th career victory. Smoltz stopped giggling long enough to tell Maddux, whose four straight Cy Young Awards hardly qualify him as needy, "Rub me—for luck."

"No, Smoltzie," Maddux said. "You keep it. You deserve it."

Smoltz sipped champagne, slung his ever-present golf bag over his shoulder and bounced out of the clubhouse with a smile plastered on his face. Picture Tom Sawyer with a titanium driver instead of a fishing pole. "Look at him," said Braves . "He's going so good, his biggest worry is whether to use a balata or a wound ball."

That Smoltz would be so fortuitous is something of a good howl in itself, given all the cruel twists in his career. He is, after all, the guy who threw 7 1/3 shutout innings in the seventh game of the 1991 World Series, only to lose a chance at a victory when teammate ran the bases like a British cow in the eighth inning. Then again, Smoltz could have wound up as an accordion player.

Both of Smoltz's parents, Mary and John Sr., play the accordion. John Sr., who also worked as an usher at , played at Detroit's victory party. John Jr. began playing the accordion at four and developed into a prodigy. He could play a tune after hearing it once, even though he could not read music. Growing up in Lansing, Mich., he won accordion-playing contests in places as far away as Chicago.

"What I remember," he says, "is being on stages and getting trophies. And I remember all the people. I remember a hundred people watching me. I used to throw up before I played. By the time I was seven, I'd had it. I hated to practice. I told my parents, 'That's it. I don't want to play this thing any more.'"

"If you don't want to play the accordion," his mom asked him then, "what will you do when you grow up?"

"I'm going to be a pitcher," he said.

"John," she said, "it might be a good idea to have a backup plan if that doesn't work out. Do you have an idea about that?"

"Yeah," he said. "I'll be a gas-station attendant."

When Smoltz was 16, he lost a game in a national amateur baseball tournament in Johnstown, Pa., giving up three home runs in one inning. When he returned home, he grabbed a roll of tape and made a strike zone against the back of the house. Then he taped small squares in all four corners of the rectangle. He grabbed a bucket of 25 and took dead aim against those squares. When the bucket was empty, he would gather the balls and do it again. The thud of the balls against the back of the Smoltz house could be heard every day after that until the weather turned too cold. "That," his father says, "is when I knew that he would be something special."

His beloved hometown team, the Tigers, selected him out of Lansing's Waverly High in the 22nd round of the 1985 draft. Smoltz is a second cousin of Tigers Hall of Fame second baseman . Smoltz and his father took home a piece of sod from Tiger Stadium and planted it in their backyard after Detroit won the 1984 Series. But the Tigers uprooted Smoltz in '87—he was 20 years old and had pitched in only 38 minor league games—by dealing him to Atlanta for 36-year-old righthander Doyle Alexander. Within two years, Smoltz was a major league All-Star.

"It seemed like every year people were picking me to win the Cy Young or were saying I had the best stuff in the league," Smoltz says. "Then it would be, 'Where'd he go? What happened?' That builds up, believe me."

There were times from 1991 through '94 when he stopped calling his parents. "I felt like I was letting my father down," he says. One time when he did call, from Montreal in June 1991, Smoltz seemed to be in such despair about his 2–7 record and lack of run support that when his mother hung up the phone, she told her husband, "That's it. We're going to Montreal." They immediately jumped in the car and drove eight hours, pulling into Montreal at four o'clock in the morning to offer their son comfort. Smoltz lost his next start 2–0. In that same season, a bone spur developed in Smoltz's right elbow. He pitched brilliantly down the stretch and in the postseason (8–0 after Aug. 15), with only sporadic trouble from the spur. The injury grew progressively worse, though, and by '93 his forkball, which he developed the previous season as a change of pace to his 93-mph fastball and sweeping hard , was virtually useless. "I was out there on the mound thinking about so many things except the hitter and how to pitch," he says. "I worried about whether throwing the next pitch would hurt. And I was always worried about the expectations."

Smoltz and the Braves knew that surgery was inevitable. Finally, he woke up in his hotel room in Colorado on Aug. 9, 1994, and could not move his arm. He called a masseur for help. The man, who was Russian, spoke little English and knew even less about baseball. He knew enough about both, though, to tell Smoltz, "You no play today."

The players went on strike three days later. On Sept. 8, Braves doctor Joe Chandler removed the spur as well as several bone chips. Remarkably, Smoltz recovered in time to start 1995 in the Atlanta rotation. He was 12–7 with a 3.18 ERA in 192 2/3 innings, but he had never fully regained his arm strength after the operation, and it caught up to him. He allowed 11 runs in 15 postseason innings without a decision. In Game 3 of the World Series against the , he was knocked out in the third inning. Had the Indians beaten Glavine in Game 6 and tied the Series, Smoltz would have started the fourth Game 7 of his career, his second in a World Series. "Obviously, the Indians felt if they won Game 6, they would win the Series," Smoltz says. "To be honest, I don't know if I had enough left to be as good as I wanted to be."

This season his luck may have turned for the better, but Smoltz has raised his game, too. He is averaging 2.14 walks per nine innings, cutting his previous career rate by more than one third. Says Maddux, "He used to go from 0 and 2 to 3 and 2 with the best of them. Now he's not. That's a huge difference."

Also, Smoltz's forkball never has been better. He can throw it as a power pitch, with a nasty downward bite, or, with less pace, as a to lefthanders. The pitch best explains why lefthanders, who batted .260 against him before this season, are hitting only .150 against him this year.

"As good as his fastball is," says Cubs third baseman , "if you were 2 and 0 on him, you knew it was coming and could gear up for it. Now he throws that change down and away so well that it's almost like he misses with his fastball on purpose just to set you up for it on 2 and 0."

Says Smoltz, "I'm thinking about nothing but pitching out there on the mound now. It's fun."

He has put away the game ball from his 100th victory for safekeeping. The ones from his division-clinching and pennant-winning victories in 1991 are gone—"used or given away to charity," he says—like other balls he once set aside. But this one, he promises, is a keeper. "It's the work of a whole career, not just one game," he says. "I watched Maddux get his [in 1993] and Glavine get his [in '94]. It's been a tough grind for me. I got it a little bit slower than I would have liked."

Then he thought about the expectations, but this time they were of his own making. He looked at the baseball and was entirely comfortable saying, "I'd like to get one more of these."

Are Johnson, Martinez, Smoltz best pitching class ever at Hall of Fame?

BY JAY JAFFE

On Sunday, the Hall of Fame will induct the Class of 2015, a quartet—Craig Biggio, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz—elected by the Baseball Writers Association of America in January. It's the first foursome elected by the writers since 1955, and while Biggio—who starred at , second base and in the outfield— is certainly deserving, it's the three of pitchers he's joined by that inspires perhaps the most interesting question about this year's class, which came to me earlier this week via Twitter thanks to reader Noel Baldwin: Is this trio of hurlers the best class of pitchers ever to enter Cooperstown in a single year?

In terms of Cy Young awards, the combined total of nine racked up by Johnson (five), Martinez (three) and Smoltz trumps last year's six (four by Greg Maddux and two by Tom Glavine) as the record, but as that particular hardware wasn't introduced until 1956 and wasn't split into separate leagues until '67, it's hardly an ideal measure. Instead, to adjust for the wide variations in scoring levels throughout major league history, I'm turning to my JAWS system, which accounts for a player’s career and peak (best seven seasons) via their Wins Above Replacement totals to aid in comparing them to the already-enshrined counterparts at their position.

As it turns out, using the sums of the individual JAWS in a given class of BBWAA-elected pitchers yields one answer, while using their average JAWS score (which I did last year in ranking the best Hall classes ever, inclusive of both pitchers and position players) provides a second, and incorporating the results of the various alternate routes—the Old-Timers Committee, the and the current trio of era-based committees—opens the door up even wider. I'll stick with the first of those definitions to emphasize the volume, while noting the others along the way.

1. Class of 1936: (127.5 JAWS), (84.1) Total JAWS: 211.6 | Average JAWS: 105.8 (1st)

As it turns out, the inaugural class of Hall of Fame inductees—a quintet that also included and and shortstop —is still the heavyweight champion, thanks largely to the usage patterns that enabled the Big Train and the Big Six to combine for nearly as many innings (10,703) as this year's trio (10,823 1/3), with higher peak-season totals that effectively are double-counted in computing JAWS. Johnson (Walter, not Randy) is a close second to Cy Young himself in career WAR (165.6 to 168.2) and first in JAWS (Young had 123.9); Mathewson is sixth in the former (101.8) and seventh in the latter.

Had there not been confusion over whether Young—whose career spanned from 1890 to 1911—was the under the purview of the 19th-century- focused Old-Timers Committee or the 20th-century-focused BBWAA when it came time to select the first class of Hall of Famers, he would not have had to wait until 1937 to gain entry. His inclusion would have almost certainly put this class out of reach barring a change in the voting rules.

2. Class of 2015: Randy Johnson (82.0), Pedro Martinez (71.1), John Smoltz (54.2) Total: 207.3 | Average: 69.1 (5th):

It took three of them to do it, but this year's class does rank second, and if not for Smoltz's 3 1/2-year stint as a closer—a move prompted by his 2000 Tommy John surgery that may have prolonged his career by reducing his workload—it may have secured the top spot. As it is, this is a remarkable group. Johnson's five Cy Youngs are second only to 's seven, his 4,875 strikeouts are second only to 's 5,714, and his 102.1 career WAR and his JAWS are both ninth. Martinez, who ranks 21st in JAWS, is merely the most valuable pitcher on a per-inning basis in history, with 5.9 WAR per 200 innings, via the 22nd-highest career WAR (84.0) delivered within the 165th-highest total of innings (2,827 1/3). Within that stellar 18-season span is the fourth-highest–single-season WAR of the post-1960 Expansion Era (11.7 in 2000), delivered in a year in which he posted a 1.74 ERA in a league where 4.91 was average. Smoltz's total of 69.5 career WAR is suppressed by his relief work, but he nonetheless excelled in that role and still ranks 58th among starters in JAWS.

3. Class of 2014: Greg Maddux (81.6), Tom Glavine (62.9) Total: 144.5 | Average: 72.3 (2nd)

Just a year ago, Smoltz's two former teammates with the Braves went into the Hall as part of a bumper crop, alongside slugger Frank Thomas and managers Bobby Cox, Tony La Russa and Joe Torre. More dependent upon command, guile and location than this year's power-oriented trio, the pair may rank as the craftiest of their generation. Maddux, who was pitching for the Cubs in 1991 and '92 while Glavine and Smoltz were helping the Braves win their first two pennants of the decade, ranks eighth all-time in WAR (106.9) and 10th in JAWS, while Glavine is 25th and 30th, respectively. Note that they surpass this year’s class if we’re sticking to average.

4. Class of 1947: (83.6), (57.4) Total: 141.0 | Average: 70.5 (3rd)

Though he didn't debut in the majors until age 25, Grove—the ace of 's Philadelphia A's during their 1929–31 American League threepeat—stands as by farthe majors' most valuable pitcher between the start of the Live Ball era (1920) and the breaking of the color line (1947), a particularly high-scoring period at the front end. The 109.9 WAR he compiled from '25 to '41 is 42.1 wins more than runner-up Hubbell, and seventh overall; he's eighth in JAWS. As if that gap between Grove and the field didn't provide enough evidence of his dominance, in the 14- season span from '26 to '39, he led the AL in that category eight times and had five other top-five finishes.

Hubbell, the master of the , had a comparatively short career as well, from 1928 to '43, but he led the Giants to three pennants and won two NL MVP awards and three ERA titles, ranking in the top three in the latter category four other times. Additionally, his 45 1/3-inning scoreless streak in 1933 stood as the longest in major league history until it was eclipsed by in 1968. Hubbell stands 38th in WAR overall and 44th in JAWS.

5. Class of 1991: Gaylord Perry (71.9), Fergie Jenkins (68.3) Total 140.2 | Average: 70.1 (4th)

This pair was part of a remarkable cohort of durable aces whose careers ran from the mid-1960s into the '80s and ended in Cooperstown—a group that also includes , Steve Carlton, , Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver and , with the more fragile yet still enshrined and battling them for accolades along the way. Perry, the master of the spitball and the deeper psychology of is-he-or-isn't- he-loading-up that drove hitters batty, was the first pitcher to win Cy Young awards in each league. Over the course of a 22-year career (1962–'83) in which he threw 5,350 innings (sixth all-time), he notched 314 wins and led his leagues in WAR twice; he ranks 14th in WAR (91.0) and 20th in JAWS overall. Jenkins, the longtime ace of the Cubs during a 19-year-career that ran from '65 to '83, racked up 284 wins, including seven 20-win seasons over an eight-year span ('67-'74) during which he won a Cy Young and had four other top-three finishes in the voting. He's 20th all-time in WAR (84.9) and 24th in JAWS.

Honorable Mention

If we expand the criteria to include players voted in via the aforementioned other committees, the classes of 1936 and 2015 would rank second and third in total JAWS, respectively. Outdoing them thanks to sheer volume is the Class of 1946, an 11-man group tabbed by the Old Timers Committee that included five pitchers from the pre-1920 Dead Ball era who totaled 284.0 JAWS: (23rd in JAWS at 70.2), (29th at 63.7), Joe McGinnity (53rd at 55.1), (59th at 54.1) and (138th at 41.4).

Fourth in the rankings by combined total is the Class of 1964 at 176.3 JAWS, a trio of hurlers elected by the VC: (1880–93, 12th in JAWS at 76.5), (1914–33, 61st in JAWS at 52.7) and ('16–'34, 87th in JAWS at 47.0). The last of them is probably the most famous, as he was the majors' last legal spitballer. Fifth by total is the Class of 1992at 165.4 JAWS, and it's quite the mix, with a starter and a reliever elected by the BBWAA (Tom Seaver and Rollie Fingers, respectively) plus VC-elected starter . Tom Terrific's 110.5 WAR is the second-highest total among postwar pitchers and ranks fifth all time, while his 85.0 JAWS ranks sixth. Fingers, just the second reliever to be elected after , owned one of the game's most famous mustaches but was otherwise not a strong choice, as his 22.7 JAWS is just 25th among relievers, well below any enshrined starter. Newhouser, who won back-to-back MVP awards while pitching for the Tigers in 1944–45, ranks 49th in WAR (63.0) and 41st in JAWS at 57.7.

Space doesn’t permit a full rundown of the other groups using average score over all voting routes, but here’s a table, using a minimum of two pitchers:

One final note: a trio of holdovers still on the BBWAA ballot could top the Class of 1936 in terms of total, if the writers could ever get in sync— which they probably won't. Clemens (103.3 JAWS), (64.5) and (63.8), who together total 231.6 on the JAWS meter and average 77.6, are all well-qualified for the Hall of Fame, but their credentials have largely been ignored by the voters thus far due to a combination of factors, most notably the ballot’s backlog and the PED allegations surrounding the Rocket.

Yahoo! Sports

Mets acquire Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson from Braves for infield depth

By Mark Townsend

The worst kept secret in baseball is the New York Mets desperate need for offense.

On Friday, general manager Sandy Alderson finally made a significant attempt to address those issues, swinging a trade with the division rival Atlanta Braves to acquire veteran infieldersJuan Uribe and Kelly Johnson.

ESPN's Jim Bowden was the first to report a deal was close. Joel Sherman of the New York Post quickly confirmed Uribe's involvement, adding that the Mets were set to send young pitching back to Atlanta. We've since learned secondary pitching prospects John Gant and Rob Whalen are going to Atlanta to complete the deal.

Though far from the impact deal Mets fans were hoping for, Uribe and Johnson should provide solid depth for New York. Johnson is capable of playing multiple positions, occassionally sliding into the outfield during his career. Uribe has settled in mainly as a third baseman, which is obviously a big need for New York with David Wright still sidelined indefinitely with back issues.

The 36-year-old Uribe has played well this season, especially following his trade to the Atlanta Braves on May 27. In 46 games, he's hitting .285/.353/.464 with seven homers, six doubles and 17 RBIs. Uribe has also reportedly made it clear he's not interested in playing a reserve role at this stage in his career, which led to the end of his tenure in Los Angeles earlier this season. With that in mind, figure on him becoming a fixture in New York's lineup down the stretch.

That's another factor working in favor of both Uribe and Johnson earning plenty of playing time. In Thursday's lineup against , for example, New York featured fourth and fifth place batters ( Jr. and ) both hitting under .180 in over 100 at-bats this season.

That simply won't fly if New York hopes to make a postseason run.

In a move that many believed was long overdue, the Mets have also summoned top hitting prospect Michael Conforto from Double-A Birmingham to further supplement the offense.

Conforto took the roster spot of veteran outfielder Michael Cuddyer, who was placed on the disabled list with a knee injury. He immediately joined the Mets starting lineup for their game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. In doing so, he also made a little bit of history, becoming the 1,000th player to appear for the Mets.

[Related: 27 players who could be on the move before MLB trade deadline]

Let there be no doubt, Conforto can flat out hit. The 10th overall pick in last year’s draft has moved through the minors quickly, hitting .308 in 133 games. Though he's only played 45 games above Single-A and has yet to play a single game above Double-A, he's shown an ability to adjust quickly and has appeared comfortable against every level of competition. In fact, since moving up to Double-A in May, Conforto has hit .297 with 12 homers, 24 doubles, and an .854 OPS overall. Those are very strong numbers over a two-month period, and they confirm why he's currently considered among Baseball America's top 20 MLB prospects.

Time will tell if the Mets have done enough or intend to do more to give themselves a fighting chance in the NL East and Wild Card race, but at least they've done something.

The Lockport Union-Sun and Journal

Smoltz follows 'Plan B' to Cooperstown

By Mark Simonson

Growing up in the Detroit area, John Smoltz's dream, he said years later, was to play for the Detroit Tigers, and he almost got there. While the dream didn’t work out in the end, Smoltz made out so well with a “Plan B” that he is in Cooperstown this weekend as an inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Smoltz was a two-sport athlete at Waverly High School in Lansing, Mich. At first he’d hoped to attend Michigan State to play baseball and . When the Detroit Tigers came calling in the 1985 amateur draft and picked him in the 22nd round, a dream showed signs of coming true.

Smoltz grew up in a baseball family of ardent Tigers fans, as both John’s father and grandfather had spent time working at Tiger Stadium. So avid as fans, both John and his father dug up a piece of Tiger Stadium sod after Detroit won the World Series in 1984, planting it the family’s back yard.

Smoltz had been in the Tigers’ minor-league farm system for two years when a call came to him from the big club — but not a favorable one. The 20-year-old playing for the Glens Falls Tigers in the Double-A Eastern League had been acquired by the Atlanta Braves.

“I was very disappointed,” Smoltz recalled years later for the Baseball Hall of Fame. “I thought, ‘I’m going to the worst team in baseball.’ Then I switched my thoughts, realizing I can get to the big leagues quicker and help turn this franchise around, which has been a great story.”

Smoltz got on the express elevator from that point. By the next year, and after only a half-season with the Triple-A , Smoltz was in Atlanta. Although his record was 2-7, by the next season he was pitching in the All-Star Game.

During his first five seasons, 1989 to 1993, Smoltz averaged 14 victories, 34 starts and 182 strikeouts with a 3.42 ERA. This included the 1991 Braves' worst-to-first season, which included the seventh game in the World Series. Smoltz pitched 7 1/3 scoreless innings with a no-decision, and the Braves lost in 10 innings to Jack Morris and the , 1-0.

Smoltz became known as part of the “Big Three” pitchers in Atlanta, along with Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, Baseball Hall of Fame inductees from the Class of 2014. The postseason became nearly routine with this rotation, but Smoltz became the only Braves player to be part of Atlanta’s historic run of 14 consecutive division titles from 1991 to 2005. Smoltz appeared in 41 postseason games, achieving a 15-4 record, 2.67 ERA and a record 199 strikeouts. He appeared in five World Series, including 1995 when Atlanta beat the Cleveland Indians.

Smoltz had dealt with arm problems, and a first of a half-dozen surgeries began during the strike-shortened 1994 season when doctors removed a large bone spur and some chips from the back of his right elbow.

Smoltz won the 1996 National League Cy Young Award after compiling a 24-8 record, a 2.94 ERA and league-best 276 strikeouts. Atlanta’s “Big Three” were competitive, as Smoltz’s Cy Young Award ended Greg Maddux’s Cy Young streak. Add Tom Glavine’s honors in 1991 and 1998, and the Braves had winners of the award six times in eight years.

“Everybody felt I needed this to be on a par with Greg and Tommy,” Smoltz said at the time about his Cy Young Award. “At least winning the award takes pressure off of that. I know down the road I’ll be honored to have played with those two guys.”

Injuries followed Smoltz, despite soldiering through the end of the 1999 season. In 2000 he missed the entire season, undergoing Tommy John surgery. After only five starts in the 2001 season, Smoltz was sidelined. He returned in July as a relief pitcher. The results were spectacular, as he had 10 saves in 11 chances with a 1.59 ERA.

A full season as a closer in 2002 netted even better results, as Smoltz set a National League record with 55 saves. Smoltz saved 154 games in 168 chances during his 3½ seasons as the team’s closer.

Smoltz returned as a starting pitcher in 2005, averaging 15 victories over the next three seasons. Two months after winning his 200th career game, in May 2007, he was sidelined with right shoulder tendinitis. While the 2008 season provided Smoltz with his milestone 3,000th career strikeout, he needed season-ending shoulder surgery.

The 2009 season was split between Boston and St. Louis for Smoltz, but the end was in sight.

“I love to compete,” Smoltz said. “But I can’t compete against my body any more."

John Smoltz will enter the Baseball Hall of Fame with an Atlanta Braves logo on his plaque.

The Sports Xchange

Report: Braves to trade Uribe, Johnson to Mets

By Sports Xchange

Seeking some help for a struggling lineup, the New York Mets are close to acquiring utility infielders Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson for two minor league pitchers, according to multiple reports on Friday.

Atlanta pulled Uribe from the lineup prior to Friday's game vs. the St. Louis Cardinals, but the Braves media relations wouldn't confirm the deal prior to first pitch.

The deal was initially reported by former and Washington Nationals general manager Jim Bowden, who works for ESPN.

Uribe, who has World Series rings with the and , is batting .285 since Atlanta obtained him in a six-player deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

He is considered a reliable defender at third base, a position that has been a need for the Mets since David Wright went on the disabled list April 15 with an injury that went from being a hamstring issue to spinal stenosis in his back.

Uribe is owed $6.5 million this season.

The Mets have been playing at third base for most of Wright's absence.

Johnson returned to Atlanta after spending last year with the , and the Boston Red Sox. He signed a minor league deal with Atlanta in the offseason and is batting .275 with nine home runs while making a $1.5 guarantee for making the Braves.

To obtain Uribe and Johnson, the Mets will reportedly send pitchers John Gant and Rob Whalen to the Braves. Gant is pitching for Double-A Binghamton while Whalen is pitching for Class A St. Luice.

Braves fall to Cardinals in opener of long road trip

By Sports Xchange

ST. LOUIS -- In his sixth big league start, St. Louis Cardinals left-hander Tim Cooney finally experienced his first big league win.

Cruising through seven innings Friday night, Cooney dispatched the Atlanta Braves 4-2 at sold-out Busch Stadium.

Throwing 53 of his 74 pitches for strikes, Cooney (1-0) gave up just five hits and two runs, walking none and fanning five. Cooney went to three balls on only one of the 25 hitters he faced and threw no more than 15 pitches in any inning.

With closer Trevor Rosenthal unavailable after earning saves on three straight nights, Kevin Siegrist pitched the ninth for his fifth save of the year, striking out Jonny Gomes with the tying runs on base to end it.

Rookie left-hander Manny Banuelos (1-2) gave up six hits and four runs in five-plus innings, walking three and whiffing three, as Atlanta dropped to 45-51 in the opener of a 10-game road trip.

Center fielder Cameron Maybin was responsible for the Braves' two runs in the sixth, doubling home shortstop Andrelton Simmons and then scoring on a two-out wild pitch.

But that wasn't nearly enough to keep St. Louis (62-34) from upping its home record to 35-12 and maintaining a six-game lead on Pittsburgh, a 7-5 winner over Washington, in the .

Center fielder Randal Grichuk belted a two-run homer in the bottom of the second for the second straight night, opening the scoring for St. Louis. The first-pitch homer traveled 421 feet to the last row in the lower bowl in left field.

Shortstop Jhonny Peralta made it 3-0 in the third with an RBI single to center that scored third baseman Matt Carpenter, who had started the two- out rally with a double before a nine-pitch walk by left fielder Matt Holliday.

The Cardinals added another run in the fourth as first baseman Mark Reynolds lined a two-strike, run-scoring single to right-center. It scored Grichuk, who had singled with one out and promptly stole second.

NOTES: St. Louis traded for RHP Steve Cishek on Friday, sending Double-A RHP Kyle Barraclough to the . Cishek is 2-6 with a 4.50 ERA and three saves in 32 games for the Marlins but has pitched to an 0.71 ERA in 13 games since returning from Double-A Jacksonville last month. ... Atlanta pulled 3B Juan Uribe from the lineup amid reports it was trading him and INF Kelly Johnson to the New York Mets. ... The Cardinals transferred RHP (right elbow) from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL to make room for Cishek.

Associated Press

Grichuk, Cooney lead Cardinals over Braves 4-2

By STEVE OVERBEY (Associated Press)

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- On a 90-degree night, the shower St. Louis rookie left-hander Tim Cooney received in the locker room after recording his first major league win was almost as enjoyable as his performance on the hill.

''It was ice cold, just what I needed,'' Cooney after throwing seven solid innings, leading the Cardinals to a 4-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Friday night.

Randal Grichuk hit a two-run homer, his second in as many nights, and Mark Reynolds and Jhonny Peralta added run-scoring hits to help the Cardinals improve to 6-1 since the All-Star break. They are an MLB-best 35-12 at home.

Meanwhile, the Braves have lost their last six road games.

Cooney (1-0) gave up five hits and two earned runs in an efficient 74-pitch stint. He struck out five and did not walk a batter. He faced four batters over the minimum.

''I think my command has been getting a little bit better each start,'' Cooney said. ''This was the best for my fastball command. When you are able to locate the ball, good things are going to happen.''

Cooney said the importance of the moment did not sink in until he looked up at the scoreboard right after the final out.

''When it ended and I saw my name in win column, it was pretty cool,'' he said.

Cooney had a successive scoreless string stopped at 12 innings when the Braves scored twice in the sixth.

St. Louis manager Mike Matheny has been impressed with Cooney's composure in all six of his starts. The last five were no-decisions.

''He was very unpredictable with what he was going to throw tonight,'' Matheny said. ''He made the pitches in tough counts. He had a feel for everything.''

St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina did a solid job of guiding the rookie through the little trouble he encountered.

''It's always good to see someone get their first win, or first homer, or RBI,'' Molina said. ''I'm happy for him.''

Grichuk's homer came in the second inning. He also hit a two-run homer in the second on Thursday in a 4-3 win over Kansas City. His 11th of the season came off rookie Manny Banuelos (1-2), who gave up six hits and four earned runs in five-plus innings. He had allowed one or less in all three of his previous starts.

''I just went up there trying to be aggressive in the strike zone,'' Grichuk said. ''I got some pitches I thought I could handle and I swung at them.''

Kevin Siegrist retired the Braves in the ninth for his fifth save in eight opportunities. He struck outJonny Gomes with two on to end the game. St. Louis closer Trevor Rosenthal was given the night off after appearing in the previous three games.

Peralta brought in Matt Carpenter with a run-scoring single in the third for a 3-0 lead. Reynolds drove in Grichuk in the fourth.

The Braves parlayed a double by Cameron Maybinand a single by Andrelton Simmons into two runs.

Atlanta was able to stay close, but could not come up with a big hit down the stretch.

''I thought our bullpen did a terrific job coming in, keeping it right there,'' manager Fredi Gonzalez. ''With Jonny Gomes at the plate, who historically wears out left-handed pitching, you feel pretty good in that situation.''

Banuelos struggled to the worst outing of his short career.

''It was a tough game,'' Banuelos said. ''I (made) a couple of mistakes in tough situations.''

The Braves, who were opening a 10-game road trip, have lost nine of their last 12 overall. TRAINER'S ROOM:

Braves: 1B Freddie Freeman began a rehabilitation assignment with the Rookie League Gulf Coast team in Lake Buena Vista, , on Friday. Freeman, who has missed 29 games, was placed on the 15-day disabled list on June 23 with a bruised right wrist.

Cardinals: Rookie OF/INF Stephen Piscotty did not start on Friday after being a late scratch on Thursday due to a stiff neck. He reached on an error as a pinch hitter in the seventh.

UP NEXT:

Former Cardinals RHP Shelby Miller (5-6, 2.33) will face RHP Carlos Martinez (10-4, 2.51) in the second game of the three-game series on Saturday. Miller was acquired from the Cardinals on Nov. 17, 2014, along with RHP Tyrell Jenkins in exchange for OF Jason Heyward and RHP Jordan Walden. Martinez had recorded 10 successive quality starts.

Mets acquire Uribe, Johnson from Braves

By CHARLES O'BRIEN (Associated Press)

NEW YORK (AP) -- The New York Mets acquired infielder Juan Uribe, infielder-outfielder Kelly Johnson and cash considerations from the Atlanta Braves on Friday night for minor league pitchers John Gant and Rob Whalen.

The Mets announced the trade after their 7-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta's 4-2 loss at St. Louis.

In corresponding roster moves, the Mets designated outfielder John Mayberry Jr. for assignment and optioned infielder Danny Muno to Triple-A Las Vegas. Third baseman David Wright, sidelined with a spinal condition, was also transferred to the 60-day disabled list.

Before the game, the Mets promoted top prospect, outfielder Michael Conforto, from Double-A Binghamton, hoping to give their light-hitting lineup a boost. The Mets are last in the majors in batting average and second-to-last in runs scored.

The struggles reached their lowest point on June 9, when the team was no-hit by San Francisco Giantsrookie Chris Heston. Los Angeles' Clayton Kershaw nearly matched the feat in the series opener, throwing six perfect innings, shutting the Mets out for the 11th time this season.

The pair is also expected to provide defensive flexibility for manager .

Uribe, acquired by the Braves on May 27 as part of a five-player deal with the Dodgers, is batting .272 with eight home runs and 23 RBIs while primarily playing third base.

''I feel very good because I got traded to another team that is a contender,'' Uribe said through an interpreter. ''I would have felt bad if I got released or sent home, so I know that I'm going to go to a good team and have the chance to be in the playoffs.''

He was a key contributor to a pair of World Series-winning teams, helping the Chicago White Sox in 2005 and San Francisco in 2010. The Mets have struggled to replace Wright's production in their lineup, receiving only three home runs from the third base position since Wright went down in April.

''Juan was really good for us,'' Dodgers manager said. ''He's a guy that played a great third base.''

In St. Louis, Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said he knew the trade was coming but didn't get confirmation until about 70 minutes before the first pitch. That forced him to quickly scratch Uribe from the lineup and move Chris Johnson from first to third with Joey Terdoslavich filling in at first base.

''You're getting ready to lose two guys that are really pretty good guys on our club,'' Gonzalez said. ''Uribe's only been here about two months, but he fit in right away with these guys and you're going to miss that and Kelly's professionalism.''

Added Dodgers third baseman : ''One of the best teammates I've ever had and a good baseball player. I already told a couple of guys, 'You're going to love (him),' and he's going to be great for the clubhouse over there.''

Johnson is batting .275 with nine home runs and 34 RBIs while playing all over the diamond, logging innings at five different positions. The versatile Johnson will be returning to the New York area spending part of last season with the Yankees. Johnson will become the 126th player to play for both New York teams.

He has been surging in July with a .311 average, three home runs, and team-high 12 RBIs.

''You find a good routine and when it's working it's hard to think about getting out of that,'' said Johnson, who was surprised to be traded to a division rival. ''Now the toughest thing will be finding that routine there.'' Mayberry, signed in the offseason, mostly struggled as a right-handed bat off the bench. The 31-year-old Mayberry is hitting .164 with three homers and nine RBIs in 59 games this season.

Muno has hit .148, going 4 for 27 in limited appearances with the Mets this year.

Gant, 22, pitched for the Mets at Class A and Double-A, while Whalen, 21, made 14 starts for Class A St. Lucie.

Johnson, Martinez, Smoltz and Biggio ready to enter Hall

By JOHN KEKIS (AP Sports Writer)

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (AP) -- Three dominated on the mound, the other excelled at three positions up the middle. Together, pitchers Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz and multi-talented Craig Biggio left a remarkable imprint on baseball.

Playing through an era tainted by steroids and dominated by offense - compliments of bulked-up sluggers, a smaller strike zone and smaller ballparks - the trio of pitchers combined for 735 wins, 11,113 strikeouts and nine Cy Young Awards. And the indefatigable Biggio became the only player in major league history with at least 3,000 hits, 600 doubles, 400 stolen bases and 250 home runs while being asked to play four positions in his 20-year career.

All four, elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in January, will be inducted Sunday in Cooperstown.

''I don't condone anybody doing anything bad as far as cheating the game,'' said Martinez, who joins former Giants right-hander Juan Marichal (1983) as the only natives of the Dominican Republic elected to the hall. ''How did I feel pitching in the juice era? I wouldn't want it any other way. For me, there's no crying. I mean, as far as the way I did compete, I know I did it right. I did it the right way.''

Johnson, Martinez and Smoltz were elected by big margins their first time on the ballot and represent the first trio of pitchers voted in together. Biggio made it on his third try.

---

The 6-foot-10 Johnson was an intimidating figure standing atop a pitching mound. During a 22-year career, spent mostly with the and , the dominant left-hander with the imposing fastball won 303 games and five Cy Young Awards, including four in a row from 1999 to 2002 with the Diamondbacks.

A 10-time All-Star, the native of Walnut Creek, California led his league in strikeouts nine times and had a career total of 4,875, second all-time only to Nolan Ryan. In 2001, Johnson was 3-0 in the World Series to help Arizona, in only its fourth year of existence, to the title. Small wonder he received 97.3 percent of the BBWAA vote, eighth-best all-time.

Still, it took time before everything clicked for the man known as the Big Unit.

''The 10 years that I spent in Seattle was really like my apprenticeship, if you will, on understanding how to pitch and then somewhat evolving into the pitcher that I was going to become,'' said Johnson. ''I was really coming into my own as a successful pitcher and being able to harness my fastball, and understanding what it took to pitch at this level.

''I didn't know I was going to be half as good as I turned out to be,'' added Johnson, who had three back surgeries, four knee surgeries and pitched his final season in 2009 with a torn rotator cuff.

---

Born on the outskirts of Santo Domingo, Martinez grew up with five brothers and sisters in a one-room home. Baseball became his escape. He signed with the Dodgers in 1988 and made his major league debut in September 1992 at age 20. The next season he was a regular in the bullpen, posting a 10-5 record in 65 games while striking out 119 in 107 innings, then was traded to Montreal after the season.

After a four-year stint with the Expos that culminated with his first Cy Young Award - he was 17-8 with a 1.90 ERA in 1997 - and with free agency looming, Montreal traded its ace to Boston and he wasn't exactly happy.

''I wanted a team that would give me an opportunity to win, and Boston wasn't a team that looked anywhere near that they were going to win it, so I didn't think I was going to sign,'' Martinez said.

Boston general manager Dan Duquette had other ideas. He had acquired Martinez from the Dodgers while serving in the same capacity with the Expos and convinced the rising Dominican star to sign with the Red Sox.

The first Red Sox pitcher to be enshrined, Martinez signed for seven seasons that would endear him forever to the Boston faithful. He won 117 games and two Cy Youngs in hitter-friendly and, most importantly, helped Boston snap an 86-year jinx in his final year with the team. His seven shutout innings in Game 3 of the on the road in St. Louis staked the Sox to a commanding 3-0 series lead en route to a sweep and the team's first title since 1918.

Martinez finished his 18-year career with a 219-100 record and 3,154 strikeouts.

---

Smoltz is the first player elected to the Hall of Fame with Tommy John arm surgery on his resume. He won 213 games and saved 154, the only pitcher with 200 wins and 150 saves and the last of only 16 to reach 3,000 strikeouts, registering 3,084. He also was 15-4 in the postseason during a 21-year career spent almost entirely with the Atlanta Braves after being drafted and then traded by his hometown Detroit Tigers.

Through five surgeries, the hard-throwing right-hander persevered - from starter to reliever to starter again - as the Braves and their amazing pitching staff, which also included Hall of Famers Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, won an unprecedented 14 straight division titles.

''I had to just really reinvent myself many, many times, and find ways to overcome,'' said Smoltz, who did not play in 2000 after undergoing ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction on his right arm.

---

A native of Kings Park on New York's Long Island, Biggio was a football star in high school poised to make his mark as a running back in college when he decided to accept a partial baseball scholarship at Seton Hall.

In three collegiate seasons, he batted .342, hit 27 homers, drove in 148 runs, stole 90 bases and led the Pirates to their first Big East title. A first- round pick by the Astros in 1987, Biggio played just 141 minor league games over parts of two seasons before getting called up. He took over as Houston's regular catcher in 1989.

Two years later, he made his first All-Star team, then was asked to make the improbable transition to play second base in 1992 in an effort to lengthen his career. He appeared in all 162 games and made his second All-Star team.

Biggio, the first Astro elected to the Hall of Fame, said making the switch was by far the hardest thing he ever had to do in his career.

''We zipped up the catcher's gear and didn't look back,'' Biggio said. ''I believed in myself and we made it work. I mean, it was never ever done in the history of the game, and that was kind of fun to kind of prove them (the critics) wrong a little bit.''

Braves-Cardinals Preview

By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO (STATS Writer)

The St. Louis Cardinals traded Shelby Miller to theAtlanta Braves during the offseason, giving Carlos Martinez a chance to take his place in the starting rotation.

Martinez has not only won a spot in the rotation but he's been the Cardinals' best starter.

Martinez looks to continue his dominance Saturday night when he takes the mound opposite Miller and the visiting Braves.

Miller (5-6, 2.33 ERA) spent his first three years with St. Louis (62-34) and went 25-18 with a 3.41 ERA as a starter in the last two. The Cardinals sent him to Atlanta (45-51) in a deal for Jason Heyward and the move may have benefited Martinez (10-4, 2.51) the most.

The right-hander has the lowest ERA in the St. Louis rotation and is second in strikeouts (115) after spending his first two years making 70 of 78 appearances out of the bullpen.

Martinez, a first-time All-Star this year, is 7-2 with a 1.26 ERA over his last 11 games, holding opponents to two runs or fewer in nine of the 10 starts over that span. He was pressed into relief duty during Sunday's 3-1, 18-inning loss to the New York Mets, giving up two runs - one earned - in the final four.

Martinez has tossed 2 2-3 scoreless innings in four relief outings against Atlanta.

The Cardinals are 6-1 since the break and won their fourth straight with a 4-2 victory in Friday's series opener.

Randal Grichuk is hitting .380 with 13 RBIs in the last 13 games. All four of his homers over that stretch have come in four home games, going 8 for 17 with 10 RBIs. He's connected for two-run shots in each of the last two games, totaling four hits.

"I just went up there trying to be aggressive in the strike zone," Grichuk said of his second-inning homer Friday. "I got some pitches I thought I could handle and I swung at them." The Braves have lost six straight on the road for the second time during a 3-12 stretch as the visitor. They haven't endured a longer road skid since dropping eight straight from July 29-Aug. 6.

Miller gets the ball looking to end his own losing streak in his first meeting with the Cardinals. The right-hander is 0-5 with a 3.15 ERA in 11 starts since tossing a two-hitter in a 6-0 win at Miami on May 17. He's 0-1 with a 5.16 ERA in his past four road starts.

Miller was charged with a 4-1 home loss to the on Sunday, allowing three runs - one earned - with eight strikeouts and four walks in six innings.

Nick Markakis is 13 for 29 in seven career meetings with St. Louis. He singled Friday and is 5 for 15 with three extra-base hits in the past four games.

Atlanta dealt Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson to the Mets for minor leaguer pitchers Robert Whalen and John Gant on Friday. Uribe and Johnson were scheduled to be free agents this winter, and the rebuilding Braves may already be starting to look towards next season since they're seven games back of San Francisco in the wild-card race.

Steve Cishek could make his Cardinals debut after being acquired in a trade from Miami for Double-A pitcher Kyle Barraclough on Friday. Cishek has allowed one earned run in 12 2-3 innings over his last 13 appearances following a stint in the minors after losing his job as the Marlins' closer.

St. Louis' 2.67 ERA is the lowest in the majors and the club's best since a 2.49 mark in 1968.