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New York Post
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Chelsea Freeman becomes Livvy Dunne's ‘new bestie' in behind-the-scene All-Star Game pics
The 2025 MLB All-Star Game allowed Livvy Dunne and Chelsea Freeman to have their 'Step Brothers' best friends moment. Dunne and Freeman each posted a photo to their respective Instagram Stories of them sharing a smile before Tuesday's game, with Freeman captioning the photo, 'New Bestie,' with two heart emojis. The 22-year-old Dunne, the girlfriend of NL starter Paul Skenes, took her fans behind the scenes of Tuesday's festivities in Atlanta. Advertisement 3 Chelsea Freeman (l) and Livvy Dunne (r). @chelseafreeman5/Instagram The All-Star Game allows the players to bring their families and partners, and at some point she linked up with Freeman, the wife of Dodgers star and World Series MVP Freddie Freeman. And, yes, please remember this photo when Paul Skenes becomes a free agent and the Dodgers — since they seemingly sign everyone — attempt to sign him. Advertisement With Skenes being the Pirates' only representative, it left plenty of time for Dunne and Skenes to mingle with stars from the other teams. Dunne also showcased other scenes from the red carpet and from the game itself. She posted photos of the front and back of her blue dress to her Instagram Story, along with videos of her and Skenes walking and Skenes helping tie her heel. 3 Dunne models her dress. @livvydunne/Instagram Advertisement Dunne also revealed she had field-level seats to watch her boyfriend post a perfect first inning, including a clip from the game-opening strikeout of ex-Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres. 'Welcome to the paul-star game,' she wrote alongside a star. 3 Dunne and Paul Skenes. @livvydunne/Instagram Advertisement She provided a second fawning tweet that featured the camera view of Skenes striking out Tigers outfielder Riley Greene with the caption: 'Boom shakalaka.' In an ironic yet all too familiar twist, the NL team blew the rare run support that Skenes received before securing the walk-off win in the home-run swing-off. Skenes is 4-8 despite posting a 2.01 ERA and having allowed two earned runs or less in 17 of his 20 starts. He is 0-3 with a 1.77 ERA in eight starts since his last win on May 28. The Pirates open the second half at home against the White Sox on Friday.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
VIDEO: Yankees legend Hideki Matsui shows he can still smash homers at 51-years-old
Despite being 20 years removed from his prime, New York Yankees great Hideki Matsui still can crush baseballs over outfield fences. When Matsui arrived in New York in 2003, there was hope that he could be much better than Hideki Irabu. A fellow Japanese star with the same first name, but who was so frustrating that then-Yankees owner George Steinbrenner once called him a fat toad. Well, Matsui ended up becoming a huge fan favorite during seven memorable seasons in the Bronx. Advertisement Related: Yankees voice Michael Kay rips Mets star Juan Soto on odd comment about All-Star snub During his time with the club, he earned All-Star honors twice. Smashed 146 homers. And knocked in 547 runs during the regular season. However, it was his performances in the playoffs that made him a legend with fans. In 56 postseason games, he posted a slashline of .312/.391/.541/.933, with 10 home runs and 39 RBIs. In 2009, he was voted the World Series MVP as he helped lead the Yankees to their most recent championship. After 10 years in MLB, he called it a career in 2012 at 38 years old. While he was an all-around good hitter in the big leagues, he was originally a home run-hitting monster in his native Japan. And it seems that the ability to take pitches deep has not yet left him. Hideki Matsui stats (Yankees): .292 VG, .370 OBP, .482 SLG, .852 OPS, 140 HR, 597 RBI, 536 R This week, the New York Post's social accounts posted a video of the former MLB star at a local park. It is unclear in what city it occurred. However, the clip shows Matsui at the dish and getting thrown a pitch. And just like he did 175 times in the big leagues, the 51-year-old blasts the ball over the right field fence. Showing his smooth left-handed swing is still nasty. Advertisement The one-time Yankees star hit a total of 507 homers during 10 seasons with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan, and then another ten in New York, Los Angeles, Oakland, and Tampa Bay in MLB. With the Giants, he hit 332 long balls. Related: 4 teams likely to push back against MLB salary cap, including Yankees and Dodgers Related Headlines
Fox Sports
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
San Diego Padres All-Stars: Building the Best Padres All-Time Lineup
Japan to Mexico and beyond, you can find the unmistakable interlocking L.A. logo of the Dodgers everywhere. Those roots run deep, harkening back to the Brooklyn days. From Jackie's impact on the history of the game to today's star-laden lineup, it will always be time for Dodger baseball. Manager: Tommy Lasorda Lasorda, who pitched two seasons for the Dodgers (1954-55), was the franchise's third base coach from 1973-76 before becoming its manager near the end of the 1976 season, and he certainly made the most of that promotion. Los Angeles won back-to-back National League pennants with Lasorda as its manager in 1977 and 1978 and later won the 1981 and 1988 World Series. Under Lasorda, the Dodgers went a combined 1,599-1,439 from 1976-1996. His 1,599 managerial wins rank second in Dodgers history. Starting pitcher: Sandy Koufax Koufax pitched just 12 seasons, entirely with the Dodgers (1955-66), but in those 12 seasons, he was one of the best pitchers to ever take the hill. After seven quality seasons to begin with, Koufax led the NL in ERA in each of his final five seasons, WHIP in four of his last five, both innings pitched and complete games in each of his last two and strikeouts in four of his last six. The southpaw was dominant, pitching deep into games, surrendering minimal baserunners and striking out batters with frequency. Koufax, who was part of three Dodgers' championship teams (1959, 1963 and 1965), is third in franchise history with 40 shutouts, fourth with both 2,396 strikeouts and a 53.1 WAR and sixth with 165 wins. Furthermore, the three-time NL Cy Young Award winner and three-time pitching Triple Crown winner posted an exceptional 0.95 career postseason ERA across eight appearances/seven starts and won both the 1963 and 1965 World Series MVP awards. Reliever/closer: Kenley Jansen Jansen was one of the elite closers in the game for the Dodgers, with whom he played the first 12 seasons of his career (2010-21). The 6-foot-5 right-hander was a power reliever who shut down the final inning of play for the Dodgers over a decade-plus, recording strikeouts at a high rate and doing so with his elongated pitching motion. Jansen, a three-time All-Star with the Dodgers who was part of their 2020 World Series title, is far and away first in Dodgers history with 350 saves and third with a 2.37 ERA. Catcher: Roy Campanella After eight seasons playing in the Negro Leagues, primarily with the Baltimore Elite Giants, Campanella joined the Dodgers organization in 1946, reaching the big leagues in 1948, where he made his presence felt. Campanella won three NL MVP awards, earned eight All-Star nods over his 10 seasons with the Dodgers (1948-57) and averaged 29 home runs and 97 RBIs per season from 1949-55. The 5-foot-9 catcher had potent power from the right side, highlighted by a 1953 campaign that saw him total a career-high 41 home runs and an NL-high 142 RBIs, while posting a .312/.395/.611 slash line. Campanella, who was part of the Dodgers' 1955 championship team, is fourth in franchise history with 242 home runs, eighth with 856 RBIs and 10th with a 35.7 WAR. 1B: Gil Hodges Hodges played one game for the Dodgers in 1943, then spent two years in the military, returned to play full-time in 1947 and went on a tear. A three-time Gold Glover and eight-time All-Star across his 16 seasons with the franchise (1943 and 1947-61), Hodges was a grim reaper in the Dodgers' order, possessing elite power from the right side and earning three Gold Gloves at first base while he was at it. Hodges, who was a featured aspect of the Dodgers' 1955 and 1959 World Series teams, is second in franchise history with both 361 home runs and 1,254 RBIs, third with 3,357 total bases, fifth with 1,088 runs scored, seventh with a 43.3 WAR and ninth with 1,884 hits. 2B: Jackie Robinson Robinson, who served in the U.S. Army, is one of the most important figures in MLB history, as the middle infielder was the first Black American to appear in an MLB game, doing so for the Dodgers in 1947. The future Hall of Famer was a balanced hitter who had a good eye in the batter's box, hit for both contact and slug and was an issue for opposing pitching staffs on the basepaths. Robinson, who was part of the Dodgers' 1955 World Series team and stole home in Game 1 of the series, won the 1949 NL batting title, led the NL in WAR in three seasons and stolen bases twice, while earning seven All-Star nods. Moreover, Robinson won the 1949 NL MVP Award in a season that saw him log 203 hits and 124 RBIs. Robinson, a six-time All-Star with the franchise, is third in Dodgers history with a 61.8 WAR, fourth with a .409 on-base percentage, sixth with 740 walks, seventh with 947 runs scored and 10th with an .883 OPS. 3B: Ron Cey Cey spent the first 12 seasons of his career with the Dodgers (1971-82) and became one of the faces of the 1970s for the franchise. Earning each of his six All-Star honors with the Dodgers, Cey was one of the best third basemen of his generation and a steady source of offense. In his penultimate season with the franchise, Cey helped the Dodgers win the 1981 World Series, which saw him win MVP honors in the series while totaling nine RBIs and a .316/.422/.421 slash line throughout the entire postseason. Cey is fifth in Dodgers history with both 228 home runs and 765 walks, sixth with a 47.6 WAR and 10th with 842 RBIs. SS: Pee Wee Reese Reese played his entire career with the Dodgers (1940-42 and 1946-58), with whom he was one of the greatest players to ever put on the uniform. After a 6.2 WAR season in 1942 that saw him earn an All-Star nod, Reese served three years in the military and then returned to the field in a big way, putting together nine consecutive All-Star seasons, which saw him get on base via both contact hitting and laying off pitches, swipe bags and drive in a plausible number of runs. Part of the 1955 World Series championship team, Reese hit .296 in the 1955 postseason. Reese is first in Dodgers history with 1,338 runs scored, 1,210 walks and a 68.5 WAR, second with 2,170 hits, fifth with 3,038 total bases, seventh with 885 RBIs and 10th with 232 stolen bases. OF: Duke Snider Duke Snider was bad news. The overall eight-time All-Star was electric from the right side of the plate for the Dodgers, with whom he played from 1947-62. Snider cranked 40-plus home runs in five consecutive seasons (1953-57), while leading the NL in runs scored three times and slugging percentage twice. In the team's 1955 World Series victory, Snider totaled four home runs and seven RBIs, while posting a .320/.370/.840 slash line. Snider is first in Dodgers history with both 389 home runs and 1,271 RBIs, second with both 3,669 total bases and a 65.4 WAR, third with 1,199 runs scored and fourth with 1,995 hits, a .553 slugging percentage and 893 walks. OF: Willie Davis Davis had some power, but the outfielder primarily did damage with his speed. Spending the first 14 seasons of his career with the Dodgers (1960-73), Davis was a high-level, contact hitter who legged out extra-base hits, stole bags and hit for a high average. A three-time Gold Glover and two-time All-Star, Davis, who led the NL in triples twice, was part of the Dodgers' 1963 and 1965 title teams. Davis is second in Dodgers history with 110 triples, third with both 2,091 hits and 335 stolen bases, fifth with a 54.7 WAR and sixth with 1,004 runs scored. OF: Carl Furillo Like many players in the 1940s, including some of his teammates, Furillo served in the military. And when the outfielder became a full-time member of the Dodgers in 1946, he quickly became an impact player. A future two-time All-Star, Furillo was a well-versed hitter who both hit for contact and was among the most productive power hitters in the sport. Furillo, who won the 1953 batting title, was part of the Dodgers' 1955 and 1959 championship teams. Spending his entire career with the Dodgers (1946-60), Furillo is fourth in franchise history with 1,058 RBIs, fifth with 324 doubles, seventh with 1,910 hits, eighth with 895 runs scored and ninth with 192 home runs. DH: Shohei Ohtani Ohtani was a two-way superstar, both hitting and pitching, throughout his six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels (2018-23). Then, he made the arduous drive north from Angel Stadium to Dodger Stadium and helped the Dodgers win the World Series in his first season with the franchise (2024). Ohtani didn't pitch in 2024 due to a torn UCL. Instead, he had one of the best offensive seasons in MLB history. Becoming the first 50-50 player (50 home runs and 50 stolen bases) in MLB history, Ohtani totaled an NL-high with 54 home runs, 130 RBIs, 134 runs scored and a 9.2 WAR, while stealing 59 bases and posting a .310/.390/.646 slash line. His home run total and WAR were each single-season Dodger records. Ohtani has overwhelming power from the left side, moves as well as any 6-foot-3 player in recent memory and recently began pitching again. The three-time Silver Slugger is on his way to being the next Dodger great. Honorable Mentions: Walter Alston (manager) Clayton Kershaw (starting pitcher) Fernando Valenzuela (starting pitcher) Eric Gagne (reliever/closer) Eric Karros (1B) Justin Turner (3B) Adrian Beltre (3B) Jim Gilliam (3B) Mookie Betts (OF) Matt Kemp (OF) Zack Wheat (DH) Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience Major League Baseball Los Angeles Dodgers recommended Item 1 of 3 Get more from the Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Fox Sports
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
2025 MLB All-Star Game: Building the Best Nationals Lineup
One franchise, two countries. The Nationals' story can only be told through its Montreal Expos roots. Whether it's in D.C. or in Montreal, this squad has always had headliners. Still, let's file legislation to bring back that iconic Expos look. Manager: Felipe Alou Alou, who played for Montreal in 1973, became the franchise's manager during the 1992 season, and it was arguably the best run the Expos ever had, as they went 238-163 under Alou from 1992-94. While the Expos never made the playoffs under Alou and tapered off in the second half of his 10-year stint (1992-2001), his 691 career managerial wins with the franchise puts him first in Expos/Nationals history. The 1994 season (they were 74-40 before the season abruptly ended), which saw Alou win National League Manager of the Year honors, is the biggest what-if in Expos history. Starting pitcher: Stephen Strasburg The No. 1 pick in the 2009 MLB Draft, Strasburg got to the big leagues and lived up to the hype with the Nationals, while overcoming Tommy John surgery in 2010. A three-time All-Star, Strasburg was one of the best starting pitchers in MLB last decade, posting a combined 3.24 ERA and 1.10 WHIP over a career 247 starts. Furthermore, Strasburg had a career 1.46 postseason ERA over nine appearances/eight starts and was the 2019 World Series MVP for the Nationals. Strasburg, who made just eight starts after 2019 due to various injuries, is first in franchise history with 1,723 strikeouts, second with 113 wins and third among pitchers with a 31.0 WAR and 1,470.0 innings pitched. Reliever/closer: Jeff Reardon Montreal acquired Reardon during the 1981 season, and he was just what the doctor ordered. Over his six seasons with the Expos (1981-86), Reardon averaged 25.3 saves per season, posting a combined 2.84 ERA and led MLB with 41 saves in 1985. His 152 saves are first in franchise history. Two of Reardon's four All-Star nods came with the Expos. Catcher: Gary Carter One of the best catchers in MLB history spent the bulk of his career in Montreal (1974-84). A seven-time All-Star with the Expos, Carter was one of the driving forces of the 1981 Montreal team that reached the NL Championship Series, with the backstop recording a hit in each of their 10 postseason games and posting a combined .429/.488/.714 slash line. Carter, who won each of his three Gold Gloves and three of his five Silver Slugger awards with the Expos, is first in franchise history with a 55.8 WAR, fourth with both 220 home runs and 823 RBIs and fifth with 1,427 hits, 707 runs scored and 5,303 at-bats. 1B: Andres Galarraga Galarraga spent the first seven seasons of his MLB career in Montreal (1985-1991) and was a consistent power plug. From 1987-90, Galarraga averaged 21 home runs and 89 RBIs per season, while posting a combined .280/.337/.462 slash line and earning two Gold Gloves and one Silver Slugger and one All-Star honor with Montreal. Galarraga, who spent one more season with the Expos in 2002, is 10th in franchise history with 473 RBIs and is tied for 10th with 115 home runs. 2B: Jose Vidro Vidro is one of a handful of players who suited up in both an Expos jersey (1997-2004) and a Nationals jersey (2005-06). The middle infielder was one of the best contact hitters in the sport during his time with the Expos, batting north of .300 in five consecutive seasons (1999-2003), totaling 200 hits in 2000 and earning three All-Star honors. In total, Vidro is tied for second in franchise history with a .301 batting average, is third with 304 doubles, sixth with both 1,280 hits and 4,257 at-bats, seventh with 550 RBIs and 614 runs scored and tied for 10th with 115 home runs. 3B: Ryan Zimmerman The first pick in the history of the Nationals franchise (No. 4 pick in the 2005 MLB Draft) spent his entire career with the team that drafted him (2005-2021, excluding 2020) and was one of its best all-time players. A two-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger and one-time Gold Glover, Zimmerman was one of the best third basemen in the game before moving full-time to first base in 2015, posting a combined 60 DRS at the hot corner from 2007-10. Zimmerman, who played first base during Washington's road to winning the 2019 World Series, is first in franchise history with 1,846 hits, 284 home runs, 1,061 RBIs, 417 doubles, 963 runs scored and 6,654 at-bats and fourth with a 40.1 WAR. SS: Trea Turner Turner became a full-time player for the Nationals in 2016, which is precisely when he became an impact player. After hitting .342 and stealing 33 bases in just 73 regular-season games, Turner quickly became one of the best shortstops in the game, moving to his primary position (shortstop) on a full-time basis in 2017. Turner, who started on Washington's 2019 championship team, had blazing speed, a quick and powerful bat and was swift at the middle infield position for the Nationals, with whom he played from 2015-21. Turner is fourth in franchise history with a .300 batting average, 32 triples and 192 stolen bases, seventh with a .486 slugging percentage and ninth with a 22.3 WAR. OF: Andre Dawson Dawson was a terror in the batter's box for the Expos, with whom he played the first 11 seasons of his MLB career (1976-86). The Hall of Fame outfielder's most productive season in Montreal came in 1983, when Dawson totaled 32 home runs, 113 RBIs and posted a .539 slugging percentage. Dawson, who started in both center and right field for the Expos, is second in franchise history with 67 triples, third with 225 home runs, a 48.4 WAR and 5,628 at-bats, fourth with 1,575 hits and tied for 10th with a .476 slugging percentage. He also won six Gold Gloves and three Silver Slugger awards across his stint in Montreal. OF: Tim Raines Raines spent the first 12 seasons of his career with the Expos (1979-90) and was one of the best all-around hitters in the sport during his time in Montreal, highlighted by winning the 1986 batting title and hitting above .300 in five seasons. Furthermore, Raines led the NL in stolen bases in four consecutive seasons (1981-84). Raines is first in franchise history with 635 stolen bases and 82 triples, second with 947 runs scored, tied for second with a .301 batting average, is third with 1,622 hits and fourth with 5,383 at-bats. OF: Vladimir Guerrero Guerrero is one of the most intimidating hitters in MLB history, and it all started in Montreal, where he played the first eight seasons of his career (1996-2003). The 6-foot-3 outfielder logged 100-plus RBIs in five consecutive seasons (1998-2002), 40-plus home runs in back-to-back seasons (1999-2000) and was a three-time Silver Slugger with the Expos. Guerrero is first in franchise history with both a .323 batting average and .588 slugging percentage, second with 234 home runs, fifth with 702 RBIs, sixth with a 34.7 WAR and seventh with 1,215 hits. One could argue that the best seasons of Guerrero's career came in Montreal. DH: Bryce Harper The Nationals took Harper with the No. 1 pick in the 2010 MLB Draft, and the outfielder made his big-league debut at 19 years old, with his quick road in the big leagues captivating the baseball world. Harper joined a Nationals team that made the playoffs in his first season (2012), and he would soon become the face of the franchise, cemented by winning the 2015 NL MVP. Across his seven seasons in D.C. (2012-18), Harper was one of the premier players in the sport, averaging 26 home runs per season, holding down right field and earning six All-Star nods. Harper is third in franchise history with a .512 slugging percentage, sixth with 184 home runs, eighth with a 27.7 WAR, ninth with 521 RBIs and 10th with 922 hits. Honorable mentions: Dave Martinez (manager) Max Scherzer (starting pitcher) Gio Gonzalez (starting pitcher) Pedro Martinez (starting pitcher) - I added this one, and Randy Johnson briefly pitched for Montreal Patrick Corbin (starting pitcher) Jordan Zimmerman (starting pitcher) Tim Burke (reliever/closer) Chad Cordero (reliever/closer) Drew Storen (reliever/closer) Wilson Ramos (catcher) Kurt Suzuki (catcher) Adam LaRoche (1B) Howie Kendrick (2B) Daniel Murphy (2B) Ronnie Belliard (2B) Danny Espinosa (2B) Anthony Rendon (3B) Ian Desmond (SS) Juan Soto (OF) Alfonso Soriano (OF) Marquis Grissom (OF) Jayson Werth (OF) Michael Taylor (OF) Jose Guillen (OF) Moises Alou (OF) Adam Dunn (1B/DH) Josh Willingham (OF/DH) Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience Major League Baseball Washington Nationals recommended Item 1 of 3 Get more from the Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
MLB All-Star Game 2025: As the baseball world comes to town, the Braves are a complete mess
ATLANTA — Along Battery Avenue, the still-carpet-smooth new street that runs along the outside of Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves, the All-Star banners are flying. Images of Aaron Judge, Tarik Skubal, Paul Skenes and other MLB stars decorate the walls and light posts around the ballpark in advance of next week's All-Star Game. But one of those banners will eat at Braves fans a whole lot more than the rest. Just outside the first-base-line gate, a banner of Freddie Freeman flutters in the hot July breezes. That would be Freddie Freeman, onetime heart-and-soul of Atlanta, now in Dodger blue. The contrast is glaring and, to Braves fans, painfully obvious: Freeman is the defending World Series MVP of the defending world champions … and the 2025 Braves are so far underwater they can't even see the sunlight anymore. Advertisement You know how it goes, right? Company's coming over soon, but you need a shower, the house is trashed, and the dog just threw up on the rug. You've got to get your stuff together fast, but where do you even start? At a time when the sports world should be celebrating Atlanta's sizable impact on baseball and culture, the home team is a sputtering, inconsistent mess. The Braves' disarray has come as a shock, both how it began and how long it has persisted. Atlanta came into 2025 as a World Series favorite and promptly lost the first seven games of the season. The Braves were five games out of first place by April 2, which doesn't even seem mathematically possible. They've spent exactly two days above .500 — a single game each time — and both came in mid-May. Advertisement Less than two years ago, pretty much this exact same offense unleashed hell on the entire league, clubbing a majors-record-tying 307 homers, among other statistical gems. Now? Now they don't appear to know which end of the bat to hold. Several Braves, including Ozzie Albies, Nick Allen, Marcell Ozuna and Michael Harris II, rank statistically among the worst hitters in the game in 2025. As a team, Atlanta ranks 22nd in the majors in OPS. Nobody's hitting much, and even when they do, the ball isn't going anywhere. Well, almost nobody. The season's lone high point came when Ronald Acuña Jr. returned from his second torn ACL in three seasons, an injury that cost him most of the 2024 season and the early weeks of 2025. In his very first at-bat back from injury, Acuña blasted a mammoth 467-foot homer, and since then, he has picked up right where he left off in his 2023 MVP season. The only bright spot for the Braves this season has been Ronald Acuña Jr., but even he hasn't been able to keep Atlanta above water. () (Lachlan Cunningham via Getty Images) But since Atlanta can't have nice things this year, Acuña's fate is once again in question. On Tuesday, he reported lower-back tightness that kept him out of the lineup and could jeopardize his participation in Monday's Home Run Derby. (Add this to Atlanta's list of roster-detonating injuries piling up, including 2024 Cy Young winner Chris Sale on the 60-day IL after fracturing a rib diving for a ball in June and AJ Smith-Shawver out for the season, needing Tommy John surgery after nine solid starts. Ugly.) Advertisement The underlying problem for Atlanta is that Acuña is one of the few Braves bringing anything resembling fire to the field, meaning any absence costs the team far more than his bat. (Atlanta lost Tuesday's game 10-1 to the Athletics. The Athletics.) Acuña hit two home runs in his return to the lineup Wednesday, but Braves fans already fear for him every time he charges a fly ball or rounds a base at full tilt, and this latest tweak only adds to the dread. Braves manager Brian Snitker — who now surely risks second-degree burns every time he sits down — has tried to both motivate his team and find ways to explain the spiral. Earlier this month, he pointed the finger at analytics, suggesting, per The Athletic, that baseball is 'about confidence and feel. I think we probably overwhelm ourselves with mechanics and video and all that kind of stuff. … We're kind of overanalyzing everything.' That might be so, but the standings need no analysis; their cold, hard numbers are right there for all to see. As the baseball world celebrates the Braves' legacy — everyone from Chipper Jones to Ludacris is here to pay tribute — Atlanta heads toward the break buried in the NL East, in the company of the Marlins and Nationals and needing help even to get into the wild-card picture. The Braves' front office has only days to decide whether it'll do the unthinkable and fold on 2025, becoming sellers rather than buyers at the trade deadline. Advertisement Perhaps this break will be just what Atlanta needs, a chance to pause, reflect and remember how to play this game. Otherwise, there will still be banners and bunting decorating Truist Park this year … but only in July, not in October.
