Braves Beat Writer Chad Bishop

0:00This is a 680 the fan podcast to hear more live and local sports content like this tune into 680 AM or 93 7 FM or download the fan app. I am looking forward to heading to our loud security systems newsmaker line and welcoming in Chad Bishop the Braves Beat Writer for the AJC this year. And it's a new beat to a degree for you Chad, but you have done nothing but immerse yourself for the entire spring now and get to know this team on a level that you will just keep getting to dig in and dig in. And so I'm curious how it's been for you so far and what you're learning about this team that said, oh, you know, no headlines whatsoever this spring. Oh, my gosh, Kelly, they so you want to cover the braves. Yeah, I get to I get down there day one and we get Spencer swell unbox news. We get person wall drip news and oh, by the way, not your Alvarez is trying to be a catcher. Oh, yeah, I mean like from day one, we just hit the ground run in and then you have the jurics and pro far news and Chris Al extension.

1:02I mean, they fit a whole season worth a storyline to the past month and a half, but that to be that being said, it's been so fun. I mean, what a cool opportunity for myself professionally and personally to cover the braves day in and that day out and super excited to get going Friday night when the games mean something and we start talking about this for real because as you know, spring training, right? It's a little bit of catch 22. You want to write some story lines when the team's not doing well. It's because it's spring training and it doesn't matter when players are doing great. It's because they're about to have a breakout season. So ready to see what it what it all means when it gets going here Friday night. Chad, what are you hearing about braves vision and direct TV? Man, that's the number one. I'll tell you what, like, nobody cares who's going to be D.H. Nobody cares who's going to be the fifth starter. What's going on braves vision? I have access to our AJC analytics and I'll tell you what, those braves vision stories just blow everything else out the water. So I wish I had answers for you. That's above my pay grade. I'm going to have to.

2:05Well, I'm reading right now. Yes, as of March 26th, the braves have reached an agreement with direct TV to carry braves vision. Well, how about that? So that would be great news at our home. Yeah. So that is fabulous. Hopefully people will quit asking us as the season gets underway. No, they won't. It'll be it'll be July and we'll still be getting those questions. Exactly, but hey, for a very, very important and great follow at Mr. Chad Bishop spelled exactly like you would spell Chad and Bishop, I really appreciate by the way. And he will have all those updates, not only on your braves, but on the TV carriers throughout the season and how that might change, but you you joke about the D.H. And yet new season, same questions, criticism for the new manager at the helm now in what wise, what are we doing with Drake Baldwin D. H.ing? What are we doing with having Jonah high behind the plate on opening night? Chad, tell us what's going on here. Why? Why would this be the lineup that won't want to roll out night one?

3:08I don't have a specific answer is my assumption and my guess would be that that that couldn't have to do with Chris sale. Maybe, you know, he wants to throw to Jonah, I mean, you guys know how this works and baseball a lot of times. You know, that backup catcher, that secondary catcher may have a certain picture that he likes to catch or vice versa. And I think you're going to see Drake Baldwin at that D.H. spot a lot. I mean Walt vice Walt vice is very mindful of the physical toll on the players, but also the mental toll on players. I mean, he's going to give a lot of guys rest. He's going to give a lot of guys opportunities at that D.H. spot and Drake Baldwin is tearing the cover off the ball and spring training. So you got to have his bat there in the lineup number one. And then number two, I mean, if the guy is going to catch four out of every five days, I mean, it's going to be good for him to get a day off here and there and Jonah, I'm, you know, had some great years in in Texas. And I think they're really hoping he can sort of return to form with the braids at least right until Sean Murphy returns. And so we'll see how that goes here. The first, you know, month or two of the season. But I mean, Drake Baldwin's going to be in there every night, whether he's behind the plate or he's D.H.

4:14And he loves he loves Baldwin than that number two spot, right? Yeah. And I kind of like it too. You know, I mean, if you think about it with with Ronnie hitting lead off and then Matt Olsen hitting third, I mean, think of the protection there for Drake Baldwin. I mean, because you know, you might pitch around Ronald Acunia and now you got a runner on base for Drake and then you don't want to put someone on base in front of Matt Olsen. And so I would think that Drake's going to get a lot of opportunities to get a lot of hits in that number two hole. He kind of fits the mold of a two hole hit or right now in his young career, right? Well, is that how he ends up five, six years from now? We don't know. But I think right now he's really thriving in that role. We saw that again in spring training. I mean, every exit VLO from that kid was over 100 miles an hour. It seemed like he really seems to like it in there. We talked about him in spring training. Obviously he said he doesn't care if he said in eight, six or second, but I think I think it's I think it's clear that he really has taken a shine to this number two hole and is really thriving there so far.

5:15Yeah, it's going to be great to kind of watch even the next steps from someone who was so impressive a year ago. So young not only at the plate behind the plate, but if I'm not mistaken, Chad, you wrote a pretty good article. Cool recently and great article. Let me say I just want to be sure it was you because you guys are crossing a lot of different teams these days over there at the AJC with a lot of guys stepping in at different times. So the Dom Smith Kyle farmer article was that you because I think that these are two guys that you know Braves fans. I mean Kyle farmer. Obviously a local kid such a great story, but Dom Smith a guy they saw a lot of with the meds, you know, but as far as how you see these guys fitting in and sort of what they could add to this team, how would you describe that? Well, let's start with Kyle farmer and we talked to him when spring training arrived, you know, him being a Maris kid, a Georgia kid. Actually found some file photos the other day. I've been playing quarterback for Maris that the Georgia down with pretty cool. He told some great stories about being a high schooler and sitting in the parking lot of Turner field before the game and maybe

6:17maybe have a couple beers or two with his buds before going into Turner field to watch the Braves play. And I said, I brought that up the other day and he said, yeah, man, I'm I might pop on Friday night after making this team. So he's so he's so jacked to be a part of the team, but I think him and Dom Smith both. You look at those guys is better in presence in the clubhouse outstanding teammates guys at this point in their career. Right where they can sort of help some of the younger guys along and they can pass along some of that knowledge. And they're pretty decent ball players too, right? I mean, they're not going to be every day guys are they're not going to be all stars, but they're going to provide some depth. And what wife talks about versatility all the time, like Kyle farmer's ability to play third and second, maybe even left field. If Matt Olson, let's say the Braves are up nine to one and Dom Smith needs to go over there and play a couple of endings of first base to close the game out like that's going to be his role. Will they last the entire season? I don't know when Sean Murphy and Hawthson Kim gets back and if they're not able to perform offensively. I don't know how long they stick around, but I think to start out the season. Those guys being in the clubhouse is going to be big for this team to maybe sort of jumpstart them into the month of April.

7:22Chad, how will a wise play it at the end of games? We've got a four to lead going to the eighth inning. Will we see Robert Suarez in the eighth and a Glacias in the ninth as we start the season? I think in a perfect world, you're going to get Dylan Lee in the seventh, Robert Suarez in the eighth and Ryso, Glacias in the ninth. Now, let's say it's four to two four nights in a row, right? Then maybe you can give Iggy a night off and maybe Suarez closes one of those games out or vice versa. I mean, what a luxury for this team to have basically two closers at the end of the game. We know what type of closer Robert Suarez has been for the Padres past couple of years. I mean, that guy's been lights out. And so, and that sort of the same thing if one of them is having a night off or not getting guys out and the other one hasn't pitched, you bring that other guy in. So I think it's sort of an underrated aspect of this team that maybe a lot, not a lot of folks are talking about. As if this team out a huge if right, if they can get a lead late, they're going to be really set. If everybody says healthy in that bullpen, bullpen because they got two firearms back there with Suarez coming in the eighth and Iggy coming in in the ninth.

8:25Without question, and certainly maybe makes you feel a little bit better early on in the season with some of the rotation challenges. I'll be the word that I use so they can maybe lean on that bullpen a little bit. Certainly this offense to show up big time. But explain how you think the braves can still compete despite the injuries piling up with the guys that they had. Oh, I sort of think penciled in for that starting rotation, Chad. I may be drinking the cool weight a little bit, but I do believe in this offense. I just think it's going to be a bounce back year for a lot of guys. And again, spring training is spring training. We're not reading too much into it, but often Riley looks really good. And maybe it's the facial hair. Maybe it's the long, wavy hair coming out. I don't know, but he looks different. He looks healthy, even defensively, moving really well at third. I think he's primed up a big year. I believe it was Jason Stark who came to the clubhouse one day and asked everybody. Who do you expect to have a big season that everybody said Michael Harris?

9:26So maybe he has a bounce back big time here. We know it Ronald Acunius capable of. We talked about Drake ball when it matters. And if Ozzy can produce some at the bottom. I mean, I think this offense has the ability to produce. And then the other factor I've been talking about ad nauseam is what Paul Wies is propensity to run the basis to steal some bases to go first to third to tag up on shallow fly balls from third to home to really put pressure on the imposing defense. He said he knows this lineup has been built to three run home runs. But that's not going to happen night in a night out. And it's up to him to send reshieldubon in motion to to send in Jorge Mateo of the pinch runner to get Eli White in there. Right. about him to steal some bases and to go again first a third or second from home on a single to the outfield. So I think that's going to pay dividends for this team and I think that's really going to help this offense. And you know, my colleague Ken Seger wrote a great piece the other day about how good the offense was in August and September last year. And as they can keep that momentum going,

10:28I think that's going to help this team be competitive in the end. Yeah, you guys doing a great job over there, Chad. Thank you so much. Appreciate the insight. Really look forward to your coverage this season and hopefully having you on the show a lot more for all of you listening tonight for all the Braves news columns, everything you could want. The AJC, this is Chad Bishop, Mr. Chad Bishop at on Twitter. Great follow. And again, enjoy opening night tomorrow night. Chad, thanks for joining us here this evening. Yeah, guys, thank you. Hey, first year on the beat, we call it the Bishop bump. So get ready for October in the World Series. All right. I love it. Great stuff. That's a solid ending. Thank you, Chad. This is a 680, the fan podcast to hear more live and local sports content like this tune into 680 AM or 93 7 FM or download the fan app.