#17 Post All-Star, Dane Dunning, "2nd Half"

[00:00:01] I hope you're enjoying this gorgeous Friday afternoon. I hope everybody had a really good All Star break. Not sure if you had a chance to go to any of the festivities. I was there on Monday and it was pretty awesome. Went to All Star Village, did a couple of hours worth of events and just want to say very quick thank you to all the amazing Braves fans that I ran into. They were very kind to me, Brandon Wiley, everybody on the broadcast and it was really fun to spend some time with some Braves fans. The game was really good. Not sure what you gu start of the swing off. We got to change the name. That's not a good name but it was pretty exciting. And I did tweet about Matt Olson not being picked at the time. Come to find out that I guess they picked those things ahead of time before the game even starts. Sounds like the day before. [00:00:47] Not exactly sure but I thought Matt Olson would have been an easy pick if considering the fact that he was on deck in the ninth inning, it didn't happen. The National League won anyway. It was all really good. That Hank Aaron thing that they did, holy cow, that was unbelievable. [00:01:04] So well done both on television and for those that were in person. I didn't go there. My kids went. They went to the Home Run Derby and they went to the game. They said it was amazing but it played so well on TV and that firework effect that they used to replicate the home run of number 7:15 was one of the coolest things I certainly have ever seen. You heard John Smoltz talking about it on the broadcast. It sounds like everything was a huge success for the Braves for Major League Baseball. Not surprised to see Atlanta put on an amazing show. So I hope you got to participate and maybe see some of that if you're local. But it was great. It was awesome. I thought it was really, really well done. We got some news here for the Braves as we get ready to kick off. Not really the second half, but post All Star break and that's regarding an acquisition from the Texas Rangers and Dane Dunning, a guy I am familiar with, right handed pitcher. I got to assume that he will slide into the rotation a couple years ago. Dane Dunning during that World series run in 23 was a really useful piece for the Texas Rangers. He would do anything open starting. It didn't matter. He did not start in the postseason. He was in the pen, especially there in the World Series. I think he pitched three times in that World Series. [00:02:18] An interesting guy. He's not an overpowering guy in the sense of his fastball and how hard he throws. But he generally does a pretty good job of keeping the baseball on the ground. Two years ago he ran into an issue, I guess last year, 24 ran into a home run issue and started giving up the long ball and that was problematic. He had some shoulder issues, apparently had gotten over them, then started to struggle a little bit more with the shoulder and only pitching five games so far this year with the Rangers. But this is a low risk, potentially some high reward and having a guy that's going to fill in in the rotation. And if you're wondering did I just go into full circle, I did because I'm trying to buy myself a little extra time. Anyway, I like Dane. He's a really good guy. Former first round pick, pick out of the University of Florida. There should be a really good opportunity to see if he can hold it down and try to bounce back a little bit. But he's cutter. A lot of cutters lately. Cutter usage has been up for him but not a particularly hard thrower but a nice ad and I'm excited to see him and excited to see what he can do in a Brave uniform. We get ready to start this series against the New York Yankees. [00:03:23] Three game series. I'm not working. French, you'll be in with bg. So BG is back. I know you'll all be excited to have him. And as I'm recording this, it's not quite noon yet. We still haven't heard who's starting. The fact that it's not Max Freed listed makes me feel like maybe it's not going to be him, which maybe we're a little disappointed in. It would have been good to see Max even though we're not thrilled that he is a New York Yankee. It will be him. Won't be him. I guess I shouldn't say I don't know who it's going to be but at least as it stands right now, we don't know. But I'm guessing it's not going to be him. But it is Spencer Strider on the other side and so certainly looking forward to that. I'll be watching on TV with you if you have never been to Amos Barbecue up here in ball ground right there, that building. Do it. It's amazing. That's not where I'm going today. I'm going over to my farm fresh butcher over here across the street which is also one of my favorite spots here. I usually buy a half a cow from them every, I don't know, six, seven, months. [00:04:20] It's amazing. But anyway, Yankee series this weekend should be a fun one. This is really turning into a big week for us at the ballpark and all the fans and everybody else that's going to be in and out. I will be back on Monday for that San Francisco Giants series and then on the road to Texas to take on the Rangers in Arlington. But good to be back. It was a good break, but it is time for baseball. It's time for a run for sure. And the Braves do not have a lot of margin of error. So it is time to get going and hopefully things get off to a good start. Not an easy schedule, Yankees and Giants and Rangers those first three series out of the chute. [00:04:57] So again, no margin for error. Time to get going. All right. Have a good night.