[Big Six]

Braves Beat Magazine, December 2024


Q & A With: Tom Haley

Q: Should we start with a hard one, or an easy one?

A: That’s a question, so you’ve started already (laughing). Hard one.

Q: OK. You’ve been a big league closer for nine years now. Only one pitcher has been a regular closer longer than you have (Kao-tsu Niu, now with Seattle). Why do you think so few managers are willing to keep a veteran in the job?

A: I think maybe it’s a prejudice against guys that don’t throw really, really hard. The guys who are my age, or close to it (33) who are still closing all throw in the mid-to-upper 90s.

Q: Have you lost anything off your fastball?

A: Not yet. I was hitting 100, 101 at the end of last season when I needed to.

Q: Which hitter do you least like to face in pressure situations?

A: The first name that comes to mind is [San Diego 1B] Archie Faulkner.
He’s tough on everyone. Another guy who is really tough is [San Francisco C] Raul Colon.

Q: Your wife is descended from one of the great hitters of all time, Pat O’Farrell. Was that one of the reasons why you married her?

A: I didn’t know Trish was related to him until we were engaged, so it wasn’t really an issue.

Q: How much did you know about O’Farrell before you met your future wife?

A: I knew quite a bit about him. I read The Glory of Their Times about every other year when I was growing up.

Q: If you faced Pat O’Farrell in his prime, what would happen?

A: I’d strike him out on three pitches. (grinning) Seriously? He’d probably hit the ball off the wall for a stand-up triple. He could fly.

Q: What do you think of the Braves’ chances in 2025?

A: I think they’re very good. We didn’t make many offseason moves because our front office thinks we have a good foundation in place already. We didn’t go hard after [Stephen] Strasburg, who signed that big contract with the Angels. We have several young players who have come up through our system who look like they are ready to contribute at the big league level.

Q: Which young players are you talking about?

A: John Lang hit the ball really well as a rookie last year. He should be even more productive this season. Blake Farley is an excellent defensive outfielder who hits .300. There’s another outfielder, Leonard Tennyson, who’s hit something like 70 homers over the last two years in the minors.

Q: The Braves do seem to have a lot of home-grown players, in an era when that isn’t common anymore. Why do you think that is?

A: I think the Braves do a great job of preparing young players for the big leagues, for one thing. There is a lot of consistency from level to level in terms of how things are done. I pitched at four different levels in our minor league system, and I wasn’t forced to learn a different approach every time. Plus, I think the Braves treat us players the right way. We’re treated with respect, and when a guy experiences that—and gets to play with a winning club—he’s more likely to stay.

Q: You’re usually regarded as the biggest hockey fan among MLB players. Did you play any hockey growing up in Ontario?

A: I think every athletic boy in Ontario plays hockey at some time.

Q: Were you any good?

A: I was a stay-at-home defenseman. I wasn’t a great skater, so my hockey career was never going to amount to much. I played my first two years of high school, and that was it. I still love to watch it, however.

Q: What else do you particularly enjoy in your spare time?

A: My favorite off-season pastime is fishing. The lakes up in Ontario are great. I play a little bit of golf, but I’m not as much into it as a lot of ballplayers are. I also like to work out and spend a lot of time with my wife and sons.

Q: Do either of your sons look like they’ll turn out to be ballplayers?

A: They’re guaranteed major leaguers. (laughing). Patrick is four and David is almost two. They like to play ball, but they’re still trying to figure out which hand they throw with.