The Baseball Life of Tom Haley (OOTP11)

[Big Six]

The Braves did play better during the second half of 2018, finishing at 85-77. They tied the Nationals for second in the NL East, but were nowhere close to the Amazin' Mets, who went 103-59.

The Braves can't really blame Tom Haley, however. Here's his stat line for 2018:

TEAM        LEVEL  G  GS  W  L  SV   ERA    IP   H   ER  HR  BB   SO  WHIP
Atlanta     MLB   69   0  3  4  38  1.76  71.2  66   14   8  12   89  1.09

Tom's opponents had a little more success getting on base against him, but they weren't any more likely to score than they had been in 2017.

His saves total went down, as you might expect from the fact that the Braves won 12 fewer games than they had in '17. Tom placed 8th in the National League in saves, and converted 38 of 42 opportunities. He finished 60 games, 5th best in his league.

Arodys Vizcaino proved that he was, in fact, a bona fide major league pitcher (12-7, 3.32). Brian Nolan, too, demonstrated his ability to hold his own in the Show; he led the Braves in innings pitched (203) and strikeouts (187), and went 12-10 with a 3.32 ERA.

Julio Teheran (12-9, 3.13, 184 K/190 IP) pitched well enough in his contract year that he ought to command top dollar on the free agent market. We'll see if the Braves want to stretch their payroll to the limit to keep Julio in Atlanta. The team paid its players about $135 million in 2018, down from last year, but still second highest in the NL.

Ty Williams' season was as unpredictable as his knuckleball. He finished with an 8-11 record and a 4.88 ERA in 25 starts.

The Braves got another great year from Jason Heyward (.313-27-108) and a super one from Mat Gamel (.330-28-86), but Manny Contrera hit .193 with a .295 OBP, and Brian McCann's production was missed all season long.

Journeyman Dayan Viciedo , who was signed as a minor league free agent and made the team, hit .291-20-60 in 302 AB. Chris Owings, the shortstop the Braves got in the trade that sent Daniel Tuttle to Washington, was released at midseason, and the team reacquired speedy Billy Hamilton to plug the gap at short.

In the NLCS, the wild card Chicago Cubs upset the mighty Mets. Led by off-season free agent signee Bryce Harper (.359/.465/.664, 37 HR, 107 RBI, NL HOY), the Cubbies went on to defeat the Detroit Tigers in six games in the World Series. For the first time in 110 years, Cubs fans got to celebrate a World Championship.

[Big Six]

Atlanta Journal-Constitution, November 22, 2018

Braves fire Thigpen

In the end, two first-place finishes in his first two years wasn't enough to make up for the disappointing outcome in his third.

The Braves fired manager Bobby Thigpen yesterday, in the wake of the team's failure to qualify for the postseason for the first time since 2010.

"I've had a good time in Atlanta," Thigpen said. "The organization treated me like a professional, even when they were letting me go. I don't bear them any ill will."

Also departing will be long-time pitching coach Roger McDowell, who will probably retire from baseball...

The Braves are said to be open to hiring a manager with little or no major league experience. "There sometimes seems to be a belief that only a manager who's been around the major leagues for a while has what it takes to do the job," said GM Ricardo Cruz...

[Big Six]

To: Jack and Barbara O'Farrell (ofarrellfamily@jetmail.com)
From: Tom Haley (thaley120791@jetmail.ca)

December 28, 2018

Dear Grandpa Jack and Grandma Barbara,

I'm glad you liked the jerseys Trish and I sent you for Christmas. I'm very honored to know you're wearing my jersey, Grandma Barbara. I can't blame you for wanting a Jason Heyward jersey either, Grandpa Jack. After all, he's one of the greatest players in the game.

I'm glad neither of you asked for a Julio Teheran jersey, because it looks less and less likely that Julio will be a Brave next year. Julio is a good guy, but let's just say he likes money. He's looking for a contract that will make him one of the highest-paid players in the game. Our payroll is already high, so it looks like we might not be able to pay Julio what he wants.

You probably read that Matt LaPorta signed with the Rangers last week. I'm going to m iss Matt; he's a great teammate and a very productive hitter. The Rangers gave him about 60 million reasons to sign with them, however.

I'm sure you know we have a new manager, too. Bill Nesling doesn't have any major league experience, but he's got a great reputation for handling players as a hitting coach in the Dodgers organization. Chad Curtis is our new bench coach. He had a long, productive career in the big leagues, so he'll be a good balance for Bill. I'm excited about seeing what they'll bring to the team.

Until then, I'll be working out and getting ready for the season. I've become a pretty good cook--since Trish is teaching all day, I almost always make our dinner so she can relax. We're up in Canada for Christmas and New Year's, and we'll be heading back to Georgia on the 2nd.

I hope you can come to see us sometime this spring. We would love to see you and show you around Atlanta a little more.

Love,
Tom

[Big Six]

USA Today Sports Weekly, April 2, 2019

Braves closer Tom Haley was dominant in exhibition play, walking only two batters and striking out 13 in 10 spring innings. Another reliever that opened the eyes of new manager Bill Nesling and pitching coach Don Cooper was Steven Butler, who looks like he'll share setup duties with veterans Jonathan Broxton and Dennis Puckett, who signed a one-year deal with the Braves in February...

The Colorado Rockies signed Julio Teheran to a $100 million contract last month, but the Rockies learned that the righthander won't take the mound for them until August, at the earliest. Teheran left a game against his former teammates, the Atlanta Braves, on March 31 with a shoulder injury, which has been diagnosed as a torn rotator cuff...

[Big Six]

Atlanta Journal-Constitution, April 13, 2019

Braves top D-backs, 7-4

...Atlanta starter Ty Williams worked eight innings. He mixed a few fastballs with his knuckler, which was dancing all night long. Williams allowed six hits and walked three men, and struck out ten. He also uncorked a flutterball that catcher Brian McCann swatted at like a kitten but was unable to control.

"Ty keeps me on my toes back there," a smiling McCann said after the game. "He's the first knuckleball pitcher I've ever caught, and it's a challenge.

Tom Haley came on for the ninth inning and retired the Diamondbacks in order to end the game.

Jason Heyward, off to a torrid start, provided all the offense the Braves would need. He belted his fifth home run of the young season and drove in five of the Braves' seven runs...

[Big Six]

USA Today Sports Weekly, May 20, 2018

...Sports Weekly's Nicole Auerbach caught up with the 27-year-old.


Getting to know
Tom Haley

On my iPod
Lots of different stuff. Rock and country, mostly. A buddy of mine from home is the lead singer for a band called Go Dog Go, so I have some of their stuff.

Xbox or PlayStation?
Both. My wife and I have a Wii, too. She's super competitive at Wii.

DVD I can't live without
Remember the Titans. An oldie, but a goodie.

Golf, hunt, or fish?
Fish, definitely. I fish every fall up in Canada. I don't hunt much, and I'm not a great golfer.

Other hobby of choice
I love to read, and I do some drawing.

One thing fans don't know about me
I can't drive a car with a manual transmission.

Big leaguer I admire most
Brian McCann. His knowledge of the game is incredible. He really helped me adjust to being a major leaguer. He'll be a great manager one day.

My "welcome to the big leagues" moment
When I made my major league debut [in 2014], I came in the game and Chipper Jones was playing third for us. He came out to the mound and told me to relax and pitch the way I always pitched, because that's what got me to the big leagues. It was really cool to have a future Hall of Famer show so much confidence in me.

Favorite ballparks
I really enjoy pitching at Turner Field, where the fans are always behind me. I also like Dodger Stadium, pitching from the same mound that Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale and Orel Hershiser threw from.

What I like most about playing in Atlanta
The perfect spring weather. There is nothing like spring in Atlanta.

If I weren't a ballplayer, I'd probalby be
A teacher. My mom is a teacher, and so is my wife. I've always seen how much of a difference they can make in kids' lives. I love working with kids, too.

If I could change one thing about the game, what would it be?
I would make the mound two feet high.

[Big Six]

BravesNation blog, June 30, 2019

Okay, the Braves had a losing record in June (13-14), but after an uncharacteristically successful April and May, they find themselves only two games behind the Mets and tied with the Giants for the wild card. If the Braves can heat up along with the weather, as they have in recent years, they are actually in better shape than we might think.

MVP so far: Jason Heyward, who else? He had a frightful June (.189/282/.294), but his OPS was right at 1.200 for April and May. As Jason goes, so goes the Braves attack.

Most Pleasant Surprise: Brian Nolan. We learned last year that Brian could pitch in the major leagues. This year, we're learning that he can be an ace. He's 8-2, and he was amazing in June (0.50 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 35 K/35 IP). He's making us forget Julio Teheran.

Fading fast: Brian McCann. McCann has been one of the finest catchers of the 21st century. He's hit over 300 big league home runs and driven in almost 1200 runs; both figures are sixth all-time among catchers. He's a likely Hall of Famer. He's 35 now, however, and he's caught almost 1800 major league games. Nevertheless, he's hitting below .230. Brian is probably close to the end of the line.

Biggest hole: First base. Freddie Freeman was roughly a league-average 1B in his last couple years in the ATL, so he was deemed expendable. After three months of journeymen Tyler Green and David Freese, Freddie's looking better and better. The Bravos are getting very little production out of a power position, and they need a major upgrade here.

Get well soon: Jeff Collins. The Braves' second round pick in 2014, Collins has worked his way through the system gradually. Along the way, he's learned to make more consistent contact and has developed decent power to go with his better-than-average speed. Jeff can play all three OF positions, and hit .385 before he broke his elbow in mid-April. He'll be back in August, most likely, and hopefully he'll provide the same spark we saw before he went down.

Likely All-Stars: Mat Gamel, Tom Haley, Jason Heyward, Brian Nolan.

[Big Six]

Atlanta Journal-Constitution, July 3, 2019

Blockbuster deal brings Shaw to Braves
All-Star catcher, reliever Cumberbat in; Contrera out

It was no secret that Atlanta Braves GM Ricardo Cruz was looking to make a trade or two before the deadline. Battling with the New York Mets for the NL East lead and needing a first baseman who can mash, the Braves were expected to be major players in the trade market.

Therefore, it came as no surprise when the Braves announced they'd consummated a deal with the San Diego Padres yesterday.

What was surprising, however, was the direction Cruz and the Braves decided to move.

They sent underachieving shortstop Manny Contrera and minor league infielder Angel Valdez to San Diego in exchange for catcher Edward Shaw and reliever Arthur Cumberbat.

Shaw, a two-time All-Star, is a truly unique player: a catcher who can run. Now in his fifth full major league season, Shaw has stolen more bases than any catcher of the modern era except Jason Kendall, who played for 16 years. He also has a live bat, with the ability to hit .300 with 20-25 home runs.

Shaw will supplant Brian McCann as the Braves' starting catcher. McCann could possibly move to first base, especially if the Braves don't make another deal.


Cumberbat, 30, gives the Braves another huge arm for their bullpen. He can't throw 100 MPH any more, as he did during his successful four-year run as the Padres' closer, and he's been hit hard so far in 2019. Pitching coach Don Cooper believes he can get Cumberbat back on the right track...

[Big Six]

Tom Haley's Closing Time blog, July 17, 2019

OK, I've decided to start writing my own blog. People have been asking me why I didn't have one for a while now, and the best answer I could come up with was "I don't know."

When I was breaking into the major leagues, I didn't write one because I thought it might come across as being arrogant. Now it seems like it might be fun.

Last night I had the privilege of pitching in the All-Star Game for the second time. I've been chosen for the team each of the past three seasons, but I didn't pitch in the '17 game.

This year, I pitched the ninth inning for the National League All-Stars. I remember reading about a great old-time pitcher--maybe it was Nolan Ryan--who said that when he took the mound in the All-Star Game, he always turned around and looked at who was playing behind him. I did that last night, too...wow!

My outfield, left to right, was Irwah Nabil of the Reds, my own teammate Jason Heyward, and Seth Smith of the Phillies. Pablo Sandoval of the Mets was at third; Howard Davidson of the Cubs at short; Jeudy Valdez of the Diamondbacks at second; Yonder Alonso of the Nationals at first. Bryce Harper of the Cubs was my catcher. What a team!

The first batter I faced was the Red Sox' Dustin Pedroia, and he led off the inning with a base hit. Next up was Nick Markakis of the Orioles, and he singled to put runners on first and second.

I love facing great veteran players like Dustin and Nick in the All-Star Game. They've both been with their teams for their entire careers, and they're real pros. I'd much rather get them out, but they've each got well over 2000 major league hits, so I can't feel too badly about what happened.

Billy Bullock of the Twins, the pitcher, was due up next. I was really surprised he stayed in to hit, and we figured he had to be bunting. Billy bunted it back to me fairly hard, I grabbed it, and threw quickly to Davidson covering third to get Pedroia. He threw across the infield in time to get Bullock at first for a double play.

That made things a WHOLE lot easier for me. Heng-zong Hsaio of the Rays was the next man I faced, and I would much rather see him batting with one runner on and two outs. He hit a soft grounder to Sandoval at third and that ended the inning.

In a movie, we would score twice in the bottom of the ninth and win the game, but in real life, the Red Sox' great closer, Chad Smith, got us one-two-three and saved the game for the American League.

It's always a thrill to be an All-Star, and to meet and hang out with the best players from our league. Big thanks to Bud Black, manager of the Cubs and the NL All-Stars, for selecting me for the team and giving me the chance to play in the game, and to represent our league.

[Big Six]

July 26, 2019

Ty Williams slung his bag over his shoulder and walked slowly over to where Tom Haley was sitting in front of his locker. "Hey, Tom...got a minute?" he asked his friend.

Tom turned at the sound of Ty's voice and smiled. "Sure, buddy. What's up?

"I just came by to say so long."

Tom's face fell. "Did you get sent down again?" In June, the Braves had sent Ty back to AAA Gwinnett, after the knuckleballer had lost three consecutive starts and been hit hard. After he pitched a shutout and a 3-1 victory, Ty was recalled to the big club.

"No." Ty paused, and managed a weak smile. "I've been traded."

Major league baseball players know that trades are part of the game. Most of them realize it's likely to happen to them at some point in their career. Tom Haley, for example, had been traded at the end of his first season as a professional--as soon, in fact, as the New York Yankees could trade him.

Still, the news hits many of them hard. Tom could tell that Ty had been shaken by the reality that he was no longer an Atlanta Brave. Tom paused, not sure exactly what to say next.

Ty broke the brief silence first. "I'm going to Toronto."

"Ty, I'm sorry. I know you've enjoyed playing here."

"I have," he agreed. "But it seems like the Blue Jays really want me. Who knows? I might get a better opportunity with them than I will in Atlanta."

Tom nodded. "Maybe so. I'm gonna miss you, though."

"Thanks," Ty said, visibly moved by his friend's words. "Y'all are getting a first baseman for me, though." He grinned, a little more naturally now.

"Yeah? Rafael Ramos?" Tom mentioned the Jays' starting first baseman, a solid .290 hitter with some power and good on-base skills.

"Nope. Juan Delgado."

"Talk about someone who needs a change of scenery!" Delgado had been the #1 overall pick in the 2014 draft, but had yet to establish himself in the major leagues.

"They'll really like Delgado here," Ty pointed out. "He was a big star at Georgia Tech."

Tom nodded again. "Good luck, buddy. Stay in touch, ok?"

"Will do." Ty extended his hand. Tom shook it, and the two men exchanged a friendly hug.

Ty smiled again, and as he walked past his locker, he stopped for a moment. A name tag, marked with "#49 TY WILLIAMS" and a Braves logo, rested in a slot above the locker.

Ty reached up, took down the name tag, and slipped it into his bag.


In 16 starts with the Braves, Ty Williiams went 8-5 with a 5.01 ERA. He pitched 110 innings, allowing 108 hits and 44 walks, and struck out 96 batters.

[Big Six]

August 20, 2019

Tom and Trish Haley were enjoying one of their favorite "together times"--eating an early lunch on the screened-in patio of their new home in the Atlanta suburb of Roswell. Tom had a game that night; the Braves were facing the Phillies at Turner Field.

Trish took a long drink of her iced tea. "You won't ever guess who I saw this morning at the grocery store."

"No telling." Tom took a bite of his chicken and pasta.

"Leigh Williams. It was really strange, too. I smiled and said hello, and she gave me a polite kind of half-smile, you know?"

"I talked to Ty the other night," Tom said. "He mentioned Leigh wasn't up in Toronto with him, but we didn't talk more about it."

"Tom, Leigh isn't going up to Toronto, period."

Tom put his fork down. "No way..."

Trish continued. "I asked Leigh how Ty was liking Toronto, and she said 'I wouldn't know.' Then she said 'I told him I wasn't going to Canada. I'm an American girl...I'm not going up there.' I very sweetly reminded her that I'm married to a Canadian guy."

Tom paused, letting it all sink in. Things seemed to be going well with Ty. He had recently been pitching well for the Blue Jays; in fact, the night before he'd pitched the first shutout of his major league career, beating the Angels 4-0.

"So she's not with him anymore?"

"Apparently not. While I was talking to her, this guy came over and put his arm around her waist and kinda pulled her away. She said 'bye' and smiled this nasty fake smile."

"Ty hasn't mentioned any of this to me. Poor guy..."

"Let him mention it in his own time, Tom. Just be a friend when he needs one."

[muted79]

Great Stuff as usual. Sad to see Ty go, hopefully he does get a better chance in Toronto.

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by muted79

Great Stuff as usual. Sad to see Ty go, hopefully he does get a better chance in Toronto.

The Braves appear to be taking a chance on reviving the career of Juan Delgado, who is on the verge of being judged as a total bust. When a team makes you the #1 pick in the draft, they expect more than an AAA slugger. That's what Delgado has been, and in his limited major league experience he's struggled to hit .220 while striking out way, way too often.

I'm a little bit partial, but I think the Braves gave up a little too quickly on Ty. His spot in the rotation has been filled by Billy Buckner, whose ERA is near 6.00 and who's working on a negative VORP. Ty, on the other hand, was carrying a 4.2 VORP--not great, but not negative, either.

Thanks for your comment. Always good to hear from those of you who are following the story. Some authors might find it intrusive, but I actually like it a lot.

[Big Six]

Atlanta Braves Radio Network
Milwaukee at Atlanta, September 21, 2019


Mike Christopher (play-by-play man) : We head to the top of the ninth with the Braves leading 2-0. Kris Medlen pitched eight innings of fantastic baseball, and manager Bill Nesling is going to hand the ball--and the game--to his closer, Tom Haley.

Matt Diaz (color man): This is Haley's 65th appearance of the season. He's 10-4 with a 2.16 ERA, and he's going for his 39th save. He's struck out 74 batters in 68 innings.

Mike: The first batter he'll face is his former teammate, Dayan Viciedo...

The 2-1 pitch from Haley...Viciedo swings and hits it into straightaway center. Dooley backs up a few steps and has it for out number one.

Matt: Mike, Haley is standing back behind the mound...he's dropped his glove, and he's holding his right hand in his left. I can see him grimacing from here...

Mike: Trainer Ned Bergert is on his way out, and so is Bill Nesling. They're not wasting any time, either. Haley is coming out of the ballgame...he's obviously in some pain.

Matt: The fans are giving him a big hand as he leaves. Let's hope he's not injured badly. The Braves need all hands on deck if they're going to stay ahead of the Mets and get back into the playoffs.


Tom was diagnosed with a ruptured tendon in his pitching hand. He was put on the 15-day DL immediately, and his recovery was estimated to take three months. In other words, Tom's done for the year, barring a medical miracle.

[muted79]

i remember you appreciating feedback during Pat's story, thus why I feel free to comment. Shame about Tom's injury maybe it'll give him and Trish a chance to start a family

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by muted79

i remember you appreciating feedback during Pat's story, thus why I feel free to comment. Shame about Tom's injury maybe it'll give him and Trish a chance to start a family

This is Tom's first significant injury. He missed a few days with a tender back in September 2008, but this will be Tom's first trip to the DL.

He's out for the remainder of the 2019 season, however long the Braves make it last, and hopefully he'll bounce back with his skills intact.

[Big Six]

Even without Tom Haley and new catcher Edward Shaw, who broke a bone in his elbow in early September, the Braves held off a fierce charge from the Mets and recaptured the NL East championship with a 94-68 record.

The Braves swept the Chicago Cubs 3-0 in the NLDS. Arodys Vizcaino threw a six-hit shutout in Game One, and Brian Nolan and Kris Medlen allowed only four runs between them as the Braves' arms shut down the Cubs' bats and denied the defending World Series champions a chance to defend their title.

Next up were the NL West champion Arizona Diamondbacks. Nolan kept his remarkable run going with two victories, and more solid pitching from Medlen and Brett Oberholtzer paved the way for the Braves to take the NLCS, 4-1.

The new National League champion faced the Detroit Tigers in the World Series. The Tigers roughed up Medlen in Game One, beating him 9-2. Nolan was sharp once again in Game Two, however, and a Jeff Collins two-run homer was the margin of victory as the Braves won, 4-2. Steven Butler got the save in Tom's absence.

In Games Three and Four, the Tigers' pitching staff crafted shutouts to give their team a 3-1 series lead. Jacob Turner and Christian Friedrich were the victorious Tiger starters.

The Tigers took an early 5-0 lead in Game Five, and it looked like they'd win the Series that night without much trouble. However, the Braves, led by Mat Gamel (4-4, HR) and Jeff Collins, who belted his fifth HR of the postseason, fought back gamely. The Tigers needed to call on THEIR fireballing closer, Greg Beltran, to preserve their narrow lead, and Greg was up to the task. Detroit's 5-4 victory brought the Series title back to the Motor City for the first time since 1984.

[Big Six]

Tom Haley's painful finger injury occurred very late in the season, so a fan reading his entry in the Baseball Encyclopedia or baseball-reference.com a generation later will assume he was healthy all season long. Here are his stats for 2019:

TEAM        LEVEL  G  GS  W  L  SV   ERA    IP   H   ER  HR  BB   SO  WHIP
Atlanta     MLB   65   0 10  4  38  2.10  68.2  48   16   4  19   74  0.98

Tom placed sixth in the National League in saves; the leader, Al Sherman of Houston, saved 46 games. Tom had 45 save opportunities and blew six of them, good for an 86.4 save percentage. His total of 59 games finished was seventh highest in the NL.

A handful of relievers joined Tom in the 10-victory club, but only one of them was also a closer: Kunisada Kato of the KC Royals.

Only two MLB closers allowed fewer hits per nine innings than Tom's figure of 6.3, but Tom's strikeout totals were low, by his standards. Many closers punched out hitters as often as Tom, who recorded 9.7 Ks per nine frames in 2019.

I'd forgotten to mention earlier that Tom went back to arbitration in November 2018 and received a contract for $5,239,000. Barring a November deal, it looks like Tom will return to arbitration this fall. Don't be surprised if he lands a big-time deal this time around.

[Big Six]

Here are the basic stats for the key members of the 2019 Atlanta Braves, the National League champions:

PLAYER                   AVG  HR RBI SB
C   Brian McCann        .237   4  34  0
1B  Juan Delgado        .185   8  29  0
2B  Angel Vazquez       .236  21  81 12
3B  Mat Gamel           .275  25  92  3
SS  Billy Hamilton      .249  10  52 39
OF  Seika Ine           .238  17  66 14
OF  Jason Heyward       .333  33  95  6
OF  Jeff Collins        .330   8  26 11

OF  Michael Dooley      .278  10  49 24
IF  David Freese        .228   9  35  1
SS  Manny Contrera      .247   9  38  2
OF  Ralph Hughes        .215   3  17  6
C   Matthew Kennelly    .305   7  36  0
IF  Taylor Green        .256   5  23  0
C   Edward Shaw         .299   8  29 12


PITCHER                 W-L    ERA   SV
SP  Brian Nolan         19-9   1.71   0
SP  Arodys Vizcaino     13-11  3.21   0
SP  Kris Medlen         10-8   3.10   0
SP  Brett Oberholtzer   5-8    3.93   0
SP  Ty Williams         8-5    5.01   0
SP  Billy Buckner       3-7    5.76   0
RP  Jonathan Broxton    6-3    2.17   5
RP  Tom Haley           10-4   2.10  38
RP  Dennis Puckett      3-2    3.58   4
RP  Tyler Clippard      1-2    3.68   0
RP  Steven Butler       3-0    2.85   0
RP  Arthur Cumberbat    3-2    4.65   0
RP  Heath Bell          2-1    2.40   0

These totals reflect only the players' time with the Braves. The players listed as starters are the ones who recorded the most defensive innings over the course of the year. For example, Kennelly caught only five fewer innings than McCann did, and when Shaw was healthy and a Brave, he was clearly the regular catcher.

Shaw (127 AB), Collins (176 AB), Kennelly (200 AB), and Dooley (389 AB) were all very productive when they got on the field. Collins would probalby have been the ROY if he hadn't gotten hurt. Dooley isn't listed as a starter because he put in time at all three outfield positions.

On the other hand, Delgado was a bust, while Vazquez and Ine ate up outs like an offensive lineman at a Golden Corral buffet.

Heyward is usually banged up once or twice a year, which keeps him from hitting 40 homers or driving in 100 runs. Nevertheless, he was once again named the Hitter of the Year for the National League--his sixth award.

Brian Nolan posted the best single-season ERA since Greg Maddux was in his prime, and easily claimed the NL Pitcher of the Year Award. His peripherals indicate he got a little bit lucky with that ERA; his Fielding Independent Pitching was 2.48, still strong, but not outrageous. Still, Nolan had a fantastic year.

Vizcaino looked good over the course of a full season, and Medlen bounced back strong. Oberholtzer was solid, too.

I'm thinking the Braves would return Delgado and get Ty Williams back if they could. Buckner crashed and burned in the fifth starter's role.

With the exception of Cumberbat, who got rocked hard a couple of times, the Braves bullpen was outstanding. Broxton, Cumberbat, Puckett, Butler, and Haley all throw in the mid-90s or better, so they also score high on the intimidation factor. Bell, the ancient warrior, was quietly efficient.

[Big Six]

Tom Haley's Closing Time blog
November 22, 2019


My arbitration hearing was today. I won't bore you with all the details, except to say that I don't really enjoy the process. My agent and I presented our figure, the team presented theirs, and the arbitrator chose the one he thought was fairer.

The Braves and I weren't too far apart, in fact, so the hearing wasn't as acrimonious as it could have been. The arbitrator picked the figure my agent and I suggested, so my salary for 2020 will be $9,000,000.

It's amazing to think that I'm being paid so much money to throw a baseball. But, as my agent says, it's a matter of supply and demand, like so much in the world of economics. The supply of people who could conceivably be a major league closer is small. I've made the All-Star team, so you could say the supply of closers with my credentials is even smaller. Every major league team wants a good closer, so the demand is fairly high.

My wife is a third grade teacher, and she's fantastic at it. She's won a couple of teaching awards in her career; you could say she's an All-Star, too. It's a shame she doesn't make $9 million a year to do what she does, which is ultimately more important. It would be great if she made $90,000.

I'm fortunate that the money I make will be enough to provide my family with financial security long after I'm through playing, as long as I invest it wisely. I don't have a garage full of luxury cars or an entourage to support. Trish and I each have two cars, though, and we hope to build a lake house up in Ontario that our families can use as a retreat. And we want to have a family, so we'll be able to provide for our kids, too.

I don't want people to think that making millions of dollars will change me from the guy I've always been. I hope the people who have known me since back in the day will always recognize me.