The Baseball Life of Tom Haley (OOTP11)

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by muted79

can you post a little breakdown on Tom's ratings, pitches, stamina etc? Great read as always

Sure. I created Tom with the potential to develop into a dominant power closer. Therefore, his signature pitch is a nasty fastball, which he can bring at speeds in the 98-100mph range. His fastball has a potential rating of 19/20. Jonathan Broxton, Stephen Strasburg, Daniel Bard, and Justin Verlander throw comparably good heaters.

The other pitch in Tom's repertoire is a changeup, which is also a plus-plus pitch. Most of the other closers in the game throw a slider, so Tom is a little different in this regard. His change's potential is 15/20. Jon Lester and Matt Capps have similar changeups at their disposal.

That combination gives Tom a Stuff potential of 21, which is comparable to Broxton, Joakim Soria, and Joe Nathan. In fact, I deliberately set Tom's potential ratings close to those of other outstanding closers.

Tom's potential for Movement is 15, and his potential for Control is 17.

However, I also made him very raw, reflecting his youth and the fact that in Canada, he might not have faced the same level of competition as a teenager that a kid in, say, Georgia or Texas might face.

His actual ratings for Stuff and Movement were 13 and 12 as an 18-year-old, and they've improved to 15 and 13 now.

As you might have guessed from the story, Tom's issue right now is Control. His current rating is 5/20, and it didn't improve at all from his initial rating.

Tom's Stamina is 7/20, and his ground ball percentage is 59%. He's an average fielder (10/20) and a terrible hitter although, as a closer, he might almost never come to bat. He also struggles with his ability to hold runners close (5/20).

Like a lot of teenaged fireballers, Tom has to learn to throw strikes when he wants to, or he'll probably stall out somewhere in the minors.

Then, again, that degree of uncertainty makes for a good story. I deliberately created Pat O'Farrell as a potentially good, but not great, player. He enjoyed some outstanding fortune and some talent spikes, and became an all-time great.

Thanks for the request...I hope this answered your questions.

[Big Six]

Major League Baseball Transaction Report
January 1, 2012

ATLANTA BRAVES: Acquired P Andrew Brackman and P Tom Haley from the New York Yankees for P Caleb Brewer, P Dimaster Delgado, and P Jamie Hayes...

[Big Six]

BravesNation blog, February 20, 2012

Q&A with Braves General Manager Frank Wren


BN: First of all, thank you for taking the time to answer some of our questions today, Mr. Wren.

FW: You're very welcome. It's great to have the opportunity to connect with our fans.

BN: First of all, we'd like you to talk about our off-season free agent signings.

FW: We're excited about the fact that two of baseball's biggest stars will be playing for the Braves this year. Jonathan Papelbon will take over as our closer. He's been one of the best relievers in baseball for years, and he's still in his prime.

We're also thrilled about adding Prince Fielder to our lineup. Few players in the league have his kind of power. He'll play first base for us and hit cleanup.

BN: The arrival of Papelbon and Fielder will mean some changes are in store for some returning players. Will you talk a little bit about how those might work out?

FW: Peter Moylan did a fine job as our closer last year (3.49 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 36 saves). He's pitched most of his career as our #1 setup man, and I expect he'll return to that role in 2012.

Freddie Freeman, who played first base for us in 2011, is one of the most talented young players in the game (.305-25-111 at age 21). He was a very deserving winner of the Rookie of the Year Award. Freddie has expressed a willingness to learn another position, maybe third base or the outfield. He'll be a big part of our plans, no matter where he plays.

Of course, our field manager will be the one making these decisions, but that's what I think could end up happening. All the guys involved are professionals, and they all want to play for a World Series champion.

BN: Who are some of the minor league prospects Braves fans should keep an eye on this year?

FW: You're probably already familiar with Julio Teheran, a terrific young righthanded pitcher from Colombia. Julio really came on strong last year, and he's one of the best pitching prospects in the game now. Randall Delgado and Arodys Vizcaino are two more guys whom we think could be future major leaguers.

Among the position players, Manny Contrera looks like he could be a very good one. He's a terrific defensive shortstop and he hits with some power.

We also picked up a player in a trade with the Yankees that we're very excited about, a pitcher named Tom Haley. We drafted Tom in 2010, but didn't manage to sign him. We've always thought of Tom as a fantastic prospect, and we're glad to have him back with us. He's probably going to have a long, productive career as a closer...

[Big Six]

To: Jeff Hazmaier (jdhazmaier@uva.edu)
From: Tom Haley (thaley120791@jetmail.ca)

April 2, 2012

Hey Jeff,

Thanks for emailing me last night. I was already sound asleep by the time you sent it...I know, it's pretty sad that I was in bed by 10 pm. You try working out all day in this kind of heat and humidity, and see how much energy you have left!

In answer to your first question, I'm going to be staying down here in Florida for extended spring training this year. The Braves want me to work intensively on my control, which they believe is the only thing that's standing in my way right now. In June, I'll report to their Appalachian League team in Danville, Virginia.

Yeah, it's still Rookie League, and sometimes I feel like I ought to be farther along in my career than that. But the Braves keep reminding me that I'm only 20, and that because I grew up in Canada, I still don't have as much experience as a lot of American players do. I understand what they're saying. In fact, I'm really glad to be with the Braves' organization.

As for question #2, I don't really get a lot of chance to check out the feminine scenery down here in Florida. Spring training isn't like spring break. I was sort of seeing a girl for a couple of weeks, but I found out she was dating three other guys, including a shortstop in the Tigers organization and an outfielder with the Royals. I really didn't feel like being the pitcher on her own personal fantasy team.

I got an email from Trish O'Farrell the other day, though. Do you remember her? She was in Sociology class with us. She's a Kappa Alpha Theta, if I remember right. Anyway, that really caught me by surprise.

I have about 15 minutes before I'm supposed to be on the field, so I better bounce. Give me a call sometime, ok?

Later,
Tom

[Big Six]

I'm in somewhat of a hurry to see if Tom makes it to the major leagues, so I quickly finished the 2012 season. He made seven starts for the Danville Braves before being promoted to Rome, Atlanta's Class A affiliate in the Sally League. He made eight more starts for Rome before the season ended.

Here are his stats for 2012:

TEAM        LEVEL  G  GS  W  L SV   ERA    IP   H   ER HR  BB   SO  WHIP
Danville    Rook   7   7  3  3  0  1.74   46.2  22   9  2  27   66  1.05
Rome        Lo A   8   8  3  5  0  2.25   52.0  34  13  5  17   72  0.98
TOTAL             15  15  6  8  0  2.01   98.2  56  22  7  44  138  1.02

As you can see, Tom doesn't seem to have much trouble missing bats at the Class A level. However, he also misses the strike zone fairly often, too.

The Braves continue to believe he has the makings of "a potential Hall of Fame reliever," in the words of their scouting report.

[Big Six]

From: Trish O'Farrell (pmofarrell@uva.edu)
To: Kate Hardwick (cahardwick@uva.edu)

October 19, 2012

Hi, Kate!

I wanted to thank you for all you did to make our day at the elementary school such a success. The kids all seemed to have a good time, and it looked like they especially loved you! You have such a great gift for caring for children. You're going to be an awesome teacher.

I have a really big favor to ask you. Isn't your boyfriend pretty good friends with Tom Haley? I'm thinking about asking Tom to our date party next Saturday, but I have no idea if he's single. I know, I would probably find out if he was dating somebody if I simply asked him to the party, but I confess, I'm a little bit scared to ask out of the blue like that. I had a class with Tom last year and we've emailed back and forth a couple times since then, but we really haven't had a chance to talk since school started.

Anything you can find out will be much appreciated! And please don't think I said what I did about the elementary school volunteer day so you would want to do me a favor. I hope you know you're too good a friend for me to treat you that way.

Give me a call soon, and we'll go for smoothies or something, ok?

Yours in sisterly love,
Trish

[muted79]

"I got an email from Trish O'Farrell the other day, though. Do you remember her? She was in Sociology class with us. She's a Kappa Alpha Theta, if I remember right. Anyway, that really caught me by surprise."

I was wondering if you were going to involve the O'Farrell family in this at all where does Trish fall in the O'Farrell bloodline?

Just an idea too, you can probably use facegen to show us what the fictional players look like this time around especially Tom .

And yes, the ratings post did answer my questions, thanks

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by muted79

"I got an email from Trish O'Farrell the other day, though. Do you remember her? She was in Sociology class with us. She's a Kappa Alpha Theta, if I remember right. Anyway, that really caught me by surprise."

I was wondering if you were going to involve the O'Farrell family in this at all where does Trish fall in the O'Farrell bloodline?

Just an idea too, you can probably use facegen to show us what the fictional players look like this time around especially Tom .

And yes, the ratings post did answer my questions, thanks

You'll find out where Trish fits into the family soon.

Here's a picture of Tom at the beginning of the 2013 season:

He's obviously excited about the upcoming season, and soon you'll know one of the reasons why...

[Big Six]

From: Tom Haley (tvhaley@uva.edu)
To: Andrew Kelly (amkelly@uva.edu)

November 4, 2012

Hey Andy,

Thanks for being such a good sport about our bet. You shoulda known better than to make a World Series bet with someone who has played in both teams' organizations.

Anyway, I'll be home this afternoon, so you can stop by and pick up the keys to my truck. I keep it clean, but it can always use a good detailing. That place up on 29 North does a good job for a decent price.

I'm enjoying this one while I can. I'll be the one cleaning up your truck after the Super Bowl, I'm sure.

Tom


The Braves won 96 games in 2012, winning the NL East by 16 full games over the Phillies.

Because the NL wild card winner was the West runner-up Giants, the Braves had to face the tough Rockies in the Division Series. Colorado had the league's best record, at 98-64, but the Braves swept them in three games.

Next the Braves faced the Central champs, the St. Louis Cardinals, in the NLCS. Atlanta won the series in six games and advanced to the World Series.

Meanwhile, the New York Yankees, Tom's former team, won a great division race against the Tampa Bay Rays that came down to the final day of the season. Their 90-72 record was the worst of the four AL playoff teams.

Nevertheless, the Bronx Bombers beat the 98-64 Twins in four games to win their Division Series, and dispatched of the wild card Cleveland Indians in six to win the pennant.

So, the Braves and Yankees met in the World Series. For the Braves, it was their first trip to the Fall Classic in the 21st century; the Yankees had won three of the last four AL pennants. In a fine six-game Series that saw the winning team come from behind in four of the games, the Braves won their first World Series since 1995.

Three Braves hit home runs in Game Six: 22-year-olds Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward, and 40-year-old Chipper Jones...who had been a 23-year-old star when the Braves last won a World Series title.

[Big Six]

Miss Trish O'Farrell
224 Hanover Avenue
Richmond, VA

March 24, 2013

Dear Trish,

Thanks for the card you sent me! Emails and texts are fine, but it's fun to get a real letter, or a real card sometimes.

Congratulations on getting everything approved for your transfer to Emory! I know a little bit about moving from place to place and changing plans, so I can relate to what you're going through. It's exciting and scary at the same time, isn't it?

I've never been to Emory. I've actually only been to Atlanta a couple of times, and I went straight to Turner Field. I know it's an outstanding school, though. I hope you're as happy there as you think you will be.

Right now it looks like I'm going to be sent to Double A. That means Mississippi, which plays near Jackson. I just realized I've never played pro ball anywhere but the South, which has taken some getting used to!

The minor league staff is pleased with the fact that I'm throwing more strikes now. Even better, I'm throwing strikes that aren't as easy to hit. Before, it seemed like I was either wild or coming right in some guy's hitting zone. Now I'm hitting the catcher's glove a lot more regularly. If I can keep doing that, good things might happen.

Anyway, I need to get some lunch, and I can drop this in the mail on my way. Please keep writing, and I'll write back.

Bye for now,
Tom


Tom's new ratings (Current/Potential): Stuff 21/21 (!!); Movement 15/16; Control 8/17.

[Big Six]

Toronto Globe and Mail, May 27, 2013

Poised for greatness?
Atlanta Braves prospect Tom Haley aims to put Lindsay on baseball map

LINDSAY, ONTARIO—The town of Lindsay, tucked between the Kawartha Lakes in southeastern Ontario, has produced a handful of NHL hockey players and a CFL footballer or two. However, Lindsay’s latest athletic star could soon give the town its first major league baseball player.

Righthanded pitcher Tom Haley was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the second round of the 2010 draft, but did not sign a contract and went instead to the University of Virginia, where he pitched for a year. Haley re-entered the draft in 2011 and was once again selected in Round Two, this time by the New York Yankees.

After a year in the Yankees' system, Haley was traded to Atlanta, the organization that drafted him first. "We were discussing another trade with the Yankees," recalls Braves general manager Frank Wren. "They mentioned that Haley could be available in the right deal. We were very happy to work it out so Tom could become a Brave."

Now in his second full year as an Atlanta farmhand, Haley is now playing the role the Braves envision for him at the major league level: closer. Tom enjoys his role as a ninth-inning specialist. When I was a starter, I pitched every fifth day. As a closer, I might get in two or three games out of five. I enjoy pitching in pressure situations, and I really like having the chance to make an impact on a game.”


The road to the Show

Like many Canadian boys, as a youngster Tom dreamed of a career in hockey. “I loved playing hockey. I used to imagine myself playing for the Leafs,” he recalls. A defenceman, Tom lacked the skating ability to play hockey at the highest levels, so as a young teenager, he shifted his focus to baseball. At Weldon Secondary School, he established himself as the finest pitcher ever to emerge from this part of the province. Two major league teams cpnfirmed that status by making him among the top 60 picks in two successive amateur drafts.

“I could always throw hard,” says Tom, whose fastball now reaches 100 mph. “Now I'm learning to control my pitches and use my head, more than my arm.”

Haley has learned these lessons well enough that he has worked his way up to the highest level of minor league baseball. In 2011, he pitched for two Class A teams in the Yankees' organization. When the Braves acquired him before the 2012 season, he remained in extended spring training before reporting to their Rookie League affiliate, and was then promoted to Class A Rome.

"It wasn't easy taking a step backward at first," recalls Haley. "It turned out to be a good thing, though. I had time to get a lot of work done, and I gained a lot of confidence. I became a much better pitcher. The Braves knew what they were doing."

This year, Haley pitched in two games for the Braves' AA affiliate in Mississippi before his promotion to Class AAA Gwinnett, in the Atlanta suburbs. Last night he saved his eleventh game for the G-Braves, in his 18th appearance. He has allowed only one run in the month of May, and he has picked up saves in seven consecutive appearances.



Fitting the role

At 6’5” and a muscular 215 pounds, Haley projects the image of dominance featured by many big-league closers. His repertoire, based on his wicked fastball, also resembles that of the most famous ninth-inning specialists. Haley boasts the gaudy strikeout total that power closers often claim; he's whiffed 30 batters in 18 innings this year.

Control has been Haley's Achilles heel as a professional, and he's still a little bit wild--he's also walked 11 batters. Some believe that touch of wildness adds a bit to his tough persona. "Yeah, he's a little bit intimidating," said an AAA hitter who wished to remain anonymous. "He throws 100 MPH and he's a little bit wild. You'd be intimidated, too."

Off the field, Tom is laid-back, easygoing, and fairly quiet. He enjoys fishing and cross-country skiing, and he enjoys spending time with his family—father Ron, mother Grace, and younger sisters Megan and Kate. He watches as much hockey as he can, making his way to Toronto to watch the Leafs and the OHL’s St. Michael’s Majors, where several of his friends play or have played.

He also returned to Virginia to attend a semester's worth of classes during the last two offseasons. "I'm majoring in history," Haley says, "because I enjoy it. I'm also taking Spanish, so I can talk to more of my teammates."

The only extravagance Tom has allowed himself is his truck, which he bought with part of the $450,000 signing bonus he received from the Yankees. "I need a truck up in the Virginia mountains and back home in Canada," he explains with a smile.

Haley is anxious for the opportunity to prove himself at the major league level, but he realizes if it comes soon, he almost certainly won't be the Braves' closer. "[Jonathan] Papelbon is one of the best closers in the game. I would be just fine with a setup role. After all, the Braves are the world champions."

If Tom Haley develops into the kind of pitcher the Braves believe he will become, the team will have one piece of a championship puzzle in place for some time to come.

[Big Six]

Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 22, 2013

Down on the farm

GWINNETT (Class AAA): Tom Haley, 21, continues to pitch well as the G-Braves' closer. Last night he picked up his 16th save of the season, working a perfect ninth inning in the Braves' 7-5 win at Durham.

Haley has allowed only two earned runs in 27 innings, and allows fewer than five hits per inning, while striking out 42 batters...

[Big Six]

BravesNation forum, July 29, 2013

ChopShop: Why don't the Braves call up Tom Haley? The guy is tearing up the IL right now: 0.98 ERA, 67 K in 46 IP. The Braves' middle relief and setup men are pitching terribly right now. Why not give Haley a shot instead of Chad Durbin (8.90 ERA) or Derek Lowe (5.85 ERA)?

Yeah, Lowe is making $13.5 million to stink at age 40, but whose fault is that?

The Braves are only two games out of first now, and with the loss of Yunel Escobar--probably forever--the team could use a shot in the arm. Haley could be the man. We ought to find out, at least.

[monkeyman576]

Come on Braves, make the change. No one cares about Darek Lowe anymore...bring up some new blood.

[muted79]

excellent read as always. Looks like Tom learnt quickly.

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by monkeyman576

Come on Braves, make the change. No one cares about Darek Lowe anymore...bring up some new blood.

Right now the Braves bullpen, with the exception of closer Jonathan Papelbon, is a patchwork crew. Last year's closer, Peter Moylan, left for the Phillies via free agency (he tore his elbow up in June, incidentally). Billy Wagner, now 40, is all through.

In their places, Derek Lowe and Hong-Chih Kuo have served as the Braves' primary righthanded and lefthanded setup men. HCK has been fine, but Lowe has been shaky, although he's pitched better lately.

The middle and long men are a melange of tiring veterans (Tim Hudson and Chad Durbin) and journeymen (Michael Dunn, Luis Valdez, and Josh Roenicke). Valdez and Hudson have been steady, but Roenicke, Dunn, and Durbin have been unpredictable at best.

I'd like to see the Braves bring up Tom, obviously, and I'd also like to see them call up Craig Kimbrel, a 25-year-old righthander with a wipeout curveball and a 95 MPH heater. Kimbrel has 57 strikeouts in 39 innings at AAA, but his control issues are more pronounced than Tom's.

Thanks for the comment, monkeyman. I hope you continue to enjoy the story!

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by muted79

excellent read as always. Looks like Tom learnt quickly.

He certainly learned to strike out AAA hitters; he's whiffed 12.8 batters per nine innings. He's also learned to keep AAA hitters from getting base hits; he's allowed right at five hits per nine IP.

However, he's still walking a lot of batters: 4.67 per nine IP. His WHIP is a tidy 1.07, because of that super-low hit rate. And he's still striking out almost three times as many guys as he walks. At that rate, he's doing as well as about half the closers in the major leagues.

Since Tom's still only 21, I'd say he's progressing very well. A 2014 MLB debut looks like it's a good bet...unless the Braves call him up in September when the rosters expand. They'll have to move him to the 40-man roster first, but that shouldn't be a big deal.

Thanks again, muted.

[Big Six]

P.O. Box 442
Emory University
Atlanta, GA

Mr. Tom Haley
3168C Briarcliff Rd.
Atlanta, GA

September 17, 2013

Dear Tom,

Even though we live close together now, I still enjoy writing letters to you. It's relaxing; a nice break from classes now that school has started again.

I'm really glad I transferred to Emory. Everything about it--the classes, the people, my sorority--seems better suited to me than UVA did. All my credits transferred except for one course, so I'll still graduate on time next year.

I'm sorry to hear you're so disappointed about not being called up to Atlanta this year. Please try to look at it this way. You had a fantastic season this year! You did what the Braves asked you to do, and you pitched really well. You didn't blow a save after May, and your performance is a big reason why you guys made the playoffs.

If you had been called up, you wouldn't have been the closer. Staying in AAA, you got that experience for the first time. You came into games in save situations, saw what late-inning pressure feels like, and found out how much you enjoy them. You wouldn't have done that in Atlanta.

I hope you're happy about your decision to stay in Atlanta most of the off-season. I think you'll enjoy working out, spending some time up in Canada with your family, and taking it easy this winter. Hopefully you won't miss UVA too much.

If I've rambled on too long, I'm sorry. You know how I get sometimes! As I'm writing this, I'm thinking about the fact that I'll be talking your ear off over dinner tonight. Can't wait!

Fondly,
Trish

[Big Six]

In 2013, Tom reached the highest levels of the minor leagues, and got his first professional experience as a closer. Here's how the numbers looked:

TEAM        LEVEL  G  GS  W  L SV   ERA    IP   H   ER HR  BB   SO  WHIP
Mississippi    AA  2   0  1  0  1  0.00   5.0   4    0  0   2    6  1.20
Gwinnett      AAA 56   0  3  1 36  0.88  61.2  34    6  0  32   88  1.07
TOTAL             58   0  4  1 37  0.81  66.2  38    6  0  34   94  1.08

He led the International League in saves, and converted all but one of his save opportunities.

The Gwinnett Braves won the International League South Division championship with an 82-62 record. However, they were eliminated in the first round of the IL playoffs by the Toledo Mud Hens, 3 games to 2. Tom saved both the G-Braves' postseason victories.

His Stuff potential went up a point to 22; his actual rating remains 21.
His Movement rating is now 16/16.
His Control is improving; it's now 11/17.

[Big Six]

From: Tom Haley (thaley120791@jetmail.ca)
To: The Haley Family (fivehaleys@jetmail.ca)

April 8, 2014

Hi everybody,

Well, it looks like I'm going to be back with the Gwinnett Braves again. Kurt Kemp, our director of player development, assures me that the signing of George Sherrill had nothing to do with it. We lost Hong-Chih Kuo to the Mets in free agency, and George will be the lefthander in the bullpen.

I'm still pretty upset about it. I thought I proved I could pitch at the AAA level last year. I won't name names, but I'm pretty sure I could do as good a job as a middle reliever or a setup man as a couple of guys on the major league roster. I know they want to make sure I get regular work, but it's still frustrating to feel like I'm so close to making a dream come true and have it slip out of my fingers. I really want a chance to help the Braves get back to the World Series, and this time, win it.

Trish and I are getting more serious now. She graduates next month, and she's going to stay at Emory for grad school in education. She's going to be living with a sorority sister of hers who is a senior. I'm going to stay in the apartment I found near Emory, too. I like that area, and the apartment is nice and not too expensive.

I guess all I can do is keep working hard and hope things work out. Tell everybody back in Lindsay hello, and thank them for their support.

Love,
Tom



The 2103 Braves boasted the National League's best record, 95-67, and won the NL East by eight games over the Washington Nationals.

They faced a tough challenge from the San Francisco Giants in the Division Series, but took the Giants down in five games.

Next came a sweep of the Colorado Rockies, the NL West champs, in the NLCS. The Braves would now have the chance to defend their World Series title.

Their opponents would be the Baltimore Orioles, who defeated Detroit and Tampa Bay to reach the Series. The O's, who boasted a fine starting rotation featuring Brian Matusz, Chris Tillman, and Ricky Nolasco and a powerful offense keyed by OFs Adam Jones and Nick Markakis and C Matt Wieters, defeated the Braves in six games.