The Baseball Life of Tom Haley (OOTP11)

[muted79]

excellent stuff as usual. Can't expect him to be perfect in his first full season or two. Some are gonna get to him. Great to see him leading in appearances though, will help his development.

[Big Six]

To: John Haley (jhaley1942@jetmail.ca)
From: Tom Haley (thaley120791@jetmail.ca)


October 22, 2015

Dear Grandpa,

It was really great to get your email the other day. It really cheered me up!

I hoped our season would still be going strong now, but that's not the way it worked. The Giants are a very good team, and they're playing really well right now.

Still, it was exciting to get to pitch in the postseason. I was up with the team last year during the playoffs, but I was hurt and didn't play. This time I got into three of the games, and I actually pitched more than I usually do. I almost never pitched two full innings during the regular season, and I did that twice in the playoffs. And, if I was going to allow a run--I hate doing that--at least it came in a game where we were already way behind. The score would have been 7-1 if I had pitched perfectly.

Our team might look a little different next year, because of free agency. Tommy Hanson is a free agent this year, and even though he didn't pitch well this season, he'll command a good salary on the open market. George Sherrill, whom I've gotten to know pretty well from spending so much time with him in the bullpen, is also a free agent. He'd like to be the closer somewhere, and he hopes someone will give him an opportunity. He's 39 years old, but he pitched as well this year as he has in a long time.

My contract negotiations aren't really negotiations at all. The Braves can renew my contract automatically for $400,000 a year. I'm not eligible for arbitration yet; when I am, I'm sure I'll make more money. Between us, I'm thrilled that I make what I do. My girlfriend Trish won't make $50,000 a year when she starts teaching next year!

I'm glad to hear you and Grandma are doing so well. I'll come up to visit at Christmas, and at least one other time, too. I'm looking forward to taking you to some hockey games.

Love,
Tom


The Braves finished the season 99-63, but they lost to the San Francisco Giants in the Division Series, 3-1.

[Big Six]

2015 was Tom Haley's first full season as a major league pitcher. Here are his stats:

TEAM        LEVEL  G  GS  W  L SV   ERA    IP   H   ER HR  BB   SO  WHIP
Atlanta     MLB   92   0  9  3  1  3.72  84.2  64   35  5  25  103  1.05

As I mentioned before, Tom led the major leagues in appearances with 92, and also led the league in holds with 34. No other reliever recorded more than 28 holds.

Only two NL relievers--Alessio Cirilli of the Padres and Carlos Marmol of the Dodgers--struck out more batters than Tom did in 2015. Tom averaged 10.95 Ks per nine innings, also third best in the league.

Tom's control improved so much that he placed high in several other categories. His K/BB ratio (4.12) was third best among National League firemen. His 1.05 WHIP placed third, helped by the fact that only the Giants' Dan Runzler allowed opponents a lower batting average than Tom's .203 mark. Haley allowed fewer hits/nine innings than all but two other relievers as well.

Coolest of all was the fact that Tom led NL relievers with a 2.46 FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching)! In fact, Tom, Jonathan Papelbon, and George Sherrill gave the Braves the top three finishers in that category.

All in all, Tom enjoyed a splendid rookie season.

[Big Six]

To: Jason Heyward (jheykid22@gomail.com)
From: Tom Haley (thaley120791@jetmail.ca)

January 22, 2016

Hey Jason,

Yeah, I've been hearing the same things you have. I think it would be pretty cool if Stephen Strasburg signed with us. He would fill up the stadium, that's for sure.

I hear Matt Capps is a really good guy, but I don't think it's any secret that he doesn't want to be a setup man. If we sign Matt, he won't be taking Papelbon's job, nor should he. That would mean he's competing with me for MY job.

Same thing would happen with Andrew Bailey. He hasn't closed for anybody in a while, but he's a hard-throwing righthanded reliever. Sounds like someone else I know. I can smile a little more about this situation because Andrew told the media that he was close to signing with the Rockies.

We'll see how it all shakes out. See you in Florida when you get there. I'll be there within a month now.

Tom


In six seasons with the Nationals, 27-year-old Stephen Strasburg has a 69-63 career record with a 3.32 ERA. He's finished second in the league in strikeouts three times and, in 2015, led the league in Ks with 260. He's whiffed 1406 batters in 1305 innings, has made the All-Star team three times, and is one of the more popular players in baseball.

[Big Six]

BravesNation blog, March 30, 2016


After all the talk about the Braves pursuing the really big names on this year's free agent market, the team didn't turn out to be a major player.

The Braves remained in the running for the grand prize, RHP Stephen Strasburg, until the day before Strasburg signed his five-year, $76.55 million deal with the Red Sox. The Red Sox also signed Matt Capps, a reliever whom the Braves had supposedly been pursuing as well.

Likewise, the Braves made a run at signing Nolan Reimold and Travis Snider before the Tigers forked over almost $90 million to bring them to Detroit--Reimold for two years, Snider for five.

The best move the Braves made was the wise decision to extend the contract of superstar outfielder Jason Heyward for four more years. Heyward won his fourth consecutive Hitter of the Year award and his third straight Gold Glove, and is easily one of the three best players in the game. You could make a case that Bryce Harper might be more valuable--how many catchers hit .350 with power?--or you might choose Tim Lincecum, but Heyward brings with him none of the drama that Harper provides, and he's five years younger than Lincecum.

The Braves did sign several useful players, most notably Jacoby Ellsbury, who will lead off and play left field, and Edwin Jackson, a 14-game winner with the Rangers in 2015. EJ will take the spot of Tommy Hanson, now with the Reds.

Scott Kazmir, a lefty whom the Braves will try to rescue from an injury-plagued demise, might replace George Sherrill, off to Cincinnati, as the team's top southpaw reliever...

[Big Six]

To: Trish O'Farrell (tofarrell@emory.edu)
From: Tom Haley (thaley120791@jetmail.ca)

May 22, 2016

Dear Trish,

I'm really frustrated right now. The team can't get it together for any length of time, and neither can I.

Statistically, we are the worst pitching staff in the National League right now, and I'm not helping. I'll start to feel good about the way I'm throwing, and then I go out there and get shelled like I did tonight. It's happening about every two weeks, and it's getting really, really old.

Jason Heyward has been in and out of the lineup, and that's hurting, too. We depend on him to give our batting order stability, and when he doesn't play, everybody seems to press.

Chipper called a players' only meeting last night. He reminded us that the season is still very new, and that lots can happen between now and October. We're in third place, but we're only 2 1/2 games out of first--better than we were this time last year. When Chipper Jones talks, we listen, because there's nothing he hasn't seen in baseball. He's 44 now, and all he's done for the last four years or so is pinch-hit, but he's a great guy to have in the clubhouse.

I'm sorry I'm so down. I'm sure I'll feel better when we get home tomorrow and I can see your smiling face again.

Love,
Tom


Three horrible outings--3 earned runs in 2/3 inning against the Phillies on April 18, 5 ER in one inning against the Mets on May 6, and 5 ER in one inning against the Cardinals on May 22--have Tom's 2016 statistics looking lousy.

He's 2-1 with a 5.97 ERA, with 31 hits allowed in 29 IP. He has struck out 31 batters, however.

[Big Six]

Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 14, 2016


Braves dodge bullet in 5-4 victory
Papelbon ineffective again; will Haley be new closer?

...One night after allowing four runs and blowing a save against the Rockies, Papelbon staggered to the finish line once again. He allowed the Marlins to score twice in the bottom of the ninth inning, and nearly cost Kris Medlen a victory on a night when Medlen clearly deserved to win.

Manager Bobby Thigpen refused to say whether or not Papelbon will remain the team's closer, but the performance of Tom Haley, who struck out the side in the eighth inning last night, was clearly on his mind.

"Haley has overpowering stuff," said Thigpen. "He's never been given a chance to close games in the major leagues, but he clearly has the qualities you'd look for in a closer."...

[Jamee999]

Wonderful to see you back writing

[Big Six]

Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 26, 2016


Braves defeat Royals, take over first place
Zobrist, bullpen make the difference

...Starter Scott Olsen pitched into the sixth inning and allowed five runs, but only three of them were earned; errors by catcher Brian McCann and shortstop Manny Contrera facilitated two of the Royals' scores.

Olsen left a 5-5 tie, turning the game over to Aaron Harang. The 38-year-old veteran retired the Royals in the sixth, and the even-more-ancient Chipper Jones batted for him in the bottom of the frame.

On came lefthander Sean Burnett, who has been fantastic all year after missing most of the last two seasons with a variety of ailments. Burnett improved his ERA to 1.13 with another scoreless inning.

Jonathan Papelbon entered the game to pitch the eighth for the home team. Papelbon, who has recorded 361 saves in his long, productive career, has responded well to his new role. He has not allowed a run since Thigpen shifted the team's bullpen responsibilities two weeks ago.

After Papelbon retired the Royals in order, Zobrist launched a 422-foot rocket to left center off the Royals' star closer, Joakim Soria. It was Ben's thirteenth home run, best on the club.

Now Thigpen called on Braves' new closer, Tom Haley. Entering the game to the sounds of the Scorpions' "Rock You Like a Hurricane," Haley brought the capacity crowd to its feet by inducing three straight ground balls to end the game. Two of Haley's pitches made fans gasp, as they registered 100 MPH on the radar gun.

Haley has converted four consecutive save opportunities since June 16...

[muted79]

What looked like the Sophmore jinx has turned into the closing job! Go Tom Go!

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by muted79

What looked like the Sophmore jinx has turned into the closing job! Go Tom Go!

At least he's got the job for now. The Braves are back in the thick of the race, so I doubt Bobby Thigpen will be too patient with him if he struggles.

[Big Six]

FantasyPulse blog, August 2, 2016

If you were smart and grabbed Tom Haley a few weeks ago, you're probably moving toward the top of your league in saves. The Braves' new closer saved ten games in July, tied with the Orioles' Javier Vazquez for most in the majors during the month.

Haley can help you in the strikeout category as well, but his ERA and WHIP are a little high for a closer. He probably won't pick up as many wins now, either, but he's still a very good play in any fantasy format, especially if you're in a keeper league...

[Big Six]

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

September 2, 2016

Hi everybody!

Wow, it didn't take you long to email me after the game! The travel day today feels like a real luxury. We got into Denver at a decent hour, and I had time to go out for a great steak dinner with some of the guys. Huston Street pitched here for a few years, so we let him pick the restaurant. We ended up at Elway's--yes, it's really John Elway's restaurant. He wasn't there tonight, though.

We bought Daniel Tuttle's dinner--he's one of the guys we called up from AAA when the roster expanded. He had a really good year with Gwinnett, and with Anthony Ranaudo not ready to come off the DL yet, we'll need Daniel to contribute this month.

My arm still feels really good, even though I haven't had as many strikeouts lately as I did last month. I'm on pace to pitch more innings than I did last year, because I've been working more than an inning from time to time now. My control has been a little better, possibly because of the extra work. I hope I don't pay for it down the stretch.

I'm expecting to work a lot in September, because we can't seem to shake the Mets or the Nationals. It seems like whenever we win, so do they, and if we lose, one of them wins. Nine of our last 12 games are against those two teams, and it looks like that's when the division race might be settled. The team that finishes second in the East has the wild card pretty much locked up, but it's likely that the third-place team will end up with the 5th best record in the league. Someone is going to be pretty upset with the outcome, and I sure hope it isn't us.

Trish is teaching third grade at The Lovett School, and she's really enjoying getting settled in her classroom and starting her year. Some of the kids in her class noticed her Braves decorations and are talking about the team with her now. They're amazed at how much she knows! She hasn't told them that her boyfriend is one of the players, although a few of the other teachers know.

Well, I'll sign out now. Please keep emailing, ok? I know I can't always answer you as soon as you might like, but I really like hearing from you.

Love,
Tom


The Braves acquired two veteran relievers during July: Francisco Rodriguez and Huston Street. K-Rod came over from the Tigers in exchange for 3B Conor Gillaspie, but he promptly hurt his arm. Street arrived from the Rockies, with OF Michael Burgess going the other way.

Both guys had lost their closer jobs, and they've lost a little of their stuff, but they should both be solid additions to the Braves' bullpen.

It does seem strange, however, to see Papelbon, K-Rod, and Street on one team's roster...and none of them being used as the closer. Then I remember that it's 2016 in my universe now.

[monkeyman576]

Sounds like an interesting division race, and Haley's in the middle of it! Crazy to see the Nationals doing well...

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by monkeyman576

Sounds like an interesting division race, and Haley's in the middle of it! Crazy to see the Nationals doing well...

The Nationals have one of the best lineups in baseball, anchored by slugging C Bryce Harper. Now entering his fifth full major league season, Harper is a lifetime .304 hitter, and he's leading the National League in home runs right now with 31. OF Kyle Conley, who hit 37 home runs in 2015, has 27 more this year. 3B Ryan Zimmerman, 1B James Loney, and OF Jordan Danks are also productive hitters.

The Nats lost ace Stephen Strasburg to the Red Sox via free agency. The team's new ace is Drew Storen, with Jordan Zimmerman and southpaw Graham Hicks providing strong support. Tyler Clippard and young closer Joe Nicholas lead the bullpen corps.

Unless they collapse completely during the last month of the season, the Nationals will finish the season with a winning record for the fourth straight year.

[monkeyman576]

Originally Posted by Big Six

The Nationals have one of the best lineups in baseball, anchored by slugging C Bryce Harper. Now entering his fifth full major league season, Harper is a lifetime .304 hitter, and he's leading the National League in home runs right now with 31. OF Kyle Conley, who hit 37 home runs in 2015, has 27 more this year. 3B Ryan Zimmerman, 1B James Loney, and OF Jordan Danks are also productive hitters.

The Nats lost ace Stephen Strasburg to the Red Sox via free agency. The team's new ace is Drew Storen, with Jordan Zimmerman and southpaw Graham Hicks providing strong support. Tyler Clippard and young closer Joe Nicholas lead the bullpen corps.

Unless they collapse completely during the last month of the season, the Nationals will finish the season with a winning record for the fourth straight year.

I'm not a Nationals fan, I'm a Mariners fan, just something that I took note of. Keep up the good work on the dynasty though, should be interesting to see how long Haley's career goes for.

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by monkeyman576

I'm not a Nationals fan, I'm a Mariners fan, just something that I took note of. Keep up the good work on the dynasty though, should be interesting to see how long Haley's career goes for.

I wish I could tell you better things about your Mariners. After winning the AL West in 2014, they've tumbled into the basement, and the '16 team is almost certain to finish the season with the worst record in major league baseball.

#1 starter Josh Johnson is struggling this year, as are Garrett Olson and Jaime Garcia, whom the M's signed to a big contract last year.

An injury to hard-hitting Dustin Ackley hasn't helped, and new 3B Gordon Beckham is suffering through an off year, too. OF Michael Saunders, a two-time All-Star who's also won a Gold Glove, has been the team's one true bright spot this year (.283-17-44).

[Big Six]

Atlanta Journal-Constitution, September 20, 2016

Braves overcome shaky bullpen, beat Marlins in extra innings

...For the second time in two nights, closer Tom Haley entered the ninth inning with the Braves one run ahead, and for the second straight night, he failed to close out the game.

Pinch hitter Cecil Hamm led off the ninth for the Marlins. He ran the count full before lining a single into right field. Kyeong Kang rapped a grounder to first that ate up Freddie Freeman, and before Freeman could recover the ball, Hamm was safe at second and Kang at first.

Jason Kubel hit for the pitcher and laid down a sacrifice that advanced the runners to second and third. Leury Garcia then laced a single that scored Hamm with the tying run...

Had the Braves not scored in the top of the 10th, Haley would have been saddled with his second loss in two nights. His teammates saved him from that fate, but he nevertheless must deal with the fact that he's blown two saves in rapid succession, his fifth and sixth of the year.

"I didn't get the job done," Haley said after the game. "I'm supposed to keep the other team off the board, and I didn't do that tonight."

Freeman's error didn't help matters, but Haley refused to point a finger at anyone but himself...

[Big Six]

Atlanta Journal-Constitution, October 8, 2016

One more time
Braves defeat Nats to win sixth straight division title

The Washington Nationals, their playoff chances gone, had a chance to play the spoiler in front of a large home crowd last night, but a late-inning rally by the Atlanta Braves gave them a 5-4 victory and their sixth consecutive National League East division championship.

Both starting pitchers, Atlanta's Anthony Ranaudo and Washington's Jordan Zimmerman, pitched fairly well; each allowed four runs in eight innings' work. The Nats turned the game over to one of the game's most effective setup relievers, Tyler Clippard, who entered the contest with a perfect 7-0 record. Clippard's magic failed him last night, however, as he allowed the Braves to score the run that proved decisive.

With one out, Seika Ine bounced a ground single between first and second. Luis Sumoza cut at the first pitch he saw from Clippard and hit a routine grounder to first, but Beau Mills couldn't handle it cleanly, and Sumoza beat his toss to Clippard by a half-step.

With Ranaudo due up next, Thigpen called on Danny Dorn, who has done fine work as a pinch hitter since the Braves picked him up on waivers on July 3. The veteran lefty swinger belted a drive to center that looked at first like it might clear the wall, but it held up long enough for Corey Brown to run it down. Ine advanced to third easily.

Thigpen went to his bench once again, removing Billy Hamilton in favor of Matt LaPorta. LaPorta hit a slow grounder to shortstop David Thompson, whose only play was at first. He threw there, but Reynaldo Navarro dropped the throw as Ine scampered across the plate with the go-ahead run.

Tom Haley came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth, and immediately fired three blazing fastballs past J.P. Ramirez to record the first out. Navarro, wanting badly to redeem himself for his error, ripped a single to right field, but Haley retired Brown on a fly ball and James Loney on a popup to first, and when Freddie Freeman gloved the ball, the Braves clinched another division title.

Haley and catcher Brian McCann embraced at the mound, and were quickly joined by their teammates. "Sure, that felt good," said McCann, "but we still have three playoff series to win in order to reach our real goal."...

[Big Six]

To: Chris Mason (cmason91@jetmail.ca)
From: Tom Haley (thaley120791@jetmail.ca)

October 21, 2016

Hey Chris,

Thanks for the email. I wasn't ready for the season to end, and I'm sorry I wasn't in the mood to reply to you for a couple of days.

I'm getting tired of losing the Division Series. I know it's better than missing the playoffs altogether, and I know the Cardinals are supposedly the best team in the National League, but I still hate to lose.

Yeah, I would have liked to pitch in more than one game, but most of the games weren't close. The one close win we got, we scored three times in the bottom of the ninth at home, and I normally don't pitch the top of the ninth when we're two runs down.

I'll be home in a couple of weeks to do some fishing, and I'm bringing Trish up for Christmas with my family this year. If you can persuade yourself to stay away from your desk a week from Saturday, why don't you meet us at Owen Sound for a day on the bay? It would be great to see you.

Thanks again for your email. It's always great to hear from people who have known me since back in the day.

Tom


The Braves lost the Division Series to the Cardinals in five games. The Cardinals, led by veteran sluggers Albert Pujols, Chase Utley, and Alex Gordon, battered Braves pitching throughout the series. Tom's former teammate since his AAA days, Randall Delgado, won 14 games for the Cards and beat his former team in Game Five of the Division Series.