Jason Heyward is the second coming....

Ok, we here at the satellite office have made no secret about our life-long fanship of the Atlanta Braves. And for the 1st time in a very...very long time, we have not been able to watch games on a regular basis, either in person or on TV. Last night was a treat.

By now, most baseball fans are beginning to find out about the legend of Jason Heyward. The OSG have been keeping tabs on the prodigious youngster from McDonough for several years. And as much as we thought that he would end up a star one day, nobody could have forseen this.

20-years old, he hits a 3-run homer on his 1st official MLB at-bat. He wins a game last week against Colorado with a 2-run single with 2 outs in the bottom of the ninth. He ties Tuesday's game with Philadelphia on a low outside pitch, one that he merely pulls and deposits in the Right-Center field seats.

Trust us when we say that everything that you've heard about the young man is true: it is. He's one of the guys who is going to change the game of baseball. Really. We are very sure that all of this talk about him isn't going to go to his head, he's not that type.

Heck, he's gotten the city of Atlanta and his Braves teammates riled up like they haven't been in years. Last night, to top his game tying HR, Centerfielder Nate McLouth, who was hitting .138, wins the game on the 1st at-bat in the bottom of the 10th inning. He circles the bases only to find the time emptied the dugout, there was nobody to celebrate with until he went into the tunnel.

You'll have to go to the Braves website to see the video. You can find it HERE

For anyone not familiar with Mr. Heyward, check this out: Thanks You Tube

People Perpetually Pissed At Pirates

Understanding the significance of the Pittsburgh Pirates road trip into OSG HQ/Atlanta, we decided to grab the vibe of both dugouts since the Nate McLouth trade to the Braves.

You've heard the story about the lighted candle in the clubhouse where McLouth played cards.

((The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Dejan Kovacevic went into detail about the spot where Sean Burnett, Jesse Chavez, and McLouth played regularly...))

"There ain't a guy in here who ain't [ticked] off about it," first baseman Adam LaRoche said. "They might be trying to hide it or whatever, but ... hey, you get a guy's loved by everybody, not just in this clubhouse but in the community, who does everything you could want a guy to do, a perfect guy to be a leader ..."

LaRoche paused.

"It's kind of like being with your platoon in a battle, and guys keep dropping around you. You keep hanging on, hanging on, and you've got to figure: How much longer till you sink?"

You make a deal for a player like that, and you'd better get at least one elite guy in return," one veteran said. "Who's the guy in this trade? Who is that player?"

McLouth added Friday: "It's a new chapter, as I've said, but ... I wanted to win here."

Speed forward a day or so...

SVP and GM Neal Huntington wrote a letter ((or was it typed...???)) to Bucs fans on the Pittsburgh Pirates website trying to 'splain wha-happen...

"I understand why some people at first glance may believe this move was financially motivated, but I can assure you that this was strictly a baseball decision. In fact, our owner Bob Nutting was as surprised as some of our fans when we sought his approval for this trade.

((What...? Kinda like the Braves and that "Tom Glavine" fella...?))

"We have said several times that tough decisions will need to be made as we build and sustain a championship caliber organization. The decision to trade Nate was perhaps the most difficult one both personally and professionally that we have made to date. Tough decisions are not always popular. However, we have a singular focus on our goal of building an organization that can consistently compete for championships, not simply finish above .500. The organizational talent level has been vastly improved during the past two years and, as a result, we are a much stronger organization and closer to our ultimate goal."

((uh, sure...))

Which brings us to today and the Pirates visiting Turner Field...

OSG Sports caught up Jack Wilson before the game for an update:

"I've been here for nine years," the veteran said, "and I keep seeing the kids leave. They stay for two or three years and then they're in another dugout."

Nate McLouth talked to OSG and is still coming to grips with the change of address:

"You feel like you're walking out on relationships. But, once you're on the field, things take care of themselves."

Makes you wonder if the two relievers brought their table, candle, and picture of McLouth on the road with them for some sort of closure...

The plot thickens...

11PM Update: Glavine Released, McLouth Acquired

((HT: MyFoxAtlanta))

FOSG Buck Lanford led the 11:00 NewsEdge program from Turner Field with some feedback from Chipper Jones...


David O'Brien from the AJC has the details on the Braves trying to make a killshot in the NL east by picking up Pirates Center Fielder Nate McLouth:

One day after sending Jordan Schafer to the minors, the Braves made a bold move to improve their outfield by trading three prospects to Pittsburgh for All-Star center fielder Nate McLouth.
They shipped right-handed starter Charlie Morton, center-field prospect Gorkys Hernandez and minor league lefty Jeff Locke to the Pirates for McLouth, an All-Star and Gold Glove winner last season when he hit 26 homers with 94 RBIs and led the National League with 46 doubles.

“He’s a great pickup for us,” third baseman Chipper Jones said of McLouth, 27, whose nine homers, 34 RBIs and seven stolen bases this season easily surpass the Braves’ current team leaders in each of those categories.

“A week ago I didn’t expect to be able to make a deal for a bat this early,” Braves general manager Frank Wren said after announcing the trade during Wednesday night’s 3-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs. “I thought it would be later in June or July at the very earliest.”

The Braves acquired a speedy slugger who can bat anywhere in the top half of their order, and who they’ll have under contract for three or four more seasons. McLouth signed a three-year, $15.75 million deal this spring that runs through 2011, with a club option in 2012.

“This happening this early is opportune for us,” Wren said, “because it gives us a lot more of the season to put our team together and gives us a chance to win games.”

McLouth joins a Braves outfield that was tied for last in the majors with 10 homers through Tuesday, and finished last with 27 homers in 2008. He almost single-handedly matched the Braves’ outfield total with his career-high 26 homers in 2008, when he hit .276.

He stole 23 bases in 26 attempts in 2008, and he has not been caught stealing this season.

“He’s a baller, dude,” said Braves closer Mike Gonzalez, a former Pittsburgh teammate.

“Definitely an upgrade. He changes the whole offense. And he’s not just a hitter. He can go get it in center field. He’s a great guy to have in the clubhouse, too. He’s fluent in Spanish, too. Really smart guy.”