Mark Bradley
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta, GA, United States
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Recent articles by Mark:
Jason Heyward’s career takes another abrupt turn
Jason Heyward turned 33 on Tuesday. On Monday, the Cubs – who in December 2015 signed him to an eight-year deal at $184 million – announced they’ll release him this fall and pay $22 million to buy him out. → Read More
Vin Scully: The last of the great radio voices
It became my postgame ritual. I’d head home after a Braves’ game, and I’d listen to another game on Sirius XM. I became a fan of the Giants’ crew – Jon Miller, Duane Kiper, Mike Krukow and Dave Flemming – but I’d always check the Dodgers’ broadcast first. If my drive time coincided with a Vin Scully radio inning, that’s where I stayed. → Read More
Bradley’s Buzz: Game 1 to the Mets, who mightn’t be the same old Mets
Kyle Wright yielded four home runs, two to deadline addition Tyler Naquin. Buck Showalter summoned Edwin Diaz for a six-out save, which doesn’t often happen in August. The Braves lost Game 1 at Citi Field on Thursday. Whatever happens over the weekend, they cannot leave New York in first place. → Read More
Can the Braves win it again? Yes. Will they? Um ...
Not since the 2000 Yankees has a World Series champion retained the title. The Dodgers are on track to win 110 games, which no band of Dodgers has ever done. And yet, as of Wednesday morning, FanGraphs assessed L.A.’s chances of winning it all at 15.7%. → Read More
Deshaun Watson is docked 11 fewer games than Calvin Ridley. Is that fair?
The weakest defense is to indulge in whataboutery. It’s a concession that, while you might have done something wrong, you weren’t as wrong as that person over there, who might not have been accused of anything. Our last two Presidential elections have essentially been exercises in whataboutery. → Read More
Bradley’s Buzz: Bill Russell was the greatest winner ever
Bill Russell died at 88 on Sunday. History will forever be kind to him – the award given the MVP of the NBA finals is named for him – though his career is given short shrift in ESPN-aired discourses on “legacies,” which is the Worldwide Leader’s go-to topic when it can think of nothing else. → Read More
Bradley’s Buzz: The Falcons won’t be good, which isn’t all bad
The Falcons open training camp next week. They’re without Matt Ryan for the first time since 2007. That they were 7-10 last season is a warning flare. They were 7-2 in one-score games. NFL teams that win a disproportionate number of close games are apt to backslide. → Read More
The next step for Kirby Smart and Georgia
It was Nov. 16, 2002, a cold day at Auburn. On fourth-and-15 with 1:25 left, David Greene threw long for Michael Johnson, who outjumped Horace Willis, who didn’t jump. On that day of deliverance, coach Mark Richt said his Bulldogs “knocked the lid off the Georgia program.” → Read More
With college football in major flux, the SEC stands strong
The closest thing the sport has to a czar is Greg Sankey, commissioner of the almost-almighty SEC. His appearance at the conference’s Media Days on Monday was the source of much anticipation, though much of it became Sankey singing his annual victory song. → Read More
Bradley’s Buzz: The Braves again load up on pitching
The Braves traded Drew Waters and two other prospects because they saw the 2022 MLB draft as a reset. They’d gone from having baseball’s best farm system to presiding over one of the worst, which sounds like an indictment but isn’t. The farm system did what it was built to do – form the framework of a World Series winner. → Read More
Will an odd Braves trade make for a draft windfall?
Conventional wisdom holds that MLB teams can’t trade draft picks. We were just reminded that they can, sometimes. There are such things as competitive-balance picks. They’re awarded to small-market teams that don’t win or spend much. They’re exercised between Rounds 1 and 2 and then 2 and 3. They can be traded, though they seldom are. → Read More
Bradley’s Buzz: What came before SEC Media Days? Glad you asked
SEC Media Days begin Monday at the College Football Hall of Fame. They run through Thursday. Imagine how long they’ll last when Texas and Oklahoma come aboard. Kevin Sumlin, formerly of Texas A&M, joked that the bloated event should extend into a second week. We mightn’t be far from a second month. → Read More
The Braves lost a series. The Mets proved a point
This was different. The Mets left town having not embarrassed themselves. They took the series, stretched their division lead by a game and gained the respect of their longtime nemesis. → Read More
Bradley’s Buzz: Here come the Mets, whose lead is dwindling
The Braves trailed the Mets by 10-1/2 games at the close of business on June 1. Should the Braves beat the Mets Monday and Tuesday at Truist Park, they’ll be in first place. Even by their lofty standards, this has been impressive. → Read More
Pigskin Pickin’: Georgia Tech to win four games, Georgia to win all but one
Not to sound like an old fuddy-duddy, but games have become the least interesting things about college football. Example: Georgia went 14-1 last season and won the national title. How many of its 15 games do you remember? → Read More
Bradley’s Buzz: Under new management, the Braves’ draft is still producing
When your annual target is winning the World Series, you’re not dealing in volume. You’re look for help in spots, as opposed to help everywhere. You’re also looking to use minor-leaguers to acquire major-leaguers at a specific position. → Read More
With college football in flux, where can the ACC turn?
Would the ACC look to join the Pac/Big 12s? What’s the upside there? Apart from pressuring Notre Dame to expand its membership to include football, what’s left for the ACC? → Read More
The Hawks have upgraded. A bigger upgrade is out there
The guess is that the Hawks aren’t done. They did well in the draft, landing AJ Griffin with a non-lottery pick. They traded for All-Star guard Dejounte Murray at a cost of Danilo Gallinari, who couldn’t defend, plus three – ouch! – No. 1 picks. They shed Kevin Huerter, whom Murray rendered expendable, receiving Justin Holiday and a No. 1 pick. → Read More
Bradley’s Buzz: It needs to happen
Not to say we’re prescient, but Monday’s newsletter included a poll that asked: Should the Hawks pursue Kevin Durant? Lo and behold, KD has expressed his desire to be traded – having worked 106 games, counting playoffs, for the Brooklyn Nets. → Read More
It’s clear Freddie Freeman isn’t where he wants to be
It should be impossible to feel sorry for Freddie Freeman. But I do. → Read More