Atlanta Braves Morning Chop – Catch-up Edition

It’s been a busy  week – time to catch up with a bunch of newsy items that we’ve allowed to linger about the office for a few days…

Somebody That Really Needs a Woman’s Touch in His Life

This is a picture shot by Andrelton Simmons that he posted on imgur a couple of days ago (click to enlarge).  His caption was “How does a Gold/Platinum Glove winner display his trophies??? Like this!“.

Ummm… yeah.  Ignoring the rug that looks like it was made out of shredded newspaper,  this has all the look of somebody who can’t wait to start playing baseball again.  But interspersed amongst the chik-fil-a sandwich wrapper (hopefully empty), the ranch dressing (hopefully not out of the refrigerator too long) and … whatever the rest of those bottles are… are indeed the momentos of Simba’s prowess.

The bobblehead is a nice touch, though.

Chris Johnson‘s Week

Even while the team is being rebuilt around him – and for a while yesterday, we thought that re-building might include him, third baseman Chris Johnson played tour guide around Turner Field for some elementary school kids as part of his Dreambuilders Foundation.

…and as part of a promotion between Chris and Papa John’s pizza locations in the Atlanta area, there was also a nice donation to the school.  Well done!

And that was all fabulous… until he heard about the trade on Friday.

Smoltz defeats Hart in playoff at golf tourney

DAVID O’BRIEN / AJC.COM A former Braves Cy Young Award winner and the new Braves president of baseball operations were tied for the lead after 18 holes Sunday at a Florida celebrity charity golf tournament, wherein John Smoltz defeated John Hart on the first playoff hole for the win.

Smoltz, who is on the National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot for the first time, and Hart each shot a 1-over-par 73 through 18 holes of the Diamond Resorts Celebrity Invitational at Isleworth Country Club, Hart’s home course outside Orlando.

The tourney came on the last day of a three-day event that drew more than 400 attendees, golfers and celebrities including athletes such as Reggie Jackson, Marcus Allen, Gaylord Perry, George Gervin, Grant Hill, Johnny Damon, Tim Wakefield and Eric Dickerson.

Organizers said more than $800,000 was raised to benefit the Walt Disney Pavilion at Florida Hospital for Children. J.B. Holmes shot a 9-under par 63 to won the PGA Tour division of Sunday’s pro-am celebrity tournament.

Hart is a scratch golfer, but said he’s barely had time to pick up his clubs in the past three months since moving back into full-time duties with the Braves. …