BUCK & KINCADE SHOW SPENDS A WEEK WITH THE BRAVES

Yes, I’m proud to admit that I got this Braves Spring Training trip started here at The Fan! I used to make the trip down to Orlando alone, but now all the shows are coming down. That’s awesome!

Atlanta Braves players the first full-squad spring training workout in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

My father—Big Ben Belue— really deserves the credit. He used to load me and two younger brothers up, in the family station wagon, with a pop-up camper on the back…and we would be off to see the Cardinals in St. Pete and the Big Red Machine in Tampa. That’s how I got the spring training fever!

The 2017 Braves are showing up at Disney talking about playing meaningful baseball this season! Is that possible? As you know, we’ve been 13th in a 15 team National League the last two seasons. Last year’s finish (winning twenty of their final thirty games, scoring 5.5 runs per game) gave fans some hope that things are about the change.

Count on The Buck & Kincade Show to check this team out, from top to bottom this week!

I’ve got a feeling this Braves team will be a winner (82-80). If things go right, maybe Freddie Freeman will be correct about the “meaningful baseball” in September. Eighty-eight wins could be enough to capture a Wild-Card Playoff spot!

Snitker’s batting order looks strong 1-7! Up top, the table-setters are Ender Inciarte and maybe Dansby Swanson. They can handle the bat, make contact, get on base and run. Freddie Freeman and Matt Kemp are a dangerous combination in the middle. Behind the big boppers are three tough outs: Markakis, Brandon Phillips and Adonis Garcia. This line-up will score some runs!

I like the Bullpen too! There are some “live arms” down there: Arodys Vizcaino, Mauricio Cabrera, Jose Ramirez and maybe, A.J. Minter. Jim Johnson can close it out. Ian Kroll looks like a solid lefty-option. This group looks strong.

The Braves Rotation is getting a lot of attention coming into Spring Training. There has been a shift in power, during the offseason. Coppy got (3) veterans to plug in: Bartolo Colon, R.A. Dickey & Jaime Garcia. Hope that works out. Julio Teheran is back as the All-Star Ace. Mike Foltynewicz and his power arm are right in the middle of the action. Wisler & Blair have some work to get done.

Can’t wait to get to the “back fields” and see all the prospects.

Stay tuned to The Buck & Kincade Show all week for your Braves Spring Training fix!

-Buck Belue
Co-Host: “Buck and Kincade Show”
680 The Fan
Twitter: @buckbelue8

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