Graham, Cunningham among Braves minor league honorees
The Braves have named right-hander J.R. Graham their minor league pitcher of the year and outfielder Todd Cunningham their minor league player of the year. Those two as well as pitchers and players of the year at each of their minor league levels will be honored at Turner Field Saturday before the start of the Braves-Nationals game at 4 p.m.
The players will be available for an autograph session and Q and A with fans from 2:15-3:15 p.m. at the fan plaza at Turner Field. They will be presented with their awards on the field at about 3:45 p.m.
Graham, a fourth-round pick out of Santa Clara in 2011, went 12-2 with a 2.80 ERA in 26 starts this season for Single-A Lynchburg and Double-A Mississippi. He had 110 strikeouts and only 34 walks in 148 innings combined at the two levels.
Cunningham, a second round pick from Jacksonville State in 2010, returned from an injury-plagued 2011 to hit .309 (144-for-466) in 120 games for Double-A Mississippi, with 23 doubles, six triples, three home runs, 51 RBIs and 24 steals.
The Braves minor league pitchers and players of the year at each level were (respectively): Cory Gearrin, Ernesto Mejia (Triple-A Gwinnett); Sean Gilmartin, Joe Leonard (Double-A Mississippi); Gus Schlosser, Nick Ahmed (high-A Lynchburg); Navery Moore, William Beckwith (low-A Rome), Mauricio Cabrera, Carlos Franco (rookie Danville), Luis Merejo, Jose Peraza (rookie Gulf Coast League), and Michael Flores, Johan Camargo (Dominican Summer League).
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
27 comments Add your comment
chc4
September 13th, 2012
4:32 pm
That doesn’t say much for our staff at AAA (see Teheran) that Gearrin won the award. He’s basically a non-prospect.
MiamiDave
September 13th, 2012
4:38 pm
Compare Teheran’s record against Gearrin’s at Gwinnett and you will see why Cory won it…
northbeach Scott
September 13th, 2012
4:43 pm
Much better to have brought up Battista, than Gearrin, not! The post-steroid era is about youth, like it always was, not retreads and has-bens. Please do not resign the Michael Bourn. He is destined to become another Aaron Rowand.
northbeach Scott
September 13th, 2012
4:47 pm
Rowand at the end of his SF contract that is. Old in a hurry.
old brave, retired
September 13th, 2012
4:54 pm
I agree with northbeach Scott about not signing Bourn. He was hot in the beginning of the year, but when it is really counting, he is cold. We can deal another way. We will save money because of no Derek Lowe money owed and no Chipper money owed. That is a 25 million savings. Too bad about another two years of Uggla.
Heisenberg
September 13th, 2012
5:06 pm
They can find a place on the 40 man for Overbay or a pitcher older than Chipper but not for Mejia.
Wilson
September 13th, 2012
5:26 pm
Braves organization keeps so many secrets from fans. I think there should be a baseball law that says a team must divulge every reason for every move or non move that a team makes or doesn’t make.
I mean for crying out loud we will keep quiet about it.
JC Boscan III
September 13th, 2012
5:51 pm
Mejia deserved a shot this September, but it seems that Fredi and Frank prefer retreaded veterans for the playoff run instead of someone who has had to struggle his way through the minors. What have Jeff Baker and Lyle Overbay done for our bench so far??? Nothing. Batista hasn’t done much in relief, either. The slide continues as the Braves can’t hit as the season reaches its crucial time……
Bravo Bravo
September 13th, 2012
5:52 pm
Braves will not make the playoffs. Showing same signs of choking as last year. Freeman upper cutting everything, Uggla must have eye sight issues. Pitching wanes due to tired arms and the shadow of what happened last Sept. Gonzalas needs to shake them up and learn from last year.
Bottom line….we are not a good hitting team, never have been, never will be with these guys. Pitching is piece meal. Start Medlen in the big games cause he’s a real gamer!
bulldogbubba
September 13th, 2012
6:36 pm
@dawgdom – I understand what you are saying about a changing culture in America’s game. I remember as a boy watching Felipe Alou and Cito Gaston and others who brought a lot to the game as the players of today are. As a boy we had football and baseball and basketball as choices to play.Today soccer has taken a lot of kids away from what we loved in the past and it has left a lot of openings for latinos and asian players to fill the holes.Try to enjoy what we have and hopefully these sports will become important to our kids again.GO BRAVES! GO DAWGS!
Max Sizemore
September 13th, 2012
7:25 pm
Mejia is not on the 40-man roster.
BlueMoon
September 13th, 2012
7:27 pm
Hey DOB-
What kind of numbers did Gattis end up with? Thanks!
BaseballTopFan
September 13th, 2012
7:38 pm
G O N G R A T U L A T I O N S to all the Atlanta Braves minor league players of the year at each level. We join the Braves in honoring these men and hope for a bright future for these prospects.
Minor League players are the lifeblood of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Baseball Top Fan and fans worldwide look forward to watching these future stars.
BaseballTopFan@Yahoo.com
knockahomerx
September 13th, 2012
7:45 pm
GM Wrenn, This off season you have a chance to get it right. We have money from Lowe and Chipper contracts expiring. Trade players who either are not earning their contracts or will not help us win in playoffs and World Series. l point out Dan Uggla, Tommy 88 mph fastball Hanson, Brian Mr. Slumptember McCann. Do not attempt to sign Michael Bourne, Boras wants 20 million/yr, l do not sign that contract. Let some fool pay him that much. Frank, build on Freeman @ 1B, Prado @ 2B, Simmons @ SS, get Juan Francisco in stud shape and put him @ 3B, Heyward @ CF, Let our young catcher start and Gattis back him up. Braves need 2 solid hitting OF’s. Bench of Janish @ IF, Pastornicky @ IF, Reed Johnson @ OF, Gattis @ C. Go to a 6 man starting pitching staff. Hudson, Maholm, Medlen, Minor, Sheets, Teheran, RH you thankfully did not trade to Cubs. Closer Kimbrel, Set up O’Flaherty, 7th inn. Venters, Gearrin, Avilan, Long Relief C. Martinez, 7th starter. Keep bringing up power pitchers. We have Gilmartin and Graham and Schlosser ready to come up. Mr. Wrenn, get good to great returns for Uggla, Hanson, and McCann in trades. You wont even have to spend much of Lowe and Jones money. Get us great hitters. 2 OF’s, C, 3B and we will be in the best shape we have in years. Go Braves. GATA.
Rick C
September 13th, 2012
9:11 pm
knockahomerx, they are not going to get good returns for Uggla, Hanson, and McCann right now. They are all coming off the worst season of their career. Why would any team give up really valuable players for them right now? Uggla has three years left on a big contract, so the Braves would have to eat most of it. Hanson will still earn a lot in arbitration this off season. McCann’s option is for 12 million.
I think Heyward will stay in RF, he’s best suited there. Bethancourt is not quite ready for the ML offensively and I know they are trying to have Gattis work on playing LF more in the minors. It’s questionable if Sheets will even pitch next year and Teheran mostly struggled this year in AAA.
gotigers72
September 13th, 2012
9:30 pm
Even if it means paying a lot of his $12 million per year salary, Struggla has to go. The fact that he is not even an average ability fielder makes him less valuable than he already is. Put Prado back at his BEST position, and buy a free agent LF with Lowe/Chipper money. Or trade for one. Take the option on McInjured for one more year while thinking over where to go for a catcher. Leave Heyward in right and get a different CF. Don’t waste big money on Bourn. Package Hanson and another player/pitcher for a CF, and put Delgado or Teheran in Tommy’s place.
I hope you know knockahomerz that Gilmartin is not a power pitcher. Doesn’t even rank as high as Minor on the velocity scale, although they are similar pitchers.
Something the Braves really need to work on that hurt them this year, is a bench. Definitely keep Ross and maybe Janish, but it may be time to let Diesel [Hinske] go. Bring up a Todd Cunningham as a reserve OF, pinch runner. 24 stolen bases, and a better hitter than Constanza. Francisco doesn’t trip my trigger as a 3rd baseman. Maybe keep him as a pinch hitter with some pop, but go get someone else to play 3rd. Someone that hits for a higher average and doesn’t strike out at the rate Francisco does.
I’ve seen about enough of Maholm too. If he does not have absolute pinpoint control for the game that he is pitching, he gets lit up. Wayyyy too many home runs given up, which shows that when he can’t locate, his stuff is not good enough to get it by hitters. I would rather have Delgado or Teheran than Maholm for another year. Anyway, that’s some changes I would make, for the moment. Get creative FW, or Mr. Schuerholz, get another GM.
optimist
September 13th, 2012
10:41 pm
agree totally with knockahomerx
jer
September 14th, 2012
1:12 am
I agree mostly with Rick C. I would hire a veteran CF for one year, while putting Todd Cunningham at AAA. If he is hitting well by June bring him up as our future CF (he hit exactly the same .309 at AA as Simmons hit in high A in 2011). Also put Gattis in AAA in LF since he is not great defensively as a catcher and his wrist injury this year suggests playing the “tools of ignorance” position, would likely shorten his career significantly. If he hits well in AAA and learns LF reasonably well bring him up as the season progresses. Use the freed-up Lowe/Jones money to get a first class 3B or LF and see if a fit Francisco at the other position.
BusterBrave
September 14th, 2012
2:17 am
hee,hee,hee…….
Can Of Corn
September 14th, 2012
2:53 am
OFFSEASON CHANGE
I believe the most important offseason change the Braves could possibly make would be to hire a new manager — say Ryne Sanberg or Brett Butler, who is an ex-Brave.
It all starts with the right manager.
And though I hate to say it, Fredi just isn’t it.
Can Of Corn
September 14th, 2012
4:22 am
DAVE MARTINEZ
Dave Martinez, the bench coach under astute Ray’s manager, Joe Maddon, would also be a good managerial candidate for the Braves next year.
Moreover, Dave played for Atlanta in 2001 under Bobby Cox.
Sav FAN
September 14th, 2012
6:57 am
It’ sad that we have to already be talking of next season-as we all know what the next few days-weeks will bring-HEARTBREAK & GAS PAINS
Lobosolo
September 14th, 2012
8:17 am
Go home already, you little whining sissies… Not a one of you could even manage an American Legion team… WAHHHHHHH WAHHHHHHHHH WAHHHHHHHHHHW a-WAHHHHHHHHHHHH…
Cunningham and Graham Among Honored Minor Leaguers. « Brave Decisions
September 14th, 2012
12:46 pm
[...] Cunningham and Graham Among Honored Minor Leaguers. Posted: September 14, 2012 | Author: Andrew Sisson | Filed under: Draft, Minor Leagues, Uncategorized |Leave a comment » “The Braves have named right-hander J.R. Graham their minor league pitcher of the year and outfielder Todd Cunningham their minor league player of the year.” – Atlanta Journal Constitution [...]
Lobosolo
September 14th, 2012
1:51 pm
And that’s why you’re a can of corn and Fredi is a big league manager….. what a pussola…
kelly
September 15th, 2012
9:21 am
Todd getting the minor league player of year award for the braves doesn’t surprise me at all. Ive watched him play since he was in little league and all through high school with my son. Ya know, everybody will tell you they follow a kid who’s ” going to be in the majors some day “, but 99.9% of the time that kid washes out along the way. But as dads watching his work ethic and his passion for the game and his unbelievable talent, barring injury, we never had a doubt Todd would make it this far and beyond. I credit his parents handling of him throughout his younger years as a major reason for his success, they always encouraged him but never pushed him. They didn’t have to, Todd pushed himself. Glad I know him.
freebird56
September 15th, 2012
9:55 am
Guys above me are yaking manager change.Why?If it was to happen & it ain”t.So relax,enjoy the ride.If you can”t push the dime up your butts
to implode!