Fan Finds Out Braves Sign A.J Pierzynski at Honey Baked Ham Store

No really, the headline really happened. Let us explain.

The Atlanta Braves, in the market for a veteran backup catcher apparently signed long time backstop A.J Pierzynski sometime Wednesday afternoon.

They were not yet prepared to announce the one-year deal pending a physical.

But--

Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez was apparently told about the signing while at a Honey Baked Ham store. (really) And he was talking to someone from the front office about it on his phone while online.

After finishing the conversation, the fan in front of him asked if it was true, the Braves had signed Pierzynski.

Fredi confirmed it. The man told his son Aaron Lusford who immediately began tweeting baseball writers.

Source: @braves and AJ pierzynski agree to deal. No details. Check it @Buster_ESPN @Ken_Rosenthal @jcrasnick @jessespector not kidding
— Aaron Lunsford (@darrenstains) December 24, 2014

Yes, this really happened.

Op-Ed: Brother J-Hart Discusses Todd Gurley

((HT: WJBF-TV))

FOSG John Hart is a sports guy-turned news anchor in Augusta, Georgia...

And, as part of La Familia, the HQ runs a public service for those of you who miss it when he revs up the opinion section of his newscast...

He did... and discussed his alma mater and their troubled running back...

Post by John Hart.

Frankly, we feel the same way about Jameis Winston- except that he is far more out of control than Gurley, Newton, or Manziel...

And the HQ wishes that he was nowhere within 500 miles of our school- personally or professionally...
But we doubt that will ever happen...

Change Begins: Braves Fire Frank Wren

For Braves fans, it's necessary change.

The Atlanta Braves did something Monday they haven't done since 1990, they fired someone before a season ended, in this case, their General Manager.

The Braves announced they've parted ways with Frank Wren, who's been overseeing the team since his boss John Schuerholz was promoted to team president in 2007.

Wren has an odd resume during his Braves tenure as the team seemed to excel at finding guys like Aaron Harang and other players who underachieved and getting the most out of them.

But he was horrible at big ticket signings. Wren was responsible for the Dan Uggla and BJ Upton signings, leaving the Braves on the hook for some $45 million in contracts to one player who's no longer with the team and the other, likely to join him shortly.

But the overriding issue was an apparent rift with people inside the organization. There's been rumblings for the past month that he (Wren) may have been running off people like Dave Wallace and others and was responsible for some of the discord bubbling to the surface over the past couple of weeks.

The Braves had been contending and as recently as the end of August were potential leaders for a wild-card berth. But the team continued their habit of September falls and now sit at 76-79 on the season and are officially out of the playoffs.

John Hart, former GM in Cleveland and Texas and special assistant this year to Schuerholz takes over as interim GM with no clear frontrunner for the permanent job.

Rumors say team manager Fredi Gonzalez is safe...for now, but is likely going to have to make wholesale changes in the coaching staff.

We will see.

John Hart Versus Forbes Magazine

((HT: WJBF-TV Augusta))

Brother J-Hart is a news anchor and full fledged FOSG based in Augusta.

He is an unabashed Atlanta Braves and Falcons fan and decided to take issue, umbrance, and flying disagreement with the new Forbes Magazine piece that proclaimed Atlanta a very bad title...

Post by John Hart.

The HQ will admit that the city is one of the biggest fair-weather cities when it comes to pro franchises that we have ever seen. And those who have their issues with the pro teams will not spend discretionary income on a bad product...

J-Hart has a huge point with the college omission and just drove a truck through the hole in the survey.