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Brent Suter has pitched in nearly 400 major league games before joining the Atlanta Braves. He's worn five different uniforms, played in the postseason and spent more than a decade carving out a career as one of baseball's more dependable left-handed relievers.
Yet when he met with reporters Tuesday, fresh off arriving as a deadline deal from the Los Angeles Angels, the conversation kept drifting back to something that happened long before any of that.
Back when he was just a kid sitting in the stands at Turner Field.
Suter admitted he didn't need much time to process what it meant to become a member of the Braves.
"I actually lived in Lilburn, Georgia, for years growing up, and I was a huge Braves fan in the '90s," Suter told reporters before Tuesday's game, via Braves Vision. "So this is a dream come true for me."
Players often talk about being excited after a trade, but Suter's excitement came with stories that didn't sound rehearsed. He remembered attending a 1995 World Series game. He brought up Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz without being prompted. At one point, he laughed while confessing that he eventually adopted the Reds after moving to Cincinnati, but quickly added that his childhood belonged to Atlanta.
"I loved the Atlanta Braves," Suter said. "Loved them, and I still do."
There were connections waiting for him in the clubhouse, too.
Suter said he nearly attended Parkview High School, where Matt Olson eventually starred, and noted that he played college baseball alongside Olson's older brother. He has also shared clubhouses with Mauricio Dubón, Dominic Smith and others now wearing Braves uniforms.
For a player joining a new team in August, that familiarity should make the transition a little easier.
His arrival also gives Atlanta another experienced option for a bullpen that president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos continued to reshape before the deadline. Suter posted a 2.51 ERA over his previous nine appearances with the Angels and has been especially effective against right-handed hitters this season despite throwing from the left side.
Those numbers explain why Atlanta wanted him. The stories explain why this new beginning feels different for Suter.
He wasn't talking much about roles or expectations. Instead, he sounded like someone reconnecting with a place that helped shape his love for baseball.
Suter even mentioned hoping to cross paths with some of the franchise legends who still spend time around the organization, including Chipper Jones.
The stories about growing up in Georgia explain why this trade meant something different to Suter. But once the introductions are over, the Braves are going to ask him to do what they acquired him to do — get outs. If he can help stabilize the bullpen over the final two months, the team he grew up watching could become a meaningful part of his own career.
Continue reading...
Yet when he met with reporters Tuesday, fresh off arriving as a deadline deal from the Los Angeles Angels, the conversation kept drifting back to something that happened long before any of that.
Back when he was just a kid sitting in the stands at Turner Field.
Suter admitted he didn't need much time to process what it meant to become a member of the Braves.
"I actually lived in Lilburn, Georgia, for years growing up, and I was a huge Braves fan in the '90s," Suter told reporters before Tuesday's game, via Braves Vision. "So this is a dream come true for me."
Players often talk about being excited after a trade, but Suter's excitement came with stories that didn't sound rehearsed. He remembered attending a 1995 World Series game. He brought up Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz without being prompted. At one point, he laughed while confessing that he eventually adopted the Reds after moving to Cincinnati, but quickly added that his childhood belonged to Atlanta.
"I loved the Atlanta Braves," Suter said. "Loved them, and I still do."
There were connections waiting for him in the clubhouse, too.
Suter said he nearly attended Parkview High School, where Matt Olson eventually starred, and noted that he played college baseball alongside Olson's older brother. He has also shared clubhouses with Mauricio Dubón, Dominic Smith and others now wearing Braves uniforms.
For a player joining a new team in August, that familiarity should make the transition a little easier.
His arrival also gives Atlanta another experienced option for a bullpen that president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos continued to reshape before the deadline. Suter posted a 2.51 ERA over his previous nine appearances with the Angels and has been especially effective against right-handed hitters this season despite throwing from the left side.
Those numbers explain why Atlanta wanted him. The stories explain why this new beginning feels different for Suter.
He wasn't talking much about roles or expectations. Instead, he sounded like someone reconnecting with a place that helped shape his love for baseball.
Suter even mentioned hoping to cross paths with some of the franchise legends who still spend time around the organization, including Chipper Jones.
The stories about growing up in Georgia explain why this trade meant something different to Suter. But once the introductions are over, the Braves are going to ask him to do what they acquired him to do — get outs. If he can help stabilize the bullpen over the final two months, the team he grew up watching could become a meaningful part of his own career.
Continue reading...
