Atlanta Braves: 5 Key Veterans John Hart Didn’t Move
By John Buhler
7. player. 17. . LF. Santa Rosa Community College. Jonny Gomes
Has Jonny Gomes had a productive season for the Atlanta Braves in 2015? Not at all as he’s hitting .204 as essentially the Atlanta Braves’ 4th or 5th outfielder. But amidst the quirkiness at the plate and lack of productivity on the field this year, Jonny Gomes’ greatest asset is conducting himself like professional and being a vocal leader in the young Atlanta Braves’ clubhouse.
Last year was especially bad in the last third of the season as no vocal leader emerged to carry this underperforming team into the playoff hunt. Though he’s never been more than a bench player in 10+ year Major League career, Jonny Gomes has the respect from the guys in his locker room because he plays hard and expects the same out of his teammates.
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Gomes has been part of two AL Pennant winning teams: the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays and the 2013 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox. He’s also help jumpstart culture changes in Cincinnati, Washington, and Oakland. His persistent attitude of doing the little things right and always hustling is a constant reminder to major players to never get complacent when Jonny Gomes is on your team. He doesn’t tolerate that and I love that part of his approach to playing the game of baseball.
I can see Jonny Gomes becoming a Major League manager when his career does come to an end. He’d probably be a very good one, if I’m being honest. I would want to play very hard for a guy like Jonny Gomes who wants the game played the right way. It’s going to get worse before it gets better and I’m glad that John Hart decided to keep Jonny Gomes in Atlanta to keep the locker room from becoming increasingly melancholy.
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