Evan Gattis

[teeray]

I am sure he has been talked about in length in the Braves thread, but this guys deserves his own thread so I am starting one just so people who don't follow the Braves will know about him.

 

If you aren't familiar with his story here it is courtesy of USA Today:

 

"I was in a mental hospital," he tells USA TODAY Sports. "I couldn't sleep for an entire week, and I knew something was wrong with me. So I got admitted. I was so depressed, all I could think about was killing myself.

"I wanted to kill myself for a long time."

 

 

Gattis was supposed to be a fill-in while six-time All-Star catcher Brian McCann recovers from shoulder surgery. But Gattis homered four times in his first eight major league games, leads all National League rookies in homers (six), RBI (14) and on-base-plus-slugging percentage (OPS) (.847) and, Gonzalez says, should stick with the club even when McCann returns in the next 10 days.

 

"And to think, this guy wasn't even in our plans in spring training," general manager Frank Wren says.

 

 

Gattis projected to be selected no later than the eighth round of the 2004 draft but indicated he would rather attend college. He had a scholarship offer with defending NCAA champion Rice to play first base. But he wanted to catch and instead accepted a scholarship to Texas A&M.

"And then dropped off the face of the earth," Turner says.

Gattis says he started abusing alcohol and marijuana during his senior year of high school. He sank into a deep hole, torn by his parents' divorce, his father says, and, his mother says, self-imposed pressure to excel at the game he loved.

Gattis never showed up at Texas A&M. Instead, he was admitted to Sundown Ranch Recovery Center, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation clinic in Canton, Texas, then spent three months at a halfway house.

He tried college again at Seminole State Junior College in Oklahoma but, after redshirting as a freshman, played half a season and gave up on baseball and dropped out of school.

Gattis says he spent the next four years working as a car valet in Dallas; a ski lift operator at the Eldora Mountain Resort in Colorado and Taos, N.M; a pizza cook at Nick-N-Willy's in Boulder, Colo.; a housekeeper at the Abominable Snowmansion hostel in Taos, and another in Flagstaff, Ariz.; a machinery operator at Kimbrell's Kustom Machine Shop in Garland, Texas; a golf cart attendant at the Firewheel Golf Course in Garland and a janitor for Jan-Pro Cleaning Systems in Plano, Texas.

There might have been other jobs, but he can't keep track.

"I don't know," Gattis says, "I guess I was just trying to find myself."

 

 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/braves/2013/04/29/atlanta-braves-evan-gattis-improbable-path-to-majors/2122585/

 

 

this article is from a while back so to update his current season, despite splitting some time and not playing every day he is batting .285 12 HRS and 32 RBIs and SLG% of .628 for the 26 year old rookie who is just getting back in the game after those tumultuous 4 years completely out of baseball.  Oh and several of those home runs and RBIs have been in late game situations in close games.

 

His story is amazing and his game is just as amazing.

 

Even if you are not a Braves fan you have to check this guy out, he is a beast and is going to be one of the better hitters in baseball if he isn't already.

[Scrumtrilescent]

El Oso Blanco!

[Herbert The Love Bug]

dude is so freaking good. I wish we didn't sign BJ Upton he is wasting a roster spot. Gattis HAS to be in the starting line up EVERY DAY. You just simply can't leave him out. He is unbeleivable

[Joscott]

I've been trying to hold back on my Gattis love affair.

 

I'm still think BJ comes down with a mysterious injury that lands him on the 15 day DL and frees up the spot for Gattis. The guy has so much power in his swing that that it doesn't matter if it's inside or out, it gets crushed. Definitely a crazy story and the legend just continues to grow.

 

They Braves will get outbid on McCann at the end of the year, but at least it looks like El Oso Blanco will be able to fill in just fine.

[Herbert The Love Bug]

I've been trying to hold back on my Gattis love affair.

 

I'm still think BJ comes down with a mysterious injury that lands him on the 15 day DL and frees up the spot for Gattis. The guy has so much power in his swing that that it doesn't matter if it's inside or out, it gets crushed. Definitely a crazy story and the legend just continues to grow.

 

They Braves will get outbid on McCann at the end of the year, but at least it looks like El Oso Blanco will be able to fill in just fine.

 

But he can't catch forever. Bethancourt is coming up and is the best catching prospect in the majors and is a straight up stud. May have to teach Gattis 3rd or something. Never have I wished the NL had a DH more than I do now

[TbTeRRoR]

Owned on fantasy team after week one!   Is it just me or does his swing look a little funky

[Joscott]

But he can't catch forever. Bethancourt is coming up and is the best catching prospect in the majors and is a straight up stud. May have to teach Gattis 3rd or something. Never have I wished the NL had a DH more than I do now

 

I think CB still has some time before he gets called up and having Gattis at least allows him more time to develop. It's a good problem to have.

 

I will say his stance doesn't look very comfortable, but he generates a lot of power in that compact swing.

[carpanfan96]

 

 

 

Doesn't look all that bad in slow motion...... 

[TbTeRRoR]

The way he swings half the time it looks like his bat is on the same plane  much more so then someone with a traditional (more) upright stance.  Looking from head on, pitchers view, he appears to be all balled up and it looks more like a swat then a swing, but whatever dudes crushing it.

[Scrumtrilescent]

It's sorta like Jeff Bagwell.  Without the annoying dive over the plate.