AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2007 > July > 15 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.US‘Salty’ gets big boost from fan’s Web site
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mark Bradley
You read the most interesting things on the Internet, some of which might even be true. Just up and running is an advocacy Web site, the intent of which bears the growing ring of truth.
From www.startsalty.com, we read this: “Jarrod Saltalamacchia is the future of Major League Baseball.” This bears more than a passing resemblance to the prescient pronouncement rendered by critic Jon Landau in 1974: “I saw rock and roll future and its name is Bruce Springsteen.”
Springsteen is from New Jersey. So is the creator of startsalty.com. Coincidence? Surely not.
Andrew Marks is 23. He graduated from Rutgers in the spring. He lives in Princeton, N.J., and has been a Braves fan for as long as he can remember. Why? Because his dad rooted for the Braves in the heyday of Eddie Mathews and does still.
Marks has other Braves he considers favorites — Chipper Jones over time, Kelly Johnson now — but when Marks saw Saltalamacchia report to the Braves in May, he said, “It just really clicked.” He familiarized himself with the spelling of the rookie’s daunting last name “by repeating it about 100 times before I’d go to sleep.”
And then, since Marks does work with both Web design and public relations, he put his vocational skills to outside use. Thus was born startsalty.com, which poses the not-unreasonable question: “Why is this kid currently 2nd tier to Scott Thorman?”
Not content just to sing Salty’s praises, startsalty.com offers a stylized rip of Thorman, who remains the Braves’ primary first baseman even though he’s batting .215 and has more strikeouts than hits. A question on the site asks: “When will Scott Thorman swing the bat without leaving his feet?” Answers range from “tomorrow” to “next baseball season” to “[when he’s] on a different team.”
The top of the page, as you’d expect, features a handsome photo of Salty. The bottom carries a doctored shot from “Titanic” with the faces of Thorman and Bobby Cox replacing the mugs of Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. (The point being, one assumes, that the voyage in question didn’t end so well.)
Another question posed by startsalty.com: “All-Star Game. In the bottom of the ninth, if Salty was the pinch-hitter, would [Albert] Pujols still be [griping about being left on the bench]?” The most popular of the three answers, with 62 percent of the vote, is this: “No way! Salty’s grand slam would have solved the problem.”
Said Marks: “Some people have said the site looks like it was designed by a 12-year-old, but I like to represent the average person.”
Marks has never spoken to Saltalamacchia or seen him in person. “My dad and I go to the games when [the Braves] play in Philadelphia,” he said, “and we have tickets when they’re there next month — Friday and Saturday night. Nothing would make me happier than to meet him.”
Nor did Marks have any idea whether the man himself had eyeballed startsalty.com. The answer: He hadn’t before Sunday, but he has now.
Saltalamacchia isn’t a Web wizard. He has a computer for “making plane reservations” but scarcely uses it beyond that. “I can’t even turn a computer on,” he said. But viewing startsalty.com on a reporter’s laptop left him partly amused and mostly delighted. “It’s very flattering,” he said. “You play the game because you love it, but the fans make it a lot easier.”
Salty, it should be noted, indeed started Sunday — at catcher, his primary position, and not first base, where Marks would deploy him on a permanent basis — and went 1-for-3 to keep his average at .304. He might or might not be the future of Major League Baseball, but he’s already a better-looking hitter than Scott Thorman.
A lot of nutty concepts populate the Web. This one, improbably launched in the Garden State, makes too much sense to ignore. Stop the madness. Start Salty. Dot com.
Permalink | Comments (33) | Post your comment | Categories: Braves / MLB, Mark Bradley
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By David
July 15, 2007 8:32 PM | Link to this
I agree, no reason not to start him really. He’s got to learn the position (1B), and you may as well start now. I guess the only reason Thorman’s still playing is so the Braves can try and drum up some interest in him and trade him. The kid’s got a ton of power, just needs to refine some things. Salty, however, is ready. Use him! Go Braves!
By Josh C
July 15, 2007 8:38 PM | Link to this
I hope the ajc received proper advertising compensation for this article….
Oh, and “Yeah! Start the man NOW!!!”
By GHook
July 15, 2007 8:58 PM | Link to this
Sign Julio Franco and see what he can teach Salty about playing 1B.
By tradesalty.com
July 15, 2007 9:21 PM | Link to this
He’s a catcher with a really strong arm but we already have a C. So move him and get some help.
By Bo
July 15, 2007 11:11 PM | Link to this
Got to luv a Salty Dog!!!Julio is not the answer to all Braves problems but he can help solve AJ and some of the others hitting problems.
By Chris
July 15, 2007 11:37 PM | Link to this
Andrew marks is real cute!!! i heart him <3
By Gobraves39401
July 15, 2007 11:43 PM | Link to this
Start Salty Now!!!Thorman is not cutting it.
By Gobraves39401
July 15, 2007 11:44 PM | Link to this
Start Salty Now!!!Thorman is not cutting it.
By Nikki
July 16, 2007 5:31 AM | Link to this
Only Bobby Cox knows the real truth behind Salty not starting at first. Whatever the reason, I’m sure it’s still idiotic. I know Salty will have a learning curve at first base. Still, throw him in there. The only way to get better is to get in there and do it. Do you really want him still so inexperienced at first base down the stretch when it nears playoff time?! We need his bat now and down the stretch. He’s a backup as catcher as well. I just hope the Braves don’t do something stupid like trade him. We do need another starter, but not at the expense of Salty.
By mark
July 16, 2007 6:56 AM | Link to this
Salty is a rare talent FIRST BASE should be his!Dont worry Bobby will make him earn it.I like this team alot we just need to refine our pitching some.GO BRAVES!!!
By Jimbo
July 16, 2007 9:17 AM | Link to this
Thank you! I never understood the reason for a first base platoon when the left handed hitting part of the platoon can’t hit.
By Jimbo
July 16, 2007 9:21 AM | Link to this
Unfortunately Salty will probably be the first one traded, even before Escobar. I really hope they keep both of them.
I still don’t understand why Pena is not with the big club. His presence would solve a lot of logistical problems.
By Jon
July 16, 2007 10:11 AM | Link to this
“Gold is where you find it.” And the Braves found solid gold in Salty. Time to throw him in the deep end of the pool and give him first base. I do hope the Braves regard him as untouchable.
By Mark Bradley
July 16, 2007 10:23 AM | Link to this
I don’t believe Salty will be traded before Escobar. I believe Escobar will be traded before Salty.
By bigdaddy
July 16, 2007 10:30 AM | Link to this
Salty is a quality talent and part of the future of this ball club. Trading him for pitching would be like buying a pig in a poke (remember Butler for Barker). Thorman should be used for pinch-hitting or to give McCann a day off with Salty behind the plate—or returned to Richmond for lessons on how to play and hit in the big leagues. Salty appears ready for regular major-league play, and I admire Bobby’s decision to use him as much as he has. Bobby knows baseball much better than I, but I think Salty’s ready to be in there on an almost-every-day basis. As for his first-base defense, well, he’s at least as good as the Braves have.
By eric the elder
July 16, 2007 10:43 AM | Link to this
The “future of Major League Baseball” is obviously overstated, but I’ve been saying since April that he might well become a franchise player.
Like Chipper, he could give us 15 years of great baseball. The thought of trading him for some short-term pitching fix makes my blood run cold.
Escobar and Salty should be untouchable, no matter what. Giving up either for another Mike Hampton could bury the Braves for a decade.
By Kelly
July 16, 2007 10:45 AM | Link to this
im a Jarrod fan from New Jersey too. i loved the braves ever since i was born. and Jarrod is an amazing player.. he’s a threat from both sides and is an amazing fielder.
By JohnGTFan
July 16, 2007 11:19 AM | Link to this
I agree with “Eric”
Salty AND Escobar should be untouchable. There is noone available out there risking giving up Salty and our future at 3B. Chipper is playing great, but he just cannot stay healthy anymore
By Action
July 16, 2007 11:30 AM | Link to this
It always amazes me that everyone always criticizes Bobby Cox for platooning, but then praises him for finding ways to get ALL his players playing time
By Bruce
July 16, 2007 11:39 AM | Link to this
If the Braves trade either one, I will kill myself. There is no pitcher worth the value of either of these two potential hall of famers. They will bring many hours of happiness to Braves fans for years. We will just end up with another promising pitcher on the DL since we can’t or won’t afford Leo. Keep both and hire Leo back, DUH!!!!!
By Robert L. McCarty
July 16, 2007 11:49 AM | Link to this
Only a complete moron woould trade Salty now. He is full of power and pretty good defensevly right now. The Braves do need pitching but don’t give a racehorse away for some nag.
By Kaye
July 16, 2007 12:46 PM | Link to this
If the braves trade Salty it would be a shame. To many Braves FANS have been waiting and waiting to see this kid play for the braves. He is drawing crowds. Putting fans in the seats. No player has done this by himself in a long time. If they trade Salty and let Big Butt Franco and his 200 average take over at 1st, well I would think they would lose a lot of fans over that one. We are tied of the 200 something players. Let us have our sluggers.
By Kaye
July 16, 2007 12:54 PM | Link to this
Have you not seen that Leo’s career has gone south with the openings created by Maddux and Glavine. Personally, I think Roger is better then Leo. Leo help back with injury. Roger is helping pitchers off bad career numbers. Rogers the man.
By Rick
July 16, 2007 2:19 PM | Link to this
Give Salty the Job!!! I would NOT make the rumored trade of Salty for Texiera. I think Salty will be just as good, come much cheaper, and younger. I would try to get a reliever, preferably LH so we can send Ledezma down to AAA & stretch him out to be a SP and send Davies back to AAA, where he belongs
By jason
July 16, 2007 2:29 PM | Link to this
i guess bradley had absolutely nothing to write about. even so, i can’t believe he pased up the opportunity to be negative.
By Mark Bradley
July 16, 2007 2:32 PM | Link to this
They will not trade Saltalamacchia. And Roger McDowell is not a better pitching coach than Leo Mazzone.
By Steve
July 16, 2007 3:07 PM | Link to this
JS has come out and said, effectively, that they are not trading Salty. So, he either catches (not happening, with BMac locked up long term) or he learns to play first base. All of this begs one question: Why is Scott Thorman not back in Richmond?
By Don Imus
July 16, 2007 3:49 PM | Link to this
Mr. Schuerholtz, Please DO NOT TRADE JARROD OR ESCOBAR. They are both going to be great players. Trade Kelly Johnson if you have to but pleassssssseeee dont trade these 2 guys.
By sprinkles
July 16, 2007 4:24 PM | Link to this
Friends of ours work for the Cubs and they allowed us to go onto the field before the ballgame and have the opportunity to say hello to some players. We waved to many of the Braves players and they smiled at us as we stood there in “CUB COUNTRY” wearing our Braves attire. We met Salty and I was impressed by how nice he was, the fact that he had acknowledged us while he was hitting batting practice and motioned that he would come over when he was done. He came right over and spent a few minutes speaking w/ me, my husband and my 14 year old son. Thanks to all the BRAVES who acknowledged us, but special Thanks go to salty for taking the extra time to give my kid a great & positive experience!!
By Hoosier Daddy
July 16, 2007 5:36 PM | Link to this
Am I the only person to notice the Braves starting pitchers doing much better? Seems the majority of fans would trade the farm for a starter. Davies and Caryle are getting the job done. Give these kids a chance. I also agree that Thorman is possible being showcased for a trade. Reliever maybe!
By Tomy Fournier
July 16, 2007 7:14 PM | Link to this
Please….when Mr. Cox going to release woodward…he is bad…too bad…better Mr franco..yeaaaaaa
By albert
July 16, 2007 8:55 PM | Link to this
You know who we should cut…how about Davies…has this guy ever had a good game….he is the worst pitcher i have seen in decades..If the braves trade escobar…the team is doomed…the kid is a player and he knows baseball…as of right now in the game tonight..he is 3 for3 and seems to do that every time…if the braves dont trade and get some pitching then fire Shultzy!
By Scott
July 17, 2007 12:37 AM | Link to this
Start SALTY every game. The guy is awesome. The best offensive prospect we have had since Chipper.
Scott Thorman needs to be sent down the guy can’t hit major league pitching. And the Braves do not need to sign Julio he’s way too old and you know Bobby will try and give the guy playing time over Salty.