Weekend in the A: Andruw Jones in the Hall, Falcons, UGA football in the air
Andruw Jones always was going to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
It just took a little longer than most Braves fans thought.
Jones’ career was the stuff of legends, marked by his two home runs — as a rookie, at just 19 years old — in Game 1 of the 1996 World Series. He was a running highlight reel of spectacular plays in center field, as well as power with his bat.
That blend of offensive and defensive excellence included 434 home runs and 10 Gold Gloves, a feat only four players have achieved.
And he did it with the Braves, during their golden era that included 10 straight postseason appearances during his time in Atlanta.
Jones thanked the Braves organization and had special words for teammate Chipper Jones, who advocated for Andruw Jones getting in the Hall of Fame.
Job well done.
Getting back on track
A couple of weeks ago, the Braves had the Phillies and Marlins breathing down their necks, with a slim lead in the NL East standings.
They can breathe a little easier — only a little — as the calendar flips toward August. The Braves’ lead over Philadelphia is 5½ games, and the Marlins have faded amid a 12-game losing streak. The Nationals moved into third place in the division, 8½ games behind.
Things are peachy compared to their miserable June, when they went 9-14. The Braves have flipped the script, going 13-9, including a pair of wins in extra innings over the Orioles last weekend.
The Braves have a chance to create more space, with a three-game series at the last-place Mets to start the week and four at home against the Nationals this weekend.
The MLB trade deadline is Aug. 3, and the Braves are a team to watch, in addition to the impending return of Ronald Acuña Jr. to the lineup.
Football in the air
Suffering from football withdrawal? Your wait is almost over, as the Falcons are set to start training camp this week, with workouts beginning Wednesday at Flowery Branch.
Falcons beat writer Daniel Flick broke down the team with position previews for what fans can expect ahead of the first full-squad practices. The quarterback position will be the most important to watch, as Tua Tagovailoa gets comfortable in the system while Michael Penix Jr. works his way back from a season-ending injury.
More Falcons position previews
Ahead of the start of Falcons training camp on July 29 in Flowery Branch, we’re breaking down each position group:
Quarterbacks: ‘Competition is the best’: Penix, Tagovailoa set to battle for job
Running backs: Falcons to lean on Bijan Robinson, ‘legendary’ schemes
Wide receivers: Rebuilt WR room behind ‘dog’ Drake London. Who steps up?
Tight ends: New coaches bring ‘love’ for tight ends — and Kyle Pitts should benefit
Offensive line: Led by ‘one of the best’ coaches ever, Falcons’ offensive line ready to roll
Defensive line: How Falcons plan to replicate historic pass rush — with or without Pearce Jr.
Linebackers: Falcons won’t ‘plug and replace’ Kaden Elliss, but they have a plan at LB
Secondary: Falcons’ secondary wants interception record; it has questions to answer first
Special teams: After disastrous special teams season, Falcons turn to Craig Aukerman
The Falcons rookies also have some expectations on how they can contribute to help turn around a disappointing 8-9 season that saw the team in a three-way tie for the division but out of the postseason because of tiebreakers.
Georgia is SEC favorite
During SEC media days in Tampa, Florida, the Bulldogs were voted the preseason favorites to win the conference, followed by Texas.
Georgia, the two-time defending conference champion, beat Alabama in the SEC championship game last season.
The Bulldogs placed four players on the preseason first team: offensive tackles Earnest Greene and Drew Bobo. The other two selections came in the defensive backfield: safety KJ Bolden and cornerback Ellis Robinson.
Thinking Varsity
High school football is revving up, and AJC Varsity has you covered, with breakdowns of the Georgia Top 100 position previews.
There’s also the top 10 stories from the offseason to get you ready for the start of practices, which begin Monday.
Dream All-Stars
Angel Reese made waves with the debut of her signature Barbie doll.
She’s the first Black WNBA star to land her own Barbie — and only the second WNBA player with that distinction.
“Having my own Barbie doll is a true dream come true for me,” Reese said in a Friday press release. “It’s such an incredible honor because it’s about showing girls that there are no limits to what they can achieve.”
Reese also was in Saturday’s WNBA All-Star Game in Chicago, and she registered five rebounds and four assists.
Dream teammates Allisha Gray (19 points) and Rhyne Howard (eight points) were on the victorious Team Spoon.