Braves Quote For The Day ... Sheets Likes The Southern Humidity

One of the things that surprises many people about Atlanta and about the South is not only how hot it can get, but how humid it can be. Many players from other part of the country don't like playing in that kind of weather; Derek Lowe is the first name that comes to mind. He seemed to wilt in the hot summer months in Atlanta, and the humidity caused his pitching hand to develop blisters that caused him to miss starts and pitch (even more) ineffectively.

But new Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Ben Sheets is different. He's from Mississippi, and in this Ken Rosenthal article about his journey to the Atlanta rotation, he reveals he's a true Southern boy:

The Braves’ offer wasn’t necessarily the best offer, Sheets said, but the situation was perfect. He preferred to be in the NL. The Braves’ Mississippi affiliate was close to his home. Turner Field, in Sheets’ view, was "a pretty good pitchers’ park." He also liked pitching in the humidity of the Southeast.

I've enjoyed watching Sheets since he put on a tomahawk, and the story of how he was brought into the Braves fold, as told by Ken Rosenthal, is well worth the read.

I don't want to jinx anything, but I'm starting to get pretty seriously excited about our current team.