The Atlanta Braves organization has released the once highly touted third base prospect Eric Campbell. In a Mississippi Braves press release no reason was given for Campbell's release. He was hitting .241/.308/.331 this year with only 5 homeruns.
Campbell had spectacular back to back seasons in 2005 for Danville and 2006 for Rome in which he hit 18 and 22 homeruns repsectively, while compiling high batting averages and showing tremendous promise.
[UPDATE: 8pm]
Braves Director of Player Development, Kurt Kemp, responded to my email question about what the circumstances were surrounding the release of Eric Campbell. His response was that "there were no extenuating circumstances or other factors. It was just a normal player release."
That at least clears some things up. I suppose the Braves just got to a point where they didn't see any future for Campbell in the organization.
0 recs | 33 comments
woah.
esadb - August 18, 2009
WTF?
Bmacbandwagon - August 18, 2009
welll we have no third basemen for the future
carolinabrave89 - August 18, 2009
It's not like Campbell was a sure thing
what with injury, character, and performance issues, I don’t anybody was really counting on him to replace Chipper.
VivaLosBravos - August 18, 2009
Wonder if Chip can play til he's 50?
Zeus12888 - August 18, 2009
Agree with the move
Campbell’s potential is a thing of the past and with his maturity issues, it doesn’t make sense to have him around the rest of the players as an organizational body.
was385 - August 18, 2009
Who could have predicted this?….http://www.talkingchop.com/2009/2/23/769202/future-3b#12458850
cbwilk - August 18, 2009
wow. I am so surprised you remembered you posted that. good call, though
GoBravesNY - August 18, 2009
I actually thought I’d been specific, like said July or August, but yeah, I definitely remembered it.
cbwilk - August 18, 2009
Interesting...
and to come midseason, would this almost not certainly mean an attitude or off the field incident? I’m thinking he had to do SOMETHING, or else you just let him play out the year and let him walk after.
Mr. Sanchez - August 18, 2009
agreed
because its not exactly like his replacement tonight, Kody Kirkland is a stud that needs more playing time.
penno - August 18, 2009
Yeah, especially with only a few weeks left in the season. It just happened all of the sudden, so there’s really not much else it likely could have been.
cbwilk - August 19, 2009
Last weekend in Montgomery my boys were standing by the team bus after the game waiting for some autographs when Campbell came out of the stadium, walked across the street near where I was parked, and sat down on the curb talking on his cell phone. I didn’t hear the conversation but it was visually evident that he was stressed out about something by his body language and demeanor. This may have been building for a bit.
Mountngrown - August 19, 2009
Kody took full advantage of the opportunity last night though going 5-5 with three doubles and 2 RBI’s including the walk-off in the bottom of the 9th.
Mountngrown - August 19, 2009
He saw my post and used it for bulletin board material. Had to be it.
penno - August 19, 2009
and
did you get any nice autos?
penno - August 19, 2009
Yea, both of my sons got balls signed by Heyware, Freeman, and Brandon Hicks. They all took time to talk with them and it really made their weekend. They have been asking how they did each day since then. I believe they made fans for life.
Mountngrown - August 19, 2009
Nicely done! Kudos Nostradamus!
Bmacbandwagon - August 18, 2009
Nice
I think we’ve butted heads on the subject of Campbell before (though thankfully I was nowhere near the string you quoted), so I guess gotta eat my share of crow.
Kudos.
Yakker - August 18, 2009
Personally, I think it sucks that the Braves top pick that year was a bust. I never liked Campbell, but it’s disappointing that the team did such a poor job in the draft that year.
Not a lot going on after him too, with JC Holt, James Parr, Van Pope, and Clint Sammons immediately following him. Sure, there’s some depth there, but nobody special. Same thing with Phil Britton, taken much later. The only win for this draft was draft and follow Tyler Flowers, if only because he helped net Vazquez.
cbwilk - August 19, 2009
3B
Also seems like the Braves have had trouble finding Chipper’s replacement at 3B. First Marte, now EC.
Yakker - August 19, 2009
Maybe i should head to Danville and try out at 3rd base
If i make the team, i’d probably be the 2nd or 3rd best 3B prospect the Braves have. We now have NO depth.
Scott Coleman - August 18, 2009
Maybe I better put a Wes Timmons plug in my signature line, since it worked so well for Reid Gorecki!
Rhyno18 - August 18, 2009
Soup
No loss with that cancer but its interesting to think about how much the kid we picked in between Heyward and Freeman could come back and really bite us as the throw in. Jon Gilmore althought very raw and still is 2+ years away from a chance at the majors could really hurt us in the next few years. I see us having that as a position that is a revolving door after the Chipper Jones era is over.
TMAC85 - August 19, 2009
Gilmore hurt us?
How about not picking Grant Green in the draft this year?
parish - August 19, 2009
Adrian Beltre
is a free agent this offseason. Just sayin…
Yakker - August 19, 2009
Ew.
The Keith Lockhart Era - August 19, 2009
You are severely underestimating the awesomeness of Adrian Beltre
Yakker - August 19, 2009
Am I?
The Keith Lockhart Era - August 21, 2009
For 3rd base what about Donell Linares at A Myrtle Beach?
His D is good and he’s hitting .291 so far this season with 9 HRs and 68 RBI.
BravesFTW - August 19, 2009
He’s also gonna be 26 next season, so he’s pretty old for an A baller.
cbwilk - August 19, 2009
That response from Kemp still seems fishy. Why cut a guy with so little left in the season. You’re not really saving enough salary to make it worth it, and it’s not like they’re really looking at Kody Kirkland or Greg Creek for the future. I’m not buying it, he must have done something.
cbwilk - August 19, 2009
Maybe
by cutting him now, they give him a chance to play for the next few weeks with another club.
I agree with you, just trying to think of alternate explanations.
Yakker - August 19, 2009
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