2014 Season in Review

After missing the playoffs for the fourth straight season in 2013, the Gwinnett Braves headed into 2014 with renewed optimism. New manager Brian Snitker, pitching coach Marty Reed and hitting coach Garey Ingram welcomed an experienced Opening Day roster back to Gwinnett. Headlined by 2012 International League Rookie of the Year Ernesto Mejia and 2013 IL Postseason All-Star Joey Terdoslavich, the G-Braves looked primed for a big season.

Mejia and the G-Braves got off to a great start, winning five of their first seven games. The slugging first baseman was on top of his game during the first week of the campaign, batting .318 with five home runs and nine RBIs. He collected the IL Batter of the Week honors on April 7, helping Gwinnett reach first place in the IL South Division.

Though Mejia powered a great start for Gwinnett, the team sputtered from April 10-14 as they dropped four straight games. The first homestand proved tough, as the G-Braves lost their first three games at Coolray Field to defending Governors' Cup champion Durham.

It didn't take long for the tide to turn, as Gwinnett rattled off seven straight wins from April 14-21. The winning streak was threatened on April 21, when the Charlotte Knights jumped out to a 2-0 lead. However, RBI hits by Phil Gosselin and Edward Salcedo tied it at 2-2. In the bottom of the seventh with the bases loaded, Todd Cunningham delivered the decisive blow as he smacked Ryan Kussmaul's 3-1 fastball over the right field fence for his first career grand slam. Cunningham's first homer of the season propelled the G-Braves to a 6-3 win.

"Obviously with a 3-1 pitch, I knew he had to throw a strike and I just happened to barrel one up," said Cunningham. "It was awesome to see it go. It's the childhood scenario that you replay in your head over and over. It was my first one (grand slam) and it was a good one. Right when we needed it."

Just as the G-Braves were on the rise, the club was dealt a significant setback on April 26. Mejia, the franchise's all-time home run and RBI leader (59 HR, 199 RBI in 287 games), was released from his contract by the Atlanta Braves so he could sign with the Seibu Lions of the Japanese Pacific League.

Despite losing their prime run producer, Gwinnett managed to go 15-10 in the month of April. It was their first winning month since April 2012, ending a span of 11 consecutive months without posting a winning record.

With Mejia gone and Terdoslavich slumping through the month of May, the G-Braves leaned on second-year G-Braves Cunningham and Gosselin to go 8-7 and inch within a half-game of first place Durham. During that span, Cunningham batted .354 with five doubles, one homer and nine RBIs, while Gosselin hit .338 with five doubles, two triples and two RBIs. 

While the veterans were leading the charge, Gwinnett utilized a spark from one of their top prospects to take sole possession of first place on May 17. With the G-Braves and Indianapolis tied 5-5 in the bottom of the ninth, catcher Christian Bethancourt belted the first pitch he saw from Indians' reliever Tyler Waldron over the left field wall. His second homer as a G-Brave clinched a 6-5 walk-off victory.

"It was really exciting," said Bethancourt of his first career walk-off homer. "I've had walk-off hits before, but I have never hit a walk-off homer. To hear the crowd in the background as you're running the bases and (to have) your teammates at the plate waiting for you, I can't even describe how great a feeling it was."

The excitement fueled by the May 17 victory helped the G-Braves stay in first place for another week, but after a 12-5 loss to Norfolk on May 25, Gwinnett would not return to the top of the division.  

Bethancourt continued to be an impact player in the month of June. In 23 games, he batted .329 with four doubles, one homer and nine RBIs. His play caught the eye of Major League Baseball, who selected him to participate in the 16th annual SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game in Minneapolis, MN. Before he could pack his bags and head to his third straight Futures Game, Bethancourt was recalled by the Atlanta Braves on June 28. He joined former G-Braves' infielder Tommy La Stella as top prospects to get the call to Atlanta in the first half.

Promotions and injuries began to take their toll on Gwinnett, and the club slid to third place in the IL South with a 21-37 record in the months of June and July. The one constant in that difficult stretch was Gosselin, who carried the team offensively. In 48 games in June and July, he hit .356 with 15 doubles, three triples, four homers and 18 RBIs. He was rewarded for his strong play as he was elected to the Triple-A All-Star Game on July 2. He started at third base in the game on July 16 in Durham, NC and went 1-for-4 with a run scored, helping the IL to a 7-3 win over the Pacific Coast League.

Gosselin, who had his contract purchased by Atlanta for a one-day call-up on July 13, was brought back to the Majors for good on July 26. The West Chester, PA native ranked second in the International League in batting (.344) at the time of his promotion, trailing only eventual IL Batting Champion Steven Souza, Jr. of Syracuse (.350). He was also among IL leaders in hits (1st, 130), total bases (2nd, 184), doubles (T-2nd, 29), triples (T-3rd, 5), OPS (4th, .866), runs (T-4th, 58), extra-base hits (T-4th, 39), on-base percentage (5th, .379) and slugging percentage (7th, .487).

Though he played in just 96 games with Gwinnett in 2014, Gosselin was recognized as the team's Most Valuable Player and was named an IL Postseason All-Star at the Utility position.

"It was the first time I had ever seen him," said Snitker about Gosselin. "I think he is a really good baseball player. I thought he improved defensively and got a lot better. He was more consistent. He played shortstop for us and has paid dividends in the big leagues as he's started there for Atlanta. He is a really talented kid and had a great year."

Entering the final month of the season, the G-Braves were in last place in the IL South Division and 10 games behind first place Durham. Even though Gwinnett faced an uphill climb to reach the playoffs, each player was determined to finish on a high note.

Terdoslavich, last year's team MVP, was focused on putting together an unforgettable last month at the plate. He did just that in 29 August games, batting .261 with seven homers and 20 RBIs. His monster month was highlighted by a historic achievement on August 21. In the second inning against Charlotte, he drilled a 0-2 pitch from Andre Rienzo over the right field fence, setting a new G-Braves record with homers in five straight games. Terdoslavich was awarded with his second IL Batter of the Week honors on August 25 after batting .385 with five homers and nine RBIs from August 17-24.

"I think you go through things like that during the season," said Terdoslavich about his up-and-down year. "You have hot parts and cold spells. This year, the cold times were a little longer than what I wanted them to be and the hot times were a little shorter. As far as getting hot late in the year, I decided to calm everything down and take it one at-bat at a time. I was focused on having good at-bats. Once I started to do that, things started to work out."

With Terdoslavich leading the group, the offense started to click in August, batting a combined .284 with 22 homers and 132 RBIs. On the mound, the pitching staff struggled to find consistency, but Gwinnett Braves Most Outstanding Pitcher Cody Martin shined all season. In his second year with Gwinnett, Martin went 7-8 with a 3.52 ERA in 27 games. He led the team in quality starts (13), wins, ERA and strikeouts (142). He finished the campaign ranked among IL leaders in strikeouts (3rd), innings (4th, 156.0), starts (T-4th, 26) and ERA (6th). 

"It was my third year starting now," said Martin. "I have a more in-depth grasp of what I needed to do to get ready for a full season. Learning how to start and go deep in the games was a big adjustment for me. My first year as a starter, I wasn't going deep in games, I would throw five innings each time out. This year I was trying to get deeper into games and get strikeouts when I could. I think overall it was a great stepping stone for me and what I will offer for next year."

With Martin leading the rotation and the offense peaking, Gwinnett went 14-15 in August and 1-0 in September. Infielder Sean Kazmar ignited an offensive explosion in the season finale at Charlotte on September 1, going 2-for-4 with two homers and four RBIs to lead the G-Braves to a 9-2 win.

Gwinnett ended the year on a three-game winning streak, moving past Norfolk for a second place finish in the IL South Division. Despite missing the playoffs for the fifth straight season, the G-Braves posted their best record since 2011, going 65-77.

The club met its main goal in 2014, grooming players for the jump to Atlanta. Gwinnett promoted three players to the Majors for the first time, including La Stella and pitchers Ryan Buchter and Juan Jaime. All three made memorable first impressions. Outfielder Jose Constanza, Bethancourt, Gosselin and Terdoslavich all returned for big league stints after spending time with the Braves in 2013.

"Overall, I think a lot of guys improved a lot and had good years," said Snitker. "We supplemented the Major League team when needed. It was good to see them get their shot up there and do well for the big club. We did a lot a good things here. Other than the win-loss record, I think this season was a big success."

The Gwinnett Braves fell short of reaching the playoffs in 2014, but the team produced many memorable moments and star performances. A strong finish to the year has G-Braves players, coaches and fans ready for 2015, the next chapter in the franchise's history.