Welcome back Julio

During yesterday's Braves / Reds game, Chip Caray mentioned that the Braves had re-acquired Julio Franco and for once, Chip was not spewing cow diarrhea from his mouth. Franco cleared waivers and is a member of the Braves again.

Usually, when my teams signs a 68-year old man, I jam a sharp object under my nail but that's somehow not the case with Franco. I've always liked Julio and I'm looking forward to seeing him in a Braves uni again. I dunno, maybe it's because he's 72 and he's still ripped like an angry bull.

I do think that this signing means that something bigger is on the way. Either Jarrod Saltalamacchia is going to be traded and Scott Thorman will get the first base job back while Julio backs him up. Or, Thorman's ass will be shipped out, freeing up first base for Salty while Julio backs Salty up.

I'm hoping for the latter because Thorman is as dangerous at the plate as a dead poodle, while Salty has the makings of a star. The fact that Thorman was the last guy still on the bench while the Braves and Reds were going into the 14th inning really doesn't bode well for him either...but it bodes well for us Braves fans that have seen him pop up/strike out one too many times.

Either way, Julio's on board now as the "veteran presence" in the clubhouse. A title that in years past has belonged to Keith Lockhart, Brian Jordan and Todd Pratt. Only difference is that I don't want to put a bullet into Franco's legs, like I wanted to with Pratt.