Early April. Warming up in Durham for the Gwinnett Stripers

Jesse Biddle began the 2018 season pitching out of the bullpen for the newly named AAA Gwinnett Stripers (they had been the Gwinnett Braves for a number of years). In four early spring games for the Stripers, he gave up a total of three hits, walked one, and struck out eight. He did not allow a run — earned or otherwise. If you were paying attention last year before he got injured or even during spring training this year, he was more than ready for that final step up to major league competition. It was no surprise that he would begin 2018 able to pitch at such a high level.

So, finally, after more than eight years of hard work and rehab as a professional ballist, Biddle gets the phone call from his AAA manager, Damon Berryhill, and is told that the Atlanta Braves need him to come on up to the Big Time. He’d made it — after a 2013 season with whooping cough and plantar fasciitis; half of the 2014 season recovering from post-concussion syndrome, Continue reading →