Yunel Escobar of the Atlanta Braves was named the National League player-of-the-week. In four games since the All-Star break, Escobar is hitting .500 (7 of 14) and has eight RBI’s. There have been rumors circulating of Escobar falling out of Bobby Cox’s favor, claiming the Braves are trying to trade him, but Escobar has been consistently the best or second-best hitter on the team.
The Braves get going tonight versus the San Fransisco Giants. Tommy Hanson (4-0) takes the mound against Jonathon Sanchez (3-8), who struggled early in the season but recently threw a no-hitter. You can see the Braves at 7 p.m. on SportsSouth. Watch out for Martin Prado (10 games) and Casey Kotchman (11 games), who both have career-high hitting streaks going right now.
The nation’s number two defensive tackle, according to scout.com, has picked UGA over Florida. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound Garrison Smith is the 16th player to commit to the Bulldogs, who are putting together a stellar recruiting class. Smith’s family will have to get acquainted with Athens, as his older brother Greg played for the Yellow Jackets from 06-08.
Former Atlanta Hawk Antoine Walker appeared in a Las Vegas court earlier today, answering charges that he owed $822,500 in casino gambling debt. Walker was not asked to enter a plea and did not offer any comment during or after the hearing. Walker is a three-time All-Star who last played in the NBA in ’08 for the Minnesota Timberwolves.