sports an annual SJL special section At the Maccabi Games in Birmingham
Max Fried moves to the Majors
Mississippi pitcher called up to the Atlanta Braves by Lee J. Green Max Fried, a 23-year-old lefthanded Jewish pitcher from southern California, was just adjusting to his first time being in the Deep South when he was called up by the Atlanta Braves on Aug. 5. Fried had spent the season with the Double-A Southern League’s Mississippi Braves in Pearl, outside of Jackson, when he received the news he was climbing two rungs of the ladder to the big leagues to help Atlanta with long relief. “It certainly had been a dream of mine for a long time to make it to the major leagues. I was nervous at first but it has been fun every day,” said Fried, when interviewed before a Braves/Reds game on Aug. 19. “My teammates have helped me to adjust and the everyone has been very supportive.” His parents flew across the country to catch his major league debut. In his first two appearances, he worked three innings and did not allow a run, and had two strikeouts. On Aug. 23, he was sent down to Triple-A Gwinnett, in suburban Atlanta, but was called back up to the big leagues when rosters expanded on Sept. 1. In all, he pitched 6-2/3 innings in four appearances, allowing four runs on seven hits, six walks and four strikeouts in his first stint with the Braves. On Aug. 24, in his Gwinnett debut, he returned to his usual role as a starter, pitching four shutout innings with one hit, two walks and six
Photo by Pouya Dianat/Atlanta Braves