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February 1, 2013

Overthinking It

If I Had My Brothers

by Ben Lindbergh

B.J. and Justin Upton are brothers. They’re also both Braves, thanks to the November signing that brought B.J. to Atlanta and the trade last week in which Justin joined him. As one would expect, the Uptons are excited about the opportunity to be big-league teammates, which they’ve been hoping to have for years. Here are some quotes from a couple of the many stories written about the Uptons in the wake of the trade:

"We've talked about playing together since we were kids, but the way our contracts and ages worked out, I never dreamed it would happen this early in our careers," B.J. said. "I'm excited to play some good prime years with [Justin]."

"It made my workout pretty easy that morning," B.J. Upton said. "I don't know how many guys get up at 6:30 and they're happy. But I was that morning."

"We'll definitely push each other," B.J. Upton said. "It's just kind of understood.”

"I didn't think it would happen this year," [B.J.] Upton said. "You don't get that lucky. But for us to have that chance now, it's tough to really put into words how it feels. We're excited about it and looking forward to it."

Over the past few seasons, both Uptons have been accused of being lazy, lacking effort, or not seeming sufficiently gritty. Maybe they’re actually guilty of those things, or maybe some combination of nature and nurture has bestowed upon both of them the deceptive appearance of not playing as hard as possible. Makeup, effort, or attitude problems are a convenient way to explain why two players who were each once ranked the second-best prospect in baseball have yet to become superstars, as well as why they’re some years removed from their most productive seasons despite being in or just entering their primes.