Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Mike Soroka. (John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports)
Mike Soroka was far too simple. Instead, the Atlanta Braves pitcher wants fans to call him by his full name.
Michael Soroka doesn’t roll off the tongue like ‘mike’ does, but we’ll go with it for now.
Every now and then, media members are asked to call longstanding players by a different name. It’s a rare ask, but one which is typically agreed upon by the media given it’s a luxury to speak with professional athletes in the first place. For example, Mitchell Trubisky of the Pittsburgh Steelers was asked to be called ‘Mitch’ by Pittsburgh media upon signing there.
Really, it’s up to the player. Mike Soroka of the Braves would prefer you call him by his full name moving forward. Michael is it.
Former teammate Luke Jackson, who recently signed with the San Francisco Giants, had some fun at Soroka’s expense after the announcement by Bowman.
Atlanta Braves: Will Michael Soroka make the Opening Day rotation?
‘Insert first name here’ Soroka is fighting with longtime teammate and friend Ian Anderson for the final rotation spot. Anderson is coming off a down season, and Soroka is oft-injured, and thus not very dependable at this point in his career. Either way, it’s good for Brian Snitker to have options at the back end of his rotation. The loser of said spring training competition will likely be moved to the bullpen in a long relief role, and rotation insurance.
“[Ian is] definitely my best friend on the team,” Soroka said about the looming position battle. “We’ve been together for a long time. It’s ironic that we had never played together before being at Triple-A last year. I think we’re both fairly mature and understanding that we’re both going to do what we need to do. We both wish the best for each other.”
If Soroka can regain some of his 2019 form, in which he finished sixth in NL Cy Young voting and pitched to a 13-4 record with a 2.68 ERA, he’ll be a shoe-in for that No. 5 spot.