Hall of Famers present, future dominate Day 1 at winter meetings

"And then the media [grew]. ESPN started in September of '79. You really had to fight off the distractions of fame and fortune. So what I believed, and this

Tom Verducci | Dec 9, 2013

Hall of Famers present, future dominate Day 1 at winter meetings /

Legendary managers Tony La Russa, Joe Torre and Bobby Cox were unanimously elected to the Hall of Fame. — Legendary managers Tony La Russa, Joe Torre and Bobby Cox were unanimously elected to the Hall of Fame :: John Raoux/AP

"And then the media [grew]. ESPN started in September of '79. You really had to fight off the distractions of fame and fortune. So what I believed, and this is something we learned over time, leadership is more important than ever in professional sports."

Heyward is eligible for free agency in 2016 and Freeman in 2017. The last time Atlanta locked up on of its homegrown stars was in 2007, when it secured Brian McCann for seven years (including an option) at the relative bargain of $38.8 million.

Published Dec 9, 2013

TOM VERDUCCI

Tom Verducci is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated who has covered Major League Baseball since 1981. He also serves as an analyst for FOX Sports and the MLB Network; is a New York Times best-selling author; and cohosts The Book of Joe podcast with Joe Maddon. A five-time Emmy Award winner across three categories (studio analyst, reporter, short form writing) and nominated in a fourth (game analyst), he is a three-time National Sportswriter of the Year winner, two-time National Magazine Award finalist, and a Penn State Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient. Verducci is a member of the National Sports Media Hall of Fame, Baseball Writers Association of America (including past New York chapter chairman) and a Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 1993. He also is the only writer to be a game analyst for World Series telecasts. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, with whom he has two children.