Brian McCann is a Rich Lefty Swinging Catcher

Here's more proof for you parents looking to make a fortune off of your children that teaching them to be lefthanded ... whether it be throwing or swinging ... works. But be careful: if you're going the route of "swing", make sure your son is a catcher. Then the dough rolls in, as it did for Brian McCann today when he signed a six year deal that can turn out to be worth as much as $41 million:

"This is really a historical and unprecedented kind of commitment for the Atlanta Braves," general manager John Schuerholz said. McCann was born in Athens, Ga., and lives in Duluth, near Atlanta. "Atlanta is where I want to play. It's where I grew up," McCann said. "Not many people can say that."

Well actually, lots of people can say they grew up in Atlanta, including a few members of McCann's own team including Blaine Boyer, Jeff Francoeur, and Chuck James. And that's not even mentioning the pile of Braves born in the state of Georgia such as Macay McBride (Augusta), Kyle Davies (Decatur), Jonathan Johnson (LaGrange), and Tim Hudson (Columbus).

Organizations that are increasingly worried about the bottom line like the Braves are looking for new ways to build talent at a reasonable price. Outside of Johnson and Hudson, the Georgia natives you see above are all Braves draft picks. When one of those feel good Georgia guys make good and stick with the club, signing them to a long term deal makes some bit of sense when you consider a lefty swinging catcher who can be a career .300 hitter is going to be wooed by bigger money teams down the line. A long term contract pushes the wolves away for a little while longer, and also builds a long term relationship with the Braves fan base. When you're a major league baseball franchise in a place where Georgia football will always be king, you have to find new ways to build a bond. The homegrown route is the one traveled by the Braves and ~~Ted Turner~~ Liberty Media.

Keeping a .300 hitting catcher around, wherever he's from, is a good route to travel as well.