Atlanta Braves
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The Big Burning Question: Keep or Trade Slugger Mark Teixeira?July 31st, 2008
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The non-waiver trade deadline soon approaches and there is a growing buzz all around the city. Every sports writer, columnist or blogger out there in the blogosphere has an opinion. Braves general manager Frank Wren is holed up somewhere with a lot on his mind. Braves president John Schuerholz and chairman Terry McQuirk are there, too. Important decisions must be made before July 31st. It’s that time of year in the baseball universe, when almost every GM in the game is scrambling to either improve their team for the stretch run or unload some of their valuable players in order to build for the future.
The Braves organization needs to look to their future. Pending a monumental turnaround, the chances that they will make the postseason in 2008 is slim to none. That’s why they have to make the right decision and trade gold glove first baseman Mark Teixeira by Thursday. Under the grim circumstances of this disappointing season, it’s the only logical move to make. It’s not that Teixeira isn’t a very good player. It’s that the Braves gave up way too much collateral out of their farm system to acquire Teixeira, and they don’t want to see all that potential talent wasted on the fat, free agent contract that he’ll command on the open market this offseason.
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In Order to Save Season Drenched in Mediocrity, Time is Now or Never for the BravesJuly 23rd, 2008
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If the Braves have any realistic desire to make the post season – as do all the fans in Braves Nation – they better start playing a few levels above .500 baseball. They better start winning series. They better start sweeping series, at home and on the road. The time has come for these Braves to make a stand.
The All-Star Break ended last week. The second half of the season has officially begun. The Braves are still 6 ½ games out of first-place in the National League East. The problem is that they now have three teams to jump to get there. The New York Mets caught fire before the break and put together a ten-game winning streak, which put them in a first-place tie with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Florida Marlins are only a ½ game behind the two division leaders. None of these teams have shown signs of sliding to the bottom of the division. The Braves have some serious work ahead of them.
After a humiliating series loss at home to the last-place Washington Nationals over the weekend, the Braves have a below .500 record of 46-52. That’s obviously not going to get it done. The Nationals stomped them 15-6 on Sunday and first baseman Mark Teixeira was very outspoken after the game. “Pretty embarrassing,” Teixeria told the Atlanta Journal and Constitution. “In all aspects of the game, we just got our butts kicked. It’s tough to swallow when you’re in a must-win situation and come out completely flat. Offensively, defensively, pitching – we didn’t do anything right. As bad as you can play a game, that was it.”
The Braves hit the unfriendly road today for a critically important six-game stretch against the Marlins and Phillies. It’s absolutely imperative that they take 5 out of 6 games or win all six on this road trip. They cannot afford to take it easy and expect to win. That part of the season has passed. If they don’t slam down on the gas pedal now, the drive and motivation to overtake the division will dwindle just like the fading light of a warm summer night. Falling 10 games out of first-place is not an option. Clinching the wild card is not an option. There are too many good teams in the hunt. The only way to get to the post season this year is to get it together and find someway to win the division.
That feat will require every player on the Braves’ roster to step up their game and develop some sense of urgency. The offense has to come alive. The pitching has to resemble dominance. The Braves can help themselves by playing small ball. They don’t have to sit back and wait for the late inning homerun. Steal bases, bunt runners over, sacrifice runners in scoring position with less than two outs and come through in the clutch with some situational hitting. Eliminate errors and play solid defense. Getting back to the fundamental aspects of the game is the key to climbing back in the division race. With the trade deadline looming on July 31st, the Braves will know after this road trip whether they’re contenders – looking to buy, or pretenders – looking to sell.
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As Braves Struggle Mightily, Team Somehow Finds Ways to Stay in RaceJune 19th, 2008
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There are several undeniable reasons as to why the Braves haven’t played up to their potential this season and frankly, they’re lucky to find themselves only 6½ games behind the division leading Philadelphia Phillies. It could be worse. Way worse. Nonetheless, with about a month of baseball left to play before the all-star game, the Braves have reason to be optimistic, because they still have plenty of time to makeup ground in the National League East.
Everyone in Braves Nation knows that this team has been tormented by a ridiculous amount of injuries. The dour news that iconic pitcher John Smoltz would have to have season-ending shoulder surgery that could possibly bring a finish to his career left all of us shocked and his teammates wondering how they would manage to move on without their stoic and competitive leader. Tom Glavine pulled a flexor tendon in his pitching arm and is expected to miss a month. Mike Hampton is still Mike Hampton, happily taking $15 million of the Braves payroll and laughing all the way to the bank. He still suffers from a pectoral muscle strain that has kept him on the disabled list all year. Even rookie Jair Jurrjens couldn’t escape the bizarre injury bug, tweaking his ankle as he descended some stairs on the Braves recent trip to Wrigley Field in Chicago. Read more
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Winning at the Ted is Nice, but Braves Have to Start Winning on the Road as WellMay 30th, 2008
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With two months of the 2008 season almost in the books, two important factors have become abundantly clear: the Braves play extremely well at Turner Field and generally stink when they play on the road. They find themselves sitting on a 28-24 record and 2 ½ games out of first place in the NL East. They just finished an 8-3 home stand, taking 2 out of 3 from the Oakland Athletics, a four-game sweep of the division rival New York Mets and a four-game split with the NL West leading Arizona Diamondbacks.
During that stretch, the Braves were able to beat Brandon Webb, Johan Santana and the resurgent Randy Johnson. Not an easy task by any team. Webb – the best pitcher in the National League and arguably all of baseball – was dealt just his second loss of the year. Santana – the Mets’ high priced acquisition this past off-season – hasn’t been able to shut down the Braves yet. And Johnson, who once threw a no-hitter against the Braves in his prime, pitched brilliantly, but one mistake proved to be one too many.
The Braves are 22-7 at the Ted this season, which is good for the best home record in the NL and second best in the major leagues, only to the Boston Red Sox (21-5). However, they are 6-17 on the road, which is the worst in all of baseball. If the Braves hope to win the NL East this season and make any noise in the playoffs, they have to find a way to win a lot more games on the road. They started a six-game road trip yesterday against the Milwaukee Brewers and lost the first game of that three-game series 3-2. The Brewers were able to score the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning off a sacrifice fly. It was a crushing loss for the Braves, who led 2-1 in the eighth inning, behind the usually stellar Tim Hudson.
The Braves have lost 13 of 14 one-run games and are a pathetic 0-10 in one-run games on the road this season. Third baseman Chipper Jones (.365) is the only Brave hitting over .300 away from Turner Field. So, what’s the problem? “I’m lobbying for us to take our white [home uniform] jerseys on the road and hang them up in the lockers even if we don’t wear them,” right fielder Jeff Francoeur joked to the Atlanta Journal and Constitution. “In all seriousness, we’ve got to get playing better on the road. We don’t want to keep building momentum at home and then go 2-4 on the road.”
Well said, but easier said than done if the Braves wish to turn their road woes into some quality road wins. Here’s a look at some of the numbers: the Braves are hitting .306 at home and .251 on the road. At home, they have scored a collective 156 runs, while only plating 85 runs on the road. They have 151 RBI’s at the Ted and 79 RBI’s on the road. Every Braves hitter – regardless of position – is hitting lower on the road than at home. The disparity between these statistics is alarming. Having good mojo and consistency at home is one of the many things that every team – professional or collegiate – strives for.
Teams are expected to protect their home turf, not allow opponents to come into their territory and outplay them. One of the advantages to this philosophy is that other teams don’t think that they can go into another city and come out with a sweep. No team strives to be a pushover. The Braves have shown that they can handle opponents and excellent pitching at Turner Field. That being said, during the course of a long season, the Braves have got to start taking the same mentality they use at home on the road with them. If they manage to make the playoffs, they have to show other teams that they can be a force to reckon with on the road. Sometimes, they have just been unlucky – like last night. However, no matter what the issues are away from Atlanta, the Braves will look a lot scarier if they don’t end every road trip with a sour taste in their mouths.
**CORRECTION** - There was an incorrect statement I made in the article titled “Chipper Jones is Healthy & Blistering Hot.” At the end of the sixth paragraph, I wrote that once Jones reaches 400 homers, he would be the all-time league leader in that category for a switch-hitter. That was a huge mistake. Mickey Mantle had 536 homers and Eddie Murray had 504 homers. I was thinking of active switch-hitters when I wrote that sentence. My apologies to the Braves Nation and I’ll try to not let it happen again.
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With the Rotation Ailing, Tim Hudson must remain the Constant AceMay 20th, 2008
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Before the season started, it appeared as if the Braves would finally have the pitching depth in the starting rotation that it lacked over the last few years. They resigned Tom Glavine, after five seasons with the dreaded New York Mets. Mike Hampton, who hadn’t pitched an inning since 2005, had a good spring training. John Smoltz was on pace to remain his reliable self. Jair Jurrjens, the unproven rookie right-hander acquired from the Detroit Tigers in the Edgar Renteria trade, looked very impressive.
After 41 games, the Braves are 21-20. Glavine was recently placed on the 15-day DL for the first time in his 22-year career. He has since returned to the rotation and finally gained his first win as a Brave since 2002 against the Philadelphia Phillies. Smoltz has been on the DL twice and is headed for the bullpen – his own personal decision – when he returns in the upcoming weeks. Hampton, still plagued by the most absurd injuries, has yet to pitch in a major league game, despite two full years of rehabilitation. Jurrjens has been a pleasant surprise, but nothing to rave about. And the other spot starters – Chuck James, Jo Jo Reyes and Buddy Carlyle – have been mediocre at best.
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Chipper Jones is Healthy & Blistering HotMay 9th, 2008
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To say that Braves third baseman Chipper Jones is on fire would be a grave understatement. The 36-year-old veteran switch-hitter is on a torrid streak to start the 2008 season, hitting a ridiculous .419 with 10 homers and 29 RBIs in 33 games.
Braves fans have seen Jones in a zone before, but nothing as prodigious as this display of power and patience. His OBP is .471 and his SLGP is a robust .718. His batting average and 52 hits are tops in the major leagues. Jones’ productivity has fueled the Braves to an 18-15 record, which is third in the NL East, but only 1 1/2 games behind the first-place Florida Marlins. The Braves just finished an impressive home sweep at Turner Field of the Cincinnati Reds and San Diego Padres.
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Close, but . . .April 28th, 2008
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“I’ve been lucky. I’ll be lucky again.”
Bette Davis
Manager Bobby Cox isn’t the only one to whom the phrase “no cigar” applies these days. The season is one-sixth over now, the Braves are falling one by one like sore-armed snowflakes and I’m wondering what it means to lose eight straight one run games.
Not much, probably, other than eight losses. The team hasn’t been overly successful in key situations, true, leaving a combined 100 men on base in those eight games. The offense has struggled late in games, yes, scoring only eleven runs after the sixth inning, with seven of those coming in one game. And the team has squandered opportunities, sure, losing leads in six of the eight games.
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Anatomy of a Train WreckApril 18th, 2008
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“We’re a long, long way from home, Bobbie. Home’s a long, long way from us.”
Bruce Springsteen’s “Devils & Dust”
We’re going to acknowledge it once, and then we’re going to forget that road trip, one of the worst in recent memory, ever happened, ok? David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution does a nice job of surveying the wasteland.
We can add to that list, of course, the fact that Peter Moylan’s elbow is most likely going to require season-ending reconstructive surgery, and that despite John Smoltz’s five beautiful innings last night, he, Tom Glavine, and Tim Hudson combined innings for eight innings in their last respective starts. Still, it’s always darkest before the dawn, and immediately after, you drop two out of three to a team with a $21 million payroll. Let’s find some silver lining to get us through this rough patch.
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Extrapolator’s DelightApril 13th, 2008
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“Stop telling such outlandish tales. Stop turning minnows into whales.”
Dr. Seuss, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street
April is the month of irresponsible prognostication. All across baseball, there is loose talk of things to come. In the bleachers and papers alike, rashness abounds. It’s been a long winter, and in the anxiousness to fully immerse ourselves in the new season, we seem to forget that it’s a long season, and that the laws of the universe will apply to all of it. Everywhere, emperors are being overthrown and paupers are rising to take their place. Temporary, minor concerns are made to be fatal flaws. Countless mountains from many mole hills. Easy fellas, it’s early yet.
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Of Age and Other DemonsApril 7th, 2008
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When I speak
of flowers
it is to recall
that at one time
we were young.
William Carlos Williams, “Asphodel, that Greeny Flower”
This was inevitable, wasn’t it? All the winning, all the years; it was going to catch up to them eventually, right? One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh. The lights are coming on at Turner Field. The wrinkles are coming more quickly and closer together. The Atlanta Braves have grown old.
The team’s 2008 season is contingent almost entirely on men of an advanced age behaving younger than they are. John Smoltz will turn 41 in May, and is coming off a season in which he battled persistent shoulder troubles. Tom Glavine is 42. Chipper Jones will turn 36 this month and hasn’t played in more than 137 games since 2003. Mike Hampton is 35 and Mike Hampton. Bobby Cox is 66 and widely thought to be in his last season as manager. The Braves have set their season at the base of clock. Read more
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