The Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

On Thursday, February 14th a bunch of guys will walk out onto fields in Arizona and Florida to stretch, run, and play catch, which signifies the end of 3 1/2 cold, gray, dreary winter months and the beginning of a new season. Yes, this Thursday, pitchers and catchers are due to report to Spring training. The best quote I've read about this time of year (discovered on this excellent blog from the AJC's Braves beat writer) comes from a writer for the LA Times, Jim Murray: “Spring is the time of year when the ground thaws, trees bud, the income tax falls due — and everybody wins the pennant.” What could be better than the promise of warm weather, the world turning green again, fresh cut grass, warm breezes, hot dogs and cold beer at the ball field? And this is the one time when hope truly seems to have a footing. It doesn't matter what your team did last year, it's a whole new beginning. In the spirit of this, I will now delve a bit into my team, the Atlanta Braves, and give my predictions for the new year.

There were some notable losses over the off-season and some big gains. We'll have some fresh faces this year and, as always, there are question marks. As I did last year, I'll take a quick trip around the diamond and rank each area.


Starting Pitching: A

This is one area where question marks abound, and negative answers could lower that letter grade significantly. I, of course, am an optimist (see previous paragraph on hope). Starting pitching has been a sore area for teams all across baseball, so I don't think ranking the Braves staff near the top is a stretch. The biggest change to the staff this year is the signing of former Brave Tom Glavine from the Mets. This gives us three starters, John Smoltz, Tim Hudson, and Glavine, that have a good chance of giving over 600 innings combined. This is huge, as last year our bullpen was worn into the ground with our 3, 4, and 5 guys getting knocked around a lot and coming out of games early. If these top three guys (2 of which are over 40) can succeed in giving us innings, we'll be a lot better than last year. The end of the rotation is still another big question that will be decided in spring training. The last 2 spots will go to either Mike Hampton, Jair Jurrjens (new pitcher received in the Edgar Renteria trade from Detroit), or Chuck James. Hampton is a big question as he has been hurt and hasn't pitched an inning in 2 1/2 years. So, I've got to say he won't be in the rotation until he proves to me otherwise. Jurrjens is a very promising rookie pitcher, who if he continues what he's done in Detroit's farm system stands a very good chance of earning a spot. Finally, Chuck James who has done well the past two seasons, but has been rumored to not be at 100% this spring, will also have a good chance if healthy. We'll have to just see how it shakes out, but all in all we have a much-improved rotation over last year.


Relief Pitching: B

Rafael Soriano will start off the season in the closer's role and Braves fans hope that the hard throwing right-hander's performance resembles last year (with the exception of one homer happy month). Soriano loves the closer's role and thrives on the pressure. He's got an overpowering fastball and a mean look in his eyes. He's very competitive and is all business. Rounding out the bullpen for sure will be Peter Moylan, an Aussie side arm pitcher who was very impressive last season, Tyler Yates, Manny Acosta, and Will Ohman, a recent pick up from the Cubs who will be our left-handed set up man. Also, Mike Gonzalez should be back from surgery recovery around mid-season. If these guys resemble what they did last year, we should be in pretty good shape. Again, relief pitching is also a very sore area all around baseball, so having a few guys that have some promise is a good sign.


Infield: B+

The biggest move here came in the second half of last season with the trade for Mark Teixeira, which gave us an amazing bat and a gold glove first baseman. Not only do we get the offensive production from Teixeira (who in 54 games with Atlanta last year hit .317 with 17 HR), but also it forces pitchers to pitch to Chipper Jones, who bats ahead of Teixeira. These two guys, both switch hitters, are about the best 3-4 combo you could hope for in a line-up. At second, we have Kelly Johnson, who was very impressive last year in his first full year as a second baseman. Count on him to put up a good offensive line next year too. At shortstop we lost Edgar Renteria, which is a personal shame for me, as I always like him, and we will miss his bat and his leadership. In his place, though, is Yunel Escobar, an amazing young rookie who had a fantastic year last year in a platoon and back-up role. He was so impressive that the Braves were willing to trade Renteria and give Escobar the full time job. Expect big things from this kid. Behind the plate is Brian McCann, who despite playing hurt most of last year, put up good numbers for a catcher. He is generally ranked one of the best in baseball and I'd have to agree. Overall, we have a very strong infield. The relative youth at second and short is more than made up for with the experience at the corners.


Outfield: C

The biggest loss in the outfield is Andruw Jones. While it is a loss, it is no surprise. Everyone knew the Braves would not be able to afford the huge free agent contract that his agent the infamous Scott Boras would no doubt negotiate for him. The only glimmer of hope of retaining his services came because of the absolutely dismal season he had at the plate last season, barely rising above the Mendoza line (.200 batting average). Of course, that performance didn't stop him from signing a $36.2 million 2-year contract with the LA Dodgers, making him the 5th highest paid player in baseball based on average salary. I always liked Andruw and contend he is one of the best defensive centerfielders in the game, but it's time to move on, that said... His replacement for next season is Mark Kotsay. He is a veteran centerfielder who has struggled as of late largely due to injuries. Hopeful fans project him to provide solid defense with around a .270 average (my thinking is that's a bit high, perhaps .255-.260) as a stopgap until the latest Braves phenom, Jordan Schafer, is ready. Most predict Schafer will be up in the bigs possibly by the end of the season, but certainly by 2009. If Kotsay can provide this stopgap, and offer his experience, then I say good move. In left will likely be a Matt Diaz/Brandon Jones platoon. I think Diaz has earned a right to play everyday, but Cox likes his platoons, and Brandon Jones has shown he's ready for the big league level. Should be solid offensive production here, with some added defense from Jones. Right field is the surest bet with Jeff Francoeur. His plate discipline has improved dramatically, which has raised his average, but slightly diminished his home run totals. I think that will change with experience. He's an excellent defensive right fielder with a canon for an arm. I love watching him gun down people at the plate from right field. Fun to watch. He's one of the new faces of the franchise and fans hope the Braves lock him in a long-term deal. A lot of questions with the outfield, but we do have some depth there which is good and will hopefully alleviate the loss of Andruw.


Summary

Like every year, I pick the Braves to finish first in the NL East and hopefully have enough steam to get back to the World Series. It's going to be tough, though, as the Mets still have an excellent team made better with the acquiring of Johan Santana in the offseason, who is pretty much agreed upon as the best pitcher in baseball. Plus, last year's division winners, the Phillies, are not to be counted out and have an excellent team again this year. It will be a tight race, which might just give the Braves the momentum they need to propel them through the playoffs. It's going to be a great year...bring on baseball and Go Braves!!

Trade Deadline Excitement

So, I realize that baseball posts are fairly self-indulgent (as if blogging in general were not) because most of you folks that keep up with this blog couldn't care less (though there may be a couple out there who do), but I couldn't resist with the recent Braves happenings.

The Braves GM, John Schuerholz, resembled a kid at a baseball card show these past couple days before the trade deadline today. A recap of the moves made:

• The big move was the acquisition of Mark Teixeira, a power hitting first baseman, from the Texas Rangers. He's not only a great bat but also a gold glove first baseman. First base has been the glaring weakness in the Braves lineup, and Teixeira is the best we could have gotten to fill that place. The Braves also got relief pitcher Ron Mahay. We had to give up a lot to get them: Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Elvis Andrus, and Neftali Feliz, which are the top three Braves prospects, as well as Matt Harrison and Beau Jones. I hate losing such great prospects, but that's all they are: prospects. There's no substitute for proven talent. This deal makes the Braves a contender NOW, and a big one. Teixeira now gives the Braves 4 potential 100 RBI guys, which is huge. It also puts a big bat behind the surging Chipper Jones to force pitchers to pitch to him. Right now he's got Andruw Jones behind him who has been struggling. There isn't a weak point in the lineup now.
  
• The Braves also acquired relief pitcher Octavio Dotel from Kansas City for starting pitcher Kyle Davies. This is a great move in my mind, as Davies has been mediocre and Dotel has been an excellent relief pitcher. This along with the other trades gives the Braves the deepest bullpen in the National League.
  
• Finally, the Braves got reliever Royce Ring from the Padres for Wilfredo Ledezma and Will Startup.

The only hole that the Braves didn't fill was that of another starting pitcher. There were efforts to get Bronson Arroyo from the Reds and either Jon Garland or Javier Vasquez from the White Sox, but these fell through. In my opinion, though, I don't think it's as big a deal since we got an extra big bat and solidified the bullpen. We've got John Smoltz and Tim Hudson as a big 1-2 punch at the start of the rotation, then Chuck James, Buddy Carlyle, and Jo-Jo Reyes, who have all been decent lately, and have faced most of their struggles in the late innings. Having depth in the pen allows Bobby to bring in relievers that much sooner and takes a lot of pressure off of the starters.

These moves put the Braves as the favorite to win the NL East and put them as great contenders for a World Series appearance. I'm excited to see what happens...stay tuned.

First Signs of Spring

Last week, on Thursday the 15th to be precise, I heard the three most beautiful words in the English language: pitchers and catchers. Now, before your mind wanders and you start thinking strange things about me, I’m talking about baseball. All other position players are due at camp this week, but pitchers and catchers report first and thus signal the beginning of spring and the first glimmer of hope that the long, cold winter is almost over. I don’t know what to do with myself between the end of football season and the beginning of baseball. Watch hockey? Pshh. C’mon, I live in Georgia.

So, in honor of spring training I figured I'd give my opinion on the outlook of the Braves this year and my predictions for the NL East. Since no one really reads this anymore it won’t matter if I’m way off, but if I’m right I’ll have the evidence to prove it.

Bull Pen: A
The key off season moves this year strengthend the bull pen: the Braves picked up Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano. These two excellent set up men, and possibly occasional closers, along with regular closer Bob Wickman, give us one of the strongest pens in the league. This will make this season a lot less stressful. Last year, Braves fans started rocking like Leo every time Bobby came to the mound with the hook. Look for this to take a big load off starting pitching as they won't feel like they have to go 7 or 8 innings each outing.

Starting Pitching: B
The starting rotation is still a question mark. John Smoltz should be strong as ever. Word is that he’s the type that won’t let his recent divorce affect him on the field, and since he’s in the last year of his contract he’s going to want to put up some good numbers to stick around a few more years (with or without the Braves). Tim Hudson is back, but will we see the Huddy of the last few years, or the one that was one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball when he played for Oakland? The biggest question mark is Mike Hampton who is planning to return from missing a season and a half because of injuries. Let’s hope he can return to his pre-injury form. Closing out the rotation will be Chuck James, a rookie who showed a lot of promise last year. If everyhing comes together, this staff is an A+.

Infield: C+
The biggest losses in the off season did a number on the right side of the infield. Marcus Giles was released as a free agent and Adam LaRoche was traded to the Pirates. Giles has always been one of my favorites, and his off the field spirit will probably be missed more than his bat. As for LaRoche, I’ve gone from not liking him because of his lack of hustle to coming around some with his amazing second half offensive performance last season. Whatever you think about him, he leaves some decent sized shoes to fill. Rookies will be taking over at both positions, Scott Thorman at first and Kelly Johnson at second (who hasn't played second since high school) so only time will tell how that will work out. Look for prospect Jarrod Saltalamacchia to perhaps come up late in the season. If he can find his bat and pick up some skills at first, we could be set there for a while.

As for the rest of the infield, we look pretty good. Edgar Renteria is a soft spoken guy that speaks loudly with his bat. He had a couple of great hitting streaks last season. Chipper is Chipper. The main question is: will he stay healthy? If not, we'll have a very young infield as his replacement will probably be Willy Aybar who came up in 2005 with the Dodgers. Behind the plate, we have probably the best young catcher in baseball. There’s nothing not to like about Brian McCann. Overall, there are a lot of holes, so we'll all be counting on Bobby to work some magic.

Outfield: B
There are two main questions in the outfield: who gets the starting job in left and will Frenchy draw a few walks this season? Ryan Langerhans and Matt Diaz are the two guys in the running for the left field spot. While Langerhans is a great defensive outfielder, he has struggled at the plate. Diaz is a better hitter, but hasn’t been as strong in the field. Perhaps there will be a platoon, but I have a feeling one of them will end up on the trading block. Spring training may just determine which one. Jeff Francoeur is a great left fielder and has promise to be one of the league’s best hitters. Now if he could just lay off the first pitch… He only drew 23 walks in 651 at bats last season. I'm surprised it's even that high. Andruw Jones in center is the strongest part of the outfield. Word is he’s in the best shape he’s been in for years at the start of spring training and he’s also going to be playing for $$$. This is the last year of his contract, and he’s up for a HUGE raise if he performs well (unfortunately, it most likely won’t be with the Braves who have a payroll cap that will likely stay with new owners Liberty Media). At the very least, we’ll get one more great season from him. Be sure to catch some games this year just to see Andruw, because this may be the last time you see him in a Braves uniform.

Bench: C
The bench is very young and will most likely be playing musical chairs as Bobby tries to come up with the right combination for the open infield spots. If Chipper goes down, the bench will be even thinner. We're not going to have a lot in the line of pinch hitters, but we will have some speed and some hustle. Pete Orr deserves mention here. He's no great threat right now, but he plays like a ball player. He hustles to first even on a little bouncer to the mound. Hopefully his spirit will be contagious.


Overall, if the pitching and infield questions work out, the Braves have a good shot of taking the division again this year. Pitching is what always won it for us in the past, and if we can work out some kinks, we could be staring down on the rest of the East, as it should be.

Prediction for final NL East standings:

1. Atlanta Braves – Yea, gotta go with the hometown team

2. New York Mets – Will be very tough again this season, but pitching is the question, espcially their aces. Pedro has been injured and Glavine is getting up there.

3. Philadelphia Phillies – Have a good shot of taking the whole division, I’d put them no more than a game back from the Mets. Ryan Howard is amazing: there's not reason he won't hit another 50 home runs this year with the short porch at Citizens Bank Park

4. Florida Marlins - A young team loaded with talent. They'll be the team to beat in a couple of years, of course they need to get their front office in order first and get out of Dolphin Stadium.

5. Washington Nationals - Still in transition and trying to rebuild. Wait until they get their new stadium and a permenant home.

Another BCS Rant

It’s been said before, but I’ll say it again: college football has got to get rid of the current BCS system. Every year at least one team gets shafted, sometimes worse than others: remember a couple years ago when Auburn went undefeated, won the SEC, and their bowl game and finished second? Yea, I know there are other more prominent ones, but this is the one I remember. Most fans will be quick to share their favorite sob story before you can even finish the question. The problem, though, does more than just tick off a few fans every year; it dampens the excitement of a great sport. Sportswriters can talk all day about who they think will win on paper, but as it’s been said, the game isn’t played on paper. That’s the reason all that time and money is spent actually going out to the field and playing the game. You never know what can happen, which is precisely what makes it so exciting.

For example, take Boise State’s thrilling win in the Fiesta Bowl over Oklahoma on Monday. You’ve probably heard about this by now even if you aren’t a sports fan because it’s been everywhere. Yesterday I heard mention of it in discussion groups I’m a part of, on NPR, Sports Center, the evening news, the newspaper, heck they were still talking about it today in the news. For those that don’t know the story, it goes something like this: Boise State came into the game as an underdog and no one gave them a chance to win outside of the Boise State campus. As Terry Bowden put it in his column today:

I couldn't find one college football analyst or expert who picked them. Who possibly could have predicted that Boise State, which moved to Division I-A just a decade ago, could beat Oklahoma, the team with the highest paid coach in college football (well, as of Jan. 2), the best facilities, the best athletes, seven national championships and arguably the best winning tradition anywhere?

But they did win and they did it with more excitement than has been seen in awhile. In case you didn’t catch the two trick plays that tied and won the game, you can find the hook and ladder play here and the statue of liberty play here. The amazing thing is that these plays, especially the latter, are a part of football folklore and haven’t worked in a game in years. But they did on Monday.

And that’s just it. Depriving 13-0 Boise State of a shot at the title, as well as all the other teams with good records, is depriving the country of a really great story. Of course there are far more important issues in our world, but sometimes the only way to deal with the day to day difficulties is to get your mind off things. That’s why we like sports, they let us act out our frustrations and emotions in a controlled environment. Games like Monday’s Fiesta Bowl unite and inspire and I guess I’d just like to see more chances for those kinds of moments.

The Yankees Failure

I'm not normally one to revel in another's loss, unless, of course, that loss is by the New York Yankees. The Detroit Tigers beat the Yankees 3 games to 1 to win the divisional series and eliminate the Yankees from the playoffs. Below is Yankees owner George Steinbrenner's statement:

"I am deeply disappointed at our being eliminated so early in the playoffs. This result is absolutely not acceptable to me nor to our great and loyal Yankee fans. I want to congratulate the Detroit Tigers organization and wish them well. Rest assured, we will go back to work immediately and try to right this sad failure and provide a championship for the Yankees, as is our goal every year."

I guess $200 million just doesn't buy what it used to.

The End of an Era

The most impressive streak not just in baseball, but in all of professional sports, came to a quiet end just after midnight Wednesday. The New York Mets beat the Florida Marlins and mathematically eliminated the Braves from winning the division and the door closed on 14 straight Division Titles. Of course, everyone knew the Braves had no chance weeks ago, but the true fan always maintains that small glimmer of hope all the way to the bitter end. I’ve had a while to get used to the idea, so I’m not angry anymore. Now, I’m just taking the streak in. It’s been quite a ride and I couldn’t be prouder to have been a Braves fan through the whole thing.

What has made this extra special to anyone who has been in Atlanta long enough is the fact that the Braves were horrible until 1991 when this streak began. I remember going to Fulton County Stadium in the 80’s to a team that looked like the team from the movie Major League before they got good. Even the field itself was in disrepair since the Falcons also played there (and they weren’t much better back then). The games would barely draw enough fans to even make noise and any promotion that said: “First 10,000 fans receive a collectors Braves helmet” actually meant “Everyone Gets a Helmet Day”. You went to see Dale Murphy and Bob Horner and whoever the opposing team was. As bad as they were, though, I will always remember my first Braves game, my first baseball game, as a great day. That first moment of walking through the breezeway with baseball glove in hand and seeing the enormous field opening up before me was about the most beautiful site my young eyes had ever seen. Sunny day, baseball, hot dog…what could be better? From that moment on, for better or worse, I was a Braves fan.

Then 1991 came. The year before the Braves had finished in last place with the worst record in all of baseball. No one expected much this year either. At the All-Star Break the Braves were down 9 ½ games and it looked like more of the same. But they rallied and the season went down to the wire with the Braves clinching on October 5. Atlanta went crazy. I got to go to some playoff games and it was the most amazing magical experience. The stadium was packed and The Chant that would accompany the Tomahawk Chop would continue long after the drum rhythm on the PA would stop. The Braves went on to defeat the Pittsburg Pirates in 7 games in a very tense National League Championship Series (NLCS) and the unbelievable had happened: the Atlanta Braves were going to the World Series. The Braves lost a heartbreaker in the 7th game of the World Series to the Minnesota Twins, but in a way it didn’t matter. We weren’t losers anymore. The Braves got a ticker tape parade when they returned home and it was such a big deal we got to watch it on TV in school instead of doing our regular lessons.

Over the next 14 years winning was the name of the game. Season after season we came out on top of our division. There are many unforgettable moments: “The Catch” by Otis Nixon, Sid Bream lumbering around the bases for what seemed like an hour, all the Cy Young awards, the World Series win in 1995, watching Smoltz shut things down as a starter, then a closer, then a starter again. I could go on, and on.

It’s been such a long streak that people just began to assume the Braves would win. It was a given. Over this streak the Braves have had 272 players appear in at least one game. The only active Braves player to be there through it all is John Smoltz. The team has become a dynasty and credit is due in large part to Bobby Cox, the manager, and John Schuerholz, the GM. They have run an amazing team and done something never done before.

It may be over for this season, but there’s always next year. I think it’s about time to start a new streak. Congratulations on a great run, guys, and thanks for all the memories.

What Baseball is all About

Today Anibal Sanchez, a 22 year old Venezuelan rookie threw a no-hitter against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He's pitching for a very young Marlins team, which has done surprisingly well this year despite their off-season fire sale of talented players. They are only 3 games out of the wildcard race and 4 games ahead of my beloved Braves in the division. Everyone predicted them to finish last this year (and the Braves first...sigh), but this is why we play the games. With the endless talk on sports radio and ESPN one would think the season is over before it begins, but there are always surprises, which is what makes it so much fun.

After he made the final out, his teammates flooded the field and hoisted him on their shoulders. His wife was in attendance and after the game he said: "She was there," his eyes wet with tears of joy. "I don't know, I can't say any more. I love her, I love my family." He'll remeber this for the rest of his life. What a moment for a young athlete. These are the things that make sports exciting. Plus it will take people's minds off the last no-hitter in MLB, Randy Johnson's perfect game against the Braves in 2004.

Congratulations Anibal, and here's to a long career for you.

Wow, that was fast

A few days ago I posted on the sub par nature of sports interviews. Well, I guess ESPN heard me. Apparently they've hired an "interview coach" to train all sports casters in interview techniques. Each employee is required to take the three day seminar.

According to ESPN's senior vice president John Walsh: "I felt that we were missing key questions. We weren't getting key moments ... so I thought we needed help."

Ahh, the power of the blogosphere. I just didn't think success came that fast...

Sports Journalism 101

In an attempt to bring the somewhat lofty nature of my previous posts back firmly onto the ground, I wanted to comment on the sometimes hilarious answers sports reporters get from players. The other day I was listening to NPR, which I thoroughly enjoy, but where I always find the sports coverage to be funny. Perhaps it's my own bias, but they approach sports in the same hard news way they approach everything else. The facts of the game they are reporting about are delivered in the same way they would rattle off the key points of a Bush press conference, but with a somewhat lighter tone of voice. It's hard to describe, you just have to hear it. This, however, is beside the point. The other day they were interviewing Atlanta Braves pitcher Tim Hudson.

"What is your pitching strategy for tonight's game, Tim?" The reporter asked.

"Well, you know, I just plan to go out there and make good pitches and get guys out," Tim replied.

Um, yea. This is akin to a player being asked what's the key to winning today and answering, "Well, you know, I think the key will be to have more runs on the board than our opponent at the conclusion of the game. We'll stand a real good chance if we can do that, you know."

The thing is, though, no pitcher in professional baseball is stupid, even if their answers sometimes are. I'm sure Hudson had spent the afternoon (or at least plenty of time during the days prior to the interview) studying player charts on the opposing team: where they like pitches, where they don't, the strategy, etc. But how do you answer such a stupid question? I think that's the key here. Sports reporters...go after the real story. Stop asking the obvious: "You won the World Series! How do you feel?" "Um...good, I guess." Maybe even change the subject. Ask about what music the player likes...um, on second thought maybe that isn't such a good idea. At any rate, at least spice it up a bit.