Braves Dugout

Emptying out the Locker

2006-10-20T08:21:00.000-05:00

After 200 plus posts, I'm moving out of the dugout. I'm leaving for another blog to continue what I've been doing the past year. This time I'll be joining a fellow Braves fan as we keep talking chop like we have been. Be sure to check us out:

http://homeofthebraves.blogspot.com

Relief Pitcher Moves

2006-10-12T16:31:00.000-05:00

Ken Ray has been claimed by the KC Royals. You might recall that Ray began his career as a Royal. Also, Kevin Barry has been optioned to Richmond to begin next year.
I didn't think Ray would have been brought back and frankly would have been suprised if he was.

Mr. Leadoff....oh and LF

2006-10-09T15:57:00.000-05:00

I've been reading alot from Braves fans over the situation on LF and leadoff as we begin to rebuild for next season. Mostly there's a concern over who will be playing is a link from my Peeking towards.. posts where I briefly addressed the LF issue.

2006 LF scenario

Here's a shortlist of names that some fans have mentioned for possible replacements:
Carl Crawford, Juan Pierre, Gary Matthews, Jr., Coco Crisp

Carl Crawford:
Positive:I would love to see Crawford in Atlanta. Carl would provide a solid bat & glove plus the speed we've been missing at the top.

Negative:The Devil Rays have been tossing his name around and are expecting a huge return. You might recall that the D'Rays were stubborn when the Braves were working a Marte/Lugo swap last year, I think they were also requesting Brian McCann to be apart of the deal? They requested McCann for some deal, it may have been another one. Regardless, the D'Rays are stubborn when it comes to dealing. I mean really, it took like two years to finnally deal Aubrey Huff after everyone wanted him. Huff didn't really sparkle in Houston. Crawford will probably be dealt to whoever wants to ante up the most chips.

Juan Pierre:
Positive: Juan Pierre is fast.

Negative: Pierre is a slap hitter with an avg. mitt and a weak arm. He's good for the smallball game, but having him in LF isn't a good idea. His time at Wrigley wasn't as pleasent as Cubs fans hoped for. Some Braves fans will sacrifice the lack of defense for OBP while others just don't want the headache. Juan will probably get around $8M-$10M next year and I'm not sure the Braves will want to walk that line.

Gary Matthews, Jr:
Positive: Lil Sarge made a name for himself last year in Texas.

Negative: It only took about 7 years for Matthews finnally to break out. He's been a Braves for a little while. In 2004, the Braves cut him during Spring Training. Everyone knows that 2006 was a career year for Gary, and I'm not sure if he could kepp up the track record. Matthews could be worth a look, but I'm not sure if the Braves would be willing to sacrifice it.

Coco Crisp:
Positive: Crisp has shown he can put up some good numbers in the past. Atlanta wanted him before. Coco is still young.

Negative: Coco's numbers dropped considerably this past season. Maybe it's the drama playing for the Boston Red Sox that causes this. The Braves already brought back to life Edgar Renteria after his stint in Beantown. Could Crisp be next?

2005: 594AB 16HR 69RBI .300/.345/.465
2006: 413AB 8HR 36RBI .264/.317/.385
2007: 525AB 19HR 80RBI .302/.370/.450

If the Braves work something I think Crisp would be the one Atlanta goes after. I don't think it would take much for Boston to satisfy a deal. Possibly, Horacio Ramirez and Langerhans??

Nationals request Pendleton

2006-10-06T12:59:00.000-05:00

The Washington Nationals have asked and recieved permission to speak with Braves hitting coach Terry Pendleton. Pendleton as well as Dusty Baker are on the short list for the Nats managerial opening. Talk about strange, the Braves could have another coach leave for a team in your own division. Good Luck to Terry.

Well it looks like my pick for the Dodgers to win the NL have just about vanished. The Dodgers are 1 game away from being eliminated. Although I still think the Mets will crumble before the Series.

Playoff Predictions

2006-10-05T08:18:00.000-05:00

Oh, a little thing called the playoffs is going on right now. I've been posting about departures and season ending evaluations that I've almost forgotten to mention it.

American League

A's vs. Twins

Oakland has taken two from the Twins in Minnesota. Frank Thomas beat John Santana and Tori Hunter suffered the loss in the second game. What was he thinking? The A's look real good right now heading back home. Oakland has a little bad karma hounding them. The A's haven't been able to wrap up a series in the ALDS since 1992 and futhermore haven't won the AL since '90. I thought the Twins were pretty hot coming into the playoffs but the A's have cooled them off. My pick and favorite is Oakland in 3.

Yankees vs. Tigers

The Yanks are without a doubt one of the top teams in the AL. They pay the big bucks for the big names to perform in the big games. The Tigers slumped there way into the playoffs after a very suprising and successful start to the season. Since you only have to win three to get to the ALCS my pick goes to the Yankees in 4.

ALCS

Yankees vs. A's

This should be a real good series, but do the A's have enough firepower to beat the so called "mighty" Yankees. I'm rooting for the A's to head to the Series and my pick goes to the A's. This would truly be a series of David vs. Goliath. An all star lineup vs. the underdog.

National League

Mets vs. Dodgers

The Mets have already taken one away from the Dodgers. Who do you root for, anyway? The team that won your division or a team full of ex-Braves. The Mets are gonna have to do step it up since losing Pedro for the postseason. I think the Dodgers can upset the Mets, and this would surely make Met fans go bonkers. Dodgers in 5.

Cardinals vs. Padres

The Cards almost missed the playoffs. The Braves helped them out by beating the Astros in the final series. The Red birds have continued their slow slide since their defeat in the 2004 World Series. Their pitching is lacking and thier offense sans Pujols has slipped a little. The Padres always seem to back end their way to the playoffs and usually take an early exit. I pick the Cards to win this series in 4.

NLCS

Dodgers vs. Cardinals

The WC team versus the Cards. This is going to be a good matchup. I'm going on a hunch and picking the Dodgers in 6. When the Dodgers get rolling they seem unstoppable. The Dodger Blue should be happy to get back to the big show.

World Series

A's vs. Dodgers

Granted this series probably won't be high in the ratings system since a NY team is not involved but I don't care. The A's and Dodgers would make a pretty damn good series. The worst thing about this would be staying up to watch the games, west coast time stinks! These teams last played in 1988 when the Dodgers won 4-1. For this series my pick goes to the A's in 6.

More Departures: Don Sutton leaves the booth

2006-10-05T08:03:00.000-05:00

Don Sutton has been commentating Braves games since 1989. His contract has expired and he wasn't offered an extension. Don lives in California and would like to head out west and pickup with either the Padres, Dodgers, or Angels broadcasting teams. So, the changes keep continuing in Atlanta. 2007 is the last year TBS will cover solely Braves games. Beginning in '08 and running through 2013, TBS will cover 26 Sunday afternoon MLB games per season.

Gonzalez leaves for Florida

2006-10-03T14:19:00.000-05:00

No big suprise here, as Fredi Gonzalez has been hired as the next manager of the Florida Marlins. The last coach to leave the Braves org. to become the manager of another club was Ned Yost. Regardless, Fredi is heading to a team with a talented bright future.

The 2007 coaching staff will have Brian Snitker as the replacement for Gonzalez. Snitker has been promoted through the ranks coming from Richmond last season. Pat Corrales will not be returning next year as Chino Cadahia will be taking his place. Cadahia has been the Braves minor league field coordinator for the past ten years. Also as I stated earlier Eddie Perez will become the new bullpen coach as Bobby Dews will be repositioned in the front office.

AJC: Schuerholz Wants Pitching!!

2006-10-02T08:11:00.000-05:00

Here's a quote out of the AJC. "We're going to strengthen our pitching staff ," Schuerholz said. "That's goal No. 1. We're going to do everything we possibly can to return our pitching, from top to bottom, to the standards that were set around here for the last 15 years. That's our goal. And we believe we can do that."

This quote came from an article in the AJC ironically about Tim Hudson. I really hope JS is true to his word on this. Evaluate your pitching staff and clean house. Simple, right? Atlanta's been too vulnerable to second chances and it's misfired on them in recent past, i.e. Chris Reitsma, M. Remlinger. I don't think we are too far away from a pretty good pitching staff top to bottom. Once again, we'll see what happens this winter.

Astros & Braves: The Final Series

2006-09-29T09:15:00.000-05:00

We've come down to the final series this year for our beloved Braves. A three game sweep would make us 80-82 for the year. Regardless of a win this weekend the Braves will have fallen below .500 for '06. This series has some significance. Houston is fighting for a divisional pennant. As of today they are .5 GB of the falling off the face of the earth Cardinals. Houston has won nine straight games and with a couple of wins in this series added to a couple of losses for St. Louis they would have clinched the NL Central.

It's time for a little bittersweet revenge for Atlanta. Houston knocked us out the last two years and now it's the our turn to keep them out of the postseason. I don't think the Braves will just lay down so I expect a really competitive series ahead. Here are your probables:

Fri: Clemens (7-5 2.35) vs. James (10-4 3.94)

Sat: TBA vs. Cormier (4-5 5.00)

Sun: Pettitte (14-13 4.30) vs. Smoltz (15-9 3.58)

I'm sure your aware but Pedro Martinez will not be appearing in the postseason for the Mets. Pedro's has a torn tendon in his left calf muscle. Will this ruin the Mets championship hopes? Also, the Nats will not be bringing back Frank Robinson next year. Florida will also not be retaining Joe Girardi. Let the manager carousel begin.

Peeking Towards 2007 pt. 4

2006-09-26T12:49:00.000-05:00

My final post looking to next year has to do with the Braves managers/coaches. And off we go...

John Schuerholz: The man behind the streak. Schuerholz is acknowledged as one of the best GM's in baseball and this hold's true. He's already made two moves towards next year by picking up Wickman and Smoltz. What else is up his sleeve?

Bobby Cox: Bobby has been the manager that all managers aspire to have the success of. A freind once put it, "You would love to have him for a marathon, but not for a short track". These days the lifespan of a manager is not long at all as the demand to win now is in high gear. The Marlins have had 8 different managers in only 13 years of existence. Bobby will continue to be manager as long as he is willing. One thing though, please keep Yates off the mound.

Roger McDowell: When Roger McDowell was hired I was suprised and puzzled. The last thing I remember on him was from the infamous "second spitter" episode from Seinfeld. For the most part since Spring Training, the pitching staff seemed to enjoy the more relaxed atmosphere with Roger in town. We'll see if he can turn around Hudson next year.

Terry Pendleton: Can you believe he's been here 5 years already? Terry has had his work cut out since 2003 when the power numbers began to drop. As the saying goes, just like a pitching coach; you can't go out and do the job for the guy. McDowell and Pendleton are both judged by their instruction and statistics. Obviously, if your team has the worst BA or ERA in the league then you'll have some answers to fill. Anyway, this year Pendelton went to work with Mr. Francoeur. His main objective was plate discipline. A tough task to tackle epspecially for an eager kid. Francoeur posted 1/3 of his AB's from this year, last year. Here's a stat showing his number of at bats per BB or K. Not really much improvement on both parts, but it takes time and remember he's only 22.

2005: 23AB/BB : 4AB/K
2006: 29AB/BB : 5AB/K

The offense left Atlanta in late May and didn't return for another month. You can't blame Pendelton for that, but most of the time the hitting coaches are the scapegoats. Pendelton has interviewed for a couple of different managerial jobs over the last couple of year and I think will become one, one day. Will it be in Atlanta?

Fredi Gonzalez: Fredi was promoted a couple of years ago from the minors and has since served as the third base coach for Atlanta. His roots as a manager come through the Marlins farm system before serving as third base coach '99-'01 with the big club. I think Gonzalez will probably land a job either in Florida or Chicago this winter. He seems to be well liked by the team and he's got the Fla. connection.

Glenn Hubbard: Hubbard was a superior fielder and a scrappy hitter in his time. Hubbard has been credited as the one that turned around Marcus Giles during the '03 season. Now, if Giles could only stay healthy. Hubbard may get another opportunity to mold the next 2B in Atlanta if Giles was to move on.

Pat Corrales: He's the guy that takes over when Bobby gets ejected. Corrales is the team's bench coach and his experience goes back about a half a century managing numerous teams.

Peeking Towards 2007 pt. 3

2006-09-22T16:08:00.000-05:00

At the start of 2006 the Braves had to fill a vacancy they hadn't dealt with since 2000. Rafael Furcal left the team and signed with the L.A. Dodgers. Furcal was not only a really good SS, but was also the team's leadoff hitter. Over the winter, the Braves traded for Edgar Renteria who was coming off a below par season in Boston. Marcus Giles would then take over leadoff duties. As this season has gone on, Giles didn't work out at leadoff but Renteria bounced back and had an All-Star year. The injuries to Giles and Chipper Jones did knock the team down a notch. Wilson Betemit did a great job filling in for the wounded, but was later dealt to none other than the Dodgers. For '07, the infield might look like this.

3B Chipper Jones
SS Edgar Renteria
2B Marcus Giles?
1B Adam LaRoche
C Brian McCann

It's sad, but Chipper Jones isn't the young kid we once knew anymore. Chipper is older, and has become very prone to injury. Some people would like him to move to 1B, especially when Marte was still with the club. Chipper's injuries have come from hitting and running, not fielding. I'm not so sure he'll be able to play a whole season without injury for the remainder of his career. As it looks now, Willy Aybar will be the backup unless someone else is picked up. More about Aybar in a minute.

Edgar should retain the SS workload next year. Renteria is getting $3M from Atlanta over the next two seasons and after that a buyout is in place but hopefully by then Escobar or Andrus will be ready. Renteria has been good thus far, and if we could get two more seasons like this one out of him, it would be well worth it.

I have a question mark next to Marcus Giles's name. I'm not sure if he'll be back or not. Giles hasn't worked out at leadoff and his numbers have dropped over the last couple of years. Giles would be worth about $5M next year so, what do you do? I'm leaning more that he'll be traded so be sure keep an eye out this winter. For all we know the Braves could have already used the money to resign Wickman. What would happen if he does leave? If we don't get a 2B in return from a deal then Martin Prado or Willy Aybar would battle it out for the position.

Adam LaRoche started out the on a sour note but after the all star break he found his swing. I was starting to get frustrated with LaRoche as you could almost predict what would happen when he came to bat. If he would keep an average of .280 or higher and knock about 25HR a year he would be doing fine by me. Here's a look at his splits thus far:

Before the break:

263AB .251/.325/.479 13HR 42RBI

After the break:

207AB .333/.397/.676 18HR 47RBI

Brian McCann has bolted a place behind the plate for many many many years to come. McCann exploded this year after kinda taking the back seat to Francoeur last year as the baby Braves hit the field. Will McCann continue this success into '07? I sure hope so. Brayan Pena should be the backup next season unless we go after the "veteran" backup. Yes, Eddie Perez is still in the organization. For pt. 4 of this series of posts I'll be taking a look at some of the coaches on the Braves staff.

Wickman & Smoltz back in Atlanta for '07

2006-09-21T09:57:00.000-05:00

Bob Wickman will return in a Braves uniform. Atlanta gave Wickman a 1/$6.5M deal to remain the closer through next year. Wickman has been stellar since coming over from Cleveland. There was speculation that Wickman would retire at seasons end but after his success in Atlanta that changed his views. I'm glad he's coming back and this will finnally solidify a vacancy the Braves have had for two years. You might think that $6.5M is a bit too much for this guy, but if you've seen the number of blown saves over the last two years you would understand our situation. Overall, a good move by Atlanta.

Schuerholz finnally picked up John Smoltz's $8M option for next season. JS claimed that there was never any hesitation on not picking up the option. I was a little concerned about it after the "meetings" this summer, but all is well. That makes for two signings in two days; who's next, Andruw?

Peeking towards 2007 pt. 2

2006-09-18T09:41:00.000-05:00

With part 2 let's look at the OF's in Atlanta for '07. At the start of this year center and right were already taken while leftfield was up for grabs. Matt Diaz/Ryan Langerhans/Scott Thorman all played LF for the Braves this year, heck maybe even Brian Jordan played a game. Langerhans started the year in left, but Diaz has since taken it over. I honestly don't know what to expect in '07. I think Langerhans is gone, but not sure about Diaz. Diaz has had a good season but he's only played half the year.

2006 comparison

Ryan Langerhans: 297AB 69H 7HR 27RBI 86K/46BB .232/.340/.370

Matt Diaz: 265AB 88H 6HR 30RBI 43K/11BB .332/.373/.479

Will these numbers justify Matt a starting job next year? One OF who will be avaliable this winter will be Phillies RF/LF David Dellucci. His numbers are simlilar to Diaz, and having both on your team would allow you to basically use the same person each night, right? I think Dellucci would fit in the Braves pocketbook, but do the Braves really need him?

David Dellucci: 243AB 71H 13HR 37RBI 54K/28BB .292/.371/.547

Francoeur has planted his spot in right for years to come, while Andruw Jones as of today will be playing CF in '07. Next year is the last year in Andruw's contract. Andruw's glove is the best among any OF in baseball while his bat shines in moments. Here's a look at his numbers over the last three years.

2004: 570AB 149H 29HR 91RBI 147K/71BB .261/.345/.488
2005: 586AB 154H 51HR 128RBI 112K/64BB .263/.347/.575
2006: 524AB 134H 34HR 112RBI 120K/71BB .256/.353/.502

Andruw certainly has a few more years of 30/100 plus season's ahead. Will this be in a Braves uniform remains the question. If the Braves aren't going to resign him, they'll trade him and should receive a significant return. JS could have already composed a wishlist of players he would like to get in return for Andruw. This one will be an interesting story to follow. Next up is part three, where I'll move to the infield.

Peeking towards 2007 pt. 1

2006-09-15T15:03:00.000-05:00

Just a tad over two weeks remain in the regular MLB season and the Braves continue to decline in the wild card chase. As of today they stand or slump 6.5GB as tonight they'll being a series against the Marlins. With the season coming to an end with just 15 games left I want to begin to peek ahead towards next year. I'm trying to decide on the best way to approach this so, I'll attempt to break it down based on position and contract status. Here's a look at the active roster for the remainder of 2006.

Catchers
Brian McCann
Brayan Pena
Todd Pratt

Infielders
Adam LaRoche
Brian Jordan
Daryle Ward
Scott Thorman
Marcus Giles
Martin Prado
Wily Aybar
Edgar Renteria
Tony Pena, Jr.
Pete Orr

Outfielders
Jeff Francoeur
Matt Diaz
Andruw Jones
Ryan Langerhans

Pitchers
Tim Hudson
John Smoltz
Kyle Davies
Chuck James
Oscar Villareal
Lance Cormier
Joey Devine
Ken Ray
Tyler Yates
Kevin Barry
Peter Moylan
Macay McBride
Chad Paronto
Wayne Franklin
Bob Wickman

DL
Chipper Jones
Blaine Boyer
John Foster
Chris Reitsma
John Thomson
Horacio Ramirez
Phil Stockman
Danys Baez
Mike Hampton
Kelly Johnson

Whew...there is the list. Coming into this offseason what do you think priority number is for the Atlanta Braves? If I heard getting a closer signed, that is correct. I think Atlanta if they can bring back the Wick. Bob Wickman has done everything the team could since arriving in July. So, here's what I'm looking for this offseason.

Priority #1
Sign a closer- I think Atlanta should bring back the Wick. Bob Wickman has superb since arriving in July. Just think maybe we wouldn't have been in this funk if something was done last March. Wickman has thought about retirement at season's end but after recent success might come back in '07.

Priority #2
John Smoltz's $8M option. Smoltz is up for a team option next year and should without hesitation be granted it. Smoltz has been pretty vocal during the year criticizing mgmt. which I don't blame him, and then there was that "trade" comment. I don't know how JS really feels, but not resigning Smoltz will not get Atlanta into the playoffs in 2007.

Priority #3
Get your bullpen together. I guess this can be blended with number 1, but the Braves really need some reliable pen hands. At the start of this year, I knew Reets wasn't going to finish as closer, too fragile. I liked the Remilinger signing, but I had my doubts. We know Reets is gone, but here some other I don't want to see next year...Yates, Moylan, Ray, Foster. Cormier and Villareal have shown promise and aren't too bad "spot" starters. Cormier could even be a darkhorse for the starting rotation next year depending on alot of variables. I'll get to that later. Baez would be a good 8th inning guy, but I'm afraid he'll want more money than were even paying our closer for next year. That's where Joey Devine should follow suit. The pen could resemble the following:

-Oscar Villarreal
* "Stole" some victories this year, but should return for atleast another round
-Blaine Boyer
* Returning from injury
-Macay McBride
* He'll return unless traded
-Kevin Barry
* Possibly a return
-Chad Paronto
* Not too big on Paronto, but somehow I think Bobby will bring him back.
-FA
** JS needs to sign/trade for atleast 2 veteran relievers
-FA
** Same as above
-Joey Devine
* 8th inning specialist before developing into closer for '08.
-Bob Wickman
* I'm going to assume Wick comes back

Priority #4
I'm sticking it to the pitching staff. Establish the 5 man. Injuries and bad outings have resulted in alot of starts from a number of pitchers. I think Atlanta should go after a top notch starter. It's a must of Smoltz isn't returning. Whom, I can't answer that. Here's who we've so far.

-Tim Hudson
*He's shown glimpses of the Oakland version, but has yet to put up the #1 stats most Braves fans expected. Hudson is under contract for next year but after that his contract becomes back loaded, resulting in Hampton like money per season. I think the Braves really need to consider a possible trade by next July if his struggles continue. I like Hudson, but if your paying a guy $13M when he's 12-11 4.95 ERA, are you really getting your money's worth??

-Chuck James
*As I've said before a bright spot for the '06 season. Chuck James has been on fire as the year comes to a close. Those expectations will soon get even higher when 2007 comes around. James could be the third starter on the staff but will probably start out as number 4.

-Kyle Davies
*Coming off a serious injury is never easy. Kyle has struggled since his return but as in another post, don't give up on the guy. Kyle hasn't thrown many balls so just think of this time as ST. I believe Davies will make a solid return for '07.

-Mike Hampton
*Man oh man. Hampton is a guy most Braves fan wish weren't on the team. When your paying someone $13.5M to ride a training bike all year, it stings a bit. Hampton is coming off TJ surgery and as reports have stated expected to be back for '07. If he can return healthy it will defintely help stabilize this rotation.

-Horacio Ramirez
*Staying on the course of injured players, HoRam has had his share. I don't think Ramirez will return, but he very well could. That doesn't make much sense does it. I personally have given this guy many chances, but he's just too injury prone. With James, Davies, and possibly Hampton in 2007, Ramirez looks like to be the odd man out. If he's back next year, I will be suprised and it won't be the first time.

-John Smoltz
*Includes a 2007 option worth $8M. I said it earlier, he must be resigned for run towards a division, playoff whatever. If this happens, I look for it sometime after the world series before the cutoff date which is sometime in Nov. I think.

-Lance Cormier
* A long shot darkhorse for the 2007 rotation. He's been a good starter at the triple A level and has shown promise while starting in Atlanta. I think the only way he'll be starting is if Smoltz, Hampton, or Ramirez doesn't return. He very well could be traded. He's proven to pitch in the minors and is major league ready, but will there be enough room and can he continue to pitch well.

After all that here's my predicted 2007 rotation: Hudson, Smoltz, Hampton, James, Davies. This maybe the longest post I've ever had here at the Dugout. Well, it will be a few days before I write part 2 followed by 3 and 4. So look for those sometime next week. In the meantime let's enjoy some Braves baseball while it's still around.

The end of a reign

2006-09-12T08:17:00.000-05:00

By the end of the week the Mets should have clinched the division unless they have a severe meltdown. Regardless, the Braves are just 1 game away from eliminating themselves from any divisional title hope. Well all good things must come to end, right? To me personally, I can't recall the Braves not winning the division. I know the year was 1990, but can't remember how I felt about it. Then again, at that time I was a little squirt who probably cared more about climbing trees and playing Nintendo. In these last 14 years the Braves have given me many memories in my life that I've had the pleasure of watching and experiencing at both the Ted and Fulton County. I've seen the bandwagon fans come go, which most of them are now either Yankee or Red Sox fans. There are so many things I could point out as my favorite Brave moments over the last fourteen years. I'm sure I'll be missing some other moments but, here's a few that stick out.

5. Titled as "the catch". This was Otis Nixon's clame to fame. Nixon robbed a definite home run by Pirates slugger Andy Van Slyke. This was one amazing catch that has stood in my mind as a pivotal Braves moment. The catch allowed the Braves winning streak of 12 games to continue and later helped take over the NL West from the Reds in '92.

4. The signing of Greg Maddux. Without Maddux the Braves might not have had the streak as long as they did. Atlanta picked up a pitcher that not only was reaching his prime but would become one of the premiere pitchers in baseball. What were the Cubs thinking?

3. The Jones Bros. Chipper Jones and Andruw Jones have been huge pieces during the run. Without them the Braves wouldn't have made it. We've seen both players develop from top prospects to major league stars.

2. Francisco Cabrera & Sid Bream. Cabrera's hit and Sid racing to home. One of the top classic moments in Braves history. I can never get tired of that play.

1. What else, the 1995 World Series. Atlanta finnally won baseball's most prestigous award. The Braves had been there two times already and was beaten by last minute heroics, Leibrandt, base running blunders, whatever you want to call it. For once, the 1995 season belonged to the Braves.

Kyle Davies: What the?

2006-09-07T08:14:00.000-05:00

Coming back from injury especially a groin injury is rough stuff. Kyle Davies missed over three months of baseball in this case. He made his rehab starts and returned to Atlanta this past Saturday to take the mound. His outing was less than stellar. He returned to the mound yesterday against the Mets. Kyle continued his struggles going 5 innings giving up 6 runs on 7 hits with 4 walks and 5 K's. Davies threw 103 pitches and only 58 were strikes. I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt right now. One thing I have noticed is that when he gets down he tends to lose control and not make smart pitches. You can get in alot of trouble that way but this is all apart of "growing" up as a pitcher, learning how to pitch out of jams. After last year's amazing debut some Braves fans expected the success to pick right up. Most of the time that isn't the case. So, give this guy some time he'll bounce back.

September Callups

2006-09-06T10:45:00.000-05:00

Here's the list:

Joey Devine- Not a big suprise and it's good to see Joey make it back to Atlanta

Lance Cormier- Cormier pitched pretty well in the minors and will continue to be a "spot" starter just like Oscar Villarreal.

Pete Moylan- Struggled for the Braves early in the year and was sent down, now he's back.

Kyle Davies- Davies has been hurt most of the year but was able to make some rehab starts and get back to Atlanta in time. Davies had his first start against Philly last weekend and was roughed up, hopefully he'll bounce back next outing.

Brian Jordan- You all should know his story by now. Hopefully this will be his last hoorah.

Martin Prado- Well, not really a callup. Prado has been playing for the injured Giles. Prado might continue to see a little time even with Giles returning. He's an upgrade over Pete Orr.

Tony Pena, Jr.- Pena probably won't see much playing time if any, but he's there in case someone else gets hurt.

Scott Thorman- Called up when Jordan went down and has seen quality time, but hasn't produced like his minor league numbers had shown. He's also available for use in the OF.

The Lingering Continues...

2006-09-06T10:20:00.001-05:00

My posting has been few and far between as of late. My only explanation for this would have to be that football season is getting underway. Oh, but I certainly haven't forgotten about the Braves. As my titles explains it all, the team continues to linger on and remain 5.5 GB of the wild card. Today, the Braves could make up ground by defeating the Mets in a double header. Tommorrow is an off day before Atlanta returns for a 10 game homestand starting against the Cubs.

What else has been happening? Chipper Jones's season may be over. Jones who once again has strained his left oblique muscle will take the rest of the week off and then will determine if he's able to come back. Chipper basically explained it that if the team is on a roll and making a run he could return but if not, he'll probably sit the remainder of the year. I hope Chipper can get over this setback and return to full form for 2007. I do hate it that the injuries are starting to wear him down but I guess it's expected at this time of his career. Marcus Giles will not need the heart surgery as initially planned. Giles just has a bad case of acid reflux. Giles thought he had a heart valve that needed to be closed, but he and the Braves decided for a second opinion. Geez, talk about one extreme to the other. Giles should be cleared to play, possibly today. Chuck James has certainly been a highlight this year and continues to woo the opposition. James is coming off a one hitter versus the Mets on Monday. I watched most of Sunday's game against the Phillies and just sat in amazement of Ryan Howard's HR's off of Hudson. Is Howard going to pass the Roger Maris record? We shall see. We'll see the Phillies for the last time next week, and this Hudson shouldn't give him anything to swing at. I'm going to try to post about twice a week until the season wraps up unless the Braves start to climb towards the top of the wild card.

Braves acquire Daryle Ward from Nationals

2006-09-01T07:35:00.000-05:00

And the annual Greg Colburn award goes to Daryle Ward. Ward was traded to Atlanta from Washington in exchange for Luis Atilano, a RHP coming off Tommy John surgery. Ward brings a left handed bat off the bench and may see some time in LF. I call it the Greg Colburnn award because Colburnn was picked up in '97 and '98 for the playoff runs. Last year's winner was Todd Hollansworth. Anyway here are Ward's stats for the year:

2006: 78G 104AB 6HR 19RBI .308/.390/.567

Game Log: Mississippi vs. Huntsville

2006-08-30T07:52:00.000-05:00

I took it upon myself to make the drive over to Huntsville to see the Double A Mississippi Braves in action. I was ready to go. My tickets were behind the Braves dugout so I could catch some of the future Braves up close. It was kinda odd being ten ft away from Eddie Perez and even the Blauser as he is the Miss. manager. Blauser still looks the same as he does in his playing days. I'm not really one for scoring autographs but thought I could get a few. I grabbed both my wife and I's ticket stub signed by Braves prospect Yunel Escobar. I tried to get Eddie's but he was too busy goofing off. I even saw Blaine Boyer throw some down in the pen. I was kinda suprised to see him and didn't know he was with Mississippi. Anyway game time came, and just like that it was gone. The game was canceled due to a heavy storm that happened 3-4 hours before gametime, apparently it was too much for the grounds crew. So that sucked! I was able to get my tix refunded but I had to turn the ticket stubs in which caused my wife and I to lose our Escobar autograph's. So, in the end I went all that way to hear Eddie Perez ramble some incoherent Spanish. Maybe next year.

Atlanta/Washington -Weekend Series

2006-08-25T13:18:00.000-05:00

It's a 3 game series starting tonight as the Braves will face the Nats. Atlanta comes into the series losing 2 straight and 7 out of the wild card. 34 games remain this year and the Braves haven't been able to come break the 5 game hold in the wild card standings. Needless to say any playoff hope is fading fast. Danys Baez whom had a rough outing against the Pirates Wed. was sent to the hospital after the game for an emergencey appendectomy. He's been placed on the 15 day DL. I can't remember a season where we've had so many injuries. I guess you realize the extent of injuries when your losing. Anyway, here are your probables.

Fri: James (6-3 4.19) vs. Ortiz (9-11 5.31)

Sat: Smoltz (11-6 3.46) vs. Astacio (3-3 5.43)

Sun: Villarreal (9-1 3.97) vs. Traber (3-2 5.13)

And if I remember correctly these were 3/4 pitchers the Braves faced last week when these teams faced.

Villarreal to start tonight...

2006-08-22T15:05:00.000-05:00

For the second time this season Oscar gets the call for another start. During his first attempt Oscar went five scoreless innings of one hit ball against the Nats. Tonight he'll do it again. Villareal's been filling in while other starters have been injured. Judging from his record you couldn't tell he's been a relief pitcher all season; Villarreal is 9-1 4.13 ERA in 65 IP.

8/21 Minor League Updates

2006-08-21T13:57:00.000-05:00

The minor league season is coming down to the end. I would like to start posting more about the minor league teams and what's going on within the Braves organization. Look for more updates in the weeks to come.

Richmond- Jason Shiell pitched fairly well over the weekend. Shiell went seven innings allowing three hits and best of all 0 runs. Scott Thorman will ride out the rest of the season before probably getting a call in Sept. Only 15 games are left for Richmond.

Mississippi- The Miss. Braves took 2 wins from Tenn. before losing to Mobile last night. Ivan Terrazas has 11H/22AB's in his first week with Mississippi.

Mrytle Beach-Adv. A The Pelicans have won six of their last eight but remain six game back of the division lead. Advanced A ball is where alot of faces change rather quickly. It's the bridge between A and AA and I like to think a good example is Onil Joseph who has jumped from Mississippi and Mrytle Beach this year. Joseph went .318/.381/.449 in 31 games and 107 AB's with the Pelicans. For Mississippi, Joseph has gone .240/.271/.330 in 80 games and 288 AB's. Onil hasn't quite been able to make it over the hump in Double A.

Rome- Rome continues their series this week with the Columbus Catfish. Eric Campbell continues his success batting .298 on the year. Campbell should start 2007 in Mrytle Beach. Elvis Andrus may also be seeing Mrytle Beach in '07. I think the Braves will try to keep these two running at about the same rate as they make it to Atlanta, keeping the chemistry in tact. Pitchers Beau Jones and Jeff Lyman are also progressing through the ranks.

Danville-Rookie The rookie leagues are the basic training of organized baseball. You can breeze right through it in just a few games or stay a little longer before your designated elsewhere. Some people don't think much of the league. Like I said it's more or less an orientation for new signees to each team, but they still playball, right? Danville is atop of the East Divison with under ten games left on the schedule. Starting pitcher Jaime Richmond has been almost unhittable all year long. In 10 starts Richmond is 7-1 0.74ERA. Out of 60 IP he's only allowed 42H/5ER/0HR and only 4BB with 49K's. Keep it going, Jaime.

LaRoche: The Bunt

2006-08-21T13:35:00.000-05:00

"We need wins right now, and I knew I could get the bunt down," -Adam LaRoche

During the 9th inning, Francoeur doubled and Diaz was hit by a pitch with 0 outs. Next, Adam LaRoche decides to square around to bunt. This was not a sign from the dugout, LaRoche took it upon himself and the outcome turned into a rally killing double play.

"I can't imagine why a guy with 25 bombs would be bunting, especially when the lineup behind him doesn't favor it," Chipper Jones said. "If you bunt, they're just going to walk McCann. You don't want them to walk Mac." -Chipper Jones

I agree with Chipper. Even if you do lay the bunt down, LaRoche is not fast enough to beat it out. McCann would have obviously walked, then the Marlins would setup for the double play. Not smart by LaRoche, but atleast it wasn't a postseason game.

Whatever happened to........

2006-08-17T10:11:00.000-05:00

Damian Moss- Way back on March 13th I posted on Moss signing with a minor league deal with the Braves. Moss didn't make it out of the month of April starting appearing over three games and thirteen innings, Moss allowed 23 hits off of 16 runs, 15 were earned. Yikes. Moss was cut April 23rd and I'm not sure where we went from there.

Travis Smith-Another second chancee was Travis Smith. When Smith was on the mound in Atlanta you better be ready for the long ball. Smith was very prone to giving up HR's. This year he appeared in eight games with Richmond over 46 1/3 innings. Smith allowed 46 hits and 15 earned runs. Not really that bad compared to what happened later. Smith was cut by the Braves and landed in the Cardinals organization where he currently is pitching for Triple A Memphis and continually struggling.

Brad Baker-Another journeyman who had promise of making the 'pen coming into Spring Training. Baker has been with numerous clubs including the Padres and Red Sox. Baker started out in Miss. was bumped to Richmond one day and the next saw him back in the Red Sox org. He currently resides with the infamous Pawtucket Red Sox.

Wes Obermueller-The guy we got from the Kolb dump. Obermueller lasted a little over a week in Richmond back in April before being shipped to play overseas.

James Jurries-The guy had a really good Spring Training and some including myself thought he should have made the cut for Opening Day. Jurries didn't and landed in Richmond where he has played all season. Jurries has fallen off the boat since the beginning of the year currently batting a measley .202. I guess that ended up being a good decision after all.

Davies in Double AA

2006-08-17T09:54:00.000-05:00

Kyle Davies is on the road back to Atlanta. Last night Kyle went seven innings for the Mississippi Braves. Here are the stats.

IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
7.0 4 2 2 3 3 0 4.50

It's good to see Davies go for seven. He'll probably make a start in Richmond next week and then the Braves will decide if he's ready for a callup.

Joey Devine also pitched in the same game going 2 innings with a K, BB, and a H allowed. If Devine continues to succeed expect a September callup.

Chipper with 3 moon shots...

2006-08-15T08:06:00.000-05:00

Add another highlight to the season. Chipper Jones went ballistic with three home runs off of three different pitchers. The Braves went to on to thump the Nats 10-4. Chuck James had an impressive outing and got the win.

Matt Diaz has now tied the NL record with 10 hits in 10 AB's. The last person to do so was former Padre Bip Roberts.

Aches & Pains

2006-08-14T12:48:00.000-05:00

Since the All-Star break the Braves are just 14-13, while winning thier first five games out of the gate. The team morale was hit hard when Chipper Jones went to the DL and a sweep at the hands of the Mets at the end of July. The acquisitions of Bob Wickman and Danys Baez have dramatically improved our bullpen after we have seen fall to shambles over the last two seasons. Baez and Wickman are an improvement, but their is still more room to improve on. Injuries have spread like the plague this year mostly with our starting pitchers and yes Chipper. Everyone on the staff has had their share of aches and pains. Here's a rundown:

Horacio Ramirez- (2) 15-day DL and (1) 30-day DL
Chuck James- (1) 15-day DL
John Thomson- (2) 15-day DL
Kyle Davies- (1) 60-day DL

Chipper Jones- (2) 15-day DL

And now one of the newest Braves, Wily Aybar has been placed on the 15-day DL.

On To DC...Braves & Nationals

2006-08-14T12:22:00.000-05:00

Atlanta begins a four game series against Washington tonight. Even after beating the Brewers 2/3 the Braves still remain beind the Brewers and 6 games out of the Wild Card. Well this team hasn't been able to keep up a winning pace, and so we stick around the 5-6 game back mark. For the remainder of August, Atlanta plays 7 games against the Nats, 3 apiece against Florida, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco. All the teams with the exception of the Marlins are below the Braves in the wild card standings. The Marlins currently hold a 1/2 lead above Atlanta. The good part about this is that the Braves will not be facing the upper echelon of the National League. It's simple, Atlanta wins twelve of the next sixteen and we remain in the hunt, but if we win eight out of sixteen we end up walking in place and the season could be over. Here are your probables:

Mon: James (4-3 4.69) vs. Ramon Ortiz (9-9 4.60)

Tues: Cormier (2-3 6.12) vs. Astacio (2-2 5.56)

Wed: Smoltz (10-5 3.41) vs. Traber (2-1 5.14)

Thurs: Barry (0-1 7.71) vs. Bergmann (0-0 7.62)

Horacio: Back to the DL...Chipper Returning

2006-08-10T15:50:00.000-05:00

Horacio Ramirez is visiting a familiar place where often frequents, the disabled list. Ramirez has to leave his last outing due to an injury to his left middle finger. Ramirez could be done for the rest of the season but doctors didn't completely rule that out. Kyle Davies is in the works of returning to the five man in the near future.

Chipper Jones is expected to return from the DL this Sunday. I'm going to guess that Willy Aybar could see some action at 2B via Chipper's return.

Bullpen Farts it up...

2006-08-09T16:04:00.000-05:00

Cut the entire 'pen except for Baez and Wickman. Talk about a slap in the face. The Braves were on their way to a victory and a series win, before all their hopes flushed down the toilet. The Phillies won 9-3, showing that this loss has been the story of the entire season...Bullpen Blunders. A day off is intune for tommorrow before the Brew Crew visits the Ted.

Andruw Jones Remains a Brave

2006-08-07T09:12:00.000-05:00

Finnally this can be put to rest. There was some talk over at ESPN that the Rangers had placed a claim on Andruw, potentially blocking the Angels from caliming him. Then there was the so called Braves scouts showing up at Rangers games. In the end, Andruw wasn't traded and will remain with Atlanta for the rest of the season. The way this whole situation has been handled it makes me think that Andruw won't be around too much longer.

Straggling Along

2006-08-07T09:03:00.000-05:00

Sluggish play, but a come from behind win saved the sweep yesterday. Atlanta keeps up with the mediocracy and continues to teeter in the wild card standings. The Braves return home to face the Phils and Brewers this week. Atlanta remains 5 games back in the wild card with 8 teams ahead of them including the two mentioned above. Here's the probables:

Mon: Ramirez (5-4 4.35) vs. Myers (7-5 3.83)

Tues: Hudson (8-10 5.22) vs. Hamels (4-5 5.27)

Wed: James (4-3 5.07) vs. Wolfman (0-0 6.48)

Kerry Wood: In the Braves future??

2006-08-03T13:20:00.000-05:00

Kerry Wood has come out and stated that he will bypass shoulder surgery and will turn his attention towards the role of relief pitcher. Wood is up for a $13M option next year or a $3M buyout (My numbers maybe a little off). The Cubs will more than likely take the buyout and release him. Wood will probably be looking for a 1 year offer, possibly 2, maybe in the range of $2-3M. Those numbers I threw out are just a random guess of what he could ask for. The contract would almost certainly have to be an incentive driven deal based on innings and peformance. With the Braves strict payroll I'm not sure if they would take a chance on Wood, but given the state of the bullpen this might be an option to highly consider. I think Bob Wickman is retiring at season's end, but if Danys Baez continues to perform well he should be re-signed to be our closer for 2007. Wood as setup in the 8th, could that work in Atlanta?

More Bumpy Rides

2006-08-03T13:04:00.000-05:00

Adam LaRoche strained his hamstring and Andruw Jones has been placed on waivers. Laroche has turn some heads while becoming the hitter that Braves fans have hoped for since after his rookie season. A stint on the DL isn't expected at this point, but we'll see how he progresses over the next few days. The Andruw waivers thing isn't at all suprising just that it's more meaningful now because he was close to being traded away Monday. I think and hope he remains a Brave, but you have to wonder will the Braves deal him before next year? As much attention as Andruw has gotten; that could beome a strong possibility. The Braves have won two straight, going for the sweep today in Pittsburgh. Tommorrow begins a three game series vs. the Reds whom have been on the losing stick as of late. Cinncinatti could fall out of the wild card lead today, but it's a given for the Braves to either win or sweep this series. Here are your probables:

Fri: James (4-2 4.87) vs. Harang (11-7 3.62)

Sat: Sheill (0-2 6.39) vs. Lohse (2-5 7.10)

Sun: Smoltz (9-5 3.45) vs. Arroyo (9-7 3.31)

And the games go on....

2006-08-01T09:48:00.000-05:00

Andruw Jones remains a Brave and the season continues on today in Pittsburgh. The Pirates became active sellers yesterday trading off Kip Wells, Craig Wilson, Roberto Hernandez, Oliver Perez, and Sean Casey. The Pirates will send Ian Snell to the mound tonight. Snell has seen his ups/downs this year. Snell is someone the Pirates can build around along with fellow starter Zach Duke. The Braves come into tonight's game needing to build up some wins and momemtum if they want to get back into the wild card chase. Here's your probables:

Tues: Smoltz (8-5 3.55) vs. Snell (9-6 4.63)

Wed: Ramirez (5-4 4.52) vs. Maholm (4-9 4.96)

Thurs: Hudson (8-9 5.25) vs. ???

Wells was scheduled to start Thursday's game, but that honor may go to just acquired Shawn Chacon. Chacon came over from the Yanks for Craig Wilson.

Deadline Day: And the Braves......

2006-07-31T16:14:00.000-05:00

received Triple A RP Rich Scalamandre from the Cardinals. Atlanta dealt longtime headache Jorge Sosa to St. Louis. That officially closes the book on Sosa. This deal reminds of the Kolb dump for Wes Obermueller last winter.

Andruw Jones was a hot topic of discussion today, but nothing came out of the Jones to Boston rumblings.

Remember deals can be made through the waiver wire. So throughout the month of August a team can trade someone, who will be eligible to play in the postseason if the player clears waivers.

Deadline Day: Andruw Rumored Again....

2006-07-31T12:32:00.000-05:00

Here's another one to add to the list:

Boston sends Mark Loretta to Tampa for Julio Lugo.

Boston turns around and ships Lugo and Coco Crisp to Atlanta for Andruw Jones.

Hmmmmmmmm...the Crisp/Hansen/Lester deal is more believable. I don't see where Lugo would fit in with Atlanta unless Giles is traded.

Deadline Day: Andruw Jones offered to Red Sox?

2006-07-31T11:05:00.000-05:00

The buzz around Boston claims that the Braves have offered Andruw Jones to the Boston Red Sox for Jon Lester, Coco Crisp, and Craig Hansen. The motto for today is, take it for what's it worth. It is the trade deadline so rumors run rampant. Although, I think that is an interesting scenario, but I wouldn't do it because it's Andruw, c'mon.

**Update** Olney has confirmed that the two teams have talked and the deal would be Andruw Jones for Coco Crisp and Craig Hansen + prospect. Atlanta then countered asking for Jon Lester to be the third player. No word if Boston declined or not. There's 2 1/2 hours left on the clock and anything can happen.

**Update #2** For right now the talks are dead according to Gordon Edes of the Boston Globe. Thanks to mlbtraderumors for the update.

Deadline Day: Schuerholz stirring the pot..?

2006-07-31T10:48:00.000-05:00

Will Atlanta land one of the big names? I think if a trade happens it must involve starting pitching. I don't think Schuerholz is finished yet; atleast I hope not. Remember in years past the Braves have been able to make deals during the last hour.

Deadline Day: Zito to Atlanta?

2006-07-31T09:28:00.000-05:00

Another rumor making the rounds is a trade for A's ace Barry Zito. The Braves would send Marcus Giles and Scott Thorman to Oakland in exchange for Zito + prospect. Once again, it's just a rumor but it's involves the Braves so I'm posting it anyway. There's probably a 1.5% chance this even happens....

Betemit Trade pt. 2 & More Rumblings....

2006-07-31T08:19:00.000-05:00

Aybar had a nice debut, but so did Wilson out in L.A. One thing I wanted to point out is that the Braves have made two deals this month that needed to have been made before the season. Fans of the team know very well coming into this year there was no way Chris Reitsma would maintain closership all year. He was good at times in 2005, but not nearly consistent enough. This year the bullpen has been in shambles, and it is only now that we have some sort of guidance. Bob Wickman was a good addition to this team while Danys Baez could become a good addition. Even with Wickman and Baez we can't use them if were not winning. That was the case this past weekend as the Mets just steamrolled into Atlanta and displayed a public whoop'en. It hurts losing to the Mets, but it hurts even more to watch how they did it. Well there's my frustrations for now...By the way, Happy Deadline Day!!

Here's a question for anyone to answer....Do you think Schuerholz plans to resign Baez for '07 and will he be the closer for next year?

Betemit traded to Dodgers

2006-07-29T13:02:00.000-05:00

This is a suprise. The Dodgers came out of nowhere to land Betemit. I didn't think they were looking for middle infielders. Anyway the Braves in return received RP Danys Baez and utility IF Willy Aybar. Baez was highly sought after during the offseason by many teams including the Braves. Aybar is from the Pete Orr mold. I'm not to keen of this deal. My point is that the Braves acquired Wickman, but we can't maintain a lead to get to him. So, we get Baez who is in a dissapointing season and another utility guy. Betemit is needed more to this team now than ever. Chipper might be going to the DL after he left yesterday's game with another strained oblique. Pete Orr will be playing 3B in the meantime. Enough rambling....now let's beat the Mets!!

*Update* I'm a little late adding this but Jorge Sosa was designated for assignment to make room for Baez. Thankfully, the Jorge Sosa Era has came to an end.

Rumors & Rumblings pt. 3

2006-07-28T08:29:00.000-05:00

For part three I want to name a few players that have been apart of trade speculation over the last month or so. What are the Braves chances of getting one of the big names?

Alfonso Soriano -LF/2B Everyone wants him, but who will get him? I'm still suprised that a guy his frame can put up the power numbers year in and year out. Any team in the playoff hunt that lands him will be a step ahead of the competition. What about the Braves, do they have a shot? Of course, even the Braves main site claimed that JS had inquired about Soriano. I think the fact that the Braves couldn't afford him to a long term deal has hurt any chance of acquiring him. Whoever gets Soriano better lock him up for the long haul.

Carlos Lee -OF/1B Lee is another power hitter, and it's still up in the air whether he'll be dealt or not. The Brewers have been losing more since the break so chances of a trade are increasing. The same thing goes for him as does Soriano, unless the Braves can wrap him up long term, we shouldn't risk top prospects for two months of play. I think Lee will land with an AL team so he could split time between OF/DH.

Brad Lidge -RP Lidge was lights out last year. He was rocked in the playoffs and I think he still carry's that weight on his shoulders. The Astros are once again throwing his name around the diamond. There was reported interest from the Braves in the past concerning a Giles for Lidge trade. I would still make that deal today as long as the Braves place Betemit at 2B. In 2006, Lidge is 22/26 in saves and his ERA is higher than his career avg. Both Giles and Lidge are raking in just under $4M but I think Houston is going to want a little more.

**Update** Carlos Lee and prospect Nelson Cruz are being dealt to the Rangers for Laynce Nix, Kevin Mench and Francisco Cordero.

Tough Losses

2006-07-28T08:16:00.000-05:00

We can't afford to lose games like these over and over. Geezz, I feel like I'm lecturing to a child. Arrrgh! Atlanta dropped 2/3 to the Marlins which hurt the Braves but didn't knock them out of contention. Tonight begins the much anticipated Braves/Mets series in which the Braves must win the series to keep up in the pennant race. Pedro returns tonight and should be rusty giving the Braves an advantage. Here are your probables:

Fri: Ramirez (5-3 4.04) vs. Pedro (7-4 3.45)

Sat: Huddy (8-8 4.87) vs. El Duque (6-8 5.40)

Sun: James (4-1 3.53) vs. Glavine (11-4 3.69)

Olney: Betemit & Yankees

2006-07-27T09:03:00.000-05:00

This morning I caught Sportscenter during Buster Olney's rumor mill segment. He states that the Braves and Yanks are cooking up something for Wilson Betemit. He thinks that the Yankees will probably end up with Betemit and use him at 1B for the struggling Andy Phillips.

If you caught any headlines around the papers yesterday there was alot of talk of Betemit to the Yanks for Scott Proctor. As far as I'm concerned this is something the Yankees have cooked up. It's hard for me to think Betemit could be had just for a mediocre relief pitcher. Betemit's stock is high and he'll probably end up being traded but c'mon let's get something more in return. As this story goes on I'll post anything new whenever I read/hear about it.

Rumors & Rumblings pt. 2

2006-07-26T12:56:00.000-05:00

In part 1 I listed rumored/possible additions to the Braves. Now I am going to list possible subtractions from the team. And away we go...

Subtractions:

Wilson Betemit-SS/2B/3B

He's without a doubt #1 on the trading block. Betemit has established himself during his playing time over the past two seasons. He's been the fill in guy for the Braves playing mulitple postions for the wounded starters. Will the Braves keep him or trade him? It's hard to tell, but the media has him being dealt to a number of teams. I can see it both ways. I think this will very well be a deadline decision weighing heavly on these next five games.

Marcus Giles-2B

Giles, Giles, Giles. His name has been apart of tradewinds of the past. His numbers have slipt this year and he hasn't adjusted to the lead off role. Giles is still good and could allow the Braves to receive a solid starter or relief pitcher. Whether Giles is dealt depends on Betemit's future. The same can be said the other way around. Just to keep in mind Giles will be due about $7M next season before he tests free agency after 2007. Next year, Betemit will receive a nice raise but still remains a few years from free agency.

Jorge Sosa-RP/SP

A one year wonder. Sosa's tenure as a Brave went from one extreme to the next. Many fans myself included didn't think Sosa would repeat his 2005 performance and hoped for a deal in the offseason. The deal didn't happen and 2006 turned into an embarrasment for the team and Sosa. Sosa was already a wildcard pitcher; so it was only a matter of time, right? A change of scenary would certainly benefit him. Sosa's name has been linked to the Cubs and Rockies. Right now I think the only thing the Braves could get for him straight up is a mid-level prospect. A packaged deal would bring more value.

John Thomson-SP/RP

This will be the last year for John Thomson in a Braves uni. He was apart of big rumors before the season for Pirates 1B/OF Craig Wilson. As usual, nothing happened. Besides the first month Thomson has struggled mightily. Right now he just finished a rehab start at class A Rome where he couldn't get out of the 1st inning. There's a slim chance Thomson could be dealt, but the Braves will likely eat his contract for the remainder of the season.

Horacio Ramirez-SP

Ramirez was apart of many rumblings and rumors over the past year or so. He's finnally healthy and making effective starts. If he can remain healthy for the rest of '06, I think he returns next season, Remember we don't know if Mike Hampton will make a 100% recovery from TJ surgery.

John Smoltz-SP

Refer to the comments under Zach Miner's section. Smoltz has "entertained" a trade only if it would help the team for the future. I believe if Smoltz gets traded then we've thrown in the towel for this year. He's the beating heart behind this pitching staff. Smoltz stays, but will ownership pickup the "mutual" option for next year?

Jarrod Saltalamacchia-C #1 prospect

I think it's the fact that the Braves are fighting for a chance to the playoffs that this guy's name is brought up in trade talks. He is the teams top prospect so of obviously other teams will think were just going to hand him over for a few cheetos. I think there's a slight chance he'll be dealt but i wouldn't count on it.

**New poll added, Check it out...

Rumors & Rumblings pt. 1

2006-07-26T12:33:00.000-05:00

We are 5 days away from the trade deadline. As usual with every year there are a number of players and teams making the headlines. I just wanted to compose a list of players that the Braves have reportedly shown interest in and a list of players the Braves could be dealing off.

Additions:

Scott Linebrink-San Diego Padres-RP

This one is simple. The Braves need relief pitching and the Padres need a 3B. This sounds like a deal that could easily be pulled. A Betemit/Linebrink deal may happen, but as of right now the teams are laying low about any truth to the subject.

Scott Proctor-New York Yankees-RP

The NY Post has submitted an article about a deal once again involving Wilson Betemit for Yanks relief pitcher Scott Proctor. The piece states that the two teams are in discussion.

Ray King-Colorado Rockies-RP

We've already been down this road before. I care not to go back. King has been linked back to Atlanta in a trade at one time involved Jorge Sosa. I'll be really suprised if King is back in Atlanta.

Greg Maddux-Chicago Cubs-SP

Okay, this is a Braves fan dream. Greg Maddux returns to Atlanta for one more stab at it. The reality of it happening is slim. I've read about a Jorge Sosa/Maddux rumbling but simply cannot see that happening, but who knows Hendry has damaged that team beyond recovery.

Zach Miner-Detroit Tigers-SP

If you didn't know already, Miner grew up in the Braves farm system. He was sent to Detroit with Ramon Colon for Fransworthless at last year's deadline. Miner has been linked to Atlanta via trade of John Smoltz. There is no way Atlanta can make that trade. We had Miner once, and now he's developed into a solid pitcher the Braves couldn't foresee; so to get him back they'll trade their best starter. Nope, not going to happen.

Jeff Conine-Baltimore Orioles-1B/OF/DH

I guess the Braves have something for the old Conine. There were reports of interest in him at last year's winter meetings but nothing came of it then and nothing will come out of it now.

Back to the 'Ted

2006-07-25T07:51:00.000-05:00

Harold Reynolds has been fired from ESPN. I haven't heard the reasoning behind the termination, but man that comes out of left field. The Braves wrapped their 10 game road trip going 7-2. This was something that was greatly needed. Continuing today the Braves will begin a six game homestand against the Marlins and Mets. Wickman got his first save in a BRaves uni last night. I admit I felt more comfortable than I've been all year when Wickman was in the game. I don't expect prefection every night, but it sure is more relaxing over a Reitsma or Sosa. Here are your probables for the series:

Tues: James (4-0 3.72) vs. Annibal Sanchez (3-0 3.41)

Wed: Smoltz (7-5 3.43) vs. Johnson (8-5 2.49)

Thurs: Sheill (0-1 9.00) vs. Olsen (8-4 4.01)

The Closer: Bob Wickman

2006-07-20T12:38:00.000-05:00

It's now official Bob Wickman has been traded to the Atlanta Braves for Max Ramirez. Ramirez you may know was a catcher at Single A Rome. Wickman will now become our closer for the rest of the year and probably will retire following the season.

A rumor making noise is over a deal that would send Jorge Sosa to the Cubs for Greg Maddux. I would take that in a heartbeat. The way the Braves are playing lately, Maddux would most certainly pickup some wins.

Back into the Division....

2006-07-20T07:59:00.000-05:00

Starting tommorrow Atlanta will play 9 games against divisional opponets. Four at Philly before heading home for three against the Marlins and Mets. This stretch will most certainly tell who the season ends for the Braves. All of these games happen before the July 31st trade deadline. Ironicly the 31st is an off day for the team.

Oh well, we couldn't sweep the Cards after a 2.5 hour storm delay. Jason Sheill didn't pitch that badly considering whom it was against. One other thing, Jayson Stark reported on ESPN yesterday that the Braves are "aggressively" pursuing two releivers that could put them at the top of the wild card race. Stark didn't specify who the releivers were. So, until then we wait......

Rumor Mill: Rockies interested in Sosa

2006-07-19T08:47:00.000-05:00

Could Jorge Sosa be dealt by the deadline? The Denver Post has an article about the team showing interest in Sosa in the midst of other relievers they are "inquiring" about. Whom would the Braves receive in return? More than likely Ray King. No, not again!! The Braves have already been down that road and shouldn't go back.

Is this a dream....?

2006-07-19T07:46:00.000-05:00

Another beating to the 'Cards. 14-5 was last night's scorecard. Andruw Jones, what to think? Monday night before he struggled while the rest of team was blasting off, last night he decides to kick it in gear going 5-5 with 2 HR's. Man, oh man. Well, tonight the Braves will send Richmond callup Jason Sheill to the mound to face last year's Cy Young winner Chris Carpenter.

Braves clip 'Redbirds

2006-07-18T08:08:00.000-05:00

Betemit played 2B, and produced 5 RBI's, is this a sign of Giles departure? Atlanta for the fourth straight time put up double digit runs. The Braves demolished St. Louis 15-3 last night to get their sixth consecutive win, while ending the Cards seven game winning streak. Sadly, Chipper didn't get the extra base hit to break the record. Atlanta continues their rampage tonight against ex-teammate Jason Marquis. The Braves are now 5 games back in the wild card.

Chipper goes for 15

2006-07-17T08:53:00.000-05:00

Tonight, Chipper will go for his 15th straight game with an extra base hit; quite an accomplishment. The record has been held since 1927 by Paul Waner of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Waner went on to win the NL MVP in that year.

Sweeping by the Padres

2006-07-17T08:22:00.000-05:00

An offensive explosion, effective pitching, mixed together equals wins. The Bravos are getting back to winning ballgames. The Braves outduel the Padres 36-20 in the three games. How about Chipper Jones? A 14 game extra base hitting streak, which ties the major league record. Jones will go for 15 today to create a new record. It seems that when Chipper plays better the team plays better.
Today the Braves will start a three game series against the Cardinals. Two weeks ago the Braves won 2/3. Since then the Cards have returned to their old form, while the Braves continue playing better. This series will be extremely competitve. The Cards are trying to take over the Central while Atlanta is fighting for a chance into the postseason. St. Louis will turn to Jeff Weaver tonight, whom they picked up from the Angels. We all know about Weaver. He his a high strikeout pitcher, but his shortcuming fall to the long ball. When Weaver gets rocked, he gets rocked. Atlanta has put up big numbers in the past when he was in L.A. and look to continue that again. Horacio Ramirez will take the mound for the Braves hoping to bounce back from his terrible start against Cinncy. Here are your probables:

Mon: Ramirez (4-3 4.65) vs. Weaver (0-0 0.00)

Tues: Hudson (6-8 4.81) vs. Marquis (11-6 5.34)

Wed: Jason Sheill (0-0 0.00) vs. Carpenter (8-4 2.85)

Wednesday's game is still in the air. Jason Sheill maybe called up from Richmond or Lance Cormier could see his third start of the year.

Put me in coach....

2006-07-14T08:14:00.000-05:00

Atlanta begins the second half of the season tonight on the road in San Diego. This will mark the beginning of a nine game roadtrip starting out west and slowly making it back east. The Braves will face the Padres tonight whom they haven't seen since the end of May. Atlanta leads the season series 2-1. Here's your probables:

Fri: Hudson (6-8 4.56) vs. Young (8-4 3.12)

Sat: Smoltz (3-5 3.60) vs. Peavy (4-8 4.46)

Sun: Ramirez (4-3 4.65) vs. Ho Park (6-4 4.29)

Nationals/Reds: Eight player trade

2006-07-13T16:14:00.000-05:00

'Tis once again the season of trades and rumors as the annual trade deadline hangs around the corner. As you probably heard yesterday Aubrey Huff was dealt to the Houston Astros for a couple of prospects. Today, the Nats and Reds swapped players:

Austin Kearns, Felipe Lopez and Ryan Wagner have been traded from the
Reds to the Nationals for the Gary Majewski, Bill Bray, Royce Clayton,
Brendan Harris and Daryl Thompson.

Not sure, why the Reds would make this move when Wily Mo Pena was dealt to the Red Sox; I thought the OF had unclogged their jam. Lopez was a 2005 all-star and Wagner needs a change of sceneary. The biggest player the Nats gave up was Majewski who should provide good pen support for the Reds.

I think this is just the beginning of the Nat's fire sale. Alfonso Soriano is their golden ticket and they should expect a huge return. Also available could be Livian Hernandez, who I think will land in a Mets uni by the end of the month. Other available Nats are Chad Cordero, Jose Guillen, and probably everyone else expect for John Patterson, Nick Johnson, and Ryan Zimmerman whom the team will be rebuilt around.

At the break....

2006-07-11T07:45:00.000-05:00

I had a post already written out but couldn't publish due to blogger's flemsy connection so, I'll sum it up. The Braves have won 7 of their last 10 entering the All-Star break. A run that started a week and a half ago. How much has this team changed since the start of the season. The rotation from the start looked like this:

Opening Day: Hudson, Smoltz, Ramirez, Sosa, Davies

All-Star Break: Hudson, Smoltz, Ramirez, James, Thomson

Kyle Davies may be back in August/Sept? I'm not sure because I haven't heard any updates on his condition. Overall, throw in a couple of Lance Cormier and a Travis Smith start and that's been your rotation. Meanwhile, the bullpen has changed dramatically. Here's what I have from a post on April 2nd.

Opening Day: Remilinger, James, Boyer, Cormier, Thomson, Villareal, Reitsma

All-Star Break: McBride, Villareal, Yates, Paronto, Barry, Ray, Sosa

Almost a complete turnover. We all know Thomson started out the year injured and threw some sessions from the pen. Since then, Remilinger was deactivated, Boyer and Reitsma are on the DL for the remainder of the season, and Cormier has been optioned to the minors. McBride would have been there for Opening Day but was coming back from injury. Oscar Villareal has been the only remaining player who's been there since day one. No wonder he's picked up 8 wins this season.

Out on the field the injury bug also made it's way to a few of the players. Brian Jordan is pretty much done for the rest of the year while LaRoche/Chippa/McCann and Renteria have missed games due to injury.
The outfield has been the same for the most part, we have interchangably Langerhans/Diaz/Thorman in LF, while Jones and Francoeur are mainstays in center and right.
Not much changed in the infield either, Chipper at third, Renteria at SS, Giles at 2B, and Laroche at 1B. Betemit has been seen playing 3B/SS/2B at times during the year. Scott Thorman has been taking over 1B while LaRoche strangely has been scratched before games due to some pulled muscle or backpain. Hmmm...The Braves have also seen some good play from Brayan Pena at catcher while McCann was out. Tony Pena, Jr. also was brought up for a few days.
That maybe a little more than a summary of what's been happening during the first half of the season. We'll see what happens when play resumes Friday.

Holy Cow!.....Dramatics from a Bullpen

2006-07-07T08:16:00.000-05:00

Who ever caught last night's game went from feeling good to pissed off then back to jubilation. Man, oh man. Tim Hudson like I said in the previous post desperately needed a good outing. Well, he defintely did that. Hudson came out in the ninth with two runners on and no outs. Macay McBride steps in for the lefty/lefty matchup, no success. Jorge Sosa comes in bases loaded and gives up a 2 run single. The score is now 7-4. Javier Valentin comes up to bat, and I started to get a little sour in the stomach, not that Valentin is a powerful hitter, just the situation made me feel uneasy. Anyway Valentin jacks one off the top of the wall, game tied 7-7. Foul language was spoken in my house. Sosa gets out of the inning and onto the bottom half where the Braves couldn't muster anything. Top of the 10th, Ken Ray makes an appearence where he walks 2 and K's 1; Atlanta gets out of the inning without any damage taken. Bottom of the 10th we go. Chipper rips one down the left field line for a standup double. Andruw is next, crowd on their feet. For some reason Andruw let 2 fastballs blow right by him. He struckout on a pitch that was low and away, we've seen Andruw do that soo many times thru the years. McCann is up next and gets intentionally walked for Francoeur. Frenchie sends one to the OF, Chippa is on his horse going for it all and is safe at home by atleast a step. BravesWin!

It sucks for Hudson who pitched really well but didn't get the win. Cinncy and Atlanta have comparable bullpen's, both are bad. The Reds actually made a move and traded for Eddie Guardado from the Mariners. Guardado saved 35 games last year for the M's but hasn't had much success this season. For me, I would rather see the Braves address the closer situation now than at the deadline. After the break the Braves hit the road for San Diego/St. Louis/Philly before coming home to face Florida/Mets, all before the deadline. So, Mr. Schuerholz please act now!

Braves take another series

2006-07-06T07:38:00.000-05:00

Well two weeks ago things around the dugout were quite somber and depressing but now the mood has changed. Last night the Braves took care of business winning 14-4 against the Cardinals. This was the third series Atlanta has won out of the last four played. An offensive explosion like last night is something us fans haven't seen in a long time. Just as good, Chuck James picked up his third straight win. So, things are making a turn for the better in Hotlanta. Today the Braves welcome the Cinncinatti Reds losers of 5 straight. The series against the Reds will be the last series before the annual All-Star Break. Here's your probables:

Thurs: Hudson (6-8 4.57) vs. Joe Mays (0-5 8.21)

Fri: Ramirez (4-2 3.47) vs. Milton (4-4 5.09)

Sat: Smoltz (5-5 3.77) vs. Harang (8-5 3.65)

Sun: Thomson (2-7 5.05) vs. Arroyo (9-5 2.79)

Huddy desperately needs a solid performance tonight. He hasn't won since June 10th and his last three outings have been way below par.

Renteria, McCann, Andruw named All-Stars

2006-07-03T08:01:00.000-05:00

Edgar Renteria, Brian McCann, and Andruw Jones were named to be apart of the NL All-Star team this year. Congrats. It's the fifth time around for Renteria and Jones, while this will be the first time for McCann. This year's All-Star game will be played July 12th in Pittsburgh.

O's & Braves

2006-06-30T08:52:00.001-05:00

The final interleague series for the Braves in 2006 will be against the Baltimore Orioles. The O's come into the series just a few games better than the Braves. Are they contenders for the AL East division? Probably not this year, but they can sure spoil one teams's chances. Atlanta returns to the Ted after a 6 game road trip where the team finished 3-3. Chuck James will take the mound tonight, can he continue his success from Tampa? Here are your probables:

Fri: James (1-0 1.40) vs. Daniel Cabrera (4-5 5.11)

Sat: Hudson (6-7 4.27) vs. Russ Ortiz (0-5 7.54)

Sun: Ramirez (3-2 3.48) vs. Bedard (8-6 4.72)

Ortiz whom was just signed last week to the O's will make his debut Saturday. Let's welcome him back to Atlanta with some double digit runs. The games in this series will be secondhand compared to the return of Leo Mazzone. If you think your tired of hearing Mazzone's name brought up during every Braves game then just wait until tonight.

Things are looking....

2006-06-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

Positive. Winning the series against the D'Rays and last night's win now puts Atlanta tied with the Nationals for fourth. The Braves are finally playing better baseball. Horacio put out another fine performance backed up with some solid run support. BTW How did that feel beating up on Farnsworth...some payback after his unwillingness to work with Atlanta in the offseason.

Sosa's move to closer has been good so far. The more confidence this pen can get the better the team will play overall. Today, it's Smoltz vs. Wang in the rubber match. Tommorrow's a day off before returning home to face Baltimore.

Braves take 2/3 from D'Rays

2006-06-26T07:43:00.000-05:00

For the first time in a very long time the Braves finally won a series. Something to build on? Yes. Does Chuck James need to remain in the rotation? Yes. Atlanta is back on the winning track heading into Yankee Stadium for three against NY. Some people might say, oh well here we go again, losing. Maybe not. The way things are going if Atlanta was to win atleast one of these games, it would be a success. In the words of Al Davis, "Just win, baby!"

Mike Remilinger was also put on waivers Saturday. My guess is that's he'll probably end up retiring.

Trading For: Jason Bay

2006-06-23T08:45:00.000-05:00

It was only a matter of time before this Pirates slugger began turning heads. Bay is having a breakout year, but is he tradable? The Pirates would probably prefer to hang on to him for atleast a couple of more years. His contract is defintely affordable, look below for contract details. Believe it or not Bay has already been with 4 major league teams. He started out with the Expos, then traded to the Mets, four months later traded to the Padres, and finnally was apart of the Brian Giles deal back in '03. Jason Bay is probably off the market, but with the way the Pirates tend to "rebuild" every couple of years something may happen. As you can see below, Bay is signed through 2009 for a very affordable price. Just imagine a Braves outfield of Bay/Andruw/Francoeur. In the end, I guess that's just wishful thinking.

Contract:
signed 4-year deal worth 18.25M thru 2009 season on 11/17/05- + he receives a 1M signing bonus and salaries of 750K in 2006, 3.25M in 2007, 5.75M in 2008 and 7.5M in 2009- + his 2009 salary could rise by up to 750K (to 8.25M) due to incentives and escalators based on PA and being an All-Star, an MVP, a Gold Glove or a Silver Slugger award winner in previous seasons- + he can earn 750K in performance and award bonuses over the life of the deal: 25K for All-Star selection, 100K for NL MVP, 75K for 2nd place MVP finish, 50K for 3rd place MVP finish, 50K for WS MVP and 25K for Gold Glove- + 2005 salary: 355K

*Thanks to www.mlb4u.com for the contract information.

Same old Song and Dance

2006-06-23T08:32:00.000-05:00

Braves lose, but this time we blew the lead......again. Ramirez pitched a pretty good game, but as usual when we go to the bullpen things turn nasty; such was the case last night. The Braves will now hit the road towards lovely Tampa, FL. The D'Rays, which are two games better than the Braves are riding high on a 3 game winning streak. Tonight, the losing streak ends. Smoltz can outduel Casey Fossum, right? Here's your probables:

Fri: Smoltz (4-5 3.78) vs. Fossum (2-3 5.45)

Sat: Cormier (2-2 6.57) vs. Corcoran (0-0 2.70)

Sun: James (0-0 2.38) vs. Hendrickson (4-7 3.75)

Sosa headed to the 'Pen

2006-06-22T08:23:00.000-05:00

Bobby confirmed it yesterday that Jorge Sosa is moving back to the bullpen where he started out as a Braves last year. It this good, or bad? It's not bad, because this allows another pitcher to enter the rotation. Will Sosa become closer? I'm sure he'll be out there in a closing situation if the time comes. I think Ken Ray will continue the ninth inning shenanigans for now, but we'll see.

The Rotation for '07??

2006-06-21T13:04:00.000-05:00

With all the talk surronding the Braves losing streak, trade rumors, etc. I've decided to take it upon myself to look ahead to next year. How will the team look? Who will remain, who will go? I've read that Mike Hampton is on track for a successful return to baseball next year. Either love him or hate him, I think he will end up being a crucial part of the rotation.

Starting Rotation:

1. Tim Hudson
2. Mike Hampton
3. John Smoltz
4. Kyle Davies
5. Chuck James

John Smoltz must be picked up next season. His contract calls for an $8M mutual option. That's cheap compared to other starters. Obviously Hudson will remain our #1, Davies should return 100% healthy. Chuck James will eventually start some more games this year but, I could also see Horacio Ramirez somehow becoming our 5th starter, maybe 4th. Ramirez has pitched well when healthy, but that's the point he cannot stay off the DL. Does anyone else have any ideas?

Braves & Jays

2006-06-21T08:27:00.000-05:00

Another loss, but we keep getting closer to a win. Last night, the Blue Jays just happened to match each run we put up the previous inning. Will we pull off a miracle tonight? Two ex A's will face each other, Lily & Hudson. I keep thinking Lily was in Oakland longer than a season and a half. Oh well.

It's Official: Braves enter the Cellar

2006-06-19T07:11:00.000-05:00

I guess it was only a matter of time before this was to happen. A sparkle of hope last night turned into yet another bullpen blown game. Can't we just win a single game anymore!! On top of it all, we are outfanned by the so called Red Sox Nation. What the hell? This is just another sad feat for an already sad year in Braves baseball. The Braves have the day off today, before taking on the Blue Jays for 3.

Boston @ Atlanta Weekend Series

2006-06-16T07:22:00.000-05:00

A much anticipated series on the schedule for this year, but it couldn't have come at any worse time for the Braves. After being sweeped by the last place Marlins the Braves will begin a stretch of games against the American League East opponets. Starting tonight against the Boston Red Sox. To me it seems that MLB has always tried to force this matchup into a rivalry. Sure, it's usually big when these two meet, but is it a rivalry? Like the Braves, the BoSox are entering the series losers of four straight. Lets see if they trend will stay true throughout the weekend. Here are your probables:

Fri: Hudson (6-4 3.79) vs Jon Lester (0-0 6.23)

Sat: Ramirez (2-2 5.06) vs. Beckett (7-3 5.26)

Sun: Smoltz (4-5 3.78) vs. Schilling (9-2 3.59)

Besides the rookie Lester on the mound tonight, we've seen Beckett numerous times before, but Schilling since leaving Arizona hasn't faced most of the members of the Braves before. It's not certain that Ramirez will pitch in Saturday's game, I think he got a mild concussion after Berkman's hit. Smoltz and Schilling should be a classic duel from times past.

Introducing Phil Stockman

2006-06-15T07:26:00.000-05:00

He arrived last night, and could make his major league appearence tonight. Phil Stockman certainly has the capability to help out this pen. Take a peek at his minor league numbers:

Double-A Mississippi: 3G's,7 1/3 IP, 12K's 1H

Triple-A Richmond: 16G's, 39K's, 2 Saves

Stockman is fully ready for the big leagues, let's now hope his success in the minors pays off at the top.

Beware: Russ Ortiz DFA

2006-06-14T09:21:00.000-05:00

In a rather shocking move, Arizona designated for assignment picher Russ Ortiz. Sure, Ortiz has been bad, and defintely hasn't worked out for Arizona since signing the "big deal." Ortiz still has 2 more years on his contract, $7.5M next year and $8.5M in '08. If he is claimed while on waivers then the team that claims him has to pay the contract but is he clears waivers then Arizona will have to pickup the contract.

Ortiz was one of our top pitchers before leaving after 2003. Only if he clears waivers would it he worth a shot? At worst he could replace Sosa in rotation. Does anyone else have any comments?

Rumor Mill: Giles to be traded?

2006-06-14T08:59:00.000-05:00

Interesting post over at mlbtraderumors, suggesting that the Braves are shopping Marcus Giles. Hmmmm...Giles is still a year away from free agency, and it hasn't worked out as we've hoped for at leadoff. Marcus is making $3.75M this season and I'm already under the assumption that the Braves wouldn't sign him for a long term deal when his contract year came around. If Marcus is dealt, who would play 2B? He played 2B in the Houston series, Wilson Betemit. Betemit may finally get his opportuinity to become an everyday player. This isn't the first time Giles has been apart of trade rumors. You may recall that Oakland pursued him in the Hudson deal, but Atlanta held on. For now we just wait and see what happens.

Braves @ Marlins Series Preview

2006-06-13T09:27:00.000-05:00

Atlanta heads to south Florida, on the contingency that tropical storm Alberto doesn't rainout this series. The Braves have won only two of their last ten while the Marlins have won six of their last ten games. Atlanta has won 6 of their 7 games played against Florida this year, most recently a 4 game series sweep. To keep the winnings going will surely give a boost to a struggling team. The probables for the series are:

Tues: Smoltz (4-4 3.73) vs. Johnson (4-4 2.11)

Wed: Thomson (2-6 4.84) vs. Willis (3-6 4.32)

Thurs: Sosa (1-8 5.58) vs. Nolasco (4-3 3.33)

Boston heads to Atlanta for Friday's marquee matchup between ex-Marlin Josh Beckett and Hudson. Nothing will come more satisfying than the Braves sweeping or atleast winning 2/3 against the Marlins. Florida keeps improving over there lackluster start at the beginning of the year and might avoid the cellar at the end of the year.

**New poll has been added, Check it Out.

Braves drop 3/4 to 'Stros

2006-06-11T17:45:00.000-05:00

After putting together a couple of good outings, Horcio Ramirez fell short today as Houston topped Atlanta 14-4. Ramirez left after Berkman drilled a shot that hit Ramirez in the head, thankfully HoRam is not seriously hurt. What happens next? A series with Florida before the showdown against Boston next weekend. The last time we faced the Marlins, we swept them. Another sweep will become a huge step for the team compared to the last 12 or so games.

When will a deal be struck for some relief pitching or something? Right now the team has been so lackluster that it looks like we've given up. What to do, what to do?

Another Loss, Another Game

2006-06-09T07:24:00.000-05:00

Dropping 8 out of 10 on the current homestand and then starting off with a loss on the road. These funks are occuring way too often. I hate to say it but currently our Braves are closer to being in last place than first place. Today we are 3rd in the NL East, 8 games behind the Mets. The Nationals are in fourth just one game behind us, and the Marlins are 5 games behind Washington.

What the hell happened to Arizona? We get swept, then the Phillies sweep them and the Mets took a victory last night. Regardless here are your probables for the rest of the series against the Astros.

Fri: Sosa (1-7 5.07) vs. Nieve (1-3 5.19)

Sat: Hudson (5-4 3.93) vs. Buchholz (3-5 6.25)

Sun: Ramirez (2-1 3.24) vs. W. Rodriguez (7-3 4.36)

Where did you go John Thomson? After starting out as the best Braves starter for the first month and a half of the season; Thomson's last 5 starts have been atrocious. In the last 5 games Thomson has pitched 22 innings giving up 27 ER's off of 40 hits (10BB/8K). In April, Thomson pitched 6 games, 27 innings, allowing 4 earned runs off of 20 hits (12BB/25K).

"My Prediction....Paaaiiinn.."

2006-06-06T07:29:00.000-05:00

You might recognize that quote coming from Mr. T aka Chubber Lang in Rocky III. I think it's rather funny. The Braves stumbled along last night and blew the lead due to some costly errors. Has anyone else wondered what is up with LaRoche's facial hair? Did the razor get too dull? I predict tonight the Braves will turn it around with a win. Plenty of runs and great pitching all around.

Nats @ Braves

2006-06-05T08:02:00.000-05:00

No reason to cover what has happened over the past 4 days in Atlanta. We move forward against divisional foe Washington. The Braves are 3-2 against the Nats thus far. *Note to Brave pitchers; pitch around Alfonso Soriano. Soriano has 5 HR's against Braves pitching this year. This includes one 3-HR game. Entering the series Atlanta is third in the East and the Nats are fourth. Three games seperate the two teams. On paper, this should be a good series. Here's your probables:

Mon: Hudson (5-3 3.99) vs. Hernandez (4-5 5.10)

Tues: Ramirez (1-1 3.18) vs. Shawn Hill (0-0 1.29)

Wed: Smoltz (4-3 3.72) vs. Ortiz (4-4 5.04)

Tonight's game could be the pitching matchup of the series. Hudson has been a roll of late, and Hernandez is the #1 guy in Washington. Early start, 7:05ET on Turner South.

Looking Ahead

2006-06-02T09:26:00.000-05:00

Bad, bad loss. Ramirez looked good again until his blunder in the seventh, later Remmy comes in to take the punches. This is one we should have won, how many times have I said that this year. Atlanta needs to get going with this homestand. Look at the future schedule:

6/1-6/4: Arizona (Home)
6/5-6/7: Nationals (Home)
6/8-6/11: Astros (Road) **Pre-Clemens Arrival
6/13-6/15: Marlins (Road)
6/16-7/2: The Entire AL East: Boston/Toronto (Home), Tampa/NY (Road), Orioles (Home).
7/3-7/5: Cardinals (Home)
7/6-7/9: Reds (Home)

All-Star Break

We've run into some hot teams, being the Dodgers and D'backs. They are beatable and the Braves can do it, but losing the way the team did last night was inexcusable.

Dayton Moore named Royals GM

2006-06-01T09:54:00.000-05:00

A bit of a surpise. Dayton Moore will take over as the new GM of the Kansas City Royals. Following in the footsteps of longtime friend and mentor John Schuerholz. Moore has been interviewed for other jobs, most notably the Red Sox fiasco but has kept coming back to Atlanta. Many thought, including myself he would be the successor to Schuerholz. Could the deranged ownership of the team have anything with his decision to leave? Maybe so, maybe not. Regardless, Moore has been ready for this step. Best of Luck.

Greg Maddux: A Return to Atlanta?

2006-06-01T09:17:00.000-05:00

The Cubs are out of it, period. There at the point where a fire sale could be looming. Greg Maddux who won his first 5 games of the season would have been a great asset for the Cubs to trade, but all that happened in April. Maddux then went on a losing skid before picking up a win against the Reds earlier this week. In his losses, Maddux hasn't pitched all that bad, a couple of rough innings, but for the most part he's kept his composure.

Will he be traded by the July deadline? I think so. Will he return to the Braves? There is that chance, but in reality it's slimmer than I hope for. Maddux is in his final year of the 3 year deal signed back in 2004. He's currently making $9M. In order for a trade to happen the Cubs would more than likely have to pickup some of the salary, especially in a deal with the Braves.

Trade Candidates:

1) John Thomson -Thomson's $4.75M would counter the $9M from Maddux, leaving $4.25M. Say the Cubs pickup $2-$2.25M. That will leave Atlanta with roughly $2M to ride out the season with MadDog. Also, Thomson is a free agent at the end of the season.

2)Horacio Ramirez -If he can stay healthy, the Braves should deal him. I would prefer to have him around, but his injuries have become to much of a liability. HoRam makes about $3M? Not sure on the exact number.

3)Prospects/Bench Players -My only two candidates would really be Ramirez and Thomson but some combo of prospect/bench player could also work out if the circumstances fall into place.

For me a 1-2-3 punch of Hudson/Smoltz/Maddux in the playoffs would be a dose of nasty.

That Closer Situation

2006-05-30T10:36:00.000-05:00

After watching C. Reitsma almost lose the game Sunday, I can't help but ask when is enough; enough! The Braves seem to be cursed at closer since John Smoltz decided to return to the starting rotation last year. Lack of funds have also played a part. With the recent success of Atlanta's youth movement, I think the Braves have hoped for one of their young arms to fall into the closer's role, but for some reason Reitsma was brought back. What can the team do to "seal the deal" in the ninth?
It's already happening with the closer by committe approach. McBride, Ray, Remlinger, Reitsma will all be used in some variation to close the game. Ken Ray has 2 saves already and he could be eased into the closer. I'm anticipating another late July deal from Mr. Schuerholz.

What if Smoltz comes back to closer? If he did then the other problem would getting to him in the ninth. Does anyone have any suggestions of what the Braves should do?

From Joy to Aggrevation

2006-05-30T10:25:00.000-05:00

After a nice holiday weekend, the Braves were able to sweep the Cubs and drop one to the Dodgers. What a crazy series with the Cubbies. Zambrano almost pulled a no hitter and the Braves eventually win the game. Atlanta lead by a few in the 9th and Reitsma blows the game, but we came back and won thanks to a headshot from Aramis Ramirez. Horacio looked much better than I anticipated in his return. If he can get rolling, that will be a huge plus to the rotation.
Yesterday's game was downright ugly. 3 E's in the 1st inning!! That kinda set the tone of how this game would turn out. The Dodgers kept scoring as soon as the Braves would creep back into the game. Two more games today & tommorrow with the Dodger Blue before a pretty big 4 game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Jones Bros. Strike Again...

2006-05-25T09:34:00.000-05:00

For the second time this season the Braves have taken 2/3 out of the Padres. Andruw broke out of his lack of HR funk with 2 jacks last night. Chippa joined in on the fun with 4 hits while Renteria also homered. Thomson got the win despite giving up 6 runs on 8 hits. Atlanta will have an off day today before heading to Wrigley Field to face a really bad Cubs team. The Marlins just finished sweeping the Cubs, and we swept the Marlins last week so, this should be a easy street, right? Here are the probables for the weekend series.

Fri: Hudson (4-3 3.95) vs. Zambrano (3-2 3.53)

Sat: Ramirez (0-0 15.00) vs. Marshall (3-2 5.29)

Sun: Smoltz (4-2 3.12) vs. Wood (0-1 6.30)

Bobby wants to get Horacio back into the swing of things. Ramirez wasn't successfull during his rehab stint in the minors and probably will continue that pace Saturday. If HoRam can stay healthy for any period of time he probably be dealt as soon as possible. This guy just can't seem to stay healthy and pitch effectively. The Braves still have hopes of a return to his rookie season days, I believe he went 12-3. At one time in the past the Reds were contemplating to deal Austin Kearns for HoRam, I doubt they'll do that today. The return of Kerry Wood. Not what the Cubs were hoping. Wood may not even start Sunday's game. Wood's right shoulder is sore and giving him some trouble, so Glendon Rusch might step in his place.

**New poll has been added. Be sure to check it out.

Can't Blame Jorge Sosa...

2006-05-24T09:10:00.000-05:00

You just can't stand to see games come out this way. Your starting pitcher does his job but your team can't suffice a win. Sosa not only pitched well but also provided the only run for the Braves. A solo shot in the sixth is all the Braves would get. Sosa has 2 hits this season, both being homeruns. The Mets beat the Phillies in 16 innings. The Muts remain 5 ahead while the Phils are still 1 up on the Braves.

What happened to Razor Shines?

2006-05-23T11:07:00.000-05:00

I was looking through some cards and came across an '86 Topps card of Razor Shines. That has to be one of the coolest names I've ever heard of. Shines who's full name is Anthony Razor Shines played in the majors from 1983-1987 with the Montreal Expos. Early in the 1985 season an upcoming prospect was given the chance to start as Shines was later demoted; that prospect's name was Andres Galaragga. Shines did not shine in the majors only appearing 68 games, batting .185 with 0 HR's and 5 RBI's. Altough he had good success in the minor leagues as he had 134 HR's and over 700 RBI's. Where is he now? Currently Razor is a manager for one of the Chicago White Sox affiliates.

Atlanta tops Padres

2006-05-23T07:45:00.000-05:00

Special thanks to Langy and Chippa for providing the gracious run support. Jake Peavy striking out 16 Braves plus getting the loss; How often does that happen? Thankfully Smoltzy also brought his A game to PETCO. This is the second time this year Smoltz & Peavy have battled with Atlanta coming out on top. The Braves have pulled themselves back over .500 to 23-22.

Snake Bite

2006-05-22T08:07:00.000-05:00

Dropping 2/3 to the D'backs was not pretty. I'm not even going to bring up Saturday's game. Travis Smith, or Mr. HR Derby should remain in minors. In fact, Brayan Pena was called up after Saturday's game while Smith was sent back down. Friday we blew, Reets blew it. Reitsma isn't a closer, he's a setup guy. He's now blown 3/10 save opportuinities. Yesterday we sqeaked by with three hits off of Juan Cruz?...What, he's starting now. Hudson continues the strong outings and this time he's getting the wins.
How long will Brian McCann be out? He took a shot from Brynes, and is listed day-2-day. My guesstimation will be that he'll miss the San Diego series and at the earliest play in the Cubs series or the latest the return home against the Dodgers.
The Padres are next up for the Bravos. Back in April, Atlanta took 2/3 at the Ted. The probables for the series are:

Mon: Smoltz (3-2 3.47) vs. Peavy (3-4 3.77) 10:05ET Turner South

Tues: Sosa (1-5 5.55) vs. Mike Thompson (1-0 5.40) 10:05ET TBS

Wed: Thomson (1-3 2.76) vs. Chris Young (3-2 3.58) 10:05ET TBS

As usual, late starts for the West Coast games. Have your Mountain Dews handy.

Bring out the Brooms....

2006-05-18T14:30:00.000-05:00

As of right now, the Braves lead 9-1 in the bottom of the 8th. A win today will give them a 4 game sweep of the Florida Marlins. After coming back in every game Atlanta has flat out dominated this one. Jorge Sosa is on his way to his first victory of the season, about time! Frenchie has homered twice while Sosa fanned 8. Atlanta has needed wins like these for a while, a funk had been creeping in before the Braves were able to knock it out. Starting tommorrow Atlanta will visit Arizona for a three game set.

Fri: Thomson (1-3 1.87) vs. Vargas (4-2 5.25)

Sat: TBA (0-0) vs. Batista (3-2 4.44)

Sun: Hudson (3-3 4.50) vs. Webb (6-0 2.78)

Not sure for Saturday's game. A decision will probably be made sometime today. Anthony Lerew was called up when Davies went to the DL. Lerew maybe sent back down since Cormier will return to the pen. Travis Smith is a high possibility for Saturday's game. Then again, Chuck James or HoRam may get the call. We shall find out soon enough.

Comeback and Comeback Again....

2006-05-18T10:09:00.000-05:00

Atlanta has reached the .500 mark and are just 4.5GB. We are also the only team in the division with a winning streak (3 games).
Holy Cow!,what a series. Hopefully this boost will continue on as the series wraps up today. C'mon on Sosa, you have to win now! On a somber note, Kyle Davies is out indefintely with a torn groin which will require surgery. In comparison this is similar to Nomar's injury last year in which he missed 3 months of the season. If everything goes right I think Davies could return in August. Chuck James and Lance Cormier will be returning to pen soon as they've had successful rehab stints. There's even been hints that James could be placed in the rotation. Horacio is close to a return, but probably another injury will soon follow.

Braves comeback...

2006-05-16T09:06:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the sluggish posting, I have a little busy as of late. After this weekend the Braves took 2/3 from the Nats, and have started the series 1 up on the Marlins. For the most part the bats are coming alive. Last night the Braves managed to leave 11 on base, but scored 11 runs on 2 outs. Kyle Davies struggled for another outing and has now landed on the DL with either a torn or strained groin. Right now Kyle has been placed on the 15-day but it could be possibly longer. Bobby wants Horacio to make one more minor league appearence before getting back into the rotation. So who will take the empty spot? Look out for another Travis Smith outing. Smith usually gives up a couple of homeruns a game during his tenure. Here's your matchups for the rest of the week:

Tues: Hudson 3-3 (4.67) vs. Willis 1-4 (6.22)

Wed: Smoltz 3-2 (3.44) vs. Nolasco 2-1 (4.15)

Thurs: Sosa 0-5 (6.52) vs. Olsen 2-2 (5.16)

Last week if you recall Willis was hammered by the Braves, and Huddy pitched magnifico. Will it happen, again? Atlanta has a good chance to take this series and very well should. After this series, the team will venture out west before ending up at Wrigley.

Adam LaRoche

2006-05-16T09:03:00.000-05:00

Maybe I should stop being so critical on the guy. The link provides an enciteful article on Adam LaRoche and his ADD disorder.

Mid-Season Fantasy League

2006-05-15T14:22:00.000-05:00

Yahoo! is running their midseason fantasy league signups starting Monday. Some of you may already be in a fantasy league, and some of you may have missed signups at the start of the season, but all is welcome. It's free. Leave a comment if you would like to join, also you must have a yahoo account to play and signup for that is free as well. I think I'm going to keep the league as "National League" only. It keeps things interesting.

Nationals @ Braves Weekend Preview

2006-05-12T08:18:00.000-05:00

What went wrong with Dontrelle Willis? He's really having trouble connecting with the strike zone. The Braves hammered Willis and Hudson produced another fine performance as Atlanta hooked the Marlins 9-1.
This weekend Atlanta head home to start a seven game homestand begining with the Washington Nationals tonight. The Braves are 1-1 against the Nats this year with a previously postponed game reset for September. Smoltz will take the hill tonight, it was questionalbe whether or not he would pitch or not. Here's your probables for the weekend.

Fri: Smoltz 2-2 (3.72) vs. Ramon Ortiz 0-3 (5.88)

Sat: Sosa 0-5 (6.17) vs. Michael O'Conner 2-1 (2.12)

Sun: Thomson 1-2 (1.88) vs. Tony Armas 3-2 (3.58)

This is a good series for the Braves to continue teeing off on opposing pitching. The Nats come into the series 4-6 the month of May, while the Braves are coming off a series win against Florida. I think Smoltz will dominate tonight, maybe even go the distance. Jorge Sosa, how will he do? I'm not really familiar with O'Conner but based on previous experience the Bravos tend to struggle against the unfamiliar pitchers. Sunday's game could be the pitching duel of the series, but every time I say that it tends to go the other way.

Blah! Frustration sets In...

2006-05-11T09:26:00.000-05:00

This game turned out to be the almost exact opposite of the night before. Kyle Davies probably had the worst outing of the season thus far. Renteria's hitting streak ended at 24 games and the Braves were blown out by perhaps the worst team in the National League. Today's game features two marquee pitchers, Huddy and the D-Train. When was the last time you've seen these two have ERA's over 5.00. Willis has been hit hard as of late while Hudson went through a seventh inning meltdown against the Mets over the weekend. Most of you already know, but I would like to point out some transactions that have happened over the past week and a half.

Chuck James (5/6), Lance Cormier (5/3) were sent to the 15-day DL.

Peter Moylan was activated (5/3).

Horacio Ramirez came off the 15 day DL (5/6), just to be sent back the next day (5/7).

John Foster has been transferred to the 60 day DL (5/9). Chad Paronto was activated from Richmond (5/9).

Macay McBride is back to add another lefty to banged up pen.

Foster is pretty much done for the year. I'm not sure what the deal is with HoRam but this guy can't seem to stay healthy for any long period.

5/9: Braves @ Marlins

2006-05-09T20:59:00.000-05:00

I come back from vacation and find out the Braves have been badly losing. Right now the Braves are handling the Marlins, up 10-1 in the 7th. There's not really a need to go back over the week and review each game. It's been a rocky road trip before Atlanta arrived in Florida tonight. This is what the team needs to get things rolling again. The Braves have 2 more w/Fla. and then head back home for three against Washington and four against those Marlins again. Counting the game tonight that leaves 10 games in which the Braves can get back into rhythm. And ocne again...the season is young.

No need for a recap.....

2006-05-04T07:36:00.000-05:00

Boooo...bullpen blunders yet again. Tonight's game should yet another pitching duel as John Thomson and Cory Lidle battle it out. Thomson, will he get his first win? Let's hope so. Thomson has pitched too good to not be winning.

Mini-Sweep of the Rockies....Back on the Road

2006-05-03T08:54:00.000-05:00

Nice series. The team needed this boost as we go on the road for an 8 game interdivisional trip. The bullpen came to the rescue last night as Jorge Sosa once again got into trouble in the 6th. Take away the 3 HR's and he did fairly decent. Regardless a win is a win. Hopefully this will be the start of a hot streak for Marcus Giles. Giles went 4/5 with the gw rbi. So far this week the bats have sprung into action. Tonight we'll be playing a Phillies team that has looked similar to the Braves of late. The Phils just completed a 3 game sweep of the Marlins. On the hill tonight will be:

Wed: John Smoltz 1-2 (4.09) vs. Brett Myers 2-1 (3.23)

Thurs: John Thomson 0-1 (1.32) vs. Cory Lidle 2-3 (4.40)

Starting Friday we'll begin another weekend series against the Mets but this time we'll face the backend of the rotation Trachsel/Zambrano/Maine.