What the #!@*! are the Braves doing ?

I was about to reply to a relative’s email asking if I could make any sense of the Atlanta Braves off-season moves. I have been asked that a lot lately so I thought it was time to revive my baseball blog.

Concerning the Braves…

I have been understanding, confused, excited, and angry at some of the moves the Braves have made this off-season. What we Braves fans have to keep telling ourselves that it is all for the greater good and it will all make sense in 2017, just in time for the new stadium. Now that they are on the verge of trading Evan Gattis the “building for the future” scenario is even more plausible. The trades of Jason Heyward and Justin Upton netted a lot of young talent, both position players and pitching but pitching seems to be the focus of the Braves front office right now. Who knows what they will get in return for Gattis but I am sure it will be more top prospects who are primed to see action within the next few seasons.

Now here is a die-hard fan’s over optimistic outlook for 2015. With no big bat in the lineup other than Freddie Freeman, the Braves are not seen as a threat. So what? They had what should have been a potent offense last season but look where it got them, a losing record and tied for second place with the lousy New York Mets in the National League East. The Braves have added a reliable on-base guy with RBI potential in Nick Markakis and a good utility infielder and pinch hitter in Alberto Callaspo. Now if they can add another contact hitter to play left field it might be these small additions that give them the magic that could never capture in 2014.

The pitching staff departures of Aaron Harang, Ervin Santana, David Carpenter, Anthony Varvaro, Kris Medlen, and Brandon Beachy were made easier with the addition of Shelby Miller, Manny Banuelos, and the too many to name young arms replenishing the Braves farm system. The veteran presence of newly acquired Jim Johnson, James Russell, and Jason Grilli in the bullpen should also help  a solid pitching rotation.

They aren’t getting as much attention for their additions as they are their subtractions but all in all I think the Braves look pretty good. The Nationals are still favored, the Marlins have gotten much better, and even if the Phillies and Mets suck they still put up a good fight so the Braves should enjoy their position as an underdog in their division for now. Once they have warmed up and worked out the kinks during Spring Training the Atlanta Braves might prove to be more than just a team building for the future but a real contender for 2015.

What else can I say when I really don’t know what the #!@*! the Braves are doing.

Pitching Pitching Pitching

Obviously you need to score runs to win a ballgame, at least one. Hits with runners in scoring position, home runs, manufactured runs, there are many ways to cross home plate and put a number on the scoreboard. You can keep runs off of the board with good defense but first and foremost you need great pitching.

The beginning of the 2014 MLB season has seen plenty of good pitching, especially in the National League. The Braves, Mets, Phillies, Cubs, and Cardinals all pitched shutouts this past Sunday. That is very impressive! Five different teams were unable to generate a single run during the course of nine innings, actually the Reds lost to the Braves in 10 innings.  The last time such a feat occurred was 2006 when there were seven shutouts thrown in one day.

I am particularly interested in this phenomenon because the Braves were involved and they have produced one of the best overall team pitching performances this season. Even more impressive is that their pitching staff was supposed to be one of the weakest aspects of their game coming out of Spring Training. Brandon Beachy and Kris Medlen both underwent Tommy John surgery so their season was lost. Enter Aaron Harang and Ervin Santana to take their spots in the rotation. Not only have these two veterans been an unexpected surprise but they are about to make things very difficult when Mike Minor returns to the rotation this weekend from Minor League rehabilitation.

Who does management replace?

 

 

 

 

Baseball, Baseball, Baseball

We are a little over one week into the 2013 Major League Baseball season and this is my first post believe it or not. I am not sure why I haven’t been motivated until this point because I have been thoroughly enjoying watching as many games as possible, especially the Braves.

Opening Week is always a celebration for me after the long off-season (some one argue not long enough) but the addition of the World Baseball Classic during Spring Training this year seems to have satiated my baseball appetite a bit. It is fun to follow the professional players as they wear a different uniform to represent their country and to discover the hidden talents of players in the non-pro leagues played all over the world, all year long. Team USA had a decent showing but ultimately the tournament boiled down to the defending champions from Japan, two power house teams from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, and finally the surprise team from the Netherlands. Congratulations to the Dominican Republic! The WBC isn’t as popular as futbol’s World Cup and may never be but excitement and interest continue to grow internationally for the sport of baseball.

The WBC was great and Spring Training was a good tease but now it is time to focus on the real thing. No team is undefeated and no team is without a win. We are only seven games in but all teams are hopeful and feel they have a shot at the playoffs, well maybe not the Miami Marlins or the Houston Astros, but this is still an exciting time to be a baseball fan.

Living in an Upton World

The Upton brothers don’t need a family reunion or the holidays as a reason to get together anymore. They are now teammates playing for the Braves in Atlanta! Less than two months after signing free agent BJ Upton, the Braves made another rare splash in the off season market by trading with the Arizona Diamondbacks for BJ’s younger and potentially more talented brother Justin.

There will be a lot of who won and who lost in this trade between the Atlanta Braves and the Arizona Diamondbacks over the rest of the off season and into Spring Training and the Regular Season. I think they both won.

As a Braves fan I am sad to see Martin Prado as a part of this trade  package but I also understand that he was the necessary piece to bring the younger Upton to Atlanta. Prado has been a fan favorite and a clutch player for the Braves over the past few years and will be the same for Arizona. Prado’s versatility will be hard to replace but Justin Upton is a much more valuable, immediate game changing factor.

The Braves have always had the fortune of a wealthy farm system so Randall Delgado and the three prospects that were part of the deal seem a minor consequence right now.

We will see…

With the signing of the elder Upton earlier this off season, BJ and his kid brother Justin will join the Braves outfield star in residence Jason Heyward. Jason is the younger of the three at age 23 but he might very well be the clubhouse leader that will inspire these newcomers and the likes of Brian McCann and Dan Uggla to perform up to and beyond expectations, returning the Braves to the promised land of the World Series.

We will see…

Goodbye 2011, hello New Year!

All of the awards and accolades of the 2011 season have been bestowed and now that Barry Larkin and Ron Santo(Veteran’s Commitee) have been inducted into the Hall of Fame, the focus can turn to Spring training. Ok, it is still a little over a month away before pitchers and catchers report for training so maybe I should still focus on the off-season trades and signings.

News is very, very slow right now but I still check the wires everyday for a little morsel of baseball yummy. It looks like the fate of free agent Prince Fielder is the only big question that has yet to be resolved.

Obviously the Angels acquisition of Albert Pujols and CJ Wilson was a big deal and made me happy because Albert is out of the National League(and that he didn’t go tot the Marlins). These moves and the Marlins getting Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle,  Health Bell,  and most recently Carlos Zambrano might appear to be the two most significant but there were still some impactful additions made to many rosters.

The Phillies might be getting older and more injury prone but they did resign Jimmy Rollins and added a huge bullpen arm with Jonathan Papelbon. Speaking of the NL East, the Washington Nationals are trying to edge their way into competition. The Nats will have ace Stephen Strasberg returning from injury and added a solid front end starter in Gio Gonzalez. They covet Prince Fielder but I can’t imagine Fielder accepting a deal from Washington unless it was for a ridiculous amount of money and for an extended period of time(8 years +). My best guess is that Prince will sign with the Rangers or Mariners but the Mariners fall into the same category as the Nationals so the Texas Rangers make more sense.

My Braves have been very quite this off-season which suits me fine. People are shocked when I say this because they think signing or trading for a big outfield bat is the answer. Sure it would be nice to have a big bopper but at what cost? The Braves budget is in the mid $90 million range which is decent but not enough to go after the big names like a team with a $200 million to work with(Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, Phillies). I think Atlanta has a strong nucleus of young and veteran players still in place from last year’s team. Granted the team underperformed during the last two weeks of the season but I still think with experience under the belts of the rookies and younger players, a new hitting coach, and a desire for redemption the 2012 Atlanta Braves are better off without a huge, splashy signing.

We’ll see.

 

almost !

Sunday was a great day! I simultaneously drafted my fantasy baseball team while watching a Spring Training game between the Braves and Astros. YEAH SPRING!

The Braves won the game and I got a good look at some of the young players working their way up through the minor league system who might find their way to the Big Leagues this season. I also saw some of the newly acquired veterans like new second baseman Dan Uggla and relief pitcher George Sherril.

I named my fantasy team The Good the Bad the Uggla so I was nervous that someone else would draft Dan Uggla before I got the chance, but I got him. Overall, my team looks good and I am prepared for some good competition because all signs lead me to belive my fellow competitors are avid baseball fans. Afterall the league name is Called Up to the Big Show with the descriptive of “For those who believe in The Church of Baseball”, which is a line from one of the best baseball movies of all time, Bull Durham.

Fantasy Baseball aside, there are just 10 days to go after today until the regular season starts and teams will be cutting their rosters down and finalizing their starting rotations. It is a tough time for managers and coaches especially if you have had a good Spring Camp because only 25 players will be suiting up come Opening Day. It is a great time of anticipation for fans. Soon they will be opening their team program and getting a first look at the squad they will be cheering all season. Atlanta will be staring the season on the road so I will have to wait until a little longer before I get a live, close up look the 2011 Braves.

It is almost time, can you feel it ?!

Reporting for duty

I can almost smell the freshly mowed grass of the outfield, feel the gritty dirt of the pitchers mound, and hear the slap of a baseball hitting leather or the melodic wooden whack of the bat. So zen, so peaceful, it makes me happy.

Finally, MLB Spring Training has begun!

Pitchers and catchers have been in camp all week, as well as some position players, but the full squads for most teams reported for duty Saturday. This means in one weeks time Spring Training games will begin in earnest leading up to Opening Day on Wednesday March 31st. Then the real fun begins.

I’m getting ahead of myself. Spring Training is a crucial time for veterans and rookies alike. Although most athletes train in the off-season Spring is the time for players to shake off the cobwebs, stretch the muscles and get to work proving that they deserve a spot on the 40 man roster. A lot of the younger players know that exposure during Spring Training is just that, exposure. It is a chance for the hopefuls to perform so the coaches and scouts can gauge the players readiness for the big leagues. Most of these young players will find themselves in one of their team’s minor league affiliates come Opening Day but know that they are one step closer to making the Big Show.

Veterans and players that have been in the big leagues for a few years approach Spring Training a little differently. Big contract players or super stars know they have a job and only need to use this time to hone the skills that got them there. Players at the end of a contract or hoping to start a new one have a little more at stake because there is always someone waiting in the wings that can play their position just as well or better.

What I always find interesting are the guys that are joining a new team after spending many years with another. Here is a quick recap of some the players that will be spending this Spring Training and season with a new ball club…

My favorite change of scenery story is Dan Uggla joining the Atlanta Braves after 5 years with the Marlins. The Braves gave up  a super utility guy in Omar Infante  but gained a super bat in Uggla. Yeah! Welcome to Atlanta Danny boy!

Bean Town must be an attractive address because Carl Crawford left the Tampa Bay Rays after 9 years to join the Boston Red Sox who also lured Adrian Gonzalez away from San Diego after 5 years with the Padres.

Speaking of Boston, two former Red Sox team mates have rejoined forces in the Tampa Bays Rays organization. Johnny Damon called Detroit home last year but spent the previous 8 years split between New York and Boston. Even after 15+ amazing years mostly with the Cleavland Indians and Red Sox, Manny Ramirez was lucky to find a suitor in the Rays after a horrible season last year split between the Dodgers and White Sox.

Adam Dunn spent a little over 7 years with the Cincinnati Reds and was the lone super power for the Washington Nationals for the past two and a half years. Now Dunn finds himself on the south side of Chicago starting a new chapter of his career with the White Sox.

The north siders of Chicago should be happy that the Tampa Bay fire sale allowed them to acquire Carlos Pena after 4 years with the Rays. The Cubs  reacquired their one time ace pitcher Kerry Wood after he spent the past two years away from Wrigley.

Zack Greinke isn’t in Kansas anymore and has found his way to the magical land of the Milwaukee Brewers. After over performing with an under performing Royals club for the past 7 years, Greinke hopes he chose the right path to the post season.

Finally, the biggest “player with the same club for the longest amount of time but finally changing teams” award goes to…Vernon Wells. After 12 years with the Toronto Blue Jays, Wells has moved to sunny California and will most likely finish his career as an Angel.

Every team in every city should expect a few new faces on their ball club this season.  Some of the photographs have already been taken and some of the articles have already been written but Spring Training is the time when anyone’s name, anyone’s face, and anyone’s story can adorn the pages of their team’s program come Opening Day.