Will Peavy's Concern About Atlanta's Team Prevent Trade?

In an article discussing how Braves general manager Frank Wren will approach the GM meetings in November, Jake Peavy was mentioned in a small snippet in the middle:

During a conversation with a friend in Atlanta last week, Peavy reiterated his desire to pitch for the Braves. But at the same time, he indicated he was concerned that the Braves might not be able to compete with the Phillies and Mets.

This goes without saying. On paper, Atlanta is the most inferior of the three teams, and it's arguable that the Marlins are better than them. The article continues, though:

Seemingly lost here is the fact that Peavy would be the key ingredient that could help the Braves as they prepare to dethrone the two-time defending National League East champion Phillies.

Not only do I find it curious that Peavy's acting like all the Braves are going to do this offseason is trade for him, but I also find it strange that he has even mentioned them as a trade partner in the first place. After all, out of all the teams he has listed as trade partners for San Diego (Braves, Dodgers, Cardinals, Astros and Cubs), Atlanta seems to be in the worst shape. The Dodgers fought for the NL West title last season, the Cubs won the NL Central and the Cardinals and Astros had outside shots at the NL Wild Card. The Braves were out of the playoff chase by August. Why would he mention the Braves as a trade partner for the Padres if one of his top concerns (seemingly) is getting into the playoffs immediately?

Despite The Braves' Failure, Chipper Has Success

No one expected this, not even the most diehard of Braves fans. Chipper Jones, a cornerstone of the Atlanta Braves for 15 seasons (including his cup of coffee in 1993), put together a season that hasn't been seen since the days of The Mick.

The base of his impressive 2008 run started in the 2007 season, which saw Jones post a career high batting average (.337) and his first .600+ slugging average in six years (.605 in 2001). He also had a career high in doubles (42).

Chipper's focus on batting average helped him start the 2008 season on a hot streak. Jones remained hot; he hit over .400 for a couple of months. He got as high as a .421 average on June 6th. After that, he was only able to maintain the .400 pace up to June 18th. Even though his doubles and home runs were down because he was battling injuries all year, Jones was able to maintain a high average. Albert Pujols, Lance Berkman and Matt Holliday, the reigning NL batting average champion, hung around at the top of the average leaderboard, but only Pujols was able to mount a serious challenge. Pujols took the lead on August 30th with a .362 average, but lost the lead again on September 10th.

Chipper didn't start games in the final week of the season due to a shoulder injury he suffered against the Mets. By the last series of the season for both players, with the Braves playing the Astros and the Cardinals playing the Reds, Chipper had a .365-.353 edge on Pujols. Jones didn't start the first game of the series and pinch-hit, drawing a walk. His average stayed at .365. Pujols went 3-3 with a homer and two walks, putting his average at .357. Jones didn't start the next game, either. He pinch-hit in the ninth inning, flying out to the scoreboard in left field at Minute Maid Park. Pujols went 1-4 with a home run in his next game, dropping his average to .356. It was still possible for Pujols to come back and win the title, but he would have to go 5-5 and Jones would have to go 0-3 for him to do that. But when Chipper didn't start against the Astros in the last game of the season, he virtually clinched the title. He pinch-hit in the Braves' final game of the year, a 3-1 loss to the Astros, and drew a walk, ending the year with a major-league best .364 average and the best average by a switch hitter in 51 years. Pujols went 1-2 with double and a walk in his last game, finishing with a .357 average.

Jones also finished the year with the highest on-base percentage in baseball (.470), making the batting average and OBP crowns for the National League the first two categories in which he has lead the Senior Circuit in anything.

The two stats also earned a top ten placement in the single seasons in franchise history:

BATTING AVERAGE

1. Hugh Duffy, 1894 - .440
2. Rogers Hornsby, 1928 - .387
3. Dan Brouthers, 1889 - .373
4. Billy Hamilton, 1898 - .369
5. Rico Carty, 1970 - .366
6. Billy Hamilton, 1896 - .365
7. Chipper Jones, 2008 - .364
8. Hugh Duffy, 1893 - .363
9. Hank Aaron, 1959 - .355
10. Chick Stahl, 1897 - .354

ON-BASE PERCENTAGE

1. Hugh Duffy, 1894 - .502
2. Rogers Hornsby, 1928 - .498
3. Billy Hamilton, 1898 - .480
4. Billy Hamilton, 1896 - .477
5. Chipper Jones, 2008 - .470
6. Dan Brouthers, 1889 - .462
7. Billy Hamilton, 1897 - .461
8. Rico Carty, 1970 - .454
9. Billy Hamilton, 1900 - .449
10. Chipper Jones, 1999 - .441

So, despite the Braves finishing with their worst season since 1990, Chipper finished with one of his best seasons since his MVP year.

Double Whammy: Hampton Hurt And Pirates Win

PITTSBURGH 4, ATLANTA 3, 10 INN.

Mike Hampton, who was to make his first start since August of 2005, was removed from his start when he aggravated a pectoral muscle, and was placed on the 15-day DL shortly after. Jeff Bennett had to make an emergency start, and the Braves bullpen had to work some more. The Pirates, however, ultimately came out on top 4-3 in ten innings. Jeff Bennett pitched four innings after pitching the previous two games, allowing two runs. Zach Duke allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings on ten hits. The bullpen was worked to the point where Chris Resop was moved to left field so that Royce Ring could pitch an out and then moved back to the mound.

W - Tyler Yates (1-0)
L - Chris Resop (0-1)
S - Matt Capps (1)

THREE STARS
Gold - CF Nate McLouth, PIT - 1-5, 2B, R, two excellent plays in center field that prevented at least two runs.
Silver - P John Grabow, PIT - 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO
Bronze - P Jeff Bennett, ATL - 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO

Braves Turn Close Game Into Laugher, Beat Pirates

ATLANTA 10, PITTSBURGH 2

The Braves rode good starting pitching, timely hitting, and a big inning to their first win of the season, defeating the Pirates 10-2.

Jair Jurrjens made his first appearance in a Braves uniform and started out very well. He went into the sixth inning and kept the Braves in the lead, but left with two men on base and a one-run lead. Jurrjens struck out five Pirates in total and allowed two runs, both on a single by Xavier Nady in the sixth.

The Braves got on the board when Chipper Jones drove in Martin Prado from third with a single, and then drove him in again later in the third with a sacrifice fly. Matt Diaz provided the "game-winning" RBI in the fourth inning with a solo home run. (Author's note: That's part of the reason why he's the Silver Star. I know that's nuts, but for some reason, I wasn't comfortable with Escobar being a star.)

The eighth inning had another bullpen shuffle as Braves manager Bobby Cox played matchup baseball, using three pitchers. Chris Resop was able to finish the inning after Peter Moylan and Royce Ring (who played the LOOGY role) pitched before him. In the bottom of the inning, the Braves exploded for seven runs, with Mark Teixeira and Yunel Escobar driving in five runs total with home runs.

The Braves complete their series with Pittsburgh tomorrow. Mike Hampton will be making his first start since the 2005 season, going up against former rookie sensation Zach Duke.

W - Jair Jurrjens (1-0)
L - Tom Gorzelanny (0-1)
HR - Matt Diaz (1)
Mark Teixeira (1)
Yunel Escobar (1)

Gold - P Jair Jurrjens, ATL - 5 1/3 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO, wins in Braves debut
Silver - LF Matt Diaz, ATL - 2-4, HR, R, 2 RBI
Bronze - 2B Martin Prado, ATL - 2-4, 3B, 3 R, BB, RBI

Wild Home Opener Ends In Pittsburgh's Favor

PITTSBURGH 12, ATLANTA 11, 12 INN.

Strange occurences, frantic rallies and lead changes ended in the Pirates' favor, as they pulled out a 12-11 win in 12 innings.

The game started out innocently enough. Tom Glavine pitched five innings and despite allowing seven hits and two runs, one unearned, he left with a 4-2 lead. Ian Snell pitched six innings and allowed seven hits and four runs. In the eighth, with the game tied 4-4, thanks to Yunel Escobar's errant throw that Teixeira couldn't dig out, Nady led off the inning with a solo homer that just cleared the right field wall and McLouth added on a three-run homer later. Both came off of Braves reliever Manny Acosta, who is not known for giving up home runs. The Pirates added another run in the ninth to make it 9-4.

Then came the bottom of the ninth.

Damaso Marte entered the game for the Pirates and couldn't throw a strike, walking Mark Kotsay to lead off the inning. Matt Diaz struck out, but pinch hitter Ruben Gotay walked as well. New Pirate manager John Russell, who caught for the Braves once upon a time in 1989, called on closer Matt Capps to finish the game. Normally, Capps has impeccable control, but he couldn't find the strike zone either. He walked Martin Prado to load the bases and then walked Yunel Escobar to force in a run to make it 9-5. Chipper Jones then laced a single to right and drove in two to make it 9-7. Mark Teixeira then flew out to center to make it two out. Brian McCann then hit a soft fly ball to left field and slammed his bat in disgust. The ball traveled out to left and Jason Bay and Nate McLouth started to jog in and then the ball plopped in right between them. Escobar scored and Chipper got around from first to score the tying run.

Both sides battled on and then Xavier Nady smashed a three-run homer in the 12th off of Blaine Boyer that ended up being what the Pirates needed. In the bottom of the frame, Francoeur hit a solo homer, off of Franquelis Osoria, to left field and Mark Kotsay followed that with a double. Matt Diaz scored him with a single up the middle. But pinch hitter Corky Miller flied out to center, though, and the Braves came up on the losing end of the duel.

Kelly Johnson had to leave the game in the fourth inning with a strained knee. He'll be listed as day to day.

More news: It was announced during the game that the Braves signed Scott Spiezio to a minor league contract in hopes that he is over his addiction problems and he'll be able to shore up the bench with his versatility and decent power.

W - Franquelis Osoria (1-0)
L - Blaine Boyer (0-1)
HR - PIT - Xavier Nady 2 (2)
Nate McLouth (1)
ATL - Brian McCann (1)
Jeff Francoeur (1)

THREE STARS
Gold - RF Xavier Nady, PIT - 4-7, 2B, 2 HR, 4 R, 4 RBI
Silver - CF Nate McLouth, PIT - 3-5, HR, BB, 2 R, 4 RBI
Bronze - SS Yunel Escobar, ATL - 3-4, 3B, 2 R, 2 BB, 3 RBI

After Pitching Battle, Zimmerman Walks Off For Nats

WASHINGTON 3, ATLANTA 2

Ryan Zimmerman hit a 1-0 pitch to center field off of Braves reliever Peter Moylan in the bottom of the ninth to win the Nationals' first game at Nationals Park 3-2. The game was a pitching duel from the start.

Washington struck first in the opening inning when Cristian Guzman singled. Tim Hudson's throwing error allowed him to go to third. With two out, Nick Johnson doubled Guzman home and Austin Kearns singled him home. Braves starter Tim Hudson held Washington hitless for the next six innings. Nationals starter Odalis Perez allowed just four hits in five innings and Saul Rivera supported him with two scoreless frames.

Chipper Jones hit a solo home run to make the score 2-1, but the Braves didn't score again for a while. Ray King walked Brayan Pena, but he and Luis Ayala kept pinch runner Gregor Blanco at first.

In the ninth, Jones led off the inning with a liner, but reliever Jon Rauch, who came in to close, snared it with a flick of his wrist. Mark Teixeira then launched a ball to right field, missing a home run by inches. He ran to second with a double. After Martin Prado pinch ran for him, Jeff Francoeur grounded to second and that allowed Prado to move to third. With Brian McCann batting, Paul LoDuca couldn't corral a slider and Prado scampered home with the tying run. McCann then flied out to left field.

In the ninth, Peter Moylan continued his work from the eighth. He got Guzman to strike out looking and Ronnie Belliard to ground out to Chipper at third. That made it 24 straight Nationals set down since the first inning. Then Zimmerman used his bat to say "Good night, folks" and sent the home crowd happy.

The Braves will fly back to Atlanta to face Pittsburgh for their home opener.

W - Jon Rauch (1-0)
L - Peter Moylan (0-1)
HR - ATL - Chipper Jones (1)
WAS - Ryan Zimmerman (WO, 1)

THREE STARS
Gold - 3B Ryan Zimmerman, WAS - 1-4, WO HR, R, RBI
Silver - P Tim Hudson, ATL - 7 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO
Bronze - P Odalis Perez, WAS - 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO

The Braves' Roster Before The REAL Opening Day!

( ) - denotes players on 15-day DL
(( )) - 60-day DL

Starting Lineup

C - Brian McCann
1B - Mark Teixeira
2B - Kelly Johnson
3B - Chipper Jones
SS - Yunel Escobar
LF - Matt Diaz
CF - Mark Kotsay
RF - Jeff Francoeur

Bench

C - Corky Miller
C/CI/LF - Brayan Pena
IF - Ruben Gotay
IF - Martin Prado
OF - Gregor Blanco
(IF - Omar Infante)

Rotation

(SP - John Smoltz)
SP - Tim Hudson
SP - Tom Glavine
SP - Jair Jurrjens
SP - Mike Hampton
SP - Jeff Bennett
(SP - Chuck James)

Bullpen

CL - Rafael Soriano
RP - Peter Moylan
RP - Will Ohman
RP - Manny Acosta
RP - Royce Ring
RP - Chris Resop
RP - Blaine Boyer
(RP - Mike Gonzalez)
((RP - Anthony Lerew))

Looks good to me except for the bench. That is one thin bench; it's just a bunch of singles hitters. Maybe there will be another move today. I certainly hope so.

Yeah, The Motivation Hasn't Been There

I think the blame lays on Super Smash Bros. Brawl. ;)

But, don't worry. I'll be here for every regular season game that I can. I'm going to do the Braves Stars thing again this season because I had a lot of fun doing it last season. For each game, three players will be given a Gold Star, a Silver Star and a Bronze Star. The tally will be kept the entire season. At the end of the year, we'll see who has a lot of the best performances. At least, in my perspective. ;)

Braves Claw Back, But Astros End On Top

The Braves scored five runs in the eighth inning to tie the game against the Houston Astros 7-7, but the Astros scored a run off of Buddy Carlyle in the bottom of the frame and held off Atlanta for an 8-7 win.

W - Wesley Wright (1-0)
L - Buddy Carlyle (1-1)
S - Doug Brocail (1)
HR - Miguel Tejada (1)
Hunter Pence (3)

Three Stars
RF Hunter Pence - 3-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI
SS Miguel Tejada - 4-4, HR, R, 2 RBI
P Shawn Chacon - 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO

Hampton Very Solid, But Cards Beat Braves

Mike Hampton pitched 4 1/3 innings and allowed just one run, walking three and striking out three. Anthony Reyes, though, pitched four shutout innings and the Cardinals got more runs first, beating Atlanta 4-2. Rick Ankiel drove in two runs with a double.

W - Russ Springer (1-0)
L - Blaine Boyer (1-2)
S - Kyle McClellan (1)

Three Stars
P Anthony Reyes - 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO
P Mike Hampton - 4 1/3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO
RF-CF Rick Ankiel - 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI

The Rest Of The Bench; Glavine In Command, Frenchy Hurt But OK

I've decided to consolidate the rest of the potential benchies into this one post. I'll take pitchers two at a time in a post in order to finish the previews before the season starts.

#26 OF/1B Joe Borchard

Borchard is attempting to force the Braves' hand. He leads the team with seven doubles this spring. It's quite possible that he could usurp Scott Thorman's job on the bench.

#4 OF/IF Omar Infante

Infante is out for the spring while his hand, which was broken in winter league action, heals. He'll have a backup infielder and emergency outfielder spot ready for him when he returns.

#26 OF Brandon Jones

Jones just about played himself out of a platoon spot this spring, batting below the Mendoza Line and looking clumsy on the field. However, he does have eight walks this spring, which is second on the team (Gregor Blanco has nine.). So, all is not bad news for Jones.

#68 IF/CF Brent Lillibridge

Surely, he'll get a new number if he makes the big club. So far, Lillibridge leads the team in strikeouts at the plate, but he can still prove to be a capable backup infielder if handed the job. He'll likely spend most of the season at Richmond unless Yunel Escobar hits a wall.

#8 C Javy Lopez

Lopez, who hasn't played baseball professionally since 2006, is most likely going to be the backup catcher because he's the resident veteran. It's not such a bad idea; Lopez has displayed this spring that he can get ahold of a pitch or two. He has also been working on his defense a whole lot this past off-season and spring.

However, it ultimately doesn't matter who gets the backup catcher job. Clint Sammons, Corky Miller and Javy Lopez would probably have the same level of production. :)

#1 IF Martin Prado

Brought up in trade rumors because there seems to be no place for him, Prado made a splash in the International League last year when he was in the race for the batting title. Unfortunately, that kind of "success" hasn't translated to the major league level. Prado is a serviceable backup, but that's all he'll probably ever be.

#20 1B/LF Scott Thorman

Rumored to be on the move after Borchard's showing this spring, Thorman is the kind of guy who blasts the ball a long way when he connects, but he REALLY misses all the other times. I must say, one of my favorite home runs that I've ever seen was his first-pitch SMASH off of Francisco Cordero to tie a ballgame against the Brewers. I just laughed and laughed at it because I didn't expect it to happen. We'll see what happens with him.

In today's game, Tom Glavine allowed two runs in five innings and that's all the Braves allowed, winning 3-2. Chipper Jones (solo homer) and Yunel Escobar's two-run homer provided all the offense for the Braves.

There was a scary moment in the second inning as Jeff Francoeur was hit in the face by a pitch. Fortunately, X-rays were negative and there was no damage to his teeth or jaw. He should be back in action soon.

W - Tom Glavine (1-0)
L - Todd Wellemeyer (0-1)
S - Royce Ring (1)

Three Stars
P Tom Glavine - 5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO
SS Yunel Escobar - 1-3, HR, R, 2 RBI
3B Chipper Jones - 1-3, HR, R, RBI

Braves Drop Both Sides of Split Squad

The Braves lost both sides of a split squad game, losing to the Houston Astros 15-6 and the Tampa Bay Rays 11-10.

John Smoltz made his spring training debut after a much ballyhooed session where he worked on refining pitches on the side. He was great for four innings, but the Rays touched Smoltz for five in the fifth, including a two-run shot by Carlos Pena. Roy Oswalt had a great outing, allowing no hits. Corky Miller hit a grand slam in his time against the Astros.

W - Calvin Medlock (1-0)
L - Blaine Boyer (1-1)
HR - TB - Carlos Pena (2)
ATL - Corky Miller (GS, 1)

Three Stars
P Jason Hammel - 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO
2B Martin Prado - 2-5, 2 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI
PH-C Corky Miller - 1-2, GS HR, R, RBI

W - Roy Oswalt (1-0)
L - Jair Jurrjens (2-1)
HR - Lance Berkman (3)

Three Stars
P Roy Oswalt - 6 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 SO
SS Edwin Maysonet - 2-5, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI
CF Jose Cruz, Jr. - 1-2, 3 BB, 3 R, RBI

Escobar Slams, Thorman Blasts, Braves Win 9-1.

Yunel Escobar hit a grand slam and Scott Thorman hit a three-run homer as the Braves won 9-1 over the Philadelphia Phillies. Escobar's slam came with two out in the second and Thorman hit his home run in the third. The Braves pitchers combined to hold the Philies to one run.

W - Royce Ring (1-1)
L - Victor Rosario (0-1)
HR - ATL - Yunel Escobar (GS, 1)
Scott Thorman (2)
PHI - Greg Dobbs (1)

Three Stars
SS Yunel Escobar - 1-2, GS HR, R, 4 RBI
1B Scott Thorman - 1-3, HR, R, 3 RBI
P Dan Smith - 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO

#60

OF Gregor Blanco

It's unlikely that Blanco is going to make the team at this point, so I guess I'll just make mention of the fact that he's with the team in spring. He's a singles hitter with good speed and a good defensive reputation. Some may have preferred putting him or Anderson in center over Kotsay, but that's life.

#22

OF Josh Anderson

Acquired from the Astros for Oscar Villarreal in November of last year, Anderson was originally slated to take over in center field after Andruw Jones left in free agency to the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, with Mark Kotsay imported from the A's, Anderson is probably slated for a backup outfielder spot. There is some schools of thought that say Anderson is going to platoon with Matt Diaz, but that is very unlikely.

All through his career, people have raved about Anderson's speed. He'll bring that with some outfield reputation. However, he won't have much power, no matter how much he plays.

Note: Anderson's ratings will be based on his entire 2007 season for some things, so they could be sweked.

AVERAGE - 6 - Anderson has decent batting skills; his .358 BA in 75 plate appearances outshone his .273 BA in 564 PAs at Round Rock by a wide margin.

POWER - 3 - Let's face it; Anderson has doubles power and not much homer power. He hit 20 doubles total last year (three in Houston), but only had three homers at Round Rock.

BASERUNNING - 7 - Anderson swiped 40 bases at Round Rock and was only thrown out eight times. It's possible for his raw speed displayed here to translate well to the majors if he has some baserunning skills.

THROWING - 6 - Anderson had 8 assists in his Pacific Coast League season. It is unknown how well he'll be in the majors.

FIELDING - 4 - Anderson made nine errors in the minors, unfortunately. That doesn't bode too well.

TOTAL - 26 (C) - Anderson seems to be a bench player through and through, but he can still be very serviceable. Hopefully, that's what he provides with Atlanta.

BP: .266/.310/.332, 0 HR, 16 RBI
BJH: NONE
RW: .266/.304/.323, 1 HR, 25 RBI
SN: NONE

Obviously, Anderson isn't looked upon favorably by anyone.

Sam: .275/.320/.348, 1 HR, 18 RBI

Braves Tie Tigers; Lillibridge Drives In Three

In spring training action on Thursday, Atlanta tied with Detroit 6-6. Brent Lillibridge, playing short, drove in three runs. Joe Borchard had two extra base hits for Atlanta. Gary Sheffield hit a two-run home run for Detroit, Magglio Ordonez had three hits and Placido Polanco had two RBIs and two runs.

Three Stars
DH Gary Sheffield - 1-2, HR, 2 BB, R, 2 RBI
2B Placido Polanco - 2-2, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI
LF Joe Borchard - 2-3, 2B, 3B, 2 R, RBI

Braves Ride Nine-Run Fourth To Victory, Beat Indians

Atlanta put a nine-spot on the board in the fourth to re-take the lead and they eventually defeated Cleveland 11-4. Four homers were hit in the game; three were solo homers for Cleveland. Mark Teixeira had three hits and Brian McCann hit his first homer of the spring. Blaine Boyer had two innnings of shutout relief with three strikeouts, making his case for a bullpen spot.

W - Blaine Boyer (1-0)
L - Aaron Fultz (0-1)
HR - CLE - Asdrubal Cabrera (1)
Brad Mills (2)
Grady Sizemore (3)
ATL - Brian McCann (1)

Three Stars
C Brian McCann - 2-3, 2B, HR, R, RBI
1B Mark Teixeira - 3-3, 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI
P Blaine Boyer - 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO; 1-1, R, RBI
1B Mark Teixeira -

Hanrahan Steals The Show For A While; Game Ends In Tie

Washington's Joel Hanrahan struck out eight of the nine Braves that he faced to preserve the Nationals' lead.

However, the game ended in a 2-2 tie. The Braves were down nearly the entire game with Washington getting an unearned run off of Tom Glavine and another run off of Zach Schreiber. However, in the bottom of the ninth, Luis Ayala was touched for two runs, and that's how the game ended. Joe Borchard drove in two runs. Tom Glavine allowed just two hits in four innings, walking and striking out two. He allowed one run.

Three Stars
P Joel Hanrahan - 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 SO
LF Joe Borchard - 1-4, GT single, 2 RBI
P Tom Glavine - 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO

#7

RF Jeff Francoeur

Well, I was right about Frenchy having an improved season. At first, I didn't particularly care for his improvement last season. I thought he didn't do enough to improve the way I originally wanted. However, I then realized that the fact that he improved is still a good thing. His average rose and his plate discipline improved. Francoeur got his Gold Glove because of his arm, but his arm is already one of the best in the game, so I'll let it slide.

The best part is that Jeff is 24 years old and he's getting better. Here's to him putting everything he has learned all together for 2008.

AVERAGE - 7.5 - Francoeur improved his average by focusing less on power and more on contact (.337 BABIP, a 53 point increase from 2006).

POWER - 8 - Playing a full season with his improved batting, he had 40 homers and 19 home runs. At 23 years of age, that is pretty impressive.

BASERUNNING - 3.5 - Although Francouer doesn't steal many bases at all, he is a little agressive in trying to take bases. He was 10-28 in going from first to third, 12-20 from second to home and 2-5 from first to home. However, he was out advancing once and doubled off twice.

THROWING - 10 - He has one of the best arms in the majors already. Enough said.

FIELDING - 8 - Francouer gets to a lot of balls, and whatever errors he occurs, it is usually due to being unable to field a ball cleanly. Fortunately, he doesn't do that too often.

TOTAL - 37 (B+) - Just think, if Francoeur was able to run the bases better, he would rate just as well as Chipper or Teixeira. ;)

BP: .283/.330/.473, 22 HR, 86 RBI, 8 SB
BJH: .288/.333/.475, 22 HR, 98 RBI, 5 SB
RW: .297/.335/.486, 25 HR, 107 RBI, 4 SB
SN: .279/.314/.451, 22 HR, 100 RBI, 4 SB

Sam: .285/.336/.479, 27 HR, 105 RBI, 7 SB

Jair Jurrjens Sharp; Braves Beat Cardinals Again

Jair Jurrjens, the Braves' potential fourth or fifth starter, pitched very well yesterday. He gave up just two hits in four innings of work as the Braves won 3-1. Adam Wainwright, the Cardinals' starter, gave up two runs in five innings and took the loss. Ryan Drese had two innings of shutout relief. Jordan Schafer went 1-2 with a double and Javy Lopez hit a solo homer, his second of the spring.

On a side note, why do people insist on misspelling Jair's name "Jurrgens"?

W - Jair Jurrjens (2-0)
L - Adam Wainwright (0-1)
S - Jorge Campillo (1)
HR - Javy Lopez (2)

Three Stars
P Jair Jurrjens - 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO
LF Jordan Schafer - 1-2, 2B, 2 BB, R
C Javy Lopez - 1-1, HR, BB, R, RBI

Braves Pound Cardinals

The Braves simply beat the Cardinals down 12-5. Tim Hudson had an all right start; he allowed just three hits and two walks and allowed two unearned runs. Matt Diaz had three hits, including a double, while Scott Thorman hit a three-run homer. Josh Anderson drove in three runs with two hits, including a double. Chris Resop had two innings of shutout relief.

W - Tim Hudson (2-0)
L - Clayton Mortensen (0-1)
HR - Scott Thorman (1)

Three Stars
RF Gregor Blanco - 2-2, 2B, 2 R, 2 BB, RBI
1B Scott Thorman - 1-4, HR, BB, R, 4 RBI
CF Josh Anderson - 2-5, 2B, 3 RBI

#11

CF Mark Kotsay

Kotsay has been a sore spot among most Braves fans that I know. It has been said that Kotsay is not needed; that Gregor Blanco or Josh Anderson could do just as well. It has been said that Joey Devine and Jamie Richmond has been too high a price for Kotsay. It has been said that Kotsay will just get hurt again because back problems are something that linger.

Well, it's all moot right now. Kotsay is here to stay for 2007. At his best, Kotsay is able to make contact and hit for average and the occassional double and home run.

Although he may have lost a step thanks to the back injry, Kotsay is stull fine definsively. He won't be Andruw Jones, but he'll do. If Jordan Schafer gets the experience he needs to thrive, then all should be well.

AVERAGE - 6 - I'm going to use a mix of 2005 and 2006 for these rankings. Kotsay makes good contact and when healthy, he has put up BABIP in the .300s for most of his career. Even in his subpar 2006, he still had a .294 BABIP. My conclusion from that is that he can be serviceable.

POWER - 5 - Kotsay hit 35 doubles and 15 homers in his last healthiest season in 2005. I think we can expect some more of the same if he can stay on the field.

BASERUNNING - 3.5 - In 2006, Kotsay didn't move from first to third very often (6-24), but he did go from second to home half the time (12-24) and from first to home two out of five times. He was out advancing four times. Even running for stolen bases doesn't do much for him (6 out of 9 in 2006).

THROWING - 7 - Kotsay has had a great reputation for his throwing arm. However, he hasn't had too many assists to show for it recently, due to injuries.

FIELDING - 7 - Despite all of the injuries, there's no reason to believe that Kotsay's fielding has slipped too much.

TOTAL - 28.5 (C+) - Kotsay isn't the complete package, like McCann, but if he can do what he is capable of, he is what the Braves need.

BP: .258/.326/.358, 4 HR, 35 RBI, 3 SB
BJH: .275/.339/.396, 6 HR, 36 RBI, 4 SB
RW: .259/.317/.376, 6 HR, 43 RBI, 3 SB
SN: NONE

Sam: .269/.340/.401, 12 HR, 48 RBI, 4 SB

Braves Drop Both Split Squad Games

Atlanta played in two different places and they lost in two different places. The Reds defeated them 13-8 and the Astros won 7-4.

W - Mike Lincoln (1-0)
L - Jeff Bennett (0-1)
HR - ATL - Diory Hernandez (1)
CIN - Brandon Phillips (2)

Three Stars
2B Brandon Phillips - 2-3, 2B, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI
1B Scott Hatteberg - 3-3, 2B, 2 R
3B Diory Hernandez - 1-3, HR, BB, 2 R, 2 RBI

W - Wandy Rodriguez (1-0)
L - Royce Ring (0-1)
S - Brian Moehler (1)
HR - Brandon Hicks (1)

Three Stars
RF Hunter Pence - 2-4, 3B, BB, 3 RBI
P Wandy Rodriguez - 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO
P Blaine Boyer - 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO

#23

LF Matt Diaz

He may be jsut a platoon outfielder, but he's OUR platoon outfielder. Diaz played about the same amount as he did in 2006, but he had to endure having Willie Harris as a platoon partner, so Diaz stayed on the bench while Harris put up a .190/.288/.335 for the rest of the year after he had six hits in one game. Diaz did make the most out of his bench role by being a pinch-hitter, which he was all right with. Diaz batted .338/.368/.497 last season in his roles and he also had 14 pinch-hits in 51 plate appearances.

There is no gaurantee that Diaz is going to get a full-time starting role. There are three players who are battling for a left-handed platoon spot: Brandon Jones, Josh Anderson and Joe Borchard. Yes, Joe Borchard. That doesn't seem like a good idea, as he has never established himself as any kind of talent in the majors. I'd rather have Anderson or Jones be the ones to "take away at bats" from Diaz. At least they have some upside.

Wait, why haven't I been talking about Diaz? Well, the fact is that Diaz is going to do what he does; hit a lot of singles and some doubles and homers with his free-swinging ways and that back bend of his.

AVERAGE - 10 - Diaz can simply rake the ball, even if it's just for a lot of singles. He'll succeed with his batting in any role that he's put in.

POWER - 7.5 - In his part-time role, Diaz hits a lot of line drives with his powerful swing, and a few of them add up to his doubles and homers.

BASERUNNING - 4.5 - Diaz stole four bases without being caught once, so he can run when the opportunity calls for it. He rarely moved from first to third (4-20), but he did go from second to home a lot (11-18). He was thrown out advancing twice.

FIELDING - 7.5 - Diaz may run around like a chicken with its head cut off out there, but he rarely makes a mistake out in the field. I don't put too much emphasis on routes to the ball. All that matters to me is that a fly ball is caught in the outfield.

THROWING - 5 - Diaz doesn't have too much of an arm, but it's not terrible. That's all I can really say.

TOTAL - 34.5 (B) - Diaz isn't the best left fielder in the league, but he is certainly the best one the Braves have had since Chipper went back to third. And all it took to get him was Ricardo Rodriguez.

BP: .296/.338/.465, 11 HR, 55 RBI, 5 SB
BJH: .330/.364/.505, 13 HR, 57 RBI, 5 SB
RW: .313/.341/.477, 11 HR, 41 RBI, 4 SB
SN: .295/.325/.459, 14 HR, 62 RBI, 5 SB

Sam: .309/.340/.479, 12 HR, 59 RBI, 5 SB

Hampton Out With Groin Strain, Braves Lose To Tigers

The Tigers posted a win on the Braves 9-6 once more and history repeats itself as Mike Hampton is out, once again, with a groin strain. Mike had to leave in the second inning of his second start. This may lead the Braves to sign Kyle Lohse, who is reportedly seeking a one-year contract worth $4-$10 million, if Hampton is out for any significant amount of time.

Ivan Rodriguez, who was batting leadoff, and Brandon Inge hit home runs for the Tigers. Rodriguez and Freddy Guzman drove in two runs each for the Tigers; Ivan also had two doubles. Chipper Jones drove in two runs for the Braves and Matt DeSalvo pitched two scoreless innings for the Braves.

Chipper Jones returned to action and went 2-2 and drove in two runs.

W - Virgil Vasquez (2-0)
L - Will Ohman (0-1)
HR - Ivan Rodriguez (2)
Brandon Inge (1)

Three Stars
C Ivan Rodrigez - 3-3, 2 2B, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI
CF Freddy Guzman - 2-4, 2B, R, 2 RBI
3B Chipper Jones - 2-2, R, BB, 2 RBI

#19

SS Yunel Escobar

Take note, fans. This is what happens when you have such a good debut that your team thinks so highly of you that it's willing to trade away an All-Star shortstop who has just had two of the best seasons of his career.

This isn't a bad thing, though. Yunel Escobar proved himself to be quite capable last season, batting .326/.385/.451 in just 355 plate appearances. Escobar's a line-drive hitter who is able to spray the ball to all fields. Don't expect him to keep his batting average that high, but don't expect him to tank it, either. As for defense, he'll be slightly better than Renteria. He has more range and a better arm, so with more experience, he should prove his worth.

Besides, even if he does tank, the Braves still have Brent Lillibridge. ;)

AVERAGE - 7 - According to last season, he has a high propensity for average, but that is in about half a season, and he also had a very high BABIP (.364). Be that as it may, I look for him to have the same average about Kelly Johnson because there is no denying that Escobar is a talented hitter.

POWER - 6 - For a shortstop, Escobar's penchant for doubles and the occassional home run will go a long way to show that he is worthy of being the starting shortstop for the Braves.

BASERUNNING - 6.5 - Escobar doesn't have that much speed, but he appears to have some good baserunning skill (12-16 from second to home). There was also the famous incident where he took second base when Valverde wasn't paying attention. Did Glenn Hubbard advise that? Well, if he didn't, that was pretty astute of him to do that.

FIELDING - 7 - Escobar showed very good range last season and will be a boost from Edgar Renteria's defense, even if it's only a slight boost.

THROWING - 9 - By most accounts, Escobar has a rocket for an arm.

TOTAL - 36.5 (B) - This total may be because of his stats from last season, but I think he'll be able to live up to the rating.

BP: .286/.347/.402, 8 HR, 59 RBI, 10 SB
BJH: .307/.376/.420, 5 HR, 46 RBI, 9 SB
RW: .291/.353/.405, 6 HR, 53 RBI, 10 SB
SN: .282/.348/.384, 6 HR, 57 RBI, 9 SB

Sam: .295/.368/.407, 7 HR, 51 RBI, 11 SB

Braves defeat Tigers 5-4, Game called

The Braves put a five-spot up in the fifth inning and it held up as the Braves won 5-4. The game was called in the bottom of the ninth due to rain.

Yunel Escobar drove in three runs for the Braves on two hits, including a double and scored a run. Joe Borchard drove in another run with a double and he leads the majors with . Honestly, he could bat his way onto the bench, but I don't know what kind of pitches he's hitting. There has to be a reason that he didn't do so well before with the White Sox and Florida.

Zach Schreiber had two innings of scoreless relief for the Braves. Tom Glavine started and allowed two runs in the third inning and had to be taken out.

Dontrelle Willis pitched three scoreless innnings in his start. Shortstop Ramon Santiago had and center fielder Brent Clevlen had three singles each for Detroit.

W - Ryan Drese (1-0)
L - Armando Galarraga (0-1)
S - Damian Moss (1)

Three Stars
SS Yunel Escobar - 2-3, 2B, R, 3 RBI
P Dontrelle Willis - 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO
P Zach Schreiber - 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO

Braves one-hit Indians, win 4-1

I know that Mac Thomason of Braves Journal likes to say (joke?) that these games are meaningless, but it's nice to see a good pitching performance all around. The Braves let in one run on one hit, a Danny Sandoval single with two outs in the ninth, making the final score 4-1.

Jair Jurrjens, Jeff Bennett, Jeff Ridgway, Royce Ring, Francisley Bueno, and Jairo Cuevas all allowed no hits. Jurrjens pitched three innings to start the game.

Mark Teixiera homered for the Braves and drove in another run with a single.

W - Jair Jurrjens (1-0)
L - Joe Borowski (0-1)
HR - Mark Teixeira (1)

Three Stars
P Jair Jurrjens - 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO
1B Mark Teixeira - 2-3, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI
RF Joe Borchard - 1-2, 2B, BB, 2 RBI

Braves Pound Phillies

The Braves led 7-1 after three innings and won 10-1. Jeff Francoeur, Joe Borchard, and Mark Teixeira drove in two runs each for the Braves, while Martin Prado had three hits. Ryan Howard drove in the only run for the Phillies.

Tim Hudson started for Atlanta and allowed one run on four hits in three innings. Buddy Carlyle pitched two scoreless innings and struck out three. Kyle Kendrick allowed seven runs in 2 2/3 innings for the Phillies. Francisco Rosario pitched 3 1/3 innings for the Phillies, allowing just two hits and he struck out four batters.

W - Tim Hudson (1-0)
L - Kyle Kendrick (0-1)

Three Stars
P Francisco Rosario - 3 1/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO
P Buddy Carlyle - 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO
P Tim Hudson - 3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO

Mets Squeak By Braves In 10th

The Mets scored the winning run in the bottom of the 10th on a questionable call at home plate. Nevertheless, they still won 3-2. Mike Pelfrey pitched three scoreless innings for the Mets. Nelson Figueroa pitched two scoreless innings for the Mets. Blaine Boyer, Charlie Morton and Matt DeSalvo all pitched two scoreless inning each for the Braves.

W - Ivan Maldonado (1-0)
L - Johanthon Rouwenhorst (0-1)

Three Stars
P Mike Pelfrey - 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO
SS Ruben Tejada - 1-2, GW 2B, RBI
P Blaine Boyer - 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO

Braves Defeat Astros Again

The Braves posted their second straight win over the Astros, defeating them 6-4. The most important start of the day was by Mike Hampton. He pitched two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit. He struck out one batter.

The Braves had four doubles on the day; they were hit by Yunel Escobar, Jeff Francoeur, Josh Anderson and Joe Borchard. Escobar drove in two and Matt Diaz also had a two-run single. Anderson had another hit and scored two runs. Jordan Schafer and Borchard both had sacrifice flies as well.

Shortstop Tommy Manzella and left fielder Jose Cruz, Jr. both had two hits for the Astros.

W - Zach Schreiber (1-0)
L - Chad Paronto (0-2)
S - Sung Ki Jung (1)

Three Stars
P Mike Hampton - 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO
RF Josh Anderson - 2-2, 2B, 2 R
DH Matt Diaz - 1-2, 2 RBI

#10

3B Chipper Jones

Chipper had his best season since 2002. Coincidentally, the 2007 season was the first one since 2003 where Jones had more than 600 plate apperances. That probably had something to do with the fact that he did so well. The usual injury bug bit, though, when Jones was accidently upended by Jose Bautista and injured both his wrists and his left quadriceps. I can't confirm this, but I think that Chpper had said that he contined to play with sore wrists after he came back at June 13th and didn't miss much time after that. If it's true, that's incredibly impressive.

Chipper led the National League in OPS (1.029) and was in the race for the batting average title until the final days of the season, when Matt Holliday cemented his hold on the title by his stellar performance in the wild-card playoff against San Diego.

I'd like to say that Chipper has improved his stamina over the past few seasons. I slso think that Jones missed a lot of time exclusively because of fluke injuries, not because his body gave out on him. If he can avoid the unlucky injury bug, Jones can enjoy a similar season; he still has a few of them left.

AVERAGE - 10 - Chipper has an uncanny knack when it comes to putting the ball in play and driving it. If he's not the best batter in the entire Atlanta Braves organization, then I can't imagine who is the best batter.

POWER - 9.5 - Chipper has an extremely high amount of doubles for his age and injury history and still pops a lot of balls out of the park. Here's to him continuing that work.

BASERUNNING - 7.5 - Chipper doesn't move often from first to third (5-27), but he does score from second when the situation calls for it (18-28). He even made it from first to home a few times (3-6). He was only doubled off once, and he knows when to swipe a base (5 for 6). Jones is smart when he's on the basepaths.

THROWING - 8 - Chipper has had a very srong and accurate throwing arm and he continues to have one.

FIELDING - 6.5 - Chipper only gets to balls that are hit right at him. Otherwise, he's a reliable fielder who isn't as bad as Baseball Prospectus says. ;)

TOTAL - 41.5 (A-) - Even though Chipper's nearing the end of his career, he still has a potent bat and is all right with the glove. That's all he can do, and that's why Atlanta loves him. Chipper's #10 will soon be beside the rest of the Braves' greats.

Chipper tweaked his right hamstring during batting practice today, but he says that it's not :a big deal". Let's hope not.

Braves Post Come-From-Behind Victory Over Astros

The Braves posted a late win Saturday, scoring four in the top of the ninth off of two Astros pitchers to win 7-5 over the Houston Astros. Jeff Francoeur opened the scoring for the Braves with a three-run homer in the fourth. Josh Anderson and Martin Prado also had two-run singles for the Braves. Ty Wigginton opened the scoring with a solo homer off of Braves' starter Tom Glavine. Glavine pitched two innings, allowing two hits and a run, but he also had two strikeouts. Hunter Pence had two hits for the Astros.

W - Francisely Bueno (1-0)
L - Chad Reineke (0-1)
S - Colter Bean (1)
HR - ATL - Jeff Francoeur (1)
HOU - Ty Wigginton (1)

Three Stars
RF Jeff Francoeur - 1-2, HR, R, 3 RBI
RF Josh Anderson - 1-2, R, 2 RBI
2B Martin Prado - 1-3, 2 RBI

#2

2B Kelly Johnson

Johnson began the season at a position previously unfamiliar to him: second base. However, with the tutelage of Glenn Hubbard, he turned in a decent season on the field. At the dish, Johnson relied on very nice plate discipline (.375 OBP, tied for sixth among all regular second basemen) and did very well in the leadoff and second spots. A chunk of his RBIs came from batting seventh in the lineup (15 of 68), though 40 of them came from the leadoff spot. He even had 10 triples. Kelly won't be making the All-Star team this season, but you can bet your bottom dollar that he'll continue to improve going into his Age 26 season.

AVERAGE - 6 - Kelly had a decent average for a second baseman, but s prone to striking out a bit. That could have possibly been the product of fatigue.

POWER - 7 - Johnson's power was very good for a second baseman. Although it isn't quite top tier, a .457 SLG for a second baseman is still at the top of the league, and he could do better.

BASERUNNING - 7.5 - Johnson only stole nine bases and was caught five times. However, he had much better base-running skills in general. Johnson went from first to third in 12 of 27 opportunities and was able to go from first to home 4 out of 8 times. He wasn't caught advancing or doubled off once.

THROWING - 7 - Johnson has a good arm for guy who had a shoulder problem just a couple of years ago. He is usually very accurate.

FIELDING - 5 - Johnson had a few problems picking up grounders backhanded going to his right and as a result garnered 14 errors on the season. However, with a year of experience under his belt, he should improve next year.

TOTAL - 32.5 (B-) - Johnson provided an overall upgrade to Marcus Giles's subpar 2006 campaign and Kelly should only get better.

BP: .279/.376/.467, 18 HR, 72 RBI, 11 SB
BJH: .282/.384/.473, 19 HR, 76 RBI, 10 SB
RW: .272/.367/.473, 18 HR, 61 RBI, 7 SB
SN: .270/.357/.454, 15 HR, 56 RBI, 8 SB

Sam: .278/.380/.462, 17 HR, 65 RBI, 9 SB

Braves Pound Dodgers 10-2, Have Good Practice Day

This is what you like to see in spring training: the bats clicking. There were a few errors today, which is not what you want to see, but it's all right. The Braves got ten hits and ten runs on the day, winning 10-3. Javy Lopez got the scoring started with a two-run homer in the third off of Esteban Loaiza and the Braves just poured it on after that. Kelly Johnson and Joe Borchard both had RBI doubles, with Joe's being of the ground-rule variety. Lopez also drove in another run with a sac fly and Jeff Francoeur, Josh Anderson and Yunel Escobar chipped in with run-scoring singles.

On the pitching side, Hiroki Kuroda, who started for the Dodgers, and Buddy Carlyle, who relieved Jair Jurrjens, pitched two innings of scoreless ball. Jurrjens allowed one run on two hits, walked one and struck out one in two innings of work. Tyler Yates, Will Ohman and Damian Moss each had an inning of scorless work.

W - Buddy Carlyle (1-0)
L - Esteban Loaiza (0-1)
HR - Javy Lopez (1)

Three Stars
C Javy Lopez - 1-1, HR, SF, 2 R, BB, 3 RBI
2B Kelly Johnson - 2-3, 2B, R, 2 RBI
P Buddy Carlyle - 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO

#24

1B Mark Teixeira

Us Braves fans must enjoy Teixeira while we can, because it's most likely that this is his last season in Atlanta. I don't regret at all that the Braves traded for him, nor do I believe that it will hurt them in the long run. In the meantime, Teixeira will be able to provide the Braves with the top first base power they have lacked since Andres Galarraga. It's that simple. Teixeira can slug the ball to all fields and he is one of the best fielding first basemen around, if not the best.

AVERAGE - 8 - Teixeira upped the stakes for himself last season when he hit .317 with the Braves, after a .297 clip with the Rangers. He has hit more than .300 just twice in two of his five major league seasons, but the batting talent is there.

POWER - 9.5 - Teixeira proved that he could hit outside of The Ballpark in Arlington in his few months wtih Atlanta. Count on him to keep it up.

BASERUNNING - 6.5 - Teixeira doesn't steal any bases, but he can be counted on to move from second to home usually; he succedded in 9 of 14 chances. He was caught advancing and doubled off once each.

THROWING - 8 - Teixeira had 77 assists last season, but an arm for a first baseman doesn't really seem to be that important. Still, he does have a good arm.

FIELDING - 9 - Teixeira had five errors, one of a handful of first baseman to have so. However, it is arguable that only Albert Pujols is better with the glove in the National League.

TOTAL - 41 (A-) - Teixeira is the real deal and in the prime of his career. Atlanta fans will enjoy this season at the first sack.

BP: .294/.394/.546, 30 HR, 96 RBI, 3 SB
BJH: .289/.382/.545, 36 HR, 120 RBI, 1 SB
RW: .303/.389/.577, 39 HR, 114 RBI, 1 SB
SN: .302/.386/.574, 37 HR, 124 RBI, 0 SB

Sam: .295/.388/.563, 38 HR, 118 RBI, 0 SB

#16

C Brian McCann

Brian McCann enters into his third season in the big leagues and well-set into the Braves' catching role, despite his defensive shortcomings. It appears as if 2006 was a fluke season more than anything else, as McCann put up stats closer to his rookie campaign. Brian was slowed by hand and ankle injuries last season, so it's likely that he'll be able to put up stats somwhere between his 2006 and 2007 campaigns. It's that simple.

I'm going to try to do some "five tool" ratings just to give myself something to do. Maybe they'll be useful and informative to all of you. The rate is on a scale of 1-10.

For the record, I don't believe that the five-tool system is very effective in evaluating players. I just thought that it would be fun to do this.

RATING SCALE:
48-50: A+
44-47: A
41-43: A-
38-40: B+
34-37: B
31-33: B-
28-30: C+
24-27: C
21-23: C-
18-20: D+
14-17: D
11-13: D-
0-10: F

AVERAGE: 7 - It's evident now that a lot of McCann's 2006 season was based on a lot of great hits and luck (.332 BABIP, for a .333 AVG). His BABIP was .282 last season, with a .270 average. Look for something between .270 and .333, because McCann is a very good batter. He isn't overly patient, but he does have a knack for smacking pitches a long way.

POWER: 8.5 - For a catcher, it's excellent. McCann finished fourth among all catchers in baseball in SLG (.452), and fourth in doubles (38).

BASERUNNING: 1 - Let's just say that McCann might be the slowest catcher since Ernie Lombardi. What I can say is that he doesn't take many risks on the basepaths. According to Bill James's Player Baserunning stats, McCann rarely tried to take extra bases and, thus, he didn't run into any outs. McCann at least gets a courtesy point for that.

THROWING: 2 - McCann seems to have a poor throwing arm; his CS% was just .20, one of the lowest totals in all the majors. If errors are a reflection of his accuracy, then 13 of them say that it's not very good.

FIELDING: 6 - Believe it or not, McCann only had six recorded passed balls. He was also able to make a lot of putouts, though (907). Few catchers got more than 900 putouts last season.

TOTAL: 24.5 (C) - McCann is focused mostly on offense.

Now, just like last year, here are four sources for projections and my own projection.

Baseball Prospectus (BP): .282/.345/.472, 19 HR, 80 RBI, 3 SB
Bill James Handbook (BJH): .297/.360/.586, 21 HR, 92 RBI, 1 SB
Rotowire (RW): .297/.349/.501, 20 HR, 88 RBI, 1 SB
The Sporting News (SN): .285/.340/.482, 20 HR, 93 RBI, 0 SB

Sam's Projection: .293/.352/.513, 19 HR, 92 RBI, 1 SB

Dodgers Defeat Braves, Score Three In Ninth

I believe that it's safe to say that Matt DeSalvo has punched his ticket to the minors or his release today. The former Yankee walked five batters in 1 1/3 IP, and Colter Bean hit a batter and career minor leaguer John Lindsey smacked a two-run double to win the game for the Dodgers by a score of 5-4. Braves first baseman Tyler Flowers hit a two-run homer to break a 2-2 tie in the top of the inning to give the Braves the lead briefly. Chris Resop and Blaine Boyer both had two inning stints that weren't perfect, but neither allowed a run. Jordan Schafer had two singles for the Braves. James Loney and Matt Kemp had two hits each for the Dodgers. Former Brave Andruw Jones walked twice.

W - Brian Shackleford (1-0)
L - Matt DeSalvo (0-1)
HR - Tyler Flowers (1)

Three Spring Stars
1B John Lindsey - 1-2, GW 2B, 2 RBI
1B Tyler Flowers - 1-1, HR, R, 2 RBI
P Chris Resop - 2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO

Exhibition Season Opens; Braves beat Bulldogs

Continuing a tradition of even Bulldog years and odd Yellow Jacket years, the Braves began their season by pasting UGA, winning 6-0. Chipper Jones and Gregor Blanco drove in two runs apiece for the Braves, each with a double. Josh Anderson had two singles and Joe Brochard had two hits, including a triple, and scored three runs for the Braves. Senior third baseman Ryan Presiel had three hits for the Bulldogs.

W - Charlie Morton
L - Dean Weaver

Braves Player Progresses And Projections

Yes, "progresses" is a real word.

Here's the lineup, we're going around the positional horn:

C Brian McCann
1B Mark Teixeira
2B Kelly Johnson
3B Chipper Jones
SS Yunel Escobar
LF Matt Diaz
CF Mark Kotsay
RF Jeff Francoeur

Next, various members that I think are in the pool to make the bench:

OF Josh Anderson
OF Gregor Blanco
OF/IF Omar Infante
OF Brandon Jones
SS/CF Brent Lillibridge
C Javy Lopez
IF Martin Prado
1B/LF Scott Thorman

And then, the pitchers:

RP Manny Acosta
RP Jeff Bennett
RP Blaine Boyer
SP Buddy Carlyle
SP Tom Glavine
SP Mike Hampton
SP Tim Hudson
SP Chuck James
SP Jair Jurrjens
SP Anthony Lerew
RP Peter Moylan
RP Will Ohman
SP Jo-Jo Reyes
RP Jeff Ridgway
RP Royce Ring
SP John Smoltz
RP Rafael Soriano
RP Phil Stockman
RP Tyler Yates

Brian McCann's up first!

Barry Bonds Hits #756, But What Does The Future Hold?

The journey began with Craig McMurtry of the Atlanta Braves and ended with Mike Bacsik of the Washington Nationals. I wasn't totally interested in this game, of course. I flipped between the game and playing Resident Evil 4 on the Gamecube. But on Bonds's third at-bat of the day, on a full count, he launched one into the seats and everyone knew it immediately, even me.

I raised my arms with Barry and screamed "He did it! He did it! He did it!", and I watched as Barry rounded the bases with appreciation of history swelling within me. Although, as a Braves fan, it was bittersweet, since the record of Hank Aaron's was eclipsed. It's unlikely that a Brave will ever have that significant a record again.

The first things that went through my mind was how different Bonds's reaction and Hank's reaction were. Bonds stood at the plate for several seconds and just raised his arms in the air. Sure, he knew he got it, but what if he hadn't? That would have been very embarrassing.

The ending was a bit jarring too. Bonds's son Nikolai came out to hug him, and it seemed like Bonds held his pointing skyward poise a bit too long before he hugged his son. I bet that's just a caught-up-in-the-moment thing, though.

I appreciated Hank Aaron's congratulatory message. With all the controversy surronding Bonds, Hank's message seemed sarcastic when he said it takes "determination, skill, and longevity" to hit that many home runs. But being sarcastic isn't Hank's style. I'm sure he truly meant it.

I also felt good for his family, and I felt good for Willie Mays. I even wished that Bobby Bonds could have seen it.

But then, as expected, all the controversy entered my thoughts and began to stew around. What would happen if more was revealed about Bonds' alledged PED use besides the leaked grand-jury testimony? What if something actually comes out of the Mitchell investigation? What if baseball decided to penalize him with an asterisk? What if Bonds is indicted for perjury? But all those things are other chapters in the tale of Barry Bonds, and they will be written quite soon for history to judge.

Congratuations, Barry Bonds on breaking the most-hallowed record in baseball history and I hope you're ready for a warm and fuzzy welcome when the Giants come to Atlanta.

Braves win in final Spring Tune-up (re-posted because it was accidently deleted)

Braves Win In Final Spring Tune-Up

Ryan Langerhans drove in three runs, including two with a home run, as the Braves won their final spring game before going up to Philadelphia, beating the White Sox 4-2.

W - Mark Redman (1-1)
L - Javier Vazquez (0-4)
S - Bob Wickman (1)
HR - Ryan Langerhans (2)

Three Stars
LF Ryan Langerhans - 1-2, HR, R, 3 RBI
2B Kelly Johnson - 1-2, RBI, BB, SB
RF Jermaine Dye - 2-2, RBI

Final Spring Stats

Now we wait for the Braves to start in Philadelphia!! :D

Ryan Langerhans Traded To A's

Langerhans, who was hitting .068 at the conclusion of today's play (a 9-7 loss to the Rockies), was traded to the Oakland A's for either a player to be named later or cash. Willie Harris was called up from Richmond to take the roster spot. He will hit singles and steal some bases, but I wouldn't expect much more from him. I do expect him to hit more than .068.

I do feel sorry for Ryan, and I wish him the best in Oakland and that his career doesn't fall down a cliff like Charles Thomas's and Dan Meyer's, the last two former Braves to be traded to Oakland.

Braves Held To Two Hits, Shut Out By Nats

The Braves had one hit in eight innings. They loaded the bases with two out against Chad Cordero, but Scott Thorman struck out and the Nationals won 2-0 to snap their six game losing streak.

Jason Bergmann had six innings of one-hit ball for the Nationals and Jesus Colome and Jon Rauch held the Braves hitless. Chad Cordero allowed a single and two walks, but was able to finish the game off.

John Smoltz went eight innings and allowed two runs in the eighth, on RBI singles by Ronnie Belliard and Ryan Zimmerman. Macay McBride and Tyler Yates managed to hold the Nats off the board in the ninth.

The offense has been positively anemic this season so far, batting just .226 as a team through tonight's game. Now the Marlins come to town next. Everyone send alarm clocks to the Braves' bats so they can wake up.

W - Jason Bergmann (1-1)
L - John Smoltz (1-1)
S - Chad Cordero (1)

Three Stars
P Jason Bergmann - 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 8 SO
P John Smoltz - 8 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 6 SO
2B Ronnie Belliard - 1-5. GW RBI

Braves Get Late Burst of Runs, Beat Nats

The Jones boys homered in the same game for the 56th time, and the Braves put enough distance in front of the Nationals and won 8-3, extending their winning streak to four games and extending Washington's losing streak to six.

Chipper Jones opened up the scoring with a long two-run homer to right-center, his first of the season, and it stayed that way for a while. There were some wasted opportunities on both sides; Washington left 11 men on base and the Braves left seven. Chuck James allowed no runs through six innings of work and after Jerome Williams allowed Chipper's homer in the first, he didn't allow anymore runs the rest of his five innings. Andruw Jones made it 5-0 with a long three-run shot to left off of Ryan Wagner. This would prove to be very helpful, as Rafael Soriano had his first bad outing of the season, allowing three runs on four hits in the eighth. Kelly Johnson's two-run double and Renteria's subsequent RBI single made it 8-3, and Bob Wickman closed it off with a so-so ninth. He allowed a hit and a walk, but no runs.

The Braves are 7-1 for the first time since 1995, which is very encouraging. They've had the pitching. Now, they need the offense to be a little more timely and consistent. Then they'll be smoking. :D

W - Chuck James (2-0)
L - Jerome Williams (0-2)
HR - Chipper Jones (1)
Andruw Jones (2)

Three Stars
P Chuck James - 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 SO
3B Chipper Jones - 2-5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI
CF Andruw Jones - 1-4, HR, R, 3 RBI

Glavine Loses Again To Braves, Wilson Saves Day

Tom Glavine pitched against the Braves for the 16th time tonight. Before this game, he had a 3-9 record with a 5.68 ERA, the worst against any other team with more than 10 games started against them. The Braves made it worse and tacked on another loss to that record, defeating the Mets 5-3.

But they almost didn't.

John Smoltz started the game for the Braves and pitched all right, giving up just two runs in six innings, despite a WHIP near 2 for the game. Paul LoDuca drove in the first run for the Mets with a solo homer, but the Braves got it right back with an RBI groundout by Jeff Francoeur. Matt Diaz hit a solo shot off of Glavine in the bottom of the second to put the Braves up 2-1. In the top of the fifth, Jose Reyes walked, reached third on an infield groundout and Carlos Beltran singled him home.

The Braves scored three in the bottom of the sixth, thanks to two sac flies and a bases-loaded single. The Mets got a run back in the seventh and the scored remained so going into the ninth. With one out, Carlos Delgado walked and David Wright singled him to third. Moises Alou flew out to center field and Wright stole second.

Shawn Green then smacked what looked like a double to right, which would have tied the game, but it found Craig Wilson's glove instead, sealing the game for the Braves.

W - John Smoltz (1-0)
L - Tom Glavine (1-1)
S - Bob Wickman (2)
HR - NYM - Paul LoDuca (1)
ATL - Matt Diaz (1)

Three Stars
1B Craig Wilson - 1-2, R, BB; game-winning catch made on Shawn Green line drive
P John Smoltz - 6 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 4 SO, W
RF Shawn Green - 3-5, 2B, RBI

Braves Set 25-man Roster, Prado Noticeably Absent

C Brian McCann
C Brayan Pena
1B Scott Thorman
1B/LF Craig Wilson
2B Kelly Johnson
SS Edgar Renteria
3B Chipper Jones
IF Pete Orr
IF Chris Woodward
LF Matt Diaz
OF Ryan Langerhans
CF Andruw Jones
RF Jeff Francoeur

SP John Smoltz
SP Tim Hudson
SP Chuck James
SP Mark Redman
SP Kyle Davies
SP/RP Lance Cormier
RP Macay McBride
RP Chad Paronto
RP Tyler Yates
RP Rafael Soriano
RP Mike Gonzalez
RP Bob Wickman

Why the heck is Chris Woodward on there? Martin Prado hit much better, plus he actually looks like he can play some defense. Oh well.

Few Runs, but White Sox Have Most

The Braves managed to make it exciting in the ninth inning, but the White Sox pulled out the win 3-2, getting a run off of Buddy Carlyle in the fifth and making it stand up. Chipper Jones and Paul Konerko traded homers and Mark Buehrle pitched seven innings and allowed just two runs.

The final exhibition game is tmorrow.

W - Mark Buehrle (1-2)
L - Buddy Carlyle (1-1)
S - Matt Thornton (1)
HR - CWS - Paul Konerko (4)
ATL - Chipper Jones (4)

Three Stars
P Mark Buehrle - 7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 SO
1B Paul Konerko - 3-4, HR, 2 R, RBI
3B Chipper Jones - 2-2, HR, R, BB, 2 RBI

Not Braves' day, Pounded By Indians

Tim Hudson allowed three runs in his last inning of work and Rafael Soriano got pounded for five runs and the Braves lost to the Indians 8-2. Also, the Braves were held without a hit for seven innings before breaking out in the eighth for two runs. Every team has one of these days, where they can't seem to do anything right, so no biggie. :)

And I also have a special announcement... *ahem*...

JEFF FRANCOEUR GOT A WALK TODAY!!!!

W - Fausto Carmona (3-1)
L - Tim Hudson (1-1)
HR - Trot Nixon (1)
Casey Blake (4)

Three Stars
P Fausto Carmona - 6 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 SO
1B Casey Blake - 2-3, HR, R, 4 RBI
RF Trot Nixon - 2-4, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI

Honorary Star
RF Jeff Francoeur - 0-1, BB

Francoeur Slams, Braves Roll Against Mets

Jeff Francoeur belted a grand slam in the first inning and the bullpen held the Mets off the board after Kyle Davies allowed three runs in five innings as the Braves beat the Mets 8-3. Steve Coyler, Tyler Yates, Macay McBride and Peter Moylan all had scoreless innings pitched.

W - Kyle Davies (2-0)
L - Jon Adkins (0-3)
HR - Jeff Francoeur (GS, 4)

Three Stars
RF Jeff Francoeur - 1-2, GS, R, 4 RBI
C Brayan Pena - 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI
P Ambotrix Burgos - 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO

Smoltz Pounded, Braves Lose to Tigers

Smoltzie was pounded in his final start before Braves' Opening Day, but the bullpen allowed just one run in five innings; the Tigers winning 7-5. The Braves did have 11 hits and three homers.

W - Jeremy Bonderman (3-0)
L - John Smoltz (1-1)
S - Jose Mesa (1)
HR - DET - Marcus Thames (3)
ATL - Edgar Renteria (1)
Andruw Jones (3)
Brian McCann (3)

Three Stars
RF Magglio Ordonez - 2-2, 2B, BB, 2 R, 2 RBI
LF Matt Diaz - 3-4, 3 2B, 2 R
P Chad Paronto - 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO

Cormier Leaves With Stiff Shoulder, but Braves Still Win

Lance Cormier left the game in the second after reporting a stiff shoulder , but the Braves still won against the Astros 6-4. The Braves had five doubles, including reliever Peter Moylan's one off of Woody Williams. Chris Woodward and Doug Clark had two hits for the Braves. Steve Coyler had a shutout sixth and seventh.

W - Rich Scalamandre (1-0)
L - Woody Williams (0-3)
S - J. B. Miadich (1)
HR - Eric Bruntlett (1)

Three Stars
P Steve Colyer - 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO
P Dave Borkowski - 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO
2B Martin Prado - 1-3, R, 3 RBI

EDIT: Added a link I forgot.

James Good Again As Braves Shut Down Nats

Chuck James shut out the Nationals for six innings on two hits and four walks, and also drove in two runs with a single. The Braves had a two-run shot from Chipper Jones as well and the Bravos shut out the Nats 6-0.

Scott Thorman and Edgar Renteria had two singles and Matt Diaz had three singles. Rafael Soriano struck out the side in his inning of work.

W - Chuck James (3-1)
L - Matt Chico (2-2)
HR - Chipper Jones (2)

Three Stars
P Chuck James - 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 4 SO, W; 1-3, 2 RBI
1B Scott Thorman - 2-3, 2 R, BB, 1 RBI
P Rafael Soriano - 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO

RP Tyler Yates

The final preview post!

This guy's middle name is Kali, the name of the Hindu goddess of chaos and death (remember Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom?). That's really all you need to know.

... oh, about how he pitches? Yates is very inconsistent, and just today, he blew the lead in the fifth inning against Cleveland and that lost the game. He had a lot of situations like that last season as well. If he has a spot waiting for him (and he does), just hold your breath when he comes in the game.

BP: 2-2, 46 2/3 IP, 46 H, 27 BB, 40 SO, 4.48 ERA, 1.564 WHIP
BJH: 3-4, 62 IP, 62 H, 37 BB, 54 SO, 4.79 ERA, 1.597 WHIP
RW: None
SN: None

Sam's Projection: 2-3, 58 2/3 IP, 56 H, 36 BB, 50 SO, 4.69 ERA, 1.568 WHIP

IF Chris Woodward

Woodward can play all the infield positions all right. That's the only asset he has, since he left his bat in Toronto. It's quite possible that he could start the season in Richmond.

BP: .242, 5 HR, 27 RBI, .667 OPS
BJH: .247, 4 HR, 26 RBI, .676 OPS
RW: .250, 3 HR, 23 RBI, .672
SN: None

Sam's Projection: .240, 3 HR, 12 RBI, .670 OPS

IB-OF Craig Wilson

Wilson was originally signed to help out in left field, but is also projected to help Scott Thorman at first base. He should be doing that this year. He should provide some slugging prowess to help out.

BP: .242, 15 HR, 49 RBI, .759 OPS
BJH: .258, 18 HR, 55 RBI, .807 OPS
RW: .271, 15 HR, 46 RBI, .796 OPS
SN: None

Sam's Projection: .265, 15 HR, 47 RBI, .795 OPS

RP Bob Wickman

The stabilizer of last year's bullpen will continue to use his veteran presence (read: girth) to pitch in the closer's role for the Braves. Bobby Cox, however, doesn't have to rely on Wickman to close; he could turn that duty over to Gonzalez or Soriano to give Wickman a rest. It's probably safe to say that Wickman doesn't have to worry about being the closer: it's his job until he tires.

BP: 2-3, 41 1/3 IP, 45 H, 15 BB, 29 SO, 4.28 ERA, 1.451 WHIP
BJH: 4-3, 62 IP, 61 H, 21 BB, 50 SO, 3.77 ERA, 1.322 WHIP
RW: 1-3, 53 IP, 51 H, 15 BB, 39 SO, 3.40 ERA, 1.245 WHIP
SN: 1 W, 59 IP, 56 H, 19 BB, 43 SO, 2.75 ERA, 1.271 WHIP

Sam's Projection: 2-3, 58 IP, 59 H, 16 BB, 49 SO, 3.05 ERA, 1.293 WHIP

RP-SP Oscar Villarreal

A valuable spot starter last season when the Braves really needed him last season; he could do the same thing again this season. However, he has been very streaky this year in spring. He'll probably have a spot waiting for him, though.

BP: 4-4, 77 1/3 IP, 83 H, 26 BB, 49 SO, 4.57 ERA, 1.409 WHIP
BJH: 6-5, 105 IP, 106 H, 37 BB, 70 SO, 4.20 ERA, 1.362 WHIP
RW: 4-4, 54 IP, 55 H, 17 BB, 32 SO, 4.00 ERA, 1.333 WHIP
SN: None

Sam's Projection: 6-4, 107 IP, 99 H, 40 BB, 78 SO, 4.16 ERA, 1.299 WHIP

Braves Split Pair with Indians and Tigers

The Braves beat the Tigers 3-1 and lost to the Indians 4-3.

W - Rafael Soriano (1-0)
L - Preston Larrison (1-1)
S - Macay McBride (2)

Three Stars
P Tim Hudson - 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO
P Kenny Rogers - 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 SO
2B Kelly Johnson - 2-2, 2 BB, RBI

W - Fernando Cabrera (1-0)
L - Tyler Yates (0-1) <- gave up two runs in the fifth
S - Sean Smith (1)
HR - CLE - Ryan Garko (2)
ATL - Chipper Jones (2)

Three Stars
DH Ryan Garko - 2-4, HR, R, 3 RBI
P Juan Lara - 3 IP, 4 H. 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO
3B Chipper Jones - 2-3, HR, R, 2 RBI

SP-RP Lance Cormier

Cormier did an okay job relieving last season, and a so-so job in the starter's role last season, turning in a couple of good starts (and a few bad ones). However, this spring, he has emereged as a candidate for Mike Hampton's vacant starting spot. Is it possible that he has turned the corner? Maybe.

BP: 4-5, 87 2/3 IP, 100 H, 39 BB, 55 SO, 5.01 ERA, 1.586 WHIP
BJH: 5-6, 99 IP, 117 H, 44 BB, 65 SO, 5.45 ERA, 1.626 WHIP
RW: 5-5, 77 IP, 79 H, 29 BB, 47 SO, 4.56 ERA, 1.403 WHIP
SN: None

Sam's Projection: 11-9, 165 IP, 176 H, 52 BB, 105 SO, 4.32 ERA, 1.382 WHIP

1B Scott Thorman

The heir apparent to the first base job after Adam LaRoche was traded to Pittsburgh, Thorman got a vote of no confidence when Craig Wilson was signed. At first, Wilson was to play in left field, but then Thorman started poorly in spring and now it looks as if Wilson and Thorman will share time at first. Thorman has done all right this spring so far, batting .265 with a .716 OPS. Once we get going in the season, we'll all see how well Thorman will do.

BP: .273, 16 HR, 66 RBI, .779 OPS
BJH: .297, 8 HR, 28 RBI, .829 OPS
RW: .253, 6 HR, 15 RBI, .758 OPS
SN: None

Sam's Projection: .280, 18 HR, 58 RBI, .804 OPS

RP Rafael Soriano

In what was possibly the biggest steal the Braves have done in recent trades, Rafael Soriano was copped from the Mariners for Horacio Ramirez. At the worst (best?), the teams came out even. Soriano had a WHIP of 1.083 last season, and doesn't seem to have any ill effects from that concussion he had. He'll make a great setup man and sometime closer.

BP: 3-3, 56 2/3 IP, 51 H, 22 BB, 57 SO, 3.66 ERA, 1.288 WHIP
BJH: 3-2, 43 IP, 35 H, 13 BB, 46 SO, 3.14 ERA, 1.116 WHIP
RW: 4-3, 68 IP, 51 H, 18 BB, 81 SO, 2.51 ERA, 1.103 WHIP
SN: 2 W, 62 IP, 47 H, 19 BB, 68 SO, 2.47 ERA, 1.065 WHIP

Sam's Projection: 3-2, 65 IP, 53 H, 17 BB, 82 SO, 2.69 ERA, 1.077 WHIP

Pena, Jr. Swapped For Minor League Pitcher Erik Cordier

Looks like the Braves got someone for Pena, Jr. after all. Li'l Tony (Mac's name for him) was traded to Kansas City for A-ball hurler Erik Cordier. This could turn out to be a steal, because Pena has never been that good a hitter. Cordier had a 1.044 WHIP in 52 2/3 innings between Rookie and A-ball, so I would guess that he'll be very nice. I wish all the best for Pena, Jr., but I really don't think he'll amount to much.

SP Mark Redman

Redman was once an All-Star in 2005; an All-Star with the Kansas City Royals. Enough said. I remember praying for him to get into the game so that the National League could pound him.

Obviously, I've had a change of heart. If he can be good as an emergency or fifth starter, as I'm sure he can, he'll be an asset, because that's one of the things the Braves lacked last season. I look forward to seeing what he can do if he does make the team, even if he's just like Shane Reynolds.

BP: 7-11, 148 IP, 183 H, 54 BB, 73 SO, 5.68 ERA, 1.601 WHIP
BJH: 9-11, 176 IP, 192 H, 58 BB, 102 SO, 4.40 ERA, 1.420 WHIP
RW: 12-13, 186 IP, 204 H, 69 BB, 88 SO, 4.69 ERA, 1.468 WHIP
SN: 10-9, 175 IP, 192 H, 64 BB, 89 SO, 5.04 ERA, 1.463 WHIP

Sam's Projection: 11-11, 183 IP, 199 H, 60 BB, 105 SO, 4.72 ERA, 1.415 WHIP

Davies Another Strong Start, Braves Best Phillies

Not only did Kyle Davies pitched six innings of three-hit, one-run ball, he also had an RBI double. The Braves pulled the game out at the end 7-4. Brayan Pena had a pinch-hit two run homer, Chipper Jones had a double and Corky Miller had two singles in three trips.

W - Kyle Davies (1-0)
L - J. A. Happ (0-2)
HR - ATL - Brayan Pena (1)
PHI - Greg Dobbs (4)

Three Stars
P Kyle Davies - 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO, W; 1-2, 2B, RBI
P J. A. Happ - 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 SO, L
PH Brayan Pena - 1-1, HR, R, 2 RBI

SP John Smoltz

The longest-tenured Brave since Phil Niekro, Smoltz is, of course, the last member of the 1991 Miracle Braves still on the team. What is incredible is that he is still pitching at the top of his game. If the Braves' bullpen was better in 2006, he could have won the Cy Young Award. As it is, he'll be prepared to anchor the Braves' rotation once again. I don't know how many more years that he'll do this for the Braves; I don't think anyone knows. But I'm sure going to enjoy it. When it's all said and done, Smoltzie should be a Hall of Famer.

BP: 14-10, 212 IP, 207 H, 54 BB, 166 SO, 3.68 ERA, 1.231 WHIP
BJH: 18-7, 227 IP, 209 H, 50 BB, 200 SO, 3.17 ERA, 1.141 WHIP
RW: 15-10, 231 IP, 222 H, 57 BB, 191 SO, 3.58 ERA, 1.208 WHIP
SN: 14-9, 222 IP, 216 H, 55 BB, 184 SO, 3.57 ERA, 1.221 WHIP

Sam's Projection: 20-10, 242 IP, 228 H, 55 BB, 228 SO, 3.20 ERA, 1.169 WHIP

Yeah, that's right. Smoltz will pitch at the level he did last season and now that the bullpen doesn't stink, he'll get his wins. He'll get the Cy Young Award.

SS Edgar Renteria

It could be possible that Renteria will be remembered as "the veteran shortstop who was once traded for superstar Andy Marte", or he'll be remembered as "the veteran shortstop who was traded to Atlanta and had a few more good years with them." The latter will be true for a while. Renteria will continue to do what he does best: hit and do his damnedest to field the shortstop position well.

BP: .284, 10 HR, 59 RBI, .756 OPS, 16 SB
BJH: .284, 12 HR, 78 RBI, .759 OPS, 17 SB
RW: .284, 13 HR, 71 RBI, .767 OPS, 18 SB
SN: .289, 12 HR, 72 RBI, .773 OPS, 18 SB

If this isn't a cosensus, I don't know what is. :)

Sam's Projection: .285, 12 HR, 70 RBI, .765 OPS, 17 SB

IF Martin Prado

Prado, who was brought up last season to help out Marcus Giles at second base, has had a very strong spring so far. He doesn't have much power, but his defense is all right. It's possible that he could be one of the other benchies on the final roster, taking the "resevered" spot for Chris Woodward, who has been having injury problems this spring.

BP: .276, 5 HR, 43 RBI, .696 OPS
BJH: None
RW: None
SN: None

Sam's Projection: .275, 3 HR, 38 RBI, .684 OPS

2B Willy Aybar

When we traded for him and Danys Baez, he was supposed to be the heir apparent to second base since it was an open secret that Marcus Giles was going to be traded or released. Then, Kelly Johnson came onto the scene. Combined with the fact that Aybar somehow got the "supersub" tag on him, he'll start the season on the bench. Aybar will get some starts due to Chipper's inevitable trip to the DL.

BP: .273, 13 HR, 39 RBI, .764 OPS
BJH: .276, 6 HR, 35 RBI, .769 OPS
RW: .282, 10 HR, 50 RBI, .798 OPS
SN: None

Sam's Projection: .275, 10 HR, 43 RBI, .770 OPS

SS Tony Pena, Jr.

There was a lot of fretting earlier in the week about whether or not that the Braves would be able to keep Tony Pena, Jr. after they optioned him to Richomond, which means he would be put on waivers. Yes, that's right. All the other teams in baseball are just lining up to take the light-hitting, semi-good glove benchie Tony Pena, Jr.

Take a number, everyone!!

BP: .247, 4 HR, 31 RBI, .624 OPS, 12 SB
BJH: .263, 1 HR, 9 RBI, .645 OPS, 4 SB
RW: None
SN: None

Sam's Projection: .250, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .630 OPS, 2 SB

C Brayan Pena

It's not a good time to be a backup catcher in Atlanta right now with Brian McCann breaking out. But Pena will get some playing time, because Brian McCann will have to sit every now and then if he has ankle problems like last season. We'll see if Pena thrives in his bench role. I would guess that he'll hit better than Todd Pratt did last season.

BP: .281, 2 HR, 37 RBI, .687 OPS
BJH: None
RW: .289, 1 HR, 14 RBI, .682 OPS
SN: None

Sam's Projection: .285, 1 HR, 24 RBI, .685 OPS

IF Pete Orr

One of the famed "Baby Braves" of 2005, Orr regressed in 2006, probably because he was lucky in 2005 and he never really had much power in the first place. But he is useful. He's probably the best choice for an infielder benchie.

BP: .278, 2 HR, 18 RBI, .680 OPS, 6 SB
BJH: None
RW: .264, 0 HR, 9 RBI, .620 OPS, 4 SB
SN: None

Sam's Projection: .275, 2 HR, 15 RBI, .650, 5 SB

Braves Down Mets With Help From Pena, Jr.

The Braves hung around with the Mets, powered by John Smoltz's six innings of one-run ball, before blowing the game open off of Billy Wagner, of all people. Tony Pena, Jr., of all people, blasted a three-run homer off of Wagner for the big blow in the seventh. The Braves took the game 7-1.

W - John Smoltz (1-0)
L - Scott Schoeneweis (1-1)
HR - Tony Pena, Jr. (1)

Three Stars
P John Smoltz - 6 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO
P Aaron Sele - 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO
PR-3B Tony Pena, Jr. - 1-1, HR, R, 3 RBI

Braves Sign McCann to $27.8 Million Extension

That's right. Brian McCann, who finished second to Joe Mauer in VORP in 2006, signed an extension through 2012.

EDIT: Here's the progression for the salary:

2007: $500,000
2008: $800,000
2009: $3,500,000
2010: $5,500,000
2011: $6,500,000
2012: $8,500,000

There's a club option for $12 million and a $500,000 buyout clause for the 2013 season.

This is an absolute steal, maybe the best steal in the era of these kinds of contracts. :D

Braves Lead Throughout, but Johnson Blows It In Ninth

The story of the game is Johnathan Johnson, who gave up three runs in the 9th to blow the lead and the game to the Nationals 6-5. Andruw Jones had a two-run homer in the first and eleven different Braves had hits.

W - Mike Bacsik (1-1)
L - Johnathan Johnson (0-3)
HR - ATL - Andruw Jones (2)
WAS - Felipe Lopez (1)

Three Stars
P Mike Bacsik - 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO, W
2B D'Angelo Jimenez - 2-2, 2B, 2 R
CF Andruw Jones - 1-2, HR, BB, R, 2 RBI

RP Chad Paronto

Paronto benifitted from the chaos of the Braves' 2006 bullpen in order to land himself a bullpen role. He did a decent job, but not spectacular. He seemed to have a problem with letting inherited runners score. Maybe he can change that, because he'll still have his job in 2007. He'll do about the same job that he did last season.

BP: 2-2, 49 1/3 IP, 52 H, 20 BB, 34 SO, 4.42 ERA, 1.459 WHIP
BJH: 4-3, 64 IP, 68 H, 26 BB, 46 SO, 4.36 ERA, 1.469 WHIP
RW: None
SN: None

Sam's Projection: 58 2/3 IP, 62 H, 24 BB, 48 SO, 4.26 ERA, 1.466 WHIP