BravesBlast 2009 Christmas Wish List

Well it’s that time of the year.  The BravesBlast crew is putting together our Christmas wish list for this offseason and 2010.  While 2009 provided a lot of highlights and improvements over the year before, there are still a lot of improvements and changes needed.  So we’ll take a minute from the normal Christmas desires for Playstations and electronics and power tools to talk about one of the things we miss the most this time of year.

5.  Add another setup man. The bullpen for the Braves is going to look a little different come 2010.  Gone are the days of Soriano and Gonzo splitting time in the 8th and 9th innings.  If all goes as planned, the 2010 season will see a lot of Takashi Saito working the 8th and Billy Wagner working closing duty.  If Wagner can come back successfully from his Tommy John surgery and return to his dominant closer form, the Braves will be a lot better off than they have been.  What we’d like to see however is one more quality setup man to help bridge the gap to the 8th/9th duo.  Bobby’s known for utilizing the bullpen a good bit (no thanks to the lack of quality starting pitching we saw before the 2009 season), but it can never hurt to have quality relievers to bail out your starters if need be.

4.  More offensive threats. It’s not a big secret that the Braves lack a big-name offensive threat since the departure of Mark Teixeira.  Let’s put some numbers behind it.  Last season, the Braves hit 149 home runs, ranking 22nd out of the 30 teams in the majors.  First place?  244.  And while the Braves may have the 5th best team batting average in the National League, they have only the 10th best slugging percentage; that equates to the 22nd ranked slugging percentage in all of baseball.  Offense isn’t just hitting however.  The Braves often lack the ability to be aggressive on the base path.  2009 saw all of 58 stolen bases for the Braves; next to last in baseball.  Having a little more power in the lineup however would open up a lot more opportunities for the team.

3.  Solidify the outfield. I’ve had issues with the outfield for the Braves for awhile now.  I still agree with the decision to move Francoeur just not necessarily what we got in exchange.  I’m happy to have McLouth around until we can bring up some of our prospects (which, by the way, we have a very stout outfield in the making if we can keep out prospects around).  I’m still not thrilled about the addition of Melky Cabrera, but I’m happy with some of the other pieces we got out of that trade.  So what’s the answer?  I say try to track down another power-hitting outfielder that can help with that previous item on my wish list.

2.  Find the next Bobby Cox. I know it’s not on the mind much yet, but this is Bobby’s last season managing the Braves and, while the focus needs to be on the season at hand, the future is important as well.  So the question is, who is the best option to fill the shoes of one of the most revered managers in the game?  To be honest, my answer to that question right now is that I just don’t know.  In the end, it needs to be someone that can maintain a positive clubhouse attitude……and get thrown out of games as well as Bobby (though that may just be a personal preference).

1.  Going all the way for Bobby. With it having been decided that 2010 is Bobby’s last year at the helm of the Braves, it’s only right that we send him out with the best season possible.  The ideal situation obviously is to get out there and take it all the way, but let’s start by focusing on what needs to happen in Atlanta.  We need playoff baseball back.  After so many years of getting used to having a few guaranteed October games, things have cooled off a little.  Let’s get Bobby back to the playoffs one last time!

So there you have it.  That’s what we’re looking for out of the organization as Christmas presents to us and the rest of the Braves family.  What’s on your wish list for the Braves?

Happy Holidays Everyone!

…And That Hurts A Lot

Well, after last night, the Rockies’ magic number is at 1 and anything short of a complete fold by Colorado and winning out by the Braves (which is entirely possible against the Nats) marks the end of the postseason run for 2009.

Last night’s loss hurts….a lot.  Yes, being the doubter that I am at times, I had pretty much written off the game and the season heading into the 8th, down by 5.  Two runs in the 8th and two runs in the ninth and I found myself in that hopeful spot that, by now, I should know better than to do with the Braves.  Two outs, down by 1, bases loaded………I’m sure everyone knows the rest of the story by now.  So I’m just not going to make myself angry with it again.  I’ll leave it to braves.com to tell that story if you haven’t already heard it.

So let me just put this out there that, out of anyone on the team, I’m probably the most okay with the fact that this happened to MattyD.  Diaz consistently goes out on the field and puts everything he has into the game.  He never complains about playing in platoon situations; he just does his job and does it well.  Yes, he made a mistake.  He pretty much made the most decisively costly mistake at the most important time in the season, but, you know what, he has a lot more desire to win than most of the guys on the roster.

I’m not going to deny it.  When the game ended last night, I launched into a profanity-laden tirade around my house (maybe it’s a good thing I didn’t make it out to the game for once) that I’m just waiting to hear from at least one of my neighbors today about how they don’t think they should have their children living in the same neighborhood as me.  But it’s okay, Matty, I still appreciate your value to the team.  Rue and I sat down and discussed this over lunch today.  Had Kelly Johnson been the one ending our hopes for the playoffs last night, there’s a good chance that I would have made it to the stadium before he left for a little face-to-face discussion.

There’s still a slight chance, Braves fans, but either way, let’s try to enjoy our last series of the season.  Get out to the Ted and cheer on the Braves and get ready for a season of sending Bobby Cox off in style next year.  We’ll be here in the offseason helping recap the season and getting ready for 2010.

That Hurts A Little

Last night’s games around the league provided a bit of a stumbling block for the Braves, who went into the night two games back in the NL Wild Card race.  Tim Hudson just didn’t have his best stuff, giving up home runs to Uggla and Maybin and allowing 4 runs in 5 innings of work.

Down 4-1 in the 6th, the Braves’ chances were lifted with a 3-run Matt Diaz home run, but the high from this didn’t last long, as Kawakami allowed a run for the Marlins in the top of the 7th.  This would go on to be the difference-maker as the Braves fell to the Marlins 5-4.

At that point, eyes turned to the scoreboard to watch the Rockies vs. Brewers game.  There was a little hope when the Brewers scored 3 runs in the top of the 9th to tie the game at 5, but the Rockies ended the game on a 2-run Chris Iannetta pinch-hit home run in the bottom of the 11th.

So five games to go and the Braves are three games back in the Wild Card standings.  We have one more against the Marlins and finish up the season with four against the Nationals at the Ted.  There’s still a chance, we just need to put together some wins.  What do you think?  Is there still hope for the Braves this season?

Tags: Can the Braves Make the Playoffs, playoffs, Postseason, Wild Card
Posted in General | 13441 Comment »http://www.bravesblast.com/2009/09/30/that-hurts-a-little/That+Hurts+A+Little2009-09-30+15%3A25%3A43Jonathan

Home Stretch: 11 To Go

So not to sound like a bad fan, but chances are, these are  the last 11 games for the Braves in 2009.  We’re 5 games back in the NL Wild Card and Colorado is playing some tough baseball.  Believe me though, I’d love to be wrong on that statement, but I just don’t see it happening.

However, the second half of this season has been exceptional for the Braves.  Since the All-Star break, the Braves have played .603 baseball (38-25); a good enough winning percentage to be leading any division in baseball right now, save the AL East.  Unfortunately, the games before the break (in which the Braves compiled a 43-45 record) count as well.  And while our current 81-70 record is nothing to be disappointed over, it’s just tough to once again miss the playoffs after playing such great baseball.  Either way, the team we have seen in the second half of the season is getting closer to the playoff-bound Braves teams of the past.

Since the All-Star break, the team hasn’t really let up.  I’ll even go as far back to the beginning of July:

So back to the beginning of July, the Braves are 45-30 and haven’t come close to having a losing month.  Equate that out over an entire season and the Braves would win 97 or 98 games.  The real question is however, can the Braves make that a reality in 2010?  Some things will have to change.  The bullpen will need to stop wasting leads.  The offense will need to come to life when our pitchers need the run support……..and we can’t get swept by the Reds when fighting for a playoff spot.  I think starting pitching is locked up decently for the first time in awhile however.

What else needs to change or stay the same for a playoff run in 2010?  Let’s go out and enjoy these last 11 games of the season.  Who knows, anything can happen.  Just ask the Mets.

Schafer To Have Surgery On Wrist

Jordan Schafer first injured his wrist in the Braves’ first home game of the season. He wasn’t the same afterwards – and was eventually demoted to AAA in favor of Gregor Blanco before the Braves traded for Nate McLouth

He’s worn a cast on it for the last month in hopes that it will heal without surgery, but that’s a no-go. He can hit off a tee now without pain but once the ball has any momentum behind it he feels a fairly decent amount of pain. To that end, Schafer will undergo surgery on his left wrist and sit the rest of the season out.

I’m glad to hear there’s an issue, because frankly Schafer’s performance this year was somewhat disappointing and this at least explains why he may have struggled. Wrist issues are going to mean it’s difficult to drive the ball – resulting in little power after the initial injury. He’s going to get a new look next year in spring training to win a spot in the Braves’ outfield and that’s OK by me. We’re going to need a youth movement going forward to be competitive offensively and we could certainly use some young speed and good defense that comes with the Schafer package.

Best of luck to Jordan – heal up soon.

Atlanta Should Be Proud of Kawakami

He’s won only five games this season. He’s lost nine. He has a 4.13 ERA. He’s not a power pitcher. He’s not a big name. And he holds down a spot in the Braves’ crowded rotation.

But Kenshin Kawakami is still a VERY good pitcher and deserves to be in ANY rotation in the majors. Why? Let’s take a look. He’s allowed 3 runs or less in 17 of his last 19 starts. He’s averaging 5.5 innings per game. At 3 runs or less, the Braves should be in it every night when he’s on the mound.

But he’s not getting much run support. While Kawakami is on the mound, the Braves only score 3.0 runs, on average. That’s compared to 6.2 for Tommy Hanson, 5.4 for Jurrjens, 5.0 for Lowe, and 4.9 for Vazquez. With a 2 run disparity, on average, every game this year, I’d argue it’s not Kenshin’s fault that he doesn’t have a, say, 9-5 record.

With a little more run support from the offense, look for Kawakami to put up a better record in the second half of the season. He’s a mighty fine pitcher to have in the rotation’s four hole. And before someone suggests it, I don’t want Hudson in the rotation instead of Kawakami. Hudson should pitch out of the ‘pen and give the Braves even more depth in an already ridiculously stacked pitching staff. We should be more proud of Kawakami.

Maybe we should even start a group – Kawakami’s… ok I can’t come up with anything that rhymes. A little help?

Smoltz Signing With Cardinals

John Smoltz is expected to sign with the St. Louis Cardinals today as soon as he clears post-release waivers from the Red Sox. He is expected to join the rotation as their fifth starter.

Smoltz signed with the Red Sox this spring hoping to make a comeback from shoulder surgery and the Braves got some serious flack for not matching his contract from a lot of people (including myself). In the end, it looks like Frank Wren went the right direction as Smoltz had a disappointing sting with the Sox, going 2-5 with an 8.32 ERA in 8 games started. There was some banter for the Braves to bring him back in the bullpen, but with the Braves anticipating the return of Tim Hudson from the DL, they passed on Smoltz.

Smoltz will join the Cardinals’ rotation – and I’m sure he hopes to not post an 8.32 ERA in additional outings. We’ll hope he can return and perform – and that he’s not just doing the Brett Favre “I will not retire” dance.

McLouth to DL, Prado’s Status Unknown

It’s been a few games in the making, but the Braves finally put Nate McLouth on the 15-day disabled list today for a sore left hamstring.  He aggravated the hamstring against Los Angeles last week and, after missing three games, returned to the lineup on Friday against the Phillies.  Running out a double, it was apparent that he was far from 100% and was given a few more days of rest.  A treadmill session this morning indicated that there was still an issue.  Reid Gorecki has been called up from Gwinnett to take the spot on the roster.

In other injury news, Martin Prado was taken to Piedmont Hospital yesterday after experiencing a sharp pain in his head while swinging in the batting cages.  He first felt this during Saturday’s game, which he left prior to the completion.  CT scan results were negative and it’s currently unknown on a timeframe for his return to the lineup.

These are two particularly big injuries for the Braves as McLouth and Prado are a large portion of what has spurred recent success for the team.  Is this something to be concerned about in the coming weeks or can the Braves fill in the gaps?

The Braves Are Back

Back in the day when the Braves were on national television every night, were owned by a flamboyant cable television tycoon, featured a bevy of superstar names, and won the division every single year… there was no shortage of national press aimed in the Braves’ direction. These days, however, the Braves tend to fly a bit under the radar. Maybe that’s why so few in national sports media seemed to have noticed…

The Braves are back.

Do you remember the days when the Braves threw top-of-rotation starters at opponents just about every single night? Those days are back. Remember the days when Atlanta combined timely hitting and superior defense with that pitching to down opponents with regularity? Those days are back.

The Atlanta Braves now hold the best record of any team in the National League since the all-star break (17-9). Since the break, the Braves are 3rd in the league in runs scored, 2nd in homeruns, and 4th in team batting average. Atlanta also leads in the league in “second half” team ERA (3.03).

In fact, Atlanta holds the best record of any team in the NL since June 28th (26-14). That’s a .650 win percentage. To put that in perspective, a .650 clip over a 162 games would translate to 105 wins. That’s how well the Braves have played over the last 40 games. And we’re not talking about an insignificant sample size. As a friend pointed out to me Tuesday night as we sat at “The Ted” and watched the Braves bang around the Nats… 40 games is a full quarter of a season.

Yet, as of August 13th, the ESPN Power Rankings say there are 13 MLB teams better than Atlanta. Really? I’ll take that bet.

The Braves have substantially upgraded fully HALF of their lineup, and baseball’s top prospect, Jason Heyward, might make his big league debut in September. Also, to what is already the league’s best pitching staff, the Braves will soon add Tim Hudson, who is slated to return from his “Tommy John” rehab later this month.

So while the Baseball Tonight folks yap endlessly about the Yankees, Red Sox, and Pedro’s return to the mound, the Braves will look to continue taking care of business. Though, another series win against the Phillies this weekend would certainly make the Braves harder to ignore. And I’m confident that another series win is the only thing on the minds of these resurgent Atlanta Braves.

Braves fans, are you excited yet?

Braves Offense Now One Of The NL’s Best

I recently Tweeted that I felt the Braves now have one of the top 3 offenses in the NL, to which someone responded “Top 3 lineups in the league? Really? I mean I love the braves too, but that’s a reach”.

I understand his sentiment, but my opinion is based on more than giddy optimism or wishful thinking, though I couldn’t explain my reasoning very well under the constraints of 140 characters. To explain my position, let’s look at what this Atlanta lineup has done lately.

The offense scuffled a bit recently for about a week in Florida, and in Atlanta against the Dodgers, averaging 3 runs per game over that period. Against tough pitching, and without their RBI leader, Yunel Escobar, for most of that stretch, Braves bats responded poorly. But both before and after that quiet week, the Bravos have gone a long way to prove that their offensive woes are in the past. Over their last 4 games, Atlanta has touched up Padres and Dodgers pitching for a total of 28 runs.

And before that one-week offensive slump?

For the month of July, only two National League teams scored more than the Braves’ 139 runs: The Cubs (141), and the Phillies (153). Atlanta was also 2nd in team batting average (.284), and 3rd in homeruns (32). It’s also worth noting that both Chicago and Phili play in far more hitter-friendly ballparks than do the Atlanta Braves.

“OK, sure… they had a good month of July, and they’ve scored big in their past few games, but you’re forgetting about the first three months of the season.”

No, I haven’t forgotten. But if you’re going to reference Atlanta’s early season offense, you might as well be talking about last year’s team. This lineup has changed more from the one we saw through the first 2-3 months of the season than many teams change over a full winter of off-season adjustments. The mid-season extreme makeover of this Atlanta lineup is worthy of its own cable television show. They have replaced Jordan Schafer, Kelly Johnson, Jeff Francoeur, and Casey Kotchman… with Nate McClouth, Martin Prado, and Matt Diaz/Ryan Church, and Adam LaRoche. They have literally upgraded no less than HALF of the lineup, in-flight.

In short, this isn’t the same team we saw in April or May, or even in June. Not even close. Since the all-star Break, the Braves are 2nd in team average and homeruns, and 3rd in runs scored.

To put the ability of the present Braves offense in perspective… the following numbers are the current statistics of each member of Atlanta’s lineup, projected over 550 at-bats. The one exception is Adam LaRoche. Rather than project his season totals, I used his average post-all-star break performance as point of reference. I have also taken special considerations into account where Anderson and Diaz/Church are concerned, which are explained below.

These numbers aren’t ’09 season totals predictions. They are simply intended to put each player’s performance in perspective.

Every single hitter in this lineup, with the exception of Ryan Church, is a threat to go deep. But even more impressive… take another look at those batting averages, on-base percentages, and doubles/triples numbers.

What’s more, Chipper Jones and Brian McCann are clearly capable of better than what they’ve done so far in 2009. Also, it didn’t go without notice that Braves’ GM, Frank Wren, has spent the last few days observing the Mississippi Braves in person. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why. Jason Heyward, arguably the top prospect in all of baseball and current member of the Miss. Braves, may make his big league debut this month or next.

To what was one of the top three lineups in the NL in July, the Braves have added notorious second-half assassin, Adam LaRoche. And the lineup may become better still with the possible 2009 arrival of Heyward.

Don’t look now, but the Atlanta Braves are no longer offensively challenged. They may have dug too deep a hole to earn a postseason berth. We’ll just have to wait and see. But if the wheels don’t fall off other areas of strength this season (such as holding the lead in the 9th), the Braves could at least make things interesting before it’s all over.

What do you think? Do you like what you’re seeing from this offense?

*Garrett Anderson: After missing most of the spring and the first month of the season, May was an adjustment period for Anderson. His projected numbers are based on his performance since June 1. *Adam LaRoche: LaRoche’s numbers were based on his average post-all-star break performance. *Diaz/Church: The numbers for the Diaz Church platoon are based on Diaz’s performance vs. left-handed pitching, combined with Church’s performance vs. right-handed pitching.

Braves Trade Kotchman for Adam LaRoche

Adam LaRoche is coming home. LaRoche, who was just earlier this month traded from the Pirates to the Red Sox, has been swapped straight up for Casey Kotchman, it appears. If you’re wondering how this trade stacks up, it’s about a straight up deal, if that. Casey Kotchman hits for a higher average and has better defense, but LaRoche hits for more power and knocks in more runs. But he strikes out more than twice as much. Yes, seriously.

That said, the Braves want power. They want a little more pop in their lineup and LaRoche gives them that. He has to work on keeping the strikeouts down (he’s whiffed 83 times already this year, compared to Kotchman’s 28). LaRoche does walk a bit more, too.

The bottom line is that the Braves think LaRoche is a better fit and jumped on the opportunity to bring him back home. When he was with us before, he struck out less. He now gets to play with his old buds and hopefully provide some punch to the back of our lineup, which isn’t looking shabby now. Here’s a guestimated lineup, assuming everyone is healthy:

McLouth, Prado/Johnson, Chipper, McCann, Anderson, Escobar, Church/Diaz, LaRoche. Having someone on pace to hit around 20 homeruns is not a bad person to have in the 8 hole – especially if the guys before him are on base enough to give him RBI opportunities. Sure, he’s only hitting .248, but I’m choosing to stay on the positive side of this trade. I’ll leave the negative to someone else.

Kudos to Wren and Cox for going out and making a move that they believe makes this team better. They’ve been right so many times in the past when it looks like a wash – why should now be any different?

Source: Braves Acquire Adam LaRoche

Update: Looks like this is a done deal – Kotchman for LaRoche. ESPN is confirming as are multiple sportswriter sources via Twitter.

Update: Yahoo’s Gordon Edes (and MLBTradeRumors) reports that the Braves have acquired Adam LaRoche from the Boston Red Sox. There are a few confirmations that this is at least in the works, very close, if not confirmed. Monitoring…

SI’s Jon Heyman reports that now that the Red Sox have acquired Victor Martinez from the Indians, they’re looking to move Adam LaRoche. The Braves are reported to be interested.

LaRoche is hitting .248 this season but that’s with 13 homers, 43 RBIs, and far too many strikeouts. He’d be a bit of power for the Braves (who wouldn’t be able to unload Kotchman onto the Sox) but isn’t quite a high average hitter. That said, he’s probably a better fit for the Braves than Nick Johnson, as I suggested this morning.

Glad to hear the Braves may be looking to upgrade their first base slot at the deadline. Now Braves: make a smart deal, upgrade us a bit, and don’t mortgage the future.

Personal note: I’m not sure that LaRoche is that much of an upgrade over Kotchman. Too many strikeouts and not high enough OBP. What are your thoughts? Good idea or no?