Greensboro, NC – With it being the middle of the week and a bit fatigued, I’ll cover one of my favorite baseball team’s season to this point. I do have some good topics saved for later on this week.
Many thought that the Atlanta Braves’ run of 14 straight divisional titles was long overdue to be snapped. It finally came to an end last season, thanks in large part to a very weak bullpen and an unstable pitching rotation. When Mike Gonzalez, the Pirates closer in 2006, was obtained for slugging first baseman Adam LaRoche, coupled with the acquisition of super set-up man Rafael Soriano in an exchange for the fragile LHP Horacio Ramirez, the Braves’ bullpen immediately became one of the best in the league. With John Smoltz and Tim Hudson serving as a lethal 1-2 punch, followed by gutsy lefthander Chuck James and the talented Kyle Davies, the Braves have a very formidable pitching staff.
My new favorite player in all of baseball has to be Brian McCann. McCann possesses an average arm for throwing out base runners; however, it’s his bat that will make him a superstar. He’ll hit above .320, 20+ home runs, 80+ RBI’s. You don’t get that from your everyday catcher. He’s a Georgia native, who grew up a Braves’ fan, and his name is Brian. I think Andruw Jones, regretfully, will walk away from the Braves at the end of the year when his contract expires. His agent is Scott Boras, the free agent nazi; translation: no home discount for you! He’s the best defensive center fielder in the game, IMO. He reads where the ball will land as soon as it hits the bat, not when it’s out of the infield. Kelly Johnson and Scott Thorman have been very pleasant surprises at the plate replacing longtime stalwarts of the Braves’ right side infield, Marcus Giles and Adam LaRoche, respectively. Together, with Jeff Francoeur in right field, Edgar Renteria at short, Chipper Jones at third, and a platoon of Diaz and Harris in left, this team is poised for a deep run in the postseason.
After tonight, they’ve defeated the Mets in 5 out of 7 games. Not to mention, the Braves easily took care of the Dodgers and Padres, two of the leaders out west. If you’re a Mets’ fan, I would be terrified of the Braves this year. I picked them to win the East in Spring Training. They have the past experience to reach the postseason. 2006 featured multiple injuries to key players, a horrible bullpen, a weak pitching staff, and not enough offensive power. It just so happens that 2006 will be the one leap year in the Braves’ 14 out of 15 NL East Champions mark.
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