Could Evan Gattis be a trade chip?

The Atlanta Braves Evan Gattis has come on the scene and made a big splash in his rookie season.  Gattis already has 10 home runs (2nd on the team and tied for 4th in the NL) in just 121 plate appearances and is second on the Braves with 27 runs-batted-in, only one behind team leader, Justin Upton.

Gattis was dynamic in the just completed six game home stand as he blasted three home runs.  They  included a grand slam, a two-out ninth inning solo home run that tied the game, and an eighth inning two-run shot that converted a one run deficit into a lead.

So why would the Braves consider trading Evan Gattis?  Gattis plays catcher, left field and first base.  The Braves already have Brian McCann, Justin Upton and Freddie Freeman to play those positions.  So Gattis is a very nice spare part to have hanging around right now, but not a necessity.

Although the Braves currently lead the NL East, and are tracking toward an almost certain playoff appearance, there are still holes on the roster.  The Braves don’t have a true number one starter, and they’ve lost their top two left-handed relievers out of the bullpen for the season, Jonny Venters and Eric O’Flaherty.

In other words, the Braves are built to win a lot of regular season games, but to advance deep into the playoffs they will need pitching help.

McCann’s deal expires at the end of the season, and he will become a free agent if not resigned.  The Braves don’t want to trade Gattis and then lose McCann, that we can be reasonably assured.  But from what we are hearing, there is a good chance that the Braves want to keep McCann, and will find the money.  It helps their cause that McCann is a hometown guy, and would prefer to stay in Atlanta.

Along with Gattis, other assets the Braves could offer are outfielder Jordan Schafer, starter Paul Maholm, third baseman Chris Johnson, third baseman Juan Francisco and catcher Gerald Laird.  The Braves also have some players in the minors that would interest prospective trade partners.

The problem with trading a guy like Gattis is figuring out what he is worth.  There’s not really anything to compare him with in recent memory.  In reality, he’s probably worth what anyone is willing to pay.  That most likely is not a number one starter even up, not close.  But could Gattis be the wild card, a deal sweetener in a multi-player deal?

The post Could Braves Trade Evan Gattis? appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

The Braves bench has been stellar this season

Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez affectionately refers to his bench players as his “B-Squad” or “Bomb Squad” and after Tuesday night’s thrilling come from behind victory that finished close to midnight, he stated that they would be playing prominent roles in Wednesday’s early afternoon game, as starters received much deserved rest.

Bench players are usually the guys who are second tier players, not good enough to start, but Gonzalez’s bench guys have played well all season, in some cases better than the regulars.

While the Braves at times struggle to score, the Bomb Squad was once again up to the task Wednesday afternoon against the Twins, as catcher Evan Gattis crashed a grand slam home run, shortstop Ramiro Pena went 2 for 5 with a homer, third baseman Chris Johnson raised his average to a team-leading .350 with a 2 for 3, and center fielder Jordan Schafer reached base three times with a hit and two walks.

Johnson talked about the Bomb Squad after the game, “We all know that every piece on this team is a big piece, especially in the National League.  Whether you are starting,or on the bench, you are going to get into the game and have to contribute at some point.  We have a good group of guys, everybody has a good head on their shoulders, and wants to compete every time they get in there.”

Schafer is now hitting .309 on the season, with a .423 on-base-percentage and a team-leading six stolen bases.  Pena is hitting .286 with a .348 on-base-percentage while playing great defense, and Gattis is second on the team with 10 homers,and 28 RBIs.  They are all playing like A players and would most likely be starting for other major league teams if given the opportunity.

After Gattis’ heroics Tuesday night, when he hit a pinch-hit homer with two outs to tie the game, Gonzalez said that he has to find ways to get Gattis into more games.  The way his bench guys are playing, Gonzalez might have to find ways to get them all into more games.  Nice problem for a manager to have.

The post Braves Bomb Squad Dismantling Opponents appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Evan Gattis has not disappointed

Tuesday night Evan Gattis came through again for the Braves, driving a Glenn Perkins slider into the left field seats with two out in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game, 4-4.  Gattis has hit nine home runs this season, four have been tying or go-head shots in the eighth inning or later.

Whenever a player comes on the scene and has immediate success, we all want to know how and why it is happening, and everything about him.  Typically when the onions are peeled back, the players end up being very similar.  But that hasn’t been the case with Evan Gattis.

Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez, who seems to be as amazed and curious about Gattis as the rest of us, had a big smile and twinkle in his eyes as he talked about the former ski lift operator and janitor’s success after Tuesday night’s game.  First, Gonzalez broke down Gattis’ swing.

“His swing is better than okay, “Gonzalez said.  ”There’s no toe tap or moving parts and it is a short swing and he’s looking to do one thing, put the ball in play.  He’s just so darn strong that even if he doesn’t hit it right, it goes out of the park.”

Gattis’ unique life has been documented in many articles.  Early in the season it seemed like there was a story a day about the travels and travails of the young Evan Gattis, and his search for karma and self-awareness.  With his splendid accomplishments as an Atlanta Brave, the focus is turning more toward Gattis’ present, and less about his past.

Nonetheless, it is hard to forget where Gattis has been, and his long and curious path to Atlanta still seems to be a prominent part of the Evan Gattis conversation.

When asked if anything phases Gattis, Gonzalez brought down the house when he responded, “He spent three years living in a van, I don’t think a baseball game is going to phase him.  We keep forgetting that he’s 26 years old and he’s lived a lot of stuff.  He’s probably just having fun.”

Gattis is not only making an impact on the field, he is doing it in the clubhouse, too.  His teammates smile and shake their heads when talking about the big Texan who is helping them win games, and doing it in style.

“I think the guys love him and he’s got a lot of energy and intensity there and it is just a good story,” Gonzalez said.

While Gattis has been a tremendous asset to Fredi Gonzalez so far this season, he also is putting pressure on Gonzalez to get him on the field more.  The problem is that Gattis can play catcher, first base and left field.  The same positions as Brian McCann, Freddie Freeman and Justin Upton.  A fact not lost on Gonzalez.

“We’ve got to either figure out a way to get to the American League where we can play him more or for me to figure out a way to play him someplace,” Gonzalez said.

The post Braves Gattis Amazes Manager Fredi Gonzalez appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

The Braves gun for 5 in a row tonight

The Braves try to extend their 5-game win streak tonight in game two against the Twins.  Surprisingly, Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez will field a rather conventional line-up.

Conventional in the sense that there are no bench players in the line-up, and there is nothing unique about the order in which the players will bat.

Although..for the second night in a row there will be no Jordan Schafer in center field against a right-handed starter.  Thought Fredi may start Schafer tonight against the Twins’ right-hander.

Schafer has hit safely in eight of his last eleven games (11 for 30, .367) and is hitting .308 on the season.  Although he has only hit .256 in 11 games when leading off.

So another rough night for the B.J. haters.  But as long as the Braves keep winning, I think you will see B.J. in center.  Get used to it.

The Braves Starting Line-Up in Game Two Against the Twins:

1. SS Simmons
2. RF Heyward
3. LF Upton
4. 1B Freeman
5. C McCann
6. 2B Uggla
7. 3B Francisco
8. CF Upton
9. P Hudson

The post Braves Starting Line-Up: Twins Game Two appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Teheran pitched a career high 8 1/3 innings Monday night

The Braves defeated the Twins 5-1 Monday night in the opener of a 3-game series.  Braves starter Julio Teheran took a 3-hit shutout into the ninth before surrendering a couple more hits, including Josh Willingham‘s sixth home run of the  year with one out.  Teheran pitched a career high 8 1/3 innings, striking out 4 and walking only one.

Julio Teheran and Dan Uggla spoke to the media in the locker room after the game.  Here’s the Q&A:

JULIO TEHERAN

How much did it help you having the early lead?

I feel more comfortable when I have the early lead.  I was just trying to go out there and throw my pitches and get the win like I did.

Were you surprised when Fredi sent you out there for the ninth inning?

I was excited to get my first shutout and I was trying to do what I did the whole game.

Have you been focused on pounding the strike zone the last few starts?

I’m trying to throw strikes to get ahead in the counts and after that just make the pitches.  I don’t try to strike them out, I just try to make pitches to get ground balls like I did.

You said you didn’t have your change-up tonight and you noticed it in the bullpen?

I’ve been working on my change-up but in the game it did work but my other pitches were working.  So I just tried to compete with my other pitches.

Have you ever thrown 123 pitches in a game?

Never, never, but I wasn’t thinking about it.  I was just trying to get out there and finish that inning.

DAN UGGLA

After Teheran’s last five starts do you think he is coming into his own?

Yeah, a little bit.  Julio is not one of these kids that thinks he can throw it by everybody.  He understands what it is to pitch and he is all about learning and I think he’s done that this year.  He’s had a couple rough outings early in the game, first and second inning he’s had trouble getting out of those.  But he has really bared down and paid attention to what mistakes he has been making and he’s looked pretty good the last four or five starts.

Is he a much different guy than you saw in early April?

I think so and given the fact that he gave up some runs in early  April.  After the second inning he really battled and held them right there and gave us a chance.  So that says a lot about the type of competitor that he is.  He’s a mature 22-year old and you forget that he’s only 22 so I’m impressed with him.  He’s got a good head on his shoulders and he knows that he has to keep learning and keep improving.

What do you think makes Teheran tough?

He mixes it up, he hits his spots, works inside and outside and he’s really done a great job of working both sides of the plate this year I think.  He mixes in his off speed pitchers when necessary and when you’re working both sides of the plate like that you are going to be effective.

The post Braves Post-Game Quotes: Twins Game One appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Gerald Laird will start tonight and hit fifth

Always interesting to see what the Braves line-up will be on a game-to-game basis.  Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez is always good for a surprise or two.

Today’s line-up against the Twins is no exception.  Gerald Laird will catch and bat.. fifth!!  Laird has been catching Teheran most games this season, so no surprise that he is in the line-up today.  But hitting fifth is a  big surprise!

The other situation we were tracking is whether Gonzalez would keep the hot-hitting Jordan Schafer in the line-up again today to face Twins’ right-handed starter, Kevin Correia.

But no dice, the struggling B.J. Upton will get the start tonight and play center field.  Although Upton will be hitting in his now familiar eighth spot in the batting order.

Here is tonight’s line-up against the Twins:

1. SS Simmons
2. RF Heyward
3. LF Upton
4. 1B Freeman
5. C Laird
6. 2B Uggla
7. 3B Francisco
8. CF Upton
9. P Teheran

The post Braves Surprise Line-Up In Opener Against Twins appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Braves outfielder Justin Upton offered his thoughts on why the Braves have been converting late game situations, “I think the feeling goes back to the dugout,” Upton said.  “The entire game there’s not any panic.  Everybody is nice and relaxed waiting for their chance.  You look around the dugout and you don’t see panic and I think it makes you more comfortable in those situations.”

Lot of new faces this season on the Braves team, but it seems that they are gaining confidence together, and fighting to the last out.  According to Upton they are rising to the challenge and dialing in at the end.

“We’re confident in our ball club.  We know that at any time we can string together some hits.  We know that throughout the game it may not look good, but we’re trying to put together good at bats.  Late in the game the energy ramps up a little bit and we start to put together better at bats,” Upton said.

Overcoming the Dodgers wasn’t the only challenge Sunday.  Mother Nature served up two rain delays, but according to Chris Johnson, who came off the bench in the eight inning to stroke a key hit, the Braves were up to both challenges.

“It’s good, our team doesn’t die, we don’t fall out of it,” Johnson said.  “It was a tough game to stay involved in with the rain and the delays.  It shows our maturity and we know the game is not over until it is over.”

The post Braves Overcome Two Challenges appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

I understand that teams are going to have struggles during the year, and players aren’t always going to hit well all the time.  In the Braves’ case though, it is much more than just a slump.

People have talked at great length about the struggles of Dan Uggla and B.J. Upton.  We all know that there is too much money wrapped up in those two players for them to be performing the way they are.  I am not here to write another article, giving you the stats about those two being bad, but I am going to try to make you think a little bit.

Uggla and Upton better be thankful that they are playing professional baseball and not basketball or football.  Think about if your favorite teams’ starting quarterback, or starting point guard, played the way that these two have to start the season.  They would be on the bench, no doubt about it, especially considering these guys aren’t the caliber of a Tom Brady or Chris Paul.  Only in baseball, do you get the opportunity to be this bad, for this long.

Can these guys turn it around?  Of course they can, but what are you really going to get?  With BJ Upton we really don’t know, considering this is his first year, so we give him the benefit of the doubt.  With Uggla however, we know what we are going to get.  You get 20 plus home runs, with 75% of them being meaningless, a bad batting average, a ton of strikeouts, and an inability to get productive outs.

Most Braves fans I talk to are in agreement about Dan Uggla, they want him out of the lineup.  But for Braves manager  Fredi Gonzalez, it is not that easy to just sit a guy making over $13 million.   As for Upton, I think most Braves fans are cautiously optimistic that he will turn things around.  The one thing I know for sure, is that baseball is the only game where these two guys would still be starting on an everyday basis.

What a funny game baseball is, it’s why we love it and hate it, all at the same time.

The post Braves Salaries Complicate Playing Decisions appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Braves right fielder Jason Heyward

If variety is the spice of life, then as a Braves fan you have to love manager Fredi Gonzalez‘s line-up selections.  They are rarely the same two days in a row.

The left-handed hitting Jordan Schafer will start in center field and bat lead-off today against Dodgers’ right-hander, Matt Nagli.  Schafer is hitting .302 on the season, with a .405 OBP and a team high six stolen bases.

The Braves are scheduled to face right-handers all three games against the Twins this week (Monday Tuesday and Wednesday), be interesting to see how many of those games that Gonzalez opts to play Schafer in center field over B.J. Upton.

Ramiro Pena gives Dan Uggla a day off at second base, and Juan Francisco starts at third base against the right-handed Dodgers starter.

With Heyward back in the line-up batting in the two-hole, Gonzalez has Simmons hitting sixth.  Conventional wisdom would be that the power-hitting Heyward would hit in the middle of the order,and the line drive hitting Simmons would hit up in the order.  But I’ve always liked having a left-handed hitting pull hitter batting second, to exploit the hole on the right side of the infield, when the lead-off man is on first base.

This line-up is pending approval by Mother Nature.  Just received a “severe alert” notification on my cell phone regarding flash flood warnings.

Today’s Braves Line-Up:

1. CF Schafer
2. RF Heyward
3. LF Upton
4. 1B Freeman
5. C McCann
6. SS Simmons
7. 3B Francisco
8. 2B Pena
9. P Minor

The post More Spice in Braves Starting Line-Up appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Braves closer Craig Kimbrel

Fans of the Atlanta Braves have certainly enjoyed the first month and a half of the season, as they have been one of the top teams in baseball. Perhaps the only people more excited about the team’s start are those who own some of the red-hot players on the Braves in fantasy leagues. Here’s a look at the top three producers right now, and whether they can keep it up all season long.

Justin Upton

While the older Upton brother struggles, Justin has made the transition from Arizona to Atlanta easy. He has been one of the best hitters in baseball up to this point, putting him in the top 10 overall as far as fantasy baseball production is concerned.

Upton is still relatively young, but his track record has been solid since his arrival at the big league record. Now that he has a bit more support in the lineup, he is poised to have a career year in 2013. He might cool off slightly with his power numbers, but with more protection, he is getting more pitches to hit (and players to drive in).

Mike Minor

The Braves in the 1990s were built around pitching, and that ultimately led to most of their success. While no one is mistaking any of the pitchers on the Braves for Greg Maddux or Tom Glavine, Mike Minor has taken on the role of the ace pitcher so far this season.

At just 25 years old, Minor is thriving due to his location. Since he is not known as having great stuff, he must rely on keeping batters off-balance to have success. This pains some fantasy owners, since they will not get help in the strikeout category, but he is more than making up with it by keeping guys off base and picking up wins.

Craig Kimbrel

Being a premier, lights out closer in baseball year in and year out is one of the most difficult things to do. That is why many fantasy baseball players do not draft closers until late in the draft. Although Kimbrel is off to the worst start in his career, he appears to have things sorted out and is trending in the right direction.

His trouble to begin the year had to do with being wild within the strike zone. His hits per nine innings were up, and his strikeouts were down. Perhaps a rocky World Baseball Classic messed with his rhythm. He should get better and better as the season goes along.

The post Braves Fantasy Baseball Report appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

The procedure was performed by Dr. James Andrews in Gulf Breeze, Florida, and is designed to reconstruct the ulnar collateral ligament.

This is the second time that the 28-year old Venters has had Tommy John surgery.  The first procedure was performed by Dr. Andrews on October 11, 2005.

Venters started feeling soreness in spring training and did not appear in a game this season.  He has had a 3-year major league career, all with the Braves, and at times has been close to un-hittable with his mid-90s sinking fastball.

Venter’s Braves Stats:

The post Braves Star Undergoes Elbow Surgery appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

You can own Craig Kimbrel’s jersey!

How would you like to own a Braves jersey that was worn in a game?  The Braves will be auctioning off game-worn jerseys between now and June 5, with proceeds going to the Atlanta Braves Foundation.

But it gets even better.  The low bidder will not only receive the game-worn jersey, they will receive two tickets to the June 14 game against the San Francisco Giants, and be awarded the game jersey on the field by a Braves player immediately after the game.

Plus, each jersey will be autographed and authenticated.

To take part in the bidding, visit http:www.braves.com/jerseyauction between now and Saturday, June 5, at 8 p.m.  Complete bidding information is available at that site.

Game-worn jerseys will be available from the following Braves players:

Justin Upton, Tim Hudson, Reed Johnson, Ramiro Pena, Paul Maholm, Mike Minor, Luis Avilan, Kris Medlen, Andrelton Simmons, Anthony Varvaro, B.J. Upton, Brian McCann, Chris Johnson, Cory Gearrin, Craig Kimbrel, Dan Uggla, David Carpenter, Eric O’Flaherty, Evan Gattis, Freddie Freeman, Fredi Gonzalez, Gerald Laird, Jason Heyward, Jordan Schafer, Jordan Walden, Juan Francisco and  Julio Teheran.

The Atlanta Braves Foundation actively supports community organizations within the metro Atlanta area, and is the non-profit, charitable arm of the Atlanta Braves.

The post Win Braves Game-Worn Jerseys! appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

The Braves have had a difficult early season schedule

After starting out 12-1, the Braves are now only 22-18 on the season, and have won only 10 of their last 27 games.  When you look closer at the numbers it is a mixed bag.

The Braves are 11-3 on the season against teams that are sub .500, and only 11-15 against teams with winning records.  So they are the bully who is beating up the little sisters of the poor, but they are getting punched in the mouth by the big boys.

Reminds me of a Charlie Brown cartoon episode, where Charlie comes home from the playground after playing a baseball game after school, and when Lucy asks him how well his team did, he says, “we were winning until the big boys came home.”

But the stats also show that the Braves have played a high percentage of good teams so far this season (65% over .500).

Right now the way the Braves are tracking, nothing looks like a certainty.  I’ve always said that there’s too much talent on the Atlanta roster to not make the playoffs, but some of that talent doesn’t look too talented at the moment.

The Braves have had two 10-game road trips so far, and played 26 games on the road, and only 14 at home.  So lets see what happens when the schedule evens out and they play more games at home and less against teams with winning records.

The post Braves Schedule Has Been an Ass appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Teheran is 2-0 on the season

The Braves tangle with the Diamondbacks in the second game of a 3-game series tonight at 9:40 p.m. ET, and if you put Fredi Gonzalez‘s line-up to music, it would be lyrics from a SuperTramp song, “Right, right, you’re bloody well right.”

Arizona’s starting pitcher, the left-handed Patrick Corbin, has held left-handed hitters to a .135 batting average this season.  Right-handed hitters have batted .244 against him.  So Gonzalez is loading up with right-handed bats.  Except that the left-handed Freddie Freeman will still play first and bat clean-up.

Overall, Corbin has had a good year, 5-0 and a 1.75 ERA.

The head scratcher in Fredi’s line-up, is Dan Uggla hitting sixth and Chris Johnson seventh.  Johnson homered against his former team last night, while going 3 for 4, and is now hitting .324 on the season.  While Uggla is hitting only .197.  Both Johnson and Uggla are right-handed, so it isn’t like it is a lefty/right thing.

B.J. Upton critics get the night off, as the high-priced center fielder is out with a shoulder contusion.

Julio Teheran gets the ball tonight for the Braves and will try to build on five decent and two real good starts in a row.  Teheran is 2-0 with a 4.84 ERA on the season.

Here is tonight’s Atlanta Braves line-up:

1. SS Simmons
2. CF Johnson
3. RF Upton
4. 1B Freeman
5. LF Gattis
6. 2B Uggla
7. 3B Johnson
8. C Laird
9. P Teheran

The post Braves Play Right Line-Up Tonight appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Heyward will probably come off the DL Friday for the Dodger series

Tomorrow Brandon Beachy will pitch two innings in extended spring training, and then make his first minor league start on Sunday for the AAA Gwinnett Braves.  Hopefully Beachy’s rehab will progress without setback, as a healthy Brandon Beachy would be a huge shot in the arm for the Braves.

Before the game tonight Martin Prado said that he’s very appreciative of the support that Braves fans gave him, both before and after the trade.  Lot of Braves fans in the online forums and social media networks expressed outrage when Prado was traded.

Justin Upton winning the April Player of the Month and Chris Johnson hitting over .300, has quieted most of that talk.  Plus, Prado is currently hitting only .223, with a .272 OBP.

Prado isn’t the only ex-Brave playing for the Diamondbacks.  Left-handed hitting utility man, Eric Hinske, also plays for Arizona.  Not surprised that Hinske is hitting only .200, with a .250 OBP.  His bat looked slow last season and slow bats are like bad knees.  They don’t get better, they just get older.

Jason Heyward will probably come off the disabled list on Friday, in time to start the home stand against the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Be interesting where Fredi hits him in the line-up, particularly against right-handed pitching.  Schafer has done a great job leading off and Simmons is turning into a prototypical number two hitter.  So where does that leave Jason?

Finally, Jonny Venters is scheduled to see Dr. James Andrews on Thursday.  Another Tommy John surgery is reportedly a real possibility.

The post Breaking Atlanta Braves News appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

The Braves look to break their 3-game losing streak tonight

Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez puts another interesting line-up out there tonight against the Diamondbacks.  Most notable is that the .153 hitting B.J. Upton will bat second and the .307  hitting Chris Johnson will bat eighth.

This will be the fifth time this season that B.J. Upton has batted second.

At first glance it looks a little ridiculous, but as I pointed out in today’s earlier article, Johnson has not gotten a hit in the last six games he has played, an 0 for 17 streak.  B.J. has at least gotten a few hits lately.  (Yeah I know not a lot, but it is all relative with this struggling team)

Fredi is doing everything he can to kick-start B.J.j’s bat, and placing him between Simmons and brother Justin gives B.J. the best chance to see good pitches, particularly fastballs.

Good to see Gattis back in the line-up.  He is second in the team in RBI with 20, only one behind Justin Upton and he has done it in 22 fewer at bats.  Gattis just seems to be a guy that makes things happen and I cringe when he’s not in the starting line-up.

If Gattis and Jordan Schafer continue to hit, you wonder how long it will be before Fredi starts playing them both against righties and Reed Johnson more against lefties until B.J. starts hitting.

Gattis is only hitting .222 against right-handed pitching, but that is a Hall of Fame number compared to what B.J. has put up vs righties (.134).

The Upton/Uggla bashers do get a bone with Uggla batting seventh tonight, rather than fifth or sixth.  On the season Uggla has batted in the 5-hole 13 times, the 6-hole 13 times and the 7-hole only 6 times.

Here’s tonight’s line-up:

1. SS Simmons
2. CF B. Upton
3. RF J. Upton
4. 1b F. Freeman
5. LF E. Gattis
6. C B. McCann
7. 2B D. Uggla
8. 3B C. Johnson
9. P M. Minor

The post Interesting Braves Line-Up Tonight appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Justin Upton won the NL Player of the Month in April

With the Braves playing the Diamondbacks in a three game series starting tonight, there are inevitable discussions and assessments about the trade that brought Justin Upton and Chris Johnson to Atlanta, and sent Martin Prado and prospects, to Arizona.

Braves manager, Fredi Gonzalez, isn’t in the business of publicly assessing trades, but he is very happy with Justin Upton.  “He’s been everything we hoped for, and more,” Gonzalez said. “His work ethic is off the charts. I’ve enjoyed getting to know him; he’s an intense competitor.”

Personally, I think just short of the quarter pole, in the first season, is way too early to assess the trade.  Sure things look great at this point for the Braves, with Justin Upton having won the National League Player of the Month for April, and Chris Johnson hitting over .300.

Looking past the overall numbers, did you know that since his hot April, Upton is hitting .227 with no homers, three extra base-hits and three RBI in the past 13 games?  And that Chris Johnson has gone 0 for 17 in the last six games he has played?

If you are going to say that the Braves won the trade with Arizona, don’t you also have to say that they lost the B.J. Upton acquisition?  The Braves signed B.J. Upton to a $75 million contract over 5 years, right now he is ranked #173 out of #175 hitters in the National League.

Way too early to make any firm assessments on the trade with Arizona, or the B.J. Upton acquisition, in my opinion.  B.J. has a long track record of accomplishment in his career, and needs to be given more time to adjust to his new team, and the National League.

Right or wrong, the Justin Upton/Chris Johnson acquisitions will be judged on how much the Braves as a team accomplish, as it will be on Justin Upton’s and Chris Johnson’s personal stats.

The post Did Braves Win Upton Trade? appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Here’s today’s batting order against the Giants:

1. RF: Jordan Schafer
2. SS: Ramiro Pena
3. C: Brian McCann
4. LF: Justin Upton
5. 1B: Freddie Freeman
6. 2B: Dan Uggla
7. CF: B.J. Upton
8. 3B: Juan Francisco
9. SP: Kris Medlen

Jordan Schafer, who has done a good job leading off, (.294 BA, .419 OBP) will get the start today in right field, with Justin Upton moving back over to left.  I like what Schafer has done this season, and am glad to see that Fredi is continuing to get Schafer into the line-up against right-handed pitching.

Ramiro Pena gets the start at short today, as Andrelton Simmons gets a much deserved day off.  Pena has good speed, and I like having a switch-hitter into the number two hole.

The big change in the line-up is McCann hitting third, and Justin Upton fourth.  Good move to have Upton hitting between McCann and Freeman.  Teams have been pitching around Upton, this gives him protection front and back.

On the interview I did Thursday on James Thurn’s radio show, I mentioned moving Upton into the fourth spot in the order, and having Heyward bat third when he comes back.  Heyward did a real good job in the three hole last season, and I love his speed in that spot.  I also like having Upton bat fourth.

B.J. Upton starts again today in center field.  Despite hitting only .157 on the year with a .248 OBP, he’s gotten a hit in three of the past four games so perhaps B.J. is starting to find his way.  Let’s hope.

The post Braves Shake Up Batting Order appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Topics included Craig Kimbrell’s recent struggles, the surging Washington Nationals, Brian McCann returning to the line-up, Jordan Schafer‘s solid play, B.J. Upton, Dan Uggla…and more!

The post Atlanta Braves Baseball Talk appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

The Nationals are finally starting to show some Nattitude.

Normally May is way to early to be watching the standings, but with the high-powered Nationals team it is imperative that the Braves play solid ball throughout the season, and not let the Nationals open a lead.  The rear view mirror is a nice place for the Braves to view the Nats.

Since the Braves 12-1 start, they have gone 9-13 and 5-5 in their last 10 games.  The Nationals have won 7 of their last 10.

The Nationals will send their big right-hander, Stephen Strasburg, to the hill against the Cubs at 4:05 ET, as they look to  gain a tie with the Braves in the standings.

The post Braves Lead Only One as Nationals Win Fifth Straight appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Braves starter Tim Hudson goes for his 5th win of the season (3.83 ERA) against only one loss.  He will be opposed by the Giants Matt Cain, who has a 1-2 record on the season with a 5.57 ERA.

The line-ups for tonight’s game:

Braves:

1. Schafer, RF
2. Simmons, SS
3. Upton, LF
4. Freeman, 1B
5. Uggla, 2B
6. McCann, C
7. Upton, CF
8. Francisco, 3B
9. Hudson, P

Giants:

1. Pagan, CF
2. Scutaro, 2B
3. Sandoval, 3B
4. Posey, C
5. Pence, RF
6. Belt, 1B
7. Torres, LF
8. Crawford, SS
9. Cain, P

2013 Team Comparison

The post Braves vs Giants Smackdown appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Who will be the odd man out when Brandon Beachy returns?

In a few weeks Brandon Beachy will come off the disabled list ready to assume his role as a Braves starter.  Beachy had Tommy John surgery 11 months ago, and his rehab is a little ahead of schedule.

Beachy had a solid rookie year in 2011, and then last season in 13 starts he had one of the lowest starter ERAs in the majors at 2.00 before suffering an elbow injury and undergoing Tommy John surgery.  If Beachy picks up where he left off, he will be a top 10 starter in the National League.

So what does this mean for the 5 current starters in the Braves rotation?  Fredi Gonzalez almost certainly will not go to a 6 man rotation.  One of the current starters will have to exit.

When asked what will happen when injured players come off the disabled list and about the players now manning the positions playing well, Gonzalez has invoked the cliché that “in baseball, things always have a way to work themselves out.”  The translation is that the manager doesn’t want to speculate about what will happen with players in the future, ’cause in reality things don’t always work themselves out.  Oftentimes tough decisions have to be made.

Conventional thinking is that Julio Teheran will be sent down to AAA Gwinnett.  But will that be the right move to make?  Teheran has already had two seasons at AAA, and is now developing very nicely as a regular in the Braves rotation.  Teheran is making adjustments, and growing every start.   Will Teheran lose valuable momentum and confidence if he is optioned to Gwinnett?

I think there is risk in sending Teheran to Gwinnett with the thought of calling him back up later in the year.  Young pitchers are fragile, you don’t want to yo-yo a young guy who is just starting to find his groove and pitching well.

In Teheran’s last 3 starts he has pitched 19.1 innings, and given up only 6 runs, a 2.83 ERA.  Those three games weren’t against chumps either.  They were against the best offensive team in the National League, the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field, the defending Eastern Division champion Washington Nationals, and the defending World Champion San Francisco Giants.

The three options I think the Braves will consider are sending Teheran to Gwinnett, putting Teheran in the bullpen, and trading Paul Maholm.  The Braves will be willing to trade Maholm because his contract will expire after this season, and Maholm will command in the neighborhood of $10 to $12 million on the free agent market.  The Braves don’t want to pay that much for a fifth starter, and they would rather get something for Maholm when they can, rather than getting nothing after this season is over.

The Braves also don’t want to jettison a quality starter like Maholm until they know that Beachy is not only healthy, but is pitching at a high level.

I think what you will see is Teheran going down to Gwinnett, but he will only make 4 or 5 starts there.  I expect Beachy to pitch well, and Maholm to be traded in early to mid July.  The Braves won’t drag out Maholm trade negotiations right up to the July 31st deadline to squeeze every last bit of value out of him.  They will want to get a deal done and get Teheran back into the starting rotation.

But I’m also going to hedge my bets and say that I wouldn’t be surprised if the Braves put Teheran in the bullpen rather than sending him to Gwinnett at all.

The post Braves Have Tough Decisions Looming appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Chipper Jones is worth a reported $110 million

According to the website, Celebrity Net Worth, former Braves great and future Hall of Famer, Chipper Jones, is worth $110 million.  A hefty sum of money, but there’s another recent Braves player who is worth more.

Jones retired from the Braves after last season, and at 41 years of age, still has many years to enjoy his riches.  And if you take note of the Atlanta gossip pages, Chipper is having himself a good time.

Celebrity Net Worth does not say how Chipper’s reported divorce has affected or will affect his wealth.  Most well-heeled celebrities today have pre-nuptial agreements that protect their assets, although Tiger Woods evidently didn’t know about pre-nups before making his former blonde bombshell wife, Elin Nordgren rich.  Nordgren is worth $100 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Kinda funny that Chipper played in the major leagues for 19 years at a high level, as one of the top paid players in the game, a sure-fire Hall of Famer, yet his net worth is only 10% more than a golfer’s ex-wife.  She didn’t even have an agent, either.

Hall of Fame ex-Braves pitcher, Greg Maddux, is worth a reported $70 million.  Maddux retired in 2003, so he didn’t benefit from the significant escalation in salaries that has taken place the past 10 years in major league baseball.  If Maddux was in his prime today, I think he’d easily be making $20+ million per season.

Former Braves all-star center fielder, Andruw Jones, is worth a reported $50 million, and pitching great John Smoltz is worth $55 million.  But the long-time contemporary ex-Brave who has the highest net worth at this point in time, according to Celebrity Net Worth, is pitcher, Tom Glavine, at $120 million.

The post Chipper Jones Not the Richest Ex-Brave appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Dan Uggla is rolling

Braves second baseman Dan Uggla is not only hotter right now than Kate Upton, he is hotter than all the Uptons.  In the past 6 games, Uggla has 11 hits in 24 at bats, 3 home runs, 2 triples, 5 RBI, and has scored 8 times.  After having his batting average under .200  all season, Uggla is now hitting .209.

Justin Upton was the hottest of all Uptons for a while, but the way opponents have pitched around him lately, he hasn’t had the opportunity to do what he did in April.

Uggla got the Braves rolling against the Reds on Wednesday when he blasted a solo homer off Cincinnati starter, Mike Leake, in the fourth inning, and another one in the sixth.  Those two runs were all Braves starter Mike Minor had to work with, after Minor left the game, the Braves put up 5 runs in the eighth, highlighted by Juan Francisco‘s grand slam.

We all saw what Uggla can do in the second half of the 2011, when he went on that 33-game hitting streak, and carried the Braves for a few months.  If he Uggla can stay hot, what a shot in the arm it would be for the Braves.

Speaking of hot, how about Jordan Schafer?  Schafer had 3 more hits on Wednesday, and is now hitting .310 on the season, and has a .452 on-base-percentage.  He also leads the Braves in steals with 5.

With B.J. Upton continuing to struggle, could we see more of Schafer leading off and playing center field?

The post Dan Uggla Hotter Than Kate Upton appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Reds starter Mike Leake will oppose Mike Minor and the Braves today

Mike Minor will take the mound today at 12:35 p.m. when the Braves try to salvage this three game series against the Reds in Cincinnati.  I use the term “salvage” ’cause that is what you have to do when you blow a game in the ninth inning, like the Braves did last night.

Minor will be opposed today on the mound by Cincinnati right-hander, Mike Leake.  Minor was drafted by the Braves with the 7th pick of the 2009 draft, the Reds took Leake with the 8th pick.

It has been said that the Braves don’t have a true number one starter, but I think Minor is moving towards being that guy.  Since last year’s All-Star break, he has the fifth best ERA in the majors, and third best in the National League, at 2.50.  He has gone 9-6 in 20 starts during that time frame.

Minor also has continued to gain velocity, he has topped out at 94 this season, and is consistently 92-93.  He’s tall and lanky, and as his frame continues to fill out, I can see him throwing in the 93-95 range.

I like Minor matching up against the Reds today.  Three of the Reds top four hitters (Sin-Soo Choo, Joey Votto, Jay Bruce) are left-handed, Minor has given up just 3 hits in 29 at bats against lefties this season.  The .103 batting average he has allowed against left-handed hitters ranks third in the National League.

In Minor’s last outing against the Mets, he gave up 3 early runs, but then retired the last 18 batters he faced.  He has allowed only 34 base runners this season, in 38 2/3 innings, for an outstanding .88 WHIP.

Minor does have a tendency to give up the long ball, so in homer-friendly Great American Park he will have to keep his breaking pitches down, while getting ahead in the count.  Cincinnati is very tough at home, but I look for Mike Minor to pitch a solid game today, and put the Braves in position to win late in the game.

The post Mike Minor: Can He Get it Done Today? appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Kimbrel has blown three of his last five save opportunities, including last night when he gave up back-to-back jacks with two outs in the ninth, while trying to preserve a one run lead.  So is something wrong with Kimbrel?

“I feel like those are three wins we should have under our belts,” Kimbrel said.  “It’s just frustrating.  I just feel like I can’t get it done. I can’t get it done right now.”

The tying home run was given up to some scrub named Devin Mesoraco, on a 3-2 count.  Mesoraco has been in the big leagues  three years, and entering last night had hit seven home runs in 273 at bats.  His career batting average is .212.  When Kimbrel is throwing like Craig Kimbrel can throw, he blows the bat out of the hands of guys like Devin Mesoraco.

The past couple seasons Craig Kimbrel was throwing his fastball 97-99 and occasionally 100 miles per hour.  This season Kimbrel has thrown 95-97.  That is a big difference.

What is perplexing is that last season when Kimbrel was throwing his fastball at maximum velocity, he was throwing it in the neighborhood of 66% of the time.  This season he has thrown his fastball right around 80%.  You would think that with his velocity down, he would be mixing in his curveball more, but he’s done just the opposite.

Batters are now sitting on Kimbrel’s fastball.

Whether it is mechanics, some fatigue from his participation in the World Baseball Classic, or an undisclosed physical problem, at this point we don’t know.  But if Craig Kimbrel continues to struggle, the Braves are no longer playing eight inning games like they have in the past, and Braves fans will have to sit there with their hearts in their throats until the last out is recorded.  Honey, pass the Maalox.

Craig Kimbrel’s Career Stats:

The post Craig Kimbrel: What is Wrong? appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

The Braves and Reds tangle again tonight at 7:10

How ’bout Andrelton Simmons last night?  He went 3 for 4 with 2 home runs and 3 RBI and made a play at second base that still has me scratching my head.  If he makes that play in the seventh game of the World Series it would be legendary.  Check out the video at:  Andrelton Simmons Great Play

With last night’s win the Braves equaled last season’s win total (one) against the Reds, and exceeded last season’s win total at Great American Park (zero).  The Braves failed to log a win last year at GAP in four attempts.

Think the boss works you too hard?   On April 26 the Braves started a stretch where they will play 56 games in 59 days, 28 will be at home, 28 on the road.  Of course you probably don’t make quite as much money as the average major league player, nor do you stay in the same hotels or eat in the same restaurants.

With Monday night’s save, Braves closer Craig Kimbrel now has 99.  Kimbrel has converted 99 of 112 save opportunities in his career, and is considered by many to be the best closer in baseball.  We all remember what a great starter that John Smoltz was, but did you know that Smoltz got his 100th save in only his 107th save opportunity?  That places Smoltz second on the all-time list, Eric Gagne recorded his 100th save in his 104th opportunity.

Good to see Brian McCann back in action last night.  He didn’t have a particularly good night at the plate, going 0 for 4 with a walk.  But he took some good swings and looked fluid behind the plate.  Gattis stayed in the line-up in left field with Justin Upton moving over to right.  Gattis moves pretty well in the outfield, although on the ball he booted he looked like a catcher blocking one in the dirt and not an outfielder who instinctively gets into position to catch the ball.  I think he will be okay as he gets more time out there.

As I wrote in an article earlier today, the Braves bullpen has stumbled a little bit lately.  The bullpen’s ERA was 1.94 entering Friday night’s ball game, it is now up a half run to 2.48 which still leads the major leagues.

The post Is Andrelton Simmons for Real? appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

The Reds got two hits in the ninth off Kimbrel, and had slugger Joey Votto up representing the tying run, before Kimbrel fanned Votto to end the game.  In Great American Ballpark, where the game was being played, any decently hit fly ball by a left-handed hitter like Votto has a chance to go out.

The tenseness of the moment was not lost on Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez who said, “In the ninth when you’re facing Votto in this ballpark with two people on and a three-run lead, it’s hard.”  Gonzalez’s contorted facial expressions were more descriptive than his words as he relived the ninth inning agony.

Kimbrel blew his last save opportunity this past Friday night against the Mets, when David Wright blasted a shot deep into the right center field bleachers to tie the game in the ninth.  Kimbrell is now 10 of 12 on the season in save conversions.

Jordan Walden, the big right-handed reliever the Braves acquired from the Angels in the Tommie Hanson trade, started the seventh inning with the Braves up 7-2, and proceeded to give up two runs on three hits without recording an out.  Walden’s second consecutive poor performance.

Lefty Eric O’Flaherty came on to get the three outs in the eighth without allowing a Reds runner to reach base.  This was a solid bounce-back performance for O’Flaherty, who contributed to the loss against the Mets last Friday night, when he surrendered a one run lead in the eighth by giving up a solo homer.

Baseball is a long season and players go up and down in their production as the months roll by.  Despite recent struggles, the Braves still have one of the best bullpens in baseball.  The main problem is that the Braves bullpen can be so good for such long stretches of time that after a while you expect near perfection.

The post Atlanta Braves Bullpen Struggles appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Andrelton Simmons hit two home runs and drove in four runs total, and starter Paul Maholm pitched 5 2/3 effective innings, as the Atlanta Braves made it two in a row with a 7-4 win over the Reds in Cincinnati.   The Braves jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first when Freddie Freeman singled in Chris Johnson, who had walked and advanced to third on Justin Upton’s bloop single down the right field line.

Simmons’ homer leading off the second inning made it 2-0, and the Braves shortstop notched his second RBI, and extended the Braves lead to 3-0 in the fourth inning, when he knocked in Dan Uggla, who had led off the inning with a triple to right center.

Maholm cruised through the first three innings, giving up only one hit and zero runs. The Reds got to him for two runs in the fourth when Zack Cozart led off with a single, Joey Votto walked, and Brandon Phillips knocked in Cozart with a double. Votto scored when Jay Bruce grounded out.

The Braves got back one of the runs in the top of the 5th when Justin Upton singled to right, and he circled the bases when Evan Gattis smoked one to the base of the left center field wall. Gattis was stranded when McCann grounded out and Uggla struck out

Maholm got help to shut down a Reds rally in the 5th.. With two out and runners on first and second, Braves third baseman Chris Johnson ranged far to his left to snag a sharply hit Joey Votto grounder. While still on the run he threw quickly to Dan Uggla covering second, to force Shin-Soo Choo on a close play.

Maholm left with two outs in the sixth, after Todd Frazier laced a single to left, and took second on Evan Gattis’ error. Maholm’s pitch count was at 105, and Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez brought on the right-handed Corey Gearrin to pitch to the Reds right-handed hitting catcher, Devin Mesoraco. Gearrin got the job done by striking out Mesoraco on a 3-2 count, after wild-pitching Frazier to third.

The Braves were stymied in the sixth and seventh innings when Reds reliever Alfredo Simon struck out all six men he faced. Simon came into the game with only 10 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings, and a 4.91 ERA, so it isn’t as if Simon has been fooling everybody this season. The Braves just have the ability at times to make mediocre pitchers look dominant with the way they swing and miss.

Atlanta ended the Reds’ 7th inning when pitcher Luis Avilan caught Sin Shin-Choo off first base, and Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons snagged the errant Freddie Freeman throw to second base, and while falling tagged the runner with the glove between his (Simmons) legs. It was truly an incredible play by the young Braves shortstop.

The Braves scored their final three tallies when Dan Uggla singled and Andrelton Simmons followed with his second home run of the game. Jordan Schafer then hit a long pinch-hit home run to right field.

The Reds made it somewhat interesting in the eighth when they scored two runs on three hits off Braves reliever, Jordan Walden. Walden threw eleven pitches but was unable to record an out. Eric O’Flaherty relieved Walden and got the three outs without allowing a runner.

Craig Kimbrel came in on the ninth to preserve the 7-4 victory while recording his 10th save on the season.

Solid win for the Braves with the only real negative being B.J. Upton striking out four successive times. He avoided a fifth consecutive strikeout by drawing a walk.

The Braves, who extended their lead in the National League East to 2.5 games over the idle Nationals, will tangle with the Reds again tomorrow night at 7:10 in the second game of this three game series.

The post Game Story: Simmons Homers Twice in 7-4 Win appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Not only did Hudson pitch well last week, he laced a double to left center and then smashed an opposite field home run against the Nationals, while giving up only one run on three hits in seven innings, in a stellar all-around performance.

Hudson became just the 110th pitcher in Major League history to win 200 games.  His 2-0 record and 2.51 ERA last week were accomplished in 14 1/3 innings pitched.

In notching his 200th win, Hudson became the fifth Brave to accomplish the feat in a Braves uniform, and the third active pitcher to do so.  The other active pitchers with 200 wins are the Yankees Andy Pettitte and the Phillies Roy Halladay.

Hudson has a 4-1 record this season with a 3.83 ERA and leads the Braves with 42 1/3 innings pitched.  Hudson is also hitting .375 with the one home run and three RBI.  Not bad for a guy who will be 38 in July.

The post Braves Tim Hudson Awarded appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Tickets to the May 4 rainout game are good for the rescheduled June 18 game

The Atlanta Braves and New York Mets game that was rained out this past Saturday (May 4) has been rescheduled as part of a split doubleheader.  The game will be played Tuesday, June 18 at 1:10 p.m.

The game will be televised on SportsSouth.

Fans who have tickets from the cancelled May 4 game (game tickets, parking, family pack and/or Batting Practice Experience) can use those tickets for the 1:10 game on June 18.  Those tickets can also be exchanged for any remaining 2013 regular season game, subject to availability.

You can visit the Turner Field ticket office to make exchange or go to www.braves.com/rainout   You have to make the exchanges prior to the date of the game that has been rescheduled.

The regularly scheduled game on June 18 is set to start at 7:10.  If you would like to go to the 1:10 game and then would like to attend the 7:10 game you will need to buy a separate ticket.  The stadium will be cleared after the first game concludes.

The post Braves Game Rescheduled appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Upton is listed at 9 to 2 odds, with Washington right fielder Bryce Harper a close second at 11 to 2, Colorado shortstop Troy Tulowitzki third at 15 to 2, and San Francisco catcher Buster Posey, Milwaukee left fielder Ryan Braun and Cincinnati first baseman Joey Votto all at 10 to 1.

No other Braves position players are listed among the top 21.

Braves starter Tim Hudson is given the 12th best odds to win the National League Cy Young Award, and is the only Braves pitcher to be one of the 15 listed.

Los Angeles’ Clayton Kershaw at 3 to 1, San Francisco’s Madison Bumgarner and Washington’s Jordan Zimmerman at 5 to 1, New  York’s Matt Harvey at 11 to 2, and St. Louis’ Lance Lynn and Adam Wainwright at 10 to 1  are the top six favorites.

Upton recently won the National Player of the Month for April, so no surprise that he is a leading MVP candidate.  However, in recent games teams have pitched around Upton, so the players who hit behind him, Freeman, Gattis and now Brian McCann will have to step it up and make those teams pay.

Freeman did a good job of it on Sunday with three hits, three RBI, and his second home run of the season.

The post Justin Upton Leading MVP Candidate appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Great American Ballpark has always been friendly to home runs

The Atlanta Braves will be in very comfortable surroundings the next three games, when they take on the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in a 3-game series beginning tonight.

Great American Park doesn’t have a fancy nickname like “Homer Heaven” or “The Launching Pad,” but it has been very friendly to hitters since it opened in 2003.

With the Braves second in the majors in homers, it looks like a formula that could result in quite a few baseballs disappearing into the outfield seats and beyond the next few days.

Last season the Reds’ home ranked second in the majors, behind only Miller Park in Milwaukee, as being the most homer friendly park.  In 2011 Great American Park ranked third behind only Coors Park in Colorado and Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

While the potential is there for the Braves to have a home run explosion in this series at Great American Ballpark, the Braves could also continue to strike out a lot.  The Reds pitching staff leads the National League in whiffing opposing batters.  The Braves hitters lead the majors in strikeouts.

Will the lure of the homer friendly park, coupled with the Reds’ pitchers strikeout capabilities, cause Braves batters to be swinging at a lot of empty air in this series?  Or will they use the long ball to dominate?  Should be some very interesting games to watch the next couple nights and Wednesday afternoon.

The post Homer Heaven Awaits Braves appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Mother Nature gave the Braves a much-needed day off on Saturday

The Washington Nationals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-4 in Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon, to come within two games of the Atlanta Braves in the National League East.  The Braves had a four and a half game lead over the Nationals, before losing the last two games of a four game series that concluded this past Thursday night.

Both the Braves and Nationals lost on Friday night.

The Braves have lost 11 of their last 16 games, including three in a row, and seven of their last ten.  That 12-2 start to the season seems a long time ago.

Today’s rainout gave the Braves players a chance to recharge their batteries.  Atlanta has played 17 of the past 18 days, including a 10-game road trip.  The Braves are scheduled to play the Mets at home tomorrow afternoon, and then leave on another ten game road trip where they will play ten days in a row.

If Saturday’s game against the Mets had not been cancelled they would have had to play 29 games in 30 days.

Atlanta may get a chance for more rest.  Sunday’s forecast calls for a 70% chance of rain.

The post Nationals Closing in On Braves appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Fredi Gonzalez has the Braves in first place in the NL East

Yesterday’s article entitled, “Braves Could Have Decisions to Make,” detailed the struggles of Dan Uggla and B.J. Upton, and talked about options Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez may at some point consider.

The real question I’m going to talk about today, is when if it all would it be appropriate for Gonzalez to bench Uggla and/or B.J. Upton?  Probably not what fans want to hear, but this is what Gonzalez had to say about Uggla’s and B.J. Upton’s struggles:

“They’re trying to tinker, they’re working at it,” Gonzalez said. “That’s why you’re in their corner when they struggle, or anybody struggles. If you’re working and putting the effort in, you’ve got to stay with your players, and both players are doing that.”

Gonzalez is a disciple of former Braves manager Bobby, Cox and has the same philosophy in staying with struggling players.  Many fans would consider that a bad thing.

Cox would often frustrate fans during his tenure as Braves manager.  He would keep running players out there who were in horrible slumps to the point that many wondered if he had lost his marbles.  But sure enough, most times the players who were struggling would get it going  at some point in the season, and justify Cox’s loyalty.

It was that loyalty that Cox displayed in his players that was one of the main reasons players loved playing for him.  I don’t have any empirical evidence about how many free agents signed with the Braves ’cause they knew that Cox was a “player’s manager,” or how many performed better than they would have elsewhere, but we did often read quotes from players about how much they respected Cox, loved playing for him, and wanted to win for him.

It appears players think the same way about Fredi Gonzalez, as they did about Bobby Cox, and that is the reason he is the Braves manager, and will be for many years.  He doesn’t panic, and like all great leaders he thinks long-term.

Perhaps Cox’s two best assets were the patience and loyalty he showed in is players.  The disconnect between managers who show a lot of patience and loyalty to their players, particularly those who are struggling, and the fans, is that fans have little to no patience, and no loyalty in regards to players.  Fans want to win today and the hell with tomorrow, let alone next month or the month after or the month after that or the playoffs.

It will be interesting to see how long Gonzalez will stay with Uggla and B.J. Upton.  At some point they have to justify Gonzalez’s patience and loyalty.  As long as the Braves are leading the Eastern Division, the decision to stay with the two struggling players is a lot easier than if the Braves start losing and fall behind Washington.

The bottom line after all is winning.  Players at some point have to justify the manager’s patience and loyalty.

The post When Should Fredi Gonzalez Make Moves? appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Jordan Schafer has given the Braves a spark leading off

Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez may  be making tough decisions in the coming weeks if a couple of his star players keep struggling and his bench players keep performing well.

BrianMcCann is scheduled to rejoin the Braves next week, so what will be done about Evan Gattis?

Gattis has not only been a force in the middle of the line-up, he has done an unexpectedly good job of handling the pitching staff.  Gattis also has done a decent job throwing, nailing three of the nine runners who have attempted to steal against him.  He also threw a strike to third baseman Chris Johnson to nail a runner last Sunday against the Tigers, but as the replay showed, the umpire blew the call and ruled the runner safe.

But Gattis isn’t the only decision that may have to be made at some point.  Jordan Schafer has been giving the Braves the true lead-off man that they have been lacking.  In 38 plate appearances Schafer is hitting .300 with a .432 OBP and leads the team with 5 stolen bases.

Schafer has played right field against right-handed pitching while Jason Heyward recovers from his appendectomy.  But Schafer is also an excellent defensive center fielder, and with B.J. Upton currently hitting only .138, with a .219 OB, would Fredi consider playing Schafer more in center field when Heyward returns?

Also, second baseman Dan Uggla continues to struggle.  He has four home runs and eight RBI but is hitting only .163.  with a .314 slugging percentage.  Could Fredi at some point start playing Tyler Pastornicky or Ramiro Pena more at second while sitting Uggla down?

The Braves have made big financial commitments to B.J. Upton and Dan Uggla, but at what point does a manager start easing other players that have been more productive into the line-up?  It is a tough decision to make ’cause those two players have been big producers in the past and you want to give them every opportunity to get their seasons turned around.  But then again, how long can you wait?

The post Braves Could Have Decisions to Make appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Gio Gonzalez will try to break the Nationals 8-game losing streak against the Braves

The Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals clash tonight in a 7:10 ET game at Turner Field in Atlanta.  The Braves will try to give the Nationals yet another “Nattitude Adjustment” as they gun for five in a row on the season against Washington and nine in a row overall.

The Nationals PR folks came out with the “Nattitude” slogan prior to the season, a move they may now be regretting.

Braves starter Tim Hudson will be gunning for his 200th career victory tonight.  He has 10 career victories against the Nationals while accumulating a 3.40 ERA.

Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez has a 2-2 career record against the Braves with a 4.57 ERA.

Ironically, both Hudson and Gonzalez have 2-1 records with 4.50 ERAs this season.

The starting line-ups tonight for both teams:

Atlanta
1. A. Simmons 2. C. Johnson 3. J. Upton 4. F. Freeman 5. E. Gattis 6. D. Uggla 7. B. Upton 8. R. Johnson 9. T. Hudson

Washington
1.  D. Span 2. D. Espinosa 3. B. Harper 4. A. Laroche 5. I. Desmond 6. T. Moore 7. C Tracy 8. W. Ramos 9. G. Gonzalez

The post Tonight’s Braves vs Nationals Starting Line-Ups and Preview appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Andrelton Simmons continues to amaze with his athleticism and fielding skills

In the Braves 3-2 win Monday night over Washington, the box score shows that the Nationals had three up and three down in the night inning.  But it wasn’t that simple.

Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond led off the ninth by hitting a routine grounder to Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons.  As Simmons fielded the ball, his legs went out from under him, and it appeared that the Nats would have something going to start the last frame.

But Simmons wasn’t going to let a little thing like sitting on his backside stop him from getting the out.  He calmly flipped the ball to Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman, who had to make an acrobatic stretch, to get an out that even the Russian judge would have scored a 9.9.

Simmons talked about the play after the game, “I just lost my footing.  It was a little muddy.  I was talking to TP about it.  I might have stayed up too much.  I should have maybe stayed on the balls of my feet a little more.  I would have stayed away from that slip but fortunately we’ve got Freddie Freeman helping out too so it was pretty good.”

Simmons went on to explain that instincts just took over, as he didn’t even think about what to do next after he realized he was sitting with the ball in his hand.  He just threw the ball to first as if he was still standing.

Try throwing a baseball 100 feet while sitting down and see how much velocity you can put on your throw and how accurate you are.  Not easy, folks.

Braves closer Craig Kimbrel, who was attempting to close his ninth save in ten attempts, was both impressed and amused by the play, ““I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen two guys do the splits on the field at the same time.  But it’s usually Freddie. It was awesome.  It was a heck of a play.”

Simmons, who is considered by most baseball experts to be one of the best fielding shortstops in the game, also drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning.  The kid is a winner.

The post Andrelton Simmons Goes Backside in Win appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Stephen Strasburg (Photo credit: L. Richard Martin, Jr.)

Julio Teheran makes his ninth career start tonight against the Nationals, and draws a tough one as he matches up against Washington ace, Stephen Strasburg.  Someday Teheran may be the Braves “stopper,” but tonight he is just looking for his first Turner Field win.

Teheran is 1-0 on the season with a 5.48 ERA, Strasburg is 1-4 with a 3.16 ERA.  Teheran started against the Nationals on April 12, giving up four runs on six hits while striking out six and walking three.  He was also tagged for one home run.

Teheran’s last outing was April 23 against the Rockies, as he notched his first career quality start.  Teheran went seven innings, and gave up only one run on eight hits.  He struck out three, and displayed great control by walking none.

It was impressive that Teheran was able to go into a tough place like Coors Field, with very cold weather, and was able to deliver a high quality performance.  He finished strong by retiring 14 of the last 17 batters he faced.

Teheran has been solid against right-handed hitters this season, allowing them a .226 average with one home run.  The problem has been against left-handed hitting as they have torched him for a .415 average with 4 home runs.

The Nationals are not loaded with left-handed hitting, but Teheran will have to deal with a few lefties, including wonder boy Bryce Harper, who is having a big year (.360, 9 HR and 18 RBI).  Lead-off man Denard Span has also had his moments so far this season (.278, .356 OBP and 4 steals).  But former Brave first baseman, Adam Laroche, is hitting only .135.

My prediction for this evening is that Teheran will rack up his second consecutive quality start, and have the Braves in position to win late in the game.  He may not be the Braves stopper yet, but I think he is on his way to own that title at some point later this season.

The post Julio Teheran the Braves Stopper? appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

The Braves return to Atlanta with a game Monday night against the Nationals

After a 12-1 start the Braves have lost three in a row and seven of their last ten games, so is it time for Braves fans to panic?  Of course it is time for Braves fans to panic, that is what fans do.

Located in Atlanta the Braves have a lot of fans in the southeast.  Ted Turner‘s SuperStation and the largest radio network in professional sports assured that the Braves popularity spread far and wide.

To give you an example how popular the Braves are, I appear as a guest every Monday night on a radio show in the St. Augustine, Florida area.  Even though the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Miami Marlins are Florida teams and a few hours away, the Braves are still king in that area.

But the real king in the southeast is college football, not baseball.  A heavy percentage of Braves fans are college football fans first, Braves fans second, and they have a “college football mentality”.  Braves fans that have a “college football mentality” think every game is huge but major league baseball isn’t a 12-game college football schedule.  Every game isn’t huge, not when the season is 162 games.

Despite dropping 7 of their last 10, the Braves are still a very solid 15-8 with a two and a half game lead over the Washington Nationals in the National League East.  This despite having played fifteen of their first twenty-three games on the road.

I could list stat after stat explaining why the Braves are okay despite the recent losing, and give award-winning reasons about why the Braves will have an excellent season in 2013, and a high percentage of Braves fans will still stay in panic mode, and criticize every line-up and every move that Fredi Gonzalez makes.  So why bother?

Kick-off in today’s Braves at Tigers game is scheduled for 8:05 p.m ET.

The post Braves Fans is it Time to Panic? appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

McCann hit two home runs last night in his first rehab game.

With last night’s loss Atlanta no longer has the best record in the major leagues.  That distinction is now owned by the Texas Rangers.

The Braves not only lost last night, but they did it in grand style.  The 10-0 loss was the worst defeat since May 16, 2009 when the Braves were pasted 12-0 by the Diamondbacks.

After opening the season 12-1, the Braves have now dropped six of their last nine.  Having played 14 of their last 16 games on the road, you wonder how road weary and distracted the Braves may be.  Playing on the road for extended periods is always challenging, but especially in April when new players are still getting themselves and their families settled.

The eighteen strikeouts that Tigers starter Anibal Sanchez and reliever Bruce Rondon recorded against the Braves last night were the most K’s the Braves have had since May 6, 2011 at Philadelphia.  The way the Braves are constructed, this probably won’t be the last time this season that strikeout records are set.

The Braves still have the best record in the National League. and a three and a half game lead over the Nationals.  This season’s 15-7 start is the best since the 2000 season when the Braves started 16-6.

Despite last night’s 10-0 shellacking to the Tigers, there was good news for the Braves.  Brian McCann hit two home runs in his first two at bats last night and walked in his other two at bats for the Rome Braves in his first rehab game.

The post Atlanta Braves Update 4/27 appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Brian McCann begins a rehabilitation injury assignment tonight with the Rome Braves

Atlanta Braves catcher Brian McCann, who has been rehabbing his shoulder since off-season surgery, will begin an injury rehabilitation assignment tonight with the Single-A Rome Braves at 7 p.m.  The Rome Braves will play tonight at Greensboro.

McCann had successful arthroscopic surgery on October 12 to repair a torn right labrum, and started the season on the 15-day disabled list.

It is reported that McCann will play all three games in the weekend series against Greensboro, and if all goes well, could be activated next week against the Washington Nationals.  McCann has been in Florida on extended spring training since the Braves regular season started.

It has been a long time since Braves fans have seen a healthy Brian McCann in the line-up.  Last season he hit only .219 after the All-Star break while dealing with the shoulder problem.

When McCann is ready to go it will be interesting to see how manager Fredi Gonzalez handles his catcher situation.  Both Evan Gattis and Gerald Laird have played  well at catcher this season.  Gattis is second on the team in homers (6) and third in runs-batted-in (13) and Laird is hitting .320 with a .390 on-base-percentage.

The post Brian McCann Close to Returning appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

42 stars Chadwick Boseman as Jackie Robinson

The Atlanta Braves and Major League Baseball will host free private screenings for Atlanta area teenagers at Atlantic Station‘s Regal Theater 16 of the movie about Jackie Robinson entitled “42″.  The screenings will be on April 29 at 6:40 p.m. and May 5 at 2:30 p.m.

“We have the unique opportunity to impact the next generation of ball players by introducing them to the man that changed the course of baseball history,” said Atlanta Braves Community Affairs Director Ericka Newsome. “The exceptional film 42 provides us an outlet to educate our youth on the importance of equality and progression. We are honored to share this significant piece of history with Metro Atlanta teens.”

Teens from the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Atlanta, RBI, Andrew & Walter Young Family YMCA, L.E.A.D., Friendship Baptist Church, Shiloh Baptist Church Drum Line, Carver High School and Old National Athletic Association Red Knights are scheduled to attend.

“42 brilliantly depicts not only the proudest and most powerful event in baseball history, but also a watershed moment in American history and the Civil Rights Movement,” said Commissioner Selig. “This film is a profound way for all of us throughout Major League Baseball to educate our next generation about Jackie Robinson’s vital impact on our nation. I thank Thomas Tull and his colleagues for working with the Robinson family and allowing this enduring American story to be told to a worldwide audience. With our annual April 15th celebration, the wide-ranging efforts of all 30 Clubs and now this inspirational film, it is an honor for our industry to continue to shine a light on the vibrant legacy of Jackie Robinson.”

The film is in over 3,000 theaters nationwide and grossed $27.5 million the first weekend.  It stars Chadwick Boseman as Jackie Robinson, and Academy Award® nominee Harrison Ford as Brooklyn Dodgers executive, Branch Rickey, the man who signed Jackie Robinson.

The post Braves and MLB to Host Free Jackie Robinson Movie Screenings appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Comerica Park was named after a bank that has since moved it’s headquarters to Dallas

The Atlanta Braves will send Paul Maholm, Kris Medlen, and Mike Minor (3M Company) to the mound this weekend when they tangle with the Tigers at Comerica Park in Detroit.

Maholm (3-1, 1.03) ) will square off Friday night against former Miami Marlin, Anibal Sanchez, in a match-up scheduled to start at 7:05 pm. and be broadcast on Fox Sports South.  Sanchez is 2-1 this season with a 1.75 ERA.  Maholm is 0-1 with a 2.60 ERA in three career starts against the Tigers.

Medlen (1-2, 2.16) will be opposed Saturday by Rick Porcello (0-2, 11.08) in a 1:05 game broadcast on FOX, while Sunday’s 8:05 contest on ESPN will match up Mike Minor (3-1, 1.80) against Doug Fister (3-0, 2.00).

Medlen (1.20) and Minor (2.08) have the best ERAs in the major leagues since the 2012 All-Star game, and Maholm is fifth best at (2.45).

Maholm has gone the deepest into games of any Braves starter this season, averaging 6 2/3 innings with Medlen and Minor are right behind at 6 1/3.  But Minor leads in quality starts with 4 of 4 while Maholm and Medlen are 3 of 4.

In this series the Braves will not face the the Tigers ace, Justin Verlander.  Verlander  pitched Thursday against the Royals and will make his next start Tuesday against the Twins.

The post Braves Throw 3M Company Against Tigers appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Upton is already setting records in Atlanta

Atlanta Braves outfielder Justin Upton is only 3 home runs away from tying the all-time April record for home runs.  Upton now has 11 home runs this season, Albert Pujols (2006) and Alex Rodriguez (2007) are tied for the all-time record with 14.

Upton has already eclipsed the Braves all-time record for April homers.  His 11th round-tripper against Colorado on Tuesday passed Ryan Klesko (1996) and Andres Galarraga (1998 and 200) who had held the record with 10.

When Upton blasted his 10th April homer in the 1st game of the just completed Colorado series, he became only the 18th player in Major League history to reach 10 home runs before his team had played 20 games.  At 25 years of age, he is the second youngest.  Mickey Mantle was 24 when he accomplished the feat in 1956.

Upton didn’t hit his 10th home run last season until August 27 in his 117th game, and 420th at bat.

The Braves play 5 more games in April, 3 this weekend against the Detroit Tigers in Detroit, and 2 against the Washington Nationals (Monday and Tuesday) at home.

The post Justin Upton Chasing All-Time Record appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Pastornicky was hitting .351 at Gwinnett before being called up

The Braves called up utility infielder Tyler Pastornicky from AAA Gwinnett on Tuesday.  Pastornicky was hitting .351 with a .372 on-base-percentage and .473 slugging percentage at Gwinnett.

Pastornicky had 1 home run and 7 runs-batted-in and stole 3 bases in 4 attempts while accumulating 74 at bats.

In 2012 Pastornicky was the Braves regular shortstop coming out of spring training but was replaced by Andrelton Simmons after a few weeks into the regular season.  During spring training and in his stint at Gwinnett, Pastornicky has focused on being a utility player, playing second base and left field as well as shortstop.

Last season in Atlanta Pastornicky hit .243 in 76 games with 2 homers and 13 runs-batted-in.  He had a .287 on-base-percentage and a .325 slugging percentage.

The post Pastornicky Returns to Atlanta appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Gattis’ blast was the winning margin

The Atlanta Braves got back on the winning track in Colorado with a 4-3 win over the Rockies.  Justin Upton and Evan Gattis hit solo homers and Dan Uggla blasted a two-run shot to key the offense.

Gattis’ shot in the fourth proved to be the decisive run as neither team scored in the last five innings.

Reed Johnson went 4 for 4 as he filled in for Jason Heyward, who went on the 15-day DL due to an emergency appendectomy.

Mike Minor started and pitched well enough to log his 3rd win against one defeat and Craig Kimbrell came in to notch his eighth save.

But the story of the day was the frigid temperatures.  When the first pitch was thrown it was only 23 degrees and the thermometer got no higher than 27 as players from both teams were bundled up.

This was the coldest game played in the major leagues since STATS started keeping track of the statistic in 1991.  The coldest prior game was 23 degrees, also in Colorado.

The Braves and Rockies are scheduled to play a doubleheader today after yesterday’s game was “snowed out”.  The second game is scheduled to start at 8:40 ET.

The post Braves Get Hot in the Cold appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Uggla often starts slow and picks it up as the season progresses

Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez has inserted two bench players into today’s starting line-up against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Pirates will send left-handed pitcher Jonathan Sanchez to the mound today.  Sanchez has a 12.96 ERA through two starts this season.  His last appearance was this past Tuesday night against the Cardinals when the game was called after 2 innings.  Sanchez gave up 2 runs in 2 innings.

Ramiro Pena will bat second and play second base in place of the usual starter, Dan Uggla.  Uggla strained a calf muscle in the cold Pittsburgh air last night and came out in the 4th inning.  He is listed as day-to-day.

Reed Johnson will take over in right field today for Jason Heyward and bat 6th.  The right-handed hitting Johnson has been very good against left-handed pitchers in his career with a .310 average and .366 on-base-percentage.

In the past four games the Braves offense has been shut out twice and only scored 1 run in the other loss.

The post Changes in Braves Line-up vs Pirates appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Carpenter gives the Braves 13 pitchers

The Braves have placed infielder Blake DeWitt on the disabled list with a lower back strain.  DeWitt has played in 4 games this season for the Braves and has one hit in 3 at bats.

DeWitt joins Braves players Christian Martinez, Freddie Freeman, Brian McCann, Jonny Venters, and Brandon Beachy on the injured list.

Right handed pitcher David Carpenter has been brought up from AAA Gwinnett to fill DeWitt’s roster spot.  Carpenter has pitched 11 1/3 innings and given up 14 hits and 3 walks with a 4.76 ERA this season at Gwinnett.  He has appeared in 4 games, all out of the bullpen, and struck out 9.

Carpenter has appeared in 67 major league games, pitching 60 innings with a 5.70 ERA.  He has given up 79 hits and 29 walks while striking out 60.  The 27-year old is 6’2″ 215 pounds and played his college ball at West Virginia.

Carpenter’s addition to the active roster gives the Braves 13 pitchers and 12 position players with only 4 bench players available per game.  He will most likely return to Gwinnett when Freddie Freeman comes off the DL.

The post DeWitt Goes on DL Braves Call Up Pitcher appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Braves pitchers have been lights out this season

Braves pitching has been outstanding in 2013 and the team ERA (2.19) is a full run less than the next best team in the National League (LA Dodgers 3.26).  ERA is the stat most fans use to measure pitching, but WHIP (walks plus hits divided by innings pitched) is the stat that many baseball experts think gives a better indication of pitching performance.

The Braves pitchers have used a simple formula to limit opponents’ runs.  They  have kept opponents off the base paths.  The Braves team WHIP this season is 1.05, the next closest in the National League is the Cincinnati Reds at 1.16.

To show you how good the Braves pitchers have been this season at keeping runners off base, the best National League team WHIP in 2012 was the Washington Nationals at 1.221.  The Braves were third in 2012 in team WHIP at 1.23.

The 1988 New York Mets had the best team WHIP in the past 30 seasons at 1.15.  The great Philadelphia Phillies pitching staff in 2011 had the second best WHIP in the past 30 full seasons at 1.17.  That shows us just how good the Braves pitchers have been so far in 2013.

I wasn’t able to find the all-time season team WHIP record, but if the Braves pitchers keep performing like they have been, I think they may challenge the all-time record.

The post Braves Pitchers Cracking the WHIP appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

The Atlanta Braves came into the 2013 season with big expectations

Atlanta Braves position players who were added to the roster before the 2013 season have keyed the offense.  Returning Braves players…not so much.

The new Braves include left fielder Justin Upton (.328 average, 9 home runs, 13 runs batted in) third baseman / first baseman Chris Johnson (MLB leading .438 average, 2 home runs, 7 runs batted in) catcher Evan Gattis (.279 average, 5 home runs, 12 runs batted in) catcher Gerald Laird (.308 average) utility infielder Ramiro Pena (.364 average, 1 home run, 6 runs batted in plus great defense and game winning homer against Washington) pinch-hitter Blake Dewitt (1 of 2) and outfielder Jordan Schafer (4 of 8).

B.J. Upton is the only newly acquired Braves position player who hasn’t been hot.  Upton is hitting only .167 with 2 home runs and 3 runs batted in but he has swung the bat better the past few games.

Returning Braves position players have not yet fared as well with Jason Heyward, Dan Uggla, Andrelton Simmons and Reed Johnson all currently under the .200 mark.

First baseman Freddie Freeman started out the season hot but went on the 15-day disabled list after only 5 games.  The Braves are 9-1 without Freeman in the line-up.

Juan Francisco is the one Brave who was on the 2012 roster that has been available for all the games and hit well (.318, 3 home runs, 7 runs batted in).

The post New Braves Keying Offense appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Jeff Francoeur had a good series against the Braves

The Kansas City Royals and former Atlanta Brave, Jeff Francoeur, snapped the Braves 10-game win streak with a 1-0 victory on Wednesday afternoon.  Despite the victory over the Braves, Francoeur came away impressed with this year’s Atlanta  team.

“That is a very good baseball team over there, we know that,” Francoeur said.

Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez mentioned in his post game press conference that Francoeur had a good series both offensively and defensively.  When asked about that, the former Braves right fielder talked about the healthy respect he has for the Braves manager.

“Fredi is a heckuva manager,” Francoeur said.  “I enjoyed playing for Fredi in Atlanta, playing against Fredi in Florida.  He knows he has a great team over there.”

Francoeur liked coming back to Turner Field with a team other than the Mets, as he thought he was booed to a certain extent in Atlanta just because he played on the New York team.  No matter what uniform he wears, Francoeur has a little extra juice to play against his former team.

“You want to say that you are focused all the time, but there is definitely some extra motivation for me coming home here, so it is fun to have a nice series here, fun to get this win and to get out of here,” Francoeur said.

The post Francoeur Impressed with Braves appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Pitching is still the Braves strength

The Braves are off to a fast 8-1 start and their newly found power is what everyone is seemingly talking about.  Atlanta is tied for the National League lead in homers and some of their biggest power hitters have yet to flex their muscles.

Justin Upton leads the majors with six home runs and Evan Gattis is hitting Paul Bunyan type blasts.  Third baseman, Juan Francisco, hit a blast the other night in Miami that may have dented the upper deck.

But despite the power display, the Braves are only seventh in the National League in runs scored.  Not much improvement over last season when they were middle of the pack.

Defensively Atlanta has been solid, if not great.  The Braves are sixth in the National League with only five errors committed.  What doesn’t show up in the cumulative stats is that they have made a lot of clutch plays late in games that have preserved wins.

What has carried the Braves so far to the 8-1 record this season is their old stand-by, pitching.  The Braves lead the majors with a sparkling 1.89 ERA.  Both starting pitching and the bullpen have been highly effective.

To borrow an old real estate phrase, the three most important aspects of baseball are still pitching, pitching and pitching.  Power sells tickets, pitching wins games.

The post Braves Pitching Still Leads Team appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Justin Upton is already in mid-season form

In a game where the Braves were down 5 to 1 heading into the bottom of the 8th, it couldn’t have ended any better! The story that would unfold in the last inning and a half was one that will be told for years to come.

The bottom of the 8th started with a double by Justin Upton where his hustle allowed him to slide safely into 2nd with a two-bagger that was anything but ordinary. Upton then moved to third on a wild pitch from Cubs pitcher Kyuji Fujikawa.

Freeman followed with an RBI single that made it a 5-2 Cubs lead. Dan Uggla had his best at bat of the year following Freeman. He had a single to right field away from the shift that put runners on first and second.

After Francisco fanned on a pitch that would have been high to Yao Ming, Laird walked, and that brought up Ramiro Pena. Pena stepped up in a big way and showed why Fredi Gonzalez trusted him in that position. His 2 RBI single up the middle cut the lead to one.

With Laird standing on second and Pena at first, Gonzalez decides to send Reed Johnson up to the plate to pinch hit against his former team. Unfortunately Johnson grounded into an inning ending double play.

Eric O’Flaherty had a scoreless outing in the top of the ninth sending the Braves to the plate down one. What would unfold in the bottom of the ninth would give Braves fans a memory for a lifetime.

B.J. Upton would lead the inning off, with what would end up being his coming out party to Braves Nation. He led off the inning with a towering bomb to center to tie the game. That was trailed by Heyward being retired F7 in the score book. That brought B.J.’s brother Justin to the plate.

Justin, who already had a home run in the ballgame, was greeted with a standing ovation by the packed house in Turner Field. He responded with a blast over the center field wall that would send Braves Country into pandemonium. Braves win 6-5!

Seeing a game tying home run and a game winning home run in the same inning is nuts, but to see it done by brothers in Atlanta uniforms is priceless. Baseball is a funny game. There is a lot of give and take, but tonight, Braves fans experienced all the joy this great game has to give. THIS IS WHY WE CHOP!!!

The post Upton Brothers Already Heroes in Atlanta appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Freeman’s bat will be missed

Braves hot-hitting first baseman Freddie Freeman has been placed on the 15-day disabled list due to a strained right oblique.  The concern is that oblique injuries can often linger well beyond the initial diagnosis.

Freeman has been an anchor at the clean up spot so far this season, hitting .412 with 1 homer and 7 RBIs.  He has provided valuable protection behind Justin Upton, who has totaled 5 home runs in the first 5 games this season.

Chris Johnson, who the Braves acquired in the Justin Upton trade, will take over at first base while Freeman heals.  Johnson has recorded 2 hits in 7 at bats so far, including a double and a walk.

With Johnson playing first regularly, he won’t be available to platoon with Juan Francisco at third.  This will give both Johnson and Francisco regular at bats that may help later in the season.  So there may be a positive in there, somewhere.

You can’t minimize in any way, though, Freeman’s value to the Braves.  He led the team in RBIs last season and is effective against both lefties and righties.

Lets hope the injury bug doesn’t keep striking this very talented and exciting Braves team.

The post Key Atlanta Brave Goes on Disabled List appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Evan Gattis has not disappointed

My personal optimism for the Braves is at an all-time high.  I really thought Atlanta had a great opportunity to compete for a championship last year, but this year the chance is even greater.  The first series against the Phillies only boosted my positivity.

I know it’s the first series of the year and it is hard to extract meaningful nuggets from it, but I did.  Seeing Justin Upton go yard twice gives you the idea, that he will be the consistent power hitter from the right side that the Bravos so desperately need.

So much pressure was put on Justin to be “Mr. Do It All” in Arizona that now I think he gets a chance to breathe and just play ball.  This lineup is so good top to bottom that he can have a bad night, and the Braves can still win.  That was rarely the case in Arizona.  I also believe giving his brother B.J. a fresh start can help him improve and become a better player as well, not that he was a bad player but B.J. is better than his numbers show.  Sometimes something as simple as wearing a different color jersey can change a player’s outlook and motivation.

Let me not leave out Evan Gattis and his start in the show.  The future looks so bright for this kid that it’s unreal, such raw power and skill with the wood in his hand.  If he continues to improve defensively he will make losing Brian McCann after this year a very easy transition.  The best part about Gattis right now, at least to me, is that I don’t have great expectations for him this year.  I just want to see him grow and mature.  That makes every impressive thing he does even more special in my eyes.

Last but certainly not least was the Braves pitching performance.  Hudson started strong but couldn’t finish.  No worries though because Avilan came in and was lights out.  Maholm was great in game two of the series and Medlen followed that with a fantastic showing in game three even though he got the loss.  If these starters for Atlanta can work deep into games the back-end of the bullpen can, and will take care of business.

Braves fans please enjoy this season and catch every bit of action that you can.  I have a feeling that this season is going to be a season you won’t forget!

The post Braves Optimism at All-Time High? appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Tim Hudson will make his sixth career Opening Day start

Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez has tabbed veteran Tim Hudson to start the Braves Opening Day against the Philadelphia Phillies on April 1.

Many folks predicted that Kris Medlen would be the Braves Opening Day starter, citing that the way Gonzalez had set up his spring rotation, Medlen’s turn would come up on Opening Day.

But the Braves have historically chosen veteran pitchers to handle the Opening Day assignment.  The only time a pitcher under 30 started Opening Day since 1995 was last season when Tim Hudson was recovering from back surgery, and Tommie Hanson got the nod.

Hudson has started five opening days in his career, and this is his third with the Braves.  He is undefeated in those starts, posting a 1-0 record with a 3.41 ERA.

Hudson’s last Opening Day start was against the Washington Nationals in 2008, when he pitched seven innings against the Nattionals in Washington, and only allowed two runs.

The post Hudson Will Start Braves Opening Day appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Julio Teheran has pitched lights out this spring

There’s been many feel good stories coming out of the Braves spring camp, but starter Julio Teheran’s performance may be the best news of all.  Teheran has appeared in four games and not only has he been effective, he has dominated.

That is very good news for the Braves, as the effectiveness of that number five-spot in the rotation in 2013 may be the difference between finishing second in the Eastern Division of the National League, and winning the division.

The Braves have four solid starters in Hudson, Medlen, Maholm and Minor; and the hopes are that Teheran will not only win the number five-spot in the rotation, but that he will pitch like the guy who Baseball America the past few years has hyped as one of the top young pitching prospects in baseball.

Not only has Teheran been very effective, there has been very good news that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet.  Teheran’s fastball has been clocked in the low to mid 90s. Last season at AAA Gwinnett, Teheran was throwing in the high 80s to low 90s.

The increased velocity helps set up Teheran’s sinking fastball, curve ball and change-up.

I expect Julio Teheran to be a top contender for the National League Rookie of the Year award in 2013.

The post Julio Teheran: Best Braves News This Spring appeared first on Atlanta Bullpen.

Will Fredi Gonzalez guide the Braves to the Eastern Division title in 2013

Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez will be managing his seventh big league season in 2013.  He managed the Marlins from 2006-2009, and of course, the Braves in 2011 and 2012.

The 2013 Atlanta Braves season will bring Gonzalez’s biggest expectations ever as a major league manager.

Gonzalez has been good in his big league managing career.  As I noted in an earlier Atlanta Bullpen article that compared his record as Braves manager to Bobby Cox, Gonzalez has a .565 win percentage in Atlanta.

What you may not know about the managerial record Gonzalez has compiled in the major leagues, is how consistent he has been, particularly the past four seasons.  Maybe not outstanding, but consistent.

Gonzalez finished third in the National Manager of the Year Award in 2008, seventh in 2009, fifth in 2011, and fourth in 2012.  If he can win the award in 2013 it will probably mean that the Braves have beaten out the Washington Nationals to win the Eastern Division.

Gonzalez has never won a division title in the major leagues.  He has finished fifth, third, second, fourth, second and second.  To use horse racing terminology, he has shown once and placed three times, but no wins.

The Braves need Gonzalez to be outstanding in 2013.  In Gonzalez’s own words, the 2013 Braves are the most talented team he will have ever managed.  But the Nationals are everyone’s favorite to win the Eastern Division, division rival Philadelphia still has an outstanding starting rotation and sock in the middle of their line-up, and NL competitor Cincinnati is loaded.  The path to the 2013 World Series is extremely challenging.

Based on the excellent way he handled his pitching staff, and massaged his batting order in 2012, I think Gonzalez can guide the Braves to the Eastern Division championship, and take Atlanta deep into the playoffs in 2013.  But he will have to be outstanding in 2013 in addition to consistent.

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The Atlanta Braves bullpen has been outstanding the past few seasons

The Atlanta Braves bullpen has been a team strength the past few seasons, ranking high among all major league bullpens in most categories each year.  What is exciting for Braves fans is that the 2013 Atlanta Braves bullpen may be the best we’ve seen in recent years.

Before we look at the Atlanta Braves 2013 bullpen, lets review recent seasons.  ESPN.com has excellent stats that make it very easy to compare major league bullpens.

Last season the Braves bullpen pitched in 486 1/3 innings, that ranked fifteenth in the major leagues in total innings pitched.  That surprised me, as it seemed that Braves manager, Fredi Gonzalez, went to his bullpen early and often.  Fifteenth in innings pitched is a very comfortable number, as it indicates that Gonzalez utilized a valuable team strength, but didn’t overuse that asset.

The Atlanta Braves’ bullpen had a 2.76 earned run average in 2012, that ranked second in the major leagues, behind only Cincinnati.  The Atlanta bullpen totaled 481 strikeouts, while yielding only 157 walks.  That is better than a 3 to 1 strikeout to walk ratio, the second best ratio in the major leagues, best in the National League.  The Braves WHIP (walks + hits/divided by innings pitched) was 1.19, tied for fourth in the major leagues, and best in the National League.

Virtually every major stat you look at that measures pitching, shows that the Atlanta Braves bullpen was outstanding in 2012.

ERA (earned run average) is a pitching stat that only tells a partial story, but for simplicity, lets use that stat to compare how the Braves bullpen has fared in recent seasons.

The 2011 Atlanta Braves bullpen led the majors in ERA at 3.03, in 2010 the Braves were third in the majors with a 3.11 ERA, in 2009 the Braves bullpen was sixth in the majors with a 3.68 ERA.  That is four straight seasons that the Atlanta Braves bullpen was outstanding.

Hats off to Braves GM Frank Wren for keeping the Braves bullpen stocked with lives arms that know how to pitch, and to managers Bobby Cox and Fredi Gonzalez for knowing how to maximize the talent they have available.

In Part 2 on the Atlanta Braves bullpen I will take a close look at the 2013 edition, and give my analysis and breakdown.

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