Atlanta Braves

By gondeee In the Press... Without too much surprise, the Braves offered arbitration to both relievers Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez, while declining to offer arbitration to Adam LaRoche and Garrett Anderson.Only a day after the arbitration decisions on both Soriano and Gonzalez, the Braves mov...

By gondeee If Rafael Soriano was the Atlanta Braves closer that came out of the gate strong and finished poorly, then Mike Gonzalez is the opposite -- the closer who started out poorly and finished strong. Gonzalez was in the co-closer role out of spring training, but he was clearly favored by Bobby Co...

By gondeee Atlanta Braves starter Kenshin Kawakami took one month of the regular season to adjust to American baseball. His April starts produced a 7.06 ERA. While it was only four starts, including one really bad start, Kawakami made the adjustments and compiled ERAs of 3.03 and 3.33 the next two months...

By gondeee Tuesday:  Season in Review:  SP Derek Lowe Wednesday:  Season in Review:  SP Javier Vazquez Thursday:  Season in Review:  SP Jair Jurrjens Friday:  Season in Review:  SP Tommy Hanson Saturday:  Season in Review:  SP Kenshin Kawakami Sunday:  Season in Review:  SP Tim Hudson

By cbwilk After playing for the Braves team in his native Dominican Republic, where he complied a .275 average and .784 OPS along with 23 doubles, 15 home runs, 14 stolen bases, and 138 strikeouts in 545 plate appearances over three seasons, Feliz made his American debut for the Orlando Braves in the G...

By gondeee One of the most disappointing story lines of the 2009 season for the Atlanta Braves was the failure of center fielder Jordan Schafer. Going into spring training he was competing with two other guys, both with major league experience, Josh Anderson and Gregor Blanco. Schafer had such an imp...

By gondeee It's hard to describe the season of Atlanta Braves center fielder Nate McLouth. He wasn't bad, he wasn't really that good, he was just average. Of course, after the last few seasons of below average center fielders, it is nice to finally have one who is at least average. None of this is to say tha...

By yondaime4 The Legend of Adam Milligan got off to a good start this season as he had and excellent debut in the system between 3 levels of ball (Danville, Rome and a short stint with Myrtle Beach). I only say he has a legend because of how many times I heard or read about him being drafted by the Braves 3 times....

By gondeee Oh, Yunel, you bubbly fidgeting wonderfully frustrating player... It seems the first thing that people think of when they think of Atlanta Braves shortstop Yunel Escobar are his idiosyncrasies on the field and in the batter's box. When Tom Glavine returned to the Braves in 2008, he initiall...

By Mac Thomason 2009 Atlanta Braves Batting Statistics – Baseball-Reference.com The strength of the Braves in 2009 was, it is said, pitching. There’s a lot to be said for this. They finished fourth in the NL in fewest runs allowed per game with 3.96; they actually allowed one more than third-place St. Louis, a...

By cbwilk Prior to the 2009 season, there was speculation that Martin Prado could perform well enough to replace Kelly Johnson as the Braves' starting second baseman. This speculation was based on the idea that Prado's presence could allow the Braves to trade Johnson, who had shown himself to be on...

Tom Glavine had another successful bullpen session for the Atlanta Braves, and the 305-game winner thinks he could be pitching in the major leagues by the end of the month. … Carlos Delgado could be put on the disabled list by the New York Mets as soon ...

By Michael(noreply@blogger.com) If the sports media follows this progression, what will our world look like? More consumption of national sports media and therefore more focus on a few national teams. There is a common complaint in England that the football clubs in smaller towns have a hard time drawing new fans because...

By Michael(noreply@blogger.com) 1. Don Sutton calling Braves games again. The past six years have been death by a thousand paper cuts as everything that made the Braves unique have gone out the window. Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz, Andruw, Schuerholz, Skip, Pete, the Bravo Club, winning divisions, etc. Don's return will be a lit...

Washington Post  - He coached in the Atlanta Braves organization and was the Braves' third-base coach from 2003-06 before becoming the Marlins manager. Ten things to watch during spring training TheNewsTribune.com Wall of teammates' to back A-Rod Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

By KB 34 Pete Moylan is where I start getting concerned about the bullpen.  I think a lot of people tend to forget he is coming off of Tommy John, is 30 years old, and had one good season before his arm collapsed.  Another factor to consider is that he’ll likely need till late May or Jone to return.  In gagi...

By Stephen VanNuys As we have been discussing on this site, Mr. Wren came into this offseason declaring Atlanta needed to add two top of the rotation starters this offseason in order to be competitive.  This was obvious, after the meltdown season we endured last year.  But in adding Javier Vazquez and Kenshin K...

By gondeee I get it, the Braves are shell-shocked from three-plus years of Mr. Glass, plus injuries last year to Smoltz, Glavine, and Hudson; and if we indeed give Smoltz and Glavine one last hurah next year, what will it mean if we add even more injury risk to the rotation in Ben Sheets. But I say we should...

 PA - ATLANTA BRAVES--Declined to tender a 2009 contract to LHP Chuck James. CHICAGO CUBS--Agreed to terms with RHP Chad Gaudin and LHP Neal Cotts on one-year ...

By royhobbs What we have here, is a failure to communicate. Throughout the news-and-rumor filled offseasons and Winter Meetings time, there are words of baseball transactions and ideas flung around much like an Animal House food fight.  And with there being about eleventy-billion websites out the...

By gondeee Braves GM Frank Wren will] likely spend some time talking to his good friend Dave Dombrowski, who could be looking to create funds on the Tigers payroll by dealing 34-year-old outfielder Magglio Ordonez, who is owed $18 million in 2009 and $15 million salaries in 2010 and 2011.

By gondeee The issue with keeping a lesser hitter at that position, is that for ten years center field was manned by the power-hitting Andruw Jones. Since his departure, the Braves have not been able to replace his power production. If they go with either Anderson or Blanco, then they’ll need other pos...

By gondeee … the ultimate product of Elvis Andrus, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Neftali Feliz, Matt Harrison, and Bean Jones is Casey Kotchman. Like the trade, hate the trade, whichever camp you fall into one thing is likely true; Kotchman is better than Scott Thorman, but not as good as Adam LaRoche… yet....

By Mac Thomason Could the 2008 Braves have won the division? Sure. This wasn’t really a 72-win team, not when Hudson was healthy and Teixeira was at first base. At worst, it was a .500 team, and a .500 team can win the division with a little luck. But all the Braves’ luck was bad — this team had the karma of a arbitrage...

By gondeee Baseball America has their official take on last week's Teixeira-Kotchman trade on their website, but I asked Ben Badler of BA to give me a more Braves-centric take on the trade. Here is their analysis, though it may be a tough dose of reality to some:

By gondeee First up is the Phill-o-phile writer for ESPN, Jayson Stark. He lists the Braves and the rest of the NL East among the losers on his review of deadline day: What do you think? Poll Were the Braves winners or losers at the trade deadline? Winners Losers

By Jeff Kallman Chipper Jones hitting the disabled list with a hamstring strain, Brian McCann taking a concussion when Philadelphia’s Shane Victorino plowed him at the plate scoring a run, and Tim Hudson going down for the season with shoulder fraying requiring surgery, convinced Braves general man...

By gondeee Zachary Fuesser (19), LHP – Another high school pitcher, this time out of South Carolina, he was ranked as the 12th best prospect in the state. Calvin Culver (26), OF – Ranked 118th in the state of California, another JuCo draftee by the Braves.

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 OH - ATLANTA (AP) - Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz will have season-ending shoulder surgery, but he hopes to return in 2009. The Braves called a news ... Woods plays first round since surgery Pittsburgh Tribune-Review all 709 news articles

He's improved so much," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "He used to have a long swing and strike out all the time. "Now he hits the ball the other way and ... Upon further review ... Braves aren't swinging so well Atlanta Journal Constitution Atlanta Journal Constitution

Upon further review ... Braves aren't swinging so well   USA - Based on what Bobby Cox alluded to Sunday to DOB, the answer is probably no. When Cox was asked if he was thinking of platooning Diaz with left-handed ... Left-field platoon looks like a good idea Atlanta Journal Constitution

By Will Schaffer It’s been a week and I finally have sorted through, resized, and uploaded the best of my pictures from the Braves-Indians spring training game I attended last Friday. I took about 450 pictures in total but got that down to about 200 of the best ones and I put just about 50 of those 200 into this s...

By gondeee Sunday vs. Nationals - Tim Hudson Monday vs. Pirates - Tom Glavine Tuesday off day Wednesday vs. Pirates - Mike Hampton (really!) Thursday vs. Pirates - Jair Jurrjens Friday vs. Mets - Tim Hudson Saturday vs. Mets - Tom Glavine Sunday vs. Mets - John Smoltz and so on...

By gondeee Hopefully that gives you a bit of a look inside the Braves clubhouse. For the most part, the way players come across in interviews (especially TV interviews) is pretty much how they are in person. Oh, and Bobby Cox is about the most amazing person to ever step on a baseball diamond.

By gondeee Jason Heyward (OF) Jair Jurrjens (RHP) Brandon Jones (OF) Gorkys Hernandez (OF) Brent Lillibridge (SS) Tommy Hanson (RHP) Cole Rohrbough (LHP) Jeff Locke (LHP) Cody Johnson (OF) Q:  What is the biggest strength of the Braves minor league system? The biggest weakness?

By John Beamer John Schuerholz and the Braves have an uncanny knack for jettisoning seemingly high-ceiling young talent in trades yet always landing on the good side of the deal. Many thought this particular deal would prove Schuerholz’s comeuppance—they were wrong.

By Will Schaffer Heading into the 2007 season, Edgar Renteria was entrenched at shortstop for the Braves. The veteran shortstop had become a fan favorite and team leader after bouncing back from an off year with Boston. At the same time Yunel Escobar had pretty much fallen off the radar. He got some attention...

By Will Schaffer SB:  What was your first year calling for the Braves like? SB:  Speaking of Chuck James, do you think he can go another year with only two pitches? SB:  How do you think Schuerholz stepping away from the GM role is going to affect the team?

By Kristi Dosh Now let’s end on a good note with the highlights of the season: Last I heard, Jeff Francouer is one of only three players in MLB who started every game this season.  Since Cal Ripken, Jr.’s consecutive games played record is the one I personally find most impressive in baseball, I really admi...

By Eric Simon Having just dispatched the also-ran Houston Astros in three straight to close out Craig Biggio's last trip to New York as a big leaguer, the Mets anxiously await the arrival of the Atlanta Braves for a three-game set, the outcome of which should answer the question on everyone's lips: Wil...

The AJC's estimation of the best-of-the-best at each Braves minor-league level this year at each of the five traditional baseball skills: Richmond AVERAGE: Martin Prado POWER: Doug Clark SPEED: Gregor Blanco ... via Atlanta Journal-Constitution

D-Backs beat Braves for 8th straight win Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, PA - Jul 28, 2007 The Braves' best chance to win came in the eighth. Atlanta had runners on first and second against reliever Tony Pena with one out but Jeff Francoeur ...

Oswalt replaces Smoltz on NL All-Stars Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, PA - Jul 5, 2007 AP Photo/Pat Sullivan AP Interview with Hank Aaron NEW YORK (AP) -- Houston Astros right-hander Roy Oswalt will replace injured Atlanta Braves pitcher John ...

Cox, Braves see light at the end of the tunnel  PA - The Atlanta Braves' manager said he enjoyed his postgame treat a little bit more than usual yesterday, because it was a victory cigar. ... MyFox NL Roundup: Andruw Jones’ 350th Homer Lifts Braves MyFox Utah Monday's NL Capsules 6abc.com

Pittsburgh Tribune-ReviewBraves' Hampton passes 1st test  IN - Left-hander Mike Hampton was on the mound Wednesday in Kissimmee, Fla., though he's still far from a sure thing for the Atlanta Braves. ... AROUND THE HORN: Ramirez: Car show or Red Sox camp? Detroit Free Press

 VA - Dec 25, 2006 Mayor L. Douglas Wilder and Atlanta exec utive vice president of business operations Mike Plant ... to The Diamond, the 21-year-old facility that the Braves say no ...