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Monday, July 21, 2008
Who’s Frank Wren talking to this week?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
So much for a fast start coming out of the All-Star Break. The series loss at home to the Washington Nationals, who are 38-61 this year, was embarrassing.
So what do you do now if you’re Frank Wren, who’s facing his first trade deadline as GM in 10 days?
What calls are you making? Whose calls do you return? Whose do you ignore? Do you mortgage the future for potential short-term gain? Do you stock up on a cache of prospects?
The Braves are embarking on a make-or-break — and this time that isn’t hyperbole — six-game road trip, which starts tonight in Florida and concludes this weekend in Philadelphia. And they have to be prepared for the whirlwind of trade rumors that’s sure to surround them.
Bobby Cox reportedly held a meeting Friday, telling the players that first baseman Mark Teixeira and lefty reliever Will Ohman, among others, weren’t on the block because the team was still in the mix for the division title. But today may be a different story.
By the way, adding insult to injury over the weekend was the play of former Braves Willie Harris (7-for-12, with five runs scored; he’s now hitting .480 against Atlanta and .205 against the rest of the Major Leagues) and Ryan Langerhans (6-for-13, with five runs), not to mention the underrated job of Nats’ bench coach Pat Corrales.
During the Braves’ run of division titles, when Corrales was on their bench, think back to how many times Braves players were in perfect position to catch what should have been solid hits. Fast-forward to this past Saturday night and the final outs in the fourth and a fifth innings: Greg Norton’s fly to deep center to Harris and Brian McCann’s line drive down the right field line, where Austin Kearns just happened to be playing, leading McCann to throw his helmet in frustration.
If those two balls, both with the bases loaded and the game still in doubt, fall and the Braves win Saturday, they take the series and have a whole new mind-set heading into Sunday’s nightmare. Interesting.
Upcoming TV Schedule
Monday: at Marlins, 7:10, SportSouth
Tuesday: at Marlins, 7:10, SportSouth
Wednesday: at Marlins, 7:10, FSN South
Thursday: Off-day
Friday: at Phillies, 7:05, Peachtree TV
Saturday: at Phillies, 3:55, FOX
Sunday: at Phillies, 1:35, SportSouth
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