AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2006 > April > 30 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USGood sign for Braves
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mark Bradley
The Mets did what they needed to do Friday and Saturday, and the Braves did what they needed to do Sunday. The NL East wasn’t decided over the weekend and won’t be decided for months, but the Braves made the upward climb a bit easier by winning Game 3. Six games behind after a month’s work isn’t where they’d choose to be, but six back beats the heck out of eight.
Not that the Braves were all that up on their numbers. “If you’d have said we were three games out or 13 out, I’d have believed you,” Marcus Giles said. “I can’t remember the last time I opened a newspaper. It’s April. It’s not worth getting into yet.”
And that part is true, too. The Braves won a big April game Sunday, but there’s much doubt as to whether any April game can be construed as big. “Yes and no,” said Chris Reitsma, offering an exceedingly accurate non-appraisal.” The importance of today is that you don’t want to get swept on your field.”
Here he shrugged. “At the same time, April’s April. Today was our 23rd game or our 25th [actually the 24th]. But I think we did show today that we’re not going to roll over for them.”
The Mets are good. The Braves should be good, too. The Mets have too many big-time players to collapse, the Braves too much history. April isn’t the month where anything is decided. April is merely the time when the groundwork gets laid.
Toward that end, this series reinforced what we’d suspected. The Braves aren’t nearly the offensive colossus they seemed the first week of the season. They managed two runs in the weekend’s first two games. True, they mustered eight runs and 12 hits Sunday, but roughly half the hits were of the well-placed, as opposed to the roundly struck, variety.
Even Bobby Cox, who moans at length about the number of his team’s hard-hit balls that get caught, had no gripe this day. “Everything fell in,” he said. “I told Giles [robbed by Jose Reyes in the first inning and by David Wright in the fourth], ‘Start hitting it soft.’ “
Jeff Francoeur had four hits, the first two rather polite ones, but when your April has been as lousy as Francoeur’s you’ll take anything. And it is becoming increasingly clear that the Braves, who aren’t sure what they’re apt to get from Chipper Jones anymore, badly need Francoeur to hit. Andruw Jones can’t do everything himself.
“I need to get on a more even keel,” Francoeur said. “I need to start helping this team on a consistent basis.”
Should that happen, the Braves will give the Mets a royal run. As stout as the New Yorkers are, their starting pitching is substandard beyond Pedro Martinez and Tom Glavine. (Steve Trachsel, Sunday’s starter, was awful, yielding 13 baserunners while recording 11 outs.) And no one knows if Martinez, who’s 34, and Glavine, who’s 40, will be able to click off 200 high-level innings the way they did as younger men.
The good news: The Braves’ starting pitching has settled down. The bad news: This team enters May with only four wins from its rotation. Kyle Davies was the winner Sunday but was hardly dominant, needing 101 pitches to complete five innings. But Francoeur kept driving in runs and the relievers, aided by you-know-who’s game-ending catch, did enough to hold the lead.
While no show of force, this victory did give the Braves reason to feel better about what’s ahead. Their starting pitcher outdid the opponent’s. Their bullpen held a lead. Their right fielder had one of those Francoeur-type games we’ve come to expect. There’s no reason to believe Sunday will be the last time we see such a display.
“April is done, and it’s been one of the toughest months with the travel and everything,” Reitsma said. “In May we start to roll.”
The NL East chase didn’t end here and won’t end when the teams convene again in Shea Stadium on Friday. On the contrary, this is all just beginning. And when will be able to say with absolute certainty that a game is actually big? “On Sept. 30,” said Cox, smiling.
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By Marty
April 30, 2006 06:57 PM | Link to this
Well said, Mark. I know that many of us were starting to get a bit antsy during that 5-game skid, but it is still early and there are 138 games left. Nevertheless, today was a good game in so many ways, as you said, and I think it’s something the Braves can (and will) build on.
One final note — I don’t know how many of you have noticed, but almost two thirds of the Braves’ games in the first month were played on the road. May is not going to be much better in that regard. Come August and September, however, the weather will be warm and the Braves will be at home. Add to that the chemistry that is sure to develop over the summer, and we could have a very hot Braves team.
By Joe Roman
April 30, 2006 06:59 PM | Link to this
Thanks for some realism, Mark. The panicky mood on the Internet is I’m sure matched on local talk radio, but this is baseball. The Braves will find a way. This year, the NL Central with the exception of lowly Pittsburgh all look like worldbeaters. Last, year, all they had was St. Louis. Even the NL West is playing well. Similar weirdness is on display in the AL. It won’t last. Baseball makes monkeys of the pundits. That’s why ESPN is all football all the time. Keep taking it game-by-game, Mark. Leave Karnak’s turbin in the trunk.
By Blake
April 30, 2006 08:38 PM | Link to this
I loved everything you wrote in your article except the part about the Braves not knowing what they will get out of Chipper Jones anymore. What do you mean? Once he gets back into the groove from being on the DL he’ll be good ole Chipper again. Believe me. This guy is Mr. Consistent.
By Eric C.
April 30, 2006 09:44 PM | Link to this
As much as I want to believe that the Braves will recover and win the division over the Mets, I cannot “realistically” do that this year. This team just doesn’t have it. Not even Bobby Cox can work magic with this line-up and pitching staff. We have no lead-off hitter and no closer. It is painful to watch…but it is reality. As a very long time, Braves fan, I really hope I am wrong.
By Kenny
April 30, 2006 10:15 PM | Link to this
Somebody check the history. If the Braves had lost today, has anyone ever come back from being 8 games back at the end of April? How about six? If they have, how many times has it been done? It seems like it’s gonna be tough. That said, I thought the ump today was too picky. Look like Davies and Trachsel pitched better than this ump allowed. He gave nothing to the pitchers. Davies made some great pitches that Glavine and Maddux and Pedro and Smoltz would get called their way. I agree it’s early but you have to take April as a whole and not put too much into today’s game. They still have a lot of road games to play before they get to stay home for a while. Just pray Chipper and Renteria stay healthy.
By ToKenny
April 30, 2006 10:24 PM | Link to this
Have teams come back from six games down in april? Umm, yeah - the Braves.
By ToKenny
April 30, 2006 10:25 PM | Link to this
Have teams come back from six games down in april? Umm, yeah - the Braves.
By BirdDawg
May 1, 2006 01:49 AM | Link to this
Ummm, who cares?
Who cares about the Braves, the Boys of Summer, the Choke Artists of October?
Come on you guys, football is now becoming a year-round event. There is Spring Practice in college. Then there’s the draft. Then there’s the rookie and undrafted free-agent camps. Then there are the many mini-camps. Then there is the pre-season practices. Then there are pre-season games. Then, fall practice in college followed by kick-off Saturday. Then there’s kick-off Thursday in the NFL. The the seasons. Then the Bowl Season, followed by the playoffs, followed by the Super Bowl, and then not so far down the line, Spring Practice in college.
And you guys are wasting valuable time on a team which you know is going to choke when it matters most, and a league which has bankrupted it’s most precious records by turning a blind eye to the likes of McGwire, Brady Anderson (yeah, him), Bonds, Giambi, Sosa, Brett Boone, Palmeiro, Canseco, and many, many others?
Who cares about baseball when there’s football year round?
By Jeff
May 1, 2006 07:57 AM | Link to this
April is, well, April. Mets’ startig pitchig is liable to breakdown. Braves don’t need to knock the cover off the ball to win games. They need timely hitting, solid starting pitching and a reliable closer (a big question mark, huh?). And let’s not forget that the Braves are a team in transition. Schuerholz is rebuilding smartly but it will take a couple of seasons for all the pieces to fall into place. 2006 and 2007 may be the Mets window to steal a division title from the Braves, bu don’t count on it yet.
By hop
May 1, 2006 08:40 AM | Link to this
the braves have suffered much in april with injuries to chipper,giles and esteria and the hitting slumps of frenchy, giles and pitching being inconsistent at times.
despite all of the adversity,they are still in second place and 6 games out.
braves will be fine and exciting team to watch especially when it counts in the dog days of summer when the mets pitching falters. the young kids are very gifted and mccann and davies are proving their worth and the others will as well.
it is going to be a great run!!!!!
By Jamie
May 1, 2006 08:45 AM | Link to this
MB what do you mean can’t depend on Chipper? I am not asking this as an irate fan? But do you think the Braves are thinking about a move? How much more time does he have on his contract? Do you think they are going to start platoon him? Move him in the batting order? What?
By rob
May 1, 2006 08:59 AM | Link to this
Ah yes football. The TV sport whose alumnus grows with every embellished moment. “Hey your chinstrap is looose.”
By Scott
May 1, 2006 09:13 AM | Link to this
For your information, BirdDog, there’s a lot of people that love baseball and the Braves. While I am a big football fan — Go Tennesseee Vols! — baseball is still the best sport in the world and always will be. All imitators need not apply! Go Braves!
By Tom Rogers
May 1, 2006 09:49 AM | Link to this
This will be a fun season. The Braves will hang in there until the end, and who knows, may win the division again. But I do know they have given me 15 years of great fun. Even before they started winning I was a big fan. Who can forget Murphy, Garber, Hubbard et al and the 1982 season, or how about 1969? Or in the late 60’s sitting in the outfield stands and watching Mac Jones drop fly balls. I would rather be competitive every year like the Braves than win it once and never come back. Besides it is my fault the Braves have not won the World Series but once. Back in 1995 I was dancing around my living room here in Tulsa as Wholers was coming in to save it for Glavine. I said, “Lord, just let’em win this one time and I will never ask again.” Well he let them win but I keep asking again. Is there anybody out there who has a better line to the Almighty who might get me off the hook? And another thing—Birddog not liking baseball—with a name like that he is obviously a GA fan. That should say it all.
By Marty
May 1, 2006 09:51 AM | Link to this
How about you go watch some crappy practice football instead of posting here? Football is like the show “American Dad” — mindless and stupid but nevertheless mildly entertaining. In this age of contagious ADD and short attention spans, it’s no wonder that football, NASCAR (“I just watch for the crashes”), and hockey (“I just watch for the fights”) are becoming so popular.
Leave us alone and let us enjoy in peace what we believe to be the finest sport in the land.
By Tom Rogers
May 1, 2006 09:53 AM | Link to this
Marty—my sentiments exactly.
By Mark
May 1, 2006 10:30 AM | Link to this
Mark , I dont share your optimism. Giles isnt Furcal and Reitsma isnt Farnsworth. The starting pitching is outstanding and the defense is gold glove caliber at 4 positions. We have a good solid lineup that will hit for power and drive in a ton of runs. The problems are obvious , no leadoff hitter who can run , steal bases and a lights out closer.Until these two major problems are fixed this team will continue its inconsistent play and the Muts are for real this season. One hot month and five months of .500 ball aint gona cut it this season.
By Ben
May 1, 2006 10:31 AM | Link to this
Marty I hate fights in hockey but I love the rest of it.
I love baseball to bits, GO BRAVES!!!!!!!!! But NASCAR and football is more a social event than a sporting event. There are 162 games in a year. April is almost meaningless. I said almost meaningless, not meaningless.
The Braves have given us quite a ride over the past 15 years.
By Marty
May 1, 2006 10:38 AM | Link to this
How about you go watch some crappy practice football instead of posting here? Football is like the show “American Dad” — mindless and stupid but nevertheless mildly entertaining. In this age of contagious ADD and short attention spans, it’s no wonder that football, NASCAR (“I just watch for the crashes”), and hockey (“I just watch for the fights”) are becoming so popular.
Leave us alone and let us enjoy in peace what we believe to be the finest sport in the land.
By Stuart
May 1, 2006 10:46 AM | Link to this
Mark, the Mets are better than Atlanta at almost EVERY position. Andruw (maybe Giles, are the only guys that would start on the Mets. This is coming from a huge BRAVES fan. Our bullpen is terrible. Smoltz and Chipper have gotten old. I love Smoltz, but he is a 3 in the rotation, not a 1. In the past, Smoltz could throw it past guys at 95 even when he got more of the plate than he wanted. Smoltz can’t make bats miss at 91-92mph like he did throwing it 96-97. That is why even with the stuff he had Friday, he got hit and hit hard. His slider is not near as sharp as even last year. It was not near as good last year either. Hudson has been nothing short of horrible.I know he usually starts slow, but he has been HORRIBLE. Sosa of last year aint coming back and Thomson will not keep this up. (I think he is going to be good though, he is pitching for a contract.) Do not get me started on Ramirez, and Davies is young, but improving, but still a ways off. Chipper is still a great hitter, but not at the money being paid to him. Chipper is great up 3 or more or behind three or more. When is the last time he got a big, game changing hit? Andruw is NOT Albert Pujols, he is still limited at the dish. Langerhans is what he is, a decent OF, that’s it. Francour is so talented, but is overmatched against good pitching (as is Langerhans). McCann is above average and Renteria is great 99% of the time, but will boot one a week that will cost the Braves, dearly. The bench is a joke. LaRoche is a bigger joke than the bench. 1-26 since his 3-4 at Shea, 1-FREAKING 26. He is painful to watch. I was at the game Friday and the Braves looked AWFUL and were even worse Saturday night. They got lucky on Sunday. I hope beyond all hope and will turn on whoever is calling the game everynight and pull for them as hard as I can, but I do not like ANYTHING of what I have seen this year. 95 loses is not out of the question, but neither is 95 wins, and that is the minimum it will take to win the division. Niether is out, but unless something happens, 95 Ls are more likely.
By ConyersDawg
May 1, 2006 11:05 AM | Link to this
95 L’s Stuart? You my friend don’t know baseball. Idiot! Baseball blogs are where you find more people that don’t know about the sport then any where else. I read the blogs alot and there a good many of regulars on here who know there stuff. I need to concentrate on just reading those regulars so I don’t get frustrated reading people like Stuart. 95 L’s, just plain dumb statement!
By RRR
May 1, 2006 11:39 AM | Link to this
Right on Conyers!
By BOB C
May 1, 2006 01:07 PM | Link to this
Hmm…Reading Built to Win right now. Makes me wonder what Omar Whoever would say if JS called and offered Langerhans and Francouer for Floyd and Nady. Or McCann for LoDuca. The only clear cut positional winner is first base and Delgado is a bit of a head case who’s never played on a champion. I’ll take our JS created roster thanks.
By Matthew
May 1, 2006 01:51 PM | Link to this
Stuart:
Good grief-95 losses? You’re telling me that the Braves, who have at least three Hall of Famers on their current roster (Smoltz and the Jones boys) plus the most talented crop of young players MLB has known in recent memory, are going to pull a Detroit or Kansas City? Are you a closet Met fan or what?
Here’s the deal. The Mets are more talented on paper, but they don’t have the heart to win a season. They don’t know what its like to lift a divisional banner and march into the postseason. They have sneaked out a wild card here or there, but really. If I were a betting man, which I’m not, I’d put money on the Braves repeating. Thomson, Hudson, and Smoltz will be fine once the big bats settle in after their injuries, the rookies will do fine after adjusting to early sophomore troubles, and the wildcard may be (believe it or not) the bullpen. Cormier, Villareal, and Ray have looked good enough to win. Reitsma, regardless of how nervous he makes us, is 5/6 in SV opps. We are panicking too soon, and to suggest a 95 loss season is absurd.
No offense intended Stuart, but I just can’t agree with you from what I’ve seen so far. The Braves are 3-8 in one run games thus far. Right now, that’s essentially the difference in the division. That’s NOT going to continue. The Braves’ schedule is road heavy the first third of the season. While the Mutts enjoy home field much of the first third, the Braves will get it in September, when the bats will be hot and the pitchers primed for the stretch run. This year will definitely be interesting, and for the first time I can see why the pinheads would choose the Mutts on paper, but in reality it will be 15 straight and possibly even a World Series trip.
Go Bravos!
By Matt
May 1, 2006 02:03 PM | Link to this
I agree with Bob C. Yes our 1st baseman does suck, but we haven’t had a real good one since Andres G. Giles will pick it up, remember he missed 3 weeks of spring training and he is batting in a new spot. My opinion, I would put R. Langerhans at 1, Renteria, Chip, Andruw, Giles, Frenchy, McCann, and the LaSuck and if he isn’t batting a 285, which a 1st baseman should be, bring salty or jurries up and let him platoon with Jordan, or let Wilson try first. He can hit better and I’m sure he can handle the defense. LaSuck was supposed to be a great defensive 1b, but he already cost us 1 game with his glove. Renteria will have 1 error a week. What are you talking about, he had 30 last year and last year was the first year Furci didn’t have at least 25. Renteria is alot better than furci.
By Matt
May 1, 2006 02:11 PM | Link to this
The mets are in first, so is colorado and so is cincinnati. none of those will hold up and everybody knows it. You start hot, you end cold in the NL, that is how it always is, which is why the NL wildcard always seems to go to the series. Not that the wild card does go, but its alot, Houston, NY, FL. Which is why I think the wild card should be ended. It rewards who is hot, not who the best is. Anyway, 95 loses, you are an idiot. We always start slow, just like Smoltz always gets drilled at the beginning of the year. Pedro will be hurt by August and Glavine will tire out. What else do the have, X Nady will hit his typical 260 pretty soon, and we have C. Delgado’s number. The only mets that scare me is D Wright and C Floyd.
By Matt
May 1, 2006 02:12 PM | Link to this
The mets are in first, so is colorado and so is cincinnati. none of those will hold up and everybody knows it. You start hot, you end cold in the NL, that is how it always is, which is why the NL wildcard always seems to go to the series. Not that the wild card does go, but its alot, Houston, NY, FL. Which is why I think the wild card should be ended. It rewards who is hot, not who the best is. Anyway, 95 loses, you are an idiot. We always start slow, just like Smoltz always gets drilled at the beginning of the year. Pedro will be hurt by August and Glavine will tire out. What else do the have, X Nady will hit his typical 260 pretty soon, and we have C. Delgado’s number. The only mets that scare me is D Wright and C Floyd.
By The Grinch
May 1, 2006 02:32 PM | Link to this
How come nobody’s started bashing Mike Vick yet? This doesn’t look like an AJC blog. I think this is the most inconsistent and nerve-wracking Braves’ team in years, and the Mets have more talent than they’ve had in years. That said, they’re still perennial choke artists and the Braves are the champs until they’re knocked off. Chipper, however, needs to avoid saying things like “My presence in the lineup will be worth its weight in gold” until he can STAY in the lineup and prove his skills aren’t declining rapidly.
By Dr. Jay
May 1, 2006 02:54 PM | Link to this
Well there you have it folks…Matt has kindly explained everything for us, so there’s no reason to tune in to any MLB games until October. Or do you already know what will happen then, NostraDUMBus?
And “LaSuck” made a spectacular play at first yesterday, BTW, very possibly saving the win for Davies. Thank Gawd you aren’t the GM…
By Dave
May 1, 2006 02:57 PM | Link to this
I have to agree 95l is crazy Bobby and JS won’t let that happen. Look at the past when it geta hot so goes chipper and the Braves. They never pkay good in the spring or April. Sundays win could be the catspult that puts them om a roll. Get rid of Sosa and put Chuck James in the rotation. Dave
By Dave
May 1, 2006 03:02 PM | Link to this
I have to agree 95l is crazy Bobby and JS won’t let that happen. Look at the past when it geta hot so goes chipper and the Braves. They never pkay good in the spring or April. Sundays win could be the catspult that puts them om a roll. Get rid of Sosa and put Chuck James in the rotation. Dave
By Goose
May 1, 2006 03:05 PM | Link to this
Mick Vick Sux
By Matthew
May 1, 2006 03:07 PM | Link to this
Dave:
You’re right about giving James a shot, but I wouldn’t mind us picking up a veteran lefty starter that wouldn’t cost very much. Of course, I’m still hoping the Braves have the money to bring Tom Glavine back to the ATL for his 300th win, a jersey retiring, and a Hall of Fame cap. I’m one of those weird people that like to see legends finish in the city they started…note to John Smoltz, Andruw, and Chipper. No matter what the morons say, you are the collective heart of this franchise.
By Dr. Jay
May 1, 2006 03:20 PM | Link to this
Amen to Chuck James joining the rotation…and adios to Sosa. He used up all his good luck last year apparently.
By Mike
May 1, 2006 03:30 PM | Link to this
you are absolutely right dave…how can people put down chipper, andruw, and even smoltz down is ridiculous to me…I guess they havent been watching the last 10 to 15 years…95 losses, guys thats ridiculous, just wait till about July 15 when the Braves have their own five game lead on the mets…the only proven winner on that team is Glavine, even Pedro hasnt been that great in the biggest games…see the 2004ALCS…im not sold on beltran, or the mets shortstop I cant think of his name, too eratic for my taste, and delgado is streaky…also give sosa a chance to come around, he deserves that( one or 2 more starts) and then if he still struggling put him in the bullpen and james in the rotation
By Sean
May 1, 2006 05:01 PM | Link to this
Every year I hear from fellow co-workers thats it, this year it is all over for the Braves. As it pains me to watch a Braves loss, every year it reminds me that the Braves ALLWAYS finsh first. Though the Mets look better on paper I always remember.BRAVES WIN -BRAVES WIN-BRAVES WIN. P.S. Lets hope frenchy shares the movie Rudy with the rest of the team.
By Ronnie
May 1, 2006 07:30 PM | Link to this
The New York Mess press - and fans - sure get excited easily. Six whole games up. In April. Wow. You’d think after 14 straight by their division rivals they would be a little more humble. One thing the Braves have that the Mess don’t is Bobby Cox. Another is those 14 banners. Let’s just play out the season and see what happens, shall we? Don’t pop those corks just yet, Mess fans.
By The Grinch
May 2, 2006 02:18 AM | Link to this
Great game tonight. Chipper must have read my post and cowboy’d up (at least ‘till the next time he slips in the hottub). Hudson’s starting to look like the person we thought we’d signed. Giles and Renteria looked good, which is key to the rest of the lineup. May should be a different month, in a positive sense (not just on the heels of one game, but a gut feeling). The Mets are still the Mets, even if they exhumed the entire hall of fame to play for them. And Goose, thanks for taking the bait.