AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2007 > April > 01 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USStreak ended, but East still chasing Braves
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Terence Moore
Philadelphia — He’s not backing off, which is fine. I mean, he’s wrong, but that’s not the point. If Jimmy Rollins, the efficient shortstop and undisputed leader of the Philadelphia Phillies, believes his team will take the National League East this season, he has the constitutional right to put his cleats in his mouth.
In fact, Rollins mentioned what he first predicted last month again on Sunday during a players-only meeting at Citizens Bank Park after his team’s workout for its opener today against the Braves.
Said Rollins, nodding in the home clubhouse toward another room, “We got together back there, and the point was that spring training is over. It’s just a matter of us getting our minds right. The work is done. Now it’s putting all of that together and finding a way to win. No matter what it takes. Regardless of who you are. Just find different ways to be special today.”
The Braves are not amused. Said right fielder Jeff Francoeur, speaking for those in the visitors’ clubhouse who wish to stuff the Liberty Bell down Rollins’ throat, “I know his comments motivate the heck out of me. I’ll tell you that. When you start getting guys making predictions like that, it really does get you going, especially after the Mets won it last year, and we won it for 14 seasons before that.”
Consider, too, that the Mets have fossils Tom Glavine and El Duque leading a ghastly collection of starting pitchers. Many of those nice freshmen from last year’s Florida Marlins bunch are likely to become duds as sophomores. The Washington Nationals are the worst team in baseball. That leaves the Phillies, who haven’t won anything in 14 years, and the Braves, who are flashing signs with a rejuvenated bullpen of becoming the Braves again.
This isn’t 1991, when they were a young miracle and oblivious to the word “pressure.” This isn’t 1995, when they clearly had the players to do what they should have done two or three times earlier in the decade, and that is win it all. This isn’t 1996, when they went from defending their world championship to the greatest choke in World Series history. This isn’t 1999, when they won a pennant despite a slew of aches and pains throughout their roster. This isn’t 2005, when 18 rookies somehow gave them a 14th consecutive division title. This isn’t 2006, when their bullpen crashed and burned, along with their record streak for reaching the playoffs.
This is the Braves returning as winners. That’s because they have fewer “ifs” throughout their overall pitching staff than anybody else in the NL East, and because Bobby Cox is baseball’s best manager, and because everybody in the division is still chasing them.
Mentally, if nothing else.
Even Rollins said as much indirectly. This was after he praised his Phillies with an everyday lineup that features rising slugger Ryan Howard, impressive second baseman Chase Utley and Rollins. The Phillies also have decent pitching that nevertheless has significant bullpen issues beyond closer Tom Gordon. Not good. Just ask the Braves, whose NL-high 29 blown saves last season made them less than ordinary.
Anyway, back to Rollins and the mighty psych job that the Braves continue to do on division foes. “Before the Mets knocked them off, the Braves found a way to beat you every year, no matter what changes they made, or who they lost, or who went down during the course of a season,” Rollins said. “They know how to win. Whatever it is, they have that ‘thing.’”
Realizing what he just said (especially since he is suggesting the Phillies have that “thing”), Rollins added in a hurry, “Or I should say the Braves had that ‘thing’ for years.” Then Rollins paused before reflecting more on that ‘thing’ for the Braves. “Something like that just doesn’t go away,” he said. “They had a down year, but now that somebody has knocked them off, you have to expect them to be good.”
Makes sense to me.
Permalink | Comments (30) | Post your comment | Categories: Braves / MLB, Terence Moore
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By Sir Stealth
April 1, 2007 8:07 PM | Link to this
I think Braves fans should be feeling real good about this season. If you compare them position by positioon to the more nationally favored teams in NY and Philly, the Braves just seem to matchup better on paper. Coming in under the radar and with a chip on their shoulder doesn’t hurt.
By martin
April 1, 2007 8:30 PM | Link to this
Another great column. I’m really excited about the braves this year. Last offseason was frustrating to me as Chipper renegotiated his contract and then we weren’t able to lock up a premier closer. Now with two premier closers and another (Soriano) whose stuff can only be described as “nasty”, we are set and ready to reclaim our rightful spot as NL East Division Champs, NL Pennant, and our 1st World Series title in 12 years.
By Sir Stealth
April 1, 2007 8:53 PM | Link to this
Actually, this article is so uncharacteristically positive (except for the choke job snipe) for Terence Moore that it almost seems like an April Fool’s joke.
GO BRAVES
By Deb
April 1, 2007 9:02 PM | Link to this
Mr. Moore, put down the crack pipe.
Last year the Mets did’nt have the pitching & Phillies were suppose to finish just ahead of the last place Marlins.
Good luck with that…
By AdirondackDave
April 1, 2007 9:27 PM | Link to this
Real good kickoff article for the new season, TM. And I agree the Braves more than match up by position with the Phils. As for club leadership, I’d take our Smoltzie, Andruw, Chipper, Edgar, etc. way over Rollins and his buddies. Can hardly wait until tomorrow!
By p
April 1, 2007 10:17 PM | Link to this
i would pick the marlins based on potential. we’ll see.
By rupert
April 1, 2007 10:42 PM | Link to this
great article with great points, this braves team is unique and might just have the perfect blend of youth and veteran savvy to reclaim the braves throne atop the NL east, and the central and west look pretty down, so an NL pennant will probably go to the Eastern winner
By Najeh Davenpoop
April 1, 2007 11:00 PM | Link to this
The 5th paragraph was a hilarious bit of unrealistic homerism, but optimism is always nice. If Hudson can return to his AL form and Francoeur can take the next step as a hitter (two huge “ifs”), this team will have a great chance at taking back the division. I think it’s good for the mentality of this team that the streak ended, the pressure’s off, and they can focus on winning again. Hopefully a new generation of winning Braves led by McCann, Francoeur, Chuck James, etc. can start a new streak.
By Braves Fan
April 1, 2007 11:36 PM | Link to this
Uh, I think the greatest choke in World Series history has to go the winners of the ‘96 Series when they managed to blow a 3 game lead to the Red Sox. I don’t think that’s even a question.
By We Have Mets the Enemy
April 2, 2007 1:01 AM | Link to this
Uhh, Braves Fan, I shouldn’t have to be telling you this, but the Yankees and Red Sox can never play in the World Series. That was the 2004 ALCS you’re citing as biggest choke.
See, in the World Series, the National League champion meets the American League champion. The Yankees and Red Sox are both in the American League. Maybe you’re unfamiliar with the Red Sox because they’re one of the few franchises the Braves haven’t choked away a postseason series to.
By D Ellis
April 2, 2007 8:06 AM | Link to this
MAybe we’re unfamiliar with the Red Sox becasue nonone gives a rats turd about the Lonely Boston Red Sox in Atlanta…..GO BRAVES
By The '69 Braves had more heart
April 2, 2007 8:08 AM | Link to this
Thinking of the 14 year run brings mainly sadness and a little embarrassment. What could have been—-a dynasty or something close to it. Instead constant, ridiculous playoff ineptness. Winning it all in 1995 just rubs it in. You’re right, there should’ve been multiple championships before then, and there should’ve been several more afterward.
By h_charles
April 2, 2007 8:09 AM | Link to this
Fun article. OF course, it really ignores the 800 pound gorilla in the room — the NY Mets. While I admire what the Braves did the offseason and continue to marvel at their ability to plug holes on a shoestring budget, the fact is that the Mets are just better.
Money can cure a lot of ills. Go down that lineup, position for position, and compare it to the Braves. Scary. Sure, the Mets could be beaten. Front of the rotation is old, back of the rotation is a bit suspect. Regardless, this is the same team that blew away the entire National League until they stumbled in the postseason. WWhile the Braves have addressed bullpen issues, their lineup was sacrificed to do it. The unloved but strong hitting LaRoche will be missed during those stretches when the offense sputters. This team is woefully short a leadoff hitter. Chipper isn’t getting any younger. Sure, I’m excited about the season. Reality is though that the Braves could come out on top, but only if the Mets give it away.
By g
April 2, 2007 8:41 AM | Link to this
Iz bees lovin my crack pipe wit my hoes , moores crack hoes.
By Larry
April 2, 2007 9:01 AM | Link to this
Okay, the question is still the same as always:
Should the Braves pitching talent once again get them to the postseason, what will the worst postseason manager in the history of baseball do differently this time? Bobby Cox is the worst strategic, in-game decision maker in baseball, especially in deciding games or series, thus his 1-15 record (1-13 with the Braves & 0-2 record with the Blue jays) in the last games or series of the playoffs. That’s right Bobby has been out managed 15 out of 16 times he has been given the opportunity by talented players to reach the postseason.
Bobby Cox is only as good as his pitching, and when the other team’s pitching is just as good—common deep into the playoffs—he has never demonstrated the ability to make a difference with the outcome. So, with improved pitching that could land us back in the playoffs, does anyone out there in la-la land really believes that Bobby Cox could lead his team to the championship?
Oh, and that one final victory that gave Cox his only championship in 16 tries? It took a lifetime performance, one hitter by Tom Glavine over the Cleveland Indians in 1996 to make this happen. What role did old Bobby play in a one hit pitching performance? Seems kind ironic, doesn’t it, that it took a one hitter in a deciding World Series game to overcome the worst big game manager in the history of postseason baseball and give Bobby his sole championship while being loaded with talent for about 15 years.
More than any other manager, he’s only as good as his pitching.
By Fan of Larry
April 2, 2007 9:27 AM | Link to this
I’m with Larry. So what if the Braves are somehow able to make the playoffs? More heartbreak with Coach Cox.
By Cox Fan
April 2, 2007 10:45 AM | Link to this
The 1991 World Series was a classic with Smoltz and Morris dueling it out in the deciding game. The Twins came out on top, but I don’t see how you can say that the Braves lost that game because of Bobby Cox. The same thing with the 1996 series. The Braves should have won it but lost the momemtum when Wohlers choked. That’s Bobby’s fault? … come on! Almost all players who have played for Bobby say he is the best. He gets the most out of his players. Just look at the years he won the division when the consensus was the Braves were not the favorites. Bobby will be in the Hall of Fame when all is said and done. His record speaks for itself.
By Skeezix
April 2, 2007 10:46 AM | Link to this
Go Braves and, as for Rollins comments,….talk is cheap.
By Lawdog
April 2, 2007 11:21 AM | Link to this
Rollins knows that the road to the playoffs once again runs through Atlanta. It’s a long season and things have to fall into place. But you have to like Atlanta’s chances.
By Todd
April 2, 2007 11:31 AM | Link to this
Terance, You may be missing a few things here. Tim Hudson is not the pitcher he was 3 years ago. He has not given anyone reason to believe he can be that guy again. The Braves don’t have Major League players at 3 positions, 1B, 2B, and LF. That’s pretty tough to get over. Along with the money the Mets have, they also have the minor league resources to go out and get more arms at the break. Plus they have a dominant bullpen. The Braves run is over, deal with it gracefully, not with this garbage.
By tim
April 2, 2007 12:08 PM | Link to this
All I got to say is go Braves. I think it is going to be a tight race but I like our chances of winning the division with our much improved bullpen. I predict it will go Braves,Mets,Phillies,Marlins, and Nats. mets getting the wild card. We need Hudson to step up and our 4th and 5th starters to be solid. Pitching wins division titles
By tim
April 2, 2007 12:14 PM | Link to this
Todd Hudson is better than all your starters. you only have 1 pitcher that could play on our club. the mets are headed toward mediocre.(good hitting weak pitching) You can’t just fill in your starting rotation with minor leaugers. If the mets had anybody in the minors that could pitch at the major league level they would be here.
By eric
April 2, 2007 2:20 PM | Link to this
I don’t know much about the AJC, but that had got to be the biggest homer column I’ve ever read in a major publication, it seems as if this article was written because the author didn’t have anything to write about, so he figured he’d just appeal to those die-hard fans and get a cheap pop
By bigdaddy
April 2, 2007 3:49 PM | Link to this
I certainly enjoyed Larry’s post. His writing is of a quality not usually seen in this type of forum.
More important, though, his viewpoint is thoughtful, clear, and accurate. While Bobby Cox is a good long-haul manager, in a big game he seems to lose his cool, making highly questionable player switches and ending games without the resources needed to win. His style doesn’t give the fans much confidence in the Braves’ chances in the postseason.
Don’t think for a minute that I don’t appreciate all that Bobby and John Scheuerholz (sp?) have done for this franchise. I’d take the Cox regular-season record for the last 15 years over the previous 30 in a heartbeat. But the big-game weakness is part of the legacy, too; and that’s what fans will remember most. The championship totals have not reflected the dominance that, talent-wise, the Braves have enjoyed during this period.
By big bobber
April 2, 2007 4:30 PM | Link to this
Glavine who just turned 41 is a fossil but Smoltz who will be 40 next month is in his prime? It’s good to have hope. That’s why they play the games. Glad there are more than one closer in this bullpen because “Big Bob Wickman” can’t last much longer and Braves are going to need them against all those Mets bats. Saw you in the rearview last year, see you there again in September.
By Jimmy
April 2, 2007 4:31 PM | Link to this
You must be kidding. It’s nice to have more hope this season since you’ve bolstered the bullpen, but you took away offense. The Mets are the team to beat in the east period. They are the reigning east champs and most experts will agree they are the one’s to beat in baseball.
It’s ok to be positive, but this article is ridiculous. No one is chasing the Braves except the Nationals and the Braves and Phillies are the one’s chasing the Mets. Either way, good luck with the season!
By Timothy
April 2, 2007 4:46 PM | Link to this
Yet another blow to journalistic integrity. Mr Moore obviously has done no actual research regarding what he is talking about and is just spouting off what the average braves fan wants to hear. The Mets’ so called “fossils leading a ghastly rotation” match up pretty well with the rotation that the Braves are trotting out there. Smoltz turns 40 next month and El Duque was a more effective pitcher after he came over to the Mets than ol’ “Todd” Hudson was last year. Check out that 4.86 era! Not exactly intimidating. As for the back end of the rotation, i’ll take Maine, Perez, and Pelfrey over a 5.50+ era guy last year that they found on the scrap heap (Redman) and a career 5.50+ era guy (Cormier). And we’ll see if James can do what he did last year or if he hits the dreaded sophomore slump that Mr. Moore alluded to with the Marlins starting pitching. The Mets’ and Braves’ bullpens are finally almost equal although Wagner gives the Mets the edge and as far as hitting goes, all I can say is good luck with Scott Thorman and Kelly Johnson. I’m sure they match up very well with Carlos Delgado and Jose Reyes. I guess we’ll see.
By Douglas
April 2, 2007 6:06 PM | Link to this
Timothy, Your positions were well thought out until you stated: “The Mets’ and Braves’ bullpens are finally almost equal although Wagner gives the Mets the edge …”. You must not have heard that the Braves resigned Wickman while adding Soriano and Gonzales. The Braves have hands down the best bullpen in the league. Wagner is still good, although he is starting to blow more saves than he used to, and you need someone to get you to the closer. The Braves have Paronto, Soriano(9.75 K’s per 9) and Gonzales(24 svs, 10.67 K’s per 9) to set up Wickman. As far as Wagner giving the Mets the edge, it looks like Wagner is by far the best the Mets’ bullpen has with none of the rest equal to Soriano and Gonzales.
By Ruben Silva
April 2, 2007 7:03 PM | Link to this
METS FANS DID YOU WATCH THE BRAVES GAME TODAY?? SEE GONZALES GIVE UP A WALK A DOUBLE WITH NOBODY OUT? THEN HE STRUCK OUT 2 AND RECORDED A GROUNDBALL OUT? I HOPE SO CAUSE THATS WHATS IN STORE FOR THE METS…….SO GOOD LUCK OH BY THE WAY WHEN THE METS WIN 15 DIVISION TITLES IN A ROW THEN THE BRAVES WILL BE CHASING THE METS BUT UNTIL THEN THE DIVISION WILL CHASE THE BRAVES CAUSE WE SEEN THE WHOLE DIVISION INCLUDING THE METS IN OUR REARVIEW MIRROR FOR 14 YEARS IN A ROW. METS FANS YOUR HURTING SMELL YA!!!
By Andrew
April 2, 2007 8:09 PM | Link to this
I understand that Braves fans are bitter that they lost a division title and no one is making light of the 14 they won before the Mets dethroned them. But if you think that the Mets are chasing the Braves you are extremely misinformed. The Mets won the division last year, easily. And last I checked we have the best linup in the NL and we have the best bullpen in the NL. I know you improved your bullpen but we have a bullpen that is still intact from last year with one of the best setup men in baseball in Aaron Heilman. I am now giving you permission as a mets fan to you Braves fans to get off your high horse and just admit that your reign as NL East champs is over. It was a great run but no one is chasing you and the NL East is not yours to lose.