AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2007 > April > 21 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USImpressed by the Braves so far
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Furman Bisher
Those of us who sit in the judgmental seat, by choice or by duty, are often too swift to condemn, or on the other hand, too swift to commend, I among them. Thus, those men whose profession it is to produce winning teams are often hauled up before an unseen jury and charged with dereliction, or something to that effect.
Throughout the offseason we chewed on the Braves, at times snarling at the thought that the key to anything in baseball is the bullpen, and smouldering at the offensive loss of Adam LaRoche and Marcus Giles on the infield. Forty-three home runs and 150 runs-batted-in are not automatically come by, the combined production of the two. LaRoche, traded to the Pirates for another one of those heralded bullpen arms, relatively unknown (by us), Mike Gonzalez. Giles was surrendered without effort. Granted, Giles was a loud voice in the locker room and not always cheerily accepted by his mates, but the major factor in passing on him was his $6 million salary tag.
So John Schuerholz took the risk. All along there was no doubt in his mind that Kelly Johnson would develop into a major league second baseman. Here was a 25-year-old who had never played second base, who had been sidelined by arm surgery for a season, and had the tender look of a high school senior. He hasn’t lit up the marquee, but he has been just plain solid.
At first base, Schuerholz also gambled: That Scott Thorman, who’d had 128 at-bats in the major leagues, but could also play the outfield, would be a satisfactory replacement for LaRoche at first base. Just in case, he signed Craig Wilson, who bats right-handed and also plays the outfield, as a backup. And a free spirit of good nature but an obvious aversion to tonsorial parlors.
The other piece of the puzzle, now that he was well-stocked in the bullpen, was starting pitchers, Tim Hudson in particular. This was before Mike Hampton went down again, and into surgery for the second reconstruction job on his left arm. Hampton was being counted on like guaranteed stock dividends. Instead, he has become the Braves’ worst investment of the ages. He may or may not ever pitch again.
Schuerholz to the rescue once more. This obscure pitcher in Oklahoma had been in training in his basement, throwing to a brick wall. Mark Redman, not even invited back by the last-place Kansas City Royals, was signed. He hasn’t won yet, but he has pitched well enough, had the offense given him a few runs. Now, you had a starting crew of John Smoltz, Tim Hudson, Chuck James, Kyle Davies and Redman, and the most beautiful theme of this drama is that Hudson is pitching like the Hudson they signed two years ago. With brilliance. (And why couldn’t Bobby Cox have trusted him to finish his masterpiece Friday night, drat it?)
What has made the Braves a most appealing attraction to the natives is the hometown makeup. I doubt there is any team with a collection of glittering home-born stars, picked up off the sandlots or high schools, of the caliber of Brian McCann, Jeff Francoeur, Chuck James and Kyle Davies. There are not many purer hitters in the league than McCann, and Francoeur is beginning to establish himself in every outfield category, power with a cannon arm. Chuck James came out of nowhere, discovered on a travel team in Mableton, who hated pitching because he loved to hit, according to one of his coaches. And who has become the Braves’ latter-day Tom Glavine. He doesn’t throw hard, but he throws it where their bats ain’t.
They are a long way from home now. This is just April. But the time to savor the glory is when they’re flapping their wings. And the time to tell John Schuerholz, that for all those times we questioned him and his moves, his prosperous start brings a blush to our cheeks. With the hope that this isn’t merely a big tease.
Permalink | Comments (17) | Post your comment | Categories: Braves / MLB, Furman Bisher
Comments
By Coach
April 21, 2007 6:53 PM | Link to this
Agreed , Mr.Bisher. This edition of the Braves is very much for real. It is also very flawed. Heavy on pitching from the rotation and bullpen but short on speed and the bench has been less than impressive. The loss of Hampton will be felt every single time Mark Redman steps on to a major league mound in a Braves uniform. Just seventeen games into the season and it’s readily apparent that they will have problems hitting lefty’s(7-1 facing right handers and 4-5 facing left handers)the rest of the season. The defense is steady if unspectacular as a team. Ryan Langerhans has no business being in a major league uniform and now we know why Craig Wilson is a backup type player. When will Thorman get the experience he needs against right handers if Cox continues his stubborn insistence on platooning ? Diaz is a solid .300 contact hitter who just needs the at bats to prove his value. Smoltz and Hudson are carrying the pitching staff and Wickman has been magnificent to the point of being near perfect(0.00 ERA so far) since he came from Cleveland. Concerning Gonzalez , well I may be wrong but he is almost a candidate for Tommy John surgery. The soap opera that is Willy Aybar will probably last all season. All in all , this team has the real potential to be a wild card contender. Anything more than that will take some real work on the part of Bobby Cox and his coaching staff.
By Braves Fan 79
April 21, 2007 7:26 PM | Link to this
Please bring Cormier in to start over Redman! please dont let this disaster continue until July bobby!!
By Coach
April 21, 2007 7:45 PM | Link to this
I just wanted to add some real hard stats. Right handers have gone 1-7 with an ERA of 5.16 against the Braves. Left handers have gone 5-4 with an ERA of 1.68 and they are killing the Braves so far. Not to mention that we have to face three more left handers in the next four games.
By WG
April 21, 2007 8:39 PM | Link to this
Furman - Mark Redman has pitched well enough? In his last game he was fine, but the other two would have required run support beyond the average of even the best lineups. I’m not saying toss him, I’m just saying the ROYALS don’t even want him.
By Najeh Davenpoop
April 21, 2007 9:01 PM | Link to this
The Braves’ record is definitely a pleasant surprise. They certainly have the pitching to keep in the race for the length of the season. But if they want to be serious playoff contenders, they have to get better production from left field and/or first base. If Bobby Cox likes Langerhans’ defense so much, I don’t understand why he can’t try Diaz at first base over Thorman. The Braves could use Diaz’s bat in the lower part of the order.
By serbok
April 21, 2007 10:14 PM | Link to this
If it comes down to Cox managing, the season may as well be over coach! The Diaz at first is a no brainer but stubborn bobby doesnt see it! Langerhans still platooning in left, these are 2 major glaring “managerial” mistakes!
By Braves fan 202
April 21, 2007 11:14 PM | Link to this
Smoltz glavine again baby. Woo!!!
By DAD
April 22, 2007 1:36 AM | Link to this
The Braves are to weak offensively to beat the Mets in the NL East. I have not been impressed with any of the three relivers required in the off season. The Braves will fade as the season progresses, and the Mets,once again, will run away with the NL East.
By D-Cider
April 22, 2007 8:14 AM | Link to this
With Langerhans in the lineup, the bottom 3rd of the lineup is terrible and the team remains new the bottom of the league in BA. Gonzalez appears to be unhappy in his new role and with the other guys in the bullpen, the LaRoche trade may have been unnecessary. It seems to me that was a money deal more than anything else. The braves have no speed, so what else is new, and Franceour still swings at first pitches a foot out of the strike zone. Except for one game, Redman has been horrible. Do the Braves ever consider drafting anyone with some speed and that can hit for average? Or do they just love hackers that can hit 20-30 HRs a year a bat .260?
By Tim
April 22, 2007 10:05 AM | Link to this
I like Langerhans glove in left field, but left field is a position where you should be getting some serious offensive production. I forget the exact stats, but it seems like he strikes out about 50% of the time—unacceptable for anybody. Often, it appears to me that he is “looking for a walk” because he gets called out on strikes a lot. I think last year he struck out something like 90 times in about 300 at bats…That’s horrible foe even a big slugger and he is not that either. I swear he seemed to have a better bat 2 years ago when he first came. Now, he has this crazy swing that is nowhere level. I think he probably needs to go to Richmond and find his swing again. Until that time, Diaz should probably play LF and we’ll find a good defensive player to come in late in the game.
By Gene
April 22, 2007 10:57 AM | Link to this
The Braves are going to be a pleasure to watch this year with these young guys who are not complacent. We know that Chipper is one of the best hitters in baseball, but to reach the playoffs, Chipper needs to realize that hitting is only half of his job.
By Eric from MO
April 22, 2007 12:26 PM | Link to this
Redman really doesnt matter much because as soon as Cormier comes back Redman will be gone. D-Cider how do you figure Gonzalez is unhappy, he has said many times that he has no problem with being a setup man. DAD- why are you not impressed with the 3 relievers? The bullpin has not blown a lead all season. How many other bullpins can say that? Gonzo has not been great but his ERA is still good. Soriano has a bad ERA but he has only given up runs in 2 appearances and both of those appearances were blowouts. When we needed Soriano to be great he has. What more does Wickman need to do? He has yet to give up a run.
By Rabbit
April 22, 2007 1:03 PM | Link to this
Slow down a little on the “Exacution” plans for Redman. Remember that the left hander was a last minute Band-Aid for Hampton. He was two weeks behind when he join the team in Florida. So his first couple of outing can be looked as extended spring training. We should be more impressed with his last outing. Let’s see what this weeks turn produces before we judge. Rabbit-
By dbo
April 22, 2007 5:12 PM | Link to this
All is right in the world. The braves have taken 2 outta 3 from the Mets TWICE and are atop MLB and the NL East. Keep it up boys…
By Rick
April 22, 2007 6:02 PM | Link to this
DAD I guess the Mets will run away with the NL east sorta like they have run away the first two Series of the season right???
By Roswell Ed
April 22, 2007 6:08 PM | Link to this
Y’all chastised me when I typed that the Chop Chick was an idiot for typing the question- do the Braves seem listless when they were 8-5.
I typed that it was April and they were 8-5!
Was I too harsh or is she an idiot?
By KC
April 22, 2007 6:51 PM | Link to this
Furman: I know you don’t respond to posts as DOB does, and probably won’t even read this, but…
“Hampton was being counted on like guaranteed stock dividends. Instead, he has become the Braves’ worst investment of the ages.”
Come on, you know better than that.
The Braves traded virtually nothing to get Hampton. He then cost the team virtually nothing for 3 years, through wich he gave us 2-1/2 seasons of excellent production.
Sure, he will have missed 2 seasons, but we got insurance money to cover a large chunk of that. If the insurance figure is around 60%… then here’s what it comes down to:
The Braves will have paid Mike Hampton 15 million dollars from the beginning of 2003 to the end of this year. Is 15 million worth the kind of production he gave us for 2-1/2 seasons? Hell yes it is. Especially when you consider that nothing the Braves traded away to get him amounted to anything.
15 mill for 2-1/2 excellent seasons of work… not only is that not a bad deal, it’s actually a pretty good one.
As for next season… we’ll just have to wait and see, but so far this has not been a bad deal for Atlanta. Disappointing, yes, but not bad.