How ’bout them Braves?
Now let’s just cut to the chase. Being a life-long Tiger fan, I can only hope that “Los Tigres de Detroit” (Old Man and the Sea), and the Atlanta Braves face off in the 2014 World Series. If that happens, I will need some tickets for the games played at Turner Field.
Spring training is always a time of year anxiously looked forward to by all baseball fans. This is the time when we begin to shed the blues from the long hard winter and see the beginnings of new life. Gone are the Arctic Vortices as the crocuses begin to peak their heads up through the snow. And after the winter we have lived through, feeling the warmth of the sun, shining in cobalt blue skies, is a welcome experience.
So what’s the buzz on the Braves? For finishing first in the NL East by ten games, the Braves had a terrible 2013. They ranked 27th out of 30 teams in days lost to injury, with an incredible 1,500 days sacrificed to the DL. Braves pitching accounted for more than half of that total which was far more than the 500 day range in both the 2011 and 2012 campaigns.
If the season began today, the Braves pitching staff would lack the existence of a bonafide Ace in the starting rotation. With the loss of Tim Hudson to the Giants and recent injuries coming to Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy, as well as uncertainty surrounding new acquisition Gavin Floyd, the outlook for the pitching staff is far more precarious than in the past. Medlen isn’t getting any good news of late with preliminary testing coming back revealing ulnar collateral ”ligament involvement” after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2010. And even though 23 year old Julio Teheran pitched a very solid outing in Tuesday’s 9-1 shellacking of the Philly’s, expecting he might climb much higher than last season’s 185 innings pitched, is probably unrealistic. At closer the Braves can continue to count on Craig Kimbrel, who now becomes the best in baseball with the retirement of Mariano Rivera. This just in…Braves reach a deal with Ervin Santana. One year, $14.1 million…Verlander looks strong in first spring start.
Offensively and defensively the Braves have the potential to make some noise this season as they always do. There is a wealth of talent in the dugout, accompanied by some uncertainty. Evan Gattis is more than capable of providing the production on offense and defense at catcher, but the loss of catcher Brian McCann to the Yankees is a concern over a long 162. The left side of the infield will remain solid with 3B Chris Johnson (.321 BA, 12 HR, 514 AB) and SS Andrelton Simmons (17 HR, 606 AB). The Braves must be able to count on the production of Dan Uggla who wasn’t able to eclipse the .200 mark last season. Jason Heyward could be the difference this season now that he has the protection he needs with Freddie Freeman secured at first base. The Upton brothers could also key the season. Justin needs to show more maturity at the plate, and brother BJ more production overall to avert losing his starting role, or worse.
I have included a video as a reminder of what might have been. I want to see the Braves in the 2014 World Series with the Tigers. Go Braves!! Go Tigers!!
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