Braves Midseason Position Player Report Cards

Well, we are just slightly over the halfway point of the 2012 season and the Atlanta Braves are sporting the 8th best record in baseball after 85 games with a 46-39 record.  There have been some lean years in the 21st century for the Braves, but the past couple of years, with the help of the Braves farm system, have made the Braves slightly inconsistent, but dangerous nonetheless. The term "lean" is relative and totally subjective; because I know there are Cubs fans out there who would love to win more than 75 games, whereas a 75-win season would be seen as a failure in Atlanta. 


Those upstart Nationals in our Nation's capitol are leading the NL East over the 2nd place Braves by 4 games. A lot of baseball is left to be played, and this Braves fan is very curious to see what happens when Nationals "ace"(a 15-7 career record does not constitute ACE in my book)  Stephen Strasberg approaches his "inning limit;" the Nationals front office claims that Strasberg will not pitch more than 170 innings this year. That means that if the pennant race is close in the NL East, and Strasberg hits that inning limit (it will happen in early September) then Davey Johnson will bench their #1 starter...I'll believe that when I see it. That being said, here are the mid-season grades for the Atlanta Braves:


STARTING POSITION PLAYERS:




Catcher ~ Brian McCann GRADE: C-

Knowing that Mac isn't going to be anywhere near Kansas City saddens me.  Brian McCann has been an all-star every year since his rookie year in 2005. except this year; and for good reason.  Mac is having a horrid season by his standards. His batting line (AVG./OBP/SLG) is a paltry .238/.301/.430; all three of these statistics are well below McCann's career averages. The only thing that saved Mac from receiving a D is the fact he has hit 4 homers in his last 4 games, which helped the Braves sweep the hated (and last place) Phillies going into the all-star break.  Hopefully the rest will do McCann well, because the Braves postseason hopes are partly rested on the shoulders of the Braves catcher; without his bat, we will be hard-pressed to make the post-season.

First Base ~ Freddie Freeman GRADE: C+

The runner-up to the Rookie of the Year in 2011 (losing to teammate Craig Kimbrel) is having a ho-hum first half of 2012. His line reads: .264/.318/.451 which are all below his career averages. The first quarter of the season Freeman was on a tear and looked as if he was unstoppable; flash forward two months and he only has 11 homers, but has an adequate 49 RBIs.  Baseball is a game of streaks and superstitions and all it takes are a few balls to start dropping in and Freeman will be back in the groove; look forward to a more productive 2nd half now that Freeman has adjusted to his new goggles instead of his usual contact lenses.

Second Base ~ Dan Uggla GRADE: D

The buffest second baseman in history is mired, yet again, in what seems like a season-long slump.  His batting average is an embarrassing .221 and he has only gone deep a dozen times.  It took a 33 game hit streak to get his .185 average over the Mendoza-line in 2011. Though as I stated for Freddie Freeman, all it takes is a little luck and Uggs can get his average back up to his career average of .256.  Hopefully hitting coach Greg Walker can work some magic with Uggs and get him back to crushing the ball out of the park, as well as raising his slugging percentage up from the current .395 up to his career mark of .475.

A) Shortstop ~ Tyler Pastornicky GRADE: C

"The Rev", as Tyler Pastornicky is known in the Braves clubhouse (Pastor-nicky, Reverend...get it?) played adequately in 45 games this season before losing the starting shortstop job to the slick-fielding Andrelton Simmons. Pastornicky posted a line of .248/.241/.324, had he not been a rookie I probably would have graded him at a D+, but I'm taking into consideration how young he is (22) and how he needs to grow into the role of everyday shortstop.


B) Shortstop ~ Andrelton Simmons GRADE:  A

This young man came into spring training this year and made an instant splash. Tyler Pastornicky during this past offseason was listed and discussed as the heir-apparent to take over everyday shortstop duties; until Braves coaches and manager Fredi Gonzalez got a demonstration of Simmons' glove. This kid has the potential to be a multi-gold glove award winner. As an added bonus, the youngster can hit!  He is currently boasting a line of .296/.336/.452 with 3 dingers and 15 RBIs in 33 games; not too shabby. Bad news on the last day before the all-star break had Simmons break his pinkie finger and land on the 15 day DL. He will be back folks, you can bank on that.

Third Base ~ Chipper Jones GRADE: A+++

The old gray mare still has it. When Chipper is in the lineup the Braves are a completely different team than when he has to rest his 40 year old body or when he has to take a trip to the 15 day DL.  Chipper has been the face of the Braves since my adolescence and I well up when I think of him walking off the field for the last time this fall. This first-ballot hall of famer is boasting a great line of .318/.396/.480 and has added 6 dingers, (including an improbable walk-off homer in the bottom of the 11th over Philly) and will be the lynch-pin for the Braves to play in October. Left Field ~ Martin Prado GRADE: A MVPrado is to the Braves as Michael Young is to the Texas Rangers; he can play almost any position...well. Prado has played LF, 3B, 1B, he's a gamer who the Braves inexplicably tried to trade away this past off-season.  Believe me, I was elated when nobody took Prado. He's not too bad with the stick either; his line is .321/.382/.457, all of which are above his career averages.  The reason the Braves tried to fence him away was due to the fact that his production fell off after being unlucky enough to contract a staph infection in his calf.  In my opinion, Prado was one of the snubs of the all-star team this year, as his numbers are far better than Dan Uggla's, yet Uggla is a NL starter for this year's all-star game. Prado is the unsung hero of this organization and it's high-time the powers that be recognized that fact. Center Field ~ Michael Bourn GRADE: A 2012 All-star reserve Michael Bourn is the spark plug that leads to a lot of runs. He is one of the premier lead-off hitters in the Show and for good reason, he boasts an on-base % of .366 and has 25 steals at the break. Also, he is arguably the fastest man in the major leagues and led the majors in larceny last season with 61 steals (only Jose Costanza can give him a run for his money in the speed dept....excuse the terrible pun). Bourn is batting .311 and gives pitchers the heebie-jeebies when he takes his lead from first base. Hes no slouch in the outfield either; having won a pair of gold gloves while with the Houston Astros. Look for much of the same in the second half of this season and if I were Frank Wren, I'd be making promises and give him what he wants. He is the first true lead-off man we have had since Furcal. Right Field ~ Jason Heyward GRADE: A- To say J-Hey has turned his career around after a disastrous sophomore season would be an understatement of epic proportions.  How good Heyward was his rookie season of 2010, was exactly how bad he was last year. He has made adjustments, shortened up his swing and is showing more patience at the plate which has translated in raising his slugging % of .389 to a blistering .497 this season.  Also, J-Hey is becoming more of a terror on the base paths; he had 9 steals in all of 2011, he already has 11 this season which makes pitchers a little more nervous which could lead to a mistake thrown to a hitter. That previous scenario is a domino effect that makes baseball the special game that it truly is; America's pastime, no matter what the meatheads in the NFL say! BENCH PLAYERS/RESERVES: PH/Third Base ~ Juan Francisco GRADE: D Francisco has had 118 at-bats this season and translated that into a .220 batting average; not good when we need production in the form of a pinch hit or when Chipper needs a breather.  Francisco's on base percentage is almost microscopic at .256, again, NOT GOOD. His 38 to 1 strikeout to walk ration is mind-numbing. This translates to being way too aggressive at the plate and swinging at pitches outside of the strike-zone, plain and simple.  If Francisco doesn't pick it up in the 2nd half of the season, don't look forward to him being a Brave in 2013. Shortstop ~ Jack Wilson GRADE: D Jack Wilson was picked up from the Seattle Mariners at the end of the 2011 season almost exclusively for his defensive abilities; much like when Raphael Belliard backed up Jeff Blauser in the early 1990s.  As good as Wilson is with the leather, he is twice as bad with the bat.  So far this season in 69 at-bats he has produced a putrid batting average of .174 and a dismal slugging percentage of .194.  The former Pittsburgh Pirate starter is now in mentor status to work with the younger guys in the organization on how to field properly; much like when catcher Eddie Perez became the Braves bench coach. 3B/1B/PH ~ Eric Hinske GRADE: D- Hinske started off the season gangbusters. In his first 55 at-bats he was hitting .313 and was the most reliable pinch-hitter on the Braves bench. What a difference 2 months make. Hinske has 99 plate appearances and is dangerously close to falling below the Mendoza-line with a .202 batting average.  This huge man has 1 home run in 99 attempts...ONE HOME RUN.  That is just plain awful and I'm afraid if Hinske doesn't drastically improve his hitting, hitting for power and patience at the plate (only 10 walks this year) then he will be placed on waivers, given his outright release or perhaps someone will take him off our hands.  One category that Hinske is leading is the category of best tattoo (see below):    Left Field/Pinch Hitter ~ Matt Diaz GRADE: D While Matt Diaz is unquestionably a wonderful human being (see the Diaz Foundation) his bat has not been so wonderful this year.  While having exactly 100 plate appearances this year and only 23 hits to show for it, its easy to see he is batting a paltry .230.  The days are over when Bobby Cox had all the faith in the world in Matt Diaz, the sad truth is that since the Braves re-acquired Diaz from the Pirates last year, he is a shell of the scrappy player he was for the Braves for the better part of 5 years.  The one positive thing I can say about Matt Diaz is that he can still hit left-handers fairly successfully, but that is not enough to take away the fact that he is not the same "hit em where they ain't, mainly the opposite field" Diaz and the Braves need to move him before the trade deadline for a bench-bat that can provide the kind of consistency the Braves need in order to make a run into October. Catcher ~ David Ross GRADE: A David Ross is the one bright spot on the Braves bench. Not only does he provide valuable days off to Brian McCann, he has provided some pop at the plate. His line is .276/.345/.434 and his defense has been more than reliable; he has thrown out 38% of attempted steals.  Ross provides invaluable experience on the bench and is helping to groom younger players and is seen as the captain of the bench. OVERALL BRAVES POSITION PLAYER GRADE:  B The Braves are one trade away from going from the 8th best record in baseball to being perennial contenders for the NL East crown.  I fully look forward to a Washington National collapse once those youngsters (talking to you Bryce Harper) feel what its like to play a full schedule in the Show. Once Strasberg's inning limit comes to fruition, and the kid, Bryce Harper feels the fatigue of the dog-days of baseball and the marathon into September, expect the Braves to surge and take back what is rightfully theirs: The National League East pennant.

Why We Call Him "Frediot"

Say the word "Frediot" to any Braves fan and they will know who you speak of and exactly why. Fredi Gonzalez was named the successor to Bobby Cox "unofficially," when the Florida Marlins deemed Hanley Ramirez to be more of an asset to the franchise than Fredi Gonzalez in 2010.  Almost immediately the media, and those inside the Braves franchise, said that Gonzalez was the front-runner to replace a legend. 

Fredi then inherited a team that had been skippered by a living legend, and the most beloved manager in not just Atlanta Braves history, but the whole history of the franchise; dating back to when they were known as the Boston Red Caps in the 1910s, in Bobby Cox.  The Braves managerial choice seemed like a Cinderella fit...up until September of 2011. 

September 2011 saw the 2nd worse collapse in baseball history; bested (or worsted, if that's a word) by only the Boston Red Sox in ineptitude.  Had the Red Sox not collapsed last year, the Braves would have been the perennial whipping-boy of the baseball media; but the baseball Gods are fickle and saw fit to force the Sox into a tailspin of epic proportions.  Last season left this Braves fan in a 6 month depression that was thought to be dormant; until this past week. 

The Braves were supposed to be the favorites for the NL wild card, but I wonder if that is even possible with a Skipper as inept as "Frediot" Gonzalez.  There has already been talk this year of Frediot being on "double-secret probation," and if at any time it seems as though things are slipping away from him that he will be fired and subsequently replaced; "ANY TIME' is NOW. Fredi is a lesson in mismanagement; one only needs to look at his handling of the bullpen in 2011 to get a litmus test on Frediot's managerial acumen. 

The Braves have/had the best bullpen in not only the NL, but the Major Leagues as a whole.  One colossal collapse, and an unreliable 'pen (with the exception of 2011 Rookie of the Year Craig Kimbrel) later, coupled with a plethora of questionable managerial decisions, equals the Braves naming someone, ANYONE "interim manager."  Lets examine just 1 of the examples of "Frediocy:"

On June 13th, the Braves were playing the Evil Empire, err, I mean the Yankees. Things were going well, the Braves were handling the Yanks 4-0 late with Mike Minor throwing a gem of a game.  Flash forward to a pitching change due to a base hit by Derek Jeter. ONE BASE HIT AND HE SWITCHED PITCHERS.  Atlanta was leading 4-0 going into the top of the 8th inning, and Mike Minor was still on the mound after shutting-out New York and pitching his best game of the season. After giving up a hit, Minor was immediately pulled from the game and Jonny Venter’s was brought in in relief. Venters, who has struggled with consistency (a gross understatement) throughout the year, gave up two quick hits to load the bases to bring up A-Rod; who incedently was #2 on the list of career grand slams, behind only Lou Gehrig.  Notice the grammar in the previous sentence, paying close attention to the word "WAS." My dad and I watched this happening in real-time, but it seemed like slow-motion. Here's a recap of our experience:

Me: WHY THE F@#$ IS VENTERS IN THIS GAME???
Dad: Because the Lord obviously hates us, son. Either that or Fredi is the Devil. Either way here comes a grand slam.
Me: Please no...
TV; "WAY BACK, AND ITS A GRAND SLAM FOR A-ROD, WHO IS NOW TIED WITH LOU GEHRIG ON THE ALL-TIME GRAND SLAM LIST..."
Me: (expletive deleted) (expletive deleted) (expletive deleted) (expletive deleted)
Dad: Told you, been around this game too long, son.

After another Venters hit, Cory Gearrin came into the game and immediately gave up a 2-Run shot to Nick Swisher that gave the Yankees a 6-4 lead, which would hold for the final score. Lets recap: Braves up 4-0 in the top of the 8th, 1 hit given up by the starter, Mike Minor; replaced by a terrible Jonny Venters, 2 more hits, bases loaded, A-rod comes up, its now 4-4.  One more hit, then Frediot finally replaces Venters with the equally inept Cory Gearrin, HR Nick Swisher; 6-4 Yanks.  Jonny Venters obviously shoulders a lot of blame for giving up four hits, including a Grand Slam, without ever recording an out. Cory Gearrin deserves blame for giving up the 2-Run homer to Swisher. But they wouldn't even have been in the game had it not been for Frediot replacing a starting pitcher who's only crime was giving up a hit to Derek Jeter (who is chasing Pete Rose's all-time hit record) and Fredi managed, once again, to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. 

Not many managers would still have a job after their club completely collapsed to miss the playoffs in the last month of the season.  The Red Sox, who did the same thing at the same time as Atlanta, not only fired their manager without hesitation, they let go of their "Prodigy" GM Theo Epstein to the Cubs. Let us not forget that Epstein built 2 different World Series Champions and Terry Francona helmed both squads to the title within 7 years and was considered one of the best managers in the game. Fredi Gonzalez was never even on the hot seat for his gross negligence and terrible decision-making, and he’s never led a club to the  playoffs in 5 full seasons of managing (4 with the Marlins).  This leads me to believe that the problem goes way deeper than just Frediot, Frank Wren (Atlanta GM) has some 'splainin to do.

I certainly hope the Braves right this ship and get back to their winning ways, but how big of a cushion can a team give the Washington Nationals (the upstarts who are leading the NL East) before Braves internal management says "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, FREDIOT."

Atlanta Braves 2012 Lineup Preview

I recall sitting, dejected, depressed, tearful and generally upset after game 162 last year. I said what I always have said when the Braves blow it, "God it's gonna be a long winter." And lo and behold, we're already at the cusp of another Braves spring training; be it my human need to forget the pain and suffering the Braves put us fans through last September (going an abysmal 8-18 and thus conceding the wild card birth the the now world champion Cards), but I'm jazzed for this season like I haven't been since our heyday in the 90s. Perhaps its the fact we no longer have that guaranteed L every 5th day in Derek Lowe (the Braves literally paid Cleveland 10 million bucks to just take this idiot and never look back), or perhaps its the high hopes for A+ prospect Tyler Pastornicky getting his shot at shortstop. Lets take a look at our lineup from top to bottom to see why this Braves fan is salivating at the thought of opening day:

1) Michael Bourne: This lineup has the capability to score a ton of runs, and it all starts and stops with speedster Michael Bourne in the leadoff spot. The Braves really aren't known as a running team, but you have to imagine that with Bourn in the fold for a full season, Fredi will turn him loose on the basepaths. If Bourn is able to up his OBP to the .350 range that it was when he was a commodity with the Astros over the past couple of seasons, and his defense rebounds to the stellar level it was at, Bourn will absolutely be a spark plug for the Braves in CF.

2) Martin Prado: Martin Prado was an All-Star in 2010, and many Braves fans thought he was the Atlanta Braves MVP that season. He had a .307 batting average to go along with 15 home runs and 66 RBI’s. He struggled last year with a staph infection as his numbers dropped to .260/13/57 and played in 11 less games. If Prado can turn it around in 2012, he can do a lot of damage at the top of the order.

3) Chipper Jones: The Ol' Grey Mare still keeps on going, and at almost 40 years of age, this could be (and should be) Chipper's last hurrah. Chipper Jones has battled constant nagging injuries over the last three or four years, but he is still one of the best hitters in the Atlanta Braves lineup when healthy, as well as arguably the best player of the steroid era to not be tainted with the stigma of being a "juicer." Jones started slow and dealt with some injuries last season, as per usual, but still managed to hit .275, which is below average for him, but good nonetheless. Chipper got his power stroke going around mid-season and finished the year with 18 home runs and 70 RBI’s. It is incredibly important for Chip to be in the lineup, he brings invaluable leadership and necessary protection for Uggla in the cleanup spot.

4) Dan Uggla: 2011 was the tale of 2 seasons for Dan Uggla. Before the all-star break, moreover, prior to his 33 game hit-streak, Uggla was well below the Mendoza line (.200). On the flipside he went on the warpath (pun intended) and was arguably the MVP of the League in the 2nd half of the season. His 33 game hitting streak set the Atlanta Braves record for longest hitting streak. Uggla finished the year with a .233 Batting Avg., A career high 36 HR’s & 82 RBI’s, and the Braves have high expectations for the buffest 2b to ever play the game!

5) Brian McCann: McCann matched his career high for home runs in 2011 with 24, as well as missing considerable time on the DL. His RBI production dipped to a career low (71), but that can be attributed to the anemic bats in front of him in the lineup; before the Braves acquired Michael Bourne, they didn't have a true leadoff hitter. I fully expect Mac to be healthy and to earn his 7th consecutive all-star appearance.

6) Freddie Freeman: In my opinion, Freeman was the Rookie of the Year for the NL, because I don't feel this award should go to anyone but a position player. Be that as it may, the Braves had the winner of the ROY in Craig Kimbrel, so no harm no foul in the Braves fan's eyes. He hit .282 with 21 home runs and 76 RBI’s in a very impressive rookie campaign. Freeman will probably bat in the 6 spot behind Chipper Jones, Brian McCann, and Dan Uggla, and in front of Jason Heyward, so he should have plenty of protection and run producing opportunities.

7) Jason Heyward: This kid needs to step up and be the player he was his rookie year in 2010. He looked like he was going to be the next Chipper Jones after a rookie campaign where he hit .277 with 18 Homers and 72 RBI’s, most baseball analysts thought that Heyward would continue to rise. This was not the case; Unfortunately Heyward suffered through a big sophomore slump in 2011 as his average fail 50 points to .227. His power numbers were down too, especially his RBI’s. He hit 14 homers with only 42 RBI’s. His walks also fail dramatically; he walked 91 times in 2010 and only 51 times in 2011. So far in camp, he has displayed a different swing and is, according to Chipper, "tearing the cover off the ball." The Braves have big expectations for this kid, and he cannot afford another season like last year.

8) Tyler Pastornicky: This kid has been the talk of the town in Atlanta since he was called up for the final game last year (he did not play.) There was talk after last season's horrific collapse to buy a journeyman SS for 1 season to give Pastornicky some more grooming time. That plan was scrapped and the 22 year old kid will have his chance as the everyday starter at SS. Pastornisky started 2011 in AA Mississippi where he hit for a .299 batting average with 6 home runs and 36 RBI’s in 90 games. During him time at AA, Pastornisky stole 20 bases out of 28 attempts. Pastornisky got called up to AAA Gwinett for 27 games and hit .365 with a home run and 9 RBI’s; he was 7/10 in stolen base attempts. This kid reminds me a lot of Chipper, and good things are expected out of him for 2012.

As a whole, the Braves don't expect to break the Phillies stranglehold on the NL East, but they expect to be more than competitive; its hard to dethrone a team that has over DOUBLE the Braves payroll, but not every team has the near limitless purse-strings the Phillies, Yankees or Red Sox have. I will examine the Braves phenomenal (young) pitching staff in the days to come, so until next time, keep those tomahawks chopping!