The view from Philly: First-place Braves are nothing special
The "easy out" celebrates a home run -- against Philadelphia. (AJC photo by Jason Getz)
Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer still believes the road to the World Series runs through Philadelphia, and maybe it does. A check of the NL East standings, however, reveals that the regal Phillies are six games behind a team that Mr. Ford doesn’t regard as anything special.
Writes Ford:
The Braves are a nice team, really nice in some ways, but the notion that leapfrogging the Braves would require super-human effort is ridiculous. The Phillies, if they play as they can, have nothing to worry about, either from Atlanta or from their alleged co-rivals, the Mets.
Me, I’m a worrier by nature. Were I six games behind the Bad News Bears with 70 games remaining, I’d be getting antsy. More Ford:
The Braves are nothing like the team that so recently dominated the division. Those Atlanta teams were built on great starting staffs, just enough offense and some decent power production in the launching pads of Fulton County Stadium and Turner Field.
What do the Braves have now? Well, they have a [six]-game lead over the Phillies and they have a great player in second baseman Martin Prado and an ace starter in Tim Hudson. Beyond that, they have as many peaks and valleys as any other team …
Beyond Hudson, Atlanta’s staff includes talented young Jair Jurrjens who is just back from the disabled list and carrying around a 4.75 ERA. Kris Medlen had a good first half of the season, but he has just 15 career starts and how he will hold up is unknown. There is Derek Lowe, who won Sunday to go 10-8, but with another ERA over four runs per game. There is Tommy Hanson , also just above .500 and another ERA over four runs. Perhaps on a given day, with one given game to win, Tim Hudson would be a problem, but there isn’t much separating the starting staff from that of the Phillies.
To be fair, Mr. Ford does credit the Braves as having the better bullpen, though he wonders if, “with one game to save, you’d feel any more comfortable with [Billy] Wagner than with Brad Lidge. By the end of the season, the difference could be minuscule.” (Well, I suppose it could.)
And the Braves’ offense, which has outhit Philly’s .261 to .255 and ranks first in the National League in on-base percentage — the Phillies are 12th — is likewise seen as inconsequential. Writes Mr. Ford:
On offense, the Braves are 12th in the National League in slugging percentage. Among their players with enough at-bats to be eligible for league leadership, only Prado is hitting better than .270. Troy Glaus and Brian McCann, the all-star MVP, have decent power numbers, but they are also easy outs. Chipper Jones, the holdover from the previous era, is battling a hamstring injury and has been inconsistent at the plate.
I am now going to cite a first baseman’s on-base percentage. It is .366. I am now going to cite another first baseman’s on-base percentage. It is .357. The first first baseman is Glaus. The second is Ryan Howard. Easy out, eh?
I could do this back-and-forth all day, but I’ll leave that to you. (Why should I have all the fun?) I will close with Mr. Ford’s closing argument, such as it is:
If the Phils don’t go for it this year, hopefully it won’t be because they think Braves are a magical, uncatchable team. The Braves are fine, but they aren’t as good as the real Phillies, should the real Phillies choose to show themselves this season.
The only NL East team truly capable of keeping the Phils out of the postseason isn’t found in an opposing dugout but in the mirrors of their own clubhouse.
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360 comments Add your comment
Skeezix
July 20th, 2010
3:21 pm
I still can’t believe the Venters/Cox suspensions. Is Bob watson related to Princess Fielder or friend to his Dad? What is going on here? — especially after they hit Heyward (maybe wasn’t intentional) but then definitely intentionally hit Glaus. What gives Mark?
benchwarmer
July 20th, 2010
3:21 pm
It was my misfortune to live in Philly for a couple of years. That is to put it nicely, a different kind of place with a different kind of people. They suffer from a city wide self esteem problem which makes them rather rude a blustery to compensate. To do anything other than ignore their blather is wrong!
bigstack19
July 20th, 2010
3:27 pm
That is why they play the games. If it were solely based on talent the Phillies could have been handed the N.L. Pennant in April as they are the most talented team in the National League. You have to play the games and last I looked Philly has lost 5 of 6 to these Braves.
Mark Bradley's Fan Club
July 20th, 2010
3:27 pm
Hey Mark– Why can’t you be this optimistic when discussing the Braves’ chances when they’re 3rd in the standings?
Hammer This
July 20th, 2010
3:28 pm
This guy is an idiot. Turner Field is not a launching pad. What about that Cracker Jack Box in Philly? I’ve seen pop-ups go out of there!
Hammer This
July 20th, 2010
3:29 pm
That homerun that Pujols hit off of Lidge in the NLCS just flew by my window! C’mon, Lidge over Wagner.
Ron Jirsa
July 20th, 2010
3:30 pm
Turner Field a launching pad? Other then that he makes good points.
KimZ'sPackage
July 20th, 2010
3:31 pm
It is great to write for and back the home team, but Ford is taking the Brave a lil lightly I believe.
TennesseePaul
July 20th, 2010
3:32 pm
McCann Since June 5th: .301/.381/.520/.902
Not an easy out.
jacketbrave
July 20th, 2010
3:33 pm
PRICELESS the look on their face when they r losing!
Gen Neyland
July 20th, 2010
3:33 pm
From the city that boos Santa Claus, has an o.k. sandwich named after them and a misnomer in the slogan, The City of Brotherly Love (or maybe not), I’m a thinking the statement made by Bob Ford is mostly represented by the soft white cream cheese named after his town in which one spreads on bagels. A grain of salt, my friends, a tiny grain of salt…
PTC DAWG
July 20th, 2010
3:34 pm
Phils suck, always have. Always will.
BuckheadBrave
July 20th, 2010
3:34 pm
Philadelphia has never been mistaken for a cordial or graceful anything, does it surprise this is how they will go down? Kicking and screaming like a little 2 year old girl. It is a misinformed article, from a whiny little sports writer in a disgusting cesspool of a city.
BravesLover
July 20th, 2010
3:36 pm
We have two pitchers we can count on week in and week out. Hanson is lost on the mound and is a number 4 starter at best. Face it, Glaus is an easy out unless he’s “riding the streak” which will hopefully happen at playoff time but no guarantees with that. McCann is a double play machine unfortunately and Chipper continues the slide to oblivion. But even with all this…the Braves have IT this year. I’m loving their scrappiness and demonstrative enthusiasm. I’m glad the poker-faced, no emotion days of Chipper and Glavine are gone. It’s been worth the $160 mlb cost this year to watch them. Keep on rolling Bravos.
jbird
July 20th, 2010
3:36 pm
whensidslid92
July 20th, 2010
3:08 pm
see….don’t you feel better? my lord, Kumbayah…
kerryb
July 20th, 2010
3:37 pm
I read the article. Total Philly homer trying to make his readers feel good about their team that is spiraling downhill. I think they will finish about where they are at. Only one quality pitcher who is starting to look a little shaky, no bullpen, average outfield, and a second or third tier catcher. I don’t think we have anything to worry about. I know the northeast media like ESPN will try to build them up but they are toast. They could get a starting pitcher but most out there to trade are #3 starters at best.
Brave4life-1995 all over again
July 20th, 2010
3:39 pm
They are just mad, let em’ be jealous
MaxxBrave
July 20th, 2010
3:39 pm
What this Philly clown doesn’t mention in hit article is that the Braves have a ton of utility players that step up and play well in the clutch, including Brooks Conrad, Eric Hinske, ALL_STAR Omar Infante, Alex Gonzales, the MLB leader in Shortstop Homers, rookie phenom Jason Heward, and once McLouth gets healthy again we will be at full strength. He doesn’t mention that the Braves lead the majors in walk-off wins, or that we absolutely dominate the Phillies when Halladay isn’t on the mound. So, obviously this pompous Philadelphia sportswriter can’t handle the fact that his Phillies aren’t going anywhere this year, are a mediocre squad, and that Jason Werth is banging Jennifer Utley
PTC DAWG
July 20th, 2010
3:39 pm
Phils are rolling downhill like a snowball headed for hell!!
NickGranite
July 20th, 2010
3:39 pm
Tell Mr Ford we just sent a 1-9 pitcher to the bullpen who has an ERA lower than 3 of his starters. Everytime I might get a little nervous about the Phils, up pops their 3, 4, 5 pitchers in the rotation. The comment about Jurrjens carrying around the 4.75 was the usual journalistic lie by omission. He’s shaved off a run since coming back from the DL and is looking pretty good over the last 3 starts.
evan
July 20th, 2010
3:39 pm
I hate philly.
The fans, the teams, the players, the city.
FOD
It's a shame what he did to that dog
July 20th, 2010
3:40 pm
The Phillies “ace” starter is 10-8.
Philly fans like to puke on each other.
It's a shame what he did to that dog
July 20th, 2010
3:41 pm
Philly can’t do much now because they forked over a ton of money to keep Ryan Howard from leaving. Must suck to be them.
Corky Miller's Beer Gut
July 20th, 2010
3:41 pm
bford@phillynews.com
after you send an email please link a page that will link him to a site that has gear a clown would wear
Gwinnett Fred
July 20th, 2010
3:42 pm
Funny, no mention of head to head?
The Braves have beaten the Phillies 7 of 12 head up and in games where Halladay wasn’t the Phillie starter??? The Braves have won 7 of 9 (talk about your thin staff past your ace).
I will give Philadelphia credit though, they do lead Atlanta 1-0 in number of tasered fans on the field and drunks intentionally puking on other fans!
bob
July 20th, 2010
3:42 pm
Obvious homer article.
Since Pat Gillick left as Phillies GM in 2008 [After building yet another WS Championship team], the Phillies have been slowly making poor personnel moves. Ex: Choosing to bring in Holliday, instead of keeping Lee. Though they have a solid nucleus, the peripheral pieces are not blending as well. Plus the needed backups are not contributing when injuries occur.
Look at all the Braves that Charlie Manual picked for his All Star team, including taking heat for picking a backup like Infante. I believe he was speaking to his organization with these moves.
Melky way
July 20th, 2010
3:42 pm
ga dawgs I really enjoyed your post ragging the Ford guy you nailed it I laughed so loud I caused a panick in the office.My coworkers thought I was crazy.Ther is no way that guy believes what he wrote.
BravesFan
July 20th, 2010
3:43 pm
The REAL Phillies? What’s that exactly? I guess you could say when the REAL Braves show up they post 7-3, 9-3 games against Philly and win the Division 11 years in a row as opposed to say 3.
HC
July 20th, 2010
3:43 pm
Wow, someone is bitter about not being in 1st. We’ll see what happens.
Keebo
July 20th, 2010
3:44 pm
He’s just mad because he lives in Philly!!Braves win it all this year!
BravesFan
July 20th, 2010
3:45 pm
Misery will return to Philly, the Flyers lose the Stanley Cup Finals, the Phillies might miss the playoffs and the Eagles, well they have Vick. Ha!
ICEMANcometh10
July 20th, 2010
3:46 pm
Hey Scobberknob Bob the Philadelphian Slob………………..
Check out the scoreboard after the Cards sweep the lowly frantic Phils. They screwed their chemistry (which actually wins more games than talent in team sports) when they acquired Halladay or when they traded away Cliff Lee. Either way it is the same thing so keep looking up at the Braves and don’t forget Mets will also be in front of you. Goooooooooooooood day
GT
July 20th, 2010
3:47 pm
I notice in the lead in on ESPN the teams advertised are all big market teams and the Braves are left out. They show the Phillies, Yanks, Red Soxs … In a poll the Braves were America’s third most popular team and the most popular in the National League. The 90s and some of the 2000s was Atlanta beating the Phils along with the rest of the NL. We have earned a certain respect we are not getting, but so has Georgia, and you won’t find any help from me on that either.
Corky Miller's Beer Gut
July 20th, 2010
3:47 pm
ICEMANcometh10
dont forget the marlins are even gaining ground on the phillies
come on
July 20th, 2010
3:48 pm
bob is just dumb. Halladay, their best starter, has the the same record as Lowe.
Manny
July 20th, 2010
3:50 pm
I agree with DawginNYC. This is simply what happens when you’re the team to beat. This is the worst kind of white-hot hatred… that degrading madness to rile up some kind of pride in a failing team. It keeps your head up when you see yourself sliding in your position. I love it!!!
And it makes absolutely no sense because you first have to beat the Mets before you start talking about the Braves, LOL!
This piece in Philly.com made my entire season up until now! The Braves got them shook! They are actually fear in this piece! WOW! The Braves have them SCARED!
Oh, and did you not read about how he called Bobby Cox some grizzly old manager? Like Bobby Cox is some angry soul? You know… the same Bobby Cox that you can hear rooting and clapping for every Braves batter like he’s their dad? The same Bobby Cox that players loves to play for- a players’ coach that hold the record for getting tossed out for arguing on behalf of his players?
See? Crazy, man! Crazy! This article makes me want to go to the park and watch the Braves tonight!
boots
July 20th, 2010
3:50 pm
What a schmoe. Our manager is better, our bench is better, our pen is better, and our OB% is better as a team. Like everyone else from the northeast, it is all about them for this writer. Sure, 100 years ago, the northeast was the center of the country, but those days are gone. Philly is a hell-hole. When is the last time you heard someone say, “Cool, I get to go to Philly”? Anyway, the Braves just need to worry about the Braves, and the rest will take care of itself. Meanwhile, the Philllies had better worry about Atlanta and New York and actually start hitting & pitching better than a third-place team.
braves are better than the phillies
July 20th, 2010
3:51 pm
I would like to know what moron pays this guy to pay to write articles because they should be hung by there toes and beaten wth a sock full of pennies, 6 games back and doesn’t seem to be getting any better but they are better than us? i just can’t imagine where this moron gets his information, just because they suck and have no hopes of getting any better unless there number 1 starter the 70 year old moyer heats up(hahahahahahaha) the are screwed
BS
July 20th, 2010
3:52 pm
Everyone seems to forget the Phillies got much worse after they got caught cheating earlier in the season stealing signs from the outfield. I guess if those “real Phillies” return they may have a better shot
Shaun
July 20th, 2010
3:55 pm
Apparently there are still some folks living on a flat earth. They still don’t realize that on-base percentage is the same as out-avoidance percentage.
McCann leads all major league catchers in on-base percentage, i.e., he’s the toughest out among catchers who qualify for rate-stat leaderboards.
Glaus ranks fairly low in on-base among firstbasemen but he ranks higher than Ryan Howard.
The Braves as a team lead the league in on-base percentage. They are the toughest team to get an out against.
BUBBA GUMP
July 20th, 2010
3:56 pm
Phillies can talk that way because of their recent success in the past few years…….They KNOW they can win. We will see if the Braves can get it done.
Ron
July 20th, 2010
3:57 pm
All Ford is trying to do is pump up the Fhillies(no P for me) and use the Braves as the poster child. Seems he has created very good bulletin board material for the Braves club house. Well done Mr Ford !
Chopper
July 20th, 2010
3:58 pm
Sure the Phillies look better on paper, but you don’t play the game on paper. If that were the case, the Braves would have had at least two maybe three more world series rings! And if he doesn’t see anything magical about these Braves, he’s not been watching too many games when the Braves aren’t playing the Phillies.
BuckheadBrave
July 20th, 2010
4:01 pm
This writer just made sure the Braves don’t forget about the Phillies between now and September. The only way the Phillies catch the Braves is for the Braves to lose focus, this guy just made sure it was renewed.
Justin
July 20th, 2010
4:02 pm
Nice job, Mark! I read this original article yesterday, and I too found this to be inaccurate.
Mr. Ford also says:
“This season, the Braves began with a 13-18 record and were six games behind the Phillies on May 9. Within the space of 15 days – which says more about the NL East than it does about the Braves – Atlanta went from fifth place to first place as part of a monthlong spurt during which the Braves were 20-5.”
Let’s do simple math. May 9 + 15 days = May 24th. Neither the Braves nor Phillies played on that date, so let’s go ahead and add one more day to this, and talk about May 25th. On that date, the Braves were 23-22 (.511 winning pct), the Phillies 26-18 (.591 winning pct). Now, more simple math tells me that .591 is greater than .511, so now… how exactly were the Braves in first place 15 (or in this case 16) days after May 9th?? Did the Philly Enquirer lay off its editor?
GSU Eagle 91
July 20th, 2010
4:05 pm
At the beginning of the season I thought the Phillies were the best team in the NL. If healthy they can be again. But the Braves have a 6 game lead with consistent pitching, good defense and a somewhat streaky offense. I like our chances!
That being said, when the Phillies get “hot” as a collective unit at the plate, they will be a tough group to deal with. Ryan Howard can truly carry a team with that bat….
Tyler NJ Brave
July 20th, 2010
4:07 pm
NICE!…The Phils need their sports writers to try to get them out of their funk. Using every defense mechanism in the book. Classic Philadelphia. It’s great to see we’re getting in that city’s head. Living 45 minutes away from Philly, I assure you that they are the worst fans (writers, news anchors, normal people) in the business. From fans getting tasered, to fans throwing up on other fans intentionally, they truly are a class act. Being a huge braves fan, it’s nice that we’re just slamming them on the field and watching them whine. Let’s keep it up! Just think, once Hanson and Jurrjens get it going in the right direction, we’re golden (Jurrjens already is).
Here’s the Philly puker story (for those who haven’t seen)
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local-beat/Off-Duty-Officer-Daughters-Assaulted-at-Phillies-Game-90983739.html
boots
July 20th, 2010
4:09 pm
Wow, Mark, you wrote a column where TampaGator, GT alumn, Gen Neyland and gadawg ALL agree with each other. Dang. Peace in our time. Middle-East strife? Muslim extremism? Rising China and militarized Russia? No problem!!! We have seen the hardest enemies come together today (in a hate for Philly, which is twisted, but still…).
JohnSmith
July 20th, 2010
4:12 pm
These ARE the “real” Phillies. Nothing lasts forever. Their players are getting older, their confidence waning. Without their recent acquisition of Doc Halladay, they’d be less than nothing right now.
BuckheadBrave
July 20th, 2010
4:13 pm
The Braves unite all of us across the college football spectrum! Also, we better lay off, all i know is im wearing a poncho next time i’m sitting in front of a Phillies fan, we have all seen what they do when you make them angry…