Live from the ballyard: The stars keep aligning for the Braves
Six days ago the Braves learned they’d lost their cornerstone for the duration. The trade deadline was already gone, meaning any Braves’ trade target would have to clear waivers. And, these being the Braves, any trade target would need to come cheap.
On Wednesday the Braves traded for Derrek Lee, who’d cleared waivers before Chipper Jones had gotten hurt and therefore couldn’t be blocked by, say, the Phillies. They traded for a first baseman with a great glove who hits in the middle of the lineup and who just happens to be a free agent at season’s end, meaning the Braves are only on the hook for a pittance of his salary before Lee leaves to make room for Freddie Freeman.
All of which leads us to say: This is the Braves’ year.
Said Frank Wren, the general manager: “There have been a lot of things that have happened that have gone well for us. I can’t deny that.”
Chipper Jones gets hurt in mid-August, and that’s one of the worst breaks a team could have. But this particular team had an All-Star second baseman (Martin Prado) about to come off the disabled list and an All-Star utility man (Omar Infante) capable of holding down second while Prado moved to third. And now it gets a true first baseman and a real power hitter for three marginal prospects, and just like that a tattered infield becomes a shiny new creation.
Said Chipper, ambling freely about the clubhouse four days after surgery: “You’ve got to applaud Frank for being pro-active. This was the only A-plus move you could make, and the players really, really appreciate it.”
Smiling, Chipper also offered this: “It kind of makes me upset that it took me getting hurt for this to happen. D-Lee is a guy I’d love to have in the lineup with me.”
Five years ago D-Lee hit 46 homers and flirted with a Triple Crown. He’s no longer that guy, but he’s a clear upgrade on poor creaking Troy Glaus, who’d given this team all he had and now goes on the disabled list and then to Gwinnett to see if he can re-learn third base. (Said Wren, referring to Glaus’ bravura May: “We’re not here in position to make a trade like this if not for Troy Glaus.”)
A clubhouse that has seen 20 victories in the final at-bat has been handed another tangible reason to believe. The deal made at the deadline for Kyle Farnsworth and Rick Ankiel was one of those a GM makes just to show his team he’s trying. The deal for D-Lee is one that could make the difference between a September fizzle and a banner October. If Wren wasn’t already the executive of the year, he is now.
“We’re all competitors, whether we’re in uniform or in the office,” Wren said. “When you’ve got a group of guys who’ve put in the effort these have, you want to do everything you can possibly do … We want to win this thing.”
They just might. The timing of this deal’s development was uncanny. Wren called Jim Hendry, his Cubs’ counterpart, on Sunday to inquire about Lee, who went out and hit two home runs. (Then he tweaked his back and left the game.) Lee, who’d vetoed a trade to Anaheim in July, agreed to this one. And there was nothing the Phillies or anyone else could do to stop it.
Chipper: “If a third baseman comes up on waivers after I get hurt, he’d have been blocked.”
Wren: “That’s why I was vague with you [reporters] last week about what we were looking for. I didn’t want to tip our hand.”
Skill was involved in this maneuver, and so was serendipity. When those two concepts collide … well, that’s what we in the astronomy business call a harmonic convergence.
Said Wren: “Four or five days ago I didn’t know if we could get to this point. You don’t find many 3-4-5 hitters.”
But Wren did. He found one who plays the absolute right position with the absolute perfect contract. When it’s your year, it’s your year. And this year is the Braves’.
And with that, we’ll open the floor — a bit belatedly, but things have been hopping at the ballyard — for your comments, questions and reactions to the D-Lee deal. I thank you in retrospect for your patience, and I thank you in advance for your participation.
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458 comments Add your comment
Sonny Clusters
August 18th, 2010
10:00 pm
Dairy Queen treats for everybody! On Mark!
joel
August 18th, 2010
10:00 pm
love hearing the O.A.R. song when they win like they did tonight – they are awesome – love this team
Bill
August 18th, 2010
10:00 pm
Thanks Mark for a great night..Win! Lee!..1st!… thats great!
Joe
August 18th, 2010
10:01 pm
It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling thinking about a healthy Glaus and Lee in the middle of the Braves lineup. That would certainly match-up with any other in the NL…
Arif
August 18th, 2010
10:02 pm
Not 21 walk off wins, but 21 last at-bat wins.
Don
August 18th, 2010
10:02 pm
Yay you beat a last place team with a 42% winning percentage!!
Why don’t you look how you are barely squeaking by against these crap teams and the PHILLIES are beating GOOD teams by 5-6 runs.
You have a 4 game series against the cardinals looming. Remember the sweep a while ago!
And of course 6 games with the Phillies to end the season. But you’ll be 8 out by then.
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
August 18th, 2010
10:03 pm
Sonny- whats your pick at the DQ??
Christopher Chance
August 18th, 2010
10:04 pm
Again, I dont see Glaus even being on the playoff roster, UNLESS Lee gets hurt. If Glaus isnt starting, his only use off the bench is as a pinch hitter. Do any of you really want to see Glaus playing defense late in a close game?
Also, if Mike Minor proves himself over the last 7 weeks of the season…..I’m willing to be bold enough to say that Derek Lowe may be left off the playoff roster.
Given the fact that the first round is a best of 5 series………the Braves could go with another arm in the bullpen who can pitch in short relief, giving Bobby Cox more flexibility in the bullpen.
Don
August 18th, 2010
10:04 pm
And while you play on the road, the Phillies have the Nats for 3 at home and then 4 at home against crappy houston. You will be 3 back by the time those games are over.
JEB
August 18th, 2010
10:04 pm
If you are a Phillie fan you have to be saying those #@?!##*% BRAVES!!!
Katherine
August 18th, 2010
10:05 pm
Don….seriously….go away…let us enjoy this and stop being such an incredible jerk.
ASN
August 18th, 2010
10:06 pm
Don: We just took 3 of 4 from the Giants. The Cardinals sweep was during the 9 game losing streak, which the Braves responded to by going on a ridiculous tear and gaining 8 games against the Phillies in the standings.
Do you have any legitimate response, or are you just another lame non-forum fan trying to seek attention?
Katherine
August 18th, 2010
10:07 pm
What a sad little man…..
Heath
August 18th, 2010
10:07 pm
I thought the Phillies would be in 1st by the end of the week? And the end of last week. And the week before that. Too bad the Philthies ERA is 1/2 run higher than ours, y’all might have a chance to win the division.
NCBravesFan
August 18th, 2010
10:08 pm
Good luck with that plan, Don. You’ve been wishcasting your Phillies into first for about a month now. How’s that workin out for ya?
How about those Braves?! Man, they did it again!
ASN
August 18th, 2010
10:08 pm
Don: You make two points: (1) beating the Giants is apparently an impressive thing, and (2) the Cardinals swept us, implying the Braves will get swept again.
First, we just took 3 of 4 from the Giants. Second, we were swept by the Cards during the 9 game losing streak. Remember what happened after that 9 game losing streak?
Do you have any legitimate response, or are you just another Phillie fan seeking attention?
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
August 18th, 2010
10:08 pm
Don- we have STL at home and in case you haven’t noticed, Braves have the best home record.
Heath
August 18th, 2010
10:09 pm
Pitching wins divisions. The Braves have it. The Philthies better enjoy the view from 2nd.
Chop Chop
August 18th, 2010
10:10 pm
I think the Phillies are happy to be leading the wild-card right now. They may want to win the division, but it’s more important to make the postseason. The same holds true for the Braves. The key is to get there. After that, it’s all about getting it done. There will be no excuses.
Archangel
August 18th, 2010
10:10 pm
I’m not leaving until I get credit fror predicting the braves victory in the 9th.:(
mikeDW
August 18th, 2010
10:10 pm
It’s all right Don; we don’t mind beating the good teams by 1 or 2 runs, either. A win is a win.
Donna Go Home
August 18th, 2010
10:11 pm
Katherine, don’t sweat it. Don is only upset because the Philops are playing a beaten team San Fran. Who cares who you play… as we win at least 1 more game than the Phillies from now until the end. Then Don can cry i wish we would have won the Wild Card.
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
August 18th, 2010
10:11 pm
kudos archangel- now predict how the rest of the season/postseason shakes out and we’ll take you out for drinks
Christopher Chance
August 18th, 2010
10:14 pm
Sure, Rick Ankiel may not be swinging the bat as well as one would like. However, I LOVE his arm in center field. Dude has a cannon of an arm. It’s a real luxury to have a center fielder who can prevent a runner from taking an extra base……….and who can make them pay if they get greedy and try to take an extra base or try to score from second on a single. Down the stretch and in the playoffs, his arm will help us win a close game or two. Bank on it.
Derek Lee brings even more balance to the lineup. I’m more than ok with Ankiel hitting 8th as long as he plays a good center field.
Heath
August 18th, 2010
10:14 pm
Archangel, you (and I) botrh predicted it. You (and I) know a clutch team when we see one.
BRING IN MANNY 2 SINCE WE HAVE LEE
August 18th, 2010
10:17 pm
THE YANKEES STOCKPILE,SO SHOULD THE BRAVES!
Henry Huggins
August 18th, 2010
10:18 pm
The fix is in.
blazerdawg
August 18th, 2010
10:19 pm
Donita! Go inhale some cheezewhiz sweetie.
BRING IN MANNY 2 SINCE WE HAVE LEE
August 18th, 2010
10:21 pm
CAN YALL SAY HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE THRU OUT THE PLAYOFFS? YEP!
P.S.CAN WE BEAT THE REDS,CARDS,PHILLIES AND THE PADRES? YEP!
BUT I DONT KNOW ABOUT THE YANKEES!
Derrick Lee
August 18th, 2010
10:24 pm
[...] anyway for dealing Derrek Lee. And that's a start. The Cubs have had a lot of small starts laDerrick Lee – It sounds like they didn't get much, at least nothing that will help soon, but the Cubs did get [...]
MitchC
August 18th, 2010
10:33 pm
Another great win tonight, Mr Bradley.
While we are playing wonderfully,. Philly is now healthy. I say, this NL East is going down to the last week or two. These two teams are both too good, I think, for either one of them to pull too far ahead.
As for the “Banner October” you mentioned: It could well happen. I have to view this as a one step at a time thing, though. This team, unfortunately, has too much past disappointing history, to start making plans for a parade down Peachtree just yet.
Hopefully, they will win it all, against the Yankees, preferably. I would just love to see them finally stick it to the $200 million dollar wonders, after they beat us twice in the World Series.
Joe
August 18th, 2010
10:34 pm
Now that Ankiel and Lee are on the same team maybe there will be an extra kick in this lineup with two guys who played against each other with fierce hate, and now it’s time to put that grit into the face of the opponents and win more games.
Bury the Phillies please!!!!
todd grantham
August 18th, 2010
10:35 pm
Yes, i stand corrected on the starland vocal band doing “afternoon delight”. at the time, the group didnt matter.
otisnixonsmokescrack
August 18th, 2010
10:35 pm
nice win braves fans. lot a games left. but as it stands at the moment… braves draw reds/cards in the nlds and my phils would get the sd padres. padres are good no doubt, but they don’t have the fire power like the reds/cards. in these potential matchups the phils have the potential less potent opp. and ps. since we have lee… braves don’t have the guns to beat the Yanks. maybe no one does, but certainly not the braves. slow your role homie. or hope the yanks get bumped off. your braves seem more like a protective shield for the phillies to have home field for the nlcs and the world series. thanks in advance.
Remarkable
August 18th, 2010
10:38 pm
MarkBradleyAJC “If the #Braves win, it will be their 21st final-at-bat victory of the year. If they lose, it won’t be.”
What! Now I know why they pay you the big bucks.
Ashley
August 18th, 2010
10:42 pm
Maybe Heyward heard about what Chipper was saying re: J-Hey at the plate. Something worked!
JASon
August 18th, 2010
10:43 pm
Troy Glaus was so bad that the Braves would rather play a guy that just got an epidural on his back.
Gwinnett Fred
August 18th, 2010
10:46 pm
Biggest thing this week is to win the games we should. By beating the Nats – with Philly & Giants playing each other, when the Braves win, we either add a game to the NL East lead or a game to the Wild Card lead.
That’s the way winning teams get it done – win those you are supposed to and the Braves are finding ways to do just that!
Leanda
August 18th, 2010
10:49 pm
I’m laughing at Don, what a dumbass. The Phillies dont have the team karma or energy to win out over the Braves this year. It’s just this simple. Watch and see for yourself. In Bobby Coxs last year it’s all or nothing with this version of the Braves. You can see that it’s all about him going out on top and he will.
otisnixonsmokescrack
August 18th, 2010
11:17 pm
team karma or energy?? alright i’ll be kind Leanda. The Phils are rolling, but so are the Braves. Braves will not fade down the stretch no matter how much mlb network/espn would like them to. But to say the Phils don’t have the energy to comeback and win the nl east is insane. The Braves had the chance to bury the Phillies a month ago. But they didn’t. So now it’s game on. The Braves, to their credit, have held their ground the past 3weeks. Very impressive. Pitching/clutch hitting/defense/managing will decide the this division. Health and a little luck does play a role. I’d bet a quite a few of you thought the Braves would increase their lead by 2 games to 4.5 with the Braves playing the Nats and the Phils playing the Giants (Oswalt/Blanton vs Zito/Cain). But the Phillis have held serve. And we now get the Nats at home this weekend with Ryan Howard returning from the dl. The Phillies have a lot of life left.
paulie
August 18th, 2010
11:25 pm
Everytime Wagner gets a day off,he’s lights out.Bobby Cox has enough arms in the back end of the bullpen,to make sure Billy can be overpowering in the playoffs.With the way the starters are throwing and a line-up with DLee right smack in the middle of it,this Braves team,with its strong bench,should be something special come October.
Leanda
August 18th, 2010
11:32 pm
Otis well said sir…. lets see where we are at the end. Goodnite.
Christopher Chance
August 18th, 2010
11:57 pm
If Frank Wren were to convince the Dodgers to dump Manny Ramirez in a similar type trade that the Braves made with the Cubs for Derek Lee (the Dodgers are not going to re-sign Manny after this year)………then imagine this line-up for the Braves:
1. Martin Prado
2. Jason Heyward
3. Manny Ramirez
4. Brian McCann
5. Derek Lee
6. Omar Infante
7. Alex Gonzalez
8. Rick Ankiel
Imagine a bench of Diaz, Hinske, Conrad, Ross and Cabrera. Sure, Conrad would be the only utility infielder (well, Hinske can play first if needed). However, we’d have 2 switch hitters (Cabrera and Conrad)……both a righty (Diaz) and a lefty (Hinske) who can hit for power…..three guys with decent speed (Diaz, Conrad and Cabrera) as well as a very good back-up catcher.
It would be a gamble to trade for Manny. However, we’d have a very powerful, well balanced line-up if we had Manny hitting 3rd the rest of the season an in the playoffs.
otisnixonsmokescrack
August 19th, 2010
12:29 am
f*ck manny.
otisnixonsmokescrack
August 19th, 2010
12:34 am
leanda.. i think the braves and phils are headed for an nlcs showdown. if that happens. i will be nervous as hell. 2nd thought on manny.. he still hits for avg but his attitude stinks. still can’t forget him being in the shower while his team blew game 4 in the nlcs(2009). and he cost the redsox another ws in 2008. his current lack of power makes the risk really not worth it. just for fun though, the braves lineup would be sick with Manny in the middle of it.
BL in Alpharetta
August 19th, 2010
1:11 am
A second coming to Crime Dog? Just in case, let’s hope they check the fire extinguishers at Turner Field.
otisnixonsmokescrack
August 19th, 2010
1:23 am
looks like ryan howard won’t be coming this weekend
otisnixonsmokescrack
August 19th, 2010
1:24 am
i meant he’s not coming back from the dl this weekend according to the phillies website
otisnixonsmokescrack
August 19th, 2010
1:29 am
god the dodgers are awful. already enough talking to myself. goodnite
Suenah
August 19th, 2010
10:20 am
GO BRAVES