The Braves aren’t in this World Series, but they’ll make it soon
It didn't end well for Michael Bourn's team, but there's next year. (AJC photo by Hyosub Shin)
A World Series is set to begin Wednesday without the Atlanta Braves, which has been the case with every World Series this millennium. And I know some among you were so disgusted by the Braves’ collapse that you can’t see this team reaching the Fall Classic for the next thousand years, but that’s just disappointment talking. In truth, the Braves aren’t far away.
Last October, the Braves were one out from taking a 2-1 Division Series lead over San Francisco, which would win the World Series. This fall the Braves were two outs from forcing a play-in game against St. Louis, which just won the National League pennant. I know most of you wouldn’t have given a farthing for the Braves’ chances in such a game, but consider: The Cardinals would have started Kyle Lohse in Game No. 163, and in his two postseason appearances he’s 0-2 with a 7.45 ERA.
That said, the two seasons were different. In 2010, it was a wonder the diminished Braves steadied enough to slip into the playoffs. In 2011, the wonder was that they didn’t steady. The chief reason — well, that and the 8 1/2-game lead — that the Braves’ flop was so stunning was the composition of the club itself. From April through August, this looked every bit a playoff team.
Come February, it will look like one again. Relative to the other NL contenders, the Braves enter the offseason without much to do. The Cardinals have to re-sign Albert Pujols, and the Brewers need to keep Prince Fielder, neither of which might be possible. And the Phillies, who have won five division titles in succession, but who were gone in Round 1 this October, face the impending loss of Raul Ibanez and perhaps Jimmy Rollins and the injury rehab of Ryan Howard, who tore his Achilles on the final play of the final game.
The Braves? They need to secure a shortstop — Alex Gonzalez is a free agent and the prospect Tyler Pastornicky isn’t quite ready — but that’s about it. The bulk of this team’s decisions have to do with projection: Will Chipper Jones be healthy enough to play 100 games? Will Tommy Hanson’s shoulder be OK? Will Martin Prado remember how to hit? Will Jason Heyward remember he’s Jason Heyward?
The Braves didn’t really challenge Philly this season — they finished 13 games back — but that day is coming. Among the Phillies’ everyday eight, only Hunter Pence is under 30, and the touted outfield prospect Domonic Brown hasn’t done much. (If he had, the Phils wouldn’t have needed Pence.) The great rotation likewise has some age on it: Roy Halladay and Roy Oswalt 34; Cliff Lee is 32. The Phillies weren’t built to win in 2015; they were built to win in it all in 2011, and they failed.
The Braves’ failure wasn’t one of composition — on paper, they had enough good players — as of follow-through. Some excellent hitters stopped hitting for bewildering stretches. The team has moved to help correct that by firing Larry Parrish, whose season as hitting coach was a bad idea that turned out worse, and next year we should get at least a partial answer to that great imponderable: Does a hitting coach really matter?
There wouldn’t seem to be a Braves’ buying spree coming this winter. Kenshin Kawakami is finally off the payroll, but Derek Lowe remains — for one year more at $15 million. The Braves might have enough money to re-sign Gonzalez for a short term at a modest price, but they surely can’t afford the big-name shortstops (Rollins or Jose Reyes) who’ll become free agents. Even so, will keeping Gonzalez and hoping for better elsewhere be enough to turn this team, which has won 180 games the past two seasons, into a bigger winner?
Yes, because they have a phalanx of young pitchers who are big-league ready. That’s the greatest currency there is, and Wren was right to hoard it at the trading deadline. But there will come a time when one or two of these pitchers will need to be moved — can’t really have a seven-man rotation — as simple asset management.
The Braves, believe it or not, are very close to a World Series. They’ll need to get beyond the memory of this season’s fold, but that’s why there’s an offseason. They had enough talent to win 89 games in a season when they didn’t hit a lick, and they have enough to offer in trade that they can go buy whatever they lack. If even a few of those hitters return to form, they won’t lack much. Why, they even have a leadoff man now. Can world domination be far behind?
By Mark Bradley
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383 comments Add your comment
urban redneck
October 19th, 2011
9:09 pm
worst. world series. ever.
Abnerish
October 19th, 2011
9:12 pm
The real tricky decisions will be with the pitching staff. Wren really has 9, possibly 10 starting pitchers capable of starting and winning at the major league level. Recovery from injury will be a big question mark. Will Hanson be better (and for how long)? Will Jurrjens get back to 1st half form? What do you do with Beachy/Medlen/Minor/Delgado/Teheran/Vizcaino? And then you have Lowe to deal with. Frankly, I know nobody would trust him as a peanut vendor, but I think you have to give him every opportunity to win a starting job in the spring. In fact, except Huddy and maybe Hanson, I think you use the spring to find the best 5 and go with that. But with all the injuries, I wouldn’t trade any of these arms because you never know whose going to get hurt next. In fact, I will predict that Hanson’s rotator cuff doesn’t make it to the All-Star break next year.
It’s going to be an interesting hot stove league and spring training.
Ray
October 19th, 2011
9:13 pm
all Braves fans should check the Baseball America website for the draft report card chat today. these guys are impartial and knowledgeable. very telling is that one reply was that the Braves 2011 draft was to skip high ceiling guys for low floor guys to save money.-not conducive to long term success. so, the bottom line is again that without a new owner, the team will remain slightly above mediocre. not good news, but realistic.
Lord Help!
October 19th, 2011
9:14 pm
Wetdirt, u can kiss up to dob but he writes for Braves..he is a yes man just like the rest of AJC reporters. When was last time any AJC reporter said anything bad about Braves? He takes up for Fredi and the players..Don’t rock the boat baby..
Sonny Clusters is right on!
Hy Ronatt
October 19th, 2011
9:17 pm
worst. world series. ever. Nope. The best would be Kansas City and Tampa. Too bad they’re in the same League. Maybe after reorganization. That matchup would make the 4 letter and Fox Sports assplode.
Lord Help!
October 19th, 2011
9:21 pm
cards up 2-0 with 2 on in 4th now….
Starting SS for both teams X-Braves…still better than Alex.
Abnerish
October 19th, 2011
9:21 pm
No one can claim to “know” that a team “will” make it to the world series. I think you can make a good guess as to whether a team is a playoff caliber team or not. But making it to the World Series is a complete crapshoot. This year’s playoff is a perfect example of that. Besides the fact that the two best teams in the major leagues lost in the division series, there’s be rain delays and rain outs and injuries that have had a significant effect on the outcome of the games.
If MLB wants the two best teams in baseball to play in the world series, then they need to either get rid of the division series and championship series (which they will never do), or they need to at least make the division series a 7 game series just like the CS and the WS. A 7 game series gives the better, deeper team a better chance to win. It’s still a crapshoot, but it’s less of one. And to think a writer at ESPN is advocating reducing all of the series to 5-games so us ADHD fans will pay attention. What a joke!
TechRon
October 19th, 2011
9:23 pm
Mark, I cannot agree with you. Fredi should be fired now. He mishandled the pitching so badly that anyone in town could have done better. The “hitters” absolutely stink. This team was the most monumental failure. They lost by one lousy game and when I think of all the games that they just plain blew it makes me sick. The famous game in Miami when Chipper lost the ground ball in the lights is just the best known. I think they probably just threw away about 10 others, never mind the ones where they just lost because they did not even try. Worthless bunch, I say.
BravesFanSince80's
October 19th, 2011
9:32 pm
ohhhyeah: see 2011 final stats for Atlanta Braves baseball club, the numbers tell it all man…
Coach
October 19th, 2011
9:33 pm
The Braves are just like UGA.
Irrelevant losers.
BravesFanSince80's
October 19th, 2011
9:34 pm
Hey Sonny, shoot any deer lately?
Coach
October 19th, 2011
9:35 pm
“Worthless bunch, I say.”
Are you talking about the Braves or UGA? Oh, right, both.
oldfart
October 19th, 2011
9:41 pm
Braves fan since Munson did the color. Unfortunately I’ve grown weary of “wait ’til next year”, at least in the Fall. Perhaps in the Spring some hope will resurface.
BravesFanSince80's
October 19th, 2011
9:53 pm
I agree with most of the aggravation towards the FO and other management and with the players who deserve criticism, and yes Sonny, Chipper deserves criticism for his performance at the plate in the last two weeks in particular, but I still don’t understand a lot that is said about the division titles thing. If you wanna rant about the past decade, go ahead, I’ll follow right in step, but to say that the club wasn’t trying pretty damn hard to win a WS from ‘91 through ‘99, you’re being flat out unrealistic and you’re just plain ol’ wrong…
jb
October 19th, 2011
9:58 pm
Mark you and management must think the Braves fans are (as Richt would say)..dumbas@!
To believe what you and Braves are saying “we’d have to be.” You sound like the Pres on getting jobs.
Sonny Clusters
October 19th, 2011
10:08 pm
80’s, once again you fail to grasp the meaning of the written word. The Braves did not win. They pretend that they won something with the silly little signs. In 2010 they slipped into the wild card and promptly were out of the playoffs. They put up a championship sign in the outfield. Baseball was still being played weeks after they were eliminated. Counterfeit. Division titles are nothing if you don’t compete for the pennant. The Braves haven’t and won’t. The Braves didn’t fight for the division this year. They were content with the WC. Only thing is, they couldn’t win a game in the final weeks to clinch the WC. Yes, they are deer hunting right now and that’s okay. Somebody has to thin the herd. We was hoping Frank Wren would thin the herd a little when he gets the chance. We can offer some suggestions. When we was playing ball we was state championship and that was with Stinky Wintes hurt some of the time and Coach with flu-like symptoms every morning.
BravesFanSince80's
October 19th, 2011
10:16 pm
I “grasp” anything and everything you say sir, it’s you who do not understand me. SOME of us have some pretty pleasant memories of those division titles years. It doesn’t all have to be doom and gloom man. The division titles are up there because it’s a point of pride for the ATLANTA BASEBALL CLUB not Sonny Clusters. The Atlanta Baseball Club doesn’t give a tinker’s damn what Sonny Clusters thinks because if they did, they’d bankrupt themselves trying to win him a WS every year, because by this point, it is pretty clear that a HUGE payroll is needed to compete for that year in and year out which is something we no longer have. And don’t give me any crap about how the Yankees and Red Sox and Phillies aren’t playing in the WS this year, they contend for it year in and year out, and the MONEY is how they do it. We’ll have to have ownership with DEEEEEEEP pockets again to please you year in and year out Sonny, so stop chanting your silly chant about little signs and start chanting for a change in ownership so the rest of us can understand where you’re coming from….
charles
October 19th, 2011
10:16 pm
Here are some ideas for Bravos to improve:
1- Have chip play LF and occasional 3rd
2- Trade JJ and Hudson for a bonafide ML hitter at 3rd-we have enough pitching now that Medlin is back
3-Trade for a defensive ss-our young pitchers need stable defense behind them
4-Sign Bourn to an extension-love his speed and defense
(STILL) 2-10 against ranked teams
October 19th, 2011
10:22 pm
Oh Gawd!!!!! Really??? Seriously???
Heyward grounds out to second
October 19th, 2011
10:29 pm
I think we have the right components, we just need to execute and stay healthy. If the playoffs had started in September, we’d be a threat big time I think.
But we just can’t have a let down to the point where the team continues to choke. Sooner or later, you’ve just got to stop giving away opportunities like we did against the Giants in 2010 and what we did all of September.
if we can do that, we’ll be ok. It’s just a matter of executing.
Hy Ronatt
October 19th, 2011
10:57 pm
Here are some ideas for Bravos to improve:
1. Release Chipper.
2. Trade Chipper to the AL
3. Trade Heyward while he still has perceived value.
FTFY.
jb
October 19th, 2011
11:11 pm
Braves have been to 5 World Series since 1958. Winning in 1995 but the Great Reporter from AJC said,” but they will may it soon”……Wanna bet? 5 for 53 years…
jb
October 19th, 2011
11:13 pm
Cards win 3-2..1st game WS
Cards voting Fredi a share of money in WS…
J.P. LePetomane
October 19th, 2011
11:16 pm
Hedley Lamarr, what are you smoking?
Sonny Clusters
October 19th, 2011
11:17 pm
80’s we disagree. Go hunt something.
J.P. LePetomane
October 19th, 2011
11:19 pm
Sonny Clusters, does WC stand for water closet?
Pipe Dreams
October 19th, 2011
11:19 pm
Sorry, Braves management doesn’t have what it takes. In order to win the world series you have to get HOF caliber players. Braves are focused on the bottom line. Will always sacrifice a championship caliber team to save some money.
CHUCK UGA
October 19th, 2011
11:21 pm
Nice to dream, Mark, but don’t see it. Lots of prospects, talent, pitching. Just don’t have the will inside the corporate office to add the necessary pieces to the bench and bullpen to win. Braves severely underachieved and choked away multiple opportunities (especially 1996 World Series) to win. Not much you or anyone can do to convince us otherwise. Ownership doesn’t get it either. We’re not talking Ted Turner here. I’ll just have to remain on the “doubt” sideline.
heartofdarkness
October 19th, 2011
11:27 pm
I hope you are right.
steverino
October 19th, 2011
11:44 pm
I really don’t care right now.
I have not been this disinterested in baseball at this time of the year since the sixties.
The Braves collapse just sucked out of me every iota of passion for the sport.I am glad the Phillies and Yankees lost, but when I was watching some of the game tonight, I was like “Meh.”
I hope it is not permanent, but who knows?
Maybe it’s like when you’re done with a girl that has repeatedly dumped on you.
Right now, I’m just done.
Sad, really.
Professor
October 19th, 2011
11:55 pm
Enter your comments here
MM
October 19th, 2011
11:59 pm
Atlanta will lose, Atlanta is loserville, Atlanta sports fans are conditioned to lose.
BravesFanSince80's
October 20th, 2011
12:01 am
awww Sonny, say it ain’t so…
Professor
October 20th, 2011
12:02 am
The Braves? They need to secure a shortstop — Alex Gonzalez is a free agent and the prospect Tyler Pastornicky isn’t quite ready — but that’s about it. The bulk of this team’s decisions have to do with projection: Will Chipper Jones be healthy enough to play 100 games? Will Tommy Hanson’s shoulder be OK? Will Martin Prado remember how to hit? Will Jason Heyward remember he’s Jason Heyward?
Geez, not much to worry about. Let’s put Diaz in to play a very stiff outfield and not hit in place of an exciting Constanza. Heyward and Lowe will drag us down if allowed to play at their current ability just because they are expensive. Their salary is nothing compared to what they cost us if they can’t recapture the magic.
If the Braves close out a game on a Friday night in early September in St. Louis in which they lead with two out in the bottom of the ninth, the Cardinals aren’t even in it. Doesn’t mean the Braves would be in it, but the Cardinals certainly wouldn’t be.
BravesfaninNashville
October 20th, 2011
12:03 am
Hy Ronatt….. I agree with trading Heyward while he has perceived value. Someone out there will believe the Braves gave up on him too soon like Francouer. He seems to have a hard time staying healthy and I think the Braves could get someone to way overpay for him before right now. He could pan out to be a good player but he seems to be very slow to try something different when he is in prolonged slumps. It was obvious to every Ex major league player who covered Braves games that he was standing way too far off the plate and was diving into pitches but he literally played out the entire season that way. That’s hard to understand. I for one am a fan of really intelligent players like Maddux and Paul Molitor before him. They understand how to get an edge and not give one up all season. Jason set himself up to be pitched to a certain way and it was effective against him all season. A smart player would have adjusted very soon after failing night after night but he just stuck with a losing game plan all year. This is something an Albert Pujols or Barry Bonds would never do. They literally adjust from at bat to at bat.
DeProf
October 20th, 2011
12:30 am
Am glad to see something positve about the Braves. Just now getting over the depressing Regression.
Critical for success, I think, is Hanson and JJ being well. When McCann gets well – get fitter to help a long season. There is no reason for Pro athletes to not be in great shape when they report to camp. If he is fit and well he will be a big part of braves’ success. Question marks for Martin P. and Jason H. Would a Chipper and Prado switch be beneficial for both? Something was wrong for Prado. Usually good in the clutch. Chipper may last longer in the outfield. Need his bat for more than 100 games. He does not need to give any more “bullentin board” material, however. The Phillies were determined to beat the Braves down and out. They did, but then Phillies got their comeuppance. Wondering if the Philly fans are still mocking the tomahawk chop? Seriously, the Phillies weren’t too smart pounding the lifeless braves, when St. Louis was the hottest team going.
Just be more competitive the ENTIRE year, then they should get in the playoffs
Professor
October 20th, 2011
12:34 am
Geez, not much to worry about. Let’s put Diaz in to play a very stiff outfield and not hit in place of an exciting Constanza. Heyward and Lowe will drag us down if allowed to play at their current ability just because they are expensive. Their salary is nothing compared to what they cost us if they can’t recapture the magic.
If the Braves close out a game on a Friday night in early September in St. Louis in which they lead with two out in the bottom of the ninth, the Cardinals aren’t even in it. Doesn’t mean the Braves would be in it, but the Cardinals certainly wouldn’t be.
The Braves? They need to secure a shortstop — Alex Gonzalez is a free agent and the prospect Tyler Pastornicky isn’t quite ready — but that’s about it. The bulk of this team’s decisions have to do with projection: Will Chipper Jones be healthy enough to play 100 games? Will Tommy Hanson’s shoulder be OK? Will Martin Prado remember how to hit? Will Jason Heyward remember he’s Jason Heyward?
iTiSi
October 20th, 2011
12:37 am
Look up the words “eternal optimist” in the dictionary, and you will see a picture of Mark Bradley. Strange, but if you look up the word “delusional” you will find his photo there also.
Professor
October 20th, 2011
12:39 am
Filter catching my comments.
Diaz was a mistake. Heyward was terrible. Mac disappeared. Pitchers were worn out. Will Hanson and JJ always be hurt? Other guys can play SS without always popping up with RISP.
Sorry, Mark! I am not as optimistic.
Indianajacket
October 20th, 2011
12:42 am
Mark,man i just hope your right,ive been following the braves for 35 plus years..ill never give up on them but ive just been beat down and down and second guessed everything the front office has been doing to the point of colapse…now im just gonna sit back and watch all the games I can and root for em..tired of all the heart aches and attacks(rollercoaster from hell) I love the game of baseball and the braves are my team no matter what..GO BRAVES!!!!
Cdpridg
October 20th, 2011
12:49 am
Listen folks..I am a Braves fan…a realistic one. The phils have won the division 5yrs and a row and I don’t see that ending anytime soon. Philly players are getting older…but trust me this team will reload because they have the financial will and power to do so. Don’t listen to Bradley he should know better after that Sept performance…. But then he knows little about football as we have seen the past few days. We have nice young talent…that is wherenit stops..we don’t have the leadership, ownership, financial will or honestly in comparison to Philly the fan support. From day 1 we are shooting for the wild card…..1 games back and that is with us thinking we are pretty good. We are not in the same league. Bradley gets bored and decides to do one of his stupid opinion write ups which is always wrong. To win a world series you need to be the class of your own division….team can’t hit……they have never hit…..not going to happen
Cdpridg
October 20th, 2011
12:51 am
13 games back that is
Indianajacket
October 20th, 2011
12:52 am
Good lord, georgia tech,braves,falcons,hawks…ill always stick with my teams but sometimes i wonder if i deserve a medal for sticking with them or im just plain stupid…I dont even live in Atlanta anymore but i was raised there…lived in five different states…been razzed by all types saying Atlanta sports and fans are terrible,but i still stick up for them and with them because im a sports fan plain and simple. So all the negative types can say what they want, eventually winning will come to atl in many ways,we just gotta stick with them for better or worse.
Jay El
October 20th, 2011
4:33 am
Mark, where are the Braves going to play themselves into the World Series? Fantasyland?
TeheranTime
October 20th, 2011
5:23 am
I don’t see this team in the World Series until they accept the fac that they aren’t the same team or organization that was in the World Series and won one in the 90’s. They have got to improve from ownership down to the field and in the minors.
Paul Johnson
October 20th, 2011
6:31 am
Now this is middling journalism !!!
Tim
October 20th, 2011
7:15 am
I dont even care if we make the postseason next year. I just want to see this team operate without Lowe. I will never forgive them for trotting his washed up ass out there all last year to throw away every 5th game.
Think about it. If one of our rookies or even some kid from triple A starts all Lowe’s games JUST after the all star break and wins JUST 1/4 of them, we make the playoffs. If one of those kids starts ALL of Lowe’s games in 2011, we are seriously contending for the division.
I hate you so much, Lowe.
The DAWG
October 20th, 2011
7:26 am
I think the Phils are trying to break the Braves record of 13 Division Titles but ONLY ONE World Series Win
8dogman
October 20th, 2011
7:42 am
Some braves are in the world series thanks to a bum trade with Texas but I don’t think this bunch is even close. Bourn will be gone after 2012, still no shortstop (Andrus & Furcal are in world series) and a lot of pitching questions. Need some power hitters, 1-2 good outfielders, catching is questionable to say the least, no speed except Bourn since Constanza is sitting on the bench and last but not least is the fact that Washington has got a good young team that handles the braves. The Phillies are the Yankees of the National League and they will simply go out and get what they need since they have unlimited funds. I don’t see how they can have a farm system left since they traded most of the talent away but money talks and they seem to have plenty of that. Other than pitching the braves don’t seem to have much in my opinion. I don’t think they are even in sight of a world series appearence.
Dontavius Supremo
October 20th, 2011
7:43 am
Wait’ll next year, right Mark?