There's a Reason Why They Say "There's Alot of Baseball Still to Play."
by bravesooner10 on Jun 21, 2008 8:09 PM EDT
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PrintOriginally posted on Tomahawk Blog
As of June 21, the Braves are six games out of first place in the NL East. That's actually the good news. The Braves have not only suffered a great number of injuries, but they have all been to very key players. The most devastating would have to be the loss of John Smoltz. With the number of injuries and the bad luck the Braves have had in one run games, it is a minor miracle that Bobby Cox and his team aren't trailing the division leading Phillies by more than 10 or 12 games.
As the cliche goes, there's alot of baseball still to play. Even after coming off another bad road trip in which the Braves went 3-6 against the Cubs, Angels, and Rangers, there is now hope for things to turn around, thanks to the return of closer Mike Gonzalez.
Gonzalez made his return in successful fashion with a perfect ninth inning against the Rangers on Wednesday night, earning him his first save in over a year. Gonzalez, who is returning from Tommy John elbow surgery, seemed to pick up where he left off before his injury in May of last year.
There could be more good news on the horizon for the Braves. Yeah, you heard me right. I said good news. That's something the Braves have had very little of all year. There are actually signs that Mike Hampton is nearing a return. Tom Glavine should return sometime around the All-Star break. The offense will also receive a boost in the near future as Mark Kotsay is expected to be back in the line-up within the week. Not that the Braves would be back at full strength, but it may be enough to get back into the division race.
Between now and the All-Star break, the Braves will have a great chance to move closer to the Phillies. Only two of the seven teams they will face before the summer classic have winning records, the Brewers and the Phillies. In each of those two meetings, the Braves will have the luxury of playing at home. If the Braves can climb to within two or three games by the break, the season could have a completely different outlook.
So, before you start to give up on this season, take a look at what could be ahead. As horrible as things seem to be now, they could be alot worse. A month from now they could also be alot better. Just the fact that this team is still in the race even after all the injuries, shows the potential that the 2008 version of the Braves has to offer. Not only could a healthy Braves team still have a chance to win the division, but if their health improves, they could be just one trade or one healthy Mike Hampton away from being the favorite in the NL. I know, it's wishful thinking, but I need some reason to look forward to the fall.
This FanPost does not express the views or opinions of Talking Chop.
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starting rotation
i’m not sure I find any added benefit with the return of Glavine or Hampton to the starting rotation. even when Glavine is at his best we’re lucky to get 6 innings out of him. in fact, if our current rotation is as productive in the future as it is now, I’ll be pissed if someone has to move out of the way for either one of these guys.
some guy
who normally sits on the bench, where sometimes the starters scratch his beard before the game for good luck.
I think the “Hampton curse” has spread thoughout the clubhouse, infecting guys like Chipper, Moylan, Kotsay, Glavine, and everyone else who has been placed on the DL.
I mean come on, Glavine has never been on the DL until he was a team-mate of Hampton. Coincidence? I think not.
GO BRAVES!
It's Mark Wohlers' Curse . . .
. . . someone find the man and get him to retire.
The Curse of Mark Wohlers. by Velcro Vernacular
(p.s. where is she? Drinking MD 20/20s with Gondee?)
Aside from...
...the DL stints, we were getting exactly what was expected from Glavine. We all knew, as did the Braves that we weren’t going to get more than 5 or 6 innings from him. Anyone thinking any different is only fooling themselves and doesn’t pay attention to baseball enough.
asdfh
you’re right. he is mostly what we expected (although the DL stints are not just small exceptions to this), but i’m saying reyes/campillo have been superior. i’m not trying to bash him personally or suggest that he hasn’t lived up to expectations.
This is an interesting point.
Campillo, Jurrjens, and now Reyes are actually looking pretty solid. Of course Hudson is solid. Morton has looked pretty good his first two times out as well. So what will happen? I think we’ll probably just have a 6-man rotation and carry 15 pitchers.
Go on, ask if anything surprises me.
Wishful Thinking.
Although he’s been lights out as a starter, it would perhaps be more beneficial for this team to have Campillo back in the bullpen. That would be the only benefit of having to aging, mediocre starters come off the DL. It wouldn’t be horrible if we were choosing between Reyes and Morton as our 5th starter, instead of relying on both, either…
Please check out my blog at http://thefulldeck.blogspot.com/ , now redesigned and recommited!
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