Braves.Today.Com

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

ATLANTA — Congratulations, Braves Nation. It’s just about over.

You’ve made it to the final day of 2008, a year that we’ll never forget … for all the wrong reasons.

Whether it was the best-laid plans spiraling out of control on the field, or the death of a franchise icon off the field, 2008 delivered the Braves one crushing blow after another. It was the year where Jeff Francoeur fell from golden child to Double-A, where a rotation with four 20-game winners turned into a modern-day version of a M*A*S*H unit, where the voice of a generation was silenced on a day that put all of the failures on the field in tragic perspective.

Suffice to say, this franchise and its fan base is ready to turn the page. After all, the arrival of New Year’s Day makes all of us believe the salad days are about to return, regardless of what reality may spell out in black and white.

Fact it, there remains plenty of work to be done if the Braves wish to be contenders in the suddenly tough NL East. But just the fact that, starting in a few hours, 2008 will be behind us, has to give all of us reason to smile. A blank slate is about to be positioned in front of us.

What that slate ends up looking like this time next December is anybody’s guess, but I’d be willing to bet right now that it will look better than what we’re looking at as 2008 draws to it’s long-awaited close.

The Braves lost 90 games this season. The Braves lost most of their starting rotation to injuries. The Braves lost a ton of games they never should’ve lost. The Braves set a major-league record for futility in one-run road losses. The Braves lost in every way imaginable, from dropping the final out of a game that would’ve been a win, to hitting a batter with the bases loaded in extra innings.

The Braves also lost Skip Caray, the voice of this team for more than 30 years who passed away in August. It’s fitting that the man who called so much bad baseball through his years behind the mike, who called Sid’s slide and Grissom’s World Series-clinching catch, would have the final word as we close out the toughest of years.

“So long, everybody.”

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By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

ATLANTA — Finally, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and we have every reason to believe it’s not a freight train bearing down upon us this time.

We awaken on this Tuesday and find ourselves within 48 hours of kissing 2008 goodbye, and embracing the hope and wonder of 2009.

Mind you now, 2008 was – for the most part – a great year for my family and me. We were blessed in numerous ways – professionally, personally, spiritually. It’s been a great year in just about every regard.

But when it comes to the baseball team I write about on a daily basis, suffice to say 2008 can’t end soon enough. When the topic of conversation includes “2008” and “Atlanta Braves” … well, let’s just say the dialogue that follows is not pleasant.

I’ve been away from my day job for 12 days now, part of a year-end vacation those of you who know me on Facebook know I’ve dubbed as “Super-Duper,” for Super-Duper vacation. It’s been a time for family, for friends, for relaxing and catching up on work around the house and playing golf and going to ballgames and some good old-fashioned straight-chillin’.

And all of that has been fantastic, until my thoughts turn to what the Atlanta Braves endured in 2008. Yes, good people, it’s been a rough year, a tough one indeed, one that this franchise hasn’t experienced in nearly two decades. No, we won’t run through the laundry list of everything that spun awry for the Braves in ’08. I no longer wish to wallow in the misery this team put us through.

(If you really wanna relive just how unpleasant it was, just click on some of the posts I’ve authored on this site the past eight months.)

No, we’re on the verge of welcoming in the new year, and with it comes a natural optimism and a sense of renewal that sparks the hope of better times to come. And for the Braves, better times indeed would be welcomed.

So as we get ready to pop the cork at midnight tomorrow and raise a glass to 2009, here’s to the hope that the baseball we see from the boys with tomahawks across their chests will be better. Not so many road losses. Not so many losses by one run. Far fewer injuries. Far fewer disappointments between the lines.

To this point, the offseason has done nothing to dispel the agony and angst of Braves Nation. But as we get ready to flip the calendar, it’s time to put all of that behind us. It won’t be long until the Braves reconvene at Lake Buena Vista for spring training. Before you know it, we’ll be blogging about who’s going to be on the 25-man roster. In a blink of an eye, we’ll be watching Sunday Night Baseball, as the Braves take on the world champs in Philly in the first game of the season.

So enjoy the holidays, and don’t let your thoughts be burdened by what’s transpired in 2008. Because the new year is knocking on the door, and that in and of itself gives us hope that the sun is about to burst through the dark clouds we’ve grown so accustomed to seeing.

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By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

ATLANTA — A lot has been made of Frank Wren’s inability to make deals at the Winter Meetings last week.

But there is no denying the move Wren pulled off at last year’s Winter Meetings was a steal for the Braves.

Wren, then just a few weeks into his tenure as GM, shipped right-handed reliever Jose Ascanio to the Cubs for left-handed specialist Will Ohman and versatile utility man Omar Infante. And boy, as rough as the 2008 season was for the Braves, where would they have been without Infante’s efforts all over the diamond.

Serving as Chipper Jones’ primary backup, and also getting time at shortstop, second base, and in the outfield, Infante rebounded from an injured finger suffered in winter ball to give the Braves a boost beginning in early May. For the season, he hit .293 with three homers and 40 RBIs, finishing with 24 doubles and a career-best .338 on-base percentage.

Beyond the stats, Infante gave the Braves a reliable solution at third base on the days Chipper couldn’t go or when Hoss was hurt. And granted, you don’t replace the NL batting champion and future Hall of Famer, but Infante played well in his time at the hot corner. Defensively, he played a solid third base, and he committed one error in 34 games in left field.

Given a chance to play regularly, Infante showed he can perform at the major-league level. The Braves know they can expect Chipper to play probably 120-130 games next season (let’s face it; anything extra from Hoss is a bonus). With Infante, the Braves know they’ve got a steady replacement, one who also will see time at a variety of positions in 2009.

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By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

ATLANTA — Perhaps the day will come when we’ll think about the offseason of 2008, recall how the Atlanta Braves were on the verge of a big trade for San Diego ace Jake Peavy, and we’ll sit back and exhale.

“Glad we didn’t trade Esco to the Pads,” perhaps we’ll say.

“Esco” is Yunel Escobar, the fiery young Atlanta shortstop who was front and center in the Peavy trade talks for the better part of six weeks. As you know, that deal fell through when San Diego GM Kevin Towers kept asking for more to be included from Atlanta’s end, like Turner Field, Underground Atlanta, and the Varsity, along with a stable of young Braves players.

Of that group, Escobar was the best of the bunch, and the reason Towers wanted the 26-year-old is so far in a season and a half in the bigs, Esco has hit .303 while displaying rancher-like range and a cannon for an arm.

He’s also shown he’s capable of losing his focus at the plate, the ability to boot routine grounders, and occasionally plays with a little too much cockiness. But the upside for this kid is so worth being patient while the Braves smooth the rough edges.

Escobar showed enough in filling in when Edgar Renteria went down with an ankle injury in August 2007 that the Braves traded the veteran Renteria a month after that season ended, getting Jair Jurrjens and Gorkys Hernandez in return from the Tigers. As the full-time starter at short in 2008, Escobar hit .288 with 10 homers, 24 doubles and 60 RBIs in 136 games.

Defensively, Escobar finished with 16 errors in 126 games, a .974 fielding percentage that figures to go up as he focuses on making the routine plays that from time to time get away from him. But on balls to his right or behind the bag at second, Esco is one of the better shortstops in the game. His range is far-reaching, and his arm – the second-strongest shortstop arm I’ve ever seen, behind former Cub Shawon Dunston – more than makes up for the occasional mental whiff on an easy grounder.

At the plate, Escobar was the most consistent Atlanta hitter behind Chipper Jones and Brian McCann. Throw out a shaky July when he hit .230, and Escobar didn’t have a month where he hit under .279. Still, there is work to be done at the dish, as Escobar would slip into bad habits of over-reaching for breaking balls for three or four games at a time.

And then, there is the swagger. On a few occasions last season, opposing teams felt like Escobar showed them up with a flip of the bat. He explains that’s the way he plays the game. At times, Esco’s flair and passion cross the line, but I think in time, you’ll see him learn how far he can push the envelope with his aggressiveness and not come off as arrogant.

This kid is going to be a star, though, and that’s saying something when you consider the quality of shortstops just in his own division (Jimmy Rollins at Philly, Jose Reyes in New York, Hanley Ramirez at Florida). Escobar figures to hit a few more homers as time goes by, and probably has more upside in the batting average department.

No way the Braves should think about trading him. If you recall, I was ready to send super-phenom pitcher Tommy Hanson to San Diego before sending Escobar. That’s how highly I think of a kid who is going to grow into a foundational piece of this franchise at shortstop for years to come.

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By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

ATLANTA — Whether fair or not, Kelly Johnson’s 2008 season forever will be linked to one play the Atlanta Braves second baseman didn’t make.

It came in early June, the Braves ahead of the division-leading Phillies by one run with two outs in the top of the ninth at Turner Field. Chris Coste lofted a pop-up down the right-field line. Johnson raced to the spot, camped under what would be the final out of a game that would pull the Braves within 2 ½ games of first place …

And the ball plopped out of his glove, falling inches inside the foul line. The Phillies tied the game, won it in extra innings, and went on to win the World Series.

The Braves lost the game, lost their next five in a row, kissed .500 goodbye and tail-spun their way to a 90-loss season.

Surely, you can’t put all of that on Johnson’s shoulders. He made a horrific play in a season chock-full of them. But again, fair or not, that’s what we think of when we consider KJ’s 2008 campaign.

In his second full season as a second baseman, Johnson committed the same number of errors (11) in 11 more games. Not the smoothest of second sackers, there was enough progress made from 2007 to 2008 to show he’s making strides and becoming a better fielder.

It’s the inconsistency at the plate that really dogged at Johnson. As the Braves’ one-run losses mounted, KJ became a target for fans’ criticism, even though he finished the season hitting .287 with 12 homers, 69 RBIS, 39 doubles, six triples and 11 stolen bases. Very solid offensive numbers.

But the manner in which those numbers were compiled frustrated the good people of Braves Nation. His May (.355, 11 doubles, 14 RBIs) and September (.398, three homers, 19 RBIs) were very, very good. The other four months? Not so much: .241 in April, .250 in June, .224 in July, .237 in August.

There is no denying consistency at the dish is a focal point for improvement. Continued refining of his defense, particularly the backhand plays and starting double plays, also need to be in his sights. But Johnson, despite that horrid drop against the Phils, is a big part of this team, and while his name has been tossed around in trade discussions this winter, has enough upside and development left to merit the Braves keeping him.

And he’s resilient, if nothing else. Remember, this is a kid who started his major-league career in 2005 by going 1-for-30. He finished that campaign hitting .241. Johnson then missed all of 2006 with an elbow injury, but returned and learned to play second base, making the move from left field.

He’s a tough one, and a good one, that one dropped pop-up notwithstanding.

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By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

ATLANTA — It’s the classic story of a guy finally getting the chance to play every day, and making the most of that opportunity.

When you watch that type of story unfold day-after-day, it puts a smile on your face, especially when it’s a guy who isn’t the most gifted or most athletic player on the planet.

So when Matt Diaz hit .327 in 124 games with the Braves during his first season with Atlanta in 2006, and followed that up with a .338 average in 135 games in 2007, you felt like left field was in pretty stable hands as 2008 unfolded.

Of course, as we all know, when 2008 unfolded, all assumptions and plans for this franchise fell apart.

Perhaps no other player on the roster symbolizes the lost season of ’08 more than Diaz, who finished the season before with 21 doubles, 12 homers and 45 RBIs. Limited to just 43 games due to a knee injury in late May that saw him not play again until the season finale, Diaz hit just .244 with two homers and 14 RBIs in 135 at-bats.

It started off well enough, Diaz going 8-for-16 in his final four games of April to finish the first full month of the season at .308. Then came May, where it all came apart for Diaz. First, he hit just .163 with 10 strikeouts in 43 at-bats, losing playing time to Gregor Blanco. Then came May 27 at Milwaukee. Diaz slid into the wall in foul territory at Miller Park, and his knee hit uncovered concrete.

He wouldn’t return until Sept. 28, the season finale.

The question is will that be the last time we see Diaz in an Atlanta uniform. Blanco gives the Braves speed (he led the team in stolen bases), and Atlanta has stated its preference to acquire a power-hitting left fielder. If that happens, Diaz’s days in Atlanta probably are done.

But even if they are, let’s hope he lands on his feet healthy in spring training, ready to hit the way he did in 2006 and 2007. Matt Diaz is one of the good guys in baseball, and like the rest of us, here’s hoping 2009 treats Matty a lot better than 2008 did.

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By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

ATLANTA — For the past two seasons, he’d waited patiently for a few at-bats at the major-league level. All the while, Martin Prado knew he could play with the big boys.

Given a much larger block of time to prove so in 2008, he delivered in impressive fashion.

Prado finished 2008 with 228 at-bats, after earning just 101 combined in 2006-07. With the Braves out of the race in the NL East by the end of July, Prado was given a long look by Bobby Cox during the final two months.

All Prado did was become the Braves’ best hitter during the season’s final eight weeks. Showing a tendency to hit line drives to every part of the ballpark, Prado finished 2008 with a .320 average, 18 homers, four triples, two homers and 33 RBIs. His 21 walks helped boost his on-base percentage (.377), and while he’s not a big power guy, his gap power and his ability to hit the ball with authority either to pull or away definitely caught everybody’s attention.

His August was blistering: 32 hits in 74 at-bats (.432) with nine doubles, two triples, a homer and 12 RBIs. He cooled off in September, finishing that month with a .268 clip. Still, he impressed the Braves with his work at the plate, especially his .364 average (12-for-33) and 13 RBIs with two outs and runners in scoring position.

Prado made 24 appearances at third base – mostly when Omar Infante found himself playing shortstop or left field – and 17 at second base. He also played 17 games at first base, a position where he’d never played before until this season. Prado also played a little shortstop and made three appearances in left field.

Defensively, he’s best suited for second base (although he only made two errors combined at third and at first). Beyond what position he plays best, it’s easy to like Prado because he has good baseball instincts. Some guys just know what to do between the lines, and Prado is one of those guys.

He’s definitely proven he belongs on the major-league roster in 2009. There won’t be any waiting, any worrying as the final days of March tick away this spring. Prado is a major-leaguer now, no doubt, and the feeling here is he’s going to play a big role for the Braves coming off the bench next season.

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By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

ATLANTA — On the final night of July, with the trade of Mark Teixeira and the realization that the Atlanta Braves would spend the next two months playing out the string, Clint Sammons gave us all reason to smile.

The former Parkview High quarterback and one-time University of Georgia standout blasted his first major-league homer and drove in three runs, leading the Braves to victory over St. Louis at Turner Field. For Sammons, it was a dream come true.

But like most dreams, the alarm clock soon sounds and you’re roused back to reality. And that reality for Sammons in 2009 most likely will be another season in Triple-A, albeit this time, instead of Richmond, Va., he’ll ply his craft in Gwinnett, the county where he quarterbacked Parkview to the Class AAAAA state title in 2000.

(For what it’s worth, Sammons had a sophomore wide receiver on that state title team named Jeff Francoeur.)

The signing of veteran David Ross to serve as Brian McCann’s backup next season probably doesn’t leave room on the opening-day roster for Sammons, who finished with a .148 average, just the one homer, and four RBIs in 23 games for the Braves in 2008. He didn’t get much of a chance to play last season until the Braves were out of the race, and only when Atlanta decided to designate for assignment backup catcher Corky Miller – the worst player in the majors.

The Braves remain high on Sammons, though, and want him catching every day at Gwinnett. And he’ll be just a phone call away should something happen to either McCann or Ross.

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By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

ATLANTA — On the night before Mother’s Day 2007, Chuck James mowed down the Pittsburgh Pirates through 6 1/3 no-hit innings, winning his fourth game of the season and moving his career record to 15-7.

The little left-hander with the modest fastball and a decent breaking ball, two pitches that James got by with thanks mostly to a deceptive pitching motion, looked poised to be a big part of the Atlanta Braves’ pitching plans for the foreseeable future.

That future now is finished, at least for now.

The Braves opted not to offer James a contract last week, making the 27-year-old a free agent. Considering what James has been through since that sterling outing by the banks of three rivers 19 months ago, it’s not a surprise nobody is factoring him into Atlanta’s pitching plans.

Simply put, you can’t succeed in the majors on just two pitches, and the league eventually figures out James’ delivers. That, and the fact Chuckie tried to pitch through a sore shoulder as the Braves’ season turned sour in the final two months of 2007, led to a brutal finish to the season.

But 2008 was even worse. As the Braves’ rotation fell apart, James got several shots to earn a spot again among the starters. Instead, he went 2-5 with an ERA of 9.10, and ended up having shoulder surgery, which will sideline him for most of 2009.

James’ problem was his inability to develop a third pitch. Opposing hitters took notice and made him pay: James has surrendered 25 homers in his past 74 innings pitched.

The Braves are open to bringing James back on a minor-league deal at some point in the future. Given all the holes this team has to fill, I wouldn’t expect James to be in a Braves’ uniform anytime soon, if ever again.

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By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

ATLANTA — John Schuerholz is mad as hell, and he’s not going to take it anymore.

After watching the once-proud organization he helped build fall apart like never before in 2008, Schuerholz – who moved into the team president role last October as Frank Wren took over as general manager – came out Thursday and ripped Rafael Furcal’s agency after the shortstop’s representatives took the Braves’ term sheet Tuesday and ran straight to the Dodgers.

Using words like despicable and disgusting to describe how Furcal went from nearly signing with the Braves on Tuesday to re-upping with the Dodgers on Wednesday, Schuerholz didn’t hold back. He stated for the world to hear that the Braves no longer will do business with the Wasserman Media Group, which represents at least 60 major-league players (including current Atlanta reliever Peter Moylan).

Good for Schuerholz. It made me happy to see somebody stand up and take Furcal’s representatives to task for the under-handed double-crossing moves that have ignited a firestorm of anger amid Braves Nation.

It’s been a long, long offseason, following a long, long season. This latest move, however, was avoidable, classless, and just plain out and out wrong. You could sense the frustration in Schuerholz’s words; it summarizes the mood and feeling of the entire franchise and its beleaguered fan base.

By the way, you can scratch Randy Wolf’s name off the Braves’ list of pitching options. Wolf also is a client of Wasserman, and as Schuerholz said Thursday, that group might as well take the Braves’ phone number off their list.

I still can’t believe this thing fell through. But then again, I can’t believe a professional sports agency would take a term sheet and shop it around.

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