Braves News World

The Good: As dubbed by the TBS crew, it was a series of firsts: An overdue first win of the season for John Smoltz. First 3-hit game of the season for the slumping Andruw Jones. Wilson Betemit’s and Pete Orr’s first career home runs. First home run of the season for Eddie Perez. First time Danny Kolb almost blew the game by surrendering too many hits instead of too many walks. … Chris Reitsma continues to make his case for the closer’s job with 2+ scoreless innings in the series. … John Smoltz (1 earned run in 6 2/3 innings) and Mike Hampton (3 earned runs in 7 innings) were excellent as usual and this time the offense gave them enough support. … Even with Chipper on the sidelines, the offense is still producing with contributions from a variety of unlikely sources; namely those highlighted above.

The Bad: Horacio Ramirez continues to struggle. After giving up 5 earned runs in 5 2/3 innings Monday his ERA is pushing 5. Luckily, because of the strong performance of the rest of the starting staff, the Braves can afford to wait for him to find his groove after missing most of last season. … Raul Mondesi went 1-for-13 in the series and is now batting .213 on the season.

The Ugly: Chipper Jones couldn’t put much weight on his bruised left foot all series, keeping him out of the lineup against one of his favorite opponents and opposing ballparks. It’s always fun to hear the chants of “LAR-RY, LAR-RY” by the pathetic Mets fans.

The Good: Yippee! The first sweep of the season and it’s in the Braves’ favor. … The starters are finally getting their just rewards. Mike Hampton logged 8+ innings for the third straight start and gave up only 2 runs. Tim Hudson struggled at times with his command but allowed only one run in 6 innings (hopefully he’ll have a lot more trying starts like this one ). John Thomson was “lights out” after a long first inning, throwing 7 shutout innings and striking out 8 in the process. All three starters got the win they deserved this time around. … The offense came alive this homestand but it’s quickly becoming apparent that home is where the bat is this year. The Braves are batting .282 at home and only .214 on the road. Let’s see if the offense now reverts to their old habits on the road. … Chipper Jones keeps going and going… He scored 5 runs and drove in 3 in the series before leaving with a severely bruised foot in the first inning Sunday. X-rays were negative and he should be back soon. … The old-fielders, Brian Jordan and Raul Mondesi, each tallied 2 RBIs in 2 games and went 4-for-7 and 3-for-7 in the series respectively.

The Bad: Rafael Furcal went 1-for-11 in the series and is now batting .210 (not what you would like out of your lead-off hitter!). What else? Uh, it was really cold!

The Ugly: Is Wilson Betemit the second coming of Chuck Knoblauch? He can’t field a routine ground ball without throwing it away. He just about committed his 3rd error in 5 partial games in the field this season. I just can’t believe this is the super-prospect I’ve been waiting to see the past 3 years.

Braves farmhands James Jurries and Ricardo Rodriguez have each been suspended 15 games for violating the minor league steroids policy. Jurries, the first baseman for the AAA Richmond Braves, was hitting .316 this season and leading his team with five homers and 13 RBI in 11 games. Rodriguez was also enjoying a stellar start to the season for the Class A Myrtle Beach Pelicans. He is currently 1-0 with a 1.59 ERA in four games as a reliever. He has 19 strikeouts and only one walk in 11 1/3 innings on the season. Each player will be suspended for 15 games. Both players admitted using a performance-enhancing substance while playing winter ball in Venezuela.

The Good: Not much. The Braves should have lost both games. Cristian Guzman threw away a ground ball with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to allow in the tying and winning runs on Thursday. … You won’t believe it but the starting pitchers were exceptional! Yet again John Smoltz (7 IP, 1 ER, 9 K, no-decision) and Horacio Ramirez (6 2/3 IP, 2 ER, loss) turned in quality starts and yet again they had nothing to show for it at the end of the game. Only the Marlins’ starting staff has a better cumulative ERA than that of the Braves. … The bullpen didn’t blow any games which is a miracle!

The Bad: The Braves seem bent on giving the Pirates a run for their money for least runs scored. … The search for a clean-up hitter continues as Johnny Estrada (the latest candidate for the slot) went 1-for-8 in the series, dragging his batting average down to .217. … Raul Mondesi was hitless in 7 at-bats in the series and is now batting .218. I say we play Mike Hampton in right field between his starts.

The Ugly: Bobby Cox finally started Ryan Langerhans in place of Andruw Jones, who is mired in the worst slump of his career (and that’s saying something!) – 0-for-27.

The Good: Chipper Jones continues to be the only sign of life in the batter’s box for the Braves. He’s pushing .400. Looks like we really will see the old Chipper this year now that he’s healthy and happy with his position again. … Marcus Giles is heating up, going 4-for-9 during the series. You knew it was only a matter of time for him. … Tim Hudson was nasty for 9 shutout innings Monday night (but of course that’s not good enough for a win when you’re pitching for the Braves this year), earning him his 2nd consecutive undeserved no-decision. … Ryan Langerhans salvaged a victory for the Braves in that game with a 12th-inning inside-the-park home run. At least give him some playing time in a platoon and let’s see what happens. It can’t be much worse than the current corner outfield production.

The Bad: Someone wake the Braves’ lumber from their winter slumber. This is getting ridiculous. In the series Rafael Furcal went 1-for-10, Johnny Estrada 1-for-7, Julio Franco 0-for-6 and Adam LaRoche 0-for-5. … The Braves have not hit a ball out of the ballpark in the 4 games since Friday, averaging 1.5 runs per game during that period. Can you say lineup shakeup Bobby??

The Ugly: Andruw Jones went 0-for-9 and left 8 runners on base in the series. He is now batting .189. Cleanup? Bat him in the 8th spot!

The Good: The starters continue to sparkle. Did you know “Smoltz” is Latin for “Hard Luck Loser"? Mike Hampton continued his hot start with another gem (3 hits allowed over 8 shutout innings) and another no-decision. Horacio Ramirez pitched the worst of the three yet was the only one to pick up a win. If it weren’t for John Smoltz’s struggles on opening day the Braves would have 4 starting pitchers in the top 30 among the ERA leaders in the National League. Now that’s incredible!

The Bad: It’s all or nothing (mostly nothing) with the bats this year. The offense exploded for 11 runs in Horacio’s start Friday. Two home runs each for Raul Mondesi and Rafael Furcal, both of whom sorely needed them. But then they were held to 1 run in each of the next two games, squandering the aforementioned performances. … Brian Jordan continues to languish below the Mendoza line (just stick Andy Marte out there and be done with it; if Ryan Klesko could do it he sure can!). … The Braves just can’t get it done in the clutch. Andruw Jones left 9 runners on base and saw his average plummet 51 points to .222 during the series. He is the key to the offense getting on track. Thus far he has done precious little to prove this spring wasn’t a fluke. … The top 2 batting averages on the Braves belong to a pitcher and a 46-year old. Enough said.

The Ugly: Not only can Dan Kolb not pitch, but now we learn he can’t field either! When he threw away (both literally and figuratively!) the ballgame that just demoralized the team. Chipper Jones understandably sounded concerned about the situation on The Jim Rome Show Monday and alluded to the possibility of Chris Reitsma taking over as closer if Kolb doesn’t get his act together. I say we just send all the relievers to Richmond (if some are picked up off waivers sobeit) and call up everyone in the the bullpen at AAA. They can do a better job than the current crop until Schuerholz finds some journeymen who are halfway decent. Of course I’m being facetious but the time for more draconian measures is approaching.

“Hallelujah!” That’s what many Braves fans are saying tonight. The Braves released Tom Martin today, putting him out of his misery. He gave up 6 hits, walked 2 and posted a 19.29 ERA in 2 1/3 innings during his horrendous start to the season.

John Foster will take his place as the sole left-handed relief pitcher on the Braves roster. Foster allowed one run and two hits in 5 2/3 innings for Class AAA Richmond this season. He held opposing batters to a .105 average during that span. Braves fans may remember John Foster being highly touted by the team as a fireballer in 2002. He pitched in 5 games for Atlanta before being traded to the Brewers along with Wes Helms in exchange for Ray King before the 2003 season. He underwent shoulder surgery in 2004 and signed with the Braves as a minor league free agent last month.

John Schuerholz is understandably getting a bit antsy watching Tom Martin get lit up like a Christmas tree these first two weeks. On Tuesday, the Braves claimed left-handed pitcher Frank Brooks off waivers from the Dodgers. In 11 games with the Pirates last season he posted an 0-1 record and a 4.67 ERA. He has been assigned him to the Class AAA Richmond Braves. This will hopefully be the precursor to more significant moves that will soon bolster the Braves’ ailing bullpen, especially from the left side.

The Good: Starters continue to shine, especially Mike Hampton and Tim Hudson, who sport ERAs of 1.29 and 1.38 respectively. … Chipper Jones went 5-for-11 in the series with 4 RBIs and 4 runs scored. … Pete Orr is finding his groove as he becomes more comfortable. Now he’ll be benched when Marcus Giles returns to the lineup. Cox should try platooning him with Raul Mondesi in right field for a week.

The Bad: Who else? The bullpen continues to stink up the joint. Of the relievers used in the series, Chris Reitsma was the only one who didn’t allow a run (and most allowed multiple runs). … Corner outfielders continue to be a liability. Mondesi is batting .133, Brian Jordan .167 and Ryan Langerhans is not the answer. … Only the Pirates have a lower team slugging percentage than the Braves currently.

The Ugly: Danny Kolb blew a 2-run lead in the ninth during Tuesday’s game, squandering Tim Hudson’s brilliant start (8 innings, 1 run on a homer). The disease is spreading!

The Good: Any questions (there weren’t any here) about Smoltz’s ability to return to a starting role were erased after he tied a career-high with 15 strikeouts. Unfortunately, he made one ill-advised pitch to Beltran and the bullpen let him down. … Starting pitching continues to be fabulous with John Thomson and Horacio Ramirez turning in strong performances as well.

The Bad: The offense continues to be ice cold, including Raul Mondesi (.105 BA on the season), Rafael Furcal (.148 and no runs scored), Adam LaRoche (.176), and Pete Orr (.211). … Sadly, the bullpen may have finally shown its true colors in Sunday’s debacle. Tom Martin picked up where he left off this spring.

The Ugly: I meant it as a joke when I said Marcus Giles couldn’t make it through an inning without getting injured… But in the second inning of his return on Saturday Giles fouled a ball off his left foot, severely bruising it. He missed Sunday’s game and is listed as “day to day". As Chip Caray quipped, he’s leading the league in one category: X-rays!

The Good: Mike Hampton off to a good start of the season for a change (he has a 4.99 ERA before the All-Star break over the past two years). … Bullpen, sans Adam Bernero, has been surprisingly effective thus far! … Maybe Schuerholz and Mazzone pulled another rabbit out of their hat with Jorge Sosa. … Eddie Perez filling in admirably with some clutch hits.

The Bad: John Smoltz got lit up in the shortest start of his career. … Bernero continues his late spring struggles.

The Ugly: Marcus Giles can’t even make it through an inning without getting injured. The MRI was negative and he should be back next week. Hold your breath the rest of the season…

Despite both returning to the field yesterday after sustaining injuries, Marcus Giles and Johnny Estrada won’t be in the lineup Wednesday. Giles is back in Atlanta having an MRI done on his left knee, which he twisted while trying to beat a force out at second. He is expected to miss at least 3 games. Pete Orr is starting in place of him tonight. Estrada is nursing a bruised right hand after being hit by a foul tip. Eddie Perez will fill in tonight and tomorrow. Estrada is expected to return Friday night. What a way to start they year!?

No, you’re not in the Twilight Zone! Who would have thought that John Smoltz would get bombed for 6 hits and 7 runs (6 earned for an initial ERA of 32.40!) in his Opening Day start? The outing, lasting 1 2/3 innings, tied for the shortest of his career as a starter. Who would have thought that Jorge Sosa, Roman Colon, and Tom Martin would pitch 4+ scoreless innings combined after the dreadful spring the bullpen experienced? Needless to say, Adam Bernero gave up a a couple runs in a couple innings. Hopefully, Cox & Mazzone will think better of that experiment sooner than later. The good news is it only counts as one game no matter how bad a shellacking (9-0) they took. Tomorrow is another game.

The Braves have announced their Opening Day 25-man roster. Despite faltering towards the end of spring training and ending with a 7.36 ERA, Adam Bernero got the nod over Buddy Hernandez (who posted a 0.93 ERA - go figure!) for the final bullpen spot. Hopefully, Gryboski won’t try to be a hero with his nagging shoulder injury. If he rests on the DL, Hernandez should be called up to take his spot.

The final roster cuts were pitchers Kevin Barry, Matt Childers, Buddy Hernandez and Zach Miner; outfielders John Barnes and Esix Snead; and catcher Jean Boscan. All were re-assigned to minor league camp.

The final roster is as follows:

Pitchers (12): RHP Adam Bernero, RHP Roman Colon, RHP Kevin Gryboski, LHP Mike Hampton, RHP Tim Hudson, RHP Dan Kolb, LHP Tom Martin, LHP Horacio Ramirez, RHP Chris Reitsma, RHP John Smoltz, RHP Jorge Sosa and RHP John Thomson.

Catchers (2): Johnny Estrada and Eddie Perez.

Infielders (6): Wilson Betemit, Julio Franco, Rafael Furcal, Marcus Giles, Chipper Jones and Adam LaRoche.

Outfielders (4): Andruw Jones, Brian Jordan, Ryan Langerhans and Raul Mondesi.

Infielder/Outfielder (1): Pete Orr

The Richmond Braves starting lineup should shape up this way… James Jurries at first base, Jason Bourgeois at second base, Tony Pena, Jr. at shortstop, and Andy Marte at third base. Kelly Johnson, Billy McCarthy, and probably John Barnes will start in the outfield. If Esix Snead doesn’t make the big league roster he’ll replace Barnes in the outfield.

The starting rotation at Richmond will likely consist of Kyle Davies, Seth Greisinger, Sam McConnell, Andy Van Hekken, and Brian O’Connor.

We knew Schuerholz had to make something happen. Will it be one of his signature, last-minute rescues? Only time will tell… I guess this is as good a deal as we could expect under the (dire) circumstances. Right-handed pitcher Jorge Sosa was obtained from the Devil Rays in exchange for Braves utility infielder Nick Green. Green had a solid spring, batting .304 and clubbing ten doubles. Sosa had a 3.18 ERA this spring in 11 1/3 innings but only 1 strikeout (and he is a power pitcher). But last year he posted a 5.53 ERA in 99 1/3. He has had a penchant for giving up both walks (54 last season) and the long ball (47 last season). Hopefully Mazzone can mold him into a more reliable reliever.

With Green departing, both Wilson Betemit and Pete Orr will now make the team. Unfortunately, they have hit .264 and .241 this spring respectively. Orr can play both the outfield and infield.