Braves 4, Dodgers 5

Tim Hudson allowed one run and four hits in two innings for the Braves. Hudson, making his grapefruit league debut, was followed by Chris Resop's two scoreless innings, but it was a bases loaded walked by Matt DeSalvo that got the ball rolling for LA in their 5-4 win. Non-Roster invitee Tyler Flowers hit a two-run dinger while Brian McCann and Scott Thorman brought in the two other RBIs for the team.

Next Game: Braves v. Dodgers on Friday @ 1:05 PM/est on ESPN

Braves Notes: The Braves got a good look at Andruw Jones in his first season in Dodger Blue. Braves Manager Bobby Cox remarked "[Andruw] looked better in a Braves uniform."...Kelly Johnson's enjoying a less stressful Spring Training.

It's been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Grapefruit League rotation announced

The Braves announced their pitching lineup for the Grapefruit League placing Tim Hudson as the starter for the Braves first game on Thursday. He'd be followed by rookie Jair Jurrjens, Tom Glavine, Mike Hampton and Jo-Jo Reyes. Chuck James, the Braves #3 guy last season, will make his start near March 15th but will open the season most likely in AAA. James is still recovering from a shoulder injury.

The AJC is deducing that this line-up will place John Smoltz as the opening day starter for the Braves in their March 30th debut at the Washington Nationals new ballpark. The following day, Atlanta will make their home debut with Tom Glavine likely becoming the starter. While no announcements have been officially made, Smoltz would be pitching in his third opening day start in the past four years.
(photo: getty images)

Check this out: John Schuerholz reflects on his new job as Braves President.

It's been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Hampton back with the Braves? Knock on wood

Click here for a more realistic look at Mike Hampton's return to the Braves.

It's been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Chipper wants to stay in Atlanta

I always knew I liked Chipper Jones ever since he rocketed to stardom in 1995 ( I know he had seen some time in the Majors before 95, but I admittedly was more of a Dave Justice type of girl) but a quote in the AJC just reminded me why:

"I've always wanted to finish here," he says. "Atlanta is a laid-back town, and I'm not a big-city guy. I know I could probably garner more attention and accumulate more accolades in New York, but that's not me."

It's even better that he mentions New York. My brother always tried to scare the crap out of me saying "I heard a rumor Chipper wants to join the Yankees next year." He hasn't done it and judging from this quote, Howard, he ain't gonna do it! Besides, these days it's very rare for a guy to stay with a team his entire career, and I'm pretty sure Jones has had offers to stray from Atlanta, but it's nice to see he wants to stay. Hopefully, everything works out for him, because I don't know if I'm ready for a Chipperless Braves.
(Quote via Ben Mailer)

It's been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Smoltzie changing it up

John Smoltz is going for an unorthodox spring training routine which will could increase his time in the bigs. Smoltzie will spend his spring training working on his change-up, curveball and sinker by pitching more simulated games or minor-league games instead of a steady dose of Grapefruit League starts.

Smoltz, who at 40 still could potentially play two more seasons with the Braves, has admitted to losing a little off his fastball. But with an improved arsenal, he’s hoping to induce more ground ball and double play outs instead of the strike-outs we’re used to.

"Put it this way — last year, I held my breath [on some pitches] and couldn't believe the results."

With a bit of luck, he’ll be able to breathe a little easier this year.
(Photo: AP Photo/David J. Phillip; source)

Check this out: Buster Olney's blog features a post on Chipper Jones. Click here for the post. (NOTE: You must be an ESPN insider to read the full post)

It’s been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Former Brave's Health Scare

Our well wishes go out to former Braves and current Chicago Cubs second baseman Mark DeRosa, after he checked out of an area hospital on Sunday. During morning drills, DeRosa started to complain of a rapid heart beat which according to team doctors had happened to Mark in the past, but this time the atrial dysrhythmia lasted longer than normal.

DeRosa will be checked out by team doctors on Monday and if everything goes well he'll be back with the team mid-week.

Mark, a NJ native, was drafted by the Braves in 1996 and remained with the team through the 2004 season. In 2005, he signed with the Rangers and later with the Cubs.
(Photo: AFP/GETTY IMAGES/File/Chris McGrath; source)

UPDATE: Great news, DeRosa is expected to be back in the line-up for the Cubs on Monday.

It's been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Andruw Jones looking a bit bulkier

While Andruw Jones is spending his first spring training away from the Braves' orginization, I couldn't help but find this little tid-bit about him funny:

Dodgers manager Joe Torre admitted that new center fielder Andruw Jones reported to camp heavier than club officials expected. But Torre didn't admit to being concerned. "He has gotten bigger, but I don't think he is overweight to the point of it being a problem," Torre said. "I think he would like to lose some weight by the time we leave here." Last year, Jones reported to Atlanta's camp lighter than usual. He then went on to have what, by his standards, was an off-year, hitting .222 with 26 homers and 94 RBIs. -- LA Daily News

Maybe he's better if he has a couple of pounds on him?
(Photo: Elsa/Getty Images; source)

It's been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Spring Training News & Notes

Apparently, Jordan Schafer got a pretty nice signing bonus, because the 21 year old prospect spent $90,000 on an advanced pitching machine. The ProBatter simulates deliveries by varous major league pitchers including the Mets newly acquired ace Johan Santana. So even if he really hasn't gone up against the two time Cy Young Award winner, he feels like he has. For the full story click here.

Along with Schafer, the Braves have amassed quite a large group of talented outfielders including Gorkys Hernandez, Josh Anderson and Gregor Blanco. For a round up of the Braves young prospects click here.





Chipper Jones isn't one to keep his mouth shut. So when Carlos Beltran and Jimmy Rollins started to talk about how the Mets and Phillies are the teams to beat in the NL East, Jones reminded them, they'll have to come through Atlanta first, after all the Braves did win 14 straight divisional titles before giving up the crown to the Mets in 2006 and then the Phillies in 2007. For the full story click here.



Scott Thorman is out of options, literally. The could be back up first baseman and pinch hitter is out of minor league options, leaving the Braves to either find a spot for him in the line up or trade him, otherwise Atlanta would have to risk having him snatched up by another team off waivers. For the full story click here.



The Braves have the envitable problem of deciding what to do with a guy who has batted .300 in the past two seasons, make Matt Diaz a starter in left or platoon him with Brandon Jones who hit .293 with 19 homers and 100 RBIs in AA and AAA last season. Diaz has spent the past two sesaons sharing time in left with Ryan Langerhans and Willie Harris, but maybe this year, will be Matt's year. We'll have to see. For the full story click here.
(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

It's been fun blogging with you,

Kate

Mets winning the NL East...Not so fast

I've been contending that the addition of Johan Santana to the Mets club improves the pitching staff, but it in no way guarantees them the NL East like Carlos Beltran has been claiming. Yes, they probably have the best one, two, three with Santana, John Maine and Pedro Martinez; they still are elderly in the field. At second they have Luis Castillo who has bad knees, his replacement, Jose Valentin, was he ever healthy last season? And Moise Alou, he's trudging on Julio Franco's ageless wonder nickname for sure. Not to mention, if anyone gets injured, they've practically given away a large part of the farm and in a 162 season, injuries will abound. Every member of the Mets outfield spent some time on the DL in 2007, couldn’t that happen again. There offense isn't a guarantee either. The better hitting catcher is their back-up Ramon Castro. And was Carlos Delgado’s 2007 swoon at the plate an anomaly or a sign of things to come?

Apparently, I'm not the only one not willing to give up the NL East crown. The Braves right fielder Jeff Francoeur told reporters he's excited about the team and thinks they've got a pretty good shot at winning their first divisional title since 2005.

"I'm not going to sit here and make predictions, but I feel like our team is just as good as the other two teams in our division," Francoeur said. "When I ran today, I was looking at all the names on the back [of the jerseys] and I was like, 'We've got a pretty good team.'"

Darn skippy, less centerfield, the Braves have remained the same or upgraded every position on the field, including bringing in Tom Glavine for the third spot on the rotation not to mention the amount of young talent that is bursting at the Braves seams. One things for sure, it's a long season and anything can happen. The Braves taking the NL East title is certainly not out of the realm of possibility.
(Photo: ajc.com; source)

It's been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Braves round-up

Mark Teixeira is promising Braves fans that he will not be distracted by contract talks, that's why he's waiting till the end of the season to negotiate with the Braves. But unlike a certain Scott Boras client who's final year with the Braves was less than desirable (Andruw Jones), Teixeira says he's ready to give it his all this season. Goodness, I hope so. Click here for the full story.

Brian McCann is "reorganized" and ready to go. The Braves backstop spent the winter working on his offense and defense while dropping five pounds lifting weights. He's also now into yoga. Whatever it takes kid. Click here for the full story.

After five years in good old Queens, Tom Glavine has rejoined the Braves. Although for Glavine only two of his former teammates, John Smoltz and Chipper Jones still remain, he's happy to be back. And gosh darn it, so are the Braves! Click here for the full story.

Another pitcher the Braves are excited about is 22 year old Jair Jurrjens (pronounced Ji-eer Jer-jins). The right-hander was acquired in the Edgar Renteria trade and accumulated a 3-1 record with a 4.70 ERA for the Tigers last season. Click here for the full story.

Mike Hampton hopes to be healthy. Really, I just hope he either injures himself in Spring Training so the Braves can finally get off this rollercoaster ride, or Hampton actually shows up this season. Either way, I'm betting on Jurrjens and Jeff Bennett having good seasons in the four and five slots. Anyway, click here for the full story.

You may know Peter Moylan as that submariner pitcher the Braves bring in from the bullpen when they need some relief. But did you ever hear about his job before the Braves? That salesman position he was holding at the age of 27? Well if not, click here for the full story.

Hank Aaron sauntered into Braves Spring Training on Tuesday with a positive outlook for baseball. He told reporters that baseball was on its way to recovering from the Steroids Era. "I think baseball is trying to clean up its act. It's unfortunate for baseball, but baseball has been through some tough times. It went through the White Sox scandal and survived . It went through a lot of things and survived. It's going to survive this, too." Click here for the full story.

Click here for the latest photos from Spring Training.

(Photo: AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

It's been fun blogging with you,
Kate

The Rest of the Pack Rides into Spring Training

The remaining Braves roster is expected to return to training camp today with a full team work out scheduled for Wednesday. For the first time in ten years, Andruw Jones will not be patrolling the outfield for the Braves. His replacement is the oft-injured A’s centerfielder Mark Kotsay who is really just keeping the spot warm for super prospect Jordan Schaefer. The 21 year old could have easily been fighting for a roster spot if not for the last second trade made by the Braves. Instead, the 21 year old will have a few more months to hone his skills in the Minor Leagues. Flanked on either side of Kotsay will be recent gold-glover Jeff Francoeur in right and quite possibly a combination of Matt Diaz and prospects Brandon Jones or Josh Anderson. Diaz is coming off of consecutive .300 seasons and has become more comfortable playing in the left corner.

Around the horn for the Braves, they’ll have Mark Teixeira, the Braves second half MVP, at first and Kelly Johnson who proved to be a good fit for the Braves bettering Marcus Giles who had been there for the six years prior, at second base. On the other side, the Braves will have Yunel Escobar, their supersub in 2007, getting a regular spot at short-stop following the trade of Edgar Renteria to the Tigers during the off-season, and Chipper Jones who's goal is to stay healthy taking on the hot corner. I’ve heard that healthy remark before, but to his credit, his only major trip to the DL was early in 2007 for his hands. He had only played in 110 and 109 games the two seasons prior. If Chipper only misses five weeks, I’d be happy with that.

Do the Braves have a shot to compete in the NL East? I think so. Call me crazy, but the batting order proved it could sustain itself without Andruw Jones in 2007 (he batted in the .220 range last season) and with a consistent lead-off hitter and the heart of the order featuring Jones, Teixeira, Francoeur and Brian McCann, the team is looking to be an offensive juggernaut in the NL for sure.

It’s been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Bobby Cox answers some questions

USA Today enlisted Braves manager Bobby Cox to answer some questions. Click here for the full story.

It's been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Bobby staying past 2008?

Heading into spring training last year, Bobby Cox hinted at retiring following the 2008 season. Oh, what a difference a year makes. Now the Braves managers tune is less about an actual date and more about a state of mind saying he’ll stay until it’s not fun anymore. Cox has spent 27 seasons managing in the majors, 23 of them with the Braves including a run of 14 straight division titles. For now, the Braves aren't looking for replacements. New GM Frank Wren has said that Cox can stay for as long as he wants to. Here’s hoping it goes passed 2008.

(source; Photo: Gregory Smith/Associated Press)

It's been fun blogging with you,

Kate

Pitchers and Catchers reporting for duty, sir!

Today is the start of a brand new season for the Atlanta Braves. They could look back on 2007 and wonder what might have been, given the fact that they were mathematically still in the playoff hunt until the final week of the season, but instead they look forward to a 2008 where a playoff spot will be even more difficult to find with the addition of Johan Santana to the Mets starting rotation and the gritty play the Phillies demonstrated in 2007.

The Braves are not far behind the Mets and Phils in NL East. They have a stronger starting rotation than they had last year thanks in part to the return of Tom Glavine which will improve last year’s number three spot that was held by Chuck James. The Braves are figuring Mike Hampton into the number four spot assuming that he is healthy, but remember what happens when you assume something; you end up with Mark Redman as your number five starter. On the up side, the Braves have Chuck James, Jair Jurrjens, Jeff Bennett and Jo-Jo Reyes going after the number five spot which is a vast improvement over their line-up last season but it doesn’t quite compare with what they have in Queens. The good thing about the back end of the rotation is that they are young and will only get better, the bad thing, they’re young and may have to make some mistakes before they improve. Do the Braves have the time to allow those growing pains? Well, at least they have John Smoltz, Tim Hudson and Tom Glavine to pick up the slack for the four and five starters.

Another good thing for the Braves is their bullpen. The worst part of the Braves team in 2006, the bullpen really stepped it up in 07 lead by the impressive and currently locked up for two years Rafael Soriano. Atlanta also found a way to get good relief out of Peter Moylan, Manny Ascosta, Tyler Yates and Ron Mahay. Of those four, only Mahay is not still with the team. But they will see the return of Mike Gonzalez, who was a spark for the Braves in April until he left the team with an injury; he can be a big upgrade over the lost Mahay. Hopefully, the Braves can get some good starts out of their starting pitching, so the bullpen will not be overly taxed, but with youth on the back end, the key to the Braves’ contention in the playoff race will be a strong and reliable pen.

Finally, today the Braves catching core will report to spring training. The Braves have their backstop problem solved for the foreseeable future in two time all-star Brian McCann, but his back up could end up being a familiar face in Javy Lopez. Lopez was a feature of the Braves division champs from 1992 until his departure to Baltimore after the 2003 season. He had a solid season with the O’s before turmoil struck and Lopez was finally traded to the Red Sox in 2006. He was dropped by the Sox, picked up by the Rockies and then dropped again until signing a Minor League deal with the Bravos in 2008. Lopez’s return is no guarantee, but if he is in as good of shape as he says he is, it will be nice to see the return of not only Glavine but also of Javy.

We’ll update the rest of the Braves team when they report next week.

It’s been fun blogging with you,
Kate