Well hello there Casey

Casey Kotchman had large shoes to fill after being sent to the Braves for Mark Teixeira in a deal with the Angels. It had not as much to do with replacing a two time gold glove standout at first base as to do with the prospects the Braves shipped to Texas to get Teixiera in the first place. Whether justified or not, expectations were high.

In his debut on July 30, 2008, Kotchman went 0-for-5 in an eventual loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. Thud! In this final two months of the season, he handily mixed disappointing starts with bereavement leave to be with his ailing mother. It began to feel like his tenure with the Braves could be over before it ever really got a chance to begin.

Cut to almost eight months later and all of that stopping and starting was in the distant past. Kotchman, it appears, has really begun to turn things around. Since May 4, Casey has been batting .400 with 10 RBIs, 4 doubles and 2 homeruns. And the Braves as a team has gone 5-3 with a sweep of the Marlins and another series win against the Phillies during that same time period. Include that into his season average of .319 and season totals of 13 doubles and 11 runs and maybe, just maybe, the Braves have found a solid answer at first base.
(Photo: Getty Images; stats)