Not to Worry About Atlanta

[bama45]

They will win their division again. Their pitching staff is fine with Mike Hampton, Horacio Ramirez, Russ Ortiz, John thomson and John Smoltz. If Drew stays healty all season he will do well. I think rookie Adam LaRoche will do well.

[Blue56]

I know, it's years they've finishged first, like last year, no one tought they'd finish first, since their horrible start, but i knew they would. Of course they'll finish first.

[Yellow Dog]

I will agree with you about LaRoche. I watched him play quite a few times at Greenville last year and was quite impressed. He is a very huge defensive upgrade over the likes of Robert Fick and I love to watch him swing the bat. He has one of those classic left handed swings that looks so fluid and effortless. And I also like the way he drives the ball to left and left center with power.

I'm also expecting a very good year from Mark DeRosa. I think now that he is being given a chance to play everyday people are going to find out he is a much better player than they thought. And he has added some muscle this winter which should help his power numbers.

I think the rotation will be fine if Ramirez can continue to build on what he did last year and Thomson can continue the good work he did in the second half. But if Ramirez has a sophmore slump and Thomson reverts back to his old self, we could be in big trouble.

I've been a little worried this winter about Smoltz. A guy his age coming off of a 4th elbow surgery has to be a concern. But the reports I've heard say he is throwing better everyday and Cox expects him to be at full strength by opening day. That's encouraging news.

One guy I am a little concerned about is Andruw Jones. I've been worrying about his continued weight gain for the past several years and wondering at what point in time it will begin to have a detrimental effect on his game. And from the footage I've seen of him taking BP and pictures in the paper, he looks heavier than ever. Hopefully he can get his weight down by opening day, he's done it before. But I don't think this kid will ever be the true superstar he should and could be until he gets serious about his conditioning and gets on an off season training program. And by all indications so far, he hasn't done it this year.

I think the Braves will be in the thick of things in the East again this year bit I'm not ready to pick them to win the division. Right now the East looks extremely balanced with perhaps Philly having the best team on paper. For the Braves to win again, a lot of things are going to have to fall into place. Whether or not that will happen remains to be seen. But I think this should be one of the most fun and interesting seasons in a long time. I can't wait to get started.

[Blue56]

GO BRAVES GO!!

I don't believe Philly will make first, they will make the playoff's, but not first.

[bama45]

I envy u Yellow I'd love to see him play in person.

[Yellow Dog]

Its great that the Braves Double A team is in Greenville. I've gotten to see all their players that have come up through the farm system play there. Its really neat to see them at that stage of their development and speculate about what kind of players they will be in the big leagues.

I've been right about a lot of them, most recently Horacio Ramirez. Of course it was easy to tell that guys like Chipper, Klesko and Javy were going to be great players. Andruw has never been as good as I thought he'd be offensively and as a base stealing threat, but he's done alright. And a couple of guys I was dead wrong about were Mike Kelly and Tony Tarasco.

But I'm also predicting great things for LaRoche. I just hope I'm right about him!

[jwrenn]

Originally posted by Yellow Dog
Its great that the Braves Double A team is in Greenville.

:(

I live in NC and the Durham Bulls USED to be the Braves AA team. But then the Carolina Mudcats got started and Durham had to move to AAA and the Braves already had a AAA team in this area (Richmond) so the Devil Rays got the Bulls. I was devastated.

And still am, especially since I don't have cable anymore... :(

[Yellow Dog]

Wow Jeremy! How do you survive without cable? I couldn't make it through baseball season without TBS and Turner South. Even though I grew up before the advent of cable when there was only one baseball game a week on Saturday afternoon. I remember how great I thought it was when ABC starting their Monday Night Baseball Series in the 70s. Of course, we didn't know any better back then and I used to go to a lot more games in those days. And there was always the radio. But after getting used to cable, I couldn't do without it.

By the way, what kind of radio coverage, if any, do ya'll get up there in the Triangle area of NC. They used to be all over the radio here but now the closest, and only, station I can pick them up on is WCON-FM in Cornelia, Georgia. But I think there are some areas of SC that get not radio games. I was wondering about up in NC?

[jwrenn]

I'm not sure how I make it without cable. I feel normal though, I think...:freak:



That was one of the things that we cut in order for my wife to be at home with our baby (Emma). She's 8 months old now and my wife LOVES not having a job to go to. Not that she doesn't work, she just doesn't get paid, at least not in cash. :D

So I sacrifice for the family. :)

Radio up here SUCKS to put it bluntly. I don't think that the Braves are on radio anywhere, so this forum is like my SportsCenter and Braves telecasts all in one. I hold out hope that Fox will show some Braves games on regular tv this season, as they have done the past few years. I was contemplating maybe arranging to make a trip to the park with someone off the boards here sometime this summer. I've only been to ONE MLB game ever, BoSox vs. Orioles in 2001, Ripken's next to last Fenway game. 5 HR's that night, Ripken 0-4.

So keep the info coming!! My sports life depends on it!!!! :D

[PissedPrincess]

I'm taking up a collection to get Jeremy cable.:cool:

Seriously dude, what does it cost? I'll make everyone contribute.:D

[jwrenn]

:D

I'm not sure PP, but I'll let you know. ;)

[Thedatch]

Many men, and women would have fallen a long time ago without cable man. I know I myself would be babbling randomly about some baseball game being played on NESN that I could not see. I salute your courage. You are a dying breed.:beer: A drink to you

[jwrenn]

Thanks Datch!

:D

[Thedatch]

no worries! I know what it's like...I lived the first 11 years of my life without a tv, so...I know it's tough.