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Sports Outside the Beltway

Braves Rally to Beat Phillies, Save Season?

When I heard that the Braves were down seven runs late in yesterday’s game against the Phillies, I figured their season was over. I still think the playoffs are improbable, but an amazing rally at least gives them some room for hope.

With their faint playoff hopes flickering, the Braves’ bloops started falling for hits. The team that has claimed it couldn’t get a break for months got several in the last two innings Wednesday during an unusual, improbable 9-8 come-from-behind win against the Philadelphia Phillies, capped by Matt Diaz’s game-ending, three-run double with two out in the ninth.

The Braves overcame an 8-2 deficit by scoring four runs in a bloop-filled eighth and three runs in the ninth on a two-out rally when things looked just about hopeless. They turned a sparse crowd at Turner Field into a surprise party with a Braves pileup at midfield after Yunel Escobar slid home with the winning run and pointed to the sky, pumping his arm.

“We’re a pretty streaky team, and hopefully this starts a good streak,” said Diaz, who had a broken-bat, bases-loaded infield single in the eighth inning, then cleared the bases in the ninth with an opposite-field hit off the glove of right fielder Chris Roberson as he raced into the corner. “Matty being Matty,” said outfielder Willie Harris, whose home run and two RBIs helped the Braves win the series 2-1.

They’re still in third place in the NL East, 7-1/2 behind New York and 2-1/2 games behind Philadelphia, and five teams were ahead of them in the wild-card race.

When Tim Hudson gave up 11 hits and five runs in the first five innings, the Braves appeared headed for their 14th loss in 20 games and eighth in 10 home games. “Just one of those games where you’re thinking, ‘Here we go again,’ ” Jones said. They got two runs in the sixth inning on a homer from Harris and an RBI double by Jones, before stranding two runners in the inning.

Then a funny thing happened on the way to another disheartening, opportunities-wasted loss. The baseball gods turned the game upside down in the eighth and shook it. “We hit some balls hard that were caught,” Harris said, “and we hit some balls soft that weren’t caught, that went for base hits. Hopefully this a turning point for us. We’re not rolling over.”

Manager Bobby Cox said, “We had a lot of bloops. Just one of them gets caught, and we’re done. They all fell.”

Diaz said some Braves couldn’t help but laugh during the eighth inning, when they got three consecutive one-out bloop singles by Brian McCann, Jeff Francoeur and Scott Thorman, after Jones’ leadoff double.
Francoeur drove in a run, then another scored on a wild pitch by closer Brett Myers. The Phillies still had an 8-4 lead, and McCann left with a contusion of his left ankle (he said it’s not serious).

“Crazy, crazy game,” Jones said. “We had no business winning this game, as lousy as we played through six innings. But you keep swinging the bats, and sometimes good things happen.”

Not often enough lately. But Braves fans can keep their hopes alive for a little while longer.

 

Braves Games Not on TBS Any More

The Atlanta Braves have just a few more games on TBS.

Over the past three decades, thousands of Braves games have been televised nationally on TBS. Just 10 more to go.Sunday’s Braves-Cardinals game and nine September games will end a tradition that began in 1977, when Ted Turner had the seemingly outrageous idea of bouncing his bad baseball team’s games off a satellite and across the nation.

It was an idea that would help shape the fledgling industry of cable television, as well as the business of sports media. For a while, the ubiquitous Braves even earned the moniker “America’s Team.”

But after years of declining ratings for Braves games outside the Southeast, TBS next season will replace the team as national programming with a package of Sunday afternoon league-wide games. TBS also will carry postseason games for the first time starting this fall, airing all four division series plus the National League Championship Series.

Braves games will continue to air locally next season on over-the-air channel WTBS, which will be renamed Peachtree TV, as well as on regional cable networks SportSouth and FSN South.

Truly a shame. The Braves are back to being a regional team and, as a Braves fan living outside the region (even though I’m in the South), that means no more Braves games on free TV. And I’m not willing to pay exorbitant fees to subscribe to a package containing mostly games that I won’t watch. Which means, inevitably, that I’ll eventually lose interest in the Braves and Major League Baseball.

MLB brought this on themselves, though. By allowing teams in gigantic media markets like the Yankees to make a fortune in “local” revenues while teams like the Braves and the Cubs were required to share revenue earned via their “national” superstations, the incentives were to move more games to niche stations. In turn, that meant that fans never knew where to turn for their games and stations like TBS couldn’t get into a programming rhythm.

The NFL has figured out how to make sure that its most attractive teams get on national television on a routine basis. MLB hasn’t. Which is why the ceased being “America’s pastime” years and years ago.

 

Braves Cut Closer Wickman Over Bad Attitude

Bob Wickman was having a good year as the Atlanta Braves’ closer but he was cut by the team after displaying a poor attitude.

In a surprising move in the heat of a pennant race, the Braves cut ties with closer Bob Wickman on Friday, designating the 38-year-old for assignment.

Braves manager Bobby Cox said he made the decision following Thursday night’s game in Cincinnati when Wickman gave up a two-run, walk-off homer to Adam Dunn in a 9-7 loss in 12 innings. The loss put the Braves three games back in the wild-card race with 34 games to play.

“I just want to try something else, try something new,” Cox said.

But players said what Cox couldn’t or didn’t want to say, that in addition to being less effective from the mound as the year progressed, Wickman also alienated himself from his Braves teammates for reasons such as showing displeasure at pitching in non-save situations.

Thursday was such a situation, and came after he had to warm up a couple of times before he pitched.
“If it’s not a save situation, he was not happy about it,” Andruw Jones said. “It’s not fair to the team. It’s not fair for the manager. The way he was going about his business, separate from everybody. We’re a team. Everybody has their own attitude. Everybody’s got their own feeling about each other. Everybody’s got their own way of going about their business. But when we put a uniform on and we’re all together, we’re all as one. And we need guys who want to go out there and perform.”

Cox called Wickman in his hotel room in St. Louis on Friday morning to tell him. “He didn’t seem real shocked; I don’t know,” Cox said. “He just said, ‘Sorry I let you down.’ ”

Wickman converted 20 of 26 save opportunities this year, going 3-3 with a 3.92 ERA. Since the All-Star break he had blown two saves and taken a loss, but his ERA was 1.98. Last season, he made 28 appearances after the trade and was 0-2 with a 1.04 ERA and 18 saves in 19 chances.

He has 10 days to be traded or claimed by another team off waivers, but his days with the Braves are officially over a little more than a year after he was traded to Atlanta from Cleveland. The Braves have attempted to trade him but have found no takers.

The Braves called up Joey Devine and Jose Ascanio from the minors, optioning Martin Prado back to Richmond in favor of more pitching.

The move came without another obvious option at closer. Cox said he would go with Rafael Soriano on Friday and after that he would see.

Wow. Certainly, one doesn’t want a clubhouse cancer on a young team trying to make the playoffs. But simply cutting an effective closer when there is no replacement in sight? That just seems dumb.

Additionally, I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see one of the Braves’ rivals grab him off waivers.

 

Greg Maddux Gets 10 Wins for 20th Year

Greg Maddux won his 10th game last night, making it 20 straight seasons that he’s reached that total. Big deal, right? Ten wins is nothing! Well, nobody in the long history of Major League Baseball has ever done it before.

Milestones:

  • Greg Maddux became the first pitcher in history to record at least 10 wins in 20 consecutive seasons in the Padres’ 14-3 pasting of the Phillies.
  • In his 700th career start, Maddux (10-9) threw seven innings, allowing seven hits and three runs en route to his third consecutive win.

The story:

Maddux became the first pitcher to win 10 games in 20 consecutive seasons, tossing seven solid innings in the San Diego Padres’ 14-3 rout of the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night.

[...]

Cy Young had 19 straight seasons with double-digit wins from 1891-1909. Maddux is tied with Nolan Ryan for second behind Don Sutton for most seasons with 10 wins. Sutton had 21.

“I didn’t know that. That’s cool,” Maddux said, shrugging off his latest accomplishment.

Truly phenomenal. Bonus: The win helped his old team, the Braves, who are locked in a tight division race that nobody seems to want to win.

 

Braves Re-Sign Franco, Ship to Single A

The Braves have re-signed veteran Julio Franco but will stash him at the A-level in their farm until the September call-ups.

If the Braves qualify for the postseason, there is a good chance they will have Julio Franco on the roster when they get there.

The 48-year-old first baseman cleared waivers and accepted a minor league assignment with Class A Rome, with an agreement the Braves would bring him back to the majors by Sept. 1. That’s when rosters can be expanded for the season’s final month.

That would qualify him for the postseason roster. And Franco’s experience, defense, and pinch-hitting ability would seem to make him a more likely playoff roster choice than rookie Scott Thorman.

“He deserves it,” manager Bobby Cox said of Franco, the oldest player in the majors — he’ll turn 49 on Aug. 23 — and a popular team member in two stints with the Braves. “I mean, he hit the ball like crazy with us.”

Franco signed with the Braves on July 18 after being released by the New York Mets. He hit .250 with three doubles and seven RBIs in 11 games with Atlanta before being designated for assignment one day after the Braves acquired star first baseman Mark Teixeira from Texas in a July 31 trade.

Franco hit .333 (8-for-24) with three doubles and five RBIs in his last seven games before being dropped by the Braves, who figured he was more likely to get through waivers unclaimed than Thorman.

[...]

The plan is for Franco to report later this week to Rome and play at least a few games a week in August to stay in shape before returning to the major league roster. Cox said Franco might also play some for Class A Myrtle Beach, if he decides to take his family to the coast for a few days. “If he just plays three or four games every eight games, that’s plenty,” Cox said. “We just want him to stay in shape.”

It’s rather odd for a guy you want on your playoff roster to be facing the worst pro pitching, but I guess when you’ve played as long as Franco, it’s just a matter of not losing your physical conditioning.

 

Barry Bonds Hits 755, Ties Hank Aaron

Barry Bonds hit his 755th home run last night, tying the legendary Hank Aaron atop the Major League Baseball career home run standings.

Barry Bonds 755th Home Run Photo San Francisco Giants

AP’s Janie McCauley:

With a short swing, a half stare and an emphatic clap of his hands, Barry Bonds rounded the bases. After so many days and so many tries, he had finally caught Hammerin’ Hank. “The hard part is over right now,” Bonds said.

High above the field in a private box, baseball commissioner Bud Selig was a reluctant witness to history. Choosing to overlook the steroid allegations that have dogged the San Francisco slugger, Selig watched Bonds tie Hank Aaron’s home run record – his mouth agape, hands stuffed in pockets and nary a cheer on his lips.

No. 755 was a strong shot for all the doubters, an opposite-field drive of 382 feet to left-center, moving Bonds within one swing of having baseball’s pinnacle of power all to himself. It came on a 2-1, 91 mph fastball Saturday night.

“This is the hardest thing I’ve had to do in my entire career,” he said. “I had rashes on my head, I felt like I was getting sick at times.”

And it was a long time coming. It had been eight days and 28 plate appearances since Bonds hit his 754th home run, and he came out for early batting practice Saturday, hoping to break his slump. He did it quickly, leading off the second inning.

“No matter what anybody thinks of the controversy surrounding this event, Mr. Bonds’ achievement is noteworthy and remarkable,” Selig said in a statement.

Quite so. Of course, the idea that 28 plate appearances constitutes “a long time” between home runs, let alone for a man in his 40s, says something about Bonds’ career.

And how’s this for supreme irony?

Bonds hit the tying homer off a former Giants draft pick who was suspended in 2005 for violating baseball’s minor league steroids policy.

ESPN’s Eric Neel:

Barry Bonds 755th Home Run ESPN Graphic At 7:29 p.m. local time Saturday, in the top of the second inning, Barry Bonds hit career home run No. 755 off Padres pitcher Clay Hensley. It was the first home run he had ever hit off Hensley, who became the 445th different major league pitcher to surrender a home run to Bonds.

It came on a 2-1 pitch, a 91-mph fastball. The swing was clean and true, hands back, head in, follow-through a study in grace and power. The crack of the bat was sharp, familiar, prodigious. The ball flew 382 feet on a low, sharp line to the opposite field, over the left-field fence and off the facing of the second deck of seats at San Diego’s Petco Park.

The sellout crowd came to its feet — some cheering, some booing. Bonds’ teammates burst from the dugout to await him at home plate, and he circled the bases quickly, clapping his hands on his way to first, and slapping a celebratory high-five with Giants coach Glenn Hoffman as he made his way around third base.

Barry Bonds 755th Home Run Photo Hugs Son Nikolai His 16-year-old son Nikolai stood at home, holding his father’s bat in his right hand, shifting from foot to foot. As Bonds crossed the plate, father and son shared a hug, whispering something in tight, touching foreheads, squeezing each other as if the room were their own and not a stadium full of 42,000 onlookers.

The crowd stayed standing, at full throat, cheers and applause still crashing over a steady undercurrent of boos, a blend of appreciation and allegation. Cameras flashed from every corner and level of the park as Bonds’ teammates, in an impromptu receiving line, led by manager Bruce Bochy and second baseman Ray Durham, congratulated him one by one, each man with his own hug and handshake, bench coach Ron Wotus with a kiss.

Bonds’ family, wife Liz and 7-year-old daughter Aisha Lynn, came to the foul-ball netting in the first row of seats behind home plate. Bonds reached through to hold their hands and leaned in to kiss them before making his way to a seat in the dugout.

There was no chanting, no “Barry Sucks.” People didn’t turn their backs or throw things. Adam Hughes, the lucky fan who caught the home run ball, held onto it. The crowd stood again in tribute (again with a mix of cheers and jeers) when Bonds took the field in the bottom of the inning. Bonds took off his cap and made a small wave toward the stands down the third-base line.

And that’s as it should be. Barry Bonds certainly isn’t the only slugger to use performance enhancers.

 

Braves Cut Julio Franco, Want Him Back

Julio Franco is once again without a team, as the Atlanta Braves cut him to make room on the roster for Octavio Doctel.

Julio Franco Atlanta Braves Photo The Braves would like the 48-year-old Julio Franco to stay with the team either as a player or player-coach in the minor leagues. Franco could then be brought back to the big league team when rosters are expanded in September. Julio Franco was designated for assignment and put on waivers Wednesday, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the popular first baseman’s playing career with the Braves is over. If he makes it through waivers without being claimed in 72 hours, the Braves would like the 48-year-old to stay with them either as a player or player-coach in the minor leagues. Franco could then be brought back to the big league team when rosters are expanded in September. But he won’t be playing much first base now that the Braves have Mark Teixeira, the switch-hitting slugger they got in a seven-player trade with Texas on Tuesday.

“We’re hoping he’ll take an assignment in the organization,” said Braves manager Bobby Cox, who said it was difficult telling Franco the news Wednesday.

Franco was dropped from the roster 13 days after the Braves signed him to a free-agent contract following his release by the New York Mets. “It’s really hard, because he’s doing so well,” Cox said. “He’s been fantastic.” The oldest player in the majors, Franco hit .250 with three doubles and seven RBIs in 11 games for the Braves, including 8-for-24 (.333) with three doubles and five RBIs in his past seven games. “He gave us spark,” Cox said, “not only catching the ball, but hitting. He was a tough out.”

Franco has indicated he would stay with the Braves if not claimed by another team.

The Braves cleared two roster spots for bullpen newcomers Octavio Dotel and Ron Mahay, acquired in trades Tuesday. Reliever Jose Ascanio was optioned to Class AA Mississippi.

One suspects Franco will once again clear waivers, as he did two weeks ago. It’s unlikely he’s an upgrade at first base for most contenders and teams out of the hunt tend not to have a lot of use for 48-year-olds hitting .250.

 

Mark Teixeira Homers, Hits 500th RBI in Braves Debut

Mark Teixeira had a spectacular debut with the Atlanta Braves, hitting a home run, and four RBI, including the 500th of his short career.

Mark Teixeira First Braves Home Run Photo  Mark Teixeira powers 2-1 pitch over the wall in left-center for his first homer with the Braves and his 14th overall. Brant Sanderlin/AJC

The AJC’s David O’Brien:

The press box caught fire the night of Fred McGriff’s first game with the Braves in 1993. In Mark Teixeira’s Braves debut, Houston Astros pitchers were torched.

Atlanta’s refortified lineup of sluggers and count-workers scored seven runs in the first inning and got a three-run homer from Teixeira in the sixth during a 12-3 rout of the Astros at Turner Field in Teixeira’s Braves debut.

“I hope the fans are ready for a great pennant race,” said Teixeira, a switch-hitting slugger acquired from Texas in a major trade Tuesday. “I know I am.”

“Tex” hit cleanup and went 1-for-4 with a walk, two strikeouts and four RBIs. He did a curtain call after his homer, tipping his helmet from the dugout steps as a crowd of 30,785 gave the former Georgia Tech star a standing ovation.

[...]

Teixeira hit 140 homers in his first four major-league seasons, and has 14 in 79 games this season. He picked up his 500th career RBI on a bases-loaded walk in the first inning in his first Braves plate appearance.

Teixeira was the first player to hit a homer in his Braves debut since Jeff Francoeur in his major-league debut July 7, 2005. “They’re ready for you, Tex,” Francoeur said, motioning to a crowd of reporters around the newcomer’s locker.

Teixeira was activated Tuesday after coming from Texas in a trade for five Braves prospects. But he didn’t get into town until midway through Tuesday’s game but didn’t play until Wednesday.

“With all the built-up excitement, I was ready,” he said. “I was ready to play at 10:30 this morning. … First night, big win, scoring a lot of runs — this team’s energized. This is going to be a fun lineup to hit in.”

Left-hander Ron Mahay, who came from Texas in the same trade, pitched a scoreless eighth inning with a walk and a strikeout. Octavio Dotel, a trade acquisition from Kansas City, pitched a perfect ninth with a strikeout.

Teixeira drew a first-inning walk against Wandy Rodriguez, who allowed eight runs in four innings and fell to 1-8 with an 8.16 ERA in 12 road starts. He got his first Braves RBI before his first official at-bat — actually even before his first swing, as Teixeira took the first seven pitches from Rodriguez (7-10). It was the third consecutive walk after Yunel Escobar’s leadoff double.

 

Why did the Yanks trade ‘Everyday’ Scott Proctor?

Did Brian Cashman trade away Scott Proctor to force Joe Torre to use other bullpen options? Yes, according to Tyler Kepner -

On July 8, the day before the All-Star Game break, the Yankees led the Angels by 10 runs when Scott Proctor was sent in to pitch the eighth inning. To the Yankees’ decision makers, this was an obvious sign that Manager Joe Torre would probably always favor Proctor over a pitcher just up from the minors, no matter how promising that pitcher seemed.

So when the trading deadline arrived at 4 p.m. yesterday, the Yankees took away Torre’s go-to reliever, shipping Proctor to the Los Angeles Dodgers for the utility infielder Wilson Betemit.

The Yankees refused to trade the Class AAA starter Ian Kennedy or center fielder Melky Cabrera for the Texas Rangers’ Eric Gagné, who went to Boston. They also rejected the Atlanta Braves’ late offer of Bob Wickman for Kyle Farnsworth, a potential swap of relievers in which the Yankees would have had to pay the remainder of Farnsworth’s salary.

The Proctor trade cleared the way for two converted starters, Joba Chamberlain and Ross Ohlendorf, or for Edwar Ramírez to assume an important role in the Yankees’ bullpen. Ramírez, who went two weeks without pitching when he was with the Yankees in July, will probably be recalled today.

Good to see that Edwar will (perhaps) finally get the chance he deserves. If Joba comes up and pitches anywhere close to how he has in the minors, he’ll be an immediate upgrade over Proctor. Betemit is just 25, and despite batting just .231, has an .834 OPS (thanks to his great eye and good power), he plays solid D at 3b, and can also play SS.

 

Atlanta Braves Deadline Deals Make Them World Series Contender

The Atlanta Braves traded their top three prospects at the deadline in order to get a big time hitter and a possible closer. That may hurt them in the long term but the players on the roster now are jumping for joy.

The Braves boldly traded seven homegrown prospects or young players to fill a few big needs Tuesday, and in doing so sent a message that resonated in the clubhouse. “We’ve got the team to win the World Series,” catcher Brian McCann said. “We already had a good team before these moves. This is a statement — John Schuerholz saying we can win a World Series now.”

Schuerholz, the general manager, said his intent wasn’t to send a statement. But folks take notice when you do what the Braves did:

    – Sent five prospects including Jarrod Saltalamacchia to Texas for first baseman Mark Teixeira and left-handed reliever Ron Mahay.

    – Traded Kyle Davies to Kansas City for closer Octavio Dotel.

    – Traded two pitchers to San Diego for left-hander Royce Ring.

Schuerholz said the flurry before Tuesday’s trade deadline signaled only this: Desire to win the NL East and get to the playoffs. “We like our chances now,” he said. “Got to be happy after a day like this. Real happy.”

The New York Mets ended Atlanta’s run of 14 division titles last season and are leading again. The Braves were 4-1/2 games behind them and 1 1/2 behind Philadelphia before Tuesday. “We hope the end result is we win because of it,” Schuerholz said. “There’s no guarantees in baseball. My intent was to get the best players possible and make this team as strong as possible.”

He and assistant GM Frank Wren did that, said Braves veterans. “My hat’s off to John and Frank,” third baseman Chipper Jones said. “They did a good job setting us up for the last two months of the season. I’m real excited. I can’t imagine they could have done more. I like our chances to get in the playoffs. And I think we’ll be a formidable opponent [with a chance to] win it all if we get there.”

Pitcher Tim Hudson said, “I think we’re a much better ballclub [after the trades]. Now it’s up to us to out and perform, and get this organization back on the right road.”

The Braves traded five of their top 18 prospects, including their top three in Baseball America ratings: catcher Saltalamacchia, shortstop Elvis Andrus, lefty Matt Harrison. They traded two other pitchers who were in their top 20 prospects list: lefty Beau Jones and right-hander Neifi Feliz. They traded Davies and Will Startup, two young pitchers with strong local ties.

They traded a lot of guys who figured to be part of their future. “We had to; that’s what it took to make these deals,” said Schuerholz, who’s under contract through the 2008 season, same as manager Bobby Cox. Both are 66. “The good news is, we have the depth of talent in our minor league system that’s so valued by other teams, we’re able to make these deals,” Schuerholz added.

They traded for the best available hitter, Teixeira, and one of the best available relievers, Dotel. “The lineup we have, to me it’s the best lineup in the NL,” right fielder Jeff Francoeur said. “We maybe didn’t get the starting pitcher we wanted, but maybe we go out and just outslug people now.”

Cox, himself a former GM, said it’s hard to give up prospects, but “This guy [Teixeira] is an impact player. You’ve got to give up a lot to get a guy like that. He’s a great middle-of-the-order hitter. All the teams in baseball would love to have him, and we were the lucky ones who got him.”

Cox said he would bat Teixeira in the “middle” of the order, but wanted to talk to his hitters before announcing exactly where. “You’ve got a guy like Kelly Johnson hitting eighth, Francoeur hitting seventh,” Jones said. “A lot of people would like to have a lineup that deep. Fortunately, John Schuerholz is on our side, and he got it for us.”

The Braves got Ring, 26, from the Padres in exchange for lefty Wilfredo Ledezma, who was designated for assignment Sunday, and lefty prospect Startup, a former University of Georgia standout who was 3-2 with a 2.23 ERA in 42 appearances at Class AAA Richmond. Ring was 4-0 with a 1.99 ERA for the Padres’ Class AAA affiliate, with 44 strikeouts in 31-2/3 innings. In 15 games with San Diego, he had a 3.60 ERA with 17 strikeouts in 15 innings. He’ll be assigned to Richmond, but should be up with the big club before the season is over.

Dotel had a 3.91 ERA in 24 appearances and converted 11 of 14 save opportunities for the Royals. He’ll be in a setup role and provide a closer option if Bob Wickman struggles. The Braves might consider trading Wickman — trades can still be made, provided a player first clears waivers. Dotel’s .264 opponents’ average includes a .132 average with runners in scoring position. He’s making $5 million, and has a $5.5 million player option for 2008 — an option the team can void.

[...]

Most industry analysts say the Braves improved their roster more than any other team at the deadline, with the Teixeira trade their most significant July deal since getting Fred McGriff in 1993. Teixeira is under the Braves’ control through the 2008 season, then can become a free agent. “I’ll worry about next year, next year,” said Schuerholz, which seemed an apt summary.

I’m always a bit leery of GMs mortgaging the team’s future as they’re about to ride into the sunset. Schuerholz doesn’t have much incentive to worry about 2012, after all.

Still, they’re getting two players who can definitely help contribute now in exchange for guys who may never deliver down the road. A few years ago, they let several deals die because teams were demanding Wilson Betemit, considered by most experts to be a can’t miss superstar-in-the-waiting. He turned out to be a mediocre player at best.

The question is whether adding these guys will put the Braves over the top. The consensus has been that they need another big-time starting pitcher and they didn’t get that. If they traded away the future and don’t even make a run, this will go down in history like the Minnesota Vikings trading away a bevy of picks for Herschel Walker. If the Braves make it back to the World Series, though, it’ll surely be worth it.

UPDATE: AJC’s Jeff Schultz agrees.

I never understood that whole “Annie” philosophy of some sports franchises. The sun will come out tomorrow? I’m sorry, but when was the last time a major league team issued a ticket refund for today because the tomorrows never quite panned out? When was the last time salary cap space recorded a rebound, or a smoking minor-league prospect in Richmond softened the blow of a 7-2 loss and a $6 hot dog in the majors?

The Braves made a significant decision Monday. They traded tomorrows for todays. This is the way it’s suppose to work.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia might have star stamped on his forehead. Nobody really knows. But with Mark Teixeira, we don’t have to guess. He’s already there. There’s a reason nurseries sell a lot more plants than seeds.

[...]

Don’t look at this as, “Sure, but we’re toast in 2008 and Schuerholz won’t care because he’ll be gone.” You would be missing the point. Franchises can’t get away with dealing top young talent every year, but this was the right time for the Braves. Andruw Jones likely isn’t affordable after this season. There have been health issues with Chipper Jones and John Smoltz. The window is closing on this bunch.

True enough. The Fred McGriff deal back in 1993 ignited a team that was much, much further back in the division than this, back in the days of two divisions and no wild cards. Another World Series ring would certainly be a fitting way for this bunch of veterans to go out. And, hopefully, the Braves can continue to restock the farm with young talent.

ESPN’s Jayson Stark:

If you needed the events of the last few days to figure out that John Schuerholz might be the greatest general manager who ever lived, you’ve been watching way too much Arena League football. But sometimes we all need to be reminded of what genius looks like. And watching Schuerholz work this week was like watching Einstein scrawl e=mc² all over again.

“I love making deals with John Schuerholz,” said one GM on Tuesday. “When you’re making a deal with John, he gets right to the point: ‘Would you do this — yes or no? And no hard feelings if you say no.’ He’s a breath of fresh air in our business. I wish more guys were like him.”

By the time Schuerholz was through, he had given up a future superstar in Jarrod Saltalamacchia — plus the players Baseball America had rated as his No. 2 (Elvis Andrus), No. 3 (Matt Harrison), No. 14 (Beau Jones) and No. 18 (Neftali Feliz) prospects. Not to mention a starting pitcher (Kyle Davies) quite a few people in his organization didn’t want to give up.

So to make deals for the pieces he needed, he didn’t rob anybody or hoodwink anybody. He paid retail.

But what did he get? A player whom one GM called “the Carlos Beltran of this market” — Mark Teixeira. A late-inning strike-you-out reliever — Octavio Dotel. And two left-handed relievers (Ron Mahay and Royce Ring) for a bullpen that had no left-handers before Tuesday.

“I guess John didn’t like that empty spot out there where they didn’t get to fly that championship banner from last year,” laughed one NL executive. “Are they the best team in the East now? That, I don’t know. They never did get that starting pitcher they needed. But did they make the best deals of anybody to get better? They sure did that.”

BP’s Joe Sheehan has, like me, “come around on this deal from the Braves’ standpoint.” While giving Salty up is hard to swallow, the truth of the matter is that the Braves already have a terrific young catcher in Brian McCann and it’s by no means a sure thing that Salty could make the transition to first base from a defensive standpoint.

I noted in my chat yesterday, and on radio in Austin, that Saltalamacchia probably would have given the Braves 75-80 percent of Teixeira’s production for a lot less cost. I think that underrates Teixeira, in no small part because the defensive difference between the two players is substantial. Saltalamacchia is a converted catcher, while Teixeira is an above-average glove man at first. This assumes the Braves would have gone ahead with Saltalamacchia, rather than continuing to play Julio Franco at first. The gap between Teixeira and Franco can’t be measured with existing technology.

This deal also gives the Braves additional lefty depth in Ron Mahay, and in total makes the Braves two, perhaps three wins better over the last two months. Those wins might be the difference in an National League that’s bunched together like a peloton. I can’t help but think of 1993, when John Schuerholz picked up Fred McGriff from the Padres. McGriff was terrific for the Braves in the second half, proving essential to their one-game win over the Giants in the Last Real Pennant Race. Teixeira doesn’t have to lead the Braves to 104 wins to have a similar impact.

True, especially since there’s always the wild card if they can’t run down the Mets. Still, if they collapse in the first round of the playoffs — as the 1993 team did (albeit that meant the NLCS in those days) — then the deal will be a bust, especially if they can’t sign Teixeira for the long haul.

Then again, as Jay Jaffe reminds us, Schuerholz has historically been quite astute at judging which “hot” prospects to deal away.

Yesterday’s almost-consummated big trade between the Rangers and Braves—principally Mark Teixeira for Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Elvis Andrus—prompted BP intern Pete Quadrino to exhume the study I did a couple of years back regarding prospects traded by Atlanta GM John Schuerholz. While Jason Schmidt and Jermaine Dye remain the cautionary tales, they’re the exceptions rather than the rule when it comes to Schuerholz’s track record. In my study, I found that only six out of the 80 traded prospects (arbitrarily defined as having not accumulated 502 plate appearances or 162 innings in the bigs) had thus far managed 10.0 WARP post-trade, a “career of consequence.”

If Salty and Elvis wind up being the equivalent of Dye and Schmidt, this will be a bad deal even if Teixeira is another Fred McGriff. If they wind up being Wilson Betemit and Melvin Nieves, then it’s a great deal no matter what happens this year.

 
 


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