NL East

[willdtarheeler]

Re: NL East

Dont forget about Horacio Ramirez, he is a very good and very young pitcher. Also, Paul Bryd is still on the team and he had 20 wins 2 years ago, if he's healthy, that would be 4 solid starters. If Mazzone can work his magic with John Thomson, the Braves will be cooking. Plus there is super pitching prospect Bubba Nelson, who will be in the rotation by July IMO

[Sully]

Re: NL East

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />
willdtarheeler said:
Dont forget about Horacio Ramirez, he is a very good and very young pitcher. Also, Paul Bryd is still on the team and he had 20 wins 2 years ago, if he's healthy, that would be 4 solid starters. If Mazzone can work his magic with John Thomson, the Braves will be cooking. Plus there is super pitching prospect Bubba Nelson, who will be in the rotation by July IMO

<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">

Horacio has some potential, Byrd is a huge question mark as is Thomson.
The Braves are going to score some runs, but they're going to give up a heck of a lot too. That's something you're not accustomed to when you hear about the Braves pitching staff.

[Sully]

Re: NL East

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />
willdtarheeler said:
Dont forget about Horacio Ramirez, he is a very good and very young pitcher. Also, Paul Bryd is still on the team and he had 20 wins 2 years ago, if he's healthy, that would be 4 solid starters. If Mazzone can work his magic with John Thomson, the Braves will be cooking. Plus there is super pitching prospect Bubba Nelson, who will be in the rotation by July IMO

<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">

Horacio has some potential, Byrd is a huge question mark as is Thomson.
The Braves are going to score some runs, but they're going to give up a heck of a lot too. That's something you're not accustomed to when you hear about the Braves pitching staff.

[Sully]

Re: NL East

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />
willdtarheeler said:
Dont forget about Horacio Ramirez, he is a very good and very young pitcher. Also, Paul Bryd is still on the team and he had 20 wins 2 years ago, if he's healthy, that would be 4 solid starters. If Mazzone can work his magic with John Thomson, the Braves will be cooking. Plus there is super pitching prospect Bubba Nelson, who will be in the rotation by July IMO

<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">

Horacio has some potential, Byrd is a huge question mark as is Thomson.
The Braves are going to score some runs, but they're going to give up a heck of a lot too. That's something you're not accustomed to when you hear about the Braves pitching staff.

[ultimatewrstlr51]

Re: NL East

i think that the braves will do decent this year, but i do not expect them to win over 80 games this year. im actually glad though that we did get rid of some of our players and have a new young lineup. That might sound weird but i think that this new young lineup will be more energetic about winning then our veterans in the past. maddux/glavine/millwood and all those others we lost in the past were used to winning games and divisions. then come playoff time, they werent excited or energetic about winning since they were so used to it. so the other team came away with it cause they wanted it more. now that we have young guys, maybe we can get the wild card and go all the way.

[ultimatewrstlr51]

Re: NL East

i think that the braves will do decent this year, but i do not expect them to win over 80 games this year. im actually glad though that we did get rid of some of our players and have a new young lineup. That might sound weird but i think that this new young lineup will be more energetic about winning then our veterans in the past. maddux/glavine/millwood and all those others we lost in the past were used to winning games and divisions. then come playoff time, they werent excited or energetic about winning since they were so used to it. so the other team came away with it cause they wanted it more. now that we have young guys, maybe we can get the wild card and go all the way.

[ultimatewrstlr51]

Re: NL East

i think that the braves will do decent this year, but i do not expect them to win over 80 games this year. im actually glad though that we did get rid of some of our players and have a new young lineup. That might sound weird but i think that this new young lineup will be more energetic about winning then our veterans in the past. maddux/glavine/millwood and all those others we lost in the past were used to winning games and divisions. then come playoff time, they werent excited or energetic about winning since they were so used to it. so the other team came away with it cause they wanted it more. now that we have young guys, maybe we can get the wild card and go all the way.

[devilsjaw]

Re: NL East

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />
Sully said:
</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />
willdtarheeler said:
Dont forget about Horacio Ramirez, he is a very good and very young pitcher. Also, Paul Bryd is still on the team and he had 20 wins 2 years ago, if he's healthy, that would be 4 solid starters. If Mazzone can work his magic with John Thomson, the Braves will be cooking. Plus there is super pitching prospect Bubba Nelson, who will be in the rotation by July IMO

<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">

Horacio has some potential, Byrd is a huge question mark as is Thomson.
The Braves are going to score some runs, but they're going to give up a heck of a lot too. That's something you're not accustomed to when you hear about the Braves pitching staff.

<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">
I think the Braves offense might see a little decline this year after losing Lopez and Sheffield. Drew is good, but won't put up the same numbers as Sheffield. They ahve an unproven first baseman now, and I doubet Johnny Estrada will put up Javy Lopez like numbers, although he will be an improvement defensively.

[devilsjaw]

Re: NL East

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />
Sully said:
</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />
willdtarheeler said:
Dont forget about Horacio Ramirez, he is a very good and very young pitcher. Also, Paul Bryd is still on the team and he had 20 wins 2 years ago, if he's healthy, that would be 4 solid starters. If Mazzone can work his magic with John Thomson, the Braves will be cooking. Plus there is super pitching prospect Bubba Nelson, who will be in the rotation by July IMO

<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">

Horacio has some potential, Byrd is a huge question mark as is Thomson.
The Braves are going to score some runs, but they're going to give up a heck of a lot too. That's something you're not accustomed to when you hear about the Braves pitching staff.

<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">
I think the Braves offense might see a little decline this year after losing Lopez and Sheffield. Drew is good, but won't put up the same numbers as Sheffield. They ahve an unproven first baseman now, and I doubet Johnny Estrada will put up Javy Lopez like numbers, although he will be an improvement defensively.

[devilsjaw]

Re: NL East

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />
Sully said:
</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />
willdtarheeler said:
Dont forget about Horacio Ramirez, he is a very good and very young pitcher. Also, Paul Bryd is still on the team and he had 20 wins 2 years ago, if he's healthy, that would be 4 solid starters. If Mazzone can work his magic with John Thomson, the Braves will be cooking. Plus there is super pitching prospect Bubba Nelson, who will be in the rotation by July IMO

<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">

Horacio has some potential, Byrd is a huge question mark as is Thomson.
The Braves are going to score some runs, but they're going to give up a heck of a lot too. That's something you're not accustomed to when you hear about the Braves pitching staff.

<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">
I think the Braves offense might see a little decline this year after losing Lopez and Sheffield. Drew is good, but won't put up the same numbers as Sheffield. They ahve an unproven first baseman now, and I doubet Johnny Estrada will put up Javy Lopez like numbers, although he will be an improvement defensively.

[SportsorDeath]

Re: NL East

One more thing that I haven't seen a lot of people talk about too much is how scary it is that Philly also brought in Tim Worrell.

If Wagner somehow falters at all or gets injured (a slight possibility considering how violent his arm action is), then they have Worrell to step right in. Some people may think last season was a fluke for him, but he was lights out and has been really solid for a few years now.

With both of them healthy, and another good year from Rheal Cormier, their 'pen is about 500% improved. If Wagner goes down for any length of time, they shouldn't miss a beat.

I think Atlanta can hang pretty close for a while, and you know they are always scrappy and play hard, but I just don't see them putting up anywhere near the same amount of runs this year. They are gonna have to try and play small ball a lot more this year, something that may not mesh all that well with the pitching staff they are gonna break spring training with.

It truly looks like Philly's division to lose.

[SportsorDeath]

Re: NL East

One more thing that I haven't seen a lot of people talk about too much is how scary it is that Philly also brought in Tim Worrell.

If Wagner somehow falters at all or gets injured (a slight possibility considering how violent his arm action is), then they have Worrell to step right in. Some people may think last season was a fluke for him, but he was lights out and has been really solid for a few years now.

With both of them healthy, and another good year from Rheal Cormier, their 'pen is about 500% improved. If Wagner goes down for any length of time, they shouldn't miss a beat.

I think Atlanta can hang pretty close for a while, and you know they are always scrappy and play hard, but I just don't see them putting up anywhere near the same amount of runs this year. They are gonna have to try and play small ball a lot more this year, something that may not mesh all that well with the pitching staff they are gonna break spring training with.

It truly looks like Philly's division to lose.

[SportsorDeath]

Re: NL East

One more thing that I haven't seen a lot of people talk about too much is how scary it is that Philly also brought in Tim Worrell.

If Wagner somehow falters at all or gets injured (a slight possibility considering how violent his arm action is), then they have Worrell to step right in. Some people may think last season was a fluke for him, but he was lights out and has been really solid for a few years now.

With both of them healthy, and another good year from Rheal Cormier, their 'pen is about 500% improved. If Wagner goes down for any length of time, they shouldn't miss a beat.

I think Atlanta can hang pretty close for a while, and you know they are always scrappy and play hard, but I just don't see them putting up anywhere near the same amount of runs this year. They are gonna have to try and play small ball a lot more this year, something that may not mesh all that well with the pitching staff they are gonna break spring training with.

It truly looks like Philly's division to lose.

[rsox]

Re: NL East

This will be the hardest season Bobby Cox will have had to manage since 1991, turning the Braves from a worst-to-first team, Russ Ortiz has to be the ace of the staff, Mike Hampton has to regain his pre-Colorado form, and John Smoltz has to be healthy, they can not afford for him to miss more than a month of the season like he did last year, The Jones boys have to carry the offense, which is still going to suffer, or the Braves may end up having there first losing season since 1990.

[rsox]

Re: NL East

This will be the hardest season Bobby Cox will have had to manage since 1991, turning the Braves from a worst-to-first team, Russ Ortiz has to be the ace of the staff, Mike Hampton has to regain his pre-Colorado form, and John Smoltz has to be healthy, they can not afford for him to miss more than a month of the season like he did last year, The Jones boys have to carry the offense, which is still going to suffer, or the Braves may end up having there first losing season since 1990.