2009 Atlanta Braves

[Heisman316]

Here goes to hopefully reclaiming the NL East title with Javy Vasquez!

Post away about the Braves.

Also, does anybody know when and where FanFest will be this year? Last year it was at the Congress Center on Jan 12th.

[Sportsforever]

It truly seems so long ago that we were a good team and winning division titles. I remember when the only question going in was if the Braves would clinch by Labor Day....oh well.

This team is bad and they've had a bad offseason. If acquiring Javier Vazquez is your big move when you have so many holes to fill than you are in trouble. The only way I see the Braves competing for the East next year are if the following occur:

1) Chipper stays healthy and plays 150+ games (not going to happen)
2) Jeff Francouer bounces back and posts a .280/30/100+ line.
3) Matt Diaz is healthy and hits .300+ while playing LF every day.
4) Someone steps up and contributes in CF (probably Blanco at this point).
5) Tyler Hansen develops quickly and supplements the rotation behind Jair and Vazquez and Campillo is as effective again.
6) The disaster that was our bullpen recovers.
7) The Mets/Phils get hit with injuries.

Looking at that list, I don't see most/all of that happening. Based on the Braves roster as of today, I forsee a 4th place finish just ahead of the Nats.

[TheMatrix31]

To be fair, we win half of those one-run road losses and we're right back in the thick of a Wild Card chase.

This team sucks, but it's not THAT bad.

[Sportsforever]

Quote: Originally Posted by TheMatrix31

To be fair, we win half of those one-run road losses and we're right back in the thick of a Wild Card chase. This team sucks, but it's not THAT bad.

You know, I said that after 2006 and 2007. Rob Neyer wrote an article on 1-run games about 10 years ago in which he showed that it's really luck who wins those. When you see a team have a good year unexpectedly (like the 2003 Royals), you can often see they had a great record in 1-run games. Naturally I expected that 2006 the Braves just had bad luck and that things would even out in 2007 and 2008. At this point I just think we can't win those games because our pen is so bad. We used to win those games...now we lose them.

[Kohlstar20]

When Javier Vazquez is our "big" offseason acquisition you know this team is destined for another bad season. The fact is Frank Wren hasn't done enough to even give this team a chance to win the wild card. Don't get me wrong as I know he has worked hard to try and land a few guys this offseason and has just ran into some bad luck. However he needs to remain aggresive and find us an ace along with a power bat to hit cleanup. Unless hes able to do that within the next 2 months he will be criticized by alot of fans whether its warranted or not.

[Heisman316]

Really guys, it's not Wren's fault. He has tried to get the team an ace. Trying is basically all that matters. I agree with Wren, I wouldn't want to give up Hanson for Peavy anyway. Personally, I think Flowers for Vasquez and Logan was a great trade.

[Kohlstar20]

It's a sad day to be a Braves fan with Smoltz going to the Red Sox. When we lost that 18 inning marathon to the Astros in game 4 of the 2005 NLDS it felt like someone stabbed me in the chest. Never for the life of me did I think I would ever have that same feeling again but today is that day. Smoltz has been the heart and soul of this team for two decades all of which I have followed and without him it's like Braves don't have an identity anymore.

[bravosfan]

Never thought Smoltz would leave. Not after turning down that much higher Yankee offer years ago in order to stay on as closer.

What a crappy offseason.