News-Record.com

Update: The Braves still can't hit. They beat my hometown Nats 2-1 on a 9th-inning, 2-out, 2-run throwing error by Cristian Guzman. Ugh!

You do have to feel good for John Smoltz, though, no matter your rooting interests. His third straight outstanding start, yet he was one out away from falling to 0-4.

I'm still undecided about the notion of Smoltz as a starter, although after that disastrous Opening Day he does seem to be getting his act together. Too bad he's getting no run support. Unlike Glavine and Maddux, he consistently brought his A game to the postseason, and I hope he gets the chance to do so again this year. But, yeah, they need a bat big-time. Maybe Casey can do for them what McGriff did when he came over. That would rock.

Lex, as a fellow Braves fan, you can probably appreciate this.

This is starting to remind me of the 1991 season. Great pitching, a pop-gun offense. Remember the playoffs that year? Tons of 2-1, 1-0, 3-2, gutwrenching affairs. Only a red-hot Mark Lemke - how often do you get to say that? - kept the Braves in it for as long as they lasted.

Actually, let me clarify. This is either 1990 or 1991 over again. Or maybe something slightly in between. In 1990 the Braves had very good pitching, but absolutely no hitting. How bad was it? When they signed Sid Bream after that season, he was considered a major offensive upgrade at first base. Yikes.
So in 1991, with Bream and Terry Pendleton on board, and a whole lot of good karma stored up from the horrific 80's, the Bravos began their current stretch of playoff runs. But here's how the 91 team - and the 92 team - were different from the ones that followed: they were actually a better playoff team than they were a regular season team. The reason? Big-game pitchers like Smoltz in 1991 and the young Steve Avery in 1992. After that point in history, the Braves relied more on Maddux, a great day-in-day out pitcher, perhaps the greatest of all tiime, but not the dominator you need in the playoffs. That's when everybody chokes up on the bat, lays off the junk pitches and starts playing for the team, not for another contract.
Bringing this Faulkneresque analysis to a close, the Braves can regain that 1991 spirit - and even take it a step further in the playoffs - if they get that extra bat. If not, they'll be watching the playoffs at home for this first time since 1990. This offense is that bad.
Having said that, I don't know what sort of payroll parameters the Braves are operating under. Back in the good ole days when Cpt Ted had full control of the team, this wouldn't be a question. But with those Time Warnsr suits calling the shots , I don't know if they'll let my boy Schuerholz add to the payroll to bring in a guy like Casey.
There, I'm done ... for now.

Jim, that was exactly my point on Maddux (and Glavine). Don't have the stuff to dominate in October.

While I enjoy your walk down memory lane, I prefer to recall the '93 Braves, who were lights-out in the regular season, winning 104 games, but wildly inconsistent at the plate in October.

If I remember correctly, the Phillies won games by scores of 5-4, 4-3, 2-1 and 6-3. They lost 14-3 (I was there -- that was painful) and 9-4. Last weekend, the Braves went to Philly and won 11-4 with 5 homers, then lost 2-1 and 2-1. It's looking like this Braves team isn't capable of scoring 11 runs in a game more than once a season.

How nice of you - and convenient - to bring up the 93 postseason. The only thing I remember about those playoffs was Joe Carter cranking an inside fastball over the leftfield wall and dancing around the bases in Skydome.

Nope, don't think these Braves are '93 material. That team and the '96 squad are my biggest Braves disappointments. Teams that were the best in baseball but that just didn't get it done in October.

Uh, I have no recollection of that.

Actually, it was a hanging slider. Mitch bleepin' Williams. Thanks for bringing that up. Really appreciate it.

I don't know if the team is as bad offensively as perhaps they've appeared early in the season.

Yes, they've lost some big bats - Sheffield, Lopez, Drew - in the last couple of years, but what's left isn't terrible. Furcal and Giles are potent at the top of the order and you know Chipper is going to have a better season than he did last year (he was off to a great start before his recent minor injury). Andruw (hopefully) is starting to heat up after a terrible first two weeks of the season. And Estrada and LaRoche are solid.

Having said that, the Braves definitely could use another big bat. And I'm with Jim - I don't know that the penny-pinchers at Time-Warner will let them make a deal like they did in '93 by trading for Fred McGriff.

Personally, I'm much more worried about the closer's spot than the offense. Kolb has done nothing so far to inspire any confidence. He almost coughed up another one last night before this John Foster kid saved his bacon.

Well, since I first started this thread, the Braves have scored 636 runs and reeled off about 40 straight wins. They lit up the Phillies' and Mets' pitching staffs. Forgive me for having doubted the star potential of guys like Pete Orr (no relation to fellow Canadian Bobby Orr). Should've learned my lesson last year when WCU's Charles Thomas made a name for himself playing LF for the Bravos.

The Braves' farm system isn't turning out the big-name talent it did 10 years ago, but it's still producing better than most.