Hello, and welcome once again into the world of professional sports in the ATL. We’ve reached the halfway point in another baseball season, so the time has come to check in once again on our very own boys of summer. But before we talk about the Braves, let’s take a look at the offseason moves made (and not made) by Atlanta’s Air force.
As the NBA draft approached, the Hawks were reportedly considering several players as candidates for the fifteen overall pick. Bobby Portis of Arkansas, Kelly Oubre of Kansas, and Kentucky’s Trey Lyles were all mentioned as possibilities. Fine, I thought. Any of these guys could fit well into coach Bud’s system. I made it home from a busy day just in time to see Atlanta end up with: Tim Hardaway Jr?
That’s right. After a pair of trades, the Hawks ended up with a small forward who spent his first two pro seasons with the woeful Knicks. As you may have guessed, my initial reaction to this development was: what? But once the surprise wore off, I realized that Hardaway, who is the son of former Golden State star Tim Hardaway Sr (Utep two-step, anyone?), could be the next DeMarre Carroll and improve on the 11.5 points per game he averaged for the Knickerbockers.
Speaking of Carroll, who recently signed a four year, $60 million contract with Toronto, it was clear to most fans that the Hawks would be unable, or at least unwilling, to resign him for the money he could get elsewhere. Faced with keeping Paul Millsap, who stayed with Atlanta for three years and $59 million, it just won’t feasible to pay Carroll as well. Besides, as much as I love everything Carroll did for the Hawks, don’t forget that prior to playing in coach Bud’s system, he never averaged more than six points per game. While I’d love to see Carroll continue to excel, I have my doubts that he can put up the kind of numbers he did in 2014-15 under another coach.
On to the Braves, who through Sunday, July 5, stood at 40-42. While not a great record by any means, it is definitely better than most predictions called for midway through the season. As unlikely as it seems, the Bravos are only six games out of first place, and remain in the hunt in the mediocre National League East. Since we’re halfway home, a few thoughts on the season thus far:
-John Hart really had a good offseason. While some of the moves he made were controversial, many of them have paid off. My vote for his best? Sending Craig Kimbrel and Melvin (BJ) Upton to San Diego for Matt Wisler, Cameron Maybin, Jordan Parocheck, and Carlos Quentin. As much as I hated to see Kimbrel go, Maybin has put up career best numbers so far, hitting .294 with 7 homeruns, 39 RBI, and 15 stolen bases. Also, Wisler looks like a future star. In three starts he has gone 2-1 with a 2.61 ERA.
-Jace Peterson could be our second baseman of the future. Though he has cooled off lately, he has driven in 35 runs, stolen 8 bases, and filled a prominent hole in the lineup as the lead off hitter while doing an excellent job in the field.
-Freddie Freeman is as vital to the Atlanta lineup as any player in the National League is to his. While they were never exactly menacing to opposing pitchers this season, without Freeman, who has missed the last 16 games with an injury, they’ve been quite anemic. From June 21 to June 26, the Braves scored a grand total of five runs in five games.
-Some of the veterans the Braves brought in are performing above expectations. In addition to Maybin, a few others are really getting the job done. A.J. Pierzinski has basically taken over the starting catcher job, deftly handling the young pitching staff while hitting .267 with 5 home runs. Journeyman Kelly Johnson has filled in in leftfield and at first base, hitting .265 with 6 home runs and 25 RBI. Jason Grilli, the 38 year old closer, has converted 22 of 24 save opportunities while striking out 42 in 31.2 innings.
-Julio Teheran has struggled, while Shelby Miller has excelled. Teheran, who was supposed to be the Braves ace, has been wildly inconsistent. He’s been great at home, posting a 5-0 record and a 2.04 ERA, and downright awful on the road, where he has gone 1-4 with a 7.40 ERA and allowed 11 home runs in 48.2 innings. Miller, by contest, has been nothing short of dominating. While his record stands at just 5-4, his 2.04 ERA and 88 strikeouts have put him in consideration for a spot on the NL All Star roster. Only a lack of run support has prevented him from being mentioned in the CY Young conversation.
As I’ve mentioned in earlier posts, no one expected much from the Braves this season. In fact, the only thing I asked of them was that they stay relevant until football season approached. I predicted that they would be a .500 team, and so far, that is about what they have been. But due to the weakness of the NL East, they are in the conversation when it comes to playoff contention. I love the scrappy play, especially after watching last year’s team, which couldn’t have hit a beach ball had the opposing pitcher floated one up there. Here’s hoping that they can keep it up.
That does it for now. I’ll be back soon with more thoughts on the NBA free agent period, and more analysis of the Braves as they grind through the long season. I’m also working on something special for you veteran fans, and I hope to have it ready in a week or two. In the meantime, keep the faith Atlanta. See you soon!
Edge of the Abyss: Pro Sports in the ATL 