The 2010 Braves

I have come to the point in my life where I realize that how a sports team performs really does not have any impact on my life. There is so much more that is truly important. That being said, part of the routine in our household is to have the Braves game on the TV once the kids have been put to bed. My wife and I both enjoy watching baseball in general, and particularly the Braves. And after 4 weeks of watching the current edition of the Braves, I have to say ...

... OMG!! As a former coach and player of many sports, I'd like to think I have a pretty good understanding of how a particular game should be player. Watching the Braves play baseball is often excruciating. They are so flawed fundamentally. They cannot hit a cutoff man, lay down a bunt, move a runner, turn a key double play, ... , you name it. The poor pitching staff, which right now is the ONLY things holding this team together, knows that they cannot afford to make even ONE mistake, because the absolutely anemic offense cannot score. Baserunning gaffes, striking out with a runner on 3rd with less than 2 outs, ... , I can go on and on. But now I shift to individuals.

Chipper Jones - Has anyone even played the game with less passion than Chipper? And instead of working harder in the off season/spring training to try and maintain his 38 year old body, it sounds as if (from some accounts I have read lately) his regiment for preparation is not much more than a quick jog and cracking his knuckles. The sad thing is that this Braves team HAS to have him playing 150 games and producing like the 25 year old Chipper in order to be competitive. That just isn't gonna happen. He is done, and I look for him to fade away when Bobby retires at the end of the year. I remember Chipper saying many times that once Bobby is gone, he is done as well.

Terry Pendleton - Yes, he was a very successful player and may well be a successful manager down the road, but my goodness, the approach the Braves have to hitting under his watch is laughable. Quick, name me a player that came to Atlanta and found his swing under his tutelage. (Okay, maybe Prado, but that is IT over a 10 year period) He has turned Nate McLouth from an all-star to an instant out. Jordan Schafer comes to the show as a top hitting prospect and then immediately can't hit anything. on the flip side, Francouer and Kelly Johnson are both hitting over .300 since they left Atlanta. I could go on and on ... but in summary, it is absolutely painful to watch most of the Braves hit.

Yunel Escobar - A flake. Very talented, but I cannot name a player with more regular mental lapses than Escobar. Again, painful to watch.

As far as position players go, Prado, McCann and Heyward are keepers and everyone else is expendable. I respect Bobby Cox for his teams' accomplishments over the years, but it is time for some new blood there as well. There is speculation that Pendleton will step for Cox, but I'm not sure that is the best thing at this point.

In the meantime, I foresee another painful summer of watching Braves baseball.

Changes in College Athletics

Something needs to be done to reel in college athletics. Here are some ideas to think about.

http://www.ajc.com/opinion/a-game-plan-to-427183.html