Up to Speed
To whomever might be out there, my apologies for neglecting to post for a while. I'm not sure why I decided to start a blog when I'm having trouble keeping up with my other sites. Impulsivity, perhaps, or just a desire to experiment with the medium. Anyway, funny thing about these blogs: they don't update themselves.
Let's start with the last-minute trades: there aren't any, and there might not be any before the door slams at four this afternoon. Why? Because what they have right now is destroying the opposition. The past week or so, they have looked like the Big Red Machine of the mid-'70s -- a hulking but agile vehicle of destruction capable of turning around and coming back after its prey if it missed it the first time. No one turned their backs on those guys. If they couldn't win the game outright, they'd find a way to steal it. Especially Pete. In addition to being the most ferocious player (no double-entendre intended) in the game, Pete was the king of the deke. There's no telling how many runs he saved just by yelling "foul ball" on shots hit down the line. And although it was never widely publicized, they, like many other MLB teams of the day, believed in better living through chemistry (greenies, that is -- no "clear" or "cream" for the upwardly-mobile pro athlete in those days). But they were more than just tricksters and speed freaks. They were masters of fundamentals with a fearsome offense and a napoleonic manager that was willing to throw his entire bullpen at any lineup on any given night. They were never, ever, out of a ball game.
But I digress. Or do I? There are, after all, some similarities between the Big Red Machine of the mid-'70s and the Braves of the mid-whatever-the-hell-decade-this-is, the most glaring of which is miserly ownership. The first thing they did after winning the World Series for the second year in row in '76 was to trade Tony Perez to the Expos for an aging journeyman starter and a reliever with a 100-mph fastball that he couldn't get over the plate to save his ass. Maybe Leo could have done something with them, but Russ Nixon couldn't. The two of them together could not equal a pimple on the great Tony Perez's ass, but they were cheaper than Tony. Much cheaper. They were counting on Tony's backup Dan Driessen, who had turned heads with his performance as DH, to step into his shoes. He didn't. I think he hit about .230 the following year.
My point is, such could be the fate of the Braves in a couple of years under the niggardly ownership of AOL-Time-Whatever-the_F---. Jeff Francoeur, for example, is putting up Rookie of the Year numbers (he needs 130 at-bats & has 42, so he will likely be eligible if he plays every day as Bobby says he will) and everyone is going nuts about him; but one of these days he will be quite expensive, and when the Braves don't pony up, he will go elsewhere. Likewise for Kyle Davies (remember Millwood?), Kelly Johnson, Macay McBride, Blaine Boyer, and possibly even Wilson Betemit. Have I left anybody out? Probably. Thus my point is further illustrated.
I hate to be a doomsayer during good times, and that's not what I'm trying to be here. The way the Braves have done business has worked for them, and they will likely have a competitive team for many years to come if their farm system remains healthy and they don't suffer any more cut in payroll. The latter "if" is, unfortunately, the bigger one.
Posted by MHB
at 11:38 AM EDT
Updated: Sunday, 31 July 2005 4:05 PM EDT