Braves Skipper Shuffles Lineup

Skipper Cox's Lineup Changes Lead To Wins?

Bobby Cox hasn't always been a huge person on switching the Atlanta Braves lineup around, but, I guess things change, right? What a surprise! The Braves' skipper shuffled the lineup for the Braves, and since then the Braves have won every game, scoring many runs, rallying, and playing great baseball. So here's the question - Will he stick with this lineup? Some of you probably don't think so, but it looks like it's working! As long as it is working, it shouldn't be changed. Cox's notorious lineup changes could make the Braves serious contenders in the division! If their was one thing I would do different, it would be to put Schafer at leadoff. He is the only speed threat, and has a great OBP. It certainly must be better than KJ, and KJ hits better low in the lineup. Swap them, and the Braves could be near unbeatable! I will be taking a closer look to the moves Bobby make and I will be studying them. I hope to see more great decisions!


-DeepRally / Clyde

Fantasy Stew with Chef TK

A BRAVE NEW WORLD

Hey kids. Every week I am bringing to the kitchen here at Atlanta Braves Nation a hosh posh of fantasy info, advice, and personal tips I hope can help you all reach the promise land in your fantasy leagues. Bascially, let's win you a stimulus package. To kick things off, I start respectively with a new brave.

They say pitching is contagious. Or was it swine flu? Lets hope the first is the case when talking about Kris Medlen. He gets the nod against the Rockies tomorrow night and sports a 5-0 record with a 1.96 ERA with AAA Gwinett. At first glance, Medlen appears more likely to hand Chipper a new bat than someone who should taking the mound but don't let the baby face fool you. He has a 44/10 K:BB ratio and should settle in nicely to the rotation. I believe you should take a chance on Medlen but dont expect a long term fix. Medlen is known to go after batters so alot is up to the defense behind him as well as his ability to shake off the Major League nerves. Also, the 5th spot for the braves seems destined to be a revolving door this season. Still, if Medlen can at least keep the Rockies in the park and have a decent outing, you'll be set up for great upside his next starts.


QUICKIES

David Ortiz has finally hit his first homer. Hurry up and buy low.

I'm not buying Raul Ibanez keeping up this pace. Citizen Bank Park in all its cupcake glory can be quite the mirage. Why do i sense a winter cool off in June?

David Wright has quietly regained form. Sit back and enjoy the homers.

Jimmy Rollins might have cement shoes the entire season when explaining his SBs but i still think he will turn things around...see if a owner has had enough.

In Detroit you should be riding the Rick Porcello train not the D Train.


ANSWER TIME!

Which 3-4 hitter combo do you like better?

* Tex and Arod

* Mauer and Morneau

B-mac is Back!

B-Man is back and hopefully so are the Bravos. Brian McCann entered Spring Training like a whole new guy. He lost the weight that had been slowing him down, worked on his batting in the off-season, and stepped up to the plate to become one of the new club house figures and essential power hitters. But his ealry spring training success ended abruptly with eye problems within the first few weeks of the regular season.

But he's back and already has proven that he is a key to the Bravos success. 

So you might ask, why not to worry about the Braves. The Braves are only two and half games behind the division-leading Philadelphia Phillies. And the moment he put his new Oakley sunglasses on - magic happened. McCann went 3-for-4, giving him four hits and five RBIs in the two games since his return. And he know, as well as all Bravo fans should know that, “We haven’t played with our [full] starting lineup until the last two days, really,” said McCann. 

Don't forget, B-Man hit .301 last year, with an on base percentage of .373, 23 HRs and 87 RBIs. He already blasted 3 HR's and 11 RBIs and is in the best shape of his career. Bravo fans - don't loose hope. I have a feeling the April showers are gone and the Braves are ready to get hot in HotLanta. 

BE AGGRESSIVE

Chip and Joe brought up an interesting topic tonight during the game. The duo suggested that the Braves become more aggressive on the base-path and I completely agree with them. Since the Braves are not going to be smacking the ball out of the park, they need to find a way to put runs on the board in a quicker and more efficient manner. 

Rookie Jordan Schafer has the speed to swipe 20-25 bags a year. Schafer has an excellent first step and strides through the diamond smoothly. Yunel Escobar is another interesting player. Yunel, is one of the more aggressive base-runners on the team, but at the same token he is prone to make bonehead mistakes on the basepath. If Matt Diaz, Garret Anderson (currently on the DL) and Brandon Jones do not start showing that they are worthy of being slotted into the Braves lineup then we will be forced re-call Gregor Blanco who was arguably one of the best Braves base-runners last year.

A Case for Brandon Jones

Two years ago I went to Braves Spring Training in beautiful Lake Buena Vista, Florida. If I recall correctly, we crushed the Tigers largely because of a young out-fielder's bat, Brandon Jones. Jones displayed power, patience and promise during the game. At the time, I wasn't sure if the Bravos lineup could handle a third Jones on the team and was positive that another year in the minors would benefit Jones to becoming a better ball player.

Last year, Brandon Jones had a .261 batting average in 116 for the Atlanta Braves. He notched 16 RBI's and a HR. 

Overall I believe Brandon Jones would contribute to the current Braves lineup more than backup 1B/OF Greg Norton (who is currently 0-11). Jones could serve as a backup OF coming off the bench, and with the news that Garret Anderson may be headed back to the DL, B. Jones could be given a shot to compete for the starting job in LF. Jones has line-drive power and a good glove. His only lurking issue at the Major League level is his plate discipline. Last season Jones struck out 24% of the time. If he can become a more patient hitter his natural athleticism will pay off and Mr. Jones will become a key role player on the Braves bench. 

Dump the Slump

The Atlanta Braves began the 2009 season by heading into Philadelphia and taking two of three from the World Champs. Following a successful stint in Pennsylvania the Braves swept the Nationals at the Ted. All the woes from the past few seasons seemed to be in the rear-view mirror. The only lurking hole was the bullpen.  

After going 5-1 the Braves dropped 5 straight. The Braves eventually took the series finale versus the Pirates, but are now 6-7 after dropping last nights game to the 1-win Nationals. As a Braves fan I am mildly concerned with where this team is headed. The off-season appeared to be successful. Wren revamped our starting pitching by adding two veterans and Kenshin Kawakami, a SP deemed a better version of the Dodgers Hiroki Kuroda. 

Brian McCann visited an eye-specialist today to receive treatment for his blurred vision. The good news is that apparently his sight problems have been solved with some contact lens. On the other hand, Garret Anderson appears to be headed to the DL to recover from a strain in his left quad. Makes me wonder if signing Tommy Glavine to a 1-year deal was necessary and if the Braves should have forked over some more money for a more reliable OF such as Bobby Abreu. I would not be surprised if the Braves end up dealing some of starting pitching for a power bat. The Braves have a surplus of SP's and could definitely use another pop in the lineup.  

Overall, it is still fairly early and the difference between this Braves team and the past years is that this team expects to win. The Braves are not going to allow the team to continue to fail; most of the players have missed out on the playoffs the past three season and I am sure they have that craving to play post-season ball in October. 

I woke up this morning with the biggest smile on my face. Not only did I turn 31 years old today, but MLB is back! And well, the biggest present of today is that the Braves are taking on the Phillies at 8 pm tonight.

The Braves had an impressive Spring Training in the Grapefruit League. By acquiring a new set of pitchers, the Bravos have made it clear that they will focus on pitching this year - a key aspect of the Braves success in the 90's.

With McCann in the best shape he has been in years, we can only imagine how much he is going to be a pitchers nightmare. Chipper Jones, who recently locked up a 3-year, $42 million extension with the Braves is like a fine wine as Mr. Braves seems to be getting better with age. The past three seasons Chipper has had an OPS higher than 1.000 and a batting average higher than .320. Look for Javy Vazquez to be a sleeper for 200 strikeouts and Jair Jurrjens to tally 14-15 wins. A healthy bullpen will translate into success for the Braves. Jordan Schafer, who recently was announced the starting CF for Opening Day has potential to snag 20-30 bags giving the Braves much needed speed on the base-path. Frenchy's strong play in Spring Training should boost his confidence heading into the most important year of his career thus far.

Please join us for a Live Chat and Live play-by-play coverage of the Atlanta Braves vs. Philadelphia Phillies at 8 pm EST tonight!

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Let's go Braves!