Welcome!

Hi. Welcome to the TRobb Braves blog for the 2009 season. Glad you’re here. Looking forward to the season. I’ll be with you on braveshomeplate.com keeping you current on happenings, rumors, contracts, trades and news from the Braves.

I’m shooting for an informed fan’s perspective. I think DOB does a great job with ajc.com and Bowman’s pretty good with mlb.com, but there’s certainly room for an informed discussion among fans – and that’s what I’m going to engage and encourage.

If there are “statheads” and “scoutheads”, I’m a ‘tweener – I value some stats (OBP, OPS, RF) but have no desire to live in Statland; but if you value your eyes to the exclusion of the underlying numbers, you can fall in love with a player and miss the fact that he sucks (see Kyle Farnsworth). So let’s plunge ahead, shall we?

Braves Myths

Reading through the tripe written by national media members and misinformed posters and bloggers, I think it’s important that we address some popular Braves myths that have no grounding in reality.

1. 1. Kelly Johnson is lousy defensively. Actually, he’s not. If you try and get to the essence of defensive second base play, you’re looking for a guy with sure hands, who is accurate, who has range and who turns the pivot.Looking at range factor (2^nd in NL in 2008), fielding percentage (8^th) and double plays/9 (2^nd), it’s clear that Kelly has very good range, middle-of-the-pack hands and turns a nice pivot.

   I think this myth is borne of his very visible dropped pop-up that cost the Phillies game last July. That didn’t mean he sucked; it meant he dropped a pop-up.

   One thing he doesn’t do well is range to his right to make the backhand play. Hopefully, he’s been smoothing that rough edge with tutor Glenn Hubbard in the offseason. Remember, last year was KJ’s second year at 2B.

   Remember, too, that Bill James says in order to optimize your offense, you want to play guys at the toughest defensive position they can handle. KJ’s bat at 2B is far more valuable than KJ in LF. So let’s have a little faith and see if he doesn’t develop a bit more this year.
   
   

2. 2. Chipper can’t run. Chipper is fast. Chipper makes me hold my breath as he goes from first to third on a hit to right field, waiting for him to pop a hamstring or tear a quad or roll an ankle, but Chipper moves very well for a 6’4” guy.
   
   
3. 3. This rotation is nothing special. The last five Braves games (last September) were started by Jair Jurrjens, James Parr, Jose Campillo, JoJo Reyes and Charlie Morton (OK, I might have missed a tomato can in there). All but Jurrjens should have been in Richmond (yes, Campillo had a nice four months).This season, in our first five we’ll start Derek Lowe, Javier Vazquez, Jurrjens, Kenshin Kawakami, and (probably) Tom Glavine. That’s a huge upgrade. In fact, it’s the main reason why you should just throw 2008 out when evaluating the 2009 Braves. Three of them will pitch 200 innings; all could surpass 180.

   We go from a team that doesn’t know what it’s going to get from its starters four out of five days to a team that has a chance to win every day. Not only does that benefit the ballclub from a pitching standpoint, now the hitters aren’t pressing and the atmosphere isn’t depressing. This team can compete – especially if it gets some help in LF.
   
   

4. 4. Chipper can’t play defense. The guy is money. Good reflexes still, accurate arm, makes the barehand play on a bunt or dribbler as well as anyone. Ever, maybe. He’s not going to first anytime soon because he’s a plus defensive player. Well, that and the fact that the Braves have no decent third basemen on the farm.
   
   
5. 5. The bullpen is a mess. Huh? Mike Gonzalez (“The Cobra”) was lights out, even a few klicks short on the radar gun (14/16 saves, 44 Ks in 33 IP). Soriano’s nerve transposition surgery seems to have taken care of his elbow. Blaine Boyer was great ‘til he ran out of gas (3.78 ERA as late as July 23^rd). Buddy Carlyle was as underrated and unappreciated as any reliever in the league last year (62 IP, 1.24 WHIP, 3.59 ERA and 59 Ks in ’08).And they’ve got about nine guys (Bennett, Campillo, Ridgway, O’Flaherty, Acosta, Marek, Logan, Moylan, Stockman) who could win those last three spots on the staff. Gwinnett could go 100-40 with the pitching they’re going to have this year.
   
   
6. 6. The Braves farm is depleted (In the wake of the five prospects going to Texas in the Teixeira deal). In fact, the farm is robust with a number of nice-looking prospects – Tommy Hanson, Gorkys Hernandez, Jordan Schafer, Cole Rohrbaugh, Kris Medlen, Jason Heyward, Freddie Freeman. In fact Baseball America has us rated fourth in MLB. Of course, Texas is first, but still…

Those are the myths that bug me the most. How about you?

Hey everyone, I just got a quick update today as the Braves have invited some non-roster invitees to spring training. Every once in a while one of these players will make the team out of spring traning but for most of them, this is about as good as it will get.

RHPs Rafael Cruz, Emiliano Fruto, Tommy Hanson and Kris Medlen; LHPs Francisley Bueno, Mariano Gomez and Juan Perez); catchers J.C. Boscan, Phillip Britton, Alvin Colina and Matt Kennelly; INFs Brooks Conrad, Freddie Freeman and Brandon Hicks, and OFs Jason Heyward and Jordan Schafer are the players that have been invited.

The Atlanta Braves have signed another starting pitcher this off season as they have agreed on a four year deal with Derrek Lowe. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting that the four-year deal will be worth $60 million. All that needs to be done now is for Lowe to pass a physical and he will be the newest member of the Atlanta Braves.

Lowe, 35, has a career 126-107 record in 12 seasons with Seattle, Boston and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Braves also announced that they have officialy signed Kenshin Kawakami to a three-year contract worth $24 million. We blogged about this signing a couple of days ago and now that Kawakami passed his physical everything is official.

The Atlanta Braves seen John Smoltz sign with the Boston Red Sox this past week and so they went out and signed Japanese pitcher Kenshin Kawakami. Kawakami has pitched the last 11 seasons in Japan’s central league and was one of the best pitchers in the league. Kawakami went 9-5 with a 2.30 ERA in 20 appearances (16 starts) and 117 1/3 innings for the Chunichi Dragons this past season. He missed nearly three weeks in September with a strained back and pitched most of the season in a six-man rotation.

The Braves are also expected to make a formal offer to free agent Derek Lowe on Monday or Tuesday. Lowe would be a great free agent pickup for the team and will make the starting rotation a lot better.

It will suck to see John Smoltz playing for the Boston Red Sox but general manager Frank Wren just couldn’t take another risk on a verteran pitcher coming off of an injury.

Braves Blog

Talk about an up and down week for the Atlanta Braves. First they think that Rafael Furcal will be coming back and then reports saying that he would be choosing between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Braves. Well it now looks like Furcal has agreed on a three year contract with the Dodgers as long as he passes a physical.

The terms of the contract haven’t been released, but all signs are pointing to $10 million per year for three years. Yeah, the same terms that the Braves were offering him. Furcal simply chose to stay on the West coast rather then coming back to play for the Braves.

We wish him luck, but his agent sure played the Braves in this deal.

Looks like I blew the gun a little to quick the other day when I was blogging abotu Rafael Furcal coming back to the Braves. Sources are now saying that the deal was never signed and Furcal is still trying to decide who he wants to play for in 2009. It is down to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves however.

Paul Kinzer who is Furcal’s agent said a deal with the Braves was close but was never signed like it had been reported. Right now, reports are saying that Furcal should be deciding on Wednesday or Thursday.

Keep checking back and we will have an update soon.

The Braves have mostly struck out during the offseason so far as they have missed out on Jake Peavy and A.J. Burnett but it looks like they have found one free agent that they will be spending some money on. Rafael Furcal appears to be headed back to Atlanta once he passes a physical reports are saying.

Furcal was brought into the major leagues by Braves and played with the team from 2000-2005. He has kept his home in suburban Atlanta even though he has played the last couple of seasons out in Los Angeles with the Dodgers.

The contract is being rumored to be for three years with a vesting option for a fourth year. I expect it to be close to what the Oakland A’s were offering in the $10 million per year range.

Most Braves fans are now wondering what the teams plans are with Yunel Escobar and Kelly Johnson. Both of them have been rumored in past trades. I still expect Furcal to be a shortstop, and then Escobar or Johnson to play second base. The other player could be the main guy out and possibly still moved this off season for some starting pitching.

What’s your thoughts on the deal?

Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves and Chicago White Sox have now officialy completed a six player trade that will send starting pitcher Javier Vazquez to the Braves along with left handed reliever Boone Logan. The Braves will be sending four players to the White Sox including shortstop Brent Lillibridge, catcher Tyler Flowers, left-handed pitcher Santos Rodriguez and third baseman Jon Gilmore

The trade was first talked about earlier in the week but the Braves wanted to have a physical and mri done on Vazquez to make sure everything was ok. That all happened on Wednesday and the trade was officialy announced Thursday morning.

“It’s a fresh start for me,” said Vazquez, who went 12-16 with a 4.67 ERA in 33 starts for the White Sox this past season. “I’ve always liked the National League more than the American League. Being able to be a part of all facets of the game is important to me.”

Atlanta Braves

As of right now it doesn’t look like Jack Peavy will be an Atlanta Brave as the San Diego Padres are just asking too much in return for Peavy. The Chicago Cubs are also very interested in the Peavy and have become the front runners to gret him Buster Olney of ESPN is reporting.

The Braves could still build a trade around shortstop Yunel Escobar, center fielder Jordan Schafer, pitcher Charlie Morton, and one more pitching prospect possibly but one player they will not deal is pitching prospect Tommy Hanson.

Keep checking back here at Braves Home Plate for more Braves Rumors!

The Atlanta Braves gave up four runs to the Philadelphia Phillies in the bottom of the eighth inning as they lost 6-2. The Braves thought they would have a shot in the top of the ninth but after giving up four runs, that thought was quickly gone.

Jeff Bennett was charged with three of the four runs in the eighth inning. He had a terrible outing as he took the loss. However it was Julian Tavarez who gave up the big blast when Pat Burrell took him deep for a three run home run.

Braves starting pitcher Jair Jurrjens gave up two runs on five hits in seven innings to get the no decision.

The Braves didn’t have much offense as both of their runs came on a two-run home run by Kelly Johnson. Johnson now has 12 home runs on the season. It’s too bad that the rest of the offense struggled all night long.

Braves Blog