News
Deep rotation restores Braves' promise
Jurrjens, Hanson, Vazquez help form new guard in Atlanta
By Mark Bowman / MLB.com
10/05/09 1:56 AM EST
ATLANTA -- The Braves separated themselves from their storied past and looked toward a future that was brightened by the pitching dominance that provided them the opportunity to enter the final week of the 2009 season with legitimate playoff hopes. For the first time since 1987, the Braves utilized a pitching staff that didn't include a single appearance from either Tom Glavine or John Smoltz, both of whom were jettisoned at separate moments during this calendar year.Still with Javier Vazquez and Jair Jurrjens ranking among the game's top starters and Tommy Hanson living up to his tremendous expectations, the Braves found themselves with a starting rotation that was arguably deeper than all of those great ones that had been anchored by Smoltz, Glavine and Greg Maddux.
Because the Braves' offense was a mess during the first three months of the season, the club wasn't able to fully take advantage of the early success enjoyed by Vazquez, Jurrjens and Derek Lowe, whose inconsistencies didn't start to develop until the end of May.
Like he'd successfully rebuilt his starting rotation with the offseason acquisitions of Lowe, Vazquez and Kenshin Kawakami, Braves general manager Frank Wren skillfully filled his most glaring offseason needs with the midseason acquisitions of center fielder Nate McLouth, first baseman Adam LaRoche and outfielder Ryan Church, who will always be remembered as the player obtained from the Mets in exchange for Jeff Francoeur.
While McLouth and Church might not have lived up to expectations, the Trade Deadline deal that brought LaRoche back to Atlanta provided the powerful spark the Braves needed during a season in which Chipper Jones and Brian McCann both endured prolonged rough stretches at the plate.
LaRoche served as the final piece to a puzzle that started to take shape once Martin Prado and Matt Diaz were provided the opportunity to play on an everyday basis.
After the All-Star break, the Braves ranked among the National League's elite and finally put everything together during a 15-2 stretch that enabled them to enter the season's final week trailing the Rockies by just two games in the NL Wild Card standings.
The second seven-game winning streak of September was erased by the first of the two consecutive losses to the Marlins that virtually erased any legitimate hope for the playoffs visiting Atlanta this year.
Still, while the Braves were disappointed that they didn't take full advantage of the strong pitching staff that they possessed this year, there was reason for them to enter the offseason with a sense of optimism.
With Jurrjens and Hanson, the Braves possess a pair of impressive 23-year-old right-handers who have the ability to keep things bright in Atlanta for many years to come. Vazquez showed enough dominance to prompt the club to keep him beyond the 2010 season and Tim Hudson returned from Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery in time to prove he could still prove valuable into the future.
With the 2009 season still fresh in their memories, the Braves can currently only wonder about what might have been. But as the days and weeks of the offseason progress, they can only hope that their late charge was a sign of things to come.
Here's a quick look back on this past season:
Record: 86-76, 3rd-place in National League East.
Defining moment: When Diaz got picked off third base to end the Sept. 30 game against the Marlins, the Braves were staring at a microcosm of their season. After being dominated by Anibal Sanchez's 16-strikeout performance, they rose to life with a pair of ninth-inning runs and loaded the bases before seeing their determined comeback attempt come up just short. This loss put them four games back in the NL Wild Card standings with just four games to play and erased all of the momentum they'd gained while winning 15 of their previous 18 games. What went right: Vazquez's return to the NL rejuvenated his career and provided the Braves with the legitimate veteran front-line starter they needed. Still it's hard to argue that his season was that much better than the one enjoyed by Jurrjens, who avoided a sophomore slump and further proved that why his advanced maturity sets him apart from many of the game's other young pitchers. Hanson would be the ace on many staffs and during his first four months in the big leagues, he has already provided indication that he's ready to fill that role in Atlanta. Right-hander Peter Moylan returned from Tommy John surgery and proved both dependable and durable enough to record a franchise record for appearances. Yunel Escobar erased the mental blunders that marred his performance during the first half and further proved why he has the potential to be one of the game's top shortstops. What went wrong: The early offensive woes were a product of McCann battling blurred vision in his left eye for nearly five weeks and the struggles endured by both Kelly Johnson and Jordan Schafer, who either wasn't ready to fill the role as the club's center fielder or spent two months playing with a wrist injury that should have sidelined him. After a decent first month, Francoeur began slumping again to the point he was traded to the Mets on July 10. Lowe pitched like a front-line starter for seven weeks and then never encountered another dominant stretch over the season's final four months. Biggest surprise: Given how effective he was at the end of the 2008 season, maybe it shouldn't have been surprising to see how Prado performed after he was given the chance to unseat Johnson at second base at the end of June. The Venezuelan infielder provided consistency from both the offensive and defensive perspective and just as importantly played with an infectious fire on an everyday basis.Mark Bowman is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
