light servings

Just a few notes I wanted to get down before I forgot...

1. Okay, after that last Braves post, things have gotten even worse. The series against the Cubs was very discouraging. But, to read other blogs, especially on AJC, it appears many fans are blaming Bobby Cox. Have these people forgotten about the 14 division titles in a row? Did Cox have nothing to do with those. Has he all of a sudden forgot how to manage. Of course he hasn't, so lay off of the team for now and give them time to figure it out. Or go be a Mets fan and whine about every single bad break your team gets. This is why they play the games people, wins aren't automatic, as much as we've been spoiled into believing they are. I'm going to try and remain patient for the time being and not call for drastic changes on the team yet. Besides, I wasn't too optimistic going into the season anyway.

2. I'm going out on a limb and predicting Stuart Appleby will win the U.S. Open. I think he's due to win a big tournament and he's proven in the past he can get on a hot streak and play out of his mind. This is the perfect week to do it. Tiger's injured, and Phil, well let's just say Phil can never play by the book. Yeah, the book says Phil is due this week but things with him just never make sense.

Are the Braves toast?

It's now June 11, and the Braves are struggling pretty bad. They got swept by the Phillies in a 3 game series and just lost in another ugly game to the Cubs yesterday. They've lost 4 in a row, are the proud owners of a 7-22 road record, and are currently 6.5 games out of first.

But, on the other hand, things aren't as bad as they seem. They have some key players injured and/or underperforming who hopefully will come around soon. Injuries to Mark Kotsay and Matt Diaz in the outfield are obviously hurting the team. Kotsay is nursing a recurring back injury and Diaz has a torn knee ligament but both are expected to be back before too much longer barring any setbacks. Obviously, Chipper has been out a few games with a strained quadricep. That's a lot of productive players who are out of the lineup right now.

One key player for the remainder of the year will be Jeff Francoeur. He's hitting around .250 right now, which is well below his career average of .276. So, he should gradually be able to get his average back to where it should be. In my opinion, his performance will have a big impact on whether or not the Braves are able to compete for the division title. There are no guarantees, but I find it very likely that Francoeur will come around and the players I mentioned will get healthy soon. When this happens, there's no reason they shouldn't get back on track.

Braves fans in music video form

Check out the new video from "Tito and the Gun Show," the two Braves fans who last year became known for performing a song in tribute to Mark Teixeira. Pretty entertaining guys, keep up the good work. Always to see the Mets get knocked down a notch or two.



H/T: http://thebaseballbeat.wordpress.com/2008/05/31/mets-v-braves-on-youtube/