In all seriousness, and not because I'm a Braves fan, what the Bill achieved is nothing to be scoffed at. They lost 4 straight Super Bowls, which earned them infamy, but the fact is that they made 4 straight Super Bowls. That feat is unmatched, and there are several franchises that have not even made one single Super Bowl. There can be only one team that ends the champ. It is quite a feat to finish in second 4 straight times even if Norwood cost them that one that would have put this talk to rest.

 

A lot is made of the Braves failure to win more than the one World Series, and with good reason. They constantly had the best pitching in baseball for most of the 90s but either ran into better teams (Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees), or just choked it away at one stage or another. Five times they won 100+ games and didn't make the World Series, and a couple of times didn't even make the NLCS. None of these things can be sugar coated.

 

However, people act like 14 straight division titles (or even 14 in 15 years if you count the strike season as a miss) just happens every day. It does not. The Yankees are the only ones to come close to this with 10 out of 11 years, which will likely be extended to 10 of 12 this year. If it were such a pedestrian accomplishment then it would be more common. If the Braves get a 2.0 for every division title, then the vast, VAST majority of the teams in baseball either have year after year of D's or F's. Would it be better for the Braves to have turned in more mediocre years like the last 2 than have the success they did?

 

No. It would have been better if they didn't perform their annual dive when they reached the playoffs. It is like a student who does well in class and knows the material but, come test time, he chokes and flunks the test.

 

With three H of F pitchers in the rotation for many years and the fourth starter made up of guys like Avery, Neagle, Leibrandt, and several others, there is no real excuse for losing 13 out of 14- often not getting past the first round. In the playoffs, pitching is probably 85%-90% of the game and they had the talent-by far- and they repeatedly choked.

 

Trading the future of the franchise for "KTex" is proving to be another failure.

 

I, too, am a Braves fan. However, I look at and am familiar with the whole organization and not just the major league club. I will be in MB over the weekend visiting with people in management with the Pelicans (all of whom agree with my analysis of the "KTex" trade). I also look past one year- particularly when the moves to win make no real sense. Now if "KTex" could pitch nearly as well as can Wainwright, it may have been an acceptable trade. Dotel and Mayday are duds.

 

One gfood thing about being a Braves fan. Their schedule rarely interferes with college football after September.

It is crucial that the Braves win 5 of their next 6 games. Those being against the Mets and Phillies. Braves have dominated the Mets this year and will hopefully continue that trend.

 

We have a 9 game homestand in which it goes 3-Mets, 3-Phillies, 3-Nationals. Braves need a 7-2 homestand, heading into a road trip that begins with the Mets.

It is crucial that the Braves win 5 of their next 6 games. Those being against the Mets and Phillies. Braves have dominated the Mets this year and will hopefully continue that trend.

 

We have a 9 game homestand in which it goes 3-Mets, 3-Phillies, 3-Nationals. Braves need a 7-2 homestand, heading into a road trip that begins with the Mets.

 

To no one's surprise, they didn't.

To no one's surprise, they didn't.

I would say, barring a miracle, the braves are toast this year.

I would say, barring a miracle, the braves are toast this year.

 

 

It's starting to look that way.

It should be no surprise to anyone. The amazing fact is that it took so long for some to realize the obvious. It will be no better and probably worse next year. Don't look for much help from the farm system. All of the top prospects are wearing other uniforms.

It should be no surprise to anyone. The amazing fact is that it took so long for some to realize the obvious. It will be no better and probably worse next year. Don't look for much help from the farm system. All of the top prospects are wearing other uniforms.

 

 

Why should anyone have realized anything when the Braves were consistently in the race? Should we Braves fans just said, "Oh well. Kingfish Stevens says the Braves suck, so the Braves must suck! Why bother watching?"

How does that trade look now guys?

How does that trade look now guys?

 

 

The trade was supposed to look great and produce a bundle of wins in the short run. It hasn't worked out that way.

 

People complained that the 18-yeasr-old Andrus, the Braves top prospect, was overrated because he was hitting around .250 at Myrtle Beach. He is now hitting .300 in the California Lague. Informed fans know that the Carolina League is a pitchers's league. Averages near or over .300 are always very few. Many .250 hitters there develop into major leaguers in a couple of years. But, you must be more than a chearleader/fan to know this.

 

Saltalamacchia is beginning to hit for Texas and has his average up to around .260 with 6 homeruns. His future is unlimited. He. too, is a switch hitter.

 

Add to that the three pitching prospects the Braves gave the Rangers, including #1 pitching prospect, Matt Harrison, and you see why the trade was a steal for the Rangers.

 

It certainly gave the Rangers a strong base for the future and, as predicted and as reality is proving, it did nothing in the short range for the Braves. They will still go home after games #162.

 

Halfback20 tends to disagree with Kingfish's analysis. Possibly he should do his homework and become better informed. By the way, I just returned from MB and the overwhelming feeling among officials with the Pelicans is that Schuerholz blundered. How can any knowledgeable Braves fan deny it?

 

Nice rally in both the 8th and 9th innings yeaterday but "KTex" had nothing to do with either of them. But, then, that isn't anything new when

the game is on the line.

How does that trade look now guys?

 

 

Tex won NL player of the month last month. What did Salty do?

 

Don't forget that Tex will be a Brave next season as well...

The trade was supposed to look great and produce a bundle of wins in the short run. It hasn't worked out that way.

 

People complained that the 18-yeasr-old Andrus, the Braves top prospect, was overrated because he was hitting around .250 at Myrtle Beach. He is now hitting .300 in the California Lague. Informed fans know that the Carolina League is a pitchers's league. Averages near or over .300 are always very few. Many .250 hitters there develop into major leaguers in a couple of years. But, you must be more than a chearleader/fan to know this.

 

Saltalamacchia is beginning to hit for Texas and has his average up to around .260 with 6 homeruns. His future is unlimited. He. too, is a switch hitter.

 

Add to that the three pitching prospects the Braves gave the Rangers, including #1 pitching prospect, Matt Harrison, and you see why the trade was a steal for the Rangers.

 

It certainly gave the Rangers a strong base for the future and, as predicted and as reality is proving, it did nothing in the short range for the Braves. They will still go home after games #162.

 

Halfback20 tends to disagree with Kingfish's analysis. Possibly he should do his homework and become better informed. By the way, I just returned from MB and the overwhelming feeling among officials with the Pelicans is that Schuerholz blundered. How can any knowledgeable Braves fan deny it?

 

Nice rally in both the 8th and 9th innings yeaterday but "KTex" had nothing to do with either of them. But, then, that isn't anything new when

the game is on the line.

 

 

All you seem to know how to do is spout out negative gibberish about the Braves. What happened to "agree to disagree"?

 

I do like the low blows you throw in towards Braves fans because they disagree with you. Informed fans may know things about the California league...but this casual fan couldn't really care less. Oh, and now we Braves fans that agreed with the trade aren't even "knowledgeable". :lol:

All you seem to know how to do is spout out negative gibberish about the Braves. What happened to "agree to disagree"? I am not negative as you suggest. I am a realist- an informed realist.

 

I do like the low blows you throw in towards Braves fans because they disagree with you. Informed fans may know things about the California league...but this casual fan couldn't really care less. Oh, and now we Braves fans that agreed with the trade aren't even "knowledgeable". :lol:

 

Halfback20, I don't need to directly respond to your last two posts. You have proven my thesis far better than my mere words could ever do.

 

When the new edition of Webster's comes out, the definition of both "irrelevant" and of "immaterial" will refer to Teixeira's August numbers. If you doubt it, check it out. I already have done so. Be careful. You are approaching the edge of the cliff like all the other lemmings. Being a "casual fan" equates to being less than knowledgeable. There is nothing wrong with being a "casual fan" but it doesn't provide you with sufficient facts to have a learned opinion. I am not a "casual fan".

 

By the way, if the trade were merely Saltalamacchia for Teixeira, it would have been reasonable. You tend to forget the other four top prospects included in the trade. Therein, my "casual" friend, lies the utter foolishness of the move.

Don't look now, but the Braves are right back in the hunt for a playoff sot...

Don't look now, but the Braves are right back in the hunt for a playoff sot...

 

So are the Reds.

So are the Reds.

 

:lol: The Braves are SERIOUS playoff contenders...