Now that the 2014 Atlanta Braves season is ending with a whimper, no one is whimpering more than me. Last March, I made nine bold predictions for this year. Out of those nine, I got one right. I said B.J. Upton would struggle again this year (not exactly going out on a limb there, right?). On the other eight, much like the Braves of 2014, I whiffed.
B.J. Upton and umpires didn’t see eye to eye
But I did not argue with the umpire, or ask for a review. I marched back to the dugout, and realized that confession would set me free. In baseball, 1-for-9 is a batting average of .111. It’s why I was always chosen last in high school PE games. Let’s review my March of shame:
1. I predicted that Jason Heyward would not bat leadoff, and that he would emerge as a 30 HR, 100 RBI guy. Even though he stayed healthy, it didn’t happen, and I don’t understand why.
2. I predicted Jordan Schafer would win the center field job, and be an effective leadoff hitter. He was not given a chance to do either, and after the Braves dropped him, the Twins picked him up. He’s hitting okay, but hasn’t won the leadoff job there either.
3. I said Chris Johnson was “for real,” even though some observers felt his good 2013 season was a fluke. He struggled, for real, and maybe those observers were right.
4. I said the starting pitching was “a wreck,” following the season-ending injuries to Brandon Beachy and Kris Medlen. Actually, following a Wren-ovation by the recently dismissed GM, the starters pitched well enough to win 100 games with a decent offense.
5. I said Freddie Freeman would get even better this year, and said he would be a future Hall of Famer. Well, there’s still time for that, but this year he took a step back. There were rumors he was upset when his buddy Dan Uggla was released. For whatever reason, Freddie’s power stroke disappeared at a time his team desperately needed runs.
6. I predicted Ramiro Pena would end up playing second base instead of Dan Uggla, which did not happen. Various people replaced Uggla, none with any long-term success. Pena, LaStella, Gosselin, Bonifacio and Pastornicky all plugged the hole, putting up 3 home runs from a position for which the Braves paid $65 million for Uggla’s power.
7. I said this would be Andrelton Simmons’ breakout year at the plate, and that he would be an MVP candidate. Wrong. He actually regressed in 2014, going for the fences and swinging himself into a corkscrew several times a game.
8. I lavished words of praise on GM Frank Wren. Yes, he found some decent starting pitching, but his other acquisitions in recent years were flops, and the Braves are stuck with many of them for a long, long time.
Umpire Sam Holbrook and B.J. Upton have a friendly disagreement about the strike zone.
So there you have it, I got B.J. Upton right, and everything else wrong. My faulty foresight has been exposed. Now, let me turn this around, and share some happy hindsight, because a lot of things went right for the 2014 Braves!
Craig Kimbrel
1. Craig Kimbrel. Thankfully, he had another healthy year, and is still baseball’s best closer. The Braves gave him very little to do in September, because they almost never had a lead in the 9th inning. But when they did, he was lights out, all year long.
2. Roger McDowell. The pitching coach has proven he’s one of the best in the game. Given a starting pitching staff made up of kids, castoffs and free agents, he guided them to a great season, despite no run support.
3. Jason Heyward and Andrelton Simmons (both, on defense). I’m glad opposing teams hit the ball to these guys a lot, or it could have been a lot worse. Both are human highlight films, giving 100% on every play.
Timothy Miller brings it home
4. Timothy Miller. “The Tenor Lion” batted 1,000 again this year, singing “God Bless America” flawlessly at many home games, to a standing ovation each time. Simply the Best.
5. Jim Powell. The Voice of the Braves in the post-Ernie/Skip/Pete era. He is a gift to Braves fans.
6. Mark Bowman. The MLB.com beat writer writes great game stories, and communicates with fans on Twitter in a friendly, engaging way. And here’s a shout-out to AJC columnist Jeff Schultz, who’s always brutally honest, and often hilarious.
7. The pregame radio pairing of Ben Ingram and Chris Dimino. Ben is an excellent host, and Chris has obviously studied a few thousand baseball games. He pulls no punches, and his candor is refreshing.
Tom Hart talks this fan into giving out his phone number. That went well.
8 Tom Hart. The sideline reporter’s interviews with fans this year were Emmy-worthy. He’s smart, smooth, and funny. When he filled in as a booth commentator, he displayed his knowledge of the game. Tom’s going places, enjoy him while you can.
9. Braves game event staff. From amazing organist Matthew Kaminski, to the video production team, to the staffers who honor our Veterans, they do a great job keeping even non-fans entertained. There’s always something to see and do between innings.
10. Braves fans. Having survived 1984-90, when a few hundred fans would show up for meaningless end-of-season games, it’s been a pleasant surprise to see decent crowds during this dismal September. Kudos to my fellow Choppers.
B. J. Upton and baseball, going different directions.
Finally, some random thoughts: I’m mixed on whether Fredi Gonzalez should return as manager. No doubt, he’s a good guy, and most players love him. But those fundamentals: outfielders taking odd routes, making bad decisions and terrible throws. Wild pitches, passed balls, pitchers and catchers not on the same page. Poor bunting skills, batters who can’t move up runners. Guys trying to hit it 500 feet when a base hit is needed. You can’t blame Frank Wren for this stuff.
The mystery of Dan Uggla. I did cartwheels when the Braves obtained him in 2011. “Finally, a right-handed, power-hitting middle infielder!” 5 years, $65 million? I didn’t care. Then he had one good month for the Braves, before he was let go early in the 4th year of his 5-year deal. Next year, he’ll collect his final $13 million, for… nothing. Hard-earned money from the wallets of Braves fans. I know that’s not his fault, and he’s certainly not the first big-money bust…but could you do that? Just wondering.
One more prediction: I think Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw will win National League MVP, although I’d vote for Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen. Kershaw should be a unanimous Cy Young Award winner, but McCutchen seems to put his team in a position to win every day. Kershaw fans, don’t worry: I don’t have a vote. And judging from the predictions I made earlier this year, I sure as heck don’t deserve one!
Now, your reward for reading all the way to the end: here’s the 2001 Braves post-game celebration after winning their tenth straight division title in 2001. It’s filled with locker room champagne, lots of laughs, and a brilliant end-of-season TBS credits montage, to the music of Aerosmith’s “Dream On.” Watching those balls fly over the fence just might make you smile. Enjoy!
