Braves are smokin

[chillzatl]

The team is looking it's best in years. Great offense, good enough, sometimes great pitching are getting it done. I want a matchup with the cardinals! I want to see where we stand.

This team, right now, has a look that could go all the way. GO BRAVES!

[pathway23]

I agree , they are playing an exciting brand of baseball. They are getting contributions from guys that you never heard of before this year and the vets are coming on board now as well. I think the Braves might end up facing the Cards in the NLCS if Ramirez can come back full strength for the final month + playoffs...

[KB21]

With guys like Andy Marte, Jose Capellan, Jeff Francouer, Daniel Meyer, Kyle Davies, Wilson Betemit, Jake Stevens, and Macay McBride coming up through the ranks, the Braves will just continue their success.

See, unlike the New York Yankees, the Atlanta Braves understand the importance of player development through the minor league's. Want to know why New York wasn't able to buy Randy Johnson at the trade deadline? They have one of the five worst minor league systems in baseball. The Yankees don't scout or develop amatuer talent worth a damn.

[Admin]

Although the Yankees do not have a very good farm system right now, its not because they cant scout talent. Its because they have been trading away top prospects for years and have also been drafting at the end of the draft pool for a decade now. Irregardless, the Yankees will be there at the end of the day so although it sucks that we dont have any high level prospects coming up, the Yankees will always win.

"Why do they call it the World Series when its played in the Bronx every year?".

[cyman3]

every time i check, we are not listed in the top 10 (ESPN POWER RANKINGS).

and espn always have Mets or Marlins as the better team in our division...

when will we get the respect? after we win the division?

[Plainview1981]

The team is looking it's best in years. Great offense, good enough, sometimes great pitching are getting it done. I want a matchup with the cardinals! I want to see where we stand.

This team, right now, has a look that could go all the way. GO BRAVES!"

I agree. But I wish the Braves would play the Cubs. I

love that match up.

"See, unlike the New York Yankees, the Atlanta Braves understand the importance of player development through the minor league's. Want to know why New York wasn't able to buy Randy Johnson at the trade deadline?"

1)The Yankees trade all there young talent away.

2)Who has more titles?

It appears the hate for the Yankees gets way too much.

They aren't on my list for favorite teams either. But

look at there sucess. THe Braves farm team haven't won

them a championship in 10 years basically.

[Plainview1981]

But I do think the Braves have a great shot this year. Chipper

Jones looks like a shot player.... But Giles is awesome as

is Charles Thomas. I'm amazed at how healthy JD Drew has

remained. I thought the Braves were taking a huge gamble

on JD but it has worked out... For this year at least.

The Braves seem to have more hungry players this year.

Johnny Estrada has been good. He doesn't hit many HR's,

but he is a solid hitter..... Adam LaRoache doesn't look

like John Olerud... But he hasn't been around that long.

But Julio is my favorite on the Braves. That dude just

keeps on going.

[KB21]

The highest rated prospect the Yankees have had in the past 5 years has been Drew Henson and Nick Johnson. Henson is now with the Dallas Cowboys when his inability to hit a curve ball proved to be his downfall, and Nick Johnson is a midling first baseman with the Expos.

[chillzatl]

I remember several times when you've tried to take shots at the braves for "only winning one series". But your Yankees are a carbon copy of what the braves were for the last half of the 90's. A team built to win games. But lacking the fire it takes to win it all. That's what they've been for the last 3-4 years and it's what they are this year. That's what happens when you build a team around veteren players and sacrifice that young talent.

[chillzatl]

They're starting to take notice.

[Admin]

Alfonso Soriano and Brandon Claussen are the 2 best Yankees prospects over the last 5 years. Soriano has the potential to be the best 2nd baseman in baseball history and Claussen could very well win a Cy Young someday. He was traded for Aaron Boone last year and hasnt gotten a chance to really play yet.

Nick Johnson is right there with them though and as he is recovering from a long term injury he is starting to round back into form.

Your point is a valid one though, the Yankees do have a poor farm system. They are willing to give away any talent that they have for overpriced Veterans and its been a winning formula for them. You cannot debate the fact that its been successul because the ultimate goal is to win the world series which the Yankees have obviously done many many times...........not to be a perennial division winner who doesnt have what it takes to win it all like the Braves have been.

[Admin]

How exactly are the Yankees a carbon copy of the Braves? The Yankees have won 4 of the last 8 world series and have been in 6 of the 8. The Braves have only won 1 world series ever in Atlanta. Sure they got to the world series a good amount of times in the early 90s, losing almost every time.....but thats not exactly what I would call a carbon copy of the Yankees winning the title so many times, would you?

Thats hilarious that you think the Yankees lack the fire to win it all when they have won so many world series rings lately and the Braves havent even been able to get to the world series in years.

We shall see what is the better strategy though. Build your franchise around young talent with the hope that they will turn into big game players for many years to come or build your team around high priced veterans who you know can play in big games and try to win the world series every year. So far, Yankees 4 Braves 1 over the past decade........Yankees with the better record so far this year and a commanding lead in their division.

[KB21]

Best second baseman of all time?

He's far from it. He may have a lot of ability, but at this time, he's just an undisciplined hitter who has some pop in his bat that isn't very good defensively in the field.

Soriano has a lot of pop in his bat for his frame, but the guy's highest OBP in his career is .332. That's not good.

Marcus Giles is a much better overall hitter and a better defender in the field. Giles hits for a higher average, has a higher on base percentage, walks more, strikes out less, slugs at the same rate, and has a higher OPS.

[Admin]

Soriano will possibly be the first ever 50-50 guy in baseball history. He has awesome speed and a ton of power. He reminds me a lot of a young Barry Bonds. They were VERY similar players at the same age and now Barry is being argued by some as the best PLAYER ever.

Soriano is also becoming a much better defensive 2nd baseman, although nobody would ever confuse him with being the best defensively of all time. What makes him have the potential to be the best of all time is that he will almost assuredly be the best ever offensive 2nd baseman of all time (sorry but Giles will never compare offensively to Soriano even with the poor strikeout ratio) and he is an adequate defender as well. In fact, the only legit knock on Soriano is that he strikes out too much and that is the reason why I was happy to see him traded for ARod because Soriano single handedly cost the Yankees the world series last year IMO.

[chillzatl]

while you were busy rattling off how many they've won in the last eight years, you forgot to mention that they haven't won one in the last three years... So stop patting yourself on the back for all those championships they won YEARS AGO and open your eyes.

They are employing the same strategy that the Braves did for so many years and they are getting the exact same results. Lots of regular season wins, lots of trips to the big dance, but not enough fire to get it done once they get there. 3-0 since they dumped all that home grown talent and started trying to buy the series. THREE AND OOOOOHHHHH

I'm sorry you are such a blind fan that you don't recognize it and I don't need to wait to see which system works better. I know, i've seen it done and the yankees have been proving it for the last three years. Buying all that talent an all those players who, in your estimation "know how to win" doesn't win you championships. It takes something special to win a championship and a bunch of aged, high priced players isn't special.

[Plainview1981]

while you were busy rattling off how many they've won in the last eight years, you forgot to mention that they haven't won one in the last three years... So stop patting yourself on the back for all those championships they won YEARS AGO and open your eyes."

Sorry, but all those trips to the World Series is a

hellva lot further than 99% of the teams get every

year. Sure they have been knocked off a few times

by fluke teams like Flordia and the Diamondbacks....

But who else gets to the WS year in and year out?

What have the Braves done? Oh.. got knocked out by

the Cubs....Mets? Oh, they never make the playoffs.... Phillies? When was the last time they were even a

legit contender for something? Expos? lol Astros?

Jeff Bagwell is shot. Not that much of a player

anymore.

It would be exciting to see the Braves and the Yanks

in the WS. I honestly think the Braves would have a

shot at winning. But, you guys are simply hating on

the Yanks for the sucess that they have had. Sure, the

Braves have had plenty.... Even though they play in

a crappy division they still have a great team and

probably will as long as Bobby Cox and Leo are on

the team.

[chillzatl]

I'm not hating on their success at all. I applaud them for it. I hate them as a franchise. But I applaud their championships. But I'm not going to pat them on the [censored] back for getting to the series and losing though. Nobody patted the braves on the back for doing it so many times and falling short.

All I'm saying is that for the last 3 years, their team has been a carbon copy of the Braves of the late 90s. They're trading away young talent for an easy shot and it will not work. Aged, vet players will never have the fire of a young, up and coming player.

They have become the same thing that we got criticized for being for 5 years. A very good team full of aged vet players. Great for winning lots of regular season games. But lacking the mix of young players to give them the fire you need to win it all.

[Plainview1981]

Well, considering the lack of sucess A-Rod has had in

the winning we will see this playoffs. I do agree they

could use some more young talent...... But young talent

isn't everything.... Look at Texas starting to fade behind

the vet A's again.

[Admin]

Your arguement is what have they done in the last 3 years? Seriously? You are stating that they arent a success or something to that effect because they havent won a world series in 3 years? Thats hilarious dude. Could you imagine how elated Red Sox or Cubs fans or hell even Braves fans would be to have even gotten to the world series in the last 3 years? Its really weak to fault them just because they havent won the world series in 3 years, even though they very easily could have won 2 of them that they did participate in. Honestly you know this as well as I do, over the past 8 years the Yankees have been the best team in baseball by far and away. 4 WS rings and 6 AL pennants are representative of that. The difference between the Yankees and the Braves of 10 years ago is that the Yankees actually have what it takes to win the world series. They might not have it this year as time will tell on their shaky starting pitching and lack of a lefty in the bullpen, but with the 2nd best record in baseball and basically no Giambi, Brown, and Mussina for the better part of this year I am still very confident in them. Heck, no Yankee regular is even batting .300 for the season and that isnt likely to continue for the rest of the year. ARod is starting to play like ARod again and Bernie and Jeter are starting to catch fire.

I may be a Yankee homer, that I wont deny. However I will not agree with anyone who tries to deny the fact that they have been the best team in baseball over the past 10 years and have been doing it with veteran players and not farm club players.

[chillzatl]

jesus christ, I love how people selectively read. Let me say that again and repeat myself for a third..or is it fourth, time...

All I said is that The Big Stein has built the Yankees into a mirror of the Braves of the late 90's. You can argue the semantics of that all you wish. But it is a fact. They are a team without a heart or a soul. They are a team full of aged vets who play and win but have ZERO fire about them.

You can talk about how they could have did this or that, just like us Braves homers did 4-5 times in the 90's. The fact is that for 3 years running they've gotten beaten by a lesser team that simply wanted it more. Just like the Braves did so many times.

The yankees now are no different than the braves of the late 90's. You can fool yourself into thinking that "they have a chance to win it all", all you want. But it will not happen simply because that team is not built to win a championship. No more than the Braves were built to win one.

so once again, this is not a post dogging your precious yankmees. I'm just making a very realistic, very valid comparison to their team now and our team in the 90s.