Welcome to our MLB Fan Previews. Peter Gammons can give you all the inside info, John Kruk can remind you not to eat that extra donut and Steve Phillips can give you hope that you'd make a great GM ... but all these 'experts' combined can't top the true passion of the everyday fan. So that's what we're trying to provide you with here. Real thoughts and predictions from real fans. Hope you enjoy! We continue today with PapaPowell's beloved Atlanta Braves.

The sounds of baseballs hitting mitts, bats and bleachers cannot come soon enough.  For Braves fans, the excitement of another season about to start is coupled with an odd anxiety: if we don't win it all in the next couple of years ...

We feel as if time is against us. This could be the last year for Andruw Jones to wear a Braves uni and Bob Wickman talks like it's time to go fishing in 2008.  Just how much longer can Chipper's feet hold up?

From Ted Turner claiming he could manage a game as good as anyone (he couldn't) to the "Mouth of the South" finally turning the reins over to Bobby Cox and John Schuerholz, was a long, long run.  Watching the two masterminds (Bobby and John, that is; Ted finally shut up - a little) pulling wins out of the hat for more than a decade was breathtaking.  Bobby Cox is the chiropractor of baseball, with tweaks and adjustments that make ordinary players (by MLB standards) transform into a competitive team.

Pitching, pitching, pitching.  The Braves always had the arms to get to the season finale.  In 2006, the arms turned into noodles and "The Streak" ended in a whimper. It seems GM Schuerholz was embarrassed by Atlanta's pitching staff to the point of spilling any amount of blood necessary to fix the problem.  In his defense, blood had to be spilled because there was no money to throw around.  New team owners, same salary cap. The blood spilled:  Marcus Giles was allowed to go west and play catch with his big brother while Adam LaRoche was swapped for some bullpen help.

The Braves limped through 2006 without a real lead-off man.  Even without a set of quick feet at the top of the order, Atlanta managed to score more than enough runs to win.  But win it all, they did not.  Instead, they blew more saves than any team in the majors. What does this season offer:

Braves question marks for '07: Tim Hudson and Mike Hampton, 1st and 2nd base, lead-off production, left field.
Tim Hudson knows he needs to show his worth.  It's time for him to be what he was meant to be -- a force to be feared, every 4 or 5 days. Mike Hampton has yet to throw a competitive pitch since 12 games into the 2005 season. Will his arm be back to norm, post surgery?  This was a 20 win guy who went under the knife and rode the pines while collecting a truck load of money.  A winning record from Hampton would be sweet.  A 20-plus win season is probably out of the question - but a decent ERA and over .500 record would bridge the gap in Atlanta's rotation.

Braves Reliable Rocks: C, 3B, SS, CF, RF.  These positions are locked up by strong bats that should have no problem driving in the runs.

Braves hopefuls: As long as the health genie smiles on the bullpen, the boys sitting in the "flakes" section of the ballpark should easily be able to shorten games.  Lefty, Righty and Old Faithful are thought to be good for at least 3 innings, maybe more.
Kelly Johnson is the projected lead-off man and 2nd bagger.  He has competition but should have the job by opening day. Scott Thorman will be the starting 1B; can he hit against righties and lefties?  If not, expect some platooning at first base with Thorman and newly acquired Craig Wilson. Ryan Langerhans and Matt Diaz continue to slug it out in left field.  Langerhans has the skills and needs to up his BA; Diaz refuses to quit, showing an ever improving bat.  Langerhans will be the "official" left fielder but will definitely share the position with Diaz and (on occasion) Wilson.

Notes: Bobby Cox is hinting that this year and one more could be it; he might be a little tired but the fire is still there and Cox wants that World Series ring.  Andruw Jones has let the world know he needs some "$$respect$$" come contract time.  An allstar, gold glove, home run hitting center fielder -- playing his last year before testing free agency?  Look for Andruw to strut his stuff in 2007.

Your 2007 Atlanta Braves, with 2006 stats:
Gloves and Bats
Kelly Johnson, LF - (2005 stats) .241, 9 HR, 40 RBI (87 games)
Edgar Renteria, SS - .293 BA, 14 HR, 70 RBI
Chipper Jones, 3B - .334 BA, 26 HR, 86, RBI, 110 games
Andruw Jones, CF - .262 BA, 41 HR, 129 RBI
Brian McCann, C - .333 BA, 24 HR, 93 RBI
Jeff Francoeur, LF - .260 BA, 29 HR, 103 RBI, 162 games, 132 SO
Scott Thorman, 1B - .234 BA, 5 HR, 14 RBI, 55 games
Ryan Langerhans, LF - .241 BA, 7 HR, 28 RBI, 16 2B, 3 3B

Starting Rotation
John Smoltz: 35 G, 232 IP, 16 wins 9 losses, 211K, 2.49 ERA
Tim Hudson: 35 G, 218.1IP, 13 wins 12 losses, 141K, 4.86 ERA
Mike Hampton(2005): 12 G, 69.1IP, 5 wins 3 losses, 27 K, 3.51ERA
Chuck James: 25 G, 119 IP, 11 wins 4 losses, 91K, 3.78 ERA
Kyle Davies: 14 G, 63.1 IP, 3 wins 7 losses, 51 K, 8.38 ERA
 
Middle Relief
Lance Cormier: 29 G, 72.2 IP, 4 wins 5 losses, 43 K, 4.89 ERA
Oscar Villarreal: 58 G, 92.1 IP, 9 wins 1 loss, 55 K, 3.61 ERA
If Mike Hampton's arm pops a balloon, Cormier is the most likely 5th man in the rotation; otherwise he will be the long/middle man with Villarreal.

Plate Setters and Closers
Rafael Soriano (2006 w/ Mariners): 53 G, 60 IP, 1 win 2 losses, 2 Saves, 65 K, 2.25 ERA
Mike Gonzalez (2006 with Pirates): 54 G, 54 IP, 3 wins 4 losses, 24 Saves, 64 K, 2.17 ERA (zero blown saves)
Bob Wickman (Braves & Indians): 57 G, 54 IP, 1 win 6 losses, 33 Saves, 42 K, 2.67 ERA

Utility Men (recommended blogs)

Braves Journal

Talking Chop

It's Braves Time

Babe on Baseball

2007 Atlanta Braves Summary
With the loss of Giles and LaRoche there could be a drop in power and runs scored.  This loss of power could easily be forgiven if the starting rotation and bull pen both do their jobs, lessening the need for a high scoring offense.  Look for Andruw Jones to have a super year.  He has dropped a few pounds and is campaigning for a kajillion dollar signing in 2008.
Hey, this could be our year!

Share your thoughts on the 2007 Atlanta Braves. Do they start a new streak of division titles this year?

FanIQ Says... (456)

Atlanta Braves Season Prediction Poll Go Bravos!
(Q1 of 8) How many wins for the Braves this year? (83 last season) 0% 0-69 9% 70-79 Correct-> 49% 80-89 32% 90-100 9% 100-109 2% 110+	Asked by: PapaPowell
Closed 3/30/07