THE MICHAEL BOURN TRADE

 Let me say this- I LOVE THIS TRADE.  for years I have always felt the Braves  have needed a speed guy to get  on base, steal and create oppurtunites to get knocked on. Bourn is exactly this guy. He has an average above .300 and has led the National League the last 2 years in steals. The chance to manufacture runs at the top of the lineup is something I cant stress enough of the fact the Braves need. It would have been nice to get Hunter Pence but he  plays right field- what would you have done with Heyward?  With the emergence of Dan Uggla the need for power has gone done. What the Braves need to happen now more then ever is Heyward to step up. If Bourn gets on base, creates havoc on base- Uggla continues to produce if the braves could get Jason Heyward going this offense would be maybe the toughest one to stop. Jason Heyward has been killing the Braves with his lack of production.

 I was a bit dissappointed the Braves didnt land Pence- Even more disssappointed he went to Philly. But honestly I think this Bourn trade is perfect for the Braves. He is the type player who can change entire set of offense. If he does with the Braves what he did in Houston this offense is going to improve- its going to give Prado better pitches to hit- if you get Bourn on, Prado on then Freeman,Uggla, and Mccann when he gets back healthy will have multiple rbi chances - and Jason Heyward as I mentioned before now becomes the key piece to this offense. I just dont see how any Braves fan can be dissappointed in this deal. Jordan Schafer had potential but face it he wouldnt have carried the Braves down the stretch. Did you really want a rookie whose batting .230  leading off for the Braves down the stretch in late August and September? I didnt. I liked Schafer but Im thrilled with this trade. Bourn is a proven player now heading a Braves lineup that was desperate for speed. It is a perfect match. And to get talent you have to trade talent. The Braves didnt have to trade any of there top 4 pitching prospects- they traded 3 young prospects and Schafer to get Bourn. It is a win win trade. Bourn can help this team win RIGHT NOW. Schafer wouldnt have done that. I really think this move is going to help the Braves so much. I look forward to seeing how the offense changes with the addition of Bourn.

THOUGHTS AFTER LAST NIGHTS GAME

Boy oh Boy how many of yall stayed up to watch that marathon game last night? Im glad the Braves got the win but I feel bad for the pirates. Both teams  battled there butts off and for the game to end on such a suspect call is just a downer. Given the fact the Braves needed all 162 games to make the playoffs last year every game is imporant- so for the Pirates this loss may sting for a bit. I believe it was a horrible call and The Braves caught a major Break. The Braves werent so lucky witht he injury bug- Brian Mccann will miss atleast 2 weeks with a strained oblique muscle.Those are injures you dont heal from quickly and if you dont take care of them right they can linger. Just ask Chipper Jones.

Mccann injury is such a big blow given the fact that this offense is now losinga potential MVP canididate. The offense has been weak with Mccann - what is it going to look like  without him? I think David Ross is legit but losing Mccann  is huge. I think this futhermore shows the Braves have got to get a major bat before the deadline. Who knows if you can count on Chipper Jones ( I myself am very suspect he will be healthy down the stretch) and with Mccann out the Braves cant trust Uggla and Freeman to carry the load. I would have loved to have Beltans bat in this line up but from a defensive standpoint it didnt make sense given the fact hes not a center fielder anymore.

Im hearing now B.J Upton mentioned right now. He does have great potential and maybe he would produce in a fresh enviroment- But Iam not crazy about him. He cant even hit .250 and I dont see him coming to the Braves and running like he does with Tampa. The Braves just dont believe in running for some crazy reason. They sit back and wait on the 3 run home run which this year has become the solo home runs. Im not against getting Upton but Im not crazy about him. I would love to get Hunter Pence but it seems like the Astros are asking an arm and a leg.

Its bad news for Philly and Atlanta that the Giants are  landing Beltran- whichever team  ( PHI, ATL or SANF) got him were going to get a major upgrade. But to see the world series champs get him with that pitching staff- man it hurts. Thats why I believe it has become a must that the Braves step up and do something. Not only do Atlanta fans have to worry about philly now San Francisco has come back into the picture which  had seen Philly and Atlanta as  the only elite teams in the NL.  Iam anxiously awaiting the Braves response to Mccanns injury, The Giants move landing Beltran and what Philly will do- because I know they wont stay pat. It will be an intresting  4 more days to say the least-if the Braves want to overcome Giants and Phillies they better pull the trigger to help an offense that hasnt been alive much of the season.

JASON HEYWARD STRUGGLES

For as bad as Dan Uggla has  been and much flack  as hes taken I feel like people havent focused on how horrible Jason Heyward has been this year. He is hitting a good 30 points higher then Dan Uggla but he has less home runs and Rbi then Uggla does and Uggla isnt exactly blowing me away with his run production. What has happened to Jason Heyward? Hes not even having good productive atbats- he seems like a tottally different player then he was  last year. I dont think he has gotten comfortable at the plate at all this year. I do believe his shoulder affected his production but lets be real here this is more then an injury problem. I dont think Heyward has adjusted well to the inside pitch, the way the pitchers are adjusting to him, I dont think Heyward is confident in himself and honestly I think he is lost. There is growing speculation within the Braves brass that they should trade for a right fielder and platoon him with Heyward or even send Heyward down to the minors in a place less stressful to fix his broken swing.

This is such a big difference for the guy braves fans fell in love with last year. Heyward isnt walking or getting on base like he was last year, hes not giving good at bats, hes not producing, hes not doing anything but being an automatic out and his defensive play has upset me on more then one occasion this year. He doesnt take good route to balls hit his way and his arm is weak and off target in my opinion. I still believe in Jason and want the best for him but the 2011 Jason Heyward is making me grow tired and making me think Dan UGGLA isnt so bad after all...

 AT the same token the struggles of Jason I should mention how impressive Freddie Freeman has been. Hes honestly having a better season then Jason had last year. Hes hitting to all parts of the field and stepping up and having huge atbats producing for this team this year and his defense at first base has been gold glove worthy. The thing that impresses me most about this young guy is  its been said he soaks up advice like a sponge when veterans come to him with advise. The thing that helped a young Brian MCcann was his open ear to Chipper Jones advice. Freddie Freeman seems to be the same way. Always willing to listen and learn to the veterans coming his way to help guide him. The future looks really bright for the Braves first baseman.. Its scary to think about the Heyward/ Freeman duo and compare it to the Francouer/ Mccann duo... Francoeur career started off the charts and he faded like the wind, Mccann had no headlines when he was braught up and all hes done is been an all star every year hes played. Lets hope Heyward is less like Francouer and more like the phenom we saw of himlast year and as for Freddie Im fine with the Mccann comparisions.

REVIEW FROM 1ST HALF OF SEASON

Well well well we have reached the all star break and minus the whipping the Braves got today You have to be feeling pretty good going into the break.The Braves just lost 2 of 3 to philly but lets break this series down. We got phillys big 3  while we threw Hanson,Beachy, and Lowe.. in 2 of those games Hanson and Beachy went pitch for pitch with Halladay and Lee. Philly missed Hudson & Jurrjens. Big difference facing Huddy and Jair then Brandon and Lowe.. So all in all Im not too upset about losing 2 of 3.

 Im glad to hear Craig Kimbrel made the all star team- he defiently is deserving. He leads mlb in saves and strike outs per nine innings. I really will be curious to see how he handles himself in middle of playoff race come september. I'll also keep close eye on Freddie Freeman. Considering we are only 3.5 games behind philly and Uggla and Heyward havent hit squat this season The Braves have to be very hopeful heading into the break. I will say it right now. If Uggla and Heyward and this offense starts to hit the Braves will be the team to be in the National League but if the offense keeps going the way its going then the Braves will have to settle for battling wild card race. This team has the talent offensively they just have to step up and reach there potential. i have faith Uggla will turn his season around second half. I feel more so then any player on the team offensively the weight is on his shoulders. I have been extremly dissappointed with Heyward thus far. He just doesnt seem to have gotten into any type of groove so far. The Braves cant be happy with his 9 HR and 22 rbi output so far.. shoot Eric Hinske has almost done that by himself.

 The bullpen has been amazing but I worry about there workout in the second half. The starters are great  the problem is they dont go the distance and it puts too much pressure on the bullpen every single night. I like Brandon Beachy but hes not given us more then 5-6 innings every start. The bullpen knows anytime he pitches they are gonna be worked hard. We cant keep using them 3-4 innings a night. They wont have arms come september.

I am really impressed with Nate Mcclouth defensively but offensively Im done with him. I wish the Braves would trade for a good leadoff hitter (Michael Bourne) who could get on and steal bases. Nate is hitting the ball hard but always at someone. Alex Gonzalez defense is as good as it gets but his hitting makes Heyward look like Albert Pujols. I miss Yunel Escobar. I still believe the Braves gave up on him too early. From whatIve read the Braves front office really likes Alex but to me he is a slacker and a whiner and cant hit.

I do belive this team will make playoffs- offensively if we dont step it up we will be lookin up at philly all year but if we get on roll offensively we will be the team to beat. I dont think the Braves can stand to stay pat. I believe getting Prado back will help. But what if Chippers leg doesnt improve? Why not take chance and make a good move to get a hitter or get a leadoff man. Schafer has potential but for the 2011 team I dont think he is the guy to lead for this team. I hope the Braves do something. They arent that far away from being " THE TEAM TO BEAT" but we have got to be agressive and not laid back. All in all Im very hopeful and excited for the second half of the season to begin.. Ill be at the game on friday... GO BRAVES!!

ALL- STARS -2011

I want to  send congrats to Brian Mccann on his 6th consecutive all star selection and first all star start. He is  very deserving. With the Braves weak offense the first part of the season Mccann has put the offensive load on  his back. He is on pace to set career highs in home runs and is hitting over .300. I truly admire him for the fact that catching is the hardest position in all off sports but also is even tougher in the humidity and hot temps in Atlanta summer. How he puts up such great numbers while playing in heat of Atlanta makes his stats even more amazing to me. Even though he has made all stars every year hes played I feel Brian Mccann is still one of the most underrated players in baseball.. When will people wake up and give him the credit he deserves- 6 all star selections, all star game mvp and good numbers every year.

 Congrats to Jair Jurrjens too. Last year he wasnt a contributor at all to this team- mostly due to injury and never being able to find a groove to get in. This year he has carried this pitching staff. With dissappointing years from Derrick Lowe and Tim Hudson- Jair has been a constant- posting the most wins ( 11) and lowest era (2.03) in mlb. His numbers are truly phenominal. This guy hasnt got any love from the media hes flown under the radar all season long. But as long as he keeps doing what hes doing Im sure he wont mind but hes  placing himself in the cy young contention..

 Every Braves fan knows how important Johnny Venters is to our team. He has come in during late innings and completely shut opponents down. Minus his bad outing vs Padres last  Sunday he has been unhittable.Its hard to think hes only in his second year in the majors and is already leaving batters shaking there head  after they face him. Have the Braves ever had a more dominant reliever? I am concerned that the Braves use him to much. They really need to save him for the stretch run. Its great to be able to run out there and know hes gonna put up zeros but we need him for August and September and October. Hes already pitched over 40 innings  this year- thats just too much work in the first half. Im glad that people around baseball recognize his great work and added him to all star team - hes most deserving... just ask the hitters who are facing him

 Chipper Jones is only hitting in the .250 which in ways can make you scratch your head as to his all star nod. Personally I dont think hes deserving but I respect the fact that hes playing on a bad leg. I  do realize that hes been hitting off the chats with runners on base and I do think that is all star mentioning. I think he gets this all star nod due to the fact that he may retire after the season. He is a good teammate, a good leader and well respected around baseball I think thats another reason why hes on the team this year- but from just looking at his numbers its my opinion there are others better served to be on the team. Id rather see Chipper take those days off and prepare for second half then be at the all star game- I hope he enjoys himself though. Hes been the face of the franchise since the early 90s. congrats to him

 I know some people feel Hanson and Kimbrel got snubbed and in a way I understand that. But Tommy  missed 2 weeks with injury but his numbers 9-4 and an era under 3.00 are more then deserving. Im sure hes dissappointed but he can use that motivation to continue to go strong in the second half. We need him to continue to do what hes doing. Kimbrel has 24 saves which is a NL record for a rookie and approaching the ML record during first half- but us Braves fans know hes been anything but lights out- Hes blown 5 saves and he will raise your blood pressure pitching in the 9th inning but most nights he gets the job done. I hope to see him cut down the walks and not put so much pressure on himself in the 9th. Though with that being said seeing that he leads all of baseball in strikouts among relievers and is tied for most saves I do think he should be on the all star team. Im glad that someone besides Mccann are being recognized for the good seasons there having. Its crazy to think even though our offense has been horrible the Braves have the second best record in baseball.

FRUSTRATION WITH BRAVES OFFENSE

 What to do what to do.. AS the season nears the midway point the frustration among braves fans is growing. Alot of it stems from the horrible season that Uggla is having. Jason Heyward has also had a very very dissappointing season. Nate Mcclouth has not bounced back like we all were hoping he would in spring training. Jordan Schafer has show glimpes of being good but lets face it he has a .220 average and doesnt seem yet ready to take over the everyday leadoff role. The braves dont have a steady leadoff man. they rely too much on the home runs and arent getting enough of them. They dont hit clutch in big situations. They strike out to much and they dont walk enough. Larry Parrish doesnt seem to be the guy to coach this group of hitters. This offense has so many issues. I do believe if somehow Uggla and Heyward could step it up and start producing the Braves could become a serious threat.

 I thought the Braves offense was bad last year but this seasons is worse. The braves just dont know how to manufacture runs. When will they start running and stealing bases They need a true leadoff hitter who can cause problems on the basepaths. They need speed.  This team has so much talent in the pitching department but our offense is just mediocore at best. They score 6 runs one night and then get shut out the next night. This is not how a team with world series hopes is suppost to be  playing. Some times I question  there intensity and desire to win.  Its got to be driving the pitchers nuts who so often go out there and pitch there butts off only to get a no decison or lose in a close game. The offense has not carried this team at all during any stretch of the season- its been the pitching since day one. With there current chemistry the braves will not make the playoffs I just cant see it happening because this offense is so weak. I hope that after the all star break UGGLA  gets his head on straight and starts becoming the player we gave him a 5 year deal to be. Json heyward is really starting to look like hes a bit overrated. Pitchers have adapted to him but hes not making the same changes. This season has not gone nearly as well as I expected it to be but when I look up and see that we  are 9 games over .500 and our the wild card leader right now it gives me  hope to think of our potential if the offense ever takes off. As the season goes on though how realisitc that  its actually going to happen?

ERIC HINSKES WORTH TO THE BRAVES

 How valuable has Eric Hinske been to the Braves? HE had so many huge hits for the bRaves last year- he was the main catalyst in there great run in May last year. He hit atleast 3 big home runs down the stretch of the playoff run last year including one vs Fla that won the game. the last week of the season (a game which  I attended) and his 2 run pinch hit home run in game 3 of the playoffs last year in my eyes  cemented his place in atlanta braves playoff history to me. He has a knack for getting the big hits. There is not one more valuable guy in baseball  off the bench then Eric Hinske- the guy is a stud.

 Think about his hits this year. He had a huge home  run on the Road in L.A, on the road in philly, and on the road in New york friday night.. 6 home runs this year and most are off the bench in pressure big game situations. This guy comes through time and again. I dont think people give Frank Wren enough credit for signing Hinske last year. He not only is a great player but  hes an even better clubhouse guy. A goofy guy who keeps the locker room loose and still commands the respect  of his teammates. He is loved in the clubhouse.  Its sad to think where this 2011 Braves team would be had he signed with the Brewers like he came so close to doing so in the off season.He loved the friendships and chemistry he has developed the last 1.5 years in the Braves organization and the production and value hes given to the braves has been almost inmeasureable. I cant say enough good things about him- I just hope that Frank Wren is keeping track and ready to give Hinske the multi year deal he is seeking- Hes such a valuable asset to a contending team. A  pure winner and clutch as you can get.