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This is my first blog attempt so bear with me hopefully they will get better.  This is my thoughts on the year the Atlanta Braves are having.  I have been calling them the boycotted ones because of the atrocious play, but I am still a fan and I will always heart them.

Before the year started, the Atlanta Braves were thought to be a leading contender for the NL East.  Well things turned mighty quickly for the braves.  Their rotation, which many considered to be the teams strength at the beginning of the season with smoltz, hudson, glavine, hampton, and jurrjens, quickly evaporated.  Smoltz had a whopping five starts this year, tried to come back as a reliever, blew a save then went down for the year.  In Hamptons first attempt at a start in years, he immediately went down with an injury and missed half the year.  Glavine made about a dozen starts then was lost for the year as well.  Lastly we get to Hudson, who tragically went down around the trade deadline and has to get tommy john and will miss most of next year as well.

So who does Atlanta get to replace these guys?  Let's start with the good, then move to the bad, then to the ugly.  Jair Jurrjens has been an absolute stud for the braves.  The rookie has went 13-10 with a 3.68 era.  If braves had given him any kind of run support, he could have 16 or 17 wins and could be in rookie of year discussions.  Next we have one Jorge Campillo, who I had never heard of and I could probably throw harder than.  He has actually pitched quite well for Atlanta with an 8-7 record and 3.76 era, but now that hitters have figured out that he can't throw harder than 85, they have started hitting him more lately.

Now we get to the bad:  let's start with Jo Jo Reyes, he of the 3-11 record and 5.74 era.  I would rather have Jose Reyes on the mound than this guy.  Then we get to Charley Morton and his 4-8 record and 6.15 era, but I witnessed all of his starts and once they figured this guy out balls were mauled.  Now Chuck James with a 2-5 record and a 9.10 era.  All I need to say about him is that he actually gave up a home run to Andruw Jones this year.

That's just the starting pitching. Atlanta lost arguably its best reliever Peter Moylan after about 3 games to Tommy John surgery.   Also lost fireballer Rafeal Soriano after pitching in only 14 games.  The pen did get Mike Gonzalez halfway through the year.  To show how bad things in the pen had gotten, the Braves actually signed Elmer Dessens and Julian Tavarez.  Dessens pitched in 4 games and gave up 10 runs is that good?

Everyone knows about the Tex trade, the suckiness of francouer, kotsay trade, etc.  The bright spots have been Chipper playing some of his best ball of his career when healthy, and Brian McCann continuing to emerge as one of the best catchers in baseball.  But I leave you with this: The lineup for the Altanta Braves on a summer night after the Tex trade.  This lineup may be the worst in the history of the National League

1 Gregor Blanco a fast young player strikes out alot hitting 252

2 Yunel Escobar good young shortstop best hitter in this lineup

3 Mark Kotsay wily veteran who should never hit third for any lineup

4 Greg Norton i cried when i saw he was hitting cleanup

5 Omar Infante i cried when i saw he was hitting fifth

6 Kelly Johnson at this time was struggling big time but really improved now on 20 game hitting streak

7 Jeff Francouer thought to be a cant miss star hitting 239 with a 297 obp hes got to step up

8 Corky Miller do i need to explain my anger about one corky miller who is 5 for 58 on the year