Not long ago, the Atlanta Braves appeared to be out of the NL Wild Card race. Now, after seven straight wins, the Braves are right in the thick of things. They trail the Colorado Rockies by only two games for the Wild Card playoff berth.
Monday’s win came against the Florida Marlins. Winners by a final score of 4-0, the Braves got five strong innings out of starting pitcher Jair Jurrjens. Jurrjens went seven innings and gave up only five hits and one walk to improve his record to 14-10 and lower his ERA to 2.61.
At the plate, Chipper Jones went …read more

It seems like Bobby Cox has managed the Atlanta Braves forever. On Wednesday, Cox announced that his reign as the manager of the Braves will end after the 2010 Major League Baseball season.
The 68-year-old Cox admitted that age played a big role in this announcement.
Said Cox: “There is a little bit of relief once you come to grips with announcing it. I’ve never lost the love to manage, period. But you have to make a decision. At my age, you have to make a decision. Somebody a little younger can start up.”
Cox first managed the Braves starting in 1978 until …read more

The Philadelphia Phillies were recently struggling and their hold on the NL East seemed to be slipping. But with a 9-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Friday, the Phillies have now won six games in a row and they have all but clinched their division.
Leading the way for the Phillies was slugging first baseman Ryan Howard. In the fourth inning, Howard hit a two-run blast. In the sixth, he followed up his previous at-bat with a solo home run. Jimmy Rollins and Ben Francisco also hit homers for the Phillies.
The win gave the Phillies an 8-game lead over the …read more

Ryan Howard and J.A. Happ were masterful on Sunday as the Philadelphia Phillies toppled the Atlanta Braves by a final count of 4-1. With the win, the Phillies were able to build their advantage in the NL East to 4.5 games over the Florida Marlins and 6 games over the Braves.
In the second inning, Howard connected on his 29th home run of the year. His 30th homer of the year came in the sixth when he hit a three-run blast. Happ, the rookie starting pitcher, did the rest.
In 7.2 innings of work, Happ gave up only three hits and one …read more

Greg Maddux, the future Hall of Fame pitcher, had his jersey retired by the Atlanta Braves on Friday. With the Braves, Maddux cemented his legacy as one of the best pitchers of his generation — and perhaps one of the top 15 pitchers of all-time.
Maddux pitched with the Braves from 1993 until 2003. Both before and after his stint with the Braves, Maddux pitched for the Chicago Cubs. In his final two seasons, he pitched for the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
For his career, Maddux had a record of 355-227 and an ERA of 3.16. He pitched …read more

A couple years ago, Jeff Francoeur looked like a player on the verge of becoming a superstar with the Atlanta Braves. The home grown outfielder had 29 homers and 103 RBIs as a 22-year-old in 2006.
But now at 25, Francoeur has struggled for the last year and a half. On Friday, the Braves decided to go in a new direction. They traded Francoeur to the New York Mets for Ryan Church.
On the season, Francoeur is hitting .250 with five homers, 35 RBIs and 32 runs. After hitting 29 homers in 2006, his power numbers have dropped considerably. In 2007, he …read more

On Thursday, John Smoltz will return to the mound for the Boston Red Sox. It will not only be his first start of the 2009 baseball season, it will also be his start not for the Atlanta Braves. From 1988 to 2008, Smoltz put together a marvelous 20-year run with Atlanta that saw him win 210 games and save 154 games.
After a bitter breakup with the Braves, the 42-year-old Smoltz ended up signing with the Red Sox as a free agent. Coming back from a shoulder injury, Smoltz has been working all offseason and all regular season to get to …read more

One of the best pitchers of this generation may be close to hanging up his glove for good. Tom Glavine, a man who has won 305 games in his career and is a lock for the Hall of Fame, said that his ailing shoulder may force him into retirement.
The left-hander has a sore left shoulder that was operated on over the offseason. At 43, Glavine says he would rather retire than be forced to go through another complete rehab. His plan at the moment is to rest for two weeks and then see how his shoulder responds to the time …read more

Garret Anderson, who had spent his entire career with the Los Angeles Angels, has agreed to switch leagues and go to the Atlanta Braves. Anderson signed a one-year contract and will form a platoon in the outfield with Matt Diaz.
Originally, the Braves wanted Ken Griffey Jr., however those talks ended after Griffey decided to sign with the Mariners. Compared to Griffey, Anderson offers similar upside with similar risks.
After being one of the best sluggers in the business, Anderson has slipped in the last handful of years. He hasn’t hit twenty homers or knocked in 100 RBIs since 2003. Last …read more

A couple days ago, it appeared as if Ken Griffey Jr. and the Seattle Mariners were close to a deal. However, the latest rumor has Griffey more interested in joining the Atlanta Braves. The Braves are reportedly offering a one-year deal for approximately $5 million.
In Atlanta, Griffey would likely hit either third or fourth in the lineup and play left field in a platoon situation. Griffey would get the at bats against right handed pitching, while Matt Diaz will take on the left handers.
Chipper Jones, arguably the best player on the Braves, is pushing hard to get Griffey in Atlanta. …read more