Face of a Franchise

[zombie boy 2000]

So... I turn on ESPN this morning only to find my worst nightmare realized - John Smoltz is close to signing with the BoSox. As a life long Braves fan, Smoltz has epitomized the team. My friends and I regularly have discussions regarding who we consider to be "true Braves". The likes of Dale Murphy, Tom Glavine, Glen Hubbard easily come to mind, but John Smoltz always tops the list.

Now in my early 30's, I can still vividly recall his posters on my wall during a time before high school, jobs, college, marriage and so on. It may seem petty, but it really is a sad day.

All that aside, what player from your team in any sport could you never imagine anywhere else? Who would almost seem alien in another uniform?

[ViperZ]

We would never think that Mats Sundin would leave Toronto Maple Leafs.

Well, Mats dumped Leafs for "retiring" and went for more money to Vancouver Canucks. So much for the face of the franchise.

In baseball, Jays' face is Roy Halladay.

[Jstas]

Mike Schmidt. If he was still playing that is. Mikey in anything but a Phillies uniform would be sacrilege.



Oh and Smoltz is a putz. Being a life long Braves hater, you can see my motivation.

[zombie boy 2000]

As of today, Smoltz is a putz. Before today, he was one of a kind. The last of the pre-winning Braves, who continually brought it as a starter, closer, and leader.

Eff the Sox. Now they have Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Jon Lester, Tim Wakefield, Brad Penny and Smoltz. I guess they plan on several season ending injuries.

[Jstas]

Josh Beckett looks like he fell out of "Whoville" or pretty much any Dr Seuss book.

[Jstas]

Beckett:



Beckett as the Cat in the Hat:



A Who:




Yeah, I know! Separated at birth, right?

[billbillw]

Zombie,

I've seen them go, one by one. Its always sad, but eventually, they must go...

Glavine, Maddox, now Smoltz. Same with Javy, Andrew, and many others.

At least we can say that most of the time, the Braves got the best out of them.

Chipper is the only remaining player from that classic Braves core. I thought Teix might be their face of the future but the damn Yanks stole him away. I guess its Frenchie and McCann. Pitching staff for 2009? I don't have much faith. Why the heck did we let Leo go?

[zombie boy 2000]

I think we didn't let Leo go so much as he went to be with his best friend Sam Perlozzo in Baltimore. As for the pitching, Juergens showed promise. Tommy Hanson could be absolutely stellar in the Bigs. And even Campillo brought it earlier in the season. That being said... it's been a long time since we've had to worry so much about the rotation.

I'll echo your sentiment in assessing both Frenchie and McCann as "true Braves", but even that is somewhat scary. Jeff hasn't been the same since being hit in the eye and I think all the possible trade talk is not doing well for his fragile psyche. And in regards to McCann, the shelf life of a catcher is always questionable.

Eeesh... this is definitely a new era.

[Jstas]

I wouldn't worry about the Braves. They seems to have a pitching staff that not only recognize young talent but grow and mature that talent. Even when the Braves suck, they always seem to have good pitchers and they rarely buy them like the Yankees, Red Sox and such do. I think they will be fine. Wait until Spring Training starts. We'll see what the Braves have going on then and then you can moan and cry about the future or the ball club.

The Braves have been doing the talent development since I was a kid going to ball games with my grandfather and cursing guys like Glavine, Maddox and Smoltz. Other teams are starting to see the benefits. Hell, even the Phillies took the Braves lead and they were considered somewhat of a dark horse last year and they took it all.

Yeah, even without Smoltz, I think the Braves are going to have a good year this year. They showed a bunch of life last year. I think they will be in the hunt this year.

[dorokusai]

And there I was thinking you had posters of Rocky Horror, All About Eve and Cabaret in those days like I did. Loser.

[zombie boy 2000]

Don't worry Doro. I was a midnight regular of Rocky Horror every third Saturday of the month. Belee dat'.

[billbillw]

I wouldn't worry about the Braves. They seems to have a pitching staff that not only recognize young talent but grow and mature that talent. Even when the Braves suck, they always seem to have good pitchers and they rarely buy them like the Yankees, Red Sox and such do. I think they will be fine. Wait until Spring Training starts. We'll see what the Braves have going on then and then you can moan and cry about the future or the ball club.

The Braves have been doing the talent development since I was a kid going to ball games with my grandfather and cursing guys like Glavine, Maddox and Smoltz. Other teams are starting to see the benefits. Hell, even the Phillies took the Braves lead and they were considered somewhat of a dark horse last year and they took it all.

Yeah, even without Smoltz, I think the Braves are going to have a good year this year. They showed a bunch of life last year. I think they will be in the hunt this year.

Have you watched the Braves in the last 3 years? Since 2005, the pitching has become very unreliable. Middle relief has been a joke. Team ERAs in those years was well above 4.0. In the Braves/Mazonne era, the team ERA was typically 3.5 or lower. To me, the Braves pitching of late has been their weakest link.

[George Grand]

Jackie Robinson retired and went to work for Chock Full of Nuts rather than wear a New York Giants baseball uniform. Class all the way.

[zombie boy 2000]

Have you watched the Braves in the last 3 years? Since 2005, the pitching has become very unreliable. Middle relief has been a joke. Team ERAs in those years was well above 4.0. In the Braves/Mazonne era, the team ERA was typically 3.5 or lower. To me, the Braves pitching of late has been their weakest link.

Bill - Yeah, Chucky and Jo-Jo were good for at least one good coronary an outing. Ironically, I think the Braves bullpen is showing some promise. Yates, Gonzo and Soriano should be pretty effective.

George - I didn't know that story, but it definitely strikes a nerve. I really believed Smoltz would rather drink acid than play for someone else, much less the BoSox.

[Jstas]

Have you watched the Braves in the last 3 years? Since 2005, the pitching has become very unreliable. Middle relief has been a joke. Team ERAs in those years was well above 4.0. In the Braves/Mazonne era, the team ERA was typically 3.5 or lower. To me, the Braves pitching of late has been their weakest link.

Every time they played the Phillies they didn't look that bad. I don't really watch the Braves. Their uniforms don't say "Phillies" on them so they rarely attract my attention.

Then again, they did finish pretty high in the standings last year for having a team with a fairly young pitching staff. At least they seemed young to me.

[zombie boy 2000]

If Hanson is on the staff Opening Day, then the Braves could have the youngest one-two punch in the majors in him and Juergens. There is definitely reason for some optimism. Hanson is the first pitcher ever to win MVP in the Arizona Fall League. And Juergens did scrounge together some rookie of the year votes last year.

[TroyD]

As a charter member of the Red Sox Nation, I'd like to thank the city of Atlanta for thier generous contribution.....

I still can't believe that the Braves only won ONE World Series in that run....unbelievable. I always thought that Glavine (being from Reading, MA) would be the one playing in Fenway...

I get what you are saying though....as a Sox fan, when I think Red Sox, I think Yaz (even though he was a douchebag)......as my old man thinks Ted Williams. Too bad that it's not like that anymore, I mean, it's hard to have a favorite player as chances are, he'll be somewhere else soon....

BDT

[ben62670]

I am only 38 and when I think of the BO Sox Carl Yastrzemski, and Ted Williams are a couple favs of mine:o I had their cards:(

[F1nut]

I mean, it's hard to have a favorite player as chances are, he'll be somewhere else soon....

Sort of like you going back to Korea? ;)

[TroyD]

Yeah, ed zachry

still got all my baseball cards....you had a Ted Williams? That was a nice bag seeing as he retired 10 years before you were born....those were RARE even when we were kids, the only card of his that I got was when he managed the Senators.

BDT

[ben62670]

My Grandma got me into the BO Sox, and I lost a bunch of real good cards from mainly the early 70's, and some were given to me from the 60's. I lost a coin collection too. She was robbed by a relative:( We used to polish old coins and organize them together. The memories are worth way more than anything else. She is still holding out at 94:)

[bobman1235]

I always thought that Glavine (being from Reading, MA) would be the one playing in Fenway...

He's from Billerica! I actually work in Billerica and they always have signs around when Glavine does something good, like make the all-star team.. "Billerica's own....". I think if the Sox signed GLavine that town would implode.

[TroyD]

That's right, for some reason I had Reading on the brain......my bad.

BDT

[GV#27]

We would never think that Mats Sundin would leave Toronto Maple Leafs.

Well, Mats dumped Leafs for "retiring" and went for more money to Vancouver Canucks. So much for the face of the franchise.

Im a Habs fan but always respected Mats and what he brought to the Leafs.His jumping ship was a bit surprising ,I guess he wanted a break from the pressure of wearing the Blue and White.Seeing him in a Canuckleheads uni will be a bitter pill for Leafs nation.

Its like seeing Patrick Roy in an Avs sweater,Lafluer in Rangers rags or Ayrton Senna in a Williams(if only for 3.25 races.)