Blog Archives

After suffering without baseball for months we can now get our first glimpse of what things will be like for the ‘08 season. Week one has almost concluded and most things are right on target. Hampton made a nice opening return and Glavine looked as great as I remember him. There a few players who are being cautious — one of those is Chipper Jones. Jones suffered a hamstring injury and is day to day for the Braves. It should not be anything major but is one of those nagging reoccurring injuries.

Josh Anderson is impressive in the outfield with not only his defensive play but also his speed. He is showing just why the Braves traded for him in the offseason. Javy Lopez is trimmed down and looks great and should be a good addition to the team. He has also been working hard on defense and should step in well when McCann needs some off time. It will not be long and the Braves will be making their return to beautiful Turner Field. I passed by yesterday and thought to myself, “It’s been too long and won’t be much longer now.”

I can’t wait and I know you can’t either. I want to thank our two correspondents from spring training, Braves Insider Grant McAuley and also Baseball Paul who will be doing some updates soon. If you are headed to spring training and want to call-in an update feel free to leave us your update on our “hit or miss” voicemail line at 678-608-2721 or e-mail us at hosts@bravescast.com.

Bert’s Trivia of the Week

Name five all time baseball commissioners

On a day that is meant to celebrate love, I could think of no better day for the return of MLB baseball. Most years February 14 is the “Day of Love”, but this year it has much more meaning because it is also the return of pitchers and catchers to spring training. Soon we will have daily video and coverage to question we need answers to.

Questions like:

• How healthy is Hampton and James?
• Who will make the team as backup outfielders and infielders?
• What can we expect out of Javy?

With 4 television networks covering the Braves spring you will have 11 chances to see the games on TV and other selected games on the Braves Radio flagship stations. Also, soon we will debut a spring training video special to air on YouTube. This will detail some of those matchups and things to look for this spring.

Some other things to note will be the play of the new Braves players. Kotsay, Anderson, Infante and others. Coming up in our next show we will speak with Dan Gordon, the author of the book Haunted Baseball. He will surprise you with many supernatural stories from players and other team members. This includes many comments made from current and former major league players and coaches. For more information on the book go to www.hauntedbasball.com.

Bert’s Trivia of the Week

Name all the home venues the Braves franchise has played in all time.

One of the reason I love baseball more than any other sport is the diversity. From the players, coaches, fans, and even the umpires, baseball is a very diverse sport. We get in a variety of fans from many different states and even countries. Our interactive listener map shows people care about Braves baseball around the world! On our latest episode we are proud to announce we had our first female Bravescast caller Rue call in to the show. She is not only a huge Braves fan, but also an aspiring sports writer. I am sure she can also spell much better than me as well. We strive to not only be the one site that bridges the gap between the majors and minors but also to be the one place that any, yes any Braves fan can interact. We are the place for diehard braves fans.

In upcoming shows we will have a fan that doesn’t care for Bobby Cox as a manager as well as perspectives from more women and even the opposition (like Philly sports writer Patrick Gordon who picked the Phils to win the East on our show). In our last episode we also debuted a new segment called “Pats Pet Peeves”. This is where I examine comments “usually negative” made by so-called Braves fans. Things that really make me shake my head. One of my biggest pet peeves: this week we called out the fans online who have been saying Atlanta needs to add an American league team. The closest thing we will ever get to that will the AAA team moving to Gwinnett in ‘09. To submit a comment or subject for “Pat’s Pet Peeves” e-mail us hosts@bravescast.com or call our Voicemail line at 678 608-2721.

Bert’s Question Trivia of the Week

What is the number of season that Hank Aaron led the league in total bases?

This has been a very eventful week for the Atlanta Braves organization. As Fan Fest was starting on Saturday and people were filling up the convention center, rumors were swirling that the Braves were in talks to acquire Mark Kotsay from Oakland. By the time Fan Fest ended on Sunday, the deal was done and more news was just around the corner.

On Monday the announcements had been made that the Braves were planning on moving their AAA team from Richmond to Gwinnett. Words can not describe how I felt when the announcement was officially confirmed. Gwinnett has been the perfect place for a minor league baseball team for years now. This also puts them on the map as a nice minor league city. Gwinnett already has a hockey (Gladiators), arena football (Force), and ABA basketball (Vision) team. This completes it for them. The news that the stadium can be started and finished by the start of the ‘09 season is incredible.

I am a very big minor league fan and it allows me to not only travel to nearby Rome, Georgia but now also Gwinnett. Players can be called up and sent down in a moments notice and rehab assignments will get a lot easier in 09. What a week for the Braves. Many fans are weighing in on their thoughts of Fan Fest. The move to the convention center made the event much bigger…but was it better? I want to know your thoughts on that and also the repercussions from the Kotasy trade. Was this the deal that puts us over the top? E-mail or call in you thoughts: hosts@bravescast.com or 678-608-2721 We will return with a new show to discuss all the news on Thursday. Feel free to join us!

This time of year holds a special place in my heart. I know it is only January and the season is a few months away but it is time for Fan Fest. I attended the 2008 Fan Fest with great delight. For the first time it was held indoors and for the first time I went to the Georgia World Congress Center. Both of those firsts provided a great and memorable experience.

A ton of fans showed up with great anticipation of how it would all play out. Three stages were set up for autographs and other great events took place. A field was set up for home run derby and another area was set up for kids to crank one over the fence. My favorite was the memorabilia booths in the back. Personally I cannot wait until it return next year. Go Braves!

The voters have finalized their votes and the numbers are in. These are the 2007 Bravescast Awards & 2008 Predictions:

We will start off with 2007. Hitter of the Year goes to Chipper Jones. Pitcher of the Year goes to John Smoltz. Surprise player of the year goes to Yunel Escobar. The 2007 Bravescast Atlanta Braves MVP goes to Chipper Jones.

We also analyzed who we thought would win these awards in 2008 and here is what we came up with:

Predicted Pitcher of the Year: Tim Hudson. Hitter of the Year will be Jeff Francoeur. Surprise Player for ‘08 is Josh Anderson. The 2008 Atlanta Braves MVP will be Mark Teixeira.

A special thanks to the “Braves Insider” Grant McAuley for his assistance in our latest show. Check out his work at www.mlb.com or the Braves radio network sites. We will be recording live audio from fanfest this weekend Jan 12th and 13th.

Bert’s Trivia

Last Weeks Question:

Q: Who was the World Series MVP in 2002?
A: Paul Molitor

This Weeks Question:

Who stole the most total bases in the decade of the 1990’s?

To answer the question or for more information on the show e-mail us at hosts@bravescast.com or call our voicemail line at 678-608-2721

With ‘07 now officially behind us it is now time to look ahead to 2008. Before I do that though, I will say that ‘07 was once again a year of changes for the braves. The past few seasons we have scene some major changes. ‘07 was the final Braves telecast for TBS and also the last of the AOL/Time Warner ownership group. If that wasn’t enough, they also changed general manager and multiple players. ‘07 marked the end for longtime Atlanta Brave Andrew Jones and an all star caliber short stop in Edgar Renteria.

Indeed a lot has and will continue to change before the start of the ‘08 season. We will see some familiar faces in Braves uniforms come spring training. Former battery mates Tom Glavine and Javy Lopez will return in a Braves uniform for the ‘08 season. The Braves will no doubt be able to continue to do what they have done best over the last decade plus and that is bring up young incredible talent. I am interested to see how the former prospects of McCann, Francouer, K Johnson, and Chuck James perform. These guys will soon be into the star of the “prime” years. Down on the farm, there are also guys like Jordan Shafer, Brandon Jones, and Joey Devine among others that will be battling for those final spots on the big league roster. This spring will be one unlike others that I have seen in a while. I will not only be interested in seeing the starters but also all those young guys who will fill the lst 6 innings of long 9 inning spring training games. Who will be this year’s surprise player, or diamond in rough kind of guy? Who will be this year’s Braves MVP? The next two weeks we will try to answer those questions and more and we want your help to determine those answers. This week’s upcoming show will answer the best of 2007 and the following show will be a special fan prediction show.

We want to know some of the following 2007 Bravescast Award Winners: 2007 MVP, biggest surprise player, Pitcher of the year, hitter of the year, biggest impact from the minor leagues in ‘07. To cast your vote for you favorite e-mail us at hosts@bravescast.com or call the voicemail line at 678-608-2721. We will announce the winner early next week (probably Monday Jan, 7th).

Bert’s Trivia Question of the Week

Who was the World Series MVP in 1992?

It is Christmas time and I hope you got everything you wanted…I also hope the Atlanta Braves got what they wanted. Far be it from me to know what they asked Santa for, but I’d guess it’s solid play in 2008 by some of our young talent.

After they traded Edgar the Braves had a real solid backup in Yunel and we all saw what he did in the chances he had. If you are like me you hope he can do it all year. They did not sign Andruw and that was not a surprise. What remains a surprise is how they are going to replace him. The consensus here at Bravescast was that they’re going to do so by seeing which rookie sensation performs best in spring training. That is, until they traded for a center fielder from Houston, Josh Anderson. He has the speed and a little experience in the majors but is that the way they are going to go? It remains to be seen.

Left field is another weak spot in the lineup. Matt Diaz did great until the season wore on and the at-bats started piling up. Brandon Jones also got some time up in Atlanta but I’m not sure that’s enough to help his case.

It is a short Christmas list for the Braves but it is one nonetheless. Now it’s a waiting game to see how things work out. In my mind that could be the worst part, but some might say that’s just some coal in the stocking.

The Braves over the past couple of decades have taken pride perhaps maybe more than any other professional club around the youth of their organization. It is no surprise that the Braves are now loaded again at a couple positions on the diamond. This year’s focus will be the outfield.

With the departure of Andruw Jones there is at the very least a backup role open for the Atlanta Braves outfield. Will Matt Diaz be able to handle the playing everyday? What happens if we have an injury? Be relieved that there are definitely some options out there; the future of the Braves outfield is in good hands. Possibly the hands of Jeff Francouer, Josh Anderson, Brandon Jones, Jordan Schafer, and Matt Esquivel, Gregor Blanco, all of whom are upcoming stars.

With all these players still struggling to make it into their mid-twenties, the Braves have to feel confident that they will have one of the best outfields in baseball soon. So who makes it and why? A few things always come into play other than just pure stats and estimated potential. In this case however, it is really does appear to be an even playing field. I think it will come down to experience in the minors and option years for the players. It is obvious that everyone is not going to make it on the big club with Atlanta. The guys that don’t may be involved in trades or have setbacks in the majors. If you looking for speed, Josh Anderson, Jordan Schafer, and Brandon Jones are good candidates. If you’re looking for power then Matt Esquivel or Brandon Jones has plenty of potential there. What it all ultimately may come down to be defense, though. I give my nod to Josh Anderson and Jordan Schafer. Schafer is regarded as the best outfielder in the organization. Check out one reason why — his blazing speed (YouTube clip).

With his prowess and the others’ potential, I don’t think there will be a veteran signing in the outfield. Josh Anderson with both exceptional speed and major league experience is the going to more than likely make the team and we will see him in center field. The main battle will be between young stars in Brandon Jones and Jordan Schafer. Jones has the experience but Schaffer has the better numbers (though at a different level). Brandon Jones has had some clutch hits in the minors and seems to really be putting it all together the last few seasons. Jordan Schafer is a speedster that can be multi dimensional at the plate. This will be extremely fun to watch this spring. Many fans of baseball think spring is boring after the starters get pulled, but this will give any true fan some inspiration to watch the game all the way through. The future depends on it!

Let me know who your pick is by e-mailing hosts@bravescast.com or via our call in line at 678-608-2721. Go Braves!

The Braves’ front office likely left this year’s meetings in Nashville thinking they took care of most of their offseason moves that need to be addressed. We want to know how you feel, though, during the post-winter meetings aftermath. Sometimes winter meetings are as much about the deals that you don’t make just as much as the deals that you do. For instance, one rumor floating around was a trade for Chuck James for a quality outfielder for a year or two. The deal eventually did not go down but how would the pitching staff look without James?

The Braves organization is still seeking a veteran catcher for the upcoming season. We have plenty of youth at the catcher spot but the back up role usually goes to a catcher that is good defensively and can handle the pitching staff adequately. Otherwise Clint Sammons would be the backup catcher of the future, something that just does not exist.

With the trade of right handed reliever Jose Ascanio for left handed reliever Will Ohman and infielder Omar Infante the Braves were able to fill two additional needs. Thus I feel that we had a successful winter meetings. I look at the addition of Josh Anderson from the Tigers as a positive change in CF. The club has lacked speed for years now and if this guy is half the outfield Andruw Jones was the Braves will be alright. We did not make a “blockbuster” trade or change the nucleus of the team but what we did do is assure another winning season for the Braves.

I can’t wait until spring training…it seems the same as Christmas morning with a bunch of presents. We have no clue what’s in them but we know it’s going to be a lot of fun finding out! E-mail us anytime at hosts@bravescast.com or call us at 679-608-2721.

Roberts Trivia

Last Weeks Question

Who was the last Atlanta Braves pitcher to lose 20 games in one season?
Answer: Phil Neikro in 1977

This Weeks Question

Which 4 Atlanta Braves players have won the rookie of the year?

To answer email us at hosts@bravescast.com or leave a voicemail at 679-608-2721.