Kuzul

NL All-Star manager Charlie Manuel said he was told to include a utility player on the NL roster, so he has chosen Omar Infante of the Braves.

Infante is a very versatile player who can play all the infield and outfield positions, but he has one home run and 22 runs batted in this season. He is a good player, but he is not an All-Star player.

His teammate Troy Glaus, who has hit 14 home runs and driven in 56 runs, would have been a much better choice, not to mention the NL home run leader Joey Votto, who has hit 21 home runs.

It had been my understanding that the NL wanted to win the All-Star Game this season, but now I am doubtful after seeing Votto have to win a final vote to make the team and a pitcher like Carlos Silva being left off the squad.

Manuel did what most All-Star managers do, picking his own player Ryan Howard over Joey Votto, even though Votto was among the NL home runs leaders at the time while Howard was 10th.

Adrian Gonzalez was chosen as a reserve first baseman despite Votto having more home runs, runs batted in, and a higher batting average. He should have been on the final vote ballot while Votto should have been on the team to start with.

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The last time the National League won an All-Star game was in 1996.

Back then, the Braves were represented by John Smoltz (who got the win), Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, Mark Wohlers, Fred McGriff, and Chipper Jones.

The Braves will again be represented by a handful of players this year. Jason Heyward, Martin Prado, Tim Hudson, and Brian McCann were all expected (at least somewhat) by fans.

Phillies skipper Charlie Manuel will manage the NL All-Star team this year, and by all indications he is completely serious about winning. Why do I say that? He chose Omar Infante.

Many people will question Manuel’s selection of Omar Infante.

I don’t agree with it. Infante isn’t an “All-Star.” He would rarely start on his own team if not for injuries. No one will argue that Infante is one of the best players in the National League, and he clearly isn’t in the same league as Joey Votto or Ryan Zimmerman.

That being said, by choosing Infante, Manuel is showing us that he wants to win this game. Infante may not truly be an All-Star, but he is probably the best utility player in the league, and every team needs a good utility player.

Infante’s stat line this year is .309/1/22 in 177 plate appearances. While they are solid numbers, and Infante could start on most teams, they still aren’t worthy of an All-Star selection.

But Infante will bring something to the All-Star game that isn’t usually there. He can play just about any position and is used to coming off the bench. While players like Votto and Zimmerman are great, they don’t bring the same thing to the team as Infante.

I’m not saying that the selection of Infante is correct, but maybe, just maybe, his experience coming off the bench will finally give the NL the advantage it needs. While Manuel will be criticized for not picking the best players, he may well have made his overall team better by picking a player who fits better into his role.

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Yes, I had this exact reaction when I saw the All-Star rosters when they were released on Sunday and I am sure I am not the only person who had the same reaction I did.

I understand that NL manager Charlie Manuel wants versatility in case of injury or if he runs out of players, which is impossible, but seriously why Omar Infante?

There are many players that are more deserving than Infante.

Josh Willingham, Ryan Zimmerman, Jayson Werth, Troy Glaus, Joey Votto, Aubrey Huff, and Dan Uggla are just some people who deserve Infante’s spot.

I think that proves my point and by the way, Willingham is a converted outfielder, as is Werth. Glaus used to play third, Uggla could probably handle another infield position, Votto could play outfield in an emergency, and Huff has made his living as a utility player.

Are you convinced yet that Infante does not deserve a trip to Anaheim? Well, if you are not, here are some more reasons.

Infante has only had 165 at bats this season, at least 40 less than any of the Braves’ regulars. Not to mention he only has one home run and 22 RBI.

Compare that to Huff, the one true utility man out of the group of players listed above, who has hit 15 home runs, driven in 47 runs, and is hitting a solid .288 and is an everyday player in San Francisco.

So, now that you have the facts presented to you, members of the jury I ask you, who should be on that National League roster, because it sure as hell isn’t Omar Infante.

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If the recent news and rumors turn out to be true, the Braves have a big question on their hands—who is the Braves’ everyday third baseman after 2010 (or perhaps the rest of this season)?

It’s not a simple question to answer.

Third base is the one position the Braves do not have a long-term solution for. The face of the franchise will be Jason Heyward, who is primed to be in right field and in the heart of the Braves order for years to come.

Despite a rough start to for Yunel Escobar, he and Martin Prado form a solid, if not spectacular at times, combination at the middle of the diamond.

The Braves are flush with veterans and youngsters for their starting rotation, and have the enviable position of having 6 starters right now, with Kris Medlen seemingly supplanting Kenshin Kawakami as the best starter outside the trio of Lowe, Hudson and Hanson.

With rookies Jonny Venters and Craig Kimbrel making their debuts in the majors this season, the bullpen seems solid for the future when you also consider that Peter Moylan and Eric O’Flaherty have been effective and conceivably have their best years ahead of them.

Brian McCann is the NL’s best catcher and Troy Glaus is having a renaissance season since switching to first. Even if he’s not the long-term solution at first, Freddie Freeman is waiting in the wings.

Who’s on first? Glaus or Freeman.

What’s the name of the guy on second? Prado, an All-Star.

Third base? I don’t know.

Chipper Jones is there for now, but for now could mean a few days, a few weeks, or a few months.

Who do the Braves have on their roster who could play third? There are more than a few options.

TROY GLAUS:

Glaus made several All-Star teams and was named World Series MVP while playing third base. However, I think most might agree that part of the reason his bat has thunder in it is because he has less wear and tear defensively playing first base.

ERIC HINSKE:

Most would consider Hinske’s days of being an everyday player over, especially given his struggles hitting lefties. He’s been productive in a platoon role and won AL Rookie of the Year in 2002 with the Blue Jays. However, few, if any in the Braves organization, see Hinske as anything more than a role/bench player, a role he has played very well this season.

OMAR INFANTE:

Considering the undersized utility infielder’s size, he’s not your prototypical power hitting third baseman. However, he’s been very productive, still in his prime at 28 years old, and as recently as a week ago, was hitting a robust .328 with 16 RBIs. He’s a solid player, who could be more than just a super-utility guy that the Braves love to plug in at short, second, third or in the outfield.

BROOKS CONRAD:

The 30-year old version of Crash Davis has been waiting for his opportunity for a long time and this may be it. He’s got some pop in his bat for someone standing 5’11” and weighing only 180lbs—as evidenced by his opposite field pinch-hit grand slam against the Reds last month. The Braves right now don’t need Conrad to be a 2nd or 3rd place hitter in their lineup, and being a switch-hitter gives him an advantage over others that he wouldn’t necessarily have to be part of a platoon.

BRANDON HICKS:

While he’s been playing shortstop for a few years, some in the Braves organization hoped the 6’2″, 200 lb glove wizard would have gain some offensive skills. While he’s progressed to AAA, he’s only hitting .211, and his track record doesn’t indicate that he’d be much of an offensive threat in the majors.

DONELL LINARES:

Currently playing with AA Mississippi, he’s probably a name most Braves fans have never heard of. He’s not considered a high-ceiling prospect, isn’t on the Braves’ 40-man roster, and is already 26 years old. However, he was signed as a free agent in June 2008, and only had 79 at-bats at Low A ball in 2008. In 2009 with Myrtle Beach (not a hitter-friendly park) his .287/.328/.444 line (.772 OPS) with 15 HR, 32 doubles and 87 RBIs in 130 games and 505 at bats was decent. The ceiling isn’t very high on Linares, and he still likely needs another year in the minors. At Mississippi, he’s currently hitting .259 with 8 HR and 29 RBIs.

TY WIGGINTON:

He’s not flashy or the first person you’d think of as the Braves’ third baseman, however there are plenty of reasons to think that for this year and possibly a few more to follow, Wigginton is a possible solution until the Braves figure out who they can convert or develop to play 3rd base at the major league level for a long time.

Looking at Wigginton’s career stats—nothing jumps out at you. He’s currently in the midst of a fantastic season with .273/.358/.495, 13 HR and 38 RBIs on a terrible Orioles team, and he’s affordable, with a current salary of $3.5M for 2010. Every full season of his career, the 32 year-old journeyman (Mets, Pirates, Rays, Astros, Orioles) has hit between .258 and .284, and his 162 game averages are 22 HR and 77 RBIs. Considering Chipper Jones got paid $14M for numbers that were no better last year, he is a viable option. The bigger question is however, what would the Braves have to give up to get him.

Would a package of Jo-Jo Reyes, Jordan Schafer and another prospect bring Wigginton to the Atlanta? I know the Orioles need to rebuild and don’t have the talent in their system.

How would the Braves lineup look if the Braves could pull of the trade. Perhaps

2B – Martin Prado

3B – Ty Wigginton or SS Yunel Escobar

RF – Jason Heyward

1B – Troy Glaus

C – Brian McCann

SS – Yunel Escobar or Ty Wigginton

LF – Eric Hinske/Matt Diaz

CF – Melky Cabrera/Nate McLouth

OTHER OPTIONS:

Replacing a Hall of Fame third baseman is no easy task. The Braves could explore other trade options and perhaps target a AA/AAA third baseman in another team’s farm system who has some depth at that position. Who knows what the farm systems of the Yankees, Mets, Nationals, Diamondbacks, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Rays or Rangers are hiding; teams who have answers at the hot corner with All-Star caliber players and no foreseeable need for major offensive help at the time.

Regardless, I’m sure Frank Wren and John Scheurholz are channeling Abbott and Costello to figure out the solution to that riddle.

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All indicators seem to be pointing toward Chipper Jones retiring at the end of the 2010 season, barring some sort of miracle turnaround at the plate.

I’m hoping that he’ll right the ship and somehow manage to salvage the season, but I just don’t see it happening. Though, this is one case where I hope I’m wrong.

It’s too bad, really. The Braves are in first place in the NL East—albeit by the slimmest of margins. Yet, Chipper is in an unfamiliar place.

Yes, he’s still batting third and holding down the fort at third base, but he’s not contributing offensively in the way he’s accustomed to.

Time catches up to everyone (except Barry Bonds, it appears), and there comes a day when the body won’t do what it used to—it doesn’t react as quickly, heal as fast, and the bat doesn’t get through the zone like it once did.

It looks like that day has come for Larry Wayne “Chipper” Jones—now age 38.

He has been the anchor in the three-hole for the Braves for nearly two decades, and he is every bit as important to the team’s past success as Maddux, Glavine, or Smoltz.

He’s a lifetime Brave, and he’s given everything he has to the organization that drafted him 20 years ago.

However, Bobby Cox’s loyalty to the former MVP might prove costly if Jones continues to struggle as he has been since he won the NL batting title in 2008.

In 51 games this season (he’s missed 14 so far), Jones has scored 24 times, driven in 23 runs, and has just four home runs. He’s batting an abysmal .233 and slugging .366 in 172 at-bats—not Chipper-like numbers.

Jones met with Cox and Braves GM Frank Wren to discuss his future with the team. He was supposed to hold a press conference at which he was expected to announce his plans to retire at the end of the season, but he canceled it.

That doesn’t mean he’s not retiring; it just means he’s not ready to announce it to the world, and I’m okay with that.

Will he call it quits after this season? If I had to guess, I’d say yes.

In the meantime, I hope that he can find his stroke and help the Braves make it back to the postseason—something he’s gone on record saying he wants to do before he retires.

The Braves will move on just as all teams do, and the future looks bright with young guys like Martin Prado, Tommy Hanson, Jason Heyward, Omar Infante, Johnny Venters, and Brooks Conrad.

However, it will be a bit surreal to see the Braves take the field for the first time without No. 10 at the hot corner and batting third.

On a more positive note, Chipper had two hits in five at-bats including career home run No. 430; he also scored twice and drove in a run in a losing effort to the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday.

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I’m a Braves fan.  I’ve been one since the early 90s.  In my lifetime of enjoying Braves baseball, you can’t say much about the team’s success without mentioning Chipper Jones in the same sentence.

At 38 years old, we all know the decline is rapidly picking up speed.  It shows on the injury sheet.  It shows in the stat line.

Chipper is batting .240 this season with 1 HR and 21 RBI.  He’s slugging almost 200 points less than his career average and his OBP is drops year after year.

I’m not saying it’s time to completely pass the torch.  It’s not Chipper’s time just yet.  But shouldn’t the Braves consider resting our aged veteran a little more than usual in preparation for a pennant race at the end of the season and a playoff run?

My proposal consists of a few ideas — nothing off the wall, and nothing that will hurt the team:

Use him in the upcoming inter-league games at AL parks as a DH.  Let him continue to work on his swing there.

Begin platooning him immediately with Omar Infante (Omar would come in to play 2B and Prado will slide to 3B).  Chipper is apparently having trouble seeing right-handed pitchers.  There is a clear line drawn in his splits. 

Infante is batting .346 against right-handers this year. 

Let Omar hit the righties and play Chipper for the lefties.  Have Chipper continue his same batting practice routine.  If a right-handed reliever enters the game, keep Chipper in — use that to gauge his progress.

If the added rest doesn’t help by the all-star break, get desperate.  Put him back in daily. We need him to be successful this year and he’ll serve to rejuvenate our team mid-season.

I’ve mentioned previously that the Braves hot streak is for real right now.  A key reason for that is the backup play of Infante.  This plan utilizes Infante’s strong play more to improve the Braves through June and July while we wait for the inevitable coming of Chipper’s bat.

Other teams aren’t forgetting that the Braves are essentially playing without their best two hitters in McCann and Chipper who are both batting just 30-55 points about the Mendoza Line.  We fans aren’t either.

We can only imagine what happens if one or both of them return to form.

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