Kuzul

To the best of my ability, I will lay out what I believe will idealize the Braves 2011 lineup.

I think there are a few things to be changed from the roster of the previous year, so here is what I believe will give the Braves a good postseason run.

And hopefully they’ll trample those Giants along the way.

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Every year, managers, coaches and writers from around Major League Baseball award honors and trophies to the players—and every year, they screw up.

So Bleacher Report’s Featured Columnists decided to do it ourselves. Instead of just complaining about the awards as they are announced as we would normally do on our own, we teamed up to hold our own mock awards vote.

Yesterday, we kicked off Week 2 of our four-week-long results series with our picks for AL Comeback Player of the Year. Today, we look at the veterans from the Senior Circuit who best resurrected their careers in 2010.

Of the 17 players who received votes, the top five are featured here with commentary from people who chose them. The full list of votes is at the end.

So read on, see how we did and be sure to let us know what we got wrong!

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From the beginning of the season this year felt different for the Atlanta Braves. Walk-off wins were the norm and despite the Braves nine game losing streak in May the team came together to take the lead in the NL East while the Phillies were dealing with injuries.

Even as the Braves lost key players (Chipper Jones, Kris Medlen) they kept winning close ballgames. Late in the season, the Braves were overtaken by the Phillies, but the Braves seemed like a lock for the playoffs as recently as this past Friday morning.

Now, the Braves are tied for the Wild Card lead after dropping two games against the Phillies despite having favorable pitching matchups in both games. The team that could come back from any deficit seems gone and a new, punch-less squad has taken their place.

The most disturbing part has been the Braves lack of offense against Kyle Kendrick and rookie Vance Worley. The Braves scored five runs on Friday (although they were at a point when the outcome of the game really wasn’t in doubt) before getting shut out Saturday.

To make matters worse, the defense has also been shoddy lately. Atlanta has allowed six unearned runs over the first two games of the series.

Baseball often comes down to pitching, defense and offense. As the saying goes, to win you need to be good at two or more of the three. Right now, the Braves have above average pitching and have been terrible elsewhere.

Both Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt are scheduled to pitch a couple innings on Sunday, so Tim Hudson will have to bring his A-game because the Braves offense likely will again struggle to score runs.

With the Padres and Giants playing at four tomorrow, there are plenty of scenarios that could play out.

1. The Braves Win and Padres Lose: The optimal scenario for Braves fans, with a win and Padres loss the Braves would clinch the Wild Card despite every effort to give it away.
2. The Braves and Padres Win: A three way tie between the Braves, Padres and Giants would create a couple playoff games. The Padres and Giants would first have to decide the West before the loser played the Braves for the Wild Card.
3. Braves and Padres Lose: The two teams would end up tied for the Wild Card and in a one game playoff. In this case (and the last one as well) Derek Lowe would likely pitch for the Braves in that game.
4. Braves Lose and Padres Win: The Braves miss the playoffs despite taking a two game lead into the final game of the season.

Only one of these scenarios would get the Braves eliminated, but at this point that scenario probably has the greatest chance of happening.

The season has one regular season game remaining, and the Braves will likely need to regain their late-inning magic to send Bobby Cox to the playoffs one last time.

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With the 2010 baseball season nearly coming to a close, it’s time to take a look at the National League Cy Young candidates.

The 2010 season has been called “the Year of the Pitcher,” and it all started when Ubaldo Jimenez threw a no-hitter for the Rockies against the Braves on April 17th. Dallas Braden and Roy Halladay then threw perfect games against the Rays and Marlins respectively, and after that came Armando Galaragga’s infamous non-perfect game, where Jim Joyce blew the call on the grounder for the final out. Edwin Jackson then threw a no-hitter against the Rays for the Diamondbacks, and finally, Matt Garza gave the Rays a taste of a no-hitter for themselves when he no-hit the Tigers.

With so much illustrious pitching this year, this is clearly a very tight race, and probably is a tough decision for the voters. The winner of the award will probably come down to whose team makes the playoffs and where their team ends up in the standings.

Sadly, Tim Lincecum, winner of the last two Cy Young awards, doesn’t have a chance this year. His 3.60 ERA currently ranks 24th in the league.

However, being a pitcher’s year, there are naturally plenty beside Lincecum in the NL worthy of winning the esteemed Cy Young award, ranging from energetic rising stars like Mat Latos to wily veterans like Roy Halladay. But the top contenders at this point have to be Halladay of the Phillies, Latos of the Padres, Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals, Josh Johnson of the Marlins, Tim Hudson of the Braves, and Ubaldo Jimenez of the Rockies.

Mat Latos, in only his 2nd major league season, leads the whole MLB in ERA and WHIP, (2.21 and 0.96) along with 14 wins.

Roy Halladay, who’s just about always in Cy Young conversations, hasn’t disappointed the Phillies. The “Doctor” has piled up 18 wins so far, with a respectable 2.44 ERA, and leading the league in strikeouts with 201.

Like ‘Doc’, Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright has 18 wins, with a nice 2.38 ERA, and is right up there in strikeouts with 191.

Ubaldo Jimenez, also with 18 wins, started the season off with a bang, posting a 2.20 ERA in the first half. While he has cooled off recently. He still has a great 2.79 ERA.

Josh Johnson, a young ace for the Marlins, is having a remarkable year. He has a 2.30 ERA, and should be right up there for the award discussions.

And last but not least, Tim Hudson. The sinker-ball pitcher has had a tremendous year for the Atlanta Braves, sporting a 2.41 ERA, and 15 wins.

All of these gentlemen are worthy of the Cy Young award. If I had to pick a front-runner, I’d pick Mat Latos. The sophomore, as mentioned before still leads the league in ERA and WHIP, while racking up 14 victories. If the Padres can hold on to their division lead, or at least make the playoffs, I’m sure Latos will win it.

Without the spectacular pitching of the young ace, I don’t think the San Diego Padres would have made it even near this far.

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The Pittsburgh Pirates have been a cellar-dwelling team for as long as most fans remember. But often, in September, they have their moment of glory by taking three games from a division leading team in PNC Park.

This is what may be happening now, against the Atlanta Braves. A win tonight would result in a sweep. Even a loss would not change the fact that the Pirates have already clinched the three game series.

In 2006, the Pirates swept the New York Mets in three games at home, thereby delaying their clinching of the division. Two of the winners were lefties Paul Maholm and Zach Duke. In the third game, Tom Gorzelanny, also a southpaw, started, but was rescued by a “committee” of  relievers, with closer Matt Capps getting the win.

Last year, the Bucs took three out of four at home from the division-leading Los Angeles Dodgers. Paul Maholm, Dan McCutchen, and Zach Duke all pitched good games, but only Duke got a win; the other two were “no decisions” for the two starters and split 1-1.

The remaining game was pitched by a committee, with Jeff Karstens being lifted after three innings, Donnie Veal getting the win in a 3-1 game, and three more relievers protecting the lead.

On the other side was a reliever named James McDonald (traded by the Dodgers to the Pirates in July 2010 as partial consideration for reliever Octavio Dotel).

Monday night, Brian Burres put up one of his better starts against the Braves, giving up only one run in six innings (This is his third quality start, giving up a total of four runs in nineteen innings, all at home.). Even the Pirates were good enough to score three runs off Tommy Hanson, resulting in a win.

Last night, James McDonald pitched seven scoreless innings, including finding his way out of a couple of jams. Veteran Tim Hudson put up only six blank frames, and then came apart in the seventh, to the tune of five runs, leading to a 5-0 victory for the home team.

In his best three (home) games, against the Colorado Rockies, Florida Marlins, and Atlanta Braves, McDonald has given up one run in twenty innings. But his five inning, five-run start against the Mets, though technically in PNC Park, was of “away” game quality, and his four away games have been (mostly) this bad.

The last game of the current series features Zach Duke, the hero of the previous two series. Paul Maholm will open the next one.

In the two earlier years, the losses to the Pirates were just speed bumps on the way to the division leadership for the Mets and the Dodgers. This year, though, the impact on Atlanta may be more meaningful.

They’ve already lost their division lead as a result of the past two losses. Another loss tonight could push them down into a tie for the wild card if San Francisco wins.

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Moneyball is a baseball film starring Brad Pitt and Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman, and it’s set to open sometime in 2011.

Hoffman will perform as former big league manager Art Howe, and Pitt — one of the most famous people in the universe — will be playing Billy Beane, the “mastermind” general manager of the Oakland A’s.

Can you imagine that? Beane has been so successful in Oakland that a movie is being made about his innovations and triumphs as the A’s leading man. Not only is the film being made, but Beane’s character was given to one of the most recognizable faces in the business — a sex symbol, nonetheless.

And who can blame Hollywood for wanting a piece of this action? Beane has achieved so much during his time in Oakland…wait a second…

Has a Beane-led A’s team ever won anything?

This is Beane’s 13th season as GM of the Athletics, and his club has won the World Series zero times during his reign. Wait, it gets better.

In the previous 12 seasons, the A’s have won zero American League championships.

During that time period, they’ve only appeared in the ALCS once (2006). Beane’s Athletics performed well in that series against the Detroit Tigers…if “well” means getting swept. The Tigers made quick work of the light-hitting boys from Oakland.

Simply put, these results don’t make any sense. They don’t make any sense because Michael Lewis’ Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game is likely the most popular baseball book in publishing history. It may not only be the most popular baseball book of all time, it is arguably the most popular book of all sports.

Lewis’ detailed work elevated Beane to a stratosphere never before occupied by a general manager. As far as media coverage and attention, GM’s are often secondary to the skippers that patrol the dugouts of their respective teams.

Thanks to Lewis and Moneyball, things are quite different in Oakland. Beane is the star. The managers (Howe, Ken Macha, and Bob Geren) are puppets manipulated by the front office’s many strings and hindrances. 

The question is: does Beane deserve the stature he has achieved?

Many consider him the best general manager in the game; is he worthy of that distinction?

Well, at the very least, I can’t argue with his ability to evaluate starting pitching. It started with the extremely impressive trio of RHP Tim Hudson (an all-star again this year), LHP Barry Zito (having a bit of a bounce-back season), and LHP Mark Mulder.

Then there was RHP Rich Harden, an incredible but oft-injured talent. RHP Justin Duchscherer has been an all-star, and Beane’s trade for RHP Dan Haren came at exactly the right time in his career.

Today the A’s have a slew of capable young arms, including sinkerballer Trevor Cahill, flame-throwing lefty Gio Gonzalez, workhorse Dallas Braden (of the Perfect Game fame), electric closer Andrew Bailey, and potential long-term ace LHP Brett Anderson.

But the 2010 Oakland Athletics are a mere .500 ballclub. This infusion of impressive arms isn’t leading them to playoff-type success. And why, you ask?

Because Billy Beane teams don’t hit. Not since the steroid star power of 1B Jason Giambi and then-SS Miguel Tejada have the A’s had a lineup for opposing pitchers to fear. Their leading regulars this season are OF Ryan Sweeney (.294 BA) and limited-pop 1B Daric Barton (.279).

Although for Beane, it’s not about batting average; it’s about OBP and OPS. Unfortunately, Oakland’s on-base experts are 25th in the bigs in runs scored. What good is a razor-sharp understanding of the strikezone if you can’t drive in runners in scoring position?

Not much good at all, of course.

While we’re on the topic of offense, I can’t ignore the fact that Beane traded OF Carlos Gonzalez (aka “Cargo”).

Cargo, now an immensely popular member of the Colorado Rockies, is currently leading the National League in batting average at .326. In addition to that impressive average, he has 29 HR, 90 RBI, 20 SB, 86 R, and a .955 OPS.

With those outstanding numbers in mind, Cargo is locked in a nip-and-tuck MVP battle with Reds’ 1B Joey Votto. Both candidates have the statistics to warrant an MVP award, but Cargo is the better all-around player.

If the Rockies find a way into the postseason, in my opinion, Cargo should take home the hardware.

Can you imagine that? Beane, the “mastermind” at the helm of an offensively-starved franchise, traded an all-world talent when he was just 23 years old. Even worse, he traded Cargo for a one-year rental in LF Matt Holliday, who was shipped to the St. Louis Cardinals as soon as the wheels fell off the A’s 2009 season. 

Go figure.

And yet, in the end, I know Billy Beane is a talented executive. I completely understand the financial deficiencies of the Oakland A’s franchise. I know that Beane has drafted and developed some excellent major league ballplayers.

But…the best general manager in professional baseball? Really?

Hollywood, a full-length movie, and Brad Pitt? Really?

I’m sorry folks, but I’m not buyin’ it…

Unless Billy Beane is sellin’ it. I’d probably rip him off in a deal.

(John Frascella is the author of “Theo-logy: How a Boy Wonder Led the Red Sox to the Promised Land,” the first and only book centered on Boston ‘s popular GM Theo Epstein. Check it out on Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble online. Follow John on Twitter @RedSoxAuthor.)

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The Atlanta Braves are once again looking like a championship-caliber team. The Braves have held first place in the National League East for nearly three months and show no signs of slowing down. In fact, they are showing signs of improvement. (see: Derrek Lee)

Atlanta’s success has undoubtedly been a 25-man effort, but that does not mean that the incredible individual performances should go unnoticed. Here are the handful of Braves that are amongst the top candidates to win some of Major League Baseball’s most coveted awards.

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When talking about the favorites to win the National League Cy Young Award, the most common names mentioned are Ubaldo Jimenez, Roy Halladay, Josh Johnson, and Adam Wainwright.

Jimenez and Halladay have one no-no each to add to their resumés, and Johnson and Wainwright have been lights-out all year. All four of these pitchers have more than 150 strikeouts and over 8 K’s per 9 innings.

Who would’ve thought that a 35-year old sinkerballer, just two years after reconstructive elbow surgery, would be amongst these strikeout machines in the Cy Young race?

Atlanta Braves ace Tim Hudson has won each of his past five starts, while allowing only two earned runs in 36 2/3 innings (0.49 ERA). His 2.13 ERA on the season is the second best in the Majors and his 14 wins is the fourth most in the National League.

What gives the advantage to Hudson over all of the other candidates?  Hudson’s masterful pitching has put his team in first place. The ace of the Braves’ staff has shutdown opponents all year and in the middle of a heated pennant race, Hudson gives his team a chance to win every time he is on the mound.

The key to Hudson’s success is ground balls. Hudson leads all Major League starting pitchers in ground ball to fly ball ratio (1.95) and opposing batters have a miniscule .293 slugging percentage against Hudson, the lowest against any starting pitcher in baseball.

Some would say that Hudson’s success is due to luck, given his league-lowest BIPA of .219, but the flawed statistic of Balls In Play Average can not trump the dazzling ERA and the fact that Hudson has allowed more than four runs only one time in his 24 starts.

Regardless of the fact that luck may occasionally be on his side, Hudson’s strikeout rate has climbed to almost five whiffs per nine innings since June, and his walk rate has decreased every month of the season.

Hudson is a legitimate candidate to win this year’s Cy Young Award and with a strong outing in his next start against the last-place Washington Nationals, he could easily become the favorite.

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Let’s take a look at some of the biggest stories from yesterday’s games:

American League:

• Michael Brantley  – Cleveland Indians – He went 1-4 with one run, but the bigger thing to note was his stolen base, his second straight game with a steal. He’s taken over the leadoff duties and is playing virtually everyday, certainly making him worth stashing in five-outfielder formats. While he hasn’t shown off the speed much this season, he is just a year removed from a 50 SB campaign between Triple-A and the Majors.
• Josh Bell – Baltimore Orioles – He has struggled since assuming regular third base duties, but he may be finally coming around. He went 1-3 with one RBI yesterday, giving him a modest three-game hitting streak. Still, it’s the strikeouts that are holding him back, currently with a strikeout rate of 37.9 percent (as well as a fly ball rate of just 16.7 percent). He’s better than this. These last few games could be the sign that he’s started adjusting to the Major Leagues. Just keep him stashed away for now.
• Jacoby Ellsbury – Boston Red Sox – The ball was flying all over the field in Texas, with nine home runs being hit (including a pair for J.D. Drew), but the biggest story was Ellsbury being forced out early. He apparently was “re-injured in the first inning when he hit a slow grounder up the first-base line and collided with Texas starter Tommy Hunter, who raced to the bag to make the play. Ellsbury tumbled over Hunter,” according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe (click here for the post). He will have an MRI, but there appears to be concern that he aggravated the injury that kept him out earlier this season. At this point, all you can do is cross your fingers and hope for the best.
• Ryan Raburn – Detroit Tigers – He went 3-4 with one HR, his second straight game with a HR and his fourth multi-hit game in his last five. He’s getting regular playing time now and is finally starting to look like the player who hit 16 HR in 261 AB a year ago. He’s a low-end option, but if you are in a daily league and need a short-term fix, you can plug him in there for a couple of days while he’s hot. There is a chance this hot streak extends, so everyone should monitor him for now.
• Gregor Blanco – Kansas City Royals – He’s taken over the leadoff spot since being acquired from the Braves and showed why yesterday, stealing three bases while going 2-4. He has never proven to be able to hit for a good average, so consider him a low-end option, at best, unless he proves capable. If he can’t get on, the speed won’t matter.
• Marc Rzepczynski – Toronto Blue Jays – Those who followed Rotoprofessor preseason know that I was high on him, but injuries and inability pulled the plug on that early on. Performances like this certainly put him back on the map. He showed an ability for strikeouts (six Ks in 7.0 innings). He didn’t walk a batter. Of his 21 outs, 12 were via groundball (and only three in the air). He allowed just two hits and should have earned himself another start. He has the potential to be a solid option in all formats, as the Blue Jays have become notorious for developing young pitchers of late.

National League:

• Jay Bruce – Cincinnati Reds – He was overshadowed by Mike Stanton (3-4, two HR), the beating Josh Johnson (3.2 IP, six ER, 10 H, two BB, zero K) and the strong start from Edison Volquez (6.0 IP, one ER, eight hits, two BB, six K). Don’t ignore Bruce’s performance, as he went 2-4 with one HR, three RBI and one run himself. He has not lived up to preseason expectations at this point, but make no mistake, he has the potential and could produce big numbers over the final few weeks of the season. It was his first home run since June 30 and hopefully is just the start. While he’s not going to reach the preseason projections, he still should be a usable option down the stretch.
• R.A. Dickey – New York Mets – The knuckleballer allowed just one-hit in a complete game shutout, and that came courtesy of Cole Hamels. That’s right, the pitcher had the only hit. Does anyone else believe in the curse of Nolan Ryan yet? The Mets may never get a no-hitter, but no one is complaining about Dickey’s performance. He proved here that you shouldn’t be concerned if he hits a bump in the road (he struggled in his previous start), he’s worth using in all formats. Yes, the Phillies did go without Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, but there are rumblings that both could be back as soon as next week.
• Tim Hudson – Atlanta Braves – He was fantastic yet again, tossing 8.0 shutout innings, allowing three hits and one BB while striking out six. It’s hard to be worried about the results (2.13 ERA and 1.07 WHIP), but we’ve seen from guys like Josh Johnson and Ubaldo Jimenez that rough spots happen. Hudson has benefited from a .231 BABIP and 84.6 percent strand rate, so a turn in fortunes is certainly possible. I’m not suggesting not using him, but if your trade deadline hasn’t passed yet, selling high on him is worth exploring.
• Jonathan Broxton – Los Angeles Dodgers – He found his name in the news, coming in to pitch the eighth inning last night. After a disastrous outing, he has “temporarily” been removed as the Dodgers closer, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times (click here for the article).  Hong-Chih Kuo will assume closing duties for the time being… really? Seems odd, considering the acquisition of Octavio Dotel and the presence of George Sherrill, but if you are desperate for saves grabbing Kuo will be worth it.
• Jake Westbrook – St. Louis Cardinals – He picked up his first win for the Cardinals, allowing two ER on six hits and one walk, striking out three, over six innings. In three starts since the trade, he’s allowed seven ER on 16 hits and two walks, striking out 19, over 19 innings. Maybe the move to the NL will significantly help, but I would still consider him a low-end option and play matchups with him for now.
• Evan Meek – Pittsburgh Pirates – Just when it looked like he could move into the closer’s role with a strong outing, Meek got bombed for four ER on five hits an one BB in just 0.1 innings. Not that the Pirates have been giving many save opportunities of late, but it looks like Joel Hanrahan should remain in the closer’s role for now.
• Jorge De La Rosa – Colorado Rockies – We have to love the strikeout potential, but he’s a killer on the WHIP right now. Yesterday he went 5.2 innings allowing three ER on six hits and three BB, striking out five. He is sporting a 1.48 WHIP on the season. He does have a .317 BABIP and 65.3 percent strand rate, so there is some upside there.  If he can ever reduce his current 4.8 BB/9, he’ll really be something. He got hot down the stretch last season and remember, he is still recently off the DL. Keep him stashed for now, but I’d expect him to develop into a must use option before the year is out.

What are your thoughts from yesterday’s games?

THIS ARTICLE IS ALSO FEATURED ON WWW.ROTOPROFESSOR.COM

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As the MLB season trudges along through the late months of the summer, the CY Young candidates in the National League are becoming clearer by the day. 

All five of the guys that I have selected are currently tops in the National League in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched.

Tim Lincecum has won the award the past two seasons, but the way it looks he will not win his third consecutive.

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