When Spring training starts is the entire Braves organization invited or is it limited to just AAA and above? Michael Hudson, Del City, Oklahoma
The beauty of Spring Training is that the entire organization comes to Orlando. Some of the higher rated prospects get an opportunity to spend some time in the Major League camp, regardless of where they are on the organizational ladder. Jeff Francoeur and Brian McCann were among the first players to be re-assigned to minor league camp in 2005. Funny how they both ended up playing large parts in the Braves 14th Division crown that very season.
Most teams will have a general idea of which veterans are going to make the club, and which positions will be up for grabs amongst multiple candidates. Sometimes a player will play their way out of a job, allowing one of the younger prospects to slide into his place. Other times a non-roster player invited to camp without a contract will find his way into the right scenario and earn a job. Injuries could play a part as well. These stories always abound in Spring Training. Who knows, the Braves could be surprised by a young talent from the low minors and decide to give him a longer look as the season begins.
Now that Spring Training has begun and the sale of the team almost final, do you think that there is a better possibility of the Braves signing Andruw Jones? Jason, Dunwoody, GA
While the ink may have just dried on the proposal for Liberty Media to acquire the Atlanta Braves as part of a nearly $1.3 billion transaction with Time Warner, it still has several hurdles to clear before it will be made official. Major League baseball must review the contract in its entirety, from the terms and conditions to the language of the deal itself. After the MLB review, the sale must pass a vote of 75% of the current ownerships.
It has been made clear by the Braves front office that fans can expect to see a "seemless" transition from Time Warner to Liberty media when and if the deal is approved. What has not been made clear as of yet is whether or not Liberty will want to increase the Braves payroll. Alfonso Soriano and Vernon Wells both set the bar very high in terms of talented young center fielders signing big money long-term deals. Andruw himself has made clear his love for playing in Atlanta, but also the realistic aspect that he expects to recieve fair market value for his services following the 2007.
What I can tell you without a doubt is that we can look forward to a focused and determined Andruw Jones this season. In his walk year, Jones will be looking to put up the best numbers possible in order to garner interest from as many clubs as possible. Considering his track record of excellent defense and explosive power, that will not be hard. You can practically see the teams salivating at the chance of signing an outfielder with Andruw's talents. For now, all we can do is enjoy the show and hope that Atlanta has the opportunity to offer Andruw the contract he has in mind.
Have there been any hints as to this possibly being the last year of Smoltzie's career? Keith - Clermont, GA
Smoltz arrived in Orlando with his full focus on gearing up for another season of helping the club reach October. The veteran righty is confident in his conditioning and pleased with the new look bullpen crafted this off-season. While Tom Glavine has recently gone on record saying that 2007 may be his last season, Smoltz has done nothing of the kind. In past interviews, Smoltz has said that as long as he can compete at the level he feels is helping the club and reaching his standards that he will continue to pitch.
This season will be the 20th for Smoltz in Atlanta, as he closes in on 200 wins for his career. Clearly, if Smoltz chooses to pitch beyond this season then the the Braves would enter negotiations to bring him back to Atlanta. Many of these decisions are made during the off-season. This one is really up to Smoltz, to make on his own time table.
Last year I noticed that there were many new players added to the team. What newcomer this year can we look forward to watching? Davis Wallace - Fayetteville, GA
The Braves farm system has long been a rich source of prospects that have become major contributors to the success of the club in each of the 14-consecutive division titles. Beginning with the likes of Glavine, Avery, Gant, Justice, Lemke and the likes in 1991, Atlanta has counted on young players making an impact as a crucial part of their winning formula.
Of all the prospects, I believe the one who will have the biggest opportunity to make his mark this season will be Scott Thorman. He is an intense competitor who has pounded Triple-A pitching the past two seasons and shown some of that same power with Atlanta last summer. Splitting last season between Atlanta and Richmond, Thorman belted 20 homers and drove in 75 runs in 437 at-bats. The job at first base will seemingly go to Thorman primarily, with the occassional Craig Wilson sighting.
Looking at some of the higher rated prospects yet to get a taste of the Big Leagues, keep an eye on a young former University of Georgia stand-out, Will Startup. In three levels last season, the Cartersville, Ga, native went 9-2 with a 2.35 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 69 innings. Add in the fact that he is left-handed and possesses a plus slider and you may have all the makings of an important cog in the relief corps. The space is limited however, with Blaine Boyer, Chad Paronto, Joey Devine, Peter Moylan, Phil Stockman and Anthony Lerew all competing for the last two slots in the pen. Startup is definitely one to watch though.
I'd really like to know what ever happened to Pat Rockett who played shortstop back in the late 70's. I grew up in Savannah watching the AA affiliate Savannah Braves and saw a whole bunch of talent come through there, Dale Murphy, Bruce Benedict and many more. Jim Breen - Lawrenceville, GA
For those who are scratching their heads as to who exactly Pat Rockett was in the annals of Braves history, he was highly touted infielder in the late 70s. Drafted as the tenth overall pick in the first round of the 1973 amatuer draft, Rockett ascended (much pun intendeded) to the majors at the tender age of 21 in 1976. Two rounds after Atlanta selected Rockett, Baltimore took a chance on a high school first baseman by the name of Eddie Murray. Hindsight is of course 20/20. Over parts of three seasons with the Braves, his only Major League club, Rockett batted .214 in 411 career at-bats. He was later dealt to the Blue Jays in 1979 as part of a 5-player deal that brought Chris Chambliss to Atlanta.
To be quite honest, I have no idea what Rockett, now 52, is up to these days. What I can tell you is that his former teammate Biff Pocoroba is currently in the restaurant supply business in the metro-Atlanta area, selling meat for his company "Sausage World." Now that you may not have known.
Is bolstering the bullpen enough to help the Braves start another 14 year title streak or should they have done a little more? Are Thorman and Prado going to be able to replace Giles and LaRoche effectively? Tina - Port Byron, NY
There is no way of knowing what kind of streak the Braves could cobble together with their currently revamped bullpen being one of the key components. Something that should make you sleep a little easier at night is knowing that last season's 29 blown saves will be a thing of the past. Had the Braves even been able to convert roughly half of those games then we would have been watching a pennant race down the stretch and likely hanging on to some post-season dignity with an NL Wild Card slot.
Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano are the kind of weapons that managers all around the game would love to add to their mix in relief. Until the elbow tendonitis shut him down in September, Gonzalez had converted a perfet 24-of-24 save opportunities. Both Soriano and Gonzalez give Bobby Cox an insurance policy should Bob Wickman get overworked at any time during the season. It is nice to have one guy who could step up, but having two arms (really three counting Wickman) capable of closing if needed is a luxury that few teams can boast. If and when the Braves come down the stretch in September, we will all be watching a much improved team from the 2006 version.
As for Prado and Thorman, both come highly regarded through the Braves system. Thorman has the power, as I mentioned earlier, to help ease the loss of LaRoche. Chipper Jones for one has commented that Thorman has a great chance to put up the same kind of numbers LaRoche posted with 500 or more at-bats this season. Keep in mind, the Braves offense did not have a problem scoring runs last season, finishing second in the NL.
Prado will have a fight on his hands with converted-infielder-turn-outfieler-turn-infielder Kelly Johnson. If Atlanta chooses to the go the route of a proven second baseman, then Prado gets the nod. While he may not put up Giles-like numbers right away, the kid can hit his fair share. Johnson has shown a patient and steady eye at the plate and many believe he has the ability to hit .300 in the Major Leagues one day. So if Atlanta decides to go with the more proven hitter, Johnson will be tapped to take over at second. It will be an interesting battle this spring.
