Leading Off Feb. 25, 2003 - Off-season Report N.L. East
by Will Christensen And the conclusion of the six-part series looking at off-season moves, finishing with the division that had top-to-bottom the most active winter: the National League East. ATLANTA BRAVES Let's say you have a team that led the league in starter ERA and relief ERA but finished 10th in runs scored, what would you do in the off-season? If you're John Schuerholz, you sign a dime-a-dozen first baseman and revamp your pitching staff. If you're puzzled by those decisions, you aren't alone. While it's easy to blame the corporate goons at AOL Time Warner for letting go of future Hall of Famer and franchise icon Tom Glavine and the giveaway of Kevin Millwood, it ignores the acquisitions, at least in the rotation. Glavine, Millwood and rookie Damian Moss are out. In are Russ Ortiz, Paul Byrd and Mike Hampton. Taken in total, the moves aren't bad, particularly because the Braves kept Greg Maddux. Considering how Leo Mazzone has improved nearly every veteran pitcher who's come under his charge, and that Ortiz, Byrd and Hampton (pre-June 2001) were pretty good as is, they could have big years in Atlanta. The Braves' relief maneuvers are more puzzling. Gone are Mike Remlinger, Chris Hammond, Tim Spooneybarger and Kerry Ligtenberg, four pitchers and not a 2002 ERA above 3 among them. Replacing them from the reliever merry-go-round are Roberto Hernandez, Ray King, Tim Venafro and Chris Haney. On one hand, that's not real impressive who knows how much Hernandez, who's 38 and two years removed from his last sub-4 ERA season, has left? On the other, who had Hammond and Darren Holmes pegged to do what they did last year? That's right, no one. So, maybe Atlanta can catch lightning in a bottle again. | |
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