Atlanta Braves Information
The Braves had a tough interleague play, finishing with a National League low 4-11 record. However, they rebounded in July, with Chipper Jones setting the Atlanta Club Record for 372 home runs. They also added new players to their rosters, among them first baseman Mark Teixeira, and former Texas Ranger RonMahay. They also opened the season with a sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are ready to take their division once again – and with one World Championship under their belt, Atlanta continues to be a hotspot for baseball in ’07.
The team facing the most pressure early on in this young 2004 season might just be the Philadelphia Phillies. They've moved out of the parking lot they played their ball in for more than 30 years (Veterans Stadium) and into beautiful Citizens Bank Park, a world-class facility with a 43,500 capacity. The new ballpark has a natural grass field, unlike the Vet with its quick and thin turf. With the Philadelphia Eagles moving into their new stadium in 2003, the Phillies were promised a baseball-only stadium, and it does not appear to disappoint. It's only 330 feet out straight down the lines, 370 to the alleys, and 401 to dead center, so there could be fireworks from the Phillies big bats.
With the Atlanta Braves absolutely dominating the National League East for the last decade, the Philadelphia Phillies haven't had many opportunities to play deep into October and the postseason. Their only championship came in 1980 when they defeated the Houston Astros in the NLCS and the Kansas City Royals in the World Series. That championship team was led by Mike Schmidt's league leading 48 home runs and Steve Carlton's anemic 2.34 earned run average, both of whom ended up earning their trips to Cooperstown to be enshrined into the baseball Hall of Fame. Many experts feel that this team has the potential to make a serious run at the world series this year, and their payroll situation is good enough to ensure that this will not be a one-and-done deal like the 1997 Florida Marlins championship team. Many of their star players have already signed to play well into the future, and there should be new revenues due to the new stadium. This team also shouldn’t have to worry about losing key players at the trading deadline since they’re expected to contend for many years.
The biggest reason that people believe this might be the year is the off-season addition of closer Billy Wagner from Houston, who will Replace Jose Mesa. The lefty flamethrower is now 32 years old and has an added 4 years of playoff experience from his years with the Astros. Mesa recorded 24 saves with the Phillies last year, but was often quite erratic and inconsistent, and had trouble getting along with management at times. The Phillies return four starters with at least 14 wins last season for the club along with a solid middle relief corps. On offense, shortstop Jimmy Rollins and second baseman Placido Polanco should set the table for the heart of the order, consisting of Bobby Abreu, Jim Thome, and Pat Burrell. Mike Lieberthal should continue to be steady behind the plate, and will surely help the young staff grow throughout the season. The fiery Larry Bowa could be the first manager fired this season, even if his team remains in contention for most of the season. He will almost surely be relieved of his duties if this team doesn't advance to the postseason.