behind the dugout

When I was younger watching the Atlanta Braves was a seemingly nightly experience. Being the only true baseball fan in the house I watched the majority of the games downstairs wearing my Braves cap and consuming soda and goodies.

I began watching the Braves regularly sometime late in the 1990 season. For the next 15 years I watched this team win 14 consecutive pennants. At the trade deadline I watched them acquire players that would help make a second half push to the playoffs.

This season I’m watching the Braves from a different angle. Gone for years have been the days in which I could watch the team daily but now I’m even watching the Braves trade away their stars as August approaches. It’s true after 14 consecutive divisional titles the team now seems destined to miss the playoffs for the third year in a row.

Last night the news came that everyone expected. Slugging first basemen Mark Teixeira was traded to the Los Angles Angels for Casey Kotchman and a minor league reliever.

It happens it’s baseball and sure Kotchman is a pretty good return when you add in he’ll be under the teams control till 2011 but to admit the Braves are surrendering the season is still tough.

I used to think that wearing a Braves uniform had to be some kind of honor. I to this day still find it hard to believe Howard Battle played for the team in 1999 and looking at last nights lineup felt a little sick.

It’s not that I don’t know who the players are it’s just you can’t have so many average to crappy players in a lineup and still expect to win. To make it clearer: The Braves lineup last night had Greg Norton hitting cleanup last night. It’s like watching a bunch of guys who were fighting for the 25th roster spot all take the field at the same time. You can’t win that way.

It wasn’t just last nights lineup that ended the Braves hopes this season. Star Chipper Jones and ace Tim Hudson both recently hit the disabled list joining John Smoltz, Tom Glavine and shortstop Yunnel Escobar. Throw in the fact that underachieving outfielder Jeff Francoeur even spent a stay in the minors and you can almost start to wonder what took Frank Wren so long to start trading guys away.

The Braves still have a few relievers in left handers Will Ohman and Mike Gonzalez that could be sent packing. I don’t see both remaining with the team past the deadline.

Their done. The Braves are done for this year. Maybe next season will be better. My mouth is starting to get dry from years of missing the post season.