Uncustomed Heroes of 2020: Braves

After 4 games, the Atlanta Braves had a 3-1 lead in the NLCS, and were inches away from taking out the Dodgers and advancing to the World Series...and then the Dodgers showed up.

The heartbreaking end to this season shouldn't define the Braves, as they as a unit had one of their best seasons in years, overcoming issues that had hampered them in the past, and bringing some truly fun performances to the forefront.

Despite an injury limiting him to only 29 games this year, Ozzie Albies still had a decent enough year, batting .271 with 19 RBIs and 6 homers, better numbers than Ender Inciarte could muster in 46 games. Albies was also sharp in the postseason, with 13 hits, 4 RBIs and 2 homers. Clearly still a big part of this Braves core.

2021 Prediction: Back to full health and full production. Will have a 200-hit year with 75 RBIs. 

Another comeback: after opting out of the season before summer camp, Nick Markakis suddenly got the bug, and wanted to play baseball this year. So he made the call to Brian Snikter, and for 37 games, Kakes was back in Atlanta. His numbers weren't terrific, as he only hit .254 with 33 hits and 15 RBIs, but he still had 8 postseason hits. This may not have been the starriest final season for Markakis, who's been with the Braves since 2015, but it was still a fine note to end his consistent Braves years on.

2021 Prediction: A goodwill one-year deal will allow Markakis one more full season of production before he retires at the end of the 2021 season.

After being the rookie of last June, Austin Riley had a second act prepared for 2020, but it was a little one-sided. Riley batted .239 with 19 RBIs and 8 home runs this year, another hint that maybe he's not gonna be the most well-rounded player on the team. At the very least, he had 4 RBIs, including a home run, in the postseason.

2021 Prediction: Will lose the starting third base gig halfway through the season and be relied upon as a bench bat into the playoffs. 

In a season where Mike Soroka, Cole Hamels and Tommy Milone succumbed to injuries, the depth of the starting rotation was one of the minor issues the Braves had to face. Kyle Wright was a sturdy solution, as he overcame a rocky start to become one of the more reliable starters in Atlanta this year. He truly came into his own in September, where he posted a 3.91 ERA, 2 wins and 18 strikeouts. He had one great postseason start in the NLDS and one truly terrible postseason start in the NLCS.

2021 Prediction: He finds the strike zone and doesn't look back, getting an ASG nod and some Cy Young votes.

One of the members of the 2019 trade deadline bullpen-packing squad, Shane Greene stayed away from the closing gig thanks to Mark Melancon, but still was mighty fine in relief, with a 2.60 ERA and 21 Ks in 27 innings. 

2021 Prediction: Whoever signs him does so with the full intention of making him the closer, and he rewards them with 35 saves. 

Tyler Matzek was the true comeback player of the Braves this year. After coming up as a starter in Colorado, then losing a few years to injuries, Matzek bopped around the independent leagues and the minors before the Braves took a chance on him. 2020 was the reward for that, as Matzek had a 2.79 ERA in 29 innings, with a scorching 43 strikeouts. He also got through the postseason with 14 Ks and only one earned run. 

2021 Prediction: Matzek's work in long relief will make the Braves flirt with giving him a rotation spot. However, the majority of his appearances in 2021 will be in relief, and they will be similar to this year's numbers.

Two seasons after being one of the few non-snakebitten relief options for the Braves, A.J. Minter struck back, only allowing 2 earned runs in 22 appearances, making for a minuscule .83 ERA. For this, Minter held the highest ERA in the bullpen.

2021 Prediction: Lower numbers, but will still be a part of the postseason squad. 

In the category of players who made their biggest impacts late in the season, Pablo Sandoval came to the team in a waiver deal, thanks to the Giants prioritizing Mauricio Dubon. People signing Panda now kinda know what they get- he's not who he used to be, but he still gives you some pop. He didn't get any hits at all this season, but it was nice to have him here for the sole purpose of seeing the Giants great on the Braves.

2021 Prediction: If anyone signs him, it'll be to a minor league deal, and he'll make a limited impact on the season. 

I'd be remiss if I didn't at least mention that Philadelphia icon Cole Hamels pitched in Atlanta this year. Yes, he only did so for one game amidst an injury-shortened year, but he's still a former All-Star and pitching giant who did play this year, even if it wasn't for much. He lasted 3.1 innings in his sole game of the season, and posted an 8.10 ERA. But he still wanted to be out there, and he still tried.

2021 Prediction: A return to form pitching for a non-competitor, and by the postseason, a trade will send him back home to Philly.

Bryse Wilson had a few starts during the regular season, but it was his postseason work that caught people's attention. In Game 4, he went mano e mano against one of the greatest pitchers in the game, Clayton Kershaw, and came out victorious, going six innings and only allowing one run, with 5 strikeouts to boot. He didn't have much else of note this season, but it definitely got people thinking about what he could do in a longer season.

2021 Prediction: He'll lose a spot in the rotation thanks to a tricky April, but will gain it back and stick with it come August.

And then there's the new rookie of note in Atlanta, Cristian Pache, who had 4 at-bats in the regular season but came alive in the postseason thanks to his skillful outfield play and his 4 RBIs in the NLCS. The Andruw Jones comparisons were heard far and wide, but something about this 21-year old intrigues me in a full season. 

2021 Prediction: NL Rookie of the Year.

Coming Tomorrow- They made the postseason by the skin of their teeth, and even if they were out of it a day or so later, they still had some intriguing stories to tell. 

NLDS Update: UGHHHH Edition

[loud grumbling]

This was the thing that you weren't supposed to let happen, Atlanta. This is why we start Julio Teheran from the getgo instead of Mike Foltynewicz.

Oh, god, this was tough to watch. Folty and Fried got obliterated by the Cardinals lineup, scoring 10 runs in the first inning. It was one of the hardest-to-watch baseball innings of all time, because I still don't think this team was good enough in the regular season to warrant this kind of run. And the Braves...were. THEY deserved a chance.

But anyway. Cardinals won, it wasn't close, everybody had RBIs including Harrison Bader, and Jack Flaherty was untouchable. Argh.

And the Braves just deserved better. Their lineup was dynamite, and their bench was impressive as hell. This looked like the year they'd get far into the playoffs...and then the pitching staff ruined it for them. Looking back, you had guys like Dallas Keuchel and Mike Foltynewicz letting them down, to the point where it doesn't look like this pitching staff had any high points to begin with. Brian McCann just retired, and it happened literally the day of this loss, so that just says it all.

Meanwhile, this happened.

This, uh...kinda shocked me.

The Dodgers during the regular season didn't have any opportunities to look human. They just cruised. And the guys that finish them off are the NL Wild Cards, and a team that looked dead in May. This is what takes out Dave Roberts' Dodgers.

Now...the Nats DID break their streak of playoff series' without a win, and are finally looking like they've gotten a fine team together, ironically the year after Bryce Harper leaves, but...they are still the underdog in every subsequent race. Especially the upcoming NLCS, where the favorites are now the goddamned St. Louis Cardinals. So now...I must root for the Washington Nationals to make the World Series.

It sounds ridiculous, but with Anthony Rendon, and with this pitching staff...it could happen.

And there goes my World Series pick.

I really enjoyed this Dodgers team. They had so many good players, and so much good momentum, and...I really wish they'd been able to get past this. Because this was tough, but they've been much tougher. This has got to be heartbreaking, especially for Clayton Kershaw who made the comeback happen. I really hope these guys can finally put together a winning team next year, because this is just getting depressing.

Today...we have Rays-Astros. If the Rays win, the Yankees have an easy time. If the Astros win, it's better for baseball, and it's better for the AL's shot to win the World Series. So I don't know.

Making the Mark in Atlanta

The Braves are one of the most powerful teams in the AL. And I'm saying that in 2018. Wow.

The odd part is that not a lot has changed since the last team, the one that made 3rd/4th last year. The only thing that's changed is that all the elements that were sort of working over the last few years are REALLY working right now. For instance- have you seen Nick Markakis in an Atlanta Braves uniform looking THIS POWERFUL before this year? He's evoking serious memories of his Orioles self, not just in his incredible numbers in the hits and average categories, but in how consistent and durable he's seeming, after showing only one dimension the last few years. The guy's finally on, and perhaps he deserves his first-ever All Star Game nomination.

That's not all, though. Freddie Freeman, Ozzie Albies, Ronald Acuna, Sean Newcomb and a newly-revitalized Dansby Swanson are all playing beautifully, and are lifting the team above the Phillies for the 1st place standing at the moment. This is a team that is withstanding competition from Philly, as well as from the down-but-not-out Washington Nationals. It's a crazy year to be in the NL East, because even the unlikely heroes, like the Braves and Phillies, can do well, and they certainly are.

The series is Braves-Phillies right now, and it could decide either the way of the rest of the season, or the way of, like, a week or so. I'm not sure how long the Braves will hold onto the lead, but I have a feeling they'll definitely be in the race for a while.

Coming Tomorrow- An infielder for a wild but ineffective AL Central team.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2017: Braves

The Braves, for most of the season, were caught in the 4-team blockade that made up the rest of the NL East (not including Washington). None of these teams were truly ready for prime time, and the Braves showed early on that they were pretty shoddily-made up. The pitching was too old, the infielders were too inexperienced, and once Freddie Freeman got injured there wasn't really a point to anything.

Julio Teheran, for once, had a comparatively down season, with an inflated ERA and some stuff that didn't stack up to his usual material. Hopefully this won't be a trend.

Nick Markakis, who's one of the most surprising potential candidates for the 3000 hits club, did his usual amount of work in Atlanta this year- great outfield work, ton of hits. He's gotten to the point where he's not really making headlines anymore, but it's just a measure of his consistency.

Tyler Flowers has become a nice everyday catcher since leaving Chicago, though he did split his job with Kurt Suzuki this year. He was one of the Braves' few offensive highlights, as he's doing what he can in a lower spot in the lineup.

However, this year was mainly about the massive youth movement- Johan Camargo came in at shortstop halfway through the year, when Dansby Swanson wasn't pulling his weight, and did a pretty nice job there before getting injured. Could be the starter for 2018, depending on what the Braves want to do with Swanson.

Lane Adams was another nice rookie call-up, who hit really well in September, fitting into a limited role that still worked well for him. I don't know if he'll be starting in 2018, but expect him to be an insanely potent bench player.

Luiz Gohara was called up in August, and touted as one of those 'OH MY GOD HE'S GOING TO BE AMAZING' type of prospects. So far, he's shown that he's capable of being Williams Perez 2.0, as well as making for the rotation's weight imbalance since the departure of Bartolo Colon. I think he's capable of improving, though I'd rather not be wrong.

Coming Tomorrow- They came out of nowhere and nearly made the playoffs. Wonder how they'll shock the world next year.

Beauty Within The Ugliness: Braves Edition

Ah, the wonders of baseball cards- a medium that can take something as torrid as the Braves' 2016 season, and make a graceful, poignant moment out of it.

Nick Markakis is one of the better members of the team, but that isn't saying too much. Look, at least he's done well enough that I can talk about him as one of the more impressive members of the team. He hasn't exactly hit for the cycle, unlike one of his teammates, but he's not exactly terrible.

Alright, enough about the Braves. Let's just focus on how awesome this custom is.

Coming Tonight- Remember when we were talking about how well the White Sox were doing. Here's one of their top starters, still trying to hold onto whatever wins they have.

Custom Card of the Day: Markakis Edition

Nick Markakis' 2015 season was one of those where things didn't happen right at the start, but as it went along, things got very big.

Marky has had a really nice couple of months in Atlanta, having a couple hitting streaks and reclaiming some of the numbers he had in Baltimore. While the Braves team is a bit cluttered and injury-prone this year, Marky is very quickly taking a leadership role, in and out of Freeman's DL stays, and is becoming one of the main offensive forces for this team, which needs some sources of offense since losing Jason Heyward and Justin Upton.

Also, aside from Markakis having a nice season, a surprising part of the 2015 has been the fact that the Braves have stayed afloat, instead of dropping like a brick without a lot of their stars. People thought they'd end up in last this season, but since the Marlins and Phillies have underwhelmed this season, the Braves are holding strong in third.

And that's the thing. They're winning games, and the youth they're bringing up, including Adonis Garcia and Jace Peterson, is working. Only problem is, like I said, injuries have been seriously hurting what could have been a borderline-wild-card team. Freddie Freeman and Jason Grilli have been sidelined once or twice, and those two pieces have been carrying this team, too.

Hopefully things will get a little better as the season ends, as well as in 2016.

Coming Tonight- The guy who the Braves gave up this season, who's been having an awesome season, playing for one of the best teams in baseball.

How to admit you screwed up without coming off as desperate

So, for those of you who recall, I had a very...I dunno, I guess you could say 'mean-spirited' post last night, about the Orioles. I already deleted it, because I went back and read it this morning and for the first time in my career, I actually felt ashamed about something I had written. I'd called the team's star a wash-up, I'd said that the team was only in first by default, and I used the post as a way of saying that my team was still better.

Honestly, I have no idea what the hell I was thinking. It was 11ish, and I was only posting for the sake of posting, because I needed to get another one out because I needed to start posting more. So everything I wrote in that post was an afterthought, done for the sake of humor, not really said with any statistics in mind, and written smugly and asshole-like.

I know I lost the respect of a lot of Orioles fans, and I know that they'd rather eat a shoe than ever read my blog again, so when I say I'm sorry, please understand that it's coming from someone who means it. I'm not looking for sympathy, and I'm not trying to win you all back onto my side, because I'm not some politician who gives hush money to people he's wronged behind their backs. All I'm doing is being honest and saying that I didn't mean to defame the Orioles, and I certainly had no idea the post would have this kind of effect on people.

And for the record, I know it may not show, but I actually like the Orioles. A friend of my dad's gets cheap seats every few years, so we go to a game every once and a while. I have all the respect in the world for the Orioles, and I felt really, really bad when Machado got hurt, because he's a great player. Please understand that I'm not BSing here. I don't like to bullshit, and I don't do it often.

I promise that the next time I write about a team, I will check my facts a bit more, and I won't just write for the sake of getting one done.

And also, I apologize about all the shit I said about Earl Weaver, when he died. I basically took it as an opportunity to get back at him after all of those days of kicking my Yankees' ass, and I thought with my ass instead of my head. So last night's post was the second time I pissed off Orioles fans. Believe me when I say that I don't go out of my way to make people upset. And I certainly had no intention of that last night, which is why it killed me that people reacted this way. And before I get a lot of 'Well, what did you expect', comments, I didn't really expect anything. I expected it to get, like, 30 page views, people to read it, like the custom, and move on with their lives.

Bottom line- I don't expect complete forgiveness from the people that didn't like the post. That only happens in the movies. All I want is for you to see my side of the story, and at least have some context about it, and then base your opinion on that. You're allowed to still hate me. I don't care. I just wanted to make my point about it clear, and apologize. If that doesn't do anything for you, well that's fine with me.

Coming Tonight (?)- Well, it'd be a slap in the face if it was a Yankee, so it's probably going to be Stephen Strasburg.

Uncustomed Heroes of Baseball: Orioles

 While the Orioles were nowhere near as good as they were in 2012, they still had a respectable season, and still had a nice showing out of Nick Markakis, who continued to be their star leader.

 Brian Roberts had another injury-laden season, which is normal for Brian Roberts. Good news is that in 2014 Roberts will be suiting up for the New York Yankees, and hopefully staying healthy for a while.

Bud Norris didn't do too much in his tenure with Baltimore, but he was respectable, and at least he got the hell out of Houston while he could.

Coming Tomorrow- a few from the Padres.

Year by Year Customs: 1980

 

Another day, another round of great customs. Today's batch is a bit more star studded than usual, but they're all great customs.

I think if Helton sticks around for a little while longer he could be in more consideration for Cooperstown.

 

Surprisingly, not the O's biggest star this year.

 

Will be pitching for Arizona next year.

 

Coming Tomorrow- One of my favorite Topps designs, and some nice players. 

Year by Year Customs: 1981

Sorry these took so long. I had a busy weekend. Yesterday was spent watching my Eagles tackle the Jets from the Linc (yes I was there), and getting home in time to watch the finale of Survivor (which none of you care about). But these customs are up now, and I got a head start on tomorrow's.

If I do an Update segment, this guy will be airbrushed into a Philly uniform.

Still not the most polarizing person named Howie out there.

Coming Tomorrow- A cool design, and a card I've been saving since October of a Cy Young contender.

Custom Card of the Day- Markakis Edition

I made this one last week, just before the whole race to the playoffs began. Sadly, while the race is well underway, Nick and his lovable team of Orioles won't make it to October glory.

Still, they did have a pretty okay season- they started off slow, and they had a huge resurgence under Buck Showalter. But they still lost 90 games. But they weren't that bad, anyway. Hell, I think they were better than Boston in the end there. And I can think of so many other teams (The Cubs, Dodgers and Rockies, for instance) that did worse than the Orioles.

And the truth is, with players like Markakis above, Adam Jones, Matt Wieters, Nolan Reimold, Brian Roberts, Luke Scott, Felix Pie and Koji Uheara, it's questionable why they lost. I mean, whenever I go up to Camden Yards (a friend of my dad's gets tickets), I never boo the Orioles. They're just a fun team to watch, similar to the Giants. You get so relaxed watching these teams to the point where you figure that the game isn't about competitiveness, it's about fun.

So that's what the Orioles have going for them. Their fanbase may not be the largest, and they may be tucked away in a minor city in Maryland, but gosh darn is they're so darned fun to watch.

Coming Tomorrow- He fields! He hits! He's got a sweet beard! Your Philadelphia Phillies Wacky Outfielder is tomorrow's custom.

Custom Card of the Day

Hey! What do you want? I did this one after returning from the Orioles game!

All madness aside, this one was also fairly easy aside from almost nicking the little player on the left hand side. I am currently scouring my collection for more 70's and 80's cards I can use for the bases of my customs.

Anyway, later today I might be doing something with a fellow collector, and that may end in a trade, so stay tuned for that.