SB Nation User Blog: ejruiz

Some Additional Thoughts on the 2009 Denver Broncos.

ejruiz — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:13:51 -0000

Hello again everyone! Earlier this week I published a FanPost (please feel free to click this link and check it out if you haven't already) outlining some points about our beloved Broncos that I felt were either flying under the radar or simply merited reiteration. The piece was well received - which is to be expected in a community like ours - and I really enjoyed writing it, so I felt compelled to expand on it a bit. The truth is that this franchise has done so much so well that a series such as this could go on indefinitely without having to stretch for material. Each of us here at Mile High Report has our own unique perspective and style with which to deliver it; it has been a real pleasure to read much of the work that others produce and I am greatly appreciative of those who take the time to do the same for me. Now, if you'd be so kind as if to follow me below the fold, let's get back to the task at hand and bask in the glow of our Denver Broncos!

Fountain of Youth: The Broncos currently count only 16 players that are at least 30 years old on their roster, but they have all played significant roles in the team's hot start. Along the offensive line, Casey Wiegmann and Ben Hamilton continue to anchor the center of a unit that should be the envy of the entire league. Behind them, back-ups Russ Hochstein and Brandon Gorin have been called to action already this season and held up relatively well. Veteran long-snapper Lonnie Paxton has also yet to let us down. At the skill positions, slot receiver Brandon Stokley has once again done everything asked of him and then some. Tight end Daniel Graham is easily earning the lucrative contract that brought him to Denver three offseasons ago. Running back Correll Buckhalter continues to exhibit the talent and skills of a feature back, while LaMont Jordan has excelled as the go-to guy in late game keep-away situations. A bigger impact from the veterans, however, can be seen on the other side of the ball. Defensive end (guard?) Kenny Peterson seems to have found his calling in our new scheme, while late pick-up Vonnie Holliday has shown flashes of dominance at the position as a rotational player. Linebacker Andra Davis has experienced a renaissance as a force to be reckoned with inside. The retooled defensive backfield, comprised solely of 30+ year olds, has been the cornerstone of the defensive resurgence. Legendary cornerback Champ Bailey is healthy again and benefiting greatly by the support of his superlative peers. Andre Goodman has been so good as to force opposing quarterbacks to throw the ball in the direction of the aforementioned Bailey. Safety Renaldo Hill has played his part to perfection and his partner Brian Dawkins continues to play like a man 2/3 his age and lead like one much older. Many of these men were brought in by the new administration this offseason and all received their vote of confidence while the entire roster was in flux. This may be a younger team than most overall, but they can get away with it because of the quality of its veterans.
Chip on the Shoulder: As fans, we were forced to listen to the incessant rantings of media types counting our team out before a game had been played. Now, with five down and the remaining eleven looking less menacing by the week, many of us can't help but revel in the demise of their doom-and-gloom predictions. Laughing at the sports punditry that couldn't have been more wrong is all well and good, but have you noticed that our team seems ambivalent to it? Sure, they go out on the field every time with something to prove, but it's not for the media's sake: it's for the guys lining up next to them or across the way in practice or for those not wearing pads who believed in them enough to let them wear the Orange and Blue. They were handed volumes of bulletin board material this offseason, but they just don't seem to have a need for any of it. They don't want to win to prove the doubters wrong, but rather to prove the faithful right. That's the sort of positive energy and motivation that will never run out.
Endless Pursuit of Perfection: The Denver Broncos are 5-0, defeating three potential playoff teams along the way, but they still haven't played their best football. We've seen flashes of greatness from nearly every unit at some point or another; at times, we've even been treated to more than one performing at such a high level. That said, there is always room to improve. Head coach Josh McDaniels has stated as much and, when he says it, I believe it. Imagine the passing attack against New England, the rushing onslaught against Cleveland, the pass rush against Dallas, the pass defense against Oakland and the rush defense against Cincinnati... all in the same game! Every individual and every unit on this team, no matter how impressive their performance thus far this year, can - and almost certainly will - get even better. Gone are the days of being satisfied with just enough to get by; here's to the McDaniels era of perpetual improvement.
The Gauntlet: People have been looking at Denver's schedule since it was made public with a sense of awe and concern, much like one might look up at Everest while sitting at base camp. I'll admit that I indulged in that foolish perennial exercise (to a point) and saw cause for concern. I went into the 2009 season expecting an 8-8 record - give or take a game - that we could build on in the near future. Since then, my expectations have changed but my opinion of our schedule has not. The Broncos will face no fewer than eight legitimate playoff contenders this regular season and that is no easy feat. So far the traditional media has viewed every challenge as an opportunity for our team to prove itself, but I have a different perspective: I see every difficult game on our slate as a chance for our franchise from top to bottom to prepare itself for the playoffs. Our fast start provides us fans with a reasonable expectation of a trip to the postseason, but were it not for the difficult path our squad must travel to get there, I'd have less faith that we could make a significant impact once there. We should be thankful for our tough schedule because it will forge us into a better team.
Mocking the Draft: I am what some may call a bit of a draftnik. I love college football (especially the Florida Gators and the SEC) and I love the NFL Draft. Recently, I tried my hand at a 2010 mock draft and the Broncos pick confounded me. On the one hand - and who would have thought this a few short months ago - Denver simply doesn't have many if any true needs. On the other hand, the new administration in Dove Valley is so unique in establishing a draft board and executing that day's strategy that they're nearly impossible to predict. Honestly, at this point, would any selection truly surprise or disappoint you? They only have one year of track record, but you have to love the way McDaniels and Xanders have rebuilt the franchise.

Well, that's going to be it for me for now. I'd like to thank you all once again for sharing some of your time with me by reading this. I can't tell you how proud I am of MHR (having been here for so long) and how happy I am to be a fellow member with such great fans. I look forward to our continued conversation in the comments below. I can't wait until I have another full set of observations to share with you all after our game against those San Diego Chargers on Monday Night Football. I'm feeling really good about our chances in that one and what a win would mean for our season as a whole.

Oh, I just wanted to share one more thing: the Broncos are once again underdogs (even if you factor out the three points for homefield advantage) and a majority of ESPN's experts picked against Denver once again this week. We've consistently been underdogs in games against live competition and been picked by those aforementioned pundits on 33% of the time now. When will they ever learn??? Go Broncos!

Some Thoughts on the 2009 Denver Broncos.

ejruiz — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:27:15 -0000

Hello everyone; I'd like to thank you all in advance for taking the time to read this FanPost of mine and for doing your part in making Mile High Report the single best online community imaginable. Like many of you, I've had the pleasure of watching every second of our team's amazing 5-0 start this year. Through it all, a single sentiment stands out above all else: isn't this a great time to be a fan of the Denver Broncos?!

Our beloved franchise went through a stunning metamorphosis this offseason and, though the changes made were both necessary and ultimately for the best, that process lead to a great deal of understandable tumult within our fanbase. It also ignited a firestorm in the traditional media which, in equal measures, was fueled by and further fueled that upheaval. Now, however, we are welcoming back with open arms those brothers and sisters of our extended Broncos family who were previously distrusting of the new administration in Dove Valley. Moreover, only the echoes remain of the once deafening vitriol of the hopelessly ingnorant pundits and self-proclaimed experts that beset us for far too long.

Denver now stands among the mere handful of remaining undefeated teams in the National Football League, proudly, as one should among equals. There is no expiration date for this success, no limit to their potential and no reason for us fans to restrain our optimism with caution. The Broncos have done so many things so well, that it would be exhausting for me to write and for you to have to read through it all. Furthermore, others here at MHR have done a brilliant job of pointing some of these out and elaborating on them that I could not even hope to have my work rise to the level of redundancy. That said, there are some unique things that I've noticed that I would like to share with you all, if you would be so kind as to continue reading below the fold.

Giving Nothing Away: I am a firm believer that, moreso than any other statistic in football, turnover margin has the single greatest corrolation with wins (if positive) and losses (if negative). The concept of limiting mistakes is one stressed by Josh McDaniels at every turn and it really shows in the team's performance on Sundays. The Broncos offense and return units have turned the ball over to the opposition only four times through five games this year, a number that coupled with the defense's penchant for takeaways has yielded Denver huge gains in field position and momentum. If you take a closer look at those giveaways, however, you will find another even more impressive stat: opponents have scored a paltry six points off of those four mistakes! While one (Kyle Orton's lone interception) did not provide the other team a legitimate opportunity to convert it into points, the other three occured in Broncos territory with plenty of time on the clock to cash in. In those three drives, the defense gave up a combined one first down, two field goals and caused a turnover of their own. That is absolutely incredible!
Mile High is Back: Ever since Invesco Field became the new home of the Broncos, Denver seemed to have lost some of the magic that helped the old Mile High Stadium become the single greatest homefield advantage in the National Football League. Sure, the building never had the benefit of hosting a true Super Bowl contender with the possible exception of the 2005 squad and the team had become thoroughly mediocre after that, but it always just felt different. This year, however, the place borders on frenzy in a way that you almost never see in pro football and you can tell that it's lifting the players to a higher level. There isn't a team in the league that will ever look forward to facing Josh McDaniels' Broncos, but even more than that, they should certainly dread having to do so in Denver.
Cohesion: Our new head coach isn't one to indulge is "coach speak", which is refreshing. That said, it sometimes sounds like it when he's talking about the team in more general terms. When he speaks to preperation, about the full team effort required to win in the NFL, of approaching the season one game at a time, etc. you can tell that what are normally cliches out of other mouths are true beliefs and plans of action for him. What's even more telling than that is the fact that his players are all starting to sound like him. When asked to elaborate on an individual accomplishment, these Broncos deflect the praise onto their teammates... all of them. When proded in an attempt to look at the "big picture", they instead reiterate the importance of their focus. What we have in Denver is a team, one that's learned how to spell "winning" without a single "i". As a fan, that's an absolute joy to watch. For others, it should make them difficult to root against. For the sport, they provide a shining example of the right way. Win, lose or draw, this is a group we can all be proud of. Doesn't it feel like it's been far too long since we could honestly say that?
Franchise Quarterback: I supported the decision to trade Jay Cutler, as well as the deal that brought in Kyle Orton to replace him. To be absolutely clear, I will say that I still believe that Jay is the single most physically gifted QB in football today and that when he's on, he is arguably one of the very best regards of what metric you may chose to judge the position by. But I love Orton in a way that I could never have loved Jay. Kyle is everything you could ask for in a QB without being greedy. He can make all the throws and does make all the right decisions. He's a great teammate and a true leader. He's a good guy. And, yes, he's an underdog. He's also just 26 years old, playing lights out and only going to get better. Maybe we shipped a franchise quarter back out of town this offseason, but we definitely got one back in the move.
FUNdamentals: If you wanted to teach young men about football, then I suggest you start stocking up on tape of the 2009 Denver Broncos both on and off the field. They are the example of how doing all the little things right will get you farther than highlight reels ever could. They are living proof that the sum can be greater than its parts and the demonstrate it at every level and in every way. They're evidence that winning can be a byproduct rather than the goal or the end-all be-all that it's sometimes made out to be. They're imperfect, but their record is flawless. And what's more, they are a joy to watch. I'll ask it again, one last time: isn't this a great time to be a fan of the Denver Broncos?!

Wow! I did not expect this to become a marathon FanPost, but - what can I say - I guess I was inspired. To those of you who made it through any or all of this piece: thank you so much for indulging me. As always, I look forward to our continued conversation in the comments below if you would be so kind as to share your thoughts with me and the other members of our wonderful community here at MHR. I sincerely apologize for any typos, ommisions and/or oversights I may have been guilty of, seeing as the time stamp should belie the insomnia that sparked this writing.

Five games down, one to go and so on and so on until there are no more games left to be played. Thanks again for giving me some of your time and, as always, go Broncos!

Poll

What will the Broncos 2009 record be?

19-0: The Patriots were holding McDaniels back.

34 votes

13-3: La-La Land is now the most populous place on Earth.

117 votes

11-5: In Bena and Bartlett I trust.

147 votes

8-8ish: Yeah, I (ejruiz) underestimated these Broncos...

6 votes

5-11: Trolling is fun!

0 votes

3-13 or worse: ESPN is my church and John Clayton is my prophet.

6 votes

310 votes | Poll has closed

Really Rough Mock - Week 4

ejruiz — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 06:57:12 -0000

It seems as though everyone else has taken their shot with a ridiculously early mock draft and mine is long overdue. Besides, another sleepless night is a fine time to throw together a mock as quickly as possible to get a new conversation going. I'll address a few points about this project before unleashing it onto the Internet. Beware, because it could be just about the ugliest thing you've ever seen!

1) Order: I used the current standings, breaking ties via point differential. This is not how I see things panning out, though I suppose stranger things have happened. I say all this because I don't want people getting caught up in the order and overlooking the picks. One more thing: since I fully expect things to change as the season progress, you may notice a handful of prospects going too early or too late. I ask only that you focus on the pick(s) for the team and not worry too much about value and whatnot.

2) Prospects: There are some names you may not see that you believe should be there and others that you will find that you'll feel don't belong. That's fair game and, while I'm interested in having that discussion, it should not be the principal focus of your comments.

3) Criticism: Though I enjoy patting myself on the back whenever I get anything right, I am fully prepared to get most everything wrong in this attempt. I share this with you here because I value your input. My hope is that you'll propose solutions for the problems you point out. You all know your teams, divisions and maybe even conferences better than I do, so feel free to share that knowledge with me.

And so, without further ado and begging forgiveness for most likely wasting a moment of your time, on to my mock:

1. St. Louis Rams: Greg Hardy, DE, Mississippi

2. Cleveland Browns: Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska

4. Kansas City Chiefs: Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State

5. Tennessee Titans: Patrick Robinson, CB, Florida State

6. San Francisco 49ers (from Carolina Panthers): Taylor Mays, FS, USC

7. Detroit Lions: Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma

8. Oakland Raiders: Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma

9. Buffalo Bills: Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma

10. Seattle Seahawks: C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson

11. Miami Dolphins: Brandon Spikes, LB, Florida

12. Arizona Cardinals: Colt McCoy, QB, Texas

13. Washington Redskins: Selvish Capers, OT, West Virginia

14. San Diego Chargers: Terrence Cody, DT, Alabama

15. Houston Texans: Arthur Jones, DT, Syracuse

16. Pittsburgh Steelers: Eric Berry, SS, Tennessee

17. Green Bay Packers: Ciron Black, OT, LSU

18. Jacksonville Jaguars: Tim Tebow, QB, Florida

19. Dallas Cowboys: Brandon LaFell, WR, LSU

20. Atlanta Falcons: Syd’Quan Thompson, CB, Cal

21. Philadelphia Eagles: Trevard Lindley, CB, Kentucky

22. Cincinnati Bengals: Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech

23. New England Patriots: Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida

24. Denver Broncos (from Chicago Bears): Marshwan Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati

25. New York Jets: Jahvid Best, RB, Cal

26. San Francisco 49ers: Jerry Hughes, DE/OLB, TCU

27. Baltimore Ravens: Arrelious Benn, WR, Illinois

28. Minnesota Vikings: Jevan Snead, QB, Mississippi

29. New York Giants: Rolondo McClain, ILB, Alabama

30. Indianapolis Colts: Sean Witherspoon, OLB, Missouri

31. Seattle Seahawks (from Denver Broncos): Marvin Austin, DT, North Carolina

32. New Orleans Saints: Joe Haden, CB, Florida

Poll

Grade this mock!

A

3 votes

B

4 votes

C

12 votes

D

13 votes

F

12 votes

44 votes | Poll has closed

"If Denver can stay healthy, I think it can stay in the race. This doesn’t look like a team that w...

ejruiz — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 04:32:17 -0000

"If Denver can stay healthy, I think it can stay in the race. This doesn’t look like a team that will fall apart. I think it will only get better under McDaniels. Realistically, the Broncos can be a factor in the playoff race."

http://espn.go.com/blog/afcwest/post/_/id/4523/reality-check-broncos

Josh McDaniels Checks NFL.com To See What Other Teams Are In The League

ejruiz — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 01:01:17 -0000

Josh McDaniels Checks NFL.com To See What Other Teams Are In The League

I love The Onion and, while this is not their finest work, it's still pretty funny. If you can't laugh at yourself, then get used to not laughing!

Excitement is Contageous!

ejruiz — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 08:21:59 -0000

Hey guys and gals! It's been a while since I chimed in with anything more than the odd comment here and there, so I thought it'd be a good time to post something a little more substantial. Follow me below the fold for some random thoughts that I've been collecting for a while now that I feel safe to publish after watching our first preseason game.

Let me go ahead and get this out of the way: I've been a supporter of pretty much all of the franchise's so called controversial moves this offseason. I guess somewhere between my affinity for chess and my need to keep sight of the big picture at all times, I managed to see how everything was coming together rather nicely all along.

There are many others on this site who can offer a greater wealth of knowledge or keener insight for analysis than I, so I tend to focus on the little things that might get lost in the shuffle. If you're into that sort of thing, then I hope I don't let you down with the following list. And so, without further ado, I present you a brief list of things that I'm excited about going into this season:

Passing out of "heavy" sets: in Denver, we're blessed with an impressive array of versatile offensive weapons. One of the advantages of that is that we are able to create mismatches all over the field and at all times. Perhaps the single scenario that most excites me is what we can do in short yardage and goal to go. Imagine a huddle with Knowshon Moreno and Peyton Hillis as running backs, Daniel Graham and Tony Schefler as tight ends and Brandon Marshall as the sole wide receiver. Defenses will surely have to size up and probably have to commit their focus in order to defend the run, but we'd have a full compliment of five capable pass catchers out there against them. Can't you just picture McDaniels waking up in the middle of the night, eyes wide open as he scrambles for pen and paper with which to draw up yet another play to run out with that group at his disposal?
Coverage sacks: many were pleased when the front seven was able to collect four sacks against the 49ers Friday night, but I've been disappointed to see that the fact that at least half of those were coverage sacks has been largely overlooked. Without the full starting four back there, they were still able to absolutely shutdown the Niner passing attack from time to time.
WR screens: we've known for some time that we have two guys out wide that give defenses fits when they have the ball in their hands: Eddie Royal and Brandon Marshall. The former is a terror as a kick returner and the latter is a beast to bring down after the catch. Give them the rock in space and be sure to keep both hands free to count up all the missed tackles they'll produce. With effective TEs and slot guys working the middle, plus an offensive line that protects the passer superbly and opens up plenty of holes for our stable of solid RBs, the fuse is perpetually lite on this particular piece of dynamite.
Dominating the Forgotten Third: another tidbit that seems to have been lost on the traditional media as our new management put together our overhauled roster was the focus on guys that could excel in special teams while competing for regular playing time. Alphonso Smith, for example, has looked dangerous every time he fielded a kick. Better than that, though, was the performance of our coverage units throughout the night. Winning the battle of field position makes the game easier for both the offense and the defense and, for the first time in quite a while, we same capable of doing just that this year.
Ground and pound: despite the fact that the powers that currently be in Denver seem partial to the passing game, they certainly demonstrated a commitment to the running game when called for. Not only that, but all the pieces are in place to put together the sort of buzzsaw rushing attack that you must be able to employ in the NFL to dominate time of possession when necessary. When guys like Correll Buckhalter and LaMont Jordan appear to be your lesser options, you're in good shape as far as the Jimmys and the Joes are concerned. Then again, I suppose we all kind of knew that from the get go. For me, I was impressed by how well the coaching staff developed the X's and the O's to get the most out of them.

Well, I'll leave it at the for now. There's a lot more that I could add and that doesn't even count the stuff that's been focused on by others. Needless to say, there's a lot to be excited about in Denver. I've gone from wanting to shove our success in every doubters face to simply impatiently waiting for the rest of this wonder to be revealed to me as the season progresses. Now I can't wait to share that experience with everyone else, I guess.

As always, feel free to chime in with questions or comments and thank you for taking the time to read my work. Go Broncos!

Predictions.

ejruiz — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 21:59:01 -0000

We're getting our first taste of the college football season with training camps starting up now, so I thought I'd put something up to get a little discussion going. Real quickly, below the fold I'll post my predictions for the final SEC standings with a note about the different teams. I look forward to seeing what you all think, because there are several aspects about our conference's up coming season that can inspire plenty of debate. Go Gators!

SEC East

Florida Gators: I truly believe they'll run the table and possible win most of the significant postseason awards this year.
Georgia Bulldogs: They've lost a lot of star power, but they're probably the most consistently talented team behind our beloved Gators and there just doesn't seem to be anyone else ready to step up and take their place at this point.
Tennessee Volunteers: They're still a ways away from being the sort of program that can back up Lane Kiffin's antics, but they've assembled a great coaching staff and recruited a nice infusion of talent.
South Carolina: This may well be the final season of the Steve Spurrier experiment in Columbia. They absolutely must make a move this year or, as I project, change will be compelled.
Kentucky: every so often, they creep up on the rest of the league and put a scare into the tradition powers. This is not one of those years.
Vanderbilt: Their Cinderella season last year was perhaps one of the more overrated storylines of the season and there will not be a sequel.

SEC West

LSU: This is almost certainly the biggest surprise I have lined up for these projections. I just think that their track record both on the field and in recruiting sets them up for yet another big season.
Alabama: While they're certainly on track to take back their rightful place as the West division's resident powerhouse, I think it'll be another year or two before they truly live up to last season's surprise run at perfection.
Mississippi: Despite big wins to cover up some bad losses in 2008, I just don't think they're as ready for prime time as some people seem to believe.
Arkansas: The Razorbacks are a trending sleeper pick in the conference, but I just don't see how they make that much noise in a loaded West.
Auburn: Oh, how he mighty have fallen! I was just as underwhelmed by their head coaching hire as everyone else and they don't seem talented enough to overcome him.
Mississippi State: I wish Dan Mullen all the luck in the world, but to succeed with these Bulldogs, he'll actually need more than that.

Just to clarify, I have our Gators beating the LSU Tigers rather handily in Atlanta after a tight affair at Baton Rouge in the regular season and then beating Oklahoma, Texas or USC in the National Championship Game. Go Gators!

Status Update: Braves Making a Run!

ejruiz — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 11:33:59 -0000

Hey guys and gals! I apologize for taking my sweet time between posts, but I guess that's just my way. Anyway, I thought it'd be a good time to look back at my last piece and give it a quick review. It was roughly three weeks ago that I published Five Reasons the Braves are Primed for a Good Run and it's looking better by the day. Follow me below the fold for some positive vibes and a slight bit of contortionism as I pat myself on the back a bit.

On July 2nd, I stated five reasons why I felt the Braves might be in for the better things to come that we fans are always looking for around the proverbial corner. Since then, they've each rung true and we've seen the team reap the expected benefits. Let's take a look at each of them individually, shall we?

Nate McLouth: our new center fielder has played in every single game since my previous post and, while he hasn't been spectacular, he's still represented a significant upgrade at the position. Following nearly three full months worth of anemic production from CF (a sub-.600 OPS, to be more precise) his .254/.336/.450 line looks downright Pujolsian instead. He's batting a bit out of his comfort zone as our lead off man - and we've seen what that can do to some otherwise solid hitters - but he's still been effective and he might be expected to improve a bit from here on out. His defense is rough in center, but his bat has been a treat.
Garret Anderson: the bargain-bin free agent acquisition that had been so disappointing early on has truly turned it around in a rather impressive manner. His traditional slow start was augmented by his spring training injury, but his second half surge seems to be equally magnified this year. After our left fielders posted a pathetic .634 OPS through June (of which Anderson was partly responsible for) he's been on fire in July with a .300/.348/.517 line. Though there is some reason to believe that his run has been fueled by some good luck proportional to the bad luck that held him down earlier, that .865 OPS is almost directly in line with his .851 OPS following the All-Star Break in the 2006-2008 time frame. I think we're all sick and tired of the term "professional hitter", but he's certainly shaping up to be a good one any way you want to say it.
Martin Prado: he's yet to win over some of our membership here, but you can't fault him for his effort in doing so. He somehow surpassed his .922 June OPS by pushing that figure up to .930 in July. And while I typically steer clear of defensive metrics, I do believe his UZR/150 indicates that he'snot hurting the team at all in the field at second base. Under any circumstances, those numbers would bring a smile to any fan base's collective face, but the fact that he replaced the struggling Kelly Johnson and his .637 OPS makes it all the sweeter. Kelly's healthy now and could be given the opportunity to reclaim some of his lost playing time, but Martin's versatility assures him plenty of opportunities to continue to allow his play do the talking for him. He's probably the single biggest surprise on this team - if not in the division, league or all of baseball - this year.
The Rotation: JavyVazquez has been downright unfair through three July starts (1.86 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 8.8 K/9 in 19.1 IP). Jair Jurrjenshas been to the mound five times this month andsomehow just about as successful (1.93 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 5.5 K/9 in 32.2 IP). Tommy Hanson continues to live up to the hype (3.79 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 8.5 K/9 in 19 IP) with increasing dominance in his three starts in July. Kenshin Kawakamicontinues to plug along (3.27 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 4.9 K/9 in 22 IP) with consistently solid starts up to four this month. Similarly, Derek Lowe has battled through some struggles andarrived at decent totals (3.47 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 4.6 K/9 in 23.1 IP) with four starts. Basically, we have three aces and to #3's; that may not be the "five of a kind, aces" that I had foreseen, but a full house with aces up ain't bad!
The Bullpen: Above I said that Martin Prado was the Braves' revelation of the year, but now I have to admit that Eric O'Flahertyis giving him a run for his money; he has been utterly dominant in July. Boone Logan has given us a second effective lefty out of the 'pen this month. Rafael Soriano remains an exceptional closer and it appears he's finally - and deservedly so - consolidated his hold on that role. Mike Gonzalez, Peter Moylan, Manny Acosta, Kris Medlen and the Luis Valdez Experiment have been quite underwhelming in July, but (outside of Acosta and Valdez) they haven't been catastrophic. Some of our more effective relief arms have been worked pretty hard so far, so a slow down may well be expected, but typical variance with these guys may lead to others stepping back up to carry the load. There isn't a team in major league baseball that's perfectly satisfied with their bullpen, but I'm pleased with the back end of ours.

Well, there you have it: five reasons why we have now already been on a good run and why I believe the best is yet to come. This season is the first in a while that I've truly enjoyed following this team, at least since some fine-tuning was done a month or two back. Needless to say, Frank Wren has rewarded my faith in him with a team that I actually like. These guys have good chemistry and it's showing dividends in the win-loss columns. They have a ways to go before they get to where we all want them to be, but I believe in them and that's certainly not just n faith at this point.

As always, I welcome your views, comments, recs, etc. Tell me what I've overstated, overlooked or simply chime in with your two cents. I hope reading this gives you all an extra little boost in your cheering as we move forward together. Thank you very much for your time and attention. Go Braves!

Poll

Do you believe the run tjhat the Braves are currently on will continue to carry them into a playoff birth?

Yes - Octooobeeer... we'rrreee baaaaack!

129 votes

No - Our long "December" continues...

37 votes

166 votes | Poll has closed

My Case Against Playoffs.

ejruiz — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:03:31 -0000

Hello everyone! Seven months ago, following the conference championship games, I posted the following at Alligator Army. I am reposting it here because it is pertinent to much of the current offseason chatter surrounding college football. I hope that this sparks a civil and thoughtful conversation on the subject of postseason play. If you're interested in the topic, please follow me below the fold.

"I am not necessarily a BCS proponent, I just play one on this site by defending it against arguments that I feel are flawed or unfair. One of the most frustrating and perhaps baffling aspects of this ongoing debate is that the supporters of a move to a playoff system never have to defend their own "solutions". Potential shortcomings of the BCS are constantly paraded without end during the season and, on the rare occasion that there still exists a viable one when it's all said and done, they are trumpeted as definitive proof that it is an epic failure that needs to be scraped. Playoffs are hailed as clean, fair and absolute, but they're never tested, while twisted hypotheticals are used to point out the precarious nature of the BCS. So, let me flip the script and put the playoffs to the test; I think you'll be shocked by the chaos that ensues.

In a four-team playoff, Oklahoma and Florida would receive the top two seeds, but which of the following pairs of teams get left out: Texas and Alabama (despite being ranked in the final top four, they failed to win their respective conferences), USC and Penn State (highly regarded one-loss BCS conference champs - like the Sooners and Gators - ranked outside of the final top four), Utah and Boise State (undefeated non-BCS conference champs outside of the final top four)? In other words, instead of just Texas (and possibly USC) having a legitimate gripe with the BCS, at least four schools would have been screaming bloody murder at the end of this season if college football employed a four-team playoff to determine its champion.

In an eight-team playoff, Oklahoma, Florida, USC, Utah and Penn State would be guaranteed their spots, but which of the following groups of three teams would fill out the bracket: Texas, Alabama and Texas Tech (despite being ranked in the final top eight, they failed to win their respective conferences) or Boise State, Cincinnati and Virginia Tech (the three best conference champions ranked outside of the final top eight)? If you went the "conference champions" route (as would likely be necessary for such a system to be adopted), then what about all of the teams that had better seasons than four-loss VT (at least ten would be left out) or arguably two-loss Cincinnati (at least five of the ones already pissed about VT)? A minimum of three schools would have been shafted under any variant of this system and most likely many more than that would join in on the argument.

Playoff proponents often like to attack the BCS, but rarely defend their solution to the so-called cancer that plagues college football. If we had a plus one this year and Oklahoma won it by beating Penn State and Florida/USC, but Texas defeated Alabama in a non-playoff bowl game, would there still not be questions about whether or not the Sooners were better than the Longhorns or if they even deserved their playoff slot ahead of UT? And if you went with just the top four and we had a rematch between Bama and Florida or Texas and Oklahoma that went the opposite way as their regular season match-ups, would anything really be resolved since they'd just be 1-1 on neutral fields against each other with no significant point differential? What if Utah and/or Boise State completed their undefeated seasons with quality bowl wins? If it was an 8-team tournament and the same thing happened with OU and UT, UF and Bama, etc. would it not be the same?

The bottomline is this: playoffs are another, equally flawed in my opinion, answer to the question of how college football should determine its ultimate champion. If you want to argue that they're more fun for fans (though it will certainly take away from the intensity of the regular season), that's fine and I accept that. But to say that they're more fair, cleaner or produce undisputed champions is simply not true. Again I ask: does anyone think the New York Giants were a better team than the New England Patriots in the NFL in 2007? You can point to a Super Bowl that went right down to the wire and I can point to another close game on the final weak of the regular season that went the other way to prove that they were pretty evenly matched teams. For you baseball fans out there, were the Cards the best team in MLB in 2006 and were the Rockies the best team in the NL in 2007 or did they just get hot at the right time and take advantage of a system that rewards games late in the year over those played earlier?

Feel free to prove me wrong on any and all of these counts. As always, I aim to start a healthy and civil discussion with you all because I respect your opinions and intellects, as I hope you do mine. Thanks for taking the time to read through this rant and I'd especially appreciate any comment or questions you may have. Cheers!"

Since the time of this writing, several of the teams refered to above may have been expose while others were revealed, but you have to block out that information because it wouldn't have been available at the time of playoff seeding. I've never taken the time to apply this logic to other seasons, but I wouldn't be surprised if it resulted in equally messy resolutions.

Moreover, I have seen reasonable arguments for 6- and 12- team playoff brackets, but I haven't been swayed all the way. I've also been intrigued by the concept of a selection committee as a possible arbiter. Again, my more fundamental position is that playoffs should be pushed on entertainment and financial grounds because the more popular claims of fairness, simplicity and absoluteness are simply not true. And on that note, have at it guys!

Poll

Where do you stand on the BCS v. Playoffs debate now?

I strongly support the BCS.

3 votes

I lean towards the BCS.

3 votes

I'm on the fence about it.

1 votes

I lean towards playoffs.

3 votes

I strongly support playoffs.

8 votes

18 votes | Poll has closed

Five Reasons the Braves are Primed for a Good Run.

ejruiz — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 03:36:14 -0000

There has been a dark cloud hovering over our Braves this year and it's lead to a fair amount of negativity here on Talking Chop. Fortunately, we are beginning to see the first rays of light breaking through. I thought I'd share some of my observations with you all to see if we can't get a little more positivity going in order to help clear up that stormy sky. Follow me below the fold and let's get our anti- rain dance on, people!

Yo ho, yo ho, an ex-Pirate slugger for me: Center field (sub-.600 OPS) has quietly been our area of greatest need this year, so much so that Frank Wren felt the need to go elsewhere to find help. The trade for Nate McLouth was largely supported here and for good reason. Unfortunately he's been hurt as of late, but he should provided us with a solid all around boost when he does come back. Nate hasn't been great in Atlanta yet (.771 OPS) but he's hit better than that in two full seasons prior to this one (.840 OPS) and in his start in Pittsburgh this year (.819 OPS). He's a complete player who should provided an added spark to the line-up in all phases of the game.
Mr. Anderson is starting to believe: So far this season, our left fielders have put up a .weak 272/.325/.409 line. Our modest free agent acquisition, the unexcitable Garret Anderson, had been largely underwhelming. That is, of course, until the month of June came along. Garrett is finally living up to his reputation as a "professional hitter" by posting .306/.333/.471 slash stats this past month. This improvement is actually an accurate reflection of his career trends, such as the nearly 150 point improvement in OPS from his mediocre pre-All-Star break numbers (.703 OPS) in the 2006-2008 time frame to his surprisingly solid post-All-Star break figures (.851 OPS) during that span. Remember, he was also injured during Spring Training this year, so his regular timetable was likely pushed back some.
Take two at second base: Kelly Johnson, our primary second baseman this season and for some years prior, has mustered up only anemic offense in 2009. The underlying reasons for his struggles may be debatable, but the resulting .637 OPS has been an albatross around Atlanta's neck so far in this campaign. Both Omar Infante (1.046 OPS in 45 AB) and Martin Prado (1.124 OPS in 30 AB) have truly impressed in limited duty at the position, while also filling in admirably all over the field from time to time. It's a real shame to have to sacrifice the versatility that having both of them on the bench provides the team, but they've earned the full-time opportunities coming to them. Since he's the healthy and hot one now, Martin gets the first crack at holding down 2B. In 2008 and 2009, he has done nothing but hit whenever he has been called upon and I sincerely believe that he can do a fine job with even more at bats.
Five of a kind, aces: It's not very often when a team whose strength is great starting pitching can call upon the game's top pitching prospect to round out its rotation. Despite Derek Lowe's recent slump (he's still a workhorse and got off to a hot start, so he could turn it around as he did in his last start) the Braves still boost the best starting five in the National League. After a rocky start, Kenshin Kawakami (roughly 3.15 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 6.6 K/9 in May and June) has been every bit the consummate pitcher that dominated in Japan. Despite underwhelming peripherals from time to time, Jair Jurrjens continues to put up quality start after quality start. Trade acquisition Javier Vazquez (3.04 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 10.6 K/9 on the year and improving) is becoming a dark horse for the Cy Young Award or at least a deserving All-Star. Finally, Tommy Hanson (23 consecutive scoreless innings pitched) is beginning to live up to the enormous hype. With one of those five starters taking the mound everyday, Atlanta should have every opportunity to win games day in and day out.
The cavalry is here: the Braves bullpen is finally beginning to take a shape we can all be happy with. Rafael Soriano (an ungodly 1.23 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 12.0 K/9) and Mike Gonzalez (a still amazing 2.68 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 12.2 K/9) are being used as co-closers so as to maximize their effectiveness through match-ups and they are reaching their maximum potential. The closer's role is vastly overrated and will - hopefully - be replace by the concept of bullpen aces sooner rather than later, but this is a solid baby step in the right direction. Building a bridge to the back end of the bullpen are solid performances and arms, such as the surprising Eric OFlaherty (.222/.276/.296 against lefties and .250/.333/.268 against righties, with awesome triangle numbers overall) and the improving Peter Moylan (2.67 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 7.4 K/9 since his horrendous first two appearances when he got rocked while getting no one out); the former is proving to be more valuable than a LOOGY and the later has apparently shaken off what was left of the rust coming back from "Tommy John" surgery. The emerging Manny Acosta (2.30 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 6.9 K/9 in 15.2 IP) and quality starter-in-long-reliever's-clothing Kris Medlen (one baserunner against five strikeouts in three scoreless appearances as a reliever, with two messy ones sandwiched in between) further augment a really deep 'pen. Whomever ends up rounding out this staff is extremely unlikely to have to perform in high leverage situations, but there are plenty of decent options available to us once more pitchers get healthy again.

Well guys and gals, I'm going to leave it at that for now because it's late, I'm tired and I'm writing this on the fly. I hope you all enjoyed a look at some of the bright spots on our roster as we move forward this summer and fall. Perhaps a desperate acquisition or call for a fire-sale should be averted, seeing as we have all of this improvement to look forward to from within our own ranks.

I hate to admit it, but I'm starting to like the 2009 Atlanta Braves chances once again. Maybe I'm setting myself up for disappointment once more, but then again, this isn't all entirely irrational. Moreover, what's the point of being a fan if you can't scrounge up some hope and enjoy the games in a positive light from time to time. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to chime in below and I will happily respond. Thanks for taking the time to plow through this rather dense FanPost and, as always, go Braves!

P.S.: I apologize in advance for any typos, incoherencies and potential inaccuracies above. As I said, I produced this almost stream of conciousness not expecting it to be this long. I hope whatever mistakes I made in substance and/or style don't overshadow the point(s) that I was trying to make. Cheers!

Poll

Did reading this post change your opinion of the Atlanta Braves chances to compete in the remainder of the 2009 season for the better?

Yes, I now believe this team as it is currently constructed will be better moving forward.

155 votes

No, I still believe major changes must be made in order to make this team competative now.

68 votes

223 votes | Poll has closed