CD will follow with grades for the pitching and defense. No doubt he’ll be awarding higher marks, as I’m stuck with the team’s weakest links (thus far).
Remember, these are not overall grades, just for the first quarter.
OFFENSE: C-
Dan Uggla, acquired to provide desperately needed punch from the right side, has been bloody awful. Against southpaws, Uggla is 6-for-50; his .120 BA versus lefties is fourth-lowest among NL regulars. With RISP, Uggla is 6-for-42; with two outs, he’s 3-for-27 with 10 strikeouts. Had it not been for his game-winning homer Sunday, Uggla would get an F. A D-minus is bad enough.
Among the regulars, only Prado, McCann, Gonzalez, Chipper and McLouth have met or exceeded expectations. Note that expectations were not very high for Chipper, coming back from an injury and inching closer to 40, and McLouth. McCann’s been a rock but his power numbers have been a little off. Once again, Martin is the team’s offensive MVP, showing continued improvement. About the only thing he doesn’t do well is steal a base. Frank Wren should sign him to a long-term deal, ASAP.
I’m confident Jay Hey is a star in the making but can’t help fret about a sophomore slump. And then there’s the injuries. Heyward’s roomie, Freddie Freeman, has proven capable but at his current pace he’ll finish with less than 15 homers and 60 RBI for the year. That’s inadequate for a corner infielder.
Once again, Hinske has been a life-saver on the bench and David Ross remains the game’s best reserve catcher. Think the Red Sox wouldn’t want him back? TFB, you red hosers!
MANAGEMENT: C-
Most would agree that Wren is a solid GM. The Uggla trade was perfectly understandable and could still work out to be a plus. If not, then Uggla’s five-year contract extension will come to haunt FW. So far, he’s been a bust. Likewise on the Scott Linebrink deal. George Sherrill has been better but inconsistent.
My biggest complaint remains the management’s utter indifference to speed. Team-wide slumps are prolonged by plodding offenses. No NL team is slower, and we’ve been saying this for years. When will it be addressed?
Hiring Fredi may turn out to be FW’s biggest blunder. Is there anyone who’s been pleasantly surprised by his first two months on the job? His call for a suicide squeeze against the Mets, with two strikes, Hanson at bat, Hinske at third and Prado on deck, may qualify as one of the stupidest I’ve ever observed. There have been plenty of other head-scratchers, too many to mention by name.
I’ve certainly gained renewed appreciation for Bobby.
Both grades will probably rise as the season progresses. They better, or the Braves can forget returning to the playoffs.
ROWLAND'S OFFICE 