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EVENTS AD PARTNERS
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1999 Recap: The Braves starting pitching was not as dominant as in seasons past, but coupled with a surprisingly effective bullpen, they helped Atlanta lead the league in ERA. The Braves won 103 games, had the best record in baseball and reached the World Series for the fifth time nine years. Chipper Jones had a breakout season (.319-45-110) carrying the club down the stretch on the way to his first MVP award. Bobby Cox may have turned in his finest performance as Braves manager since 1991, having to overcome a series of injuries to key personnel. 1999 Highlight: Kept a talented Mets team at arm's length in the NL East standings, defeated them 4-2 in a dramatic NLCS. 1999 Lowlight: Were swept by the Yankees in the World Series, for their fourth fall classic loss of the decade. Manager: Bobby Cox (1166-912 with Atlanta; 1521-1204 in 18 seasons) Coaches: Merv Rettenmund (hitting), Leo Mazzone (pithcing), Glenn Hubbard (first base), Ned Yost (third base), Bobby Dews (bullpen), Pat Corrales (bench) Camp Site: Disney's Wide World of Sports, Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Reporting Dates: Pitchers and catchers on Feb. 17; full squad on Feb. 22. Additions OF Reggie Sanders, 2B Quilvio Veras, 1B Wally Joyner, OF Bobby Bonilla, LHP Paul Assenmacher, INF Trenidad Hubbard, RHP Rafael Medina Subtractions: 2B Bret Boone, 1B Ryan Klesko, RHP Russ Springer, SS Jose Hernandez, C Greg Myers, OF Gerald Williams Spring Cleaning: As has been the case almost every year in the 90's, the Braves main task in spring training is to find out just how a new-look lineup will function. In addition to working in Veras and Sanders, Atlanta also has to evaluate how much help Andres Galarraga (cancer) and Javy Lopez (knee) will be in their return from injuries. Throw on top of all that switching out '99 hitting coach Don Baylor for Merv Rettenmund and there's a lot of work to do. Veras and Sanders would have a major impact if they improve the on base percentage Atlanta got from the leadoff and second spots in the order last season. A collection of players (mostly Gerald Williams) at leadoff, and Brett Boone in the second hole combined for the lowerst OBP in the national league from that part of the lineup While it's unrealistic to expect another MVP year from Chipper Jones, anything near last season's numbers from him, Brian Jordan and Andruw Jones should be enough for the Braves to finish better than last year's 7th in runs scored.
Key Acquisition: In what has become a rite of Winter, the Braves made an off-season deal to try and inject more speed into the lineup. Shipping out Brett Boone and Ryan Klesko's strikeouts is a definite plus, but how important Reggie Sanders (.285, .376 OBP) and QuilvioVeras (.280, .368 OBP) will be depends largely on how much they'll play. Both have a history of injuries, something the Braves desperately need to avoid considering how many other key players face uncertain health already. If Sanders and Veras can both hit in the .280 range again, Chipper Jones should be in for more than the 110 RBI he managed last season. The Future is Now: Andruw Jones has been everybody's favorite pick for a monster year for what seems like a decade. The 23-year old showed signs of emerging maturity last season with a career highs in walks (76) and batting average (.275) and a decline in strikeouts (although 103 is still too many for a guy who doesn't hit 40 home runs). If Jones can continue to improve in 2000, he may finally become the all-around terror at the plate Braves fans have been waiting for. Opportunity Knocks: If John Rocker can't get his head straightened out, and Kerry Ligtenberg's surgically repaired elbow can't take closing, look for 22-year-old Kevin McGlinchy (7-3, 2.82) to get a crack at saving games for Atlanta. His mid-90's fastball, and effective splitter make him a likely candidate, if he can improve on his concentration. McGlinchy struggled with his control at times last season, and Bobby Cox is notorious for giving up on pitchers (especially young ones) who can't find the strike zone. Prospects to Watch: SS Rafael Furcal, 2B Marcus Giles, OF George Lombard, RHP Jason Marquis, RHP Luis Rivera, 3B Wes Helms
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