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Jeff Pearlman's Breakdown |
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| Astros
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| Braves
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Although Houston's bats have sagged of late, the Astros are -- in
the words of one National League scout -- "the only NL team that can
compete with the big guns in the other league." Outfielders Moises Alou
(.333) and Lance Berkman (.331) flirted with a batting title, and first baseman
Jeff Bagwell has quietly had another outstanding run. The pickup of Vinny
Castilla (.270, 23 homers, 82 RBIs), a Tampa Bay discard, has been
huge.
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OFFENSE The Edge:
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Where have you gone, Andres Galarraga? Reggie Sanders? Ryan
Klesko? Biff Pocoroba? That Atlanta was able to reach the playoffs with a
pea-shoot offense is either a) a tribute to Bobby Cox's keen managerial
stylings; or b) a neon sign screaming that the NL East bites. With Rafael Furcal
long gone from atop the lineup and 902-year-old Julio Franco playing first, the
Braves are Chipper, Brian and seven guys named
Jim.
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Bagwell and Craig Biggio have retained their quality, and catcher
Brad Ausmus is routinely overlooked. That said, Houston's corner outfielders --
Berkman in left, Alou in right -- are iffy souls. Sometimes Berkman makes
spectacular plays. Other times, he's more than a little wobbly out
there.
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DEFENSE The Edge:
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Although he'll again be passed over for the Gold Glove, shortstop
Rey Sanchez is Rey Ordonez without the twists, Ozzie Smith without the curves.
Cox insists Sanchez owns the softest hands he's ever seen -- quite a compliment,
considering Cox is older than a full-grown oak. Chipper Jones is oft criticized
at third, but that's partially because he's marquee. Usually, he makes the
plays.
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Houston's reliance on the young duo of Roy Oswalt and Wade Miller
is promising and troubling. Promising, because Nolan Ryan and J.R. Richard are
soon to be forgotten. Troubling, because youth plus playoffs generally equals
disaster. Shane Reynolds, however, remains a solid
anchor.
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STARTING PITCHING The Edge:
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This rotation is the reason the worst Atlanta team in a decade
can't be counted out. Yeah, Greg Maddux has struggled. And, OK, maybe Tom
Glavine ain't at his peak. But combined with the tested Kevin Millwood, the
Braves are
firm. |
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Watching Mike Williams pitch is like watching a Barbra Streisand
Love Fest: It hurts in so many different ways. He's slow and clumsy and
problematic, yet he gets the job done. If Williams, along with Ron Villone,
Nelson Cruz and Mike Jackson, can hand the game over to Octavio Dotel and Billy
Wagner, the Astros will be in good
shape.
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BULLPEN The Edge:
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Rocker, oh Rocker. Where for art thou, Rocker? Hee-hee. Just
kidding. As predicted by every member of humanity (save for Cleveland GM John
Hart), the Steve Karsay/Steve Reed-for-John Rocker exchange has deepened a thin
Atlanta pen. And with Rudy Seanez a reliable middle assistant and John Smoltz
closing, the Braves are
dependable.
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Although the Astros reserves hardly exorcise the ghost of Terry
Puhl, it's a nice collection of professional hitters. Jose Vizcaino had positive
postseason experiences with the Yankees last year, and outfielder Daryle Ward
would be starting for 29 other
clubs.
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BENCH The Edge:
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Ugh. Ken Caminiti and Bernard Gilkey are done. Keith Lockhart has
provided five uninterrupted years of mediocre reserve service. Not
good.
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| A couple of months ago, Larry Dierker's head was on the block.
Now, his name could appear on the NL Manager of the Year plaque. It's not that
he's the world's greatest strategist -- he's not. But Dierker leaves his vets
alone, an invaluable
trait. |
MANAGER The Edge:
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They've got the best manager in baseball. The Braves wouldn't
spend coin to land a much-needed offensive addition, but somehow Cox pieced
together a mediocre lineup and won the division
anyhow.
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Moises Alou. This will be the soon-to-be free agent's last season
in Houston. Alou won a World Series with the '97 Marlins (and was wrongfully
denied the Series MVP Award), and he badly wants to win another. Expect a huge
series from
him.
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'X' FACTOR The Edge:
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Expectations. Actually, lack of expectations. Nobody believes
Atlanta will advance to the NLCS. This makes Cox smile, as it should. In the
past, the Braves have been an uptight group of businessmen. Not this
time.
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| Pearlman's Prediction: Braves in
5 |
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