McCann, one in a series of Georgia natives giving new life to the Braves, has emerged as one of the game's top catchers. Mike Zarrilli/Wireimage.com
	FAST FACTS MANAGER BOBBY COX 18th season with Braves Team Page | 2007 Schedule THE NUMBERS       LIE | DON'T LIE 17 Unintentional walks drawn by Jeff Francoeur in 686 plate appearances last year. Not surprisingly the rightfielder -- who hit .300 and finished third in the Rookie of the Year voting in 2005 -- had a paltry on-base percentage of .293, which took the shine off his 103-RBI sophomore season. His runs created per 27 outs dropped from 6.61 in his rookie season to 4.42 in 2006. CONSIDER THIS For much of their 15-year reign atop the NL West from 1991 through '93 and the NL East from 1995 through 2005, the Braves were built around pitching and defense, but that has changed. They have finished below the league average in defensive efficiency (a measure of the rate at which teams convert balls hit into play into outs) in each of the past three seasons. So it's somewhat puzzling that Bobby Cox is trying to turn outfielder Kelly Johnson into a second baseman, even though Johnson has never played second in his pro career and has not played any infield position in the majors. Projected for a robust .375 on-base percentage by PECOTA, Johnson deserves a spot in the every-day lineup; but giving him the leftfield job -- and using a defense-first infielder such as Pete Orr at second base -- might be a better use of resources. BATTING ORDER POS. PLAYER B-T PVR BA HR RBI SB 2B KELLY JOHNSON L-R 193 .241 9 40 2 SS EDGAR RENTERIA R 96 .293 14 70 17 3B CHIPPER JONES S-R 38 .324 26 86 6 CF ANDRUW JONES R 27 .262 41 129 4 C BRIAN MCCANN L-R 51 .333 24 93 2 RF JEFF FRANCOEUR R 120 .260 29 103 1 1B SCOTT THORMAN L-R 212 .234 5 14 1 LF RYAN LANGERHANS LR 248 .241 7 28 1 BENCH POS. PLAYER B-T PVR BA HR RBI SB 1B-OF CRAIG WILSON R 209 .251 17 49 1 OF MATT DIAZ R 205 .327 7 32 5 INF MARTIN PRADO (R) R 396 .262 1 9 0 ROTATION THROWS PITCHER PVR W L K WHIP ERA RH JOHN SMOLTZ 13 16 9 211 1.19 3.49 RH TIM HUDSON 80 13 12 141 1.44 4.86 LH CHUCK JAMES 72 11 4 91 1.24 3.78 LH MARK REDMAN 131 11 10 76 1.59 5.71 RH LANCE CORMIER 251 4 5 43 1.75 4.89 BULLPEN THROWS PITCHER PVR W L S WHIP ERA RH BOB WICKMAN 38 1 6 33 1.22 2.67 LH MIKE GONZALEZ 133 3 4 24 1.35 2.17 RH RAFAEL SORIANO 144 1 2 2 1.08 2.25

John Schuerholz, Atlanta's venerable general manager, views his team's failure last season to win a 15th straight division crown as anything but a portent of a Braves-less New World in the NL East. "Last year was a bump in the road for us," he says. "We were able to feel what it was like not to win, and we didn't like it. Now we're back on track."

To jump-start their speedy turnaround, Atlanta will rely on a five-player Georgia-bred cadre, none of whom was older than 10 when the streak began. The group -- the fruit of a Schuerholtz epiphany 10 years ago that a disproportionate percentage of the game's top talent was emerging from the Braves' backyard -- includes starters Kyle Davies (raised in Stockbridge) and Chuck James (Mableton), and lefty specialist Macay McBride (Sylvania). The headliners, though, are best friends and longtime roommates who first played together on the 1996 Moores Mill Mustangs travel team: Lilburn-raised rightfielder Jeff Francoeur and Duluth-raised catcher Brian McCann.

Call the 23-year-olds -- with apologies to the ATL's similarly named platinum-selling crunk rappers -- the Yin Yang Twins because in most ways, says McCann, "we're about as different as you can get." Francoeur is gregarious and perpetually energetic, with a "How you doing?" for every reporter and clubhouse attendant, while the reserved McCann, Francoeur says, is "trying to sleep all the time."

"It's a symbiotic relationship," Francoeur says. "He keeps me relaxed, and I get him going."

Neither requires motivation when it comes time to compete -- particularly when the competition is between the two. Mario Kart sessions become hours-long battles; three springs ago a heated seven-game Ping-Pong series ended with Francoeur taking a swing at the victorious McCann. Their brotherly rivalry is more healthy on the diamond. Although McCann reached the majors a month ahead of Francoeur in 2005, Francoeur mashed 10 homers in his first 30 games while McCann toiled as a backup who mostly caught John Smoltz.

That Smoltz trusted the then 21-year-old McCann as his personal catcher hinted at the role reversal McCann and Francoeur would undergo in 2006. "When the veteran, the bell cow, the Mr. Reliable of this pitching staff says, 'I want this kid to catch for me,' that says it all," says Schuerholz. Francoeur put up solid power numbers but demonstrated an incomplete skill set. McCann, meanwhile, became baseball's best all-around catcher this side of Joe Mauer.

After starting 28-25 last season, Atlanta looked to be in contention behind its young Georgians. Then came a 6-21 June, a swoon that prompts Schuerholz to wax metaphorical. "June became the mirror of truth that reflected the deadly flaws of our team," he says. Chief among those flaws was a bullpen that Schuerholz called a "debacle"; it had a 5.13 ERA in the month and five of its NL-high 29 blown saves.

Schuerholz addressed the need by trading for closer Bob Wickman, once-and-future closer Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano, who has closer's stuff. "Even in the years the Braves won, they did not have this kind of bullpen," says one rival G.M., who believes the upgrades make Atlanta a cofavorite, along with New York and Philadelphia, to represent the NL in the World Series. Braves fans may be cheering into October once more.

Cheering loudest will be McCann's Cans, a coterie that dresses up as beer containers to support their favorite catcher -- or will it be the hot-dog-costumed Francoeur's Franks? "I've met the Franks," says Francoeur. "They'd beat up McCann's Cans." Counters McCann, "Who wouldn't rather have a beer than a hot dog?" For the Braves, competition between their two young hot shots can only have positive results. -- Ben Reiter

Issue date: March 26, 2007