Key injuries impact playoff races

-- Mike Mitchell, Tallahassee

Just a gut feeling, talking to people around the team, and some common sense, Mike. The team has sunk a lot of money into Hampton and realized next to nothing for it. Even if he lasts the rest of the year -- and you have to admit, his history kind of suggests that's not happening -- I think the Braves are done with him. No team, certainly not Atlanta, sees a "real possibility" that he can put together much of anything at this point, let alone a couple of good years. And no one pays for "good nature," either. Will he pitch somewhere next year? Yeah, maybe someone takes a chance and signs him to a cheap deal. I'd almost bet on that. And, who knows, maybe it will work out. I just don't think the Braves will be that team.

I think your assessment of the Braves franchise is a little harsh. Most regard the Braves' farm system as very strong. Jordan Schafer is in AA Mississippi (not "low minors"), and Heyward appears to be the real deal (he has crushed class A pitching in Rome). You wrongly assert that we have traded prospects to get big league talent in the past. With the exception of the Teixeira deal, prospects were not involved in the trades you mention. In fact, the opposite is true: We landed Jair Jurrjens from Detroit in exchange for Edgar Renteria, and John Smoltz came to Atlanta from Detroit in a famous swap for Doyle Alexander. Kotsay came in exchange for Joey Devine -- hardly a "prospect," as he already had logged quite a bit of time in the bigs.

-- Gordon, Atlanta

Gordon, I need to straighten out the trading prospects thing. That was pretty poorly done on my part. You're right. Smoltz shouldn't have been included in that list, and the Braves actually got a prospect with Jurrjens for Renteria. Still, the fact is that the Braves view prospects as ways to build their big-league club, either on their own merits or through trades for other prospects or established players. In short, they rely on the depth of their system, as they should.

The Teixeira trade was the latest example, but don't forget, they threw Adam Wainwright into the J.D. Drew trade, and Dan Meyer into the trade for Tim Hudson, and Andrew Brown into the Gary Sheffield trade. Dan Kolb came at the cost of some young players. Russ Ortiz, too. And that's just going back a few years.

Some of the trades worked out better than others. It's a testament to their scouting that they have prospects other teams want. But I wonder if they haven't tapped that well too often lately. We'll see how the farm system ranks next year. Baseball Prospectus had it eighth going into this season. I can't think it's going to rank any higher than that in '09.

When my family moved to Savannah in '91, I was 7, and was learning baseball through the Braves and Skip Caray's voice. I'll never forget sitting in my 1991 Atlanta Braves NLCS Champions beanbag, while Sid Bream was rounding third against the Pirates I jumped up with my heart in my throat until Skip called the two sweetest words (BRAVES WIN!!! BRAVES WIN!!!!) in my pro baseball memory. That memory would be nothing without Skip's voice calling exactly what he saw. I still root for and watch the Braves, but watching just isn't the same without hearing Skip's droll sarcasm. Then again, neither are the Braves. Thanks Skip for calling it like you saw it.

-- Mike M., Trumbull, Conn.

Skip's call of Sid Bream's slide in the '92 NLCS is a classic. What I want to know, Mike, is whatever happened to that beanbag?