Daniel Doyle's Atlanta Braves Fan Profile

No comments on this wall. Login to post a comment.

Wren's Not So Bad After All posted on 08/03/2009

You never want to be the man that follows The Man. It's a much safer situation to be the man that follows the man that followed The Man. To follow a legend, almost always leads to a predictable demise. That legend, whether a player, coach, or general manager, has obviously set such a high level of expectation, that his successor really has no choice but to fail. This was the thinking for Atlanta Braves fans when John Schuerholz left his position of General Manager and put Frank Wren in his former place.

You see, over the run of 14 consecutive division titles, Schuerholz became as much of a respected icon as the Braves manager, Bobby Cox, himself. From the worst-to-first season in 1991 to the "Baby Braves" divisional title in 2005, seemingly every move Schuerholz had a hand in turned to gold for Atlanta. So when Frank Wren was named the new General Manager of the Braves in October of 2007, skepticism flooded through the Atlanta faithful. Now that it is coming up on the completion of his second full season as General Manager, let's take a look at what he has been able to accomplish.

Continue reading "Wren's Not So Bad After All"
(0 comments)

What Might Have Been posted on 07/14/2009

Try not to think about what might have been, cause that was then. And we have taken different roads. Those are lyrics from the song What Might Have Been, by the country band Little Texas. Please excuse me, as I have listened to this piece of music several times since I heard news of the Atlanta Braves trade of Jeff Francoeur.

Several weeks ago, I actually wrote an article claiming that it was time for the Braves and Francoeur to go their seperate ways, in hope that each party could find true happiness and success apart. That was my head talking. The part of me that wants what is best for the Atlanta Braves and their playoff chances. I never thought about the bond that had been formed between Frenchy and the Atlanta area.

Francoeur had lofty expectations placed upon his shoulders when he debuted for his hometown team in the summer of 2005. That season was supposed to be the year that the Atlanta Braves string of division titles came to an end. It was a transition year of sorts, with Atlanta integrating several rookies into prominent roles with their club. However, with instant contributions from the likes of Brian McCann, Kelly Johnson, Ryan Langerhans, Wilson Betemit, Pete Orr, Kyle Davies, and Francoeur, the team took the National League East crown for the 14th consecutive year. The group of youngsters were labeled the

Continue reading "What Might Have Been"
(0 comments)

A Fallen Titan posted on 07/05/2009

Steve McNair's untimely death has struck the hearts of Tennessean's and football fans all over.

Toughness. It's a quality that is not only wanted, but is of the utmost importance in the National Football League. Not many players had more of it than Steve McNair. He played with terrible knees, worn out legs, and even a ruptured sternum. Titans fans became spoiled being able to have a quarterback with such a high tolerance for pain. He was the Superman of the Tennessee Titans franchise.

Living in Tennessee for the past nine years, I have seen and read quite a bit about McNair, from his play on Sunday's to some off his off the field run ins with the law(mainly D.U.I's). I consider myself a fair-weather Titan fan, and for whatever reason, McNair was a very likeable figure in this state. Playing through injuries is always a great way to earn fans' respect, but there was something more to "Air McNair." Behind his facemask, there was a certain twinkle in his eye. He could often be found wearing a big smile and was always considered a consumate teammate during his tenure with the Titans. Even with the aforementioned D.U.I's, his reputation never took a hit in Nashville. Additionially, none of his problems with the law were ever related to violence, which makes the circumstances surrounding his death even more shocking.

Continue reading "A Fallen Titan"
(0 comments)

The Braves are Back..... Maybe. posted on 07/03/2009

With Atlanta's three game sweep of the division leading Philadelphia Phillies, the Braves find themselves only two games out of first place in the National League East.

I just got back home from Turner Field, and was fortunate enough to see the Braves break out the brooms against the first place Phills. To say Atlanta needed those three games, would be a huge understatement. After losing 6 out of 9 against the Yankees and Red Sox, the Braves were desperate to turn things around and at least give themselves a shot in the race for the N.L. East. There was no better time to get three wins than against a Philly ball club that beat them every time the two teams met at Turner Field in 2008.

Incredibly, the offense that has been so miserable all season, figured it out. Who knows, maybe it will be their most potent output of the year, and the bats will come back down to earth. Make that below the earth, because they have not been good enough to be called mediocre until this Phillies series. Martin Prado became a catalyst for a club that has had only three solid hitters this year( Chipper Jones, Brian McCann, Yunel Escobar). Prado nearly won the first game of the series by himself. He went 4-5 and drove in four runs, including the game-tying and game-winning RBI's.

Continue reading "The Braves are Back..... Maybe."
(0 comments)

Tommy Hanson Continues to Impress posted on 06/28/2009

The Braves rookie has become the team's "stopper."

When Atlanta called Hanson up to make his Major League debut against the Milwaukee Brewers on June 7th, expectations were sky high from people all over the league. The heralded righty turned in a rather sub par performance that day, but since then has been very R.O.Y.-esque.

His next start against Baltimore he allowed 2 earned runs, and those would be the last two he has given up to date. His consecutive scoreless inning streak is up to 21, which is no small feat for any pitcher, much less a rookie. Those 21 innings have come against some pretty solid offenses such as the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. Ever heard of those teams?

What most people have already forgotten, is that Hanson is the main reason that Tom Glavine was cut. Some blamed it on those tight wads at Liberty Mutual, and the one million dollars that would have been owed Glavine had he been placed on the active roster. The real story was, Atlanta needed a fifth starter. Jo-Jo Reyes had been getting drummed every outing and Kris Medlen was a stopgap until the decision was made between the two Tommy's. Braves management deemed Hanson the most suited to fill out the rotation, and so far, he has made them look pretty smart.

Continue reading "Tommy Hanson Continues to Impress"
(0 comments)