Atlanta Braves: Usual Suspects Show 1st Half No Fluke
By W. M. Lawson
The Atlanta Braves showed out late in the game again Friday night at STP, beating Arizona (4-3). It was the usual suspects that brought the party.
STP (SunTrust Park) was rocking last night, as the Atlanta Braves (43-45) won the first game back from the break. It was their 15th “last-at-bat” win for 2017, and that leads Major League Baseball. Last night, the usual suspects went to work.
It’s always important to come out of a break and get a win. It’s also important, and cannot be overstated how exactly important it is, to win home games. Especially, when you currently have a losing home record. But therein lies the point.
The quiet question for most Braves fans is, “was the 1st half a fluke?”. That question lies in the shadow of, but also informs, the larger question of, “Will we be shopping or sitting at the deadline?”. Personnel questions are forcing a lot of Braves fans to think like a Human Resources department.
But that’s a good thing. if you’ve ever competed on a winning team, regardless of sport, you know that one of the signs of a good team is having a rock solid and consistent nucleus. The one or two superstars and then the quality players who contribute consistently. It has been a while since the Atlanta Braves have truly had that.
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Last night’s game continued to show that one such nucleus is forming in Atlanta. Inciarte, Phillips, Freeman, Kemp, Markakis, Adams, and Flowers make up the backbone of this team. By doing so, they allow players like Camargo, Swanson, and some others in lower ball, the time to ease in and develop. Bad teams don’t have that. And you can’t fake it past April, even if you try.
The progress from 2016 to 2017 is already noticeable. The record is better. But that is better because the dugout is better and seems more at ease. Which means the players are having fun and trust each other when things aren’t going well. Bad teams don’t have that either.
Notice three of those aforementioned “backbone” names are names currently bandied about in trade swirls and rumors. It will be interesting to see who, if anyone, is moved, and how it affects what seems to be a coalescing team chemistry.
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Until then, no doubt, they will keep ballin’ and having fun doing it.