Damaged Goods: The Atlanta Braves' Dynasty

It's 1991. Thanks to a couple of fearless young southpaws, an up-and-coming power pitcher, and a reliable veteran fifth-starter, the Braves make the move from worst to first in arguably the greatest comeback in franchise history.

Using much the same model as he did in Kansas City, John Schuerholz built a team on raw young talent and a few seasoned veterans. For long-time Braves fans, these names and stories remain incessantly in the back of your mind: Steve Avery, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, and Charlie Leibrandt. David Justice, Ron Gant, Greg Olson, Sid Bream, and Terry Pendleton. The miracle in the ninth, Otis Nixon's game-saving catch, Justice's home run in Game Six of the '95 Series. 

As nostalgic as this devout Braves fan may be, the weekend series against the Washington Nationals soured the legacy of some of these future hall of famers. With Glavine making his return to Atlanta to rejoin the staff, emotions ran high, and the fans applauded the move. Undoubtedly, the Braves have a great reputation for believing in their players and giving them a second chance (i.e. Eddie Perez and Javy Lopez), but the 2008 team just doesn't seem to fit the strategy that powered Atlanta to 14 consecutive division titles.

With four starting pitchers over age 30, three over 35, and 2 over 40, the days of building a team on young talent are rapidly disappearing. Granted, the Braves have done an excellent job bringing in young prospects like McCann, Escobar, and Johnson, but these moves simply are not enough. Somewhere along the way, the Braves lost sight of the fact that young arms can take you much farther than young gloves and bats.

In the midst of this detour from the Braves' winning strategy, a dose of reality was forced down the team's throat. While fielding a bunt on Saturday, Smoltz grimaced as he hurled a throw into short right field. For the rest of the game, Smoltz displayed his all-too-common signs of pain: deep, labored breathing, constant stretching, and endless wincing. Though he is perhaps the game's greatest competitor, Smoltz just needs to either graciously retire at season's end, or return to relief work.

In equally depressing fashion, Tom Glavine's first-inning hamstring strain only further dashed the Braves fans' hopes of a return to the glory days. Furthermore, with Hampton perpetually on the DL, one can only wonder who the Braves will throw from one day to the next. Despite having solid starters in Jurrjens and Hudson, a team can only ride two solid pitchers for so long, as evidenced by the Braves' 2007 campaign. To put it mildly, the Braves are on a long road back to the fate of the 1980s' teams. 

As depressing as this forecast may seem, there are viable solutions to the Braves' woes. Though a first year General Manager, Frank Wren has plenty of experience under Schuerholz to rebuild the team of the '90s. Obviously, a return to defense and pitching-oriented baseball is not the prevailing trend in baseball, but it still shows promise.

Without making another move in the field, the Braves could produce enough offense to back up a stable rotation. Even without sluggers Mark Teixeira and Jeff Francoeur, the Braves could win 90-100 games with a pitching staff that gives consistent quality starts.

So what's my advice for Frank Wren? At the end of the season, allow Glavine and Smoltz to retire as Braves and send Hampton packing. Immediately, the team salary will drop by $38 million to accommodate plenty of young arms. Is this a quick fix?  No, but it is the only way to rebuild a crumbling dynasty.