Surging Atlanta Braves Vindicate GM Frank Wren

Frank Wren is stupid.

He can't close a deal to save his life and he has no respect for franchise legends.

Wren couldn't pull the trigger to acquire Jake Peavy and he botched seemingly sure-fire deals with Rafael Furcal and Ken Griffey, Jr.

He then failed miserably in an attempt to salvage the offseason by grossly overpaying for two average pitchers in Derek Lowe and Kenshin Kawakami.

Wren wasn't worthy enough to tie John Schuerholz's shoes, let alone take his place as the general manager of the Atlanta Braves.

He could do nothing right.

These were the thoughts of many Braves fans prior to the 2009 season.

Atlanta fans, who had grown accustomed to winning baseball over the course of the 1990s, were frustrated and distraught by a third consecutive failure to reach the postseason in 2008.

However, despite going as far as turning away future Hall of Famers and fan favorites John Smoltz and Tom Glavine, Wren's skeptics are nowhere to be found today.

With a record of 60-54 and a manageable 4.5-game deficit to the defending World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East, Wren's Braves are having a stellar season.

For one, the GM's eye for pitching has greatly benefited Atlanta as the Braves enjoy the services of Jair Jurrjens and Javier Vazquez, who were both acquired in trades by Wren.

Jurrjens and Vazquez, who have posted ERA's of 3.01 and 2.90, respectively, form arguably the best pitching tandem in the National League.

Lowe and Kawakami have also proven their worth, as Lowe leads the pitching staff with 12 wins and Kawakami has pitched six innings or more in 11 starts this season.

Additionally, rookie flamethrower Tommy Hanson has made Wren look like a genius since his big league promotion in June, posting a veteran-like 7-2 record and a 3.05 ERA.

Wren put together an outstanding pitching rotation during the offseason that currently ranks third in the National League in with a 3.69 ERA.

Thanks to Wren's efforts, Atlanta's solid pitching staff is the team's greatest strength and has kept the Braves in the playoff hunt into mid-August—a remarkable feat.

However, while Wren's masterpiece may be the starting rotation he has assembled, his efforts to improve the Atlanta offense have been just as noteworthy.

Braves prospect Jordan Schafer started 2009 in center field, but struggled to hit big league pitching, barely staying north of the "Mendoza Line" with a .204 batting average.

To address the lack of a consistent power bat in the outfield, Wren acted swiftly, acquiring All-Star center fielder Nate McLouth from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

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