BravesNuWorld || An Atlanta Braves Blog

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The AJC reports that Brian McCann’s blurred vision in his left eye is not anything serious.

McCann was fitted with a new contact lens and his vision was corrected.

Check the story here.

The Atlanta Braves are calling up pitcher Jo Jo Reyes to fill the rotation spot vacated by Tom Glavine, who will undergo shoulder tests by the same doctor who fixed his elbow this offseason.

Not Charlie Morton. Not Tommy Hanson.

He called up Jo Jo Reyes. And the reason why Jo Jo Reyes was called up was because he had an impressive spring training? Really, Wren? Really?

On AJC, more than 60 percent of more than 1,000 voters picked Tommy Hanson, who has yet to pitch a major league game. If anybody, the Braves should be calling up Charlie Morton, who did play in the majors last year with some success and some complete failures. But he’s doing fine in Gwinnet with Hanson.

Jo Jo Reyes has never really shown any potential with the Atlanta Braves. His call up is troubling, at the least.

The Braves are showing potent offense, but an inconsistent bullpen turns every game into a possible loss.

The Braves timely hitting garnered them a clean sweep of the still winless Washington Nationals over the weekend.

Off to a 5-1 start, ESPN has the Bravos ranked first (it’s true) on their opening week power chart–granted, it’s so early, it would be akin to coronating a football team supreme because of the best opening kickoff return on the first sunday of the season. Still, their quick burst out of the gate isn’t insignificant. They proved a few things during the first week: they can score runs with or without power, the starting pitching is improved, and they will not lose every one run game this year (they beat the Nats by a run on Friday).

They head to Florida to play the Marlins, their divisional co-leaders, in what already makes for an important three game series starting Tuesday.  Vasquez, Lowe, and Kawakami are slated to start, respectively.

Ray Kelsey. {co-editor/Bravesnuworld}

During Tuesday’s game against the Phillies, the second of the dramatic three game set, something frighteningly eerie happened: while cruising along comfortably in near utter mastery of the formidable Philly hitters, Kelly Johnson, positioning himself to field a routine ground ball at second base, did his best impersonation of Bill Buckner. From coast to coast, a loud collective gasp could be heard escaping the throats–still sore from last year’s incessant torrent of screams at the television–of every single Braves fan. Could it be happening again? The same guy? Against the same team? Already?

But moments later, the 23 year old Jair Jurjens, doing his best impersonation of a composed veteran hurler, closed out the inning quietly, without any further damage. This time, Johnson’s blunder had proven harmless. There would be no residual psychological damage, no sudden downturn in the rest of the Braves season. This team, sporting their new navy blues, seemed also woven of a different character: one of resilience. Perhaps, in the sunset of Bobby Cox’s stewardship as manager, we had reached one last bright horizon.

And then, on Wednesday, we sank.

A bullpen that, during spring training, had been regarded as a strength (if healthy), orchestrated one of the most agonizing innings in recent memory. Cruising along in near blithe command, leading 10-3, The Braves somehow managed to flit away the game, and with it, a chance to open the season with a sweep of the world champions on the road. Blaine Boyer looked every bit the hard luck case he was 2008; Peter Moylan, just 11 months this side of Tommy John sugery looked unprepared. What would have been the leading story on Baseball Tonight, the one lauding the Braves new mojo, quickly morphed into their improbable debacle, to a slo-mo montage of high fives in red pin stripes. No Navy Blue to be seen.

Whether this is but a hicup, or a sign of something more virulent–as it was last year–remains to be seen. The albatross around our necks won’t be removed until the Atlanta Braves can learn to navigate through such storms. It’s very early, with myriad routes on the horizon.

I, for one, am bringing an industrial sized bag of lozenges before we leave harbor.

Ray Kelsey

{BRAVESNUWORLD CO-EDITOR}