Atlanta Braves

That Braves offense that led the charge to the top of the standings during a 20-win month of May has seemingly been relieved of command.

Going back to the All-Star break, the Braves are 7-9 since Brian McCann roped a bases-clearing double in the NL's 3-1 win in the Mid-summer Classic.

News flash—the Braves only have won one series since then.

These are not the Braves that many Atlanta fans came to recognize during a two-month span that took them from last place to a 7.0 game lead in the NL East.

The main exports from the country of Venezuela are petroleum and firearms, but the most valuable export from the South American country has been a 6 foot 1 power hitting second basemen with more talent than the all of the nine-year-old Mozarts combined on Oprah's Most Talented Kids. This hitting machine has added more firepower to the Braves lineup than any amount of petroleum and firearms ever could.

For Jesse Chavez, Gregor Blanco, and Tim Collins, the Braves acquired the now infamous converted-pitcher Rick Ankiel and an old friend (save the 2005 NLDS) in Kyle Farnsworth (as well as come cash from the Royals).

That's a right-handed reliever with a straight fastball, a AAAA outfielder (as much as we loved him in Atlanta), and a 5'7" lefty with a huge ceiling and awesome stuff (308 Ks in 202.2 career MiLB innings) for two more-than-serviceable Major Leaguers.

Jason Heyward has been under intense scrutiny since the moment he set foot on a major league field. This intensified one at-bat later, when he hit his first major league home run.

He got off to a good start, but as pitchers began to learn that he would chase a low breaking pitch, he cooled off a bit. He made the appropriate adjustments, however, and was National League Rookie of the Month for both April and May.

Fantasy baseball sees changes in position depth every year. What starts the season as a weak position may finish as the best, and vice-versa. Entering the season there were 11 second basemen ranked in the Top 100 players in mixed formats. 

With the non-waiver trade deadline looming less than a week away (this Saturday), the Atlanta Braves are sitting in a pretty good spot.

Granted, they just lost two of three in South Florida from the now-.500 fourth place Marlins, but the club still holds the National League's second-best record (57-41) and a five game advantage over the Philadelphia Phillies.

But, there is a little room for improvement.

There isn’t much to complain about this week when it comes to closers performances over the last week. With only six blown saves for the entire MLB over the last seven days, its nitpicking time. This week it was very difficult to separate an A from a D, let alone a B. If your closer gave up more than one hit look down the list. If he gave up a run, ha, look waaay down the list.

Grade A

On getaway day, the Braves concluded their first post All-Star break homestand with an 8-0 shutout of the San Diego Padres at Turner Field. With Tim Hudson leading the way on the mound, and Alex Gonzalez's four-hit day leading an offense that had six different players drive in runs—this was the epitome of a Braves quality win.

Atlanta currently owns a 7.0 game lead in the NL East, with an NL-best 56-39 record, as both Philadelphia and New York look up at the Braves with identical 49-46 records.

Player notes from Class A Advanced and A Ball—from the slumping bat of Derek Norris to the seasoned arm of Randall Delgado.

POSITION PLAYERS:

Marc Krauss, OF Arizona Advanced A Line—.326 BA, 17 HR, 66 RBI

The former Ohio University standout has been on an offensive tear. In 24 games since the minor league all star break he's batting .423 (44 for 104) with 20 runs, 10 HR and 28 RBI.

Two of the best managers in this era of baseball will be retiring at the end of this 2010 season—the Atlanta Braves Bobby Cox and the Chicago Cubs Lou Piniella.

Both managers were great beginning their careers around the same time in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Piniella with the New York Yankees and Cox with the Atlanta Braves.