Atlanta Braves

It's hard to imagine that the player who held the all-time home run record for 33 years as underrated, but Hank Aaron has lived his life being largely unnoticed and underappreciated by the baseball world.

Aaron was voted the fifth "greatest baseball player" by The Sporting News when they ranked the 100 greatest players in 1999. Aaron ranked behind Ruth, Mays, Cobb, and Walter Johnson.

In an effort to improve both financial and on-the-field performance, the Atlanta Braves announced today that they have agreed to allow Dulcolax Stool Softener sponsor the team.

In a press conference, Bobby Cox was quoted "We feel that this move will allow for more regularity in run-production and revenue, plus, this product has a nifty logo that we can put on our uniforms."

Relief was prevalent in the Braves' clubhouse (wink wink nudge nudge).

After reading one too many articles about trade ideas for the "desperate" Atlanta Braves, I figured it's time we took a journey back into franchise history and remembered the types of moves we've made in similar situations.

For every McGriff deal, there's been a Teixeira.

The deal may sound good at the time (finally!

There are so many areas of this Atlanta Braves team that needs to be addressed that this story might just be an exercise in futility. But then again, aren't they all if you're not getting paid to write them?

Anyhow, I digress.

I feel like every Braves story I write has the same overwhelming theme—get rid of Francoeur and get some power in that lineup!

One of these days, maybe the Braves brass will listen, provided they care what some random fan actually thinks.

Through the first three-plus innings Sunday, Tommy Hanson looked every bit the future ace that he is destined to become. After that first time through the order he quickly crashed down to earth.

After Hansen struck out the side in the second, a lot of the Braves faithful were beside themselves with excitement.

Then in the fourth the wheels started to slowly come off.

Ryan Braun took a misplaced fastball after a leadoff walk to J.J. Hardy and calmly deposited it into the stands to tie the game at two.

It was expected to be the second coming. A 22-year-old with a slider rivaling that of future Hall-of-Fame pitcher John Smoltz and a fastball similar to Nolan Ryan.

Had it rained Sunday, Brave fans would have expected rookie hurler Tommy Hanson to have walked on water to get to the mound.

However, much like the Braves' season so far, reality was far from the truth.

The Atlanta Braves punctuated a week to remember by sending heralded super-prospect Tommy Hanson to the mound on Sunday, carrying with him the promise that a return to the top of the National League East could be just around the corner.

The dominoes began to fall with the release of 300-game winner Tom Glavine on Wednesday. A move that took both the Cooperstown-bound left-hander and most Braves faithful by surprise and cleared the way for Hanson's long-awaited promotion to the Majors.

Like most reasonable people in the good old United States of America, I marvel at the utter stupidity, egregious arrogance, and incredible greed of some of our most cherished professional athletes.  At the same time, I'm disgusted by some members of the media who lack either the knowledge, integrity, or tact required to be admirable journalists.

That covers two of the three branches of the sports universe.  It also covers the two most trivial ones.

I will try to keep this as respectful as possible, because you are still my favorite Atlanta Braves player of all time.

I understand that you were upset after the Braves “disrespected” you back in January. I was quite upset as well.

Seriously man, you need to get over it soon. Your constant hostility and sour grapes are getting old.

According to ESPN.com's Buster Olney, the Atlanta Braves and the Boston Red Sox have been talking about a Brad Penny-for-Jeff Francoeur deal. The Red Sox have been scouting Francoeur for awhile, and the Braves are looking for a new starter after the release of 305-game winner Tom Glavine.

Apparently, the Red Sox had the deal in place, but the Braves then backed out of the deal, seemingly no longer desiring Penny.