TJ Hartnett
Florida Baseball In October?
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Baseball is a strange and wonderful game. Sometimes incredible things happen; like the Angels throwing a combined no-hitter on the night they honor their fallen teammate Tyler Skaggs. Skaggs passed away a couple of weeks ago.
Sometimes bizarre things happen, like an attack swarm of midges derailing the Yankees’ playoff hopes in Cleveland in 2007.
Sometimes things are both expected and unexpected – like the Tampa Bay Rays finishing the first half of 2019 in 2nd place in the AL East, 6 ½ games behind the New York Yankees and 2 games above the mighty Boston Red Sox.
This is unexpected because the Rays are always overlooked and consistently underfunded. People always seem to forget about Tampa Bay, with their lack of superstars and roster that seems made up of cast offs.
People also always forget that over the past decade or so, the Rays have been pretty good. They’ve been to the playoffs four times since 2008, and made a real run of it just last year and yet I don’t think many expected them to be in this position after the All-Star Break.
But here they are. At one point in May (that’s the second month of the season, mind you) Tampa Bay had the best record in all of baseball.
The Yankees heated up at the opportune time (when the Rays cooled down) and even with two and half months left in the season the Bronx Bombers seem uncatchable, but going into Saturday’s games Tampa is on top of the Wild Card heap by a game over Cleveland and Oakland. If they keep on as they have been, there will be playoff games in Florida for the first time since 2013.
A lot of the winning ways have come from Tampa’s starters, namely Charlie Morton, who brought some Houston Astros winning mojo with him when he signed during the offseason.
He’s leading the American League in ERA with a 2.32 mark and is in the top 5 in strikeouts with 142 whiffs. Assuming more of the same in the 2nd half, the Rays can count on wins every time Morton takes the mound for them.
The offense isn’t leading the pack in the way that Morton is, but they have been consistently average throughout the season so far.
They are a bit of an outlier in 2019, as they are a contending team that doesn’t hit the ball over the fence. The Rays have only 114 runs, outside of the top 10 in the AL.
However, while that’s abnormal for a good team in today’s game, it’s also kind of normal for Tampa Bay to be abnormal. They’ve always found creative ways to win, dating back to when Joe Maddon was at the helm of the team.
Looking ahead, there is a lot for the Rays to look forward to and take advantage of. Specifically, the number of games against the teams looking up at them from below in the AL East.
Tampa plays the Orioles and the Toronto Blue Jays a combined 23 times over their last 70 games. These are bad teams and should be easy wins for the Rays.
Which isn’t to say there aren’t challenges. The Rays have a west coast trip ahead, including a showdown with the Los Angeles Dodgers, far and away the scariest team in the National League.
There’s also the unfortunate scheduling happenstance that the Rays only play the Yankees six more times before the season ends (again, it’s unlikely that they’ll be making up those 6 ½ games).
That being said, if the Rays can stay the course (or even add a little something before the July 31st trade deadline) they should be in a good position to claim a Wild Card spot come this October.
Braves Tomahawk First Half
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Braves will be entering the All-Star Break sitting pretty atop of the heap of the National League East.
That fact, plus a three-All-Star showing in the personages of Ronald Acuna, Jr., Freddie Freeman, and Mike Soroka, should make baseball fans all across Braves country rejoice.
It’s especially sweet given the potential offseason improvements made by the Washington Nationals (adding Patrick Corbin, among other things) and Philadelphia Phillies (adding Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, Andrew McCutchen, and Jean Segura, among other things), both of whom are tied for 2nd place in the East at 6 games back going into Sunday’s contests.
The Mets too, made moves to improve themselves (blockbuster trade for Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz), and they sit under .500 at 13 games back going into Sunday.
The Braves, for their part, made very few headlines in the offseason other than signing Josh Donaldson to a hefty $23 million contract for a year and he has only really been bringing the rain for the past two weeks or so, offensively.
So, the fact that the Bravos have managed to put a relatively nice cushion between them and the rest of the NL East at the end of the first half is truly an impressive feat, though maybe not an entirely surprising one, as they did win the division last season.
The question is: can they maintain the lead they’ve carved out for themselves during the second half of 2019? And if they can, are they capable of playing deeper into the playoffs than their fairly unimpressive showing against the Los Angeles Dodgers last October?
The answer to the first question is a resounding yes. The Mets are being the Mets and seem to be on the verge of implosion, so let’s table them for the time being.
The Phillies are a talented squad but the Braves have shown that they can handle them, winning the last two series against them and outscoring them 50-25 over those six games.
The Nationals are a bit more of an unknown factor. The Braves have only played them five times so far this season, and have gone 2-3 so far. Granted, they took 2 out of 3 from them in the nation’s capital two weeks ago, so recency bias has the Braves at an advantage for their season exchange going forward.
The Braves have won with a nearly unstoppable offense in 2019. They’ve set a new season record for home runs before the break and tied the franchise record for most players with 15 bombs in the first half – both records set by the 2003 squad (note: if Ozzie Albies knocks one out on Sunday, the new record will be set with six – SIX – players with 15 homers).
The pitching for Atlanta in 2019 has been more inconsistent, which is partially why the answer to the second question is probably a no.
Mike Soroka has earned his All-Star selection, but the Atlanta rotation just hasn’t shown it can get the job done day in and day out. Obviously, the team has been winning, but that doesn’t mean that if the Braves draw the Dodgers in the first round again that they won’t get spanked.
There’s potential here. However, Julio Teheran has found his old self in 2019, though he still has his poor streaks.
Mike Foltynewicz has proved that he can be better than he has been this year, and I feel confident we haven’t seen the best of Dallas Keuchel in an Atlanta uniform yet (he just got started, after all).
But these guys need to find another gear if this second exciting year atop the NL East is going to end differently than the last one.
Hawks Free Agent Radar
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NBA offseason, unlike the MLB offseason, is divided somewhat neatly into two parts: pre-draft and post-draft.
This is to say that teams look forward to adding to their rosters primarily with the excitement and intrigue of the draft during the short time between it and the preceding NBA finals; and then they look forward to fortifying the rest of their squad afterwards via free agency.
Now that the NBA Draft is in the rearview mirror, the Atlanta Hawks need to look ahead. That starts with filling out the rest of their roster.
They have enough pieces that a serviceable team could conceivably be put on the court without any other additions, but there are enough question marks and uncertainties that free agency could hold some appeal for Travis Schlenk, should he want to pull the trigger on anyone.
Now we’re not talking about Kevin Durant, functioning Achilles’ or not. That’s obviously not in the cards for a ton of reasons (money for one, but also KD will want to go after an immediate ring, and the Hawks are still in rebuilding mode).
However, there are a few significant names that could potentially be lured to Atlanta. Malcolm Brogdon, for one, could work off of Trae Young or even sub in for the point guard when necessary.
He might find playing for his hometown team a sufficient enough draw to join the team, but – and this is why it’s unlikely to happen – he’d need to take a significant discount to return to his roots.
Thaddeus Young (Georgia Tech) and Al-Farouq Aminu (Norcross High School) have local connections as well, and both could fit in well with the way the team is constructed, but again both are unlikely to find Atlanta’s offer better than something they could get elsewhere.
There’s a real question about options at center. Dewayne Dedmon is a free agent but he may yet return to the Hawks and solve that problem.
In truth, he might be the best available (and most affordable) option that Atlanta has. There are some other free agent centers, however – like Kevon Looney, who is young and talented, but who the Golden State Warriors might not let go of so easily.
Willie Cauley-Stein and Maxi Kleber are both on the table as well, but with the caveat that they’re restricted free agents and therefore their prices may be prohibitive.
Let’s not forget (very recent) former Hawk and future Hall of Famer Vince Carter as a potential free agent pick up for Atlanta. Carter, the oldest player in the league, seems to want to return and the Hawks are likely interested in the prospect as well.
The Hawks would know what they were getting in Carter, who would once again bring an invaluable intangible to the roster as a veteran, even though his lack of future value does drag down a team in the midst of building for the years ahead.
The Hawks are currently sitting with 14 contracted players (assuming that second round pick Bruno Fernando signs his deal in the near future) with space to add one more.
Any of the above could be Hawks before the season starts this fall (or several – there’s no reason to think that Schlenk couldn’t maneuver more roster spots through a savvy trade or two).
Whichever route they choose to take during this free agency period, expect the moves to be more practical than splashy. Deciding on a rebuild and sticking to it is a tough road to navigate, but so far it seems like the Hawks are planning to stay the course.
K Is For Keuchel
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Atlanta Braves’ big-ticket item has arrived. Former Cy Young award winner, Dallas Keuchel made his debut on the road in our nation’s capital.
For months, Braves Country clamored for a big signing. The bullpen was the primary focus of grief and most would have assumed that Atlanta would go after former Brave Craig Kimbrel.
However, it was starter Keuchel. In truth, his arrival comes at an opportune time, the same time as Kevin Gausman’s fairly epic fall from grace (his placement on the Injured List seems less like a physical injury concern and more like making room for someone who’s going to hopefully win more games).
On the other hand, Gausman’s poor performance may have quickened the pace at which Keuchel was brought up to the big-league team. Regardless, after two minor league starts, Keuchel was called up and put on the mound against a division rival.
And it went…pretty well, actually. Keuchel took the loss in a 4-3 game against the Nationals, but it was a pretty promising outing.
Yes, he gave up four runs over the course of five innings, but only three of those runs were earned and that’s good enough to win most games.
Given the Braves recent average of over seven runs per game, allowing three or four runs is actually giving the team a great chance at a victory.
Beyond that, Keuchel also impressed with three strikeouts and – most importantly – no walks.
For a guy making his third professional appearance of the season, that kind of control is a joyous surprise. It’s also indicative of Keuchel’s renowned skills. Not an overpowering pitcher, he won his Cy Young and had a great 2018 season because he can locate the ball. To see him demonstrate that same skill this early in tenure is a very good sign.
And we can’t overlook how early it is. Obviously, the guy is a professional athlete and he clearly spent his unemployment time doing workouts and staying in shape, but Spring Training exists for a reason. Pitchers need time to recalibrate and stretch out.
The stretching out doesn’t seem as necessary as he’s thrown about 100 pitchers per start, but the point remains that he’s not even in midseason form and he’s still keeping his team in the game against rosters that are.
So, looking ahead, the Braves have found themselves a piece that should be able to help them hold onto first place into the National League East.
All in all, the addition of Dallas Keuchel is something to be excited about for Braves Country. It isn’t the return of a prodigal son, as signing Kimbrel would have been, but a starter is going to pitch far more innings and have a bigger impact if the Braves can hang on and make it to the postseason (where Keuchel has performed and won a ring).
This is going to be a huge get for Atlanta.
Tomahawkin
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Atlanta Braves have been scorching hot lately. They leapfrogged the Phillies to take sole possession of first place in the National League East.
With the All-Star Break rapidly approaching, the Braves appear to be positioning themselves well to go into the second half as the team on top and that might mean that General Manager Alex Anthopoulos may be able to make moves (on top of the Dallas Keuchel signing) before the trade deadline to bolster some of the weak spots on the roster.
That being said, let’s take a brief look at some of the things that have led the Braves into first place, as well as a few things that need improvement.
The Really Good:
Austin Riley – It’s not a coincidence that Riley’s promotion to the big leagues proceeded the Braves rise to the top of the heap.
Riley has been beyond exceptional for Atlanta, not just hitting the ball out of the yard but also coming up with clutch hits and playing better left field than a third baseman has any right to.
Nearly the rest of the lineup, for the most part, has been roaring during this surge. Ozzie Albies has found his stroke, Freddie Freeman is putting up MVP-type numbers, Dansby Swanson and Ronald Acuna have been consistent (Acuna loves that leadoff spot), and the catching platoon has been reminiscent of the Flowers/Suzuki platoon a few years ago.
Mike Soroka – The undisputed ace of the staff in 2019, picked up right where he left off in 2018. He has a razor-thin ERA and composure on the mound far exceeding his years. With Keuchel as an unknown factor at the moment, Soroka starts Game 1 of the playoffs for this team.
Julio Teheran – To the surprise of many (myself included – see my unflattering and now-proven-wrong article about Julio from the end of March), Julio Teheran has recaptured the magic that caused the Braves to extend him years ago. He’s been more reliable than Mike Foltynewicz and Kevin Gausman, stepping up as the veteran presence in a young rotation.
Luke Jackson – A relief pitcher? Yes. Jackson opened up the season with an atrocious showing, but has since taken over the closer role and has been a solid – if imperfect – piece to close out Atlanta’s victories in 2019.
The Not So Good:
Josh Donaldson – The Bringer of Rain has managed to hit 10 homeruns and has a surprisingly robust batting average with runners in scoring position, but he has failed to earn the $23 million the Braves gave him during the offseason.
It’s unlikely the Braves will find a trade partner for the veteran, but with Riley’s emergence it seems like that Donaldson’s tenure in Atlanta will not span past one season.
Folty and Gausman – The two steadiest presences in the rotation in 2018 were both injured during Spring Training and neither seems to have come back quite right.
Gausman hit the Injured List, and with Keuchel waiting in the wings he may have made his last start for the year.
The Rest of the Bullpen – I know it. You know it. Let’s move on.
I’ll do the math for you, there’s more good than bad on the team right now.
Plus, the weaker points can be improved: Keuchel for Gausman is sure to be an upgrade, and the party line for months has been that Anthopoulos will make moves if the Braves are contending and first place is certainly contending.
If things continue as they are or improve even slightly, Braves Country is in for a great second half.
Help Is Here
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
One of the biggest stories in baseball through the first two months of the 2019 season was that of the unemployed: Craig Kimbrel and Dallas Keuchel.
They were linked to almost every team under the sun. I, myself, wrote about the need to have Kimbrel rejoin the Braves and help shore up their bullpen just a few weeks ago.
Eventually it became clear that both pitchers would have to wait until after the MLB Draft to find gainful employment for the rest of the season. After that event, teams that sign either player neither have to give up a draft pick nor would they be required to extend qualifying offers if the free agents leave at the end of this year.
So, the draft has come and gone and Kimbrel and Keuchel were snatched up quickly. Kimbrel, a former Atlanta Brave, was desired by most fans. However, he inked a three-year deal with the Chicago Cubs (allegedly the Braves didn’t want to sign him for three years, despite that being half the time he reportedly asked for during the offseason).
But the Braves didn’t sit idly by, inking Keuchel to a one-year, $13 million deal to join their starting rotation.
It was somewhat of a surprise, as the Yankees were in on the lefty as well. He must have really not wanted to shave his beard. It’s also possible that Keuchel wanted to work with Brian McCann again after a successful run with the backstop in Houston (we’ll see if Mac is assigned a majority of Keuchel’s games). Maybe he likes muggy summers. Whatever the reasons, Keuchel has the potential to be a big boost to the Braves postseason dreams.
Yes, Keuchel is 31 and is a few years removed from his Cy Young-winning peak, but he has plenty to offer, including being a fiery veteran in the clubhouse (perhaps a good balance to the quiet leader in Nick Markakis).
His experience also comes with four, count ‘em, four, postseason victories on his resume. That will come in handy if the Braves find themselves in the playoffs for a second year in a row.
Some of the young pitchers made appearances in the Division Series against Los Angeles, but they lacked effectiveness at the most important stage of the year. Mike Foltynewicz, a fiery competitor himself, notably melted down during Game 1 last October.
Keuchel will have the opportunity to serve as a steady hand (a hand that has a ring, mind you) on the national stage.
At the end of the day, Keuchel makes the rotation better at a fairly low cost and no cost in prospects.
He won’t need to be 2015 Dallas Keuchel to be a worthy addition to the team. Mike Soroka has essentially forced himself into the team’s number one, and Julio Teheran has looked like he might turn in a very solid season. Folty has shown signs of finally shaking his rust after a late start to the season and Max Fried is tied for the team wins with 7 (with Soroka).
Perhaps the most specific impact Keuchel might have would be to displace Kevin Gausman. Gausman just hasn’t been able to replicate the great success he had as a Brave last season after a midseason trade from the Baltimore Orioles.
Every time it looks like he’s on track, the next game (or even inning) gets away from him. I’m not sure what the Braves could do with him, contractually speaking, but all signs point to him being the odd man out once Keuchel makes a few starts in the minor leagues and gets ready to join the big club.
In any case, Keuchel, assuming health and the absence of a complete breakdown, can only help the team. We’ll be seeing him with a tomahawk on his chest soon.
Young Guns
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Going into Spring Training, the Atlanta Braves felt like they had two strong anchors in their starting rotation in Mike Foltynewicz and Kevin Gausman.
Both guys had a few years in the bigs under their belts and both had successful campaigns in 2018. Gausman’s success coming after he was traded to Dixie from the Baltimore Orioles, in particular.
It was the rest of the rotation that was covered in question marks. The loss of Anibal Sanchez to Sean Newcomb’s second half crash to the ever-changing consistency of Julio Teheran, the starting corps was less of a strength and more of a potential strength.
The talent was there. The Braves had built up a mountain of wealth in the arms department but there was no track record because a few flashes of brilliance from most of the prospects.
So, there was reasonable concern when both Folty and Gausman couldn’t make it to the finish line of Spring Training healthy. These were the guys Atlanta needed to lean on while the prospects and younger arms of the rotation were put to the test.
Flash forward to the June 1st, the season is two-thirds of the way done, and the Braves have two strong anchors in their rotation: but the twist is that the anchors are two of those same prospects the Braves weren’t sure they could count on in March.
Mike Soroka and Max Fried have been the stalwart performers of Atlanta’s starting rotation in 2019, leading the team in earned run average and wins, respectively, and each of them rank second in the category they aren’t leading in.
In fact, the question marks surround Folty and Gausman, who both returned from the Injured List and have been inconsistent at best (Gausman, for the most part) or just bad at worst (Folty, for the most part). They haven’t been able to secure wins for their team, going 3-8 collectively, and neither can boast an ERA under 5.50.
If there’s good news among the bad, it’s that both are talented enough to break out of these funks. In fact, both have had recent games that looked like a turnaround point only to have poor outings the following turn.
Soroka and Fried, on the other hand, have been consistently great. Fried has kept Atlanta in pretty much every game he’s started, as his 7 wins show. Finally, getting a chance to stick in the rotation (he made a total of 9 starts out of 23 appearances over the past two seasons), Fried is showing why the Braves coveted him so much when they traded Justin Upton to San Diego for him in December of 2014.
Soroka has been a revelation; picking up from where he left off last season before he got hurt and proving that he’s got the moxie to be a top starter even at the age of 21.
Soroka has been so good since joining the rotation that when he went eight innings in San Francisco against the Giants last month and only gave up one run, his ERA actually went up.
The kicker is that the last piece of the rotation puzzle, Julio Teheran, has actually been pretty good this year as well. He may have finally settled into the middle-of-the-rotation guy he was probably always destined to be anyway.
What this all amounts to is this: if (when?) Folty and Gausman figure it out, the Braves rotation will be among the most formidable quintet in the game today. And that’s thanks in large part to the teams two studs: Mike Soroka and Max Fried.
Not Going Back
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Atlanta Braves are, unsurprisingly, leaning on youth to win ballgames during the first half of the season.
The young pitching that has been so highly touted for the past several years has shown up and produced, with Mike Soroka the undisputed ace of the team and Max Fried leading the squad in wins after nearly two months. That is to be expected, with the hype that surrounded those two and their fellow pitching prospects.
However, with all the focus and fanfare surround the young arms on the Braves and throughout their farm system, it’s easy to forget that there are some talented position players that have been waiting to get the call and make an impact in the big leagues.
After flat out decimating Triple A for more than a month, the Braves pulled the trigger and called up prospect Austin Riley to play left field, even though his natural position is third base.
That didn’t stop him from making an impact, homering in his debut and staying hot ever since, including a game tying bomb in the series finale against the Giants in San Francisco.
That home run was Riley’s FIFTH since his call up on May 15th. He’s also hitting for a high average and has played solid defense in left in addition to a few starts at third base to spell veteran Josh Donaldson.
It’s been less than two weeks, but even with a small sample size, there is no way the Braves are sending Riley back to the minor leagues when Ender Inciarte is ready to come off the Injured List.
More than simply hitting well, Riley’s call up has reinvigorated a Braves team that had been embarrassed by Los Angeles the week before and squashed by St. Louis the night before. Atlanta has been tearing it up since the 22-year-old joined the team. The energy is high, and there’s certainly a correlation with Riley’s arrival, if not a direct causation.
While Riley’s and team’s success is an absolute good, it doesn’t bode so well for the Gold Glove centerfielder, Ender Enciarte, whose trip to the IL prompted the call up.
Inciarte has never set the world on fire with his bat and in fact is notorious for having slow starts every season before heating up during the second half; but he’s unmatched on the squad in center field.
Ronald Acuna, Jr. has slid over to man center in Ender’s absence, and while he’s faster and younger, he still hasn’t developed the defensive instincts that make Ender such an asset.
An outfield with Acuna in left, Ender in center, and stalwart Nick Markakis in right is a superior defensive outfield, no one will argue that. However, the dividends that Riley’s bat pays out may make it impossible for Brian Snitker to give Ender starts once he gets healthy.
Aside from spelling Donaldson at the hot corner, Riley is almost certainly going to be the starting left fielder for the Braves going forward, which Ender coming in as a defensive replacement late in games as long as he remains untraded.
Speaking of, that’s another feather the Braves have been able to add to their cap with Riley’s instant success. Ender will make an appealing trade piece. He’s a young veteran with a cheap contract that ends on a team option. Riley has given Atlanta the flexibility to flip Ender as part of a package for that constantly needed bullpen help.
Whatever happens, Austin Riley is leading the charge for Atlanta, and he’s here to stay.
Options
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
As March Madness fades even further in the rearview mirror and the NBA season winds down as it ramps up for the playoffs, the convergence of the two levels appears on the horizon: the NBA Draft.
Pro teams wait for the draft lottery to see where they’ll land while college players wait for the chance make the leap to the big time.
This year the draft features an embarrassment of riches; a wealth of young talent that could potentially chance the fortunes of any team that has been struggling. Impressively, a few of those game-changing talents all come from one place.
Any NCAA basketball team would be a threat if they could boast just one player who might get drafted in the top 10 of the NBA Draft. However, this past season saw the Duke Blue Devils boast THREE players that could be considered for high picks.
While the draft lottery has yet to come, the Atlanta Hawks can at least count on an early pick and therefore need to start looking at Duke’s Big 3 to see which of those players might be the best fit come draft time.
R.J. Barrett, Cam Reddish and Zion Williamson are all leaving college behind and should all expect to hear their names called without much time passing in between when the draft happens later in the summer.
There isn’t much more to be said about Zion Williamson that hasn’t already been said by every sports show, paper, and fan, and if the Hawks do wind up with the number one pick in the draft, it’s a no-brainer to draft his game-changing talent.
Williamson’s star power might overwhelm some of the other young and talented players the Hawks have already enlisted but John Collins and Trae Young might see his presence as a challenge and up their own games.
There’s also the chance that pulling focus away from those two might help them grow and develop without as much pressure, since they’re essentially the focal point of the team’s future plans at the moment.
In short, Zion is the best player available, and the Hawks would surely love for him to suit up in Atlanta.
If they don’t end up with the first pick in the draft and assuming that Williamson goes first, there are still two Blue Devils options available – R.J. Barrett and Cam Reddish.
Barrett would help the team with shot creation options, as Trae Young (and Taurean Prince, to a certain extent) is the only Hawk who seems to be able to make that happen right now.
Barrett sometimes tries for shots he doesn’t need to in an effort to win at all costs, but he could gain valuable experience handling the ball off the bench in Atlanta if he takes to Lloyd Pierce’s coaching style.
That leaves Cam Reddish.
Reddish, much more than either of his two eminently talented teammates, struggled quite heartily in his freshman season at Duke. The 19-year-old could never quite find his niche on the team, which should’ve been catch-and-shoot, three-and-D specialist, but Reddish could often be seen hurtling into traffic toward the paint, then getting called for an increasingly predictable offensive foul as defenders were sent flying as he careened into them wildly.
However, Reddish showed brilliant flashes throughout the year and made himself a legend at Duke with a pair of clutch baskets that won key games for them during the season.
He’s got enough raw, untapped potential that he will certainly get snatched up early in the draft and the Hawks might be the team that calls his name.
Atlanta Un-United
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Atlanta United, the defending MLS Cup winner and source of rabid fandom in Atlanta, doubled their win total last week with a victory over the Colorado Rapids. However, the victory still seemed a little hollow.
It failed to assuaged the concerns that United’s system isn’t working. Atlanta had seemingly endless possession of the ball and scored just one goal.
With the same amount of time last season, they would have likely had five. There are, of course, many differences between last year’s team and this one. Many have focused on Frank de Boer’s 3-4-3 set up and the loss of Miguel Almiron.
That’s fair, as the 3-4-3 has definitely had its growing pains and Almiron was snatched up for what was probably a record fee. Atlanta paid what is probably a record fee for Pity Martinez right afterwards.
That being said, it’s a little suspect that United’s Julian Gressel scored shortly after Martinez was lifted in the 71st minute of the game and followed up that substitution with a show of emotion. A more accurate description – and I saw this one in person – is that Martinez, last year’s South American Player of the Year, threw a temper tantrum.
He let de Boer know he was unhappy, then sat down and kicked the (occupied) seat in front of him.
It’s understandable that he’s upset. He was brought in among much fanfare and was expected to dominate Major League Soccer, but he has struggled mightily in the early going.
That’s a heavy and unfair burden, but figuring out his struggles (and Josef Martinez’s) is the key to figuring out the team’s struggles and most of that is a lack of aggressiveness.
Much like the game against Colorado, Atlanta has dominated possession this season but they are also creating fewer chances and taking fewer shots in the box.
The 2017 and 2018 seasons under Tata Martino saw tons of shots and tons of goals (the first Atlanta United game I ever attended was a 7-0 victory). Frank de Boer has apparently asked his team to take a chill pill.
Since Martinez’s style isn’t as aggressive as Almiron’s, that should be working in his favor but that style also prevents him from taking the team on his shoulders. That means that the team’s failures might also come from a weaker squad around a superstar incapable of changing the game on his own (which, to be fair, isn’t realistic in professional soccer anyway, unless your last name is Ronaldo or Messi).
Because Atlanta isn’t incredibly deep, there’s more pressure on Martinez to be a superstar instead of a piece of the puzzle and that in turn means more people are going to make a mountain out of a temper tantrum when it’s thrown by an underperforming should-be superstar.
This isn’t to say that a player of Pity Martinez’s caliber (and paycheck) should be allowed to throw a tantrum when he gets pulled from a game (especially in hindsight, since the winning goal came shortly thereafter).
Martinez shouldn’t be acting like a prima donna. However, his attitude is far from the source of the problems with United’s season so far. Plus, at the very least, it shows that there is some life somewhere in Mercedes Benz stadium.
If de Boer can siphon off some of that attitude, refocus it towards something productive and share it with the rest of the team, Atlanta might be able to turn things around before it’s too late.
