Atlanta Braves Spring Training Tickets - Preseason Overview

The Atlanta Braves finished in fourth place in the National League East, with an overall record of 72-90. Yet their Pythagorean win-loss record, the number of wins and losses that a team scoring as many runs and allowing as many runs as the Braves did last season, is 79-83. Why did the Braves lose so many games they weren't supposed to? What went wrong last year? What went right? What have the Braves done to improve over the offseason, and what work is there yet to do? There are many questions to answer as Braves fans prepare to use their Atlanta Braves spring training tickets, and we'll try to get some insight into a few of them.

2008 Highlights
The Braves were a better than average offensive team in 2008. As a team the Braves scored the third most runs in the NL last year, had the third most hits and the third highest team batting average. Offensive productivity came from hitting machine Chipper Jones, who attempted to become the firs player since sliced bread to bat over .400. Jones finished with a .364 average, the best in the majors, and also had a career high in on base percentage (.470), also the best in the National League. Jones had a .574 slugging percentage, and was an All-Star for the sixth time in his career. Brian McCann was also an All-Star, and finished with impressive averages (.301 BA, .523 SLG, and a team-high 23 home runs). Although Mark Teixeira went berserk when he was traded to the Angels midway through the year, he had good numbers wile in Atlanta. Old man Smoltz flared up brilliantly for about 6 games, but got injured and rode the pine the rest of the way. 22-year old Jair Jurgens led the way for the starting pitchers with 13 wins and 139 strikeouts, and Tim Hudson certainly had a few good starts.

2008 Lowlights
Besides McCann and Jones, the Braves lacked power in the batters box. The loss of Mark Teixeira didn't help in the slugging department either. The Braves hit the third fewest home runs in the National League. As for starting pitchers, injuries and old age plagued the rotation, and yet they still were not a bad crew. The real weakness of the Braves was the bullpen. Good relief was hard to come by, and closer Mike Gonzales' ERA ballooned from 2.17 in 2006 and 1.59 in 2007, to 4.28 last year.

Spring Training and Future
Fans who are planning on getting some Atlanta Braves spring training tickets will be interested in seeing the pitching first and foremost. The Braves went to work over the offseason in an effor to try to improve their 2008 team ERA of 4.47, which was well below average in the NL. Righty Derek Lowe was picked up as a free agent from the Dodgers, and he's likely be the No. 1 starter right from the get-go. Japanese import Kenshin Kawakami will also be in the regular rotation, probably third, and Javier Vazquez will have to fit in there as well. Throw in the development of Jair Jurgens and the possible return of veteran Tom Glavine, and you have yourself a busy spring in Florida. The Braves still need to add some power to their order, so don't be surprised if they try to get some of the bargain home run hitters out there on the free agent market.

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