Welcome to Part 4 in a Five Part series on the 5 teams vying for the 2005 NL East title. Today is the last day of breaking down specific parts of a team, with the fifth part being a culmination of the previous four into overall team overviews and predictions for the upcoming season. Without further adieu, here is the breakdown of the bench, defense, and other intangibles for each team.

 

Atlanta Braves- We sold out souls for rock and roll

Bench: Eddie Perez, Ryan Langerhans, Julio Franco, Nick Green, Wilson Betemit

2004 Awards: Gold Glove (Andruw Jones)

 

As far as I?m concerned, Manager of the Year should be renamed the Bobby Cox award and there shouldn?t be a contest until he retires. Cox, along with Leo Mazzone and the rest of that amazing coaching staff, have taken countless Braves teams that had no business finishing any higher than fourth to almost a decade and a half worth of consecutive division titles. No other team, in any other major sport mind you, has even double digits worth. Mazzone turns AAAA pitchers into Cy Young finalists, and they have a knack for starting off very sluggish and then running off 15 straight wins seemingly at will.

 

The thing about the Braves is that they do the little things. They don?t have the best defense in the league, maybe not even in the division, but they don?t make silly mistakes and Andruw Jones collects Gold Gloves like they are going out of style. They don?t have the deepest bench in the world, but whenever you need a hit either Franco or Eddie Perez is going to bounce out of no where and knock in a couple runs and start off that streak everyone fears. They are like a sleeping giant, no one pokes them hard enough for the first two months, but in June when someone makes too loud of a sound out come the Braves to smash everything in their path until the calendar hits October. As long as Bobby Cox is the manager here, I don?t see this team ever finishing lower second, and that?ll be in a fluke season. Now the playoffs, however?..

 

Grade: A/A+

 

Florida Marlins: Fight fire with fire

Bench: Lenny Harris, Matt Treanor, Chris Aguila, Jeff Conine, Damion Easley

2004 Awards: Gold Glove (Luis Castillo), NL Saves Champ (Armando Benitez), NL Hits Champ (Juan Pierre)

 

If there is an answer to the prowess of Bobby Cox from the managerial position, it?s Florida?s Jack McKeon. The season he was hired, the Marlins did the unthinkable and won a World Series after being down ten games under .500. In 2004, he helped manage a team that really had no business being in the playoff run after its May and June performance to a playoff push cut short by Mother Nature. And thanks to one of the top Front Office?s in baseball, Jack has a lot more weapons to play with this season.

 

The defense of this team is stellar. The middle infield is the best in the business, with Luis Castillo being the best defensive second baseman in baseball and Alex Gonzalez the best defensive shortstop who hasn?t won a gold glove. Mike Lowell plays above average defense at third base, as does Jeff Conine in the OF or at 1B when he is in the game. Juan Pierre and Juan Encarnacion are both vacuum cleaners in Center and Right Field, respectively, and Carlos Delgado, though not the Derrek Lee standard Marlin fans are used to, can scoop his share of balls out of the dirt. Miguel Cabrera in Left, however, is a rather large defensive liability and could cost the team a handful of games (though he?ll win his share at the bat). Paul LoDuca also can be susceptible to pass balls, but he should be alright. The bench isn?t the strongest point in the world here, but the aforementioned Front Office is, and if there is a weakness in this team General Manager Admin Beinfest comes up with something creative and goes out and gets it, as he has done the past two seasons. And like you can set your clock to a late season push by the Braves, you can almost expect late inning rallies from this team in big games, and you can never count them out of any game no matter how stellar the opponent.

 

Grade: A-/A

 

New York Mets- You mean, money can?t buy everything?

Bench: Vance Wilson, Joe McEwing, Miguel Cairo, Victor Diaz, Eric Valent

2004 Awards: None

 

The Mets long have been known as a team that doesn?t have the strongest intangibles in the world. They?ve never had the coaching staff that Atlanta has, their teams don?t play with as much chemistry as Florida, and they can?t get by on hating each other like Philadelphia does. Their downfall has always been a huge lack of coaching and chemistry. Bobby Valentine wasn?t the most liked managerial figure in the world, and Art Howe was a robot in a baseball uniform. When your core players aren?t exactly team guys, close games will tend to slip out of your grasp. However, the Mets really are trying to change their image. They brought in Pedro Martinez, who besides being their ace is also instantly the clubhouse clown and the pitcher you know that will always take care of defending his teammates. Carlos Beltran, by all reports, is a cheery guy who people love to have as a teammate. Doug Mientkiewicz, despite wanting to keep his baseball, is also known as a team guy. They still have a long way to go to reach the fun level of the Marlins, but they are definitely trying and one can?t fault them for that.

 

As far as defense is concerned, they are greatly improved. Mientkiewicz brings Top 3 defense at first base to help scoop up some of those errant throws from last season. Mike Cameron is a stellar CF moving to Right, with Beltran taking his place and maybe even improving the defense there. Jose Reyes? fielding is as smooth as the other side of the pillow, and by all reports David Wright can hold his own at the bag. There are concerns, however. Mike Piazza is still a horrendous catcher defensively, and though he makes up for it with his bat he can?t throw out Fat Bastard if he tried for second. Cliff Floyd is a walking injury in Left, and when he isn?t hurt he isn?t exactly making Web Gems every night. But compared to last year this defense is light years ahead of everyone else, and with this newfound (albeit not that much yet) chemistry the Mets should be much improved.

 

Grade: B+/A-

 

Philadelphia Phillies- So, if they suck this year, what?s the excuse?

Bench: Todd Pratt, Placido Polanco, Tomas Perez, Jason Michaels, Marlon Byrd

2004 Awards: None

 

Well, now is the time of reckoning. The reason that the Phillies always gave for why they struggled or why they couldn?t get into the playoffs was their manager, Admin Bowa. Admin Bowa this and Admin Bowa that, but if there was a problem it was always referred to him somehow. Now, they?ve dumped him for Jerry Manuel, and there?s no big excuse anymore. The Phillies have lost their ?cancer?, and if you believed what the players had been saying for the past couple of seasons you?d think this was the year the Phillies break the Philadelphia curse and win the World Series.

 

Except, the Phillies are in for a rued awakening if they think that was the only answer to their problem. Manuel isn?t exactly the Messiah of managers, in fact if Randolph manages as well as his charisma dictates Manuel might be lucky to be fourth best in the division. The team, while being solid talent wise in almost every aspect (well, except starting pitching), isn?t much of a team. They don?t seem to have the talent to win the games that count it seems, and 9 year olds could show up wearing uniforms with ?Marlins? written across the chest and Philly would probably drop the game 5-2. Was this all the manager? Philadelphia would like to think so. The rest of us will have to wait and see.

 

Grade: B-/B

 

Washington Nationals- Only playing in one home park this season

Bench: Gary Bennett, Terrmel Sledge, Wil Cordero, Henry Mateo, Brendan Harris

2004 Awards: Innings Pitched Champ (Livan Hernandez)

 

The nomads of the Majors have finally found their home, and this should definitely help in their production. The past two years the team formerly known as the Expos would sometimes have to travel cross country and internationally a few times on one long road trip, killing whatever momentum they had built up from before. Add to that, a manager in Frank Robinson, who seems to not care as much as he should sometimes, and you have a recipe that isn?t the most conducive to success.

 

The Nats aren?t too bad on defense as one would think. Jose Vidro is very solid with the glove, as is Nick Johnson at first base. Jose Guillen covers a lot of ground in the outfield, and has a cannon arm. Brian Schneider can more than handle his own behind the plate. But there are some question marks. Brad Wilkerson has a good arm, but his glove can be suspect at times. Guzman, normally very good at D, can hit defensive slumps where he can?t find the ball. Vinny Castilla?s range is limited with age at third. However, the biggest problem will be Robinson. He has a stellar bullpen, but more often than not he abuses the arms and uses them completely incorrectly, blowing games. If he can better use his young arms, the Nats will be a big spoiler late in the year. If he can?t, they?ll be a pushover. Simple as that.

 

Grade: C+/B-

 

Overall Defense, Bench, and Intangible Rankings:

1- Atlanta Braves (A+)

2- Florida Marlins (A)

3- New York Mets (B+)

4- Philadelphia Phillies (B)

5- Washington Nationals (B-)

 

Monday: Overall Team Rankings and Predictions

 

(tomorrow is Easter, so I?ll save the Complete Outlook for Monday)

 

Day 1: Lineups

Day 2: Starting Pitching

Day 3: Bullpens

Gotta love the Mets intangables. They can be guarenteed that there will be two or three costly injuries this year.

Bench: Vance Wilson, Joe McEwing, Miguel Cairo, Victor Diaz, Eric Valent

 

Vance Wilsons gone to Detroit, Castro will be the backup... Also Kerry Robinson will probably make the club, also Marlon Anderson in the mix, especially since McEwing not on the Mets anymore... You need to research a little better...

Washington Nationals- Only playing in one home park this season

Bench: Gary Bennett, Terrmel Sledge, Wil Cordero, Henry Mateo, Brendan Harris

Harris is going to start in the minors and Mateo will start the season on the Dl and will probably start off in the minors. Jamey Carrol will take Harris' spot and J.J. Davis is having an amazing spring...

Bench: Vance Wilson, Joe McEwing, Miguel Cairo, Victor Diaz, Eric Valent

 

Vance Wilsons gone to Detroit, Castro will be the backup... Also Kerry Robinson will probably make the club, also Marlon Anderson in the mix, especially since McEwing not on the Mets anymore... You need to research a little better...

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Two of the ablove players will amke the bench, Valent and Cairo. Diaz is starting at AAA. Eveyone else is gone. Woodward, Castro, and probably Galarraga will take the free spots.

 

I also really appreciate Juanky looking objectively at the clubs this week, very well done. I really can't disagree a whole lot with anything you've said.