Paper Tigers... Or, In This Case, Paper Braves

[DOUGHBOYS]

I don't root for a certain team, but have a lot of friends that root for this team or that. And before the season begins, I hear about their teams and how good they're going to be. Hardly any of them think in the negative, before the season begins, accentuating the positive is the preferred method of talking about one's favorite team.
It's the way baseball fans roll before a season.

Knowing a few Braves fans, I tired of hearing how good the Braves were going to be this year.
I really did. Especially how they went on about their new outfield.
Some thought that the outfield would go down in history as one of the best in baseball.
Heyward was a rising star and the Upton Brothers would push each other to greatness. I snickered whenever I heard that last line. I've seen brothers play on the same team before. And it doesn't matter if they're friendly, fighting, or 'pushing' each other. They are still going to perform individually in a team sport.
That's baseball.

Braves fans have quit talking about their great outfield.
A realization that baseball on paper, sometimes overshadows performance on the field. In actuality, the Braves are a better hitting team when Evan Gattis and Jordan Schafer are in the lineup. The problem being that the Braves have dedicated a lot of money to the Upton's and future money towards Heyward. They are not about to admit that they may have been mistaken in signing one Upton and trading for the other.
Believe me, I know others are going to say Justin Upton has had a fine season. But really, he has done no more than John Buck in hitting a few balls squarely and most of those have come with the bases empty.

The Upton's and Heyward exude talent. Darn it, they SHOULD be good! And they have been in the past, but they just aren't this year.
In the mean time, before the season started, there were a group of fans that were not accentuating the positive.
New York Mets fans.
Some moaned as free agent outfielders would be scooped up by other teams. They hoped that ownership would do the right thing and buy Nick Swisher or buy Michael Bourn.
Mets fans are still under the influence that Mets ownership has money.
They don't.
So, Mets fans began the season with several players offensively who would struggle to make teams in AAA in other organizations. They signed the cheapest outfielder on the market in Marlon Byrd, who other teams thought had retired.
The Mets outfield seemed a revolving door with Cowgill, Baxter, Lagaras, Nieuwenhuis, Duda, Byrd, Ankiel, Brown, and whoever is next to walk through the door.

But you know what?
After two months of play, Mets fans can brag that their outfield of Duda, Byrd, and Valdespin is every bit as good as that of Upton, Upton, and Heyward.
On paper, laughable.
On the field, a fact.
Here are the Upton's and Heyward's year to date stats: .190/20/46
Here are Byrd, Valdespin, and Duda year to date stats: .235/18/54
It should also be pointed out the Mets batters have 70 LESS at bats

Its a win/win for everybody, really.
Mets fans can have a laugh on the Braves. The best outfield in baseball, before the year, is no better than the worst outfield, before the year.

Braves fans can reflect that the rest of their team is strong enough to carry this dead weight and still be viable in the Standings.

And the Mets owners and fans can all be happy that they didn't give BJ Upton a big contract.

[Edwards Kings]

After two months of play, Mets fans can brag that their outfield of Duda, Byrd, and Valdespin is every bit as good as that of Upton, Upton, and Heyward.
On paper, laughable.
On the field, a fact.
Here are the Upton's and Heyward's year to date stats: .190/20/46
Here are Byrd, Valdespin, and Duda year to date stats: .235/18/54
It should also be pointed out the Mets batters have 70 LESS at bats

Its a win/win for everybody, really.
Mets fans can have a laugh on the Braves. The best outfield in baseball, before the year, is no better than the worst outfield, before the year.

Braves fans can reflect that the rest of their team is strong enough to carry this dead weight and still be viable in the Standings.

And the Mets owners and fans can all be happy that they didn't give BJ Upton a big contract.

I guess the Braves fans (at least this one) are still pretty happy. See, the Mets fans know that what they have had so far is a good as it is gonna get. The Braves are winning and that with Heyward, BJ, and even Justin right now playing so poorly. I think they can turn it around. I am willing to wait a little longer, see what the stats say at the end of the year.

I wouldn't want to be accused of pulling a Shandler and Trouting the Braves outfield.

[KJ Duke]

I wouldn't want to be accused of pulling a Shandler and Trouting the Braves outfield.

Nice Wayne, add one to the fantasy dictionary! Trouting, the opposite of touting.

[DOUGHBOYS]

It certainly has not been a good year for paper tigers.
The Blue Jays. The Dodgers. The Braves outfield. Shandler and Trout......

[knuckleheads]

I wouldn't want to be accused of pulling a Shandler and Trouting the Braves outfield.

Nice Wayne, add one to the fantasy dictionary! Trouting, the opposite of touting.

This is why the first rule of PR is admit your mistake before it is allowed to fester. I read a recap of a USA Today chat last week with Shandler...not one question was addressed regarding Trout.

Now, either the USA Today chat participants don't read the USA Today paper, or Mr. Shandler dodged what I imagine must have been 25% of the questions posted to the moderator.

And now what Shandler did has a name, "Trouting." That's a good one, Wayne.