BRAVES RECENT PERFORMANCE CAUSE FOR CONCERN, BUT WINNING AT HOME WILL HELP

ATLANTA, Georgia--The Atlanta Braves don’t need to make a statement in their upcoming home stand. But it would be nice if they did. With the season still young and the team in first place, this is by no means a time to panic, but the Braves’ performance of late has given cause for concern.

The road is always tough and proved so again for the Braves, who had just four wins on an 11-game Western swing that ended in Arizona Wednesday with a 5-3 loss to the D’backs, the Braves fifth loss in their last six games. The only saving grace for Atlanta was the performance of the Washington Nationals, who tanked completely against the Los Angeles Dodgers and remain one game back of the first place Braves.

Craig Kimbrel already has 3 blown saves and a loss

It is those same Dodgers that will be here this weekend as the Braves try to rebound. The team is struggling in several areas and has relied upon that 12-1 start to remain at the top of the heap in the NL East. But the troubles seem to be mounting. Starting pitching—always a Braves stalwart—has been spotty. Tim Hudson has lost two in a row and Chris Medlen is off to a 1-5 start. The team’s once invincible closer, Craig Kimbrel, has a series of blown saves and a loss to go with them. Interestingly Kimbrel’s stumble in the World Baseball Classic wasn’t just an anomaly but appears to have been a foreshadowing of what was to lie ahead.

On the offensive side the strikeouts continue to mount. Small ball—at least in sufficient amounts—is lacking as the team continues to rely on the home run.

There’s still a long way to go, but now would be a good time for the Braves to start winning again and try to create a little breathing room between them and the rest of the NL East. Washington, despite their more recent failings, appears to be the team to beat in a division that now looks mediocre from top to bottom. The Braves can help change that in the next six games.

One-and-Done

Andrew Wiggins, the most celebrated high school basketball player since LeBron James, this week selected Kansas as the college at which he will play a single season before going to the NBA. Kansas coach Bill Self, who would rather see the one-and-done aspect of the college experience eliminated, believing however, that athletes still gain from spending a year on campus. But he says it’s not really necessary since those who are  ready should be able to transition from high school immediately to the pros. The signing of Wiggins, a Canadian who played high school ball in West Virginia, opens the whole plethora of discussions about whether the rule itself makes sense and when is a kid ready for the NBA. Critics say the rule make a mockery of the term “student athlete.” Those in favor believe one-and-done gives fans the opportunity to see top talent play at the college level. And the NBA, whose rule it is, likes the opportunity it provides to better evaluate a potential pro prospect.

With so much conversation about this issue, look for the NBA to study the rule further. If there is a change, the two-and-done scenario seems most likely. For colleges that means that things would more closely resemble the days when freshmen were not eligible and the max a student could play was three years.

The Drama is Back

You have to love what is happening on the PGA Tour with Tiger Woods reemergence and Sergio Garcia serving as the protagonist in a drama that is building. Last week when Sergio accused Tiger of not waiting for him to make a shot, Tiger said the officials told him he was clear to make his move. The officials at first said they never spoke to Tiger. Now other officials have changed the story. Nonetheless, golf needs a consistent performer—one who is up there week-after-week. That, once again, is Tiger. And if there is no one good enough to compete week-after-week, such as in the days of Palmer, Player and Nicklaus, then a little side show helps. Sergio, a notorious whiner, could provide that continued bit of entertainment right up to the time he and Tiger presumably meet in the TPC at Eastlake, the FedEx Cup finale here in Atlanta.

Shallow Hal

Jimmy Connors tell-all reveled more about him than those he wrote about. He did himself no favors throwing Chris Evert under the bus by commenting on an abortion she had during her time with Connors. His new book, The Outsider: A Memoir, has been widely criticized as being very shallow. Connors had his share of fans, particularly those who disliked his arch rival John McEnroe. Now in retrospect, it appears Johnny Mac was not only the slightly superior talent (winning 20 of 34 head-to-head matches), but a much better person as well.

The Right Way

Finally, it’s adios to David Beckham. He’s doing it the right way, before his skills diminish and his golden boy image is tarnished. He’s stepping away as one of the most iconic soccer stars of all time.