Part one of a two-part series.
You don't get where Frank Wren is by being naive or caving to popular opinion.
Wren knew when he took the job of Atlanta Braves general manager after the 2007 season, when John Schuerholz was named team president, that getting the Braves back to the top would not be easy. It certainly would not be as easy as Schuerholz made it look.
One thing Wren learned in his eight years as vice president/assistant general manager under Schuerholz was how to sustain success. He saw how the Braves remained the class of the National League. He also got a look at other teams' futile efforts to topple them.
The worm has turned a little, as the Braves are now doing the chasing, but their efforts can hardly be described as futile. In 2010, Atlanta didn�t derail the Philadelphia Express, but they certainly caused it some delays.
This year Wren, who recently signed a two-year contract extension, expects more. He, like the Braves, is respectful of the Phillies, but not awed.
"I think the Phillies have earned all the accolades and credit they're getting," he said. "They've won the division a number of years in a row, and now they go out and get another starting pitcher (Cliff Lee) to add to what was already a very good starting rotation.
"But I know our guys feel like we can compete in this division," he continued. "I think they feel like it's going to be a battle all year long. I think from our standpoint, we like where we sit, we like what's ahead of us from a competition standpoint, and we're up for the challenge."
Much like his predecessor, Wren speaks confidently but modestly. He also has shown the same knack for making smart moves, like his first trade that acquired right-hander Jair Jurrjens and outfielder Gorkys Hernandez from Detroit for Edgar Renteria. Later that year, he got Omar Infante, who after an All-Star year in 2010 was the key piece in the 2010 off-season acquisition of Dan Uggla.
Wren feels the Braves are a better team this year, and while he won't put the number of days in first place as a goal, he knows he�d like to at least be there on Sept. 29, when the regular season ends.
To do that will require starting pitching. Atlanta was the best at it during its run of 14 straight division titles, and the Braves feel like they're among the best at it.
"I think our rotation is one of the stronger rotations in all of baseball," Wren said. "That's where it all starts. We've put a focused effort there the last couple of years to make sure that we had a starting rotation that would allow us to compete on a nightly basis. We feel like the last two years we've been able to do that."
The strategy is simple: Get guys that can throw strikes, give you innings and, most important, be efficient. Atlanta pitchers averaged 3.77 pitches per plate appearance, ninth in the majors and sixth in the N.L. Philadelphia ranked sixth and fourth, at 3.74. Efficiency obviously isn't everything � as Pittsburgh led the N.L. in that category. Command also factors in. Braves pitchers were sixth in WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched), at 1.28, and were seventh in strikeouts-to-walks ratio, at 2.39. Philly led the majors in both categories.
Strikeouts are nice, but not necessarily a big deal. Tommy Hanson did rank in the top 20 in the strikeouts per nine innings, but Braves pitchers' forte is the ground ball. In that regard, they may have the best 1-2 punch in baseball. They did last year, at least in the N.L., as Tim Hudson and Derek Lowe ranked 1-2 in the Senior Circuit in ground ball outs and groundout-to-fly out ratio.
A healthy Jurrjens has a chance to make it three Braves to the top 10. The ability to keep the ball down is always a good idea, but is a necessity to survive at Citizens Bank Park, CitiField and other hitters' parks within the division and around the league.
Offensively, Wren gave up versatility to acquire right-handed pop. The kind they hoped to get last year in Troy Glaus � and did get in May, as he was N.L. Player of the Month � before he eventually broke down. Uggla gives the team that. It cost the versatile Infante and lefty reliever Michael Dunn.
"It's something we've been looking for a couple of years," said Wren. "That right-handed power that you can depend on and you can pencil in for 158 games a year. We feel like it really improves and balances our offense."
So how do the Braves go about beating the Phillies? There is no blueprint for handling such a powerful rotation. But there are ways to attack it. First, take advantage of mistakes, and Phillies� starters do make them. Three parts of the rotation � Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton, and Roy Halladay � are prone to the home run ball, ranking in the top 26 in the majors in homers allowed. Uggla will help there.
Patience also will be a virtue for the Braves against the Phillies. As was done to the Braves of the Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz years, you don�t beat the rotation; you beat the team by making the starters work and getting into the bullpen. The Braves were one of the most patient teams in the majors last season, drawing 634 walks with a collective .339 on-base percentage, both National League highs. With their deep bench and reliable pen, Atlanta proved good at catching teams late, as their 276 runs after the seventh inning and 46 come-from-behind victories were second in the Majors, while their 25 last at-bat wins paced all of baseball.
The Braves believe they have the right balance and chemistry to make a statement in 2011 and continue moving in the right direction.
Coming up in part two, we�ll get more into that direction and discuss who will take them there this year and down the road.
Part Two: Wren talks about the heart of the Braves
