Playing like its 1995

Jared Putnam

After posting a 7-1 mark to begin the season, the Atlanta Braves got off to their best start since the 1995 season. If you're wondering why that is significant, chances are you are not a dedicated Braves fan. As every true fan knows, 1995 was the year the team won the World

Jared

Series. For some of us that was nearly half a lifetime ago. A lot has happened in the baseball world since then.

Alex Rodriguez landed a contract worth a quarter of a billion dollars. Pete Rose finally 'fessed up to betting on baseball. The

Boston Red Sox became the first team to come back from down 3-0 to win a postseason series. They even

went on to win the

World Series for

Putnam

the first time since

1918. Roger Maris' single season homerun record was broken by Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. Barry Bonds later broke McGwire's record. Later we found out that everyone in that group who isn't named Roger was high on a lot more than just life. Now, in spite of all the scandals, Bonds is now about to break Hank Aaron's all-time homerun mark.

Like I said, a lot has happened.

It makes it that much harder to believe that despite another decade of pennants, the Braves couldn't manage even one more World Series ring. Last year the Braves streak of consecutive division titles finally ended at 14. Not a minute too soon if you ask me.

I appreciate Braves history as much as anyone else, but it was time for a clean start.

The winds of change started blowing a few years ago, and they won't stop anytime soon. I've adjusted to the idea of Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux wearing other uniforms. I've laughed at the fact that the Estrada, LaRoche, Furcal, Giles, and Betemit infield of the future is already the infield of the past.

Even Pitching Coach Leo Mazzone is rocking on the bench for another team. As hard as it is to imagine a dugout with Bobby Cox, the long-time Braves skipper says the 2008 season will be his last. He is expected to be followed out the door by Andruw Jones, who will likely get a lucrative contract from another team.

In spite of all the changes and looming changes, these 2007 Braves look better than they have in years.

Guys like John Smoltz and Chipper Jones anchor the team, but the Braves are better this season because the people around them are stepping up.

Starter Tim Hudson has finally looked like the guy that the Braves thought they were getting when they acquired him from Oakland prior to the start of the 2005 season. Hudson, 31, experienced the worst season of his career in 2006, posting a career high in homeruns allowed (25), ERA ( 4.86), and losses (12). He was even the target of trade rumors in the offseason.

But that season was an aberration for Hudson, who owns a 3.51 career E.R.A. coming into the season. Hudson is 2-0 with a sparkling 0.86 E.R.A. thus far this season. More importantly for the Braves, Hudson has no history of arm troubles, and is only 31- years-old. An NFLrunning back may be over the hill at 31, but a starting pitching in MLB typically has plenty of good years left in him.

The Braves have also gotten a boost from their youth movement. The team signed All-Star catcher Brian McCann to a long term deal in the offseason, and would be wise to lock up right fielder Jeff Francoeur and left-hander Chuck James. James was 11-4 in 18 starts last season, and won his first two starts this season.

But the biggest improvement from last year to this year was the moves John Schuerholtz made in the offseason, acquiring much needed quality relievers to boost a bullpen that was the worst in the National League last season.

Still, things will hardly be a cakewalk for Braves, even if they stay healthy. The Mets will be tough to overcome, and the Marlins, though young, are very talented.

The Braves also have internal issues to address. Most notably, they could use a true leadoff hitter and an upgrade for Kelly Johnson at second base. Finding one player who could fill both those roles would be preferable, as that is what Johnson is currently doing, albeit fairly unsuccessfully.

The team also needs a fourth starter. Right now Cox is using Mark Redman in the rotation now that Mike Hampton (who is turning out to be a very expensive bench staple) is out for the season. Again. Redman, however, is responsible for two of the Braves four losses, having allowed 12 earned runs in just over 8 innings.

Truth be told, its far too early to tell how the season will go. They have only played 13 games of a 162 game season, and at this point, could probably just as easily wind up in last place in the division as they could in first place.

But hopefully the team's play thus far is a taste of things to come in a season that won't be about winning another consecutive division title. In 2007 there is no consolation prize. It is as it should be: World Series ring or bust.