Their controversial closer was sent packing to Cleveland. Two of their more reliable pitchers, John Smoltz and Kevin Millwood, have been sidelined most of the first half with arm injuries. Another reliable starter, Tom Glavine, has pitched ineffectively through shoulder pain, and the offense has been plagued by inconsistency. Sounds like there's trouble in Atlanta? Hardly. Here's a look at why the Braves have survived their first half problems.
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Braves first-half comparison
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2000
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2001
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W-L
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52-36
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49-38
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HR leader
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A. Jones, 23
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C. Jones, 25
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BA leader
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C. Jones, .320
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C. Jones, .308
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ERA
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Maddux, 3.32
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Maddux, 2.41
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First-half MVP: Third baseman Chipper Jones was invaluable to the Braves in the first half. When you take a look at the lineup around him, it's hard to understand why any pitcher would pitch to Jones in crucial situations. The so-called big bats in Atlanta's lineup, Brian Jordan, B.J. Surhoff and Rico Brogna, have struggled all year. Jones, however, is having another All-Star season, batting .308 with 25 HR and 65 RBI. RHP Greg Maddux should get an honorable mention for holding the starting staff together (10-5, NL-best 2.41 ERA, 18 BB/108 K) through all the injuries. At 35, Maddux never ceases to amaze.
Biggest surprise: Other than Maddux's snub from the All-Star team, it has to be John Burkett. The fountain of youth has found the right-hander in the first half. Or maybe it's the other way around. Whatever the case may be, the 36-year-old Burkett has surprised everyone, including himself, with an outstanding first half (6-6, 2.49 ERA, 2nd in NL). If the Braves could score runs for him, Burkett, an NL All-Star this season, would probably have 13 wins at the break and be contending for the Cy Young award along with Curt Schilling, Randy Johnson and Matt Morris. Who would have thought that?
Biggest disappointment:
On a team that's near the top of the division, this list should be short. But it isn't. Take your pick from a group that includes, but is not limited to, Brian Jordan, B.J. Surhoff, Rico Brogna, Javy Lopez and Glavine. Our choice is Glavine. Yes, the shoulder has given him problems, and we know the strike zone could be a factor in his struggles. But a 7-5 record , 4.55 ERA and 1.1 K/BB ratio? Very atypical numbers for the normally reliable left-hander. With the injuries to the staff, Glavine was looked upon to carry some of the load. Through the first half of the season, he hasn't.
Second-half goals: The pitching, namely Smoltz and Millwood, need to get healthy by August and September. However, expecting both guys to be paramount to the Braves' second-half run may be asking too much. The offense, missing in action for most of the season, has to have Jordan, Surhoff, Andruw Jones and others performing up to their capabilities. With Rafael Furcal possibly out for the season with a separated shoulder, the team will need Mark DeRosa to step up and claim the job or Kurt Abbott to return in a hurry. Other possibilities include making a deal, or moving Chipper over to short on occasion, allowing the newly-added Ken Caminiti to play at third. GM John Schuerholz has said he thinks the team has all the offense it needs, but if the right opportunity comes along, he won't hesitate to make a trade.
Minor-leaguer to watch: Keep the name Wilson Betemit in mind. He's a 19-year old infielder at Single-A Myrtle Beach, who the organization covets as one of their bright prospects. Baseball America ranked the switch hitter as the Braves' No. 1 prospect after last season. He's currently playing SS at Myrtle Beach and hit .283 with four home runs and 39 RBI in his first 73 games.
Grade:  -- For the Braves, winning the division is just the first step in their aspirations of making it back to the World Series. April and May were disappointing as the team hovered around the .500 mark. In June, they came to life, matching the club record for wins (19-9). Inconsistency and health (or lack thereof) hurt Atlanta in the first half. Consistency, a bold move or two by Schuerholz and better health is what should put them over the top in the second half.
(Scale: 1 to 4 baseballs; 1 = worst, 4 = best)
Here's what you had to say about the first half of the season for the Braves.
Anna Sivadasan is an assistant editor at ESPN.com
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