2004_Atlanta_Braves_season
2004 Atlanta Braves season
Major League Baseball team season
The 2004 Atlanta Braves season marked the franchise's 39th season in Atlanta and 134th overall. The Braves won their tenth consecutive division title, finishing 10 games ahead of the second-place Philadelphia Phillies.
| 2004 Atlanta Braves | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National League East Champions | ||||
| League | National League | |||
| Division | East | |||
| Ballpark | Turner Field | |||
| City | Atlanta | |||
| Record | 96–66 (.593) | |||
| Divisional place | 1st | |||
| Owners | AOL Time Warner | |||
| General managers | John Schuerholz | |||
| Managers | Bobby Cox | |||
| Television | TBS Superstation Turner South (Don Sutton, Joe Simpson, Pete Van Wieren, Skip Caray) FSN South (Tom Paciorek, Bob Rathbun) | |||
| Radio | WSB (AM) (Pete Van Wieren, Skip Caray, Don Sutton, Joe Simpson) WWWE (Luis Octavio Dozal, Jose Manuel Flores) | |||
| ||||
On September 29, 2004, Bobby Cox won his 2,000th game as a manager. He became the ninth manager to achieve the feat, doing so with a 6–3 win over the New York Mets at Turner Field in the final home game of the year [1] He was named Manager of the Year after the season ended.
J. D. Drew replaced Gary Sheffield (lost to the Yankees in free agency) in the outfield, free agent John Thomson joined the rotation, and rookies Adam LaRoche and Charles Thomas saw significant playing time on a younger 2004 Braves team.
The Braves would face the Houston Astros in the NLDS (the fourth time that these two teams met in seven years, all of which were won by Atlanta), but the Braves lost three games to two.
- October 25, 2003: DeWayne Wise was signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Braves.[2]
- November 14, 2003: Jorge Velandia was signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Braves.[3]
- December 10, 2003: John Thomson signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Braves.[4]
- December 13, 2003: J. D. Drew was traded by the St. Louis Cardinals with Eli Marrero to the Atlanta Braves for Jason Marquis, Ray King, and Adam Wainwright.[5]
- December 23, 2003: Antonio Alfonseca signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Braves.[6]
- January 12, 2004: Julio Franco was re-signed from free agency to the Atlanta Braves.[7]
- February 5, 2004: Russell Branyan was signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Braves.[8]
- March 26, 2004: Chris Reitsma was traded by the Cincinnati Reds to the Atlanta Braves for Bubba Nelson (minors) and Jung Bong.[9]
Opening Day starters
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Starting Pitcher | Russ Ortiz |
| Catcher | Johnny Estrada |
| First Baseman | Julio Franco |
| Second Baseman | Marcus Giles |
| Third Baseman | Mark DeRosa |
| Shortstop | Rafael Furcal |
| Left Fielder | Chipper Jones |
| Center Fielder | Andruw Jones |
| Right Fielder | J. D. Drew |
Season standings
National League East
| NL East | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Braves | 96 | 66 | 0.593 | — | 49–32 | 47–34 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 86 | 76 | 0.531 | 10 | 42–39 | 44–37 |
| Florida Marlins | 83 | 79 | 0.512 | 13 | 42–38 | 41–41 |
| New York Mets | 71 | 91 | 0.438 | 25 | 38–43 | 33–48 |
| Montreal Expos | 67 | 95 | 0.414 | 29 | 35–45 | 32–50 |
Record vs. opponents
Source: | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | AZ | ATL | CHC | CIN | COL | FLA | HOU | LA | MIL | MTL | NYM | PHI | PIT | SD | SF | STL | AL |
| Arizona | — | 2–4 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 6–13 | 3–4 | 2–4 | 3–16 | 3–3 | 0–6 | 3–4 | 1–5 | 2–4 | 7–12 | 5–14 | 1–5 | 6–12 |
| Atlanta | 4–2 | — | 3–3 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 14–5 | 3–3 | 4–3 | 4–2 | 15–4 | 12–7 | 10–9 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 4–3 | 2–4 | 8–10 |
| Chicago | 2–4 | 3–3 | — | 9–8 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 10–9 | 2–4 | 10–7 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 13–5 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 8–11 | 8–4 |
| Cincinnati | 3–3 | 4–2 | 8–9 | — | 3–3 | 4–2 | 6–11 | 4–2 | 10–8 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 9–10 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 5–14 | 5-7 |
| Colorado | 13–6 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 3–3 | — | 1–5 | 1–5 | 8–11 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 5–3 | 2–4 | 10–9 | 8–11 | 1–5 | 8–10 |
| Florida | 4–3 | 5–14 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 5–1 | — | 3–3 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 11–8 | 15–4 | 12–7 | 1–5 | 4–2 | 2–5 | 2–4 | 7–11 |
| Houston | 4–2 | 3–3 | 9–10 | 11–6 | 5–1 | 3-3 | — | 1–5 | 13–6 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 6–0 | 12–5 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 10–8 | 7–5 |
| Los Angeles | 16–3 | 3–4 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 11–8 | 3–3 | 5–1 | — | 3–3 | 4–3 | 3–3 | 1–5 | 6–0 | 10–9 | 10–9 | 2–4 | 10–8 |
| Milwaukee | 3–3 | 2–4 | 7–10 | 8–10 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 6–13 | 3–3 | — | 5–1 | 2–4 | 0–6 | 6–12 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 8–9 | 8–4 |
| Montreal | 6–0 | 4–15 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 8-11 | 4–2 | 3–4 | 1–5 | — | 9–10 | 7–12 | 4–2 | 1–6 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 7–11 |
| New York | 4–3 | 7–12 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 4–15 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 10–9 | — | 8–11 | 1–5 | 1–6 | 4–2 | 1–5 | 10–8 |
| Philadelphia | 5-1 | 9–10 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 3–5 | 7–12 | 0–6 | 5–1 | 6–0 | 12–7 | 11–8 | — | 3–3 | 5–1 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 9–9 |
| Pittsburgh | 4–2 | 2–4 | 5–13 | 10–9 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 5–12 | 0–6 | 12–6 | 2–4 | 5–1 | 3–3 | — | 3–3 | 5–1 | 5–12 | 2–10 |
| San Diego | 12–7 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 9–10 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 9–10 | 4–2 | 6–1 | 6–1 | 1–5 | 3–3 | — | 12–7 | 2–4 | 8–10 |
| San Francisco | 14–5 | 3–4 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 11–8 | 5–2 | 4–2 | 9–10 | 5–1 | 5–1 | 2–4 | 4–2 | 1–5 | 7–12 | — | 3–3 | 11–7 |
| St. Louis | 5–1 | 4–2 | 11–8 | 14–5 | 5–1 | 4-2 | 8–10 | 4–2 | 9–8 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 12–5 | 4–2 | 3–3 | — | 11–1 |
Notable transactions
Roster
| 2004 Atlanta Braves | |||||||||
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| Roster | |||||||||
Pitchers
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Catchers
Infielders
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Outfielders
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Manager
Coaches
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Batting
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Johnny Estrada | 134 | 462 | 145 | .314 | 9 | 76 |
| 1B | Adam LaRoche | 110 | 324 | 90 | .278 | 13 | 45 |
| 2B | Marcus Giles | 102 | 379 | 118 | .311 | 8 | 48 |
| SS | Rafael Furcal | 143 | 563 | 157 | .279 | 14 | 59 |
| 3B | Chipper Jones | 137 | 472 | 117 | .248 | 30 | 96 |
| LF | Charles Thomas | 83 | 236 | 68 | .288 | 7 | 31 |
| CF | Andruw Jones | 154 | 570 | 149 | .261 | 29 | 91 |
| RF | J.D. Drew | 145 | 518 | 158 | .305 | 31 | 93 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Julio Franco | 125 | 320 | 99 | .309 | 6 | 57 |
| Mark DeRosa | 118 | 309 | 74 | .239 | 3 | 31 |
| Nick Green | 95 | 264 | 72 | .273 | 3 | 26 |
| Eli Marrero | 90 | 250 | 80 | .320 | 10 | 40 |
| Eddie Pérez | 74 | 170 | 39 | .229 | 3 | 13 |
| DeWayne Wise | 77 | 162 | 37 | .228 | 6 | 17 |
| Jesse Garcia | 50 | 115 | 29 | .252 | 1 | 10 |
| Mike Hessman | 29 | 69 | 9 | .130 | 2 | 5 |
| Wilson Betemit | 22 | 47 | 8 | .170 | 0 | 3 |
| Damon Hollins | 7 | 22 | 8 | .364 | 0 | 5 |
Pitching
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russ Ortiz | 34 | 204.2 | 15 | 9 | 4.13 | 143 |
| John Thomson | 33 | 198.1 | 14 | 8 | 3.72 | 133 |
| Jaret Wright | 32 | 186.1 | 15 | 8 | 3.28 | 159 |
| Mike Hampton | 29 | 172.1 | 13 | 9 | 4.28 | 87 |
| Paul Byrd | 19 | 114.1 | 8 | 7 | 3.94 | 79 |
| Horacio Ramírez | 10 | 60.1 | 2 | 4 | 2.39 | 31 |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travis Smith | 16 | 40.2 | 2 | 3 | 6.20 | 26 |
| José Capellán | 3 | 8.0 | 0 | 1 | 11.25 | 4 |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Smoltz | 73 | 0 | 1 | 44 | 2.76 | 85 |
| Chris Reitsma | 84 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 4.07 | 60 |
| Antonio Alfonseca | 79 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2.57 | 45 |
| Kevin Gryboski | 69 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2.84 | 24 |
| Juan Cruz | 50 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2.75 | 70 |
| Tom Martin | 29 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3.71 | 12 |
| C.J. Nitkowski | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4.50 | 16 |
| Román Colón | 18 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3.32 | 15 |
| Armando Almanza | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6.17 | 13 |
| Tim Drew | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.50 | 7 |
| Sam McConnell | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3.86 | 4 |
| Will Cunnane | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7.30 | 11 |
| Dan Meyer | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 |
Atlanta Braves vs. Houston Astros
Houston wins series, 3-2. Atlanta suffered a 1st round elimination for the third consecutive postseason and fourth time out of the last five.
| Game | Score | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston 9, Atlanta 3 | October 6 |
| 2 | Atlanta 4, Houston 2 (11 innings) | October 7 |
| 3 | Houston 8, Atlanta 5 | October 9 |
| 4 | Atlanta 6, Houston 5 | October 10 |
| 5 | Houston 12, Atlanta 3 | October 11 |
2004 Major League Baseball season
- Bobby Cox was voted National League Manager of the Year for the second of three times with the Atlanta Braves.[12]
- Andruw Jones (outfield) was once again chosen to receive a Gold Glove award.
- Johnny Estrada (catcher) was chosen to receive a Silver Slugger award.
2004 Major League Baseball All-Star Game Johnny Estrada represented the Atlanta Braves as a catcher for the National League All-Star team.
| Level | Team | League | Manager |
|---|---|---|---|
| AAA | Richmond Braves | International League | Pat Kelly |
| AA | Greenville Braves | Southern League | Brian Snitker |
| A | Myrtle Beach Pelicans | Carolina League | Randy Ingle |
| A | Rome Braves | South Atlantic League | Rocket Wheeler |
| Rookie | Danville Braves | Appalachian League | Jim Saul |
| Rookie | GCL Braves | Gulf Coast League | Ralph Henriquez |
- "Atlanta Braves Give Manager Bobby Cox His 2,000th Win". September 29, 2004.
- J. D. Drew Statistics Baseball-Reference.com
- Julio Franco Statistics Baseball-Reference.com
- Russell Branyan Statistics Baseball-Reference.com
- Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 3rd edition. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 2007
- Baseball America 2005 Annual Directory
- 2004 Atlanta Braves team at Baseball-Reference