Trade Deadline

Tuesday's trade deadline saw a classic John Schuerholz deal bring a big bat to Atlanta. Mark Teixeira was picked up from the Texas Rangers for the longest name in baseball: Jarrod Saltalamacchia. There were some relief pitchers thrown in for good measure. Salty was ready to be an everyday catcher and Brian McCann is already holding down that job for the Braves.

Teixeira started at first against the Astros on Wednesday night. Having played college ball at Georgia Tech, the Baltimore native feels right at home in downtown Atlanta. The crowd gave him a warm welcome and he returned the favor by walking and bringing in his first RBI as a Brave in the bottom of the first inning. Then in the bottom of the sixth he hit a three run homer for his first hit in a Braves uniform. It's his fourteenth of the year. By batting clean-up, he's giving some relief to Andruw Jones who can now relax and look at some good pitches to hit. It seems to be working for Andruw as he hit a solid single to left in his first at bat in the fifth spot.

The buzz about the Braves is that they should be back to pennant winning form this September. Bobby Cox is happy with the look of his line-up and Roger McDowell is more comfortable with his new bullpen regulars. With everyone staying healthy, this season should have a happy ending.