Atlanta Braves going gently into that good night and goodbye Skip

As we steamroll through the dog days of summer, it looks like the Atlanta Braves season is going to end with a whimper. At the season's start, it looked like the Braves might be a contender, but it hasn't worked out.

The team's older players can't stay healthy, and the younger players are too inexperienced. The final blows came when pitcher Tim Hudson shredded his elbow and first baseman Mark Teixeira got traded to the Los Angeles Angels. Couple that with catcher Brian McCann's recent concussion and outfielder Jeff Francoeur's inability to take a pitch, and it has become apparent that the Braves will finish fourth in the National League Eastern Division. I hope I'm wrong, but it is looking that way.

Of course, a bigger loss was yesterday's death of Braves' broadcaster Skip Caray. I have been a Braves' fan since I was a boy, which was roughly about the same time Skip started broadcasting Braves' games. He had his own unique style and called it like he saw it. You can't ask for more from a broadcaster.