With G. Anderson added, Braves ready to play

First of all let me say Ohman is dumb for leaving Atlanta’s offer on the table for multiple months which is obviously miles above what he’ll end up getting.

While I agree having Ohman back, ESPECIALLY at his going price right now, I think this is what Wren is thinking…Ohman is a guy you need when facing the Phillies and Mets which is huge because Rollins, Victorino, Utley, Howard, Ibanez and Reyes, Delgado and Beltran. So I’m guessing by not making that last stride to add him which I think would be huge, I think Wren is thinking if it comes up that in the 8th inning Utley, Howard and Ibanez or Delgado and Beltran come up, use Gonzo in the 8th THOSE games and Soriano and/or Moylan for the 9th THAT game.

I don’t see why they have not signed him for $800K or whatever it would take to get him. He has offers from the Padres, Pirates and Marlins. 2/3 worst teams in baseball and a team that won’t compete with ATL, NY or PHI even though they will be a thorn at times and will be a force to be reckoned with if they keep that young core intact….

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Neko Case, to be honest never heard of her until I read her name on the Blog the other day. Googled her, Images first of course…….very nice……. then her web site …….. sampled her songs …… downloaded several songs……have been playing them since. DOB you and I do not mesh on music end very often, but this one is a keeper and dayum she looks good.

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Let’s try this “link” thing….

Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects are up and Tommy Hanson and Jason Heyward come in at No. 4 and 5, respectively. Jordan Schafer comes in at No. 42, Gorkys Hernandez is No. 62, Freddie Freeman is No. 87, and ex-Brave Tyler Flowers came in at No. 99.

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Pizzaro is correct. The Braves are now officially a joke. The Braves big signing was an aging outfielder who hits are around 15home runs ooo wee. This is the projected line up and how I view the Braves
Projected Lineup:

1. CF Josh Anderson or Gregor Blanco-EXCUSE ME are they even considered lead off?

2. SS Yunel Escobar-Marcus Giles could hit 2nd on this team…oh wait he already did

3. 3B Chipper Jones- He is upset like me with Braves penny pinching for non supporting cast

4. C Brian McCann- He is a good 5 hitter…yes i said 5

5. 2B Kelly Johnson-This is a joke a him hitting 5th..is this protection?

6. RF Jeff Francoeur-The cat is out the bag..he isnt that good

7. LF Matt Diaz or garret Anderson-We all know hitting 7&8th for the Braves is a joke

8. 1B Casey Kotchman- He will get alot of walks or strike out trying to actraully do something

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PTBNL (5:08 pm): ”Shane, that is not totally true. Jeff had good people around him last year, but he did not get RBIs. If I remember correctly he led the majors in bases loaded opportunities (hmmm those around him must have been doing something right)…. but he failed to get them in…. which is not true of previous years. Yes, RBIs are a “team” generated stat to some extent, but the person who gets the RBIs also has to do what is necessary to get the runs in. No two ways about it. It is not totally and only (as you keep trying to say) a matter of those around a hitter. The hitter, too, must perform his task at the appropriate time. Jeff did not do that last year, but he did do it in previous years. Try as you may, you can not take that away from him.”

Hear, hear – are you listening, Shaun I mean, Shane?

Francoeur had 40 RBIs in 70 games in 2005, batting .300/.336/.549:

In 2005, Francoeur came to the plate 274 times. There were 177 runners on base during those 274 PAs – he drove in 31 of those baserunners, for an OBI% of 17.514%. This was first in the NL for RFs with at least 250 PAs, and 4th among ML RFs, after VGuerrero, JRivera and GSheffield. (Bobby Abreu was 4th among NL RFs at 16.25%.) Francoeur was 15th among all NL position players, and 2nd on the Braves to Chipper (18.545%).

Francoeur drove in 8.8% of the 91 runners he had on first base – also first among NL RFs with 250 PAs in 2005. He drove in 19.3% of 57 runners on second (6th), and 41.4% of 29 runners on third (also 6th).

Francoeur had 103 RBIs in 162 games in 2006, batting .260/.293/.449:

In 2006, Francoeur came to the plate 686 times. There were 437 runners on base during those 686 PAs – he drove in 74 of those baserunners, for an OBI% of 16.518%. This was second in the NL among RFs with at least 450 PAs (behind JDDrew at 18.307%), and 7th among ML RFs. Francoeur was 30th among all NL position players (BBonds was 31st), and 4th on the Braves to McCann (21.362% — 2nd in NL), Chipper (17.751%) and Giles (17.193%).

In 2006, Francoeur was first among NL RFs with 450 PAs in driving in baserunners from first base (6.8%), first in driving in baserunners from second base (20.8%), and 4th in driving in baserunners from third base (37.5%).

Francoeur had 105 RBIs in 162 games in 2007, batting .293/.338/.444:

In 2007, Francoeur came to the plate 696 times. There were 487 runners on base during those 696 PAs – he drove in 86 of those baserunners, for an OBI% of 17.659%. This was third in the NL among RFs with at least 450 PAs (behind BHawpe at 18.630% and CHart at 18.328%). (XNady (17.333%) was 4th and Junior (15.254%) was 5th). Francoeur was 6th among ML RFs, and 18th among all NL position players (XNady was 19th, APujols 35th), and second on the Braves to McCann (18.227%</strong) — Chipper (16.782%) was 3rd.

In 2007, Francoeur was 8th among NL RFs with 450 PAs in driving in baserunners from first base (4.3%), first again in driving in baserunners from second base (23.5%), and 4th again in driving in baserunners from third base (41.4%).

Finally, Francoeur had 71 RBIs in 155 games in 2008, batting .239/.294/.359:

In 2008, Francoeur came to the plate 653 times. There were 494 runners on base during those 653 PAs – he drove in only 60 of those baserunners, for an OBI% of 12.146%, good for only 10th in the NL among RFs with at least 450 PAs (ahead of only JBruce at 11.610% and KFukudome at 11.594%) Francoeur was 20th among ML RFs, 76th among all NL position players, and LAST on the Braves behind Tex (16.338%</strong), Kelly (15.574%</strong), Chipper (14.972%), McCann (14.128%</strong), Yunel (13.774%</strong) and Blanco (13.214%</strong).

In 2008, Francoeur was again 8th among NL RFs with 450 PAs in driving in baserunners from first base (4.2%), and now 11th in driving in baserunners from second base (14.6%), and LAST (12th) in driving in baserunners from third base (27.7%).

In summary, driving in baserunners in 2005, 2006 and 2007, Francoeur ranked 1st, 2nd and 3rd among NL RFs; 4th, 7th and 3rd among ML RFs; 15th, 30th and 18th among NL position players; and 2nd, 4th and 2nd on the Braves.

In 2008, he ranked 10th among NL RFs; 20th among ML RFs; 76th among NL position players; and LAST (7th) on the Braves.

Francoeur did NOT stink at driving in baserunners in any of the 05, 06 or 07 seasons – he worked for and fully earned all his RBIs in those years. But not in 2008.

Francoeur’s BA and OBP have been fluctuating each season with his “luck” (BABIP), but – alarmingly – his SLG and (especially) his Isolated Power have steadily decreased every year since 2005. You can see first this in his 2007 weakness in driving in baserunners from first.

Francoeur needs to work on his strike zone awareness, pitch recognition and plate discipline, in addition to “fixing” his stance, grip and swing.

He’s not yet hopeless, but he’s got a lot of work to do to be productive again.

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