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Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1,035 comments Add your comment
Tomahawkin
February 26th, 2009
3:55 pm
Chop Chop:
Ice Cube’s Wicked came out around 1991…It has a good Rock-Upbeat in it, plus the lyrics are Sick…
I stopped listening to rap After the 50 Garbage turned the Genre into Pop-Tart Music….The Crap that is Aired in Atlanta Now is Pure Garbage!
McFann :Ô:
February 26th, 2009
3:56 pm
BTW–still t’d off that McCann didn’t play. Oh well, at least our catchers were like, the big factor in today’s win.
Maybe BMac will be back by March 27…and maybe he’ll actually play that day…
toga party
February 26th, 2009
3:57 pm
Can’t wait to get home and see what Charlie’s pitches looked like. There’s a particular curveball for a strike and sinker for the K that I’m interested in. Gotta check out that Freeman bomb too. Sounded like a doozy according to the Houston announcers. Later.
Anders
February 26th, 2009
3:57 pm
Flange 1 – I don’t hate the Braves. I’ve never said that. heck – I don’t even hate Lew try as he might to make feel so.
I certainly saw the potential in Hanson today. Anyone who says otherwise is confusing raw young talent for non potential.
He is a thrower at this point and not everyone can make the turn to be a pitcher. If he does and stays healthy the Braves absolutely have a keeper.
That said I don’t expect him as having much of an impact in 2009.
Bubdylan
February 26th, 2009
3:57 pm
Nice to be playin’ ball. Good game, Bravos!
Mitchie-san
February 26th, 2009
3:57 pm
Good game! Too bad the announcers didnt get a chance to see it.
jwilli120
February 26th, 2009
3:58 pm
braves win braves win braves win we’ll be dancing in the streets tonight
TheAntiMe
February 26th, 2009
3:58 pm
If there are 86 baseball prospects who are better than Freddie Freeman then they must be bad to the bone. Freeman can hit.
Butch Haynes
February 26th, 2009
3:58 pm
Tomahawkin: Thank you so much for your post at 3:52 in response to my post at 3:47. I could not have scripted a better response if I’d tried. Nevertheless, I still feel diminished.
lexbrave
February 26th, 2009
3:59 pm
18 wheels, last year the braves averaged 8k a game 2nd only to the yanks. so yeah, its quite low.
Bubdylan
February 26th, 2009
4:00 pm
“He is a thrower at this point and not everyone can make the turn to be a pitcher.” -Anders
He is (often) already a pitcher, not a thrower. If you mean he was a “thrower” today, that’s what every pitcher looks like on some days.
macdwolfpack
February 26th, 2009
4:01 pm
Anders, if you are basing your opinon on a starter throwing two innings of relief, then you aren’t really knowledgable about baseball, if you are basing your opinion on 2 innings in an early spring training game, you lack of knowledge also shows, of course unless you’re just sowing seeds of partisanship here.
I’ve seen Hanson pitch as a starter and he not only has the pitches and speed, he has the command and the tenacity few his age possess. He will be in the rotation by all-star break. All the experts who have seen him agree with that assessments and that includes some pretty darned good people.
DCBrave
February 26th, 2009
4:02 pm
Its About time that ESPNY gets back to calling the game…Cheese-Whiz! -Tomahawkin
Baseball is so different from other sports, e.g. football, in that it is slow paced, and that’s why historically the good broadcasters always throw in sidedishes, and that’s also why a baseball is so enjoyable. Do you really need them to tell you too much about the game itself if you are watching and/or listening?
dude
February 26th, 2009
4:03 pm
DOB PLEEEEZE paste the 3:47 Butch Haynes post atop yor blog ..forever. It tooo funny.
just listen
February 26th, 2009
4:03 pm
hitnskins….I do believe Hanson is 22 and not 19, but i agree, no matter if he is 22 or 19, he is a very impressive kid and should have a great career!
braves4ever
February 26th, 2009
4:04 pm
We must not forget that HANSON is still young, did I say young.
Please give him a some time to develope ,remember how it was for Smoltz and Glav ,those first few years were tough. In 2-3 years is what Chipper was talking about him being a #1 . He will not start the season on the big club as last time I looked we had 4 quality starters and #5 was a hall of famer coming back.Starting rotation is set ,bull pin is full. Hanson,Heyward,Freeman,Schafer are a few of next year’s team.
It will sure BE NICE long term for these Braves.
Steve from OH
February 26th, 2009
4:05 pm
Andrew–Heyward and Freeman both will start in Class High-A Myrtle Beach.
Skip
February 26th, 2009
4:05 pm
DOB, Does Freeman start in Mississippi?
macdwolfpack
February 26th, 2009
4:06 pm
Lost in all this is nice game by Bennet, Logan, and Parr. Parr looked a lot better than I remember him when he was at Myrtle Beach. Maybe the light is finally coming on for him.
fifthbusiness
February 26th, 2009
4:06 pm
How many does Dark Star hold?
flange1
February 26th, 2009
4:07 pm
Anders, point taken!
I really was trying to make the point that even a Mets fan could see the potential in Hanson. I agree today his control was a bit off and that gives the “thrower” some credence.
The key from today’s outing is power pitcher with good slider, good curve.
As with any team, some of our Braves “fans” expect a kid to go out and strike out the side on 9 pitches every time he pitches or he is not living up to expectations.
We both know that is crazy……
Tomahawkin
February 26th, 2009
4:07 pm
Butch Haynes…
D.O.B.’S Perspective about his ventures around the Country are Awe Inspiring…Especially his perspective about every city (Food, Club Scene, etc)…There Are people that I’ve known. College Braves fans who are interested in Journalism who follow his blog and have inspired them to get into Sports Journalism…He’s that Deep…
Hell He needs to have his own TV Show on The Travel Channel, That would Rule…?
Epinephrine
February 26th, 2009
4:08 pm
FYI for those worried about Hanson’s control:
Peter Gammons said Oswalt complained to him that the balls weren’t worn-were “polished and pearly”, and it was very hard to get a grip on it. Oswalt said that’s why he was struggling with command, and said he bet that was why Hanson was missing some of his pitches as well. I doubt we’ll hear about it, but I thought that was pretty interesting.
Chop Chop
February 26th, 2009
4:08 pm
An unbiased baseball fan can see that Tommy Hanson has two very good pitches. You don’t have to be KC to see that
DCBrave
February 26th, 2009
4:10 pm
He Is The Mouth Of The South…He Is the ShowStopper, The Icon, He Writes the Blog and has 4 years… -Tomahawkin
And he’s the president (not VP anymore) of The Baseball Writers Association of America! How about that!
ncscoots
February 26th, 2009
4:10 pm
That said I don’t expect [Hanson] as having much of an impact in 2009.
All depends on how much he develops between now and the All-Star break. He’ll have a good pitching coach at Gwinnett, and he’s at the age and stage when development advances quickly, if it comes at all. Believe me, he has a much more polished game than he did 12 months ago, so if he can maintain that pace of improvement at AAA, he could be one of those second-half-callup monsters.
David O'Brien
February 26th, 2009
4:10 pm
Phil Jonez: That’s very good movement on his fastball, not something you control. He’s got more movement on that thing that most pitchers who throw that hard.
He was just missing in the zone a little, nothing to be alarmed by whatsoever. It’s his first start, and he just admitted to us that he felt some jitters.
Coldwork
February 26th, 2009
4:10 pm
Wow, I forgot how some on you on here live and die by every pitch, every at bat of every Braves game. These guys are just now seeing live pitching. GIve everybody a few weeks to get things in order before you start riding anyone.
Tomahawkin
February 26th, 2009
4:11 pm
DC-Braves, Your Question…
“Do you really need them to tell you too much about the game itself if you are watching and/or listening?”
Uggghhh, Like Yeah…Gotta say that with a ditzy Paris Hilton Dumb Broad tone…
For an Hour those commentators sounded like they were talking like the clowns on Sportscenter instead of focusing on the game…All of the Cats on this Blog who watch the Game Simultaneously can Co-Sign to How Annoying the ESPNY commentators got with all the Crap they were talking about that wasn’t related to the game…
Tomahawkin
February 26th, 2009
4:12 pm
DC-Brave…With That 4:10 Comment…Now Your Catching On, lol…
Pick'in Daisies
February 26th, 2009
4:14 pm
Why isn’t D o B’s blog linked under the sports tab? The ajc has links to Bisher, Bradley, Moore, and Schultz. Those guys combined have generated a whopping 198 comments on some 3-day old blogs.
It’s an Insult!
Can’t they see, “We’re on a mission from God”
Braves Fan 88
February 26th, 2009
4:16 pm
hitnskins, I said nothing about Oswalt so what are you talking about?Oswalt is an established pitcher you idiot, why you would bring him up in comparison to Hanson or any other prospect that is plain dumb. All I said was that Hanson didn’t look special to me today. Is there a law that people can only say nothing but good things about Hanson? I never said he was a bum. He didn’t look special today. Period. Stop acting like a little baby.
Daniel
February 26th, 2009
4:18 pm
coldwork, welcome back to the world of us braves nuts
AndyC
February 26th, 2009
4:18 pm
Braves Fan 88
I’m not saying you can’t be critical of Hanson. Now if we get towards to end of spring training and he has not had a good spring then it’s obvious he needs some more seasoning in the minors but you can’t decide based on his first outing.
Bubdylan
February 26th, 2009
4:18 pm
Daisies, tabbing DOB’s blog on the sports page is like putting up a sign post pointing to the sun. It’s just not necessary.
(Pfffffffffffffffffffft…)
richbrave
February 26th, 2009
4:19 pm
SANTANA’s elbow is tender. M-m-m-m. Maybe my buddy’s inside line to MINNESOTA is still intact. He said a year ago that JOHAN had sustained long-term damage, and it would show up in eighteen months or so.
The Artist Formerly Known as Too Hot For Teacher
February 26th, 2009
4:19 pm
hey anybody know when the next game is on tv? i had to work today
Daniel
February 26th, 2009
4:21 pm
Braves Fan88– as a matter of fact, yes, it is against the law to find any fault with Hanson today, the ordinance was just recently passed, but the fine can be a hefty watching 30 hours of Zane Smith
sri
February 26th, 2009
4:21 pm
How did Boone Logan pitch today? Do you folks think he can win the other LH reliever spot? Yesterday o’Flaherty was’nt that impressive..
ShipHockey7
February 26th, 2009
4:22 pm
Thanks to DOB and all the other for keeping us at work updated with the game today!
Phil Jonez
February 26th, 2009
4:22 pm
Thanks DOB. Really appreciate the insight you provide as I live in the Cayman Islands so the info you provide is my link to the Braves!!!!
Kurt
February 26th, 2009
4:22 pm
Guys, the announcers were not… announcers. They host Baseball Tonight. Not polished broadcasters. Their jobs are to talk about MLB. And if you were listening, they said at the very beginning that they were going to talk about anything and everything baseball… not just the Braves/Astros.
Few people care about the obscure prospects out there for both teams by the end of the game.
richbrave
February 26th, 2009
4:22 pm
Off today’s result who wants JAKE PEAVY?
Daniel
February 26th, 2009
4:22 pm
great question sri, also wonder why ohman isn’t around
Kurt
February 26th, 2009
4:23 pm
Besides die hard Braves and Astros fans…
Tomahawkin
February 26th, 2009
4:23 pm
The Artist Formerly…
Ask The Chop Chick, She has a Blog all about the lack of games being aired this year…
Daniel
February 26th, 2009
4:23 pm
yeah Kurt, but I care man, I care
Dack Jerrick
February 26th, 2009
4:24 pm
One encouraging thing that came out of this game was (after Yunel got drilled by a fastball) Hanson drilled the Astro shortstop with a 95MPH heater the first chance he got. Braves have always been too passive with this stuff. Here’s the message: drill our SS, we’ll drill your SS. Good for Hanson, good for the Braves.
Danga
February 26th, 2009
4:25 pm
Daniel…You should make that 30 hours of watching Zane Smith pitch against the 2008 version of Andruw Jones. That hurts just thinking about.
Daniel
February 26th, 2009
4:27 pm
Danja- I think you might have missed it, but our new president just said we no longer torture..
Andrew
February 26th, 2009
4:27 pm
so what does everyone think of Jeff F.?
Epinephrine
February 26th, 2009
4:29 pm
Richbrave, after today I can say with a lot of confidence, Not Me. I’d much rather give Hanson a shot, after watching a devastating slider and a guy that can hit 99, than have a quy who is an ace, but with elbow history and questionable numbers outside Petco. I like what I see out of Hanson. And I’d be willing to bet that by the end of spring, he’s going to have quite a bandwagon.
Daniel
February 26th, 2009
4:29 pm
that completely breaking down your swing after 3 years in the majors sounds desperate and asking for a whole lot to go right.
cabravesfan
February 26th, 2009
4:29 pm
Glad to hear nothing’s worng with Gonzo…was a little concerned there
Thanks to all for the play by play for those of us stuck at work with no way to watch or listen…much appreciated!
Daniel
February 26th, 2009
4:30 pm
that is what I think andrew
Run Heap Run
February 26th, 2009
4:30 pm
Thanks for the updates on Gonzo DOB and game updates everyone else.
I just made a fans of DOB’s blog page of Facebook – join in!
http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=1485175197&k=4WMTZ4PYVVYM5FF1WJYZQS
I hope Mr. O’B doesn’t mind the use of his banner..if so let me know and I’ll remove it.
.
Daniel
February 26th, 2009
4:32 pm
DOB is so powerful, he actually sways the plans of Hall of Fame players with just a mere utterance, and can rile starting pitchers with a simple hello
getnathan
February 26th, 2009
4:32 pm
From what you guys are telling me, I see why Braves did not trade Hanson for Peavy.
Joe
February 26th, 2009
4:33 pm
First time seeing Hanson today. Sick is the word that comes to mind. Great driving fastball, silly 12 to 6 curve that he can throw for strikes, and a nasty off the table slider. Can’t wait to see him in the rotation.
Joe
February 26th, 2009
4:33 pm
Enter your comments here
Bubdylan
February 26th, 2009
4:34 pm
Enter your convents here
Braves Fan 88
February 26th, 2009
4:35 pm
AndyC , well thank you. I just hope the hype will settle down some as some here and even some players have talked as if this guy was ready right now and they sold his poise as being something that made him different than Morton, and the rest. His poise and command. On this day, neither was apparent. He was nervous and he couldn’t locate. I liked how he protected his teammate, that will earn him some points, but other than that, it was not a noteworthy appearance. Nothing more, nothing less.
dogsbrekky
February 26th, 2009
4:37 pm
Can anyone explain to me WHAT WAS DIFFERENT about Frenchy’s swing.
It looked the same to me, sans his new little step….
Epinephrine
February 26th, 2009
4:37 pm
Braves Fan 88, you watch that slider, that curve, and a fastball that touches 99 and you say, “nothing special”. Good lord, can we all give a hallelujah that we have Roy Clark in charge of scouting and not Braves Fan 88?
If you can’t spot talent when it is right in front of your face, I really don’t know what to tell you. Perhaps watch more baseball.
Bubdylan
February 26th, 2009
4:40 pm
“other than that, it was not a noteworthy appearance. Nothing more, nothing less.” BF 88
And who can argue with that stunning rhetoric? Nothing more or less than not.
ncscoots
February 26th, 2009
4:41 pm
so what does everyone think of Jeff F.?
I think…that he’s had 5 or 6 ST ABs, and that no one’s previously formed opinion of him, good or bad, has changed.
Me, ST stats mean zip, one way or another. Any guy could hit .400 in ST and be absolutely belly-up when the games count, and the other side of the coin spends just as easily.
As far as Francoeur, specifically, it might be a month into the regular season before he’s comfortable with his swing changes against live pitching. Though I’m pretty sure there will tons of calls for his head long before then; you can see that from some of the reaction to an oh-fer in a meaningless ST game.
Fleming
February 26th, 2009
4:41 pm
Would be nice to have Hanson on the MLB roster this year but would be better for him in the long run to spend the time in AAA. Put him with the big club and Bobby’s gonna pitch him too many innings for his first year. Would rather he get stretched out a little more in minors this year and come up in Sep callups unless really needed on big club.
MacLee
February 26th, 2009
4:42 pm
Run Heap Run,
That Facebook link doesn’t take you anywhere.
Bubdylan
February 26th, 2009
4:44 pm
“That Facebook link doesn’t take you anywhere.” -MacLee
But don’t sweat it, Run Heap Run, mine’s not taking me anywhere, either.
getnathan
February 26th, 2009
4:45 pm
I’m more excited about Freeman, Heyward, and Schafer.
That’s a core to build around, Hanson, Locke, Medlen, Freeman, Heyward, Schafer…right Anders?
Who do the Mets have to build around? Delgado? ha ha ha!!!!
Run Heap Run
February 26th, 2009
4:47 pm
Haha seriously? And I thought I was so smart…hold please.
DCBrave
February 26th, 2009
4:47 pm
DOB-
So nothing wrong with Gonzo?
Pick'in Daisies
February 26th, 2009
4:49 pm
Don’t confuse the facebook group with the other DoB:
Dewrimci öğrenci Birliği(döb)
Some Russian Political Group! Could get nasty….
sri
February 26th, 2009
4:51 pm
For those who missed the game on TV, ESPN.com has the complete game here…
http://espn.go.com/broadband/espn360/player?gameId=290226115&sportCode=&league=MLB
Braves Fan 88
February 26th, 2009
4:52 pm
Epinephrine, you guys act like I said the kid was a bum. I said he didn’t show me the command and poise that I have heard so much about. Y’all act like there’s never been a pitching prospect that could do what Hanson did today. Today, his performance didn’t match the hype, I expected to see more based on what has been said about the kid. I think he’s a twinkle in the blog’s eye right now but 1 or two of us have a much higher threshold in order to be impressed.
Bubdylan
February 26th, 2009
4:52 pm
“Don’t confuse the facebook group with the other DoB:
Dewrimci öğrenci Birliği(döb)
Some Russian Political Group! Could get nasty….” -Pick’in Daisies
Couldn’t it, though? Hudson gunned down Training Day style for “heated words with the dob”?? Not good.
Epinephrine
February 26th, 2009
4:56 pm
Well Braves Fan 88, I’m not sure where you’ve heard about his “command”, considering his control is the biggest knock on him. But if that’s your threshold for being impressed, you must be a pretty crusty person. Because I consider myself difficult to impress, and seeing a 21 year old with that kind of stuff on his first start in spring training…well, I was impressed. Sliders, curves, and fastballs like that are not exactly a dime a dozen. They are rare. And for a pitcher to have all three at that age–the ceiling is quite high indeed.
Epinephrine
February 26th, 2009
4:56 pm
Excuse me, the ripe old age of 22, not 21.
Buffalo NY Braves Fan
February 26th, 2009
4:56 pm
I for one was impressed with Hansons “stuff” but his command left a little to be desired. He definately has talent, and he seemed to take a little “time out” after he hit Tejada to get his mind right again.
I’m sure nerves, and maybe balls that weren’t mudded enough had something to do with the control problems. We’ll see how he does in a few days.
I will say that I saw a great fastball with good late movement, a NASTY slider, and a hook thats just filthy.
Buffalo NY Braves Fan
February 26th, 2009
4:58 pm
Did anyone else notice that after Hanson called Ross out to the mound, he started throwing pitches other than his fastball? You think maybe he wasn’t warmed up enough before he took the mound? Or he called Ross out and said “dude I got some other pitches too”
ppaddy
February 26th, 2009
5:00 pm
Imagine that! A guy making his first spring training start, (Hanson) having already been anointed the “next big thing,” being nervous.
dogsbrekky
February 26th, 2009
5:00 pm
So I am watching innings 6-9 that I missed earlier, so far innings 6-7 these pissants on ESPN are only talking about the bloody Yankees and fantasy bball……. appalling commentary. joke
Run Heap Run
February 26th, 2009
5:01 pm
Eh I can’t figure out the facebook thing and it’s time to go…I’ll look at it later and try to put the link up again. Maybe you have to be logged in? A few people have joined, if any of you are reading and know how to link it please do!
N8
February 26th, 2009
5:03 pm
Just got done watching the game (which I DVR’d). Three things stood out to me.
A) While Hanson’s stuff was most impressive, it’s his inconsistency that’s gonna keep him from making the team out of spring, IMO. Unless he just blows hitters away in the final two weeks of spring when the hitter’s timing is almost in “season” form. If fact the MOST impressive thing about Hanson today was him plunking Miguel Tejada an inning after Oswalt hit Escobar (after coming inside on him the previous two pitches). Well done kid. That will win the hearts of your teammates as quickly as that 96 MPH fastball.
B) Freeman’s swing against the LH on the HR he hit. VERY nice, compact and quick through the zone.
C) Heywards speed when scoring from 1B on the double. Impressive.
Folks, while I certainly haven’t “given up” on the Braves chances in 2009, and have been awaiting the 2010 season when some of these kids make it up. I’m telling you, barring a stupid trade, and or a catastrophic injury to one of the young studs (Freeman, Heyward, Hanson), this team is gonna be DAMN FINE looking come 2011 and beyond.
Add to that, that in about 2 years Escobar should be coming into his prime.
It’s gonna be fun to watch develop over the next couple of years. Even the ESPN guys were raving over Hanson. Been a LONG time since a Braves pitching prospect had that kind of buzz. A long time.
KC
February 26th, 2009
5:04 pm
In regard to Hanson feeling jitters… you could tell he was amped up. In the first inning he threw, he it 95, 96mph with every fastball. In his second inning, it was resting at 93, 94. Seems like that was probably adrenaline there in his first inning of work vs. big league hitters.
Dud is SICK though. No doubt about it. SICK!! A mid-90’s fastball that’s released closer to the plate than most (because of his height)… it’s delivered on a downward plane, and has movement. Damn!!!
And his breaking stuff is wicked too! Chipper (and everyone else who’s seen him) is right… this kids going to be an ace in the big leagues soon.
KC
February 26th, 2009
5:05 pm
OOPS… I meant to say “DUDE is sick”, of course. Not “Dud is sick”, which makes no sense at all! LOL
N8
February 26th, 2009
5:09 pm
“So I am watching innings 6-9 that I missed earlier, so far innings 6-7 these pissants on ESPN are only talking about the bloody Yankees and fantasy bball……. appalling commentary. joke” dogsbrekky
Really? You think that a bunch of nobody pitchers on the Astros in week two of spring training giving up a lead to a bunch of fringe 4th outfielders and prospects (Heyward and Hanson – whom they praised and raved about, in between the other comentary), complete a comeback in game two of the exihibition season?
I have ZERO problem with people accusing ESPN being Yankee, Red Sox, Lakers, Celtics, Cowboys, Patriots and Tiger Woods “happy” in their coverage.
But if you’re gonna cry bias, at least do it when it’s appropriate.
I find it ironic, that this is/was to be the ONLY game that ESPN covers in spring training. Yet rather than be excited that we got to see Hanson pitch and our Braves play in that only game of coverage, some still have to complain about ESPN talking steroids and Arod.
Sorry to rant. But it didn’t bother me a bit.
Braveheart
February 26th, 2009
5:09 pm
The Ram vs. Tito Santana
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/22/fashion/22generationb.html?pagewanted=all
Chop Chop
February 26th, 2009
5:11 pm
I can’t find the damn thing on Facebook.
N8
February 26th, 2009
5:13 pm
“Only 4,717 in attendance for Braves’ home opener. Yikes.” DOB
Ironically, that’s probably about 2000 more people than the Braves used to get in “mid-season” in the late 80’s.
FaninFaytown
February 26th, 2009
5:15 pm
just search for dob’s blog and you will find it when u scroll a bit
dogsbrekky
February 26th, 2009
5:17 pm
N8 – I did not say anything about bias, I said they did zero commentating on the game we were watching and I am sure the Astros fans watching would have liked to have known a little about the 3 prospects pitchers in those innings……. no crying here mate but yes it would have been nice to know who was batting who was pitching, a little color on them……..
blueridge
February 26th, 2009
5:21 pm
Three things about the game today (only caught the first 7 innings, really disappointed that I missed Freeman’s jack):
1. Gonzo struggled. Not just with location, which is to be expected, but with velocity as well as movement. He was 88-91 and very flat. Certainly didn’t look like a closer today. I know it’s early, but he didn’t have any life on his FB at all. Boone Logan, who I realize is fighting for a spot on the team, looked much better.
2. Frenchy is still all over the place at the dish. It is obviously way too early to be able to draw any real conclusions, but here’s my two cents. Nothing jumped out at me that said, woo-hoo he’s made an adjustment. He was falling off bad through the swing, and his hands were never inside of the ball. His one hit came on a slow hanging curve, which allowed him time to get the head through the zone. None of his swings indicated to me that he was thinking ‘middle-away’, which is what he has been focused on this off-season. Sometimes, it is hard to translate the off the field work during real competition.
3. Hanson impressed. The most impressive part of the outing was drilling Tejada in the back. He let everyone know that he is the real deal, not only from a stuff perspective (a-la Morton or Jo Jo) but from a team first, baseball, mental toughness perspective. It was very encouraging to see a little fire, even if it was just the first day.
Chop Chop
February 26th, 2009
5:23 pm
Ahhh…I see it now. Thanks, FaninFaytown.
blueridge
February 26th, 2009
5:24 pm
N8, looks like we are on the same page with Hanson.
Braves Fan 88
February 26th, 2009
5:25 pm
Epinephrine, hey you know, like I said, I saw nothing today, that I haven’t seen before from other prospects. I’m not going to lie and say that I did. Epinephrine, his lack of command has not been discussed much here at all. I read this blog every day and all I read was that he was “special”. He was going to be a #1 starter. No, he wasn’t like Morton and the rest because of his poise and confidence. On and on. Now today all of sudden I read he can’t locate. Y’all want it both ways. You want to say put him in the rotation, but at the same time, it’s ok he can’t locate?Listen,I wanted to be blown away, I wanted to see the Tommy Hanson everyone talks so highly of. Today, all I saw was what I’ve seen before from others. Now that is honest. I’m just not going to fawn over someone that didn’t locate his pitches. Hopefully next time out he will be all impressive enough that we will not have to have this debate.
Bravesgak
February 26th, 2009
5:27 pm
Braves Fan 88 – we know you are not really a Braves fan.
Buffalo NY Braves Fan
February 26th, 2009
5:31 pm
88,
I saw Jo-Jo pitch last year in a “dominating effort” early in the AAA season. I was less impressed by his 7 inning dominance than I was with Hansons’s 2 innings of “struggle” today.
Jo-Jo has the pitches to be a big league pitcher, but not the “stuff” to go with it. He does not have an overpowering fastball, nor devestating movement in any of his pitches.
Hanson on the other hand has both. He has an overpowering fastball WITH movement, as well as devestating movement on at least 2 other pitches (I didn’t see the 4th inning at all, so didn’t see his 2nd K of the game)
That is the big difference between the 2. Hanson has a tough mental make-up. He struggled early, kept himself calm, and got out of the inning with limited damage. Jo-Jo trips on the mound or gives up a few hits, and he implodes. That is the composure that we all rave about, that is the mental make-up that we all rave about.
Apparently you can’t see that.
Lew
February 26th, 2009
5:40 pm
Anders-Dude, you don’t hate me? And after I tried SO hard. Oh well, at least the thought doesn’t make me nauseous. I can handle it if you can.
Now what’s this about Johan’s elbow? Worried? Of course, why should you be? You DO have Elmer Dessens waiting in the wings, don’t you? Do I see the hand of fate, or Karma, or something of the like at work here.
Steve in NC
February 26th, 2009
5:40 pm
It’s absurd to make any judgements after 40 pitches. He threw harder than expected, and got hit a little bit. So what. I’m sure Tim Lincecum threw 5 no-hitters in his first spring training.