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Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1,006 comments Add your comment
Cameron
March 26th, 2009
1:53 pm
I told anyone who would listen that Hanson was going to AAA. Not that he can’t pitch now, just doesn’t have a place in the rotation right now. How about that Gwinnett Braves rotation:
1-Hanson
2-Reyes
3-Morton
4-Parr
5-Medlen
5 spot is up in the air, but the other four are all but locked down. Pretty formidable. I can’t believe Freeman and Heyward aren’t at least in AA.
sri
March 26th, 2009
1:53 pm
Is Gameday correct, that Lowe has thrown 18 pitches through 3 innings and all 18 were strikes!!. Do the Toronto players swing at everything?
George N. Spitz
March 26th, 2009
1:54 pm
I think they should try Freeman at third base; he throws right-handed and could be a good replacement for Chipper into or three years. Heyward who throws left handed like being eventual first baseman. Brandon Jones and Francour might be too good as corner outfielders to let one of them go.
Boston Brave
PWHjort
March 26th, 2009
1:54 pm
Gameday’s incorrect.
Jim
March 26th, 2009
1:55 pm
How does McCann’s GIDP with runners on the corners not bring in a run?
Epinephrine
March 26th, 2009
1:55 pm
Lowe is just filthy right now.
sri
March 26th, 2009
1:55 pm
it showed the same for Mills too.. gameday must be broken..
PWHjort
March 26th, 2009
1:56 pm
They looked Escobar back to 3rd.
mbatl
March 26th, 2009
1:56 pm
Jim, it was a come-backer to the pitcher, who had time to check the runner at 3rd and still turn it.
Cameron
March 26th, 2009
1:57 pm
Winners tonight?
I say UConn, Pitt, Nova, and Memphis.
Jeff321
March 26th, 2009
1:57 pm
>How does McCann’s GIDP with runners on the corners not bring in a run?
Because it was a ground ball to the pitcher and they looked Escobar back to third.
Jim
March 26th, 2009
1:57 pm
Who pitches after Lowe today? I would like to see Medlen in the bullpen this year (April)
Il Cattivo
March 26th, 2009
1:57 pm
Jim
The pitcher looked Esco back to 3rd base and still threw to 2nd base in time to start a DP.
Steve from OH
March 26th, 2009
1:59 pm
Cameron, looking at your Gwinett rotation has got me to thinking that either Medlen makes the bullpen out of ST or there will be a trade of one of Morton/Reyes because with that rotation we still don’t have a spot for Todd Redmond, who had a very nice season at AA last year.
cvbraves
March 26th, 2009
1:59 pm
Gotta admit that BMac losing weight has sure increased his speed, but twice as fast is still not but so fast.
Brandon
March 26th, 2009
1:59 pm
Cameron, I like your picks minus Nova. I think Duke comes away with a hard fought win.
PWHjort
March 26th, 2009
2:00 pm
George, we discussed this yesterday. Freeman has pathetic defensive range, even at 1B. There’s no chance he could play 3B, he’d be too much of a defensive liability.
mike28212
March 26th, 2009
2:00 pm
Braveone I know what you mean. I had some extra vacation time I have to use before the end of May so I went ahed and took that Thursday and Friday off. I have no idea why they are starting that game before noon.
Bobby's Cox
March 26th, 2009
2:01 pm
Nova should beat Duke. They look like a more solid team.
Jim
March 26th, 2009
2:02 pm
Medlen will be in A bullpen this year. He has not been stretched out to start. I don’t think Redmond is as much of a prospect as Morton or Reyes, so I hope we don’t get rid of one of those 2 or parr to open a spot for him.
Fischerking04
March 26th, 2009
2:04 pm
For the love of all that is good can someone tell me if this is on DirecTV, and if so what channel?????????????
StingerSplash
March 26th, 2009
2:04 pm
So this new A-Roid shot … is this the Bonfire of the Vanities or just the Bonfire of the Vain? (And if you’re staying at that hotel and drinking in that bar, yes.)
Tom
March 26th, 2009
2:04 pm
Most scouts say that Freeman has a great glove at 1B because he used to be a 3B. He’s outgrown the 3B position now but he’s very good at 1B.
Steve from OH
March 26th, 2009
2:04 pm
PWH, Freeman was drafted out of HS, where he was a 3B/P. The Braves moved him to first after the draft. I agree that he’s probably not a viable option at 3B, but I disagree about you assessment of Freeman’s 1B defense, and so does Baseball America:
“His [Freeman's] defense is well above average at first base, with some scouts comparing Freeman to Mark Grace but with more power.”
David O'Brien
March 26th, 2009
2:04 pm
Schafer another single, goes to second on throw to third, where Brandon Jones slid in safely.
Lowe up with two RISP and one out
18 Wheels of Love
March 26th, 2009
2:05 pm
I love my retro refresh button. I think every time I push it, Sawyer on Lost ends up in a different time zone.
Epinephrine
March 26th, 2009
2:05 pm
Nice work Jordan. Terrible base running, but heads up there from Schafer to take second.
Erin
March 26th, 2009
2:06 pm
Not on my DirecTV–lot of other games coming up this weekend on MLBN though.
David O'Brien
March 26th, 2009
2:06 pm
Lowe chops a single through left side of infield, drives in two runs, Braves up 4-0
Il Cattivo
March 26th, 2009
2:06 pm
Boy Schafer looks good around the bases, quick and smart.
18 Wheels of Love
March 26th, 2009
2:06 pm
Schafer is the guy. No 3 ways around it.
Steve from OH
March 26th, 2009
2:07 pm
Wow Schafer flying around third. Boy’s got a second gear it looks like.
Brandon
March 26th, 2009
2:07 pm
Lowe can hit too?
Fischerking04
March 26th, 2009
2:08 pm
Erin—THANK YOU. I can stop pulling my hair out now and let some of the blood flow back out of my face.
Il Cattivo
March 26th, 2009
2:08 pm
Chip Caray just said that Boone Logan and O’Flaherty might pitch today. Lookout!!
Bobby's Belly
March 26th, 2009
2:08 pm
2 good ab’s for Schafer against a lefty throwing lots of breaking balls.
pryguy
March 26th, 2009
2:09 pm
I saw it mentioned before on this recent blog entry, but I agree with some readers that JO JO should not be overlooked for Hanson immediately. As excited as everyone is about Hanson and his future in Atlanta, I think JO JO is next in line to get a fair shake if one of our top 5 goes down. He has shown so much inconsistency, but has rebounded and shown his potential this spring quite well. DOB, who is it to get called up first in the event of an injury….JOJO or Hanson? What is your opinion?
Fischerking04
March 26th, 2009
2:09 pm
DOB–Any contact with Ohman recently? Just wonder why/how he is still out there.
dogsbrekky
March 26th, 2009
2:10 pm
Schafer is just a little gun, kid can run like the wind…….
BB5795
March 26th, 2009
2:10 pm
18, my refresh button sometimes takes me further away. I’m thinking that if I hit it often enough, I may be able to read the posts after the 95 World Series.
David O'Brien
March 26th, 2009
2:10 pm
Steve from OH: Freeman is oustanding defensively, as I’ve remarked several times. One play he made, I instinctively wrote Kotchman makes great play … because it looked just like Kotchman going to his right and stabbling a hot grounder, then tossing to the pitcher covering.
Very strong defensive 1B, on top of being a premier hitting prospect.
But 3B? No, not now. He’s 6-5 and a bit … well, I’d say gangly, but some people would say that implies that he’s skinny. He’s not skinny, but he’s sort of long-limbed and, well, gangly. Not a 3B option. But a helluva hitter and defensive 1B.
PWHjort
March 26th, 2009
2:10 pm
Steve, everyone who actually watches him play sees he has terrible range. His glove is good, though.
KC
March 26th, 2009
2:11 pm
Francoeur struck out today… second of spring. That’s it… he’s finished. The naysayers were right. Francoeur sucks. He’s go nothing left!!
KC
March 26th, 2009
2:11 pm
We’ve got some pitchers who can handle the bat here, don’t we? Lowe looked good with that hit, and Kawakami looked damn good, for a pitcher, at the plate last night.
TnBrian
March 26th, 2009
2:11 pm
Cattivo, I didn’t know that. You gotta point
That Soriano steroid thing is crap. Some guys are just injury prone and doesn’t all have to be steroid related. Lets face it, he keeps coming up with injuries/excuses, he won’t be a Brave for long. Whether or not it’s his fault, that’s just the business of MLB and we all know that.
Tomas
March 26th, 2009
2:11 pm
Brandon Jones seemed to slip or have doubts about going to third and he was dead to rights at third but Bautista dropped it. Maybe Kelly leading off against lefties is a good idea.
Dan
March 26th, 2009
2:12 pm
hahaha
Steve from OH
March 26th, 2009
2:13 pm
Do you actually watch him play? Like a lot, or just once or twice?
I’ll take the scouts’ opinion, thanks.
Tomas
March 26th, 2009
2:13 pm
DOB, Whats the lastest for Garret Anderson? When is he going to play?
RLPmetro
March 26th, 2009
2:14 pm
Fischerking…go back and look through DOB’s multiple postings in multiple previous blogs in which he has addressed the Ohman issue. Ohman will not be back! PERIOD!
DOB…this is the problem with you endearing a player to us here on the blog! When we buy in and start to love hearing about a guy, people never forget about him!
Zeus12888
March 26th, 2009
2:15 pm
Strong agree pryguy,
give JoJo another shot, let Hanson get more seasoning. Thats best for the braves in the end
Schafer Obliterator
March 26th, 2009
2:15 pm
Boy am I so good.
There is no competition for CF only others eating my dust !
TnBrian
March 26th, 2009
2:15 pm
If Anderson isn’t in the plans for the CF spot, they oughta trade him and whoever else they might be trading for something of value. Why take a chance on him being claimed by another team when they could get something for him in a trade?
mbatl
March 26th, 2009
2:15 pm
“Francoeur struck out today… second of spring. That’s it… he’s finished. The naysayers were right. Francoeur sucks. He’s go nothing left!!” – KC
Got to say, I’m as impressed as I could possibly be with what Jeff has done this spring. Not ready to declare it a completed project yet, but he really is a completely different hitter.
That big looping curve he K’d on was almost an ephus pitch. KJ waited on the same one and bounced it for a single – looked like a beer league softball at bat.
Il Cattivo
March 26th, 2009
2:15 pm
That was a weird balk! What happened there?
Il Cattivo
March 26th, 2009
2:16 pm
Some throw bye Schafer huh. Great tag by Mac too.
cmac1919
March 26th, 2009
2:16 pm
This is why Schafer needs to be our centerfielder!
Jeff321
March 26th, 2009
2:16 pm
Jordan S. is a stud.
stynes
March 26th, 2009
2:17 pm
What a freaking throw!
Steve from OH
March 26th, 2009
2:17 pm
Wow, INCREDIBLE throw by Schafer. Frozen rope.
Bobby's Belly
March 26th, 2009
2:17 pm
competition over – done
Jeff Blauser
March 26th, 2009
2:17 pm
What a throw!
BB5795
March 26th, 2009
2:17 pm
Alright, I’m sold. Schafer in center!
Cameron
March 26th, 2009
2:17 pm
Fischerking:
The game is on CSS, which stand for Comcast Sports Southeast. So no, it is not on DirecTV. Sorry, brother. Try 640 AM radio.
Schafer Obliterator
March 26th, 2009
2:17 pm
Oh I just crushed one at the plate
F.I.G.J.A.M.
mbatl
March 26th, 2009
2:18 pm
Geez, what a rifle shot through from your new center fielder. A little credit to the Toronto runner for not pulling a Pete Rose and crashing the catcher. If it was September, that might’ve been ugly.
Tomas
March 26th, 2009
2:18 pm
Wow what a play by Jordan. He needs to make this team, release Josh Anderson he has no future on this team anyway.
Tyler
March 26th, 2009
2:18 pm
You gotta go with the best option, and the best option is Schafer!!!!!!
David O'Brien
March 26th, 2009
2:18 pm
Terrific throw by Schafer and equally stellar tag by McCann on that play at the plate. Schafer’s arm reminds me of Kotsay when Kotsay first started his big-league career with Marlins and led NL in assists a couple of years. They’re about same size at that stage of careers, too….
Fischerking: I texted back and forth with him a couple days ago. Said he was still throwing at a workout/rehab center in Phoenix area, that he could pitch in a game tomorrow (hey, it’s what he said)
Cameron
March 26th, 2009
2:18 pm
DOB
Can you highlight your posts in grey like you usually do?
Thanks!
PWHjort
March 26th, 2009
2:18 pm
I’m from Rome, GA. I’ve seen him play a time or 2.
18 Wheels of Love
March 26th, 2009
2:19 pm
I wonder how that throw looked from where Bobby is sitting? Seriously, the kid is ready and has dominated this CF ‘competition’.
Steve from OH
March 26th, 2009
2:20 pm
Fair enough. Like I said, I’ll take DOB’s word and the word of real scouts and say that he’s a fine defender.
Il Cattivo
March 26th, 2009
2:21 pm
Cameron
His posts are highlighted in grey like usual. There must be some issue with the browser setting or monitor you are using.
David O'Brien
March 26th, 2009
2:21 pm
Tomas, G. Anderson is aiming for Saturday return. Cox said that Tuesday, and it hasn’t changed.
Schafer Obliterator
March 26th, 2009
2:21 pm
la dee da dee da
I am it………… just it
woo hoooooooo
Wait til I start crushing HR
Dan
March 26th, 2009
2:21 pm
Man!! If jordan wins the CF competition my ball signed by Josh will be worth nothing.
Jeff Blauser
March 26th, 2009
2:22 pm
Josh Anderson for a dozen bats and 10 dozen balls anyone?
Runnin
March 26th, 2009
2:22 pm
What’s Ohman doing in rehab??? No wait, don’t tell me. lol
pryguy
March 26th, 2009
2:22 pm
Isn’t it obvious if we’re shopping Anderson around that a team can just wait and see if the Braves put him on waivers? He holds little to no value to other teams, especially with the recent reaction to Scafer. I don’t see Anderson warranting any decent return, unless coupled with one of our “excess” arms. I think the surplus of arms needs to remain as such. We’ve seen all too often how that surplus diminshes by the days of summer. Don’t make a move just to do it because of an abundance, after all isn’t this what we wanted? An abundance of quality pitchers to turn to? Just my two cents, for what it’s worth
David O'Brien
March 26th, 2009
2:23 pm
Runnin, it’s just a workout facility, like the ones a bunch of Braves use in suburbs, where some go to do their rehab after surgeries, but others just go to do their workouts, since they have mounds and all there.
PWHjort
March 26th, 2009
2:24 pm
He’s got a good glove, arm, and fields softly, but he has significantly below-average range. He’s 6′5″ 220, you don’t expect him to have good range. There isn’t a single scouting report you’ll read that says he has above-average range.
hotmom
March 26th, 2009
2:25 pm
Belly – you have been right all along. How could we have doubted you. Schafer is our hero.
Tyler
March 26th, 2009
2:25 pm
DOB what is Josh Anderson’s OBP this spring?
G thebrave3
March 26th, 2009
2:25 pm
murphy was 6′4′ 220 and he did alright in center (5 gold gloves) he’ll be alright
Mekons
March 26th, 2009
2:25 pm
People will trade for Josh if they think someone ahead of them in the waiver process will take him first. We probably wouldn’t get a lot, but something.
Jeff321
March 26th, 2009
2:26 pm
Ah, just saw the Frenchy catch on a replay. And it looked good to me. Btw, CSS is interviewing him from the dugout now.
wilymo
March 26th, 2009
2:26 pm
Yea the steroid thing is just dumb. You can’t start assuming every injury prone pitcher must be on roids. And of course a guy is going to probably have worse results when their velocity dips. I’m just not sure where that applies with Soriano in regards to the velocity dips. If you go through Soriano’s career splits (month by month) he really hasn’t had too many bad stretches (not sure what defines a dominant stretch and a hittable stretch) . . but in terms of era and baa, his worst months were those couple stretches he had in his first year with Atlanta, where it was his location, not his velocity that was the issue. If you go through the splits, trying to find where his velocity was down, it’s not such an easy task.
In 2006, the year that the scout apparently saw him, he definitely had some control issues in July/August (He missed September after getting tagged in the noggin by the Vladimir Guerrero line drive), but he still ended up with 18k’s, .200 baa, 2 hr, and 13 hits in 17.1 ip in that time.
Look the guy isn’t a picture of perfect health. We get that. He’s basically the relief version of Rich Harden. When he’s healthy he’s going to put up good numbers, but you’re going to have to plan on a few DL stints here and there.
I’m not counting 2004, because he threw 3 innings and that was the year he underwent Tommy John.
pryguy
March 26th, 2009
2:28 pm
dob,
you missed out on your last chance to see ryan adams live. I gave you fair warning a few times. One of the greatest singer songwriters in the past few years.
Saltywoody
March 26th, 2009
2:28 pm
http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/stories/2009/03/25/ajc_job_cuts.html
I don’t know if this was discussed in last day or so. If it was, I missed it.
But wondering if this has any ramifications for Braves’ coverage or the like?
Sad to see all these great papers declining/disappearing.
Newspapers are one of those things we’re not going to wholly realize the value of until they’re gone and we’re left with no one keeping tabs on the injustices in our communities. Can’t help but feel like our nation and society get a little bit worse with every piece of news like this.
Runnin
March 26th, 2009
2:29 pm
DOB, just funnin ya. I sure would love to see Ohman back this year but I guess it’s not meant to be.
David O'Brien
March 26th, 2009
2:29 pm
Count the Rockies and Dodgers among teams looking for back-end-of-rotation starters. And count the Braves as one of the few teams with perhaps an extra such starter or two….
PWHjort
March 26th, 2009
2:31 pm
The Pirates and Padres are also looking for pitching. Of any sort.
Schafer Obliterator
March 26th, 2009
2:32 pm
Moylan is the best reliever, even I can’t hit him
blogging from the dugout
The Love Child of Dale Murphy and Johnny Cash
March 26th, 2009
2:33 pm
DOB
Any chance the Braves get fed up and send Soriano to AAA despite his salary?
mbatl
March 26th, 2009
2:33 pm
Hey, the Yankees have announced (again) that Melky Cabrerra is on the block. I guess that’s a big deal because he’s a Yankee. But Josh has better numbers and is a much better base-stealer – granted, a much smaller sample size – than Cabrerra. Will be interesting to see who gets what for whom (try diagramming that sentence) – if it comes to that.
brian
March 26th, 2009
2:33 pm
for a team looking for speed, possible leadoff hitter, and a defensive CF Anderson would hold some value – we would not get anything more than a single A level prospect for him but we should be able to get a prospect. Blanco can be sent to the minors one more time as insurance for Schafer.
I would also look for the Braves to clear out one or two relievers and possibly one of the near major league ready starters for prospects as well – again single A type prospect.
DOB – do you ever go down on the field pregame during the season? I may say hi if I see you when I get to come down to Atlanta and see a few of the Marlin games in mid April
dogsbrekky
March 26th, 2009
2:33 pm
How about RIOS and Halladay for
JoJo
Morton
Josh A
Parr
wilymo
March 26th, 2009
2:34 pm
DOB,
Do you think the Braves would view Melky Cabrera as an upgrade over Josh Anderson or Blanco (if we assume they’d prefer to start Schafer in the minors)? Looks like the Yankees are shopping him and the Braves might have a few bullpen arms and/or utility guys that might interest them.
dogsbrekky
March 26th, 2009
2:35 pm
I have watched melky a lot, he cannot hit for sheet