Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
818 comments Add your comment
Tom O'Hawke
March 30th, 2009
1:40 am
Good stuff, Chop Chop! And thanks!
The General
March 30th, 2009
1:41 am
Can we train Jo Jo to be a decent pen pitcher for us this year?? In place of a left specialist not being around!!!!!
Chop Chop
March 30th, 2009
1:41 am
Maybe he wasn’t stealing a car. Again, first episode I’ve watched. Still funny as hell.
mbatl
March 30th, 2009
1:42 am
I really thought EOF was done after Bobby left him in to give up 9 hits in 2/3 of an inning last week, but guess not. I don’t think it’s that big a deal.
Anyway, I hate loogies. You never know whether to swallow them or look for a place to spit them out, if you’re in polite company.
(I really don’t like LOOGY’s, or “closers” for that matter. Someday this obsession with specialization will be exposed as counter-productive. I have no evidence of that, but believe it to be true).
Chop Chop
March 30th, 2009
1:42 am
Okay, maybe he was.
Shows how much I know.
Chop Chop
March 30th, 2009
1:43 am
I should do play-by-play on TV shows.
Chop Chop
March 30th, 2009
1:45 am
Play-by-play on TV shows during their PST showing. I’ve got that down.
Random
March 30th, 2009
1:46 am
Mitchie-san (12:59 am) –
Aloha nui loa! Still in HI?
My niece and her (Marine Corps Officer) husband and infant are right now flying to Okinawa for a 2-year (or so?) tour. Were you stationed down south there? (I was on the Kanto Plain.)
Tom O’Hawke (1:14 am): “I wish [someone] would tell me how he crosses out letters. For me to do that, would require all sorts of time.”
It’s easier than emboldening, though not as easy as italicizing. (In the following para, please construe all parens as pointy brackets — shift-, & shift-.)
You prob’ly already know about (strong)bold(/strong) and (i)italics(/i) — crossing out’s simply (del)
delete(/del).(Hope I got all that formatting straight.)
PWHjort
March 30th, 2009
1:46 am
mbatl, I agree. After all, most closers are either failed starters because they couldn’t stay healthy or handle starting or pitchers that never would’ve worked out as starters. I mean, a scout wouldn’t look at Francisco Rodriguez’s or Mike Gonzalez’s mechanics and say, “wow, we need to get these guys into a starting role”.
Chop Chop
March 30th, 2009
1:51 am
I like the “strike” one better than the “del” one, Random.
It’s more baseball-y.
Well, unless you think of former Milwaukee Brave All-Star Del Crandall.
mbatl
March 30th, 2009
1:52 am
PW, or they’re very good relievers who should be used when needed, not just with a lead in the 9th inning. The 9th is not always the most important inning.
I’d much rather see the Braves use Gonzo in the 8th if (for instance) Utley and Howard are due, and then let Soriano or Moylan close the game. But we’ve got to “designate” some guy to pitch only in the 9th with a lead. Makes no sense at all. (and I’m not jumping the Braves about it… it’s almost all teams).
mbatl
March 30th, 2009
1:55 am
Buddy Carlyle was one of our most valuable relievers last year, and has pitched 9 scoreless this spring, yet half the blog wants to dump him.
I think it’s his name. No one takes anyone named Buddy seriously. I mean, you had Buddy Holly, and then who? Buddy Bolden, who’s classic song “Funky Butt” was great, but what’s he done since then? (well, actually he went on to die in 1931 after a lifetime of alcohol-induced dimentia).
Buddy C. could go by his real name, Earl L. Carlyle, but I’m not sure that’s any more intimidating. So he needs a nickname, kinda like BMF for Soriano.
I’ll start the bidding with Buddy “hey wash my” Carlyle. That would get the hitters’ attention, I think, as most have never washed their own cars. (my second choice is, Buddy “Don’t call me Buddy” Carlyle, but then people would ask, “okay, so what do we call you?” and we’d be right back where we started)
Seriously, I think he’s an overlooked and valuable guy out of our pen.
Tom O'Hawke
March 30th, 2009
2:00 am
Thank you, Random. I copied & saved both, Chop Chop and your instructions, to a notepad and then filed them. I will try to make sense of them tomorrow, when, hopefully, I’ll be more lucid.
Random
March 30th, 2009
2:00 am
BA (1:16 am): ” I wish [someone] would explain the joke- what does the “WV” stand for?”
It’s pretty dumb, actually (as if you hadn’t already figured that).
I am sufficiently embarrassed by some of the comments of my fellow East Tennessean/Hamiltonian/Chattanoogan that I am trying to convince him to change his blog handle to reference an even more typically inbred and backward state. Which would fit much of what he comes up (and out) with.
Random
March 30th, 2009
2:06 am
Chop Chop (1:24 am) –
You beat me to it, as usual. Well explained.
All I can add is that “del” works as well as “strike”, and is half as long.
(I wish we could use “b” instead of “strong” for emboldening.)
Mitchie-san
March 30th, 2009
2:08 am
Random, Yep still out here in Hawaii. I’m am learning to love it more everyday. I was never stationed in Okinawa, but it was a regular pit stop to pick up Marines if we needed to. Nice beaches there…
My homeport was in Yokosuka, near Tokyo. One of these days I swear I wont live on an island in the Pacific….
PWHjort
March 30th, 2009
2:14 am
I agree with that too, mbatl. Closers should be used in high-leverage situations, not necessarily the 9th inning. Like you said, the 9th isn’t always the most important inning. Much research has been done and they usually conclude that teams lose 1-2 wins every year due to closer misuse.
Tom O'Hawke
March 30th, 2009
2:17 am
Mitchie-san, anytime you feel as though you have to get away, but can’t because there’s nobody to cover for you, let me know. Even if they have you shoveling manure, I’m your man.
Random
March 30th, 2009
2:18 am
PWHjort (1:31 am): ” I’d call it more of a counterexample than a counterargument. [I did, didn’t I?] That’s true, but a few AB’s isn’t an adequate sample size. [Yer right – can’t argue there.] I wish they’d post splits for spring training. I’ll keep them next year. Or I may just figure them out tomorrow if I’m bored enough.” [Only 6.1 IP, 14 H, 0 BB, 19 outs – I think you can do it.]
PS: If you’re at all interested in opening a dialog with someone when you comment on their post, recommend you include their handle so they can easily find your reply.
Chop Chop (1:24 am) –
You beat me to it, as usual. Well explained.
All I can add is that “del” works as well as “strike”, and is half as long.
(I wish we could use “b” instead of “strong” for emboldening.)
Tom O'Hawke
March 30th, 2009
2:21 am
PWHjort, don’t pay too much attention to all that research. I do most of it, and I’m drunk half the time. Hey, it’s a paycheck. By the time they figure out I was making up those numbers, I’ll be 6 ft. under.
Random
March 30th, 2009
2:24 am
Sorry about the dupe post to Chop Chop — it took its own sweet time showing up (I first submitted it around 1:50 — took 15 mins to appear.)
Also, earlier “typically” was meant to be “stereotypically” in re WV.
Mitchie-san
March 30th, 2009
2:24 am
You got it, Tom!
Tom O'Hawke
March 30th, 2009
2:27 am
To whomever is still left out there. As I’m still relatively new to this blog, I have questions. Is it normal, at the wee-small hours of the morning, for Random to use more and more symbols, as time goes by? Just wondering.
Coach (Skip and Pete will be missed)
March 30th, 2009
2:51 am
I was reading KC’s post concerning the 98 Yankee’s.
Look, that team was choke full of great hitters, veteran’s in their prime and guys that could run. They hit 207 HR’s, drove in 758 RBI and stole 153 bases while batting .288 as a team.
This 2009 Braves team is coming off one of their worst offensive showings in the last twenty seasons when it comes to HR’s (130) , RBI (721) and SB’s (58). Comparing them to the 98 Yankee’s is a bit much.
I realize that this 2009 Braves unit has great potential in their rotation and yes, they can play some solid defense. But the health of the bullpen is very much in question and the offensive is considered to be questionable by almost every professional baseball pundit in America.
Both Chipper Jones and Garret Anderson have been among the most often injured everyday players in the major leagues during the last five years. The two of them have already been sidelined by injury and we haven’t even made it out of spring training.
The Jordan Schafer hype has reached an apex. The kid can play. But he’s a rookie and has what amounts to just three seasons of professional baseball under his belt.
To say that the Braves line up is top heavy with left handed hitters is obvious to everyone. The Braves desperately wanted a big right handed bat in the middle of the order and they didn’t find it Garret Anderson, although he is as solid a bat as you can get when he is healthy.
Josh Anderson represents the only experienced big league lead off hitter that the Braves have with most of the necessary tools to be successful as a top of the order hitter. He plays solid defense, runs the bases and is an accomplished stolen base threat. But, Anderson doesn’t draw enough walks, strikes out a bit too much and hasn’t shown the strike zone discipline needed for the job as of yet.
Gregor Blanco is a great fourth outfielder who does everything well. Hopefully, the Braves can find a way to keep both Josh Anderson and Jordan Schafer on the team when the regular season starts because I think the Braves are going to need both of them in the long run.
Salamander
March 30th, 2009
2:51 am
Still out there.
No clue – RE: Random + symbols.
Trying to stay awake… (work for Monday). I love fantasizing about pillows.
Tom O'Hawke
March 30th, 2009
2:51 am
I’ve always wanted to ask this philosophical question. If a person tries to post a blog, but there’s no one there, is the typing heard?
N Nine (eta6)
March 30th, 2009
2:52 am
Tom O’Hawke Hey. You’re talking about Random The ultimate blog researcher!
“I love the Braves, dude. Actually I like everyone except Cox, Frenchy, Boyer, Acosta, Bennett, and Soriano.” Ha, that was a while back. Nice play by play Random. Something about Jeff321?
KC Maybe that 20HR plateau is possible after all. Feeling that good season from Frenchy also. I’m all pumped
Salamander
March 30th, 2009
2:54 am
Nod to much of what you posted Coach.
Too tired to put effort into it, but I also thought KC’s comparison between one of the greatest teams of all time and the potential for the 2009 Braves was kinda over the top.
Tom O'Hawke
March 30th, 2009
2:55 am
Just when I thought I was by myself, other idiots appear. Hi guys!
jj
March 30th, 2009
2:57 am
I have asked this question many times and never gets an answer.so I’m asking again.”why hasn’t Escobar been offered a long term deal like Frenchie and Mac were offerd after they first came up”?To me he has as much potential and has been a stater since day one.I just wonder why the Braves thought it was important to offer them at a time when they could have been playing on the cheap like Escobar is playing at.Thanks in advance and keep Norton and Brandon as the extra OF.
TnBrian
March 30th, 2009
3:01 am
Coach, very good points in your post! Agree all the way, except I think you might be underrating this offense a little, but you’re right on with everything else.
Tom O'Hawke
March 30th, 2009
3:03 am
jj, (2:57), that’s a GREAT question! I never even thought about it. What makes it more intriguing, is that there isn’t anyone even close to filling his shoes. That’s one hell of a question. Anybody???
nolie
March 30th, 2009
3:10 am
Nolie could be right on the 5th starter, but instead I think you see one more reliever to start the first 10 days until Glavine is needed. WAYNE
I think it will be a reliever too, I said a small chance.
N Nine (eta6)
March 30th, 2009
3:10 am
“He plays solid defense”COACH _ From what I remembered Josh Anderson has a below average arm. Schafer clearly plays better defense and has a better arm.
Diaz doesn’t scare anyone with his arm so we need schafer’s defense
KC
March 30th, 2009
3:15 am
Coach and Salamander, I have made that comparison before, and each and every time, I have made clear that I think that offense was better than this Braves offense. And I said so again in my post earlier today.
I’m just pointing out that there are similarities. Both lineups were/are stocked with quality hitters from top to bottom, though no 30 HR guys anywhere in the lineup. Same type of offense. Please note that I said same TYPE of offense… not same level of offense.
I’ll point out more about the similarities later, and it might make more sense.
nolie
March 30th, 2009
3:21 am
Is it normal, at the wee-small hours of the morning, for Random to use more and more symbols, as time goes by? Just wondering. TOM
fortunately there is nothing “normal” about Random
KC
March 30th, 2009
3:24 am
If everyone in the Braves lineup simply hits the way they’re capable (assuming some time missed by Chipper), here’s roughly what I think we could look for… again, assuming relatively good health, and each player member of the lineup having a decent (not GREAT, but decent) season:
——Attainable Numbers for ’09 Braves——-
AVG HR RBI 2B OBP SB
1 – Schafer .280 12 55 33 .355 37
2 – Escobar .290 13 65 32 .369 5
3 – Jones .332 23 87 26 .461 4
4 – Francoeur .295 21 106 39 .343 3
5 – McCann .301 24 88 40 .372 2
6 – Andrson/Diaz .303 17 88 30 .337 8
7 – Johnson .286 18 82 40 .353 7
8 – Kotchman .290 17 77 31 .355 2
TOTALS .297 145 648 271 .368 72
Tom O'Hawke
March 30th, 2009
3:29 am
nolie (3:21), I have so much to learn.
KC
March 30th, 2009
3:32 am
Trying out a Wordpress table here…
1-Shafer2-Escobar3-Jones4-McCann5-Francoeur6-Anderson/Diaz7-Johnson8-Kotchman HR1213232124171817
KC
March 30th, 2009
3:33 am
Well… that was a miserable failure. I give up. I don’t understand most of this damned Wordpress html formatting. Tables are apparently out of my league.
KC
March 30th, 2009
3:36 am
Compare above Braves numbers to ‘98 Yanks. Again… the Yank’s offense was better, but there are encouraging similarities between what they did and what this team is capable of. I see this Braves lineup as on the could POTENTIALLY be a “poor man’s version” of that ‘98 Yanks lineup.
——-1998 Yankees——-
AVG HR RBI 2B OBP SB
1 - Knoblauch .265 17 64 25 .361 31
2 - Jeter .324 19 84 30 .384 30
3 - O’Neill .317 24 116 40 372 15
4 - Martinez .281 28 123 33 .355 2
5 - Williams .339 26 97 15 .422 15
6 - Strawberry .247 24 57 11 .354 8
7 - Brosius .300 19 98 34 .371 11
8 - Girardi .276 3 31 11 .317 2
STARTER TOTALS .294 160 670 199 .367 114
Tom O'Hawke
March 30th, 2009
4:01 am
KC, (3:24), I’ll tell you what. I hope you save those stats. I think you are going to be real close with almost all of them. The only one I disagree with, is Frenchy. I think he’s going to average over .300. I am predicting at least, .315. I also think he will surpass the 30hr mark. I have seen one hell of a change in him. I can’t believe how fast he has become acclamated to his new stance. His constant contact is what is making me think that he will have one hell of a year. Come on, 2 k’s so far?, the man changes his whole approach to hitting, and he only strikes out twice? As time goes by, I see Jeff hitting the ball, more and more, on the ’sweet spot’. I think he will develop into that ’superstar’, we thought he may be when he first came up. I’m looking at one helluvayear, out of Frenchy. If the Braves were smart, (oxymoron alert), they’d sign Jeff up now, to a long-term contract.
David O'Brien
March 30th, 2009
4:14 am
PWHjort, regarding your 1:31 a.m. post: if you have the time to figure out, on your own, the lefty-righty splits for spring training, i either envy you or I’m concerned. Or both.
David O'Brien
March 30th, 2009
4:18 am
Just as you might be concerned over my posting at 4:14 a.m.
Can’t sleep, thinking about Dice-K vs. Kawakami. No, actually, I got up to go stake out my spot in the pressbox.
(actually, neither of those are true. as I discussed a couple weeks ago, my sleep patterns in spring training are just awful, stupid, random, illogical.)
good night. see ya in a couple hours.
Mitchie-san
March 30th, 2009
4:18 am
Chris Berman is kind of a tool, but some of his nicknames were actually funny. That ‘98 Yankees line-up reminded me of one I always liked…
Scott “supercalafradulisticexpiala” Brosius
Tom O'Hawke
March 30th, 2009
4:19 am
DOB, I’m a little concerned with you, still posting at 4:14?
Tom O'Hawke
March 30th, 2009
4:21 am
Wow, DOB answers my question before it’s posted!
Tom O'Hawke
March 30th, 2009
4:24 am
Mitchie-san, I was always a big fan of Berman’s nicknames. I even made one up for him. Chris “keep the home fires” Berman. What time is it where you are?
Coach (Skip and Pete will be missed)
March 30th, 2009
4:44 am
KC, I see much closer comparison’s between the 1998 Yankee’s and the 2000 Braves. That was the last season that our Braves had a team capable of running the bases.
This 2009 team won’t crack 75 stolen bases and I’ll guarantee this prediction.
Mitchie-san
March 30th, 2009
5:34 am
Tom, its 11:30pm here.
Mitchie-san
March 30th, 2009
5:38 am
Normally at this hour I am about the only one on the blog. I just hit refresh every now and then to see if anyone is awake yet. Not too many others on my schedule. I work the overnight shift most of the time.
Random
March 30th, 2009
5:59 am
PWHjort (1:31 am): ” I’d call it more of a counterexample than a counterargument. [I did call it that, didn’t I?] That’s true, but a few AB’s isn’t an adequate sample size. [Yer right – can’t argue there.] I wish they’d post splits for spring training. I’ll keep them next year. Or I may just figure them out tomorrow if I’m bored enough.” [Only 6.1 IP, 14 H, 0 BB, 19 outs – I think you can do it.]
PS: If you’re at all interested in opening a dialog with someone when you comment on their post, recommend you include their handle so they can easily find your reply.
PPS: I shoulda mentioned, here is a “template” URL for “archived” MLB ST Gamedays — it should really aid you in your splits compilations. (You may have known this already — just tailor it for the appropriate date and teams, away team first):
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2009_03_22_atlmlb_nynmlb_1&mode=gameday
N Nine (2:52 am) –
Thanks. Yeah — “something”.
OB (4:18 am): “(actually, neither of those are true. as I discussed a couple weeks ago, my sleep patterns in spring training are just awful, stupid, random, illogical.)”
Surely you’re not suggesting that those four terms are synonymous, or in any way related, are you?
Random
March 30th, 2009
6:02 am
“DOB” at 5:59 am.
ncscoots
March 30th, 2009
6:25 am
PWH, man, don’t do the splits, LOL. If ST stats are irrelevant as a whole, the only thing more irrelevant would subsets of that data; not to mention sample sizes. Yowsah. Save some for the season, my man. HA!
I tend to agree with PWH and mbatl re their discussion of bullpen over-specialization. I can understand the strategic philosophy behind it, however. Managers would have to be somewhat prescient to determine the “more important inning” other than the 9th to use a closer. And the 9th does have one high-leverage factor unpossessed by other innings: game over.
Teams no longer have four guys capable of throwing 300 innings, and probably wouldn’t do it even if they did, because of the dollar investment. That means late-inning relief nearly every game, and specialization is just about the only way to maximize the performance of those by-definition lesser pitchers. The Braves can at least put closer-quality arms in those high-leverage 7th and 8th situations, given health.
David O'Brien
March 30th, 2009
6:44 am
Random: No, wasn’t suggesting that they were synonymous. Are they? Well, that’s random. Or awful.
LOL, History Repears Itself
March 30th, 2009
6:55 am
“Feeling that good season from Frenchy also.”
How many people said that here last year? A ton. Why has Francoeur gotten so many more chances than anyone else ever? Why do people continue to insist his 2006 was good? Why is it if any other non-established played did what he did last year they’d be out but not him? Why do people continue to insist he’s something special? When will the hype die already? The fascination end?
My hypothesis is it because the AJC is basically now Francoeur’s PR agent’s first outlet for pro-Francoeur propaganda. How many fluff pieces must one paper put out every time Francoeur is slumping? Even today with the “Francoeur smashs homerun” thing. The Francoeur headlines here read like some bad spam e-mail subject lines.
Change the name from Atlanta Journal-Constitution to Francoeur Pravda
Mitchie-san
March 30th, 2009
7:05 am
Their love for Francoeur is equivalent to your distaste for him, isnt it?
There have been many articles on all the Braves. Your hatred for him makes you single out his stories in your mind. I believe they are pretty fair to all the players.
JasonInFL (Formerly ME)
March 30th, 2009
7:20 am
I am heading over to catch the game today as well…should be fun!
Couch Tater
March 30th, 2009
7:35 am
TnRandom,Everyone has at least one cousin that they are embarrassed by.
Hee,hee…
LOL, History Repears Itself
March 30th, 2009
7:42 am
Their love for Francoeur is equivalent to your distaste for him, isnt it?
No, not in the least. I wish Francoeur was good and will be good. I don’t dislike him at all.
My “distaste” is for all the people with their heads in the sand. The people who continue to say “get Francoeur back to pre-2008 form”; which implies that he was good in 2006. There can be no denying in my opinion of all the chances he’s gotten.
Mitchie-san
March 30th, 2009
8:05 am
I think that everyone “with their head in the sand” just wants him to be bettter than 2008…any amount better. He WAS better in 2006. He WAS better in 2007. I think thats the whole point.
By the way, hittting .260 with 29 bombs and 103 rbi while slugging .449 in all 162 games in his first FULL year is NOT a horrible, horrible season, like you say. Its not the best ever, but its solid.
RIPSkip
March 30th, 2009
8:18 am
Wouldn’t this be sweet…
July 27…The Red Sox have fallen too far behind the Rays and Yankees and realize they won’t be able to catch up. The Braves are in a nip/tuck race with the Phils and Mets that is destined to go down to the wire.
John Smoltz asks to be traded back to Atlanta so he can be part of one final playoff push. The Red Sox are willing, but the Braves only have the $ for a power bat and maybe bullpen depth.
Smoltz left the Braves to contend and now he’ll have to watch them contend.
(Love Smoltzie but it would be poetic justice)
cvbraves
March 30th, 2009
8:20 am
DOB: No TV. no radio, no MLB.TV for the Braves game today. Hope you won’t mind keeping us updated yet again today as best you can. Thanks (and you really need to get more rest).
Steve from OH
March 30th, 2009
8:27 am
mbatl, totally agree with you on the use of Gonzo. If there is a high-leverage situation in the eight (or even the seventh, depending on the situation), use Gonzo. We’ve got two other quality arms in Soriano and Moylan that I’m more than comfortable with pitching the ninth.
David O'Brien
March 30th, 2009
8:28 am
LOL at a screen name that begins with LOL. (And a sentence that starts and ends with LOL.)…
cvbraves, we’ll do what we can. But if Smoltz shows up, as is rumored he will, might be doing some writing in early innings….
Beautiful morning for a ride in on the bike. A little chilly with fog shrouding much of 192, but sun burning through it. Pretty cool stuff … except for the cop in a rather covert position behind a sign, which, fortunately, the guy in the SUV in front of me spotted before I did, slamming on his brakes and bringing me to attention. Crisis averted.
richbrave
March 30th, 2009
8:32 am
Wonder if CARROLL ROGERS is going to the BRAVES-NATS game April 21. Swing by section 206 and say hi.
Ray
March 30th, 2009
8:34 am
DOB, I apologize if this was covered earlier. With the Schafer/Anderson deal. What is the possibility and if it makes sense of both making the team and Blanco getting sent. Have Anderson coming off the bench. I also know that depends on how many pitchers BC plans on carrying.
Willy Wally
March 30th, 2009
8:39 am
How many people said that here last year? A ton. Why has Francoeur gotten so many more chances than anyone else ever? Why do people continue to insist his 2006 was good? (LOL, History Repears Itself)
We’ll ignore the 29 homers and 100 ribbies and just stick to sabermetric value analysis. Francoeur had a Win Probability Added in 2006 of .15, a UZR of 6.7, an arm of 4.5 and just average baserunning. Sorry to break your heart there sweetie but that made him worth about 28 runs above replacement or 6 runs above average. Now when you’re done reading Moneyball, you might want to read all of the other material out there that says OBP, while critical to success, is not the end all, be all of player valuation.
PWHjort
March 30th, 2009
8:43 am
You know what’s annoying? Watching a Tony LaRussa 7-pitcher marathon game.
PWHjort
March 30th, 2009
8:47 am
And I’m not figuring the splits for those LOOGYs because the first play-by-play I looked at involved a pick-off. I just wouldn’t know where to begin.
PWHjort
March 30th, 2009
8:48 am
Ray and others, there’s absolutely no chance the Braves carry both Schafer and Anderson at virtually any point in the season (except maybe September after the rosters expand).
WILLSTER
March 30th, 2009
8:53 am
THEY LOST TODAY AS USUAL, AND ALL YOU BRAVE LOVERS, THIS TEAM WILL FINISH AGAIN IN 4TH PLACE, JUST LIKE LAST YEAR,THIS TEAM NEEDS TO GET YOUNG AGAIN, AND GET A YOUNG MANAGER,LIKE NED YOST TO LEAD THE NEXT 15 YEARS.
10-80
March 30th, 2009
8:55 am
DOB, im sure you could out run any old PO-lice occifer on your Crusading Everyman-cicle
Willy Wally
March 30th, 2009
8:56 am
THIS TEAM NEEDS TO GET YOUNG AGAIN (WILLSTER)
Get young again? Have you checked the roster over the last few seasons? They’ve been about as young as the Harlem Boys Choir.
Thrillhouse44
March 30th, 2009
8:59 am
THEY LOST TODAY AS USUAL – WILLSTER
Already? Dang! What time did the game start? 4:00 a.m.? No wonder DOB was awake and posting then.
Salamander
March 30th, 2009
9:09 am
WILLSTER
The Caps lock key is not cruise control for cool. Quit it. Also, you sound like your head is firmly planted up your a-s with a megaphone attached to your mouth, blaring into your lower intestine.
Mets fanboy I presume?
Random
March 30th, 2009
9:27 am
Welcome, Willy Wally!
Couch Tater (7:35 am): “Everyone has at least one cousin that they are embarrassed by.”
Yeah, and at least half a dozen nephews, it seems sometimes. (Funny del, btw!)
Har de har, DOB.
Couch Tater
March 30th, 2009
9:28 am
Buddy Carlyle was one of our most valuable relievers, last year..
I agree, mbatl, so maybe Earl “The Cat” Carlyle would reflect his nine lives.
David O'Brien
March 30th, 2009
9:30 am
Giles got released by the Phillies this morning. He had six hits this spring, four of them against the Braves.
Random
March 30th, 2009
9:31 am
cvbraves (8:20 am): “No TV. no radio, no MLB.TV for the Braves game today.”
Well, the Gameday link for today is http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2009_03_30_bosmlb_atlmlb_1
David O'Brien
March 30th, 2009
9:32 am
There are going to be about 75 media members here today, including about 50 Japanese.
blausy
March 30th, 2009
9:33 am
I rarely post, though I follow the blog fairly often, and I have never figured out why Mets fans bother to post on a Braves blog. Anyone have a theory?
David O'Brien
March 30th, 2009
9:34 am
Smoltz arrived, wearing Michigan State shirt.
TruthDawg
March 30th, 2009
9:38 am
is this true or is it another rumor that D.O.B. has came up with to make a story??? LOL
Ritchie from Scotland
March 30th, 2009
9:40 am
pity today’s game isn’t on MLB.TV, Kawakami v Matsuzaka surely would have got a few people watching.
Runnin
March 30th, 2009
9:43 am
blausy, I think they just love to attention.
Runnin
March 30th, 2009
9:44 am
I wonder if the game will be broadcast in Japan.
Runnin
March 30th, 2009
9:52 am
I guess not, unless the Japanese reporters brought their own cameras, crews and satellite dishes. duh
LOL, History Repears Itself
March 30th, 2009
9:52 am
Sorry to break your heart Wally boy, but I couldn’t really give a damn about corner outfield defense. It’s just not that important.
Francoeur had a .293 OBP, was third in the NL in outs-made and had an 87 OPS+ (a 100 OPS+ is exactly league average.) His 2006 was not good, period, end of story.
You apologists can do the “Baghdad Bob” act all day long, but the reality is an out-making machine like Francoeur in 2006 and 2008 is not a valuable part to a winning team.
Thrillhouse44
March 30th, 2009
9:56 am
blausy it’s called pennant envy.
Daybed Wagmoe
March 30th, 2009
10:00 am
I heard that Smoltzie’s engaged again
raindawg722
March 30th, 2009
10:00 am
DOB, I apologize if someone has already asked about this, but how did Francoeur get to work with Jaramillo? I think it’s odd that a hitting coach would work with a player that is not on his team. Is this kind of thing common? If so, does it extend to coaches helping players on other teams in their own division? Thanks.
SoWeGa Fanatic
March 30th, 2009
10:00 am
blausy, they’re jealous. Plus, Mets are boring.
Jeff321
March 30th, 2009
10:00 am
Looks like the Dodgers offered Will Ohman a contract. (MLBTR)
McFann :Ô:
March 30th, 2009
10:03 am
DOB–
Any idea who’s catching for us today? Thanks!
Chop Chop, Random–
THanksThanks for the info on striking through words!Willy Wally
March 30th, 2009
10:09 am
Sorry to break your heart Wally boy, but I couldn’t really give a damn about corner outfield defense. It’s just not that important. Francoeur had a .293 OBP, was third in the NL in outs-made and had an 87 OPS+ (a 100 OPS+ is exactly league average.) His 2006 was not good, period, end of story. (LOL, History Repears Itself)
A run saved is a run saved, no matter where it is saved, and a run saved is better than a run created, although the effect is so minimal that it’s hardly worth mentioning. You really should’ve just stuck to using AVG/HR/RBI because your over use of emotion, lack of sabermetric knowledge, and inability to logically process diverse sources of information, leave you looking like a dolt, the kind of dolt that would use the childish moniker you’ve been using, the kind of dolt that says things like period, end of story, the kind of dolt that doesn’t understand how simplistic he sounds when he merely quotes OBP and OPS+ as the end all, be all as if baserunning, fielding and throwing don’t matter. Just go back to drooling over AVG/HR/RBI. Sabermetrics just ain’t for you sweetie. Your mind is too simple.
Couch Tater
March 30th, 2009
10:10 am
blausy,
They blog because they can’t find their dang cellphone.
http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/ptech/10/31/offbeat.mobile.toilet.reut/
Chop Chop
March 30th, 2009
10:11 am
Anyone else hear the first song off of Dylan’s new “Together Through Life” album? It’s called “Beyond Here Lies Nothin.’” Anyway, you can download it free from bobdylan.com until midnight.
Interesting sound for Dylan, I think. It’s got a really cool Santana groove to it (”Black Magic Woman” immediately comes to my mind when I hear the song)…with a little accordion mixed in.
Random
March 30th, 2009
10:16 am
Bubdylan (11:42 pm): “you ever see Waking Life? Where the guy learns to figure out if he’s dreaming or awake when things seem out of whack, by checking to see if digital clocks are acting screwy?”
Sounds good — sounds Philip K Dick-ian. Is it, do you know?
Chop Chop
March 30th, 2009
10:17 am
Zydeco and Santana, maybe.