Hey, slow can be good!

THE BRAVES WILL CONTEND IF …: 3B Chipper Jones plays 150 games. If they can manufacture runs with speed and consistent hitting throughout the lineup. If the starting pitchers each work 200 innings. If closer Mike Gonzalez doesn’t have to finish consecutive games on a regular basis and doesn’t have to make four-out appearances.

There might be some maybe as strong in the last 29 years, but not better…….

Thoughts?

Williams may even be the last (in the early 60’s) to even come back and manage after a HOF career. As to the multi million dollar salaries-despite how long this trend has been around (and it’s been a couple of decades now-Free Agency started in the late 70’s)-there has not been a single HOF player to come back and manage a team in the majors-NONE at all. Why do you seriously think it will change now? Because a bunch of people on the blog think it will? If that were the case, our outfield would now be Coco Crisp, Manny Ramirez and Ryan Freel. There is just no historical basis for the assertions that have been made in this regard. You haven’t been able to cite a single example and base your entire thesis on the fact I mentioned Chipper’s love of the outdoors. Where’s your logic, Dude?

Besides, if you go back and really read my first post, you’ll notice I also mentioned Glavine, Maddux and Smoltz. HOF pitchers don’t come back and make good pitching coaches either. I think the last was Bob Gibson and we all know that was a bust.

Incidently, Kelly Johnson and Yunel Escobar were commonly used players to lead off last season, they will make the team. Gregor Blanco (60 games leading off) and Josh Anderson (24 games) either won’t make the team or have been traded.