Infante out — it could’ve been worse
What’s not for a Braves fan to be pleased about today, when you wake and your team is only 1-1/2 games out of first place, your top three starters are all healthy pitching well, your shortstop is starting to sizzle, and … oh yeah.
You did lose your versatile veteran utility man and best leadoff hitter, Omar Infante, last night to a broken finger that could sideline him until the All-Star break or longer.
Hey, it could be a lot worse, folks. Think of where the team would be if it were not Infante lost for two months, but Chipper Jones, Yunel Escobar, Brian McCann or one of the top starters, Derek Lowe, Jair Jurrjens or Javier Vazquez.
See what I mean? Could be a lot worse. Look at the Mets, dealing with injuries to Carlos Delgado (out for two months or more) and perhaps Jose Reyes.
Yes, could be a lot worse.
Not that this isn’t bad. But it’s part of baseball. Teams deal with injuries, and losing a utility player for two months, even if it was one as productive and versatile as Infante, is preferable to losing one of your top lineup regulars or a key starting pitcher for such a significant stretch of the season.
Preliminary diagnosis was that Infante, who’s being examined by a hand specialist today, was expected to be out at least six to eight weeks. The Braves will miss him, for sure. He’s hit .373 (19-for-51) with eight RBI in his past 16 games, and his .437 on-base percentage in the leadoff role ranked as the third-best among NL leadoff men with enough plate appearances to qualify.
Second baseman Kelly Johnson’s .262 leadoff OBP is the second-lowest among NL qualifiers, better than only some guy named Jimmy Rollins (and can you believe Rollins still has just a .247 OBP?).
Infante also had a team-best .385 average (15-for-39) against lefty pitchers.
But like I said, could’ve been worse. Could have been Mac, Escobar, Chippper, Lowe, Jurrjens….
The Braves will probably explore trades, but it seems unlikely they could find a suitable player at the right price who could do the things Infante does, including backing up center field. And no, Mark DeRosa doesn’t play center.
Diory Hernandez is to be called up from Triple-A to be the second backup infielder along with Martin Prado, and the Braves will likely make do with an emergency center fielder from the group of Prado, Matt Diaz and Jeff Francoeur, who played some center field in the minors).
Rookie Jordan Schafer has played all 39 games so far, through hell or high water (or slumps and strikeouts – many strikeouts), so no reason to believe he can’t keep playing there every day, barring injury.
If he gets hurt in a game, Braves could plug one of those other guys in there for a few innings and have Gregor Blanco or Brian Barton up the next day from Triple-A Gwinnett to play CF for a longer period.
For now, it’ll be up to KJ or perhaps Escobar to handle the leadoff role. I’m guessing Kelly’s going to be the primary guy there for the time being, unless he just falls on his face.
Speaking of Escobar, he’s hit .341 (31-for-91) with 10 extra-base hits (three homers) and 16 RBI in his past 23 games, with a .419 OBP and .516 slugging percentage, and his .450 average (18-for-40) with runners in scoring position ranks second in the NL behind Brad Hawpe’s .469.
♦ Solid at the top: They ain’t the Braves’ Big Three of old, but they’ll do in this day and age. Jurrjens (4-2, 1.96 ERA), Vazquez (4-3, 3.39) and Lowe (5-2, 3.58) have pitched 55 or more innings and led the Braves to the second-best starters’ ERA in the league at 3.84, behind the Dodgers (3.55) and ahead of the Pirates (3.97) and Cubs (4.01).
The Braves have done that despite having two starters with some rather ugly numbers, Kenshin Kawakami (2-5, 5.73) and Jo-Jo Reyes (0-2, 6.58).
Medlen debuts tonight
Reyes was dropped from the rotation last week and gave up two runs in one inning in his first relief appearance last night before leaving the game with a strained hamstring. If the decision on who to send down to make room for Kris Medlen wasn’t already made, it was when Reyes got hurt.
Medlen is set to make his major league debut tonight, weather permitting, with a start against the Rockies in the finale of a four-game series that the Braves lead 2-1 after scoring 20 runs in two wins the past two nights.
Medlen was 5-0 with a 1.19 ERA in eight games (six starts) at Gwinnett, with 44 strikeouts and 10 walks in 37-2/3 innings.
As for the Braves’ current Big Three, they’re all on pace for 16 to 20 wins and more than 200 innings pitched, which is exactly what the Braves hoped to get from their first three starters.
Because of those three guys, the Braves also lead NL starters with a .309 on-base percentage allowed, just ahead of the Dodgers (.313).
♦ Livin’ large: Kawakami hasn’t quite lived up to expectations yet, but the dude’s livin’ large. First, he bought a mansion in the north Atlanta suburbs that had belonged to rapper Bow Wow. And last week, Kawakami bought a black Maserati.
Anyone who’s met Kawakami and talked to him (albeit through a translator, as K.K. speaks very little English) would probably smile while conjuring an image of this seemingly shy, soft-spoken Japanese pitcher living in Bow Wow’s old crib and driving a shiny new Maserati.
”Yeah, he’s straight gangsta,” reliever Peter Moylan said of Kawakami. (Moylan was smiling when he said that.)
♦ Did you realize: The Braves’ 9-4 record since May 6 is the best in the NL East in that span, followed by the Mets (9-6), Phillies (7-7), Marlins (4-10) and Nationals (4-11).
♣ Speaking of music: I’m loving this wild, cool, original CD The Spirit of Apollo by the group N.A.S.A. (which stands for North America South America, not the space agency). Anyone who can successfully blend guest appearances by such a wide-ranging assemblage of talent that includes Tom Waits, Kanye West, David Byrne, Chuck D and Santogold, deserves to be heard by progressive-thinking music fans, I’d suggest. The beats are stone cold, the messages bold, the end result anything but old (OK, that was my sorry attempt at rhyme).
There’s been a ton of great stuff released lately, topped, for me, by that record, along with Steve Earle’s Townes tribute album, Bob Dylan’s Together Through Life, and new CDs by Manchester Orchestra, Bloodkin, Mastodon, Buddy & Julie Miller, Robyn Hitchcock, and Peter, Bjorn & John.
THE GOLDEN STATE by John Doe
You are the hole in my head
I am the pain in your neck
You are the lump in my throat
I am the aching in your heart
We are tangled
We are stolen
We are living where things are hidden
You are something in my eye
And I am the shiver down your spine
You are on the lick of my lips
And I am on the tip of your tongue
We are tangled
We are stolen
We are buried up to our necks in sand
We are luck
We are fate
We are the feeling you get in the golden state
We are love
We are hate
We are the feeling I get when you walk away….
Walk away
Well you are the dream in my nightmare
I am that falling sensation
You are not needles and pills
I am your hangover morning
We are tangled
We are stolen
We are living where things are hidden
We are luck
We are fate
We are the feeling you get in the golden state
We are love
We are hate
We are the feeling I get when you walk away
Walk away
Walk away
You are the hole in my head
You are the pain in your neck
You are the lump in my throat
I am the aching in your heart
1,571 comments Add your comment
Steve from OH
May 21st, 2009
2:43 pm
Imagining Peter Moylan saying “straight gangsta” in his Aussie accent is more than enough to make me smile.
New idea for a sitcom–soft spoken Japanese pitcher moves in with American rappers to save on rent. Hilarity ensues.
bravefaninok
May 21st, 2009
2:44 pm
Thanks for the new blog DOB….
Justin B.
May 21st, 2009
2:45 pm
KK living in Bow wows old crib, thats funny. LOL
kdbanks
May 21st, 2009
2:45 pm
DOB – No shot that Gorkys would get the call to fill in CF if Schafer gets hurt? He’s hitting much better than Blanco and Barton (albeit at AA, not AAA), and is supposedly a plus outfielder.
I wouldn’t mind bringing some speed up to the big club and letting Norton go work out his kinks in the minors, if he’d accept the assignment. Right now he’s not even our number one pinch hitter, even after Infante’s injury.
Willy Wally
May 21st, 2009
2:46 pm
Ain’t nuthin’ gangsta about Lil’ Bow Wow. Alex Trebek is more gangsta than Lil’ Bow Wow.
CB
May 21st, 2009
2:47 pm
DOB I’m suprised you think Kelly will be leading off after the other night,but a major league hitter shouldn’t let where he hits affect him. I’m really looking forward to Medlen’s start tonight, maybe watching our next star.
Chop Chop
May 21st, 2009
2:48 pm
Peter Moylan saying “straight gangsta” is roughly equivalent to Tropic Thunder’s Kirk Lazarus saying it.
Chop Chop
May 21st, 2009
2:48 pm
Alex Trebek got the hollow points for the snitches, Willy Wally.
brent a.
May 21st, 2009
2:49 pm
tired of Jake Peavy . . .
Piedmont Blues (ex-BFIR)
May 21st, 2009
2:50 pm
Thanks for the bloggage, DOB.
(From the last blog, kinda)–
Unless the Braves can find a legit backup CF (I don’t include Prado, Frenchy, or Diaz as options, no matter what Bobby says), you have to wonder if Norton won’t be shopped around, even if it’s just to get some value for him. The bench now consists of a backup catcher, half of a LF platoon, a utility IF (Hernandez), a utility IF/OF who can’t play SS or CF, and a PH who can’t play defense anywhere for more than a few innings.
And the backup CF is in AAA. You really have to wonder if a player with Norton’s skill set just doesn’t fit on this roster.
Joshua
May 21st, 2009
2:51 pm
As a proud resident of the City of Atlanta, I’m just curious as to what high-rise it is that Jordan Schafer has set up his digs in Midtown. Props to not just buying a house in North Buckhead, Alpharetta, Milton, et al.
Macon Braves (RIP)
May 21st, 2009
2:52 pm
For now, it’ll be up to KJ or perhaps Escobar to handle the leadoff role. I’m guessing Kelly’s going to be the primary guy there for the time being, unless he just falls on his face.
And my day was going so well….
Macon Braves (RIP)
May 21st, 2009
2:52 pm
Crap, can someone tell me how you get things to “italics”.
Rev. Otis Nixon
May 21st, 2009
2:55 pm
it HAS been worse. see last season. i know i speak for a lot of fans when i say it’s really frustrating when your team is devastated by injuries year after year. the georgia bulldogs down the road are the same way. is it just a coincidence, or do you think there’s something to this environment that’s harder on the athletes bodies?
RHR
May 21st, 2009
2:55 pm
I replied on the other blog before I saw there was a new one so here it is again.
Thanks so much for the suggestions, guys and uh you too Chop Chop
Pete, she won’t be there so its just the room I’m trying to protect. Plus, its an interior door in an apartment we don’t own so we’re not allowed to install a dead bolt or anything like that or use dynamite, as Chop Chop suggested lol.
Shane
May 21st, 2009
2:57 pm
Was at the Montgomery Biscuits Miss Braves game last weekend. Got to see Gorkys play. He is a little on the skinny side althought I think he will fill out some. One thing is for sure though is he can motor. Scored from first on a double EASILY. Almost like he was gliding home. Think he went 3 for 4
Campillo pitched the first two innings and looked sharp. If KK doesnt pick it up id move Jorge into his spot in the rotation. He was or second best pitcher last year besides JJ
abwright
May 21st, 2009
2:57 pm
Italics…
You enclose the stuff to be italicized with em and /em. Have to use the brackets around each command.
So…
Italicized text
MiltonDawg
May 21st, 2009
2:58 pm
That was total BS what happened to Infante last night, accident or not. 4 hit batters? Medlen needs to make his ML debut by hitting the first batter.
DOB: with Infante out for awhile, and KJ struggling, is there a chance that Cox will stick with that great lineup from Tuesday? I see now rush of putting KJ back in leadoff spot after a great night he had then.
aat
May 21st, 2009
2:59 pm
White Sox and Padres agree to deal for Peavy!!!
Macon Braves (RIP)
May 21st, 2009
2:59 pm
For now, it’ll be up to KJ or perhaps Escobar to handle the leadoff role. I’m guessing Kelly’s going to be the primary guy there for the time being, unless he just falls on his face.
Trying it again…this comment might have ruined my day.
Duke
May 21st, 2009
2:59 pm
DOB, ever heard of Brett Dennen? Try him out if you haven’t.
FaninFaytown
May 21st, 2009
2:59 pm
You know, I think Peavy should possible just become a gm instead of a pitcher.
12:21pm: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says beyond Poreda and Richard, the Padres would choose two players to be named later from a list of four. Axelrod explained the situation to Rosenthal:
“Approval or disapproval is not necessarily black or white. Depending on what is involved could make it more desirable or less desirable. There may be certain things he has to have as conditions. We’re not near the point of talking about that, what he would want to see adjusted if he were to approve.”
Macon Braves (RIP)
May 21st, 2009
2:59 pm
CRAP….:-x
Josh B
May 21st, 2009
3:00 pm
So do you guys think that any of the Braves starting pitchers will play in the All Star game?
a643dp
May 21st, 2009
3:00 pm
DOB,
Just curious how one could fall on his face anymore than 2nd to last?
………….For now, it’ll be up to KJ or perhaps Escobar to handle the leadoff role. I’m guessing Kelly’s going to be the primary guy there for the time being, unless he just falls on his face.
……… Second baseman Kelly Johnson’s .262 leadoff OBP is the second-lowest among NL qualifiers,…………….
Macon Braves (RIP)
May 21st, 2009
3:00 pm
Crap
Steve from OH
May 21st, 2009
3:01 pm
Macon Braves:
Use this formatting:
(em)text to be italic(/em), except use the symbols instead of parentheses.
For bold, use strong, and to link a website, use (a href=”url”)text(/a href)
Hope this helps!
Macon Braves (RIP)
May 21st, 2009
3:01 pm
Ahhhh, finally, thanks abwright
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
3:01 pm
Macon Braves – Just do this (i)italics(/i) and it’ll come out like this if you use greater than/less than symbols.
Eric from MO
May 21st, 2009
3:02 pm
Rev what you talking about this year? I know we lost Chip for a few games and Mac for a couple of weeks but we have not been devestated with injuries. Find one team who hasnt had a couple of injuries.
Macon Braves (RIP)
May 21st, 2009
3:02 pm
thanks as well Steve
Steve from OH
May 21st, 2009
3:02 pm
The symobls you want to use are the “greater than” and “less than” signs…
JJ
May 21st, 2009
3:02 pm
With KJ’s struggles in the leadoff role, why on earth would the HOFer go back to it? Doesn’t make sense.
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
3:02 pm
RHR-
I actually think he suggested C4
(Chop Chop, I like the way you think!)
MiltonDawg
May 21st, 2009
3:02 pm
Josh B: i would say either Lowe or JJ has a great chance of making it, albeit they get great run support and have their games under control.
getnathan
May 21st, 2009
3:03 pm
We all know deep down Braves aren’t gonna go get this highly coveted power hitting RH hitting OF. We know they need it, they know the team needs it, but thanks to the Yankees, baseball economics suck right now, and Braves are sort of handcuffed.
North Georgia Wisdum
May 21st, 2009
3:03 pm
Infante got hit in the hand and got hurt and Francore got hit in the hand and stole a base. That is the problem but Bobby is a dumb to and won’t fix it.
KC
May 21st, 2009
3:03 pm
Macon Braves (RIP), dude… you said it!
It will be beyond inexcusable if Bobby puts KJ back in the leadoff role. How many different times, and in how many different ways does Kelly Johnson have to demonstrate that he’s not a good leadoff man, but is a terrific 6th place hitter????
Escobar can handle the leadoff role, which also minimizes his achilles’ heel… hitting into double plays. I know Kotchman is very slow for a #2 hitter, it worked out ok the other night. Why not stick with it for a while and see what happens?
abwright
May 21st, 2009
3:04 pm
<TEST>
FaninFaytown
May 21st, 2009
3:04 pm
I don’t really see why it took so long to at least try Yunel at leadoff, let alone see why you would possibly change it back after one game.
Willy Wally
May 21st, 2009
3:04 pm
[em]Peavy[/em]
Jersey Gil
May 21st, 2009
3:04 pm
8-5 Phillis, Howard homer….
Eric from MO
May 21st, 2009
3:04 pm
Milton you moron, if Medlen hits the first batter then warnings will be given. Melen is already nervous enough, why in the hell would you make it worse for him. Not like we are going to see the Rockies 14 more times this season. Besides it WAS an accident, you damn lunatic.
Willy Wally
May 21st, 2009
3:05 pm
Nope, still can’t italicize. Starting to feel like Paladin in my lack of computing skill
abwright
May 21st, 2009
3:05 pm
Italics…<em>Italicized text.</em>
RHR
May 21st, 2009
3:05 pm
I’m guessing Kelly’s going to be the primary guy there for the time being, unless he just falls on his face.
Wait…hasn’t that already happened when Kelly hits leadoff? Yunel is a good choice for leadoff, his numbers are good there, no?
Some Blogs Do Wonder
May 21st, 2009
3:05 pm
There are many instances of birds that do not fly.
Are there any fishes that do not swim?
MiltonDawg
May 21st, 2009
3:06 pm
agreed by most of you, if Cox puts KJ back in the #1 hole again, tempers on here will flare. I’d like to see Medlen get his first win tonight with that lineup from Tuesday.
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
3:06 pm
abwright – How did you get that “code” to display? I tried the code tag but there must be a top secret one?
JayDubu
May 21st, 2009
3:07 pm
em When when they announce who being moved off the 25 man roster? /em
Willy Wally
May 21st, 2009
3:07 pm
8-:
RHR
May 21st, 2009
3:07 pm
italics is like this italic text except no spaces in between the characters.
JJ
May 21st, 2009
3:07 pm
KC –
Exactly. The ONE time you mix it up and put KJ in the 6 hole with Esco and Kotchman in leadoff and 2 hole, it actually works. So what do you do then? Gee, lets go back to the way it WASN’T working. Yeah….that makes sense. If the HOFer actually does this like DOB insinuates, then he’s gotten alot older and more senile than I would have guessed.
abwright
May 21st, 2009
3:07 pm
Italics…Italicized text.
Bolded text…<strong>Bolded text</strong>
Links…<a href = “http:your.link.here”>Blue bolded text describing link</a>
MiltonDawg
May 21st, 2009
3:08 pm
Wow ERIC, did somebody crap in your cereal this morning? It was a suggestion man, chill out. And how do you know it was an accident?
corkylikesbeer
May 21st, 2009
3:08 pm
Is it happy hour yet?
Dan_in_NC
May 21st, 2009
3:08 pm
I hope the Braves go back to that lineup from Tuesday…Even if I don’t think of him as a player in the two-hole, Kotchman can be effective in that spot.
Here’s what I hope Bobby throws out there tonight…
Escobar
Kotchman
Chipper
Anderson
Mac
KJ
Frenchie
Schafer
Medlen
J williams
May 21st, 2009
3:08 pm
Dob, You at the stadium already?
BravesinTN
May 21st, 2009
3:08 pm
I apologize for not focusing on this part of the game last night. But, why was Jeff Bennett batting? I thought this might be interpreted by Colorado as “showing them up,” – pinch-hitting with a pitcher. Thus, the next batter, Infante, is plunked. I’m never one to think much about other pitchers purposely hitting batters, but that’s very fishy to me – and I never heard a word about anything. Does anybody else have thoughts about that?
Eric from MO
May 21st, 2009
3:08 pm
Josh yes for JJ. As for Lowe probably if he doesnt have a let down. Vazquez numbers are actually slightly better than Lowe’s numbers, so if he doesnt have a let down he should make it too.
getnathan
May 21st, 2009
3:09 pm
Yes Milton, Lowe (for wins) and Jurrjens (for ERA) should receive all star consideration
Jersey Gil
May 21st, 2009
3:09 pm
The Phillis are playing the Next few games of those Boom Box park..Cinci…Yankee…i heard some record broke in The New Yankee stadium already.
Supes
May 21st, 2009
3:10 pm
(We all know deep down Braves aren’t gonna go get this highly coveted power hitting RH hitting OF. We know they need it, they know the team needs it, but thanks to the Yankees, baseball economics suck right now, and Braves are sort of handcuffed)
There in lays the problem!
Wonder what the deal for peavy will look like when it’s complete (as in what 4 prospects will Kevin Towers plunder from the WhiteSox). I bet it won’t be close to what the Braves were offering, and Peavy is going to a hitter friendly league. Good luck Jake…you could have been a brave, now enjoy playing for Ozzie “I will order you how to play or you’ll be sent down” Guillen.
Fleming
May 21st, 2009
3:10 pm
Chop Chop – Alex Trebek got the hollow points for the snitches, Willy Wally
You are sort a morbid today no. First C4 now hollow points
getnathan
May 21st, 2009
3:10 pm
>BRAVES WIN<
Rev. Otis Nixon
May 21st, 2009
3:10 pm
Eric from MO: no, i meant last year, with the losses of starting pitching, etc. and here it goes again this season with Glavine, Campillo, Chipper, McCann, now Infante. who’s to say the baseball gods won’t strike again tonight? just saying it seems like we have bad luck after all those years of success.
RHR
May 21st, 2009
3:10 pm
C4 isnt dynamite? I thought it was lol.
BBraves
May 21st, 2009
3:10 pm
My lineup tonight would be
Escobar
Kotchman
Chipper
Mac
Anderson
KJ
Schafer
Frency
CJM
May 21st, 2009
3:10 pm
If only Escobar wasn’t the worst baserunner in the league, except perhaps Jose Reyes.
No More Bobby
May 21st, 2009
3:11 pm
Maybe this is a blessing in disguise and Kelly will step it up to prove he is supposed to be the starter at second. Maybe?
KC
May 21st, 2009
3:11 pm
Dan_in_NC, flip McCann and Anderson in your batting order, and I’ll be right there with you!
abwright
May 21st, 2009
3:11 pm
Jeff321, 3:06 pm…”abwright – How did you get that “code” to display? I tried the code tag but there must be a top secret one?”
I just figured it out, so I am so happy.
Instead of typing the < character, you have to type…
&
l
t
;
for the less than character (I’m hoping that putting this on separate lines fakes out the parser) and
&
g
t
;
for the greater than sign.
In words, that would be ampersand, letter l, letter t, and semicolon for the less than sign.
For the greater than sign, ampersand, letter g, letter t, and semicolon.
LT200
May 21st, 2009
3:12 pm
Medlen would ear major props from everyone in the dugout if he drills the first batter (like he should).
getnathan
May 21st, 2009
3:12 pm
Jake Peavy and Will Ohman tried to hold out from the Braves for more money and got less than what the Braves would have given them.
That’s what they get!!!
Supes
May 21st, 2009
3:12 pm
Someone mentioned Greg Norton…as far as I know he can “play” LF or 1B, correct. So no rush to unload him (unless he continues to struggle as a PH)
We’ve got Ross, back up catcher; Prado (infield positions and LF), Matt Diaz (LF/RF)
Bob Vila
May 21st, 2009
3:13 pm
RHR – these all sound like good ideas. Maybe even talk to the super to let them know if they don’t fix it Chop Chop or you will.
RHR
May 21st, 2009
3:13 pm
italics is like this italic text except no spaces in between the characters.
Yeah that worked out great. Where’s my Failcoeur shirt?
Steve from OH
May 21st, 2009
3:13 pm
Willy Wally, any cat with knowledge of the streets knows Alex Trebek don’t play no games…
PWHjort
May 21st, 2009
3:13 pm
Denziens/DOB,
Answer me this. In order to get Alberto Callaspo from the Roylas, we would have to give Francoeur and what? For those of you who don’t have a bio on Callaspo, he makes contact with 95% of the pitches he swings at. And this isn’t an exaggeration, guess, hyperbole, etc… It’s a statistic.
getnathan
May 21st, 2009
3:13 pm
Well not Peavy for the money (not sure, then, what he was holding out for)
MiltonDawg
May 21st, 2009
3:14 pm
LT200/Braves in TN: i made the same suggestion and got blasted for it. I’ve said all along, this team lacks personality. If we go out and show them that we’re pissed and hit on their players…major props. Don’t care if it’s the Rockies or Mets..it’s about RESPECT.
bravefaninok
May 21st, 2009
3:14 pm
:mrgreene:
Jersey Gil
May 21st, 2009
3:14 pm
Well will be at 2 game before game start..Phillis 11-5 in the 7th
getnathan
May 21st, 2009
3:15 pm
isn’t callaspo a utility infielder? (Royals are my distant second team)
bravefaninok
May 21st, 2009
3:15 pm
oops…sorry
KC
May 21st, 2009
3:15 pm
Phillies up 11-5 in the 7th inning in Cinci, unfortunately. It’d be really nice to get a win tonight. Probably can’t gain any ground on the Phillies today, but you don’t want to lose ground. And, with a win, we can pick up a 1/2 game on the Mets, who are off today.
Eric from MO
May 21st, 2009
3:15 pm
Milton how do I know it was an accident? Did you actually watch the game or just see the box score? For one, our pathetic lineup scored 12 runs, which means their pitchers werent hitting their spots. Second, if you are trying to hit someone you dont throw for their hand. You aim for a bigger target like their back. Third if you watched the game you could see it was an accident.
Macon Braves (RIP)
May 21st, 2009
3:15 pm
A link to wordpress formats that I just found…..I hope this hyperlink works, if not I’ll just copy and paste the address in a sec.
Brett
May 21st, 2009
3:15 pm
how about if the Peavy trade doesnt go through we see about a Francoeur and Morton for Dye deal
Josh H
May 21st, 2009
3:15 pm
BravesInTN:
I didn’t watch the entire game, but I’m fairly sure Bennett was batting because he was pitching at the time.
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
3:16 pm
Thanks abwright!
<>
Macon Braves (RIP)
May 21st, 2009
3:16 pm
OH YEAH I think I’m figuring this thing out now.
getnathan
May 21st, 2009
3:16 pm
What about David DeJesus?
AdirondackDave
May 21st, 2009
3:17 pm
Testing for and feeling like an idiot if this doesn’t work.
Macon Braves (RIP)
May 21st, 2009
3:18 pm
OK, maybe not..it’s not letting me click on the hyperlink…
Here is the webaddress anyway: http://codex.wordpress.org/Write_Post_SubPanel
PWHjort
May 21st, 2009
3:18 pm
Yeah, he’s their utility infielder (currently starting at 2B because Availes (sp?) is out, but he’s played so well there I doubt he’ll relinquish the spot when he comes back). He can play a good SS or 2B.
BravesinTN
May 21st, 2009
3:18 pm
I am not saying the Braves hit anyone tonight – if that was to be done, it was last night, immediately after Infante is hit. I still think that kind of retaliation is silly and unneccessary. I’m talking about why no one said anything last night that Infante was hit right after a pitcher as a PH? Am I the only one who thought that was fishy and possibly Colorado thinking that they were being “disrespected.?”
Chuck
May 21st, 2009
3:18 pm
Wonder if Frenchy’s wife is getting closer or further away as his star fades? I think it makes a difference, but I’m old and am finding more truth in old sayings these days. Remember the saying “behind every great man is a supportive woman”, or something like that. It’s got to be extra tough on players that marry young and get the Ricky Bobby experience on top of having their public life unravel. I don’t know the truth in it, but heard Mark Wohlers got that treament. Enough on Frenchy, I guess that’s more of a point on life!
AdirondackDave
May 21st, 2009
3:18 pm
Ok, one more time before in sit in a >corner< with a dunce cap.
MiltonDawg
May 21st, 2009
3:19 pm
Eric: the reason why i was thinking it was not an accident was because the Braves at that point were already up a ton by that point, then to add insult to injury, we added a few more runs. yes, i know those were some fielding errors by the rockies and pitcher tried to come in a little to inside. again, just a thought. I can 1 or 2 people getting hit, but 4??
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
3:19 pm
<strong> </strong>
Steve from OH
May 21st, 2009
3:19 pm
Kirkinga: From An Economic Evaluation of the Moneyball Hypothesis (2006) published in The Journal of Economic Perspectives:
“The diffusion of statistical knowledge across (seemingly) a handful of decision-making units in baseball was apparently sufficient to correct the mispricing of a skill. The underpayment of the ability to get on base was substantially if not completely eroded within a year of Moneyball’s publication.”
Authors are Jahn K. Hakes and Raymond D. Sauer.
They also show that 82.5% of the variation in winning percentage between two teams can be explained solely by OBP. By adding in slugging percentage to OBP (or in other terms, buy using OPS), they can explain 88.5% of the variance.
Yeah, so it was way, way better to use batting average back in the day, eh?
Macon Braves (RIP)
May 21st, 2009
3:20 pm
Ok, don’t even know how I got that one to work. Wasn’t even trying, just copied and pasted….is that all you have to do to put a link up?
Tomahawk210
May 21st, 2009
3:21 pm
DOB
Please tell me that the KJ to lead-off statement was not straight from Cox himself but just something you wrote to give us something to argue and whine about.
getnathan
May 21st, 2009
3:22 pm
CB
May 21st, 2009
3:22 pm
Airondack Dave join me my friend
Macon Braves (RIP)
May 21st, 2009
3:23 pm
Gonna test this out…
Codex wordpress
getnathan
May 21st, 2009
3:23 pm
HTML tag for strong emphasis of text (i.e. bold).
i </em
i’m testing it.
P-Town Brave
May 21st, 2009
3:23 pm
And why would the Royals trade Callaspo?
Macon Braves (RIP)
May 21st, 2009
3:23 pm
That’s not working. It makes it blue, but you can’t click on it. What am I doing wrong here?
getnathan
May 21st, 2009
3:23 pm
Go Braves
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
3:24 pm
Macon Braves – yes just paste a link to have it show up.. The other way is a little more difficult and too cumbersome for me.
Fleming
May 21st, 2009
3:24 pm
BravesinTN – Bennett was not pinch hitting. He was already in the game and pitching and hit for himself
RHR
May 21st, 2009
3:24 pm
Oh crap. I just remembered the curse of DOB. Not good.
Eric from MO
May 21st, 2009
3:25 pm
BravesinTN how were they being disrespected? I honestly see no way that they were disrespected in anyway. Besides it was an accident.
getnathan
May 21st, 2009
3:25 pm
HTML tag for strong emphasis of text (i.e. bold).
i </em
I don’t get it. I’ll figure it out some other time
P-Town Brave
May 21st, 2009
3:25 pm
And please, don’t get me started again on all the reasons why Kelly Johnson should never lead off again!
-Escobar
-Prado
-Schafer
-Hernandez
Those shall all be used in that order before Kelly even sniffed the leadoff spot again.
Macon Braves (RIP)
May 21st, 2009
3:25 pm
Jeff321–I see other people having like one word colored blue and you just click on it. Guess that’s over my head right now though, I’ll just copy and paste anything if I need to.
Bobby
May 21st, 2009
3:25 pm
Mike Cameron would be a good solution but unfortunately he will not be made available with the Brewers in contention for the NL Central.
a643dp
May 21st, 2009
3:25 pm
Now thanks to a 4-5 day by J rollins he and KJ are tied for the league worst .262 ops LOL.
DAP
May 21st, 2009
3:25 pm
im sure that DOB meant to say that he thinks escobar will be the guy leading off…since he started the next sentence with “speaking of escobar…”
right, DOB? i hope so.
abwright
May 21st, 2009
3:26 pm
Special characters…
McFann’s Rally McTurtle…Ô…&#212
Couch Tater
May 21st, 2009
3:26 pm
Attendance figures from the Associated Press. Dropped but the Bud is not foaming.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gXPS_TnTp5Q6H1rf7eGaDU2SZUuwD98AQ1J00
getnathan
May 21st, 2009
3:26 pm
b HTML tag for strong emphasis of text (i.e. bold). okay let’s try this again. GO BRAVES!!
For you Braves fans out there « The Hobnail Boot
May 21st, 2009
3:26 pm
[...] 21, 2009 · No Comments Here’s an interesting little tidbit from David O’Brien’s beat blog today: Kawakami hasn’t quite lived up to expectations [...]
abwright
May 21st, 2009
3:27 pm
Special characters…
McFann’s Rally McTurtle…Ô…&Ocirc
Random
May 21st, 2009
3:27 pm
a643dp (2:29 pm): “Anybody wanting to hear Smoltz pitch tonight here is the link click on Augusta Green Jackets 7:05et
“http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/multimedia/audio.jsp?sid=l116″
Great! Thanks!!!
Lars Taint
May 21st, 2009
3:28 pm
BravesInTN:
Even if we did use a pitcher for a PH, how would that ever be interpreted as showing the other team up? It could be interpreted as showing them up if we put a good player like McCann to PH with a 10 run lead. If you are up by 20 points with a few minutes left in a basketball game and you put your bench in to play or if you take a knee to run out the clock in football would that be showing the other team up? Actions that would unnecessarily increase your lead would be showing a team up, not trying to give them a free out.
Lew
May 21st, 2009
3:28 pm
PWH-Never thought I’d ask this but, what was the BABAIP of this contact paragon?
Lew
May 21st, 2009
3:28 pm
I meant BABIP-I guess I was more stunned than I thought to be asking the question.
getnathan
May 21st, 2009
3:29 pm
HTML tag for strong emphasis of text (i.e. bold).
i </em
Guess I ain’t gon’ get it lol
Random
May 21st, 2009
3:29 pm
That should be http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/multimedia/audio.jsp?sid=l116
Fleming
May 21st, 2009
3:30 pm
Macon Braves (RIP) – To do the one word colored blue you need to use the HTML code for a link. a less than symbol, then a href=URL then greater than — followed by the one word that is your link. Then to claose use lessthan symbol/a greater than symbol. Hope that makes some sense.
John
May 21st, 2009
3:30 pm
Thanks for the new blog, DOB, and for keeping things in perspective, as always. Looking forward to picking up Earle’s tribute album. I admit only a passing familiarity with Townes Van Zandt’s oeuvre – you have any suggestions of where to start with him? I think I recall reading that his studio albums don’t always do his songs justice.
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
3:30 pm
Macon it shows you how to do it right Link text
Look under “An Html Link.”
Steve from OH
May 21st, 2009
3:30 pm
Lew–do you really hate BABIP that much or are you being a bit facetious? Because I’ve never been totally sure…
BravesinTN
May 21st, 2009
3:32 pm
Eric from MO: I didn’t know Bennett was already in the game, I was watching it speed-version thru DVR. I thought they pinch hit with Bennett. I apologize. I wouldn’t take it as “disrespecting” the Rockies, I just thought they might see it that way. Just an observation, not an opinion. I just was curious why no one on TV, or earlier posts, or DOB mentioned it (or much, on here). Just curious. I typically side with hitting batters as “accidental” – and maybe last night’s was…
N8
May 21st, 2009
3:32 pm
I gotta give credit where it’s due. All year (and in the off-season), I’ve been praising D-Lowe and rightfully so, I must add. While at the same time I’ve been using Vazquez as what many of you refer to as my “whipping boy”.
Dude’s been a pleasant surprise. And I hadn’t noticed until DOB started this blog, that his ERA (my “gold standard” for starting pitchers – along with innings, which he’s compiled just fine), has now dipped belowe that of Lowe.
All along, I’ve been saying that I hope I’m wrong about my perception of what Vazquez is, was and will be for us this year.
So far he’s proved me wrong, and I couldn’t be more happy about it.
If he keeps this up. I’m not so sure, that trading him and keeping Hudson is the right thing to do. I guess it all comes down to how Hudson fairs when he returns. If he looks like the Hudson of old, then I think it’s safe to assume, that come next spring, Hudson would be the better choice, add to that, there is a shot of us retaining Hudson long term.
But if Hudson is shaky, it might be a better bet to decline the option, and roll with Vazquez next year. Either way, we’ve got Lowe and JJJ locked in next year. One could assume that Hanson and Medlen will be here to stay by next spring. Leaving room for Vazquez’ salary for one more year.
Hard to speculate at this point, since many things could happen to factor in. Including Trading Vazquez THIS YEAR if we could get a bat for him. Which is almost why I think it’s worth the gamble to bring up both Hanson and keep Medlen up here and see what they can do. If they both are capable, Vazquez could be expendable THIS YEAR.
But either way, NOTHING bad for us, can come out of him pitching as good as he has been. Either he’ll help us win himself, or help us win via trade. The better he is, the more we’ll get in return if need be.
Again. I’m officially drinking the Vazquez kool-aid. As creepy as that sounds.
Art
May 21st, 2009
3:33 pm
Who is going to be released today so Medlen will have a place on the 40 man roster?
PWHjort
May 21st, 2009
3:34 pm
His BABIP isn’t abnormally high. Doesn’t have to be with a 95% contact rate.
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
3:34 pm
Art-
the 40 man is not full…nobody’s getting taken off
Lew
May 21st, 2009
3:35 pm
Steve-In this instance I’m completely serious.
sportsmandh
May 21st, 2009
3:35 pm
RHR, DOB, and others:
Yes, how much harder could the KJ at leadoff experiment fall on its face? I would hate to see how much further it could fall ….
bravefaninok
May 21st, 2009
3:35 pm
Even if they don’t acquire Jake Peavy, the White Sox are apparently “open for business.” Stark takes that to mean names such as Jermaine Dye, Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, Octavio Dotel, and A.J. Pierzynski could hit the market.
PWHjort
May 21st, 2009
3:36 pm
Vazquez has been our 2nd best pitcher all year and is near the top of MLB in strikeouts.
bravefaninok
May 21st, 2009
3:36 pm
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/05/stark-on.html
Steve from OH
May 21st, 2009
3:37 pm
Lew–really? Makes me wonder why making fun of fielding percentage or something is less appealing…
RC
May 21st, 2009
3:38 pm
How does the fact that the White Sox are trying to acquire players in any way indicate they are willing to let go of players for prospects? Those seem to be two different mindsets to me….if they are trying to trade prospects for Peavy, seems more likely they are playing for this year, not looking to sell off pieces for prospects.
Eric from MO
May 21st, 2009
3:39 pm
About time N8 admits he was wrong about Vazquez.
getnathan
May 21st, 2009
3:39 pm
I was going to propose a trade for David DeJesus, who drove in 78 runs last season, but his stats aren’t that impressive. What do you all think?
Lars Taint
May 21st, 2009
3:40 pm
Again BravesinTN, the reason no one mentioned it is because the theory doesn’t make sense. People feel shown up when a loss is being rubbed in, not when they are given a chance for a free out by allowing a pitcher to bat. That is the equivalent of running out the clock.
Lew
May 21st, 2009
3:40 pm
Steve-How else could I p!$$ off you and Shaun?
Macon Braves (RIP)
May 21st, 2009
3:40 pm
Ok, gonna try this again..
Using Wordpress Site
Macon Braves (RIP)
May 21st, 2009
3:42 pm
Dangit
Word Press Help Site
TN Jeff
May 21st, 2009
3:42 pm
BravesinTN
Bennett pitched the inning before and why use a pitch hitter in a blow-out game when you you don’t want to waste a bunch of pitchers and this guy needs to pitch some innings. This was in no-way showing up the team – in fact IF they had used a pitch hitter then that might have been showing up the team.
Cox does some dumb things like in a previous game when he let Moylen bat and then replaced him defensively before the next inning. This wasn’t dumb though.
Eric from MO
May 21st, 2009
3:42 pm
RC I agree, looks to me like they are trying to win, not rebuild.
Macon Braves (RIP)
May 21st, 2009
3:42 pm
Lew
May 21st, 2009
3:43 pm
Steve-I’ve never made fun of any stat-usually just the people that are so wrapped up in them that they get all bent out of shape with anyone who doesn’t care about them on the level. They have their uses, but do nothing to make me enjoy baseball any less or more than I do already.
P-Town Brave
May 21st, 2009
3:43 pm
DOB-
Did you notice your jinx struck again? J-Roll went 4-5 and is now neck and neck w/ Kelly.
Steve from OH
May 21st, 2009
3:43 pm
Touche. Although good bloggers raising doubts about one stat is not something that will even remotely pi$$ me off…
(But all I’m saying is–lots of evidence to support it, dude 8))
Tomahawk210
May 21st, 2009
3:44 pm
DOB
Where’s the damn line-up? It’s already 3:45!
TN Jeff
May 21st, 2009
3:45 pm
Question – Are N8 Comments worth reading? I’ve never read them because of the verbosity. But if worth it, I’ll carve out an afternoon to read them.
N8
May 21st, 2009
3:45 pm
PWHjort, I disagree. JJJ has CLEARLY been our best starter. And I think early, D-Lowe was as dominant as anybody can be. Vazquez and D-Lowe have just slightly flipped spots lately. Which Vazquez stepping it up a notch, and Lowe leveling off a bit.
Eric from MO, please take notice that I stated “so far he’s proved me wrong…” Make no mistake. There is still 3/4 of this season left. In the end, I may still be right (for Braves fans sake – lets hope not). Like I said. SO FAR he deserves props and being true to my word, I’ve given him the props.
Will you be man enough to say that I was right, if he goes on a two month skid pushing his ERA around 4.50?
MFin04 (Time to Get Rid of Bennett, Buddy and Cox!)
May 21st, 2009
3:45 pm
Esco and KJ should not lead off. Esco is a 3 pitch per at bat hitter. Last night he did have some nice longer at bats, but over the long haul, I think he should be lower in the lineup to drive in runs.
Why not try Schafer there? We tried KJ there for a long time and he never broke out of the slump?
Lew
May 21st, 2009
3:46 pm
But what was the Dude’s BABIP?
DAP
May 21st, 2009
3:47 pm
RCHow does the fact that the White Sox are trying to acquire players in any way indicate they are willing to let go of players for prospects?
im not sure, but i dont think the white sox have alot of money to play with. so, since they are trying to get peavy, who is locked up for several more years, it could be looked at as a rebuilding move instead of a win-now move, you know what i mean?
if this is the case, the white sox would assume peavy’s contract for the next several years, and then dump of some salaries and players who are near the end of their contracts (all the ones mentioned are), and then the sox can try to make a move in the next few years, with peavy anchoring the staff.
i dont know what they are trying to do, but i could understand getting peavy as a rebuilding move and a win now move…either one.
Kevin C
May 21st, 2009
3:47 pm
I see according to Jason Stark Dye might be on the market, think he could be had? What cost would anyone pay for him?
Jersey Gil
May 21st, 2009
3:47 pm
Tomahawk210 …gosh..take it easy..DOB don’t work for you…
CB
May 21st, 2009
3:47 pm
I don’t know how others feel, but I love watching our starters this year. They make you feel like you have a good chance every game. JJ right now is a top 5 in the NL, and LOWE and JAVY top 10-15. Now if we can get more out of 4-5 starters.
MFin04 is an idiot
May 21st, 2009
3:48 pm
Because Schafer is a walking strikeout, you moron!
Cameron
May 21st, 2009
3:48 pm
Tomahawk210:
You will get the lineup at like 5:30, chill out.
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
3:48 pm
google
<a href=”http://www.google.com”>google</a>
MFin04 (Time to Get Rid of Bennett, Buddy and Cox!)
May 21st, 2009
3:49 pm
The Phillies make scoring 12-runs look like a walk in the park. They are scary good offensively! Ibanez leading the world in homers now.
Cameron
May 21st, 2009
3:50 pm
MFin04 is an idiot:
I concur. I would lump in any and all that think Bobby Cox is part of the problem and not the solution as well.
Steve from OH
May 21st, 2009
3:50 pm
The Dude doesn’t have a BABIP–he always hits a home run.
(It’s because he is The Dude, after all)
MFin04 (Time to Get Rid of Bennett, Buddy and Cox!)
May 21st, 2009
3:50 pm
I realize Schafer is a walking strikeout, but no one else is suited for leadoff, Escobar, for this team right now, is not a leadoff guy and neither is KJ. No way Bobby puts Diory up there this quickly.
Both KJ and Esco are better served driving in runs.
Boozer
May 21st, 2009
3:51 pm
Awwww the Macon Braves….I missed going to my gandparents on Easter the only time in my entire life so I could see Smoltzie make a rehab start there…and only after an hour of waiting in line I got his autograph…and then some random short player that I didn’t really know at the time…Marquis Giles…it was a well missed Easter.
Macon Braves (RIP)
May 21st, 2009
3:52 pm
Jeff321–That is exactly how I put mine in….I thought anyway. I’ll try it once more I guess, if it don’t work I guess it’s just not gonna work for me.
P-Town Brave
May 21st, 2009
3:53 pm
Lew-
The Dude doesn’t deal in numbers and things…
Besides, I had a rough night and I hate the f’n Eagles man!
toga party
May 21st, 2009
3:53 pm
Steve Earle’s Townes is some great listening, and one hell of a tribute to a great artist. I haven’t listened to anything else since I picked it up, and it just keeps getting better.
This is probably blasphemy to some, but I think Earle’s version of “Poncho and Lefty” is not only better than the original, but better than anyone else who’s covered it. Willie & Bob included.
Macon Braves (RIP)
May 21st, 2009
3:53 pm
google
David O'Brien
May 21st, 2009
3:53 pm
No surprises, Omar and Jo-Jo on the DL. Diory’s up. Going downstairs to get the details and other news.
Danga
May 21st, 2009
3:53 pm
I like Esco batting 1 out of this bunch. A lot harder to ground in to double plays when no one is batting in front of you.
N8
May 21st, 2009
3:53 pm
Eric from MO Also take note, just because Vazquez is doing well, doesn’t mean that it was the right move for this team the way it’s set up (and currently struggling to score runs).
Flowers could have been used as trade bait for a hitter, or the 11.5 million dollars could have been used to sign a guy like Dunn or Abreu (provided they would have wanted to play in Atlanta).
Most of my contention, was that for what we NEEDED in the off-season (I honestly think that one of Medlen or Hanson will be fine up here – if not both), Vazquez was an unneccesary trade for us. But it sure is nice to have the depth.
Because part of that assumption was that Kawakami would be better than what he is/has been.
I’ve never dogged on what Vazquez is. It’s pretty clear what he is. He’s a guy that gives you innings and a VERY league average ERA. Doesn’t get hurt. Sometimes gives you a dominant performance and often gets hammered. My griping had more to do with trading Flowers, and taking on 11.5 million in salary for this year and next year.
Not about Vazquez’s actually ability. As long as he’s the #4 or #5 option in your rotation (even #3 like he is this year), he’ll be fine and just as good (if not better) than most team’s 3-5 guys. But he’s not an Ace. He’s not a savior. And considering how much money we have tied up into the pitching staff, and are not scoring runs, I’m STILL not convinced it was the “right” move.
But either way, he deserves credit for what he’s done SO FAR. That I’ll give him.
MFin04 (Time to Get Rid of Bennett, Buddy and Cox!)
May 21st, 2009
3:53 pm
Schafer has been making adjustments lately and isn’t exactly striking out as much. Maybe at leadoff he will be more likely to put the ball in play and use his speed. It’s just a thought. It also helps to break up Frenchy and Schafer in the order.
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
3:54 pm
Macon if you type it in exactly as I have without any added spaces and make sure the close the “A” tag it has to work, eh.
Steve from OH
May 21st, 2009
3:54 pm
Lew–you should know me well enough to know that I’m going to approach analyzing the game in the same way I analyze things in my chosen field…I suppose that’s just how I’ve been conditioned. Empirical evidence is my thing, you know…
toga party
May 21st, 2009
3:55 pm
damn close tags. Forward slash, how you mock me!
Macon Braves (RIP)
May 21st, 2009
3:55 pm
OK, I give up, I put in exactly how Jeff321 put it in (I proofed it twice) and it still won’t work for me!!
Macon Braves (RIP)
May 21st, 2009
3:57 pm
google
Tomahawk210
May 21st, 2009
3:58 pm
Guys you didn’t sense the sarcasm in that post? I was just messing around.
Rodney Derrick
May 21st, 2009
3:59 pm
I am constantly amazed to read the comments wanting guys like Juan Pierre, Adam Dunn, Pat Burrell, and even Jermaine Dye. These guys may still be able to hit, but they are generally bad to atrocious in the field. When the Braves pitching is good, the defense is usually also excellent. I would rather have a good and fast player in the outfield even if they are not a great hitter. The idea of trading away a future possible savior in Gorkys Hernandez makes me ill to think the Braves might do it for a guy who is getting old (this from a 62 year old) and rusty. When Andruw was great in the field, he was invaluable, no matter whether he was hitting or not.
MFin04 (Time to Get Rid of Bennett, Buddy and Cox!)
May 21st, 2009
3:59 pm
Escobar is bating .270 with no one on base and .344 with runners on. Also batting .447 with RISP.
Eric from MO
May 21st, 2009
3:59 pm
Yeah N8 i will but it wont happen.
P-Town Brave
May 21st, 2009
4:00 pm
Steve-
Then can you explain how the flux capacitor works to make time travel possible?
woogidy
May 21st, 2009
4:00 pm
Braves trade for Dye, it makes them the immediate favorites to win this division. In my opinion. Phillies can’t pitch, Starters or ‘pen. Mets can’t seem to stay healthy or consistent. How different would it be having a serious HR threat in the lineup?
Steve from OH
May 21st, 2009
4:01 pm
Umm, I’m not a mathematician, thank God…
Though I think asking a “Star Trek” junkie might be the way to go!
Tomahawk210
May 21st, 2009
4:02 pm
I like the idea of trying Schafer at lead-off as well, he did well in spring training there(I know it was spring training) but it should be either him or Escobar because I’m getting really tired of seeing Escobar hit into a double play after the lead-off hitter gets on in the 1st. And KJ is not a lead-off hitter.
P-Town Brave
May 21st, 2009
4:02 pm
Guy w/ 2 first names-
Since when have Francoeur, Diaz, and Anderson been good this year out in the field?! For that matter, I haven’t seen him do it in quite awhile but Schafer was running full steam into fences for a bit and playing 2b into 3b…
I would say in adding a bat, we may have little to no concern for replacing one of the current corners…
P-Town Brave
May 21st, 2009
4:03 pm
Steve-
Sorry I had to when you went w/ the whole “empirical” thing…
BTW, thats from Back to the Future…I am no Trekkie!
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
4:03 pm
Macon – If you haven’t completely given up yet.. Just go here and copy/paste the HTML LINK code. That’s what I just did for this to work. NOTE: Change “url” to “http://www.yourlink.com” and of course the “link text” to your own choice.
cphizzle
May 21st, 2009
4:03 pm
dye is to old to be trading for imo i mean i wouldnt give up our talent for a guy who is gonna be productive for a couple years and thats it
wheelz007
May 21st, 2009
4:04 pm
Tonight’s Line-up:
1. Otis Nixon- CF
2. Ron Gant -LF
3. Chipper – 3B
4. McGriff – 1B
5. Sheffield – RF
6. MAC – C
7. Blauser – SS
8. Lemke – 2B
9. The Rookie SP
P-Town Brave
May 21st, 2009
4:04 pm
Toma210-
See my 3:25…it explains the scenario to a T…or at least the shortened version of it
Eric from MO
May 21st, 2009
4:04 pm
N8 Vazquez was the right guy. We didnt know if JJ was going to go in a sophmore slump. Also who knows if Lowe would of signed if not for Vazquez. Also even if we had JJ and Lowe, without Vazquez our rotation would suck. Remember in 06 when Hudson and Smoltz did good but our other 3 spots blew, it would of been the same thing all over again.
MFin04 is an idiot
May 21st, 2009
4:04 pm
Yeah MFin04, perhaps if Schafer’s leading off National League pitchers won’t pitch to his weakness anymore. Makes perfect sense.
Just like firing the fourth winningest manager in MLB HISTORY- a logical decision.
Maybe we should trade for Corky Miller too, he could hit third.
P-Town Brave
May 21st, 2009
4:05 pm
cphizzle-
Um, yeah, we only will need Dye for a couple years…I believe that was the point….oh, and I do believe he has 9 HR right now, which doubles anyone on the Braves.
cphizzle
May 21st, 2009
4:05 pm
gurantee wouldnt have any problem filling the ted up with that line up wheelz007
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
4:05 pm
I should add, on that link above.. Scroll down to where it says An HTML Link.
Steve from OH
May 21st, 2009
4:05 pm
Ahh, from Back to the Future. Can’t believe I missed that. As you can probably tell, I’m no trekkie, either…
MFin04 (Time to Get Rid of Bennett, Buddy and Cox!)
May 21st, 2009
4:06 pm
Schafer is batting .280 with no one on base with .400 OBP
Schafer is batting .132 with runners on base with a .280 OBP
Novice Ned
May 21st, 2009
4:06 pm
Why not keep Esco at lead-off until he goes belly-up? Why put Kelly back in a position to fail? Also, while it could have been worse, it also could have been better. It could have been Francoeur who left for the next 6-8 weeks.
Pierson Brave
May 21st, 2009
4:06 pm
my o my what levels of frustration a single line of code can cause, eh? Macon Brave
Steve from OH
May 21st, 2009
4:08 pm
Schafer is batting .280 with no one on base with .400 OBP
Schafer is batting .132 with runners on base with a .280 OBP
Neither of these are good arguments for batting Schafer leadoff.
Jersey Gil
May 21st, 2009
4:08 pm
12-5 final Phillis win…..OK Braves keep the paces…
MFin04 (Time to Get Rid of Bennett, Buddy and Cox!)
May 21st, 2009
4:08 pm
We know you are crazy when you support Bobby. Bobby isnt a HOF manager w/o Three HOF pitchers. And even if he was good back in the day, he certainly has lost most of his marbles the past few seasons. He is no longer a HOF manager.
"The balls are bigger and slicker here," -Kawakami
May 21st, 2009
4:08 pm
Escobar hits well. But he grounds into many a double play. Putting him in the leadoff spot would prevent this from being to obvious a problem, no?
Eric from MO
May 21st, 2009
4:09 pm
Also N8 you make a huge deal about paying Vazquez 11.5 million for our number 3 guy. What if JJ was making that and Vaqzuez was getting league min. would that be ok? Your logic is dumb. Lets not forget for the past 3 years we payed Hampton 16 mil for nothing. Lets not forget we are paying Hudson 10 to rehab. Now why again is Vazquez worse than them? Other than the fact you and Ozzie dont like him.
MFin04 (Time to Get Rid of Bennett, Buddy and Cox!)
May 21st, 2009
4:10 pm
Steve in combo with Esco’s stats it is a good reason to bat Schafer leadoff. Esco is much better with runners on base and driving people in. If Esco isn’t batting leadoff who is? It is between KJ, Schafer, and Esco right?
P-Town Brave
May 21st, 2009
4:10 pm
Actually dude who wrote the 4:04 post, Schafer was 2 for 5 in his only leadoff appearance so it isn’t like he pulled a Kelly on everyone…
The fact that he leads the team, yes LEADS the team in walks speaks for itself…the K’s are coming down but slowly and he will eventually be a productive leadoff hitter…
Why not start after he has some confidence from last night?
Even though I am saying this, I anticipate the lineup from Tuesday, but then again, why the heck not, we did score a bit and win?!
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
4:10 pm
Apparently Peavy would rather play for Ozzie than Cox! The man has spoken and its time to accept it Cox lovers.
Shane
May 21st, 2009
4:11 pm
Tonights Lineup
Grissom CF
Giles 2B
Chipper 3B
Galarraga 1B
Justice RF
Klesko LF
Lopez C
Wiess SS
Maddux P
RHR
May 21st, 2009
4:11 pm
Is it just me or does MFin’s opinion change within minutes? Or is he just quoting what other people said and replying to it? I don’t get it? Because it’s like…
MFin 5/21/09 2:58 p.m. Schafer is a strikeout machine! He can’t hit leadoff!
MFin 5/21/09 3:00 pm. Schafer is just a kid, he’s learning!
MFin 5/21/09 3:01 p.m. Schafer isn’t really that bad. Let’s see how he does at leadoff now.
Am I just reading him wrong?
Steve from OH
May 21st, 2009
4:12 pm
There isn’t a good reason out there to bat Schafer leadoff. Just isn’t.
Our best leadoff hitters (right now) are either Esco or Kelly.
MFin04 (Time to Get Rid of Bennett, Buddy and Cox!)
May 21st, 2009
4:13 pm
We need to maximize potential for the lineup. Schafer’s speed up top with no one on base might allow him to reach base more often. Especially with better hitters behind him in the order.
Escobar and KJ need to be batting 5/6 in the order to maximize their potential. Yes, Esco GIDPs a lot, but he also hits for a high average with men on base and drives them in. You have to take the good with the bad with him.
P-Town Brave
May 21st, 2009
4:14 pm
MFin-
Really, I am not sure at this point what to do…I would like to bat Schafer leadoff, but then where does that leave Yunel as I really do not like him batting 2nd…
I think Casey Kotchman may have found a home there in the 2-hole…I really do…
So its either Schafer/Kotchman or Escobar/Kotchman take your pick…I don’t like platooning the leadoff hole otherwise I would say Esco take it against LHP and Schafer against RHP…
I could very well see Yunel batting 5th, but I just am not sure I would want that either.
Steve from OH
May 21st, 2009
4:14 pm
And please explain to me how Escobar’s stats somehow magically make a 22-year old rookie who is having trouble right now hitting baseballs a top-notch option for hitting leadoff?
wheelz007
May 21st, 2009
4:14 pm
Good one Shane
Dr. Emmit Brown
May 21st, 2009
4:15 pm
P-Town:
You need an electrical reaction to generate the 1.21 jigawatts of electricity to make time travel possible.
Steve from OH
May 21st, 2009
4:15 pm
No RHR, I think you’re reading him right…vintage MFin. On coke and posting 500 times per minute, with unpredictable results.
DAP
May 21st, 2009
4:15 pm
cphizzlei wouldnt give up our talent for a guy who is gonna be productive for a couple years and thats it
if dye produces for only a couple more years, that would be perfect because thats when his contract runs out. lets get him. (he under contract for this year and then one more option year)
cphizzle
May 21st, 2009
4:15 pm
shane come on now mcgriff over galaraga all day everyday
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
4:15 pm
P-Town Brave – The logjam in the top of the order is because of Gimper Jones. He refuses to bat cleanup because he wants to maximize plate appearances. (I guess he cares more about himself than the team.) Therefore he’s in the 3-hole rain or shine.. assuming he isn’t out with yet another injury.
ChopChamps95
May 21st, 2009
4:15 pm
MFin04, Bobby Cox had that same kind of thinking you have the last and only time Schafer has lead off and look what happened. 0-4 or 0-5 with 3 strikeouts including one to leadoff the game. As poorly suited as Escobar is at leading off since he swings at the first pitch, I’d much rather see him there over Schafer (atleast Esco puts the ball in play even if it is on the first pitch instead of swinging as hard as he can to try to kill the ball and strikeout like Schafer). And I also wouldn’t mind seeing Jermaine Dye come back to Atlanta and ship Francouer out. Frenchy has one of the biggest egos and maybe the worst attitude I’ve ever seen put on a Braves uniform.
CB
May 21st, 2009
4:16 pm
RHR no you are not. Reminds me of a small kid trying to say something to make his grandparents think he is cute.
P-Town Brave
May 21st, 2009
4:16 pm
Steve-
Take out Kelly and the 4:12 statement is fine
Like I said before, my thoughts on options for the leadoff spot:
1) Escobar
2) Schafer
3) Hernandez
4) Prado
Thats all before going back to Kelly…
Once again, why the heck would they want to mess w/ Kelly again after him getting comfortable down in the order and looking like he’s gonna start hitting great again?! There’s really no reason for it!
Fleming
May 21st, 2009
4:17 pm
Macon Braves Looked at the page source from the link you tried to do and you left out the href=URL part. You only put lesthan a greaterthan without the href=www.google.com part.
cphizzle
May 21st, 2009
4:17 pm
you do have yourself a good point DAP i just hate to see them trade a few studs away for an aging dye but its a risk that happens with every trade i guess
MFin04 (Time to Get Rid of Bennett, Buddy and Cox!)
May 21st, 2009
4:17 pm
If you bat Esco leadoff, you take away from his strength of driving in runners in scoring position. I agree that Esco is a better option at leadoff then Schafer. BUT Esco’s numbers down in the order might be more beneficial to the team. It also is possible that Schafer could be a goood leadoff hitter with Kotchman and Chipper behind him.
cvbraves
May 21st, 2009
4:17 pm
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
4:10 pm
Apparently Peavy would rather play for Ozzie than Cox! The man has spoken and its time to accept it Cox lovers.
…I’d rather Peavy play for Ozzie than Bobby, too!
sportsmandh
May 21st, 2009
4:19 pm
For those that complain Yunel hits into too many dps to hit 2nd, if Yunel was batting 5th or 6th you would see even more DPs b/c he would be hitting behind Mac and GA. Two slow guys on the bases in front of a guy that hits into double plays. Not good. Leave Yunel in the 1 or 2 hole.
I say bat Yunel leadoff and Kotch 2nd like the other night, or let Schafer get the chance and keep Yunel 2nd.
MFin04 (Time to Get Rid of Bennett, Buddy and Cox!)
May 21st, 2009
4:19 pm
Schafer is 2 for 5 with a double batting first in the order. I realize its a small sample size…but it isnt 0 for 5!
P-Town Brave
May 21st, 2009
4:20 pm
ChopChamps95-
Actually I had already stated that Schafer went 2 for 5 against the Astros in his only game leading off, yes with 3 K’s…
I do however agree w/ your assessment on Francoeur…doesn’t even look like he cares anymore to be completely honest.
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
4:20 pm
cvbraves – Me too! Seeing that my favorite Escobar was part of that rumored trade.
N8
May 21st, 2009
4:22 pm
Eric from MO, your speculation (which is all it is), is not more on base or off base than mine.
For starters? Lowe is a Boras client (Yikes!), so the dude was gonna sign with Atlanta because we made the highest offer. Period. It’s how Boras operates.
But why assume that the rotation would stink? I don’t care how bad AAA pitching is. If you’re striking out WAY more guys than IP and have an ERA under 2.00 in AAA, odds are, you are going to do OK up here.
But I’ll give you, that based on speculation WHEN THEY TRADED for Vazquez, it might have been the right move.
When did I ever say that I don’t like Vazquez? I wouldn’t want him pitching a 1-game playoff to make or break a post-season birth. Neither would Ozzie.
You need to get over the fact that you are wrong about what I think about Vazquez. NEVER said I didn’t like him. I have voiced that I didn’t like the trade. But have NEVER stated that I don’t like him. Shall I repeat it for you, since I’m pretty sure we’ve had this conversation before. I will just for good measure. Try and get it to sink in this time.
I’VE NEVER STATED THAT I DON’T LIKE VAZQUEZ!!!!</strong.
What do you want me to do or type?
You seem pretty sure that Vazquez won’t falter a little bit. Why? What in his track record (other than your hunch) shows that he’s gonna keep his ERA where it is. He’s always been a high strikeout guy. Always pitched a lot of innings. So don’t use the K/BB ratio and how many innings he’s piled up.
What about his history (it’s a long one) shows that he’s gonna dominate all year? Just asking a question.
Hillbilly
May 21st, 2009
4:22 pm
Bobby decided to juggle the line-up again tonight. Hey, don’t question the guy…we scored 12 lastnight. Here’s what he came up with:
1. Keith Lockhart—- 2nd
2. Casey Stengal—– 1st
3. Chipper Jones—– 3rd
4. Martin Short—— Prado
5. Metamucil——— Thursday
6. Jeff Francoeur—- Strong Safety
7. Pedro Cerrano—– LF
8. Animal———— Drums
9. Kris Medlen——- Platoon
Wes
May 21st, 2009
4:22 pm
If Moylan’s comments really make you smile, I know a joke that will roll you over laughing: Moylan’s ERA.
P-Town Brave
May 21st, 2009
4:22 pm
Here would be the two scenarios for tonight:
Option A:
Escobar
Kotchman
Jones
McCann
Anderson
Johnson
Francoeur
Schafer
Medlen
Option B:
Schafer
Kotchman
Jones
McCann
Escobar
Anderson
Johnson
Francoeur
Which does everyone prefer?
cvbraves
May 21st, 2009
4:22 pm
Jeff321: Also agree on Escobar…think he’s one of the best and getting better.
Steve from OH
May 21st, 2009
4:23 pm
Like I said, it’s 1) Esco, then 2) Kelly. They are our best (and really only) good options to hit leadoff.
Diory Hernandez? Gimme a break. I’d bat Schafer leadoff before I even thought of giving him an at-bat in the leadoff position.
Although, I’m not quite sure why I’m even engaging myself in this discussion because the effect of changing around the lineup is VERY minimal, at best. That said, Schafer should continue to hit eigth until he demonstrates the ability to hit baseballs.
PWHjort
May 21st, 2009
4:24 pm
Nah. Vazquez has been better than Lowe virtually all season. Apart from the first game.
P-Town Brave
May 21st, 2009
4:24 pm
Hillbilly-
Is that Pedro Cerrano pre or post Buddah? Because if its pre, that is one bad man!
FaninFaytown
May 21st, 2009
4:25 pm
hillbilly, that actually made me laugh. That is a rarity with some of the shots at comedy on here.
beekay
May 21st, 2009
4:25 pm
Holy crap!!! Twins are beating White Sox 20-0 in 7th or is that the Vikings over the Bears?
cvbraves
May 21st, 2009
4:25 pm
P-Town Brave: For tonight (and maybe a couple more weeks), I’ll take Option A.
N8
May 21st, 2009
4:27 pm
I logged on today, and after seen the stats DOB posted (I hadn’t looked at the pitching numbers for a while), realized that Vazquez had surpassed Lowe in ERA. Decided to give Vazquez props since I’ve been down on that trade since the get go. (keep in mind… still good mood).
Then Eric wants to start a pizzing contest, telling me what I think of Vazquez, apparently unwilling to accept my quasi-apology to Vazquez and those that stood by him all winter.
So let it state for the record, that I’m now in a ranting mood. You can all thank Eric for that. LOL! Well done my friend.
Wes
May 21st, 2009
4:27 pm
I’ll be completely honest here: I would love to see this-
1. Shafer(cf)- Finally starting to put the ball in play and will see more to hit at the top
2. Prado(2b)- I’ve liked him since his first day up in the majors. The boy can swing a bat and play anywhere in the field
3. Escobar(ss)- Always hits the ball hard and loves being up with guys in scoring position
4. Chipper(3b)- I know he doesn’t like clean up, but between Escobar and McCann won’t hurt anybody
5. McCann(c)- where he belongs
6. Kotch(1b)- Good chance to get some AB’s with men on
7. Franceour(rf)- can’t bat hime 8th or he will never see a fastball for a strike (not that he’d swing at it anyway)
8. Diaz/Anderson(lf)- depends on pitching match up.
P-Town Brave
May 21st, 2009
4:27 pm
Fron Jayson StarK:
Even if they don’t acquire Jake Peavy, the White Sox are apparently “open for business.” Stark takes that to mean names such as Jermaine Dye, Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, Octavio Dotel, and A.J. Pierzynski could hit the market.
Indians GM Mark Shapiro seems to be leaning toward hanging on to Cliff Lee for now. Shapiro may look to add pitching by trading Mark DeRosa or an outfielder. Could that mean Grady Sizemore’s days are numbered in Cleveland?
P-Town Brave
May 21st, 2009
4:28 pm
Wes-
That lineup is actually quite intriguing…I kinda like the thought of Yunel hitting 3 in between Martin and Chipper.
Wes
May 21st, 2009
4:29 pm
PWH: Could NOT agree more. Nothing at all against Lowe, but take away literally two bad INNINGS (a 5 runner and a 6 runner) and Vasquez has been right up there with Johan and JJ for best pitcher in the NL.
MFin04 (Time to Get Rid of Bennett, Buddy and Cox!)
May 21st, 2009
4:29 pm
Steve – do you think Escobar is better suited down in the lineup if we had a leadoff hitter? KJ as well?
Thrillhouse44
May 21st, 2009
4:29 pm
Jeff321, do you really believe Chipper cares more about himself than the team? Really??? Do you not remember him moving to LF so Vinny could come and play 3rd base? That wasn’t for his sake; that was for the team’s sake. How many times has he deferred money so the team could sign a free agent? Answer these questions and then tell me you really believe Chipper cares more about Chipper than the Braves. Think, man.
DAP
May 21st, 2009
4:29 pm
yeah, the white sox need pitching.
Renegator
May 21st, 2009
4:29 pm
I wonder if Francoeur ever regrets his decision to be a professional baseball player instead of a football player…
In two years, when he is out of baseball, I bet he will. Then maybe he can go back and play safety for Clemson and then try to get in the NFL.
getnathan
May 21st, 2009
4:30 pm
IF Yunel is going to work the count, then I like him at leadoff. Kotchman can double him in if he gets on, then you got CHipper (they’ll pitch around him) B-Mac, and Garrett Anderson
Wes
May 21st, 2009
4:30 pm
P-Town- I am dead serious. Putting Yunel in the 3 hole will let him utilize that gap power even more.
Mixxo
May 21st, 2009
4:30 pm
http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-braves-blog/2009/05/21/infante-out-it-couldve-been-worse/comment-page-3/#comment-101860
^^^ This. ^^^
getnathan
May 21st, 2009
4:30 pm
sorry Garret Anderson (one T only)
Wes
May 21st, 2009
4:31 pm
I don’t want Yunel working the count. He knows what he wants to hit, he rips and 90% of the time hits it hard. Put him in the lineup with a chance to hit with men on every time he’s up
MikeR
May 21st, 2009
4:32 pm
Division winning lineup…
F. Alou – CF
F. Milan – 2b
H. AAron – RF
O. Cebeda – 1B
R. Carty – LF
C. Boyer – 3B
H. King – C
S. Jackson – SS
P. Niekro – P
beachcomber
May 21st, 2009
4:33 pm
wheelz007 – You made my day with the 90’s line-up especially the Lemmer in the eight hole.
Back to 2009 – the righty in the one hole followed by a lefty seemed to ignite us and lasted one night. Last night’s lefty occasioned a major line-up change but Esco followed by Kotchman seemed to work well – but it’s back to righty tonight.
Good luck CM!
MFin04 (Time to Get Rid of Bennett, Buddy and Cox!)
May 21st, 2009
4:33 pm
Wes and P-Town you know you are crazy if you suggest Schafer batting leadoff right?
Jersey Gil
May 21st, 2009
4:34 pm
Hey guys remember next Monday is Memorial Day, this is not for celebration is for:……
a day of reflection and remembrance. It is a day to remember all of our Fallen Heroes from all of the wars. It is a day to think about the families that will forever grieve for their lost loved one. It is a day to be thankful to those who have served and made the ultimate sacrifice. They fought and died to win the freedom and democracy that we Americans cherish so dearly. They also fought and died to bring that same freedom and democracy to the people of other countries as well.
With this words i want to salute and said Thanks you to all who served in the Armed Force in this Blog.
Hillbilly
May 21st, 2009
4:34 pm
P-Town Brave, I asked Bobby if it was Pre- or Post- Cerrano and his answer was:
“Kid’s been hitting the ball hard, but everyting’s just right at somebody. The weather sure is nice. BINGO!” Then he turned around and yelled at Medlen and Schafer who were walking across the infield, “Get off my lawn!”
MattyRoss
May 21st, 2009
4:35 pm
“Hey guys, we gotta convince Peavy to come here. So let’s make a good show. Let’s play well. Let’s not lose by, I don’t know, 20 runs. HAHAHA that’d be crazy right?”
Whoops.
Wes
May 21st, 2009
4:35 pm
Why? Because he’s the only member of the Braves since ‘03 that can run under a 5.0 40? K’s have gone down. Infront of a Prado, Esco and Chipper he will see a whole hell of a lot more to hit than he does batthing in front of the pitcher or Francoeur.
Mixxo
May 21st, 2009
4:35 pm
Renegator – I seriously think he should explore something other than baseball while he’s still (barely) young enough, but he’s going to have to find his “explosive” side. Seems he’s lost any of that…. he may have had.
Sad.
nolie
May 21st, 2009
4:35 pm
and as i said yesterday, the argument can be made that he has more power potential than anyone on the braves except for chipper and mccann. its worth looking into for a small price. (DAP)
gotta disagree with that one big time. He had three years in double figures in two of the best hitting parks in baseball. That is not likely to mean he’s gonna hit more than a dozen in Atlanta. probably not even that. No way to be sure beforehand of course, but his power totals in other parks than texas and Chitown are pretty paltry. I definitely would not give up anything worth having for the guy, especially any promising pitching which is what Cleveland seems to be looking for. Just not worth it IMO. .240 with 2 out RISP and .250 late & close are nothing to write home about.
cphizzle
May 21st, 2009
4:35 pm
makin the trip from north al to the ted this weekend for sat and sun any suggestions as to where to dine and hang while im in town
L-TownScrub21
May 21st, 2009
4:35 pm
Would a deal with the Red Sox be out of the realm of: KJ and Frenchy for a sign and trade of Bay. Lowrie and Pedroia are hurt and I think Frenchy would hit good in the 8 or 9 hole of their lineup? Just a thought, but since Bay is a free agent we would have to agree to a deal to make trade not just a rental.
Thrillhouse44
May 21st, 2009
4:36 pm
Jersey Gil, thanks for putting it in perspective, bud.
N8
May 21st, 2009
4:37 pm
“Nah. Vazquez has been better than Lowe virtually all season. Apart from the first game.” PWHjort
No. You’re wrong. But barely. Lowe has made 9 starts. Allowed 2 runs or less in 6 of them. One of those starts was the rain shortened start where he went 3 innings. Allowing 0 runs once. 1 run once. 4 runs or more twice (4 once, and 6 once).
Vazquez has made 8 starts, and allowed 2 or less runs 4 times. 0 runs once. 1 run once. 4 or more runs twice (5 once and 6 once).
Vazquez has gone at least 6 innings in all of his starts. 7 or more innings 4 times. Lowe has had 3 starts of less than 6 innings. The rain shortened start. And two other starts where he went 5 innings – which were the two starts that he gave up 4 and 6 runs respectively.
So Vazquez has gone deeper more often. But Lowe has given up 2 runs or less in 2/3 of his starts. While Vazquez has done it in 1/2 of his starts.
It’s so close that it’s probably not worth arguing over. But Lowe has given us (and our weak offense) a better shot at winning on a regular basis by allowing 2 runs or less more often.
Just my opinion I guess, but don’t let those silly numbers get in the way.
Il Cattivo
May 21st, 2009
4:37 pm
RHR
It seems like MFin has gotten under your skin quite badly, overt the last few days. I used to get annoyed with him too. Think of him as a kid who has nothing better to do and just keeps flipping from topic to topic. Frankly I think he just reads stuff somewhere else and posts it – never anything original or useful. Right now he is just noise to me – skip all his posts.
P-Town Brave
May 21st, 2009
4:37 pm
L-Town-
If only a dream could become reality, that would be it!
cphizzle
May 21st, 2009
4:37 pm
i know frenchy has been strugglin the last two week but it is maginfied because of last year. the guy still has 21 rbis second on the team, 37 hits third on the team and his 2 homers are tied for second so it aint as bad as it is being portrayed
nolie
May 21st, 2009
4:38 pm
(RANDOM)
thanx for the pitching previews on the other blog.
Wes
May 21st, 2009
4:38 pm
L-Town if you think the Sox are trading Bay for anything, you’re nuts.
P-Town Brave
May 21st, 2009
4:38 pm
N8-
Didn’t Javy only go 5 last night?
cphizzle
May 21st, 2009
4:39 pm
typo 3 homers
P-Town Brave
May 21st, 2009
4:39 pm
cphizzle-
His 2 homers tied for 2nd on the team…..LMAO!
You should do stand-up!
Eric from MO
May 21st, 2009
4:39 pm
N8 your posts speak for themselves that you dont like Vazquez. As for Lowe not coming here, did you see how many other FA jolted from the Braves this offseason. I believe AJ was a Boras agent and he accepted less money with the Braves once upon a time. So you are off base right there. The player is the one who signs the contract. As for him faltering, whos been right so far? Last year he was in a pitchers park and he isnt a AL pitcher. Odd Im the one who has been right so far and yet Im the one off base. Whatever!
Wes
May 21st, 2009
4:39 pm
cphizzle – Struggling the last two WEEKS?????
How about: struggling for the last two and a half YEARS.
DAP
May 21st, 2009
4:42 pm
nolie
thats fine if you disagree….its why i said its arguable. i really do think the only two guys on the braves, other than chipper and mac that MIGHT be able out power (as far as homeruns) derosa is escobar and kelly. i think he right there in that power-category. thats why i said it.
keep in mind that during his atlanta years, if you figure out how many homers he was on pace for in a full season worth of at bats, he would have had several years of double digit homers in atlanta.
Eric from MO
May 21st, 2009
4:42 pm
N8 no one cares if your in a ranting mood. Your a moron and are rarely right.
cphizzle
May 21st, 2009
4:42 pm
easy now fellas he had a down right horrible years last year but his productions hasnt been as bad this year as my fellow bloggers have said. all im sayin is his production this year is not that far off from everybody else on the team so lets lighten up and see what happens
Wes
May 21st, 2009
4:42 pm
KJ and Francoeur for Jason friggin’ Bay??????
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Mixxo
May 21st, 2009
4:42 pm
cphizzle –
…and I’m pullin’ for him as hard as the next guy, but I can also read his body language. It says to me… …I’m lumbering, slow, struggling, fighting it, and running out of adjectives…
MFin04 (Time to Get Rid of Bennett, Buddy and Cox!)
May 21st, 2009
4:42 pm
Escobar in front of Kotchman didn’t necessarily “work” the other day.
Lead-off inning – ground out
Batted 5th with runners on 1st and 2nd- singled to load the bases
Lead-off inning – ground out
Batted 3rd in inning – strike out
Batted 4th in inning – HBP
Eric from MO
May 21st, 2009
4:43 pm
Well Im going golfing and drinking. Enjoy your ranting N8!
Macon Braves (RIP)
May 21st, 2009
4:43 pm
Jeff321–Thanks for the help, I’ll get it one day. I guess just copying and pasting like you said will be the way for me to go.
Pierson–You ain’t lying about that frustration!!
Fleming–I put the herf= and all in. Copied it just like Jeff showed it. Guess I just got a lot more to learn with this WordPress deal. Hey, maybe AJC can send us to the same training DOB went too?…Or not I guess
cphizzle
May 21st, 2009
4:43 pm
p-town brave i glad i could provide a good gut buster for you today no charge for that one
RHR
May 21st, 2009
4:44 pm
I’m just trying to understand how to read it, II Cattivo. He’s not really bothering me.
P-Town – I greatly prefer option A but B is funny.
Jersey Gil
May 21st, 2009
4:44 pm
Sorry guys to change the subject…
I Just post that because and young lady just walk to my office the other day and she was braging about a big plan of celebration for Memorial day weekend.I ask her if she know what is she celebrating, and she not have a clue….
Now ..Back to baseball….
ESCOBAR
May 21st, 2009
4:45 pm
BEST PLAYER ON THE TEAM
MFin04 (Time to Get Rid of Bennett, Buddy and Cox!)
May 21st, 2009
4:47 pm
Jersey Gil – people in America have very little love or respect for the country anymore, anything to get a day off of work. It’s sad, I know.
cphizzle
May 21st, 2009
4:47 pm
escobar worst hair and even worser teeth on the team
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
4:48 pm
Macon unless that was a typo.. its not herf — its href.
BravesFan
May 21st, 2009
4:48 pm
My Lineup
1. Escobar, SS
2. Kotchman, 1B
3. Chipper, 3B
4. Murphy, RF (That’s right boys and girls)
5. BMac, C
6. GHubbard, 2B
7. MDiaz, LF
8. Schafer, CF
Where’s frenchy you ask? Clemson.
Jonathon
May 21st, 2009
4:48 pm
Kelly Johnson career vs. Aaron Cook: 0 for 9
Yunel Escobar career vs. Aaron Cook: 3 for 8
I think it’s a good bet you’ll see Esco hitting leadoff tonight with Kotchman in the 2-hole. Chipper is 7 for 17 vs. Cook.
Random
May 21st, 2009
4:49 pm
TN Jeff (3:42 pm): “Bennett pitched the inning before and why use a pitch hitter in a blow-out game when you you don’t want to waste a bunch of pitchers and this guy needs to pitch some innings. This was in no-way showing up the team – in fact IF they had used a pitch hitter then that might have been showing up the team.
“Cox does some dumb things like in a previous game when he let Moylen bat and then replaced him defensively before the next inning. This wasn’t dumb though.”
Letting Moylan hit for himself before being replaced by another pitcher the next inning wasn’t dumb in that particular game, either.
Just as a manager might sometimes not want to run through his bullpen too early in a game (”you don’t want to waste a bunch of pitchers”), sometimes he doesn’t want to run through his bench too early in a game, either.
If the pitcher who came in for Moylan was a better hitter, then yeah, he should have pinch hit for him. But he wasn’t.
It was 13 May at NY.
O’Flaherty pitched the 6th, and was pinch hit for by Norton in the 7th. Kotchman pinch hit for Diaz to end the 7th (Prado played 1B all game) and was replaced in the field by Francoeur (Diaz had started in RF). Moylan came in to pitch the bottom of the 7th.
Kelly Johnson pinch hit for Schafer with 1 out and Prado on 2B and doubled him home to put the Braves up 7-6 (Infante had started at 2B and later shifted to CF after Schafer was pinch hit for). Then the pitcher’s spot came up with only 1 bench player left — McCann.
Moylan hit for himself because the next pitcher to come in was Soriano. Moylan’s career OBP and OPS are 167 points higher than Soriano’s, so letting him hit for himself was a no-brainer.*
Cox did eventually bat McCann for Parr in the 10th (ground out), and then Kawakami for Bennett in the 12th (K). Braves won on Prado’s 12th inning HR, with Gonzalez getting the save in the bottom of the inning.
So imo it wasn’t dumb at all for Cox to let Moylan bat in the 7th before replacing him with Soriano in the 8th — there was a whole lot of baseball yet to be played at that point and he had already run through most of his bench.
* In their respective 4 and 5 career ABs, neither Soriano nor Moylan have a hit. But Moylan did get a BB once.
PS: This was another game in which Bennett pitched two scoreless innings like he did last night, with 1 hit and 0 BBs (1 K). He got the win.
N8
May 21st, 2009
4:49 pm
Eric, your “off base” because you’re assuming I don’t like Vazquez.
I don’t know how many times I have to retype this. NEVER liked the trade. Don’t have a problem with the guy. NEVER liked the trade. Don’t have a problem with the guy. NEVER liked the trade. Don’t have a problem with the guy. (just ask, and I’ll copy and paste it a few more times)
So the “your posts speak for themselves that you don’t like Vazquez” comment is OFF BASE. Let me repeat. Didn’t like the trade. Don’t have a problem with the guy. He’s been a mediocre pitcher his whole career, and I think that Hanson could do that for less than 11.5 million dollars and Tyler Flowers. WHAT PART of that don’t you understand.
Repeat after me. Didn’t like the trade. Don’t have a problem with the guy.
As for AJ? He did an end-around with Boras and signed that deal on his own, and Boras was PIZZED about it.
You think it wasn’t about the money? Ask yourself the question. If the Braves offer would have been the EXACT same as the other teams that made offers to Lowe, do you still think he comes to Atlanta?
Sure the player is the one who signs the contract. Then why is JS and Wren pizzed with Furcal’s agency rather than Furcal? Don’t be so naive.
ChopChamps95
May 21st, 2009
4:49 pm
My mistake on the stats. I could have sworn Schafer went 0-5 with 3 strikouts that game he hit leadoff. I must have had it mistaken with about 15 other games with those same kind of stats. I just don’t think he’s ready to move up yet. He’s making steps in the 8 hole to turn his game around. Putting him back up top will put a ton of pressure on him to get on base and be effective and if he performs poorly he’ll be right back at square one and have to start it over again. He’s no Dexter Fowler, just be patient and take his time.
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
4:49 pm
Thrillhouse44
do you really believe Chipper cares more about himself than the team? Really???
My exact quote was, “I guess he cares more about himself than the team.
Do you not remember him moving to LF so Vinny could come and play 3rd base? That wasn’t for his sake; that was for the team’s sake. How many times has he deferred money so the team could sign a free agent? Answer these questions and then tell me you really believe Chipper cares more about Chipper than the Braves. Think, man.
Yes I rememeber Gimper getting jettisoned to left field and deffering money. But, I have yet to hear exactly WHY he feels the “3 hole” is the only place he wants to bat. (IMO, it hurts the team because he’s the best cleanup type hitter we have on the team right now.)
Btw, I can’t figure out who missed more when diving for balls.. him or KJ.
Wes
May 21st, 2009
4:49 pm
WORK’S OVER. LET’S GO MEDLIN!
Jonathon
May 21st, 2009
4:50 pm
Those stats are for games since 2004, btw.
RHR
May 21st, 2009
4:51 pm
No apologies needed, Gil. Good on you for filling her in. I got a great email yesterday about Memorial Day. If you have an email address you don’t mind putting out on the blog I’ll send it to you.
In an EXTREMELY aggravating mood...
May 21st, 2009
4:51 pm
DOB….where’s the lineup for tonight??? GEEEZ, get on it pal!
Macon Braves (RIP)
May 21st, 2009
4:51 pm
If the White Sox want Peavy to waive his no trade clause and come play for them, they better hope he’s not watching their game today. They’re down 20-1 going into the 9th!!
WestPalmDawg
May 21st, 2009
4:52 pm
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOCCCCCCCCCCCK—-thewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
Go get em Kris, you can’t do any worse than Jo-Jo
RHR
May 21st, 2009
4:52 pm
I hope DOB got (or gets) a chance to talk with Medlen before the game. Can you imagine what that kid is feeling right about now?
Random
May 21st, 2009
4:53 pm
nolie–
Yer welcome.
dylan w/o the dead
May 21st, 2009
4:53 pm
Chipper is a team player flat out he loves this organization and has said multiple times he wants to play his entire career here. It would be silly to move one of the best 3rd slot hitters in braves history to 4th if it makes him uncomfortable at all. the truth is batting order doesnt make a difference other then mentally. our lineups production wouldnt improve by taking at bats from our best hitter just to move him into the percieved power spot of the lineup.
Macon Braves (RIP)
May 21st, 2009
4:54 pm
Yeah, it was a typo. What I don’t get is, it turns my link word blue, but it doesn’t link. I don’t know, I’ve confrused myself now (yes, that’s an itentional typo on confrused)
nolie
May 21st, 2009
4:54 pm
’m shocked that with Infante’ going down the blog hasn’t been flooded with Wilson Betemit trade requests. (N8)
I guess Wilson’s day has finally passed to be a Braves savior. Looks like DeRo is the newly anointed compulsion.
Jersey Gil
May 21st, 2009
4:54 pm
Wes..medlin is the Magictian….Medlen is the Little guys with big hart that pitching tonight.
Lew
May 21st, 2009
4:54 pm
Jeff321-It doesn’t matter if Chipper bats third or fourth if there’s no one worth a damn hitting behind him.
Macon Braves (RIP)
May 21st, 2009
4:54 pm
google
N8
May 21st, 2009
4:55 pm
Eric calling me a moron says more about your character than mine. Well done. When my 8 year old gets pizzed at my 10 year old and has nothing better to repsond with, he usually starts the name calling to.
Have fun golfing. If you see any lightning your way, stay out a little longer.
Macon Braves (RIP)
May 21st, 2009
4:55 pm
HEY WHATTA YA KNOW!!!!!!!!
I’m feeling good now!! GO BRAVOS
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
4:56 pm
It would be silly to move one of the best 3rd slot hitters in braves history to 4th if it makes him uncomfortable at all.
Yeah, making sure Chipper is “comfortable” is way more important than putting more wins on the table! Isn’t Chipper a grown man? If he’s such a HOF type player then why can’t he switch to clean up?
Jersey Gil
May 21st, 2009
4:56 pm
RHR …yes email me to : criollocag@comcast.net…
Thanks
Macon Braves (RIP)
May 21st, 2009
4:57 pm
Maybe I was spelling herf instead of href. Oh well, it worked once anyway (gonna stop while I’m ahead now though)
Who needs AJC WordPress training when I got good ole Jeff321 and the rest of you guys…THANKS
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
4:58 pm
Macon – I found a new site try pasting from the first line on Title the visitor sees. one.
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
5:00 pm
Macon – Sorry I messed up that link. Try this one.
P-Town Brave
May 21st, 2009
5:00 pm
I thought that was Merlin, but ok…LoL
Where the heck is the lineup already…I have to go play softball soon…I at least want to be excited or freaked out before I go!
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
5:01 pm
Let me find another link that one is whacked.
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
5:02 pm
Hyperlink Code
TnBrian
May 21st, 2009
5:02 pm
For all the Prado lovers, including myself, one thing for sure is that he ain’t going anywhere for a long time. Bobby loves the guy and he’s quickly turned into a fan favorite, so I’ll shave every hair on my body if Prado gets traded in the near future. That’s how confident I am.
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
5:04 pm
It doesn’t matter if Chipper bats third or fourth if there’s no one worth a damn hitting behind him.
Lew, I don’t about you, but I think McCann is worth a damn. That said, its all about who’s on base before him to me. I mean, if the sacks are jacked they could int’l walk him and bring in a run.
Lew
May 21st, 2009
5:05 pm
Jeff321-And how exactly, do you figure that we would have won more games with Chipper batting fourth? First of all, the only time this season he wasn’t able to hit was when McCann was on the DL and they kept walking him. Since then, both McCann and Anderson have actually knocked in quite a few runs from the 4th spot and Kotchman has knocked in his share too, from further down.
While Mac And Anderson were on the DL, hardly anyone besides Chipper with his walks was even getting on base and there was no one hitting behind him to protect him so batting 3rd or 4th wouldn’t have made any difference. He was getting walked either way.
P-Town Brave
May 21st, 2009
5:05 pm
TnBrian-
Thanks for the confidence builder…
I myself also enjoy watching Prado play…
But please…refrain from the body shaving…
P-Town Brave
May 21st, 2009
5:06 pm
Lew-
At that point, we would’ve had to go w/ Schafer/Esco/KJ/Chipper to make that lineup work.
Glen W
May 21st, 2009
5:07 pm
Having played a little baseball, my guess is that Chipper is more comfortable knowing that he is going to get an at bat in the first inning. He is a a very cerebral player, so that would not suprise me. Oh, and keeping your best players comfortable is a pretty big deal.
Chop Chop
May 21st, 2009
5:07 pm
Jeff321,
Chipper can’t hit cleanup because he’s a selfish p***y. Dude’s only got one ring, so where the hell does he get off? Screw him and his stupid team.
Go whoever’s gonna win the World Series this year.
Peace out.
nolie
May 21st, 2009
5:09 pm
Maggs has a .387 Avg against all NL East teams combined w/ 12 HR and 50 RBI (P-TOWN)
he also has an 18 million dollar contract. The Braves couldn’t afford 5 mil in the spring for an outfielder. Anybody who thinks the Braves are gonna spring a lot of money with that history and terrible attendance at the Ted is fooling themselves IMO. Dye or Maggs is not gonna happen, though either would be a nice addition to the team.
KC
May 21st, 2009
5:10 pm
No lineup yet????
buzzmeat (BMAC AT CLEANUP!)
May 21st, 2009
5:10 pm
LINEUP?
Braves FAN 2478
May 21st, 2009
5:14 pm
Thanks DOB for talking alot so far today! J/k
bravefaninok
May 21st, 2009
5:14 pm
There drawing straws in the dugout ,short straw leads off…..
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
5:14 pm
Lew – I agree that Kotchman & Anderson have driven in runs in the cleanup spot. But, all I hear from the “knowitall’s” is Chipper needs protection. So, McCann is the most feared hitter besides Chipper on our team. It makes sense to bat them back to back.
While Mac And Anderson were on the DL, hardly anyone besides Chipper with his walks was even getting on base and there was no one hitting behind him to protect him so batting 3rd or 4th wouldn’t have made any difference. He was getting walked either way.
Which can be partly blamed on Cox for his stubborn “KJ for lead off” fetish. The guy doesn’t like hitting lead off. Which is why his numbers are much better batting lower in the order.
The problem with Chipper in the 3 hole is: He rarely has anyone to drive in. (Assuming KJ is leading off and Escobar is hitting into a DP if KJ manages to get on.)
Plus the same can be said for Kotchman (who I happen to love) and his batting spot. What if he drove in runs with his team leading doubles in every at bat? Right. He is a #2 hitter all the way. (Then studly Chipper would have someone to drive in.)
Goldenglove002
May 21st, 2009
5:14 pm
Wasn’t Diorys hernandez part of the Renteria trade also. We really have to laugh hard at Detroit now that he has come up also.
Buffalo NY Braves Fan
May 21st, 2009
5:15 pm
Chipper said before the season started that he would hit cleanup if he was asked. Apparently Bobby hasn’t asked him.
csg
May 21st, 2009
5:15 pm
Goldenglove, No, its was Gorkys Hernandez and Jair Jurrjens
Buffalo NY Braves Fan
May 21st, 2009
5:16 pm
goldenglove002,
you’re thinking of Gorkys Hernandez, not Diory.
P-Town Brave
May 21st, 2009
5:17 pm
Jeff-
So in your scenario, let me get this right, do you have BMac hitting 3rd and Chipper 4th?
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
5:18 pm
Chop Chop – Your comedy act is getting tired dude.
nolie
May 21st, 2009
5:18 pm
At age 25, if Francoeur’s HS class hasn’t graduated from college yet, I’m not so sure they should have been admitted to begin with. (LEW)
LOL, yeah that was a pretty stupid comment from the scout. .
Maybe they are all gonna be doctors?
Piedmont Blues (ex-BFIR)
May 21st, 2009
5:19 pm
Howdy Lew,
I thought the experiment LaRussa ran last year hitting his pitcher No. 8 and a “second leadoff guy” ninth (guaranteeing Pujols an AB in the first inning) was goofy, but perhaps it wasn’t so strange after all. And maybe it would work for the Braves, not that Cox would ever do something so unorthodox.
But if you want to keep Schafer at the bottom of the order, why not put him in the nine spot? If he gets on base, he’s up with the top of the order behind him. And he’s clearly the biggest base-stealing threat on the club.
If he doesn’t get on, you’ve already turned over the lineup anyway.
I hate giving that smug SOB LaRussa props for anything, but he may have actually called this one right.
Thoughts?
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
5:19 pm
P-Town – I’m not really one of these lineup junkies. I have never posted one myself. That said, Chipper would bat 4th and McCann 5th. Obviously the first 3 should be people that have the best chance to get on base. Therefore, if Chipper delivers like he’s advertised to do.. We’d win more ball games. Plain and simple.
bravefaninok
May 21st, 2009
5:20 pm
You want your best hitter(Chipper) to bat in the first inning. The only way he should bat cleanup is if several guys were hitting for higher average .
P-Town Brave
May 21st, 2009
5:22 pm
Jeff-
And those people would be _______, __________, and _________?
woogidy
May 21st, 2009
5:23 pm
All this lineup talk is getting OLD, and boring.
Random
May 21st, 2009
5:23 pm
OOps — I meant to say “So imo it wasn’t dumb at all for Cox to let Moylan bat in the [top of the 8th] before replacing him with Soriano in the [bottom]“.
A further point — Moylan batted for himself because Soriano was busy warming up to pitch the bottom of the 8th.
If Soriano had held them in the 8th, Gonzalez would have gotten the save in the 9th rather than the 12th.
Chop Chop
May 21st, 2009
5:23 pm
Jeff321,
Your act never gets tired. I salute you.
Goldenglove002
May 21st, 2009
5:23 pm
I remember someone telling me that he was a third player involved in the trade (I knew it was Gorkys and JJ). So if not where’d Diory come from?
P-Town Brave
May 21st, 2009
5:24 pm
I really think the only way Chipper were to bat cleanup is either a) if BMac did hit 3rd OR if Schafer, Escobar, and Kelly were all hitting well…then you could conceivably bat KJ 3rd, even though I still prefer him 6/7.
P-Town Brave
May 21st, 2009
5:25 pm
Chop Chop-
Hope you picked me up in the fantasy softball league for tonight…I’m feelin real strong!
Mixxo
May 21st, 2009
5:26 pm
How do y’all leik my “act?”
jus wonderin’
Jerry
May 21st, 2009
5:26 pm
diory at one time was at rome with mac and frenchy
P-Town Brave
May 21st, 2009
5:27 pm
Goldenglove-
He came from the Dominican…somewhere after April 8, 1984
Chop Chop
May 21st, 2009
5:29 pm
I dropped you, P-Town Brave. Your BABIP has been too high. You’re due for a regression to the mean. Also, your OPS is a little low. You do a pretty good job of getting on base, but the power just isn’t there. With that BABIP drop hanging over my head like the Sword of Damocles, I just couldn’t justify allowing you to become an overall drag on my lineup. Sorry, dude.
P-Town Brave
May 21st, 2009
5:29 pm
Any ideas on what numbers Medlen and Hernandez will wear?
Medlen was 20 and Hernandez 11 (both taken)
bravefaninok
May 21st, 2009
5:29 pm
http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/H/Diory-Hernandez.shtml
Smyrna Jim
May 21st, 2009
5:31 pm
woogidy – excellent point.
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
5:31 pm
Thanks, Chop Chop. I enjoy some of your posts, but this new “kick” you’ve been on is really lame. Just saying.
P-Town Brave – Right now I’d bat Escobar, Kotchman, Anderson, Jones, McCann.
Tomahawk210
May 21st, 2009
5:32 pm
My Line-up:
1. Willie Mays Hayes CF
2. Roger Dorn 3B
3. Jack Parkman C
4. Pedro Cerrano RF
5. Isuto Tanaka LF
6. Jake Taylor 1B
7. Harry Doyle 2B
8. Lou Brown SS
9. Ricky Vaughn P
P-Town Brave
May 21st, 2009
5:33 pm
Chop Chop-
Sadly I should ask if you’re stalking me….I do actually get on base quite a bit, but since I’m a leadoff hitter, I really don’t have an incredible amount of power…(ie most of my extra base hits come from my legs)
Chop Chop
May 21st, 2009
5:33 pm
No problem, Jeff321. I don’t mind receiving criticism from someone as cool as you. You rock. Keep fighting the good fight.
THB
May 21st, 2009
5:33 pm
I think that we should bat Schafer leadoff since he will probably strike out, and therefore leaving Escobar, batting second, unable to hit into a double play.
P-Town Brave
May 21st, 2009
5:34 pm
Jeff-
Thats also a good thought…I keep forgetting about Garret, but then again, long DL stints and no power of any kind will make a guy do that.
Chop Chop
May 21st, 2009
5:34 pm
I have scouts for my fantasy softball league team, P-Town. You always need to do your best because, hey, you never know who’s watching, right?
bravefaninok
May 21st, 2009
5:34 pm
Tyler
May 21st, 2009
5:34 pm
DOB where is the freaking lineup your slacking today???
Steve from OH
May 21st, 2009
5:35 pm
BA draft chat:
“Ian (Atlanta GA): Are the Braves willing to pony up the reported $6 million it will take to sign Tate in case he falls to # 7, or is he not going to fall past SF?
John Manuel: I don’t see that happening; Atlanta has other targets such as Zach Wheeler and Alex White.”
J williams
May 21st, 2009
5:35 pm
Goldenglove,
Let’s not luagh too hard…remember the Tex trade.
You win some and you lose some.
THB
May 21st, 2009
5:36 pm
Steve from OH, what are your thoughts on Grant Green? If he slips to #7, do you draft him or stick to the prep pitchers like Matzek (if available) or Wheeler, Purke, etc?
steven
May 21st, 2009
5:38 pm
Hello Hello—- KJ has already fallen on his face as a lead off hitter. I would love to have DRoe back! He will not be cheap though. Others want him– like the Mets–
Steve from OH
May 21st, 2009
5:38 pm
“DaleMurphy’sGhost (Flowery Branch GA): What kind of prospects does Kris Medlen have to be a frontline MLB starter? All we have ever heard about down here is that Hanson’s coming. Is Medlen the real deal too?
Joe Sheehan: I saw him in the AFL and liked him a lot, more of a #3/#4, command and deception guy, than Hanson is. He might be as good now as he’s going to be, and he’ll serve as an upgrade over the disasters in the #5 slot to date.”
Mixxo
May 21st, 2009
5:39 pm
Y’all keep buggin’ DOB about the lineup and he’s gonna keep puttin’ it off I tell ya.
It’s a control “thing!”
Buffalo NY Braves Fan
May 21st, 2009
5:40 pm
Tyler, KC, etc….
Did you all not read DOB’s post on the previous blog (or was it a couple blogs ago…) If the line-up isn’t posted in the press box before DOB or Carroll go down to the clubhouse, you won’t get it until around 6PM when they get back from the clubhouse.
It’s a lineup. You’ll figure it out when the game starts, is it really that important? Do you just want to piss and moan over who isn’t batting where or why someone is in the lineup that bad?
David-ATL14
May 21st, 2009
5:43 pm
Braves Lineup same as Tuesday Night with the exception of the hurler.
1.Esco-SS
2.Kotchman-1B
3.Chipper-3B
4.McCann-C
5.Anderson-LF
6.KJ-2B
7.Francoeur-RF
8.Schafer-CF
9.Medlen-P
David O'Brien
May 21st, 2009
5:44 pm
LINEUP
1. Escobar
2. Kotchman
3. Chipper
4. McCann
5. G. Anderson
6. Johnson
7. Francoeur
8. Schafer
9. Medlen
Nate from NCState
May 21st, 2009
5:45 pm
Lineup:
1. Rafael Furcal SS
2. Mark Derosa 2B
3. Chipper Jones 3B
4. Mark Teixeria 1B
5. Jason Bay RF
6. Jarrod Saltalamacchia C
7. Andruw Jones CF
8. Ken Griffey Jr LF
9. Jake Peavy P
what could have been?
Mixxo
May 21st, 2009
5:45 pm
Thanks Dave!
:wave:
oh SNAP!
May 21st, 2009
5:46 pm
Chop Chop
FYI
Chipper has 1 WS ring..not 1 ring. They get NL Championship Rings as well…that is if they don’t win the WS.
Shane
May 21st, 2009
5:47 pm
No reason to rush Hanson. See Avery,Steve.
Arms under 25 dont usually hold up if they get alot of innings before they are 25.
So ask yourself. Do you wan Hanson now with the risk he might deleope arm trouble like Avery in 2 or three years or woould you rather wait and hopefully have him for 10+ years
Ill take the latter
Steve from OH
May 21st, 2009
5:48 pm
THB, that’s really a tough question, and one that I don’t have a good answer for. He has shown that he can be an outstanding player, and he sure as heck fills a major organizational need for us.
Here is Baseball America’s scouting report on him:
“Local area scouts have long been familiar with Green, who was drafted by the Padres in the 14th round in 2006 out of high school in Anaheim. Now 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, Green should move to the top of the first round this year, building on his terrific showing in the Cape Cod League last summer, where he was overwhelmingly chosen as the top prospect. He struggled early this season, perhaps due to a touch of draftitis as well as two nagging injuries: a rolled ankle and hand blisters. His average hovered near the Mendoza line early, but he rallied to .365/.436/.556 as the regular season wound down. After pounding nine homers in 2008, he had three this season. Potential five-tool middle infielders are rare at the college level, prompting comparisons to former Long Beach State stars Troy Tulowitzki and Evan Longoria. Green does not project to have the same thunder in his bat—compared with Longoria, in particular—but he is similar to Tulowitzki in his defensive skills and playmaking ability. He has excellent range, outstanding hands and the smooth and fluid actions of a possible Gold Glove defender. Green has a fine arm, though not quite the cannon Tulowitzki possesses. He’s faster than either Longoria or Tulowitzki, frequently clocking in the 6.6-second range over 60 yards. While he doesn’t profile as an offensive powerhouse, he should become a long-term middle-infield fixture, a solid .280-plus big league hitter who may produce 15-20 home runs annually. Such potential is extremely rare in a college player, which is why Green ranks as one of the draft’s top 10 talents.”
Keith Law has this to say about Green:
“Green remains one of the top college bats in this draft, but his stock has taken a hit due to his light power production and problems on defense at short. Green is strong with good hand speed, but he leaks, hitting off his front foot, and doesn’t let the ball travel or build up much power in his swing before contact. His setup is solid and he’s short to the ball with good hand strength. His swing plane has a little loft, but it’s geared more for line drives than home run power. He’s patient, but his adjustments to changes of speed aren’t great, probably the result of the leak in his swing. He’s an above-average runner who takes long strides. In the field, Green is athletic enough to play shortstop but has had trouble both with fielding and throwing all spring. He could eventually have to move to third base. He’s big for a shortstop and a little awkward, but not so big that he’s a lock to have to move due to size. In a deeper year, he’d probably slip to the back of the first round or the sandwich round because of the issues with his swing and defense, but he’s a good athlete who could improve in both areas with pro instruction, so in a year with a dearth of good college position-player prospects, he’s still among the top five in that category.”
However, I think he’s being a bit harsh on his defensive ability. KLaw also thinks his potential as a hitter is 60, which I’d take (but only a 45 power).
If I had to play Frank Wren, my preferences would be (in order): Shelby Miller, Tyler Matzek, Grant Green, Zack Wheeler, although the gap between #1 and #4 is pretty small. In my book, can’t go wrong with any of them.
JerseyGil
May 21st, 2009
5:49 pm
Hey Boss..Gracias for line up
David O'Brien
May 21st, 2009
5:49 pm
Mixxo: No, not really a control thing at all. As I explained fully in one of Carroll’s blogs, it’s a logistics thing. If lineup’s not posted in pressbox (it wasn’t today) before we go down to clubhouse 3-1/2 hours before game, then we generally can’t get it to you until we come back up after working clubhouse, talking to the manager, etc. We usually come back up between 5:30 and 6.
If that’s not early enough for a few of you who need the lineup earlier, I don’t know what to tell you other than, hopefully you can find it somewhere else a little earlier. Because that’s when you’re going to get it here, I can assure you. And all the moaning and groaning, while amusing, isn’t going to get it up any sooner.
If it’s posted at 3:30, as it is several pressboxes and frequently is here, then you’ll get it then. If not, you’ll get it on this blog after we get back from clubhouse. I know that’s hard for two or three here to grasp, but it is what it is.
ABravesFan
May 21st, 2009
5:51 pm
Anyone knows what was the corresponding move to get Kris Medlen onto the 40 men roster? I don’t think placing guys on to the 15 day DL open up any 40 men roster space.
Alternate Universe
May 21st, 2009
5:52 pm
Was that an alternate universe statement?
Lineup:
1. Rafael Furcal SS
2. Mark Derosa 2B
3. Chipper Jones 3B
4. Mark Teixeria 1B
5. Jason Bay RF
6. Jarrod Saltalamacchia C
7. Andruw Jones CF
8. Ken Griffey Jr LF
9. Jake Peavy P
what could have been?
For that to “Lineup:
1. Rafael Furcal SS
2. Mark Derosa 2B
3. Chipper Jones 3B
4. Mark Teixeria 1B
5. Jason Bay RF
6. Jarrod Saltalamacchia C
7. Andruw Jones CF
8. Ken Griffey Jr LF
9. Jake Peavy P
what could have been?
“What could have been,” assumes all those moves could have been made! They could not have.
David O'Brien
May 21st, 2009
5:53 pm
Thanks DOB for talking alot so far today! J/k Braves FAN 2478
Seriously, is this in code?
Mixxo
May 21st, 2009
5:54 pm
Dave – I know chief, I was jus’ messin’
nolie
May 21st, 2009
5:54 pm
[em]Peavy[/em] (WW)
replace the brackets with < etc. I can’t show both or it will disappear
TnBrian
May 21st, 2009
5:54 pm
Medlen will be nervous in the service for an inning or two but he’s obviously talented enough to get through it. You’ll be alright Medey… we won’t bash you too much if you struggle tonight. You are making your MLB debut after all. Hey, he could be reading this, or preparing for the biggest night of his life.
Nick C.
May 21st, 2009
5:55 pm
cphizzle, I get what you’re saying about Dye being a little old to trade for, but I think for our situation, that is almost an IDEAL situation. I don’t know what Dye’s contract status is, but he immediately upgrades our OF power, which is something we are in dire need of. Plus, he’s a right handed bat, something else we could use in the middle of our lineup. It’d be awfully nice to be able to throw Esco, Kotch, Chipper, Dye, and McCann out of the top 5 of our lineup spots every night. I think it’d be even better if we swapped Kelly with GA, had McCann hit cleanup, then threw Dye in the 5 spot, but the guy’s not even being talked about as a possible trade option for us at this time, so I’m not going to waste too much time thinking about where he’d hit in our lineup already!
Anyway, Dye’s age only helps us if his asking price is REDUCED because of it. We don’t necessarily NEED a long term option in the OF, we need a guy whose reasonably priced, that has 2 to 3 years left on their current contract. That should bridge the gap to the days when Heyward, Schafer, and Gorkys in the OF. If those guys reach their maximum potential in the majors, it’ll give us one hell of a combination of pop and speed out there, which is perfect for today’s style of play (post (somewhat) steroid era). We don’t need someone like a Matt Holliday, who doesn’t seem to be the same hitter he was in Colorado, taking up a big chunk of our payroll for several years, when we’ve got talented young guys coming up in the near future. We just need a bridge.
Alternate Universe
May 21st, 2009
5:56 pm
To the Question about the 40 man roster…..didn’t the Braves have a couple of vacant spots on the 40 man? Don’t think they have to do anything other than add Medlin.
sportsmandh
May 21st, 2009
5:56 pm
DOB
don’t let the peanut gallery get to you, you’re doing a fine job
Nate from NCState
May 21st, 2009
5:56 pm
Yeah I know.. thought it was interesting though.
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
5:58 pm
ABravesFan
They may have put Omar on the 60-day DL..I think with that move you can add someone.
nolie
May 21st, 2009
5:58 pm
Wasn’t even trying, just copied and pasted….is that all you have to do to put a link up? (Macon)
yep. just copy the link and paste it here
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
5:59 pm
IN WHAT UNIVERSE WOULD ANYONE WANT SALTY INSTEAD OF BMAC!
COMMON SENSE PEOPLE.
David O'Brien
May 21st, 2009
5:59 pm
Infante’s gonna have surgery tomorrow morning. Probably out at least two months.
KC
May 21st, 2009
6:00 pm
Buffalo NY Braves Fan, to answer question, no, i missed whatever the conversation was the other day about lineup postings. Nevertheless, dude… I was simply asking a question. Wasn’t pissing and moaning about anything.
Why do you feel the need to piss and moan about other people’s posts?
Doug
May 21st, 2009
6:01 pm
Geez – you make Infante sound like a geezer! He’s 28 or 29 and just about the only exciting player in the infield. He hits, fields and doesn’t make bonehead baserunning mistakes like the guys on the left side. I think we are really going to miss his meat-and-potatoes play.
Nate from NCState
May 21st, 2009
6:01 pm
Guys settle down… it was a lineup of people that used or could have been on the Braves.. except chipper… holy tomato…
i’m starting to feel like DOB must feel..
FaninFaytown
May 21st, 2009
6:01 pm
i appreciate the lineup early like a lot do. but honestly getting mad over not having it 3 hours before a game? come on now. what exactly does it change for any of us here.
ABravesFan
May 21st, 2009
6:02 pm
Thanks.
Just counted the number of players listed on the official Braves site, even including Medlen and Hudson (on the 60 day DL), the Braves only have 39 players on the 40 men roster.
pryguy
May 21st, 2009
6:02 pm
DOB
Any rumors floating around in regards to trades? Dye, Sizemore, DeRosa?? All speculation of course, just wondering what you may have heard through the grapevine.
I. Suppose
May 21st, 2009
6:03 pm
Boy, isn’t everybody glad we didn’t pay to get Raul Ibanez?
Who needs his 15 HR and 40 RBI?
Certainly not the Braves! We’ve got Matt Diaz, Jeff Fraudcoeur, and Garret Oldmanderson holding down the corner outfield slots.
That Frank Wren really knows what he is doing.
Mixxo
May 21st, 2009
6:05 pm
WOW! Ozzie G. seemed pretty calm after that 20-1 shellacking by the Twinkies.
Nick C.
May 21st, 2009
6:05 pm
I don’t get that “what could have been” lineup either! First of all, we gave DeRo EVERY chance to succeed at the ML level, but, for one reason or another, he never panned out with us. While a change of scenery really did help him, I like Kelly’s youth and talent (when NOT hitting leadoff) all the more. I can promise you that if DeRo was in the everyday lineup this year, there would be MANY a Braves fan complaining about it every day! Teixeira wanted $180M contract, and the Yankees were WILLING to go as high as it took to get him. That’s a bad situation for any team, including the Braves (when they’re NOT owned by Ted Turner), to be in. I don’t even know where the Jason Bay thing came from. I guess the RUMORS that he’s who we were INTERESTED in last year, before we became sellers at the deadline rather than buyers? Salty was a great prospect, and looking back, we would have been better off NOT making the trade for Tex, as he brought us no postseason appearances, and it’s looking more and more likely every day that nearly EVERY one of the players we gave away for him will be solid ML contributors, and some of them even all-stars. But, even if we kept him, he would either have a 1B next to his name, or he’d have been dealt for another every day first baseman, at some point, because he’s as blocked a prospect as we’ve ever had, with the start McCann’s had to his career. Mac’s the best catcher in ALL of baseball, so I’m 100% positive he’d be starting ahead of Salty in our lineup. Andruw hit barely .220, and got $36M to play 2 years in Dodgers, who eventually decided they’d rather pay him that money to play somewhere ELSE. I’ll take Schafer, the promising youngster, any day of the week. Sure, Andruw’s swing has apparently been solid so far in Texas, but we don’t have Texas’s hitting coach anyway, so whose to say the results would have been the same here? Griffey’s been worse this year than GA has been, besides the fact that I think he’s played every day so far. And he’s never been a Brave either. Why not just list Manny Ramirez in LF???
Nick C.
May 21st, 2009
6:09 pm
Has Sizemore ever really been listed as possibly being available this season? IMO, if we could trade Schafer and some smaller pieces for Sizemore, or really anybody besides Hanson or Heyward, he’s EXACTLY what we need in our lineup.
Wouldn’t it have been nice if we’d have kept Jo Jo in the minors all year, and he’d have racked up some solid numbers down there like some of our other prospects are this season? That way, teams would have been more likely to believe he still had a lot of talent, but just didn’t realize it last year, his first in Atlanta, and could have perhaps been happy to see him come their way in a trade package! Now, I’m sure all GM’s know he’s had ample opportunity to play for Bobby, and still has gone nearly an entire calendar year without registering a W, and that he’s likely a Quad A minor leaguer. What a SHAME!!!
kirkinga
May 21st, 2009
6:09 pm
Steve from OH, you are still holding on to this? Really? Wow!
Well lookie, you said TP was an “awful hitter”. I said he was not and cited his career .270 BA and his seasons with the Braves that included an MVP.
I said that I used his BA because in those days sabermetrics weren’t widely accepted. You then expanded the conversation to include OBS, and OPS, which means more than what kind of “hitter he was, at least to me.
Now I appreciate that you’ve found yet another obscure white paper you feel tends to support your ideas, but I don’t accept the authority of the people you select. I don’t want to hear from economists when I’m talking baseball., just like I don’t bring an architect into court as my lawyer!
As fort empirical evidence, well I asked you for some and you still haven’t provided it. Since you are still holding on this pointless topic, I’d appreciate you providing the empirical information requested of you. I assume you are intellectually honest, seeing as you’re all empirically based and stuff.
And as far as sabermetrics are concerned. I wait until it has been established that evaluating and putting together a team using sabermetrics produces more wins and championships than more conventional methods.
Now are you going to provide the numbers I asked for or are you going to keep b.s.’ing bud?
Wins and champuonships, that’s why we play the game. That is the empirical holygrail in sports. Everything else is speculation.
cvbraves
May 21st, 2009
6:09 pm
Goldenglove002
May 21st, 2009
5:23 pm
I remember someone telling me that he was a third player involved in the trade (I knew it was Gorkys and JJ). So if not where’d Diory come from?
…believe Diory was signed by the Braves in 2002 as an unsigned free agent.
Nate from NCState
May 21st, 2009
6:10 pm
Nick C.. i really can’t believe you just typed an essay on what took me about 4 mins to come up with.. really.. that’s how much thought i put into it. i thought it was cool to fill out a lineup of people who used to be or could have been on the braves. i like the players we have now, really. it was a criticism.
and Jason Bay was about to be traded to the Braves before the Pirates GM nixed it at the last min.. i would have liked that deal
cvbraves
May 21st, 2009
6:10 pm
Make that
..…believe Diory was signed by the Braves in 2002 as an undrafted free agent.
Nate from NCState
May 21st, 2009
6:13 pm
it wasn’t a criticism…
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
6:15 pm
I. Suppose
He plays in a bandbox…while all have not come @ home. I’m sure his numbers at home are better.
Louisville brave
May 21st, 2009
6:16 pm
dang Im happy KJ’s not batting leadoff…i had the worst feeling bobby was going to put him up there again…losing omar is devastating-as we are already paper thin on offense- but as DOB said-is part of the game…hopefully we can sustain the loss but its going to take KJ hitting in the .280’s(and in the middle/lower part of the frigging order dingus!!!) to do it…i had a dream last night that a 40 something otis nixon came back to hit lead-off…i think i woke up before i got to see how he fared
Nate from NCState
May 21st, 2009
6:17 pm
Let’s get this game going I’m ready to see the kid pitch
Carpe Diem
May 21st, 2009
6:17 pm
Apparently Peavy would rather play for Ozzie than Cox! The man has spoken and its time to accept it Cox lovers. —JEFFY321
hi Jeffypoo. These are the kind of spiteful, childish comments that are the cause of you having a total lack of cred on this board.Ignorant little pissant.
varoadrunner
May 21st, 2009
6:18 pm
{em}italic{em}
Coach (2010 or Bust)
May 21st, 2009
6:18 pm
Here is wishing Kris Medlen a successful debut tonight.
varoadrunner
May 21st, 2009
6:18 pm
oh well, clearly I did not understand
Steve from OH
May 21st, 2009
6:19 pm
Uh, I was simply trying to offer an answer to your question from a few weeks ago. They say that teams payed money for batting average before Moneyball came out, and as little as a year after the book came out, even with the “inertia” of previously signed contracts, teams had adapted and players began to get paid for OBP. No need to be thick. I’m not trying to prove a point one way or the other. I’m presenting well-researched information, with plenty of “meat” to support it. Just because you can’t wrap your brain around them ain’t my fault. As for the numbers–they’re there. Go to a library who subscribes to JSTOR and look up the article I cited for you. I can’t make it any more clear than that. It’s literally right there. You are blinded by your opinions. I mean, how can you ignore those kinds of numbers? I used to think the way you did, believe me, and I just couldn’t ignore that much empirical proof.
As for the World Championships thing–there have been only four World Series’ played since 2004, or about the time when the saber stats started to come into wide use (or thereabouts). The Red Sox (who ARE sabermetrically inclined) have won two of the 4 world series’ since then. But still, it’s too small of a sample size to draw conclusions from. So you’ll have to wait. Or, better yet, if you refuse to believe what I’ve shown you, you can do your own regression of BA vs. win% and OBP vs. win% in excel and see the results for yourself.
Carpe Diem
May 21st, 2009
6:19 pm
P-Town Brave – The logjam in the top of the order is because of Gimper Jones. He refuses to bat cleanup because he wants to maximize plate appearances. (I guess he cares more about himself than the team. —JEFFY321)
another example of idiocy hard at work
Steve from OH
May 21st, 2009
6:20 pm
I’ll second that post, Coach!
Louisville brave
May 21st, 2009
6:21 pm
has anyone heard the sidekick from “bubba the love sponge” do his deion sanders imitation? It’s friggin hilarious…sounds just like him
Steve from OH
May 21st, 2009
6:21 pm
And I find it extremely funny that friggin’ economists can grasp simple stuff like OBP and OPS (which really aren’t that complicated at all. I mean, is it the acronym? Seriously?) but people who have been obsessed with baseball for their entire lives can’t even do so. Unbelievable.
Steve from OH
May 21st, 2009
6:23 pm
voadrunner:
Use < and then use the reverse symbol.
Random
May 21st, 2009
6:23 pm
And here we see a little more cognitive dissonance from Jeff321:
4:56 pm: “Yeah, making sure Chipper is “comfortable” is way more important than putting more wins on the table! Isn’t Chipper a grown man? If he’s such a HOF type player then why can’t he switch to clean up?
5:14 pm: “Which can be partly blamed on Cox for his stubborn “KJ for lead off” fetish. The guy doesn’t like hitting lead off. Which is why his numbers are much better batting lower in the order.”
You just blow this siht out your butt without even reading it, don’t you? Let alone thinking about it for half a second before you discharge.
And as for your “Chipper cares more about himself than the team” bile, in addition to the several examples of Chipper’s putting the team before himself provided by Thrillhouse44 — renegotiating contracts, deferring money, voluntarily moving to LF (”jettisoned”, my axe — you’re an FN jackaxe, you know that?), which cost him several ASG appearances — Chipper also did already move to bat clean up so that Gary Sheffield could bat 3rd in 2002 and 2003. And his numbers suffered.
“He refuses to bat cleanup because he wants to maximize plate appearances.”
You’re the one and only Make-It-Up-Boy, aren’t you? You have no more idea whether Chipper “refuses” to bat 4th than you would as to why. You’re just a flat out fabricator, huh? You just make siht up whenever and wherever you want.
Idiot.
varoadrunner
May 21st, 2009
6:23 pm
Kirk – I’ll enter into the discussion. Except for a couiple of seasons, TP didn’t hit all that well, but was a “big hit” guy for the Braves and at a time when the Braves needed some leadership, he provided it. He was a valuable Brave.
But, my question to you…..How do you rate him as a hitting coach?
varoadrunner
May 21st, 2009
6:24 pm
itlaic
David O'Brien
May 21st, 2009
6:24 pm
sportsmandh: Don’t worry. Regardless of what my tone might be, that stuff is white noise, man. Trust me. Nothing more.
Oh, and Infante’s not on the 60-day DL. He’s on 15-day DL. They could put him on 60-day DL later if they decide there’s no way he’ll be back inside that time frame.
varoadrunner
May 21st, 2009
6:24 pm
wow, thanks Steve
now how about BOLD?
Steve from OH
May 21st, 2009
6:25 pm
use “strong” instead of “em”
MFin04 (Bennett, Buddy, and Cox Have to Go!)
May 21st, 2009
6:26 pm
“You can do your own regression of BA vs. win% and OBP vs. win% in excel and see the results for yourself.”
LOL, that cracked me up. I’ll get right on that. Be back in a few days.
David O'Brien
May 21st, 2009
6:27 pm
Talked to Diory during batting practice. Kid seems calm. Said he’s excited, but not nervous, because he played with all these guys during spring training. He’s tight with Prado, that was easy to see. Prado immediately showing him the ropes, how this and that’s done.
Steve from OH
May 21st, 2009
6:28 pm
Well, apparently you’ll have to, because the current one isn’t yielding the desired results…
Shane
May 21st, 2009
6:28 pm
Steve. Keep fighting the good fight with sabermetrics. Its proven that they win and teams ignore them at their own peril
Every Cloud has a Silver Lining
May 21st, 2009
6:33 pm
Omar Infante hurt, NOT Chipper Jones or Brian McCann or Deker Lowe or Jair Jurrjens or Yunel Escobar or Javier Vasquez or Rafael Soriano or Mike Gonzalez or Casey Kotchman…….
Doc Holiday
May 21st, 2009
6:33 pm
Return of Tim Hudson Scheduled for August
By Howard Megdal [May 20 at 8:01pm CST]
Tim Hudson, recovering from Tommy John surgery, believe he can rejoin the Atlanta Braves sometime in August, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com.
“I feel really good about where I’m at right now,” Hudson said. “I haven’t thrown breaking balls, splits or changeups or anything like that. But how I feel right now, it’s hard to think that it’s going to take me three months to get ready to pitch in a game.”
Hudson could encounter a logjam when he returns, between starters Derek Lowe, Javier Vazquez and Jair Jurrjens, not to mention prospects Tommy Hanson, Kris Medlen and the old standby Tom Glavine.
But the real question is this: just how well would Hudson have to pitch in the season’s final month for the Braves to pick up his $12MM option? Hard to imagine anything short of a Greinke would lead the Braves to do so. They have, as an alternative, a $1MM buyout.
LKS
May 21st, 2009
6:34 pm
I know I’m in the minority but I really hate seeing Esco bat leadoff. For some reason, even Joe mentioned it the other night, he feels batting leadoff means he has to hit at the first couple of pitches. I just think he would do sooo much better later in the lineup. He is our best hitter right now. Why bat him when nobody else is on or in scoring position to drive in the runs? I just don’t get it. Yeah he hits into double plays but Frenchie is right on his heels for the lead on the team for that. I would much rather take Esco’s production in Frenchie’s spot with the double plays than what Frenchie is doing thats for sure.
Doc Holiday
May 21st, 2009
6:34 pm
Why arent we going after DeRosa?
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
6:34 pm
Did they seriously give Medlen Boyer’s tainted number…oh geesh.
David O'Brien
May 21st, 2009
6:35 pm
While doing scoutbox and looking at Roy Halladay’s day-by-days, came across one of the more remarkable streaks I’ve seen in some time: Halladay has earned a decision in 26 consecutive starts, going 20-6 with a 2.57 ERA and five complete games in that stretch since June 30, 2008, and pitching at least seven innings in 21 of those 26 games.
David O'Brien
May 21st, 2009
6:36 pm
Oh, and he’s 10-3 with a 2.52 ERA in 13 road starts during that period.
Every Cloud has a Silver Lining
May 21st, 2009
6:36 pm
OBP matters.
Batter Average Does Not.
A .225 hitter with a .400 OBP and a .500 slugging percentage is helping your team WAY MORE than someone hitting .310 with a .315 OBP and a .350 slugging percentage.
CorkylikesBeer
May 21st, 2009
6:36 pm
Tony Dungy is the man!
MFin04 (Bennett, Buddy, and Cox Have to Go!)
May 21st, 2009
6:37 pm
Is Bowman saying they won’t have Hudson back next year? You’d think the Braves would want him back?
That Teixeira Trade Again....
May 21st, 2009
6:38 pm
Matt Harrison’s last two starts: TWO COMPLETE GAMES (all 9 innings)
Braves’ “great” Starting Rotation: ZERO COMPLETE GAMES ALL SEASON THUS FAR
AustinBrave
May 21st, 2009
6:41 pm
Just seen on ESPN Utley and Ibenza homered again. Utley 11 homers -Ibenza 15 homers, Howard 10 homers. If they had pitching they would have left us in the dust. We need a big trade. Maybe Hanson for Adrian Gonzales.
kirkinga
May 21st, 2009
6:42 pm
Steve from OH, first, I’d like to co-sign Lew’s 3:43 pm comment. I think it was perfectly stated and you’ve just keep reinforcing that point.
Now, as for this idea that: And I find it extremely funny that friggin’ economists can grasp simple stuff like OBP and OPS (which really aren’t that complicated at all. I mean, is it the acronym? Seriously?) but people who have been obsessed with baseball for their entire lives can’t even do so. Unbelievable
Well some of us find it really friggin funny that yoy would cite economists, you know, the follks who didn’t see the economic meltdown coming which is supposedly their area of expertise, but want to be taken seriously on baseball matters? Friggin funny indeed!
Still waiting on some requested empirical information. I don’t call that “thick”, I call that asking for information from someone who holds himself out to be a repository of such information. Why won’t you provide the information, it’s really simple what I asked for no?
varoadrunner, the comment made was that he was an “awful hitter”. It wasn’t about his coaching. We all know that TP is a whipping boy here and I don’t go along with it. So I asked Steve from OH, for some additional information which he so far has not been willing to provide.
If you want to bash TP, go right ahead, you don’t need to jump into this conversation to do it.I will note however that your evaluation of TP is pretty close to what I said about him. Strange huh?
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
6:44 pm
That Teixeira Trade Again….
If you are going to judge a pitcher by the number of complete games he throws…just don’t. It’s not a very useful stat. Johan Santana has yet to throw a complete game this year and only threw 3 all of last season. Does that mean he’s sub-par?
JerseyGil
May 21st, 2009
6:44 pm
DOB…So He’s Due…to have a bad Outing
Yo-Momma..
May 21st, 2009
6:45 pm
“The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that Peavy has officially vetoed a trade to the White Sox.”
So much for “he hates Cox.”
BravesFan4Life
May 21st, 2009
6:46 pm
Nice to see that Esco is batting leadoff, and Kotch is #2.. Also nice to see KJ down in the order where he will perform better..
I hated to see Infante go down like that.. What would the Rockies do if we broke Helton’s hand?
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
6:47 pm
That Teixeira Trade Again
Um…Look up stuff before you comment cause the dude gave up 5 runs ( 3 homers) in 5 innings.
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
6:47 pm
Matt Harrison is also 4-3 with a 4.71 ERA and a .291 Avg against…but hey, he’s got 2 complete games!
Shane
May 21st, 2009
6:47 pm
AustinBrave If our guys got to play on that Little League field they would have more homers.
As long as they play in that park they are always going to have guys with 40 hr and winning the MVP.
StingerSplash
May 21st, 2009
6:47 pm
Put Erk in the Hall of Fame!
Oops. Sorry. Wrong blog to comment on.
I knew Jurrjens’ numbers were good, but day-yum!
Since no one is threatening to run away and hide with the division (like the Dodgers are doing in the West — AMF San Fran, San Diego, Colorado and ‘Zona), and no one likely will, since every team has just enough flaws to prevent that, the Braves can stay right in there until:
Hudson gets healthy.
And they trade for a bat down the stretch. Because they’ll need one. Shoot, they need one now.
But the bullpen — aside from O’Flaherty, Mr. Scowl Soriano and Gonzo — kinda needs some help, too. Hope Moylan can get straightened out soon. If he doesn’t … ugh.
Tom O'Hawke
May 21st, 2009
6:49 pm
Braves’ fans, I’ve been thinking
(honest, I have)
We’re a bit thin defensively. We could really use a back-up for CF. It wouldn’t hurt if he had a decent arm, so he could back-up RF, also. He, preferably, should bat right handed. Ideally with some pop. The Braves can’t afford much, so his salary has to be low. He should be someone that isn’t being used every day, so we wouldn’t have to give up too much to get him. He should be playing with a team that could use some pitching (all we have). Who am I talking about? Pass the envelope, please ….and the winner is … ANDRUW JONES!!!!!
….and the band starts playing, “Happy Days Are Here Again”.
Doc Holiday
May 21st, 2009
6:49 pm
That Teixeira Trade Again….
We needed TEX……..we were in the race, but you are right…………….2 complete games………….OUCH!!!!!!!
McFann :Ô:
May 21st, 2009
6:49 pm
Just stopped by for a second…
MFin04–
I am in love with the RBI double (the more RBI, the better!), but yeah, I’d take both.
TennesseePaul
May 21st, 2009
6:49 pm
“For now, it’ll be up to KJ or perhaps Escobar to handle the leadoff role. I’m guessing Kelly’s going to be the primary guy there for the time being, unless he just falls on his face”
From where I’m sitting, KJ has already fallen flat on his face in that role. Keep him lower in the order. I’d rather see Yunel in the lead off spot… even Kotchman. Anything but Kelly.
That Teixeira Trade Again....
May 21st, 2009
6:50 pm
Um…Look up stuff before you commen
See; May 8, May 14.
Complete games do matter. If nothing else, it shows Bobby Cox is one of those sissy managers who yanks pitchers when they’re going good just cause they hit the arbitrary number of 100.
Shane
May 21st, 2009
6:51 pm
Matt Harrison isnt all that good. thats why they let him go. Salty really isnt either.
The jewel in that trade was Elvis Andrus. I would like to have him back.
MFin04 (Bennett, Buddy, and Cox Have to Go!)
May 21st, 2009
6:51 pm
Bobby has tried a bunch of complete games and seems to get burned leaving the starters in too long. Happened with JJ I think and Hudson a few times I remember.
Shane
May 21st, 2009
6:51 pm
Complete games dont matter. See: Santana,Johan
David O'Brien
May 21st, 2009
6:52 pm
Apparently, Medlen fever hasn’t taken hold of Atlanta just yet. Because it’s either a late-arriving or very sparse crowd.
AJC SUCKS
May 21st, 2009
6:52 pm
alot of bitching on this blog
Couch Tater
May 21st, 2009
6:53 pm
“Are we the team of the 90’s? Well, even a huckster like me wouldn’t go that far.” – Stan Kasten, April 2, 1990 Sports Illustrated.
Here’s a link to the article. Oh, and note Avery’s ERA at Richmond.
http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1137056/1/index.htm
AndyC
May 21st, 2009
6:53 pm
Nate from NCState, you would really rather have Saltalamacchia rather than BMac? Really?
Shane
May 21st, 2009
6:53 pm
Salty is hitting .260 with 3hr OBP .306 ( Thats terrible). He is David Ross minus the defense
PWHjort
May 21st, 2009
6:53 pm
N8,
One thing to consider is the fact that our defense has been god awful behind Vazquez but much better behind Lowe. .731 defensive efficiency behind Lowe and .676 behind Vazquez. And Lowe has a 37/20 K/BB ratio while Vazquez has a 73/14 K/BB ratio. Maybe Lowe’s results have been a LITTLE better (not really, Vazquez has the better ERA 3.39 to 3.58), but Vazquez has pitched better.
Mort
May 21st, 2009
6:54 pm
alot of bitching on this blog
Says “AJC SUCKS”.
Jen in GA
May 21st, 2009
6:55 pm
i dont go to the games cause i spend $150 on directv to get ALL of the games… why would I wanna spend gas money hotel money food money and whatever else it takes to get to Atl. from where I live at!!
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
6:55 pm
That Teixeira Trade Again….
Apparently you can’t read. I didn’t say they don’t matter. I said look up your stuff. In Harrison’s last game he only pitched 5 innings, gave up 5 runs ( 3 homers).
PWHjort
May 21st, 2009
6:55 pm
No reason to put Infante on the 60-day DL really. If he goes on it, that frees up a 40-man roster spot, but then you just have to designate someone when he returns. Plus we still have a free spot or 2 (anyone?).
kirkinga
May 21st, 2009
6:56 pm
Put Erk in the Hall of Fame!
AMEN!
AJC SUCKS
May 21st, 2009
6:56 pm
yeah just call it like i see it… Alot of people on this blog just bitch alot..
Heath (Cleveland)
May 21st, 2009
6:56 pm
This just in….fish tacos and nice weather with women in bikinis strikes again…Peavy decides to stay on a last place team instead.
Mort
May 21st, 2009
6:57 pm
Elvis Andrus is hitting .268/.305/.411 in 2009 in a hitter’s park.
I think Matt Harrison is, to date this season, doing better. Again, especially considering the ballpark.
That Teixeira Trade Again....
May 21st, 2009
6:58 pm
Apparently you can’t read. I didn’t say they don’t matter. I said look up your stuff. In Harrison’s last game he only pitched 5 innings, gave up 5 runs ( 3 homers).
He made another start since I last looked. I get it. Get over it.
Goldenglove002
May 21st, 2009
6:58 pm
Can’t wait to get this game started and see Medlen pitch. I’m skipping studying for my final tommorow to see him.
I also hope we get up to a big lead early, maybe give Hernandez a shot later in the game. He desrves some credit, he got called up. He actually could have a major effect on some of Wrens trading. If he’s good, then it opens the trade options right back up in the MI.
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
6:58 pm
Ahhh, now I have to retract my statement about Peavy wanting to play for Ozzie instead of Bobby!
bravefaninok
May 21st, 2009
6:59 pm
ESPN is reporting Jake Peavy has declined the trade to CWS
JerseyGil
May 21st, 2009
7:00 pm
Pat Vendetti…Swithpitcher…Did Anyone heard about him….Low ClassA Pitcher that he swith lefty/Righty at the Monment.
AJC SUCKS
May 21st, 2009
7:00 pm
Thanks for the Breaking News bravefaninok
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
7:01 pm
That Teixeira Trade Again….
I’m not trying to start a fight. Just pointing that out to you.
bravefaninok
I said it earlier..Peavy is looking like an A Hole,….seriously.
David O'Brien
May 21st, 2009
7:01 pm
I don’t think Jake Peavy knows who he wants to pitch for.
Chop Chop
May 21st, 2009
7:02 pm
The White Sox aren’t very good. I can’t blame Peavy for turning that deal down.
MFin04 (Bennett, Buddy, and Cox Have to Go!)
May 21st, 2009
7:03 pm
No one in their right-mind would have thought that he was going to pitch for the White Sox. Maybe the Cubs, but not the White Sox.
BravesFanChris24
May 21st, 2009
7:03 pm
I’m wishing Medlen a successful debut and I just heard Boog and Joe say he can hit, that’s a good thing
AJC SUCKS
May 21st, 2009
7:04 pm
Chop Chop- guess thats why Peavy didn’t come to the braves, the braves aren’t very good either!
David O'Brien
May 21st, 2009
7:04 pm
By the way, it’s Bobby Cox’s 68th birthday.
Goldenglove002
May 21st, 2009
7:05 pm
Happy Birthhday to Bobby. Lets hope his team can give him a win for a gift.
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
7:06 pm
Now I can understand not wanting to pitch in the AL, but this is the 3rd time they tried to trade him. He can’t just keep saying no, when his team is obviously struggling financially. He just needs to man up. Besides, whose to say Chicago wouldn’t have turned around and traded him again.
Shane
May 21st, 2009
7:06 pm
Stuck at work. Gonna “watch” the game on MLB Gameday
MFin04 (Bennett, Buddy, and Cox Have to Go!)
May 21st, 2009
7:06 pm
One year closer to retiring. Can I get an AMEN!!!!???
Shane
May 21st, 2009
7:07 pm
Enter your comments here
AJC SUCKS
May 21st, 2009
7:09 pm
I wish MFin would retire from this blog
Efrim
May 21st, 2009
7:09 pm
Peavy=Diva
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
7:09 pm
Amen…anyway Happy Birthday Bobby.
Be Back soon gotta eat.
Bear
May 21st, 2009
7:10 pm
Tom O Hawke, brilliant post @ 6:49
Happy Birthday, Mr. Cox
Macon Braves (RIP)
May 21st, 2009
7:10 pm
AustinBrave—ENOUGH of the Hanson for Adrian Gonzalez crap. Hanson is not going anywhere, and he SHOULDN’T go anywhere!! Jeez man, the Braves weren’t willing to give up Hanson for Peavy, but they’re gonna trade him for Gonzalez? A first baseman? Hanson a top ten rated prospect in ALL of baseball, and is ready NOW for the majors, as soon as the Braves feel they need him up. OUTFIELD help is what the Braves, and last I checked, Gonzalez nor Kotchman play that position.
bravefaninok
May 21st, 2009
7:10 pm
AJC SUCKS
May 21st, 2009
7:00 pm
Thanks for the Breaking News bravefaninok
your welcome…..
Heath (Cleveland)
May 21st, 2009
7:10 pm
Here we go….good luck Medlen
Shane
May 21st, 2009
7:10 pm
One up one down
cricket
May 21st, 2009
7:11 pm
Is there any way to listen to the game?
Heath (Cleveland)
May 21st, 2009
7:12 pm
Nice start so far..2 up, 2 down.
TnBrian
May 21st, 2009
7:14 pm
I like his arm action, but no way he’s 5′10″…I’d say 5′7″
wiki
May 21st, 2009
7:14 pm
Piedmont Blues: great call a couple of hours ago on batting Jordan 9th…..makes perfect sense. In addition, the pitchers probably put the ball in play as much as he does.
BravesFanChris24
May 21st, 2009
7:15 pm
Dang Medlen does look like he’s 12 years p;d/
ease19
May 21st, 2009
7:15 pm
yeah just call it like i see it… Alot of people on this blog just bitch alot..
name one!
Couch Tater
May 21st, 2009
7:15 pm
Here’s a chirp for ya, cricket.
http://freebaseballradio.com/Atlanta.html
David O'Brien
May 21st, 2009
7:15 pm
Hey, if you’re gonna remember who you gave up your first hit to, could be a lot worse than Todd Helton, that’s for sure.
And your first balk….
Smyrna Jim
May 21st, 2009
7:15 pm
Medlen could not even get out of the inning without a blistering liner to center, and then a balk. Clearly not ready for prime time.
Goldenglove002
May 21st, 2009
7:15 pm
balk, welcome to the bigs Medlen!
Mike S
May 21st, 2009
7:15 pm
good start so far for Medlen, he already looks better than Jo-Jo ever has.
Bloop hit for Helton. Rookie mistake on the balk, but still looks good.
Shane
May 21st, 2009
7:16 pm
Balk a Day Bob strikes again
Goldenglove002
May 21st, 2009
7:17 pm
and his first run given up,
Mike S
May 21st, 2009
7:17 pm
Hawpe gets the first solid contact on Medlen.
BravesFanChris24
May 21st, 2009
7:17 pm
old*
Balk
It’s alright though.
David O'Brien
May 21st, 2009
7:17 pm
Welcome to the bigs, kid.
His fastballs have been 89-91 so far. Hawpe hit a breaking ball for the RBI single.
Doc Holiday
May 21st, 2009
7:18 pm
Welcome to the braves kid…………..thats how it works here……………LOL………..great pitching……nothing to show for.
mets fan in atlanta
May 21st, 2009
7:18 pm
Shane, are you watching the game? haha…thats a balk in little league
Heath (Cleveland)
May 21st, 2009
7:19 pm
…High pitch count already too… : (
woogidy
May 21st, 2009
7:20 pm
I am going to hang some of this on Mac. He should have gone out to give him a breather. It finally take Roger McDowell to come out and use up a visit.
WOW
May 21st, 2009
7:20 pm
wow how about the pitch count tough luck kid but we look for results and the fact of the matter is hes not gonna pitch deep in the game and thats not good
Zephyr 8
May 21st, 2009
7:20 pm
Never seen Medlen pitch before. Doesn’t seem like a control artist. Probably not good if your only hitting 90.
Mike S
May 21st, 2009
7:20 pm
smart move here by Bobby and Roger. Let the kid get his nerves under control. He kind of lost focus a little after the Helton AB.
RHR
May 21st, 2009
7:21 pm
Poor kid. Come on kid, you got this.
Philliesuk
May 21st, 2009
7:21 pm
Anyone here know if there is a dress code for the 755 club? Sorry not related to the game…
WOW
May 21st, 2009
7:21 pm
ive never seen someone pitch this good and have this bad luck
Ian Curtis
May 21st, 2009
7:22 pm
Zephyr 8: Medlen’s known for great control.
Shane
May 21st, 2009
7:22 pm
Hy mets fan. The Mutts are choking a little earlier than usual this year dont you think
Heath (Cleveland)
May 21st, 2009
7:22 pm
34 pitches…and still not out of the inning.
BravesFanChris24
May 21st, 2009
7:23 pm
Nice curve by Medlen.
Efrim
May 21st, 2009
7:23 pm
Was that a 35 pitch first inning?
Braves Paisan
May 21st, 2009
7:23 pm
The one career stat that will NEVER be challenged:
Cy Young — 749 COMPLETE GAMES.
(The number is not a misprint.)
Shane
May 21st, 2009
7:23 pm
35 pitches. Hope we can get 5 out of him
Mike S
May 21st, 2009
7:23 pm
I really like the movement on Medlen’s pitches. It is going to take some time for him to get used to MLB hitters, but all in all he shows a lot of potential. If you can move the ball around, change speed, and throw with good control, you will be successful.
Paulding Paul
May 21st, 2009
7:23 pm
Um, ok, looks like JoJo to me.Soft -tosser. No out pitch. Might be excellent trade bait though.He’s not going to make it past the 4th inning.
NEXT!
David O'Brien
May 21st, 2009
7:24 pm
35 pitches for Medlen in first inning, including 24 strikes
Zephyr 8
May 21st, 2009
7:24 pm
“Zephyr 8: Medlen’s known for great control.”
Good to know. Hope it was just nerves
Smyrna Jim
May 21st, 2009
7:24 pm
I would have taken that as my first inning in the big leagues, as opposed to what I actually experienced – oh, wait, that was just a dream.
TnBrian
May 21st, 2009
7:24 pm
DOB, is Clint Hurdle that ugly in person?
JerseyGil
May 21st, 2009
7:24 pm
Nasty Hook..that Kid has
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
7:24 pm
Hopefully Medlen will get settled down in the second inning. And, only giving up one run isn’t bad, the pitch count is to be determined.
keylargo
May 21st, 2009
7:25 pm
Get an IV, a rubdown, adjust the bill on your cap and go get em in the 2nd, kid. Tough start that he got himself out of with the strikeout.
cricket
May 21st, 2009
7:25 pm
Thanks a lot Couch Tater..
TnBrian
May 21st, 2009
7:26 pm
Paulding Paul, it’s idiots like you that make me appreciate some on here that bash ignorance…even mine sometimes.
Mike Hancho
May 21st, 2009
7:26 pm
Come on Paul – one inning and you are ready to turn the page on this kid. You must be like the smartest baseball mind ever!
Smyrna Jim
May 21st, 2009
7:26 pm
[sarcasm]Ya gotta love people who watch one inning and know more about a pitcher than the complete morons in charge of the Braves.[sarcasm]
Mike S
May 21st, 2009
7:26 pm
Braves need to get at least one here, get the game back tied and let Medlen relax and not worry about being perfect.
TennesseePaul
May 21st, 2009
7:27 pm
Bit nervous out there…. He’ll calm down.
I liked this: “The Padres right-hander invoked his no-trade clause Thursday to reject a deal that would have landed the Padres four players — left-handers Aaron Poreda and Clayton Richard and two players to be named”
Not as impressive as what the Braves were offering. He’ll be sinking that ship by staying too long. Perhaps we can wiggle Gonzalez out of ‘em.
RHR
May 21st, 2009
7:27 pm
At least Chipper’s still in the 3 hole, hopefully he’ll buy Medlen a few more minutes.
I like how 10’s of people showed up for this, by the way.
Couch Tater
May 21st, 2009
7:27 pm
Looks like they gave Medlen’s parents their own section for the game. Very considerate of the Front Office.
Mike S
May 21st, 2009
7:28 pm
Keylargo – Medlen is the new rookie, he will incur the wrath of god himself if he even attempts to bend the bill of that cap. LOL
LKS
May 21st, 2009
7:28 pm
People…its his ML debut. Give the kid a break! The balk messed with his groove a lil. He will get it back
BravesFanChris24
May 21st, 2009
7:28 pm
Chipper
CVan
May 21st, 2009
7:28 pm
2 homer night from Schafer….I am calling it
CVan
May 21st, 2009
7:29 pm
Got to like Medlen….Works quick and threw strikes
RHR
May 21st, 2009
7:29 pm
Half man, half amazing. That’s our Larry.
Mike Hancho
May 21st, 2009
7:29 pm
Good thing Escobar didn’t get on – that would have been the first DP of the day.
Tom O'Hawke
May 21st, 2009
7:30 pm
Thanks, Bear. I usually don’t make my first post of the day, so controversial, but what the heck?
McFann :Ô:
May 21st, 2009
7:31 pm
That wasn’t an RBI double…
Tomas
May 21st, 2009
7:31 pm
It looks like it’s going to be a tough night for Medlen. He clearly isn’t a strikeout pitcher, he needs to rely on being economical and pitching to contact.
Braves Paisan
May 21st, 2009
7:31 pm
The Kid looks like he has good breaking stuff and can get it over.
McFann :Ô:
May 21st, 2009
7:31 pm
.276, BTW.
RHR
May 21st, 2009
7:34 pm
Philliesuk, if you were serious, no, the 755 club does not have a dress code.
Heath (Cleveland)
May 21st, 2009
7:35 pm
showing bunt…throw it right down the middle…take the out.
Doc Holiday
May 21st, 2009
7:35 pm
There is one thing this guy has that I love………..he has lots of energy…………makes you feel the team is alive and kickin´
Tomas
May 21st, 2009
7:35 pm
Certainly a fast worker, he looks to have a lot of energy.
keylargo
May 21st, 2009
7:36 pm
The Kids getting no help from the ump.
Mike S
May 21st, 2009
7:36 pm
looks to be overthrowing a little, and the umpire is definately squeezing him a little, but he is just barely missing which is to be expected with first game nerves.
Tomas
May 21st, 2009
7:36 pm
3 walks……….Is the strikezone in the minors larger?
Doc Holiday
May 21st, 2009
7:38 pm
That guy knows how to pound the lower outside corner………looks great to me.
Eric from MO
May 21st, 2009
7:38 pm
Other than the two walks and the balk, he has looked as good as his stats in minors.
MFin04 (Bennett, Buddy, and Cox Have to Go!)
May 21st, 2009
7:38 pm
If the kid can settle in he is going to be really good. Can throw lots of different pitches for strikes.
Smyrna Jim
May 21st, 2009
7:38 pm
Medlen lucked out by getting three outs before all those runs would have scored (and don’t ask which runs – you know who you are!)
Mike S
May 21st, 2009
7:38 pm
Tomas, I think the walks are just nerves. It is not like he is throwing the ball all over the park, he is just barely missing, and the ump is holding him to a tight strikezone.
Carpe Diem
May 21st, 2009
7:38 pm
Like it or not, Peavy would rather play for Ozzie than Cox.— JEFFY321
total BS dipstick. There could be any number or reasons other than the managers that he might choose to go to Chicago now.You are just too stupid to figure that out and too obsessed with your hatred of Cox to even have a clue.
But the really funny thing is that it looks like you are totally wrong again and that he has not agreed to the trade. Your ignorance about baseball is so monumental that it almost defies comprehension. Why you continue to post and be the laughing stock of the blog is difficult to fathom. Obviously you are in severe need of attention.
Actually so far I have been giving you the benefit of the doubt and assuming that you are indeed the callow foolish 14 year old that your posts make you out to be. If so, maybe another 10-15 years of like will allow you to become a not too retarded adult.
On the other hand if you are even a day over 15 then the prognosis gets much more dire. In that case Dr Carpe pities you for what will probably be a life of failure and ridicule in most of your endeavors.
Sad sad case.
BTW as far as trannies go I bet you prefer a big hand full of stick shift, huh?
Carry on, buttercup.
Mike S
May 21st, 2009
7:39 pm
thanks Smyrna, you just made me inhale a mouthful of Diet Coke.
Eric from MO
May 21st, 2009
7:39 pm
Tomas who taught you to count?
Louisville brave
May 21st, 2009
7:39 pm
Kris Medlen…4.50 ERA
ugaman
May 21st, 2009
7:40 pm
I like Medlen so far. He works quick, which keeps the defense on its toes. He’s a little wild right now, but I attribute that to nerves. You can tell he’s got good control and a little deception as only one ball has been hit solid off him so far. He’ll be alright, people!
Heath (Cleveland)
May 21st, 2009
7:40 pm
Braves sure are showing some great patience at the plate so far….ugh.
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
7:41 pm
Just heard on FSN Rocky Mountain that KJ might get some starts in center field.
Zephyr 8
May 21st, 2009
7:41 pm
Braves not taking enough pitches. This is how aaron cook beats you. Think he has the fewest pitches in a complete game. Somewhere around 67 pitches.
BravesFanChris24
May 21st, 2009
7:41 pm
Francoeur with a hit!
abwright
May 21st, 2009
7:42 pm
FrancÔer gets a hit.
RHR
May 21st, 2009
7:42 pm
Joe is going to gush for 30 minutes now because Frenchy got a single.
MFin04 (Bennett, Buddy, and Cox Have to Go!)
May 21st, 2009
7:42 pm
Thataboy Frenchy!!!!
Shane
May 21st, 2009
7:42 pm
OMG
RHR
May 21st, 2009
7:42 pm
Ooops, I mean, way to go Frenchy!
Shane
May 21st, 2009
7:43 pm
Well Jeff if anyone knows the Braves its FSN Rocky Mountain.
Mike S
May 21st, 2009
7:43 pm
Frenchy goes the other way! Maybe the call from Rudy Jaramillo straightened him back out.
Pretty sad when a coach for another team can fix a hitter with a phone call, while Terry Pendleton justs stands around looking clueless.
Salty Dawg
May 21st, 2009
7:43 pm
Maybe I’m just immature, but I have to chuckle a little when the announcer says “Francoeur goes the other way”. Just me? Fine then.
Eric from MO
May 21st, 2009
7:43 pm
Least Im not listening to Skip Carey tonight. This is always a good thing.
CVan
May 21st, 2009
7:43 pm
Strike zone seems larger for the Cook man
Smyrna Jim
May 21st, 2009
7:43 pm
Sorry, Mike S – this is the first game in a while I’ve been able to watch and blog instead of being out tutoring and listening on the radio, so I’m feeling feisty (although I’m actually trying to work on the computer at the same time).
Tomas
May 21st, 2009
7:44 pm
Umpires are tough on Schafer. He takes a lot of close pitches, but they always seem to give it to the pitcher.
Joe Simpson
May 21st, 2009
7:44 pm
Way to go Frenchy, atta boy! I knew you could do it.
ugaman
May 21st, 2009
7:44 pm
great story by Boog about Jeff getting one of Norton’s bats. I love that kind of inside scoop.
First Impression
May 21st, 2009
7:44 pm
Kid seems to have decent stuff, but he’s small. Not crazy about that. He seems smaller than Chuck James. Hope he isn’t similar.
Another thing is when you are small and throwing 89-91 on your fastball, you better be locating with it AND your curve/slider and change. We’ll wait and see where this goes but I’m not particularly geeked up with what I’ve seen so far.
It’s a small man thing. Pound for pound you have to be BETTER than other major leaguers to be successful.
BravesFanChris24
May 21st, 2009
7:45 pm
Schafer
MFin04 (Bennett, Buddy, and Cox Have to Go!)
May 21st, 2009
7:45 pm
Tie it up Kris!!!!!
Heath (Cleveland)
May 21st, 2009
7:45 pm
Schafer…best at-bat a Braves first time through the order.
abwright
May 21st, 2009
7:45 pm
Schafer gets a hit. Medlen’s first ML AB.
BravesFanChris24
May 21st, 2009
7:45 pm
Medlen to bat.
Tomas
May 21st, 2009
7:45 pm
Judging by how Kris Medlen’s intensity, his swing should be andruw jones like falling to one knee.
ugaman
May 21st, 2009
7:45 pm
Good job Schafer. That at least tunrs the lineup over for next inning. Medlen used to be a position player. Let’s see how good he hits.
Il Cattivo
May 21st, 2009
7:46 pm
Drive them in Kris!
Eric from MO – you mean Chip Carey right.
ugaman
May 21st, 2009
7:46 pm
Man, Medlen looks like he reallly knows what he’s doing up there.
BravesFanChris24
May 21st, 2009
7:47 pm
Damn that was close
BravesFanChris24
May 21st, 2009
7:47 pm
Medlen has some speed.
Mike S
May 21st, 2009
7:47 pm
HEHE that second pitch by Cook was a “welcome to the majors kid” insider after Medlen hit the foul pretty solid.
Eric from MO
May 21st, 2009
7:47 pm
Wow! I thought that was going to be a hit.
MFin04 (Bennett, Buddy, and Cox Have to Go!)
May 21st, 2009
7:47 pm
Umm…I dont think so!!!! Give the kid a hit!!!!
abwright
May 21st, 2009
7:47 pm
Medlen hits a swinging bunt to the third base side. Cook throws a 2 hopper to first and nips Medlen.
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
7:47 pm
Shane, I trust FSNRM more than the hacks on this website. (Except for of course the people paid to blog here.)
Moby Carp – I only read this much and scrolled right past your long post.
“total BS dipstick. There could be any number or reasons”
How does that make ya feel? Wait. I won’t be reading that either. Maybe one day you’ll focus on the players/coaches and stop throwing around personal insults.
Eric from MO
May 21st, 2009
7:48 pm
Il Cattivo yeah, my bad, I meant Chip.
Braves Paisan
May 21st, 2009
7:48 pm
In the words of the great Tom Seaver (and I have hated the Mets since their inception): “There are three factors in pitching — movement, location, and velocity. And the least important is velocity.”
MFin04 (Bennett, Buddy, and Cox Have to Go!)
May 21st, 2009
7:50 pm
I hope the Braves don’t induct Medlen into the Jair Jurrjens club.
David O'Brien
May 21st, 2009
7:50 pm
Forgot to mention, Cox also said Kelly Johnson would be an option as the backup CF, since balls are easier to judge in CF than in LF, where Johnson used to play.
Diaz played some CF in college, and Francoeur in the minors. Martin Prado is the other of the four options he listed.
abravo
May 21st, 2009
7:51 pm
DOB – FYI, Santogold is no more. She had to change her name to Santigold I think because of a dispute with some jeweler.
TennesseePaul
May 21st, 2009
7:51 pm
The one career stat that will NEVER be challenged
Nolan Ryan: 5,714 strike outs. 7 no hitters. (12 one hitters, 18 two hitters) And most No-hitters taken to the 9th inning.
Single Season stat never to be broken:
Old Hoss Radbourn: Single Season Wins record: 59 (NL Grays)
BravesFanChris24
May 21st, 2009
7:51 pm
Seems like he might be settling down.
abwright
May 21st, 2009
7:51 pm
Medlen versus Helton, round 2. Medlen gets strike three on a weak swing by Helton.
First Impression
May 21st, 2009
7:52 pm
“In the words of the great Tom Seaver (and I have hated the Mets since their inception): “There are three factors in pitching — movement, location, and velocity. And the least important is velocity.”
Medlin seems to have movement, not much velocity. Locating his pitches will determine if he’s a keeper or not.
BravesFanChris24
May 21st, 2009
7:52 pm
Right at him
Smyrna Jim
May 21st, 2009
7:52 pm
Braves Paisan – how can you have hated the Mets since their inception (in 1962)? I can see since they beat the Braves in ‘69 (Gary Gentry!), but before that?
BravesFanChris24
May 21st, 2009
7:53 pm
I like Medlen’s curve.
MFin04 (Bennett, Buddy, and Cox Have to Go!)
May 21st, 2009
7:53 pm
Paul – 59 wins. Lol. What’s the most in the last 20 years? 25 wins?
Shane
May 21st, 2009
7:53 pm
The one career stat that will never be broken Cy Young 511 Wins
Braves Paisan
May 21st, 2009
7:54 pm
Certainly, the movement and location to Helton was first rate. And he isn’t afraid to throw breaking stuff on the first pitch.
BravesFanChris24
May 21st, 2009
7:54 pm
A nice 1 2 3 for Medlen.
abwright
May 21st, 2009
7:54 pm
Medlen mows them down in the third.
BravesFanChris24
May 21st, 2009
7:54 pm
Now come on offense, be patient ~_~
Heath (Cleveland)
May 21st, 2009
7:55 pm
62 pitches through 3 innings…he has bounced back nicely so far from that first inning. If he keeps this up this improvement, he could go 5 tonight. Let’s get him some runs boys! Top of the order coming up.
Tom O'Hawke
May 21st, 2009
7:56 pm
“Least Im not listening to Skip Caray tonight.”Eric from MO
If anyone is, please let me know what station.
Eric from MO
May 21st, 2009
7:57 pm
WOW!!! Nice girlfriend!!
BravesFanChris24
May 21st, 2009
7:58 pm
Nice good looking girlfriend
Eric from MO
May 21st, 2009
7:58 pm
I corrected myself Tom!
BravesFanChris24
May 21st, 2009
7:59 pm
lol @ Escobar’s bat!
MFin04 (Bennett, Buddy, and Cox Have to Go!)
May 21st, 2009
7:59 pm
Escobar is just an incredible leadoff hitter. 0 for 2.
Medlen is so darn short. LOL. He was talking to McCann in the dugout about something. Good to see them working well together.
abwright
May 21st, 2009
7:59 pm
Escobar gets a hit…the umpire with his bat… as he throws it away to run to first.
Rodney Derrick
May 21st, 2009
7:59 pm
Sometimes it looks like TP has told Escobar to hit like Andruw formerly hit with that corkscrew and tumble
Il Cattivo
May 21st, 2009
8:00 pm
Good to see the kid settling down. He doesnt seem all that overawed right now, the way he was talking to Mac in the dugout.
Paulding Paul
May 21st, 2009
8:00 pm
It’s just plain stupid to say a record will never be broken. Unless we have a crystal ball and can peer into the future to see what the game and the players are like, we can’t say for sure.
BravesFanChris24
May 21st, 2009
8:01 pm
Chipper couldn’t pull the trigger
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
8:01 pm
Chipper looks awful at the plate in that at bat.
Doc Holiday
May 21st, 2009
8:01 pm
Chipper Jones is also an option for CF, he used to play CF in kindergarden.
Peavy uses no-trade clause to nix White Sox deal
After the White Sox reached aagreement with the Padres for right-handed ace Jake Peavy, the pitcher said no thanks. Peavy used a no-trade clause to reject the proposed deal.
Tom O'Hawke
May 21st, 2009
8:02 pm
Eric from MO–
Yeah, I see that. However, I still want to hear Skip!
Braves Paisan
May 21st, 2009
8:02 pm
Symrna Jim — I grew up in NY as a Yankees fan, with some of the same experiences as Billy Crystal and Bob Costas: watching Mickey Mantle stride the Stadium as a Colossus. Many of my grade school mates abandoned the Yankees for the Mets in 1962, mostly because their parents had been Dodgers and Giants fans. And, at least the Old Perfesser got it right in 1962, when, observing his “players” rhetorically asked “Can anybody here play this game?”
I stil email that question to my NY friends who are Mets fans. After five Mets errors on the coast, one sent the reply: “No”.
N8
May 21st, 2009
8:03 pm
” I know that’s hard for two or three here to grasp, but it is what it is.” DOB
Woah. You best watch yourself my friend. Next thing you know, you’ll call somebody dude, call somebody a Boras client, and finish it off with a “yikes”.
Some people on here don’t like that.
RHR
May 21st, 2009
8:03 pm
Kris Medlen’s Hot Blonde Girlfriend
7:59 pm
Seriously? DOB please share with us the usual name of the person who posted that at 7:59.
Interested Observer
May 21st, 2009
8:04 pm
Smoltz always wanted to play CF. If he was still here Bobby would probably put him on the list too.
Eric from MO
May 21st, 2009
8:04 pm
Really Tom??? I couldnt stand Skip either. The only Carey that was good was Harry. By the end of the game I normally muted the games Skip was announcing.
RHR
May 21st, 2009
8:06 pm
1/3 of our lineup would’ve swung at that.
David O'Brien
May 21st, 2009
8:06 pm
Wonder if Jim Powell said “Just a bit outside” on that pitch….
That one’ll be on SportsCenter, I bet.
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
8:07 pm
Can someone page Roger McDowell for a conference on the mound.
David O'Brien
May 21st, 2009
8:08 pm
Wow, that one was almost the same spot. Trouble….
BravesFanChris24
May 21st, 2009
8:08 pm
Bad luck start tonight
I think he’ll be fine after getting this one out of the way.
Tom O'Hawke
May 21st, 2009
8:08 pm
Eric from MO–
You’re pulling my leg, right?
MFin04 (Bennett, Buddy, and Cox Have to Go!)
May 21st, 2009
8:08 pm
Losing patience with that crap.
kiirkinga
May 21st, 2009
8:08 pm
Is it really necessary to speak ill of the dead? There isn’t any reason in the world to talk about Skip.
abwright
May 21st, 2009
8:08 pm
Medlen having some serious control issues. Trainer is out to the mound. Apparently nothing is wrong. So, the game goes on.
Smyrna Jim
May 21st, 2009
8:08 pm
Tom O – I would say hi, but I’m hard at work scoring 7th grade math answers online, so I’m paying no attention to the Braves game (and especially the blog – ignore all of the sarcastic posts that seem to be from me) or the music I’m listening to.
N8
May 21st, 2009
8:09 pm
Eric from MO, I’ll take it that you didn’t get struck by lightning golfing (one can hope), or that you did, and that somebody else is using your moniker? Which would be really rude, because I think proper etiquitte states one should wait 24 hours after somebody is struck by lightning, before stealing their identity.
MFin04 (Bennett, Buddy, and Cox Have to Go!)
May 21st, 2009
8:09 pm
Kid doesn’t got it, no control now. Got to go and get him.
Eric from MO
May 21st, 2009
8:09 pm
No Tom, Skip was horrible. All my friends made fun of him (they are cards fans) because he was so bad. His voice was all nasily and annoying. Couldnt stand him.
CVan
May 21st, 2009
8:09 pm
Anybody else confused what’s going on?
BravesFanChris24
May 21st, 2009
8:10 pm
Heath (Cleveland)
May 21st, 2009
8:10 pm
…should consider getting Medlen out of there before it gets really bad. Don’t want to dampen his spirits.
Louisville brave
May 21st, 2009
8:10 pm
uh oh
MFin04 (Bennett, Buddy, and Cox Have to Go!)
May 21st, 2009
8:10 pm
We’re gonna need a miracle now to win this one.
David O'Brien
May 21st, 2009
8:10 pm
Mound, ball, something. He’s having trouble with something.
Il Cattivo
May 21st, 2009
8:10 pm
Hmmm. going downhill pretty quickly here.
braveshater
May 21st, 2009
8:11 pm
Good job kiddo. But now u gotta go. No, they’re leaving him in. Come on Bobby, make me proud. That wasnt a strike either.
Sandlot
May 21st, 2009
8:11 pm
Listening to Joe and Boog, and I’m curious. Why don’t the minor leagues use the same brand of baseballs that are used in the majors? It seems kind of silly not to, especially if there really is a noticeable difference.
Paulding Paul
May 21st, 2009
8:11 pm
I told y’all he would blow up in the 4th! He’s not the answer folks. Chuck James from the right. Should be a homer here soon.
Jerry Holcombe
May 21st, 2009
8:11 pm
Now, ain’t Medlin just special. Three walks and nothing close to a strike. This is about to get really ugly.
Eric from MO
May 21st, 2009
8:11 pm
N8 I live in Missouri…hence my name. So no defeintly didnt get struck by lighting.
MFin04 (Bennett, Buddy, and Cox Have to Go!)
May 21st, 2009
8:12 pm
This is Jeff Bennet-esque
Rob from SC
May 21st, 2009
8:12 pm
wgat happened to Medlen
David O'Brien
May 21st, 2009
8:12 pm
And that’s that.
braveshater
May 21st, 2009
8:12 pm
You’ll get em next time kiddo.
Heath (Cleveland)
May 21st, 2009
8:12 pm
Cook should be Medlens last guy
The Truth
May 21st, 2009
8:12 pm
Uh, the kid can’t throw a strike folks. Get James Parr in there…….
abwright
May 21st, 2009
8:12 pm
Medlen hits the pitcher to drive in a run. That’s it for the young-un.
Rockies up 2-0. Bases loaded. No one out.
Kris Bedwetter-han
May 21st, 2009
8:13 pm
Get this Rick Ankiel impersonator outta there!
MFin04 (Bennett, Buddy, and Cox Have to Go!)
May 21st, 2009
8:13 pm
This is ABSOLUTELY HORRENDOUS!!!! There goes another trade chip. Who else comes up before Hanson and chokes?
MariettaDerek
May 21st, 2009
8:13 pm
That debut was definitely NOT double pits to chesty.
Eric from MO
May 21st, 2009
8:13 pm
Where have I seen this??? Oh yeah, Rick Ankiel. Well guess we just found our CF of the future.
Tomahawkin
May 21st, 2009
8:13 pm
Co-Sign, We are gonna need a miracle to win this…Our Feast or famine offense is showing the later end tonight
Efrim
May 21st, 2009
8:14 pm
Tough outing for Medlen. Hopefully it’ll be better next time out.
N8
May 21st, 2009
8:14 pm
“I couldnt stand Skip either.” Eric from MO
Well, you pretty much just summed up how serious I need to take your opinion. Any Braves fan that didn’t like Skip, really isn’t a Braves fan.
On a side note, if the question is who are our backup CF’s and the answer includes the names Diaz, Franceour (best options), Prado and KJ, then this team is in serious defensive trouble if Schafer goes down.
So let me get this straight. Management didn’t want guys like Abreu or Dunn in LF because their defense was weak, yet Cox is willing to have THOSE four guys be the backup CF while Infante is out? Wow.
Tom O'Hawke
May 21st, 2009
8:14 pm
Eric from MO–
I only new one person that didn’t like Skip. He was a Yankee fan. (I live in NY) To each his own, but you are definitely in the minority, on this blog.
Jim–
Thanks for the heads up. In that case, I won’t ask you what the “Drink Du Jour” is.
Il Cattivo
May 21st, 2009
8:14 pm
Think its going to be a blister or something. Might be Hanson or Parr for the next start.
JerseyGil
May 21st, 2009
8:14 pm
Hanson is dealing in Gwinnett
Tomas
May 21st, 2009
8:14 pm
Wow…….Medlen really lost the plate.
Unknown
May 21st, 2009
8:14 pm
Well, Medlen sucks. Great.
Eric from MO
May 21st, 2009
8:14 pm
Damn it Kris Bedwetter-han you beat me by just seconds.
TnBrian
May 21st, 2009
8:15 pm
Another unsolved mystery relating to Braves minor league pitchers dominating there and melting here. MLB is way different, but this is bizarre to me.
Jerry Holcombe
May 21st, 2009
8:15 pm
I think we get an idea of why Medlin got sent down in the first place. It would be nice if the bullpen could stop the Rockies dead in their tracks because with all the offense the last couple of days, we could be at the cusp of a .500 homestand against two really crappy teams.
Braves Paisan
May 21st, 2009
8:15 pm
Pauling Paul — of course we can’t see into the future, but we can analyze data and draw inferences about what it might be. It’s been what, over 40 years, since pitchers have been expected to finish games they pitch. Situational relievers and closers have been the unanimous approach of every team for a long time now. Especially given the value of preserving the arms of starting pitchers, the best arms on the team.
That said, what would it take for the game to change — to regress so much that a pitcher would throw 749 complete games?
Coach (2010 or Bust)
May 21st, 2009
8:15 pm
Cox should have pulled Medlen the first time he came out to the mound. Something is definitely wrong.
LKS
May 21st, 2009
8:15 pm
Wow…do you folks stay braves fans EVERYday? I mean the way you treat our players-I’m surprised you arent a fan of the Yanks Mon, Boston Tues, Mets Wed, Phillies Thurs and Braves Fri. You all are too funny!!
Louisville brave
May 21st, 2009
8:15 pm
come on parr…lets get out of it!!!
Doc Holiday
May 21st, 2009
8:15 pm
This is how Hanson might look when bell sounds in a few months.
Kris Bedwetter-han
May 21st, 2009
8:15 pm
Well, that was the hit Rockies’ batter you all wanted.
Eric from MO
May 21st, 2009
8:16 pm
OH I didnt know to like a team you had to love their announcer. What a tool…
BravesFanChris24
May 21st, 2009
8:16 pm
Good one out.
Tomahawkin
May 21st, 2009
8:16 pm
We Need Damage Control…Parr, Come On we gotta get out of this inning down by no more than 3 otherwise Game-Over
MFin04 (Bennett, Buddy, and Cox Have to Go!)
May 21st, 2009
8:16 pm
Garret Anderson with a CANNON in left!!!!
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
8:16 pm
Well. I rather he experience bad luck now then great luck then falter.
abwright
May 21st, 2009
8:16 pm
Parr gets a weak fly ball to LF for out #1. Double play makes this game bearable.
Eric from MO
May 21st, 2009
8:18 pm
N8″On a side note, if the question is who are our backup CF’s and the answer includes the names Diaz, Franceour (best options), Prado and KJ, then this team is in serious defensive trouble if Schafer goes down.
So let me get this straight. Management didn’t want guys like Abreu or Dunn in LF because their defense was weak, yet Cox is willing to have THOSE four guys be the backup CF while Infante is out? Wow.”
Seriously think about this a second, if Schafer goes down you will need these guys to covor CF for only a couple of innings, 9 tops. The very next day they would call someone up if Schafer is in doubt.
BravesFanChris24
May 21st, 2009
8:18 pm
2 down whew.
Cooper S
May 21st, 2009
8:18 pm
OMG MEDLEN SUCKS OVERREACTION ABSURD STATEMENT APOCALYPSE SNAP JUDGMENT!!!!!!!!
David O'Brien
May 21st, 2009
8:18 pm
They had a better pitching matchup at Gwinnett tonight than here: Hanson vs. Bonderman.
MFin04 (Bennett, Buddy, and Cox Have to Go!)
May 21st, 2009
8:18 pm
Great 3-2 pitch by Parr!!! Way to throw strikes!!!
abwright
May 21st, 2009
8:18 pm
Tulowitski pops up to McCann behind the plate on a 3-2 count. 2 outs.
Il Cattivo
May 21st, 2009
8:19 pm
People need to stop overreacting about Medlen’s performance. He obviosuly had some problem causing Jim Lovell to come out. Its his first big league start and showed enough stones to go after Helton (he of the 2000 hits club). Yes it unravelled, but not because he sucks. Show some patience guys.
Heath (Cleveland)
May 21st, 2009
8:19 pm
1 out away from some nice damage control by Parr….
RHR
May 21st, 2009
8:19 pm
Are some of you ass clowns really ripping on Medlen already? I don’t know why I’m surprised…
Tom O'Hawke
May 21st, 2009
8:20 pm
Eric from MO–
It wouldn’t have hurt that you weren’t talkiing to me on your last post.
David O'Brien
May 21st, 2009
8:21 pm
Through 5-1/2 innings, Hanson’s allowed one hit, Bonderman’s allowed two
Eternal Pessimist
May 21st, 2009
8:21 pm
Seeing as how we scored 20 or so runs in the last two games I think there is a good chance that this game is already over.
BravesFanChris24
May 21st, 2009
8:22 pm
Grand Slam
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
8:22 pm
GASP!
Tomahawkin
May 21st, 2009
8:22 pm
Game Over…!!!! Fcccckkkkkk!!!!!
Kris Bedwetter-lan
May 21st, 2009
8:22 pm
Boo James Parr!
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
8:22 pm
Nice Going Jeff.
Unknown
May 21st, 2009
8:22 pm
It doesn’t matter tonight how many runs the Rox score, the game was over at 1-0. The Braves aren’t scoring any runs tonight.
Tom O'Hawke
May 21st, 2009
8:22 pm
Eric from MO–
That was supposed to be….wouldn’t have hurt TO MENTION …
Eric from MO
May 21st, 2009
8:22 pm
Well Im done for the night…rest of you can enjoy being mad…
MFin04 (Bennett, Buddy, and Cox Have to Go!)
May 21st, 2009
8:22 pm
Kris Medlen is a stud!!!! What is that 5 ER?
Heath (Cleveland)
May 21st, 2009
8:22 pm
And the Medlen meltdown is completed….
Jerry Holcombe
May 21st, 2009
8:23 pm
Send Medlin back down.
northbeach Scott
May 21st, 2009
8:23 pm
Nicely assisted HR Francoeur. Not even your defense is good, anymore. Medlen and Parr really appreciate it.
abwright
May 21st, 2009
8:23 pm
Helton hits a grand slam. Francœur just missed catching it. Needed another vertical inch.
oh SNAP!
May 21st, 2009
8:23 pm
Jermaine Dye would have made that catch.
Coach (2010 or Bust)
May 21st, 2009
8:23 pm
There goes the neighborhood.
Doc Holiday
May 21st, 2009
8:23 pm
Can this team win 3 in a row?????????
nope…………2 is tops for this team.
MFin04 (Bennett, Buddy, and Cox Have to Go!)
May 21st, 2009
8:24 pm
This offense is so crappy. Trade for a darn power bat already. No way we can compete with the Mets and Phillies if their pitching is even halfway good the rest of the way.
TnBrian
May 21st, 2009
8:24 pm
Well, good time as any to get some payback for all those hit batters the last two games. Gotta drill someone in this one.
Tomahawkin
May 21st, 2009
8:24 pm
Once I saw that ball Hit by Helton I closed My Eyes….!!! Hoping it wouldn’t go out…To No Avail
Well at least get a couple of runs so it doesn’t look like a total blow-out
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
8:24 pm
Frenchy needs help from Schafer..
RHR
May 21st, 2009
8:25 pm
Joe’s enormous man crush on Frenchy knows no bounds.
N8
May 21st, 2009
8:25 pm
Eric, my point is that I would think that finding a backup CF would be more important than a backup infielder at this point. Why would it only be a couple of innings? What if Schafer gets hurt in the first inning of a game?
For a team that isn’t gonna run away with this division (or the wild card race), every game counts. I would had to lose a game somewhere down the road because we had no viable option to catch the ball in CF. Say what you want about Schafer’s hitting ability, but his defense has been above average.
I think Francoeur is the best option.
By your theory, there isn’t much reason to carry a backup catcher. If McCann went down just call somebody up the next day. After all Diaz is the backup catcher anyhow, right?
Tomahawkin
May 21st, 2009
8:25 pm
TNBrian….
It Is Payback Time….! That’s What I’m talking Bout!
oh SNAP!
May 21st, 2009
8:25 pm
Our pen has given up 3 grand slams in the last week +.
Paulding Paul
May 21st, 2009
8:25 pm
…and there’s the homer. Y’all seen this before. That’ll do it for this game and all that Medlen buzz. Nite!
northbeach Scott
May 21st, 2009
8:25 pm
Thank goodness I choose not to use the tickets I had for the game, tonight. Miserable Braves baseball is bad enough on TV, but disgusting in person.
BravesFanChris24
May 21st, 2009
8:26 pm
Mercifully inning over.
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
8:26 pm
well apparently what ever pitch Mac went to the mound and said and called for didn’t WORK.
MFin04 (Bennett, Buddy, and Cox Have to Go!)
May 21st, 2009
8:26 pm
Watch the offense struggle to even get ONE tonight!!! Just pitiful!!!!
Smyrna Jim
May 21st, 2009
8:27 pm
Tom O – I am scoring the same double bar graph over and over (close to 5,000 so far), so the assumption that (well, the grand slam makes my post totally inappropriate right now, but I might as well keep going) I am not drinking would not be accurate – in fact, the grand slam might mean some more of the Spanish red wine I’ve been working on with my cheesesteak (Smyrna cheesesteak, not official Philly, but still good).
Braves Paisan
May 21st, 2009
8:27 pm
Look at the good side. If it’s a blow-out, we might get to see Diory Hernandez.
Unknown
May 21st, 2009
8:27 pm
20-20 and 2.5 games outta first. Send Parr and Medlen back down.
Louisville brave
May 21st, 2009
8:27 pm
Umm…Im a huge Braves fan and I think Skip was a total douche…sure he was good at play by play…but it was his lame, arrogant, unfriendly, unfunny personality coming through in between the pitches and on the various radio shows that grinded away my patience for him over the years…most of the fans i grew up with feel the same way…he was easy to dislike
N8
May 21st, 2009
8:27 pm
Like I said early in the week. This team has promise. Not sure what the promise is. But until they find a way to get a mere 5 games over .500, I’m not taking anything seriously, and the rest of baseball should do the same.
Mediocrity at it’s finest.
Perhaps John Parr would have been a better option out of the pen.
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
8:28 pm
I agree with the man crush..I mean what OF’s don’t play deep with the bases loaded…or at least almost all the way deep. Especially with the wind blowing.
Jurrjens4NLCY
May 21st, 2009
8:28 pm
Ok well I’m done with this game, even though Me and Medlen share a “Kris” bond… He is dead to me, oh and thanks Frenchy for that Grand Slam.
Wayne in Utah
May 21st, 2009
8:28 pm
Well, I see some things never change. We score 20 runs in the past few games, and the village idiot, MFin04 has already deemed that our offense sucks. He will probably decree that Medlen is no good after 3+ innings.
Like I said, some things never change.
Doc Holiday
May 21st, 2009
8:28 pm
Never mind the grandslam………..KJ is in the lineup tonight.
Tomahawkin
May 21st, 2009
8:28 pm
MFIN…
Whats Scary is that the Phillies are Clowning with a Shytty Rotation…If their pitching gets better they could easily run away with this…
Jerry Holcombe
May 21st, 2009
8:28 pm
II Cattivo:
I take issue with your assessment of Medlin. He sucks and he sucks the big one. No two ways about it.
Heath (Cleveland)
May 21st, 2009
8:28 pm
Pujols just hits a major HR that hits the “I” in the BIG MAC sign (tribute to McGuire) and knows out the lights in that letter. Boom.
Smoltzie
May 21st, 2009
8:28 pm
I was lights out tonight. Check me out!
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/index.jsp
Joe Simpson
May 21st, 2009
8:28 pm
Joe’s enormous man crush on Frenchy knows no bounds.
But what about the opposite-field singles???
CorkylikesBeer
May 21st, 2009
8:29 pm
Is it still early in the season?
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
8:29 pm
bravos2249-
except the wind is blowing to left field, which would more likely cause balls hit to right to get hung up and drift…
Good God Almighty
May 21st, 2009
8:29 pm
Never mind the grandslam………..KJ is in the lineup tonight.
Your Johnson-hatred has hit a new high. I suppose you believe with Infante at second Medlan would have thrown a perfect game?
Not Again
May 21st, 2009
8:30 pm
Maybe one day you’ll focus on the players/coaches and stop throwing around personal insults. Jeff321
It seems like you started the persona attack with your transvestite post last night didn’t you?Followed by insults in your post to Capt. Caveman. Quite a bit of a hyprcrite I see.
Heath (Cleveland)
May 21st, 2009
8:30 pm
Cy Cook on the mound tonight…
Smyrna Jim
May 21st, 2009
8:31 pm
Jerry Holcombe – if you want to throw Medlen to the wolves after his first start, at least have the decency to spell his name right on his tombstone.
Wayne in Utah
May 21st, 2009
8:31 pm
Jurrjens
Was Frenchy pitching when Helton hit that HR?
Tom O'Hawke
May 21st, 2009
8:31 pm
Jim–
You don’t have to tell me now, what you’re drinking. You’re busy. Tell me later, I’ll be around. BTW, I hope that it’s Smyrna Ga. cheesesteak, not Smyrna, AL. cheesesteak. (they don’t use cow)
BravesFanChris24
May 21st, 2009
8:32 pm
Finally patience ~_~
Mixxo
May 21st, 2009
8:32 pm
Two years ago……..Jeff catches that. I said it before the game and I’ll say it again, there’s no spring in Frenchie’s step. (
Gut check time IMO.
Louisville brave
May 21st, 2009
8:32 pm
good eye kelly!!!
MFin04 (Bennett, Buddy, and Cox Have to Go!)
May 21st, 2009
8:32 pm
Wayne dont be a douche. You dont even watch half the games. Did you notice that Prado and Infante were in the lineup for that outburst last night?
Yes this offense blows. It has the lucky night where they get runs, but consistently sucks the majority of the nights. WATCH THE GAMES!!!
BravesFanChris24
May 21st, 2009
8:33 pm
A big inning perhaps? Please!
Jerry Holcombe
May 21st, 2009
8:33 pm
Wayne in Utah:
Don’t know about Mfin, but I believe that our offense sucks. You seems to thinks that we have a good offense because we scores a lot of runs the past two days. Need I remind you that the two games preceding that, we scored a total of 1 run against sh!t pitchers. So, who’s right, you or me? Well, look at our linescore tonight and I’ll rest my case.
Doc Holiday
May 21st, 2009
8:33 pm
And JF touches one out for a grandslam!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, at least he was involved in the play…………..
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
8:33 pm
really, how much better and more relaxed has KJ looked the last few days? totally different
CorkylikesBeer
May 21st, 2009
8:34 pm
another inside out swing by jeff…..increasing his trade value
BravesFanChris24
May 21st, 2009
8:34 pm
There goes that
Il Cattivo
May 21st, 2009
8:34 pm
Smyrna Jim,
I think he was being facetious. Atleast for his sake I hope so.
Rob from SC
May 21st, 2009
8:34 pm
Why is Hanson still in Triple A.
Paulding Paul
May 21st, 2009
8:34 pm
Well the excuses have started, still time for someone to be the first to say “he’s young”. We’ve seen this before..James…Davies…McBride…Reyes..on and on.Another 87-88mph fastball”control” pitcher. We don’t need to wait, we know this story chapter and verse already.Oh, add Parr to the list too.
Boo
May 21st, 2009
8:35 pm
If Francoeur gets hot, please trade him and don’t get fooled. A two-week hot streak starting now might be the highest his trade value will ever be for the rest of his career.
Unknown
May 21st, 2009
8:37 pm
They are just launching off of Parr.
FaninFaytown
May 21st, 2009
8:37 pm
so this 5th spot in the rotation…. its kinda killin us
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
8:38 pm
cabravesfan
Last I checked he plays RF. So….I don’t see what you mean.
braveshater
May 21st, 2009
8:38 pm
Come on boys. How bout a comeback.
CorkylikesBeer
May 21st, 2009
8:39 pm
Paul..you are forgetting…Morton
Saturos
May 21st, 2009
8:39 pm
Parr and Bennett stink.
Jeff321
May 21st, 2009
8:39 pm
It seems like you started the persona attack with your transvestite post last night didn’t you?Followed by insults in your post to Capt. Caveman. Quite a bit of a hyprcrite I see.
Not Again – That’s what you get for seemin’! Moby Grape changed his name to Carp then leveled a vicious personal attack on me. Shortly thereafter he let everyone know he was formerly known as Moby Grape. So, in fact he started it. Actually he’s lashed out several times before that under the Moby Grape moniker. That said, he’s now changed his name again to Carpe Diem.
And Capt Caveman was talking about anal probes or something. I didn’t rip him at all.
So, redo your math because its full of S.
Smyrna Jim
May 21st, 2009
8:39 pm
Tom O Shortly after my first impulsive post early this year, I realized I should have called myself Vinings Jim, which has a much better cachet here than Smyrna – plus, it’s where Schuerholz lives, so I could have feigned some sort of affinity. Anyway, I’ve been scoring for 12 hours, and, at this point, periodic diversion is critical to not going insane.
Doc Holiday
May 21st, 2009
8:40 pm
2 wins then we lose 2
1 win then we lose 2
3 wins then we lose 1
2 wins then we lose 2
cant we win 6 and then lose 2 and then win 4 and lose 2 and then win 3 and lose 1? and then win 5 and lose 2?
Pathetic……….cant get more than 3 wins a week, thats not gonna make it.
What about runs?
we score 10 then 1
then 6 and then get ZERO
next day 8 runs…………next day 1
WTF
Louisville brave
May 21st, 2009
8:41 pm
Atta boy Parr, way to pitch around the leadoff double
LKS
May 21st, 2009
8:41 pm
MFin04
I’m just curious..serious question. Had tonight been Hanson and not Medlen would you be hating on Hanson as bad as you are on Medlen? Don’t you have to give them a few games before you know if the “experiment works”?
MFin04 (Bennett, Buddy, and Cox Have to Go!)
May 21st, 2009
8:41 pm
We need to win a game like this for once. A good old Phillies type comeback. The offense looks like it just gives up.
PH and top of the order here, need to get some runs this inning!!!
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
8:42 pm
Saturos
Parr’s not that bad I mean That probably isn’t a GS if Jeff doesn’t knock it out of the park, or catches it. Now Bennett does stink, but he was good last night, so I give him that.
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
8:42 pm
bravos2249-
you mentioned that outfielders typically play deep with the wind blowing- I was just pointing out that the wind is blowing in from right, which would cause certain balls to “hang up” and not go as deep as they normally would to right field…wasn’t meant to be anything other then a “maybe he’s not playing as deep because…” theory
Louisville brave
May 21st, 2009
8:43 pm
Braves get 4 this inning
Tomahawkin
May 21st, 2009
8:43 pm
How The Hell Can someone hate on JP already…? If he’d got out of the Inning everyone would be calling for him to be in the rotation…
AWFense Does Blow…Nuff Said…
MFin04 (Bennett, Buddy, and Cox Have to Go!)
May 21st, 2009
8:43 pm
Medlen coming up just doesn’t make sense if he have like 6 guys competing for one spot. And how the heck does a guy just lose control and start hitting the screen? That can’t be normal? Something seriously has to be wrong?
And they should give Medlen more starts since he is up, but we just have soo many starters it’s a weird move.
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
8:43 pm
I should have called myself Vinings Jim
Not to mention it’s a hell of a lot easier to spell then Smyrna
Doc Holiday
May 21st, 2009
8:44 pm
Isnt TEX available?
Maybe we can trade Medlen for Tex and David Ross and some cash————-LOL
Louisville brave
May 21st, 2009
8:44 pm
maybe not with Parr leading off…WTF Bobby?
scottbravesfan
May 21st, 2009
8:44 pm
This game has not gone as well as one would have hoped. Medlin just sort of fell apart there in the 3rd or 4th couldn’t throw a strike. We got to score some runs they have to win a series against the awful rockies because our schedule is about to get hard. Blue Jays, west coast trip, plus Yankees and 6 with the Red Sox coming up soon.
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
8:44 pm
cabravesfan
OK. I thought you were going crazy on me there for a second. lol
MFin04 (Bennett, Buddy, and Cox Have to Go!)
May 21st, 2009
8:44 pm
Not sure why we aren’t pinch hitting? Is it because we wasted our bullpen yesterday in a 12-1 game when Vazquez could have gone 2 innings more?
Doc Holiday
May 21st, 2009
8:45 pm
Why is Parr batting if we are down by 6?
Are we trading outs for ……………??????? bullpen rest?
Salt life
May 21st, 2009
8:45 pm
Need a little help…..having a brain farc….yes “farc”…..short for infarction……look it up……anyway……the chubby reliever Terry from the early nineties….his last name was?
MFin04 (Bennett, Buddy, and Cox Have to Go!)
May 21st, 2009
8:45 pm
That right there proves that Bobby is a moron!!!! We don’t need any runs apparently!!!!
Smyrna Jim
May 21st, 2009
8:45 pm
cabravesfan – is it too late to change?
TnBrian
May 21st, 2009
8:45 pm
God, now some of you are blaming Francoeur for the GS! Nevermind the fact that Helton is like Chipper as one of the toughest outs and that Parr would’ve K’d most hitters with those last two pitches before the GS. Some of you need to go outside and get some fresh air…or take a cold shower!
MFin04 (Bennett, Buddy, and Cox Have to Go!)
May 21st, 2009
8:46 pm
Escobar a great leadoff hitter. What’s that 1 for 7 hitting leadoff?
Unknown
May 21st, 2009
8:46 pm
So tonight, Aaron Cook is a Cy Young winner against the Braves.
CorkylikesBeer
May 21st, 2009
8:47 pm
Tnbrian..Frechy is awesome…does that make you feel better?
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
8:47 pm
bravos2249-
I’m only half way through my first beer…give it time
Smyrna Jim-
Not at all! I’m tired of having to copy and paste your name every time I want to respond to you
bravesphanatic004
May 21st, 2009
8:47 pm
if anyone expected a win today then they are crazy. a rookie making his big league debut with the braves normally equals a loss….
whats so tough about this is the we are now going to split the series with diamondbacks and rockies….at home. imagine what is going to happen to us when jays, yanks and sox get here. we could easily go 2-7 in those games. you can only say its still early for so long. thank god our division is so weak but that isnt going to last long. the braves had their chance to make a move on the east and blew it… tomorrow is a definite loss with halladay and the anti-halladay taking the mound. then we probably only take one of the next two. then we go on the road, which could be a good thing except for the past few years we havent played well out west. then we come back home for 10 games against the cubbies, brewers and pirates…. cubs are getting hot and the brewers are playing decent baseball. we dont win at home so that equals more losses. then we go on the road to the orioles, where we should win that series then to cincy, where that could go either way. then onto boston…. after boston beats up on us the yanks come to town and then we have boston at home.
point being…. this could get real ugly real fast. if this team doesnt improve vastly in the coming weeks we could be 7 or so games under .500 at the end of june. cox and chipper will surely blame it on the schedule again. “we have to play jays, yanks and the sox…..wahhhh its not fair!”
i just hope we dont make any foolish trades and hopefully we can get rid of some dead weight. if we could bring some more kids up than at least the games would be interesting again…
Louisville brave
May 21st, 2009
8:48 pm
Terry Forster…he was mid 80’s and famously referred to by David Letterman as a “fat tub of goo”
Tom O'Hawke
May 21st, 2009
8:48 pm
Vinings Jim–
OK, I always like to do my part in helping a friend eschew the rubber room. Is that Spanish wine you’re drinking, Sangria?
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
8:48 pm
TnBrian
Obviously you didn’t see the assist by Frenchy. Whether or not it was hit deep it was NOT going over the wall if it didn’t hit his glove. I may be over dramatic, but it clearly looked like it would hit off the wall back towards the field and not skim over the wall. Parr would still have given up runs, but not a GS.
Tomahawkin
May 21st, 2009
8:50 pm
Anyone Agree That the Best part of this game was seeing Medlens Girlfriend…?
We’re in for another long 15 innings of Braves Baseball…Remember our AWFense goes up against Halliday Tomorrow…Maybe he will no hit these boys…
Ten More Minutes til TNA Rasslin Comes On…
Unknown
May 21st, 2009
8:51 pm
Tomahawkin – are you reading my mind? I was thinking those two exacts things (Medlens GF and TNA coming on soon).
David O'Brien
May 21st, 2009
8:51 pm
Medlen coming up just doesn’t make sense if he have like 6 guys competing for one spot.– MFin04
Huh?
Doc Holiday
May 21st, 2009
8:51 pm
BlueJays are gonna tear us apart………..
I just hope that when 2010 get here I dont hear the following names:
Jeff Francoeur
Kelly Johnson
Tom Glavine
Buddy Carlyle
Not sure about JoJo Reyes just yet…………same goes for Garret Anderson…………he has been hot but I just hope we do better than that when 2010 gets here.
Mixxo
May 21st, 2009
8:53 pm
TnBrian -
I wasn’t “blaming him” T-Bo, but how much effort did you see on that attempt to catch it?
He got what………6 inches off the ground to go all out for that? That was a catchable ball all day long.
Capt Caveman
May 21st, 2009
8:54 pm
I resisted the urge to read the blog after Medlen was pulled. Didn’t want to read all the knee jerkers on here. Outside of the GSlam, I think Parr did a good job, and really good follow up inning with the 3 k’s. That shows some good mental toughness.
As for Medlens break down, I have seen it before first hand. As a catcher it is the worst when you have a pitcher who starts to overthrow, overgrip, and overthink. I could see it from those first 2 outside fastballs that were way off the plate. Sometimes it happens like that. But he had good stuff up until then and he will be a good one for the Braves long term.
Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get to some good old fashion COACH slamming.
Where you at — FOOL ???
pryguy
May 21st, 2009
8:54 pm
DOB…Is it apparent we are waiting on word for Glavine before we give Hanson the last spot in the rotation, just out of respect? It seems the Braves want to have a spot clear for when he arrives because just from word alone I doubt he’ll give up that spot like Morton, Reyes have done. What are your thoughts on waiting with Hanson? I’m sure there are a number of things like his contract, develop longer…but i think that is B.S. and they are giving Glavine his shot before the kid takes it over.
Salt life
May 21st, 2009
8:54 pm
Thank you Louisville….a little more stupid than usual tonight…sorry you had to rescue me on that one…..remember the big tub of goo…..what shade of red/orange would you say he turned when pitching?
RHR
May 21st, 2009
8:54 pm
How will Joe spin that favorable for Jeff? Hmmmm.
PWHjort
May 21st, 2009
8:55 pm
Medlen coming up probably makes more sense than giving Parr a start. Or Bennett. Or Carlyle. Morton might’ve made sense, but the organization needed something new and exciting to mask the fact that we have a horrible offense.
Tomahawkin
May 21st, 2009
8:55 pm
Man, Todd “Highway To Helton” has killed us over his career!
N Nine
May 21st, 2009
8:55 pm
Young Hanson was taken out for Campillo.
6inn -1 hit, 1BB, 9K. DESTROYED!!!!
Aja
May 21st, 2009
8:56 pm
Medlin’s got to lose the flat hat. No one wins with a flat hat.
Vinings Jim (formerly Smyrna Jim)
May 21st, 2009
8:56 pm
Tom – it is called “evodia” – it is a grenache (I’m not sure I’ve had sangria since my first experience with vino freshman year at the College of William and Mary in Virginia – a few years before Jon Stewart arrived there). And, although you didn’t ask, the music right now is Johnny Cash singing “Grandfather’s Clock” (appropriate, although coincidental, for the “Man in Black” blog).
David O'Brien
May 21st, 2009
8:56 pm
Helton tied career high with five RBI, the 10th time he’s done it.
So that means he, like Chipper, has never had a six-RBI game like Willie Harris had that memorable night for the Bravos … which is just strange.
Tomahawkin
May 21st, 2009
8:56 pm
Unknown…
Yep, Its Time for TNA Rasslin…”Cross The Line! Beats the Hell out of the Crapola that is the WWE
choozer
May 21st, 2009
8:57 pm
DOB, I know they don’t like to make excuses, but Medlen was in a pitching groove and then he comes up and has to wait several days because of the rain-out and everything, and you have to wonder if that affected him, took him out of his groove. A lot of pitchers are creatures of routine. I had a bad feeling about tonight as soon as the postponement happened.
Tom O'Hawke
May 21st, 2009
8:57 pm
Capt.Caveman—
Besides Medlen making his major league debut (nerves), do you think all that extra rest could have affected him?
LKS
May 21st, 2009
8:58 pm
Mfin04
I will give it to ya about Esco batting lead off. He needs to be lower in the order. He will thrive there.
David O'Brien
May 21st, 2009
8:58 pm
They just corrected that — Helton had a six-RBI game once. So there. He did match Willie Harris.
Rev. Otis Nixon
May 21st, 2009
8:59 pm
DOB, they just said on tv helton had one a few years back
Unknown
May 21st, 2009
8:59 pm
Tomahawkin – Agreed.
Rev. Otis Nixon
May 21st, 2009
8:59 pm
exactly.
pryguy
May 21st, 2009
9:00 pm
this is awful, the offense crumbles to big deficits…never big rallies or anything of the such with this group.
Unknown
May 21st, 2009
9:01 pm
I like how DOB just post things here that Joe and Boog already say on the air and then pretends its exclusive news. lol.
Louisville brave
May 21st, 2009
9:02 pm
**Salt life** not sure what ur referring to by what shade of red/orange would he turn when he was pitching…i don’t remember that one
And even though Todd Helton is azz raping us like a bad night in prison, he still has to walk around with that cheesy nest of chin pubes all over his face
LKS
May 21st, 2009
9:02 pm
ohh..and now chipper is hurt…not good
McFann Ô
May 21st, 2009
9:02 pm
We lookin’ at BMac’s first 0 fer since coming off the DL?
.269
RHR
May 21st, 2009
9:03 pm
Trainer dude is stalking Chipper in the dugout. What’s going on? Something…obviously.
CorkylikesBeer
May 21st, 2009
9:03 pm
Toma…medlen chick was kinda chubby
pryguy
May 21st, 2009
9:03 pm
quick at bats….gotta get work over in time to get hammered!
Salt life
May 21st, 2009
9:03 pm
Tomohawkin……..the girlfriend was distracting….then I saw my mtn ind taco mac friends sitting behind them…..pretty cool
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
9:03 pm
Not to be B****y but if Chipper would work the count in a 0-7 game and not give away an ab he probably wouldn’t hurt himself.
Rodney Derrick
May 21st, 2009
9:04 pm
now chipper”s hurt
David O'Brien
May 21st, 2009
9:04 pm
Diory’s in at shortstop
chiper
May 21st, 2009
9:04 pm
chipper doesn’t want to face blue jays pitchers!!!!!!
no santana, no hamels, no halladay. great investmeny wren…….
bravesphanatic004
May 21st, 2009
9:04 pm
oh great….chipper is hurt. now he has yet another excuse. probably have DL him. jesus christ why did the braves give this guy a contract extention. would have hurt to wait until the season was over. this team is full of excuse making sissies. thanks braves and thank you chipper for all of your toughness!
BT
May 21st, 2009
9:04 pm
Unknown if you are going to be so sarcastic you could at least have a username. As most of us know that have attended a MLB Game they make announcements about such things. Joe and Boog heard it the same time DOB did.
Wayne in Utah
May 21st, 2009
9:04 pm
I am sorry if I hurt your feelings MFin04…..well, maybe I am not. I do believe you are probably not an idiot, you just post idiotic things.
I have never said we had a good offense. But it is certainly not terrible.
Every time you open your mouth, you show what a dip stick you are.
And what’s your issue with me not watching too many games? Do you think I would be ranting about how my team sucks like you, if I watched more games? I have been a fan through thick and thin. You can say that it is your right to complain as a fan, and I would agree, but you don’t know how to complain or register your displeasure with the team without looking like an idiot.
Your friend Doc Holliday ain’t much better.
If you guys get so frustrated, why don’t you just leave. The blog was a lot more fun to be on before all the ranters took over.
Heck, we used to think our buddy N8 could get a tad bit negative, but heck, he looks like a cheerleader compared to some of you folks.
LKS
May 21st, 2009
9:05 pm
Whats wrong with Esco???
CorkylikesBeer
May 21st, 2009
9:05 pm
Mcfann…Mccann looks tired.
Louisville brave
May 21st, 2009
9:06 pm
yeah you went stillborn!!
braves 2009
May 21st, 2009
9:07 pm
sometimes we forget that braves are in a rebuilding the team. but wren had done a good job giving us an ok team in the mean time.
Mixxo
May 21st, 2009
9:07 pm
Unknown
STFU ….I’m not in a good mood right now, seeing how this is going.
DOB is just trying to provide some coverage for those not watching the Joe & Boog show.
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
9:07 pm
He probably just jammed his knee or toe…DIORY. Too bad he probaby won’t get an ab.
Jeff is really turning into Andruw. In Andruw’s bad years with us he always seemed to get his hits when no one else did.
N8
May 21st, 2009
9:08 pm
And 1/4 of the way through the season Smoltz appears ready to make an impact within a couple of weeks.
Meanwhile we’re waiting for Glavine, who’s taking about the same amount of time.
We’ll soon find out which one has the better “rest of the season”, and whether Wren wears the dunce hat or the Einstein costume for Halloween.
I have a hunch that we won’t like the results very much. Well, at least it’s a good thing that Kawakami is working out well for us, or some fans would really be pizzed if his 8 million dollars could have gone towards putting a smile (and a Braves cap) on Smoltz.
Capt Caveman
May 21st, 2009
9:09 pm
Tom O’Hawke — not at all , if a pitcher has a problem from to much rest it will usually show in the first inning or even in warmups. Obviously I can’t say for certain but it appeared to be just a classic case of putting too much grip on the ball. The majors do use a different ball from the minors, it basically feels a little slicker b/c the seams are lower, and a pitcher will sometimes squeeze harder without even thinking about it.
That’s what McCann was telling him on his first trip to the mound, to relax and loosen up a little with his grip. When a pitcher does that he quits throwing and starts aiming and then he looses the plate so to speak. It’s a tough night for him when that happens but I think he will bounce right back.
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
9:09 pm
ATLANTA — Before taking batting practice at Turner Field on Thursday night, Diory Hernandez wanted Martin Prado to ask Braves manager Bobby Cox how old he was.
While chuckling at the question posed by the newest position player on his roster, Cox simply said, “viejo,” which translates to “old” in the Spanish language.
Wayne in Utah
May 21st, 2009
9:09 pm
Anybody who DOESN’T think the Braves are in a transition year, are living in a dream world.
If no Escobar at leadoff, then who? Schafer (I would be OK with that)? KJ (better suited for 6-7 slot).
CorkylikesBeer
May 21st, 2009
9:10 pm
Parr has pitched really well….sarcasm
N Nine
May 21st, 2009
9:10 pm
Medlen??? Diory???? Parr??? The minor leagues are taking over, already. Hanson continues to shine and we continue to lose in that fifth hole. Thank goodness for Glavine. Right?
PWHjort
May 21st, 2009
9:10 pm
Kelly Johnson. Sigh.
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
9:10 pm
Pretty bad when Schafer got to that almost before Frenchy.
RHR
May 21st, 2009
9:10 pm
Happy birthday, Bobby.
Mixxo
May 21st, 2009
9:11 pm
Chipper came out of the box weird. Jimminy Crickets! What else is gonna happen?
Only after a 2 game 20 run outburst. Grrrrrr
Dumbfound
May 21st, 2009
9:11 pm
I encourage Braves who normanlly go out and pay to see the braves, Don’t go !! The economy is going to help a lot with this, But do not go to see the braves !!!! F joke !!! got the player and pitchers on the farm a still won’t use them !!
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
9:12 pm
20 runs in 2 games and then struggle to score 1…it’s not like Cook is chop liver…but 1 run is not asking too much is it?
RHR
May 21st, 2009
9:12 pm
Chipper looks pretty good standing out there at 3rd, glad nobody overreacted or anything.
RHR
May 21st, 2009
9:13 pm
Terrible night in the field for Jeffy. I can’t wait to hear Joe’s excuse.
Dumbfound
May 21st, 2009
9:13 pm
Cox think just because no one has run away with the division, the braves can afford to give away games !!!
CorkylikesBeer
May 21st, 2009
9:13 pm
TNBrian..Frenchy..almost had that as well..right..not Frenchy fault at all…
Saturos
May 21st, 2009
9:13 pm
Parr = Batting Practice
oh SNAP!
May 21st, 2009
9:14 pm
Jeff looks like a rookie out there. I mean has he played in Turner Field @ all?
FaninFaytown
May 21st, 2009
9:14 pm
parr is just getting rocked tonight. also, is it just me or do we give up more triples than any team ever?
Wayne in Utah
May 21st, 2009
9:14 pm
Can we say Medlen had the first game jitters tonight? Let’s not write him off just yet. And as for the slam, well Parr gave Helton something good enough to hit out in a pitchers park, and some want to say it was Francoeur’s fault he didn’t jump high enough to catch it. It could be true, but nobody should have any illusion that Parr gave up the hit, and it DID go over the fence.
Tomahawkin
May 21st, 2009
9:14 pm
Man, I just turned the Game Back on and we are getting Bytch Slapped!!!
Come On! Drill SomeOne NOW!!!
David O'Brien
May 21st, 2009
9:15 pm
The Rockies have three triples tonight, by three different players.
Dumbfound
May 21st, 2009
9:15 pm
That’s bullsh!t !!! If we were 12 back would they still call the same pitcher Medlin up ?!!! F no !!!!
Tomahawkin
May 21st, 2009
9:16 pm
Wayne In Utah…Most Hall of Fame Pitchers Suck in their debut…So I’m not Hating onn Medlen at all…
Had the AWFense Spotted him a run or 2 in the first three innings…There would’ve been different results…
OK back to watch TNA Rasslin
Wayne in Utah
May 21st, 2009
9:18 pm
I hit a triple a couple of years ago, playing in a church softball league. Then I woke up……
Tom O'Hawke
May 21st, 2009
9:18 pm
Thanks, Capt Caveman. That’s interesting about there being a difference in the minor and major league baseballs. I heard that the Japanese ball was slightly smaller, but never knew that about the other.
N8
May 21st, 2009
9:19 pm
“sometimes we forget that braves are in a rebuilding the team.” braves 2009
HOGWASH! BS! Nope. Not buying it. Not for one second.
Teams that are rebuilding, do NOT trade a top 100 prospect for an 11.5 million dollar per season pitcher with only two years on the contract remaining. A rebuilding team does NOT give out a 4 year 60 million dollar contract to a 36 year old pitcher. A rebuilding team doesn’t give out a 24 million dollar contract to a guy that has NEVER pitched an inning in the US. A team that is rebuilding does not bring in Garret Anderson to play LF.
If this team was rebuilding (like the 87-90 Braves), the rotation when spring training ended, would have been JJJ, Morton, Jo-Jo, Hanson and Medlen. Or something along those lines. Josh Anderson and Schafer would have BOTH made the roster, and we would be taking our lumps watching them “grow”.
Rebuilding teams don’t go after the likes of AJ Burnett and Rafael Furcal, and pin their hopes on Ken Griffey Jr. Nor do they give extensions to their aging HOF 3B.
Nope. Wren truly thought he was building a winner for this year.
Please don’t use the “rebuilding” word again until it’s actually happening and Wren acknowledges that its happening.
TennesseePaul
May 21st, 2009
9:19 pm
17 more finished games for Trevor Hoffman and he will be tied for the record, 802.
I think he’ll set a new mark.
BossLady
May 21st, 2009
9:19 pm
This is so sad having Infante hurt and to see Medlin’s performance.
I can’t watch this.
Dumbfound
May 21st, 2009
9:19 pm
Why is Cox standing at the top of the dugout ?!! They are not coming back !! Better skip KK tommorrow if they want to win but they F won’t !!
LKS
May 21st, 2009
9:19 pm
I would bat Schafer leadoff and Esco cleanup. I think my lineup would be
1. Shafer
2. Kotchman
3. Chipper
4. Esco
5. BMac
6. KJ
7. GA
8. Frenchy
oh SNAP!
May 21st, 2009
9:21 pm
it’s MEDLEN….JURRJENS…and VAZQUEZ….sheesh…how old are we?
Mixxo
May 21st, 2009
9:21 pm
Tomahawkin
I go to see a man about a dog in the top of the fourth, come back and the bases are JACKED! Medlen plunks the next guy and Parr gives up a granny. Sheesh!
I’ll just “hold it” next time.
Dumbfound
May 21st, 2009
9:21 pm
Where are you MET TROLL1 ?! I know you are loving this !!!!
David
May 21st, 2009
9:21 pm
we have been playing pepper with the second baseman all night
TennesseePaul
May 21st, 2009
9:22 pm
“A team that is rebuilding does not bring in Garret Anderson to play LF”
Seems a bit of an over statement. Rebuilding teams wouldn’t shy away from paying $2 million to a fading out fielder…
I agree though, this team is not “rebuilding” in the traditional sense. The aim was to compete this season, but also be in great shape to dominate in 2010… we’ll see if it works out that way. Prospects are pipe dreams until they prove it in the majors.
RHR
May 21st, 2009
9:24 pm
The curse of DOB strikes again? Chipper and Yunel both out of the game for some reason following today’s “it could’ve been worse” blog.
Tomas
May 21st, 2009
9:24 pm
Quite a vengance by the Rockies today. Looks like Buddy Carlyle, Jeff Bennet, James Parr, and Jo-jo Reyes missed damage control 101……….. I can live with Bennet, but not the others. Release them, trade them, or send them to the minors, and call up Tommy Hanson, move Medlen to the bulpen, and activate Jorge Campillo.
Offcourse it isn’t that easy. They don’t want to callup Hanson just to send him back when Glavine gets healthy. Campillo is on rehab. And Knowing Boby Cox who has tooooo much patience if you ask me, that won’t happen. The Braves also have Manny Acosta and Boone Logan.
The truth is apart from Eric O’flaherty, Rafael Soriano, Mike Gonzales, and Peter Moylan their other relievers are just awful.
Salt life
May 21st, 2009
9:25 pm
Okay…..my ignorance has reared it’s ugly head……Why do most national league teams use the first base dugout at home and most American league teams use the third base dugout? I have a theory, but I’d rather have facts.
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
9:27 pm
I wouldn’t be sad if we played 2 innings tomorrow and had a 2 hour rain delay…NOT SAD A-T A-L-L.
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
9:29 pm
Salt life
Good question…but i think it just depends on the team preference.
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
9:32 pm
Salt Life
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dugout_(baseball)
McFann Ô
May 21st, 2009
9:32 pm
CorkylikesBeer–
You noticed that, too, eh?
FaninFaytown
May 21st, 2009
9:32 pm
lets at least score a run… please
CorkylikesBeer
May 21st, 2009
9:33 pm
Mr. Cook has pitched well
David O'Brien
May 21st, 2009
9:33 pm
Diaz in CENTER FIELD
Tom O'Hawke
May 21st, 2009
9:34 pm
Hanson’s line tonight–
Player—IP—H–R–ER–BB–SO–HR–ERA
Hanson–6.0—1–0–0—1—9—0—1.51
Tomas
May 21st, 2009
9:34 pm
Cook is good. And Medlen couldn’t find the plate, did he have a blister or something?
N8
May 21st, 2009
9:35 pm
Tennessee Paul, you’re right. The money isn’t out of line. But a truly rebuilding team would go with Brandon Jones in LF (until the other guys are ready to come up), or use a veteran already on the team. Like Diaz or Norton.
But a rebuilding team doesn’t need a 34 year old 2 million dollar LF. However a contending team looking for a cheap platoon partner, or bench option does. Which is what Wren thought he was getting.
But you’re right, out of all the examples, G. Anderson is the easiest one to deal with. But essentially dropping 34.5 million dollars into 3 new members of the rotation does NOT constitute rebuilding. Most rebuilding teams barely have more than that in their entire payroll (see Twins, Marlins, D-Rays, Royals, etc….)
Tom O'Hawke
May 21st, 2009
9:35 pm
Man, I tried like heck to get those columns straight. I believe Hanson threw 90 pitches.
Mixxo
May 21st, 2009
9:35 pm
CorkylikesBeer
Yes he has. Braves are getting “Cooked!” :badump:
Tomahawkin
May 21st, 2009
9:36 pm
4 Gawd DAMN Hits!!! AWFense, Come On!!!!
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
9:36 pm
Tom-
thanks for throwing gas on the “why isn’t Hanson up?” fire
Doc Holiday
May 21st, 2009
9:36 pm
we are gonna kill these guys in the 9th………..I have the feeling…………10-9 win
Captain Bravenut
May 21st, 2009
9:36 pm
My butt hurts. Coach got me good last night.
Nothing like bareback with my best male companion.
C’mon and get me Coach !!! I’m easy!
Tomas
May 21st, 2009
9:36 pm
jaja…………..this would be fun to watch.
Not Again
May 21st, 2009
9:37 pm
So, redo your math because its full of S. Jeff321
yes I see that you are totally innocent of making personal attacks. Like i said, a hypocrite.
Doc Holiday
May 21st, 2009
9:38 pm
What, no chipper in CF?
Dumbfound
May 21st, 2009
9:38 pm
Wished some of these sportcasters would whole BOBBY COX accountible !! Why are they scared of him ?!!! He can’t keep them from doing their damn job ! Put a mike in his face and they just stand there and ask nothing !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
RHR
May 21st, 2009
9:38 pm
Get it, EOF.
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
9:38 pm
really? a warning for that??
N8 blows
May 21st, 2009
9:39 pm
Go hang yourself N8 you arrogant prick
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
9:39 pm
4 of our players get hit but 1 of theirs and we get a WARNING?
Tomahawkin
May 21st, 2009
9:39 pm
About Fcking Time….! There We Go Eric, you got our respect!
Captain Poopy Pants
May 21st, 2009
9:39 pm
Ew, the smell in here tonight. It is the baseball team or is it me?
I need a new diaper. BABA !!! Mommy!
bravefaninok
May 21st, 2009
9:41 pm
EOF!!!! niceeeeeeeeeee
jed
May 21st, 2009
9:41 pm
i hear you, DOB, but it’s still pretty bad. and i think you’re gonna see in the coming months that it’s worse than you guessed. infante was practically our best hitter. if his loss is not as significant in anyone’s mind, it might be because he was undervalued and underplayed, and far too often left to linger on the bench. which, looking at this team, makes no freakin’ sense.
Jurrjens4NLCY
May 21st, 2009
9:41 pm
Ok Cook is not that great of a pitcher, AT ALL. Maybe In the Top 25 of the National League MAYBE. A shutout is absolutly inexcusable. Bobby needs to do something like when the next person who grounds out more than 1 time in a game he gets benched for 3 days.
N8
May 21st, 2009
9:42 pm
N8 blows… what’ up the anonimity of an anonymous blog not enough for you. Reveal youself with your true moniker you frickin coward. You got something to say to me, stand on top of the table and say it with conviction.
I’d rather be an arrogant prick, than a wimp who won’t even use his regular moniker when talking trash. So go f*** yourself.
Tom O'Hawke
May 21st, 2009
9:43 pm
cabravesfan–
I was bored.
dgd
May 21st, 2009
9:43 pm
We are SOOO lucky Peavy turned down the trade to the Braves. What a twit! And the package the Braves were supposedly offering was way more IMO than anything the Cubs or White Sox offered. I’m tired of hearing about him. Hope he enjoys losing 100 games again…
gotigers72
May 21st, 2009
9:44 pm
Parr – 0-0 – 5.79 ERA – 17 hits allowed in 14 innings
JoJo – 0-2 – 7.00 ERA – 6.09 ERA career in 40 games
Medlen – 0-1 – 15.00 ERA – 5 walks in 3 innings – Braves supposedly liked him because he throws strikes – Yeah, right.
These are 3 AAA pitchers that have been brought up to the big club while their consensus best minor league pitcher, Hanson, languishes at Gwinnett. Why? So his arbitration clock won’t start? Are they serious about winning now? If so, an arbitration clock should not enter into the equation whatsoever.
Is Wren some kind of super retard? Trading Josh Anderson, signing a DH, G. Anderson when he knows he has been a DH, but will now have to play in the field, signing a Japanese pitcher without ever seeing him pitch against major leaguers, the worst trade ever, in the history of baseball, the Teixeira trade. Trading for him while knowing his agent is Boras and you probably won’t be able to keep him more than a year. Giving 5 uber prospects, 3 of whom are now playing on the ML level while another [Feliz] is probably the best of the 5. Womder why they ran him out of Baltimore now?
You BC haters can continue to diss Bobby, but he can only play with the players that he is given to play. Wren is the one responsible for the recent woes of the Braves. They need to run him out of the A-T-L NOW before he makes any other horrendous moves!
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
9:44 pm
Tom-
may I suggest another outlet for your boredom? more beer, perhaps?
Neanderthal boy
May 21st, 2009
9:44 pm
Me no like. Baseball team suck eggs. Me want to BAM BAM some poor fool.
Where club? MMMMM, me beat brains out and eat.
keylargo
May 21st, 2009
9:45 pm
I can’t pretend that the blog is much fun anymore with all the so called “fans” of the Braves acting like raving idiots every time the Braves lose. I will say that I bet that not a single one of the most vocal and acidic protesters every played organized baseball in High School or College.
Baseball simply is not a day or night game. Hitters who lead MLB in average fail 65 to 70% of the time. The best pitchers rarely win more than 67% of their games. Nobody plays a season without errors in the field.
And most importantly, the winner of the NL East this year will probably win about 88 games this year. That’s out of 162 or 55%. That means the best team will win one more game than they lose every 10 games.
Random
May 21st, 2009
9:45 pm
Smoltz — 3 IP, 1 hit, 0 BBs, ??? Ks
Saturos
May 21st, 2009
9:45 pm
Braves lose 9-0
9-0 is the official score of a forfeit.
Very fitting, since the offense looks like they forfeited trying tonight.
Jose Canseco
May 21st, 2009
9:45 pm
Hey you guys quit giving Jeff a hard time. That was a difficult play and certainly not one that an amateur usually makes. Hey, believe me, it coulda been worse.
Dumbfound
May 21st, 2009
9:47 pm
You are right !!! Wren should catch all the HELL !! He is over Bobby Cox !!!!
McFann Ô
May 21st, 2009
9:47 pm
Yeah, first freakin’ 0 fer since coming off the DL. Waytago–you got out on the first freakin’ pitch three freakin’ times. Great…what, is it September?? What the devil?? Your AVG is .266 now. And please don’t tell me to tip my freakin’ cap to Aaron Cook, either.
That was a BORING GAME!! Oh my gosh…
oh SNAP!
May 21st, 2009
9:47 pm
Random
Not to be rude, but no one cares.
Canadaian braves fan
May 21st, 2009
9:47 pm
gotigers 72 get your facts right Wren did not trade for Tex
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
9:48 pm
McFann
It’ll be okay.. BREATHE..
Saturos
May 21st, 2009
9:48 pm
Who is this “Smoltz” of whom you speak Random?
N8
May 21st, 2009
9:48 pm
gotigers72 decent post. Except Wren was NOT responsible for trading FOR Tex. He was however responsible for getting what we got for him (Kotchman).
Also, he was VERY responsible for trading for JJJ and Gorkys for Renteria.
The Kawakami one is the one that kills me. He wouldn’t pay 5 million dollars for the possibility of 3 months of Smoltz. But had no problem shelling out 24 million over 3 years for a guy that NEVER pitched over here.
No excuse for that. If you’re the Yankees or Red Sox, you can afford to take the “hit” on that deal. But that deal might go down as worse than the Hampton deal. At least we got two good years out of Hampton.
Jurrjens4NLCY
May 21st, 2009
9:48 pm
AAAGGGGHHHH I HATE THE BRAVES!!!
Dumbfound
May 21st, 2009
9:48 pm
Do not go pay money to see that team !!!!
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
9:48 pm
Tom-
I hope my last comment didn’t sound mean- wasn’t intended that way
McFann Ô
May 21st, 2009
9:49 pm
Keylargo Nobody plays a season without errors in the field.
Except Kotchman! Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!
Saturos
May 21st, 2009
9:49 pm
Yeah, first freakin’ 0 fer since coming off the DL.
I’m sure Joe DiMaggio’s fans everywhere are pleased.
Tomahawkin
May 21st, 2009
9:49 pm
We Boyz…I’d Rather lose like we did tonight…That Come Out playing Flat and Blow Games like we did Monday Night…
So no remote throwing for me tonight…I’m actually mellow….After we fell down 2-0 I knew the game was over with our AWFense…and The Slam By Helton was the “Fatality” put on us…For everyone who used to play Mortal Kombat when It was hot on the Streets 10 years ago…
Now It’s Back to Watching Rasslin…
bravefaninok
May 21st, 2009
9:50 pm
gotigers72
Frank Wren didn’t make the tex trade shurholtz mastered that deal.
RANDOM STUPIDITY
May 21st, 2009
9:50 pm
Three field goals? All we needed was one touchdown and a field goal ourselves. 9-0 skunk job at the hands of the Rockies, for brilliant!
nolie
May 21st, 2009
9:50 pm
17 more finished games for Trevor Hoffman and he will be tied for the record, 802.
I think he’ll set a new mark. (TENNPAUL)
I hope so, I have been a fan of his for ages.
RHR
May 21st, 2009
9:51 pm
I find it somewhat amusing that 2 of the potential side effects of cialis are loss of hearing and vision.
McFann Ô
May 21st, 2009
9:51 pm
Bravos2249–
Huh? Oh, yeah yeah…I gotcha.
[inhaleexhaleinhaleexhaleinhaleexhaleinhaleexhale]…
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
9:51 pm
Did McFann just drop an evil laugh there? Nice!
Marty Funkhouser
May 21st, 2009
9:51 pm
UGA-ARK on CSS, fwiw. Tied at a run apiece in the top of the 10th. It’s been a fantastic game.
Doc Holiday
May 21st, 2009
9:52 pm
I predict a sweep by the Jays……….JJJ will pitch good, but will get “hammered for 3 runs and bullpen will not hold plus offense will only get 1 run in support……………
We will be 4.5 out by the time Jays get out of town.
Tom O'Hawke
May 21st, 2009
9:52 pm
“may I suggest another outlet for your boredom? more beer, perhaps?”
PSSSSHHHHHTTTTTT… cabravesfan, excellent advice! I really, really like you.
McFann Ô
May 21st, 2009
9:52 pm
Saturos–
Yeah, but that doesn’t do a thing for me…
I guess if you count his PH appearance last Wednesday, he’s gone 0 fer. But that wasn’t a start…
ElbravoX-- EbX
May 21st, 2009
9:53 pm
We were Cooked today and the Jays will have a Holiday tomorrow!
RHR
May 21st, 2009
9:53 pm
How many times will Joe mention JF during the wrap up? I’m in for 5.
McFann Ô
May 21st, 2009
9:53 pm
cabravesfan–
Yeah…that game kinda got to me…
Jose Canseco
May 21st, 2009
9:54 pm
Who did make that Tex deal? Boy that would make me look like a genius.
Doc Holiday
May 21st, 2009
9:54 pm
McFann,
That was not a boring game…….that was just another game by the braves……..
keylargo
May 21st, 2009
9:54 pm
McFann
We’ll see on Kotchman.
Did I get your age right?
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
9:55 pm
Tom-
I think I need to follow my own advise after that mess of a game…
McFann-
Slowly, my dear, very slowly we are dragging you over to the dark side!
Rob from SC
May 21st, 2009
9:55 pm
SO was something wrong with Medlen’s hand
Tomahawkin
May 21st, 2009
9:55 pm
Man! A Lot people on here hating on 2 pitchers who haven’t been the problem for the braves
Cut Medlen and Parr Some Slack people…
Still our AWFense can’t produce…The last 2 games before tonight the AWFense Looked Good…But face it people other than Esco and Kotchie’s clutch hitting the Rockies gave us a lot of breaks in those games…And Major league teams take advantage of bases loaded walks, errors on potential double plays, etc…
I can see us dropping 2 of three this weekend…We lose the First game (If not get No Hit) by Default…and split the next two “Bank On It!”
Doc Holiday
May 21st, 2009
9:56 pm
At least the phillies are playing a hotter team than the Jays.
McFann Ô
May 21st, 2009
9:58 pm
Doc H.–
No, that wasn’t the Braves…not even they are that bad.
Keylargo–
OK, maybe he’ll make one…
My age? Hmm…I musta missed when you guessed it.
cabravesfan–
[gulp!]
Tomahawkin
May 21st, 2009
9:58 pm
Doc Holliday…
Other than Seeing Medlens Girl…
That was a An Awfully boring game! I had to turn it to Rasslin since I knew that the AWFense Wasn’t gonna even try to mount an effort to put a few on the board….
Doc Holiday
May 21st, 2009
10:00 pm
Hey McFann,
Arent you immune to all this crap by the braves yet? Better get used to it, we still have 3/4 of a season ahead of us, and the future doesnt look promising……..go get a bud light and go to bed.
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
10:00 pm
McFann-
It’s a fun place, I promise
Tom O'Hawke
May 21st, 2009
10:01 pm
Mean? I almost proposed to you, cabravesfan. Now there are times that I wouldn’t want to be near you, at least temporarily. Like maybe after the USC, Oregon St. game, for example. But not now, my dear, not now.
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
10:02 pm
Tom-
you just had to bring that up??? I was so drunk by the end of that game I stopped caring
CorkylikesBeer
May 21st, 2009
10:03 pm
Dawgs win!
Doc Holiday
May 21st, 2009
10:03 pm
As things are looking, If I was the Phillucks GM, I would go get a top notch pitcher to backup Hamels and put this thing away………they would be division champions a month after they make the move if it is done before the ASB
nolie
May 21st, 2009
10:04 pm
I knew that the AWFense Wasn’t gonna even try to mount an effort to put a few on the board….(Tomahawkin)
no doubt the offense can be….well,..offensive.
Doc Holiday
May 21st, 2009
10:05 pm
I heard JF could play some SS if needed, he used to play SS while in grade school.
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
10:05 pm
CaBravesFan is a young girl in my book
That’s sweet, keylargo but I am not that “young”
McFann Ô
May 21st, 2009
10:05 pm
Doc H.–
Immune? Heck no! I expect some entertainment…sometimes even shutouts have something int’resting in them, but not tonight! That game was horrid. No excuse for the way they played.
You’re right, though–3/4 of a season left! Whoo-hoo! Maybe McCann’ll even hit a homer or an RBI double during one of those games…you never know…
go get a bud light and go to bed.
cabravesfan–
Really? Hmm…gimme a little more time to think it over…
Random
May 21st, 2009
10:07 pm
MFin04 (Have to Go!) (8:12 pm): “This is Jeff Bennet-esque”
You mean his two shut-out innings yesterday against these here Rockies? Or his two shut-out innings on 13 May against the Mets? Or his two shut-out innings on 16 Apr against the Marlins?
Tomahawkin
May 21st, 2009
10:07 pm
12-0 and then 9-0
I’m Telling you guys that this team gets too Fcking Complacent when they Play the Jubroni Teams of the league…
We’ve Sucked Against Arizona, Washington, Pittsburgh and took just 2 of 4 from the AAA Colorado Springs Rockies…!
Come On!!!!
Does any one Other than me who watches the Games Feel like the Braves want to make a statement against New Yawk And Philly Therefore We play some of our best baseball (Other than the 3rd game of the year)
But When They Play the Jubroni teams of the league We Slack Off with the Mindset that the opposing team is gonna lay down to us…When in Fact That teams are No longer afraid to face the Braves…Hence The Beanings by opposing pitchers
It’s Like These Guys act like they are on Spring Break when they Return Home, hence the record….WTF Guys???
Tom O'Hawke
May 21st, 2009
10:08 pm
cabravesfan–
What I think he may be saying, is he’s THAT old.
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
10:08 pm
McFann-
take your time! We’re not going anywhere
McFann Ô
May 21st, 2009
10:08 pm
Votto diagnosed with inner ear infection.
ANTI PERVERTS!
May 21st, 2009
10:08 pm
keylargo’s favorite movie is American Beauty.
McFann Ô
May 21st, 2009
10:08 pm
cabravesfan–
Okie dokie!
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
10:11 pm
Tom-
yeah I know, it’s just that nobody’s called me a “young girl” in a while…someone at work today did tell me I looked like a college freshman- still trying to figure out if that is a good thing or a bad thing
keylargo
May 21st, 2009
10:13 pm
CaBravesFan is a young girl in my book
That’s sweet, keylargo but I am not that “young”
You mean some of these bloggers possibly could call you Mommie? (Age wise of course. I would never insult you by insinuating you were related to some of these teenagers!)
RHR
May 21st, 2009
10:14 pm
That’s great news for Votto.
That Marlins clip? Wow there were, not even exaggerating, 45 people there at the most.
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
10:14 pm
Wow- the Pens turned a close game into a route in about 4 minutes behind a simply brilliant goal from Evgeni Malkin (his 3rd of the night) and an empty netter…7-4 late in the 3rd (and a massive fight has broken out). Apparently defense was optional tonight
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
10:15 pm
keylargo-
OK, I’m not that old either…at least I hope there are no children that young on this blog!
McFann Ô
May 21st, 2009
10:17 pm
RHR–
Yeah, it really is.
Tom O'Hawke
May 21st, 2009
10:17 pm
cabravesfan, it’s always a compliment to be taken as younger than you are. What you have to watch out for, though, is, was it sincere?
That first one went down so well, do you mind if I have another?
Hey, what did you think of my proposed, ironic trade, before? If you saw it, that is. You may have been on the way home.
richbrave
May 21st, 2009
10:20 pm
The swill that spews forth on this blog while a loss is in progress is enough to give one the literary heaves. Hey LEW. Now we know. He’s mortal. NEXT.
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
10:21 pm
McFann
Your man doing a shirtless interview on tv!
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
10:22 pm
Tom-
It was very sincere…and by all means have another! I’m about to open my 2nd of the night.
Are you refering to your trade for Andruw? I saw it right before I left my office…the only problem is Druw has been playing well enough that I doubt the Rangers would part with him (irony you are a fasinating creature!) But I love Druw, always have, always will. I would take him back in a heartbeat
Tomahawkin
May 21st, 2009
10:22 pm
Adam WainWright 8 innings pitched 4 hits against the Cubs…
Anyone Want to Do That trade For J.D. Screw Again…?
RHR
May 21st, 2009
10:23 pm
OMG Mac is topless on the after show. I know a few girls who are dying right now lol
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
10:24 pm
RHR…..
hahaha…no
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
10:24 pm
Shirtless Mac?!? DAMN YOU MLB PACKAGE THAT CUTS MY FEED OFF RIGHT AFTER THE GAME! DAMN YOU!!! (ok, sorry…that was a little creepy…my bad…won’t happen again…maybe)
McFann Ô
May 21st, 2009
10:24 pm
Bravos2249–
Eeeh…thanks for the warning…
TV’s in use…
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
10:24 pm
RHR-
I think I just validated your post
David O'Brien
May 21st, 2009
10:24 pm
Well, Chipper might not be in there tomorrow against Halladay. Said he “popped something” in his toe when he hit first base on that sixth-inning groundout. Said he’ll have to see how it feels in morning but already some swelling in the joint.
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
10:25 pm
Tomahawkin
Considering all the arm troubles he has had. NO
Well maybe not arm troubles, but he hasn’t pitched THAT much since he joined the Cards. Granted he did close for awhile.
McFann Ô
May 21st, 2009
10:25 pm
cabravesfan–
Yeah…very creepy.
Holy cow…I needa go to bed!
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
10:26 pm
McFann
Interview ended a while back..sorry
RHR
May 21st, 2009
10:26 pm
Think again,bravos.
I know these girls. lol
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
10:26 pm
I’d be damned Chipper can just about pop anything.
RHR
May 21st, 2009
10:27 pm
It could’ve been worse, right DOB?
McFann Ô
May 21st, 2009
10:27 pm
Bravos2249–
THAT’S OK! Believe me…
Think I better turn in…maybe…
McFann Ô
May 21st, 2009
10:28 pm
Haha…Ashley’ll prob’ly kill him when he gets home! Well, maybe not…
Tom O'Hawke
May 21st, 2009
10:29 pm
Speaking of what richbrave just posted @ 10:20, RHR, I had another idea,
tonight (one more and it’s an all-time personal record) I audio-taped some of the negativity of the blog tonight. Got most of it right after the grand slam. I can wire up a trigger, to your daughter’s door. If anyone tries to break in, the recording will go off. They’ll think it’s an angry, ugly, ready-to-kill mob in her room. By the time your daughter gets back to her room, I’m betting the entire apt. house is vacated! And it’s a lot less destructive than Chop Chop’s C4. Whaddya think?
Rob from SC
May 21st, 2009
10:29 pm
Will Chipper sit out against all Cy Pitchers. First Santana, now Halladay
N Nine
May 21st, 2009
10:29 pm
OMG McFann go to sleep! It’s past 10. I realize that shirtless Mac delayed your typical departure time….
Tomahawkin
May 21st, 2009
10:30 pm
Well I guess Chipper is the Millenium version of Chris Chandelier (Chandler)…
Braves Without Chipper 2omorrow nite…It’s going to be ugly seeing our AAA lineup against Halliday…
Just what Happens in September, Wonder if Chipper will sit out with these nagging injuries if the team is behind 3 games….
PWHjort
May 21st, 2009
10:31 pm
Tonight, Randall Delgado pitched 5 innings allowing 6 hits, 1 walk, and 2 runs (both earned) while striking out 3. He’s back.
RHR
May 21st, 2009
10:31 pm
If I had a way to record the after shows for you cabraves I would. You miss some great stuff on the braves live things.
And Mac is just so smart, knows exactly how to put things in perspective and exactly what to say. I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that he’ll never be caught saying things like “if OBP is so important why don’t they put that on the scoreboard?” and “I just want this season to be over, I don’t care”.
McFann Ô
May 21st, 2009
10:31 pm
N Nine–
Haha…yeah, I’m going. But the conversation just got good!
I didn’t see the interview…but I’m cool with that…
RHR
May 21st, 2009
10:32 pm
LOL Tom…good idea.
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
10:32 pm
RHR
Funny thing is OBP IS on the scoreboard…lol
RHR
May 21st, 2009
10:33 pm
I rewound the interview.
Just watched it for the 3rd time. I love that kid. But not for the way he looks shirtless.
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
10:33 pm
Tom-
I like your idea a lot (especially the lack of mess and dead bodies rotting in the rubble) but there is something…oddly appealing about blowing up your roommates with C4 because they tried to break into your room. Serves them right!
McFann-
I can see I have my work cut out for me… and I did say I was sorry for the creepiness
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
10:34 pm
RHR-
believe me I know! I would give anything to be able to watch Bravs Live…I love watching the interviews and all
McFann Ô
May 21st, 2009
10:34 pm
RHR–
Gotta agree with ya, there. Would have liked to have heard what he had to say…maybe if they had a manuscript of it…
Whoops…am I still here? Heh heh…oops…
Chop Chop
May 21st, 2009
10:36 pm
Thanks for the info on Chipper, DOB.
And as we all know, toes are not to be trifled with.
a643dp
May 21st, 2009
10:37 pm
DOB,
Start doing columns on how bad the braves suck, stop trying to be positive. Whatever you write seems to have an opposite effect on the universe. You should no longer be allowed to mention Chipper, type the hitting artist formally known as Larry. LOL
RHR
May 21st, 2009
10:38 pm
lol McFann. You need a tv in your room. With a DVR.
RHR
May 21st, 2009
10:39 pm
Oh dear lord, they just called him Scott Medlen.
Thanks for the update, DOB. I was waiting up on it.
Night y’all.
Tom O'Hawke
May 21st, 2009
10:39 pm
Wow, other than 1 DOB, there were 13 straight posts from the ladies, after the topless BMac. I wouldn’t mind, but you’re all on my team. Once the opposition gets wind of this, we’re losers. They’ll be throwing a naked BMac up on the big screen, every time we’re up.
McFann Ô
May 21st, 2009
10:39 pm
RHR I love that kid. But not for the way he looks shirtless.
You need a tv in your room. With a DVR.
Haha…yeah, right!
cabravesfan–
You’re forgiven. I like watching interviews, too…but whenever Braves Live! comes on, there always seems to be “something else” on TV…and I’ve never gotten into pushing my parents around.
OK…am I still up? And taking pot-shots at my mann no less! For shame…
I hate to hafta leave, now, but–
Night, all!
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
10:41 pm
Tom-
I hate to burst your bubble but Mac wouldn’t have to be naked…sorry
You do have one big advantage, though. You’re single
braves70
May 21st, 2009
10:42 pm
Yuck! Anyone read the article about Bobby Cox at FoxSports by Tracy Ringolsby?
Lowlight: “Had both knees replaced (for a second time) last winter,” said Cox. “I’m ready to go another 15 years.”
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/9597626/Cox-just-keeps-going-with-Braves
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
10:43 pm
Good Night McFann!
Tom O'Hawke
May 21st, 2009
10:45 pm
cabravefan–good point @ 10:33. There’s something to be said about satisfaction.
Pete
May 21st, 2009
10:46 pm
David O’Brien: “Well, Chipper might not be in there tomorrow against Halladay. Said he “popped something” in his toe when he hit first base on that sixth-inning groundout.”
What a shock from such a durable guy :;
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
10:48 pm
Tom-
but of course the end result is you are homeless, wanted for murder, and most definitely not getting your security deposit back
Chop Chop
May 21st, 2009
10:48 pm
Should be a fun fifteen years, braves70. I can’t wait.
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
10:56 pm
Tom O’Hawke
I in no way find mac sexy..ok
McFann
Braves Live is on again..Bmac bought to be on again…just saying
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
10:58 pm
Never Mind…lol
Oh well….awful game.
chip off the ol block
May 21st, 2009
10:59 pm
Well i went to go see John Smoltz start of his career with Boston, and he pitched a good game
so this is a good night regardless of the Braves getting killed tonight…
3 innings, no runs, 2 Ks, and one hit (that should of been called an error on the shortstop)
after he pitched he signed autographs on the way out and i had the awesome, awesome awesome chance of getting his autograph ON HIS ROOKIE CARD!!!
I also just found out about us possibly getting rid of Frenchy? if that is true, i’d like to see Mark DeRosa come in, he’ll play many positions, (to fill Infante’s shoes) and be able to give us that pop we seem to be missing
also sad to see Medlin getting knocked around tonight, i was really hoping that he would do great tonight, and we got Roy tomorrow night (my best pitcher, against my batters in fantasy baseball, great) with Chip possibly being out, i’m thinking about not watching the game haha
DOB, so you see a move (trade) happening soon? or later around the all star break?
Tom O'Hawke
May 21st, 2009
10:59 pm
cabravesfan (10:41)
I was talking about our (the ladies) baseball team. If you can’t focus, I may have to take you out of the 3-hole. RHR has been pushing for it.
Poor McFann, you older women may be a bad influence on her. I’ll be keeping my eye on you guys, you can count on that.
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
11:01 pm
Tom-
I can focus! Really I can! I promise
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
11:03 pm
Tom O’Hawke
I’m not sure how old McFann is but I can’t be too much older than her.
Tom O'Hawke
May 21st, 2009
11:03 pm
bravos2249
Good! I’m moving you up in the order.
cabravesfan
Shoot!!! I forgot all about the deposit.
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
11:04 pm
5th is fine with me
David O'Brien
May 21st, 2009
11:05 pm
Hanson pitched six scoreless innings of one-hit ball with nine strikeouts tonight for his third win. He leads the IL with 73 strikeouts in 53-2/3 innings.
Frank from KS
May 21st, 2009
11:06 pm
Whewww (wiping sweat from brow…..Lol). I finally got caught back up from the last blog to this one.
N8
I agree with your comments on Peavy (which at the time of your comments, he hadn’t rejected the trade yet)….and now he has…and he’s a definate prima-donna.
AND from other blog with your links to the George Brett comments. Thanks…and all I can say is….well, George was the top dog IMO when he was playing and has a right to say what he wants about the organization or for the organization. They are winning for the first time in a long time. Give Hillman SOME credit…people (talking about the sportscasters/sports media in the Kansas City-market).
Ed
May 21st, 2009
11:07 pm
Excuse me Dave but you said KJ hadn’t fallen on his face yet. Just what exactly does he need to do or not do for you to consider Kelly as an absolute failure in the leadoff position?
Tom O'Hawke
May 21st, 2009
11:10 pm
bravos2249–
I didn’t realize you were that young. It’s tough to tell from the screen names. I’m glad you’re OK with 5th. I’ve got Bobby’s problem, well one of them, who to put 4th. McFann is in high school, I’m guessing 16 or so. I doubt you’re any younger.
cabravesfan
I believe you, I believe you.
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
11:12 pm
Tom O’Hawke
Nope not younger. Older, I actually graduate High School in a couple of days. But, usually when I post either on here on mlb.com, people tend to think I’m older than I am. I’m not one to write childish things, and I’ve been posting on the internet since I was 14.
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
11:12 pm
Tom-
yeah, you gotta be careful with those damn deposits! I lived in a place in college where I left the apartment 100 times nicer looking (after my roommate left in the middle of the night, literally, and didn’t clean anything!!!), spent 6 hours cleaning the place from top to bottom, and the manager ran off with my money…good times
And now DOB is fanning the flames
Chop Chop
May 21st, 2009
11:19 pm
I figured that the number in bravos2249 was her age. I also didn’t know that she is a she. I guess I don’t pay much attention sometimes.
(Oh, my other guess was that the “2249″ stood for the year of the Braves’ next World Series title.)
Tom O'Hawke
May 21st, 2009
11:20 pm
bravos2249
Women are a lot less childish than men, regardless of how old they are. Heck, just read the blog! McFann is innocent, and I hope she can retain that for as long as possible, but she is very mature, considering her age. Also, very smart and funny. (and no, McFann, you don’t have to thank me in the am)
Tom O'Hawke
May 21st, 2009
11:22 pm
OK, Chop Chop, what part of the 2249 is her age? Wait, did you just add it up?
oldschool
May 21st, 2009
11:22 pm
With medlens rocky start that was definately his nerves,makes me appreciate what we’ve gotten out of jj and from the start he has pitched awesome.the funny thing is the fact that out of Reyes,Medlin,and jj,I think jj has the least best stuff to work with but he has the best mental game and that’s what matters most of thwe time in any walk of life.
N8
May 21st, 2009
11:22 pm
Frank from KS, totally agree on Brett. He was far and away, my favorite non-Brave when I was growing up. I even like the F-bombs. Doesn’t bother me a bit.
As for Peavy. I’m not as down on him as I was this afternoon. Because, I ultimately think he’ll still get traded and he’ll have say in where he goes. I guess that’s the downfall of giving a guy a no-trade clause, and why JS never did it. Can’t have the player having the upperhand, when you’re trying to build a club (or tear it down).
What I think is ironic, is that away from Petco Park, he’s basically been an average pitcher (3.80 ERA). So ironically, we got Javier Vazquez for Tyler Flowers, and would have had to give up Hanson or Heyward for Jake, and probably are getting about the same pitcher when he’s not pitching at Petco. Too funny.
Ultimately, it’s his right to pick where he went, but that doesn’t mean the fans arent’ gonna still rag on him. Doug Gotlieb on ESPN tonight was saying that Jake BETTER deliver wherever he gets traded to, because with the way he’s apparently gonna handpick where he gets traded to, the media is gonna be on him the second he slips, especially at the price it’s going to cost whicher team gets him, to get him.
BossLady
May 21st, 2009
11:23 pm
Hey, the old ladies do not want to see B Mac without a shirt either. He is a very likable young baseball player coming up but his appearance does not come in to play. My taste come in with Glavine. I saw Glavine at a charity event in a tuxedo and he was just “breathtakingly”
handsome.
Also, I don’t think that McCann’s fans are in it for his looks he just reminds them of the guy next door or someone they think they could know.
On the thought of Andruw, I would always loved him since he was always the most handsome on the team and he has a sweet swing like Chipper.
Speaking of Chipper he is the complete specimen of what a tough and complete male is but he is not handsome by any long shot.
I have mentioned this before but the young ladies in my office loves Bobby Cox. I appreciate Bobby and do not agree with the insults and malice towards him, but how in the H*!! can Bobby Cox be the appealing one to these ladies who are 28-35?
Infante is handsome, Javy Lopez is handsome, David Justice is handsome, Andruw is handsome and so is my Glavine.
The really handsome guy is CARLOS BELTRAN. Imagine that-BMAC & Beltran
Tomahawkin
May 21st, 2009
11:25 pm
Bravos 2249…
Cheese-Whiz I thought I was one of the Young Cats on here being 25…
I stay off the mlbblogs…too many kids who don’t know squat about baseball (especially the business side) run those blogs…
I usually live on here and on the Philly.com/phillies forum because matute people for the most part are the major consensus on these forums/blogs
David O'Brien
May 21st, 2009
11:26 pm
oldschool, good points at 11:22 about Medlen vis-a-vis Jurrjens. Jurrjens is the exception, and I think sometimes people forget.
But Medlen looked about as nervous as I’ve ever seen a pitcher look tonight. Really did. And afterward, talking to us, he still looked and sounded very nervous.
Tom O'Hawke
May 21st, 2009
11:27 pm
cabravesfan
Getting back to Andruw. I’ve been following the Ranger boxes. He’s only starting twice a week, and usually DH. I don’t think he’s that valuable to them that they wouldn’t consider a trade. He fits what we need perfectly, don’t you think?
You say you loved Druw. He used to be my favorite player. My first e-mail, started out “bravesfan25″. My first computer’s name was “Andruw Jones”.
Chop Chop
May 21st, 2009
11:28 pm
I thought she was 2,249 years old, Tom. I also thought that it might be an apocalyptic prediction for the year of the end of the world. In fact, that number has been my rock of salvation during my half-hearted preparations for the end of the Mayan calendar.
David O'Brien
May 21st, 2009
11:28 pm
cabravesfan: what flames am I fanning? I must’ve missed something.
N8
May 21st, 2009
11:31 pm
From the foxsports.com Cox story:
“He won a professional sports record 14 consecutive division titles and did it with a steady reinforcement of talent. During those 14 years, the primary starters on the Braves included five different catchers, eight first basemen, five second basemen, three third basemen, four shortstops and 20 outfielders. He had 18 different pitchers make at least 20 starts in a season, and nine different pitchers serve as the closer.”
Huh. Funny they don’t mention the three HOF pitchers that anchored the rotation for the majority of the 14 years? I would think that’s a pretty important thing to leave out of the WHOLE story.
Other than that, it’s a nice story. Makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. Ooops. I guess that was just the feeling you get before you throw up a little bit in your mouth. Never mind.
chris from md
May 21st, 2009
11:31 pm
DOB,
Do you think Parr gets sent down soon? Perhaps Acosta gets a call up?
Chris from MD
braves70
May 21st, 2009
11:33 pm
I see our old buddy Scott Thorman signed a AAA contract with Kansas City. KC, where old Braves go if they don’t go to Washington or Texas.
Tom O'Hawke
May 21st, 2009
11:34 pm
“I thought she was 2,249 years old, Tom. I also thought that it might be an apocalyptic prediction for the year of the end of the world. In fact, that number has been my rock of salvation during my half-hearted preparations for the end of the Mayan calendar. Chop Chop
That was my 2nd guess.
FaninFaytown
May 21st, 2009
11:35 pm
have to understand medlen’s nervousness tonight. everyone expected hanson and so did he. he knew he had a lot to try to live up to, or at least felt like he did. im anxious for the 2nd start i bet he settles down.
Smuck Foltzie
May 21st, 2009
11:36 pm
Hey, I played a little center field in high school and legion ball, maybe I can be added to the list to back up Schafer, but not tomorrow, like Chipper, I’ll sit it out when Halliday’s pitching.
dISGUSTED WIFIT
May 21st, 2009
11:36 pm
Any body still think Ol Frenchfry is a good outfielder after his display tonight????
Dammit Wren trade this BUM!!!!
oldschool
May 21st, 2009
11:37 pm
If it’s any consolation,Don Sutton balked in his first major league start too.
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
11:38 pm
Tom-
He’s putting up decent numbers and things are going well for them right now- can’t imagine they are lookig too hard for a trade at the moment
Did you just type “my first computer’s name…?” Your computers have names?
and I am aware I say this every week but really…Rescue Me is the best show on TV
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
11:39 pm
DOB-
sorry…the “why is Tommy Hanson not pitching in Atlanta” flames. No big, but every time he pitches well, there seems to be an avalanche of those posts
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
11:39 pm
Tom O’Hawke & Chop Chop
Actually at first I was just messing around with numbers, but the first two are the “date” of my birthday…as in Jan. 22. and the other two in a sense are Jair’s numbers….Now I don’t have a crush on him or anything, but ever since I’ve seen him start I’ve really liked him as a player. I like Hudson like that too. I guess I’m more of a pitcher person. Cause I can narrow it down to them 2 in pitchers I like, but hitters is a different story.
MFin04 (Bennett, Buddy, and Cox Have to Go!)
May 21st, 2009
11:39 pm
Too many problems on this team. Offense is very inconssistent and the team does not score enough runs to contend. The middle relief is horrendous.
We have two MAJOR pluses….the starters and the “closers”. But beyond that. We can’t have this many guys in the lineup slumping and/or not hitting the ball consistently. We REALLY need a power bat in the middle of this order.
Chop Chop
May 21st, 2009
11:40 pm
God help us if Hanson’s debut resembles Medlen’s.
I can only imagine the back-biting, long knives, razor blades, cannibalizing and all manner of violent outbursts that would spew forth upon my innocent computer screen.
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
11:41 pm
Tom O’Hawke
and it’s really hard to change your name after you’ve posted for awhile.
Also, I use to post exclusively on the mlb message boards, and occasionally on here. But I quit doing it over there and only post on here. It’s quicker and better…IMO.
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
11:43 pm
Chop Chop
Excuse me for this many post in like 5 minutes, but one thing I don’t get is why are the minor league balls different from major league balls. That’s soooo stupid IMO.
Rob from SC
May 21st, 2009
11:43 pm
DOB
What did he say about his lack of control
David O'Brien
May 21st, 2009
11:45 pm
cabravesfan: Oh, now I got it. Didn’t realize what you were talking about.
I’m not in that group wondering why Hanson wasn’t here. Medlen had better WHIP, better ERA, and Wren explained that if it had been a permanent spot they’d have brought up Hanson, rather than what could be just a temporary opening, couple of starts before Glavine’s off DL.
Now, about Rescue Me. Agree wholeheartedly, it’s now as good or better than any show on TV. And last week’s episode, with Tommy and the ex going to the boarding school to see the daughter? Priceless. Laughed out loud about 5 times watching it. Tremendous episode.
TennesseePaul
May 21st, 2009
11:47 pm
Well, as crappy as it is to lose, Medlen should be pleased. For one, he has no where to go but up.
For two, he has refused to follow the path of the more recent “hype” pitchers. Who knows where he will go, but he hasn’t set the flag on top of the mountain as was done by these pitchers with their following first starts:
Player_____ Opp IP_ H R ER
Horacio Ram MON 7.0 6 2 2
Kyle Davies BOS 5.0 4 0 0
Chuck James TBR 8.0 2 1 0
James Parr_ WSH 6.0 5 0 0
JeffBennett MIL 5.2 6 1 1
J_ Campillo NYM 6.0 3 0 0
RHR
May 21st, 2009
11:48 pm
In Carroll’s story she alluded to the fact that not only was Medlen nervous, but he’s had a week to be nervous and psych himself up (or out) about it after he got pushed back 2 days. Not making excuses at all, but man I can’t even imagine how nerve wracking it is to make your big league debut, especially as a starting pitcher. Mac said on the night he debuted he couldn’t feel his legs all night, felt like he was in a dream.
I like that DLowe gave Medlen’s family the use of his suntrust seats. Every time I read something about Lowe I like him more and more. Good story by Carroll on Medlen’s night. I like how she always gets all the little details like that. We are very fortunate to have 2 talents like DOB and Carroll following our team and keeping us well informed. Appreciate it very much, you two.
Chop Chop, you are always hilarious.
BossLady, tomato/ta-mah-toe. Chipper is hot to some of us….yes sir.
Congratulations, bravos2249.
Chop Chop
May 21st, 2009
11:49 pm
bravos2249,
My guess is that they’re cheaper to make. The fact is that every player who comes to the bigs goes through the same thing, so Medlen’s only real excuse is that he was really nervous and stunk it up. It happens. He should be okay.
Anyway, I kinda had this game marked as an “L” beforehand. After all, Aaron Cook is an extreme groundball pitcher who was facing a lineup filled with groundball hitters.
David O'Brien
May 21st, 2009
11:49 pm
Rob from SC: He had no clue what happened, no idea why his mechanics were out of whack. It’s all in my game story and in Carroll’s sidebar, which should be posted now or will be very soon.
He was disappointed and at a loss to explain it. But said his arm felt fine. McCann said Medlen was saying that the ball was slipping off his thumb in fourth inning, that he couldn’t grip it right or whatever. Mac thought that after that first wild pitch, he might’ve been trying too hard to aim it, slowing down his mechanics, which might have taken the velocity off his fastball.
Cox and the trainer went out because his fastball was down 4-5 mph in the fourth inning. But Medlen told them his arm felt fine, no injuries. Cox said they’ll talk again Friday, have to “get to the bottom of this.” The manager also had no explanation for how the kid’s command went to hell like that.
Mac had the best explanation. Said your debut is nerve-wracking, for anyone, much less for a starting pitcher standing out there alone.
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
11:50 pm
TennesseePaul
I can’t really call Morton a lost cause, but his first start was pretty good too.
That’s why I think it’s better for him to falter now and not later.
bravos2249
May 21st, 2009
11:52 pm
Chop Chop
Oh, he didn’t use that as an excuse. I just remember hearing that during the game. Now at least in Triple A they should be supplied with MLB baseballs. Although some pitchers get called up from Double A. It makes sense now why some pitchers are wild in their first couple of starts. At least in their first.
Fred "The Dorf" Dorfman
May 21st, 2009
11:53 pm
And now, a man who needs no introduction, the father of internal bushings…
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
11:53 pm
DOB-
I know you’re not on the Hanson bandwagon. I had made a similar comment to someone else earlier as a joke and then you posted his line…wasn’t serious
That is the episode of Rescue Me that I am watching right now…love, love, love it! Show cracks me up every time I watch it
Random
May 21st, 2009
11:53 pm
oldschool (11:22 pm): “With medlens rocky start that was definately his nerves,makes me appreciate what we’ve gotten out of jj and from the start he has pitched awesome.”
DOB (11:26 pm): “oldschool, good points at 11:22 about Medlen vis-a-vis Jurrjens. Jurrjens is the exception, and I think sometimes people forget.”
Beg to differ, gents — imo the biggest difference between Jurrjens’ first start for the Braves and Medlen’s first start for the Braves is that Jurrjens’ first start for the Braves was his 8th Major League start, with 30+ ML IPs under his belt.
Medlen was a nervous bride on her wedding night tonight.
(JJ is still exceptional though — I grant you that.)
PS: “fanning the flames” = “bragging” on Hanson @ 11:05 (I think).
cabravesfan
May 21st, 2009
11:55 pm
Bandwagon is not the right word…didn’t mean to imply you didn’t like the kid
Tom O'Hawke
May 21st, 2009
11:55 pm
DOB
I posted Hanson’s pitching line, shortly after he was done. cabravesfan was kidding with me, sarcastically, about fueling the “why isn’t Hanson here” fires. I told her I was bored. She suggested I have a beer. And that’s why I love her.
Later on, you mentioned Hanson’s pitching line. And she replied to me, alluding to the earlier joke. If she didn’t say something to me, I would have probably made a comment to her. If you’d take the time to read all the posts, dang it, this wouldn’t have to be explained.
(please, don’t take that seriously)
Random
May 22nd, 2009
12:00 am
Jeff321 (7:47 pm): “Maybe one day you’ll focus on the players/coaches and stop throwing around personal insults.”
You mean just take cheap, personal, ignorant and hate-filled shots at only those who are not here to defend themselves, like you do?
(May 20th, 2009 7:58 pm) “Right on cue.. Gimper Jones GIDP!”
(8:03 pm) “Right on cue.. Gimper Jones boots another one.”
(8:07 pm) “Gimper Jones’ error comes home to roost.”
(8:18 pm) “I think Frenchy is a narcissistic whiner!”
(May 21st, 2009 8:24 am) “Looks to me like Diory already has 9 errors this year.. Which is 3 more than Gimper Jones.”
(4:10 pm) “Apparently Peavy would rather play for Ozzie than Cox! The man has spoken and its time to accept it Cox lovers.”
(4:15 pm) “The logjam in the top of the order is because of Gimper Jones. He refuses to bat cleanup because he wants to maximize plate appearances. (I guess he cares more about himself than the team.)”
(4:49 pm) “Yes I rememeber Gimper getting jettisoned to left field . . . Btw, I can’t figure out who missed more when diving for balls.. him or KJ.”
Yes – that’s a mere 24 hours worth of your incessant, puerile vitriol. And you think we should respect your “opinions”?
Chop Chop
May 22nd, 2009
12:02 am
bravos2249,
He didn’t say that, but I know that some fans will. That’s just the nature of blogs. Some will cut him to ribbons, while others will make every excuse in the book for him. It’s patently absurd that people take this stuff to such extremes, but I seem to revel in the absurdity. I’m a sick, sick man.
Random
May 22nd, 2009
12:02 am
Major League balls are bigger than International League balls. Right?
oldschool
May 22nd, 2009
12:03 am
Random I don’t think I said that jj had made his 1st start with the braves and that was not the point anyway.Read it a couple times and maybe you’ll get it
cabravesfan
May 22nd, 2009
12:04 am
Tom-
Thanks for the backup- and for the record, I’m very lovable
And as I was sitting here, done watching rescue Me, finishing my beer and pondering another one, I realized it is, in fact, Thursday and not Friday and I have to work tomorrow. You have any idea how soul crushing that is?
RHR
May 22nd, 2009
12:05 am
I’m even going to brag on the AJC photographers, the photo with Carroll’s story is so vivid it almost looks like a painting. Albeit one that Medlen would never want to hang on his walls lol.
Carroll’s story –
http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/stories/2009/05/22/kris_medlen_debut.html
DOB’s game story –
http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/stories/2009/05/21/braves_rockies.html
Rob from SC
May 22nd, 2009
12:06 am
DOB
I noticed something watching the 4th inning. Pitchers are creatures of habbit. Sometimes he begins the windup with his hand in his glove, sometimes not. He just looked so nervous.
Il Cattivo
May 22nd, 2009
12:06 am
I’m glad Medlen got this out of the way. Anyway given Cook’s / our offense’ performance today it wouldnt have mattered ,if Medlen had given up only 1 or 2 runs. Clearly the big occasion got to him. He seemed visibly upset afterwards in the dugout. He will learn from this and bounce back. I dont know what some of the people on this blog think – sitting in the cozy comforts of home and posting under anonymous conditions, they criticize a 22 year old making his professional big league debut and his nerves. Clearly they have never performed in front of a big audience.Tough crowd to please. I am definitely looking forward to his start, seeing everything he has done so far in spring training and AAA.
Our bats – thats a different story. Tomorrow might be a bloodbath on this blog after Halladay is done with us. Lots of 0-fers in the box-score.
Tom O'Hawke
May 22nd, 2009
12:07 am
DOB–
Capt.Caveman, (ex-catcher) said that he didn’t think Medlen was getting a good grip, because of the difference in the baseballs. Actually, he said to me, back when Medlen came out, everything that’s being reported now. About the overgripping and all….
Random
May 22nd, 2009
12:08 am
oldschool — you said what you said (”makes me appreciate what we’ve gotten out of jj and from the start he has pitched awesome”). I just copied and pasted.
I got it.
Tom O'Hawke
May 22nd, 2009
12:09 am
cabravesfan–
It’s still only a little after 9:00 out there. Have one more. Tomorrow, I’ll remind you that it’s Friday!!!
cabravesfan
May 22nd, 2009
12:12 am
Tom-
can’t have another one tonight…need to go to bed before midmight at least once this week, and I am about out of week- plus it would be nice to be able to function without feeling like death in the morning
Tomorrow’s a short day (no need to tivo the game! whoo hoo!) so I should probably do some actual, you know, work.
N8
May 22nd, 2009
12:12 am
My first computer’s name was WOPR and everytime I tried to play chess with it, it freaked out on me and wanted to blow stuff up. Creepy.
Rob from SC
May 22nd, 2009
12:13 am
He had issues from the stretch. Everyone is nervous their first day on the job. He couldn’t stand still on the hill. He will be fine. He lacked composure tonight.
Chop Chop
May 22nd, 2009
12:13 am
Il Cattivo,
I hope there aren’t too many feeling bad for Medlen. After all, he’s getting to realize the dream of millions out there. If he’s got anything, he’ll be a decent ballplayer in the bigs. I’d like to see Bobby Cox walk up to the kid, tell him a story about some knucklehead play he made in his debut, talk about how he might have questioned his ability afterwards, and then explain how he came to this conclusion.
Random
May 22nd, 2009
12:15 am
oldschool –
Or did you mean that “from the start” JJ “pitched awesome” for the Tigers?
Were you “appreciating” him back in 2007?
Your implication was definitely that he had pitched awesome for the Braves from the start. (There’s no other way to read it if you didn’t answer “yes” to the preceding questions.) Which was his 8th ML start.
oldschool
May 22nd, 2009
12:16 am
Well random stop acting like your the queen of the blog or something.I pretty sure most everyone here has heard of the Detroit Tigers and knew that jj broke in with them.Some of you go a little haywire on the stats just to impress yourselves.Talk to DOB,maybe he can get you your very own blog!
JD
May 22nd, 2009
12:16 am
The Braves make another average pitcher look like Cy Young. Since he pitches at Coors, we’ll throw out his ERA. But on the road, opponents are hitting .295 against him. Yet we manage 4 singles against him. Sigh….
TennesseePaul
May 22nd, 2009
12:17 am
bravos2249: Forgot about Morton, thanks
Player_____ Opp IP_ H R ER
Horacio Ram MON 7.0 6 2 2
Kyle Davies BOS 5.0 4 0 0
Chuck James TBR 8.0 2 1 0
James Parr_ WSH 6.0 5 0 0
JeffBennett MIL 5.2 6 1 1
J_ Campillo NYM 6.0 3 0 0
CharlieMort LAA 6.0 5 3 3
uga-brave
May 22nd, 2009
12:18 am
dob,
i was down there tonight. saw his proud parents interviewed.
saw the medlen jerseys. what a great night for a parent.
he had one pitch when he made helton look like a fool.
that being said his fast ball sailed. went up.
no tilt. he threw a couple of great changes, but his fastball was up.
he has stuff, dont see him as a starter. plus tell him the flat brow cap makes him like someone that looks like someone that wants to steal my wheals off my mercedes.
ABravesFan
May 22nd, 2009
12:19 am
Its a GM’s job to know which of his prospects can handle the pressure and spotlight of the big show. Wren failed tonight and cost the braves the game.
Melden should have been traded for offense while his stock was so high.
Capt Caveman
May 22nd, 2009
12:19 am
Hey Tom O’Hawke — I just read DOB’s post about Medlen, I was pretty much right on with what I thought was happening. I was reading McCanns lips when he was on the mound as best I could, I’ve made that speech to a pitcher a few times myself. That part about the thumb slipping off is a little weird thing that happens when a pitcher overgrips the ball. On those curveballs inside that were getting away from him he might have been curling his thumb a little, it’s a subconcious thing pitchers do when they are trying to spin the ball to hard. That actually gives them less grip and the ball flies out “over” the hand, per se. The fastballs outside are from the ball leaving the hand too late, again another indication of too much grip.
But he’s just a kid in his debut and it’s natural for this stuff to happen. I caught a few guys in the minors who had gotten their first cup of coffee in The Show and gotten hammered. They come back down a little burned but a little wiser. That is when you find out what they are made of. Some respond well and others don’t.
Now , where is — Coach (I like the butt) — ??
cabravesfan
May 22nd, 2009
12:20 am
Hey, Hey- Nuggets even the series with the f*ing lakers! the night is not totally lost after all
Tom O'Hawke
May 22nd, 2009
12:21 am
Oh yeah, thanks Nate, cabravesfan, I never did answer your other question, about the computer name. When you first get a computer, don’t you get asked “what is your ‘User Name’”? All the files were “Andruw Jones Files” etc.
Hey, I liked staying incognito. You never know, if I had anything illegal on here, I’d stay home, and the Braves would have needed a new center fielder.
JD
May 22nd, 2009
12:21 am
cabravesfan – You’re not pulling for a Lakers/Cavs finals? Even if you don’t like the Lakers, you gotta root for that matchup. At least I do.
Tom O'Hawke
May 22nd, 2009
12:24 am
Capt Caveman–
Yes, but I hope you read my 12:07 post. I gave you credit.
Eric C.
May 22nd, 2009
12:26 am
For any Jay Powell fans out there…watch the video
http://www.wapt.com/sports/19507756/detail.html
cabravesfan
May 22nd, 2009
12:26 am
Tom-
My brother set up my current computer for me so I actually have no idea what the user name would be…that could be a problem
JD-
I would rather chew off my fingers, shove the bloody stumps down my throat and choke to death on my own blood then ever root for the f*ing lakers.
oldschool
May 22nd, 2009
12:28 am
Random,you still haven’t gotten it yet.All I was saying is that I appreciate what jj has done since he got herehe was traded to a new team,and moved up to the front of the rotation as the injury bug hit and has come out this year after all of that and throwing more innings than before and he has givin us nothing but quality start after quality start.Look at Hamels and the start he got off to after pitching all those innings last year and being the M.V.P. Do you understand?
monty
May 22nd, 2009
12:31 am
Nerves are normal but you figure by the 4th inning you’re mostly over them. Does he always pitch like he’s late for his wedding? Seems like the wilder he got the faster he pitched. I bet everything was flying by at warp speed for him. I’d be surprised if his arm didn’t suffer some type injury,and the adrenaline masked it. Now it was a damp night and if the ball was a little slippery I can understand, but that was just wierd. Maybe it’s like golf and you hit them great on the driving range and you get on the first tee and duck hook it OB. You’re like, “where did that come from?”
Tom O'Hawke
May 22nd, 2009
12:35 am
cabravesfan-
I’m getting a strong sense, from your 12:26 post to JD, that you don’t want the Lakers to win. Are my perceptions accurate?
cabravesfan
May 22nd, 2009
12:37 am
Tom-
whatever gave you that idea?
Tomahawkin
May 22nd, 2009
12:38 am
JD
I wouldn’t Call Aaron Cook Average…
He’s an all-star caliber pitcher (Yes He made the all star team) who has a great sinker…He just gets no props from BSPN because he doesn’t Play for the Mets, Red Saux, or Bankees…
But I Called that our bats weren’t going to do anything agiainst him…He’s a sinkerball pitcher, pitching in a pitcher’s paradise, Wind Blowing in so I knew all the elements were against the braves before the game begun…
I’m not Not usuing that as an excuse, but A. Cook is not an Averave pitcher…
The Pirates Slapped him around in one of his starts earlier this season…That speaks volumes about our Awfense…
uga-brave
May 22nd, 2009
12:38 am
dob,
the lexus level does look like a airport concourse. props to whom ever said that.
we always go up. have a beer or three at the 755. scary about the numbers up there. not many.
our season ticktets attach 755 club passes. thursday before memorial day and the 755 was barely full.
Tom O'Hawke
May 22nd, 2009
12:42 am
cabravesfan
It’s hard to explain. But when I connect with someone, I … just get these psychic-type feelings…
Legend of Len Barker
May 22nd, 2009
12:42 am
After two good days, the Braves have it rear end backwards again. After getting down 6-0, they didn’t appear to even try. Was it just me or did every last player seemingly swing at the first pitch?
Chipper again decided he was hurt. Of course, I don’t know what happens in the locker room. Maybe the rest of the players see him as being a great leader. I don’t. He seems to always have something wrong with him. Some malady, some ache.
This team just doesn’t have the same grit as the good ol’ days.
The more I think about it, the Bravos of 1991 were worse on paper than this club. But they made it work. Not much power, young starters that had achieved diddly squat in the majors prior to that season, a shaky bullpen, the question mark of Nick Esasky, and free agents who were solid but not major names. The Dodgers got Bret Butler and Darr-ylll Strawberry in 1991. We got Berenguer, Pendleton, Bream, Heath, and Belliard.
That team fought. Down 6-0 in Cincy after the first inning, they battled back and won. If tonight was any indication, this team would meekly swing at the second pitch and continue on their merry way to a shutout loss.
If the Braves continue to play in this haphazard, occasional spark way, I’m going to bust out my two 1991 highlight videos and play them on a continuous loop.
cabravesfan
May 22nd, 2009
12:44 am
Tom-
wow…trippy! Very impressive- Your psychic feelings were spot on
Alright, time for bed…Good night!
nolie
May 22nd, 2009
12:47 am
I was pretty much right on with what I thought was happening. (CAPT C)
I saw your game-time comments when I was just reading through the post. Good knowledgeable info capt. you da man. BTW I was just kidding around about the thought last night. I wasn’t seriously suggesting that you & coach were the same poster.
Tom O'Hawke
May 22nd, 2009
12:48 am
Good night, cabravesfan. Talk to you Friday. I hope Vinings Jim can come out and play a little longer. I miss him.
JD
May 22nd, 2009
12:49 am
Tom – I’m looking at that .295 career opponent’s average against him on the road (not at Coors). And his 5+ ERA this year. He’s obviously hittable.
Oh, and Mark Redman was also an All-Star
Tom O'Hawke
May 22nd, 2009
12:52 am
Hi nolie. Yeah, Capt.Caveman knows his stuff, doesn’t he.
learner
May 22nd, 2009
12:54 am
Hey uga-brave (fellow Dawg),
My son and I were up at the 755 (first time for me). Really enjoyed it, although the buffet was not worth the $35 IMHO. When I heard on the radio that the attendance (tickets sold) was over 25000, I thought that was about 15000+ more than it looked like in person.
Tom O'Hawke
May 22nd, 2009
12:55 am
JD–
Are you talking to me? You must be, I don’t see any other Toms on here. OK, what and who are you talking about? Refresh me.
Capt Caveman
May 22nd, 2009
12:59 am
Tom — Thanks, I wasnt necessarily looking for the pat on the back but thanks for it.
I was just commenting more after I read the report about the slippage.
I once played a game against the Dodgers Single A rookie team and their 5 hitter was stepping into the box for his 2nd at bat. Our pitcher had been wild but effective in the sense that he was missing the spot but still getting it into my mitt. A few of the hitters had been buzzed close but nobody had hit the dirt yet. I went to the mound to chat up my pitcher and he said his thumb was coming off the ball, he couldn’t locate the curve or the slider/slurve that he threw. I said OK lets use that to scare this guy into not diggin in.
I was kinda laughin when I got back to the plate and the hitter thought something was up.
He kinda snortin at me that he better not get hit or else. I told him don’t worry about the pitcher if he is trying to hit you, your only in danger if he’s trying to hit my mitt !!!
He kinda looked at me funny and I told him my pitcher was having a bad night and gets a 50 dollar fine for every batter he hits, but then again he also got a BIG signing bonus so watch out for “in your ear” !! First curve ball went over his helmet!! LOL Yeah Good Times !!
Capt Caveman
May 22nd, 2009
1:07 am
Yo nolie — You know me dude, I can take a joke. I actually thought that was funny b/c you know Coach had to hate the fact that someone thought he was the Caveman !!
And that Captain Caveman video was funny too, I know he meant it as an insult but I liked it so much I am putting on my Facebook page. LOL
That’s really gotta chap his hide !!!
uga-brave
May 22nd, 2009
1:07 am
capt cavey,
you criticize everybody, what makes you a expert?
so you played in the the rookie league and in the press box they put on your song?
so waht qualifies you? i played a ton of golf with tommy gregg, brad clontz, and kent mercker at rivermont. they used to talk about pitching.
then we went to t.j”s on roswell road and drank bear with willie plett, and other old hockey player’s.
well beau bock was always there sipping red wine.
so why are you a expert?
Tom O'Hawke
May 22nd, 2009
1:09 am
Capt Caveman–
I didn’t really mean it as a “pat on the back”, so much, as just giving you credit for such an astute observation. You’ve been away. Have you seen some of the posts, lately? (ask nolie or scoots) You have insight to what’s going on, that most of us – almost all of us, don’t. I appreciate you sharing that with us.
After you brought up the difference in the minor-major league baseballs, I thought it may be because of different manufacturers. Another blogger thought it might be because of economics (cheaper). Do you know why?
uga-brave
May 22nd, 2009
1:10 am
cavey,
my spelling is always off, but why do you want to give everybody a hard time?
uga-brave
May 22nd, 2009
1:13 am
actually, i like coach. he is a constant. he may not be a mensa member,
but he is a baseball fan.
uga-brave
May 22nd, 2009
1:23 am
we were sitting down there tonight and i bet my good friend that the braves would pound the ball into the infield tonight.
sinker ball pitcher on the mound, right?
yeah but he told me his era was high.
gotta understand a team that struggles against soft tossers.
if aaron cook pitched 20 games against this collection of STUD hitters he would win 25 games.
Tom O'Hawke
May 22nd, 2009
1:24 am
Capt.Caveman–
Good story @ 12:59. I especially like “you’re only in danger if he’s trying to hit my mitt !!!” If I’m not mistaking, I believe they call that “effectively wild”, do they not? And it can’t hurt to have the catcher giving the batters the “heads up”(pun intended).
Smuck Foltzie
May 22nd, 2009
1:25 am
It’s the cow, it’s the damn chick-fil-a cow. I’m telling you, it’ll all come out in the wash.
Tomahawkin
May 22nd, 2009
1:27 am
JD…
Oh, and Mark Redman was also an All-Star
Aight I got Your Point, Dat SumBytch Has been Average Since making the All Star team…More Means to bash TP and the offense…
I always wonder Why players or the commentators get quotes from him when the AWFense Sucks like it has…
This team just keeps playing with my emotions
Capt Caveman
May 22nd, 2009
1:29 am
uga-brave — I don’t know what your talking about with the expert stuff. Sorry if my past experiences ruffle your feathers but that really doesn’t concern me.
I’m glad you know people, rock on. I used to hang out with Mark Lemke at Taco Mac in Alpharetta, does that have anything to do with what i was talking about — NO.
I don’t give anybody on here a hard time that doesn’t come out looking for it. Just so you know , siding with Coach is like picking the Fat Kid first at recess. Nothing good is going to come from it.
Tom O'Hawke
May 22nd, 2009
1:31 am
Oh, I see, I think. JD was talking to you, tomahawkin? When they just say “Tom”, who knows?
Tomahawkin
May 22nd, 2009
1:35 am
UGABRAVE…
Seriously, I think Coach, Myself N8, MFIN, among others Have gotten tired of the way the braves have played the last 3 years…
All the people who were on here at the start of the season obviously stop caring for this team and The few that remain Are simply just tired of seeing this team perfrom like it has for 3 years running and are on here voicing it Instead of watch that Farce called the NBA and Cheering on the Lakers (For all those Bandwagon Fans Out there). Because we all know this team is better than it has played…Therefore it really plays with our emotions when they win 2, lose 3, win 2, lose 2, and so on…
So to All those People Who complain about a few posters being negative about this team at times during the game…
“If You don’t Like It, Then We’ve Got 2 Words For Ya”…
uga-brave
May 22nd, 2009
1:35 am
cavey,
it aint about knowing people. we all know people.
just curious about why you bust certain people feathers?
David Stern
May 22nd, 2009
1:38 am
I am rooting for a Cavs-Lakers Finals.
And you know what? I’m in control, so deal with it.
uga-brave
May 22nd, 2009
1:42 am
tomahawkin,
go hang out with mf’in p bbrave, and tnbrian.
i would rather read steve from ohio, chop chop, william wallace, and scoots.
see n8, or bravedave.
uga-brave
May 22nd, 2009
1:48 am
tommahawkin,
my bad,
just sittin on my deck and finishing a decent cohiba. cant smoke inside anymore.
used to be able to sit IN MY BASEMENT.
woman in my house now. at least she is one of the first that has a job.
Capt Caveman
May 22nd, 2009
1:50 am
Yo Tom,
I’m not 100 percent but I’m pretty sure that Rawlings makes MBL baseball for the league, I would take a guess that if they aren’t supplying minor leagues too then I would say Wilson probably does.
But it is not so much the manufacturer as if is the specification on the ball. Several companies make an official MBL ball as far as the specs are concerned.
The specs make the seams easier to grip on a minor league ball, that’s just my experience though.
I think the biggest difference is when you compare Japanese and American balls, they use horsehide and we use cowhide and our ball feels slicker to them, they also are not the same size but I don’t know all the particulars.
The feel of the hide and the grip of the seams can make all the difference in the world. With a MLB I could snap a throw to second (i threw from my knees and right handed) and the ball would fly true but with a minor league ball I would get more tailling action to right field. Some catchers actually throw a curve into second as the ball will start on the first base side of the bag and curl into the mitt. This makes the tag easier, however with a slicker ball the same throw will start outside and stay there which is why you see a lot of catchers who have spent a lot of time in the minors throw high and wide of the bag when they finally get into the majors. Since I threw from the knee my ball would break back into the runner so I had to throw it over the left side of the pitchers plate (rubber) to get it on track. With a MBL ball I would zip a few into center field, that’s always good to get yourself some attention from the coaches, LOL>
Just thought I would share. Hope you like it.
Tom O'Hawke
May 22nd, 2009
1:50 am
Tomahawkin–(1:35)
Please, man (or lady), please just speak for yourself, on this blog. If I, and I’m sure the others, need a spokesperson, we’ll ask for one. Right now, I can speak for myself. I believe the rest of the bloggers can also. Thank you.
uga-brave
May 22nd, 2009
1:52 am
halladay vs. the donger
what is the moneyline on that?
uga-brave
May 22nd, 2009
2:01 am
hey, cavey,
i have rawlings fast back. played a litle bit with carpenter and lilliquist.
winterville
May 22nd, 2009
2:02 am
-165 for the Jays uga-brave.
Tom O'Hawke
May 22nd, 2009
2:03 am
Capt.Caveman–
Yeah, man, thanks. It’s all a bit puzzling though. I never knew the baseballs in Japan were smaller until the influx of all the Japanese pitchers. Now you’re talking about a difference in the minor to major league balls. You said, “The feel of the hide and the grip of the seams can make all the difference in the world.” You know, I was only thinking of this discrepancy, from the pitcher’s point of view. Obviously, it would make a big difference to the catcher, also. I just don’t understand, being it’s such big business, there’s not more uniformity.
N8
May 22nd, 2009
2:07 am
uga, I’m confused (yeah, big shock), about your 1:42, are knockin’ me or what? LOL! But seriously. The way it reads is confusin. I just wanna know if I’m being insulted. At least Eric just flat out called me a moron, which let me know where I stand.
So I’ve got that goin’ for me….. which is nice.
uga-brave
May 22nd, 2009
2:14 am
n8, you are a saint brother.
i luv your posts.
Capt Caveman
May 22nd, 2009
2:15 am
Just remember that I played ball in the late 80’s and that was just my experience. I play in the MSBL now which is an amatuer league with teams in every city in the country. We use a raised seam ball now but about 10 yrs ago we were using MBL balls and quite frankly most of the pitchers were getting hammered. Now with the raised seams they have more action on the ball and its more even since we only play on the weekends.
Maybe DOB could share some info on this in the morning when he wakes up. But you have to ask him, I think he is not taking my questions right now for some reason. I haven’t been to a minor league game in a while so I haven’t seen the kind of balls they are using.
Maybe somebody on here has been to Gwinnett and got a foul ball and can tell us who it is made by.
JD
May 22nd, 2009
2:19 am
Oh, I see, I think. JD was talking to you, tomahawkin? When they just say “Tom”, who knows?
Yes, my bad. I’ll elaborate next time. And “they” = “he”
mr baseball
May 22nd, 2009
2:19 am
Let’s face it folks. This is one seriously mediocre team.
Apart from the first 3 starters and the 2 guys at the back of the pen (plus the surprisingly effective lefty), the pitching stinks. 3 games out of 5, the Braves have an excellent chance to win. The other 2, not so much. And of the 3 chances to win, the sub-standard offense is going to lose at least 1.
How does a supposedly knowledgeable GM put together a lineup with no real power, absolutely no speed, an overabundance of left-handed hitters and a few too many guys who almost refuse to take a walk? And then sends out a rookie CF who may be overmatched by major league pitching with no one on the roster to fill in for him.
Wonder what’s going through Tommy Hanson’s head? You have to figure that he believes he’s ready to start in the bigs, but wonders why Jo Jo was given 6 weeks of start. And when Reyes conclusively proves that he can’t cut it, they bypass him in favor of a pitcher with markedly less talent. And all this while waiting for a washed-up, soft-tossing lefty with a damaged arm to delay his call up even longer.
Other than the top 3 in the rotation and the back of the bullpen, exactly what is there to be optimistic about with this team? The offense has no leadoff hitter, no 2 hole hitter, no cleanup hitter and will be lucky to have 2 guys — if that many — hit 20 homers while the team leader in steals has maybe 12.
This isn’t pessimism. It’s reality. There is very little chance that this offense is going to produce a sufficient number of runs to contend, regardless of how good the starting pitching is.
Other than McCann and maybe Escobar, this team has below average offensive players at every starting position except 3B, and Chipper is simply too brittle and too old to produce the kid of numbers they need from him. Plus, who’s gonna pitch to him in key situations?
Barring something unforeseen, this team is going to finish within a few games of .500 in either direction and will be out of contention by the 1st of September, unless the Mets and Phillies both plod along at their current pace.
And even that probably won’t be enough to make September interesting.
Gotta go, Green Day is on Colbert.
JD
May 22nd, 2009
2:20 am
Ladies and gentlemen, Tom Selleck is on the blog1
JD
May 22nd, 2009
2:20 am
*blog!*
uga-brave
May 22nd, 2009
2:22 am
n8,
you should now that. but i am a vasquez fan. he pitches away from contact,
the dude has a decent out pitch? right.
he, lowe, and jjj. might make us dangerous in the postseason.
if we get the chance.
N8
May 22nd, 2009
2:24 am
Awe. Thanks uga. I was just thinkin. I hope Eric from MO and myself were as entertaining as you and the Captain were tonight.
I’s ALWAYS much more fun to read two people that are goin’ round and round, then be part of it. Well sometimes, anyhow.
So keep it up. It makes for good readin after midnight.
Tom O'Hawke
May 22nd, 2009
2:25 am
JD–
Thanks for getting back to me. BTW, “And “they” = “he”“, trust me, you’re not the first (or even close).
JD
May 22nd, 2009
2:28 am
Yeah, sorry it took me hours. I left, came back, and saw the confusion. Glad the blog was able to survive in spite.
And I’m not the first what? …I don’t get it.
Capt Caveman
May 22nd, 2009
2:28 am
uniformity is something that exist on each level of ball from hs, college,minor, and major.
it exist on each level but not necessarily between the levels. You know hs is all the same and college is the same but they are diff from each other.
That is why you will see a position player jump up in the minors quickly but pitchers generally work each level for a year or so. If you notice, most of the pitching prodigy’s who make it to the big leagues before 21 are power pitchers, not too many finesse pitchers can make the leap in leagues so easy b/c they require more of the “feel” for the ball,
This is also one of the reasons why Greg Maddox is generally considered one of the best ever, he could get so much movement on his ball, especially the outside fastball the would cut back over the corner, That pitch defined him.
MIke Cather was a reliever for the Braves in 96 to 99 and i currently with the Red Sox as a pitching coach; We played together a few years back in the MSBL and when he would pitch is was unbelievable how much the ball would move. Sometimes I couldn’t even catch them b/c they would hit the mitt in a diff spot from where I was trying to catch it in. In the dugout between innings he would laugh at me b/c I was taking grief for dropping a few behind the plate. He told me if the big leagues used a ball like that he would have been a HOF pitcher. He could make the ball move like Maddox in our league. He was unhittable!! And he was out of the pros by then.
Tom O'Hawke
May 22nd, 2009
2:39 am
JD–
Not the first to argue with me when it’s a different “Tom”, they want to argue with. There are a lot of Tom-somethings on this blog. Sometimes, someone gets mixed up and starts arguing with “Tom O”, or “Tom O’Hawke” (spells it right out). I’m like, Huh?
N8
May 22nd, 2009
2:39 am
uga, oh don’t you start in on me too now! LOL!
I don’t dislike Vazquez. I’m just in such a hurry to see what Hanson can do that I wasn’t happy about the trade.
Everybody asks how I would react if he came up and got pounded. I’d be OK with it. Because he’s part of the future. A guy like Vazquez has a very short-term future with us. And since I never really thought that Wren did enough to make us competitive enough to get to October baseball, it seems like a wasted trade.
IMO, by the time we get to the playoffs again, Vazquez likely will not be around to see it.
With the offense we’ve got going (though I will admit that I expected the offence to be better than it has been), it would have been a wiser investement to go with a bat. Don’t have anybody specific in mind. Though Ibanez sure seemed like a nice fit in December, huh?
That all being said. Vazquez has shown me he’s cabable of giving us a chance to win on most nights. So my new whipping boy #1 (he was #2 before the last week or so), is Kawakami.
It’s too late to start kicking that dead horse tonight, so I’ll w