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© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1,911 comments Add your comment
Dr. Van Nostrand
May 24th, 2009
12:57 am
kirkinga, Yes, the point about Glavine needing additional surgery after the season has been reported here and elsewhere. Glavine is putting it off because he doesn’t want to go through the very extensive rehab required in order to pitch after having the surgery. However, he will have the surgery once he’s done playing just for quality of life.
Ordinarily, I’d agree with trusting a 300 game winner over an unproven rookie, but not in this case given Glavine’s age, health and the things I covered in the previous posts. Again, I REALLY hope that I’m proven wrong with my opinion on Glavine for this season, but I’m not optimistic. Glavine has had a HOF career and he’s one of my all-time favorite Braves, so I take no pleasure in predicting that he won’t help us this season.
Rick
May 24th, 2009
1:11 am
DOB , you meant 9 ASSISTS for Henandez – the first baseman gets the putout on a 6-3 play . Now on one of the DPs , I think Hernandez touched 2nd base so he gets a putout on that one .
Way Too Much Information For This Braves Blog
May 24th, 2009
1:25 am
Tomahawkin May 24th, 2009 12:43 am
Nope I’m A dude…My Stomach has been playing with My Emotions all day…It has been Hurting like Hell, therefore I’ve been Getting Pregnant Pauses for the last 3 hours
Contrary to what most people say..I believe that there is something that men go through…My stomach has been hurting for the last 3 hours, and I’ve been getting hot flashes here and there,from time to time…
Damn Dude – speak for yourself. This isn’t something I would admit publicly on the Internet. Swine flu maybe? Keep it between yourself and your OB/GYN..
ANTI-NEGATIVE GUY
May 24th, 2009
1:40 am
ROB FROM SC=BIG TIME DUM ASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ANTI-NEGATIVE GUY
May 24th, 2009
1:57 am
Nolie you are the biggest dumass I have seen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Did you see what Kelly did tonight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A-Hole!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
uga-brave
May 24th, 2009
2:09 am
back from another night at the ted,
though we stopped off at a shoe show on buford highway.
kotchman is a gamer. he is a complemnet player.
if we had a true banger in the middle, we would see his value.
our starting pitching has been off the charts.
lowe is a warrior, never saw it from afar.
he had that sinker going tonight after the third and was on.
another great game. BOBBY acted right and got gonalez out. we were lucky in the end.
soriano got a K, and a flyout. could of gone the other way.
enjoy it.
nolie
May 24th, 2009
2:14 am
Nolie you are the biggest dumass I have seen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Did you see what Kelly did tonight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A-Hole!!!! (ANTI)
guess my tongue was too far into my cheek for you on that one, huh? but I will admit to being an AH., just ask Jeffy
uga-brave
May 24th, 2009
2:17 am
great night, playing golf at sugarloaf tmmrw.
tons of houses out their for sale. still a great track.
7100 from the tips. gonna have to crank it.
Bay Area Steve
May 24th, 2009
2:31 am
nolie might be an AH; ’bout the only guys I respect anymore have that particular attribute, at least when necessary. But, most of those cats can do it no matter which medications they’re on, at the time.
uga, best round you ever shot: how many beers?
uga-brave
May 24th, 2009
2:33 am
bas,
around 13. the same amount about of bogeys tmmrw. plus that jager shot.
Bay Area Steve
May 24th, 2009
2:37 am
I need to publicly thank the Mariners.
I’m 8 rows deep, behind the dish Wed. night, and I may have been rootin’ against our boys. Braves win, nice; seein’ a 300th win in person, priceless.
uga-brave
May 24th, 2009
2:38 am
bas, gonna tip it up tmmrw.
play with a couple of scratch golfers, and let it fly.
i am the fish. they love me for that. that is why i get invited.
uga-brave
May 24th, 2009
2:43 am
i love playing golf with players that are better then me.
makes it more intersting, love the challenge. plus i always keep be invited back.
uga-brave
May 24th, 2009
2:50 am
bas,
brother, no whiskey tonight. though i like the irish kind. jammeson.
Bay Area Steve
May 24th, 2009
2:50 am
13 beers…I’d probably knock my own teeth out with my driver.
But six beers, and third round of the day…shot a 74; sadly, probably best I’ll ever play.
So, they’re scratch…you’re an 8 handicap, who can out-drive them all?
Bay Area Steve
May 24th, 2009
2:54 am
no whiskey….don’t be foolish.
Too many whiskeys. A lot of painting today. Painting sucks. If you paint for a living, more power to you, but painting sucks.
I only hope scoots is gone ’cause of the home-improvement stuff. Maybe he’d agree: painting sucks. Park-adjusted, of course.
Shaun, glad to see you back.
uga-brave
May 24th, 2009
2:55 am
bas,
74 on your own ball. see you next time on olympia club out there in san fran.
played there one time great track.
Bay Area Steve
May 24th, 2009
2:58 am
Holy Cornelia, I googled Shaun Payne, and found a mixed-martial-arts dude. Note to self: don’t challenege DOB-MIB denizen stat gurus…who knows what Steve from OH is capable of.
uga-brave
May 24th, 2009
3:01 am
awesome stuff, bas, not me i am a short hitter. i just try to keep it in play.
keep it the short stuff. i learned a long time ago about about the bombers.
Bay Area Steve
May 24th, 2009
3:02 am
Olympic Club…not unless you can get us in. A whole lotta munis in my life, uga. Only private I’ve ever played is Stanford.
I like the munis, I need the munis…Wide Open Spaces.
I need 18 Wheels, or McFann to write a song about my swing…Wide Open Spaces.
Bay Area Steve
May 24th, 2009
3:07 am
Preface: Bobby Cox knows more than I ever will, about baseball.
UGA, in the ballpark…your thoughts, Moylan for Lowe?
uga-brave
May 24th, 2009
3:09 am
cmon, steve,
olympic club i put you for a member, no?
gold is $950. i put you for a commodity guy.
uga-brave
May 24th, 2009
3:11 am
that top hand thing is dead on. turn it loose.
Bay Area Steve
May 24th, 2009
3:11 am
OK, I got fourth row, 3B, Tuesday, and 8th row, behind the plate Wed.
I need some act-a-fool ideas. I ain’t gettin’ tossed, but I need the denizens to give me something.
Bay Area Steve
May 24th, 2009
3:15 am
Yeah, if I was an Olympic Club member, I wouldn’t be bloggin’ here.
Or, in truth, I might, but I’d be payin’ someone like MFin09, or PWH, or P-Town, to post for me.
As far as the top-hand…I’m sure you saw the double tonight…even the 6-3 was promising…can it really be as simple as a Jaramillo phone-call, and Greg Norton’s bat?
uga-brave
May 24th, 2009
3:17 am
cleaning my pings and my titlest 985 driver in my sink now, while smoking a decent cicgar, braves won.
the penquins won, my wifes team. life is decent. no whiskey though.
uga-brave
May 24th, 2009
3:21 am
you called it. slow swing. maybe you should be a hitting coach.
turn that top hand loose.
Tomahawkin
May 24th, 2009
3:22 am
BAS, Try a poster that says Drunk 24:7…That used to work well at wrestling arenas ten years ago at the old WWF events…Man I miss the old WWF
Bay Area Steve
May 24th, 2009
3:22 am
N8,
Let’s negotiate: how much for a “DOB loves Whitesnake” held up between pitches, for no less than 20 seconds, directly behind the dish, Wed. night?
uga-brave
May 24th, 2009
3:23 am
gotta go, no more whiskey steve, catch you next time brother,
Bay Area Steve
May 24th, 2009
3:25 am
Tomahawkin…good thought.
I like the idea of a whiskey shout-out, but gotta incorporate O’Brien.
DOB’s drunk 24:7?
Bay Area Steve
May 24th, 2009
3:27 am
Play well, UGA…take their money.
N8, for the bet…the “DOB loves Whitesnake” would have to be seen on camera, on the ATL feed.
Bay Area Steve
May 24th, 2009
3:31 am
Ok, startin’ to wonder:
Shaun Payne’s Sherdog page has a link to an MLB game.
If Shuan can extend his robotic ways to MMA…
Tomahawkin
May 24th, 2009
3:34 am
BAS…
I think D.O.B. would Get In your A..s I f you had a poster that said that….
Or How about Lowe for All-Star or Double J for All star like they do at the Chop house…
MattyRoss
May 24th, 2009
3:52 am
Didn’t get to see the game live, but just watched the condensed thing mlb.com does. Diory looked solid, good instincts, perfect letter high throws, but seemed to have pretty limited range….those who saw the game, is that right?
Bay Area Steve
May 24th, 2009
4:10 am
Exactly what I saw, on the DVR, MattyR.
Jim
May 24th, 2009
6:37 am
Chipper hurt? Seems like Escobar is on the same track. Play less than 90% of ability most of the time and only play about 130-140 a year.
Chuck
May 24th, 2009
6:39 am
Thank goodness for the Iron Man, Chipper Jones.
richbrave
May 24th, 2009
6:40 am
MattyRoss:
TRUE GRIT there podna’? Do you live in ARKANSAS? The young man can hit. If he continues with the glove like last night, he’ll stick.
Random
May 24th, 2009
7:39 am
MEB (May 23rd, 2009 9:43 pm): “I’m getting too old for this stuff! Can’t we just blow away a team every once and awhile.”
Apr 19: ATL 11, PIT 1
Apr 25: ATL 10, CIN 2
May 1: HOU 2, ATL 7
May 11: ATL 8, NYM 3
May 19: COL 1, ATL 8
May 20: COL 4, ATL 12
Will every week or so do?
pryguy
May 24th, 2009
7:57 am
The way some people express their liking for this team and organization disgusts me. It actually saddens me to think Philadelphia and New York fans can rub off on the general public of fans so much. Every little thing is analyzed and critiqued by people only to be contradicted shortly after their uneducated responses. Trade GONZO!!! Cox sucks!! People should try to add a little more substance to your already inconsiderate uneducated posts.
Random
May 24th, 2009
7:58 am
MEB, more than a quarter of the Braves’ wins to date have been by 5 runs or more.
PS: DOB: “Think about it, that Cleveland total [28] is more than 40 percent higher than the homers hit at Turner Field [16], and in two fewer games.”
Yeah, I suppose 75 percent is more than 40 percent.
pryguy
May 24th, 2009
8:01 am
Certainly doesn’t affect my enjoyment of the last two wins against the Jays however! I agree it’s frustrating at times when you follow a team so closely, and that the team needs to improve in a number of areas…as do most of the NL East teams. However, it is not to say this team hasn’t shown any sort of promise to win this division which seems to be up for grabs at the moment. With the best starting pitching in the division, we are constantly in games and just need to either find a bat via trade or see some guys start to catch fire and hit some long balls.
Random
May 24th, 2009
8:05 am
Jim (6:37 am): “Chipper hurt? Seems like Escobar is on the same track. Play less than 90% of ability most of the time and only play about 130-140 a year.”
On what basis are you saying that either Chipper or Escobar give less than 100% when they’re in the game? WHere’d you come up with a specific figure like 90%?
Thinking with your uvula again?
CB
May 24th, 2009
8:11 am
Random good to see you are policing the blog this morning. Can you help tomahawkin out with his problems?
Random
May 24th, 2009
8:14 am
MattyRoss (3:52 am): “Diory looked solid, good instincts, perfect letter high throws, but seemed to have pretty limited range….”
A lot of what is attributed to physical range is actually anticipation and pre-positioning for individual batters. That can be improved with both general ML experience and specific knowledge gained of individual batters and how they’re being pitched.
That is, there is a good chance that his range will see improvement simply with more ML game experience, even if he’s already reached the height of his ability physically.
Random
May 24th, 2009
8:26 am
CB (8:11 am): “Can you help tomahawkin out with his problems?”
Sorry, I make it a practice to never get between a man and his hormones.
Random
May 24th, 2009
8:31 am
Tomahawkin (3:22 am): “BAS, Try a poster that says Drunk 24:7…That used to work well at wrestling arenas ten years ago at the old WWF events…Man I miss the old WWF”
Was “Drunk 24:7″ a play on or take off from “Austin 3:16″? (’Cause it’s usually “24-7″ in other contexts.)
Yeah — good times with the old WWF.
MEB
May 24th, 2009
8:33 am
Random… point taken! It must be a carry over from last year with all the one run losses and the previous nights 1-0 nail biter.
GO BRAVES!!!
richbrave
May 24th, 2009
8:49 am
Well, 1 run nail-biter WINS sure beats last years one-run losses. YES? U-h-h-r-r-a-a-ah.
David O'Brien
May 24th, 2009
8:55 am
Bay Area Steve: If you were a party to something so cruel as to associate my name (or initials, as it were) with Whitesnake, in any capacity, then while I’m in the Bay Area I would have to seek and destroy.
pryguy
May 24th, 2009
9:10 am
DOB…Just accept and enjoy your rise to stardom…or fall to bolivian (in the words of Mike Tyson)
Lew
May 24th, 2009
9:27 am
Random-Uvular thinking?
BAS-It depends entirely on what it is you’re painting.
Savannah Guy
May 24th, 2009
9:31 am
David, Bay Area Steve didn’t mean anything by it. He keeps a bottle of cheap whiskey in his left jacket pocket at all times just in case he’s bitten by a Whitesnake. That may be the only reason he has it loaded up on iTunes, which he keeps in his right pocket. Vicious cycle.
Bob Dole
May 24th, 2009
9:56 am
Braves sending Vazquez out to San Fran early?
Efrim
May 24th, 2009
9:57 am
“Efrim, why can’t your boys throw the Canes a pity win? Playoff series are no fun when they’re swept…unless, of course, the Canes take out their frustration with a massive fight. That would be awesome.”
Steve from OH, yup, they are on FIRE. But again, the Hawks and the Wings are better skating teams, so we’ll see.
Savannah Guy
May 24th, 2009
10:07 am
Savannah Guy, what’s wrong with a ballplayer chewing gum?
David, you’re referring to my post from last night, “Lose the chewing gum, Diory”. That was a bit cryptic, wasn’t it? To be sure, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with a ballplayer chewing gum. Most ballplayers chew on something during a game. Probably helps most of ‘em too; calms the nerves and such.
To explain: I’ve developed a strong opinion that, along with some other subtle physical habits at the plate, chewing can distract some hitters at times. Seems the jaw movement of chewing while batting affects concentration, hand-eye coordination and/or mechanics. Not a like the old “walking while chewing gum” joke, but just enough to effect solid contact. Last night I noticed that Diory was chomping and smacking pretty severely and I think it affected his batting. Can’t be proved or disproved. I’ll go so far as to wager that even our most astute blog statisticians can’t contradict that gum chewing opinion.
Remember when Chipper was weaning off of the chewing tobacco a few years back? He switched to chewing gum and, when he wore out the gum at the plate he stopped wearing out the ball. Yet when the game was on the line, he’d either lose the gum or replace it with Red Man and hit better. Seemed that way from the TV dugout anyway. Maybe on a slow day you could get him to comment on his experience with the tobacco to gum to sunflower seeds transitions and what effect it may have had on his batting.
Anyway, as a contrast to many insightful in-game blog comments, I suppose mine was somewhat unnecessary; just me playing third base ‘couch coach’, chirping instructions to Diory. But hey, Snitker obviously wasn’t paying close enough attention to the subtleties of the kid’s gum smacking at the plate. Recognizing that, I determined that Diory had a better chance of seeing my helpful instruction on the blog than if I would have offered the usual hand signs for over-zealous gum chewing… left hand in sweeping motion across chest while right hand pokes puffed up left cheek with eyes glaring.
Not as instructional as, “C’mon kid”, but I had to do something there.
getnathan
May 24th, 2009
10:15 am
Gonzo DOES make us sweat in the 9th inning more often than not, but as long as we get the win. With JJ going today, a sweep is definitely in the realm of possibility (as I’m sure most of you would agree) and a great springboard to go to SF and Arizona before we come back home for 10 more games.
Lew
May 24th, 2009
10:25 am
Oh No-I see the can see the stat people’s minds working feverishly on this one BABIPWCG-Batting average on balls in play while chewing gum. Bill James is in Orgasmic Nirvana. Shaun and Steve From Ohio are rolling on the floor in paroxysms of joy.
Braves Paisan
May 24th, 2009
10:44 am
As long as we are talking stats, The American Statistician had an interesting article a few months ago. Basically, the author looked at the issue of what is the best batting average to have in terms of identifying the player as a high-average hitter? It used Bayesian methods to answer the question, which, highly simplified, looked at batting average jointly with number of at bats as a predictor of ability, Bottom line is that the “best” average is not .500 or something like that, but .331, because in order to hit .331 the player has to have been to the plate a large number of times.
Hey, it is Sunday morning and I am listening to the talking heads on TV with one ear, so I thought I would throw that out there. Any Frequentist rebuttals?
proeye
May 24th, 2009
10:53 am
I said this in another blog…
I think Schafer should bat 7th. He isn’t going to get any decent pitches batting 8th because the pitcher knows the opposing pitcher is coming up to bat. To get Schafer’s confidence up, bat him 7th so he bats in front of a real batter. I’d have Kelly Johnson bat 8th. He’s batted in this position before and seems like he did okay (could be wrong about this).
Schafer has an okay “eye” at the plate but you gotta figure that a lot of these walks are unintentional intentional.
1 Escobar
2 Kotchman
3 Chipper
4 McCann
5 G Anderson
6 Francoeur (I’d trade him now but given that we have to live with this guy–here he is)
7 Schafer
8 Johnson
9 Pitcher
When is Garrett Anderson going to start hitting??? We don’t need a bunch of singles coming from clean up.
THE BRAVES REALLY NEED A POWER HITTER!
If the Braves have any thoughts of competing this year, then they need a bit more power than ZERO from the outfield. They tried to address this with a wing and a prayer but any time praying has been used in the past–it didn’t work. Thus our current pitching staff. They did quite well in fixing this up didn’t they? A lot of hoping went into our staff selections prior to the 2008 season and the results were disastrous. But they addressed the need and we came out with a great staff this year.
From what I can tell, it appears management did the same praying concerning our outfield prior to this season. You think they would have learned! So please try to fix this HUGE hole now or there won’t be any post season for the Bravos.
proeye
May 24th, 2009
11:02 am
Personally, I would rather have our best reliever in the “second hole” so to speak. Funny that Soriano until last night apparently hasn’t been put into the situation, but I’d rather have this guy up in the 7th or 8th with runners on base and the game on the line, more than I would Gonzalez. I mean, if the Braves are going to play the silly 1 inning fireman role (that’s pretty much guaranteed), then I’d rather have a guy that’s lights out when the game really counts. Having Soriano and Moylan in the “lights out” role is a huge advantage for the Braves.
If you look at Soriano’s stats, it’s pretty amazing how few hits he gives up. In 275 2/3 career innings, he has only given up 198 hits. That’s perfect as far as I’m concerned with runners on. The whole point of relief pitching is to avoid giving up any hits right? So let Gonzo have all the glory closing out the games and we’ll win more…
Braves73
May 24th, 2009
11:06 am
Big toe injury…WOW! I realize that through the course of a long baseball season that injuries are going to occur, but big toe???? (I wonder if I could get away with that excuse next time I miss work) The challenge with Chipper and his constantly re-occurring injuries, is that they crush the Braves chances. He is TOO important to the overall makeup of this teams success. Even if he is not 100%, he needs to fight through injury and step for his teammates. His presense alone is HUGE for the Braves.
In regards to Chippers most recent contract, hope Wren put 95% of his incentives tied to games completed. If not, then he is giving away too much $$$ for what would be considered “non-performance”. What I mean by that is, how can you justify paying money for not playing? Most of us in the real world only have a few paid sick days…too bad we don’t have Wren as our collective manager(s).
The bigger picture is that the younger players pick up on this and incorporate this into their habits (the good with the bad). Chipper is an exceptional third baseman (first ballot hall of famer), just wish he would fight through injury and PLAY…even when he’s got “big toe” injury.
bravefaninok
May 24th, 2009
11:07 am
Bay Area Steve
May 24th, 2009
3:11 am
OK, I got fourth row, 3B, Tuesday, and 8th row, behind the plate Wed.
I need some act-a-fool ideas. I ain’t gettin’ tossed, but I need the deniz
A large DOB blog sign would be cool……have your girl streaking would be sweet(im sick and tired of men streakers)
McFann :Ô:
May 24th, 2009
11:11 am
Ha…McCann does not like having the shift on ‘im, does he? Well, he beat it in that last at bat (finally).
We saw most of the game. Turned it on at the cousins’ house right before Lowe gave up the first two runs. Saw all the scoring plays. And gee wiz–Joe and Mark sure made a big freaking deal about Rod catching BMac freaking first-pitch popup. They’re going on about what a great play it was, and Daddy and I are like, “Dude, it was a popup…he just went back there and caught it. What’s the big deal?” Of course, I was just extra peeved because it was the first pitch. I mean, what the heck?
But yeah, the bunt single was great. That’ll teach them to put the shift on him! Ha!
Tom O’Hawke–
Thanks for the link! Yeah…something knocked our camera out of place, so now we have a nice view of the back wall of the birdhouse. Nice. The babies’ eyes are gonna be opening soon, too. Huh, for that matter, they might be open today, but we wouldn’t know…
McFann :Ô:
May 24th, 2009
11:17 am
Oh, and I don’t know if McCann is gonna play today, but if he does, for heaven’s sake, mann, hit a double!!! I’ll take a bases-empty double at this point! I’m freaking starving for an extra-base hit from you, BMac!
This time last year, he had 18 doubles…EIGHTEEN DOUBLES!! Right now his has five…I know he’s been on the DL and everything, but 5? Come on…
Rodney Derrick
May 24th, 2009
11:17 am
great column by doug glanville on players showing up other players and retribution
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/opinion/24glanville-showingup.html
MrC
May 24th, 2009
11:18 am
Everyone is down on Gonzo for last night. He got screwed on 1 check swing bad call by the umpire. Had the got the correct call it would have been out # 2 and we would not be having this conversation. Having said that, I don’t know why Moylan pitched in the 8th. Should that not have been Raffy? That has been the trend at least.
proeye
May 24th, 2009
11:19 am
Braves73… Which is one more reason why we need to make a trade for power in the outfield. We cannot rely too much on one guy.
I’m sure management knows this and I bet we’ll see a trade before the All Star break.
McFann :Ô:
May 24th, 2009
11:22 am
That call by the umpire was pretty bad…at least it didn’t cost us the game ([cough cough]…Greg Gibson…[cough cough]). But you’d think he woulda rung him up–if anything, just ’cause it was raining like that. (Heck, that rain was harder than it was last Sunday when they called the game.)
Lew
May 24th, 2009
11:24 am
MrC-Actually, Gonzo struck the guy out three times before he walked him.
McFann :Ô:
May 24th, 2009
11:28 am
Lew–
Yeah…he threw like, five or six strikes to the guy!
Braves73
May 24th, 2009
11:30 am
proeye- Agreed. This team is not made up like the “old Braves” and definitely need to address the outfield situation. They are waiting to see what G. Anderson and Frenchy will do (for now), but those of us know it’s time to do something. As currently constituted, the Braves are a middle of the pack team.
18 Wheels of Love
May 24th, 2009
11:30 am
DOB, you ever check out Groove Merchant Records in SF? It was name-dropped on the Beastie’s Check Your Head.
http://groovemerchantrecords.com/
Steve from OH
May 24th, 2009
11:31 am
Was this blog built on a railroad tracks?
PWHjort
May 24th, 2009
11:34 am
I don’t think it’s stupid for Bobby to use Gonzalez in the 9th. I think playing the match-ups and doing what you have to do to keep them both fresh is what he should do. Using Gonzalez in the 9th when Soriano is the better choice is stupid. Soriano is the better pitcher. And all things equal (match-ups, rest, etc…), he should pitch the 9th in a close game. Especially on the road.
Lew
May 24th, 2009
11:36 am
McFann-Two of the first three balls called were definitely strikes-at least I saw them as such. One was on the corner, another was right down the middle at the knees. Not even counting the check swing which was a strike. The umpiring this year has been terrible-and not just against the Braves. The strike zone has shrunk to the size of a shoe box. They’ve blown quite a few calls on the bases, too-not just that Beltran steal.
PWHjort
May 24th, 2009
11:38 am
Braves Paisan,
That’s an interesting concept. But it’s pretty useless. If you just give the batting average a context (aka number of plate appearances he’s compiled the avg in), you get around the issue all together.
THB
May 24th, 2009
11:40 am
http://www.mercurynews.com/sportsheadlines/ci_12440001?nclick_check=1&forced=true
Looks like Cain is possibly on the trading block. Let the Cain offers begin….
Before anyone throws out a Morton, Hicks, Redmond deal, remember what Dan Haren brought in return…
This conversation starts with either Heyward or Hanson, and probably Locke and Gorkys.
PWHjort
May 24th, 2009
11:42 am
THB,
We’re looking to add a bat….. Not another starting pitcher. We’re bursting at the seams with starting pitching.
Lew
May 24th, 2009
11:44 am
Braves73-They are a middle of the pack team yet they are right in the thick of the race? They have won 11 of their past 16 games. They have incredible pitching and the offense (listen to Coach on this one) is improving pretty substantially. The three players everyone gripes constantly about had seven hits among themselves last night. We just won two games without Chipper in the lineup (not to mention Yunel out last night) and Infante on the DL. We have not lost a series against any team for a couple of weeks. We beat the Phillies. We beat the Mets. We have beaten the first place Blue Jays.
Now, I wouldn’t mind seeing a deal made for some power. Yes, it would be nice. However, what makes you think that the Phillies will get better? How about the Mets? If you think they can get better despite their flaws, what makes you think the Braves will get worse when we have the best pitching in the division and probably one of the three best staffs in the NL?
WSOB
May 24th, 2009
11:44 am
I would like to dedicate this tune to WhiteSnakeOB.
I should have known better
Than to let you go alone
It’s times like these
I can’t make it on my own
Wasted days and sleepless nights
And I can’t wait to see you again
I find I spend my time
Waiting on your call
How can I tell you, babe
My back’s against the wall
I need you by my side
So tell me it’s alright
‘Cos I don’t think
I can take anymore
Is this love that I’m feeling
Is this the love
That I’ve been searching for
Is this love or am I dreaming
This must be love
‘Cos it really got a hold on me
A hold on me
I can’t stop the feeling
I’ve been this way before
But with you I’ve found the key
To open any door
I can feel my love for you
Growing stronger day by day
And I can’t wait to see you again
So I can hold you in my arms
Is this love that I’m feeling
Is this the love
That I’ve been searching for
Is this love or am I dreaming
This must be love
‘Cos it really got a hold on me
A hold on me
Is this love that I’m feeling
Is this the love
That I’ve been searching for
Is this love or am I dreaming
This is the love
That I’ve been searching for
Is this love or am I dreaming
This is the love
That I’ve been searching for
WOW
May 24th, 2009
11:45 am
THB, The Braves don’t need pitching in case you haven’t noticed we need some lumber the offense is weak.
pryguy
May 24th, 2009
11:47 am
THB,
Seriously?? Can Cain pop 25-30 homers in a season? 100+RBI’s? If so, let’s take a serious look at this guy!
THB
May 24th, 2009
11:48 am
PWH, believe me, I know we need a bat. I’m not blind dude, and I’m not stating that we need Cain. All I’m saying is that someone is going to make a claim here for him, and he’s gonna bring a ton in return.
But maybe the Giants should be a model for you to follow. They’re trying to trade Cain for value because they are far from competing (which is why the signing of Renteria made little sense), and they need a lot of help in a lot of places. The Braves, on the other hand, have a solid core of position players but need help at the corner outfield spots. You don’t trade young aces when you’re close to competing.
THB
May 24th, 2009
11:50 am
Woah guys, I’m not at all stating we need Cain. Did you notice I said let the Cain offers begin….not one being me. I KNOW we need a bat, everybody who follows the Braves knows this.
LKS
May 24th, 2009
11:52 am
I’m glad ya’ll brought up Gonzo being squeezed at the plate. I know AT the game it sure looked like he was throwing strikes and the fans were getting restless about it, but a lot of times the fans are booing a call when I am watching on tv and it Was actually a ball. So thanks for clearing that up because I forgot to DVR the game and couldn’t go back and check it out!
McFann :Ô:
May 24th, 2009
11:52 am
Lew–
I agree–the umps been bad this year. Course, the only team I really watch are the Braves, but I’ve heard about some other bad calls.
McFann :Ô:
May 24th, 2009
11:53 am
Hey, Daddy straightened out the birdcam! Hopefully it stays that way.
KC
May 24th, 2009
11:53 am
proeye, I tried to post something to this effect yesterday, but for some reason, the post never appeared.
With respect, I thing you and the other “trade Frenchy” folks are speaking way too soon. This is a guy that averaged 20+ homers and 100+ RBI (with a solid average) for 2.5 seasons through 2007, a year in which he hit .293 with 19 homers, 104 RBI, and 40 doubles… to go with a gold glove award.
He sucked in 2008. No doubt. But one season doesn’t define a career. Nor does 2-3 poor weeks decide an entire (2009) season.
Francoeur swung the bat extremely well all spring, and through the month of April. As of May 1, he was hitting .287, and was on pace for 21 homers, 104 RBI. Through most of April, he was tougher to strike out than Albert Pujols. But then he hit a mild slump, which he made a million times worse by abandoning his revamped approach.
BUT… he’s back to doing the good things he was doing early. He’s no longer pulling off the ball. He’s driving outside pitches to Center and Right. After a stretch that saw him strike out in 14 of 16 games, he’s struck out only once in his last 5 games.
And the power will come. Again, he was on pace to top 20 homers in April. But I don’t think we’ve seen the power that we will see with his new approach. So far, pitchers have been working off the 2008 scouting report on Frenchy. They’re pounding him away, and looking for him to roll over it or pop it up. But through April, and once again now, he’s not doing that. He’s driving the ball back wherever it’s pitched, just as he should.
The more he keeps beating pitchers, as he did though the first month, eventually… they’re going to have to mix things up more. He’ll get more pitches that he can drive. It’s only a matter of time.
KC
May 24th, 2009
11:55 am
THB, we shouldn’t believe anything we read. There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell the Giants trade Cain this year. No way.
THB
May 24th, 2009
12:00 pm
I did say the Giants are **possibly** putting Cain on the trading block. He’s under team control for I believe two more years, and they should really be trying to lock him up long-term, instead of signing veterans to big deals like Renteria. They’d have Lincecum, Cain, Bumgarner, and Anderson in 2011 if they waited. They should be looking to trade Sanchez, even though they probably could have maximized his return last year.
pryguy
May 24th, 2009
12:01 pm
THB…rough night last night especially with Gonzo keeping us on edge. Apologies to jumping on your throat.
KC..I like your insight into Frenchy and agree with your thoughts. But I think the tolerance for his inconsistencies at this point is short. And rightfully so after we had expected such great things from him. I think too much too soon from him early in his career is hampering our expectations of him now. He is surely still developing as a major league hitter. I am in the boat saying give him more time, he’s going to be a productive major leaguer.
Joe
May 24th, 2009
12:02 pm
any lineups yet?
THB
May 24th, 2009
12:07 pm
Pryguy, no worries man. I probably should have stated that we really don’t need him, but he’s an elite young pitcher and somebody is going to give up a ton for him….and I could see it being the Mets. Depending on how their pitching holds up, that is. If Johan and Pelfrey do well but their back end doesn’t hold up, they could give what they have for a run. Maybe a Martinez, Flores, Parnell type deal could be enticing for the Giants.
THB
May 24th, 2009
12:12 pm
I suppose Dan Uggla is more relevant to the Braves…and he might hit the market. He’s starting to heat up and he could honestly step into our lineup and be a huge upgrade. Is he athletic enough to play LF? Or do we trade KJ and keep Uggla?
His trade value isn’t through the roof, but we’d probably have to give up several solid prospects. Locke would probably be a centerpiece, maybe with Hicks and a relief arm such as Acosta.
KC
May 24th, 2009
12:25 pm
With or without a trade, look for Braves Power Numbers to Increase.
Just stared at the season stats, and realized that there are only 2 regular players (KJ and Escobar) in the entire lineup who haven’t underachieved in the power production.
If you project each of the following players’ ‘09 power numbers out to 550 at-bats, you will have the following homerun totals (and approximate pre-season expectations for 550 at-bats):
Escobar -15……. (expected 15)
Johnson – 17…… (expected 17)
Jones – 19………. (expected 28)
McCann – 20…… (expected 25)
Kotchman – 8….. (expected (15)
Francoeur – 10…. (expected 20)
Anderson – 0…….(expected 15)
Schafer – 8……….(expected 10)
The good news is that most of these players are going to pick up their power production… possibly, quite a bit. The Atlanta offense hasn’t been bad since McCann’s return, and I believe it’s going to get better (barring substantial injury trouble) as the season rolls along.
When healthy, now that Francoeur’s back on track, I believe this is an above average offense. If we can add an impact bat… it would have the potential to be one of the better lineups in the league. If it wouldn’t take a king’s ransom to rent Matt Holliday…
TnBrian
May 24th, 2009
12:26 pm
I can see the Giants ending up with Uggla with the Marlins getting Cain. I’d like to have him but would Wren make that big of a trade within the division? It’s happend before, but I doubt it’ll happen here.
Braveheart
May 24th, 2009
12:31 pm
We’re bursting at the seams with No. 5 starters. That’s what Glavine and all the kids are. Asking them to give you anything less than a 5.00 ERA is asking a bit much. Asking Kawakami to give you much more than a 4.50 ERA is asking a bit much.
We are 17-11 when Lowe, Jurrjens, and Vazquez start. 5-9 when they don’t. We are 17-3 when we allow 3 runs or less. 12-0 when we allow 2 runs or less. 19-5 when we score 4 runs or more. 12-3 when we score 5 runs or more. 11-2 when we score 6 runs or more. 9-1 when we score 7 runs or more. Is it better to add the big bat or to add a big arm?
Matt Cain has allowed 2 runs or less in 7 of his 9 starts. We arguably need someone like Cain more than we need a big bat. Is whatever big bat we might add really gonna make enough of a difference that he takes a team scoring 4.5 runs a game to 5 runs a game? If so, to get an extra half run a game over GA or Frenchy, who are essentially replacement level players at this point, you’d need to add an 8 or 9 VORP kind of player, which would be a Hall of Fame type of player having an MVP kind of season. How much is that gonna cost ya? How many of those are available in the market? Not many that I know of. Not many 8 or 9 VORP guys in baseball outside of Albert Pujols.
Screamin' JAY Hawkins
May 24th, 2009
12:31 pm
With JJ going today, a sweep is definitely in the realm of possibility (as I’m sure most of you would agree) GetNathan
nah I don’t agree. It is time for Jurrjens to have a bad game and past time for the Jays to break out of their doldrums. Jays win today, handily.