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© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1,631 comments Add your comment
Elvis Presley
May 29th, 2009
12:05 am
DOB: Jeff, why is it that you suck?
Francoeur: Uhhh… well, you know, obviously when we’re out there, and, uh, obviously, it’s not something that I personally want to, uh, you know, keep on sucking like the sucking I’ve been obviously doing, you know, since last year, obviously. But, uh, you know, I just keep sticking with the uh, plan that the uh, you know, obviously, that hitting coach from a different team that doesn’t suck was telling me, and uh, I know that if I keep doing that, I’ll improve and keep improving my improvement level, obviously. *smiles*
N8
May 29th, 2009
12:06 am
“That would be true if Infante ever had the chance to play CF.”
Who’s to blame there?
AJ Burnett
May 29th, 2009
12:06 am
got that right fookie
Steve from OH
May 29th, 2009
12:07 am
N8, here’s my schtick:
I don’t think Bobby is a bad manager, but I’m not giving him cookie points for the 90’s. In my book, the role of the manager is simply not that important. Well, but fundamentals, I hear a lot of folks saying. But shouldn’t big-league players have learned those in, oh, I dunno, little league? High School? College? The minors? If they don’t know ‘em by now, I don’t know how much of a difference Bobby will make.
The players? Blaming them is a better idea. But replacing poorly-performing players (like Francoeur), especially those under club control, at the 40-game pole for a slow startisn’t sound organizational strategy. And you know that. Now Frenchy? Hasn’t really performed that well at all for the last couple of seasons, and even in the minors (look up his minor league numbers and tell me if anything screams “stud” to you). GA was a great player, but you can tell that his age is catching up with him. He’s got no projectability left. But I do, like a lot of people, feel as though Frenchy’s time is about up, and GA’s time is running out. So you don’t hear me getting after people for saying that. For saying it excessively, sure, but stating it? How can you argue? Calling for KJ to be replaced after 40 bad games? Laughable. Calling for Infante and his .306 career OBP to start everyday after a hot streak of small sample size? C’mon.
As for Wren, he had a LOT of fixing to do, and not all of that was his fault. Who left us with no everyday leftfielder since 2003? How was he to know that our everyday CF since 1996 was gonna fall flat on his face, leaving a huge void in CF that we haven’t filled yet? Hell, I think he’s done a wonderful job with what he’s had to work with. He has COMPLETELY overhauled the rotation (every single guy in it has been brought in by him. Think about that.) Hanson is coming up, too. Guess who wouldn’t trade him? Guess who salvaged the Tex deal for a decent, cheap, under-club-control 1B for the next 3 years? So he’s shored up the rotation and 1B in a mere two seasons while keeping the farm system arguably as strong as it’s ever been. How do you expect him to fix the outfield in that span as well? He’s not a miracle worker. And the reason that you can’t count “that many” great deals by him is because he hasn’t made that many deals to begin with. He’s been on the job two years! Haven’t you been reading in the press lately that Frank is trying to fix the outfield? I don’t mean to be rude, because it’s not you I’m directing this comment at, but it’s instant gratification sydrome again. I want it mommy and I want it now! You don’t replace two outfielders (along with a third who was supposed to be a staple in RF for a while) and fix a rotation in two years. You just don’t. FW has already made a huge overhaul and has somehow made the team somewhat of a contender while his “work” is still unfinished.
As for Josh Anderson man, c’mon. Redundant. Under .700 OPS. Haven’t we seen enough of that already?
Mark Derosa
May 29th, 2009
12:07 am
please dont trade for me frank
RHR
May 29th, 2009
12:08 am
I really do hope Jeffy goes to another team and does very well, meets all the expectations, becomes that star we all thought he would. I really mean that. And not to be mean but, the sooner, the better. For us and him. With every 0′fer, every boo at home, every story in the media about being traded or not meeting expectations is just chinking away at his head..and a man needs his head to play ball. Just ask Yogi.
oldschool
May 29th, 2009
12:08 am
Kk’s little skinny interpreter could’ve swung and missed three straight there frenchy way to go
Thunderbull56
May 29th, 2009
12:08 am
You all are like a bunch of bitchy little girls.Braves refuse to “Get It”.I rue the day TP turned down the interview with the Dodgers.Man, I was praying!Davy, love that you get so many responses.The look on D Lowe’s face tonight says it all.Sadly, as long as FW and BC are in denial, I must inform you all, it’s just going to be more of the same.Dave, you ever need a sub for your job, let me know.I too could dig lots of time to listen to music,smoke Camachos,and work on Carpel tunnel syndrome.
kotchman
May 29th, 2009
12:08 am
to get out of this bad streak. we need our pitcher to allow 1 or 2 runs per game.
N8
May 29th, 2009
12:08 am
That damn Snapper commercial kills me.
BRETT FAVRE: I like sna-apper mow-ers. Ma-ma says that they are like a box of choc-o-lates……
Rocky Balboe called and says that Brett should step his game up. He’s HORRIBLE in commercial format.
Fluffy McNutter
May 29th, 2009
12:09 am
Furcal, so are we. 3 yrs., $30M for a guy who has produced a .238/.299/.302 and 3 SB in 172 AB is a bit much. Oh, and Furcal has also missed about 10 games so far this season.
BigMacAttack
May 29th, 2009
12:09 am
“Dan Haren was on his game tonight”
As was Randy Johnson, as was Lincecum, and as was Jonathan Sanchez.
if 4 straight pitchers have been “on their game” it’s not the pitcher anymore …
Barbaro
May 29th, 2009
12:09 am
Call me up now Frank or im swimming back to cuba
JD
May 29th, 2009
12:10 am
Anyone who keeps blaming Frank Wren needs to read Mark Bradley’s article. Very well-written and very true.
JD
May 29th, 2009
12:10 am
if 4 straight pitchers have been “on their game” it’s not the pitcher anymore …
It’s way more than 4 pitchers.
Stu Klitenic
May 29th, 2009
12:11 am
Infante’s sketchy defensive skills in CF? That’d be my guess, although I’d imagine that’s not the answer you were looking for.
kotchman
May 29th, 2009
12:12 am
steve you are right 100%. we need to understand that we are not a big market team and to be competitive will take a few years. and we are in the right way.
brady wilfred
May 29th, 2009
12:12 am
Francoeur: .619
END THIS ALREADY WREN.
Good f-ing God.
brady wilfred
May 29th, 2009
12:13 am
Francoeur: .619 OPS
Steve from OH
May 29th, 2009
12:13 am
And as for the outfield situation now…there’s a reason Frank is saying that he doesn’t expect a deal soon: because teams aren’t ready to trade their big pieces quite yet! It’s not like he doesn’t want to…it’s because he can’t! He can’t just call up Billy Beane and say, “I’m ready for Holliday now (we’ll give you Reyes and Scott Thorman’s old practice jerseys), whether you are or not!” Don’t you think it’s strange that trades rarely happen this time of year, but here we are bashing Frank Wren for not magically forcing opposing GMs to deal with him? And if he was able to, he’d have to overpay, and probably badly. It’s real simple guys, think before you post. It’s that easy.
Fluffy McNutter
May 29th, 2009
12:13 am
That’s for sure. It doesn’t matter which pitcher the Braves are facing these days. Haren is a helluva pitcher, but we couldn’t do anything last night against an OLD man with a 6+ ERA.
BigMacAttack
May 29th, 2009
12:15 am
It’s way more than 4 pitchers
well we don’t want to make them look to bad by counting the bullpens as well.
Fluffy McNutter
May 29th, 2009
12:16 am
Barbaro? The old racehorse?
kotchman
May 29th, 2009
12:16 am
k
Fluffy McNutter
May 29th, 2009
12:17 am
Now I know we need to add speed to the lineup, but c’mon, a racehorse?
TnBrian
May 29th, 2009
12:17 am
I almost feel like Bobby should be ashamed of himself for running Francoeur out there, Schafer too. Heck, he oughta just demand that Wren bring up Barton/Blanco/B.Jones SOMEBODY to spare these boys all this humiliation. I feel like my first reaction if I were GM would be to do what it took to get both Derosa and maybe a Hawpe type guy. I know, easier said than done, but I’m almost to the point where I believe he’ll need to something like that to keep this teams head above water. This just ain’t purtty!
RHR
May 29th, 2009
12:18 am
Good posts tonight, as per usual, Ohio Steve.
How come no Fox post game show?
JD
May 29th, 2009
12:18 am
The business side of MLB isn’t like your baseball games. You can’t trade Kotchman and Campillo for Pujols, and have him playing 1B later that day.
Teams that know their out of the race aren’t going to trade their top players now. Why take the first offer when more and more teams will become interested and more desperate in a couple months?
JD
May 29th, 2009
12:20 am
BigMac – I wasn’t talking about the bullpens. I’m talking about just about every pitcher we face. Except for the occassional 5th or 6th game when we score like, 20 runs.
Fluffy McNutter
May 29th, 2009
12:20 am
JD, what fantasy league would allow a trade of Kotchman and Campillo for Pujols?
Elvis Presley
May 29th, 2009
12:20 am
“think before you post. It’s that easy.” Steve from OH
It’s easy for those who do it.
BigMacAttack
May 29th, 2009
12:20 am
Now I know we need to add speed to the lineup, but c’mon, a racehorse?
adding Barbaro to the lineup would decrease the speed … since he’s no longer among the living
N8
May 29th, 2009
12:21 am
Steve. Well stated post. Great points. Hadn’t really thought of the rotation as being “all Wren’s”. He deserves props for that.
But part of that is what’s caused the OF to be so bad. With a guy like Hanson waiting in the wings. Along with Glavine rehabbing, Jo-Jo, Morton and now even Medlen. Surely Wren could have passed on Kawakami and let the rotation’s 4 and 5 spots fix themselves via the farm or a trade, while shoring up the bullpen?
I’m not calling for instant gratification on the trade front. I realize that if he hurries to make a deal now, that he’ll greatly over-pay, and of course… I’d bitch about that. LOL!
But SO MANY people were not sold on ANY of the three OF spots this past off-season. There were options to fix it. He chose to gamble with the OF, and put all his chips into the rotation. A gross over-reaction to all the injuries the rotation had last year.
Not to sound like Mr. Miyagi, but this team has no balance. That’s on him.
But since you pointed out the rotation that has been put together on his watch, I’ll back off for a while. It’s not to late to fix this crap. But it might be in 2-3 weeks without some different “luck” (I don’t really believe in luck – but results seemed to obvious of a word to use). And in the end, he’s now trying to clean up the mess he essentialy made by not addressing it at all.
Like I said before. I like the guts of him and Bobby going with Jordan to start the year. But I don’t like not having a backup plan. As much as I like Infante in a “spot-start” super utility guy role, I wouldn’t even want him as the everyday CF if they needed to send Jordan down for a while.
So even saying that “they’re backup plan – Infante – is injured”, doesn’t fly with me. They needed a guy that could play CF everyday and get the “job” done.
Now, perhaps Gregor Blanco over the long haul, is every bit as viable as Josh Anderson was/is. But Anderson tearing it up for the first month of the season, while Schafer struggled, didn’t help matters in the fans eyes. So even if Josh would be “back to reality” in May and moving forward. Having Josh (assuming his results in Detroit would have been similar had he stayed), in April might have made the difference in a few games.
For this team, 4-5 games might be the “difference” come late September. Wren needed things to go perfectly in order for this roster to compete. Most of us knew that and stated it repeatedly all winter.
So far things haven’t gone so well half the time.
Steve from OH
May 29th, 2009
12:21 am
Thanks, RHR.
Fluffy McNutter
May 29th, 2009
12:22 am
Well, there ya have it, BigMacAttack. Who was the person clamoring for Barbaro earlier?
TnBrian
May 29th, 2009
12:22 am
I also think even Bobby is in over his head with this bunch. Steve, yeah, Wren can’t demand other GM’s to pony up, but I think a lot frustration from people is that he signed Kawakami and Glavine, both who haven’t done jack sh!! except for a measley win or two. GA was/is a mistake but I’m sure even Wren/Cox knew that when he was signed, but had to add something,anything at that last second.
jokes on us
May 29th, 2009
12:22 am
at least we have Glavine coming back to block the way for a bit longer for what will be the lone bright spot on this disaster of a season
alsim
May 29th, 2009
12:23 am
Five more Ks from the outfield.
.
JD
May 29th, 2009
12:24 am
Fluffy – I didn’t say fantasy. I said baseball games. Like X Box, Playstation, etc.
Ronald Millsaps
May 29th, 2009
12:24 am
I don’t see trading Francoeur as a good idea. He needs to lock his chin over his left shoulder and decide to try to drive the ball, not aim for right field. He’s trying to fill the role of an Edgar Renteria or Yunel Escobar when he needs to put up some slugging-percentage numbers.
I’m serious; I think Francoeur’s putting his chin over his left shoulder would do him a world of good–especially if he’s between Chipper and McCann in the lineup. We desperately need him at cleanup.
Nice to see the National Spelling Bee get more attention over the years. I was fortunate enough to have competed well in it when in middle school. Our “educational” system today seems to view proper spelling as a luxury, not a necessity. Nice to see it get attention even on this blog.
Right now I’m starting to wonder if “Win!” is spelled “When?”.
JD
May 29th, 2009
12:25 am
Although on the blog fantasy league, I wouldn’t be surprised if that trade went through…
Duke
May 29th, 2009
12:25 am
yunel< frenchy< morton for upton and drew
Smuck Foltzie
May 29th, 2009
12:26 am
**John Fogerty can play Centerfield**
KSo (Vegas)
May 29th, 2009
12:26 am
Can we please send Jordan S. back down now? Don’t we have someone who can play center field and hit the ball?
Fluffy McNutter
May 29th, 2009
12:26 am
N8, It’s important to remember the timeline of the pitching acquistions. Kawakami was signed BEFORE we signed Lowe and after we’d whiffed on Peavy and Burnett. If you keep the timeline in focus, it kinda shoots some holes in the hindsight game.
I’d agree though that in hindsight (knowing prior to signing KK that we’d sign Lowe days later), we would’ve been much better off signing Lowe, passing on KK, passing on Glavine and using KK and Glavine’s money to bolster the offense. No doubt about that.
Salt life
May 29th, 2009
12:27 am
Thanks for all the responses……..I know Milt Pappas didn’t play for the Braves……love the true fans……Biff Pocorba
Dumbfound
May 29th, 2009
12:27 am
Heard on satellite radio the braves are on the verge of signing Jim Edmonds ! And don’t start bitchin !! He’s better than anyother trash we have in the outfield.
Larry
May 29th, 2009
12:27 am
Help please?
I have “Hank Aaron” section season tickets on row 8 in section 132 right behind the plate and I cannot bear to go watch another Bobby Cox managed team (I’ve retained them the past few years hoping he’d retire or be retired, to no avail) and I can’t even sell them on StubHub and no one I try to give them to have any desire to watch this boring, predictable, and typical Bobby Cox managed team.
Any ideas?
Champ
May 29th, 2009
12:28 am
Crazy stats…
Take away the one seven run inning against Toronto and the Braves are averaging 1.87 runs a game over their last 8.
Have been shut out 5 times already less than two months into the season.
Have scored 2 runs or less in 18 of 47 games.
David O'Brien
May 29th, 2009
12:28 am
Bobby sounded after the game like he’s very close to disabling Escobar. If he doesn’t play tomorrow, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s DL’d, though I’m not sure who they’d bring up.
Apparently it was still sore when he was fielding grounders, which is what thought I saw, him taking grounders gingerly, not moving real quickly. Cox said it didn’t hurt him to swing, but with Lowe pitching, all the grounders, going left and right, Escobar didn’t think he was ready.
Fluffy McNutter
May 29th, 2009
12:28 am
I gotcha, JD. Even on today’s video games, trades like that aren’t agreed upon unless you turn off the game’s AI. The video games are MUCH smarter now than they used to be.
jokes on us
May 29th, 2009
12:28 am
i think my biggest problem is Bobby’s unwillingness to shake things up and show some tough love and/or disclipline. Bench people for extended periods. send them down to triple-A. whatever it takes. These are grown men not babies. Cox has lost his edge. nobody is playing for their job which results in 0 emotion or hustle or even trying. If i failed at my job as much as French fries, JS or Shelly I would have been fired a long long time ago
Larry
May 29th, 2009
12:28 am
Correction: Section 102 (I was thinking of my Falcon Tickets).
Martin Prado smells like week old quiche
May 29th, 2009
12:30 am
It’s true. Prove it to yourself.
Cameron
May 29th, 2009
12:30 am
Im a huge huge Braves fan. Have been since I was a little kid. Iv always thought, hey if everyone will go to the games the Braves could get the money to sign a good player. Now I relize why would someone want to waste thier money to go see this team play. Untill the Braves get the balls to sign a power bat or trade for one they wont go anywhere. And as much as I love Bobby Cox, I think his time as the Manager is up. He keeps the same lineup out there day in and day out. Garret Anderson is not the answer, Schafer needs to go back to the minors. Kelly Johnson isnt the answer at 2nd or leadoff. This team just plain SUCKS and its getting to the point where im getting very frustrated. If the Braves get DeRosa I guess thats a way of takin the easy way out again. They need a bat like Holladay. And I dont know what to think of Francoeur anymore.
If I was the Manager this would be what I would be putting out there.
Lineup
1. Yunel Escobar – SS
2. Martin Prado – 2B
3. Chipper Jones – 3B
4. Matt Holladay – LF
5. Brian McCann – C
6. Casey Kotchman – 1B
7. Kelly Johnson – CF
8. Jeff Francoeur – RF
9. Pitcher
Rotation
1. Derek Lowe
2. Jair Jurrjens
3. Javier Vasquez
4. Tom Glavine
5. Tommy Hanson
Im just a frustrated Braves fan.
Homer
May 29th, 2009
12:32 am
Dude, DOB, who cares about Escobar, ask Bobby the hard questions, ask him what the hell he’s going to do with the bottom half of his lineup that sucks major a$$ ….THAT’S THE PROBLEM!!!!
Sarge
May 29th, 2009
12:32 am
Well the Braves did not man up tonight. Bunch of lily livered pansies.
Fluffy McNutter
May 29th, 2009
12:33 am
The problem with your lineup, Cameron, is that we don’t have the money to pay Matt Holliday. Another thing to consider is Holliday’s home/away splits while w/the Rockies and his current numbers in Oakland. He’s still a good player, but he’s not as good as he was in Colorado. The numbers reflect that.
braves70
May 29th, 2009
12:34 am
I fault Frank Wren for gambling and losing. He knew we had OF problems but he gambled that 1)Francoeur would return to his form of 2-3 years ago, 2) Schafer would be ready to play every day in center, and 3) that he could pick up a cheap veteran LF who would produce. Frank drew lemons on all 3 gambles. 3 strikes and yer out in my book. I see why Baltimore canned him long ago.
Haystack Calhoun
May 29th, 2009
12:34 am
I’m a really big Braves fan.
Jo Jo is my favorite player.
jukeandjive
May 29th, 2009
12:35 am
DOB…
Any talk of the job, or lack thereof, Pendelton has done since he’s been the hitting coach for this team? When is management gonna look his way. The hitters never improve with few exceptions. I’m also a fan of the Red Sox, and it seems like everyone they bring up learns how to grind out at-bats like Mac’s been doing the last few nights. Any thoughts???
Yawn...
May 29th, 2009
12:35 am
The problem with your lineup, Cameron, is that only persons with OCD care about such things.
nolie
May 29th, 2009
12:36 am
Thanks for all the responses……..I know Milt Pappas didn’t play for the Braves……love the true fans……Biff Pocorba Salt Life
sure he did, I guess I’m missing something like usual.
uga-brave
May 29th, 2009
12:36 am
kelly, kelly, kelly, kellly, k,e,l,l,y because you are mine. woody?
Fluffy McNutter
May 29th, 2009
12:37 am
What else was Wren to do though given last year’s pitching disaster and our limited budget, braves70? It’s not as simple as some like to believe it is. Wren can’t just say “we need an OF”, snap his fingers and magically one appears.
Daybed Wagmoe
May 29th, 2009
12:37 am
Can Frenchy pitch? Cause he’s hitting like a pitcher.
Steve from OH
May 29th, 2009
12:37 am
N8, hindsight is always 20/20, in regards to Kawakami. But without him, we’ve still got three great starters, and two question marks in the back end. You’ve seen how our fifth starters have fared. So you replace KK with Hanson (a rookie) to start the season. You still have that fifth spot giving you trouble, but only now you don’t have Hanson waiting in the wings. And you’ve got Hanson, a rookie, that you’re depending on for quality innings in the fourth spot. Sure, same can be said for KK, and his contract, but I don’t think it’s a stretch at all to say that we may end up spending less on KK than we would on Hanson if he were a Super Two. Plus now we gain an extra season of club control over him.
Sure, you could try to fix that through a trade, but then we’re in the same spot as we are now in regards to the OF bat (though not nearly in as dire of a need). And signing one OF bat wouldn’t nearly fix our OF situation as it is. Still two underperforming spots. One, in Schafer, there isn’t anything to do about. He’s struggling, Blanco is struggling, Barton is struggling…he’s there to stay for the forseeable future, I think. And I’m ok with that. He’s got way more upside than any CF option currently available to us, so let’s go with that. And I wouldn’t want Infante as the everyday CF, either. Bloggers think this is just fantasy baseball where anyone can play anywhere, well, buddy, it don’t work like that. Infante ain’t a CF just like I don’t have the ability to be a deep-sea fisherman. So backup plans would be nice, but if we had them, he’d still be in AAA honing his game. And again, don’t give me that Josh Anderson crap. He hasn’t significantly outperformed any of our outfielders and Schafer has tons more upside. That’s a no-brainer.
5 Questions for Bobby Cox
May 29th, 2009
12:39 am
1. Boxers or briefs?
2. Should Turkey be admitted to the European Union?
3. What’s the second derivative of cos(3X)sec(2x)?
4. Why do people pay money to see Ben Stiller movies?
5. If you could be any animal, what would you be?
oldschool
May 29th, 2009
12:39 am
Isn’t it ironic that all of our sucky players never get hurt and our few good players always have something wrong
Fluffy McNutter
May 29th, 2009
12:40 am
Good post, Steve from OH.
Yossarian
May 29th, 2009
12:41 am
Where are the Snowdens of yesteryear?
Cameron
May 29th, 2009
12:41 am
Well if not Holladay then a player like him. DeRosa wont cut it. Hes a better player it seems like but hes not that bat pitchers will be afraid off. What we really need more than anything is someone to get Ted Turner to buy the braves back after the contract is up. He actually loved to make the team better. You win the world series, then you get money right? More paying fans? You finish last in the league or 3rd or 4th and you get no paying fans. The braves shouldnt have signed Tom Glavine(and I may regret that if he pitches great) and they shouldnt have signed Garret Anderson. Or Kawakamii!!
Steve from OH
May 29th, 2009
12:41 am
DOB, that’s not surprising, given both your earlier comment and that one regarding his ginger movements. I think disabling him is probably the best idea. Gotta have him healthy and running him out there now carries significant risk. Plus, we can retro the DL assignment a few days (how many I’m not exactly sure, DOB would need to clarify). The only question is who would we bring up? We would need another shortstop and the only option (in my mind) is Brandon Hicks, who is currently underwhelming at AA…
DOB, any idea who would come up, or hasn’t that been discussed?
Ethyl
May 29th, 2009
12:42 am
Exactly how fluffy are you McNutter?
uga-brave
May 29th, 2009
12:43 am
is it just me, or does schafer look like a boarder collie out there in center field chasing balls?
he takes angles like a dog chasing a tennis ball.
he runs as fast as he can. then realizes oops. it is even worse when it is over his head.
the ball hits the wall, then he does. looks like lassie out there.
Sushi Chef
May 29th, 2009
12:43 am
ginger movements?
i give you plenty ginger and wasabi!!!
Chop Chop
May 29th, 2009
12:43 am
Steve,
If you think Vazquez is great, you have a different definition of great than I do.
Fluffy McNutter
May 29th, 2009
12:43 am
I’ll take a guess at Bobby’s answers to those 5 questions:
1) neither
2) Only if it’s Butterball
3) WTF knows
4) It’s better than watching us play.
5) T-Rex. Wait, do dinosaurs count?
Steve from OH
May 29th, 2009
12:43 am
Reading over my KK contract less than Hanson Super Two statement…that doesn’t make much sense. Scratch that. It’s late, and I’m becoming more confused by the minute. ‘Night, all!
N8
May 29th, 2009
12:43 am
“Bobby sounded after the game like he’s very close to disabling Escobar.” DOB
WOW. I know he had his “knees replaced” and all, but no need for him to go around threatening people. Who does he think he is, Steven Segal?
braves70
May 29th, 2009
12:45 am
You Frank Wren defenders keep up your fight. Just don’t say that we did not warn you when he sinks this club to 5th place. The man is a loser and I would not hire him to do anything for my team.
JD
May 29th, 2009
12:45 am
N8 – still laughing at that one
LOL
May 29th, 2009
12:45 am
Let’s win one for the FLUFFER.
Steve from OH
May 29th, 2009
12:45 am
Chop Chop, he has a good ERA this year, has already thrown a lot of innings, and has great peripherals. Not sure how you can call his acquisition bad at this point…
Chop Chop
May 29th, 2009
12:46 am
I’m not calling it bad. He’s just not a great pitcher. You said we have three great pitchers. We don’t even have one great pitcher. We have three good ones.
Thunderbull56
May 29th, 2009
12:47 am
Love your tongue in cheek, Haystack.Larry, have you tried Craigslist? I’ve spoken to folks all the way from Ellaville, and Albany going to G Braves games.
uga-brave
May 29th, 2009
12:47 am
steve,
i got the pens in six.
this quick turnaround might hurt the wings. if malkin continues to play this way it aint gonna be like last year.
not being nostradamus, but if the pens win game one watch out.
Steve from OH
May 29th, 2009
12:47 am
He just doesn’t stand a lot of runners at this point. I don’t know if that’s a controllable stat like K/9 or a regression-based stat like BABIP, but it’s something to keep in mind, Chop Chop.
Brad Pitt
May 29th, 2009
12:48 am
“…and has great peripherals”
Angelina Jolie has GREAT peripherals.
Fluffy McNutter
May 29th, 2009
12:48 am
I’m not sure there are a whole lot of “Frank Wren defenders”. I think some of us realize the situation and circumstances he’s dealing with operating under a limited budget. The money’s not there to throw at all of these problems. He took the chance that he could get enough offense to win with a strong pitching staff. It hasn’t paid off thus far, but I’m not sure how much you could fault him for that, all things considered. I’ve disagreed with some of his moves, but without the benefit of hindsight, I can usually see his reasoning behind most of them.
mets fan in atlanta
May 29th, 2009
12:49 am
Fluffy McNutter,
You said a few pages back that Greg Norton was the best pinch-hitter last season in MLB. Someone else piped up that “check the stats–you’ll see he was the best.” All of you need to check, because Greg Dobbs was actually the MLB leader in pinch-hitting. Funny thing is, he didn’t have a very good start to the season either this year, and is currently batting .135 in 35 games this year. Sound familiar???
My point is pinch-hitting is like your 6th and 7th inning guys in the bullpen. It fluctuates wildly from year to year. If they were actually good, they would be closers or starters in the lineup, not pinchhitting.
But don’t change anything, please…….I enjoy watching Norton come up in crucial parts of games.
Jake W.
May 29th, 2009
12:49 am
“N8, It’s important to remember the timeline of the pitching acquistions. Kawakami was signed BEFORE we signed Lowe and after we’d whiffed on Peavy and Burnett. If you keep the timeline in focus, it kinda shoots some holes in the hindsight game.”
Thankyou for pointing this out. Maybe if you don’t sign KK you don’t get Lowe. We needed someone to come here and we currently had JJ and Vazquez as our only two set starting pitchers. Atlanta was definately not an attractive option and although we would up our offer to Lowe, I still feel personally the KK signing helped to seal the deal because Lowe knew he would be fronting what could turn out to be a very strong starting rotation. KK is not the bust here. This offense is. KJ, Frenchy, Schafer, and Anderson have underperformed up to this point. Couple that with untimely injuries to our key players like Mac, Chipper, Escobar, and Infante and this offense as a whole has just been overwhelmingly disappointing. If KK signs with the Phillies he has a winning record right now without a doubt. A lot of people bemoan his signing but I don’t. With what happened to our pitching last year I don’t blame Wren for overstocking. I mean if not for this pitching we would be know where near .500
Bravesfan
May 29th, 2009
12:50 am
I’d imagine DOB loves what he does every day. I have to wonder if he has moments like we fans do where all that runs through your head is “what did I do to deserve having to watch this crap?”
Frank Wren has the brain of a... wren
May 29th, 2009
12:50 am
I’m FW’s staunchest defender. No cat will get anywhere near his nest with me around.
oldschool
May 29th, 2009
12:51 am
What are the odds of a full speed collision between all three outfielders with extensive injuries? Not real good I would guess but we can only hope and stay positive
Steve from OH
May 29th, 2009
12:52 am
uga-brave, that series is going to be a lot closer than people think. The Wings are really banged up, and Crosby and Malkin are playing great. Not sure I like the Wings’ chances with Lidstrom and Datsyuk out (you know he’s gotta have a broken foot or something or he’d be in there), and Osgood is just not good. And I don’t like that with a team full of good shooters like Pittsburgh. I don’t think the Pens have the defensive capability to contain Hossa and Franzen, and I really like Darren Helm, but if the Wings have so many walking wounded and a bad goalie, it’s not a stretch at all to say they’ll lose.
Chop Chop–Jurrjens has been great so far. He might not sustain it, but he has been great, and “might not” isn’t here yet. The other two have been good. Take issue with my wording, fine, but FW did a good job with the rotation. That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.
J williams
May 29th, 2009
12:52 am
The Braves have managed a whopping 1.75 runs per game in the first four games of this road trip.
Why is it that baseball players are so eaisly injuried and have to sit out, when football players play with injuries that are much worse in a much tougher game?
Why is is that most baseballplayers don’t run hard out of the batter’s box on balls that look to be easy outs? Even if it is going to be an out, can you not run hard for 90 feet 3 – 4 times a game?
Why would Frenchy ask for almost $4,000,000 when he batted .239 with 11 homers and 71 rbi last season?
Does something seem askew about that?
Special K
May 29th, 2009
12:53 am
DOB, is it true that Kelly Johnson plays second base with a cereal box taped to his hand instead of a mitt?
Fluffy McNutter
May 29th, 2009
12:53 am
I hear what you’re saying, Steve from OH, but a fairly low strand rate is the norm for Javy Vazquez. His strand rate this season is 69%. Compare that to 67% last year, 72% in 2007, 64% in 2006, 70% in 2005 and 66% in 2004. See what I mean? He’s kind of the exception to the rule. His peripheral stats almost always reflect a pitcher who should have a lower ERA than he does, but with the exception of 2007, he always underperforms his xERA.
MFin04
May 29th, 2009
12:53 am
The whole lineup sucked tonight. KJ and Kotchman got hits, but no one else really contributed at all. Can’t win games scoring only 2 runs. And you can’t win games when you don’t have anyone that can hit after the 4th or 5th guy in the order.
KJ needs to be down in the order to prevent this black whole of outs. We need someone new playing CF and RF. That’s the only way this gets solved.