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Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
2,867 comments Add your comment
Fish Bisch
July 28th, 2009
12:36 pm
He hasn’t even faced them this year! and he is obviously on a roll right now. Nolasco that is. It will be an interesting pitcher’s duel that’s for sure tonight, but my Marlins will come out on top.
Joe"Homer"Simpson
July 28th, 2009
12:39 pm
Fire DOB? How about fire Carrol Rogers? How lazy is this chick? What she’ll check in about every 10th hour like she’s sooooooo busy! Please.
Nova Scotia Steve
July 28th, 2009
12:39 pm
Ittt’sssss Game DAYYYYYYYY……Thank God!
We need a win tonight…Big big series
Rob from SC
July 28th, 2009
12:41 pm
Why all the love for Gonzalez. He is hitting .260
McFann ;Ô;
July 28th, 2009
12:42 pm
Wayne–
Thanks for the complement!
Nova Scotia Steve
July 28th, 2009
12:43 pm
Someone posted that “there’s no way the Phillies hitting can remain this hot for the remainder of the season” – something along those lines -
Well after last night we’re 7 GB…8 in the loss column…I don’t see the Phillies collapsing…I think our only route towards the playoffs is via the Wild Card.
Furthermore I don’t believe the Braves can continue to hit this well for the remainder of the season either…we’re going to cool off..I’m sure Frank Wren is hoping we don’t get too cold and fall out of the race…hey we all are…So while we’re hot we need to make up as much ground as possible on these Wild Card teams and get the lead as quickly as possible…which could still be two to three weeks away!
Go Braves
TnBrian
July 28th, 2009
12:46 pm
Piedmont Blues, Hanley is a monster…. PLEASE! No he isn’t. He plays below average defense, career high 33 HR’s, and has never driven in 90-100 RBI’s. Don’t overrate him any more than ESPN,Fox etc. do because he’s not the coming of Hank Aaron. He’s still young and will probably improve but so will a player like Escobar who I’d rather have because he’s head and shoulders above Ramirez on defense.
Efrim
July 28th, 2009
12:47 pm
“Why all the love for Gonzalez. He is hitting .260″
What’s his OBP and SLG? What about him hitting in the worse hitters park in America? What about his contract from now until the end of 2011, is it even 10 million total? And lastly, he is one of the best defensive first baseman in the sport.
Plenty of love for a player like that.
Andy K.
July 28th, 2009
12:48 pm
Are Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi a couple all of the sudden? Almost every Fox rumor has their names together at the top.
richbrave
July 28th, 2009
12:48 pm
Rob in SC:
I’m with you dude. KOTCH will do fine until we find out if FREEMAN is the real deal, or JORDAN SCHAFER in disguise(not ready for prime-time). BTW, I’m betting SCHAFER’s a fixture in CF by the time FREEMAN gets his legit shot at 1B.
Shamus Thacker
July 28th, 2009
12:51 pm
Unless we win 7-or-8 of those nine with the Phils, our ONLY chance is the WC.
TnBrian
July 28th, 2009
12:52 pm
I believe that maybe the Braves were thinking about Sanchez because they felt they could move Prado to 1st and ship Casey for a reliever.
wjones
July 28th, 2009
12:53 pm
Hope Diaz gets some PT this series. I know the Fish are throwing Righties at us, but he absolutely RAKES against them!
I question I had, and maybe only DOB or Carroll knows this. Conventional blog wisdom says that if we don’t renew Hudson’s option next year that frees up big salary. Assuming we get a “little bump” in budget next year, that would help us. But how is the budget calculated this year in regards to Hudson? Does his salary count against budget, or is insurance paying a large part of it? If that is the case, it might not be a freeing, as much as a reducing back to original. If anyone knows, I’d be interested. Thanks.
monty
July 28th, 2009
12:55 pm
Huddy’s winning percentage while with the BRaves is .587 with a 3.78 ERA. His ERA was lower (almost 1/2 a run per game)while with Oakland pitching in the “hitter’s league”, his winning percentage there was in the high .600’s. MAybe Oakland scored alot more for him than the BRaves have.
flange1
July 28th, 2009
12:56 pm
The Sanchez rumors are interesting. They could be fluff or it could be the ATL front office does not believe that either Prado or KJ is the real deal…
I think it is fluff……
Fish Bisch
July 28th, 2009
12:56 pm
We’ve got the beat on the wild card. You all will have to go through us first and it’s not happening!
PWHjort
July 28th, 2009
12:58 pm
richbrave,
I can’t disagree with you on Schafer/Freeman.
CB
July 28th, 2009
12:59 pm
McFann, be careful of children of the kind of people you know from a blog.
monty
July 28th, 2009
1:00 pm
Phillies own the Fish!
Nate
July 28th, 2009
1:03 pm
RC-
Lowe is signed to a fat long term contract. By the time time the contract ends he’ll be pushing forty. His effectiveness will only decrease as he ages. The money he’s being paid could definitely be used better somewhere else. And didn’t you see him pitch in June? He’s pitched better lately, but he certainly hasn’t been the best pitcher on the team this year despite his “Ace” salary. He hasn’t been the team’s Ace this year and he won’t be the ace any other year of his contract either. Not with Jair and Tommy on the team. That makes him a 17 million dollar back end of the rotation pitcher. Who would you really rather have next year: Hudson and Vazquez and $5 million or so dollars help sign a cleanup hitting outfielder, or Lowe and Hudson or Vazquez? If the Braves fall out of contention this year, or perhaps in the offseason trading Lowe would free up a lot of money and minimize the risk in an over priced aging pitcher. I’m not saying Lowe has pitched poorly, or that Lowe sucks. I’m not even saying Wren made a mistake in signing him, I’m just saying the the money could be better spent elsewhere. If a mid-market team like Atlanta spends $17 million a year on one player it means they’ve got to scrimp somewhere else.
Plus you would like your highest paid player to have some star power, to be making all-star teams, making TV commercials that appear on national TV, helping sell tickets, and all the other things that star players do for teams. Lowe doesn’t do any of those things.
njbraves
July 28th, 2009
1:04 pm
Jeff R….I couldn’t agree with you more. I’m not impressed with KK. I’m not saying he is terrible, just not what I was hoping he would be. To me, a rotation next year of JJ,Lowe,Vazquez,Hanson ,and Huddy would be the best in the bigs. The Braves should really look into moving KK after the season. I doubt they will, but it would be the right move as far as I’m concerned. My gut tells me that if Huddy is healthy, they will look to move Vazquez and add a bat.
McFann ;Ô;
July 28th, 2009
1:05 pm
CB–
Oh, I know. ‘S cool.
TexasBrave
July 28th, 2009
1:06 pm
I too would like to see Matty get the start today instead of Church eventhough Nolasco is a righty.
njbraves
July 28th, 2009
1:08 pm
I am always miffed by how many of you love Diaz so much. He’s a decent player, but he has way too many ugly at-bats for me. He takes the Francoeur approach to hitting too often.
TnBrian
July 28th, 2009
1:09 pm
Nate, I’m not so sure Lowe’s salary is as much a problem as Kawakami’s is. Really, I know it isn’t. Wren made a boo-boo with KK because I said it when it happend and I’ll say it again– it was a P.R. move because of the Smoltz backlash. You can never have enough pitching but there’s a limit and the limit is paying a #5 starter $23M for 3 years.
Roman Gal
July 28th, 2009
1:12 pm
And, I think the only thing that he and Littlebridge have in common is that they both look like they’re 12. Steve from OH
Ok, to be fair, Schafer at least looks like he’s 15.
pryguy
July 28th, 2009
1:12 pm
I hope Braves do not trade Javy this year or next. He has been everything we needed and more. Sign him and hold on to him. He deserves it.
Roman Gal
July 28th, 2009
1:12 pm
she’s been ruffling my feathers lately… Steve from OH
You remember that one time I was nice to you?
Piedmont Blues (ex-BFIR)
July 28th, 2009
1:13 pm
Rob from SC,
Put Gonzalez in a park that’s only slightly pitcher-friendly (like Turner) and the guy would light up the scoreboard.
TnBrian,
You’re not serious. Yunel’s a fine player, but Hanley’s the best offensive SS in the majors (HR’s OPS is 100 points higher than Yunel’s, btw). Move Ramirez to any of the normal power positions (OF/IF corners) and he’s still an All-Star.
Capt Caveman
July 28th, 2009
1:15 pm
Just heard that the Braves might get Ron Mahay again, for a player to be named later. Also heard that KJ might be in an after deadline waiver trade.
Let’s hope the Braves are rolling into August when that happens.
Go Bravos.
Fish Bisch
July 28th, 2009
1:15 pm
well said arch division rival Piedmont
Frankie Wren
July 28th, 2009
1:18 pm
Speaking of the future, does anybody have the lowdown on Bobby’s future? Has he signed a extension like in previous years??????????
I bet if they stay competitive(which they should) he will be back even if they don’t make the playoffs. Not convinced or comfortable either way about that one.
TexasBrave
July 28th, 2009
1:19 pm
True Matty’s swing can be unorthodox at times, but surely you can’t complain with his output like you could with Frenchy.
Frankie Wren
July 28th, 2009
1:20 pm
Say what you want about Matty good or bad, but he is fun to watch. I look forward to his AB’s especially against the southpaws(probably only when he should be taking a rip)
TnBrian
July 28th, 2009
1:21 pm
Piedmont Blues, maybe I just overvalue defense. Move Ramirez where you want but I still think he’s overrated.
Roman Gal
July 28th, 2009
1:24 pm
Jordan Zimmermann just got DL’ed
That sucks. I really like him…you think we could pry him away from the Natspos for, say…Gregor Blanco? I guess if they really got greedy we could give them Chris Burke…
Nova Scotia Steve
July 28th, 2009
1:25 pm
I’m waiting for Peter Moylans arm to just fall off during one of these outings…
I think some Bullpen help would be very much welcomed…and just to give us another solid option to call on out there would be great!
TexasBrave
July 28th, 2009
1:25 pm
I still maintain that Bobby’s return this year is dependant on whether or not we make the playoffs. Bobby was handed a playoff caliber team at the start of spring training yet the team has been a failure until recently. And I maintain that our current run is only because Wren has forced adjustments that Bobby was unwilling to make when he should have.
If Bobby doesn’t make the playoffs, Wren will make yet another tough decision and let Bobby ride off into the sunset after this season.
Roman Gal
July 28th, 2009
1:27 pm
In regards to Hudson vs. Vasquez-
What if Huddy signs for less than his 12 million dollar option? Not saying it will happen, but he seems like a team guy, and it certainly could happen.
McFann ;Ô;
July 28th, 2009
1:28 pm
TnBrian–
Overrated? Haha! Imagine if the Red Sox woulda held on to him! He’d be all over the dang place.
Frankie Wren
July 28th, 2009
1:30 pm
TexasBrave
Could be. Double edge sword either way there, I think it’s time to move on and bring in some youth. Alan Trammell bench coach of the Cubs would look good in skipper’s uniform.
JasonInFL
July 28th, 2009
1:33 pm
I hope Mahay isn’t the “under the radar” reliever that Fox is reporting that we in “hot pursuit” of…
Willy Wally
July 28th, 2009
1:34 pm
I wouldn’t presume Lowe is untradeable during the offseason. Eat $5 million, and he’s tradeable and the Braves might be better off next season and beyond.
Lowe (16) + Javy (11) + Kawakami (8) + Jair (4?) + Hanson (0.4) = $39.4 mil
OR
Javy (11) + Hudson (12) + Kawakami (8) + Jair (4?) + Hanson (0.4) + the $5 mil you eat a year off Lowe’s contract = $40.4 million
I’d rather the rotation with Hudson in it than the one with Lowe
Closeted Fish Fan
July 28th, 2009
1:34 pm
I’m a Braves fan. Unless, that is, they’re playing the Marlins. As a transplanted-to-Atlanta south Floridian who arrived in FL the same year as the Marlins and a rabid baseball fan, I couldn’t help but latch on to the team. Once in Atlanta (5 years ago), I began attending Braves games and do indeed root for them. Except…
Just wanted Fish Bisch to know he/she isn’t alone. I’m a reader of this blog and enjoy most of it most of the time. It was time for me to “come out” as the Marlins fan I truly am. Go Fish!
Roman Gal
July 28th, 2009
1:44 pm
I’m a Braves fan. Unless, that is, they’re playing the Marlins.
Well, you’re not totally hopeless then…
RHR
July 28th, 2009
1:44 pm
McFann, be careful of children of the kind of people you know from a blog.
Hey now. My son is a prize..and I’m not just saying that because I’m his mom.
Closeted Fish Fan
July 28th, 2009
1:46 pm
Thanks, Roman Gal. Not many of our gender on this blog, are there?
Doc Holiday
July 28th, 2009
1:47 pm
Wayne or McFann,
Could you hit the replay button on the Escobar issue regarding some missing sign or misunderstanding it? I just didnt see that play so I dont know much about it.
boutTHATmouf
July 28th, 2009
1:48 pm
Hey DOB Im still trying to get info on why you banned me????? email me please rdye826@aol.com so we can resolve this situation. I am afraid there has been some sort of mistake. Like i said yesterday i dont post often but i would like to be able to when i want instead of just here at work….. I have been reading this blog for a long time now dont shut me out!!!
Roman Gal
July 28th, 2009
1:48 pm
Closeted F. Fan-
Actually there are a surprising amount of ladies on this blog.
TennesseePaul
July 28th, 2009
1:49 pm
“What about him hitting in the worse hitters park in America?”
Hmmmmm. I’ll be interested to see the end results this year, but I think CitiField is making a run for that title.
Closeted Fish Fan
July 28th, 2009
1:50 pm
RG, good to hear. Not always easy to tell, but that’s probably a good thing.
David O'Brien
July 28th, 2009
1:51 pm
NEW BLOG
Wayne in Utah
July 28th, 2009
1:53 pm
Doc
I thought you were kidding when you asked that earlier. Actually, Diory was on first base. 2-0 count. Escobar batting. Hit and run was given, and pitch was inside and Escobar didn’t try to swing, so Diory was a dead duck at second.
Esco said it was too close to swing, and while it was inside, he made no attempt to protect the runner.
Caught some crap for it, and the camera caught a frustrated BC in the dugout.
Water under the bridge today.
Drive by blogger
July 28th, 2009
1:54 pm
Bobby was handed a playoff caliber team at the start of spring training
Uh… Wha? Playoff caliber? No outfield – a LF whose body clock was stuck in January, a CF in way over his head, a RF head deep in his own arse – a starting all-star catcher who couldn’t see and a starting 2B who couldn’t find a hit on a Top 40 radio station. That, my friend, is NOT playoff caliber…
wheelz007
July 28th, 2009
1:55 pm
New Blog???
TennesseePaul
July 28th, 2009
1:55 pm
“Lowe is signed to a fat long term contract”
“That makes him a 17 million dollar back end of the rotation pitcher”
“If a mid-market team like Atlanta spends $17 million a year on one player it means they’ve got to scrimp somewhere else”
Derek Lowe, Signed 1/15/2009, 4 years, $60 million. Salary structure:
2009: $15M
2010: $15M
2011: $15M
2012: $15M
Knowing Lowe is a Boras client, a steady pay rate throughout the contract is as close to a deminishing annual salary as any team will get.
Wayne in Utah
July 28th, 2009
1:56 pm
Shemales on the blog?? We know most of the usual suspects, but who else? (I bet scoots is secretly a lady braves fan!)
TexasBrave
July 28th, 2009
2:03 pm
Drive by blogger even with what you mentioned there were moves, or non-moves in this case, that could have and should have been made earlier when it was quite obvious that certain players were not going to be productive than others we had in reserve. That and the mismanagement of the bullpen has cost our pitchers and the team a few wins.
Paul Lentz
July 28th, 2009
2:18 pm
njbraves………..what role in the bullpen would you have Kawakami pitch in if he is demoted when Hudson returns? Also, who in the bullpen would get sent to Triple A (considering a roster move would have to be made to activate Tim Hudson)?
Would you send Medlen back to Triple A? If so, then basically you’ll rarely see Kawakami pitch because the starting pitching rarely gets knocked out early. Or what about Manny Acosta? If so, then Kawakami would have to be able to come in for an inning in either the 6th, 7th, or even 8th innings (depending on how often the other relievers have been used).
Kawakami isnt a short inning kind of guy. He is slow to the plate (which would be disastrous for a short relief pitcher). Kawakami walks a number a hitters (again disastrous). Also, Kawakami is the kind of pitch who tends to get hit early, then settle down to grind it out. However as a short reliever, a reliever cant afford to struggle early. He has to be able to come in and get it done IMMEDIATELY.
So knowing all that (unless you disagree with my assessment of Kawakami’s short relief abilities)……..how much would having Tim Hudson take Kawakami’s spot in the rotation really help? After all, would Hudson be expected to pitch more than 6 innings and give up less than 2-3 runs a game (which is what Kawakami has been doing since his struggles in April)?
DAP
July 28th, 2009
2:26 pm
piedmont
i understand what your saying, but its a pretty simplistic way of saying what 80 percent of a pitcher is. tim redding isnt even half the pitcher tim hudson is. if tim is a 10, then redding is a 2 or 3, buddy.
Paul Lentz
July 28th, 2009
2:33 pm
DAP…………your 10:58am posting was incorrect when you said that Tim Hudson “isnt owed $13 mil for 2010″.
Tim Hudson has a $13 mil 2010 option, or the Braves can buy him out for $1 mil if they dont want to exercise the 2010 option. You might want to look it up.
Paul Lentz
July 28th, 2009
2:43 pm
N8…………….Jason Heyward is staying in Double A for the rest of the season. The economics of the game has changed since 1996 (when Andrew Jones was called up). The Braves have a serviceable platoon with Matt Diaz/Ryan Church playing right field. When Omar Infante comes back, he’ll be platooning with Ryan Church and Matt Diaz will be platooning with Garret Anderson (after all, Matt Diaz is much more effective against lefties then righties).
Many of you may not want to keep hearing this, but like it or not, Jason Heyward WILL NOT be called up to the Majors in 2009. The Braves will MORE THAN LIKELY have him follow the same path as Tommy Hanson. If the Braves bring up Heyward in June of 2010…..then he wont be eligible for salary arbitration until after the 2013 season…..and not eligible for free agency until after the 2016. If the Braves bring him up in late August and makes the team out of Spring Training….then he becomes eligible for both salary arbitration and free agency a year early.
Like it or not, economics play a BIG PART of the decision making. I am more than ok with that, because I know that the Braves are on a budget and I want to see them get maximum use of the dollars they spend.
Paul Lentz
July 28th, 2009
2:46 pm
Lew…………..I know the feeling.
Also, if the Braves were to let Hudson walk at the end of the year, they would get draft picks as compensation.
Either way, Frank Wren would have a number of options to pick from when he decides which course of action he wants to take this winter. I’m confident that he can do the job.
Paul Lentz
July 28th, 2009
3:00 pm
An “under the radar” kind of move that Frank Wren could make is to trade Kenshin Kawakami to a team like Oakland (who could use a veteran presence in their starting rotation……and……there is a big Asian fan base in the Bay Area). Wren could make a trade like this before the trade deadline in exchange for some bullpen help (the A’s have a couple of good relievers)…….or maybe also some help for the bench as well.
Even though on the surface it would appear that the A’s wouldnt be looking to take on payroll, acquiring Kawakami is the kind of move that their GM Billy Beane would make……with the possibility of flipping Kawakami for some prospects next year before the trade deadline.
Trading Kawakami to a team like Oakland would free up a spot in the rotation for Tim Hudson in mid August. The Braves could use Kris Medlen as a fill in until then.
Just an idea that I believe has possibility.
Joebrave
July 28th, 2009
5:25 pm
Roman gal you’re a bitch!
dub
August 5th, 2009
5:53 am
shouldn’t gave chipper a three year contract he’s not worths the money. can anyone tell me who is Yunel agent is,because he should be getting paid,and prado they r the ones carrying the braves now.