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© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1,502 comments Add your comment
Dean
September 28th, 2009
3:16 pm
we all know the Bravos aren’t going to make it. so why do we really torture ourselves this way? I mean, really — oh, the heartache that is to come. Oh, but do we like it – we apparently really like it.
McFann :Ô:
September 28th, 2009
3:17 pm
Yeah, it’s gonna be OK, guys…There is very little chance of Bobby giving BMac a day off now…why would he? It’s not like BMac has stunk up the place lately…
beekay Memo to Mccann but your throwing hand behind your back when the pitch is made. You are going to out with a broken hand if you don’t!
Seriously. Think he mostly has it showing when there’s guy(s) on base…in case he has to throw.
Hey, Johnny Bench started that whole thing, anyway! So blame him.
TN Jeff
September 28th, 2009
3:17 pm
Duke @ 12:35 pm – You’re an idiot
Duke @ 2:45 pm – Mitchell (I think) made the argument that Cox is/was an idiot for not using his starting pitchers like they were signed on to be such as “Innings Eaters” (exact quote that was given to Vasquez). Instead he continually pulled him too soon and then he not only wore out the three relief pitchers he uses EVERY game BUT also managed (pun there) to lose games that should have been won. Vasquez could easily have several more Complete games & I bet Hanson wishes he had some complete games in place of No-Decisions on games the bullpen blew that he left with the lead.
Also some classic games where inexplicably he left Lowe in there and his team managed to not only blow huge leads and wear out the bullpen but ultimately to lose games.
And here we are 2 1/2 games out of the Wild Card.
Gayle @ 1:55 pm & 2:40 pm – Nice to have you back. Appreciate your input as usual.
GTSteve
September 28th, 2009
3:20 pm
Brandon….what happened to the Mayor
Roman Gal
September 28th, 2009
3:23 pm
Lugo would have scored easily from 3rd and tied the game.
Except that he wasn’t in position to tag up. He was well off the base near home plate. Pujols and Lugo both messed up.
Brandon from Warner Robins
September 28th, 2009
3:24 pm
GTSteve, Mayor committed suicide. DOnt know any more than that?
Who is pitching for the Fish tonight?
BL
September 28th, 2009
3:25 pm
It is very simple when it comes to our attendence. Atlanta simply has too many “transplants” to be breaking any weeknight records, playoff race or not. Most people that live in ATL and surrounding areas have not been in GA their whole life hence are not Braves fans.
Need to target the younger, possibly singles crowd next year as that is who makes the weeknight trips to the game. Not sure that the Cartoon Land and family atmosphere is accomplishing that. “Turn the entire park into the Chophouse!”
Last but not least, IMO traffic plays a MAJOR role with people wanting to go to the games VS. a nice HD ballgame (which I have missed during some of these road games). I live in Alpharetta and can make it to the stadium in 30+ minutes on a Sat. or Sun. At least double that during the week. I figure it is the same for most people OTP (outside the perimeter for our out of town bloggers).
David
September 28th, 2009
3:27 pm
Dodgers lost today…now the Cards and Phils need to win to keep the pressure on them for homefield so they actually play against the Rockies in that last series. Wolf will defintely go game one, Kershaw needs the work so he’ll probably go game two, but I’ll scream if they hold Kuroda for the final game. How would you like the Brave’s playoff hopes resting on the shoulders of Jeff Weaver? Maybe they throw Padilla instead, which wouldn’t be too bad.
Dumbfound
September 28th, 2009
3:27 pm
Dodgers lost 11-1. They will have something to play for this weekend against the Rockies. Home field advantage.
glord1
September 28th, 2009
3:29 pm
I think the thing that makes Bobby Cox a fun topic to debate is both side have an arguement.
I tend to whine alot about Cox because he IMHO is a terrible tactician. I belive the most important thing a manager can do is always try to put his team in the best position to win. Bobby has failed in that regard many times this year. Even the biggest Cox supporter has to admit that he went to long with KJ and JF with Diaz and Prado on the bench(costing the team some wins). That he has struggled managing a bullpen(using guys three straight games sometimes in big leads) by over using key guys making them ineffective or unavailable when needed. Finally I will leave the Norton thing alone since he probably cost us less games than it seemed.
Here is my problem. Even though I know he does goofy things he has had a heck of alot of success. Is it because he is the only manager in baseball history to have 3 Hall of Fame starting pitchers together in their prime? Probably did not hurt but it cant explain ALL the success.
I believe some guys go from being good players to stars if you take the pressure off. Bobby is the best at this. Vazquez could not pitch effectively in NY or for a nut job like Ozzie Guillen. He comes to Atl and plays for BC and is lights out all year. I have to give Bobby credit for that. Is he the best manager for a guy like Escobar or Diaz for that matter? I don’t know.
This I do know. When Bobby gets around to having the right line up on the field (it took three months and 31 loses scoring under 3 runs) most of the other stuff like Norton and the pen gets canceled out by the positive enviroment he creates. I would think that enviroment has alot to do with a recent 14-2 run.
We can see the tactical things BC does that can contribute to losing games very easily . We will probably not know how many wins his demeanor and style is worth until a few years after he retires.
CB
September 28th, 2009
3:29 pm
Jon Heyman is predicting Adam LaRoche will sign a 3yr- 25 mil contract. Sign him. He is also predicting DeRosa at 3yr- 24mil. I would have to consider that if we can’t get the big bopper.
wiki
September 28th, 2009
3:32 pm
Does anyone really see the Rockies going worse than 3-3?
Well, they went 3-3 in their last 6.
P-Town Brave
September 28th, 2009
3:33 pm
David-
I’d actually like our chances if it came down to Weaver or Padilla v Marquis as he’d be scheduled to go again Sunday.
NO MORE BOBBY
September 28th, 2009
3:33 pm
Im all for the Braves to pull this off. If your not then your not really a Braves fan. I will put my dislikes for Bobby aside but we can not afford any manager mistakes like calling on Norton with go ahead run on third against these Marlins. We were lucky that decision happened against the Bad News Nats. Think Bobby. Win Braves!!
GET OUT TO TURNER FIELD BRAVES FANS!!!!!!
Duke
September 28th, 2009
3:33 pm
If you followed baseball in the slightest bit, you’d know that on the free agency market, aces like Sabathia and Santana make $21 to $24 million, #2 starters like Burnett make $17 to $20 million, #3 starters like Lowe make $13 to $16 million, #4 starters make $9 to $13 million. Please follow along.
So you’re saying that Vazquez is a number 4 starter? Thanks. Burnett was paid like an ace by the YANKEES. If you aren’t familiar with the economy, we are in a recession. The only people who could pay more than 15 mil per year for a starter are the Yankees. Santana was given that contract before this year. 15 mil a year in this economy is a lot.
P-Town Brave
September 28th, 2009
3:34 pm
But as the saying goes…
JUST WIN BABY!
Somehow I feel like if we just keep winning, the rest will take care of itself.
Duke
September 28th, 2009
3:34 pm
Duke @ 12:35 pm – You’re an idiot
How do you figure?
beekay
September 28th, 2009
3:34 pm
McFann
Just looking out for your boy…seems to me he has been hit in that throwing hand quite a few times this year. We can’t afford to lose him…Ross is solid but he ain’t no McCann!
glord1
September 28th, 2009
3:35 pm
Yesterdays Rockies win hurt the chances badly. Had they lost I would have put the Braves chances at almost 50/50. As it is now I would say 80/20 Rockies.
NO MORE BOBBY
September 28th, 2009
3:37 pm
glord1 – If anyone thinks Bobby has messed up more than his share of games this year, its me. But cmon man! We are fighting for that wild card. Let the Bobby bashing go for now.
Yes I just defended Bobby Cox.
Jimmy Jam
September 28th, 2009
3:37 pm
I WOULD go but I think I’m bad luck for the team. I went to 5 of the games they played against cincy and they only one once (in Cincy) when i went on a road trip with a friend. I’ve been to two marlins games, the lost both. I went the the Yankees game (Kawakami gets hit in the head) we end up losing. I went to a Nationals game and they won. I think overall my record at braves games this year is something around 3-8. I would have gone to more but I really started to believe i was bad luck.
NO MORE BOBBY
September 28th, 2009
3:38 pm
I get the feeling Skip is looking down and has something to do with this amazing run we are one.
Don’t get distracted up there Skip! We need ya!
CB
September 28th, 2009
3:38 pm
Jimmy Jam, get over that. Go to the game.
SRF
September 28th, 2009
3:40 pm
Brandon – I work in WR – pretty odd story, not sure what went down.
glord1
September 28th, 2009
3:41 pm
My biggest concern against the Fish is the bullpen. We always seem to play them with the bullpen trashed and exhausted. This week will not be a whole lot different.
Fortunately Vazquez weny all 9 on Friday or it would be worse. As it stands Gonzo has gone two in a row. Moylan is coming off a two inning appearance and Soriano is coming off back to back appearances. I hope JJ can go deep in the game and you get and inning out of EOF and maybe the final out of Soriano. Gonzo should not be used. Three staright has not been pretty for him this year.
I really wish BC had not used Soriano with EOF in the 9th in a 7 run game on Sat.
Steve McP
September 28th, 2009
3:43 pm
Me Thinks ……
September 28th, 2009 3:05 pm
Wow, must be pretty pricey to get a No. 1 starter then. 15 mil a year is an awful lot for a No. 3 starter if he is indeed a number 3 like you stated. (DUKE)
If you followed baseball in the slightest bit, you’d know that on the free agency market, aces like Sabathia and Santana make $21 to $24 million, #2 starters like Burnett make $17 to $20 million, #3 starters like Lowe make $13 to $16 million, #4 starters make $9 to $13 million. Please follow along.
Got to chime in on Lowe’s salary, the statement from “Me Thinks” that he is paid at 3rd starter level is just plain wrong, here is the list of the top paid pitchers from the Cot’s Baseball Contracts site, you will see that Lowe is the 8th highest paid pitcher in the majors, certainly the salary of the ace, even though he has been the least effective (in terms of ERA) of our pitchers, lets hope he does better next year!
Starting pitchers
The highest-paid active starting pitchers, by average annual value:
CC Sabathia, $23,000,000 (2009-15)
Johan Santana, $22,916,667 (2008-13)
Carlos Zambrano, $18,300,000 (2008-12)
Barry Zito, $18,000,000 (2007-13)
Jake Peavy, $17,333,333 (2010-12)
A.J. Burnett, $16,500,000 (2009-13)
Jason Schmidt, $15,666,667 (2007-09)
Derek Lowe, $15,000,000 (2009-12)
Roy Oswalt, $14,600,000 (2007-11)
Mark Buehrle, $14,000,000 (2008-11)
Roy Halladay, $13,333,333 (2008-10)
Ryan Dempster, $13,000,000 (2009-12)
Chris Carpenter, $12,700,000 (2008-11)
Bronson Arroyo, $12,500,000 (2009-10)
Kevin Millwood, $12,000,000 (2006-10)
glord1
September 28th, 2009
3:44 pm
NO MORE BOBBY
September 28th, 2009
3:37 pm
glord1 – If anyone thinks Bobby has messed up more than his share of games this year, its me. But cmon man! We are fighting for that wild card. Let the Bobby bashing go for now.
Yes I just defended Bobby Cox.
NMB- I believe I did as well. I said he is probably the best guy out there to have this team playing loose baseball right now. Also that he probably has alot to do with Vazquez being an ace this year.
SouthernBelleBrave
September 28th, 2009
3:45 pm
I just bought 4 tickets for tonight’s game.
My entire family will be there supporting the Braves, watching as they ‘fry the Fish’. Go Braves!!
ncscoots
September 28th, 2009
3:45 pm
Is he the best manager for a guy like Escobar or Diaz for that matter? I don’t know.
Old-school guys such as Bobby are hardest on the kids with the most talent. He’s hard on Escobar because he sees the talent in the guy and expects him to make the most of it, not fritter it away; Bobby was marginal as a player, and most marginal players can’t stand the thought of wasting talent. That’s Cox all over. I imagine that, asked the question of playing for Cox, Escobar would have the same comment given by most players who have. Yunel probably couldn’t be playing for a better manager at this point in his career.
southern hope
September 28th, 2009
3:45 pm
David, what did you mean by this sentence:
“Dodgers lost today…now the Cards and Phils need to win to keep the pressure on them for homefield so they actually play against the Rockies in that last series.”
so this would be playing against Rockies in the regular season? Or a playoff of some sorts? (sorry, but i’m a recent Braves fan so I don’t understand much about post-season play.
Carroll Rogers
September 28th, 2009
3:45 pm
1. McLouth CF
2. Prado 2B
3. Jones 3B
4. McCann C
5. Anderson LF
6. Escobar SS
7. LaRoche 1B
8. Diaz RF
9. Jurrjens P
Duke
September 28th, 2009
3:46 pm
Steve McP
September 28th, 2009
3:43 pm
Thanks for the backup. Some of these dudes are just ignorant.
Another Year of Bobby!
September 28th, 2009
3:48 pm
I Cant Wait!!!
DAP
September 28th, 2009
3:49 pm
glordI really wish BC had not used Soriano with EOF in the 9th in a 7 run game on Sat.
dont forget that they got all warmed up with a 2 run lead.
DAP
September 28th, 2009
3:50 pm
i like that lineup. lets do it, boys…..
monty
September 28th, 2009
3:51 pm
Thank goodness BC has the best starting pitching in the Big Leagues the last couple of weeks….his managing IQ has climbed several points recently. Kind of like the days of Maddux,Glavine,and Smoltz. It would take a complete ding-a-ling to mess great pitching up!
SeaAtl
September 28th, 2009
3:51 pm
My opinions: Atlanta ranks, again this year, in the middle of the pack for attendance – I think we’re 14th. While that’s nothing to brag about, most of the cities ahead of us are quite a bit bigger. And the reasons many give for Atlanta not being a better pro-sports town are valid – our city is known for having many transplants who follow their home teams; many folks here in the southeast LOVE college football above all other sports; and our stadium isn’t located near the bulk of metro-Atlanta’s population, making it more of a commute to go to a game than many other cities. But I will be at the park tonight and again Wednesday…….GO BRAVES!
glord1
September 28th, 2009
3:52 pm
Trying…..Not ….to ….whine ….about ….Diaz and…..LaRoche ……hitting ….8th and ……
I did it.
Go Braves!
Shamus Thacker
September 28th, 2009
3:53 pm
I heard Bobby borrowed size-50 turkey drawers from Rosanne Barr for tonight’s game. My sources are suspect, as am I, so I just believe without question…
monty
September 28th, 2009
3:54 pm
I’ve seen several hitters not leg out sure outs recently, and they didn’t get pulled! Namely Loaf. But you kind of expect that from him, he might blow a hammy.
McFann :Ô:
September 28th, 2009
3:54 pm
Thanks for the lineup, Ms. Rogers! I’m SO ready for the game, but I’m nervous, too!
beekay–
Oh, I know…freaks me out every time he gets hit in that hand. Gonna watch closely tonight to see when/how often he keeps it hidden…
By my count, that’s the third time he’s been hit in that hand–the first time was at the end of ST, the second was either in San Diego or LA…I know it was one of those West Coast games ’cause I was asleep when it happened.
GO BRAVES!! FISH FRY TONIGHT!!!
cvbraves
September 28th, 2009
3:55 pm
Win, lose or draw — the former I hope — Bobby Cox for Manager of the Year!!!
No Chick Sports Writers!
September 28th, 2009
3:55 pm
Didn’t even bother to read your article. Chicks should not be sports writers. Real men don’t want to hear sports from a woman.
coach smith
September 28th, 2009
3:56 pm
Tomahawkin’ Tour 09
Can’t Stop the CHOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
P-Town Brave
September 28th, 2009
3:56 pm
I gotta agree w/ glord1 here.
Bobby may not be the best manager anymore and I don’t agree with most of what he does (see Greg Norton & Kelly Johnson), however, I too think that his positive attitude and just being every player’s #1 fan right now is keeping the guys all rooting for each other, keeping things loose, but also keeping the players focused on playing great baseball. Like some have said, the team chemistry has been amazing lately. For the most part everyone is doing the little things needed to get W’s and you can tell they’re all having a great time out there.
I’m just real proud today to be a Braves fan whether they can finish this thing out or not!
Wayne in Utah
September 28th, 2009
3:56 pm
Rob in SC
Let’s not re-write history. KJ didn’t come out due to injury. He was sent down due to injury to rehab. He came out in favor of Infante when he couldn’t come out of his funk. If Prado had been 100% back then, he probably would have come out a bit sooner. Keep it true.
NO MORE BOBBY!!!!!
I saw that post man! I am proud of you.
Nobody has EVER said Bobby was a good tactician. But it seems that some on here will NEVER understand the things he does for the players on his team, that causes them to want to perform to their best for him.
Javier Vazquez is a prime example of what Bobby does for players.
I noticed the SUCK ASS blogger has left for a while. Too bad. I wanted to tell him just how much I think he SUCKS ASS as a human being and how very little he understands about people, but I am sure the A-hole will come back on and catch this comment. So, Paul, you SUCK ASS BUM (only using the language he uses on other people), hope your competitors get a royal flush on EVERY hand!
SouthernBelleBrave
September 28th, 2009
3:57 pm
Is Church still out with his back? It would be really nice if he could play. We’re coming down to the wire now, so is he out for the rest of the regular season or what?
glord1
September 28th, 2009
3:57 pm
DAP – Your right they were and you can’t blame him for that. But as we started to score in waves most managers would have shut one down and only used one. I wish he had.
The good news is Soriano only used about 12 piches in two appearances. I bet he can go and be effective tonight. I hope we dont see Gonzo after throwing 35 pitches this weekend on Sat and Sun.
coach smith
September 28th, 2009
3:57 pm
this is the closest feeling to 1991 and 1993 that we’ve had
run down the Rockies just like the Dodgers and the Giants baby!
monty
September 28th, 2009
3:58 pm
BC for Manager of the Year, and Chipper Joes for Most Valuable Player! Yeah! And Norton for the Best Actor Role for playing a Pinch Hitter!
submariner
September 28th, 2009
3:59 pm
Monty……Frank Wren has been running the team with Chipper Jones for weeks now through his Blackberry. BC is just along for the ride.
RHR
September 28th, 2009
4:00 pm
I hate to do it but I gotta give scoots some props for that 3:45. Don’t get the big head.
P-Town Brave
September 28th, 2009
4:01 pm
McFann-
Isn’t it great though to be this nervous about a game in late September?
I haven’t been this jacked for a game in a very LONG time.
coach joe
September 28th, 2009
4:02 pm
win out! Vasquez for Cy Young , Bobby for manager of the year.. Braves in the World Series!! what a end to the season.
Go Braves!!
Bobby's Cox
September 28th, 2009
4:02 pm
We’re gonna take this Marlins series because Carroll is filling in for DOB, and the Braves are unstoppable when Carroll is on the beat…
That’s my superstitious outlook for the day.
coach joe
September 28th, 2009
4:03 pm
and Hanson .. Rookie of the year
Shamus Thacker
September 28th, 2009
4:04 pm
“”this is the closest feeling to 1991 and 1993 that we’ve had”"
Except that the hordes of fans, this time round, are dressed as empty seats.
Anders
September 28th, 2009
4:04 pm
Is Church still out with his back? It would be really nice if he could play. We’re coming down to the wire now, so is he out for the rest of the regular season or what? (SouthernBelleBrave)
I believe this was the issue Jerry Manuel had with Church. Made of tissue paper and showed no gumption to play through injuries. For the record, I like Church’s game when he was in there.
I’ll be interested to see if Bobby Cox sours on him. Then you know Manuel had a legitimate beef.
ncscoots
September 28th, 2009
4:05 pm
Don’t get the big head.
yes, ma’am, duly noted and taken to heart, LOL.
Arkansas Braves fan
September 28th, 2009
4:07 pm
I was listening to Whitey Herzog earlier this year talk about interleague play, he stated over and over again he didn’t like it because the schedules weren’t fair. He mentioned the cardinals playing the Royals a ton while the Cubs were playing the WhiteSox. If the Braves miss the Wild Card by a couple of games they can think MLB’s wonderful interleague schedule. The Braves got the Yanks and Redsox for 9 games while the Rock were feating on the A’s and the rest of the A.L. West. I don’t even care about all the dumb excuses im going to read after I post this, like if the Braves would have done this or that. The bottom line is the Interleague schedules will have a huge impact on this wild card race.
glord1
September 28th, 2009
4:08 pm
monty
September 28th, 2009
3:58 pm
BC for Manager of the Year, and Chipper Joes for Most Valuable Player! Yeah! And Norton for the Best Actor Role for playing a Pinch Hitter!
Monty my man I have to disagree. Not only is Greg Norton not a pinch hitter but he does not even play one on TV.
monty
September 28th, 2009
4:08 pm
BC is just plain…well…. inspirational!!! I guess he has inspired the players who have performed well(as some on here say), but what about Kelly,or Frenchy, or Norty or Schafer? He just couldn’t weave his magic with those hardheads.LOL
Paul Lentz
September 28th, 2009
4:09 pm
pryguy…………your 12:46pm misses a number of points. First, Jeff Bennett would still be on this team, giving up 6th inning leads if he had not slammed his fist into the wall after giving up the game winning home run against Boston in the bottom of the 9th (as soon as Bennett was announced, I knew the game was over. I posted that before the inning even started). Frank Wren “wisely” used the “had to release Bennett because of a pay dispute” excuse (due to the injury being non-baseball related)…..in order to prevent Bobby from using him any further.
You said that Bobby puts the Braves in position to win, more times than not. How so? By sending Greg “I cant hit my way out of a paper bay” Norton up there to hit in crucial situation after crucial situation? Or how about using David Ross, Matt Diaz and Brooks Conrad as pinch runners in the Mets game we lost the Saturday after the All-Star Break? Or, what about using Matt Diaz as a “pinch bunter” in the Chicago series before the All-Star Break (this despite Diaz raking it with a 13 for 26 stretch)?
I could go on and on, lol. I would call refusing to bench Kelly Johnson and Jeff Francoeur as “putting your team in the best position possible to win”. Or how about benching Diaz in the Chicago (despite hitting 13 for 26) so his boy Francoeur could “get some at-bats”?
I know that I’ve made the same points over and over again. However, as long as I see people “blindly” support Bobby Cox, I will keep rehashing it over and over again.
P-Town Brave
September 28th, 2009
4:09 pm
Anders-
Not much longer really to sour. The guy will more than likely get non-tendered in the winter unless the Braves and him agree to make him their new Greg Norton.
I did like him when I saw him as well, but it was a small sample. I do think he could give us a decent final week as our lefty pinch hitter (instead of Norton), but who knows if and how much he can really go.
Either way, everyone really needs to slow down on the Bobby for MoY and Hanson for RoY and so on…how about we play tonight the 3 hours for 3 hours and worry about tomorrow when it comes…the team can do this, but not if they have that same attitude as most of you are having…
One at a time guys, one at a time.
Pete
September 28th, 2009
4:10 pm
“David, what did you mean by this sentence:
“Dodgers lost today…now the Cards and Phils need to win to keep the pressure on them for homefield so they actually play against the Rockies in that last series.”
Southern Hope, what that means is this: all 3 of those teams are fighting for the best record in the NL, which would give them home field advantage throughout the playoffs. If Cards and Phills win tonight, then LA has more “must win” games in order to secure best record. Since LA plays Rockies last 3 games of season, what that means is hopefully LA will win some games vs. Rockies, which would help the Braves get the Wild Card.
Hope that convoluted explanation helps lol
bravefaninok
September 28th, 2009
4:11 pm
Enter your comments here
SouthernBelleBrave
September 28th, 2009
3:57 pm
Is Church still out with his back? It would be really nice if he could play. We’re coming down to the wire now, so is he out for the rest of the regular season or what?
He pinch hit in Washington I believe.Actually i think Bobby is playing the hot hand.Diaz has been tearing it up,and He is the FISH KILLER.
beekay
September 28th, 2009
4:12 pm
I wish we could get Omar into that lineup but who would you take out to do so? I kind of like him over Loaf myself if we were facing a lefty, but I wouldn’t want to mess with the lineup the way we are playing.
Anders
September 28th, 2009
4:12 pm
Arkansas Braves Fan- The Mets get the Yankees 6 times every year regardless of what the rest of the interleague rotation is. No team has been on top as much as the Yanks since interleague has started. I’ve complained about this since it started. Doesn’t matter – money talks with Selig and his band of thieves.
Kill interleague. And kill the DH while you’re at it. Another AL advantage. Not a prayer of either happening.
Paul Lentz
September 28th, 2009
4:13 pm
Lars Taint…………..A few weeks ago, I already posted that I was wrong about Peter Moylan. I did it again a couple of days ago and yesterday.
However, given the fact that Bobby Cox was totally wrong about Greg Norton, Jeff Bennett, Jeff Francoeur and Kelly Johnson…….which resulted in the Braves being in the position of having to win every remaining game in order to have a shot at the playoffs…….I would say that Bobby having faith in struggling players hasnt paid off much for the Braves this year.
beekay
September 28th, 2009
4:13 pm
Pete
That’s why I have been rooting against the Dodgers last week, knowing that if they clinch home field, their starters will rest against the Rocks
GTSteve
September 28th, 2009
4:14 pm
Just win baby
RHR
September 28th, 2009
4:17 pm
yes, ma’am, duly noted and taken to heart,
you call me ma’am again and you’re gonna take one to the gut.
Pete
September 28th, 2009
4:17 pm
I hear ya BEEKAY gonna be interesting to see how it all unfolds. If Braves do make it in, wonder who they match up best against in short 5 game Series? Their pitching gives them a nice advantage in Round 1 in my opinion. Obviously they will not have home field advantage, which to me (see my previous post re: home vs. away record) is not a negative.
ncscoots
September 28th, 2009
4:17 pm
I could go on and on, lol.
Geez, Dentz, when haven’t you?
You know, just for chuckles, what exactly is your baseball experience, if any? Did you ever play, or did you just pick up your vast knowledge by osmosis? Come on, it’s a serious question, answer up.
monty
September 28th, 2009
4:19 pm
glord1
“Norton doesn’t even play a pinch-hitter on TV!”
Right you are sir! 6-60 left handed. And the sad part is what if BC had used another pinch-hitter instead(some will say who?) What if we had kept Conrad when he was “hot” instead of sending him down to the minors because BC wanted a veteran pinch hitter? Norty was used several times where a timely hit would have won us a game. Would it be so unreasonable to say that if Conrad had been kept that he might have came up with a couple of timely hits to win us a ballgame or two? Would that be so unreasonable? And if Conrad had been kept instead of Norton what difference would a couple of extra wins mean now?
southern hope
September 28th, 2009
4:19 pm
Pete, thank you very much.
I’ve never lived through a ‘meaningful” September before so I’m a real neophyte.
Paul Lentz
September 28th, 2009
4:19 pm
Brian…………..why dont you give some examples of how Bobby “went against conventional thinking” and managed the Braves to victory that the average manager wouldnt have been able to do?
I’ll give you a perfect example of what Tony LaRussa did the other night. He left Adam Wrainwright in the 8th inning of Saturday’s game…..even though he was over 120 pitches and facing Brad Hawpe, a tough lefty. Many on here were on LaRussa for not bringing in the lefty. Mostly any other manager in baseball would have brought in the lefty. I’m sure that LaRussa analyzed the situation and given how he has seen Wrainright mature over the past few seasons……….he left him in there to get that last out.
Needlesstosay, Wrainright got that out and St. Louis ended up winning the game, despite dude throwing 130 pitches in the game.
That, my friend, is a perfect example of a manager rightfully having faith in a player, therefore putting his team in the best position possible to win.
ncscoots
September 28th, 2009
4:19 pm
you call me ma’am again and you’re gonna take one to the gut.
Pure habit, LOL, and certainly no derogatory implication meant. Cease on the ma’am, got it.
glord1
September 28th, 2009
4:20 pm
Arkansas Braves Fan – The average record of the teams the Braves played is 82-71. The average record for the teams the Rockies played is 81-73.
Pretty even. Got to give the Rockies credit for going 11-4 against 4 teams above .500.
P-Town Brave
September 28th, 2009
4:21 pm
Anders-
No Mets fan by any stretch of the imagination, BUT I fully agree w/ your 4:12.
Have and always will hate the DH and as far as I’m concerned, it gives injury prone, out of shape SLOBS a reason to still be able to collect a check. I’ll at least give Manny and Adam Dunn credit. They both may suck HARD out in the field, but at least they try to play it!
On to the schedule. IL was and will always be a bad idea, but its all about the MONEY (obviously).
That and I’ll add the dumb idea of the unbalanced schedule. I’m sorry but does anyone want to play Washington, Pittsburgh, or San Diego 15+ times a year?! I think not!
Go back to the balanced schedule…like right NOW!
Paul Lentz
September 28th, 2009
4:24 pm
Lars Taint…………the difference between Bobby Cox and Charlie Manuel is that the Phillies could afford to give Lidge an opportunity to work through his troubles. Their lead was so big, that they didnt have to win every game like the Braves have to now.
You can be assured that if the Braves were right there with the Phillies for the past month, there is NO WAY that Manuel would have stuck with Lidge for so long.
Whereas the Phillies could afford to give a struggling closer an opportunity to work through his troubles……..the Braves werent afforded such luxury. Yet Bobby managed as if the Braves had a 10 game lead. He gave “a number of struggling BUMS” carte blanche to stink up the place at will.
That is the difference.
P-Town Brave
September 28th, 2009
4:26 pm
Paul Lentz-
You broke that down pretty well, except that it was Jason Giambi who Wainwright (yes, Wainwright, check your spelling Paul) faced and he struck him out on a curve that actually on replay showed to come in below the knees.
Oh well though, because that seemed to be the only game the Cards actually played to win.
brentATL
September 28th, 2009
4:26 pm
Ahh only an hour till I head to the stadium, taking my vintage 1991 red foam Tomahawk for added luck.
Remember when “The Chop” used to happen without the prompting from recorded music and would continue for several minutes….time to bring it back!
Pete
September 28th, 2009
4:27 pm
“The average record of the teams the Braves played is 82-71. The average record for the teams the Rockies played is 81-73.”
GLord thats hard to believe re: Braves opponents. I havent done the math; are you sure? I believe you did not “weight” the averages; i.e., Braves played Nats and Mets 18 times each. Did you count those records 18 times vs. lets say LA’s record 7 times, or did you weight each team just once? Makes a big difference. I dont see how Rockies, playing in the NL West, could play teams with average record worse than the Braves.
If you dont weight the averages, it does not account for Braves playing poor Mets and Nats teams so many times, vs. Rockies playing LA and SF so many times is why Im asking.
P-Town Brave
September 28th, 2009
4:29 pm
Oh and for those comparing Charlie Manuel to Bobby over the Lidge situation…recall that Charlie was set to turn the ball over to Bret Myers once he came off the DL, but he had another setback and had to go back to square one as when Lidge was gone earlier this season it was made crystal clear that Madson couldn’t get the job done either.
So yeah I can see the point some are making, but what are you going to do now? Go with Chan Ho Park?!
Trey
September 28th, 2009
4:31 pm
92 70 = play in game in Atlanta ……………
Paul Lentz
September 28th, 2009
4:31 pm
Carroll Rogers……….cant you reporters come up with some new, follow up questions in your post game interviews with Bobby Cox? I have yet to see one question from the media all year long seriously questioning Bobby as to why he keeps trotting Greg Norton out there.
Why not ask about the top of the 7th inning? Runner on 3rd, 1 out, score 3-3……and with Infante, Church, Ross, and Conrad on the bench…….Bobby goes to “the rally killer” Greg Norton. A fly ball scores the run. Yet Norton just cant hit anymore.
Some of the post game questions and answers I see are, to be honest, weak and pathetic. It’s like you guys are afraid of questioning ANYTHING that “Lord Bobby” does.
I place the blame SQUARELY on Bobby Cox for not righting the ship in mid-May, when it was apparent that Kelly Johnson and Jeff Francoeur were stalling the offense (along with Jordan Schafer).
P-Town Brave
September 28th, 2009
4:32 pm
Pete-
Maybe so, but what about accounting for the Rockies playing the D-Backs and Padres AND the A’s in interleague?
Recall the Braves do also have the Marlins and Phillies, which if I do recall are pretty decent ballclubs.
RC
September 28th, 2009
4:33 pm
brentATL,
I like the 4:26 post. I also would love it if everyone would quit going along with the “Ever-y-bo-dy clap your hands!” sound. Makes us look like a bunch of amatuer fans.
Paul Lentz
September 28th, 2009
4:34 pm
Jeff R……….our starting pitching pitching lights out…….along with the best players we have playing based on contribution (not on being one of Bobby’s boys…….well with the except of Norton pinch hitting)…..are the 2 reasons why the Braves are winning.
You have to remember that if Bobby had his way, Tom Glavine would have been called up..NOT Tommy Hanson. Also, Jeff Francoeur would still be the right fielder. Prado and Diaz would still be utility players.
Bobby was forced into this. The Braves are where they are right now DESPITE Bobby Cox. Frank Wren deserves the credit for this. He is the one who put this team together.
Heath
September 28th, 2009
4:35 pm
Tracy (Rockies) probably has the upper-hand on Manager of the Year right now…if the Braves end up in the play-offs instead of the Rockies, that could change.
glord1
September 28th, 2009
4:37 pm
Pete I am only talking about interleague which is what Arkansas Braves fan was refering to. I like him thought that interleague had really hurt us play 9 games gainst the Yanks and Sox. I was surprised to find out that the Rockies had played just as tough a schedule.
I took each teams record multiplied it by the number of times we played them and devided it by 15 games played. Vitually equal strength of schedules for interleague.
Johnny Schuerholz
September 28th, 2009
4:37 pm
BELIEVE…
It would be great if Nate McLouth would start to contribute…something! He has certainly faltered during this current 14 of 16 run…as he is only hitting .159…(during the last 10 games). He needs to set the table by getting on base…anyway he can.
Also, we have 3 starting pitchers, Hudson @ .300…Lowe @ .226 & Vazquez @ .182…all with higher batting averages than Greg Norton…who is all the way down to a whopping .135. With that being said…is Kelly Johnson @ .220 & Brooks Conrad @ .224…a better option than say David Ross @ .264? Isn’t Clint Sammons on the roster now? Can he not be used in an emergency situation…to allow Ross to pinch hit?
I have a feeling…that over the next 3 ballgames…we are going to need a crucial pinch hit at some point…to either tie the game up…or give us the lead / win!!!
BELIEVE…as we will only be 2 back after tonight…
Pete
September 28th, 2009
4:38 pm
P-Town I agree with you, and Im just wondering if the # of games played were weighted or not is all. If not, then youd have this: lets say for sake of arguement, the Braves played the Nats 5 times and LA once, and Rockies played LA 5 times and Nats once. Using his methodology, it says they both played teams with identical records for those 6 games, and I would argue that it would be very misleading to say that.
Paul Lentz
September 28th, 2009
4:38 pm
beekay………..if the Braves were managed by a manager who was willing to pull the trigger on some benchings earlier in the season, the Braves would be 25 games over .500 right now. They would have never been in the position of having to win every game in order to make the playoffs.
Anders
September 28th, 2009
4:39 pm
P-Town Brave Believe me I hate the DH but I realize it’s not going away (players union will never give it up). That said, put it in both leagues. I believe it’s an advantage to be built with one when playing in the AL parks in interleague, All Star Games and WS. Just my opinion. But let’s put it to bed one way or the other – I don’t care which anymore.
Mitchell
September 28th, 2009
4:39 pm
Thank you TN Jeff.
Not that I felt I needed to be validated but Duke, if nothing else, needed a reality check.
Hey, if you want to defend him, how about all the bad decisions that didn’t cost us the game? Kidding.
As much as I’ve wanted the guy to win another World Series to make up for previous losses… I mean, really for him, not for the fans or myself or the players… it has become self-evident that he can’t do it. He’s not the manager he used to be. Sad but true.
Think about how much it would mean to all of us if they just won the wild card. I we get beat in the first round, so be it. I just don’t know if he really appreciated the intensity and urgency required to compete in the playoffs those last couple years. It was the same thing every time from ‘02 to ‘05, just another game practically. It’s reflected in the way they played, it’s reflected in the level of fan interest and enthusiasm.
It’s not like I expect him to go around like Ozzie Guillen, saying he’s not earning the money he’s paid to win games when the team is losing but damn it would be refreshing once in a blue moon. The guy never takes responsibility for a loss even when it’s obvious. Similarly, it’s not really necessary to throw your players under the bus if they don’t get the job done but do you have to kiss their @$$e$ and make excuses for everything? How do you compare a 9 run meltdown by D-Lowe to a “Greg Maddux inning”? I mean, what the F?
It would be a crime shame if we don’t make the playoffs. We have the best pitching in baseball as far as I’m concerned. We would tear the Cardinals and Dodgers up. The Phillies? Maybe not.
But you know what? F the Marlins. If we had one of those 30 homerun guys imagine our line-up. They’re not worth $***. Bunch of pretenders. I can’t wait to give them a beating…
on the baseball field that is… that sounded violent although I’d pay to see a brawl with those lowly fish
Pete
September 28th, 2009
4:40 pm
GLord thanks; I thought you were referring to the whole season and not just IL play. You did it the correct way for IL play, the way you explained it.
Newbie
September 28th, 2009
4:41 pm
dcp (September 28th, 2009 12:07 pm): “It’s a shame that people will utter excuses for why they cannot make it to the park on a night like tonight.”
Here’s my “excuse” — maybe you or someone else here can help me with it.
I want to buy tickets in advance, over the internet (so I can see a stadium seating map), and specify the seats I want to buy (section, row and seat number).
I have not been able to figure out how to do this on the Braves’ site — all I can specify there is the section number, and they foist specific seats upon me.
Is there any way anywhere I can see what seats are available in different sections, and choose specific seats according to my preferences?
Thanks!!!
Bobby's Cox
September 28th, 2009
4:41 pm
Lentz,
Jesus man, give it a rest and enjoy the final week dude.