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© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
4,563 comments Add your comment
Tomahawkin
January 5th, 2010
6:13 pm
Glaus is not old and recovered from injury
Well he off the Roids as well
PEEP THIS!
Troy Glass Played on the same Angels team that had Jose Canseco and Scott Spezio!
Now does anyone not agree that Glaus’s numbers will be down from last year hitting at Tooner Field
Noah
January 5th, 2010
6:13 pm
Houston has $54 million tied up in 4 players. Lance Berkman, Carlos Lee, Kazuo Matsui and Roy Oswalt.
joerochester
January 5th, 2010
6:13 pm
Glaus seems like a stand up guy. I really hope he succeeds this year. I was a big fan of his when he was with the Angels. I wonder if the Angels gave him an offer.
joerochester
January 5th, 2010
6:14 pm
It’s funny that a lot of teams with the big payrolls get these high profile players and then a few years later they downsize (i.e. Detroit, Houston, etc.).
Zeke
January 5th, 2010
6:15 pm
Did the Braves buy out McClouth’s 2012 option?
Jake W.
January 5th, 2010
6:15 pm
Sure….. No way to compete when somewhere betweeen 25% and 30% of your payroll is tied up in two guys on the wrong side of 35 for the next three years. -Chopshop
Its called balance, you have to pay someone. You can’t have a team full of high production low cost players like Escobar, Hanson, Jurrjens, And McCann. Wish we could but not going to happen. One day these guys will too cost a nice penny.
Noah
January 5th, 2010
6:15 pm
Wow, how is Glaus a retread. Well I guess if 29hrs/99rbis is. Oh Wait that would have led the Braves team last year, a team which almost made the playoffs.
nolie
January 5th, 2010
6:16 pm
what happened to the $11.5 million they “saved” by dealing vazquez minus what is owed Melky brian
about 4 mil likely went toward Glaus. still have raises and arb yet too
N8
January 5th, 2010
6:17 pm
“Sure….. No way to compete when somewhere betweeen 25% and 30% of your payroll is tied up in two guys on the wrong side of 35 for the next three years.”</em.
The fact that you start your statement off with "no way to compete…" says all I need to know about your opinion. Thanks for chiming in though.
I gave you the oportunity to rephrase it by stating something along the lines of….
"With teams like the Mets and Phillies spending big dollars in our division, it is likely that we will have to be very good in our player development, and catch some lucky breaks with guys like Glaus to keep up with them"
But you chose to say that there is no way to compete instead. Not bothering to grasp the concept that our pitching is STILL better than anybody's in the division and likely better than anybody competing for the wild card, this side of SF (and probably even better than theirs 1-5 in the rotation).
Nice try though.
I agree Efrim, he’s likely better than Bay. And since the Cardinals have pitching in Carpenter and Wainwright, he’s a better investment to balance their team. The Mets investing all that money in Bay is so funny it should be criminal.
ugaaccountant
January 5th, 2010
6:18 pm
N8
January 5th, 2010
5:58 pm
“No way we can compete with our 90ish payroll.”
Hmm. The Marlins Twins and Rays just chimed in with a different opinion.
Care to rephrase that?
We won’t beat the 2010 Phillies with this 90M dollar team. Not over the course of 162 games or in a 7 game NLCS.
Sasquatch
January 5th, 2010
6:21 pm
what? were did the 7-9 Million the Braves had to spend..woops…guess the payroll is gown down this year..despite what they say thats what im seeing.
Noah
January 5th, 2010
6:23 pm
Yeah, payroll is going down. lol Can you wait at least until spring training, my goodness if not midseason.
Noah
January 5th, 2010
6:23 pm
Since 2008 payroll has gone down and wins have gone up!!!
njbraves
January 5th, 2010
6:23 pm
Maybe if more of you that, live in the Atlanta area, actually showed up at some games, they would spend more money. It makes me sick every time I see that place half empty.
Chopshop
January 5th, 2010
6:24 pm
Ugaa, I couldn’t agree more with you 6:18 statement. We are an 85 win team at best as constructed. No way we can expect all of these ? marks to turn positive. Also, I think Heyward is going to be a superstar but I think handling him the same way we handled Hanson last season is the most appropriate way to handle him. We are rushing him to fill a hole just as we did Schafer last season… and I think we all know how well that worked out.
ugaaccountant
January 5th, 2010
6:26 pm
Chicken/Egg buddy. If you build a winning team, more people show up. Happens everywhere, in every sport, including Atlanta.
cabravesfan
January 5th, 2010
6:27 pm
I see we can finally end the Holliday babble…thank the higher power of your choice
Braveheart
January 5th, 2010
6:28 pm
It’d be cool to see Wagner break the LH closer save record as a Brave.
Until you realize he’s passing John Franco, and you realize who cares?
Slowhiteguy
January 5th, 2010
6:28 pm
I would really hesitate to compare Schafer to Heyward..two completely different skill levels. The Braves absolutely rushed Schafer, but to compare rushing Schafer to rushing Heyward is short sided. Just my opinion.
Heath
January 5th, 2010
6:28 pm
dogsbrekky -
I get what you are saying…I would like to look into other options though. My buddy was doing something a couple of years ago…puts and calls and what not. He had a program that allowed him to put in fantom puts and calls but never had the guts to go “live” so to speak. Its all just interesting to me. I just want to learn more about it so I can decide what would be best for me. What you are doing seems to serve you well.
dogsbrekky
January 5th, 2010
6:30 pm
Chopshop – we won 86 games in 2009 with Chipper at less than par (for him) and a bullpen that blew many a winnable game… add Glaus’s bat, BILLY WAGNER (a real closer), a return to form by Chipper, better D with Melky or Heyward in RF and Diaz in LF…. excellent SP… with Lowe being better than his 15 win yr last year… plus a full year of Prado (Over KJ) and yada … we look to be a better team on paper
now let us hope the paper doesn’t need band-aids to hold it all together
N8
January 5th, 2010
6:31 pm
“Sure….. No way to compete when somewhere betweeen 25% and 30% of your payroll is tied up in two guys on the wrong side of 35 for the next three years.” Chopshop
Then Efrim stated that that was a good way of rephrasing it.
No it’s not if 3/5 of your rotation will cost you around 10 percent of your payroll during the same time frame, along with McLouth, Heyward, Freeman, McCann, Escobar and Prado likely combining for less than 20 million, maybe a bit more with arbitration figures.
Think about that. You’re whining about 2 guys (Chipper and Lowe), who if healthy will provide decent numbers and veteran leadership to a group of young players. While ignoring that guys like Hanson, JJJ, Heyward, Prado and Freeman will likely make close to league minimum during that time.
McCann’s salary will be a steal during that stretch.
Not to mention that guys like Saito and Wagner will likely get replaced with guys like Kimbrel and or other younger pitchers on their way. Hell, even Lowe might eventually be replaced (not out of line to think a team might take on the last year – maybe two – of his contract if he rebounds, is it?), with a guy like Mike Minor or Medlen.
I had a longer post that disapeared (twice), where I stated, that I could accept a response along the lines of “we might have a hard time keeping up with the Phillies and Mets with their endless supply of cash”.
But with this pitching (and STRONG youth infusement on the way), I find it extremely ignorant to boldly make a statement in January that this team cannot compete with 90ish million dollar payroll.
There hasn’t been many more asinine comments posted on hear, unless you count the global warming crap or anything by Lentz, and even that stuff has some backbone to it. You’re comment is just wrong. Period.
They CAN compete with a 90 milliond dollar payroll, they did it last year. Many teams have competed with less.
Again. Care to rephrase your comment?
Bobby Hill
January 5th, 2010
6:31 pm
So, I was looking at Ryan Church’s career numbers campared to Melky’s and i gotta say that Church’s numbers are better. Granted he’s had heallth issues, but why didn’t the Braves just offer a $2 million deal to Church and let the Yankees keep Melky. I just don’t get how Melky is any better than what was available in-house. For all the running around Wren has done this winter, the team is no better than is was at the end of the year. Instead the team is now is older, more fragile, minus one #1 starter, with a considerably smaller payroll. Somehow Wren has duped us all into thinking he’s trying to win, but it really looks to me like they are trying to spend enough money to stay competitive. Winning a World Series doesn’t seems to be on the agenda.
Count Chocula
January 5th, 2010
6:31 pm
If we don’t call up Heyward to start on Opening Day, then I don’t feel like this offense is good enough honestly. Don’t get me wrong Troy Glaus is a great addition to the offense, but it doesn’t look like we are going to get more, like we needed (other than J-Hey)
TnBrian
January 5th, 2010
6:32 pm
It’s amazing how funny fans are when it comes to players. If this was January 2009 and we had the exact team we have now without Glaus and we just signed this guy coming off a 27 HR, 99 RBI season with a .270 batting avg. most of you would be excited and feel whatever else we got would be a bonus. He’s 33, that’s not old.
Baseball is such a gamble for teams going through a 162 game season anyways with injuries,down years, etc. etc. Nothing is guaranteed.
That said, I’d love to have Damon.
David O'Brien
January 5th, 2010
6:33 pm
Here was Wren’s comment regarding any remaing moves:
“Well, I think we’re going to look at some smaller additions, and we’re open-minded to improving the club in other ways. But I think primarily our club is in place. I think the big pieces are in place. As Bobby has said, we’re going to be open-minded with what happens with our young player in right field [Jason Heyward] and see where that goes. But with the additions we’ve made over the last three or four weeks, we’re primarily ready to go to spring training.”
SarasotaBrave
January 5th, 2010
6:34 pm
we are short on offense to be legit WS contenders.
John
January 5th, 2010
6:34 pm
I don’t remember any big signing bonuses this year so far, so everything above what we can clearly account for right now would have also been there in an equal amount last year, except for the incentives.
Unless they sign a hell of a bench player it really doesn’t look like we’ll be close to the payroll we had last year.
It really makes you question Liberty Media’s intentions.and understanding of major league baseball. We were legitimately 10-15 million away from one of the top 5 teams in baseball when this off season began. Instead of putting the money towards making the playoffs and a shot at a championship they cut salary; a good strategy for this years balance sheets, but terrible for the long term value of the franchise.
It’s hard to justify a salary dump of the Vazquez magnitude for a team this close to making the post season. It just doesn’t make sense from a baseball perspective or a long term profit perspective.
dogsbrekky
January 5th, 2010
6:35 pm
heath – after 20 yrs it is like any other career… I still find the markets exciting and fascinating but luvkily am smart enough not to treat my business as fun… if that makes sense…
Interactive Brokers has a mock trading screen where you can set up a paper trade account and practise…. I highly recommend doing that so you get a feel….
the bid/offer spreads on options make it likely you can only macro trade options in stocks !
David O'Brien
January 5th, 2010
6:37 pm
Zeke, no they haven’t officially bought out McLouth’s option. But they probably anticipate doing so and thus project that amount on prorated basis over the three years, to avoid having it all tallied on payroll that one offseason. Just the way they choose to do it. Since the option is $10.65 mill for 2012, I think it’s pretty good chance they won’t be picking it up. Especially if Schafer develops as they expect.
By the way, I asked Wren about Schafer. He believes that Schafer will be fine and just needs a half-season or so in the minors. They’re planning on him being up at midseason, it sure sounds like.
JasonInFL
January 5th, 2010
6:38 pm
Kind of depressing to get home and see that FW has said we are just about ready for ST…save a pinch hitter type. Too bad…one bat form being a legit contender. I am sure others have mentioned it, but where did the money saved from the Javy trade go? They can’t trade someone like Melky and sign Damon? I mean, it is not like the Melk Man is in the long term plans or anything. Bummer.
N8
January 5th, 2010
6:39 pm
“We are an 85 win team at best as constructed. No way we can expect all of these ? marks to turn positive.”
But you’re forgetting about the pitching man. Even without Vazquez (and I’m on record as stating Hudson will have a better – park adjusted – 2010 anyhow), our staff thoroughly kicks the Mets and even the Phillies up and down the street. For all the question marks we have about the lineup, those two teams have them with the pitching. Especially the Mets. I’ll assume you’re not including the Marlins in this conversation of teams we’re competing with, since their payroll isn’t even on the radar? After all, if we can’t compete at 90 million, how on earth can they at 30 million, right?
“We are rushing him to fill a hole just as we did Schafer last season… and I think we all know how well that worked out.”
Are you really comparing Jordan Schafer (who was injured and coming off of a tumultuous season where he was suspended for HGH), to Heyward, the #1 overall prospect in all of baseball?
OK.
I’m not saying we are going to win the division, roll through the playoffs and hoist the WS trophy when all is said and done.
But I’m not stupid enough to state that this team can’t compete.
FEAR
January 5th, 2010
6:42 pm
just start the danm season already!!!!
Tomahawkin
January 5th, 2010
6:46 pm
Jason In Fl
Agreed on your last post and prepare for the Ted to be 2/3’s empty again this year because this is technically the same boring kind of team that we had last year. No way am I paying 70 bucks spending 90 minutes in traffic just to watch a 3-2 loss. If the Owners want to go say F U to the fans and go the cheap route of improving this team then I will retialite and choose to watch the games at my Pad or at a bar. I feel sorry for the fans that drive from out of state to see our team lose when they score 3 runs or less because he Owners are too cheap to make significant moves to address the offense
Unless this team trades for a bat in S. Training, of course…
jeffrey d
January 5th, 2010
6:51 pm
So another words if your around the top 8-12 teams in payroll and you can’t compete your saying only the top 8 or less teams will even compete much less make the playoffs. Noah
Another words
jeffrey d
January 5th, 2010
6:52 pm
I think I’ll make an almanac of blog terms
dogsbrekky
January 5th, 2010
6:53 pm
Tomahawk… that attitude defeats the purpose of being a fan…. I love my teams whether they are nos 1 (Chelsea in the Premier League) or are a struggling bucket of crud like our 80s team in ATL… but going to a game would be a pleasure for me, stuck up here in NYC with their Chardonnay Set fans and corp box mentality where $70 wouldnt get me a bleacher seat to see those Bronx Bums…
the true joy of winning in anything can only be understood when you have gone through the bad times… we had 1991-2005 where we competed every year with at times the best payroll in baseball but even without that NOW can go to a game and watch the GREAT Chipper Jones for a reasonable price… and then you can remember that in 30 years times when everyone wants to know if you saw the great switch hitter from 1995-2012 !
I for one would pay just to see Yunel field every chance I got … that alone to me would be worth the hassle and costs etc
Soph
January 5th, 2010
6:54 pm
Make sure you add my fav – foe paw!
Jim
January 5th, 2010
6:56 pm
Phillies got their man Holliday, Mets got their man Bay and Braves got their man Glaus, looks like it all turned out equal. Braves might not be able to compete, but they saved a lot of money.
Chopshop
January 5th, 2010
6:56 pm
We are rushing him to fill a hole just as we did Schafer last season… and I think we all know how well that worked out.”
Are you really comparing Jordan Schafer (who was injured and coming off of a tumultuous season where he was suspended for HGH), to Heyward, the #1 overall prospect in all of baseball?
OK.
I think the #1 overall prospect in baseball belongs to Stephen Strasburg. Heyward is a great prospect. I’m as excited as anyone about him. However, he has had a total of 173 ab’s above high A. Its a huge jump for a player no matter how talented they are. I think its a little unreasonable to expect Heyward to be a major offensive contributor, which this team needs the way it is presently constructed.
AustinBrave
January 5th, 2010
6:57 pm
dogsbrekky -
I second that. Very well said!!
ugaaccountant
January 5th, 2010
6:57 pm
“They CAN compete with a 90 milliond dollar payroll, they did it last year.”
We didn’t compete in 2009. Not the way most people see it. Playoff bound or else you had a moderate year at best. We finished 3rd in our division. Being in the back of the wildcard race and not getting it isn’t competitive in my book.
It’s more akin to the 9-7 season the Falcons just had. They were contenders on paper entering the year, dropped way too far behind to matter, and then had a big win streak at the end that was too little too late.
I will acknowledge it’s tougher to compete in baseball than most other sports, due to only having 8 playoff spots. But that’s the challenge they have to deal with.
nolie
January 5th, 2010
6:58 pm
Enter your comments herewhat we can clearly account for right now would have also been there in an equal amount last year, except for the incentives. John
one mil per on Chipper due each Jan 15 I think.Possibly 4 mil incentives between Glaus and Saito. Raises and arb yet to be determined. They don’t tell anyone how they structure the payroll, so no way that we can really know, but they have certainly gone cheap in several ways over the last coupla years.
THE BEAR Illegitimi non carborundum
January 5th, 2010
6:58 pm
The A Bomb
January 5th, 2010
2:12 pm
Moneywise, we did not have to trade Vazquez to sign Glaus. Even though Vizcaino could work out, smells of a payroll cut.
————
And who would you have moved in order to get to 5 starters?
Soph
January 5th, 2010
6:58 pm
dogsbrekky – love your 6:53. Well said.
Daybed Wagmoe
January 5th, 2010
6:59 pm
Watching the Troy Glaus press conference on the Braves’ website. I thought that the oddest part was when Frank Wren said, “We’re pleased to announce that we have signed Javy Lopez to a, whoops, I mean Troy Glaus, to a one-year contract…”
beekay
January 5th, 2010
6:59 pm
I think we have the best staff besides the Yanks in all of baseball…I like our staff a little bit more than the Phils and Sawx……I of course am counting on a rebound year from D-Lowe and a comeback year from Huddy….both have tremendous work ethics and are a positive influence to our young guns….if the Yanks weren’t so top heavy I would say we were better but trading Javy gives them a clear advantage.
THE BEAR Illegitimi non carborundum
January 5th, 2010
6:59 pm
Wayne, don’t think you are all alone out here. Many of us are RIGHT there with you.
NCBravesFan
January 5th, 2010
7:04 pm
I wonder if Hank Blalock would be willing to come here on a one year deal to back up Glaus and be the primary pinch hitter?
nolie
January 5th, 2010
7:04 pm
Many of us are RIGHT there with you. Beab INC
no surprise there
beekay
January 5th, 2010
7:05 pm
How about this 2013 rotation
1.Hanson 2.JJ 3.Teheran 4.Minor5.Vizcaino xtras Delgado,Medlen
HomeofdaBrae
January 5th, 2010
7:06 pm
“For all the question marks we have about the lineup, those two teams have them with the pitching.”
Halladay
Hamels
Happ
Blanton
Moyer/?
I don’t think the Phillies staff is nearly as questionable as some on here try and make it out to be. Other than whether or not Hamels bounces back, but you can say the same thing about Lowe and Hudson. The Braves staff might be a bit better, but it’s not NEARLY enough to close the gap between the two teams.
And if the Mets add Pineiro and another one of these high risk/reward pitchers like Sheets (which I think they’re going to do) and Pelfrey gets back on track, their pitching staff could be adequate. It still wouldn’t be better than the Braves, but with their offense, it doesn’t have to. And I’m not even mentioning the Marlins and the improved Nationals.
People shouldn’t get too upset come closer to the season and they’re been projected to finish 3rd/4th in the division. Not everyone are Braves homers. Heck, they’re already deemed off-season losers.
THE BEAR Illegitimi non carborundum
January 5th, 2010
7:09 pm
I have been reading this blog for about two hours and I must say I have never seen such a mountain of negative BS in my life.
When I look at this team compared to last year (at the end of ST) I see a huge improvement and I see a team that will very likely compete with the rest of the NL East. Sure Philly has an edge in offense but when you compare the ENTIRE pitching staffs and then look at the whole I think the Braves will compete with them quite well.
The rest of the division, Mets, Marlins and the Nationals simply don’t impress me.
Life is a lot more fun when you look for the good things that may be as opposed to what most of you believe is the worst possible outcome. That holds true in any situation. I almost feel sorry for about 2/3 of you blokes. Your lives must be a damn mess of negativity.
Now I’m going to join my lovely wife for dinner and the ORANGE BOWL. Keep stirring the crap heaps you are so adept at piling up. Geeeeezzzzzz, your empty glasses bug the hell out of me.
jeffrey d
January 5th, 2010
7:11 pm
Alright help me out here. Off the top of my head I came up with a few blogisms for the almanac. What else?
Another Words
Crime Shame
Foe Paw
Looser
Woose
Your and Idiot
jeffrey d
January 5th, 2010
7:12 pm
MFIKY and Loaf, of course
jeffrey d
January 5th, 2010
7:13 pm
Rally Turtle
CB
January 5th, 2010
7:13 pm
jeffrey d, woah?
beekay
January 5th, 2010
7:14 pm
prolly
jeffrey d
January 5th, 2010
7:14 pm
Hush.
beekay
January 5th, 2010
7:14 pm
arm pits to chesty
Andy K.
January 5th, 2010
7:14 pm
I see a Hiske, Garciaparra, or Catalanotto in our future….
CB
January 5th, 2010
7:15 pm
RANDOM,HE TOLD ME TO HUSH.
Gone Viral
January 5th, 2010
7:16 pm
“Life is a lot more fun when you look for the good things that may be as opposed to what most of you believe is the worst possible outcome.”
I fully agree with this in theory and in fact oftentimes I argue against such behavior on sports boards. The amount of whinging is almost always wildly disproportionate to the situation at hand. Sometimes, there are exceptions to that rule. Such an instance occurs when a team not only cuts payroll but then lies point blank about it through the media. This is such an instance.
jeffrey d
January 5th, 2010
7:19 pm
What, is Random the hall monitor?
Soph
January 5th, 2010
7:19 pm
jeffrey d, woah?
Yup, add it to the list.
N8
January 5th, 2010
7:21 pm
“We didn’t compete in 2009. Not the way most people see it. Playoff bound or else you had a moderate year at best. We finished 3rd in our division. Being in the back of the wildcard race and not getting it isn’t competitive in my book.” ugaaccountant
Say what?
On September 28th, we were 2 games behind the eventual Wild Card winning Rockies. After June 28th, we had one of the best records in baseball.
Our run differential was better than the Rockies ended up being and WAAAAYYYY better than the Marlins (who finished just ahead of us after our horrible last week of the season).
If you don’t call that competing, you drive a hard bargain as a fan man. I thought I was one of the more hard to please “what have you done for me lately” guys on this blog. Not anymore I guess, huh?
We went a combined 33-33 against the teams that made the playoffs and the Marlins (since they finished ahead of us). 25-23 against just the playoff teams.
Florida 8-10
Dodgers 4-3
Yankees 1-2
Phillies 10-8
Rockies 4-4
Boston 2-4
Cardinals 4-2
So. Again. Explain to me how we didn’t compete last year? You’re killing me Smalls! Killing me!
If you want to say that in your opinion, you don’t THINK we’ll keep up with the Phillies, Marlins, Mets, Yankees, Red Sox and Rays (which is funny, because Rays and Marlins have 1/3 the payroll we do)…. fine.
But don’t honestly touch your fingers to your keyboard typing your nonsense about how the Braves didn’t compete last year. The 1991 team won 94 games (8 more whopping games than this team) and were further out of the playoffs with 6 games to go that season. Had they failed to pass the Dodgers that year, would you state they didn’t compete?
Times have changed my friend. You should try crying to a Nats fan or a Royals fan if your opinion of finishing 6 games out of the playoffs is NOT competing.
Tough crowd.
azbravesfan
January 5th, 2010
7:22 pm
jeffrey d,
I have seen “mute point” on here quite a bit
Gone Viral
January 5th, 2010
7:24 pm
“I just don’t get how Melky is any better than what was available in-house.”
The Braves have always enthusiastically supported the opinions of their scouts over stats and the results speak for themselves over the past 20 years. Having said that, letting KJ and Church walk then turning around and acquiring Melky is a complete headscratcher to me. I’ve understood the thinking on deals such the ones that brought us Diaz and Infante, but this one is very hard to wrap my head around. Having said that, the last time we dumped a quality starter in Kevin Millwood for a nobody in Johnny Estrada, we wound up winning the trade. So, I’ll root hard for history to repeat itself.
azbravesfan
January 5th, 2010
7:25 pm
DOB,
Do you think we could have afforded Damon if we got just another minor league prospect in the Vasquez deal instead of Melky and his roughly 3mm salary?
Topher24
January 5th, 2010
7:27 pm
Okay, so now the Vazquez trade officially sucks! If it didn’t already. And all this about Vizcaino being the centerpiece of the deal??? Whatever. Even Teheran may not turn out. Remember the bit about the Baby Braves? How many turned out???? ONE: Brian McCann. So, out of, say Heyward, Schafer, Freeman, Vizcaino, Teheran, Minor, etc., etc., we can figure one or two to really produce and stick around long-term…. and so we don’t want to block murderous Freddie or Jason… let’s play Melky and Glaus!!! AAAAAHHHHH
N8
January 5th, 2010
7:27 pm
“The Braves staff might be a bit better, but it’s not NEARLY enough to close the gap between the two teams.” HomeofdaBrae
That’s where your problem lies. Why do we need to close the gap on the Phillies in the standings? How many times did the wild card team trounce us in the divisional round the last couple times we made the post season? Or in 97 when the Marlins couldn’t catch us in the standings but they could beat us head to head and did so in the NLCS?
We went 10-8 against the Phillies last year. You think they would have wanted to play us come October had we got there?
The question should realistically be for this team:
Have we closed the gap on the Rockies, Giants, Marlins and Brewers?
There lies the answer to the riddle.
Topher24
January 5th, 2010
7:28 pm
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
chipperchop
January 5th, 2010
7:29 pm
Why bother to watch this team next season. This team is going to be a joke. If the ownership intends to slash payroll and that is exactly what they are doing, then it would be nice if they would just admit that. Why should anyone pay to see this team now? There is no way that we are going to compete this year with the roster set as is. Everyone is the East even the freaking NATINALS have a better offense than we do. To compare our pitching staff with the rest of the league is laughable. Their pitching staffs don’t have to be as solid or as good as the Braves because they have the OFFENSE to offset that. You think it was frustrating to watch Vasquez, Kawakami and Jurrjens lose ballgames last year because of no run support? It will be worse this year. This team is not worth watching as currently constucted. I mean I love the Braves, but I am tired of hearing how we have no money.
ncgary
January 5th, 2010
7:29 pm
bloggers tp the right of me
bloggers to the left of me
and all i want to blog about
is baseball
why dont all you right wing retards
go hunting with dick cheney
and all you left wing looonies
go carbon taxing with al gore
and leave the blog to braves baseball
and dobs music
Topher24
January 5th, 2010
7:30 pm
And to the idea that all these pro-rated portions is what’s driven up the payroll to “92-95MM”…. BULL STINKY! I don’t believe it. It’s just like others have reported…. Braves cutting payroll without saying so. And chalking it up to wanting to play their own homegrown talent!!! What a crock!
N8
January 5th, 2010
7:30 pm
Let me reiterate and point out that we went 22-17 against the NL playoff teams last year.
Yup. As DOB would say, we’re Doomed Gulliver…… DOOMED!!!
jeffrey d
January 5th, 2010
7:31 pm
And all this about Vizcaino being the centerpiece of the deal??? Whatever. Even Teheran may not turn out
Soooo, we should abandon the minor league system since there’s no guarantee prospects will “turn out”? We had 6 starters. We basically lose 1 season of Vazquez and gain 5 years of a top pitching prospect when he’s ready.
Topher24
January 5th, 2010
7:31 pm
We traded Vazquez for this????
Ease in Woodstock
January 5th, 2010
7:31 pm
Wasn’t it…double pits to chesty?
Soph
January 5th, 2010
7:31 pm
Yup, mute point’s a good one too.
Topher24
January 5th, 2010
7:31 pm
No Damon????
Topher24
January 5th, 2010
7:32 pm
No Uggla????
N8
January 5th, 2010
7:32 pm
Topher. Let me be the first….
Thanks for messing up the blog. Douche.
jeffrey d
January 5th, 2010
7:32 pm
Why bother to watch this team next season. This team is going to be a joke
So don’t watch. And get off the blog and quit whining and find something else to follow and complain about.
Topher24
January 5th, 2010
7:32 pm
No Nady or Dye????
Topher24
January 5th, 2010
7:34 pm
NO, NO, NO… Just our best performing pitcher from 2009 for Melky Cabrera, Mike Dunn, Arodys Vizcaino, Troy Glaus, and SAVINGS, SAVINGS, SAVINGS….
Woo hoooo!!!!
Soph
January 5th, 2010
7:34 pm
I see the whiners are out in full force today.
The A Bomb
January 5th, 2010
7:36 pm
THE BEAR (etc…..)……. My point was that the Braves COULD HAVE signed Glaus with the money they had BEFORE trading Vazquez. We could have held Vazquez for a trading chip even until this moment and really created a market for him.
Way it looks to me, they figured out they couldn’t deal Lowe, had a few talks on Vazquez and pulled the trigger. Hope this Vizcaino eventually works out.
Any way I see it, we cut payroll.
Right now, we are not as good as we were a year ago and if they want to go to spring training with this outfit, fine, we’re an 83-86 win team at best. We will not have Vazquez’s 200 innings.
Too many “IFs” and a monster team in front of us.
While we’ll be competitive the team you see this year is basically a series of Band-Aids to TRY to get us a wild card spot. Maybe, maybe not.
Wayne in Utah
January 5th, 2010
7:36 pm
Topher24
As N8 says, thanks a lot…
ncgary
So which scares you the most, the retards or the loonies! BTW, I loved the Cheney spoof a couple of years back at Easter when he supposedly shoots the Easter Bunny! Funny as heck! Not that I would ever harm a bunny intentionally…..
Topher24
January 5th, 2010
7:36 pm
Shut up N8. You voice your opinion… I voice mine… okay?
Comfy Zone
January 5th, 2010
7:36 pm
Two ways the Braves could have prepared for the 2010 season. They could have mixed a combination of proven, recent offensive production with a Glaus like aquisition. OR they could choose to go into 2010 on a prayer. They have chosen the latter.
A prayer because they are praying Glaus can rebound to his numbers of earlier years in his career. They are praying that Heyward will be ready. There is no plan B. Or perhaps lets say this is plan B, there is NO plan A.
Glaus could be a steal. Glaus could be a bust. Heyward, same story.
Why do the Braves insist on signing broken down players and hope they will hold up?
My T shirt says:
We traded Vazquez and freed up 9 mil in salary and all I got was this Troy Glaus!
jeffrey d
January 5th, 2010
7:38 pm
Topher – it’s possible to voice your opinion without really long “booos” that mess with the blog
Wayne in Utah
January 5th, 2010
7:39 pm
A-Bomb
Where in CA?
Also, dealing Vazquez later would not be a given. Sometimes you gotta move when the fire is hot, and not hope for a better opportunity later. Besides, I think the Braves got what they wanted out of Javy. An excellent prospect, salary relief, and a war tested versatile outfielder who is a pretty good ballplayer.
jeffrey d
January 5th, 2010
7:39 pm
Upon sifting through Cot’s, I found that Billy Wagner is represented by agent….Bean Stringfellow
dogsbrekky
January 5th, 2010
7:39 pm
Wayne UT – I love ya whatever y’all say
just don’t get me started on Australian p’tics
McFann O
January 5th, 2010
7:40 pm
Cox re. Glause: “Hopefully he’ll be the guy that hits around Chipper Jones to give him protection. He’s always been a run producer.”
Well…you’re the one that makes out the lineup card, no?
And there we go with that “protection” jazz again…
ncgary
January 5th, 2010
7:40 pm
nothing scares me
they both are sickening
Wayne in Utah
January 5th, 2010
7:40 pm
I love the Vazquez deal!!! YEEEEAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!
Wayne in Utah
January 5th, 2010
7:41 pm
I love the Vazquez deal!!! YEEEEAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!
Ease in Woodstock
January 5th, 2010
7:41 pm
Just cause you have the money, doesn’t mean you have to spend it all, or at least my wife says such. What is the harm in holding on to a couple of mil and see want needs/deals/steals pop up later…?