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© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Anders
April 30th, 2010
11:52 am
link to a story regarding a U.S. senator reportedly going to ask Bud Selig to pull the All Star game from Phoenix due to the new immigration laws (bravofans)
What does the MLB care about immigration issues? There aren’t any foreigners in our game. {:
bravofan
April 30th, 2010
11:53 am
The Braves just got home from a brutal road trip and go on yet another 9 game road trip after this weekends series with no off days besides Monday the 3rd which is a travel day
Lew
April 30th, 2010
11:56 am
BravesFanNoMore-I wish you success in locating Utopia. But be aware that no one has found it yet and it’s doubtful that you will.
What I think about Braves’ (or anyone’s) ownership is not going to change any situation for the better or worse. I have no say in what happens – it will happen whether or not it meets with my (or your) approval – whether or not I spend my meager $$$$ on the Braves or not.
I do have say on what I like to do and how I want to spend whatever money I have left after paying my taxes (squandered though they may be) – and I DO pay taxes, lots and lots of them. I choose to spend that money watching baseball in general (I watch over 300 games a year – many more than are played by the Braves) and the Braves in particular. You choose not to. Your decision is yours. Mine is (and damned well always better remain) mine. Get over it. Or not. That choice is yours, as well.
After all – we do live in the Land of The Free and the Home of The Quarter Pounder with Cheese. We get to do what we want to, whether or not some other malcontent ain’t happy with it. If it doesn’t personally injure you (and as for injury, this is a kid’s game – or so we keep hearing, and the injury potential is pretty low unless you play yourself), then it’s tough luck for you. Ain’t it?
cabravesfan
April 30th, 2010
11:57 am
McFann-
Nice to see you’ve come to your senses! I was preparing this long missive about why you had to change it back but you saved me the effort!
richbrave
April 30th, 2010
11:57 am
Shaun
April 30th, 2010
10:54 am
richbrave, do you even know where the Braves rank in payroll? How many teams who rank lower are contenders?
FLA. MARLINS and TAMPA BAY, but what do other orgs have to do with the BRAVES? We are not discussing other teams who are competitive that have a lesser payroll. We’re discussing the BRAVES and their moves are not cutting it, at least right now. When I see them in first I’ll be happy, not before. We needed a masher IN HIS PRIME at #4 and we still do, not some wishin’ and hopin’ rehab guy. By the end of the season, TROY may be back to what he was, but he’s got quite a ways to go at this point..
MikeInFL
April 30th, 2010
11:57 am
Liberty is a bank account, nothing more, nothing less. They tell Terry McGuirk, “make sure the checkbook is balanced at the end of the year.” I doubt they’d care if McGuirk spent $200 million, as long as he brought in about $230 (or whatever).
I don’t particularly “like” Liberty, but I think the blame for whatever problems the Braves have is misplaced with them.
I guess that’s okay. Just odd.
Lew
April 30th, 2010
11:57 am
Mike-In that case, maybe he should just retire, then.
MikeInFL
April 30th, 2010
11:59 am
Agreed.
Don
April 30th, 2010
11:59 am
Odds are:
That Escobar will start hitting and have a good year.
That Prado will prove that the can be good full time player for an entire season.
That McCann will have a good year.
That Heyward will continue to improve and have a fairly good year (if Cox and Pendleton will leave him alone).
That Chipper will bounce back as a hitter to some degree but will continue to be a poor defensive third baseman.
That Glaus will continue to be a disappointment with a very low BA and OBA, high strike outs, and disappointing power and RBI production – but that Bobby Cox will keep playing him.
That Melky will not improve over his career production – relatively low BA and a very bad OBA.
That McLouth will improve over his current production but will be about at his career BA in the .250s with a faily good OBA.
That Bobby Cox will continue with his same old management procedures and lack thereof.
That JJ may not bounce back as good as expected from his arm injury.
That the 5th starter is not going to be as good as expected.
Anders
April 30th, 2010
12:00 pm
I’ve been out of town this week so I missed some topics on here. Do you guys think the Ryan Howard deal is as insane as I do? Bye, bye Adrian Gonzales. Looks like the Red Sox for him. Who else is gonna pay him more money than Howard which it appears he’ll command.
Daslied
April 30th, 2010
12:02 pm
Anders – yes, the Howard deal is horrible. Well, for Philly. It’s great for our teams.
Lew
April 30th, 2010
12:03 pm
Anders-If anyone thought that contract was the height of insanity, just wait for Albert to negotiate his extension. What was it Bobby said? $50 mil per year? Yikes (even if it doesn’t come that close).
bravofan
April 30th, 2010
12:04 pm
anders: Howard is definitley overpaid and everyone on the bloggage seems to think Dye is the answer to the Braves problems and has come to the realization that acquiring Gonzales would require us dealing a lot of prospects and they wanted to do that until we reminded them of the Mark Texixera deal
Lew
April 30th, 2010
12:05 pm
I was ridiculed last winter for claiming a $30 mil a year contract would happen sooner, rather than later.
Like I said – sooner rather than later. It will arrive very soon.
Moe Berg
April 30th, 2010
12:05 pm
Lew, I agree that Pujols’ contract will be ridiculous, but at least he is a great player. Howard is very good, but not in the same league as Pujols.
Lew
April 30th, 2010
12:05 pm
Moe-True, but still…….
Moe Berg
April 30th, 2010
12:07 pm
Lew, I know. And I think you are right about the $30M coming up much sooner than people would have expected.
Anders
April 30th, 2010
12:08 pm
bravofan- I think you have it backwards. This decreases Gonzalez’s value on the market for san Diego unless you plan to sign him which other than the Red Sox who do you see at those prices? Therefore San Diego’s suitors are decreased as is the price imo.
Take him as a rental and pay accordingly.
TommyP
April 30th, 2010
12:08 pm
Amidst a lot of crap that has gone on with the Braves so far this year, is anyone as miffed at McLouth as I am? It’s starting to somewhat approach a Nick Esasky-disappearance in talent. Well, maybe not that much but it’s stunning to see him playing like he has for us, both last year and this one.
I really feel if Chipper and McCann get hot at the same time soon, we’ll see a reversal of fortunes. We’re not THIS bad.
monty
April 30th, 2010
12:08 pm
A .650 win clip over the next 45 games will put us at 37W-30L or there abouts. A .600 clip puts us at 35-32. That should take us to mid-June. That seems like a pretty tall order but not totally impossible. A win % of .550 the rest of the season puts us at 85-77. A win % of .600 puts us at 92-70 and maybe a WC birth. .600 the rest of the way? This team as presently constructed? NAh, if FW really believes this is a playoff team with our pitching he needs to find us another bonafide hitter somewhere and fast. We simply can’t wait to July to start playing .600 baseball, by then we will need .650 baseball.
Lew
April 30th, 2010
12:09 pm
Moe-Yeah, there’s been a financial downfall the past couple of years or we’d probaly be approaching a $40 mil deal by now. Good money if you can get it.
MikeInFL
April 30th, 2010
12:11 pm
Anybody have any idea of what percentage of baseball revenue comes from ticket sales, vs tv/merchandise/etc?
Moe Berg
April 30th, 2010
12:12 pm
Lew, Agreed. The bad economy temporarily dampened the free agent market. After the Yankees and the Red Sox, few have been able to land the super free agents. After their experience with two big contracts to aging veterans (Lowe and Chipper), I have a feeling the Braves front office will shy away from the upper ends of the free agent market for a bit.
Anders
April 30th, 2010
12:12 pm
I’m 100% sure san Diego management is pissed that the Phils didn’t wait longer on making that deal. It killed a lot of their leverage.
I can hear their GM screaming ” Are you kidding me! Are you FREAKING kidding me!” when that deal came across the wire.
McFann Ô
April 30th, 2010
12:12 pm
haggard “Bewitched” isn’t just a camera trick and “Mr. Ed” really does speak.
Ah man! Great shows! (’Sept I’m not a big fan of the “new Darrin”.)
Yeah, I had to change it back…bet or no bet, half a day is more than long enough to be called “McMauer”.
Wayne–
That’s really sad about your sister, too.
Those raccoons…they’re cute, but we had one attack a nest of titmice 2 years ago–he spilled all but one of the eggs out of the nest early in the morning. It was a day or two before they were supposed to hatch, too.
cabravesfan–
MORE than happy to be of service!
berrygin
April 30th, 2010
12:13 pm
Anders, I too had noticed Nate looks smaller, never looked like a guy on steroids, but he looks thinner for sure. Never heard anything about him being sick last winter….
Frankie Knuckles
April 30th, 2010
12:13 pm
I was in awe of the Howard contract. I think a salary cap comes in the near future – and i’m torn on that concept. But, some teams are ushering it on as fast as they can. Maybe the fans need a union?
Lew
April 30th, 2010
12:13 pm
Moe-Which is exactly why the Braves will NOT make another Teixeira – like deal. They are going to depend on the Farm System in years to come. They aren’t going to trade those phenomenal young arms they have developing at AA.
Anders
April 30th, 2010
12:15 pm
berrygin- I didn’t mean he was physically smaller i meant his game played smaller. He was a much more integral part in Pittsburgh. He’s kind of in the shadows since he’s come to Atlanta.
He did get new contacts last off season though. Maybe he has them in the wrong eyes if they’re different perscriptions? {:
berrygin
April 30th, 2010
12:16 pm
the 30 mil a year contract has already arrived. I didn’t even know this til a few weeks ago, ARod’s contract…
# 08:$27M, 09:$32M, 10:$32M, 11:$31M, 12:$29M, 13:$28M, 14:$25M, 15:$21M, 16:$20M, 17:$20M
McFann Ô
April 30th, 2010
12:16 pm
But wait a minute…who said it was a camera trick and that he didn’t really talk?
Anders
April 30th, 2010
12:17 pm
Frankie Knuckles – Salary cap in baseball? No way no how. The union is way to strong. A second wild card team in each league to keep the fans/owners happy? I’ve said for a couple of years that I think that day will come.
Moe Berg
April 30th, 2010
12:18 pm
Lew, I agree. They seem to be getting stocked up in A and AA. I think they are going to go for a model of home built talent going forward. They cannot rely on the free agent market to fill their needs. There is a brief gap–not much ready at AAA until the rebuilt farm system can furnish a steady supply. I agree, that they will not pull another Texeira deal.
berrygin
April 30th, 2010
12:18 pm
Anders, well…I still see a smaller guy,(From last year to this even) but I see what you are saying. About the contacts as well!
brian
April 30th, 2010
12:18 pm
I will play baseball for $1.5 million
Lew
April 30th, 2010
12:19 pm
Anders-I sure hope that if an extra round of playoffs is scheduled, that they shorten the season to 154 games and that we go to a balanced schedule. I’d really like to see all the teams a few times.
brian
April 30th, 2010
12:20 pm
big spread on Teheran in the Greensboro paper (News and Record). It basically took up the entire front page of the sports
Anders
April 30th, 2010
12:20 pm
Jeter’s up for a new deal after this year. not a word from either side. They’re waiting for after the season (Yankee policy) although I wouldn’t be surprised if they haven’t hammered out the larger concept already. We’ll never know. He won’t get more than $20 mil for his playing years but I do think they’ll be some agreed to lifetime services deal that will pay well into grandfatherhood. He’s their living Dimaggio that they’ll wheel out at every important Yankee event forever.
Brian from SC
April 30th, 2010
12:20 pm
Yeah, A-Rod is the first 30-million dollar man. But Pujols will be the first player to get a contract with an average value at 30 million, IMO. 8 years, 250 million? 10 years, 300 million? Something like that.
GboroBravo
April 30th, 2010
12:21 pm
Thanks for telling me that brian I will have to go out and get that….the only time i get the paper is on sundays for coupons
Lew
April 30th, 2010
12:21 pm
brian-I’ve been paying attention to Teheran ever since he was first signed. He’s going to be another great one – just like I said Hanson would be
Anders
April 30th, 2010
12:23 pm
Lew- Actually I would say they can shorten spring training (letting players go to the WBC last year showed their carsd on the little value they put on it) and then start the first couple of eeks in warm weather sites and domes.
I’d like the 154 games too but the owners never put money back in the pot. I’d be very surprised.
The first round could be a best of 3 or 5 between the two WC teams in each league. Winner goes on to the real playoffs.This also rewards teams for winning the division as they get some time off to prepare for the playoffs.
Efrim
April 30th, 2010
12:26 pm
I think your pens will waltz to the cup finals. then it will get tough.
Agreed. I think the Pens will have a tough time with whoever gets out of the West. I would like the Flyers a lot more if Carter and Gagne were healthy, but I just can’t imagine them getting past the Bruins. I like the Wings and Hawks in the West. Pens Bruins in the East. Hawks/Pens in the finals. I’ll give the slight edge to the BlackHawks, although imagine what it would be like if the Pens beat Hossa two years in a row?
And it’s good to hear that you are coming around somewhat on Crosby in regards to Ovechkin. Ovechkin is a great goal scorer, but there is no freaking way in hell I take him over Crosby if I am starting a team. Just no chance.
And I remember a certain blogger who said Zach Parise was better than Sidney Crosby. Can’t remember his name, but that was the most ridiculous comment of all time. If Crosby isn’t the best player in the NHL, than it’s Ovechkin. End of story, imo.
jeffrey d
April 30th, 2010
12:26 pm
What’s going on? Did McCann get a hit with RISP since the game ended?
Moe Berg
April 30th, 2010
12:28 pm
jeffrey d–Think she realized it was enough self-flagellation.
Efrim
April 30th, 2010
12:31 pm
Given the state of the division and the Braves, I would highly recommend not trading 4-5 prospects for a bat that would walk away a year or so later. Not to say that the Braves should never trade for a player than could help their team. But Adrian Gonzalez will absolutely cost the Braves dearly, in terms of prospects. The NL East is going to get tougher over the years and I think it’s important to maintain a strong farm system, given that two teams ahead of us will have 40-50 million dollars more to spend than we do. Just my two cents on that.
McFann Ô
April 30th, 2010
12:33 pm
jeffrey d–
Nah, I just felt that my debt had been paid.
Haha, my Sister said that I should just post as McMauer for the rest of the day every time he gets out with RISP, and then change back the next morning, until he does get that hit.
Efrim
April 30th, 2010
12:34 pm
Brett Oberholtzer was promoted to Myrtle Beach, if anyone cares.
DAP
April 30th, 2010
12:35 pm
ugaaccountant Power wise 20 homers yielding only 80 rbi’s in the middle of an order is actually not a high power year either.
rbi is not a power stat. neither is batting average. and if all you know is the guy hit 20 homers, you still dont really have enough info to decide weather the player supplied good power.
TnBrian
April 30th, 2010
12:37 pm
“we do live in The Land of The Free and the Home of The Quarter Pounder With Cheese” Lew
mmmmm– yes we do. I’m hungry.
McFann changing her name to McMauer shows signs of trouble in our Braves world.
brian
April 30th, 2010
12:38 pm
here is the online version about Teheran
http://www.news-record.com/content/2010/04/30/article/bravesapos_prospect_a_very_special_talent
he looked every bit the future ace if he can stay healthy
Anders
April 30th, 2010
12:38 pm
Efrim- You don’t think the Howard deal diminishes san Diego’s leverage with Gonzalez. He just went from a guy at leasr a few teams could ponder possibly signing to a guy who’d be a rental at best. That has to affect trade value.
Regardless everyone will have to wait out the Red Sox to see if they dealfor him.
TnBrian
April 30th, 2010
12:39 pm
I think the day off should help McCann. Oh, nevermind. He’s got the hitting-itus bug himself. Days off don’t cure this either.
brian
April 30th, 2010
12:41 pm
although in a draft like the baseball draft, I assume it is best to take the best player available regardless of position (with of course the usual signability concerns).
That being said, I sure hope the Braves find some bats to stock the system with in the 2010 draft
brian
April 30th, 2010
12:42 pm
TnBrian – a day off served Heyward well
DAP
April 30th, 2010
12:43 pm
ugaaccountant Glaus won’t do a minimally acceptable job for a player hired to hit cleanup.
by the way, glaus hasnt even had 20 ABs batting 4th. brian mccann is our cleanup hitter, not glaus.
Efrim
April 30th, 2010
12:44 pm
You don’t think the Howard deal diminishes san Diego’s leverage with Gonzalez. He just went from a guy at leasr a few teams could ponder possibly signing to a guy who’d be a rental at best. That has to affect trade value.
Anders, perhaps. But you’ll still have to pay quite a bit in prospect talent to net one of the better first baseman in the game. Teams aren’t going to low ball SD and get the guy for a couple fringe prospects. I don’t think you’ll see any Heyward’s moved for the guy, because those types of elite prospects aren’t traded in this day and age anyway. But they are going to get a great bounty for him, imo.
TommyP
April 30th, 2010
12:44 pm
Just curious….but when Bobby retires, what kind of style does everyone want in a manager? Not looking for names but the type of baseball the manager wants to play.
TnBrian
April 30th, 2010
12:47 pm
brian, Heyward ain’t human. It has no affect on him.
Brian from SC
April 30th, 2010
12:49 pm
I’m looking for a manager that encourages his team to score runs and allow as few as possible.
Being facetious there, of course, but really I don’t think managers are all as different from one another as we like to make them out to be. 95% of the decisions made by a manager in a game would go the same whoever the manager was. Maybe some managers bunt more or whatever, but that’s not a big deal to me.
Basically, I would like a manager that treats players and the media with respect, runs a professional clubhouse, and demands that players play the game with maximum effort.
You know, kinda like we have had for the last 20 years or so.
Anders
April 30th, 2010
12:50 pm
Well my planes at the gate. Gotta go. I’ll catch up with you guys some time over the weekend.
Later.
Moe Berg
April 30th, 2010
12:52 pm
When one looks at the three most successful currently active managers–Torre, LaRussa and Cox, one sees that being respectful and professional is a common trait. I much prefer their demeanors over the Piniella and Guillen form of managing.
jeffrey d
April 30th, 2010
12:58 pm
I hear in Heyward’s day off he was able to pick up 3 languages and learn to play the clarinet.
brian
April 30th, 2010
12:58 pm
good point my Tennessee namesake
Brian from SC
April 30th, 2010
1:01 pm
Due to Heyward’s off-day on Wednesday, April 28th has now been made on official holiday and day of celebration for pitchers around the world.
Carroll Rogers
April 30th, 2010
1:02 pm
New blog is up! Thanks, Carroll
unbelievable
April 30th, 2010
1:04 pm
Adrian Gonzalez would help to become just a part of the solution. Its just too bad that this team needs a lot more than just Adrian Gonzalez. Lets face it the offense is bad and the SP outside of Hanson and Hudson is terrible so far. This isnt a playoff type team. We’re slow, play bad defense, cant execute, no power, and 3/5 of the rotation is bad right now. This may change but trading 4-5 propects for Adrian Gonzalez doesnt change much about the makeup of this team. Now if Chipper can find his old swing, and McCann/Yunel/Diaz/Nate can come back to their norms, Glaus turns it around, and we can get the old LA Dodger Derek lowe with a healthy Jurrjens then some things may change. Thats too many if’s to be making another Tex type deal for a rental player. Save the prospects, trade who you can to free up some salary, keep the young core together, and go find some power and Chippers replacement this offseason. Good thing is its still April and I think by the time that June rolls around some of these guys may wake up and decide to be ball players again. Ive never seen a team where 10-11 guys are so far away from their normal season stats
FUWren
April 30th, 2010
2:08 pm
Shaun, there’s just no reason to be patient with this roster. It’s got too many bad players. Everyone acts like McClouth is a stud that’s just having a bad start. No, he’s a marginal mlb outfielder that would not start for the majority of teams (certainly none of our main competition). Glaus is not good enough to start for anyone other than us. Cabrera is a fourth outfielder at best (we sure have a lot of those!). Of all the guys battling a slow start, the ones I am patient with are Escobar, McCann, and of course Heyward. Chipper is at the end of his career and to expect career average numbers from him is silly. He’ll have a high OBP at least, which would be great if we weren’t also counting on him to hit for power. McCann is one of the main reasons we’re 8-14 right now and I no that’s probably kind of harsh and unpopular to say, but he’s got to have a monster season if we’re even going to make to to .500