3:51 pm December 28, 2010, by Carroll Rogers
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3,368 comments Add your comment
ncgary
December 29th, 2010
9:15 am
jonas
yes in that homeristic scenario
braves lead division by 10 gmes
on july 1st
lol
DoninAcworth
December 29th, 2010
9:15 am
I know I’m late but here goes: First I had 5 MRI’s this year and I really started to dread them. Lying still for 45minutes is a “very” confining! Nuff said! On the line-up. Okay by me…what I’m looking for is how Fredi relates to our players and how they respond to him. By the by….that picture of Fredi and Bobby was really kinda weird…Cox looked so “over-the-hill!” Take care Bobby, I retired this year and it can get to yah. Not braggin but Doc told me I have both rotator cuffs torn….bad for my retirement golf plans! nada
scott
December 29th, 2010
9:17 am
JHey should hit third, period. Unless he earns a lower spot in the order.
collegeballfan
December 29th, 2010
9:25 am
I would do the lefty righty switch with Uggla and McCann.
This is a pretty good lineup with another good bench.
Starting pitching is good and the bullpen better than good.
But then there are the Phillies…………………
Lew
December 29th, 2010
9:43 am
And of course the Phillies will win all 162 games by scores of 12 -1. They will never encounter a slump, have an injury or even have need of a bullpen since all five of their pitchers should pitch complete games every night.
P-Town Brave ©
December 29th, 2010
9:48 am
Bear Down, Chicago Bears.
Make every play clear the way to victory!
Bear Down, Chicago Bears.
Put up a fight with a might so fearlessly!
We’ll never forget the way you thrilled the nation,
With your T formation.
Bear Down, Chicago Bears.
And let them know why you’re wearing the crown.
You’re the pride and joy,
of all Illinois.
Chicago Bears, Bear Down!
LJ
December 29th, 2010
9:52 am
I ain’t skeered of fillies, they can be had
BadBreggy4Dawggie
December 29th, 2010
9:54 am
I love me some Brian McCann
Branch Rickey
December 29th, 2010
9:55 am
That lineup SUCKS !
A .190 hitter hitting second; Chipper & his .265 average, with diminishing power; Gonzales & his hitting into double plays; and a unproven rookie hitting eighth.
Please don’t tell me a 39 year-old Chipper will suddenly revert to hitting .300 and 25 homers!
Billy
December 29th, 2010
9:56 am
I view Heyward as a feared run producer 4, 5, or 6…… not a setup 1 or 2 Posedinek, Furcal or Jose Reyes type.
Lew
December 29th, 2010
9:58 am
Branch Rickey – I seriously doubt you’ve seen anyone here claiming Chipper would put up those numbers. However, no reason he shouldn’t continue to reach base at a .380 or better pace.
Mark's for the Braves
December 29th, 2010
10:15 am
Nate McClouth batting second? May be 3 years ago in Pittsburgh, but not now. If he has a great spring, may be.
Here’s my 2011 lineup:
Prado LF
Gonzalez SS
Chip
Arkansas Transplant
December 29th, 2010
10:17 am
Do you think we could possibly even look at Willy Aybar as a utility infielder option? He’s played virtually every position in the infield. Don’t know what it would take to sign him but at a low price, wouldn’t he be a valuable addition?
Lew
December 29th, 2010
10:18 am
Transplant – There might just be a bit of animosity between Aybar and the Braves.
Mark's for the Braves
December 29th, 2010
10:19 am
Let me finish my lineup. I’m on bootlegged internet in Seaside, FL and I got bumped off:
Prado FL
Gonzo SS
Chip 3B’
Uggla 2B
McCann C
Heyward RF
McClouth CF
Freeman 1B
Pitcher
I think Freeman will move up in the lineup after he learns MLB pitching, but that is a winning lineup to start the season.
TennesseePaul
December 29th, 2010
10:19 am
They will never encounter a slump, have an injury …
Lew, Lew, Lew… Of course they will encounter a slump and have injuries…. It’s just that, they will time those events to mirror the rest of the league so it will not be a net gain for any other team; they’ll still come out on top. : )
Arkansas Transplant
December 29th, 2010
10:19 am
Mark’s for the Braves
Gonzalez in the 2 hole wouldn’t be very productive, he doesn’t put up the OBP you want in that spot.
justin1
December 29th, 2010
10:20 am
1.Prado
2.Chipper
3.McCann
4.Uggla
5.Heyward
6.Gonzo
7.Freeman
8.McLouth
TennesseePaul
December 29th, 2010
10:20 am
wouldn’t he be a valuable addition?
Certainly more valuable than Jeff Ridgway could ever dream to be.
Lew
December 29th, 2010
10:21 am
TenPaul- We’ll see. And to here many on this board, my original post is not all that farfetched.
Arkansas Transplant
December 29th, 2010
10:22 am
Lew, there very well could be but I think he could fill out the need for a versatile infielder. Not sure of the relationship there, like you said.
TennesseePaul
December 29th, 2010
10:23 am
I’ve been wondering how Scoots’ Christmas was going… thought it must have been going great since he has been absent… but then I started reading all these posts putting Freeman in the eight hole. It’s probably driven him to a dark and secluded place we dare not venture.
Branch Rickey
December 29th, 2010
10:23 am
Get some SPEED ! McLouth doesn’t even got on base !
Lorenzo Cain ! Jacoby Ellsbury !
Lew
December 29th, 2010
10:24 am
Transplant – We need someone like him, anyway. I just think with ybar and what went on before, he might not be a fit with the Braves or the Braves for him.
Tomahawk
December 29th, 2010
10:25 am
Let’s call a spade a spade: any lineup that Fredi puts out showing McLouth hitting any higher than 7th is just a ploy to give the kid some confidence before the season starts. It’s simply not realistic (and irresponsible ) to have the McLouth of recent memory in any important spot in the batting order. But give Fredi some credit, he hasn’t even stepped onto the field and is already doing everything possbile to get his guys in the right mindset for a winning season. Bobby would be proud.
BringOnTeheran
December 29th, 2010
10:26 am
Nothing earth shattering here. I don’t think Fredi waits too long though before pulling the plug on McLouth if he even looks like he is going to repeat 2010
Mark's for the Braves
December 29th, 2010
10:27 am
Arkansas transplant:
Gonzo is better than McClouth in the 2 hole for sure. Perhaps Freeman could go there later in the season when he learns to hit ML pitching.
BringOnTeheran
December 29th, 2010
10:27 am
Branch, you aren’t getting either one of those guys. Theo Epstein said recently that teams that had approached Boston about Elsbury hadn’t even come close to offering what it would take to get him and Cain was just dealt. He’s going nowhere.
BringOnTeheran
December 29th, 2010
10:29 am
Mark, I thought the same thing when I saw the lineup. I think Freeman will make more sense as a two hitter later in the season. He has more hitting skills at this point. Now, McLouth could really bounce back in 2011 and throw a wrench in that way of thinking.
Arkansas Transplant
December 29th, 2010
10:30 am
Mark’s for the Braves
Gonzo has a career OBP of .294 compared to Mclouth’s .337. Not saying I like seeing Mclouth in that spot but Gonzo isn’t a number 2 guy.
2012 lineup
December 29th, 2010
10:31 am
CF Schafer
3B Prado
RF Heyward
2B Uggla
C McCann
LF Bautista
1B Freeman
SS Pastornicky
Lew
December 29th, 2010
10:32 am
I don’t know about Freeman batting second – doesn’t make much sense to me, BUT….. I’d like to see him batting sixth with Gonzo 7th and UnfortuNate eighth. I think if Freeman is in an RBI spot in the lineup, that he’ll hit about .265 with 15 HR and 65 RBI or thereabout.
Mark's for the Braves
December 29th, 2010
10:33 am
McClouth sure wasn’t a good #1 or # 2 OBS hitter in ‘10. I’m sure Bobby would have loved to have batted him 9th if it wouldn’t for the embarrassment.
2012 lineup
December 29th, 2010
10:36 am
If Chipper retires, Bautista, Cuddyer or Willingham for left field in 2012
Arkansas Transplant
December 29th, 2010
10:36 am
Even as bad as Mclouth was last year he still put up a better OBP than Gonzalez for the season.
Chuck M.
December 29th, 2010
10:41 am
I really do hope that Schafer has great spring and is the starting centerfielder,what bothers me about Nate is his throwing arm his bat might come around but that noodle arm will not.
In Fredi I Trust
December 29th, 2010
10:47 am
Here is what I think. We can rearrange this lineup at any time based on how the boys are hitting. For example, if McLouth does turn things around, then he should be leading off because of his speed.
Why not put Chipper in the 2 hole, and Heyward in the 3 hole? Imagine the pitches Chipper will see with Heyward batting 3rd behind him? Then imagine the pitches Heyward will see with either McCann or Uggla batting 4th?
Here is my first lineup suggesting that McLouth turns things around
1. McLouth
2. Chipper
3. Heyward
4. McCann
5. Uggla
6. Prado
7. Gonzo
8. Freeman
9. Pitcher
Here is my lineup if McLouth doesn’t turn it around
1. Prado
2. Chipper
3. Heyward
4. McCann
5. Uggla
6. Gonzo
7. McLouth
8. Freeman
9. Pitcher
I still like Chipper moving up into the 2 hole for a couple of reasons. First is that whoever is leading off will see much better pitches then if McLouth or Gonzo was batting 2nd. Then Chipper will see better pitches with Heyward batting 3rd and so on. It will be a trickle effect.
Thoughts? Comments? Concerns? Complaints perhaps?
CraZyTRaDeMaN
December 29th, 2010
10:49 am
Good Lord Line-ups are being posted like its mid-season!! Do we have a game tonight?? Oh-well I’ll contribute to the madness!!!!
1.Prado
2.Chipper / Heyward
3.Chipper / Heyward
4.Uggla vs LH McCann vs RH
5.Uggla vs RH McCann vs LH
6.Freeman
7.Gonzales
8.Mclouth
If Nate is good enough to bat leadoff
then:
1.Nate
2.Prado
3.Chipper
4.Heyward
5.Uggla
6.McCann
7.Freeman
8.Gonzo
Arkansas Transplant
December 29th, 2010
10:52 am
What about possibly bringing in Brad Penny or Freddy Garcia on the cheap to compete for the 5th spot in the rotation during spring? Maybe a minor league deal with incentives, something very low risk.
Arkansas Transplant
December 29th, 2010
10:55 am
another possible bargain with high reward might be Ben Sheets, has he signed anywhere? Can’t see him getting many high offers.
Kelly's Johnson
December 29th, 2010
10:55 am
Chipper is a part-time player & declining significantly in all phases of the game.
Kelly's Johnson
December 29th, 2010
10:56 am
Lorenzo Cain is the 4th outfielder in Kansas City & could be had for a pitching prospect.
Get it done Wren !
Lew
December 29th, 2010
10:57 am
Transplant – Wren has said he will start Teheran and Delgado at Gwinnett and that they’ll be ready mid season. I’m not seeing him go looking for a number five starter when he already has four options in Minor, Beachy, Teheran and Delgado (the latter in a couple months).
Not sure why he’d even think of getting anymore pitching. Isn’t that why he’s steadfastly refused to part with them – so he wouldn’t have to get more on the open market for more $$$$$?
Gwinnett Braves Bible.com
December 29th, 2010
11:01 am
Ark Transplant,
Why would the Braves be interested at all in bringing in more pitching??? They have Hudon, Hanson, Lowe, JJ and either Minor or Beachy for the fifth spot,and that’s just to start the season. Medlen will be back towards the end of the year, and they have Teheran, Delgaldo, Vizcanio, and others waiting in the wings over the next two seasons. In short, the Braves have what every team in baseball wants, a surplus of good to outstanding young starting pitching.
TennesseePaul
December 29th, 2010
11:01 am
has four options in Minor, Beachy, Teheran and Delgado (the latter in a couple months)
Plus Medlen back by September…
Only reason I could see for signing a Penny or a Garcia is for the potential trade mid-season. If they come cheap, perform well enough, some contender is going to be looking for just that type of player…
Carroll Rogers
December 29th, 2010
11:02 am
CraZyTRaDeMaN, it’s my fault….and yours!
TennesseePaul
December 29th, 2010
11:03 am
Sort of what Bean was hoping to do with Sheets last year… Only the Braves, or any other team, shouldn’t be stupid enough to offer $10M to them. They’d only be worth it on a very, very, very cheap deal.
Arkansas Transplant
December 29th, 2010
11:05 am
Lew – I don’t think it would take a lot of money on any of these guys, which to me would mean your not that invested in them if things don’t shake out. I do think you need at least one veteran to push these youngster in ST for that 5th spot. What if you signed one of these guys and they came to ST and pitched lights out? Each one has their history as injury prone pitchers which really won’t be as much as a concern to the Braves as it would be other teams, given the facts you stated above but I think you still have to look at ways that may shake out and strenghten the big league club. If at the half way point you feel that you have to open a spot for one of these youngsters, you could do that pretty easily by trade. Just saying, it might come as a reward to at lease consider this option.
Lew
December 29th, 2010
11:07 am
Ten Paul – I wouldn’t count on Medlen for more than five starts – kind of like Hudson was able to give coming back from Tommy Johnson surgery. He might add a bit later in September, but I wouldn’t count on him for a lot.
Carroll Rogers
December 29th, 2010
11:08 am
richbrave, i appreciate the updates from fall ball…..don’t think Jose Reyes’ birthdate is negotiatable. I don’t think that’s the same guy. I believe he signed without pro experience.
Lew
December 29th, 2010
11:09 am
And maybe they just use him in the pen in September if Minor and/or Beachy are performing well – unless they have an injury to fill. I’m betting if there are to be extra starts given late in the year, it will be Teheran who gets them.
Arkansas Transplant
December 29th, 2010
11:09 am
Gwinnett Braves Bible.com
December 29th, 2010
11:01 am
you bring them in on the simple notion of competition. They won’t demand a lot in a contract, possibly no more than a minor league deal with incentives based in the deal and nothing more than a one year contract which in return allows our young guys time to develop, learn and grow. Medlen I don’t believe will be back in time this year to really contribute much to this season.
Lew
December 29th, 2010
11:11 am
Transplant – Come on. They just are NOT going looking for more pitching – no matter what the cost – especially number five starters. They just do not need more pitching and the funds left are extremely limited. Now if Sheets (why him of all pitchers?) could play center field………
Arkansas Transplant
December 29th, 2010
11:13 am
TennesseePaul
December 29th, 2010
11:01 am
pretty much my thoughts behind it. Low risk and $$ for a type of high reward payoff. Basically just more options and options are good to have. Could find a steal mid season in a trade.
Gwinnett Braves Bible.com
December 29th, 2010
11:16 am
Ark Transplant,
I see where you are coming from, but from the Brave’s perspective, it doesn’t make much sense. Minor and Beachy are ready to pitch in the majors now, and Teheran might be ready by mid season from what I saw of him and in talking to scouts last year. The Braves money would be better spent on offense or the bench than on an area that they are strong in.
Again I understand your rationale, but the Braves have more starting pitching than they need right now, with more on the way.
Lew
December 29th, 2010
11:18 am
You make deals to fill needs. Starting pitching is NOT a Braves’ need. What they DO need is a CF option that is more confidence inspiring and some bench strength. Getting more pitching – no matter the cost – does not fill a need at this point.
Gwinnett Braves Bible.com
December 29th, 2010
11:18 am
Plus, with the names you’ve mentioned, I’m not sure they would be an upgrade over any over the young starters they Braves have currently.
jeffrey d
December 29th, 2010
11:21 am
kind of like Hudson was able to give coming back from Tommy Johnson surgery
Tommy Johnson surgrery…and all the males cringed.
Arkansas Transplant
December 29th, 2010
11:21 am
What if none of these pitchers.. ie Minor, Beachy, Teheran and Delgado are ready this year for a full season? We saw how Minor tried and struggled as teams learned more about him, I’d assume the same could happen to Beachy. We all know Teheran and Delgado will not have a full season in the league this year. The thing about those veterans, you already know all of the above. If they don’t make the team out of ST then your really not any worse off. I just don’t think you should limit your options.
Arkansas Transplant
December 29th, 2010
11:22 am
jeffrey d
Now that’s funny
Arkansas Transplant
December 29th, 2010
11:25 am
We all know what Penny or Sheets bring to the table when healthy, once again, if they don’t make the team out of ST then your really not out of anything. You hand that spot to one of the 4 mentioned prospects.
shinburger
December 29th, 2010
11:27 am
I cant wait for spring training to see who wins the centerfield job. I think between schafer, mclouth, and young somebody will step up and have a solid year. I am also excited to see some of those speedy minor league guys we signed compete for the job. There just has to be a diamond in the rough there somewhere. well one could hope anyways.
jeffrey d
December 29th, 2010
11:33 am
shinburger – with his salary and relative inexperience of Schafer and Young, I’m almost positive it’ll be Nate in CF on opening day.
Hillbilly
December 29th, 2010
11:37 am
Watched “From Dusk Til Dawn” last night for the first time in about 10 years. Lord have mercy, Salma.
shinburger
December 29th, 2010
11:44 am
shinburger – with his salary and relative inexperience of Schafer and Young, I’m almost positive it’ll be Nate in CF on opening day.
I agree jeffrey but it will still be interesting to see what some of those other guys have. I guess i am mostly excited to see if schafer can put it back together we really need him for years to come and would save a lot of money on a free agent signing. I think a lot of us might be getting our hopes up a little high on him though including me.
shinburger
December 29th, 2010
11:47 am
By the way, what is taking dayton moore so long to pull the trigger on a kawakami deal? Does he not know hes available? Hes got too!
Gobrizaves
December 29th, 2010
11:49 am
i like it, but mcout in 2 hole or anywhere in lineup, may God have mercy on our brave souls!
jeffrey d
December 29th, 2010
11:56 am
Matt Young is 5′8″? My goodness, that’s shorter than McLouth. This is Marcus Giles territory
gcs
December 29th, 2010
12:01 pm
How about the OCTOBER 1, 2011 line-up:
1. Martin Prado 3B
2. Jason Heyward RF
3. Alex Gonzalez SS
4. Brian McCann C
5. Dan Uggla 2B
6. late season trade who will leave after the season is over CF
7. Eric Hinske LF
8. Freddie Freeman 1B
9. Pitcher du Jour
.
klaus
December 29th, 2010
12:04 pm
McClouth starts in AAA is my bet. Until prove otherwise his issues are not going to be addressed with a cool line up slot. Schafer could bump him from that spot in ST. If not Schafer perhaps a late ST move by Wren.
Hard to have your 4 hole hitter be a catcher who will need to sit 1-2 a week and can go through extended slumps. Mac has never done well as a 4 hole guy relative to other 4 hole hitters around the league. He is the best this team has had but Uggla is better so make the move already.
If Uggla cannot be the 4 hole hitter is he worth 65-70mm over 5 years? Probably but on a team with a payroll freeze (of sorts) maybe not so much.
FF at 8 is not a great idea especially for a kid who is a notorious slow starter (at every level he has played at). Put Gonzo there.
Chipper like Nate (but for different reasons) is a total crap shoot. He was bad in 2009 and most of 2010 (until a week before he got hurt). No one knows what he has left and many were calling for him to bat 6 or 7th last year by June.
He is by his own admission way out of shape and ST starts in less than two months. Chipper has never been a gym rat so it be interesting to see what kind of shape he is in in 45 days.
My guess on Chipper is he starts very slow and may not play more than 100-110 games in 2011.
So Fredi my have to play roll the dice with his line up all season.
What he thinks it will be now is a Nostradamus moment.
jeffrey d
December 29th, 2010
12:04 pm
I don’t like Gonzalez batting 3rd….or Eric Hinske starting
JOelll
December 29th, 2010
12:10 pm
whats with all these braves fans hating mclouth? dude has talent and I still believe he can play man, give him a chance people give up too fast. Oh and by the way….3,4,5, 6 i believe should be chipper, uggla heyward, mccann….trust me
Bat Masterson
December 29th, 2010
12:16 pm
Watched “From Dusk Til Dawn” last night for the first time in about 10 years. Lord have mercy, Salma. _ Hillbilly
Ten years? Gotta have my Santanico Pandemonium fix more often than that.
Big Jake
December 29th, 2010
12:17 pm
Big Jake and anyone else who cant figure out why Nate is projected at 2nd, really? Come on, the Braves have to hope McLouth bounces back, not to mention it wont be the first time a player has had a bad year and returned to form the following season. Eric
did you actually read the posts? the point was it being the two hole. He is not an ideal #2 hitter. much better suited for lead off. What you are saying there has nothing to do with it.
Big Jake
December 29th, 2010
12:20 pm
Prado LF
Gonzalez SS
Chip MARK
you want to bat a player with an OBP of UNDER 300 second? Really?
mcclouth for president
December 29th, 2010
12:22 pm
1. Prado
2. Chipper
3. Uggla
4. McCann
5. Heyward
6. Gonzalez
7. McClouth
8. Freeman
9. Pitcher
DAP
December 29th, 2010
12:24 pm
klaus Mac has never done well as a 4 hole guy relative to other 4 hole hitters around the league.
can you prove that? because if you researched that, i bet youd find out that its false.
Big Jake
December 29th, 2010
12:25 pm
McClouth starts in AAA is my bet. Klaus
i will absolutely take that bet. Name your terms, whatever you are willing to lose I will take
Bat Masterson
December 29th, 2010
12:26 pm
Let me finish my lineup. I’m on bootlegged internet in Seaside, FL and I got bumped off:
Prado FL
Gonzo SS _ Mark’s for the Braves
Do you turn your brain off when on vacation, Mark? Say hey to Truman for me, okay.
Hillbilly
December 29th, 2010
12:27 pm
Yeah Bat,
It’s harder to find time for Tarantino-style entertainment these days with the little ones around. Those little ears and eyes don’t miss much.
McFann O O
December 29th, 2010
12:28 pm
klaus Mac has never done well as a 4 hole guy relative to other 4 hole hitters around the league.
I wouldn’t say that at all.
Billy
December 29th, 2010
12:31 pm
Nate hitting in the 2 hole is contingent with how he produces in ST. If he does not show production in ST Fredi most likely will move him to another spot. Nate is capable of being of being a producer. Will he be a producer again? We will have to wait till ST for that answer or we can read all the fortune tellers here predict the future.
Arkansas Transplant
December 29th, 2010
12:31 pm
Gonzalez didn’t have a down year last year and still only put up an OBP of .294.
Snotboogie
December 29th, 2010
12:35 pm
Good Lord Line-ups are being posted like its mid-season!! Do we have a game tonight??
I am not sure, but were you the one who wished Wren would finish all the deals by Dec so that we can coast upto ST ?
TennesseePaul
December 29th, 2010
12:35 pm
DAP: can you prove that? because if you researched that, i bet youd find out that its false.
Well, a few weeks ago I did research that…. I found it to be false.
klaus
December 29th, 2010
12:36 pm
I did research it and I watch 155 games a year to boot. He is not bad (not what am saying) but he is not an optimal 4 hole hitter. Not more than a 20-25 HR if healthy and sub 100 RBI guy. Great numbers for a catcher but you need more from the 4 spot IMHO.
In the 4 hole you need 30+ HR and 100-120 RBIs guy if you can get him. That and someone who plays every day and won’t require the manager to fiddle with the line up too often.
To be clear part of the reason Mac is not as good as other 4 hole hitters is his position. Between injuries and time off it creates issues with the line up.
If Mac played 1B or was a 1B/DH in the AL he would be a better 4 hole hitter comparatively. That last word is key to what I am saying – comparatively.
Mac was the best option on this team since Tex for the 4 hole spot. But best compared to who else was on the team and or what they were doing. The Braves have lacked a true 4 hole hitter for years. Tex was it but he starts slow and was gone before we new it. Everyone else has been a flawed band aid.
Mac is not an ideal 4 hole guy (again position oriented view) and would be better at 5, 6 or if he was more athletic 3.
Bat Masterson
December 29th, 2010
12:38 pm
Those little ears and eyes don’t miss much. _ Hillbilly
Ain’t that the truth.
jim
December 29th, 2010
12:44 pm
At this time of year, that lineup just reflects Freddi Gonzalez’s current thinking. It is no more etched in stone than some of the lineups posted on this blog. Freddi will not move Chipper out of the 3 hole in December, and can throw McLouth a bone now as a confidence builder as he prepares mentally for the season. The lineup on April 1 could look a lot different, not to mention the lineup on Aug. 1
Booby's Blunders
December 29th, 2010
12:46 pm
Look through all the rose colored glasses that you want; but the plain truth is – The Braves do not have major league quality players in Center Field, at Shortstop, or at 3rd Base – and 1st Base is a question mark with an unproven rookie. To make the situation worse, a huge part of the payroll is tied up at third base. Even worse, what could have been a great (basically young) starting pitching staff is now in serious
doubt. After Hudso and Hanson, you have question marks – Medlin out for the season and JJ not having been consistant after his shoulder injury (who knows if either of them will ever return as quality pitchers). Lowe is a year older and who knows. The promising young talent is unproven. The Braves continue to have pitcher injury afer injury – but keep the same pitching coach. This may or may not be the fault of his conditioning program.
old fart
December 29th, 2010
12:48 pm
Chipper ain’t playin in 2011. He’s gonna retire before spring training
CraZyTRaDeMaN
December 29th, 2010
12:54 pm
I am not sure, but were you the one who wished Wren would finish all the deals by Dec so that we can coast upto ST ?
Yeah I think I was but, looking at it now I’m not sure what’s worse CraZy trade scenarios or Line-up posts in late December??
I can’t wait until I read a DOB Blog from Dark Star. I’m ready for sum Baseball!!!
↑↑↑↑ Hey Look .Don-Key’s back under his alias Booby’s Blunders ↑↑↑↑
DAP
December 29th, 2010
12:54 pm
10paul DAP: can you prove that? because if you researched that, i bet youd find out that its false.
Well, a few weeks ago I did research that…. I found it to be false.
i saw that post. thanks for allowing me to rebutt with confidence.
klaus I did research it and I watch 155 games a year to boot. He is not bad (not what am saying) but he is not an optimal 4 hole hitter.
not optimal? or not good relative to other 4 hitters? because thats two different things. his performance compared to other 4 hitters isnt an opinion, it can be measured. if you researched it (which i know you didnt) youd find that mccann is not a worse hitter than other #4 hitters around the league.
In the 4 hole you need 30+ HR and 100-120 RBIs guy if you can get him. That and someone who plays every day and won’t require the manager to fiddle with the line up too often.
i did a little research for you, and decided that “playing everyday” should be like 150 games. that leaves 8 players that are 4 hole hitters in your book. there are 30 teams, so it looks like there are some team that will have to go to battle without that. (by the way, a couple of those 8 guys werent even cleanup hitters. more evidence your definition isnt held my everyone)
TennesseePaul
December 29th, 2010
12:54 pm
League totals (sans McCann) and McCann Totals Batting Clean-Up (4th) from 2006 through 2010
________AVG__OBP__SLG__OPS_XBH/PA_RBI/PA
League .276 .358 .482 .841 0010.5 0006.7
McCann .283 .362 .478 .840 0010.5 0006.1
CraZyTRaDeMaN
December 29th, 2010
12:56 pm
Booby’s Blunders 12:46
Hey BOOB you’ve only posted that 20,000 times over the past 4 months can’t you at least get some new material?
TennesseePaul
December 29th, 2010
12:57 pm
Majors totals (sans McCann) and McCann Totals Batting Clean-Up (4th) from 2006 through 2010
________AVG__OBP__SLG__OPS_XBH/PA_RBI/PA
Majors .277 .357 .481 .839 0010.6 0006.6
McCann .283 .362 .478 .840 0010.5 0006.1
TennesseePaul
December 29th, 2010
12:59 pm
As to the XBH/PA, RBI/PA… that is the number of plate appearances between RBI’s or extra base hits. (Plate appearances not at bats.) It’s a rate… a rate at which McCann maintains or bests the League/Majors levels
TennesseePaul
December 29th, 2010
1:00 pm
I knew there was a reason I saved all that research.
Snotboogie
December 29th, 2010
1:02 pm
Yeah I think I was but, looking at it now I’m not sure what’s worse CraZy trade scenarios or Line-up posts in late December??
I can’t wait until I read a DOB Blog from Dark Star. I’m ready for sum Baseball!!!
I agree – ridiculous trade proposals = 10,000 lineups.
It seems to be only a short wait before we start reading about Camp Leo and early BP. So hurrah for that.
TnBrian
December 29th, 2010
1:03 pm
Booby’s Blunders, who exactly are you comparing the Braves team to? The Phillies? Outside of the Phills rotation ours is probably one of the better, deeper rotations in the league. Our lineup will be fine. We survived a basically Chipper-less lineup this year, a massively streaky Glaus, pretty unproductive SS in Escobar and Gonzalez, no CF, LF made of platoons, no Jurrjens, half a year of Medlen, a very mediocre Lowe until that last month and off and on injuries out the ass to key players. We not only survived that, but made the playoffs.
What exactly are you bit*** about again? Exactly, you don’t know sh** about this team or baseball period.
Wow...
December 29th, 2010
1:11 pm
-Question mark at 3rd base.
-Question mark at 1st base.
-Question mark in LF when Chipper get hurts and Prado has to move to 3rd
-Black hole in CF and SS
-Minus Hudson, suspect pitching staff (and I doubt he puts up the same type of year he did last season)
-Question marks all through out the bullpen
The Braves don’t look so good with the homerism turned off.