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© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
3,368 comments Add your comment
McFann O O
December 29th, 2010
4:24 pm
Ms. Rogers—
Figgin’ awesome!
Granted, he always does, and he’s a hard worker, but to hear a guy who’s won four Silver Sluggers sound that hungry to get better is a good sign for the Braves.
Heck to the freaking yes!
Thanks for the post!
Lew
December 29th, 2010
4:25 pm
McFann-Uggla’s presence in the lineup makes everyone hitting ahead of him better. Even with McNate hitting second, Uggla still protects Chipper and Mac so they have to pitch to Nate and can’t really afford to pitch around anyone.
Trey
December 29th, 2010
4:27 pm
How goes it?
McFann O O
December 29th, 2010
4:27 pm
Lew—
Valid point…there’s really no way I cann argue that one.
Hope. It. Works exactly the way you’re saying!
bbetsill
December 29th, 2010
4:28 pm
1 Prado
2 Chipper
3 Heyward
4 Uggla
5 McCann
6 A-Gon
7 Freeman
8 Pitcher
9 McLouth
nolie
December 29th, 2010
4:29 pm
Nate on steroids? WTH did that come from?
nolie
December 29th, 2010
4:31 pm
must be a whole passel of folks on here who haven’t watched baseball more than a year or two.Seems like the concept of a guy having a bad year and bouncing back is totally foreign to them
ramblingman
December 29th, 2010
4:34 pm
Good point, nolie. Some think that merely repeating something makes it automatically true after a certain amount of time. Bringing up the truth or facts just tend to confuse them.
bbetsill
December 29th, 2010
4:34 pm
a 252 lifetime Batting Avg. is more than one bad year
Carroll Rogers
December 29th, 2010
4:35 pm
McFann, you crack me up…Heck to the freakin yeah!
bbetsill
December 29th, 2010
4:35 pm
that is the fact
nolie
December 29th, 2010
4:35 pm
what did they blame a guy having a bad year on B4 there were steroids? Bad bubble gum?
nolie
December 29th, 2010
4:36 pm
a 252 lifetime Batting Avg. is more than one bad year bbet
got news for you dude, except for last season Nate was in the top third of all CFers each year. Basing much on BA alone is pretty damn ignorant
Movie critic
December 29th, 2010
4:37 pm
Mcfann – did you see the movie “Brewsters Millions”? One of the stars reminded me so much of Mccann. There weren’t many action shots but when “John Candy” had the “tools of ignorance” on (catchers gear for the uninformed), he looked exactly like Mccann. Plus stuff on Candy jiggles just like on Mccann when they run.
nolie
December 29th, 2010
4:37 pm
and THAT is the FACT!
McFann O O
December 29th, 2010
4:37 pm
Ms. Rogers—
Ha, thanks—glad to be of service!
Not sure from where I picked that up…
nolie
December 29th, 2010
4:38 pm
“stuff”???
nolie
December 29th, 2010
4:38 pm
McCann has jiggly stuff McF. Did you know that?
McFann O O
December 29th, 2010
4:38 pm
Nope, never saw that movie, and GEEEEEEEEZ, you don’t have to be so rude.
McFann O O
December 29th, 2010
4:39 pm
nolie—
No, I didn’t…in fact, I don’t even WANT to know what that guy means by that……
bbetsill
December 29th, 2010
4:39 pm
The FACT is this is a HITTERS game if you can’t HIT go home
nolie
December 29th, 2010
4:41 pm
like I said except for 2010 he did hit in the top third of CFers. that means he was better the 2 out of three, some years much higher than that. Hit that a lick bb
nolie
December 29th, 2010
4:42 pm
I think he was teasing you about B-man being a tad overweight.
Arkansas Transplant
December 29th, 2010
4:44 pm
He’s just filling out.
bbetsill
December 29th, 2010
4:45 pm
where does that stat come from
nolie
December 29th, 2010
4:45 pm
everybody knows that the camera makes you look fat…
nolie
December 29th, 2010
4:45 pm
what stat? just look at his OPS for each year and compare it to other CFers. not hard at all
nolie
December 29th, 2010
4:48 pm
hey Nate might in fact NOT come back, but to say he was always awful is pretty out of touch with reality. very few CFers hit all that well any more.especially post 2006 or so.
bbetsill
December 29th, 2010
4:49 pm
so you took time to compare every center fielder in the the game the last ten years
bbetsill
December 29th, 2010
4:51 pm
So center feilder of today are the short stop of the 80s
monty
December 29th, 2010
4:51 pm
Of course things will start working themselves out in ST. If Nate looks good then I’d hit him leadoff-he’s our best base-stealing threat. Prado 2nd because he can hit to right-center.Chipper if he’s rattling the fences in ST, no brainer, 3rd. But if he’s hitting weakly? “Houston we have a problem”. Too embarrassing for Chipper to go low in the lineup, so best bet is 2nd,(although I can’t picture Chip laying down a bunt). Where have you gone Joe Dimaggio? Anyway I digress. Assuming Chip hits 3rd, then Uggla 4th, McCann 5th, Heyward 6th,Freddie 7th, and Agon 8th.
If Chip can’t regain at leat a good doubles stroke, he has to hit 2nd and then my lineup would be: Mclouth
Jones
Prado Uggla
McCann
jeffrey d
December 29th, 2010
4:52 pm
in fact, I don’t even WANT to know what that guy means by that……
Means he’s fat
Bat Masterson
December 29th, 2010
4:55 pm
I’m not going to ask a guy that gets on base over 40% of the time to bunt I don’t care where he hits. Besides bunting does not increase your odds of scoring a run.
nolie
December 29th, 2010
4:56 pm
instead of making stupid smart arse remarks why not spend your time constructively and learn something?
What? because you are too disinterested to do that means that nobody else would?
You must not have been posting long here to not have noticed all the research that a number of denizens do and post.
keylargo
December 29th, 2010
4:57 pm
Nate in September after being called back up:
.273 .359 .527 .887
That’ll do just fine IMO. Also he had TWO HR’s taken away, one a Grand Slam, by spectacular defensive plays.
I still am thinking Nate had trouble adjusting to the contact lens. And even if that was not the problem, he was back in September.
And McFann, I’m sure they were talking about bellies jiggling and nothing else.
jeffrey d
December 29th, 2010
4:57 pm
Oh gosh, don’t bring up bunting. Some people on here talk like that is the single most important thing you have to do to win games. Send up 27 batters a game, all of them bunting.
nolie
December 29th, 2010
4:57 pm
amen Bat, preach the gospel
Steve from OH
December 29th, 2010
4:57 pm
Besides bunting does not increase your odds of scoring a run.
Of scoring one run? Sometimes it does. Of scoring more than one run? Never (or almost so).
McFann O O
December 29th, 2010
4:58 pm
4:44: He’s just filling out.
4:45: where does that stat come from
Perfection.
nolie everybody knows that the camera makes you look fat
Yup: Adds 10 pounds to your appearance.
jeffrey d—
I know…but it just sounded weirder than it had to.
TennesseePaul
December 29th, 2010
4:59 pm
so you took time to compare every center fielder in the the game the last ten years
10 years!? I didn’t think Nate had been playing that long… oh wait, nolie’s statement was except for last season Nate was in the top third of all CFers each year…
Naturally that takes it back ten years since Nate has only played 100+ games as far back as 19… wait a minute, 2006.
McFann O O
December 29th, 2010
4:59 pm
keylargo—
I know…sorry for the bizarre form of confusion…
jeffrey d
December 29th, 2010
5:00 pm
Bunts, there’s never a bad time to bunt. Bunts bunts bunts
nolie
December 29th, 2010
5:01 pm
I hope you are right KL. It would be a big help if Nate could at least bounce back to 780 OPS or so.
If not, well like Carroll said something will be done. Best scenario, is bothe Schafer and McLouth hit well from the get-go.
If neither happens I guess Young and that new CFer the picked up last month will get some chances. They both have decent minor league OBPs.
Crime Dog
December 29th, 2010
5:01 pm
I wish a regulation baseball game had 12 innings so there could be three more innings of bunts.
TennesseePaul
December 29th, 2010
5:02 pm
keylargo: Nate had a lot of things go wrong with him this season. Sucks for him and the team. Gotta hand it to the guy for being a professional about it all. Didn’t complain or bitch when demoted. Worked his butt off to get back and produce. I’m fairly certain he is fired up about making a statement this season… I wouldn’t be surprised to hear one of those “best shape of my life” quotes come out of him at some point.
nolie
December 29th, 2010
5:03 pm
other than the pitcher there are fairly few good times to bunt
jeffrey d
December 29th, 2010
5:05 pm
other than the pitcher there are fairly few good times to bunt
I’m talking top of the first, #2 hitter up. Bunts bunts bunts….
Bat Masterson
December 29th, 2010
5:08 pm
Gotta try, nolie
A man at first with no outs is more likely to score than a man at second with one out, period.
TennesseePaul
December 29th, 2010
5:10 pm
Here you go nolie. I don’t have time to go through it all, but this is the cumulative data for pre 2010.
Center Fielder performance from 2006-2009 (4 years)
This is the National League compared with Nate McLouth over that period.
_________AVG__OBP__SLG__OPS
NLeague .271 .342 .437 .779
McLouth .261 .346 .453 .799
And yes, I noticed he had a terrible year last year (2010).
Bat Masterson
December 29th, 2010
5:11 pm
Bunting the pitcher is a whole nother issue, granted.
jeffrey d
December 29th, 2010
5:11 pm
I coach my brother’s little league team. Instead of practicing, all we do is sit down and watch the bunting section of Fred McGriff’s Tom Emanski video over and over.
Okay, practice dismissed
keylargo
December 29th, 2010
5:12 pm
How many times do you figure the #2 hitter in the Braves lineup bunted last year? 6 or 8?
Martin Prado had 3 in 651 PA’s.
Fredi won’t vary far from that.
TennesseePaul
December 29th, 2010
5:12 pm
A man at first with no outs is more likely to score than a man at second with one out, period
This one I would like to see Bat. I’ve read this but there was always a distinction in probability of scoring and total runs scored.
Steve from OH
December 29th, 2010
5:13 pm
10Paul–how’d you get those numbers? It’d be a good resource to have on hand for the future…
Bat Masterson
December 29th, 2010
5:15 pm
a 252 lifetime Batting Avg. is more than one bad year _ bbetsill
The arguments remain the same, only the names are changed to protect the foolish.
keylargo
December 29th, 2010
5:18 pm
Tennessee Paul – I agree with you 100%. You and I and two others make 4 that think he is going to have a productive year, not counting the Front Office who seem to be in his corner. I’m not trying to stir anything up, but he reminds me of someone the Braves let go in 09 that had a better year in 10 than any Brave offensively.
Nate will be back.
Bat Masterson
December 29th, 2010
5:18 pm
10Paul_
I have it bookmarked on another browser, I’ll see if I can find the site again. The odds are small, maybe 6 or 8 runs over the course of a season difference.
Steve from OH
December 29th, 2010
5:20 pm
Nate will be back.
I think he’ll perform adequately enough (he certainly won’t do as poorly as last year), but there’s no doubt he’ll be on a short least, and the first guy that can take his job will if worst comes to worst.
LJ
December 29th, 2010
5:22 pm
go CR go
Steve from OH
December 29th, 2010
5:22 pm
10 Paul–bunting can increase the probability of scoring one run (if used correctly and if you think about who hits next, etc.), but will always decrease your expected run output. You always stand to score more runs by not giving away outs.
I think the table in on BP, if you’re curious.
VaBravesFan
December 29th, 2010
5:25 pm
The CF postion around the majors isnt packed with alot of Offense. Nate was one of the good ones. I think he can bounce back and put of average numbers. After last season…. I’d be happy with a 250ish avg. 10-15 homers.
UKUGA
December 29th, 2010
5:25 pm
Hopefully, this off-season, no more of our players go blind.
Bat Masterson
December 29th, 2010
5:26 pm
10Paul
Here is one link:
http://www.twinkietown.com/2009/11/16/1158989/on-productive-outs
I think I have another somewhere
Steve from OH
December 29th, 2010
5:27 pm
And in any case, Nate’s offense concerns me less than his defense. We need good defenders, and that he ain’t.
ramblingman
December 29th, 2010
5:28 pm
“everybody knows that the camera makes you look fat…”
Reminds me of the classic line from Friends…
Exactly how many cameras were on you in that picture?
richbrave
December 29th, 2010
5:40 pm
Carroll Rogers
December 29th, 2010
4:23 pm
Huh?? it’s Schafer, not Schaefer, and it’s not O’Brien either writing this or making out that lineup….just an fyi…..And if Chipper can’t go and they move Prado to third, then they will get more help in the lineup. …Also if Nate scuffles again, I can’t imagine they’d wait too long to do something about that either, but that’s not something they can determine on Dec. 29.
CARROLL:
Don’t you love how some people put up outlandish statements and rather than claim them, hide behind the facility of a bogus commenter name.
wisket
December 29th, 2010
5:42 pm
Hey I always comment under this name. I’m personality #5. That richbrave doesn’t understand me or my need to be serruptitious when I’m outspoken.
richbrave
December 29th, 2010
5:45 pm
Enter your comments here
Longarm
December 29th, 2010
5:52 pm
Jordan Schafer will be in CF and batting second.
Steve from OH
December 29th, 2010
5:55 pm
Jordan Schafer will be in CF and batting second
We can only hope this will be the case for years to come. The kid can be a dynamic player for us. And if that comes to pass, hopefully he remembers that the Braves (seemingly) were good to him during difficult times.
Lew
December 29th, 2010
5:55 pm
Thank God Center Fielders aren’t the shortstops of the 60’s.
Lew
December 29th, 2010
6:09 pm
I’m not saying Nate won’t have a better season (couldn’t have one much worse), but let’s not get all warm and fuzzy over that September average – it looks a bit differently when viewed close up.
Yeah, he ended the month with that .273, but from September 1 -13, he went 9-23 and raised his decrepit batting average from .165 to .190.
HOWEVER…… from September 14 through the end of the season on October 3, he went 6 for his final 32, for a .190 BA – exactly the figure he ended the season with.
Like I said – I certainly hope he does come back strong, but it’s going to take more than 23 AB over a two week period to convince me – especially when he finished as slowly as he did.
The leash will be very short.
Braveheart
December 29th, 2010
6:11 pm
McCann also had a 19% walk rate last season with RISP. The league average walk rate with RISP was 12% last season.
With RISP and first base open, McCann had a 30% walk rate last season. The league average walk rate with RISP and first base open was 16% last season.
McCann had the 10th highest walk rate in the NL with RISP last season, behind only Adrian Gonzalez, Chipper, Pujols, Fielder, Willingham, Werth, Votto, Reynolds, Ruiz. Guys that are either scary and/or have protection issues behind them.
Heyward was ranked 12th. Uggla was ranked 24th. So Chipper, McCann, Heyward and Uggla were all ranked in the top 24. Can’t pitch around all 4 of them this year. Eventually you’ll have to give in and pitch to one of them.
Wayde
December 29th, 2010
6:21 pm
I think Chipper batting second since he is switch hitter and his power numbers are going to be down.
Prado
Chipper
Heyward
Uggla
McCann
Gonzo
Freeman
McLouth
keylargo
December 29th, 2010
6:24 pm
Jordan Schafer will be in CF and batting second.
He be in CF in Gwinnett and leading off.
MR BASEBALL
December 29th, 2010
6:26 pm
McLouth = nearly 8 mil for a .190 hitter
Chipper = 14 mil for a washed-up, coming off surgery thirdbaseman
Gonzalez = low onbase percentage, too many errors; occasional power
Freeman = unproven rookie; can’t expect too much
It appears to me half the starting lineup is highly suspect. No speed; sporadic power.
2nd place at best in a weak division.
Snotboogie
December 29th, 2010
6:28 pm
McCann had the 10th highest walk rate in the NL with RISP last season, behind only Adrian Gonzalez, Chipper, Pujols, Fielder, Willingham, Werth, Votto, Reynolds, Ruiz .
Basically Ruiz >> Mac
chad was right all along
(Let me get into my kevlar armor for the rest of the night)
MR BASEBALL
December 29th, 2010
6:28 pm
By midseason Jordan Schafer will be at Mississippi(AA); McLouth will be hitting .220, and Frank Wren will have wished he had made that trade for Lorenzo Cain or Jacoby Ellsbury.
Tomahawkin
December 29th, 2010
6:30 pm
Soulja!
“Get Out The WAYYY!!! (Boom) Pretty Boy Coming Through! Me And My Crew! We Swaggin In The Room!”
Whats Up All?
MR BASEBALL
December 29th, 2010
6:31 pm
I read on here how the Braves’ pitching staff is comparable to the Phillies as the best in the National League.
Neither can hold a candle to the World Champion Giants.
Braveheart
December 29th, 2010
6:31 pm
SB, I nearly didn’t post it because Ruiz’s name was higher. That ticked me off. But if McCann batted 7th and 8th in front of the pitcher like Ruiz does, there’s no telling how often McCann would be walked with RISP and first base open.
Tomahawkin
December 29th, 2010
6:31 pm
keylargo
[Jordan Schafer will be in CF and batting second.]
“He will be in CF in Gwinnett and leading off.”
Co-Sign and take it to the Bank!
Bat Masterson
December 29th, 2010
6:35 pm
MR BASEBALL my ass!
Snotboogie
December 29th, 2010
6:39 pm
Phillies:
Rollins = 8.5 mil for a guy coming off his worst season
Polanco= 5.25 mil for a washed-up third baseman who slugged 320 in Aug,Sept and Oct
Howard = 20 M , too many errors; declining power
Brown = unproven rookie; can’t expect too much
It appears to me half the starting lineup is highly suspect.
2nd place at best in a weak division.
DS1
December 29th, 2010
6:41 pm
SB (at 6:39p)
Now that was funny!
Snotboogie
December 29th, 2010
6:43 pm
BH
Yes, Ruiz and Reynolds stick out on that list a bit, but your disclaimer about “lack of protection” took care of that. Great stat-pull as usual.
Snotboogie
December 29th, 2010
6:48 pm
DS1
Hope people dont think I am actually that delusional.
jeffrey d
December 29th, 2010
6:53 pm
He be in CF in Gwinnett and leading off.
Yargh, these words be true
jeffrey d
December 29th, 2010
6:54 pm
Isn’t Mr. Baseball Tom Selleck?
Bat Masterson
December 29th, 2010
6:55 pm
I agree with Wayne, funny SB.
keylargo
December 29th, 2010
6:55 pm
HOWEVER…… from September 14 through the end of the season on October 3, he went 6 for his final 32, for a .190 BA – exactly the figure he ended the season with.
What BS. What if you factored in the two HR’s he was robbed of? Back to .250.
I am so F’n sick of negative losers.
Bat Masterson
December 29th, 2010
7:00 pm
No sign of Mark’s for the Braves when I went through Seaside this afternoon. And you know a guy that wants to hit Gonzo second is going to stand out in a crowd. Probably hiding, can’t say as I blame him.
Snotboogie
December 29th, 2010
7:05 pm
Thanks, Bat.
Frank Wren
December 29th, 2010
7:12 pm
If Chipper would only retire I could use that $14 million and get an everyday thirdbaseman, one that can hit more than 10 homers and higher than .265 …
Crime Dog
December 29th, 2010
7:17 pm
Maybe Chipper should just agree to be paid in new Trident layers, since we all expect him to just give up money that was legally promised him.
Bat Masterson
December 29th, 2010
7:18 pm
The local accountant I hired recently to help me got engaged over Christmas. I had to stop by her office today and she showed me the ring, she is very excited. Bless her hippy chick heart, I hope it works out for her.
bp
December 29th, 2010
7:18 pm
McOut cannot be on this roster.Biggest mistake we ever made.
jeffrey d
December 29th, 2010
7:20 pm
Yes, Chipper, please retire so we can replace that horrid .400 OBP with one of the several FA third basemen. Like Pedro Feliz
jeffrey d
December 29th, 2010
7:23 pm
And before any suggest Adrian Beltre, remember he’s only had 2 good seasons – in the final years of his 2 contracts.
And in 2009, he failed to hit 10 HR and hit above .265
Bat Masterson
December 29th, 2010
7:27 pm
Tell ‘em jeffery