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4,178 comments Add your comment
Glord1
January 31st, 2011
9:01 am
DOB my point is not that Pedro Feliz is in the same universe as Chipper Jones. He is not. My point is that many Braves fans think Chipper has been a huge bargain and because he struggles to stay on the field his yearly production is a lot closer to a journeyman player than many think.
Until the last two years Chipper has been a stud whenever he has been on the field. Unfortunately that has not been often enough.
I will give you another comparison – Chipper per 7 years 22 HR 77 RBI 77 runs and a .300 ave.
Another NL switch hitter over the same years – 29 HR 96 RBI 86 runs and a .292 ave. Made comparable salaries.
Not many Braves fans would say Lance Berkman was a much more productive player than Chipper over the last 7 years but he has been.
Is that a better comparison?
"Almost There" P-Town Brave ©
January 31st, 2011
9:08 am
BFC26-
Yes, I was watching when Booker T came out at #21 and Big Daddy Cool came out at #32…
Was quite disappointed they weren’t booked to last longer, and was pretty disappointed in the Rumble match itself…
That and Santino screwed me out of some money as Orton was one of the #’s I drew in my Rumble Roulette pool…
The only real redeeming thing was actually the curtain jerker…
The Edge/Ziggler match was outstanding…and to have Edge finish him off w/ Christian’s Unprettier was just an absolute pop…
raleighbravefan
January 31st, 2011
9:11 am
Glord1 – “until the last 2 years Chipper has been a stud”…
It was at the end of 2008, when he was still being a “stud” when he got the contract extension. You can say that you would have predicted a decline, but many players have had great careers after a team has given up on them. It is a shame Chipper has been hurt some the last 2 years, but I don’t question the extension AT ALL.
Arkansas Transplant
January 31st, 2011
9:22 am
P-Town Brave, What did you father say about ST? Did he enjoy it?
tiger297
January 31st, 2011
9:23 am
Glord1 – Can you put Berkmans salary numbers up there? I would like to see how they compare
Don
January 31st, 2011
9:24 am
If Pendleton is just as good at coaching first base as he was as a hitting coach, – Does this mean that the only runs we will score will be on Home Runs? — (Just kidding). We will never know how much of Pendleotn’s failure as a hitting coach was because of his own lack of ability/skills – and how much was because the players hid not heed his advice because they knew that Bobby Cox would not back him up – that is that Bobby Cox would not do anything to punish them, limit their playing time etc. if they did not listen to Pendleton.
CB
January 31st, 2011
9:27 am
Berkman salary 2006-2010 – 14.5mil per year.
Glord1
January 31st, 2011
9:28 am
Over the last 7 years Berkman has made 89 mil and Chipper has made 96 mil. Pretty close.
"Almost There" P-Town Brave ©
January 31st, 2011
9:35 am
AT-
Just got back last night so I didn’t get much of a chance to talk to him w/ being gone for the ppv…
Had talked to him a couple nights while he was down there…
He got to play ball w/ some of the Braves greats and even got to golf in a pairing w/ Greg McMichael…
I’m sure it was a dream come true…
Best thing, I have an autographed ball waiting for me at the house…
Arkansas Transplant
January 31st, 2011
9:35 am
DOB, any word on Camp McD today? Who has shown up? First impressions?
Arkansas Transplant
January 31st, 2011
9:36 am
Sounds great, sure wish I could have swung it this year.
Glord1
January 31st, 2011
9:37 am
Raleighbravesfan – I agree with you that Wren had to sign Chipper to an extension. Chipper was coming off a great year and Wren was getting killed in the PR department. He was dealing with multiple offseason failures and had just shown icon Smoltz the door. He banked Chipper would continue to produce and when he could not he would retire a Brave and walk away.
Something to think about. The last 3B I can remember that was a stud into his late 30s was Mike Schmidt. At 37 he had a typical monster year. At 38 the wheels fell off. At 39 he retired 6 weeks into the year. How would the Braves line up look with Martin at 3B and a guy hitting 25 and driving in 85 runs in LF?
I think chipper will struggle this year and walk away. To his credit he has never been a max contract guy and has a lot of pride. I personally hope I am very wrong and he has a great year.
Anders
January 31st, 2011
9:37 am
So I roll out of bed this morning and see the calendar on the verge of February and think to myself – Getting close to pitchers and catchers. I wonder what’s happening on the old blog? So I read 10 or 12 pages of this blog. Discussions ranging from TP as the 1st base coach to who’s the best rock vocalist of all time to Lance Berkmans salary. Really?
Sounds like it’s time to dust this thing off and start getting into game shape. So, anyone want to talk finances? {:
N8
January 31st, 2011
9:38 am
“It is a shame Chipper has been hurt some the last 2 years, but I don’t question the extension AT ALL.”
I don’t really question it either. It was probably a good “risk” at the time considering he had just won the batting title. Like I said last night, there’s still two years remaining on the contract to ultimately determine whether it was a good deal or not over the duration of it.
If Chipper puts up .275/.375 with an OPS around .850-.900, 15+ HR and 75+ RBI the next two years? All will be forgotten about the past two years.
How sad is that when you put it in perspective? If our 14 million dollar 3-hole hitter belts 15 HR and 75 RBI, we’re OK with that.
If Uggla hits 15 HR and 75 RBI this year, the blog and calling lines on Atlanta radio shows will LIGHT UP with people calling for Wren’s head for giving him that extension after the trade.
But yeah, like I told nolie last night, I don’t think I was “down” on the extension when it happened. Probably happy he was remaining a Brave. But just like Lowe’s contract and why some of us didn’t want to give Vazquez a ton of money, it’s always risky giving anybody north of 35 years old a 4 year deal.
Unfortunately, with a guy like Pujols possibly looking at Arod type money (10 years/275 million), I suppose getting 15 HR and 75 RBI for 14 million isn’t really that much of a surprise.
Gas used to be under a dollar a gallon two.
N8
January 31st, 2011
9:41 am
too…. not “two.
Glord1
January 31st, 2011
9:42 am
Anders it’s not my fault if it’s quiet on here. I fired off my rant to get this moving towards Spring training. I even got a DOB response pointing out the flaw in my logic. People must not be quite ready yet. I am because I think the Braves are going to be really good this great weekend weather has me thinking baseball.
Arkansas Transplant
January 31st, 2011
9:43 am
Anders,
Actually Camp McD was scheduled to start today. So there’s a little news.
richbrave
January 31st, 2011
9:47 am
raleighbravefan
January 31st, 2011
9:01 am
The same people calling for Chipper to retire, want us to trade for Albert. First, it won’t happen. Second, he will get 8-10 years on his next contract at a lot more per year than Chipper. How old is he? Do you think he will be worth $25M+ in the last half of that contract? If you are going to debate, at least get a little reality.
Those are people? From their uninformed babble, I thought them body-snatchers from another galaxy.
McFann O O
January 31st, 2011
9:48 am
Anders So I read 10 or 12 pages of this blog. Discussions ranging from TP as the 1st base coach to who’s the best rock vocalist of all time to Lance Berkmans salary.
And Wrennies! Don’t forget about Wrennies!
January’s the most boring month ever…that snow was exciting, but otherwise? Bleh…but, tomorrow is February 1st, and there’s on 2 weeks left till catchers and pitchers report!!! So life is good…baseball’s coming…but right now it’s tricky to say things without sounding like a broken record (though that never stopped Robert…).
Anders
January 31st, 2011
9:48 am
Actually Camp McD was scheduled to start today. So there’s a little news (Arkansas Transplant)
How “voluntary” is that camp? Is it the kind of thing that if you don’t participate it’s frowned upon? I only ask because I haven’t heard of other teams doing and I wonder why not? It just seems odd that the Braves would get a two week jump on everyone and nobody cares?
Anders
January 31st, 2011
9:50 am
The same people calling for Chipper to retire, want us to trade for Albert (richbrave)
Not me. On the Albert part anyway. {:
Anders
January 31st, 2011
9:51 am
Hello McFann! Don’t talk to me about snow. We’ve had over 3 feet in January alone and more on the way this week. Enough already.
Glord1
January 31st, 2011
9:51 am
Alright Anders how about so civil baseball discussion among rivals. Will the Mets rotation be good enough to keep them in the hunt this year or is it just a Mets rebuilding year until all the money comes off the books at the end of the season?
richbrave
January 31st, 2011
9:52 am
Evidently KAWAKAMI is all but untradable. I’m certain it is not for lack of trying on management’s part. Is there one more rock unturned? There must be something going on other than his generally miserable performance this past season. First year, he was decent most of the time. This past season not so much.
Arkansas Transplant
January 31st, 2011
9:53 am
McFann, I wish I would have had a camera on me yesterday, saw a bird that you might would have liked to see.
richbrave
January 31st, 2011
9:54 am
Anders
January 31st, 2011
9:50 am
The same people calling for Chipper to retire, want us to trade for Albert (richbrave)
ANDERS:
What kind of drugs are you on? I NEVER addressed you or said anything about KING ALBERT. WTF!!!!!!
MikeInFl
January 31st, 2011
9:56 am
Whining about Chipper’s contract is just plain simple-minded, IMHO.
All baseball contracts (after 6 years of service time) are a risk. And of course signing a player of Chipper’s stature, and age, was by default going to be a high-risk proposition.
The alternative was… well, it simply didn’t exist. You could NOT just let him walk.
Before lamenting that we’re paying $14 mil for our #3 hitter, how ’bout we consider that we’re paying $430K for our studly #2 (or 3, or 6) hitter in Heyward; and $450 K for our solid #2 starter (Hanson), and $415K for our 10k-per-9 closer, and $430K for our lights-out lefty setup man. (guessing at exact $$ on these, they’re in the ballpark)
So, you’ve got a likely league-average or better 3B in Chipper, a closer, a setup man, a budding superstar OF, and a top-shelf starting pitcher, for less than $16 mil. Sounds like a bargain to me.
Any franchise that is fortunate enough to develop and keep a Hall of Fame player for a career, is going to face the same issue that the Braves have faced with Chipper. It’s the nature of the business. And the key is to balance that cost with some top-notch young talent earning much below their value.
McFann O O
January 31st, 2011
9:56 am
Hello, Anders!
Don’t talk to me about snow.
OK. I’ll come up with a topic for you not to talk to me about, too…
And maybe I better not tell you about the Spring weather we had this weekend…you might be a Mets fan, but you’re not one that’s asking for that kind of torture.
Arkansas Transplant
January 31st, 2011
9:56 am
I saw 2 roadrunners on the side of the highway on my way back home yesterday. One of them was about a mile from my house. That was the first time I had seen one around this area. I don’t think they make it into Arkansas that often so it was pretty interesting to see.
Glord1
January 31st, 2011
9:57 am
Here is some good news Braves fans. If CJ did retire after this season the Braves would have 29 mil coming off the books next fall ( McLouth and KK). Throw in spending 7 mil on raises and you 22 mil for a CF and LF. Then another 15 comes off with Lowe the next year.
McFann O O
January 31st, 2011
9:57 am
Arkansas Transplant—
Aw man! What kind was it, do you know?
N8
January 31st, 2011
9:58 am
“Those are people? From their uninformed babble…..”
You can pretty much stop right there. That about says it all, when discussing/questioning whether the Braves would consider trading for Pujols.
First of all, anybody with an internet connection (one can only assume anybody who posts on here…. has one), it would have been hard the past few days to NOT see the headlines on pretty much every major sports site talking about Pujols flat out saying he’ll use his 10/5 status to shoot down any trade that the Cards may attempt to work out for him if it appears they can’t sign him.
Second of all, in the midst of discussing why the Braves (and their 90 million dollar payroll) can’t afford to “miss” on a contract of Chipper’s size, that somebody might suggest trading the MULTIPLE prospects (think Freeman, Teheran AND Delgado) to get Pujols, not to mention the fact that his salary that will likely be near 30 million per year (or 1/3 of the Braves payroll…. it’s just funny as hell that anybody would even remotely think it’s an option.
Hell, while we’re at it, lets trade for Sabathia too. Since we’re living in make-believe land.
Glord1
January 31st, 2011
9:59 am
MikeinFl – All good points.
McFann O O
January 31st, 2011
9:59 am
Uh, whoops…spoke too soon…
Roadrunners! Fun! Yeah, I’ve never seen a real live roadrunner…they’re cute.
“Meep-meep!”
richbrave
January 31st, 2011
10:00 am
ANDERS:
I’m waiting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
McFann O O
January 31st, 2011
10:01 am
Neight while we’re at it, lets trade for Sabathia too. Since we’re living in make-believe land.
And maybe when Ross’ contract is up, we could get Mauer to be BMac’s backup…?
Might as well go all-out.
Anders
January 31st, 2011
10:01 am
Alright Anders how about so civil baseball discussion among rivals. Will the Mets rotation be good enough to keep them in the hunt this year or is it just a Mets rebuilding year until all the money comes off the books at the end of the season? (Glord1)
Clearly the latter. They’ll need to catch lightning in a bottle to compete this year which isn’t likley. I think the Mets will absolutely try to trade Beltran for a prospect before the deadline and will even pay most of what’s left on his salary if the prospect is high enough. I also think there’s a better than 50/50 chance they do the same with Reyes. Jose needs to sing for his supper this year and also show he wants to be part of “Alderson’s Mets” That a lot different than Minaya Mets. If he doesn’t show that Alderson won’t care how electric his game is he’ll move him along. No way they spend Crawford money on a player who just hasn’t shown that he’s maturing as a professional, skills aside.
richbrave
January 31st, 2011
10:01 am
Gotta’ go. I’ll get back to you the next time you visit here.
Arkansas Transplant
January 31st, 2011
10:02 am
You know, their part of the cuckoo family. I had seen one in the Tulsa zoo before but that was the first time I had ever noticed one around these parts. The key word there is noticed. I’ve probably seen them before and just never thought about it.
Anders
January 31st, 2011
10:04 am
richbrave- It was a joke my man. Settle down. BTW- my brother is selling his house down your way and heading to Connecticut. I’ll miss my trips to that neck of the woods. Great spot you live in.
Glord1
January 31st, 2011
10:06 am
Anders – I have never been much of a Minaya fan. I think Alderson will turn around the Mets pretty quickly. He is a solid baseball guy that will care more about performance than making a spash in the newspaper with a flashy signing.
"Almost There" P-Town Brave ©
January 31st, 2011
10:07 am
Hmm…
So as of now its looking like my trip to Madison, TN for the Caravan may very well be in jeopardy…
According to the NWS, we are supposed to get anywhere from 12-18 inches of snow here along with some ice between tomorrow morning and Wednesday evening…
N8
January 31st, 2011
10:08 am
“Any franchise that is fortunate enough to develop and keep a Hall of Fame player for a career, is going to face the same issue that the Braves have faced with Chipper. It’s the nature of the business. And the key is to balance that cost with some top-notch young talent earning much below their value” MikeInFl
Excellent point. However, it’s my opinion that any team that fancies itself as a legit WS contender (and not just a team that wants to eek into the playoffs and roll the dice), with a 90 million dollar payroll, has to have BOTH a fair amount of players earning peanuts for salary that produce at a high level and then have the guys that they do choose to spend the money on produce at an even higher level.
If your desire as a fan is to have a competitive team on the field and watch a guy play his entire career with one team (certainly reasonable desires)? What’s not to love about Chipper?
However, if you want the Braves to be considered one of the elite teams that legitimately has a shot to go all the way, they’re going to need more production out of the 3-hole.
Similarily to last year, this argument (on my end) has much more to do with where Chipper did (last year) and might (this year) hit in the lineup.
I really couldn’t care less about his 14 million dollars, but it does help put things into perspective with other players around the league. But let me put it to you this way……
If Chipper put up the 10 HR and 46 RBI last year (like he did), it wouldn’t have mattered to me if he was making 14 million, 23 million or the league minimum. He had no business being the 3-hole hitter last year, and likely doesn’t this year and moving forward for however long he chooses to play.
People can talk OBP all day long. But 3-hole hitters are payed (and expected) to drive in runs and do it consistently and in bunches. If all Chipper has to offer is OBP (and that is a GREAT asset for any team to have – can’t knock in runs if guys aren’t on base to knock in), then he should bat leadoff or 2nd.
McFann O O
January 31st, 2011
10:08 am
Arkansas Transplant You know, their part of the cuckoo family.
Oh, that makes sense—they kind of look like long-legged cuckoos.
I’ve probably seen them before and just never thought about it.
Yeah, that’s how it cann be with some birds…you think hardly see ‘em at all, and then suddenly they’re everywhere! That’s prob’ly how it was for us with Brown-Headed Nuthatches. They used to be rare for us, but now we see them all the time/
Coach (2011 and Fredi G. a GO!)
January 31st, 2011
10:12 am
Dan Uggla’s perennial 30 HR 100 RBI will help the Braves, not only due to his own numbers but the trickle down effect should enhance the rest of the line up. So why bring up the obvious?
Because, ya’ll might be surprised at how much offense we lost from last season. How does 40 HR’s and 224 RBI sound? That’s what Glaus, Cabrera, Infante, Diaz, Lee and Ankiel contributed. Which was roughly 30% of the offense in 2010.
One would think that a full season from Gonzo, Freeman and McLouth will make up the difference, along with possible contributions from Schafer and Mather. So add these five players in with Uggla, and on paper the offense looks slightly better. But how much will the Braves porous defense add to the team ERA? Will Freddie be more aggressive on the base paths, or will our Braves continue to be one of the slowest teams?
Only time will tell but I’m not gonna count the chickens until after spring training hatches.
Anders
January 31st, 2011
10:14 am
Glord1- I refuse to bash Minaya. He certainly had his warts and made his mistakes but he did deliver some good teams for me to watch. Even the two teams that collapsed in September were competitive right to the last day. The Mets were in the playoff hunt for 4 or 5 years in a row. I know to you guys that no big deal, but for Mets fans that’s a nice run. I hope he lands on his feet somewhere.
tiger297
January 31st, 2011
10:14 am
Glord1 – so hopefully you get my point on Berkman-Chipper. You pointed out similar stats and it looks like salaries are pretty close as well.
N8 – I get your point now its related to GM flexibility. With Braves limited payroll even if Chipper was being paid 7-8M a year what would your move have been this offseason? Or are you saying we should have let Chipper walk at the end of his last contract and replaced 3B with what? I’m not trying to be argumentative here I’m just curious as to how you would have played the scenario.
LTBF
January 31st, 2011
10:15 am
Hi Mc Fann
Found you on photo bucket, great photos keep posting them. Got a question. What is high wall just back of left field fence at G Braves field? it looks like it is made of garbage bags.
Anders
January 31st, 2011
10:18 am
N8 – Excellent post at 10:08. Although I do think the $14 mil is relevant his batting 3rd might be more of an albatross. It’ll be interesting to see how Gonzalez handles that – assuming he does.
TennesseePaul
January 31st, 2011
10:18 am
Had a great time this past weekend at the NHL All-Star game. I was a little surprised to find Eve6 playing in the BBQ tent prior to the game. I didn’t expect a band of any notable caliber to be playing. But the entire weekend was a blast, from the Fan Fair on Friday to the Super Skills exhibition and after party on Saturday to the pre-game BBQ and All-Star game on Sunday. Just a great time. The Canadian tenors were excellent on O Canada. Even Clay Aiken sang great for the national anthem.
But, having watched the entire event up close this weekend there are two beliefs I felt reaffirmed. The Star-Spangled Banner is a way cooler national anthem than O Canada and I’m very happy with the way the MLB does their All-Star process. I’d hate to have to have the “pick-up” game/draft mentality. But then, I am one who still loves the distinction and historical relevance between the two leagues, which lends me to disliking Interleague games.
Glord1
January 31st, 2011
10:19 am
N8 – preach on brother. Chipper has been one of the worst 3 hole hitters baseball the last two years but it does not mean he does not have value. He can’t still take a walk and is still a very smart hitter. My problem is that people feel he is owed something for all those great years. He is owed hitting third until he is not the best third hitter anymore. That was last year and will probably be this year. The best organizations value your future performance more than your past performances. The Braves should as well.
Anders
January 31st, 2011
10:27 am
Tenessee Paul- Very cool that you were at the NHL All Star weekend. I never did one of those. I did watch some of it on TV though. The penalty shot competition at the skills thing was pretty lame. You just can’t do the types of things with a puck that the NBA does in their slam dunk competition. It was almost embarrassing to watch.
As for the National Anthems I generally agree with you but having been to the old Montreal Forum and seeing Roger Doucet sing the Canadian National anthem there was like a religous experience. The fans were almost in tears while he sang every night and then there would be an absolute frenzy when he finished. The road team would do all they could just to hang on for the first 10 minutes of the game after that. The largest home ice advantage I’ve ever seen.
Glord1
January 31st, 2011
10:29 am
Tiger 297 – I’m not N8 but I will give you my opinion. Wren should have done exactly what he did. Now Chipper should come into camp in great shape this year to try to give himself the best chance to stay healthy. Them FG should put the best batting order in place without looking at anyones stats from 2003.
Also 50 homers and 140 RBI over 7 years does matter. Ask anyone going to arbitration. Berkman out performed Chipper by a decent amount back which surprised me.
keylargo
January 31st, 2011
10:30 am
January’s the most boring month ever…that snow was exciting, but otherwise? Bleh…
McFann – you’ve got about 60 years left to live. That’s FIVE years of Januaries you’ve got. You’d better find something you like to do outside when it’s cold.
Lew
January 31st, 2011
10:31 am
No, It’s not fair that the older, less productive players make infinitely more than the younger guys who put up better numbers. But……That’s the way it is, y’all and it ain’t going to change – probably ever. It’s like that in the real work world – check out a 2002 situation with IBM in Tampa – and it’s skewed even more in professional sports.
The alternative is the NFL way of doing it and handing millions upon millions to kids who have never even set foot on a pro field.
We live in an imperfect world. Surprised some of you haven’t figured that out. You will when you’ve been around longer. Believe it.
Glord1
January 31st, 2011
10:33 am
Lew you are right. That is the system.
bravofan
January 31st, 2011
10:34 am
I love the countdown on the Braves page
KenFnPowers
January 31st, 2011
10:46 am
PTown – That was the worst Royal Rumble I can remember… sans Diesel coming out.
Nova Scotia Steve
January 31st, 2011
10:49 am
I love the countdown ticker as well – word on the street is Kawakami showed in the main dugout up for Camp Roger and subsequently told him to head to the bullpen.
Some things don’t change. Rightfully so.
tiger297
January 31st, 2011
10:50 am
Lew – I understand that is the way it is and it probably won’t change. But that doesn’t mean I/we shouldn’t have the right to question it and think about alternative solutions. I don’t think the NFL system is any better for the reason you point out.
Personally I think the corporate America perspective is absolutely the right way to think about it. First you have to eliminate the bottom 90% of employees since they won’t/haven’t made it out of AAA. When you take that top 10% everybody gets a base salary and a bonus (either cash/stock options/etc). Mid-Level Managers there is typically a 10-15% difference in BASE SALARY in most corporations but there is a 30-75% difference in PERFORMANCE BONUS in those corporations. Even at higher levels as % between salary levels increases dramatically the amount of compensation that is performance based gets even higher.
Anders
January 31st, 2011
10:54 am
Lew- It’s been a while. The last time I was through these parts you were having some health difficulties. I hope all is well now.
McFann O O
January 31st, 2011
10:55 am
LTBF—
Thanks! Glad you enjoy them!
What is high wall just back of left field fence at G Braves field? it looks like it is made of garbage bags.
Hmm…I’m not sure…I’ll have to look at the photo again…
keylargo you’ve got about 60 years left to live. That’s FIVE years of Januaries you’ve got. You’d better find something you like to do outside when it’s cold.
Boy…I will be dead by 80 if I have to suffer through five years of January!
Lew
January 31st, 2011
10:57 am
Anders – Doing well, thanks for asking. The leg has mended and I’m walking well again. Now I’ve got to work on the stamina.
Lots of not so good stuff on the Mets’ front from what I hear, though. What’s your take on the situation?
Shaun
January 31st, 2011
10:58 am
“Chipper has been one of the worst 3 hole hitters baseball the last two years but it does not mean he does not have value.”
Glord1, I think Chipper is a fine number three hitter, when healthy. He had the second-best on-base and 4th-best slugging among Braves regulars last year. And he had the third-best OPS+ on the team, among regulars.
Chipper has become largely undervalued, even in Atlanta, because he’s no longer an elite hitter and he’s hit .264 and .265 the last two seasons. Just purely looking at hitting (ignoring positional adjustments, baserunning and of course defense), he’s been better at the plate than Derek Jeter, Prado and Adrian Beltre since the start of the 2009 season. Of course that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s been more valuable at the plate because of playing time due to age and injury and because of positional adjustments. But if you know for sure each of those guys is healthy and the game is on the line with 2-outs and the winning run on second or something, Chipper may be the guy you want up.
TennesseePaul
January 31st, 2011
11:03 am
Anders: The penalty shot competition at the skills thing was pretty lame. You just can’t do the types of things with a puck that the NBA does in their slam dunk competition.
I’m not sure which one of the events your are refering to with this. The last event, the Shoot-Out, did drag. I tried to watch that from the Goalie point of view… it was really the only time a goalie got to shine in the super skills. But they had the one prior (sponsored by Blackberry) where they ignored all rules of hockey and let them do whatever they wanted. There were a couple of cool moves in that… plus it was limited to 6 or so guys so it didn’t drag. I did find the text-voting to be pretty lame. It was neat to see the record broken for hardest shot. 105.9mph. Pretty friggin hard.
Anders
January 31st, 2011
11:03 am
Lew- I’m not sure how the Wilpons taking $48 mil back on their Madoff investment turns into a $1 billion lawsuit? But the Wilpons taking the actions they are tells me there’s definetly some risk there. Bottom line if it’s that bad I hope they just sell. All I care about is the operating $’s for the team. If those are exposed then the Wilpons should move along.
Many times when companies start these talks looking for junior partners it leads to much bigger things. Especially with something as desirable as a NY sports franchise. They just don’t become available that often. Look for the likes of Mark Cuban to come kick the tires.
"Almost There" P-Town Brave ©
January 31st, 2011
11:04 am
KenFnPowers-
Yeah, Diesel got the biggest pop the entire night…
I really appreciated the true wrestling fans being in the crowd in Boston…
That said, yeah, I didn’t truly enjoy the Rumble match like I normally did…
Too many goofy spots from Nexus ruling the first portion of the Rumble to the Hornswoggle stuff…
It was just very rough to me and made it even worse when Booker and Nash get eliminated so quickly yet Hornswoggle was one of the longer participants in there…
Anders
January 31st, 2011
11:05 am
TP- Yeah I saw the blackeberry thing. Sorry, I didn’t realize that was different than the normal shoot out one. I actually turned to another channel because that was so bad to watch. I wish I realized that because I like the shoot out.
TennesseePaul
January 31st, 2011
11:08 am
Anders, another interesting note… I sat beside a young man at the game from Chi-town. He was a big Mets fan. We spent a lot of time talking baseball.
Hillbilly
January 31st, 2011
11:09 am
Ark Transplant,
I used to see roadrunners about 3 or 4 times a year around here, mostly on the oil field roads. I don’t know what happened, but now I haven’t seen one in probably 10 years or so. Our coyote population has erupted over that same period so that might have something to do with it.
Couch Tater
January 31st, 2011
11:10 am
“Daddy, I want to go to Turner Field to see Andy Marte.”
The man did what few, if any, big-ticket athletes have done recently — instead of lip service, he actually did take what will likely amount to about $15 million less over the next three years. And even if the added option year for 2009 vests, he’d make $8 mill to $11 mill that year for a maximum of $48 million over the next four years.
With his two $15 mill options for 2007 and 2008 turned into $11 mill guaranteed years, and next year’s salary dropped from $17 mill to $11 mill, plus a $4 mill signing bonus in January, Chipper is guaranteed $37 million for his work over the next three seasons. Contrast that to the $52 mill he probably — likely — would have made under his contract before the restructuring — $17 mill next year, then two vesting option years at $15 mill apiece, with a $5 mill bonus at the end if both option years vested. – November 21, 2005, DOB
I’m curious the number of Chipper Jones jerseys sold as compared with other Braves. Murphy? Maddux?
If, Chipper had left via free agency in ‘05; how would that have impacted the team’s sale that year?
Time Warner may still own the team with a reduced payroll…[shudder,barf]
Shaun
January 31st, 2011
11:12 am
It’s crazy to me how much a large portion of the Atlanta-area population largely under-appreciates Chipper. I suspect it’s because he comes across as maybe arrogant or because he has a relaxed style of play that comes across as lazy to some. All this combined with looking at a very limited statistical picture of him (batting average, homeruns and RBI total), and I guess it’s not so unexpected. The reasons people under-appreciate Chipper are the reasons casual fans under-appreciate most under-appreciated players. They judge on how they think a player should look while playing the game and they judge based on statistics that are only popular in baseball because of this enormous title wave of tradition and convention that some of the most avid fans have yet to escape. Instead, try starting at what Chipper does to help his team. Use that as the starting point instead of how he looks or what his AVG-HR-RBI seem to suggest. Triple Crown stats are for those who want to look at baseball as a gymnastics competition and not a sport or a game. We’ll give him a ‘10′ because he has a .330 average with 30 homers and 100 RBI. No. What did he actually do as an individual to help his team score runs and win games?
Arkansas Transplant
January 31st, 2011
11:13 am
Hillbilly,
I saw one along I-40 around Ozark and the other was just after I got onto I540 north.
Hillbilly
January 31st, 2011
11:25 am
Alright Drive-By Truckers fans. If you haven’t seen them yet, there are a few videos up on Youtube of the big DBT/Jason Isbell “reunion” from Thursday’s Huntsville, Alabama. A truly great moment for the DBT fanbase. They all seemed to be having a lot fun with it, so maybe the hatchet is buried. They were passing around big man-hugs after the conclusion of People Who Died.
Here’s a piece of it. There might be a little bit of language scattered through it, but it’s worth it.
Glord1
January 31st, 2011
11:27 am
Shaun I think you make some got points about Chipper bei
Gordo
January 31st, 2011
11:31 am
If MLK III et al if they are looking at the possible Met purchase, maybe they should approach Liberty regarding the Bravos…Just a thought!
Jeff R
January 31st, 2011
11:35 am
Chipper has had a an incredible run of injuries since ‘04. Yes, Wren signed Chipper to the extension right after Chipper won the batting title, but some of us at that time thought giving Chipper a four-year deal in light of his injury history was excessive. Certainly could have seen giving Chipper a two-year contract, perhaps with an option year.
Nonetheless, Chipper is under contract through 2012 – if he chooses not to retire. So, let’s hope moving forward that his time on the DL is limited and that he’s productive. We can’t expect Chipper to give us the production of his earlier years, but, hopefully, produce along the lines that some mentioned this morning.
Lew
January 31st, 2011
11:40 am
I think that it’s highly doubtful that MLB will ever sell a franchise to Mark Cuban.
Glord1
January 31st, 2011
11:41 am
Shaun I think you make some good points about Chipper being under appriectiated. Here is my problem with him. He has to be on the field or he is being replaced by a guy making between .5 mil – 2 mil that is a bench player. You say that the casual fan does not appreciate anything more than triple crown stats? I’m not a casual fan and while I like OPS it does not show how much you contributed over the coarse of the year. How about runs scored. Pretty important since that is how you win a game. Chipper has a high OBP but has only averaged 77 runs scored a year the last seven years. Why? Because he has missed about 25% of the games in that time period.
When a player blows out a knee no one can questions that. But when someone consistently misses games for sprained thumbs, pulled quads, pulled hams and tweaked backs it hurts the team. People have just gotten used to him bowing out and don’t question it. John Smoltz questioned it and Brian Jordan has questioned why he does not put into the effort to work on his fitness.
Chipper has always had tremendous gifts as a baseball player but when you look at his production over the second half of his career I would argue he is more over rated than under rated just because of how much time he has missed.
Triple crown stats or not most would be surprised that hitting 3rd for the last 7 years he has driven in more than 90 runs only twice and 100 once.
Anders
January 31st, 2011
11:45 am
I think that it’s highly doubtful that MLB will ever sell a franchise to Mark Cuban. (Lew)
I agree that’s how the MLB would feel about it. But if the Mets must sell and he offers the most $’s they’re gonna have a hard time keeping him at bay. He’ll make one hell of a stink. There may never be another NY franchise available in his lifetime. With all he’s done in Dallas he’s still in, well, Dallas. He craves the spot light. He’s certaiinly got the dough.
There’s actually some dude who made a killing in the liquor business based on LI who’s very interested in the Mets. He’s approached them before.
Glord1
January 31st, 2011
11:48 am
My Braves line up.
1 Prado
2 Jones
3 Heyward
4 Uggla
5 Mac
6 Gonzalez
7 Freeman
8 McLouth
9 pitcher
Anders
January 31st, 2011
11:50 am
Glord1 – Amen to the last 3 paragraphs of your 11:41 post. Strap it on and poroduce as a number 3 hitter for 130 to 140 games or move aside. It happens to them all. Cox didn’t do Gonzalez any favors leaving this on his plate – that’s for sure.
Fish Bisch
January 31st, 2011
11:51 am
Chipper sucks
ncscoots
January 31st, 2011
11:56 am
Triple Crown stats are for those who want to look at baseball as a gymnastics competition and not a sport or a game. We’ll give him a ‘10′ because he has a .330 average with 30 homers and 100 RBI.
This is because you never learned to evaluate players properly using bubblegum-card stats, that’s all, LOL. For those of us who grew up using nothing more than newspaper box scores to re-create games in our heads and reading weekly BA lists to determine a player’s value…well, let’s just say that I don’t need to delve any further into the stats of a guy who goes .300/30/100 every year, to know I want that sucker playing for me.
Glord1
January 31st, 2011
11:56 am
I want Cuban to buy the Braves. Score 10 runs and everyone gets a free chalupa. What’s wrong with that?
Lew
January 31st, 2011
11:57 am
Well, they kept Cuban at bay over the Cubs sale. He’ll never be accepted by the Good Ole Boy School that rules the sport. Maybe when Bud leaves – then again, maybe not. I’d say that full fledged instant replay stands a better chance of implementation than Cuban does of being an MLB owner and according to Buster Olney, Bud’s the one holding it up and the Dude has made so much money for the owners, he’ll get his way..
ncscoots
January 31st, 2011
11:57 am
Paraphrasing the Poz, “Chipper is wildly underrated by even the people who pause to wildly underrate him.”
Lew
January 31st, 2011
12:00 pm
Y’all do realize that a .300 hitter automatically starts with a .300 OBP, before adding on the walks, etc.? Never figured why it wasn’t a worthwhile stat. Maybe not the be all and end all, but good Lord.
And anyone who truly believes that someone who hits .300, 30, 100 is anything other than a good player? Seriously?
Lew
January 31st, 2011
12:00 pm
But he didn’t walk enough.
MikeInFl
January 31st, 2011
12:02 pm
It’s crazy to me how much a large portion of the Atlanta-area population largely under-appreciates Chipper. – Shaun
Agree, 100%. btw, for his last 31 games last year, he posted a .288/.370/.510. To me, the only question is his health. I believe he can still hit.
Nonetheless, Chipper is under contract through 2012 – if he chooses not to retire. – Jeff R
Actually, if he meets pretty modest games played numbers over the next 2 years, he’s guaranteed for 2013 too. I doubt he’ll be here that long, but I hope he’s healthy and productive enough to make it possible.
CB
January 31st, 2011
12:03 pm
Really,too much time is wasted on deciding the lineups arrangement. Build a solid lineup and order will usually take care of itself. Fredi will figure it out in due time the arrangement and 90% of us will disagree.
Glord1
January 31st, 2011
12:06 pm
Lew and ncscoots – I have to agree that I have never seen a mediocre baseball player consistently go .300 30 100. I do like OBP because a lead off walk is the same is a hit. That said high OBPs should show up in high run scored totals. I also like slugging because a high slugging percentage should drive in a bunch of people from 1B. Wouldn’t that also show up in the RBI total?
Lew
January 31st, 2011
12:08 pm
Does it matter how they got to 100 RBI to you?
Glord1
January 31st, 2011
12:10 pm
Lew – nope!
Anders
January 31st, 2011
12:10 pm
Lew- Your 11:57 certainly rings true. But I’m not sure Bud can hold Cuban off again. There are some legal aspects to this.
Lew
January 31st, 2011
12:11 pm
scoots- Ah, the old boxscores. Even with TBS, never got to see the AL back then (except for the All Star game and The Series). Took me months to figure out that Kent Hrbek’s name wasn’t abbreviated and had vowels removed.
CB
January 31st, 2011
12:13 pm
I also want my worst hitter in the lineup to be Alex Gonzalez,I want him to be buried in the 8th position. You know what you receive from Alex,if Nate and Freeman produce this team will score a bunch of runs.
Lew
January 31st, 2011
12:13 pm
Anders- I’d say Bud and the Owners can choose whomever they desire and Cuban has no say in the matter – legally or otherwise. Anti- trust exemptions and whatnot.
Lew
January 31st, 2011
12:17 pm
CB- We’re agreed on that. Gonzo has enough power to be a threat in the eight hole and batting in front of the pitcher should net him more walks, thereby raising that low OBP which everyone abhors.
Glord1
January 31st, 2011
12:17 pm
Lew I was luckier than you. I grew up in Vermont getting a lot of Red Sox and Yankee games and mostly followed the AL. I also got TBS and WGN so I also got the NL.