McCann: emergent leader; Jason & Freddie on S.I. cover
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – So I’m talking to Brian McCann the other day, looking to get his opinion about the premise that this the most balanced Braves team in years, when the affable All-Star made a point I hadn’t really thought about.
“I feel like since the All-Star break of ’09, if you look during that time, we’ve got nothing but better and better and better,” McCann said. “And we kept a lot of guys here and added Dan Uggla. We filled a need that we had here for a while.”
Manager Fredi Gonzalez has taken the reins of a team that has the fifth-best record in baseball since the 2009 All-Star break, including the second-best mark in the NL. (Jason Getz photo/AJC)
All-Star break ‘09? I decided to check that out. And guess what?
McCann was spot on.
Since the 2009 All-Star break, the Braves have 134-102 record that is second-best in the National League and fourth-best among 30 major league teams. Problem is, the second-best record in that period belongs to NL East rival Philadelphia (142-96).
The only team with a better record than Philly in that span is the Yankees (147-89), whose $206 million payroll last season was nearly 2-1/2 times the Braves’ $85 million.
Third-best record since the ’09 break belongs to the Twins (136-100), whose payroll topped $100 million in 2010 in their new stadium, and is headed toward $115 mill.
Then it’s the Braves at No. 4, just ahead of Tampa Bay (132-103). Only the Rays have a comparable record with a payroll smaller than Atlanta’s — and entirely dwarfed by payrolls of AL East rivals Boston and New York.
The Phillies’ payroll this year has climbed to about $165 million, while the Braves are at roughly $89 million. Even after Philly added another ace in Cliff Lee, the Braves believe they can push them in the East (last season the Braves led the division for three months).
“There’s some really good things about this team,” McCann said. “If you look at us, a lot of guys are coming into their prime. A lot of guys are getting another year under their belts. Jurrjens is older, Hanson’s older, I’m older, Heyward’s in his second year….”
How strange does this look? Ex-Braves CF Andruw Jones in a Yankees uniform this spring.
Two big question marks for the Braves are in center, where Nate McLouth is coming off a horrid season, and at third, where Chipper Jones is coming back from major knee surgery and turns 39 in April.
McCann is nothing if not positive, and he thinks the Braves will get plenty of production from both of those guys.
“McLouth, the way he’s swinging the bat, he looks great,” McCann said. “That’s huge. Two years ago [with Pittsburgh], in my view he was one of the better players in baseball. I think he’s working to get back to how he was in 2008. The way he looks right now is great.”
As for the aging future Hall of Famer at third base, McCann said: “He’s got a little chip on his shoulder, letting everybody know that he can still do it. We all have total confidence in him. There’s not a prettier swing in the game when he’s got it going.”
McCann hopes that with Martin Prado able to move from left field to third base tot fill in for Chipper, and players such as Eric Hinske and Joe Mather capable of filling in at left field when Prado’s got Chipper’s back, the Braves’ senior member can stay healthier.
“I think we can give him a rest,” McCann said. “He doesn’t have to play 150-155 games. We have Prado, guys who can fill in. You can almost treat [Chipper] like a catcher – we need him fresh for as many games as we can. Obviously with him in the lineup we’re a better team.”
♣ SI cover boys: The last time a young Brave appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, it was rookie Jeff Francoeur with the headline “The Natural” stripped across him. Oy. That didn’t work out so well long-term.
However, you won’t find anyone in the clubhouse concerned in the least about a similar fate befalling Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman, who are featured in a nationwide cover on this week’s issue of Sports Illustrated, which arrives today.![l10zmf[1]](http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-braves-blog/files/2011/02/l10zmf1.jpg "l10zmf[1]")
The 21-year-old buds, who were roommates for several years through last season, were photographed posed, beaming on the cover with a “The Boys of Spring” title, and this written below them: “Only 21, Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward are the cornerstones of Atlanta’s Brave new world.”
Aside from the clichéd Brave new world reference, it’s a great cover. The story inside focuses on the Braves’ renewed emphasis on scouting and player development and how they’ve rebuilt their farm system.
♣ More payroll & performance numbers: Atlanta’s payroll will put them about even with Baltimore, Houston and Colorado. Six NL teams have payrolls of $104 million of above, topped by the East’s Phillies and Mets ($138.3 million), the Cubs ($133 million) and World Series champion Giants.($122 million). St. Louis is at about $109 million.
Since the ‘09 break, the Braves’ 134-102 record is better than 25 teams, including the $160 million Red Sox (130-106), Giants (131-105), Cardinals (128-105), Rockies (128-108), Padres (129-107), Angels (128-110), Reds (127-110) and White Sox (122-114).
Emergent leader: Fredi Gonzalez had seen it from afar and heard it from some Braves coaches, but now he’s seeing up close what a leader McCann has become.
If Braves players elected a captain, or if the team’s coaches and front office elected one, I’ve got a feeling it would be the same player: Brian McCann.
Slimmted down Brian McCann (right) and Jason Heyward are keys to the Braves' present and future. (Jason Getz photo/AJC)
“I was here when McCann was a puppy,” said Gonzalez, Braves third-base coach in McCann’s first two seasons (‘05-‘06). “He has grown into that [leadership] role, little by little. And you know what? It’s going to be his team here soon or later.
“Chipper’s got two more years on his contract; that’ll put Chipper at 40, 41. And McCann’s going to be here for a while. It’s going to be his team, and you’re starting to see that. It’s been a natural progression from when he was a puppy here, to now he’s become a voice of the team.
“I think he’s more of a leader by example than a top-step, rah-rah type of guy. But I’ve seen a big difference.”
During the first week of workouts, Gonzalez noticed subtle things that reinforced what he’d heard about McCann from Braves coaches and Bobby Cox while Gonzalez was managing the Marlins for 3-1/2 seasons.
“I’ve seen him talk to pitchers during BP. I’ve seen him take over some drills. I’ve seen him be the lead guy when catchers go from one field to the other, he’s the first guy and the others follow him,” Gonzalez said.
Speaking of McCann, he can keep the full beard if he wants. Fredi Gonzalez doesn’t have a policy regarding facial hair. Long as it’s not a mess, guys can wear it how they want.
“Roger [McDowell] has told me you give him a game plan and he’ll follow it, and when he sees that game plan is not working or the pitcher can’t do what’s in the plan, [McCann will] change it and go someplace else. To make those type of adjustments, or not be afraid to make those adjustments, that’s experience. That’s coming into your own.”
From managing against him, Gonzalez saw the improvement in McCann’s defense last season, particularly throwing out base runners.
“He gotten good,” Gonzalez said. “What’s it, five All-Stars and four Silver Sluggers? I kidded him, you’ve got all these All-Stars and Silver Sluggers, how ‘bout a Gold Glove? And he’s capable of doing that. He’s got that ability to do that.”
Five All-Star selections and four Silver Sluggers in four full seasons in the majors, and McCann just turned 27 a few days ago. Oh, and the 2010 All-Star MVP award after his bases-loaded double snapped the AL’s epic All-Star winning streak.
♣ McLouth’s road back to respectable: Braves players and team officials can only hope that McLouth’s early work in batting practice is a harbinger of what’s to come, because they desperately need the center fielder to bounce back from his career-worst 2010 season (.190, six homers, .298 OBP … oh, you know the numbers. I can’t even type them anymore).
The Braves need McLouth (right) and/or Schafer (left) to produce in center field. It's McLouth's job to lose. (Jason Getz photo/AJC)
They need McLouth to rebound and be something closer to his 2008 form with Pittsburgh than last year’s wretchedness (there is a whole lot of ground between those numbers last season and McLouth’s career-best 2008, when he had an NL-best 46 doubles, 26 homers, 94 RBIs, a .356 OBP … and so on, and All-Star, etc.)
The Braves like what they’ve seen from him so far. He reported to camp in excellent shape, and has made consistent contact in batting practice and early work in the batting cages. I’m seeing the same things others are seeing from him in workouts – he’s hitting balls hard, he’s running hard, looks sturdy and strong and fast again.
But it’s still February, folks. And unless McLouth plays well in Grapefruit League games, the Braves had best hope that Jordan Schafer’s impressive start to camp continues and he’s ready to pick up where he left off when he broke his hand a week into the 2009 season.
Best-case scenario for the Braves is McLouth and Schafer both play well this spring, and the Braves’ outfield depth goes from its current state of potential weakness to team strength, quickly.
“I’m getting the confidence back and everything,” said McLouth, whose outlook took a beating in 2010, “I’ve felt really good so far,” he said. “I’ve gotten a lot of good work in with Larry [Parrish, hitting coach], and I’m just swinging the bat confidently. I know it’s only BP, but that’s a start.”
A high percentage of his swings in batting practice have produced line drives.
“That’s the way it feels,” he said. “I’ve been getting good cage work in the morning, and translating it to BP. I’ve felt good hitting live off the pitchers, too.”
McLouth has been working with Parrish and special assistant Lee Elia, both former major league managers, as well as Triple-A hitting coach Jamie Dismuke.
“They’re old-school hitting guys, and I love working with them,” he said.
Whatever it takes. The Braves just need McLouth to become good again.
And if he doesn’t, the Braves damn sure better hope the cocky kid that McLouth replaced, Schafer, is as ready as he exudes to step in and reclaim his spot when the time comes.
♣ OK, let’s close this with one from the great Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, and here’s a video of them doing it live. And, no, the song’s not about Ric Flair.
“NATURE BOY” by Nick Cave
I was just a boy when I sat down
To watch the news on TV
I saw some ordinary slaughter
I saw some routine atrocity
My father said, don’t look away
You got to be strong, you got to be bold, now
He said, that in the end it is beauty
That is going to save the world, now
And she moves among the sparrows
And she floats upon the breeze
She moves among the flowers
She moves something deep inside of me
I was walking around the flower show like a leper
Coming down with some kind of nervous hysteria
When I saw you standing there, green eyes, black hair
Up against the pink and purple wisteria
You said, hey, nature boy, are you looking at me
With some unrighteous intention?
My knees went weak,
I couldn’t speak, I was having thoughts
That were not in my best interests to mention
And she moves among the flowers
And she floats upon the smoke
She moves among the shadows
She moves me with just one little look
You took me back to your place
And dressed me up in a deep sea diver’s suit
You played the patriot, you raised the flag
And I stood at full salute
Later on we smoked a pipe that struck me dumb
And made it impossible to speak
As you closed in, in slow motion,
Quoting Sappho, in the original Greek
She moves among the shadows
She floats upon the breeze
She moves among the candles
And we moved through the days
and through the years
Years passed by, we were walking by the sea
Half delirious
You smiled at me and said, Babe
I think this thing is getting kind of serious
You pointed at something and said
Have you ever seen such a beautiful thing?
It was then that I broke down
It was then that you lifted me up again
She moves among the sparrows
And she walks across the sea
She moves among the flowers
And she moves something deep inside of me
She moves among the sparrows
And she floats upon the breeze
She moves among the flowers
And she moves right up close to me
1,473 comments Add your comment
Marshall
February 23rd, 2011
5:00 am
DOB — go to bed! Much appreciated. Best beat writer in the country!
Marshall
February 23rd, 2011
5:05 am
While (if) you’re still up and wish to oblige…
Just got into The Black Keys, and love the Brothers album. Which of their other 5 albums do you suggest I dig next?
N Nine
February 23rd, 2011
5:14 am
5am blog!?! You rock it DOB, you certainly deserve another strong cup of coffee this early morning.
McCann is the man in every way possible. A lock for another Allstar visit, eh?
T-Bone
February 23rd, 2011
5:28 am
Another excellent blog, Dave, MUCH appreciated!
SteelCav
February 23rd, 2011
6:00 am
Love the blog DOB, but c’mon…it’s Ric Flair, not Rick.
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
braves4ever
February 23rd, 2011
6:02 am
DOB,
Well to get up this morn and have such a good blog feels like a kid on Christmas morn. I’m ready to play some baseball!
thanks.
Home of the Braves
February 23rd, 2011
6:21 am
Just so you know, before someone else comes on here and says it in a much more bothersome way, if you have the records correct (134-102 vs. 132-103), the Braves have had a better record than the Rays in that time span.
Overall this post was great though. I really liked the “since ‘09 break” part.
Home of the Braves
February 23rd, 2011
6:23 am
Hmm. That post was supposed to end with “Thanks for the good work as always.” Don’t really know where that sentence went. Oh well. Thanks for the good work as always…
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
6:26 am
Hard at work already huh David? Thank you kind sir! Good wordage.
TommyP
February 23rd, 2011
6:28 am
Damn, DOB. The early spring pace you’ve set with these blogs is incredible. You need to get some sleep ’cause I know you still are up late. Coffee can only take you so far….
So who has looked not so good so far? (half serious but you always hear about this guy looking great, etc.)
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
6:38 am
gonna try for some sleep again. see y’all.
David O'Brien
February 23rd, 2011
6:39 am
Tommy P: Just from watching hitters and pitchers in batting practce (all we have to judge so far) and the condition the guys reported in, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who has not looked good thus far. Seriously, I can’t think of anyone who showed up overweight, or who’s not been throwing strikes or not been hitting the ball.
But the games start soon (Saturday), so I’m sure there will be some to fit that bill after that.
David O'Brien
February 23rd, 2011
6:46 am
From New York Baseball Digest:
——————————————————————————–
By Frank Russo ~ February 23rd, 2011. Filed under: New York Yankees, Rumor Mill.
In speaking to my Tampa sources, Brian Cashman continues to “burn up the phone lines” looking for pitching help. Yes, he did offer Kevin Millwood a minor league deal, but he was thinking bigger as he reached out to Atlanta and inquired about Tim Hudson.
The Braves don’t have interest in dealing Hudson who went 17-9 with a 2.83 ERA last season. As I mentioned before, they are willing to deal Derek Lowe, who is owed $30 million over the next two seasons. He will cost the Yankees a prospect haul that appears to be too expensive at this time.
The Yankees also discussed Hiroki Kuroda with the Dodgers, but nothing came out of those talks as well.
I have continued to be told that if the Yankees don’t acquire a starting pitcher this spring it won’t be because of a lack of effort. Brian Cashman is focused on getting something done. It appears that task won’t be easy.
old man
February 23rd, 2011
6:49 am
I know the esoteric stats are of limited value, but Mr. McCann had the highest WAR of all catchers in MLB last year. Not too shabby.
longtimefan
February 23rd, 2011
6:57 am
Thanks for the good reporting. It’s fun to read about the odds and ends tidbits. I believe it’s going to be a great season!
David O'Brien
February 23rd, 2011
7:04 am
Even if the Braves wanted to trade Hudson (they don’t/won’t), the Ala. native and ex-Auburn star has trade-veto rights as 10/5 player. NYC? Uh, no.
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
7:10 am
Thanks for the new blog, DOB.
Looks like Andruw has been able to keep the weight off….good for him, hope he can rebound.
K Conway
February 23rd, 2011
7:10 am
SI cover is not a good thing! Both those guys may be in the minors by All-Star break!
semiballcoach
February 23rd, 2011
7:16 am
DOB—the Jonny Venters of bloggers
Sid's Slide Always Fun - Go Braves!
February 23rd, 2011
7:20 am
Braves Fans – the end of this video (5:20 mark on) has some great Atlanta sports moments, including Skip Carry’s call of Sid’s slide to win the Pennant. Also has a fun Falcons clip to help get you through the day. We posted a video plea for Atlanta’s leaders to step-up and lead to help find a buyer or investors to “Keep the Thrashers in Atlanta”. The clips demonstrate how sports impact our civic pride – we would appreciate it if you would forward the link below to a few of your sports buddies – they will like it (especially from 5:20 to the end – worth the effort). Hopefully, the Kincade tweets give us some hope. GO BRAVES – and Thrashers:
http://www.keepthethrashers.com/videokeepthrashersATL.html
Feeanch
February 23rd, 2011
7:22 am
DOB YOU ARE A BEAST! 5 am? Who do we write in to get you a raise? Let’s do it bloggers…
Donny Corleone
February 23rd, 2011
7:23 am
Even if Nate still stinks up the joint at least he’s got a cute new hairstyle.
richbrave
February 23rd, 2011
7:27 am
Top of the morning to those of you here.
DAVE you’re going to be a basket case by the end of the season if you keep this pace up.
This is wearing man. I wasn’t the insomniac you are, but I know what endless 14 hour days in a motel room are. Be good to yourself.
Yes, thanx for all the info. I knoiw folks here appreciate it, but another ride up into the Georgia hills might be a good break once you get off the road. Think JEROME man, and peace.
Chris from the Rock
February 23rd, 2011
7:28 am
Time to run to the newsstand and pick up a copy of SI!
jaybob
February 23rd, 2011
7:30 am
A while back there was a rumor about the Yanks being interested in KK. Any word on if his name came up during the conversation? And what’s the latest on KK anyways? Is he even gonna come back to The States?
Danga
February 23rd, 2011
7:34 am
Wren would need to be committed if he traded Hudson.
O.J.
February 23rd, 2011
7:34 am
If the Yanks were willing to sign Kevin Millwood, who had an awful year last year (4-16, 5.10 ERA), surely they would take a chance on Kenshin.
Wren had to of thrown his name in there, and I bet Brian said, well, lets see what else is out there. I am sure he will come calling again for KK.
Danga
February 23rd, 2011
7:37 am
Millwood has at least pitched well in the past, and he wouldn’t cost them anything except cash.
richbrave
February 23rd, 2011
7:39 am
KK to N.Y.? Sweet!
AFSOC 1st Sgt
February 23rd, 2011
7:45 am
DOB! Awesome blog…as usual. Don’t know if you got up early or stayed up late for this one, but I hope you have the bike down there with you. Nothing like a breezy ride to Dark Star (and 5-Hour Energy) to clear your head for today.
CB
February 23rd, 2011
7:49 am
Danga,if you are still interested in getting in a fantasy league,DAP has one going. He put up an e-mail address on the last blog yesterday at around 10:am.
Couch Tater
February 23rd, 2011
7:52 am
Thanks Dave… for driving 90 miles an hour down the track.
Sam Bush – “Bringin’ in that Georgia Mail”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7sXUptv0Jg
@fauxfrankwren
February 23rd, 2011
7:54 am
Great read as always. Tremendous start to day.
I wouldn’t trade Lowe to NY or anyone at this point unless it was for a HAUL. Unless you feel 20 yr. old Teheran can give you 175 IP, and I’m not so sure I would put that on him this soon. Minor & Teheren in the 5 man rotation? To go the distance with the Phillies it’s going to take a consistent staff and I believe Lowe will be a key contributor.
ramblingman
February 23rd, 2011
7:55 am
Great story, full of info. DOB is giving us fans our Recommended Daily Allowance of Braves info. The FDA approves.
Bayou Brave
February 23rd, 2011
7:58 am
It would have to be a helluva a package of prospects for Wren to deal Lowe to the Yankees. That would have a huge impact on our top end pitching depth and trickle down to the 4th and 5th starters. Sure we would have $30M or so to replace him, but who are we going to get at this point of the year?
Bayou Brave
February 23rd, 2011
7:59 am
Oh, and the Yankees don’t give a damn about KK. So don’t hold your breath.
Me
February 23rd, 2011
8:06 am
Good stuff, DOB. Thanks!
O.J.
February 23rd, 2011
8:06 am
Bayou Brave, how do you know the Yanks dont give a damn about KK? What a dumb thing to say, they are looking for starters, desperately, and we have one in KK that is just sitting there. To say the Yanks dont give a damn is just assanine.
Kat
February 23rd, 2011
8:08 am
Great blog for a morning breakfast read.
UGASlobberknocker
February 23rd, 2011
8:09 am
McClouth also won a Gold glove in 2008..but I havent seen anything since he has been here to match that at all. Last year, he seemed reluctant to uncork any long throws..I can think of two or three times it seemed as if he had a play but didnt even attempt a throw. How is his arm?
the truth..............
February 23rd, 2011
8:21 am
When McLouth can throw the ball past second base to hit the cut off I will consider hiim competant defensively. Until then he’s a at best a rag-arm pretender…..he hit it big with a good year at the plate and we got screwed in trading for him
Say all you want about the boys we traded doing nothing, the truth is the salary we are obligated to pay McLouth keeps us from putting an adequate body in CF….
RAG
February 23rd, 2011
8:35 am
DOB, love your work in keeping us informed during early spring training.
Can’t wait to get there on Mar 8. Maybe I’ll see you at the BBQ with the Braves on Saturday after the Met’s game.
David O'Brien
February 23rd, 2011
8:45 am
If the Yanks were willing to sign Kevin Millwood, who had an awful year last year (4-16, 5.10 ERA), surely they would take a chance on Kenshin. — O.J.
Yanks only offered minor league contract, which means non-guaranteed, which is why he hasn’t signed yet. If Yanks offered major league deal, Millwood would be signed.
With Kawakami, they’d be on the hook for whatever portion of the $6.7 mill they’d be willing to pay. Braves have been trying to get more than $2 mill of it picked up, probably closer to $3 mill. That’s quite a bit different than a minor league contract.
vermont 39
February 23rd, 2011
8:58 am
Quick burn the SI cover…Clint Hurdle, Frenchy…just the first 2 that come to mind!!!!
TennesseePaul
February 23rd, 2011
8:59 am
Thanks for the work David. I really appreciate all the reports. I am wondering why this caveat “But it’s still February, folks” wasn’t tacked on to Schafer though… : )
Yes, he did offer Kevin Millwood a minor league deal, but he was thinking bigger as he reached out to Atlanta and inquired about Tim Hudson.
Poz posted a few weeks ago that the Yanks would get Hudson or some pitcher like that. I’m glad to see my doubts were correct. The Yanks may like to have Hudson, but they won’t get him. They don’t get everyone they want. It makes no sense to trade him. Kawakami , of course. Lowe, I could see that. But Hudson. Not a chance.
Deployed Braves Fan
February 23rd, 2011
9:01 am
DOB, great read like always. I really appreciate it. I can’t wait for the games to start and I know the blog will keep me up to date of who is doing what. I really cant wait to get home the end of May and actually watch some baseball. Until then you do an amazing job keeping us all informed.
I really hope Heyward and Freeman break the SI cover curse. From what I saw of Heyward before I left last August, I believe he will. It’s also good to hear the McClouth is making good contact with the ball again and that Shafer has his swagger back. I really hope that transfers over into the games.
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
9:03 am
Thanks for the new Blog, Chief!! Great piece.
Soon as I saw the title, I figgered I better hurry up and get a couple “important” things out of the way so I could read it straight through. 
“And McCann’s going to be here for a while.”
Awesome, Fredi! Awesome…Hey, Frank Wren just got a new contract, so how about…ya know…
Heisenberg
February 23rd, 2011
9:11 am
Yanks need pitching = worst kept secret since Adam Lambert was gay. No GM in his right mind will deal with them now. Wait until they are 5 games back of the Sox & Rays after the break with the Orioles breathing down their neck, and you can just about name your price. By then Braves will have Medlen ready and can re-stock without missing a beat if they deal Lowe.
Yes you heard me…the Birds of Baltimore will make some noise this year.
Mikeyc588
February 23rd, 2011
9:11 am
DOB –
That’s a good point about the difference between what a team would owe Kawakami vs a minor league contract, but it doesn’t exactly bode well for our chances to trade him quickly does it? Guys like Millwood and Doug Davis are still available for less than it would cost to get Kawakami. I mean, look at what we gave Rodrigo Lopez. I think the trade will happen much closer to Opening Day than I originally thought.
And this might sound crazy, but is there any chance they’re letting Kawakami stay in Japan to save face while they work on trade opportunities? The guy is owed almost $7mm and it is public knowledge the Braves aren’t even letting him compete with the other guys for the 5th spot. We even signed a veteran (Lopez) to compete right where Kawakami would otherwise be pitching, alongside Minor and Beachy. If I were Kenshin, I’d much rather stay in Japan than face the indignity of being in Braves camp and waiting for the other shoe to drop while fighting for scrap innings.
BraveTime
February 23rd, 2011
9:12 am
DOB
If the Braves record is 134-102 and Tampas record is 132-103, wouldn’t Atlanta actually have a game and a half lead over Tampa, giving Atlanta the fourth best record since then?
nc braves fanatic
February 23rd, 2011
9:15 am
Just to let you all know, and DOB, if you’d like to spread news about a) all-time great Braves and b) awesome bands, Braves legend Hank Aaron and Durham, NC’s own indie-rock legends The Mountain Goats are going to be on David Letterman tonight.
Here’s the song that got me hooked on The Mountain Goats, “This Year” from their classic 2005 disc, “The Sunset Tree.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eetIgGXH6DA
They also put on a consistently phenomenal live show. They’re at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta on April 7.
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
9:17 am
for two years y’all cried about getting rid of Lowe at almost any cost just to save money. he finally had two good months and now it needs to take a prospect haul to trade him? Hmmmm.
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
9:17 am
Hmmm…
So I hear McCann’s replacement is in camp and working out w/ Javy…thats a good sign….
5….
4….
3…
2….
1….
Feeman Says Hey
February 23rd, 2011
9:17 am
Brandon Laird and Cito Culver , plus $15 million and the Yankees can have Lowe. It would give the Braves a Triple A 3B who is a fringe top 10 prospect for the Yankees and a Top 10 legit young SS for the Braves.
Mikeyc588
February 23rd, 2011
9:19 am
DOB –
This sounds crazy, but any chance the Braves are letting Kawakami stay in Japan while they work on trade talks? We signed Lopez to bring a veteran presence to the 5th spot competition and its common knowledge that Kawakami isn’t even being considered for the rotation at this point. If I were Kenshin, I’d rather stay home, work out and wait for the news than suffer the indignity of fighting for scrap innings at Braves camp and waiting for the other shoe to drop.
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
9:20 am
And whoever is thinkin about KK to NY just stop…
If the guys are launching balls off him in the ATL, what do you think they’d do in NY…
My gosh…they may not find some balls that would be hit off him.
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
9:21 am
the Birds of Baltimore will make some noise this year. Heisenberg
Is that coach? It’s a crazy prediction stated in his melodramatic manner. Could there be two such?
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
9:22 am
Dream on guys
Brave New World
February 23rd, 2011
9:25 am
First of all, nice job, Mr. O’Brien. As a long time Braves fan, I admit bias, but I think this team is going to be better than many expect. If we get Chipper even somewhat healthy for 125 or so games in 2011, it will be a bonus. But we can win 90+ games even if Chipper is not 100%. Adding Uggla has to help, and having Prado back full strength will help as well. Heyward can be scary good as he develops, and I think Freeman is going to be solid as he transitions to MLB. I will not be surprised if both Schaefer and McClouth have good seasons. Our total pitching staff is among the best in baseball. There is another intangible to consider: While the Phillies have the weight of unusually high expectations on their shoulders, the Braves have the hunger of the “underdog” to drive them. I’m not saying the Phillies are not the favorite in the NL East (they should be), I’m just saying the Braves have a combination of talent, team chemistry, and something to prove.
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
9:25 am
P-Town Brave So I hear McCann’s replacement is in camp and working out w/ Javy…thats a good sign….
5….
4….
3…
2….
1….
Ba-BOOM!!!
That kid’s not replacing anybody except maybe Clint Sammons!
Besides, he’s only 19 and is not nearly as mature as BMac, apparently…
Heisenberg
February 23rd, 2011
9:26 am
No multiple personalities here.
A few decent off season pickups for the infield plus the young pitching getting just a wee bit better and throw in Buck Showalter will make for a much improved 2011.
David O'Brien
February 23rd, 2011
9:27 am
Braves will get a late start to workout today because it’s their day to meet with union heads. Meeting started at 8:30 a.m., still going. They usually last 90 minutes or more.
McCann is Braves’ player rep, by the way.
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
9:27 am
BTW, anyone that is interested…
I finally decided to get into full swing of baseball as I have 1 more regular season college bball game to go to…sad, but as bad as this season has been, I want it to end…
Anyways, got online and purchased a #26 Uggla Navy team shirt to go along w/ my personal red shirt w/ my name on the back and my #22 Heyward shirt…
And I found a nice shirt w/ the A logo on the back and an arm showing how to do the tomahawk motion on the front…thought it was pretty neat…
And given my team manager decided to change our uniform colors this season on 3 of my softball teams, I bought a black and grey Braves hat to wear.
Its a good start at least…til I find something down in FL to buy
Roman Gal
February 23rd, 2011
9:28 am
RG
eeeeee– oh no, you din’t. SophI mean…you kinda walked right into that one, especially since I still had Kelly on the brain from earlier conversations. Still love your guy, though!
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
9:29 am
McFann-
Yeah, just trying to get ya goin this morning
As you know, I am a big McCannaholic
Danga
February 23rd, 2011
9:29 am
he finally had two good months and now it needs to take a prospect haul to trade him?
I thought this was odd, too.
Heisenberg
February 23rd, 2011
9:31 am
Let us not discount the Marlins. NL east could easily be a 3 horse race. Just because they lost Uggla does not mean they are lacking pop in that line-up. They got a high on-base guy in return plus bullpen help and added Vasquez who I think will bounce back.
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
9:33 am
Kelly?
Kelly who?!
Ripa?
Clarkson?
Leak?
Shaun
February 23rd, 2011
9:34 am
I wonder if the Huxley family collect royalties every time we see “Brave New World” in a headline. Also, I bet Tom Clancy loves Cincinnati (Hunt for Red October).
David O'Brien
February 23rd, 2011
9:34 am
Among the union officials here are union head Michael Weiner and Bobby Bonilla, who went to work for the union since retiring as a player.
Always like running into him. Hilarious, gregarious guy who’s been friendly as can be whenever I’ve seen him since covering the ‘97-’98 Marlins. Oh, and he’s without question one of the strongest dudes I’ve ever met. Hands like freakin’ hams. Him and Roger Clemens have the most powerful and largest mitts-for-hands I’ve encountered.
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
9:35 am
P-Town Brave—
Just my 9:17 wake-up call, right?
As you know, I am a big McCannaholic
Yeah…but yikes, then what does that make me?
DOB McCann is Braves’ player rep, by the way.
Meh…
Roman Gal
February 23rd, 2011
9:37 am
Kelly who?!
Don’t play coy with me, sir. You know exactly of whom I speak.
Kat
February 23rd, 2011
9:41 am
(comment from the last blog)
Venice Jim
February 23rd, 2011
12:33 am
Somehow I did not get into The X-Files until the 3rd or 4th season, but was able to catch all the earlier episodes in syndication shortly thereafter…looking back on the earliest episodes, it takes a little while to really get into the swing of what it was all about…
———
Agreed… the first two seasons were iffy..but if you’re trying to get into the show catch a few episodes from the 3rd or 4th season when the writing was much better and that will get you into the series.
David O'Brien
February 23rd, 2011
9:41 am
Buster Olney’s here today. Talked to him in the clubhouse, where he wasn’t thrilled to learn it was union meeting day. Feel bad for those guys when they show up thinking they’ll have an hour or more to talk to players, only to find out clubhouse is closing early for meeting. Same thing happened with Washington Post’s David Sheinin, who’s also here today to do a Braves story….
David O'Brien
February 23rd, 2011
9:43 am
Adam Wainwright blew out his elbow, probably a Tommy John surgery required. Wow. That’s too bad for the kid.
That’s also devastating, obviously, for the Cardinals.
bascogcjs
February 23rd, 2011
9:43 am
How’s Nate’s throwing arm?
Has he cut loose like he did last year when he was
throwing out baserunners all over the place?
Ease® in Woodstock
February 23rd, 2011
9:46 am
For all those that are lamenting lost talent…Wainwright injured his elbow is is probably TJ bound…
Total Grace
February 23rd, 2011
9:47 am
Enter your comments here
Murph
February 23rd, 2011
9:52 am
Man, that sucks about Wainwright. I’ve always liked that kid. Definitely puts a dent in the Cards rotation, and with Pujols getting close to leaving, that team is going to be upside down.
I have a feeling holding on to KK until spring training might prove to be a smart move. There are going to be a few teams looking for help come the end of March.
TnBrian
February 23rd, 2011
9:52 am
Schafer STILL cocky?
bravofan
February 23rd, 2011
9:52 am
That sucks for Olney seems like he would do some checking around before he came.
Wow that is a BIG blow to the Cardinals!
Heisenberg
February 23rd, 2011
9:54 am
Too bad for Wainwright & Cards. There are only 2 categories of pitchers:
1) those who have had TJ surgery
2) those who will have TJ surgery
Mitchell
February 23rd, 2011
9:56 am
134 wins since the ‘09 All Star break and what do we have to show for it?
A wild card and a lone playoff victory.
What do the teams ahead of us have?
Six division titles, an AL Pennant, an NL Pennant and a World Series.
Thanks again Bobby.
bravofan
February 23rd, 2011
9:58 am
No Champ Bailey for the Falcons I think either MB or Schultz mentioned this possibility he resgined with the Broncos to a four year extension.
Nick n Nash
February 23rd, 2011
10:00 am
Hey DOB.. How does Tyler Pastornicky look so far? I know they haven’t played any games yet. What do the coaches think of him? I’m just curious because it seems as though if A Gonz goes down, he would get the nod (maybe even over Hernandez).
Maybe not…
JohnBRAVES
February 23rd, 2011
10:01 am
Sucks about Wainwright. Always want our former players to do well.. And Buster Olney can just leave our camp and go to the Phils camp to continue obsessing over them.
Jeff R
February 23rd, 2011
10:02 am
Wainwright down. That is to bad. Top performer. Maybe the Cards will be interested in Lowe? I’ll take a couple of top prospects in return for the Mr, Lowe (no knock on Lowe, by the way.)
Big Yank
February 23rd, 2011
10:03 am
If the old adage, “you get what you pay for” holds up, the Braves are not going anywhere. Who’s their daddy? hahahahahahaha
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
10:04 am
What the heck? All of the sudden, all the times on the Spring Training schedule are “TBD”.
CraZyTRaDeMaN
February 23rd, 2011
10:05 am
Hate to hear about Wainwright wish it was one of the Phantastic phour.
Jeff R
February 23rd, 2011
10:06 am
Big Yank… Hmm… I didn’t recall the big budget Yankees in the World Series last year. Why, the lowly Rangers represented the AL. Funny that, huh? I guess a big budget doesn’t buy everything.
Bayou Brave
February 23rd, 2011
10:06 am
O.J.
The Yankees were asking for Tim frikin’ Hudson, you seriously think the New York Yankees will settle for Kenshin Kawakami?
Do you think the Phillies would have gone after KK if they weren’t successful in signing Cliff Lee?
Do you think the Red Sox would have gone after Nate McLouth if they didn’t get Carl Crawford?
Maybe the Rangers would have tried to trade for Brooks Conrad if they didn’t land Adrian Beltre…
Heisenberg
February 23rd, 2011
10:07 am
Cards will have no interest in Lowe and the 30M remaining. Saving all they got for Phat Albert.
ramblingman
February 23rd, 2011
10:07 am
Wainwright blew out his arm? (sorry to hear that, always liked him)
Good Grief. Trade suggestions involving KK for Pujols in 4…3…2…1…
Jeff R
February 23rd, 2011
10:07 am
The Cards are going to need an arm now. Kawa-crummy isn’t going to lure them. Lowe may?
Mitchell
February 23rd, 2011
10:08 am
I really would like to never blow out my elbow.
That sounds horrible. Kind of makes you sick to think about it.
But hey, good thing we traded Wainwright, huh?
That worked out after all. Actually, I’m not sure Wainwright isn’t more important to that team than Albert.
Sucks for the Cardinals.
David O'Brien
February 23rd, 2011
10:08 am
Union meeting’s over now, lasted 90 minutes. Players are on the field.
Here’s some video from a commercial that Fredi and McCann filmed today.
baxter my little gentleman
February 23rd, 2011
10:09 am
damn im ready for some ST games to start up
Jay212033
February 23rd, 2011
10:11 am
The Falcons need Nnamdi Asomugha anyway! The 4 FA I hope the Falcons take a look at are: Ray Edwards/Charles Johnson(RFA), Sidney Rice(RFA) and Nnamdi.
Jeff R
February 23rd, 2011
10:11 am
Speaking about Nate and Chipper, the reports are encouraging, but no games have been played yet. I’ll be a little more encouraged once the spring games commence and both perform.
Chipper’s grit is fine, but I’m not sold yet on his 39-year-old knee being season-worthy. Again, I hope the knee holds up.
JohnBRAVES
February 23rd, 2011
10:12 am
Big Yanks, really now?. Because a bankrupt team kicked yall out of the playoffs last year. And money must got get you everything because where are Cliff Lee and Andy Pettite now??..
David O'Brien
February 23rd, 2011
10:12 am
I have a feeling holding on to KK until spring training might prove to be a smart move. There are going to be a few teams looking for help come the end of March. — Murph
Agreed. Happens every spring, teams have injuries or just realize what they’ve got isn’t good enough. So while no one is going to replace a Wainwright with a KK, injuries can open spots that others move up to fill, which can then create openings lower in rotation, and so on and so on.
Or a team that’s not going to contend might be willing to trade a good pitcher in order to fill a couple of other holes in their team, and then settle on a lesser pitcher to round out the rotation for one season, etc.
Bayou Brave
February 23rd, 2011
10:12 am
nolie,
I’m one of the eternal optimists. I never thought we should have dumped Lowe.
But even if I did think he will struggle this year (and I don’t), now is not the time to trade him. That would send a terrible message to the rest of the team.
baseballsback
February 23rd, 2011
10:13 am
DOB
If the Braves record is 134-102 and Tampas record is 132-103, wouldn’t Atlanta actually have a game and a half lead over Tampa, giving Atlanta the fourth best record since then?
Arkansas Transplant
February 23rd, 2011
10:14 am
For those of you that watched the X-Files, has any of you watched the show Fringe? It’s a lot like the X-Files in a way.
Murph
February 23rd, 2011
10:14 am
But hey, good thing we traded Wainwright, huh?
Really?
David O'Brien
February 23rd, 2011
10:14 am
baseballsback: thanks for the catch. that’s my 5 a.m. math working.
Jeff R
February 23rd, 2011
10:16 am
How about Cards’ top-ranked Shelby Miller (RHP) for Lowe? Straight up.
Smack
February 23rd, 2011
10:20 am
Hate that for Wainwright! Looking forward to seeing some action on Sunday and Monday! Got to get this bitter October taste out of my mouth! Can’t wait to get down there!
David O'Brien
February 23rd, 2011
10:21 am
So the Braves’ record since the 2009 All-Star break is the fourth-best in baseball, behind the Yankees, Phillies and Twins and ahead of the Rays, Red Sox, et al.
Atlanta (134-102) is seven games behind Philadelphia (142-96) in that span.
baseballsback
February 23rd, 2011
10:21 am
we’ve all been there DOB. i wish i had the same problem you did…..waking up early to watch some baseball……(sigh)
Jeff R
February 23rd, 2011
10:22 am
Or Zack Cox (3B) and another top prospect from the Cards for Lowe? But, then, I think Chipper’s left third base in his will to Prado, so…
Gil In Mechanicsville
February 23rd, 2011
10:23 am
Adam Wainwright blew out his elbow… Looks like Kershin’s value is getting higher everyday. Now, if they can just get him into camp so they can showcase him …
ramblingman
February 23rd, 2011
10:23 am
“that’s my 5 a.m. math working”
I think we can overlook small things like that, you’ve certainly earned it with multiposts.
In Fredi I Trust
February 23rd, 2011
10:25 am
DOB,
Thanks for the constant updates. My tickets are ordered for the 4/7 Thursday afternoon game at Miller Park in Milwaukee for the Braves vs Brewers. Are you going to be at this game by chance? If you will be and you won’t be overly busy, I will buy you a beer my friend.
So before you guys start running the mouth off
I am happily married and don’t play that position 
. Just wanting to meet DOB and show my appreciation for what he does on this site.
Murph
February 23rd, 2011
10:26 am
Just ordered my tickets for June 11th and 12th, Braves vs Astros in Houston.
Anyone live in the area?
richbrave
February 23rd, 2011
10:27 am
David O’Brien
February 23rd, 2011
9:43 am
Adam Wainwright blew out his elbow, probably a Tommy John surgery required. Wow. That’s too bad for the kid.
That’s also devastating, obviously, for the Cardinals.
More pressure on the CARDS to sign PUJOLS at the end of the season?
richbrave
February 23rd, 2011
10:30 am
Jeff R
February 23rd, 2011
10:22 am
Or Zack Cox (3B) and another top prospect from the Cards for Lowe? But, then, I think Chipper’s left third base in his will to Prado, so…
So….are the CARDS THAT depperate for starting pitching? Wow, do we get to reciprocate the WAINWRIGHT trade?
In Fredi I Trust
February 23rd, 2011
10:31 am
Bayou Brave,
I agree with your 10:12 post.
I’m not a huge Derek Lowe backer as I think we had to overpay him to sign him because he was really the only other logical choice left after Burnett spurned us and signed with the Yankees. He has lived up to the contract he signed here, but with how he ended last season, and with our pitching staff healthy all at once (finally) we can’t trade him now. If we are completely out of things by the trade deadline, then trade him to the highest bidder, but I am not anticipating being out of anything this season by the trade deadline.
Mitchell
February 23rd, 2011
10:32 am
Was there supposed to be some link to a video of McCann and Fredi?
What happened with that?
In Fredi I Trust
February 23rd, 2011
10:32 am
I meant Lowe HASN’T lived up to the contract he signed here. Damn keyboard
Heisenberg
February 23rd, 2011
10:34 am
PEBKAC (problem exists between keyboard and chair)
Jeff R
February 23rd, 2011
10:35 am
richbrave… Gee, I don’t know how desperate the Cards are. Just stirring the pot. But would I like to even-up with the Cards for the Wainwright for J.ust the D.ollars Drew trade? You bet!
baseballsback
February 23rd, 2011
10:37 am
DOB
do you think there is any chance of Schafer coming out of this spring with the starting job at CF in tow?
Lew
February 23rd, 2011
10:37 am
Damn – DOB posting blogs at the time of night when most of we LOF’s are getting up to pee for the third time. That’s dedication.
McFann should be thrilled that Freddi used Puppy references to talk about McCann.
Lew
February 23rd, 2011
10:39 am
Shame about Wainwright.
Also, saw in the local newspaper last night that Cliff Lee has already had his first bullpen session cut short because of underarm strain (lattisimus dorsai).The Phillies better hope it really is minor, like theyclaim. Might just mess up their perfect rotation. Wonder why Bourneman hasn’t mentioned it?
bravofan
February 23rd, 2011
10:40 am
Did DOB post a video for that link to the commercial that they filmed??
Murph
February 23rd, 2011
10:40 am
I don’t understand how the Braves got the short end of the stick in the Wainwright trade. I know we’ve been over this 100 times, but please go look at his minor league stats with the Braves and then tell me how trading a question mark starting pitcher for a semi-proven outfielder was a bad move?
People forget that in his one season in Atlanta Drew hit .305 with 31 HR and 92 RBI. Did the Cards make out pretty well? Sure. But it’s not like we ended up with someone who missed the entire season with vertigo.
billmaier
February 23rd, 2011
10:44 am
Great article again. Great work i am very optimsitc about this year. By the way just a coincidence or not the braves starting improving after 09 all star break, because just before that bobby woke up and replaced frenchie and kj with diaz and prado and almost competed for the wild card, too bad it didnt happen sooner.
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
10:44 am
Lew McFann should be thrilled that Freddi used Puppy references to talk about McCann.
Yes!
Cute as a puppy…
Murph
February 23rd, 2011
10:47 am
Yes! Cute as a puppy…
And almost housebroken, too!
d-rock
February 23rd, 2011
10:48 am
ESPN is streaming songs from the new baseball project (Peter Buck, Scott McCaughey):
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/thelife/music/news/story?id=6132384
Jeff R
February 23rd, 2011
10:49 am
Murph… We have been over it a hundred times. Wainwright was a highly regarded prospect, as I recall. I believe the Braves would have made the post-season without Drew. In terms of value, the Cards got the better end of the deal (Drew was off after his one season as a Brave. Good riddance, too.)
GTSteve
February 23rd, 2011
10:51 am
D Lowe will be the starting pitcher for the Braves on opening day..he is not going to be traded….give it up
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
10:52 am
Murph—
No no, he’s totally housebroken—now he’s just helping to do the same for the likes of Heyward and Freeman.
Nick Esasky
February 23rd, 2011
10:54 am
Vertigo…ohhh…..
Lew
February 23rd, 2011
10:55 am
JeffR- Go back and look at Wainwright’s numbers since the trade and look where the Braves’ ended up. There’s really only about one season where Wainwright’s presence MIGHT have pushed the Braves higher than they already were.
Honestly, having him would not have added any playoff appearances to the Braves’ record.
jp
February 23rd, 2011
10:57 am
geez; man am I glad we got all these depth with our rotation. It sucks for the Cardinals fans because they don’t have much immediate help at the upper levels like the Braves do in AAA.
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
10:59 am
Murph-
Damn it Murph! Don’t you go bringin up Nick Esasky again!
Murph
February 23rd, 2011
11:00 am
I believe the Braves would have made the post-season without Drew
Really? Where would that production have come from? Mark Derosa? Nick Green? I disagree. Wasn’t exactly the most lights-out pitching staff… that playoff berth was largely due to their offense that year, and a large part of their offense that year was JD Drew.
Arkansas Transplant
February 23rd, 2011
11:00 am
GTSteve, I won’t go so far as to say he would never get traded before opening day. I’ve been saying all along that it wouldn’t surprise me if they traded Lowe if they felt they were getting a substantial return. Possibly a Joba, Eduardo Nunez and Brackman or Betances would get it done for me.
David O'Brien
February 23rd, 2011
11:02 am
Oh, here’s the link on that video, just a brief behind-the-scenes thing they shot of them doing the commercial this morning:
http://twitvid.com/ZD2L5
Freeman Says Hey
February 23rd, 2011
11:04 am
JP,
You are right the Cardinals have plenty of young arms, Low A, but the only replacement may be in Lance Lynn. Solid Double A numbers, but got hit hard his only full season in Triple A.
abwright
February 23rd, 2011
11:04 am
David O’Brien, February 23rd, 2011, 9:43 am … “Adam Wainwright blew out his elbow, probably a Tommy John surgery required.”
I’m really sorry to hear this. I’ve always rooted for AW, just a little.
That said, how long before people start to revisit the JD Drew for Wainwright trade? This changes the score a little bit.
Murph
February 23rd, 2011
11:06 am
That said, how long before people start to revisit the JD Drew for Wainwright trade? This changes the score a little bit.
Look up…
abwright
February 23rd, 2011
11:08 am
David O’Brien, February 23rd, 2011, 10:21 am … “Atlanta (134-102) is seven games behind Philadelphia (142-96) in that span.”
Just prior to that span, Braves were dreadful (all of 2008 and the first half of 2009), whereas the Phillies were charging to several consecutive playoff berths and a World Series.
I agree with McCann’s assessment, Braves just keep improving little by little. Right now, they’re a pretty good team. When a couple more moves get made during the season, they should end 2011 as one of the best teams in baseball.
Arkansas Transplant
February 23rd, 2011
11:09 am
Has anyone picked up the new SI issue yet?
abwright
February 23rd, 2011
11:09 am
Murph … I didn’t read or type fast enough. I figured I had at least an hour before someone chimed in.
DCBrave
February 23rd, 2011
11:09 am
Just wondering if anybody knows a link to a radio station for out-of-state Braves fans like me to listen to the Braves spring training games. I remember last year somebody provided a bunch of links here at the blog.
Also, it appears that only the ST games on 3/3 and 3/16 will be on ESPN, fewer games than last year.
Murph
February 23rd, 2011
11:10 am
Tell me this… if Wainwright blew out his elbow in his 10th season after the trade instead of the 7th, would it still “change the score” of the trade? What about his 15th season? Does him getting hurt when he’s 38 make a trade in 2003 better for one team somehow?
I don’t understand how you guys think sometimes.
Zing
February 23rd, 2011
11:11 am
DOB:
The more interesting thing about the post you put up about the Yankees pursuing Tim Hudson (no way) was that the Braves were still offering up or at least not opposed to trading Lowe. What do you think the odds are that the Yankees offer enough for the Braves to send Lowe packing?
Freeman Says Hey
February 23rd, 2011
11:11 am
How does this change the score? Wainwright had won 54 games for the Cardinals since 2007. How many had Drew won for the Braves since 2007? Wainwright was on the mound at the end of the NDS,NLCS and World Series. Recording the final out in each. Wainwright is and will be again a 1-2 front end starter of the rotation. He had basically a 3 to 1 K/W ratio last season and a whip of 1.05 per 9. Thats pretty dang strong, and almost impossible to replace in the Spring for the Carinals.
Lew
February 23rd, 2011
11:11 am
abwright – Thanks for the grits link. I’ll be checking it out later today.
Nick n Nash
February 23rd, 2011
11:14 am
True, but w/o Drew in ‘04, the Braves would not have gotten to the playoffs for number 13
abwright
February 23rd, 2011
11:17 am
As the Cliff Lee strain and the Adam Wainwright elbow show, an injury to a top line pitcher can change the mix in the NL in a heartbeat.
I’ll boldly predict that Frank Wren is going to be able to trade Kawakami, probably with most of his salary, and with a prospect or two coming back.
Jeff R
February 23rd, 2011
11:18 am
Lew… Well, I don’t know. But Wainwright has been stellar for the Cards. Hope he makes it back from re-constructive surgery. Drew was part of a pretty solid offensive line up in the one season he played for the Braves, as I recall (since then, he’s not done much). Never like to surrender top flight young arms. Pitching and defense are the name of the game.
Murph… see above.
Having said that, the Cards have a big need now. IF the Braves could help fill it for a nice return, so much the better.
Arkansas Transplant
February 23rd, 2011
11:18 am
Lew, don’t go buying too many grits. I’ll be dropping some in the mail this weekend.
DWW
February 23rd, 2011
11:19 am
DCBrave
There won’t be any spring training games on the radio, for locals or out of town, except maybe a few games at the very end. I just spend the $20 every year and get the mlb.com audio package. It covers all games, all year. It’s worth the money, you get all of ST which isn’t available anywhere else, and it comes in handy for some day games while at work during the season.
Trey
February 23rd, 2011
11:20 am
DOB, great article thank you. I am excited to see how well McCann does. I think he will do well when taking over leadership positions over the years
“Adam Wainwright blew out his elbow, probably a Tommy John surgery required. Wow. That’s too bad for the kid.”
Glad we didn’t have him after all. At least it’s the Cardinals problem.
Willy Wally
February 23rd, 2011
11:21 am
if Wainwright blew out his elbow in his 10th season after the trade instead of the 7th, would it still “change the score” of the trade? What about his 15th season? Does him getting hurt when he’s 38 make a trade in 2003 better for one team somehow?
The Braves didn’t trade away Wainwright’s career, just his first 6 or 7 years of club control. So, yes, getting hurt during those first 6 or 7 years does reduce the cost of the trade. Getting hurt beyond those first 6 or 7 years would not affect the cost/benefit calculation of that trade ’cause, after all, he could have been a Brave after those first 6 or 7 seasons just as much as he could have been a Card. The Braves did not trade away Wainwright’s eventual free agency when they made that trade, just his first 6 to 7 seasons of club control.
abwright
February 23rd, 2011
11:21 am
Lew, February 23rd, 2011, 11:11 am … “Thanks for the grits link.”
Sure thing. I’ve ordered hundreds of dollars of stuff from Bob’s. Even though shipping is a little steep (coming from Oregon), everything comes through just fine and generally in pretty good time. Their grits are actually “polenta.” It takes one or two times to get used to the fact that they actually have flavor (store-bought grits are bland and have no corn taste). Once you get used to them, you will have a hard time returning to bland grits.
It should be noted, I am a “grits snob” and a “popcorn snob.”
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
11:22 am
So…
Did this all of a sudden make the Brewers the leader in the clubhouse in the Central?
Or are we still talking Reds baseball?
Jeff R
February 23rd, 2011
11:22 am
Willy Wally… good point.
abwright
February 23rd, 2011
11:23 am
I McFann’ed that one.
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
11:23 am
Lew-
Did I read you say something about the Prado item yesterday?
Lew
February 23rd, 2011
11:24 am
JeffR- Figure it out-
IN 06, the Braves came in 18 games back and Wainwright won 2 games.
In 07 (a MAYBE year), the Braves came in 5 back and Wainwright won 14.
In 08 the Braves’ rotation died en masse and they came in 20 back. Wainwright’s 11 wins wouldn’t have mattered.
In 09 ( another MAYBE year), they came in 7 back and Wainwright won 19.
Now then you have to figure out who Wainwright would be replacing in the Braves’ rotation making the net difference even less.
I’m really convinced that had Wainwright remained a Braves’ pitcher, he wouldn’t have taken us any further than we went anyway.
Lew
February 23rd, 2011
11:25 am
Should have added that we were a very flawed team since 05 and one pitcher, no matter how good, wouldn’t have made a difference with most of the problem areas.
GT Alum
February 23rd, 2011
11:26 am
I guess you don’t know if you don’t ask, but Cashman had to know that he was going out on a limb asking for Hudson. Huddy’s a quality pitcher signed to a very team-friendly contract. He had to know he would have to blow Wren away with an offer to even get a nibble.
Oh, and that sucks for Wainwright. Always hated that he wasn’t wearing a cap with an A on it. Hope the surgery goes well and he comes back even stronger than before, as seems to be the trend these days. Does kinda seem like there’s a 50-50 chance a pitcher’s going to need TJ at some point in his career these days, though.
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
11:26 am
Once again, I state:
Once a guy leaves, while I may follow his career, its ultimately does not matter as once he is no longer a Brave, he is no longer part of my million things to care about.
Murph
February 23rd, 2011
11:27 am
I have to think the Braves top brass saw something in Wainwright that they didn’t like… if you look at their staff when he was traded, guys like John Thompson, Russ Ortiz, Jaret Wright, Mike Hampton… I can’t imagine they would have traded AW if they thought he was going to turn out to be a special pitcher given the lack of depth they had at the time.
Baseball America sure liked him, despite some pretty mediocre seasons in the low minors, but I don’t think anyone in the Braves’ organization liked him as much as they did.
So, they traded him, he had a couple more mediocre seasons in the minors for the Cards, then made it to the show and turned in to one of the top 5 SP in the NL. Who knew? Him getting hurt doesn’t somehow add more validation to the trade, though. I don’t feel any better or worse about the trade, seeing as how it was 7+ years ago and he could have easily been hit by a bus in the time since.
It’s a crapshoot sometimes. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
dawglasville
February 23rd, 2011
11:27 am
Mac has been the Braves MVP for some time now. I think he will be in the HOF one day. Nice work, Dave.
Lew
February 23rd, 2011
11:27 am
PTown – I’ll mail it Priority Mail on Saturday. You will have it by Monday or Tuesday (at the latest).
While looking for source material, saw a picture of Prado (showing his tattoo) – Dude has some huge arms and looks totally ripped.
Smack
February 23rd, 2011
11:27 am
Baseball America’s Top100 prospects list just got released. A great showing by our guys. This list got it right, much better than MILB.
Teheran – 5
Freeman – 17
Delgado – 35
Minor – 37
Kimbrel – 86
Vzcaino – 93
Arkansas Transplant
February 23rd, 2011
11:28 am
Now then you have to figure out who Wainwright would be replacing in the Braves’ rotation making the net difference even less. – Lew
Plus you have to figure out what the direction of the team might have gone if they would have kept Wainwright. All and all I think we have to agree that it was a good trade for both. It gave the Cards what they were looking for and gave the Braves what they were looking for.
transplant brave
February 23rd, 2011
11:28 am
Like the video, McCann says he’ll be Scotty Pipen, which makes the Braves the Bulls. Here we come six Championships…
Lew
February 23rd, 2011
11:28 am
That’s NOT the picture I used, though – have no fear. Got him hitting what’s probably another drive to the gap.
Jeff R
February 23rd, 2011
11:33 am
Lew… I don’t know what Wainwright would have done in Braves’ uniform. I assume he would have pitched well. I also believe he’ll come back from surgery and rehab and continue to provide the Cards with solid starts.
Moving forward, a team wants a pitcher of Wainwright’s caliber in the rotation. Building around a Wainwright isn’t a bad thing to do.
Heisenberg
February 23rd, 2011
11:35 am
C’mon man. Nobody trades a pitcher thinking “In 6 or 7 years if he blows out his elbow this will look like a smart trade”. There are 3 reasons to make a trade:
1) you think you are a contender this year and are willing to give up future potential for success now
2) you think you are not a contender this year and are willing to part with a player of value for 1 or more players who will contribute when you believe you will be a contender
3) you are the Pirates
Both teams got what they were looking for in the Drew/Wainwright trade.
Maybe we should go back and revisit the JFK decision to ride in a convertible in Dallas.
Freeman Says Hey
February 23rd, 2011
11:36 am
How many has KK lost since joining the Braves? How about that for a difference?
Also note that in 2007-2010 the Braves finished 38 games out
Wainwright won from 2007-2010 54 games
Jeff R
February 23rd, 2011
11:37 am
The Drew deal was in the last days of John Schuerholz’s rein. That 2004 team was built for the now. As I recall, there wasn’t a lot of “How does this squad project out two or three seasons.”
Also, keep in mind what Frank Wren has done since assuming the general managership (or whatever his title). Wren has been careful to stock pitching talent. No Tex or Drew deals.
Jeff R
February 23rd, 2011
11:39 am
Heisenberg… the convertible was a bad idea.
Arkansas Transplant
February 23rd, 2011
11:39 am
Moving forward, a team wants a pitcher of Wainwright’s caliber in the rotation. Building around a Wainwright isn’t a bad thing to do. Jeff R
Your right, he is a good pitcher to build around but Atlanta already has a pitcher thats pretty close to Wainwright’s caliber in Hanson.
Lew
February 23rd, 2011
11:39 am
JeffR – Agreed. Hope he does come back next year and pitches like he has the past couple of years. He WOULD be a good pitcher to build on. I just don’t think he would have changed the Braves’ fortunes to this point had he remained a Brave.
wheelz007
February 23rd, 2011
11:39 am
When looking at Wainwright, check his team’s W-L record in his starts. That’s a big thing too.
Example, a pitcher starts 33 games. His official record is 14-11, but his team goes 20-13 during those 33 starts.
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
11:42 am
dawglasville Mac has been the Braves MVP for some time now. I think he will be in the HOF one day.
I agree. He’s definitely on the right track!
Jake
February 23rd, 2011
11:44 am
Love the blog, DOB. Can’t wait till opening day.
Any thoughts on which Derek Lowe will show up this spring? Come playoff time last season it looked like the only time he pitched with any kind of success was on short rest…
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
11:44 am
Lew-
Thanks a lot buddy
Ya know, one of these days we gotta plan something where we can at least meet somewhere and grab dinner…
Oh, and the whole Wainwright deal…adding to what I said…its way too difficult to think about “well what if we kept him, then this this and this would be different”…its all a real crapshoot anyhow…
TP Brave-
So does that make Heyward MJ, Hanson Luc Longley, and Nate Steve Kerr?
Then who is BJ Armstrong, Cliff Livingston, and Bill Wellington? Bill Cartwright, Horace Grant, Will Perdue?
That would be interesting…
Jeff R
February 23rd, 2011
11:44 am
Arkansas Transplant… I’m with you on Hanson. I also think Jurrjens isn’t yesterday’s news.
Lew… Would the Braves have signed Lowe had they had Wainwright?
Lew
February 23rd, 2011
11:44 am
Freeman- You can’t look at it that way. You need to go year by year and I think it’s pretty clear he wouldn’t have made much of a difference.
As for Kawakami – In 09 I already said Wainwright MIGHT have made a difference. KK won 7, while Wainwright won 19 – a net of +12 for AW, with the Braves coming in 7 games back. As for KK’s numbers last year? We made the playoffs without AW and we lost the first round not because of lack of starting pitching, but a lack of runs scored. I fail to see where AW would have made a difference yet again.
DWW
February 23rd, 2011
11:44 am
I was thinking about the possibility of Prado making the all-star team this year and wondered if there was any player in recent years to make back to back all-star games at two different positions.
Murph
February 23rd, 2011
11:45 am
All I’m saying is AW getting hurt doesn’t somehow make the trade better for the Braves suddenly.
If he got caught under a rock while hiking and had to cut off his pitching arm with a pocket knife to survive, and it happened in the year after the trade, I would have thought to myself “Wow, the Braves really got lucky with that trade.”
Getting injured 7+ years after the trade, though, doesn’t make it a better trade.
Lew
February 23rd, 2011
11:45 am
JeffR – Now THAT is the question and we will never know.
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
11:45 am
Lew-
Not necessary…I will be happy w/ whatever I get and what you feel truly captures the essence of Martin Prado…
Quick question though, how long did it take you from start to finish to recreate?
kaminari
February 23rd, 2011
11:46 am
Nice write-up. I got a good feeling this year. As I do every year. But especially this one. I’m looking forward to a Brave New Age. And I’m also looking forward to Chipper staying healthy and productive.
Jeff R
February 23rd, 2011
11:46 am
Lew… Indeed.
Lew
February 23rd, 2011
11:47 am
But even if we had Wainwright, Lowe won 15 and 16 games while AW won 19 and 21 – again, I don’t think it would have made a difference, though MAYBE if we had more power in the lineup as a result…….But we’ll never know and it’s kind of a Moot Point.
Lew
February 23rd, 2011
11:49 am
Re-create? A drawing of that size (11×14) can take between 20-40 hours of actual drawing – usually towards the 20 hour mark. One like DOB’s Johnny Cash portrait can take as much as 200 hours of actual drawing.
Still, no excuse for it taking a year. Honestly, with all that went on last year, I out and out forgot to do it and I apologize.
Freeman Says Hey
February 23rd, 2011
11:50 am
Lew,
My point was more or less in the fact that we can maipulate nubmers all you like, but wheelz07 has the specific point you need to perhaps revisit your theory. Just b/c Wainwright was only credited with 14 wins, does not accurately depict his overral teams w-l record when he took the mound that day.
I will say though we certainly are beating a dead elbow in the ground…ewww was that to soon?
CB
February 23rd, 2011
11:50 am
kaminari,instead of calling it a Brave New Age how about a Brave New World? Think that would work?
ramblingman
February 23rd, 2011
11:51 am
“I was thinking about the possibility of Prado making the all-star team this year and wondered if there was any player in recent years to make back to back all-star games at two different positions.”
I know Pete Rose did it but not sure if anyone has since, right off the top of my head
LTBF
February 23rd, 2011
11:51 am
DOB very good blog posted after 4:00 am do you work all night? Good update on nate, I don’t hate Nate I just don’t think he can play the game well anymore but I wish him the best for the sake of the team. DOB how is Brooks doing? do you think he will make opening day roster?
Jeff R
February 23rd, 2011
11:51 am
Lew,
I think wheelz007 made a good point at 11:39 am:
“When looking at Wainwright, check his team’s W-L record in his starts. That’s a big thing too.
Example, a pitcher starts 33 games. His official record is 14-11, but his team goes 20-13 during those 33 starts.”
How would the Braves fared in games Wainwright pitched but didn’t receive a decision? Who knows, but a good question, I think.
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
11:51 am
Murph-
Is that like being mauled by the very deer you captured and helped raise to full grown for 6-8 years on your very own Double Dime Ranch?
Made me think of Seinfeld for some reason…returning pants and slipping in mud….ruining the very same pants you were planning on returning…
GT Alum
February 23rd, 2011
11:52 am
As far as the Wainwright for Drew trade goes, and any trade for that matter, you have to give something to get something. It turns out Wainwright was probably a lot to give away for a single season of Drew, but the Braves thought that with Drew being a hometown guy, they had a good shot to sign him. Of course, any Phillies fan will tell you Drew also has a bit of a history as a mercenary.
However, as has been pointed out, it’s questionable if the Braves would’ve made the postseason without Drew that year and questionable if the Braves would’ve made the postseason any of the past few years if they had has Wainwright. Of course, at the least, we might not be in the KK situation or the Lowe situation now if we had had Wainwright.
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
11:53 am
Lew-
No apology necessary…things come up and things happen….
I just really appreciate you doing the work for me
Lew
February 23rd, 2011
11:53 am
Freeman – And like I’ve said – It really doesn’t matter what criteria or formulae that you use. Wainwright was traded years ago and didn’t pitch for the Braves, so we’re dealing with a truly unknowable situation. A classic Moot Point – like I said.
Heisenberg
February 23rd, 2011
11:53 am
DWW,
Too lazy too look it up but I am almost certain Pete Rose made all-star team for Reds in 70’s after moving from LF to 3B to get George Foster and his magic black bat in the line-up. There may have been others but that is just off top of my head.
Having said that, it could be harder for Prado as OF competition is deeper than 2B or 3B. But I like his chances if they still mandate a super utility player which got Infante in last year.
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
11:54 am
So…
The Nets fail on getting Melo so they trade for Deron Williams…
Hope they know Deron isn’t planning on stayin in Jersey.
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
11:55 am
Maybe we should go back and revisit the JFK decision to ride in a convertible in Dallas. _ Heisenberg
I was thinking something more regional, like say,the decision to replace Joseph E. Johnston with John Bell Hood on July 17, 1864.
Lew
February 23rd, 2011
11:56 am
JeffR- Yeah, you could use the team’s W-L record in his starts, but then you have to factor in Pujols and Holiday and whoever was closing and setting up, etc.
Moot Point.
Lew
February 23rd, 2011
11:57 am
PTown – Hope you can get it signed. Bet you will. Martin’s a good Dude.
Heisenberg
February 23rd, 2011
11:59 am
General Sherman would not have cared.
ramblingman
February 23rd, 2011
11:59 am
Alfonso Soriano did it too, just looked it up
Hillbilly
February 23rd, 2011
12:01 pm
I was thinking about the possibility of Prado making the all-star team this year and wondered if there was any player in recent years to make back to back all-star games at two different positions.
Alex Rodriguez comes to mind.
DCBrave
February 23rd, 2011
12:06 pm
DWW-
Thanks.
Hillbilly
February 23rd, 2011
12:07 pm
Craig Biggio was an All-Star at catcher in ‘91 and at 2nd base in ‘92.
Miguel Cabrera was an All-Star in left field and then again after his move to 3rd base.
Fargo
February 23rd, 2011
12:08 pm
DOB, or anybody else….Do we know what Fredi’s position is on Tattoos? will Moylan still be required to wear the long sleeves?
Murph
February 23rd, 2011
12:09 pm
Here’s the thing that most people don’t think about when analyzing a trade in the years after it happened…
You can’t simply take Wainwrights numbers as a Cardinal and apply them to the Braves and say “We would have been XX games better if we had him instead of trading him.”
The world doesn’t work like that. There’s NO WAY to predict what his record would have been with the Braves. The circumstances would have been completely different, from what team he faced to the game that was called by his catcher to the coaching he got from his pitching coach to the length of his commute to the ballpark.
He might have been totally unhappy in Atlanta because he didn’t like the city, or he might have faced better hitters on the nights he pitched, or he might have been told to work more on developing a circle change which would have affected his entire game, or or or…
Too many outside circumstances to simply take his record from one team and apply it to another and call your argument valid.
Horner's Corner
February 23rd, 2011
12:10 pm
Sorry DOB, but I will not bite on the McLouth-Schafer story again. Isn’t there another well you can draw from? How about a competition heating up for the final infield bench spot?
By the way, while watching BP have you noticed if McLouth is reducing his upper-cut a bit?
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
12:12 pm
Sherman may not have cared but he would have had to game plan differently. Johnston was all about pitching and defense, Hood all offense, attack, attack, attack. Would not have mattered in the long run, Sherman had the much higher payroll. Damn those Yankees.
Murph
February 23rd, 2011
12:13 pm
Is that like being mauled by the very deer you captured and helped raise to full grown for 6-8 years on your very own Double Dime Ranch?
You know, you take in an orphaned deer, you bottle feed it, you teach it to run through the fields, you protect it from rabid bears and hungry wolves, and then one day it turns on you…
A part of me died that day, and I don’t mean the eye that it gouged out of my head. I have had a hard time trusting anyone, man or beast, ever since.
haggard
February 23rd, 2011
12:13 pm
Couch Tater
That was some fine Sam Bush this morning; a better morning jolt than any other stimulant I know of. Also, Sam is a big time baseball fan and I know for a fact he’s been to a couple of games at Turner when his band has passed through. In the old Newgrass Revival days, Sam, Pat, Bela and John took in a few at old Atlanta stadium.
Some one shot this at Telluride last year and the camera work is a little unsteady, but here’s Sam leading a stagefull in “Take Me Out To The Ballgame”.
Freeman Says Hey
February 23rd, 2011
12:14 pm
Lew,
What is it you’ve said? Don’t think you have emphasized that enough.
eskippy
February 23rd, 2011
12:15 pm
Maybe we could wait until the competition starts , Saturday.
CallMeCrazy
February 23rd, 2011
12:16 pm
DOB: Has Tommy worked on speeding up his delivery from the stretch? Seems like teams were constantly running on him last year.
richbrave
February 23rd, 2011
12:18 pm
Has anyone got a line on SHERRILL and LINEBRINK? And DIORY HERNANDEZ also. Does he have a legit shot at the back-up SS slot?
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
12:21 pm
Hillbilly-
Possibly Michael Young with all the moving and then Soriano came to mind moving from 2b to LF.
Not only did he probably make the All-Star team, but he I think did it at 2 different positions in 2 different leagues…
Someone correct me if I am wrong on that…
richbrave
February 23rd, 2011
12:22 pm
Horner’s Corner
February 23rd, 2011
12:10 pm
Sorry DOB, but I will not bite on the McLouth-Schafer story again. Isn’t there another well you can draw from? How about a competition heating up for the final infield bench spot?
By the way, while watching BP have you noticed if McLouth is reducing his upper-cut a bit?
BOB:
You admonish our sainted blog-meister for belaboring a topic to the detriment of one you desire instead, then at the last minute return to a part of the subject you want away from [McLOUTH]? Dude………
haggard
February 23rd, 2011
12:25 pm
Hillbilly
Did you get that little situation cured involving the drive by’s and the garbage cans? I was going to suggest video set on LP, even an old VHS camera. That would give you about 6 hours of surveillance.
Randle Patrick McMurphy
February 23rd, 2011
12:27 pm
Really informative article – with the following exception:
“He gotten good,” Gonzalez said. “What’s it, five All-Stars and four Silver Sluggers? I kidded him, you’ve got all these All-Stars and Silver Sluggers, how ‘bout a Gold Glove? And he’s capable of doing that. He’s got that ability to do that.”
Uhhh… Freddie, stop consuming the acid tabs! Based on the quoted statement above, any similarities in your reality and the rest of ours (most of us anyways) is completely coincidental, I assure you. Brian McCann couldn’t catch a balloon in a phone booth – so he’s got a LOT to prove before he ever sniffs a Gold Glove… sheez…
haggard
February 23rd, 2011
12:29 pm
David O’Brien
Thanks so much.
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
12:29 pm
I believe the Braves would have made the post-season without Drew. Jeff
NWIH would they. he was huge that year and the other guy we acquired at the same time was a big help too. without those two no way are we in the post season, He was a huge hype when signed and for a coupla years but some of the Braves braintrust were getting a bit itchy about his relatively high ERAs in some of the minors.
Tom O'Hawke
February 23rd, 2011
12:29 pm
Well, they’re carrying two ST BRAVES games apparently.
richbrave, that’s a local station that carries the Mets on weekends. I haven’t gone that far ahead in the schedule, but I was aware of this Saturday’s game.
A friend that I’ve known since pre-school, and I have a tradition that dates back to our Little League days. His family has a farm close by with greenhouses. The main one is heated, and even has tropical plants & trees.
We brought a TV into the heated one at the beginning of ST, over 20 years ago, to watch a ballgame. That started something we still do to this day. Every year, we get together to watch the first televised ST game of the season. With the warmth of the greenhouse, the green plants and small trees, and the ballgame, it’s like our first day of non-winter.
Naturally, it has to be an over-the-air station, because, alas, the greenhouse doesn’t have cable. It really comes down to either the Yankees or the Mets, and their opponent. This year, the first game is the Braves vs Mets.
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!
Venice Jim
February 23rd, 2011
12:31 pm
Tom – I take it you will be doing the blog play-by-play?
ramblingman
February 23rd, 2011
12:34 pm
” I assure you. Brian McCann couldn’t catch a balloon in a phone booth – so he’s got a LOT to prove before he ever sniffs a Gold Glove… sheez…”
I assure everyone that you could not catch a joke in a cup. You’ve got a lot to prove before you are ever considered a fan…sheesh.
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
12:34 pm
Wait…
Did I miss the bells?
Tom is on in the daylight?!
Did the vamps get a day pass?
CB
February 23rd, 2011
12:35 pm
nolie,Eli Marrero.
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
12:35 pm
Lew A drawing of that size (11×14) can take between 20-40 hours of actual drawing – usually towards the 20 hour mark.
I oughta time how long it takes me to draw…I think mine come out closer to 8.5 x 11, and while detailed carefully aren’t nearly as detailed as yours, so mine prob’ly don’t take as long as maybe they should…
One like DOB’s Johnny Cash portrait can take as much as 200 hours of actual drawing.
Wow! Was that a bigger portrait?
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
12:36 pm
VJ-
No, Tom is the guy that sits next to the mic like the old guy next to the PbP guy…
He just hits two sticks together when someone connects with the ball…
Tom O'Hawke
February 23rd, 2011
12:36 pm
Sorry Jim, probably no internet service (and I’m not gonna check, either).
Tom O'Hawke
February 23rd, 2011
12:37 pm
You’re OK, P-Town. It’s me that’s lost.
Lew
February 23rd, 2011
12:39 pm
McFann – Yes, The MIB was a 16×20 portrait and I tend to take a long time on them – I try to get it so good that you an read the character on their faces – some are better than others and the Johnny Cash is maybe the best portrait I’ve ever done.
Older people are also harder than younger – must be all those “character lines” they’ve built up over the years. You really can read it sometimes.
Shaun
February 23rd, 2011
12:39 pm
GT Alum, regarding Drew-Wainwright, also it’s oversimplifying things, especially in today’s game, to just say it was Drew-for-Wainwright (and all the other players involved in that particular trade). The Braves used the money they would have paid for Drew or some other similarly priced player on something else.
For instance, do the Braves acquire Tim Hudson and sign him long-term if they re-sign Drew (or someone similar) in the name of preventing Drew from leaving after one season just because they traded a prospect for him? So why not say it was Wainwright-for-Hudson. That’s another oversimplification but just as reasonable as the oversimplification that says the trade was Wainwright for one season of Drew. Why pick and choose an oversimplification?
Braveone
February 23rd, 2011
12:41 pm
From the previous blog which had 1,478 comments, nolie led the way with 97 posts. There were 214 different poster names. Here are the Top 25:
Rank Poster Frequency
1 nolie 97
2 McFann Ô Ô 74
3 cabravesfan 58
4 Tomahawkin 51
5 David O’Brien 49
6 Ward 48
7 P-Town Brave © 46
8 jeffrey d 46
9 Trey 41
10 keylargo 40
11 ncscoots 38
12 Arkansas Transplant 36
13 DS1 35
14 FEAR 35
15 Roman Gal 35
16 CB 33
17 Jerry 31
18 DAP 27
19 MIBravesFan 26
20 Venice Jim 25
21 Moe Berg 24
22 Lew 22
23 richbrave 22
24 Soph 21
25 TennesseePaul 20
Trey
February 23rd, 2011
12:41 pm
Randle Patrick McMurphy is in McFann’s territory now. His 12:27 post will draw attention.
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
12:41 pm
This year, the first game is the Braves vs Mets. _ Tom O’Hawke
Just reward for living right, eh.
jim
February 23rd, 2011
12:43 pm
Has KK finally arrived in camp?
The decision to try to get more than 2 million for KK could work out favorably, but it could have a bigger chance of backfiring. If KK sucks this spring, he might not even be able to be unloaded for 1 million coming back.
jim
February 23rd, 2011
12:46 pm
The trade of Wainwright for Drew is far enough in the past to be ancient history now. The one that still hurts is the Tex trade. How nice would it look if Andrus and Feliz were in camp right now?
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
12:48 pm
McFanny-
Apparently page 11 didn’t help you enough yesterday
David O'Brien
February 23rd, 2011
12:49 pm
From Twitter posts while out on backfield:
Sitting w/ Bobby Cox, watching Hudson throw BP. Cox: “Damn, Huddy looks good.”
Hudson, Ross confer after Hudson’s strong BP session http://twitpic.com/42ybm4
Linebrink going old-school throwing BP without protective screen. http://twitpic.com/42ydqu
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
12:50 pm
Andrus doesnt really do much for me personally…
Yeah, he’s a pretty slick fielder, but his speed only helps if and when he gets on base…and if I recall correctly, he had a very down year with the bat in a very hitter friendly park.
DAP
February 23rd, 2011
12:50 pm
heisenberg They got a high on-base guy in return plus bullpen help and added Vasquez who I think will bounce back.
or, infante may bounce back to being a not very good on base guy. the thing about the marlins is they have a little ways to go. they weakend their offense, though it will probably still be pretty good…they got better starting pitching, which still needs more help, and their bullpen is just not that good. the marlins will be a thorn in the side of some NL contenders, but they arent winning anything.
DOB Adam Wainwright blew out his elbow, probably a Tommy John surgery required. Wow. That’s too bad for the kid.
what?!? woah, really bad news for the cards. another suiter for KK, perhaps.
DCBrave
February 23rd, 2011
12:51 pm
McCann looks so good, and I’m so eager to see how he looks when he makes a head first slide.
David O'Brien
February 23rd, 2011
12:52 pm
And one more Twitter photo: Heyward facing Moylan http://twitpic.com/42yuf7
haggard
February 23rd, 2011
12:53 pm
Tom O’Hawke @ 12:29
Do you bring along a cooler and mosquito repellent? Chips, dip, Ballpark hotdogs?
All kidding aside, I’m right there. What a great tradition.
Heisenberg
February 23rd, 2011
12:54 pm
braveone,
I thought I had no life hanging out on the blogs…but totaling the number of posts by each idiot here (note: I am including myself) ? Dude seriously take a look outside. I am stuck at a desk – that is my excuse.
Besides, you need to factor in the number of posts that actually made sense or exclude the posts made just for the purpose of running up the stats. Does quality matter here? Wait, never mind.
haggard
February 23rd, 2011
12:56 pm
Okay, SI’s national ink is fine and congrats to Freeman and Heyward. Now, what about that campaign for David O’Brien’s Pulitzer?
DCBrave
February 23rd, 2011
12:56 pm
Not the best idea for Linebrink going old-school throwing BP without protective screen. He’s taking unnecessary risk, and the team should not have allowed that in the first place.
Lew
February 23rd, 2011
12:57 pm
If quality mattered, that last post would likely have been bozoed (as Tomahawkin would have said).
David O'Brien
February 23rd, 2011
12:58 pm
No, Kawakami isn’t here yet, no word on his ETA
Lew
February 23rd, 2011
12:58 pm
haggard- Pulitzer? Dude’s won Four Wurlitzers. Why would he even want a Pulitzer?
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
12:58 pm
Lew—
I’ve seen the Johnny Cash portrait on your website, and yeah—it’s amazing. I mean—and I don’t want to get myself banned by saying this
—I don’t know anything about him (only time I’ve ever seen him is on the first episode of the Partridge Family, I think), but that portrait is just unbelievable. Lots of character for sure…
Older people are also harder than younger – must be all those “character lines” they’ve built up over the years.
Definitely.
Heisenberg
February 23rd, 2011
12:59 pm
DAP,
I do not think Marlins will win division. They may not get WC, but I believe they will be in contention in September.
David O'Brien
February 23rd, 2011
12:59 pm
Shaun, good post at 12:39 regarding Drew-Wainwright.
GT Alum
February 23rd, 2011
1:00 pm
Shaun,
Well, for one, you know Wainwright was traded for Drew. Who we may have or may not have signed after that point given the money we had would at best require a decent amount of research to justify, and at worst would be complete speculation.
By that logic, it sounds like what you’re saying is you shouldn’t bother trying to analyze any trade, because there’s so many ramifications that it’s almost impossible to account for them all.
Also, your argument would really tilt the grading of that trade to say we shouldn’t have made it, because if we hadn’t done it, we would’ve had Wainwright + the money, even in 2004.
Lew
February 23rd, 2011
1:00 pm
McFann – I use the MIB portrait as my Facebook avatar. I switched around a lot at first and finally figured I’d never get a better one to use.
haggard
February 23rd, 2011
1:01 pm
“Randle Patrick McMurphy is in McFann’s territory now. His 12:27 post will draw attention.”–Trey
I wonder if there’s a a scowl big enough and dark enough?! McFann must be flexing her muscles for this retort.
Tom O'Hawke
February 23rd, 2011
1:01 pm
haggard
That’s a big YES! on the cooler and snacks.
It’s a lot easier now, being we have cars. You should have seen us years ago when we had to bring our stuff on bicycles.
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
1:01 pm
P-Town Brave Apparently page 11 didn’t help you enough yesterday
Hahahaha! Apparently not…Can’t say I didn’t try!
Trey—
Ha! Not sure I should dignify, “couldn’t catch a balloon in a phone-booth” with even an eyeroll.
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
1:01 pm
DAP-
KK in St. Louis…
Would certainly make me happy come September on my trip to Busch
But I would expect they look at McClellan (in house) and Millwood (FA) before even glancing in Frank Wren’s direction on the smartphone…
Lew
February 23rd, 2011
1:04 pm
Do they even have phone booths anymore?
DAP
February 23rd, 2011
1:05 pm
jeff r I believe the Braves would have made the post-season without Drew.
nick n nash True, but w/o Drew in ‘04, the Braves would not have gotten to the playoffs for number 13
braves won the division by 10 games in 2004. jeff might have a case here. maybe.
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
1:08 pm
Lew—
Good choice!
haggard—
Some people just can’t let the defense go…And BMac prob’ly could catch a balloon in a phone-booth—but I don’t like the idea of someone tossing a phone-booth to him…and why does it have to have a balloon in it, anyway?
haggard
February 23rd, 2011
1:09 pm
” Pulitzer? Dude’s won Four Wurlitzers. Why would he even want a Pulitzer?”–Lew
My fear is–like all greats in award categories–he’ll be retired from the competition. And a Pulitzer? He’ll have something to put on display for guests to see in the bathroom since the Wurlitzers occupy all of the premium space in the O’Brien household, I’m sure. And one might be on loan at a certain house in Wilson, North Carolina.
civilized white trash
February 23rd, 2011
1:12 pm
dob thanks again for all the blogs and updates in snowy idaho its great to get glimps of winter coming to an end
Tom O'Hawke
February 23rd, 2011
1:12 pm
McFann
Perhaps we would enjoy McCann tossing a phone-booth
atto Randle Patrick McMurphy.Tom O'Hawke
February 23rd, 2011
1:12 pm
(with or without a balloon in it)
GT Alum
February 23rd, 2011
1:14 pm
Well, and the thing is, at least statistically, McCann is an average C defensively. That comes with all the caveats about defensive statistics, but I think the attacks on his defense are overblown. And when you consider he’s one of the best offensive C in the game, he’s a valuable player, even if he’s below average defensively.
People tend to focus on his troubles throwing out runners. However, I think calling a good game and being a good receiver for the pitcher is much more important. And the fact that Smoltz liked his skills in that regard enough to make him his personal catcher speaks volumes as far as I’m concerned.
haggard
February 23rd, 2011
1:14 pm
McFann
I think your mann is up to the task and it’ll be interesting to see how the weight loss affects his mobility behind the plate. And a balloon?
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
1:15 pm
McFanny-
You know what the sad part is…
I reached #7 and only blogged about 4 hrs…
Now if only I were able to apply myself…the title would be mine
haggard
February 23rd, 2011
1:17 pm
“Perhaps we would enjoy McCann tossing a phone-booth at to Randle Patrick McMurphy.”-Tom O’Hawke
I don’t think a phone booth is big enough; we’re talking the Road Runner and Wil E Coyote territory here!
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
1:17 pm
GT-
I think more of his issues w/ throwing out runners can be attributed to extremely methodical pitcher deliveries…
Just look at Hanson and JJ…
BMac generally doesnt stand a chance…
I personally think his numbers are great given what he has to work with.
baxter my little gentleman
February 23rd, 2011
1:18 pm
balloons are for kids and junkies
GT Alum
February 23rd, 2011
1:21 pm
P-Town Brave -
Yeah, the bigger issue I have in that regard is not the number of successful steals, but the number of balls he throws into the OF. I don’t know if he tries to put extra on the throw because he knows he’s got to throw a bullet because his pitcher doesn’t give him much of a chance, or if he just had a lot of balls sail on him. Better to be on target or just stick the ball in your pocket than to throw the ball in the OF and allow multiple extra bases, though.
Pameeee
February 23rd, 2011
1:21 pm
This morning I had the pleasure of meeting with a retired Braves and Red Sox Scout. He was citing that there is a concern about bringing the young rookie pitchers to the ML too soon. His concern is about what happened with Strasburg for one. He did not think the Braves need to pound their your guys in the rotation and they should let them grow up and develop. Dan Uggla is one of his favorite signings over the winter. They always felt that it is important that these guys really want to come to a particular club. He is tickled that Uggla will be here playing for an organization that he has always loved and admired.
I asked about my Jason and Freeman. His opinion is they are 1st choice young players and will do quite well in their careers. Although, Jason did play too many games last year it shows that he is a strong man. It is funny that he thinks when they are very young like Jason they are sort of clumsey and are not steady on their feet. I remember him stumbling or falling last year too.
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
1:22 pm
GT-
I seemed to notice that trail off quite a bit after Alex took over at SS and when Omar was not over at 2b…
Coincidence…more than likely not..
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
1:23 pm
GT-
Plus I can recall close to a full two hands worth of blown umpire calls…including a very big one during the NLDS…
Cue McFann
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
1:26 pm
People tend to focus on his troubles throwing out runners.
McCann had his best year yet in caught stealing percentage at 30% last year. 120 attempts against him in 129 games started, 36 caught.
haggard
February 23rd, 2011
1:27 pm
Pameeee@1:21
Another great source of information here on the blog; out and about, sniffing out the stories, hanging with the scouts, bringing home the goods. Thanks.( Are you related to nolie?)
Arkansas Transplant
February 23rd, 2011
1:27 pm
What time is the start of the games this weekend?
GT Alum
February 23rd, 2011
1:27 pm
I seemed to notice that trail off quite a bit after Alex took over at SS and when Omar was not over at 2b…
Coincidence…more than likely not.
Well, the one negative about that, not sure that having Uggla at 2B is going to help in that regard.
abwright
February 23rd, 2011
1:27 pm
GT Alum, February 23rd, 2011, 1:00 pm … “By that logic, it sounds like what you’re saying is you shouldn’t bother trying to analyze any trade, because there’s so many ramifications that it’s almost impossible to account for them all.”
Ding. Ding. Ding. That’s the correct answer.
Folks can play the “what if” game as much as they like. If it pleases them, by all means, go ahead. But, they’re never going to prove anything.
It’s a “mute” point.
Who Cares
February 23rd, 2011
1:27 pm
McCann only leads the team in trips to the dining hall. If this guy wants to become a true leader maybe he should set an example and shed about 25 lbs. The guy is overweight and he is a liability behind the plate as far as his defense is concerned. He is consistent in 2 things however. One he will always come to camp out of shape, and two, you can count of 2 or 3 passed balls per game due to him being to slow and lazy behind the plate. He and chipper are the 2 leaders of this team, and that is why this team will never come close to catching the Phils.Chipper&Cox=Dumb&Dumber.
JB
February 23rd, 2011
1:28 pm
D. Lowe has made at least 32 starts a year each of the past 9 seasons. which is as long as he has been a starter. Hard to replace a guy like that
Greg in TN
February 23rd, 2011
1:29 pm
Afternoon denizens…
Good to see the Braves MIB blog rolling on with Freddi shepherding in a new era in the land of the Tomahawk under the watchful eye of the Crusading Everyman. And it’s also good to see Grapefruit League action starting in earnest on Saturday with a familiar opponent (the New York Madoffs, err Mess, err Mets).
I do like the early reports coming out of Dark Star (thanks DOB) on McLouth and Schafer and I am very interested to see the spring that Julio Teheran has in the five weeks of central Florida exhibitions.
Wainwright’s impending TJ surgery is another distraction from a team already distracted with the future of their all world first sacker and fans in Milwaukee and Cincy have to be emboldened by the relevation.
To Lew, McFann, RG, scoots, cab, SteveOh, TennPaul and the others card carrying members of Planet Braves, good to see each of you carrying on the good fight.
Saturday can’t get here fast enough for me, that’s for sure.
Arkansas Transplant
February 23rd, 2011
1:29 pm
McCann can’t be blamed for a lot of those steals. The pitcher has a lot of control over whether the guy gets a good jump or not too so you can’t just throw it all on McCann.
haggard
February 23rd, 2011
1:32 pm
McFann
And another thing about the “phone booth” remark: doesn’t he know your mann enjoyed a wonderful year throwing out runners last year,(his best if memory serves correct)? Your mann is elevating his game, he’s at that prime age for a ball player’s best years, and–as David O’Brien pointed out–he has ever-so-surely assumed a major leadership role on this team.
GT Alum
February 23rd, 2011
1:33 pm
abwright -
Yeah, but look at a number of things you do in your life, especially those that qualify under the hobby or recreation category – most of them fall under the academic category.
You could say the same thing about people having political debates. For the most part, the effects of political policies are so far reaching, and there’s so many other contributing factors, that it’s hard to prove if a policy is effective, or if one policy is more effective than another.
Murph
February 23rd, 2011
1:34 pm
I try to imagine what’s going through McCann’s head sometimes… gotta be tough being behind the plate all game and being called on to make a pinpoint throw in the blink of an eye.
“Jelly doughnut… hot dog… powdered doughnut… hamburg… oh, there he goes! Throw… safe! Damn it! Apple pie… ice cream…”
Trey
February 23rd, 2011
1:35 pm
haggard, I’d hate to be that guy at that point! I am surprised he didn’t say something more offensive like “He couldn’t catch a cold with an autoimmune disease”. Now that would have probably provoked McFann to summon lightning and thunder from the skies to strike down!
McFann, no, no, of course not!
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
1:35 pm
AT-
A bit late to the party on that one buddy
Who Cares-
Really dude?
You my friend are extremely late on this one…
Man, next thing I know is people are gonna tell me that after 7 years, FINALLY, The Rock has come back to WWE…
abwright
February 23rd, 2011
1:35 pm
Given how McCann talks about wanting to excel in every aspect of his game and how he has improved on throwing out runners and footwork in general, I wouldn’t be surprised to see continued improvement on his defense. If he becomes both the best offensive and defensive catcher in the game, what an asset!
Some folks have also ripped McCann for not blocking the plate (mostly in-game bloggers). Some folks would rather get an out in a meaningless situation and lose the best offensive catcher for 15 games on the DL.
GT Alum
February 23rd, 2011
1:37 pm
Murph, poking McCann with a stick.
Arkansas Transplant
February 23rd, 2011
1:37 pm
P-T, the Rock is back!!
Arkansas Transplant
February 23rd, 2011
1:37 pm
I’ve actually done a little work this morning so I’m a little behind on everything.
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
1:38 pm
AT-
AWW DAMN IT!
ncscoots
February 23rd, 2011
1:38 pm
and two, you can count of 2 or 3 passed balls per game due to him being to slow and lazy behind the plate.
Five PB all year. Yadier Molina had 7.
Oops. But thanks for playing.
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
1:39 pm
AT-
You doing work…
(checks pulse)
(pinches self)
(checks under desk for zombies, vamps, etc.)
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
1:39 pm
And Scoots is our big winner…
Tell em what he’s won Johnny!
DCBrave
February 23rd, 2011
1:43 pm
Who Cares-
You just committed a crime (your 1:27pm post) almost comparable to the Auburn tree poisoning.
Murph
February 23rd, 2011
1:43 pm
“Cupcakes… Chips Ahoy… Snickers… pot roa… oops, that one got by me. Bat boy will pick it up… cotton candy… Ruffles… Sour Cream Ruffles… Nachos…”
abwright
February 23rd, 2011
1:43 pm
GT Alum, February 23rd, 2011, 1:33 pm … “You could say the same thing about people having political debates. … it’s hard to prove if a policy is effective, or if one policy is more effective than another.
You are absolutely correct. I have no problem with folks debating past trades or political policies ad nauseum if it entertains them.
In the case of “strategery” though, there is much reason to predict what the consequences of possible decision might be before implementing a policy. It’s not productive to look at the results and say that something else might have been better, unless the policy maker intends to implement the different strategy the next time.
Sort of goes with the old saying that a country is always fighting the last war.
Anyway, for every Adam Wainwright trade, there’s also a John Smoltz trade. For every Mark Texiera trade, there’s a Jair Jurrjens trade. For ever Len Barker trade, there’s …. no wait, that one just plain stunk without any counter-balance.
Heisenberg
February 23rd, 2011
1:43 pm
This post is for no other purpose than to raise my stats. Trying to get in the top 25 for tomorrow. I need another bullet point on my resume.
Tom O'Hawke
February 23rd, 2011
1:44 pm
What time is the start of the games this weekend?
I didn’t see anyone answer this, Arkansas Transplant. Saturday’s game is 1:10 & Sunday’s game starts 1:05. Both are against the Mets. Away, and then home.
Travis
February 23rd, 2011
1:46 pm
Big loss for STL. How big would a trade for Albert with someone like Philly for Hamels and Howard look right now? Not saying Albert would agree but salaries, if ALbert gets 30 mil a year for say 7 years, would be pretty close.
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
1:47 pm
Who Cares if this guy wants to become a true leader maybe he should set an example and shed about 25 lbs. The guy is overweight
YAWN!! Yeah, he only lost 15 pounds this past winter…what a friggin’ bum. I know everyone around/on the teams thinks he’s a leader, a great guy, and a hard worker, but let’s get rid of this lunatic…Look at him in this photo from Picture Day a couple days ago…what a tub of lard…
David O'Brien
February 23rd, 2011
1:47 pm
Six Braves including five pitchers are in Baseball America’s top 100 prospects list, led by RH Julio Teheran (6th) and 1B Freddie Freeman (17th) Others are RH Randall Delgado (35th), LH Mike Minor (37th), RH Craig Kimbrel (86th), RH Arodys Vizcaino (93rd)
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
1:47 pm
Tom O’Hawke Perhaps we would enjoy McCann tossing a phone-booth
atto Randle Patrick McMurphy.Heh heh…
P-Town Brave Plus I can recall close to a full two hands worth of blown umpire calls…including a very big one during the NLDS…
he would have caught every danged one of those 5 runners if not for that umpire…instead he only got 4 (or was it 3 outta 4…can’t believe I’m uncertain.
).
haggard—
Yeah, without question, last year was his best at throwing guys out. And like many here (including myself, of course) have said, with our pitching staff, that’s not an easy thing to do. But he’s improving—this year, he’ll prob’ly be better still! And our manager is a former catcher, right?
Trey—
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
1:47 pm
Murph-
You forgot the HOT WINGS
Total Grace
February 23rd, 2011
1:48 pm
That trade for JD Drew is looking pretty good right about now, huh boys?
BravesAC
February 23rd, 2011
1:48 pm
Lowe for a very good prospect haul works for me. It fits the Braves model of developing young talent, gives some relief to the payroll budget (allowing for in season moves as needed), and frees up money for possible moves like a Jurrgens pre-emptive signing if he has a good year this year, or possibly Hanson.
The prospects would have to be at least “Tim Collins good” (producers in the minors vs just athletic talent) and hopefully would be position players who could handle the bat.
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
1:49 pm
abwright Some folks have also ripped McCann for not blocking the plate (mostly in-game bloggers). Some folks would rather get an out in a meaningless situation and lose the best offensive catcher for 15 games on the DL.
Yeah…but hopefully we don’t have to see what their reaction would be were that to actually happen…
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
1:50 pm
McFann-
Yeah, just lookin out for ya girl
Murph-
Actually…Brian’s mind would be more like this…
Coffee, Tea, Dr. Pepper, Coca Cola, Mello Yello, Mountain Dew, Pepsi, Jolt…Red Bull, Monster, 5-hr Energy..
Arkansas Transplant
February 23rd, 2011
1:51 pm
Tom O’Hawke
February 23rd, 2011
1:44 pm
Thanks
ncscoots
February 23rd, 2011
1:52 pm
Sort of goes with the old saying that a country is always fighting the last war.
…and a blogger is always crying about the last trade. For some, any trade that isn’t a complete bust for a Braves’ trading partner is highway robbery by said partner, perpetrated on willing idiot victims in the Braves’ FO. And no amount of logic, explanation of present-win value versus future-win value, or anything of the sort, can change that mindset.
I’ve completely wussed out on ever trying to have one of those conversations again. Minutes you’ll never get back start to mean more, as you grow ol…more mature, LOL.
Shaun
February 23rd, 2011
1:52 pm
GT Alum, what I’m saying is that it’s oversimplification to say it was Wainwright for one year of Drew (plus the other players involved). It’s fine to analyze the trade and even criticize it. But I would hope someone would take into account more than just an oversimplification such as Wainwright-for-Drew…period…end of story.
For example, Wainwright hadn’t pitched about AA at that point. Drew was an established offensive force (.377 on-base and .498 slugging) who was in his prime.
I just would hope people would gather all the facts and present them before making the argument that the Wainwright trade was clearly a bad move for the Braves.
Arkansas Transplant
February 23rd, 2011
1:53 pm
P-T, yeah I don’t know what they’re thinking. Everytime I think I’m going to have a minute or 2 to catch up, someone has a project they need help with. I NEED MY BLOG TIME!!
GT Alum
February 23rd, 2011
1:53 pm
abwright -
Yeah, I doubt the Braves spend too much time analyzing how one trade worked versus another, unless it is to formulate strategy. However, it is a way for fans to feel more involved in the game. As long as it stays civil, I don’t have any problem with it. Of course, you do end up with people who don’t have a clue who think they can run a baseball club better than half the GMs out there, but that’s an aspect of our democratic society.
timthebrave
February 23rd, 2011
1:53 pm
DOB, it says you put this blog out at 4:54 AM…Pretty impressive considering I heard you were on vacation in Florida. Nice read. I wouldn’t mind Mccann being the leader on this team. He seems to work hard but still have fun…Pretty good motto. Go Braves!
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
1:53 pm
Hi, Greg in TN! Good to see you again!
Who cares One he will always come to camp out of shape
Like this year? Yeah, wow…just horrid…220 is unacceptable. I don’t care how much of that is actually muscle, not fat!
and two, you can count of 2 or 3 passed balls per game due to him being to slow and lazy behind the plate.
2PBpG x 136G = 5PB for the season. Hmm…I guess it turns out I’m not as good at math as I thought I was…
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
1:55 pm
P-Town Brave—
Thanks!
Brian’s mind would be more like this…Coffee, Tea, Dr. Pepper, Coca Cola, Mello Yello, Mountain Dew, Pepsi, Jolt…Red Bull, Monster, 5-hr Energy..
NOT ANYMORE!!!
DCBrave
February 23rd, 2011
1:55 pm
“Actually…Brian’s mind would be more like this…
Coffee, Tea, Dr. Pepper, Coca Cola, Mello Yello, Mountain Dew, Pepsi, Jolt…Red Bull, Monster, 5-hr Energy..” – P-Town Brave
If McCan’s mind is that busy and messy now, can you imagine how it was like when he had to choose between contacts, glasses, laser …
bravesgrl4life( a/k/a In Love with Fredi G!)
February 23rd, 2011
1:56 pm
i>McCann only leads the team in trips to the dining hall. If this guy wants to become a true leader maybe he should set an example and shed about 25 lbs.
Dude, have you seen the pictures? McCann slimmed nicely over the winter and is looking good
timthebrave
February 23rd, 2011
1:56 pm
DOB or anyone else, How much playing time does a player have to have before they are no longer considered a “prospect”?
bravesgrl4life( a/k/a In Love with Fredi G!)
February 23rd, 2011
1:57 pm
Okay, so Mc’Fanned the italics on that last post
@ myself
BravePack
February 23rd, 2011
1:58 pm
Hey anybody download the demo for MLB 11:The Show? I am very impressed with the new analog controls and can’t wait to play as the Braves on March 8th. Graphics also much better as far as colors, lighting, and details. Players look much more life-like and stadiums are much more detailed.
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
1:58 pm
bravesgrl4life—
Yeah! That guy knows not of what he speaks…Did you see the photo of BMac I posted at 1:47?
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
1:58 pm
AT-
Yeah, me too…
But its lunch time
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
2:00 pm
bravesgrl4life Okay, so Mc’Fanned the italics on that last post
No prob…you still got your point across nicely.
Besides…McFanning a post defending BMac is appropriate, no?
David O'Brien
February 23rd, 2011
2:01 pm
Lowe for a very good prospect haul works for me. — BravesAC
Well, it doesn’t work for the Braves. Not five weeks before the season opener. Not without having another comparable, proven, durable starter to plug in.
That train left the station, I’d say, about mid-winter. If the Braves could’ve and wanted to do something like trade Lowe and sign, say, a Javier Vazquez for one year, to get them to Teheran, that could’ve worked. But you don’t trade one of your top starters from a strong rotation five weeks before the season opener and plug in a rookie or journeyman to fill his spot. Do that, then have an injury a week into the season, and you might have a rotation of Hudson, Jurrjens, Minor, Beachy and Lopez/Kawakami.
Think you’re going to compete for a division title or wild card with that?
Freeman Says Hey
February 23rd, 2011
2:01 pm
Agreed trying to break top 25 for tomorrow also. I would like to nominate Dion James as the best 1 year wonder ever for the Braves. His 1987 season was magical.
Chuck Simon's Barber Shop
February 23rd, 2011
2:01 pm
Some talk around the barber shop has us wondering if either 3B or LF is in Brian’s future. Given his defensive limitations and wear and tear on the body, and he does have the great attitude, wouldn’t that be a sensible off-season move? Having a backup of Ross’ caliber not playing regularly – it seems to be a waste, even though he’s a great influence on younger players – team could certainly sign another defensive backup C. That said, McCann is an exemplary player, in the mold of Dale Murphy who was my son’s MLB role model. Discuss please.
ramblingman
February 23rd, 2011
2:04 pm
“It’s a “mute” point.”
Or as Joey says, “it’s a moo point. You know, like a cow’s opinion…doesn’t matter”
Freeman Says Hey
February 23rd, 2011
2:04 pm
Good question Chuck. I would move a player the calibur of McCann as Washington is w/Harper to the OF. Yeah it devalues him in “Fantasy” terms, but it prolongs careers 3-4 years. I think it may be time to seriously develop a young catching prospect just for that reason.
CB
February 23rd, 2011
2:04 pm
You guys need to stick to cutting hair in that barber shop.
GT Alum
February 23rd, 2011
2:06 pm
Shaun -
I understand. I guess I just really didn’t understand why you went after my comment specifically. I said something like “it turns out that Wainwright was probably a lot to give up for Drew”, and went back and forth somewhat justifying both sides. I definitely hadn’t intended it as a definitive condemnation of the trade. I was just adding to the conversation.
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
2:06 pm
Morning all! Holy crap it’s freezing…
Great blog on my boy, DOB! Not that I expected anything less from you (or Mac
)
Oh god, are we back to the “move Mac to another position” comments? Not gonna happen any time soon people- especially with Prado and Freeman at the corners in the near future…and does anyone really want to see Mac in the outfield??
BravePack
February 23rd, 2011
2:06 pm
So I had my first draft of the year yesterday. Now keep in mind it’s free and I may be a little biased as you’ll see but I really like my team. Here is the team in order of draft round:
1. Evan Longoria
2. Adrian Gonzalez
3. Josh Hamilton
4. Dan Uggla
5. Jason Heyward
6. Tommy Hanson
7. BMac
8. Mat Latos
9. Josh Johnson
10. Jay Bruce
11. David Price
12. Konerko
13. Billy Butler
14. Stephen Drew
15. Tim Hudson
16. Clay Bucholz
17. Swisher
18. Grady Sizemore
19. Neil Walker
20. Huston Street
21. Craig Kimbrel
22. Freedie Freeman
23. Chris Coghlan
24. Chipper
25. Trevor Cahill
As you can see I really need the Braves to do well.
Heisenberg
February 23rd, 2011
2:06 pm
A long long time ago in a galaxy far far away, I was a scrawny catcher playing little baseball. Some kid with the nickname “Moose” rounded 3rd and put me into the backstop. We were both out. Shortly thereafter I learned the fine art of the sweep tag.
I salute Pudge for his plate-blocking bravery. But unless any of you ever put on the tools-of-the-trade, you have no right to judge. Just ask Ray Fosse.
SC GOP
February 23rd, 2011
2:07 pm
How is Uggla getting along with the team? Is there a good chemistry between him McCann and Jones?
abwright
February 23rd, 2011
2:09 pm
When Cashman called Wren and asked about Huddy’s availability, I wonder how long it took Frank to stop laughing.
No reason for Cashman not to call. Who knows, Wren might have been having a brain f@rt and actually agreed. Still, that request is almost Bloigian in its stupendous “lack of happening”-ness.
Shaun
February 23rd, 2011
2:09 pm
Honesty if you look at most trades that seem lopsided in hindsight, they made some degree of sense at the time. Of course there are a few Vernon Wells for Mike Napoli and Juan Rivera deals throughout the history of the game. But many of the ones that seem the most lopsided really only look horrible in hindsight.
Take even the Babe Ruth sale. Ruth was a reckless human being and no one knew anything about his style of play back then–if it was just a fad and Ruth would fade away or if he was revolutionizing the game by waiting on pitches to wallop instead of using the conventional hit-’em-where-they-ain’t that was prevalent back then. Ruth also demanded that Boston double his salary after the 1919 season. So the Red Sox had a reckless guy that didn’t like to follow rules or do what coaches told him, he seemed to play the game like he’s from another planet and he wanted double his previous season’s salary. Yes, the Red Sox were taking a gamble that Ruth would not stay disciplined enough to remain a great player and that his style of play was a passing fad but the Yankees were also taking a gamble. It turns out it paid off for the Yankees and the rest is history but if you try to put yourself in that time period, it wasn’t at all clear that the sale would work out even remotely like it did.
bravesgrl4life( a/k/a In Love with Fredi G!)
February 23rd, 2011
2:10 pm
McFann, totally acceptable
I don’t see a pic on your 1:47 post, kiddo. Post the link again and I will look.
ramblingman
February 23rd, 2011
2:10 pm
“Coffee, Tea, Dr. Pepper, Coca Cola, Mello Yello, Mountain Dew, Pepsi, Jolt…Red Bull, Monster, 5-hr Energy..”
coffee, tea, Dr. Pepper, Coke….oh shoot, now I have to go to the bathroom…need to get that third strike….oh man…
SC GOP
February 23rd, 2011
2:10 pm
BravePack…How many people were drafting in this league??
abwright
February 23rd, 2011
2:10 pm
cabravesfan, February 23rd, 2011, 2:06 pm … “Holy crap it’s freezing…”
Does that mean its gotten down into the 70s there in LA?
Freeman Says Hey
February 23rd, 2011
2:10 pm
I am a fan of Hamilton but would never draft him. His risk factor along with ADP is always to much for me. Outsdie of that you drafted some good bats and enough power pitchers to do some good. Bruce in the 10th is the steal for you.
ncscoots
February 23rd, 2011
2:11 pm
CB, never respond to a post which ends with “Discuss please”, or “Thoughts?”, or the like. Old blog custom.
Otherwise, the next thing you know, such a poster is doing typo-correction and lineup posts.
Heisenberg
February 23rd, 2011
2:12 pm
I cannot see McCann in LF. 1B would be logical. Freeman looks like he could be converted to LF to make room for that switch. With Prado moving to 3B and our fine young prospect taking over behind the plate. But that is all a few years down the road.
Soph
February 23rd, 2011
2:12 pm
Some talk around the barber shop has us wondering if either 3B or LF is in Brian’s future.
Brian who?
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
2:13 pm
cabravesfan Morning all! Holy [crud] it’s freezing…
bravesgrl4life—
Hmm…that’s odd. Maybe I posted the wrong time.
Anyhoo…here’s the link again: http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/109333420/Getty-Images-Sport (That site has a ton of good BMac photos, BTW!)
Mike S
February 23rd, 2011
2:13 pm
The first thing I remember when the name Dion James was mentioned, was when he hit and killed a bird with a fly ball off his bat. That was the first time I had ever seen that happen (well before The Big Unit hit a bird with a pitch, where the bird basically exploded in mid-air) and I remember it being so weird how the bird was just lying dead in the outfield and someone had to go pick it up, especially since I was ~10 at the time…
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
2:13 pm
SC GOP -
Obviously I can’t speak for the team, but I do know that Mac & Uggla have been good friends for a few years now, so I suspect they at least are getting along fine
abwright -
worse! It’s 54 right now, and the high for the week is only about 61
Murph
February 23rd, 2011
2:13 pm
Did someone really just suggest McCann in LF? Wha-wha-whaaaat?
Maybe when the league starts allowing Rascal Personal Mobility Scooters on the field, sure, but until then I’m more than happy keeping him in the one position that doesn’t have to move around much.
GT Alum
February 23rd, 2011
2:14 pm
For example, Wainwright hadn’t pitched about AA at that point. Drew was an established offensive force (.377 on-base and .498 slugging) who was in his prime.
As far as this point goes, what if a proven offensive force could’ve been available for Teheran and others? It would be the same situation. Those are the kind of calls GMs have to make all the time. I’m not sure how that factors into the argument.
The main point about a situation like that to me is obviously the club should know a lot more about how these guys are developing than we do. And the Braves have been right often enough with guys like Chen, Marte, HoRam that I give them the benefit of the doubt.
Actually, it’s really too soon to know what the ceiling is for the guys in the Tex trade, but, other than that, the only talents I can think of that the Braves let get away without having a chance to prove themselves are Dye, Wainwright and DeRosa. That’s a record I can live with. And honestly, Dye and DeRosa hurt more than Wainwright, because of who we got for Dye, and I think all we got for DeRosa was an open roster spot. Not sure who took that spot, but I would think letting DeRo walk was a more egregious error.
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
2:14 pm
CSBS Discuss please.
No thank you.
Soph Brian who?
Carrollton Brave Fan
February 23rd, 2011
2:14 pm
I like the idea of playing McCann at 1st base once a week giving him another day out of the catcher’s squat in addition to his day off. That way both Ross’s and McCann’s bats would be in the lineup.; and Ross would get to play twice as often as in the past. I’m sure that if Freeman is hot that won’t happen, but it would be a positive way to bring him along if he struggles at the plate. McCann has the talent to handle 1st base well. It might even stretch McCann’s career.
CB
February 23rd, 2011
2:15 pm
Sorry,scoots. I just couldn’t pass up a chance to get a shot in,LOL.
Shaun
February 23rd, 2011
2:16 pm
Heisenberg, I’d be shocked if McCann moves from behind the plate anytime before his late 30’s, unless there is, god forbid, some sort of major injury that forces a move.
Prado, if he’s still around when Chipper hangs ‘em up, will be the thirdbaseman.
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
2:16 pm
Yeah, y’all…just ’cause BMac played an inning of LF in that WBC is no reason to jump to conclusions…
cabravesfan the high for the week is only about 61
Oh!! NICE!!
TennBravesFan
February 23rd, 2011
2:17 pm
DOB
I agree with your 2:01 post 100%. Pitching is a great strength for this team, no way do I go messing with that this close to the season. I dont get the lack of respect for D. Lowe on this blog, 15 wins and 200 plus innings year after year. He is certainly not the best pitcher in the league or even on the team, but he is the poster child of stability and there is a lot of value in that. Lowe gives the Braves a chance to win every game he takes the mound, even when facing a top tier pitcher like a Halladay or Santana he keeps his team in the game.
bravesgrl4life( a/k/a In Love with Fredi G!)
February 23rd, 2011
2:17 pm
McFann, that is a great pic of BMAC!
ncscoots
February 23rd, 2011
2:18 pm
Freeman looks like he could be converted to LF to make room for that switch.
Does he, now?
The OF is no place for Freddie Freeman.
Pameeee
February 23rd, 2011
2:19 pm
Haggard
No relation to nolie. My business is one that requires all people to own as a necessity. I see people from all walks of life from the wealthy to the poor. There have been a number of entertainers, sports figures and politicians come through the door. That’s all.
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
2:21 pm
If I were Fredi, I’d dispatch Cox to go look for KK
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
2:22 pm
Here’s an idea- how ’bout we leave Freddie at 1st, Mac behind the plate, and call it a day?
McFann-
No it’s NOT NICE!! IT’S COLD!
Heisenberg
February 23rd, 2011
2:22 pm
That suggestion was made in response to moving McCann to LF. If the choices are Freeman or McCann in LF, I would take Freeman. Understood he is no Carl Crawford. But he would be better than Luzinski, Damon, or Manny defensively.
Freeman Says Hey
February 23rd, 2011
2:23 pm
Yeah the Dion trade for Komminsk trade is one of the more underrated moves Cox ever made….
Heisenberg
February 23rd, 2011
2:24 pm
But hey how about putting Heyward at SS, Ross in CF, & McOut behind the plate. Then when a runner steals, Nate can just hold the ball like he does in CF while a guy goes 1st to 3rd.
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
2:24 pm
If the team is ever in a position where they are forced to choose weither to play Freeman or Mac in LF, I think they have some serious problems
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
2:25 pm
“Did someone really just suggest McCann in LF? Wha-wha-whaaaat?”
Hey, if Klesko could do it ………….
Murph
February 23rd, 2011
2:26 pm
As far as this point goes, what if a proven offensive force could’ve been available for Teheran and others? It would be the same situation.
I don’t know about that. I mean, I see what you’re saying, but I think the organization views Teheran differently than it viewed Wainwright when they traded him. I could be wrong, though.
Freeman Says Hey
February 23rd, 2011
2:26 pm
Canseco or Klesko….
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
2:29 pm
bravesgrl4life—
Isn’t it just?
cabravesfan—
Tsk tsk tsk…I guess for your neck of the woods, it would be. For me, 60’s are heaven (though once we start hitting 90-100, then yeah, 60’s would feel like snow
).
GT Alum
February 23rd, 2011
2:30 pm
Murph -
Yeah, I was referring specifically to Shaun’s comment about trading a guy who’s never pitched above AA for a proven hitter. That leads into my comments about those are the kinds of calls GMs have to make on a regular basis and the club should know more about how these guys are developing than we do.
Freeman Says Hey
February 23rd, 2011
2:31 pm
…..so am I tracking the Top 25?
Freeman Says Hey
February 23rd, 2011
2:31 pm
If not the story of the last confederate soldier by Lewis Grizzard sure is funny. Ya’ll familiar with that one?
GT Alum
February 23rd, 2011
2:32 pm
Robert,
The question is, do we really want Klesko redux in LF?
It’s like my response to all the people who ask why we didn’t move Uggla to the OF and leave Prado at 2B. Do you remember what it was like having the past-his-prime version of Garrett Anderson in LF? Do you really want a repeat of that?
timthebrave
February 23rd, 2011
2:32 pm
Don’t trade any top of the line young pitchers. If a pitcher is projected to be an ace he would be untouchable for me. Cheap young top of the rotation guys are priceless in building a ball club. If they project to be a quality starter or potential then you can make deals to fill spots of need. JMO
BravePack
February 23rd, 2011
2:33 pm
SC GOP
There was 8 people in this league on ESPN.com and I had the 2nd pick. I almost took Wainwright but someone took him before me. As far as your Uggla question he says he is getting along with everyone greay because they are all genuine guys who he kind of knew before he came here. He basically said what you see is what you get on the Braves with no egos. Every pic I see of him he seems to be hanging around Mac and Chipper so I’m assuming he will quickly become a leader on this team.
Freeman Says Hey
Yeah I was king of hesitant to take Hamilton because of his history but I like him as a player and this was free so I kind of based it on that. Same with Sizemore later in the draft but he could be a steal if he rebounds. Yeah Bruce was a no-brainer…he’ll only get better.
Freeman Says Hey
February 23rd, 2011
2:34 pm
Garrett was like 36 out in LF. McCann can be in LF by age 30-31.McCann could hold his on, and perhaps yours too, not for sure bout all that.
BravePack
February 23rd, 2011
2:35 pm
I meant getting along great not greay.
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
2:36 pm
*drags brick wall a little closer…
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
2:36 pm
“The question is, do we really want Klesko redux in LF?”
Oh I am not suggesting in any way to put McCann in the outfield
I remember being at several games where Klesko was playing left field – watching him field was quite entertaining – it was obvious it just wasnt natural for him
Freeman Says Hey
February 23rd, 2011
2:36 pm
I run a 16 team Keeper league, much more strategy involved. Cahill is a nice late pick, but his lackluster K ratio is concerning if your in a max innings league.
Soph
February 23rd, 2011
2:40 pm
Good ol’ b-dub. I’m going to make my own this year so cab doesn’t have to share.
Murph
February 23rd, 2011
2:41 pm
If McCann starts flipping the bat ala Klesko after a big homerun he can play where ever he wants to as far as I’m concerned.
GT Alum
February 23rd, 2011
2:41 pm
Freeman Says Hey -
Well, I was specifically comparing having Uggla in LF to Garrett. And the main thing about your comparison, I’m pretty sure if Garrett and McCann (or Uggla, for that matter) could be the same age at the same time, Garrett would beat the pants off him in speed and mobility. I love McCann, but he’s never been particularly speedy, he’s not used to having to cover that much territory and catching takes a lot out of your legs. I’m not so sure a 31 year old McCann would be any better a LF than a 36 year old Garrett Anderson.
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
2:43 pm
I’m sorry…there’s just no way BMac moves to the outfield. He’s been a catcher since high-school…his knees just won’t stand for OF.
Mr. Turnip-Green Jeans
February 23rd, 2011
2:47 pm
Those sliding Klesko basket-catches still wake me with a cold sweat in the middle of the night.
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
2:48 pm
Soph-
That might be a good idea
what of it?
February 23rd, 2011
2:48 pm
What is McCann emerging as the leader of? Defensive errors amongst Major League catchers.
I bet if you look at his power numbers since All-star 2009, there would be considerable drop off.
Freeman Says Hey
February 23rd, 2011
2:48 pm
Honestly I don’t think he will either, but should the conversation take place? Of course McCann and his bat have value. A guy who van hit .285/25/90 should be given the opportunity to further his career. If moving him would allow him to sustain those type of numbers 2/3 years then it would be irresponsible not to.
Soph
February 23rd, 2011
2:48 pm
cab – tada!
http://i53.tinypic.com/a4sf47.png
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
2:49 pm
I bet if you look at his power numbers since All-star 2009, there would be considerable drop off.
McFann? I sense a project for you
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
2:51 pm
“Those sliding Klesko basket-catches still wake me with a cold sweat in the middle of the night.”
He turned every routine fly ball into an adventure for sure
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
2:53 pm
Soph-
Looks like you need a few more bricks
Shaun
February 23rd, 2011
2:54 pm
As far as this point goes, what if a proven offensive force could’ve been available for Teheran and others? It would be the same situation. Those are the kind of calls GMs have to make all the time. I’m not sure how that factors into the argument.
Well, Teheran is regarded as one of if not the top pitching prospect in baseball. Here’s Wainwright’s Baseball America rankings:
Pre-2001: Rated #97 Prospect
Pre-2002: Rated #42 Prospect
Pre-2003: Rated #18 Prospect
Pre-2004: Rated #49 Prospect
Clearly a very solid prospect but no indication that he wasn’t worth Drew in his prime. And the fact that he was a pitcher also goes into the equation because pitching prospects are much riskier than positional prospects. So unless you have clearly one of the best pitching prospects in the game, it’s probably worth considering a trade if you are offered a proven hitter with MVP-type talent.
Actually, it’s really too soon to know what the ceiling is for the guys in the Tex trade, but, other than that, the only talents I can think of that the Braves let get away without having a chance to prove themselves are Dye, Wainwright and DeRosa. That’s a record I can live with. And honestly, Dye and DeRosa hurt more than Wainwright, because of who we got for Dye, and I think all we got for DeRosa was an open roster spot. Not sure who took that spot, but I would think letting DeRo walk was a more egregious error.
We all remember DeRosa’s outstanding season with the Cubs a couple of years ago but even I’m shocked when I look at DeRosa’s career how unspectacular it has been. He had a lot of value because of his versatility but DeRosa was never all that good a player. The Braves let him walk after the 2004 season and I don’t see that that was a mistake at all. With the Braves he posted a .317 on-base and a .371 slugging. Those aren’t great numbers even for a guy with versatility. Since he left the Braves he’s posted a .351 on-base and a .439 slugging. Much better and at least worthy of significant playing time but nothing spectacular.
Jermaine Dye was a better player than DeRosa but even he was generally overrated throughout his career. He had three solid seasons but was a little better than a league-average hitter the rest of his career. He was pretty much your run-of-the-mill major league corner-outfielder. Like DeRosa, and to a slightly larger degree, there was plenty of value in who he was but it wasn’t like he was a star.
Matt
February 23rd, 2011
2:55 pm
Is there a way to get a issue of the New SI sent down to Florida to get Freedie and Heyward to sign it? Im stuck in Missouri working with the Cardinals.
CraZyTRaDeMaN
February 23rd, 2011
2:55 pm
Robert
I saw your rant on the Hawks blog earlier, looked like one of your Bobby sucks / Liberty Media sucks / Chipper sucks rants. It’s good to see you stick to the same angle no matter the sport.
DAP
February 23rd, 2011
2:56 pm
heisenberg I cannot see McCann in LF. 1B would be logical.
id say mac in LF is more ligical than 1B, since he has actually played LF in the last several years. (y’all remember the world baseball classic?) but moving mccann anywhere is pretty illogical, no matter what position it is.
and whats it with people who think any ol’ sack can play 1st base or left field? i take offense as a former 3 and a terrible outfielder.
Horner's Corner
February 23rd, 2011
2:56 pm
richbrave-
“You admonish our sainted blog-meister for belaboring a topic to the detriment of one you desire instead, then at the last minute return to a part of the subject you want away from [McLOUTH]? Dude………”
Nice catch! I was hoping to get a rise out of DOB, but I’ll take my well deserved razing from you instead.
Freeman Says Hey
February 23rd, 2011
2:57 pm
How do you make those sexy italics in ya’lls posts. Dion James and I sure would like to know.
Matt
February 23rd, 2011
2:58 pm
Why does everyone think that all catchers can play Major Legue level 1st base? haveing players like Omar Infante that can play several positions is rare at this level.
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
2:59 pm
“The guy is overweight and he is a liability behind the plate as far as his defense is concerned.”
McCann is no Gold Glover, but he’s not what I’d call a liability on defense.
As far as fitness, you can blame that on the man who manages the team. If he doesnt make fitness a priority, then what can you expect from the players? In other words, McCann might have some lazy fitness habits, but that’s been Braves culture for a long time (hopefully changing these days)
I really dont have any issue with McCann – he is what he is – an average fielder and a decent hitter who is above average for his position -
Freeman Says Hey
February 23rd, 2011
3:00 pm
I blame McDonalds on my fitness, if the Mcrib didn’t taste so dang good I wouldn’t tote this spare tire around…
Matt
February 23rd, 2011
3:00 pm
Mccann might be a average catcher but hes a outstanding hitting catcher caint take that away from him.
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
3:01 pm
“I saw your rant on the Hawks blog earlier”
Huh? I havent ever posted on a Hawks blog. I havent watched or cared about the NBA since John Havlicek retired
Matt
February 23rd, 2011
3:01 pm
speaking of fitness i wonder what Dan Kolb is doing these days?
Heisenberg
February 23rd, 2011
3:01 pm
It is not just some of us on this blog that seem to believe any old sack can play 1B of LF. That is where teams put their worst defenders whose bat is still valuable. Other than shipping them off to semi-retirement in the AL as a DH, where else would a defensively challenged but good bat play?
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
3:02 pm
Of course some want to blame the manager for the fitness level of a player. Because the manager should spend the off season following these guys around and watch everything they eat and force them to work out every day- I mean, they are adult men, and we all know men are totally incapable of taking care of themselves…
GT Alum
February 23rd, 2011
3:02 pm
Actually, McCann hit a HR every 24 ABs before the 2009 ASB, and has hit one every 21.44 ABs since, so his power has actually improved a little.
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
3:02 pm
What is McCann emerging as the leader of?
The Braves! Pay attention…
cabravesfan—
OK, I’m on it! But let’s bear in mind that the eye-issues skewed his numbers a bit.
What do you think I should compare the numbers to? Like…2008-All-Star Break 2009? Or just all of the rest of his career?
Freeman Says Hey
February 23rd, 2011
3:02 pm
Look Mickey Mouse..———–>
CraZyTRaDeMaN
February 23rd, 2011
3:03 pm
Huh? I havent ever posted on a Hawks blog.
Then you have a twin
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
3:04 pm
McFann-
Well, the statement was “after the 2009 all-star break” so I think a simple “before-and-after” comparison would work nicely
GT Alum
February 23rd, 2011
3:05 pm
Although, it depends on what you mean by power numbers. His slugging percentage 2nd half of 2009 was 806, and during 2010 it was 828. Both of those are off his career average of 849. He hasn’t been hitting the doubles he used to.
Freeman Says Hey
February 23rd, 2011
3:06 pm
Because he is using 3rd eye vision sober.
BravesFanChris26
February 23rd, 2011
3:06 pm
If you like BBQ sauces, I strongly recommend ordering from good ole JR Jim Ross!
I ordered a BBQ sauce package from him last week and just got it today. I went straight to the beef jerky and it’s fantastic! I can’t wait to start using the sauces. I cheated and opened the sauces for a taste and they are so good.
Especially the Chipotle Ketchup!
Matt
February 23rd, 2011
3:07 pm
With Macs speed im not sure doubles are what we want to see out of him, I will be happy with just homers and singles.
Matt
February 23rd, 2011
3:07 pm
Jordans BBQ in Cleveland Tennessee is very good
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
3:09 pm
cabravesfan—
Okie dokie! Just gotta finish this danged Latin, and then I’ll get on it…that is, if I don’t fall asleep during Latin…
GT Alum He hasn’t been hitting the doubles he used to.
Don’t remind us…
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
3:09 pm
Matt With Macs speed im not sure doubles are what we want to see out of him
You’ve. Got. To be. Kidding…
Freeman Says Hey
February 23rd, 2011
3:10 pm
Mr. P’s in Birmingham has the best seasoning and marinades. Charles owns it and it is family operated.
Matt
February 23rd, 2011
3:11 pm
McFann i can think of several times Mac has been thrown out at 2nd trying to strech a single into a double.
bravesgrl4life( a/k/a In Love with Fredi G!)
February 23rd, 2011
3:14 pm
McFann – I aced 2 years of Latin in high school. Can’t remember much of it at all some 20+ years later.
Horner's Corner
February 23rd, 2011
3:14 pm
The front cover of SI should have read, “Atlanta welcomes White Lightening and Chocolate Thunder!” Get the t-shirt printed now. Just wait, in a few years you’ll see Bradley writing stories with titles like, “Philadelphia’s forecast calls for Thunder & Lightening all weekend.”
CraZyTRaDeMaN
February 23rd, 2011
3:14 pm
With Macs speed he should lead the team in doubles and triples this year. Don’t hate!!
Matt
February 23rd, 2011
3:15 pm
LMAO @horner
Mikeyc588
February 23rd, 2011
3:15 pm
Any chance the Braves and Kawakami aren’t in too big of a hurry to work out these visa issues while they’re looking to trade him? I’d much rather stay home in Japan than fight for scrap innings after the Lopez signing. It doesn’t make Kawakami look too appealing that the Braves aren’t even going to have him battling for the 5th spot (even for appearances sake).
Matt
February 23rd, 2011
3:18 pm
So if Nate can hit this spring is there any chance we trade him and a couple minor leaguers for a upgrade in center?
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
3:19 pm
Horner-
If I hadnt read the left side, that sounded quite like a Murph comment…
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
3:20 pm
Matt-
Slim and None would be a good guess…
CraZyTRaDeMaN
February 23rd, 2011
3:22 pm
I can think of several times Mac has been thrown out at 2nd trying to stretch a single into a double.
How many times do you think McCann stopped at 1st when he should’ve been on second? Besides that won’t happen this year WE GOT TP AS A 1B COACH!!!!
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
3:22 pm
“Of course some want to blame the manager for the fitness level of a player. Because the manager should spend the off season following these guys around and watch everything they eat and force them to work out every day”
No. The manager’s job is not to make sure the players arent unfit. The manager’s job is to make sure there are consequences when a player is unfit.
There’s a difference
In the recent past, not being fit hasnt had consequences in this organization
Ward
February 23rd, 2011
3:22 pm
Great article again D.O.B. : Just think of some people on this blog wanted to trade MCCann, and he looks llike he’s in good shape. Shame on you people. That is some of you…..I really encouraged by the News on Nate too……. Good info on Wainwright,becauase there was some people on the blog who still wanted him on our team.Now thats funny……
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
3:22 pm
Matt—
Maybe…but it really doesn’t happen that much…I cann think of two or three times in his whole career. But when he’s on, he’s great at hitting to the gaps. He’s gonna have plenty of Doubles!
bravesgrl4life—
Wow. Yeah, Latin’s OK, but ugh…so many rules, and so many exceptions to every single one!
Not my favorite subject, but I think I’ve made 82 or over on each test so far, so I should get by…
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
3:23 pm
“Then you have a twin”
Imitation is the sincerest formof flattery
Ward
February 23rd, 2011
3:24 pm
Wren did a great job this year, and manged money well. Two thumbs up way up!!!!!!
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
3:25 pm
“Atlanta welcomes White Lightening and Chocolate Thunder”
Dont know about White Lightning, but the Chocolate Thunder nickname is taken – Darryl Dawkins – (which is about the era in which I last cared about the NBA)
Matt
February 23rd, 2011
3:25 pm
Speaking of TP after the Demotion i think his chances at being a head coach are behind him.
BravesFanChris26
February 23rd, 2011
3:25 pm
Freeman Says Hey
Nice, if I get in that direction anytime soon, I’ll check it out.
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
3:26 pm
“With Macs speed he should lead the team in doubles and triples this year”
The words “Brian McCann” and “triple” should never be used together in the same sentence. Unless the ball gets wedged the outfield wall somehow
abwright
February 23rd, 2011
3:27 pm
McFann Ô Ô, February 23rd, 2011, 3:09 pm … “Just gotta finish this danged Latin, and then I’ll get on it”
Is that what you’re doing right now? You could at least throw a “quod est demonstrandum” at the end of your posts.
Matt
February 23rd, 2011
3:28 pm
Has Mac ever had a inside the park home run?
Shaun
February 23rd, 2011
3:28 pm
In the recent past, not being fit hasnt had consequences in this organization
Robert, Really? You have proof of that or at least some reasons to believe that? Because I’d like to hear them.
Also, being unfit is presumably going to affect performance. So being unfit has consequences in the most laid-back organizations. If a player is unfit and unable to perform, he’ll be riding the pine or he’ll be back in the minors; or at the very least he’ll make millions of dollars less than what he otherwise could have.
Matt
February 23rd, 2011
3:30 pm
Didnt the giants threaten to suspend King Fu panda if he didnt lose weight this offseason? How did that go?
Ward
February 23rd, 2011
3:31 pm
Wren you did a grat job, and I aplogize for ripping you last year. I’ll keep my mouth shut this time……..
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
3:31 pm
Robert The words “Brian McCann” and “triple” should never be used together in the same sentence.
But he’s got 2 in his career…it’s gonna happen sometime…
abwright—
But I haven’t learned demonstrandum yet!
Does it mean…like… “demonstration”…?
Ward
February 23rd, 2011
3:31 pm
Correction great job……Have a good one Brave Fans talk later……peace…..
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
3:32 pm
Matt—
No. What of it? That’s not what makes a great player…
Matt
February 23rd, 2011
3:32 pm
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/sports/Giants-to-Panda-Lose-Weight-or-Lose-Your-Job-106801158.html
Horner's Corner
February 23rd, 2011
3:33 pm
Good call Robert, maybe we change it to “Chocolat Thunder” and enunciate it like it’s the title of Johnny Depp film.
Freeman Says Hey
February 23rd, 2011
3:33 pm
The website is pilleteri.com.
Worked a homeshow couple years back and purchased a little 5 pack of seasoning for 20-25 bucks. Now I just re-order them online and have them shipped to me. The orginal seasoning on a good steak is off the radar good.
BravesFanChris26
February 23rd, 2011
3:34 pm
Awesome. Thanks so much!
I’m a BBQ freak, I can live off of BBQ to be honest.
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
3:34 pm
“If a player is unfit and unable to perform, he’ll be riding the pine or he’ll be back in the minors; or at the very least he’ll make millions of dollars less than what he otherwise could have”
That’s the way it SHOULD be
But not the way it has been
Look – fitness takes a great degree of self motivation. The money motivator often takes hold in a contract year, but until then, it’s far away. Most days, the monetary consequences arent seen on the immediate tomorrow
Fact of the matter is that if an organization’s culture tolerates less-than-optimal fitness, then most people wont have the self motivation to break enough sweat to be superbly fit. That’s not a fault of the player. That’s human nature.
The Braves have a poor track record on fitness. It’s never been emphasized. Chipper’s comments earlier this spring show that to be true. And just as an example, as much as I loved watching him pitch, Greg Maddux’s idea of fitness was riding a golf cart for 36 holes instead of 18.
If fitness had been a priority, Andru Jones wouldve been benched for being a fat slob early and often in his career
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
3:35 pm
“But he’s got 2 in his career…it’s gonna happen sometime”
Hey, Rafy Belliards hit two dingers in his career. Anything can happen
I actually saw Rafy’s second HR live on tv. It was the ultimate wtf moment
dmack2027
February 23rd, 2011
3:36 pm
Regarding Lowe to the Yankees:
Don’t you have to think about it if you could obtain top flight SS or 3B prospects? The Braves will have to replace Alex Gonzalez after this year, and Chipper in the not to distant future. The Braves have been trying to dump Lowe for some time now. That said, his stock is very high right now after his performance down the stretch and in the playoffs last year.
The Cardinals might be looking for pitching as well. Maybe the Braves could pry Shelby Miller from the Cards.
bravofan
February 23rd, 2011
3:36 pm
anybody have experience with the mlb at bat app for android I have a droid incredible.
Any idea on the release date for this years version??
Matt
February 23rd, 2011
3:37 pm
Belliard was a painter last i heard…
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
3:38 pm
Hey, I LIKE McCann – I’m ribbing him a little for being slow, but as a slow person myself I can do that. The thing about him playing outfield was a joke – a chance to reminisce about Klesko
He is actually a pretty good baserunner – 14 steals the past three seasons aint shabby for a catcher.
CraZyTRaDeMaN
February 23rd, 2011
3:39 pm
And just as an example, as much as I loved watching him pitch, Greg Maddux’s idea of fitness was riding a golf cart for 36 holes instead of 18.
Yeah it was sad to see Maddux out of shape every year the guy could’ve been a HOF’er if he had only taken care of himself!
Freeman Says Hey
February 23rd, 2011
3:39 pm
Enjoy they are great people. At this point McCann and his weight, outfield worthyness is getting tons of pub, but yet not one person has told me how ya’ll make those sexxy italics….lol!
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
3:39 pm
“Belliard was a painter last i heard”
Thats funny, cuz my friends and I always used to joke that Rafy had pictures – which was how he kept his job
He sold Keuth Lockhart a set. And Greg Norton definately had the pictures. So did Dan Kolb.
Wickman’s mistake was he refused to invest in a set
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
3:40 pm
“Yeah it was sad to see Maddux out of shape every year the guy could’ve been a HOF’er if he had only taken care of himself!”
Noone said he wasnt great
Noone said he wasnt a HOFer
Are you saying it’s not possible he couldve been even BETTER had he adhered to a stricter fitness regimen?
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
3:41 pm
Ugh…
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
3:41 pm
Time too…
Freeman Says Hey
February 23rd, 2011
3:42 pm
what…or taken HGH? Where is that going?
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
3:42 pm
Much after lunch break…
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
3:42 pm
But must catch up w/ McFann…
Heisenberg
February 23rd, 2011
3:42 pm
That is it for me. Sadly real work calls. One more post to try to get in top 25.
DAP
February 23rd, 2011
3:42 pm
matt Belliard was a painter last i heard…
hes a base coach for the tigers.
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
3:42 pm
But have a meeting coming up….
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
3:43 pm
Don’t know how I’m gonna do it….
Matt
February 23rd, 2011
3:44 pm
Maddux,Glavine and Smoltz HOF still on track for 2013?
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
3:44 pm
Morning all! Holy crap it’s freezing… cab
70 and blue skies here, quit a few tourist on the beach, even a few in the water.
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
3:45 pm
BTW…
I must say…everyone seems to flood the board right when I go on lunch…
Leaves me much time to read and little time to post..
Between that and reading from 5p CT to 8a the next days material, its hard to post too much in the am…
Although for a while there, I was having a whole lot of fun trying to summarize the previous evening into one little nugget post…
Wait did I say Nugget?! AHHHHH MELO!
Sorry guys….couldn’t resist!
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
3:45 pm
McCann – 20/80/.280 should be a lock – would like to see him crack 30+ doubles again – and there’s a chance he could be a little better
He’s 27. If there’s a bump left in his performance, we should see it this year
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
3:46 pm
BAT, CA-
Must be nice…its in the low 30’s here (again) and there’s talk of a nasty storm that is sure to bring snow by weekend…
And they wonder why the suicide rate is much higher in the northern portion of the country
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
3:47 pm
How to make italics!! (Sorry it’s so freakishly small…)
Matt
February 23rd, 2011
3:47 pm
People in the North and just unhappy in general…
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
3:48 pm
It wouldve been great to see Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz all go in together, but it wont happen
Maddux and Glavine last played in 2008 – Smoltz played in 2009. And Maddux and Glavine are about as lock as you can be to be first ballot
For the record, I predict Maddux will be the first ever unanimous first ballot selection
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
3:48 pm
Robert would like to see him crack 30+ doubles again
Yeah, it would…and he will. Only missed it once, so I totally see him hitting 30+ again.
Matt
February 23rd, 2011
3:49 pm
Mac has yet to see his prime …
Freeman Says Hey
February 23rd, 2011
3:50 pm
Freeman Says Hey
February 23rd, 2011
3:51 pm
is this it?
Matt
February 23rd, 2011
3:51 pm
Do Coaches gotta wait 4 years also? As in when will we see Bobby go into the hall?
Freeman Says Hey
February 23rd, 2011
3:52 pm
Thank you McFann! I do appreciate learnin how to make dem sexxy italics….lol!
bravesgrl4life( a/k/a In Love with Fredi G!)
February 23rd, 2011
3:53 pm
Freeman Says Hey – you got it, man. To bold type do the same thing but instead of the i, use strong.
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
3:54 pm
P-Town_
I feel for you, brother. We’ve been blessed with one gorgeous day after another for over a week now, should last for several more.
Arkansas Transplant
February 23rd, 2011
3:55 pm
P-T, you think your behind. I’ve been out of pocket for the last 2 hours. There’s no way I can go back and read everthing without giving up my time of posting.
Ed Glennon
February 23rd, 2011
3:55 pm
Great info DOB. Hope you can give us a play by play of the first spring game.
Freeman Says Hey
February 23rd, 2011
3:56 pm
Like Bill Murray, Baby Steps.
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
3:57 pm
Matt—
But he’s about to!
You’re welcome, Freeman Says Hey!
Horner's Corner
February 23rd, 2011
3:58 pm
Geez Robert, you seem to be quite the fitness guru.
What really got me about Maddux’s exercise regiment was how it negatively affected his ability to pitch so remarkably during one the greatest hitter’s eras in baseball history. What a slob. And don’t get me started on Andruw Jones. If that tub of goo had just done a few laps in the pool maybe he could have won more than a decade’s worth of gold gloves.
CraZyTRaDeMaN
February 23rd, 2011
4:00 pm
Robert, It might be a flaw that the Braves haven’t spent much time demanding players to be fit but, I bet if you look around baseball for the most part the conditioning and demand on conditioning isn’t much different here than on other teams.
Are you saying it’s not possible he could’ve been even BETTER had he adhered to a stricter fitness regimen?
Who know he also could have torn a muscle working out and never been the same. If a player is out of shape it normally gets dealt with. Andruw Jones got fat and lazy so the Braves didn’t resign him. That’s normally the way it works
Shaun
February 23rd, 2011
4:04 pm
Robert, when was Andruw unfit early in his career?
Also, the Braves were one of the best franchises in baseball (as far as major league wins) over the last 20 years. So again where is the evidence or some reasons to believe they were unfit or at least so unfit that it mattered on the baseball field?
Or is it like everything else, the evidence is in a few weeks of each season versus looking at 20 years worth of baseball?
ramblingman
February 23rd, 2011
4:05 pm
“I bet if you look at his power numbers since All-star 2009, there would be considerable drop off.”
Challenge accepted.
8 / 37 / .298 / .375 / .487 – 2009 pre AS
13 / 57 / .264 / .322 / .484 – 2009 post AS
Gone Viral
February 23rd, 2011
4:09 pm
“Clearly a very solid prospect but no indication that he wasn’t worth Drew in his prime.”
I disagreed then when people tried to say that and it’s only gotten worse over time. JD Drew was a perennial underachiever who was at the end of his contract. We made a desperate gamble that encapsulated three mistakes at once. The first was that we had not pressed Gary Sheffield to extend his contract as he was having two fine seasons for us. The second was that we went after a trade with someone we knew was not certain to extend his contract after the season. The third was that we made a miscalculation about the upside of Wainwright while overvaluing the potential of Bubba Nelson, Zach Minor and Kyle Davies (who only about 19 at the time).
We repeated this mistake with the Tex trade. Paying a lot in terms of prospects for a year of a player (two if you count Eli Marrero, which we should) is the MLB equivalent of Russian Roulette. We fell for the ol’ di di mau. I appreciated the earlier poster’s attempt to show that the Braves’ later moves may not have been possible if not for this deal, but if we’d had Adam Wainwright for those six years, does anyone legitimately doubt we would have done better? I’m not talking about a homer’s defense. I’m saying, “Would you rather have one year of Drew/Marrero or six years of Adam Wainwright?” He was a Braves fan since childhood and we sent him away. We deserve the lamentations from that.
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
4:09 pm
“As in when will we see Bobby go into the hall?”
He can go in anytime. All he has to do is walk up to the window and lift one hoof into the air to indicate he wants a single ticket
Murph
February 23rd, 2011
4:10 pm
Good info on Wainwright,becauase there was some people on the blog who still wanted him on our team.Now thats funny…
Ward, I’ve been a big supporter of yours over the last few months, but I’m starting to feel… twitchy… when I read your posts lately. Kind of like the way I felt when I came home from work one day and found my 3 year old stuffing quarters into my MacBook Pro DVD drive opening. My hands are out-stretched in a “I want to strangle you” pose, I’m shaking, but I am somehow staying restrained. Getting… more… difficult… errrrrrrp… gah…
RUN WARD!
Horner's Corner
February 23rd, 2011
4:10 pm
Robert-
Is it possible that a professional athlete may know his/her own body better than you do? Also, there’s a concept known as the law of diminishing returns which is, “The tendency for a continuing application of effort or skill toward a particular project or goal to decline in effectiveness after a certain level of result” Simply put, Maddux could have played less golf and worked out 2 hours every day of the off season, but it wouldn’t have made him that much better at baseball.
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
4:11 pm
“Robert, when was Andruw unfit early in his career?”
The question is more when (if ever) was Andru in tip top shape, at any point in his career?
BravePack
February 23rd, 2011
4:11 pm
Man you guys don’t know how much I want to move down south. I would love to be in Georgia or Florida right now. For those of you enjoying great weather…you suck. Just kidding… I’m just jealous. I love Georgia and my family loves it, we look forward to our summer trip every year. We go to more Turner Field Braves games than we go here in Chicago. I would love definately have season tix if I lived there.
CraZyTRaDeMaN
February 23rd, 2011
4:12 pm
Shaun, stop making since some people won’t understand.
Arkansas Transplant
February 23rd, 2011
4:13 pm
Murph, does that mean your going to have to change your team name?
Matt
February 23rd, 2011
4:13 pm
If i lived in Chicago i would be at wrigley all summer…
BravePack
February 23rd, 2011
4:13 pm
Man I can’t type today… scratch that last love.
Gone Viral
February 23rd, 2011
4:13 pm
“Robert, when was Andruw unfit early in his career?”
Seriously, that’s absurd. Here is a picture of Andruw in 96:
http://californiasportsinv.com/images/9993800184136526dcf8b4.JPG
He was smallish at the start of his career (as he should have been as a 19-year-old athlete).
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
4:13 pm
“Simply put, Maddux could have played less golf and worked out 2 hours every day of the off season, but it wouldn’t have made him that much better at baseball.”
This is a different arguement. I was saying he maybe couldve been better had he been fitter
You’re saying that maybe he decided the extra return wasnt worth the investment and tradeoff
Both can be true
I am impressed by the lengths some of y’all will go to in order to try and discredit anything I say. It tells me I must been onto something – since it hits such a nerve
ramblingman
February 23rd, 2011
4:14 pm
“The Braves have a poor track record on fitness. It’s never been emphasized. Chipper’s comments earlier this spring show that to be true. And just as an example, as much as I loved watching him pitch, Greg Maddux’s idea of fitness was riding a golf cart for 36 holes instead of 18. If fitness had been a priority, Andru Jones wouldve been benched for being a fat slob early and often in his career”
Ha ha ha…no, I got this….yep, going to respond….hehehe…..stop it, trying to reply here…..ha ha ha…whew, if I could just stop laughing long enough to be serious and reply to the troll…..LOL….no, I got it…..(breathe)……okay…now I’m ready……Ha Ha Ha…..darn…
Murph
February 23rd, 2011
4:14 pm
What is it now AT? Ward’s Revenge? I might need to change it to “In Memory of Ward” soon…
GT Alum
February 23rd, 2011
4:15 pm
Murph -
Got a nice chuckle from the image of you walking in on your 3 year old with the laptop. You were just missing the cartoon smoke coming coming out of your ears.
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
4:15 pm
“He was smallish at the start of his career (as he should have been as a 19-year-old athlete).”
Ok – I stand corrected. We can now say that before he was exposed to Cox’s attitude regarding fitness, Andru was once in shape
Carry on
ramblingman
February 23rd, 2011
4:15 pm
“I am impressed by the lengths some of y’all will go to in order to try and discredit anything I say. It tells me I must been onto something – since it hits such a nerve”
Really? You think because you are successful at trolling that it means you stumbled across a nugget of truth in your constant bashing of the home team?
Really?
what of it?
February 23rd, 2011
4:16 pm
ramblingman you’ve left off OPS
OPS 2009 pre-all star: .862 post: .806
2010 .269/.459/.828
so he’s lost 30 points on batting average roughly 20 on slg and about 40 on OPS. that’s a clear drop-off. whether significant or not is debatable, but he hasn’t been getting better
Murph
February 23rd, 2011
4:17 pm
If i lived in Chicago i would be at wrigley all summer…
I lived in Chicago and went to Wrigley a few times… maybe it’s my old age or my dislike of standing in puddles of pee, but I didn’t care much for the stadium.
Sure, it’s cool and historic and a fun place to see a ballgame, but the facilities were awful. I had my baby and pregnant wife with me for one game and wanted to bathe them both in a gallon of hand sanitizer after we left. It was just kinda gross everywhere we went.
GT Alum
February 23rd, 2011
4:17 pm
BravePack -
Yeah, I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Chicago the past 2 summers. Wonderful city, but I have no interest in being there during the winter.
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
4:18 pm
Ramblingman – If you dont look for areas in which the team could improve, then they never will
If you are content to be one of those fans who happily drinks the Kool Aid then rah rah the team all season long.
Just remember to buy lots of hot dogs and team merchandise at the official team store
BravePack
February 23rd, 2011
4:19 pm
Matt
I’ve lived here all my life and to me Wrigley is overrated. It’s nice to go to once in a while because it has that old time feel but unless you’re a Cubs fan it gets old quick. No where to park and it’s costs an arm and a leg if you find some parking. The place is actually falling apart and needs major reconstruction. Every year you hear something falling apart during the off-season. The only nice thing is the eye candy in the stands…makes it hard to watch the actual game.
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
4:21 pm
Showing me a photo of Andru fit at age 19 is not a way to refute my claim that he was on the whole an out of shape ballpalyer for his career
It’s like claiming that no he wasnt a poor hitter because he hit .300 one season
Shaun
February 23rd, 2011
4:22 pm
Gone Viral, in a vacuum, I’d rather have six years of Wainwright. But in reality, it’s more complicated. I’m not saying your points are not valid. If the Braves were clearly in rebuilding mode, they absolutely shouldn’t have made the Wainwright deal nor the Teixeira deal. Again, ignoring context, these aren’t great deals.
But the Braves thought they were still playoff-caliber going into 2004 if they could only fill the rightfield void. They thought they could get a big push into the playoffs by going all in on the biggest impact player at the 2007 deadline.
We were spoiled in the 1990’s and into 2000’s into thinking that teams can afford to play for next year or two or three years down the line when they were already contending. But the truth is that when you are contending and have a shot at winning the Series, you go for it.
If trading Jason Heyward a couple of years ago would have guaranteed a World Series title, I would have been for it. Of course the future is not that cut-and-dry at all, so you can’t give up players of that caliber for merely a shot at winning the World Series. But organization should take it down a notch and trade lesser-but-still-solid prospects to increase their chances.
Arkansas Transplant
February 23rd, 2011
4:24 pm
Murph
February 23rd, 2011
4:17 pm
That’s just Chicago in general.
BravePack
February 23rd, 2011
4:24 pm
Murph
No you are exactly right about Wrigley. Anytime I go there I say to myself that it smells worse and worse everytime I come to see a game here. Multiple showers are needed after attending a game there for the whole family.
Gone Viral
February 23rd, 2011
4:24 pm
“Showing me a photo of Andru fit at age 19 is not a way to refute my claim”
And I quote: “Ok – I stand corrected.”
You replied again to the same post because it bothered you how ridiculous you looked in the argument.
Don’t be that guy.
Jeff R
February 23rd, 2011
4:25 pm
Shaun… your 2:54 pm post…
Sometimes that’s the problem with rankings and being so strongly data-driven. Wainwright was well regarded at the time of the Drew deal and, I think, the top pitching prospect in the Braves’ system. As your rankings show, though, Wainwright wasn’t a top ten MLB prospect. But neither was Hanson or Prado… or many other accomplished major leaguers.
I think evaluating players and prospects encompasses more than key categories. Not suggesting those categories aren’t important, but they’re not the be all and end all.
And, yes, hindsight is 20-20. I’ll gladly concede its much easier to make commentary about the Wainwright deal – or any other deal – looking in the rear-view mirror.
BravePack
February 23rd, 2011
4:26 pm
AT
Yeah you might be right. Like I said I’m ready to move down south for good…very tired of living here. Hey you get a chance to play the demo for MLB 11 yet?
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
4:26 pm
OK, fresh page! Time to post those numbers from my latest Research Project!
The question was BMac’s power numbers since the 2009 All-Star Break. So I took his numbers from his career up until that particular Break, and his numbers since that particular Break, and crunched them, so to speak. And here are my results (Spring Training stats not included):
BMac’s Career Pre-2009 ASB: 1,837 AB (2,094 PA)…78 HR…140 2B…2 3B…220 XBH
That comes out to 1 XBH every 8.5136363636…etc AB, or 1 XBH every 9.5181818…etc PA.
BMac’s Career Post-2009 ASB: 729 AB (844 PA)…34 HR…41 2B…0 3B…75 XBH
That comes out to 1 XBH every 9.72ish AB, or 1 XBH every 11.25333333…etc PA.
So not a considerable drop-off at all. A slight one, yes, but I think that was somewhat apparent to anyone concerned, what with the decline in Doubles. But this year, they’re going back up!
Freeman Says Hey
February 23rd, 2011
4:27 pm
Hey while your looking for photo’s dig up a picture of Rosanna Arquette at 19 while your at it. Sure she will be a little more trim (hehe) than AJ.
Shaun
February 23rd, 2011
4:27 pm
Showing me a photo of Andru fit at age 19 is not a way to refute my claim that he was on the whole an out of shape ballpalyer for his career
Nor is just claiming Andruw was out of shape early in his career a way to refute the claim that he was in at least decent shape.
It’s like claiming that no he wasnt a poor hitter because he hit .300 one season
I would claim that he wasn’t a poor hitter because he got on-base at a solid rate and he had great power. If Andruw was a poor hitter, you have some pretty high standards. I think this points out the flaws in your expectations of the Braves and Bobby Cox: If someone is not an elite, Hall-of-Fame type player, you consider them “poor.”
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
4:28 pm
“But the truth is that when you are contending and have a shot at winning the Series, you go for it”
The skill is in deciding what constitutes a real chance
Case in point – in 1998 a 90 win Cubs team made the NL playoffs as the Wild Card. They were in the playoffs with a 106 win Braves team, a 102 win Astros team, and the 98 win Padres. Had they somehow managed to get thru that, they’d almost certainly have to face a 114 win Yankees juggernaut that was among the best teams ever
Was that stretch run worth Kerry Wood’s career?
I understand that you’d have a hard time convincing Cubbies fans of that in the then and there – but the sober answer was clearly a no
ramblingman
February 23rd, 2011
4:29 pm
I did not leave off OPS. OPS is On base Plus Slugging. Since I posted On Base and Slugging, did I really need to add them for you?
However, if you only want to focus on one number, then of course you can make things look pretty much how you want. But if you look at the overall, you’ll see your statement was crock.
You said you would bet there was a “considerable drop off” in McCann’s “power numbers” since the 2009 AS break. Power numbers include more than just OPS.
HR’s were up post AS 2009, and they continued at a comparable pace in 2010. Slugging was almost identical pre and post AS 2009. True, his triples went down in 2010, but his steals increased 25%. Walks jumped and OPS+ went back up after dipping in 2009.
Bottom line – some numbers went up some, some went down some, some stayed pretty much constant. No findings for “considerable drop off” in “power numbers”.
I do notice that you changed your tune, however, from “I bet if you look at his power numbers since All-star 2009, there would be considerable drop off” to “he hasn’t been getting better”.
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
4:30 pm
“I would claim that he wasn’t a poor hitter because he got on-base at a solid rate and he had great power”
If a .338 OBP is what you consdier a solid rate, then there aint no point arguing with you
Andru got on base at what I would call a solid rate (.360+) in 4 out of 15 seasons
ramblingman
February 23rd, 2011
4:31 pm
“If you are content to be one of those fans who happily drinks the Kool Aid then rah rah the team all season long”
What I am NOT is a troll who claims to be a fan but has never done anything but bash the team
Horner's Corner
February 23rd, 2011
4:31 pm
“It tells me I must been onto something – since it hits such a nerve”
No, I just think your comments are dumb.
Arkansas Transplant
February 23rd, 2011
4:32 pm
BravePack, no not yet. We’re just about 2 weeks away from it’s release. Have you give it a shot yet?
I use to live up there a long time ago.
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
4:33 pm
“True, his triples went down in 2010, but his steals increased 25%. ”
Context – Steals going up 25% sounds impressive. Then you look and see he went from 4 to 5 – and arent so impressed
CraZyTRaDeMaN
February 23rd, 2011
4:33 pm
Robert just because we don’t BITCH as much as you doesn’t mean we’re drinking the kool-aid it just means we know how to enjoy the game more than Bitch about it!
Gone Viral
February 23rd, 2011
4:34 pm
“Gone Viral, in a vacuum, I’d rather have six years of Wainwright. But in reality, it’s more complicated.”
I am first to line to argument that running a professional sports team is a nightmare of instability and moving parts. We are in complete agreement on this point. It is, however, a different conversation from the specific discussion of the two trades being debated. Both of those situations have a distinct similarity. Each one is a gamble and a bad one at that. I am frankly in awe of the job Frank Wren has done in rebuilding our farm system in the wake of the Tex trade. That doesn’t change the fact that the trade itself was a trainwreck.
Both Tex and Drew gave us fine single season performances (as did Marrero) . What we gave away in terms of short/long term assets dwarfs those, though. It’s worse for me personally when the kid we gave up turned out to be a perennial Cy Young candidate for another team when he grew up rooting for the same Braves player I do. I feel the same kinship to Jair Jurrjens, whose father I would love to buy a beer at a game some time.
Everyone here loves the Atlanta Braves. On those rare occasions when we have a pitcher who dreams of playing for this team and has the electric arm required to make our team, we have to nurture those kids that much more. Pushing away the ones who want to be here like Wainwright and JJ is a mistake. That’s a tangent to the trade itself, but I think everyone here understands what I mean. There is a commonality in our love of Braves baseball that unites us. Wainwright had that yet we ceded him for a year of a guy who clearly didn’t want to be here. And he was FROM here. It’s been like a punch in my stomach since the day that trade was announced.
bravesgrl4life( a/k/a In Love with Fredi G!)
February 23rd, 2011
4:34 pm
Golly, Robert is as annoying as the one who shall not be mentioned!
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
4:34 pm
“What I am NOT is a troll who claims to be a fan but has never done anything but bash the team”
When I started rooting for the team, you were in diapers
(safe bet even if you’re older than me, if you get my drift)
ncscoots
February 23rd, 2011
4:36 pm
True, his triples went down in 2010
Yeah, but he’s all trim and svelte this year. I’m pretty sure he’s aiming at getting that triples total back up there.
ramblingman
February 23rd, 2011
4:36 pm
“Context – Steals going up 25% sounds impressive. Then you look and see he went from 4 to 5 – and arent so impressed”
Hey, troll, do you think there might have been a reason for me to include that in a post where I had just pointed out to the other guy that if you only look at one stat, you can pretty much reach any conclusion?
Give yourself a cookie.
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
4:36 pm
“Robert just because we don’t BITCH as much as you doesn’t mean we’re drinking the kool-aid”
It’s amazing – This whole thing started with me defending McCann – and I’m accused of bitching
Folks – I defended McCann – and I indicated optimism that things were gonna be better than they had been
In my book, thats not bitching
ray k.
February 23rd, 2011
4:36 pm
Glad to hear Nate has been impressive in the cage but what about in CF with the glove? Has he been seeing an “old school” psychiatrist, too? Just wondering if anyone is the least bit concerned about his inability to throw balls into the infield. At least Ankiel had a cannon; Nate has more of a paper airplane type velocity.
ramblingman
February 23rd, 2011
4:38 pm
^5’s scoots…heck yeah
Oh, and robbie…before you try to engage me in a “I cheer more for them than you do” contest, you might want to begin cheering for them…or saying anything positive….ever…
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
4:38 pm
“Hey, troll, do you think there might have been a reason for me to include that in a post ”
Yes. You’re trying to deny that McCann had a downturn in overall performance since the ‘09 AS break by showing that his steals have gone up significantly
Freeman Says Hey
February 23rd, 2011
4:39 pm
I like baseball. Simple as that. We can all have revisionist history and debate what coulda, shoulda, woulda been done. Thats whats great about the game. No need to take any of this banter personal.
Let me tell ya a great place to go watch a game. If you are ever in Charleston SC go visit the Joe. Right on the bank of the Ashley River, and if you go on a Tuesday its “Tasty Tuesday” so you get a great selection of cold beer. That is what baseball is baseball. Along with that is the great debates like today. No need though to take it personal. Its just all in fun.
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
4:39 pm
“you might want to begin cheering for them…or saying anything positive….ever”
I will repeat what I have said before (since 2009 at least)
2011 is gonna be a great year
ramblingman
February 23rd, 2011
4:40 pm
Hmmm….I went back and re-read your post, robbie…and I think I found the problem…
What you meant to say was clouded because you have your tense mixed up. You MEANT to say
“when I start rooting for the team, you’ll be in diapers”
ncscoots
February 23rd, 2011
4:40 pm
GV’s comments on the Drew and Tex trades are exactly why I don’t even bother, anymore. He’s a good poster, sound in most of his thinking, and one of my favorite reads. And I bet we’ve discussed those trades enough times to make us both hurl, and I STILL can’t get him to see the light, LOL.
Now, if I can’t move a sane, rational, right-mided guy like that off the opinion, what chance do I have with the goobers and numbletards?
MiaBchBravesFan
February 23rd, 2011
4:40 pm
As I peruse the many posts on this blog, one inescapable thought pops into my head.
This has been one of the most peaceful – in terms of blog climate – ST’s in recent memory.
Everyone knows what is right. Everyone knows what is wrong. We are certain of all the pieces in terms of what they can and cannot do. We finally have a true cleanup hitter…
And everyone seems happy and optimistic. All, good signs.
Freeman Says Hey
February 23rd, 2011
4:41 pm
Also make it a night game while at The Joe. Get a nice breeze off the Ashley.
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
4:41 pm
We have very good starting pitching, perhaps the best bullpen in baseball, all-star caliber players at about half the everyday positions, several very promising youngsters including THE game’s next superstar
and, for the first time in twenty one years, someone with an IQ above that of a moldy turnip managing the team
ramblingman
February 23rd, 2011
4:42 pm
“You’re trying to deny that McCann had a downturn in overall performance since the ‘09 AS break by showing that his steals have gone up significantly”
No, I successfull refuted a claim that McCann’s power numbers suffered “considerable drop off” since the 2009 AS break and topped it off by including a couple of stats to refute the position of only using one stat to draw conclusions.
Sorry if that escaped you.
ramblingman
February 23rd, 2011
4:42 pm
“2011 is gonna be a great year”
you’re leaving?
what of it?
February 23rd, 2011
4:43 pm
ramblingman,
you have cherry picked my comment. a .30 point net drop in Avg is a noticeable drop off a .20 point drop in Slg is still a drop off. further I said it was debatable that the drop off was significant but a drop off no less. I don’t consider someone with declining numbers as an “emerging leader,” and his free pass on his abysmal defense is ridiculous. He’s a total liability when any team decides to play small ball which is usually when the game is on the line. Explain to me how his power numbers haven’t dropped off.
CraZyTRaDeMaN
February 23rd, 2011
4:44 pm
scoots
numbletards? I know you meant numbtards but numbletards sounds funnier!
ramblingman
February 23rd, 2011
4:44 pm
“We have very good starting pitching, perhaps the best bullpen in baseball, all-star caliber players at about half the everyday positions, several very promising youngsters including THE game’s next superstar and, for the first time in twenty one years, someone with an IQ above that of a moldy turnip managing the team”
You see? You tried to say something positive and the troll in you came through. A for effort, though.
CraZyTRaDeMaN
February 23rd, 2011
4:46 pm
We have very good starting pitching, perhaps the best bullpen in baseball, all-star caliber players at about half the everyday positions, several very promising youngsters including THE game’s next superstar
Great way to be positive!
and, for the first time in twenty one years, someone with an IQ above that of a moldy turnip managing the team
oh lord!
ramblingman
February 23rd, 2011
4:46 pm
what of it, I quoted you. Can’t get less cherry picking than that. You made an outlandish statement and were called on it and have backtracked since and tried to change your tune.
Shaun
February 23rd, 2011
4:46 pm
Robert, Andruw had an on-base of .342 with the Braves. That’s pretty solid considering his position. His slugging was .497, which is excellent for a centerfielder. But if you want to talk about his whole career, yes, later on he wasn’t so good. But I thought we were talking about early in his career (your words, not mine).
ncscoots
February 23rd, 2011
4:46 pm
Crazy, “numbletard” is a long-held blogism, its author lost in the mists of time (like most of the good blogisms here).
Gone Viral
February 23rd, 2011
4:46 pm
“Now, if I can’t move a sane, rational, right-mided guy like that off the opinion, what chance do I have with the goobers and numbletards?”
I’m going to go right out and buy a t-shirt that says, “Not a Numbletard!”
If not for Charles Thomas, that entire season would have been a waste for me. I hated the Wainwright trade that much, but he turned me around by being such a wonderful story (like Brooks Conrad last year). And I vividly recall folks on the Falcons board telling me to stop being so alarmist about my immediate dislike of the Tex trade. Toward the end of last season, one of them posted here that they hated the trade from the beginning. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
MiaBchBravesFan
February 23rd, 2011
4:47 pm
I like “numbletards” too! Also, “Swamp Retard”!!!
Not a fan of “goobers” – the candy or the word.
ncscoots
February 23rd, 2011
4:49 pm
And I vividly recall folks on the Falcons board telling me to stop being so alarmist about my immediate dislike of the Tex trade. Toward the end of last season, one of them posted here that they hated the trade from the beginning. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Shoot, I don’t doubt that, brother. We call that brown hindsight: looking back through your…well, you know.
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
4:50 pm
what of it?—
I posted some numbers for you, as well…Sorry I didn’t include your name at the top of it, but I couldn’t remember what it was and wasn’t quite in the mood to search through posts to find it.
BravePack
February 23rd, 2011
4:51 pm
AT
I downloaded it last night(took about 2 hours) and played one 4 inning game. I really like the new analog controls for the game. Most people are saying the pitching is easier to get used to then hitting. I think it’s very fun to play with the analog controls and the graphics are much better. Players are more life-like, stadiums are more detailed, and the sky progression from twilight to night is great. Visually the game looks much improved and looking forward to March 8th to be able to play as the Braves.
CB
February 23rd, 2011
4:53 pm
I looked up the definition of numletard on Google. There was no such word but it sent me to about 5 posts on the DOB blog and a poker site. LOL
ncscoots
February 23rd, 2011
4:53 pm
I’m going to go right out and buy a t-shirt that says, “Not a Numbletard!”
Maybe I should have some made up. Could be my version Lew’s Wurlitzers. Awarded to those with long-standing blog careers of non-numbletardation.
N8
February 23rd, 2011
4:54 pm
Shaun, you are correct in your “Wainwright for Hudson” comparison. Ultimately that might be what it became with the freed up money by not signing Drew.
But if you want to talk about what if’s or hypotheticals, one could say that perhaps they miss the playoffs without Drew, then proceed to STILL trade for Hudson and trade Wainwright off at a later date for a piece of the puzzle that might have remained a brave longer?
Or perhaps, the STILL go get Hudson, keep Wainwright as a cheap youngster and then when he’s an ACE (like he has been), they have zero reason to go sign Lowe.
It could go on and on for days, saying each move was a domino to the other.
But in the end, and in reality….. it was Wainwright for one year of JD Drew. If Drew was never traded for, there would have been no need to NOT re-sign him longterm to clear up money for Hudson…. he never would have been here to begin with.
ncscoots
February 23rd, 2011
4:55 pm
and a poker site
That figures, since Dentz was the All-Universe poster child for the word.
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
4:55 pm
“No, I successfull refuted a claim that McCann’s power numbers suffered “considerable drop off” since the 2009 AS break ”
You did no such thing
Freeman Says Hey
February 23rd, 2011
4:57 pm
What is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow?
Freeman Says Hey
February 23rd, 2011
4:57 pm
It depends on whether you are talking about an African or European swallow.
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
5:01 pm
PS, what of it?—
I don’t consider someone with declining numbers as an “emerging leader,”
His numbers are not declining! One semi-sub-par (by his standards) year doesn’t count as declining unless it turns into a trend…he had the eye issues and other things to deal with last season, and that’s all in the past now. He wants nothing more than to improve and get back to where he was. He works hard everyday. Guys respect the heck out of him. That’s what makes him a leader. It really doesn’t matter whether fans consider him the leader or not.
He’s a total liability when any team decides to play small ball which is usually when the game is on the line.
Last year his SB% went way up, and so did his CSlev. CSlev is the importance of the context in which a runner was caught—above 1 being above average pressure, below 1 being below average pressure. His CSlev was 1.65 last year, while his SBlev was 1.36. That (most likely…I’m no expert) means when he caught someone stealing, the pressure was .29 points greater than when someone stole of him and the pitchers.
CraZyTRaDeMaN
February 23rd, 2011
5:02 pm
Not a numbletard
but, maybe
And idiot
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
5:02 pm
Here’s the facts
In 2009 thru July McCann had 39 extra base hits in 342 plate appearances – or once every 8.8 PA’s
Since then, he has had 63 extra base hits in 781 plate appearances – or one every 12.4
If you dont consider that significant, you’re even more ignorant than you appear
N8
February 23rd, 2011
5:03 pm
I see too many people using the “Without JD Drew, the Braves don’t make the playoffs that year” excuse. They are probably right. But so what?
Without Adam Wainwright, the Braves failed to make the playoffs in 2007, 2008 and 2009 when some solid pitching in their rotation would have done wonders. If you REALLY want to get technical…
One could say that with Wainwright in the fold, JS never goes looking for pitching that he ultimately would never find and instead turned to Tex to bolster the lineup. How’s that for chain reaction?
As a Braves fan in hindsight, I would have much rather missed the playoffs the year JD Drew was a Brave and made the playoffs (or had a better shot at it) in the years that followed with Wainwright on the staff.
Hell. I don’t need hindsight to feel that way. Just ask ANY Braves fan that was against trading Hanson for Peavy. Or had no interest in moving Heyward, Freeman or now Delgado or Teheran to add a veteran piece of the puzzle.
What’s funny in all of this when it comes to trades and retaining the players traded for, is we trade a top pitching prospect for JD Drew, and fail to retain him.
This winter we trade Omar Infante and Mike Dunn for Dan Uggla and sign him long term. Baseball and the trades that are made is a crazy thing to predict and understand at times, huh?
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
5:04 pm
Robert Since then, he has had 63 extra base hits in 781 plate appearances
That’s odd…I came up with 75 XBH in 844 PA…
MFin04
February 23rd, 2011
5:05 pm
DOB – Have McLouth or McCann looked any better defensively, especially throwing?
David O'Brien
February 23rd, 2011
5:06 pm
Baseball America sent out a “corrected” list of top 100, and Teheran moved from 6th to 5th.
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
5:06 pm
McFann – I went from August – I think maybe you went from the break in early July
McCann had a very good July 2009 with 17 extra base hits in 111 appearances
I’d bet that’s the difference
I used baseball-reference.com splits pages for my data
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
5:07 pm
Yup…just did it again—75 XBH since the 2009 All-Star Break.
Did none of you read my 4:26?
Rodney Derrick
February 23rd, 2011
5:07 pm
Having just read through the blog, I was surprised that no one mentioned that this will be Wainwright’s second Tommy John surgery. Unless my (as of tomorrow) 64 year old brain is mistaken, he missed more than a year when he was a member of the Braves organization because of a Tommy John surgery. Now I may be mistaken and he might have already gone to the Cards and perhaps it was his shoulder. But two TJ surgeries is a lot. Hope he can return. If the Cy Young were awarded for the last two years combined, he would be the clear winner.
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
5:08 pm
Robert—
OK! I getcha…I thought that was strange…Makes sense, now.
I used baseball-reference.com splits pages for my data
Me, too!
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
5:09 pm
Yeah, he did have a good July, 2009…had a good July 2010, too…Maybe we should just make his calendar have about 7 Julys…
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
5:10 pm
So to be precise, we should be saying that McCann’s dropoff has been since August 2009
N8
February 23rd, 2011
5:10 pm
Wow. Teheran MUST be good. He jumps from 6th to 5th on a day when there was a 90 minute meeting. Imagine if the meeting would have been skipped. He might be #4.
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
5:10 pm
That would work!
All those in favor of 7 Julys a season for McCann say aye
Aye
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
5:10 pm
Thanks McFann! (sorry- just got home…) Bottom line- on the list of things to criticize about the Braves, I think Mac is nowhere to be found…
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
5:11 pm
Robert—
I guess…
But it won’t matter by the end of this year, ’cause this year there’s not gonna be any drop off!
(But a drop-of in K’s would be way cool…)
Bay Area Steve
February 23rd, 2011
5:11 pm
I had the same thought, scoots. Even tried the Google Machine myself. Alas, no poker site. CB, might you provide a link? I think there’s a good chance it was that ‘nozzle…
Venice Jim
February 23rd, 2011
5:12 pm
Looks like we’re going to have a new winner for number of blog posts this time around…
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
5:13 pm
“Bottom line- on the list of things to criticize about the Braves, I think Mac is nowhere to be found”
On the list of things to criticize about the Braves, there’s plenty of stuff way ahead of McCann
Like I said, you can pretty much bank 20/80/.280 – figure 30 doubles and hope for more , and there’s the chance for an uptick given it’s his age 27 year
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
5:13 pm
Aye! And Maybe a May or 3…3 Mays, 4 Julys!
cabravesfan—
No sweat—you’re welcome!
on the list of things to criticize about the Braves, I think Mac is nowhere to be found…
I agree…but for some people…
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
5:13 pm
AT-
Out of pocket…for a minute there I thought you meant you’ve been working for free…I was going to ask you to come up and do some work for me
I almost felt bad…
And btw…I live about 3 hrs from either Wrigley, The Cell, and Busch…
I would choose going to Busch 9 times out of 10…well, besides the fact that I absolutely positively hate being in the city of Chicago…
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
5:13 pm
Mac…
Mac who?
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
5:14 pm
V. Jim Looks like we’re going to have a new winner for number of blog posts this time around…
And who might that be…?
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
5:14 pm
P-Town Brave—
Whaddya mean, “Mac who”?
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
5:15 pm
Hey – what are the details regarding the vesting option the Braves have on McCann’s contract?
ramblingman
February 23rd, 2011
5:15 pm
“You did no such thing”
Really? You want to get into “nuh uh” “uh huh”? Do you truly think I’ll go down that path with a troll?
“What is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow?”
African or European? Aieeeeee…..
McFann, now you’ve done it. What Of It will accuse us of ganging up on him…
“If you dont consider that significant, you’re even more ignorant than you appear”
Troll, now you saw what I did with the focusing on only one stat to make your point…learn from your mistakes.
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
5:15 pm
“And btw…I live about 3 hrs from either Wrigley, The Cell, and Busch”
Champagne/Urbana? Decatur?
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
5:16 pm
Robert—
I think it has to do with winning a certain amount of awards (Silver Sluggers and such) and making a certain number of All-Star Teams from 2007-2011 (or ‘12)…
I think he’s nailed it, whatever it is.
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
5:17 pm
“Troll, now you saw what I did with the focusing on only one stat to make your point”
The discussion was power numbers.
Pray tell, what measure beyone rate of extra base hits would you use to figure power numbers?
what of it?
February 23rd, 2011
5:17 pm
Ramblingman,
you’ve just cherry-picked my comment again. I didn’t say “misquote” as you seem to imply by saying “I quoted you. Can’t get less cherry picking than that.” Cherry-picking is when you only look at part of what is said without context as you were accusing me of in only looking at OPS when in fact I was comparing Avg. Slg. and Ops all of which went down. Further I said “I bet there was a considerable drop off” b/c I didn’t know off the top of my head, and while it might not have been “considerable,” all of those statistics dropped off to a varying degree. I’m not back-pedaling, just merely pointing out that McCann’s power has gotten worse, and that’s about the only remarkable part of his game.
CB
February 23rd, 2011
5:18 pm
BAS,just put the word numbletards in and do a Google search and it should come right up.
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
5:18 pm
2012 becomes club option if player fails to win specified awards 2007-2011
OK, so that’s looking good thus far.
ramblingman—
Oh, GREAT! What have I done?
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
5:20 pm
Hey, McCann’s page sponsorship is up after November of this year – here’s your chance McFann
MFin04
February 23rd, 2011
5:20 pm
“The Rock is back.”
Personally it’s more exciting to have HHH and the Undertaker back.
TennesseePaul
February 23rd, 2011
5:22 pm
“You hear things,” said Dodgers outfielder Tony Gwynn Jr., who spent last season with the San Diego Padres. “We played them enough. I could see he wasn’t happy. Whatever was going on over here, he wasn’t happy at all. I remember a few times looking across the cage, and being like, ‘Come on, man. Smile! What are you doing?’ He’d throw on one for like five seconds. Then it would just disappear.
“Environment plays a big part of that. I think with Don taking over, and the staff we have here, it’s a positive environment. Especially for Matt, I think that’s a big key. You want to be in an environment where you can be successful. When there’s a lot of negativity around, it’s hard to keep coming back every day. You don’t want to fight through something that you enjoy doing.”
–Jon Paul Morosi
Apparently Tony Gwynn, Jr. hasn’t received the memo. Environment, attitude, etc… poppycock.
Jeff R
February 23rd, 2011
5:22 pm
N8… good post at 4:54 pm.
Venice Jim
February 23rd, 2011
5:24 pm
McFann – let’s just say it’s someone who was not in the top 25 on the previous blog…
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
5:25 pm
Robert-
Yeah, because I would be calling myself PTown Brave if I lived in C/U or Decatur…
Funny stuff dude!
McFanny-
Yeah, Mac who…must be talkin about some guy I don’t know w/ all the fat guy talk and all the he’s terrible and blah blah blah…
I don’t know nor have I ever heard of this guy they speak of…
Lew
February 23rd, 2011
5:25 pm
Hell yeah – everyone knows it’s not environment or attitude – it’s grits.
Bay Area Steve
February 23rd, 2011
5:25 pm
Aah, pluralized numbletard. A non-numbletard mighta thought of that. No t-shirt for me. Thanks, CB.
And, VJ: yeah, unfortunately so. Robert makes a guy wish Don would show up a bit more.
Braves fan in Missouri
February 23rd, 2011
5:27 pm
If there was a new Ultimate Warrior wrestling would reel me back in for the first time since I was 10.
Bay Area Steve
February 23rd, 2011
5:28 pm
It was Robert, right? ‘Cause I ain’t goin’ lookin’ for the 25. And, I should say, whether you were referring to him or not, guy’s still a jerkish nutbag.
ramblingman
February 23rd, 2011
5:28 pm
“Here’s the facts
In 2009 thru July McCann had 39 extra base hits in 342 plate appearances – or once every 8.8 PA’s
Since then, he has had 63 extra base hits in 781 plate appearances – or one every 12.4
If you dont consider that significant, you’re even more ignorant than you appear”
Okay, so first one guy makes a wild claim that we shoot down, then he tries to save face by claiming only one stat, which we refute, then some other troll steps in and takes up the reins by claiming the above stats.
Except…
According to baseball-reference.com, McCann had the following for XBH’s (since that is NOW the standard we are going to use)
28/273 or 1 for every 9.75 PA’s in 2009 pre AS break
29/278 or 1 for every 9.59 PA’s in 2009 post AS break
46/566 or 1 for every 12.3 PA’s in 2010
Not drastic, not a “considerable drop off”, not significant.
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
5:29 pm
Robert—
Hahaha! That would be funny…
V. Jim—
Ah-ha…I read ya…
P-Town I don’t know nor have I ever heard of this guy they speak of…
Oh, yeah, don’t know if I have, either…or maybe it’s that guy who used to play for the Cardinals…
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
5:31 pm
Fin-
Maybe Trips, but Taker has been done for quite awhile now…
He’s wrestled on “supposedly” his show Smackdown about once every couple months for the last two years and has had to be carried through every single match he’s been in for the past 3-4…
Hope Trips is healthy because he’ll have to do the same come Mania…
I guess I just still don’t understand the hype over a guy that has spent so much time in the ring the last handful of years when he should have been on the shelf or retired…Sting would be in this same category…
I am much rather going to enjoy guys that will steal the show at Mania…Edge v Del Rio…Money in the Bank if Morrison is in it…even Punk v Orton as Punk has just been awesome lately in the ring….
Sadly Trips v Taker is the one I am least looking forward to, and thats even if there’s a Divas match, as we already know the outcome months out and I’m just not interested in another Taker match where he gimps around the ring and takes the spotlight away from more deserving individuals at this point…
JMO
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
5:33 pm
Braves Fan in MO-
Obviously you must have watched as a child…(just my guess)
While Warrior has slightly above average mic skills and the promos were good, he was awful in the ring…
Reminded me of a modern day Bautista…got guys hurt, worked stiff, and was a complete *ss to be anywhere near…
I mean I understand thats your opinion, but there are plenty of guys that I could point to now that are worth following.
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
5:34 pm
McCann April-July 2009 – 84 hits, 142 bases,48 walks in 304 at bats and 361 plate appearances – .366 OBP .467 SLG 833OPS
McCann since August 2009 – 174 hits, 293 bases, 100 walks, 654 at bats, 771 plate appearances – .355 OBP, .448 SLG 803OPS
extra base hit rates posted previously
ramblingman, if you’re positing some other measure of power than either of these ………..
Murph
February 23rd, 2011
5:35 pm
N8, there’s no guarantee that Wainwright develops into the pitcher he is now had he stayed in the Braves organization. He certainly didn’t look like he was going to be a staff ace based on his seasons in the low minors.
I don’t see how people can look back on that trade and say the Braves would have had a better chance to compete in future seasons if it didn’t happen. Like I said earlier, you can’t simply take Wainwright’s stats from the Cardinals and say “this is what he would have done in Atlanta.”
Too many variables and unknowns to do that. He might have been called up in a few years and gone 30-0, or he might have gone 2-16. We’ll never know.
Jbailz23
February 23rd, 2011
5:39 pm
Braves fan in Missouri – If you want to feel like you are 10 again watch TNA for an hour (about all I can stand now-a-days) that’ll bring you back to the good ole days with Flair, Hogan, etc. They got massive young talent that I love to see though. Can’t wait for Braves baseball to start so I can have something else to watch though.
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
5:40 pm
Ramblingman – do the calculation starting in August – the dropoff has been since August 2009 – after he had a hot July
you’ll get the exact numbers I did
going from one extra base hit every 8.8 PA’s to one every 12.4 is significant
How significant? Consider – Mark McGwire hit a HR once every 13.1 plate appearances in his career – if he’d hit one 9.4 at bats (13.1/9/4 is the same ratio as 12.4/8.8) then he woulda had 815 home runs
I’d call that significant
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
5:43 pm
Not significant?
The difference between one HR every 9.6 PA’s and one every 12.3 – apply that multiplier to Chipper’s Jones HR totals and he’d be sitting at 558 instead of 436
That rate difference is HUGE
what of it?
February 23rd, 2011
5:44 pm
ramblingman,
you are a stupid fu@king @unt, and have not addressed the fact that all of the numbers went down and his power numbers have been in decline from the time stated. And if we want to cherry-pick the XBH stat you’ve just thrown out for power, it’s a 21% decline which makes a very strong case the drop off has been considerable
McFann
McCann lead the bigs in errors for catchers, but you make a good case with the stats for pick-offs, but I’m not familiar with them.
GTSteve
February 23rd, 2011
5:44 pm
“Bottom line- on the list of things to criticize about the Braves, I think Mac is nowhere to be found”</i"
I am with you on that one CAB…the Braves have a lot of questions before we get to the starting catcher position
CB
February 23rd, 2011
5:45 pm
i
Braves fan in Missouri
February 23rd, 2011
5:45 pm
Ptown Brave
My sarcasm did not translate well. I have been informed that wresting is more of a show now. When I watched in the late 80’s early 90’s it was big dumb guys beating on each other. Which was entertaining to a 10 year old.
CB
February 23rd, 2011
5:45 pm
don’t
CB
February 23rd, 2011
5:45 pm
want
CB
February 23rd, 2011
5:46 pm
this
CB
February 23rd, 2011
5:46 pm
guy
Jbailz23
February 23rd, 2011
5:47 pm
The only thing to consider with McCann in my opinion is that he’s played 6 seasons (5 full and one half) and is a 5 time All Star and a 4 time Silver Slugger and came in 21st in MVP voting this year. We have one of the hardest things to find in the majors, a left hand power hitting catcher that calls a decent game and is better than most defensively.
CB
February 23rd, 2011
5:47 pm
dummy
CB
February 23rd, 2011
5:48 pm
to
CB
February 23rd, 2011
5:48 pm
be
CB
February 23rd, 2011
5:48 pm
our
Braves fan in Missouri
February 23rd, 2011
5:48 pm
Does anyone think with the Braves improved offense that KK could be a 5th starter and have greater value at the trade deadline?
CB
February 23rd, 2011
5:49 pm
leading
CB
February 23rd, 2011
5:49 pm
blogger
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
5:49 pm
what of it you make a good case with the stats for pick-offs, but I’m not familiar with them.
Thank you.
CB
February 23rd, 2011
5:49 pm
how
CB
February 23rd, 2011
5:50 pm
about
CB
February 23rd, 2011
5:50 pm
you
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
5:50 pm
Jbailz23—
Amen to that.
CB
February 23rd, 2011
5:50 pm
guys?
CB
February 23rd, 2011
5:51 pm
Have
CB
February 23rd, 2011
5:52 pm
we
CB
February 23rd, 2011
5:52 pm
ever
CB
February 23rd, 2011
5:53 pm
seen
BravesFanChris26
February 23rd, 2011
5:53 pm
P-Town Brave ©
The possible card for this year’s Mania looks good.
* Miz/Cena (with Rock somehow influenced in it)
* Edge/Del Rio
* Punk/Orton (big fan of both)
* MITB (Morrison likely to win it if in it)
* Daniel Bryan/Sheamus (for US Title)
* King/Cole (this will be good to see Cole get his)
* Rey Mysterio/Cody Rhodes (that feud has been building up)
That’s not the official card, but if that becomes it, I am definitely excited for it.
CB
February 23rd, 2011
5:53 pm
anybody
CB
February 23rd, 2011
5:54 pm
dumber?
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
5:54 pm
Braves Fan in MO-
True….and its entertaining…problem is right now, WWE is back catering to the 10 yr old and insulting our intelligence with some of the storylines…BUT its started to turn a bit and has been good since the turn of the year, especially SmackDown…
Jbailz-
Very true…TNA is what I go to if I want comic relief…
Best thing I saw was when I was bored at work one day and hadnt seen any TNA in close to a year, and watched their Dec/Jan ppv, cant remember which…
Anyways Kurt Angle goes to blade and instead of panning the camera and then going back to show him bleeding, the idiotic camera guy actually zooms in on him with the blade in his hand and preceeds to follow the entire segment of him taking the blade and using it…
Absolutely incredible!
Robert
February 23rd, 2011
5:54 pm
Post some facts and supply some context – and ramblingman disappears
I am not surprised.
Proof that sometimes the best way to treat a fool is to bitchslap them
Wow...
February 23rd, 2011
5:57 pm
I think that “it’s only February” thing should be attached to all of the Schafer hype
Amber
February 23rd, 2011
5:57 pm
I’m a McCannic!!
NC State Nate
February 23rd, 2011
5:57 pm
Another great blog DOB. Honestly I had to consider whether I would want the Braves to trade Hudson to the Yanks for anything. And I just don’t think you could get back what you would loose at this point. He is an anchor to this team and trading him would seem like waving the white flag before the battle has even started, even if you did get some killer prospects.
Great non-move by Frank Wren.
Bryn
February 23rd, 2011
5:59 pm
Falls Mill has whole grain grits, corn meal, etc (no preservaties) avaliable for mail order sale and for sale at the mill. It located at Belvidere, TN off US 64 and worth a trip. They have an internet web site. The mill has been restored and offers tours.
One-Eyed Mac
February 23rd, 2011
6:01 pm
I just bought tickets for the opening series in DC. Can’t wait!
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
6:01 pm
BFC26-
Meh…its a decent card I guess…needs better writing for better buildup…
I’m real interesting in Rey v Cody though and forgot to mention that…
And I agree, Ive been waiting for someone to put their foot in Cole’s face…
MITB is looking weak as they havent built up enough wrestlers besides JoMo and Drew…who I would like to see be the guys to fight it out…
I personally wish the MITB winner would cash in at Mania for the belt but that’ll probably never happen because they want Mania to stay strictly by the prebuild…
Anyways, my idea for that could be either Christian wins MITB and takes the title from Del Rio when he beats Edge or Morrison wins and even though Miz retains miraculously v Cena and then starts into a big Mania celebration, Morrison comes out and takes the belt after cashing in…
Would probably make for one of the biggest RAW’s in quite some time…
Just a thought…
Gotta run…peace out guys!
P-Town Brave ©
February 23rd, 2011
6:03 pm
Amber-
I have copyrighted the word:
McCannaholic…
Feel free to use it at will
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
6:03 pm
Some folks would rather get an out in a meaningless situation and lose the best offensive catcher for 15 games on the DL. Ab
he is just as likely or even more so to get hurt running around out front and diving back into the runner
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
6:05 pm
Bing!
(Soulja!)
“Get Out The WAYYY!!! (Boom!) Pretty Boy Coming Through! Me And My Crew! We Swaggin In The Room!”
Whats Up All…?
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
6:08 pm
Word On The Streets Was That Brian Cashman has talked to Wren about either Lowe or Huddy…Which I say no chance in hell we get rid of either 2…but I’m suprised that he didn’t ask about KK
Ditto for the Cardinals…I think this is our chance to Hustle KK to the cards for a prospect or 2?
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
6:10 pm
Is your word on the street DOB?
Gone Viral
February 23rd, 2011
6:10 pm
“I don’t see how people can look back on that trade and say the Braves would have had a better chance to compete in future seasons if it didn’t happen”
The Braves themselves felt Wainwright’s upside was tremendous. That was why we initially refused to include him in the trade. It was only when St. Louis pushed, saying they wouldn’t do the deal without him, that we agreed. Marrero wasn’t even in the deal prior to that. He was the throw-in for our including Wainwright. At that point, we decided there wasn’t enough difference between Wainwright and the arms I mentioned earlier to haggle. That was a mistake.
To a larger point, you say he didn’t look like a potential staff ace when he was in the low minors and that makes me wonder if you’re confusing him for somebody else. At 18 years old, he had an ERA of 2.35. His career ERA as a Braves minor leaguer was 3.35. He was coming off of a year at AA where his strikeouts to walks were 128 to 37 and his WHIP was around 1.13 while being one of the youngest players in the league.
As for your question of wondering why people assume he’d be as good a pitcher for us as he has been for the Cardinals, he’s the same kid with the same arm and the same pitching instincts/makeup. We could have used him. I still hold out hope that one day in the future, he pitches for us. He’s great, he grew up a Braves fan and he wanted to be here. We blew it.
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
6:12 pm
I think this is our chance to Hustle KK to the cards for a prospect or 2?
I really don’t see that happening. The Cardinals aren’t stupid.
“You can’t have one of our aces, but can I interest you in a slightly used, bottom-of-the-rotation pitcher?”
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
6:13 pm
Shaun very solid and true post @ 2:54 pm regarding Wainwright,DeRosa and Dte. Really nailed it
MIBravesFan
February 23rd, 2011
6:17 pm
Thanks for the new blog, DOB. It’s always enjoyable to read about Brian.
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
6:18 pm
Jeffrey D
That Word on the street came from listening to the Buck and Kinkade Show on 680AM The Fan earlier today…
They are also tired of the overhype directed to Jordan Schafer…For a Guy who has done very litte his Hype rivals J-Hey a year ago
So Matt Chernoff and myself are not the only one’s who are tired of the hype
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
6:19 pm
The Braves themselves felt Wainwright’s upside was tremendous Gone
many did, some no longer were as sure. He had started to lose a bit of his shine and was not as well thought of as the first few years and that can be seen in his 2004 BA ratings. Let’s not make it seem completely one sided cause it was not.
Reality Check
February 23rd, 2011
6:19 pm
The DOB spin master is at it again. Nothing but glowing reports out of happy land.
Reality it is not. This two thousand – eleven Braves edition has extreme flaws. As in no up the middle defense which is critical to the success of any team. Chipper is at best playing out the last season of his career. Freeman’s a rookie. McLouth is coming off the most disastrous season of his life. Kimbrel and Venters are incredibly talented, but Billy Wagner they are not, and their bench is fragmented due to the trade of Omar Infante.
However, the biggest fallout is the loss of Bobby Cox. Although Fredi Gonzalez has received glowing reviews he cannot replace a living legend. Not to mention the miracle that was the 2010 season, because in no way can expect to see another twenty-five last at bat wins.
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
6:20 pm
CB
Nice
Jbailz23
February 23rd, 2011
6:20 pm
Tomahawkin –
You aren’t the only ones, I think we are all pulling for the guy and if he proves he can do what everyone says he can then that’s great and we’ve got ourselves a young bada$$ outfield for the future. But can we please make the kid FINALLY show us he can do it before we crown him as the next J-Hey?
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
6:20 pm
work
CB
February 23rd, 2011
6:23 pm
Thanks,Bat. I said about as much in my posts as he did in his.
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
6:23 pm
They are also tired of the overhype directed to Jordan Schafer…For a Guy who has done very litte his Hype rivals J-Hey a year ago
Bull****!!
Gone Viral
February 23rd, 2011
6:23 pm
Nolie, the Braves’ primary concern at the time was that Wainwright was not done growing and that it would mess up his (otherwise pristine) mechanics.
Jbailz23
February 23rd, 2011
6:23 pm
Tomahawkin –
You aren’t the only ones, I think we are all pulling for the guy and if he proves he can do what everyone says he can then that’s great and we’ve got ourselves a young really impressive outfield for the future. But can we please make the kid FINALLY show us he can do it before we crown him as the next J-Hey?
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
6:24 pm
I agree, This team Overall Defensively Sucks for a Playoff caliber team, But we have learned to deal with it for the last 5 years, what else is new…?
Jbailz23
February 23rd, 2011
6:25 pm
Had to edit my post so it didn’t have to go to moderation, DOB if you’re reading this you can just delete it…
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
6:25 pm
Proof that sometimes the best way to treat a fool is to bitchslap them Robert
Thanx, I’ll remember that on your next Cox post.
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
6:26 pm
Ok Bat…
Maybe I exaggerated a little, but come on…I’m tired of the hype as if he is a potential Super-Star/Can’t miss type of prospect…
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
6:27 pm
@Nolie LOL on that 6:25 Post…
Gone Viral
February 23rd, 2011
6:27 pm
I just googled a couple of stories from when the trade went down. Here was Shanks’ take at Scout.com:
“The wildcard here is not Wainwright, but Drew. He is signed for only one more season, before his agent, Scott Boras, starts asking for a billion dollars a season. If Drew was signed to a longer contract, it might be easier to accept the possibility of the trade being one-sided should Wainwright blossom into the starter some predict. But if he leaves after one season, and then Wainwright becomes a top starter in the league, this deal will be difficult to explain and could be placed in the Brett Butler/Len Barker category.”
And here is TheBaseballOpinion:
“The supposed prize of the trade though is phenom Adam Wainwright. The most heralded pitcher in the Braves system, this 22 year old has a good fastball, curve and changeup. He also has good size (6-6, although reports now say 6-9) and supposedly smart as well. Many Braves fans are already crying and saying that John has stuck a dagger in their hearts. Yet the Dodgers were apparently moving in on Drew as well and so Schuerholz must have had to move the bid up. ”
Later, they conclude:
“This trade may break somewhat even if Marquis doesn’t pan out, Adam becomes just a 2-3 starter as some scouts are predicting now, and Drew signs long term and stays healthy (get the notion that some point is trying to be conveyed here). Otherwise, the Braves got marginally robbed!”
I’m not trying to cherry pick here. These were just the first two results I googled. I think everyone who evaluated the deal and knew what they were talking about drew the same conclusions. The deal hinged on two factors, Drew’s willingness to re-sign and Wainwright’s performance. Unfortunately, both went against us.
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
6:28 pm
Not To Mention Schafer is getting all the hype and we all know he’s gonna start the season in AAA Gwinnett…
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
6:29 pm
What’s the word we’re using? Balderdash?
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
6:30 pm
Who’s hyping Schafer??
N8
February 23rd, 2011
6:32 pm
“Too many variables and unknowns to do that. He might have been called up in a few years and gone 30-0, or he might have gone 2-16. We’ll never know.” Murph
But what we DO know is that JD Drew had zero interest in remaining an Atlanta Brave. Something JS should have factored before pulling the trigger.
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
6:33 pm
No Hard Feelings But I think The Wainwright for JD Screw Trade was the worst of that decade
N8
February 23rd, 2011
6:33 pm
Well done at 6:10 Gone Viral
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
6:34 pm
Co-Sign N8, You Tell Em!
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
6:35 pm
I’m Just Glad we Didn’t lock up JD Screw, his Contract has been an Albatross from day 1
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
6:37 pm
the Braves’ primary concern at the time was that Wainwright was not done growing and that it would mess up his (otherwise pristine) mechanics GV
yeah that was part of it no doubt, but it still cast some doubt on how he would develop. Back in the day very tall players were usually looked on with a suspicion that seems hard to really understand now., so that was a significant worrying point to some.
Turns out it took a bit but he came back close to what he looked like he might be when drafted. But there was no guarantee that would happen and there were definitely some Braves evaluators who had begun to wonder if he was ever gonna be that good.
So now he is 28 and has had 4 decent years and twoof which were very good and will be out till he’s 30, and already missed some time a few years ago.
As someone pointed out earlier in a year by year comparison, it is unlikely that he would have made any real difference to the Braves in most of the time he has been gone
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
6:40 pm
quoting Shanks will win you no points to any thinking Braves fan GV
Murph
February 23rd, 2011
6:41 pm
Gone Viral, all of that is well and good, but as I’ve said, there’s absolutely no way to say Wainwright would have had the same performance in Atlanta. It’s statistically impossible given the number of variables in the equation. Impossible
He might have found the same success, he might have fallen flat on his face, he might have been killed during the offseason hunting deer with Chipper. We’ll never know. Never. Ever.
Look at his final two minor league seasons for the Cards. Do you think after posting ERA’s of 5.37 and 4.40 that the Cards thought he’d blossom into a Cy Young caliber pitcher? He obviously put something together during his season in their bullpen because he has been amazing since 2006, but before that? Meh.
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
6:42 pm
T-Hawkin_
Yeah just a little. My sense is that a lot of people recognize that Schafer has been through some rough times and hope that it is over now. Three years ago the kid had the HGH thing, guilty or guilt by association, who knows, either way he did the right thing and put it behind him.
Then he comes back, makes the team in spring training, great start and boom, hurt wrist. 22year old kid, so what does he do, he tries to play through it. Now was that smart, maybe not. None the less what do you do. Young tough guy, new to the big leagues, his dream. Maybe he is familiar with the old adage, ‘ he’s a hell of a guy, wouldn’t say s**t if he had a mouth full’. I don’t know.
The deal is the kid has just turned 24, and his fully healthy for the first time since he was injured. The kid needs a chance to just play, maybe he can be what the Braves hoped and be a good center fielder for years to come. Hoping for that does not cost me a damn thing.
Jbailz23
February 23rd, 2011
6:42 pm
Is everyone here thinking/hoping we keep J-Hey forever? I’m hoping with Chipper taking him under his wing that he sticks around and doesn’t bail as soon as the Yankees start throwing money around. What do you guys think?
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
6:43 pm
Speaking of Bill Shanks, anybody remember willieg?
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
6:45 pm
“I’m hoping with Chipper taking him under his wing that he sticks around and doesn’t bail as soon as the Yankees start throwing money around. What do you guys think?”
Its Too Early to Tell…But what goes in our favor is that J-Hey is From The “A” and has roots down here like B-Macc which favored us locking him up several years ago
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
6:46 pm
What’s the word we’re using? Balderdash?
Perfect opportunity and I forgot and went with BS.
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
6:46 pm
geeze did you have to do that Jeffrey, I’m in the middle of a meal and now I’m not sure I can get mt appetite back
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
6:46 pm
Jeffrey D
Willieg didn’t get Bozo’d did he? I haven’t seen him on here in a Gripp. I enjoyed his posts
CB
February 23rd, 2011
6:47 pm
Looking for another roommate,jeffrey?
N8
February 23rd, 2011
6:48 pm
“I’m Just Glad we Didn’t lock up JD Screw, his Contract has been an Albatross from day 1″
Well… sort of. That first contract with the Dodgers after leaving Atlanta was for 5 years 55 million. Probably not that bad of a deal. Especially considering that there was 2 million dollar bonus and 9 million was in 05 and then 11 million per year (06-09), but basically it was for 11 million per year.
Then he opted out of that deal after two year with the clause that gave him that option and signed the 5 year 70 million dollar deal with the Red Sox in 07. THAT contract is the crazy one.
Ironically, JD who was known for not being durable, played in 145 games his lone season with the Braves. Then in only 72 the next year for the Dodgers, THEN played in 146 in 2006 with the Dodgers, hitting 20 HR and knocking in 100 RBI. Causing him and Bora$ to jump at the opportunity to maximize that clause in the contract and steal more money.
Since 2007, he’s averaged 131 games played and 19 HR per year….. at 14 million dollars (sound familiar?)
Let me be the first to state, that while I’ve griped and moaned about NOT retaining JD Drew after that one season. I’m certainly glad in hindsight that we didn’t.
I just wish we would have never traded for him to begin with. Even if it meant missing the playoffs in 2004. Fealt that way then and haven’t waivered on it.
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
6:49 pm
Jbailz23 -
Not going to think about it until we get closer to Jason no longer being under team control- as of now he’s got, I believe, 2 more years before he’s even arb eligible…do I think the team will try to sign him long term before the arb years are up? Yes.
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
6:51 pm
First thing I thought of when Shanks name came up, jeffery.
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
6:51 pm
I haven’t seen him on here in a Gripp. I enjoyed his posts T’
how typical is that? He enjoyed Willig posts too.
Does he ever enjoy ANY intelligent posts or only idiotic repetitive crap?
N8
February 23rd, 2011
6:52 pm
“Gone Viral, all of that is well and good, but as I’ve said, there’s absolutely no way to say Wainwright would have had the same performance in Atlanta. It’s statistically impossible given the number of variables in the equation. Impossible” Murhp
Are you telling me that a couple of spring trainings with Leo Mazzone (and possibly the 2005 season with him in Atlanta), and being coddled by Bobby Cox, that Adam Wainwright wouldn’t have helped is in any way, shape or form during the “dark” years of 06-07-08 where we needed innings eaters?
Hogwash. It’s NOT impossible to determine that Adam Wainwright would have helped this team those years.
It’s common sense.
LTBF
February 23rd, 2011
6:53 pm
I could be wrong but it seems like a lot of years since the Braves opened season at home.
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
6:53 pm
willieg was like ward only a lot meaner.
No, CB, why?
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
6:54 pm
LTBF – opened the season at home last year. Heyward’s debut…hit a homer off of Zambrano. McCann hit a homerun about 5 rows in front of me.
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
6:55 pm
For a second I thought nolie just said “Gripp” then I realized he was just quoting.
Alas.
CB
February 23rd, 2011
6:55 pm
I thought you might have been looking for willieg to rent him a room,just kidding.
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
6:56 pm
CB – whoops
whooooosh
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
6:56 pm
It’s common sense. N8
to you maybe but not to many others. Good chance he would not have put any of the recent Braves over the top except last season he might have gotten us further.
Common sense if OFTEN proven wrong in baseball when all is said and done
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
6:56 pm
I could be wrong but it seems like a lot of years since the Braves opened season at home.
Last years seems so long ago.
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
6:57 pm
it was Bat, 5 months without baseball games is an eternity
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
6:58 pm
Yeah, nolie.
Good thing we have the blog and DOB.
Braveheart
February 23rd, 2011
6:59 pm
But what goes in our favor is that J-Hey is From The “A” and has roots down here like B-Macc which favored us locking him up several years ago
Yeah, but Heyward was a Yankees fan who was gonna attend college at UCLA.
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
6:59 pm
And jeffrey d
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
7:00 pm
and T’H to tell us who the really good poster are…..
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
7:00 pm
At Least Our Home Opener is On A Weekend…I expect Turner Field to Be Off The Chain, that weekend…! I’m Still Debating an Ovulating as to weather or not If I’m Going…If I go it will be at the last minute decision on that Saturday Game
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
7:01 pm
Yeah, but Heyward was a Yankees fan who was gonna attend college at UCLA.
That’s like a double slap in the face to CAB. Next I suppose you’ll say McCann hates Icees and grew up rooting for the Mets.
Jake W.
February 23rd, 2011
7:02 pm
However, the biggest fallout is the loss of Bobby Cox. Although Fredi Gonzalez has received glowing reviews he cannot replace a living legend. Not to mention the miracle that was the 2010 season, because in no way can expect to see another twenty-five last at bat wins.
Maybe, just maybe we won’t let games come down to the last at bat that many times again and we’ll actually put teams away early. Not having many last at bat wins to me doesn’t matter as long as you’re winning.
And the braves didn’t just pick anybody to replace Bobby. No one can go on forever and yes, even legends can be replaced. Just remember even with a legend the braves missed the playoffs four out of the last 5 seasons he was here. You can nitpick your way through every club out there and find weaknesses but no one truly knows what will happen until the season starts. I doubt no one had Jose Bautista doing what he did but thats why you play the season. Given the talent the braves currently have there is nothing unrealistic about thinking the braves can be competitive and challenge for a postseason spot. At the end of the day it just comes down to the talent living up to the expectations. That usually determines who does well and who falls short. That and health of course.
Coach (2011 and Fredi G. a GO!)
February 23rd, 2011
7:02 pm
N8 wrote: Hogwash. It’s NOT impossible to determine that Adam Wainwright would have helped this team those years.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Exactly. Which is why Frank Wren simply refuses to trade any of his top young pitching prospects, and I’m in total agreement with our GM.
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
7:02 pm
ovulatin’ huh? that time of the month is it T’ ?
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
7:02 pm
Braveheart
“Yeah, but Heyward was a Yankees fan who was gonna attend college at UCLA.”
Not Good!
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
7:02 pm
And jeffrey d
Goes without saying, of course.
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
7:02 pm
I’d like to go to the home opener, but I’ll have a mortgage by then. Unless I can check into willieg’s availability…..
Braveheart
February 23rd, 2011
7:03 pm
Where’s Lou Vales? Ain’t heard from that old buffoon in a while. Miss him.
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
7:04 pm
One man’s common sense is another man’s Balderdash!
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
7:05 pm
you’re startin’ to sound like T’ now Bravey
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
7:05 pm
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
7:02 pm
ovulatin’ huh? that time of the month is it T’ ?
You Damn Skippy…!
They were talking on Colin Cowherd on Overpaid/Greedy Athletes (Mainly Pujols) as to the reason why Kids don’t go to games no more, especially if their parents are paying…
Most Parents are not gonna pay 200 bucks for their family to see a player making 30 mill play a kids game…Because who are paying these guys…? the fans are
I will be cutting back on the number of games I go to as well, or at least I say that now
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
7:06 pm
Where’s Lou Vales? Ain’t heard from that old buffoon in a while. Miss him.
A mens room somewhere.
Just Pat
February 23rd, 2011
7:06 pm
WHEW!!!!! I FINALLY get caught up on reading the blogs (except for DOB’s last one about the ex-managers with Fredi) and…..get a sign that my wireless mouse batteries can expire at ANY time.
JEEEEEZ…..a gal can’t win for losing here!
CB…..great try on busting the “top poster”…..keep it up!
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
7:06 pm
Yeah, but Heyward was a Yankees fan who was gonna attend college at UCLA.”
That’s like a double slap in the face to CAB.
But you all are forgetting that young Jason saw the light and wisely chose not to attend The Evil Empire…as for the Yankee thing, well, he was young- he probably didn’t know any better
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
7:08 pm
Jeffrey D
Dollar Seats at sale when The Gates Open…Thats How I do, then Tailgate up to the start of the game…Then off to the 2nd Deck of the ChopHouse Railing by the Scoreboard…I usually spend my 40 bucks on food and Tomaritas at the chophose that makes up for the cost of that dollar seat…
Murph
February 23rd, 2011
7:09 pm
It’s NOT impossible to determine that Adam Wainwright would have helped this team those years.
Erroneous! Erroneous! It is impossible because it’s all speculation. You can’t predict his performance under different circumstances any better than you can the performances of any players for the upcoming season.
You can take guesses, researched, educated guesses…. but in the end, that’s all they are is just guesses.
Take all your guesses and put them in one hand and take a crap in the other and see which fills up first.
brian
February 23rd, 2011
7:09 pm
the only way I would trade Derek Lowe or Jurrjens to the Cardinals is if they want to give us Rasmus. Since that is not happening, I agree with keeping our starters and going after the Phillies. With our added hitting, we can go after the Phillies. It will be fun being the underdog. The Braves seem focused and appear to have great chemistry. Philly will have holes in their lineup. If the Braves get a healthy Chipper and production in CF with everyone else holding their own, the Braves will win the East and go deep in October. Go Braves
brian
February 23rd, 2011
7:11 pm
Heyward will stay a Brave and become a Brave icon with his number retired.
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
7:14 pm
glad you are getting that house Jeffrey when I come to Atlanta I will need a base of operations.
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
7:15 pm
Bring a paintbrush
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
7:16 pm
Heck, I’d be happy if we got any prospect for Lowe. We can’t forget that August and September 2010 aside, he hasn’t been too great for his money. And with a pitching surplus, I wouldn’t mind giving Lowe up if it meant essentially adding $15 million to payroll.
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
7:17 pm
I didn’t hate the Yankees til Derek Jeter and the 1996 W. Series…Now I hate them 4 Life!
Soph
February 23rd, 2011
7:18 pm
I remember TPG!
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
7:21 pm
Jeffrey D
In Response to that 7:16 post
2011 is a Make or Brake Season for Lowe, the team, and the fans reaction towards him…With That Surplus of pitching and Teheran “Creepin On Ah Come Up” Lowe’s higest trade value will be this year…
I wonder who gets traded first Him or Double J since I’m Already Banking on Double J getting traded within the next year…
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
7:22 pm
jeffrey-
But as DOB pointed out, you remove Lowe from the rotation and are left with…who, exactly to take his place? And what happens if someone gets hurt? We may have a pitching surplus, but most of those guys have limited to no major league experience…if we are going to compete for the division this year, we are better off with DLowe in the rotation
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
7:22 pm
jeffrey d Next I suppose you’ll say McCann hates Icees and grew up rooting for the Mets.
“That’s cruel, sir, and I don’t deserve it!”
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
7:22 pm
Jeffrey Maier Really made me start hating On WhineBrenner and the Yankees after 1996…That little turd scarred us and the Baltimore Orioles…
Soph
February 23rd, 2011
7:23 pm
Big ol’ whooooosh on the whole ovulating thing.
Tom O'Hawke
February 23rd, 2011
7:24 pm
This may have already been mentioned, but the all-time greatest Braves’ player, or greatest player period IMO, is on Letterman tonight.
Braveheart
February 23rd, 2011
7:24 pm
As a baseball fan, the Wainwright news sucks. It stinks that so many excellent young pitchers like Prior, Wood, Mulder, Webb, Wainwright, etc. have had their careers derailed. Hopefully, because it is his elbow, and not his shoulder, it will just be a temporary setback, and not career altering.
As a Braves fan, however, it’s good news. It just became harder for one team to stand in the way.
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
7:25 pm
Can’t see the Braves trading Lowe.
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
7:26 pm
T-Hawkin’
But you’re convinced JJ will be traded simply because Boras is his agent. Right now, JJ is all but untradeable, until he shows he’s totally healthy and can be the guy he showed in 2009…and JJ’s got, what, 2 arb years left?
Jake W.
February 23rd, 2011
7:26 pm
Heck, I’d be happy if we got any prospect for Lowe. We can’t forget that August and September 2010 aside, he hasn’t been too great for his money. And with a pitching surplus, I wouldn’t mind giving Lowe up if it meant essentially adding $15 million to payroll.
I mind, the era hasn’t been great but he’s been winning games and if he pitches anything like he did in September for most of the season this year that bodes very well for our playoff chances. The money off the books would be good but what we would spend it on? I think having those two veterans, Hudson and Lowe, at the top of our rotation gives us good balance. Not to mention you can never have to many pitchers to begin the season, if we traded Lowe right now it would feel like we are giving up on this season before it even began.
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
7:29 pm
Where Is Trey At…? I need Someone to talk Music With!
N8
February 23rd, 2011
7:29 pm
“Good chance he would not have put any of the recent Braves over the top except last season he might have gotten us further.
Common sense if OFTEN proven wrong in baseball when all is said and done.” nolie
Sorry nolie. Strongly disagree this time.
First of all, I never said anything about putting us “over the top”, (which I assume means to you, putting us in the playoffs). I stated that having Wainwright would have given us a better chance to succeed, since we were desperate for starting pitchers that could stay healthy and pitch innnings.
Unless you think that Buddy Carlisle, Kyle Davies, Lance Cormier, Oscar Villareal, Jeff Bennet and Mard Redman were all better options than Wainwright?…..
You’re saying common sense doesn’t prevail simply doesn’t hold water.
Argue away.
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
7:29 pm
you remove Lowe from the rotation and are left with…who, exactly to take his place
Maybe it’s just me, but I feel pretty confidant with a rotation headed by Hudson, Hanson, and Jurrjens, with Minor, Beachy, Kawakami (yeah, I said it…hate him if you want, but he’s a decent 5th starter), and – dare I say – Teheran come June?
Yes, the rotation can be better with him (or it can be worse too….Lowe’s got a higher ERA than Kawakami since coming to Atlanta), but $15 million can get you a lot.
I’m just saying – Lowe’s not the greatest pitcher ever, and if an opportunity comes, why not look into it?
Ed
February 23rd, 2011
7:31 pm
Imagine if we could buy alcohol on SUNDAY…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TOM_UuQzc0
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
7:32 pm
Am I the only one who remembers what Lowe was like before September, 2010?
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
7:33 pm
Jeffrey-
Because KK has shown no ability to pitch well at the MLB level (I don’t hate the guy at all, but…) and will probably be traded in the next few weeks and Minor and Beachy (and Teheran) are totally unproven. That’s just not a rotation I’m comfortable with and one that I don’t think, at this stage in their careers, can win the division.
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
7:34 pm
Balderdash
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
7:36 pm
Teheran Won’t Pitch In Atlanta Til 2012, “Bank On It!” Since we have the luxury of having too many starters there is no need to rush him…Not To Mention We Got My Boy “Little Big Man MEDS” caming back in mid August….
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
7:37 pm
Remember back when Huddy went down, the year before we signed Lowe & KK (that was ‘08, right? It sucks getting old!) and what a mess the rotation was with inexperience and struggles all over the place?
Paul
February 23rd, 2011
7:37 pm
Screw the braves trading pitching people! They need to horde it all, just think about it Medlin comes back in august. We are set!
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
7:38 pm
MedlEN
Jake W.
February 23rd, 2011
7:39 pm
Am I the only one who remembers what Lowe was like before September, 2010?
No but sometimes I wonder if i’m the only person to remember Tim Hudson’s initial struggles when he first came to Atlanta. Both pitchers have a track record of being good more times than bad. Maybe i’m wrong but Atlanta isn’t the easiest place to pitch half of your games, it takes a lot out of you and I think Lowe might have needed time to adjust to playing in this weather where he seems to sweat off a couple of pounds every game. I know it was just a month but he looked not just average but very good down the stretch. If he truly has turned a corner for the best I want us to reap the benefits.
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
7:39 pm
jeffrey d
“Am I the only one who remembers what Lowe was like before September, 2010?”
No, I remember, So I’m Standing In Your Corner of the room, But Lowe was 5-0, 1.17 ERA in September…That my Man, Is Clownin!
Soph
February 23rd, 2011
7:39 pm
McFann or cab – how are we supposed to access ChopTalk online now?
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
7:40 pm
Medlen!!!
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
7:40 pm
Soph-
I have no idea…didn’t even know it was online
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
7:41 pm
I’m Just Glad we Got Rid of that Slop Jo-Jo Reyes…He got a lot of undeserved hype (Probably because of Bobby sticking with him for sooo long)…I’d rather have Chuck James Back than Him…At least Chuck James B…ch had a nice ring to it…
Trey
February 23rd, 2011
7:42 pm
What’s up Tomahawkin?
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
7:42 pm
Just a little comparson….since coming to Atlanta in 2008:
Lowe: 4.33 ERA, 1.44 WHIP
Kawakami: 4.32, 1.39 WHIP
My point is – if a decent offer comes along, doesn’t it make sense to trade our $15 million, 4th best pitcher?
Soph
February 23rd, 2011
7:42 pm
They stopped sending actual magazines – last issue said it was going to be online now but I just realized that they never sent any other info.
Trey
February 23rd, 2011
7:43 pm
Tomahawkin, No-No Reyes and Jesse Garbage were both garbage.
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
7:43 pm
Not balderdash, jeffery. Not at all.
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
7:43 pm
if he wouldn’t put us over the top,and most likely he would not have, why are we still arguing about him then? waste of time bi+chin’ about something that would not have been significant. So we would have won a few more games each of the last 4 years, so freakin’ what?
brian
February 23rd, 2011
7:44 pm
Medlen is not pitching this year. He lives off his changeup and that will take longer for him to get back after Tommy John surgery
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
7:44 pm
Tomahawkin – who are you talking to that’s hyping Jordan Schafer – who hasn’t been healthy in 2 years and barely hit .200 in the majors – and JoJo Reyes – who has constantly tanked at the ML level?
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
7:44 pm
jeffrey-
sorry, I just feel better with Lowe then with KK…what I see on the mound convinces me of that.
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
7:45 pm
Kawakami: 4.32, 1.39 WHIP
If KK stayed in the game long enough to pitch as many innings as Lowe his era would explode to 10.00
Soph
February 23rd, 2011
7:45 pm
Bat – still keeping up with the Hawks? They’re supposedly working on a trade with the Wizards. I think it just went through.
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
7:46 pm
But Jeffrey it’s all about the wins that Lowe obviously deserved so much more than KK did….
Just Pat
February 23rd, 2011
7:47 pm
I remember back on an OLD, OLD Braves blog in Atlanta when all the knowledgeable fans told me how “happy: I was gonna be with Kenny Loftin (when I, as a more ignorant fan) expressed some doubts. I bowed to their superior knowledge at the time, but……that didn’t work out so great for us. What I know about Lowe is that his father told my daughter and me at ST that he was very happy to come to the Braves and, although he stumbled at times, I think he proved himself in the end and I hope to see him continue.
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
7:47 pm
Whoa, Hawks traded Bibby for Hinrich. I’m surprised they were able to get anything for him. Wonder who else was in the deal…
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
7:47 pm
If KK stayed in the game long enough to pitch as many innings as Lowe his era would explode to 10.00 Bat
balderdash that is what relievers are for
Jake W.
February 23rd, 2011
7:47 pm
I don’t think KK is as bad as people make him out to be but his era is rising while Lowe’s is falling. If I had my choice, Lowe over KK, not even a contest. Not to mention for some reason the braves just don’t play well when KK is on the mound, no idea why. For his own sake he may need a fresh start somewhere else, where he actually gets run support.
Soph
February 23rd, 2011
7:47 pm
Oh good grief, Kirk Hinrich? That’s our answer?
Soph
February 23rd, 2011
7:48 pm
Mo Evans, Jordan Crawford, and a couple of 1st rounders I think. We definitely needed to make a move but ugh.
N8
February 23rd, 2011
7:49 pm
Good come back nolie. Well done.
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
7:50 pm
@Trey…They Played My old T.I. “What Chu Know Bout That!” on 107.9 earlier on my Lunch Today…I was Jammin fro about 5 minuets! That song Is My Jam!
That song Brings me back to the Weekend Nights Getting Crunk At The Kappa Sig House in Arkansas…
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
7:50 pm
Soph_
No I have been bored with the Hawks. Good to hear they are making a move, something has to give with them.
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
7:50 pm
Soph—
Yeah, I’m not sure what’s up with the ChopTalk thing…I’ve been typing “braves.com/choptalk” in my browser since December, and for over two months it said, “Coming January 2011!” I just did it now and see they’ve changed it to “Coming in March 2011!”
http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/atl/fan_forum/bravescountry_magazine.jsp
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
7:51 pm
Oh my gosh…they gave up a 1st round pick too?
Just Pat
February 23rd, 2011
7:51 pm
Soph
Funny you should mention Chop Talk…..that was always a “staple” present hubby got me for Christmas and, when it didn’t come in Jan., I thought he’d just forgotten. Was behind on reading them because I saved them for the off season and, when I got to the Dec. issue and they said it was a collector’s item because it was the last print edition, I didn’t know where to go then, either.
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
7:52 pm
@Jake W
“For his own sake he may need a fresh start somewhere else, where he actually gets run support.”
That My Man would be up in The Rotten Apple, Playing for WhineBrenner. In That lineup KK will be a .510 win pct-age pitcher
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
7:52 pm
We got a center too, but he seems like an American Zaza Pachulia
Jake W.
February 23rd, 2011
7:53 pm
Am I looking a t Kirk Heinrich wrong or something, why are we giving up 3 players and draft picks for him and what, a backup center?
Soph
February 23rd, 2011
7:53 pm
The 1st rounder was in the talks but not sure if they actually gave it up. I hope not because Hinrich + Hilton Armstrong (who?) are not worth that much.
Venice Jim
February 23rd, 2011
7:53 pm
This may have already been mentioned, but the all-time greatest Braves’ player, or greatest player period IMO, is on Letterman tonight.
I forgot Paul Schafer was with the Braves a long time before his nephew Logan…
Braveheart
February 23rd, 2011
7:54 pm
Medlen is not pitching this year. He lives off his changeup and that will take longer for him to get back after Tommy John surgery
Why would it take longer because of a changeup? That doesn’t seem to make sense. Seems like that concern would be more legit if he had been making his living off of breaking pitches. But I could be wrong, and ignorant, and not thinking it out all the way.
N8
February 23rd, 2011
7:54 pm
OK, since you demand that he would have put us over the top.
I think in 2007 he would have put us over the top. He made 32 starts. Pitched 202 innings and had an ERA around 3.50.
If you combine that with Hudson, Smoltz and Chuck James (who wasn’t bad that year), giving the Braves 4 really good starters and leaving the rest of the trash we threw out there to battle over the 5th starter position? I think it makes a differece, JS never trades for Tex and we win the division instead finishing 5 games back in 3rd place behind the Mets and Phillies.
THEN, whatever prospects were traded for Tex could have been traded in the off-season to improve our chances in 2008 and 2009, along with NEVER needed KK and/or Lowe.
But you’re right. common sense is usually wrong and no chance in hell that Adam Wainwright improves the pitching rich Braves the past 5 years, right?
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
7:54 pm
balderdash that is what relievers are for nolie
Hey! Don’t balderdash my hyperbole.
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
7:54 pm
Yeah…wonder how much the online subscription is gonna cost…
Soph
February 23rd, 2011
7:54 pm
I’m mad we gave up on JCraw2 that quick. Never gave him a chance, imo. We suck at developing players.
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
7:54 pm
Not To Mention WhineBrenner and Ca$hman would take KK’s contract off our hands easily…That makes Sprint Sense!
Trey
February 23rd, 2011
7:54 pm
Tomahawkin’, that’s a good song right there. I am not too fond of rap or hip hop, but that is probably one of the betters. At least “What you know about that” isn’t about shoes, or being broke in the hood like most rappers rap about these days.
Venice Jim
February 23rd, 2011
7:55 pm
My point is – if a decent offer comes along, doesn’t it make sense to trade our $15 million, 4th best pitcher?
And how many Braves’ pitchers have won more games in the last two years?
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
7:55 pm
well piffle
Soph
February 23rd, 2011
7:55 pm
McFann – I saw that they’re changing the name to Braves Country magazine. I extended my subscription last Aug but have only gotten 4 issues since then.
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
7:55 pm
But Jeffrey it’s all about the wins that Lowe obviously deserved so much more than KK did….
Derek Lowe gave up 5 runs in 6 innings in his first game in 2010 and won.
Kawakami gave up 2 runs in 6 innings in his first game of 2010 and lost.
Soph
February 23rd, 2011
7:56 pm
Whatchu know about that, whatchu know about that, see I know all about that.
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
7:56 pm
Is that sung to the tune of Don’t Bogart that joint my friend Bat?
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
7:57 pm
Braveheat
Co-Sign on that Post…I thought it was longer/harder to recover from TJ surgery if you threw a slider frequenty (like Smoltz) as opposed to MEDS?
Trey
February 23rd, 2011
7:57 pm
Jeffrey, but there have been games when Kawakami had run support and still blew it.
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
7:57 pm
whoooosh
Just Pat
February 23rd, 2011
7:58 pm
McFann
Hate to say it but it won’t matter to me. I’m one of those dinosaurs that wants the print edition and get get newsprint on my hands when I read it.
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
7:58 pm
but there have been games when Kawakami had run support and still blew it. Trey
yeah just like every other pitcher who ever lived
Jeff R
February 23rd, 2011
7:58 pm
Gone Viral… Solid post at 6:27 pm.
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
7:58 pm
By my judgement, Lowe is our 4th best pitcher. If someone was willing to pay $15 million for our 4th best pitcher, wouldn’t you at least consider it?
I agree that our rotation is better with Lowe in it. But $15 million can get you a lot. Anyway, it’s all blog talk anyway. Nothing serious.
Venice Jim
February 23rd, 2011
7:58 pm
jeffrey d showing that he can play “I’m smarter than Frank Wren” as well as anyone…
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
7:58 pm
Soph
February 23rd, 2011
7:56 pm
“Whatchu know about that, whatchu know about that, see I know all about that.”
lol, joking, Its Not Cool When You Do It, Soph,
But know your Catching On, That Junk Bumpin, especially the beat, and its catchy
Trey
February 23rd, 2011
7:59 pm
nolie, but Kawakami losing was much more frequent than many other pitcher who has ever lived.
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
7:59 pm
I still much prefer an actual physical magazine in my hans than to read the same stuff on the net. OldFogeyism I guess
Soph
February 23rd, 2011
7:59 pm
Just Pat – same here! Not sure how often I’ll remember to check the online version but guess it’s better then nothing. Hopefully, they start it back up in March like they’re saying.
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
8:01 pm
Kawakami also had some of the lowest run support of any pitchers over the past couple years.
ANYWAY….
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
8:01 pm
I don’t get this trade at all. Hinrich??
Venice Jim
February 23rd, 2011
8:01 pm
Soph – hope you’re cheering on my boys for me since I can’t watch…
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
8:02 pm
Trey
“Tomahawkin’, that’s a good song right there. I am not too fond of rap or hip hop, but that is probably one of the betters. At least “What you know about that” isn’t about shoes, or being broke in the hood like most rappers rap about these days.”
Yeah! Really…! At least pull a Sir-Mix-A-Lot and Talk about Butts…
Soph
February 23rd, 2011
8:03 pm
VJ – in your dreams.
I’m waiting for my game. 9pm’s too late on a weeknight.
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
8:03 pm
I’m waiting for my game. 9pm’s too late on a weeknight.
Hawks?
Soph
February 23rd, 2011
8:04 pm
Yup, we gave up a first-rounder. Sucktastic.
Jake W.
February 23rd, 2011
8:04 pm
Lowe is not our 4th best pitcher. KK pitched better than him the first season but it was the opposite last year. We get it, KK received crappy run support for the most part while he’s been here but I think the braves have pretty much made up their mind that they are trading him and they apparently feel Lowe’s rebound when we needed him the most last year is good enough. Hudson struggled in September, the braves stopped scoring runs, and KK had become the Where’s Waldo of the braves. For whatever reason KK’s time with the braves hasn’t really been beneficial to him or the team. I was one of the biggest KK defenders during his time here but I can’t blame the braves for shopping him and right now I can’t really argue for KK over Lowe.
Venice Jim
February 23rd, 2011
8:04 pm
Hinrich has given up very few earned runs this year…
Trey
February 23rd, 2011
8:04 pm
Tomahawkin, haven’t heard about Sir Mix A lot in years. I used to like “The Dip” from Freak Nasty.
Soph
February 23rd, 2011
8:04 pm
UNC. Hawks make me miserable.
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
8:04 pm
Is that sung to the tune of Don’t Bogart that joint my friend Bat?
Sounds right.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvGJvzwKqg0
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
8:05 pm
@Trey
And Now I’m Tired Of all the Atlanta Garbage Rap that is out now (Since Atlanta is the Mecca of todays Garbage Rap) that is all about the Strip Joints…I love Chicks and Parties but I hate Strip Joints
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
8:05 pm
my head is bleeding…
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
8:05 pm
But he’s only got 15 wins. And we all know that wins are the most important stat in the universe in evaluating a player.
Jeff R
February 23rd, 2011
8:06 pm
Wainwright was a talent to build around. But in 2004, Schuerholz wasn’t interest in the longer term. he wanted to extend”The Run” another year, so he dealt the Braves’ top pitching prospect for a one-year rental. No way Boras was going to let Drew sign with the Braves within the Braves’ budget parameters.
Again, I’ll note that Wren has done an about-face from Schuerholz’s last few seasons running the day-to-day. Wren is stockpiling pitching. He hasn’t made anything on par with the Drew or Tex deals. I don’t think Wren will. I think his horizon is longer term.
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
8:06 pm
Hawks are playing at 9 too….I was hoping you were still calling that “my game”
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
8:06 pm
But if KK is a better pitcher then Lowe, why wouldn’t a team ask for him at half the price?
Soph
February 23rd, 2011
8:06 pm
That reminds me, I gotta finish my wall.
Just Pat
February 23rd, 2011
8:07 pm
Soph & McFann
At least with DOB I feel like I’m still “in touch”…..even without the newsprint. Of course, don’t get all those cute pics of babies in Braves hats…..but…I can live without that.
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
8:07 pm
KK found his way into Cox’s doghouse, that ain’t easy to do.
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
8:08 pm
Trey
“Tomahawkin, haven’t heard about Sir Mix A lot in years. I used to like “The Dip” from Freak Nasty.”
That was my Jam when I 10 years old as well as “Tootsie Roll” that song was soooo Good they had to do it twice…And That old Quad City DJ’s “Come On Ride That Train” still goes hard! The 9-Quatz (1994) was a Good Year for Rap since it was outlawed and 95 percent of it wasn’t made to be Pop AKA sellout garbage
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
8:10 pm
cabravesfan
“my head is bleeding…”
Ouch!, From What?
Jeff R
February 23rd, 2011
8:10 pm
Lowe isn’t a $15 million annual pitcher, but I’ll say this, he’s produced respectable numbers in his two seasons with the Braves. In fact, he’s largely performed to his averages. And in the Braves’ stretch run last season, he stepped up his game while others were flagging.
Just Pat
February 23rd, 2011
8:11 pm
VJ @ 8:04
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
8:12 pm
T-Hawkin’
The brick wall is in heavy use at the moment…
Trey
February 23rd, 2011
8:12 pm
Tomahawkin, I enjoy today’s music, but I enjoy a lot of older stuff too. I enjoy a wide variety of music, from rock to country to very seldom amount of rap. I can’t stand pop though.
Btw, what do you think about Usher working with that little pop kid?
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
8:12 pm
But if KK is a better pitcher then Lowe, why wouldn’t a team ask for him at half the price?
That’s not my point! My point is that at $15 million and with several able candidates to replace him, I think Lowe can be expendable.
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
8:13 pm
The KK comparison was to show that Lowe hasn’t been anything special since coming to Atlanta. NOT to rally for KK to pitch opening day.
Jake W.
February 23rd, 2011
8:14 pm
Lowe isn’t a $15 million annual pitcher, but I’ll say this, he’s produced respectable numbers in his two seasons with the Braves. In fact, he’s largely performed to his averages. And in the Braves’ stretch run last season, he stepped up his game while others were flagging.
1.17 ERA in the month of September, he stepped up big time.
Venice Jim
February 23rd, 2011
8:15 pm
My point is that at $15 million and with several able candidates to replace him, I think Lowe can be expendable.
Which puts you at odds with everyone in a position of prominence within the Braves’ organization…
Jeff R
February 23rd, 2011
8:15 pm
I think Kawakami suffered from too much hype… you know, another Maddux or some such.
As I recall, his team in the Land of the Rising Sun was a six-man rotation? I think he went five innings or so a game then?
Frankly, Kawakami struck me as a pitcher who’s talent topped out at high AA. Sure, he had some success his first season; other teams didn’t have a book on him. When they developed the book, they knocked the K-Man around like a piñata.
Just Pat
February 23rd, 2011
8:16 pm
Jeff R
Exactly……”it is what it is”. Lowe was a stopgap measure for us when we needed it and he’s done OK. I cringed sometimes when KK came up to pitch, even though I know all about the numbers proving he didn’t get run support. In the end, Lowe came through.
N8
February 23rd, 2011
8:16 pm
Is that Fredi Gonzalez or a RH version of David Wells in that photo on the Braves front page of the AJC?
Trey
February 23rd, 2011
8:17 pm
Jeffrey, wins aren’t everything, but Kawakami had a 5.15 ERA for the season. His H/9 innings were 10.1
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
8:18 pm
@Trey
Usher Sucks Now…He Just Doesn’t do it for me…Now Old Usher on the Other Hand before he Sold Out with that Annoying “Yeah” Song, Goes Hard!
That Garbage “Yeah” song might be the most overplayed party song ever along with “Get Low” AKA “To The Window-To The Wall”! GRRRRR
And The Cupid Shuffle is Garbage as Well…!
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
8:19 pm
but we have no idea if the candidates are servicable because most of them have very limited or no experience in the majors. Besides, there is the distinct possibility that if Lowe were to be traded, the Braves would most likely have to pick up a not insignificant chunk of his contract, so it would probably be more like $7-8 million that they’d have left…
Jeff R
February 23rd, 2011
8:19 pm
jeffrey d… go back through the blog and read DOB’s comments on Lowe’s “expendability.” The upshot is the Braves aren’t going to move Lowe now; management wants Lowe’s reliable veteran arm in the rotation.
I see the sense in that. Me, if the Yanks or the Cards wanted to unload a couple of top prospects for Lowe, I’d be sorely tempted.
Trey
February 23rd, 2011
8:19 pm
Just Pat, he still couldn’t win if his team scored five, or six runs for him.
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
8:19 pm
Soph—
Ugh…that’s annoying. I wish they wouldn’t have had to do this, but, what cann ya do?
Just Pat—
Oh, I like getting the print editions better, too…don’t like how everything has to go “digital” (except for this…yeah, LOVE the Blog…DOB’s on top of everything over here). But I always enjoy getting fun things in the mail.
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
8:20 pm
cabravesfan
T-Hawkin’
“The brick wall is in heavy use at the moment…”
I’d Hate to see what it is like during the games…? Try smoking a Hookah or some Zanax…? Can’t you just like Free your mind or something? joking
Jeff R
February 23rd, 2011
8:20 pm
Just Pat… Yes, indeed.
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
8:22 pm
Nobody’s unloading top prospects for Derek Lowe
Just Pat
February 23rd, 2011
8:25 pm
Trey
Just saying that we paid too much for Lowe at a time when we HAD to pay too much and he shouldn’t be faulted for that. He DI end up doing what was needed at the time and KK never did…..so, I guess we’re basically saying the same thing????
Jeff R
February 23rd, 2011
8:26 pm
cabravesfan… Your probably right. But the Yanks have more money than sense… All those bucks slant their perspective at times. Who knows what they’d throw at the Braves if they see the season heading south.
Jake W.
February 23rd, 2011
8:26 pm
Lowe isn’t untouchable but he’s not in the position that he was in last offseason. He showed some very good signs of life to end this season while last season the season couldn’t end soon enough for him. To me his struggles are reminiscent of Hudson’s first two seasons with us. Hudson had a 4.23 era in his first two seasons and Lowe a 4.33 era, but both have the track records in MLB that KK doesn’t have.
N8
February 23rd, 2011
8:27 pm
Agree with your 8:06 Jeff R.
It’s not even a matter of Wren being better than JS or the other way around.
JS was hampered by the run and his ego to extend it at all costs. Wren has looked to retool the farm system (maybe to perhaps pull off his own blockbuster “prospect for superstar” trade in the future), and to think long-term.
Just simply two different philosophies. Obviously JS in the early 90’s was very long-term conscious, so it’s not that he didn’t have it in him to think that way.
He just wasing thinking that way the last few years he was the GM. Some of it had to do with the aging of guys like Smoltz and Chipper, and of course the question of when Bobby would hang them up.
Like it or not, having Bobby around, meant that as a GM your hand was forced to “attempt” to win, rather than go through a possble needed rebuilding time. It’s not a knock on Bobby. Just stating common sense (I know nolie doesn’t believe in that, but allow me to continue)….
Why would a GM ask a HOF manager to purposely go through a rebuilding process at his age when he might only have a few years left before retiring? The answer is that he wouldn’t. It also would have been rude to ask Bobby to step down for the sake of the team rebuilding with another guy.
As long as Bobby was staying, JS needed to do what he could to see to it that winning was as close to guaranteed as it could be. The funny thing about the JD Drew trade is that NOBODY around baseball thought it was a sound move at the time. I remember reading every mag and website stating how much they doubted Drew would remain healthy enough to replace the production that Sheffield had provided before him.
So, kudos to JS and the scouts taking a gamble that Drew would perform. But no kudos for giving up Wainwright to get him.
Obviously as a fan likes prospects and sees close up (with the near by Twins who my local paper considers the team to cover as though they were in our city), how those young players can rejuvinate a fan base and keep a team with a budget in contention year after year, I like what Wren is doing.
Just Pat
February 23rd, 2011
8:28 pm
OK…hubby is FINALLY ready to go, so…..nite all! Be good and play nice!
Trey
February 23rd, 2011
8:31 pm
Just Pat, we had to pay Lowe that, but I actually have respect for Lowe. After Lowe’s injury he came around and started dominating on the mound. I disliked Lowe for a while, but he earned some of my respect while on the mound late last season.
Jeff R
February 23rd, 2011
8:35 pm
N8… Agreed. Not taking anything away from Schuerholz. His horizon was longer when he came to the Braves in ‘90 or so. And if you go back and look at the 2004 roster, Schuerholz got a lot of mileage out of pitchers that were one or two year producers. Ortiz, Wright, Hampton, and Thomson. Pretty amazing, actually.
keylargo
February 23rd, 2011
8:38 pm
Y’all better get off Medlen being a factor this year. He won’t be back until late summer and he’ll more than likely be about like Tim Hudson was in 09. 42 IP and 2 – 1 record.
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
8:41 pm
Night, Just Pat!
E-Brave Fan
February 23rd, 2011
8:42 pm
McFann
My understanding is that if you had a subscription to ChopTalk, it converts to the online edition and would expire when your CT expired. I think my CT is good through June 2012. Hope this helps. More than ready for new issues and hate that they are only digital now!
Mark
February 23rd, 2011
8:47 pm
I just everyone in my little small town looking for the SI with Freddie and Jason on the cover with no luck. It’s time to move.
N8
February 23rd, 2011
8:49 pm
I agree Jeff R, JS had some gambles that paid off after Glavine and Maddux left. Short term at least. He seemed to push all the right buttons.
The thing is, is that some injuries killed those 2007 and 2008 teams too (some of that was counting on Hampton to “come back” – which in hindsight was a mistake).
So, with all the young guys that came along in between playoff births, JS and Wren actually did manage to “rebuild” while really only having one season (2008) where the team was just awful and won only 72 games.
I’m just saying that 2007, 2008 and 2009 might have been more geared for success, had they just decided to “tank” 2005 and 2006 the way that Cox as GM decided to do by playing all the young guys in 89 and 90.
But as I stated, with old man Cox on board and nearing retirement, it wasn’t an option. As it shouldn’t have been.
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
8:49 pm
E-Brave—
Thanks! That would make sense…of course, my subscription ran out in December, I think, so I’d have to renew still…
But yeah, I’m totally ready for some new stuff! Hope it’s not too pricey…don’t wanna pay over 30 dollars for the digital thing…At least we have the Blog!
Mark
February 23rd, 2011
8:49 pm
Let’s try that again……I just looked everywhere for the SI with Freddie and Jason on the cover with no luck. It’s time to move!
DS1
February 23rd, 2011
8:50 pm
Why would the Braves want to deal Lowe???
His salary is not a factor, with him being a 15 game winner per year. One players salary is not necessarily a factor, unless it is someone like A-Rod in Texas.
And I am in agreement with others that Kawakami isn’t nearly as bad as some would have you think, nor is he nearly as good as Lowe.
And if you will remember, back 2 months ago, I was saying we need to hang onto KK into the spring, to give him a chance to increase his value (to the Braves or as a trade piece).
How’d you folks like the big deal the Jazz made this morning??? (btw, I called it, though not on the Braves baseball blog)
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
8:52 pm
Geeze…I say that trading a $15 million, so-so pitcher might not be the worst thing that could happen to the Braves, but you’d think I just told everyone that I eat puppies.
DS1
February 23rd, 2011
8:52 pm
Also, if the Braves did not have Lowe’s salary on the books, it wouldn’t necessarily mean they’d go out and spend that money on another bat.
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
8:53 pm
jeffrey-
You would have caused less of a discussion if you DID eat puppies
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
8:53 pm
Did you call him being traded to the Nets, Wayne?
DS1
February 23rd, 2011
8:54 pm
jeffrey
If you had an alternative, then you are right, it wouldn’t be a bad idea. But when the alternative is Brandon Beachy, Kenshin Kawakami or Rodrigo Lopez; then it’s not such a good deal.
Lowe is here to stay (now, we will hear in about 30 minutes that they have dealt him to the Yankees for prospects……….).
Venice Jim
February 23rd, 2011
8:54 pm
What kind of puppies do you prefer? And what wine goes best with them?
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
8:55 pm
puppy meat is too fatty…
Soph
February 23rd, 2011
8:55 pm
Wayne, how do you feel about the D-Will trade? Kinda caught me by surprise but I understand he hasn’t been a postitive factor on the team lately.
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
8:55 pm
They can have Deron. I’m so glad we got Marvin Williams over him and Chris Paul.
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
8:56 pm
Bleh, hate wine.
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
8:58 pm
What do you mean there’s nobody to replace him? We can do worse than Beachy, KK, or Teheran. Plus, we’ve got this guy
http://www.ajc.com/multimedia/dynamic/00845/braves_0224_15_845931g.jpg
Braveheart
February 23rd, 2011
8:58 pm
And if you will remember, back 2 months ago, I was saying we need to hang onto KK into the spring, to give him a chance to increase his value (to the Braves or as a trade piece).
it sure would be nice if KK was in camp. doesn’t exactly help his trade value if he’s a week or two or three behind every other starting pitcher in baseball. If some other team trades for him towards the end of spring training, they’re gonna want someone ready to give ‘em a respectable 5 to 6 in the first week or two of the season.
DS1
February 23rd, 2011
8:59 pm
jeffrey
Actually, I was just telling my sons and their friends (all Jazz fans) that I thought now would be the time to deal D-Will. Didn’t call the Nets though. He has played uninspired for the entire year. Seems to be doing whatever he can to get a ticket out of town. Was probably somewhat responsible for Jerry Sloan calling it quits.
It is hard to get a young star to stay in Utah. Let’s face it, the state is lily white, has NO nightlife to speak of, and it’s cold. Though I love it here, I can see where a young man in his prime would want to be elsewhere. Deron was not asking to be dealt, but it was clear that he wasn’t going to re-up in a year and a half. And the Jazz brass have never stayed too long with a player that didn’t want to be here.
Personally, I prefer those spicy little Chi-wa-wa’s! (sp)
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
9:01 pm
jeffrey-
my point is that Beachy, Minor and Teheran have almost no experience (Teheran has pitched exactly 7 games about A ball) so we really have no idea if they are capable (I think they will be, and maybe this year, but I’m not going to test that theory unless absolutely necessary- and right now, it’s not necessary)
DS1
February 23rd, 2011
9:02 pm
WW
Amen on KK being here now…..
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
9:02 pm
Just checked the ESPN.com (sorry Tomahawkin) NBA headlines. The top 4 contain the names: Melo, Deron Williams, LeBron, Melo again, Hinrich.
sigh….
Jake W.
February 23rd, 2011
9:02 pm
Geeze…I say that trading a $15 million, so-so pitcher might not be the worst thing that could happen to the Braves,
D Lowe’s era may be so-so his first two years here, but his overall benefit to the team has been more than so-so. He’s given us more wins these last two seasons here than he gave L.A. in his last two seasons when they made the playoffs. He’s been a big asset to this team, maybe more than his so-so era is indicative of.
Venice Jim
February 23rd, 2011
9:03 pm
Everyone will be relieved to know that the Blue Devils hung on for a 17 point win over #24 Temple…
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
9:03 pm
DS1-
Don’t let VJ see that! He’s a fan of the species as pet, not dinner
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
9:04 pm
how can I possibly be posting too quickly when you ARE AT WORK????
Venice Jim
February 23rd, 2011
9:04 pm
Too late…
Soph
February 23rd, 2011
9:04 pm
Great, now I can sleep well tonight.
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
9:05 pm
apparently…
Venice Jim
February 23rd, 2011
9:06 pm
I got the same thing earlier – using the same e-mail, I suppose…
DS1
February 23rd, 2011
9:06 pm
Soph
No doubt D-Will is a great player. Probably one of the 2-3 best points in the league. I hate that we will have to move on without him. But I am a long term fan. I don’t think he would have brought us a title in the next two seasons, so better to cut your losses and get something for him.
The take could be great, or it could be a bust. Depends on the kid Favors and his development. Also, the Jazz seem to generally do a good job of drafting good talent, so the 2 picks could be huge.
Again, the biggest drawback is to get a player who actually wants to fit in Utah. The locals here want the kid out of BYU, but I am not sure he has a NBA game??
Venice Jim
February 23rd, 2011
9:07 pm
Waiting to see if anyone shows up for he final hour…
Venice Jim
February 23rd, 2011
9:07 pm
“the”
Jake W.
February 23rd, 2011
9:07 pm
The Nets get D Williams from Utah and we get Captain Kirk for 3 players and a draft pick. Well at least they threw in a backup center…….
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
9:08 pm
waiting for it to be a respectable hour so I can eat dinner
DS1
February 23rd, 2011
9:10 pm
VJ
Hey, I love me some Chee-wa-wa! My grandpa about 35 years ago had one. Was FIERCELY loyal to him. Hated my uncle! “Skipper” would hear Uncle Allen’s truck coming up the street, and start to get pizzed off! Funny dog!
DS1
February 23rd, 2011
9:13 pm
cab
Do you know why you never see stray cats and dogs around a chinese restaurant???
(hint: sweet and sour che-wa-wa)
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
9:13 pm
DS1-
That’s just not right!
keylargo
February 23rd, 2011
9:14 pm
D Lowe’s era may be so-so his first two years here, but his overall benefit to the team has been more than so-so.
Lowe got by far the most run support from the Braves offense last year. I like his contribution, IP and wins, but KK got almost two runs less per game than Lowe. I’m not giving anyone grief, but Lowe had a lot of help last year.
Trey
February 23rd, 2011
9:14 pm
Jeffrey, I can’t remember you sticking up for No-No Reyes the way you stick up for Kawakami.
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
9:17 pm
All I’m saying about KK is that he’s not nearly as awful as some make him out to be. He’s not an ace, but he’s not the worst thing to ever happen to pitching.
DS1
February 23rd, 2011
9:20 pm
Trey
I always thought JoJo would be worth hanging onto (lefty, with some talent). Sometimes those guys figure it out eventually.
Also, I have not been as down on KK as others. I think he has pitched in some gosh awful luck in his two years here. If it were my team, he’d get a full shot for the 5th slot this spring.
I think all that happened last year probably was the final nail in the KK/Braves coffin though.
Too bad really, as he seemed to be a good clubhouse/team guy when he first arrived.
Jake W.
February 23rd, 2011
9:21 pm
Lowe got by far the most run support from the Braves offense last year. I like his contribution, IP and wins, but KK got almost two runs less per game than Lowe. I’m not giving anyone grief, but Lowe had a lot of help last year.
I know you probably missed it but I said earlier that during his whole stint here KK has been screwed in the run support department and maybe a fresh start for him somewhere else maybe good for him. I know the deal with the run support, I was one of the main ones defending KK this year during his 0-for streak in wins. My point is that while one pitcher showed signs of hope to end the season, the other couldn’t be found at all. The braves basically gave up on him, not me. But if it comes down to a choice between Lowe and KK, I will pick Lowe, salary and all, especially given the way Lowe performed down the stretch.
Once again, KK is not as bad as others have made him out to be but for some reason his stint with the braves hasn’t been productive for the team even if the majority of it isn’t on him.
DS1
February 23rd, 2011
9:22 pm
Jazz up 4 in the 2nd quarter tonight IN Dallas. Probably won’t last, but what a night for Corbin to get his first win as a head coach.
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
9:24 pm
Anyway, tomorrow’s free balloon day at the carnival, so we’re expecting quite a rush.
DS1
February 23rd, 2011
9:24 pm
Guys,
I liked what I saw of Beachy last September too! Minor was impressive, until he wimped out near the end. I say wimped out because there are other things he could have said or should have said, that would have made him look less like a wimp.
Trey
February 23rd, 2011
9:26 pm
DS1, I was always scared when Reyes came in to pitch. The thing is that he was a good pitcher in the minors and everyone had high expectations of him and he just didn’t do it while in the Braves organization. We had him for three and a half years before trading him and he never figured it out.
I was excited to see Kawakami in a Braves uniform when we first got him, because he had such an upbeat personality. At first, I wasn’t down on him, but thoughout his time with the Braves, I have become more and more disappointed in him.
They may give him a slim chance to get his spot back, but yeah, I wouldn’t count on it.
He did have a great and happy personality.
DS1
February 23rd, 2011
9:30 pm
Trey
Most everybody remembers the lousy appearances that Reyes had for the Braves (about 60-70 percent of the time, he totally sucked). I remember the good outings. When he was good, that’s what made me wonder if he could maintain it.
But alas, it was not to be. I hope he figures it out eventually, so that I will look like a baseball prophet!
Trey
February 23rd, 2011
9:35 pm
DS1, I couldn’t stand Reyes. Now we have Rodrigo Nopez, and his stats are kind of unimpressive. Hopefully we won’t have to see him much.
Yeah, but I really doubt Reyes will figure it out. He is not meant to be in the MLB, I suppose.
Braveheart
February 23rd, 2011
9:35 pm
Alabama has got get their sh!t together in this game. Looking deader than a Toomer oak right now. Can’t lose to this crappy Auburn team.
Venice Jim
February 23rd, 2011
9:52 pm
From an article in the NY Times:
This year 12 teams estimated that 17 players — from the Dominican Republic, Japan, Mexico and Venezuela — would arrive late to camp because of problems with their visa applications.
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
9:53 pm
Where’d everyone go??
Venice Jim
February 23rd, 2011
9:53 pm
Wondering the same thing…
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
9:54 pm
Well, I know where you are
Venice Jim
February 23rd, 2011
9:54 pm
From a NY Times article:
This year 12 teams estimated that 17 players — from the Dominican Republic, Japan, Mexico and Venezuela — would arrive late to camp because of problems with their visa applications.
Venice Jim
February 23rd, 2011
9:56 pm
I just tried to post a couple of lines from the NY Times about visa problems, but it wouldn’t post – must be the name of Kenshin’s country…I will try again…
This year 12 teams estimated that 17 players — from the Dominican Republic, the home of Kenshin Kawakami, Mexico and Venezuela — would arrive late to camp because of problems with their visa applications.
Crime Dog
February 23rd, 2011
9:56 pm
I went here.
Venice Jim
February 23rd, 2011
9:57 pm
That is hysterical – shutting down computer…
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
9:57 pm
You should know better by now…you can always go with J@pan
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
9:57 pm
bye!
Venice Jim
February 23rd, 2011
9:58 pm
That was more fun…
McFann Ô Ô
February 23rd, 2011
9:58 pm
Why must they always play that crazy “plentyoffish.com” commercial twice in a row?? AAAAA!!
Oh well, doesn’t matter…nothing on starting at 10, anyway…
Crime Dog
February 23rd, 2011
9:58 pm
It’s pretty sad we can’t type the name of a country because of that racist idiot who came on here.
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
9:58 pm
Crime Dog-
You went where?
Crime Dog
February 23rd, 2011
10:02 pm
You asked where everyone went. That was my (idiotic) way of saying I was here.
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
10:04 pm
Crime Dog-
yeah, it took me a second…I’m very tired and very hungry
Crime Dog
February 23rd, 2011
10:06 pm
I’m just incredibly bored at work.
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
10:06 pm
At work at 10:00? yuck!
Crime Dog
February 23rd, 2011
10:07 pm
I’m in the same industry as DOB, just on a smaller scale. We work awful hours.
DS1
February 23rd, 2011
10:08 pm
Crime Dog
Amen! Can you spell it “Jay-pan”??
If I were from that country, I think I’d hire WW and sue the AJC brass!!
Do they have deep pockets??
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
10:09 pm
Cool! Once upon a time I wanted to do that too, but I was always too afraid to let anyone read anything I ever wrote because I thought they all sucked. Even the ones that I know were good…
DS1
February 23rd, 2011
10:10 pm
Crime Dog has a way with people……..he runs them off??
Folks, I am going to open the DS1 barber shop tonight. Both sons want a haircut. And I ain’t scared to do the deed!!
Later Braves fans!!
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
10:13 pm
How about this weather we are having Crime Dog? I’m loving it.
Mitchell
February 23rd, 2011
10:16 pm
I see yet another MLB Network countdown clip show of baseball’s greatest moments.
The 50 Most Memorable Moments of the 1990s. Not surprisingly, the Braves are featured heavily.
Also not a surprise, pretty much every memory is a bad one.
Thanks again Bobby. No, really.
Eighteen winning seasons in twenty years, four Hall of Famers to be, six Cy Young awards, fourteen consecutive division titles and all for what?
An enduring legacy of playoff failure and futility. You might even say stupidity. Why not? It rhymes.
Seriously, thanks for all the great memories… like Game 7 in ‘92 and Glavine and Justice in ‘95 and that’s it.
Basically just the two.
Crime Dog
February 23rd, 2011
10:19 pm
Bat Masterson-
You’re telling me, man. Times like these I really wish I had a boat. Or at least the cash to afford a place out on 30-A in SoWal.
Trey
February 23rd, 2011
10:20 pm
Well I had to get my dog washed, so I wasn’t here. Crime, that must suck having to work right now.
I won’t be back at work until Monday, thank goodness.
David O'Brien
February 23rd, 2011
10:21 pm
AJC’s photo gallery from Wednesday workout. Lot of great stuff from our photog Jason Getz http://bit.ly/g7xuPl
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
10:21 pm
Trey-
I thought your dog was in Atlanta…
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
10:22 pm
I noticed Mac trimmed the beard…
Trey
February 23rd, 2011
10:22 pm
It’s a shame that another one of the Deadliest Catch members passed away. Justin Tennison at age 33, was found dead in his hotel room.
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
10:24 pm
Crime_
Yep, I had the use of a 30′ sport-fisher for a couple of years. Docked in a canal on Holiday Isle, at a friends house, she was old and slow, but steady and I miss her. 30-A in SoWal is where I live.
Trey
February 23rd, 2011
10:24 pm
Cab, I am in Atlanta. I am actually on temporary orders to go house hunting in Charlotte, NC, but I got me an apartment and I don’t have to go back to work until Monday. Might as well take some time and visit family. Also, had to go furniture shopping, and I could do it in Atlanta.
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
10:25 pm
Trey-
Nice! I imagine you don’t get to hang with the family too often (although maybe a little more once you move?)
Crime Dog
February 23rd, 2011
10:25 pm
Bat-
I’m on my way over. I’ll bring a cooler.
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
10:25 pm
1.17 ERA in the month of September, he stepped up big time
yup for one month out of 12 in his contract so far. Even in baseball .085 is a crappy percentage
Trey
February 23rd, 2011
10:26 pm
cab, of course. Also, I will live near a university, so I get to meet a lot of college women.
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
10:27 pm
Poor Mitchell……….
You better pick up your game, Robert was here today and he’s leading the crazy race.
MattyRoss
February 23rd, 2011
10:27 pm
Two things: If Medlen was coming back closer to mid-season, I think the Braves would be likely to deal Lowe right now. But he ain’t. Saw where some people were saying if the Yanks stepped up with one of Swisher, Granderson, or Gardner, Braves would make the move, but I don’t know. Maybe in a month if McSchafer’s woes don’t reverse themselves. Obviously a Granderson or Gardner would be amazing, but I don’t know that there’s a need for that at the moment, especially if we have to keep paying McLouth on top of that addition. Personally I’m hoping Wren waits for the winter and deals one of our more established guys for some stud prospects and a couple gambles, though I know that’s the kind of thing people hate to see…
Second thing, revisiting Magic Potion by The Black Keys. Forgot how awesome it is. Lately it’s just been Attack and Release and, obviously, Brothers…but this is bringing it at the moment.
keylargo
February 23rd, 2011
10:27 pm
I’m in the same industry as DOB, just on a smaller scale
I guess that means you have a mo-ped?
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
10:28 pm
The things you do for your country
Just Sayin
February 23rd, 2011
10:28 pm
CB 5:45pm
That statement is so profound and deep . I cant imagine how long it took you to research that………………………………….LOL
Crime Dog
February 23rd, 2011
10:29 pm
I guess that means you have a mo-ped?
I also smoke cigarillos instead of cigars and listen to music out of the sale rack at Best Buy.
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
10:30 pm
Sure Crime_
I’m not on the beach, but I can here the surf at night, that does not suck.
Trey
February 23rd, 2011
10:31 pm
cab, haha.
Well, I will be doing a lot, at work!
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
10:32 pm
I’m not on the beach, but I can here the surf at night, that does not suck
Nothing better…I miss being able to hear the ocean late at night…
Crime Dog
February 23rd, 2011
10:32 pm
Bat-
I just love that whole area. I make it out to Central Square Records in Seaside quite a bit. It’s the only good place in NW Florida to buy music. Mind me asking what part of 30-A you’re in? If you don’t want to get too specific, I understand.
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
10:33 pm
Trey-
Well, you know what they say about all work and no play
Trey
February 23rd, 2011
10:34 pm
Bat, I love living by the ocean. I will miss it with my transfer to North Carolina. I know when I am retired I just want to spend my days out on the ocean, fishing.
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
10:34 pm
hear
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
10:35 pm
and listen to music out of the sale rack at Best Buy. CD
I thought that was where DOB got his?
richbrave
February 23rd, 2011
10:35 pm
Damm man, DAVE is crashing the boards like a young SHAQ. Go DAVE. Been over on the HAWKS blogs giving them my take on the big trade as I follow both teams.
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
10:35 pm
Crime_
West end of 30-A less than a mile down from 98.
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
10:37 pm
Trey_
sounds like a fine plan to me.
Trey
February 23rd, 2011
10:37 pm
Oh definitely, Cab. Honestly, I am not sure if I want to live near a whole bunch of college students.
richbrave
February 23rd, 2011
10:38 pm
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
8:55 pm
They can have Deron. I’m so glad we got Marvin Williams over him and Chris Paul.
Well, I know a couple of HAWKS fans that aren’t, jd. They’re over on the HAWK’s NEST and MIKE CUNNINGHAM’s blogs.
Braveheart
February 23rd, 2011
10:38 pm
I’m in the same industry as DOB, just on a smaller scale
I guess that means you have a mo-ped?
I also smoke cigarillos instead of cigars and listen to music out of the sale rack at Best Buy.
And while DOB is getting him some BBQ, you’re like Chris Rock in I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, and you’re asking for just one rib.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNQRqAoT-2c
Crime Dog
February 23rd, 2011
10:39 pm
Cool man.
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
10:39 pm
That’s a good point, Trey…but you did pick the place
richbrave
February 23rd, 2011
10:41 pm
jeffrey d
February 23rd, 2011
7:52 pm
We got a center too, but he seems like an American Zaza Pachulia
Off ARMSTRONG’s play, I’d take ZAZA anyday.
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
10:42 pm
Dinner done, wine in hand…I’m happy
Trey
February 23rd, 2011
10:43 pm
Bat, definitely. Nothing I’d rather be doing than spending days out on the ocean.
Cab, of course. It sounded like the best option for me! I am still excited about it.
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
10:44 pm
Crime_
This whole area is great to me. Close enough to Destin but not as crowded. Laid back attitude, traffic is not bad, hard to beat. I rarely go over to Ft Walton. Do you go over to the other end of 30-A? what do you think of Alys beach?
Crime Dog
February 23rd, 2011
10:46 pm
I just drove through Alys Beach on Sunday for the first time. It’s definitely interesting looking. Lots of strange architecture but it looked cool. I want to get out that way a lot more this spring/summer.
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
10:47 pm
I just gave the research people that call here every night VJ’s name…think he’ll be mad? (in fairness, they did ask for the person who’s had the most recent birthday, which is him- mine’s not for a few more weeks
)
Trey
February 23rd, 2011
10:48 pm
Wow, the Hawks traded five people for two people.
old man
February 23rd, 2011
10:48 pm
We don’t need be wedded to anything. Developments on all 29 other teams may present different opportunities. I would trade JJ, or Lowe, or Hudson, or move KK and dump salary, if the right offer came along. Never say never.
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
10:49 pm
contracts, Trey. You think MLB trades are complicated? NBA deals can be insanely crazy
Jerry
February 23rd, 2011
10:51 pm
I’m a little late getting to the topic of whether or not to trade Derek Lowe. I haven’t read anything anyone else has said on the topic, but I’ll add mine anyway. I was one of those that cried like a beotch when Lowe was signed and cried even louder when he stunk up the joint for most of 2 years here. Supposedly, he and Roger found a hitch in his delivery late last season and from that point on he was lights out. Would I trade him now? You betcha! As well as he pitched late, he is still making 30 million in his final 2 years and I would severely love to have that money for more pressing needs. I think we could come up with a reasonable replacement. It’s not like we are gonna win the NL east anyway this year. Just an opinion people.
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
10:51 pm
Always nice to see people give up before the season even starts
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
10:52 pm
Ok I’m Back…! Do I need to Do The “Get Out Out The WAYYY? Theme?
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
10:52 pm
Crime_
I did a little business in Alys Beach two summers ago. Yeah, I like the architecture, the sail like panels by the pool, giant torch out by the beach. One thing I think everyone can agree on, it’s white!
Trey
February 23rd, 2011
10:53 pm
cab, exactly why I don’t care too much about the NBA. That, and basketball is quite boring to me.
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
10:53 pm
T-Hawkin’
Only if I can start entering with this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWOsbGP5Ox4
Crime Dog
February 23rd, 2011
10:54 pm
Yes, blindingly so. I thought for a second it was some sort of cult compound. I like Seaside and Grayton Beach areas with all the coastal lakes though.
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
10:54 pm
Trey-
I used to be a huge basketball fan, first the Lakers then the Kings, and I always found the salary cap maneuvering quite fascinating…
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
10:55 pm
Wow, the Hawks traded five people for two people.
Damnit Trey, I hurt my side laughing at that.
Trey
February 23rd, 2011
10:55 pm
I should enter with “Poker face”.
Trey
February 23rd, 2011
10:56 pm
Bat, honestly that sounds like a garbage move. But what do I know? I don’t follow basketball too much. The news anchor made it sound pretty bad.
Jake W.
February 23rd, 2011
10:56 pm
yup for one month out of 12 in his contract so far. Even in baseball .085 is a crappy percentage
Well so far he’s won 31 games in his two seasons with the braves. He won 26 in his last two seasons with LA before he hit free agency and 16 games won was his high while with LA. It hasn’t been pretty, but he’s been more productive here than for LA to start that contract. So technically, based on wins solely, he’s been better here than with LA. We pay him for the wins and the innings, not how he gets them.
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
10:57 pm
Trey-
Having not read the details, I suspect it was a salary dump move on the Hawks part- I bet at least one of the guys they got has an expiring contract…
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
10:59 pm
Crime_
Have you been to the Red Bar to eat? The best crab cakes in the world. When I first moved here people said, man you have to have some. I said crab cakes? ah I can take ‘em or leave ‘em, no big deal. I was wrong big deal.
Jake W.
February 23rd, 2011
11:00 pm
Having not read the details, I suspect it was a salary dump move on the Hawks part- I bet at least one of the guys they got has an expiring contract…
That would be the only way it would make sense to me, but knowing the Hawks history I may be giving them to much credit by trying to make sense of this.
D.J.
February 23rd, 2011
11:01 pm
DOB, is Pastornicky pronounced “pas-TOR-nic-ky” or “PAS-tor-nic-ky?” I’m sure this has been addressed at some point since the Yunel trade but I don’t remember hearing the answer.
Thanks for potentially answering this, as well as the other dozens of questions you field every day.
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
11:01 pm
Coastal Dune lakes are great, the only other place you can find them is somewhere in Africa. I love when the water turns ink black.
Soph
February 23rd, 2011
11:03 pm
Off ARMSTRONG’s play, I’d take ZAZA anyday.
Eek, rich. That’s not very encouraging for us Hawks fans.
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
11:04 pm
We pay him for the wins and the innings, not how he gets them.
wonder what % of his check all that luck costs.
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
11:04 pm
Jerry_
thanks for the tip on down loading shows. I bookmarked it, I have to read more on how it works with a mac.
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
11:04 pm
Your Hawks did an impressive choke against the lakers yesterday…so disappointing!
Trey
February 23rd, 2011
11:05 pm
Actually it was a five player trade and Mike Bibby was in the trade. Owell, at least Mike Bibby was not another Dikembe Mutombo.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=6152388
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
11:05 pm
CaBravesFan…
That Will Work…lol
Now Your Catching On…I tried Doing Karoke to “California Love, but lost my voice in the 2nd Verse….
Soph
February 23rd, 2011
11:06 pm
They’ve choked three games in a row now. Last I checked, the Suns were giving them a beat down earlier.
Tomahawkin
February 23rd, 2011
11:08 pm
CaBravesFan…
Therefore, I tend to do Karoke only to Smooth Slow Songs…I found Out a long time ago that there are some things that T-Hawkin Can’t do, and rappin is one of them
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
11:09 pm
T-Hawkin
Actually heard it on the radio the other day for the first time in forever- forgot how much I like it
Jake W.
February 23rd, 2011
11:09 pm
wonder what % of his check all that luck costs.
I guess that would be the difference in his and KK’s check right.
Seriously though, no one in MLB usually gets paid what they earn, just the facts of the game. Like it or not, wins wise, he’s been our most productive pitcher these last few years. All complaints why that is the case should be directed toward the offense who wasted better pitching performances from other pitchers.
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
11:10 pm
5 for 2, whew
Time to call it a day.
Soph
February 23rd, 2011
11:12 pm
Thanks, cab. Now people think I’m talking about high heels.
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
11:12 pm
good response
nolie
February 23rd, 2011
11:13 pm
you mean you ain’t Soph????
cabravesfan
February 23rd, 2011
11:14 pm
Soph-
I saw that- laughed rather loudly, dog thought I was crazy and then went back to sleep
Trey
February 23rd, 2011
11:18 pm
Tomahawkin, another song I rather enjoy is a Coolio song called Gangsta’s Paradise. I like the parady from Weird Al Yankovich, too.
Crime Dog
February 23rd, 2011
11:22 pm
Bat-
I’ve never eaten at Red Bar. Just listened to music and drank Sweetwater. I’ll have to try the crab cakes.
With that, I’m finally out of here. Talk to you folks later.
Jerry
February 23rd, 2011
11:30 pm
Bat Masterson
February 23rd, 2011
11:04 pm
Jerry_
thanks for the tip on down loading shows. I bookmarked it, I have to read more on how it works with a mac.
No problem Bat, let me know if you need any assistance. As for the Mac, I have an Imac and unfortunately Newsleecher isn’t compatible with Macs yet, as with lots of other programs. But as you probably already know, there are programs that will let you run Windows on a Mac. I run Parallels 5.0 and it works great. I know it seems like a lot just to download anything you want for free, but it pays dividends in the end.
Latenight Bail Bond Guy
February 23rd, 2011
11:53 pm
Hank Aaron is a guest on David Letterman tonight.
Roman Gal
February 23rd, 2011
11:53 pm
Anyway, tomorrow’s free balloon day at the carnival, so we’re expecting quite a rush.
Say what?
keylargo
February 24th, 2011
12:01 am
Trey – you’re USN, right? I just watched a special on the USN vs. Somali Pirates, those idiots that try to take over container ships at sea. Remember reading about GA Tech beating Cumberland 222 – 0?
Same thing. Well done by your men.
Trey
February 24th, 2011
12:13 am
keylargo, yes I am, as well as a few other folks on here, I believe. The Somali pirates are uneducated and they believe that they will get away with anything. What irks me about them is the fact that their leader is angry with us for killing and arresting some of his pirates for doing what they did and vows more revenge, because they were breaking international laws.
Also, a simple solution I wish we could or would do would be to set a decoy boat out there and wait for them to try to take it over and have it detonate when they board it, to sink them down to Davey Jones.
Venice Jim
February 24th, 2011
12:15 am
Great article in the NY Times on Ron Guidry and Yogi Berra:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/24/sports/baseball/24yogi.html?_r=1&ref=sports
Trey
February 24th, 2011
12:19 am
VJ, interesting article. Thank you.
Tomahawkin
February 24th, 2011
12:20 am
Ok, I’m Cooling old To Old 1980’s Janet Jackson…Its Time For Bed, I’m Out (Waving Peace Fingers)
keylargo
February 24th, 2011
12:24 am
When you have helicopters, with sophisticated radar to spot for the cruiser (that will do 30K) then run them down. Next they put in the inflateables with 8 – M16’s, M4’s and shotguns. They then run up beside them and the Somalies were giving up. They just take them back to Kenya and prosecute them.
Only shots fired were by the helicopter across the bough of a Somalie ship. They got the message quickly.
Trey
February 24th, 2011
12:25 am
Henry Aaron is on David Letterman tonight.
Trey
February 24th, 2011
12:30 am
keylargo, not to mention many other torpedoes and tomahawks and other weapons. It amazes me that they still don’t give up knowing they will have to tangle with our guys. Like they say, never take a knife to a gun fight.
Ward
February 24th, 2011
12:58 am
Hello Every one! Tell Murph to relax……. Murph if yuo didn’t support Wainright than you don’t have any thing to worry about……Here’s a small joke…. I control the deer population…..Ha! Ha! Ha! Smile……
Ward
February 24th, 2011
1:00 am
There was a lot of Wainright supporters, and I wasn’t one of them……
Ward
February 24th, 2011
1:01 am
Murh:I would of came on earlier, but I was at work…….Your a good friend on the blog……
nolie
February 24th, 2011
1:02 am
Like they say, never take a knife to a gun fight. Trey
never forget that if a guy with a knife is within about 8-10 feet of you and wants to do it he has a good chance of killing or maiming b4 you can stop him you even if you have a drawn gun.
Trey
February 24th, 2011
1:04 am
Nolie, well if in my house I will be pretty quick to pull the trigger. If he is 8 to 10 feet, then I definitely have a shot.
Ward
February 24th, 2011
1:10 am
Guy’s we have gun’s they have knifes, and knifes are no match to gun’s……And our forces have twice the weapons they have . The Somalian Pirates have Mickey mouse stuff compared to what our forces have….
nolie
February 24th, 2011
1:15 am
I know folks who can kill you in that situation with a knife Trey. It takes longer to pull a trigger than you think including reaction time. There are also a lot of guys who can draw and fire from a holstered gun b4 you can pull the trigger if you are waiting for an action of his b4 you fire. Bill Jordan used to prove that in court all the time as has Massad Ayoob
Ward
February 24th, 2011
1:19 am
It’s all politics, and we can’t have our military patroling every where…..Thats why the Somalian pirates get away with every thing,because if we wanted too. We would finish them off,but thats not in The United States interest…..
Ward
February 24th, 2011
1:20 am
Plus the Samolian Pirates are a waste of time. I hope I don’t get in trouble saying that….
Ward
February 24th, 2011
1:25 am
How’s every one doing?
Trey
February 24th, 2011
1:27 am
nolie, I don’t disagree that there are people who can do that, but if someone is breaking into my house I am shooting.
There are guys that can draw and fire from a holster, but that is not the whole “Do not bring a knife to a gun fight”, that’s bringing two men with loaded guns into it.
Ward
February 24th, 2011
1:37 am
Trey: I have a solution Karate………
Ward
February 24th, 2011
1:41 am
Karate can be faster than a gun or knife….Depending on how you use it….
nolie
February 24th, 2011
1:43 am
There are guys that can draw and fire from a holster, but that is not the whole “Do not bring a knife to a gun fight”, that’s bringing two men with loaded guns into it. Trey
I talked about a knife b4 that, it can and has happened any number of times. especially if you stand around thinking that you are in control and don’t have to worry cause you got a gun and he has a knife.
It takes a very short time to cross 6 or 8 feet and though you might shoot him there is a fair chance that you won’t stop him in time to prevent being stabbed.
Ward
February 24th, 2011
1:49 am
Alright You guy’s are serious in this ,so I beam myself out for a while, and have captain Kirk beam me back in later. Live long, and prosphere………
Trey
February 24th, 2011
1:51 am
Nolie, no I do understand that, and I do realize that even with a gun you have to be wary of your enemy who broke into your home. Even if you have a gun and think you may be in control, and you don’t stay especially watchful he can turn tables.
You may not stop him in time to being stabbed, but with a gun you have a much better chance of bringing him down than if you are defenseless, while he has a knife and is coming at you.
Trey
February 24th, 2011
1:51 am
Ward, nah. Just having a nice discussion. Have a good night buddy.
nolie
February 24th, 2011
2:01 am
You may not stop him in time to being stabbed, but with a gun you have a much better chance of bringing him down than if you are defenseless, while he has a knife and is coming at you. Trey
of course I was just pointing out that a knife to a gun fight is also better than having nothing
actually most combat specialists say that a handgun is a means to fight yourself to a rifle which ilways the preferred weapon if available
nolie
February 24th, 2011
2:02 am
and “How ’bout them Braves”
SUMMER OF 91
February 24th, 2011
2:05 am
I’m ready Nolie, we’re looking good. I think the battling buccos should get KK, he could actually do well there, he and Morton could hold it down.
Trey
February 24th, 2011
2:06 am
Nolie, haha, hilarious how it became a full conversation from that knife to a gunfight quote.
You have a lot of guns don’t you? I coulda sworn you said you had a good collection.
Trey
February 24th, 2011
2:08 am
Nolie, how ’bout ‘em? They are doing well so far. Jordan is crushing balls to the outfield wall and I am thinking he can do well for us this upcoming season.
Ward
February 24th, 2011
2:09 am
Thanks captain you beamed me back………..Hawks get Kirk Hinrich from Washington in a five player trade to upgrade thier back court………
nolie
February 24th, 2011
2:09 am
yeah, not as many as I once had since I have sold some off for medical costs, but still a pretty decent collection of both guns and knives.
nolie
February 24th, 2011
2:11 am
be nice if one or both of McNate and Schaeffeur can bounce back to previous levels and everybody stays healthy huh?
I am just a wee bit concerned about the pen though most others here do not agree with me it seems
Trey
February 24th, 2011
2:12 am
Nolie, I love gun collections. Do you have any WWII style weapons or any old weapons?
Trey
February 24th, 2011
2:13 am
Nolie, I think our pen will be alright. I am just concerned that if Rodrigo Lopez pitches for our MLB staff that he is going to some how be the Jesse Chavez for the 2011 Braves. His records have just never been too good. Of course, maybe Atlanta will be a change for him. Wait and see, I ’spose.
SUMMER OF 91
February 24th, 2011
2:17 am
lopez pitched 200 innings last year, nuff said. he will prove valuble. I am concerned about the pen, kimbrell will have wild spells and it will be almost impossible for venters to be as good as last year, but linebrink and sherril will prove to be valuble additions, offlarety moy, maybe a scott procter sighting. we’ll be ok. better than philly’s pen.
nolie
February 24th, 2011
2:26 am
a few Trey. I have an old M1 and an M1 carbine, my dad’s Colt 45 from WW2 and a Luger and a Walther pistols that he brought back as souvenirs.
A few more modern versions of semi-)not full) auto AK47, AR15 in 5.56, a version in 6.5mm and an AR-10 in 308 . also a semi-auto version of a Tommy gun. Anything full auto or with a barrell under 16 inches needs a Federal permission and a tax stamp so I don’t fool with them though a few ex-military officer friends of mine do legally have some including suppressed and silenced ones.
and no I’m not planning to start a war or go berserk….
Trey
February 24th, 2011
2:34 am
Nice, you have a good sized collection. Pretty impressive. Anyway, I wouldn’t expect you to go beserk, you’ve gotten this far in life why ruin it now, heh?
nolie
February 24th, 2011
2:44 am
cool thing about my dad’s 45 is that while in European battle he replaced the grips with clear plexiglass type substance and had a picture of my mom under each panel. after the war was over he replaced one of them with a picture of me as a wee tot.
nolie
February 24th, 2011
2:45 am
well I’m off if anybody is out there. nite y’all.
DerekZ
February 24th, 2011
3:03 am
Thanks for the blog DOB. Getting me excited to see the Bravos get DOUBLE PITS TO CHESTY with it this year!
DerekZ
February 24th, 2011
3:24 am
Heyward and Freeman are gonna totally get DOUBLE PITS TO CHESTY with it this year.
Mike S
February 24th, 2011
4:11 am
I guess Marietta is no longer double pits to chesty, eh Derek?
Ward
February 24th, 2011
4:16 am
Have a good one every one……. talk tomorrow………all have a good night friends…….peace….
David O'Brien
February 24th, 2011
6:42 am
DOB, is Pastornicky pronounced “pas-TOR-nic-ky” or “PAS-tor-nic-ky?” – D.J.
The latter
old man
February 24th, 2011
6:49 am
Good mornin’, Dave.
O.J.
February 24th, 2011
7:59 am
Hey DOB, dont the Braves usually play their first spring game against the Yellow Jackets or something? I thought that was tradition sort of. If I remember correctly.
Couch Tater
February 24th, 2011
8:48 am
Braveheart – If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?
Ugly. 26% from the field. Rammer Ja..[miss, rebound, miss, rebound, whistle, free throw, miss] ..mmer [Good!]
David O'Brien
February 24th, 2011
8:53 am
O.J., they stopped playing the exhibition opener against UGA or Ga Tech a couple years ago. Haven’t heard talk of bringing it back, but that doesn’t mean it’s not been discussed. I really don’t know. I’ll check on that later.
David O'Brien
February 24th, 2011
9:00 am
Couple of Braves players said it’s “year of the meeting.” They’re in another right now, the annual meeting with umps. Yesterday, union meeting.
This will be another one-hour meeting, probably.
BravesFanChris26
February 24th, 2011
9:03 am
MLB Trade Rumors said Braves signed a veteran international free agent in Australian outfielder-turned-pitcher Andrew Russell, a right handed player in a minors signing.
Any word on him?
GTSteve
February 24th, 2011
9:07 am
I think they replaced the exhibition game against Tech/UGA, with Tech playing UGA at the Ted every year, I like that better.
Shaun
February 24th, 2011
9:10 am
Pastornicky is one of my favorites. I loved Doctor Zhivago.
David O'Brien
February 24th, 2011
9:13 am
Hank Aaron was on Letterman last night:
http://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-braves/aaron-on-letterman-show-851129.html?cxtype=rss_braves
Shaun
February 24th, 2011
9:16 am
GTSteve, Yeah, the Tech-UGA game at Turner Field is a fun event. When you watch a college game on a major league field it really makes you appreciate how deceptively difficult it is to play major league baseball. Obviously Division I college players are outstanding. The fact that you can tell a huge difference between how a Division I game looks and how effortless a major league game looks is a testament to the major league game.
I’ve heard people that dislike baseball say it’s boring. Obviously that’s very subjective. But I often think people misjudge how quick the game is until they see it up-close in the expensive seats or until they see the difference between a major league game and the highest levels of amateur ball.
David O'Brien
February 24th, 2011
9:18 am
My gut hurts just thinking about this: Eric O’Flaherty consumed 48-oz steak when Chipper took bunch of Braves out to Shula’s on Wednesday night.
Forty-eight ounces!
bravofan
February 24th, 2011
9:19 am
holy crap 48 oz wow!!!!
I wonder how much the tab was
Tomas
February 24th, 2011
9:26 am
Pastornicky…….In spanish it sounds like two words. Pastor Nicky
Bat Masterson
February 24th, 2011
9:29 am
Aaron seemed to be having fun on Letterman last night. It tickled me that Dave pointed out Aaron has over 3000 hits without counting his homeruns.
Lew
February 24th, 2011
9:29 am
When are some of y’all going to realize that no matter how much you disvalue Lowe that the Braves (and most realistic baseball fans) don’t agree with you?
And as for the runn support – were any of yu aware that between June 12 and August 29 of last year (immediately before he went on a tear), that he gave up 0 runs once, 1 run twice, 2 runs 3 times and 3 runs once (seven total for you math challenged fans) and received either a loss or a no decision?
What if he has won 23 games like he might have if they had scored in those games? Would THAT still be insignificant?
I realize that there’s other means of evaluation, but they still count those wins to determine the last one standing and Lowe sure does rack up a lot of them and obviously the fact he gives up a run per nine more than y’all would like seemingly makes little difference to whatever team he’s playing for because he keeps winning.
You may now all begin to tell me how wrong I am.
Bat Masterson
February 24th, 2011
9:30 am
Forty-eight ounces!
Is that one of those, if you can finish it it’s free, deals?
David O'Brien
February 24th, 2011
9:36 am
Bat: Not at all. No finish-and-it’s-free. More like, finish it or don’t, it’s still 80-plus dollars. And Chipper, who was paying, made a joke about that, how O’Flaherty picked right night to eat “27 pounds of steak.”
Lew
February 24th, 2011
9:37 am
DOB- If there’s still training in St. Pete, thy have a steakhouse – Texas Cattle Company – that offers (I think) a six pounder. Never even contemplated attempting to eat one that large, but they DO have the best Mesquite grilled Porterhouse I’ve ever had. Definitely worth a visit if the opportunity ever arises.
McFann Ô Ô
February 24th, 2011
9:42 am
DOB—
Love the sunrise photo!
David O'Brien
February 24th, 2011
9:47 am
Pastornicky…….In spanish it sounds like two words. Pastor Nicky — Tomas
Exactly. You put it more succinctly than I would’ve.
Bat Masterson
February 24th, 2011
9:49 am
Lord, DOB, that’s funny.
David O'Brien
February 24th, 2011
9:49 am
Shaun, couldn’t agree more with your 9:16 a.m. I tell people, spring training is a great place to get down in the front rows and see just how lightning-fast and with what precision the game is played at this level. It’s so different than other levels, so obvious when you see it in person from close range.
Arkansas Transplant
February 24th, 2011
9:50 am
I think it’s a little late in the offseason to really move one of your starters like Lowe, but with that said if they were to move him I hope they would at least acquire a decent starter in return with some quality prospects to boot. Plus, I think the Yankees are about the only true disperate team out there that might absorb all of Lowes contract. St. Louis could be in there but I doubt we’d recieve the same return from them given the size of their payroll.
For me to consider moving Lowe, it would take substantial return right now. It would take something along the lines of Joba, Nunez and Banuelos or Brackman to even get me to come to the table.
McFann Ô Ô
February 24th, 2011
9:54 am
DOB I tell people, spring training is a great place to get down in the front rows and see just how lightning-fast and precision the game is played at this level.
Sounds great…someday I’m gonna make it down there!
McFann Ô Ô
February 24th, 2011
9:54 am
Oh neat…my “CAPS LOCK” light is on, but I’m not typing in ALL CAPS!
P-Town Brave ©
February 24th, 2011
9:55 am
DOB-
This place is in Orlando and has the Steak Challenge…me being of my stature..I’m not even close to a big guy…I mean I’ve ate some serious steak before, but I believe my largest was a 24 oz steak…
This thing is ridiculous!
http://www.cattlemansorlando.com/steak-challenge
DAP
February 24th, 2011
9:56 am
nolie and no I’m not planning to start a war or go berserk….
nobody PLANS to go berserk.
do you shoot the guns or just collect them?
GTSteve
February 24th, 2011
9:56 am
I agree Shaun…but on a different note, if you watched the Tech UVA game last night, you would rather head to the local Rec dept Saturday AM, and catch some little league basketball, to see a good game
GTSteve
February 24th, 2011
10:00 am
“Oh neat…my “CAPS LOCK” light is on, but I’m not typing in ALL CAPS! “
Only you could do that McFann
P-Town Brave ©
February 24th, 2011
10:00 am
DOB-
Can you leave a ticket for me at the gate for my first day down
DAP
February 24th, 2011
10:01 am
DOB My gut hurts just thinking about this: Eric O’Flaherty consumed 48-oz steak when Chipper took bunch of Braves out to Shula’s on Wednesday night.
isnt o’flarety the health nut that helped mccann with his diet this offseason? thats funny.
McFann Ô Ô
February 24th, 2011
10:02 am
DOB Eric O’Flaherty consumed 48-oz steak when Chipper took bunch of Braves out to Shula’s on Wednesday night.
Wow! What happened to being “health-concious”?
McFann Ô Ô
February 24th, 2011
10:03 am
GTSteve Only you could do that McFann
Jeff R
February 24th, 2011
10:21 am
The Big Texan in Amarillo, Texas, offers a “free” 72 ounce steak if you eat it in one hour with fixings.
I’ve been to the restaurant (I didn’t have the guts to take the challenge). The Big Texan is right off I-40 and truckers go there a lot. Mostly truckers who come in for the challenge.
http://www.bigtexan.com/free72.html
David O'Brien
February 24th, 2011
10:24 am
Kenny Rosenthal writes on Twitter: “La Russa also said there are 6 or 7 internal candidates for Wainwright’s spot. #cardinals still not planning to go outside.”
Murph
February 24th, 2011
10:24 am
I actually had a friend attempt the Big Texan’s challenge… ended up not completing it… and losing what steak he did eat all over the parking lot. Wasn’t pretty.
P-Town Brave ©
February 24th, 2011
10:28 am
Jeff R-
I see that 3/24/08 Joey Chesnut ate the damn thing in 8 minutes :yikes:
Jeff R
February 24th, 2011
10:29 am
Murph… I can imagine. It’s amazing that some guys can pack away the food and not barf.
Jeff R
February 24th, 2011
10:32 am
P-Town Brave ©… Yep. Incredible! He must have eaten like a shark or alligator, tearing off and swallowing whole chunks.
Murph
February 24th, 2011
10:33 am
Is the Wainwright discussion finally over? Who are we moving on to today? Yesterday felt like the blog version of Sesame Street…
“Ok boys and girls, close your eyes and imagine we live in a magical world where logic doesn’t matter. A wonderful world where numbers dance and sing! Yay!”
Hillbilly
February 24th, 2011
10:33 am
Dave pointed out Aaron has over 3000 hits without counting his homeruns.
That’s long been one of my favorite stats. I’ve recited it several times on this blog. Great piece of information that shows there so much more to the Home Run King than just home runs.
ALL IS LOST
February 24th, 2011
10:34 am
DOB Your statement is so correct. My first trip to ST was in 2004. I was able to sit right behind home plate and see the true break of a John Smoltz slider and hear the sizzle and see the power of a ball thrown home by Vlad G. It is some thing I would have gotten to experience in Atlanta.
Jeff R
February 24th, 2011
10:35 am
I’m interested in speculation about who the internal candidates are that the Cards are considering to replace Wainwright. Do the Cards really have the internal candidates to come close to Wainwright’s performances?
P-Town Brave ©
February 24th, 2011
10:36 am
Jeff R-
I may not barf, but I’d be in the bathroom after that slab runs right through me
Oh, and to answer your question, I heard the leader in the clubhouse is Kyle McClellan.
T for Texas
February 24th, 2011
10:37 am
Pastornicky…….In spanish it sounds like two words. Pastor Nicky —
If you say it like Marty Feldman in “Yooung Frankenstein” it sounds like three words. Pass Turn Icky.
“It is not Eee-gor, it is I-gor.”
An important enough point to make that I made this my only post in two weeks. I’ll be back at the home base in a week and a half and be posting more riveting gems like this on a more frequent basis. Til then take care ever’body.
Thanks for the daily gems, David. Great coverage as always.
ARoell
February 24th, 2011
10:37 am
The SI article was a good write up. Much of the stuff in there we have already read on here or other Braves blogs so it was more for the casual fan.
I did like the mention of Chris Sale, kid has an unbelievable arm for the White Sox. The closing job is probably Matt Thornton’s to lose but this kid will be a stud and he often gets overlooked because of the likes of Hellickson and Chapman…
Freeman Says Hey
February 24th, 2011
10:40 am
I so feel asleep on this blog, no way am I in the top 25 now! O the disgust….
Venice Jim
February 24th, 2011
10:40 am
Since most of you were not around when I linked this last night, the NY Times has a fun story about Ron Guidry and Yogi Berra:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/24/sports/baseball/24yogi.html?_r=1&ref=sports