Braves’ quotes after Wednesday loss to Brewers
***FREDI GONZALEZ
“That first inning, nice job only giving up one run in that inning. That’s a pretty good club over there hitting-wise. He got himself in a little trouble there in the fifth, but we came back and made it a one-run ballgame. We just couldn’t get that big knock.
“Our top of the first, we had some stuff going and they kept us to one run there. What are you going to do? We had the tie run on base in the ninth inning, with a chance to hit it out of the ballpark.”
Do you think it was nerves, anxiety for Minor in first inning?
“I don’t know about that. He’s been up here before, pitching in big games in college and all that kind of stuff. But I’m glad he did settle down and give us four innings after that.”
On Estrada
“He made some nice pitches when he had to. It’s nice to see the bats start to swing on our end. We only had eight or nine hits, but I thought we hit the ball a lot harder.”
On the plays at the plate, Gomez and Fielder
“You know what, he’s working hard to try to get those plays right. It’s one of those plays you can’t bring back. I thought they were both out, but that’s neither here nor there.”
On Chipper being thrown out at plate
“The ball was to Gomez’s right and Chipper had a good jump. He made a helluva throw. He really made a great throw. You’ve got to make people make plays, and he did that.”
On Jason Heyward’s homer
“Boy, he hit the … That’s why he’s hitting sixth, maybe, and not second.”
“Three-run homer got us right back in there. We had some opportunities, and it just didn’t happen. Sometimes that’s the way it goes.”
“The bullpen did a terrific job again, really, to hold that club scoreless the rest of the way after Martinez came in, if I’m not mistaken.”
***MIKE MINOR
What was going on in the first inning, walked first three batters?
“It’s just one of those days, I guess. I just couldn’t feel it in the first inning, and then kind of settled down a little bit. But overall it just wasn’t a good game for me. The defense and hitters came out today. They did their job and I didn’t do mine.”
Feel better after the first inning?
“It felt better because I was throwing strikes. But throughout the game I still didn’t have a third pitch, like we’ve been working on the whole time.They were hitting balls hard and we were just catching them. I was getting a little bit lucky; my defense was working behind me. Just overall, it wasn’t a good day.”
More frustrating to do that after being staked to 1-0 lead in top of first?
“Yeah, I mean, I feel like I let the team down. You get a lead, you’re supposed to come out that very next inning and shove it … put a zero on the board. Obviously I didn’t do that. I came out and walked the house, pretty much.”
What pitches were you struggling with, did you have the changeup and curve?
“The changeup was OK tonight, but the curveball – there was just nothing there. It wasn’t really a pitch tonight.”
(Said everything was good in the bullpen, all three pitches)
“And then I came out there thinking pretty confident and everything. First inning was kind of a .. I just wanted to throw strikes right away, and I felt like I was kind of just babying it –- throw a strike, throw a strike. And it just kept going on and on, ball ball ball ball.
“I guess it kind of scared me a little bit. I felt like I had the yips out there. I couldn’t throw the ball for a strike. I didn’t know where to go from there.”
(said he never had an inning like that)
“I felt really good, like I prepared myself this week. It wasn’t like it was my first start. It was my first start this year, but I’ve been out there before, with 45,000 fans or whatever. I don’t know. Just one of those days, I guess.”
***JASON HEYWARD
You made it interesting, team didn’t give up
“Oh, no, never that. Don’t ever expect that from this team. We gave ourselves a chance in the ninth inning. That’s all we could do. We had some close plays at the plate tonight; one of them went our way, one of them didn’t, and that’s the way it happened right there.”
“We had just as many hits as they did tonight, swung the bat swell. They had more guys on base and a couple of opportunities to score in the first inning, and they took advantage of that and got some momentum from it.”
On the Fielder play’s importantance
“Any play in a one-run game, I guess is a very important play. And that’s not different.”
“They’re one-run games and you always want to be on the winning side. Tonight’s no different. The only thing you can do is give yourself a chance to win.”
***CHIPPER JONES
On the Gomez and Fielder plays at the plate
“Fielder was definitely out; that wasn’t even close…. It turned out to be huge.”
“We played good enough to win. We got a raw call and had a bad inning.”
“We had a bad first inning; there’s no defense for walks. But we got out of it with minimal damage and stayed in the game. We’ve just got to swing the bats better, one through eight. I mean, we’ve got a couple of guys swinging it good here and there. Our hits are so scattered right now, it’s hard to piece anything together. But hopefully the offense will start coming around.”
On not scoring more than one run in first inning
“When you’ve got a guy on the ropes…. Me getting thrown out at home plate was a big play in the first inning. We had a chance to get two or three and set the tone for the game. Then they throw me out and we walk the first three batters of the game. So much for momentum.”
On getting thrown out, was it right call to send you?
“The book on the guy is he’s got a strong arm, but he’s erratic. And we’re looking to stick a fork in that guy [Estrada] early. Unfortunately for us, the guy made a good play. I mean, I was out. I wasn’t going to go sliding into shin guard and what-not. I didn’t try to run him over. I hit him I guess pretty good, but I wasn’t going out of my way to lower the boom or take the brunt of an impact at home plate.”
On Heyward’s three-run homer off Estrada
“I was standing at second base and saw him grip the fastball on a 2-0 count, and I said, oh, boy, this is going a long way. And it did.”
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127 comments Add your comment
Rob
April 7th, 2011
1:09 am
Heyward could hit homers from the 2 hole…
Dylan
April 7th, 2011
1:17 am
Of course, Heyward could hit homers from any spot in the lineup. The point is that with him hitting sixth he has a bigger chance of guys getting on in front of him. They did today and he made them pay!
It's out of here.....
April 7th, 2011
1:38 am
Where’s Bobby????? The sky is falling. We are worse than the mets….. where o where is our Bobby be????
Reggie
April 7th, 2011
1:49 am
It doesn’t matter when the Braves lose, the most important thing is they like each other in the clubhouse and they are all a bunch of class acts. I hope you caught the sarcasim because i was laying it on pretty thick.
Jo-Bo
April 7th, 2011
1:52 am
Heyward best serves the Braves in the 6 hole with the possibility of 2 or 3 guys on base rather than zero to 2 guys out on the pond.
Jo-Bo
April 7th, 2011
2:01 am
I’m liking the Fredi G era. If Cox had been the manager, Minor would have stayed out there until the 7th inning. Just as I said, Fredi you’ve got to make a change, Fredi was literally on the mound taking the ball from MM. Not to be down on the kid, but I think he has a big problem on the mental side of the game. Looking at the two competing, Beachy is in my opinion a far better pitcher at this point. Minor wound up with a very high ERA last season. He’s young and even Greg Maddux didn’t start out very Maddux-like at all when he got to the big leagues. You gotta learn how to pitch in the show, for some that’s easy and other others it takes a while but it’s more about mental prep than anything else. If you’re distracted and thinking about your mechanics when you are out there, you are thinking about throwing and not pitching — hence the saying, Trust your stuff, kid.
cameron
April 7th, 2011
2:03 am
I read everything that gets posted by DOB everyday, and occasionally, I read the comments. Some of you guys are really clueless to the game of baseball. 6 games into the year, your complaing about our new manager and Heyward batting 6th.
cameron
April 7th, 2011
2:06 am
..And DOB, you do great work. your twitter account is first thing I check in morning, and the last thing I check at night. Always depend on you for daily line-up and updates! Appreciate it.
Shelt99
April 7th, 2011
2:17 am
I like our team. I think with more time, we will be alright. We need for the top of our line up to be more productive.
gtne80
April 7th, 2011
2:23 am
When will the Braves get a third base coach that does anything other than randomly wave every runner to the plate regardless of game conditions? Sending Chipper, who has a bum knee and is fragile in the best situations is folly. Doing it with one out early in the game is just plain STUPID.
It’s just basic baseball…never make the first or second out at home and never make the first or third out at third. I think I learned that one in my first year of high school ball.
Barack O'Drama
April 7th, 2011
2:27 am
Freddi G was very careful in what he said about Chipper’s play at the plate. If he slides, or at the very least doesn’t slow down two steps from the plate bc either he still isnt 100% or thinking about getting hurt again, then the game would have been tied. I remember the days when Chipper was a hustle player; clearly he has lost a step and has less range at third (read two steps) than Dan Uggla does at second. With that said, he can still hit.
Braves’ quotes after Wednesday loss to Brewers | Raw Sports - Atlanta Braves
April 7th, 2011
2:28 am
[...] Atlanta Braves [...]
AZBravoFan
April 7th, 2011
2:36 am
Hope Minor doesn’t turn out to be the next Jo Jo…
carlchamblee
April 7th, 2011
2:41 am
Chipper – “I wasn’t going to go sliding into shin guard and what-not. I didn’t try to run him over. I hit him I guess pretty good, but I wasn’t going out of my way to lower the boom or take the brunt of an impact at home plate.”
Pete Rose he’s not lol
carlchamblee
April 7th, 2011
2:44 am
Heyward should be batting neither 6th or 2nd.
He should be 3 period. If not that 4.
He is their best overall offensive threat, highest obp and most power.
I
Julius Parrish
April 7th, 2011
2:45 am
Regardless of what else happened, two different plays cost us the game. If Chipper had been held at third, in the first inning, Uggla hit a deep fly that would have scored him on what would have been the second out of the inning. That would have tied the game. The second play was Fielder’s “safe call” at home plate, when the ump was out of position, when he was obviously out.
J-Man
April 7th, 2011
2:46 am
Trade Minor for Matt Kemp
jj
April 7th, 2011
2:50 am
The Braves have the weakest bench that They have had since I have been watching them and I am in my 60’s.I believe we need a quality righthand bat as v4th outfielder and a seasoned utility man in infield.We can’t rest Hoss because it weakens the team and as said by others we have not replaced Matty and Infante.We have the resourses to make a move,so let’s get it done.I knoe Ramerez has his limitations,but I would rather see him as our extra OF right now.I believe everythiung will work out in time ,but right now our bench is not what we are use to having.GM Wren,get it done,please.We can win this thing if we get the bench up to speed.
carlchamblee
April 7th, 2011
2:58 am
If Heyward hitting a 3 run dinger “proves” he should be batting 6th, what does it prove that he led off the 9th with a walk as the tying run, only to be stranded by the bottom of the order that follows him?
Bravo J-Hey
April 7th, 2011
3:40 am
It does not matter where this young man Heyward bats….there won’t be many wins with the way we are batting….hitting cures everything even bad pitching!
Bravo J-Hey
April 7th, 2011
3:48 am
OH Yeah if Chipher ” glass” Jones is not able to perform basic baseball plays he needs to be on the bench next to Fredi…it’s not like he’s going to hit 40 homers with that fragile body of his!!! lol
Frank from KS (now livin' in CO)
April 7th, 2011
4:12 am
I’m SOOOO damn sick of this anemic offense ALREADY. Jezzzus….(LOL)
Jim
April 7th, 2011
5:18 am
Its only 6 games in guys the team is fine. I do agree our bench is weak an we need some good bats behind the starters. And for the record J Hey is only 6th in the first inning after that he is where the rest of the line up is and they all need to help out. I think Chipper is fine no need to injure yourself in the 6th game of the season there is only 156 left. F G is doing a good job gotta let him have a chance. This team is going to win alot of games and I think it will win the Nl pennant
UGASlobberknocker
April 7th, 2011
6:16 am
We may have to trade some of our pitching depth for a OF who can hit 25-30 HRs. Uggla needs to start popping the ball. McLouth needs to go.
UGASlobberknocker
April 7th, 2011
6:20 am
@ Bravo JHey I dont want any of the Braves, especially Chipper , to risk injury running over the catcher.in the 6th game of the season, in the 1st inning, against a bad team. Youve got to pick your spots and that was not it.
gophils
April 7th, 2011
6:28 am
braves are playing for the wildcard, even with all the phils injuries.
UGASlobberknocker
April 7th, 2011
6:34 am
@gophils. You may be right, but as we Braves fans know, being the best in April or August doesnt translate in October. Have Uttley be out a while, lose a starter due to injury, or have a closer meltdown, and the Phils are back to the pack.T
his weekend should be interesting for sure.
bill
April 7th, 2011
7:00 am
The umpires have no respect for the Braves. I miss Cox getting thrown out of this game. If he had been the manager we would have still lost but his record of getting tossed would be one more game higher.
bill
April 7th, 2011
7:02 am
half the people on this blog gave up on heyward yesterday and now he is batting to high in the order. Up your medication.
Scout
April 7th, 2011
7:09 am
It would be nice if Prado was batting second, and we had a true leadoff hitter that had speed.
JUSTA WIN
April 7th, 2011
7:18 am
SENDING CHIPPER HOME WITH LESS THAN TWO OUTS AND THEIR CF GETTING THE BALL 35 FT BEHIND 2ND BASE IS BAD BASEBALL…MGR. JUST GIVES EXCUSES, NO BLAME….
Let's Go
April 7th, 2011
7:29 am
Here are my thoughts on the first week of the season.
1. The Braves need a true leadoff hitter. Prado would hit 2nd and be great in that spot.
2. Chipper is hitting the ball as good as he did in 08 but running the bases and playing the field he looks old, I mean very old, and I’m not sure if this is going to change this season.
3. For the most part the starting pitching has been solid with 4 out of 6 quality starts and the bullpen has been OK. Linebrink & Sherrill still scare me but I’m not sure what other options we have right now.
We’re 3 and 3 and still have not played a home game so overall I would grade the first week about a B minus.
NorCal Brave
April 7th, 2011
7:39 am
In the long run this offense will be OK, but we’ll never score at the pace of Philly or Cincy, who play in bandboxes. Keys will be pitching, as always, and defense, which has been surprisingly good so far. I’m amused that with all the griping being tossed around so far, no one mentions Freddie Freeman’s slow start. Last season every other post was “get Freddie up here.” Not knocking Freddie….Uggla is a notorious slow starter too.
Larry
April 7th, 2011
7:45 am
Chipper won’t or can’t run hard, won’t slide, is a concrete statue at 3rd with no lateral movement, and selfishly and self-servingly likes to swing at the first pitch late in the late innings when he and his teammates are down a run and are trying to work the pitcher to get on base.
Now let’s hear the defense and excuses from Chipper’s jock sniffers and their Chipper poop covered noses…sniff, sniff!
also ashley
April 7th, 2011
7:48 am
Yay! Fredi didn’t tip his cap to anyone!
carlchamblee
April 7th, 2011
7:54 am
Love the Chipper shouldn’t try as hard against a “bad team” excuse! And btw that bad team is on the verge of a sweep.
I agree w the posters who said the real issue on offense is no true leadoff hitter thus taking Prado away from the 2 hole. Mgmt knew that was a gaping hole yet did nothing to address it in the offseason except hope for as miracle season from either Schafer(done nothing in the bigs and can’t hit post-roids) or McLouth (I hit 270 once in Pittsburgh back in the day). So now we have our best 2 hitter at leadoff, a gaping festering hole at 2, and our best hitter at 6. Ya makes sense!
Scott
April 7th, 2011
7:58 am
Let me get this right…last year Minor said he was tired and mentally and physically drained, and this year in his 1st start, he’s scared and has the yips and mentally struggled!
Huh, for all those who think Minor should be pitching over Beachy…NEVER think that again. The Braves got it right!
carlchamblee
April 7th, 2011
7:58 am
Chipper is a ticking injury bomb. He can still hit, not for as much power, but still gets on base at a good pace. As mentioned his baserunning and more importantly his defensive range are an increasing liability. We can talk about the Braves not making many errors, but already we’ve seen multiple plays that a 3b should make not being made.
Chipper is DH material at this point too bad we are in the NL!
carlchamblee
April 7th, 2011
8:02 am
Where is Schulzie with all his blather about the Phillies have too many ifs and the Braves will win the East? It’s way early yes but already Philthy has shown it can win even when their aces aren’t lighting it up or they have some injuries in the lineup. Meanwhile the Braves are full of ifs and hoping to draw an inside straight.
But we are a great supplier to the AL for shortstops and pitching!
Dontavius Supremo
April 7th, 2011
8:04 am
Fredi is my man. Hang in there coach.
phil
April 7th, 2011
8:15 am
I don’t recall people giving up on Heyward yesterday. We were just expressing concern for how he was hitting. When he bounced out to short last night before th elong homerun, I was glad to see it. He didn’t pull the dang ball for a change. The long HR was good to see.
As for Minor, there’s a good reason his name is Minor….it’s where he clearly belongs. If he’s going to get scared on the mound, and actually admit it, then his days are numbered. He pitched horribly and blaming the umps for the blown call at the plate never even happens if Minor(s) pitches worth a flip…
Chipper – he IS old! Wouldn’t all of us have some problems with our range out there this soon after reconstructive knee surgery? I’m just glad the guy is back. The range will improve a little as we go and the hitting is still there. He’s much better than most options…oh wait…we could run brooks conrad out there….
FF looks lost at the plate…
We’ll see what sore armed, journeyman starter the Brewers take us out with today….maybe we’ll get some good pitching and pull one out.
Jesse Stone
April 7th, 2011
8:17 am
Milwaukee is on the verge of a sweep? News to me.
Jimmy Jam
April 7th, 2011
8:19 am
What else is new? They are gonna lose a lot more so slow your roll so you do not run out of breath reporting all the losses. Report some now and Save some for later!!!
Cecil34
April 7th, 2011
8:26 am
Anybody that wants to see Chipper slide anywhere with his history would have to be a sadist.
Of course it is agreed that Snitker should not send him in close situations. Way too risky healthwise.
Also obvious last night was Chipper’s vastly reduced range at third. He has lost the quickness. On one ball hit there all he could do was fall.
Way to early to pull hair out – let things develop.
phil
April 7th, 2011
8:28 am
I think if we just nicely ask the other teams to not hit the ball to third that we’ll be ok there….I’d rather see chipper miss the ball than Conrad fumble around with it….
Versiroth
April 7th, 2011
8:30 am
Jesus… SOOOOOooOOOo many chicken littles this first week. I really need to just stay away from message boards and blogs for a while.
David O'Brien
April 7th, 2011
8:35 am
Foggy and 37 degrees on this fine April morning in Milwaukee….
phil
April 7th, 2011
8:35 am
yes, versiroth, you apparently do…we’ve become the ‘87 Braves overnight…
phil
April 7th, 2011
8:36 am
Will they open the roof today DOB?
David O'Brien
April 7th, 2011
8:37 am
Just a reminder for Jason Isbell fans: His terrific new CD comes out next Tuesday, and he’s playing The EARL in Atlanta a week from today.
Jimmy
April 7th, 2011
8:38 am
Let me guess Bobby Jr. I mean Fredi – “Estrada was lights out last night, he had nasty stuff. Sometimes you just have to tip your hat to the other guy. We hit balls hard just right at people.”
This team is WAY TOO RELIANT ON THE LONG BALL. And Uggla is not a good influence on the young guys swinging for the fences every time.
Ghostrider
April 7th, 2011
8:39 am
I have one thing to say … Mike Minor SUKS…..he needs to find another career…I heard McDonalds is hiring…..
Versiroth
April 7th, 2011
8:41 am
Our starters mostly have one start a piece. Our lineup barely over 20 ABs…. and people are calling for major change already? Get rid of this guy, bring up that guy, move this guy to this spot in the order….. I mean, we haven’t played a single game at home yet this year for heavens sake! Last year, we had a losing road record and made the play offs, this year, we have a chance to have a winning record in our first road series and people are screaming to flip the team all around.
Versiroth
April 7th, 2011
8:47 am
“I have one thing to say … Mike Minor SUKS…..he needs to find another career…I heard McDonalds is hiring…..”
You realize Kris Medlen also stunk up his first few starts.. right? He really wasn’t all that good until he was moved to the bullpen that first year. Now, everyone loves him. Minor has like 10 starts TOTAL in his career. Last night, I’m sure more than anything that he wanted to show the Braves he could be just as good as Beachy, but had a mental block in the first. Don’t get me wrong, he pitched VERY poorly last night, but you don’t give up on a 24 year old lefty starter because he’s had a few bad starts. Oh and in Tom Glavine’s first two years? (250 innings) He was 9 and 21 with an ERA over 5. Not saying Minor will have that kind of career…. but again, way too early to throw him away.
Nick
April 7th, 2011
8:54 am
Is this what Jason actually said or just a typo: “swung the bat swell.” Cause if he actually said that, I’ve gained a lot more respect for him.
And yeah, this guy should be hitting in the top four slots somewhere. If second is the only available slot, put him there. He gets on base 40% of the time. That’s better than anyone else on our team except Chipper. He needs to be getting those at bats that McLouth gets right now. Just swap him and Nate and the lineup is perfect.
David O'Brien
April 7th, 2011
9:07 am
Is this what Jason actually said or just a typo: “swung the bat swell.” Cause if he actually said that, I’ve gained a lot more respect for him. — Nick
That’s funny. A typo moving that space over really makes a difference, doesn’t it? Should’ve read:
“We had just as many hits as they did tonight, swung the bats well.
phil
April 7th, 2011
9:14 am
We swung the bats well? That’s not the game I saw. Far better than the night before, yes, but why don’t we say we swung the bats ok….certainly better than Minorleague pitched….
Correct on Glavine’s slow start, etc…i agree that we should give Minorleague some more opportunities but he won’t get that many if our starting pitching is as deep as I keep hearing it is….
JoeBravesFan
April 7th, 2011
9:19 am
Even the greatest teams in baseball history got beat once in a while…no team has EVER gone undefeated. We’re going to lose a few here and there…of course, last night should have been a victory, but the home plate umpire screwed us. As long as we win series, we’ll be fine. When the offense comes around, we’ll be sitting pretty.
Chpatt
April 7th, 2011
9:30 am
it’s really funny when you see someone ask about manny ramirez coming to the braves….literally, you are CLUELESS. We would NEVER take on such a selfish one-sided player who is at the end of his career. He is a liability defensively and is not the same offensive player he once was. He is the selfish, one-sided piece of crap fielding version of Chipper. Stay off the blogs dunces….
GrahamLIOG
April 7th, 2011
9:32 am
Minor is bad all of a sudden? C’mon guys it was one poor start when he didn’t have a pitch he normally does, happens to literally everybody. He’s got very good stuff and projects to be a very solid pitcher. Does nobody remember a few weeks ago when it was pretty big surprise that Beachy made the rotation instead of him? No need to worry about him.
Also, as vocal as I have been about Heyward’s spot in the order (DOB will surely attest), the truth is that even the worst lineup order (within reason, not talking about batting the pitcher cleanup) will cost a team only a handful of runs over what is a very long season. A few nights he misses a plate appearance, a few nights he hits a homer with ducks on the pond. Evens out over time. Lineup order is a talking point, not a place a lot of strategic resources need to go.
E-6
April 7th, 2011
9:39 am
Last night’s game should be remembered as one that could easily have been a win. Terrible decision by the third base coach in the first inning to send Chipper when we were pounding the kid on the mound; blown call at the plate and an incredibly poor AB by Gonzalez with the lead off hitter on in the 9th. We shouldn’t be playing for just a split today.
phil
April 7th, 2011
9:41 am
Slice it any way we want, 3 straight walks to open a game is not a good sign….
phil
April 7th, 2011
9:43 am
Had to go to bed and didn’t see the Gonzo final at bat but let me guess….swung wildly at at least one fastball 3 feet up in the strikezone?
Yep
April 7th, 2011
9:45 am
Seem to be waiting for the long ball again like the cox era. Manufacture some runs….. Put some pressure on their D to make mistakes.
cornjolio
April 7th, 2011
9:46 am
Trasde Mike Minor to Kansas City for Lorenzo Cain !
phil
April 7th, 2011
9:47 am
What about Lynn Cain of long ago Falcons lore in the days of William Andrews? He could probably lob a few strikes up there….
GrahamLIOG
April 7th, 2011
9:49 am
I didn’t think that Gonzalez’ AB was particularly bad. Heyward took off on a pitch, and Gonzalez fouled off a fastball that was about belt-high or so. Heyward appeared to have the base stolen dead to rights; however, I saw somewhere the thought posited that it could have been a hit and run. To me it looked like Heyward was on a straight steal but it very well could have been HnR. I don’t know that Gonzalez is the ideal HnR guy but he did put a very good swing on it. Did you hear either way, DOB?
Anyway, Gonzalez struck out on what I considered to be a very good breaking ball; the television showed the tracking software and it looked to be right on the black, a pitch you shouldn’t take with 2 strikes. Long story short, I think Gonzo’s history of a few less than stellar ABs is coloring people’s opinions of last night’s final at bat, which I thought was okay.
ncbravesfan
April 7th, 2011
9:53 am
I think Fredi’s done a good job so far, but I can’t understand why he went with Matt Young in the 9th with 1 out and Heyward on 1st. I would’ve either hit Hinske then or Conrad, or even, Nate. Not a rookie with 3 at bats under his belt.
Oh well. HUGE game today in so many ways. A win means a winning start on the road and avoids a series loss. The Brewers are a good team so a 2-2 road series would be nothing to be ashamed of. Hanson also needs to rebound and show that last game was just a rare bad outing.
Go Braves!!!!!!!!!!!
brandon
April 7th, 2011
9:53 am
I know it’s only one bad start in the first week of the season, but Minor definitely does need more time down on the farm. Beachy on the other hand is legit. I know they’ve both only had a handful of Major League starts, but I’ve said that all along. Just reading what both say before and after games, Beachy seems to have the mentality edge to be something special for a long time, and he seems like even if he were to pitch a perfect game, he’d find something that he didn’t do well and would need to work on. It’s something that all the great pitchers seem to have understood over time….plus it doesn’t hurt that we have the same first name either I suppose…
carlchamblee
April 7th, 2011
9:54 am
Hard to manufacture runs when there is low avg/obp hitter at 2 hole, no speed in 3 or 4 hole and best obp guy immediately followed by 7-8-9 hitters.
Jesse – yes I misstated it, not a possible Brewers sweep but possible 3 of 4. Hopefully not
1eyedJack
April 7th, 2011
9:58 am
Guess we saw last night why Branden Beachy beat out Mike Minor. What was Tom Glavine his first year, 5-16 or something like that?
Right now as I sit here and type this I can gaurantee one thing this year, the Braves are going to win at least 54 games and lose at least 54. It’s what they do with the other 54 that will tell the tale.
Hoping Jason Heyward has the good sense not to read these blogs.
David O'Brien
April 7th, 2011
9:59 am
Hey, those who had the “Fire TP” shirts will only have to change one letter when they begin the chorus soon….
David O'Brien
April 7th, 2011
10:00 am
Phil, they don’t open the roof when temp’s in the 40s
phil
April 7th, 2011
10:00 am
Glad to hear the Gonzo at bat was ok…
I would have to give the edge to Peachy myself over Minorleague….mentally, no comparison….still can’t believe Minorleague came right out and admitted actual fear out there….strange comment…no wonder Chipper just kind of dismissively smacked the ball back into Minorleague’s glove after we finally got the first out of the game….
Last nite was my first time seeing Matt Young….I was not favorably impressed….surprise, right? My reason was the fact he’s about 3 feet tall and his body looks like Marcus Giles….He made a nice play on that sinking liner and will hopefully be decent for us, but Len Dykstra he ain’t….
carlchamblee
April 7th, 2011
10:02 am
Can’t expect too much from A-Gon. .248 lifetime hitter with a lousy .294 career obp. Has occasional power surges and gets hot for a game or two now and then. Strikes out once every 5 abs in his career which is a lot. Belongs in 7 or 8 spot and hopefully his defense at SS helps makes up for offensive negatives.
Oh and yeah, he’s the guy Fredi counts out to move along/knock in the guy with a .400 plus obp (Heyward)
phil
April 7th, 2011
10:02 am
thanks, dob….i didn’t know the forecast warm up wise but 40s and roof closed in april makes sense up in packers land….
Realist
April 7th, 2011
10:04 am
One thing it looks like on here is that Prado should be hitting 2nd.
Donny Corleone
April 7th, 2011
10:11 am
Egad! The Braves of Atlanta certainly look punchless as of late. I am becoming concerned with their meager offensive production and am protesting very vehemently sir! Good day to you all!
carlchamblee
April 7th, 2011
10:12 am
Yunel Escobar took a knee to the head last night sliding into third and left game w possible concussion (insert joke here about knocking sense into him). One thing i found funny about the news was they said they knew something was wrong with him when he took the field the following inning and he was jumping up and down shaking his head. Doesn’t he do that all the time?
Anyway hope he is ok and won’t miss too much time like Morneau did last year. Yunel seemed like he was turning things around in Toronto and was off to a hot start including walkoff HR the other day
David O'Brien
April 7th, 2011
10:19 am
View from my downtown hotel room on a foggy, 40-degree April morning in Milwaukee: http://twitpic.com/4hxxat
phil
April 7th, 2011
10:24 am
Dave, that fog you see is what FF sees each time up….
Sorry that Escobar took one to the noggin but i find it really hard to believe that it could damage that which was vacant to begin with….
carlchamblee
April 7th, 2011
10:30 am
DOB – and to think some of your colleagues are suffering at Augusta National today, where it will be high 70s and sunny!
I was in Milwaukee a few Aprils ago and it was like 50 degrees, gray and windy. We walked around downtown with quite a chill but the natives were bopping around in tshirts and shorts.
Chuck M.
April 7th, 2011
10:31 am
You know its one thing that Chipper did’t slide,Im ok with that,sort of,but if he would have just stayed at 3rd he,might have scored anyway on a fly ball,with only one out.
jj
April 7th, 2011
10:31 am
Is it the batting coach problem?Last year it was because of TP/. Maybe we over estimate the talent we have on the field.We got a CF that can’t hit or throw,a SS that is lacking a good bat,a new 1st baseman,a 2nd baseman that thinks he has to hit a hr everytime he comes to the plate,a 3rd baseman that is still your best hitter,but he is old and shows it in the field,and a bench that needs a upgrade except for backup catcher and backup 1st baseman.We have problems,but our GM will do what he got to do,I hope.
Chuck
April 7th, 2011
10:33 am
I’m not as concerned as I would be if I were a Red Sox fan.
If I were an Astros fan, I would feel comfortable knowing that I can park close to the stadium this year. Too bad – great place to see a game, and the staff and police around the stadium are really nice and good at what they do. If you’re ever in Houston, don’t miss a chance to go there.
gcs
April 7th, 2011
10:38 am
This season is beginning to look a lot like the last couple seasons…
phil
April 7th, 2011
10:39 am
Shhhhh, JJ….you’re being negative and will anger the thought police….
Day Man
April 7th, 2011
10:39 am
I like the way Fredi is running things. By mid-summer we will have a true CFer/leadoff hitter. I would like to see McCutchen in a Braves uniform. Dont know his contract status though.
Chuck M.
April 7th, 2011
10:42 am
As far as Minor goes,If would trust his stuff,he will be fine,all in his head.
phil
April 7th, 2011
10:42 am
I’m fine with Fredi too….he can’t go out there and hit the ball for em.
GrahamLIOG
April 7th, 2011
10:43 am
Day Man; his contract status is such that we’d have to give up the farm to get him. I’d love it in a dream world, but cheap, talented players are the Pirates’ lifeblood right now. He is under team control for the next 5 years, essentially. He is arbitration eligible after the 2012 season; I suppose the Pirates could trade him before he becomes arb-eligible but I don’t see it happening. Certainly not this year, though.
Day Man
April 7th, 2011
10:46 am
Oh well. Maybe Rasmus and the Cards will have another fallout this year. Although, that might go against the formula Wren is going by- a good clubhouse. But im sure not every championship team got along perfectly. Its about winning, not hearing about how many players play golf together on off days. That doesnt help the fans.
Chuck
April 7th, 2011
10:47 am
jj, carlchamblee, and phil: you have said all you came to say today already, and it’s before lunch – great job! Feel free to take the rest of the day off. No sense wasting your time rehashing the same subjects. Surely you have something else you can do that would be constructive (for a change). I appreciate you sharing your opinions, and now that I have them, thank you and have a good day!
phil
April 7th, 2011
10:52 am
Chuck – You too have apparently said all you came to say as well. Thanks for admitting you’re one of the control freaks on here who wants to tell everyone what to think, what to say and when to say it. I can respect that. Us idiots need guys like you to point us down the right path….thanks.
Chipper is a Redneck
April 7th, 2011
10:54 am
You missed Chipper’s quote to fans: “Kiss my a**”.
Day Man
April 7th, 2011
10:54 am
phil
I was happy to see Heyward hit the ball to short too. Even though it was not hard hit, it shows he let the ball travel a little before swinging. Hes been catching the ball about 4″ in front of the plate for a while and the results have shown it. His swing looked better last night and im not just saying that cuz he went deep. He looked balanced.
Go ahead DOB, say something sarcastic about how happy Heyward is that I think he did good. I may be an anonymous blogger, but Im not some keybanging nerd whos never played baseball. I know hitting. Even though Heyward has all the talent and is in the big leagues, its still baseball and us normal ppl can be right from time to time too. Even if it is at the expense of our star player.
carlchamblee
April 7th, 2011
10:56 am
Wow Chuck brilliant! It’s so fun being pulled over by a self-appointed blogcop. Too bad you’re the equivalent of a off duty meter maid.
Thanks for trying to tell me what to say and when to say it, though. So open minded of you
phil
April 7th, 2011
11:05 am
carl – we’re not supposed to post anything else today. Remember? lol at meter maid…
carlchamblee
April 7th, 2011
11:07 am
phil – putting fingers in ears and going nananananana lol
Stein
April 7th, 2011
11:32 am
I understand wanting Heyward to have RBI opportunities, and for that I agree the 2-hole isn’t the best spot for him. He clearly should be hitting 4th or 5th, he needs protection. Put him 4 with McCann and Uggla behind him and tell me he won’t see more pitches he can deposit in the right field bleachers. I can understand not wanting to put too much pressure on the kid right away, but he’ll be there soon enough.