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© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1,719 comments Add your comment
JasonInFL
May 12th, 2011
5:07 pm
McLouth has a big game tonight.
cricket
May 12th, 2011
5:07 pm
Lew
May 12th, 2011
5:01 pm
Co sign. Someone even suggested earlier that we trade for Kegin Gregg (7/9) to replace Kimbrel (8/11). Talk about thin margins..
TnBrian
May 12th, 2011
5:08 pm
“McLouth has a big game tonight”
Of errors or grounders to 2nd?
Chimp Carey
May 12th, 2011
5:08 pm
Watch those cliches Anders. You might upset Mitchell! lol
Arkansas Transplant
May 12th, 2011
5:08 pm
That’s a 2 game swing in the win column, I thought it was going to be a little more extreme.
Soph
May 12th, 2011
5:08 pm
cab –
I actually wanted to ask if you found out what happened to Krissy’s twitter. I saw you and Kat discussing it a few days ago.
Just Pat
May 12th, 2011
5:09 pm
Lew
And this year it’s 20-18? Sooooo…….in that small sample size, how does that translate from WC to Division Winners?
UKUGA
May 12th, 2011
5:10 pm
“McLouth has a big game tonight.”
No, it’s just the Nationals.
phil
May 12th, 2011
5:10 pm
Bring back KK…
Fire FG….
Move Nate back to 8 hole….fast!
TnBrian
May 12th, 2011
5:10 pm
Linebrink gets another chance in a halfway close game than Fredi needs his head seriously examined. The guy just …. nevermind. He’s just not good. At all.
Arkansas Transplant
May 12th, 2011
5:11 pm
Just Pat,
It could mean a huge difference if we better ourselves 2 games every 38 games over last years efforts.
JasonInFL
May 12th, 2011
5:11 pm
2-4 with an HR
Lew
May 12th, 2011
5:11 pm
Anders – Whatever. Never met a post you could garble in the translation, have you?
Just Pat
May 12th, 2011
5:12 pm
AT
I know…..was just trying to be a bit of a smart@ss!
cabravesfan
May 12th, 2011
5:12 pm
Soph-
Actually, I have no idea. He seems to be taking a break from it?
phil
May 12th, 2011
5:12 pm
Someone better have a big game tonight or the season will be over….that’s a joke, just like Linebrinkofdisaster….
Lew
May 12th, 2011
5:12 pm
Excuse me – Couldn’t garble.
flange1
May 12th, 2011
5:12 pm
Feel free not to answer me Shaun, but to me until you give me a RATIONAL reason why no team in either professional or amateur baseball uses your theory of bullpen management, this conversation needs to be lumped into the Lou Vales conversation that baseball players make too much money.
In other words, it is a waste of time.
Einsteindawg
May 12th, 2011
5:12 pm
Whatever happened to that big trade ya’ll were talking about? Lowe and McOut for Swisher and Joba the Hut.
Just Pat
May 12th, 2011
5:12 pm
phil
Like I hope your 5:10 post was also!!!!
wjones
May 12th, 2011
5:13 pm
OK, guys, I have the solution. You know that sometimes the team will send a pitcher to the next town to scout before they get there, someone who’s going to be starting? Well, how’s about we do that with Linebrink. NOOO, I don’t mean really start him, just send him out of town, tell him that he will be making a spot start, that Lowe has an emergency court date or that Huddy’s wife has signed him up for a charity of some sort and forgot to tell him until the last minute. Bring in JS, maybe even Bobby, so Linebrink will have a better chance of believing it. You fill up the room with big timers and it will seem legitimate. Have a ataffer walk him through the airport, take care of everything so Linebrink doesn’t have to talk to anyone, so he won’t be wise to the fact we’re sending him to Ted’s ranch in Montana. Ted would for sure help us out with a limo at the airport, hustling him over, and Ted can put him up in a remote site on the ranch where he can be able to live out the rest of his life without causing harm. I’m thinking it’s a solid plan.
Arkansas Transplant
May 12th, 2011
5:13 pm
Just Pat, no problem.
TOMY FOURNIER
May 12th, 2011
5:13 pm
This Manager is crazy…MACLOWN-WOODY-WOOD SPEACKER SECOND HITTER..WAO…”WHAT A MORON..SAME MORON COX”..NO WAY…ATLANTA IS GONIG TO NO-WHERE…LAAAAAAAAST!!!
DAP
May 12th, 2011
5:13 pm
AT Lew, what was our record last year after 38 games? do you have that handy?
18-20 is correct, lew.
george stein, read up. i have already talked about why the 9th is different than the 1st, or any other inning.
Lew
May 12th, 2011
5:13 pm
Just Pat – Damned if I know.
Pete*
May 12th, 2011
5:13 pm
Maybe already posted but 680Fan reports Heyward MRI done and results will be announced “during game.”
bobby brown
May 12th, 2011
5:14 pm
WE the braves fans are getting tired of the sorry defense and pitch calls that Mc cann is coming up with. How about ROSS?
phil
May 12th, 2011
5:14 pm
Don’t call him McOut! that’s cruel….
mdbravesfan
May 12th, 2011
5:14 pm
Phil, as Lew pointed out , KK on DL with shoulder problems after stinkin it up in AA. Maybe Minor? He’s just be part of a trade package at the deadline anyway. Give teams a look while he does long relief
Soph
May 12th, 2011
5:14 pm
Boooo, cab. I saw he kinda got into it with someone who was being a butt last week. Wonder if that played a part in it.
phil
May 12th, 2011
5:16 pm
wjones – Your plan for Linebrinkofdisaster is far superior to the original plan to sign that bum to any kind of contract involving him pitching for us in exchange for money….wow, what a bust.
cabravesfan
May 12th, 2011
5:16 pm
Soph-
Yeah, there was some thought about that, but I hope that’s not the reason. He was right.
Gil In Mechanicsville
May 12th, 2011
5:16 pm
Anders What you say is true, but they are still both fruits. Let’s look at it another way, Wagner was a veteran with some rough miles, Kimbrel is still learning the ropes so to speak. Most kids his age are still in AA learning not to get beat with your second best pitch. It is all a process and let’s be realistic about it all, most teams will tell you they like to get the first 60 or so games out of the way before they make any significant moves.
Like Cholly says, stats are a good indicator of the past. If my crystal ball had been working properly, I would have bought Micro soft at $1.00 a share…. That said, we still have a long way to go. The Mets, well, they have even farther….
Just Pat
May 12th, 2011
5:17 pm
Pete*
Nope that hadn’t been posted……thanks!
phil
May 12th, 2011
5:17 pm
I was kidding about KK….Minorleague, nor anyone else, could possibly be worse than what I saw last night in the 11th…..
mdbravesfan
May 12th, 2011
5:17 pm
McClouth doin well this year. Better than homer-a-week Uggla. Leave Goldy Lochs alone.
DAP
May 12th, 2011
5:18 pm
wjones, great idea at 5:13! i can see it, 15 years from now, linebrink will still be out at ted’s ranch, preparing for his spot start, like those soldiers from WW2 found in bunkers years after the war ended!
mdbravesfan
May 12th, 2011
5:18 pm
Phil, at least it wouldn’t be the same movie we’ve seen…
David O'Brien
May 12th, 2011
5:19 pm
Heyward MRI news expected anytime between now and game time, but I was told it would probably be closer to game time. He dressed and shagged a few fly balls during BP, but didn’t hit.
Mixxo
May 12th, 2011
5:19 pm
Who’s butt do I have to chew to get a W tonight?
Tell me THAT.
We gotta snap out of this!
Just Pat
May 12th, 2011
5:20 pm
DAP & wjones……
Thanks, you guys! Needed that laugh.
Jay Dubu
May 12th, 2011
5:20 pm
Wasn’t there a real young pitcher that the Braves signed, or tried to sign from Japan around the same time that they signed Kiakami?
AZBravoFan
May 12th, 2011
5:21 pm
This Linebrink situation really makes the Marek injury hurt even more. I’ll think we’ll start seeing more Gearrin until he proves he can’t handle it. As for Kimbrel, he’s at his most effective when he can throw that breaking ball for strike. Just like Chipper always says, major league hitters can time a jetliner if they know it’s coming. We say the same thing with Teheran when he showed the Phils he couldn’t get the change over for strikes consistently. I’d like to see Kimbrel mix in either a split or a 2-seamer to keep hitters honest. Perhaps JV can teacher him that now famous “Jonny Venters Grip”
Lew
May 12th, 2011
5:21 pm
Goldy Lochs – Variation on the Police’s Synchronicity 2 – “on the shores of a blond Scottish Lake.”
Lew
May 12th, 2011
5:22 pm
Mixxo – Bon appetit, Dude.
Just Pat
May 12th, 2011
5:23 pm
Mixxo
Fish Bisch has already done his thing of “Nats own us”, so……we oughtta be in pretty good shape.
AZBravoFan
May 12th, 2011
5:23 pm
Dubu:
That was Junichi Tazawa. I think the Red Sox ended up signing him and he’s still in their minor league system.
Lew
May 12th, 2011
5:24 pm
Jay Dubu – Yeah – I don’t remember his name, but I think he signed with The Red Sox.
AZBravoFan
May 12th, 2011
5:24 pm
Tazawa had TJ surgery at some point last year
T for Texas
May 12th, 2011
5:27 pm
Good Peter Gammons article on importance of developing young pitching.
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110512&content_id=18974788&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb
Jay Dubu
May 12th, 2011
5:27 pm
Thanks for the info. I guess that’s why I never saw anything regarding him in the farm system.
Mixxo
May 12th, 2011
5:28 pm
Lew – hmm……chewy.
Just Pat – Nice! Glad to hear my bases are covered.
Just Pat
May 12th, 2011
5:29 pm
Pardon me if I’m wrong, but didn’t I hear the announcers last night talking about Medlen coming back in Aug., rather than Sept.?
Nick n Richmond
May 12th, 2011
5:30 pm
I hope Freddie G reads this Blog and rests Kimbrel in the 9th.
Gil In Mechanicsville
May 12th, 2011
5:30 pm
I know most blogflies clamor for trades, call ups, position swaps and the like often based on hearsay and stats. Folks, there is a reason some guys have good records as minor league pitchers, they are facing minor league batters, throwing fewer innings and use a different size ball than is used in the bigs.
Same goes for minor league hitters, the pitching talent they face is of a lesser nature than what they will see in the majors. The scouting reports are better, the lighting is better and the talent is better.
Some of you folks I have great respect for because you have proven over the years you know what you are talking about, mostly from ‘eyes on’ evaluations. Stats don’t always tell the whole story, a lot like ESPN… but different. Stats are for fantasy league types, what we don’t often know is who is nursing an injury, who has been tipped off on a sign, who is tipping pitches, who had a fight with their wife that morning, who just got audited by the IRS… Sometimes you just have to let the game play out.
Mark
May 12th, 2011
5:31 pm
DOB,
Any indications as to what the Heyward news is? Any thing to make of him being dressed and shagging in the OF?
Nick n Richmond
May 12th, 2011
5:31 pm
I wish I didn’t live in the DC TV network for baseball….all the stupid Nats announcers did last night was talk about how bad the Braves running game was. Granted it’s bad, but come on…
mudcat
May 12th, 2011
5:32 pm
A few of us blogged before that signing Linebrink was a mistake. It’s painful to be right all the time.
MitchC
May 12th, 2011
5:32 pm
Dave, I agree with you that Venters should take the closer’s role for now. Kimbrel has looked awful lately, especially last night.
It’s one thing about wanting a guy to be your closer of the future, next year.. or in two years from now, but as you said, the Braves want to compete for a playoff spot now. They cant keep doing that, if Kimbrel looks as he did last night, which was terrible.
Except for the years that Wohlers was dominant, and the three years that Smoltz was in the closer role, Bobby used a myriad of closers during the team’s most successful years, and look at the times that the season started with one guy being the closer, and a completely different one emerging by the latter part of the season.
I’d go with Venters now. I hope that Freddi is gutsy enough to do it.
Jay Dubu
May 12th, 2011
5:32 pm
Someone mentioned the Braves record from last season after 38 games.
Game #39 started their hot streak, where they went 14 – 2. If Uggla breaks out like Troy did last year, this could be the start od something good.
Just Pat
May 12th, 2011
5:33 pm
Well, guy-o-s…..time for us to cruise over to “the porch” in the Mustang and see if any of the great fishermen that went out today are willing to throw a grouper our way for dinner tonight. Then, home to watch the Bravos. Y’all play nice. See ya tomorrow.
Gil In Mechanicsville
May 12th, 2011
5:41 pm
Nick n Richmond Hey, they are ‘homers’, they get paid to do it. Of course, it would help if it were not so true but you have to use what’s available. Personally, I would be pretty happy if the Braves pitchers could execute a decent bunt more often.
Earl Weaver won a heck of a lot of ball games and he hardly ever bunted or stole bases, He was a big believer in having guys who were in scoring position while standing at home plate.
I just wish the Nats would play Phillie as hard as the play Atlanta.
Pete*
May 12th, 2011
5:42 pm
Just speculating but I dont think the JH MRI news will be good. Otherwise, it seems they would just come out and say it was negative, or whatever.
VaBravesFan
May 12th, 2011
5:43 pm
Its fustrating how we can win the series vs the Phillies and then the Nationals come to town and man handle us.
David O'Brien
May 12th, 2011
5:45 pm
In Triple-A Gwinnett’s 15-inn. win over Pawtucket Red Sox today, Teheran threw 77 stirkes/120 pitches in 7-2/3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 3 W, 7 K
Wilkin Ramirez hit his sixth homer, and Proctor pitched a perfect inning for his 3rd save.
Patrick
May 12th, 2011
5:46 pm
DOB, it’s looking like Heyward will we going on the DL…so do you think Ramirez will be called up?
And is proctor our only hope to replace moylan…that’s scary
Lew
May 12th, 2011
5:47 pm
VaBraves – As Joe pointed out on the broadcast last night – they’ve been doing it for years as the Expos and the Nats – even when the Braves had their Big Three and were winning the division every year. Inexplicable, but that’s how it’s been.
Bro
May 12th, 2011
5:50 pm
O’Flarety should close.
Lew
May 12th, 2011
5:50 pm
Patrick – I think Gearrin may already have replaced Moylan as the RHer, but looks like Eric O will be the 7th inning man.
Pete*
May 12th, 2011
5:51 pm
Looking at Gwinnett Braves schedule, I notice they have home games next Monday and Wed. starting at 10:35 am. Anyone wanna meet for breakfast lol never seen games starting that early?!
Dennis Reynolds
May 12th, 2011
5:51 pm
So lets see, do it the Braves’ way and coddle him and let him take his lumps, or do it in a way that championship teams do it and do what it takes to win?
Id tell you what a team like the Yankees would do.
Hugo Z Hackenbush
May 12th, 2011
5:51 pm
For the umpteenth time, the Braves are paying Linebrink 2 mil, and the Sox are paying 3.5 mil for the privilege of watching him screw up. Which should make it relatively easy to cut him sometime in the next few weeks if he doesn’t improve.
Chris
May 12th, 2011
5:59 pm
kimbrel will be fine. if you looked at kimbrel’s blown save, alot of hits are pure reaction. yes, they are up and middle of the plate, but the hitter is trying to time and guess the fastball and found holes through the infield. basically,the hitters are trying to time the fastball and lay off curveballs which means the hitters are being extremely defensive. same with venters, except venters has a sinker and it goesright under the bat. kimbrel/venters are completely nasty and most times than not, they are going to hold the lead. no one else in baseball has a combo in the backend of the bullpen like the braves do. in a year or two, these guys are going to be really special….
wjones
May 12th, 2011
6:01 pm
“Hugo Z Hackenbush
May 12th, 2011
5:51 pm
For the umpteenth time, the Braves are paying Linebrink 2 mil, and the Sox are paying 3.5 mil for the privilege of watching him screw up. Which should make it relatively easy to cut him sometime in the next few weeks if he doesn’t improve.”
Thanks. Now how would that work? He gets paid with Sox money, until it runs out? That means that we aren’t on the hook until July? That may be our out, then. Plenty of time for my master plan to work. We just don’t need to pitch him in actual games.
Chimp Carey
May 12th, 2011
6:01 pm
Alright Chris! We need more rational thinking on here today.
Lew
May 12th, 2011
6:02 pm
A team like the Yankees would turn him into a starter, then move him back to the pen, stretch him out to start again and finally, Joe Girardi would ruin him by overuse.
BFChris26
May 12th, 2011
6:02 pm
I’d like to see Wilkin Ramirez given a shot if Heyward has to be put on DL.
David O'Brien
May 12th, 2011
6:04 pm
So lets see, do it the Braves’ way and coddle him and let him take his lumps, or do it in a way that championship teams do it and do what it takes to win?
Id tell you what a team like the Yankees would do — Dennis Reynolds
Well, since the Yankees have had the same closer since 1997, not really relevant.
Then again, why does it matter what the Yankees would do, anyway? They don’t operate within same revenue/payroll parameters as any other team.
David O'Brien
May 12th, 2011
6:05 pm
Just speculating but I dont think the JH MRI news will be good. Otherwise, it seems they would just come out and say it was negative, or whatever. — Pete
They wait for the team doctor to get to the ballpark to read the MRI. That’s the reason for the delay.
Snotboogie
May 12th, 2011
6:05 pm
Thanks. Now how would that work? He gets paid with Sox money, until it runs out? That means that we aren’t on the hook until July? That may be our out, then. Plenty of time for my master plan to work. We just don’t need to pitch him in actual games.
He gets paid his 5.5 million regularly – just that a giant portion of it comes from the Sox. It isnt a timed thing and we are on the hook for 2 Mil irrespective of how long he is on our roster.
Lew
May 12th, 2011
6:05 pm
Then they’d go out and just buy someone else for way more than market value.
garry
May 12th, 2011
6:08 pm
comeon! the kid blows a few saves at 22 and were ready to toss him? everyone forgets that wagner struggled mightly at times in his career venters is perfect in the 8th role right now closers cant be perfect everynight he did strike out the side! Linbrink is the concern Gerrin has pitched much better and deserves that role.
Slowhiteguy
May 12th, 2011
6:11 pm
The lessons that Kimbrel are learing now will really benefit him and the club come September. Have to be patient with him. Sometimes the loss of confidence from a club changing closers is far more pronounced than the loss of confidence a young closer feels as a result of a blown save.
VaBravesFan
May 12th, 2011
6:12 pm
The Yankees pay there Set Up Man more than our whole bullpen combined, also makes more than 6 of our everyday postions players.
jo jo
May 12th, 2011
6:17 pm
I SAID IT A MONTH AGO, NOW I WILL SAY IT AGAIN—–LINEBRINK AND MATHER ARE BOTH LOSERS. GET THEM OUT OF TOWN. THE BRAVES COULD NOT BE ANY WORSE IF THEY BROUGHT UP TWO PLAYS FROM TRIPLE A. DON’T WASTE ANY MORE TIME TRYING TO TRADE THESE TWO, BECAUSE NOBODY BUT WREN WOULD WANT THEM. MR WREN’S OFF SEASON FREE AGENT SIGNINGS HAS BEEN A TOTAL DIASTER.
Dumbfound
May 12th, 2011
6:18 pm
Breaking news, http://twitter.com/#!/mlbbowman
David O'Brien
May 12th, 2011
6:19 pm
A few of us blogged before that signing Linebrink was a mistake. It’s painful to be right all the time. — mudcat
Yeah, and more than a few blogged throughout the offseason that the Braves needed to dump Alex Gonzalez and “upgrade” at shortstop.
VaBravesFan
May 12th, 2011
6:19 pm
I think we shouldnt change closers. Just give Kimbrel the ball, let the kid get experience and learn. We need to show confidence in him. Everyone should have expected some blown saves. Making a change now could do more harm than good.
David O'Brien
May 12th, 2011
6:20 pm
Heyward has some inflammation of rotator cuff, nothing serious.
Rameses
May 12th, 2011
6:20 pm
Braves are going to be fine. Kimbrel will bounce back tonight. Give the kid a break, he has been untouchable 95% of his appearances since his call up last year. However, if it’s the ninth inning and say we are playing the phillies and they got Howard and inane due up I would have no problem swapping kimbrel and venters in that instance to exploit the lefty on lefty matchup
cdog
May 12th, 2011
6:20 pm
the braves are a stupid team who should be foreited for the rest of the season.they let a losing foolish team like the nationals beat them.they have no pride in themselves.if this continues, fans need to boycot their games.they are a joke who has accepted losing.with the economy being like it is, no one is going to spend their money on the braves who don’t care about winning.they’re terrible.
Slowhiteguy
May 12th, 2011
6:20 pm
Heyward injury not serious.
nolie
May 12th, 2011
6:21 pm
Hey Mitchell, the sky is falling. The sky is falling.
Luv 2 hate Me
May 12th, 2011
6:21 pm
Kimbrel SUCKS!!!!!!! Pls Gonzales put Venters in the closers spot. Kimbrel is too young for that responsibility
David O'Brien
May 12th, 2011
6:23 pm
Heyward got cortisone shot today, could be back in a few days. Could pinch-run tonight, but probably won’t swing for 2-3 days while medication takes effect.
GM Frank Wren said, “It’s not serious.”
It’s inflammation in his non-throwing shoulder. It’s been a little sore since he took an awkward swing in spring training, Wren said, but nothing that would keep him out of lineup until a couple of days ago when he probably took a swing that aggravated it. Again, it’s not serious.
Other players on the current roster have similar conditions, be it a shoulder or knee or whatever, on their rundowns on the daily trainer’s report, but Heyward’s got a little worse two days ago.
Rameses
May 12th, 2011
6:24 pm
Hey Dave O’Brien, I have a question that needs answering. Has Jordan Schaefer fell off the planet? How is he progressing? Is he ever going to make an impact or he is going to never realize his potential? Even with all the holes in Jordan’s game, he’s still the best fielding outfielder in our organization and he is far and away faster than anyone on our club.
nolie
May 12th, 2011
6:25 pm
so he still caint hit, but now has no excuse for it????
the sky really is falling!!!
Woe is usens
Supes
May 12th, 2011
6:26 pm
thanks for the updates DOB,
Looks like Heyward will miss all of the series against the Phillies? Not good news for us. Need his bat in the lineup and his glove in the field…unless Hinske can stay hot
David O'Brien
May 12th, 2011
6:27 pm
The Yankees pay there Set Up Man more than our whole bullpen combined, also makes more than 6 of our everyday postions players — VaBravesFan
Very good point. And it underscores what I said about Yankees and what they would do is not relevant to other baseball teams.
monty
May 12th, 2011
6:27 pm
Actually Kimbrell has been “lights out” on the road. It’s at home where he has struggled as I posted earlier today.
May 12th, 2011
11:17 am
Interesting stats: Kimbrell and Venters this year:
Kimbrell- Home – 8.1 IP, .303 BA,10 hits,.368 OBP, 393 slug, .762 OPS, 13 TB, 1.680 WHIP.
Away- 8.1 IP, .077 BA, 2 hits .200 OBP,.077 slug .277 OPS,
2 TB 0.720 WHIP