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250 comments Add your comment
@___ISH___
July 31st, 2011
1:49 pm
I’m not sure Chipper was the right guy to ask about JS being injury prone… If he (CJ) could come back strong down the stretch I think THAT helps our club more than just about anything else as far as postseason aspirations. Having Bourn and Prado hitting in front of him and Mac, Uggs, and FF behind him is downright SCARY.
Biff_Pocoroba
July 31st, 2011
1:50 pm
Can it be? A Frank Wren move that almost everyone cheers? I thought the whole point of these blogs were to roast the guy.
collegeballfan
July 31st, 2011
1:50 pm
Todays team, today 7/31/11, gets a shot in the arm from Bourn and then shots from the return of McCann and, hopefully, the return of Chipper.
With Bourn in center I can live with Hinske in left.
Najeh Davenpoop
July 31st, 2011
1:50 pm
Awesome trade. Never judge the GM until after the trade deadline is over. Wren managed to get a clear upgrade for the lineup without parting with any of the top 4 prospects and for that he deserves to be commended. I like Schafer, and it sucks to see him go, but Bourn is a better version of him in every respect. Bourn is a perfect fit for this team.
Now get the man signed to an extension and plug him in the leadoff spot for the foreseeable future.
darrin
July 31st, 2011
1:53 pm
good job fw now get willingham and bailey from oakland
Tbraves
July 31st, 2011
2:01 pm
good job fw now get willingham and bailey from oakland
Willingham maybe…bailey will def cost us a top 4 prospects…andu know what that means
Furman Bitcher
July 31st, 2011
2:02 pm
Shuddup A Schafer
Furman Bitcher
July 31st, 2011
2:03 pm
Never question if Chipper is a good source. future HOFer.
Doc Holliday
July 31st, 2011
2:04 pm
Chip, the wild card lead over Arizona is 4 and a half…not 5 and a half. I would think you’d know that.
JRW7
July 31st, 2011
2:05 pm
BERNIE, YOU MUST BE CRAZY!!!!!
Robert
July 31st, 2011
2:06 pm
Well, we might not have gotten quite the player that the Phillies, Giants, or Indians got, but we certainly got him cheap.
We gave up a guy who cant play without PED’s, a second rate lottery ticket, and some minor league filler
That’s a steal any day of the week
And the thing is, if any or all of those guys work out for the Astros, it was still a steal.
Now, let’s USE that speed. Any time he gets on base, Bourn should run run run. Make the opposition constantly have to execute plays. Never give them a minute’s free respite
As far as lineups if and when everyone gets back healthy, if it were me it would be
1. CF – Bourn – l
2. 3b Chipper – sw
3. C – McCann – l
4. 2b – Uggla – r
5. 1b – Freeman – l
6. Lf- Prado – r
7. RF – Heyward – l
8. SS – AGon – r
J-Man
July 31st, 2011
2:09 pm
We need Infante back and another relief pitcher and then were set
Robert
July 31st, 2011
2:11 pm
“Gave up much too much”
A failed prospect, a lottery ticket that wont pay much even if it’s a winner, and two minor league roster filler afterthoughts is NOTHING for a major league ballplayer – much less a genuine leadoff hitter
New York Nick
July 31st, 2011
2:14 pm
Rob – They’ve been talking all over the place how they like/want to have Prado batting #2… Why on earth would u put Larry there in stead of his normal #3 spot?
1 Bourn
2 Prado
3 Jones
4 Uggla/McCann depending on RHP or LHP
5 Uggla/McCann depending on RHP or LHP
6 Freeman
7 Heyward
8 Gonzalez
knockahomerx
July 31st, 2011
2:15 pm
I don’t like that we included Obertholtzer. I had him on our staff soon as a LHP.
VinceVanGo
July 31st, 2011
2:15 pm
I used to like to tell Bobby Cox how to manage and make out his lineup(though never to his face), and so I’ll do the same for Freddi G. He can do what he wants until we get everybody back, but then he needs to talk(and stand up to Chipper) and tell him that he needs to take one for the team and be willing to drop in the batting order. Bourn is a legitimate leadoff, Prado a classic #2, Freeman has been a perfect #3 and Uggla a prototype cleanup hitter. Then what? McCann needs to be no lower that #5, and that puts Chipper in the 6 hole. Then what? Freddi G. likes the lefty/righty alternation so put Chipper #6 against lefties and Heyward #6 with Chipper #7 against righties. Either way Chipper doesn’t have much protection(Heyward/Gonzo) but he’s a Hall of Fame hitter and doesn’t need any if he’s a patient batter(which he hasn’t been lately). In this batting order the Braves probably have as good a top 5 as anybody and a very good hitter at #6. Us fans will pray when Heyward and Gonzo come to bat.
Robert
July 31st, 2011
2:16 pm
“That said, I’ll remain skeptical until I see that Bourn hasn’t morphed into McClouth/Kotchman/Ankiel/Gonzalez/Lee and the other deadline deals ”
If that happens, then you figure we probably broke even
Gary
July 31st, 2011
2:16 pm
All you Wren haters out there owe him an apology. This was a great move. The dude knows what he is doing. This team is going to the Series.
Honest American
July 31st, 2011
2:17 pm
Great trade. This is exactly what we needed. However, what sticks out to me here is the professional quotes of Jordan Schafer in this article. No bitterness, just good professional stuff. What a stud. Good luck to him.
TheAntiMe
July 31st, 2011
2:17 pm
Michael Bourn is just what the Braves have needed for quite a while being a speedster who can put the ball in play and go get it in CF. I’m not at all concerned about him being a left-handed hitter because since he will bat at the top of the lineup the Braves will have a very good right-handed hitter in Martin Prado to hit behind him followed by another left-handed hitter in either Chipper or B-Mac.
One of the things that puts a smile on my face about this deal is the fact that the Phillies, IMHO, definitely overpaid for Hunter Pence and put a serious dent in their future by trading away both their top minor league hitting and pitching prospects while the Braves hold on to their top prospects and get the player who will actually help them the most. Excellent job, Mr. GM!
Mountain Braves Fan
July 31st, 2011
2:20 pm
Christmas would come early to Atlanta if Wren could get Willingham from Oakland. Prado, Heyward, and Jones have all missed significant time and Willingham would be a more than adequate replacement for any one of them going down the stretch and into the playoffs. Willingham could also platoon with Heyward against lefties and would be a dangerous right handed pinch hitter off the bench. Oakland shouldn’t want the moon for him because he is a rental, and Oakland is going no where this year. They will get compensation when he leaves next year as a free agent, so whatever you offer has to be more than that.
Robert
July 31st, 2011
2:22 pm
““I feel bad for the kid [Schafer]. He worked hard to get here, and unfortunately got hurt. Bourn’s a dynamic player, steals a lot of bases, gives us some speed at the type of the lineup, the ability to manufacture some runs. Kind of like what Schafer gave us. It’s going to help our ballclub.”
“If he’s on base, he’s definitely a threat. The last time I looked he was leading the league in steals. We haven’t had that type of threat at the top of our lineup in a long time, consistently anyway. We’ll see how it all turns out.”
I wonder if Chipper realizes that within the space of about fiffteen seconds, he completely contradicted himseldf. First he says Bourn is kinda like Schafer. Then he says we havent had a guy like Bourn in a long time.
Chipper needs to realize that even at Chipper Jone’s bat is a much greater force than his mouth
Joshua
July 31st, 2011
2:24 pm
To the people saying we gave up to much: huh? We got the best CF and fastest player in baseball for Jordan Schafer and b prospects – are you kidding? This is a coup. Frank Wren FTW.
Peter
July 31st, 2011
2:25 pm
Buster Olney
@Buster_ESPN Buster Olney
Realignment has been approved; Astros moving to the Pacific Coast League. (just kidding…)
@___ISH___
July 31st, 2011
2:26 pm
Jon Heyman reporting that Willingham staying put…
Joshua
July 31st, 2011
2:27 pm
One a side note: the 3 remaining Astros fans have to be really bummed.
MFin04
July 31st, 2011
2:27 pm
Still enough time to trade Tommy Hanson, the guy just can’t put hitters away, can’t hold leads, can’t hold runner. He drives me crazy.
Braves trade for Bourn, the leadoff hitter they’ve lacked | Raw Sports - Atlanta Braves
July 31st, 2011
2:28 pm
[...] Atlanta Braves [...]
Robert
July 31st, 2011
2:28 pm
“Why on earth would u put Larry there in stead of his normal #3 spot? ”
The 3 spot is for your best hitter. Chipper has had a HOF career, but right now McCann is our best hitter. I like Chipper at #2 because he still gets on base at a decent clip. That said, Prado second and Chipper sixth would work also
John Galt
July 31st, 2011
2:28 pm
For all of the people who have been stroking out and attacking Wren over the last few days, the line for apologies to Frank will start to gather now. Wren learned under the consummate pro (John S.) and seems to have learned his lesson well.
Bourne is a much better fit for the Braves than Beltran, Pence or Quentin, and the cost was minimal. I was a big Schafer fan, but as Wren just said on TV, Bourne is NOW what we hoped Jordan will be in a few years.
I know Wren will finish strong, as well. I had not heard Infante mentioned befor but I’d love to see him on our bench again. If we don’t get the additional BP arm we need, maybe Vizcaino and Moylan will fill that hole.
We have the 4th best record in MLB behind 3 teams with unlimited budgets. Wren may be the best baseball executive in the league. He certainly learned from the best.
BravesHound
July 31st, 2011
2:29 pm
Bourn Free, all the bases he can steal and create havoc on the bases. Good move Bravo’s.
Joshua
July 31st, 2011
2:30 pm
Robert, only you would bat Chipper 2nd.
Bourn
Prado
Jones
McCann
Uggla
Freeman
Gonzo
Heyward
That line-up is scary.
Joshua
July 31st, 2011
2:33 pm
John Galt: I absolutely agree about Wren. Even before this trade I would have argued he is the best executive in the league – now there can be little doubt.
He played the entire baseball-salivating media like a fiddle, drove up the price on Pence, and acquired the better player for dirt cheap.
And he did it while protecting the prospect corps that so many ESPN pundits were criticizing him for not parting with. Remember Julio Teheran on ESPN’s front page as a “trade chip”? LOL. Wren is beast mode.
ATLfan15
July 31st, 2011
2:33 pm
Love this trade…didn’t think it was gonna happen, but it changes this club for the better.
Bravo, FW!! oops…i meant BRAVOS!!
Joshua
July 31st, 2011
2:34 pm
This trade makes us, when healthy, the BEST team in baseball. Period.
GaryinBham
July 31st, 2011
2:35 pm
Seems like a great trade, I like Bourn. Haven’t seem him much, but when we played ‘em I hated seeing him come up. Seems like a reasonable trade at this point. Great job, FW! Wish Jordan Schafer well. I think he’s a gamer.
richie_rich1986
July 31st, 2011
2:41 pm
and this is why I have like a dozen baseballs signed by Frank Wren. I swear the man is a pure Genius!
BigDave
July 31st, 2011
2:43 pm
Good trade for the Braves,didn’t give up that much for a very good player!
doc
July 31st, 2011
2:44 pm
bourn to be wild
Lost Cause
July 31st, 2011
2:46 pm
Good job Frank Wren! Patience gets you the right guy!
Lank
July 31st, 2011
2:49 pm
The way Freeman and Uggla are hitting now, I would have them at 3 & 4.
Bourn
Prado
Freeman
Uggla
McCann
Chipper
Heyward
Gonzalez
You can swap Chipper and Prado if you want. It would be waste of Chipper’s high obp to bat that low in the lineup. Plus we really don’t need a great bunter in the 2 spot with bourn having so much speed. He could steal second and Chipper could swing away. This is a great lineup though. I’m glad we went after a guy with speed instead of another power hitter to hit the ball to the warning track of our pitcher’s park. I’ve been trying to figure that one out for a few years now.
Columbus
July 31st, 2011
2:50 pm
Hinske is not slow.
John Galt
July 31st, 2011
2:50 pm
i love Jordan Schafer’s approach to the game- how fitting that his last game as a Brave had him play 5 or 6 innings in severe pain after getting hit in the damaged, chipped finger. I appreciate that the stats don’t support this, but my observations also say he could give the Astros several years of .280 and 35 steals, with a Gold Glove thrown in, and I hope he does.
This was a great deal for the Braves, though, the present obtained for the potential. Good luck and adios, Jordan.
Columbus
July 31st, 2011
2:51 pm
Chipper is 3rd, 4th or 5th. Period
John Galt
July 31st, 2011
2:52 pm
@Lank-
I love that lineup but it doesn’t happen unless Chipper volunteers to be dropped. He has restructured a couple of contracts in the past to benefit the team, so maybe he can do the right thing. It would say a lot about him to make that clear concession.
Columbus
July 31st, 2011
2:57 pm
Switch hitting Chipper is 3rd, 4th or 5th. Sixth is out of the question. 2nd is not as bad as 6th but Prado needs to be high in the order so I think 2nd is not an option either for Chipper. 3rd, 4th or 5th. He is a switch hitter and a tough out and with big bats behind him will be all the much better for it.
Alaska Braves Fan
July 31st, 2011
2:58 pm
We truly won’t know whether this trade works out for the Braves for a while, of course, but it does seem as though Wren has hit the sweet spot with this one. The price was considerable, but, all things considered, not too much. It would be very nice to see another reliever come along sometime today, too. It seems to me that Wren is a highly competent and competitive GM.
ABF
Lank
July 31st, 2011
3:00 pm
I love Chipper and have supported him batting 3rd his entire career. But our best hitters right now are Freeman, Uggla, and McCann. Bobby isn’t our manager anymore, so our lineup won’t be the same everyday and will be juggled around based on who’s hitting better. Freeman has been a streaky hitter so far and is bound to go through a slump and moved further down in the lineup. But right now, I would say Prado is our 6th best hitter, and that tells you we have a scary lineup.
Ernest
July 31st, 2011
3:03 pm
Very good post at 1:04, JerseyChoppin! I’ve stated many time that I did not understand this lover affair with Schafer. He had one good season that was tainted by his use of PEDs yet most seemed to think he was the next coming of Brett Butler for the Braves. He is an above average defensive player that strikes out too much, walks to little, and does not make enough contact while at bat, resulting in a low OBP. This is not the model of a good leadoff hitter.
Now that he is gone, I wish him the best in his career
northbeach Scott
July 31st, 2011
3:05 pm
Really pleased to have a key piece like Bourne joint the Braves, especially without giving up an real MLB talent. Classy comments by Schafer, wish it could have happened for him in Atlanta. It will be good for him to have a fresh start and perhaps he will finally blossem in the non-pressure environment of Houston.
I hate to give up any young pitching, but we have so much depth, you have to give up something for a Gold Glove CF, SB champion that will bat leadoff.
Very nicely done, Frank Wren.
ted
July 31st, 2011
3:05 pm
Would solve a lot of problems if J Hey could hit. The problem between his ears might prevent him from matching his talent with production
Gary O
July 31st, 2011
3:07 pm
What’s up with the Braves and their inability to execute?
Leadoff double, and they can’t score. Runner at 3rd, with one out, can’t score. I hope the Bourn will have a trickle down effect, because we will need to be able to move him over and bring him in.
Alaska Braves Fan
July 31st, 2011
3:08 pm
ted: I have worried that Jason would not live up to the hype since early last year. I particularly am skeptical about his ability to avoid or play through injury. He needs to retool his swing, I think, and that always is really hard to do. We’ll see, but I’ll be surprised if he ever does become the hitter he was projected to be. On the other hand, I’ve been wrong many times before.
ABF
David O'Brien
July 31st, 2011
3:09 pm
Braves reactions to trade
http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-braves-blog/2011/07/31/braves-reactions-to-michael-bourn-trade/
Bud
July 31st, 2011
3:11 pm
Hope Bourn is a road warrior. The Astros are playing the last game of a 10-game road trip today, and the Braves start a 9-game trip tomorrow. Potentially an 18- or 19- game road trip for Bourn.
@___ISH___
July 31st, 2011
3:12 pm
Most of the Braves hitters have a serious problem with situational hitting. That is exactly the reason why I like Chipper is in the 3 hole, plus I believe his avg with RSP is still very good although I don’t have the stats in front of me to back that up.
Alex Gonzalez is A Waste
July 31st, 2011
3:52 pm
Wow! This man reminds me a lot Furcal. If he scores a run or hit, he typically follows up with either an in-field error or 2-3 strike outs in row at bat . Very inconsistent.
Is it too late to trade him for something.
Alex Gonzalez is A Waste
July 31st, 2011
3:59 pm
Personally, I think the Braves biggest issue is with Gonzalez. He was suppose to be that consistent right hand batter. But he’s so inconsistent, the Braves are having to search far and wide to compensate for his inability to hit in clutch.
Out of all the trades the Braves made, I beleive Gonzo is probably the most disappointing. Please trade this guy…He’s killing us at the plate.
Freddie G
July 31st, 2011
4:05 pm
A very good trade and credit to Frank Wren who has made another remarkable move in improving the ball club. He has done just that ever since he became GM, yet some fools on this blog continue to give him hell. Frank is not like JS who always wanted to be the story, and who you would often see on the phone in full view during the games as if he was working a trade. Frank has rebuild the farm system which was ravaged by JS, and he is building a long term winner here.
Thank you Frank Wren.
Churchy
July 31st, 2011
4:10 pm
The key to this is giving Bourne a chance to run. Schaefer had a decent amount of SB’s in a short span when he was healthy and owned CF so it seems like they can do it.
Kind of glad I no longer have to think about Eminem whenever they show Scheafer’s face.
Blankster
July 31st, 2011
4:28 pm
Best trade possible. Schafer is a bum. Bourn has speed and OBP. And we keep our top pitching prospects. We probably only gave up our 5th best pitching prospect and schafer (who sucks). Good deal wren.
old man
July 31st, 2011
4:49 pm
I’m a Schafer fan, but this is quite a good deal.
Curious of there is a follow up move.
Charlie
July 31st, 2011
4:57 pm
Marlins game over…Braves 13 hits, 1 frittin’ run. A 15 year minor leaguer starts, and strikes out twice, with a man on third. Geee Fredi, ya hear of pinch hitting? Another minor leaguer runs the bases like a 10 year old. Brooks Conrad can’t get a damn bunt down, and costs a run. Alex Gonzo is the worst, most unprofessional hitter in the history of Major League baseball.
This team has so many BAD parts. What a give-away ball team. They don’t deserve a playoff berth. This team deserves to lose. They will piss away the wild card, as Fredi and Larry sit on their thumbs. LOsers.
01HAWK
July 31st, 2011
5:02 pm
McOUT should be nervous with CONTANZZA playing well today. I can only imagine the pressure that BOURNE and CONSTANZZA would put on the defense.
FREDDI just stated on TV that he would like to see what BOURNE and CONSTANZZA could do in the lineup together. Fred Hicks and Brian Jordan are talking about it also. This maybe the end of McOUT………………..I hope so. They have and I am sure they are considering doing this. Maybe we can do a trade in August because he will pass thru waivers for sure.
They are still talking about it as I am writing. We have no choice but to put both in batting 1st and 2nd. WOW…………………………….Lineup will change overnight.
BOURNE
CONSTANZZA
CHIPPER
MAC
UGLA
FREEMAN
PRADO
GONZO
braves are pretenders!!
July 31st, 2011
5:19 pm
Doesn’t matter who the braves pickup, this is the worst managed, and the worst team in baseball when it comes to simple fundamentals. And this all starts with the pathetic manager. How can a team have 13 hits and score only one run. simple, they have an incompetent manager that sits on his ass and has no clue how to manufacture a run with runners in scoring position. This is what happens to this team if they don’t get a lucky ass 3 run homer. They sit there and squander away scoring opportunites time and time again. It is sad to watch this moron of a manager sitting there with that dumbass look on his face, while his team plays like a little league team when it comes to bunting, baserunning, moving runners over, and fielding. Simple fundamentals of baseball, but this poorly coached team, is awful at every phase of the game fundmentally. So get whoever you want in trades, want make any difference, this team is going nowhere, and you can thank Wren for hiring this moron as a manager. Thank god it’s football season in a few weeks. This little league team needs to go home and watch good fundamentally prepared teams play in the playoffs
Edward
July 31st, 2011
5:27 pm
How can you call this a big trade?
1991 braves
July 31st, 2011
5:47 pm
Fredi G, whatever you are smoking tell me where i can get some. Every move Wren has made has been a great move that benefited the team. Are you fuc—- kidding me. Every move this moron has made has been a disaster. He signs Lowe to $15 million a year for 4 years, and the guy is the 5th best pitcher in the rotation, with the 5th highest era. He signs K.K. to a huge contract, and the guy loses 12 or 13 games in a row last year, and he is the highest paid pithcer in AAA. And every player he has signed is hitting under 240. That includes Nate the Great, Gonzo, who might be the worst hitter in the N.L., Uggla who just got above .200, and Rick Ackiel from last year that was a huge bust. My god, there isn’t one player this guy has brought in that is helping the team now. Add to that the worst decision he ever made was signing this moron manager Fredi. He is the worst manager in baseball when it comes to fundamental baseball, and handling a bullpen. Maybe you are the Fredi the clown, sure sounds like it. If you are, congrats on another terribly managed game.
01HAWK
July 31st, 2011
5:48 pm
CONSTANZZA WAS SAFE. Umpire blew the call.
Tom
July 31st, 2011
5:53 pm
I like that kid Constanza, what speed and excitement he brings to the game! Do not send him down, cut McLouth loose if necessary! Wonder if Prado can play SS, just a thought when Chipper comes back? Bourn and Constanza in the line-up at one time, excitement!!
Dogfan
July 31st, 2011
6:08 pm
The worst thing about this trade is Scott Boros. IHe is Borne’s agent
LeftyLeach
July 31st, 2011
6:11 pm
Super trade, but let’s not get overly giddy… Good left handed pitching still ‘eats our lunch’.. Ludwick seemed to go for very little, Willingham would help… Irony: we virtually gave Frenchy away, ditto Melky—- & let Ross go to the Giants for clutch post season performance… Oh Well.
cutty
July 31st, 2011
7:24 pm
“On whether getting Chipper Jones back in the line-up will make the braves a better ballclub? Get with me in a couple of months.
Still HATE Wren
July 31st, 2011
7:32 pm
Wren is nothing but a Bat Rastard….Can’t stand the sight of him!!! Hope he takes his last breath soon…..like Schafer, he is not worth a pile of spit. Schuerholtz did it much better! Alas, poor John where are you when we need a REAL GM.
dachino860
July 31st, 2011
7:50 pm
I really liked jordan, and will be sad he is leaving. However getting bourn is great! and I am really looking forward to seeing him be part of our team!
Dennis Reynolds
July 31st, 2011
8:02 pm
Anyone familiar with my posts know how happy I am. We got our man!
Dudes about to show all the Schafer lovers what a TRUE leadoff man does. Schafer will never pan out to be anything more than a .250 hitter with good defense. A good 8 hole hitter.
Speed is a necessity in todays game and now we have one of the fastest players in the league. Its really going to pay dividens in the postseason, too.
Great job, Frank Wren. Never should’ve doubted you.
Dennis Reynolds
July 31st, 2011
8:03 pm
Sounds like Chippers not thrilled about this move……
No idea why.
Sam The Swami
July 31st, 2011
8:03 pm
The last 5 days have been torture. I probably visited ESPN.com, SI.com and followed everyone possible hoping to see the Braves make an impact move. I wanted Pence and feel he significantly improves the Phili’s.
That said, Bourn is a huge upgrade over anyone we could’ve trotted out in CF and he changes this line-up big time. I love the move and commend Wren for pulling this one off.
We still need a RH OF to platoon with Heyward but hopefully we can find a way to make that happen via. Waivers or non Waivers trade.
In Wren We Trust!
GO BRAVES!
Dennis Reynolds
July 31st, 2011
8:05 pm
1.Bourn
2.Prado
3.Chipper
4.Man
5.Uggla
6.Freeman
7.Heyward
8.Gonzo…(sigh)
Still a GREAT lineup. Easily will rival the Phillies once Heyward comes around fully. He’s definitely starting to get back on track.
Frank
July 31st, 2011
8:05 pm
We won’t be platooning Heyward. Period.
Jimmy
July 31st, 2011
8:08 pm
1) Bourn
Pitcher
2) Heyward
3) Chipper
4) McCann
5) Uggla
6) Freeman
7) Prado
9) McClouth
Prado at SS, McClouth in LF to give us 2 leadoff hitters essentially.
Bluestreak
July 31st, 2011
8:09 pm
I like Schafer and wished it could have worked out for him here. I liked his edge and swagger. But, Bourn is a major upgrade.
Frank Wren once again proves his doubters wrong. When will you folks stop doubting him until deadlines have passed. Of the three OF that were actually improvements to what we had, Bourn is the best fit and fills two huge needs. The fact that he hits lefties pretty well even though he’s a lefty kinda negates the whole need for a RH OF. Our original fix to the RH power hitter has finally come around and is performing like we had hoped. If we can get one of those lesser OF for bench help (that article on Mike Deveraux, I still can’t spell his name right, reminds me of just that type of hitter) now, that makes this trade EVEN better. To have Hinske and a similar hitter on the bench, then I think the Braves will be extremely tough to beat in the post season.
Bluestreak
July 31st, 2011
8:14 pm
I meant to note that its the same mentality a lot have with Thomas Dimitroff and he hasn’t swung and missed too often. Always seems to do the right thing, if not the popular thing.
mikeingray
July 31st, 2011
8:15 pm
THIS DEAL LOOKS GOOD FOR US….YES, SOME OF YOU COWARD POSTERS BIT.CH ABOUT ANYTHING REGARDLESS…USUALLY DUE TO YOUR STUPIDITY AND LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE GAME AND ITS ECONOMICS….BUT ENOUGH THERE….OUR PERFECT LINE-UP NEEDS SPEED AT THE TOP SO BOURN IS THERE FOR SURE…BATTING SECOND REQUIRES SOLID CONTACT, A DECENT AVERAGE AND AN ABILITY TO MOVE RUNNERS WITHOUT FAIL…THIS FALLS SQAURELY ON PRADO…BATTING THIRD BELONGS TO YOUR BEST PURE HITTER WITH A STRONG ABILITY TO DRIVE IN RUNS…EVEN WEBSTER KNOWS THIS IS MCCANN…..CLEANUP IS DEFINED AS PURE POWER (THE 3-RUN HOMER TYPE!) AND THIS FITS UGGLA ALL DAY LONG…FIFTH SHOULD BE A POSITION OF STRENGTH AS WELL SO THE #4 ISN’T WALKED TO GET TO YOU….CHIPPER’S EXPERIENCE MAKES HIM A SLIGHT FAVORITE OVER OUR “R.O.Y” FEDDIE FREEMAN WHO COMES IN AT SIXTH (AND THIS COULD JUST AS EASILY BE REVERSED WITH NO REAL ISSUES)…BATTING SEVENTH WOULD FALL TO HEYWARD FOR HIS POWER POTENTIAL TO FOLLOW # 1-6 (MAYBE HE CAN LEARN FROM FREEMAN?) AND THIS LEAVES GONZO, CLEARLY OUR MOST TROUBLED HITTER (WASN’T THAT POLITE?) WHO MIGHT BE WALKED TO GET TO THE PITCHER…BETTER THAN STRIKING OUT, RIGHT?
1-BOURN (LH)
2-PRADO-(RH)
3-MCCANN (LH)
4-UGGLA (RH)
5-JONES (SW)
6-FREEMAN (LH)
7-HEYWARD (LH)
8-GONZALEZ (RH)
GOOD LUCK BRAVES…GOOD JOB FRANK WREN…MAKE WINS, NOT EXCUSES!!!
Dennis Reynolds
July 31st, 2011
8:21 pm
Jimmy, why in the world would you bat Prado 7th?! Are you crazy?
Prado is THE ideal 2 hole hitter for any team in the major leagues.
Jimmy
July 31st, 2011
8:54 pm
Heyward has done well in that role and he’s our superstar. Prado is good, but he’s not a star like Heyward.
CharlieAlphaBravo
July 31st, 2011
9:10 pm
“Alas, poor Schaefer, we knew him well.”
Apparantly not that waell…
Mitch McConnell's Chins
July 31st, 2011
9:39 pm
Bourn is a better fit for this team than Pence would have been, and without giving up a top pitching prospect as the Giants had to do. It makes no difference at all that he hits left-handed. In fact, that’s what you want. He’s a leadoff hitter with speed so he can beat out more hits batting from the left side. And we’ve picked up a good right-handed power hitter for the second half. Dan Uggla. We hope Constanza stays up and plays left when Chipper isn’t in the lineup. Bourn hitting first, Constanza second. Reminds us of Nixon, Sanders hitting one-two, at least from the speed standoint, and speed is what the team has lacked. We think this puts us in the playoffs.
Freddie G
July 31st, 2011
9:40 pm
@ GCS – Wren did not pull a Schuerholz as you stated and thank God for that, he remains true to his beliefs and stuck with his plan and therefore we still have our top prospects.
@ BERNIE your 1.25 P.M.- You stated that Heyward has done nothing in two years in the Majors and I must ask you which rock you crawled from?
or did you just got released from the assylum.
Mitch McConnell's Chins
July 31st, 2011
9:48 pm
Oops. We meant Beltran, not Pence. Little tired from all the arm-twisting today.
Horner's Corner
July 31st, 2011
10:00 pm
It sounds like the old dude in the clubhouse just lost his best friend. The one guy that was still young and dumb enough to listen to all his old war stories. Time for Chipper to retire.
isproab
July 31st, 2011
10:05 pm
I like this move. AWSOME!
Fred
July 31st, 2011
10:10 pm
Great deal..Glad Schafer is gone!
Keep Constanza his speed is great also.
Go get Willingham are Omar
Move Proctor and Nate…
If no JW are OI, then bring up Gartrell for RH power.
great job Wren..thanks!
DEPhilsPhan
July 31st, 2011
10:21 pm
I just checked and the Braves are still 6 back in the loss column with only 54 to play. If the Phillies continue to play at their current pace the Braves would need two nine game winning streaks between now and the end of the years to catch them. That is not happening…even with Michael Bourn.
You need to check Bourn’s stats… .271 hitter who strikes out more then 2 times for each walk. This year so far he has 30 walks and 90 strikeout. He can only steal if he can get on base and his lifetime OBA is only .338 which sucks for a lead off hitter.
Still playing for the wild card…if Bourn was so good the Giants would have taken him in a heartbeat.
greenjean
July 31st, 2011
10:41 pm
Will miss you in Houston! Love you in Louisiana too! Good luck Michael!!!!
DaveinNEPA
July 31st, 2011
10:41 pm
There’s an old axiom in baseball……………”get em on, get em over, get em in”!
Gettin them on hasn’t been much of a problem for us, it’s gettin them over and gettin them in has been a major problem for this team. Situational hitting and hitting w/RISP is terrible. Unless Mac, Freddie,Chipper, or lately Uggla are at bat, we don’t score anyone.
Bourn’s speed should be a huge addition but if these guys don’t start hitting with runners on base, our gooses are gonna be cooked come the postseason.
Grace
July 31st, 2011
10:44 pm
FANTASTIC move. Poor Schafer? Please. He just flat didn’t hit. If he’s like most of our trades tho watch out. His bat will magically come alive once he leaves.
Freddie G
July 31st, 2011
11:17 pm
Jason Heyward had two good plate appearance today that resulted in a double and a single. He has the ability to be very good if he stops trying to pull every pitch as the commentators stated today and like I have stated previously. I wonder if the Hitting coach and the others who have his ears have not brought this to his attention or is it that he is just stubborn. I am rooting for him and still believe he has the ability to be very good if he corrects this fault. His propensity to pull reminds me of Andruw Jones who would try to pull every pitch despite the efforts of T.P.and kept grounding out to third or short.
Last season during his wonderful rookie season I believe he homered to left field off a lefty so he has power to all fields and does not need to be constantly pulling the ouside pitches and grounding out to 2nd.
I cannot understand why so many folks have turned on him like they have, he is till young and if he correct the faults he will be scary, and will realize his early promise he demonstrated in the minor leagues.
truth
July 31st, 2011
11:18 pm
The truth is Bourn is an upgarde over Shafer but it isnt the trade we needed. We dont need a lead off guy or a guy who can steal bases. We need guys who can drive guys in. We have to lead the univers in runner LOB. We cannot bunt and we cannot hit sac flys. We cannot drive in runs. Now we will just leave guys on second and third more than we leave them at first now. We had Bourn today in Contanza but look how that ended up for us? 1st and 3rd no outs twice and we can dirve them in. Gonzo is trying to hit a homerun and pull the ball twice and killed us today. Get an RBI guy not a SB guy.
steve brown
July 31st, 2011
11:18 pm
I don’t know Schafer personally but those of you who really liked him (including Jones) need to explain why, as a ball player that is. In my eyes good field and no hit, but being I guess being a Jones buddy makes him special. Wake up people, Jones is more of a liability than asset and has been for some time now.
Freddie G
August 1st, 2011
12:12 am
@ 1991 Braves your 5:47PM – If see that you are still bashing Wren about the signing of Lowe, KK, Nate, Gonzo, and Uggla. I will explain all the above to you and hope you will follow:
Lowe – He was a last resort after Burnett spurned the Braves and went to the NY. Lowe however proved to be a better deal when compared his 16-12 win loss record last year compared to A.J. Burnett 10-15 and $20 Million less. At the time of signing Lowe Huddy was lost to injuries, Smoltz was douubtful and the prvious season we could hardly find a startin pitcher due to injuries. I would be happy to hear from you who were the better options available to Wren at the time.
K.K.- This was a risk but based on the cost, and the fact that we could have him for three years until our young pitchers were ready was worth the gamble.
Nate – When he came here he was a very good performer for the the Pirates, always killing Braves pitching and playing a good centerfield.
How would you know he would perform this poorly in a Braves uniform.
Gonzo – After his predecessor traded away Elvis to Texas in that horrible trade, he was forced to trade away Yunel to Toronto to satisfy Bobby. That trade hurts us greatly offensively, as Yunel would have provided more punch from the rightside to help our struggling offense. But that was a clubhouse issue and his back was to the wall in that situation.
Uggla – If you question the signing of Uggla based on his past performance over the last 4 years then I may not be able to help you and neither can anyone.
Why did you not mention the prospects he has in the pipeline and the emergence of Hanson, JJ, Freemen and Heyward. You seem to be the crazy one not me.