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© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1,858 comments Add your comment
Venice Jim
March 20th, 2012
3:17 pm
Sutton singles, but DP by Tyler…
CrαZy
March 20th, 2012
3:17 pm
Isn’t it the managers job to make sure the players aren’t doing something stupid. Sure JJ should let the umps know there’s a problem with the mound… but Fred should make sure the problem is dealt with!!
ChattTownBrian (CTB)
March 20th, 2012
3:18 pm
They’re just an average team Tomahawkin. I’m not looking forward to the team being any more than that this year. Too many questions with injuries and age on the team. They don’t stink though.
bravesgrl4life
March 20th, 2012
3:18 pm
Down to 2.
DS1
March 20th, 2012
3:20 pm
Al Kaline! Wow!
What I’d give to spend an hour with Al Kaline!
flange1
March 20th, 2012
3:20 pm
Am I understanding that some folks are blaming Fredi because of a problem on the mound?
Am I reading this right?
Venice Jim
March 20th, 2012
3:20 pm
CMart induces a grounder to first…
Venice Jim
March 20th, 2012
3:20 pm
Grounder to 2nd…
Braves Marketing Dept
March 20th, 2012
3:20 pm
I’m glad JJ isn’t concerned about his performance this spring. That being said, I would hate to see how he looked if he WAS concerned!
David O'Brien
March 20th, 2012
3:21 pm
Jurrjens has a 10.13 ERA in four starts, with 25 hits, 16 runs (15 earned) allowed in 13-1/3 innings, 10 walks and 8 Ks.
Fols
March 20th, 2012
3:21 pm
I have the funniest feeling that the offense is going to tear it up in April and you’ll all be changing your tune! lol
Does anyone else out there just have a similar feeling?
Venice Jim
March 20th, 2012
3:21 pm
They worked on the mound 3 (three) times…
DS1
March 20th, 2012
3:21 pm
flange
Yeah, because JJ wants his daddy to come out and rescue him……………
Venice Jim
March 20th, 2012
3:22 pm
Line drive to right ends the 7th…
DS1
March 20th, 2012
3:22 pm
Fols
Me too. But heck, I always feel that way……………
DS1
March 20th, 2012
3:24 pm
My guess is that if Roy Halladay or Tim Hudson had mound problems, you wouldn’ t have seen the same sort of body language out there.
B-F_52
March 20th, 2012
3:25 pm
Yes on the good feeling GO BRAVOS
Tomahawkin
March 20th, 2012
3:26 pm
ChattTownBrian (CTB)
“They’re just an average team Tomahawkin. I’m not looking forward to the team being any more than that this year. Too many questions with injuries and age on the team. ”
Seriously we Can’t come out looking like this in April because we are gonna need to take advantage of the Cake April Schedule…
We could drop 2 out of 3 In The Rotten Apple to start the season if we come out looking like this…
There should be concern for Double J’s performances because he is trade bait, seeing that Borash0ole is his agent….
Venice Jim
March 20th, 2012
3:26 pm
Bourn grounds out…
Fols
March 20th, 2012
3:26 pm
Thanks DS1…I knew somone did!
I know how it all ended, and this spring has done nothing to erase that but there’s just this feeling that when the season kicks off, we’ll go back to that well pitched team and the hits will come.
Meh, you can’t win while losing a game in a blog! Bring on the season already.
Owl Hunter
March 20th, 2012
3:27 pm
Good job Fredi. Leave a starter with knee problems out there while he’s getting shelled on a bad mound. In Spring Training. Great.
ChattTownBrian (CTB)
March 20th, 2012
3:27 pm
flange, I’m actually asking the same question to your question. I’m saying why the manager is leaving his pitcher in to pitch that’s coming off a knee problem on bad conditions where he’s falling down every other pitch in a practice game. JJ was already at his maxium amount pitches they wanted him to throw anyways.
Tomahawkin
March 20th, 2012
3:28 pm
Fols
“I have the funniest feeling that the offense is going to tear it up in April and you’ll all be changing your tune! lol
Does anyone else out there just have a similar feeling?”
Nope, because the team left their bats in Florida last year and in 2010 as well…And we all know that our lineup is full of streak hitters…
Venice Jim
March 20th, 2012
3:28 pm
Walk to Martin – Joey T running for him…
Owl Hunter
March 20th, 2012
3:28 pm
If we don’t have a good season, Fredi will not be the manager by the end of it.
ChattTownBrian (CTB)
March 20th, 2012
3:29 pm
Or what Owl Hunter just said. Much more simple and to the point.
Ease
March 20th, 2012
3:29 pm
Bring on the season already.
But its Spring Training! It is already here! Enough with the losing, it is time to win. Away with the lethargic lineups and poutty pitchers. Play some ball.
Fols
March 20th, 2012
3:30 pm
You guys have to reason we’re just a cyclical sports franchise like most others.
We started last season in a funk, Uggla’s hit streak gave us the ultimate peak, September back down and punished by the baseball gods for having an Uggla national hit streak story. We peaked again in January but there was no baseball to show for it, we’re down in March but this is good! Down in March is good dammit! Cause we’ll be back up in April when it counts.
Owl Hunter
March 20th, 2012
3:31 pm
Fredi has no capacity to pay attention to detail. I’m not sure he’s even awake during the entire game. I bet Wren is fuming whether or not he’ll say so publicly.
Monty
March 20th, 2012
3:33 pm
Seems like if JJ were really feeling good physically he would be pitching just a hair better. But at least his ST numbers don’t mean a thing, just like Minor’s.
Owl Hunter
March 20th, 2012
3:33 pm
Can’t say I’m very encouraged by JJ right now, but I’m not as worried about the team overall.
Jay Dubu
March 20th, 2012
3:33 pm
Braves are still losing ballgames. Nothing has changed from last season’s epic collaspe.
Pretty soon the regulars will be playing together on a daily bases to close out the Spring session, and if this losing continues, it will erode the confidnece of the team.
DS1
March 20th, 2012
3:33 pm
and I thought Jurrjens got his knee fixed?
Looked like to me Fredi wasn’t all that worried about him out there, or else he woulda pulled him.
Looked to me like Jurrjens didn’t know how to adapt, but then again, I like to hold people personally responsible vs having their daddy come out and take care of them.
B-F_52
March 20th, 2012
3:34 pm
good play Sutton
Owl Hunter
March 20th, 2012
3:34 pm
Monty
I don’t think he’s hurt, I just think he’s not throwing well. His stuff just looks rotten right now.
brian
March 20th, 2012
3:34 pm
the Tigers have an unforgiving lineup
TennesseePaul
March 20th, 2012
3:34 pm
Given equal starter performance between Medlen and Player B, the question then becomes, “which is better: Player B starting plus Medlen’s bullpen performance, or Medlen starting plus Player C’s bullpen performance?
I reject this premise. It isn’t “equal starter performance” it is an “equal goal,” “equal expectation” or “equal acceptable level of output” which is independent of the player. Secondly the premise also completely over looks other factors which come into play: options of relievers. performance of the three pitchers as to who earned the award. Financial costs of players long term/short term.
Example, the team might be better served by retaining one of these pitchers “out of options” one the team as it could be easier to get them into the minors a month after the season opens than it would be right as the season opens.
And lastly, the entire post diminished Medlen as nothing more than mid-innings arm fodder. I get your opinion that the “odds are long” with Medlen. I simply reject the notion that this means he should give up and/or never be given the chance.
ncscoots
March 20th, 2012
3:36 pm
Can’t say I’m very encouraged by JJ right now, but I’m not as worried about the team overall.
Breaking in those nu shooz, people. Bound to take a minute or two.
Owl Hunter
March 20th, 2012
3:36 pm
Medlen will get several starts this season.
Owl Hunter
March 20th, 2012
3:38 pm
It’s great to see Heyward hitting the ball hard regardless of whether or not the hits are falling right now. I think Greg Walker will be a good influence.
DS1
March 20th, 2012
3:38 pm
1-10
and then 4-2-2, almost 4-3-2.
I think I’ll wait until early May to get concerned about whether we suck or not.
Venice Jim
March 20th, 2012
3:39 pm
1-2-3 inning for Martinez – to the 9th…
ncscoots
March 20th, 2012
3:39 pm
I reject this premise.
Challenge! on “reject”.
Owl Hunter
March 20th, 2012
3:40 pm
Martinez will be very important this season.
Monty
March 20th, 2012
3:41 pm
Owl Hunter
Just blowin off a little steam about JJ. But it does make sense to me that if you truly are healthier, no pain anywhere, then you can just concentrate on your stuff and not worry about your knee. A pitcher’s stuff usually is like riding a bike unless you are working on a pitch. I understand velocity being down some, but I thought JJ went to a sinker last year and sacriced some MPH for downward movement? It’s not like he’s going to start hitting 95 once the season starts. Just seems a little disappointing so far.
bravesgrl4life
March 20th, 2012
3:41 pm
I think the Braves like the evening games on TV. That’s when they’ve been winning.
ncscoots
March 20th, 2012
3:41 pm
Medlen will get several starts this season.
Damn, I hope so, LOL. Might be the only way to get TennPaul off my case.
DS1
March 20th, 2012
3:41 pm
Parraz padding his stats.
Venice Jim
March 20th, 2012
3:42 pm
Time for a Bootcheck…
Venice Jim
March 20th, 2012
3:43 pm
Hinske flies to deep right off Bootcheck…
flange1
March 20th, 2012
3:43 pm
CTB,
I am not watching the game, I am at the office just reading the PbP from folks on here.
If the mound has a hole in it that a pitcher is slipping on, the pitcher needs to alert the umps to get the grounds crew to fix it.
I guess the manager can help with that (alerting the umps to get the grounds crew out)
This is not a new problem in the game, it happens often.
Venice Jim
March 20th, 2012
3:43 pm
Jason grounds to first…
Owl Hunter
March 20th, 2012
3:44 pm
Monty
I agree, but his overall command is pretty bad right now. I’m not so worried about his velocity. Hopefully he works it all out.
bravesgrl4life
March 20th, 2012
3:44 pm
Tigers owned the Braves this ST season. Sure hope they win on 3/31. I’ll be in the stands for that one with my nephew.
Jay Dubu
March 20th, 2012
3:44 pm
@Owl Hunter
If the Braves couldn’t remove a hitting coach that they knwew were making players worse during a strtch run to a playoff spot…don’t expect Fredi to go anywhere during the season.
Venice Jim
March 20th, 2012
3:44 pm
Parraz singles to left…
JC Brave
March 20th, 2012
3:44 pm
5th place?
Owl Hunter
March 20th, 2012
3:45 pm
flange1
Supposedly the ground crew worked on it three times. Fredi was taking his nap, and didn’t notice the problem.
Nick N' Richmond
March 20th, 2012
3:45 pm
If JJ is the Opening Day starter in NY, I know what the Baseball Tonight Boys will be talking about; “The NY Mets are back on top! Look at how they came together as a team against Jair Jurrgens tonight.” It will be embarrassing. Granted, if his next few outings are like this one, I wouldn’t be surprised if Brandon Beachy would be opening up against Pelfrey/Santana.
Venice Jim
March 20th, 2012
3:46 pm
Jose Yepez pops to short to end the game…
Murph
March 20th, 2012
3:46 pm
I have the funniest feeling that the offense is going to tear it up in April and you’ll all be changing your tune! lol
They’re going to have to tear it up if they want to win given that the pitching staff right now has a 20.45 ERA.
* Before you correct me and throw a big JJ hissy fit about my numbers, please note that I did not actually do the math to calculate the ERA, it was just a guess.
Owl Hunter
March 20th, 2012
3:47 pm
Jay
They weren’t going to make a change like that while we were still in contention. I think Fredi is making too many boneheaded decisions, and Wren will pull the trigger if we fall out of contention early.
Owl Hunter
March 20th, 2012
3:48 pm
I’d give Opening Day to Beachy.
Monty
March 20th, 2012
3:48 pm
ncscoots-”Breaking in those nu shooz, people”
Must have something like Forrest Gump wore then. I thought they had made improvements. Insert smiley face here.
DS1
March 20th, 2012
3:48 pm
flange
The ground crew was out at least once (I was listening and sort of watching). Verlander also didn’t like that Jurrjens was creating a hole by the way he was planting.
But Jurrjens was looking a bit like a pre-madonna the way he was reacting to the issue.
But as some on here would say, his daddy should have come out and rescued him from the bad old mound.
Gotta run folks……….
Venice Jim
March 20th, 2012
3:49 pm
Wayne – 3 times…
ncscoots
March 20th, 2012
3:50 pm
Must have something like Forrest Gump wore then.
‘Course, Jair pitched kinda like a box of chocolates today, too, so maybe it’s all good.
Nick N' Richmond
March 20th, 2012
3:50 pm
I wouldn’t be surprised if (at least) by the time Huddy comes back that whomever is the 5th guy will be sticking around. I have a gut feeling JJ will be out with a Knee injury (or worse arm injury) by then. If he takes pressure off his knee and more on his arm, that cannot be good.
Owl Hunter
March 20th, 2012
3:51 pm
DS1
In the case of JJ and the mound, using your head and keeping your starter healthy is more important than pride.
Owl Hunter
March 20th, 2012
3:53 pm
Oswalt would look good ina Braves uni right about now.
DS1
March 20th, 2012
3:53 pm
VJ
Yeah, I thought it was 3, but wasn’t paying much attention until the announcers started emphasizing it.
Jurrjens will be OK this year. Besides, his issue was with his right knee, not his plant knee.
Monty
March 20th, 2012
3:53 pm
Gotta be the shoes!
DS1
March 20th, 2012
3:54 pm
Owl Hunter
Or babying your pre madonna pitcher? Poppycock!
Time to grow a pair JJ.
Owl Hunter
March 20th, 2012
3:57 pm
DS1
Baseball is a business. There are millions of dollars tied up with JJ. The guy is always hurt. The SMART thing to do is to do what one can to keep him from reinjuring himself. If he needs to be pulled from a meaningless spring training game because of poor conditions, that’s what needs to happen. You can have all the b@llz in the world, but they are useless on the DL.
Monty
March 20th, 2012
3:58 pm
THings would really be going in our favor if JJ, Hanson , and Huddy all come back strong and return to form. Not sure how likely that is for all 3.
ncscoots
March 20th, 2012
3:58 pm
Besides, his issue was with his right knee, not his plant knee.
He could be having trouble finding his balance point while wearing the brace, he could be still a little reticent to drive off the leg, could be a bunch of stuff. Or none of it. Might be nothing but rust and comfort. Nobody will know until they play for real.
Monty
March 20th, 2012
3:59 pm
Owl Hunter-”If he needs to be pulled from a meaningless spring training game because of poor conditions, that’s what needs to happen.”
I concur.
Owl Hunter
March 20th, 2012
4:00 pm
I’m not in love with the Braves training staff these days.
Murph
March 20th, 2012
4:01 pm
He could be having trouble finding his balance point while wearing the brace
Put a brace on his other knee and, ta-da, balanced!
I personally think JJ is tanking on purpose. I have no evidence or even a theory to back that up, though. I just get the impression that he’d rather be playing video games and getting fat than pitching.
Monty
March 20th, 2012
4:01 pm
Anyone know when JJ said he started throwing again?
DS1
March 20th, 2012
4:02 pm
The current Peyton Manning situation reminds me a bit of the Joe Montana saga of 20 years ago.
Owl Hunter
Sorry, I guess we can just disagree. I think the kid needs to pitch enough to get used to that knee brace. Maybe he never comes back to where he was before the All Star game last year, but I just don’t believe that babying a pitcher helps him much.
Later folks.
Owl Hunter
March 20th, 2012
4:03 pm
DS1
There are definitely times to gut it out, but you have to be more cautious in Spring Training.
ncscoots
March 20th, 2012
4:03 pm
I have no evidence or even a theory to back that up, though.
That doesn’t stop anybody else here, me included, LOL.
Murph
March 20th, 2012
4:04 pm
Anyone know when JJ said he started throwing again?
Has he started yet? Or are you counting throwing underhand as throwing?
Lew
March 20th, 2012
4:04 pm
Starting or relieving, I think Medlen is going to get his share of IP either way.
Owl Hunter
March 20th, 2012
4:06 pm
Don’t be suprised to see us trade for a RH reliever before the season.
noleee
March 20th, 2012
4:12 pm
is there a 6th place in the NL East?
Ouch, damn pieces of sky….
Trader Jack
March 20th, 2012
4:12 pm
Murph
The Braves ERA prior to today’s game was 4.81, 11th out of 16, but their WHIP was 1.55 ties for worst in the league
MFin04
March 20th, 2012
4:12 pm
Well…
Tigers still own the Braves.
Jurrjens is looking better, they might want to fix the mound for him though. Wow.
Braves are idiots for not having Vizcaino surgery last year when most of the intelligent bloggers here predicted he would end up needed surgery this year. And oh wait…he did.
noleee
March 20th, 2012
4:14 pm
you don’t think a bum right knee would bother a right handed pitcher?
Owl Hunter
March 20th, 2012
4:14 pm
MFin04
I agree of Viz. I saw this coming a mile away. Fortunately he’s only 21 years old.
MFin04
March 20th, 2012
4:15 pm
Jurrjens pitched pretty well. The first inning was full of errors…that was the first joke run. Had a little trouble in the other inning, but a guy with a 1.700 OPS went yard on him, lol. The last inning was a joke with the mound and balance and all.
He should be more than fine to start the season. A lot of other outs were weak fly outs.
cabravesfan
March 20th, 2012
4:17 pm
Braves are idiots for not having Vizcaino surgery last year when most of the intelligent bloggers here predicted he would end up needed surgery this year.
Sooo….They should have forced an uninjured pitcher to have major arm surgery based on some bloggers thinking he might need it later? There is not a team, player, or doctor on earth that would have done that…
Murph
March 20th, 2012
4:17 pm
So is JJ having a horrible spring because of his knee? If so, is there some reason the team signed off on him using a brace rather than going under the knife?
I’d think if he were blaming his knee he’d be highly motivated to get it fixed. His value drops with every inning pitched.
By the time he hits free agency he might actually be affordable… question is, will the Braves even want him anymore?
noleee
March 20th, 2012
4:19 pm
he wasn’t uninjured
Murph
March 20th, 2012
4:21 pm
Jurrjens pitched pretty well.
I didn’t watch the game, but how is 8H, 7R (6ER), 2BB, 2HR, and 2K a good outing? Are our standards for JJ now so low that we call that a good game?
unbelievable
March 20th, 2012
4:21 pm
JJ had a partial tear. Im not sure how thats being “uninjured”.
Lew
March 20th, 2012
4:21 pm
He’s already had surgery on it at least once.
Owl Hunter
March 20th, 2012
4:23 pm
cabravesfan
Viz had damage in that ligament the whole time. He was trying to pitch through it. This was inevitable, and they should have taken care of it sooner.
unbelievable
March 20th, 2012
4:24 pm
Lew, I dont believe he’s ever had surgery before. Braves chose rest over surgery with the previous tear. I think he’s had some shoulder issues also.