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Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1,953 comments Add your comment
MFin04
March 27th, 2012
11:59 am
“We all know that April games count just as much as September games.”
Disagree. We ALL don’t know that. Certainly not the Braves front office who prefers to fix things half way to three-quarters of the way through the season, rather than at the beginning of the year.
ncbravesfan
March 27th, 2012
12:01 pm
If he doesn’t cost much in the players Chicago would want in return, I like the thought of Byrd. He’s a better hitter than any of our internal options, plus he’s in a contract year so should be extra motivated to perform. He can play all three OF positions and could spell Bourn and Heyward, as well as play LF when Prado has to move to 3B (and we know that’s going to be often.
CF Bourn
LF Byrd
C McCann
2B Uggla
1B Freeman
3B Prado
RF Heyward
SS Pastornicky
That’s not a bad lineup to run out there on opening day.
Coach (2012 Fredi's beisbol fandango)
March 27th, 2012
12:02 pm
ANDRUW JONES…..HALL OF FAME
http://www.thefastertimes.com/baseballbythenumbers/2012/01/03/another-look-at-andruw-jones/
Owl Hunter
March 27th, 2012
12:02 pm
MFin04
How easy do you think it is to make deals at thebeginning of the year? You have to wait for teams to fall out of contention. The Astros are going to suck this year, bu tell them that. Everyone is optimistic right now. Wait til their hopes are crushed. The Braves aren’t really doing anything different than anyone else.
reckingball
March 27th, 2012
12:02 pm
NL East Div. 2012
1. Braves
2. Nats or Phils
4. Fish
5. Metros
That is how I think that it will look at the end of this season.
Go Braves!
Owl Hunter
March 27th, 2012
12:04 pm
By the way, Gil made a lot of good points in his long post.
George
March 27th, 2012
12:04 pm
ncscoots 11:59
It is looking more and more like NEVER.
MFin04
March 27th, 2012
12:05 pm
“The Braves aren’t really doing anything different than anyone else.”
You do know that teams can make moves in the off-season via trades and free agency right? Or at least the Phillies, Marlins, and Nats do. Not sure if the Braves have quite figured out this cool thing called the off-season yet.
It is where you identify your needs as a team and fix them.
Especially if they can’t be fixed internally.
Owl Hunter
March 27th, 2012
12:06 pm
I can’t wait for people here to change their tune if Heyward starts hitting. “I was with him the whole time…” Haha.
Robert in Chicago
March 27th, 2012
12:06 pm
I’m interested to know who these other “lesser available Cubs” are that DOB mentioned in his paragraph about Byrd/Venable. Utility guys that may be a decent fit (Blake Dewitt, Jeff Baker) seem like they’d be just as available as Byrd. I don’t think the Braves need Garza or Dempster enough to pay what it would take to get them (and it’s not clear that Dempster would improve the Braves rotation anyway). Castro is untouchable, so it seems unlikely the Braves would even waste their time asking about him.
Darwin Barney, maybe? He doesn’t really fit the profile of a typical Epstein player, so he probably wouldn’t be untouchable. He came up as a shortstop, and his defense is kind of wasted at 2B. He could be worth looking into if the Braves have soured on Pastornicky.
Lew
March 27th, 2012
12:07 pm
How about that – Coach knows how to find other idiots with opinions that have little to no bais in fact.
Owl Hunter
March 27th, 2012
12:07 pm
MFin04
This might be the only offseason where the Braves haven’t made a major move. Obviously the right deal wasn’t there. Sometimes it’s about the trade you don’t make. You people have very short memories.
Murph
March 27th, 2012
12:07 pm
How soon? Today? Thursday? Opening Day? April 7? When?
Soon.
Let me ask you this, scoots. How long would you allow a .180 hitting Heyward to remain in the starting lineup? All season, half a season, two months? If you decided to pull him, what would you do with him? Bench? AAA?
Maybe this team is strong enough to survive with just Prado/Freeman/Uggla/McCann… maybe it’s not. I don’t know of many MLB teams that would allow for zero production from a starting position player forever…
DAP
March 27th, 2012
12:08 pm
i think beachy and minor will both be huge for us this year. and we need them to be.
Canes
March 27th, 2012
12:09 pm
I dont understand y everyone is sipping on the nats kool-aid. Morse still has to prove he can do it again, werth has been worthless, other than zimmerman the rest of the line-up still has to do it again for another season.
Owl Hunter
March 27th, 2012
12:09 pm
DAP
Agree and agree.
Braves Fan
March 27th, 2012
12:09 pm
Enough with the predictions. Just play the game and see what happens. UGA fans are always predicting a title run yet their teams always suck.
Coach (2012 Fredi's beisbol fandango)
March 27th, 2012
12:10 pm
ANDRUW JONES …HALL OF FAME
http://www.theyankeeu.com/2011/01/is-andruw-jones-a-hofer-24480
Murph
March 27th, 2012
12:10 pm
I can’t wait for people here to change their tune if Heyward starts hitting. “I was with him the whole time…” Haha.
I’ll be one of the first to stand up and cheer if he does start hitting again… and I’ll be one of the first to say how pleasantly surprised I am, that I never thought the day would come.
I want him to do well. I think most of his skeptics do. Much like bigfoot or the lochness monster, though, I’m waiting for definitive proof before I jump on the bandwagon.
Owl Hunter
March 27th, 2012
12:11 pm
I’m tired of everyone acting like every other FO in baseball are geniuses who do everything right, and the Braves are bumbling fools because they didn’t sign Pujols. STUDY baseball. Observe other teams. Maybe then, you’ll quit whining, and look at things realistically.
Owl Hunter
March 27th, 2012
12:12 pm
Wren doesn’t take fan opinion into consideration when deciding whether or not to make moves, and he’s correct for not doing so.
Braves Fan
March 27th, 2012
12:13 pm
“If he doesn’t cost much in the players Chicago would want in return, I like the thought of Byrd.”
We have a good track record of getting players from the Cubs. See: Maddux
Owl Hunter
March 27th, 2012
12:13 pm
Murph
You just made me wish Heyward was Scottish for nickname’s sake.
Coach (2012 Fredi's beisbol fandango)
March 27th, 2012
12:13 pm
So Joel Sherman is an idiot and Lew must be Jesus in a fat suit !
Owl Hunter
March 27th, 2012
12:14 pm
Braves Fan
We didn’t exactly get Maddux from the Cubs. He was a free agent
Gil in Mechanicsville
March 27th, 2012
12:14 pm
Under the heading of On NO They Didn’t Here is a backhanded slap at Tiger and his recent win…
Sorry folks, but I had to laugh….
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/golf-devil-ball-golf/york-post-kinda-sorta-congratulates-tiger-woods-win-170535794.html;_ylt=As5EJrdg8kLqxTBBa1MVxOM5nYcB
Braves Fan
March 27th, 2012
12:14 pm
“We didn’t exactly get Maddux from the Cubs. He was a free agent”
And the Braves got him.
Owl Hunter
March 27th, 2012
12:14 pm
Coach
Do you actually have anything of substance to say?
Owl Hunter
March 27th, 2012
12:15 pm
You know what I mean. I hope.
Coach (2012 Fredi's beisbol fandango)
March 27th, 2012
12:15 pm
ANDRUW JONES….HALL OF FAME
http://sabeermetrics.blogspot.com/2012/01/quick-and-dirty-hof-case-for-larry.html
MFin04
March 27th, 2012
12:15 pm
“You people have very short memories”
Short memories? Remind me of an opening day where we had a complete starting outfield? One that didn’t include, Loaf, Melky, McLouth, Schafer, etc.
I really don’t have a problem with Prado, Bourn, and a rookie year Heyward…but I don’t know which Heyward we are going to get, and Prado isn’t going to be playing LF (who would have ever thought Chipper would get hurt? Couldn’t predict that, that’s for sure.)
Braves knew they needed another outfielder and have needed one for years, and decided on Diaz/Hinske/Parraz/Constanza/Durango.
George
March 27th, 2012
12:16 pm
East Division
PHI 90-72
MIA 87-75
WAS 86-76
ATL 84-78
NY 60-102
BLK09GT
March 27th, 2012
12:17 pm
Just a little correction to what I said earlier. Medlen was 5-0 as a starter, 1-2 in relief in 2010
Braves Fan
March 27th, 2012
12:17 pm
“Braves knew they needed another outfielder and have needed one for years”
They know it but the owners won’t give them the money to buy one.
Coach (2012 Fredi's beisbol fandango)
March 27th, 2012
12:17 pm
Owl Hunter
March 27th, 2012
12:14 pm
Coach
Do you actually have anything of substance to say?
>>>>>>
Do you?
Braves Fan
March 27th, 2012
12:18 pm
George
No way 4 out of 5 of those teams end with winning records. The Nats are waaaaaay overrated. The Marlins are ok but not great. Ozzie is so unpredictable. I think their new logo will ruin them.
Coach (2012 Fredi's beisbol fandango)
March 27th, 2012
12:18 pm
ANDRUW JONES…..HALL OF FAME
http://mlb.sbnation.com/2012/2/22/2814484/andruw-jones-knee-hall-of-fame
Owl Hunter
March 27th, 2012
12:18 pm
MFin04
You phrased your argument as though the Braves never make trades or free agent signings in the offseason. That is not true. Every team opens the season with question marks.
Braves Fan
March 27th, 2012
12:19 pm
“You know what I mean. I hope.”
I know what you mean to mean but I don’t think it means what you think it means.
Braves Fan
March 27th, 2012
12:20 pm
“You phrased your argument as though the Braves never make trades or free agent signings in the offseason. ”
The Braves have not made a great trade since the 90s. The Tex trade was a massive disaster and costs us some great players which have gone on to the WS twice in 3 years.
Owl Hunter
March 27th, 2012
12:21 pm
Coach
Yes. And I have been. I guess you’ve answered my question. Back to real conversations.
Jimmy
March 27th, 2012
12:21 pm
BLK09GT – Correction??
Just leave facts at the door when you enter this blog.
Coach – You’ve exceeded your link posts for the month.
MFin04
March 27th, 2012
12:21 pm
“You phrased your argument as though the Braves never make trades or free agent signings in the offseason”
I’m waiting on your extensive list. Dan Uggla…that’s about it.
Gil in Mechanicsville
March 27th, 2012
12:21 pm
Owl Hunter
March 27th, 2012
12:14 pm
Coach
Do you actually have anything of substance to say?
>>>>>>
Do you?
CAT FIGHT… CAT FIGHT….
Owl Hunter
March 27th, 2012
12:21 pm
Braves fan
Uggla was a great trade. Not a great extension, but a great trade.
Owl Hunter
March 27th, 2012
12:22 pm
Hudson was also a great trade. Who did we give up for him? Exactly.
Braves Fan
March 27th, 2012
12:22 pm
“Uggla was a great trade. Not a great extension, but a great trade.”
No it wasn’t.
Owl Hunter
March 27th, 2012
12:23 pm
JJ for Renteria ultimately paid off.
Lew
March 27th, 2012
12:23 pm
Coach (beisbol Moonpie, we won’t win for another forty years cause I said so) – Have you ever had an original idea and come up with bona fide facts to support it? Or are you just a parrot at heart?
Braves Fan
March 27th, 2012
12:23 pm
“Hudson was also a great trade. Who did we give up for him? Exactly.”
Hudson was a good trade. Not great. Hudson is a good number 3 or 4 pitcher. If you want great, see Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz. Hudson is nowhere near that league.
Braves Fan
March 27th, 2012
12:24 pm
“JJ for Renteria ultimately paid off.”
Renteria was nice but he left. JJ? If he can make it through an entire season without getting hurt, sure.
Heisenberg
March 27th, 2012
12:25 pm
I think Juan Cruz and a rookie left handed hitting left fielder for Husdon.
Owl Hunter
March 27th, 2012
12:25 pm
Braves fan
Exacctly what unreplaceable player did we give up for Uggla. Infante is dime a dozen at this point in his career. Dunn? Really? Come on man. You’re arguing for argument’s sake. Uggla was staright up theft. We just paid him too mauch afterward.
BLK09GT
March 27th, 2012
12:25 pm
Coach we get it. He should be considered for the HOF. I agree with some of the articles you linked. Defense should be more heavily weighed (no pun intended) when considering HOF canidates outside of SS. Then again if AJones kept himself in better shape, there would be no doubt in some people’s minds.
Gil in Mechanicsville
March 27th, 2012
12:26 pm
In all fairness, JS was trying to get the Braves back to the play offs. Rather than start over form scratch and wait (hope) for the kids to develop. He went all in on Texiera. Well, it didn’t work out and the Braves have been trying to get over it ever since.
Jimmy
March 27th, 2012
12:26 pm
“Uggla was a great trade. Not a great extension, but a great trade.”
“No it wasn’t.”
This should be followed by a:
“Says who?”
“Says me!”
And at some point, the “takes one to know one” will appear.
Owl Hunter
March 27th, 2012
12:26 pm
Braves fan
What kind of “great trade” would you have made this offseason?
Owl Hunter
March 27th, 2012
12:27 pm
Heisenberg
Don’t forget the great Dan Meyer!
MFin04
March 27th, 2012
12:27 pm
Seriously…we have to go back to Tex, Hudson, and Jair Jurrjens?
I thought we were talking about you know the recent Braves team? Not like collective history of the Braves.
Braves have had a glaring need in the outfield for years now…and haven’t fixed it. This year they had a need in the OF and at SS. They decided to go with an in house option for SS, that’s fine, but make sure you at least get an impact outfielder. Better to have too many options than too few. Especially when you know Martin Prado is able to play 2B/3B/1B/LF/RF. Gives you a lot of options.
Owl Hunter
March 27th, 2012
12:27 pm
Unintentional Gene Mauch referrence
Braves Fan
March 27th, 2012
12:28 pm
“Exacctly what unreplaceable player did we give up for Uggla. Infante is dime a dozen at this point in his career. Dunn? Really? Come on man. You’re arguing for argument’s sake. Uggla was staright up theft. We just paid him too mauch afterward.”
Let me know how Uggla pays off. The last great trade was for Fred McGriff and we won the World Series.
reckingball
March 27th, 2012
12:30 pm
No Way, do the Fish finish 2nd in the div.
The fish will fade, 4th place, outside chance of 3rd.
Braves Fan
March 27th, 2012
12:30 pm
“What kind of “great trade” would you have made this offseason?”
1: You need money for great trades.
2: You need great GM’s for great trades.
Make sense?
Braves fans have settled for crap since the 90s. Start going to games, sell out tickets and then get the press, aka AJC writers, to start hammering management. That’s about the only way to do it.
Heisenberg
March 27th, 2012
12:30 pm
Just going off memory on the Hudson trade so not surprised I left someone off. Cannot remember the outfielder name but he had a good rookie season for Braves.
Owl Hunter
March 27th, 2012
12:30 pm
Uggla has already given us more than Infante and Dunn would have. That trade was criminal.
Jimmy
March 27th, 2012
12:30 pm
30 minutes or so from gametime. I saw earlier where VJ will be here.
Coach (2012 Fredi's beisbol fandango)
March 27th, 2012
12:30 pm
Rob Neyer and Joel Sherman aren’t even Braves fans. They are baseball fans. Which separates the men from the boys.
You see, the problem with some people is that they always eat from the same trough. Never giving credit or respect to baseball players who no longer wear the Braves Tomahawk. The very same so called fans trashed Glavine when he left and such behavior has little to do with the game. It’s the usual inclusive thinking…our grass is greener than your grass. Our players are better simply because they are Braves. Once they leave, they suck. Such thinking discredits baseball altogether and leaves some on the outside unable to rationalize between right and wrong.
George
March 27th, 2012
12:31 pm
I really enjoyed watching ANDRUW JONES play CF in the 1990s, but HOF material NO. He had to many very bad years after letting himself get out of shape, both with us and LA. I am pleased he has made a partcial comaback with YANKEES.
Braves Fan
March 27th, 2012
12:31 pm
“What kind of “great trade” would you have made this offseason?”
Well, the Cards got Oswalt from the Phils. That’s one that could have happend for Atlanta. We could always use another solid pitcher for when Hanson and JJ go down with a hang nail.
Owl Hunter
March 27th, 2012
12:31 pm
Heisenberg
Charles Thomas. I was bummed that we traded him at the time. Ooops!
Braves fan
“Hammering management” is how beat writers lose access.
George
March 27th, 2012
12:32 pm
comeback* sorry typo
Braves Fan
March 27th, 2012
12:32 pm
“Cannot remember the outfielder name but he had a good rookie season for Braves.”
Frenchy.
Braves Fan
March 27th, 2012
12:33 pm
“Uggla has already given us more than Infante and Dunn would have.”
Dunn will most likely come back this year for the Sox. I’m not saying Uggla is a bad player, just not great. He’s average. If you like average then you’re fine. If you want wins, get someone else.
Owl Hunter
March 27th, 2012
12:33 pm
Braves Fan
We didn’t need a starter last season. We needed offense. You don’t just trade to make a trade. We couldn’t afford Oswalt. The Phils could.
Jimmy
March 27th, 2012
12:33 pm
Owl Hunter – Yeah, I agree with the Uggla trade. I had no problem with the extension either, but I didn’t know about the 25 year TV contract we were locked into.
Tomahawkin
March 27th, 2012
12:34 pm
Gil in Mechanicsville
March 27th, 2012
12:21 pm
Owl Hunter
“Coach
Do you actually have anything of substance to say?”
>>>>>>
Do you?
“CAT FIGHT… CAT FIGHT…. ”
Cat Fight will turn into a Royal Rumble on here when the season starts…
Watch and Bank On It
Especially if we drop 2 out of 3 In The Rotten Apple
Owl Hunter
March 27th, 2012
12:34 pm
Dunn > Uggla. I’m done with this. SMH
Braves Fan
March 27th, 2012
12:34 pm
“Hammering management” is how beat writers lose access.”
Access to what? It’s not like Atlanta is NYC. Fans have become tired of the Braves going to the postseason and losing. It got old for 13 out of 14 years.
Gil in Mechanicsville
March 27th, 2012
12:34 pm
The Hudson was a very good trade for the Braves, Oakland was hoping Chucky T was going to continue being a .400 hitter but they really could not afford Hudson any longer and had to unload him. Much like Atlanta is becoming, but different.
In order to be a perennial World Series caliber team, you have to be willing to spend the money it takes to be there. Then you have to be lucky as hell and pray your star players don’t tank or get hurt (often not mutually exclusive) at the most inopportune time…
Owl Hunter
March 27th, 2012
12:34 pm
Jimmy
Don’t make me think about that TV deal. That will screw us worse than any management decision.
Braves Fan
March 27th, 2012
12:35 pm
“You don’t just trade to make a trade. We couldn’t afford Oswalt. The Phils could.”
LOL!!!! The Phils got Oswalt for NOTHING. Try again. We could always use pitching. You could have used Oswalt as leverage for an outfielder from another team.
Tomahawkin
March 27th, 2012
12:35 pm
Well George
A. Jones might be the last Braves who will ever hit 50+ homers in a season for the next 25+ years
Arkansas Transplant
March 27th, 2012
12:35 pm
Everyone is making “great trades” except the Braves!
Braves Fan
March 27th, 2012
12:36 pm
“Dunn > Uggla. ”
And both teams were left out of the postseason.
Braves Fan
March 27th, 2012
12:36 pm
“Everyone is making “great trades” except the Braves!”
EXACTLY!
Owl Hunter
March 27th, 2012
12:36 pm
Gil
I think if things were different, Wren would sepnd whatever he could. Liberty lets him sepnd whatever the team makes, which is smart business. I think Wren is smart with the money in general. Look at where we are, and look at the Orioles. They spend alot too.
Owl Hunter
March 27th, 2012
12:37 pm
Tell me the last “great trade” the Astros made. Or the Mets.
Heisenberg
March 27th, 2012
12:38 pm
Yeah Charles Thomas, that was the guy. Braves eventually got the better end on that one. Frenchy was a different trade. Both teams lost on the Frenchy trade…a scapegoat for a scapegoat.
bravesgrl4life
March 27th, 2012
12:39 pm
Dear Heavens, please let the regular bloggers be here in-game to talk the game and not the endless debates about Andruw’s HOF possibilities . And for those of you who think Uggla was not a good “get” – tell that to the number of HRs he’ll hit this year. 6 in ST already. Here’s to him hitting a few more before the end of ST.
Gil in Mechanicsville
March 27th, 2012
12:40 pm
Access to what? It’s not like Atlanta is NYC. Fans have become tired of the Braves going to the postseason and losing. It got old for 13 out of 14 years
Not nearly as old as not getting to the post season at all. After 15 year s of success, I think many Atlanta Braves grew spoiled. They did not remember the “good old days” when the outfield in Atlanta was usually set after the other teams made their final cuts in spring training and the Braves would pick up players off the waiver wire…. Yeah, I remember what it was like…
I think a lot of folks in the south took the team for granted.
Owl Hunter
March 27th, 2012
12:41 pm
Heisenberg
Dead on about the Frenchy trade. I thought Church could be useful, but that concussion did him in.
Bravesgirl
With you on Uggla.
Arkansas Transplant
March 27th, 2012
12:41 pm
Actually I’d agree with you on some of the things your saying but not all have been a wash…
I’d had tried for the Oswalt trade and in return used the added depth as leverage. But I wouldn’t exactly exclaim that the Hudson trade was only good, not great. When you get a player of that calliber at a low cost of nothing, then it can pretty much be classified as great. Whether or not you see Hudson as a number 1 or 2 starter.
Owl Hunter
March 27th, 2012
12:41 pm
Gil
All good points.
Braves Fan
March 27th, 2012
12:43 pm
“Tell me the last “great trade” the Astros made. Or the Mets.”
Who cares? Astros, Mets and Braves didn’t make the playoffs last year.
Braves Fan
March 27th, 2012
12:44 pm
“After 15 year s of success, I think many Atlanta Braves grew spoiled.
Yeah, but you left out the fact that a lot of MLB fans got pissed off about the 94 strike. Glavine was head of the players union at the time and that REALLY pissed off ATL fans.
Jimmy
March 27th, 2012
12:44 pm
Braves Fan -” I’m not saying Uggla is a bad player, just not great. He’s average.”
You can’t be serious with that statement. You are saying he is a average second baseman? Have you looked at what he has done in his career? Do you need Coach to pull some links for you to read?
Say what you want, but Uggla is not average.
George
March 27th, 2012
12:44 pm
Braves Fan
March 27th, 2012
12:36 pm
“Everyone is making “great trades” except the Braves!”
EXACTLY!
**************************************************************
I would have liked to have seen us do something in the off season. I cannot see standing pat with a team finishing like we did last year.
Owl Hunter
March 27th, 2012
12:45 pm
Braves Fan
Then why are you agreeing with the statement that “all” teams are making great trades except the Braves?
Braves Fan
March 27th, 2012
12:45 pm
“When you get a player of that calliber at a low cost of nothing, then it can pretty much be classified as great. Whether or not you see Hudson as a number 1 or 2 starter.”
I have higher standards for pitching. Hudson is a really good pitcher but not a great one. We’ll just have to agree to disagree.
David O'Brien
March 27th, 2012
12:46 pm
Robert Fish, the lefty Braves got in Rule 5 draft, will see Dr. Andrews next week for second opinion on sore elbow. (For those wondering, if and while DL’d he doesn’t have to be offered back to former team or clear waivers, etc.)