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Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1,068 comments Add your comment
Sopheee
April 30th, 2012
2:34 pm
I normally wouldn’t either but it’s getting kind of old now.
DAP
April 30th, 2012
2:35 pm
the marlins are losing big again today, which is good to see. itll put them 6 full games behind us in the standings. i want as much distance as we can get away from these teams.
by the way, the mets in 2nd place at this point surprises me more than the nats tied for 1st or the marlins in last. the mets are hanging tough. everyone thought they were the worst team in a good division, which still probably made them good enough to be middle of the pack in the NL.
TennesseePaul
April 30th, 2012
2:37 pm
few of those things will still be the case in a few months?
I would. Else we shall all concern ourselves that McCann has a .311 OBP right now and he doesn’t even like that band.
ncscoots
April 30th, 2012
2:39 pm
I’m not sold that Freddie will hit for quite as high a BA and OBP as some here think he will
As far as his OBP, the kid has always liked to swing the bat. Not a hacker at all, but he has always liked to whale on the first hitter’s strike he sees.
Bay Area Steve
April 30th, 2012
2:40 pm
“for pointing out that they are fake”
Yeah, a real Columbo you are. How would we ever know…
woman in the throes
April 30th, 2012
2:41 pm
Don’t know about the BA or the 30 HR but I don’t believe Freddie is a 304 OBP guy and I wouldn’t think about screwing with a lineup that is producing like this one is currently. I believe he and Heyward will be relatively big OBP guys for most of their careers. Dang, they’re barely old enough to drink.
Gene
April 30th, 2012
2:42 pm
There seems to be no big weakness in this Braves team. This will be an interesting week and a chance for a little payback v the Phillies.
Brooklyn Braves Brawler
April 30th, 2012
2:45 pm
The Tex trade was brutal in hindsight, that said what were we gonna do. Buddy Carlisle and Jorge Campillo were starting games that year.
KK had heart one of my favorites, just could not cut it MLB, it happens
nolie
April 30th, 2012
2:45 pm
nobody said he was a 304 hitter, or anywhere near it
nolie
April 30th, 2012
2:46 pm
not sure just how brutal it really was.
ncscoots
April 30th, 2012
2:47 pm
I wouldn’t think about screwing with a lineup that is producing like this one is currently.
Well, nobody else worthy of the 3 hole is exactly raking, either. If Fredo is sold on the idea of hitting Chipper lower because of continuity, I don’t know that any lineup changes would be more than just cosmetic.
Murph
April 30th, 2012
2:48 pm
Yeah, a real Columbo you are. How would we ever know…
Dunno… that’s why I pointed it out.
Shaun
April 30th, 2012
2:48 pm
woman in the throes, swing rates normalize pretty quickly. And Freeman’s plate discipline has always been the most concerning part of his game. That said, he’s still a good enough hitter and has enough power to provide enough value to keep the Braves chugging along offensively, even at firstbase.
Patrick
April 30th, 2012
2:49 pm
FU Lowe!
Besides 1 month, Lowe NEVER pitched that good for us.
Bastard…
JeanE
April 30th, 2012
2:50 pm
I hate the new jerseys, they just look dirty. I like the white or red. Guess I’m in the minority. Diaz better get to play against Hamels Tues!! He hasn’t played in forever, a fact that makes many people happy giddy, I’m sure.
woman in the throes
April 30th, 2012
2:50 pm
I don’t see him being a 400 OBP guy at all but I do think he’ll walk a bit more than he is so far this year and he is missing a lot of pitches the last few games. I’d see him as a 340-350 or so OBP type hitter. Do you agree?
richbrave
April 30th, 2012
2:52 pm
Easing the month of April out the door with a little WAYMAN TISDALE – Can’t hide love.
Orange Brave f/k/a Billy Jack's BBQ
April 30th, 2012
2:52 pm
While we are tossing numbers and right wing conspiracy theories around, who would have thought that on April 30th:
Pastornicky (.263) is within 4 points of batting better than Chipper (.267) ???
nolie
April 30th, 2012
2:52 pm
I think 340-350 will be no problem
Murph
April 30th, 2012
2:53 pm
I hate the new jerseys, they just look dirty. I like the white or red. Guess I’m in the minority.
I love ‘em at first, then hated them, and am now back to liking them again… but not enough to drop $250 on one. Yet. If the team plays well in them I might be convinced to buy one.
luvthosedawgs68
April 30th, 2012
2:53 pm
I’m really enjoying Pastornicky’s at-bats right now. The difference in confidence from the first 2 weeks to now is amazing!! You can tell he knows what he wants to accomplish in every at-bat. His confidence is soaring right now. Whatever Walker and Fletcher worked on with him is sure paying off.
nolie
April 30th, 2012
2:54 pm
hell there are folks here who claimed Chipper would be hitting .000 now
nolie
April 30th, 2012
2:54 pm
I don’t care much for the off white either
Fish Bisch
April 30th, 2012
2:56 pm
James MacDonalds has a career .81 ERA against the Barves.
Orange Brave f/k/a Billy Jack's BBQ
April 30th, 2012
2:56 pm
yep and they are the same folks that said I could quit drinking beer.
Coach (2012 Fredi's beisbol fandango)
April 30th, 2012
2:56 pm
I miss Gonzo’s glove work!
nolie
April 30th, 2012
2:57 pm
oh well we can write this one off then, guess I’ll go shootin’…
JeanE
April 30th, 2012
2:57 pm
I follow all the ex-Braves I can, to see how they’re doing. It makes me crazy but I can’t help myself! Most of them seem to do very well when they leave here with a few exceptions. I guess D-Lowe likes pitching up there where it’s cooler and he’s not such a sweat-monster. I still think he’ll come back to Earth, so to speak but good for him. Poor DeRo just got put on the DL with the Nats, I think his wrist problems are preventing him from hitting like he used to. Good Guy…Go get ‘em tonight Braves!!
Coach (2012 Fredi's beisbol fandango)
April 30th, 2012
2:58 pm
Yep, the Texiera trade was the greatest exchange the Rangers ever made.
Shaun
April 30th, 2012
2:58 pm
woman in the throes, I don’t think Freeman will ever be a huge OBP guy. But he has good enough offensive tools to be fine at firstbase, even without big-time on-base skills.
I would. Else we shall all concern ourselves that McCann has a .311 OBP right now and he doesn’t even like that band.
TennesseePaul, well, the difference is that McCann is showing much more discipline, so you figure his OBP is more likely to come around. McCann has one of the lower swing rates on the team and he and only Prado has a lower rate of swinging strikes.
JeanE
April 30th, 2012
2:58 pm
I miss Gonzo on defense, too~! The Rev seems like he can hit and I’m rooting for him but I miss Gonzo’s awesome glove work. Wish him well except when we play them!!
Orange Brave f/k/a Billy Jack's BBQ
April 30th, 2012
2:58 pm
I will add to my comment above that Chipper’s average is based on a smaller than normal number of at bats; thus, a hit or 2 should shove it up 10 or 12 points.
sheeesh
April 30th, 2012
3:01 pm
Don’t understand all the hate for Lowe. Sure, he was overpaid, but everyone knew that before the ink on the contract dried. He pretty much carried the Braves to the one post-season appearance they have had since 2005. If not for his pitching that September, they probably don’t make it.
woman in the throes
April 30th, 2012
3:01 pm
@ Shaun, I don’t know what “swing rates normalize pretty quickly” means but l will look it up. That said, I’m not real concerned about plate discipline for a 22 year old. He strikes me as a coachable kid as does Heyward so my guess is they both get better. I like what ncscoots said above that “he has always liked to whale on the first hitter’s strike he sees” with the key part being hitter’s strike.
Fish Bisch
April 30th, 2012
3:01 pm
Congratulations to Derek Lowe. He is my favorite all time Brave. I knew they gave up on him way too soon. He’s really turned the corner and found his groove back.
NORRIS CHUCK
April 30th, 2012
3:02 pm
Jorge Cantu Elects Free Agency
By Ben Nicholson-Smith [April 30 at 1:42pm CST]
Infielder Jorge Cantu has opted out of his minor league deal with the Angels and elected free agency, MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez reports (Twitter link). The Wasserman Media Group client is now free to sign with any team.
The Angels, who signed Cantu to a minor league deal in January, assigned him to Triple-A, where he has a .291/.300/.488 line with four homers in 90 plate appearances. Cantu hit 28 homers in 2005 and 29 homers in 2008, but has struggled to produce at the plate since then. Cantu signed with the Padres last year, but they cut him after he posted a .194/.232/.285 line in 155 plate appearances. Cantu, a right-handed hitter, has hit lefties and righties at a nearly identical clip over the course of his eight-year career.
Wow, i really thought this guy was going to be a star. Maybe not an Puljos type but maybe a LaRoche/Dunn type. Amazing how far players in all sports fall from the spotlight so quickly!
Larry
April 30th, 2012
3:03 pm
Carroll,
Why so much ink about the Nationals while the Braves are playing the Pirates now and the Phillies next?
Murph
April 30th, 2012
3:03 pm
Gah, Diaz is hitting .000 against McDonald… for the love of all that is holy, don’t play him tonight!
0 – 1 with 1K… horrible… absolutely horrible.
Fish Bisch
April 30th, 2012
3:05 pm
Larry,
It’s because the Nads own us even when they were celler dwellers.
Shaun
April 30th, 2012
3:05 pm
woman in the throes, I say Freeman can be around .330-.340 on-base with a slugging in the .420-.430 range. But I can also see some seasons in the .320’s because he likes to hack, so he’s going to have to depend a lot on getting hits to boost his OBP and I can see him struggling more than other good hitters against the better pitchers and defenses.
nolie
April 30th, 2012
3:07 pm
I’d be willing to bet that he has few if any 320 OPBs
sheeesh
April 30th, 2012
3:08 pm
Carroll is a closet Nats fan.
Coach (2012 Fredi's beisbol fandango)
April 30th, 2012
3:08 pm
sheeesh
April 30th, 2012
3:01 pm
Don’t understand all the hate for Lowe. Sure, he was overpaid, but everyone knew that before the ink on the contract dried. He pretty much carried the Braves to the one post-season appearance they have had since 2005. If not for his pitching that September, they probably don’t make it.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
It’s really simple to understand. Derek Lowe was annointed as the “ACE” of our pitching staff and paid accordingly. He was anything but at 40-39 record with an ERA of 4.57 during his three years in Atlanta.
DAP
April 30th, 2012
3:08 pm
but freeman has the type of swing to hit for a high average, doesnt he? he Ks a good bit, but he isnt what i would call a hacker. to me, hacker means long swing with a lot of holes.
Waffle House or Bust
April 30th, 2012
3:08 pm
Taking my girlfriend to her first Braves game tonight. Dugout seats!
nolie
April 30th, 2012
3:08 pm
some folks just throe like a woman I guess
TennesseePaul
April 30th, 2012
3:09 pm
so you figure his OBP is more likely to come around
I figure both of their OBP will “come around”… or are you suggesting Freeman is resigned to an OBP of .300 for the season?
Personally, I suspect by years end he’ll be around .350 like he was last year. But I wouldn’t be surprised to see more power from him bumping his OPS up over .800
Coach (2012 Fredi's beisbol fandango)
April 30th, 2012
3:09 pm
Or I could have just said that Derek Lowe was paid 15 million per season and probably worth closer to 5 million.
Shaun
April 30th, 2012
3:09 pm
woman in the throes, “swing rates normalize pretty quickly” just means over a sample of about 50 PA, the rate at which a players swings at pitches isn’t going to vary much. While with something like OBP, it takes about 500 PA to stabilize.
DAP
April 30th, 2012
3:09 pm
a hacker, on other words would be alex gonzalez, or jeff francouer.
TennesseePaul
April 30th, 2012
3:10 pm
but freeman has the type of swing to hit for a high average, doesnt he?
Yes. Here the terminology will be brutalized but Freeman’s swing isn’t that of a “hacker.”
woman in the throes
April 30th, 2012
3:11 pm
Shaun, he likes to hack but I’d call him “agressively selective” if that’s even a thing. Doesn’t look to me like he gets fooled a lot, he just likes what he likes and ain’t afraid to swing at what he likes. I’m with nolie that 320 OBP seems low for him but heck, I haven’t been called by any MLB teams to evaluate talent yet this month so I could be wrong.
Shaun
April 30th, 2012
3:12 pm
TennesseePaul, No, I don’t think Freeman will be around a .300 OBP by season’s end. But I could see it in the .320-.330 range.
TennesseePaul
April 30th, 2012
3:15 pm
But I could see it in the .320-.330 range.
That would be the lowest end, should he have a bad season. But I don’t think he will. He’ll be in the .350 range with .450 slugging.
monty
April 30th, 2012
3:17 pm
Pitchers have to learn how to pitch and set hitters up, same for hitters, that’s what made CHipper so good, aside from a little talent(he-he) but CHipper was patient enough to work(recognizing strikes and balls) to get the count in his favor and to then look for a certain pitch in a certain location, FF and JH, at present don’t have a clue of how to do that,everything they are doing now is purely instinctual, but if and when they do, look out.. At present if I were a betting man I’d bet FF will have a better career than JH, but I hope they both do well.
woman in the throes
April 30th, 2012
3:20 pm
Thanks Shaun, I’ll have to ruminate on that explanation. Are you saying a guy, even a 22 year old guy is what he is and will continue to swing at the same rate forever? Wouldn’t that suggest that he isn’t learning anything or at best learning at the same rate as the pitchers he is facing? Not saying you’re wrong but I just want to get my head around the concept.
Shaun
April 30th, 2012
3:21 pm
Freeman does swing the bat quite often (over 50 percent of the pitches he’s seen since the beginning of last season) and swings and misses quite often (among Braves regulars since the beginning of 2011, only Uggla has a higher rate of swinging strikes). But his hit tool and power are just fine. It’s his discipline that may prevent him from being one of the better hitting firstbasemen in the game.
BravesFansince1968
April 30th, 2012
3:22 pm
yeah, I think woman is throeing us for a loop.neither a newby or a woman
nolie
April 30th, 2012
3:25 pm
maybe we can trade Freddie for LaRoach?
Shaun
April 30th, 2012
3:27 pm
woman in the throes, no, he won’t necessarily swing this often forever, although I do think it’s likely he’ll never be a big-time contact hitter or a hitter who draws lots of walks. It’s just that any change in his approach probably won’t happen all the quickly and a drastic change probably won’t happen by the end of this season.
Fish Bisch
April 30th, 2012
3:29 pm
Hopefully Ross gets the start tonight. He is batting .500 against MacDonalds.
woman in the throes
April 30th, 2012
3:29 pm
@BravesFansince1968 – not a newbie, been here off and on for more than a year, just happened to have a little time today and was struck by a conversation. As to gender, I ain’t letting you look up my skirt but I’ll be happy to provide DNA if it’s a requirement. AND, why would someone pretend to be a woman if they aren’t?
Shaun
April 30th, 2012
3:31 pm
nolie, I think LaRoche is a somewhat decent comparison for Freeman, at least in the way of approach, although Freeman is probably a tier higher in terms of talent because he’s a little better hitter and probably has a little more power potential than LaRoche had.
IHEARTCARROLL
April 30th, 2012
3:31 pm
Bettie K,
Don’t leave us. Welcome to our world.
We don’t have any rules. Post whatever you want and try not to get your feelings hurt. Mostly be nice and folks will be nice back at ya. If you go wrong, I am sure somebody will point it out.
Most importantly, be nice to Carroll Rogers. And David O’Brien. GO BRAVES !
PDOG
April 30th, 2012
3:31 pm
Gattis promoted to AA Miss, we get to see if he is for real.
BravesFansince1968
April 30th, 2012
3:35 pm
A crossdresser maybe? Why does anybody here pretend?
nolie
April 30th, 2012
3:36 pm
yes Shaun I would say that Freddie is a step up
sheeesh
April 30th, 2012
3:37 pm
As I said, everyone knew Lowe was overpaid before he threw his first pitch for Atlanta. Don’t hate Lowe for that. It seems if one were going to direct their hate towards someone, it should be directed toward Wren. That’s like getting mad at the gate agent because the airline overbooked your flight and you don’t have a seat.
And if you are going to respond to my post, don’t use my own argument to make your case. I clearly said everyone knew Lowe was overpaid. I guess the real answer is some people think there is a direct relationship between a player’s salary and their future performance. Actually, it is more typically an inverse relationship for players later in their careers like Lowe was when he signed.
The Braves were desperate for starting pitching at the time. Lowe capitalized on that desperation. Both sides got what they bargained for. Don’t get mad at Lowe for enjoying a relaxing smoke afterwards. If you don’t like the way it feels afterward, grin and bear it. All participants involved should have known what to expect. Besides, I think it was worth to make the playoffs that one year. In that regard, it was money well-spent.
nolie
April 30th, 2012
3:38 pm
we won’t know if he is for real till he gets a year or two in the bigs. some are still questioning Heywrd
Brian from SC
April 30th, 2012
3:41 pm
Heyward getting the night off…Hinske in.
IHEARTCARROLL
April 30th, 2012
3:42 pm
Waffle House or Bust April 30th, 2012 3:08 pm
“Taking my girlfriend to her first Braves game tonight. Dugout seats!”
Good luck WHOB. Buy her some dippin dots and show her she’s special.
Venice Jim
April 30th, 2012
3:43 pm
Atlanta Braves @Braves
Tonight’s lineup vs. PIT (7:10, SPSO/680AM/BRN): Bourn 8 Prado 7 Freeman 3 McCann 2 Uggla 4 Jones 5 Hinske 9 Pastornicky 6 Minor 1
woman in the throes
April 30th, 2012
3:46 pm
“Why does anybody here pretend?” – Didn’t know they did or why they would. FYI, it is anonymous posting so you can say what you want to say without fear of reprisal.
Snotboogie
April 30th, 2012
3:48 pm
Heyward getting the night off…Hinske in.
Uh oh. No slump buster for him today. Good to see Chipper in there again.
Go mikey!
Nick
April 30th, 2012
3:48 pm
Why is Heyward NOT playing?!? Fredi is a fuggin idiot!
ncscoots
April 30th, 2012
3:51 pm
Uh oh. No slump buster for him today.
Maybe he picks up a little ownage on Hamels tomorrow, then.
Murph
April 30th, 2012
3:51 pm
FYI, it is anonymous posting so you can say what you want to say without fear of reprisal.
Not… entirely.
Venice Jim
April 30th, 2012
3:52 pm
@ajcbraves
Heyward woke up w/some soreness in left oblique. Thinks he might just need a day or so. Said no tightness so believes its a day-to-day thing
Nick
April 30th, 2012
3:54 pm
I feel better about it now.. Thanks VJ
IHEARTCARROLL
April 30th, 2012
3:54 pm
@Nick
Who is an idiot ? Did Fredi not call and discuss his reasons?
Snotboogie
April 30th, 2012
3:56 pm
Maybe he picks up a little ownage on Hamels tomorrow, then.
Hamels? Poor guy.
You’re a tough man, scoots!!
Murph
April 30th, 2012
3:56 pm
Great, Heyward’s hurt.
Nick
April 30th, 2012
3:56 pm
IHEARTCARROLL, you are an idiot.
IHEARTCARROLL
April 30th, 2012
3:57 pm
@Nick
Then I take back my smart mouth comment too. Good day.
bravesgrl4life
April 30th, 2012
3:57 pm
Sore doesn’t automatically equal hurt. Just being tired can make you sore.
ACE
April 30th, 2012
3:57 pm
You have to TIP YOUR CAP to way the braves are playing.
IHEARTCARROLL
April 30th, 2012
3:57 pm
Now I take back my take back.
CrαZy
April 30th, 2012
3:58 pm
So we get to see the water Buffalo attempt to play in the OF tonight!! Great!!
Snotboogie
April 30th, 2012
3:59 pm
Ob-effing-lique?!
More of Chris from Sac. Goodness.
woman in the throes
April 30th, 2012
3:59 pm
@ Murph, I guess unless you worry about what someone you’ve never met and never would want to meet thinks.
CrαZy
April 30th, 2012
4:00 pm
Fredi is a fuggin idiot!
Obviously this has to be true… Idiots can always spot out fellow idiots!!
Venice Jim
April 30th, 2012
4:03 pm
Jon Morosi @jonmorosi
Josh Hamilton is not in the #Rangers lineup. Murphy LF, Gentry CF.
Ron Washington is such and idiot…
Samantha
April 30th, 2012
4:03 pm
@IHEARTCARROLL, They are correct in who I am. I wanted a second chance to right my wrongs. They apparently dont believe in second chances. Thanks for trying to be nice.
CrαZy
April 30th, 2012
4:04 pm
you can say what you want to say without fear of reprisal
You can get banned for some things!!
Jeff R
April 30th, 2012
4:06 pm
Wainwright having a tough time coming back so far. always liked the big bender he throws
Smart pitcher. I think he’ll bust the curve and return to form.
IHEARTCARROLL
April 30th, 2012
4:06 pm
I don’t know Samantha or Bettie, but you are welcome.
Murph
April 30th, 2012
4:07 pm
@ Murph, I guess unless you worry about what someone you’ve never met and never would want to meet thinks.
Is this a gathering of lone wolves or is this a community in the internet blog comment section sense of the word?
I dunno, if I didn’t like 99% of the people on here, care about what they think, then I probably wouldn’t be on here.
Maybe that’s just me, though.
swright
April 30th, 2012
4:08 pm
The Braves are getting their money’s worth for Lowe. Aren’t they paying him $10 Million to pitch for someone else?
Jeff R
April 30th, 2012
4:08 pm
[Fill in the blank for whoever the Braves' manager is at the time] is a fuggin idiot!
The names will change, but the insults will remain the same.
ncscoots
April 30th, 2012
4:09 pm
Hamels? Poor guy.
You can be the shark, or dinner. Eat, or be et.