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© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1,454 comments Add your comment
McFann :Ô: :Ô:
May 29th, 2012
10:22 am
Lew I guess that series loss to the Phillies late last September didn’t count either and we made the playoffs after all.
Hooray!! The Icees are on me!!
Duke
May 29th, 2012
10:24 am
Lew, so we have been getting held to two hits every game during this losing streak? I wasn’t aware. I thought that giving up an average of 6 runs a game may have something to do with it…
Arkansas Transplant
May 29th, 2012
10:24 am
Anyone waiting on Heyward to start carrying this team, I believe your just kicking a dead horse. It’s not going to happen or at least any time soon.
Fols
May 29th, 2012
10:24 am
Knowing we made the playoffs and the Cards got bumped……should we be celebrating? I want to buy some Championship merch!
Lew
May 29th, 2012
10:25 am
Duke -And Medlen will cure that, too? What’s his ERA been in recent outings?
McFann :Ô: :Ô:
May 29th, 2012
10:27 am
Murph—
I agree.…Only reason I looked at it yesterday was for updates from DOB…
Of course, folks have a “right” to leave for a while if they want to…still a free country and all that…
McFann :Ô: :Ô:
May 29th, 2012
10:28 am
Lew Because if we stretch Medlen out all our problems will be solved and we won’t get two hit again anytime soon.
He does have a hit this year…Maybe we’ll get 3-hit!!…
ncscoots
May 29th, 2012
10:29 am
Cab tries her best to battle these Dead…I personally tip my hat to Cab!
I think cab feels a little maternal towards many of the mouth-foamers, and tries to get them back on a righteous path. Moms the world over try to save their children from being useless fools, after all, regardless of the hopelessness of the task.
RHR
May 29th, 2012
10:30 am
The Braves/David Sims Memorial Day story was on the national news this morning. Pretty cool. And no mention on the losing streak. Well done, Braves.
Russell Bell
May 29th, 2012
10:30 am
In game blogs are damaging to my mental well-being. I can’t read that much feces throwing nonsense.
Lew
May 29th, 2012
10:31 am
Stretch Medlen out – OK, let’s see about that.
Has NOT pitched 3 IP since April 27.
Has given up 9 ER in his last 15.1 IP
Has given up 5 ER in his last 4.1 IP
Just came off of missing an entire year from surgery which included a rehab with numerous setbacks.
Yeah, Medlen getting stretched out is going to turn the team 6 ERA around really fast. Most definitely the missing link of our success.
Tomahawkin
May 29th, 2012
10:31 am
Arkansas Transplant
“Anyone waiting on Heyward to start carrying this team, I believe your just kicking a dead horse. It’s not going to happen or at least any time soon.”
I’m still waiting because without a solid Heyward, We Don’t Make the playoffs, you can take that prediction to the Bank
The Last 10 games or so, he is seriously starting to remind me of the Professional hitter known as “Loaf” out there in RF
Lew
May 29th, 2012
10:32 am
Good point, McFann. We need his bat in there.
Powder Blue
May 29th, 2012
10:33 am
I think the Braves will finish somewhere between second and fourth in the NL East. They’re neither the best nor the worst team in the division. As presently constituted, however, this team is going nowhere.
Tomahawkin
May 29th, 2012
10:33 am
Wow, after reading the blogs from over the weekend, The Ingame Bloggers are off the Chain and I’m still on the Disabled List…
I’m expected to come off the Disabled list to join the In-Game Blog lineup…
Duke
May 29th, 2012
10:34 am
Lew, maybe Medlen is better suited for the rotation than for the bullpen… It’s not like I’m the only one that agrees.
McFann :Ô: :Ô:
May 29th, 2012
10:34 am
Lew—
Of course!…
Although it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if the guys we have in there already started hitting again—poor Prado’s all alone. BMac was starting to heat up, but then hit a serious wall…
Bat Masterson
May 29th, 2012
10:35 am
Heyward hit .301/.421/.596 (1.017 OPS) 1st 46 games (156 ABs) of career; since then he’s hit .244/.346/.397 (.743 OPS) in 271 games (921 ABs), not counting today. _ DOB
And he just lucked into a double, but we’ll take it.
I’ve said all along that the guy has disappointed from the start, but for a hot start TWO YEARS AGO NOW…. _ phil
It’s time to pull the plug on Heyward, an obvious flash in the pan, a 46 games in 2010 wonder.
In his last 71 games in 2010 his slash line was only: .301/ .419/ .457/ .876
In September/ Oct. when the Braves needed him to make the playoffs he put up his third lowest batting average of the year. .275 only behind March/April and June when he was using the injury excuse.
He only played 30 games in Sept/ Oct and had the most monthly PAs of his season, 135. A lousy 30 hits in 30 games. with 4 doubles, 1 triple and 2 homeruns, and 24 walks.
In March/April he had 3 dbls and 6 homeruns
In August he only had 6 dbls, 1 triple and 5 homeruns not even close to May when he had 7 dbls, 3 triples and 4 homeruns.
You know I’ve heard that the mental aspect on the travel wears on rookies at the end of a season. I’ll bet Heyward never bought in to that bs. More on that later.
Powder Blue
May 29th, 2012
10:35 am
Too bad the Braves can’t afford to insert Medlen back into the rotation because most of the starters can’t get past the fifth inning.
MikeInFl
May 29th, 2012
10:36 am
Heyward’s hit RHP much better this year; .852 OPS against righties in 121 PA – not too far off from his rookie year. He’s lost against lhp, though. It’s progress, I guess.
CrαZy
May 29th, 2012
10:36 am
Seems like every time I turn the game on lately it’s already 4-0. Didn’t we lose 9 in a row in 2010??
Mixxo
May 29th, 2012
10:37 am
I don’t in-game anymore….too much hate. lol
72-90
Bat Masterson
May 29th, 2012
10:38 am
And travel*
Murph
May 29th, 2012
10:38 am
Of course, folks have a “right” to leave for a while if they want to…still a free country and all that…
Obviously… never said anything to the contrary. I just don’t get the whole thing of coming here and reading what a bunch of idiots have to say, letting it get to you, and then telling everyone that you’ve had enough and are now leaving.
That’s just another victory, a +1 on the idiots’ scorecard. They are now that much closer to world domination.
Duke
May 29th, 2012
10:38 am
So pitching every one or two innings every two or three days is better on your arm that pitching 6-8 innings on a schedule? I highly doubt that…
Tomahawkin
May 29th, 2012
10:39 am
92-70 Mixxo
Mark It Down!
Venice Jim
May 29th, 2012
10:39 am
I think cab feels a little maternal towards many of the mouth-foamers, and tries to get them back on a righteous path.
Or, more likely, she’s bored since I’m usually working until well into the games (at least for another couple of weeks until the schools out here finally get to summer vacation)…
Lew
May 29th, 2012
10:39 am
Duke – Just because a few haven’t really assessed the situation in realistic terms doesn’t make your assertion right.
Medlen has started the same percentage of games compared to relief appearances in the majors as in the minors. He never was intended as a starting pitcher full time.
He hasn’t been as good as a starter as oppos to a reliever statistically either. And after not having started since 2010 with a TJ surgery and tough rehab in between, you want hi to pitch MORE innings?
Yeah, makes sense. Let’s sit back and watch it not happen.
RHR
May 29th, 2012
10:40 am
I seem to remember a 13 game losing streak? When was that?
CrαZy
May 29th, 2012
10:40 am
As presently constituted, however, this team is going nowhere.
I don’t disagree with you, but this team capable of winning 9 in a row just as much as losing 8 or 9 in a row.
Fols
May 29th, 2012
10:41 am
I’ve taken Heyward predictions to the bank…they told me i’d see a greater return from a piggy bank?
Jeff R
May 29th, 2012
10:41 am
I don’t know. This is Heyward’s third season as a major leaguer. Yeah, he had injuries last year. But this year?
The kid seems to have talent and certainly athleticism, but I’m honestly not seeing much more from the guy. I hope he catches fire. Hate to see all those high expectations dashed.
Lew
May 29th, 2012
10:41 am
And which of the pitchers who have had a six ERA the past week and a half or more would he replace to solve all of our problems? Minor? Delgado? Hanson? Hudson?
Reality check. Meds is a good Dude and a good asset to have. He ain’t our saving grace.
David O'Brien
May 29th, 2012
10:41 am
DOB
I asked previously about John Lannan. I know he’s been stinking it up in the minors, but he’s a guy with a lot of upside who I’d think would react well to being in a starting line-up. What are chances Braves try to get him if Nats can eat some of his salary? — Bravo Nam
Nam, with all due respect, I’m not seeing the attraction you do there. He’s 3-5 with a 6.12 ERA in nine Triple-A starts, with a 1.700 WHIP (66 hits, 8 HRs, 19 walks in 50 innings). It would appear that something has gone very wrong in his career, and he’s in his eighth year of pro ball at age 27, including four full seasons in the majors.
You think he has a lot of upside and/or could help the Braves at the major league level?
ukuga
May 29th, 2012
10:42 am
Homer the Brave:
Didn’t Beth Keener play a vampire on a now-retired TV show?
(BTW, I had no idea she was gone until I read your post).
McFann :Ô: :Ô:
May 29th, 2012
10:42 am
Murph That’s just another victory, a +1 on the idiots’ scorecard. They are now that much closer to world domination.
Ah, yeah, that’s a good point. I always hate that, too, when I take a breather—does that mean I’m letting them win, even if I never said I was leaving to them? Or am I just acting like a brat?…
MikeInFl
May 29th, 2012
10:43 am
RHR, not sure ’bout that. But I know they lost 17 straight in ‘77. Now that’s a losing streak!
McFann :Ô: :Ô:
May 29th, 2012
10:43 am
RHR—
Hi! How goeth it?
I seem to remember a 13 game losing streak? When was that?
I think that was before my time…
CDOG
May 29th, 2012
10:43 am
THIS IS UNEXCUSABLE. HOW LONG WILL THEY CONTINUE TO TOLERATE FREDDIE GONZALEZ?.HE DOESN’T CARE.HE TRYING TO KEEP PLAYERS HAPPY INSTEAD OF PLAYING THE WINNING PLAYERS.I CAN’T STOMACH HIM ANY LONGER. HE’S TERRIBLE AND JUST SITS IN DUGOUT GRINNING AND COULD CARE LESS
Mixxo
May 29th, 2012
10:44 am
Tomahawkin -
Hope you’re right!
I wonder if we can recover from this though.
Lew
May 29th, 2012
10:44 am
Andf if they’re planning on stretching Medlen out, then why has he not pitched three innings in an appearance since late April and is – in fact – pitching less innings?
McFann :Ô: :Ô:
May 29th, 2012
10:45 am
Wait…wasn’t that a 13-game winning streak??…
Lew
May 29th, 2012
10:45 am
I thought they only came out at night?
Fols
May 29th, 2012
10:46 am
I have a feeling there’s going to be a Mac attack tonight…….i’m calling it……Homerun for Mac tonight. You heard it. You can all throw stones at my face if it doesn’t happen.
MFin04
May 29th, 2012
10:46 am
Sad day when there just isn’t anything worth saying on a blog. So depressing, what can you say?
DAP
May 29th, 2012
10:46 am
one week ago we were being described by on lookers as a powerhouse team. one week. thats all it took, and now we are at the bottom of the barrel in the NL east. in another week it could change back. i think we are going to be fine, but this hurts pretty bad. it is true that everything seemed to happen at the same exact time, with chipper, mccann, and freeman.
also, its way past time for jason heyward to begin pulling his weight. he is not part of the solution right now.
Mixxo
May 29th, 2012
10:47 am
We had a 13 game winning streak in ‘82 (?)…….made it to the post-season only to get swept by the Cards in quick fashion. We looked horrible in that series.
Russell Bell
May 29th, 2012
10:48 am
I don’t disagree with you, but this team capable of winning 9 in a row just as much as losing 8 or 9 in a row.
I’m not so sure they are capable for a long winning streak. For that to occur, the pitching (both starters and relievers) would have to show some consistency, which they have not demonstrated much at all this season.
Either that or all the sticks get healthy, start mashing at the same time again, and hide the obvious pitching deficiencies. Given the quality of pitching in the NL East this year, getting more consistent pitching from the rotation is probably more important than maintaining ‘big strike’ potential from the lineup.
monty
May 29th, 2012
10:49 am
The Braves are (or at least seem to be) a team that thrives on synergy. Take CHipper out of the lineup and for whatever reason they are a .333 team. Probably more stats could be provided, ex. -when Bourn get’s a hit and scores a run maybe we win .600 of the time(just guessing) same thing perhaps with FF and BMAC. Other teams seem to be able to lose a cog or two and keep right on winning. Not so for the BRaves. When everybody is healthy we can compete with anybody, but when one or two main guys go down we can’t even seem to tread water till they get back. The good teams do. The Phillies have been without their main 2 hitters all year and Braves are looking up at them. Nats the same way. Perhaps what is exposed is our lack of depth. Diaz, Hinske and Juan for more than just a couple of games = a .333 team at best.
Pitching has been disappointing. No one able to give us a shutdown game. Too much falling behind early and putting un-needed pressure on the awfense. Defense-if that’s what you want to call it.Hum! FG seems unable to (by his leadership) turn long periods of disastrous play around. Hard to watch his interviews after the games, he looks like he looking at Martians whom he can’t understand when reporters ask the hard questions.
Lew
May 29th, 2012
10:49 am
Mixxo – Actually, with Phil Niekro pitching, we might have won the first game of the series if not for a rain postponement part way through the game.
MFin04
May 29th, 2012
10:49 am
Jurrjens threw a 8-inning, 3-hit shutout and no one called or texted me? Shame!
Sorry, apparently, I’m the only one left in the Jair Jurrjens fan club. Of course, I’m not sure anyone can be left in the Atlanta Braves fan club right now.
McFann :Ô: :Ô:
May 29th, 2012
10:50 am
Fols I have a feeling there’s going to be a Mac attack tonight…….i’m calling it……Homerun for Mac tonight.
Sounds good. And yeah, I’ll be ready for you if it doesn’t happen!…
MikeInFl
May 29th, 2012
10:50 am
Well they already won 10 out of 11 once, so I guess a 9-game win streak is not a completely irrational idea.
Duke
May 29th, 2012
10:51 am
Never did I say he was our saving grace. All I said was he would help our starting rotation. As far as who he would replace; that’s up to the front office. Either Minor or Delgado. Do you really have to ask that?
ukuga
May 29th, 2012
10:51 am
The infamous Phil Niekro rainout. That was, in many regards, the beginning of a nearly decade long tailspin for the Braves.
That, and the Len Barker trade.
RHR
May 29th, 2012
10:52 am
Hey McFann – doing good, and you?
The advertisment pop up thingie down here on the bottom of the screen make it a struggle to comment. I can’t see what I’m typing. I predict a W tonight! Hopefully by the Braves name. :-/
MikeInFl
May 29th, 2012
10:53 am
Sorry, apparently, I’m the only one left in the Jair Jurrjens fan club.
I’m in, MFin. First off, just a good guy. Second, peripherals be damned, I just don’t think a guy throws to a 2.60 ERA in 215 innings one year, and a 2.96 ERA in 152 innings another year, unless he knows how to pitch. Just needs to get healthy and his mechanics right.
Murph
May 29th, 2012
10:53 am
One thing that really sticks out to me are the number of grand slams the team has given up this season. I don’t remember any last season… I’m sure there was at least one, but I don’t remember it. I know of at least 3, maybe 4 already this season. That’s ridiculous.
I’m not even that upset about the actual grand slam as I am that the pitchers are getting into that situation in the first place. Way too many walks, not enough guys with a good “out pitch” to get them out of jams.
Fols
May 29th, 2012
10:54 am
McFann…as long as you know the rocks are provided by me…and they come from my aquarium so they will not hurt!
One of the reasons I stay away from the in-game….the Mac comments. There is a bizarre obsession with that mans weight that gives me the creeps. I’m glad we weren’t in the running for Prince cause I couldn’t imagine what it would be like in here. I’m not all that confident we’ll see much of Chipper this season but we really need the Uggla-Mac-Freeman group to pull it together.
ncscoots
May 29th, 2012
10:54 am
also, its way past time for jason heyward to begin pulling his weight. he is not part of the solution right now.
I hate to repeat myself, but it’s unreasonable to expect that rebuilding a swing as messed up as Heyward’s had become can be done in a month of ST and 50 games. It’s likely to take longer than that.
Jimmy
May 29th, 2012
10:54 am
I did a little in-game yesterday.
I went in knowing there was nothing but idiots on there.
I just slung a few observations (like that hottie in the SunTrust area) and stated I wasn’t going to slam the Braves…. because there are too many areas to address.
I find the worst post are the hours following a loss. Everyone has the answer it has starts with “Fire (______)”.
Lemke’s Knuckler
May 29th, 2012
10:54 am
RHR…”I seem to remember a 13 game losing streak? When was that?”
Don’t know, but I remember 2006 when the Braves were second place at 27-23, then lost 17 of the next 20 (including separate 5 and 10-game losing streaks). This is the worst stretch of baseball that I can remember since that year.
Murph
May 29th, 2012
10:58 am
Gotta believe that if Minor struggles through another couple of starts while JJ puts together another couple of good starts that a change is coming sometime in June.
Minor has given up something like 28 ER in 25 IP this month. How do you keep sending a guy out there who shows no signs of being a competitive, MLB pitcher? I know he’s had some good starts in his career… but that was a different pitcher than the guy going out and giving up 4, 5, 6, 7 ER per game that we see now.
Lemke’s Knuckler
May 29th, 2012
10:58 am
19 of the 32 clubs are at or above .500, and the Tigers are 23-25. I wonder if there has ever been this many teams around .500 or above by the end of May.
Duke
May 29th, 2012
10:58 am
MFin, I’m also still aboard the JJ fan club. Still think the dude is good. That push off leg just wasn’t right. He just needs to regain confidence in it again and it looks like he may have started…
MFin04
May 29th, 2012
10:58 am
“Well they already won 10 out of 11 once, so I guess a 9-game win streak is not a completely irrational idea.”
Exactly what I am thinking. Although, I don’t think they have enough solid pitching to win that many in a row, they could have a nice run with a loss or two thrown in.
The thing that makes me most upset, is that the Braves had no back-up plan for Chipper being hurt, either a solid backup at 3rd, or a LF/RF starter that could mash (Carlos Beltran.) This whole losing streak could have been avoided if the front office would have made that one big move they never made.
Bat Masterson
May 29th, 2012
10:58 am
Maybe the reappearance of McFann’s vicious turtle will help.
Tomahawkin
May 29th, 2012
10:59 am
Murph
May 29th, 2012
10:53 am
“One thing that really sticks out to me are the number of grand slams the team has given up this season. I don’t remember any last season… I’m sure there was at least one, but I don’t remember it. I know of at least 3, maybe 4 already this season. That’s ridiculous.”
Yeah thats Ludacris and we are giving them up to Garbage hitters, not Guys like Kemp or Pujols
Fish Bisch
May 29th, 2012
10:59 am
Fire Eddie Perez.
Russell Bell
May 29th, 2012
10:59 am
also, its way past time for jason heyward to begin pulling his weight. he is not part of the solution right now.
I stated many times in the offseason (as did others) that for the Braves to be successful this season, they needed a healthy Jason Heyward to ascend closer to his ceiling. He has been a fairly solid member of the team so far, but certainly not a linchpin to offensive success.
They need him to take those steps and become a quality 3-hole hitter, especially once Chipper retires. Its looking like that won’t happen this year, and perhaps not for a few years (we’ll see). IMO, until he figures out how to make more timely adjustments to his swing during the season, he is not going to be a consistent threat with the stick.
That being said, he is still a solid (and cheap) RFer with speed and monster power. Hopefully he can become more than a ~.250/.355./.425 type player. I guess we’ll see.
monty
May 29th, 2012
11:02 am
DAP-”in another week it could change back”
Yeh, but realistically without Chipper and FF and with BMAc struggling, it’s not changing. Only wishful thinking, I’m not opposed to wishful thinking, heck in my mind we should have won at least 3-4 more WS. Best we could hope to do(realistically) is break even, but another week like the last and we could for all practical purposes be out of the race. Problem is, Washington has had our number last couple of years and seems to this year and so do the Phillies(even without their best 2 players). The good thing is we play those guys alot(if Braves can somehow get past the mental block), but it’s also the worst thing too(if they can’t). Could be out of the race by pretty quick.
Jimmy
May 29th, 2012
11:02 am
If I remember correctly, although JJ pitched well his last start, in his previous two starts, he got his socks knocked off him.
Where’s the Down on the Farm report on JJ?
Lew
May 29th, 2012
11:03 am
Duke – Rhetorical question.
Look, I understand that people love Medlen based on the starts he made in 2010 – but if you go and actually look up his numbers from that stretch, he was basically a number five starter at best and his appeal was not thaty he pitched that great, but the Braves won most of his games.
In order to get him ready, he would have to go to the minors (meaning we no longer had him in the pen while we really need him), would STILL have MInor making starts while he was down there – and considering he hasn’t pitched more than he did last night for over a month, it would likely take three to five starts to stretch him out – maybe more if his current struggles are indicative of another problem.
He pitched almost no innings last year or late in 2010 and had surgery in between. He may not have the stamina to be stretched out right now.
They have several others in line before Medlen would even be considered. Jurrjens will get a shot if he continues like in his last start. Teheran is turning around his early season struggles and is pitching well – he would be next in line. Redmond is alreadystretched out and pitching well at Gwinnett and they may have to give him shot soon.
Like I said – I fully understand the love for Meds. I’ve met him – a really good Dude and he IS valuable to the Braves – just not in the role so many seem to believe should be his. It likely would not be good for his health and their are other options that would get the first shot at starting.
Carl Farvman
May 29th, 2012
11:04 am
About Matt Turnoff: “Ouch! And I thought his BeachClub Promo he did to get people to go to Sundays game was Wack… I wonder how many attended?”
My guess is too many……I listen in a few times a week for a segment just to reaffirm to myself that, yes, they are really bad, yet it never fails that someone will call in and begin by saying “long time listener, love the show…………” and I can’t stop from spitting coffee all over the windshield. Oliver and Turnoff spout one elementary school-level quip after another and somewhere in the listening area there’s an old high school buddy of theirs who laughs. Sad stuff.
Lew
May 29th, 2012
11:06 am
I would prefer that instead of pulling his weight, Heyward hit it to the opposite field.
TennesseePaul
May 29th, 2012
11:07 am
…Heyward’s had become can be done in a month of ST and 50 games. It’s likely to take longer than that.
Should be ready by the time he is 26 or 27.
MikeInFl
May 29th, 2012
11:08 am
Jimmy, the Game Report from the Gwinnett Daily gives a pretty good scouting report on what’s going on with JJ.
JoeFan
May 29th, 2012
11:08 am
Wren is responsible for the construction on this team and should be the first out the door. The new GM should be able to decide who to can and how best to reconstruct this team. Wren has had his chances, now its past time for a change. In the meantime, sports reporters in Atlanta need to take some responsibility, starting by asking tough questions, call team management on the carpet and quit worrying about being buddy-buddy. If this was NY or Boston do you believe the media would have let this group get a free pass?
Jimmy
May 29th, 2012
11:10 am
MikeInFL – I’m on it. Thanks.
TennesseePaul
May 29th, 2012
11:10 am
Yeah, but somehow I think that a repetition of it would be wasted breath, considering the panic currently loosed on the forum.
One could sum it up with “Not as good as first place, not as bad as last place.”
Powder Blue
May 29th, 2012
11:14 am
Anyone know anything about Luis Avilan, a left-handed reliever at Mississippi? Saw him pitch a couple of weeks ago. He struck out five of the six batters he faced and seemed to have impressive offspeed stuff. Guy froze several batters with his curveball.
ncscoots
May 29th, 2012
11:15 am
Yeh, but realistically without Chipper and FF and with BMAc struggling, it’s not changing.
It’s the combination of those three absent and Uggla/Heyward struggling at the same time that forms the perfect storm. Were the two remaining middle bats hitting even a little bit, the offense would still be scoring runs. I don’t know how much difference that might have made, considering how completely horse-manure the pitching has been.
In any event, I don’t think that both Uggla and Heyward will continue to struggle as mightily, and I expect that the MIA will actually return, and hit, at some point. I know it’s hard for folks to see beyond the moment, though.
Jeff R
May 29th, 2012
11:16 am
CDOG, caps hurt my eyes – and it’s Fredi, not Freddie. You must be thinking of “Nightmare on Elm Street.”
ncscoots
May 29th, 2012
11:16 am
Should be ready by the time he is 26 or 27.
I lean towards a little earlier, like the All-Star break.
DAP
May 29th, 2012
11:16 am
scoots it’s unreasonable to expect that rebuilding a swing as messed up as Heyward’s had become can be done in a month of ST and 50 games
but i dont think its unreasonable to expect it to be a little better than it is. and one of his biggest problems isnt his swing, but his pitch selection. he is letting some fat pitches go by. then he is already behind in the count when the best pitch of the AB has come and gone. thats mental.
Duke
May 29th, 2012
11:17 am
Lew, excellent points.
McFann :Ô: :Ô:
May 29th, 2012
11:18 am
RHR—
That’s good. Doing pretty god, thanks—trying to shake a cold…nothing like what BMac had, though…
I think the Braves win tonight, too! Heck, it’s gotta end sometime—might as well be tonight!…
I used to have a popup thing on the bottom, too—but it gave me the option of killing it, so I did…HATE those things…
Fols—
Sounds fair…
One of the reasons I stay away from the in-game….the Mac comments. There is a bizarre obsession with that mans weight that gives me the creeps.
That’s exactly right, thank you! With you all the way…And nothing he does is good enough, but everything he does is bad enough. They pounce on the tiniest thing, call him a baby for not playing with a temperature over 100/chill/aches/shakes…If he broke his leg, they’d say he needs to man up and get out there. But at the same time, he’s washed up and Ross should be our starter…
People…
(ITS) Can’t live with ‘em, can’t live without ‘em…
Bat M.—
Maybe…he made an appearance sometime recently, but I can’t remember when/why…I think it was right before all this started…
MikeInFl
May 29th, 2012
11:18 am
’scoots, just for the record, Uggla’s OPS during the losing streak is 1.003. But his batting average (which we all know is meaningless) is just .217 so it just seems like he’s slumping.
Jeff R
May 29th, 2012
11:19 am
Medlen is more of an asset in the bullpen. As Lew said, the Braves have options for the rotation. There’s still a lot of season left, and Medlen matters a lot in keeping the pen fresh and effective.
Murph
May 29th, 2012
11:19 am
I get that Heyward’s swing was completely broken last year due to injuries… I get that. What i don’t get is how it’s doing him a whole lot of good to try and fix that broken swing against MLB pitching.
Now hear me out for a second on this… I’m not a Heyward hater. I want the guy to be a productive player as much as anyone on here. I just don’t see how .230 in the majors is helping the guy, or the team.
If his swing is still broken, then send him down to AAA where he can concentrate 100% on fixing things in an environment where the results don’t matter. Yes, he won’t be facing MLB pitching, but he’ll be facing pitching that’s good enough to be able to say that positive results have some meaning.
I’d bet that, if sent down to AAA right now, Heyward would still hit under .250, despite the “lesser” AAA pitchers he’d be facing. I don’t think it’s as automatic as some of you do that he’d go down and immediately be at .400 with every other ball hit landing 2 zipcodes away.
If the priority is to help Heyward achieve his career potential, then send him down and let him work through his issues. It seems to me that the team is being very short-sighted right now, running him out there night after night with basically no chance at success. Gotta set him up to succeed or he never will.
MFin04
May 29th, 2012
11:19 am
“I know it’s hard for folks to see beyond the moment, though.”
Pitching has been terrible. That is the bottom-line. I mean this offense has been bad, but it never was going to score 7,8,9 runs as currently constructed and win games.
I’m not sure Heyward is going to get better, I’ve seen more bad than good from him lately. Chipper is always one step away from being completely done for his career. B-Mac…it is always something with him, and with his incessant crushing the ball into the shift, I don’t know that he would be that much of an impact. Freddie Freeman, we do miss him in the lineup that is for sure.
Carl Farvman
May 29th, 2012
11:21 am
“The infamous Phil Niekro rainout.”
I assume you’re referring to the St Louis playoff game…82? I lived there and was at that game. We were very relieved since that roster could not hit Niekro if their lives depended on it. Hernandez and others faked sick during the regular season when they had to face him. Later, they admitted as much and said he screwed up their swings for weeks afterwards. Funny stuff.
DAP
May 29th, 2012
11:21 am
monty ”in another week it could change back”
Yeh, but realistically without Chipper and FF and with BMAc struggling, it’s not changing
it could change back. the braves still have enough to win games, bourn, prado, and uggla can get it done, and mccann is back now.
Lew
May 29th, 2012
11:21 am
Duke – It’s hard to make the points why it’s NOT that great idea to stretch Meds out, because he is a valuable player and COULD make starts if needed. I just think that under the circumstances that it won’t happen – at least not until the other options have been utilized.
Bat Masterson
May 29th, 2012
11:22 am
he is letting some fat pitches go by. then he is already behind in the count when the best pitch of the AB has come and gone. thats mental. _ DAP
I wrote the same thing a week or so ago and Brian in SC showed me I was wrong. Confirmation bias I guess.
The guy was just missing so many hittable pitches it was crazy. Mechanical/timing it seems to me
Fish Bisch
May 29th, 2012
11:23 am
Fire Glen Hubbard.
Bernie
May 29th, 2012
11:23 am
Chipper is leaving, the chance of the team giving McCann a long term contract to keep him is SLIM to none and with Freeman out and no depth on the bench i’m afraid the Braves are in trouble. Mr. Wrenn sat on his duffs and did nothing in the off season and now it shows.The pitching is lousy at best, the defense is pitiful and whole team has that deer in the head lights look and can’t do anything about it because they can’t hit that’s the bottom line.
DiamondbackMac
May 29th, 2012
11:25 am
Lew
I thought they only came out at night?
Must be talking about some of Edgar’s friends.
Jeff R
May 29th, 2012
11:25 am
Murph, you make a fair point about Heyward.
I’d just say, if Heyward’s swing is “broken,” what did he do in the off-season to fix it, and why is it still broken this far along into the season? And if his swing is giving him trouble, I would agree to that he needs to be at Gwinnett to work it out.
I like Heyward. I think he’s a smart and mature kid. He’s shown talent. But, frankly, he’s not producing as expected.
DAP
May 29th, 2012
11:25 am
i was at the game yesterday to see the Sims’ family reunite. it was awesome.
the Braves org. did alot for memorial day yesterday. it was really great, props to them.