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© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
2,420 comments Add your comment
Brian from SC
May 31st, 2012
3:21 pm
AT, Uggla had very little time to react to the flip. It would have been a tremendous play by him if had been able to snag it.
I realize that the flip itself wasn’t all that terrible…but it was not a smart play. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a SS try to flip from that position. Surely Uggla wasn’t expecting it.
jeffrey d
May 31st, 2012
3:21 pm
@jeffreyd
phil
May 31st, 2012
3:22 pm
ncscoots
May 31st, 2012
3:13 pm
i love the kid…
Pretty sure you’ll be able to let go of that at the first sign of a slump, phil.
***************
I always have before! I certainly won’t let it stop me this time….
Besides, who do most people fight with a talk to like they’re dogs the most anyway?
That’s right….family. The ones they’re supposed to love.
So we can bash our players all we want, just like around the ole dinner table.
nolie
May 31st, 2012
3:23 pm
caint be Jeffrey, I would never be an arrogant, closed-minder DB……Humility is one of my middle names, right after Perfect
Brian from SC
May 31st, 2012
3:24 pm
Think of it almost in the same way that a pitcher crosses up a catcher. The catch may end up getting a glove on the ball, and maybe even they catch it, but it’s still a mistake that puts the catcher in a bad position.
nolie
May 31st, 2012
3:24 pm
yep, hit Uggla in the wrong place alright, right in the glove……
Jeff R
May 31st, 2012
3:24 pm
Heyward’s past 36 games: .189 (23-for-122) with five doubles, four homers, 15 RBI, 16 walks, 37 strikeouts, four steals (three caught), .293 OBP, .344 slugging percentage (.637 OPS).
DOB, any sense of the front office’s take on Heyward? Awfully anemic performance so far.
jeffrey d
May 31st, 2012
3:25 pm
Humility would be my middle name. If it wasn’t already…Danger.
cricket
May 31st, 2012
3:25 pm
i agree uggla should’ve caught the ball. but then being Hustla, he was trying to go for a DP there and ended up dropping the ball. personally, i won’t be too upset about that play.
however, base on all glowing reports, looks like Simmons would be much more expected to make flashy, high degree of difficulty plays compared to Pastor. too bad he won’t have any top 10 plays since ESPN hates braves
CrαZy
May 31st, 2012
3:25 pm
Why is Pastornicky called Rev?
Rev = Reverend
also Pastor Pastornicky is kinda redundant
Brian from SC
May 31st, 2012
3:26 pm
Plus, Pastornicky, as the “captain” of the infield, should also realize his teammates’ limitations. Maybe if Roberto Alomar is playing 2nd base, you’re more likely to try to do something extraordinary.
ncscoots
May 31st, 2012
3:26 pm
hell yeah, I get called smug all the time, so does scoots….
The operative word that Shaun missed was “misplaced”. Smugness from nolie and me cannot be so characterized.
I give Law credit for one thing, though: he tries real hard. Just can’t quite turn the tools into skills, but you gotta love the effort.
phil
May 31st, 2012
3:27 pm
Fire FW!!
phil
May 31st, 2012
3:28 pm
DOB rides bikes with Wayward these days….
No chance he comments on him.
Shaun
May 31st, 2012
3:28 pm
Something else Keith Law said, which I happen to agree with. Something like it’s easier to attack your opponent than to attack your opponent’s argument, that way you don’t have to do any convincing by bringing in some evidence or reason.
Most reasonable people are convinced by data or a compelling argument made with evidence and/or logic. If you can’t do that and instead want to attack those making an argument with which you disagree, and refuse to pay attention to any sort of data or evidence, chances are you just don’t know what you’re talking about and it’s best to just stop arguing or you just look desperate.
Bat Masterson
May 31st, 2012
3:29 pm
I realize that the flip itself wasn’t all that terrible…but it was not a smart play. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a SS try to flip from that position. Surely Uggla wasn’t expecting it.
That’s what the manager claimed, too. Uggla said it was on him.
cricket
May 31st, 2012
3:29 pm
Generally, if you’re being called smug, it’s because you are a smug douchenozzle
nolie
May 31st, 2012
3:29 pm
I guess KLaw is one of the few things we disagree on, I’m a bit of a fan
keylargo
May 31st, 2012
3:30 pm
Furcal has the best SS arm I’ve ever seen. Simmons is pretty close, though.
Different generations talking here but did you ever see Shawon Dunston of the Cubs?
TommyP
May 31st, 2012
3:31 pm
Dunston had a CANNON.
Brian from SC
May 31st, 2012
3:31 pm
Not surprised Uggla said that, and he should say that. Good on him.
nolie
May 31st, 2012
3:31 pm
ok Cricket, I’ll remember that….
cricket
May 31st, 2012
3:31 pm
Something else Keith Law said, which I happen to agree with.
is there anything at all that KLaw says that this guy doesn’t agree with?
Jerry
May 31st, 2012
3:32 pm
This day has gotten to be a great day. First, I’m told by the dermatologist that I do not have skin cancer, which I thought I did. Then she tells me that I have amazingly great skin for a 55-year old, which is good for the ego. Then on my way home, I find out that Pastornicky is no more and that Simmons is coming to the show. That one move makes me wanna watch the games whether we win or lose, or whether he hits or not. We have just gone from having the worst left side of the infield with Pastornicky and Francsico, to one of the best with Prado and Simmons. Simmons is a lot like Freddie in that he will win games with his defense and any offense is a plus. I’m a happy man at the moment. Finally a good move from the front office.
ncscoots
May 31st, 2012
3:32 pm
nolie, that’s OK, re Law. It’s scary enough with the amount of stuff on which we do agree; I can live with some outliers.
nolie
May 31st, 2012
3:33 pm
I thought Dunston’s was better too KL
Shaun
May 31st, 2012
3:33 pm
Jeff R, I’m guessing the front office realizes what they have in Heyward and are okay with it. If they are okay with Freeman at first, it’s hard to imagine that they have a sky-is-falling view of Heyward.
They probably just realize they need a better option for a thirdbase/leftfield bat and they need to improve their run prevention (which is why they called up Simmons and are preparing Medlen to start).
TheOnlyBravesFan
May 31st, 2012
3:33 pm
Heyward’s past 36 games: .189 (23-for-122) with five doubles, four homers, 15 RBI, 16 walks, 37 strikeouts, four steals (three caught), .293 OBP, .344 slugging percentage (.637 OPS).
DOB, any sense of the front office’s take on Heyward? Awfully anemic performance so far.
I agree, but who is there to take Wayward’s spot? There isn’t really a big-league answer there, just some AAAA players. I think they keep trying with Heyward, unlike Rev ….. (can you tell I’m grieving?) hehe
cricket
May 31st, 2012
3:34 pm
nolie, wasn’t talking about you
bravesgrl4life
May 31st, 2012
3:34 pm
I’m glad the boys have tonight off, but it sure makes a long day even longer.
Shaun
May 31st, 2012
3:34 pm
cricket, Not too much. I think I probably agree with guys like Law on most things baseball related.
Sopheee
May 31st, 2012
3:35 pm
Nice, Jerry. Glad to hear you’re okay.
cricket
May 31st, 2012
3:35 pm
good for you, Jerry, that’s great news
nolie
May 31st, 2012
3:37 pm
good for you Jerry. I’ve had it a couple times but it wasn’t melanoma thank God.
cricket
May 31st, 2012
3:38 pm
this is weird -
Yankees catcher Russell Martin says home plate umpire Laz Diaz decided on an unusual way to punish him for arguing balls and strikes.
Martin says Diaz wouldn’t allow him to throw new baseballs back to his pitchers after fouls during New York’s 6-5 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday night.
Martin and Diaz got into it early in the game, and Martin says Diaz “was punishing me” by making all of the throws himself. Martin prefers to make the throws to keep his arm loose for base-stealers.
Martin says Diaz told him that throwing the balls was “a privilege I had to earn.”
“Even at the end of the game after I get hit in the neck. I’m like, can I throw the ball back now? He’s still like no. I’m like you’re such a (expletive). Like for real. Unbelievable. I even told him like when there’s guys on base, I like to keep my arm loose. No. I’m not letting you throw a ball back. That’s pretty strange to me … I was kind of mystified. I really didn’t get that. He was punishing me.”
Brian from SC
May 31st, 2012
3:40 pm
The Pirates released Nate McLouth. You gotta think he’ll end up somewhere. He’s still relatively young.
nolie
May 31st, 2012
3:40 pm
well, the fans do come to watch the umpires…..
raleighbravefan
May 31st, 2012
3:41 pm
nolie – “I’m a bit of a fan” (re KLaw) – Sorry to hear that, nolie. It’s kinda like finding out that your parents are the tooth fairy.
cricket
May 31st, 2012
3:41 pm
haters of SAVE stat, rejoice -
Hisashi Iwakuma got a save in 21-8 game with line, how the heck this happened? -
H. Iwakuma, (S 1) 3.0 5 3 3 1 0 0 15 41 15 – 26
DAP
May 31st, 2012
3:41 pm
cricket, yeah thats weird. i wonder if anything will be done about it?
raleighbravefan
May 31st, 2012
3:41 pm
Gattis disabled the DL.
nolie
May 31st, 2012
3:42 pm
phil
May 31st, 2012
3:42 pm
Shaun
May 31st, 2012
3:28 pm
Something else Keith Law said, which I happen to agree with. Something like it’s easier to attack your opponent than to attack your opponent’s argument, that way you don’t have to do any convincing by bringing in some evidence or reason.
Most reasonable people are convinced by data or a compelling argument made with evidence and/or logic. If you can’t do that and instead want to attack those making an argument with which you disagree, and refuse to pay attention to any sort of data or evidence, chances are you just don’t know what you’re talking about and it’s best to just stop arguing or you just look desperate.
**************
argument, smargument……hog wash.
ncgary
May 31st, 2012
3:42 pm
is it time for jj?
no not jair
jamie and julio
go get a 100 yrs of experience
moyer and franco minor legue contracts
thats about the braves mo for help this year
McFann :Ô: :Ô:
May 31st, 2012
3:43 pm
It always kinda bugs me when the umps throw the ball back to the pitcher, but like, dang, like, Russell Martin needs to like calm down…like……
jeffrey d
May 31st, 2012
3:43 pm
Evan Gattis once framed a pitch so well it counted as 2 strikes
Jerry
May 31st, 2012
3:44 pm
Thanks Sophee, nolie, and cricket. It really would have been terrible news for the whole family if it had been because my wife was diagnosed a couple of weeks ago with ovarian cancer. I was joking around with her and saying that we would have “his and her” cancers. Now, we just have to concentrate on getting her well.
nolie
May 31st, 2012
3:44 pm
bad enuff for a catcher to argue enough with an ump to get him mad at you, totally stupid to make it public like that
phil
May 31st, 2012
3:45 pm
Russell Martin sounds like a whiner….
What’s the big deal. Is there a rule on the books about throwing it back to the pitcher?
There’s probably a STAT on it that some think has meaning, but….
raleighbravefan
May 31st, 2012
3:45 pm
Jerry – Congrads. Don’t let veer (or Veer, either) hear you rejoicing over the Rev. He’s highly pizzed about the poor guy being dised and mistreated.
nolie
May 31st, 2012
3:45 pm
good luck with our wife Jer, I’ll pray for y’all
phil
May 31st, 2012
3:46 pm
Jerry – I add my congrats for you and concern for your wife….my best there.
TommyP
May 31st, 2012
3:46 pm
3+ innings gets you the save.
Sopheee
May 31st, 2012
3:47 pm
Best wishes to your wife, Jerry.
raleighbravefan
May 31st, 2012
3:47 pm
Jerry – Man…sorry to hear it…prayers being sent your way.
Sopheee
May 31st, 2012
3:48 pm
What the fudge happened to CB around here? Haven’t seen him in a long time.
nolie
May 31st, 2012
3:49 pm
I think I read that he resigned from the blog perhaps?
McFann :Ô: :Ô:
May 31st, 2012
3:49 pm
Russell Martin is annoying. Never could stand the guy…
McFann :Ô: :Ô:
May 31st, 2012
3:50 pm
Prayers for your wife, Jerry!…
cricket
May 31st, 2012
3:50 pm
TommyP – yes he pitched 3 inn. however, when he came in the score was 17 – 5, then it was 17 – 7, 21 – 7 and ended 21 – 8. A “save” was never required since lead was never less than 10. I understand that’s the rule but it is weird.
Sopheee
May 31st, 2012
3:50 pm
What? Why? He’s in my fantasy league so I’ll have to get onto him about that.
Brian from SC
May 31st, 2012
3:51 pm
Iwakuma got a save in a game with a 13-run margin of victory. The last save earned in a game with larger margin of victory was against the Braves on August 22, 2008. That was Joel Pineiro of the Cardinals in an 18-3 game.
Jerry
May 31st, 2012
3:52 pm
cricket,
If I was Russell Martin, I would have called time out on every foul ball and had the pitcher toss the ball to me so I could throw it back to him. See what the ump would do then. Seems to me the league office would frown on the ump’s pettiness. I would have loved to see the pitcher decide he wanted a new ball and instead of throwing it to Russell, hum that sucker in to the ump with some zip.
Brian from SC
May 31st, 2012
3:52 pm
You can pitch the last three innings of a 21-8 game and get a save, but if you get out of a bases-loaded jam in the 8th inning, YOU GET NOTHING.
cricket
May 31st, 2012
3:52 pm
may be CB was relegated to AAA/AA of blogs (Bradley / Schultz) ?
cricket
May 31st, 2012
3:55 pm
Jerry – I think plate ump has too much power with subjective strike calls anyway, no point pissing him off even more. If he’s a prissy guy, he can get revenge with a call at crucial time.
Bayou Brave
May 31st, 2012
3:55 pm
b
Because in college he once drove the team bus 10 miles in Reverse after teh transmission gave out in to get them to the college world series. Which they won.
Jerry
May 31st, 2012
3:55 pm
Thanks guys for the prayers. My wife goes tomorrow to find out when she’s supposed to have surgery. They seem to think it’s in the 1st stage and that’s always good. She’ll get a hysterectomy and hopefully that’ll be the end of it.
jeffrey d
May 31st, 2012
3:55 pm
may be CB was relegated to AAA/AA of blogs (Bradley / Schultz) ?
Yeah but who’d we call up that was better than him?
CrαZy
May 31st, 2012
3:56 pm
may be CB was relegated to AAA/AA of blogs (Bradley / Schultz) ?
No no it’s slutzy! Picks topics only to get page hits from his blind minions!!
Bayou Brave
May 31st, 2012
3:56 pm
McFanned it.
jeffrey d
May 31st, 2012
3:57 pm
According to Keith Law, Gattis’ bobblehead is expected to be a mid-1st round pick in next month’s draft.
phil
May 31st, 2012
3:57 pm
You can pitch the 8th inning and get nothing and like it!!
Or get a regular job like the rest ( I hope) of us….
jeffrey d
May 31st, 2012
3:58 pm
Hey, I like Schultz
Bay Area Steve
May 31st, 2012
3:58 pm
“YOU GET NOTHING.”
You gotta manage to the save rule. Gotta.
CrαZy
May 31st, 2012
3:58 pm
(Bradley / Schultz)
I honestly don’t remember the last time I read anything those two guys wrote… other than an occasional tweet.
phil
May 31st, 2012
3:58 pm
Outstanding, Jerry! Indeed that is terrific news for her.
cricket
May 31st, 2012
3:58 pm
Yeah but who’d we call up that was better than him?
i’ve seen those blogs few times. that farm system is bare. there’s no one there with even close to CB’s talents.
Jerry
May 31st, 2012
3:59 pm
raleighbravefan,
I really am amazed that anyone could be that much of a fan of Pastornicky. He simply did not bring much of anything to the plate. I know he could hit a little, but he would give it right back with his severe lack of range. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a shortstop with that little before. If the organization is smart about it, they’ll put him elsewhere on the field. He has no future at short.
bravesgrl4life
May 31st, 2012
3:59 pm
Jerry, my thoughts and prayers with you and your wife.
phil
May 31st, 2012
4:00 pm
According to shaun, that’s what all managers do anyway….
manage to the save rule.
Individual stats are all that matters anyway….who gives a fire ant about wins and losses anyway.
Jeff R
May 31st, 2012
4:00 pm
If they are okay with Freeman at first, it’s hard to imagine that they have a sky-is-falling view of Heyward.
Shaun, I know you like to crunch the esoteric numbers, but are you saying that Freeman’s and Heyward’s performances are comparable? Maybe I’m misunderstanding.
Murph
May 31st, 2012
4:00 pm
Even at the end of the game after I get hit in the neck. I’m like, can I throw the ball back now? He’s still like no. I’m like you’re such a (expletive). Like for real.
And then I was like, what the heck? And he was like, what? And I was like, c’mon!
Like, for real.
cricket
May 31st, 2012
4:01 pm
According to Keith Law, Gattis’ bobblehead is expected to be a mid-1st round pick in next month’s draft.
According to KLaw, Gattis’ bobblehead should not be drafted at all because that bobble is only due to old age and the head will fall off any minute. Shaun completely agrees.
4th place finish in 2012
May 31st, 2012
4:01 pm
It’s been amusing to read about how “injuries” are to blame for our woes.
I’m sure that the Phillies and Nationals are very sympathetic to the injuries the Braves have suffered.
Meanwhile, I said in Spring Training that 1. Pastornicky would SUCK….2. Chipper Jones would have a hard time staying healthy….3. Jason Heyward does not have it in him to make adjustments that are made to adjustments that are made pitching to him. 4. Mike Minor is very hittable. 5. Brian McCann has “American League” written all over his future, by the winter of 2013 at the latest.
Sure, Heyward got off to a hot start early. However, dude’s batting .233 (Pastornicky was sent down and he was batting .248). Plus Heyward’s defense hasnt shown any improvement.
Same with Minor. Yes he started off hot early. However MLB hitters have made adjustments to Minor…and they have been teeing off on him the past month.
Our starting pitching is average, at best. Our bullpen is being overworked. Our line-up is hurt by having a clean-up hitter who cant stay healthy to play everyday (McCann). As we get closer to the end of 2013……the Braves will be faced with the prospect of trading McCann….or risk either losing him via free agency….or overpaying him, potentially crippling the franchise. He is best suited for the American League.
Oh, by the way,, our defense SUCKS!
4th place is starting to look a little optimistic.
Couch Tater
May 31st, 2012
4:01 pm
Sophee –
I’ve been trying to flush CB out with smart remarks about his Hokies. Tell him, he blogs like a Hokie at a bowl game.
Lew
May 31st, 2012
4:02 pm
“Lew, or you could actually look at actual measures of things that matter to creating or preventing runs….” Shaun
Or you could actually come to the realization that WAR actually doesn’t do that. Or you could actually come to the realization that actually, any metric whose determination can’t even be agreed upon by the experts that invented it and has different variations in use, actually tells you nothing cause it’s actually made up.
Jeff R
May 31st, 2012
4:02 pm
TheOnlyBravesFan, no obvious answer to Heyward in right. I think management sticks with him unless or until they come up with a credible alternative. Of course, Heyward’s game may pick, which would be the best possible solution.
CrαZy
May 31st, 2012
4:02 pm
Murph… I did think it was a bit chitty of the ump!!
Jerry
May 31st, 2012
4:03 pm
Yeah phil, she’ll come through it really well. She is a tough little woman. We are coming up on our 35th year anniversary. Kinda used to having her around, especially since nobody else would put up with me.
richbrave
May 31st, 2012
4:03 pm
DOWN ON THE FARM
GWINNETT
PIGS win 6-3
1B ERNESTO MEJIA [.315 BA] 3-5, 1 2B [14], 2 RBI [39], 1 SO.
RF FELIX PIE [.235 BA] 2-5, 1 R, 1 3B [3], 1 SO.
SS JOSH WILSON [.236 BA] 1-3, 1 BB, 2 SO, 1 E [11, throw]………TYLER PASTORNICKY anyone?
Lead-off CF LUIS DURANGO [.286 BA] 1-3, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 SB [23].
2B GREG PAIML [.212 BA] 1-4.
PH CHRISTIAN MARRERO [.250 BA] 1-1.
RHSP ERIC JUNGE [4.20 ERA] 7.0 IP, 6 H, 1 HR, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO. Error + gopher-ball = a no-decision. Too bad, he really pitched well enough to win.
No relief as LHRP DUSTY HUGHES [L 0-1, 4.29 ERA] gives up the house. 1.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R/ER, 1 BB, 1 SO.
LHRP JOSE LUGO [3.86 ERA] is back. 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 SO.
jeffrey d
May 31st, 2012
4:04 pm
Did you know that String Theory was developed after an attempt to figure out Gattis’ WAR?
CrαZy
May 31st, 2012
4:04 pm
When is the 30 picks / 30 players draft this year?
Zing
May 31st, 2012
4:05 pm
Late comment on this, but as someone who has advocated for Medlen being in the starting rotation (particularly after Jurrjens was demoted), I’m glad to see that that is the direction the Braves are heading now. I was pretty tired of seeing the Braves waste an asset putting Medlen out there in a blow-out game for long relief.
As to plugging Simmons in for Pastornicky, I feel a little for Pastornicky, because it’s not like he played horribly–defense was on the weak side, but he wasn’t terrible and had hit as well as you might have expected (and better than Gonzalez did). Heading down to the minors with that background,I’m not sure the Braves have a plan for him coming back up with Simmons planted in front. He might be in the minors for a long, long time unless he really ups his game (unlikely). Maybe the Braves see him as a utility infielder, sort of like an Infante or DeRosa from years past.
Jeff R
May 31st, 2012
4:06 pm
This “creating or preventing runs” seems to be the hot, little buzz among the stat prop-heads.
Next it will be a nifty metric like “advancing or retarding runners.” Or measuring the arc on curve balls.
Sopheee
May 31st, 2012
4:06 pm
Haha, you got it Tater.
jeffrey d
May 31st, 2012
4:07 pm
Prayers for you and your wife, Jerry
CrαZy
May 31st, 2012
4:08 pm
Nevermind I found it… So Heyward is still viewed good enough to get picked 30th?
Lew
May 31st, 2012
4:08 pm
Jefff R – Come on now – everyone knows that the “curve” on a basball is an optical illusion, right?
nolie
May 31st, 2012
4:08 pm
sorry Jerry, but that is one terrible idea. If he doesn’t get back at you some other umpire would and at a time you wouldn’t much like either