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© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
2,623 comments Add your comment
PDOG
June 12th, 2012
4:09 pm
Oh and by the way Diaz looked real good last night when he came in to pitch hit against the lefty. NOT
TaylorVol
June 12th, 2012
4:10 pm
“During August and September, you’d hate to see games blown because they felt compelled to use Livan Hernandez in the fifth inning of a still-winnable game.” DOB, it was a shame that this was done in June. Livan is a great personality, a stand-up guy, and a true professional. He’s also one of the most likable players in MLB. His teammates love him and he is very popular in the clubhouse. With that said, he has NO VALUE other than a “mop up” guy. C’mon Fredi, Sunday was inexcusable.
jeffrey d
June 12th, 2012
4:10 pm
Anybody else fooled by the headline?
tony austin
June 12th, 2012
4:10 pm
The headline to this article is somewhat misleading. I understand it after I read the first line, but when I first saw it I thought Dempster was now a Brave.
Efrim
June 12th, 2012
4:11 pm
You may want to look into Efrim’s therapist. I’ve heard she’s done well with Prospect Hugger Syndrome.
Tapping exercises. It does wonders.
McFann :Ô: :Ô:
June 12th, 2012
4:12 pm
jeffrey d—
A little bit…
jeffrey d
June 12th, 2012
4:12 pm
high five, tony austin
Tomahawkin
June 12th, 2012
4:12 pm
Braves Will Win 6-4 Tonight, Bank on It, I have a Feeling in My Gut That Money Mike Comes Correct on the Hill against that All Star Lineup…
phil
June 12th, 2012
4:12 pm
I would fully expect an 0-3 showing from Jason tonight (I say 0-3 because CC is somewhat likely to face the minimum), but I’d rather see it from him than from Diaz….
I don’t mind Matt in LF and Prado at third when Chipper is out for days at a time, but not in RF in place of the guy who is allegedly a big part of our future.
DS1
June 12th, 2012
4:12 pm
After Fredi sat Bourn to “rest” him on May 16th, he promptly responded by going 9-51 in the 2 weeks afterwards.
That’s a robust .176.
Heyward is the star of your future. He’s been hitting the ball well as of late. To be honest, Matt Diaz, who over his career has hit lefties well, has managed to hit .192 (6 for 26) in his last 7 starts; and he got 5 of those 6 hits in 2 games.
So tell me he has done well against lefties lately……………. Nah!
TheOnlyBravesFan
June 12th, 2012
4:12 pm
Ain’t it something to only hit .273 haha…. bad splits in his line, however
Marlon Byrd
but the outfielder hit just .273/.288/.333 in 105 plate appearances in Boston
TaylorVol
June 12th, 2012
4:12 pm
Diaz should be used as a pinch hitter vs. CC Sabathia in the 6th when Minor is on life support. Heyward “rested” on Sunday and doesn’t need another day off. There’s a reason why he got virtually no PT with the Pirates. He’s a great bench guy to pinch hit late in games vs a lefty. What am I missing? Maybe Heyward has a few dings or a nagging injury???
unbelievable
June 12th, 2012
4:13 pm
Heyward has 3 multi hit games out of the past 8. .323/.344/.581 this month. Id say he’s on fire, but now he’s benched 2 of the past 3 games and we have an off day on thursday. Its going to be tough for him to keep it going while sitting.
Efrim
June 12th, 2012
4:13 pm
I actually don’t think Heyward has been all that hot. His plate appearances have been lacking in that he just hasn’t been walking very often. Two grounders to the right side and pop up to SS last night. Maybe Fredi saw the same thing?
kenhotlanta
June 12th, 2012
4:13 pm
“Salty and Harrison are now lighting it up.”
And the numbers for Tex have gone down 4 straight years.
jeffrey d
June 12th, 2012
4:13 pm
and McFann
Efrim
June 12th, 2012
4:14 pm
.323/.344/.581
Base-ref has been failing on me today. Not sure what the heck is going on. Didn;t know that was the line.
McFann :Ô: :Ô:
June 12th, 2012
4:14 pm
jeffrey d—
Back atcha…
phil
June 12th, 2012
4:15 pm
What’s the ongoing concern over the headline? So it was a bit deceptive at first glance….
unbelievable
June 12th, 2012
4:15 pm
Efrim, thats his June slash line.
tony austin
June 12th, 2012
4:15 pm
That sounds like the Bobby Cox school of philosophy; sit the player who is hot and play the player who is not.
McFann :Ô: :Ô:
June 12th, 2012
4:16 pm
Efrim—
BR’s been giving me problems today, too. But it’s probably for the best that what I’m trying to look up isn’t working…
Tomahawkin
June 12th, 2012
4:16 pm
Gonna Up The Anty on that prediction, the Gut Speaks again, we will win 6-3, I can taste us Rallying on the Yankees Bullpen….
cricket
June 12th, 2012
4:16 pm
Anybody else fooled by the headline?
everybody but Ward
unbelievable
June 12th, 2012
4:16 pm
Good thing Fredi doesnt have a RH’d platoon partner for 1B or Freeman would be sitting.
JT Grace
June 12th, 2012
4:16 pm
Different Chen. This guy seems better.
Oooops!! Hopefully Jason is benched for him though.
TheOnlyBravesFan
June 12th, 2012
4:16 pm
Bourn__ .436 .463 .615 1.079 .467 __191
Prado__ .268 .268 .366 0.634 .275 ___71
McCann_ .182 .289 .303 0.593 .236 ___62
Uggla__ .241 .421 .621 1.042 .419 __180
Diaz___ .281 .361 .438 0.799 .333 __117
Chipper .250 .294 .281 0.575 .264 ___58
Freeman .270 .270 .405 0.676 .290 ___81
Simmons .219 .286 .406 0.692 .280 ___86
Minor__ .056 .056 .056 0.111 .096 __-70
Except for Minor,
One of these things is not like the other,
one of these things just doesn’t belong
phil
June 12th, 2012
4:17 pm
And why the talk about Vlade? He was released for a reason that wasn’t a good one.
Why not go grab McLouth….
Fred
June 12th, 2012
4:17 pm
Dave, what is the Braves’ record against pitchers they are seeing for the first time? I just read that the Yankees lead the league at 24-8 (or thereabouts). My impression is the Braves are more like 4-24. Is my impression accurate?
JT Grace
June 12th, 2012
4:17 pm
…….ooops again. meant to say I hope Jason isn’t benched for him.
jeffrey d
June 12th, 2012
4:18 pm
I wondered who we traded for Dempster, so I skimmed the first paragraph and saw Ryan Dempster, Mike Minor, and Randall Delgado bolded. I almost flipped.
McFann :Ô: :Ô:
June 12th, 2012
4:18 pm
TOBF One of these things is not like the other,…one of these things just doesn’t belong
Quiet, you…
RC
June 12th, 2012
4:18 pm
Marlon Byrd = Matt Diaz – power – patience + defense
ncscoots
June 12th, 2012
4:18 pm
Efrim, thats his June slash line.
And, as it happens, that isn’t just an arbitrary slash-line period, His low point was .233 on the last day of May.
cricket
June 12th, 2012
4:19 pm
does MLB allow this kind of frank commenting?
Bobby Valentine wasn’t happy with the umpiring in the Red Sox series over the weekend at Fenway, and when the topic was re-introduced Monday at Marlins Park, Valentine picked up where he left off.
“I don’t like barking at the umpires,” said Valentine, who objected to ball and strike calls Sunday. “I’d like to see a ball called a ball and a strike called a strike. Just play the game. I don’t like that idea (of yelling at umpires).”
Valentine went on to hint that it might be time for Major League Baseball to find other ways — beyond umpires — to call balls and strikes.
“From the time that people pay hundreds if not thousands of dollars to teach their kids to play this great game of ours,” said Valentine, “the No. 1 thing they do is they teach their pitcher to throw it over the plate; they teach their hitter to swing at strikes and take balls.
“When I did the Little League World Series (for ESPN), I thought it was the most criminal thing I ever saw, I wanted to cry, when a kid, in the sixth inning with the bases loaded and his team down by one run, was called out on a strike three that was six inches outside. He couldn’t reach it with his bat. I cried for him. And that kid is scarred for life, playing our game, by an injustice.
“And then someone says the most ridiculous words that I ever hear: ‘But we like the human factor.’ It was criminal that we allow our game to scar a young person like that. And then it continues on. I think, in 2012, it should not be part of the process. I don’t think it should be.”
When asked if he was advocating the use of cameras to call pitches, Valentine demurred: “I want a ball called a ball and a strike called a strike. Let the humans do it, somehow . . . Our game is not someone else’s strike zone; our game is what the book says. And that’s how it should be played, from Little League to Cooperstown. To make it fair, to make it right.”
Reminded that humans are bound to make mistakes in whatever job, Valentine responded: “Don’t make it their job, then. The rule book doesn’t say that the game will be played and arbitrarily ruled.”
Valentine said umpires are “well-trained and very good at what they do. But I think it’s almost impossible to do what they do. So why do we ask them to do the impossible?
“If in fact you can’t see the ball the last five feet and now pitchers are throwing pitches that are moving in that zone . . . if you can’t see it, why are we asking them to call it? They can’t see it. They’re humans. We’re asking humans to do a feat that a human can’t do.”
TheOnlyBravesFan
June 12th, 2012
4:19 pm
We got Dempster? I don’t see that on MLBTR
Oh wait… Nice title DOB, got me all excited
BrandonLee49
June 12th, 2012
4:19 pm
Delgado is Not the Goat for the 3-0 Loss to the Yankees, try looking at the Empty Braves Offensive stats…
McFann :Ô: :Ô:
June 12th, 2012
4:20 pm
RC His low point was .233
Must be nice…
RC
June 12th, 2012
4:20 pm
And why the talk about Vlade? He was released for a reason that wasn’t a good one.
The reason was that he asked to be released so he could try to find a team that would offer him a chance at the majors. That’s not a good one?
Don’t think the Braves fit for him at all though. But nothing wrong with why he asked to be released.
phil
June 12th, 2012
4:20 pm
Minorleague gives up a minimum of 3 moonshot homers tonight, at least one to ARod….maybe we still win, probably we don’t because we fold like the Hawks and Falcons and Bulldogs against anything remotely approaching a good, sound team.
RC
June 12th, 2012
4:21 pm
McFann, that was scoots, not me.
McFann :Ô: :Ô:
June 12th, 2012
4:21 pm
BrandonLee09 try looking at the Empty Braves Offensive stats…
Do I have to? Makes me kinda sad…
Tomahawkin
June 12th, 2012
4:21 pm
phil
“And why the talk about Vlade? He was released for a reason that wasn’t a good one.
Why not go grab McLouth…. ”
I want Loaf Back! Joking
cricket
June 12th, 2012
4:21 pm
And why the talk about Vlade? He was released for a reason that wasn’t a good one.
Why not go grab McLouth….
Vlad is available…commence eye roll
McFann :Ô: :Ô:
June 12th, 2012
4:22 pm
RC—
Oops—sorry…
Wasn’t even that great of a post…
Wow
June 12th, 2012
4:22 pm
Everytime Heyward starts to hit the ball a bit, Gonzalez decides to bench him.
Heyward’s never going to amount to anything until he gets away from that chump.
Jimmy
June 12th, 2012
4:23 pm
Man, came on here to see what is going on.
Computer was slow loading the page (beeboo crap) and all I could see was:
The Daily DOB >>
Braves trade for
It was cut off there. Had to wait for what seemed like minutes for the page to load so I could scroll down. Then I could see the entire headline.
Actually had to read it twice to get it straight in my head.
We didn’t trade for Dempster.
TheOnlyBravesFan
June 12th, 2012
4:23 pm
TOBF One of these things is not like the other,…one of these things just doesn’t belong
Quiet, you…
Haha! It worked!
Marlon Byrd = Matt Diaz – power – patience + defense
This.
I wondered who we traded for Dempster, so I skimmed the first paragraph and saw Ryan Dempster, Mike Minor, and Randall Delgado bolded. I almost flipped.
Me too, especially since Mac wasn’t included…
phil
June 12th, 2012
4:24 pm
I’ll rephrase, RC, as your point is a good one, obviously….
He wasn’t even playing at the major league level for a reason or reasons that are apparently not good ones, namely that he’s done.
TheOnlyBravesFan
June 12th, 2012
4:24 pm
I was just wondering why we would need 2 front-line pitchers….
Efrim
June 12th, 2012
4:24 pm
Mark Bowman @mlbbowman
Beachy’s elbow was fine during today’s short bullpen session. He will be ready to go on Saturday.
I didn’t even know the elbow was a problem. Glad to hear it’s fine and he’ll be pumping 91-92mph fastballs through 6 or 7 innings on Saturday………
ncscoots
June 12th, 2012
4:25 pm
I wanted to cry, when a kid,…was called out on a strike three that was six inches outside. He couldn’t reach it with his bat. I cried for him. And that kid is scarred for life, playing our game, by an injustice.
Valentine imprinting his own horrors and “scars”, whatever they may be. Because my guess is that the kid didn’t cry, nor is he cowering somewhere wearing a strait-jacket while waiting for his meds, prior to another therapy session.
Valentine is showing that ten years away from the dugout is a long, very long, time.
Sopheee
June 12th, 2012
4:25 pm
McFann, I think it’s time to change it up and bring the baby turtle back. Gotta try something new.
Bat Masterson
June 12th, 2012
4:26 pm
I do have to say about Jason – I think he must have read the blog after the game against the Nationals where his effort, or lack thereof, to get that ball that Harper hit. As many of you know, I was on the side of “that was pathetic” (and looking at Swisher’s catch of McCann’s shot (and I know it was a bit lower than Harper’s), I think a little bit of an effort would have been nice. But, since then, Heyward’s D has been nothing short of SPECTUACULAR!
Funny how that works. No doubt Heyward looked bad taking Harper for granted on that play, and he looked bad on a couple of other ground balls that weekend. The same weekend they spent a bunch of time talking about the ball snaking on the outfielders, even showed a replay of a ball to Bourn a few times as an example.
I remember early on when Heyward was hitting pretty good we had some discussion here about how good he looked in the field this year. The way I see it Heyward has played damn good defense all year.
phil
June 12th, 2012
4:26 pm
Dale Murphy is available too….we don’t need more broken down, close to the end types like Hinske and Diaz….enough is enough.
How old is Vlad? 48?
Efrim
June 12th, 2012
4:26 pm
Everytime Heyward starts to hit the ball a bit, Gonzalez decides to bench him.
If Heyward goes on to struggle against Kuroda, Hunter and Hammel – I will not be blaming Fredo for that.
Jason needs to put something together for more than 30 plate appearances.
DS1
June 12th, 2012
4:26 pm
I am not a big Valentine fan, but he makes a heckuva lot of sense.
DS1
June 12th, 2012
4:27 pm
……but as long as you have a guy like Fredi as the manager, who worry how accurate the balls and strikes that are called.
cricket
June 12th, 2012
4:27 pm
Valentine is showing that ten years away from the dugout is a long, very long, time.
IMO, for valentine, it is too short of a time
phil
June 12th, 2012
4:27 pm
Beachy’s elbow is likely not fine….
I hope I’m wrong.
flange1
June 12th, 2012
4:28 pm
cricket,
That was an interesting interview with Bobby Valentine on umpiring.
The more I think about his points, the more I agree with him.
It would be nice for a strike to be a strike every time it is thrown at a particular spot on any day of the week with any pitcher pitching and any catcher catching wouldn’t it?
McFann :Ô: :Ô:
June 12th, 2012
4:28 pm
Sopheee—
I think you’re right…Gotta find the little bugger—he doesn’t come up anymore if I retype my name…
TOBF—
You’re a cruel person…
thegreatsowhat
June 12th, 2012
4:29 pm
Greg Walker and others talk about Heyward’s problems resting in his “timing”. How does one get a chance to fix his timing when he is yanked all over the batting order and in and out of the lineup itself?
phil
June 12th, 2012
4:29 pm
I detest Valentine, but he does make some good points.
Enforce the damn rules as written, especially the strike zone. Can’t manage to do it? Fired, then and there.
It gets really old.
ncscoots
June 12th, 2012
4:29 pm
Jason needs to put something together for more than 30 plate appearances
With Fredo, might take him three weeks just to get those 30.
McFann :Ô: :Ô: :ô:
June 12th, 2012
4:29 pm
Ah, THERE he is…
cricket
June 12th, 2012
4:30 pm
vlad is available…
Sopheee
June 12th, 2012
4:30 pm
I think I’ll bust out my own attempt to help Mac along later if I’m around during the game.
TheOnlyBravesFan
June 12th, 2012
4:31 pm
I predict a 4-5 night for Mac… he’ll get his 2 homers he just missed last night.
DS1
June 12th, 2012
4:31 pm
I’m calling it: Mac goes 3-4 with a walk and 3 RBI’s tonight, due to the little turtle.
VaBravesFan
June 12th, 2012
4:31 pm
I seriously came home from work and hit the AJC bookmark seen the headline “Braves trade for Dempster” so without reading any further I went to MLBTR and ESPN and seen nothing. lol
Wow
June 12th, 2012
4:31 pm
“Jason needs to put something together for more than 30 plate appearances”
It seemed like he was on his way to doing that now-
Oh wait, he’s benched again
Lew
June 12th, 2012
4:31 pm
cricket – You assume that I’ve ever actually paid attention to Ward. Never been sure exactly why I should.
cricket
June 12th, 2012
4:33 pm
flange1 – Yes and many people obviously have thought about it but this may be 1st time a current MLB manager has come out and said it. I expect some sort of circular retraction shortly from Valentine, no doubt with a little “nudge” from MLB.
cricket
June 12th, 2012
4:35 pm
Lew – I just remember your classic comment about him polishing the lamp wishing for Dempster and making the lamp shiny. That made me laugh.
bravesgrl4life
June 12th, 2012
4:35 pm
Well, you know, McFann, McCann has his own little turtle on the way, doesn’t he?
ncscoots
June 12th, 2012
4:36 pm
You guys get the Heyward sit out of your system yet? Geez louise, you’re starting to sound like ex-wives on alimony day, LOL. I think everything brilliant about it has been said, so you can probably give it a rest for a while.
flange1 - tonight is Mac's night
June 12th, 2012
4:36 pm
I think that will do it!
TheOnlyBravesFan
June 12th, 2012
4:37 pm
vlad is available…
Don’t want him
phil
June 12th, 2012
4:37 pm
Don’t expect a little turtle…
Jimmy
June 12th, 2012
4:37 pm
There you are Bat!
Maybe I’ve just been missing your post, but glad your posting.
DS1
June 12th, 2012
4:38 pm
cricket
Actually, the retractions are mostly for politicians. They just fine the managers who get out of line in baseball. I expect a fine and not a retraction.
Efrim
June 12th, 2012
4:38 pm
I will say that if for any reason Sabathia is out of the game, Diaz needs to be removed. It didn’ty really matter on Sunday, but Diaz shouldnt see another PA against a RHP for the season if it were up to me….
JEFF SPARROW
June 12th, 2012
4:39 pm
FREEMAN should have sit out this past week end with his real sore hand ,he can’t grip the bat right and it really hurts every time he swings , we do need a GOOD right handed set -up man in the bull pen and shoot we need about 3 right more players before we can say we are a contending team , another good starter , a right handed bat who can play all 3 spots in the out field and a right handed set- up man
Lew
June 12th, 2012
4:39 pm
cricket – One of the few times I’ve actually edited myself. It could have been worse.
phil
June 12th, 2012
4:39 pm
I remember early on when Heyward was hitting pretty good we had some discussion here about how good he looked in the field this year. The way I see it Heyward has played damn good defense all year. Bat Masterson
*************
But the Harper game erased all goodwill up to that point….it proved that Jason stinks….definitively.
McSopheee
June 12th, 2012
4:39 pm
Whatever it takes.
Efrim
June 12th, 2012
4:39 pm
so you can probably give it a rest for a while.
You mean, Heyward hasn’t been thrust into the lineup because of our comments?
This really is ridiculous….
DS1
June 12th, 2012
4:40 pm
Where will Marlon Byrd wind up?
Mikey
June 12th, 2012
4:40 pm
Question that needs to be answered:
Diaz: .250/9rbi/2hr/.325obp ($2,125,000 salary
Ibanez:.256/31rbi/10hr/.311obp ($1,100,000) salary defense will not be quantified
Which team made the better choice?
phil
June 12th, 2012
4:40 pm
We need about 25 more players before we can say we are a contending team….
Appoint me GM.
Jimmy
June 12th, 2012
4:40 pm
phil –
So, many are calling for a BMac night.
OK, I’ll just take THAT to the bank!
Along with what Tomahawkin said.
cricket
June 12th, 2012
4:41 pm
amazing –
The 35-year-old’s physical conditioning is deteriorating under the stress of being jailed at the Clark County Detention Center, and he is being held in “inhumane conditions,” lawyer Richard Wright said in the motion filed Monday. Mayweather is segregated from the rest of the prison population for 23 hours a day, and his one hour in the exercise area does not include access to workout equipment, say his attorneys.
Wright stated that others who have committed similar misdemeanor offenses are treated differently and Mayweather’s celebrity status “cannot be accommodated at the CCDC.”
Jimmy
June 12th, 2012
4:42 pm
Got to run.
See you good folks later.
TheOnlyBravesFan
June 12th, 2012
4:42 pm
Don’t expect a little turtle…
Oh yeah, he/she would be born holding a cheeseburger in their hand, right? lol
Diaz shouldnt see another PA against a RHP for the season if it were up to me….
Semi-agree. There are some RHP pitchers that he hits well against. Against those, I would let him hit. No others.
Mcflange1
June 12th, 2012
4:42 pm
I like your better Soph…
cricket
June 12th, 2012
4:43 pm
so you can probably give it a rest for a while.
ok, back to Mac hitting 3rd, discuss among yourselves
DS1
June 12th, 2012
4:44 pm
Mikey
The Braves aren’t paying all of Diaz 2012 salary. Pirates are in for roughly half. And if we’d picked up Ibanez, we’d STILL be paying Diaz salary (that we owed him).
So in affect, we get Diaz for about 1 million, or Ibanez for over 2 million. And we already had a lefty hitting, bad defensive corner outfielder in Eric Hinske.
But as you know, hindsight is 20-20.
cricket
June 12th, 2012
4:44 pm
did you guys (and gal) get approval from McFann?
Columbus
June 12th, 2012
4:45 pm
Braves have an 83 million dollar payroll and the Yankees have 186 million or something. The Braves do need some starting pitching to step up and need to stop overworking Livan. They can make a trade due to money feed up next year from Chipper and being done with paying Lowe. However there are players to resign so we cant spend too much. Like Hanson, hopefully Bourn, McCann. Braves need a pitcher to replace Lowe and I say they can make a move to get someone good.
And THIS year, in my opinion, they absolutely should.