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© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
2,623 comments Add your comment
Slide J-Hey
June 12th, 2012
8:23 pm
That was his 2nd sac in 31 tries..
TheOnlyBravesFan
June 12th, 2012
8:23 pm
Yanks bring the infield in, Braves didn’t on Sunday…. why the difference?
MIBravesFan
June 12th, 2012
8:23 pm
Good bunt for Mike!
cricket
June 12th, 2012
8:24 pm
time to enjoy dinner and game. you smart folks enjoy pointing out how anything good happens is in spite of all the dumb moves Fredi makes that actually result in the said +ve outcome.
Frankie Wren
June 12th, 2012
8:25 pm
Heyward has not been red hot by anymeans. He’s hit better(not much room but up) but people here make it sound like he’s on fire. Had a couple of good game and then on Saturday he looked horrible at the plate(3 k’s and bad at bats). Trying to win games here. Why do you want 4 lefties in the lineup tonight as well against a great pitcher. Heyward will have the opportunity to play fulltime and the club wants this to happen. Go a couple of weeks with consistency first.
brian
June 12th, 2012
8:25 pm
No way that fredi should platoon McCann and Ross, but instead of always sitting McCann on Sunday he should sit him on the weekend day when the lefty is pitching when the other team has a lefty and a righty pitching on the weekend
David O'Brien
June 12th, 2012
8:25 pm
Four of rookie Simmons’ nine hits (in 10 games) have been extra-base hits
VaBravesFan
June 12th, 2012
8:26 pm
Bourn fails to put ball in play.
McDS1nnnn
June 12th, 2012
8:26 pm
Does that Ethier deal look a little dollar heavy for a guy who is a platoon player?
Booger Burnette's Left Earlobe
June 12th, 2012
8:27 pm
Simmons has not surprised me. I felt he was the future since I saw him in spring training.
Minor tonight…, now HE has surprised me! I have repeatedly called him the left-handed Kyle Davies.
I take it back. At least for tonight.
TheOnlyBravesFan
June 12th, 2012
8:28 pm
Leadoff double, sac bunt, and can’t bring the run home….
Rilo
June 12th, 2012
8:28 pm
ugggghhhh…fail….oh well
kevkat
June 12th, 2012
8:28 pm
…don’t like leaving all these runners aboard….not good
George Stein
June 12th, 2012
8:28 pm
Heyward has a .924 OPS in June, Frankie.
Gil In Mechanicsville
June 12th, 2012
8:29 pm
Got to do a little better getting that guy in from third.
McCant
June 12th, 2012
8:29 pm
Braves keep pi*sing away chances to score more runs. We WILL need more runs.
LAG
June 12th, 2012
8:30 pm
Tonight the Braves are getting their cuts against Sabathia, although all three runs have come in one inning.
Meanwhile, the Yankees have, to this point, failed to get to Mike Minor. Scattered hits, no runs.
Someone last night mentioned how the Yankees’ lineup was frothing at the mouth at the prospect of facing Minor. I guess those rabies shots came in just before the game, huh?
Tomahawk Mafia
June 12th, 2012
8:30 pm
Sabathia really buckled down there and made some tough pitches.
Jake W.
June 12th, 2012
8:31 pm
First real mistake by Simmons
Rick
June 12th, 2012
8:31 pm
Simmons finally looks human in the field.
Tomahawk Mafia
June 12th, 2012
8:31 pm
The fifth inning will be a big test for MInor.
brian
June 12th, 2012
8:31 pm
Heyward is turning it around and still looks much better than last year. Even without hindsight Diaz should have started tonight
McDS1nnnn
June 12th, 2012
8:32 pm
CC reminds me of Mickey Lolich.
That’s the closest Simmons will ever come to an E.
Gil In Mechanicsville
June 12th, 2012
8:32 pm
Uh oh, dreaded 5th inning
TheOnlyBravesFan
June 12th, 2012
8:32 pm
Simmons sucks… couldn’t even turn a double play
sarcasm
brian
June 12th, 2012
8:33 pm
3rd time through the lineup will be key for minor
Frankie Wren
June 12th, 2012
8:33 pm
Lets see J Hey do it for the month of June and not a week in a half. Who cares anyway? If it’s Diaz or Heyward in rightfield. If your a Braves fan support whoever the hell is put there.
kevkat
June 12th, 2012
8:33 pm
may not have gotten Jeter anyway, but it sure look like it took Minor forever to throw to second
David O'Brien
June 12th, 2012
8:33 pm
DOB
If this is all true, then Heyward should be platooned every time against a lefthander. How is he ever going to learn to hit lefties if he doesn’t get the chances? — McDS1nnnn
No, I’m sure the manager will bat Diaz against some particularly tough lefties and/or ones he has good numbers against. He hit him against Ricky Romero the other day and he went 2-for-2 with a double. He hit him against Sabathia today and he hit a three-run double.
Fortunately most baseball officials don’t see things as one or the other, black and white with no shades of gray. Rather they adjust according to stats, observations, etc, or just gut feelings. They don’t much care for fans’ fantasy league or favorite-player leanings, however. Sorry.
Jake W.
June 12th, 2012
8:34 pm
Heyward is turning it around and still looks much better than last year. Even without hindsight Diaz should have started tonight
He’s just missing a lot of pitches, isn’t rolling over as many to the first base side. He’s made progress just not at the rate a lot of fans want to see him at.
kevkat
June 12th, 2012
8:34 pm
TheOnlyBravesFan
June 12th, 2012
8:32 pm
Simmons sucks… couldn’t even turn a double play
Yea..let’s get rid of him…
Brian from SC
June 12th, 2012
8:35 pm
9 pitches, 8 strikes in the 5th for Minor.
Disgusted
June 12th, 2012
8:35 pm
I thought they could have given Andruw a little more of an ovation, but in his time here he was not universally loved.
The early comparisons to Ken Griffey Jr did not help Braves fans perception of him, but for a 9 yr stretch from 1998 to 06 he is still one of the very best players we ever had.
Cannot forget the power yrs he had in 2005 and 06. I don’t get that some people thought he was loafing it, say for one of two times as a young guy, he gave it his all from what I saw.
I did not think we as a fan base appreciated him as much as we should have. But as it turned out it was the right decision to let Andruw go at the time.
Sad he is a journeyman player now, he was on his way to Cooperstown numbers had he had another five more good yrs. He’d have over 500 HRS now.
Like Murph, he will fall short because he tailed off so much in his early 30’s. Murph tailed off at 32, Andrew at 31.
TNScott
June 12th, 2012
8:35 pm
Nice 5th, Mike!
David O'Brien
June 12th, 2012
8:36 pm
DOB, when a player is redhot, screw the stats, you don’t sit him down! No matter what! — D.A. Nuggla
Red hot against lefties? You seen his stats against lefties?
Honestly, I really do believe there is a segment of Braves “fans” who’d rather see Heyward play and the team lose than he not play and the team win. No doubt in my mind.
MIBravesFan
June 12th, 2012
8:36 pm
Good job, Mike!
McDS1nnnn
June 12th, 2012
8:36 pm
Minor’s setting himself up to be able to go deep tonight, if he can keep his composure. This is why you don’t give up on your young talented pitching.
Some of you folks were willing to give him away for a utility infielder not long ago.
Disgusted
June 12th, 2012
8:37 pm
Heyward got platooned for one night, he will be back in the lineup soon, Fredi needed a W tonight and as it turned, looks like the right move.
Earl Weaver used to make moves like that all the time.
ChattTownBrian (CTB)
June 12th, 2012
8:37 pm
I appreciate Murphy’s constructive criticism on Minor’s pitching, but it’s working. He’s not walking the park, getting ahead. Murphy knows his stuff, but he was also a hitter, not a pitcher, on some of the worst Braves teams ever.
Brava
June 12th, 2012
8:37 pm
You’ve got that right, DOB.
Rick
June 12th, 2012
8:37 pm
Man I’m wondering what they are gonna do with Medlen now. Delgado was pitching better until last night (which wasn’t terrible) and Minor has looked good his last two outings.
David O'Brien
June 12th, 2012
8:37 pm
Braves Minor has thrown 71 pitches (48 strikes) through five scoreless innings (four hits)
Brian from SC
June 12th, 2012
8:37 pm
Andruw should be compared more to guys like Brooks Robinson, Bill Mazeroski, Ozzie Smith and Luis Aparicio, as all-time defensive greats who are in the HOF. Just so happens that he was better offensively than all of them as well. I think he deserves enshrinement, based on who’s in there now, anyway. A guy like Dale Murphy is not a proper comparison.
Tomahawk Mafia
June 12th, 2012
8:37 pm
Minor passed that 5th inning test pretty well. He has another one due in the 6th.
phil
June 12th, 2012
8:37 pm
George Stein
June 12th, 2012
8:07 pm
I have no idea what you’re talking about, Half Empty. Whatever.
***********
and neither does he normally….
Ship Heyward to AAA (Rob from SC)
June 12th, 2012
8:38 pm
The Medlen move seems to have inspired Minor….
LAG
June 12th, 2012
8:38 pm
Why does Peachtree lose the signal so often?
Jake W.
June 12th, 2012
8:39 pm
The game isn’t over yet but I remember thinking in my head that this is the kind of game the braves can win. It looks so lopsided that there is no chance but the beauty of baseball is that nothing is a given. Monday was a loss before we played because it was Monday. Forget who was pitching or the stats, Monday’s mean homers just miss and scorchers right at people. Tuesday’s give way to miracles. The beauty of 162 game season.
Brian from SC
June 12th, 2012
8:39 pm
As well it should have, Rob. Good to see a guy serious about pitching to save his job.
cabravesfan
June 12th, 2012
8:39 pm
The Medlen move seems to have inspired Minor….
Was just commenting pretty much the same thing to VJ- Mike Minor seems to pitch better when he has something to prove.
McDS1nnnn
June 12th, 2012
8:39 pm
Did DOB just call me a “fantasy fan”??? Now I am really insulted!
Mister Frisky
June 12th, 2012
8:39 pm
I guess Die Azz really does rake lefties.
Brian from SC
June 12th, 2012
8:40 pm
Eh…throw away inning there.
George Stein
June 12th, 2012
8:40 pm
Fortunately most baseball officials don’t see things as one or the other, black and white with no shades of gray.
Except that Fredi is either unable or unwilling to see shades of gray. We know this because of the rigidity with which he deploys his bullpen.
JNick
June 12th, 2012
8:41 pm
@DOB, Diaz played two days ago and we didn’t win. While playing him may have been the right decision (and him going 2-2 was nice), it was negated by a boneheaded decision with pitching. I think you’re giving too much credit to Fredi. Diaz could have easily whiffed in the first, and you’d sing a different tune right now. I just don’t understand why Fredi makes some moves based on stats, and others on what seems to be pure cluelessness.
bravesgrl4life
June 12th, 2012
8:41 pm
I’ve been wondering that, too, LAG.
McFann, did you love that commercial?
Slide J-Hey
June 12th, 2012
8:41 pm
It don’t matter who the player is..you will always have fans that feel that way..DOB
Its not good…
McDS1nnnn
June 12th, 2012
8:41 pm
Rick
What they should have done all along with Medlen, left him in the pen where he was most useful.
Jake W.
June 12th, 2012
8:43 pm
Why does Peachtree lose the signal so often?
Been doing it a lot lately. Getting tired of it myself.
Disgusted
June 12th, 2012
8:43 pm
“CC reminds me of Mickey Lolich.”
Now that is a name of durability from the past. Wonder how long Lolich would have lasted with today;s training methods and medical technology, etc.
Too bad he finshed the back end of his career with a couple of bad Tiger teams and a so so Met team. Might have won in the high 200’s, his 219 W’s (I think that is what he won) was still good for his day.
Lolich was a big game pitcher I remember his 3 W’s in the 68 WS. And he won a game in the 72 ALCS. Never got many post season chances.
I do think CC is better.
Brian from SC
June 12th, 2012
8:44 pm
Better than 2 to 1 strike to ball ratio for Minor. Still work to do, but so far, we’re watching probably Minor’s best performance.
brian
June 12th, 2012
8:44 pm
Put him away minor
DiamondbackMac
June 12th, 2012
8:45 pm
Whoever that guy is, he’s doing a terrible job of impersonating Minor.
Frankie Wren
June 12th, 2012
8:46 pm
Phillies down 3-0 early. It so satisfying watching this team struggle right now.
phil
June 12th, 2012
8:46 pm
David O’Brien
June 12th, 2012
8:36 pm
DOB, when a player is redhot, screw the stats, you don’t sit him down! No matter what! — D.A. Nuggla
Red hot against lefties? You seen his stats against lefties?
Honestly, I really do believe there is a segment of Braves “fans” who’d rather see Heyward play and the team lose than he not play and the team win. No doubt in my mind.
************
NO QUESTION ABOUT IT, DAVE!! Amen.
McDS1nnnn
June 12th, 2012
8:46 pm
Disgusted
Lolich took over that ‘68 series from McLain fo sho.
brian
June 12th, 2012
8:47 pm
Nice battle with Arod for minor.
Efrim
June 12th, 2012
8:47 pm
Honestly, I really do believe there is a segment of Braves “fans” who’d rather see Heyward play and the team lose than he not play and the team win. No doubt in my mind.
Could be, DOB, but I’ll tell you this – if Heyward fails and doesn’t become what he was suppose to become, I think that’s going to really, really hurt the team’s future. Freeman can be lumped in with that statement as well. It’s not nearly like a franchise QB being a bust, but when a big time prospect like Heyward becomes a bust or fails to reach expectations, that hurts as a “fan” – and that is probably why Braves followers want to see the kid in the lineup and succeeding.
McDS1nnnn
June 12th, 2012
8:48 pm
Minor is sure making it hard on whiners tonight. Funny when the whining comes from some of the positive folks (about Fredi’s lineup selections).
brian
June 12th, 2012
8:48 pm
Another good inning for minor. Some insurance would sure be nice
njbraves
June 12th, 2012
8:49 pm
I really can’t believe it…but Minor has been brilliant tonight.
TNScott
June 12th, 2012
8:49 pm
Nice 6th inning, Mike!
LAG
June 12th, 2012
8:49 pm
The Yankees are starting to look like we did last night. Starting to go through the motions after a while.
Tomahawk Mafia
June 12th, 2012
8:49 pm
I would like to see Minor go 7 with the way he has settled down and kept the Yankees off balance.
MIBravesFan
June 12th, 2012
8:49 pm
Nicely done in the 6th by Mike
JNick
June 12th, 2012
8:51 pm
I think Minor solved his own problems. He realized he was throwing too many changeups and batters were sitting back and waiting on that pitch…I’m surprised it took as long as it did, and makes me wonder what McDowell does – I’m sure the Braves chart pitches…you’d think after 2 starts, they’d realize that he was getting killed on changeups. Isn’t that WHY you chart pitches???
Venice Jim
June 12th, 2012
8:51 pm
Sorry, McDSUtahnnayneWnnn1 – trying to do some work, so off on my whining activity…
Well done, CHIPPER!!!
Kat
June 12th, 2012
8:51 pm
Just booked a flight to San Diego for the August series
Brava
June 12th, 2012
8:51 pm
If Heyward doesn’t work out, someone else will take his place. It’s not like what he’s been contributing will be hard to replace. Let’s be real.
Jake W.
June 12th, 2012
8:51 pm
I really can’t believe it…but Minor has been brilliant tonight.
The guy has talent, he just hasn’t been using it. May never be an Ace, that would be a real reach for him but a solid number 3 is within his reach. Its all between the ears for the guy imo.
phil
June 12th, 2012
8:51 pm
I go out and pull a few hundred weeds, come back and Minor still has em shut out.
And Chipper with another hit.
And FF swinging wildly at everything.
MIBravesFan
June 12th, 2012
8:52 pm
Yeah, Chipper!
cabravesfan
June 12th, 2012
8:52 pm
Kat-
Are you going to all 3 games?
McDS1nnnn
June 12th, 2012
8:53 pm
LAG
But, but, but…….. they’re the mighty Yankees. The invincible. They scare the crap out of other teams. The Braves are intimidated by the Yankees.
(maybe they are just lulling us into a sense of security tonight!)
Jake W.
June 12th, 2012
8:53 pm
Really wish Freeman would show some more patience. Its a whole lot easier to be a productive hitter when you give yourself better pitches to hit.
phil
June 12th, 2012
8:53 pm
Chipper looks nimble….lol
Tomahawk Mafia
June 12th, 2012
8:53 pm
I am sick of Freeman swinging at every thing in the ball park.
donte080
June 12th, 2012
8:55 pm
Cool watching young pitcher Minor starting to figure out pitching in the major leagues….
Efrim
June 12th, 2012
8:55 pm
If Heyward doesn’t work out, someone else will take his place. It’s not like what he’s been contributing will be hard to replace. Let’s be real.
Like Constanza, Brava? Still lobbying for him to get regular at bats?
Slide J-Hey
June 12th, 2012
8:56 pm
I’d hate to see Minor come out because the pen is “iffy”.
Do you think Joe and Chip love Jeter?
Bay Area Steve
June 12th, 2012
8:57 pm
“Honestly, I really do believe there is a segment of Braves “fans” who’d rather see Heyward play and the team lose than he not play and the team win. No doubt in my mind.”
That’s just nonsense. Too much blog/twitter hate our crusader’s had to put up with, I’m sure. But, nonsense. And, I liked Diaz’ start. Nonsense.
McDS1nnnn
June 12th, 2012
8:58 pm
Brava
If Heyward doesn’t work out, someone else will take his place. It’s not like what he’s been contributing will be hard to replace. Let’s be real.
Kinda like it’s been easy to get a decent hitting left fielder? Really? As “badly’ as Heyward has played from time to time this year, he’s still OPS+ at 105.
And let’s not talk about last year, when he was hurt for most of the year.
Nah, I really don’t think Heyward with his hitting (and potential) and his defense will be easy to replace.
Efrim
June 12th, 2012
8:59 pm
That’s just nonsense. Too much blog/twitter hate our crusader’s had to put up with, I’m sure. But, nonsense.
Agreed.
VaBravesFan
June 12th, 2012
9:00 pm
Heyward is only 22 years old. Has great Pitch recognition and plate discipline, but so far has only been able to hit RHP. Still way to early to panic, but he needs to face LHP more to have a chance to improve against them some. Even if he doesn’t do so well against them ever he still could be a damn good player.
Chipper is retiring and McCann could be gone after 2013…. The most important players in this organization going forward are Heyward and Freeman IMO.
Frankie Wren
June 12th, 2012
9:00 pm
Should have read there is a segment of Braves “fans” who really don’t understand baseball. Would have been more accurate.
ChattTownBrian (CTB)
June 12th, 2012
9:00 pm
They sure do love picking on Minor
cabravesfan
June 12th, 2012
9:01 pm
Druw has never been able to hot or lay off that high fast ball…
MIBravesFan
June 12th, 2012
9:01 pm
Brian knowing that Andruw couldn’t lay off that high pitch
Brava
June 12th, 2012
9:02 pm
Not at all, Efrim. But, I’d expect that kind of comment from you. You’re so bitter over Heyward’s mediocre performance that you can’t help but lash out at those who aren’t as enamored of him. No, I was talking about a real slugger for the outfield. Get some help.
Slide J-Hey
June 12th, 2012
9:02 pm
I’d like to see the kid get a complete game..but we know in 9th fredi will pull him.