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© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
2,709 comments Add your comment
ncscoots
June 20th, 2012
4:36 pm
Heyward’s gotta be looking forward to the night off Friday. I’m sure the field commander has it scheduled.
Geez louise, man, Fredo is probably gonna give you plenty of real opportunities to rip him. You don’t have to start making them up, just to get snarky. You’re starting to sound a little obsessive, and I know you don’t want to grouped with the other manager-baiting fools we’ve had roll through here.
nolie
June 20th, 2012
4:36 pm
phil sure hates it when we win, the old grouch……..
CrαZy
June 20th, 2012
4:36 pm
nolie
I’d go with Uggla as well, but Prado is right there for me…
George Stein
June 20th, 2012
4:36 pm
I’d say if Michael Bourn isn’t on the team, there needs to be an investigation, CraZy.
That’s probably fair, Brava.
The A Bomb
June 20th, 2012
4:36 pm
Lose 4, win 5, lose 8, win 6, lose 6.
Team ought to take a roller coaster to Boston.
nolie
June 20th, 2012
4:36 pm
and here I was agreeing with him scoots
phil
June 20th, 2012
4:37 pm
a fan
June 20th, 2012
4:32 pm
Hey Haters ha,ha,ha,Braves take series from Yanks 10-5 today,guess we won’t hear from Whiskey,Larry, Phil and the rest of the crew today, how do you guys like the taste of crow???
***********
Apparently you can’t read, manure for brains….I’ve been here for an hour or so and am far from being a hater as idiots like you call it. I don’t tend to predict wins or losses.
Go back to reading your comics…
tiger297
June 20th, 2012
4:37 pm
nolie – in my voting for the all-star game I didn’t see anything that indicated I’m supposed to vote for the best player at each position…so I think chipper tops the list of deserving braves
BravesQueen
June 20th, 2012
4:37 pm
Alright, friends, its been really fun chatting with you during the game today. But I’m exhausted and its time to skedaddle.
Love to the gal-pals— Cab, BG4Life, McFann, Soph…..and the rest of the AJC gang too.
See you again soon!
McFann :Ô: :Ô: :ô:
June 20th, 2012
4:37 pm
TOBF he needs some time off
Blah.
nolie
June 20th, 2012
4:37 pm
they are a very young team, even good young teams are inconsistent, most just ain’t any good at all
McFann :Ô: :Ô: :ô:
June 20th, 2012
4:38 pm
Bye, BravesQueen! Take care!
VaBravesFan
June 20th, 2012
4:38 pm
McCann continues to struggle while batting 3rd.
Powder Blue
June 20th, 2012
4:38 pm
Jason Heyward!
phil
June 20th, 2012
4:38 pm
nolie
June 20th, 2012
4:36 pm
phil sure hates it when we win, the old grouch……..
*********
Cute coming from you!
The A Bomb
June 20th, 2012
4:39 pm
Hey ncscoots — Thanks for the lecture. It was sarcasm. Been around long enough to see ebbs and flows. But it’s obvious I’m not a Gonzalez guy. But I’m also intelligent enough to understand no changes until the offseason, if at all.
Chill out. It’s sarcasm. A joke.
TheOnlyBravesFan
June 20th, 2012
4:39 pm
can’t vote a catcher hitting .234 with a “poor” OBP and who isn’t the top defensive catcher for All-Star… sorry, can’t do it. I’m afraid his streak ends this year. Gawd, Jeter is slugging more than Mac! Geez…
Efrim
June 20th, 2012
4:39 pm
Anyone realize Joey Votto is getting on base 49% of the time he appears at the plate?
Have we seen anything like this since the roided Bonds era?
NickB
June 20th, 2012
4:40 pm
98 RC+ is hardly “awful” he was still a 2.2 WAR player….
MFin04
June 20th, 2012
4:40 pm
I’m not sure how you can’t NOT think of starting Ross over McCann.
nolie
June 20th, 2012
4:40 pm
sure tiger it’s all subjective, there are no hard and fast rules about how to vote. hope Chipper gets to go, but I doubt he gets voted in now. If he hadn’t gotten hurt and had stayed at the same level of production he might have gotten voted in.
ncscoots
June 20th, 2012
4:40 pm
nolie, our bud A Bomb is starting to make more posts ripping Fredo for real or perceived Fredo-isms than he’s writing about anything else, LOL. How are the rest of us supposed to sneak in a little jab at the manager if A Bomb is taking up every single inch of the Fredo-dissing space?
phil
June 20th, 2012
4:40 pm
Mac struggles because he’s as big as a house….
nolie
June 20th, 2012
4:41 pm
I hate it when we win??? nah, you must be thinking about someone else
Shaun
June 20th, 2012
4:41 pm
I’m not sure how you can’t NOT think of starting Ross over McCann.
Because McCann is the better baseball player.
Mikey
June 20th, 2012
4:41 pm
Shaun, Based on you’re logic and knowledge of baseball you may want to email Bobby Valentine and have him send down Adrian Gonzalez who also has lost all baseball skills.
bravesgrl4life
June 20th, 2012
4:41 pm
Now GO RAYS!!!!
Efrim
June 20th, 2012
4:41 pm
McCann continues to struggle while batting 3rd.
Fredi better keep Heyward down in the order. He’ll let everyone know when he’s ready for that, and it ain’t now – even against RHP.
I may change my tune in a week or two if he keeps this up – but I’m thinking if that happens, that’ll be when we all know…
Coach (2012 Fredi's Beisbol Fandango)
June 20th, 2012
4:41 pm
Constanza?
How about Luis Durango. Dude is having a very nice season in Gwinnett. Not to mention that he’s faster than Constanza, has a better arm and range in the outfield. The Panamaniac is also doing the two things the Braves wanted to see him accomplish, 13 extra base hits of out 75 total. Which means Durango is hitting the ball to the outfield with authority. Second…Durango is 27 out of 35 in the stolen base department while hitting .283 with an OBP of .343.
BravesQueen
June 20th, 2012
4:42 pm
Atlanta Braves @Braves
Dr. James Andrews confirmed the findings of Braves doctors. Brandon Beachy will undergo “Tommy John” surgery tomorrow in Pensacola, Florida.
Efrim
June 20th, 2012
4:43 pm
98 RC+ is hardly “awful” he was still a 2.2 WAR player….
He was pretty friggin bad, man. And I am one of the bigger Heyward supporters on this blog. He looks better defensively this year too.
Brian from SC
June 20th, 2012
4:43 pm
Just got home and saw the replay of Bourn’s catch. It was a nice acrobatic play, but the funny part is that Jason has it standing still if Bourn doesn’t jump in front of him. But that wouldn’t have gone on the highlight reel. Haha.
Nice win all the way around.
The A Bomb
June 20th, 2012
4:44 pm
Yeah and forget about all the defense of Heyward I’ve done on this blog for 2 years, comparing him to Willie McCovey. while 75% of this place wanted him gone.
I’m not a fan of the manager and I rip him because he’s so robotic. Never gets out of his comfort zone. Big deal. It’s my opinion.
I realize it’s not easy following a legend but I think Braves are a really good team being held back by the guy calling the shots. My take.
Shaun
June 20th, 2012
4:44 pm
Mikey, that’s the whole point. I was being sarcastic. I would never suggest a superior player should be send down, no matter his stats or performance over a rather small sample or if that player was likely the team’s best option going forward. That applies to all players, regardless of experience or status.
ncscoots
June 20th, 2012
4:45 pm
Well, I certainly enjoyed the game, but, frankly, my favorite part was the O’Brien burn on Swisher and his walk.
TheOnlyBravesFan
June 20th, 2012
4:45 pm
Looks like I was right on Francisco, 1-4, with 2 SO….he had a single as well
TheOnlyBravesFan
June 20th, 2012
10:25 am
Francisco ABs today
1-4, 2 Ks, groundout, and a single….
nolie
June 20th, 2012
4:45 pm
Constanza outhit Durango pretty far in AAA this year when he was called up.still is some.
Faster than Constanza? Seriously doubt that, and he damn sure ain’t nearly as successful as a base stealer over their careers….
Hmmmm
June 20th, 2012
4:46 pm
I just read the “consecutive scoreless appearances” piece on Durbin in the blog, is that why he gave up a run today?
ncscoots
June 20th, 2012
4:46 pm
My take.
Hey, and welcome to it. I’m not even saying you’re wrong, for that matter.
Lew
June 20th, 2012
4:47 pm
OK – What I really meant was that Francisco would have one hit and everyone else would hit HRs.
TheOnlyBravesFan
June 20th, 2012
4:47 pm
Beachy gonna have the surgery? Though so…. let’s get our rumor mills open on who we’re gonna trade for and at what price…
nolie
June 20th, 2012
4:47 pm
Hey is back to top notch defensive rankings this season. much quicker and more agile after losing some muscle bulk
ncbravesfan90
June 20th, 2012
4:47 pm
Get well soon Beachy, we’re gonna miss you the rest of this season!
Tumbledown
June 20th, 2012
4:48 pm
Some people confuse “haters” with “doom and gloomers”. I have been disappointed so many times over the years and have seen the braves slowly sink from the top where they were in 1995. I love it when the Braves win and give me a respite from my gloomy outlook. I suspect most people deemed “haters” really are just hardened from past failures.
Hillbilly
June 20th, 2012
4:48 pm
Nice win all the way around. -Brian from SC
Yes indeed. Nothing left for me to do tonight except cheer on the Golden Flashes, because I do NOT want to face the Gamecocks again. Especially with Roth on the mound.
nolie
June 20th, 2012
4:48 pm
nobody, at no price??
Brian from SC
June 20th, 2012
4:50 pm
Hillbilly, part of me thinks that the Gamecocks should have no problem tonight, but another part says that after the postseason winning streak ended, so has the charm, and that it’s just not meant to be this time.
VaBravesFan
June 20th, 2012
4:50 pm
Hey look Fredi batted Heyward 6th today and had a monster game. Heyward has a 960+ OPS batting 6th in his career.
786. OPS batting 2nd
Every other spot in the order Heyward has produced under a 700 OPS.
dean
June 20th, 2012
4:50 pm
@ Tumbledown,
It ain’t just the Braves. It’s life as an ATL sports fan.
Hillbilly
June 20th, 2012
4:51 pm
Dr. James Andrews confirmed the findings of Braves doctors. Brandon Beachy will undergo “Tommy John” surgery tomorrow in Pensacola, Florida.
Truthfully that’s exactly what I WANTED to hear. Like Ef said, no use rehabbing it and putting off the inevitable.
nolie
June 20th, 2012
4:51 pm
haters are folks who take every little opportunity, usually meaningless, to rip a player, coach or team. wwe all whine at some time or another. but anybody who rips Mac/Chipper/Hamson/whomever day after day for instance is a hater
The A Bomb
June 20th, 2012
4:51 pm
And we saw our first real McCovey Moment last night when he destroyed Tex.
Just wait. McCovey exploded in 1963 at age 25. String of great years began at 27.
Brava
June 20th, 2012
4:51 pm
Jason does look much better in the field this season. His recent performance at the plate is certainly encouraging, but I’ll wait a couple of weeks before I bring out the champagne. I’d love nothing more than to see him finally turn it around.
ncbravesfan90
June 20th, 2012
4:52 pm
“nobody, at no price??”
=no playoffs for Bravos.
George
June 20th, 2012
4:53 pm
Joe CHIPPER is another BOB HORNER hurt all the time. Just Played longer.
Joe who cares what CHIPPER thinks.
VaBravesFan
June 20th, 2012
4:53 pm
I’d love too see McCann cemented in the 5-hole from here on out.
BravesQueen
June 20th, 2012
4:53 pm
Hillbilly —
You’re right. Its just disappointing. I was just hoping they were wrong.
No, I wouldn’t agree with just rehabbing it either…that’s just putting off the inevitable.
nolie
June 20th, 2012
4:54 pm
I think he wull always be kinduva streaky hitter who has trouble with his BA. He has more potential than any player since a young Chipper and is the only guys I can see myseld possibly rooting as hard for if he comes close to his potential
Hillbilly
June 20th, 2012
4:54 pm
Brian, They still scare me, especially with the Razorbacks lightweight offense.
Do you know if Kent St. is pitching David Starn (Braves 7th rounder) tonight? I haven’t heard.
BravesQueen
June 20th, 2012
4:55 pm
I’d love too see McCann cemented in the 5-hole from here on out. —VaBravesFan
Amen to that!!
Efrim
June 20th, 2012
4:56 pm
Dr. James Andrews confirmed the findings of Braves doctors. Brandon Beachy will undergo “Tommy John” surgery tomorrow in Pensacola, Florida.
Get well soon, Brandon!
See you in August/September of 2013. Adding him could be like making a trade….maybe.
phil
June 20th, 2012
4:56 pm
nolie
June 20th, 2012
4:41 pm
I hate it when we win??? nah, you must be thinking about someone else
***********
The grouch part, Mr. Scout.
ncscoots
June 20th, 2012
4:56 pm
I’d love nothing more than to see him finally turn it around.
And I absolutely believe that, Brava. And, if you, who totally brutalized the guy in the last year or so, I mean, something awful, can say that, then Heyward can probably turn around any of his haters.
Mitchell
June 20th, 2012
4:56 pm
David O’Brien
June 20th, 2012
2:09 pm
Heyward is hurtin’ baseballs in June. Damn.
Language, DOB. Language.
nolie
June 20th, 2012
4:57 pm
I see Turner Field finally got eliminated in the worse ever ball parks competition. only 8 left now
VaBravesFan
June 20th, 2012
4:59 pm
Really seems like this team lacks a true no. 3 hitter. It’s too early for Heyward, Chipper just isnt that type of player anymore, McCann hasn’t produced close to what would be expected in the 3hole over his career. Freeman is a base clogger and needs to work on his approach at the plate.
nolie
June 20th, 2012
4:59 pm
poop on you phil, that’s like the pot calling the kettle black. you are WAAAAY more negative than I ever was or will be. sweet luvable guys like me are hard to find….
phil
June 20th, 2012
5:00 pm
Fire the Turner Field architects!!
Awful job compared to others…
Mitchell
June 20th, 2012
5:01 pm
Hey, I gotta tell ya, if the Braves start winning any more games I might have to finally do some all star voting.
Not today though.
I have way more important things to do.
Like gettin’ paid, bitches.
Or not.
Mikey
June 20th, 2012
5:01 pm
Just read a Yankee blog (They’re PO) losing back back games to the lowly Braves at home. Blaming A-Rods untimely double play in the 7th as the turning point in the game. No mention of the 5 hrs. and 6 earned runs given up by their young stud P Hughes
Brava
June 20th, 2012
5:01 pm
I was never a hater of Jason, scoots. Just thought he could have benefitted from being sent down out of the pressure last season. I still believe that, but it’s a moot point now, hopefully.
phil
June 20th, 2012
5:01 pm
I didn’t say I wasn’t negative at times….I’m generally kidding, though not always by any stretch, and the written word certainly doesn’t convey kidding very well w/o those emoticon things…
Shaun
June 20th, 2012
5:03 pm
http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2009/3/17/795946/optimizing-your-lineup-by
The Third Spot
The old-school book says to put your best high-average hitter here. The lead-off hitter should already be in scoring position and a hit drives him in. Wham, bam, thank you ma’am.
The Book says the #3 hitter comes to the plate with, on average, fewer runners on base than the #4 or #5 hitters. So why focus on putting a guy who can knock in runs in the #3 spot, when the two spots after him can benefit from it more? Surprisingly, because he comes to bat so often with two outs and no runners on base, the #3 hitter isn’t nearly as important as we think. This is a spot to fill after more important spots are taken care of.
phil
June 20th, 2012
5:03 pm
Demote Mac….
He could benefit from being sent down to avoid the pressure of this season.
nolie
June 20th, 2012
5:03 pm
yeah I know phil, I’ve been kidding here all along, even I know I ain’t all THAT sweet and luvable…
Buckbaloweme
June 20th, 2012
5:04 pm
Chipper didn’t want to go down to Rome to get his timing back and now I have to listen to him tell me he didn’t pick up a bat for 16-17 days and when you get to be his age it doesn’t come back as quickly. No sh!t chipper, thats why Fredi and management wanted you to go down for a few days.
Shaun
June 20th, 2012
5:05 pm
Another way to look at things is to order the batting slots by the leveraged value of the out. In plain English (sort of), we want to know how costly making an out is by each lineup position, based on the base-out situations they most often find themselves in, and then weighted by how often each lineup spot comes to the plate. Here’s how the lineup spots rank in the importance of avoiding outs:
#1, #4, #2, #5, #3, #6, #7, #8, #9
So, you want your best three hitters to hit in the #1, #4, and #2 spots. Distribute them so OBP is higher in the order and SLG is lower. Then place your fourth and fifth best hitters, with the #5 spot usually seeing the better hitter, unless he’s a high-homerun guy. Then place your four remaining hitters in decreasing order of overall hitting ability, with basestealers ahead of singles hitters. Finally, stop talking like the lineup is a make-or-break decision.
For all the nitty gritty details, I highly recommend getting yourself a copy of The Book, which goes into even greater detail about the strategy of lineup construction, including platoons, separating lefties in the lineup, strikeouts, avoiding GIDPs, and preventing the pitcher from hitting.
nolie
June 20th, 2012
5:05 pm
see, now there’s a “hater”
phil
June 20th, 2012
5:05 pm
yeah, I know….but sweet and luvable? Lying’ll get you a lightning bolt in the head….
ncscoots
June 20th, 2012
5:05 pm
Well, I know it’s a regular day in the universe now: there’s a copy-and-paste from “The Book” on lineup positions. Amazingly, it still says the same thing it did every other time it was posted.
Coach (2012 Fredi's Beisbol Fandango)
June 20th, 2012
5:06 pm
nolie
June 20th, 2012
4:45 pm
Constanza outhit Durango pretty far in AAA this year when he was called up.still is some.
Faster than Constanza? Seriously doubt that, and he damn sure ain’t nearly as successful as a base stealer over their careers….
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Not really. Constanza hit .286 while Durango is batting .283, Constanza stole 9 bases compared to Durango’s 27, as for speed, I can’t argue with nolie’s ignorance other than to say that one of the two speedsters has been clocked at 4.2 seconds in the 40…which is NFL wide out caliber.
nolie
June 20th, 2012
5:06 pm
whatever Shaun,
phil
June 20th, 2012
5:06 pm
More like a complete jackass and idiot….
that would be you, buck.
phil
June 20th, 2012
5:07 pm
Speed isn’t worth much on bouncers back to the mound 2 and 3 ABs per game…
just pointin that out…
Shaun
June 20th, 2012
5:07 pm
ncscoots, right but apparently what the data shows is not sinking in. People are still acting as if the #3 spot in the lineup is the most important and where a team should insert one of its best hitters.
jeffrey d
June 20th, 2012
5:09 pm
aw shoot…I forgot it was an afternoon game. I was finally gonna be able to see it. I guess I’ll take a win, though
Ranger
June 20th, 2012
5:09 pm
Last night was just the function of karma being bad for the Yankees. Today the Atlantan should a bit of resolve, fortitude and gits to wim th3 game.
I have a good feeling going into Boston because that is a funky stadium with a funkied up team>
jeffrey d
June 20th, 2012
5:10 pm
People are still acting as if the #3 spot in the lineup is the most important and where a team should insert one of its best hitters.
Where do the machines say the best hitter should be? And who should be batting 3rd?
David O'Brien
June 20th, 2012
5:10 pm
If you missed it on my Tweet from clubhouse, Beachy will have Tommy John surgery tomorrow. Braves will hope to have him back about this time next year.
NickB
June 20th, 2012
5:11 pm
Durango is probably s slightly better player than Constanza…. but that’s like saying a gremlin is slightly better than a Pacer.
I personally, would like to see us acquire Reed Johnson or similar for the bench.
but, then again, I’m the guy that fancied giving the Yankees Francisco for Jack Cust to see if he could give us some better left handed pinch hits…..
nolie
June 20th, 2012
5:11 pm
and the other was too coachie-pooh. last season in the bigs. .
and I said career stolen bases not this year which you so conveniently ignored, and the BA spread was much different when Constanza was called up which I also specified and you ignored, and the OPS is still a 60 or so point difference for Constanza which again proves what I said. In fact you entire response indicates that you missed the point about everything. But why would I be surprised? You always read what you want to instead of what folks actually say.
ncscoots
June 20th, 2012
5:11 pm
right but apparently what the data shows is not sinking in.
I’m not going to bother again using probability to show the possible fallacy of that argument, because it’s obvious that such data is not sinking in for you.
Just keep posting “The Book”, man, you can probably make up the minds of folks who don’t know better.
NickB
June 20th, 2012
5:13 pm
I don’t get why people argue against “the Book” it’s right.
However, in the long run, lineup construction doesn’t make a whole heck of a lot of difference as far as wins go.
Ranger
June 20th, 2012
5:13 pm
Ment to say they “showed” guts etc.
Bad keyboard you know.
How about Prado for the #3 slot and gamble with Simmons or maybe even the Chipster in the #2 hole?
Of course if it means thinking outside the box Speedi Gonzales ain’t gonna do it.
usnavyvolfaninva
June 20th, 2012
5:14 pm
I’d say this makes Dempster a more attractive commodity
George Stein
June 20th, 2012
5:15 pm
I thought “The Book” was about how to score chicks.
Efrim
June 20th, 2012
5:15 pm
I was never a hater of Jason, scoots
Are you seriou…..ah nevermind……
ncscoots
June 20th, 2012
5:15 pm
I don’t get why people argue against “the Book” it’s right.
Nick, never, ever rely on one source for the foundation of an opinion. Especially an opinion that is data-centric.
usnavyvolfaninva
June 20th, 2012
5:16 pm
MLB Net was just doing a story about the history of “caught cheating during the game” stuff…apparently the call by Davy Johnson the other night wasn’t his first time.
ncscoots
June 20th, 2012
5:16 pm
I thought “The Book” was about how to score chicks.
Different author, same title.
Content, worlds apart.