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222 comments Add your comment
J
July 8th, 2012
6:38 pm
Play Prado at Shortstop and let Hinksi and Diaz rotate out in left field. That would be the best option both offensively and defensively.
Whiskey River
July 8th, 2012
6:42 pm
@kral 35 yr retired Vice Detective. Turned big 70 last month.
Old Time Fan
July 8th, 2012
6:43 pm
Last post kral, I am a retired high school baseball coach and while I don’t pretend to be on par with the professional coaches, I did attend numerous coaching clinics some with Braves personnell, some with college coaches, and in the early 70’s at Ga Southern I took Ron Polk’s coaching baseball class. Every one will tell you that you reach 1st base sooner by running through it rather than sliding into it head first. That is what I was I was taught and I will take it as factual information . Have a nice day, how about that WR?
Whiskey River
July 8th, 2012
6:47 pm
Sounds like you know what you are talking about. That is great to be knowledgeable like that,but my point is Why argue?
PaulG
July 8th, 2012
6:53 pm
Haven’t read all the blogs but it seems fredi is escaping blame for the slide
lee maye
July 8th, 2012
6:54 pm
Jed Lowrie of the Astros. Send a couple of midlevel prospects. Dodgers are also after him. Pastornicky and Teheran to Brewers for Greinke.
Prado is not a SS, J. Would be better off with Pastornicky at SS. And, Hinske and Diaz in LF would be a disaster.
kevkat
July 8th, 2012
6:58 pm
It’s ridiculous to continue to call him or the play “stupid or dumb”. Stupid or dumb would be if he broke his finger outside of doing his job which is playing hard. Had he broken it out skateboarding or four-wheeling or doing something outside of playing baseball I could agree with ” stupid or dumb” for more than one reason. What’s done is done. Even he said he might would have done it differently but he would still play hard. Had he made it without this happening there would be no conversation or quotes like..”well I’m glad he made it but he shouldn’t slide head first”. No, on the contrary, it would be ” wow, this guy really hustles, etc.”. Injuries happen, broken fingers happen being hit by pitches and the percentage of head first slides that involve injury obviously can’t be that high because if it was more teams would address it. He’ll take several weeks to heal and be back..he’s still the future shortstop of this team and if they can’t win without him, they shouldn’t win. Braves fans are all upset, nothing wrong with that, but no need to keep harping on him being stupid or the play being stupid.
wisconsinbraveswin
July 8th, 2012
6:59 pm
every game is a good win now until season end, good pitching an d hitting , it wasn’t stupid or dumb for his effort to get to the base it is sports it is baseball you do what you can for the team it shows that he wants to win rather you agree or not, thats why he is a pro, and we or not .. enuff said GO BRAVES
DaveinNEPA
July 8th, 2012
7:00 pm
Oh, for crying out loud!!!!!
Once again………..our “knowledgable” fan base starts with the “Prado to SS” BS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Repeat after me…………..Martin Prado, great player that he is, IS NOT A SHORTSTOP!!!!!!!!
Whiskey River
July 8th, 2012
7:00 pm
@lee maye Sounds good. Brewers also want Guerrin. Other than that I completely agree. How about Minor, Salcedo and Redmond to Twins for Liriano and Denard Span. Heard that one yesterday. What do you think?
Old Time Fan
July 8th, 2012
7:01 pm
Not trying to argue WR, I just stated my opinion and was called out. I am a frequent reader of the blogs and occasional blogger and I enjoy your postings as you try to keep an even keel. Last thought, I don’t think the players are motivated by FG and I would love to see a change of management.
BravesfaninWis
July 8th, 2012
7:02 pm
@ Tampa Gator,
I have never used anyone’s name on here numb nuts. Have DOB check if I used any other members name on this site ever and he will tell you no.
If I ever used a different name, I always made it known. So before you start calling people out, get a f’n clue putz boy. Still looks like you follow only my posts on here, glad I can help you get through the day. Must be rough living your fat ass in your mom’s basement and only getting thrills on a message board.
kral
July 8th, 2012
7:04 pm
I want argue OTF,,ALSO was at GA SOUTHERN…took baseball under RP….has nothing to do with who taught you…but being a coach ..seconding guessing others of the profession …coached…football…baseball…and basketball..have all the answers..where sports are concerned…not a clue…sorry for questioning your expertise
Whiskey River
July 8th, 2012
7:05 pm
Lets everybody get over it. It happened. It is devastating to the team. As Fans we are hurt. But lets hang in there with out team and see what happens, We are now in 2nd place. Just 4 games out. WE are OK. Luv our Braves Go Braves!!!!
Logan
July 8th, 2012
7:06 pm
Picked up a game on every team in the east. Not a shabby finish going into the break.
Whiskey River
July 8th, 2012
7:11 pm
All of you SHUT UP and get over it. We all love our Braves. Nobody should be accusing anybody.. Be nice. BravesFanin Wis Be nice I enjoy listening to your posts. Some are funny some are knowledgeable. Say what you want to say.but don’t accuse anybody of anything. If you are accusing me of anything bring on the proff. I have always liked you . What have I done?
Bvillebaron
July 8th, 2012
7:19 pm
BravesfaninWisc:
Here’s a suggestion for you: stop with the name calling and grow up!
SMOLTZ29
July 8th, 2012
7:23 pm
Pick up Marco Scutaro, cost us a bucket of balls and some cash! MAKE IT HAPPEN WREN
Ted M
July 8th, 2012
7:26 pm
Holy Cow….hold his batting gloves…didn’t you guys watch the game or you tube the play. Simmons stretched a single into a double. Baseball players should be sliding feet first 95% of the time. Only when it is absolute must win situation should slide head first.
Whiskey River
July 8th, 2012
7:30 pm
You guys are unbelieveable. No matter what happens you complain. Get over it. I have had enough Good Bye Go Braves!!!
Ted M
July 8th, 2012
7:31 pm
I’ll take Marco Scutaro over lame Jack Wilson. Actually, I’d take any average double A player over Jack Wilson. JW is nothing absolutely nothing.
No Flag Since Lemke
July 8th, 2012
7:35 pm
Braves would be damn fools to spend their scarce money or prospects for a shortstop when he have the solution for the next 5-7 years out for 4-6 weeks. Get by with Wilson/Pastornicky platoon and use what resources we have to fortify the bench and add a middle rotation guy.
74bravesjersey
July 8th, 2012
7:44 pm
Does Jordan Parazz play ss? Give him a shot, oh yea, been on a Gattis mission, anybody know the latest on him? Andrelton’s shoes are big to fill.
smithyred
July 8th, 2012
7:48 pm
I agree with VinnyD, —— I love the way Simmons plays. He is the shortstop now. He is going to be something. He might be out a while but he will be ok and Braves will be ok to. Braves played great this weekend. Glad Bryan has got his stroke back.
74bravesjersey
July 8th, 2012
7:51 pm
@whiskey river; Hang in there big buddy, jest wanna say hey Buddy!
Billreef
July 8th, 2012
7:52 pm
Jim, just shut up. You obviously haven’t ever played the game
Hat tipping
July 8th, 2012
7:56 pm
Injuries are part of season. Just ask phillies. No panic trades. Ride it out, see how long he is gone and see how team reacts. Couple weeks ago fans were freaking out over losing beachy. While beachy has been loss, surprisingly JJ has stepped in and pitched well.
jason
July 8th, 2012
7:57 pm
How many more hand injuries can a team have. Gonzalez says you can slide 2,000 times head first and not get injured. Well now two key players have gotten injured this way and one had his career altered.
Heyward had 8 home runs, was batting over .300 with an ops of 1.030 when he did ligament damage to his thumb sliding head first. Heyward said in an interview he still can’t bend his thumb back and he has been a shell of the player since. It isn’t that he didn’t live up to the hype. He was living up to it he just got a debilitating injury. Bobby Cox said he had a thumb injury like that and it didn’t go away the rest of his career.
But with the braves luck it doesn’t matter how they slide. Freeman got nailed sliding feet first and reyes’s throw did ligament damage to his thumb. A month later after already getting cortisone shots he says he is going to use the all star break to get more shots. He says it still hurts catching throws and gripping the bat.
So you have had three key young players have their careers altered with hand injuries in freeman, heyward, simmons.
Hopefully simmons just had a clean break and no ligament damage. At least it is his pinky even though it is throwing hand. Freeman and Heyward both had ligament damage to their thumbs which are disastrous injuries when it comes to gripping the bat and swinging. Freeman said bobby cox also told him he will probably have to deal with this injury the rest of his career.
jason
July 8th, 2012
7:58 pm
Heyward had 8 home runs and ops of 1.030 in the middle of may when he got injured his rookie year and was on pace for a huge year.
He has never had a streak like that since.
Billreef
July 8th, 2012
7:59 pm
All of these morons saying ‘he should have been clutching gloves”. This wasn’t a steal, it started in the batters box. Are you suggesting he should have gotten some gloves from the 1st base coach as he went by? God there are some idiots on here.
Andrelton Simmons (Braves) — BaseballMoves.com
July 8th, 2012
8:00 pm
[...] Source: ajc.com [...]
Hat tipping
July 8th, 2012
8:00 pm
Also Minor Delgado and Tehran are very young top prospects. Struggling early in their careers is no reason to trade them. These are growing pains for them They are not over the hill vets who struggle like Hernandez Trade one and you are trading the starters of the future.
Billreef
July 8th, 2012
8:02 pm
AND PINHEAD’S. IT’S NOT HIS FREAKING PINKY. It’s in his hand.
buffering
July 8th, 2012
8:09 pm
you got to go and get a short stop now. We CANNOT make a pennant run with Jack Wilson. they are going to make simmons have surgery and he will be out for 6 weeks or longer. IF he is out that long then he wont be in playing shape so basically his season is done.
We dont have a short stop now Frank Wren. We dont have a pitching staff Frank Wren. We dont have a bench frank Wren. We need some help Frank Wren!!
Whiskey River
July 8th, 2012
8:09 pm
@74braves jersey Hey good Buddy Go Braves!!! Got to go pick up sister. See you tomorrow.
buffering
July 8th, 2012
8:10 pm
the metacarpal is the last bone in the hand before the pinky.
BravesFaninBama
July 8th, 2012
8:12 pm
Tampa Gator…What is your problem? How am I being negative? Also, I am my own person. No one is using my user name.
I said it sucks he’s out. The Wisconsin person and I are completely different. Please don’t use my name in your messages again.
BRAVESFAN
July 8th, 2012
8:14 pm
I just Googled “fifth metacarpal bone” and then realized I got that when punching someone in the head (a cement head). While the knuckle went back it didn’t cause me any problems unless I’m street fighting. Hope the Braves are giving Andrelton Simmons the best care otherwise I got a good “fifth metacarpal bone” on my left hand for them.
JoeFan
July 8th, 2012
8:32 pm
Makes no sense to trade for a SS who you might use for 6 weeks.Go with Wilson / Pastornicky and hope the offense makes up for the weaker defense. The Braves need to solidfy the bench, bullpen and maybe add a top shelf starting pitcher if doesn’t cost them the farm.
kangaroo Court
July 8th, 2012
8:38 pm
Spud I agree, put 14 at short. Also why the heck isn’t 14, on the All Star Team?
I pray Andrelton gets back as soon as possible.
JohnW
July 8th, 2012
8:48 pm
Get off this kids back for hustling. For those of y’all who think sliding head first is a bad idea, you must have never played the game of baseball. You can injure yourself in any aspect of the game. You get taught at a young age to slide head first. Get down and dirty and to hell with all the guys who don’t hustle out every play.
Heisenberg
July 8th, 2012
9:02 pm
Fredi was overheard saying “Hopefully he can rest it over the allstar break and will only miss a few games without having to go on the DL”.
Bob the Blogger
July 8th, 2012
9:11 pm
I broke the exact same bone a few years ago. There will be swelling, muscle atrophy, joint stiffness, rehab to get the hand to close, then building up strength.
I think that’s the same or similar bone that Omar Infante broke a couple of years ago, and he came back in 4-6 weeks.
Pastornicky would be a fair substitute. How quickly we get spoiled by a great player.
Alaska Braves Fan
July 8th, 2012
9:12 pm
In the long run, head-first slides are not good – EVER! The small return isn’t worth the huge potential for injury. Now we’ll be missing Andrelton, probably until about the second week of September. Check out the on-line images of the bone that is broken. He cannot throw effectively until it is completely healed.
So, what will the Braves do? I hope they don’t jump into a trade for the position. Pastornicky will fill the spot just fine if they call him up, but, of course, Wilson never would reach the “Andrelton” level, on offense or defense. Especially on offense. We just have to get along until Andrelton can return. Perhaps the McCann resurgence, plus a hoped-for improvement from Uggla will fill the void.
When I say Pastornicky will do fine, I’m thinking that he will be the weak link, but that others will pick up the slack. He’s a good guy, but he’s nowhere nearly as talented as Andrelton.
Let’s all just send out very positive vibrations for Sheets. If he comes on like gang-busters, he could make a huge difference.
ABF
Another Clueless Blogger
July 8th, 2012
9:22 pm
Simba will be back!
Bravefaninok
July 8th, 2012
9:53 pm
J
July 8th, 2012
6:38 pm
Play Prado at Shortstop and let Hinksi and Diaz rotate out in left field. That would be the best option both offensively and defensively.
There is a very good reason Prado plays everywhere except SS….
IHEARTCARROLL
July 8th, 2012
10:57 pm
You never see anyone in the dugout drinking milk. Always water or sports drinks. There’s the problem.
Powder Blue
July 8th, 2012
11:14 pm
Thank goodness we have Wilson and Pastornicky. Oh, wait…
Harpie
July 8th, 2012
11:18 pm
What a bummer about Simmons. But no team in baseball likes making excuses more than the Braves, so now they have another excuse when they start playing like crap again ( and you can pretty much count on that happening ).
Slammin' HELMETS, and breakin' BATS!
July 8th, 2012
11:40 pm
All of you complaining about headfirst slides have clearly never played baseball at a quality level, yet you make these demands that the Braves should essentially “ban” sliding. Baseball is a sport, and like with any sport, there are risks of injury… that’s how it goes. So, stop your crying and get over it. It’s unfortunate, but Simmons did nothing wrong, he made a heads-up play. If that was a crucial moment in the middle of a World Series, you wouldn’t be complaining about his aggressiveness if it got him in scoring position to potentially score the winning run. You have to play this game like it’s your last, EVERY DAY, otherwise you’ll never be a great ballplayer… you may turn out good, but you’ll never be great if you’re, like Simmons said, “passive.” Just wish him a speedy recovery and move on.
Slammin' HELMETS, and breakin' BATS!
July 8th, 2012
11:42 pm
@Powder Blue: Haha
Heisenberg
July 8th, 2012
11:42 pm
Before I go to bed to begin another work week (and because I did not win the lottery – yet), for anyone who cares to point out that head first sliding is not faster because otherwise you would see track sprinters diving for the finish line, there is no comparison.
In case you were not paying attention during the women’s 100 meter final at the US Olympic trials, track running events are judged by when the torso crosses the finish line. This means even if you dive head first you are not timed until your torso crosses – not your finger tips. Also the track pavement will mess you up. As opposed to baseball where whatever part of your body touches the base before the ball or tag is safe – and the dirt may give you a strawberry but will not otherwise leave large patches of skin missing.
Lastly, Whiskey River (as I empty my glass), hope all is well in your continued recovery. Good night.
peachstealth
July 8th, 2012
11:49 pm
Jerry in tenn,
Carpal is in the wrist, metacarpal in the hand, fingers are phalanges. You have 3 phalanges in each finger, proximal, middle and distal.
F G said he broke his knuckle which leads me to believe the break is on the distal end of the metacarpal .
wliiy g hate liberty media,i
July 8th, 2012
11:52 pm
the bravess did good shocked methey havent. swept philly since 2002 in philly. somebody go find pacman to be a ss til simmons gets back team is 4 out fielding is more important
than hitting i saw hansons face the other night when simmons made that play confidence the pitchers know that defense is behnd them that series reminded me of the team in the ninties timely hitting and fielding.
Top Chopper
July 8th, 2012
11:56 pm
To Slammin’ helmets: two words– Pete Reiser
wliiy g hate liberty media,i
July 8th, 2012
11:56 pm
get somebody in trade asap wren do yr damn job yr pastornicky therory sux the kid cant field and you dont have pitching as good now that can come back from ss errors
wliiy g hate liberty media,i
July 9th, 2012
12:00 am
well once again john scherholtz screwed trades elvis andrus in texas would look good now in a braves uniform insteadof texas
wliiy g hate liberty media,i
July 9th, 2012
12:06 am
where is jeff blauser at? and andrew jones 3 hoeruns saturday for yankees and braves gave him awsy
wliiy g hate liberty media,i
July 9th, 2012
12:10 am
well if frank wren does not get s s in a. few days before thursdsy well frank yr team faces santana friday dickey saturday
wliiy g hate liberty media,i
July 9th, 2012
12:12 am
the mets come friday frank
Charles
July 9th, 2012
12:25 am
Tough break for Simmons, but to my surprise the Braves showed incredible effort the past few weeks after looking like potted plants against the Cubs. With the resurgent Jurgens, the need to make a deal for starting pitching is less acute, but there is a huge hole at SS created by Simmons’ injury. If it’s going to be 6 weeks as reported by DOB, using Wilson and even worse Pastornicky will cost us several games and be extremely costly in what is now shaping up as a race for the wild card unless Washington chokes.. Wilson is average in the field, Pastornicky was a failure in field and at the bat, while you will be lucky to get .200 from Wilson at the plate. So the Braves should consider making a deal for Lowrie of the Astros — the Astros might take one of the pitchers and Lowrie has the flexibility to play 3B as a long term replacement for Chipper when Simmons returns, as well as 2B. Lowrie would be worth getting rid of the inconsistent Minor or Delgado, although both showed a lot of heart in their last starts. Let me weigh in on the head first slide — it’s part of the game but injuries do occur. Players might want to consider keeping the batting gloves on after they reach base to minimize these type of injuries — just a thought.
Nevada Roy
July 9th, 2012
1:20 am
Would it make any sense to take a look at Miguel Tejada who was released from his minor league contract with Baltimore?
larry wayne
July 9th, 2012
1:48 am
ahhhh this is terrible news! simmons was certainly one of the best shortstops in the national league since his call up, and probably the best defensively. him impact on this ballclub was enormous too, providing great at bats in the 8-hole, fantastic defense, and a hustle mentality (that unfortunately, and ironically, resulted in his injury). hopefully we get him back this year in time for a run into the postseason, as he really is an incredibly promising youngster.
until then, options? frankly, I favor moving prado to short for the time being and having hinske/diaz as a left field platoon. there’s really nowhere on the field that prado can’t play, and I’m confident the guy would be just fine at short. in that case, calling up constanza wouldn’t be out of the question either to maintain good defense in left, along with a solid 8 hole hitter. personally, i prefer that course to calling up pastornicky, as he really didn’t show me anything in his month or two up here. no knock on him – i think he’d be an adequate replacement for the time being – but I think putting prado at ss and possibly constanza or hinske/diaz in left is the way to go.
regardless, this team has options to put in place for what hopefully shouldn’t be a horrendously long recovery time for simmons. that said, i’d hate to make a kneejerk reaction trade and give up any potentially valuable piece or prospect for a quick bandaid.
Terry B.
July 9th, 2012
2:40 am
Prado doesnt have the range of Simmons, but its a good idea. Diaz to LF- til Simmons gets better . Prado plays every position well- should be all star- good stop-gap measure at SS temporarily.Have Gotay back up IF.
NickB
July 9th, 2012
3:54 am
prado was a below avg 2nd baseman, he would be as bad as Pastornicky at SS
not to mention that by moving Prado there you have created 2 defensive problems by putting a platoon in LF instead of just one at SS….. that’s not a smart move
I know nothing...
July 9th, 2012
5:46 am
Bring up Tyler Pastornicky for Friday with the Met’s and beyond…and during the all-star break, work out Miguel Tejada at short and see if he has anything left in the tank (more than likely…not). But the look at Tejada cost’s us nothing and remember that this is a guy that had 150 rbi’s (albeit eight years ago)…but at 38, maybe too old to move enough at short anymore? Patornicky, who has shown a good attitude after he was sent down, may come up and really do a good job filling in? Has to improve on his .948% fielding average though. (Tejada has a career .972% fielding average…)
I know nothing...
July 9th, 2012
6:13 am
One thing I do know is that Jack Wilson should not be the answer over the next 60 days…(till Simmons is back!)
Pinch hitting ability… the “Bench” is looking weaker and weaker as of late…needs fine tuning!!! Hinske has pulled a Terry Forster and looks to have eaten himself out of Baseball…what a slow bat! Diaz is butt buster, thats about it…unless we need a fly ball to right?
Ross…good enough for spot duty, though.
Gonna need a fix…
Selah!
I_R_HUMAN
July 9th, 2012
6:22 am
Great sweep this weekend….sucks about the Simmons injury. Hopefully Wren takes his head out of his butt long enough over the break to do something about that instead of waiting a few weeks. This little bit of momentum they have right now is great and we don’t need a GM who sits on his hands with a wait and see attitude.
I’ve enjoyed the heart and play that Hinske has brought to the team but I believe “The Diesel” is running on empty. It really would make the team better if he were replaced.
Jack Wilson has turned into more of an extra coach/sac-bunt specialist than anything else. Adding another utility guy who can play the infield and possibly the corner outfield positions would be nice.
Juan Francisco…I’m a little more puzzled by him. He’s somewhat young and has raw power but seems to have no discipline….but because he does at least take his hacks he’s a danger factor off the bench.
Matt Diaz falls into that same area like Hinske except he does swing at pitches…instead of watching them fly by and he’s a serviceable outfielder.
David Ross might be the best backup catcher in baseball but when he’s forced to play multiple days in a row it’s clear why he is a backup (on the offensive side).
What this is all coming down to is this. The Braves need some serious bench help. Bench help that has a little pop and that can make consistent contact. If they do pull the trigger on a trade for a pitcher that would be icing on the cake.
GaryinBham
July 9th, 2012
6:53 am
I join the anguish about Simmons, I don’t join in the panic. This is how you trade the future for a dumb rental. Jack Wilson is not 65 years old. He doesn’t hit in part because he never plays except for defense. A comment Brian made after the game indicated his confidence in Wilson, which says that the defense was a big issue for the team. So the glove is the thing, especially for the pitchers. The platoon with Pastornicky wasn’t so great, but something will work out. It won’t touch what Simmons did. His spark is a real loss, but he’s going to be here for years. The “we gotta trade for a shortstop” is how we Texiera for a “pennant run” (or, as we call it, “selling for farm”). Hate it, but go for some defense and maybe a cheap pickup and hang in.
BobDawg
July 9th, 2012
7:08 am
You always have to slide feet first with the popup slide leg position in case of an overthrow and you are on third then…. Heyward sliding headfirst possibly cost him a Superstar career with the injury to his thumb.
Bob the Blogger
July 9th, 2012
7:53 am
One thing is for sure, they have to replace Wilson with somebody who can hit better than a pitcher. A solid glove that can hit .250 should be attainable.
Lemke's Knuckler
July 9th, 2012
8:34 am
Trade for Marco Scutaro. The next 4 to 6 weeks are too important to leave the shortstop position in the hands of Wilson or Pastornicky.
Lemke's Knuckler
July 9th, 2012
8:36 am
What we’ve got here is a failure of communicate…Prado is NOT a shortstop!
Lemke's Knuckler
July 9th, 2012
8:38 am
BobDawg…”Heyward sliding headfirst possibly cost him a Superstar career with the injury to his thumb.”
Uh, okay. Calling the race after the first lap, eh?
Joshua
July 9th, 2012
8:40 am
Bob,
You think a solid glove that hits .250 at SS is something easy to find? Do me a favor – just run through all the MLB teams’ starting shortstops and see how many of those you find for me please.
Joshua
July 9th, 2012
8:42 am
People – it wasn’t the thumb injury that slowed Heyward down nearly as much as it was the shoulder injury. Obviously this is true as he is playing well now.
Part of the decline from his ridiculous start 2 years ago is due to the fact that pitchers realized he can be pitched inside effectively. He has now adjusted to that, and appears to be healthy, and has looked like the Heyward of old for more than a month now.
Ed
July 9th, 2012
9:07 am
Option 1- Call Pastornicky back up, defense suffers tremendously and we lose games
Option 2- Play Prado at SS, platoon Diaz and Hinske in left, we prob still lose some games
Option 3- Prado at SS, call Cantstandya back up and play him in left, prob stay par for the course
Option 4- Offload Wilson and Francisco, trade for a solid SS/Outfield/Utility player and play them until Simmons returns. Even if its just an outfielder, play them in left and Prado at SS. Then we are left with a decent bench player instead of the black hole of suck that is Francisco and Wilson
hunter55
July 9th, 2012
9:11 am
Wilson, 3 to 4 outs a game depending on how many bats he gets, count on it
Clay Carroll
July 9th, 2012
9:16 am
Sam Ting happened to Prado a few years ago. Braves should show those plays over and over again at spring training.
MikeY
July 9th, 2012
9:18 am
Braves record w/ Pastonicky on the roster: 28-24.
Braves record w/ Simmons on the roster: 18-15.
Really close.
I would still prefer Simmons.
Wilson and Hinske
are not contributing at all. At least Diaz hits LH pitching pretty well (.278), and Francisco has improved and plays well when he starts.
Ed
July 9th, 2012
9:21 am
I like Pastornicky fine, but lets be honest, he’s not half the player Simmons is. He gets called back up and we are in for 6 weeks of “Simmons woulda had that,” “Simmons would have never booted that ball,” and “This inning would have been over 10 minutes ago if Simmons was playing.”
Tami
July 9th, 2012
9:28 am
This was strange the way it played out when the play happened live. I thought maybe Andrelton got hit in the head. He looked fine otherwise. I guess the pain kicked in while he was still running the bases before the inning ended. The TV coverage showed him grimacing in pain holding his hand when he was back in the dugout. I didn’t realize it took that long for a finger to heal. I know if you break a toe you can tape it to the “next door neighbor” and grind it out for a couple of weeks until it heals. I guess fingers heal differently. It’s too bad, really, since Andrelton sparked up the team and maybe helped them raise their defense because of his play. And boy can this kid run the bases!!! I got to see him in person on June 27th. I hope he won’t be out too long.
Wilson
July 9th, 2012
9:30 am
The Braves winning pct with Pastornicky at SS was .538 before Simmons was called up and the Braves winning pct as of today is at .541 after sweeping Phillies. So will someone please show me how Pastornicky will cause the team to lose games.
Simmons is the smoother, more gifted SS, but if you look at the games won with either at SS there is not much difference. Simmons gives the better individual performance and has more range and a better arm, but the team wins or loses at the same rate as with Pastornicky playing.
Ken Stallings
July 9th, 2012
9:35 am
The head first slide needs to be put out of baseball. It is bad technique and the emphasis needs to start in Little League. It should be made illegal in youth baseball with mandatory ejections for doing it. Then, in high school and college it should lead to ejections. Heyward likely lost two good seasons as a result of hand injuries suffered from a single head first slide and he still does it!
Ed
July 9th, 2012
9:37 am
Our winning pct was higher with Pastornicky because we started out hot, everyone on the team was hitting better, and Beachy was still around. If you think Pastornicky is not going to cost us games with his shoddy defense, you are in for an awakening
Marc Schneider
July 9th, 2012
9:44 am
If I ran a team, I would ban head first sliding for all my players. It may be a quicker way to get to a base but it’s not worth the risk of injury. These guys should be taught to slide feet first at all times. Frankly, I think a lot of the trend toward headfirst sliding started with Pete Rose and, in part, because it looks flashier.
sldkfjslk
July 9th, 2012
9:58 am
Hard to hold gloves when turning a single into a double.
Fantasy Baseball Blog at beondeck.com | Fantasy Baseball Advice
July 9th, 2012
10:06 am
[...] Simmons suffered a broken right pinkie finger in Sunday’s game and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. Tyler Pastornicky could be called back up to [...]
Kevin
July 9th, 2012
10:18 am
sldkfjslk, i was just about to say the same thing! I read through the first few comments and so many people were saying the solution is to HOLD YOUR GOLVES. Next time, Simmons, Heyward, Prado, and the other head-first sliders should stop a couple steps out of the box when they think they can take two, pull off their gloves, and then proceed.
In all seriousness, SLIDE FEET FIRST. Not only are your hands safer, but so is your HEAD. And your head is a bit more important than your hands.
Kevin
July 9th, 2012
10:22 am
And I think I’d rather see Chipper lumbering at SS than J. Wilson or Pastornicky. Who’s playing SS in AA Mississippi? Wilson hits like he’s using a plastic wiffle ball bat.
Ed
July 9th, 2012
10:27 am
If they play Wilson at SS, they should just pick a fan out of the stands to come in for every at-bat in his place. Even on the road. That would give us a better chance of getting hits.
Amber Girl
July 9th, 2012
10:29 am
Hurry back Simba. We love you.
DawgDad
July 9th, 2012
10:56 am
“Pastornicky struggled to provide the Braves the kind of defense they needed at shortstop”
Talk about sugar-coating the bad medicine . . . Pastornicky was HORRIBLE. We’re back to Spring Training, wondering when Wren will bring in a Major League shortstop and who it will be. Let’s hope he learned his lesson earlier this season.
Assuming Simmons can be back starting by September Wren needs to find a shortstop who can play 6-8 weeks and then come off the bench. If Wren doesn’t make a move, an infield of Jones-Pastornicky-Uggla is — brutal, in case you’ve forgotten. And if Uggla doesn’t start hitting (not holding my breath there) the bottom of the order is going to drag the team down.
Ralph
July 9th, 2012
11:11 am
JNick
As for McCann….all my hate mail/postings seems to have worked. He woke up. Nice to see.
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Agree, just hope all my hate posts work on Uggla
JNick
July 9th, 2012
11:17 am
….or you could slide feet-first like Freeman and take a DP turn to the paw. Or the face next time. Injuries are going to happen. Guess most of you think players should quit diving for balls or getting hit by pitches…
JNick
July 9th, 2012
11:19 am
@Ralph, it’s bound to work – power of the internets.
As for the people who took my first post seriously….go run headfirst into a brick wall….
bill
July 9th, 2012
11:30 am
players used to run with dirt in their hands to keep their fingers closed to avoid this injury. Oh yeh I forgot Fredi did not see his first baseball game until 2002.
Amber Girl
July 9th, 2012
11:38 am
Proceed with caution. Go Braves!
Kotex
July 9th, 2012
11:51 am
Stop with the Prado at SS crap, I’ll stop the bleeding!!
Amber Girl
July 9th, 2012
11:58 am
Not very nice Kotex