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© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
680 comments Add your comment
Efrim
August 6th, 2012
10:59 am
James Shields would be a perfect fit for this team and I’d rather pay through trade for two years of Shields than to hand Zack Greinke a six year, 120 million dollar deal. And yes, there is no reason to think that he won’t command that sort of an offer from either of the LA baseball teams.
Gattis doesn't drink beer all the time
August 6th, 2012
10:59 am
Gattis doesn’t run with the Bulls when in Spain, towards them.
TheOnlyBravesFan
August 6th, 2012
10:59 am
Evan Gattis once framed a pitch so perfectly that it counted as 2 strikes
Why not 3?
TheOnlyBravesFan
August 6th, 2012
11:01 am
I, don’t always like handing out Free Agent contracts. But when I do, I prefer Zack Greinke. Get ready, my friends.
Jimmy
August 6th, 2012
11:03 am
TOBF – I read about it. The count was already 0-1.
Lew
August 6th, 2012
11:06 am
Waiting. And waiting. And waiting. Don’t hold your breath and turn purple, cause Greinke won’t be a Brave.
George
August 6th, 2012
11:06 am
ncscoots
August 6th, 2012
10:21 am
LaRoche has been carrying them.
And for the life of me, I can’t be mad about that. Laroche is one of the good guys, and I am really happy to see him do well. I can pull for Ryan Zimmerman to fall off a cliff, but I can’t find it in my heart to root against Adam.
**************
2nd above, AGREED I always liked ADAM
CrαZy
August 6th, 2012
11:06 am
Murph….. The word IKEA alone makes me sad and sore! Don’t you just hate having to put together allen wrench furniture!!
raleighbravefan
August 6th, 2012
11:07 am
Some posters during the games…well, I think they just enjoy “stirring the pot”, getting the max reaction possible. No one could really be that ignorant or negative. The best solution would be to ignor it, but damn…it’s hard not to react.
CrαZy
August 6th, 2012
11:10 am
The only time you’ll ever see Grienke wearing a Braves Uniform will be in a video game!! Just don’t see Wren signing a FA for that much money…
Much more likely we trade for a player still a few years out from being eligible fro free agency.
toby
August 6th, 2012
11:10 am
The only thing i regret is he has missed so much time due to injuries,for instance his entire rookie year was supposed to have been 2004,but an ACL tear ended that whole season.If you factor in all the other time missed be it on the DL and 2 years ago when he tore his acl again,he would have certainly reached 500 HR’S and 3000 Hits and a career avg. of .300,would have most certainly put him among the elite that have ever played the game,but hey it’s been a first ballot hall of fame carreer if he doesnt get another hit this year!!!!! And i wish him happiness and the best in retirement,cause for 19 years he’s given me as a fan some one i have really enjoyed watching,and he did it the right way!!!!!!
raleighbravefan
August 6th, 2012
11:11 am
Mostly the same roster, but not the same team as last year. I say no way they have a September swoon this year. I do predict that the Nats fade some…hard to maintain the level they have been at all year, especially the pitching staff, ehich mostly has never pitched this many innings before.
Random
August 6th, 2012
11:12 am
MFin04 (August 6th, 2012 10:33 am): “Funny how everyone in the media said the Braves were losers at the trade deadline, and that Johnson and Maholm wasn’t a good deal and the Braves failed to get Dempster. How’d Dempster (and Greinkes) first starts go?”
I’m with Brian from SC (10:38 am) on this one — yours is a false premise.
I myself at the time heard plenty of praise for the Braves’ shrewd trade.
On the radio — ESPN.
CrαZy
August 6th, 2012
11:14 am
raleighbravefan….. I think they just enjoy “stirring the pot”, getting the max reaction possible. No one could really be that ignorant or negative.
I’d argue you have to be pretty ignorant to get off on stirring the pot!!
Jimmy
August 6th, 2012
11:15 am
Murph – If you want the best possible deal on a new truck, go down to Gattis Ford in Forney. There is no way you can beat a Gattis deal.
raleighbravefan
August 6th, 2012
11:16 am
Just think what Chipper’s numbers would be without the major injurys…just like Mantle, Junior, Kofax, and countless others…along with time lost to the millitary by Ted Williams, Willie Mays, and many other greats and near greats. In a perfect world….
Some (very talented) player’s careers have been enhanced by their durability and longevity…Rose, Bench, Aaron, etc.
ncscoots
August 6th, 2012
11:17 am
Don’t you just hate having to put together allen wrench furniture!!
A gross expansion of the definition of the word “furniture”.
What saddens me is that Murph could have let me know and I could have built him the same stuff, for only about four times the cost.
raleighbravefan
August 6th, 2012
11:19 am
CraZy @11:14 – I agree completely, but as I said, sometimes it’s damn hard not to react. Wrong thing to do, of course. Just eggs them on.
Murph
August 6th, 2012
11:21 am
Murph….. The word IKEA alone makes me sad and sore! Don’t you just hate having to put together allen wrench furniture!!
Yeah, my hands are hamburger today.
The allen wrench part was ok because they now include a vinyl sleeve thing that you put around the end of the wrench… improves comfort and torque.
My thumbs are basically goo loosely wrapped in skin, though. They give you those little metal nubs to put in on both sides of an opening where a shelf will sit, only they make the holes for the nubs about 1/2 as wide as the nub.
A smart man would have used a hammer. But I am not smart, and instead used my thumbs. And now they are numb and bruised and swollen. Curse you, IKEA. Curse you.
CrαZy
August 6th, 2012
11:22 am
A gross expansion of the definition of the word “furniture”.
I agree! I prefer to buy my furniture at yard sales and used stores and then re-finish it myself…
Murph
August 6th, 2012
11:25 am
Thinking about the starting rotation over the weekend… here’s what I think happens:
JJ completes rehab stint, go to the bullpen.
Hanson comes off the DL, Hudson goes on.
Medlen continues to pitch well.
Hudson comes off the DL, Hanson goes back on.
Medlen continues to pitch well.
Braves make the playoffs. Playoff rotation will be Hudson, Maholm, Minor, Medlen.
ncscoots
August 6th, 2012
11:25 am
I prefer to buy my furniture at yard sales and used stores and then re-finish it myself…
If you haven’t tried it yet, look into a product called Soy-Gel. Really does a great job of removing old paint and finishes. Made from soybeans, no toxic order, and so forth.
ncscoots
August 6th, 2012
11:27 am
no toxic order
Well, if I did typo correction posts (which I don’t), that one would certainly qualify, LOL.
Murph
August 6th, 2012
11:27 am
What saddens me is that Murph could have let me know and I could have built him the same stuff, for only about four times the cost.
All of that furniture was under $500 total. I know, it’s particle board, but I’d rather have the 4 year old kicking holes in a $100 desk than a $1000 desk.
One thing I gotta say about IKEA… it may be crap, but it’s solid crap.
CrαZy
August 6th, 2012
11:32 am
ncscoots– I’ll try it…. but getting high from fumes is half the fun
CrαZy
August 6th, 2012
11:34 am
Yeah…. When I buy IKEA it’s either a gift for someone going to college or for my kids… that way I don’t get mad WHEN they break it…. because they WILL break it eventually!!
ncscoots
August 6th, 2012
11:36 am
but I’d rather have the 4 year old kicking holes in a $100 desk than a $1000 desk
You can’t kick holes in a $1000 desk, not when I make ‘em.
She could have passed it down to her own children.
I always tell commission clients that they have a 99-year guarantee on my stuff. If it breaks next century, they can call me, LOL.
Lew
August 6th, 2012
11:36 am
crazy – I have a somewhat different approach on the yard sale theme – picked up a table that had a very faded hunting scene that had been printed on it decades ago on and repainted it – looks great and better than new.
cricket
August 6th, 2012
11:39 am
Sources said that Dempster was so hung up on the Dodgers that the Cubs told him to directly call Ned Colletti. Dempster spoke with the Los Angeles general manager just before the deadline – eliminating that possibility – and then accepted a trade to the Texas Rangers.
.
.
“It was an unusual situation,” Epstein said then. “But I think it was helpful to have him there. He could hear firsthand that it probably wasn’t going to happen. If someone really wants to go to a place, you can tell them over and over again it’s probably not going to happen. But unless they’re convinced of that, they may not want to move on to their second choice … There were certain things he needed to hear.”
Bayou Brave
August 6th, 2012
11:39 am
Chipper has more walks (31) than srikeouts (30)
raleighbravefan
August 6th, 2012
11:42 am
Murph – You should have let the 4 year old install the nubs. They wouldn’t have stood a chance.
TheOnlyBravesFan
August 6th, 2012
11:45 am
The only time you’ll ever see Grienke wearing a Braves Uniform will be in a video game!! Just don’t see Wren signing a FA for that much money…
Much more likely we trade for a player still a few years out from being eligible fro free agency.
Have to ruin my fun, eh? Just as long as we don’t get Shields…
Murph
August 6th, 2012
11:46 am
She could have passed it down to her own children.
I’m fully expecting to come home tonight to the word “FART” or “DOODIE” carved in to the top of the desk.
cricket
August 6th, 2012
11:46 am
Lyle Overbay is available..too bad he’s lefty
MikeInFl
August 6th, 2012
11:46 am
Chipper has more walks (31) than srikeouts (30)
Let’s carry that out a little further….
Chipper has more walks (1486) than strikeouts (1388)
CrαZy
August 6th, 2012
11:46 am
Lew… My wife finds furniture and I either paint it or strip it down and refinish it for her so she can sale it in a consignment store… Actually make some decent $$$ to go play with off it!!
ncscoots
August 6th, 2012
11:49 am
I’m fully expecting to come home tonight to the word “FART” or “DOODIE” carved in to the top of the desk.
We call that giving the piece “character”.
Chipper Jones stays firm on retirement plan. | Players View
August 6th, 2012
11:54 am
[...] told the Atlanta Journal Constitution “I’m ready to move on,” in a series of comments that feel very, very [...]
Lew
August 6th, 2012
12:09 pm
crazy – Yeah – I bought the table for $15 and it would be worth a couple hundred now – IF I was going to sell it.
I paint all sorts of unfinished wood products for sale – small boxes, chests and plaques. Helps with the expenses. I’ve painted everything from houses to parking lots, signs, murals, – anything that could be painted, I’ve probably done it at one time or another.
raleighbravefan
August 6th, 2012
12:15 pm
Lew – I’m no artist…can’t draw a stick figure. It mystifies me that a person can see something, and reproduce it with their own hands. That said, I can be a painter…have painted houses, cabinets, furniture, etc. Don’t enjoy it much. Like a lot of things in my life, I do it out of necessity.
Bayou Brave
August 6th, 2012
12:17 pm
Chipper has more walks (31) than srikeouts (30)
Let’s carry that out a little further….
Chipper at 40 years of age in his 19th and final seasonhas more walks (31) than strikeouts (30). No other current Brave (minimum of 10 ABs) can claim that.
jeffrey d
August 6th, 2012
12:18 pm
Some posters during the games…well, I think they just enjoy “stirring the pot”, getting the max reaction possible
I think it’s mostly people getting caught up in the moment and letting their emotions speak
George
August 6th, 2012
12:19 pm
Murph
August 6th, 2012
11:25 am
Thinking about the starting rotation over the weekend… here’s what I think happens:
JJ completes rehab stint, go to the bullpen.
Hanson comes off the DL, Hudson goes on.
Medlen continues to pitch well.
Hudson comes off the DL, Hanson goes back on.
Medlen continues to pitch well.
Braves make the playoffs. Playoff rotation will be Hudson, Maholm, Minor, Medlen.
**************
That retation would be HUDDY and the 3 M CORPERATION.
brian
August 6th, 2012
12:31 pm
I still like sheets
Veer
August 6th, 2012
12:33 pm
We trail the Nationals by 3 games right now. Jurrjens loss in the Nationals series was huge otherwise it would been just a 1 game lead for the Nationals. The decision to keep Jurrjens in the rotation is the reason why we are in 2nd place. When Beachy went out that right there was the time to start Medlen but Braves instead went with Jurrjens.
This was a common knowledge that Medlen was too good to be in the pen and Jurrjens was finished. So look the difference between being first and second is the decision to stay with Medlen in the pen for so long and deciding to start Jurrjens and even Delgado in place of him.
Arkansas Transplant
August 6th, 2012
12:42 pm
that’s still not a difference of 3 games.
Veer
August 6th, 2012
12:45 pm
Our rotation for 2013 is pretty much set with
1) Hudson 2) Medlen 3) Minor 4) Hanson 5) Malhom.
Braves will probably not resign Sheets or 1) no space for him 2) he is old 3) other teams will pay more.
This would leave offseason needs for either getting 2 OF or 1 3B and 1 OF. I expect Braves to trade one of Delgado/Teheran to fill the one of those voids and to fill second void promote Gattis or sign an aging veteran OF like a Tori Hunter
CrαZy
August 6th, 2012
12:48 pm
Our rotation for 2013 is pretty much set with
1) Hudson 2) Medlen 3) Minor 4) Hanson 5) Malhom
I doubt it!!
Jeff R
August 6th, 2012
12:48 pm
James Shields would be a perfect fit for this team and I’d rather pay through trade for two years of Shields than to hand Zack Greinke a six year, 120 million dollar deal. And yes, there is no reason to think that he won’t command that sort of an offer from either of the LA baseball teams.
Chances are, Greinke stays with the Angels – if he likes Anaheim. The Angels can easily meet Greinke’s demands.
I know Wren has been interested in Greinke for a long while, but I can’t see the Braves playing with the Angels or Dodgers, for instance, for Greinke’s services.
DAP
August 6th, 2012
12:51 pm
our rotation for 2013 is not close to being set. too many variables. we have options on huddy and maholm, sheets is a free agent, and medlen, hanson, delgado, minor could be trade bait for all we know.
kenhotlanta
August 6th, 2012
12:52 pm
If Sheets continues to pitch at his current level, I would surely hope we keep him for next year.
Veer
August 6th, 2012
12:56 pm
Hudsons and Malholms option will be picked up. It would be foolish to not. Braves cant afford a free agent pitcher this offseason like a Grienke so the rotation pretty much stays the same. Hanson is young and cheap to just give up on. Fact is he has won 12 games this year and probably finishes the year with atleast 15-16 wins.
unbelievable
August 6th, 2012
1:04 pm
Sheets is an interesting offseason decision. There are a lot of FA starters which could help with our bid of resigning him. I dont see the Braves matching what other teams would be willing to pay however. Maybe Sheets likes it enough to take a little less with a chance of extra incentives.
Arkansas Transplant
August 6th, 2012
1:11 pm
I wouldn’t be against using Juan at 3rd and keeping Prado in LF. This means all we’ll be looking to replace is CF if Bourn isn’t resigned. I’m hoping we’ve learned from Boston’s mistake at giving such a huge contract to someone that relies so heavily on his speed. I’m not against resigning Bourn but no way do I give him more than 9 or 10 a year. This means we could be FA spenders for a top shelf SP to anchor our rotation going forward.
Random
August 6th, 2012
1:12 pm
Veer (August 6th, 2012 12:33 pm): “We trail the Nationals by 3 games right now. Jurrjens loss in the Nationals series was huge otherwise it would been just a 1 game lead for the Nationals. When Beachy went out that right there was the time to start Medlen but Braves instead went with Jurrjens.
This was a common knowledge that Medlen was too good to be in the pen and Jurrjens was finished. So look the difference between being first and second is the decision to stay with Medlen in the pen for so long and deciding to start Jurrjens and even Delgado in place of him.”
No, it was not “common knowledge” that Jurrjens was finished at that time. (Nor is it now — if Coach says he’s injured, I for one believe it.)
After the Braves decided to start Jurrjens instead of Medlen when Beachy went down, he went 3-0 in his first 4 starts, with 25.1 IP (6.1 IP/S), 6 ERs (2.13 ERA), 24 Hs and 5 BBs (1.14 WHIP).
In Medlen’s 2 starts, he is 1-0, with 10.1 IP (5 IP/s), 2 ERs (1.74 ERA), 9 Hs and 3 BBs (1.16 HIP).
You should probably stop exaggerating or making things up.
Arkansas Transplant
August 6th, 2012
1:13 pm
Who says that Greinke would want to sign at either of those locations and wouldn’t prefer to come to Atlanta at a little lesser rate?
Efrim
August 6th, 2012
1:17 pm
Atlanta poised to win NL East
By Paul Swydan | FanGraphs
The Atlanta Braves have been a top-15 team in the ESPN Power Rankings for most of the season, but lately they have cemented themselves in the top 10. This week marks their fourth straight in the top 10, and they have climbed back into the top five for the first time since June 11. The Braves continue to overcome injuries to their pitching staff and are poised to leapfrog the Washington Nationals in the final two months of the season.
The Braves have had to scramble a bit in regard to their starting rotation. Brandon Beachy blowing out his arm wasn’t part of the plan, nor was Jair Jurrjens’ continued regression into oblivion. Tommy Hanson’s injury problems could have be foreseen, but certainly the Braves were hopeful that he would be healthy this season. But each time someone falls, someone steps up.
Ben Sheets has a 1.46 ERA and 1.95 FIP in four starts for Atlanta. Sure, it’s just four starts, but then again who thought that Sheets had even one more major league start left in him? Newly acquired Paul Maholm should fit in nicely as well as a league-average innings muncher who the team can count on every five days.
And then there’s Kris Medlen. After compiling a 2.72 FIP in 54 1/3 innings out of the bullpen, the righty stepped back into the rotation this week for the first time in nearly two years and pitched effectively. He allowed just two runs in 10 1/3 innings and struck out nine batters. Time will tell if the 26-year-old Medlen needs to be a permanent part of the rotation mix — much of that will depend on Hanson’s health — but he provides the Braves with a high-upside play in case Hanson misses extended time (as do Randall Delago and Julio Teheran).
The Nationals, on the other hand, have no such depth. Once Stephen Strasburg is shut down for the season, they will need to turn to John Lannan, which is an enormous downgrade by any metric. In addition, even with Drew Storen’s return, the Nationals’ bullpen has not been as invincible as it was early in the season.
After posting above-average numbers for the season’s first three months, the bullpen posted a 4.66 ERA and 4.77 FIP in July, the latter of which was the third-worst in the game. The rotation has remained solid, but with Strasburg potentially being removed from the picture by the end of September’s first week and the bullpen reeling just a little bit, Washington may not finish the season with the same dominant pitching with which it started.
Aside from Chipper Jones and Jason Heyward, the Atlana offense has gone in spurts. Early in the season, Michael Bourn, Martin Prado and Dan Uggla were hot while Freddie Freeman and Brian McCann started slowly. Recently, Freeman and McCann have come on as Bourn, Prado and Uggla have struggled. Pile up the whole season, though, and the Braves have a deep unit capable of supporting its pitching staff — Atlanta is tied for 10th in wRC+ this season, and it should be even better once Andrelton Simmons returns from his broken right pinkie finger. At the time of his injury, the rookie shortstop was pairing above-average contact skills and a decent batting eye with superb defense.
The Nationals should improve offensively once they get shortstop Ian Desmond back. This week welcomed Jayson Werth back to the Nats’ outfield, and he shook off the rust quickly, notching at least one hit in each of his first three games back. But even with Werth, Washington’s outfield play leaves something to be desired. For the season, the Nationals’ outfield has a minus-5.8 UZR. That should tick up slightly with Werth back roaming the green pastures, but he is not the elite defender that he used to be — in the past four seasons, his cumulative defensive value is in the red. Contrast that with Atlanta, whose outfield trio of Bourn, Heyward and Prado is by far the best defensive unit in the game. In fact, Atlanta’s only below-replacement defensive starter has been Freddie Freeman, and at minus-0.8, he is barely so.
Catcher is another consideration that points heavily in Atlanta’s favor. While the Braves have a great backup in David Ross (136 wRC+ in 116 PA) to pair with the increasingly hot McCann, the Nationals have struggled to find a catching solution in the wake of Wilson Ramos’ injury. Jesus Flores has been awful, and Sandy Leon hasn’t been much better. This week, the Nats brought in Kurt Suzuki in a trade with the Oakland Athletics. While he still plays good defense, it’s hard to see him as an upgrade offensively. Only five players have a worse BB/K than Suzuki this season (minimum 200 plate appearances), and his 44 wRC+ is even worse than Flores’ 48 mark.
The Braves have heated up in the second half, and they have won 10 of their past 12 games. When the first half ended, the Nationals seemed like clear front-runners in the National League East, and though they have maintained a slim lead, it may not last.
There are cracks in Washington’s facade, and those cracks will only widen once Strasburg is shut down. The Braves, meanwhile, have solidified their starting rotation, found hitters to help carry the team for stretches at a time and played great defense the entire season. Should the Nationals take their foot off the gas pedal, the Braves will be ready to speed past them.
Efrim
August 6th, 2012
1:23 pm
our rotation for 2013 is not close to being set. too many variables. we have options on huddy and maholm, sheets is a free agent, and medlen, hanson, delgado, minor could be trade bait for all we know.
Hudson is the only guy that is a guarantee, imo. Even Maholm might not be back – could be that his option is exercised and he is traded. Who knows? I don’t see that for Hudson, at all really. He’ll be back.
Lew
August 6th, 2012
1:24 pm
They are not going to sign Greinke.
JoeFan
August 6th, 2012
1:27 pm
The Braves can conceivably go into the offseason needing only to resign Bourn or find a replacement for CF. Keeping Prado in LF and Francisco at 3B is very possible. At the minimum platoon Francisco against RHP. The Braves have a couple of possibilities coming through the pipeline that may ultimately be replacements in 2014 at 3B (Leonard) and CF(Cumningham). So, as top off season priorities, would not be surprised if the Braves let Bourn walk and go with a 1 year rental in CF and opt to try and sign a top shelf starting pitcher, along with trying to ensure they have a strong bench.
Lew
August 6th, 2012
1:28 pm
Wren isa not going to revamp the entire rotation over the winter AND find two outfielders, a bench and a bullpen.
He will exercise the options on Hudson and Mahom, NOT trade all the KIds and MAYBE find one other veteran starter (eithr Sheets or someone simiar) and go out and fill the other postiions where he doesn’t have all those options.
Efrim
August 6th, 2012
1:37 pm
Wren isa not going to revamp the entire rotation over the winter AND find two outfielders, a bench and a bullpen.
He will exercise the options on Hudson and Mahom, NOT trade all the KIds and MAYBE find one other veteran starter (eithr Sheets or someone simiar) and go out and fill the other postiions where he doesn’t have all those options.
He really shouldn’t go status quo on the rotation and return with Hudson, Hanson, Maholm, Minor and either Teheran, Delgado, Medlen or Gilmartin for that #5 spot. That wouldn’t be doing his job, imo. A frontline starter is just as big of a need as CF and LF in my opinion. Yes, I get that as of right now, we don’t really have anyone to play those positions – but Hudson is going to turn 38 years old next year and as of right now, he’s the only one I feel comfortable with as a #2 or higher. That’s a real problem.
sri
August 6th, 2012
1:41 pm
Lots of Hanson/Braves questions on Crasnick’s chat on ESPN. The blog keeps eating my comments when I am posting the questions..
DAP
August 6th, 2012
1:42 pm
veer Hudsons and Malholms option will be picked up. It would be foolish to not
actually, there is no way of knowing if it would be foolish or not. thats kind of my point. there are too many variables in place.
Efrim
August 6th, 2012
1:42 pm
I think one of Delgado or Teheran is getting traded this winter, and seeing as we just offered Delgado for 2 months of Dempster and refused to part with Teheran for an upgrade – I think it could end up being Delgado. But who knows really. TB may demand Teheran as part of the package for Shields and Wren might bite. Way too early to say.
MiaBchBravesFan
August 6th, 2012
1:43 pm
The problem with the Braves for the past five seasons has been the absence of a lead-pipe HR-hitting, RBI-producing, near/above .300-hitting caliber bat. Players like Bourn, Prado, and McCann will never fit that bill; Freeman and Heyward may still yet evolve into such bats (they are VERY young!), but they are not there yet by any stretch of the imagination. Chipper’s performance and grit this season will resonate into an easy HOF selection, first round. He is the closest thing this team has to an MVP lineup presence that alters pitching strategies on the other side. He won’t even reach 20 dingers, but the HR’s and doubles he still swats should make opposing pitching staffs respect and regard him – when his achy knees allow him to play. The judicious use of Chipper in the next two months will allow for a reasonably healthy Chipper to be an impact player in the playoffs – should the Braves make it.
If Bourn and Prado continue to regress. If Uggla continues his own spiral into oblivion. If McCann is forced to carry the load again. If Heyward and Freeman are forced and pressured to be the carrying forces on this team. If Chipper is forced to play more games than his legs will allow for.
The Braves will collapse again in September, as they have done the past two seasons. The pitching is, as it has been the past two seasons, playoff-worthy. With the exception of Chipper, this team does not hit consistently for 162 and beyond. The self-imposed pressures the other seven bats place upon themselves to play beyond their own individual skill sets starkly shows that, aside from Chipper, this team does not know who to depend on when it matters most. That choking pressure they adopt has crippled hitting for several seasons now. Saturday’s loss against Houston shows this to be true.
When the vise of September baseball comes out, what will this lineup do? Here’s a hint: this is the same core that made up the teams of the past two seasons. We know how those campaigns ended – feebly.
Random
August 6th, 2012
1:43 pm
@Efrim (1:17 pm) –
Thanks!
Efrim
August 6th, 2012
1:44 pm
there are too many variables in place.
Hudson’s absolutely should. If you’re saying he could get hurt between now and then, obviously that’s the risk about dealing with it now. But if he’s sound – no reason to think that won’t be announced immediately after the season along with Brian McCann’s option being picked up. That stuff should be announded during the first few days after the end of the World Series – or sooner.
Bayou Brave
August 6th, 2012
1:47 pm
Veer @ 12:45 pm
Our rotation for 2013 is pretty much set
Um… no.
phil
August 6th, 2012
1:48 pm
We’re heading into a buzz saw this time…
Philly is bound to be pissed, has gotten reasonably healthy, their fans are loons, it’s Monday, Chipper’s sitting it out, Uggla will be sitting it out while actually playing, Sheets is due to be bombed….
Not liking the ol chances this evening….but it’s baseball so who knows.
Veer
August 6th, 2012
1:50 pm
Random you forgot to mention Jurrjens’ other starts where he got killed. Vs Giants and Vs Nationals. That Nationals loss was a 2 game swing. I am not making stuff. Bottom line is if Medlen was starting we would be at worst tied or be in first. Jurrjens was finished when the spring training started. In his starts he showed nothing and didn’t even have velocity. Shouldn’t take till end of July to realize Jurrjens is finished.
Carroll Rogers
August 6th, 2012
1:51 pm
New blog is up….was about to say Aloha from Philly. Guess the departing Flyin Hawaiian was on my mind.
http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-braves-blog/2012/08/06/braves-hope-for-more-of-same-against-new-look-phils/
phil
August 6th, 2012
1:51 pm
When the vise of September baseball comes out, what will this lineup do? Here’s a hint: this is the same core that made up the teams of the past two seasons. We know how those campaigns ended – feebly. MIABCHBRAVESFAN
Maybe our guys have grown up a little, maybe not. Only one way to find out and we’ll know soon enough. If forced to guess, I agree that we’re more likely to collapse again and maybe still get in as a wildcard where we are certainly more likely than not to lose given our now very long history of blowing decisive games.
Arkansas Transplant
August 6th, 2012
1:56 pm
I wouldn’t trade one of our top pitching prospects, ie.. Teheran, Delgado, Minor or Gilmartin, to only add another starter. I’d stick with those guys though the offseason, why move one next season? You’ve got Hudson more than likely returning, Hanson will be back, Minor has shown he’s got quite a bit of value, Malholm with an affordable option. That basically leaves just the 5th spot in the rotation to fill with Beachy returning at some point, Delgado one year more experience and Teheran and Gilmartin in the wings. I’d prefer to add a top flight guy though FA without having to weaken our prospect depth.
nolie
August 6th, 2012
1:58 pm
Even Maholm might not be back – could be that his option is exercised and he is traded…Efrim
I’ll take that bet
nolie
August 6th, 2012
1:59 pm
I wouldn’t be against using Juan at 3rd and keeping Prado in LF…Ark
I sure as heck would be against it
DAP
August 6th, 2012
2:03 pm
joefan Keeping Prado in LF and Francisco at 3B is very possible.
replacing chipper with fransisco has got to be plan C at best, right?
Chipper Jones Stays Firm on Impending Retirement
August 6th, 2012
2:17 pm
[...] When asked, Jones had a very simple answer. “No,” Jones told ajc.com. [...]
old man
August 6th, 2012
3:17 pm
Can’t read all of these fine posts, so I know I am repeating what some other genius has already said.
Here, in my opinion, is what we have right now, in terms of “one through five” starters:
Hudson-2 (a lot of this is based on experience and savvy)
Medlen-2 (what is the team W-L record in his starts last 3 years? Unbelievable.)
Minor-2 (super sharp last two months)
Sheets- 3 (a 2 so far, but that may not last, so I’ll say a 3)
Maholm- 3 (a 1 for last two months, but needs to prove himself with ATL)
Delgado-4
Hanson-5
So, it’s a strong rotation, taking your top 5 or 6 out of this group, even without someone consistently throwing a fastball 94+ mph. But how does this translate into playoffs? We don’t have a Koufax or Gibson type we can plan on being automatic for 2 of 5 games or 3 of 7.
Does a six man rotation make our starters significantly more rested and more effective when playoff time comes?
Someone posed this or a similar question earlier, which I thought was good: If the playoffs started tomorrow and we were facing Kershaw or some other stud #1 guy in game one, who would you start for the Braves? I think we would have a lot of different picks–Hudson, Medlen, Minor, Maholm, (even Sheets if he comes back and throws another 6 innings of shutout ball). I doubt there would be a clear consensus. Would love to hear opinions on who it would be. I would go with the hot hand–either Minor or Medlen.
Chipper Jones tweets foul at NY’s Grand Hyatt | AJC Sports Talk
August 9th, 2012
5:42 pm
[...] This is the celebrated 40-year-old third baseman’s last season with the Braves. [...]