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© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1,389 comments Add your comment
toast
September 4th, 2012
11:34 am
would be awesome to win the division but don’t cha want the cardinals at turner for a one game playoff just a teeny tiny bit……. love to end their season
Three Strikes They Are Out
September 4th, 2012
11:34 am
“Somehow I doubt anyone expected Meldeen to be setting franchise records.”
You are exactly right. I’m sure no one expected that. But there were a number of people here who thought he should be in the rotation ahead of some of the bodies who were in the rotation earlier in the season.
Zing
September 4th, 2012
11:37 am
Heyward has been awesome this year, I think in part because he’s not hurt but also because he’s a little more mature. He had a bit of sulkiness to him in the past, which I attribute to his age.
DS1
September 4th, 2012
11:38 am
I also don’t think that the Braves purposely planned for Medlen to go to the pen to limit his innings for the year.
I think with all the Strasburg press about innings pitched and with Medlen’s success since being put into the rotation, they have just seized the opportunity to try to make them look like they had this all planned out.
But I could be wrong………
Jeff R
September 4th, 2012
11:38 am
You are exactly right. I’m sure no one expected that. But there were a number of people here who thought he should be in the rotation ahead of some of the bodies who were in the rotation earlier in the season.
Hindsight, she be 20-20.
toast
September 4th, 2012
11:39 am
chipper gave you a lift, need to bury this team and their horrific pitching in this 4 game series. sweep. 4 games are difficult but have to get play crisp baseball. nats beat astros in four game series by scratching and clawing, need to elevate game starting now.
ncscoots
September 4th, 2012
11:42 am
Hindsight, she be 20-20.
More like “electron microscope” than 20-20, from what I read.
Efrim
September 4th, 2012
11:42 am
Heyward has been awesome this year, I think in part because he’s not hurt but also because he’s a little more mature. He had a bit of sulkiness to him in the past, which I attribute to his age.
Probably a bit of both, but mostly because of what the shoulder injury did to his swing last year. I don’t see many ground ball outs to 2nd base this year – at all really. Some pop ups to the left side of the infield, but definitely fewer groundball outs to the right side.
Brava
September 4th, 2012
11:44 am
I don’t get the hindsight, Jeff R. Some of us thought Meds should be in the rotation long before he was, and stated so on this blog.
Brava
September 4th, 2012
11:44 am
I don’t get the hindsight, Jeff R. Some of us thought Meds should be in the rotation long before he was, and stated so on this blog.
Bat Masterson
September 4th, 2012
11:44 am
Like, didn’t happen at all and it’s just that he was a bad baseball player for five months in 2011? Come on….
Well the guy on Fox Saturday did not give much credence to it. Spent a lot of time talking about the hole in his swing. Up and in on his hands.
You know the spot I’m talking about. About a ten inch box that no one that has ever played the game can hit. I don’t know why all pitchers ever throw the ball to a different spot.
I don’t know who that guy is but, well, I cussed him for a fool several times.
Efrim
September 4th, 2012
11:45 am
I also don’t think that the Braves purposely planned for Medlen to go to the pen to limit his innings for the year.
Agreed. That Medlen story just keeps changing. No one saw this. Or even near this.
Efrim
September 4th, 2012
11:47 am
You know the spot I’m talking about. About a ten inch box that no one that has ever played the game can hit. I don’t know why all pitchers ever throw the ball to a different spot.
Mid-late 30’s Barry Bonds could…….of course, he looked like a Belgian Blue Cow – but that didn’t really matter.
Bat Masterson
September 4th, 2012
11:49 am
Ha, I don’t think even Bonds could. Of course, if you threw it there it might be a strike but it would have hit him.
DAP
September 4th, 2012
11:51 am
i think constanza gets bashed too much here, because he also gets loved on too much. no reason to over correct when someone acts like constanza should be the starting left fielder or something. he is a 4th OF, and not a bad one. in fact, i dont think a short term platoon of he and reed johnson is a bad plan, while uggla is riding the pine.
MFin04
September 4th, 2012
11:54 am
They never kept Medlen in the bullpen because of his inning limitations, but they did keep him in the bullpen to limit the big three’s innings. Maybe the front office just confused themselves.
toast
September 4th, 2012
11:54 am
same people who screamed for medlen in rotation early would have been screaming at fredi for taking him out of bullpen after leads would probably be blown. durbin, martinez whoever, think some of those holds that medlen provided and got the ball to kimbrel and company evaporate if medlen not in there? that’s your 20-20. nobody saw this coming let’s be realistic
Don
September 4th, 2012
11:54 am
“He didn’t really explain anything to me” ???????
You have got to be kidding – like it needed any explanation.
rich brave
September 4th, 2012
11:54 am
DOWN ON THE FARM
LYNCHBURG
HILLCATS get egged by the PELICANS 1-5 in the season’s finale. But you haven’t seen the last of the ‘CATS. They’re in the CAROLINA League play-offs.
2B TOMMY LaSTELLA [.302 BA] 3-4, 1 2B [22], 1 RBI [56], 1 SO.
TOMMY’s back may have gone out for awhile, but his bat never left.
3B ED SALCEDO [.240 BA] 1-4, 2 SO, 1 CS [14].
ED’s made progress this season despite the poor BA. His power numbers zoomed, in April,and June, he was carrying a .266 average. Unfortunately, as his power numbers continued to strengthen, his average went into a steady decline.
With a .296 OBP and .707 OPS for the season, he’s got a long way to go at the plate to overcome 42 E in 130 G [.891%]. His OBP fell off from .315 in A-ball while the slugging increased from .396 to .412 this season. SALCEDO’s a real piece of unfinished work.
RF ADAM MILLIGAN [.255 BA] 1-3, 1 SO.
ADAM overcame a miserable .205 June with a torrid .321 August. Saving the best for last is the way to go young man. His promise continues…..
SS NICK ADMED [.269 BA] 2-3, 1 R, 1 2B [36], 1 BB, 2 E [26, throwing, throwing].
NICK jumped from Rookie+ to A+ and had an uneven year at the plate. He needs to find consistancy. He had three distinct peaks interspersed by two lows month-by-month. But more importantly, he must improve his defense {.963%].
1B MATT WEAVER [.216 BA] 2-4, 1 SO, 1 CS [3].
Our 2009 9th round pick continues to struggle with the bat. More downs than ups so far.
LF DAN BREWER [.260 BA]
DH CHRIS GARCIA [.285 BA]
CF MYCAL JONES [.253 BA]
C CHAD COMER {.168 1E [4, fielding]
all went o’fer at the plate
LHSP DiMASTHER DELGADO [L 7-7, 3.92 ERA] 2.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R/ER.
LUIS is saving DELGADO for the play-offs.
RHRP CALEB BREWER [4.44 ERA] 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 1 SO.
LHRP BLAINE SIMS [4.42 ERA] 3.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO.
LHRP MATT CHAFFEE [3.99 ERA] 1.0 IP, 1 H, zeros, 1 BB, 0 SO.
TheOnlyBravesFan
September 4th, 2012
11:54 am
<em.Constanza (.314) won batting title in Triple-A International League.
Surely this is a typo. He’s such a worthless scrub.
Not worthless, but he’s in his prime and can’t crack a big-league roster… don’t hype him up.
DAP
September 4th, 2012
11:55 am
bat You know the spot I’m talking about. About a ten inch box that no one that has ever played the game can hit. I don’t know why all pitchers ever throw the ball to a different spot.
because its not easy to hit the spot. and if you miss…..
Don
September 4th, 2012
11:56 am
So it now looks like the Braves’ tradition of paying a big percentage of the salary budget to a part time player may be going to continue for several more years.
TheOnlyBravesFan
September 4th, 2012
11:57 am
he is a 4th OF, and not a bad one
5th OF, and yes he is a decent one.
he (Constanza) gets loved on too much
Indeed!!!!
Roja
September 4th, 2012
11:57 am
We paid $8 mil for Kawakami to play a year in the minor leagues. And don’t forget that Ted paid Bruce Sutter millions to sit on the bench for a couple of years. Compared to those deals, Uggla was (and still is) a bargain.
Bat Masterson
September 4th, 2012
11:57 am
DAP_
No kidding…..
TennesseePaul
September 4th, 2012
11:58 am
In fact, it’s possible Gonzalez is delving into a little revisionist history.
–David Schoenfield
Yes. Actually, I don’t think it is merely “possible” or “little.” At the beginning of the season all the talk was about how much better Medlen was for the pen… he was so “versatile” that the team only wanted to use him in long relief. And, as Schoenfield points out, every time there was a need for a starter, Medlen wasn’t an option, until just recently, and that was explained to be only for a short period of time. Medlen did help ease some of the innings on the back end of the bullpen as a reliever… but he’s still doing that as a starter by averaging well over 6 innings a game as a starter… (7+ IP per start).
While I’ve been a Medlen booster, I didn’t expect this much out of him. I did expect 6+ IP and a solid ERA, but this… well this is even better.
semiballcoach
September 4th, 2012
11:59 am
actually the braves migth still be sutter
Jeff R
September 4th, 2012
12:00 pm
More like “electron microscope” than 20-20, from what I read.
Indeed, scoots.
Brava
September 4th, 2012
12:01 pm
same people who screamed for medlen in rotation early would have been screaming at fredi for taking him out of bullpen after leads would probably be blown.
If he pitched the way he’s been pitching? I seriously doubt that. There’s no hindsight involved with those who, like me (and we were quite a minority here), thought he would be more valuable as a starter than a reliever, no matter how you try and spin it.
DAP
September 4th, 2012
12:02 pm
theonlybravesfan he is a 4th OF, and not a bad one
5th OF, and yes he is a decent one.
so whats the diff between a 4th and a 5th?
BRAVELESS
September 4th, 2012
12:03 pm
The average person with minimum baseball knowledge would have removed Uggla from the lineup two months ago. FG is a weak and ineffective leader. All he had too tell Uggla was that he was not producing and he was being removed from the lineup. How many times did he pull Heyward out of the lineup in 2011 and he was hitting over twenty points higher than Uggla. It is quite apparent that FG has his favorite players.
rich brave
September 4th, 2012
12:04 pm
NOTE to UGGLSA:
Hitting for average is what’s in now that the steroid-era is over. HR’s are still sexy, but won’t keep you in the line-up. Deal with the reality of it young man.
TennesseePaul
September 4th, 2012
12:04 pm
Take the goggles off for a moment, man.
What goggles? The guy had his rods and cones burned out by an avid Heyward fan in Colorado, then got his hand thrust into a wood chipper by another Heyward kool-aid drinker. He’s lucky to be alive, quite frankly. But you know what? He rebounded from those hate attacks, didn’t use them as an excuse and went on to have a solid sophomore season.
rich brave
September 4th, 2012
12:05 pm
BRAVELESS:
True dat’ at least from out here in the bleachers.
Brava
September 4th, 2012
12:05 pm
Not worthless, but he’s in his prime and can’t crack a big-league roster… don’t hype him up.
Um, the last time I looked he was on a big league roster, in fact he’s been on one all season (the 40-man). I won’t hype him up, because I’m well aware that he’s a fourth outfielder, and a pretty good one for the type of player he is, but I will congratulate him on winning the IL batting title. That’s quite an achievement.
You play baseball, right? What did you win this season?
ncscoots
September 4th, 2012
12:06 pm
The average person with minimum baseball knowledge would have removed Uggla from the lineup two months ago.
Well, you’re right about “minimum”, anyway.
TheOnlyBravesFan
September 4th, 2012
12:06 pm
If he pitched the way he’s been pitching?
If he pitched like he was now, that’s no problem… but what about who has to come out of the ‘pen when the other 4 guys (esp. Tommy) start? Martinez, Durbin, and possibly Gearrin would have been our only RHP.
Also, Medlen did struggle a bit in relief appearances early this year, so it’s doubtful that he’d be pitching complete scoreless games all year long.
TennesseePaul
September 4th, 2012
12:06 pm
There’s no hindsight involved with those who, like me (and we were quite a minority here), thought he would be more valuable as a starter than a reliever, no matter how you try and spin it.
Agreed. This is largely rooted in the immutable fact that starters are more valuable than relievers. If a pitcher is good enough to be a starter, he is inherently more valuable as a starter than as a reliever.
TennesseePaul
September 4th, 2012
12:07 pm
Plus, he’s tossing complete games. That means he goes his 6 innings as a starter, then comes back out as a middle reliever in the seventh. Then as a setup guy in the 8th. And finally as a closer in the 9th. He does it all.
Bat Masterson
September 4th, 2012
12:08 pm
No need to down play Biff’s AAA batting title. Good for him
TennesseePaul
September 4th, 2012
12:09 pm
it’s doubtful that he’d be pitching complete scoreless games all year long.
Sheeeesh. What venom. What disdain. Hater.
ncscoots
September 4th, 2012
12:09 pm
He does it all.
Does Medlen’s wife know about you?
Efrim
September 4th, 2012
12:09 pm
http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/8334108/atlanta-braves-hold-stretch-year
Hell yes we will.
toast
September 4th, 2012
12:10 pm
medlen has been great since coming back from stretching his arm out. prior to that, he was struggling a bit. starting the season he very well could have been on par with delgado and minor to some degree.
quit playing arm chair pitching coach, this couldn’t have worked out any better the way medlen’s been used this season.
richbrave
September 4th, 2012
12:10 pm
I don’t see CONSTANZA as more than a one-trick pony…..speed which is the current mantra of the BRAVES front-office. They’ll replace him in time with speed that can CONSISTANTLY hit ML pitching for more than a leg-bunt-chopper, and all will be well.
TheOnlyBravesFan
September 4th, 2012
12:11 pm
so whats the diff between a 4th and a 5th?
The 5th OF is in AAA, not the 25-man.
Um, the last time I looked he was on a big league roster, in fact he’s been on one all season (the 40-man)
I meant the 25-man roster… he’s the same age as Bourn and couldn’t even get a starting job somewhere… He’s not starting material.
You play baseball, right? What did you win this season
I won some refinement of my skills, which I need if I am going to play college ball.
Efrim
September 4th, 2012
12:12 pm
Enjoy the ride with Meds – a 0.52 ERA is not going to last.
I’d take 200 IP and a 3.52 ERA from him. Heck, 190 IP and that is awesome.
MFin04
September 4th, 2012
12:13 pm
“The average person with minimum baseball knowledge would have removed Uggla from the lineup two months ago.”
Of course if that was true, McCann shouldn’t have seen an at bat after April.
TheOnlyBravesFan
September 4th, 2012
12:15 pm
Sheeeesh. What venom. What disdain. Hater.
Hater? It’s reality… he wasn’t gonna pitch 25 complete games, or even 12. He’s done good, but to think that he wouldn’t have struggled at times, and would pitch complete games almost every time out is insane.
No need to down play Biff’s AAA batting title. Good for him
Co-sign.
I wonder, since Biff is so good, we could let Bourn walk, put Constanza in CF (or LF), leave Prado in LF, put Juan at 3B, and use our 25-30 mil dollars to get both Greinke and Shields.
(complete sarcasm)
richbrave
September 4th, 2012
12:17 pm
“…..You play baseball, right? What did you win this season?…..”
Heh! Approaching 70 ,an easy chair ….finally.
But my eldest grandson won a AA VHSL baseball championship and all-state honors. My middle grandson won a 14U National Championship.
But I didn’t do it, so it doesn’t count I guess…..
O.K. I’ll shut up, and go back to growing old. Staying alive is hard enough.
Coach (2012 Fredi's Beisbol Fandango)
September 4th, 2012
12:19 pm
Efrim
September 4th, 2012
11:45 am
I also don’t think that the Braves purposely planned for Medlen to go to the pen to limit his innings for the year.
Agreed. That Medlen story just keeps changing. No one saw this. Or even near this.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Um, not accurate my friend. Some of us were screaming for Medlen to be in the rotation right from day one. And yes, I always believed that he would be successful. So no, Frank Wren and Fredi G. aren’t wrong for keeping Medlen out of their rotation until now, they were just lacking the faith to simply believe in the kid.
cricket
September 4th, 2012
12:20 pm
he (Constanza) gets loved on too much
Indeed!!!!
guy plays for home team, making min. after toiling away for years in minors, isn’t forcing GM and manager to play him with a gun and people have problem when some fans on this blog love him too much? why? if he is overrated by those fans, so what? still better than usual crap here like incessantly ragging on all players and FO personnel or having daytime soap style fights from behind the blanket of security provided by the anonymity. don’t hate the love guys..
Brava
September 4th, 2012
12:20 pm
I love it when you brag about your grandsons, rich! You are an awesome grandfather.
Congratulations to both of them, as well as their proud grandfather! Well done.
TheOnlyBravesFan
September 4th, 2012
12:21 pm
Braves with a 91.5% chance to make the playoffs… Hell yeah! If not for mathematics, I’d put as at near 100%. It’s almost wrapped up… just keep winning and we can make it official.
Teams that trail us:
Cardinals 63.4 %playoffs (61.3 WC)
Dodgers 34% playoffs (20.2 WC)
Pirates 17.8 % playoffs (17.4 WC)
Arizona is cooked
NL division leaders:
Giants 92.1% playoffs
Reds 99.8 %
Nats 99.9%
toast
September 4th, 2012
12:25 pm
Um, not accurate my friend. Some of us were screaming for Medlen to be in the rotation right from day one. And yes, I always believed that he would be successful. So no, Frank Wren and Fredi G. aren’t wrong for keeping Medlen out of their rotation until now, they were just lacking the faith to simply believe in the kid.
Ok, so medlen goes in the starting rotation from day 1(of course he threw over 2 innings last season, he was ready). What’s to say the same damn thing as last season doesn’t happen. Our middle relief is probably below average at best and yep, we trot out the two lefties and kimbrel every other day. that makes sense for the big picture. medlen is on a pitch count and doesn’t go more than 6 innings till after may. c’mon lets get real here. how to argue how this couldn’t have worked out any better. but hey it’s just my opinion. feel free to pat yourselves on the back.
Bat Masterson
September 4th, 2012
12:25 pm
Thanks for the link, Efrim. Good read
richbrave
September 4th, 2012
12:25 pm
Dang BRAVA, I’ll hit it for 20 on that one……one at a time of course.
monty
September 4th, 2012
12:26 pm
I had a sneaky suspicion from the outset that Medlen could be a good(didn’t know this good) everyday starter when I saw him strikeout Todd Helton with that changeup in his 1st big league game I believe. He made TH look silly and til that point I had never ever seen ANY Brave pitcher do that to Helton, get him out yes, stike him out, yes, make him look silly? Never.
You can check me on it but I believe if you take away his 1st 2 big league starts (gave up 8 runs I think) in which he was wound tighter than kid on a sugar high his ERA is under 3 as a starter and I liked him better than TH from the start.
chipontheroad
September 4th, 2012
12:27 pm
So what your sayin is we have an .01 % chance to win the division awesome lets roll
Bat Masterson
September 4th, 2012
12:29 pm
richbrave _
Congrats indeed. A little bragging is in order.
richbrave
September 4th, 2012
12:29 pm
Dang BRAVA, that calls for 20……one at a time of course.
DAP
September 4th, 2012
12:33 pm
theonlybravesfan so whats the diff between a 4th and a 5th?
The 5th OF is in AAA, not the 25-man.
DawgDad
September 4th, 2012
12:38 pm
I noticed ESPN picked up on the company line about limiting Medlen’s innings by design. Well yeah, the design was to park him in the bullpen, and use him as a starter of last resort. When they sent him down to “stretch out” they were opening a roster spot for other moves, and their long reliever subsequently got torched (lots of opportunity to stretch out Medlen at the Major League level). Then they brought him back and parked him in the bullpen again. If this was politics it would be called “the Big Lie”, trying to squeeze the facts into a good story.
Uggla played himself out of a job. He’s had ONE MONTH as a Brave where he performed up to expectations, and he displaced a LEGITIMATE All-Star second baseman. I’ve posted repeatedly since the day of the trade, he’s not the kind of player the Braves need and he plays the wrong position. I hope he turns it around, here or elsewhere. Either way, it’s pretty clear the Braves are going to eat a boatload of salary. Wren needs to keep this in mind when Bourn, McCann, and others come knocking.
Zing
September 4th, 2012
12:39 pm
I thought Medlen deserved to be in the rotation from day one, because he’d proven himself in that position in the past and was also much more experienced that Delgado and Minor. They kept passing him over, because they just didn’t think he was as good as Delgado or Minor or Jurrjens or even Teheran. And they were wrong. Period.
But so what? A lot of people are wrong a lot of the time. What matters is what you do after you realize that you were wrong. And I’d say Fredi and Wren have corrected that mistake by plugging Medlen into the rotation even though they had to hurt some feelings (Jurrjens and Hanson).
TheOnlyBravesFan
September 4th, 2012
12:40 pm
He’s had ONE MONTH as a Brave where he performed up to expectations,
Not to be nitpicky, but he’s had 4-5 months… July to September last year (though he did tail off in Sept, like the rest of the team) and April and May this year
Philly Phanatic
September 4th, 2012
12:41 pm
Enjoy your last couple or month with Bourne in CF. The Phillies raised him and they can afford him. It’s either Upton or Bourne next year For Phil’s. High enough payroll as it is? Also will once again lead MLB in attendance with by the end of the year a bit over .500. record.
I heard if the Braves get in Gonzalez will manipulate pitching and pitch Hudson in a 1 game playoff. It shouldn’t even be a second thought to Medlen, far and away your best starter.
Father A. Long
September 4th, 2012
12:43 pm
I thought Fredi was afraid to bench Ugh-la.
Efrim
September 4th, 2012
12:46 pm
Big difference between being successful and pitching like ‘97-’01 Pedro Martinez. If Medlen was at 3.50 ERA and 6 IP a start, folks wouldn’t be thumping their chests screaming about him.
Medlen has locked himself in as a strong member of this rotation for 2013 and beyond, that’s enough for me to be happy about as things were overall looking bad in late June. Hudson, Medlen, Maholm and Minor have given me some calm about next year. Just need to add one more piece with the nickname of “Big Game” and we’re all set.
chipontheroad
September 4th, 2012
12:46 pm
Awesome stuff D O’B et al
chipontheroad
September 4th, 2012
12:48 pm
Philly Phanatic allready tryin to kipe Bourn
Zing
September 4th, 2012
12:48 pm
What’s your take on Hanson, Efrim? I notice his glaring absence from your 2013 rotation.
TennesseePaul
September 4th, 2012
12:49 pm
but to think that he wouldn’t have struggled at times, and would pitch complete games almost every time out is insane.
Please. Given a full season of 34 starts, he’d pitch 272 innings, easily…. and give up only 5 runs all year, unearned. Put Gattis in LF and he’d easily be 34-0 with a 0.00 ERA. That’s just reality. ( :
Murph
September 4th, 2012
12:50 pm
I would just like to go on record and say that, when Medlen was only 11 years old, I was calling for him to someday be in the rotation because I knew… I just knew, way back then, that he’d be as awesome as he is right now.
Unfortunately this was long before the Braves blog, but if anyone wants to see the notebook I jotted my Medlen thoughts down in and carbon-date the entry, you’re more than welcome.
+100 blog cred to Murph.
Chattmatt
September 4th, 2012
12:53 pm
Dan Uggla you are the weakest link goodbye!!!!
TheOnlyBravesFan
September 4th, 2012
12:54 pm
Hanson might be non-tendered… unfortunately. No room for him in the rotation inext year, and no need to spend 3.5mil for him to pitch in the ‘pen or AAA to see if he gets it back. No GM in their right mind is trading for Tommy at this time.
Cheez Whiz
September 4th, 2012
12:54 pm
Philly Phanatic, you’re assuming Bourn would want to play in a large puddle of philth. That may not be so. He could have more class than that. Or, he could want to stay with a winning team, not one that’s old and decrepit where their major stars spend half the season on the DL.
TennesseePaul
September 4th, 2012
12:55 pm
If Medlen was at 3.50 ERA and 6 IP a start, folks wouldn’t be thumping their chests screaming about him.
I’d still be very pumped on him. I’ve expected him to pitch 6+ IP per start with about a 3.80 ERA.
What he is doing now is well beyond my expectations. It actually ventures deep into my joke-with-scoots territory… which actually makes the joke-with-scoots time that much more enjoyable. ( :
McFann :Ô: :Ô: :ô:
September 4th, 2012
12:55 pm
Capt.Mudd, V. Jim—
Thanks! Obviously I missed that post…:)
DisneyLand??? Aaaaah……Jealous. Sister and I watched Peter Pan last night—made us want to go back to DisneyWorld big time…Hope y’all had fun!!
Oh, and you had to mention Pirates…I so wanna go there again!!!…
raleighbravefan
September 4th, 2012
12:56 pm
I see Phillie Phanatic is back, now that they’ve won a few games. He was damn silent when they were getting pounded.
The Truth....
September 4th, 2012
12:57 pm
I don’t blame Freddi as much as I do FRANK! Freddi is just playing the cards FRANK gave him….He should have discarded a few and got some better cards! Maybe give McCann some more Krispy Creams to get him going…..?
MFin04
September 4th, 2012
1:00 pm
I wouldn’t mind seeing Michael Bourn go to the Phillies and hit 20 homers a year for them. Maybe even go to the Yankees and hit 30 homers a year for them.
abeeeewright
September 4th, 2012
1:01 pm
My opinion on Meldeen was …
Let him fill in for Huddy to start the season, then to the bullpen.
When pitching started to bark and they sent him to AAA to stretch out, let him enter the rotation instead of Jurrjens.
I generally agree with the Nationals’ philosophy on this. Win the games early, build up a lead, and worry about September in September.
Braves could have 4-6 more wins (optimistically) had Medlen replaced JJ/Delgado for those 8-10 starts.
Efrim
September 4th, 2012
1:01 pm
Hanson might be non-tendered… unfortunately. No room for him in the rotation inext year, and no need to spend 3.5mil for him to pitch in the ‘pen or AAA to see if he gets it back. No GM in their right mind is trading for Tommy at this time.
This is a bizarre take. They’ve invested enough in this kid that they’ll gladly pay him 3.5 million and slot him into the 5th starters role. He’ll be making that 1st year arb. salary barring severe injury over the next 27 games+.
raleighbravefan
September 4th, 2012
1:03 pm
Medlen has been GREAT (obviously). He would likely have been very good all year as a starter.
However, it was reasonable to use him as a VALUABLE member of the BP, While Braves figured out what they had with JJ, Hanson, and even Sheets. I won’t criticize them either way, but things are working out pretty well now.
Hanson will not be non-tendered. He has some trade value, even if we decide not to bring him back.
ncscoots
September 4th, 2012
1:05 pm
actually ventures deep into my joke-with-scoots territory… which actually makes the joke-with-scoots time that much more enjoyable.
For you and me, maybe, LOL. Medlen-lovers not in on the joke probably spit at the mere mention of my moniker.
Lew
September 4th, 2012
1:05 pm
It’really amazing how well Medlen is pitching right now – never in 55 years of watching baseball saw anyone pitching better than he is (not even Herschheiser during his scorless inning streak). And he certainly deserves to remain right where he is at the top of the Braves’ rotation.
But let’s not indulge in revisionist history. First of all, he pitched mere innings since he was injured in mid 2010. And between May 24 and June 30, he gave up 20 hits and 8 ER in 14 IP and had not pitched more than three IP – and that only one time (2 – 2.2 IP only two other appearances). He quite honestly was NOT ready to enter the rotation and coupled with Venters pitching terribly and Durbin and EOF starting slow (not to mention Livan), he WAS needed ion the pen.
So0 let’s revel in the numbers he’s piutting up right now and dpositively delight in the command of pitches he’s showing. Let’s pray that it contiunes long and that he exhibits this kind of controo throughout a long and prosperous career with the Braves. But let’s also face reality. He was not ready for this earlier in the year and his skills were needed in the pen. He’s definitely where he needs to be, but back then he was also where he needed to be, too.
TheOnlyBravesFan
September 4th, 2012
1:08 pm
He has some trade value,
Declining FB, worse peripherals and WAR each year in the bigs (he’s at -0.4 now), lack of command, and he’s getting tattooed at a pretty high clip. Has been since since last year. Not seeing the tradeability.
They’ve invested enough in this kid that they’ll gladly pay him 3.5 million and slot him into the 5th starters role. He’ll be making that 1st year arb. salary barring severe injury over the next 27 games+.
Well then he better get healthy and show us something… cuz Delgado/Teheran are knocking at the door, those 2 are nearly ready. Hanson has been consistently bad since May.
Three Strikes They Are Out
September 4th, 2012
1:09 pm
“Hindsight, she be 20-20.”
Not hindsight when a number of people suggest it and beg for it before the move is made. Usually people who discount and deny that it happened are folks who didn’t want the move and can’t admit they were wrong.
It’s called total deafness and blindness when some here today refuse to remember when many here were calling for Medlen in the rotation from the get go.
s’ok. U know who you are.
chipontheroad
September 4th, 2012
1:14 pm
Big Red needs to pitch like a dancing bobcat.any chance of a rainout
ncscoots
September 4th, 2012
1:16 pm
s’ok. U know who you are.
Unfortunately, I don’t know that we can say the same about you. I can’t remember seeing that moniker in February or March, though that doesn’t mean it wasn’t around, of course. Perhaps you could pinpoint (or even ballpark) the date when you first called for Medlen to have a rotation spot?
David O'Brien
September 4th, 2012
1:22 pm
I would expect we’d get an NL Pitcher of the Month announcement soon, and I’ll be surprised if it’s not Medlen. Wainwright only other candidate with comparable numbers.
raleighbravefan
September 4th, 2012
1:22 pm
OTBF – Did you miss the part about him having trade value? Are you telling me that there is no way he could make adjustments, and become a viable mid-rotation guy? He’s not worth taking ANY chance on…just throw him aside? You may think that…I doubt the Braves agree.
Bat Masterson
September 4th, 2012
1:24 pm
I would expect we’d get an NL Pitcher of the Month announcement soon, and I’ll be surprised if it’s not Medlen.
How long before every pitcher in the league goes to the flat-bill look?
TheOnlyBravesFan
September 4th, 2012
1:27 pm
RBF: I’m sure that he can do that, but it’s unlikely to happen before this off-season. He has 4-5 starts to prove himself, and I”m sure that a team that’s considering trading for him would like to see him sustain that over a longer period of time. That means that we’d have to keep him through next year. There is no room in the rotation, and having him in the ‘pen doesn’t help us sell him as a starter.
raleighbravefan
September 4th, 2012
1:31 pm
Roger Clemens hasn’t joined the Astros yet? Can’t really tell much, considering the competition he’s been pitching to…but then, the Astros don’t have much to lose, I guess. They may even sell a few more tickets.
Brava
September 4th, 2012
1:33 pm
MLB Network @MLBNetwork
ATL @Braves’ @KrisMedlen54 joins #TheRundown, 2pE, to talk about his season as both a starter & reliever and compare his innings to @Stras37
raleighbravefan
September 4th, 2012
1:39 pm
TOBF – I think the Braves give him AT LEAST through Spring Training…unless he is traded this Winter. Again, he will NOT be non-tendered.
Murph
September 4th, 2012
1:42 pm
It’s called total deafness and blindness when some here today refuse to remember when many here were calling for Medlen in the rotation from the get go.
The people who are on here saying “I knew Medlen would be great and I told you so” must have some serious self-esteem issues to keep bringing it up over.. and over… and over… and over… and over.
Are you expecting a pat on the back? A cookie? Some sort of recognition for your blog deeds?
Medlen is doing great. That’s awesome. But his success is not your success. Let it go.
TheOnlyBravesFan
September 4th, 2012
1:44 pm
Hopefully not long, Bat… flat-bills look real nice.
Efrim
September 4th, 2012
1:44 pm
Well then he better get healthy and show us something… cuz Delgado/Teheran are knocking at the door, those 2 are nearly ready. Hanson has been consistently bad since May.
I wouldn’t call them knocking down the door lighting up Triple-A.
You don’t know how bad some of the other rotations are in baseball if you think Hanson has no trade value. Yes, consecutive solid starts in a row will go a long way, but even so, he has trade value.