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© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
3,117 comments Add your comment
N8
October 3rd, 2012
10:04 pm
Player A:
50 starts since AS Break, .210/.291/.348/.639 with 7 HR and 21 RBI
Player B:
26 starts since AS Break, .240/.304/.460/.764 with 6 HR and 16 RBI
Another comparison, different scenario…..
Pitcher X has the following numbers:
With Catcher A:
0.81 ERA in 44.1 IP, with 49 K (so/bb ratio is 6.13)
With Catcher B:
1.75 ERA in 92.2 IP with 69 K (4.60 so/bb ratio)
In the first scenario, Player A is Brian McCann. Player B is David Ross.
In the second scenario, Pitcher X is Kris Medlen (the starter on Friday),
Catcher A is David Ross. Catcher B is McCann.
Clearly, Medlen has just been awesome, even with Mac behind the dish. But he has been the best pitcher in baseball with Ross behind the dish and Ross has outhit Mac since the all-star break, and his production has been about the same in half as many starts.
If David Ross doesn’t start behind the plate on Friday? Wren needs to walk down to the clubhouse and slap Fredi upside the head. If Wren agrees that Mac should be starting….. JS should walk into Wren’s office and smack him in the head, then go down to the clubhouse and slap Fredi for good measure as well.
Our offense doesn’t score much these days. Medlen is damn near going to have to throw a shutout. His best shot at doing that is with the guy he has incredible rythym with right now.
That man is David Ross.
usnavyvolfaninva
October 3rd, 2012
10:04 pm
Nikki Minaj for President!
phil
October 3rd, 2012
10:05 pm
Hamilton…..what a choke job in center for the rangers today! Wow. Pathetic.
Trader Jack
October 3rd, 2012
10:05 pm
phil
Look at it this way, you could be a Cubs fan
usnavyvolfaninva
October 3rd, 2012
10:07 pm
Somethin’ ain’t quite right about Josh Hamilton.
phil
October 3rd, 2012
10:07 pm
I agree, N8…..
Give up now.
Won’t happen.
phil
October 3rd, 2012
10:07 pm
You know, Jack, you’re right….
N8
October 3rd, 2012
10:09 pm
I know Phil. Just had to make my case so nobody could say i was using hindsight when everybody says Ross should have started on Saturday morning. LOL.
MIBravesFan
October 3rd, 2012
10:10 pm
What a baseball day today! I couldn’t watch the game until this evening, but it was worth the wait! Chipper ending his last regular season with a base hit and a run scored, bless Ben Sheets’ heart for what he gave the team in his last season and even in his last inning, and good for Boscan for driving Chipper in! And Craig ending the regular season striking out over half the batters he faced! Absolutely incredible! And for baseball overall, the A’s beating the Rangers for the division title was one heck of a story, and oh yeah, the first triple crown winner since 1967!!! What a great baseball day!!!
phil
October 3rd, 2012
10:11 pm
They’ll say it anyway, along with numerous “it was a great season” remarks…..
Can’t wait!
N8
October 3rd, 2012
10:19 pm
Now don’t get me wrong. I think they can still win with B-Mac in the lineup.
I just think that Medlen is very comfortable with Ross and the fact that Ross has out hit Mac or worst case scenario been the same as Mac, since the break takes away the “need the offense” argument for anybody saying Mac needs to be in there.
Mac doesn’t need to be in there. He has 21 RBI in 50 games since the break.
To pout that into perspective from a driving in runs angle….. Mac has 12 more RBI in his 50 games since the break that Paul Janish did in his 49 starts.
Anybody think Janish’s bat “needs” to be in the lineup in a one game or go home scenario?
I don’t.
phil
October 3rd, 2012
10:24 pm
Play Janish!!
N8
October 3rd, 2012
10:24 pm
Mac in 50 games, had only 9 more RBI than Pastornicky did in his 42 starts.
You see the “comparison” I’m trying to make here? Our “all world” offensive juggernat catcher has put up similar numbers for about half of the season that guys who will be LUCKY to be defensive fill in/utiility players for a very short career have put up.
Mac right now is a shell of the Mac we all think should be in the lineup. Might as well go with the defensive guru and guy who has been behind the plate for Medlen’s run.
That’s all I’m saying. I’m not saying Ross should start every gam of the playoffs. But on Friday…. with Medlen on the mound….. it NEEDS to be Ross.
phil
October 3rd, 2012
10:27 pm
Mac doesn’t “need” to be in there any more than I do….
Well, maybe a little bit.
Mitchell
October 3rd, 2012
10:41 pm
The Yankees and their fans are reacting to winning their 13th division title in seventeen years like it’s a seven game win streak.
Now, if that was Turner Field I’m inclined to think we’d be called spoiled.
But I guess they’re not.
Rusty
October 3rd, 2012
10:43 pm
Miggy is the triple crown winner and he has 64 multihits games (leadder of AL). Martin Prado has 60 multihits games (leader of NL).
Boths players are form the same country (Venezuela), are from the same state (Aragua), were born in the same city (Maracay), in the same year (1983), and play in venezuelan league in the same team (Tigres de Aragua)
9
Mitchell
October 3rd, 2012
10:52 pm
Thank you Dan Plesac!
Oakland? A mad house.
Yankee Stadium?
A botanical garden party.
They’re spoiled. All of them.
It’s what happens when you establish a tradition of post-season success so that anything short of a World Series title is failure.
It’s funny cause they win championships. We lost four in nine years and yet we’re the spoiled ones.
We get called spoiled by the people who cover the team!
That’s how not spoiled we are.
God I hope we win on Friday. People can call me whatever anybody wants if we win that game.
Mitchell
October 3rd, 2012
10:55 pm
We either win the game 8-2 or 7-5 or lose it 9-4 or 6-5.
David O'Brien
October 3rd, 2012
10:56 pm
Play Janish!!
Play Janish? He CAN’T play yet. Hasn’t started hitting, throwing, anything.
ncgary
October 3rd, 2012
11:09 pm
another season come and gone
big time chipper fan here, but that bat sure has slowed a lot the last few weeks
sheets went out wheeling and dealing didn’t he
can’t noone ever say he faded away
tiger297
October 3rd, 2012
11:11 pm
gonna miss ben in the pen…he was fun to talk to
nolie
October 3rd, 2012
11:16 pm
well well, a tiger sighting, Imagine that…..
nolie
October 3rd, 2012
11:17 pm
his at looked pretty quick today
tiger297
October 3rd, 2012
11:19 pm
yeah been busy…between 9/13 & Monday it was nuts
ChattTownBrian
October 3rd, 2012
11:19 pm
Wow that Obama is a master debater. I’ll give him that.
The A Bomb
October 3rd, 2012
11:21 pm
Would love to see a double dose of Atlanta vs. Washington Sunday — just not both at 1 p.m. ET.
nolie
October 3rd, 2012
11:23 pm
I think they both were pretty smooth
nolie
October 3rd, 2012
11:25 pm
first poll… 67% of actual voters say Romney won, 25 % say Obama won. Interesting.
ChattTownBrian
October 3rd, 2012
11:31 pm
Actually there’s a little joke in my last comment. Just a little raw joke..
nolie
October 3rd, 2012
11:33 pm
yeah I got it Brian, which was mhy I tried to clean it up
MikeInFl
October 3rd, 2012
11:34 pm
Good stuff, Rusty, assuming it’s all true (sorry, been watching the debate
)
Seriously, that’s pretty wild.
MikeInFl
October 3rd, 2012
11:35 pm
CTB, should’ve said “gotta hand it to him”. Then maybe I’d have picked up on it…
nolie
October 3rd, 2012
11:35 pm
maybe we could secretly swap Prado and Miggy and nobody would notice…..
TheOnlyBravesFan
October 3rd, 2012
11:37 pm
keithlaw @keithlaw
No. RT @bryanarthur: @keithlaw do you believe that the league leader in WAR should be the MVP every year?
But but but…
ncgary
October 3rd, 2012
11:39 pm
aw come on nolie my bat would look fast with batting practice pitches
ChattTownBrian
October 3rd, 2012
11:40 pm
“Just a little raw joke”
MikeInFl
October 3rd, 2012
11:43 pm
TOBF, the thing is, it’s not just that Trout led the league in WAR. It’s that his WAR was 40% higher than the next closest player (10.3 for Trout, to 7.3 for Cano and Cabrera). And the highest (non-pitcher) in at least 16 years in the AL. 21 if you go by BBR.
I’m not lobbying for Trout… just sayin’, it’s more than the fact that he led the league in WAR. It was a pretty special season. Of course, so is a Triple Crown.
nolie
October 3rd, 2012
11:45 pm
voters are still more old school than sabergeek. I think triple crown after all these years will carry the day
MikeInFl
October 3rd, 2012
11:46 pm
I think so too, nolie. Glad you’re back, btw. Hope you’re feeling well.
nolie
October 3rd, 2012
11:47 pm
and besides it is MVP not best season, there is a difference. few players on teams that missed the post season have won it. If a team does not make the post season, how valuable can anybody have been? Obviously not valuable enough……
nolie
October 3rd, 2012
11:48 pm
thank you Mike
nolie
October 3rd, 2012
11:48 pm
good to see that you dropped in Tiger. long time, no see
ncbravesfan90
October 3rd, 2012
11:51 pm
“first poll… 67% of actual voters say Romney won, 25 % say Obama won. ”
Surprised its even that close after watching the debate. Way one sided
TheOnlyBravesFan
October 3rd, 2012
11:52 pm
voters are still more old school than sabergeek. I think triple crown after all these years will carry the day
Sure hope so. Miggy was the more valuable player.
Good night, folks. Peace.
nolie
October 4th, 2012
12:05 am
as a person who likes neither one very much, I did not think it was all THAT one-sided, but Romney definitely won. but then that was a subject that he should have won, economics that is
nolie
October 4th, 2012
12:21 am
☮
nolie
October 4th, 2012
12:23 am
☮
nolie
October 4th, 2012
12:26 am
☮ & ♥
DiamondbackMac
October 4th, 2012
12:27 am
nolie
first poll… 67% of actual voters say Romney won, 25 % say Obama won. Interesting.
I guess the other 8% had no opinion or called it a tie.
nolie
October 4th, 2012
12:33 am
yeah, guess so. there is most always a % in any poll that is undecided
MikeInFl
October 4th, 2012
12:36 am
They voted for Miggy C.
Capt.Mudd
October 4th, 2012
12:56 am
poll samples are relatively small
nolie
October 4th, 2012
1:06 am
yes they are, but in many polls small sample sizes are surprisingly reliable. Folks ain’t all that different in much stuff like that
PDOG
October 4th, 2012
1:07 am
Braves next year have 30 milloin coming off the books what would you do? Give Bourne 8 million more for 5years, Prado 2 million more for 4 years. That leaves 20 million more. 5 million more per year for Freeman, Heyward for the next 5 years. That leaves 10 million. With the remaining 10 givenMedlin,Kimbrell and Venters 2
million for 3 years With the remainder pick up Mac option for 2013. And give EOF a raise. The follwing year when hudson is gone give beachy,Minor,Beachy and Simmons a raisd.
nolie
October 4th, 2012
1:09 am
to begin with 8mil is about half of what Bourn will get.and a fair amount of that will be taken up with raises and perhaps extensions to some like Prado
N8
October 4th, 2012
1:12 am
“and besides it is MVP not best season, there is a difference. few players on teams that missed the post season have won it. If a team does not make the post season, how valuable can anybody have been? Obviously not valuable enough……” nolie
Exactly.
N8
October 4th, 2012
1:13 am
nolie, I think he meant give Bourn “8 million more” than what he’s making now. But you’re right about the raises.
nolie
October 4th, 2012
2:43 am
yeah you are prolly right about what he meant N8
Playoff Links – 10/4/2012 - Goodsportsart Blog = Baseball news
October 4th, 2012
5:38 am
[...] Braves shift focus to Friday’s Wild Card game [...]
Brian from SC
October 4th, 2012
6:20 am
Heartbreaking tweet from Pat Neshek, just hours after he and the A’s won their division.
Pat Neshek @PatNeshek
Please pray for my family. Tonight my wife & I lost our first & only son 23 hours after he was born with no explanation.
phil
October 4th, 2012
6:53 am
Sad about Neshek….
Dave, i was kidding about Janish…..
Time to fix the kids’ lunches…..all have a good early a.m…..
coach joe
October 4th, 2012
7:08 am
Braves vs. A’s in the World Series..
Couch Tater
October 4th, 2012
7:12 am
Raleighbravefan – Gee, thanks. Your Prado MVP post, yesterday, sucked me in the SABRvortex. Tom Tango, Tom Tango, Tom Ta…hmmm…
The Masochism Tango
Tom Lehrer
I ache for the touch of your lips, dear,
But much more for the touch of your whips, dear.
You can raise welts
Like nobody else,
As we dance to the masochism tango.
Say our love be a flame, not an ember,
Say it’s me that you want to dismember.
Blacken my eye,
Set fire to my tie,
As we dance to the masochism tango.
At your command
Before you here I stand,
My heart is in my hand. ecch!
It’s here that I must be.
My heart entreats,
Just hear those savage beats,
And go put on your cleats
And come and trample me.
Your heart is hard as stone or mahogany,
That’s why I’m in such exquisite agony.
My soul is on fire,
It’s aflame with desire,
Which is why I perspire
When we tango.
You caught my nose
In your left castanet, love,
I can feel the pain yet, love,
Ev’ry time I hear drums.
And I envy the rose
That you held in your teeth, love,
With the thorns underneath, love,
Sticking into your gums.
Your eyes cast a spell that bewitches.
The last time I needed twenty stitches
To sew up the gash
That you made with your lash,
As we danced to the masochism tango.
Bash in my brain,
And make me scream with pain,
Then kick me once again,
And say we’ll never part.
I know too well
I’m underneath your spell,
So, darling, if you smell
Something burning, it’s my heart.
Excuse me!
Take your cigarette from it’s holder,
And burn your initials in my shoulder.
Fracture my spine,
And swear that you’re mine,
As we dance to the masochism tango.
TheOnlyBravesFan
October 4th, 2012
7:22 am
Matthew Diaz @diazfoundation
“@klbroome: @ajcbraves @diazfoundation Only if you think defense and base running are not part of the equation.” I think playoffs are though
Matty D has it right
Brian from SC
October 4th, 2012
7:52 am
Here are my year-end ratings, which take into account win percentage, opponents’ win percentage, and opponents’ opponents’ win percentage.
The Braves finished tied for the fourth-best record in MLB, with the 16th-toughest schedule (4th-toughest in the NL).
Playoff teams are bolded.
1. Yankees
2. Athletics
3. Orioles
4. Rays
5. Nationals
6. Angels
7. Rangers
8. Braves
9. Giants
10. Reds
11. Tigers
12. Dodgers
13. Mariners
14. Blue Jays
15. Cardinals
16. White Sox
17. Phillies
18. Diamondbacks
19. Mets
20. Red Sox
21. Padres
22. Brewers
23. Pirates
24. Royals
25. Marlins
26. Indians
27. Twins
28. Rockies
29. Cubs
30. Astros
Brian from SC
October 4th, 2012
7:58 am
I knew the #1 seeds in the NLDS were starting on the road against the wild card game winners, but I didn’t know the #2 seeds were going on the road for Games 1 and 2 against the #3 seeds.
TheOnlyBravesFan
October 4th, 2012
8:06 am
St. Louis Cardinals- Pythagorean 94-68; Record 87-74
9-17 on Fridays
38-43 on Road
Batting Stats-
Runs 5th (765)
Avg. 4th (.271)
OBP 1st (.338)
SLG 9th (.421)
Pitching-
ERA 8th (3.71)
Qual. Starts 2nd (99)
WHIP 11th (1.27)
OBA 18th (.255)
In September, they hit .261/.339/.400/.739. Pitching in September had an ERA of 3.52, with a 1.24 WHIP.
For the year, the Cards have a 4.18 ERA on the road, and a .258/.329/.402/.731 batting line. Bullpen ERA is 3.90 with a 1.27 WHIP
Frankie
October 4th, 2012
8:06 am
Young JJ Hoover pretty good year for the Reds. 2.05 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 30 innings. Interesting to see what kind of chance our Francisco gets in the future. Take chances of this guy being a lefthanded Mark Reynolds?
Frankie
October 4th, 2012
8:09 am
Nobody more excited about postseason possibilities than Bourn. If he gets opportunities and has strong postseason he elevates his payday. If not, his stock has dropped considerably second half and leaves a lot of money on the table.
TheOnlyBravesFan
October 4th, 2012
8:11 am
Cardinals are the worst team in? Me gusto. I feel better and better!
Cardinals are also below league average defensively (21st in Errors) and 25th in Rtot and 11th in Rdrs
Brian from SC
October 4th, 2012
8:17 am
TOBF, if you look at wins and losses, and the wins and losses of opponents, the Cardinals are definitely the worst in. They have (tied for) the worst record and the 2nd-easiest schedule of the playoff teams.
If you look deeper, at runs scored and allowed, they look better. But still in the bottom half of playoff teams, and below the Braves.
TheOnlyBravesFan
October 4th, 2012
8:22 am
Atlanta Braves- Pythagorean 92-70; Record 94-68
16-8 on Fridays
48-33 at Home
Batting Stats-
Runs 17th (700)
Avg. 21st (.247)
OBP 13th (.320)
SLG 22nd (.389)
Pitching-
ERA 5th (3.42)
Qual. Starts 20th(79)
WHIP 4th (1.23)
OBA 4th (.243)
In September, they hit .230/.305/.342/.646. Pitching in September had an ERA of 2.39, with a 1.01 WHIP.
For the year, the Braves have a 3.39 ERA at home, and a .249/.329/.396/.724 batting line. Bullpen ERA is 2.76 with a 1.19 WHIP
TheOnlyBravesFan
October 4th, 2012
8:26 am
Braves are towards the top of the league defensively, 5th in errors. Braves are the top defensive team according to Rtot and Rdrs.
Our pitching, especially the bullpen, and our defense will be the key to us winning Friday and going deep into the playoffs.
Brian from SC
October 4th, 2012
8:27 am
Keys to tomorrow’s game:
1. Kris Medlen – we just need another great performanc, in by far the biggest game of his life
2. Bother Lohse early – make him work, tack on a couple of early runs, have him out by the 6th; their bullpen is their big weakness
TheOnlyBravesFan
October 4th, 2012
8:32 am
Braves: 2nd half, 47-29, 305 scored, 243 allowed…..
25-13 in 1Run games, and 7-4 in extra inning games
Cardinals: 2nd half, 42-34, 339 scored, 292 allowed…
21-16 in 1Run games, and 6-12 in extra inning games
TheOnlyBravesFan
October 4th, 2012
8:36 am
*Cards are 21-26 in 1Run games…
Lew
October 4th, 2012
8:36 am
“25th in Rtot and 11th in Rdrs”
No sh#t?
Lew
October 4th, 2012
8:38 am
Yet more hieroglyphics.
CB
October 4th, 2012
8:46 am
I guess people complaining about all the problems we are having with this site and refreshing and site freezing is doing no good, I guess they don’t mind losing their customers. I do not have problems with any other site I visit so it is here. See you guys.
Ric Flair to Right
October 4th, 2012
8:58 am
Meds is due for a blow up game, hope it aint tomarrow!
UKUGA
October 4th, 2012
9:06 am
I pray no Brave gets a DUI today/tomorrow (or ever, for that matter).
phil
October 4th, 2012
9:07 am
Patience. Yes, the site is having huge problems, clearly, but this too shall pass.
Maybe.
Veer
October 4th, 2012
9:13 am
The thing with Lohse is that he won’t walk many guys so we can’t be sitting around for walks. He also doesn’t strike out much so you would think facing a non strike out pitcher would be to our advantage as Uggla Heyward Freeman and Bourn tend to strike out alot. Lohse is probably the weakest starter that we will be facing. We could have been facing Cain, Kershaw, Latos.
Key to winning is play small ball. Get someone on base and move them over right away. 1 or 2 early runs would be huge.
phil
October 4th, 2012
9:14 am
Lohse looks pretty dominating to me….
We might as well just not show up.
Veer
October 4th, 2012
9:15 am
It isn’t Loshe that scares me it is their hitting. They are solid 1 through 8. Medlen will have a lot more stressful pitches tomorrow then he did facing the Mets and the Marlins.
Efrim
October 4th, 2012
9:21 am
Is the Cards bullpen really their weakness? I guess it wasn’t a strong point through the course of the season, but it’s not terrible at all, really. If they stick to three relievers like Motte, Mujica and Boggs, they should be fine. And I’d use Jaime Garcia late in the game if I were Matheny.
Efrim
October 4th, 2012
9:23 am
Holliday, Craig, Molina and Freese in the middle of the order are all RH hitters, so it till be interesting to see he Medlen uses his changeup as much – and if it’s as effective.
Efrim
October 4th, 2012
9:25 am
Shelby Miller is a stud. Looked great last night and he’ll be one to watch next season……
Especially since, ya know, we took Mike Minor in the 2009 draft 11 picks before the Cards selected Miller.
phil
October 4th, 2012
9:25 am
We are not solid 1-8….
We are very inconsistent 1-8….
I guess we’ll see, but that 0 for our last 8 in decisive home playoff games doesn’t inspire much confidence. Homefield disadvantage.
Go Braves!
Veer
October 4th, 2012
9:28 am
Medlen doesn’t stand a chance aganist Beltran Holliday Craig, Molina and Freese. It is like if you can escape Beltran you have to face Holliday, if you escape both of them then you have to face Molina. Their lineup is just out of this world. Medlen has been great for us and has won Pitcher of the month for Aug and Sep but He didn’t face the Cardinals then. Facing Mets and the Marlins is one thing but Cardinals lineup might just the best in baseball.
We will need to score alof ot runs to win tomorrow. I don’t see anyhow we can keep Cardinals to less than 5 runs tomorrow.
TheOnlyBravesFan
October 4th, 2012
9:30 am
Braves and Cards are both 7-3 in last 10…
Lew
October 4th, 2012
9:34 am
Moan, wail.
TheOnlyBravesFan
October 4th, 2012
9:37 am
Medlen has faced the Nats twice… 14IP, 12 Hits, 2BB, 20K, and 2 ER… 1HR allowed
I’m sure he can do well against the Cards
usnavyvolfaninva
October 4th, 2012
9:40 am
MEDS! To quote the great Larry the Cable Guy…..
Lew
October 4th, 2012
9:40 am
Fourth best rec ord in MLB for the year. We would have won or tied for the Division Ttile in half of the MLB’s divisions. Hottest pitcher in all of MLB for the past two months going. The best bullpen in baseball. Yet pessimism and aboslute certainty that we’ll lose is the prevalent view here.
Maybe dinner and a movie with the wife is your best bet for tomoorw evening’s entertainment.
Veer
October 4th, 2012
9:40 am
Cant compare Cards offense with Nationals. That is insulting to the Cardinals.
Lew
October 4th, 2012
9:43 am
AND one of the best September records in baseball despite the lackluster offense. Yeah – no dounbt about it – we’re doomed.
Veer
October 4th, 2012
9:44 am
Atleast Chipper can go out in his home field tomorrow. Would been tough to go out in St. Louis.
brian
October 4th, 2012
9:45 am
I like Janish and all but even if he is healthy, “play Janish” is not the slogan I would choose for the one game playoff
TheOnlyBravesFan
October 4th, 2012
9:47 am
Braves scored 4 yesterday…. and they always play well behind Medlen. I’m not all that worried about the game.