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© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
4,237 comments Add your comment
phil
October 6th, 2012
10:55 am
Braveheart
October 5th, 2012
11:30 pm
Yeah, Bobby’s, I loved the passion. Was really proud of the fans. It was great fun. That call was horrendous. But that explosion from the fans wasn’t just about that horrendous call. It was the errors as well. Chipper. Uggla. Simmons. Venters. You could just hear the grumbling and bitterness building in the crowd. Everyone saying 21 years of watching this same ole ish. You could just hear it building in the crowd. And then BOOM!!!!
**********
exactly…..it gets so old. But it’s the easiest prediction in sports. Braves will choke in epic fashion. It’s bizarre, frankly.
Dadgum....
October 6th, 2012
10:55 am
To me Wren is always planning for the future but the future plans never pan out in the trades. The future gets here and then it’s all about the future again while the present fissiles out. Hopefully our farm system is gonna be cranking out players because Wren is running out of band-aids. Sure, he has done some good deals and bad ones but can we really say we are better off than we were 4 years ago when he started. That is debatable at best.
MiaBchBravesFan
October 6th, 2012
10:55 am
IT’S THE DAY AFTER… AND I AM STILL ANGRY AT INCOMPETENT UMPIRES!!!
Bat Masterson
October 6th, 2012
10:55 am
Comments on the old blog had kind of dried up over the last couple of weeks, but they sure as hell exploded last night.
Lew
October 6th, 2012
10:56 am
They are not getting rid of Uggla.
Anders
October 6th, 2012
10:57 am
Speaking of David Wrights contract, the last time Chipper came here to the big city to play he hinted about how the Braves never let him get to FA and took care of him which he appreciated blah, blah, blah which was a veiled reference as to what the Mets should do with Wright. What he failed to mention though was that he regularly took less to stay with the Braves. My point was his relationship was a two way street with the Braves which is fine. Wright hasn’t shown any inclination towards that home team discount I hear about down the in the Capital of the South. I just felt Chipper wassticking his nose in where it doesn’t belong. I mean he is the same guy who belittled Wright winning that Gold Glove a few years back and now he’s doing his bidding publicly? Lame.
Lew
October 6th, 2012
10:58 am
Band Aids? You do realize that only acouple teams in MLB had more than the Braves’ 94 wins?
Anders
October 6th, 2012
10:58 am
They can’t get rid of Uggla unless they drive him to his new team in a fully loaded brinks truck and leave them both there.
Bat Masterson
October 6th, 2012
11:04 am
AND I AM STILL ANGRY AT INCOMPETENT UMPIRES!!!
Rough night for the umpires in general. The infield fly call was particularly egregious. Hell how many times have you seen an infielder and an outfielder break away from a ball at the last second only to see it drop.
Bat Masterson
October 6th, 2012
11:07 am
I fully believe Fredi called the safety squeeze. Not out of character in the least.
Lew
October 6th, 2012
11:08 am
Anders – You do realize that Chipper retired and the Mets have nothing more to fear from him? He’s gone – they even gave him a picture to hasten his departure..
Jeff R
October 6th, 2012
11:08 am
They can’t get rid of Uggla unless they drive him to his new team in a fully loaded brinks truck and leave them both there.
Exactly.
MiaBchBravesFan
October 6th, 2012
11:10 am
To expand on Bravehearts excellent point. Americans love winners, and, by extension, so does the world. The most ubiquitous cap on the planet is a Yankee cap. It is a symbol of power, excess, drive to win, excellence, dynastic domination – the whole shebang.
Ted Turner, TBS, and the Braves spent decades cultivating a very successful brand of its own, one that gained prominence during the glorious 90’s. Fans from as far away as Seattle, Butte, both Portlands, and all points in between became fans of America’s team. I am sure that Ted was in melancholy mode last night as he sat in his box with that Jane Fonda look-alike. That he could still be owning HIS team, and that they would be dynastic under his stewardship.
What you witnessed last night was a deterioration, not only of the home fan base – especially with Chipper now gone – but of the national and international fan base. A fan base that loves a winner…
Not the Southern version of the Chicago Cubs, Buffalo Bills, and 20th Century / 11-12 Boston Red Sox all wrapped into one!
The “A” brand took a real, REAL hard hit last night, one that many folks that do and do not live in Atlanta will not recover from.
Jeff R
October 6th, 2012
11:11 am
What was the point of the squeeze with the pitcher coming up?
What did the third base coach signal Simmons to do? Because I would think the batter is getting instruction from his third base couch.
phil
October 6th, 2012
11:14 am
uga-brave
October 6th, 2012
12:48 am
we had runners on second and third in the 7th. we had the bases drunk in the 8th. and we had runners on 2nd & 3rd in the ninth.
we got zero hits.
***********
our biggest failing as a team, consistently. Plenty of us have said so, day after day after day, while shouting from the roof tops that it would cost us when it mattered most. DOB wrote blogs on it. Our past has seen this repeated over and over and over in the playoffs. Even in game six in 95, a random solo homer and great pitching are all that saved us from a certain game 7 defeat.
Why can’t we hit a baseball with consistency? Why do our guys come out so tight in these elimination games while the Cardinals of the world remain cool as cucumbers and win most of the same kinds of games? Our greatest ever Brave throws the ball away, something he almost never does, and you basically knew in your heart, right then, that we were indeed doomed. I sat here and just immediately felt sick, saying out loud something to the effect of really? Again? Why can’t we ever handle the pressure?
Another thing. A big lead saves you from terrible officiating. We put ourselves, predictably, into the perfect position to get screwed by an all time bad call. That’s as much on us as anything. 3 errors?
In the end, the umpire didn’t swing and miss at two straight fastballs right down the middle served up to Bourn. He completely choked and failed under pressure. Not even a foul ball.
Jeff R
October 6th, 2012
11:16 am
Not the Southern version of the Chicago Cubs, Buffalo Bills, and 20th Century / 11-12 Boston Red Sox all wrapped into one!
The Braves aren’t that.
My beef with the Braves was the sloppy play yesterday. The miscues that cost them the game.
Largely, the Braves have been a successful franchise since the early 90s, and the envy of a lot of other execs and fan bases.
Did I want the Braves to produce more than one WS championship during “The Run”? You bet. Did the Braves choke last night. Yep.
But I’m not ready to write off the Braves as the latest version of the Cubs or the Pirates.
Anders
October 6th, 2012
11:18 am
Lew- At the end I think Braves fans feared Chipper more than Mets fans.
Bat Masterson
October 6th, 2012
11:20 am
What was the point of a safety squeeze?
No faith in Simmons to hit a long fly ball?
No faith, period?
A safety squeeze with one of the slowest guys on the team at third?
abeeeewright
October 6th, 2012
11:20 am
I agree with Braveheart’s comments regarding the explosion of the Atlanta fan base at last night’s game.
The bad call was clearly a trigger. But the bigger issue was the Braves poor play up to that point.
Last night was the first time in a long time that I’ve felt that the Braves were the better team in a play-off series. They choked the game away. There’s just no way to talk around that point.
MLB and the Braves brass need to be careful about how they handle this situation. There is enough frustration in the Atlanta fan base after the ending of the past four seasons, this franchise could really go south in a hurry.
MiaBchBravesFan
October 6th, 2012
11:21 am
From 1999 to the present, you can blame (in this oder) Time Warner, Liberty Media, JS (for the horrifically putrid Teixeira trade!), and Frank Wren (for his incompetent stewardship regarding positional player development, hitting evaluation, and wasteful squandering of limited organizational team resources).
You can blame Fredi all you want, but you can’t make chicken salad out of chicken crap.
abeeeewright
October 6th, 2012
11:22 am
I think Simmons saw the Ross bunt ahead of him, and just reacted. No way was that a squeeze of any kind. Fredi was just protecting him, saying it was a called play.
Bone-head play by Simmons.
Lew
October 6th, 2012
11:23 am
Anders – Whatever. How about ripping Glavine some more while you’re at it?
phil
October 6th, 2012
11:23 am
Yeah, I guess we’re stuck with Uggla, but I’m ready to see his tired act leave town. 0-4, horrendous throwing error, a nothing for a regular season after much of the same last year.
Meanwhile, Ross and Freeman were terrific. Proud of their ability to show up and not wither under the pressure. Heyward too with that great catch. Maybe, just maybe, FF and JH will be able to carry us going forward. Freddie grew up last night before our eyes. I hope.
Playoffs!!!
October 6th, 2012
11:24 am
Looking back, I don’t even like the idea of David Ross bunting in that situation (even though he got a hit)
With one out and a runner on, I want my no. 7 and no. 8 hitters to try to have the RBI chance,, NOT the no. 8 hitter and the PITCHER.
Jeff R
October 6th, 2012
11:24 am
A safety squeeze with one of the slowest guys on the team at third?
Yeah. Senseless. Simmons jacked the ball to deep left in the first game at Pittsburgh. The kid is capable of sending a ball flying.
Bat Masterson
October 6th, 2012
11:27 am
Did the Braves choke last night. Yep.
I’ve generally stayed away from comments about choking over the years. I mean I’ve seen some crazy stuff but didn’t really see it as choking. Not last night, I was texting with friends during the game and coughing it up was the general consensus.
Jeff R
October 6th, 2012
11:27 am
Yeah, I guess we’re stuck with Uggla, but I’m ready to see his tired act leave town. 0-4, horrendous throwing error, a nothing for a regular season after much of the same last year.
Yep. Uggla has never been one of my favorites, so I’m not turning on the guy because his fortunes have dived.
Uggla’s long droughts really do hurt the team. They effectively take a bat out of the lineup for long stretches. Never have liked swing-from-the-heels, feast or famine sluggers.
Anders
October 6th, 2012
11:29 am
MiaBchBravesFan – The “A” brand actually took a hard hit when their fans stopped showing up for playoff games. I can’t imagine that ever happening with the Cubs, Red Sox or Bills. The Braves aren’t even the most important sports franchise in their own city so calling them an international brand might be a bit of a stretch.
As for Ted’s chagrin that’s more about realizing he had the first version of ESPN right there in his hands before ESPN was launched and he didn’t realize it. What do you think that would be worth today if he seen it right there in front of him? The Braves would be a marketing tool, the network would be the jewel. That’s modern day sports my friend.
Jeff R
October 6th, 2012
11:29 am
Bat Masterson, “choking” tends to be overused, so I try to stay away from the word myself. But I can’t really characterize last night’s performance by the Braves any other way.
MiaBchBravesFan
October 6th, 2012
11:29 am
Jeff, the Cubs reference was for the sad-sack way they play when it matters most. After last night, The Outfield Fly Rule call is on part with The Bartman Debacle. Two years ago, Conrad and no hitting was our undoing. Very Cub-like.
The Bills reference should be obvious.
The Red Sox reference should also be obvious. Take away 1995, and the Braves are the textbook definition of a perennial sad-sack bridesmaid in the worst sense of the word.
I believe in bad mojo up to a point. I’d rather believe in poor stewardship, calamitous decision-making, and idiotic hubris as reasons for the choking of the past 13 years.
So I will stay with my reference as is.
Anders
October 6th, 2012
11:30 am
Lew- It was in fun. Relax big guy.
phil
October 6th, 2012
11:30 am
Simmons hit two balls in Pittsburgh that were homeruns if hit in Atlanta. Wjhen he came up last night, i mentioned it to my kid….
Next pitch, he bunts. I just sat here shaking my head as the throw bounced off his head down the line. Most of us know the rules and knew immediately he was out. I remembered he did the same stupid thing earlier in the year.
I don’t buy the too young to know better thing, but I also think as a manager or coach, you remind a “kid” not to do something that stupid. Of course, if it’s actually true that FG called for a bunt, which i doubt since FF never even moved down the line to see where the ball ended up, okay.
Then Simmons throws it away on the easy out at home. He stunk all night long.
Oh well….what was my point?
Bat Masterson
October 6th, 2012
11:31 am
I think Simmons saw the Ross bunt ahead of him, and just reacted
You could be right, still he did that earlier in the year and got dressed down for it. I doubt he forgot.
The team knows, I don’t, but it seems like a Fredi call to me.
abeeeewright
October 6th, 2012
11:32 am
I’m trying to figure out what will be different next year.
Chipper is gone. Bourn is almost certainly gone.
The bench is definitely gone (except for Johnson if they could resign him).
Maybe O’Flaherty’s gone.
Overall, we should see mostly the same team next year that we saw at the end of this year.
Mixxo
October 6th, 2012
11:34 am
The “going south” express departed 4 years ago and is picking up steam.
Destination – a brand new city near you!
M.V.P.Heyward
October 6th, 2012
11:35 am
As a Braves fan,I respect Chipper a lot. but you knew that errant throw was coming.
2012′ Braves team defense is excellent especially OF.
But, we got two gapping holes. 2nd & 3rd.
Have you ever notice hard hit ball right to 3rd base frequently turn to a Basehit?
If our 3rd baseman was Ryan Zimmerman, Our team ERA would be a little bit better.
He was not a 3rd baseman in 2012. 12 errors in 100 games?
that is not acceptable for big league.
It’s not like he’s shortstop or something.
Kat
October 6th, 2012
11:35 am
Cardinal fans threw garbage in 1998, Yankee fans threw garbage in 2004, Braves fans threw garbage in 2012. Not sure what all the fuss is about, nothing new…
So for the Cards manager who when asked if he’d ever seen anything like it… and responded with
“Not in the United States,” then clearly he has not been a baseball fan long enough to remember back to 2004.
Dadgum....
October 6th, 2012
11:35 am
Lew…..perfect segue into revisiting the Rule of 64. Score 6 or more runs you win 80%+ of your games, score less than 4 you lose 60%+ of your games. Last night’s score 6-3. Amazing isn’t it. Doesn’t matter how many games you have won, what year, what team, it’s always gonna be that way. The Braves need offense to get to the next level. Power and consistency they lack. We can all see that. The Braves have won on pitching pretty much but you gotta score and beat the Rule of 64 as often as possible. The Braves aren’t built for playoff success IMO.
Rock on…..winning back to back games this year without scoring an earned run pretty much says it all in a nutshell. Time for some power.
Jeff R
October 6th, 2012
11:36 am
The Red Sox reference should also be obvious. Take away 1995, and the Braves are the textbook definition of a perennial sad-sack bridesmaid in the worst sense of the word.
It’s tough to win championships, MiaBchBravesFan. The Run is actually impressive. When will another major league team win 14 division titles in a row and appear in 5 WS in a decade?
Would I have liked one or two more rings in the 90s? You bet.
But by professional sports standards, the Braves are quite a successful franchise in the last 20-odd years. Nothing to dismiss so easily.
MiaBchBravesFan
October 6th, 2012
11:37 am
Anders, the fans stopped showing up because the Braves were never “sexy” baseball in Atlanta, or any other place in America.
Look at the A’s right now. Yeah, their VERY young pitching won the day, but that Mausoleum they play in is slammed-packed with rabid fans because they slug, hit, run, AND SCORE RUNS!!! They have Cuban rafters, ne’er-do-well’s, and assorted types that slug, Slug, SLUG in every game they play.
Fans do NOT go to a ballgame to see an insipid 2-1 “pitcher’s duel”. Fans go to the ballpark to see the wheel spin, to see baserunners scurrying like scared jackrabbits around the bases, to see bombs being launched.
For the past 13 years, watching the Braves is like watching paint dry & grass grow.
Birdhair
October 6th, 2012
11:38 am
The bottom line is that yet again we have missed the playoffs. That is now 1 appearance in the playoffs in 5 seasons under Wren’s watch. No playoff series wins.
So, I look at the major decisions that have impacted us financially and can be considered our significant moves: Dan Uggla overspend failure. Drunk Lowe overspend failure. KK overspend failure. Nate McOut trade failure. Michael Bourn produced for 1 half season in 1.5 seasons. Combine these significant egregious mistakes with the “short term solutions” ie the Janishes, Franciscos, Norton’s, Melky’s, Loaf Anderson’s, Wren has failed.
Wren walked into a gold mine with young, controllable hitters along with strong pitching. Wren walked into a clubhouse with a hall of time 3B with produces consistently every year and is a leader. But Wren hasn’t taken us to the next level or continued the winning tradition. He’s only stifled our production.
What is it going to take for atlanta fans to wake up and smell the coffee? Another missed playoff appearance next season? Two more straight missed playoff appearances?
Jeremy Foley, AD at Florida, would fire Wren now rather than wait. Why wait and see when you can immediately tell that the current decision making philosophy is not working?
Playoffs!!!
October 6th, 2012
11:39 am
If you look at the game honestly, and take the sentimentality out of it—–Chipper cost us the game.
Playoffs!!!
October 6th, 2012
11:40 am
Birdbrain, err Birdhair—-We make the playoffs this year. THAT was a playoff game.
Jeff R
October 6th, 2012
11:42 am
If you look at the game honestly, and take the sentimentality out of it—–Chipper cost us the game.
I absolutely do think that Chipper’s error changed the game’s dynamic.
Jersey Gil
October 6th, 2012
11:43 am
Great….Season is Over…winter talk is on the way when Lew/Anders start discussion of what we need for next year….love it.
phil
October 6th, 2012
11:43 am
But I’m not “turning” on Uggla…..
The guy just isn’t very good, based on two full seasons of observation. Once upon a time, he was pretty decent.
He’s not any longer. Now, that said, let him come back out next year and give it one more go, but if he hits .220 again with under 20 homers, then what the hell are we doing?
Personally, if someone would take him and half his salary, I’d wave goodbye right then and there. The Nets took joe johnson and NO ONE saw that coming.
Bourn is history, I trust, and hopefully Mac follows him out the door after next year. We have to move on from these aging, unproductive anchors to our success.
As much as I love Chipper, it is clearly time. Since the winner against the Phillies, he fell off a cliff.
Time to move forward and away from age and infirmity….
chipontheroad
October 6th, 2012
11:45 am
Disappointed we don’t get a crack at the Nats,but we can come back stronger next year J Hey and Freddie Marteeeen and Simba Uggla B Mc ,Fredi is getting better and our staff will be strong
MiaBchBravesFan
October 6th, 2012
11:46 am
And now, a monster mistake will be made this winter when they exercise Brian McCann’s option. Management will see McCann as nothing more than a symbol to bridge the gap between Chipper’s departure and the (hopeful) emergence of both heyward and Freeman, two players who are obviously not ready for anything within the zip code of prime time, but who are very young nonetheless.
(When they turn 26-27, they will either ascend… or fizzle, Francoeur-style.)
The misery of Uggla’s albatross contract will be compounded with the addition of an empty $12 million for a spent McCann. Unless he juices up, Javy-style, in his walk year (yeah, he did it!), it will be a painful squandering of valuable dollars that could be better spent in finding a way to FINALLY obtain a lynchpin RH MVP OF bat.
I fear the decision-making this winter, and I really fear what this team will be like next year. Like an amoeba – no identity.
Playoffs!!!
October 6th, 2012
11:47 am
I DO think there is a chance we couldt trade Uggla to an American Leauge team, if we eat half his salary. He’s a good DH candidate
chipontheroad
October 6th, 2012
11:48 am
I forgot to mention Gattis
Jeff R
October 6th, 2012
11:48 am
Tough to part with McCann because quality front line catchers aren’t abundant. And even with injuries, McCann’s numbers stack up better than a lot of catchers who’d be available on the market.
But I think the Braves cut McCann loose after ‘13.
M.V.P.Heyward
October 6th, 2012
11:50 am
Bourn is as good as gone.
Uggly stays put cause no one wants him.
Mac should not be back even though he hits like his old self.
He costs too much and we have a serviceable replacement in Ross and Betancourt.
Playoffs!!!
October 6th, 2012
11:50 am
I saw somewhere on the blog last night that Yadier Molina said the “Braves played to lose” the game and they “played to win”
Did he REALLY say that??
abeeeewright
October 6th, 2012
11:50 am
I described Chipper’s error to my wife (a big Chipper fan) and she said, “Sounds like the guy didn’t want to play any more. He retired in place.”
I don’t want to validate her comment and spew any Chipper-hate, …
I hoped the playoffs would invigorate him for one more hurrah …
But, when I think about the Pittsburgh game where the Braves came out flat and conceded the division, I didn’t see any real sense of longing or desire to play hard the last two games and, if necessary, third division-tie-breaker game. I got a sense of relief. OK, we can stop going hard now.
Chipper is the last Braves icon from the 90’s to ride off into the sunset. You gave us a good run, old man.
Time to start looking to the future.
Birdhair
October 6th, 2012
11:51 am
It’s called a “Play-in” game to get into the playoffs. Lol. Don’t kid yourself
Jeff R
October 6th, 2012
11:51 am
We’re all assuming that the Braves stand pat (or largely so this winter). It’s a pretty conservative organization, so that might be the case. But maybe the Braves do cut some players loose and Wren tries to peddle Uggla. Maybe team execs will see a need for a bigger shakeup.
Playoffs!!!
October 6th, 2012
11:51 am
Keep McCann for at least another year (his option year) He deserves a chance to show he can still hit once he gets his shoulder repaired. He is only 28 yrs old
Bat Masterson
October 6th, 2012
11:52 am
I absolutely do think that Chipper’s error changed the game’s dynamic.
I was stunned when Chipper airmailed that throw. A little surprised Simmons threw to home after the bobble, not in the least surprised by Uggla’s bad throws.
Yeah, Chipper’s throw turned the game, getting Freddie in from third could have turned it back. Sucks
Playoffs!!!
October 6th, 2012
11:55 am
It’s not a play-in game. No matter what YOU re-name it. Getting the Wild Card makes you a playoff team..
But it’s really not worth arguing. Call it anything you want,
Coach (2012 Fredi's Beisbol Fandango)
October 6th, 2012
11:57 am
Braves choked, so did Sam Holbrook. The sad thing is…… last nights Horrifically WRONG call not only affects our Braves, it taints the rest of the playoffs.
Proving what Holbrook did was wrong is easy……if this were game seven of the WS, the head umpire reverses the call and the bases are loaded. Integrity went right out the window last night, and baseball went with leaping right along side.
M.V.P.Heyward
October 6th, 2012
11:57 am
Chipper has been great last 20 years for us.
But to me the best players we got that time were Maddux and Smoltz.
When is the last time at the play-off Chipper do something great?
Maybe 1999 WS game 1, homer off El Duque?
And late game homer off Billy wagner.
And that is all he got. with 12 post-seasons he got, that is all.
Birdhair
October 6th, 2012
11:58 am
I think FG did a very good job this season and would probably award him a “B” grade for his work. For what he was given, I think we overachieved. Let’s be real. If bobby cox had managed this season we probably would have finished right around .500. There’s no way that Cox would have played Ross as much as Fredi did. There’s no way that Cox would have played Prado at ss as much as Fredi did. Bobby did not go for series sweeps as much as Fredi did. Remember all of Cox’s sunday lineup cards? Juan Francisco and other losers would have played many more games under Cox. I am not saying that Fredi is a top tier manager, but he is probably a middle of the pack guy and did well this season.
Wren probably told Fredi that he’d fire him if he didn’t play Janish the number of times that he played. Janish was an out-making low OBP garbage player that should have stayed in AAA with the reds.
And anyone on here bashing Chipper should go away. Yes, he made a bad throw last night and he didn’t hustle in the 9th inning on the grounder up the middle, but he’s a hall of fame third baseman and we never would have gotten to this game without his production and leadership!
MiaBchBravesFan
October 6th, 2012
11:58 am
Birdhair, I agree with you on two counts:
1) Frank Wren needs to go. He did nothing in Miami, and he literally destroyed the Orioles; took ‘em until this year to finally rise out of the ruins.
2) The Braves, IMO, did not make the playoffs this year. Last night was equivalent to a game 163 play-in game, for a chance to go INTO the playoffs.
They CHOKED ON THE BONE last night against a team they beat 5 out of 6 times this year. They THREW the game away in a simple play-in game, for a chance to go into the REAL playoffs. To their credit, that is why the Cardinals waited until last night to pop the champagne and beer. I’ll just bet their 2B did NOT cut his digit fishing out a beer like our dumbazz did.
Good for them. The Braves HAD to pop theirs a week and a half ago because they probably knew that was as good as it was gonna get.
The signature moment last night was watching tears well in the eyes of Kimbrel as he left the dugout. I’ll just bet he wishes he was on a REAL team that could hit when it matters most.
If I were a Braves’ pitcher today, I’d say that the (non) hitters on this team lost this game last night – despite the errors, and I would tell DOB just as much…
Just like they have doine for the past 13 years. From 1 to 8: CHOKERS!!!
phil
October 6th, 2012
12:00 pm
Letting EOF go would be a big mistake. We need that guy.
Bat Masterson
October 6th, 2012
12:00 pm
But I think the Braves cut McCann loose after ‘13.
Maybe, if he does have to have surgery on the shoulder,there are no ill effects, only good ones.
Hopefully he can come back and have one more big year for the Braves. Then, most likely, just wish him well in the Bronx or where ever he ends up. And at least get a draft pick out of it.
Dadgum....
October 6th, 2012
12:00 pm
Ross is a better catcher than McCann in every facet of the position. You can rest assured that next year will be McCann’s last in Atlanta. Not even a chance the Braves will keep him IMO.
Anders
October 6th, 2012
12:02 pm
How about McCann to the Yanks for Brett Gardner and another piece? Anyway, just a spitball thought on the first day of the rest of Chippers life.
Bat Masterson
October 6th, 2012
12:05 pm
Mac should not be back even though he hits like his old self.
He costs too much and we have a serviceable replacement in Ross and Betancourt.
Yeah, no doubt Bethancourt makes the jump from AA ball. Hell Simmons did, of course he had been hitting the ball for at least a year and a half.
Coach (2012 Fredi's Beisbol Fandango)
October 6th, 2012
12:05 pm
However, what everybody seems to be missing is the obvious………
Holbrook could not have made the same horrible error in judgement in the regular season. Simply because there were six umpires last night, not four. He wouldn’t have been out of position down the left field line because no umpire would be standing there.
MiaBchBravesFan
October 6th, 2012
12:05 pm
Coach: LOVED your 11:57!!!
I have one simple question for everyone on this blog:
If you are a legit GM for a major league team, and your needs are many, with resources few, is Brian McCann worth $12 million next year, when pressing needs abound – especially for a legit RH OF power bat?
phil
October 6th, 2012
12:10 pm
No, Brian is not worth keeping. Not like this.
I was cursing Chipper last night, even as I knew it was indeed his final game.
I care most about the TEAM winning, not the individuals. I will miss him greatly and would miss Mac too, but we want and need the team to win and succeed. Keeping guys around for sentimental reasons would be, um, a really bad idea.
Remow
October 6th, 2012
12:11 pm
Thanks DOB for another great season. Appreciate the time and effort. As far as game 163. Chipper cost us the game and Medlen is an awesome pitcher but not great, yet. In that situation he needed to try and limit the damage and he pitched contrary to that goal.
Fredi made one huge mistake. When Bourne was up with the 8th with 2 outs and the bases loaded he should have pinch hit. You are down to 4 outs in a game 7. Hinski or Overbay should be hitting in that spot. Reed Johnson could take over center for an inning.
Birdhair
October 6th, 2012
12:12 pm
If Brett Gardner’s elbow is healthy then I would absolutely offer up McCann to the yankees for him.
Anders
October 6th, 2012
12:12 pm
Proving what Holbrook did was wrong is easy……if this were game seven of the WS, the head umpire reverses the call and the bases are loaded. Integrity went right out the window last night, and baseball went with leaping right along side. (Coach)
That’s your proof? Because you say so? I guess under that criteria proving anything would be easy.
So if it was game seven of the NLDS you don’t think they would have reversed it? Only during the WS? can I ask why the distinction?
M.V.P.Heyward
October 6th, 2012
12:12 pm
No, Brian is not worth keeping. Not like this.
I was cursing Chipper last night, even as I knew it was indeed his final game.
I care most about the TEAM winning, not the individuals. I will miss him greatly and would miss Mac too, but we want and need the team to win and succeed. Keeping guys around for sentimental reasons would be, um, a really bad idea.
Exactly!
MiaBchBravesFan
October 6th, 2012
12:12 pm
Coach, I’ll take it a step further. That A-HOLE called it like he was still on the lip of the infield. If THAT A-HOLE has no sense of where is on a ball field, well…
HE NEEDS TO BURN IN HELL ALONGSIDE ERIC GREGG!!! YOU WATCH, IT’S THE CURSE OF THOSE WHO DO THE BRAVES WRONG!!! HAPPENED TO “TUBBY” GREGG, KIRBY PUCKETT, JIM LEYRITZ (IN PRISON), WITH THIS CLOWN SOON TO FOLLOW!!!
Bat Masterson
October 6th, 2012
12:13 pm
And now, a monster mistake will be made this winter when they exercise Brian McCann’s option. Management will see McCann as nothing more than a symbol to bridge the gap between Chipper’s departure and the (hopeful) emergence of both heyward and Freeman, two players who are obviously not ready for anything within the zip code of prime time, but who are very young nonetheless.
(When they turn 26-27, they will either ascend… or fizzle, Francoeur-style.)
Kind of funny but if Heap had not signed the long term deal he would have been a free agent at the end of last year. Making this the first year of a most likely long and lucrative contract.
As things stand now Heyward will be a free agent in his 26 year old season.
MiaBchBravesFan
October 6th, 2012
12:19 pm
Anders, that’s easy. It’s a play-in game, and MLB does not give a whit about the Braves. The Cardinals represent an entire midwestern region. Hell, even most southern Illinois residents are Cards fans. With Texas gone, no LA teams, one NY team, and little else…
Stick it to the Braves and let the NL version of the Yankees (winningest WS champs in the NL) go in. I DO believe in that sort of crap going on. Baseball is STARVED for ratings, and the Cards will bring the midwest in droves.
Birdhair
October 6th, 2012
12:19 pm
Problem is that we have so many holes to fill and not enough money to spend it’s going to take an adept GM to get us to where we would be a legit contender. We haven’t been a legit contender yet under Wren!
I would have traded Bourn (and I called for it time after time) this season for a long-term piece. I said time after time that Bourn was overproducing in the first half and his OBP would revert closer to it’s mediocre mean. What happened? I am not tooting my own horn but simply applying logic.
Trading beachy early int he season would have been tough to swallow, but sometimes you’ve got to make moves like that in order to get some legit hitting pieces.
Another issue is that we dont have a lot of quality trade pieces on the farm. Teheran’s value is shaky right now. So, it would have been best to use Bourn and perhaps beachy for long-term and immediate help.
Way too many holes to fill next season and we have a unwise spender at the helm who doesn’t value OBP enough. Sorry guys, but facts are facts.
MiaBchBravesFan
October 6th, 2012
12:24 pm
My curse is that I am stuck as a Braves fan until the day I die. Trading baseball allegiances, to me, is like trading in your mother for a young, hot piece of tail.
No matter how hot she may be, I can NEVER do it.
George_George
October 6th, 2012
12:24 pm
Bad day all
I will wait for someone to say someting so I will not be stuck at the bottom of page.
Bat Masterson
October 6th, 2012
12:25 pm
Something
Bat Masterson
October 6th, 2012
12:25 pm
Turn the page
Bat Masterson
October 6th, 2012
12:26 pm
Are you giving up on the repost bit, George?
Powder Blue
October 6th, 2012
12:26 pm
I’m still angry at the team that chokes every time the seasons change. 12 LOB & 3 errors. So damn frustrating.
abeeeewright
October 6th, 2012
12:27 pm
“Way too many holes to fill next season”
3B/LF and CF
That’s two fairly big holes.
The entire bench … could plug in the Rome Braves and have a better bench than in 2012.
A couple of bullpen arms.
Don’t see your “way too many holes.”
MiaBchBravesFan
October 6th, 2012
12:27 pm
Birdhair, love your thinking, but Bourn is not ours anymore; he is a free agent.
Good riddance to choking garbage.
George_George
October 6th, 2012
12:29 pm
Still same page WOW and I am going to say something real interesting.
Bat Masterson
October 6th, 2012
12:31 pm
New page. Have at it, George.
By the way, there were way to many comments for me to go back and read them all. I did read Mitchell’s, nice rant and I mean that.
Anders
October 6th, 2012
12:32 pm
MiaBchBravesFan – Apparently the home plate ump wasn’t in on the conspirancy when he gave Ross that ridiculously late time out on strike three though – right? Or are we just looking for positive proof and ignoring all others?
Birdhair
October 6th, 2012
12:33 pm
I’d call a hall of fame 3b, career .400 OBP producer a huge hole to fill. We dont have a center fielder. We have a black hole at 2B. Tommy Hanson is hot garbage. Beachy won’t be back until Sept and there’s no guarantees that he produces when he comes back. We lost our leader in Chipper. Shortstop is still somewhat of a question mark since Simmons is unproven. But i do think that Simmons turns into a pretty good offensive producer.
We have significant issues with depth. We need to quality depth who can get on base. Re-sign reed johnson, keep Ross, but many bench spots to address! Send Janish to Japan or far, far away.
MiaBchBravesFan
October 6th, 2012
12:34 pm
Trey, now you jes talkin’ crazy!
Venice Jim
October 6th, 2012
12:34 pm
Can’t go to work – waiting for the big post…
Playoffs!!!
October 6th, 2012
12:37 pm
Birdhair—–REALLY ?!?!, pinch-hit for Bourne in that situation?!?!? He had the highest batting average with RISP off the Braves’ hitters—over .300 . So pinch-hit Overbay or Henske who are sub-.200 pinch-hitters.
No one who really knows baseball would agree with you. You just lost any respect I had for your baseball knowledge.
And McCann for Brett Gardner—-just what we don’t need another left-handed hitter. Wow, you are unbelievable
MiaBchBravesFan
October 6th, 2012
12:37 pm
Anders, I said it last night. No big deal, happens all the time. Gamesmanship. Lohse, rather than risk injury, followed through on his pitch, in order to avoid injury. All pitchers are taught to follow through on the pitch, not to suddenly stop and risk injury…
Just like kickers kick the field goal when the opposing coach calls the timeout. Follow through, not a big deal.
George_George
October 6th, 2012
12:42 pm
VaBravesFan
October 6th, 2012
9:37 am
To be honest being a wild card team shouldn’t be considered making the playoffs anymore. Regardless of why MLB and owners may like this format it’s pretty bad considering so many players make zero impact in what they actually call the playoffs (1 game LOL) This is baseball, not football. 1 game isn’t enough. Atleast has to be 3 games. They should reduce the regular season games to like 155 or something to make it work. I would stand by this comment even if we had won last night. Baseball is about the long run or a series of games. Playing 1 game proves nothing. Best defensive team has a bad game, or a horrible call by and umpire, or hell Carpenter or Hudson and many others had zero impact in the game that means so much. That’s why there must be atleast 3 games.
*******************
AGREED, WELL SAID, I have a convert, I thought T was alone not likeing BUD’s play-in game that he calls a WC game. cab can say as often as she wants that the owners approved this single game thing. THEY DID NOT! The owners approved a extra WC team for 2013 NOT 2012. BUD stung this for 2012 just days before the start of season. The owners did not have a meeting during ST, so how could they approve it. The 2012 post- season is a BUD thing and it smells bad.
Birdhair
October 6th, 2012
12:43 pm
Where in my post did I suggest pinch hitting bourn last night? Who cares about what side of the plate that you hit from? As long as you get on base that’s what matters!
Webster
October 6th, 2012
12:44 pm
This may have already been answered but what is the contract status of Davi Ross? I believe FA. Will he by re-signed?
ChattTownBrian
October 6th, 2012
12:47 pm
It really is crazy we played probably our worst game of the year in the most important one. Also Joe Simpson had his worst announced game, too. It all worked together.
Braves could be a little cursed.
George_George
October 6th, 2012
12:48 pm
Outta here to check out NFL match ups, DAWGS got at big game tonight @ USC east. I would say “have a good one ” but I can’t.