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6,463 comments Add your comment
DS1
November 1st, 2012
3:41 pm
Licking bats and eating peanut butter cups. What’s next? Peeing on your hands to toughen them up??
Lew
November 1st, 2012
3:42 pm
Spring Training just wouldn’t be the same without Boscan.
Efrim
November 1st, 2012
3:42 pm
The Schafer thing is a joke guys. No one is legit mad about it….
I mean, I don’t want to be here when TenneseePaul shows up drunk later tonight, but aside from that.
Roman Gal
November 1st, 2012
3:43 pm
they noticed that Roman Gal came back to the blog and wanted to reward her for it….
I actually pretty much stopped blogging when they traded him away.
Lew
November 1st, 2012
3:43 pm
DS1 – Just so they don’t pee on the peanut butter cups.
TheOnlyBravesFan
November 1st, 2012
3:43 pm
what about picking up Schafer could possibly p1ss off folks so much??
Dunno. I’m pretty happy, he can hook me up w/ some of that weed!
nolie
November 1st, 2012
3:43 pm
yes I noticed
DS1
November 1st, 2012
3:44 pm
Lew
My guess is that Boscan will be back. He elected for minor league free agency, so he could have some negotiating rights I’d guess. But I’d bet he will be back.
JC’s good people from what I hear. Gotta pull for a guy who has toiled so long in the minors.
BravePack(FreeFan)
November 1st, 2012
3:45 pm
old man
November 1st, 2012
3:09 pm
BravePack(FreeFan)
I like Bourjos and Willingham.
But BJ Upton and Gordon would thrill me too
I’m not a big fan of Willingham for this team as DOB and many others are which I’ve already said many times. Just not liking the fact that he is pretty bad defensively and 35 years of age. Another factor that I believe P-Town brought up, which could be circumstantial but a bad trend regardless, is the fact that everywhere he ends up, the team gets worse not better.
phil
November 1st, 2012
3:45 pm
DS1
November 1st, 2012
3:41 pm
Licking bats and eating peanut butter cups. What’s next? Peeing on your hands to toughen them up??
************
Instead, I recommend using that lice killing stuff without the rubber gloves….
Murph
November 1st, 2012
3:45 pm
It’s obvious what Wren is doing. They are about to make a play for Hamilton!
It’s genius. When the reports come out that “A Braves outfielder was spotted partying in the parking lot outside of Kroger” the team can throw Schafer under the bus and blame him, all the while they get Hamilton detoxed and back in the lineup.
Genius.
ncscoots
November 1st, 2012
3:46 pm
I mean, I don’t want to be here when TenneseePaul shows up drunk later tonight, but aside from that.
Man, I am going to tout Schafer something fierce.
Assuming I can find even a smidgen of data that supports even the slightest of touts. You know, pays his bills on time or something, whatever. Don’t care. It’s coming in.
DS1
November 1st, 2012
3:46 pm
Lemme see: Schafer/Prado/Heyward/Upton/Freeman/Uggla/McCann(Ross)/Simmons……
cricket
November 1st, 2012
3:47 pm
he can hook me up w/ some of that weed!
i always picture you high as a kite when you keep on hoping that braves would be able to sign greinke
DS1
November 1st, 2012
3:48 pm
Wasn’t it Felipe Alou that did the pee routine?
DS1
November 1st, 2012
3:49 pm
It’s important to know the players clubhouse routines………… so as to know which ones to avoid shaking hands with……..
ncscoots
November 1st, 2012
3:49 pm
Moises, Wayne.
Shaun
November 1st, 2012
3:49 pm
Batting average and RBI apprently mean nothing, but I sure would like to see a Braves team with eight hitting .300 or better and four or five (at least) with 100 RBI. Like to see a few 20 game winners, too.
Lew, I would too because those things matter on a team level. They don’t matter in terms of being all that telling when judging individual players. The distribution of most of the RBI could go to a bad hitter (as they did in about 2007), but as long as the team is scoring runs, who cares? Scoring runs has to do with acquiring hitters who get on base and slug. If the Braves do that, I could care less if a sh**** hitter gets most of the RBI.
DS1
November 1st, 2012
3:49 pm
scoots
Yes, you are right. But who taught him??
Like father, like son?
Murph
November 1st, 2012
3:51 pm
Hey TOBF, you know how you always like to build up Bourjos by comparing his age 25 season to Bourn’s age 25 season?
Do a quick comparison between Schafer at 25 to Bourn at 25.
Sobering.
TheOnlyBravesFan
November 1st, 2012
3:51 pm
Mark Bowman @mlbbowman
If anything Schafer’s acquisition significantly lessens the odds of seeing Jose Constanza in Atlanta at the start of 2013. #Depth #backups
And that is a good thing.
i always picture you high as a kite when you keep on hoping that braves would be able to sign greinke
ncscoots
November 1st, 2012
3:53 pm
If anything Schafer’s acquisition significantly lessens the odds of seeing Jose Constanza in Atlanta at the start of 2013
Geez, how do you lessen zero?
RC
November 1st, 2012
3:53 pm
Scoring runs has to do with acquiring hitters who get on base and slug. If the Braves do that, I could care less if a sh**** hitter gets most of the RBI.
Somewhere, Jeff Francoeur and Andruw Jones just high fived.
DS1
November 1st, 2012
3:53 pm
Murph
WOW. Looks like maybe we need to give Shafer his shot, huh?
(he says only half joking)
CrαZy
November 1st, 2012
3:55 pm
Amazing how many people freak out over waiver claims…
nolie
November 1st, 2012
3:55 pm
OK, so we got our CFer, now all we need is a LFer or 3rd baseman. Man Wren always works fast
TheOnlyBravesFan
November 1st, 2012
3:56 pm
Scarily similar. Bourn higher avg, similar obp. Slightly higher SLG, OPS about equal.
Bourjos is still better than both though. Rather have him than Schafer. RH as well. Go get him Frank!
ncscoots
November 1st, 2012
3:56 pm
WOW. Looks like maybe we need to give Shafer his shot, huh?
…to recapture his form of one week in 2009.
BravePack(FreeFan)
November 1st, 2012
3:56 pm
Murph
November 1st, 2012
3:45 pm
It’s obvious what Wren is doing. They are about to make a play for Hamilton!
It’s genius. When the reports come out that “A Braves outfielder was spotted partying in the parking lot outside of Kroger” the team can throw Schafer under the bus and blame him, all the while they get Hamilton detoxed and back in the lineup.
Genius.
Great thought Murph. Man you come up with some good ones.
Shaun
November 1st, 2012
3:57 pm
I’ve always kind of liked Schafer. He’s displayed all the skills that could make him at least a second-division centerfielder at some point or another in his career. I think it’s a decent risk to take a shot on him in hopes that he’ll eventually put it all together at some point.
I’m not saying he’s the next Bourn at all, but check out what Bourn did through his age 25 season. And they are somewhat similar type players. If Bourn can turn himself in to a legit major league centerfielder, there’s not reason Schafer can’t turn himself in to at least a useful big leaguer.
DS1
November 1st, 2012
3:58 pm
Constanza, Durango, Pie, Parraz and now Schafer.
OK, we just about got Gwinnett covered.
David from Athens, AL
November 1st, 2012
3:58 pm
Never laughed so hard at all these comments and jokes on Shafer … knew the blog would explode … LOL
RC
November 1st, 2012
3:59 pm
Hey TOBF, you know how you always like to build up Bourjos by comparing his age 25 season to Bourn’s age 25 season?
Do a quick comparison between Schafer at 25 to Bourn at 25.
Sobering.
This is remarkably fun. Guess what the order off OBP for their age 25 seasons were?
Schafer .297
Bourjos .291
Bourn .288
TheOnlyBravesFan
November 1st, 2012
4:00 pm
Jon Morosi @jonmorosi
Why did I pick Hamilton to Braves? They have payroll flexibility, could backload deal after ‘13, may miss McCann to start season.
Ummmm
TheOnlyBravesFan
November 1st, 2012
4:00 pm
Jon Morosi @jonmorosi
Why did I pick Hamilton to Braves? They have payroll flexibility, could backload deal after ‘13, may miss McCann to start season.
Ummmm
DS1
November 1st, 2012
4:00 pm
Second division centerfielder??? Exactly what does that mean? Kinda like Gregor Blanco being a second division LF’er?
TheOnlyBravesFan
November 1st, 2012
4:01 pm
Jon Morosi @jonmorosi
Also, Braves are losing a certain switch-hitting presence from their lineup who has hit righties for about two decades.
Murph
November 1st, 2012
4:02 pm
I’ll tell ya what, TOBF… the thought of Schafer patrolling CF makes Bourjos look like a freakin’ all star.
RC
November 1st, 2012
4:02 pm
More blog fodder hitting the interwebs…..
Fox Sports predictions of where each free agent will sign have Hamilton landing in Atlanta.
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/lists/top-2013-free-agents-josh-hamilton-zack-greinke-110112#tab=photo-title=Josh+Hamilton&photo=31401041
nolie
November 1st, 2012
4:02 pm
some of these predictors need to expand their horizons of what makes an acceptable deal. right there he sounds like just a numbers guy
ncscoots
November 1st, 2012
4:02 pm
Never laughed so hard at all these comments and jokes on Shafer … knew the blog would explode
Once a whipping-boy, always a whipping-boy.
It’s just not that often that a former whipping-boy gets to return for yet more abuse.
This is grist for the mill, until some actual real hot stove event occurs.
DAP
November 1st, 2012
4:03 pm
shaun When it comes to Hall of Fame voting of course some voters are going to brush aside that Chipper never finished that high in the RBI rankings because of his career total.
that, and i think alot of people dont view stat in relation to other players like you do. 100 RBI is good, no matter where you ranked that season. and when you do it 8 times in a row, 9 total, you are obviously a good RBI man.
RC
November 1st, 2012
4:04 pm
Jon Morosi @jonmorosi
Also, Braves are losing a certain switch-hitting presence from their lineup who has hit righties for about two decades.
He does realize that hitting right-handers isn’t EXACTLY the Braves’ problem, right?
DS1
November 1st, 2012
4:04 pm
Hamilton has actually OPS’d at 808 in his career against lefties. And 950+ against righties.
Murph
November 1st, 2012
4:05 pm
I proposed the same thing as Morosi (going after Hamilton, backloading the contract) and was berated by DOB for it.
So, it’s almost as if DOB berated Jon Morosi.
I’m going to copy DOB’s response to me, send it to Morosi, and start a writer’s feud.
ncscoots
November 1st, 2012
4:05 pm
He does realize that hitting right-handers isn’t EXACTLY the Braves’ problem, right?
That would be a “no”.
TheOnlyBravesFan
November 1st, 2012
4:06 pm
Jon Morosi @jonmorosi
Am I going to be right? I don’t know. This is a prediction. Are there that many teams out there who make more sense for Hamilton than ATL?
Yeah, we may make sense for Hamilton, but I don’t know that he makes sense for us. Not at what I expect the years and salary to be…
Then again, Frank did say premium players. Can’t get Hamilton and Greinke though, and I’d prefer Greinke. But with the Angels clearing salary, and the Rangers getting involved, that’d be tough.
3 years with an option 16-18mil a season. Maybe. But I doubt that’d happen.
P-Town Brave ©
November 1st, 2012
4:06 pm
…Yeah, and expecting Scahfer to be some magical CF that all of a sudden puts it all together is like jerkin off in the corner in a room full of people and not expecting anyone to notice
Efrim
November 1st, 2012
4:07 pm
Fox Sports writer Jon Morosi is predicting Josh Hamilton to sign with the Braves. Just do not see this at all.
Also had Bourn to Cincy, Lohse to Dodgers, Greinke to Anaheim, LaRoche to Boston.
P-Town Brave ©
November 1st, 2012
4:07 pm
Well he is right on one thing….
Hamilton makes sense because our hitting sucked in 2012
RC
November 1st, 2012
4:07 pm
Second division centerfielder??? Exactly what does that mean? Kinda like Gregor Blanco being a second division LF’er?
I’d say that’s a pretty decent comparison. Both could fill in for a short period of time, or even be everyday players if the rest of your team is good enough. But they are probably best used as 4th OF/pinch runner/defensive replacements.
If the counter is going to be that Blanco “was the starting LF on a WS winner!” then I’d argue back that he was surrounded by really, really good players (Posey/Panda/Pitchers), as well a guy who had the month of his life at exactly the right time (Scutaro).
Shaun
November 1st, 2012
4:07 pm
DS1, second-division just basically means below average. If you ranked centerfielders, he would be in the second half. First division would mean above average. I guess the idea is dividing players at a position in to two groups, i.e., where the term “division” comes from.
You’d see it a lot in old-time newspapers, back when there were no divisions, just AL and NL, that teams finished in the second division, which meant they finished in the bottom half of the league. But I’ve heard scouting types use that term to describe players. I guess it’s an easy-to-understand way to classify guys who aren’t going to be stars but aren’t going to be bench guys.
P-Town Brave ©
November 1st, 2012
4:08 pm
Efrim-
Most of those make sense actually, except for the LaRoche to Boston….Adam couldn’t handle being a DH what with his mind and all….he’d forgot his bat or helmet on the way to the plate if that were his only duty.
David O'Brien
November 1st, 2012
4:09 pm
Hey, where’s that guy who said (repeatedly) during the season that I’d be off for most of the offseason, except a few days during Winter Meetings and a couple of trades or signings? Of course, he wouldn’t listen then, so no sense trying to explain now either….
RC
November 1st, 2012
4:09 pm
Well he is right on one thing….
Hamilton makes sense because our hitting sucked in 2012
No it didn’t. Our hitting sucked in the last month of 2012. It was really, really good up to that point.
TheOnlyBravesFan
November 1st, 2012
4:09 pm
Hamilton for CF, Willingham for LF!
Chipper OPSd .841 vs righties in 2012, .821 vs lefties. I mean, that hitting vs righties is something that could be replaced, but Willingham or Pence could do that. And a lot cheaper. Unless we’re getting Victorino for CF, or Willingham in LF, the move doesn’t really seem to make a lot of sense
fleming
November 1st, 2012
4:11 pm
Can we please get Kelly back too.
nolie
November 1st, 2012
4:11 pm
sooo much love for a guy who couldn’t even make it to the bigs in 2011 and hit 244 in 2012. BLANCO IS GOD!!!!
Efrim
November 1st, 2012
4:11 pm
Jon Morosi @jonmorosi
Are there that many teams out there who make more sense for Hamilton than ATL?
Absolutely. Given that the team rarely backloads deals and is already LHH heavy. Not going to happen.
DAP
November 1st, 2012
4:12 pm
this frees up wren to trade constanza for justin upton.
fleming
November 1st, 2012
4:12 pm
He once played LF.
nolie
November 1st, 2012
4:13 pm
I don’t think many of them make much sense myself
RC
November 1st, 2012
4:14 pm
Efrim-
Most of those make sense actually, except for the LaRoche to Boston….Adam couldn’t handle being a DH what with his mind and all….he’d forgot his bat or helmet on the way to the plate if that were his only duty.
Why would LaRoche DH? I don’t think that James Loney will be a huge obstacle for playing time (assuming he’s even tendered a contract).
DS1
November 1st, 2012
4:15 pm
Can we please get Kelly back too.
THIS!
Murph
November 1st, 2012
4:16 pm
this frees up wren to trade constanza for justin upton.
I don’t normally laugh out loud at stuff I read on the blog, but this made me guffaw.
DS1
November 1st, 2012
4:16 pm
Getting this much DOB on November the 1st!!! Are you sure there’s not a cover charge on the blog today?
MiaBchBravesFan
November 1st, 2012
4:16 pm
To follow the gasoline thread: the Giants won with many 87 octane players, and some 89 octane players. The good news was that their 87’s and 89’s picked some pretty opportune times to perform like 93 octane players.
Seems to me that recent vintage WS teams have excellent pitching married to grinder-like .270-.280 hitters who know how to play amped and right when the lights shine brightest.
TheOnlyBravesFan
November 1st, 2012
4:16 pm
No it didn’t. Our hitting sucked in the last month of 2012. It was really, really good up to that point.
Nah, not just September. Fell from July on…
April- .259/.323/.409/.733
May- .256/.326/.402/.728
June- .264/.319/.409/.728
July- .248/.332/.408/.741
Aug- .232/.318/.382/.699
Sept- .230/.305/.342/.646
Shaun
November 1st, 2012
4:17 pm
that, and i think alot of people dont view stat in relation to other players like you do. 100 RBI is good, no matter where you ranked that season. and when you do it 8 times in a row, 9 total, you are obviously a good RBI man.
DAP, my point is that being a “good RBI man” doesn’t tell us whether a hitter was good or bad. Most of a team’s RBI could be distributed to a bad hitter, if that bad hitter is in the right spot and right situations and pitcher pitch to him. I’d venture to say that over a good portion of Chipper’s career, in many of his seasons, the leader of the Braves in RBI was an inferior hitter to Chipper.
MiaBchBravesFan
November 1st, 2012
4:21 pm
With that Pesky Pole in RF, I think LaRoche would be awesome in Boston. Also, with his ability to hit to the opposite field, he’d be clangin’ long singles and an occasional double off the Green Monster.
DS1
November 1st, 2012
4:21 pm
What’s Terdoslavich doing this winter?
Jimmy
November 1st, 2012
4:22 pm
Hey folks.
TOBF + Smoke = Greinke
I don’t really understand the JS move, but we all know it isn’t to play CF on opening day. Just gives us some depth, I guess.
Roman Gal
November 1st, 2012
4:24 pm
He ain’t all bad.
https://twitter.com/JordanSchafer/status/264096692851310592
MiaBchBravesFan
November 1st, 2012
4:24 pm
July- .248/.332/.408/.741
Aug- .232/.318/.382/.699
Sept- .230/.305/.342/.646
Vomitty putrid and inexcusable – there is just no kind way to put it. Now I’m riled up again!
ncscoots
November 1st, 2012
4:24 pm
sooo much love for a guy who couldn’t even make it to the bigs in 2011 and hit 244 in 2012. BLANCO IS GOD!!!!
How soon they forget. This is a guy who couldn’t beat out Jordan Schafer, and Schafer is today awash in blog spittle.
nolie
November 1st, 2012
4:24 pm
most all waiver claims are close to meaningless, but they always draw a noisy crown on the ol’ blog
fleming
November 1st, 2012
4:24 pm
With Logan Wren stocking up on trade fodder for deadline. Astros got anyone else Braves need.
Efrim
November 1st, 2012
4:25 pm
The Yankees are considering using Curtis Granderson in a corner outfield spot and Brett Gardner in center field.
Makes some sense, imo.
RC
November 1st, 2012
4:25 pm
Nah, not just September. Fell from July on…
April- .259/.323/.409/.733
May- .256/.326/.402/.728
June- .264/.319/.409/.728
July- .248/.332/.408/.741
Aug- .232/.318/.382/.699
Sept- .230/.305/.342/.646
Now that I go back and look at it, they were really kind of up and down all year. Runs scored by month:
March/April – 116 -1st in NL
May – 135 – 4th in NL
June – 102 – 13th in NL
July – 126 – 5th in NL
August – 119 – 11th in NL
September – 102 – 13th in NL
It looks like June, August, September were the worst months for the Braves. Kind of makes me wonder if fatigue is an ongoing issue with the team (July can be explained by the All-Star break allowing for a breather).
cricket
November 1st, 2012
4:26 pm
braves are going to sign Torii Hunter
Jimmy
November 1st, 2012
4:26 pm
Hope the Braves find him a batting helmet that fits this time.
RC
November 1st, 2012
4:27 pm
@JordanSchafer
It’s gonna be nice to hear the Chop everyday again
Do they chop in Gwinnett?
nolie
November 1st, 2012
4:27 pm
try some Xanax MBBF, it will knock it right down….
ncscoots
November 1st, 2012
4:29 pm
Do they chop in Gwinnett?
Give the kid credit for still being confident in his ability, anyway. Even if it might be misplaced.
monty
November 1st, 2012
4:29 pm
FW working the magic, so soon!
Jimmy
November 1st, 2012
4:30 pm
RC = Hater!
MiaBchBravesFan
November 1st, 2012
4:30 pm
Blanco is not God. He is a nice fourth OF for a team who can afford a light-hitting, speedy OF who can lay down a bunt, pinch-run, and fill all three OF spots nothing above serviceably.
That said, I wish we still had him. We gave him away – along with a very nice middle reliever! – for the garbage that was Ankiel and Farnsworth. Frank Wren: you can safely bet he’ll always push the wrong button when it comes to obtaining a hitter!
Efrim
November 1st, 2012
4:31 pm
Do they chop in Gwinnett?
Now that was funny.
MiaBchBravesFan
November 1st, 2012
4:33 pm
Holy Moly!!! Was that a Roman Gal sighting? Or an imposter taking advantage of the Schafer name to invoke The Gal’s moniker?
TheOnlyBravesFan
November 1st, 2012
4:33 pm
TOBF + Smoke = Greinke
TOBF looking for a frontline pitcher on the market in next 2 years= Found him, name is Greinke.
Kind of makes me wonder if fatigue is an ongoing issue with the team (July can be explained by the All-Star break allowing for a breather).
Southern heat? One of the reasons I’m not convinced that Willingham would hold up down here. Only played 110 or so games in the OF last year, and that’s in cool Minnesota. And he’s averaged about 110 games per season in the field the last 4 years, I believe.
ncscoots
November 1st, 2012
4:33 pm
What the heck, baseball is a game of redemption, right? A run to glory by Schafer would certainly make for an entertaining story.
Efrim
November 1st, 2012
4:33 pm
I hope Wren passes on Hunter.
Man, I feel like it’s a broken record regarding options for the outfield.
Friggin change of the baseball landscape and every young position player is getting locked up!
nolie
November 1st, 2012
4:33 pm
he couldn’t even make the bigs in 11 and hit 244 in 12, definitely not my idea of anybody I wish we still had, even though I liked him better than Schafer back if the days of that shootout
Shaun
November 1st, 2012
4:34 pm
Good stuff here: http://www.tnr.com/blog/plank/109495/%E2%80%98predict-nate-silver%E2%80%99s-future-look-the-more-enlightened-sports-world
I hope it’s not too political but I feel it’s very relevant to sports.
P-Town Brave ©
November 1st, 2012
4:34 pm
RC-
See this is what happens when I go all Adam LaRoche…
I then forget that AGon got traded in Aug…..my bad….yeah, Loney may not even be there come April anyways….
Way to call me out there….:-)
And btw….I wouldn’t exactly call hitting .250’s the first 3 months of the season all that great either…..
David from Athens, AL
November 1st, 2012
4:35 pm
RC, Jordan is planning on being on the 25 man roster!!!! … not Gwinnett!
DAP
November 1st, 2012
4:36 pm
shaun my point is that being a “good RBI man” doesn’t tell us whether a hitter was good or bad
thats a fair point. chipper jones is the wrong player to illustrate that point with. thats all im saying.
BravePack(FreeFan)
November 1st, 2012
4:37 pm
Schafer can’t go to Gwinnet. Out of options. At least he has a sense of humor with his twitter picture with a Reeses peanut butter cup.
Hey by the way Morosi must have seen my post from yesterday as I was saying don’t be surprised if Hamilton is a Brave. You never know….
Efrim
November 1st, 2012
4:38 pm
Justin Upton to the Yanks makes some sense if indeed they do move Grandy to a corner. They need to get younger, and they have the minor league assets to go get him.
cricket
November 1st, 2012
4:39 pm
every young position player is getting locked up!
the reason why braves will have to trade to fill in some spots and will have to pay in the form of good prospects, something many here just don’t want to do – they want to acquire good players w/o trading good prospects and/or want to lock in huge chunk of limited payroll in a single player. braves just can’t do that.