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© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
6,463 comments Add your comment
Venice Jim
November 2nd, 2012
11:10 am
Ken Rosenthal’s brief overview of the upcoming activities:
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Baseball-free-agent-list-not-spectacular-but-will-produce-big-contracts-and-trades-110212
Hugo Z Hackenbush
November 2nd, 2012
11:10 am
My inflatable doll laughs at all my jokes…
David O'Brien
November 2nd, 2012
11:12 am
Efrim, glad to see you’re in such a good mood today.
Maybe the Giants should fire Sabean out of, well, principle?
Efrim
November 2nd, 2012
11:12 am
In 2010, the difference between the payrolls of the Giants and A’s was about 38 mil, not 80 to 100.
In 2012, the Giants had a $131 million dollar payroll, the A’s had a $52 million dollar payroll. So let’s split the difference and say $60 million, cool?
BravePack(FreeFan)
November 2nd, 2012
11:13 am
DOB is in a fiesty mood this morning.
Efrim
November 2nd, 2012
11:14 am
glad to see you’re in such a good mood today.
Just following the lead, DOB. Snark on Snark, if you will.
Maybe the Giants should fire Sabean out of, well, principle?
No. But it wouldn’t cripple the franchise.
Hugo Z Hackenbush
November 2nd, 2012
11:16 am
Just trying to keep things accurate here. The truth sometimes takes a beating when somebody wants to cling to an indefensible position.
cricket
November 2nd, 2012
11:17 am
My inflatable doll laughs at all my jokes…
laughing is not the reason her mouth is open…
sorry
David O'Brien
November 2nd, 2012
11:17 am
Maybe the Giants should fire Sabean out of, well, principle?
No. But it wouldn’t cripple the franchise. — Efrim
Shaking my head.
abeeeewright
November 2nd, 2012
11:18 am
If Schafer was a waiver claim, don’t the Braves have to put him on the 25 man for most of the 2013 season or give him back to the Astros?
BravePack(FreeFan)
November 2nd, 2012
11:18 am
Anyone else get the feeling Wren is going to work quickly this offseason?
David O'Brien
November 2nd, 2012
11:19 am
Do the Braves have a quantitative guy on their FO staff? If not, they should.
Don’t know if I’d consider him that way, but John Coppollella seems like he likes stats a bit more than most and he’s an Assisstant GM now. — Efrim
Indeed, he’s as well-versed as just about anyone in baseball on such matters. “Coppy” uses sabermetric stats constantly, along with the more traditional stats. He’s on top of it.
Lew
November 2nd, 2012
11:19 am
Snark on Snark – Sounds like a good Talk Show.
Hugo Z Hackenbush
November 2nd, 2012
11:20 am
The Giants will have three starters making a total of 63 mil next year. Yeesh.
Lew
November 2nd, 2012
11:21 am
cricket – Are you sure of that?
Efrim
November 2nd, 2012
11:23 am
Shaking my head.
You shouldn’t be.
Walt Jocketty was pretty good, left the Cards for a year and then to the Reds did it cripple the Cards after 2006?
Hugo Z Hackenbush
November 2nd, 2012
11:24 am
Are you saying my doll is a mouth-breather? She resents that remark!
abeeeewright
November 2nd, 2012
11:26 am
DOB. “. I don’t mean to get into an argument with you about this, but the recent Giants have become a wildly successful franchise in every measuring stick that matters.”
Geez DOB, Giants are 8th in the league in third order wins. They didn’t even make the play in game in the simulated MLB play offs. How can they be considered a real champion with that asterisk next to their name?
Murph
November 2nd, 2012
11:30 am
Anyone else get the feeling Wren is going to work quickly this offseason?
I get the feeling that he’s going to want to work quickly, and will be one of the first out of the gates with offers to free agents and other clubs… but, I’m also getting the feeling that the free agents and other clubs are going to want to take their sweet time and shop around, looking to maximize their returns on a pretty weak pool of available talent.
I see us going into mid-December without any moves of significance.
David O'Brien
November 2nd, 2012
11:30 am
If Schafer was a waiver claim, don’t the Braves have to put him on the 25 man for most of the 2013 season or give him back to the Astros? — abeewright
You’re thinking of Rule 5 picks. With a guy out of options, he has to clear waivers before he can be sent down. Any team (including the Astros) could claim him, in reverse order of last year’s finish.
David O'Brien
November 2nd, 2012
11:32 am
abeewright: that (11:26) made me smile.
richbrave
November 2nd, 2012
11:32 am
Reality Check:
Where you hiding your brains son?
You’ve actually installed SCHAFER as a regular on next years team? You prescient now?
CB
November 2nd, 2012
11:36 am
How does a humorless man smile? Does not compute
P-Town Brave ©
November 2nd, 2012
11:36 am
Gotta love snark on snark crime…
Its MY favorite
jj
November 2nd, 2012
11:37 am
at least DOB’s got a girl…not a—–
BravePack(FreeFan)
November 2nd, 2012
11:39 am
Murph
What about trades? I think with FA it all depends on the player and his agent. With Boras, I agree your looking at probably January to get that player signed. I don’t know if a player wants to play somewhere and they offer a decent and fair contract I assume it can get done quickly, but I also know in this day and age that is few and far between.
cricket
November 2nd, 2012
11:41 am
How does a humorless man smile?
google “snape smile”
Hillbilly
November 2nd, 2012
11:42 am
Snark on Snark – Sounds like a good Talk Show. -Lew
Indeed. Or a Dr. Seuss book.
Hey Lew, on another note, as I sit here in my 5th week of battling a kidney stone, why does a certain Frank Zappa tune keep rolling through my head? Like a pair of maraccas? Sounds about right.
Efrim
November 2nd, 2012
11:43 am
The Giants will have three starters making a total of 63 mil next year. Yeesh.
More than Billy Beane’s entire player payroll.
CB
November 2nd, 2012
11:45 am
cricket,good one. I shall now picture DOB looking like this in the future.
Efrim
November 2nd, 2012
11:48 am
Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports that the Cubs are one of the teams interested in trading for Dan Haren.
Yup. Trade for him now, trade him at the All Star Break for prospects or just keep him through 2013, make a qualifying offer at seasons end and get a draft pick.
David O'Brien
November 2nd, 2012
11:51 am
The Giants will have three starters making a total of 63 mil next year. Yeesh.
Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels will be paid a combined $64.5 million next year.
cricket
November 2nd, 2012
11:52 am
Sabean may be dumbest GM ever lived but pretty sure he wouldn’t have spent 63 mil on 3 starters if he had Billy Beane’s payroll.
similarly, i like Theo, but i would love to see what he’s able to do with a low payroll. but he’s too smart to ever put himself in that position and he is already anointed as one of the best anyway without humongous payroll casting any doubt on his legacy.
BravePack(FreeFan)
November 2nd, 2012
11:58 am
There are lots of 1B prospects who have had uneven or terrible starts in the past couple years. Hosmer, Belt, Freeman, Smoak, Ike Davis, Alonso. Who, if any of these guys, is far better than what they’ve shown?
Klaw (2:18 PM)
Freeman’s been the best of that group, but I don’t think there’s a lot of upside left there. Hosmer and Belt both need mechanical changes, Hosmer getting his hands down, Belt keeping his hips back and not loading so deep, but both have high upsides left if that can happen. I could see Davis having some .325/.500 seasons at his peak. The power’s real but he’s always going to strike out.
DOB
You have any thoughts about this comment KLaw made about Freeman? It seems kind of funny to me if Freeman has been the best of this group and is still only 23 years old why he would say there wouldn’t be more upside. To me Freeman had a inconsistent year due to his eye issues and still improved on his power numbers. In his second year he was more selective as the season went on and drew more walks, increased in HR’s from his rookie year and RBI’s, all while playing less with the eye and finger injury. Doesn’t seem like a well thought out statement from Law which isn’t real surprising.
BravePack(FreeFan)
November 2nd, 2012
11:58 am
There are lots of 1B prospects who have had uneven or terrible starts in the past couple years. Hosmer, Belt, Freeman, Smoak, Ike Davis, Alonso. Who, if any of these guys, is far better than what they’ve shown?
Klaw (2:18 PM)
Freeman’s been the best of that group, but I don’t think there’s a lot of upside left there. Hosmer and Belt both need mechanical changes, Hosmer getting his hands down, Belt keeping his hips back and not loading so deep, but both have high upsides left if that can happen. I could see Davis having some .325/.500 seasons at his peak. The power’s real but he’s always going to strike out.
DOB
You have any thoughts about this comment KLaw made about Freeman? It seems kind of funny to me if Freeman has been the best of this group and is still only 23 years old why he would say there wouldn’t be more upside. To me Freeman had a inconsistent year due to his eye issues and still improved on his power numbers. In his second year he was more selective as the season went on and drew more walks, increased in HR’s from his rookie year and RBI’s, all while playing less with the eye and finger injury. Doesn’t seem like a well thought out statement from Law which isn’t real surprising.
BravePack(FreeFan)
November 2nd, 2012
11:58 am
There are lots of 1B prospects who have had uneven or terrible starts in the past couple years. Hosmer, Belt, Freeman, Smoak, Ike Davis, Alonso. Who, if any of these guys, is far better than what they’ve shown?
Klaw (2:18 PM)
Freeman’s been the best of that group, but I don’t think there’s a lot of upside left there. Hosmer and Belt both need mechanical changes, Hosmer getting his hands down, Belt keeping his hips back and not loading so deep, but both have high upsides left if that can happen. I could see Davis having some .325/.500 seasons at his peak. The power’s real but he’s always going to strike out.
DOB
You have any thoughts about this comment KLaw made about Freeman? It seems kind of funny to me if Freeman has been the best of this group and is still only 23 years old why he would say there wouldn’t be more upside. To me Freeman had a inconsistent year due to his eye issues and still improved on his power numbers. In his second year he was more selective as the season went on and drew more walks, increased in HR’s from his rookie year and RBI’s, all while playing less with the eye and finger injury. Doesn’t seem like a well thought out statement from Law which isn’t real surprising.
Hillbilly
November 2nd, 2012
11:58 am
Watching that abomination that is called the CMAs lastnight, I noticed Luke Bryan was sporting an E3 hat. That’s the name of LaRoche’s hunting ranch in Kansas.
Hillbilly
November 2nd, 2012
11:58 am
Watching that abomination that is called the CMAs lastnight, I noticed Luke Bryan was sporting an E3 hat. That’s the name of LaRoche’s hunting ranch in Kansas.
Efrim
November 2nd, 2012
11:58 am
similarly, i like Theo, but i would love to see what he’s able to do with a low payroll.
Like Friedman of the Rays
But then some idiot writes a book on the Rays process(Jonah Keri) and then that starts some media folk pointing to how it doesn’t work because they aren’t winning World Series titles. I mean, if he were so smart, where are the rings and where are the attendance numbers?
Sylvester Bill
November 2nd, 2012
11:59 am
For those out there still lusting after Pagan, I sure hope you noticed the times during the playoffs when he just jogged to first base on weak grounballs. If he does that during the playoffs, just imagine what it would be like in July and August.
BravePack(FreeFan)
November 2nd, 2012
12:01 pm
Wow I didn’t want to make my post 3 times…sorry guys.
P-Town Brave ©
November 2nd, 2012
12:03 pm
Cricket-
Are you curious like I am if the San Jose deal goes through and the franchise actually gets some serious money to play with what Billy Beane will do?
richbrave
November 2nd, 2012
12:03 pm
Let’s tote up the moves since the end of the season.
A – OPTIONS
1 – Options exercised
TIM HUDSON
PAUL MAHOLM
BRIAN McCANN
2 – Options not exercised
CHIPPER JONES – retired
B – BRAVES FA’s
1 – free agent list
MICHAEL BOURN – the big fish of course
JEFF BAKER
LYLE OVERBAY
BEN SHEETS – retired
MIGUEL BATISTA
MATT DIAZ
ERIC HINSKI
REED JOHNSON
DAVID ROSS
CHAD DURBIN
CHIPPER JONES – retired
2 – signed to date
0 – Saturday 12:01 a.m. opening time
C – WAIVER acquisitions
JORDAN SCHAFER
D – 40-man roster moves
1 – dropped
JEAN CARLOS BOSCAN – who by the way is tearing it up down south….raking at a .429 clip currently. If he keeps this up, another organization may show some interest.
ERIC CORDIER – who had a miserable two seasons with the higher class BRAVES clubs and was found wanting in the effective department
ROBERT FISH – last year’s rule 5 pick out with TJ. As a LHRP he might be back to contend with AVILAN for the third LH relief slot. We never got to see what he could bring to the table.
2 – added
0
E – Trades
0
cricket
November 2nd, 2012
12:04 pm
I mean, if he were so smart, where are the rings and where are the attendance numbers?
they won’t get attendance numbers even if they win WS unless they move out of St. Pete and no, i’m not a biased tampa-ian (!)
DAP
November 2nd, 2012
12:04 pm
hillbilly Watching that abomination that is called the CMAs lastnight
i watched it because my wife wanted to, and there were a couple of highlights. brad paisley was great, as usual. zack brown band was awesome, and the band perry did pretty good.
David O'Brien
November 2nd, 2012
12:07 pm
they won’t get attendance numbers even if they win WS unless they move out of St. Pete and no, i’m not a biased tampa-ian (!) — cricket
Bad location, period, with that causeway and rush-hour traffic. Put it in Ybor City or somewhere in downtown Tampa.
Better yet, move it to another city. (Sorry, man, but I just don’t think MLB works well in Florida — spring training, yes; regular season, no.) They’ve done a hell of a job on the baseball side there, consistently produced contenders with small payrolls, and there’s barely a bump at the box office regardless of what they do.
Then again, I don’t see a better option other than Las Vegas, and baseball just doesn’t seem willing to move to Vegas. And they aren’t going to contract teams, at least not in the forseeable future.
abeeeewright
November 2nd, 2012
12:07 pm
I’m glad we’re getting some real super villain arch nemeses set up on this here blog.
Polished Minor versus Efrim
Half-baked Schafer versus 10Paul
Samantha versus Murph
Efrim
November 2nd, 2012
12:08 pm
they won’t get attendance numbers even if they win WS unless they move out of St. Pete and no, i’m not a biased tampa-ian (!)
Yeah, it’s a bad situation for all down there. I blame Friedman.
cricket
November 2nd, 2012
12:09 pm
P-Town Brave -
i wish they move to san jose. i lived there and that place will definitely be better for the team. will be interesting to see what he does with extra money tho i suspect he’ll find out that translating increment in payroll to similar increment in success is very hard to do. but i wish it goes through and he gets a chance to work with some real payroll. will be fun to see what happens.
Efrim
November 2nd, 2012
12:11 pm
I’m glad we’re getting some real super villain arch nemeses set up on this here blog.
Polished Minor versus Efrim
More than just me if the premise is about his ultimate ceiling and questioned draft position…..
Shaun
November 2nd, 2012
12:11 pm
Allow me to triangulate between or above Efrim and DOB, if you will…
There is luck to winning a World Series and of course even more to winning two in three years. But the Giants also have a good front office.
In fact, I think most teams these days have solid front offices because teams now know better than ever how to gather, process and utilize information.
Now I’m not saying some front offices aren’t better than others. But I think most of the time when teams fail, especially these days, it’s often because of ownership or bad luck with the draft or with injuries. For the most part I believe that a front office hinders a team only in extreme circumstances. Only the extremely bad ones hinder a team. But I believe most major league front offices these days are pretty remarkable organizations.
Murph
November 2nd, 2012
12:13 pm
I’m glad we’re getting some real super villain arch nemeses set up on this here blog.
Polished Minor versus Efrim
Half-baked Schafer versus 10Paul
Samantha versus Murph
Who is the villain in this scenario? For all we know I was the hero as I’m pretty sure NM Lee was going to end up dead in a dumpster after his rendezvous.
P-Town Brave ©
November 2nd, 2012
12:16 pm
Sometimes there’s quite a bit of luck involved….
Who thought Marco Scutaro would have been the best midseason acquisition and that they would be able to throw Blanco out in LF and withstand losing Cabrera…all the while Tim Lincecum has a terrible year and ends up in the pen come playoff time AND Zito somehow finds it….
Yeah, there was a lot of luck involved, BUT he should also be given credit for bringing in Scutaro and Cody Ross in 2010 which in all accounts won them their WS rings.
Shaun
November 2nd, 2012
12:17 pm
Maybe the Giants should fire Sabean out of, well, principle?
No. But it wouldn’t cripple the franchise. — Efrim
Well, I think part of a GM’s job is to hire and surround himself with the right people. So I think you’re right, Efrim, that it probably wouldn’t cripple the franchise. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t good at his job.
cricket
November 2nd, 2012
12:17 pm
Better yet, move it to another city. (Sorry, man, but I just don’t think MLB works well in Florida — spring training, yes; regular season, no.)
i know DOB, won’t be surprised at all if they move Rays. St. Pete mayor is not budging on contract. i could see them draw more people if they move next to Hard Rock casino in tampa – easy access with highways and added attraction of casino. railway woulda helped the region in general but local politicians will never let it happen, even with Feds paying for most of the cost.
Efrim
November 2nd, 2012
12:18 pm
I feel like there hasn’t been a comparison of the top records and top payrolls in the sport the last 10-15 years. Jayson Stark always says Baseball has more parity than Football and is more “fair”. I’m just not sure I agree with that.
Shaun
November 2nd, 2012
12:20 pm
Here’s another very good piece that relates to math and sports and the whole Nate Silver controversies: http://updates.deadspin.com/post/34780905169/nate-silvers-braying-idiot-detractors-show-that-being
This is very good and is worth a read from all hardcore baseball fans, and why the “sabermetric” side of the game is not all that different from what scouts and others have tried to do, and actually supplements other methods of player evaluation quite well.
abeeeewright
November 2nd, 2012
12:22 pm
Murph … “Who is the villain in this scenario? For all we know I was the hero as I’m pretty sure NM Lee was going to end up dead in a dumpster after his rendezvous.”
As with snark on snark violence, I suspect dumping a blog moniker in a dumpster is a victimless crime.
The left column was the villain list BTW.
abeeeewright
November 2nd, 2012
12:28 pm
Shaun … Allow me to triangulate between or above Efrim and DOB, if you will…
How do you triangulate between two points?
abeeeewright
November 2nd, 2012
12:31 pm
E3 is also a big electronics entertainment exposition.
Efrim
November 2nd, 2012
12:31 pm
But that doesn’t mean he isn’t good at his job.
I think it’d be an incredibly hard case to make to call any GM good or bad at their job, based on the last page or so of comments.
Shaun
November 2nd, 2012
12:35 pm
abeeeewright, I’m using the Clintonesque, political meaning of “triangulate.”
abeeeewright
November 2nd, 2012
12:35 pm
“More than just me if the premise is about his ultimate ceiling and questioned draft position…..”
The good folks of Gotham City were concerned about the Joker, but only Batman obsessed enough to make him an arch nemesis.
abeeeewright
November 2nd, 2012
12:37 pm
shaun … only in politics!
Shaun
November 2nd, 2012
12:37 pm
Efrim, this is admittedly overstating it and oversimplifying things, but I do think it’s basically true that most major league GM’s aren’t bad at their jobs these days.
Efrim
November 2nd, 2012
12:37 pm
The good folks of Gotham City were concerned about the Joker, but only Batman obsessed enough to make him an arch nemesis.
And thank god we had Batman to lead the good people of Gotham over the despicable, awful, polished – Joker.
Efrim
November 2nd, 2012
12:40 pm
this is admittedly overstating it and oversimplifying things, but I do think it’s basically true that most major league GM’s aren’t bad at their jobs these days.
this is admittedly overstating it and oversimplifying things, but I do think it’s basically true that most [insert high pressured position] aren’t bad at their jobs these days.
nolie
November 2nd, 2012
12:42 pm
Seems even the WS champs don’t think he is worth that much for one year. He’ll be cheap, cheap, cheap!…10P
doubt that
Shaun
November 2nd, 2012
12:43 pm
Efrim, I don’t think there is a huge difference between the best front offices and the worst, these days, outside of maybe one or two extremes. I don’t think Brian Sabean’s Giants fall in to the extremes. That’s my point.
kenhotlanta
November 2nd, 2012
12:44 pm
Hillbilly: I watched the CMA’s and I realized where all the good current rock songs have gone…they’re on county radio. Eric Church and his band were sensational with that song “Springsteen”. Luke Bryan was pretty good, too. I have not liked or followed “new country” in years, but I may have to revisit that soon, as there are no longer any decent rock stations in Atlanta. I prefer classic country and no one plays that, either. Jamey Johnson was the only good country artist I have heard in many years until lately.
Thankfully there is XM and Pandora.
TennesseePaul
November 2nd, 2012
12:44 pm
doubt that
Please nolie. The guy will sign for the league minimum… tops. Probably have to accept a minor league contract with an invite to ST. ( :
BravesFanInMaine
November 2nd, 2012
12:46 pm
DOB, What are you hearing from the braves front office right now? Anything on the possibility of making a signing in the near future? Always enjoy reading your blogs and column keep up the good work
kenhotlanta
November 2nd, 2012
12:47 pm
Couch Tater, I’m curious: does Alabama have paved roads yet?
brian
November 2nd, 2012
12:47 pm
Charlotte would be a good area for a MLB team – better than Tampa/St. Pete at least
nolie
November 2nd, 2012
12:49 pm
GATTIS, WILLINGHAM, and HEYWARD around the outfield fences. Makes a man want to pull a blanket close and hunker down next to a fire doesn’t it? Scary.,,rich
you know that Heyward just won the Gold Glove, right? not sure what is so scary about him
Efrim
November 2nd, 2012
12:49 pm
outside of maybe one or two extremes.
I don’t think he’s nearly as good as some are making him out to be after these two WS titles. And I don’t think WS titles is the measure on whether a front office is good or not. Is Andrew Friendman ever going to win a WS in Tampa? Chances are, probably not. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t one of the brighter minds of the game – brighter than some that have won WS.
Efrim
November 2nd, 2012
12:50 pm
not sure what is so scary about him
I think because he’d have to play CF in that scenario, although I’m not sure that’s what rich meant.
Efrim
November 2nd, 2012
12:51 pm
JimBowdenESPNxm JIM BOWDEN
Angels still working on dealing Haren before deadline and are not interested on picking up option and trying to trade later. Expect a trade
I’m gonna guess Red Sox.
Bawlmer Brave
November 2nd, 2012
12:53 pm
nolie, I think he meant scary for the opposition, although I’m not sure who’s playing CF in that scenario.
Efrim
November 2nd, 2012
12:53 pm
I don’t think Brian Sabean’s Giants fall in to the extremes. That’s my point.
Excuse me. And would love to hear which teams do fall into those extremes. I guess by the rationale I’m hearing – none.
P-Town Brave ©
November 2nd, 2012
12:53 pm
Efrim -
DiPoto: At this time, we will take some Boston Baked Beans and some good Irish Whiskey in the deal
Shaun
November 2nd, 2012
12:57 pm
Efrim, I have no problem with folks using the Giants’ WS wins as an opportunity to praise Sabean and the Giants’ front office for the good moves they have made. I there there is room to do that and to praise some of the other great front offices throughout the game that have never and maybe will never win a WS. And perhaps there is not enough attention paid to how bright major league front offices are, in general. I do think that gets overlooked. It’s easy to criticize a move here and there or to criticize a front office that hasn’t won much. And it’s sports so of course it’s competitive and it’s about winners and losers, which lends itself to ranking and criticizing.
Efrim
November 2nd, 2012
12:57 pm
DiPoto
Ownership. Forced.
It’s sort of like knocking Wren on anything – we just don’t know enough, so therefore it’s difficult to critique any front office….
Then why are we all here?
P-Town Brave ©
November 2nd, 2012
12:58 pm
Efrim-
Probably because we’re losers and have nothing better to do
Efrim
November 2nd, 2012
1:00 pm
And it’s sports so of course it’s competitive and it’s about winners and losers, which lends itself to ranking and criticizing.
That’s sort of business in general. There has to be winners and losers and folks that are better than some others. Competition.
But I guess I do not think that every single front office in the sport can’t be critiqued in any way. That’s not reality.
Shaun
November 2nd, 2012
1:00 pm
Efrim, well, I certainly think the Pirates’ mess we heard about recently is pretty extreme and I couldn’t blame the owner for cleaning house and bringing in a completely new front office.
But again, that’s sort of oversimplifying things. The Pirates have done some things well over the past few years and have built a pretty solid farm system.
Efrim
November 2nd, 2012
1:03 pm
But again, that’s sort of oversimplifying things.
And we can do this with every single front office and each of the General Managers can keep their jobs for 50+ years. That’s not realistic. I think it’s perfectly fine to criticize a front office, just like I think it’s fine for my boss to come in my office and give me sh!t for blogging instead of finishing the presentation I’m working on.
brian
November 2nd, 2012
1:03 pm
Efrim – After John Lackey I would think Boston may be a little gun shy about taking on high priced Angel’s pitchers.
nolie
November 2nd, 2012
1:04 pm
well he said “around the fences” so I assumed he meant defense, but I was just pokin’ a buddy not really making a serious point
brian
November 2nd, 2012
1:06 pm
do the Braves make a run at Dan Haren with Bourjos with EOF and a prospect leading our package?
We could then deal from our young pitching depth to get Headley, Willingham, Moustakis, or other LF or 3B bat.
I say no, but it is interesting to think of a rotation with Haren, Medlen, Hudson, Minor, Maholm/Teheran
Patrick
November 2nd, 2012
1:09 pm
Completely agree. Huge news for teams that were considering Pagan. Will now not cost the team it’s first round draft pick.
If Tigers are interested in Pagan, or any other team for that matter. Then, he will not be acquired by the Braves. Wren, McGuirk and the rest of the tightwads that have brought this once exteremly popular and even more successful franchise into mediocrity would be outbid for their own office space if it were up for sale.
George_George
November 2nd, 2012
1:16 pm
It is just past 1:11 here on NC. I have recieved 5 political call so far today, Why are they exempt from “no call” list? One dude called me 2 times today and I have already voted for him. Kinda wish I could take it back.
nolie
November 2nd, 2012
1:18 pm
lotsa things are exempt from the no call list
Bay Area Steve
November 2nd, 2012
1:21 pm
Seems to me baseball success is judged by postseason success. Certainly, most fans feel this way. Clearly, the owners feel this way; more games equals more revenue. While you don’t want to be Marlin-fire-sale bad in between (you want regular season gate/viewers, too), you want to play as far into the postseason as you can.
So, to evaluate teams based entirely on regular season success doesn’t work for me. Y’all tout luck, and sample size, and obviously those play a large part. But, teams can also be built to better succeed in October (the power pitching y’all talk about so much, for example). So, why should a GM not get some of that credit? To dismiss two World Series in three years as anybody could do it seems odd to me.
I don’t know how to measure it, and that’s why I can’t win a debate with y’all, but there is more than luck and sample size to the Giants’ championships.
Roman Gal
November 2nd, 2012
1:28 pm
Party at RG’s. Soph
You know it! Reece’s cups all around!
P-Town Brave ©
November 2nd, 2012
1:34 pm
Awfully dead around here….
People take the day off?
nolie
November 2nd, 2012
1:36 pm
I lean a bit more toward happenstance than genius as far as post season success goes, way too often well rated pickups tank and borderline ones shine in such a way as to win.
so I guess there is a certain level on knowledge that puts a team in possible contention most seasons, but actually winning the WS is a large part circumstance over which nobody has all that much control.
Efrim
November 2nd, 2012
1:37 pm
San Francisco Giants have the exact same regular season record as the Braves the last four seasons – 360-288.
That’s funny.
Reagan
November 2nd, 2012
1:39 pm
Tom H…..like your 12:41 and 12:40 posts. Love their AAA 3B. Has been consistent for three years. Go get him!
Efrim
November 2nd, 2012
1:40 pm
BAS, I guess I think that most anything can happen in a small sample of games, and this doesn;t change just because these games are played in October instead of mid-summer. It’s hard for me to give a ton of credit to Sabean based on World Series titles and attendance(don’t really get that – it’s San Francisco, just like all the other large markets are raking in cash/fans), but I do give him credit for pulling the team out of the gutter that they were in 2005-2008(post-best player of all time era). That wasn’t an easy task.