phil, good luck with that. I can’t even get off my lazy butt and walk, much less run. I should be ashamed, so my Resolution is to get out there and start walking. I live in a neighborhood with sidewalks, fer crissakes…so I have NO excuse. Except I’m afraid I’ll miss it when we trade for Bourjos. :0
Kenhotlanta: Funny you mention the Runaways. I saw them in St Louis as a teenager and they were teenagers,as well. Fun concert and they rocked….great looking,as well. Haven’t heard anybody talking about the Runaways for years. Fun stuff.
Sounds good, phil. That’s prolly my problem, I need someone here to push me…my dachshund is old and sleeps all day (kinda like nolie), so he’s no help.
Mr Pitts: That’s a great memory. They have talked for years about a reunion, but can’t agree on anything. There was a pretty good movie made in 2010 and called “The Runaways”. And I’ve read a couple of books that were better, they were a fascinating story.
I actually liked Lita Ford (as a solo) better than Joan Jett, but both are great. And I liked Cherie Curie as an actress.
Yeah, I’m getting hints that Disgusted doesn’t have any clue about music . I’m certainly not the expert here, but the Blues have such a large role in the music that guy probably listens to and he says he basically can’t stand Blues. Weird.
Yeah, Lita Ford’s heck of a performer , as well. But always liked Joan Jett…her tight black leather jumpsuits didn’t hurt either .. Saw her again in St Louis late 80s with Todd Rundgren. Gosh, the memories.
1. Detroit Tigers
The rotation of Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Doug Fister, Anibal Sanchez and Rick Porcello took the Tigers to the World Series, and they could be even better in 2013. Verlander is generally regarded within the industry as the best pitcher on the planet, Fister is coming back from a season in which he was nagged by an oblique injury, and the Tigers will benefit from a full season of Sanchez, who was re-signed to an $80 million deal.
Detroit is listening to offers for Porcello and if the Tigers find the right deal, they would presumably replace him in the rotation with Drew Smyly. But they always have the option of holding their pitching depth; last season, they struggled constantly to find fixes after Fister got hurt. Rival evaluators believe that the Tigers’ pitching will be helped by the defensive cleanup that Detroit has done in its outfield, adding Torii Hunter and removing Brennan Boesch and Delmon Young.
Scherzer by month
MONTH ERA IP K
April 7.77 24.1 27
May 4.04 35.2 51
June 3.86 30.1 36
July 3.62 32.1 37
August 2.25 32 44
September 2.17 29 33
Linchpin guy: Scherzer. After he dominated the Yankees in the playoffs, some of their hitters raved about Scherzer’s pure stuff and development. In the second half of 2012, he was among the most dominant pitchers in the majors. Check out his month-by-month numbers in the table to the right.
Scherzer is known as somebody who tinkers and sometimes over thinks. If he holds on to what he found last year, he could be the difference between an excellent rotation and something even better.
Stephen Strasburg is back and healthy, and if Washington follows the typical industry guidelines for building innings in young starters, he’ll be able to throw something in the range of 190 innings. Strasburg will be at the front of a rotation that has Gio Gonzalez, who finished third in the NL Cy Young race last season, Jordan Zimmermann, Ross Detwiler and Dan Haren.
Linchpin guy: Zimmermann. He will be three years removed from his Tommy John surgery, and is ready to become, for this staff, what James Shields was to the Rays’ rotation — the reliable front-end guy, the plow horse. Even in a season in which he seemed to tire in the final weeks, he had an excellent year, posting a 2.94 ERA. And the best is yet to come for the 26-year-old.
Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Josh Beckett, Chad Billingsley, Ted Lilly/Chris Capuano/Aaron Harang/Hyun-Jin Ryu. For Greinke and Beckett, this is the perfect situation, because they don’t have the burden of being The Guy. Kershaw is the National League’s best pitcher and he fully embraces all that comes with being the staff leader, from the media responsibilities to those moments when retaliation is needed. Greinke and Beckett can just worry about pitching, which is probably how they prefer it to be. The reason the Dodgers are ranked third — and not higher — is that it’s not really clear what Don Mattingly is going to get out of Billingsley, Lilly or the starting pitcher who isn’t dealt.
Linchpin guy: Beckett. Like other veteran starters who have moved from the AL to the NL, he should benefit from the shift, and Beckett is smart and savvy enough to be able to take advantage of those weakest spots at the bottom of the lineup. Beckett had a 2.93 ERA in his seven starts with the Dodgers, after being acquired from Boston, and now he gets a full-season reset button. He could be excellent. It’s evident from Beckett’s FanGraphs data that he relied a lot more on his cutter in his last few starts; it’s a small sample size, but his strikeouts-per-9 ratio jumped from 6.64 with the Red Sox to 7.95 with the Dodgers.
4. Philadelphia Phillies
Remember two winters ago, when the Phillies were thought to have one of the greatest rotations of all time? There’s a been-there, done-that sense about Philadelphia, a group of players who might be in the twilight of their accomplishments together. But Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels still might be the best trio of starters in the majors, and each is fully capable of winning the Cy Young Award. The Phillies led the majors in starting pitcher innings and strikeouts last season despite a miserable year that seemed to fall apart early. John Lannan was signed to help fill out the rotation, along with Kyle Kendrick and Tyler Cloyd.
Linchpin guy: Halladay. It’s a really big year for the right-hander, because he has a $20 million option that can vest if he throws 235 innings, something he’s done in five different seasons. Shoulder trouble limited him to 156⅓ innings last year, and at 35, he’s reached the age where the performance cliff can be treacherous: He’s really good when he pitches, but it wouldn’t be a shock to anyone if he’s taken down by all the years of accumulated wear and tear. Halladay will enter the season with a career record of 199-100.
5. Cincinnati Reds
The Reds finished fifth in the majors in rotation ERA last season, and their group of five was remarkably durable — Johnny Cueto, Bronson Arroyo, Mat Latos, Homer Bailey and Mike Leake started 161 of the team’s 162 games. As if that wasn’t enough, the Reds intend to shift the overpowering Aroldis Chapman into their rotation in 2013, to give them a needed left-handed presence. Cueto was a Cy Young candidate for most of the season, and Latos made an excellent transition from pitching his home games in massive Petco Park to the confined quarters in Cincinnati. Arroyo, who turns 36 in February, has had seven straight seasons of 199 or more innings. The Cincinnati bullpen should be pretty good, too.
Linchpin guy: Bailey. He has a rep.u.tation for being stubborn and hard-headed, but he seemed to figure out some stuff during the 2012 season, with his ERA dropping from 4.14 in the first half to 3.21 after the All-Star break. Bailey was a first-round pick in 2004 and because of that, it feels like he’s been around forever — but remember, he’s 26. If he has, in fact, turned the corner, and Chapman repeats his delivery enough to stay in the rotation, the Reds might have the best rotation by the end of the year.
6. Tampa Bay Rays
You start with Cy Young winner David Price, complemented by the underrated Alex Cobb, Jeremy Hellickson, Matt Moore and Jeff Niemann. The Rays finished No. 1 in starters’ ERA last season, but they traded anchor James Shields, who threw more than 1,300 innings over the past six years.
Linchpin guy: Moore. He went into the 2012 season as the prohibitive favorite to win the AL Rookie of the Year, after his dominating showing at the end of 2011. But Moore struggled for command consistency for the first half of last season, before putting together a very good second half; Moore had a 3.01 ERA after the All-Star break, with 79 strikeouts in 77⅔ innings. If the 23-year-old blossoms this season, this rotation could be great, rather than just pretty good.
7. Toronto Blue Jays
The addition of R.A. Dickey gives them a Cy Young winner at the front of a group that could be dynamic, with its combination of left-handers (Mark Buehrle and Ricky Romero) and power right-handers (Josh Johnson and Brandon Morrow). Only Justin Verlander threw more innings than Dickey (233⅔) last season, and Morrow might be ready for a breakout season, after gaining command consistency and lowering his ERA to 2.96 in 124⅔ innings last year.
Linchpin guy: Johnson. When healthy, he’s been among the most dominant starters in the majors. Last year, his fastball velocity was down, and he had a 3.81 ERA in 31 starts. It’s a big year for Johnson, who turns 29 in January and is eligible for free agency next fall.
8. Atlanta Braves
Kris Medlen had a sub-1.00 ERA in his last 12 starts, and he could emerge as the front-end guy the Braves need to complement Tim Hudson. The Braves are hopeful that Brandon Beachy will be back at full speed by August and September, meaning that he could be their biggest addition during the course of the season. The Braves will have Paul Maholm all season, along with Mike Minor, and they have depth, with prospects Randall Delgado and Julio Teheran waiting in the wings.
Linchpin guy: Minor. He figured out in late May how to not beat himself, how to minimize damage in his innings, how to be aggressive with his fastball, and he was much better down the stretch. Minor — who actually led the Braves in starts, with 30 — had a 2.16 ERA after the All-Star break. If he picks up that thread in 2013, the Atlanta rotation will be formidable.
9. San Francisco Giants
San Francisco finished sixth in starters’ ERA and the Giants’ rotation helped them win the World Series for the second time in three seasons — and yet the year ended with a lot of questions for the starters. Rival scouts thought Matt Cain showed signs of wear and tear by the end of the postseason, and wondered if he was pitching through fatigue. Madison Bumgarner completely lost his delivery in parts of the postseason, and Tim Lincecum struggled enough to lose his spot in the rotation in the playoffs. But you figure that between that trio and Ryan Vogelsong and Barry Zito, the Giants’ rotation will be one of the best, again.
Linchpin guy: Lincecum. He thrived in the relief role in the postseason, and the Giants are hopeful that he can draw confidence out of that success and apply it to his work in the rotation in 2013. He’ll be eligible for free agency after this season, so it’s an important year for him to re-establish himself as a reliable starter.
10. Oakland Athletics
The Athletics finished third in the AL in starters’ ERA, and now they’ll benefit from a full season of Brett Anderson at the front of a young rotation that includes Jarrod Parker (3.47 ERA in 29 starts), Tommy Milone (3.74), A.J. Griffin (3.06 ERA in 15 starts) and Dan Straily; Bartolo Colon was re-signed for just $3 million, and remember, he was pretty good before being suspended.
Linchpin guy: Anderson. In his first full season since having elbow reconstruction, it figures that the Athletics will monitor his innings — although it’s unlikely they’ll discuss those limits publicly. Oakland is relying on a lot of young starters, which means that when Anderson pitches, the Athletics will need him to be really good, as he was at the end of 2012; in six starts, Anderson went 4-2, with a 2.57 ERA.
David O’Brien
Carroll Rodgers
(and, in no particular order)
cabravesfan HAPPY NEW YEAR
David O’Brien
Carroll Rodgers
(and, in no particular order)
Venice Jim
cabravesfan
nolie
richbrave
McFann :Ô: :Ô: :ô:
Soph
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Ray
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phil
DAP
CB
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Ease
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Jimmy
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uga-brave
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Brava
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Mixxo
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Juan
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Jeff R
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Rick
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keyLargo
…and any REAL posters I may have not included
the next best: New York Yankees
The Yankees have had a rough winter trying to explain their new-found austerity to a fan base accustomed to big, bold (and expensive) moves. But they have managed to hold their pitching together and should have a good and efficient rotation, with CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, Andy Pettitte and Phil Hughes. Michael Pineda is a complete wild card: The talented right-hander is coming back from shoulder surgery, which means that nobody knows what he’ll contribute next season — 100 innings of dominant stuff, or next to nothing, as he recovers. Rival evaluators like David Phelps in a rotation/bullpen swing role.
Linchpin guy: Hughes had a decent season in 2012, despite pitching in a ballpark for which he is an imperfect fit. On the road last year, Hughes went 11-4, with a 3.76 ERA, and 22 of the 35 homers he allowed were in Yankee Stadium, where he went 5-9, 4.76.
We’ll have some polling data on this later in the week, as we present rank the teams based on other categories.
#8 for the Braves rotation in the league… sounds about right to me. Medlen and Minor won’t be that good this season likely, but they should be good enough. #3-4 pitchers
#8 for the Braves rotation in the league… sounds about right to me. Medlen and Minor won’t be that good this season likely, but they should be good enough. low end 2, but like a 3 for Medlen, #4 pitcher for Minor. Our rotation should be consistent, need the offense to step up so we can catch the Nats
Long story short, I got stabbed in the back by the guy I thought was a friend and man of his word. So, I blocked him out of my life for now and myself and my Dad are keeping it going. We’re kinda slow right now obviously, but in the spring and summer it should pick back up.
Hello everyone! Here’s the latest rumor! Braves are looking into LF Delmon Young, and Scott Hairston. Both guys are tagged to the the Braves LF search.
I’m sorry to hear about that – it sucks. And I know how that feels, unfortunately. You’re a good guy, you’ll bounce back and do well. But, I’ll wish you Good Luck, anyway.
David O’Brien @ajcbraves
and many more…. “@jkm623: @ajcbraves Happy New Year from VJ and cabravesfan – the blog has had at least a minor effect on our lives…”
That’s right, Chris, I never thought of that. I guess anyone that has triskaidekaphobia (sp?) can blame anything that goes wrong on the year… besides Bobby
Happy New Year to all Braves fans and blog friends..May the Braves win it all this New Year and ncgary and others with health problem get well…I’ve been out of town for two weeks no post but see the gang is all here.
Wren, for the New Year, Please get us Delmon Young. I think he would do a great service for the Braves. The Braves need that pop, and RBIs…..Peace my friends, and “Go!!!!!Braves!!!!!”
Haha just watch yourself man. The years fly by and before you know it, you’re married with a child on the way and all that fun stuff is not an option anymore. (Not speaking from experience or anything …)
Happy new year all, and especially to the few who help keep the intelligent debates alive and make this blog a great one to keep up with
Tom O’Hawke, Happy New Year! And Happy New Year to all of my blog buddies and ladies here!
I WILL get to feeling better and myself again and will be on the blog way more. I enjoy being here talking about fun things on top of the Braves. Please be safe and let’s all have a nice year of happiness and who knows, maybe even a world title for our Braves.
back for one post! uga – Bring on the Bama, and bring on the fight! Notre Dame will Fight!!!!!Fight!!!!!Fight!!!!!!Onward To Victory!!!!!!! Peace buddy, and Peace out! “Go!!!!!Notre Dame!!!!!”
There is no way that Wren is going to add a hate crime offender to the team in Young, and that was just the most recent of his rotten behavior.
Happy New Year fellow Braves fans
6,304 comments Add your comment
phil
December 31st, 2012
10:01 pm
Resolution…..
Run at least 750 miles next year.
Only 337 this year and it shows.
Hope my feet and legs will allow it, not to mention my lazy backside.
kenhotlanta
December 31st, 2012
10:09 pm
phil, good luck with that. I can’t even get off my lazy butt and walk, much less run. I should be ashamed, so my Resolution is to get out there and start walking. I live in a neighborhood with sidewalks, fer crissakes…so I have NO excuse. Except I’m afraid I’ll miss it when we trade for Bourjos. :0
phil
December 31st, 2012
10:12 pm
You keep me honest, i’ll bug you…
Walk a mile a day!
I’m tired just thinking about it.
Mr Pitts
December 31st, 2012
10:16 pm
Kenhotlanta: Funny you mention the Runaways. I saw them in St Louis as a teenager and they were teenagers,as well. Fun concert and they rocked….great looking,as well. Haven’t heard anybody talking about the Runaways for years. Fun stuff.
kenhotlanta
December 31st, 2012
10:18 pm
Sounds good, phil. That’s prolly my problem, I need someone here to push me…my dachshund is old and sleeps all day (kinda like nolie), so he’s no help.
kenhotlanta
December 31st, 2012
10:23 pm
Mr Pitts: That’s a great memory. They have talked for years about a reunion, but can’t agree on anything. There was a pretty good movie made in 2010 and called “The Runaways”. And I’ve read a couple of books that were better, they were a fascinating story.
I actually liked Lita Ford (as a solo) better than Joan Jett, but both are great. And I liked Cherie Curie as an actress.
Mr Pitts
December 31st, 2012
10:28 pm
Yeah, I’m getting hints that Disgusted doesn’t have any clue about music . I’m certainly not the expert here, but the Blues have such a large role in the music that guy probably listens to and he says he basically can’t stand Blues. Weird.
DiamondbackMac
December 31st, 2012
10:29 pm
nolie – they dug some ditches for Ladd in Shane
They did some creative stuff for Audie Murphy and Robert Conrad also.
kenhotlanta
December 31st, 2012
10:30 pm
Disgusted can be disgusting some times.
uga-brave
December 31st, 2012
10:34 pm
lsu getting jobbed here in the second half.
Mr Pitts
December 31st, 2012
10:35 pm
Yeah, Lita Ford’s heck of a performer , as well. But always liked Joan Jett…her tight black leather jumpsuits didn’t hurt either .. Saw her again in St Louis late 80s with Todd Rundgren. Gosh, the memories.
kenhotlanta
December 31st, 2012
10:37 pm
Lita Ford’s videos to “Kiss Me Deadly” and “Hungry For Your Love” never got old to me, even to this day. Love that music and her.
keyLargo.
December 31st, 2012
10:40 pm
New Years Day
Partly cloudy with a slight chance of showers. Highs near 80. East winds near 10 mph. Chance of rain 10 percent.
Winter’s tough.
uga-brave
December 31st, 2012
10:42 pm
mettenberger is a statue back there.
keyLargo.
December 31st, 2012
10:45 pm
Mettenberger was kicked off the GA team.
uga-brave
December 31st, 2012
10:58 pm
key, i kinda knew that.
uga-brave
December 31st, 2012
11:04 pm
taj boyd can play.
SNEAKY PETE
December 31st, 2012
11:05 pm
stick it Lou
MikeInFl
December 31st, 2012
11:18 pm
Les Miles’ boneheaded coaching does it again. Geez.
uga-brave
December 31st, 2012
11:22 pm
best part is those IPTAY fellas will be now convinced that moron Dabo can actually coach.
recruiting wise a huge win for georgia.
SNEAKY PETE
December 31st, 2012
11:25 pm
Happy New Year Y’all.
Venice Jim
December 31st, 2012
11:32 pm
Jon Morosi @jonmorosi
Mariners have contacted Marlins about Giancarlo Stanton, but one source I talked with doubts a trade will occur.
SNEAKY PETE
December 31st, 2012
11:32 pm
preferred Benatar, great voice
SNEAKY PETE
December 31st, 2012
11:33 pm
Disgusted,GeorgeGeorge,NowhereMan,Mitchell,Coach and ACE for Stanton
uga-brave
December 31st, 2012
11:34 pm
Happy, Happy all. that is about as happy i get. until justin bieber shows up.
TheOnlyBravesFan
December 31st, 2012
11:48 pm
taylor swift was even worse than Biebs…
SNEAKY PETE
December 31st, 2012
11:52 pm
1. Detroit Tigers
The rotation of Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Doug Fister, Anibal Sanchez and Rick Porcello took the Tigers to the World Series, and they could be even better in 2013. Verlander is generally regarded within the industry as the best pitcher on the planet, Fister is coming back from a season in which he was nagged by an oblique injury, and the Tigers will benefit from a full season of Sanchez, who was re-signed to an $80 million deal.
Detroit is listening to offers for Porcello and if the Tigers find the right deal, they would presumably replace him in the rotation with Drew Smyly. But they always have the option of holding their pitching depth; last season, they struggled constantly to find fixes after Fister got hurt. Rival evaluators believe that the Tigers’ pitching will be helped by the defensive cleanup that Detroit has done in its outfield, adding Torii Hunter and removing Brennan Boesch and Delmon Young.
Scherzer by month
MONTH ERA IP K
April 7.77 24.1 27
May 4.04 35.2 51
June 3.86 30.1 36
July 3.62 32.1 37
August 2.25 32 44
September 2.17 29 33
Linchpin guy: Scherzer. After he dominated the Yankees in the playoffs, some of their hitters raved about Scherzer’s pure stuff and development. In the second half of 2012, he was among the most dominant pitchers in the majors. Check out his month-by-month numbers in the table to the right.
Scherzer is known as somebody who tinkers and sometimes over thinks. If he holds on to what he found last year, he could be the difference between an excellent rotation and something even better.
SNEAKY PETE
December 31st, 2012
11:54 pm
2. Washington Nationals
Stephen Strasburg is back and healthy, and if Washington follows the typical industry guidelines for building innings in young starters, he’ll be able to throw something in the range of 190 innings. Strasburg will be at the front of a rotation that has Gio Gonzalez, who finished third in the NL Cy Young race last season, Jordan Zimmermann, Ross Detwiler and Dan Haren.
Linchpin guy: Zimmermann. He will be three years removed from his Tommy John surgery, and is ready to become, for this staff, what James Shields was to the Rays’ rotation — the reliable front-end guy, the plow horse. Even in a season in which he seemed to tire in the final weeks, he had an excellent year, posting a 2.94 ERA. And the best is yet to come for the 26-year-old.
SNEAKY PETE
December 31st, 2012
11:54 pm
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Josh Beckett, Chad Billingsley, Ted Lilly/Chris Capuano/Aaron Harang/Hyun-Jin Ryu. For Greinke and Beckett, this is the perfect situation, because they don’t have the burden of being The Guy. Kershaw is the National League’s best pitcher and he fully embraces all that comes with being the staff leader, from the media responsibilities to those moments when retaliation is needed. Greinke and Beckett can just worry about pitching, which is probably how they prefer it to be. The reason the Dodgers are ranked third — and not higher — is that it’s not really clear what Don Mattingly is going to get out of Billingsley, Lilly or the starting pitcher who isn’t dealt.
Linchpin guy: Beckett. Like other veteran starters who have moved from the AL to the NL, he should benefit from the shift, and Beckett is smart and savvy enough to be able to take advantage of those weakest spots at the bottom of the lineup. Beckett had a 2.93 ERA in his seven starts with the Dodgers, after being acquired from Boston, and now he gets a full-season reset button. He could be excellent. It’s evident from Beckett’s FanGraphs data that he relied a lot more on his cutter in his last few starts; it’s a small sample size, but his strikeouts-per-9 ratio jumped from 6.64 with the Red Sox to 7.95 with the Dodgers.
SNEAKY PETE
December 31st, 2012
11:55 pm
4. Philadelphia Phillies
Remember two winters ago, when the Phillies were thought to have one of the greatest rotations of all time? There’s a been-there, done-that sense about Philadelphia, a group of players who might be in the twilight of their accomplishments together. But Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels still might be the best trio of starters in the majors, and each is fully capable of winning the Cy Young Award. The Phillies led the majors in starting pitcher innings and strikeouts last season despite a miserable year that seemed to fall apart early. John Lannan was signed to help fill out the rotation, along with Kyle Kendrick and Tyler Cloyd.
Linchpin guy: Halladay. It’s a really big year for the right-hander, because he has a $20 million option that can vest if he throws 235 innings, something he’s done in five different seasons. Shoulder trouble limited him to 156⅓ innings last year, and at 35, he’s reached the age where the performance cliff can be treacherous: He’s really good when he pitches, but it wouldn’t be a shock to anyone if he’s taken down by all the years of accumulated wear and tear. Halladay will enter the season with a career record of 199-100.
SNEAKY PETE
December 31st, 2012
11:57 pm
5. Cincinnati Reds
The Reds finished fifth in the majors in rotation ERA last season, and their group of five was remarkably durable — Johnny Cueto, Bronson Arroyo, Mat Latos, Homer Bailey and Mike Leake started 161 of the team’s 162 games. As if that wasn’t enough, the Reds intend to shift the overpowering Aroldis Chapman into their rotation in 2013, to give them a needed left-handed presence. Cueto was a Cy Young candidate for most of the season, and Latos made an excellent transition from pitching his home games in massive Petco Park to the confined quarters in Cincinnati. Arroyo, who turns 36 in February, has had seven straight seasons of 199 or more innings. The Cincinnati bullpen should be pretty good, too.
Linchpin guy: Bailey. He has a rep.u.tation for being stubborn and hard-headed, but he seemed to figure out some stuff during the 2012 season, with his ERA dropping from 4.14 in the first half to 3.21 after the All-Star break. Bailey was a first-round pick in 2004 and because of that, it feels like he’s been around forever — but remember, he’s 26. If he has, in fact, turned the corner, and Chapman repeats his delivery enough to stay in the rotation, the Reds might have the best rotation by the end of the year.
SNEAKY PETE
December 31st, 2012
11:57 pm
6. Tampa Bay Rays
You start with Cy Young winner David Price, complemented by the underrated Alex Cobb, Jeremy Hellickson, Matt Moore and Jeff Niemann. The Rays finished No. 1 in starters’ ERA last season, but they traded anchor James Shields, who threw more than 1,300 innings over the past six years.
Linchpin guy: Moore. He went into the 2012 season as the prohibitive favorite to win the AL Rookie of the Year, after his dominating showing at the end of 2011. But Moore struggled for command consistency for the first half of last season, before putting together a very good second half; Moore had a 3.01 ERA after the All-Star break, with 79 strikeouts in 77⅔ innings. If the 23-year-old blossoms this season, this rotation could be great, rather than just pretty good.
SNEAKY PETE
December 31st, 2012
11:58 pm
7. Toronto Blue Jays
The addition of R.A. Dickey gives them a Cy Young winner at the front of a group that could be dynamic, with its combination of left-handers (Mark Buehrle and Ricky Romero) and power right-handers (Josh Johnson and Brandon Morrow). Only Justin Verlander threw more innings than Dickey (233⅔) last season, and Morrow might be ready for a breakout season, after gaining command consistency and lowering his ERA to 2.96 in 124⅔ innings last year.
Linchpin guy: Johnson. When healthy, he’s been among the most dominant starters in the majors. Last year, his fastball velocity was down, and he had a 3.81 ERA in 31 starts. It’s a big year for Johnson, who turns 29 in January and is eligible for free agency next fall.
SNEAKY PETE
December 31st, 2012
11:58 pm
8. Atlanta Braves
Kris Medlen had a sub-1.00 ERA in his last 12 starts, and he could emerge as the front-end guy the Braves need to complement Tim Hudson. The Braves are hopeful that Brandon Beachy will be back at full speed by August and September, meaning that he could be their biggest addition during the course of the season. The Braves will have Paul Maholm all season, along with Mike Minor, and they have depth, with prospects Randall Delgado and Julio Teheran waiting in the wings.
Linchpin guy: Minor. He figured out in late May how to not beat himself, how to minimize damage in his innings, how to be aggressive with his fastball, and he was much better down the stretch. Minor — who actually led the Braves in starts, with 30 — had a 2.16 ERA after the All-Star break. If he picks up that thread in 2013, the Atlanta rotation will be formidable.
cabravesfan
December 31st, 2012
11:59 pm
Happy New Year East Coast Blog People!
SNEAKY PETE
December 31st, 2012
11:59 pm
9. San Francisco Giants
San Francisco finished sixth in starters’ ERA and the Giants’ rotation helped them win the World Series for the second time in three seasons — and yet the year ended with a lot of questions for the starters. Rival scouts thought Matt Cain showed signs of wear and tear by the end of the postseason, and wondered if he was pitching through fatigue. Madison Bumgarner completely lost his delivery in parts of the postseason, and Tim Lincecum struggled enough to lose his spot in the rotation in the playoffs. But you figure that between that trio and Ryan Vogelsong and Barry Zito, the Giants’ rotation will be one of the best, again.
Linchpin guy: Lincecum. He thrived in the relief role in the postseason, and the Giants are hopeful that he can draw confidence out of that success and apply it to his work in the rotation in 2013. He’ll be eligible for free agency after this season, so it’s an important year for him to re-establish himself as a reliable starter.
SNEAKY PETE
December 31st, 2012
11:59 pm
10. Oakland Athletics
The Athletics finished third in the AL in starters’ ERA, and now they’ll benefit from a full season of Brett Anderson at the front of a young rotation that includes Jarrod Parker (3.47 ERA in 29 starts), Tommy Milone (3.74), A.J. Griffin (3.06 ERA in 15 starts) and Dan Straily; Bartolo Colon was re-signed for just $3 million, and remember, he was pretty good before being suspended.
Linchpin guy: Anderson. In his first full season since having elbow reconstruction, it figures that the Athletics will monitor his innings — although it’s unlikely they’ll discuss those limits publicly. Oakland is relying on a lot of young starters, which means that when Anderson pitches, the Athletics will need him to be really good, as he was at the end of 2012; in six starts, Anderson went 4-2, with a 2.57 ERA.
Tom O'Hawke
January 1st, 2013
12:00 am
HAPPY NEW YEAR
David O’Brien
Carroll Rodgers
(and, in no particular order)
cabravesfan
HAPPY NEW YEAR
David O’Brien
Carroll Rodgers
(and, in no particular order)
Venice Jim
cabravesfan
nolie
richbrave
McFann :Ô: :Ô: :ô:
Soph
Lew
Efrim
Bat Masterson
Murph
ncscoots
Ward
VaBravesFan
ChattTownBrian
DS1
jeffrey d
tiger297
raleighbravefan
Ray
Tomahawkin
brian
kenhotlanta
phil
DAP
CB
TennesseePaul
Ease
Coach
abeeewright
ncgary
Jimmy
RC
uga-brave
jeffrey d
Brava
bravesgrl4life
Mixxo
BravePack
Arkansas Transplant
MIBravesFan
Bay Area Steve
Juan
flange1
Hillbilly
Moe Berg
keyLargo
Jeff R
Kat
Couch Tater
N8
ZWacky
Rick
Patio Daddio
Owl Hunter
Disgusted
Hugo Z Hackenbush
Trey
haggard
Bravefaninok
P’cola Brave
Kwajbraves
JRW
Lollygagger
Monty
Anders
Random
ColoradoBravesFan
Lemke’s Knuckler
beekay
CraZy
cricket
Trader Jack
Bayou Brave
Roman Gal
RHR
Blog Monitor
Fols
Salt life
Just Pat
keyLargo
…and any REAL posters I may have not included
My favorite Auld Lang Syne version: (BB King)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUHBPFDbnFw
Venice Jim
January 1st, 2013
12:00 am
Happy New Year on the Right Coast!!!
SNEAKY PETE
January 1st, 2013
12:00 am
the next best: New York Yankees
The Yankees have had a rough winter trying to explain their new-found austerity to a fan base accustomed to big, bold (and expensive) moves. But they have managed to hold their pitching together and should have a good and efficient rotation, with CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, Andy Pettitte and Phil Hughes. Michael Pineda is a complete wild card: The talented right-hander is coming back from shoulder surgery, which means that nobody knows what he’ll contribute next season — 100 innings of dominant stuff, or next to nothing, as he recovers. Rival evaluators like David Phelps in a rotation/bullpen swing role.
Linchpin guy: Hughes had a decent season in 2012, despite pitching in a ballpark for which he is an imperfect fit. On the road last year, Hughes went 11-4, with a 3.76 ERA, and 22 of the 35 homers he allowed were in Yankee Stadium, where he went 5-9, 4.76.
We’ll have some polling data on this later in the week, as we present rank the teams based on other categories.
SNEAKY PETE
January 1st, 2013
12:00 am
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
cabravesfan
January 1st, 2013
12:02 am
Happy New Year Tom!
TheOnlyBravesFan
January 1st, 2013
12:02 am
#8 for the Braves rotation in the league… sounds about right to me. Medlen and Minor won’t be that good this season likely, but they should be good enough. #3-4 pitchers
TheOnlyBravesFan
January 1st, 2013
12:08 am
#8 for the Braves rotation in the league… sounds about right to me. Medlen and Minor won’t be that good this season likely, but they should be good enough. low end 2, but like a 3 for Medlen, #4 pitcher for Minor. Our rotation should be consistent, need the offense to step up so we can catch the Nats
Tom O'Hawke
January 1st, 2013
12:10 am
TOBF
Happy New Year, man
You weren’t around at the time I dug up at that list, sorry.
BFChris28
January 1st, 2013
12:11 am
Happy New Year Tom O’Hawke!!!!!!!
TheOnlyBravesFan
January 1st, 2013
12:11 am
and by that good, I mean as good as they were in the 2nd half of last season
Tom O'Hawke
January 1st, 2013
12:12 am
You too, Chris
How’d the lawn-service go this past year?
TheOnlyBravesFan
January 1st, 2013
12:14 am
Happy New Year to you too Tom!
+ all my other faves…. nolie, McFann, cab, VJ, Lew, old man, richbrave… the rest of y’all know who you are!
Night folks
cabravesfan
January 1st, 2013
12:14 am
Same to you TOBF
BFChris28
January 1st, 2013
12:15 am
Tom O’Hawke
Long story short, I got stabbed in the back by the guy I thought was a friend and man of his word. So, I blocked him out of my life for now and myself and my Dad are keeping it going. We’re kinda slow right now obviously, but in the spring and summer it should pick back up.
Venice Jim
January 1st, 2013
12:16 am
TOBF – back at you – but I will still carry on my tutoring duties towards you…
Ward
January 1st, 2013
12:17 am
Hello everyone! Here’s the latest rumor! Braves are looking into LF Delmon Young, and Scott Hairston. Both guys are tagged to the the Braves LF search.
Tom O'Hawke
January 1st, 2013
12:19 am
Chris
I’m sorry to hear about that – it sucks. And I know how that feels, unfortunately. You’re a good guy, you’ll bounce back and do well. But, I’ll wish you Good Luck, anyway.
Mixxo
January 1st, 2013
12:20 am
Thanks Tom O’Hawke, same to you and to all of the rest of you lovely folks!!!
Venice Jim
January 1st, 2013
12:20 am
Hard to imagine that one of the people in the room is singing along with all the A Chorus Line songs from the Marvin Hamlisch tribute…weirdo..
BFChris28
January 1st, 2013
12:20 am
Thanks, that means more than you’ll ever know.
Me, My Dad and My Mom really are doing the business now, my mom keeps the books n stuff and me and my Dad go out and do the work.
And thanks for the Good Luck, hopefully 13 is a lucky year for us lol.
Venice Jim
January 1st, 2013
12:21 am
David O’Brien @ajcbraves
and many more…. “@jkm623: @ajcbraves Happy New Year from VJ and cabravesfan – the blog has had at least a minor effect on our lives…”
Tom O'Hawke
January 1st, 2013
12:24 am
13
That’s right, Chris, I never thought of that. I guess anyone that has triskaidekaphobia (sp?) can blame anything that goes wrong on the year… besides Bobby
Ward
January 1st, 2013
12:25 am
If I had to choose? I would take Delmon Young. I’m thinking about his 102RBIs……
Ward
January 1st, 2013
12:26 am
Happy New Year to all of you too! It not he New Year yet! In Montana time zone.
Venice Jim
January 1st, 2013
12:26 am
There is no one with whom I have ever interacted (or not, for that matter) to whom I do not wish a great 2013- even our friend up north…
Venice Jim
January 1st, 2013
12:27 am
That being said – we are ready for Braveone’s 2012 compilation, so we can see exactly how much normal teenage life TOBF needs to live…
Tom O'Hawke
January 1st, 2013
12:29 am
VJ, I draw the line on “our friend up north”. I betcha DOB would, too.
Venice Jim
January 1st, 2013
12:32 am
Chipper Jones @RealCJ10
Happy new year to everyone on the twitta! Good luck to the Bravos in 2013!
BFChris28
January 1st, 2013
12:32 am
Well, 4 is my lucky number, but 13 has usually be kind to me, so maybe it’ll continue to be kind to me.
richbrave
January 1st, 2013
12:36 am
Happy 2013 everyone.
Moe Berg
January 1st, 2013
12:37 am
Happy New Year, Tom. Thank you for the well-wishes. About to call it a night. Adieu.
Couch Tater
January 1st, 2013
12:38 am
Happy New Year, Folks!
TheOnlyBravesFan
January 1st, 2013
12:38 am
normal teenage life…. boring. Who can be bothered w/ girls and trivial outdoor games…
baseball, weather, more baseball, and some football (and school of course)
I can do without that extra stuff for now!
Peace.
Tom O'Hawke
January 1st, 2013
12:47 am
Welcome, Moe… thanks for stopping by to say that.
jbill
January 1st, 2013
12:48 am
Happy New Year to all Braves fans and blog friends..May the Braves win it all this New Year and ncgary and others with health problem get well…I’ve been out of town for two weeks no post but see the gang is all here.
richbrave
January 1st, 2013
12:48 am
SNEAKY PETE
December 31st, 2012
11:32 pm
“…….preferred Benatar, great voice…….”
Used to catch BENETAR down in the slip at Sam Miller’s when she was on the wat up and out of Richmond. Great voice, energy…..
Ward
January 1st, 2013
12:49 am
Wren, for the New Year, Please get us Delmon Young. I think he would do a great service for the Braves. The Braves need that pop, and RBIs…..Peace my friends, and “Go!!!!!Braves!!!!!”
richbrave
January 1st, 2013
12:51 am
Time for a snooze. More dawn patrol in the kitchen later this morning. NYTOL.
Tom O'Hawke
January 1st, 2013
1:01 am
Happy New Year to all in the Central Time Zone!
dylan
January 1st, 2013
1:09 am
@tobf
Haha just watch yourself man. The years fly by and before you know it, you’re married with a child on the way and all that fun stuff is not an option anymore. (Not speaking from experience or anything
…)
Happy new year all, and especially to the few who help keep the intelligent debates alive and make this blog a great one to keep up with
ChattTownBrian
January 1st, 2013
1:49 am
Tom O’Hawke, Happy New Year! And Happy New Year to all of my blog buddies and ladies here!
I WILL get to feeling better and myself again and will be on the blog way more. I enjoy being here talking about fun things on top of the Braves. Please be safe and let’s all have a nice year of happiness and who knows, maybe even a world title for our Braves.
uga-brave
January 1st, 2013
1:56 am
tater get it.
uga-brave
January 1st, 2013
1:58 am
we were five yards short, get it.
Tom O'Hawke
January 1st, 2013
1:59 am
… maybe even a world title for our Braves. — CTB
That WOULD make this a happy new year for this blog-crew, wouldn’t it? Get well, Braves-brother!
uga-brave
January 1st, 2013
2:12 am
BAMA will kill notre dame.
uga-brave
January 1st, 2013
2:14 am
tater, we we reallly close.
uga-brave
January 1st, 2013
2:18 am
georgia woulld of killed notre dame.
uga-brave
January 1st, 2013
2:22 am
bama will kill them.
BraveDan
January 1st, 2013
2:24 am
Happy New Year to everyone!!! Coming to y’all from SOONER COUNTRY!!! and of course BRAVES COUNTRY!!!
BraveDan
January 1st, 2013
2:24 am
Happy New Year to everyone!!! Coming to y’all from SOONER COUNTRY!!! and of course BRAVES COUNTRY!!!
BraveDan
January 1st, 2013
2:25 am
Starting out the new year cold, foggy and rainy here in Oklahoma.
uga-brave
January 1st, 2013
2:26 am
BAMA is coming.
Tom O'Hawke
January 1st, 2013
2:35 am
uga-brave
Who do you like next week when Alabama faces Notre Dame?
Ward
January 1st, 2013
2:38 am
back for one post! uga – Bring on the Bama, and bring on the fight! Notre Dame will Fight!!!!!Fight!!!!!Fight!!!!!!Onward To Victory!!!!!!! Peace buddy, and Peace out! “Go!!!!!Notre Dame!!!!!”
Tom O'Hawke
January 1st, 2013
2:41 am
Ward
Who do you like next week when Alabama faces Notre Dame?
Blog Monitor
January 1st, 2013
2:53 am
I don’t know who to root for in the title game, I don’t want to see either win, maybe they could play to a 0 – 0 tie?
Blog Monitor
January 1st, 2013
2:54 am
nah, that wouldn’t work either…
jbailz23
January 1st, 2013
3:44 am
Happy New Year DOB, Carroll and all you bloggers out there! Even if some of you are bitter Betty’s or Negative Nancy’s, you’re entertaining as heck!
jbailz23
January 1st, 2013
3:48 am
Happy New Year Tom, I’ll put myself on the last line of that list
jbailz23
January 1st, 2013
3:52 am
I want to see Notre Dame win because I’m tired of hearing everyone saying they don’t stand a chance, call me an underdog
Half Empty
January 1st, 2013
4:25 am
There is no way that Wren is going to add a hate crime offender to the team in Young, and that was just the most recent of his rotten behavior.
Happy New Year fellow Braves fans
Half Empty
January 1st, 2013
4:37 am
I saw a lot of love for PAT BENATAR on the blog tonight. Can’t blame anybody for that.
“Hit Me With Your Best Shot” was one of my favorites.
Tommy Boggs
January 1st, 2013
7:02 am
How about Hit me with a new blog for 2013?