Comments on: Braves’ outfield needs overhauling (again)

By: HENRY PR BRAVE

HENRY PR BRAVE — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:41:00 +0000

The 2010 line up:
1. McLouth, cf
2. Escobar, ss
3. Chipper, 3b
4. Nady, rf
5. Mc Cann, c
6. Laroche, 1b
7. Diaz, lf / Jordan
8. Prado, 2b
Dreams?????
2010 Rotation:
1. Vazquez
2. Hudson
3. Jair
4. Hanson
5. Kawakami
Add RP: Smoltz/
Re-sign: Gonzo / Soriano
Hasta la vista baby (Lowe and $15 millionssss)

Good work fans!
Hear us please, Mr. Wren

By: PaulWinchester

PaulWinchester — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:03:39 +0000

The Braves management should be praised for picking up former Brave Adam LaRoche during the season. LaRoche was pitiful when he was here the first time, striking out a lot and not having a good knowledge of the strike zone. LaRoche has improved dramatically, but he still has lapses at the plate where he looks clueless and takes perfectly good stikes when he should be crushing those pitches over the fence. I believe though if LaRoche spends enough time during the offseason working with hitting coach Terry Pendleton, from what I saw of LaRoche in the second half of the baseball season; LaRoche has the potential to be as good as Albert Pujols or maybe better. LaRoche is that good. All Adam has to do is commit to swinging at piches in the strike zone, and not take them for called strikeouts. Adam already knows the zone well enough to connect and get a lot of base hits for pitches that he is taking for called strikes. I think Adam LaRoche is on the verge of becomming the next Alebrt Pujols and I hope the Braves management will sign LaRoche to a long term contract.

By: JamesPullitzer

JamesPullitzer — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:33:51 +0000

I know this may seem trivial, but I know who is responsible for the Braves missing the post-season? To no ones surprise, its Bobby Cox. I will not give him a free pass this time because Bobby could have prevented the Braves from missing the playoffs. All he had to do was one thing: ORDER HIS PITCHERS TO INTENTIONALLY WALK RYAN HOWARD OF THE PHILLIES. IF HE HAD DONE THAT, THE BRAVES ARE IN AS NL EAST DIVISION CHAMPS. Bobbys ego wouldnt allow him to do what is obvious because BOBBY WANTED TO BE KNOWN AS THE ONLY MANAGER IN BASEBALL HISTORY WHO WAS NOT AFRAID TO PITCH TO RYAN HOWARD. That is utter foolishness. The Braves would have been enjoying the post-season and possibly end up as World Series champions had Bobby Cox not been so stubborn. Bobby Cox will never under any circumstance intentionally walk Ryan Howard because he feels his pitchers can get him out. Big mistake. There are two guys in the national league that ever manager knows you must intentionally walk if you want to have any chance of beating those teams: (1) Albert Pujols of St. Louis; and (2) Ryan Howard of Philadelphia. This is a no-brainer for most baseball fans and experts, but Bobby is loyal to a fault and Bobby would much rather go to his grave first then do the obvious thing for his team to be in a better position. Some day the old geiser will learn his lesson, but it wont be any time soon. Good luck Braves, hope you get a skipper who knows what he is doing.

By: ozzie

ozzie — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 05:19:16 +0000

Diaz is a platoon player. If he is starting next year the Braves won’t make the playoffs unless they have Prince Fielder at 1B which they won’t.

Wren was suckered into 2009 in terms of the offense he thought he had. Hopefully he will not make the same mistake twice and that means turning a deaf ear to Bobby and his player choices.

Good lord Prado in RF and KJ starting at 2B next year. Really Bobby is that your plan to go out on top?

Wow. One can only hope Wren just rolls his eyes when he hears stuff like that in 2010 b/c if he acts on it 2010 will be a long and painful year.

By: CallUpConrad

CallUpConrad — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:15:03 +0000

Me has the feeling that we’ll be sitting here this time next year lamenting over the fact that Atlanta has entered the season with Matt Diaz in LF, Nate McLouth in CF, Martin Prado in RF and Kelly Johnson at 2B with no more power or speed than this year and at the end of next year the Braves will once again be on the outside looking in.

By: nemov

nemov — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:47:54 +0000

I still have high hopes for Schafer. He was clearly injured. Unfortunately for the Braves he tried to play through it. The kid didn’t magically forget to hit a week into the season. My only concern is that his confidence may have taken a beating those two months.

We need a good leadoff hitter because McLouth is best suited to bat second.

Next year’s line up:

Schafer – cf
Diaz/McLouth – LF
Jones – 3B
New Bat – RF
McCann – C
Escobar – SS
LaRouche – 1B
Prado – 2B

By: Carolina Gent

Carolina Gent — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:21:08 +0000

Here’s one vote for an addition I haven’t seen suggested here… if the Marlins fire Fredi Gonzalez (as SI says they might) let’s pick him up and put him somewhere on the staff as the heir-apparent! I’d love to see him running the team year-after-next!

By: NickDiamond

NickDiamond — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:26:53 +0000

Thank God the Braves will get some help at outfield next year. Jason Heyward is scheduled to break through to the big leagues. Jason IS THE ABSOLUTE BEST MINOR LEAGUE PROSPECT IN ALL OF BASEBALL. He will give the Braves a much needed shot in the arm in the outfield. Since the Braves will be loaded at the outfield positions, hopefully they can craft some great trades to add some additional skills throughout the lineup. The Braves should have a 100-win team next season and a team capable of winning the world series. Period. End of Story.

By: Joe N

Joe N — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 22:45:31 +0000

There is an imposter posing as my Sonny Clusters routine. I just saw him, because I haven’t gotten a chance to do my routine today.

By: varoadrunner

varoadrunner — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 20:18:12 +0000

The one thing we seem to overlook is the bullpen. Medlin is somewhat solid for an inning or two. But who stays? Personally, I’d like to see us acquire Wagner – he’s a true closer and then find some middle relief pen people.