LIVE: Braves get Michael Bourn, now hope that’s enough
The Braves finally made a catch before the trade deadline: Welcome, Michael Bourn. (AP photo)
(UPDATED: 1:45 p.m. Folks, here’s the updated blog on the trade. I’m read to chat live now about the deal and the game. Sorry couldn’t get to earlier questions and comments but I’ve been kinda busy.)
It was the eve of the trade deadline, and Jordan Schafer was having trouble sleeping.
“I just had a weird feeling,” he said Sunday. “It’s something I hadn’t felt all along. I even sent a text message to my agent. I told him I thought I might be traded. He said, ‘No, there’s no chance.’”
And then he opened his phone to show a reporter the text message: “10:57 p.m. ‘Wonder if I’m going to Houston.’”
Sometimes, it’s not so great to be a prophet.
The Braves dealt Schafer to Houston Sunday. They made the move less because of what they believe Schafer might be one day than what he isn’t now: Michael Bourn. After dealing Schafer and three prospects to Houston for Bourn, the All-Star center fielder and leadoff hitter, Braves general manager Frank Wren said, “Michael is what we hope Jordan will be in three or four years. For a team that’s poised to win, we need a finished product.”
Wren needed the right sound bite. Braves fans have felt antsy, angry, frustrated, discontent and maybe even borderline hopeless after seeing San Francisco (Carlos Beltran) and Philadelphia (Hunter Pence) each spin major deals in recent days. So Wren hit on the right themes. What comes of this deal, we can’t possibly know.
Chipper Jones lauded Bourn’s speed, but when asked if the Braves are better team as a result of the deal, he said: “I don’t know. Talk to me in two months.”
The fact Jones was a big fan of Schafer’s might have fed into his comments. (At one point, he left his locker to walk over to Schafer, who was packing, to give him a hug, and the two spoke privately for a couple of minutes.) But Jones also struck the proper tone. There were some things about this year’s Braves team we projected back in spring training camp that haven’t panned out. So it’s best not to assume anything now.
Still, credit to Wren. He waited until the day of the trading deadline before pushing the button. The trade market had become increasingly difficult and expensive (opponents love desperate buyers). Wren made the best trade he could have possibly made at this point.
Bourn is hitting .303. He leads the majors with 39 stolen bases. He has 28 infield hits. He has won two Gold Gloves. He immediately becomes this team’s best and most established leadoff hitter since Rafael Furcal. So this is no minor acquisition.
“The perfect fit,” Wren called him.
The Braves certainly have World Series potential now. Then again, we thought that they had that in the spring. Championships assume two things: good health and expected production, and the Braves have used their opening day lineup only 11 times.
But consider this potential batting order: Michael Bourne, Martin Prado, Chipper Jones, Brian McCann, Dan Uggla, Freddie Freeman, Jason Heyward, Alex Gonzalez. If everybody’s clicking, there’s no escape. After all the angst, this may work out yet.
Some of what Wren said Sunday carried a trace of draft day spin. He acknowledged the team “inquired” about Pence and had interest in Beltran. But he also suggested the Braves never really wanted either that much.
“We could’ve had Beltran. … Same with Pence,” he said. “We were involved in everything but we weren’t really into everything.” (I’m assuming the comments would’ve been different had they acquired either.)
Wren got his wish: He held onto the organization’s four projected golden arms in the minors. He closed the deal for Bourn just before 9 a.m., then he phoned Schafer.
“I was backing out my driveway,” Schafer said. “As soon as I looked down at the phone and saw who it was, I knew. It sucks. But it’s a business.”
In a perfect world, Schafer goes on to have a good career, the Braves win a championship and Bourn turns out to be a lot better than the last time the team traded for a Gold Glove, All-Star center fielder who could hit leadoff (Nate McLouth).
We’ve learned not to project. But it certainly looks good.
By Jeff Schultz
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794 comments Add your comment
Mike Lum
July 31st, 2011
10:26 am
great!
ATN
July 31st, 2011
10:28 am
Good move! I liked Schafer as well but there’s no guarantees that he would turn out to be our future center fielder. Bourne has proven himself-his OBP and speed will be a huge asset to the lineup. Would have loved to have Carlos Quentin but this was the 2nd best scenario at this point.
RRR
July 31st, 2011
10:29 am
It’s a win, win…and NONE of our top guns were lost. Sign him to an extension NOW. Hopefully, for years to come, he haunts the Phils.
MVPrado
July 31st, 2011
10:30 am
Great deal!
http://sportscrack.com
BeegBoy25
July 31st, 2011
10:31 am
Jeff,
Very pleased with move; can Julio, Minor, or Vizcaino help us a little in bullpen down the stretch without an addition there??
Ted M
July 31st, 2011
10:32 am
The Braves are gonna get Infante back too which should round out the team pretty good.
dennis felton
July 31st, 2011
10:32 am
first?
James Harley
July 31st, 2011
10:32 am
Alright!!! Now lets go get this thing done!!
josh
July 31st, 2011
10:33 am
Love it! I said to someone just the other day I don’t think we have had a solid CF since Andruw; I love that he’s a leadoff hitter who hits .300+ and leads the lg in steals. Didn’t give up anything major to get him, Schafter is ho hum; kinda glad to get the HGH dude off the roster..
—
The NEW Atlanta Sports Blog – http://www.atlantainsight.com
dennis felton
July 31st, 2011
10:33 am
can we trade A GONZ now?
Mike Lum
July 31st, 2011
10:33 am
As long as Shafer is in the majors there will be “fans” who second-guess this trade, like they second-guess every trade. What is Bourn’s contract status?
longtime braves fan
July 31st, 2011
10:33 am
Don’t know, does this really address the Braves need to combat left-handed pitching? I don’t think so, we needed a right handed power hitter.
Shaefer Was a LOSER
July 31st, 2011
10:34 am
Jordan Schafer was a do nothing Druggie….he was not worth wasting any more time on to try and cultivate him. Once a Druggie, Always a Druggie – worthless pile of crap. Glad to see him gone and Frank Wren is still an A$$ in my opinion……so make sure you tell Bradley to go ahead an assume the position and start blowing smoke about how wonderful Frank Wren is……..
bob klepak
July 31st, 2011
10:34 am
The art of building a RL team versus as OL or Fantasy team is that statistics are relatively meaningless in real life and everything in fantasy. The “fit” is everything and in point of fact, Bourn, the Braves 1st legitimate lead off man in 3 years and base a true stealer, slick fielder filling a current hole is better an acquizition than Roy Halladay or Albert Pujolz for this team at this time.
Outside Observer
July 31st, 2011
10:34 am
Freeman has been great, Uggla is finally hitting, McCann is coming back, Bourn will be leading off… Between Chipper, Heyward, and Gonzo, if just one of them improves a decent amount the rest of the year, our lineup should have a lot of success when paired with our pitching.
Ted M
July 31st, 2011
10:35 am
he is hitting .284 against lefties
MightyQuinn
July 31st, 2011
10:35 am
Somebody who’s going to get on base regularly and steal some bases in front of McCann, Freeman, Uggla. Left handed bats behind him will have a larger hole to shoot for between first and second with him on first. Routine grounders turn into hits. Sounds good in theory, hope it works in reality.
athensmatt
July 31st, 2011
10:35 am
Great pickup for the Braves! I wonder if Wren is still looking for a RH reliever?
Brian
July 31st, 2011
10:35 am
I like the trade, good job by F Wren.
AJ
July 31st, 2011
10:35 am
Good trade… I think Braves may be waiver wire shoppers come August if Heyward can’t get out of his funk. If Chipper and McCann come back well the braves have one heck of a top 6 with Bourn, Prado, Jones, McCann, Uggla and Freeman. That group is every bit of talented as the Phillies, but Heyward and Gonzalez look lost at the plate right now.
boog
July 31st, 2011
10:36 am
This is huge! Great trade…period. Bourn is a better fit for the Braves than either Beltran or Pence. We haven’t had a lead off threat since Otis Nixon. This guy is perfect and to get him without giving up any of our top four prospects is amazing. To even have one ounce of regret over giving up Schafer is laughable. Have you checked is career minor league stats? Never hit above 250. I never understood all the excitement over a 230 hitting outfielder who had a little speed. Wren…is the Man!
L
July 31st, 2011
10:36 am
Pretty much thrilled with this move. Wish it coulda been a righty, but I’m happy we didn’t have to give up 4 top prospects for a new CF. And bon voyage to Schafer–I did think he was starting to get it together, but I’m glad I don’t have to root for the juicer anymore.
Ted M
July 31st, 2011
10:37 am
Tyler Pastornicky – whats his BA & OBP?
boog
July 31st, 2011
10:37 am
For those worried that Bourn bats left… check his stats. He hits lefties just as well as righties and a whole lot better than Beltran.
Rick
July 31st, 2011
10:37 am
Need an RBI guy and a RH in the OF.
Trade Minor and Lowe, pay half salary, for the OF Quinten from the CWS. Bring up one of the other three studs as a starter. The Braves need offense in the middle of the lineup in a very bad way.
Popeye is still hitting .206. Need one more RH real bad. Send Heyward to Gwinnett.
what of it?
July 31st, 2011
10:38 am
What about the bullpen?
we’re just going to let O’Flaherty, Venters, and Kimbrell pll the dead weight of the remaining corpses in middle relief?
TC
July 31st, 2011
10:38 am
Good move…I was never sold on Schafer…Bourn brings badly needed speed to the lineup. The Braves may still be a big hitter away, maybe they can still pull off something with the Sox for Quinton.
KD
July 31st, 2011
10:38 am
How is this anything but a great deal for the Braves? Exactly the deal we needed and we didn’t give up any top pitching prospects.
Aaron McCready
July 31st, 2011
10:38 am
Have to admit I was originally shocked that Wren would trade away Schafer since the Braves were so high on him coming into the season, but Bourn seems to be a better option at the top of the order. Plus, I think everyone would admit that McLouth isn’t going to get it done. Should have traded him!
Rob
July 31st, 2011
10:39 am
Fantastic move!
James Harley
July 31st, 2011
10:39 am
There is one problem here. He can hit…He can steal…but what about the fact that the Braves strand so many runners in scoring position. I hope that changes.
Brent
July 31st, 2011
10:39 am
I think this is incredible – this completely changes the dynamics of our team. Prado will bat .350 for the rest of the year in the 2 spot (seeing nothing but fastballs). That only changes the pitch selection as well for the 3-5 spots as well. Play “bash brothers” baseball does NOT win championships. Defense, pitching, and small ball does (with a dose of just “getting hot” mixed in).
Now if we could just Jay Hey-Hey to AAA for the month of August to rediscover his swing, make adjustments, and fix the HOLE in his swing, we’ll be incredible for the final stretch run.
DOING TOMAHAWK CHOP!
NickGranite
July 31st, 2011
10:39 am
No, it doesn’t address the right-handed hitter issue but it is certainly an upgrade over the previous left-handed hitter. 39 stolen bases… now maybe when Freeman gets all those base knocks he’ll be able to drive them in instead of getting them to third.
tonyb
July 31st, 2011
10:39 am
Jeff, I agree with your overall assessment of the trade. I am not as big a fan of Shafer as are you, and I think he was miscast as a leadoff man. I will say that I applaud Wren for not giving up one or more of the big four prospects for a quick fix. Those prospects are the future and will have great value in acquiring equal talent. We, as Atlanta sports fans, have seen our share of short sighted moves by GM’s, so it nice that Wren was able to get help now yet keep the future bright.
Now this team has to get and stay healthy., If they can, they have as good a chance as any to win the ring.
Jeff ROCKS!
July 31st, 2011
10:40 am
Yes good trade, but we could still use Infante. Release McClouth, and see what the Marlins need to get it done.
Brent
July 31st, 2011
10:40 am
Braves rumored to be bringing back Infante as a RH bat off the bench. Would love that move as well!
henry from TN
July 31st, 2011
10:41 am
now we need willingham and a good right-handed relief pitcher…now we should lock up bourn in a long time deal
sg10abc
July 31st, 2011
10:41 am
This is HUGE deal.. for a team that may need just a couple of runs to win a ball game, those couple of runs could come from Borne’s speed.. he will steal, disrupt pitching with his speed.. I like this deal better than any other need rumored since it fills our need in CF and bring some speed without giving up future . I still hope we can add another decent reliever (unless we convert one of the top prospects into a reliever) and would love to get Infante back as rumored..
Who Me?
July 31st, 2011
10:41 am
Interesting trade, I’ll give you that. I guess the idea of Bourn finally won out over the realities of obtaining a right handed power stick for the rest of the season. Yes, I will miss Schafer’s potential but at least he’s not in our division after the trade. Now that we have the prototypical leadoff man, we need to continue to work to shore up the bottom of the order with some add’l power. Nate’s not the answer long term. it is nice to look at this and know that we have an answer for the Reyes’s and the McCutcheon’s in the league now….
TJ
July 31st, 2011
10:43 am
Jeff, are they done or could they still use one of the young arms to go get Quentin as well and REALLY solidify the outfield and let Prado stay at 3rd, using Chipper sparingly down the stretch?
Brent
July 31st, 2011
10:44 am
What was it that PT Barnum said? “There’s a sucker born every minute?” I wish we could find “sucker(s)” to take Proctor/Linebrink off our hands and get some reliable right handed relievers (and get Moylan back).
DetroitBraves
July 31st, 2011
10:44 am
Schafer had not only not hit well in the majors, he had a fairly lengthy track record of not hitting in the minors. It is very unlikely he will ever hit enough to hold down a regular job, and with only adequate defense (by most metrics his defense was only “good” when compared to McLouth) he probably isn’t a major leaguer. None of the Braves prospects going to Houston made their preseason top 10 (with only Freeman and Kimbrel graduating off that list).
The Dude Abides
July 31st, 2011
10:45 am
Get Infante and call up Vizcaino, on to the World Series!
willy
July 31st, 2011
10:46 am
finally, a decent cf.
enat
July 31st, 2011
10:47 am
good job Frank, now how abt trading A Gon
Brent
July 31st, 2011
10:48 am
TJ I completely agree with you. This gives us the flexibility to use Minor possibly in a RH hitter deal. I would love to see Chipper on our bench, ready to provide late inning heroics when needed (I love Chipper, but we need him healthy, where he can get on the bench).
I know, I know, Chipper is hitting over .400 with RISP, however, right now he’s hitting .000 with RISP, because he’s not playing due to health issues.
Hit A Single
July 31st, 2011
10:49 am
Great deal! How patient can the Braves be with Heyward this year? He is young and probably was not ready for the majors. He is over matched right now. Way too many ground ball outs for a guy that is not hitting for average. He better start driving the ball.
Big Braves Fan
July 31st, 2011
10:51 am
Great trade! I just hope we can keep him around for awhile. The Braves haven’t had a speedster lead off hitter in quite some time.
Reid Adair
July 31st, 2011
10:51 am
As you mentioned, Jeff, the ideal situation was someone who could drive in runs. However, with a lineup that includes so many players hitting below .240, there aren’t a lot of baserunners to be driven in.
I’d be curious to know what, if anything, Frank Wren did as far as pursuing Carlos Beltran. Don’t ask him, though. He would probably lie (as he’s done in the past) and say the Braves made an offer similar to what the Giants did.
BadIdeaMaybe
July 31st, 2011
10:51 am
Now trade Heyward and Minor and Medlen to Miami for Stanton and Infante.
JM
July 31st, 2011
10:52 am
Great trade, but I hope Wren isn’t done dealing. Get Willingham to platoon rest of year with Heyward!
tybeedave
July 31st, 2011
10:54 am
for all the comments about “trade mclouth”, it is not that simple….you can only trade away players that the other team will accept…its not like a trade in on a car where they can give you 200 bucks or 5000 bucks as value.
Tomahawk
July 31st, 2011
10:55 am
COULD NOT BE HAPPIER.
We still have Minor. We still have our major prospects. We still have all the big guys I just KNEW Wade was going to demand. Awesome trade. Nice to have a legit CFer for once! This is a team that needs to win NOW. This isn’t a team that needs to be giving 2nd and 3rd chances to a prospect that debuted three seasons ago.
Allan
July 31st, 2011
10:56 am
By stealing 2nd everytime he singles, he adds a run a game.
Thad Mumau
July 31st, 2011
10:58 am
I really like the deal. Like a lot of fans, I was hoping for a right-handed power bat … to me, Quinten was the most attractive, with Upton too iffy because of attitude (which does not fly in the Braves’ clubhouse).
But considering a center fielder was a big need, Bourne is an excellent addition. Add the fact that he has speed and is an outstanding leadoff guy, he is an even better add because those are two things Atlanta hasn’t had in years.
So what if he bats lefty … he hits left-handers well. He beats out ground balls. He helps manufacture runs. He goes and gets it in CF.
Then, look at what Wren gave up: a once-hot prospect who still may pan out and three pitchers, none of whom are named Teheran, Vizcaino, Minor or Delgado, and we are reminded of a GM the Braves used to have … who was known for late-hour deals which strengthened Atlanta without losing a major piece of the future.
Bourne’s salary doesn’t hurt, either; and he isn’t a rental since he has another year left before free agency.
The Braves are definitely better today than yesterday and will be next season too.
All in all, I say well done, Mr. Wren.
Jeff D.
July 31st, 2011
10:59 am
It’s a good move. Beltran is always hurt and Pence isn’t fantastic in the field so Bourne gives us some elements we haven’t had since Otis Nixon. You’re right on about Schafer, he’s grown up and has looked solid this year till the injury bug stung him twice on the hand. I think Freddie is going to let Bourne run wild and it will be fun to watch. Just tell your boys there at the AJC to lay-off all the Matt Damon movie references for headlines.
clay
July 31st, 2011
11:06 am
everyone knocking wren about not getting beltran and pense. He just proved to you why he is a great gm. He did not give in and give away any of our prospects. Either we still get a middle reliever or we hold out till september call ups, and call our horses from AAA to go out to the bullpen. I dont think we need another bat of the bench bc we have conrad, hinske, wilkin, and now probably constanza. So we are good there, unless heyward still continues to struggle and we get someone off the waivers to platoon with him when left handers are pitching
The Bourn Identity
July 31st, 2011
11:06 am
This is an OUTSTANDING move! We acquired one of the premier leadoff hitters in the major leagues without giving up ANY of our top prospects, and we’ve got him for two seasons! I really don’t see how this trade could be viewed as anything but great. So what if he bats lefty? He hits lefties .285. We have about as balanced a lineup as you could draw up, when everybody gets healthy:
1. Bourn (lefty)
2. Prado (righty)
3. McCann (lefty)
4. Uggla (righty)
5. Freeman (lefty)
6. Chipper (switch)
7. Heyward (lefty)
8. Gonzalez (righty)
TOMAHAWK CHOPPIN DEEP INTO OCTOBER BABYYYYYYYYYY
Supes
July 31st, 2011
11:08 am
Tyler Pastornicky – whats his BA & OBP?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
He’s been tearing it up in the minors but he started at AA and has only played a handful of games at AAA….at the very most you can expect a september call up.
Most people in the know think he’ll need an entire season at AAA next year before he’s deemed ready to take over at SS for us in 2013.
B
July 31st, 2011
11:10 am
This is a great move for the Bravos. They needed a speedster who could get on base and make things happen. This imo will benefit the rest of the lineup if Bourn can get on base as much as he has this season. Getting Bourn and hanging on to the prospects that all these teams were interested in is great. Credit the Braves organization once again. Now WE all need to get out to the ballpark and support this team. It is well deserved!!!
Bob
July 31st, 2011
11:11 am
Now this is exciting news! With Ugly beginning to hit, Freeman gaining confidence, and Prado back, I’m hoping Bourn’s enthusiasm and hustle will be contagious (hear that Gonzo?). And, it appears our starting pitching continues to hold up…please Fredi, don’t over use our relievers.
fanboy54
July 31st, 2011
11:11 am
Welcome to the Braves, Michael! Great trade, and we’re really glad to have you.
cdog
July 31st, 2011
11:12 am
great trade.by far we are blessed to have 2 brilliant GMs infrank wren and thomas dimitrop. but woe until until the atlanta hawks having to rely on an incompetent GM in rick sund.if the hawks had anyone of these gentelmen they would have dwight howard and others.. both are trying to win a world championship while sund is about money and losing.
iTiSi
July 31st, 2011
11:13 am
Disagree with you Jeff, about the RH, LH thing. It’s best that Bourne be a lefty, with that speed, and leading off. That gives a batter about a two step headstart out of the box on a bunt or an infield grounder. THAT will be an advantage. Bobby Cox must have brainwashed you on that lefty/righty thing. When it comes down to it, it does not make enough difference to matter anyway. It would be interesting to know what Bourne has done against Philly so far this year. Got any stats on that?
poison avery
July 31st, 2011
11:14 am
Enter your comments here
ryan
July 31st, 2011
11:14 am
GO BRAVES !
tmc
July 31st, 2011
11:14 am
i like the move..
what is Bourn’s contract status?
Andy
July 31st, 2011
11:15 am
Jeff
What are the chance of another deal today?
TampaDAWG
July 31st, 2011
11:15 am
Best move they could have made. Bourn is perfect and once the Braves are healthy they can drive him in all day. Everybody that watches the Braves saw what damage jordan did when he got on base. Bourn is on base a lot more and is the best base stealer in the game. With Freeman, Heyward, Jones, Mccann, and Uggla, they really don’t need an RBI guy, they needed a lead off hitter. Also, those worried about him being a lefty. Hes hitting left handed pitching at 281 this season. Hats off to Wren for not giving up a single one of the four pitchers everybody wants. Now re-sign him and keep him. Hes worth it!
poison avery
July 31st, 2011
11:16 am
Perfect. Now need a solid reliever to give the pen some rest. Our top three will be spent by the time Moylan gets back.
Katherine
July 31st, 2011
11:16 am
Jeff
I have heard rumors that the braves might try to get infante back…Is that true? He could definitely play short for gonzo sometimes..or wherever the braves needed him.
yeah cmon
July 31st, 2011
11:16 am
How long before you think we’ll see Tyler Pastornicky in the majors? He’s killing it in Gwinnett right now. He has a .435 batting average and a .469 OBP through his first 11 games in AAA. .314 BA and .359 OBP for the season.
Ted M
July 31st, 2011
11:17 am
nothing can make Gonzo hustle.
Smoltzfan
July 31st, 2011
11:17 am
Nice work Mr. Wren, held out on the top tier prospects and got what we needed
Ted M
July 31st, 2011
11:18 am
wow thats great news about Pastornicky.
Mark in mid-town
July 31st, 2011
11:19 am
Real good move by Wren in light of the realities the Braves face. But there isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t think back to just how short-sighted and vision-less and foolish it was to get rid of Yunel Escobar last year. I’m of the opinion that Wren knew better and didn’t want to make that move last year, but that Bobby Cox just pushed it to the point that Wren relented and acquiesced. Does anyone know if that’s true? Anyway, if the Braves still had Escobar playing shortstop, then imagine how good this team would be. Great shortstops on both the offensive and defensive sides are hard to come by. And the Braves gave one away last year, at a time when there was no need to panic and give up on Escobar.
Thadsdad
July 31st, 2011
11:20 am
Love the move, hopefully another bullpen arm is next.
GM R
July 31st, 2011
11:22 am
Excellent trade – Schafer provided a huge lift when he became the first Braves leadoff man to act like a leadoff – now they have someone who does the right things and can hit. I would like to see Bourn signed to an extension as a key piece for the next few years as in MHO this team still needs a couple of pieces before it becomes a World Series contender. They cannot afford to have so much money tied up in Chipper for so little return – hopefully he calls it quits next year but hard to see how he will when it means walking away from all that cash. Maybe the Braves will work out some long term payment scheme cos that’s what it will take. They can then go after a big hitting rightie for left field and decide how the upcoming guys can help the bullpen. Besides Venters, Kimbrel and O’Flaherty the bullpen really sucks. Next year they will have Medlen back along with Moylan, and might think about converting one of the prospects into a long relief flamethrower. So all in all Bourn is a great addition for a team that may not have all the pieces this year but looks like a real contender for next, assuming Chipper does the right thing.
Ted M
July 31st, 2011
11:23 am
Fredi should have let Hudson finish the game last night and rested the pen like he’s always talking about yet never doing.
Bluefinger
July 31st, 2011
11:23 am
Interesting trade. Kind of like when you need a new car and go out and buy a new refrigerator instead.
Bourne will be very effective and a great addition, but we all see that a right hand bat with power is what we need. It seems we always leave it to only one or two guys to supply the power, in the past it’s been Chipper and McCann, right now it’s Uggla and Freeman. Why not have 3 or 4 guys that can knock em in. Heyward needs time in minors to get his head right, might not hurt Prado to clear the cobwebs, too. True Gonzo is struggling, but his glove saves runs. Hinkse and Ross are my new best friends.
Why not!
July 31st, 2011
11:23 am
Bring back Francoeur! He’s the perfect right handed bat we’re looking for. He’s batting .316 against lefties with 8 homers in only 98 abs and we could get him for next to nothing. He could easily platoon in LF and RF.
hawesg
July 31st, 2011
11:26 am
Anyone who thinks this trade is anything but a huge win for the Braves doesn’t understand lineup construction. The Braves have a host of guys who can hit for power, but they have not had someone who consistently gets on base with speed since Furcal left town.
Bourn makes Prado, Chipper, Freeman, Uggla and McCann more dangerous because when he’s at first, the pitcher is distracted.
If Heyward comes around – and he should improve based on regression to the mean – this lineup us fine.
Could still use a reliever and/or bench RH like Willingham or Infante.
Ted M
July 31st, 2011
11:29 am
10:27am: The Infante rumors have no legs, hears Juan C. Rodriguez.
8:29am: Infante is a popular target, tweets ESPN’s Buster Olney, but nothing is close with the Braves and the Marlins are leaning toward keeping him.
CRAP!
Paddy
July 31st, 2011
11:32 am
Shafer is just Brian Asselstien, 31 yrs later. Could add Rowland Office in there as well. I really like this trade!
chris
July 31st, 2011
11:35 am
Braves needed a guy that can generate offense so from that standpoint the move was good. Once McCann and Chipper come back we will find out if its enough. I think even with Beltran the Braves can beat the Giants. Not sure if its the move that puts us past Philly though.
Jo Bling
July 31st, 2011
11:37 am
Mark,
Escobar? Are you serious? We had been trying to trade Escobar for some time before it finally happened, and many considered that deal with the Blue Jays essentially a dump on Wren’s part. Escobar had to be unloaded, and fast, as the rest of the team was done with him. He didn’t fit in, and was alienated by the rest of the players, not to mention the manager couldn’t stand him.
tr
July 31st, 2011
11:38 am
Will Bourn start today? My fantasy baseball teams needs to know.
Scoots
July 31st, 2011
11:38 am
I think ‘best move Wren could have made at this point’ is selling this trade short. We didn’t give up any of the ‘Big 4′ pitching prospects, and we got a guy who is the best base stealer in baseball, a gold-glove center fielder, an all-star and a serious run-producer. He’s not a 1/2 season rental, and despite being a lefty, he hits left-hand pitchers very well.
I think Schafer has a chance to be a solid major-leager, but I don’t see him ever being all-star caliber. and he’s clearly injury-prone.
Great move by Wren! Probably his best one yet.
Mitchell
July 31st, 2011
11:38 am
Sucks to be an Astros fan.
Oh well, screw them.
Scoots
July 31st, 2011
11:39 am
tr, according to DOB, he is not in the lineup
tr
July 31st, 2011
11:40 am
Thanks Scoots. I figure he is probably heading back to Houston today to grab his belongings.
Paddy
July 31st, 2011
11:40 am
Red Adair……..No GM in baseball is going to tell the public what players were offered in trades that did not happen. Think of the moral of the players named but not moved. They will think that the team has given up on them. Mr Wren was not lying, as you implied, he is just being a good professional GM It is just not done, period!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Heisenberg
July 31st, 2011
11:43 am
With the lack of quality arms available and both Bosox & Yanks looking for pitching, this is the chance to move Lowe. Braves hung on to those young pitchers for a reason. Time to send Lowe to the AL East and put Minor in the rotation.
jack
July 31st, 2011
11:47 am
what a steal? bourne never had a decent number 2 batter in houston. you’ll love him in atlanta. remember a cf you had named jones who caught everything not hit to straight right or left field? bourne is better and has a good arm also. he can score from first on a long hit and run single. he’s 39 and 7 in sb’s. that’s total bs. 4 of the out calls were horrible. houston is so bad even the umps are beatin up on them this year. only negative. he recently hired that ****head boris as his agent.
DetroitBraves
July 31st, 2011
11:47 am
Glad the Braves got Bourn without giving up any top tier prospects, but what is up with people wanting ex-Braves back? I mean, Infante is a decent enough utility guy but other than his fluky first half hitting last year he’s not really a difference maker. And Jeff Francouer is fundamentally the same guy he’s always been. His on-base percentage was .300 last year and minus a hot April based mostly on an anomalous batting average on balls in play his on-base percentage this year is only .318, with his walk rate being about the same as ever.
The Braves already have enough guys that are good at making outs without bringing him back.
And the Andruw Jones talk may be the craziest of all.
jrn
July 31st, 2011
11:48 am
good move but we need a rh bat cq would be great or even willingham
Steve
July 31st, 2011
11:49 am
Will Bourn make it here for today’s game?
Rilo
July 31st, 2011
11:49 am
Great Job FW. I haven’t given you much credit other than the Uggla trade (his lack of production was not your fault). I really want to upgrade the SS position but that’s probably not possible. Starting Hinske for Heyward could give the kid some time to work on the swing. I know we will get a RH pitcher or we can just use one of our minor league starters.
BravesFanForever
July 31st, 2011
11:52 am
Love to have Infante back! Omar was at his best with the Braves: His best 3 seasons were all in Atlanta. In 991 ABs he hit .309. He would be a huge upgrade over Alex Gonzalez! A .601 OPS is not cutting it. I guess we all knew what we were getting when we got him but wow, he is really fallen off the planet this year.
Briley Parkway
July 31st, 2011
11:52 am
Boog, Ted M and others make a great point: We don’t need a right-handed bat per se, we need someone who can hit lefties, and Bourne has proven that he can. I think it’s a great move, a really good fit, and we didn’t have to give up any of our “untouchable” pitching prospects.
Mark in mid-town
July 31st, 2011
11:57 am
Jo Bling,
Back in 1977, Reggie Jackson didn’t fit in with the Yankees. He had alienated most of his team-mates and the manager certainly couldn’t stand him. But the Yankees didn’t get rid of him. How did that work out? You don’t dump talent. The Braves were doing real well last year at the time they got rid of Escobar. That means there was no need to panic. There was only an upside to keeping Escobar as his potential was still enormous. And it wasn’t just potential as Escobar had proven himself before his struggles last year. I thought at the time last year that trading Escobar was foolish and vision-less. And Escobar’s strong rebound this year to be among the elite short-stops in the game has confirmed how vision-less a move that was.
5150 UOAD
July 31st, 2011
11:57 am
I hope this guy can be OUR Pete Rose.
He can walk or hit to get on first and steal all the bases to win the game 1-0 behind the braves great pitching.
j
July 31st, 2011
11:59 am
My favorite line of almost every MLB player….”A Scott Boras client”
Furman Bitcher
July 31st, 2011
12:01 pm
mark inn midtown, sorry but Escobar is no Reggie Jackson.
BravesFanForever
July 31st, 2011
12:01 pm
5150 UOAD: “I hope this guy can be OUR Pete Rose.”
???
Pete Rose got on base in his prime far better than Michael Bourn will ever do and Petey didn’t steal bases. There’s no comparison. Pete Rose was a pure hitter and on-base guy, and Bourn is a bunter, in-field hit, speed kind of guy.
But… Maybe our guy can be a good influence and a great leader on the club like Rose always was. I would like that.
Dawgdad (The Original)
July 31st, 2011
12:09 pm
Great article today on Yahoo sports about pitching prospects. Based on the statistics they used, we should trade them all. Scouts pointed out how much better it is to acquire a proven vet than it is to count on a prospect. Something like 67 of the top 200 from 2008 ever made it to the Majors, and few of those were successful at the ML level.
jammer
July 31st, 2011
12:10 pm
great deal…didnt panic and make another Len Barker, Mark Teixeria, Adam Wainwright deal. If the guys we pay to hit actually do hit the braves will be OK. That would be you Heyward and Uggla.
Optimistic Brave
July 31st, 2011
12:10 pm
Pete Rose…? PR was PR, and MB is MB. Surely, we talking apples and umm, grapes. No scandal with Bourn, but an opportunity to actually be admitted to the HOF as a baseball stealer at least. A potential to be a Rickey Henderson type, but not Rickey Henderson. Comparisons are great, but first let the guy be himself and he will be much more appreciated. I have been waiting on this type of player for the Braves to acquire since Andruw departed. Now we can rally around this team as they head into October.
5150 UOAD
July 31st, 2011
12:12 pm
BravesFanForever
Petey didn’t steal bases.
Pete had 198 stolen bases. He started the Head First Slide or Perfected it. You need to check your stats.
ATLcracker
July 31st, 2011
12:13 pm
jack 11:47 am. Better than Andruw Jones ? Bobby Cox was around a long time. When he was asked how good Andruw was he said “He was the best center fielder I ever saw when he was eighteen years old and then he got better.”
Randy Daniel
July 31st, 2011
12:14 pm
Why not bring up that kid from the farm system,Stefan Gartrell?He has been tearing the cover off the ball there in Gwinnett.I think he’d be alot like Florida’s Mike Stanton and would give us more opportunities to win games as well.
ecco
July 31st, 2011
12:14 pm
FINALLY, we make a move to try to keep pace. I just hope it’s enough. We really need a SS now. Hard to belive that last year we had our choice of Bautista or Gonzalez from the Jays and they took Alex…oh well.
Any chance we could get JJ Hardy from the Orioles? Or how about lets get A-Rof from the Yanks and move him back to short! Haha…
5150 UOAD
July 31st, 2011
12:15 pm
198 in 24 years is 8.25 bases a year. I think that ain’t too bad and it means he had to try stealing some to get 8.25 average for a career.
tulsabravo
July 31st, 2011
12:15 pm
But can he lay down a bunt?
Mark in mid-town
July 31st, 2011
12:15 pm
Furman Bitcher, you’re right in that Escobar is no Reggie Jackson. But he is a great player, one of the very best shortstops in the game. He’s a great defender, can hit in the clutch as well as hit good pitching, and he knows how to get on base. He was still young. The Braves were still doing very well last year at the time they gave up on him. They traded him for a serviceable short-stop who is one of the reasons the Braves struggle to score runs when it matters. They didn’t need to do that. They created a hole that didn’t need to be created. Bobby Cox couldn’t stand Escobar, but Bobby Cox was not going to be around beyond last year.
ToccoaBird
July 31st, 2011
12:16 pm
Good luck to Schaf
Steve
July 31st, 2011
12:17 pm
Mark in mid-town Escobar was nothing but trouble in the locker room. The Braves don’t take that! Bobby hated him. Don’t need that crap in the locker room.
Jbone
July 31st, 2011
12:17 pm
Hey Rick….”Popeye’s” average is not going to be good this year. He could hit .400 the rest of the way and his avg still won’t be a high one. Focus on his rbis and homers. His avg for the year isn’t important now.
ToccoaBird
July 31st, 2011
12:23 pm
All that matters now is catching the phillies and winning the division anything less isn’t going to cut it
ATLcracker
July 31st, 2011
12:25 pm
A demonstration of why Yunel had to go.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZP-oaX5×3q0
bad brad
July 31st, 2011
12:26 pm
You can’t trade McLouth. Who wants him? He’s a weak-hitting, throw to the wrong base, over throw the cutoff man, get thrown out for arguing strikes when your team is short of players kind of guy. Ready for him to be gone.
Optimistic Brave
July 31st, 2011
12:26 pm
Sometimes the answer to a problem or potential problem is to rally around that player, not cast them out. After all, they are a team. If there was a problem, perhaps it was personal. Escobar was young, and with young players, just like young children in a household, one must listen to them, and then counsel them. Mark is correct, Escobar is a great young shortstop. I believe he would still be in Atlanta if Freddie would have been coach. He has a good spirit for dealing with all players, especially hispanic players. This will be a key asset moving forward in major league baseball. Just look around the league.
Robert
July 31st, 2011
12:26 pm
Smell another Texeira fiasco. Rent a player for a pennant raise for 3mos while give a way a young player who hasn’t arrived ( in his case, due to early career injuries). So, way to early to have traded Schafer for a three month player.
TruthSeeker
July 31st, 2011
12:26 pm
That’s a helluva trade. None of those guys project to be difference-makers in the big leagues, unless they really blossom. Bravo to Wren for this trade.
extremus
July 31st, 2011
12:27 pm
While obviously Jordan Schafer and any of those other players sent to Houston could end up having successful Major League careers, this was about as great a move as Braves fans could have hoped for. Bourn may benefit the Braves more than Pence will the Phillies simply by adding such table-setting speed (combined with a .300-plus average, something that Schafer so far hasn’t done), enabling the big bats below him in the order to not have to swing for the fences to get runs across as often. When all is said and done I think I like the addition of Bourn’s skillset more than Beltran’s, Pence’s or Quentin’s; it fits the Braves’ needs (especially team speed) much better. Here’s hoping the Braves can re-up him for a long time to come (along with the hope that this move will “be enough” to win a World Series in 2011).
chief pitchanono
July 31st, 2011
12:29 pm
Great Move!! Getting Bourn and still got to keep our A list pitchers. Awesome job Wren. I have to take back what I said about Houston’s GM. I really thought he was gonna hold our feet over the fire after we showed our hand with the pence deal, but he didn’t, he still got some good proscpects and several of them, just not our best. I don’t know if this will be enough to overcome a 5 game deficit and two weeks without McCann to win the division, but it certainly puts us in great shape to make the playoffs and too match up against the phillies and giants. Hopefully we get a little bullpen help before 4pm and we should be in great shape. Go Braves!!
jtfalcfan
July 31st, 2011
12:33 pm
FAIL
Not necessarily EPIC, but what does this really address? It’s a position we could make do with, but unless you add righty pop, this does nothing
bj
July 31st, 2011
12:33 pm
Great News! Now go get Willingham are Omar to balance the RH hitter we need…Thanks Wren!!!!!!!!!!!!
FYI
July 31st, 2011
12:34 pm
FYI… For those touting Bourn’s OBP… Bourn’s career OBP = McLouth’s Just glad we got him for nothing… It now buys us a pinch runner (McLouth) late in the game in the playoffs… Promote Kimbrel Jr. (Jaye Chapman at Gwinnett)… Guess we can wait another month… Granted the Braves lineup has scored more runs with a prototype leadoff than when we had Prado up there…
jtfalcfan
July 31st, 2011
12:36 pm
Giants beat our arse last year in the playoffs
Philly is AGAIN beating our arse in the divison.
And both just b**ch slapped us in the trade market.
FAIL
Paddy
July 31st, 2011
12:37 pm
Robert…..this is not a-rent-a-player deal. If you read the article, he is only going to eligible for arbitration next year. Thats not even apples and oranges.
way off base on this one padner!
Gwinnett Fred
July 31st, 2011
12:42 pm
I like it. The Phillies & Giants got the bigger names, but I think the Braves got the best FIT! Have to go back to the days of Otis “My Man” Nixon when we had an elite lead off hitter.
I do get a chuckle out of the Wren quote, something along the lines of it being a good fit because we trend the team around speed and defense to go with our stellar pitching staff. Hey Frank – with the addition of Bourne, that raises our number of “team speed” players to ONE!!
In any case – it was like trading Schaefer and 3 low end minor leagers for the player we wanted Schaefer to become!
otis nixon
July 31st, 2011
12:47 pm
BC never liked speed. “Wait for the 3-run homer” was his mantra. It’s nice to see his influence fading and Fredi adding speed and a true leadoff hitter for the first time since Furcal.
Satchmo
July 31st, 2011
12:49 pm
Any time you get a lead off hitter that hits over .300, is a gold glover and steals 80% of his attemps , it’s a win. Only negative, he SO’s 20 to 25 % of his AB’s , but its been the missing piece of the puzzle, that we need, as he”ll generate more runs like a Maury Wills, Lou Brock guy, that in the day they got you a run, and let the strong pitching they had, shut down the other team. That will mean a lot when you go against the Phils and Giants down the road.
Mitchell
July 31st, 2011
12:51 pm
The only question about this is, can he get on base, will we actually let him run if or when he gets on base or will we just stick with the same wait-for-the-three-run-home-run style of offense?
It’s a simple question.
I want answers!
Tman
July 31st, 2011
12:52 pm
This is great news. Bourn provides us with the kind of run manufactoring capability we’ve lacked the past couple of years. Maybe now people won’t badmouth Wren so much. He MIGHT just know what he’s doing.Now we just need an inning-eating reliever. It says everything that the Braves feel compelled to use Venters and Kimbrell with a four then five run lead last night. They are in serious danger of being overworked.
TampaGator
July 31st, 2011
12:54 pm
Fran Wren is obviously a better deal maker than the U.S. Congress.
TampaGator
July 31st, 2011
12:56 pm
Oh….that’s right. Frank Wren serves for the best interest of the team…..and the public. The U.S. Congress serves for the best interest of themselves.
Optimistic Brave
July 31st, 2011
12:58 pm
Well Fred, Schafer is Schafer. Bourn is proven, so far. Sometimes prospects must be viewed as just that, prospects. And the need for quality position players will lend to these prospects. This is why the Phillies, Red Sox, Yankees, and others will put into play their prospects in order to contend EACH year for the WS championship. We are still one or two players short with an abundance of prospects to boot. We need to continue to build on both ends to be placed among the giants in the game.
DetroitBraves
July 31st, 2011
12:58 pm
ecco, where on earth did you see that the Braves could have taken Bautista rather than Gonzalez in the Yunel Escobar trade?
JASon
July 31st, 2011
1:03 pm
“The Braves would’ve preferred a right-handed hitter”
Wrong. Braves needed a guy who can hit lefties. Beltran is hitting .230 against lefties. Bourn is hitting .284 against lefties.
Chris S
July 31st, 2011
1:05 pm
Great move. In fact, might have been a better move than Beltran. Leadoff was the biggest weakness in the lineup, and the Braves have a decent chance of keeping Bourn for the long-term. As long as McCann and Chipper get healthy in time for September, Uggla hits in the second half as well as he hit last year, and either Freeman or Heyward is productive down the stretch, the Braves have a lineup good enough to have a chance at a winning it all–perhaps not as good as chance as the Phillies, but the best team doesn’t always win.
coach smith
July 31st, 2011
1:05 pm
Minor and AGON for JOSE REYES
Chris S
July 31st, 2011
1:06 pm
Very well put.
Whopper Dawg
July 31st, 2011
1:08 pm
I like this move a lot. They just said on the pre game show, that with about 3 hours let, Wren may not be through.
I really like this better than major pitching for Beltran. Great D, steals, good to very goo OB %, what is not to like?
Bugs
July 31st, 2011
1:08 pm
LOOK at hits for Bourn over last 10 days along with his .300 average for the year. Dude gets 2 hits a game most nights it seems. He is going to add a half run to run a game for us while playing Gold Glove center field. And we didnt give up much at all to get him. Wren is the man!
P_The_Ricker
July 31st, 2011
1:09 pm
some people will never be pleased. on paper, this deal is a “home run!”
wren gave up 3 pitching prospects, which probably 99% of braves fans have never heard of and a “promising” outfielder. i’m a fan of schafer as well, but bourn his the “here and now.” we’re trying to win this year…..right?
suggestions to trade lowe or mclouth or gonzalez are moronic! what GM is taking those guys for some coveted player? you wannabe GMs realize that these other GMs have some sense to them, right? btw, do any of you remember how clutch lowe was last aug through the playoffs? he was the braves best pitcher during that stretch.
you can’t offer 2 guys (1 making $5MM and the other in the obvious decline in his career) hitting .220 and think some GM is going to give you a hitter hitting .261 with 20 hrs (quentin). give me a break!
EVERY TEAM IS GOING TO HAVE SOME UNDESIRABLE PLAYERS. you’re either going to keep playing them and hope they pull a 180, or you release them. the braves don’t have the luxury of an expendable income to match the red sox, yankees, and now phils.
Optimistic Brave
July 31st, 2011
1:09 pm
Nixon, you say it best. While most of us admire BC’s career in Atlanta, he didn’t value speed as much as power offensively. Freddie comes from Florida where they used speed, especially to win a WS. Now, opposing pitchers must try to balance between Bourn getting on base, and the power that follows him in the lineup.
Good move
July 31st, 2011
1:12 pm
Initally, I was against the Braves making a move if it involved trading away top pitching prospects. I think this is a good deal, and hope Bourn plays well and stays around for a while. Head off hitters have been hard to come by over the years for the Braves…Brett Butler, Otis Nixon were the only true, true lead off hitters that stand out in my mind. Hopefully, he’s in that mold and will have a long career here. And, I hope Schafer can develop up to the expectations once he’s healthy.
Once again, this was a good move.
welikebaseball2
July 31st, 2011
1:13 pm
Great move. Schafer had to go..for several reasons…not the least was the fact that he didn’t get on base (.307 OBP) or knock in runs. By the way, what good is speed if you don’t get on base? Bourn may not be an RBI machine, but he does get on base plenty (see BA & OBP). An obvious upgrade. For all of you talking about how we needed to “do what we have to do” in a penant race, how could you justify continuing to trot Schafer out there? I know, trading him is not the same as benching him or sending him to the minors to “work on his swing,” but I’m not convinced he was bound to be anything more than a mediocre, injury-plagued player with decent defense & good speed.
Coach
July 31st, 2011
1:14 pm
I consider Bourn more valueable than Pence. Houston wanted 2 top guns and 2 minor league players for Pence. Wren was willing to include Minor in the package offered for Pence, but Wren didn’t budge, kudos to him, and I feel that we got the better player filling our major needs without giving up ANY of our top guns, extra kudos for Wren with sugar on top. Question is, can Wren be even more creative and either get a quality right handed arm in to bridge the gap between the starters and the big three or pull a trade possibly dumping Lowe and some of that salary for Quentin? I think that Wren isn’t finished yet. I am very happy with the trade and expect to see great things from this team over the next couple of months.
Arthur Redding, Jr.
July 31st, 2011
1:14 pm
Francouer has benefitted greatly (as has Melky) from moving to the AL. NL pitching is clearly stronger–and NL East is the strongest of all.
But Wren said he still wants a RH bat but that it will be a player off the bench, not someone like Josh Willingham. But I have no idea who he’s looking at. Anybody?
Astros got legitimate propects in the Bourn deal, really enhancing their minor league pitching depth. Along with the players they got from the Phillies, the Astros have genuinely strengthened what was a weak minor league system. It’s a mistake to think the Braves got something for nothing.
61 year Braves Fan
July 31st, 2011
1:14 pm
Let’s get Adams (for bullpen) and Ludwick (r.h.bat to platoon with Heyward) from Padres. Give up
Minor if you have to.
Optimistic Brave
July 31st, 2011
1:18 pm
Good move…you can safely add Furcal to that list.
61 year Braves Fan
July 31st, 2011
1:20 pm
Bourne, Prado and then Freeman Wow. Freeman a great number 3 hitter. His singles to right send Bourne or Prado to 3rd almost every time. The kid is a natural hitter with a short, quick stroke.
Can’t Braves coaches teach this to Heyward whose swing is too long and who tries to pull
everything and winds up grounding out to 2nd base too often.
Red Stick
July 31st, 2011
1:23 pm
Good move by Wren. I think it would have been stupid to rent Beltran for 3 months (he’s prone to injury anyway) and give up our top pitching prospects. I think Bourn is a better addition than Pence.
I have never been sold on Schafer.
DawgDad
July 31st, 2011
1:23 pm
I liked Schafer’s hustle and hard-nosed approach but I’ve seen enough to know he’s not going to turn into Josh Hamilton. Bourn is in his prime and has established levels of expectation, which is what this team needs.
I do believe they still desperately need a right-handed run-producing bat in the outfield. The addition of Bourn leaves Hinske-McLouth-Heyward in left and right field, with Constanza and Ramirez in reserve, and on the off-day when Chipper manages to crawl onto the field they’re still overloaded with lefty hitters or Ramirez in the lineup. Under the circumstances, cutting Matt Diaz loose is looking more and more like a big mistake.
Coach
July 31st, 2011
1:28 pm
Ludwick is headed to the tribe, they are finalizing the deal now. Adams would be nice, but the price tag is too high, even higher than what they are asking for for Heath Bell. All they really need is a decent arm to help bridge the gap. They may elect to just bring a power arm up from the minors to help in the pen. I think that when Chipper gets back, Prado will move back to left and McClouth will be the swing man for the outfield, unless he gets traded. Infante would be nice, but it would appear that the fish are holding on to him.
DawgDad
July 31st, 2011
1:29 pm
I wonder, too, how much Bourn will appreciate the opportunity to stick a needle in the Phillies’ backsides.
Fan since 1977
July 31st, 2011
1:32 pm
Why is Chipper not in the lineup? That MRI actually show a tear in his quad?
Rossie is getting a breather, I hope this Toscan can play. At least call a good game for Hanson.
Please, J-Hey, whatever is ailing you, bust out of it today. Please.
Optimistic Brave
July 31st, 2011
1:34 pm
From the sound of it from Wren, he may be looking to use a prospect to get that LF position filled by the next deadline. Wow, that would be a great addition to make Atlanta’s one of the best outfields in the game, speed and power.
P_The_Ricker
July 31st, 2011
1:36 pm
Coach,
I disagree w/ your assessment that mclouth is the swing man. hinske has proven to be just as effective in the field and has an obviously better bat.
neither hinske or mclouth are capable of playing cf, so lf is the preferred back-up position for both, with possibly rf as a last resort. for defensive purposes, expect constanza to get playing time late in games for either.
Bruce
July 31st, 2011
1:37 pm
I want to be excited but c’mon, Bourn is a career .271 hitter with 12 HRs and 140 RBI in five years. The one thing he brings is stolen bases assuming he can get on base. Bourn is essentially Jordan Schafer with more developed skills, and it cost the Braves three pitchers to get that.
Fan since 1977
July 31st, 2011
1:38 pm
Jeff –
Are you online?
Coach
July 31st, 2011
1:40 pm
It wouldn’t surprise me to see Chipper hang it up after this year. I would really like to see them get quentin before the deadline, then Prado can play third and Quentin in left.
Millermoose
July 31st, 2011
1:41 pm
I would rather have Bourne than Beltran (always hurt) or Pence (right fielder) We now have a lead off hitter which neither of the others could do and a legitimate base stealer which they also could not do. For my money, we got the best fit for our team and losing Schaffer is not really a loss since he too stays on the DL. GOOD JOB FRANK !
Fan since 1977
July 31st, 2011
1:42 pm
Good inning, Tommy. Not too many pitches, slider looks filthy.
Steve
July 31st, 2011
1:42 pm
Jeff must be asleep, or drunk. Or maybe he melted?
Fan since 1977
July 31st, 2011
1:45 pm
Coach –
You mean get Quentin by 4 pm today?
Nice hit, rook.
Fan since 1977
July 31st, 2011
1:46 pm
@Steve – LOL.
mj
July 31st, 2011
1:47 pm
Guess Jose doesn’t want to go back to Gwinnett
Danny
July 31st, 2011
1:47 pm
Frank Wren pulled off one of the most impressive trades i can remember in a long time. I have been hard on him in the past for a few trades (Texeira, Escobar) but this one was excellent. A right handed bat would have been a nice luxury sure, but our biggest weakness was lack of speed and leadoff man……Wren just turned our biggest weakness into one of our biggest weapons with this move. I can’t believe he pulled this trade off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don Sutton
July 31st, 2011
1:48 pm
SWEET! Even if Schafer becomes above average player, we have run out of patience. We needed Schafer to be putting up Bourne numbers by now. Good job, Frank.
Joey
July 31st, 2011
1:48 pm
Whoo-hoo!
Perfect choice, Frank!
Go Braves!
Fan since 1977
July 31st, 2011
1:48 pm
C’mon, Freddie – ducks on the pond
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
1:49 pm
Good trade for the Braves and lets get this early run in!
Fan since 1977
July 31st, 2011
1:52 pm
not the best way to get a run home, but I’ll take it
Fan since 1977
July 31st, 2011
1:54 pm
22 games for Uggs. Watch out, DiMaggio
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
1:55 pm
FOLKS– The new blog on the Braves’ trade for Bourn is posted. I considered creating a new blog but since everybody’s commenting over here it just made sent to delete the old one. I’ll try to catch up to your comments and questions now while we watch the game. Thanks. J.
Hillbilly D
July 31st, 2011
1:55 pm
I think Wren did a pretty good job this time. Bourne is a much better fit for the team than Beltran would have been.
They aren’t giving up a lot in Schafer, in my opinion. Abreu has a good live arm and the other two I haven’t seen. Only time will tell but at this point, this looks like a good deal.
aj
July 31st, 2011
1:55 pm
Be interesting to watch Jordan S. as he
matures in Houston. Seems players traded
from the Braves are having good 2011
seasons. ( FRENCHY-CABRERA-ESCOBAR)
Seriously?
July 31st, 2011
1:56 pm
Why is anyone on here upset about losing Schafer? The Braves should have given away Schafer and thrown in a few bats and balls for the other team taking him.
tdc
July 31st, 2011
1:57 pm
aj
July 31st, 2011
1:55 pm
Be interesting to watch Jordan S. as he
matures in Houston. Seems players traded
from the Braves are having good 2011
seasons. ( FRENCHY-CABRERA-ESCOBAR)
yawn……
"Chef" Tim Dix
July 31st, 2011
1:57 pm
Jeff: Omar changing Uni’s after the game?
tdc
July 31st, 2011
1:57 pm
Seriously?
July 31st, 2011
1:56 pm
Why is anyone on here upset about losing Schafer? The Braves should have given away Schafer and thrown in a few bats and balls for the other team taking him.
co-sign
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
1:58 pm
Dennis Felton — Sorry, I think you’re stuck with Gonzalez for the year.
Hillbilly D
July 31st, 2011
1:59 pm
Bourn is a career .271 hitter with 12 HRs and 140 RBI in five years.
You can’t really judge a lead-off man by HRs and RBI. Look at his OBP, which is .363 this year. He also has low strikeout totals and is good on defense.
ricky
July 31st, 2011
1:59 pm
who cares what schafer does he had his chance
benchwarmer
July 31st, 2011
1:59 pm
well, McOut is going to tha bench, Shafer is gone. Heyward will hit again–someday soon?! Outfield just went up by a considerable amount. Infield and bench solid. Now if the bullpen doesn’t wear out I think Braves can actually compete with Phillies.
GTT
July 31st, 2011
1:59 pm
prophet, not profit
Fan since 1977
July 31st, 2011
1:59 pm
Well, Mr. Schultz has arrived. My only Q I posted earlier is why is Chipper not in the lineup? That MRI on his quad show something serious?
ricky
July 31st, 2011
2:00 pm
since all of you are clueless,chipper is still owed 13 million in 2012 whether he retires or not
Ralph
July 31st, 2011
2:00 pm
Jeff if we got Infante could he be the RH bat to platoon with J-Hey?
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
2:00 pm
To all folks asking about other trades: Wren said it’s possible team will still make another team. But Braves also could just wait and make a waiver deal. He certainly didn’t act like another trade was coming today but that doesn’t mean anything.
ricky
July 31st, 2011
2:02 pm
hey jeff,
braves could swap with marlins after game get ramirez,stanton,braves give them nate,lugo,ago,minor,hicks
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
2:03 pm
TJ — I really doubt a trade for Carlos Quentin is coming. More likely team will look for a RH bat off bench and a reliever.
ricky
July 31st, 2011
2:04 pm
its only a 2 hour trip from miwaukee to atlanta.why did braves say they hope he gets here before flight to wash?if deal was done at 10 am should be here right now,2pm at latest dont you think?
Kevin
July 31st, 2011
2:05 pm
Not so great to be a prophet, either. #writerswithouteditors
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
2:05 pm
iTiSi — The RH/LH thing was because the Braves already were lefthanded heavy. But Wren said when Dan Uggla started hitting well recently, it lessened the need for 1) A righthanded hitter and 2) an RBI guy. That’s how big of a difference Uggla’s hot streak has made. He changed what the team was looking for.
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
2:06 pm
TMC — Bourn is up for arbitration after this season so the Braves can have him until at least through 2012. Obviously, they’ll try to sign him to long term deal if they like what they see.
ricky
July 31st, 2011
2:06 pm
jeff,
they also had to wait for commishoners approval since schafer was on dl,isn’t that correct
Dr. Phil
July 31st, 2011
2:06 pm
I like Schafer, but the bottom line is, you can’t hit .230 and expect to play regularly in the majors. I hope that he turns into a star at Houston.
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
2:07 pm
Katherine — MLB.com first reported about possible interest in Infante. I’m sure Braves would love to get him back.
Kevin
July 31st, 2011
2:07 pm
Also, they dealt Schafer and THREE prospects. #writerswithouteditors
SeATLite
July 31st, 2011
2:08 pm
Jeff: “prophet,” not “profit.” But nice piece!
Falcons4Eva
July 31st, 2011
2:08 pm
Mark Bradley: “consider this potential batting order: Michael Bourne, Martin Prado, Chipper Jones, Brian McCann, Dan Uggla, Freddie Freeman, Jason Heyward, Alex Gonzalez. If everybody’s clicking, there’s no escape.”
Totally Agree. I would take my chances with that batting order (with 6 of those 8 players clicking on all cylinders) against any ball club. Add to it our starting pitching and relief, I say our odds of reaching the World Series at better than 75%.
My hats off to Frank Wretched….err Wren…
Only time will tell.
Note to Chipper: STOP Being such a Woosie and Hater. Stop sniffin Schaffers jock dude. Bourn is a better player for what we need now! Period.
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
2:08 pm
Mitchell — “Sucks to be an Astros fan.” …. Geez, got that right. Can’t imagine being a fan of that team and losing Pence and Bourne within a few days of each other.
Brad
July 31st, 2011
2:09 pm
Rick. If Chipper retires I do not believe he will still be owed. If the Braves release him then he will be owed. I don’t know if there are any buyout clauses should the Braves not want him back, nor if there is additional guaranteed money in contract… but i have a hard time believing his entire salary is guaranteed in the event that he decides to retire.
Steve
July 31st, 2011
2:09 pm
Jeff, do you see the Braves catching Philly or is it more likely they win the Wild Card? Hasn’t Philly not lost more then two games in a row all year or something like that?
ricky
July 31st, 2011
2:10 pm
lol could not get a flight with all the millions in baseball,no one has a private jet,now thats funny
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
2:10 pm
Bad Brad — On McLouth: You’re right, he’s untradeable, but his contract is up after this season.
P_The_Ricker
July 31st, 2011
2:11 pm
Jeff,
Is it true that george clooney played a better “batman” than val kilmer?
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
2:11 pm
Fan since 1977 — “Jeff – Are you online?” …. I am now.
Fan since 1977
July 31st, 2011
2:12 pm
If Chipper retires he leaves the money on the table. But he won’t.
Hanson was really grinding that inning. Too many pitches.
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
2:12 pm
Steve — “Jeff must be asleep, or drunk. Or maybe he melted?” …. Correct on the melting part. But I was just writing. That’s the other part of my job.
Hillbilly D
July 31st, 2011
2:12 pm
“Sucks to be an Astros fan.” …. Geez, got that right. Can’t imagine being a fan of that team and losing Pence and Bourne within a few days of each other.
You have to at least give Houston credit for trying to rebuild for the future. What’s really bad is the Cubs, a truly horrid team at this point, sitting on their hands and “standing pat”. True they don’t have a lot of trade value but at least shuffle some bodies around.
ricky
July 31st, 2011
2:12 pm
why is mclouth untradeable?
Ralph
July 31st, 2011
2:12 pm
Hanson really needs to do something to prevent runners from stealing on him, it is really hurting the team, a walk or single almost always becomes a double.
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
2:13 pm
“Chef” Tim — Can’t answer that on Omar.
Steve
July 31st, 2011
2:13 pm
Oh I know Jeff, just giving you a hard time.
Red Stick
July 31st, 2011
2:13 pm
Jeff, it would stink to be an Astros fan but what do they have to lose by trading Pence and Bourn? At least they can got some decent prospects and have no where to go but up.
Of course it will be several seasons at best before they are relevant agian.
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
2:14 pm
GTT — Caught that, thanks.
Ricky II
July 31st, 2011
2:14 pm
Ricky,
He’s untradeable b/c no one wants to take on that salary for next to nothing production
Belcher
July 31st, 2011
2:14 pm
Send McLousey to gwinette ….for good!!!!
"Chef" Tim Dix
July 31st, 2011
2:14 pm
Again, a trade, a retirement, two contracts expire, equals 42M coming off the books.
Ricky II
July 31st, 2011
2:15 pm
Enter your comments here
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
2:15 pm
Fan since 1977 — Chipper not healthy yet. Quad. Available for pinch hitting duties but we’ve known for a few days he wouldn’t start this weekend.
"Chef" Tim Dix
July 31st, 2011
2:15 pm
RAWDOG…Omar could not HIS spot could he?
"Chef" Tim Dix
July 31st, 2011
2:16 pm
take
Nathan
July 31st, 2011
2:16 pm
I fail to see how Schafer was a profit….I can see how he was a prophet though. Just sayin…
Bob
July 31st, 2011
2:17 pm
Great trade Braves! Three things that don’t last long: Dogs that chase cars, golf pros that putt for pars, and .230 leadoff batters.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
2:17 pm
The Astros essentially washed off 2012 along with 2013 with those trades. Astros fans have to look forward to 2014!!!
Also to whomever called the fans “CLUELESS” if Chipper retires in the middle of his contract he no longer gets paid. He did not fullfill the contract so he forfeits any money owed to him.
ricky
July 31st, 2011
2:17 pm
i know heyward is in a slump but he needs to be moved up in the lineup,right now it should be ff,heyward then uggla
do this and he will get out of his slump,better pitches,give it 2 weeks then bench him,think about this,uggla never batted where agon is next
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
2:18 pm
Timeout — First major league hit for J.C. Boscan. All bow. … OK, back to your questions.
"Chef" Tim Dix
July 31st, 2011
2:18 pm
JCB taking care of biz!
tdc
July 31st, 2011
2:18 pm
Who all is in favor of Freeman keeping the third spot when Chipper returns?
G
July 31st, 2011
2:19 pm
Hanson may be one of the worst hitting pitchers in baseball.
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
2:20 pm
Ralph — Infante hasn’t played much right field in his career. The breakdown: 445 games at 2B, 225 at SS, 101 at 3rd, 57 at LF, 32 at CF, 15 at RF.
ricky
July 31st, 2011
2:20 pm
lowcountry
if u think chipper is going to walk away from 13 million guaranteed in 2012,you are taking the same meds that schafer took
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
2:20 pm
tdc,
I also wonder just why we have to put Chipper back in the three hole. I know with him being a switch hitter it breaks the order up but at this juncture in his career he is a five hitter.
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
2:20 pm
Ricky — Trading for Infante now obviously saves moving expenses.
Hillbilly D
July 31st, 2011
2:20 pm
why is mclouth untradeable?
He’s on the DL and his contract is up at the end of the year. If any team wants him, why wouldn’t they just wait and sign him in the off-season? That’s just basic baseball.
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
2:21 pm
Ricky (again) — Bourn was just told about trade this morning. He obviously has to pack. That said, I’d be surprised if he didn’t make team flight.
ricky
July 31st, 2011
2:22 pm
jeff why did they not put chipper on dl,when he ph,he swings at 1st pitch,and a out,i think nate is going to surgury
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
2:22 pm
Any more profit/prophet jokes? Come on . . . just get ‘em all out now.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
2:23 pm
“since all of you are clueless,chipper is still owed 13 million in 2012 whether he retires or not”
You must be 12. Read your post Ricky. Also asking why McClouth is untradeable?
Dawg Whisperer
July 31st, 2011
2:23 pm
Well, they didn’t mortgage the farm (no pun intended) and they accomplished their short term need with an eye toward the future if they can ink Bourn to another contract.
welikebaseball2
July 31st, 2011
2:24 pm
@Bruce: You can’t be serious. First of all, how can you, in all baseball commonsense, not acknowledge the difference between Bourn’s .271 career average & Schafer’s .223? Also, HR’s & RBI’s aren’t a huge stat for leadoff hitters. I’d say OBP & SB’s are two of the biggest stats when looking at a leadoff hitter. In those areas, you can’t even compare Schafer to Bourn.
Scott
July 31st, 2011
2:24 pm
Where would omar play? Would they trade gonzo in the deal?
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
2:25 pm
For those asking about Chipper — He has a contract for $13 million for next season but I have no idea where you’re getting the idea that he will get that $13 million if he retires. That’s a salary contingent on playing.
ricky
July 31st, 2011
2:26 pm
chef please explain to us how 42 million is coming off the books
kk 7 million is all,we buy out nate for 1,65 million
jeff please explain to these people who know nothing about baseball,i do and will also answer any questions you have
once again chipper money is guaranteed
Ralph
July 31st, 2011
2:27 pm
Hanson’s inability to get a bunt down and hold runners on really hurts his chances of winning.
ricky
July 31st, 2011
2:28 pm
jeff
if you read the posts you really think chipper is walking away from 13 million?
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
2:28 pm
To bad they didnt ask Wren about Infante. You know he would not give specifics, but he certainly had to take note of it.
Ricky II
July 31st, 2011
2:29 pm
ricky @ 2:26PM,
you’re the last guy on this blog that is capable of answering any questions w/ any “baseball sense”
to quote you
“why is mclouth untradeable?”
that’s probably the dumbest question ever posed on here……well, you may get beat by the guys asking if we could trade gonzalez for tulowitzki straight-up.
Scott
July 31st, 2011
2:29 pm
Wren is in the booth,lookslike he is done for the day.
ricky
July 31st, 2011
2:30 pm
Chipper Jones 3b
3 years/$42M (2010-12), plus 2013 option
3 years/$42M (2010-12), plus 2013 option
signed extension with Atlanta 3/31/09
$3M signing bonus (paid each Jan. 15, 2010-12)
10:$13M, 11:$13M, 12:$13M, 13:$7M club option
2013 option guaranteed at $9M with:
123 games in 2012, or
average of 127 games in 2011-12
2013 option price increases by $1M each for:
128, 133, 138, 140 games in 2012, or
averages of 132, 137, 138, 140 games in 2011-12
Runner-
July 31st, 2011
2:32 pm
Jeff, any new info on whether or not the Braves will deal for Infante? Game shouldn’t end by the 4 o’clock deadline, so it would be kind of funny to see it happen
Kevin
July 31st, 2011
2:33 pm
Jeff, this may be posted somewhere in the previous 6 pages of comments, but have you heard who is involved in trade talks for Infante?
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
2:33 pm
You are arguing with yourself Ricky. Re-read the post. Again YOU said the following
“since all of you are clueless,chipper is still owed 13 million in 2012 whether he retires or not”
Now again you mention him being paid if he retires. Again if he does not complete his contract he does not get paid. This does not imply if I think he will or will not play. I am simply trying to give you the correct information.
ricky
July 31st, 2011
2:33 pm
ricky11
oby.u r the dumbest a player on dl can be traded,even if nate has a no trade clause in contract he can approve a trade or reject it
furcal had a no trade clause and approved a trade to st.louis
being in baseball last 20 years i think i know more than most here ty.
doc
July 31st, 2011
2:33 pm
funny i was saying to myself if they dont want to give up an arm then what do they have to offer instead? the only name that came to mind was shaefer. hope he does well just doubt he can be what we got in return. just hope bourne can be what he is as a brave and doesnt forget what he was as mclouth seemed to. he could be better than nixon and on par with jones and that says a lot.
good trade. dont know what the other four represent so it might be like tex nor do i know how long bourne will he here but it fills two huge deficiencies in one swap.
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
2:34 pm
Ricky — Chipper’s money guaranteed if he plays. Unless you know something I don’t know, there’s no language in contract about him getting a $13 million retirement present. Braves would never do such a thing. (That’s not to say that wouldn’t do something for him.) … Also, I know cynics might find this hard to believe — but yes, I think he would walk away from $13 million if he didn’t think he could play.
ricky
July 31st, 2011
2:34 pm
heath bell has been traded to texas
steve brown
July 31st, 2011
2:35 pm
Jones thinks he is the team leader-he is not. Either the manager or an everyday clutch player or both are the team leaders. Jones hasn’t been an everyday player for 7 years or so. He needs to either be positive or keep his f’n mouth shut, I am sick of him.
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
2:35 pm
Runner — No trade updates. Obviously Infante is in the game for Marlins.
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
2:36 pm
Kevin — I can’t even verify there are trade talks for Infante, just that he’s been discussed.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
2:36 pm
Thanks Jeff, wowser… Just think the Giants got Cody Ross in August so just because the deadline is today does not mean the Braves are finished dealing.
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
2:37 pm
Now batting . . . Mickey Mantle.
Kevin
July 31st, 2011
2:37 pm
Thanks, Jeff.
Ricky II
July 31st, 2011
2:38 pm
ricky,
i’m not impressed by your 20 yrs of experience hanging around little league and being a fan.
mclouth is “untradeable” b/c no GM w/ any sense would take on that salary for that lack of production. has nothing to do w/ him being on the DL.
where’s the “off” button on your computer?
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
2:38 pm
Average up to a svelt .208!
Kevin
July 31st, 2011
2:38 pm
I don’t know if Mickey Mantle kept that big a wad of tobacco in his mouth!
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
2:38 pm
Lowcountry Bulldawg — “… just because the deadline is today does not mean the Braves are finished dealing.”
…. Exactly.
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
2:39 pm
Uggla sends it to the warning track. … Who is this guy?
Runner-
July 31st, 2011
2:39 pm
Yep, Braves will acquire a RH Relief Pitcher in September with Peter Moylan, and will get McCann back by mid August and should have McClouth back as backup. No need for a trade for a Reliever/ Backup as we can get stellar ones in about a month for free
Kevin
July 31st, 2011
2:39 pm
Mickey just drank a lot . . .
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
2:39 pm
FYI—Jeff Gordan leading the Brickyard at close to halfway. If anyone cares
ricky
July 31st, 2011
2:39 pm
i said that chipper will not walk away with a 13 million contract .If he does i know that he will get paid some but not all ,since he restructured his contract years ago.
ok just for u all if chipper retires where is the 42 million someone keeps on saying here?
13 7 =22 million lowe is still owed 15 million
jeff off the subject,how much cash did houston give?1.00?LOL
Hillbilly D
July 31st, 2011
2:40 pm
just because the deadline is today does not mean the Braves are finished dealing
This is true. After today players will have to clear waivers before a trade but it can still be done. Happens every year.
steve brown
July 31st, 2011
2:40 pm
One last thing, someone needs to explain to me why Chipper is over hugging Shaefer (a bust) but has nothing good to say about Bourn. Could it be skin color?
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
2:41 pm
I’m not sure how much this counts as a compliment: But Uggla’s 22-game hitting streak is the Braves’ longest since Kelly Johnson (22 games, Sept 1-24, 2008).
ricky
July 31st, 2011
2:41 pm
Braves can still make trades in august,have to wait for players to go thru waivers
Ralph
July 31st, 2011
2:41 pm
I still see two gaping holes in braves lineup.
Sonny Clusters
July 31st, 2011
2:41 pm
“A man is picked up by a fishing boat, bullet-riddled and without memory, then races to elude assassins and recover from amnesia.” After all that, playing for the Braves should be a snap. Nothing against Houston but we hope Bourne will develop his own identity here in Atlanta.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
2:42 pm
Classic Sonny…
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
2:43 pm
Steve Brown — I considered deleting your comment for its sheer stupidity, but decided to leave it up there for the same reason.
Bruce
July 31st, 2011
2:43 pm
Hillbilly, I agree that OBP is a better measure for lead off guys, but his career is .338 which doesn’t stand out to me. I bring up his power numbers to show he has none. Bourn also strikes out a lot for a leadoff and doesn’t walk that much. I’ve been dying to see the Braves get a real lead off guy for years and was hoping Jordan would be it. Now I’ll hope Bourn is it.
It will be fun to see Bourn turn singles into double and triples with stolen bases
ricky
July 31st, 2011
2:44 pm
if braves do anything more they will do this by aug.31
while rosters expand to 40 players on sept.1,players are not elgible for postseason starting sept.1st
expect the braves to do something next month
Runner-
July 31st, 2011
2:44 pm
lol @ steve brown, someone always has to throw race in the picture. Why did Chipper hug Heyward after his first home run in the Majors if he is racist? Jordan, who is not a bust but definitely a disappointment, has been trying hard to improve his game to the next level, and Chipper respects his work ethic and him as a teammate so of course he will hug him goodbye. He’s being cautious by saying if this trade was good because we have seen players fall off after being traded to a new team and new stadium.
Bruce
July 31st, 2011
2:45 pm
It seems to me Alex G’s stellar defense has dropped back to last year’s level.
Kevin
July 31st, 2011
2:46 pm
Here’s my preferred lineup for the rest of the year. Assume Chipper to be often/continually injured and don’t plan on him at all.
1. Bourne CF
2. Prado 3B
3. McCann C
4. Freeman 1B
5. Uggla 2B
6. Hinske LF
7. Heyward RF
8. Gonzalez SS
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
2:47 pm
Bourn does have a issue with K’s. I think I post on a blog a week bag that his ratio was 1 K for every 5 AB whereas Prado was 1 k for every 8 AB. So the benfit I guess is now having a 2 hole hitter who can handle the bat.
Ricky II
July 31st, 2011
2:49 pm
Kevin,
no arguement here.
ricky
July 31st, 2011
2:50 pm
rangers got adams from sdiego as well wow
Runner-
July 31st, 2011
2:50 pm
atta boy Tommy
Sonny Clusters
July 31st, 2011
2:51 pm
There’s lots of new things we can have fun with now. Bourn Again. Bourn Free. Bourn to Die. Bourn to Run. Bourn in the USA. Bourn this Way. Bourn to Lose (let’s hope not). Bourn Ugly. Bourn to Steal (looks like it). Can you think of some more? Bourn a Clusters (and grateful for it).
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
2:52 pm
Not to jinx it but someone is working on a NO-NO!
ricky
July 31st, 2011
2:52 pm
kevin
as i posted earlier heyward will never get out of his slump with agon behind him,heinske is not a everday player either,lol
Ralph
July 31st, 2011
2:53 pm
I don’t understand why Hinski wasn’t in todays lineup as hot as he has been lately especially against a RHP.
Sonny Clusters
July 31st, 2011
2:53 pm
Will he get a Bobblehead? Will it have fast springs? What will his nickname be? Borney? Let’s hope not. This is all very exciting.
ricky
July 31st, 2011
2:55 pm
some of you are never happy if we got pence you be bitching that he only went 1-5 with a rbi,hillarious,
Runner-
July 31st, 2011
2:55 pm
Agree with ricky I’d rather prefer McClouth in left batting in the 7 hole with A-Gon in the 8th and have Hinske come in to give him a rest. Hinske is not an everyday player, and we need his presence off the bench
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
2:55 pm
Nice stroke by Heyward. Imagine what a difference it would make if he got going.
Ricky III
July 31st, 2011
2:56 pm
ricky,
you’re whole perspective is hilarious!
Kevin
July 31st, 2011
2:57 pm
Ricky, maybe Hinske isn’t an everyday player. But what are the options here? McClouth? Constanza? With what we’ve got, Hinske is MY everyday LF. Relieve him with Constanza for defense late. Hinske’s bat is pretty big.
ricky
July 31st, 2011
2:57 pm
ralph
good point ,im thinking conrad needs to play and stay fresh
O'Brien
July 31st, 2011
2:58 pm
What’s up with the Braves and fundamentals? Bunting, moving runners over, sac fly etc.
Remarkable
July 31st, 2011
2:58 pm
I think that the Bourn Identity is the perfect fit for the Braves’ needs. Can’t wait to see him in a Braves uniform. When we get everyone back (How long have we been saying that?) this will be a great lineup. We already have some great bench players on the roster. Just look at today’s game to see that. Other than a pitcher, we may be set.
Kevin
July 31st, 2011
2:58 pm
I’d rather have Hinske if LF than Ankiel in CF!!! So there’s something good to think about compared to last year.
O'Brien
July 31st, 2011
2:59 pm
Jeff,
With Chipper being in and out of the lineup, do you think he should atuomatically be penciled in to hit 3rd whenever he is available?
Ralph
July 31st, 2011
3:00 pm
Jeff, any idea who goes down tomorrow?
steve brown
July 31st, 2011
3:00 pm
Thanks-just asking-but I do remember him calling out Hayward about not playing hurt (still laughing about that one)-I can’t seem to remember when he calls out Caucasians but I hope you can give me some examples. His good old boy huntin’ ( both in the woods and at Hooters)is more than enough for me.
Kevin
July 31st, 2011
3:00 pm
Actually, I’d rather have Andruw circa 2000 in CF and stick Bourn in LF but . . .
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
3:00 pm
It seems like we have been waiting on getting everyone back since about the middle of last year. The lineup has been cookie cutterish for 18 months.
ricky
July 31st, 2011
3:00 pm
jeff,i know u busy these are my last 2 questions for the day
1-how much cash did astros give us/
2-im sure someone will update the roster moves sometime today?
3-wish u would take over dob,position
Ralph
July 31st, 2011
3:01 pm
1 Hour left!
welikebaseball2
July 31st, 2011
3:01 pm
Okay Chipper, you say ask you again in a couple of months whether we’re a better team or not. Smart of you to not answer that question without first consulting with your quads, hamstrings, back, feet, obliques, etc.
ricky
July 31st, 2011
3:04 pm
go verlander no no thru 7 amazing
"Chef" Tim Dix
July 31st, 2011
3:04 pm
Jeff: IF Chipper says therre’s nothing in the tank he’ll leave money on table IF Mom agrees.
I say that becuase a down – in – the – dumps Chipper facing surgery last year by his own admission said Mom said quit licking your wounds and get with it.
Kevin
July 31st, 2011
3:04 pm
Lowcountry, you’re exactly right and the only thing that’s going to change regarding everyone being back and healthy is WHO is back and WHO just got hurt. Prado missing the playoffs last year changed everything. With him in, Brooks Conrad never makes those errors and the Braves probably beat the Giants. Let’s just hope it’s Chipper that keeps getting hurt and not Uggla, Freeman, McCann (assuming he comes back healthy), etc. Maybe Gonzo can tweak something and let the Tyler P. kid come up. Wouldn’t mind seeing him.
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
3:04 pm
O’Brien — I think Chipper will be hitting third when he comes back. Should he? At least for now, yes, but should not be set in stone. Just my opinion.
ricky
July 31st, 2011
3:05 pm
55 minutes!!
ricky
July 31st, 2011
3:05 pm
update…..
wallingham not going to be trade,ludwick is
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
3:06 pm
Ralph — I would think Constanza will go down.
"Chef" Tim Dix
July 31st, 2011
3:06 pm
Kevin: I’m not so sure that Andruw is not a HOF’er. Numbers wize he should be in.
G
July 31st, 2011
3:06 pm
See here is the problem. Bourne may eh spending a lot of time standing at 2nd or 3rd and never touch home… Because there is nobody to knock him in….
Runner-
July 31st, 2011
3:07 pm
Any of you who think Chipper will turn down the 13 million for next season are idiots. Chipper went down with a major knee injury last season and was reluctant to retire due to the money. Unless his legs fall off, he will make an attempt to come back next season.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
3:08 pm
I agree with you outside of the Gonzo part. I think at this point you ride his bat out in the 8th spot and thank god he is playing solid defense. If he gives you any offense its a bonus, but I really would not feel comfortable trying to make a WS run with a Rookie SS imo.
"Chef" Tim Dix
July 31st, 2011
3:08 pm
Runner- He respects that game. Nuff said.
O'Brien
July 31st, 2011
3:09 pm
Marlins have 4 hits, but 2 runs. Braves have 7 hits, but only 1 run.
I hope we will be able to get Bourn over and get him in, because a runner at 3rd, 1 out, we suck.
Ralph
July 31st, 2011
3:09 pm
Isnt there a certain time that a minor leaguer has to stay with the big league club?
ricky
July 31st, 2011
3:09 pm
update…..
bell has not been traded yet,wrong info.,
texas,philly still in the hunt could go down to the wire
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
3:09 pm
Steve Brown — Calling out Heyward (he actually fell just short of that) and bringing race into the equation are two COMPLETELY different things, and to suggest he would not have said anything if Heyward was white was wrong. Chipper talks all the time with players of all races about many things. He’s the elder statesman in the clubhouse. Players seek his advice. That was just one case where things became public with a high profile teammate.
Kevin
July 31st, 2011
3:10 pm
Chef, you can make a good argument with that, probably on the defensive prowess alone. I’m 37 but with all the old footage we have access to, I’ve never seen a better outfielder. And he played in the time of Griffey and Edmonds, so that’s saying something just for his own generation. All you had to do to understand his greatness was listen to Glavine, Maddux, Smoltz, etc. talk about how many hits/runs Andruw saved them, and they had some pretty darn good CF’s in ATL before Andruw – Grissom played more shallow than anybody and was a stud, and Otis Nixon wasn’t 2nd to very many.
"Chef" Tim Dix
July 31st, 2011
3:10 pm
Braves will win this game, Write it down Jeff.
Ralph
July 31st, 2011
3:10 pm
@ Chef, honest question, do you think he would respect the game as much if he had lets say about 3 million for each of these last 2 seasons? In my opinion, he would have long retired
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
3:11 pm
Jeff,
The Jones batting order is the same problem every big league team that has had a longtime great player reach the twilight of his career. Sure they still are good but no longer great. Example is the Yankees and Jeter. They had Gardner out performing Jeter in the 9 hole but not even sniffing the leadoff spot. Chipper at one point was a great three hole hitter, but those days have passed.
ricky
July 31st, 2011
3:12 pm
ralph,
no no amount of time,if you send a player back to aaa,he has to wait 10 days to be called back up,unless there is a injury
wilkin was called up,then sent back down 2 days later
Runner-
July 31st, 2011
3:12 pm
Probably the most ironic thing about calling out Heyward is the fact that he’s reluctant to play at 70% right now.
"Chef" Tim Dix
July 31st, 2011
3:12 pm
Kevin: I’m 49 and my late father saw Mays in his hey day and said before his passing that Andruw was the greatest CF’der ever. I’ll run with that.
Runner-
July 31st, 2011
3:14 pm
Agree 100% with Lowcountry Bulldawg. It would be a slap in the face to Chipper if he were to move to lets say the 6 hole, but it has to be done
ricky
July 31st, 2011
3:14 pm
i wish lugo would go but i think its constanza as well i like this kid,if nothing else he can come up late in game as a pinch runner,JMO
Kevin
July 31st, 2011
3:14 pm
Lowcountry, Chipper should be on the bench even if he is healthy. And he wouldn’t be my Ace pinch hitter if he was on the bench. BROOKS CONRAD would get the key at-bats. The play Chipper made on the bunt/throw to first was awesome, but it’s when he got hurt, too. I’d rather he not made the play and he’d still be playing. But you can’t play NOT TO GET HURT, so just don’t play at all.
Remarkable
July 31st, 2011
3:15 pm
Thanks Jeff for setting Steve straight. Chipper takes a lot of shots from a lot of people that he doesn’t deserve. I think Chipper should rank up there with Hank when you think of the All-time greatest Braves players. What would he have done if he had of had fewer injuries? I think he had many because he gave it his all.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
3:16 pm
He gunned out Ramirez!
Runner-
July 31st, 2011
3:17 pm
dang JC, he is one reliable back up to the back up catcher
ricky
July 31st, 2011
3:17 pm
Earlier fg asked chipper about moving out of 3rd hole,says he has no prob with it,i know he
batted 4th earlier
Kevin
July 31st, 2011
3:18 pm
Chef, good story. Sure don’t know Willy Mays – wish I did – but I wouldn’t be surprised if HE said Andruw was better. Andruw could’ve had his own ESPN Top 10 Plays of the Week every week.
"Chef" Tim Dix
July 31st, 2011
3:18 pm
Ralph: By my count he’s made 127M to date on contracts alone. Me, I really believe he’s old school on hangers on. Foolish pride I just don’t see in him.
A money jump would have already happened going to AL to DH.
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
3:18 pm
Ricky — 1) Cash total: don’t know; 2) Roster change coming after game or tomorrow morning (likely: add Bourn, subtract Constanza); 3) No thanks. DOB does fine and I think I’d go crazy covering 162 games. But thanks.
ricky
July 31st, 2011
3:18 pm
nice play jc come on braves dam sweep the marlins
ATLcracker
July 31st, 2011
3:18 pm
That was right out of Bobbie Cox’s book. Pitch out right after some delay/controversy on the field.
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
3:19 pm
Constanza creating some excitement before he goes down. Good for him.
tdc
July 31st, 2011
3:19 pm
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
3:04 pm
O’Brien — I think Chipper will be hitting third when he comes back. Should he? At least for now, yes, but should not be set in stone. Just my opinion.
Why does Chipper gets to keep his spot when he is in and out of the lineup so much?
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
3:19 pm
LOVE THE HUSSLE!!!! Give it to the young man for trying to make a play even if he did break a cardinal rule in baseball!
Runner-
July 31st, 2011
3:19 pm
Agree I’d rather have Chipper batting clean up and Freddie at 3rd mainly due to Chipper’s lack of speed, which has cost us many runs this season. But I would most prefer him in the 6 hole, after Dan.
ricky
July 31st, 2011
3:20 pm
jeff thanks,was talking about the roster moves in aaa,aa
Kevin
July 31st, 2011
3:20 pm
tie goes to the runner, danggit. and it was at least a tie. the ump was on the wrong side of the bag to make that call
G
July 31st, 2011
3:21 pm
Why on earth is it a “rule” that an umpire calls a runner out if the throw beats the runner? If he touches the base before he is tagged, isn’t he safe? I also hate the phantom touch of second on a double play….
Football Insider
July 31st, 2011
3:22 pm
Good play by Costanza. I like the aggressiveness. However, he appeared safe to me. Looked like his left hand got the back before the tag was applied.
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
3:22 pm
TDC — Because he’s Chipper Jones. That’s why.
Curious
July 31st, 2011
3:22 pm
quick question, if Constanza had stopped at 2nd, when was the last time the Braves attempted to steal from 2nd to 3rd, or rather when was the last time they successfully did it?
ricky
July 31st, 2011
3:23 pm
he knows he is gone after game still would love to have him here for his speed if nothing else.no one gave him a chance why he was in minor leagues this long this is only his 3rd major league game ever
guess everyone forgot about uggla being in minor leagues till 26 or conrad for 10 years but whatever
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
3:23 pm
CJ is a switch hitter so that gives us lineup flexibility and his RISP avg is pretty good I believe. Those two things are going to be reasons why he probably stays in that spot. If healthy FG probably believes CJ is the best hitter, when healthy, to occupy that 3 hole spot. I am not so sure of it, but we will certainly find out.
Bruce
July 31st, 2011
3:23 pm
O’Brian you are right in that the Braves are so bad at moving
runners with productive outs that it is mind boggling. Seems like
the run in ‘91 was the last year they played fundamentally sound baseball.
When TP wasn’t winning a batting title, he was giving himself up moving runners.
Is it a problem in the farm system that players can’t bunt, hit ground balls
to the right or hit sac flies? It’s frustrating that it takes three hits to score a run.
"Chef" Tim Dix
July 31st, 2011
3:23 pm
Kevin: Can’t recall the last time I saw a 3rd base Ump on the infield grass.
You are so right.
Kyle
July 31st, 2011
3:24 pm
Tough to watch Prado hit a single right after Constanza getting thrown out at third. Seems like some days we can’t do anything right fundamentally.
Kevin
July 31st, 2011
3:24 pm
time for a three run hr dan
Kevin
July 31st, 2011
3:24 pm
if you can do that with one runner on, i’ll REALLY be impressed
G
July 31st, 2011
3:25 pm
I have to agree. Chipper should bat around 6th. I hate hearing the ” because he is Chipper” excuse. Because he is Chipper the guy misses too many games and is hitting well below a number 3 hitter. But let’s give Chipper what he wants because he is bigger than the team.
bravos007
July 31st, 2011
3:27 pm
same braves club:
base-running errors
can’t bunt
walks turn into runs
phillies are losing and the braves are too.
stop the MADNESS!!!!!
freaking score a run
ricky
July 31st, 2011
3:27 pm
verlander lost a no no in 8th,angels scored 2 runs on 1 hit ,unreal
Runner-
July 31st, 2011
3:28 pm
You also have to think that his huge contract contributes to the fact that Fredi feels Chipper has to hit 3rd. That and the fact that it’s Chipper
Kyle
July 31st, 2011
3:28 pm
“But let’s give Chipper what he wants because he is bigger than the team.”
First of all, Chipper has bleeding in his quad right now but he still goes up to pinch hit. Don’t know a lot of people that show up to work when they have internal bleeding, but ok.
Second of all, it’s not what Chipper wants. Fans come to see Chipper play. So he bats third.
ricky
July 31st, 2011
3:28 pm
chipper batted 4th for 2 weeks,what r u guys talking about
Topdog34
July 31st, 2011
3:30 pm
Wren earns his stripes The lead off man we lacked.Go Braves!!
ricky
July 31st, 2011
3:30 pm
cincy 8 sf 0
yeah the beltran keppinger,cabreaa trade was awesome
Kevin
July 31st, 2011
3:31 pm
I think most fans come to see the Braves win. Every “favorite” Brave I’ve ever had got traded or wasn’t signed back, and I kept being a Braves fan. It’s just like with college sports – it’s the name on the front that matters most, not the name on the back. I wouldn’t care if I couldn’t even pronounce any of the Braves’ names – I’d still be a Braves fan. But that’s just me.
Ralph
July 31st, 2011
3:32 pm
Someone is posting with my name, going to change my post name, don’t like to be identified with stupid quwstions.
G
July 31st, 2011
3:33 pm
Kyle so let me get this straight so the fact I guy plays hurt, and is hitless by the way, he should be excused for not living up to what the team needs in that spot in the order…it looks like some people showed up to the stadium today and once again he isn’t playing, so that part doesn’t make sense either…
ricky
July 31st, 2011
3:35 pm
its official now,indians got jimenez,he passed his physical
pirates are getting ludwick
now it appears phillies ,yankees are trying to get bell
Runner-
July 31st, 2011
3:36 pm
Well said by G and Kevin, can’t say much more than that
tdc
July 31st, 2011
3:36 pm
Lmao @ Kyle, thanks for providing more reasons why Chipper shouldn’t be batting 3rd. If the fans ran the team we would still have Jordan Schafer on the team.
Runner-
July 31st, 2011
3:37 pm
@ ricky, looks like Bell is already headed to the Rangers
ricky
July 31st, 2011
3:37 pm
yeah gotta love these fair weather fans,lol
ph
July 31st, 2011
3:37 pm
Enter your comments here
Runner-
July 31st, 2011
3:38 pm
nevermind it was adams forgot, my bad
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
3:38 pm
Two hits for Heyward.
tdc
July 31st, 2011
3:39 pm
Heyward starting to crank up.
ricky
July 31st, 2011
3:39 pm
runner
what i thought to was mis info.go to mlbtraderumors.com they are saying what i said
smyrnabob
July 31st, 2011
3:39 pm
Now I can go to ESPN.com to see this guys stats and they we traded away. I guess that is not a big deal to ajc sports guys.
Remarkable
July 31st, 2011
3:40 pm
Will the headlines tomorrow read “The Bourn Supremacy” or “The Bourn Ultimatum?”
Kevin
July 31st, 2011
3:41 pm
Probably “The Bourn Identity” is most-fitting. We’ve identified a leadoff man and CF
ricky
July 31st, 2011
3:41 pm
jeff
i would take verlander over haliday anyday,he is throwing 101mph in the 8th inning,your thoughts or anyones?
Kyle
July 31st, 2011
3:42 pm
I didn’t realize hitting .259 with 47 RBIs was hitless, sorry.
Should Chipper be hitting 3rd right now? Probably not, but just remember that Uggla and Freeman just started hitting well not too long ago.
Runner-
July 31st, 2011
3:42 pm
Oh no, Alex, JC, and the pitcher due up. Looks like we’ll be lucky to get 1 run in
G
July 31st, 2011
3:43 pm
Boy Gonzo is worthless at the plate
ricky
July 31st, 2011
3:43 pm
come on braves dam agon
Runner-
July 31st, 2011
3:43 pm
lol @ Freddie hitting well just recently, he has been on a tear for the bast 2 full months
Kevin
July 31st, 2011
3:44 pm
how about a fly ball, boys??
LOB Braves
July 31st, 2011
3:44 pm
Seabass does his USUAL. Dump him.
Runner-
July 31st, 2011
3:44 pm
Sure we’ll get a fly ball, but knowing the Braves it will probably be the 3rd out
kerryb
July 31st, 2011
3:44 pm
Is there any team out there we can trade Alex Gonzales to. I am so sick of seeing him pop up with RISP. He is pathetic.
Remarkable
July 31st, 2011
3:45 pm
Jeff, why wouldn’t Lugo go down with his 167 average instead of Constanza?
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
3:45 pm
For what it’s worth, it’s 3:45 and Frank Wren is not on the phone.
G
July 31st, 2011
3:45 pm
Dude read my post… He is hitless while hurt as a pinch hitter… Freeman and Uggla were also dropped in the order until they started hitting, so why should Chipper not do he same?
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
3:45 pm
Chipper coming out to bat.
Kevin
July 31st, 2011
3:46 pm
Alright, Kyle. Here’s your boy. And I sure hope he makes us all happy!
LOB Braves
July 31st, 2011
3:46 pm
Gonzalez is about as worthless at the plate as we get. What are we doing with all these bargain basement hitters in the game when we are in a penant race. Jeez.
Runner-
July 31st, 2011
3:46 pm
Should of had squeeze on, no hope otherwise
kerryb
July 31st, 2011
3:46 pm
I hope Bourne can steal home because that’s about the only way he is going to score with this team.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
3:46 pm
Well can you say put up or shut up at this point? Lots of fuel in the anti-chipper camp this afternoon. Lets see what happens…
panamajack
July 31st, 2011
3:46 pm
Maybe J-Hey is starting to hit righties better, just need a RHB to platoon, only 15 minutes left to get one otherwise we’ll have to wait til Wren checks the dumpsters.
Runner-
July 31st, 2011
3:47 pm
@ Remarkable, we need a utility outfielder on the bench that can play short. We have plenty of OF depth as it is
Runner-
July 31st, 2011
3:47 pm
infielder*
welikebaseball2
July 31st, 2011
3:47 pm
I know Heyward’s the new scapegoat, but I’m far more concerned about the bat of Gonzalez…especially with runners on.
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
3:48 pm
And there goes Chipper.
LOB Braves
July 31st, 2011
3:48 pm
Another 1st and 3rd with no outs and NO runs again. How does this happen all the time? Mostly because Seabass is in the lineup.
Kevin
July 31st, 2011
3:48 pm
Shoulda pinch hit Lugo!
kerryb
July 31st, 2011
3:48 pm
Gonzales=no bat at all
G
July 31st, 2011
3:48 pm
There we go…. But he should be in the three hole when he returns…
ricky
July 31st, 2011
3:48 pm
of course no runs chipper again
tdc
July 31st, 2011
3:48 pm
SAD!!!
Outside Observer
July 31st, 2011
3:48 pm
Could the Braves be the least clutch hitting team in all of baseball without Brian McCann?
Runner-
July 31st, 2011
3:48 pm
Great job, 3 straight outs and we strand Heyward yet again. Move him back up in the lineup, the bottom is simply hopeless
LOB Braves
July 31st, 2011
3:48 pm
Chipper did as expected.
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
3:49 pm
Cristhian Martinez coming in to pitch.
kerryb
July 31st, 2011
3:49 pm
If we don’t get better with RISP it doesn’t matter who we trade for.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
3:49 pm
Incredible. I do wonder how acquiring Bourn fixes that?
ricky
July 31st, 2011
3:49 pm
when was the last time chipper got a hit ph?what i thought,NEVER
LOB Braves
July 31st, 2011
3:50 pm
One run on 10 hits. Absolutely pathetic clutch hitting team. There is no team any worse.
kerryb
July 31st, 2011
3:50 pm
Well, we have one more run through Freddie and Uggla. If we don’t score it’s over because everyone else is worthless.
Runner-
July 31st, 2011
3:51 pm
It gives us an extra base runner and gives us an extra opportunity to drive some one in before we get to the crappy bottom of the lineup.
G
July 31st, 2011
3:51 pm
Exactly why I say Bourne may not help much. The braves don’t have a problem getting guys on base. They just can’t get them in. They needed a big right handed bat and I would have given Minor and Delgado to do it. Wren can spin it however he wants, he missed again and did not get the Braves what they really needed.
Kevin
July 31st, 2011
3:51 pm
payback for the bad call at third?? have to see the replay
kerryb
July 31st, 2011
3:51 pm
Marlins better not argue on that because they got a gift on Constaza at 3rd. He was safe.
Kevin
July 31st, 2011
3:51 pm
Tommy’s wrong. He was safe
G
July 31st, 2011
3:52 pm
Wow some really bad umpiring the last couple of weeks.
Kevin
July 31st, 2011
3:52 pm
If they’re really trying to make up the blown call at third, shouldn’t we get a run on that out?
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
3:53 pm
Is this the first time Martinez has pitched since the 19 inning affair?
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
3:53 pm
They may have mentioned it but I flipped over to the Brickyard.
ricky
July 31st, 2011
3:53 pm
Low country
hmmm maybe because we have 3 in lineup now that wont be in lineup anymore?just a thought
bravos007
July 31st, 2011
3:54 pm
IT’S OFFICIAL : the braves have a curse….
why is it EVERY time the phillies are losing we are losing as well…..drives me NUTS
George Washington
July 31st, 2011
3:54 pm
How long do you pay a has-been top dollar because he’s been on your team for his entire career? I mean, come on braves, CJ was paid well for his past performance but those days are over. Let’s find a replacement for CJ asap!
LOB Braves
July 31st, 2011
3:55 pm
Lets trade Seabass for a mop and a bucket.
bravos007
July 31st, 2011
3:55 pm
dear baseball gods: please let us pick up a game every now and then…..
Kevin
July 31st, 2011
3:55 pm
Chip Caray catches some flack, but I LOVE when he imitates his grandfather and his father. Awesome. And he’s REALLY GOOD at it.
ricky
July 31st, 2011
3:56 pm
lob braves
then why r u here if you and everyone else says this team is pathetic and worthless,leave,im sure jeff,along with others wont miss your bs fair weather so called fans of the braves
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
3:57 pm
Braves have stranded 8 baserunners and are 2-for-11 with RISP.
Runner-
July 31st, 2011
3:57 pm
Bourn is a great help to this problem. We haven’t had a legit lead off hitter get on base all season, so it’s been the 3rd/4th/5th placed hitters getting on base and the bottom of the lineup has had the responsibility to drive them in, in which they have failed miserably. Either Fredi should mix the lineup a bit or Bourn should resolve this himself. Also, continuously having double digit hits every night and scoring only 1-2 runs is a sign of bad managing
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
3:57 pm
Ricky I think many would say the same about you. So I would be very careful of being critical of others.
LOB Braves
July 31st, 2011
3:57 pm
Said it before. When Seabass is at the plate and looks to Fredi for a sign he shoots him a bird.
bravos007
July 31st, 2011
3:58 pm
it’s now or never top of line-up
LOB Braves
July 31st, 2011
3:58 pm
@ ricky, says the guy who isn’t at the Braves game supporting his team
Kevin
July 31st, 2011
3:58 pm
OK, 1 minute left. Let’s get Pujols. I’ve seen him play 3B a time or two this year! lol
ricky
July 31st, 2011
3:59 pm
its official pirates got ludwick
Kevin
July 31st, 2011
4:00 pm
Don’t send that guy down. Please.
ricky
July 31st, 2011
4:00 pm
TIMES UP THATS IT!!!!
"Chef" Tim Dix
July 31st, 2011
4:00 pm
It’s 4 pm.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
4:00 pm
LOB Braves,
Seabass giving FG a bird after getting a sign would be good TV. I laughed out loud on that one.
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
4:00 pm
Two hits for Constanza. Sorry, Bourn can’t crack the lineup.
LOB Braves
July 31st, 2011
4:01 pm
Can Constanza play SS?
LOB Braves
July 31st, 2011
4:01 pm
So typical.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
4:01 pm
Sorry guys having to try and pull Mark Martin through this victory at the Brickyard. He is running 2nd!
Runner-
July 31st, 2011
4:02 pm
Pirates have a chance to win this one against the Phils, up 2 with 2 to go. Braves need to win tonight
ricky
July 31st, 2011
4:02 pm
low country we all know where u stand and i post facts not saying this team is worthless u think that dont watch
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
4:02 pm
Career best 15 game hitting streak for Freeman.
Andy
July 31st, 2011
4:03 pm
This is the most frustrating game I have ever watched. 20 yr Braves fan.
Kevin
July 31st, 2011
4:03 pm
Maybe we got Infante and they just haven’t announced it b/c they don’t want him to K on purpose or not catch a line drive.
ricky
July 31st, 2011
4:03 pm
dang cant catch a break
cable guy
July 31st, 2011
4:04 pm
Great Work Frank! Good Luck in Houston Jordan! WELCOME TO ATLANTA MICHAEL!
Andy
July 31st, 2011
4:04 pm
Constanza’s base running leaves a lot to be desired.
Runner-
July 31st, 2011
4:04 pm
@ Kevin, good point
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
4:05 pm
Double switch: Edward Mujica now pitching for Marlins and Bryan Peterson takes over in left field.
Hillbilly D
July 31st, 2011
4:05 pm
This is the most frustrating game I have ever watched. 20 yr Braves fan.
Be thankful you weren’t around for the 70’s.
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
4:05 pm
Actually Bonifacio moves to third base and Dobbs comes out.
Kevin
July 31st, 2011
4:06 pm
OK Uggla, time for another three run homer with just one on base!
Ted
July 31st, 2011
4:07 pm
Base running mistakes and a timid third base coach who seems not to appreciate probabilities on upcoming hitters produces these high hit low run games.
kerryb
July 31st, 2011
4:07 pm
Game over.
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
4:07 pm
That’s 12 hits and 9 stranded baserunners thru 7 innings.
Runner-
July 31st, 2011
4:08 pm
Dang cmon Omar let it drop youre a Brave now
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
4:08 pm
Gordan is charging with 7 laps to go. Cars up front may not make it on fuel. O the drama is high in Indy…
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
4:08 pm
Gordon sorry
Andy
July 31st, 2011
4:08 pm
It’s actually about 23 yrs. I suffered through a few seasons of terrible baseball before 1991.
ricky
July 31st, 2011
4:09 pm
braves are fine today 12 hits 1 run
14 hits 2 runs
consistent
LOB Braves
July 31st, 2011
4:10 pm
Seabass is a good SS. Can we have him hit every other time?
Runner-
July 31st, 2011
4:11 pm
Pinch hit Ross for JC and Lugo for A Gon
ricky
July 31st, 2011
4:11 pm
COME ON GORDON
ricky
July 31st, 2011
4:12 pm
GORDON IS COMING BYE BYE MARTAIN LOVE IT
ricky
July 31st, 2011
4:13 pm
GORDON WILL CATCH AND PASS HIM
WATCH
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
4:13 pm
Paul Menard is going to win the Brickyard. WOW
LOB Braves
July 31st, 2011
4:13 pm
Ricky. Who gives a crap.
"Chef" Tim Dix
July 31st, 2011
4:14 pm
Hey Jeff, add a Dagmar Midcap pic just to lighten the mood here.
ricky
July 31st, 2011
4:14 pm
DAM
BS
OH WELL CONGRATS
ricky
July 31st, 2011
4:15 pm
LOB BRAVES
SAME PEOPLE WHO CARES WHAT U THINK
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
4:15 pm
I like the swing Heyward had on the ball. Just needs to keep at it.
phil
July 31st, 2011
4:17 pm
But consider this potential batting order: Michael Bourne, Martin Prado, Chipper Jones, Brian McCann, Dan Uggla, Freddie Freeman, Jason Heyward, Alex Gonzalez. If everybody’s clicking, there’s no escape. After all the angst, this may work out yet.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
more ifs….the thing is, it hasn't clicked. Magic isn't going to get it done…
Look at today's game…nothing offensively…
We'll see when Bourn trots out there….
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
4:18 pm
Chef Tim — Here ya go: http://www.google.com/imgres?q=dagmar+midcap&hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&hs=SPd&sa=X&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&tbm=isch&prmd=ivnso&tbnid=wdQ4l-jajYadHM:&imgrefurl=http://www.pollsb.com/polls/p12669-dagmar_midcap&docid=rlfO2muyTLVGiM&w=1200&h=1800&ei=Zrg1TvClOILV0QHEm4nmCw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=147&vpy=94&dur=597&hovh=133&hovw=92&tx=111&ty=142&page=1&tbnh=133&tbnw=92&start=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0&biw=1152&bih=589
Ridiculous
July 31st, 2011
4:18 pm
Joe Simpson is such a tool. He just said that we’ve had five Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays in July. All that means is that the 31st was a Sunday. He said it’s never happened in our lifetime and never will again. That demonstrates a severe misunderstanding of how the calendar works. It happened in 2005, will happen again in 2022. Guess Joe is younger than 6 and won’t live to be 17. Too bad for him.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
4:19 pm
500th?
LOB Braves
July 31st, 2011
4:20 pm
Ralphie. FU. Strong letter to follow.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
4:20 pm
I dont know who she is but I did vote hot.
A for Atlanta
July 31st, 2011
4:20 pm
Any chance that we get Matty Ice now that Pirates got Ludwick?
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
4:21 pm
Always had a thing for Rosanna Arquette myself.
"Chef" Tim Dix
July 31st, 2011
4:22 pm
Thanks Jeff. I really miss both of them.
Sonny Clusters
July 31st, 2011
4:23 pm
“Bourn on a mountain in Tennessee . . . ”
We was friends with Dagmar but she lost interest in us after awhile. She thought we was too worldly with all the traveling we’ve done. If Chipper becomes a broadcaster and Chip is still here, we could have a Chip and Chipper broadcast team. Should take about 4 hours to get through that.
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
4:23 pm
There goes Martinez and here comes Sherrill.
Ridiculous
July 31st, 2011
4:24 pm
Thanks, JS, that was the best link you have ever posted. Heck, that was the pinnacle of your journalism career, right there!
bravos007
July 31st, 2011
4:25 pm
5-5 now in philly…. great this is why the braves can never manage to catch them….the phillies win games they are behind in and the braves blow games they should easily win
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
4:25 pm
Lowcountry Bulldawg — OK, we’ve got time during the pitching change. Here’s a dandy of Rosanna:
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=rosanna+arquette&hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&hs=7Vd&sa=X&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&tbm=isch&tbnid=PugcsqI0c5Xy-M:&imgrefurl=http://www.perfectpeople.net/%253Fcid%253D3436%2526type%253Drandpic&docid=HhC87vUztBLi3M&w=400&h=519&ei=-rk1Tv6vFqjr0gHZruX_Cw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=318&vpy=219&dur=3289&hovh=256&hovw=197&tx=124&ty=177&page=2&tbnh=124&tbnw=96&start=21&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:10,s:21&biw=1152&bih=589
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
4:26 pm
Phillies scored 2 in the bottom of the 8th to tie the Pirates. Now 5-5 in 9th.
jerry
July 31st, 2011
4:26 pm
The backup catcher can’t start a day game after a night game and can’t even pinch hit for a Triple A catcher with two on, not once , but twice? And half the damn team on IR? I’m sorry, but that is just wussy managing.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
4:26 pm
That’ll make a hounddog love a tomcat!!!
Chipper is a Redneck
July 31st, 2011
4:27 pm
JS, those links are the pinnacle of your journalism career. Kudos!
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
4:27 pm
Coming up in ninth: Boscan’s spot, pitcher’s spot, Constanza.
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
4:28 pm
David Ross and Eric Hinske coming out to hit.
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
4:29 pm
Nunez pitching for Marlins.
Chipper is a Redneck
July 31st, 2011
4:29 pm
Joe Simpson is such a tool. Used to like him, now he grates a bit. He just said that this is the only year in our lifetime that a July has 3 Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Check the calendar, Joe. That only means the 31st is a Sunday. Happens on average every 7 years. Happened in 2005, happens again in 2022. Guess Joe is less than 6 years old, and will only live to be less than 17. Sad for Joe.
Hillbilly D
July 31st, 2011
4:29 pm
Catchers seldom start a day game after a night game.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
4:30 pm
Rally Cap on….
SemperFi
July 31st, 2011
4:31 pm
Dagmar has the kind of looks that’ll make a preacher cuss (on sunday)
jerry
July 31st, 2011
4:31 pm
Why didn’t Fredi hit Ross for Boscan when there were 2 men on? Twice.
Hit A Single
July 31st, 2011
4:32 pm
Now Jerry, Jerry, Jerry, Jerry. Settle down, if we had not won the series, I imagine Ross would have been in there. But Fredi. alot like Bobby, let’s them get their AB’s because you never know when you are going to need them.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
4:32 pm
Rally Cap off… just get it done!
Smitty
July 31st, 2011
4:32 pm
Im not in the dugout and I know that hitting is an imperfect art form(one out of three is Good”) but what is Larry Parish really worth? Heyward and Gonzalez continue to look really bad, particularly Gonzalez’s attitude? Maybe his fielding is worth it; back in the day nobody cared if a slick fielding short hit , but how many RISP’s in the last month? what is happening with Heyward’s confidence?
jerry
July 31st, 2011
4:33 pm
Hillbilly D
Catchers seldom start a day game after a night game.
You know why? It’s written in stone.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
4:34 pm
So your telling me we have a chance- Slightly changed from Dumb and Dumber…
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
4:34 pm
Three hits for Jose Constanza. Michael Bourn will never crack this lineup.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
4:35 pm
100 comments tomorrow on how all they had to do was call this kid up and let him play.
Chipper is a Redneck
July 31st, 2011
4:35 pm
Ha, poor Michael Bourne, traded to a team with a TERRIBLE outfield but can’t crack the lineup. Ah well, it’s baseball, guaranteed contracts and all, what does he care?
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
4:36 pm
and now we can settle in and watch Delta Force 2….
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
4:37 pm
Braves: 13 hits, 10 runners stranded . . . and lose 3-1.
Oh No
July 31st, 2011
4:38 pm
13 hits-1 run…speechless
bj
July 31st, 2011
4:38 pm
Contanza 3 hits should have been 4 except for ump..kid should have been up all year…Glad JS is gone. great Move Wren.
SemperFi
July 31st, 2011
4:38 pm
Oh well, we got 2 out of 3. Not bad Braves!
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
4:39 pm
Jeff have a great rest of the evening and how about a UGA/ Aaron Murray article tomorrow and how his ALL SEC 1st team selection impacts his leadership role on the team. That would be a new twist on the offseason for sure. LOL! Thanks for the Rosanna pic, little side note. TOTO the band actually wrote the song Rosanna after Mrs. Arquette. Mindless trivia that no one needs to know!
jerry
July 31st, 2011
4:40 pm
Hit A Single……You’re right. After 15 years in the minors, the Braves need, I repeat, need Boscan. I just haven’t figured out what for.
jerry
July 31st, 2011
4:42 pm
Jeff Schultz ……Boscan stranded 4 all by himself.
Jordan
July 31st, 2011
4:45 pm
http://isportsweb.com/2011/07/31/mlb-trade-deadline-braves-acquire-michael-bourn/
bj
July 31st, 2011
4:45 pm
lowcountry get a life..go kiss your dawg.
jerry
July 31st, 2011
4:46 pm
bj …..
Contanza 3 hits should have been 4 except for ump..kid should have been up all year…Glad JS is gone. great Move Wren.
I agree with you completely. I would add keep him, send Bosco down, let Ross do all the catching until McCann returns. But they would have to disregard the wuss factor.
Paul Macheski
July 31st, 2011
4:47 pm
Good trade. We finally have a lead off hitter.
Good line up but, forget Jones batting third. Make Prado the full time third baseman and let Freeman bat third.
The Braves pay way to much for a part time third baseman.
falconfiend
July 31st, 2011
4:58 pm
I Went to the houston and atlanta series in june. Bourne and Pence both scared me because of their fast play. Bourne is a tough outfielder and he is ahead of schaff right now and he is on top of his game now. GREAT MOVE.
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
5:01 pm
Hey we just went up 6 games. Hunter Pence doubles with 1 out in the 10 Ibanez drives him in. Good Day!!!
falconfiend
July 31st, 2011
5:02 pm
PENCE JUST SCORED WINNER FOR PHILLY. BOURNE WILL DO THE SAME FOR BRAVES.
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
5:03 pm
Just this update on Braves’ roster decision: Constanza will stick after his three-hit day. Braves will send down a reliever, either Anthony Varvaro or Scott Proctor. Wren/Manno/Gonzalez discussing option right now.
COOPER
July 31st, 2011
5:03 pm
Schafer had his chance a few years ago and even though he got hurt has only recently started using his speed to look good at the plate and in the field. This resurgence is what has made him attractive to Houston. Not knowing if he will finally be that 300 lead off hitter and great center fielder made him expendable but also attractive. I hate giving up Abreu because he is close to being ready for the major league . Clemons and Oberholtzer are a few years away from being ready.
When we sign Gilmartin out of Florida State that made Abreu expendable. With Gilmartin left handed and because he was in college ball for three years he will get to Gwinnett or Mississippi real fast , maybe this year.
So, GREAT TRADE.
Jeff Schultz
July 31st, 2011
5:04 pm
Also, almost forgot: That was the 10,000th loss in franchise history. But they’re 8 games over .500. (10,008-10,000).
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
5:08 pm
Jeff I remember when the Phils got their 10,000 loss it was 2008 and we won the series. I hope this milestone loss does not equal the same success.
falconfiend
July 31st, 2011
5:11 pm
We dont celebrate the losses. Braves been nails since 91.
todd grantham
July 31st, 2011
5:13 pm
Jeffrey, have you asked The Count if he has any inside info on additional Wren moves?
falconfiend
July 31st, 2011
5:16 pm
I hope that happens phillies fan. braves and phils have some milestones left for this year. It seems like they are copying each other.
dong kumong
July 31st, 2011
5:18 pm
welcome to the 10,000 club!
falconfiend
July 31st, 2011
5:19 pm
braves fans from at least ‘91 dont celebrate to much losing.
COOPER
July 31st, 2011
5:21 pm
Michael Bourn I think is signed through 2013 when he becomes a free agent. If that is true that makes this trade even better.
dong kumong
July 31st, 2011
5:21 pm
Wren are you guys gonna make a real deal? No one wants to come to Atlanta to play baseball. You know why? They dont want to play in front of half empty Turner Field during the playoffs.
nique
July 31st, 2011
5:23 pm
This is a great move!!! We didn’t give up a whole lot in my opinion to get an All-Star at a position of need for us. He adds another dimension to the offense and is an upgrade in the field.
In a meritocracy I don’t see why Chipper should bat 3rd if everybody is healthy enough to be in the lineup. At this point, McCann is definitely preferable and arguments could definitely be made in favor of Freeman and even Uggs now.
dong kumong
July 31st, 2011
5:23 pm
Has Turner Field had any sellouts this year? Beyonce concert doesnt count.
iTiSi
July 31st, 2011
5:24 pm
“Bourn to be Wild” is good, but I do like “BOURN TO RUN” better. That has to be played and flashed on the big screen when he gets on first.
dong kumong
July 31st, 2011
5:24 pm
Knock, Knock. Who’s there? Wren. Wren who? Wren is Atlanta going to get a real GM.
dong kumong
July 31st, 2011
5:25 pm
How about… “Bourn Atlanta Bourn” by the General Shermanators
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
5:30 pm
Phillies now 6 games up. Bourn to in the Wild Card race are the Braves
falconfiend
July 31st, 2011
5:30 pm
braves will be alright with bourne. Bourne will put that pressure on the oponents pitching on the bases. Braves will improve with speed on the bases and getting the runs in.Its easier to drive in runs with fast base runners who can score from first on a double and get to third on a base hit.
Mister Frisky
July 31st, 2011
5:31 pm
Hopefully with a arrival of Mr.Bourn we won’t have any more 13 hit 1 run displays.
Ray Charles
July 31st, 2011
5:31 pm
Bourn To Lose
Robert
July 31st, 2011
5:31 pm
Well I hope the plan is to bring up these young arms soon to help in the pen. Since we totally passed on a right handed bat.
todd grantham
July 31st, 2011
5:32 pm
how about “Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash. you know, burn, burn, burn.
todd grantham
July 31st, 2011
5:33 pm
or the them from “the Bourne Identity”
dong kumong
July 31st, 2011
5:33 pm
hey falcon, great analysis. Never heard that before about speed on base giving more opp to score. REALLY? send your resume to espn.
dong kumong
July 31st, 2011
5:34 pm
stillborn
philalamo
July 31st, 2011
5:34 pm
I’ll take crappy cities for $200 Alex.
Correct Question: “What is Philadelphia?” Also would have accepted “What is Filthydelphia?”
dong kumong
July 31st, 2011
5:35 pm
bourn dead
mark
July 31st, 2011
5:39 pm
Its time to trade J Heyward while we can. Way overrated at the plate. Tries till kill everything. Tired of looking at that swing. Never tries for a team hit just a me-me-me home run.
ane
July 31st, 2011
5:40 pm
It’s a good trade, finally the braves get a legitmate CF [none since AJ] anf leadoff hitter [none since Furcal] I grew to like Shaefer and think he has potential a few years down the road. His problems are behuind him as he seemed to have matured. mclout on the other hand should be waived or sent down to AA ball where he belongs. Probably wont be back next season, hope his “strain” lasts through the end of this season. Good luck bourne
falconfiend
July 31st, 2011
5:41 pm
dong.. are you new to baseball. let me tell you a few leadoff hitters who made their teams better with speed. Pete Rose, Ricky Henderson, deion sanders- do you know any of these people.
dong kumong
July 31st, 2011
5:41 pm
Peter Gammons: Wrens hands were tied. He couldnt trade away his minor league pitching talent because he knows that the Braves are going to lose some of the current staff to FA. Whereas, a team like the phillies are going for it year after year because they have the support of the fans who are close to selling out 200 games in a row. It comes down to money. The phils have it and the braves dont.
dong kumong
July 31st, 2011
5:45 pm
FALCON. you said…Its easier to drive in runs with fast base runners who can score from first on a double and get to third on a base hit. That is not analysis. That is common sense. Even a four yr old knows that. The smarter baseball fan knows that “smart” baserunning is much more valuable than speed on the bases. BTW, pete rose was not fast. He was a smart baserunner and he hustled.
dong kumong
July 31st, 2011
5:46 pm
last word…WE GOT ASOMUGHA!!!
falconfiend
July 31st, 2011
5:47 pm
Like i said you dont know baseball.
falconfiend
July 31st, 2011
5:50 pm
dont talk about the eagles. With all that talent, the eagles should have won a superbowl. Chokes in front of all those sold out eagle games
dong kumong
July 31st, 2011
5:51 pm
im sure “falcon”fiend legitimizes you as a baseball fan. that team sucks too btw
falconfiend
July 31st, 2011
5:53 pm
Hey, there are many braves fans that dont live in atlanta. go to a braves road game and you will see plenty.
Braves Homer
July 31st, 2011
5:55 pm
Wow, I like this move. A solid leadoff hitter in the lineup, and most of all, a solid African American Big Leaguer in Atlanta! I was starting to think the organization was a little racist
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
5:55 pm
falconfiend no where as many as the Phils have on the road. In Washington, Florida we outnumber their fans by a few thousand
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
5:56 pm
Braves Homer… Isn’t Heyward black? I hate this race bating talk.
falconfiend
July 31st, 2011
5:56 pm
Tomahawk chop forever and a dirty bird. C DEION SANDERS GO INTO THE HALL OF FAME AS A FALCON. GO TO THE HOUSE THAT DEION BUILT AND ROOT FOR YOUR EAGLES BUT LOOK UP AND C THAT #21
kerryb
July 31st, 2011
5:57 pm
To outnumber Marlins fans is no great feat.
falconfiend
July 31st, 2011
6:01 pm
DONG GO TO THE HOUSE THAT DEION BUILT AND ROOT FOR YOUR EAGLES, BUT REMEMBER TO LOOK UP AND SEE #21 HALL OF FAME BANNER HANGING. BEST CORNERBACK TO EVER PLAY IN THE NFL. Leadoff hitter for the braves at one time. thats greatness.
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
6:02 pm
kerryb… Look at our road games we travel very well. You guys can’t outnumber anyone on the road barely at home. You never sellout.
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
6:04 pm
Did Deon ever win anything in Atlanta? Didn’t think so.
VABRAVE
July 31st, 2011
6:09 pm
PhilliesFan does the entire city of Philly suck.
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
6:13 pm
VABRAVE you have obviously never been to the Rittenhouse Square, Old City or Queens Village, Fairmount or Society Hill sections of Philly. All are very nice. Our suburbs are awesome. The Mainline is as nice as any suburban section in the country
kerryb
July 31st, 2011
6:21 pm
So Philliefan, are you saying earlier that your guys are a bunch of nomads following your team around. Get a life.
ijudgenot
July 31st, 2011
6:21 pm
Bourn trade was a good trade, but it won’t mean a thing if Fredi keeps the same swing for the fences approach. Constanza, also a very fast guy, was on base 3 times today and did not attempt a steal once. Nor was there a hit and run called. Speed is only useful on offense if you use it.
braverforaver
July 31st, 2011
6:23 pm
Everyone here needs to admit that we failed during the trade deadline. No matter what Wren said, he did want Beltran and Pence. While other teams got option#1 before trade deadline, we got the third option at best. When is the last time we got option#1 to come here?
kerryb
July 31st, 2011
6:23 pm
Freddie’s hitting close to .300 he can swing for whatever he wants to.
dongkumong
July 31st, 2011
6:24 pm
hey falcon… read what ijudge said. obviously he understands deeper than the common sense level of baseball wisdom that you carry.
ian
July 31st, 2011
6:25 pm
Schultz, at least spell his name right — Bourn, not Bourne. Jeez. You gotta do better than that.
kerryb
July 31st, 2011
6:27 pm
braverforaver, I agree with what Wren did. Who wants to give away one of our golden prospects for a gimpy two month rental. Pence or Bourne. Well the Braves needed more team speed that can hit and Bourne is a career .271 hitter hitting .303 with 39 SB. Only caught 7 times this year. He’s also a 2 time gold glover which Pence is not. I’d rather had Bourne. The Braves needed a true lead off hitter. Not just another bat in the OF.
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
6:27 pm
kerryb.. nomads… not exactly. I didn’t know showing support for your team was a bad thing. Ok now I understand why it’s ok the braves fans never support them and show up to their home games.
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
6:28 pm
kerryb… The fact is you needed Pence and Bourn. Hope you are happy with the wildcard
kerryb
July 31st, 2011
6:29 pm
Thats funny. Every time I turn on the TV to watch a Braves game there are people wearing Braves gear all over the park when we are on the road. And that includes Citizens Bank park.
kerryb
July 31st, 2011
6:30 pm
Philliefan, you forget that we still play Philly 6 more times this year. It’s not over.
kerryb
July 31st, 2011
6:31 pm
When we get our complete starting lineup back and add Bourne to the top of it we match up with Philly pretty well. Have all year when we’ve played.
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
6:33 pm
kerryb… THe last series will mean nothing and that’s good news for the braves. They may need those wins to get the wild card
braverforaver
July 31st, 2011
6:33 pm
Pence is not a rental. I didnt say bourn is not a “good” move. It’s just not the 1st option. We havent had a 1st option come here in a while. That was my question. Can you name a FA or trade that netted the #1 FA or #1 trade deadline target. After the last two years, i just think Amaro is getting the better deals even tho we have a good minor league too. What are we doing wrong that we cant get the Halladays and Lees to come here? Just like what Gammons said: Money because philly has fan support.
kerryb
July 31st, 2011
6:36 pm
I got a feeling that last series is going to mean everything. You never know what is going to happen. Like us, what would happen if all of a sudden Utley gets a gimpy knee and Howard strains an oblique. Or Halladay or Lee starts having a sore shoulder. You never know. 6 games can evaporate pretty quick.
Schafer was NOT A LOSER
July 31st, 2011
6:37 pm
Woah, woah hold on here Schaefer was a LOSER (learn to spell too). The minute Schafer leaves ATL people start bashing on him with this “Druggie” stuff? Seriously, you need to research the situation and learn he was given a suspension for associating with people involved in HGH, he never was proven to use or was caught with any drugs. He was a heck of a player, never did too much after his first opening day but he tried to get on base and do damage every single at-bat he ever had here with us. You were probably one of the people cheering him on when he was doing well. Go watch some NFL, NHL, WWF or PGA since nobody else ever used PEDs except for baseball players. Get a clue and stop being a Braves fan ASAP please. As far as Schafer, I always liked him and hope him the best with the ‘Stros. Hopefully Bourne continues to do great this year and Schafer doesn’t come back to bite us eventually.
expert
July 31st, 2011
6:37 pm
hey phillies how did that haliday guy do last year??hm saw u watching the world series,you cant uy a world series even though you try every year.3 highest payrolls in mlb
yankees
redsox
philly
WATCHED THE WORLD SERIES AT HOME LAST YEAR,HOPEFULLY FOR PHILLY MAYBE HOWARD SWUNGS AT STRIKE 3 THIS TIME INSTEAD OF WATCHING IT
Mark's for the Braves
July 31st, 2011
6:38 pm
What a wonderful trade! And we didn’t lose any of our top pitching prospects! We need to sign him to a long term deal in the off season and move McClouth even if we pay a lot of the salary.
I think we’re about to go on a roll boys………………….
Art Vandelay
July 31st, 2011
6:39 pm
Who is going to drive in Bourn from 3rd w/less than 2 outs? Getting on base doesn’t seem to be our problem….
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
6:39 pm
Bourn not Bourne right? Since you busted on people for not spelling Schafer correct…Just sayin.
bravos007
July 31st, 2011
6:39 pm
don’t even respond to the philly trolls. they appear to be in breeding mode as they are everywhere lol
kerryb
July 31st, 2011
6:39 pm
Braverforaver, loading up on free agents doesn’t guarantee you anything. Look at the Yankees. I do believe Frank Wren when he says Bourne is who he wanted all along. The Braves didn’t need a corner outfielder. They needed a CF and lead off man.
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
6:41 pm
kerryb… Utley missed the first 42 games and we still always had a decent lead. Have you not watch these Phils the last 4 years. They turn it on down the stretch. in 2007, 2008 and 2009 the Mets fell under the pressure last year the Braves folded while being chased.
dongkumong
July 31st, 2011
6:41 pm
just like a braves fan to hope for injuries to make up 6 games. yes, 6 games can evap pretty quick if the braves are in first place and phils are in 2nd place. phils dont give up leads in the division race. plus the braves like looking at philly’s rear.
expert
July 31st, 2011
6:42 pm
mclouth is done after this year,we will pay his backup we have 7 million off the books through kk,and thats it unless we trade lowe,15 million,and chipper 13 million retires
kerryb
July 31st, 2011
6:42 pm
Art, he will be at the top of the lineup, not the bottom. Prado, Freeman, Uggla, or McCann won’t have trouble driving him in. He should not be on base when Alex Gonzales comes up.
Art Vandelay
July 31st, 2011
6:42 pm
The next person that puts an “E” in “BOURN” should lose all commenting privileges….
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
6:42 pm
kerryb… If Bourn was who he wanted all along why did they pursue Pence? Very funny
dongkumong
July 31st, 2011
6:43 pm
great example kerry. last time i looked the yankees have almost 30 championships.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
6:43 pm
Phillies fans sure are worried about the Division,lol. I will take the Wild Card and the World Series. You guys enjoy the Division though…
dongkumong
July 31st, 2011
6:43 pm
BOURNE
expert
July 31st, 2011
6:44 pm
i hope chipper retires then we can sign pujois,who can play 3rd,prado in lf where he belongs,and we are set,trade lowe,and even better
expert
July 31st, 2011
6:44 pm
js be fine in houston,no drug test there
kerryb
July 31st, 2011
6:45 pm
Idiot Phillie fan misses the point. We’ve had both Chipper and McCann missing at time. Earlier we had Heyward and Prado missing at the same time. The Phillies would NOT be winning that frequently if they lost Utley AND Howard at the same time or Howard AND Rollins. The point is, don’t guarantee anything because you never know what might happen in the next two months.
expert ?
July 31st, 2011
6:45 pm
@expert: I usually don’t comment on grammer. But you obviously are a product of APS.
expert
July 31st, 2011
6:45 pm
BOURN
dongkumong
July 31st, 2011
6:45 pm
sign pujols? hahahahahahahahahaha! you need 30 million. with your fanbase, you can afford pujols left pinky.
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
6:46 pm
Lowcountry Bulldawg… going for the wild card is such a losers mentality. In 2007 when we were 7 games out with 17 to go Charlie Manuel always said the division not the wildcard was the goal.
Bob
July 31st, 2011
6:46 pm
How in h*ll do you have 13 hits and score only one run? I’m glad Bourn is coming; however, what do we do about the idiot manager and coaches we have running this team? Pitiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!
kerryb
July 31st, 2011
6:47 pm
Another idiot that misses the point. The Yankees have loaded up on free agents the last 10 years and have only won 1 WS. Has nothing to do with 30 championships.
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
6:48 pm
kerryb… Yankess 1 WS in the last 10 years to the Braves how many?
expert
July 31st, 2011
6:48 pm
GO join schafer on the meds cause neither reyes,fielder or pujois are getting 30 mil/year
WATCH
steve brown
July 31st, 2011
6:49 pm
You threaten me and let Rawdog’s racist crap in. What does that say about you.
Bob
July 31st, 2011
6:49 pm
@kerryb…I think you’re on to something. Maybe we a smarter manager and coaches. You would think13 hits= 5 runs?
dongkumong
July 31st, 2011
6:49 pm
expert and expert? must be products of georgia’s fine education system ranked 42nd in the country. google grammer and you’ll see that guy from cheers. its grammAr
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
6:49 pm
You go ahead and spin it however you want but if your Division Winning Phillies do not make the World Series and the Braves end up winning it who 10 years will be the team remembered? Sure will not be the Division Winning Phillies. It will be the World Champion Braves. So your spin holds zero water.
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
6:50 pm
expert… they may not be getting $30 million a year but they won’t be braves
expert
July 31st, 2011
6:50 pm
phillies
where were you last year?
like the braves sitting at home last year,lol with a 145 million payroll
PRICELESS
Nite Owl
July 31st, 2011
6:50 pm
To all Philly fans:
If you did not attend today’s Phillies game, please stop talking about fan support.
The Phillies did not win the World Series last year.
The Eagles have never won the Super Bowl. Not ever.
And your town may be nice, but the people are rude, obnoxious, and tend to leave the first chance they get. Which is why you now live here.
Have a pleasant day.
expert ?
July 31st, 2011
6:51 pm
kerryb: I gues last year when Phila. had almost all of thier starters on the DL at one time or another and STILL managed to win the N.L. east doesn’t count. As usual when you are wrong you start with the name calling. I.E.: idiot Philly fan. Phithydelphia the other night. Very original.
expert
July 31st, 2011
6:51 pm
philly
i know dont hurt to dream,you need a ss bet u guys sign reyes i would if i was the gm
kerryb
July 31st, 2011
6:52 pm
Idiot Phillefan, now. What doesn’t that stupid comment have anything to do with my point of loading up on Freeagents Phillies 1 WS in 30 years. Joe Carter saw to that.
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
6:53 pm
Lowcountry Bulldawg… I agree with that. But the best way to get to the World Series is to have home field. Can’t have that without winning the division. What I am saying is settling for the wild card is a loser;s mentality. For the Phillies to be successful in my opinion they must win the division and the world series. See in Philly we have a good home field advantage our fans show up, sell out and make noise. I know you braves fans know nothing about that.
Bob
July 31st, 2011
6:53 pm
You boys in this p@ssing contest with Philly, who cares! Javy Lopez would put all your BB and FB players to shame. I’m concerned about getting a lot of hits and only one run.
bravos007
July 31st, 2011
6:53 pm
wow reading this blog really does reinforce the well-known fact that philly fans are dumb……we are playing with a AAA team right now LOL both of our super-stars are on the bench. for your sake, just hope we stay injured.
kerryb
July 31st, 2011
6:53 pm
Phithydelphia???? Never made that comment>>>>ever.
dongkumong
July 31st, 2011
6:55 pm
kerry, the red sox load up on FA’s, and how many champs did they win? lets face it. until the braves sellout their ballpark like the red sox, yankees and phils ATL will always be a 2nd rate team on the outside looking in.
kerryb
July 31st, 2011
6:55 pm
Last year I think Utley was the only starter down. The only reason they caught us was because we had Chipper go down in August and Prado went down in September.
expert ?
July 31st, 2011
6:56 pm
kerryb: off by 1 year. Phils in 1980 and 2008 W.S. Wrong again.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
6:57 pm
You got busted. Its simple now you are just trying to jump around and talk about fans showing up or not. Look if they meant that much you would have a 30 game lead. Fact is you do not. The Braves are close enough that it should make you nervous. So go sell out another 200 games and try and get a larger than 6 game lead on the Braves next time.
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
6:58 pm
bravos007… We were very hurt the whole first half, i love how braves fans think they are the only team who had injuries. Remember Utley missing 42 games? Polanco, Victorino, Oswalt and Blanton on the DL?
bravos007
July 31st, 2011
6:59 pm
@philliefans- another philly fan with no reading comprehension skills. read a book every once in awhile
kerryb
July 31st, 2011
6:59 pm
Enjoy it while you can. When your aging over-the-hill high priced team is on the decline and you have a depleted farm system start crying to your GM. Meanwhile, the Braves will have their 4 golden arms along with Hanson, JJ, and Beachy, Venters, Kimbrell, O’ Flarety, Freeman, Heyward, and McCann dominating the east for the next 10 years.
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
6:59 pm
Lowcountry Bulldawg… Attendance matters moron. Why do you think we can spend more. Why do you think Lee chose Philly? I know you guys hate to hear it but you lack of support shows how diehard you are. Which is not too much
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
7:00 pm
Selling out the stadium mean crap to whether or not gets added. It boils down to ownership and its commitment to win or to the bottom line. Philadelphia to its credits demands its owners to compete on the field, not on the P&L sheet. The same for the Red Sox. The Braves unfortunately are not in the same class of ownership. So comparing fanbase attendance again is a stupid argument.
expert
July 31st, 2011
7:01 pm
Its getting into the playoffs that matter
we beat haliday,and cliff already,u gus r in trouble
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
7:01 pm
kerryb… We will have money to spend on Free Agents. Plus NONE of those guys we traded in the Lee, Halladay, Oswalt deals are really producing yet. We sold high on our prospects. They have not turned out to be that good.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
7:01 pm
Your lack of intelligence is astounding.
Braves Homer
July 31st, 2011
7:01 pm
The Braves are still Racist
dongkumong
July 31st, 2011
7:01 pm
fill your seats ATL. thats the only way you will get the money to play ball with the big boys. All of ATL knows that and they still dont go out and support the team and whine when they get bourn instead of their #1 option.
Skeezix
July 31st, 2011
7:02 pm
I like Bourne a lot. FW did a good job here. Bourne is the prototypical lead off man. With him and Prado batting one, two in the line up…we are going to be a better team offensively. We still need others to get well soon (McCann, Moylan, Chipper, Medlen)…… and for Jason to get out of his funk.
I don’t think it is enough to catch the Phillies, but should help ensure the wild card.
I will miss getting to watch Shafer develop his full potential.
kerryb
July 31st, 2011
7:02 pm
It’s easy to sell out a 35,000 seat stadium.
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
7:03 pm
Lowcountry Bulldawg…. How do you figure all of those millions of dollars from attendance does = More to spend? Very simple formula
Bob
July 31st, 2011
7:03 pm
Lowcountry…don’t let them sucker you in this worthless debate. They are just jealous because they don’t have a decent college football team to root for. Joe Pa is 15 years past his prime and who cares about the U of Pitt. Go Dawgs!
dongkumong
July 31st, 2011
7:04 pm
attendance=money. you know it and to ignore it is stupidity.
bravos007
July 31st, 2011
7:04 pm
why are these race-bating people still on here? shouldn’t they be banned already….
expert
July 31st, 2011
7:04 pm
and once again wont win the world series this year
go spend 30 mil/year on reyes maybe that will do it
wait u will come up with some other excuse
u guys cant beat sf they took 2/3 from u at philly without beltran
HOW IS THAT HOME FIELD AVANTAGE WORK FOR YOU LAST YEAR?
PRICELESS
kerryb
July 31st, 2011
7:04 pm
We may not be selling out the stadium but we are playing with anyone. Lets see, 6-6 against the Phillies beating both Halladay and Cliff Lee. 3-0 against the Giants. 4th best record in baseball. No problem winning with no sell outs.
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
7:05 pm
kerryb we average over 45,000 a night almost 20,000 more than the braves. Please get your facts straight. Also the Braves average 28,975 so even if they had a 35,000 seat stadium they would come up pretty short. Just case it Northeast Fans and fans in Chicago care more, show up more, make more noise and demand more from their ownership.
dongkumong
July 31st, 2011
7:05 pm
its not race baiting when neil boortz is the most popular radio figure in GA.
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
7:06 pm
kerryb… Played us 9 times without utley. He is the most important player on our team.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 31st, 2011
7:06 pm
Bob,
You are right. Obviously he has little idea about how Liberty Media came into ownership of the Braves and the role the Braves play in the Liberty Media empire.
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
7:08 pm
expert… Home field is no guarantee. There is no guarantee in anything. But if you think home field doesn’t mean anything then why do just about all teams have better home records then road records?
Bob
July 31st, 2011
7:09 pm
All you Philly fanantics…how many consecutive division championships have you won?
expert ?
July 31st, 2011
7:10 pm
And the dawgs have won what in the last 30 years ? They are not even worth me using a capitol D ! Ga. education 48th or 49th year in and out.
kerryb
July 31st, 2011
7:10 pm
Lets see, Braves fans cover the whole southeast. Braves fans are spread out in a large area a good ways from the stadium in a traffic nightmare. Because there are teams in Pittsburg, Baltimore, New York, Washinton, Phillie fans live probably 10 miles from the stadium. Not very hard to get there.
expert ?
July 31st, 2011
7:12 pm
kerryb: You obviously have never been outside your trailer park limits. 10 miles from the stadium ? Go read/look at a map.
rabiddawg
July 31st, 2011
7:13 pm
Why get into a pi$$ing contest with Philly fans? They have the better team right now, and I’m a lifelong Braves fan. Just tip the cap to them and know that it all runs in cycles. We were the better team for all of the 90’s and half of the 2000’s. Give them their nice little run and we will see a changing of the guard in about 2 years. All we can do is show up, play our best and hope we can beat em head to head. No reason to feed the fire. They are in first and we are in second. We will see what happens in the next 2 months. Go Bravos….
Bob
July 31st, 2011
7:13 pm
@expert…if you’ll check your stats, you’ll probably find a UGA grad heading up most of your universities. Of course, I’ll tip my hat to your Philly steak sandwiches and to Rolling Rock beer.
kerryb
July 31st, 2011
7:14 pm
Most Braves fans are like me. If I wanted to go to a Braves game I would have to drive an hour and a half to get to the stadium. when the game is over and I drive an hour and a half back it would be midnight when I get back. Then have to get up and go to work at 7:00. Some of us have jobs, are great fans of their team, but have a life. Apparently Phillie fans do not.
bravos007
July 31st, 2011
7:15 pm
if you are a PHILLY fan and coming to this website to attack braves fan, you are pretty much a worthless person…..yes, there are braves fans that do the same BUT YOU ARE HERE so go away….karma sucks in october
kerryb
July 31st, 2011
7:16 pm
The Phillies are the Yankees of the NL. They load up on expensive players and don’t win anything
expert ?
July 31st, 2011
7:17 pm
@Bob: Heading up U. of Penn? Ivy League ? Maybe in charge of the mailroom.
expert ?
July 31st, 2011
7:19 pm
kerryb : The Braves are the Buffalo Bills of baseball. Keep hanging up those division banners.
chief pitchanono
July 31st, 2011
7:19 pm
Just love how the philly phans are cry’n on their blogs over this trade. You would never know they have a 6 game lead. The rivalry is awesome, but they got a great team and a comfortable lead, they should just enjoy it. Yeah Weren probably did out smart them by sneaking Bourn out the backdoor for very little while they were unloading their farm for Pence, but its not like its the end of the world. Were celebrating a great season and getting Bourn and were 6 games back! Don’t like to think what would happen to those guys if we were to get within a game or two of first. Go Braves!!
Seattle Braves
July 31st, 2011
7:21 pm
Looks like we should win the WS now…
Still think we need another RHP though. Hopefully Peter “from down under” Moylan or call up one of the untouchables and fill in the GAP. Whenever we need to pay off an empire, then we can use Proctor again…
traffic dude
July 31st, 2011
7:21 pm
If he is anything like his brother Jason Bourne he will be a bad*** player for the braves. His brother is lethal.
bravos007
July 31st, 2011
7:22 pm
OBVIOUSLY the philly folks are concerned, regardless of their filthy mouth online. you don’t see them on the mets or nats websites acting like this.
instead of provoking people on a braves website, you would think they would go outside and clean up their trashy city. would be more productive.
Seattle Braves
July 31st, 2011
7:23 pm
“The Bourn Express”
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
7:25 pm
chief pitchanono… The rivalry sucks… It’s only on blogs. Our Mets rivalry was much better. They came to our stadium and we went to theres. Also the braves are a likable team as I think the Phils are. The Mets were easy to hate. I can honestly say that if you guys are in the WS I will root for you. I like Chipper, McCann and i love Freeman.
Taylor Woote
July 31st, 2011
7:25 pm
I like the move….better than the ones that were being talked about. Of course, time will ultimately judge.
Go Braves.
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
7:26 pm
bravos007.. we are not on the Mets or National websites because they are completely out of it. I come here for an out of town perspective.
Braves Homer
July 31st, 2011
7:29 pm
I want to hear more about you guys opinion on the Race issue. This is a big deal, Bourne coming to the ATL
SR
July 31st, 2011
7:29 pm
Enter your comments here
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
7:31 pm
Braves Homer… Stop Race bating. Bourn is coming to ATL because he is a good lead off hitter and a great centerfield. He could be a green martian and they still would have traded for him
expert ?
July 31st, 2011
7:31 pm
@chief Pitchanono and rabiddawg: I agree with both of y’all. This is a GREAT trade for the Braves. This is going to be a great Aug. / Sept. for both teams. Bob, I apolgize for the Bulldawg comment. Any college education is good. We all want better for our kids. This is just a game. Something for all of us to take our minds off of Mon. with our jobs, kids and bills. Good Luck to the Braves and Phils. They will see each other in Oct. Just had a couple of Yuenglings today ! Godspeed y’all .
bravos007
July 31st, 2011
7:31 pm
@philliesfan for an “out of town perspective” is just an excuse to be a troll
@braveshomer- no it’s not a big deal. to YOU cause you appear to be obsessed with race but not to normal braves fans
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
7:32 pm
Also UGA is a very good school. I am from Philly but I respect great education no matter what state its in.
Mark in mid-town
July 31st, 2011
7:33 pm
PhilliesFan,
the Phillies attendance is very commendable. The Braves obviously don’t draw nearly as well, anymore. The “anymore” is key. Among the reasons the Braves don’t draw nearly as well anymore is that the traffic situation has become atrocious and there isn’t a viable public transportation option for the vast majority of Braves fans. Let’s not forget that in 1993 when it was slightly easier to get around the Atlanta metro area, the Braves averaged about 48,000 per game and drew about 3,900,000 for the year. And they did that in their old dull cookie cutter stadium. What was the best the Phillies ever drew in their old cookie cutter stadium? Well, the best the Phillies drew in their prior stadium was about 750,000 less than the best the Braves did in their prior stadium. The Phillies best year in their prior stadium was also 1993, yet they drew about 10,000 less per game than the Braves did that year, even though the stadium in Philadelphia had a capacity 11,000 more. Does that mean that Braves fans were far more diehard than Phillies fans back in 1993?
bravos007
July 31st, 2011
7:35 pm
@mark in midtown- it’s all about attendance with them. for some reason, they believe they love their team more than we do. it’s a waste of your time to provide a thoughtful response. they completely discount the fact that the braves are loved across the country and the phillies are loved for the most part only in philly
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
7:36 pm
Mark in mid-town…at the time the braves fans were better fans. The Phillies were an awful franchise and caught lighting in the bottle. THe philly fans refused to support a franchise who wouldn’t spend. Now the Phillies are actually challenging the Eagles for Number 1 in our town which was unthinkable 10 years ago.
cutty
July 31st, 2011
7:37 pm
“On whether getting Chipper Jones back in the line-up makes the Braves a better club?” Check with me in two months,assuming he can stay in there that long.
MartinezFred
July 31st, 2011
7:38 pm
I just paid $22.87 for an iPad2-64GB and my girlfriend loves her Panasonic Lumix GF 1 Camera that we got for $38.76 there arriving tomorrow by UPS. I will never pay such expensive retail prices in stores again. Especially when I also sold a 40 inch LED TV to my boss for $675 which only cost me $62.81 to buy. Here is the website we use to get it all from, FineCent. c om
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
7:38 pm
bravos007… You act the Braves are the Yankees. Love across the country. You do bring up a good point however. I LOVE the fact being a Philly fan is synonymous with being from Philly. They represent us. I am a true believe in you only root for teams in your home town. Unless you have no team in your home town.
Runnin With The Dawgs
July 31st, 2011
7:40 pm
I’m happy to see the Braves take a major step in the right direction. I hope they take a few more. Phillies Suck! “GO BRAVES”!
chief pitchanono
July 31st, 2011
7:41 pm
Totally agree philliesFan, we also crushed the mets for years and it was awesome, but they never really proved to be a real threat. It is a little different with you guys now that you have been on top for a few years. There is no hatred, but its more of a david vs. goliath thing with u guys now, we won’t to knock of goliath and do what people say can’t be done. Hopefully its a great race untill the end. Go Braves!!
kerryb
July 31st, 2011
7:41 pm
Phils fans. I love to banter with you but you do have a good team. Makes me sick. I really believe the NLCS is going to be the Braves and the Phils. We will all have good fun with that won’t we?
bravos007
July 31st, 2011
7:41 pm
@philliesfan- congratulations and glad your team has finally been able to win. every fan should have that at some point i guess.
heartofdarkness
July 31st, 2011
7:43 pm
Congratulations to the GM. Got an upgrade to the offense and showed discipline. Measured today, the Braves gave up less than the Mets or Astros were seeking (for Pence). Each of the young players the Braves sent to Houston has the potential to be a good major leaguer. Other than Shafer, none were going to help this year. So we got some here and now, and we surrendered future promise. Only time and the clairvoyants of this world will tell whether we paid too much. Cardplayers would say the hand dealt the Braves was well played.
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
7:44 pm
chief pitchanono and kerryb… I agree the NL East is very fun right now. I also think the we are both destine for the NLCS which would be great.
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
7:45 pm
I think we can all agree the Ed Wade sucks. Thanks for Pence and Bourn
kerryb
July 31st, 2011
7:45 pm
Is everyone as shocked as I am that the Yankees did nothing? You think they may finally be tapped out?
bravos007
July 31st, 2011
7:46 pm
@heartodarkness – exactly. the braves played their hand VERY smartly…..out pitching all but guarantees us another 5-10 years of competitive baseball teams in atlanta.
PhilliesFan
July 31st, 2011
7:47 pm
kerryb… I am most shocked that Heath Bell went no where
bravos007
July 31st, 2011
7:48 pm
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2011/07/11/harris-braves-third-most-popular.html
right behind yankees and red sox….our rating and attendance are down but our overall popularity remains strong
bravos007
July 31st, 2011
7:48 pm
ratings that is
kerryb
July 31st, 2011
7:49 pm
I’m shocked at that too.
bravosfan11
July 31st, 2011
8:13 pm
say what you want about Schafer, but the kid played with heart and played hard every time out there. He got hit in the face and wanted to play the next day. good luck schaf. hope your troubles are behind you, and you do well in houstin. with that said, great trade franky. I’m excited to see the lineup as mac and chip get back and healthy… which it’s probably a good sign that brian caught the first pitch today… i know that’s much different then really catching and swinging, but at least he can get down without pain. LET’S GO BRAVES!
Ryan
July 31st, 2011
8:15 pm
Now, the only real weakness in this team is at short. I love Gonzalez’s defense, but it doesn’t make up for his bat. Besides, like today, he has been known to bobble on dives.
Billy Mccawley
July 31st, 2011
8:18 pm
I like Jordan, but it’s a great deal for the braves. It fills a need and with nate and kenshins contracts coming off the books, they can work on locking down Hansen and jairs contracts.
bigbrave
July 31st, 2011
8:48 pm
Does anyone besides me wonder why the braves play at home with their red shirts on hot sunny days and their white shirts at night when it’s cooler? Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Just sayin. Is there a rule they can only wear those awesome looking red shirts on day games?
Braves Homer
July 31st, 2011
8:55 pm
PhilliesFan, you are wrong, the organization has been accused (and righfully so) in the past of avoiding and even getting rid of African American Players. This trade is monumental in the process of correcting the organizations wrongs, take it for what it is worth, its not just another trade
Dennis Reynolds
July 31st, 2011
8:58 pm
Great move. Ive gained a lot of respect for Wren over this years trade deadline. He really has a plan for this organization and he’s executing it.
Thanks, Wren.
Sounds like Fredi will use Constanza in LF some. I guess I like that idea? I mean, it would be nice to keep his speed and ability to make contact in the lineup while Chipper is still down. He would be an ideal 8 hole hitter now that Bourn is a Braves. Too bad Gonzo cant hit for s#it. I hope Wren re-aquires Omar. You would lose on some defense, but you cant have Gonzo hitting like this and expect this lineup to turn over like it should be. He’s killing rallies everyday. Im not saying Omar would be a full-time SS for us, but somewhat of a platoon situation.
Ill sit back and relax though now that I know our team is in good hands. Ive questioned Wrens plans and ideas for this team for some time now, but like I said, I really feel good with the team in his hands.
1.Bourn
2.Prado
3.Freeman
4.Uggla
5.Heyward
6.Ross
7.Constanza
8.Gonzo
Dennis Reynolds
July 31st, 2011
9:00 pm
Kind of multi-tasking. Last post kind of sounded stupid but you get the main idea.
braveheart11
July 31st, 2011
9:04 pm
What’s the deal on Stefan Gartrell at AAA Gwinnett? The guy is 27 years old, OF 6-3 230 right handed with power, 4 time minor league all star, with a .304 BA this year and 27 HR but has never played in the majors since he started in 2006?? Seems like he would be more of a threat than Wilkin Ramirez? Also, wouldn’t the future 3B current Gwinnett Brandon Hicks be a better solution at 3rd and leave Prado in LF instead of McLouth in LF?
Bravo Fan
July 31st, 2011
9:05 pm
Just reading through all of these comments really hurts me about what some of the Braves faithful are saying about Jordan Schafer. The kid had heart and lots of it how many of the other Braves players would have played through broken fingers and broken noses…….. none they would have all sat on the bench. Now I know heart alone wont let you hit .300 but that kid is special. He came in on the fly and was told by Chipper look we don’t need you to hit 30 homers we need you to just be on base and thats what he tried to do. I know Michael Bourn will be welcomed in Atlanta but we all could send Jordan Schafer out on a better note than this!
Optimistic Brave
July 31st, 2011
9:05 pm
Speaking of attendance, Atlanta is different than most clubs. Atlanta has many transplant residents, so the draw will be significantly less than the existing ball clubs like Philly, New York, L.A., Chicago, etc. The demographics in Atlanta suggest a broader audience in that many of its residents are from various locations that include loyal fans from their respective cities.
Smiling Jack
July 31st, 2011
9:18 pm
Please change you name from Saefer is a loser to Saefer is an idiot. You would not know a winner looking straight into his face.
Smiling Jack
July 31st, 2011
9:19 pm
Jordan will go on to have an outstanding career! Good for him!
KME
July 31st, 2011
9:20 pm
We have two months to find out if this was all worth it. It is ironic…no one has even mentioned about Jose Costanza. That kid is one helluva hitter and runner. With Bourn, he could be a big threat for the Braves…as an OB runner/stealer…
Time will tell…
and I am last! Yippeee!
TeheranTime
July 31st, 2011
9:23 pm
It is an immature fan that calls players who are traded a loser. Jordan Schafer did not and would not have chosen to be traded. Schafer is a young player who many feel will go on to a fine MLB career. In any trade, someone has to go. Schafer went in this one. I am glad that Frank Wren did not sacrifice the future for someone like a Carlos Beltran. That would be stupid.
dawg150
July 31st, 2011
9:25 pm
Sounds and looks like Wren pulled off a good one……unless Heyward continues on his current path. He had a couple of nice swings today, but really, really needs some Uggla assistance. Dan please explain to him how to take outside pitches to left, left-ctr, or up the middle……not to 2nd baseman on 35 hoppers. The guy needs just a minor adjustment to get the barrel on the ball. Tough loss today, but they were out there too many times……..somebody please fax a copy of playbook page involving “squeeze play” to Freddie.
TeheranTime
July 31st, 2011
9:25 pm
I don’t even live in Atlanta and made the three hour drive to a Braves game and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I think a lot of Atlanta area Braves fans are just making excuses as to why they don’t get off of their behinds and support their team. It’s easy to stay at home when most of the games are on TV.
Optimistic Brave
July 31st, 2011
9:25 pm
Ralphie, what does walking around the Ted have to do with baseball?
Horner's Corner
July 31st, 2011
9:26 pm
Chipper’s becoming a clubhouse cancer. I hope that dude either retires or asks to join Schafer in Houston next year.
Hit A Single
July 31st, 2011
9:26 pm
What is Bourn’s contract status. I sure don’t want to see another J.D. Drew or Mark Texeira deal.
cbgb
July 31st, 2011
9:28 pm
Good trade. Schafer was about as far as I was willing to go for trade bait. Good prospect, we still keep all our pitching and get the leadoff guy we’ve needed and a good center fielder. Good trade, Bravos!
Josh Smith for 3
July 31st, 2011
9:42 pm
I’d guess that Wren gets a RH bat, kinda like how we picked up Derrek Lee last year, sometime in the next month. I think this is a great trade. While Quentin has the big right-handed power we would’ve loved, I’m personally tired of trading for power instead of speed. A strong leadoff hitter is hard to come by these days and the Braves have lacked leadoff speed for years.
Also, I don’t get the big deal about Schafer. I don’t care how much Chipper likes him, he simply isn’t the same caliber CF as Bourn now and certainly won’t surpass Bourn enough to make us regret this trade. I like the guy and wish him luck, but I’ll super-size my order of crow if Schafer ever comes back to haunt the Braves.
UGAFAN13
July 31st, 2011
9:50 pm
I hope so but with this team and the spruts they go through with RISP I just don’t know. How many RISP did we have today with no outs and how many scored? So even if Bourn gets on we have to advance and score him. I wish I could say this was a recent development but sadly it is not. When a pitcher can’t bunt a runner over there is something wrong and we do that over and over with the same players…what corrective measures are we taking to cure this? I hope the new man’s speed helps spark a turn around in this area. And while I am at it would somebody please tell Hanso when he gets two strikes on a hitter to throw them a pitch that they can’t hit…twice today he thre too gooda apitch when he has the hitter at a disadvantage with 2 strikes. And he is killing me with the approach he used today to nibble @ the corners…for pete’s sake challenge the hitters. All he did today was jack up his pitch count.
jim 11
July 31st, 2011
10:04 pm
Now that we have Bourn in center can we win 70% of our remaining games? Running the numbers for the games remaining, the Braves will need that kind of production to have a chance of winning the division. We are currently 7 back in the loss column right now. If we get less than that we stay the wildcard and probably play the Giants in the first round. What do you think?
aj
July 31st, 2011
10:06 pm
Needed a change in cernterfield.
Kind of reminds me of a younger
Otis Nixon. Hope Bourn brings the
Braves the success that Nixon
brought.
UGAFAN13
July 31st, 2011
10:07 pm
I think it is a stretch that win 70% based on RISP performance all year. I agree we have a good shot @ the WC.
yogi2
July 31st, 2011
10:19 pm
A very good trade. I’m glad Schafer is gone.He was a third or fourth best at Gwinnett. Behind Constanza, Wilkin Ramerez,and Gartrell and possibly Matt Young. Now what do the Braves do with
Nate McLouth?
Claudell Washington
July 31st, 2011
10:20 pm
Great trade. Getting anything more than a bag of ball for a punk like Shafer is positive. Haven’t seen who the minor leaguers who were sent with him.
Mike
July 31st, 2011
10:34 pm
i agree that having bourn is awesome and is a major upgrade but these anti-schafer remarks…wow. he still posted a .300 OBP, stole 15 bases of 18 attempts and scored 32 runs in about 50 games played. he wasn’t that bad…not good…but not that bad.
on another note, in order to be competitive in the post season, we need to get a RH bat that can play multiple positions. a bullpen arm would be great, as well. let’s see what wren can do with waivers.
BravesfaninWis
July 31st, 2011
10:39 pm
Lets say that the Braves aren’t able to extend Bourn after next year and Schafer really starts to become a great player in the next 3-4 years or so. The Braves could always bring him back at that point and all will be fine. It could happen, one never knows.
Seriously
July 31st, 2011
10:44 pm
aj, otis nixon never hit that well in his life.
Seriously
July 31st, 2011
10:46 pm
the batter bourn compares to at this age is brett butler… but with two gold gloves he’s a better fielder than butler was.
Atlanta87
July 31st, 2011
10:57 pm
Rawdog are you dumb or do you just not know anything about baseball. Let’s look at the numbers
Francoeur
Avg .271
HR 13
RBI 61
Runs 51
SB 18
Heyward
Avg .219
HR 11
RBI 29
Runs 37
SB 5
You tell me which are better or do I need to do that part for you too?
Larry
July 31st, 2011
11:12 pm
This guy is not McLouth. This is a fantastic acquisition and I’m more excited about his speed and defense than his bat. The braves are a different team with Bourn. Now leave the team alone unless Florida wants to trade Omar for Nate…….I can dream.
Larry
July 31st, 2011
11:16 pm
All the knuckleheads still knocking Francouer will never admit the trade was a mistake. He was a run producer here and a gold glove caliber fielder and wren got nothing for him. Where is Ryan church playing this year?
bravesfanforever
July 31st, 2011
11:32 pm
Well Schafer made a mistake and few years ago and paid his dues.Everybody on here who brings up that and calls him a druggie I guess never made a mistake.I think he is a good kid but didn’t use his abilities right.I do however like the Bourn deal.Now if we can get a right handed bat on Waviers and platoon him with heyward.Heyward needs to be sent a message to get with it or get sent down.
Mike
July 31st, 2011
11:47 pm
Bourn will be great! However, with the current lineup, he will single, steal second and third and then three outs later, he will still be standing at third base…what we needed was a right-handed run producer…
Joseph
August 1st, 2011
12:15 am
Why has braves.com/10000losses not been set up yet?
NO MORE PARRISH
August 1st, 2011
12:38 am
Good move but get rid of Parrish so the other guys start hitting too.
NO MORE PARRISH
August 1st, 2011
12:41 am
Joseph – I know right? I had no idea we were close to being a .500 franchise. Curse the 70’s and thank #6 for the 90’s.
Joe Stanislau
August 1st, 2011
12:52 am
I think Frank Wren’s thrifty deals since trading for Jair Jurrjens has really paid off, Dan Uggla was another thrifty move, and now the Michael Bourn trade. John Schuerholz watch out your predecessor maybe in the HOF with you and Pat Gillick. GO BRAVES WS in Site.
Braves Goin Skeeing
August 1st, 2011
1:36 am
Enter your comments here
COOPER
August 1st, 2011
1:37 am
Is Bourne enough? I say no but we have enough talent at Gwinnett that we don’t have to go outside the organization. I would bring Teheran up right now. He could allow any of the starters a breather or he could pitch the seventh inning or long relief. Proctor isn’t getting the job done. His control is not guaranteed right now and you don’t need someone that you don’t know if you can count on to pitch the seventh inning or not. When we play the good teams especially in the playoffs proctor walking people or not being able to shut down a rally will be the difference in how far we go .
Braves Goin Skeeing
August 1st, 2011
1:37 am
Good move, now let’s catch the Phillies. Go Braves!!!
BraveChoppa26
August 1st, 2011
2:54 am
This was such an awesome trade getting rid of Jordan “Slim” Schafer. All I heard from inbread Braves fans “He’s a fast guy!”. Well what good is that when he’s not hitting the ball consistently. Schafer had his head up his own butt. I love the Breaves more now for getting rid of this fool! GREAT TRADE!!!
Joshua
August 1st, 2011
4:19 am
Nate McLouth is….depth. =D
Joshua
August 1st, 2011
4:20 am
When we play good teams in the playoffs, Proctor won’t be in the game.
BOURN GIVES BRAVES SPEED THEY NEED | Philadelphia Daily News | 2011-08-01 – Philadelphia Daily News | Bistro Press
August 1st, 2011
4:43 am
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
TheAntiMe
August 1st, 2011
6:30 am
Rafael Furcal, my backside. Michael Bourn is more in the vein of Otis Nixon and Deion Sanders, at the least, and probably even better than those two. I am definitely old enough to remember how cool it used to be to have those two guys wreaking havoc on the basepaths.
Plus, there will be no off-field issues with Michael Bourn. Just an all-around win for the Bravos in acquiring Michael Bourn.
TheAntiMe
August 1st, 2011
6:39 am
For those who would call Jordan Schafer a druggie because of his suspension, you really appear to not know the facts. The fact is that Jordan Schafer never actually tested positive for any type of PEDs. He was reported to the MLB Minor League drug hotline by some anonymous tipster.
Was he really guilty of using HGH? Perhaps he was but if you were accused of doing coke, for example, wouldn’t you want to be proven guilty instead of you being ruled guilty for no other reason than someone anonymously reported you on a drug tip line?
tdc
August 1st, 2011
7:35 am
Great trade Frank Wren. Not only did you fill a need by getting a true leadoff hitter but you got rid of one of the guys that haven’t really proved that he belong in the majors.
Double Zero Eight
August 1st, 2011
7:38 am
Bourn is a good addition. Let’s hope that Uggla continues
to hit, and Heyward breaks his season long slump. It
will be extremely difficult for the Braves to catch the
Phillies with their addition of Pence. It is possible but
not probable.
the truth...
August 1st, 2011
8:06 am
Claudell Washington
Jason is a kid, hardly a punk. Those who know him well and have played with him might disagree with you and assume that you are the one with the character flaw. Those guys in the dugout and the manager and those above have known him for years and both respect him….grow up.
the truth...
August 1st, 2011
8:15 am
@Antime
Rafael Furcal, my backside…if you’re referring to my post mentioning both Furcal and Bourn in relation to the trade, you have badly misinterpreted my intentions.
What I meant to say (not spoken well I take it), is that if only Bourn played SS instead of CF then we would have solved two issues with one trade….
Namely, a leadoff hitter that is very productive AND a shortstop that can both hit and field. Don’t get me wrong…Gonzo is lights out with the glove, but his bat is inconsistent, he loafs running to 1st base EVERY TIME he hits a ground ball and continually fails to hit with RISP.
The trade is great, it just didn’t and can’t address every need we have.
Sorry for the confusing post.
Gatorman
August 1st, 2011
8:28 am
The Braves have no consistent hitters on this team, NONE! Adding a .300 hitter with base stealing ability to the one slot will change how team have to play the Braves. Now the rest of the team had better learn to sacrifice bunt, hit the other way, and hit a long fly ball when a runner is on third with less than 2 outs. Right now this team isn’t capable of doing any of that. Home runs should be treated as icing on the cake, not the cake itself.
henry from TN
August 1st, 2011
8:30 am
i love deal but i still think we should have got someone like willingham to platoon with hayward and be a right hand bat off the bench….
GT
August 1st, 2011
8:58 am
Jeff you have a talent of overstating your position and understating the Braves or whomever. Third best record in all baseball, I never heard anything like that out of you, in your predictions in the spring. I assumed you had them in a rag tag finish like last year where they almost won the wild card spot by default. This team has vastly improved. They have made the right moves. They deserve and have deserved our respect like no other team in Atlanta’s pro sport history. I know a lot of today’s sports writing is not about the writer’s accountability as much as it is to stoke up interest in what he is writing about, but there are people out there who still think you are a journalist. I can promise you never saw this good a team in the spring, but if being slightly negative sells your papers and blogs have at it. Just stop typecasting Wren when you are toying with us too. In fact I may go as far as saying Wren is pretty straight up as is about all the Braves organization, the games are being played by the press. This spin you think you see sounds like Wren tells less than the truth. I have more trust in him than I do you on these matters.
BigTimeTechFan
August 1st, 2011
9:02 am
Bet the Giants and Phillies feel stupid now.
the truth...
August 1st, 2011
9:17 am
Carter’s Little Liver Pills
I’d like to be a “Peace maker” and share this old ad…perhaps many of us have a common malady for which we need some relief….
http://www.oldtimeradiofans.com/old_radio_commercials/Carters_Little_Liver_Pills.mp3
the truth...
August 1st, 2011
9:22 am
Carter’s Little Liver Pills
Pointing our that I said “US” and I said “WE”…. might benefit from such treatment…
Scores/Schedule/Standings/Stats & Stories 8/1/2011 - Goodsportsart Blog = Baseball news and commentary
August 1st, 2011
9:45 am
[...] Braves get Michael Bourn, now hope that’s enough [...]
the truth...
August 1st, 2011
10:02 am
@Philliefan
Amazingly I have finally found something you have expressed to agree with…. you said this:
“you needed both of them”……
referring to us needing Bourn AND Pence.
I couldn’t agree more….the why of it is simple…As we again saw yesterday, when we do get runners on base (ducks on the pond to us old timers), we fail to get them “in” more ofter than not…
So though getting Bourn is great for getting more “ducks” on base, and moving them around, but seldom does one steal home.
For driving runs in I think Pence might have been a huge improvement in that area….
Wren did great in getting Bourn especially for the price, but the real coup would have been in bringing them both over….perhaps even with the potential cost….
Pastor Nicky
August 1st, 2011
10:42 am
So the Braves are going to keep all those pitchers while they have a weak offense ? How smart is that ? 2 years down the road the Braves will have 9 ace pitchers and no 3B,no SS,no LF. Baseball is a game of offense and defense not just defense. Somebody memo that to Mr. Wren !
PMC
August 1st, 2011
10:45 am
I’m not sure how anyone not named Schafer could be disapointed with this trade. The Bourn trade is freaking awesome. He’s exactly what they need provided he can just be what he’s been thus far. They still have those pitchers they can use for capital in the future.
I think Uggla has hit something like 11 or 12 solo home runs this year, a product of guys not being on base. If the leadoff man gets on and gets over, suddenly all those singles start becoming runs.
Pastor Nicky
August 1st, 2011
10:49 am
I agree, Bring Teheran,Vizcaino,and Delgado up now. Use those aces to win the pennant instead of letting them waste away in Gwinnett…
Isn’t it amazing that the Braves have great defense (pitching & fielding) and no hitting and the Falcons have great offense (Ryan,Turner,Roddy,Gonzo,J.Jones) and no defense… Weird.
Pastor Nicky
August 1st, 2011
10:52 am
I still think that Jeff Francoeur was given up on too early by Braves. Same with Jordan Schafer. The sorry OF was Nate McLouth not Schafer. But I know that McOut made too mucho $$$ to be traded. Damn Nate sucks !
Pastor Nicky
August 1st, 2011
10:56 am
Atlanta87, Francoeur’s current numbers are better that every current Braves except Uggla and McCann…
Can Braves catch Phillies in East? Schedule says yes | Jeff Schultz
August 1st, 2011
11:01 am
[...] Braves acquired Michael Bourn from Houston with the hope that they not only can make the payoffs but possibly compete for a World Series. Winning the [...]
alex
August 1st, 2011
11:05 am
Quite a wet blanket response Jeff. Everybody everywhere has lauded this as a huge win for the Braves. Sure, there are some more minor moves to be made (bench bat esp) but enjoy this one while it’s still hot. WREN! WREN! WREN!
clutch player
August 1st, 2011
11:13 am
Let’s see if he can play for a team going ot the post season. No pressure playing for the Astros – Big pressure playing for a winner who need you to produce. – Ask Dan Uggla.. Let’s see if Bourne has IT.
tdc
August 1st, 2011
12:14 pm
This is why I think this was the best move for the Braves.
From ESPN
Enter Michael Bourn. Take a guy who has a .354 on-base percentage, add him to an offense whose leadoff hitters ranked 26th in baseball in OBP ’til he showed up and see what happens.
Now consider the lineup-changing effect of Bourn’s 32-SB wheels (injected into a roster that had swiped 42 all year). And, finally, add in his top-of-the-charts defense. And this was a monster of a deal, especially considering the Braves were able to make it without giving up any of the elite pitching prospects they had balked at trading for Beltran or Pence.
NOW WE DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT ALEX GONZALEZ AND HIS HOMERUN SWING STRKING OUT WITH RUNNERS IN SCORING POSITION.
aj
August 1st, 2011
12:49 pm
Braves are a good team, and possibly a
great one if the offense would cooperate.
They match up well with Philly in pitching,
and better than them for late inning situations.
Philly has more offensive weapons.
Braves should be the wildcard, but there is
still a long way in the season to go. Some
very interesting series still remains for the
Braves. Need to get everyone healthy.
Setting up Bourn’s Braves debut in DC vs. Nats | Atlanta Braves
August 1st, 2011
3:13 pm
[...] oh by the way, you read in Jeff Schultz’s great column yesterday where Schafer said he had a feeling this was coming? I’m not saying I called that trade [...]
Josh Smith for 3
August 1st, 2011
4:23 pm
Will some of you just put a sock in it about Francoeur? He’s having a pretty solid year in KC but I’m not losing sleep over him. He makes me think of the movie Signs and Joaquin Phoenix’s line: “Felt wrong not to swing.” Couldn’t work the count to save his life. Kinda like Schafer: not a bad player or person by any means, but should not be on the list of Braves’ regrets right now.
And speaking of KC and former Braves, I don’t hear any of you longing for Melky Cabrera right now. He has one less HR and one less RBI than Frenchy while sporting a higher batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Anybody wish Atlanta still had the Melkman holding down an outfield spot?
rpidge
August 1st, 2011
6:43 pm
As i predicted, Wren said this was the player we wanted all along. Also, he failed to go far enough and get the power right handed bat. If Atlanta makes the playoffs, it will be by the skin of their teeth. But they will not get pass round one, if they make it that far.