Now subbing for Javier Vazquez, a rejuvenated Tim Hudson
Here's Tim Hudson, back at work. (AJC photo by Bob Andres)
On the first day of February and Camp Roger, Bobby Cox called Tim Hudson “kind of the forgotten man.” While true for now, it won’t be true for long. Because Tim Hudson has to approximate Javier Vazquez for the Braves’ winter maneuvers to pan out.
Even Hudson concedes the point. “If I don’t come back, I don’t see how they could have [traded Vazquez],” he said. “I don’t think any team could have traded a pitcher like that.”
Hudson offered a cheaper, longer-term option. He took a hometown discount to re-up for three years at $28 million, with a club option for the 2013 season. Vazquez was due to make $11.5 million this season and then would surely have left as a free agent. Monetarily, the trade-off — Hudson in, Vazquez out — makes great good sense.
At issue is whether it makes competitive sense. Vazquez would likely have started on Opening Day. He won 15 games last season and finished fourth in the National League Cy Young voting. Hudson won two games in 2009, but those two games — coming as they did after a year’s layoff due to Tommy John surgery — convinced the Braves that he was the Hudson of yesteryear.
“Huddy will be very good,” Bobby Cox said Monday. “He’s throwing the ball really good right now. He’s an ace — we forget that.”
Certainly that’s what the Braves thought they were getting when they acquired Hudson from Oakland in December 2004. But in his first four seasons as a Brave — his 2008 campaign was truncated by injury — Hudson more often looked like a No. 3 starter than a No. 1. He was 54-38 with an ERA of 3.78. (Over six seasons with the A’s he was 92-39 with an ERA of 3.30.)
Not once as a Brave has Hudson had a season to match what Vazquez did last year — 15-10 with 238 strikeouts and an ERA of 2.87. The Braves are betting that a rotation can be just as strong without its No. 1 man, but for that to happen Hudson must produce at a higher rate than he has since switching leagues.
Cox: “Nobody wanted to lose Vazquez, of course. [But] if we weren’t sold on Huddy we wouldn’t have [re-]signed him. He’s still young [Hudson turns 35 in July]. He’s a top-of-the-rotation guy.”
And maybe he is, because maybe we haven’t yet seen the real Tim Hudson. There were times over his first four seasons when he looked so hittable you asked yourself, “Is something wrong with his arm?” Hudson kept insisting there wasn’t, but now, in the cold light of hindsight, he thinks there might have been.
“I understand how healthy I am,” Hudson said. “Physically I feel better than I did five or six years ago … My arm hasn’t felt this good in eight years. It feels good to be in that good a shape. I’d been having aches and pains, and I just thought that was part of getting older, but now I know my arm wasn’t what it needed to be.”
The surgery rebuilt his elbow, and during the rehab Hudson also strengthened his shoulder. The result: One rejuvenated right arm. And perhaps, down the road, an affirmation of Frank Wren’s busy winter. The general manager traded his best pitcher from 2009 and didn’t get a full-time starter — Melky Cabrera is seen as a fourth outfielder — in return. The move looked strange at the time. It will look better only if Tim Hudson holds up his end.
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160 comments Add your comment
Greg
February 1st, 2010
7:48 pm
Why are we even talking about this? Is Hudson equal to Vazquez? OF COURSE not. The pitching staff is diminished. SIGNIFICANTLY diminished. This was strictly money talking. This was not a baseball decision. So long as people keep “believing” and “hoping” and loving their Braves, the team will do this kind of thing. If you own a team and you can make more money while spending less money, you do it. My personal attitude is that most of the Braves fans are saps.
Sonny Clusters
February 1st, 2010
8:52 pm
Well, we was thinking the pitching is going to be okay and the Buck Commanders are going to be the weak link. Yeah, one has gone to Arizona but they is still one stuck at third base and he will recruit a new one once they get to Spring Training. We was thinking it might be somebody new to the team like Melky. Then again, it could be somebody that’s been around for awhile and needs friends. That would probably be Diaz. Once they become Buck Commanders they are in a secret society and have to learn the secret handshake. A lot of thumbs have been hurt with that handshake. Beware.
Skeezix
February 1st, 2010
9:47 pm
Mark: The starting pitching with Huddy, JJ and Tommy Gun should be solid–the BP and offense still remain a concern though. However, to really improve this team over the long run, there is one more move the Braves need to make before the season starts—GET RID OF WREN!!
murray
February 1st, 2010
9:49 pm
Mr. Bradley, maybe you can convince your readers that the Braves should trade Nate McLouth so they can free up salary room to sign Russell Branyan or Jonny Gomes. McLouth has never had a season as productive as the ones they had last year either.
Or you could compare Hudson’s last four years to Vazquez’s last four and realize Frank Wren “sold high”. I wish we still had Javy too…but your logic is faulty.
Reid Adair
February 1st, 2010
10:03 pm
Like most of the folks who have commented, I am more concerned about the offense (or rather, the lack thereof) on a daily basis than I am how Tim Hudson will perform every fifth game.
stew
February 1st, 2010
10:31 pm
Hopefully, Teheran, Viscaino, Delgado, and Kimbrel will be able to make the jump in 2011 or 2012 along with Freddie and maybe Cody (assuming injury prone Jason pans out). Problem is replacing Chipster with whom? We didn’t necessarily need a righty first baseman, but rather a righty leftfielder with pop (aka Ryan Braun). Therein lies the problem Melky’s left-handed and Diaz is a punch and judy with no fielding ability. Jason, Melky, Nate, Freddie, and Mac swing from the left side. Glaus is just a stopgap and Chip just astopgap to whom? Believe it or not, I would have loved to see Andruw revive his career with us. i still don’t understand how a ten-time gold glove winner has to play second fiddle to Byrd and Hamilton in Texas. Have his defensive skills deteriorated so quickly? He was on his way to the Hall of Fame. He was our righty power bat and it didn’t matter much who was in left. He had 351 rbis his last three years with us and we let him walk. It’s a shame. He was probably the greatest position in Braves history and we made him walk.
paulie
February 1st, 2010
11:14 pm
The braves have a nice rotation,but it will tough beating the Phillies without a lefty starter.Hopefully we can keep it close and let Wagner come in to close it out against their big bats.
Coach (2011 or Bust)
February 2nd, 2010
1:02 am
Responding to Mark Bradley’s brain fart at 4:41 p.m.
Bradley’s quote: As a Brave, Hudson has never had as good a season as Vazquez did in 2009. Hudson was 16-10 in 2007, but his ERA was 3.33 and he had 132 strikeouts. That’s not a “lie.” That’s the fact, Jack.
WRONG, WRONG, WRONG.
Back in 2003 Tim Hudson went 16-7 with an ERA of 2.70 while making 34 starts, and nailing down an inhuman 27 quality starts. Not to mention logging 240 innings and 162 K’s.
Them’s the facts…..Jack!
Conyers Braves Fan
February 2nd, 2010
4:10 am
Enter your comments here
Conyers Yellow Jacket
February 2nd, 2010
4:15 am
Mark: In one post, a quote from Bobby Cox was that Hudson is still young. Do you consider
35 being “young” for a baseball player or any athlete for that matter.
I like Bobby but just don`t understand why he always tells us that EVERY player is good or great regardless of their performance on the field.
Robert 1-U
February 2nd, 2010
7:43 am
There were more than several great games he had that the bullpen torched…so wake up and look at reality…his record could be so much more impressive than it is. It wasn’t as though that he “stunk up the joint”
38YrBravesFan
February 2nd, 2010
7:47 am
The rotation is fine. Bullpen is probably decent. The lack of bats i.e., runs is what worries me.
16 Days!
GO BRAVES!!
Roll Tider
February 2nd, 2010
8:40 am
Coach apparently overlooked the preface, “As a Brave”…
Rio Bravo
February 2nd, 2010
8:45 am
This will be a interesting season. I thought Vazquez had “Stopper” qualities last year. Im not sure who does this year. I do think JJ,Hansen, Huddy and Lowe could all show “top of the rotation” qualities this year. Maybe KK will have a few runs scored behind him this season.
Bill
February 2nd, 2010
8:57 am
Coach, you can’t stump Mark! “as a Brave”. Thats the fact….. Jack!
Go Roll tider………………..
Jim H.
February 2nd, 2010
9:18 am
I’m sorry they had to get rid of Vazquez too, but we aint the Yankees, so Wren had to do the best he could with the payroll level he has to work with. Also there is no guarantee Vazquez will ever match his ’09 season again (where he performed significantly better than his career numbers). I’m betting that Hudson pitches better than Vazquez this season and for the long term.
Fillin' up @ Juniors
February 2nd, 2010
9:31 am
This annoys me. Writers who write as if now is the only thing that is taken into account when doing trades. That trade was about budget and prospects. I don’t like the trade one bite. I hated the trade, but I also recognize we won’t be able to judge it until those prospect pieces come into place in 2012. We have the talent to compete with or without javy, avoid injuries and we got a shot, thats all you can ask for in preseason.
Bill Stanfill
February 2nd, 2010
9:34 am
No matter how you slice it, this has off-season has been a disappointing one for the Braves. If Bradley is correct and they have netted 5 million dollars from the off-season moves, they could have used that 5 and added another 5 or so, kept Vasquez and added another bat. With Glaus, they’re trying to get by on the cheap. And the odds are that they won’t come anywhere close to competing with Philly.
Don
February 2nd, 2010
10:13 am
Don’t be critical of the Braves run production. It is great considering some things that Bobby Cox does NOT UNDERSTAND. Do you think that someone might EXPLAIN TO BOBBY COX these NEW and UNIQUE SIMPLE CONCEPTS ABOUT BASEBALL – that he still has not learned after 20 years:
(1) That you actually do not have to keep one of your regulars in the lineup for months just because you like him – if he cannot perform and you have a far better player on the bench.
(2) That baseball rules actually do not require that you keep your hitters in the same order in the batting order game after game. You can actually move them up and down in the order based on who is hot and who is not.
(3) That the manager can actually teach, emphasize, demand that his hitters work the count, be selective, make the opposing pither thow some pitches – to enable the hitters to see what the pitcher has, adjust to his pitches, get better pitches to hit, make him make mistakes, wear him down both within innings and for the game, get into the teams weak middle relief pitchers etc.
(4) That if your 3rd place hitter has been a star but is now in a prolonged slump, the manager does not have to have his permission to move him down in the batting order. He can actually do this anytime he wants.
(5 That some managers actually make adjustments in their lineup and in their batting order based on which players do great or terrible against certain opposing pitchers.
(6) That some managers actually do things to put pressure on the opposing pitcher in key situations.
(7) That it is not against the rules – and that some managers actually do things to generate run production – other than making out the lineup, being a cheerleader, and waiting for the 3 run homer.
I REALIZE THAT THESE WOULD BE STRANGE AND UNIQUES IDEAS THAT HAVE NOT YET OCCURRED TO BOBBY COX IN HIS 20 PLUS YEARS OF MANAGING — But do you think there is any chance he might try a couple of them in his final year?
bvillebaron
February 2nd, 2010
10:28 am
To Bradley, Greg and the other misinformed around here, Hudson has been a better pitcher throughout his career than Javier “Career Year” Vazquez. Let me throw a few statistics at you Mr. Bradly and the other doom and gloomers:
Hudson’s career record is 148-78 and his record with the Braves is 56-39. His career ERA is 3.48 (which includes pitching 6 years in the AL) and his career WHIP is 1.26.
Vazquez’s career record is 142-139. His career ERA is 4.20 and career WHIP is 1.25.
Hudson’s ERAs during his tenure with the Braves are 3.52; 4.86; 3.33; 3.17 and 3.61. (Other than 2006 Mr. Bradely, that doesn’t sound like a pitcher who is quite hittable to me). Vazquez’s ERAs during that same time span are 4.44;4.82;3.74;4.67 and 2.87. (By contrast that sounds like a pithcer who, other than last year, was quite hittable).
Hudson has had an ERA of over 4 only TWICE in his career, 2006 with the Braves at 4.86 and his second season with the As when it was slightly over 4. Vazquez has had ERAs of over 4 (including one over 5 and one of 6) SEVEN times in his 12 year career.
Vazquez was taken out of the rotation by the White Sox during the stretch run in 2008 because Guillen lost confidence in his ability to pitch in the big games and traded him that offseason for just that reason. Hudson is regarded as a bulldog whose number is always called for the big games.
Don’t get me wrong; I hope Vazquez reduplicates the season he had last year with the Braves this year with the Yankees (his career numbers suggest otherwise however). But please stop with this nonsense about Vazquez being the Braves best pitcher and staff “ace” based upon one year. If one of the pitchers had to go and Lowe wasn’t tradeable, I for one think Hudson is a better pick than Vazquez on merit alone. When you factor in that Vazquez becomes a free agent at the end of this year and the Braves would have gotten NOTHING in return if they did not re-sign Hudson, it is an absolute no brainer.
Don
February 2nd, 2010
10:29 am
A man went into a bar in Atlanta, and the bartender was a robot. Robot asked the man for his IQ. Man replied – about 160. The Robot proceded to discuss Theory of Relativity, latest medical breakthroughs etc.
Man left and decided to try it again. This time, when asked, he told the Robot that is IQ was about 100. The Robot then proceded to talk about NASCAR, latest baseball scores etc.
Man again left and decided he would try it one more time. This time he told the Robot that is IQ was about 50 – And the Robot said -
DO YOU PEOPLE STILL THINK THAT BOBBY COX IS A GOOD MANAGER.
papadawg
February 2nd, 2010
10:38 am
Huddy is NO VASQUEZ. The Braves are just playing cheap again which in turn gives us a cheap wanna be contenders
bvillebaron
February 2nd, 2010
11:04 am
papadawg:
You are right: Huddy is no Vazquez, he’s better. See above.
Navigator
February 2nd, 2010
11:43 am
I like to think of this year as a wasted year, getting rid of Cox and then when the talentless Braves fall further in the future, the writers can say, “See Cox was the reason the Braves won so many pennants”. Not that they had the best pitching staff in the modern era.
Benjamin
February 2nd, 2010
11:59 am
Cecil34
February 1st, 2010
4:29 pm
When is the last time that you heard Cox say “this player is a piece of trash and washed up to boot! Hasn’t been healthy for years and doesn’t produce!”
Exactly – his opinions have no credibility…..
—–
Other than Ozzie Guillen — who, ironically, once said similar things about Javy Vaz — there aren’t many managers who HAVE said such things about their own, Cecil. Further, I’m not sure that I’d want to play for a manager who did say such things…
We got the short end of the stick with a proven contender — the defending and (I believe) 28 time world champion Yankees — in that deal, no doubt, but I don’t fault Bobby for it. He is who he is, and I think the guys will really be pushing to send him out a winner this year if they can. Time will tell.
Benjamin
February 2nd, 2010
12:01 pm
Why are people talking about Bobby Cox as if he were Russ Nixon?
The Braves wouldn’t have been the Braves of the 1990s and 2000s if it weren’t for that man. He played an integral part of building the franchise as both a GM and then incubating the kids as a manager.
What do you people want from the guy?
Braves 2010
February 2nd, 2010
1:00 pm
I think a lot of braves fans need to get over it. We have very solid players and yes, some of them are just back from injury. That happens to every team and yes they do play the next year. Gosh, just because a player is injured does not mean their terminal.
Gloss will do great at 1st base and can sub for 3rd which is where the real problem lies truth be told. Chipper should have hung it up three years ago. We have Heyward waiting in the wings and there is nothing wrong with Schafer anymore either. I bet he tears up that ball in spring training like he did last year before he broke the wrist. Yes another injury and most of you wanted to dump him in the street. Its a broken wrist and Gloss is a good player. Really good.
Why not give the braves players a chance to start winning games before you start to dump all over them. No we didnt get Jason Bay whos defense is terrible but yea he can hit. Big deal, they also over paid and the contract length is terrible. They will live to regreat that long term move. You though will be saying, “glad its not us” even though a lot of you were drooling over maybe getting him on our team.
Just let the braves start out the season and play and see what happens. They will hit, run and yes compete. They will be on top again. Have some faith.
GMR
February 2nd, 2010
1:01 pm
The move to trade Vasquez wasn’t strange at all – it was a pure salary dump. They would have prefered to trade Lowe but there were no takers for his big salary. Wren was dealing from a position of weakness again brought on by the type of cost cutting going on across corporate America. Things won’t change until the Braves get a real owner. Until then we will all be expected to believe in miracle recoveries from injury, unprecedented improvements in form, and fantasy trades that will never happen. The words “pig” and “flying” spring to mind.
jj_pr
February 2nd, 2010
1:18 pm
i just want to see tommy pitch again!! i think he can develop into a kind of unique combination of Randy Johnson and Greg Maddux type of pitcher. Maybe I’m being too confident about his future but he has the strong stuff from Johnson and the “cold” way from Maddux to approach hitters. Yet I think he can work on his control because “which pitcher doesn’t?” … Anyways, in terms of hitting I’m expecting a LOT from Chipper this year. He’s a former MVP and still has the heart of a champion so I’m sure he will bounce back with at least 300+ batting average, 90+ RBI, 20 HR. Maybe yes, McCann will have to produce a lot and obviously Yunel Escobar will have to step up as a future All-Star. I don’t know what to think about Troy Glaus. He used to be my second favorite third baseman (first was Chipper of course) and I really want him to produce at a high level but I don’t see him having the year that maybe I expect more from Tim Hudson. I see Hudson to have more chances of having a comeback season than Troy. Anyways… I still think that we can make some noise in the division. Go Braves!!
Bernard
February 2nd, 2010
1:56 pm
bobby cox and frank wren are delusional, overrated and both should RETIRE or be fired. Baseball champion has become “best” team that money can buy???? BBBBORing!!!!!
coach joe
February 2nd, 2010
1:58 pm
Braves fans are hard to please..Spring Training hasn’t even started and many are writing the Braves off.. Hey if the SAINTS can go to the Super Bowl, anything can happen.
GO SAINTS!!! GO BRAVES!!!
jmarable
February 2nd, 2010
3:15 pm
we’re not writting them off joe,they r doing that themselves.they put saving money over winning.to pretty much give your ace away,not add any outfield punch after the yr we had powerles,no speed ,old has been players to band aid our issues.COME ON MAN.u know this team cant stack up with the phillies or mets.or marlins now.u relize we gotta face holiday and santana all yr.Come on man.u know u can stick a fork in us,were done.
bvillebaron
February 2nd, 2010
3:20 pm
jmarble:
If you don’t like the fact that the Braves operate under financial constraints, start rooting for the Yankees, Red Sox or even the Phillies for that matter ($145M payroll vs $95M for the Braves).
Milk Carton
February 2nd, 2010
3:59 pm
Have you seen Mark Bradley. Where are you at Mark. You have spoiled us with multiple posts every day
Dunwoodybrave
February 2nd, 2010
4:02 pm
On an unrelated note, I’d like to thank all of the fat, middle-age men who showed up THREE HOURS early for the “Meet the Braves” event out in the middle of nowheresville, Cobb County yesterday. So that when dads like me picked their kids up from school and got there at 5 pm, there were already 1500 people in line — with a bunch of beer-gutted men wearing Braves replica jerseys holding armfuls of bats, caps and gloves to get autographed by Chipper.
So many that when they shut the event down at 6:30, there were hundreds of fans–mostly grade-school kids–who were turned away. There’s nothing that says LOSER as much as a 45-year-old, 220-pound man in a SMOLTZ jersey rushing to sell his autographed swag on EBay while little kids leave crying because they didn’t get to meet Chipper and Huddie.
Yo
February 2nd, 2010
4:47 pm
You are correct in saying that Vazquez would likely leave (so Braves get maybe draft pick compensation), and Hudson is cheaper.
However, Vazquez had a career year last year. He was no lock to repeat. The Braves traded him while his value was an all time high. Had he had a down year next year, and the Braves let him walk without getting compensation…well, you can finish that thought.
The analysis of the trade here is shallow. You make it sound like Vazquez for Melky, straight up, salary dump. You fail to mention that the Braves got a legit top-100 prospect Arodys Vizcaino (Yanks’ top pitching prospect) and a young lefty reliever with a great arm.
Navajoe
February 2nd, 2010
5:04 pm
Hey people, it was the inept front office that put Vasquez at risk by signing a has been Lowe to a lucrative contract. It’s not one thing, but cumulative decisions that has an overpaid Jones and Lowe. As far as Cox, he bungled a championship run with Toronto, then came to the Braves and blew up the series with Minnesota, twice against the Yankees (and Joe Torre), let his old assistant come back and out manage him with Toronto and win that series. He is not a great manager, just a good builder and that is why he lost out on 5 of 6 world series championships (4 with Braves, 1 with Toronto – Don’t forget he had 2 – 0 lead in 3 game series with and personally made decisions that cost Toronto 2 of the next 3 games). Kiss his fanny if you want, but if we had a great manager during the Braves run they would have won 3 not 1.
crackbaby
February 2nd, 2010
5:22 pm
KK was tough at times. I think he developed arm problems but didn’t let on. He beat Halladay face to face when Roy was the league diva. KK is probably good enough to win 8 to 10 games in the five spot.
Really gonna miss Javi.
Wish we could have kept Soriano.
How are we going to score enough runs this year?
jmarable
February 2nd, 2010
7:57 pm
bvillebaron Uknow most fans dont care about teams saving money when hot dogs r 5 bucks and a beer is ten.if we spend money to watch,they shoulD spend money to win.i wanna root for the team where i live[ATL]IT’S entertainment dude,at least give us a chance.U know this lineup sucks,or u dont know baseball.we cant steal a base.need to string 2gether how many hits for a run.no boppers in the outfield.we will B lucky if we get a 300 hitter.COME ON MAN
Ken Stallings
February 2nd, 2010
10:28 pm
Vasquez as the number one starter?
On paper perhaps. But baseball is a moving target, not history. If Vasquez had returned he might possibly have ended the season as the third best pitcher of a dominant rotation. Entirely logical that Tommy Hanson will end up the ace of the staff with Hudson a close second.
I would have rather we traded Derreck Lowe, but the rest of baseball saw it the same way I did — no shock there, it was an easy analysis. Vasquez was the prize everyone with means wanted. I just thought we should have gotten more for him than we did.
A rotation as the Braves will have next year is likely to be the team’s prime strength once again. One just hopes the starting lineup adds the depth of offense needed to support the pitchers.
Ken Stallings
February 2nd, 2010
10:38 pm
Coach (2011 or Bust); in 2003, Hudson pitched for the Oakland A’s — not the Atlanta Braves. Bradley’s point was accurate. In 2007, Hudson won 16 games (his best as a Brave) but his ERA was 3.33.
Don
February 3rd, 2010
9:00 am
Pitching is the name of the game; and yes, our pitching should be good. Problem is, it is not great enough to win with Bobby Cox managing. The way you win with Cox managing is (and has always been) to have pitching so outstanding, so far far superior to the other teams that it overcomes his management procedures and lack thereof and enables you to win the Division over the long 162 game reguar season sechedule – in spite of him. It is not accident that Cox’s Braves won only 1 WS in 14 Post Season oppotunities – in the short series environment – where the pitching could not overcome his management. Although our pitching should be good, it is not going to be great enough this year to compensate for Cox. The slim chance for this is gone with Vazquez. Cox does not understand the most simple and basic funcamentals and essentials for winning.
bvillebaron
February 3rd, 2010
9:51 am
jmarable:
I don’t care about the Braves saving money either and wished they had the same money to spend which they did when Ted owned the team. Unfortunately, the fact is that Liberty is only willing to permit Wren to spend $90M to $95M. As they say these days “it is what is, man”.
Certainly, the Braves’ lineup doesn’t compare to the Phillies, but it doesn’t “suck”. I also realize I don’t know baseball like you, but I think good pitching almost always beats good hitting. I watched a piece on the MLB network about the 1995 season the other night. Maybe you ought to take a look at it too. Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz, etc. shut down the Indians who had a monster lineup which I think set a then record for runs scored and included Kenny Lofton, Albert Belle, Jim Thome and Manny Ramirez in their primes.
The Braves still have the best rotation in the NL East and, if healthy, a very strong bullpen. That means they will contend this year, at least for the wild card.
jmarable
February 3rd, 2010
12:10 pm
ok bvillebaron.we got some ok pitching i give u that.but u got 2 score runs to win.im just saying with our division adding great pitching to there linup this yr,we have 2 string 2gether 2many hits to win consistently.no playoff or wild card man .sorry.unless we add some pop or some speed.yea we did shut down the indians i saw that.i just feel we arent gonna score runs this yr.not with this band aid line up.outfield is awful.
Jim
February 3rd, 2010
2:54 pm
The past is the past…forget it.
The question is, What have you done or me lately?
Yes Chipper won the batting in title, but what did it do for the team, not muc for rbi’s and such
only for him in his HOF quest. Cox hasn’t learn “short ball” he still waits for the 3 run homer.
Wren hasn’t been given thge chance or money to get what the team needs..
I say start a fire sale and clean house, keep the youingsters and build thbis year and go for it
in 2011.
oh yea, charge the players for use on the training room, maybe theywill play through the hand nails
Pal Joey
February 3rd, 2010
11:19 pm
We have been hoodwinked so often over the last four years, I don’t get too excited about this team. If Chipper could again find his groove (and given his age, that is a large IF), if the starters live up to their billing, If Glaus suddenly finds his home run stroke, If we get some power in the outfield, if the bullpen is a pleasant surprise, then maybe, just maybe, we could challenge Philadelphia in the division. But there are so many “ifs”, it is hard to be excited about 2010. We can hope, but it just may be we will have wait till 2011 when we hopefully have a new manager who will play small ball if he doesn’t have the bats. That won’t happen so long as Bobby is manager. He is affected with the Earl Weaver mindset and only plays for the big inning. Over the past few years I have learned not to expect too much from the team, and they have done little to change that assessment.
Don
February 4th, 2010
10:00 am
Pal Joey, good points – but you left out the biggest “IF” of all — IF Bobby Cox could suddenly understand and practice just the very most simple procedures and basic fundamentals for winning – that every good manager in all levels of baseball from Little League to High School to College to Semi Pro to Minor League to the Majors – uses.
Don
February 4th, 2010
10:08 am
I realize that TBS will no longer carry baseball full time. But is it true – that with Bobby Cox managing, they are going to carry all of the Braves games in 2010 – as a “Comedy Show”?
Don
February 4th, 2010
10:10 am
The AJC should start a weekly contest for fans for “Selecting Bobby Cox’s Biggest Blunder For The Week”. On second thought, that would be too many blunders to select from – it should be a daily contest.
bvillebaron
February 4th, 2010
11:58 am
Pal Joey:
I agree with your thoughts about Bobby Cox, but the starting rotation is not an “if” unless of course you include if they don’t get hurt. However, that’s an “if” for all teams, most of which don’t have a rotation as good as the Braves.