His name is Nate McLouth, as in, ‘Get him OUTTA here’

FIRST!

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Chuck Dowdle was on the radio this past week saying the Braves are considering trading Medlen to Fla to get Cody Ross. I,for one,would hate to see us lose Medlen. I believe he has years of great pitching in him.

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The only tragedy about all of this is that this article wasn’t written any sooner. How long did it take you to come to this conclusion Mark? I mean that photo pretty much says it all. However, I would be interested in hearing Nate Mc”Out”s take on his playing skills!

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Why not send McLouth back to Gwinnett on a rehab assignment for the rest of the year? Maybe he’ll snap out of it. Too bad they didn’t move Kelly Johnson back to the outfield when Prado took over 2nd
base. Never understood that. He was a decent outfielder and could always hit.

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You can’t spell Glaus without S-L-U-G. Now, does that describe what he’s supposed to do…or his foot speed?

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Bobby Cox is TOO loyal to veterans, just promote Blanco who was hitting .300 while McCLOUT was down in AAA. Between Diaz , Henske , Melky & Blanco theose four guys combined for the RF & CF
are SO much better than anything Nate can do right now.
Just trade him for garbage or a bucket of balls.
DO NOT MAKE ANY trade for Cody Ross and have to get rid of Medlin.

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You should realize that DeJesus is out for the year. Wake up Mark.

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H-I-N-S-K-E. They are OUR players. We should be able to spell their names

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Is Infante’s OF defense that bad?

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need to put infante in center, we get a lot better quickly with that change.

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MB:

Yesterday was Cox’s fault. Pinch running for Hinske, thereby leaving McLouth in the 3 hole was completely inexcusable. If you’re going to get McLouth in the lineup, which as you say is a big if, there is no excuse for putting him in #3. Let’s see you justify that move by Bobby.

HT

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At that point in the game, it doesn’t matter what spot in the lineup he bats. It was not inexcusable to bring mcClouth in the game at that point. His speed is much better than Hinske’s. This game should’ve never gotten to the 11th. Glaus is just as guilty as McClouth.

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Totally a worthless player. His hitting skills have vanished. But the great Bobby Cox sticks him right back into CF…
Heyward can play CF. Go get the hitter you want regardless where he plays in the OF. Don’t settle for C.Ross (average at best).

Glaus should be replaced as well.

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Mark, I agree. McLouth is killing us. He blew an RBI opportunity on Saturday and we were fortunate to come back and win. Sunday, bases loaded one out and he hits into a double play. We would be much better with Blanco out there. He is having a pretty good season and his speed would help alot. As far as McLouth’s skills eroding maybe but a guy his age doesn’t drop from .276 to .168 in less than 2 years just because of age and eroding skills. I am afraid we have to chalk another one up to our hitting coach who doesn’t seem to be able to help anybody. We always hear how McDowell works with our pitchers and help them refine mechanics and get better but you don’t hear that about our hitters. No with hitters they can either hit when they get here or they don’t develop. Surely talk of Pendleton as manager is just lip service (Shouldn’t a future major league manager be managing somewhere? As for McLouth, bench him for sure and release him if you have a better option in Gwinnett.

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So, Mark, you commented last week that the reason the Braves were not pitching Kawakami under any circumstances was that they were trying to win. Valid point, but it begs the question – why is McLouth still playing?

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MB…we agree McOut or is it McLout, oh, whatever, has got to go.

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Me- Martin wasn’t a backup for 4 years, and his first MLB .300 season was ‘08.

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I don’t want to pile on the man. He seems to be a nice person. But at 51, I think I could get him out with my overhand curveball. I am ready to turn off the TV every time he comes to bat with baserunners. And it seems he is ALWAYS the next batter when the Braves have something going. I don’t care what we do, as long as Nate McLouth is playing for Gwinnett, Mississipi, or Outer Mongolias in the near future.

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We will probably have to pay part of his salary and just trade him for a PTBNL

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I was unable to watch the game live, but using mlb.com to “watch” those last few innings. I commented to a friend that McClouth was up with the bases loaded and one out and if he hit into a double play, that might be the last straw for the Braves. The next refresh told the story of the double play. I didn’t know it was a line drive. Tough break for Nate. But, still the last straw for me. And, I hope for the Braves. I was at the game Wednesday night sitting in the left-center field seats and watched turn his back on a long fly ball that became a double. It sure did seem like a catchable ball that he gave up on too early. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt on that one since he was down on the field, but it sure did raise some eyebrows of the folks around me.

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I like Bobby. But his use of McLouth lately is beyond puzzling. I hear a collective groan from fans when Nate takes the plate. The man can’t even get the ball outta da infield.
No on the Ross guy from the Fish.

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C’mon guys and gals, lighten up. Nate is a great player and has been and will be again one of the premier lead off hitters in baseball. He’s definitely swinging the bat with more authority than he did before the injury. His bat speed is good. For some reason or another, the hits are not dropping in. Give him time, play him every day, let him lead off and he will be fine. His defense will improve as his hitting improves. I still like him. Also, don’t trade for Cody Ross. Once McClouth gets going, he’ll br alot better than Ross ever will be.

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A lot of you are saying no on Ross, but I don’t think you’ve seen him play that much. He is a good CF that will bat .275 or so and give you 20-25 HRs. I am not against trading for him because I don’t think he’s good enough. I just don’t want to give a division rival anything of value.

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I agree its time for Nate to go bye-bye. Bring Blanco back platoon him and Melky in center. Those guys may not be the second coming of andruw in his prime but they are solid. Heck I didn’t think Melky did a bad filling in for Nate. Someone correct my if im wrong but I seem to remember Hinske giving Glaus a break at first every now and then during the first part of the season. Am I right about that? If so I wonder why this isn’t happening more. Hinske looks fresh, ready to play and he plays with passion. Glaus looks like he is ready for the glue factory. Platoon Diaz and Hinske. Platoon Blanco and Melky. And let Hinske spell Glaus. Infante is your super-sub for anybody in the infield and you bring Conrad in as your first pinch-hit option.

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Miles you moron he was playing every day. That’s why he’s batting an unbeklievable .167. You must be some friend of his. He SUCKS and any business, you fire the employees bringing you down. He’s cost us several games with his pathetic play. Good riddance McOut.

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Im not against trading Medlen for Ross. We have a TON of pitching in the farm system. As long as we keep at Medlen for Ross I’m fine with it. But don’t give away any of our farm system talent.

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Bradley, why don’t you get your facts straight before you put out a blog. AJC needs to keep up with the mistakes you make and hopfully we can get rid of you. They could put you on the same bus out of town that Nate is going to be on.

If you would keep up with baseball, you would know that DeJesus is out for the year with a thumb injury.

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Agree with T-Jack, why does Cox automatically insert McOut in the lineup as soon as comes off the DL? Is it some kind of loyalty thing with Cox or is it like the football coach who says you can’t lose your starting position because of injury no matter how well your replacement plays. Talk about a momentum killer, I think McOut has grounded into at least 3 or 4 double plays since his return.

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Herschel- I think I agree with Mr. Webster here. Late in games, you make subs for speed (Hinske still bothered by foot) and defense. Obviously, we were at a point that BC thought we were going to take the lead. Bases juiced, 1 out, Glaus up. Also, it’s the 7th inning. Not like it’s early in the game. Hinske is not normally our #3 hitter. He’s usually #6

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Maybe Adam Jones from the O’s ?

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Blanco in center…McLouth released…if someone picks him up so be it, if not he can go down to Gwinnett or opt for retirement.

We were content to trade a young potential stud shortstop with a “huge upside” because he was dragging the team down now…despite what he might do in the future.

Why would we not make this move and make it fast? I feel for McLouth too…but playing here he is under the spotlight and the pressure is immense where playing down on the farm it wuld be totally different.

Blanco is at least as good a centerfielder as McLouth…and can bunt for hits and fly on the basepaths…plus his arm HAS to be better than Nate’s…

Come on Wren…take this out of Bobby’s hands IMMEDIATELY….show me a fan that doesn’t agree on this and I’ll show you one that is already dead…or brain dead…

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I agree with ATLfan15 they need to bring back Blanco. He did well out there and showed he could hit a little bit. I don’t think Cody Ross is the answer either, especially for Medlin. Maybe for Dunn and a prospect?
Bring Back Blanco!

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Can we also bring in to question why they are still putting jesse chavez into games that we are interested in winning. This guy is a disaster. If we have such a collection of young pitching we should not be forced to watch chavez walk the bases loaded.

Mark- Any hope that Chavez may be sent down after his performance Sunday?

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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by TDC, Glenda Buckland. Glenda Buckland said: His name is Nate McLouth, as in, 'Get him OUTTA here': Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)We have seen Braves stru… http://bit.ly/dbXXeA [...]

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The dude must go! Its sad when you see him come up (as in last night) with bases loaded and one out. You knew he would ground into double play and the Marlins would win it in the next inning.
PLEASE BOBBY: HE MUST GO !!!!!!!

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Mark, pay attention. David DeJesus is out for the year with a thumb injury. I’ll take McLouth over trading for a guy to sit in the dugout. He can at least run.

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What else can Blanco do? Look at his performance and the team’s record this last time he was up.I also think Cox might consider platooning Hinske with Glaus until Glaus gets back in the groove again.

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It’s okay! Bobby has indeed given him his chance. He hasn’t come through so he wins the “pinch runner” until the end….he can still run can’t he? Let’s see, maybe blind fold him next time
he “hit’s” and I use the term loosely. I just hate it when someone can’t make it but enough is enough! Oh, and our big Glaus is on the verge of “never” hitting with runners on again.

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trading Medlen for Ross… wouldn’t that mean Kantwin Kamikaze would have a rotation spot again? Based on that fact alone, I would have to say NO to that trade.

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Bobby “Come on Natey,come on Chip,come on Hey,come on Glaussy.”
Writing out a linep daily sweet. Yelling encouragement using nicknames great. Playing underachievers just because you are the manager is nice.
Getting paid $2 million to do all this is priceless…

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I’ve never understood why Cox won’t call for a bunt with the bases loaded when the game is in the balance? I could understand if it were Heyward or even Glaus but Mclouth should have been bunting to give us the go ahead run.

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Why would Cox let McOut bat with the bases loaded when he is hitting .167 ? Wasnt anybody on the bench available to hit instead of McOut? Bad coaching from Cox.

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McClouth & Glaus…Built in outs scattered into the lineup. We gotta do something. You are either improving or getting worse. Right now we are not improving. I want to see more Hinske/ Prado/Infanta at 1st base and more Ross at catcher. Can’t McCann take a few grounders at 1st? Save him some wear and tear behind the plate and keep his bat in the lineup. But Infante should be playing 4 out of 5 days until he proves he can’t hit. Rotate him around the diamond and give others much needed rest for what hopes to be the stretch drive. And maybe Bobby should leave the dugout after the 6th inning for his nap every game. We would have a better chance to succeed.

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I disagree, somewhat. Send him down to AAA to work out the kinks. He’s shown too much ability to just send him somewhere for nothing in return. We have enough horsepower to win the division with Melky, Diaz, Henke, Infante splitting time in left and center. But long term, nate’s the best option.

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Nah. Just true.

Bobby : “Chavez, kid has a good arm. I know he will have that 1,2,3 inning sometime. So I can live with the 2 or 3 runs per inning until I prove to everybody this kid can pitch.”

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Henke? Who is that?

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If you gentlemen were pulling the strings, we’d no doubt have a championship in October.

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Bottom line:Bases loaded and pitcher goes 2-0 on McLouth.
TAKE A PITCH UNTIL THE PITCHER PROVES HE CAN THROW A STRIKE!
No McLouth decides to help a team out, the Florida team.

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Mark, thanks for hopping aboard the “Release McLouth” train…even if you are a few weeks behind everyone else.

McLouth, Kawakami and Chavez are taking up valuable roster spots. Why?

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Jesse Stone -

You can’t put McLouth in the 3 hole. If you want a faster guy who isn’t dead weight and can play the outfield, then use Infante there. But gaining a small amount of speed in that moment but being stuck with McLouth in the 3 hole is inexcusable.

HT

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I would like to see if we could get Matt kemp.michael bourn,or Bj Upton

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Mitchell, doesn’t over half the league make the playoffs in the NBA?

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send McLouth to the Royals. The love crappy former Braves over there. for example: Kyle Davies, Bruce Chen, Anthony Lerew, Wilson Betemit. Throw KK into the deal as well. Maybe we could get Podsednik or Ankiel or something.

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I heard someone say that one of the hardest things in sports, if not the hardest, is to hit a moving baseball coming at you at 90 plus mph and then to “hit it where they ain’t.” If you fail 7 out of 10 times there might be a place for you in the HOF. I feel sorry for Nate McClouth. He’s struggling to keep it at 1 out of 10. Why? Who knows? For his sake I hope he figures it out and has a career resurgence. Obviously, he’s not the answer in center right now. But, looking around, who is? Who out there would be a significant upgrade over a Blanco, Infante, Cabrera platoon (if they all can play CF), that would justify trading Medlen (God forbid) or a prized prospect? I love the chemistry of this team. Hold em and take your chances.

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Enter your comments here

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please get us an outfielder

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Let’s not forget how much fun this season has been so far! However, it does seem that the Braves’ seasons have all too often of late morphed into pathetic, overly drawn-out sympathy-fests for some underperforming but otherwise likeable player – Francoeur being the best (worst?) example of this phenomenon. Now we have the Nate McClouth dilemma. Few Braves fans have looked back with regret at the Francoeur trade, even in light of the fact that we basically gave him away for nothing. Even fewer Braves fans will have second-thoughts or regrets if and when McClouth is demoted, traded or otherwise dropped from the active roster. Sadly, it appears that the team will be better off the sooner this occurs.

ps. Please KEEP MEDLEN!
pps. No Cody Ross!

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Trading Medlin for Cody Ross would be a worse long term decision than playing McOut the rest of the year. Send McOut to minors (can a team pick him up? who cares.), bring Blanco up and platoon him with Infante. Our current OF can get the job done.

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a 5 game lead looks real week knowing Braves have an auto-matic out at 1B & CF. Then the closer Wagner is on a blown saves run. I bet the Mets & Phillies are smiling.

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Mark, I just wanted to confirm that you’re saying we should trade for DeJesus, and that would still be an upgrade (being that he’s out for the year), right?

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We was thinking when McLouth goes maybe Chavez could ride with him. We was among the many who was thinking, “Don’t let McLouth bat, Bobby.” We was also one of the ones that said, “Uh oh, Chavez is coming in. There goes the game.” We would be available to help Bobby Cox with some game decisions if he likes. We was on a state championship and we don’t think Bobby ever won a state champion before.

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Bring Blanco back and send McOut and Chavez out of town!

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Seriously Eddie Perez and all of the Venezuelans should approach Wren/Cox and DEMAND Blanco’s return. Time to cut the dead weight on this team and push from there. You don’t expect to win every game, but playing McClouth is GIVING AWAY GAMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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“Maybe Adam Jones from the O’s ?”

Robdawg put the pipe away – just because the O’s are terrible, doesnt mean they are going to trade one of their cornerstone players

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Nothing will be done and the Braves lead will diminsh and they will miss the days of October. However, this is Bobby’s last year. I hope it is the case for TP also.

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Oh, that’s mean, Mark . . .

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Follow Cody Ross for a few days, watch him closely and you will see the merit in acquiring him. Talent, Drive and a Self-less team player is what he is…………..no wimpy excuses where he is out for a sprain etc like so many today…………at $3mil he is a bargain

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Hell, fill up that car going outta town. McLouth driving,Chavez riding shotgun,Glaus back seat left and Melky back seat right. Any room left squeeze in Wagner…

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Amen Mr. Bradley. If Wren has to eat McLouth’s salary, so be it. We’ve got to get somebody on the roster who can at least have a prayer of seeing the north side of the Mendoza line.

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For some pitching they might, hold me pipe fer me pleaze…

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ahhh. a disappointing Braves loss is the mating call of Mitchell.

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McLouth is the worst hitter on the team. To allow him to bat in a game situation is hard to imagine. Anyone else would have been better than him. Cox got what he deserved. I sure hope we dont miss the playoffs by one game. That game was given away.

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The names Liebrandt-Puckett,Wohlers-J.Carter,Lonnie Smith,Carlos Beltran,Mariano Rivera pretty much sum up Cox’s demise in post season losses.

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Our pitchers bat much better than Nate. It’s almost like a automatic out when he comes up,and it always seems like there are men in scoring postition and he makes the last out in the inning. The team played much better when he was on the DL. HELLO BOBBY–leave him out of the lineup. If I were Nate, I think I would be embarrassed just going back into the dugout after striking out, flying out, or grounding out into a double play. He needs to go away if the Braves want to make it to the playoffs!

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All bad managerial moves, no doubt…

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Apparently, Booby Cox thinks McLouth is good enough to be the bgot-to guy when the game is on the line. What a freakin’ MORON Cox is!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bases loaded yesterday in the top of the 9th with one out, game on the line. Rather than pinch-hit Infante, Booby trots the hot-hitting McOUT out there again. What does he do? Hit into a bases loaded double-play– for the second time in the game.

This is a prime example of why IF the Braves make it to the playoffs (and by the way I don’t think they will) they will go nowhere because they have an HOF nut-job for a manager!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Booby Cox man-crush on McOUT has cost us plenty already.

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Mark- Any hope that we could see Chavez sent back to AAA?

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It seems to me if you are giving a once good player (McLouth) opportunities to”come around,’ you would not put him in extreme pressure situations. He should have stayed on the bench in extra innings.

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man, bring back blanco, he hustles, does what the team asks. He is fast, enthusiastic… something that mcclueless would love to be. Nate is in a deep fog, with not a clue as to what to do next. get rid of him. and, do not trade for cody ross, what a chump.

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MB, when is the Jesse Chavez article coming?

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“Heck, Henry Blanco might be a better center fielder than Nate McLouth. And Henry Blanco is a catcher.”

That line almost made me spit my coffee on my computer screen, Mr. Bradley. Thank you for giving me a good laugh this morning.

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I’m pretty sure the Braves would send McClouth to anyone that makes an offer… Wren might trade him away for cash at this point. The Braves should make it a buy one get one free sale (Buy McClouth and you get Chavez for free)

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I agree with Bob in that sending him to Gwinnett could be a win-win situation. I also agree with Michael Scharff in that you “don’t want to kick him while he’s down.” The Braves are a class orgnization and at no risk to the MLB Braves quietly demoting him and working with him would seem to be the best option. It also shows that when a player is having a problem on the field the organization has the where with all to deal with the situation. Granted the double play ball was retty bad.

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I don’t normally comment on these, but THANK YOU for raising this issue! My wife and I (both longtime Bravos fans) have been wondering all year, “How much more do the Braves need to see to know he’s done?” While Nate seems like a nice guy, he is an albatross that must be purged. Underperformance is infectious; even Melky’s marginal performance is bad for team morale, but McClouth’s ineptitude is a cancer in the clubhouse. BTW, I actually called the game-losing double play yesterday. I would have preferred that they run into the out on Heyward’s hit (in retrospect, the throw from right was so far up the line that Ross might actually have scored) than sent McClouth up to the plate in that situation. You could almost hear the air escape Turner Field as he stepped into the box.

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Bradley– Why don’t some of you AJC guys grow a set and start asking Cox some tough questions? The AJC’s handling of Cox with kitt gloves only makes matters worse. For example, I would realy like to know what goes through a HOF managers mind that sends a .168 hitter up there when the game is on the line when you have an all-star pinch hitter on the bench– then after the .168 guy does what we all know is going to happen, THEN you put the all-start guy. Cox is a freakin’ moron.

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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Mark Bradley, Sport Fanatic, Roy Harris, Michael Watkins, Eric Dye and others. Eric Dye said: OUCH MARK! @MarkBradleyAJC : His name is Nate McLouth, as in, Get him OUTTA here… http://shar.es/mMKLm #braves [...]

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Jesse Stone:

I wasn’t calling you retarded; I was calling your argument retarded.

HT

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This crap has been going on since Mr Cox got here. If we win and go to the series he will play righty lefty and sit a third of the team. If he, and I really believe Cox thinks he is doing good, thinks that Mc Louth is ever going to be good, well, it is past sad. Mark is whining cause he hit into a double play, look, I was excited he did not strike out! About another week of Mc Louth in center and we will be in second. And one more thing, give Glaus a few days off. And play Infante! We had a chance to be 10 up and we lose two of three in Florida

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Herschel- I don’t agree with your argument either, but it’s no more right or wrong than mine. They are not facts, but opinions.

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And all the games KK was winning 1-0 thru the 5th then he gave up 4 runs in the 6th and lost 4-1. A dumb ass can see that KK can go only 5 innings. KK would have been 6-0 instead of 0-6 (at that point) if Cox had brought in a reliever in the 6th those games.

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His struggles remind us of how incredible Andruw Jones was for so long in Center Field.

I’m sorry it didn’t work out for Nate. Oh well.

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Have you ever heard of Scott Moore?

He is hitting .209 with 3 HR,10 RBI and 3 stolen bases in 86 at bats (99 less than Nate). Pretty comparable stats, huh? Guess what happened to him. He was designated for assignment – by the BALTIMORE ORIOLES! The worse team in baseball.

How is it that the league’s doormat gets when a player is not helping their team and the Braves do not.

Wren, step up and be a man. I know it’s Bobby’s last year but you are going to have to hurt his little feelings and get rid of McLouth.

.

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Bradley– True. McOUT didn’t start. He came in as a pinch-runner. BUT, Cox did trot him out there to bat when the game was on the line while he had Infante on the bench. Why wasn’t Infante callowed to bat? After McOUT made the out, THEN Cox puts Infante in CF. Stupid, stupid, stupid. When McOUT was allowed to bat and then Chavez went to pitch, I knew the game was over. I called it before it happened.

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While I agree with you, this will do nothing to calm the whiners, quetschers, and those who hope for the literal death of McLouth, who frequent O’Brien’s hothouse blog. (Seriously, one of them stated “I hope McLouth dies.” Trey I believe was his name.) You guys really need to get a handle of those folks.

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Why even bother bringing him back from the DL if you only give him 13 ABs?? Thats about 3 games worth of AB’s. Based on that most of the team wouldn’t have made it past April.

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IInfante was on deck when Nate hit into a DP. If Infante pinch-hits for Nate, a pitcher would’ve had to lead off the next inning….if there were one.

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When Glaus gets hot again he will have left 50 men on base,hit zero homeruns,and the Braves will likely be 8 games out of 1st place. Why not play Hinske ? He has a great game then a bad game then a great game. Glaus is 12 straight bad games…

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As the trade deadline nears, the Braves are not alone in the delimma of non-productive check cashers. Gotta have faith that the Front Office will do all that is possible not to allow a darn good club overall to become a pretty average second place team in the East by trading away the future. Personally, I want another Divisional banner. Not a dang possible wildcard slot. The Phillies aren’t rolling over for the Braves so make whatever moves count..!

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Mark,
Thanks for being the writer on the AJC staff that calls this out. Our “beat reporters” are content to throw softballs at Cox after games.

About Chavez though, if he is the 12th pitcher, than why didn’t KK get to pitch BEFORE him? Not saying I would be comfortable with that either…just defining roles here. Maybe Chavez is the 11th pitcher? Either way, we have a couple of roster spots in serious need of upgrading.

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Ross, we would prefer that you become disgusted again and leave the blog.

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Mark,

Is there any way of knowing what the sentiment of the team is concerning Nate? Are they frustrated? After his walk-off HR they all ran to the tunnel…..I now can see them running to the tunnel BEFORE he bats because they can’t bare to watch!

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Thank you, Mark. McLouth is the new Greg Norton. As long as he is around it deflects some of the attention away from Cox and his awful managing decisions. Of course, one of those decisions is to play McLouth.

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“Just trade him for garbage or a bucket of balls.”

LOL

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It is pretty simple:

Send McLouth, Kawakami and Jesse Chavez to the minors. Bring up Gregor Blanco, Craig Kimbrel and Stephen Marek.

Give Glaus more days off and move him down the line-up a notch or two.

Play Omar Infante EVERY DAY. Is a .327 batting average and an all-star selection not enough? Do you have something against Venezuelans?

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I agree 100%. Funny thing is I actually forgot he was on the team until he got activated from the DL. Please don’t let him turn into this years version of Greg Norton. Give those at bats to guys that are producing.

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If the Braves are considering trading Medlen (which they shouldn’t) I think they could more than Cody Ross for him. They could probably get Chris Young from AZ or maybe even Kemp from LA.

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robdawg08… you use a minor league rehad because the player is on the DL. You can’t pitch in the ML’s on the DL. Plus you want to be 100% sure he has healed before you make roster moves. Some roster moves are irrevocable and you could thus lose a player to waiver claim. Or the player you may want to move has used up all his options and he could ask to become a free agent.

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If the excuses are that Bobby had no one left on the bench . . .then he was out-managed. How does people think Blanco would be only “marginally” better? McLouth .279 OBP, .265 SLG, .168 AVG vs. Blanco .394 OBP, .362 SLG, .310 AVG. The Braves was winning with Blanco and they was losing with McLouth.

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Did someone REALLY just say that we may be able to get Matt Kemp for Medlen?

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You know what really ticked me off was hearing Bobby Cox defending McLouth after the game saying “he hit it like a bullet”. Why can Bobby not see that the Emperor is wearing no clothes?

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Joey, that was a joke.

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Mark,

They may like him but that won’t help come October. It’s time to put how great a guy he is and how “neat and clean” he is aside and ship him out of town. His salary would be paid for with the additional revenue from post season play!

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If Nate doesn’t hit then he sits on the bench or perhaps is released — That would be WHY THE BRAVES ARE STARTING HIM — to see if he can hit. 13 AB’s is a short short lease. At least give him 25 AB’s. Then let him go.

This board is interesting. If it had its way Glaus would not be on the team either and now many are calling for Glaus to sit more too. Let the Braves manage things and enjoy this amazing ride.

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Call up Blanco, and move Nate to batboy.

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That will teach you for poaching the PIRATES.

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Teams in the pennant hunt like Cardinals aren’t trading players. You got to get players from the bad teams.

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Mark, As for Chavez, the better question is why is he the 12th man? If this were football, that might be a good idea. Don’t we have somebody better in the minors? In fact, why not piut KK out there? I haven’t seen him pitch much lately and I put more confidence in him than I do in Chavez.

My thoughts watching the game yesterday:
–MccLouth comes up with the bases loaded and 1 out– “There goes the inning”
–Chavez comes out to pitch: “There goes the game”

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I fancy myself an astute baseball observer and was SO excited when the Braves heisted McLouth from the Pirates. I just have a hard time believing he could go so wrong, so quick, so absolutely. But I guess it’s time to face facts.

Actually, Blanco was more than serviceable in CF for 6 weeks. If he hits .320, runs a bit and plays very good/excellent defense, we can win a WS this year.

Also, everything I see and know about Heyward would suggest to me that he’d be an above average CF; that might be worth a try.

I’m pretty patient, and Bobby Cox is even more patient than me. But I think it’s time to admit to ourselves that Nate isn’t going to help the ballclub this year.

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Outmanaged?? Bobby??

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James- no thoughts on Glaus not coming through?

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Let’s make sure we don’t sign any more players with the word OUT in the last name. Me and my buddies call him McOUT. I’m sure he’s pressing…he just need to go somewhere else, where he can get a fresh start…anywhere but here.

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I’ve been sitting back and enjoying the Braves recently – stupid me, I shoulda realized it wouldn’t last not with bobby cox on his final tour. It was a great idea to send Infante down to AAA and put mclout into the lineup. Who needs a .300 hitter when mclout will do.? He is after all one of bobbys boys.. mclout sucks! He’s worse than putting chavez into a game to pitch. Good to see glass returning to form, he stands up at the plate at looks like a dead tree. Good thing it’s bobbys last year, ya can’t live in the past.

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Has anybody here seen Ross’ numbers? He is hitting 273 – you don’t trade anybody for that. JUst suck it up – you save $$$ not signing smoltz, so just release McLouth who was apparently using PEDs to get his #ers up to 260. I’d rathe have Frenchy, hitting 240, in CF. Just use the guys you have on the roster – don’t trade – maybe sign Dye?

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I am with you Mark, I have tried to support Nate, but I just can’t anymore…and if KK isn’t going to pitch why not bring up a 3rd catcher, so you don’t caught with your only available catcher on 2nd with the go ahead run…would have been a great time to have a 3rd catcher so, Medlin or Hudson could have ran for Ross

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I’d rather see Joe Simpson (he hit .220 when he was 30 years-old) hit than McLouth. I’d rather see a blind man.

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A suicide squeeze was the obvious solution Sunday.

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Right, Crazy, Infante is a guy you throw out there once in a while not to embarrass the club when you need to get him ABs and sit somebody against a LH pitcher. He’d be exposed pretty quickly if he played CF every day. Even LF would be a challenge.

And Melky needs less ABs, not more.

I’ll bet Heyward could play CF, the more I think about it. Then use some prospects to pull in a heavy-hitting corner guy like Corey Hart or Josh Willingham.

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Once a loser always a loser. Get rid of the bum!

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N, I also enjoy “amazing rides”, just not when Chavez and McLouth are driving!

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N – you get an F for baseball intellect. He has not hit 200 all season – in your universe is 200 the new 300?

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Has any journalist asked Bobby what is going on with Kenshin. He is wrapped in moth balls in the bullpen somewhere. He is better than Chavez! Maybe we are holding him out so we can trade him

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I was totally in favor of trading Escobar, but what I don’t understand is, how can you trade Escobar for being a disruption to the team yet keep McLouth this long?

There is no way you can tell me Escobar’s attitude was more disruptive than McLouth’s quality of play. This is a team that picks each other up with their play in the field, that comes through in the clutch and thrives under pressure… McLouth is the antithesis of all that. So you can’t tell me that he’s not having exactly the same damage to the team that Escobar was having.

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The Braves have to move on and focus on winning now, and I’m thinking this weekend may have been the tipping point for Wren. It’s a real shame; the McLouth of a couple years ago in Pittsburgh was a tremendous five-tool player.

This is a time when the GM needs to take honest stock of what is needed to get the team deep into the playoffs. For all the good work Troy Glaus did earlier I think what we see now is what we’ll get the rest of the year. Outside of center field the rest of the lineup is set. Gregor Blanco is not the answer in center or he’d be playing already. If Blanco plays the Braves will need more RBI punch in the middle of the order. If they get a bigger bat in center (Matt Kemp?) they can probably survive with Glaus and Chipper.

I disagree on the ability to trade McLouth. I’d think KC, with DeJesus down, might take a flyer on Nate to see if he rebounds. Maybe try to pick up an experienced middle-infield glove man to back up Prado and Gonzalez. Go shopping for a top center fielder, but if the price is too high go with Blanco or a cheaper glove man and bring in another RBI bat at first base. A LaRoche/Glaus platoon would look pretty good in the five-hole.

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Even so, would you not rather have his 240 hitting strike out prone butt compared to sub 200 McLouser?

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Where are the folks that a couple of months ago were insisting Wren sign Glaus to an extension?

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Glaus will probably hit 260 the rest of the year, occasional power.

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I’m just shocked at how you play a .176 hitter (McLouth) over a .300 hitter (Blanco) ? Don’t tell me its the money McLouth makes either. Good managers always play the best player. We just need a good manager. It can’t come soon enough.

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If McClout were african american, he would been released already and blamed for a bunch of stuff.

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Paddy O, if that’s the problem, somebody shoot Nate in the butt with HGH, today!

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Mark, I agree with you about Mclouth. He is awful.

It looks like the Braves will just have an expensive bench player for the next year plus. Sad.

if Heyward could play center, maybe we could do that. After all, Ronnie Gant was a second baseman, and was converted to center field. We know that Dale Murphy went from center to right due to the decline in his skills.

I say, play anybody but Mclouth. Blanco, trade, whoever. This team is only five games in first place, and the Phillies seem to be finding themselves. We need somebody much better than Nate if we want to hold this lead.

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Can we trade Chavez to the Nationals so we can face him a couple games?

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What the Hell is Bobby Cox doing playing Nate McOUT, The guy stinks. Why isn’t he playing Omar more? Bring back Blanco. I think Bobby has a problem, it’s probably good that this is his last year.

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Heyward in center would work but he is a RF and we dont need to mess up his development. How about making Hinske and Infante switch off in left field, and moving Matt Diaz to center with Blanco becoming the backup outfielder for whenever Infante needs to play as an infielder. We have Brooks Conrad who is good enough to play third when Chipper is out. We have the players…I dont see us getting a good CF with out giving up a lot of good players….we need our bullpen more than anything. Lets trade Chavez! and release Mclouth…the Braves win with out him in the line up….anyone would be better at this point. The pitchers are batting better…Tim Hudson blows him out of the water.

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Being the 12th pitcher on a 12 man staff must be like being the 5th outfielder when there are only 5 outfielders and you say you want to be traded so you can get some playing time and you’ve been playing all along but you can’t get on base and you lose your job to somebody who is playing better and you just want to be traded so you can play everyday even if you can’t hit and won’t quit trying to pull the ball and won’t take a pitch. Seems like it anyway.

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There would have been nothing wrong with giving McLouth a BRIEF chance after he came off the DL to see if he could bounce back to his 2008 procuction (no matter how unlikely) — IF and ONLY IF he started that kind of productin at AAA.
But WHY IN THE WORLD would Cox be using him again when he hid not produce the last half of last season, hit in the .170s for all of this season, and did not do anything significantly different at AAA after coming off the DL.
But people are blaming the wrong person. He is not putting himself in the lineup. Booby Cox is the one deciding to use him.
Bobby Cox is OBSESSED with using players on and on and on who everyone knows are not producing. Does the name Greg Norton ring a bell?
The BIG QUESTION is has Booby already blown enough games this season to cost the Braves the Division in the final standings. Remember that he used McLouth full time for the first 1/4 of the season or longer when he was producing almost nothing – and the Braves lost so many games.
You Cox supporters have to be really crative to find a way to justify hw he has used McLouth.

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Dollie Mollie: Studies on lineups have shown production is maximized when the top OBP guys are at the top of the order. Prado-Heyward-Jones is about as good as it gets. Problem is Chipper isn’t the consistent power threat he used to be and Glaus has tailed off badly. The lineup won’t produce more by dropping Heyward, though you can certainly make a case he should flip-flop with Chipper.

If the Braves had a true lead off hitter they would benefit by dropping Prado to the 2 or 3 spot where his hits would drive in more runs. (Prado reminds me of Felipe Alou). Heyward should push down with him in that context, to 3 or 4, potentially with McCann hitting fifth. All elementary becuase they don’t have the leadoff hitter.

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If the Braves are able to move Nate in a trade, hopefully Wren can hide Chavez in Nate’s luggage!

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Vick supporter go back to jail.

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He can go!

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Trade McOut for a bag of socks!

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According to the AJC yesterday, we have quality pitchers in the minors and maybe someone like Minor is ready to come up. At this point, I would rather take my chances on Minor as the 12th man or even KK over Chavez. If losing Medlen gets us a quality CF then lets do this now and be done with Nate. I fear the Phillies are getting their stride back and we have to maintain momentum before we play another series against them.

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ptolemy XIII, I thought Obama was….the boy king……..lol

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Did someone just compare Glaus to McOUT??? U are aware that Glaus has a major league career twice as long (just about) and has a WS MVP right? What has McOUT ever done??? Had one good season for Pitt and was an All-Star b/c you have to take 1 player from every team. Just damn, the baseball IQ around here not very high!

Mark,

Thank you for calling it like it is. In general the ATL media is so soft and are afraid to write this type of material for the fear of retribution from Cox and Co (getting freezed out by the players, coaches, etc)

Of course, Cox will keep trotting McOut and giving him playing time, either starting or in critical AB late in games (b/c Defensive replacements and btw…cabrera may not be quite as “rangy” but darn he sure throws the ball to 3rd and home, while Nate refuses to throw for the fear of exposing a noodle arm, so he’s not as supreme as defensive OF as everyone thinks he is, but defensive guys are also required to HIT)

The only way Cox will stop using McOut is to have that option taken away from him, ala Jeff F. Wren has to step up and do something quick, before Nate has another critical AB and costs us another game with his failure at the dish.

as far as Chavez…Chris Resop can’t come back soon enough.

Don’t expect Kimbrel and Marek here until Rosters expand in Sept. (or an injury to another key reliever).

We are missing the big O in the pen, hopefully he comes back soon.

Don’t expect Kawagarbage to pitch in anything meaningful for the rest of the season…what a waste payroll wise. He’ll be traded for sure in the off-season, don’t expect him moved now unless Wren can pull off a miracle.

Also, one last point on Troy vs Nate…Troy carried us for a period of about six weeks…what has NATE done this year to really contribute…1 walk off HR. That’s it! So he’s a failure in all accounts compared to Troy.

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This is a really tough game….get off Nate’s back…my batting average may not have been the best but it made me famous and now Nate will be famous…just like I am…the “mclouth line”…

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78 well said.

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Seriously, people, the Braves aren’t going to win anything with Matt Diaz or Omar Infante playing every day in center field. They give up far too much defensively as center fielders to justify their offensive contributions. Look, the jury is still out as to whether Gregor Blanco is too big a drop off defensively.

Braves would do good to find a center fielder that can play plus defense and hit .250 the rest of the way. He’d look like an all-star in this lineup, if they can get consistent production out of first base.

What is so frustrating about today’s baseball players is too many fall in love with the home run and forget about what it really takes to win. Andruw Jones, Jeff Francoeur, Nate McLouth could all have been good center fielders TODAY for the Braves, but they lost focus on developing the fundamental tools they ultimately needed to stay in the lineup.

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Are the Braves ——Crazy? Trade Medlen for Cody Ross? I would rather see them trade Chipper Jones for Ross. We need Medlen to make it to the series. Enough said. But please give Nate away…he is free for the taking and I doubt if there is any takers.

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Remember when NASA sent the chimpanzee to outer space before man? I wish the Braves would try one of those smart, lab chimpanzees at managing a game. The pure numbers would give us better odds against the chimp starting Nate or using up 3 relievers in one inning like Bobby would do.

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Bring Blanco back!! He was hitting over .300 plus he brings alot of fire and energy to this team.

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disboot3000…don’t believe being sent to AAA needs to be in Nate’s contract. Believe that is already covered for all ML players in the UPC, under length of service.

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1. The trade value for McClouth is nil. Send him to AAA for the rest of the year to figure out what the problem is. Eyesight? Personal/Family issues? The odds he will return to his form of 2 years ago are small, but still enough compared to the zero we would get in as trade. Kelly Johnson came back, maybe Nate will. For now, we cannot afford to have him on the roster.

2. Are the issues with Blanco and Infante as outfielders arm strength? Or tracking speed? I know you prefer your best arm in center, next best in right, and left if for the weakest arm. Heyward in center is intriguing. In the abstract, he would be the best CF on the team. He gets a great jump, does not fear the wall; has speed, has the arm, has the smarts.

3. Medlen for Ross is ridiculous. Ross vs. any combination of Infante/Melky/Blanco has minimal upside, compared to what we give up.

4. If the bat we are offered in a good deal is a rightfielder, move Jason to CF. He’s the closest thing we have right now to an Andrew Jones in the field. Don’t settle for a .260 guy who is going to hit at most 10 more dingers this year, lose someone like Medlin, all so we can avoid playing someone like Blanco or Infante.

5. The was Martin is crushing the ball of late, what about batting him 3rd, when either Omar of Gregor play, let them leadoff?

5. I would have to see the proposed trade, but I’m inclined to think we stand pat.

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McLouth gotta go! Willie Harris and a few other past players did’nt get half the oportunities that this guy is getting. See where I’m going with this!

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Shut up about Bobby Cox. A month ago y’all were saying he was the second coming of Jesus. The man is using certain people is hopes for a trade, and the other night Chavez pitched really well, so Bobby was seeing if he could do it again.

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Please don’t go there kjoy, Al and his bullhorn will be at the Ted next week. . .

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I’m on a major league contract. They can’t send me down unless I agree to it, and I have NO trade value AT ALL so they’ll have to put me on waivers and just eat that loss.

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He’s a good kid.

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With McLouth it is a big contract over Blancos. That is why Blanco was sent down. Remember we want to believe it is still a game but to the ones that matter it is a business. But it is a time for a change of scenery for McLouth. He has had his chance.

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Speaking for the 100+ bloggers who have been saying the same thing for weeks, we hope your article will bring action by the Brave’s powers-that-be! Just look at the 4+ pages of responses the article received in two hours.

McLouth’s problem is not unique in sports or life. After experiencing prolonged failure, he lacks the mental toughness to correct himself and get back on track. His facial expression tells it all. No amount of coaching or practicing can do it; he is the only one that can. On the big stage, at the big moment, he just can’t handle the pressure

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Just stating the facts as I see it!

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I wouldn’t release McLouth. I would send him down to AA and have him work on his swing. I doubt anyone would pick him up while he’s DFA’d. Bring Blanco back up. He did a good job in the 8 hole and he plays good defense. This Braves team has the flexibility with their bench to move guys around. It’s helped to keep everyone “game ready” by playing different positions. Personally, I don’t the Melky has gotten enough praise for his work. he started the season very slow, but he’s now hitting about .260. He’s played all the outfield positions. Dude’s a ball player. I think that describes this team in general…….no prima donna’s………..BALL PLAYERS!

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The situation is real simple. McClouth, Chavez, and Kawakami have to go right NOW! Glaus has to sit right NOW! Anybody in their place will be an improvement. Medlen should be untouchable for any trade. It really is that simple. We can win with this team as it is curently constituted if Cox will play the correct people at the correct time. It really is that simple………….

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ppaddy123, what about Nate’s arm. I don’t think he can work on that. I agree on Melky. I think he has been part of the new, scrappy, hustling attitude on the Braves. The same attitude that Escobar lacked.

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Headline…. KK …Chavez… and Nate have been traded to milwakee for $1 million dollars. Brave fans are trying to raise the $1,000,000

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This should be the Starting Position/Depth Chart for the remainder of the season.

Prado 2B
Hayward RF
Jones/Infante 3B
Carbara/Blanco CF
McCann C
Glaus/Henski 1B
Gonzalas SS
Infante/Diaz LF

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DON’T TRADE MEDLIN! Bring Blanco back if we can’t find the player we want at the price we want. Trading a promising pitcher like Medlin for a band-aid on our hitting would be a travesty. That and STUPID decisions like letting McClouth hit with the bases loaded yesterday is why Bobby’s won only one World Series when he should have won at least three. I’d rather keep Medlin, bring up Blanco, and go with what we have than make a STUPID trade.

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When I think about players that Bobby Cox just can’t let go of, I always think of Chris Reitsma—nice guy, but Bobby kept trying to make him into a closer. It was agony for me every time he started warming up. I think Cox keeps hoping if he puts McLouth in, McLouth will save the day and the resulting confidence boost will be all he needs to return to his prior form (although with McLouth, I’m not sure that that is good enough). Unfortunately, the opposite is also true. If you keep sticking him into tight situations and he fails, his confidence level goes down and the spiral continues. He needs to be somewhere else right now.

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NO WAY trade Medlen! I feel better with him on the mound then with Hanson after his last few starts.

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I am not saying trade Hanson

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I am so happy that Nates line drive did not get through and drive in the winning runs, just think if that had happened we would be stuck with his sorry ass for the res of the season. Remember last year when Norton would be 0 for 12 and everone would be shouting the same as they are now for Nate to go, anyway then Norton would get a bloop hit and Cox would be convinced he had found his swing, what a dumm ass “Bobby Cox” is.

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Jason are you oblivious to what has been going on? McClouth came off the bench yesterday and the results speak for themselves. We are better off with anything right now than having McClouth anywhere near the ballpark. Wake up man and pay attention to what has been going on.

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… Nate has to put on some padding (like omar) and go up to bat and just get hit by the pitch. problem solved.

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This illustrates one of the biggest problems with Bobby Cox, Mark. He’s just too loyal sometimes to players who are clearly not getting the job done. In some cases…with a young player who’s PROVEN he can play well at AAA…it might be OK to show a little faith in him. (We’ve probably all heard the famous story about how Willie Mays went hitless for three games, and begged Leo Durocher to send him back to the minors.) But many times over the years Bobby Cox has depended on a player who just didn’t get the job done, way PAST the time when he should have sought another option.

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Jason Lee is right. You are an embarrassment to Braves fans, Bradley. McClouth probably does need a change right now, but you being an asshole isnt gonna help.

fan blogs are much better than Bradley’s whining

http://ijustwanttofitin.com/category/sports/

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Trading Medlen for Ross would not be a good move. Look at the record since Medlen was moved to the rotation from the bullpen. Yes McLouth needs to go as well as Jessie. I am sure we have a pitcher in AAA that can take his place. Another thing if we are not going to use Kawakame why take up the roster space? If you dont feel he is better than Chavez then dont they both need to go? We are working with a 23 man roster here! McLouth, Chavez and KK are holding back the team efforts. If we have such good pitchers in AAA can’t we replace them and maybe Blanco for Nate? I dont think Blanco is the answer but it is an improvement. For those of you raking on Glaus right now, yes he is slumping, but he plays a good defense and he carried the team for about 40 days earlier. Troy is a streak hitter always has been even with the Angels. Yes he needs a few days here and there off and we DO have someone to do that. When he starts hitting again (and he will) talk to me then. To put him in Nates class is ludacrious. He has about 45 rbis and around 255 avg. He will end the season around 255-265 avg and 80+ rbis and 20hrs. You guys are raking on him but want Cody Ross who will be around the same at the end of the year (265-275 20hrs 75+ rbis. They both play good defense. Now give a good 5th pitcher away for Ross but rake on Glaus! He isnt the problem. Bobby is a boob though!!!!! Yesterday is an example of why the Braves won 1 WS in 14 tries! Go Bobby, the Braves win despite him not because of him. Oh and the Brave will not eat a contract like Nates.

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You guys blaming Cox are idiots. We wouldn’t be in first without him this year, he’s been pushing the right buttons all season. He has always been a loyalist. It’s becoming painfully obvious that McLouth just doesn’t have it anymore and they’re hesitant to cut him because of his money, but he’ll be replaced soon enough and Cox will continue to win.

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i agree,he must go,he’s been given ample oppurtunity,but sometimes when it goes it goes for good,ala francouer???? i mean sunday against florida a simple fly ball would have gave the braves the lead….i dont care who we put out there,blanco,cabrerra,they cant do better than .168 avg im sure!!!! we need to trade for a htting outfielder!!

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I feel bad for the guy. I thought he did a decent job last year. But I still like the team the way it is, though we kinda stumbled out of the All-Star Break. Leave things as is. The Braves shouldn’t do anything to jeopardize any young talent (such as Kris Medlen).
And what’s the deal with Bobby Cox using Medlen out of the bullpen? Things were going well, and Bobby decides to change things up. He shouldn’t mess with what was working for the Braves.

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to many posts to read but yes McClouth does need to go. the double play was hit on a 2-0 count, at least take a strike before you start swinging with the bases loaded. a 2-1 count is still a hitters count

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Seriously, as well as Blanco was playing, why the heck did we send him down for McLouth? I hope it’s not because the Braves are trying to boost ticket sales in Gwinnett.

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Ben, obviously you are a casual fan. Medlen was in the bullpen due to the All-Star break and the off days. We didn’t need a 5th starter for a couple weeks so he went to the pen to give depth. He started Saturday and will be in the rotation from this point on.

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I’m normally not the “kick em while they’re down” type but McLouth is god aweful. I cringe when comes up to the plate.

Can Omar play center? I’m sure that Bobby knows the answer to that already but what would it hurt at this point?

OR, why not put Heyward in CF? Does he not have the legs for it?

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Mark – Would anyone in the Braves clubhouse hold a candlelight vigil for McLouth if he’s traded or released?

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I agree, Mark, I would rather have anyone in CF than McLouth (except maybe Yunel). However, I have no idea where you are getting the idea that Matt Kemp is a viable target. This is the second article you suggested it, but without giving up at least Freeman and a major pitching prospect, there is absolutely no way the Dodgers (who are in a pennant race) would give him up.

Kemp is not yet 26 (he hasn’t even entered his prime in baseball, which is considered to be about 26-28); he hit .290 and .297 in his first two full seasons. he hit 26 HR and 101 RBI last year. He would immediately be our best player, and you somehow think this is a conceivable trade?

He is the very definition of a 5-tool future star. To me, this is the equivalent of the Angels saying they are going to shore up their OF by trading for Heyward.

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Mark, BJ Upton is awful. Have you even looked at his numbers? Stop pushing for a 0.228 hitter. Keep Blanco and demote McLouth.

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Trade McClouth for Carl Crawford.

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What about Melky? I think he has turned into a more than servicable outfielder and has a great arm and plays great D in center. Why not trade for a corner outfielder and just have Melky be your everyday CF, he is exactly what you described the Braves as needing in CF.

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Um…the misplayed fly ball in CF yesterday does not give me the confidence in Melky as an everyday option. However, I would take him over Nate anyday.

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I won’t add to what everyone is saying – Nate is horrible and he needs to go. The guy doesn’t have what it takes to play at this level and he’s severely hurting this team. I’m sure he’s a nice guy, but don’t feel too bad for him – he’ll make $5 million this year for doing absolutely nothing, so i’m not exactly overcome with sympathy.

You have 2 options at this point:

1 – Put Blanco or Melky in CF. This isn’t the sexy move, but it will tremendously increase your production in CF (not that that’s tough to do right now), and it’s a move that doesn’t risk much disruption in chemistry. Also, you don’t have to give anything up, which is nice

2 – Get a Hart of Willingham and move J-Hey to center. I think Heyward would make a great centerfielder. But more than anything, i just don’t want to see us give up someone great and get a below average player back (i’m looking at you Cody Ross) simply because said player happens to play CF. We have a guy who can do that in Heyward, and if the best guys available play RF or LF, it makes way more sense to move guys around and bring them in.

I love the Braves and i’ve watched them since i was a kid, but if they don’t get McLouth off this team, i’m not sure how much more I can watch. To me that’s like saying “hey, we’re intentionally going to hurt our chances to win tonight”, and that’s such a slap in the face to fans who spend their money and time following this team. McLouth has gone from a mediocre player to a bad player to a punchline to an insult. Enough is enough.

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Gonna need to unload alot of young talent for Crawford and I would hope they’d do so with the intent on signing him (chances of that are $lim). Wren won’t bring in a problem child, especially with how the season is going and this being Bobby’s last year.

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The Rays are NOT trading Crawford while they are in the middle of a pennant race and have a great shot at the Wild Card. Anyone looking for us to pick him up this week needs to step away from the weed.

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Some facts:

Neither Chavez nor McLouth are accustomed to playing on a winning team. With them on the field the Braves lose, with them off the field the Braves win. It really is that simple.

It is time to swallow hard, maybe even choke a little and get McLouth off the roster by whatever means necessary. As for Chavez just send him to Gwinnett and forget about him.

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I’ve never been more P.O.’d at two players as I was yesterday at Glaus and Mc”hit the ball right to the SS”Louth. Dear, sweet 3 month old Baby Jesus!

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What frustrated me a little was hearing Chipper and Bobby saying that the double play he hit was ‘hit hard, but right at Ramirez.’ Uh, guys? That’s kind of the issue Nate ‘the Out Machine’ McLouth… when he’s not hitting the ball right at someone, he’s striking out. Is it impossible for us to bundle a package of McLouth with a couple of our young pitching prospects in an effort to broker a trade for a full-time outfielder? There has been some discussion that there are some teams out there that are interested in our young minor league pitching talent. And we are in a penant race, right? All I know is that we have to do something with McLouth so he can’t hurt the team anymore. Whether that means we send him down to Gwinnett and call Gregor Blanco back up, or include him as part of a trade package, the bottom line is that Bobby Cox cannot continue to stubbornly play him when guys like Omar Infante, Matt Diaz, and Eric Hinske are all sitting on the damn bench. He’s not getting it done and he has to go… nail on the head, Mark!

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Note to Supes: No comparison of McLouth to Glaus .. Troy is tired and they need to keep him fresh. He is coming off a 2009 season with virtually no games played due to injury .. It makes sense to do whatever it takes to be certain he is strong in September and October .. We have been playing a ton of games in hot weather and that plus his admittedly sore knees add up to Troy needing some rest .. The Braves can win the division with Glaus playing five out of every seven games, but they cannot win in the playoffs with a tired Glaus not up to his full potential.

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McLouth to Augusta National for a pimiento cheese sandwich. Billy Payne is nobody’s fool, however. We may have to throw in a player to be named later.

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papadawg…yes they do, the Yankees great teams of the 40’s did it all the time. Some of the greatest teams in ML history had trouble with the bases loaded for some reason. Check it out, you would be amazed!

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What Brad just said…

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Mark,

Don’t put this all on Nate.

Glaus, who has struggled himself, should have delivered with the bases loaded earlier in the game, and hit into a DP.

Cox should have pinch hit for Nate, but the pitcher’s spot was coming up in the inning (12th), so he had to save Omar for that.

You’re playing extra inning baseball, you have the bases loaded with 1 out, and you’re making plans for the next inning??!!!!! And no media type followed up on that? How about you try and score here, and put your closer in the game?

And he knew that he was going to insert Chavez in to pitch if the Braves didn’t score, so that alone should have been motivation to do everything possible to score.

And while we’re at it, where is KK? He’s pitched 1 inning since June 26. Is he injured, or is he just never going to pitch again? Can someone at the AJC Sports department let us know?

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I was at the Friday night game. Utterly painful!

Here’s the deal. Bobby Cox is NOT a great manager. IN the 90s the Braves won INSPITE of him, not BECAUSE of him. Cox was a bad manager before Smoltz, Maddux, and Glavine came to town and he’s been a bad manager ever since they left. The Braves won because of those guys and John Schuerholtz. NOT BOBBY COX. He was continuously outmanaged by every manager he faced in the playoffs. The Braves came up painfully short all t hose years because of their below average manager who sat on his butt while the team racked up wins against outmanned teams in the regular season and had no clue what to do when they faced good teams.

Cox ALWAYS sticks with his starter too long. On Friday, after Prado hit a HR to bring it to 2-1 and Sanabia starter to look a little winded, Rodriguez lifted him and the pen put out the rally. But whe Lowe OBVIOUSLY had nothing left, Cox allowed him to walk the bases loaded and THEN give up a two run single that made the game 4-1. Only after that did Cox lift Lowe. COx weas outmanaged by a rookie manager.

Sunday was ridiculous. I realize that Infante was on deck to pinch hit for the pitcher when McLouth, for all intents and purposes, lost the game for Atlanta, but THAT was the spot where Infante SHOULD have been hitting. Those runs were SO IMPORTANT. Had Atlanta taken the lead there, Chavez WOULDN’T HAVE SEEN THE FIELD. Instead, he double switches AFTER the DP and the game is lost. McLouth had already dribbled one back to the pitcher the night before with the bases loaded and nobody out getting the runner at third forced out at home. Cox pinch ran Diaz for McCann (who promptly got thrown out trying to steal, thus burning BOTH guys for the rest of the game) meaning Ross HAD to run for himself when the game was really on the line. Snitker STILL should have sent Ross knowing who was on deck! It is a third base coaches JOB to know the situation. The next two batters were McLouth and the pitcher’s spot.

The real problem with this team is Wren (numerous HORRIBLE trades), Cox (below average manager), and Terry Pendleton. And things aren’t going to get better with a new CF. Things aren’t going to get better until a NEW manager with a NEW hitting coach and a NEW GM are in town.

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Kawakami has only pitched 1 inning (giving up 5 hits) since June 26th. Doesn’t that demonstrate the team only needs to carry 11 pitchers on the active roster? DFA both McLouth and Kawakami, bring up Blanco and Freeman with Freeman sharing 1B with Glaus.

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Bring back Blanco! Id rather see Blanco than us trade for a guy thats a .250 hitter with medium power that dosent take alot of walks. (seems to be whats available… unless your talking about Adam Dunn).

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I dont think the Braves will find any takers for Nate (he would be owed ~$8 mil for the rest of this season and next). They will just have to keep him on the bench, and either let Blanco play more often, or make a trade for another outfielder using a combination of pitchers.

As for Glaus, this is his average by month:

April: .194, May: .330, June: .237, July: .207.

I’m not really sure that qualifies as streaky. He had one good month.

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Starting a new group at the Ted. MclOUTh’s OUTS. One guy can be a K, one can be a DP, one can be a backwards K, and another can be a F9. Who’s with me?

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Bradley-Melky is the starting Center Fielder. You don’t even mention him in your article. Cmon man! Also we need to get rid of Glaus while he stil has some value. He’s worthless.

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I was at the Friday night game. Utterly painful!

Here’s the deal. Bobby Cox is NOT a great manager. IN the 90s the Braves won INSPITE of him, not BECAUSE of him. Cox was a bad manager before Smoltz, Maddux, and Glavine came to town and he’s been a bad manager ever since they left. The Braves won because of those guys and John Schuerholtz. NOT BOBBY COX. He was continuously outmanaged by every manager he faced in the playoffs. The Braves came up painfully short all t hose years because of their below average manager who sat on his butt while the team racked up wins against outmanned teams in the regular season and had no clue what to do when they faced good teams.

Cox ALWAYS sticks with his starter too long. On Friday, after Prado hit a HR to bring it to 2-1 and Sanabia starter to look a little winded, Rodriguez lifted him and the pen put out the rally. But whe Lowe OBVIOUSLY had nothing left, Cox allowed him to walk the bases loaded and THEN give up a two run single that made the game 4-1. Only after that did Cox lift Lowe. COx weas outmanaged by a rookie manager.

Sunday was ridiculous. I realize that Infante was on deck to pinch hit for the pitcher when McLouth, for all intents and purposes, lost the game for Atlanta, but THAT was the spot where Infante SHOULD have been hitting. Those runs were SO IMPORTANT. Had Atlanta taken the lead there, Chavez WOULDN’T HAVE SEEN THE FIELD. Instead, he double switches AFTER the DP and the game is lost. McLouth had already dribbled one back to the pitcher the night before with the bases loaded and nobody out getting the runner at third forced out at home. Cox pinch ran Diaz for McCann (who promptly got thrown out trying to steal, thus burning BOTH guys for the rest of the game) meaning Ross HAD to run for himself when the game was really on the line. Snitker STILL should have sent Ross knowing who was on deck! It is a third base coaches JOB to know the situation. The next two batters were McLouth and the pitcher’s spot.

The real problem with this team is Wren (numerous HORRIBLE trades), Cox (below average manager), and Terry Pendleton. And things aren’t going to get better with a new CF. Things aren’t going to get better until a NEW manager with a NEW hitting coach and a NEW GM are in town.I was at the Friday night game. Utterly painful!

Here’s the deal. Bobby Cox is NOT a great manager. IN the 90s the Braves won INSPITE of him, not BECAUSE of him. Cox was a bad manager before Smoltz, Maddux, and Glavine came to town and he’s been a bad manager ever since they left. The Braves won because of those guys and John Schuerholtz. NOT BOBBY COX. He was continuously outmanaged by every manager he faced in the playoffs. The Braves came up painfully short all t hose years because of their below average manager who sat on his butt while the team racked up wins against outmanned teams in the regular season and had no clue what to do when they faced good teams.

Cox ALWAYS sticks with his starter too long. On Friday, after Prado hit a HR to bring it to 2-1 and Sanabia starter to look a little winded, Rodriguez lifted him and the pen put out the rally. But whe Lowe OBVIOUSLY had nothing left, Cox allowed him to walk the bases loaded and THEN give up a two run single that made the game 4-1. Only after that did Cox lift Lowe. COx weas outmanaged by a rookie manager.

Sunday was ridiculous. I realize that Infante was on deck to pinch hit for the pitcher when McLouth, for all intents and purposes, lost the game for Atlanta, but THAT was the spot where Infante SHOULD have been hitting. Those runs were SO IMPORTANT. Had Atlanta taken the lead there, Chavez WOULDN’T HAVE SEEN THE FIELD. Instead, he double switches AFTER the DP and the game is lost. McLouth had already dribbled one back to the pitcher the night before with the bases loaded and nobody out getting the runner at third forced out at home. Cox pinch ran Diaz for McCann (who promptly got thrown out trying to steal, thus burning BOTH guys for the rest of the game) meaning Ross HAD to run for himself when the game was really on the line. Snitker STILL should have sent Ross knowing who was on deck! It is a third base coaches JOB to know the situation. The next two batters were McLouth and the pitcher’s spot.

The real problem with this team is Wren (numerous HORRIBLE trades), Cox (below average manager), and Terry Pendleton. And things aren’t going to get better with a new CF. Things aren’t going to get better until a NEW manager with a NEW hitting coach and a NEW GM are in town.

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First of all, it is nice seeing all the passion in the Braves again. KK and McLouth are both dead weight, and you cannot put them in a game – period. Sure, McLouth can pinch run, but Blanco is faster… and better in every other way. Omar should be in as many games as possible, and he is too valuable to not be putting in the games. This all seems odd when it is so obvious to everyone, and I honestly don’t believe this is one of those cases where the fans just THINK they know better.

Cody Ross is a step down from using Infante or Diaz in the OF, so don’t trade for him. If you are going to do a trade, then make it a block-buster deal that brings the World Series back to Atlanta.

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Check out Freedie Freeman’s stats from Gwinnett so far this season- pretty impressive stuff:

AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG AVG OPS E
334 44 97 23 2 13 57 163 30 60 3 2 .352 .488 .290 .840 5

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Medlin for Cody Ross?? Don’t like it. Wouldn’t that mean Kawakami would be back in the 5 spot? No can do. Cody Ross wouldn’t be much of an upgrade to McClouth. Freeman is too green. Adam Dunn or Adam LaRoche would be nice, but at what price? Would be nice to get Glaus some rest and provide a big right handed bat off the bench or a platoon.

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Can we get some rosin bags for him? Throw in Jesse Chaves for some baseballs to be named later!!

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Clump McClouth, Kowakami and Chavez into a package and trade them all for a bag of bats or maybe even a lawn mower for the grounds crew if we could catch the other team asleep for a minute.

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I told everyone last week that Bobby would screw things up. Playing Nate is a sure example of how to lose. What does Nate have on Bobby?

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Mark,
Have you been able to confirm that Nate McLouth could be sent down to the minors as he has an option(s) left and has less than 5 years of ML service time? Serveral have theorized, but I have not seen it confirmed that he could be sent down without passing through waivers or DFA. Seems like this would be the best bet if possible as the Braves are on the hook for his salary.

Not addressing the possible psychological impact to Nate, just the practical side.

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When we first acquired McLouth, I had visions of Lenny Dykstra. A dude that will do anything to win. I don’t think McLouth is trying anymore. He seems to have given up. If we weren’t in a Playoff race I would say just play the dude and see what happens. That is (thankfully) not the case. If the best we can get for him is splitting his salary with another team and a player to be named later than I would take it. This is just as frustrating as the whole Mike Hampton fiasco.

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Ther Braves have been in need of an outfielder for the past 2 seasons. It’s that one of the things (an outfielder) that Wren siad the team was going to get after last season?

Was Melky supposed to be it?

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Mark…….. How many hits does Nate have to Left field this year ?

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I’m glad some folks out there are finally waking up to the fact that the Braves win games in spite of Bobby Cox, not because of him. Any other manager in baseball who is considered to be great….would be able to tell who can win games for you and those who cannot !!

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I said more than two months ago: TRADE MCCLOUTH.

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Put Mc-Out in waivers and bring up Blanco. Glaus had a bad April (194) and surrounded by a torrid Braves offense a great May (330.) June however saw him come back to earth with a thump dropping 93 point to 237 and July has seen that fall to… 207. Why? Tired? No Then why? Easy. The league pitched to hm in May because everyone else was hot too. By June that had a book on getting him out and that book is now common knowledge so even mediocre pitching (Marlins bullpen) gets him out easily. He hits only mistakes now and they have to be bad mistakes. As a fielder he’s marginal and when required to pick bad throws he’s below average. he was an off season stop gap to Freddie Freeman. Freddie maybe an answer but Derrick Lee is available. He’s a Gold Glove fielder, who unlike Glaus has seen his average increase every month 205,257, 237 (down but on a team that was the worst in the league in June), currently 313. Makes sense to go get him. Wren however never makes sense so likely we won’t. We do need to do something there and Lee fits that something perfectly.

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It’s hard to write this but Nate McLouth, our most consistent hitter this season, must be benched/disabled/demoted/traded.

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Let Nate go and eat the salary, give Blanco a shot!

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@Luis —By consistent as in consistently makes an out and hits worse than Tim Hudson of course.

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McOut has to go!!!!! He has a sore arm and can’t hit a lick!!!!! FW get McOut out of here, We are slowly losing our big lead on the Phillies, Bobby, your managering this past week has been awful. I can’t believe you let McOut hit with the bases loaded yesterday!!!!!!

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Jay if you are right my TV is going OFF.

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If I was Blanco I’d be pissed. Knowing he is 5 times the player Mclouth is and he’s the one sent down. Better bring him back up. I would hate to lose that guy. Or Infante as well.

About Infante- I don’t get it. This guy was picked by the managers and players for the utility man on the all star team. Now, you have an allstar sitting on the bench ready to play and Bobby STILL puts Mclouth up with bases loaded. How can that possibly make any sense? Then, after Nate screws it up, you see Infante playing center field. Who in their right mind thinks that was a good decision besides Bobby? Then he has the audacity to say something positive about Nate’s “hard hit” ball. Who give’s a crap how hard he hit it. He still hit into a DP. Hewyard hit a bloop the other night to start an 8 run rally. What do you say about that Bobby? “well, he hit it like a girl but thankfully we won the game”…..what an idiot he can be at times.

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I am from Maysville, Kentucky which is the same hometown as Mark Bradley. Mark never hit .176 because he couldn’t ever get into a game. His claim to fame was getting caught showering with his jeans on.

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With all the complaining. You would think the Braves are in last place. Ha Ha Ha. This really is funny reading.

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@Jay….I hope you are sadly mistakin

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Too me Matt Young is a better ballplayer than Gregor Blanco. Matt Young has an average near .300 and he leads the Gwinnett Braves in steals, runs scored and doubles. He also can play in the second base as well as the outfield. He is a hard nosed player and I am convinced he would do better than Blanco in Atlanta.

As for McClouth, I think that they should demote him to AAA and tell him that he needs to retool his swing in the minors and in winter ball so he can try to compete for the centerfield job in 2011. If the Braves can trade him then fine, but he is definately lost at the plate right now. I don’t see the Braves just releasing him when they have to pay him for next year also.

Finally, I just hope the Braves don’t compound the bad situation with McClouth by trading away a pitching prospect to replace him.

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Jay – Thats crazy, if however Cox does play him, I’ll cheer for him. The Braves can and should send him to the minors.

At least you did say we should trade McLouth straight up for Josh Hamilton.

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Mark that article reminded me of Howard Cosell “telling it like it is” on Monday Night Football in the 70s.

McClouth must go. His bad karma (and lack of hits–especially in key situations) lost the Florida series. I know either Blanco (if he was still here) or Infante would have done far better in CF in that series.

It’s time to cut our losses. May be ole Nate can get straightened out somewhere else. Release him already.

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Damn it Bradley you jinxed the Braves with your 8 reasons Blog. I’ve got 8 reasons why they will lose this lead:
1. McClouth/ McOut
2. Jesse Chavez/ Pedro from Napleon Dynamite
3. Troy Glaus/ Dr. Jekyell/ Mr. Hyde
4. Chipper Jones/ Roger Dorn
5. No power on htis team
6. Frank Wren not going after a bat, from preseason til now
7. Cox going to Chavez in any moment
8. Mark Bradley writing blogs about how the Braves will not lose this lead!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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jamin…..wake up. Melen is ALREADY in the rotation as the 5 starter. DUH!

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The Braves applauded when Yunel left and now kharma is biting them in the behind. There has been much “improvement” on the field since Yunel’s departure. Clearly the team had much bigger problems on the field. McLouth, Chavez, Kawakami among them. Frank Wren needs to make a couple of moves if the Braves are going to hold on to the division. On field performance trumps “chemistry” every time.

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I personally like McLouth but his play has been extremely lousy as fo late. Keep Medlin around but trade McLouth for a few balls and first baseman’s mitt and all will be right in the world. I say instead of taking on a contract of a medicore player, promote Blanco and see what he does. If it doesn’t work out we have enough utility players to fill in until the next trade dealine.

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maybe McLouth is actually right handed. that might be why he can’t hit anything. cuz he’s hittin from the wrong side.

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Infante has one of the highest batting averages on the club and he is riding the bench while Nate is in the lineup smelling up the works and killing every rally in which he is involved. He may be a good guy but he is an awful baseball player now. Use him as a pinch runner if you can’t move him, but DO NOT let him touch a bat for the rest of the season. Glaus is also looking more and more like the aging player he is. Let Infante play left field and move Hinske to first on a rotating basis with Glaus when he is not playing left. And for goodness sake DON’T trade Medlen. He is pitching as well or better than Hanson or Lowe. Who would take his place in the rotation, Kawakami? Now that would truly be a revolting development. .

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Thanks for jumping on the train, MB. How does it feel back there in the caboose? (You do remember the car called the “caboose” don’t you? Telling my age here.) Does anyone know what the Braves stats are for RBI with the bases loaded? I know Conrad has 8 himself, and that may be the majority of them. I will go to MLB stats and see if it’s there. Will report back if so.

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The Braves were leading the National league with the best record. Why would you mess up a team by putting a guy in center who is not as good as Gregor Blanco? Nate can’t carry Gregor’s mitt right now. He may be a nice guy but we aren’t paying him for niceness. I mean it was a stretch to say Yunel was a distraction when you have the best record in the National League. Big distraction! So distracting the Braves have the best record in years even though Chipper can’t stay healthy. I remember the A’s were so distracted in the 70s they won the World Series. Come on! These are grown men. If you can no longer manage them perhaps it really is time to retire. I wouldn’t blame Gregor Blanco if he never wanted to play for the Braves again. It’s obvious to anyone that his demotion and Nate’s promotion had nothing to do with merit. If it did Gregor would be in Atlanta and Nate would be in Rome or Myrtle Beach. I guess merit based promotions and demotions only applies to certain players. I wonder what the difference is between Nate and Gregor besides Gregor outplaying Nate.

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I wonder if there are any personal issues that are causing McLouth’s woes.

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Wrong: McClouth
Right: McLouth

Wrong: Medlin
Right: Medlen

Wrong: Henske
Right: Hinske

Wrong: Jurrgens
Right: Jurrjens

Their names are spelled correctly for you in the articles. Is it really that difficult to spell them correctly for yourself?

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It’s hard being a baseball player… trade me to the Expos!

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McLouth should be tarred and feathered, then super-glued, butt-nekkid and spread-eagle, to the outside of a space-bound rocket.

A less radical approach would be to release him.

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You’re hilarious. I’m dying of laughter here. Essen sie Scheisse.

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Glaus is about as bad as Nate. How do these players look in the mirror getting paid millions to suck ? Troy & Nate need to be wearing ski masks to do their salary robberies. Can Brooks Conrad play 1B ? Heck, his bat is way better than Glaus.

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Have you noticed that the little playing time Blanco,Infante,and Conrad get they produce well. And the HOF manager won’t play them.

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I think I am going to start misspelling names on purpose since it seems to upset some people so much. Jeez, it really aint the end of the world …… you obviously know who the person is referring to.

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a couple of things worth noting –
1. Everybody saying we should’ve kept Kelly & played him in the outfield. He can’t. He screwed up his arm and can’t make outfield throws. Plus he goes on month long stretches where he hits like McClouth. Have you guys all forgotten how streaky he is?

2. Everybody saying Cody Ross is a .270 20-25HR guy. He’s like a .270 12-15 HR guy. He’s got 7 or 8 after 90 games. If you want Cody Ross then be happy with Melky Cabrera. They are the same player offensively.

3. McClouth is terrible and if it weren’t so expensive I’d say non tender him.

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Well, Kelly coulda played 1B.

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You know what’s really sick? Even more glaringly worse than some poor late-inning Bobby Cox decisions?

You pansy-ass Atlanta media never ever ASK Cox a tough question…as in, “Bobby, so many thousands of loyal Braves’ fans want your thinking on Sunday’s last inning–WHY did you hit McLouth and pitch Chavez—two questionable moves at best when there were alternatives?…”

As in Omar Infante and anyone else in bullpen?

Why is this most obvious question–sure it would piss Cox off–ever asked?

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Well Wren better think of something soon this team is winning with smoke & mirrors. Our outfield is to shaky for postseason play, the only sure thing we have out there is J-Hey. You don’t win pennants with a patchwork outfield.

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Derek Lee is streakier than even Glaus. Braves need a guy that can hit .300 from April thru October not a guy that goes cold for weeks.

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We don’t need April to October. We need August to October. Lee can do that. He’s hitting 313 this month and play well in big games. The other options are Lyle Overbay bats left goods fielder but no power. And who?

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I often wonder what goes into the thinking with guys like McOut. Surely Bobby does not think this guy is going to turn things around. It has to be about money, and that is sad. A guys salary can dictate who plays even if that guy is the worst player on the team. So SAD!!!

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A source close to Derrek Lee said he will veto any trade out of Chicago. He’s out.
The phillies are not trading a hitter to the team they are chasing to make that team better. Do you people read this before you type it? I asked Mark Bowman if there was any chance one team could trade for Werth and the braves get him in another swap and he said I was dreaming.

The dodgers are tying to make a playoff run. They are not trading Kemp.

Even though Boras is the agent, the braves have control over Hanson until 2015. Count me in the group that thinks he’s slightly overrated anyways. I’m not sure I would trade him but he has several kinks in his delivery that he needs to work out.

I understand Glaus hasn’t done much since May but in reality, he leads this team in HR. He has ALWAYS been a streaky hitter. I’m not sure he’s even making 2 MIL this year so calm down.

I read one person in this blog say Melky has to go. I will assume you haven’t been watching the last month or so. He is doing really well.

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I know all you Cox lovers are riding high right now, but this is the kind of crap that will kill us come October, just as it did 14 out of 15 previous years.

Thank God this Cox’s last year.

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The Abs Man does have a point that needs to be discussed about the AJC writers not asking the hard questions? Anybody know the reason for this? Thought that was part of their job. MB? It would sure be good to know why he does these things, especially why he manages differently on Sundays.

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Well if Yunel’s bad attitude had teammates & fans screaming, McLouth’s lack of production has them borderline insane.

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I can’t say about this year but I recall last year that DOB was pretty tough with Bobby about why he insisted on playing Frenchy. The decision to play McLouth yesterday sucked but I don’t think Bobby thought the game would go on long enough for McLouth to make 2 bad outs.

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Enter your comments here

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wawel78, are you related to Bobby? you guys think alike.

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I say we find a way to bring back Blanco up. He is a great team player with a good arm and can play all three positions in the outfield.

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Bring back Blanco…..! Quick..

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He’s a joke!

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How bout Marlon Byrd ?????

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wawel78 – well, that’s why they’re called rumors. I’d happily accept another right handed option there just aren’t any I know of — well Jorge Cantu but I don’t see him as a real option. Nady is hitting 221. Astros aren’t trading Berkman. What else ya got?

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