Braves and Phillies: They’ll be seeing one another in the NLCS

FIRST

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Oh yeah, and good post too – keep em cranking

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nooooo! I’m a blog-first virgin again

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Hope your right, but 1st round exits can happen fast. Braves still need more power to win it all.

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Ah but you forget that the braves have 4 games against the cards. And they were swept in 4 games this season already.

And what happened to your belief last month that they wouldn’t squander the lead? The key to the season lies this week and next. The braves completed part 1 winning the cubs series. Next week it’s the phils on a tough road trip. If the braves get the lead up to 5-6 games after that trip, they likely have it. If it stays at 2-3 games or if they somehow lose the lead, then I think Philly wins the division and the braves better watch out cause of the cards won 3/4 here, they could be tied with the braves for the wild card.

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Playoffs or not this team is just flat fun to watch.

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Good assessment, Mr. B. I am more excited this year than I have been in a long time, and your article makes me feel better about the Phillies. If we were to play them tomorrow, we would win, even against their healthy team.

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I’m thinking the Braves have too much pitching for a first round exit.

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Welcome back Mark, these long weekends are killing me.

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Good article, Mark. I know it is only 3 games into his major league career, but what do you think about Mike Minor? It seems to me that he has great stuff and tremendous poise. Why was there so much negative about him when he was drafted? What do those people think now?

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If the Braves get ANY hitting in the postseason, who is gonna beat Huddy, Jurrjens, and Minor/Hanson/Lowe (whichever is hot at playoff time)?

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What a great day Sept 11 is going to be. Got the local football teams playing at noon. Then the great games between ohio st miami fsu ok and alab psu and then of course the braves cardinals at 4:15! That is going to be one fun day!

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joey
one can say the same thing about halladay, hamels and oswalt for the phillies. would be a great series if they meet but i think the padres win the nl.

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Sorry Jethro…you’re not going to win the East and lose yet ANOTHER World Series. Crowing about your 14 East division titles and showing that ONE ring is pathetic. Phillies back in the Series again and this year we win it AGAIN. A REAL sports town knows how to throw a parade.

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Okay Mark. Let’s get real! You know and I know it will be the Phils by 2+ games. Yes, the Braves have had a great season, and a great ballclub, but not so fast. The Phils are the better team. I know fans won’t like this assessment, but I’ll bet that is the way the season will end.

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I’m on board,Braves won’t collapse that’s for sure.Philly will be in the mix,no doubt.

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The Phillies are a better team than the Braves and that would show in a NLCS matchup. Although the Braves have good starting pitching, they don’t have overpowering starting pitching. You want dominant pitchers in the postseason like Halladay, Hamels and Oswalt…pitchers that can strike you out.

Pitchers who pitch to contact like Hudson find themselves in trouble in the playoffs especially when the team behind him rank 4th in MLB in errors.

I don’t know how you Braves fans think you’re going to win a pennant with well below average defense?

Since 2000, only 1 team has won a World Series being ranked in the top 10 in errors committed and that was the 2004 Red Sox. Every other team that has won a W.S this decade have finished 18th or better…..the Braves are curretly 4th.

The only teams that have committed more errors than the Braves are the Indians, Marlins and Nats.

But don’t worry Braves fans, I’m sure the Braves will keep on rallying late.

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Either the Cards or the Reds will win the wild card.

I’m more encouraged about the Braves holding off the Phils. Lee is going to get hot.

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OK, so it appears the Braves picked up one game in the wild card race over the weekend, and they have a 4-1/2 game lead in the race for a playoff spot. That’s good news. It’s also a dangerously thin margin; far too early to count chickens, especially with a pitching staff populated with rookies, young tender arms, and medical retreads.

Can the Braves make the playoffs? Sure. Will they? I like their chances a lot better today than I did last Monday, that’s for sure. D-Lee gives the lineup an air of legitimacy in the RBI slots (Prado-Lee-McCann) that it’s lacked since early June. I think the Braves can get some mileage out of their September callups, too. They need to settle down defensively on the infield and stop throwing the ball wildly all over the field. The consistency of Infante and Prado and of Heyward’s OBP at the top has been the glue holding the offense together; now that Lee’s out of Chicago I expect he’ll settle in comfortably and start raking again.

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“Im sure we will too. Especially against the Phillies awful bullpen.”

The same Phillies bullpen that has been lights out in August?

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The same Phillies bullpen that has been lights out in August?

No the same Brad Lidge we have seen the last two years.

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Charlie Manuel’s point is that you should never lean on the Wild Card. If you happen to get it, great. Too many times someone goes a tear to finish the year and swipes the WC.

We’ll know more about the Phils-Braves matchup after the two series. Chances are the Phils will line up Halladay, Hamels & Oswalt to start all 6 games. If someone takes 4 of 6…they’ll probably win the division.

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While the wildcard is a nice cushion, we need that home-field advantage. Have you seen our road record. Especially in a short series, do you want to go to St. Louis or Cincy or have them come to the Ted?

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Just remember the phillies have pitchers and players who have won a world series. The braves don’t.

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“He also gives up a ton of hits and his WHIP is pretty high”

Yet his WHIP is better than Hanson and Jurijens….He’s better than any pitcher on the Braves not named Hudson and that’s a fact but I don’t expect you to acknowledge facts.

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He’s better than any pitcher on the Braves not named Hudson and that’s a fact but I don’t expect you to acknowledge facts.

Jurjens is the better pitcher. He was injured the first half so his numbers are a bit skewed. Ill take JJ anyday over ” lets get the WS over ” Hamels

You really think you guys are going to win with the worst closer in MLB and that bullpen.

Hilarious.

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If the Cardinals don’t win the Central then you may be right about these 2 teams meeting in NLCS. The Braves match up better against the Padres (over Reds & Cards) since both teams have “Real” size ballparks and the Braves can probably win a 5 game series without having to score 5 or more runs. The Cardinals would be a tough opening 5 game series for either team with Carpenter & Wainwright.

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A Phillies fan just informed that for the last 6 games we play against them, we are going to face Hamels, Oswalt, and Halladay…. Twice….

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“Carl – Can’t agree with Hamels better than JJ. Maybe Hanson and Lowe…”

Adjusted ERA+, often simply abbreviated to ERA+ or ERA plus, is a pitching statistic in baseball. It adjusts a pitcher’s earned run average (ERA) according to the pitcher’s ballpark (in case the ballpark favors batters or pitchers) and the ERA of the pitcher’s league. Average ERA+ is set to be 100; a score above 100 indicates that the pitcher performed better than average, below 100 indicates worse than average.

Hamels ERA+ is 117 while Jurijens is 102. This shows that Hamels has been the much more effective pitcher in a much more hitter friendly park.

Fans love to criticize the Phillies hitters because they play in bandbox but don’t credit to the Phillies pitchers who pitch in that same park.

Jurijens has been lights at home and awful on the road. You give Jurijens 16 starts at CBP and do you think he would have a sub 4 ERA?

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A Phillies fan just informed that for the last 6 games we play against them, we are going to face Hamels, Oswalt, and Halladay…. Twice….

Who cares? They will be facing Hudson, JJ, and Hanson twice.

Plus what does it matter if we are 6 games up by then

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We aren’t that bad as fans. The vet is gone, and so is a lot of the attitude. We are arrogant because we are a great sports town and our teams are playing really well. It’s called passion.
And if Hamels and Oswalt pitch like they are able to, your yawn will be about a week early in october when WE are representing the NL again.

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All that misinformation regarding Minor around draft day can be laid at the feet of Keith Law, one of those ESPN quasi-scout/analysts. He said Minor threw 88, was drafted for signability because the Braves are cheap, etc.

I have now seen him three times and if Keith Law had actually seen him before the draft, he would have known that the guy threw 93, not 88, and had three plus pitches, excellent command and intelligence in a lefthanded package. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that the guy’s the real deal.

I like him better than Hanson. Cleaner mechanics, more aggressive, smarter, lefthanded.

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Carl – Interesting. Do you adjust for JJ’s early struggles while hurt? Look, all I’m saying is that for my money, JJ is a better pitcher right now than Hamels. I think the Phils have a dangerous team, but it’s their hitting and not their pitching that firghtens me. Frankly, Hallady gets me a bit apprehensive, but I think we match up pretty well with our starters. I also think the Bravos have a much better bullpen. Will see soon enough.

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Our arrogance is becuse we are one of the three best, if not the best second half teams in the MLB.

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Philly fans, this is going to be a great pennant race. I have great respect for your ballclub but think our boys can pull it out.

The only difference is, now the loser is likely to get the wild card. Less hair-raising.

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And i am not taking anything away from the atl staff. except lowe. that’s the reason the braves are still playing for a reason.

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A Phillies fan just informed me that they are the greatest team of all time!! OMG, what are we gonna do????!!!!!

Listen I know the Braves don’t scare anybody and inspire little confidence in the masses but you know what???? They win. I wouldn’t bet on them to beat the Phillies straight up but I have seen really average teams beat very good teams before….mostly every team that beat the Braves in the playoffs from ‘96-’05. It happens and if I was Phillie fan I be worried that maybe all those all-stars are just EXPECTING to win instead of working to win.

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Puppet Please!!
I was thinking the same thing. When this Philly team was healthy they were struggling and then their superstars get hurt and they pull together and start winning. Oswalt helps them but too many people in the media seem to forget that he is not that dominating pitcher he once was. Yes, he makes them a better team but not that much better.

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Fellow Braves fans, if any of you think Oswalt is anything less than a horse, I don’t know what to tell you. Great pickup by Philly.

But as Headley points out Halladay, Oswalt, Hamels, Hudson, Jurrjens, Hanson…what’s the difference? Gonna be a rumble.

The one I hope to see is Mike Minor vs. Kyle Kendrick or Joe Blanton. Heh.

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The Braves play better against the best teams. They’ve done well against the Phillies this year. Outside of Halladay there’s no one on the entire staff that’s really fearsome. Overall they are still better on paper with more established stars….but The Braves can absolutely beat them in a best of 7.

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“Enjoy it while you can and you better win now because Utley and Howard etc etc are getting old. The phillies arent the kind of franchise that can replace that kind of talent. Meaning they arent getting lucky again.”

I don’t know how you call the development of Howard, Utley, Rollins and Hamels lucky? I think that’s called good scouting and a good organization but if you want to call it lucky…

Are the Phils going to maintain their level of success….who knows but as long as their selling out CBP and getting the revenues that they are, they’re going to be able to sign free agents like Halladay, Oswalt and Polanco.

If they can maintain their 140 mil payroll….they’ll be in good shape.

The Phillies are the better team IMO….the better doesn’t always win. You Braves fans are dealing with what Mets and Phillies fans dealt with for 14 years….at the end of the day the cream always rise to the top and that is what is going to happen this year.

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Bombs away in Colorado starting this evening. Huddie will keep em low and Heyward will hitem high and far!

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Sept. 17-26

The Braves have a 9 game roadtrip at the same time the Phillies have a 9 game home stand.

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thanks again for the correction, MB- it’s Monday and the cobwebs are still there.

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Good article.

I’ll have to point out something here. The Braves need to continue to win series. They also need to play good baseball against teams they haven’t played very well this year (We all know that…). Philadelphia have a tougher schedule than the Braves have (as far as opponents winning percentage) but they’ve also played better baseball against those teams than the Braves have against their own upcoming opponents.

Here are some numbers:
Braves’ remaining opponents are a combined 418-444 (.485) and the Braves have a 30-27 record (.523) against them (with losing record against both the Mets and the Cardinals, and having to face a weak Pirates team);

Phillies’ remaining opponents are a combined 563-550 (.506) and the Phillies have a 40-25 record (.615) against them (with a winning record against everybody but the Braves).

You can see that Phillies’ opponents seem to be stronger/better than the Braves’, but Philadelphia have played pretty well against them.

Based on the performance of their opponents, assuming every team will play the way they’ve been playing (which is something no one can assure), the Braves would end up with around 92 to 93 wins and the Phillies with around 87 to 96.

I’m pretty confident the Braves will still win the division, with those final 6 games against Philadelphia being decisive for us.

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So, the Braves have lost how many games to the Phillies since your last prediction (the 8 reasons)? And now you have to put it out there again so we can lose the rest. Unreal. Leave it alone, please. Never mind, too late.

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The predictions of a playoff matchup against the Phillies may very well come to pass, but I wouldn’t go assuming anything with such a scant lead (even for the wild card) and five or six weeks to go. As we’ve been made acutely aware since the All-Star break, a lot of things can happen over the course of a season, and not all of them are good things. The Braves are fortunate that guys have picked each other up and been able to sub for injured players so far, but the question is, “How much magic is left in that bottle?”.

Hopefully enough to win the World Series. But let’s not light the victory cigars just yet.

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I its foolish to assume that whoever gets the wildcard would beat the Padres? The Padres have VERY GOOD pitching and in the playoffs pitching and defense usually wins! The Braves would do better by focusing on how to win the division and let Philly deal with the Padres. I know the Phillies and Braves have really good pitching as well but the Padres scare me for some reason. They get very little press and they seem to go about their business the right way. I guess they remind me of the Marlins and the Diamondbacks who won the World Series!

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“I guess they remind me of the Marlins and the Diamondbacks who won the World Series.”

The 03 Marlins had mashers like Pudge, D. Lee (prime), Miguel Cabrera….

The 00 D’backs had Schilling and Johnson….not sure Latos and Garland is quite on that level.

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National media will say that it is more because the Phillies choke than the Braves success if the Phillies don’t overtake the Braves for the division. They’re already saying that the Phillies will make it back to the WS despite sitting behind the Braves for most of the season.

If anything, you need to be watching out for the Padres. IF they make the WS, that will be one lost world series. Few fans even know more than 2 Padres, who have been there the entire season. Ludwick and Tejada, obviously, don’t count. Mat Latos, Adrian Gonzalez, Heath Bell…they’ve got good pitching and have baseball’s best run differential.

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The Phils have been hot for too long now. They will cool off and the Cards will heat up. Phils fall out, Cards in.

Two weeks ago the PHils had won something like 14/17 and haven’t really cooled off since. They have to cool off.

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Everyone needs to calm down with the my team will destroy your team and your team isnt that good babble. Obviously both teams are pretty good and are more than capable of winning the NL this year. Phillies lined themselves up pretty well with their starting rotation, and the braves rotation is formidable also. These two teams will have to battle it out to decide it, its not going to be one-sided.

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Well said Lenny….I think it’s exciting..all the ups and downs. This season is anything but boring..I love it.

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Anyone know Oswalt’s career numbers against the Braves? They’re pretty surprising: 7 starts, 0 wins, 3 losses, 7.58 ERA, .354 BAA . . . not sure it really means anything, but interesting nonetheless . . .

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Hey Carl would you please let your fellow fans know that we are passionate about our baseball here in the south. I would also like to comment on how friendly the chat here is compared to your inquirer. I have been called many names by those great=RUDE fans, but it will all come out in the wash! Please note as well, that everyones time on the top will end, and I’m all in that these Braves will take care of business!

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Braves need to win the division and avoid San Diego in the 1st round.

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The Braves play great at home. The Braves have 22 last at bat victories.

If both trends continue, then home field is extremely important to this Braves team, this year.

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MB, think you’re confused. Al Gore says he invented baseball on the same day he invented the internet. Get your facts straight! BTW, as late as yesterday ESPN was saying the Braves and Phils have 3 games left, all in Philly. They think the season ends Sept. 30.

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To Craig Daliessio:
Not sure who will win the division this year. Phils are better on paper but the game is still played on the field.
I don’t think anyone has mentioned the 14 div. titles on the blog today except you so what are you barking about??
Lastly, the Philly fans are the worst fans in sports. Fair weather and as you have demonstrated overall jerks!!!

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I dunno, Mark. I sure think home field throughout this year would translate into huge success for the Bravos. They had 10 home losses going into the ASG. That’s just nuts!!!

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The playoffs scare me to death because of our offense, HOWEVER we have changed to become more patient and to working the count against opposing pitchers…not a good strategy against Hallady but against Hamels? Very good strategy and generally a sound strategy in the pressure cooker of the playoffs. You doubt me, look at the success the Yankees and Red Sox have had doing the same.
The team that scares me the most is St Louis, they have fantastic pitching and a good offense. They aren’t playing lights out right now so if they get hot at the end of the season….look out.
San Diego is just as likely as us to have an offensive brown out and I like our pitching just a little bit more. The Phils are formidable but if you keep’em close their bullpen is likely to implode. Its been good of late but they haven’t played many stout offenses either.
I just don’t want Bobby Cox to head off into retirement like Sweet Loser Pinella. That was almost sad.

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Bradley, you make a mistake in assuming that both these teams are going to make the playoffs and advance past the NLDS. But you have made a career out of poor predictions and senseless drivel, so I guess you are just staying consistent.

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The Braves have enough pitching to squeeze into the wildcard. However, if the don’t get better timely hitting then they could fall short. Honestly believe the Phils will beat the Braves for the division title by 3-4 games, just because their overall lineup is stronger. Actually I wouldn’t be surprised if the Phils aren’t in 1st place by this Thursday.

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Anybody that doesn’t think Infante deserves to be an all-star, or play everyday, is a nut! Hits for average, has some power, and can play any position.

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Your article is correct if the only goal for this team us “getting to the post season”. If that’s a success for you that’s great. But I think Bobby, Chipper and the fans deserve more than a wild card team whose road record makes it much more likely to crash and burn if it must play the majority its playoff games on the road. Thus, winning the division is very important unless all you want is to get to the playoffs and celebrate just getting there.

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did i miss something? does the season end at the end of august now?

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Good call Mark, I agree it will be braves vs. the phills for the NLCS. I think the Braves will hold on and win this division and yes it will probably come down to the final two series with the phills to decide the winner/wildcard. I see those last six games between them being a little preview of the NLCS. More than likely the teams will split those six games with the home team winning one series each. With us haveing the last series at home I think the Braves endup winning the division. Which is the way it should be. If our pitching holds up I see us winning a seven game series, minor could be our ace in the hole as far as philly is concerned, I could see them haveing allot of trouble with him. With that said, we have allot of baseball to be played yet and anything could happen, hopefully no more significant injuries to eithher team, and may the best team win. Go Braves!

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We have been hearing your crap Carl ever since the all-star break. We will catch you by this weekend…we have better pitching, defense,….blah blah blah. Well we are almost to Labor Day, and the Phils are still in the rear view mirror ( I know, objects are closer than they appear, right?)

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way to go puppet. i’m the one that is pathetic right?
read through your comment again and see who the obnoxious rude crude one is?
not me bro i dont need to talk like that to prove a point

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its great that the braves fans are so happy to be in first in August – its a shame for them the season doesn’t end now

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i am not mouthing off. i just know its along season.
and i am not surprised the phillies are not in first place with all the injuries they have had this season.
this will be only the 7th time all year tonite there regular position players will be in the line-up together not to mention the struggles of the bull pen. i will take where we are at right now and run with it

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@Casey Stinkle

The Phillies don’t HAVE to win the division….that’s what the W.C is for. I don’t think the Phils have to “catch” the Braves when the lead could be 1 in the loss column at the end of the day.

W.C or division title, I still think the Phils would beat the Braves in a NLCS matchup.

Your late inning comebacks are only covering up your flaws. One of which is the fact that you don’t score off the opposing starting pitcher. I’m not sure if you’re can rely on late inning comebacks when you get in the playoffs but crazier things have happened.

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Braves and Cardinals will meet in the NLCS. Braves will beat the Cardinals and face the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series. Braves will defeat the Rays. Braves 2010 World Series Champions!

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No Pierce, they probably will not sell out because every year the Braves have gotten in, they seem to draw the afternoon games, while Ny and Boston get the prime time games (ESPN’s boys). Most people down here have a job, and just can’t up and go to the games like most rust belt retirees.

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HEY PIERCE

How soon we forget Phillies fans that BEFORE a couple of few years ago you DIDN’T SELL OUT A SHOE. You are not the franchise you think you are and if you think it is don’t ever blog again in this town.

Hey dude look at your history and you will go hide………………LOL

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it’s going to be a fun month!

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@Joseph

If Lidge implodes down the stretch then of course we’ll have issues but he’s looked solid as of late. He’s been loctaing his fastball well and sacrificing some speed.

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i’nm not saying we sold out every game before this run but if we had a first place team that is playing as good as the braves are this season you bet your ass the ball park would be sold out.

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ATLANTA SPORTS FANS ARE BACK!!!!! http://TwitPWR.com/OcA/

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At least when we blow the division lead next month and then miss out on the wild card we can all blame Bradley for his cursing us with ignorant prognostications.

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Respect that Pierce- I live and die with the Braves no matter what! It sure is good to be alive in 1st Place right now!!!

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Is anyone else tired of hearing the Phillies’ fans whine about the team’s injuries? As if we haven’t had our own issues to deal with (Chipper, Glaus, Prado, Heyward, Medlen)?

You’re in second place – deal with it and quit making excuses!

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hey NCBraves fan moron – the Phillies injuries are a fact, we were the most injured team in MLB, BY FAR, this year — it is great that we are only 2.5 out, that is a great place to be – get ready to give up first, should take about 2 weeks or so…

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The Braves still need more power (Lee was 1 for Chicago) and the Braves pitching is really suspect ala Lowe and Hanson.

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Let’s Go Braves – Let’s start selling out the Ted so these Philthies fans can shut up

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Your blog accentuates the point of needing homefield advantage @ Turner Field…I usually don’t say this, but I’m not ready for football yet…not quite anyway.

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I love how the Phillies continue to use their time trolling the Braves’ blogs…humors me.

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there’s no excuses here you guys are in first now and deserve it.
we have had our struggles this year injuries aside.

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I have a bet with a scumbag Yankee fan friend of mine that the Phillies will win the NL East by 5 or more games — my only worry is resting players in that last week – oh well

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shut your mouth Keith and take your medicine – The Bravos are about to feel what its like to be steamrolled by a real baseball team – ya’ll better hope for the Wildcard ya hear?

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NCBraves moron – not every team has only had their starting lineup in for 7 games this year – every one of our stars has been on the DL for over 2 months combined – and yet the Braves could only build a 2.5 game lead – sucks for you

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man, i love this time of year

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You tell them Krukker, and all that with only one ball –> My man!

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I love this career numbers garbage – only a simpleton would use that argument – I wouldn’t want to face either Roy in October

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pat how many times is oswalt going to face the braves again this year 1? 2 maybe? that’s an obselete point?
try to come up with something else!

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bunch a good ole boys down there in hotLanta – got better things to do like chew some tobaccy and stare out into a field

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Daliessio, Jethro better win that NL East, or Mr Clampett is taking all of his money out of my bank and heading back to the hills. Don’t make me send Miss Hathaway to have her way with Cole Hamels and that Doc Holiday crook. She will add 2 runs to their ERA immediately.

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oh my gosh Bravissimo, you are 7-5 against the Phillies this year, that’s amazing, i’m so happy for you – the freight train is coming for you – are you ready??

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IIRC, Keith Law never said Minor threw his fastball at 88, he said he threw it regularly in the 90-92 range which was accurate at the time. He has since stated that things are different if he can keep throwing it it in the 93-95 range.

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BOOM…BOOM…BOOOM

Philadelphia Phillies

2007 NL EAST CHAMPIONS
2008 NL EAST, NLDS, NLCS, AND WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS
2009 NL EAST, NLDS, AND NLCS CHAMPIONS

THE JUGGERNAUT IS COMING FOR WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY THEIRS!!!

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Joseph, the Phillies, today, are in second place 2.5 games behind the atlanta braves

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i’m still upset that we were in first place and gave up 3 prospects for a malcontent with a bad back — how does this make sense?

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Thanks Phillies,Class of the NL I thought we were looking at some different standings and we can read in the south!

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just like we will not win the division, hell we might not even make the playoffs. might as well pack it up and go home now

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I may actually feel bad when we TAKE this from these poor bravos fans, even though they can’t sell out their stadium, they genuinely think they have a team that can compete with THEE PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES.

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Never said that if the PHILLIES don’t make the playoffs, you will remind me of the METS!

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to the philles fans here: looks like we won’t have our opening day line-up tonight. Charlie has decided to give Polanco the night off. Valdez will play in his place

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Krukker, maybe that freight train is just your fat azz, and objects in the mirror are NOT as close as they appear. Gonna be funny when the ABs take the division and the Phils come up 2 games short of the Giants or Cards in the wild card, which your own manager said last week the Phils aren’t interested in.

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hahahaha Milburn, simple folks, it takes, simple folks, it takes, simple folks….

The Phillies are Coming!!!!!

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well Joseph, we don’t judge our season on 8/23/10 – we know what our boys are going to do – and you will come out on the wrong end of that

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ya’ll are great because ya’ll probably think that Brian McCann is a better catcher than Chooch Ruiz – but when you’re smart and know baseball like your friends from the North, you know that Chooch is the best catcher in baseball not named Mauer…

CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCH!!!!!!

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Speaking of sell-outs . . .

Can we go ahead and petition MLB not to have the opening game of the NLDS at 4:00 on a Tuesday?

Those afternoon games always make Atlanta fans look bad, and feed the myth that Atlanta is a bad sports town.

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@Milburn Seems like your manager isnt interested in managing once he gets to the post season,.

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Phillies fans, why do you have to come to the Braves fans site, and act as you do? From 2007 to 2009, I gracefully admitted the Phillies were the better team, and accepted it.

Honestly,while I’m obviously hoping the Braves hang on to the NL East, I wouldnt be devestated if they won the wild card. My original prediction at the beginning of the season was that the Phillies would win the NL East easily, and the Braves would get the wild card. A certain Mr Bradley predicted even worse, that the Braves would finish in third place.

I dont think the Phillies will “steamroller” the Braves by any means. Both of these teams are too good to just roll over and give up. Honestly, I think that the Braves have much better pitching, and a better closer, than the Phillies, but, the Phillies have a much more potent lineup, when healthy.

It will surpise me if either team collapses. My call is: Whoever wins the NL East, it will be decided within the last week of the regular season, especially with all the home games against weaker teams that the Braves have left.

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phillies…

i’d like to see the stat line that makes ruiz better than mccann. this isn’t just being a braves fan. if you look at the past six seasons, no one outside mauer has been even close to producing the offensive numbers that mccann has.

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How is Atlanta being a bad sports town a myth?? Seems pretty factual to me

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Krukker, Atlants is not just a bad sports town, it is a HORRIBLE sports town – trust me – its just a whole different world than the Northeast sports scene…

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I guess those 30,000 fans must be doing something right. 44-17 is alot better than the Yanks or the Phils or Bosox or the Rays. Come up with something else better than that Krugger. When the Phils don’t make the playoffs this year, 30,000 will be a good night next year. Bye now.

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Are the Braves going to give Minor some bunting tips? That attempt yesterday was horrid. I had better bunting mechanics when I was 10 years old.

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The Juggernaut Philadelphia Phillies are puppet please’s worst nightmare, he’s freaking out!

The Phillies are the BoogieMan, they’re coming for ya’ll…..

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18,000 to a baseball game for a first place team – yeah, that’s passion

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“Never argue with idiots. They drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.”

I look forward to the next six weeks and the chance for the Braves to get back to the playoffs. You all have fun in the meantime.

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always nice to deliver a beatdown on these simpletons – safe bet that we overtake the braves within 2 weeks – section 136 for the NLDS – yeah baby…

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i will tell you one thing I hate the Phillies for though, when we make the NLCS my tickets are getting bumped to the second level, i don’t really appreciate that – oh well, thats what happens when your team is a juggernaut i guess

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This guy Puppet Please is unraveling right before our very eyes, what’s with this guy? – i guess the stress of hoping you win the NL East versus the confidence of knowing you’re going to win the NL East like the Philadelphia Phillies is getting to this dimwit…

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Philly fan, I’m not worried and I’m not arguing. Good for you that you can go to a baseball game. Remind me to give you a cookie for dragging your drunk ass out of the parking lot so you can puke on the guy in fron of you. Wow, I really feel inferior.
You guys are in second and you have a lousy city with lousy fans….I could not be MORE fulfilled.

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14 game sunday plan – but i’ll give it a try

GO PHILS!

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Well, those 18,000 or 30,000 (you guys are all over the place)have seen their team win 44 times vs 17 losses. Who else can say that? And yes we rednecks love our college football. Now you guys get ready for that big Rutgers game tonight. There will be about 18-30 thousand in attendence.

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college football always has been and always will be for the undereducated, we know you didnt go to college friend

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minimum 3 of 4 from the Astros – that should have us either .5 or 1.5 out by friday I think

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I believe that the pennant race will be decided this week. Know it is early but I just have a feeling that things will shake out over the next six to seven games and who ever is in first place then will end up in first place. Just a hunch!

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Phillies Class, dude, maybe you better quit while your still behind! Puppet Please is literally eating your lunch.

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You guys are a riot! Please stop back by each day,it’s entertaining. I know you won’t if your sure fire plans don’t come together that’s a fact!

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that fat redneck better get his hands off of my lunch – i’ve got some chew for him if he wants that…

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A$$ of NL- heard your family was upset that you pulled a little jail time, for puking on the little girl. What the heck did they expect-a stern lecture?

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14 division titles and one world series win! @ Phillies fan – 14 titles is better than 14 straight losing seasons.

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how can those final 3 games be insane? what…18,000 on their feet going crazy? thats so intimidating

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A wise man once said pride cometh before the fall. I felt so confident in the mid 90’s, but sports will humble you eventually. So glad to get to have these conversations! Baseball means something to Atlanta again!

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18,000 strong – Hola Phillies fans and Sayonara Phillie fans. That is what is going to happen shortly.

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Oh yeah, one of the 17,999!

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Is it possible that the Phils may not even make the playoffs at all? Just sayin!

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Mark – The Phils aren’t exactly a lock for the playoffs. Actually according to baseball prospectus’ post season probabilty the Cards and Phils are basically neck and neck, even though the Phils have a higher wild card chance. I think that’s mostly because the Phils have more games on the road remaining on their schedule and are one of the few NL playoff teams that have a remaining schedule with a win % above 500.

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Choooooooooooch…

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Not really Sukker-It is a bummer to win 14 division title and only one WS. The Braves are gonna have to put out a better product- this aint Philly- we live in a nice place- Five hours to FLA beaches, 30 minits to the lake- an hour to the mountains.

Heck, I can be at a AAA Braves game in 20 minits. I will go to a couple Braves games a year. If I lived in a crappy northeastern city- yeah I would hop on the train, buy some cheap seats and go every chance I could.

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bob horner, you are wrong, the seats aren’t cheap, we are one hour from the beach and two hours from the mountains – such a great part of the country

being a braves fan makes you apathetic, i know

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The jersey shore is hardly a beach, more like a trash heap.

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i have been to new jersey/pa more times than i care to remember and TRUST me, if there is a place where the redneck culture lives on it is there. BIG difference between country and redneck, redneck is trash and thats what the northeast does best.

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fact: the 2005-2010 Philadelphia Phillies are the Best Team to ever play Major League Baseball

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fact: Atlanta is a truly horrible city with the worst fans in baseball

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5:16 Phillies,Class of the NL you must be 12 years old to post that comment. Are you kidding? You showed your hand!

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hahaha OH MY GOD now thats funny.

A glorified Barry Bonds at 1st base. Other teams flash in the pan trash like Jayson Werth. Extremely overrated Victorino and the even more overrated Cole Hammles, not quite the 1927 Yankees. Your best player Chase Utley wouldn’t even be an upgrade over his Atlanta counterpart at 2b.

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Joe, know when someone is pulling your leg, come on…

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ahhh the Phillies haters, gotta love them, so jealous

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The Braves average 30,000 fans which is higher than Cincy, Texas, Tampa or San Diego (four other playoff teams if the season was over today). Philly has 2 Million more people and is 1 hour away from New York City. Does Atlanta have the best fan support? No, but far from the worst.

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thanks professor CLASSY!

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Hey stupid Phillies fans, we are in first place, whose laffing now?

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Yeah dead town so dead. You realize Newsweek determined that from 2000-2009 Atlanta was the fastest growing human settlement in the history of mankind. Yeah, nothing going on here. Moron.

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Why do the Phillies come on here when we are in first place and they are behind us?

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Well, my dear Braves fan #1 out of 18,000 – we don’t care what place we are in, in ugust, unlike your simple brain…we care that our team wins when it matters, and we have a score to settle with the Yankees from last year – we really don’t even care about you

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Bravissimo

August 23rd, 2010
5:33 pm
Phillies come lately…go look up the stats for attendance of the Phils for 2000,2001 and 2002…they didnt even top 2,000,000. In 2000 the avg attendance was 19,911.

Guess that means theres a lot of fair weather fans there.

I was hoping someone would go there – at that point we were in a similar situation that the pirates are in right now – our front office was not trying to win, they were putting a subpar product on the field — Philadelphia fans are not stupid, we know when we are being hosed, and we will not stupidly throw our money behind that — BUT, when our front office and our team are putting forth the effort to win, then everything comes together

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because we don’t support futility – our management was not committed to winning for a lot of the 80s and 90s – what is the first place braves excuse??? look up the 1993 Phillies attendance playing in the horrible Vet you idiot.

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Again the idea of employment that doesn’t end with punching a time clock at the end of a shift completely eludes the mouth breathers. Let me try another approach, when you are paid in a number that has ANNUALLY after it, work doesnt ever really end aaaand you kinda have to give up 7:00 pm weeknight baseball games.

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Hey Buckhead Brave, lets grab some jerky and some chaw and call it a night ya hear?

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Well…theres your answer then…Liberty (who owns the Braves) are cheapskates and have steadfastly refused to spend $$$. Theres been some really braindead moves made. Like selling the farm in the Texceira deal.

We havent been to the playoffs since ‘05…kinda makes it hard to convince me to go…not to mention that im 3+ hours from ATL.

But…Ill promise you the place will be full against your team.

just for comparison in 2001 while philly had 1,782,054 Atl had 2,823530.

So if your train derails…i suspect our attendance figures will flip flop.

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Outsiders? It is the mecca of southern culture, one of the few areas of the United States that actually has a distinct culture. Go into any office in Atlanta and there are people from Ole Miss, Bama, Florida, Georgia, Auburn, Tennessee, all the great southern schools and we are ALL Braves fans. You realize that the Atlanta Braves are the third most popular team ranked by SI after the Yankees and Red Sox, oh i’m sorry there I go dealing in actually documented facts again.

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so documented by SI is a fact – I don’t care if a bunch of hicks who know nothing about baseball where braves hats – the proof is in the pudding – average attendance of 30,000 and a game last week with 18,000 – all for a first place team

The Braves are lame.

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I cant speak for metro Atlanta, I dont live there.

How often do people from say Harrisburg make it to Phillies games during the week?

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hahaha, Atlanta white collar – go pick some cotton buddy, I think its that you are in bed by 7:00 PM so you can be up by 3:00 AM

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Oh please…tell that to Penn St fans

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we like Penn St, we are not obsessed about college kids like the SEC – Peyton Manning was damn near a saint in tennessee

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the braves are lame, and their fans are lame – enough said.

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BTW…you said u were a season tix holder…are u at the stadium?

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Philadelphia’s contribution to American culture is some left over steak slices with cheese wiz on it. Our best contribution as any good southerner knows is our women in sundresses on Saturdays, and that trumps everything. If you can look at a picture of the girls in the Grove, Toomer’s corner, FL-GA, Tennessee-Bama, or any other SEC tailgate on a saturday and still tell me it is better up north then you are gay, 12 years old, or a fat ugly woman. oh and BTW do you know where all those girls are in the summer, yeah thats right, at Braves games.

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show a little respect, Philadelphia is the birthplace of the nation, say what you will, but respect that bud

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Yeah well Atlanta is the birth place of a lot of those southern girls you like so much

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Braves and Phillies in the playoffs?

What I said about a week ago. But correct.

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One of the Phillies fans talked about a “dynasty”. Are you guys for real?

Three division titles, and one World Series, oh wow!

A “Dynasty” is fourteen straight division titles, like the Braves had, or four World Series in five years, like the Yankees had from 1996 to 2000, or tweleve straight playoff appearances, as the Yankees had under Joe Torre from 1996 to 2007.

The Phillies? With three straight divisions, and one World Series. It will take you guys eleven more years, and three more WS wins, to match the Braves and Yankees streaks. Until then, all you guys have is a “mini” streak. I emphasize the word “mini”, just like most of your pea sized brains!

Please, come back, and post, when you all have something intelligent to say. Until then, all you sound like are a bunch of trolls clogging up our board!

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I love someone who writes at a 6th grade level calling others rednecks and telling them they didn’t go to college, “bud.”

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Heath, you are a redneck ya’ll

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Seems like the Phillies fans might want to be more concerned with Brett Myers striking them all out than the Braves blog. They could always throw batteries at Myers. Least deserving fans in the world.

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The best catcher in the NL, Chooch Ruiz, hits a homer for the Phils first hit off of Myers – man, i love that little panamanian – CHOOOOOOOCH!!!!

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i only have the Sunday game package bravissimo the dope
i didnt ask you to compare attendance in 93, i mentioned that the phillies had strong attendance at a horrible stadium with a good team

the braves have a first place team, and a supposedly good stadium – why can you draw only 30,000 per night and be 13th in attendance – THAT IS AWFUL

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http://onlineslangdictionary.com/definition+of/chooch

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I agree with the phillies fans on paper they have a better team. Their offense is much better than ther braves, good defense, good starting pitching, average relief pitching and average bench. It appears they do have the better team.

Fortunately for the braves the games are not won on paper. This braves team has something the phillies do not have and it is magic. They are a team of destiny and I think they will find a way to beat the phillies and win the NL east.

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Phillies Loooooseeeeee!

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fact: $140 million payroll and can’t beat a team that’s given up on the year

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when was hamels ever dominating watched the nats cuff him around the other dayy dominating wasnt the word that came to mind unglued kid did mabe hesa banging jen too lol

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Hello 1993!

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Jason Heywerd, Ryan Howard, and Jimmy Rollins three best players in the NL!

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Last 3 games avg attendance 16,900. Pathetic.

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Don it is sad, yet there were day games and even the night games are tough, school just started back. I however would love to see attendance closer to 30,000 each game, but I cant complain. I wasnt at a game last week either …….

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That’s what I don’t get. This is, for sure, a college football town. There are few “born and raised” Atlantans, but most of the transplants are from around the south and they follow their alma mater (or wannabe alma mater). The Braves, even though they are transplants themselves should OWN the south – nearest MLB teams are Rays, Astros, Rangers, Cardinals, Reds and Nationals – all more than 500 miles away (except Rays, and they don’t count!)

14 straight Division Championships should have built a really good fan base. Maybe southerners just don’t like pro sports?

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16,900 average attendance over last 3 games???? are you kidding me?????

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Let’s Go Phillies

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