OK, Braves fans: Maybe we SHOULD be watching this Series
David Freese gets his freeze-frame moment. He had a couple, actually. (AP photo)
Yeah, it was unbelievable. A team down to its last strike — twice! — will play one game to become the World Series champ. For sheer thrills, this Game 6 was a match for the Game 6 of 1975. (It wasn’t as well played, but hey, you can’t have everything.) But enough gushing. There’s a lesson to be had.
The Cardinals trailed the Braves by 8 1/2 games in September and were tied with the local nine after Game No. 161. (And, had the Braves not blown Game No. 162 in the ninth, they’d have been bound for a play-in game in Busch Stadium.) But we saw in Game 6 the chief difference between the 2011 Braves and these Redbirds.
The Braves had better starting pitching and a better bullpen, but the Braves’ lineup didn’t put pressure on an opponent the way the Cardinals’ does. Sometimes pressure isn’t always rewarded. Last night it was. St. Louis rallied to tie or take the lead five different times, most notably when facing two-run deficits in the ninth and the 10th.
The Braves could hit home runs. Indeed, they hit 11 more than the Cardinals over 162 games. But the Braves’ swing-hard-in-case-you-hit-it approach didn’t apply pressure in the way the Redbirds’ more clinical method does. For me, the biggest at-bats of Game 6 wasn’t David Freese’s tying triple or winning homer. They belonged to Lance Berkman, who was patient enough to take a walk with one out in the ninth and skilled enough to serve a Scott Feldman pitch into center field to tie it with two out in the 10th.
Those were examples of what we like to call professional hitting. The Braves had a lot of guys who could hit bad pitches hard, not so many who’d accept a single or a walk. The Cardinals’ on-base percentage was the third-best in the majors; the Braves’ was the fifth-worst.
After 162 games, there wasn’t much that separated these teams, but that was the part that did. It’s the reason one of the two will be playing a Game 7 tonight, and also the reason the other just hired a new hitting coach.
By Mark Bradley
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177 comments Add your comment
Todd Finch
October 28th, 2011
7:45 am
First?
Mark Bradley
October 28th, 2011
7:45 am
Kudos, Todd F.
Todd Finch
October 28th, 2011
7:47 am
I totally agree, Mark. It was maddening to be watching last night and compare and contrast our Braves with the clutch-hitting Cardinals. Maybe you can reach out to some of the Braves and find out how many of them were actually watching last night and if that resonated at all with them.
rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
October 28th, 2011
7:50 am
In contrast to Berkman and Freese, the former Brave Rafael Furcal swung on the first pitch in the bottom of the 8th with the bases loaded, and grounded out weakly to end the threat. Old habits die hard, don’t they.
The Big Apple Awaits
October 28th, 2011
7:52 am
First, it was a 10.5 game lead over the Cardinals (in very late August). Second, the Braves didn’t have a better bullpen than the Cards, as evidenced by the Braves September implosion. Third, you’re right about the Braves’ line-up being incompetent. Fourth, the Cards have a true HOFer in Pujols and bunch of other players with heart that matches their talent. The Braves don’t.
Tim McCarver
October 28th, 2011
7:57 am
Nah.
P B Orr
October 28th, 2011
7:57 am
Fifth, they have a man’s man, not a faux-bald Harley-straddling poser, in La Russa at the helm.
jimmie
October 28th, 2011
7:58 am
Tiger Woods sucks
jimmie
October 28th, 2011
7:59 am
Even worse than the Braves suck
Pensacola Fan
October 28th, 2011
8:00 am
I have never seen a Braves team since 1966 that was disciplined at the plate. It is the team culture, and if you have Aaron, Murphy, Matthews, Horner, etc., maybe you can get away with it. Reference the comment on Furcal above.
Nate
October 28th, 2011
8:01 am
Yep offense wins chmapionships. The braves haven’t had one in years. That’s why they are the chokers of baseball.
Wrecker
October 28th, 2011
8:05 am
La Russa is overrated as a strategic manager. Just because people call him a tactical genius does not make him one.
gabugman
October 28th, 2011
8:05 am
If offense wins championships the Braves should already be hoisting the trophy…they were the most offensive team at the end of the year.
Mitch
October 28th, 2011
8:06 am
too bad we can’t get a manager like these clubs have.
BRAVESFAN
October 28th, 2011
8:07 am
Best game I ever watched. It’s so exiting to see a team come back over and over again without giving up. Tonight I’m either wearing a diaper or not drinking!
Any thoughts on this article?
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1031582/index.htm
UGA fan in UVA Country
October 28th, 2011
8:11 am
Actually, this entire post season has been good for baseball, Mark. Now, if baseball would do the things that made it NATIONAL pasttime, i.e. earlier starts, day games, capture the younger age to increase their fanbase, affordable,etc…..it might be relevant….
GaryinBham
October 28th, 2011
8:11 am
Went to bed and got a good night’s sleep. Sounds like a good game. It’s enough for me to read about it the next day. I don’t care about either team enough to watch them.
GaryinBham
October 28th, 2011
8:14 am
Went to bed and got a good night’s sleep. It’s enough to read about it the next day.
Wrecker
October 28th, 2011
8:15 am
Ron Washington (when he is not snorting something) is a good motivator and player’s manager (like No. 6 was), but not a very good game manager.
Braves WIN, Braves, WIN, Braves...NEVERMIND
October 28th, 2011
8:15 am
It’s not the Braves fans that should be watching, but Frank Wren and Freddie Gonzales.
Braves WIN, Braves, WIN, Braves...NEVERMIND
October 28th, 2011
8:16 am
gabugman
Not in September!
Sons of Rick Matula
October 28th, 2011
8:19 am
Mike Napoli is Brian McCann unleashed. McCann has to be sent to the AL where he can catch 75, play 1B a few dozen times and DH the rest — otherwise he will fade in the summer heat for years to come in Atlanta. He’s valuable to AL clubs and will bring a good return for the Braves – including a power bat for LF. It’ll be a PR hit because of all Mac’s local ties but it must be done.
Charlie
October 28th, 2011
8:19 am
It is unbelievable that the Cards have won every game that they HAD to win…..for TWO MONTHS
JASon
October 28th, 2011
8:20 am
“OK, Braves fans: Maybe we SHOULD be watching this Series”
Who said we weren’t. Just because your scope doesn’t go outside of the home teams doesn’t mean ours can’t.
I can't catch
October 28th, 2011
8:25 am
Maybe it was exciting, but that doesn’t mean it was well played. Texas should have won twice. Can’t believe Cruz didn’t make that catch in right. Badly mis judged and would have won the world series. Also, how many batters did Texas walk in the late innings to give thew game away?
I can't think or announce
October 28th, 2011
8:28 am
also don’t like that fact that Fox announces don’t seem to be watching the same game. How many times did McCarver say that the Cardinals had not hit a ball out of the infield, when in fact they had just hit a solo home run and a single to right?
Trade McCann??
October 28th, 2011
8:30 am
@Sons of Rick Matula, Trade McCann? You serious? No, dude, no, just stop. Don’t trade McCann, don’t trade Heyward. While both were frustrating this year, that’s our offensive core for years to come. We are on the cusp of greatness. Just need a piece here or there. We don’t need to trade away our best players.
Warren in Virginia Beach
October 28th, 2011
8:31 am
This is so on point Mark. I hate that it’s true. Perhaps porn star distraction had an impact as well.
Justin
October 28th, 2011
8:32 am
No, we shouldn’t.
No Shock
October 28th, 2011
8:35 am
Braves had one of the greatest runs of relevence of all time but completely failed when it mattered. When the postseason starts- Cox mismanaged, hitters couldn’t hit, and bullpen couldn’t shut anyone down. All the while, genius Johnny (Scheurputz) tells fans they should be happy with division titles or don’t show up. Well smart guy, fans took your advice. This franchise may be the star of Atlanta teams but that says very little.
Falcon Rob
October 28th, 2011
8:36 am
Unbelievable finish to that game! We saw clutch hitting the likes of which have never been seen in Atlanta. We don’t get big hits in key moments. The Cards did it over and over again.
alex
October 28th, 2011
8:38 am
@wrecker, just because I’m calling you clueless,doesn’t make you THAT stupid…
Hankie Aron
October 28th, 2011
8:40 am
Good synopsis Mark. It’s tough for the Braves fans. Heck it’s tough just being a Braves fan sometimes….
Wrecker
October 28th, 2011
8:44 am
Alex: Namecalling is not an argument. La Russa has been coasting on reputation for years. That snafu in the bullpen that cost them the previous game is indicative of his managerial skills. Try again.
STRETCH
October 28th, 2011
8:45 am
I went to bed last night thinking the Rangers had that game. Woke up this morning and almost choked on my OJ when i turned on the telly! Wow, you couldnt write a script any better than this. The folks in Hollywood should be fightin of the rights to do a movie about these guys!
The Cardinals are in the right place at the right time, making the plays they need to make, swinging when they should be and the are once again 1 pitch away from another WS title. Guess that would make them the Yankees of the NL.
My heart goes out to Nolan Ryan, after all those great pitching performances for so many crappy teams, losing last year and making it back this season after the Yanks and Red Sox were out of the way, it was looking like he was going to finally win it all. Josh Hamilton fighting his way back to play ball is a feat in itself. Ron Washington, is a players kinda manager as well. Im still rooting for Texas, but St. Louis is once again doing what they did in 2006, coming from outta nowhere!
But thats one reason why i hate sports sometimes, one team can be great all year, then one team goes on a streak and wins it all! This will be their 3rd time facing Carpenter, so i hope they can get to him. Texas has a great lineup, so lets see.
Finally, does anyone else besides me hate Mike n Mike in the Morning?? Mike Greenberg yaks like a little girl. He had the nerve to say that fans shouldnt be leaving a WS game even if their team was down by 8 runs. He says the dumbest things sometimes.
DP
October 28th, 2011
8:45 am
I don’t know what I’d do without Mark Bradley alerting me to what I should and shouldn’t be watching.
Actually, despite the sloppy play in the field last night I have enjoyed a World Series played between 2 teams that are watchable, unlike this year’s Braves. I’d nearly forgotten what a clutch at bat looked like. The Braves did baseball fans a favor by falling apart in September instead of getting swept in the first round of the playoffs.
It is past time to retire Tim McCarver. For all the inane comments he makes and for all his commentary about a “no doubles defense”, he apparently didn’t even notice that Nelson Cruz wasn’t playing deep enough in right AND misplayed the 9th inning triple by Freese.
Jim
October 28th, 2011
8:50 am
Will Tim McCarver be doing the color? That’s ALWAYS been what determines whether I watch the World Series or not. I hear his voice once and turn it off. Even Braves Hater, Bobby Valentine, on ESPN Radio is better.
dap01
October 28th, 2011
8:51 am
Mark, the Braves fans are left to another offseason just like the previous few offseasons before: Lets hope Frank Wren is able to find an outfielder that no one else has signed and pay him a minimum amount and hope that he is average.
The Braves try to get players for a little as possible. We need impact players.
Herschel Talker
October 28th, 2011
8:52 am
MB:
Great read. These guys remind me of the early 90s Braves.
HT
PMC
October 28th, 2011
8:57 am
Nah, just wait to the 7th on. The first 6 innings were horrid.
Might as well have been Jack Buck last night “And we’ll see you TOMORROW NIGHT!” Just as unpleasant when it was Kirby Puckett hitting it.
Yeah I’ll watch the end, but I seriously do not want the Cardinals and La russa to win period. They will of course, because they have the best pitcher on the mound and they are at home.
MatthewH
October 28th, 2011
8:58 am
Glad to see Freese win it for them since he was the one who dropped the easy pop-up to third which led to Texas scoring. Not a defensive game, that’s for sure!
PMC
October 28th, 2011
8:59 am
You don’t think much seperated these two teams?
Um, the Cardinals can hit. The Braves didn’t hit all year long, that’s the reason our bullpen was worn out at the end, there are no hitters on the freaking team that did thier job consistantly all year long.
And we’ll see ya….tomorrow night.
PMC
October 28th, 2011
9:00 am
Could have had Holliday or Berkman, all it takes is money.
kurula
October 28th, 2011
9:00 am
the team that reminds me more of a braves team is the rangers. they blew not one, but TWO leads with a strike from closing the deal. it was quite eerie seeing a former brave prospect blow the first lead. they must teach ‘almost good enough’ down on the farm.
Ramblinwreck83
October 28th, 2011
9:02 am
That a way Bradley. Rub it in a little more. You sure can be a jerk writer sometimes. Quit beating that dead horse. It’s getting old.
DetroitBraves
October 28th, 2011
9:07 am
You have hit the nail on the head Mark. Good analysis. We can pick apart the Braves and their injuries, Fredi’s questionable moves (and he had many of them) and the deterioration of the bullpen (likely from overuse) but the main issue with the 2011 Braves is that they didn’t score enough runs and they didn’t score enough runs because too many hitters made too many outs. They just don’t get on base. And what’s particularly strange about that is many hitters that hadn’t suffered from that problem prior to 2011 did this past season, and the same could be said of the team as a whole looking at 2010 vs. 2011. Well, now they have a new hitting coach so we’ll see if that has any impact on 2012. You beat your opponent by outscoring them. You outscore them by suppressing their runs and scoring your own. The Braves only do one of those things well. That wasn’t quite enough.
jpc
October 28th, 2011
9:13 am
Well writ, dude Bradley.
jpc
October 28th, 2011
9:13 am
Enter your comments here
The DAWG
October 28th, 2011
9:15 am
Yep you can buy a team load of talent but you just can’t buy HEART. Hats off to the Cards for last nights game
TheAntiMe
October 28th, 2011
9:17 am
It really helps the Cardinals that they came back from such a huge deficit to win the wild card on the last day. Obviously, it gave them a ticket to the playoffs but even more than that it seemed to give them an aura of invincibility, in that, the players really believe now that they are a team of destiny. Based on the results so far, it’s hard to argue with them.
As Yogi Berra once said, “Half this game, is 90% mental.”
Still my team!
October 28th, 2011
9:24 am
@Herschel Talker, that’s it! They actually remind me of that 1991 team that beat the Pirates to advance. We were at the Georgia State Fair that night and was listening in at different booths as we went along. We hurried home to watch the last couple of innings. The atmosphere in the stadium was very similar to this one. You just knew something was going to happen and I couldn’t believe that I was able to actually see it! When the Cards caught up and passed the Braves, I told most of my friends that they (the Cards) were going to win the World Series. They peaked at just the right time! Gotta give it to them!
Starring Kam Fong as Chin Ho
October 28th, 2011
9:24 am
I loved the McCarver explanation of why the first base ump made the correct call when the pitcher missed first…. (he made the right call because that is the side of the base he was looking at)………priceless
DetroitBraves
October 28th, 2011
9:24 am
@TheAntiMe – you know, the other thing it might do for them is relieve them of some playoff pressure. It’s kind of like they shouldn’t even be in the playoffs so now that they are they are playing with house money. The Braves, Red Sox, Yankees, Phillies, maybe the Brewers, and possibly the Rangers tonight – by losing they blew it. The Cardinals could have lost anywhere along the way without anyone thinking they blew it. House money.
perk
October 28th, 2011
9:25 am
traveled back from west coast and watched the game on the plane…one of the wildest series games in recent memory. Washington should have calmed down Feliz in the 9th. Didn’t watch the 1st 2 rounds of playoffs-couldnt bring myself as I was still peeved at the Braves. this could’ve been/should’ve been the Braves. Totally agree that Berkman was the key in the game. Gotta give it to Pooholes for getting a hit in the 9th too.
P Rose
October 28th, 2011
9:27 am
That was one of the most exciting WS games I’ve ever seen. I was pulling for the Cards all the way, so that there would be Friday night baseball. The season still ain’t over yet…
Stanco
October 28th, 2011
9:28 am
When will the Braves managment realize it takes more than just good pitching to win a WS. Fortunately the Braves did it with mostly pitching in 1995, but the other 13 years of that run and every other year since it has not worked! I agree that they need an impact player or 2. They better become more “exciting” and a better watch in 2012, otherwise attendance will fall considerably.
P Rose
October 28th, 2011
9:29 am
David Freese… Lance Berkman… This team has FIRE and doesn’t want to go home without a ring. A Chipper-led Braves team will never play autumn games with this much heart. Come on 2013…
anonymous
October 28th, 2011
9:34 am
Nice way to reel in some readers by making this comparison.
Fact is, the Braves are a BORING, almost nothing of a team. Just two or three guys even worth watching (and Chipper is NOT one of those).
We probably ought to be glad they did not make the playoffs. Would have only been an embarassing display just like last year.
PMC
October 28th, 2011
9:38 am
If it was beer league softball Imagine how good this Braves team could be then….
O'Brien
October 28th, 2011
9:38 am
Mark,
Given the scores we are seeing in the playoffs, how do you feel about the Braves trading from an area of strength (pitching) to improve their offense?
Or because we have a new hitting coach, will Wren and Fredi bank on Prado and BMac returning to form, and Heyward playing better? Will that be enough?
Braves #17 Fan
October 28th, 2011
9:39 am
I’ve been enjoying the series but miss the cutouts to the remote broadcasts from bars in Texas. Remember the 92 NLCS, while during the game, especially the tense moments, they would cut over to broadcast from a bar in Pittsburgh, and you’d see Pirates fans watching the game on the big screen. Fox should be doing something similar.
Bill
October 28th, 2011
9:41 am
A lot of lessons Braves could learn from this Series…Hope Wren and his Asst. are watching.
Braves fan
October 28th, 2011
9:42 am
Umm but you forget! The Braves have Dan Uggla and his awesome agent!
Ted M
October 28th, 2011
9:43 am
Ron Washington managed a terrible game.
Having the pitcher bunt with both the third baseman and first baseman 10 feet away was a certain double play. He got lucky the second time b/c of the error. Then batting the pitcher w/the bases loaded…Washington must’ve been channeling Bobby Cox.
Stanco
October 28th, 2011
9:45 am
@ P Rose & @anonymous…..I could not agree more!! As good as a player as Chipper was, he is definitely not a motivational type leader. I don’t question his desire, but I do question his passion. And to me a leader dosn’t come out in the press and say …”we are the only team that can beat the Phillies….”. A leader says that in the clubhouse to motivate his guys, not give the Phillies the desire he did for the Phillies to own the Braves after that….including the Phillies wanting…and accomplishing….knocking the Braves out of the playoffs.
Go Rangers
October 28th, 2011
9:46 am
These are real players, and managers; not what we have been dished up all year. I know it has shown me what players that want to win look like. We got milk toast. Hated to continue seeing the cards battle back, but it takes more than what the braves have to continue to do that. Very impressive.
Badgerina
October 28th, 2011
9:50 am
It is good entertainment.
Wishing it was us
October 28th, 2011
9:54 am
Timely/clutch hitting have haunted the Braves for 20 years. That’s why we have failed so many times.
Stanco
October 28th, 2011
9:54 am
@ Go Rangers……
I soooooo agree!! It starts at the top, the Braves played just like their manager…….boring, unmotivated, no passion, no urgency, no desire, NO heart……..
wreckmaniac
October 28th, 2011
9:55 am
Great game. Great series. How could any team that plays with the fielding bungles we saw last night be in a world series ?
Dozer
October 28th, 2011
9:56 am
We can only hope that our bunch of tin men see what it is to fight down to the last pitch. The only way we’re gonna see it is if we watch some other team…….
Go Rangers
October 28th, 2011
9:58 am
It hurts braves fans to watch this kind of game. But still we are in awe that other teams can do this. Maybe if any of the braves players have been watching, they will get a flashback next year, and try a little more. Course it would help if they had a decent manager, and owners that gave a crap, and made them more aggressive. They are the ones that need to watch, not us. But maybe they think they don’t need to. Losers
Tumbledown
October 28th, 2011
10:01 am
Yes, as long as the Braves are led by Chipper and a Bobby Cox clone, we will never have the ability to win big games. There is just too much negative baggage with the current leadership.
I do think when talking about the Braves, there is a difference between the 1991-1996 (pre-Leyritz homerun) Braves and the Braves teams that followed. The Braves from the early and mid 90s often played with heart and came up with many crucial hits to win big games. Those teams just lacked a shut down closer as many of the key playoff games were lost by the bullpen late. The post-Leyritz Braves, however, lost something on the mental side especially when Chipper became the main guy on offense and Cox started to manage in the playoffs out of panic (see 1998 NLCS against Padres).
Joey
October 28th, 2011
10:08 am
My thoughts on that article, BRAVESFAN, is that when the statistician said “there were no clutch hitters,” he didn’t mean in MLB.
He was just talking about on the Braves . . .
Joycee_Banicheck
October 28th, 2011
10:14 am
You just gotta tip your cap to those guys over there, they played baseball the it’s supposed to be played. Just gotta tip your cap…
DC
October 28th, 2011
10:14 am
ok yay baseball..amazing game…I’ll be waiting on your UGA/FL blog…im sure it will be coming soon..can’t wait for the “that there florida fan is a GT fan in disguise!” “he is ninja’n this blog up”
D man
October 28th, 2011
10:15 am
Wow, besides the errors at the first half of the game, that was the best game I have ever watched.
Go Rangers
October 28th, 2011
10:17 am
Thank you, Stanco. I am still upset with the Braves, and the more I watch the Cards and the Rangers, it only makes it worse. I don’t really care for La Russa, but he is a great manager. The Rangers manager is always standing on the steps, and gets very excited when things happen. Now the Braves, we got fredi the freeloader that always looks like he is working a crossword puzzle. Sits with his head down. I think that is because he is lost, and never knows when the cameras might show him, and his deer in the headlights look would give him away.
Sonny Clusters
October 28th, 2011
10:27 am
We was hoping the Braves was watching. Do they have television in those tree stands? Having heart means a lot to a team and heart comes up bigger than sore thumbs and bad adductors. The Braves need to make some changes that go beyond a new hitting coach. We are hoping they will get some new hitters and take down those silly little signs in the outfield. There is a NL Champion and an AL Champion and one of them will be the WS Champion. Everybody else is out hunting deer and none of them is champion of anything. No little signs needed to fool anybody.
Driver 8
October 28th, 2011
10:27 am
Feliz has a little too much Brave in him. He just dissolved in the 9th with everything at stake. He would have fit right in if he were still a Brave.
extremus
October 28th, 2011
10:29 am
I’d say Freese’s heroics will place him in the same company with Sid Bream where Cardinals fans are concerned, especially if they go on to win the Series. Honestly though, I hope Texas wins if only because they’ve never had a championship before; I know that if they fall in Game 7 it will be eerily reminiscent of how the Braves and their fans felt that October 1991 night in the MetroDome. And as a fan I wouldn’t wish that on any other fanbase (well, MAYBE the Yankees and Phillies).
Seriously though, while the Series is very important to both teams, I believe there’s much more riding on its outcome for the Texas Rangers. St. Louis has had quite a few seasons in the limelight including some recent years, but to get this close twice in a row and be turned back after a 40-year history with no championships could be devastating for the Rangers and their aura in the same way that the Braves saw their wildly enthusiastic, Tomahawk-chopping fans become cynical and eventually apathetic. For their sake I really hope they get the monkey off their backs.
ClemsonBrad
October 28th, 2011
10:31 am
Mark, the first thing I thought about after that game was over last night..
“Gosh, I hope Mark watched it on TV and did not solely listen to it on the radio….”
extremus
October 28th, 2011
10:31 am
My last comment must have gotten snagged by the “filter” again, Mr. Bradley.
Don
October 28th, 2011
10:32 am
Well said- relating to hitting. You must have a Hitting Coach who teaches, stresses, and demands making the opposing pitcher throw a lot of pitches, working the count, devloping high On Base Percntages, and making solid contact. SO WHY DO THE BRAVES HIRE THE HITTING COACH THAT THEY HAVE JUST HIRED??? Although I do not know much about him, it is my understanding that he does not stress these things.
Also, the future of the Pitching Staff cannot be good if we continue a situation where almost every Starting Pitcher that we develop or acqure becomes injured. Our supply of quality pitching prospects will not support this injury mill. Since Leo left, how many total Starting Pitchers have we had (counting only those who have been in the rotation for a reasonable length of time) and HOW MANY OF THESE (if any) HAVE NOT BEEN INJURED. Right now the three young pitchers (JJ, Hanson, and Medling) who should have formed the core of a great pitching staff for years to come ARE ALL INJURED — and who knows if they will ever really be effective again?
Hedley Lamarr
October 28th, 2011
10:37 am
Sonny – Well stated, as usual.
Kentavo
October 28th, 2011
10:40 am
We’ll know about that Braves pedigree tonight when Matt Harrison takes the mound.
Speedy Gonzalez ( Fredis cousin)
October 28th, 2011
10:42 am
What the Cards have shown we already know: The Bravos need a couple of bats, whoever hits wins & we dont have it, every game its a struggle to score, trade some pitching & lets get on the right path
Philly
October 28th, 2011
10:46 am
@PMC-Could have had Berkman for cheap. I believe he got slightly north of $1 million on a 1 year deal. However, Wren just does not think outside the box enough and consider options like this. Instead he threw 65 mil at Uggla who will kill us for years to come.
Abnerish
October 28th, 2011
10:51 am
Fantastic baseball game. Even the early “sloppy” part of the game was interesting to watch. I am taping the MLB network replay of it today to show my 7-yr old son this weekend. I will make sure to point out 3 main points:
1) When there is a pop-up between two fielders, never yell “take it”. Who does that??
2) USE TWO HANDS when catching pop-ups!!
3) NEVER, EVER, give up!
That game was a great example of how great baseball is, and was proof once again about how difficult the game is at the Major League level and how difficult it is to get the last 3 outs of a game.
Looking forward to Game 7. It will be interesting to see how the Rangers respond. Especially since they may be without Napoli and Cruz.
Robert
October 28th, 2011
10:54 am
“There’s a lesson to be had.”
Dont let Bobby Cox manage your baseball team?
Hillbilly D
October 28th, 2011
11:01 am
I’m from the old school, in a crucial situation, late in a game, if you’re going to beat me, you got to hit the ball over the outfielders head. In my opinion, the “no doubles” defense is what lost that game for Texas.
Reggie
October 28th, 2011
11:05 am
It is my understanding that he does not stress any of these things… DON.
Don where do you get your understanding of Mr Walker ???. Its obvoius you don’t know crap about Greg Walker. The man has been in baseball 19 plus years but you don’t think he understands basic obp and fundamental baseball..give me a break.
Maybe they should have hired you Coach Don.
phil
October 28th, 2011
11:06 am
Sadly, folks like me have to go to bed in the 6th inning or so and almost always miss such great games and their amazing conclusions. It really pisses me off, but what can you do? Obviously someone watches these things til the wee hours or else baseball would move them a bit earlier and stop the stupid singing in the bottom of every seventh inning, etc.
I became so upset each year, when the Braves would make the playoffs, at the afternoon starts, when I also couldn’t watch or listen, that I stopped even paying attention to the regular season for several years.
Baseball has itself to blame for its awful viewership numbers in general compared to the past. Many of us just CAN’T watch because the sport doesn’t seem to want us to be able to watch.
Really disappointing to miss that finish.
Tonight, I CAN stay up. Does baseball not think of stuff like this when it comes up with schedules? Game seven on a thur nite or a fri nite. Isn’t that a no brainer? But for the rainout, it would’ve been last night, if at all.
phil
October 28th, 2011
11:07 am
My remarks were just eaten….
Oh well….no different than not being able to stay awake long enough to see what happened last night…
Thanks MLB!
phil
October 28th, 2011
11:08 am
test
Sonny Clusters
October 28th, 2011
11:10 am
Clusters babies are taught early to shorten up on the bat and put the ball in play with two strikes and runners on base. A Clusters will hit behind a runner if needed and will run as hard to first base as he can. Watching teams in the World Series play team baseball and bringing runners in made this Clusters feel a little nostalgic for that kind of baseball here in the BobbyBall Capitol of the World (make that the division). Picture if you will Jason Heyward coming to bat at anytime last night during those Cardinals magic innings. There, we have in a nutshell what is wrong with the Atlanta Braves. No plate savvy (and he had it when he got here) and never making the adjustment to get things right. We was thinking Spring Training this year better be about more than using an extra practice field and not shaking things up too much for the Buck Commander and his boys. Spring Training will tell us all we need to know about what is ahead.
Sonny Clusters
October 28th, 2011
11:10 am
Filtered! We was doing such a good job, too. Sad.
????????
October 28th, 2011
11:14 am
Buh-bye Lowe, Heward, Gonzalez. Sombody please teach the Braves NOT to swing at the first pitch every at-bat. Also, need bunting practice for everyone, even McCann. Baserunner on second with none out should be a guaranteed run with a bunt (or rt side grounder), and fly ball or another deep grounder.
Stiffneck
October 28th, 2011
11:23 am
Wow! Last night’s game was probably the best World Series game I have ever seen. Hope the Cardinals win it all. They’ve battled back the past two months ( unlike the imploding Braves ). Can’t ask for a better story. La Russa should be Manager of the year.
Hillbilly D
October 28th, 2011
11:24 am
Baseball has itself to blame for its awful viewership numbers in general compared to the past. Many of us just CAN’T watch because the sport doesn’t seem to want us to be able to watch.
Most of the world can see that but unfortunately, Bud Selig and most of the Lords of Baseball can’t.
bvillebaron
October 28th, 2011
11:24 am
Big Apple:
To the contrary, the Braves did have a better bullpen than the Cards. The Braves’ epic collapse was the result of some of the poorest situational hitting I have ever seen as you and Mark correctly point out. How anyone could extol the alleged virtue of the Cardinals’ bullpen after watching this World Series must be watching different games than the ones I am watching.
Your comment about the Braves’ players not having heart to match their talent is also stupid. The Braves didn’t collapse due to lack of heart, but because of poor playing. I give the Cardinals credit for the comeback last night, but the fact of the matter is that any team that wins despite making 3 errors and playing like Little Leaguers for much of the game also had good fortune on its side (e.g. Cruz’s inexplicable failure to catch Freese’s triple and some stupid moves by Washington like not pinch hitting for Lewis with the bases loaded and sending out Oliver rather than Feliz in the 10th).
bro
October 28th, 2011
11:24 am
Why would you compare the Cards to the Braves. The cards have heart. The braves had no heart this year. The manager never fought for his players, he just went out and was there. Kinda like on of those dull debate guys. Washington and LaRussa both fight for their players and their team. It all starts with the top. Everything with the braves was just-”ok, maybe we will win tomorrow”. It would have been nice to have enough energy and spirit to win today. AND QUIT THAT STUPID ACT OF THROWING WATER AND DIRT ON YOUR OWN PLAYERS BEFOR ONE OF THEM GETS HURT. THAT IS NOT PROFESSIONAL AND WENT OUT IN THE FIRST GRADE. GROW UP A LITTLE AND PLAY BALL LIKE YOU DID WHEN YOU WERE 16 AND NOT SO DAMN IMPORTANT.
dean
October 28th, 2011
11:26 am
Bases loaded. Nobody out. No runs scored. Washington.
Reggie
October 28th, 2011
11:29 am
right on bro
bvillebaron
October 28th, 2011
11:30 am
Drive 8:
Feliz did not “dissolve” in the 9th inning. The Cardinals scored 2 runs to tie the game because inexplicably Cruz was unable to make what should have been the Series clinching catch despite the fact that he was almost standing on the warning track before the ball was hit.
Reggie
October 28th, 2011
11:35 am
bvillebaron..go back and look at replay. he was not almost on track but ball curved away from fielder..he would have been lucky to have made the play..but it does look like with more effort he could have.
Hillbilly D
October 28th, 2011
11:37 am
Watching both the bullpens in that game last night, can’t anybody throw any pitches other than fastballs, anymore? The radar gun is one of the worst things to happen to baseball.
Hillbilly D
October 28th, 2011
11:37 am
Well, MB’s blog is eating my posts again, might as well go.
bvillebaron
October 28th, 2011
11:38 am
Bro:
Stop with the Braves’ have no heart nonsense. I get sick and tired of people parading out this garbage every time a team fails and another succeeds. The Braves’ epic collapse had nothing to do with having less heart or desire to win than the Cardinals and everything to do with primarily demonstrating some of the worst situational hitting I have every seen throughout the year, but especially down the stretch combined with some ill-advised management decisions (such as continuing to send Lowe out to the mound despite the fact that he ERA from late August to the end of the year was around 10.00 (thus giving a team struggling to score runs virtually no chance to win) and not giving Teheran, the IL pitcher and rookie pitcher of the year who curiously was good enough to make two spots starts earlier in the year any chance to pitch until after Lowe had given up 5 or 6 runs through 3 or 4 innings in the next to last game).
Mark Bradley
October 28th, 2011
11:40 am
I believe Feliz struck out Craig on a curve.
Sonny Clusters
October 28th, 2011
11:55 am
Fanny patting, hugging, and rubbing dirt on each other . . . all bode badly for this team. This is a team that was used to a lot of nose picking and there can easily be some confusion as a result. We hope they are watching the World Series and can see some real celebrations for some real accomplishments. Also, we would like to sympathize/empathize with Nolan Ryan. That last image of him on television was pretty sobering. He has the heart of a winner.
BILLY MAYS HERE
October 28th, 2011
12:16 pm
Okay I’m going to climb aboard the Joe Buck hate train.
How many times can you say “one strike/out/inning away from __________!” in a single game?
Reggie
October 28th, 2011
12:16 pm
I believe you right Mark after going back and looking.
Sonny @11;55 agree Prado started the dirt crap. If it gets in players eyes you got a problem..little league .
BILLY MAYS HERE
October 28th, 2011
12:17 pm
Watch game 7 be a snooze with a soccer score: 1-0, 2-1, etc.
BILLY MAYS HERE
October 28th, 2011
12:20 pm
dean
October 28th, 2011
11:26 am
Bases loaded. Nobody out. No runs scored. Washington.
The ghost of the Expos comes back to haunt Atlanta…
BILLY MAYS HERE
October 28th, 2011
12:28 pm
That game was on wayyyy too late. Move the start time to 6 or so, or even go to day games. That would be incredible to see.
Necromancer
October 28th, 2011
12:30 pm
I was watching that game last night and was thinking that if the Braves had an owner who actually gave a fig about winning, then the Braves would be playing in Game 7 tonight instead…
Klaus
October 28th, 2011
12:51 pm
Wren and FO are not big proponents of OBP. So it is not surprising they hired a hitting coach who isn’t either.
The Braves are also very reactive as a rule. In 2010 they had high OBP but they didnt get deep into the playoffs and face planted for much of September.
So by Brave’s logic OBP must not matter we need guys who can hit a bunch of HRs (hence the Uggla trade).
Now they had a season with low OBP, face planted in September, missed the playoffs entirely. Enter Walker and probably one guy Wren will get on the cheap who either hits HRs or had some glory day hits 5 years ago.
Bottom line the Braves org relies on pitching and is not one to be stats oriented after that. This is not a money ball team not even close. Their collective heads would hurt if they had to actually think about how their players fit together and should perform.
The hand pick them in a semi-vacuum with very little thought to how they will inter-operate so to speak.
Wren doesn’t build teams he chases ideas or individual players. His biggest need is one hole he saw in the previous year versus looking at the entire team creating a design center of sorts.
He speaks in generalities – a pitching team, athletic team etc, but is light on specifics.
BILLY MAYS HERE
October 28th, 2011
1:00 pm
You can have the greatest pitching staff in the world, but you will still lose if you don’t get points on the board. The Braves have never understood this.
Reggie
October 28th, 2011
1:09 pm
You people kill me..How the hell u know what Walker thinks about obp? Wren has change the whole systems hitting coaches. How the hell do you know what they’re going to do? I know GW and you are wrong, sir.
I wasn’t going to say this but..Greg Walker will be at the Coffee -Colquitt football game tonight. They will interview him at half on Radio..www.dixie country.com if you would like to hear him and game.
People running their mouth about someone they don’t know is sick!
Reggie
October 28th, 2011
1:16 pm
klaus & Don..how the he!! you know what Walker will do? Wren has just changed all minor league hitting coaches and hired two new ones for majors. Since when did you two become mind readers and can tell what they will do? Stop with the stupid commends about knowing what Walker believes and will do..one thing to know something another to guess.
Plate Appearance
October 28th, 2011
1:28 pm
Of course we should. It’s the World Series!
VABravesFan
October 28th, 2011
1:45 pm
As long as the Rangers win tonight, all will be right in the world of baseball.
DetroitBraves
October 28th, 2011
1:47 pm
@Reggie, I get the give them a chance angle but Klaus makes some really good points. The Braves seem devoid of a plan other than to stock pile young arms, which isn’t a bad plan at all but doesn’t help the team score runs, catch the ball or run the bases. I know there is some backlash against sabermetrics and “Moneyball” amongst certain segments of the media and fans but the truth is that all teams have analytical departments, and the better teams put a premium on those positions. Look at where some of the BP, Fangraphs, etc. writers of a few years ago are now employed. Teams that do not emphasize OBP as a critical, probably the most critical aspect of offense are behind the curve. Way behind the curve at this point. There is only one way to win – that is outscore your opponents. There are many ways to get there. The Braves only appear to be proficient at one of them.
LuisG
October 28th, 2011
1:55 pm
Pujols’ 9th inning at-bat was crucial, too. He shortened his swing and hit a line drive for a double with one out and nobody on-base, instead of trying to TIE the game with one swing.
Reggie
October 28th, 2011
2:00 pm
DetroitBrave.. The point I disagree with was saying Walker didn’t care about obp. I know he does and hope he can help change that. I’ve known GW since early 90’s..thats why it piss me off when people judge the man and don’t know what their talking about. I total agree we are behind the curve as you said. I’m praying that it’s changing now! Yes, it will take time but we must start somewhere.
You made a good point.
phil
October 28th, 2011
2:15 pm
I’ve known a number of people since the early 90’s, but it doesn’t mean any of them are qualified to be hitting coach of the Braves…
I’m afraid we’ll be worse next year than this the way things are going.
phil
October 28th, 2011
2:16 pm
Fire FG…
Reggie
October 28th, 2011
2:26 pm
phil..I love you man..I agree you probably know a few from 90’s…. I didn’t say anything about “qualified”..Read! “don’t care about obp” was my point because he does. We all know your goals..Fire Fredi, Fire Wren Fire everybody…etc….still respect your opinion.
alex
October 28th, 2011
2:47 pm
@wrecker,had to work, missed your response, you’re still an idiot, ;coasting,how ridiculous and uninformed…several books about larusso-google and read and learn;sticks and stones…,sorry about the name calling,sheeesh,MORON!!!
Playoffs!!!
October 28th, 2011
2:57 pm
The Braves are directly responsible for BOTH these teams being in the World Series!
8dogman
October 28th, 2011
4:34 pm
Amen Playoffs!!!
TheAntiMe
October 28th, 2011
4:34 pm
lol – That photo of David Freese reminds me of that scene in Beetlejuice where Beetlejuice starts tugging on his foghorn.
JEB
October 28th, 2011
5:51 pm
I was watching as a true baseball fan of the game (not really pulling for either team)
BUT… I thought to myself: “If I were a Ranger fan I would be REALLY PO’d today and last night.
Bottom of the ninth – 2 outs – 1-2 count on the batter – get this out – GAME over – World Series Champions – and all of the heartbreak, nail biting, staying up late – frustration of a long season would have ended in triumph….
only to have it all pulled out from underneath you with one swing of the bat – not once – but twice!!!
kme
October 28th, 2011
7:01 pm
There is no question in my mind. I have been rooting for the Cardinals ever since they beat out the Braves in the NLCS. They are the team to beat, no question. They are die-hard winners…will not let up. I could not believe the tanacity of this team. I do hope they win the WS, all the way. And yes, the Braves SHOULD be watching this series and see what it takes to be a good winner. It would help them next season…for sure. The Cardinals deserve to be in this series far more than the Braves…no question about it!
MitchC
October 28th, 2011
7:06 pm
Mark, I havent watched much of this series, but I did watch some of it last night. I didnt see the final homer, though.
I will admit, when Jason Motte gave up Josh Hamilton’s homer, I was laughing my ass off, only to be disappointed when the Cards tied it. It didnt surprise me that the Cards won after that.
Of course, I never like to see the team that beat out the Braves win it all, but.. as much as I hate to say it, it will greatly surprise me if St Louis doesnt win tonight. I think that Texas will be hurting psychologically. They should have been back home by now, celebrating a World Championship.
I
I’ll probably watch some of the game tonight, but wont follow it as closely as if the Braves were in it,. I hope Texas wins, but, I’m not that involved to really care either way.
Mikeinla
October 28th, 2011
7:18 pm
BigAppleAwaits- There’s no way the cards pen is better than the braves. The Braves pen sputtered down the stretch, some from fatigue, but over the course of the year there’s no comparison. As other’s have said the difference between the two teams is the tenacity and situational hitting.
heb11:1
October 28th, 2011
7:20 pm
I just hope the Braves can bounce back next year. Faith is the evidence of things not seen.
Bravesbobblehead
October 28th, 2011
7:31 pm
The Cardinals play like they want it, the Braves flopped and played like they were going though the motions. The Cardinals played with fire and spirit, the Braves played like Little League kids knowing football season is soon to be starting.
Mitchell
October 28th, 2011
7:36 pm
Hi, I’m Mark Bradley.
The Braves missed the playoffs because they couldn’t hit.
Now they have a new hitting coach. But does a hitting coach really matter?
Don’t you think they either get too much credit or too much blame?
Okay, so the Braves went from 1st in on base percentage in 2010 to 11th in 2011 but what are you gonna do?
Still it was time for a change. Larry Parrish had to go.
Again, this is Mark Bradley. I have no integrity.
Mitchell
October 28th, 2011
7:41 pm
No reason to believe the Braves will “bounce back” from the unspeakable choke job they performed over the season’s final month.
Zero.
This team is regressing. They went from 86 wins to 91 to 89 all the while adding a bucket load of young talent.
They have averaged four All Stars the past three years and have made only one playoff appearance in six since.
One playoff series victory in ten years.
They suck.
The Cardinals are the real deal. The Braves are wanna-be’s.
Mitchell
October 28th, 2011
7:45 pm
In six since… winning 14 in a row.
Rowsdower
October 28th, 2011
9:03 pm
Hillbilly D
October 28th, 2011
11:01 am
I’m from the old school, in a crucial situation, late in a game, if you’re going to beat me, you got to hit the ball over the outfielders head. In my opinion, the “no doubles” defense is what lost that game for Texas.
Are you on crack or do you just not know anything about baseball? The ONLY way the Cardinals tie that game in the 9th is that Cruz wasn’t playing deep enough, i.e. No Doubles defense. If he doesn’t wander in 15-20 ft. he catches that ball easily and the Rangers are World Champions. He was badly out of position and compounded the probably by loafing back and taking the wrong angle to the ball. It hit the bottom of the wall for god sake. That ball ABSOLUTELY has to be caught.
If the Rangers lose Game 7, Cruz is the new Buckner…
Braves #17 Fan
October 28th, 2011
9:38 pm
@Rowsdower – I disagree with the Buckner statement. I thought he sort of drifted to the ball and that it could have been caught, but in no way does it compare to Buckner.
Johnnie
October 28th, 2011
9:50 pm
Mark dude…you just don’t get it. This team will never succeed as long as Chipper Jones is playing. He represents or is a symbol the old way of playing which is not winning when it counts. This team needs to move forward and learn from the mistakes of the past in order to lead towards the future. This current team lacks heart and determination, whereas the Cardinals have both.
Freddie G.
October 28th, 2011
9:59 pm
Well… Sometimes you just have to tip your hat to these guys. My job is complete. Go Cardinals!
What a joke.
Braves #17 Fan
October 28th, 2011
10:21 pm
The Chipper bashing and a good bit of the Braves blasting are based on some really weak theories. All this talk about having heart is totally unfounded. When team win, the heart they have shows more. The Braves have a lot of heart and it shows. Fair well fans, don’t pass judgement on the Braves, based on these posts. Atlanta fans tend to be a bit whiny, generally speaking. Here are some highlights of the Braves showing some heart:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/418806-every-2010-atlanta-braves-walk-off-and-last-ab-win-wvideo-links
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2011_08_15_sfnmlb_atlmlb_1&mode=recap&c_id=atl#gid=2011_08_15_sfnmlb_atlmlb_1&mode=video
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2011_08_15_sfnmlb_atlmlb_1&mode=recap&c_id=atl#gid=2011_08_15_sfnmlb_atlmlb_1&mode=video
Striker
October 28th, 2011
10:24 pm
I don’t buy this “no heart” talk about the Braves: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/418806-every-2010-atlanta-braves-walk-off-and-last-ab-win-wvideo-links.
26belly
October 28th, 2011
10:33 pm
Only an idiot-moron like Mark Braedly would peck a column like this. Who gives a hairy rats-ass about the St. Louis Cardinals. Do you think any sportswriters in the Big Apple lead with a heading…”OK, Yankee fans: Maybe we SHOULD be watching the Cardinals” Damned idiot! Typical fair-weathered Atlanta journalist! Head to Key West!
Striker
October 28th, 2011
11:06 pm
I’m starting to wonder if the home plate umpire is trying to help the Cardinals. The strike zone doesn’t seem consistent and seems much smaller when the Cards are batting.
BulldogBen
October 28th, 2011
11:06 pm
Watch another franchise with a rich history of championships win another??
No thanks. I’ve had enough misery this year already.
Striker
October 28th, 2011
11:09 pm
I just found this on home plate umpire, Jerry Layne: In the last five years, including the Series opener, St. Louis is 8-1 with a 2.00 ERA when Layne works the plate. In the same span, the Rangers are 1-6 with a 5.40 ERA. Coincidence?
Klaus
October 28th, 2011
11:32 pm
Actually Reggie one of the criticisms of Walker is OBP focus or lack thereof. Apart from a few years of decent OBP the Sox are nothing to write home about.
But you are missing the major point. Walker is a rounding error in all this.
The bigger problem is Wren and the Braves in general lack a systematic approach to building a club apart from pitching & the 3R HR. They run an old school model which a middle market team cannot afford to do.
Without a design center (pitching is not enough) which starts in the minors and comes to a crescendo of sorts in the majors you have teams with chronic holes.
When you have 85mm to spend (with 30mm of existing bad contracts) against teams spending twice you cannot whipsaw YoY with flavor of the year moves.
While many attribute success to equal parts luck and being healthy the reality is teams that invest in some quant work perform more consistently.
One word that does not describe the current generation Braves is consistent unless you view September collapses as being consist.
So I will give Walker & the new guys in the minors a shot but until this team accepts the fact they need some science to go with old school programs every year will be a crap shoot with the typical injury, guys struggling at the wrong time excuse.
If the Braves were smart (and better funded) they should have gotten Theo Epstein. They are more like a shinier version of the Cubs then many want to believe and could use his approach to building a club.
Wren is a scout type of guy who relies on personal opinion and gut than objective analysis.
Linebrink's Security
October 28th, 2011
11:39 pm
at least the Braves will be mentioned with the 2011 World Series dvd comes out … and multiple times when the eventual book “2011 Cardinals: The Improbable Victory” comes out
Hy Ronatt
October 28th, 2011
11:41 pm
Thanks for nothing, Braves.
Reggie
October 28th, 2011
11:51 pm
Klaus, I see your point. I just hope things change. Thanks for your opinion.
Reggie
October 28th, 2011
11:54 pm
Cards win..World Champions…Will Cards vote Fredi a full share?
Rod Johnson
October 29th, 2011
12:23 am
WOOHOO! World Champs! Thanks for The Collapse, Braves!!!
GO CARDS! #1!!!!
Waffle House or Bust
October 29th, 2011
2:21 am
I love my Braves but I also love watching great baseball. With that said, thank you Braves for not winning the wild card so I could watch some of the best world series games I can remember since back in the 90’s good ol’ days. No way Atlanta does what Cards did. Why? They have no heart and once again not the better team won the series but team that wanted it more. Congrats St. Louis.
Rob
October 29th, 2011
2:46 am
I’m sure someone already said it, but yay Braves! Once again the team that ends up in the spot you should have been wins the WS. This has happened too many times in recent years.
Greg
October 29th, 2011
6:14 am
Mark – it all goes back to the Bobby Cox philosphy “just let the boys play”. That is why we only have 1 World Series Championship with some of the best players in the game. Freddie is no different than Bobby. LaRussia manages every inning of every game and his players play the game the same way.
Dude
October 29th, 2011
7:37 am
There never should have been a game 7. Any major league outfielder should have caught the ball Cruz missplayed. That was a 3 base error rather than a triple. Looks like there’s a new Bill Buckner.
Dude
October 29th, 2011
7:39 am
The Cards are luckier than a herd of 2 peckkerd goats.
MrDan
October 29th, 2011
8:08 am
Too bad that 90% of those of us who work for a living M-F missed a classic thanks to television and MLB obsession for “prime time” ratings henceforth advertising revenue. Got news for you. NO ONE WITH A REAL JOB AND DISPOSABLE INCOME WAS WATCHING DURING THE WEEK. Bring back the afternoon World Series games during the week. That way, old codgers like me can meet our likewise old friends at the bars, enjoy a few beers, eat an early dinner, and enjoy WATCHING THE GAME. That way we can go home if we’re not already there, have our family time, go to bed, get up early and go to work to support the rest of this country that’s not.
smoltz29
October 29th, 2011
8:18 am
Situational hitting: CARDS- YES BRAVES- NEVER
Rocker
October 29th, 2011
8:46 am
The Cards played like the ‘91 Braves.
The Braves played like they had October reservations at Club Med.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
October 29th, 2011
9:12 am
As I said all season…major league hitters, that’s what the Braves lack.
Packer Ed
October 29th, 2011
9:14 am
October seems to always be not the Braves Month and this year September also was not the Braves month
In order to win in the Post Season a Team has to be able to make moves in the off season and in the middle of the season.
In order to make moves a team has to have money. The Braves were purchased by Liberty Meida (division of Time Warner) for tax reasons, that says it all.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
October 29th, 2011
9:18 am
St. Louis Cardinals payroll: $105M
Texas Rangers payroll: $92M
Atlanta Braves payroll: $87M
Braves are “in the ballpark” but there are a couple of big chunks of their $87M that didn’t do their jobs this year.
Patrick
October 29th, 2011
9:34 am
I grew up in ATL and was a Braves season ticket holder before moving to STL back in the eighties…the difference between the fan base in the two cities is reflected in the records of their baseball clubs.STL has the most baseball savvy fans you will find anywhere. If you don’t believe this then read the comments left above by many–not all- of the so called “fans”. My wife and I are both Cardinals fans for life–even though we are back in Georgia and root for the Braves–but not against the guys with the birds on the bats. Congrats to the Cardinals for a memorable world series.
Greg
October 29th, 2011
10:27 am
Lowe gets traded to the Cardinals and wins 20 games next year.
Patrick
October 29th, 2011
10:29 am
Mark,
Can we get your thoughts on the World Series and the cards?
Reggie
October 29th, 2011
11:43 am
“Its a long season. If you watch the history on baseball, teams comeback. And sometimes they could have comeback but they gave up.”………La Russa
“Play ever game like its the last”……La Russia
Something the Braves don’t do…play ever game like its the last. Also they gave up the last weeks of season are quit. Maybe they just thought Cards would lose.
Cards proved when game was on the line they wanted it and fought to get it. Great manager also !
Klaus
October 29th, 2011
12:16 pm
Thanks Reggie. I will try not to position opinions as fact. You are right on that account. When people are bummed about a team tone and point of view become skewed.
I also hope they change their approach and modernized it. Wren may be doing that with his moves at the ML level and in the minors. The proof will be in the types of players they bring in. Will they look purposeful (as in a design center) or just some guy who was affordable and addressed last years problem.
The Braves need a more strategic approach IMHO than what they have displayed.
rico43
October 29th, 2011
2:51 pm
Almost feel I saw more clutch hits from the Cardinals in the postseason that I saw from the Braves all year.
Klaus
October 29th, 2011
3:19 pm
Rico you could be right.
Lobosolo
October 30th, 2011
10:22 pm
LOL! alexis telling someone they are clueless about baseball, when all she knows is how to put the hard suck on her binkie… You don’t know your behind from third base when it comes to baseball, Girlie… Have some semblance of dignity and just cry on out gracefully…