2008 Atlanta Braves Thread

[throatybeard]

You knew it would happen sooner or later, so why not make a collector thread for all 2008 Braves discussion.

Early observations:

--those new road unis (@WSH) were kind of...monochrome, weren't they?

--damn bullpen blowing Glavine's lead. Just like last year. Likely 0-2 with starting pitching giving up 3 ER in the 2 games. (Currently down 8-4 to PIT in the t8).

--The Braves aren't widely available on TV for the first time in my life, and Dish doesn't have extra innings. BUT, mlb.com is sweet. For $90 I get the whole season, every team except I'm blacked out of the Cardinals.

[Channing]

dang bullpen . . . two nights in a row now --> not a very positive trend to set. On the bright side, while I didnt get to watch todays game, it looks like Glav gave us a decent start, and Hudson looked good last night.

[YmoBeThere]

You guys should pack it in by next week. With a rotation that averages 54 years old the only thing you have to look forward to are a few RBI's from your hitters.

[throatybeard]

I spoke too soon. (And Ymo's pointless taunting was also too soon). It's 9-9. The Pirates should have won 9-7, but Jason Bay lost the 27th out in the lights with the tying run on 1st. Free baseball.

[Lavabe]

You guys should pack it in by next week. With a rotation that averages 54 years old the only thing you have to look forward to are a few RBI's from your hitters.

Oy vei.;)

Speaking of poor relievers, check out the Philly relief staff today (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=280331122).

Cheers,
Lavabe

[duke74]

dang bullpen . . . two nights in a row now --> not a very positive trend to set. On the bright side, while I didnt get to watch todays game, it looks like Glav gave us a decent start, and Hudson looked good last night.

Glavine's like 90 or something, right?

Go Mets! Go Johan!

[Lavabe]

I spoke too soon. (And Ymo's pointless taunting was also too soon). It's 9-9. The Pirates should have won 9-7, but Jason Bay lost the 27th out in the lights with the tying run on 1st. Free baseball.

Don't worry about Ymo. His Sawks haven't played all that well either.;)

It's still WAY to early in the year.

And the Mutts play the Braves this weekend in Atlanta.
Cheers,
Lavabe

[blazindw]

--those new road unis (@WSH) were kind of...monochrome, weren't they?


Yea, they were, but I actually thought they looked really good.

[Channing]

2 games - 2 home runs with 2 outs in extra innings. good trend to start.

[devildeac]

2 games - 2 home runs with 2 outs in extra innings. good trend to start.

Doesn't sound like you would be joining the Atlanta Mafia any time soon for a beer/Braves night then. :(

[Channing]

Doesn't sound like you would be joining the Atlanta Mafia any time soon for a beer/Braves night then. :(

I would love to! This isnt the first season I have uttered an expletive or two at our bullpen :D However it will have to wait until the school year is over and I return to Atlanta.

[Matches]

Yikes - bullpen gives up 10 (!) runs?

I think we'll be fine, though. It'll be interesting to see Jurrgens' start in game #3.

[CMS2478]

I am just ready for Braves to spend a little money to get some key hitters/pitchers again. Granted we got Texiera (for now) but we lost Renteria and Andruw in the process. I wasn't a big AJ fan, but I really liked Renteria. There are probably financial limits that I am not in the know about, but I miss the days when we needed a bat or pitcher we went and got one. :(

[ugadevil]

I am just ready for Braves to spend a little money to get some key hitters/pitchers again. Granted we got Texiera (for now) but we lost Renteria and Andruw in the process. I wasn't a big AJ fan, but I really liked Renteria. There are probably financial limits that I am not in the know about, but I miss the days when we needed a bat or pitcher we went and got one. :(


I think the issue with Edgar was more about Yunel Escobar than anything else. So far, Escobar has delivered since he's been in the big leagues and the Braves are hoping that he'll really take off when he's consistently in the line-up. I'd think that the mindset was that they can let Renteria go because his back-up has a world of potential (so they wouldn't really be losing much), and they could gain a potential young starting pitcher. We'll see how it works out.

[Lavabe]

I am just ready for Braves to spend a little money to get some key hitters/pitchers again. Granted we got Texiera (for now) but we lost Renteria and Andruw in the process. I wasn't a big AJ fan, but I really liked Renteria. There are probably financial limits that I am not in the know about, but I miss the days when we needed a bat or pitcher we went and got one. :(

Escobar was called up last year when Renturia went on the DL. In the time he was in Atlanta, Escobar was red hot at the plate and in the field. Giving up Renturia made sense.

Andruw was simply sad at the plate last year. Wilson has a much better take on Andruw. His departure is fine with me.

Cheers,
Lavabe

[Matches]

Yeah, I'll miss Andruw's glove, but he was a liability at the plate last year, and he looks out of shape with the Dodgers now. I just can't see committing 15 mil+ per year to him given our limited resources.

[Bluedawg]

In the off season there was talk of Arthur Blank buying the team. is that dead?

[Lavabe]

In the off season there was talk of Arthur Blank buying the team. is that dead?

The talk pretty much died when last football season came along. You remember that thing about Vick and dogs? And the Petrino thing? And the D'Angelo Hall thing? And the GM thing? And the ....:eek:

The bigger thing in terms of sports talk with the Braves is when Bobby Cox will retire.

Cheers,
Lavabe

[Bluedawg]

The talk pretty much died when last football season came along. You remember that thing about Vick and dogs? And the Petrino thing? And the D'Angelo Hall thing? And the GM thing? And the ....:eek:

The bigger thing in terms of sports talk with the Braves is when Bobby Cox will retire.

Cheers,
Lavabe

I still have hope he will buy them. In regards to the Bobby Cox thing my hope is soon.

[Olympic Fan]

I am just ready for Braves to spend a little money to get some key hitters/pitchers again. Granted we got Texiera (for now) but we lost Renteria and Andruw in the process. I wasn't a big AJ fan, but I really liked Renteria. There are probably financial limits that I am not in the know about, but I miss the days when we needed a bat or pitcher we went and got one. :(

I think we're all going to have to get used to the fact that the Braves are now operating as a "small-market" francise. There's not going to be a lot of money for huge free-agent signings and it's going to be tough to retain great stars -- as the Braves retained Chipper Jones for so long -- once they achieve free agent status.

Time out for a brief discussion of "small market" teams. The Braves offer an excellent illustration of how arbitrary that designation is. It has nothing to do with the market, but with ownership and its ability to manipulate revenue sources.

Back when Ted Turner/TBS owned the Braves, they were a large-market francise, able to spend with the best of them. Technically, the team operated at a deficit, but that was only because of a sweetheart TV deal with TBS that furnished Turner's network millions of dollars of programing for almost nothing.

We see the same thing in a lot of places -- for years the Cardinals "lost" money because all stadium revenues went to another branch of the Busch empire. In Florida, they can protray the Marlins as a financial black pit, when in fact, the corporation-owned TV network (which obtained the rights to Marlin games for $1 a year) made a fortune. The Red Sox became a cash cow when they devolped a TV plan to cash in on their domination of New England.

The Braves are no longer TBS' primary source of programming. They're run by an ownership group that has demanded financial accountability. Maybe they'll make enough on Sports South to start spending again, but I doubt they'll ever match the halycon days of the 90s.

Until something changes -- until Arthur Blank buys the team or somebody else (Mark Cuban?) with money and the desire to win -- the Braves are going to have to win with kids and with a few aging stars on the cheap.

We've just got to change our expectations.

[Lavabe]

Glavine's like 90 or something, right?

Go Mets! Go Johan!

Any word on Pedro? :confused:

[Channing]

Braves offense put up another big number - utilizing the big inning again. This offense looks like it is going to be very dangerous all year. Hopefully the bullpen can keep its head above water!

[Lavabe]

Braves offense put up another big number - utilizing the big inning again. This offense looks like it is going to be very dangerous all year. Hopefully the bullpen can keep its head above water!

I like Jurrjens' pitching philosophy ... as they discussed it on the radio last night, he takes an approach that's an awful lot like Greg Maddux.

[Matches]

Jurrjens looked stellar to me. Only one start, of course, but he looks like he has tremendous promise. I loved Martin Prado's game, too - nice job filling in for KJ.

[Channing]

Jurrjens looked stellar to me. Only one start, of course, but he looks like he has tremendous promise. I loved Martin Prado's game, too - nice job filling in for KJ.

Was Prado filling in for KJ or are they going to have some sort of platoon going?

[Bluedawg]

I think we're all going to have to get used to the fact that the Braves are now operating as a "small-market" francise. There's not going to be a lot of money for huge free-agent signings and it's going to be tough to retain great stars -- as the Braves retained Chipper Jones for so long -- once they achieve free agent status.

Time out for a brief discussion of "small market" teams. The Braves offer an excellent illustration of how arbitrary that designation is. It has nothing to do with the market, but with ownership and its ability to manipulate revenue sources.

Back when Ted Turner/TBS owned the Braves, they were a large-market francise, able to spend with the best of them. Technically, the team operated at a deficit, but that was only because of a sweetheart TV deal with TBS that furnished Turner's network millions of dollars of programing for almost nothing.

We see the same thing in a lot of places -- for years the Cardinals "lost" money because all stadium revenues went to another branch of the Busch empire. In Florida, they can protray the Marlins as a financial black pit, when in fact, the corporation-owned TV network (which obtained the rights to Marlin games for $1 a year) made a fortune. The Red Sox became a cash cow when they devolped a TV plan to cash in on their domination of New England.

The Braves are no longer TBS' primary source of programming. They're run by an ownership group that has demanded financial accountability. Maybe they'll make enough on Sports South to start spending again, but I doubt they'll ever match the halycon days of the 90s.

Until something changes -- until Arthur Blank buys the team or somebody else (Mark Cuban?) with money and the desire to win -- the Braves are going to have to win with kids and with a few aging stars on the cheap.

We've just got to change our expectations.

Good write-up but one problem. Back in the 90's they could manage only 1 WS win.

I've been a Braves fan for years, I watched Ted Turner's management of the team for one game.
In college we would go to Atlanta for games, arrive there at 7:30 for a 7:35 start, pay $6.00 and sit a dozen rows behind the dugout. I've followed them since the time, using a Lewis Gizzard phrase, you could call the stadium, ask what time the game starts and they'd say "that depends, what time can you get here?" Since the time that we were out of the running by April.

I've suffered through the lean times and I've enjoyed the good times. My expectations won't change...i expect WS flags going up around The Ted.

[Matches]

Was Prado filling in for KJ or are they going to have some sort of platoon going?

KJ has a sore knee that bothers him off and on, and has been acting up this week.

[kmspeaks]

I'm sitting in my room starting to get sad knowing that basketball will be over this weekend and then DBR will start to wind down. It makes me even more sad to know that the Braves have kicked off the season and I won't be able to watch much now that they will no longer on TBS and I get the saddest knowing that there is nowhere like DBR for me to read what others think about my Braves. So in all this sadness I head over to the off topic board for the first time . . . and there it is. People on DBR talking about the Braves!!! My spring and summer are looking a lot brighter! :D

[tbyers11]

I'm sitting in my room starting to get sad knowing that basketball will be over this weekend and then DBR will start to wind down. It makes me even more sad to know that the Braves have kicked off the season and I won't be able to watch much now that they will no longer on TBS and I get the saddest knowing that there is nowhere like DBR for me to read what others think about my Braves. So in all this sadness I head over to the off topic board for the first time . . . and there it is. People on DBR talking about the Braves!!! My spring and summer are looking a lot brighter! :D

The Talking Chop (http://www.talkingchop.com/) website is pretty good for following the Braves online.

[devildeac]

c. 1978 during one of many losses, courtesy of Skip Carey(sp?):

Setting: Braves losing about 11-1(or worse), late in the game with oh, about 300 fans in attendance and Skip and Ernie having not much else to talk about on the relatively new cable network, TBS. Mrs. Devildeac and I watching on our illegally connected cable TV and this is what we hear:

So, Mr. Broccoli, Mr. Cabbage and Mr. Cauliflower are crossing Peachtree St./Dr. (or whatever) and a pick-up barrels around the corner injuring our poor pedestrians. They all go to the hospital and Mssrs. Cabbage and Cauliflower are treated and released but return shortly to check on their friend, Mr. Broccoli who has just emerged from surgery. The surgeon appears and says he has some good news and some bad news. The friends ask for the good news first and the surgeon relates the story of a successful procedure. "Well, what about the bad news?", the friends ask. The surgeon pauses and then says, "well, I am afraid he is going to be a vegetable for the rest of his life."

Ba-dum-bum. Yes, folks, that was Superstation TBS and Braves baseball in the late 70's. Sad, sad, sad. Even worse, I guess, is that I STILL remember that:o .

[budwom]

My most memorable moment watching the Braves came in the early 70s when guys like Rico Carty were playing and Hank Aaron was sitting in the dugout between at bats chainsmoking. We were sitting in the (almost empty) upper deck in left field, in fair territory, drinking beer and enjoying ourselves.

We noticed three little kids (maybe ten years old) who were spending a lot of time leaning over the railing, looking down on Chief Nokahoma...and giggling alot. Primarily because they were pouring Coke down onto the Chief. They'd giggle, run around, pour some more Coke on the Chief, and everyone was having a good time. Except for The Chief.

At one point we noticed the kids are leaning WAY over the railing, as they seemingly couldn't find the Chief.

This was because the Chief was running full tilt down the aisle next to me, Coke dripping from his feathers (he was wet as hell) and he was one pissed off seven and a half foot tall (including the ample feathers, of course) Chief.
The kids were still leaning over the railing looking for the Chief when he tapped them on the shoulder, and I think all three of them nearly passed out from fright. And the Chief was in a foul, foul mood. For a moment I thought he was going to toss those kids down onto the teepee. A fine time in Fulton County Stadium indeed.

[Channing]

wow - Hampton scratched from his start - a strained pectoral muscle. Shocking!

[Bluedawg]

I'm sitting in my room starting to get sad knowing that basketball will be over this weekend and then DBR will start to wind down. It makes me even more sad to know that the Braves have kicked off the season and I won't be able to watch much now that they will no longer on TBS and I get the saddest knowing that there is nowhere like DBR for me to read what others think about my Braves. So in all this sadness I head over to the off topic board for the first time . . . and there it is. People on DBR talking about the Braves!!! My spring and summer are looking a lot brighter! :D

Braves fans are always welcome

[Bluedawg]

wow - Hampton scratched from his start - a strained pectoral muscle. Shocking!

Talking chop has a great poll "What's your favorite Mike Hampton injury?" (http://www.talkingchop.com/)

[Channing]

bullpen giving me grey hairs already - and its only th 4th game.

[Lavabe]

bullpen giving me grey hairs already - and its only th 4th game.

Oddly enough, Soriano was DYNAMITE in the 9th inning.

[DUKIECB]

Well we're four games in and the Braves have outscored their opponents 28-23, but have lost three of those four by one run. Two of these L's have been in extra innings which has also depleted our bullpen for the time being.

On top of this Hampton strains a pectoral muscle. Maybe we should start a pole to see what his next injury will be.

Now the Mets come to town for a three game series. I think Atlanta needs to take 2 out of 3 from them just to help them psychologically. I know it's early, but you don't won't to be in a deep hole right of the bat.

[Matches]

If I were Bobby Cox I would have just told Hampton to hit the road after last night. "Yeah Mike, we know you're under contract, and we'll keep paying you... but just please leave and stop wasting our time."

This is just beyond ridiculous. Injured warming up in the bullpen?

[Bluedawg]

If I were Bobby Cox I would have just told Hampton to hit the road after last night. "Yeah Mike, we know you're under contract, and we'll keep paying you... but just please leave and stop wasting our time."

This is just beyond ridiculous. Injured warming up in the bullpen?

Any idea how much longer his contract is?

[CMS2478]

I'm sitting in my room starting to get sad knowing that basketball will be over this weekend and then DBR will start to wind down. It makes me even more sad to know that the Braves have kicked off the season and I won't be able to watch much now that they will no longer on TBS and I get the saddest knowing that there is nowhere like DBR for me to read what others think about my Braves. So in all this sadness I head over to the off topic board for the first time . . . and there it is. People on DBR talking about the Braves!!! My spring and summer are looking a lot brighter! :D

Are they not televising ANY games on TBS anymore. If so that really sucks. :mad:

[Lavabe]

Any idea how much longer his contract is?

He is making $15 million in the last year of his eight-year contract.
http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/stories/2008/04/03/hamptonburst_0403.html?imw=Y

He is now on the DL.

Blechh,
Lavabe

[Matches]

Are they not televising ANY games on TBS anymore. If so that really sucks. :mad:

No they're not, and yes it sucks. For the first time, the Braves and TBS are owned by two different entities.

There will be about 110 games on FSN and SportSouth this year, though, and the home games are all in hi-def.

[Tommac]

I was pleasantly surprised by Time-Warner to find the last couple of Braves home games on Fox Sports South HD. It must be a newly added channel because I can't find it on the 2008 Time-Warner channel list for Alamance-Guilford counties. I do miss hearing Chip Carey on TBS calling the Braves games, but the HD really looks good.

[CMS2478]

No they're not, and yes it sucks. For the first time, the Braves and TBS are owned by two different entities.

There will be about 110 games on FSN and SportSouth this year, though, and the home games are all in hi-def.

For some reason, I never get the games on FSN. The guide on my cable says Braves Baseball @ 7pm or whatever, but then at 7:00 it's something totally different. I only get the Nationals games. (I guess bc they are closer???)

[Matches]

That is odd, because the Nationals are usually on MASN instead. My dad lives in Fayetteville and tells me the Braves FS games are blacked out in his area for some reason. Maybe you're experiencing the same thing.

[Bluedawg]

For some reason, I never get the games on FSN. The guide on my cable says Braves Baseball @ 7pm or whatever, but then at 7:00 it's something totally different. I only get the Nationals games. (I guess bc they are closer???)

I can't get them either.

[DUKIECB]

Bravos rained out tonight. That is probably a good thing...a chance to give the bullpen some much needed rest.

Will Smoltz still face Santana on Sunday or will all the starts be pushed back one day?

[Lavabe]

Bravos rained out tonight. That is probably a good thing...a chance to give the bullpen some much needed rest.

Will Smoltz still face Santana on Sunday or will all the starts be pushed back one day?

Games will be made up later in May as part of a split doubleheader.

Cox will NOT adjust his rotation, so Glavine (originally scheduled to pitch Saturday) will now pitch against Santana on Sunday.

Here are details:http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/stories/2008/04/04/bravesrainout_0405.html
Cheers,
Lavabe

[YmoBeThere]

I spoke too soon. (And Ymo's pointless taunting was also too soon).

Is it taunting if its the truth?:D Actually I am a Dodgers fan much more than a Sox fan as I only recently moved up to the Boston area and my Dodgers roots go back to early childhood(and yes I still hurt over 1991). And as I post, the Bravos are 1-3...perhaps I gave them too much at one week.:eek:

[Channing]

Is it taunting if its the truth?:D Actually I am a Dodgers fan much more than a Sox fan as I only recently moved up to the Boston area and my Dodgers roots go back to early childhood(and yes I still hurt over 1991). And as I post, the Bravos are 1-3...perhaps I gave them too much at one week.:eek:

ahhh . . . 1991. Despite being at Duke during the 2001 Championship, that might be my all time favorite sports season. Yea, we lost in the WS (I still have not forgiven Kent Hrbek, and there is no athlete whose name causes me to get riled up more than his), but the night to night drama was more than a 9 year old kid could handle. I couldnt always stay up for the entire game, especially the west coast games, and I clearly remember that the first thing I asked my mom every morning when I woke up was whether the Braves won. Second thing I asked was whether the Dodgers lost!

[Lavabe]

Smoltz vs. Santana today!
http://www.ajc.com/braves/content/sports/braves/stories/2008/04/05/bravesburst_0405.html

Cheers,
Lavabe

[Channing]

boy - I really hope its not going to be like that with Soriano all season. He looked completely indifferent on the mound there. Thank goodness Tex bailed him out after coming up with the huge hr in the bottom of the 8th.

[Lavabe]

Braves take 2 over the Mutts, winning today when Santana started.

Tex hits a homer in the 8th.

Nice game. Hope Smoltz can last longer next time.

I wonder if Wilson was at the game?
Cheers,
Lavabe

[duke74]

Braves take 2 over the Mutts, winning today when Santana started.

Tex hits a homer in the 8th.

Nice game. Hope Smoltz can last longer next time.

I wonder if Wilson was at the game?
Cheers,
Lavabe

If the Braves continue to use that rascist name, then I think PETA should protest calling my team the "Mutts"! :rolleyes:

No matter how they play! Thankfully there's a LOT of games to go.

[Lavabe]

If the Braves continue to use that rascist name, then I think PETA should protest calling my team the "Mutts"! :rolleyes:

No matter how they play! Thankfully there's a LOT of games to go.

I grew up in Mets/Yanks country (better known as northern New Jersey), so I can't help but root against the Jest, the Gints, the Crankees, and the Pond Scum (whoops ... that's the St. Louis term for the Mets).

Egads! It just dawned on me that my move to Kentucky takes me out of MLB territory. :eek: I guess the Reds would be the closest town.

CANNOT root for the Reds.:rolleyes:

Here's to a nice long season!
Cheers,
Lavabe

[DUKIECB]

Braves lose by one run again by giving up a two run homer in the bottom of the eighth at Colorado. Second start in a row the Glavine has pitched great only to see the pen blow it for him. The bullpen needs to get their act together quickly or we are going to be in a big hole.

[JasonEvans]

Umm, the Braves lost by one run again tonight.

At some point this is going to really start to bother me.

-Jason "but not yet" Evans

[duke74]

Umm, the Braves lost by one run again tonight.

At some point this is going to really start to bother me.

-Jason "but not yet" Evans

My Metsies are already bothering me. Think Willie will make through the All-Star break? (Sorry if I'm changing subject, but to me these teams are linked...)

[Bluedawg]

Umm, the Braves lost by one run again tonight.

At some point this is going to really start to bother me.

-Jason "but not yet" Evans

I've felt for a long time that the problem lies in the fact that instead of playing basic ABC baseball Bobby manages for the "big inning' and if it doesn't come they don't win.

[Duvall]

I've felt for a long time that the problem lies in the fact that instead of playing basic ABC baseball Bobby manages for the "big inning' and if it doesn't come they don't win.

That's not a problem.

[Lavabe]

Well, if the Braves continue to pound home runs, the Braves might survive this stretch without their bullpen ace.

What on EARTH is going on with the Mets and Santana?
Cheers,
Lavabe

[duke74]

Well, if the Braves continue to pound home runs, the Braves might survive this stretch without their bullpen ace.

What on EARTH is going on with the Mets and Santana?
Cheers,
Lavabe

A bad outing (3 HRs) coupled with awful defense. Prior to yesterday, JS had about a 1.90 ERA. My team has holes - hopefully the starters will mask a bunch of them (1 through 3 strong; perhaps a turnaround start by Pelphrey as 4 this week). 150 or so games to go - only 1.5 ganes out.

Most disconcerting was JS being booed. Shea (and its fans) can turn on you quickly, but JS appears to have the inner strength and attitude to be able to ignore that.

[Channing]

Well, if the Braves continue to pound home runs, the Braves might survive this stretch without their bullpen ace.

What on EARTH is going on with the Mets and Santana?
Cheers,
Lavabe

its a little disconcerting to hear Raphael Soriano referred to as our "bullpen ace."

As a side - was anyone else just really unhappy we lost to Mark Redmond (Col) the other day. I mean the guy couldnt get hitters out to save his life in Atlanta - figures we would lose to him our first time seeing him.

[Lavabe]

its a little disconcerting to hear Raphael Soriano referred to as our "bullpen ace."

As a side - was anyone else just really unhappy we lost to Mark Redmond (Col) the other day. I mean the guy couldnt get hitters out to save his life in Atlanta - figures we would lose to him our first time seeing him.

Umm, the Braves' true bullpen ace, Mike Gonzalez, is also on the 15-day DL, having had surgery last year.:o

Uggh!

Cheers,
Lavabe

[Lavabe]

Glavine is injured in the first innning today.

UGGH!

How many more Braves pitchers will make it to the DL this year?

Cheers,
Lavabe

[Bluedawg]

That's not a problem.

It is when the "big inning" doesn't come and you have to manufacture runs.

[YmoBeThere]

No cheers for the Braves? There record is 6-9. Not far off the Dodgers at 7-8. And the Bravos lead in the bottom of the second as I type...

[Channing]

so who is off to the better start- Chipper or Smoltz!!!

[Lavabe]

The Pitcher DL now includes:
Relievers:
Mike Gonzalez (15-day ... until June)
Anthony Lerew (60-day)
Peter Moylan (15 ... soon to be out for the year)
Rafael Soriano (15)

Starters:
Glavine (15)
Hampton (15)

Oh yeah ... and the active roster includes these names. Recognize any for more than one year?
Chuck James (ugh)
Royce Ring
Chris Resop
Will Ohman
Jorge Campillo
Blaine Boyer
Jeff Bennett (Mr. Walk)
Manny Acosta

It's going to be a LONG summer, unless they become healthier and more experienced.

Cheers,
Lavabe

[YmoBeThere]

FWIW, Hampton was a bit of a mirage. He really just needs to retire, he was a decent pitcher in his day but that was several years ago.

[devildeac]

The Pitcher DL now includes:
Relievers:
Mike Gonzalez (15-day ... until June)
Anthony Lerew (60-day)
Peter Moylan (15 ... soon to be out for the year)
Rafael Soriano (15)

Starters:
Glavine (15)
Hampton (15)

Oh yeah ... and the active roster includes these names. Recognize any for more than one year?
Chuck James (ugh)
Royce Ring
Chris Resop
Will Ohman
Jorge Campillo
Blaine Boyer
Jeff Bennett (Mr. Walk)
Manny Acosta

It's going to be a LONG summer, unless they become healthier and more experienced.

Cheers,
Lavabe

Paging Mr. Garber. Is "Gasoline" Gene Garber in the house?

Paging Mr. Sutter. Is Bruce (we really need one more player well past his prime on the roster) Sutter in the house?

[wilson]

I'm getting a sex change so I can have Chipper Jones' babies. I'm also getting banned.

[Lavabe]

I can't recall the last time Chipper had such a fast start with his hitting. Isn't he batting 450+?

If they can survive until their pitchers come back from the DL, it may be a very interesting year for the Braves. I am just VERY weery of these 5-inning starts the Braves have been getting.

I'm glad Andruw got a useless home run today.

Cheers,
Lavabe

[Channing]

Paging Mr. Garber. Is "Gasoline" Gene Garber in the house?

Paging Mr. Sutter. Is Bruce (we really need one more player well past his prime on the roster) Sutter in the house?

How could you forget Rick Mahler . . . or the best nickname ever . . . Senior Smoke Juan Buerenguear (sp?)

[YmoBeThere]

What about Pascual Perez, he of the I can't get into the stadium because I can't get out of the traffic circle?

[JasonEvans]

What about Pascual Perez, he of the I can't get into the stadium because I can't get out of the traffic circle?

In fairness, it wasn't a traffic circle but a circular 60-mile interstate. Still, what a truly awesome story. Here is more on Pascual (http://www.theloveofsports.com/index.php/site/comments/pascual_perez/), one of the stranger characters in recent MLB history.

--Jason "I am hearing that Hampton may come back in a week or so... I doubt iit" Evans

[JasonEvans]

I can't recall the last time Chipper had such a fast start with his hitting. Isn't he batting 450+?


Has there ever been a bigger lock for Player of the Month than Chipper is right now for April? I suppose he may cool off, but he is currently hitting .449 with 6 homers and 18 RBIs.

--Jason "just stay healthy, Chipper!" Evans

[throatybeard]

I'm getting a sex change so I can have Chipper Jones' babies. I'm also getting banned.

http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/a/a8/MrsGarrison.png

Chipper pulled up looking slightly injured after a double in the 6th.

[Channing]

Strong outing by Jurjens. If Hudson's last outing was an anomaly, the Braves could possibly <gasp> be set at the top of their rotation with Smoltz, Hudson, and Jurjens. If Glavine can get off the DL and be an innings eater for us that is a pretty good #4. Hopefully 5th starter by committee is relatively successful.

Glad to see Tex starting to get into the swing of things. I guess he regularly starts kind of slow - but if he starts hitting, and Chipper stays healthy and continues his Ted Williams impression I think we could get revved up for the summer!!!

[jma4life]

Right now, if you could choose between one Braves world series in the next couple of years and one Duke championship, what would you go for?

I think I might actually take a Braves WS just because it would be awesome to see Smoltz, Chipper and Bobby go down with one more ring. I expect K to be a round for a lot longer so I am not as worried plus he already has three and is undoubtedly the most successful college coach of the last 30 years. Also, you know that Duke will pretty much always be a contender (minus a couple of random years) and even before K, Duke was a top ten college program.

While the Braves do have some good young guys, the Bobby era is definitely ending soon, Smoltz won't be competing too much longer and you never know with Chipper.

That said, I'd take either one in a heart beat though I'm not really expecting either. (always gotta expect the field)

[Channing]

boy thats tough. I think I would go with a Duke championship, just because I have always been more passionate about College Sports than pro sports. But I would LOVE to see Bobby, Chipper, and Smoltz get another ring. I might even take a Braves championship over a UGA football championship.

[devildeac]

What about Pascual Perez, he of the I can't get into the stadium because I can't get out of the traffic circle?

IIRC, his excuse was more along the lines of he got lost on 'The Perimeter' and I believe he was known for a while as 'I-285.'

[YmoBeThere]

3 games, 3 runs...at least the Dodgers avoided getting shutout.

[devildeac]

3 games, 3 runs...at least the Dodgers avoided getting shutout.

And 'Druw really earned a huge chunk of his $16 million or so;)

[duke74]

Right now, if you could choose between one Braves world series in the next couple of years and one Duke championship, what would you go for?

I think I might actually take a Braves WS just because it would be awesome to see Smoltz, Chipper and Bobby go down with one more ring. I expect K to be a round for a lot longer so I am not as worried plus he already has three and is undoubtedly the most successful college coach of the last 30 years. Also, you know that Duke will pretty much always be a contender (minus a couple of random years) and even before K, Duke was a top ten college program.

While the Braves do have some good young guys, the Bobby era is definitely ending soon, Smoltz won't be competing too much longer and you never know with Chipper.

That said, I'd take either one in a heart beat though I'm not really expecting either. (always gotta expect the field)

Clearly a Duke NC. Go Mets!

[wilson]

boy thats tough. I think I would go with a Duke championship, just because I have always been more passionate about College Sports than pro sports. But I would LOVE to see Bobby, Chipper, and Smoltz get another ring. I might even take a Braves championship over a UGA football championship.

Man, that's tough. I'd probably go with the Braves, because Duke has more recent success (and probably no Duke title will ever top the '01 campaign for me, since I was a Duke student then). Ask me at lunch, though, and I might change my mind.
Still though, like some of y'all, I'd love nothing more than for Tom G, Smoltzy, and Chipper to get one more, followed rather closely by Glavine, Smoltz and Maddux retiring at the same time and then going into the HOF together. If they actually do get inducted on the same day, I'll walk to Cooperstown if I have to.

[YmoBeThere]

Someone maybe be calling from the university shortly requesting your degree back. And yes, you'll have to pay the postage... :)

[YmoBeThere]

And 'Druw really earned a huge chunk of his $16 million or so;)
Yeah, I keep repeating to myself 2 year contract, 2 year contract. Which means he might have a decent year next year.

[Matches]

I hate to be this pessimistic this early in the year - I love the way the team played over the weekend - but I'm not feeling too good about the season as a whole. did anyone watch Smoltz's start Thursday at Florida? He was awesome, as usual, but it's obvious his shoulder's not right. He's pitching through what looks to be a LOT of pain. I know he's as tough as they come, but I'm very worried he's going to break down. With Glavine already on the shelf (hopefully not for long), James up-and-down, Soriano, Moylan and Gonzalez all out of the bullpen, and Hampton .. y'know... being Hampton... our pitching could be in a LOT of trouble.

[JasonEvans]

Right now, if you could choose between one Braves world series in the next couple of years and one Duke championship, what would you go for?

I think I might actually take a Braves WS just because it would be awesome to see Smoltz, Chipper and Bobby go down with one more ring. I expect K to be a round for a lot longer so I am not as worried plus he already has three and is undoubtedly the most successful college coach of the last 30 years. Also, you know that Duke will pretty much always be a contender (minus a couple of random years) and even before K, Duke was a top ten college program.

While the Braves do have some good young guys, the Bobby era is definitely ending soon, Smoltz won't be competing too much longer and you never know with Chipper.

That said, I'd take either one in a heart beat though I'm not really expecting either. (always gotta expect the field)

Fellow posters, should I cite jma4life for Destructively Negative, Trolling, or some other infraction? No way I can let this post pass without handing out a very serious infraction.

;)

--Jason "I watch the Braves and like them to win, but I am personally invested in Duke in a way that does not come close" Evans

[devildeac]

Fellow posters, should I cite jma4life for Destructively Negative, Trolling, or some other infraction? No way I can let this post pass without handing out a very serious infraction.

;)

--Jason "I watch the Braves and like them to win, but I am personally invested in Duke in a way that does not come close" Evans

A mild public admonishment would be sufficient as you have already done. After all, you are a unc apologist at times and want them to be good:o ;)

[Lavabe]

If they actually do get inducted on the same day, I'll walk to Cooperstown if I have to.

This sounds like a Klemnop moment if ever I've seen one.:D

MARK IT DOWN.

Cheers,
Lavabe

[devildeac]

This sounds like a Klemnop moment if ever I've seen one.:D

MARK IT DOWN.

Cheers,
Lavabe

Yea, but not once did he mention Franklin St., articles of clothing or lack thereof:o :D

[devildeac]

... If they actually do get inducted on the same day, I'll walk to Cooperstown if I have to.

And there is a GREAT brewery there to quench your thirst when you arrive-Ommegang:D !

[kmspeaks]

If they actually do get inducted on the same day, I'll walk to Cooperstown if I have to.


Well if you actually do have to walk you wouldn't be alone. I feel like I could no longer call myself a Braves fan if I missed that event.

[Bluedawg]

In his last start, Smoltz fanned 10 in five innings at Florida, the 44th time he's had double-figure K's. Now, he's on the verge of needing fewer innings than all but five pitchers -- Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Nolan Ryan, Curt Schilling and Roger Clemens -- to join the 3,000 club.

http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/story/1045439.html


Although Smoltz says he is energized more by matchups against the likes of Johan Santana than he is by upcoming milestones, he'll understand the significance of his accomplishment when he becomes the 16th Major Leaguer to record a 3,000th career strikeout.

"I just don't get caught up in all of it," Smoltz said. "I know I'll keep the ball and put it in a special place."

http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080421&content_id=2567021&vkey=news_atl&fext=.jsp&c_id=atl

He faces Washington tonight. Good Luck!

[wilson]

Don't look now, but the Bravos are playing some ball. The pitching staff worries me some, what with about half the roster dinged up in some fashion or another. But if/when we can get Soriano and Gonzalez healthy, we've got a heck of a one-two. I'm operating under the assumption that Moylan is lost until '09. But Jorge Campillo has had several good appearances so far, Jeff Bennett is coming on, and Manny Acosta is really rounding into form after a stumble out of the gate. On top of that, Ohman, Ring, and Resop have been very good situationally.
If we can keep Smoltz healthyish and straighten Glavine enough at least enough for him to be an innings-eater, we're looking at a top four in the rotation of Hudson-Smoltz-Glavine-Jurrjens (and frankly, Jurrjens may be the best of the bunch, though I worry about him wearing down in September). That's not a bad foursome at all. And let's not forget, the lineup is still among the best in the NL. Bravos have a squad this year, kids.

[BlueDevilBaby]

No doubt he'll get it tonight against my hapless Nats. Wily Mo ought to be good for at least 2 Ks if not more. Yuck.

[CMS2478]

Too bad the Dodgers series is over, he might have gotten those 4 K's on Andruw Jones by himself. :eek:

[ugadevil]

Too bad the Dodgers series is over, he might have gotten those 4 K's on Andruw Jones by himself. :eek:

I wouldn't even want Andruw on a slow pitch softball team. He'd be an easy out considering all the off-speed pitches.

[CMS2478]

I wouldn't even want Andruw on a slow pitch softball team. He'd be an easy out considering all the off-speed pitches.

This made me laugh. :D

[YmoBeThere]

He's not short of 3000 any more. He got 10 K's tonight.

[jma4life]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/baseball/mlb/04/22/brave.hearts0428/index.html

This article tells the story of Escobar and Pena coming from Cuba. Pretty incredible story imo.

[Lavabe]

What is the over/under as to how many starts Hampton will make this year?

We need pitching! Nice to see Smoltz go 7 last night, but I'd rather take a W with 5 innings pitched. Let's see what happens in the next few days with the DL.

Mets series coming up.
Cheers,
Lavabe

[Lavabe]

He's not short of 3000 any more. He got 10 K's tonight.

He may have set a record, but I wish he had won.

His next start will be against the Mets at Shea.
Cheers,
Lavabe

[YmoBeThere]

Well, they don't have the anemic offense of the Dodgers to beat up on.

[Matches]

What is the over/under as to how many starts Hampton will make this year?



Including minor league rehab starts? 2.

For the Braves? 1.

[BD80]

It should tell you how important the playoffs and potential world series are. No one criticizes the Tigers for trading Smoltz, who was understandably considered a top prospect, for veteran lefty Doyle Alexander for the stretch run oh so many years ago.

I don't consider Smoltz to be a power pitcher, so for him to reach 3000 is a real feat, considering he did it as quickly as all but 5 amazing pitchers.

[duke74]

It should tell you how important the playoffs and potential world series are. No one criticizes the Tigers for trading Smoltz, who was understandably considered a top prospect, for veteran lefty Doyle Alexander for the stretch run oh so many years ago.

I don't consider Smoltz to be a power pitcher, so for him to reach 3000 is a real feat, considering he did it as quickly as all but 5 amazing pitchers.

And, having spent time as a reliever to help the team. He's amazing (this from a Mets fan).

[BlueDevilBaby]

He may have set a record, but I wish he had won.

Lavabe

Not me!:D

Nats seem to like giving guys their moment of glory. What's next? Anyone close to 300 wins? 500 homer?

But, seriously, congrats to Mr. Smoltz. He's a class act all the way. Was nice to hear from Otis Nixon last night complementing Mr. Smoltz. Mr. Nixon is looking awfully old now, but I'm sure he could break me in half.

[YmoBeThere]

Including minor league rehab starts? 2.

For the Braves? 1.

I'll take the under...

[Lavabe]

Including minor league rehab starts? 2.

For the Braves? 1.

I'll go over. He'll make one start by June, go on the DL again, then appear again in September after his second rehab of the year.

[YmoBeThere]

I'll go over. He'll make one start by June, go on the DL again, then appear again in September after his second rehab of the year.


Optimist!

[Lavabe]

Optimist!

I am your paradigm of pessimism!:D

[Jim3k]

From the stats board (http://mlb.mlb.com/stats/player_locator_results.jsp), it looks like he's doing fairly well, but since I never see him any more, and you ATL folks have your doubts, I thought I'd ask.

Also the NL outfielder stats (http://mlb.mlb.com/stats/sortable_player_stats.jsp?c_id=mlb&baseballScope=NL&subScope=pos&teamPosCode=O&statType=3&timeSubFrame=2008&sitSplit=&venueID=&Submit=Submit&timeFrame=1) show he's the only one with a DP and is tied for second with 2 assists.

The A's seem to be doing fairly well for the moment. Saw them beat the Twins big time today. Frank Thomas returned. New face in center, Rajai Davis. He had a very good first day, 3 for 4 with a triple. He can fly. Made a wonderful catch in deep left-center. If this continues he will stick and the Giants will have some regrets. Keeping fingers crossed.

[Lavabe]

From the stats board (http://mlb.mlb.com/stats/player_locator_results.jsp), it looks like he's doing fairly well, but since I never see him any more, and you ATL folks have your doubts, I thought I'd ask.

Also the NL outfielder stats (http://mlb.mlb.com/stats/sortable_player_stats.jsp?c_id=mlb&baseballScope=NL&subScope=pos&teamPosCode=O&statType=3&timeSubFrame=2008&sitSplit=&venueID=&Submit=Submit&timeFrame=1) show he's the only one with a DP and is tied for second with 2 assists.

He's doing a whole lot better than the previous centerfielder, Andruw Jones.;)

[Matches]

He's been okay. Nothing special, but he plays a pretty good CF and, as noted, is hitting better than Andruw so far.

[ugadevil]

He's doing a whole lot better than the previous centerfielder, Andruw Jones.;)

The good thing for Kotsay is that the Braves don't need him to do too much. Play a solid center field and try to get on base. There's not a lot of pressure on him, because the rest of that lineup is so strong.

As for Andruw, I'd rather have Carlos Zambrano or Dontrelle Willis higher in my batting order. The hitting of Andruw Jones combined with the defensive play of Juan Pierre would make the most hilarious center fielder of all time for the Dodgers.

[JasonEvans]

Larry Wayne Jones Jr. is now batting .442 after going 3-for-3 last night with another homer. He is slugging .733, which is not far from the insane, drug-induced numbers that a certain guy named Bonds was putting up in the early 2000s.

Is there any way on Earth that he can bat .400 for the season?

--Jason "based on what he is still doing today, I think we can safely assume that Chipper is one slugger in the 90s and 2000s who was not juiced" Evans

[YmoBeThere]

Uhhh, JE we are in April. Interesting speculation, but I think you wait until June to ask those questions.

[Lavabe]

One game in the W column. Thank you Kelly Johnson. Escobar isn't injured badly, but will miss the rest of this series. He'll return for the next series.

Cox got ejected. UGH!

According to the AJC (http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/stories/2008/04/25/braves_0426.html), "There were at least a half-dozen fights in the stands, as many in the crowd of 52,495 showed a short fuse in the later innings."

Any verification on this? Sad, if true. No excuse for it.

Cheers,
Lavabe

[YmoBeThere]

Hmmm, are Mets fans as bad as Phillie fans? Now the Phillie fans I can understand, they are "bitter".

I keed, I keed...

[devildeac]

Cox got ejected. UGH!

Cheers,
Lavabe

What else is new? He has the major league record and is simply 'padding his stats' now:o Kinda like some posters:o

Yes, I am baaaaccckkk.......

[Lavabe]

2 losses against the Mets, and a sore Smoltz.

Ycch. Injuries in the pitching staff. YET again.

Lavabe

[devildeac]

2 losses against the Mets, and a sore Smoltz.

Ycch. Injuries in the pitching staff. YET again.

Lavabe

Yea, but I thought I read in USA Today over the weekend that Hampton had a rehab start or two and would be rejoining the Braves very soon. And the next injured body part is...:o

[duke74]

Yea, but I thought I read in USA Today over the weekend that Hampton had a rehab start or two and would be rejoining the Braves very soon. And the next injured body part is...:o

Never should have left us for the "better schools" of Denver (yeah right!)

Well, we got a shaky 2 out of 3 from the Braves, but I am still very uncertain about my Metsies. At least we got quality innings from our bullpen yesterday and another decent start from Figueroa. And the slug hit 2 HRs. Probably was able to get around on a change-up. :rolleyes: 1.5 back of the Marlins (Marlins????).

Think I'm in for an up-and-down year. IOW, a 6 month dentist visit...

[CMS2478]

:eek:
Yea, but I thought I read in USA Today over the weekend that Hampton had a rehab start or two and would be rejoining the Braves very soon. And the next injured body part is...:o

Is there any part of his body that hasn't been hurt yet? :eek:

[duke74]

:eek:

Is there any part of his body that hasn't been hurt yet? :eek:

His wallet. (I know it's not really part of his body - but couldn't resist)

[Matches]

Yea, but I thought I read in USA Today over the weekend that Hampton had a rehab start or two and would be rejoining the Braves very soon. And the next injured body part is...:o

We need a pool of some sort. I call dibs on the spleen.

[CMS2478]

We need a pool of some sort. I call dibs on the spleen.

I say he rolls an ankle trying to walk up the steps of the dugout to make his rehab start!!! :rolleyes:

[devildeac]

We need a pool of some sort. I call dibs on the spleen.

My bet: some sort of overuse finger injury on his pitching hand from not having pitched for soooo long:o

[Lavabe]

We need a pool of some sort. I call dibs on the spleen.

GROIN. Absolutely GROIN.:p

[wilson]

Larry Wayne Jones Jr. is now batting .442 after going 3-for-3 last night with another homer. He is slugging .733, which is not far from the insane, drug-induced numbers that a certain guy named Bonds was putting up in the early 2000s.

Is there any way on Earth that he can bat .400 for the season?

--Jason "based on what he is still doing today, I think we can safely assume that Chipper is one slugger in the 90s and 2000s who was not juiced" Evans

I think .400 is essentially not even a fair question, but this much is certain: Chipper has advanced his HOF credentials considerably in the past few years. As of about 2004, many people would still look at you askance if you dared suggest the Hall for him. Now, I think he's inching ever closer to shoo-in status.

[Olympic Fan]

I think .400 is essentially not even a fair question, but this much is certain: Chipper has advanced his HOF credentials considerably in the past few years. As of about 2004, many people would still look at you askance if you dared suggest the Hall for him. Now, I think he's inching ever closer to shoo-in status.

I agree that it's much too early to be talking about hitting .400 ... let him maintain that average in July, then we can talk -- and even then, he'd still have a long way to go.

As for his Hall of Fame chances, I agree that he's starting to accumulate some significant career numbers. He'll get to 400 home runs in the next few weeks (he's at 393) ... by the end of next year, he could be close to 1,500 RBIs and 2,500 hits. Obviously, reaching those milestones depends on a modicum of health.

I think the thing that makes Chipper a Hall of Fame lock is his position. He switched to left field for two seasons early in the decade, but he's played 1450 games at third and 365 in the outfield. He'll be considered a third baseman when he goes in. When you start comparing his career numbers with the best to ever play the position, he comes up very favorably.

In fact, Chipper has a better career OPS (.952) than HOF-types Mike Schmidt (.907), George Brett (.896), Eddie Mathews (.885) or Wade Boggs (.858). He can't match Schmidt or Mathers in home runs (both over 500), but he has a better slugging percentage (.548) than either. He has a better career batting average than Brett (.309 vs. .305). Boggs has a better career BA (.328), but of all the top third basemen in the modern era, Chipper has the best career OBP and SLP.

Okay, he's not a gold glove third baseman. But he's adequate defensively, while being the best offensive player at his position in his era.

One caveat -- will A-Rod end up being judged against him as a third baseman? A-Rod played most of his career at short ... but he's been a third baseman since joining the Yankees. A-Rod rivals Bonds as the greatest offensive force in the modern era. There are also some good young third baseman. We'll see how they do over the long term, although it's interesting that Cabrera has already eaten himself off third base, while Wright -- as good as he is -- has a lower career OBP and SLP than Chipper.

The other thing to watch is how far Chipper's numbers decline as he ages. However, that hasn't happened so far. His age has made him more brittle as he's played between 109 and 137 games the last four seasons ... but his numbers have actually gotten better as he's aged -- he's averaged .325 with 26 homers and 950-plus OPS over the last three seasons. In fact, last year, his OPS was a Ruthian 1.029. So far this year, he's hitting .433 with a 1.191 OPS.

FWIW, the HOF Monitor has him at 149.0 -- 50 percent above the HOF average of 100.

His numbers would make him a likely HOF pick as an outfielder. As a third baseman, he's a lock.

[jma4life]

Great analysis olympic fan.

[JasonEvans]

Also worth mentioning that he is a switch-hitter. In fact, in the ranks of the all-time greatest switch-hitters he is in the top 4 with Mickey Mantle, Eddie Murray, and Pete Rose. I cannot think of any others who come close.

He is currently batting .433. You folks are right that the .400 conversation is waaay too early at this point. Heck, if he merely goes 0-for-7 over the next 2 games he would be back under .400.

--Jason "still, it could be fun to watch as the summer drags on" Evans

[YmoBeThere]

As a suffering fan of another team that hasn't really gone anywhere in the last few years, I understand the need to grab on to whatever creates some excitement around your team.

[Matches]

I think .400 is essentially not even a fair question, but this much is certain: Chipper has advanced his HOF credentials considerably in the past few years. As of about 2004, many people would still look at you askance if you dared suggest the Hall for him. Now, I think he's inching ever closer to shoo-in status.

If he continues playing at a high level for another 2-3 years I think he'll be a lock. Over the last 14 years he's been one of the ten best position players in the game, and there have been years where he was top 5.

[Channing]

that would really shake up this team.

[Matches]

After watching Smoltz's starts this year I've wondered if that might be where things are headed. Not sure if that would help or not - I recall him saying relieving was actually more stressful on his arm in the past - but I'd prefer Bullpen Smoltz to No Smoltz.

Assuming Soriano gets healthy and we get Gonzalez back, we'd have a LOADED bullpen with those three guys out there.

[wilson]

Assuming Soriano gets healthy and we get Gonzalez back, we'd have a LOADED bullpen with those three guys out there.

Yeah, but our rotation would have to get it done with smoke, mirrors, and duct tape. Of course, that's pretty much what the whole staff is doing right now anyway.

[Channing]

just as an aside - i forgot the link - this wasnt just me making stuff up.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3374786

[Channing]

in a shocking twist of fate ... Mike Hampton has re-injured himself.

http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/stories/2008/04/30/hampton_0430.html

[Lavabe]

in a shocking twist of fate ... Mike Hampton has re-injured himself.

http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/stories/2008/04/30/hampton_0430.html

Hey, check out where the injury occurred:
"He left in the fourth inning of Class AAA Richmond's game at Durhman, N.C., "

Was anyone at the game in Durhman?:D
Cheers,
Lavabe

[Bluedawg]

Now with John on the DL, we are in a world of hurt. http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/story/1055053.html

How strange it is that we never had this many problems with Leo.

[YmoBeThere]

in a shocking twist of fate ... Mike Hampton has re-injured himself.

Like I said, I've got the under...

[Channing]

Now with John on the DL, we are in a world of hurt. http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/story/1055053.html

How strange it is that we never had this many problems with Leo.

I was thinking the same thing.

Reading the article about Hampton - it almost seems like Cox is just throwing his hands up in frustration. I have never heard him talk about a player with that tone.

[devildeac]

in a shocking twist of fate ... Mike Hampton has re-injured himself.

http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/stories/2008/04/30/hampton_0430.html

Well, no one got the correct body part this time:o . I predicted a finger injury and Lavabe predicted a groin(excuse me-GROIN) injury. Anyone else want to fess up to missing the injured body part Hampton lottery this time?:(

[JasonEvans]

Yaaaay, the Braves lost another extra-inning 1-run game tonight. They are now 0-9 in one-run games. That's impressive! It takes real work to be that bad in close games.

Me? Frustrated? No way!!

-Jason "side note--has anyone in history done less to earn $120 million than Mike Hampton has over the past 8 years?" Evans

[YmoBeThere]

The Sox just won another game in the last at bat. Eighth time this year already...Toronto has to be wondering what they can do. They given up I think 3 runs in the last two games and have 2 losses to show for it.

[devildeac]

Yaaaay, the Braves lost another extra-inning 1-run game tonight. They are now 0-9 in one-run games. That's impressive! It takes real work to be that bad in close games.

Me? Frustrated? No way!!

-Jason "side note--has anyone in history done less to earn $120 million than Mike Hampton has over the past 8 years?" Evans

How in the he-- can they do that? I looked at MLB stats in the Sunday paper and the Braves led the NL in hitting(about .287) and were 2nd in ERA(about 3.47). And they are toying with a .500 record now? Amazing. Is Mike Woodson their surrogate coach?

[YmoBeThere]

And they are toying with a .500 record now?

Oh, if they were only that good.

[Lavabe]

Is Mike Woodson their surrogate coach?

To quote YmoBeThere:
"Oh, if they were only that good.";)

[Matches]

Yaaaay, the Braves lost another extra-inning 1-run game tonight. They are now 0-9 in one-run games. That's impressive! It takes real work to be that bad in close games.

Me? Frustrated? No way!!

-Jason "side note--has anyone in history done less to earn $120 million than Mike Hampton has over the past 8 years?" Evans

There's an article up on espn.com this week about whether it's Hampton or Barry Zito who has done the least for the most. I think they settled on Hampton because at least Zito is eating innings. Not MANY innings, mind you, but more than Hampton.

[CMS2478]

Well, no one got the correct body part this time:o . I predicted a finger injury and Lavabe predicted a groin(excuse me-GROIN) injury. Anyone else want to fess up to missing the injured body part Hampton lottery this time?:(

I predicted him turning an ankle walking up the dugout steps to make his rehab start. He actually went 3 innings before getting hurt so I guess I didn't give him enough credit. He knows he is going to get hurt if he pitches, which must be scary, but if I were making all that money I would suck it up too. :rolleyes:

[wilson]

How in the he-- can they do that? I looked at MLB stats in the Sunday paper and the Braves led the NL in hitting(about .287) and were 2nd in ERA(about 3.47). And they are toying with a .500 record now? Amazing. Is Mike Woodson their surrogate coach?

An AJC writer is calling for Cox's head today as a result. The most specific reason she cites is his mismanagement of the bullpen. Ordinary people/posters on blogs, etc. call for Cox to be fired rather often, but writers rarely do (except maybe Terence Moore, who only wants to fire BC because he's not black enough). Interesting.
It is indeed incredibly frustrating to be putting up those kinds of stats with these kinds of results. Luckily, nobody else in the division is playing especially well either. I still think that once the team gets healthier and they get over the hump in a couple of close games, the Braves will be fine.

[DUKIECB]

An AJC writer is calling for Cox's head today as a result. The most specific reason she cites is his mismanagement of the bullpen. Ordinary people/posters on blogs, etc. call for Cox to be fired rather often, but writers rarely do (except maybe Terence Moore, who only wants to fire BC because he's not black enough). Interesting.
It is indeed incredibly frustrating to be putting up those kinds of stats with these kinds of results. Luckily, nobody else in the division is playing especially well either. I still think that once the team gets healthier and they get over the hump in a couple of close games, the Braves will be fine.

I hope you are right and everything starts to turn around. However, I'm afraid that if something doesn't happen soon it may be too late. If the other teams in the division were not underachieving as well we could easily be 7 or 8 games out already.

I'm a big fan, but watching game after game slip away by a small margin is about more than I can take.:confused:

[Bluedawg]

Yaaaay, the Braves lost another extra-inning 1-run game tonight. They are now 0-9 in one-run games. That's impressive! It takes real work to be that bad in close games.

Me? Frustrated? No way!!

-Jason "side note--has anyone in history done less to earn $120 million than Mike Hampton has over the past 8 years?" Evans

It's like I've said for a few years now. Bobby's game is the "big inning" which means his teams cannot manufacture runs.

In close games you have to be able to play ABC baseball, which Bobby can't.

[devildeac]

Oh, if they were only that good.

Well, they were 12-11, I think at some point until they lost 2/3 to the Mutts and now to the Marlins. Maybe Pascual Perez could find his way to Turner Field:p

[BlueDevilBaby]

Yaaaay, the Braves lost another extra-inning 1-run game tonight. They are now 0-9 in one-run games. That's impressive! It takes real work to be that bad in close games.

Me? Frustrated? No way!!

I was happy with the result.:D My Nats are on (what should be considered for them) a tear. Now for a sweep of the Pirates.

[wilson]

The AJC is now reporting that Mike Gonzalez (remember him?) will return in a couple of weeks, and that when John Smoltz returns, he will do so in the bullpen, where he intends to remain for the rest of the season. Throw in an eventual return for Soriano (hopefully), and the 'pen gets nasty pretty quick. Starters, however, are another story...they just can't seem to scrape up any momentum. We are getting good innings from Glavine and (sometimes) Hudson, good outings from Jurrjens (in fact, he might be the best starter on the team), and Chuck James has been better than average, but on any given day, it seems to be a crapshoot. It's looking like it's going to be a piecemeal staff for the remainder of the year, but I still don't think the team is all that far off.

[Lavabe]

The AJC is now reporting that Mike Gonzalez (remember him?) will return in a couple of weeks, and that when John Smoltz returns, he will do so in the bullpen, where he intends to remain for the rest of the season. Throw in an eventual return for Soriano (hopefully), and the 'pen gets nasty pretty quick. Starters, however, are another story...they just can't seem to scrape up any momentum. We are getting good innings from Glavine and (sometimes) Hudson, good outings from Jurrjens (in fact, he might be the best starter on the team), and Chuck James has been better than average, but on any given day, it seems to be a crapshoot. It's looking like it's going to be a piecemeal staff for the remainder of the year, but I still don't think the team is all that far off.

Meanwhile, Hampton In-juries has some competition for the strangest baseball injury. Phil Hughes on the Yankees has a stress fractured rib. According to ESPN (TV), they reportedly first noticed the problem when he started coughing.

Beats the earlier report that had Hughes with an oblique muscle injury sustained while at the buffet table.

Cheers,
Lavabe

[devildeac]

Beats the earlier report that had Hughes with an oblique muscle injury sustained while at the buffet table.

Cheers,
Lavabe

I thought that was the kind of injury only someone like John Kruk could sustain. Or perhaps Nigel Dixon;) .

Maybe that's why a lot of my 300 pound patients complain about pains in their sides:o .

[YmoBeThere]

Beats the earlier report that had Hughes with an oblique muscle injury sustained while at the buffet table.

Cheers,
Lavabe

I thought that was the kind of injury only someone like John Kruk could sustain. Or perhaps Nigel Dixon;) .

Maybe that's why a lot of my 300 pound patients complain about pains in their sides:o .

Ahhh, devildeac with another misquote...you may get put in the penalty box.

[devildeac]

Ahhh, devildeac with another misquote...you may get put in the penalty box.

What did I misquote? Seriously. :confused:

[YmoBeThere]

Not sure exactly just see the random "[/quote]" tag hanging out there. Oh, I was joking about the penalty box...

[devildeac]

Not sure exactly just see the random "/quote" tag hanging out there. Oh, I was joking about the penalty box...

I had actually deleted the part of Lavabe's post that I did not want included and left the section I wanted to include in my post. That's why the "quote" thing-y remained, tagging along at the end:o .

I knew the penalty box reference was a comedy insert:D .

[Matches]

The AJC is now reporting that Mike Gonzalez (remember him?) will return in a couple of weeks, and that when John Smoltz returns, he will do so in the bullpen, where he intends to remain for the rest of the season. Throw in an eventual return for Soriano (hopefully), and the 'pen gets nasty pretty quick. Starters, however, are another story...they just can't seem to scrape up any momentum. We are getting good innings from Glavine and (sometimes) Hudson, good outings from Jurrjens (in fact, he might be the best starter on the team), and Chuck James has been better than average, but on any given day, it seems to be a crapshoot. It's looking like it's going to be a piecemeal staff for the remainder of the year, but I still don't think the team is all that far off.

It looks like Jo Jo Reyes is going to start on Saturday, and he has been absolutely dominating in AAA after a poor spring. It'd be great if he could step in and be a solid #4.

[duke74]

Well, they were 12-11, I think at some point until they lost 2/3 to the Mutts and now to the Marlins. Maybe Pascual Perez could find his way to Turner Field:p

Woof, woof.

Then we lose big to the Pirates...geesh. As another poster said, the teams are all underachieving - keeping all of us in it.

To continue the metaphor, people are starting to "bark" at Willie now for lack of game management skills, misuse of bullpen, and general lack of intensity when no one seems to have emerged as a leader among the players. David Wright is the logical choice (face of the franchise, young, performer, etc), but he is hesitant by all accounts, being deferential to the more veteran players.

C'est la guerre. Off to 'Zona, with the big three pitchers this weekend (ouch).

[wilson]

It looks like Jo Jo Reyes is going to start on Saturday, and he has been absolutely dominating in AAA after a poor spring. It'd be great if he could step in and be a solid #4.

I agree. On a sadder note, I firmly believe that we had better enjoy whatever is left of this campaign for Smoltzy. This, I fear, is his swansong.

[JasonEvans]

I agree. On a sadder note, I firmly believe that we had better enjoy whatever is left of this campaign for Smoltzy. This, I fear, is his swansong.

When Smoltz, Gonzalez, and Soriano get back the Braves will have 3 legit stud closers on their roster. It will be interesting to see how they use them. I bet Smoltz will not pitch 2 days in a row very often. I wonder if a potential solution to the weakening starting rotation would be bringing in stud relievers in about the 4th or 5th inning and taking it one inning at a time with 4 or so different guys. Could be interesting but we would really need Hampton and Jurjens and maybe even Galvine to be inning eaters who give the bullpen a rest every now and then.

--Jason "0-9 in 1 run games is just unfathomable" Evans

[CMS2478]

When Smoltz, Gonzalez, and Soriano get back the Braves will have 3 legit stud closers on their roster. It will be interesting to see how they use them. I bet Smoltz will not pitch 2 days in a row very often. I wonder if a potential solution to the weakening starting rotation would be bringing in stud relievers in about the 4th or 5th inning and taking it one inning at a time with 4 or so different guys. Could be interesting but we would really need Hampton and Jurjens and maybe even Galvine to be inning eaters who give the bullpen a rest every now and then.

--Jason "0-9 in 1 run games is just unfathomable" Evans

Hampton an inning eater......................BWAHHHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAAH. ................uh, oh my, that's funny......BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!!! :D

[wilson]

Hampton an inning eater......................BWAHHHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAAH. ................uh, oh my, that's funny......BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!!! :D

Right. Hampton is nothing but a payroll eater.

[Lavabe]

Right. Hampton is nothing but a payroll eater.

I'm still going with the over for the number of appearances he'll have this season.

HOWEVER, it is now time for a new Hampton Inn-jury pool: what will be his next injury?

Forget the GROIN, I think I'll go with biceps tendonitis.:o

[ugadevil]

I'm still going with the over for the number of appearances he'll have this season.

HOWEVER, it is now time for a new Hampton Inn-jury pool: what will be his next injury?

Forget the GROIN, I think I'll go with biceps tendonitis.:o

I'm gonna take blister, probably in the finger or toe region.

[JasonEvans]

Hampton an inning eater......................BWAHHHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAAH. ................uh, oh my, that's funny......BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!!! :D

Hudson... not Hampton. Jason is an idiot.

[Matches]

I'm still going with the over for the number of appearances he'll have this season.

HOWEVER, it is now time for a new Hampton Inn-jury pool: what will be his next injury?

Forget the GROIN, I think I'll go with biceps tendonitis.:o

I'll go with the ribs this time.

[JasonEvans]

I'm still going with the over for the number of appearances he'll have this season.

HOWEVER, it is now time for a new Hampton Inn-jury pool: what will be his next injury?

Forget the GROIN, I think I'll go with biceps tendonitis.:o

I've got Plantar Fasciatis or whatever that thing is called. I am not even sure what part of the body it is, but it is a killer injury.

If we can have 2 potential injuries then I also want strained back from sneezing. That's my new favorite!

--Jason "Hampton Inn... I like" Evans

[DUKIECB]

I'm gonna take blister, probably in the finger or toe region.

I'm taking back pain due to him sitting askew because of his fat wallet filled with the millions of dollars he is stealing from the Braves.:mad:

[duke74]

I'm taking back pain due to him sitting askew because of his fat wallet filled with the millions of dollars he is stealing from the Braves.:mad:

And the Rockies....

[Matches]

I've got Plantar Fasciatis or whatever that thing is called. I am not even sure what part of the body it is, but it is a killer injury.



It's the feet. Unlikely as Hampton never seems to be on his....

Of course with Hampton nothing's impossible.

[CMS2478]

Hudson... not Hampton. Jason is an idiot.


Well that now that I can agree with you on.....I guess I should have picked up on your mistake. :o

[CMS2478]

I'm taking back pain due to him sitting askew because of his fat wallet filled with the millions of dollars he is stealing from the Braves.:mad:


Does splinters from the bench actually count as an injury???

[wilson]

Hudson... not Hampton. Jason is an idiot.

Now this is more like it, as well as a very reasonable request (to say nothing of the 6+ outstanding starts Hudson is good for). Like I said, with a bit of luck, I think this team remains easily within striking distance, with remaining potential to be quite good.

-wil"Hope Springs Eternal"son

[devildeac]

I'm still going with the over for the number of appearances he'll have this season.

HOWEVER, it is now time for a new Hampton Inn-jury pool: what will be his next injury?

Forget the GROIN, I think I'll go with biceps tendonitis.:o

I will stick with my original prediction of a career-threatening(cough, hack) finger injury.

Although a pectoral muscle re-re-injury might be worthy of a bet...

[Channing]

just what the doctor ordered - complete game shut out by Hudson. It seems like Braves pitchers dont get the CG at the same rate they did in the mid 90s - good to see.

[wilson]

Huddy was indeed dealing tonight. My brother and I did double TV duty on the deck with stellar Braves baseball and stellar Atlanta Hawks playoff basketball (seriously) while I cooked stellar pork tenderloins. Tonight has not sucked very much.

[YmoBeThere]

I'll confess (if Lavabe sees this) I actually watched a few minutes of last night's Hawks-Celtics game. This is the longest I have watched the Celts play all year. They look old and after the Big Three, there isn't much(well, Posey and Cassell might have their moments).

But I digress, what a difference a week can make, the Dodgers have won 7 straight and moved over .500

[devildeac]

Any one (or more) go on the DL for the Braves last PM:( ?

[YmoBeThere]

Not that I could tell, and Chipper went 2 for 3 and is now at 0.417

[devildeac]

Not that I could tell, and Chipper went 2 for 3 and is now at 0.417

And the bad thing is that if he has an "off" night and goes 2 for 5, his average plummets;) .

[throatybeard]

1) I predict Hampton will next pull his other boobie.

2) If this one run loss thing keeps up, I wonder what the Braves Pythagorean number is gonna look like.

3) Bluedawg's oft repeated complaint about Cox doesn't stand up to any statistical analysis, assuming "manufacture runs" means "wasting precious outs on sacrificing runners over in any situation other than extremely late and extremely close."

[Matches]

Jo Jo Reyes!

Man, it'd be nice if he can keep THAT up.

[JasonEvans]

10-4 at home, the best record in baseball...

4-11 on the road, the worst record in baseball.

Anyone care to make some sense out of that? Baseball is the one sport where home/road tends to matter the least. Very strange. I chalk it up to random variance in a (relatively) small sample of games early in the season.

Anyway, I am not worried. Think about this-- if the Braves were merely a bad team in 1-run games instead of atrocious (like if their record was 3-6 instead of 0-9) they would have one of the top records in all of baseball. Only Arizona would have fewer losses than the Bravos under that scenario.

--Jason "Chipper goes 2-for-4 and is now at .421" Evans

[Channing]

.

--Jason "Chipper goes 2-for-4 and is now at .421" Evans

I was touch and go for a while. When he came up only being 1 for 3, i thought his average might take a dive last night - but he came through!

[YmoBeThere]

And on the Chipper Jones front today, he went 3 for 6 with a double, a HR, and 5 RBI's. His batting average now stands at 0.425.

And yes, it is still only May, early May at that. :D

[Channing]

And on the Chipper Jones front today, he went 3 for 6 with a double, a HR, and 5 RBI's. His batting average now stands at 0.425.

And yes, it is still only May, early May at that. :D

my only real reaction to how Chipper is playing these days:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7UMhXgfyyU

[devildeac]

And on the Chipper Jones front today, he went 3 for 6 with a double, a HR, and 5 RBI's. His batting average now stands at 0.425.

And yes, it is still only May, early May at that. :D

And Ymo has crossed the 2K barrier, currently residing at National Champs #3(but not for long, right?;) ). Congrats.

[Bluedawg]

I've got Plantar Fasciatis or whatever that thing is called. I am not even sure what part of the body it is, but it is a killer injury.

If we can have 2 potential injuries then I also want strained back from sneezing. That's my new favorite!

--Jason "Hampton Inn... I like" Evans

Plantar Fasciitis is dealing with the foot. My daughter deals with it.

[Matches]

10-4 at home, the best record in baseball...

4-11 on the road, the worst record in baseball.

Anyone care to make some sense out of that?

I think it's because their road games are not broadcast in Hi-Def. The players are obviously having trouble seeing the ball on the murky broadcast.

[wilson]

Very good series this past weekend. Was it just me, or did the Redlegs look pretty terrible throughout?
I was a little dismayed at Glavine's relative stinker yesterday, but at least the bats showed how good they can be. The home/road split and the one-run thing are both pretty weird, but I regard them as just that, weird. I think this team needs to pull one squeaker out and get over the hump. Baseball is a game of momentum like that, and once they win a close one or two, they'll be on track. Only two games out, behind the Fillies, who have now taken the lead.

[JasonEvans]

Who is having the better season so far, Chipper or Chase?



PLAYER AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
Chase Utley 126 28 45 10 1 13 26 3 13 20 .357 .432 .762 1.193
Chipper Jones 113 22 48 6 0 9 27 0 12 10 .425 .472 .717 1.189

--Jason "better question-- who will keep it up over the next few months?" Evans

[wilson]

Who is having the better season so far, Chipper or Chase?



PLAYER AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
Chase Utley 126 28 45 10 1 13 26 3 13 20 .357 .432 .762 1.193
Chipper Jones 113 22 48 6 0 9 27 0 12 10 .425 .472 .717 1.189

--Jason "better question-- who will keep it up over the next few months?" Evans

Interesting stats there. One stat that I like to use that I've not yet seen gain wide credit is (runs) + (RBI) - (HR). For offensive players, the most important task is producing runs, and this little equation totals a player's contributions to his team's scoring, regardless of how it's done (because the ends justify the means). Subtracting HR eliminates the double counting in runs and RBI. I hope all of that makes sense.
Anyway, for that stat, Utley's total is currently at 41, while Chipper's is 40. Thus, I'd say they're pretty much neck and neck.

[ugadevil]

Alright, I'm calling out the Atlanta DBR Mafia. Is there a good time when everyone will be able to go catch a game? I'd love to make the drive to Turner one evening and watch the Braves with everyone. I'm assuming we've got some time coming up so Lavabe can make it? Anything before August would probably work for me. How about everyone else?

[wilson]

Alright, I'm calling out the Atlanta DBR Mafia. Is there a good time when everyone will be able to go catch a game? I'd love to make the drive to Turner one evening and watch the Braves with everyone. I'm assuming we've got some time coming up so Lavabe can make it? Anything before August would probably work for me. How about everyone else?

It's been done before, and it's been fun. I'm obviously up for it again.
The next home game I can make would be Friday, May 16 or Sunday, May 18. After that, I'm either already slated to go with others or out of commission until June 2.

[Channing]

It's been done before, and it's been fun. I'm obviously up for it again.
The next home game I can make would be Friday, May 16 or Sunday, May 18. After that, I'm either already slated to go with others or out of commission until June 2.

I come back in town May 15. Im down then after.

[wilson]

I come back in town May 15. Im down then after.

I think we should coordinate a bit better this time around and get tix together, rather than simply meeting in the Chop House. I vastly prefer watching the game from my seat.
Thoughts?

[Channing]

I think we should coordinate a bit better this time around and get tix together, rather than simply meeting in the Chop House. I vastly prefer watching the game from my seat.
Thoughts?

that works for me.

[DUKIECB]

Well the Bravos made it four in a row last night with Chipper going 1 for 2 with a 2-run homerun. With Hud on the hill tonight, hopefully the streak continues.

The Phillies lost last night and the Braves are now only a game and a half out!:D

[wilson]

The Phillies lost last night and the Braves are now only a game and a half out!:D

With two more to go against the lowly Fathers to boot, and then a series against the Pittsburgh Seaborne Marauders.
After that, however, things get tough: The Philadelphia Philadelphias, then the Oakland Physically Gifteds, then the Arizona Intricately Patterned Desert-Dwelling Vipers, then the New York Metropolitans, then the Milwaukee Beermakers. That 17-game stretch, methinks, will tell us a lot, but I like our chances.

Also, I'm a dork.

[Lavabe]

... the highlights this morning of St. Louis Cardinals' Rick Ankiel making two assists to third base from the outfield. :eek: WOW!

THROATY: Are the Cardinals for real, or what?!

That got me thinking...

How's Andruw doing?:D
Cheers,
Lavabe

[devildeac]

... the highlights this morning of St. Louis Cardinals' Rick Ankiel making two assists to third base from the outfield. :eek: WOW!

THROATY: Are the Cardinals for real, or what?!

That got me thinking...

How's Andruw doing?:D
Cheers,
Lavabe

What's that got to do with the Cards:confused: ?

Pujols scored from 2nd Monday night (I think) on an apparent routine infield ground out and ended up being the winning run. Impressive.

[YmoBeThere]

The beauty of baseball, 5 games later and suddenly you are above 0.500

[Lavabe]

What's that got to do with the Cards:confused: ?

The Cards' Rick Ankiel (former Cards' pitcher turned outfielder) was throwing from centerfield. Two pretty awesome defensive plays for the Cards. I don't know how the Cardinals are doing it, but they are playing well atop the Central. How are they doing it?

I wonder how Andruw's defense is doing. His offense is still awful (batting .170), but what about his defense?

Cheers,
Lavabe

[Matches]

I wonder how Andruw's defense is doing. His offense is still awful (batting .170), but what about his defense?



It's still very good, but people who watch him regularly say he's lost a few steps in CF.

[wilson]

John Smoltz sat in last night on Braves Live (the postgame show) and made some really glowing remarks about Mark Kotsay. Several of the Braves' other players have remarked lately that there haven't really been any balls he missed where you said to yourself, "Well, Andruw would have had that one." And Smoltzy pointed out that he leads the Majors in assists since '99...pretty impressive.
And now he's got his average up to just a tick under .300 to boot! Great pickup by the Bravos on that one.

[Olympic Fan]

Kotsay has done a very good job. He's a nice fill-in at CF until one of the Braves two young CF prospects is ready.

One of those two is Jordan Schafer, a 22-year-old who had a great season at Class A last year (.294 with 34 doubles, 8 triples and 10 homers) after hitting .372 in the rookie league, but is off to a rocky start in AA (.091 with 1 homer in 11 games). Don't know if he has an injury, but 11 games isn't enough to make any kind of judgment.

The other young CFer is doing great. Gorkys Hernandez, a 21-year-old from Venezuela, is off to a great start at Myrtle Beach, the Braves' high class A affiliate (this is where the Durham Bulls moved after Durham got triple A). Hernandez is hitting .309 with 5 doubles, 5 triples and 3 homers so far. He has a splendid .946 OPS.

If you remember, the Braves got Hernandez as part of the deal with Detroit for Renteria. We talked a lot about that trade before the season. I know it's still early, but at the moment, you have to think the Braves made out like bandits. As I see it,

1. The Tigers got Renteria, a 33-year-old shortstop, who was coming off two great years with the Braves. So far this season, he's doing well -- .280 BA, .349 OBP, .407 SLUG, .695 OPS. His range factor is 4.41 and he's made just two errors.

2. The Braves replaced Renteria at short with Yunel Escobar, a 25-year-old shortstop. So far this season, he's hitting .327 with a .411 OBP, a .460 SLUG and an .871 OPS. His range factor is 5.04. He has made three errors, so Renteria has a slightly better fielding percentage of .980 to .979 (the narrowness of the difference is because Escobar gets to so many more balls).

Advantage at short: Braves

3. In return for Renteria, the Braves got starting pitcher Jair Jurrjens. So far this season (his rookie year), Jurrijens is 4-2 with a 2.84 ERA. While I agree it's early, he was supposed to be a top prospect and so far he's lived up tot he hype.

4. The Braves also got Hernandez, who is probably two years away from the majors, but looks like a real prospect.

Considering Renteria's age and contract ($9 million a year) and the fact that Escobar was waiting in the wings, trading Renteria made a lot of sense. The question is whether the Braves got good value -- and it's hard to believe their could get better value than what it looks like they got.

In fact, you've got to love the Braves whole association with Renteria. They get him AND MONEY from the Boston Red Sox for Andy Marte (who has hit like 220 in 200 ABs over the last two-plus seasons). They get two very good years from him, then trade him for a young pitcher and a young outfielder.

Wow, thanks for the memories, Edgar.

I like trading with the Tigers. Back in 1987, the Braves traded Doyle Alexander, a fine 36-year-old pitcher, but in the last year of his contract for a Class A pitcher from the Tigers. Alexander went 9-0 down the stretch for the Tigers, enabling them to win the division. I remember Joe Garagiola ripping the Braves on National TV during the playoffs for giving up such a great pitcher ... according to him, that's why the Braves were one of baseball's least successful franchises and would remain one.

Alexander signed a big free agent deal with the Tigers after the season and gave them a 14-11 record in 1988 and a 6-18 record in 1989. Then he retired.

Of course, the Class A pitcher turned out to be John Smoltz. How'd that work out??

[wilson]

Kotsay has done a very good job. He's a nice fill-in at CF until one of the Braves two young CF prospects is ready.

One of those two is Jordan Schafer, a 22-year-old who had a great season at Class A last year (.294 with 34 doubles, 8 triples and 10 homers) after hitting .372 in the rookie league, but is off to a rocky start in AA (.091 with 1 homer in 11 games). Don't know if he has an injury, but 11 games isn't enough to make any kind of judgment.

The other young CFer is doing great. Gorkys Hernandez, a 21-year-old from Venezuela, is off to a great start at Myrtle Beach, the Braves' high class A affiliate (this is where the Durham Bulls moved after Durham got triple A). Hernandez is hitting .309 with 5 doubles, 5 triples and 3 homers so far. He has a splendid .946 OPS.

If you remember, the Braves got Hernandez as part of the deal with Detroit for Renteria. We talked a lot about that trade before the season. I know it's still early, but at the moment, you have to think the Braves made out like bandits. As I see it,

1. The Tigers got Renteria, a 33-year-old shortstop, who was coming off two great years with the Braves. So far this season, he's doing well -- .280 BA, .349 OBP, .407 SLUG, .695 OPS. His range factor is 4.41 and he's made just two errors.

2. The Braves replaced Renteria at short with Yunel Escobar, a 25-year-old shortstop. So far this season, he's hitting .327 with a .411 OBP, a .460 SLUG and an .871 OPS. His range factor is 5.04. He has made three errors, so Renteria has a slightly better fielding percentage of .980 to .979 (the narrowness of the difference is because Escobar gets to so many more balls).

Advantage at short: Braves

3. In return for Renteria, the Braves got starting pitcher Jair Jurrjens. So far this season (his rookie year), Jurrijens is 4-2 with a 2.84 ERA. While I agree it's early, he was supposed to be a top prospect and so far he's lived up tot he hype.

4. The Braves also got Hernandez, who is probably two years away from the majors, but looks like a real prospect.

Considering Renteria's age and contract ($9 million a year) and the fact that Escobar was waiting in the wings, trading Renteria made a lot of sense. The question is whether the Braves got good value -- and it's hard to believe their could get better value than what it looks like they got.

In fact, you've got to love the Braves whole association with Renteria. They get him AND MONEY from the Boston Red Sox for Andy Marte (who has hit like 220 in 200 ABs over the last two-plus seasons). They get two very good years from him, then trade him for a young pitcher and a young outfielder.

Wow, thanks for the memories, Edgar.

I like trading with the Tigers. Back in 1987, the Braves traded Doyle Alexander, a fine 36-year-old pitcher, but in the last year of his contract for a Class A pitcher from the Tigers. Alexander went 9-0 down the stretch for the Tigers, enabling them to win the division. I remember Joe Garagiola ripping the Braves on National TV during the playoffs for giving up such a great pitcher ... according to him, that's why the Braves were one of baseball's least successful franchises and would remain one.

Alexander signed a big free agent deal with the Tigers after the season and gave them a 14-11 record in 1988 and a 6-18 record in 1989. Then he retired.

Of course, the Class A pitcher turned out to be John Smoltz. How'd that work out??

My friends and I have also gotten a lot of mileage out of discussing the Renteria trade (and the Renteria "era," for that matter). Edgar was among my favorite players for his two seasons in Atlanta, but I think your analysis on his Braves time is spot on. The Braves worked him, his acquisition, and his departure absolutely masterfully. The stats, the money, the prospects we ended up with, and the production we got for his two seasons in a Braves uniform (in part on the Red Sux' coin:D) are several more of the myriad ways in which the Braves' front office has been among the best, if not the best, in baseball for the better part of two decades.

[devildeac]

John Smoltz sat in last night on Braves Live (the postgame show) and made some really glowing remarks about Mark Kotsay. Several of the Braves' other players have remarked lately that there haven't really been any balls he missed where you said to yourself, "Well, Andruw would have had that one." And Smoltzy pointed out that he leads the Majors in assists since '99...pretty impressive.
And now he's got his average up to just a tick under .300 to boot! Great pickup by the Bravos on that one.

I may be a day late but I thought he was between .300 and .310 after a 5-3 W over the Padres. Can't remember whether I was glancing at the Wed. AM or Thurs. AM paper:o

[devildeac]

In the Sun. AM MLB stats, the Braves had slipped to 4th in ERA and 4th in avg. Guess what? They start winning games.

[Channing]

didnt we get Jurjens in that deal?

[wilson]

I may be a day late but I thought he was between .300 and .310 after a 5-3 W over the Padres. Can't remember whether I was glancing at the Wed. AM or Thurs. AM paper:o

Even better, then. At any rate, he pretty much has to be considered an upgrade over Andruw thus far, even before you consider the fact that Kotsay comes at less than half Andruw's price. Actually, I didn't realize the Braves were paying Kotsay so handsomely--$7 million--but he's been worth it so far.

[devildeac]

Another W last PM, 5-2 over the Padres. Chipper was 2/4 and now at .429 and Kotsay 1/3 and now at .309. I had missed his name from several games, but looking at the Braves' stats page, it looks like he has only missed 2 games and is 6th on the team in total AB. Looking durable so far.

[wilson]

didnt we get Jurjens in that deal?

Yes, and he has been arguably the most consistently effective starter so far this season. Methinks, however, that September will tell his story. I fear he'll wear down a bit. Also, the one "dead ball" start in Florida (since attributed to the flu) notwithstanding, Hudson has been pretty good too, and looks to be rounding into form, judging from his last couple of starts.
At any rate, Jurrjens appears to have been a great pickup.

Bollocks...as I type this, Jo Jo Reyes (another nicely effective young starter, probably the #3.5 guy right now) is being replaced due to a blister on his throwing hand. Could be a one-time problem, but that often proves to be a recurring, season-long bugaboo. Here's hoping it's the former.

I love posting about the Braves here while watching the game and enjoying my customary end-of-semester period of sloth.

[Matches]

One of those two is Jordan Schafer, a 22-year-old who had a great season at Class A last year (.294 with 34 doubles, 8 triples and 10 homers) after hitting .372 in the rookie league, but is off to a rocky start in AA (.091 with 1 homer in 11 games). Don't know if he has an injury, but 11 games isn't enough to make any kind of judgment.



Schafer is currently serving a 50-game suspension after testing positive for HGH. He wasn't off to a great start, but the suspension is why he's only played 11 games.

[wilson]

Yeah, that was really disappointing, but he seems to have owned up to it. They played an interview with him on the radio pregame a couple of weeks back, which I respected mightily as a direct addressing of his sins. It would be better had he not transgressed at all, but at least he's not hiding behind non-apologies and "no comments."

[Olympic Fan]

Schafer is currently serving a 50-game suspension after testing positive for HGH. He wasn't off to a great start, but the suspension is why he's only played 11 games.

Thanks for the update ... I can't believe news of the suspension slipped past my radar.

Not good news ... but I'm glad to hear that he's accepted responsibility and apologized.

I'm a big believer in second chances ... it's third, fourth, fifth, etc., chances that bother me.

I'm all for giving Schafer a second chance ... I hope he keeps his nose clean and fulfils his potential.

[Bluedawg]

Interesting stats there. One stat that I like to use that I've not yet seen gain wide credit is (runs) + (RBI) - (HR). For offensive players, the most important task is producing runs, and this little equation totals a player's contributions to his team's scoring, regardless of how it's done (because the ends justify the means). Subtracting HR eliminates the double counting in runs and RBI. I hope all of that makes sense.
Anyway, for that stat, Utley's total is currently at 41, while Chipper's is 40. Thus, I'd say they're pretty much neck and neck.

I think the most overlooked stat is the on base percentage. For teams like Atlanta who play for the big inning its not as important, but for teams that play abc baseball it is.

[throatybeard]

Yes, Lavabe, the Cardinals at least have the appearance of legitimacy. I went to recent wins over Cincinnati and the Cubs (Sunday nite ESPN game). Everyone's sort of holding their breath--this team wasn't expected to be really good. Most wins in April ever for the Cardinals.

[Channing]

for a leadoff hitter or #2 hitter OBP is very very important. But for a middle of the lineup guy like Chipper OPS (which admittedly takes OBP into acct) and RBI's are much more telling, imo - because it also takes into account their proficiency at moving runners along, making good contact in clutch situations, and hitting the ball with a little bit of juice.

As an aside, I dont know if you have been watching the braves this year - while they have had a lot of big innings, a lot of them have been the result of "fundamental" baseball. Just because they don't steal a lot of bases doesn't mean the team doesn't play fundamental ball. There has been a lot of hitting behind runners this year. In fact, beside Chipper, and to a lesser extent McCann, the power numbers are down this year.

[DUKIECB]

Matt Diaz just singled in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth. Make it six in a row for the good guys!:D

[EarlJam]

Matt Diaz just singled in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth. Make it six in a row for the good guys!:D

I love Matt Diaz. Such an awkward stance but so consistently effective, even in the clutch.

Meanwhile, as Wilson pointed out to me, Chipper went 1 for 5, lowering his batting average to .419. Can you say, "EM-BARR-ARSS-ING!"

The Braves really need to realize that Chipper is washed up. Trade him before he causes the team further embarrassment.

-EarlJam

[ugadevil]

The Braves really need to realize that Chipper is washed up. Trade him before he causes the team further embarrassment.



He also can't recruit big men.

[wilson]

He also can't recruit big men.

Outstanding.

[wilson]

As an aside, I dont know if you have been watching the braves this year - while they have had a lot of big innings, a lot of them have been the result of "fundamental" baseball. Just because they don't steal a lot of bases doesn't mean the team doesn't play fundamental ball. There has been a lot of hitting behind runners this year. In fact, beside Chipper, and to a lesser extent McCann, the power numbers are down this year.

One of the big guys doing that has been, believe it or not, Mark Teixeira. He's been totally content to scoot one through the opposite-field gap, perhaps scoring a run but more importantly prolonging a rally, instead of trying to pull a three-run homer (*cough* Andruw *cough*). He's an excellent fundamental baseball player. Sure will hurt to watch him play in New York next year.

[Olympic Fan]

The whole point of the game from the offensive point of view is to score runs -- as many runs in as many ways as possible.

The questions we're debating is which strategies produce the most runs and which stats best represent the skills that lead a team to score runs.

The new generation of baseball researchers -- the Bill James disciples -- have pretty much won the debate over the value of OBP. Of all major batting stats, it has the closest relationship to actual runs scored. Slugging percentage is the second-most important offensive stat and things like HRs and batting average is a distant, distant third. Such factors as RBIs and runs scored are so team-related as to be relatively ineffective in terms of evaluating individual performances.

OBP is NOT dependent on place in the batting order. It's just as important and valuable for your run producers to have a high OBP as it is for your leadoff batters (for one thing, after the first inning, there's little statistical difference which position leads off an inning ... or bats second, third, etc.).

All this research relates to the debate over manufacturing runs vs. playing for a big inning. Almost anybody who has studied baseball stats closely agrees that the sacrifice bunt is the worst play in baseball -- acceptable only when a very, VERY weak hitter is at the plate with runners on base. The stolen base is far less valuable than most fans believe -- a team/player has to average a 67.7 percent conversion rate on steals (and only a few do) to break even on runs scored. The outs you give up on caught-stealing cancel out the advantage of moving from first to second or second to third base.

Most sabrmetricians (sometimes sabermetricians ... but the word comes from the Society of American Baseball Research, the SABR, so I like sabrmetricians) would argue strongly that the big-inning approach is clearly superior to the "manufacture runs" approach, except in a very low-run era (such as the dead ball or in the 60s). We're in a high-run era now and it makes NO sense to give up outs for things such as sacrifice bunts and stolen base attempts.

The evidence is overwhelming: The most important offensive skill in baseball is the ability to get from home to first base. Going from first to second; from second to third; from third to home all have value, but are nowhere near as difficult (or as valuable) as the ability to reach first base when it comes to scoring runs.

I actually prefer OPS (OBP + SLUG) as a measure of individual offensive performance since it combines the two most important batting stats. However, a dedicated sabrmetrician would warn that it can be misleading since the two stats aren't quite equal. Thus between:

Player A: .800 OPS (.350 OBP/.450 SLUG)
Player B: .800 OPS (.400 OBP/.400 SLUG) ... Player B is the more valuable.

Still, OPS is a a great shorthand stat ... even if it's not perfect.

[wilson]

GREAT win by the boys yesterday. Three separate comebacks, finally off the one-run schneid (sp?), and the two pitching injuries, per this morning's AJC are minor...Reyes doesn't expect to miss a start, and Bennett expects to be throwing again in a couple of days; neither to the DL. From here through the first week of June is a huge stretch...let's make it count!

[devildeac]

Tough loss tonight to the Pirates on their walk-off single to lose, 2-3. Looks like Glavine pitched well. Chipper needs to go on the DL as he was a miserable 0/2(jk about the DL). Kotsay looks like he had 7 men LOB-that's bad. Braves failed to take advantage of 6 BB by Pirate pitchers.

[YmoBeThere]

Are they back to their 1 run game losing ways?

[Lavabe]

Are they back to their 1 run game losing ways?

That'll probably change once Smoltz goes to the bullpen. Of course by that time, they will also have Gonzalez there as well.
Cheers,
Lavabe

[Channing]

it sure would be nice if Tex would start playing like an All-Star ... or at least a very good first baseman.

[YmoBeThere]

FWIW, he's certainly no Andruw Jones...

[wilson]

Yes, it would be nice if Tex would pick it up a little with the bat. But keep in mind, his presence in the order is the only reason Chipper's getting anything to hit these days. If/when Tex gears up along with Chipper, this team gets extremely hard to beat. Let's hope that happens in October.

[DUKIECB]

The Braves are now 4-12 on the road and 14-4 at home. This is more astonishing to me than the record in one run games. Every other team in the majors has at least 6 road wins. Unbelievable.

[devildeac]

Are they back to their 1 run game losing ways?

Looks like it:( . I think that makes them 0-10 in 1 run games now.

[YmoBeThere]

Looks like it:( . I think that makes them 0-10 in 1 run games now.


Nooooo, they are better than that...1-10:D

[Lavabe]

The Braves are now 4-12 on the road and 14-4 at home. This is more astonishing to me than the record in one run games. Every other team in the majors has at least 6 road wins. Unbelievable.
Make that 4-13. They just did not bring much today.

Cheers,
Lavabe

[YmoBeThere]

Make that 4-13. They just did not bring much today.

They must keep leaving it at home...:D

[devildeac]

MLB stats through 5/9: Hitting-Braves-.285-1st in league; Pitching-Braves-3.48 ERA-1st in league. I am beginning to sound like a broken record but why are they only 1 game over .500 with stats like that?

[Olympic Fan]

MLB stats through 5/9: Hitting-Braves-.285-1st in league; Pitching-Braves-3.48 ERA-1st in league. I am beginning to sound like a broken record but why are they only 1 game over .500 with stats like that?

To begin with, I've repeatedly made the point that batting average is a lousy statistic to measure offensive efficiency. To say Atlanta it first in hitting because they are first in batting average is a serious error.

Yeah, the Braves are first in batting average, but just fifth in runs scored. And, from an offensive point of view, scoring runs is the point.

[Just for comparison purposes the Cubs lead the NL in runs scored. And they just happen to also lead in On Base Percentage -- just more evidence that OBP is a better measure of offensive efficiency than batting average.]

ERA is a good measure of defensive efficiency (good, not perfect, it's necessary to take into account park effects). The Braves lead the league in ERA and in least runs allowed.

Even so, you'd think that a team that ranks fifth in runs scored and first in least runs allowed would be better than .500. Part of it could be a mere statistical anomoly based on a small sample size. Based on run differential, Atlanta's projected record through 35 games was 22-13 ... at 18-17, they are just four games off the projected record.

I suspect (but don't know) that two factors have contributed to the problem:

-- The 1-10 record in one-run games ... is that a function of a flaw in Atlanta's bullpen or merely a statistical fluke? If they were 5-6 in one run games, they'd have exactly the record that they should have with their run differential.

-- Atlanta leads the NL in average runs scored at home, but is next to last in runs scored on the road. Again, a statistical fluke or a real flaw?