by VOR
I heard a pretty extensive discussion about Mac just yesterday. Good points were made.
First, this is Mac’s last deal. This is the one that sets him and his offspring up for life. There will be more than one AL team willing to offer Mac six years given their ability to have him DH occasionally now and extensively later. The Braves cannot offer that.
Second, the Braves will most certainly offer him a qualifying deal. In fact they’d be ecstatic if he’d take it. But he won’t. And the Braves will pick up a high draft pick. For all those who scream “you can’t just let him walk at the end of the year for nothing”, the Braves do get something, and it is something of worth. How do the Braves keep it going? By building through the farm system. How do you guarantee success through the draft? You can’t… but you do give yourself a lot better chance of hitting on a top prospect if you have more draftees. Draft picks matter.
Evan Gattis
Third, the sad fact is that money does matter. The Braves could afford to give Mac the payday he deserves, but at what cost? If you pay Mac, who do you not pay? Gotta extend JHey. Gotta extend Freeman. Gotta start thinking about Minor. And if you give Mac the years and money he’s gonna get from Texas or Boston or New York, then you end up like he Phillies with aging players eating up your payroll and spending more time on the DL. Utely is still bothered by the knee and half the player he was. Lee’s missing his next start because of his neck. Ruiz has had a couple of stints on the DL this season with his knees. Howard… remember Howard? Highest paid and least seen. Halladay? Well, you get the picture.
Look, I love Mac. He is the soul of this team this year. But I want what’s best for the Braves, not the Brave. How blessed is this team to have Gattis already performing, Laird on the bench and Bethancourt as a prospect? Many teams can’t even start a guy as good as the guy we have in AA. The Braves have been built to sustain success by moving young talent in and moving older talent out. It is the recipe for long term success. And Mac will look good in Ranger blue. 
~ Voice of Reason Raisins
Braves & Stuff 
Raisins, many thanks! 😆 All of us appreciate it!
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Well… you’re welcome! 😉
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😆
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Share it on fb, guys! 🙂
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I think the Braves should keep him at what ever cost, he has played his heart and soul out for them and he deserve more money. Heyward is just starting to play well, and the other are all fairly new to the team. Mac took back seat to a lot of players when he first started and it is now his time.
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Great opine Rasins, we’ll have to see what route the Braves take on this, while not advertised, I wouldn’t be surprized to learn that BJ has been put on the waiver wire. No one will bite but you never know…
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I’m kinda with you, Josie. I’d love for him to stay a Brave, but V brought some thoughts that need to be considered. But my heart says he needs to stay a Brave.
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good stuff raisins! while i agree that mac has been the face of the team for a long time now the braves are going to look at this from a business perspective. it’s been their m.o. for as long as i can remember, or at least as long as it’s been since turner owned the team.
mac deserves to get paid. i’d love for the braves to do it but unless they can get creative (i.e. some deferred salary) i don’t see him back as a brave next year.
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Heh, started a post to argue some points with V, then that post gets turned into a lead…hmm…need to work on it a bit more…nice lead V.
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Pretty impressive start by the Phillies’ young Georgia native, Ethan Martin. Not a bad start by Kris Medlen either. None of the homers hit by either team were cheapies either. Gotta love this offense. We have been waiting a long time for it to develop this season.
St Louis taking out a week’s worth of frustration on the Red’s last night. Actually, their last two games…. And the Rockies beating up on the Pirates…. You just never know in this game.
4 o’clock game today and we will see if Brandon Beachy heads back to Gwinnett to finish out the season when Muholm returns next week.
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So, my prediction is Constanza is sent back to Triple A when BJ Upton returns today. This kid Terdoslavich is a keeper. Switch hitter, can play all the corner positions, has some speed and some pop in his bat. I don’t see him back in Triple A again.
Disclaimer… That’s if Laird isn’t put on the DL retroactive to the 25th.
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Klobber, smartest ballplayer in baseball may have been Bobby Bo. One Million a year in deferred salary for life. A lot of broke superstars out there surviving only on autographs….
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Terdo is surely a keeper… and a gamer. He’s Bobby’s kinda player. Likely Fredi’s too. I halfway suspect he’s being showcased, though. Think about it… the Braves have 3 young and talented OF under contract and control for a few years to come. They also have Jordan Schafer and Reed Johnson… not to mention the strangely versatile Evan Gattis. I like Terdo, but there really isn’t much of a place for him to grow into on the big boys’ roster. But he could certainly be a trading chip in the offeseason, if not this season.
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“Having recovered from a strained right adductor, an injury he sustained on July 12, Upton concluded his rehab assignment on Friday night, going 1-for-5 with a double and three strikeouts for Triple-A Gwinnett against Charlotte. Upton was activated before Saturday’s game in Philadelphia and was placed in the lineup at the No. 7 spot. To make room, Gerald Laird was placed on the disabled list retroactive to July 26”.
Okay, chalk another one up for Notragillus…
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Yes, a couple of really nice prospects for the outfield. Look for Johnson to be somewhere else next season. Braves better hope BJ produces or they are going to rue his signing.
I look for them to offer Huddy a performance based contract much like the one offered John Smoltz a couple of seasons ago. That’s if he canrehab without a lot of difficulty. Ankles are tricky beast.
Jordan Schafer is sort of the forgotten man isn’t he? You can get Wally Pipped in this game pretty quick.
Don’t look now but the Marlins are rolling. All that young pitching and they are getting production from LoMo and Stanton.
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Really good outing for Beachy today. 6 innings, 3 runs, one monster 2 run homer but all all a good outing for a guy who does not yet have his best stuff.
JUp rediscovering his power.
Still early but Braves looking good.
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Beachy’s breaking stuff was back yesterday. That is a really good sign…
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It appeared to me that Beach is only missing the touch on his slider. It will come but it takes time for all those nerve endings to grow back.
The Braves bullpen was outstanding but to be honest, the Phillies pen was not all that shabby, until the 12th…. Got to hand it to Uggla and Janish for hustling to make that winning run happen.
Evan is putting really good wood on the ball but with little success. Sure, he’ll strike out at least once a game but the only thing I think he needs to do is let the ball travel a little deeper. He has such a level swing, he is not going to elevate a lot of balls. He sure can smoke em though when he hits them on the ground.
Tonight a pair of lefties going at it. I hope the Braves make Cliff Lee work a bit and not swing at some many pitches early in the count. Got to wear him down a bit so they can get into the Phillies bullpen.
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There is a good reason that minor leaguers are still in the minors… likewise with umpires:
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/astros-minor-leaguer-vinnie-catricala-strikes-one-pitch-182609577.html
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Wow… 12 players hit with 50 game suspensions. And all have accepted said suspensions, meaning there is no question as to their guilt. Add to that Melky Cabrera, Bartolo Colon and Yasmani Grandal, who were not caught in this net since they were busted and suspended previously. Don’t forget Lyin’ Braun. Now we’re at 16.
And then there’s ARod. He is the only one in the net (not a closed net, yet, by the way) who is appealing his suspension. Because he maintains his innocence? Nope, because “they’re coming after my money”. He wants to protect that fat contract. Gotta keep getting those checks. Hookers are expensive, ya know…
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Oops… excuse me. Should have said “will be suspended”. Not official yet. I jumped the gun a little. 😉
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How can a guy who is already a walking PR nightmare, bury himself even more in the court of public opinion? I suppose it’s the same narcissistic traits that got him to this point that take him deeper.
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AP is now reporting the suspensions, so I suppose we can consider them official.
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And the weak commissioner Bud Selig, with whom I have several bones to pick, is at a crossroads. He is way overdue in addressing this issue. He ignored it when it put money in the league coffers. He took a casual swipe at it when it could no longer be ignored. Now he appears to want to drop the hammer when he has few other choices. If he really wants to make a statement, he’ll invoke his “best interest of the game” powers and take ARod out for life. Maybe then it’ll get somebody’s attention. As it stands, a player only needs use enough to get a fat contract, then deal with the ramifications later. Who loses? How about the team..? The fans..? The game..? Yes, yes and yes. Who wins? The cheater, who gets to go away and enjoy a 2 month vacation – away from the freshly wounded fans, by the way – that only costs him a fraction of the huge money that his cheating gained for him. It’s sickening, and adds another sour layer to the game I love. It won’t be too long until the sour overpowers the sweet… largely on artificial steroid produced strength.
Yes, its a perfect example of the **** hitting the fan. We fans are the ones who feel it most.
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I wonder… since ARod’s suspension is automatically appealed, and therefor he is allowed to play tonight (and Girardi says he’ll be in the lineup)… I wonder how he’ll be treated by the fans on the south side of Chicago tonight. You know, maybe this has been a part of the overall plan after all. Let ARod, the highest profile active cheater, the repeat offender, the guy who allegedly recruited other players to cheat, and the guy who allegedly tried to obstruct the investigation… let him go out on the diamond by himself and face the ire of the fans. I hope the boos are so loud that they are heard all the way to the Bronx.
Then again, it is Chicago, the most corrupt city in the history of the United States. They probably won’t even recognize that anything wrong took place…
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So Raisins, how do you really feel? 🙂
Almost time for the Nats to face the reality that it’s time to think about next season. It was interesting to hear John Krunk opine about the chemistry of this year’s version of the Braves. High praise on it being a bunch of baseball players who really like each other….
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Boy howdy. I have enjoyed watching one Mr. Carpenter grow up in our bullpen. I raked him across the coals just a few weeks ago, but the kid has really shown me something lately. And a very nice job tonight.
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Rasins, I always think he is Kimbrel when he first comes in from the pen, certainly looks like his brother. Same build, great stuff. Brings it in around 97.
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He’s “gritty” too, Gil. I love his approach. He isn’t afraid to challenge hitters… and his stuff is pretty good too.
Somebody needs to give Roger McDowell a big pat on the back. He has done an amazing job with our bullpen this year.
And while I am tossing pats on the back around… gotta give Fredi his due. I think he has done an outstanding job this season. Seriously. Manager of the year cred for our guy.
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Alex Rodriguez booed in first game since doping charges
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-400_162-57597124/alex-rodriguez-booed-in-first-game-since-doping-charges/
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Let’s see if Yankee fans have enough creds to boo him upon his return. I saw lots of warning track power last night in the recaps.
One story I read about Carpenter said he is a converted catcher. Gave credit to Huddy on changing his grip to give his curve and slider more break.
Funny, when Frank Wren plucked him off the waiver wire this spring from the Bo Sox, I had no idea of his value. His first appearances were not all that stellar either. That’s two gems Frank has mined if you count Jordan Schafer. You have to credit the Braves scouting department in recommending these guys.
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Remember how excited we all were when Schafer was brought over and invited to s.t.???? Oh those would be fun quotes to dig up! Think the Astros regret not even bringing him to S.T.?
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Gil, I too wonder what if anything can be done with BJ. It was almost a panic move. Clearly JHey can play CF. And not just play it, but play it well.
Never can figure out why Wren et all were excited about a guy who hit .246 or less for the 4 seasons before this one. We forget, he likely had an extra 10 points on the ol BA playing on turf 81 games there and for 9 games in Toronto….Now we have his bro to deal with IF anyone would ever take him on a trade. (With us eating a ton of moola) hindsight is 20/20 (actually, isn’t it more like 20/15, 20/10?) but if the braves hadn’t signed him, they could give his 5-year, $72.5 million contract to McCann(really, at 35, can you see McCann unable to catch 120 games or unable to at least hit .250?)
But, can’t offer it now, it appears….
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Ah… but BJ has 4 hits (1 of which should have been a HR if the ump could see in the replay what the rest of America saw) in the 3 games since coming back from the DL. And did you know he worked with Lee Elia (his old batting instructor in Tampa) during his DL stint? Yep. Also, BJ singlehandedly carried the Rays on his back in the 2nd half of last season. He hit 21 of his 28 HR’s after the ASB last year. The dude is not a bust… he’s just warming up. 🙂
As to Mac, well… you know my stance there. On any National League team, I wouldn’t give him over 3 years. That’s the kind of thing the old broken down hamstrung Phillies do.
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I’m pretty sure, insurance policies still don;t cover contracts in excess of three years. That said, er is right. BMac would still be pretty young at the end of a five year deal. we will see at the end of the year how it will go.
I’m surprised Evan Gattis isn’t behind the dish tonight facing a lefthander. I guess Freddie is going to try and get everything he can out of Mac this season.
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So, Evan comes into the game after J-Hey comes out with an apparent hitch in his neck. Call a good chiropractor forlks.
Evan hit a rope to left field that Harper takes off the turf. What ever problems Evan is having with the bat, it’s not that he is striking out. He is making contact.
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Well, pretty intense ballgame. Nothing like a little bravado to get the juices flowing.
Great pitching effort by everyone, the difference? El Orso Blanco…
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A comment about BJ Upton. It’s really good to see him getting hits, two stolen bases but DUDE!!! did you not realize there were less than two outs? Really looks like he was zoned out getting thrown out at third on Simmons grounder to short.
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Gil… maybe he’s just not used to being on base. 😆
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Oh… and on Harper. He wants to strut like a man, he needs to play like a man. Take the ball off your thigh and go to 1st. He didn’t throw at your head, he didn’t put it under your chin, he didn’t throw behind you. He came in and got you in the leg. Act like a pro and take your base. I guess I’d be frustrated too if my closest rival was stepping on my neck with a nob-nailed boot and crushing my throat (homage to the great Larry Munson).
Paul Byrd said the purpose was to make Harper uncomfortable in the box. Don’t know if it played a factor or not, but it sure was fun watching Harper strike out swinging to end the game. And actually, I like the guy. He needs a little seasoning, though.
As for Teheran, he didn’t cower, he didn’t turn his back, he didn’t hide behind his players (all of whom came to his defense). He looked directly at Harper and said “Whatcha gonna do about it?” Twice. I get the feeling Julio may have mixed it up a time or two in his past. I want his jersey.
BTW- I’d like Freddie Freeman, Evan Gattis, Dan Uggla and Brian McCann to come to my aid. That’s some big body guards, fellas.
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Perhaps the best exclamation point to last night’s game was Kimbrel coming in to strike out the side in the ninth, striking out Harper with high cheese for the final strike. It was as if it was the Braves who woke from their doldrums rather than the Nats after the incident.
Chipper Jones tweeted to Harper after the game “Don’t walk off homers and you won’t get hit” His home run trot was clocked in excess of 22 seconds,by Fan Graphs, slowest of the season.
No one mentioned that Freeman was hit in an earlier at bat. Hey, Teheran didn’t throw at his head. It’s part of the game. Pretty sure Harper will want to take it out on Meds tonight.
Now Heyward, here is hoping that J-Hey got a good massage and relief last night. He is playing too well right now and would be a real loss for the Braves to not be available. I have no idea what line-up Freddie G will use tonight. It’s possible he will give BMac a couple of days off in a row with the day off coming Thursday.
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You gotta love how the national media is playing this… Bryce Harper in “Beanball incident”. Beanball? Really? Did Harper have his head near his @$$? Well, I suppose he did act like it; but in reality, it was a fastball to the thigh. Hardly a beanball. It was a message, it was delivered, and it was received. That’s baseball. Most mature players understand that. Judging by the expletives spewing from Harper’s mouth, there is an element of maturity lacking.
2 questions: 1st, does Heyward play tonight and does he lead off? 2nd, does the Braves as-yet-unknown leadoff batter get plunked on the 1st pitch? My guess is this: If it’s Heyward, Zimmermann might think about it. If it’s Simmons, it’ll happen.
I say we lead off Gattis and dare them to throw inside. 😀
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From the mlb.com story regarding the “incident”:
Harper said after the game, which Atlanta won, 2-1, that the incident was “part of the game” and something that Teheran has “got to do.” The 20-year-old was then asked if he was surprised by the pitch.
“I hit that ball pretty far off him,” Harper replied, “so no, not really.”
“It’s part of the game, like I said,” Harper said. “If I walk off on somebody and he wants to drill me, I’ll let him drill me and I’ll stand on first base and say some choice words and get over it.”
And there ya go. It should be done. Glad Harper took the high road after the game. Purpose pitch or not, it is part of the game. Had Julio gone high with the pitch, it’d be different.
Nothing to see here folks, move along…
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Pitch placement is everything. A fast ball in a player’s hip pocket is a message, Anywhere else is evil intent. No one ever had to go on the DL after being plunked in the butt. Ribs, hands, arms, elbows, head, knees and toes and fingers, all can be devastating.
I still think the “incident” did more to wake up to Braves than inspire the Nats.
Good, I told Josie during the first few inning that the Braves looked flat. No longer after Harper spouted off.
Nice to see a little bravado from such a young club. You also have to be smart about it, Plausible deniability is still important. Keep them guessing.
I’m sure there will be some form of retaliation at some point this year but if the Nats are smart, it will be scoring runs. Absent that, best just move on a play hard. But that won’t happen. Just see where the pitch is thrown and at whom. That will reveal the real level of the moxie this Nats’ team processes.
I see a very frustrated Washington team who got a little caught up in believing all the pre season hoopla and press clippings and did not see the value of Mike Morse being on their roster.
I really like LaRoach but he never has possessed the intensity of Morse and lacks the killer instinct needed to put another team away.
This is a really young Braves team but one which has a lot of big league experience. They have just enough veterans to acts as sages for this team but they also have a bunch of hungry youngsters who have experienced some bitter failures. 2010’s fade, 2011’s fail, 2012 heartbreak. All have hardened this team to one which finds themselves on the brink of greatness.
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On the brink of greatness indeed. We are only beginning to see the offensive potential of these young stars. And we are already seeing the pitching prowess of youngsters Minor and Teheran… and even Wood. We know what Beachy and Medlen are capable of, each already dominating at times.
I really don’t want to look beyond this season, because I think these cats have the “it” that can carry them to something truly magical in 2013. But can you imagine next season when these fellas are all accustomed to Fredi and each other? Not to mention the swagger they’ll carry. (They actually are carrying a good bit of swagger now…)
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The Nationals are all a twitter about getting retribution for the affront to their star, Bryce Harper… Anyone else remember the really obese closer the Braves had who retaliated against the Marlins and ended up losing the game? Was his name Whitten?
Anyway, just a bit of warning that one should not lose sight of the ultimate game…
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Bob Wickman
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Meds is dealing so far tonight, looks like last year’s version of Kris Medlen…
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Oops..
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Kimbrel sure made it interesting in the ninth…. Whew….
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Braves on a serious roll… and now a day off. But probably at a good time. Schafer should be ready to return tomorrow, and Todd Cunningham can go back and continue to develop. I like what I’ve seen from him. Terdo, too. And I get the feeling from some comments I’ve heard from Fredi that he likes Terdo alot… not as an everyday guy, but as a switch hitter off the bench. He’s done a good job, too. He may have found his slot on this team.
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Yes Raisins, Joey T has become a valuable piece. I look for the Braves to try to hang onto to him until the rosters can expand in September. Even at the expense of Jordan Schafer.
It will be interesting to see how and who gets shuffled as guys come of the DL. You are right however, Todd will go down first, then George, Making space on the pitching staff should be most interesting too when Maholm is ready.
At least I an not the only one who gets Davis Carpenter mixed up with Craig Kimbrell. The Nat’s announcers did too last night when David was warming up in the eight.
Tough save for Craig last night, 36 pitches. The velocity was there but his control was all over the place. A lot of close pitches that were called balls. I know he was exhausted after the final out. The Braves have a 15-1/2 game lead, Fredi needs to rest Kimbrel a bit more.
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One has to wonder, has the guy Frak Wren paid 75 million for this off season finally shown up? BJ has finally got his timing down. Now he needs only to remember how to run the bases and keep track of how many outs there are to be a force.
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Gil, I think he has shown up. We are seeing what we imagined before the season started. JHey, JUp, Freddie, Mac and BJ is a murderers row. Ad to that the MLB batting leader and the surprising offence of the SS and you really have something.
But here’s the key, and we saw it all week in DC and especially last night. The Braves are getting the key clutch hit with important runs on the bases. JHey yanking that ball into RF last night in the 8th inning with 2 outs and 2 strikes was a thing of beauty. That is where the offence has really begun to shine.
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Perhaps the real telling sign has been the reduction in strikeouts along with increased contact. Productive outs are pretty important not to mention timely errors by the opposing defense.
The Braves looked exhausted last night after the final out. They really have earned this day off. You hate time off during hot streaks but I think this one is well timed. The best thing is this edition of the Braves have no appearances of phoning it in. Something we saw far too much of back when the Braves were the button down, business as usual Braves of the ’90s.
The Nationals had a look of defeat upon their faces yesterday. The realization that this year’s Braves team were not going to fold. No where more evident than when Harper didn’t run out a ground ball….
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I almost felt sorry for the Nats last night…almost! 😉 A winning streak can about kill a bullpen, Kimbrel has closed, what, 5 out of the last 6 games?
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Ber you are right, a winning streak can stress your pen but that is when it becomes important for the manager to be the adult in the room and remember there is still a long way to go and use the opportunity to allow Scott Downs and Jordan Walden to close out a few more.
Sorry for the Nats? Naw… They did not feel sorry knocking the Braves out of the play-off in 2011. You can never feel sorry for the losers, they will turn it around on you in a heartbeat. It is the killer instinct that is the difference in winners and losers.
Now, does does not mean you should gloat…. That to be is what is wrong with basketball and football. Too much trash talking. Be a good winner and a good loser. Give credit to the other guys. Never diminish your opponent, it only diminishes your accomplishments.
Interesting comments by Brian McCann, saying this is the best team he has ever played on, everyone is young. Personally, I think Brian can be had with an incentive laced contract with a lot of deferred money. I would take him for another five years.
Heyward is going to the Yankees when he gets the opportunity, Freedie Free will follow to the West Coast…. Brian is a homeboy who has followed this team from the moment he knew what a baseball was. Just saying…..
I love Evan Gattis but Evan is never going to be an everyday guy. He is best being used as a fourth outfielder/back-up catcher power bat off the bench. He can become over exposed pretty quickly. Just saying…
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I’d sure hate to see this team broken up – but money most always wins out. As I have asked before, how many millions is enough?
I continue to receive notices of people who have begun to “follow” our little blog. I sure wish you guys (and gals?) would jump in and join the conversation! 🙂 We don’t bite, belittle, call names or curse – we just like to talk Braves baseball – and would welcome you gladly! 😀
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We don’t bite
Not hard, anyway… 😆
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Mr. O’B has pointed out an interesting stat: BJ is 10-21 since returning from the DL.
Dadgum… somebody should have hurt him sooner! If he starts struggling again, maybe JHey can just plow him over out in right-center… 😉
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Pretty awesome first inning for the Bravos. That day off really paid off.
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And a very nice outing for Mr. Beachy. It all seems to be falling into place in August. The team looks dominating.
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Looks like Mr. Schafer is returning tonight as predicted. However, Mr. Cunningham is not going anywhere; rather Mr. Constanza is taking the trip down.
Well done, young Todd. You have apparently impressed the right people. 🙂
And I gotta say, he has surprised me as well. I like to think I have at least a mild idea of whom we have in the system. I kind of had the idea of Todd as a AAAA kind of guy. I think one reason I’ve glazed over him is that he was drafted out of college. I’m not used to the Braves drafting out of college anyway, but especially position players. He looks like a pretty good one.
And I might as well say it since I’m thinking it… he might simply be being showcased for trade. The Braves OF seems to be pretty set up for the next few years. And I think they love young Mr. Schafer as the #4 guy and young Mr. Terdo as a switch-hitter coming off the bench. Whither Mr. Cunningham? Maybe I’m wrong. I hope so. I really like his game…
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Barring injuries, you have to wonder just whom you need to trade for? The only holes right now are at 2nd base and a back-up infielder who can play short. Paul Janish is okay for a short period but I would not want to rely on his bat.
The only answer would be for a real front of the rotation pitcher but I don’t see anyone of that stripe on the trade market.
Depth is a beautiful thing but normally that come from within. Repeatedly good drafts and strong in house development.
The Braves are not going to be able to compete with the big boys by throwing money at players so they are going to have to be creative.
I suspected Todd Cunningham would go before Costanza but George may have sealed his fate getting thrown out on a steal attempt in DC the other night. He has speed but he has not mastered being able to read a pitcher’s moves. There is more to the art of the steal besides just speed. He might be back in September but I am of the mind that Costanza has had his shot.
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Cunningham at least has a little pop in his bat. Now as for Joey T, the kid has really impressed me this season. I can see why the Braves tried to convert him into a third baseman. He is willing to do whatever it takes to make himself valuable to the club, including learning to catch if need be.
Who gets the call Sunday behind the plate, Gerald Laird or El Orso Blanco?
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Johnny Logan Obituary
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Johnny Logan, a four-time All-Star shortstop who helped the Milwaukee Braves win the 1957 World Series, has died. He was 86.
The Milwaukee Brewers said Logan died Friday at Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center.
In 13 seasons with the Boston and Milwaukee Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates, Logan hit .268 with 93 home runs and 547 RBIs. He finished his playing career in Japan in 1964, and later worked was a scout with the Brewers.
“Johnny Logan was a longtime friend to Milwaukee baseball,” the Brewers said in a statement. “His connection to both the Brewers and the Braves and the Milwaukee community was very strong.
“Virtually every person associated with the Milwaukee Brewers has been touched by Johnny through his many visits to the ballpark and terrific stories about his time in the game. We will miss Johnny deeply and will never forget his colorful character and personality.”
Logan, from Endicott, N.Y. was honored by the Brewers last month with the unveiling of his plaque on the Miller Park “Walk of Fame.”
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Good morning folks… Had a thunderstorm come through Saturday and knocked out the power for 36 hours…. Missed the loss and could not even get the ball game scores until late. Finally broke down and fired up a generator I purchased last year to keep the freezer and refrigerator going.
Poor Josie, she is not use to being without A/C…
Anyway, I did get to watch the game Sunday. Gattis sure looked better after a few days off.
Phillies roll into town after dropping three straight to the Nats. To be honest, I hate playing a team which is on a streak. The law of averages so up at some point.
Justin Upton learned how important it is to hydrate prior to a game in Atlanta during August yesterday. Lucky it is just a cramp but it will still be sore a for a few days.
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CL, sadly, I had never heard of Johnny Logan. Sounds like he was a great guy, well loved around the game….
Looks like Cunningham was sent down to make room for Laird. So very many decent outfielders, and no place to play them! Remember when Bobby thought 4 outfielders were more than enough????
Gattis caught back to back games because McCann has a sore knee…I didn’t know that….from espn game notes…C Brian McCann was held out of the starting lineup for the second straight day with a sore right knee. McCann said he had similar soreness last season and wants to better control the situation this year…
And I hate that Gattis made some great blocks in the Sat game, then one pitch finally went between his legs, and then the ESPN guys said, he was on the team for his bat, and has to get better making blocks. Gives a false impression of the job he does there, though he was the first to admit he should have blocked that one…
Hate to see the Marlins really have some good arms from all those fire sales. Nate Eovaldi looks to be a beast.
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don’t say anything for a few days, then think of a million things to say. Wood made the best start of his career Saturday. 6 innings, 2 hits, no runs. Guess he will go back to the bullpen when Maholm is ready.
Am I reading this right? Uggla hasn’t had a day off since….June 20th??? I’m pretty sure Janish can go 0-4 too, and give o’ Danny boy a mental day off…
http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/gamelog/_/id/6462/dan-uggla
And can’t figure out why Janish can’t get his bat going, what with 9 AB’s since June 23rd call up. That’s just stupid F.G.
http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/gamelog/_/id/29130/paul-janish
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Ber, ESPN is the sports world’s version of MSNBC…. Need I say more?
The thing about a wild pitch is to be honest, a catcher really does not know where it is going after it hits the dirt. Having been the back stop for more than a few young pitchers who could throw hard but did not really know where it was going on a good day, I can say it’s like catching a knuckle ball but faster and harder. Sometimes they will bounce off your chest if you are lucky, Off your cup if you are not….
Good to see Schafer put some good swings on the ball Sunday. Hey, hit it hard and put it in play, you have no control of the situation if it is an at-em ball…
Uggs will get a day off in September, that’s when they can expand the rosters and call up Pastornicky.
I know Raisins and many others believe this is BMac’s last season in a Braves uni but I still like Gattis in the role he is in versus having him as an everyday player. I also think Brian is better when he play 4 out of seven days. Since it isn’t my team, I don’t get to make payroll decisions.
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A comment was made by the Braves’ TV announcers that Mark DeRosa was drawn back off waivers after a “mystery team” place a claim on him. Word was the “mystery team” was the Braves. That sort of acquisition would have made a lot of sense for the Braves, he is exactly the kind of player who would make the team better.
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One has to wonder, at what point do the Braves realize that Dan Uggla is just not going to hit. How many years are left on his contract? 2? 3? He definitely needs some bench time…
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Gil, I read somewhere that the mystery team was an under-.500 team, but who really knows? There was alot of speculation that it was the Braves. I certainly believe it could have been.
And can’t figure out why Janish can’t get his bat going
Because he’s the one swinging it. He’s a gold glove caliber fielder, but not a Major League hitter. He’s just not. And it leaves a hole in the lineup late when he comes in for defense. I’ve said it more than once, but the loss of Pena will end up being the most glaring of the several losses the Braves have had in 2013 as the season winds down. Janish has a career batting average of .216 in 6 seasons, but has only hit over .214 once, in the anomaly season of 2010 when he hit .260. Even then it was just over 200 AB’s.
I know, I know… Uggla is only hitting .187. But in that puny AVG is 21 HR’s and 53 RBI. And that makes him a threat every time he comes to the plate, even if he gets a hit just once every 5 or 6 AB’s.
Funny, though. As much as that speaks of Janish’s bat, it speaks that loudly of Pastornicky’s glove. Pastor is a Major League hitter, but has more holes in his glove than a White House press release. If you could somehow marry Pastor’s bat with Janish’s glove, you’d have something.
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Raisins, you are spot on with your assessment of the loss of Pena for the season. He was the secret weapon for the Braves off the bench.
The Braves’ bats looked anemic last night, of course, Cole Hammels look liked the same guy who has tormented the Bravos for years now. It is hard to believe that the Atlanta nine would throw in the towel after giving up just one run but you felt like it would be all the crafty left hander would need.
Turns out the Braves would get that one run back but not before surrendering another four. Well, that’s baseball and you are going to run into a wall once in a while.
Pastonicky will play for someone in the majors by next year. His leaky glove would not be a drop off at second for the Braves but his bat would be an upgrade.
I know, 21 homers and 51 RBI for Uggs so far but even that is weak for a guy who commands the biggest payday on your club. At the time of the trade with the Marlins, the Braves really needed his bat. they are still waiting for it to show up…. Other than a couple of good months, it has been a very frustrating ride. Even the numbers on the back of the baseball card are being reprinted downward.
It’s hard not to root for the guy because he gives it 100% everyday but at some point you have to say, get fitted with a pair of Chris Sabo goggles and forget the contact lens. When you can’t see the ball, Pitchers know they don’t have to be very fine with their pitches to him, just don’t hit his bat….
Rapheal Belliard made a living being a late innings defensive replacement but even he hit one out every 2000 or so at bats.
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If the Braves had an infielder like Pena available, I have no doubt he would be holding down second base for the Braves for a few days. There is just no one other the the Pastor who is major league ready and I don’t see him being available until September.
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I saw the game where Rafie hit his only homerun. Joe was trying to be professional but finally just yelled, ” GO, BALL!! GO!!!” as it barely cleared the left field wall. A terrific moment.
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Another terrific moment, Uggla to DL to have Lasik ye surgery. I guess he opted against the Sabo look….
I guess I am not the only person to clearly see the problem….
Tyler P called up to fill in. Likely will hang with the Braves the rest of the year. By the time Uggla returns, it will be time for the September call ups….
Now, where to bat him? 7th or 8th?
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So many comments about if Lasik will solve Uggla’s problem. I for one am hoping it works 100% and Uggla becomes one of the more feared hitters in the majors. If not, then I hope he is able to take a disability retirement, collect the insurance money and the Braves use the money to sign Brian McCann…. Either way the Braves win. Worse case is Dan comes back and tries to play thru it and being a huge black hole in the line up not to mention taking his life into his own hands in not being able to see well enough to realize he is about to get hit by a screaming line drive or a non-breaking slider to the head.
A lot of athletes opt for football over baseball because they are afraid of the ball.
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Nothing would make me happier with this version of the Braves (other than a World Series championship) than for Dan Uggla to get his eyes “fixed” and come back with a monster September and October. Not just because he’s another weapon, but because I truly like the guy as a person. He has struggle mightily, but never gave in to the demons around him. He just keeps working harder… seeking a solution. And nobody, NOBODY hustles more than he does. I root for him, maybe more than the other guys. We have all scratched our heads about him trying to figure out how a guy with obvious major league hitting ability suddenly can’t get wood on the ball. Well, it’s a little satisfying to know there is a legit reason. It’s hard to hit something coming at you at 90 mph that you can’t see! And even if he doesn’t get it turned completely around this season, because it has to require an adjustment period, I hope he has a more typical season next year.
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BTW- 2 things to take away from last night’s victory over the Philadelphia Phossils. Pastor went 1-4 with a run scored. He also drew Janish as the late inning defensive replacement instead of CJohnson.
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Medlin’s catch and throw ~
http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?topic_id=51231442&content_id=29670643
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Wow… thanks for the link, CL. Great play!!
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Outstanding performance turned in by Kris Medlen last night. Had his fastball ducking and darting like the Medlen of old. That ans swinging the bat pretty fair too. He seems to lose it around 85 pitches, leaving ball up and over the plate. I know Freddie is trying to stretch him out and get him through 7 full innings but not quite there yet.
Last night’s game was Madduxesk in that it was pretty snappy. 2 and 1/2 hours is about all a ballgame should last.
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Another nice outing for Brandon Beachy. The kid looks 95% back. Good command of all pitches tonight… really only made 1 mistake, that being to Domonic Brown. 81 pitches/55 strikes. That’s the key.
Tough break for Rev. Hopefully early indications hold true and it’s just a knee sprain. Man he was ticked to have to come out! 😯 But the guy gets a chance for 2 weeks of regular starts in the bigs and gets hurt on Day 2. That’s tough.
And is there a hotter hitter around than Chris Johnson? The ball must look like a flippin’ volley ball to him right now.
And what to do about the infield. Even if Rev’s knee isn’t seriously hurt, he’s out for a few days at the least. Good timing for the off day, but we could enter Friday with just CJohnson, Simba and Janish as IF. Better hold you breath that nobody gets hurt!
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Some GREAT Braves clips!
http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?topic_id=47149410&content_id=29715217
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Beachy quote from last night: “… reintroduced the slider…” Yes!! Getting better start by start…
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Hey, CL… that’s the best night Janish has had “with the bat” in a long time! 😆
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Well, it was not too long ago that I gave everyone a heads up on this kid:
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Drafted out of college, and already 24 years old. He’s the real deal, too. Braves are high on him.
Tommy La Stella is a LH bat, too, which Frank has been scouring the trade market for.
His combined numbers at high A and AA this year are .356 avg. / .440 obp / only 28 K’s in 247 ab’s.
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Drafted in round 8 of the 2011 draft; is said to be a “Lemke-type”. Average defender, grinder, hard worker, steady. Bowman says they’ll call him up if Rev’s knee is more than just a day-to-day thing.
Don’t you know Bobby would love to manage this kid? 🙂
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And likely would have to DL the Pastor to make room. My suspicion is that if anything, Pastornicky’s most likely injury would be a torn meniscus. Not debilitating but bothersome. Let’s hope it is just a bruise.
Everyone appears to verify that J-Hey was calling for the ball all the way. Only person who didn’t was Tyler.
That said, Janish made about 4 plays last night after moving to second that no one else would had made. The guy may have a weak bat but he is real Rafeal Belliard with the glove.
I would bet the Braves are the only major league team with three catchers and only one second baseman. There is the Pena injury rearing it’s ugly head again.
The only reason to hold a kid down in AA is the Braves are loath to start the clock on a kid early. The Braves are trying to run out the clock on Uggla one would think.
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“COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Major League Baseball is expanding its video review process next season, giving managers a tool they’ve never had.
Commissioner Bud Selig calls it a historic moment for the game in a press conference in Cooperstown after two days of meetings with representatives of the 30 teams. The proposal is to be voted on by the owners in November.
Managers will be allowed one challenge over the first six innings of games and two after the seventh inning until the end of the game. Calls that are challenged will be reviewed by a crew in MLB headquarters in New York City, which will make the final ruling.
MLB vice president Joe Torre gave the replay presentation to representatives from all 30 teams on Wednesday and it was discussed Thursday morning.
A 75 percent vote by the owners is needed for approval and the players’ association and umpires would have to agree to any changes to the current system.
Atlanta Braves President John Schuerholz, a member of the replay committee, says the umpires are receptive to the change. Schuerholz says 89 percent of incorrect calls made in the past will be reviewable.””
What do you think guys?
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I’m thinking they are going to need more cameras….
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I am also thinking they still need to have some constraints on what is reviewable. Balls and strikes? Check swings? Does the call made on the field take precedence?
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I had an epic post lost this am , as that is the time windows simply HAD to update the minute I was about to post..sigh…is there any better feeling? 😕
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“Calls that are challenged will be reviewed by a crew in MLB headquarters in New York City, which will make the final ruling.”
So the game will be stopped so until “NY” makes a decision? Lots of questions.
Wonder what happened to the bat? I wouldn’t touch one of those things, rabies carriers that they are.
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CL, the bat was released and flew off.
As I understand it, balls and strikes are OFF LIMITS to the review process.
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Good, I was wondering if there would ever be a reason to see a manager ejected again… We will still be able to see players throw hissy fits over the strike zone… 🙂
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I am anxious to hear the results of Rev’s MRI today. I really am a fan of is, and was hoping he could show defensive capability at 2B over the next 3 weeks or so. I’m sure he was hoping the same thing. Moreso than the image of is knee wobbling Wednesday night, I still have the image of him flinging his hat and then his glove into the fence out of frustration as he was escorted into the clubhouse from the dugout. The kid had a chance to play regularly and “audition” for a regular spot and had it yanked out from under him.
It really puts the Braves in an uncomfortable spot. We have 3 catchers and 5 outfielders, but just 4 infielders. And with 1 of them dinged, there are NO reserves. The Braves say if his knee is just “day to day”, they won’t make a move. But can they afford to do that? Tough call. And you don’t want to send Terdo down because you want him on the roster to preserve his post-season eligibility. Remember, if you are on the 25-man roster or the DL on August 31 (hello Uggla), you are post-season eligible. So in this case, both Uggla and Pastor would be. And if they call up Tommy La Stella, he would be as well.
So… seems like a no-brainer, right? Just go ahead and DL Rev, let his knee get back to 100%, and play the kid for a couple of weeks until Danny resumes his regular spot anyway, right? Well, hold on there Baba Louie. Mr. La Stella isn’t on the 40-man roster. Then again, I suppose that’s just a formality. The Braves have enough guys on the 15-day DL with season ending injuries. All they really have to do is transfer one to the 60-day. So many rules…
Glad we could give Frank a hand this morning. 😀
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Then again, we may get rained out all weekend and it might not matter. 🙄
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What would Frank do without ol’ B&S blog?? *shakes head* I bet he checks this blog as he takes his first sip of coffee in the mornings, don’t you? 😆
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Bowman: Starting to sound like Pastornicky will be more than just a day-to-day deal. Should have an update within the next hour.
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FYI: Tommy La Stella is in Pensacola w/ the AA Braves. Just a hop away if he’s called on. I get the sense Frank is working on something, thus the delay…
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Bowman hints that Frank is working hard to find someone on a waiver deal. In the meantime, they don’t wish to “start the clock” on Tommy La Stella, whom they really like long term, so might instead bring up AAA Gwinnett’s Philip Gosselin. Both Gosselin and La Stella are college guys, and both 24. That said, Gosselin is just down the road at Gwinnett, and would be an easy short term band-aid. Let’s face it… he’d only be an insurance IF on the bench anyway, as Janish will get the playing time.
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Interesting factoid to add to my previous post. Gosselin hit a HR against Stephen Strasburg while at UVA when they met in the NCAA Tournament.
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“Definite possibility”… 😆
Is that anything like a “crash landing”, or “civil war”, or “old news”?
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And there goes yet another Braves payer down for season ending surgery. Although it may not have looked all that severe Wednesday, Rev suffered the ol’ ACL tear in his knee. Gosselin gets his first ML callup fro AAA Gwinnett.
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payerplayer;frofrom 😳LikeLike
So what is the MLB record for players lost to season ending surgery in a single season? 🙄
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Hmmm… I wonder how Obamacare will affect professional sports teams and their players in getting treatment? Probably exempted because they are union members… 😉
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They better hope, that said, they would be covered under workman’s comp for being hurt on the job…. ACL ?… BAD, BAD, BAD…. I feel for the kid. There goes another step as well
Bad thing about Obamacare among other things, in order to pay for Obamacare, they took money from Medicare, results, cut my rehab to 12 sessions per year, I was only just learning to walk again when they pulled the plug on me….
Charlie Manual fired today…. That’s what he gets for not being able to win with the injuries to his pitchers and not winning with the old team he was saddled with by the GM….
“The only reason to hold a kid down in AA is the Braves are loath to start the clock on a kid early. The Braves are trying to run out the clock on Uggla one would think.”
Yes CL, one would think Frank has us on speed dial….
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The Braves have bought the contract of infielder Phil Gosselin, 24, from Triple-A Gwinnett. Gosselin will be in uniform for Friday’s game and will wear No. 59.
If ever a message was being sent to a kid to not bother buying a new condo in Atlanta, getting number 59 assigned to you would be it…. I wonder if he will get the jinx locker? Lucky if he isn’t issued a cardboard box and a paper bag for his stuff…..
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“So what is the MLB record for players lost to season ending surgery in a single season?”
Dunno, Raisins. How many are left on the roster? We should know in a few months.
😉
” Lucky if he isn’t issued a cardboard box and a paper bag for his stuff…..”
😆
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I’m sure you are all have been waiting, with baited breath what was in the epic post. 🙄
Well, it gave me a delightful opportunity to bash F.G. Now, I am a fan of F.G. Certainly a fresher thinker than Bobby was. Keeping Gattis on the roster. Having him start at 1st in the bigs when he hadn’t ever played there before. Keeping Chris Johnson batting 8th even after he got hot. Sitting the Upton’s perhaps more than they would like(See Schafer is in CF tonight)
I think that’s why it got under my skin that Janish wasn’t playing. (9 ab’s, in 2 months) It’s common sense that if you have 25 men on a roster, that ALL of them need to play, to get their reps. Because of what has happened. Janish shouldn’t start regularly, but as Gil pointed out,( even with little playing time), he is a special defensive player. Simmons had played 29 games in a row when he was finally given a day off. And it was too late at that point as the Pastor got hurt and he was back in on his day off.
And I know some would say, hey Janish can’t hit. Well, .214 for his career, and no hits this year(Think that wears on a ML’er when you get an A.B. per week?) Can’t risk him getting a start a week. Really? with a double digit lead? That gives you a lot of flexibility. If F.G. was so “afraid” to play Janish, then he should have sent him down, and brought someone else up that he had some confidence in.
I also had looked at what Uggla was hitting for Aug. .054. Any idea what Simmons is hitting in August? even after a hit last night…. .133. In other words. Janish should have been playing, one game at ss a week, one game at 2nd next week, and filling in for Johnson in the 9th once in awhile.Again, common sense, right?
Now, apparently Janish can roll out of bed and still be a slick fielder…but, he isn’t used to playing….at all…so what is his endurance at this point?
And while typing this, “Batman” Janish gets another hit! See what happens when a guy gets some reps? 😉
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Good post Ber…Paul may have a weak bat, no power, but he is making contact.
What’s up with BMac lately? That’s three weak ground balls he has hit to second tonight. Really rolling over the top of the ball.
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Gil, I heard a few days ago his knee is barking at him…he still doesn’t look like he is “fit” does he? No matter what he is doing in the offseason, he just seems a bit..soft.
So, does Alex Wood go to the bullpen, if/when Maholm comes back? Alex seems to be getting better and better with each outing! Seemed to be throwing a bit harder too…
and the Nats pitcher, man….can’t think of that Phils pitcher the braves have faced twice I have never heard of…but there are some serious arms in the NL east! Hate that the Marlins have 4 really good young starters….was hoping they were going to be a 100+ loss team for a few years…We know the Mutts have two really good arms too…well, none of that matters as long as the braves win, right? at least this year! 🙂
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Bravo for JUp! Class.
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130816&content_id=57211950&vkey=news_atl&c_id=atl&partnerId=ed-7468436-591439623
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Some nice clips of the Braves vs Nats:
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2013_08_16_wasmlb_atlmlb_1&mode=recap_home&c_id=atl&partnerId=ed-7468436-591439623#gid=2013_08_16_wasmlb_atlmlb_1&mode=video
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I’m really proud of Wilmington’s Post 10 baseball team now playing in the American Legion World Series! Won 5-0 last night and moving on!
http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20130816/ARTICLES/130819696/1005?Title=O-Donnell-Post-10-win-in-shutout
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Good morning folks, pretty intense game last night. Outstanding pitching by both teams. Nats’ defense reminded folks of why they are 15 1/2 games behind the Braves. Compare the ERAs of Minor and Strausburg and then look at the win/loss record and it will give you an idea of how important it is to have a stout defense behind you which does not give teams extra outs.
Tough end for Charlie Manual. He has said he will be managing somewhere next season in the bigs, You have to wonder who’s job is on the line.
The Dodgers are a great example of the difference between having all your horses and not. It was not all that long ago that everyone was predicting the demise of Johnny Baseball, AKA Don Mattingly, by the first of May.
It should give folks an appreciation of the job Freddie G has done this season. It is not as if the Braves have not had their share of adversity in keeping players on the field.
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By the way CL, I love American Legion ball, I was not good enough to play AL ball but lots of good players honed their skills there. Congrats to your locals.
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That was a tedious first inning for Mike Minor tonight. Lucky to only give up two. 30 some pitches… won’t be around long doing that.
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One of those starts for Minor that he has to just put behind him and get ready for next week. Never seemed to get loose. A very Kershin Kawakami type outing.
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That was one of the strangest 2nd innings I have ever seen….
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Naturally I missed it. I miss every Fri, Sat and Sun game because I still have the very customer unfriendly Dish Network. But in my theater of the mind, it was something else.. 🙄
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Weird game actually…
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To be honest, if I had to listen to Bob Carpenter every night, I would switch to football… Totally lost when it comes to who is playing and what they are doing.
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I stayed with it until the bitter end last night, uh, this morning… I kind of saw it coming. Oh well, the sun still rose this morning… It’s Josie’s birthday today and I am taking her out to dinner… I had no clue as to what else to get her. What do you buy for someone who already has it all…?
Anyway, the game. It was pretty amazing for the Braves to come back as far as they did. It goes to show you that you never know which run will be the one that sinks you. Sorry, but Ayala is just not doing it for me.
Meds looked pretty good coming out of the pen. One mistake in three innings of work… Oh well, the life of a reliever in extra innings.
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Gil, flowers are NEVER wrong. There’s just something so special about being given a beautiful bouquet.
Post 10 lost yesterday in the pouring rain –
” It was an ideal night for ducks and salamanders, not baseball.
Yet the Gonzales, La., and Wilmington teams battled through. The 6-5 win by the Gonzales club may not have been a thing of great beauty, but it kept them undefeated in the American Legion World Series.
Gonzales (48-4-2) will now square off with Brooklawn, N.J., at 8:30 p.m. in the winner’s bracket finals. Wilmington (35-3) will face Waipahu, Hawaii, in an elimination game at 5, following the 1 p.m. matchup between Petaluma, Calif., and Burnsville, Minn.”
I’m still very proud of them for making it so far in the national scene of American Legion ball. 😀
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The Braves are fielding their split-squad away line up today…
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“I love these fans. I really do,” Harper said afterward. “These people are absolutely unbelievable for their team. If I was playing for a team like this and had a crowd like that I’d be stoked to play here every night, too. I love playing at Nats Park. We have a great crowd, too. Going to Philly. Going here. Fenway. New York. There are so many great crowds.”
Bryce Harper after being booed lustily by the Atlanta fans in his every appearance this weekend.
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I’d be pretty stoked if he was playing here every night too. 🙂
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http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/08/18/shock-as-australian-baseballer-gunned-down-by-us-teens/?intcmp=obnetwork
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Yes, Bryce Harper is a Pete Rose type player with more talent. Brash? Yes, but he is still pretty young. He will mellow out with age. After all, He has been push along pretty quickly and I have never met teenager who didn’t think they were the smartest person in the room.
Two quick games in the Big Apple and then off to St Louis. I am wondering if the Braves will win 100 games this season. They certainly have a good shot at accomplishing that milestone feat. Thirty eight games are left in the season and they would have to win 24 more games out of 38… That’s 24 and 14… Not quite 2 out of every 3. Doable one would think.
Funny, the Braves are still the back page story for most of the sports networks. The Dodgers , A-Roid, and football all seem to being taking precedence over the Bravos. Yes, the Braves have become baseball’s version of Rodney Dangerfield….
So, the team I am most worried about? The Marlins… If Loria would get off just a little of all that cash being sent to him at the expense of the Big Boys, the Marlins could add a bullpen to go with that good pitching staff. That and a third baseman to add a bat.
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Hi folks, early game tomorrow.
Just so ya’ll know, Ayaya is on my “first pitcher to be DFA’d list”
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Speaking of DFA, guess who just got DFA’d by San Fran? Yep, “The Natural” just got DFA’d because his numbers in SF were worse than his numbers in KC. It just goes to prove the axiom that talent resides above the neck as well as below. And I still blame the stinking WBC team selection committee and SI with their “The Natural” magazine cover as much as anything. Kids are soooo impressionable…
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Yes, to be honest, I think it is a a shame. He had so much potential. Kind of like BJ Upton without the big contract.
I’m sure there was a whole lot going on behind the scenes that we never heard about as far as Frenchy was concerned. Too much success too soon and a young kid just cannot handle it. For sure, you cannot tell then anything. They already know it all.
Did y’all see where Prigh is a another Manny? Always late, breaking curfew. How long do you think he would have lasted in Atlanta? Would have made a nice trade piece though.
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The Braves looked a little flat last night. I hope they can snap out of it today.
One PM game today.. WAKE UP BER.
I would say that Gattis is cooling off a bit but he is still hitting the ball hard, just at people for the most part. I am thinking he is swinging at some really bad pitches up and in.. He needs to lay off the high hard ones… His defense is improving though.
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Uggh…I am up…been up for hours. Sleep and I are not on friendly terms today.
Yeah, Frenchy comes off so well in interviews I’ve seen…don’t know if he’s a great actor, or what. I usually can smell frauds. Steve Garvey. Never liked him. Just a total fake, IMHO. Proved it when he knocked up several women in a row whilst married(I think he was still married) Should be in the HOF though.
Perhaps Frenchy needs to go to Japan, or the Mexican league. Still only 29.
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Perhaps Frenchy needs to go to Japan, or the Mexican league.
Don’t know why that sentence struck me as funny… at least in an international sort of way. 😀
But I agree. Japan might be a good landing place for him to try to regain a bit of MLB respect, if not a bit of his former game in the process.
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JHey’s catch:
http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?topic_id=11493214&content_id=29887057
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2day’s lineup:
1- JHey, RF
2- Simba, SS
3- Free, 1B
4- CJohnson, 3B
5- Laird, C
6- Terdo, LF
7- BJ, CF
8- Janish, 2B
9- Wood, LHP
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CL, JHey is a man. He is da man.
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And in a single moment and a single action, the Braves post-season hopes are suddenly laying on the ground…
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… and now walking toward the clubhouse. 😡
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No Raisins, I do not believe the Braves are a single player team any longer. A true championship team has the depth to withstand the inevitable blows that will befall a team on the way to the WS.
Fortunately, there is time for Heyward to return even under the worse conditions,
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Jason Heyward has a fractured jaw and will miss the rest of the regular season.???
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Of course, it does not make it any easier…
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In other words… CRAP!
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That must have hurt like – uh, really hurt! 😦
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I am hoping J-Hey is able to come back in 4 weeks but I will not count on it. Time for BJ Upton to step up now. The Braves have been able to win in spite of him, now is the time for him to bring his A game.
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You hit it right on the head, Gil. Wait… bad analogy… 😯
But you’re right. This team needs BJ to step up. He’s proven he can carry a team. Well, it’s time. Also, it wouldn’t hurt if Danny Uggs can see again. I am thankful that Jordan Schafer has had a career restart. But given Reed Johnson’s statement earlier today that he’s not sure when he’ll be back, I’m thinking we need to pick up another veteran bat for our bench. Elliot Johnson ain’t it. Elliot Johnson makes Paul Janish look like Wade Boggs.
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Elliot is trying to get by on the cheap…. I am not sure he is actually better than #59 but I hope the kid has his bag packed.
Well, I guess Schafer will be leading off now. The Braves can make this work but if they can pull this off, the accolades will flow…
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Let me be a little clearer, Elliot Johnson is an example of Frank Wren trying to get by on the cheap…
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That said, there are no Jason Heywards available…
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That said, there are no Jason Heywards available…
There certainly are not. And with this team poised to make a deep run this season, his loss is HUGE. His bat, his glove… all among the very best in the NL this season. That said, we now get to plug in Jordan Schafer in RF and in leadoff. How many teams can plug in a + defender and .291 hitter w/ 13 SB’s in part time work into their lineup? The Braves are still in a great position, but they won’t be coasting, that’s for sure. Praise God we don’t have to go back to NY. That ballpark has now taken 2 big pieces from our lineup this year; not to mention that JUp apparently got the same cursed hotel mattress that they used to stick Chipper with.
I am hoping that BJ is reading the Hollywood script. How much better high drama can you have than a guy having a major underachieving year step up and load a team on his shoulders when their star goes down? Nah.. the script is perfect. I just hope the performers can pull off their roles…
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It will take a village…. Okay, maybe not a village but it will certainly take 25 guys pulling together to get past yet another big road block between them and a pennant.
One advantage to having a 15 game lead is it allows the Braves time to recover mentally. The person I would think most affected after Jason by this beaning is Freedi Freeman. They have been like brothers since they both were drafted by the Braves. Salt & Pepper have been roomies as well as teammates.
Yes, time for the Braves to pull on their big boy pants and focus on the prize now.
All that said, It has been 2005 since we have seen this sort of devastation run thru a Braves’ lineup.
I wonder if the Dodgers would like to unload Jeff Kemp? They are not using him…
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A two game split with the Red Birds would be a significant accomplishment if you ask me. That is, given the recent events in New York. It is a shame however, in that Heyward was finally becoming the player the Braves have been waiting for these past three years.
Here is the thing, you have to play with the 25 guys on the roster who are healthy. There are a lot of guys on this year’s Braves team who are capable of carrying this team on their backs. I don’t think a division title is a problem. The Braves magic number is 22 with 37 games to go.
The real mountain for the Bravos to climb is getting to the NLCS. Every team has had its share of injuries. It is tough to win with a Triple A roster in the majors but the Braves’ pitching staff has answered the bell every round and truth be told, it is still pitching that makes the difference.
The margin for error is getting smaller though.
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Just wondering – Jason needs some time to get over the surgery and initial pain. I read that some others have played with jaws wired shut – think the Braves/Jason would consider that? I have mixed feelings both ways on that.
And somehow, even though I don’t have the benefit of seeing them play, I have the feeling that the remaining players just might have the moxie to pull it off. Sometimes kids don’t know they can’t win, they just go do it anyway.
Also, again now – just a thought that wandered past – and don’t throw things at me – Frenchy is available. He could plug right field, though I don’t know about his hitting ability. Short term, low cost? (Raisins, I can see you now! 😀 )
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As I mentioned yesterday, I didn’t sleep well. Finally got some sleep before he game started. Woke up, had to go to P.O. and some other errands…just before leaving, read the box score on espn. Under game news it said Heyward left game after being hit in head. My thought was, darn, got his bell rung, hopefully he would just miss a few games. Then, talking at trivia to a couple of big braves fans on another team, I learned that the JHey kid had his jaw broken in two places, and was likely out for the regular season! 😦
Pretty shocking news…was just thinking. 4 weeks and that only gives Heyward 7 Regular season games to play.6 weeks, and well…He won’t likely play again this season. Lets’ hope at 23, he’s a pretty quick healer!
How much does Freddi mess with the lineup? I was saying to some fellow braves fans at another trivia hot spot,(yep, I have no life 🙄 ) do you think Uggla should move up to #2, to see more Fastballs? This was before the lasik. Feelings were mixed, why mess with a good thing? True that….
I wonder now with Heywards injury, and the huge lead….Perhaps try BJ leading off, and Uggla 2nd, against lefties? I imagine Gattis will get more playing time….Thank goodness for the huge lead.
Gil, you are right,the division should hopefully be safe(But you know the Nats must see some blood in the water-but I, and everyone else, has to think it’s too late for them after the last series) it’s the
NLDS/NLCS, whatever it’s called these days…that’s the issue. Do we know how it works? I’d rather face the Cards/Pirates/Reds(Who could still beat us) over the Dodgers. With that rotation, man, it will be tough for anyone to beat them…..
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CL, to be honest, I don’t think getting past the physical injury will be near as tough as getting past the mental. Getting popped in the face by a 90 mph fastball can make you a bit gun shy. Just depends on his moxie.
Four weeks is realistic as far as being able to play, I would expect him to have some type of face guard fitted on his batting helmet just to be sure. That would allow for him to have about 30 at bats before the play-offs begin.
Now is the time for Schafer to fit back into the lead off slot. Still a lefty but with less power, not a problem if Dan Uglla can just hit the mistake pitches. I am realistic, I don’t expect Dan to hit those hard biting sliders anymore than anyone else. It is just having the ability to hit the mistake pitches he has been swatting out and missing which would signal his return.
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One point to make through all this, you have to be able to open your mouth in order to call for the ball…. Could be deadly for anyone else who might be on a collision course with J-Hey. He has already wiped out McLouth and Pastornicky…
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Gil, good point(s) It would have been so much better for JHey in many, many ways to be able to get right back in there. Now, he was to wait a month, more or less, before facing live pitches.
And yep, he has to be able to say I got it…something to easily forget about….
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Frenchy is available… (Raisins, I can see you now!)
Run far, far away. FAR, FAR away!!!! 😯
Four weeks is realistic as far as being able to play
I can’t see it. He’s on a liquid diet for the foreseeable future. He’ll lose weight, and he’ll lose it in the form of muscle mass. That changes everything for an athlete. And he won’t be able to give the type of physical exertion to perform any kind of exercise for a while. So, when he does get the green light to begin “baseball activities”, he’ll have a bit of a road back. Then there’s getting his timing back. And don’t forget, the Braves affiliates will have finished their seasons. There is no rehab assignment. Honestly, I don’t see him back until maybe, maybe, the NLCS at best, if the Braves make it past the NLDS.
I don’t think getting past the physical injury will be near as tough as getting past the mental.
You bet. But if anybody can get back in the saddle quickly, I believe it’s JHey. He is that special…
do you think Uggla should move up to #2, to see more Fastballs?
See my response to the first comment above… 🙂 Schafer, JUp, Freddie, CJohnson, Mac, Danny, BJ, Simba… keeps your righty/lefty thing going in the top and middle of the order, and keeps your hottest hitters in a bunch.
And batting BJ between Uggla and Simba is just as good as having a lefty in there because he makes outs equally well against LHP and RHP. (OK, that was a cheap shot, but it’s late in the afternoon and I’m feeling a little punchy.)
Here’s the thing, one, if not both, of the Black Hole Brothers – Dan Uggla and BJ Upton – has to step up and contribute. Period. There is no way around it, and it really needs to be BJ. He’s done it as recently as the last half of last season, and he really has no excuses. It’s time for him to show up. The way I see it, no pun intended (OK, it was fully intended 😉 ), anything we get from Danny K is gravy at this point. The dude has played all year not being able to see. I hold both him and the organization responsible for that. There is no excuse for him not having this procedure done in Spring when the vision thing was first diagnosed. No excuse whatsoever. In fact, now that it’s a done deal, it kinda ticks me off. But whatcha gonna do now?
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drat, Blue Jays Sign Ryan Langerhans…. 😕
V, only defense for Uggla, as we have all had issues where something is slowly fading, like your eyesight…perhaps he didn’t know how bad it was til he couldn’t see balls on the field? Who knows. Don’t understand why glasses or contacts didn’t help…
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@Raisins, 😆
I agree on points made about Jason. I also thought that some of those crash-landings he makes would have to be considered. WS or not, I think he has to make it back as he can. Timing and everything else will be off.
Gil, you’re definitely right about the mental part being the most difficult. And quite reasonably so.
He’s too nice to have something like this happen to him.
Think Chipper may be making some private phone calls to some of his former team mates about stepping up? (I do.)
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Eyes. Had an eye appointment this afternoon. Another 6 months reprieve on cataract surgery. Don’t like the thought of anybody messin’ with my eyes. For any reason!
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This is really getting old… 😦
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Praying for Brandon Beachy and that he just experienced scar tissue breaking up…
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“This is really getting old…”
You said it Raisins, the Beachy news is really the last thing I had expected. Just goes to show why you can never have too much starting pitching.
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Jiminy Christmas! What next??? Can they even field nine players now?
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CL, never, never say what next! 😉
I sure hope it’s nothing serious! Poor guy! Heard during the game his fastball was only 82 in that last inning he pitched…
As for Malholm, I thought he was pitching pretty well. Those back to back to back doubles were all on low curves, 2 that looked below the strikezone…not much you can do about that…
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And this is why Jason Heyward is a winner:
http://www.twitlonger.com/show/mi5bsm
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Amen Raisins….
Last night had to be very frustrating for the braves. It was not as if Paul was pitching poorly, just the Cardinals kept hitting them where they won’t and the Braves always seemed to start with two outs.
Played a little like the game after Huddy’s injury too.
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I think it is pretty evident to everyone in baseball that the Braves as a team have a huge hole created by the loss of Heyward. It is not just that he is unavailable but the way in which he was injured.
There is also universal recognition that if Uggla and/or BJ Upton do not step up, the Braves could tail spin into October and become low hanging fruit for whatever team faces them in the post season.
Every team sufferers setback, it is how you handle those setbacks which define you and your character.
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Jason is a winner in many ways – especially the most important one. “Blessed to see another day.” How many youngsters in his age bracket think of that? Makes me want to give him a big hug! ‘Course I’d have to stand on several stacked boxes to reach him….. that is one tall young man!
Apparently he intends to travel with the team as soon as he can even if he can’t play.
They were off-balance and feeling a bit insecure as another regular was gone from his normal place. Don’t even want to know what the final score was!
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The best news about JHey’s surgery was that they did NOT have to wire his mouth shut. That means he will be able to eat soft foods, not just shakes and such. That’ll help keep his nutrition where it needs to be, and may even help him maintain a certain activity level. Hopefully he can stay in semi-playing shape.
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Yawn…
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Eh… he can fill in some innings in September while the real pitchers rest. 🙄
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“Cash considerations”? I understand Frank had $12 in bills, a little change and a bottle top in his pocket. That sounds about right…
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@Raisins – LOL
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Good Grief! Photos of Smoltzie’s ATL home, now up for sale.
http://www.ajc.com/gallery/classifieds/real-estate/photos-inside-john-smoltzs-72-million-mansion/gCC5F/#3776926
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Hey CL, the Braves will be on TBS Sunday afternoon….
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Incredible, I have never seen a player thrown out of a game while running to first base while grounding out to second.
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Where in the world is MLB getting their umpires?
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Thanks, Gil!!
Hey, has anybody seen Julio Franco lately? He’d probably fill in nicely – especially with his bat. Uh, just a thought….. 😆
No wonder MLB is going for the replay thing. Angel Hernandez retired yet? Can’t stand that man!
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CL, I wonder why Smoltz would sell that house? Not enough storage room? 😕
That house reminds me of a story I heard about a young actress going though Charlie Chaplin’s Mansion in the 20’s She said…”It’s not home, but it’s much! 😆
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You know…the homeboy upstairs made many a great trade. Trading Adam Wainwright, one of the top 5 pitchers in the game, for an often injured, thoroughly mediocre Outfielder(J.D. Drew) who was one year from free agency…wasn’t one of them.
In fact, one could argue it was his worst trade. Wainwright would have been the anchor of this rotation…saved the team from some of the terrible free agent signings (Did I mention this awhile back?) and would have likely helped the braves go much further in the playoffs….oh well, I know, I know…can’t change the past. But man, what a bulldog….
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Ber, I’m pretty sure the Tigers felt the same way about Smoltz after trading him to the Braves. My all time worse Braves trade was trading away Bret Butler and Brooks Jacoby for Len Barker…
The next might be trading away the minor league for Texiera.
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Remember Scribe going through the roof when Wainwright was traded? 🙂
Butler, Jacoby and so many others I really hated to see sent away. Funny how we don’t forget those things.
Ber, talking about Smoltzie’s house (manor?), I’d be miserable in something that big and ostentatious – but I’d LOVE to have the 20 acres it sits on. I don’t understand why people who have money think they have to have places like that. There’s no way you can relax and “just live” in those rooms. Everything has be appear as untouched perfection. Not my style! 😀
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A good friend once told me, “people will always aspire to the house to which they are comfortable with”
Me, I would have a stroke whenever I opened my real estate tax bill for such a place. It would however make a wonderful bed and breakfast.
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A perfect example of how these supposed “advanced metrics” are in no way representative of the actual living, breathing baseball player who steps on a field and plays the game. If the stat-geeks would take their eyes off the computer screen and occasionally look at a TV screen, they might actually discover a pretty cool game taking place.
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What an extremely boring and uneventful waiver-trade period. Same as the non-waiver period. Meh. 😐
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“A perfect example of how these supposed “advanced metrics” are in no way representative of the actual living, breathing baseball player who steps on a field and plays the game. If the stat-geeks would take their eyes off the computer screen and occasionally look at a TV screen, they might actually discover a pretty cool game taking place.”
Amen V!!!! I really, really dislike defensive metrics. First off, use SAE, not metric! 😉
But seriously, how in the wide, wide world of sports can you even begin to rate a player outside of errors? One team might have more sinker pitchers than another team. One team might have SS’s and 3rd basemen that can’t throw very well. Do they rate players differently that play on astroturf?
We all know a good from a bad fielder. In the past few years I have heard morons say(and some on the AJC blog agree) that Adam LaRoche was a subpar 1st baseman. Really??? Really??? There are better 1st baseman(F.F for one) but he is still very much an above average 1st baseman who saves runs and errors from his fellow fielders….
The one that kills me though, and have read a few times on the MLBTR site, that Teixera is overrated as a 1st baseman. As a hitter, yes, but the guy is amazing at 1st base. I’ve seen him get to balls that just don’t seem to be possible for a slow white guy to get to. Even just seeing him(not this year, injured most of it) in Yankee games and hearing local announcers say that to a man, the yankee infielders talk about how many errors he saves nearly every game.
But, like you said, some smart dolt, that never watches games can say FF or Tex are not Gold glovers when we know that they are…and what happens in the future? Will someone that might be borderline for the HOF, (Like Tex) won’t get in because his some advanced defense metric proves he wasn’t really that good?
Grrr, don’t get me started! 😉
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Interesting that the braves tossed out a total B(C?) Team out there Sunday, and won…one never knows, does one?
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So… Edinson Volquez is currently in DFA limbo…
Agreed that he hasn’t had a very good year. Actually, not a very good couple of years. But he has been effective in the past and still throws in the 90’s. Is he worth picking up on the cheap to fill out the decimated pitching corp over September? Maybe Roger could do something for him…
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… or perhaps Aaron Harang, newly added to the DFA list..?
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Yeah, saw both of them have been DFA;ed interestingly. Volquez has one of the fastest average fastballs in baseball. But, if you can’t pitch in Petco….someone ought to turn him into a closer. Wonder if he refuses? Harang pitches in the AL, but again, in another pitchers park…don’t know…
Heard Bronson Arroyo might be on the braves radar for next season, as the Reds don’t seem to want to re-sign him…He will be 37 next year. hmmm. Wouldn’t “you” feel better giving Tim Hudson another year with the braves if someone thinks they have to have a veteran?? They would both likely want around the same moola.
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Sorry to hear Matt Harvey has a partially torn ligament in his elbow. Rotten time of year to have it crop up. One of the more exciting pitchers in the game. Even if he is a mutt….
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Wouldn’t “you” feel better giving Tim Hudson another year with the braves if someone thinks they have to have a veteran?
Yup…
And I completely agree about Harvey. I have no love lost for the Schmets, as you all know, especially when they keep trying to injure all our top players. (Kidding… 😉 ) Anyway, it is a shame for Harvey and that organization that this has happened. He is an exciting young talent, and I wish him the best. I wish the Mutts nothing but losses, but I wish Harvey the best.
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Good morning friends… Elliot Johnson turned out to be a much better player than expected. Sometimes a change of scenery does a player a lot of good.
The stat geeks are fantasy league guys. They have no idea how much difference Freddi makes at first for the Braves. That reach of his has saved the Braves infield more than one run. One ball got past him last weekend but everything else was hit into the vacuum cleaner he calls a glove. . And he is still really young, he has a lot of baseball ahead of him.
Agree on Hudson, it will depend if Tim is willing to take an incentive laced contract or not. One like Smoltz refused to accept but turn out the Braves were right on.
I saw that about Harvey. That really is a shame. Any word on hoe Beachy’s visit with Dr Andrews went?
Tommy John may not ever be enshrined into the Hall of Fame but he will never be forgotten by the legion of ball players who owe extended careers to him.
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No word yet on Beachy. Bit I’m not optimistic even if there is no more repair work to be done. Even if it’s only tendinitis or some other side effect of the recovery, I can’t see him helping us any more this season. It’s another big loss, in my opinion…
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And the road through Pittsburgh just got alot tougher…
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V, you are probably right…or at least shut him down for 3 weeks or so. Perhaps as a bullpen arm?
Speaking of Tommy John surgery….any guesses how many pitcher have had it? Bet you guess wrong…I sure did…
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1699659-the-alarming-increase-in-mlb-pitchers-whove-had-tommy-john-surgery
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124 current MLB pitchers had Tommy John. That is just one season and we are not done yet. I was thinking all time…. Must be over a thousand, easy. I did note in the article you link that Jobe and TJ will be honored at the HOF.
CR of the AJC reported that Brandon’s elbow is not damaged (torn) just inflamed. I look for him back the final week of September. I really don’t expect him to return to form until next season though.
I get the feeling Frank Wren is going to stand pat. He may surprise use all but I see a lot of players being taken off the board. Of course, a lot of teams are in the position to block the Braves from making a move too. The downside to having the best record.
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Y’all are aware that the Braves put in a waiver claim on Kyle Lohse last week, but Millie didn’t want to try to work out a deal, aren’t you? As far as I know, that could still happen if Frank wanted to push it and Milwaukee decided to “play ball”, so to speak.
But honestly, I’m more concerned with the hole in the offense with Jason out. That was a crushing blow (no pun intended). 😦
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So, this Elliot kid can play a little bit…. Another pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for Frank Wren..
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That Simmons kid ain’t so bad either…
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As far as I know, that could still happen if Frank wanted to push it and Milwaukee decided to “play ball”, so to speak.
Shows you how far I knew. Milwaukee had already pulled Lohse back from revocable waivers, and would have to place him on irrevocable waivers if they did it again, meaning there are no pull backs. And since ATL has the best record in baseball, all 29 other teams would have to once again pass on him before he could fall to ATL a second time. Sure… that’ll happen. It has born itself out this season that more teams are blocking than actually trying to make deals.
Do we need to make a deal? Well, before last night’s game, the Braves were scoring just 2.6 runs/game post Jason’s plunking. I don’t feel like doing the math, but that number obviously dropped after last night’s 2-0 win.
Folks, we can’t expect our overachieving pitching to hold our opponents to under 3 runs every night. It’s just not realistic. With Jaw-son out, we need a boost on offense. Our 3 hits last night… ahem, our 3 hits last night came from newcomer Ellis Johnson, rookie Joey Terdo, and the consistent Chris Johnson.
On the other hand, Danny’s eyes led him to a 2B and a HR in 4 AB’s last night in AAA Gwinnett. That’s encouraging. I understand that BJ Upton had a good night at the buffet.
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Reading the comments around the various blogs, you get the idea that a lot of folks prefer to leave Eliot at second base. I think Uggla will get more than his share of strike outs but he will also hit more than his share of home runs. The guy is being paid 13 million because of his bat, not because he is a potential as a gold glover. Chicks still dig the long ball and so do GMs and ownwers, why else would they pay 12 1/2 million more to Uggla than Eliot Johnson?
I have no delusions about Uggla and think he will suddenly hit 2 homers a game but if he can just revert back to his pre 20-30 vision, he will help boost the offense significantly.
Besides, having a guy like Elliot Johnson on the bench makes the Braves a much better team because they have a much deeper bench. Guys like EJ are critical down the stretch, he allows for Freddie to rest guys for the home stretch without sacrificing a lot.
Bench players are that because they they are good players but can be exposed when over used. That and the Braves really needed another reserve infielder who could play short. The fact he is a switch hitter is all the better.
While the loss of J-Hey came at a bad time, people forget, it has only been in the last 30 days or so that he actually has made a huge difference in the team, much like Schafer right before he went down with a foot fracture.
Now, if we could just figure out how to get BJ Upton going, the answer to how we can achieve world peace would be just around the corner.
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“I understand that BJ Upton had a good night at the buffet.” 😆 !
I saw several days(a week?) ago a graphic I am sure others saw. Schafer, Gattis, and BJ were not hitting after their trips to the DL.
if just one of them got hot, it would help. No one is really hot right now.
Don’t know what’s up with Gattis. Great eye, can foul balls off waiting to get just the right pitch…then I see him miss a low 90’s fastball right down the middle. Have seen that happen several times.
Isn’t he the guy that amazed everyone hitting an eye high 96 MPH pitch from Strausberg for a homer? don’t get it…
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Berigan, just a hunch but I think Gattis is still suffering from the residual of the oblique strain. It has changed his swing. As for the eye high strikes.. Those are the ones he is missing and major league pitchers know it.
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I got to see the bottom of the 8 and the 9th innings last night. Not a bad place to jump in… 🙂 Personally, I find that kind of winning run much more exciting than the walk-off HR. Great baserunning by Jordan Schafer, who ought to be Comeback Player of the Year. Can you imagine where the Braves would be without his contributions this season?
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It took a couple of games for Jordan to get his bat going again but it appears he has filled Heywards shoes well as the Braves lead-off hitter. He would have had another stolen base last night if the umpire had made the correct call in the 7th. (Maybe it was the eight, can’t remember but you know)…
Anyway, close games against another young team in the Indians.
I was thinking when they intentionally walked Freeman to get to CJ that the fact Chris was 0-4 up to that point only meant he was due. Of course, Freeman has been pretty clutch in those situations too.
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On a side note, at some point, one has to wonder if there is something in their DNA that makes Cuban players a bit on the wacky side when it come to attitude. Don Mattingly’s benching of Puig yesterday after his antics in right field reminded me a lot of Bobby Cox’s frustration with Yunel Escobar. So much talent, so little humility, even less respect for the game….
Of course, I am sure the majority of the Dodger’s fan base in LA can identify with Yasiel more than Donny Baseball… Sigh, there are not so many Derek Jeters left in the game any more…
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The Dodgers have agreed to sign Edinson Volquez. I still think that would have been a good move for Frank. He’s a much better “chance” than Freddie Garcia.
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Interview with Elliot Johnson:
http://mlb.mlb.com/cutfour/index.jsp?partnerId=ed-7513237-595257683#contentId=58761258
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http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/wells-baseball/2013/aug/28/scott-boras-wants-12-year-extension-bryce-harper/
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Me bloviating on Aug. 28: “Folks, we can’t expect our overachieving pitching to hold our opponents to under 3 runs every night. It’s just not realistic.”
Well, in most universes, it’s not realistic. 😳
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CL, I’m pretty sure there are some who thought Andruw Jones would last longer than he did and not flame out by age thirty nor Jeff Francoure would be out of baseball at the age of twenty eight. Today’s ball players will not be able to drink from the fountain of youth, AKA PEDs, like some of their predecessors like A-Roid and Roger-Roid.
Great ball players the likes of Ken Griffy Junior and many other just cannot sustain the rigors of repeated 162 plus games a season. So many variables, the eyes get weaker, the bat gets slower and the legs, always the legs, are the first to show the signs of fatigue.
A fool and their money are soon parted, the Learners are no fools. They won’t pony up unless they feel they have no choice but for sure, they do not have the potential of a big TV payday the likes of the Dodgers have fallen into.
I’m sure the Nationals are second guessing themselves for signing Zimmerman to a 6 year extension. You just don’t know when father time is going to reach down a tap a ball player on the shoulder and say that’s it bub… Nice run, now do something else….
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Raisins, just goes to show you why it is foolish to bet on baseball. The odds always favor the house….
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And Medlen was terrific last night. Thank the good Lord that JUp’s hand is just bruised. I’m beginning to think other teams are coming way in on us on purpose. I appreciate professionalism, but at some point, we’re gonna have to defend our right to the inside portion of the plate too.
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There is pitching inside and then there is pitching inside… The Braves have been on the receiving end of a lot of the latter verity of late.
Watching the replays of last night’s game I was thinking of how amped I was at the thought of having both Uptons and Heyward in the outfield at the beginning of the season, now I am thinking of how fortunate the Braves have been to have such an outstanding contribution from the bench players. Evan Gattis, Joey T, Jordan Schafer all have really been difference makers this season. And the bullpen… my oh my, the bullpen…. Who would have thunk it?
How true the old adage that the team you begin the season with is seldom the team you finish with.
BMac once again showed why he will command $20 million a year for the next 6 or so years when he hits free agency next season, Even that figure might be on the low side if the Yankees come calling….
So Freddie Free is nursing a sore knee, that explains the warning track power of late. The guy really needs a couple of days off.
And what of Evan Gattis? Will he be the next Chucky T? I really love the guy but at this point, Gerald Laird would be my choice as my primary back up for BMac. I guess Evan will get the start tonight in left, this is El Orso Blanco night isn’t it?
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Kris is really having a problem with his change up this season. I am not sure why and I guess he isn’t either. His fast ball was really moving last night though, He has to be careful however because it appears to move back over the plate to left handed batters. That is okay if it is moving from the plate to outside but watch out when it starts inside and moves to the middle.
And Uggs still having trouble picking up the breaking ball.
One last comment, anyone else get the impression that BJ Upton is really Puig’s twin but without the talent? Could imagine the nightmare of a team with BJ, Puig, Yunel Escobar and Handly Rameraiz all on the same team? So much attitude to go along with the talent? They would lead the league in temper tantrums…. Maybe throw in Santana as their life coach…. Could have water cooler toss night as a promotion….
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Umpire Frank Pulli dead:
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/starnewsonline/obituary.aspx?n=frank-pulli&pid=166689989
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Nobody liked Elliot Johnson’s interview? I thought he was pretty quick-witted with his response. 🙂
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CL, I thought Elliot’s bit was pretty funny, unfortunately Tom did not seem to know what to make of it. It did earn TS an invitation to Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend as a guest of NASCAR..,
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The boy sure knows his NASCAR lingo – and the other guy looked totally lost. (I’m surprised Elliot didn’t laugh.) But, sorry, NASCAR, Johnson has to play baseball this weekend; he’ll be available after the WS.
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Funny clip CL! Baseball tonight also showed the Elliot does a very good Tim Kurkjian impression too! (Of course, half of the players playing today seem to do an impression of him)
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So much for El Orso Blanco night, get an intentional walk and then sent down to Gwennett for 3 games (so he can get some at bats) So, no at bats, who’s fault is that Fredi?
Hey, we have been saying they needed to send him a month ago so he could regain his stroke…. What do we know, just stupid bloggers…?
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GIl, does that mean after all he did early in the year, he can’t go to the playoffs, but BJ Upton, who, let’s be honest, hasn’t really helped us at all…does?
I wonder if you are right about him still being sore. Bat speed was never an issue before.
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Ok, ok, I overreacted, but it should not be hard to get him AB’s with JHey injured, and BJ…BJ.
Gattis’ eligibility for the postseason roster will not be affected. Any player who is a part of an organization as of Aug. 31 is eligible to play with that team in the postseason.
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Well V, even though the Braves weren’t involved, you happy now at all the August trades? 😉
Justin Morneau , Marlon Byrd and John Buck have all been traded to the Pirates in the last few days.
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My question is: who unlocked the sub-basement door and let the Pirates out??
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There was a good article in the AJC on how the Braves could not really pick up anyone on waivers because so many other teams blocked them. The price you pay for having the best record in baseball on the 31st of August.
I’ll bet BJ Upton would have cleared waivers if anyone was interested but everyone else is pretty happy he is clogging up the Braves’ line-up.
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The Pirates have become a much more solid organization since they abandoned the management by committee approach.
Heck, Miami could be a real force if they could shed themselves of Loria. That is not going to happen however and will continue to treat his baseball team as a development organization for 29 other teams but in particular the Dodgers.
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Good morning Braves fans, who would have thunk it? BJ Upto hits both a game trying two run homer and then in the eleventh, hits the game winning single…. Maybe having Gattis around was harshing his mellow…. Or Eliot Johnson is his own personal good luck charm. Al I can say is take note Dan, take note…
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Many times, an insecure person can’t perform well if there is someone close by who is getting a lot of attention and press. Sad but true. Insecurity does strange things to people. I personally think that just being with his brother should be enough to shore him up. Anyhow……
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All I know is we pounced on BJ and he got 4 hits, so today, say it with me…Uggla, you stink! 😉
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If Dan would just remember there are hits in right field too, especially late in the game with runners in scoring position, he would actually earn the $13 million being paid to his sorry a**…
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Well, two good swings, one by Uggla and one by BJ just short against a real flame thrower. Looked good off the bat though.
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Looks like the Marlins are getting in some good swings too. Giving up 7 runs in 2 1/3 innings will really trash your ERA…
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Uh oh… the sky is falling, the Braves are o for September and the Curly Ws are charging hard… Oh woe is us…..
Alright, seriously, Woods appeared to have a really bad day yesterday, I don’t know if he was tired, just off a little bit or what but I suspect he was experiencing a little bit of a tired arm syndrome. A lot like the Atlanta bats but different.
One o’clock game today so WAKE UP BER!!!!
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sigh…I’m up, I’m up…having trouble sleeping of late(I know, this happens a lot) but now I seem to have a cold. fun….
For Mathis to be the big bat…amazing. He’s a career .198 hitter. Amazed he starts at all.
Interesting, Salty will be a free agent at the end of this season. He’s 28. Where does the time go? Hit 25 HR’s last year, but never has driven in 60 RBI’s. How’s that even possible? 11 HR’s 52 RBI”s and a .266 BA this year. Taken him forever to finally become an above average catcher. Some just bloom later.
Tyler Flowers is 27, 10 HR’s but only 24 RBI’s and a .195 BA. Sure got the better of that Javy Vasquez deal. Remember not being that happy about it at the time….
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Fredi Freeman making mincemeat out of Dice K…
I’m not saying Dice K is slow, but… I was able to take a shower, shave and check my e-mail between pitches….
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And the infield grass grows a quarter inch…
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Woo hoo… That was sum can of whoop a** the Braves unleashed on the Mutts. Even Dan got a hit, thanks to the taller grass I might add….
Can say the Braves’ pitching was all the stellar however. Well, that is why you have offense, to cover for them…
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Good notes on Salty, Ber. One might wonder if the Braves might be apt to look at someone like Salty, who would command a relatively large contract, but not as much money as Mac and at a younger age. I would think that Gattis’ recent performance, or lack thereof, has made Frank and the other FOTs at least give some thought to bringing Mac back, or maybe looking at other proven veteran options.
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Regarding the Braves catching situation next season…
I think the top 2 teams to vie for Mac will be Texas and Boston. I could very realistically see him on either of those clubs. As we mentioned earlier, Salty is the BoSox current backstop, and a FA at season’s end. As for Texas, they currently employ AJ Pierzynski. AJP is a LH, is 36, yet still having a solid season offensively.
One has to wonder if the Braves could look to a guy like AJP as a compliment to Gattis, and perhaps sign him to a 1 year deal, much like Texas this season. Likewise, they could go for a guy like Salty, who would still command a 4 year deal, and move on from the promise of Christian Bethancourt.
There is nothing this season that was remarkable about Bethancourt; he continued to look good defensively, and pedestrian offensively batting .279 against AA pitching. I have to wonder if he has already maxed his value to Atlanta. He’s still young, though, so maybe he can advance next season. Unfortunately, 2014 is the year he was projected to make the big club.
All that said, as I watch the Braves from day to day, I am less convinced that they will let Mac walk easily. I believe they’ll actively be in the mix, but it will ultimately come down to how much Mac’s reps will demand. I do NOT think the Braves will match the likes of Boston and Texas if it comes down to a bidding war. My concern is that the process will drag out to the point that the Braves would have few remaining options at its conclusion.
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I don’t think the Braves really mind paying BMac what he is worth, they just can’t pay guys big bucks and not have them perform. A lot will depend on how much Liberty allows Frank Wren to spend.
Truth is, ball players have a short life cycle when it comes to making a living. That goes double for catchers. Mac’s final decision my also rest in the hands of his spouse.
Look for Medlen, and Freddie Free to bolt to SoCal when they have the chance, J-Hey to the Yankees. You can put southern California kids in the south but they never seem as happy there.
Catchers are like pitchers, you can never have too many….
That said, the Giants are looking to move Buster Posey to third base next season. The one thing that hurts Mac is his lack of ability to play more than one position.
Evan Gattis found his stroke again in AAA but I don’t think he ever lost it, he was still making contact, he was just being over anxious at the plate, after all, he is still a rookie. I don’t think the Braves have given up on Bethancourt either. .280, while not earth shaking, is still pretty respectable. We have just become accustom to having some pretty high powered offensive guys behind the dish in Atlanta.
I went back and listened to the Mets’ broadcast of yesterday’s game and they were talking about how young the Mets are. Well, they do not seem to realize the Braves are pretty darn young too.
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I sure hope BJ Upton has finally arrived. Now if only Dan Uggla can find right field again.
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Jason is cleared to play catch and hit balls off a tee. He’s playing catch and hitting balls off a tee. 🙂
Also, Mr. O’B reports that he has a custom made helmet with a jaw protector. He’ll probably look like Darth Vader at bat. 😆
No timetable on his rehab yet…
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Also, El Oso Blanco is back and starting in LF tonight…
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Awesome! I love that guy…
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I’m still looking for the “Like” button
Anyhow, Raisins, consider your comments “Liked”. 😆
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Evan… 2 for 2 thus far tonight…
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El Oso Blanco just went Yardo…
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Wow, I’m amazed JHey can eat a chic fil a this quickly! Good for him!
Man, even though Medlen only made one mistake, it was such a boneheaded one(much worse than tossing wide of 3rd earlier this year that urked F.G so much) it really got under my skin. 0-2 to left handed Daniel Murphy(really the only threat in the mutts lineup) and McCann moves inside and Medlen throws pitch low and right down the middle that gets smacked for a double.
Didn’t they used to fine pitchers that gave up 0-2 hits? Then we hear how many 2 strike hits Meds has given up this year. Uggh. 78? Half were 0-2. That’s silly, yeah, you don’t want to walk tons of guys, but you can’t pitch with his stuff(Good, but not great like last year) and think, here it is, hit it, not gonna walk you. He needs to talk to Glavine. He just didn’t give in to certain hitters.
Hey Ber, lighten up! He went 7 innings, and gave up one lousy run!
I know, I know…must be my sickness talking. He pitched a great game…but he and McCann need to think a bit more in those situations…
Great to see Gattis get going again. Wonder how many homers Simmons will hit once he fills out a bit more, and gets more experience? Just as long as he doesn’t get homer happy…
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Quick turn around today, 12 noon game. I guess the “B” squad will take the field.
I have to say, Torres pitched a heck of a game last night. His only mistake was the home run given up to Gattis. The Dinger that Simba hit was on a good pitch, he just went down and got it.
Yes, Ber, too many two strike mistakes this year but Medlen is not alone. I have to think it is not having a consistent out pitch which does him in. I have seen a bunch of times that Mike Minor isn’t able to put guys away.
Anyway, it is almost always the same pitch, high breaking ball that stays up in the zone…
Terry Collins mistake last night was leaving in Tores to face Meds with two outs and runners on the corners. It was the next inning which he gave up da bombs….
Sure nice to see Evan get his stroke back.. He is a bit of an adventure in left field though, isn’t he?
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Simba? He’ll be a +/- 20 HR guy, IMO. And Meds really did pitch well last night, just made a couple of mistakes. Fortunately, when he makes mistakes, they’re usually down in the zone and don’t end up on Capital Avenue.
Couple of other observations:
1) BJ is squaring up on the ball well right now. He’s really getting good swings on them and the hits are starting to fall. Historically, September has been his month. Looks like it might be again.
2) Schafer can’t catch a break right now. Did you see how hard that ball hit him on the knee? And the angle and spot that he was hit? I would have gone down in a heap.
Now wake up, Ber. It’s a 12 noon start today. Then again, we have Kameron flippin’ Loe starting today. I hope the bullpen is ready to work some extended innings. Maybe we should all go back to bed… 😦
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I fell twice this week, first time was on a door sill that was 3 inches high, results was taking a dive that resulted with a direct hit to the left knee and a chin plant. That left the left leg gimpy so when I tried to put weight on it, DOWN GOES FRAZIER!!!! hit a wall (went thur it actually and banged up the right shoulder…. All that… means I know how Schafer felt when he took that hit off his knee…. Difference is he is young, I’m old… He will shake it off, I am gimpy as heck and only one more fall away from putting on training wheels…..
So, interesting line up for the Braves today, good day for the regulars to take a day off with Dillon Gee on the mound.
A win today would really be huge for the Braves. Playing the away split squad. Sure has a spring training look about it. Of course, New York is still having try outs and auditions. Should be interesting.
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Loe is getting shelled in the 1st inning. A 2B, 3B and HR. Ugh… 🙄
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Joe says, “Kameron Loe limits the damage to 2 runs in the 1st…”.
No, his defense limited the damage to 2 runs. It looked worse. September concession baseball…
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For those not watching, Loe left the bases loaded in the 2nd, but no one crossed the dish. Joe again talked about Loe “limiting the damage”. I don’t think you want that phrase used so often regarding your starting pitcher…
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And Loe surrenders another bomb in the 3rd. 😡
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I suppose he “limited the damage” by surrendering that homer to the leadoff guy, thus it only counting as 1 run. 🙄
And as I type this, he gives up a double to the next batter. He is fooling NO ONE.
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Walked away, came back and it’s 5-0. Loe. Great idea.
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And this guy is the ML why? 😦
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As you might recall, he was DFA’d recently, not claimed (shocker), and outrighted to AAA. Really only came back to make a spot start because Freddie Garcia worked alot of innings this week when Alex Wood had his bad start. But Loe did give us 6+ innings on a rest day for Julio, if nothing else. I suppose that’s why you like to have a big lead in September so that you can rest people without stressing too much. Still, Los Barves had their chances to score and didn’t get the timely hits; so Loe isn’t fully to blame.
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Well, Garcia did a nice job in relief….
Yeah, it was pretty ugly for the first 3 innings, Even BJ Upton was POed because he was forced to play in today’s game. He didn’t really seemed to care. Thought he really dissed Gattis on the fly ball that fell between them in left center. It is always the center fielder’s ball, especially when you know the other guy is a rookie.
I guess he thinks because he is actually hitting the ball again, he no longer needs to play defense.
Okay, I know yesterday’s game was a throw away game but still make a good show of it guys….
Right now, Dan Uggla is exhibiting Andruw Jones syndrome. Refusing to go the other way on pitches away and major league pitchers like Kameron Loe are not pitching for the other team. He is Jeff Francoure, without the good arm…. Yes, he has run into some balls this season but he needs to earn the money the Braves are paying him.
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V, took your advice, and slept…
Man, no one in AA or AAA deserved one start? Thats just silly to throw away a game. Especially if the Dodgers end up with one more win than the Braves..
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The Braves added right handed pitcher David Hale to the mix today, frankly, he could have been a better choice than Loe yesterday but he had pitched Monday. One has to wonder if Loe will spend the rest of September in the Braves’ pen? I am thinking he might want to pay attention to Garcia to see what it takes to actually get hitters out.
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I am hoping the Braves will call up LaStella to play a bit of second base and maybe send Dan a message to get it together or risk becoming a high dollar bench ornament.
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Y’all will love this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPWyUtlWm6w&sns=tw
Ya know, once you begin to factor in some of the intangibles, such as home and family, BMac might be willing to give ATL a break in negotiations this offseason. I suppose we’ll see if home and location are as important as the contract, won’t we?
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Good morning folks….. Big series starts tonight… time to put a stake thru their heart
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Hey, Gil! Hope you’re recovering from your misadventures! (((big hugs)))
Enjoyed the video, Raisins! I stumbled onto this old article on Brian, but found it really interesting:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2977687
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Thanks CL…. Check your e-mail..
Great links guys (and lady) … 🙂
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Somehow, some way I am going to do see the Braves play the Nats week after next. Might be my last chance to see BMac in a Braves uni play. I also would really like to see El Orso Blanco in person. SIGH…. Trying to figure out if I need to roll out the electric wheelchair or not….
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Gil, the answer is yes. If ya gotta, ya gotta. But don’t fall off!!! Hands, shoulders, elbows, knees and chins protesteth loudly.
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CL, I just don’t want to become dependent on wheels for transportation but I can’t keep falling down either, luckily I have not broken anything, other than the wall that is…. BUMMER!!!!!
This getting old is getting tougher by the day 😦
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I understand that, but if that is what is required to see the Braves….. 🙂 You’re just tough as nails and twice as stubborn! 😆
AND – a new lead is up!!!
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