The only thing about watching a Sunday baseball game is you usually only get to see all the scrubs play…
Looks like McCann is finally breaking out of his doldrums. Now, if only there was someone Uggla could talk with to get him turned around.
Chipper is getting back to where he was before the misplayed one hopper nearly took his leg off. McCann is making good contact. Bourne and Prado are just outstanding right now. Freddi Freeman is learning to play through the pain, Jayson Heyward is getting back to his rookie form and Simmons is really a nice surprise with the bat. That leaves Uggla on the MIA list.
That and having a reliable guy at the back end of the rotation.
Oh, and someone beside Venters to come in and throw gas on the fireman. After all, they are called fireman because they are supposed to be able to douse the flames, not be arsonist..
If Ben Sheets could return to form, that would be the outstanding story of the year, right next to Jair coming back and maybe Moylan being Moylan and being the ground ball artist he once was.
So, who do the Braves release to make room for another bat? I would say Jack Wilson is the 25th guy on the roster right now, closely followed by Hinske and Diaz. I once thought it would be Francisco but the big third baseman appears to be turning the corner a bit. The kid has so much raw power, he fails to realize the wall scraper count just as much as the 450 foot bombs. The only thing a big long loopy swing produces is a whooshing sound as the bat passes over the ball….
Minor or Delgado? Which has been more effective or maybe more correctly, who has been more consistent? One of them will go when Sheets comes up. Both have options, one is a righty who has better velocity, the other is a lefty. Both seem to hit the wall at some point. I think the prevailing thoughts of the many talking heads in baseball is the Braves need to do something to solidify their pitching staff. Adding another reliable and proven starter to the mix is the most likely answer. None of us know what kind of financial constraints Frank Wren is under but expecting to find the winning lottery ticket under your pillow is not likely to happen and makes for a pretty poor business strategy.
The old adage in racing is speed cost money, how fast do you want to go? Well, the same is true in baseball… Yes, sometimes a team finds the “Golden Ticket” but for the most part, to be a consistently winning franchise, you have to be willing to shell out the big bucks, just ask Ted Turner.
Braves & Stuff 
Excellent, Gil. One of the overlooked aspects of this team has been its relatively disappointing bench. Hinske is certainly not even close to what he has been for us, and Diaz is completely irrelevant. At least Wilson can come in and give us a reliable glove at a couple of positions. Diaz cannot even do that. I think his is the most insecure spot on the bench. That said, it will likely depend entirely on who is available. Righty is dangerous for Diaz, lefty is dangerous for Hinske. We need that booming presence off the bench that Hinske has given us for 3 years. We simply don’t have it right now.
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Looking back on the “golden years”, John S. was a master at bolstering the bench year after year. Think of the valuable bats he scoured up from seemingly nowhere. And they always played an integral part of the team’s September and October success. History is a good teacher…
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Mike Devereaux, Dwight Smith…
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Wally Joiner…
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Dave Gallagher…
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Jerome Walton…
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Greg Colbrunn…
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B.J. Surhoff…
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Ken Caminiti…
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Todd Hollandsworth…
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And so it begins, Simmons fractures his pinky on a head first slide into second… AUGHHHHH!!!!
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I hate head first slides; I have always hated head first slides; I will continue to hate head first slides.
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Superior, Gil! *applauds*
V, some of those names I had forgotten.
Watching Bourne (?) making that head-first slide, crossing homeplate at about mach 1 was scary, too. I think he slid 30 feet. :-0
Didn’t see today’s game.
I sure do love popcorn, but hate it when a husk gets stuck about half-way down my throat….
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pssst – did y’all wish FBG happy birthday yet??
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WHAT? Another birthday????? You would think folks would be tired of getting old…. 🙂
Happy birthday Jennifer… Where ever you are…
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Okay, it’s Monday so no baseball today (tonight). Just the made for TV and ruined for everyone by ESPU Homerun derby…
More interested in the update on Simmons, how bad a fracture, how long will he be out, are they recalling the Pastor? Things that are really important in our lives… And where is Conrad? Did he get lost on the way to the new blog? Should have left breadcrumbs or something…
It is amazing how much better I feel about the Braves chances today than I did last week. BMac breaking out of his doldrums will do that I guess. Now, if only someone can tell Dan Uglla what he is doing wrong besides standing too close to the ball after he swings.:8
Anyone expect Chipper to actually play in the All-star game? I’m thinking maybe a pinch hitting appearance at the most for him. Hopefully he will see more than three pitches.
My number one wish is for all out guys to come home healthy. That has not been the case over the past several years. Especially with pitchers.
Speaking of pitchers, didn’t JJ look good yesterday? Maybe not super sharp but he did go 7 full and was ambushed by Pride but other than that, he look to be his old self again, what a boost that is. Medlin continues to be one of my favorites and Kimbrel continues to be a closer without peer right now. It’s scary as to how good this kid might actually be. I knock on wood with that last remark…
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Official word following Simmons’ doc appt. today: his hand will be placed in a cast for 4 weeks, then re-evaluated.
😯
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And Happy B’day, FBG! 🙂
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I was reading the AJC and the comments about Simmons’ hand and what might be done. If it is only about 6 weeks, I doubt the Braves will make a big move, likely they will call up The Rev and alternate his playing time with Wilson. Too short a time to really make a big investment unless it is someone who could also come off the bench. In other words, someone who would displace Jack Wilson.
At least one good thing is the clock started on the healing process while the All-star break is in progress.
One of the Brave’s biggest concerns was answered by Jair’s return to form. At least the Braves don’t have to give away the farm (again) to pick up a fourth (or fifth) starter. Seems to me that Delgado and Minor both have picked it up a bit. Even getting 6 innings out of either should see us through.
I don’t know if the Braves can catch the Nationals but they certainly should be able to over take (and stay ahead of ) the Mets. If they can’t, well, they don’t deserve to be in the playoffs and would not go deep into October.
I’m not sure how many games the Braves will not win because of Andrelton’s absence but the other guys need to step it up to cover for him. It is what good teams do.
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Gil, I’m here, I’m here! 😉 First, excellent lead! 🙂 I wanted to post something better than just that…so of course…I didn’t post anything 😕 Should have done that…that being said…I think Jack Wilson will surprise folks by being able to actually still be a very good defender by having reps , actually playing….it’s amazing what a difference that can make in keeping you looking like a major leaguer.
But, we are really going to miss Simmons in front of and behind the ball….I bet McCann was wishing the All star break was around Aug 1st right now…of course if he kept hitting like he was hitting, he’d get invited to play…4 days off will do him a world of good….
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Jack Wilson is a very good, above average fielder. But the guy can no longer hit. I have no problem holding tight with Wilson/Rev, but don’t expect much offense, and don’t expect the spectacular plays that Andrelton makes look easy.
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That said, I have a gut feeling that Frank will bring in another vet, and that Jack Wilson’s days may be numbered…
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It is at this point that a guy like Mark Derosa would be a perfect fit. Better hitter than Wilson but then, that is why he cost more. The one thing Wilson can do is lay down a sac bunt. Not sure how well that fits in having him batting ahead of the pitcher.
Fontinot is another guy who could provide decent play at short and then could hang around after Andy come back.
The Rev has a decent stick but I think his defense is more of what you would be looking for from a second baseman than a shortstop. Oh well, where is Tony Pena Jr when you need him?
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I like Jack Wilson’s defense, but he gives you nothing at the plate. Heck, Gwinnett’s Josh Wilson might be a better alternative…
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And the Rev can hit, but we saw what an impact Simmons’ defense made as opposed to Rev’s. If we could just bond Rev’s bat with Jack’s glove… 🙄
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Did ya know Jack Wilson had over 200 hits and hit .308….in 2004??? .265 career B.A. 34. You know me, ever the optimist(Suddup!) I think actually playing would help him. If you aren’t going to drop someone from the team, then he should start once a week. One game at 3rd(he can play it, right?) then next week at SS, then week after at 2nd base. Doesn’t that make sense?
Looks like Wilson was starting some in May, in 6 of those games, he had a hit in 5 of the games…then Simmons came up, and he made one start in the month of June, at the end of the month. Was he injured between the 18th, and 27th? Cuz he didn’t even play in one game during that period. Again, how can ANYONE stay sharp, never playing? For all of La Russa’s faults, he made darn sure everyone on the roster played.
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And CL…I have a love/hate relationship with popcorn. About died one time at a movie when a piece of it went way down an airway….and so much of the bag stuff gets caught in my teeth. Have you tried Cousin Willie’s? Only took a chance because it was dirt cheap at kroger, and its much more tender than Pop Secret or Orville, IMHO.
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Last night’s All-star game was pretty entertaining if you are a National League fan. American League, not so much. I thought Craig Kimbrel looked outstanding, absolutely top shelf. Of course all the love was for the “Crazy” Cuban who followed but hey, Kimbrel only threw seven pitches for two strike outs so I doubt the talking heads had a chance to even refer to their notes. Much less even watch him.
I did think the old man gave good account of himself last night. Seeing eye single (a little help from his friends) and thank goodness Uggla did not strike out.. Prince Fielder showed why he will not win a gold glove…
And one has to wonder who this Melky guy is??? Why can’t the Braves get a guy like him to play left?? Oh. that’s right, they did when he was auditioning for Santa look-a-likes… Must have thought it was okay to show up out of shape after watching high(low) lights of Andruw Jones playing for the Los Bravos.
Maybe there is hope yet for Francisco if he will get serious about his weight. It is tough for a ballplayer to do much about his conditioning during the season, About all that can be hoped for is for him to drop a pound or two but you pretty much have what you have got after the start of spring training.
A parting thought, yes Ber, you are right about players rusting up quickly on the bench. Bobby Cox was good about getting guys playing time while resting his regulars. It is as if Freddi is afraid to lose a game playing a scrub once a week. I find it odd he usually waits until a guy is finding his stroke and then sitting him down to cool him off but when a guy is struggling, he has him playing everyday. No wonder Ross didn’t want to sign with Atlanta.
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No wonder Ross didn’t want to sign with Atlanta.
There was no doubt in my mind whatsoever that Ross’ comments regarding Atlanta was a direct reference to Fredi. Just because I haven’t railed on him lately doesn’t mean I have changed my mind about him. Not a fan.
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Jon Heyman: Completing his quick comeback, Ben Sheets will start for the Braves on Sunday
http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/blog/jon-heyman/19553730/comebacking-sheets-to-start-sunday-for-braves
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I am not expecting a huge game out of Sheets Sunday but I hope to see a solid game. Too bad he will not have Atlanta’s best defense behind him with Simmons out. That said, it isn’t like other teams haven’t had to play short handed this season. You have to win with what you have….
I am just curious as to which guy goes down to Gwinnette. Maybe neither if a trade is in the offering.
Justin Verlander showed just how fickle the game of baseball can be for a starting pitcher. I remember the game where Glavin gave up a bunch of runs in an All-star game. Of course no one knew he was pitching with a rib separation, Well, I guess Bobby Cox did but I digress. Of course most of the hit Tommy gave up were the seeing eye grounder variety.
So, the Braves get an extra days rest following the All-star break this year. So, how does it line up with the starting pitching with Sheets in the mix? Hudson, Hanson, Sheets and Jurjjens?
Delgado and/or Minor in the pen?
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Delgado to AAA…
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Wait! That was vague. Let me be more specific:
My guess is that Delgado will be sent to AAA Gwinnett.
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I still feel the guy(heh, just typed, the gay, my inner 10 year old just chuckled) with the ERA just south of 6 should be sent down, but thats just me. Plus he throws from the other side of his body, which is so important when you want to lose games but have a diverse pitching staff.
Since May 11th, Minor has 3 starts where he gave up 1 or 2 runs. 5 starts giving up 4 runs, 2 starts giving up 6 runs. Before his last start, he gave up 4 runs in 3 straight games. I think Gil said it best when he called him Jo-Jo Reyes….
and to continue to sound like a grouch…How and why is Sheets starting this soon? Seems like a panic move. will have made 3 whole starts in the minors after not pitching in a game in 2 years?
I’d be less grouchy if the games were back today…hope the rest truly helps Chipper, Uggla, McCann, Prado, etc,etc, etc!
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It’s simple, really. Sheets is starting this soon so that the Braves will have 3 starts against major league hitters with which to judge him before the July 31 trade deadline, at which time they will need to make a decision on whether to make a potentially franchise changing trade (Teixeira, anyone?) for a starting pitcher.
As for Minor vs. Delgado, there really isn’t a huge difference. Each has had a handful of decent starts, each has a times stunk like Eric Hinske’s game socks. That said, Minor’s last 2 starts have been much better than Delgado’s. Again, little difference, but I’ll take recent performance, and at least you make the opposing manager shuffle his lineup at least once every 5 days.
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Good afternoon all, So, it’s Delgado to the minors instead of Minor…. I’m thinking both of them should keep their bags packed and caution against signing any long term leases.
Yes, you would have to have at least one lefty starter around so Tom Glavin would have someone to mentor.
Yes Ber, I thought the Braves were rushing Sheets a bit too but these are desperate times or so folks would have us think.
And as for getting close to the trade deadline, I am reminded of another adage my father used to opine that ” Buying is easy. it is selling that is hard” I’m pretty sure whatever the other teams are selling, Frank Wren dose not want to pay the asking price.
So many moving parts involved in every transaction… Sigh!
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V, what you said about making a decision by the 31st makes some sense…still, not a recipe for him to be successful in, IMHO.
Minor is lucky in so many ways…one is that big time Timmy Jim is even worse than Minor, ERA wise, otherwise he would be the Worst starter in the NL. He is 3rd worst in baseball, Congrats! http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/pitching/_/league/nl/order/true Congrats on being born left handed too. 😕
Of course, if the Braves lose the W.C. by say…3 games. No one will blame Minor either…
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To be fair to Mike Minor, how many rookie pitchers not named Doc Gooden are really that good in their first couple of years in the Bigs? You would think they would just throw what the catcher calls for and be done with it but there is so much more to it, isn’t there? Hey, even Greg Maddux had his bumps along the way… One of the toughest assignments in the world may be for a young pitcher to break in with a ball club which is a perennial winner, or at least the expectation is one of winning verses being able to learn their craft without the added pressure of being under a microscope.
Buyer or seller? Do you folks realize the Braves have not been sellers since 1989? That thought came to me while reading about possible acquisitions for the push in August and September. How many other franchises can say that? Boy, we really have become spoiled haven’t we?
So, who do the Braves go after? I have no idea, too bad Prado can’t really play short, although he could probably play it better than Pastornicky… Just saying… I guess what the Braves really need is a young Jack Wilson, although if Jack could get into a groove of playing everyday, he might work out.
That said, I hear Yunell might be available.. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
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Folks, I hope everyone is surviving Friday the 13th… One has to wonder what calamity might befall out favorite team tonight.. My personal thoughts are that the 13th came early for the Bravos when Simmons dinged a pinky.. Really, who could have seen that one coming?
It has been a good day for me so far. Two of my girls and 6 of the grand kids came over to go swimming. The water is wonderful right now… I think I will hide under my bed now until game time now, just to be on the safe side. No use pushing my luck after all…
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This does not surprise me at all…
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Braves
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worst
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nightmare 😯
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Martin Prado is my hero.
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Well, we were witness to the answer of my conundrum posed yesterday. Another day, another pinky swear and another shortstop bites the dust, unbelievable… Almost as unbelievable as Marteen actually playing better shortstop than the guys who actually claim to be everyday shortstops. The only thing he may not be able to do is an Ozzie style backflip.. Wouldn’t bet against him though….
I just cannot imagine this team without him in the lineup somewhere. Okay, maybe not in centerfield but then, I would not put it past him. For sure, he has to be this year’s MVP. If he played in New York, they would be building monument to him and raving about his prowess on the diamond… To me, he is the Braves real “Superman”..
And maybe as someone suggested, they could let him be the GM, I’m pretty sure he could make a decision to have a backup shortstop in place after 4 days in which to do it. Honestly, not one of Frank Wren’s most shining moments to drop the ball on that one…Actually, pretty irresponsible. Are the Braves that cheap they are not willing to bring up a kid from the minors for a week? I know if I were a shortstop playing at triple AAA Gwennette, I would be calling my agent and telling him to find me somewhere else to play…
Other than that, last night’s strike zone must have be the smallest I have ever seen by a major league umpire and worse still, it was being moved on the fly… Really, it was all over the place. It really made for a boring and long drawn out game…A tough night to be a pitcher.
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Okay, for all you folks having trouble posting, I sent out new invites. You know it’s tough when the blog creator (CL) can’t post… Who knows, maybe Word Press doesn’t like our business…
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Boy, now I’m really confused….
Anywho, great game today, at least for the Braves fans, not so much for the Fox broadcasters….
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I get the prophet star…
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Voice of Raisins
July 10, 2012 at 8:43 am
That said, I have a gut feeling that Frank will bring in another vet,
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😀
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Kudos Raisins…
Pretty much a stopgap as I think even a blind umpire can see Simmons is the present and future shortstop for the Braves. That and you never know what other “name” will pop up on your radar. I’m pretty sure The Rev is going to be available to any team who is willing to wait on his development. I’m not sure who the Braves got in return for Lillibridge but Brent has become a force for the White Sox.
Okay, I am primed and ready to view the Ben Sheets experiment firsthand. It would be great to sweep the Mutts. Turn about is fair play…
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Thanks for letting me join the blog. I am now entitled to wave my Braves flag and use the foam hatchet. I only wish I got all the games on Dish TV. At least I got to see the game Saturday. Wasn’t Kimbrel awesome!
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Welcome Bro… Yes, and he has been pretty awesome for two years now. You realize the last 8 outs he has recorded, including the All-star game have all been by strike outs. The kid is unhittable…
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Welcome Gil’s sibling!!!
Looking forward to seeing Ben Sheets today myself.
Paul Janish is definitely a stop gap only, but a welcome addition given the lack of depth at SS in the organization (Rev is no longer classified as a SS in the organization; he is now a utility player, having played 2B, 3B, and both corner OF spots for the Gwinnett Braves for the last month. In fact, he had not played any SS for over 2 weeks until yesterday at The Ted.) He is a great glove, so-so bat. But that’s OK… that’s all we were expecting from Jack Wilson. But Wilson’s advanced age would prevent him from being “the guy” for 6 weeks. Not so with Janish, who was Cincy’s starter for most of last season. I think it was an outstanding deal, especially since we gave up almost nothing, with all due respect to Todd Redmond. But Janish is just what the doctor ordered – a reliable glove to keep the place warm for Andrelton until he returns. That will likely be in September, when the rosters expand anyway.
Now, back to Sheets. Big day for the Braves as we get to see if we have a dandy or a dud. Bigger day for Sheets as gets to prove he is still a Major League pitcher.
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Let’s see… news: Rev stays up as backup, Wilson goes on DL, Delgado sent down (as expected) to make room for Big Ben, Janish in 2day’s lineup, Uggla not in 2day’s lineup, Prado plays 2B. There is no credence to the rumor that Prado delivered McCann’s baby on Friday, nor that he fixed the unexpected power outage at The Ted. But he probably could have…
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Speaking of…
2day’s lineup:
1- Bourn to run, CF
2- Superman, 2B
3- JHey, RF
4- Chipper, 3B*
5- Fred Flintstone, 1B
6- Mac Daddy, C
7- Matty D, LF**
8- Paul Janish, SS
9- Big Ben Sheets, RHP
* I would take Chipper on 1 leg over Fatcisco any day, I cannot stand to watch that dude take Ruthian swings one right after another,
** Diaz? Really? Might as well just be resigned to giving away that out every time through. The dude has lost his mojo. I’d cut bait and replace his spot on the bench soon. Maybe if Rev can play a competent LF… but I digress…
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Sheets is throwing a wet blanket over the Mets today, looks like Frank Wren has indeed caught lightning in a bottle. Fly balls and strike outs, not a guy you want pitching in Cincy or Philly…
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From BMac to Mac Daddy… I like it…
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… and he looks like he’s having fun out there, too. Gotta love that. And the vaunted curveball is pretty dang impressive, I gotta say.
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Raisins, hitting a 500 foot homer run will do that for you, trying to duplicate the feat. Sigh, wall scrapers count just as much.
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Sheets is cruising through 5. Fredi was quoted as saying he was looking for 5 solid innings. I had read that he is on an 88 pitch limit. (88? Really? Why 88? Where the heck do you come up with 88? Why not 85 or 90? But 88?) Anyway, he’s at 77, so he should be back for the 6th unless Fredi chooses to pinch hit for him. (Due up 3rd in the inning.) I hope he bats and goes back to the mound. He’s looking really good.
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Paul Yanish our modern day Raphael Belliard?
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And Sheets comes up, but we only need the sac bunt…
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Question, is Southern league a DH league or do the pitchers hit?
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Wow what an inning!
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BTW – Sheets completed his 6 great innings of work in… 88 pitches. How ’bout that? 😀
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Really complete ballgame for the Bravos today. I sense a long winning run coming. It should be fun.
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NEW BLOG UP, I’M HOPING THE LINKAGE PROBLEMS ARE SOLVED!
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