by Gil ‘N Mechanicsville
One of the great things about spring training is all the new faces we see and read about as management attempts to put together a product which will be able to win ball games and possibly be the best of the thirty major league teams.
Sure, we know about the regulars, Freddie Freeman, Nick Markakis and Ender Inciarte.
It is not as if we don’t want to know about the stars, we do want to know they are healthy and are in great shape as well as if their bat is slowing down or have lost a step. It is reassuring to know all is well with the core of the team. After all, we have seen the rug pulled out from under the team on several occasions in the interest of getting better.
It is the new guys that create the most interest for me. Funny how there always seems to be a name or two we have hardly ever heard of who suddenly arrives on the scene to create a buzz.
Acuna – Albies – Newcomb
We were all exposed to the exploits Ronald Acuna this winter. The suddenly not so secret ‘secret weapon’ signed as an international free agent. We have followed with interest several of the prospects acquired thru trades as well as in free agent drafts, Names like Mataio and Albies and Newcomb who some folks believe should already be logging major league time. For some reason, they have a difficult time grasping the fact that few prospects ever reach the major leagues. Even fewer live up to the hype promoted by various front office types who try to gin up the interest in their respective clubs.
Dansby Swanson
This season we are looking forward to watching possible rookie of the year Dansby Swanson. To date, he has not disappointed. Maybe not the best at any one skill but a heck of a five tool guy who is really good at just about everything he does.
The 
addition of Brandon Phillips to man the second base position was a real positive move on John Cappelletti’s part. BP may not be the player he once was but he is no slouch and is an improvement over Jace Peterson as the Braves await the arrival of Ozzie Albies on the scene. Not to disrespect Jace but he will be much more valuable to the team as a super sub than he is as a regular. He has delivered on more than one occasion but he has also had long stretches of failure to make consistent contact.
This season, unlike the last two years, the lineup is pretty well set. Three of the four infield
Ruiz
positions will be manned by All-Star calibre players. Third base has 32 year old Adonis Garcia penciled in to start but several names have popped up as
Johan
possible challengers to man the hot corner. Rio Ruiz has long been touted as a candidate but of late Johan Carmargo’s name has been mentioned. The unexpected loss of Sean Rodriguez following an off season traffic accident did yield Brandon Phillips for at least part of the year and has altered the expected plans to platoon Jace Peterson and Adonis.
Even so, it is still very early and there is no telling who might suddenly appear on the scene either via trade or promotion. I just would not assume or take for granted anything if I were listed on the Braves 2017 roster.
Braves & Stuff 
Excellent, Gil! You always do such a great job for us.
I will definitely need a scorecard to keep up with who-in-the-heck is who!
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Thanks CL. So many stories going on, it is tough to know which one will be the most important.
I am thinking Acuna is going to be playing in triple A by the end of the summer. If Markakis is traded, it may be sooner. For sure, he is on a rapid trajectory to the bigs.
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Acuna seems to be the kind of player who goes all-out. And is having fun doing it. Exciting to see what happens with everybody! 😀
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This sucks for Peterson, at least they did not let it linger. At only 22, he still has his potential ahead of him.
http://m.braves.mlb.com/news/article/217878132/braves-dustin-peterson-undergoes-surgery/
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It sure does! Wishing him a real speedy recovery! It’s amazing how such a strong human body can be so frail at times.
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Howdy… been out of pocket for a few days. Nothing earth shattering going on in Braves-land, really. It does suck that DPetey got the hand broken, but it’s early in the year and he’s not expected to contribute to the big league team anyway. He’ll be fine by mid-season.
Also, a couple of under the radar minor league signings. Remember David Hale? He’s back. Why not? Keep stockpiling… it increases the odds you’ll hit on something.
The WBC’ers leave camp for the next few weeks, and as much as I want to like this contrived tourney, I just can’t. It’s not that I don’t like the format or the competition. I hate what it does to Spring Training. For the next couple of weeks, or at least until some teams begin to get put out, we’ll be without our regular CF and 1B, not to mention our Opening Day starter. But what are ya gonna do?
For the record (no pun intended), I’m not worried about the team’s early spring record. Too many pitchers are working on specific pitches and locations, and not really worrying alot about the batters. And we’ve been trotting out some lineups with High-A regulars. If we’re still flailing during the last couple of weeks of spring, I’ll start to be concerned.
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Agree on the record, not that I don’t like winning, it’s just not all that relevant at this point.
I will not be surprised to see Acuna make it to triple A by the end of the season if he stays healthy. Could even make it to the majors if there was critical need but getting 400 at bats at Mississippi will only improve his baseball acumen.
Yesterday’s game vs the Red Sox is on the MLB network. I doubt I will watch after the 6th inning.
I don’t know Vee, the Israel @ Korea game was pretty good.
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Let’s play devil’s advocate for a minute…
Let’s say Acuna does progress into AAA by season’s end, and by next Spring is genuinely pushing for a roster spot even as a 20 year old, ala Andruw Jones.
Where does he play? Do you move your Gold Glove CF over to make room for “the next Andruw”? Do you just insert him in RF and waste his incredible speed and range?
It makes for some very interesting talk, doesn’t it?
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Don’t you know Christian Walker is asking “Why me?” today? He goes from the Braves (Freddie Freeman) to the Reds (Joey Votto).
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Bowman takes a rather casual view of the event, which may be correct. But I can’t help but ask why it was necessary when there was already an open 40-man roster spot. The timing is also a little bit odd to me… right on the heels of Freddie leaving to play with CAN in the WBC. Seems to me the team would need a true 1B for a stretch. Who gets the playing time on that corner now? Blake Lalli? Balbino Fuenmayor? Joey Meneses?
Maybe they should toss Rio a 1B mitt and teach him the ropes…
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Or perhaps they are ready to give KJ the ML deal he’s been holding out for.
I’m betting on that one.
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Perhaps it was the balls he failed to dig out of the dirt. I’m good with Kelly Johnson.
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As for Acuna, don’t forget this is Nick’s final year. I’m putting the best arm in right..
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And now for something completely different…
The Braves updated Top 10 prospects list looks as follows:
Dansby Swanson, SS
Ozzie ALbies, 2B/SS
Kevin Maitan, SS
Kolby Allard, LHP
Mike Soroka, RHP
Sean Newcomb, LHP
Ian Anderson, RHP
Ronald Acuna, OF
Max Fried, LHP
Travis Demeritte, 2B
I think it’s notable that there are as many position players here as pitchers.
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don’t forget this is Nick’s final year
Um… er… half year. I’m betting he’s a goner at the deadline.
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Yes, but if the Braves are over .500 at the time and in contention for a play-off spot, it will lead to much consternation by the Braves brain trust. Markakis has proven to be a reliable RBI producing machine. I would expect a very nice package in return.
So. Acuna’s rapid rise has dwarfed all other potential outfielders in the Braves system. Dustin Peterson is the only other prospect who has been mentioned as being on tract to arrive in Atlanta in the near future. The hammock bone injury is troubling. Wrist are almost as important as toes to a hitter… It is whence the pop comes from. The wrist cock that increases the bat speed exponentially.
If Kemp produces anywhere near the level of offense for the Braves as he did last season, Freddie Freeman may snare an NL MVP award. Yes, it could happen with a play-off run.
More “stuff”… Saw Joey Terdoslavich stroke an RBI double today for the Pirates against the Yankees. He looks good.
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If we were to have a proper 5 man bench, Terdo’s SH bat sure would look good on it. He could back up 1B too. Oh well…
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After a flurry of early camp news stories, more than we could keep up with, things have settled back to a slower pace. Not much to chew on. Braves have split squad games today, so they’ll get to look at Ronald Acuna, Austin Riley, Ray Patrick-Didder, Balbino Fuenmayor, Adam Walker, and Lane Adams some more.
Still need a bench option.
It’s weird, though. I kinda think if they were gonna bring KJ back, they might have done it already, especially before the mass defection to the WBC.
I am beginning to lean more into the opinion that they are waiting for the multitude of bullpen arms to establish themselves before deciding which one(s) to trade for their bench bat.
One thing we know… Coppy never sleeps. And he doesn’t follow conventional methods, either.
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Know who would look great on our bench?
Sean Rodriguez.
Dang it…
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RE: bench and Dustin Peterson. This was tweeted last Friday:
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So, after the Braves exhaust all their options for the left handed bat off the bench and have a viable option at first, I would venture your prediction of the Braves picking up Kelly Johnson will come to fruition. I also think they are trying to leave their options open on picking up a player who is cut by another team. Too early to know who will be available.
Perhaps what we don’t yet know is how close the Braves are to trading Nick Markakis, how close they are to their salary cap.
I saw this happen with the gNats when their fan base was clamoring for the Learners to sign Andrew Jones when he hit free agency. It was not that they did not have the means to do so but the brain trust for the Nationals did not feel they were yet at a point where Andrew would make a difference. Sort of like putting $2000 work of wheel rims on a $500 car.
So, we know the Braves have some really good talent lying in the weeds. What Braves fans should also understand is that talent takes some time to mature. Also, being good in the minors does not always transfer to the Show.
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work should read (worth)… dang auto correct…
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Too bad the Pirates want so much for Andrew McCutchen.. Would look great in the Braves right field but then, if Acuna keeps putting up the numbers he has, he may force the Braves to move him up sooner than later.
I am of the mind that ronald Acuna might just be “the answer to everything”. A once in a generation type player who will be commanding big money sooner than later.
The problem might be he still needs to learn those things for which the minors are intended. To learn from the inevitable mistakes all young players make. Understanding in game situations, which base to throw to, when to “go for it” and when to play it safe.
Hey, it’s all good.
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One last rant… It’s Bush’s fault…
Oh, wait, wrong blog…
Anyway, one more thing about Acuna, we should not lose sight of the fact he was not on the list of players invited to the major league spring training camp. He has already cause the Braves to look at him differently. He is getting the chance to display his skills in the big league camp.
I don’t think he will start on the big league roster but he may well skip a level on his way to the big league roster. I think that will be Triple A as the Mississippi roster is filled with players closer to his own age.
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I don’t know, Gil…
Acuna just turned 19 in December and he started 2016 in Rookie League. He’s only had 40 games at Low-A Rome. Technically, he’s targeted for High-A Kissimmee (the Fire Frogs). In reality, he’ll be skipping a level if he lands in AA Mississippi, but I do think he could land there.
AAA Gwinnett will have a ton of OF on their roster, starting with Emilio Bonifacio, Mel Rojas, Jr., Adam Walker, Dustin Peterson (eventually), Connor Lien, Matt Tuiasosopo, and Lane Adams. It almost seems that more of our position players truly develop and blossom in Mississippi. Not sure why.
But here’s the thing… in my sanctified imagination, Nick Markakis will reach maximum value at the trade deadline as long as he holds steady with his last 2 consistent years of production. That’s when Coppy will extract the maximum return from him, and that will clear the way for Dustin Peterson’s promotion. And that will clear the way for Acuna to possibly move up to AAA, if he puts up the right numbers at AA.
One other guy to keep an eye on… Connor Lien.
He’s a guy that began last season at AA Mississippi, but broke the haunting hamate bone in his wrist in his very first AB. It stunted his numbers last year, as he slashed just .233/.320/.408 in 64 games while trying to regain his swing. If he gets back on track in AAA Gwinnett, he could be a candidate to move up at some point himself.
The poop on Lien:
He’s a big athletic guy at 6’3″/225, but he still has plus speed and can swipe some bases. In fact, he’s almost too confident in his speed and runs himself into outs occasionally. But that’s what “development” is for.
He has plus bat speed through the zone which gives him decent pop, but his swing is a little long. Again, that’s what “development” is for. He’s considered to have a good eye, but did seem to struggle with pitch recognition after the layoff with his wrist injury.
As for defense, he’s considered an elite defender who reads the ball extremely well off the bat in all 3 OF spots allowing him to get incredible jumps on balls hit out there. And he’s considered to have the 3rd best OF arm in the organization. His defense is ML ready now.
Given the time he missed in AA last season, it’s possible he could start 2017 there. But I think the better bet is AAA. And if he could put up some gaudy numbers in spring, he might just get on someone’s radar. In fact, if he were a LH batter, he might could force himself into the running for the 4th OF spot. Alas, that won’t happen. But given DPetey’s early absence, if one of our starting OF gets hurt early – God forbid – Lien could get the call. If you overlook Boni, which the organization often does, he’s probably the closest to being ready that we have for CF.
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Watching the WBC game Korea @ Netherlands. Simmons’ trade to Angels is a sore subject with me. The guy is a wizard with the glove and his bat isn’t too shabby either.
I know, I know… Dansby is going to be an all-star but ….
Come backs from wrist injuries tend to take longer than people want to admit. Maybe Peterson returns to form by July but it will take at least that long for him to get back to square one. It is all about getting your timing back, that plus rebuilding strength to recover from the muscle atrophy.
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The WBC’ers leave camp for the next few weeks, and as much as I want to like this contrived tourney, I just can’t. It’s not that I don’t like the format or the competition. I hate what it does to Spring Training. For the next couple of weeks, or at least until some teams begin to get put out, we’ll be without our regular CF and 1B, not to mention our Opening Day starter. But what are ya gonna do?
funny, I was going to write that it was an opportunity for someone else, then read down the page, that someone else was let go…weird…
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Ber, there is always another body availible to throw into the fray. My take is someone in the Braves management just did not like what they saw and did not feel they had the time to correct his deficiencies. Oh well…
Johan Camargo isn’t doing himself any favors with the glove either. Two error in two days, of course there is always 3rd base.
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No sweat on Christian Walker. Some are trying to make a big deal out of it as if the Braves were covertly trying to sneak the guy through waivers and the Reds took something of value away.
Nope.
There’s a reason he was put through waivers twice since Spring Training started. He’s not a Major League caliber player. The Braves front office deemed him expendable so they removed him from the roster. It’s that simple.
The only question I had was the timing. In my conspiracy clouded mind I thought perhaps it was in advance of adding someone back on. But that hasn’t happened yet. It will, of course, at some point. But not yet.
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Johan Camargo isn’t doing himself any favors with the glove either.
IMO that is an anomaly. He’s always been known as a slick fielder. Unless the added muscle mass he put on has had an adverse effect. I suppose that’s possible. But in reality, we aren’t really worried too much about SS, right? 3B offers a much better opportunity.
If Camargo is to sneak onto the roster, it’ll be in place of Chase d’Arnaud, who can play anywhere but won’t ever hit very much. If Johan can continue to hit like he’s started, he’ll make the Braves at least think about him.
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Unless the added muscle mass he put on has had an adverse effect.
That is a very keen observation that has much merit. I am not sure if that was typed in jest but it is indeed possible it has affected his rhythm. Baseball requires muscle tone and not muscle mass…
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DO’B:
Braves manager Brian Snitker was asked about infield prospect Johan Camargo’s rash of recent defensive errors prior to Tuesday’s game against the Pirates. “Up here (in the major leagues) it’s adjusting to the speed of the game,” Snitker said
The errors have probably diminished the chances of [Johan] Camargo making the team out of spring training, since strong defense at several positions is what Braves officials expected from the rookie, who turned 23 in December.
Whether it’s the speed of the game or the added muscle, the results are the same, and it’s not positive. While the muscle has certainly enhanced his offense, the tradeoff might negate the improvement.
It’s too bad, because there is a gigantic opportunity awaiting for someone to grab it and run with it. Thus far, nobody has. Good thing there’s still 3 1/2 more weeks.
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Done deal.
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Vee, the muscle issue is a good one. Pro baseball players are assessed for their “fast twitch” muscles and I doubt more bulk really enhances that. More muscle might have a positive effect if it is the thighs, lower back, abdomen (core) and forearms and wrist. Adding bulk to the shoulders, pecs and upper back may make you look good but it tends to make a person muscle bound when trying to enhance a skill.
I use to play golf with a co-worker who was also a body builder. His swing plane was awful. He looked good though…
With players like Maitan, Albies, Demeritt all being viable options in the future, fringe guys like Carmago need to distance themselves from imitating Brooks Conrad. I don’t think the Braves need to look for a late inning defensive specialist ala Rafael Belliard but those guys are out there.
I would love to have both Brandon Phillips and Sean Rodriguez both on the roster at the same time. It would really improve the Braves. While I suspect the Brave will move BP at the trade deadline to make room for Albies, I would think it would be beneficial to keep Phillips and use Albies as a super-sub.
We shall have to wait and see where the Braves are at the break.
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A man on a mission.
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So, lots of games against the Red Sox, Tampa and teams across alligator alley in the Braves future. It leaves the Tigers a bit hung out but even so, they are close enough to St Pete/tampa area to allow for short trips.
Arizona provides for great convenience as far as travel but it can get really boring out there.
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I certainly believe Brandon Phillips will be valuable on the field, but he may prove even more valuable in the clubhouse. That fact alone might just keep him here for the whole season. Hopefully Ozzie gets to make his spring debut tomorrow. But I’m willing to wait on him for the regular season. I’m willing to be patient and let him get a full season at AAA. I’m willing to let him and BP have as much time together as is logistically possible.
BP won’t be a bench guy. It’s just not plausible. And Ozzie needs to play every day. If it means we don’t see Ozzie until September, I’m groovy with it.
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Building lower body strength and stamina. Good for him. Good for the Braves too. Fewer balls falling in that are hit in the gap. Allows for Ender to play a couple of steps further right.
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Playing everyday may be over rated. I don’t mind a guy having a day off every third or fourth day. Look at what happened to Brian McCann every August and September while he was a Brave. His bat slowed perceptively. 162 plus games is a long season.
Bobby Cox always gave his regulars the day off on Sunday day games. The lost those games more often than not. I’d rather they rotate the off days to spread out the talent.
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Jace gets another start at SS today. His ability to backup SS is huge for our bench. It opens up that last spot for a more traditional 4th OF type. And the more Jace plays there – capably – the more it hurts Chaase d’Arnaud’s chances of being on the Opening Day roster.
For the record, Chase has 0 options left, so he either makes the roster or does the Waiver Wire 2-step.
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As pitchers start going longer into games, there are less innings to go around. So some of the pitchers will be reassigned to minor league camp. And as some of the arms go down, so will some of the extra catchers. It’s that time of camp.
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As I said…
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The best thing FB ever came up with was show what you posted on this(that?) day, a year, two, three years ago….or even more. Just found this interesting cuz , how many of the guys Gil saw, have made a long-term impact on the braves? (also interesting to see names like Hillbilly, flbravesgirl)
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Today’s camp cuts:
LHP Jesse Biddle and RHP Jason Hursh optioned to AAA.
LHP Sam Freeman, LHP Adam Kolarek, RHP Rhiner Cruz, C Cade Scivicque, C Joe Odom, and OF Dustin Peterson reassigned to minor league camp.
The only non-pitcher or non-catcher is DPetey, who is on the shelf.
Nothing to see here. Move along.
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Sorry… Biddle goes to AA. My bad.
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Also, Dan Winkler and Jacob Lindgren are placed on the 60-day DL.
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And I believe that moving Winkler to the 60 drops the 40-man roster to 37.
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http://www.espn.com/blog/mlb/rumors/post/_/id/33804/mlb-rumor-central-braves-interested-in-kelly-johnson-encore
LOL – somebody’s been reading B&S again! 😀
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Interesting article!
http://www.espn.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/77854/strange-exciting-misfits-meet-the-2017-braves
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Tidbits from today:
Bartolo: 3 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 3 K, 2 BB (47 pitches)
Sean Newcomb goes 2 IP, allowing just 1 single and striking out 4. He’s the real deal folks. Just needs a hair more seasoning.
Snit says Newcomb’s performance was “the highlight of the day for me”. (credit McAlpin)
Boni and Micah Johnson are both competing very hard for that last bench spot.
Ozzie has been cleared for games and will play tomorrow.
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Watching the Australia @ China WBC game this AM. Good game, seeing our old pall Peter Moylan sitting on the Aussie bench.
7-0 Aus in the top od the 7th.
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Gil, your comment about not being able to pass up a good bargain reminds me of my cousin’s wife Shelley. At the grocery store she spotted a really great bargain on dog food so she bought a lot of it. Problem: they didn’t have a dog. (True story!) 😀
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So, Dansby out the past few days with back tightness… Hummmm…
Albies back in the game today.
Newcome with a good game today. Now, let’s see if he can back that up with another. Remember, the true sign a guy is ready for the bigs is when he can put back to back good games.
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So, Dansby out the past few days with back tightness… Hummmm…
It’s ok with me. I wanna see Jace handle SS on a semi-consistent basis for a few days. I need to see that. Dansby won’t get rusty during a brief precautionary period.
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And this is why I don’t pay any attention to their spring record.
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While spring training records are not sacrosanct as to future success, they are not irrelevant either. I do pay attention to hitters being able to hit and pitchers able to get outs.
Red flags… Strike outs and pop ups by hitters, walks allowed by pitchers…
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I love this pic of Ozzie!
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Sean Newcomb was reassigned to minor league camp this morning. According to DO’B, management was still “buzzing” this morning over his performance yesterday. His reassignment was simply a foregone conclusion at this point in camp as starters will now be going 4 innings through their next turn making innings scarce for everyone else. Newcomb will be able to stay on his regular progression in minor league games.
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The future at 3B, being coached up by the legend at 3B. Very cool.
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Interesting…
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Two points: 1. Don’t fault Pegan for holding out hope for a major league deal.
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Another player (ARI’s Socrates Brito) suffers a hand injury making a head first slide. Man I hate those. Always have, always will.
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I think that is the stumbling block as far as Kelly Johnson is concerned.
I think there are 30 clubs who are doing the same thing. They want to see where their prospects are as well as the non roster invitees. I am of the mind that spring training is really a month long audition. I read somewhere this morning that minor leaguers don’t get paid for spring training. I can see why a player would want a major league deal.
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And again, you never know who will fail to make it through due to a lat pull or inflamed tendon or two. That does not even take into account toes…. and as we all know, toes are not to be trifled with…
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And the WBC.. If it were not for the fact that it was a MLB initiative, I would bet money that every major league ball club would make it a prohibited activity for any player under contract.
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Personally, I think making Pagan a minor league deal was simply due diligence. But I don’t think Coppy is interested enough to get truly serious.
It’s akin to seeing a $400 guitar on Craigslist and making the seller an offer for $300. If he accepts, then great. If not, then meh. Nothing lost.
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It’s akin to seeing a $400 guitar on Craigslist and making the seller an offer for $300
Which is why I bought a Monetary Pro at auction for $60. Included a hard shell case…
Not like I needed it but I hate to pass up a bargain.
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I still don’t think the 4th member of the bench is currently in the organization. But I don’t think it’s gonna be the popular conventional picks of KJ or Frenchy either.
I think Coppy will make a trade before they team heads north. As you alluded to Gil, teams have about 3 more weeks to decide what they still need, and alot of teams are gonna decide they really need another bullpen arm. And Coppy has conveniently stockpiled a bunch of those. Whether it’s a higher impact guy like Viz, or a less flashy but stable guy like Chaz Roe, somebody will be traded.
And quite honestly, one of the side effects of acquiring some of these veteran guys is that most are out of options, so they can’t all be kept anyway.
Locks for the bullpen: JimmyJohn, Viz, Mauricio Cabrera
Out of options: Ian Krol, Jose Ramirez, Chaz Roe
Veterans on major league deals: Josh Collmenter
That already equals 8 without other realistic candidates such as Blaine Boyer, EOF
Paco Rodriguez and Luke Jackson are strong candidates for the OD pen, but they do actually have options, so Coppy could elect to stash one or both in AAA. But if they want the best 8 pitchers for the OD pen, they’re both in.
My prediction? Just based on gut feeling and early reports, I think the team sticks with the 8 man pen and goes with JimmyJohn, Viz, Cabrera, Krol, JRam, Paco, Jackson and Collmenter.
I think Collmenter is a trade candidate. I think Roe is outta here. I think EOF has to make a few more effective appearances. If he can actually do that, he’ll take Paco’s spot and Paco goes down. He’s also a trade candidate if he remains effective.
I’m on the fence with Boyer. If the team trades Collmenter, Boyer would make a good long man.
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Monetary? duh Monterey..
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I would love for the Braves to have more guys than they can keep and they are all good players. It brings a much higher return.
I don’t see a lot of trades going down until the last week of ST.
Too many variables as well as guys playing at a higher stress level in the WBC.
They will want to see who makes it through. The Braves are giving these guys every opportunity to make the team. If they fall short, it won’t be from the lack of playing time in the big league camp. They see lots of things for which we have no access.
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Blain Boyer is not exactly forcing his way onto the major league roster. Another bad outing for him.
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Blain Boyer is forcing his way out of town.
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According to Heyman, the Braves are actively looking for a RH hitting 4th OF that can play CF.
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Not good news for Boni.. nor Chase
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Of course, the one guy they had is now with TB.
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Fourth outfielder (vet) who can play center (fast) righty… hummm
Think they could plug those parameters into a computer somewhere and come up with a list of prospects?
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Or, they can just wait for someone to fall in their lap… Naw, that won’t happen…
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Think they could plug those parameters into a computer somewhere and come up with a list of prospects?
Among remaining FA’s, which are few, those who bat RH (or at least SH) that can capably man CF are as follows:
Coco Crisp, 37, last w/ CLE, 2016 = .231/.302/.397 & 13 HR’s in 446 AB’s
Cole Gillespie, 32, last w/ MIA, 2016 = .235/.273/.373 & 0 HR’s in 53 AB’s
Tyler Ladendorf, 29, last w/ OAK, .083/.102/.083 & 0 HR’s in 48 AB’s
Nolan Reimold, 33, last w/ BAL, .222/.300/.365 & 6 HR’s in 203 AB’s
That’s one big bowl of bleh.
As for trade candidates… well, that’s pretty subjective as to whom other teams feel are expendable.
And just to touch base (pun intended) with 2 very oft mentioned names, KJ bats LH and doesn’t play CF while Frenchy doesn’t play CF.
As for in house candidates, I really don’t believe Micah Johnson will hit enough to stick. Boni has had a pretty decent spring, but is it sustainable when the bullets really start to fly? I’m not convinced. The back of the baseball card suggests NO. I tend to lean toward “body of work” over “anomaly”.
STL needs pitching. Wonder if they’d give up young Tommy Pham? The Pale Hose also need pitching. They have a few youngsters as backup CF’s. The Yankees have a youngster named Aaron Hicks I wouldn’t mind having.
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I think lot of teams view this as a time to do some deep evaluation and sould searching. If they were playing 5 card stud, this is only the third card being dealt. Too early to drop out but too early to go all in unless you already have 3 of a kind.
Currently, the Braves have a deuce, five and seven… Sure, there is potential to draw to an inside straight but not enough to go all in. May as well see one more card.
The Braves do have some nice pieces available but like everyone else, they are loath to trade away a potential all-star just to fill a short term need who frankly won’t impact whether or not the Braves will make the play-offs this season.
I don’t foresee Matt Kemp playing in the big A past 2017. Sure, it could happen but the Braves won’t pay him nearly what he will demand. The Braves will need at least two outfielders in 2018. Dustin Peterson could be one, Ronald Acuna might just make the leap too. Depends on who the Braves get in return for Markakis.
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One thing I do foresee is the Braves getting a whole lot younger next season.
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I don’t foresee Matt Kemp playing in the big A past 2017. Sure, it could happen but the Braves won’t pay him nearly what he will demand.
I must respectfully disagree (something many in today’s society cannot grasp).
MattyK is under contract though 2019. Annual salaries for each of the 3 remaining years are $21.75M w/ $3.5M paid by LAD and $2.5M paid by SDP, The Braves are paying “only” $15.75M for one of the top power bats in the NL. In relative terms, that’s a bargain. As long as he produces, I believe he’ll stay. At least through 2018 anyway.
Dustin Peterson should vie for Nick’s vacated position in 2018. And young phenom Ronald Acuna should push for a spot in 2019 if not sooner. The timing works out pretty well.
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Okay, I was under the impression that Kemp’s contract only ran through this season. Of course, we do not really know long term plans of the Braves’ brain trust other than to get better each year.
Knowing when to hold them verses when to fold them has always been a conundrum. A lot depends on how rapidly the kids can mature. That and not allowing your line up to get old on you.
One of the little recognized facts was Bobby Cox’s and JS’s perchance to turn over the roster each year. The kept a core of players and moves other in and out with abandon.
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Is it a little disconcerting to anyone else but me how much this season’s fortunes will rest on the production we get out of Adonis Garcia?
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Shouldn’t we at least check in with CHW on Todd Frazier? Heyman says “Rivals execs believe Todd Frazier can still be had, if they [CHW] find the right partner.” All Frazier did last year was knock 40 HR’s. Can you imagine him batting behind MattyK? Yowser!
Ender
Dansby
Freddie
Matty
Frazier
Kakes
BP
TFlow/Suzuki
That’s not too shabby right there…
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Single game tickets for Opening Day sold out in less than an hour this morning.
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CORRECTION: Single game tickets for the Braves Home Opener sold out in less than an hour this morning.
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deuce, five and seven So, now you see why I don’t gamble. No way you can draw an inside straight with those cards.
Yes, Adonis appears to be the lynch pin of the Braves offense. That is scary… I’m sure the brain trust is doing their due diligence on that one. If we have seen it, I’m pretty sure the thought has crossed their minds too.
Sitting here a bit conflicted. The sun is shining but a tad on the chilly side. I want to do something constructive like mow/mulch the lawn but when I get up I am happy to just make it to my next perch… SIGH!
We still have an opportunity to get our last late winter/early spring snow storm. I think we dodged a bullet as far as this weekend but possible early next week. That is the thing about Virginia weather. 70 degrees one day, 14 inches of snow the next… 70 degrees again in two days. Oh well, need to freeze the ticks at least once.
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I get the impression from Brandon Phillips that he wants to do well this season. He knows his replacement is waiting in the wings in the persona of Ozzie Albies but he is not dogging it. I do not foresee his completing the season in Atlanta but I feel like he wants to make an impact while he is occupying a home team locker for the Braves.
Another home run today for BP.
Tuiasosopo with another home run today, two yesterday… Hey kid, make the most of your opportunity…
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Collmenter continues to pile up weak ground balls and come backers to the mound. I know he is not an impressive 98 mph flamethrower, He is more in the vain of Jamie Moyer with an 88 mph heater that defies reason for piling up outs.
I think he makes the team at least as a long reliever if he is not traded before the start of the season.
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Speaking of home openers, I think it’s ridiculous that the Braves’ big day doesn’t take place until 2 weeks after the Season Opener. >:-(
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From today…
EOF strengthens bid to make OD pen.
Fried impresses… again.
Camargo is trying to “Wally Pipp” Chase d’Arnaud.
BP is a man.
Luke Jackson wants a bullpen spot. (And he might just get one.)
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Camargo is trying to “Wally Pipp” Chase d’Arnaud.
Isn’t amazing how fast you can become yesterday’s news?
Yes, EZ O is regaining his touch. Wouldn’t that be a plus?
Did not hear the Luke Jackson stint but that would also be a positive development.
Josh Collmenter continues to plod along. Trade bait if nothing else. Buy low, sell high…
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So, if you had to choose, would you rather trade pitching for a top level outfield prospect or a veteran at the end of his string? Latter would be cheaper but you get what you pay for.
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Re: the previous comment… I think the Braves have to realistically evaluate the potential outfielders in their system and their proposed timeline to reach the show when trading Markakis. I know of two names whom we are familiar, D. Peterson and Ronald Acuna. Peterson might be ready by July, Acuna maybe next season. We shall have to wait and see how he progresses above High A ball.
Will this be the year Adonis Garcia breaks out? It looks more and more like the Braves’ season rides on his shoulders. That is a bit scary isn’t it?
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So… Just as quickly as I opine about the Braves lack of outfield prospects, I get b***h slapped into a retraction by the AJC. The players cited in addition to the aforementioned Acuna and Dustin Peterson are 22 year old Aruba native Ray-Patrick Didder (first time I ever saw a hyphenated first name) and 18 year old Christian Pache. Okay, other than Peterson, all are in the lower minors so it may be a while before we see them in Atlanta.
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http://www.myajc.com/sports/baseball/prospect-acuna-keeps-shining-reminding-braves-andruw-jones/c6vPD9miXUgrOotXX0iJUI/
Nice piece on “The Answer to Everything”
Makes me a little giddy just thinking about it.
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Another great Braves fan is following B&S: gbrew34
Welcome, gbrew! Feel free to jump in anytime. Good people here!
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Hi folks. Sorry about the chronic absence. We have a family member in the hospital and I am covered up with work. Not much time to do anything else. I haven’t been able to keep up with alot of the goings on in Disney for a few days. So here is my most informed current sports take:
Spring Training.
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Vee, my prayers are extended to your family member for a speedy and full recovery. While your absence is always noticed, your priorities are true and correct. We will try to hold down the fort in your absence.
Now baseball… The WBC sure did step in it with their convoluted tie breaker scenarios. Common sense to me would look at head to head contest first but that appears to be too simplistic for MLB….
Therefore, if I were Paul Manafort, I don’t think I would plan any trips to Mexico in the near future.
Is Freddie back yet?
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, V!!! Sorry things are unsettled for you right now but God is still in control – and you are blessed with lots of work! Prayers for the one who is ill. You are missed and all of us look forward to your return. 🙂
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Per MLBTR:
Chapman (29) is out of minor league options, so the Braves will need to either carry him on their roster to start the season or once again expose him to waivers if they hope to send him to the minor leagues. The former fourth-round pick has a career 4.09 ERA with 7.9 K/9, 5.1 BB/9 and a 43.1 percent ground-ball rate in 55 big league innings.
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Head scratcher. Chapman was not very good as a major leaguer in 2016, posting a 9.00 ERA and 2.375 WHIP (Walks + Hits / Inning) in 9 appearances. That sucks, folks. At 29, he’s no spring chicken. Not sure what Coppy sees there, but I trust the GM.
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Sigh… birthdays sure do have a way of sneaking up on us don’t they?
Happy Birthday Raisins…
Ber’s birthday only two days away… don’t let me forget…
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OK… upon further consideration, the waiver claim of LHP Kevin Chapman is not really a head scratcher at all. He is the proverbial “low risk” acquisition. He either makes it or doesn’t. The only cost to the Braves is the waiver claim fee. It’s actually right on par with Coppy’s “no stone unturned” philosophy. Stockpile arms. Some will contribute, some will be traded, some will just fail. But if you don’t have them to begin with, they have no chance at all to contribute or be traded.
Most GM’s don’t want to risk looking bad on a guy. Coppy doesn’t care. And he never sleeps.
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I did not realize he had pitched for Canada in the WBC. Okay, give it a whirl. Why not? Pretty sure the spot is Easy O’s spot to lose right now. Of course Blaine Boyer continues to search for his mojo.
I guess some of these players will make it to a minor league roster somewhere. If they are good enough to stick, they will.
I read where Brother Jinkins continues to pitch well in San Diego. Good for him. I also read where Shelby Miller has found his spot again. Funny how the yips will descend upon you and disappear just as quickly. Okay, they don’t disappear as fast as they show up. Ask Jon Lester…
Ice storm here today, it is a fast mover but we did lose power for a couple of hours this AM.
Bravos travel to Clearwater today.
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Braves/Phillies on MLB Network today at 1pm… just a couple minutes from now. Granted, it’s not the Braves Opening Day roster, but it’s a chance to watch Ozzie lead off, watch Jace in CF, watch Rio handle 3B, and watch Balbino Fuenmayor hopefully launch something long and far. Why not?
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I pray we don’t have to deploy Jace very often in CF. 😮
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Interesting watching the Phillies play Gwinnett today. Heck of a catch by Johnson in left field.
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Another terrific Braves fan is following B&S: simple Ula, welcome! Join in! We’d love to have you!
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Happy Birthday Conrad….
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Happy “Ber”thday!!
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Wasn’t likely to make ML roster anyway. Not saying it isn’t a potentially bad thing for Micah, just that it won’t impact the big boys.
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Bowman has posted his projected Opening Day lineup now that we’re inside 3 weeks to Opening Day. I think it’s time I do the same… and I have NOT peeked at Bow’s. This is how I project it based on where things stand today, except in the case of the final bench piece.
Position starters:
Ender, CF
Dansby, SS
Freddie, 1B
MattyK, LF
Kakes, RF
BP, 2B
Adonis, 3B
TFlow, C
Rotation: (in no particular order)
Julio
Big Sexy
Jaime
RAD
Folty
Bullpen: (8 man)
JimmyJohn, Cl
Viz
Mauricio
Krol
EOF
JoseRam
Chaz Roe (I like Luke Jackson, but he does have an option left)
Collmenter
Bench:
Suzuki, C
Jace, everything
Chase or Johan (I think they lean toward Chase unless he just stinks it up)
player to be acquired
I think we end up sending some of the bullpen surplus for a 4th OF. Still 19 days to make it happen.
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I think the injury to Micah will hasten the acquisition of another backup OF. I love Jace and Chase, but they’re both IF first.
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Just looked at Bow’s prediction, and we are very close. He chose Paco instead of Chaz Roe. Indeed Chaz could be trade bait, so that could change things. But I picked him over Paco because Paco has an option remaining and could start the season at AAA. And given that he hasn’t seen regular season ML action in 2 years, that might not be a bad thing. Also, he picked Emilio for the bench. If I had picked only from our existing guys under contract, I would have also taken Emilio. I just don’t think it’ll end up that way. I think they want/need more pop from the bench. Actually, they need some pop from the bench. Currently there is none.
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St. Louis has depth at 4th OF with Tommy Pham and Jose Martinez. He Cards have alot of OF depth at both the major and minor league levels. They also need some pitching depth after being hit by the injury bug, most recent being former Brave Jordan Schafer.
You could probably get the 29-year-old Pham fairly cheaply. He’s a RH, plays all 3 OF positions, and fits the profile of what Coppy is looking for. He probably will never be a major league starter, but he could be valuable off the bench.
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BER!!! Wishing you many more with blessings from above!
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Latest round of cuts… more pitchers.
Aaron Blair, Lucas Sims, Max Fried and AJ Minter.
No surprises.
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Jeff Schafer at Tomahawk Take agrees with me on my bullpen choices, including Luke Jackson. Honestly, I think the biggest “swing choice” is whether or not Paco makes the team. My reasoning simply says he has an option left, and could probably use some real game experience after missing the last 2 years recovering from TJ surgery. Start him in Gwinnett to begin the season and reassess from there.
All of it could change if any of the chosen arms are packaged in a deal to get another OF. And that is more likely than not. That’s why Coppy has 12 candidates for 8 spots. Deal from strength.
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So, pitchers sent back to hone their craft. I expect a couple of those names to appear on the back of an Atlanta Braves jersey by the end of the 2017 season.
Pretty exciting game last night between the USA and Venezuela. It always comes down to depth of the pitching staff.
Bad news for the Marlins as Marteen Prado pulled up lame as a result of a balky hamstring. He looks ready for the season as far as his bat goes.
You do see a lot of players “out of position” in these things. Makes it interesting when it come to fielding.
We are approaching the point where we should be paying attention to the results of the ST games. Still at the point where there are too many minor leaguers trying to make an impression. To date, I think Ronald Acuna has made the biggest impression as far as position players go.
If I were in Georgia, I think I would make the effort to see him play in the minors because he won’t be there long. I think the Braves are trying to determine if they should start him in high A or send him to Pearl.
I remember as a kid seeing Brett Butler play for Richmond before the ill advised trade for Lem Barker. Still one of the worse trades ever made by Atlanta but that is water under the bridge I guess.
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Yes Vee, likely some of the surplus arms will be available for trade. Your rational for Paco starting in triple A is a sound one. It will not affect the Braves win loss record early in the season and will allow them to keep someone who otherwise would be released.
I think Blaine Boyer will be picked up off waivers if he fails to make the big club and at this point, I don’t see him taking the roster spot. O’Flaherty has been much more effective and appears to regained his strength. Pitchers do not forget how to pitch, their bodies (arms and shoulders) betray them. Now, how long Easy O’s elbow and shoulder hold up is anyone’s guess but that is why you stockpile relievers.
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Our old friend Ryan Lavarnway had a very nice WBC stint for team Israel. Not sure who he is signed with but you never know.
Speaking of catchers, Yadier Molina is still and all-star level player. Just textbook in his throws to second base.
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We are approaching the point where we should be paying attention to the results of the ST games.
Yes… to a point. The starters are still only in for about 2 AB’s, and many players (Ender, anyone?) are still out of camp for the WBC.
And for the Braves specifically, their camp location is at such a disadvantage now that very few starters make trips away from Disney. Today is a great example. It’s a 3 hour bus ride to West Palm. Jaime Garcia will stay in LBV and make a start in a minor league game, while Matt Wisler will make the start vs. the ‘Stros. Kinda hard to gauge W/L when our team consists of more AA & AAA players than major leaguers.
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how long Easy O’s elbow and shoulder hold up is anyone’s guess
He has been very good and quite effective. Sentiment aside, I’m not so sure I wouldn’t sell high and send him off before it all blows up again. How many teams are looking for a LH arm for their ‘pen? Cards? Tommy Pham?
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Our old friend Ryan Lavarnway had a very nice WBC stint for team Israel. Not sure who he is signed with but you never know.
He’s with OAK on a minor league deal with a spring invitation. Unfortunately for him, they have Stephen Vogt as their starter, with Josh Phegley and Bruce Maxwell both penciled in ahead of him on the A’s depth chart. And even though neither Phegley nor Maxwell have been lighting it up in camp, they have actually been in camp. Lavarnway has not. He’ll be targeted for their AAA team in Nashville for certain.
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Speaking of depth charts, Jace Peterson is penciled in as the primary backup to all 3 OF spots on the Braves depth chart.
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Here’s an interesting tidbit. Max Fried was assigned to AA Mississipppi. That’s significant in that he spent 2016 in low-A Rome. He’ll skip high-A Kissimmee and proceed directly to Pearl. Yep, Gil, we could certainly see him late in the year if things break a certain way. I could very easily see him in AAA Gwinnett after mid-season.
As much as we all want to see the Braves win in the mid-80’s this year, I still believe it’s going to be better but still a work in progress. And to that end, if the offers are right, we could be trading off some veteran starting pitching at mid-season. And when that happens, Sean Newcomb will move on up (maybe Blair; maybe Wisler) and Fried could move up into that AAA slot. I can’t wait.
Will I make the effort to check out SunTrust Park this year? Yes, probably once. But I can tell you for certain I’ll be sitting at Coolray Field for one or more of Newcomb’s starts.
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The full list of cuts. Johan did himself in with the glove. Not that he’s not a good fielder… he’s actually a very good fielder. This was a clear case of a kid pressing to impress. He needs more seasoning.
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In case you’re wondering why some are optioned and some are more ambiguously “reassigned”, players who are on the 40-man roster are optioned to specific teams. Those who are not are simply reassigned to minor league camp.
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… but will not take a 3 hour bus ride and re-aggravate it. Can’t wait for the team to leave the void that is now Central FL.
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Happy to welcome jasminestones to B&S. She’s now following our great little blog! Jump in, Jasmine! Got super people here.
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Under the See, I told you I was hurt heading… Micah Johnson was diagnosed as suffered a fracture to his left wrist after rolling over on it while making a catch on a sinking fly ball in the phillies game in Clearwater yesterday. I think it increases the probability Vee alluded to that Coppy will be aggressive in looking for a fourth outfielder.
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V, sorry I missed your B-Day! I never saw the notification on fb, which is so weird…they sure make sure to notify me of folks I never “talk” to on FB or elsewheres….
Hope your family member is doing much better!
And thanks kindly everyone for the Birthday wishes! 🙂
sorry I haven’t been here much of late, only baseball I have seen was late nite a week or so ago, same game Gil saw I think, Israel vs. Korea…..
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Watching VCU stink up the tourney… When you cannot make layups, you are doomed…
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The Gwinnett Braves travel to West Palm Beach to play the Astros today. A three hour bus ride preps all the kids slated for the minors.
Happy St. Paddy’s Day. While my mom’s ancestor’s hailed from the Emerald Isle, I doubt they ever celebrated the day. The were Scotch Irish and not Irish Catholic. 🙂 The Monroes were thrown out of more than one country is the story. My Great Grandfather arrived with a string of horses, likely stolen was the official line… 🙂
I watched the PR vs DR WBC match last night until my eyes blinked off. Oh well, when games start at 10PM, there is little reason for the East Coast to stay awake.
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Once again… this is why I don’t look at the W/L record.
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And why paying $35 a pop for seats to a spring training game is a rip off…. I suspect box seats to Triple A Gwinnett is still only around $12 each. Having said that, I prefer setting a little higher as it gives me a better view.
The seat in my living room is even better and more comfortable but you do need to attend at least one live game a year just to retain the feel of the game and get the prospective of how fast the game is.
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Still cold here… BAH! I thought we had evaded the frigid weather but mother nature is such a kidder…
Never thought I would look forward to mowing the lawn but it is tme for some spring time activities.
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I suspect box seats to Triple A Gwinnett is still only around $12 each.
Ticket prices at Gwinnett are $9, $15, $17, & $20. But even the $9 seats are good. There really aren’t any bad seats there. On some Tuesdays, you can get 2 for the price of 1.
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Yes, the general admission seat are still pretty close to the field. Box seat are good if you want to improve your chances of getting hit by a bat. Still, it is a reasonable price for a sporting event. I may try to catch a Braves game when they play Norfolk this summer. It is a 2 hour drive but it is what it is.
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There aren’t any general admission seats per se, but there is a lawn just beyond RF that is great if you have little kids that need to run around.
Thankfully, I do not.
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Coolray Field
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Julio Teheran is the 2017 Opening Day Starter!
The starting rotation for Opening Week is:
4/3 Julio Teheran
4/5 Bartolo Colon
4/6 Jaime Garcia
4/7 R.A. Dickey
4/8 Mike Foltynewicz
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Luke Jackson has been optioned to the minor league camp this morning. I thought he threw the ball as well as anyone in camp, but is probably the victim of numbers given that he has a minor league option left while Chaz Roe and Blaine Boyer do not. At least Roe has been throwing much better lately. Hope Boyer can turn the corner soon.
EOF continues to be the surprise of camp, seeming rediscovering the sinker that made him successful in his first turn here.
The bullpen race, as it appears right now…
Locks:
R, JimmyJohn, Cl
R, Viz
R, Mauricio
R, Jose Ramirez
L, Ian Krol
Should be in:
L, EOF
R, Chaz Roe
R, Josh Collmenter
Still somewhat in the mix:
L, Paco Rodriguez
R, Blaine Boyer
Longshot:
L, Kevin Chapman
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I am of the mind that prospective relievers need to show they are ready to begin the season in an Atlanta uniform in the time they have left at spring training.
Aside for actually pitching so well that they cannot be left off the roster, the following consideration will come to fore: Having options left which would allow for a player to be retained without penalty. The possibility of a trade for either prospects who do not count against the 40 man roster or for a fourth outfielder still on the Braves want list. The conclusion that a player dose not have a foreseeable path to the majors as an Atlanta Brave and they are simply given their walking papers. There is still about two weeks left for these decisions to be made.
O’Flaherty is trying to pitch his way onto the 25 man roster. Paco still has an option, Kevin Chapman is on the bubble and Blaine Boyer likely will be waived. if he pitches well, he won’t be, if he doesn’t I doubt anyone else will want to pick him up either.
Collmenter has pitched well this spring until his last outing against the Tigers. I am not sure if it was an aberration or a trend. So many possibilities to take into account.
I do hope the players sent down will view their demotions as both incentive to get better and/or an opportunity to do the things necessary to be a viable big leaguer.
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Braves drop John Danks. Who saw that coming? 🙂
You either can pitch or you can’t. John Danks showed he just didn’t have it.
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Whew…. well I spent a day moving out of my office and trying to recover my internet.
Yes… my office has termites. Nasty buggers. So I’ve moved my work essentials into a spare room… well, part of a spare room. Once I got set back up, I could not get a connection to the internet. Long story short, there is a difference in the jacks from one room to the next. Who knew?
But today should be a little closer to normal, whatever that is.
Yes, Danks is gone. By his own request. I’m sure Coppy didn’t put up too much of an argument.
Braves are reportedly still engaged with the ChiSox on Quintana, according to Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan. Hard for me to put those pieces together, but that’s the report. Not sure I buy in 100%. If you ask me, the ChiSox probably checked back in with Coppy and asked, “Do you still like Quintana?”, to which Coppy answered, “Yes, he’s a very good pitcher.” That’s probably the extent of ATL’s interest.
It’s also been reported that Coppy has inquired with the north-siders on their 4th OF Matt Szczur, who doesn’t even show up on their depth chart, but is out of options. The Cubs say they want to keep him. Yeah… good luck with that. John Jay will be their 4th OF. Szczur could be a good fit here. He’s a RH hitter that’s slashed .245/.297/.376 over parts of 3 major league seasons, all in CHC.
Also, they are keeping an eye on Daniel Nava, who is a NRI with PHI and has an opt out if he doesn’t make their 25-man roster out of camp. A deal could be worked out there also.
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Phillies’ beat writer Todd Zolecki:
Infielder Jesmuel Valentin and non-roster invitees Brock Stassi, Chris Coghlan and Daniel Nava seem to be competing for the final two bench jobs. If Coghlan is not on the Major League roster by Sunday, he must be released upon request or placed on the roster within 48 hours. Nava must be placed on the 25-man roster by June 15 or he must be released if he has a spot on another team’s 25-man roster.
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Hey, I’d take Quintana. Likely would take a huge haul. I would love a new King Ranch Ford F150 but I an not willing to pay the price.
Termites are nasty creatures but they are not the real problem. They signal a bigger problem (rotted wood) which signal water damage.
Draining the swamp often reveals a lot of dead bodies….
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The Braves obviously won’t wait until June 15, but they could seek to make a minor deal for him before they crack the lid off 2017 on April 3.
The Szczur scenario makes alot more sense in that there really is no room on the Cubs’ roster for him, and he’s out of options. They’ve got Ben Zobrist and Kris Bryant backing up both LF and RF, with Jon Jay backing up CF and JHey penciled in behind him.
What might the Cubs want? Well, they’re currently looking for a LH to step up in their bullpen and it isn’t happening. Their long-man candidate, some guy named Williams Perez, has stunk it up this spring, too.
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As I have said, those final roster spots are filled based upon who will be cut loose by 29 other teams. That and who has options and who doesn’t. I know there are other but the one who come to mind as most recent for the Braves is Hoover to the Reds for uh… I forget his name but was an overweight third baseman.
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Pretty intense ballgame last night between the USA and Japan…
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Perusing around, some suggest the Cubs would want a young controllable starting pitcher for him. Matt Wisler maybe? I think I might do that one if it’s straight up 1 for 1. Wisler is about to be passed here by Sean Newcomb and Max Fried anyway. I even think Aaron Blair’s developing slider makes him a better bet than Wisler.
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I just saw another suggestion of Ian Krol, an out of options LHRP, for Szczur. I could see it only if the Braves believe Paco Rodriguez will be healthy and effective. He’s only appeared in 4 games, going a total of 4 innings with 4 K’s and a 1.25 WHIP.
Given the re-emergence of EOF, I think a Krol – Szczur deal could be plausible.
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Simply looking at their roster shows that 24 of the 25 spots are locked up, with the final bench spot coming down to Szczur or Tommy LaStella. TLS does have an option left, so the Cubbies could choose to keep them both by starting TLS at AAA. But I would also think that they’d want the extra IF given that they are flush with OF’s in starters Schwarber, Albert Almora and JHey. with the aforementioned Jay, Zobrist and Bryant backing them up, not to mention Javier Baez who could probably play anywhere on the diamond. But Baez appears to be their only bench IF aside from TLS. I’d think it would be tough to open a season with only one backup IF.
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The Cubs could also opt to keep both and go with a 7 man bullpen, but that isn’t Joe Maddon’s style, and given the versatility he has all over the roster, it doesn’t make sense. Their deep bullpen was the key to their success last season.
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I don’t look for the Cubs to repeat. Dexter Fowler was a much more integral part of that club than the Cubs would like to admit. LaStella has been on the triple A shuttle for a while… This could be his year. Makes sense for both clubs to work a deal. Both trading from a position of strength. However, Braves appear to be chumming the waters looking for that fourth outfielder. They might be willing to wait for another player to be waived.
Other teams are aware of the Braves dilemma with pitchers so they might be waiting for the Braves to make a move too. It is like playing baseball version of chicken… Who blinks first? That’s why the Braves will likely try yo move someone who is out of options.
It is not like the Braves can trade their junk for another team’s prize. It takes value to get value. Unless you are trolling the independent leagues…
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The Braves currently have 2 open spots on their 40-man roster, so there’s room for a FA signing if that’s the route they choose to take. The problem with that is before a player can be formally released by another team, he must be passed through waivers. And the Padres, who also need a 4th OF, are ahead of the Braves in the waiver wire pecking order. A guy like Nava or Coughlin likely wouldn’t make it past The Fathers.
A trade is really the best option to pick up a guy with a greater value than the in-house Emilio Bonifacio. In the case of Szczur specifically, he exactly fits the bill of what Coppy is seeking being that he plays all 3 OF spots well, is a good defender and baserunner, and bats RH.
So as you said earlier, Gil, to get value you have to give value. What the Braves have to decide is how badly they want to fill that 4th OF spot. If they’re serious, then they’ll offer up a real name to make it happen. Otherwise, they might as well go with Boni.
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Ozzie optioned to AAA camp today. No surprises there. He’ll be back soon enough.
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And apparently Matt Marksberry has been released. I kinda hate to see that. He seemed like such a great kid, just not quite enough in the ol’ talent bucket. Hopefully he can hook up somewhere else and take the next step.
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Well… maybe, maybe not. According to Mark Polishuk at MLBTR, they picked up the info from Matt’s Facebook page. But I don’t see it. There is a statement saying he’s going to a baseball complex in Louisiana to work on his arm, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s been released from the Braves.
He said: Going a new journey tmrw to see if I can bounce my arm back to normal. Headed to Louisiana for a month or two to work on my biomechanics of my delivery and throwing to see what I can change.
And his Facebook profile still says he’s a “pitcher for the Atlanta Braves”.
Also, there is nothing alluding to a release on his Twitter page; in fact, his Braves uni is still his cover photo there.
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As for anything “official” from the Braves, the typically don’t make announcements on minor leaguers.
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I think Matt had shoulder surgery this winter. Not sure about that, I think he was pitching for Eddie Perez in Venezuela.
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Congratulation to the USA team, winning the WBC. Hats off to Jim Lyland for getting this bunch over the finish line.
Lots of impressive baseball played by the way by the Japanese, the Dutch, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Any of these teams could easily have won out in a 7 game series.
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More from the Matt Marksberry saga…
Although I still have not seen anything that specifically says he’s been released by the Braves, either from him of from the Braves, there is a cryptic tweet on his Twitter back on March 10 that says: I like to thank the Braves for giving me the opportunity to play professional baseball, great guys and gals.
And his Twitter blurb says “free agent Believer”. But his Braves jersey is still his Twitter banner photo, and his Facebook page still says he’s a “player for the Atlanta Braves”, so…
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I went to the Velocity Plus site. Apparently Mark is rehabbing. Since he is a minor leaguer, I do not think he is entitled to the same perks as a player on a major league roster who is DLed. So, I guess he is on his own in that regard.
Players are starting to get their walking papers from major league clubs as organization begin to pare down in preparation for opening day rosters. I also think a lot of players invited to camp on minor league deals had the agreements structured so they would have an opportunity to catch on with another club if they were not going to be included on a big league roster.
There is still about two weeks to go before opening day.
I notice where our old friend David Carpenter was release by the Rays. Another kid who suffered from a debilitating shoulder injury.
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our old friend David Carpenter
Which one? 😀
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Here is a view from the lawn at Coolray Field that we talked about recently:
Man’s best friend!
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The one who gave up the home run to Juan Uribe, they one who was traded to the Yankees…
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BTW – Braves on TV tonight at 6:00p on FOX Sports Southeast.
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This may be the first time the expected Opening Day regular lineup has started a game together this spring.
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1:05p game today, also on Fox Sports South.
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And cold reality smacks me in the head like a foul ball into the stands. When I had to relocate my office due to critters, I left behind my access to see days games on TV while working.
Bummer.
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Ugh. Not good.
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Had to get up early for a doctor’s appointment today, spent the afternoon taking a nap… Whew, weird…. Okay, the games are beginning to look a bit more on the normal side. Bullpen is still in flux and didn’t Mel Rojas save the bacon today?
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With 5 days remaining before the final roster decisions are made, here is my final prediction for Opening Day:
Position starters:
Ender, CF
Dansby, SS
Freddie, 1B
MattyK, LF
Kakes, RF
BP, 2B
Adonis, 3B
TFlow, C
Rotation:
RH, Julio
RH, Big Sexy
LH, Jaime
RH, RAD
RH, Folty
Bullpen: (8 man)
RH, JimmyJohn, Cl
RH, Viz
LH, Krol
LH, EOF
RH, JoseRam
RH, Collmenter
recent waiver claim RH, Kevin Chapman
newly acquired RH, David Hernandez
Bench:
Suzuki, C
Jace, everything
Chase, IF
4th OF to be acquired
Alejandro De Aza is expected to opt out of his deal with the A’s today, and old friend Drew Stubbs has already opted out of his deal with the Twins. De Aza is not ideal as he bats LH and is not a power threat. Stubbs almost fits the bill as he bats RH with some pop, plays all 3 OF positions well, still has some good wheels. But he strikes out at an alarming rate… 40% over the last 2 seasons. Yikes.
Hopefully Coppy has a guy on radar that is a better option.
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Yes Vee, I agree the Braves are likely scanning the waiver wires searching for a suitable player to fill the fourth outfielder role. I don’t think De Aza is that guy. At this point, I think Mel Rojas is the prime candidate but certainly is not a lock. The rub is finding someone who can also play centerfield without too great a drop off. Tough to do. The Braves would still like to be able to retain a couple of their relievers who are out of options.
I’m sure there are 29 other general managers in the same boat. Guys they would like to hold onto but are in the same boat as the Braves.
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Well, that certainly was a fun game, wasn’t it? 19 hits, 11 runs and Folty growing up right before I very eyes… Now, if they can just continue that for 164 games, we’ll be in high cotton…
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Braves release Paco Rodriquez, rumor has it he didn’t show proper motivation. Hey, it happens… Funny that he had so little value after the Braves investment in time and effort but not every trade pays dividends.
Easy O makes the squad. Good for him.
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Rays Acquire Peter Bourjos
By Jeff Todd | March 28, 2017 at 9:47am CDT
TODAY: The deal is official. Cash or a player to be named will head to Chicago in return for Bourjos.
Gee, would have been the perfect 4th outfielder….if it only took cash…
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Sometimes it is just being on the phone with the right guy at the right time. Thrift store rules… one of a kind, lucky you if you happen to be standing there when they put it on the shelf.
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The following is a link to a very good piece on how the options system works.
http://www.talkingchop.com/2017/3/29/15104000/options-in-laymans-terms
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Good morning Stuffvillians.. Okie doky, Spring training is semi-officially over, the Braves return to Atlanta to face off against the Yankees in a dress rehearsal for Sun Trust Field. Actually it is a pretty smart move in it allows the Braves a couple of weeks to iron out any kinks unveiled on their run thru.
Personally, I think the Braves should have offered tickets for $5 a pop to fill the stands and get a really good sense of what they need to do assure a smooth roll out. Oh well, not really my problem. I just hope for a successful season.
At least the Braves’ schedule is not as rough as last season’s initial 6 weeks. I am not expecting miracles but not starting the season 0-6 would be a good beginning.
The Braves apparently are still working the phones trying to firm up the final couple of roster spots. Bonifacio’s name has been written in the faintest pencil as the fourth outfielder. I will not be surprised to see him play at Cool Ray in April. not STP. I think a lot of folks know Coppy will make a deal, it is just haggling over price that is the issue. The Braves are not yet ready to make the big splash. A lot depends on the how the Braves bevy of young pitchers progress this season in the minors.
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MY INTERNET IS BACK AFTER 3 DAYS OF EXILE!!!
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We were just about ready to send out a search party..
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If you want to see SunTrust Park but don’t have a ticket to Friday night’s exhibition game, Fox Sports South has you covered.
The regional sports network will televise the Braves-Yankees game at 7:30 p.m. and will precede it with a two-hour show, beginning at 5:30 p.m., that tours the new stadium and adjacent mixed-use development.
— ajc
Appointment TV.
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Chip Carey: “First impressions are, it’s absolutely beautiful. The evergreen trees in center field, that screams Colorado. The water feature is going to scream Kansas City. The brick work is like Wrigley Field. The green seats are a lot like Minnesota. The footprint of the ballpark and the size of it is a lot like Minnesota. The neighborhood around it is a lot like Wrigley Field and ultimately what St. Louis will be like.”
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‘Mornin’, V! It may be interesting to see various parts of other stadiums, but wonder why they didn’t want to make the stadium unique in its own right? A minor detail, I know, but it was the first thing that came to mind.
Quoting a great guy I know, “I need coffee!”
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CL, no matter how much you try to be innovative, a wheel is still a wheel….
They do have a chopping cow…. or maybe not anymore… I’m sure they will have some unique features but the one I want most is a winning baseball team.
The MLB network is going to televise (pick up the Atlanta feed is guess) for tonight’s game, the advantage of playing the Yankees. I will watch until all the scrubs are put in.
WOW… big story about the fire which caused the failure of I-85… What a huge nightmare that will be for the next year. Lots of folks will have to wake up several hours earlier everyday to get to work on time. If I owned a business, I would be looking at creative shifts and office times.
No real new news (trades) to speak of. It will be exciting to follow the progress of Albies, Acuna, Fried et al this summer. The progress of Acuna will have a huge impact on how the Braves deal with Markakis. Just saying…
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‘Morning, Gil! You’re right. Once the wheel was invented, that was sort of it for any other ideas. Some ideas I’ve seen implemented were just sort of stupid in my opinion. That uphill slanted outfield that is in…….hmm, Denver? Don’t remember which field at the moment. I don’t know whether to try more coffee or just give up and go to bed. 🙂 Grey and cloudy today with thunderstorms not far away. Nice day to read one of the 100+ books I have on Kindle.
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Other positive comments on the new park:
http://m.braves.mlb.com/news/article/221620818/braves-soak-in-suntrust-park-at-first-workout/
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Some ideas I’ve seen implemented were just sort of stupid in my opinion. That uphill slanted outfield that is in…….hmm, Denver?
That was Tal’s Hill in Houston. They finally got rid of that atrocity this offseason. Nothing but a major knee or Achilles injury waiting to happen. It also featured a flagpole in the field of play. It was supposed to have been a tribute to ballpark’s of old. I appreciate the sentiment, but there’s a reason those poor features were not carried over to newer parks. That’d be a little like me adding a crank starter to my car. Nice tribute; completely useless.
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Then again, there are worse things…
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I remember Andruw trying to navigate that hill while chasing a ball. You’re right, V: that thing was an injury waiting to happen.
I hear thunder creeping closer. Probably have to shut down shortly.
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We had some really strong storms rumble through late last night. I was deathly afraid it’d knock out my internet again. Three days was more than enough… especially considering my office is in my home. I do have a contingency plan, but it is far from ideal. And as much as I like the library, I prefer it in short amounts.
What we need here in Jefferson is a Jittery Joe’s. I might would use that on purpose. 🙂
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Important dates:
April 2 – MLB 2017 season opener, NYY @ TBR, 1:10pm
April 3 – Braves 2017 season opener @ NYM, 1:10pm
April 14 – Braves 2017 home opener vs. SDP, 7:35pm
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Need more from the bench than Boni. Just do.
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Reportedly, Pagan is seeking +/- $5M on a 1-year deal. That’s a tough pill to swallow for a bench guy.
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As it currently stands, the bench looks to be Kurt Suzuki, Jace Peterson, Chase d’Arnaud, and Emilio Bonifacio. Not very inspiring. In fact…
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Jeff Schafer at Tomahawk Take opines that if Coppy and Pagan were to actually come to an agreement, the Braves would add him to the existing bench and subtract a bullpen arm.
Interesting. I have to think about that one.
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OK, I’ve thought about it.
Snit, Coppy, and John Hart have all said they still haven’t decided on whether to go with a 7-man or 8-man bullpen, and that they’ll make that final determination tomorrow. Maybe the reason is that they don’t know if they can add to the bench or not.
In other words, they’re not gonna add another bench guy from their anemic pool of in-house candidates just to have 5 guys. But if a better option comes their way from the outside, they’ll take it.
I think that’s a plausible approach. I think I agree with Mr. Schafer that Pagan (or whomever) would join the current 4.
And to take that a step further, I am of the opinion that someone will be added before they have to set their final active roster on Sunday. With all the good judgment that has been shown by this front office in constructing the 2017 roster, surely they won’t go into battle with the bench as a glaring Achilles heel.
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That’d be a little like me adding a crank starter to my car. Nice tribute; completely useless.
Not to mention dangerous… #brokenbones#kickback…
Hey, I paid extra just to add electric start to my lawn vac. Of course everyday I get a little closer to having to farm out the job totally…
I think Pegan would be a real plus addition to the Braves bench, just really depends on how much the Braves are willing to value him and on if Pegan wants to play for Atlanta. D Peterson has missed an opportunity at this point but then again maybe not. With young players there is such a fine line of needing to play everyday and being able to stay effective off the bench.
I’m sure the Braves are watching the waiver wire with due diligence awaiting some club’s attempt to sneak a guy onto their triple A rosters. So many factors to take into account. I think the real problem is the thinness of the Atlanta roster. Their starting eight are not really that bad, a better than .500 club from my point of view but really appear to be lacking in ready reinforcements in the event of an injury. I hate to paint that devil on the wall but often having depth is the real answer to preventing long losing streaks.
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That means 1 of 2 things… the team will add another OF, or they’ll keep Rio as a platoon partner for Adonis. I’d be OK either way. CF is covered defensively by Boni. As for a 3B platoon, each guy’s splits suggest they’d be more successful in a platoon than individually. It would also mean that Rio would get more playing time. I’m OK with that, too. And having Adonis on the bench as a late inning PH might not be a bad thing.
One might wonder also if keeping Boni might facilitate a fit for KJ.
As the great Joaquin Andujar once said, “There is one word in America that says it all, and that one word is ‘You never know.'”
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The Braves outrighted Kevin Chapman to AAA today. That means if they choose to go with 7, the final spot will be between David Hernandez and Chaz Roe. Hernandez is a veteran FA pickup and Roe is out of options.
Reading between the lines… 1 of those 2 will probably be traded for a bench piece who is also out of options for his respective team. Otherwise, they’ll keep both and go with the 8-man bullpen.
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Seattle needs a pitcher… Too bad they traded away Mallix
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Final roster was set with Chaz Roe winning the final bullpen job and Anthony Recker keeping his powerful RH bat in ATL. Since we’re keeping 5 on the bench, I like it. As for David Hernandez, I forgot he signed a minor league deal. He was simply reassigned to AAA. But I suspect the roster is still somewhat fluid through the first week or so, especially since there are so many off days in the first 10 games. Once we get past those, the braintrust may choose to add another arm back into the bullpen. Coincidentally, Mauricio Cabrera will be eligible to come off the 10-day DL about that time. (I’ve gotta get used to that… the 10-day DL.)
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Good Stuffville, It’s opening day… YEA!!!!! I watched three opening day games yesterday as well as the NASCAR race… whew.
Mallix Smith looked good for the Rays yesterday, Bumgartner hit two homeruns for the Giants and they still lost after the DBacks were down by one with two outs in the bottom of the ninth… The Cubs came back on the redbirds and still lost in the ninth too. So, the games that really count for me start today at 1PM.
CL, no excuses, the game will be carried on ESPN, You do have basic cable don’t you?
My back is getting even with me for using the leaf vac Saturday. Usually takes three days to recover from any manual labor I do. A little as it really amounts to.
Anyhoo… I look for the bench to look different at the end of April. Just think it will happen.
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I moved back into my old familiar office space this morning so that I could have the game on while working. And of course a major storm is underway and the satellite is out.
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Anyhoo… I look for the bench to look different at the end of April. Just think it will happen.
I think it will be quite different in 2 weeks.
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Storm has passed; game is on; Thor is filthy; Julio is matching.
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The game is now in the hands of the respective bullpens. Last year I would feel the need to cringe. I am hopeful that this year’s edition is much improved.
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Hmmm… Looks alot like last year.
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And as Joe just questioned, why is TFlow setting up behind the plate to take the throw from the OF? IMO, that was the difference in Flores getting his foot in. And there is the replay, and it’s clear that TFlow was grossly out of position. The throw was there. That’s on the catcher. Period.
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Yep. Bullpen looks alot like last year’s.
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Ya know… if TFlow properly takes that throw from Ender in front of the plate, Flores is out, and that inning is over alot sooner than it was 6 runs later.
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Tyler clearly being fitted with the goat horns in this one… 5 walks in the inning didn’t help either but it is little things like that often makes the difference. Regroup and come back Wednesday…
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Well, that sucked.
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Okay, kind of disappointing results in that one, need to tell the team that spring training is over and these games count. Hey, some tough pitching to face but this team is not good enough to win if they don’t play mistake free baseball…
Alright, let’s get em Wednesday…
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and it’s clear that TFlow was grossly out of position. The throw was there. That’s on the catcher. Period.
Well, I think ol’ Bobby Cox at the end of his tenure in the dugout, deciding to leave a lefty out there to face mutts hitters that hit lefties well, and…the braves scoring exactly 0 runs were why that was such a big deal….
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I was referring specifically to the play at the plate. The throw was there; the catcher was not in position to complete the deal. His lame excuse is just that… lame. He says he can better handle any potential bad hop from where he was positioned. By that logic, he should have backed up another 10 feet. Losers make excuses. Winners make adjustments. I hope he adjusts.
As for the game, you can’t win if you can’t score. It’s not rocket surgery.
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Was out running errands, did not see the game which, it appears, was not my loss. Strong thunderstorms forecast for mid-late afternoon and through the night, so I had to go early to get things we really needed. Littlejohn gets real grumpy when his food dish is empty.
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Was out running errands, did not see the game which, it appears, was not my loss.
Well, it was Braves baseball, and it was back after being dormant for a few months, so there’s that. And Julio was flat out masterful for his 6 innings. He should have been back for the 7th. He was still under 100 pitches (96 I think). But that’s all armchair managing… easier to do in hindsight than on the fly. Still, I’d have run my ace back out for the 7th. Had it not been for a blister he developed, I guarantee Syndergaard would have been back.
The truth is, the Braves had chances to cash in and didn’t. There were individual moments of highs and lows, but it was a team loss. They’ll lace ’em back up again tomorrow.
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This team will be something to see. Aside from these top 10 prospects, it’ll also feature uber-prospect Travis Demeritte as well as Keith Curcio and Matt Withrow, 2016’s High-A Player & Pitcher of the Year.
That rotation will be Max Fried – Patrick Weigel – Kolby Allard – Withrow – Mike Soroka… brutal for aspiring AA hitters.
I cannot wait for this group to get to AAA, although I have a feeling that Fried will be promoted later this season… and maybe even in ATL.
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It would appear that Ronald “The Answer To Everything” Acuna will begin the year in high-A Kissimmee with the Fire Frogs. The operative word there is begin.
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Looking at the various Braves minor league line ups, the only one filled with guys I have never heard of is Rome. I guess that could change.
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But… Mississippi looks loaded.
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I find it most interesting that Kolby Allard jumped over high-A and will start the year at AA. It’s quite telling about how the organization regards him, and about how talented he is. Actually, Mike Soroka has made the same jump. But as I have read from a few places, it also helps spread the pitching talent across all levels. Check out these pitching rotations:
AAA Gwinnett: Sean Newcomb (Baseball America ranked #8 Braves prospect), Lucas Sims (#16), Matt Wisler, Aaron Blair, Luke Jackson (#28)… although I think Jackson is probably destined for the bullpen.
AA Mississippi: Kolby Allard (#3), Mike Soroka (#4), Patrick Weigel (#9), Max Fried (#10), Matt Withrow (2016 High-A Pitcher of the Year).
High-A Kissimmee: Luiz Gohara (SEA’s #3 pre-trade), Touki Toussaint (#12), Ricardo Sanchez (unranked by Baseball America, but #9 by Baseball Prospectus), Drew Harrington, Tyler Pike.
Low-A Rome: Ian Anderson (#5), Joey Wentz (#15), Bryce Wilson (#25), Jeremy Walker, Ryan Lawlor.
One guy missing is Kyle Muller (#17), who got a late start to camp due to back stiffness. He’s hanging back in extended Spring Training and will probably join Low-A Rome when he’s ready.
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Luke Jackson (#28)… although I think Jackson is probably destined for the bullpen
Ha! Commenting on my own comment. Priceless.
Anyway, I have just seen the G-Braves’ own press release announcing Luke Jackson as their 5th starter – RHP Aaron Blair, LHP Sean Newcomb, RHP Matt Wisler, RHP Lucas Sims, RHP Luke Jackson. While the bullpen may be LuJack’s ultimate ML destination, looks like he’ll be starting for the time being in Gwinnett.
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Not a surprise to see a guy like Jackson being used as a starter, I saw a lot of guys who pitched in Richmond as starters be placed in a bull pen role. Hey, what ever gets them ready for the show. As a starter they have an opportunity to throw (and hopefully perfect) a greater variety of pitches.
If you don’t have a third pitch, you will not consistently get out big league hitters.
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Okie dokie… A late night but it was worth it. Braves in 12, Matt Kemp got his magic wand going after the Mets shut down Freddie Freeman. The Braves pitching was magnificent. Did not know Big Sexy had a 94mph fastball still in him, same goes for Jim Johnson… and a 77mph something that had the Mets completely discombobulated…
Some said the pitch that Jay Bruce hit out on a line drive to right was a mistake pitch bit it looked like a pretty doggone good pitch to me that Bruce just hammered. He also clubbed a double and a single. I think whatever was bothering him is no longer there. Bad news for pitchers in the league.
So, it’s doubtful the game will be played tonight with bad weather coming in. We are expecting some of the storms you guys in GA had yesterday and they are headed for NY tonight. I just noticed the pollen blowing sideways outside this AM. There will be enough pine pollen in the air to pollinate all the way to MAINE.
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Yes, it was a tremendously pitched game last night, and the bullpen came through in the way we are expecting them to this year.
JimmyJohn looks dominant. Once he finally got his legs back under him midway last season, he got his total arsenal back.
I have to laugh a little at those who constantly poo-poo Matt Kemp. I don’t understand the hate. I do like his 3 doubles last night… and his 6 for the young season. IMO, he is the perfect fit for our LF and to bat behind Freddie. I’ll take our 1-4 hitters any day of the week. Heck, 1-6 ain’t that shabby. Once we get away from that great NYM pitching, we may get into a real offensive groove.
BTW- speaking of that great NYM pitching. It’ll take them to a pennant if they can stay healthy. But look a their health over the last 3 years. All have had elbow issues; some have already had TJ. That is a very tightly pulled knot that can unravel in a big way.
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I heard a very reasoned opine this week in reference to the need for Tommy John surgery. The point made was the increased amount of stress placed upon the UCL whenever a pitch is made in excess of 80mph. I guess when you are heaving it up there at 95 mph plus, well, something has to give and that something is the elbow.
Okay, the storm is finally here… later guys….
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Ryan Howard, huh? Well… isn’t THAT interesting?
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Vee, you caused me to go to the Braves site to see what you were referring to.. The old guy might well have some good swings left in him. I do not know what kind of baseball shape he is in but I know I am glad the Braves won’t have to face him anymore.
Gwinnett is a good spot for all to find out if he has anything left in the tank. Uh.. who is backing up Freddie at first base right now? Never a Gold Glover, he was a Silver Slugger… We shall see…
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Sitting here watching a verity of ballgames on MLB and thinking two things, 1. Remember when throwing a baseball 95 mph was a rarity?
2. When did throwing 90mph make you a “soft tosser”?
3. Kyle Schwarber is a beast.
4. No way they will be playing baseball in New York tonight, may as well postpone the game and let the Braves relax tomorrow in Pittsburgh and let the latin players see the snow which is predicted for that area. Hey, got to love the schedulers who think playing baseball in the north in early spring is a given…
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Okay, maybe more than two things but who’s counting? 🙂
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My initial thoughts on Ryan Howard…
First, he has to have his own short spring training before he can contribute to anyone. Second, he would certainly be a late inning power threat off the bench, something that is a gaping black hole in our reserve choices. Third, he’s the ideal DH for those pesky AL stadium inter-league games. And fourth, he can give Freddie Freeman the occasional day off, something that FF eschews but is necessary over the course of 162 games.
But maybe most importantly – if he can prove that he still has a little left in the tank – he might be an important trade chip in July. And that is exactly Coppy’s style.
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Yup.
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Here’s a few tidbits gleaned from this afternoon’s reading…
Ryan Howard has recently purchased a house in the ATL area. Now he can be close to home as he attempts to continue his career.
The Braves are looking at soaking rain tonight in NY, but also facing snow tomorrow in PIT. Because of that, they have flip-flopped Folty and RAD in the rotation. Knucklers don’t fare as well in dampness. RAD will now throw on the dryer Saturday.
The flip-flop lines Folty up to start the home/park opener. Pretty cool for the kid. That said, they can easily be flipped back after Monday’s off day. And having Folty’s heat following RAD’s salad only makes Folty more imposing.
DOB says the Mets are intent on getting tonight’s game in, even if they have to wait a while.
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DOB says the Mets are intent on getting tonight’s game in, even if they have to wait a while.
Which is why the Braves better hope for a lot of snow in Pittsburgh because as it stands, there will be some pretty pooped players wearing a tomahawk across their chest.
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Welcome to our new follower AUSTIN COPELANDS! Glad to have you here, Austin. Feel free to jump into the conversation any time!
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So, I gave up Tuesday night as I was getting really tired of seeing runners on and no runs scoring…so naturally, they won…
Last nite, well, I assumed the game was rained out…flipped by…2-1 Mutts, oh, cool, I’ll watch…the mets score 2 runs…hmmm…flipped away, there was big non baseball news…flipped back….nevermind….
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Watched to the bitter end. Garcia was not bad, both walks he gave up came back to bite him. Matt Kemp is a beast right now. 6-13 3 doubles, 3 home runs… Need guys on base ahead of him. hey, it’s still early and other than Chaz Roe, I can deal with it. Better days ahead.
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Garcia was not bad, both walks he gave up came back to bite him.
His curve was his undoing. Just sat upstairs spinning. If you hang ’em, they’ll bang ’em.
Matt Kemp is a beast right now. 6-13 3 doubles, 3 home runs…
The real Matt Kemp. Scoffers eat crow.
Need guys on base ahead of him.
It’ll happen. Hard to gauge your offense after only facing Syndergaard, deGrom and Harvey.
other than Chaz Roe, I can deal with it.
Chaz Roe has been awful. Hopefully he just keeping the bullpen spot warm for Mauricio for when MCab is eligible to come off the 10-day DL. At least I hope so.
Better days ahead.
Yup.
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MLB schedulemakers take note… northern outdoor parks in early April = bad idea.
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I hope Folty arrived early. Surely he did. And I won’t get too ill when I see ’em look like they’re sleepwalking, because they might be.
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As a professional baseball player, can there be anything worse than little sleep heading into a day game with highs in the 30’s? Perhaps the chattering of their teeth will keep them awake in the dugout.
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Day games after night games and travel was a primary cause for the widespread use of bennies in the past, Now it’s Red Bull and coffee… Eons ago, while a very young man with little real world experience, I used bennies to stay awake while working the midnight shift. Results, eyes open, legs were like rubber…. End of experiment…
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If it were not the home opener for the Bucs, I would think they would postpone today’s game. Most of the tickets are already sold.
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BTW- Bowman says Folty left NY for PIT at about 4pm yesterday afternoon. I would have been surprised if he hadn’t left early.
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Today’s lineup features all the regulars w/ Suzuki.
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Kevin McAlpin at 11:31am: The tarp is being rolled up here at PNC Park…looks like we’ll be on time for a 1:05pm first pitch between the Braves & Buccos.
Kevin McAlpin at 12:14pm: Snow has started up once again here in Pittsburgh…
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35 degrees at time of 1st pitch. With wind chill, feels like 23 degrees.
Baseball.
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Mid-50’s in Cobb County. Maybe should have held this series in Atlanta?
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SIGH!
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https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/04/braves-considering-ryan-raburn.html
Ummm, isn’t Frenchy out there still?
How could this guy possibly be better? Salarywise???
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Man, some big time ugly baseball being played by Atlanta right now, someone needs to remind them that spring training is over and these game count. I know, it’s early yet but these guys are making mental errors as well as physical ones. It’s like having a team full of Brooks Conrads….
I am not sure these guys could catch a cold right now.
I may have to revise my 85 wins season prediction if this continues.
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A team aspiring to break the .500 mark and sniff the wildcard cannot afford to simply give games away. Period.
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And I’m willing to give Adonis 2 more games, the ones in Miami. And if he cannot show me some reason to give hope he’ll be anything other than the mediocre player he’s been, I’d just as soon let the young guy (Rio) take over. If I’m gonna get inconsistent play, I’d rather have it from a guy getting better than a guy being exactly what he is.
Adonis in 6 games for ATL = .174/.240.217
Rio in 4 games at GWI = .278/.350/.333
Heck… I’ll take Kelly Johnson over there right now.
And while I’m griping, our bench sucks. Seriously. I’m watching Chase d’Arnaud batting with a man in scoring position in extra innings. Really? Emilio Bonifacio is the first PH we see every night?
And having the 5th guy is awesome if he’s actually a capable bench bat. Instead, we have Anthony Recker simply as insurance so that we can PH either TFlow or KSu. Can’t we give the 5th spot to a guy who might actually get a hit? Or here’s a novel idea… maybe to a guy who can hit the ball a long way?
Yes I know it’s still early, but I’m tired of seeing the team’s most glaring weaknesses blowing up in my face every game.
Fix 3B, and fix the bench. Then we might have a shot at a .500 season.
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Ummm, isn’t Frenchy out there still?
I think the problem with Frenchy or KJ now is that these guys are in the same boat as Ryan Howard. They’ve had no spring training, so they’d have to go to extended spring training to get into game shape before they could contribute. Therefor neither could help in the short term.
The Braves need a major shot in the arm before the much ballyhooed home opener in 4 days. They need help right now.
I understand that each one wanted a major league deal, and I get it. They’re older and have “paid their dues”. But each of them could have gone to spring training with someone on a minor league deal with an opt out and essentially auditioned for all 30 teams with no commitment. Neither was willing to do so. And now each has seemingly missed the boat for 2017.
You know, 15-year vet and 6-time All-Star Chase Utley was willing to take a minor league deal and earned a roster spot in LA. IMO, it was a prideful stance for both Frenchy and KJ to reject such an offer. Pride will bite you in the butt, and both of their bitten butts are now on the outside looking in.
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And Snit will not escape my vitriolic barbs this morning either. Julio was completely dominant for his 7 innings and had only thrown 87 pitches. I was shocked to see Viz in the 8th, It was a bad move. Period. Julio deserved to go back out for at least 1 more inning.
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Pride will bite you in the butt
Isn’t that what happened to Frenchy when he groused about going to Mississippi to get his swing straightened out prior to his being pretty unceremoniously traded to the Mets and beginning his odyssey?
Yes, I am thinking Snit has about 15 more games before he is shown the door and Washington is given his job. Just saying…
Maybe spring training is more an indicator than we would like it to be.
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Watching the Braves flail away this weekend, I told the wife that this team is not good enough to win unless they play mistake free baseball. I don’t know if that is possible for this team….
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And Snit will not escape my vitriolic barbs this morning either. Julio was completely dominant for his 7 innings and had only thrown 87 pitches. I was shocked to see Viz in the 8th, It was a bad move. Period. Julio deserved to go back out for at least 1 more inning.
It’s the “safe” sabermatrician,or you have a young GM boss (but I repeat myself) move….
young GM sees you trot out the #1, in the 8th, and the opposing team gets a walk and a hit, then scores some runs off a reliever that didn’t have a clean inning to work in (Ya know Snit, stats show relievers do better coming in to start an inning…no, don’t bring up Rollie Fingers, Goose Gossage, Bruce Sutter, today, relievers blah, blah, blah) the manager is to blame…for the player(s) failure…
You take said starter out after 7 innings, the GM who gave you a wonderful bullpen to use, won’t blame you for the relievers blowing it…of course he will still fire you 2 weeks later, but it will be for lesser infractions in the stathead world….
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Great piece in the AJC today that confirms everything we have opined about.
http://mikecheck.blog.myajc.com/2017/04/10/bumbling-braves-playing-bad-baseball/
No game tonight I think that is a good thing for not only the team but for we fans. I know I need a break….
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I wonder if they got used to losing during ST. It can become a mindset. To win, you have to have nine competent players on the field plus a very decent cast of backups available to step in and get the job done when called upon. The Braves don’t have that.
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They are pretty cool looking. However, they won’t help the sloppy fielding we have been subjected to.
Game tonight in Miami, a chance to show the first 6 games were a fluke…
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They might as well look good outside the ears even if they don’t look so good between the ears.
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Well, tonight is a big night. Opening night in Miami for the fish. I hope the team got plenty of rest and had time to evaluate their commitment to playing better baseball. No biggie, just remember that weak links can be weeded out pretty quickly when you are losing. Third, second, catching…. all can be changed out under the guise of rebuilding…
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And the bench? Well, keep Jace… everyone else is expendable.
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Are we rebuilding? Yes. But I want improvement at 3B now. I’m tired of watching the same old mediocrity at 3B. Quite tired. Ugh.
And I want improvement on the bench. I don’t want Recker as a pure 3rd catcher so that I can PH with the light hitting Suzuki or Flowers. I want some real potential. I’ll take Mel Rojas, Jr. over the current assortment of backup catchers, but I really want something we don’t have readily available… a real PH threat. Heck.. bring up Adam Walker. He can swing some lumber. He’s gonna strike out his fair share, but he’s also gonna drop some bombs. What we have now can’t drop bombs. They might can light a few firecrackers… that’s about it.
And I’m not quite saying I prefer Johan Camargo to Chase d’Arnaud, but it’s not far. Chase will never be any better than he is right now, that that’s a guy who does alot of things pretty well, but nothing very well. At least Camargo is a threat to go long once in a while and can definitely find the gaps.
When I reach into my bench for a boost in the late innings, I don’t need a guy who will give me a single. Heck, then I have to string along 2 or 3 of those. I need a guy who can change the game by himself. I need a guy to look at when I have a man in scoring position and feel I have a real chance to have him driven in.
This group of clowns can’t even give me a sac fly.
Ugh… I’m getting all riled up. Must calm down… must calm down…
I need more coffee.
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Oh geez…
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2night’s lineup?
Well…
1- Ender, CF
2- Dansby, SS
3- Freddie, 1B
4- Nicky, RF
5- Adonis, 3B
6- BPhil, 2B
7- Flowers, C
8- Boni, LF
Must admit… it doesn’t inspire alot of confidence.
1-3 are underperforming, 4 is anything but a cleanup hitter, 5 is… let’s not talk about 5 anymore, 6 is struggling, 7 is what 7 is, and 8 is lucky to have a major league job.
It could be a long night in the shadow of the hideous CF “art” piece.
Hopefully Big Sexy can hoist this group up on his back and deliver the season’s 2nd W.
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The only thing uglier than our lineup tonight:
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Ugh. So the Braves have played the last 3 games short a player needlessly. You know, this is why the 15-day was shortened to 10… to make this decision easier.
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Well, I’ll try to see this from a “glass half full” perspective. Camargo has a chance to make an impression on Snit and Coppy. Let’s hope he takes advantage of whatever opportunities are afforded him.
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I have to ask the question, though…
They DL’d an OF and called up an IF. Why? Why not Walker or MelRo or even Matt Tuiasosopo? Well, my first thought is that none of those 3 are on the 40-man roster. But ours only stands at 38, so there’s room. I don’t get it.
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Here’s another thought. They played Jace in LF while Kemp was “day to day”, but are trotting Boni out there now that he’s on the DL. Why?
In my humble opinion, Boni is the 25th guy, a defensive replacement, and insurance for CF. Nothing more.
And how many major league teams are starting a LF with little to no HR power?
Is there anything new on Netflix this month?
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Yes, although the present is sometimes difficult, the future is still quite bright.
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This group of clowns can’t even give me a sac fly….
Well to be fair, that has been a curse of the Braves for…decades….
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well…the good news is I thought they were 1-7, and instead, or merely 1-6!
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Are merely 1-6….
If this keeps up, there won’t be too many traffic issues getting to the new ballpark….
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7 left on base; 11 K’s. ‘Nuff said.
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Oops… sorry. Make that 12 K’s. Can’t leave one out.
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1 for 7 w/ RISP. too.
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One of the more interesting parts of last night’s game:
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On another note, AAA Gwinnett won 15-2 last night. Old friend Aaron Blair had his new slider working nicely as he went 5.0 IP, 3H, 1 R, 3 BB, 6 SO.
Unknown minor league FA signee OF Lane Adams went 4-5, 2 HR, 6 RBI.
Yes, the 27-year-old former KC, NYY and CHC farm hand can play all 3 OF positions and has played more CF than the 2 corners combined. In 9 minor league seasons he has a career slash line of .269/.343/.410 w/ 69 HR’s. He also has 208 stolen bases.
But let’s keep trotting Boni out there. That’s the ticket.
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Good morning all, I have to smile (laugh) or else I would cry. The day off really recharged the fish, not so much Los Bravos.. Ozuna had a career game last night. Columbo had a rough night, I thought Folty pitched pretty good. The dinger Ozuna hit was on a pretty good pitch, up and in… He just muscled it out.
As for the personnel moves… I suspect it is the front office that is calling the shots. At this point I am not sure if the brass is setting Snit up to fail or if he is doing it on his own. When all is said and done, the Braves are playing some ugly baseball right now.
I will continue to slug it out but it is pretty tough slogging at this point. It may well be time to put Ender back at the bottom of the line up. Oh well, they are not paying any attention to my opinion…
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It’s the strikeouts that are so glaring. Cut down on the strikeouts and the rest takes care of itself.
I mean… we’re down by 4 in the 7th, and load the bases with just 1 out. Who else would you want at bat besides Freddie? But he proceeds to strike out. And that’s followed by Nicky flying out meekly to LF.
Yes… I agree that they are all pressing right now. But they’re professionals. They’re paid to perform under pressure.
I might let Ender stay atop, but I’m ready to drop Dansby. BP can handle the 2 hole.
Don’t get me started on Adonis.
As for Lane Adams, please don’t misunderstand. I don’t think a career minor leaguer is going to jump start the team. But I still don’t see the logic behind putting so much responsibility on Emilio Bonifacio’s shoulders. Why is the the first guy off the bench every night? If we aren’t going to bring in a real PH, let’s at least pick a guy from AAA who might have a chance to knock one every now and then.
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I agree that Folty looked pretty good last night. Sure can’t fault him on Ozuna’s HR. That was just freaky. How do you drive something so far in and up?
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OK… I’ll lay off for today at least.
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Cut down on the strikeouts and the rest takes care of itself.
I don’t know, the alternative seems to be hitting into double plays…
That was just freaky. How do you drive something so far in and up?
Results of having Barry Bonds as a tudor maybe?
I have to agree on using Boni as the primary pinch hitter. Little fear there for opposing pitchers.
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the alternative seems to be hitting into double plays
Tru dat.
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The product of healing. He will be a hot commodity at this year’s trade deadline. I sure hope Dustin Peterson is ready by then. Might need to go ahead and give Frenchy a call.
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If there is 1 thing about braves teams we know is they don’t panic/mack quick changes.so….i dont expect any major changes just moving people up or down the lineup
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I’m using my phone so my posts we’re going to look a little screwy
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Frenchy and kj were prideful but aren’t the braves management as well? Don’t want tp give spots on roster to old guys but kj and frenchy would help this team
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kj and frenchy would help this team
Maybe in 3-4 weeks, after starting some baseball activities. But yes, I agree.
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Convenient for the guy with 0 options left who is sucking like a Hoover.
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Did y’all know that Brett Lawrie is still without a team after being released late in Spring by the ChiSox?
Did you also know that he’s a RH batter with a 6 year career slash line of .261/.315/.419 while averaging 20 HR per year?
Did you also know that last season as a part timer he slashed .248/.310/.413 with 12 HR in just 94 games?
Did you also know that he has a career fielding % of .956 at 3B?
He doesn’t necessarily improve our bench, but he might improve a position of which I have vowed not to bag on today.
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2night’s lineup:
1- Ender, CF
2- Dansby, SS
3- Freddie, 1B
4- Nicky, RF
5- BPhil, 2B
6- Adonis, 3B
7- Flowers, C
8- Jace, LF
Not much to note there except that a certain guy whose birthday it is today has been dropped from 5th to 6th in the lineup. If it were me, he’d drop one more notch. Then again, if it were me, he… uh… Happy Birthday, Adonis.
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Ha! Just when I think I’m out.. they pull me back in again… 🙂
Nothing like a dramatic win to restore my will to live. On Stanton’s two home runs in a loss, Yep, I think Freddie knows how he feels. Ender’s two home runs, that was a surprise to say the least, looks like someone’s time in the cage is paying off, he stayed closed instead of flying open and pulling off the ball.
Good thing for Tyler Flowers he can deliver a clutch hit because his catching skills are suspect… Can you say Passed Balls? Who will be the next Charles Johnson? Doesn’t anyone block balls in the dirt anymore?
Day off today, long travel day between Miami and Atlanta… Pretty sure the Braves would have rather had the off day between New York and Pittsburg.
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Doesn’t anyone block balls in the dirt anymore?
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Adonis goes 0-4 w/ 2 K’s (and 1 LOB) to drop his AVG to .161, worst among regulars.
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Solid work by the bullpen for 4 innings last night, but no bullpen can survive going 4 innings a night. Come on, starters… give this team some innings!
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Sean Newcomb got his first AAA win last night, going 5.1 IP, allowing 2 R (1 ER) on 5 H, 3 BB, and 5 K.
That all good and stuff, but when are we gonna start conditioning these guys to go further into games? We get on the pitchers for not going deep enough, but I see an organizational problem (maybe more accurately a MLB problem in general) of setting these guys up to leave early. Until we condition their arms and minds to go deeper, it’s not going to change.
But here’s the thing… there isn’t a manager in the game that’s gonna let his hoss struggle and try to work his way through a rough stretch in a game. The manager’s jobs are too tenuous and the pitcher’s arms are to valuable to take any chances.
Until we stop giving millions of $$ to unproven potential, and until we give the manager a longer leash, we’ll continue to see starters do 6/9th of their job.
Plus, the game has evolved to where all the pitchers try to throw in the upper 90’s on every pitch. You simply can’t do that for 110 pitches. Well, most can’t. There is the occasional Clayton Kershaw. And every pitcher wants to inflate his strikeout numbers so they can get the extra $$ in arb and FA.
Funny thing… the best pitcher I’ve ever seen, HOF Greg Maddux, threw in the low 90’s at best, mostly in the upper 80’s, and worked to induce weakly hit balls early in the count. The result was routine complete games under 100 pitches, and 0 trips to the DL. It also worked for a first ballot HOF induction. His philosophy was simple: Hitting is all about timing; pitching is about disrupting that timing. He never tried to throw the ball past anybody, but he sure made alot of good hitters look silly.
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Adonis goes 0-4 w/ 2 K’s (and 1 LOB) to drop his AVG to .161, worst among regulars.
Yes, but it’s a hard .161… Only one k in that talley I believe. Little solace I know but he is really hitting the ball hard, just at people. Usually, when you are doing that, it starts to even out and balls begin to drop in.
The real scary part is having Boni be the first guy off the bench to PH every night. Not scary for the opposition though. I can hear them snickering in the opposing dug-out every time he steps to the plate.
Nice statue of Bobby C. I think I would have requested a little less belly but maybe the artist was getting paid by the pound.
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Okay, 3 Ks total, I didn’t count last night…
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The real scary part is having Boni be the first guy off the bench to PH every night.
Agreed. In fact, I’d much rather have a real 3B starting and have Adonis be the first guy off the bench. At least he’s capable of knocking one out.
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at .167, Dansby is not exactly tearing the cover off the ball either….
sounds like he is also incapable of hitting a slider, something he is going to have to work on….
https://tomahawktake.com/2017/04/12/atlanta-braves-dansby-swanson-slider-problem/
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Meanwhile back on the farm…
Final line on Matt Wisler today: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO
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sounds like he is also incapable of hitting a slider
Oh… I dunno. I think his .333/.441/.526 over 98 PA’s at the end of last year might suggest that Stephen Tolbert’s early assessment is a bit of a knee jerk reaction to a small sample size. In fact, I think Tolbert defeats his own logic when he points out that Dansby has seen a proportionally higher percentage of sliders than other hitters. “No player in baseball saw a higher percentage of sliders than Dansby Swanson.” That means any statistical anomaly could be slanted to the conclusion that it is a product of sliders. I don’t buy it. If you ask me (and nobody has), Dansby simply has not regained his timing after missing time in Spring with the back issue.
And for the record, I like a few of the writers I read at Tomahawk Take, but Mr. Tolbert isn’t one of them.
As a “seasoned” baseball fan, I think it is premature to make any real judgments based on the first 8 games of the season, all of which were played on the road, and some of which were played in arctic conditions.
Well, except for Adonis. I can judge him. He is sub-par.
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Ha ha ha …
I like how Tolbert explains last year’s late success:
“Now you might be asking how in the world Swanson put up a .302/.361/.442 slash line with numbers like this against a pitch he sees more than anyone. One answer is a lot of good fortune… it’s fair to say that kind of luck simply won’t last.”
Now there’s some hard biting analysis for you. Maybe if Dansby was Irish, he’d have more luck. We need to factor that into our draft assessments… luck potential. Please…
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So, the deal is this, if you are having trouble hitting a slider, didn’t both Frenchy and Andrew have the same problem, the trick is to recognize it and learn to lay off them, unfortunately Dansby is being rookied to death as far as the strike zone is concerned. Anything up to 6 inches off the plate is being called a strike…
Yep, would rather have Adonis being used as a pinch hitter but until the Rio Ruiz or some other up and coming third baseman shows up, I guess we are stuck with him. That said, Jace does not play a bad third base. There are some good ones out there, just have to be willing to pay for them.
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It’s a big day!!
Oh yeah… there’s baseball, too.
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That be one fugly stadium/ball park. I think it caught fire out of shame…
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Okay, 80 more games just like that one the Braves played tonight at STP. Pretty nice park, lots of folks.
Ender having a break out episode…. 3 HRs in his last two games. Stay positive Ender.
Tehran looked a little bit off tonight but not horrible so. The Pen was magnificent again.
Braves 3-6. Not great but better than 1-6… They have over taken the Phillies. I’ll take a sweep but 3 out of 4 will suffice.
Boni the first guy off the bench to PH again, kind of sad really. 1 for 8 I think.
Vee, you have cursed Adonis. He has become a strike out machine. I think you hurt his feelings…
The game is on Fox Sports 1 Saturday night (channel 219) Ber.
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Thanks Gil! 😉
And it was indeed a fun game! A little too tight for a bit, but then we could relax…and was that about an easy 3 innings of relief you’ve ever seen????
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Happy Birthday Gil!
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Jason Hirsch down; Luke Jackson up. I thought LuJack deserved a spot out of spring.
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Now if we can get Maricio Cabrera back and AJ Minter ready, that pen will be stout.
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Mauricio… typing from my phone. Can’t see the box.
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Thanks Vee… I have some dirt younger than me now…
It is a tough hole to climb out of but the team just has to claw it’s way to .500 and go from there.
That said, it would only take a modest three game winning streak.
Early days folks, early days… A pitch at a time, an out of a time, an inning at a time, a game at a time.
Uh… Can Matt Kemp learn to play third base? Less stress on the hammys.
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Now, we all know the line up of every team experiences big turnover in the first month. Every o-fer is magnified (see Adonis). Still, I think Adonis is much better suited for pinch hitting duties than everyday at third. Problem is who will the Braves play at third? Lots of changes coming, new third baseman and new second baseman… New bench pieces.. just depends on when the changes are made.
By the way, I thought Brandon Phillips made a nifty old school pivot to turn a double play last night, took the throw and leaped into the air to avoid a slide. Dansby needs to give him a little better feed to prevent him from getting killed. It is like the quarterback who keeps throwing the ball up and away to his receivers leaving them vulnerable to getting creamed by the safety.
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHIEF! Hope it has been a great one.
And HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY TO EVERYONE!
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Thanks guys… Game is at 1:35 today. Going for gold…
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Will try to work on a new lead today, this blog is getting really slow to load.
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Gil, I hope you saw I wished you a happy Birthday on facebook..honest! 🙂
well, 3 wins in a row in the new park! don’t use guys remember me telling you everything would be fine?
Don’t you remember that? I totally said that…yep 😛
And big sexy lived up to his name, looked like the guy they paid that moola for, and now having a power hitting CF’er is never a bad thing, right?
Hopefully Flowers Hammy isn’t too bad….
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Yes Ber, I saw it and thank you.
Gee, I guess Coppy’s evil plan is not going to work out quite as quickly as I thought, looks like Snit might hang around a bit longer. One game under .500. I know, not exactly World Series caliber but a gold star for this team.
Still, it is way early but you get the feeling that with every game the Braves win, they get a little more embolden. Winning will do that. Good opportunity to sweep tomorrow and then the Nats come to town. Another good test for this team.
How do you like them fish? That is another scary team about to break out.
The Mets will be okay but their bullpen weaknesses are readily apparent. The Marlins have the Mets measured up pretty well at this point. Some scary boppers it that line up if they can stay healthy.
Looks like Tyler Flowers “tweaked” his right hammy. Big guys can do that pretty easily. I don’t know if they will DL him to make room for Kemp or play short handed. I think I would rather swap him out for Kemp if it looks like he is going to be limping the next few days. While it did not appear to be a bad strain, having to squat in addition to running could make it more debilitating than if he were a first baseman.
I think “Wreck it” Ralph and Bike Boy can handle the catching chores for the next 10 days. Folty, Tehran and Dicky will get the starting assignments against the gNats next week. Garcia pitches the potential sweep game tomorrow night. Let’s Go Boys…
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Looks like Tyler Flowers “tweaked” his right hammy. Big guys can do that pretty easily. I don’t know if they will DL him to make room for Kemp or play short handed.
If it’s bad enough for the DL, they should know by gametime tonight. And with the new 10 day DL there’s no reason to go shorthanded when you don’t have to. Kemp’s not due back until Wednesday. Looks like a good excuse to bring up Rio for a few days.
Here’s my master plan…
DL TFlow today; bring up Rio and platoon him at 3B. Activate Kemp on Wednesday; send Camargo down. And in 10 days, when TFlow is hopefully ready to return, send Recker back; keep the platoon at 3B.
Nuthin’ to this GM thing.
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FYI – The Gwinnett Braves have an off day today and open a home series tomorrow. Rio should be in town and available to hang around STP this afternoon. You know… just in case.
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The new rule is 10 day DL but Matt Kemp appears to be taking the full two weeks. Hard to break a habit I guess. Funny, I usually tweaked both hammys the first or second day of practice, didn’t stop hurting until the end of the season. Fortunately, tackles did not have to run far…
I don’t think Flower’s tweak was a bad one, just not going to get any better standing on base. Still, it seems that two weeks is about the norm for one to stop hurting. No matter how much you stretch, they always are at risk. The muscles get bigger and stronger, the tendons are what they are…
Spikes are great for gaining traction, not so good for tendons.
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well, that’s IF Kemp is ready to come back after 10 days….hammys aren’t to be trifled with …
Can Rio also play SS???? Garcia is hitting the ball hard, the Hype, not so much….
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The new rule is 10 day DL but Matt Kemp appears to be taking the full two weeks.
According to the Braves transactions page, Kemp was placed on the DL on 4/11, but it was retroactive to 4/8, so the math (8+10=18) says he can come off on 4/18, which is Tuesday. But, DOB tweeted recently that Kemp is eligible to return on Wednesday 4/19. Also, the MLB injury update page says hes eligible to return on 4/19. Not sure where my math has failed, but it surely has failed.
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Can Rio also play SS????
Doesn’t have to -> Chase does, as does Jace.
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AAAA guy trying to be a legit prospect. Plays all 3 OF spots, too. Boni better be looking over his shoulder.
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Can Rio also play SS????
Doesn’t have to -> Chase does, as does Jace.
a little sarcasm on my part….I am sure Dansby will be fine…but, he has been frankly terrible at the plate, in 48 P.A.’s he’s hitting .146 for the year, 2 for his last 20….if he was a 32 y.o. Cuban, people would be calling for his head….
I’d give him a day off at least…
AAAA guy trying to be a legit prospect. Plays all 3 OF spots, too. Boni better be looking over his shoulder.
he really should, what is his, the top PH’er, 0 for 8 as a PH’er????
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if he was a 32 y.o. Cuban, people would be calling for his head
I think the key there is being 32, and no longer developing. Adonis is what he is, and he’s all he’s ever going to be. I suspect by season’s end, Dansby will be hitting closer to the .300 he hit last season than the .146 he’s currently supplying. That said, I wouldn’t be opposed to giving him a night off either. And for the record, if he’s still hitting below the Mendoza line around Memorial Day, mine will be the loudest voice calling for him to finish ripening in AAA.
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Will I cry if Adonis is platooned/the main Pinch hitter? No, but….last year his numbers were…. 14 HR’s 65 RBI’s .273 BA, after a cold start…(and being sent down) who , besides Todd Frasier, is available, and going to put up better numbers than his?
Adam LaRoche, Tex, etc…some guys start off slowly…
heck, last year, Ender was hitting .227 .294 at the all star break, as was UNTRADABLE … but, who was going to replace him?
Good thing the team was patient with him….
that’s one thing I can say for a fact…I am not very patient…it would be tough to be a GM or a manager for that reason alone…
Smoltz spoke during the first game at STP (I was so hoping I was the first to think of that when I thought of it…clearly I wasn’t) he talked about how teams just don’t give players, pitchers a real chance to develop, at the MLB level how he was 2-11 at the all star break, and how many teams would allow a pitcher to be that bad for that long today? He didn’t say it, but today, he’d be pushed into the bullpen. It’s what Folty faces if he doesn’t have a .500 record, and a 4.00 or lower ERA. Smotz also said, just slightly jokingly how he told Kyle Hendricks that the hope of many a college baseball player rests on his shoulders …
and “we” still would use the hook on position players faster than the quick hooks of gms/managers today….
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… and of course, Kelly Johnson famously began his ML career going 1-30, but was fortunate to have Bobby “Patience Of Job” Cox as his manager. That turned out OK.
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Quick hooks may be as a result of the “what have you done for me lately mentality of both GMs and fans alike. That and the emphasis on stats driven by the gambling community. Those guys don’t really care who wins or loses, just the number of strike outs for pitchers and RBI’s for hitters.
Sure, we all want our team to win but at least 1/3 of the games played by any team will be a loss. So, as for Dansby, I am not too worried about him. I will not be surprised to see him swap spots with Brandon Phillips in the batting order if he continues to struggle. The eight hole is a horrible place in the line up to hit. Lots and lots of breaking balls… After May first, I think we will all have a much better idea of how this team is shaking out.
Boni is the first guy on the chopping block if you ask me but I don’t know what else he is bringing to the table at this point. It is not like he is going to hit one deep. Not even sac fly deep….
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Rest it now or it’ll be a season long hindrance…
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Almost game time… okay, maybe not, 2 hrs to first pitch.. I so loath the news… Maybe I can find a Big Bang rerun.
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Gil, I hear ya on the news…at least you and CL don’t have to see 1000 ads per day for liberal child politician Jon Ossoff (He’s 30 if you haven’t heard of him, sounds like a conservative Dem, like those exist anymore)…..he scares me, cuz he looks and sounds like an actor portraying a politician, and with millions and millions of dollars in his warchest, and dumb people who vote…he’s going to be running for Prez in …well, thank God you have to be 35, so in 4 years…..
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Jon Ossoff is a hand picked carefully constructed pretty boy liberal puppet transplanted into the district for the sole purpose of trying to win back the seat. It reminds me a little bit of Star Wars, where the Emperor hand picked an apprentice to do his dirty work and eventually succeed him. This guy has all the big DNC money behind him, so he’ll probably win the seat and continue the grooming process to higher office. Don’t forget… BO was a community organizer until the DNC hand picked him to manipulate the dumb masses. And look where that led. This Ossoff guy has all the same slick ear tickling presentation… like the Joel Osteen of politics. Give ’em what they want to hear, not what they need to hear.
If you think about it, the liberal agenda is not that different from that of the street drug pusher. Get the victims hooked on their easily obtainable entitlements and make them dependent. Then you can manipulate them with great ease.
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Oh yeah… and a great win by the Bravos last night. They could have easily deflated after giving up the lead in the 8th inning, but didn’t fold. Hopefully that clutch hit is what Dansby needed to get off the schneid, whatever a schneid is.
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According to Wikipedia:
get off the schneid. To break a scoreless, hitless, or winless streak (i.e., a schneid). According to the Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term “schneid” comes to baseball via gin rummy, and in turn comes from German / Yiddish “schneider”, one who cuts cloth, i.e., a tailor.
Who knew? And where else but the ol’ B&S can you get this kind of information?
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Ha…
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Always on the leading edge of greatness are we…. 🙂
Exciting game last night, I think the Braves should send a limo for Freddies wife and son to attend every game. What a great night he had. Plus the hitting tip he game young Dansby which led to the game winning hit in the ninth.
I was a little nervous in the first inning but Garcia showed he was a real pro.
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I listened to the entire game on radio last night. I had to wait for my daughter at a rehearsal from 7:30pm-10:00pm for a play that opens Friday night. The company is not close to home, thus the wait. Fortunately, I had a Braves game to sit and listen to. I dropped her off at the door right before the first pitch, and Dansby got the game winning hit as we were leaving the venue. Pretty good timing.
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Baseball is a crazy game.
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Yes, it can both humble and exalt you. I once went six for six with 5 RBI and also 0-5 with four strike outs and hitting into a triple play…. DUH!
My mom used to fuss at my dad for running her battery down on her car by listening to the ball game… Great way to enjoy the game. I plan to utilize the radio broadcast feature on my MLB package tonight as I am saddled with the gNats TV feed… Talk about chalk on a blackboard… ick!
Lots of love being shown for Dansby after last night, hardly a peep about Fab5’s phenomenal night at the plate.
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Yes, it is really way too early to get too tied up in averages isn’t it? Danger signs… Hitting pop ups, weak ground balls and strike outs. Positives in addition to doubles off the wall and dingers are hard hit at’em balls and walks.
While I am often alarmed at the number of double plays hit into, I remind myself that people have to be getting on base in order for that to occur.
Anyhoo… .500 is a big deal for this club. 6-6… what a huge difference that is from being 2-20… Okay, maybe not quite that bad but close, it sure felt that way.
Big series coming up. I think it will go a long way in allowing this club to understand where they are. Don’t need a sweep. two of three would be nice, just take a little of the smugness off the face of the pesky gNats. It would be a good time for Harper to have a bit of a mini slump.
The gNat’s pen can be had. Not sure if Braves killer Nat Turner will be activated for this series but the rest of the crew is healthy.
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“Nat” Turner? duh… Trey Turner…
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So when you call him Braves “killer”, exactly how do you mean that?
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Yes, there was a reason that name was stuck in my head… Big deal in Virginia history… You will note, captured on October 30th, hanged November 11th. Justice was pretty swift in those days. Events such as that one was a prime reason why blacks were prevented from having firearms etc.
Oh well….
Now more baseball… Folty gets a start, he should be well rested, he pitched well in relief last week I thought. The home run hit by Ozuna was not on a mistake or a bad pitch, you just have to tip your cap to a hot hitter.
Hopefully he will not get squeezed by the homeplate umpire. All part of growing up as a major league pitcher to not let missed calls by an ump get in your head. I sometimes think the screw with young pitcher just for the fun of it. Just make your pitches and hope your guys can score some runs for you.
The real question is how many times Braves pitchers plunk Harper… I know Julio is good for at least one tomorrow…
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Hopefully he will not get squeezed by the homeplate umpire. All part of growing up as a major league pitcher to not let missed calls by an ump get in your head.
Folty has made great strides in that area. That said, I’m glad last night’s home plate ump Sam Holbrook will not be behind the plate tonight.
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Hopefully that clutch hit is what Dansby needed to get off the schneid, whatever a schneid is.
Oh man, that’s so funny, cuz I thought the same thing about him being off (the schneid) but wondered where it came from, and even, if it was used much in the south, or did I remember Jack Buck and Mike Shannon (I really can recall Mike Shannon’s voice saying it innumerable times, back in the day)
Forgot to look it up, so thanks for that 😉
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Mark Polishuk, MLBTR:
Pirates outfielder Starling Marte has been suspended for 80 games due to a positive PED test, the league announced. Marte tested positive for Nandrolone, an anabolic steroid. As per Major League Baseball’s PED policy, Marte will receive the 80-game suspension assigned to first-time offenders, he won’t be paid during his suspension (which will cost Marte roughly $2.4MM of his $5MM salary for the season) and he’ll be ineligible for Pittsburgh’s postseason roster if the Bucs make the playoffs.
Holy schnikey! What was he thinking? Of course, the selfish part of me wishes this had happened before the Braves went to PIT. He killed us, even if not in a Nat Turner sense.
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2nite’s lineup vs. the Nats:
1- Ender, CF
2- Dansby, SS
3- Freddie, 1B
4- Nicky, RF
5- BPhil, 2B
6- Adonis, 3B
7- Suzuki, C
8- Jace, LF
9- Folty, RHP
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And there ya go.
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Wow, unbelievable all the teeth gnashing and whining about last night’s game between the Braves and gNats and that was just the National announcers. Imagine if Washington had actually lost… Oh well, I have to say I am pretty much done with seeing Bonifacio as the Braves first choice off the bench as a pinch hitter.
Please Coppy, give Snit someone else to select from…
While I would have rathered the Braves to have won the game last night, I thought Folty gave good account of himself. Gave up two runs… It’s up to his offense to match that.
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The next coming of Evan Gattis.
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I’ll take it… Like I have said, the majority of all stolen bases are on the pitchers, not the catchers. Just the way it works.
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On Starlin Marte’… I bet the Buccos are really happy they were unable to trade McCutchen last winter…
Julio facing off against Strasburg tonight. I like our chances except I would like them more if Kemp was batting clean up.
Looking back at last night’s game, I think Snit needs to utilize a pitcher or two as a pinch runner and save a guy like Camargo to hit.
It sure does expose the Braves as having a very thin bench with Matt Kemp on the DL. I don’t know if Matt would have made a difference against Scherzer but I don’t think he would have hurt.
Okay, He will be back tomorrow we hope.
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The next coming of Evan Gattis.
Hey. works for me… One thing the Braves need is more pop in the line up. Too many singles hitters make it tough on your pitching staff trying to throw a shut out every night in order to win.
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Sigh. Bryce Harper making Julio his b****… 2 ABs, 2 HR 5 RBI…. scary.
Julio just does not look himself tonight.
Perhaps Snit needs to deploy the “George Brett” model when it comes to Harper right now, walking one better than four.
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Hey, everybody, Gil’s new lead is up! THANKS, CHIEF!
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You’ll find several tactics. You can bake, pan fry, poach, steam or you could replicate it. However, the best method to accomplish so is always to grill some salmon the reason why is because it cooks quickly plus it retains the taste well: https://salmonrecipes.org/firecracker-baked-salmon-recipe-foil/
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