General Atlanta Braves Discussion Thread

[Chris_Moderato]

I figured I'd set up this thread for general discussion that doesn't require it's own thread and doesn't fit into the existing discussions.

On that note, I'd like reference this podcast that I frequently listen to. These guys aren't professionals or anything, they're fans like the rest of us. This week that had a very interesting discussion with Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus. They discuss Francoeur, Bobby Cox, Jordan Schafer and more. Worth a listen.

ABT Goldstein Interview (http://www.atlantabaseballtalk.com/?p=180)

[wordslayer©]

was reading some old Bill James and saw this quote of his and found it interesting:

“If a manager is successful, he changes the needs of the organization. By so doing, he often makes himself obsolete....Any manager, over time, loses the ability to see what needs to be changed.”

[Hobbes]

....Any manager, over time, loses the ability to see what needs to be changed.”
This applies in any organization, not just sports teams.

[Chris_Moderato]

I really liked the Goldstein comment on the podcast that Bobby Cox is the kind of manager that makes a good team better and makes a mediocre team worse. The reality of his career, especially the past few seasons, seems to really bear that out.

[Lauren T.]

was reading some old Bill James and saw this quote of his and found it interesting:

“If a manager is successful, he changes the needs of the organization. By so doing, he often makes himself obsolete....Any manager, over time, loses the ability to see what needs to be changed.”This applies in any organization, not just sports teams.
I wish I could send this to one of the senior managers here at work. It's especially true in his case! :p

[BigWorm]

Top of the 8th inning in the All-Star game and still no McCann. What a ficking joke. Fick you ugly ass Charlie Manuel, you dumb country bumpkin.

[wordslayer©]

My thoughts on Bobby Cox.

Overall, I think more fondly of him than most others do.

Things I like about him:

He doesn't give away a lot of outs. He doesn't play that stupid small ball that a lot of fans go on and on about, and I like that.

His teams play fundamentally sound baseball, and historically, they play relatively sound defense.

His teams don't make a lot of base running blunders and they don't miss the cut off men much, or throw to the wrong base. They are fundamentally sound.

He has always managed a clubhouse well. He handles the media well. He really is a players manager.

I think he rests his players well and I like how he manages pitch counts.

I like the way he platoons.

Things I hate about him:

I hate, hate, hate how he always falls back on the security of a veteran player.

Drives me crazy on his inability to make player changes when it is obvious that something is not working.


The last couple of years has really shortened my fuse with Cox, though. The Francoeur fiasco really, for the first time, cause me to actually hate Cox. His insistence on never sitting him down just about wore me out with the game of baseball. You see the behavior being repeated now with Anderson.

Every fan hates the pitching changes that a manager makes. Should have pulled him sooner....should have pulled him later.....every fan hates the pitcher moves. This has happened for a hundred years and will keep happening for the next hundred.

Cox gets a lot of flak for not being an "x and o" manager, and maybe some of that is deserved, but in the big picture, that kind of stuff just doesn't matter a great deal.

What does matter is keeping atrocious players in your lineup and giving them tons of at bats.

I know that we haven't been a very good team, but I think a lot of the reason for that is because we have some really weak positions on the field, but I can't help but think that we should be better than we are, even with the players we have. And honestly, I can't help but wonder if a different manager would be a better move for us.

Man....that's one of the things I hate so much about Francouer......he really did cause me to see Cox in a much harsher light.

[BraveFan]

We have talked for a while about Hudson and Vazquez and which one of them won't be back in 2010. I just came up with an idea that would save the Braves some $$ and allow the Braves to keep Hudson at the sametime. Here it goes: The Braves trade Vazquez in the offseason for a bat and instead of picking up Hudson's 12M option the Braves re-sign Hudson to a longer term deal but the kick is that Hudson doesn't get paid 12M instead is at around 8M for the first year or two then possibly backload the contract. You may ask why would Hudson do this? There are several reasons he might be willing to do this: 1. He loves playing in Atlanta and close to home, 2. He wants to win and get Ws this would allow the Braves not only to get that needed OFer but the extra money the Braves save would allow the Braves to re-sign Soriano and possibly Gonzo, 3. If the Braves decided to keep Vazquez instead and not pickup TH's option he will probably will not get much more on the open market.

The Braves maybe able in the offseason to trade Vazquez for a powerful outfielder that also cost less than Vazquez in terms of salary, but the Braves cutting ties with Hudson would force the Braves to keep Javy and have to sign a free agent outfielder which would probably cost the same or maybe more than Vazquez's salary. So by trading Javy for a good bat who could be cheaper than Javy and then having left over money from Hudson's discount the Braves bring back Soriano and possibly Gonzo and could possibly have some $$ to spare to bring in another bat.

[KB 34]

If Hudson wants to win so badly why does he sign with a team that by the offseason most likely will have missed the playoffs for four straight seasons? Furthermore why does he take a pay cut from $13 million to $8 million to do it? He may take a hometown discount but like Smoltz he's not stupid. Backloading another deal is stupid from a Braves perspective because if you can't afford it now you can't afford it later. Thankfully Wren is doing a really nice job there where JS struggled when the payroll started leveling off and being cut.

Not to menion Vazquez is an all star caliber pitcher right now. It's really hard to find pitchers of that quality, really hard. If the Braves get a couple bats and dump the pitching we're back to a great offense and 10-9 losses because Reyes II, Davies II, and Carylyle II are a terrible back end of the rotation and Moylan, Bennett, and Acosta as a setup and closer crew is a joke. I'm encouraged the Braves might make some smart moves now that Francoeur and his contract are history now and at the end of the season and my feeling is the Braves are going to have a little money to get a power hitter without destroying the starting rotation which if you ask me trading Vazquez for hitting would do.

[Lauren T.]

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd105/Braves_Love/newcokebottle.jpgFun Facts about the new Turner Field Coca-Cola Bottle:


The bottle is 49-feet-tall.



The shell is made of a polycarbonate high-impact material



The bottle is traced with 15 vertical ribs comprised of 9,000 single LED’s lights, each capable of producing up to 16.7 million different colors.



The inside of the bottle is illuminated with 45 LED color blast light fixtures capable of producing up to 16.7 million different colors. Each lighting fixture has 36 single color lights.



The label on the bottle is comprised of a high-resolution, changeable screen that is made up of 96,000 pixels.



The bottle still has the capability to shoot fireworks after every Braves home run.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_joI3gyA9y6k/Sl86P3yyyTI/AAAAAAAABRw/tAm9SUbuo14/s1600-h/new+coke+bottle.jpg

[Hobbes]

Wasn't that previously comprised of various baseball equipment (bats, balls, etc.)? I thought it looked cool the old way, but I guess this gives them more opportunity to create some visual interest.

[Middle Man]

They may have to start shooting off the fireworks and stuff with any extra base hit if they want to get their moneys' worth.

[Hobbes]

The new form looks pretty tacky to my eye, at least in the daytime. It looks like the Braves are trying to add some "bling" to Turner Field.

[Lauren T.]

I'll try to get some video on Saturday. It won't be as impressive during the day, but I can't get there any sooner. :(

[Hobbes]

Just a little blurb on Infante from Yahoo:

INF-OF Omar Infante (broken left hand) has been cleared to begin swinging a bat, hitting off a tee in the indoor cage. Manager Bobby Cox estimates he is two weeks away from a minor-league rehab assignment, which Cox thinks should last five or six games.

[CanadaBravesFan]

Why is Norton still on the team? Id rather Keith Lockhart right about now. Greg cant hit the fastball, and is useless if he doesn't draw a walk.

[Middle Man]

Why is Norton still on the team? Id rather Keith Lockhart right about now. Greg cant hit the fastball, and is useless if he doesn't draw a walk.


I'm pretty sure Barbaro would be move effective in that role. Bobby will figure it out eventually.

[Middle Man]

For those of you who watch the Braves on TV, is there anyone in the stands who you always notice?

I'm sure there must be a lot of the same season ticket holders in the prime seats year after year, but for some reason there's just this one guy who I always seem to notice.

He sits on the front row near the vistor's dugout. I always see him when there's a right handed batter at the plate and they show the side view prior to the pitcher going into his windup. He's always visable over the batter's right shoulder. He's an middle aged/older guy with short hair who usually seems to be wearing a light colored polo shirt. Does anyone else notice the guy I'm talking aobut?

[wordslayer©]

For those of you who watch the Braves on TV, is there anyone in the stands who you always notice?

I'm sure there must be a lot of the same season ticket holders in the prime seats year after year, but for some reason there's just this one guy who I always seem to notice.

He sits on the front row near the vistor's dugout. I always see him when there's a right handed batter at the plate and they show the side view prior to the pitcher going into his windup. He's always visable over the batter's right shoulder. He's an middle aged/older guy with short hair who usually seems to be wearing a light colored polo shirt. Does anyone else notice the guy I'm talking aobut?


Yep...sure have noticed him, but the interesting part is.....do you know who it is?

It's our very own RandyB. He is such a loyal fan.

[KB 34]

Why is Norton still on the team? Id rather Keith Lockhart right about now. Greg cant hit the fastball, and is useless if he doesn't draw a walk.
Please no, I really don't mind Prado at 2B. I actually have liked him for a while now and I'm glad to see he's doing well this season. Besides that KJ and Infante are coming back. Yes, I'll even lay off my whipping boy Infante if needed.:furious:

[sdp]

There's no doubt KJ is a major leaguer. He exploded in Gwinnett tonight: 3-4, 2 HR, 7 RBI

[Middle Man]

A check of the schedule shows that the Braves' final 19 games - yes, 19 games - are are against NL East teams.

13 home, 6 away
3 vs. Phils, 7 vs. nats

If we're in the wild card hunt, this should be a good thing. If we're out of the wild card hunt but trying to make up a bunch of games on the Phils, maybe not quite as good.

[BigWorm]

I'm fired UP!
Braves are 15-6 in there last 21 games!

[Wahoo]

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/


Here's a funny a little blurb about the suck arse Mets. It looks like's pulling a Scheurholz and refusing to be a seller. The last line is the winner.

Usually, getting shut out five times in 13 games as the trade deadline nears while falling ten games behind the division leader is a good excuse to get a team to waive the white flag.
But the Mets are no ordinary team, with executives challenging minor leaguers to fights, having altercations with closer (http://blogs.nypost.com/sports/mets/archives/2009/07/washington_--_i.html) Francisco Rodriguez, and an injury a day (http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/mets/2009/07/cora-tweaks-thumb.html)- this one to Alex Cora, who has been filling in for the injured Jose Reyes.
So it should come as no surprise that Mets GM Omar Minaya says New York will be buyers, not sellers at the trade deadline, according to the tireless Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post (http://blogs.nypost.com/sports/mets/archives/2009/07/minaya_mets_are.html).
"Right now we do not envision [being a seller]," Minaya said. "If we're 6 ½ [back] in the wild card with a couple of teams in front of us, we are still kind of trying to find out how we can improve this team, if we can improve it through trades."
Not clear if Minaya also believes Lloyd Christmas should be a buyer at the trade deadline because he was told he has a "one in a million chance."

[Hobbes]

Well, we can't really talk because the Braves are never sellers, even when it's readily apparent they are out of it.

[KB 34]

The Braves did sell last deadline with the exception of Ohman so there is evidence the Braves may have learned at least somewhat. Of course the past two deadlines before that were a different story.

[BraveFan]

I don't see any major moves but the Braves are defintely buyers over sellers now. I'd like to see a bullpen arm added and possibly a bat for the bench. I think Kelly could possibly be moved. No way Vazquez or Yunel are traded.

[sdp]

While I think they botched a potential trade of Ohman, the Braves made the right move in not signing him--he's not pitched very well this year and has been disabled a lot.

[Lauren T.]

KK might not like this (http://blogs.ajc.com/mark-bradley-blog/2009/07/23/live-from-the-ballpark-braves-put-bradley-mojo-to-test/#comment-36204) very much. Thoughts?

And you know who might become a set-up man? (This is me guessing, OK?) Kenshin Kawakami.

[Andy G.]

They just interviewed Matt Diaz on ESPN First Take. He's exactly what every major league baseball player should be. He talked about the name on the front of his jersey being more important than the name on the back and how he makes enough money not to worry about playing time. He's not just spouting our cliches either. He's genuinely a good dude. He's also pretty funny. I'm really glad he's having a good season.

[hoosjon]

I used to really dislike Diaz and would complain about him and blame everything bad on him, from the Braves outfield STARTING a rally for the other team with poor fielding to the Communist Empire of the 80s.

But this kid is ALL about hustle and team and positive attitude ... and he doesn't mind that he gets shuffled around all over the place or benched for no good reason. He's just happy to help the ballclub. Again, a cliche' that he happens to mean. He AND Prado have both converted me this year.

[Hillbilly]

I used to really dislike Diaz and would complain about him and blame everything bad on him, from the Braves outfield STARTING a rally for the other team with poor fielding to the Communist Empire of the 80s.

But this kid is ALL about hustle and team and positive attitude ... and he doesn't mind that he gets shuffled around all over the place or benched for no good reason. He's just happy to help the ballclub. Again, a cliche' that he happens to mean. He AND Prado have both converted me this year.

One of my favorite quotes of all time came from Diaz early this year. When asked about the acquisition of Garret Anderson and what he thought about losing playing time to him, Diaz said "I'm in the Major Leagues. What's better than that?"

Link to that article (http://blogs.ajc.com/furman-bisher-blog/2009/02/28/diaz-keeps-on-hitting-with-braves/)

[luvdembravos]

A check of the schedule shows that the Braves' final 19 games - yes, 19 games - are are against NL East teams.

13 home, 6 away
3 vs. Phils, 7 vs. nats

If we're in the wild card hunt, this should be a good thing. If we're out of the wild card hunt but trying to make up a bunch of games on the Phils, maybe not quite as good.

I think we have an excellent chance for the WC but not the division. A lot depends on how we handle the Marlins. We have 13 games left with them so hopefully we can take 9 or 10 from the Fish. Our main WC competitors seem to be Colorado and SF who also play each other 13 more times...I'm hoping they basically split their head-to-head games.

[CharlotteBrave]

I noticed that the BoSox put Kotsay on Waivers today, do you think anyone or we will pick him up?

Also; when is the signing deadline for Minor? I know we drafted him for signability reasons, and it's not in doubt we'll sign him, but when do we expect to see him inked?

[Lauren T.]

Buddy and Bennett are scheduled for a rehab inning each in Gwinnett (http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/main.asp?SectionID=7&SubSectionID=7&ArticleID=62462&TM=204.827) tomorrow night. Is everyone excited?! :D

[KB 34]

Carlyle and Bennett can still in Gwinnett as far as I'm concerned. It's time to move on and use tem as the minor league fillers they are.

[Middle Man]

Solid work tonight, it appears.

4 innings in Gwinnett (http://gwinnett.braves.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=g_box&gid=2009_07_27_lhvaaa_gwiaaa_1&did=t431&sid=t431)

Not so great for Jo Jo.

[BigWorm]

If we could only get the Filthydelphias to lose a freaking game, we'd have a fighting chance.

[Agent-X-]

If we could only get the Filthydelphias to lose a freaking game, we'd have a fighting chance.

I know the feeling, and I'm expecting them to come down in a big, big way real soon. Great will be their fall. :)

[Lauren T.]

Solid work tonight, it appears.

4 innings in Gwinnett (http://gwinnett.braves.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=g_box&gid=2009_07_27_lhvaaa_gwiaaa_1&did=t431&sid=t431)

Not so great for Jo Jo.
I watched three of Huddy's innings, and I think he looked great. Hopefully he doesn't rush his rehab and comes back when he feels 100%. :)

[Hobbes]

Just a little Infante update...

Wed, Aug 5

INF/OF Omar Infante (broken left hand) went a combined 2-for-6 in the first two games of his rehab assignment with Class A Rome (Ga.). Infante, who has been out since being hit by a pitch May 20, began taking live batting practice only last week, so he is not expected to join the Braves on the current road trip.

[Hobbes]

Some comments by Joe and Boog last night got me ruminating on the Braves chances the rest of the way.

The Braves have played 110 games, and are 56-54 (.509). If you assume that the wild card winner would need at least 88 wins, the Braves would have to go 32-20 (.615) the rest of the way. If they need 90 wins they'd have to go 34-18 (.654).

Obviously, the Braves have their work cut out for them, and they've shown scant ability to roll off such a run. Even in their "good" stretch since the All-Star break, they've gone 13-9 (.591). I'm thinking the odds are pretty long, and they'll need some stumbling from the other wild card contenders.

[JanShan12]

True, Hobbes. Chances are slim because it matters what the people ahead of us are doing... especially when one of them is the Marlins and the Cubs/Cardinals insist on staying within a game of each other.

[Andy G.]

I think the Braves will win 90 games. We've got 24 games against the Mets, Nationals, Padres and Reds. I don't believe we'll lose more than 7 of those games(meaning we won't drop a series and if we do we'll make up for it by sweeping another), and I'm hopeful we'll lose less than that. We've also got 10 games against the Marlins, and I don't think we'll lose another series to them. Of those 34 games, I think we'll win 24 or 25. That means we need to win 9 or 10 of the other 18 games to reach 90 wins. Seeing as how we've been very successful against the Phillies this year, I like our chances. The only thing lacking from this team at the moment is a little more consistency, and to a lesser extent a few breaks going our way.

[JanShan12]

I hope you're right, Gilley. A 90 win season would make me very happy, even if we didn't make the playoffs. But if we are going to start this run, it needs to start this weekend against the Dodgers. I would take even a series split as a positive, but I'm hoping we can pull off the next 2.

[Hobbes]

We've got 24 games against the Mets, Nationals, Padres and Reds. I don't believe we'll lose more than 7 of those games(meaning we won't drop a series and if we do we'll make up for it by sweeping another), and I'm hopeful we'll lose less than that.
I hope you are right, but the Braves have shown repeatedly that they tend to play down to their competition. We should beat up on such teams, but we rarely seem to do so.

[luvdembravos]

If it does take 90 games to win the wild card this year and the Braves get there, I will feel awfully good about our World Series chances since 90 wins will mean the Braves played great ball the last 50 games. Realistically, I think we dug too deep of a hole for ourselves but I do like the way we've been playing since dumping Francoeur and demoting KJ. Actually, I've been feeling better about the Braves during the past month than any other time the past 4years. Our overall pitching and hitting stats are good enough to be a playoff team...umm, maybe we need new management???

[Lauren T.]

From Ken Rosenthal (http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/9919850/Dodgers-almost-had-dream-'pen,-but-balked):

The Braves, according to a major-league source, offered the Pirates the same trade that they ultimately made with the Red Sox — Casey Kotchman for Adam LaRoche.

The Pirates could have controlled Kotchman for two more seasons, but preferred to acquire two prospects from the Red Sox — shortstop Argenis Diaz and pitcher Hunter Strickland.

Boy, the Pirates are stupid.

[Dreamscape]

Well...Kotchman would be blocking Steven Pierce and the recently picked up Jeff Clements, each could be a better offensive first baseman than Kotchman.

[Lauren T.]

But are the Pirates ever going to compete? 14 straight seasons with losing records -- at some point, you need to start building a winning team and not just waiting on "the future".

[Hobbes]

But are the Pirates ever going to compete? 14 straight seasons with losing records -- at some point, you need to start building a winning team and not just waiting on "the future".

Agreed. At some point you need to give a few good players a good paycheck. You can't go anywhere without having at least a few proven players on your team, some of whom will be relatively highly-paid.

The Pirates keep hoping the stars will align and enough young players will develop at the same time to put together a winning team, but that almost never works.

[Dreamscape]

But are the Pirates ever going to compete? 14 straight seasons with losing records -- at some point, you need to start building a winning team and not just waiting on "the future".
True, but adding a below-average bat isn't the kind of move that helps toward winning in the future.

People act like the Pirates have had the same incompetent management for 16 years (you shorted them two, soon to be three, years), but recently, we have seen a better approach to building toward the future. I think the McLouth trade was weak, but deals with Jason Bay, Freddy Sanchez, and Jack Wilson were all pretty good. The Littlefield/Huntingdon era is over for the Pirates and not a minute too soon.

We used to question if the Rays were ever going to compete. With the players they acquired in deals at AA or higher, Pedro Alvarez the best hitting prospect in the minors this side of Jason Heyward, and better scouting on the international market, I wouldn't be too surprised to see the Pirates start competing rather soon. They have some ways to go, no doubt, but I do think they are doing smarter things.

[Hillbilly]

The way I've got it calculated, Kawakami will be pitching the game that I am going to see on September 5th (cue the Price is Right loser music. :( ) That's assuming nobody gets injured or gets skipped with a pair of off-days on the schedule between now and then.

Hey, I don't dislike the guy and he might pitch a 2-hit shut out, but I'm not getting excited about making an 11 hour drive to see him on the mound. I'm praying for Hudson to return and shake up the rotation so maybe I can catch someone else besides Kenshin. That's still a long time away, and anything could happen. Anybody got any encouraging theories for me?

[Andy G.]

Nice to see the Braves take care of the Nats. They're looking really good. I like that there's an off day before the Phillies come to town because it allows our players to stay fresh, especially Kenshin who usually benefits from that extra days rest and also pitches well at home(1.13 WHIP at home compared to a 1.59 WHIP on the road).

We just need to keep beating up on the Phillies like we've done all year. The Braves have won 7 of 8, and the Phillies are 5-8 in their last 13. Our bullpen is doing well with Moylan gaining consistency and Medlen emerging as a really good reliever. He's never had trouble striking out major league hitters(48 K's in 46 IP), but these are his numbers since the All Star break:

IP H ER HR BB K WHIP
Kris Medlen 13.2 11 2 0 2 15 0.95

Go Braves!

[Andy G.]

This series against the Phillies is not heart breaking. We're 8-4 against the Mighty Phillies this year. We can beat them. We have beat them. It only makes sense that they would squeak out a couple close wins in this series. Were we in Philly, we'd have had four or five homeruns in the first game. This isn't about me playing the "if this and if that" card. This is about the Braves playing as well as anybody in the entire National League since the All Star break, and proving this weekend that they are every bit as good as the Phillies. Those are two evenly matched teams, and that's all there is to it. Coming into the series the Braves had the best record in the National League since the All Star break. I don't know what this series does to that stat, but it doesn't change how good of a team we have.

We have six games remaining against the Phillies, and with the way we've played them so far this year, it's reasonable to say we can make up four in the standings during head to head play.

It doesn't matter how we get into the playoffs though. We're three and a half games back in the wild card and in a great position to make a run over the next month and a half. We just need to keep playing the way we have since the break. Every year there's a team that surges at the end to earn their spot in the post season. Every team has their moment. The team that does well in the playoffs is usually the one that saves their best baseball for the second half. I'm not asking the Braves to bring a sinking ship up from the bottom of the ocean. I'm only asking them to continue what they're doing right now. We're going to the playoffs. It's gonna be fun.

[Lauren T.]

I'm watching the G-Braves game and they just announced McLouth is on the DL and Reid Gorecki has been called up to take his roster spot.

[wordslayer©]

This series against the Phillies is not heart breaking. We're 8-4 against the Mighty Phillies this year. We can beat them. We have beat them. It only makes sense that they would squeak out a couple close wins in this series. Were we in Philly, we'd have had four or five homeruns in the first game. This isn't about me playing the "if this and if that" card. This is about the Braves playing as well as anybody in the entire National League since the All Star break, and proving this weekend that they are every bit as good as the Phillies. Those are two evenly matched teams, and that's all there is to it. Coming into the series the Braves had the best record in the National League since the All Star break. I don't know what this series does to that stat, but it doesn't change how good of a team we have.

We have six games remaining against the Phillies, and with the way we've played them so far this year, it's reasonable to say we can make up four in the standings during head to head play.

It doesn't matter how we get into the playoffs though. We're three and a half games back in the wild card and in a great position to make a run over the next month and a half. We just need to keep playing the way we have since the break. Every year there's a team that surges at the end to earn their spot in the post season. Every team has their moment. The team that does well in the playoffs is usually the one that saves their best baseball for the second half. I'm not asking the Braves to bring a sinking ship up from the bottom of the ocean. I'm only asking them to continue what they're doing right now. We're going to the playoffs. It's gonna be fun.

I'm with ya. I am one of those who still think it is feasible for us to win the division. It won't be easy, and it will take some luck, but this team of ours is very good.

IF we get into the playoffs, I think we could really surprise.

I've said it before.....having power is nice, and it sure makes it easier to win, but you can still win if you have smart players who don't make a lot of outs. This team has been playing smart. Other than the exception of Norton, we have the right players in the lineup.

The Marlins are $hit. The cubs will collapse. The only teams in that I really like in the national league are the dodgers and the Giants.

I think the braves have to give up the wildcard thinking and just set their minds on attacking the phillies. The Phillies can be beaten. They are not that good, and they certainly aren't any better than we are AT THIS TIME....WITH THESE PLAYERS.

The braves, since they have a more improved offense now, are not going to be prone to five game slumps. They have the offense to sustain them when the pitching might be off a little, and the pitching has not waivered since the first day of the season.

I'm really starting to wish Heyward were up.

If the braves can whittle the lead that the phillies have down to three games by the first week of september, then the division will be theirs. Anyhting can happen with injuries and all, but I really think the Phillies will be hearing footsteps before long.

I think the braves are the most underrated team in baseball right now.

[Chris_Moderato]

I think the braves are the most underrated team in baseball right now.

We are certainly the least respected team that doesn't suck in baseball right now.

[BarveFanHawaii]

The only person who believes we can do some damage is Ken Rosenthal. Not a bad guy to have in your corner, I guess.

[Dreamscape]

Joe Sheehen of Baseball Prospectus says the Braves are a very dangerous team. Still says they will take the Wild Card.

[Hillbilly]

A bit of useless information: If the Braves win 5 of their next 13, it will guarantee consecutive winning months for the first time since July, August, and September of 2006 (Which coincided with the acquisition of Bob Wickman, and followed that disastrous 6-21 month of June that essentially buried the Braves for the year.)

[sdp]

On June 14, Braves manager Bobby Cox removed shortstop Yunel Escobar from a game due to a lack of focus. His attitude was infuriating not only Cox, but also opponents and teammates. But Escobar led the NL in OPS in July, and seemingly has turned an emotional corner.

Ask Chipper Jones.

"Escobar, I feel, is one more notch mentally from being the best shortstop in the National League," the Braves' third baseman says. "He's got the defensive game, the offensive game. Mentally, he's not quite there yet. But he's about to elevate himself into one of the top one or two shortstops in the league.

"That's when sometimes reading news clippings might help you. It will piss you off. He got hacked off at what people were saying about him. Maybe that's what it takes to get the message through. Nobody appreciates being bad-mouthed in the press. And he was getting it.

"Anytime Bobby Cox pulls you off the field in the middle of a game, it's bad. He wanted to make a point. He made that point. But I harp on the people of Atlanta: Do not give up on this kid. He's the best shortstop I've ever played with.

"He's young, hungry, a good player, a good kid. We just need to tone him down just a little bit, get him not to make mental mistakes."

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/9950706/Seriously,-who-would-do-any-better-than-Trembley

[Agent-X-]

I get very excited whenever I see Escobar coming to the plate. It's a feeling of confidence that he can punish any pitcher in the game. It's the feeling I usually get when Chipper Jones is coming up to bat.

And you know what? Yunel Escobar doesn't disappoint. He may not ever hit 30 homers in a season, but he is a dangerous hitter who is selective and dependable. I'd build an offense around him.

[BigWorm]

On June 14, Braves manager Bobby Cox removed shortstop Yunel Escobar from a game due to a lack of focus. His attitude was infuriating not only Cox, but also opponents and teammates. But Escobar led the NL in OPS in July, and seemingly has turned an emotional corner.

Ask Chipper Jones.

"Escobar, I feel, is one more notch mentally from being the best shortstop in the National League," the Braves' third baseman says. "He's got the defensive game, the offensive game. Mentally, he's not quite there yet. But he's about to elevate himself into one of the top one or two shortstops in the league.

"That's when sometimes reading news clippings might help you. It will piss you off. He got hacked off at what people were saying about him. Maybe that's what it takes to get the message through. Nobody appreciates being bad-mouthed in the press. And he was getting it.

"Anytime Bobby Cox pulls you off the field in the middle of a game, it's bad. He wanted to make a point. He made that point. But I harp on the people of Atlanta: Do not give up on this kid. He's the best shortstop I've ever played with.

"He's young, hungry, a good player, a good kid. We just need to tone him down just a little bit, get him not to make mental mistakes."

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/9950706/Seriously,-who-would-do-any-better-than-Trembley

Nice find SDP.
But whatever you do, don't keep reading the next paragraph on SDP's link. It will ruin your dinner.

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

Nice find SDP.
But whatever you do, don't keep reading the next paragraph on SDP's link. It will ruin your dinner.

The Feliz Factor

The combined line from right-hander Neftali Feliz's first five relief appearances with the Rangers is downright ridiculous:

IP: 8.2, H 2, ER 1, SO 16, BB 0

"He's throwing 100-101 mph and getting his breaking pitches over," the Angels' Gary Matthews Jr. says.

"Most guys throw everything hard, everything the same speed. He throws 100, his changeup is 90 and his slider is 83. It's unique."

Feliz, 21, will remain in the bullpen only if for some reason he cannot make the transition back to starting. The Rangers still view him as a member of their 2010 rotation.

One American League GM says of the Rangers, "It's hard to understand how their rotation is doing it, but their bullpen is legit — power arm after power arm.'





I just threw up a little in my mouth.

[Dreamscape]

But hey, at least Teixeria brought two World Series titles to Atlanta.

...right?

[KB 34]

Thank goodness JS has a big title and probably a fancy office instead of a phone with every GM on speed dial these days. I don't agree with all of Wren's moves but he made the best out of the Teix deal and sent the golden poster brat to the Mets and I have to give him credit for that as I didn't think he'd have the guts to make either move.

[Lauren T.]

On a lighter note, LaRoche's "Know Your Braves" interview (http://www.ajc.com/video?bcpid=1659825399&bclid=22594788001&bctid=34422920001) is up on the AJC website. Hilarious, if you can get past how sleepy he comes across. :D

[BigWorm]

This next week and a half could really benefit the Braves wild card chances if we take care of business against the Florida Marlins this weekend. After an off day Monday we'll host San Diego for three, then the Phillies for three.

After tonight's game we should only be one game back of the Marlins. If we can sweep them or take 2 out of three we should move ahead of them in the WC standings.

The Rockies have a tough upcoming schedule: 4 vs. SF , 3 vs. LA, 3 vs. SF

The Giants play the Rockies 7 times and the Diamondbacks 3 times.

There's an opening there for the Braves to close the gap. Let's hope they do. Get well Prado and McLouth, it's time for a run!

[Freddy_Ballgame]

I hope your high hopes are fulfilled, Big Worm, but the Braves can always manage to get smoked by the Marlins. They bother me as much as the Philberts!

[Lauren T.]

Body found on Chipper Jones' ranch | ajc.com - http://shar.es/RTCc

Eesh.

[luvdembravos]

That's a huge ranch (10,000 acres) ... there's probably more bodies in there if they look hard enough.

[luvdembravos]

This next week and a half could really benefit the Braves wild card chances if we take care of business against the Florida Marlins this weekend. After an off day Monday we'll host San Diego for three, then the Phillies for three.

After tonight's game we should only be one game back of the Marlins. If we can sweep them or take 2 out of three we should move ahead of them in the WC standings.

The Rockies have a tough upcoming schedule: 4 vs. SF , 3 vs. LA, 3 vs. SF

The Giants play the Rockies 7 times and the Diamondbacks 3 times.

There's an opening there for the Braves to close the gap. Let's hope they do. Get well Prado and McLouth, it's time for a run!


I think our wild card hopes basically depend on us dominating the Marlins the rest of the way and the Rockies and Giants splitting their remaining games.

[CanadaBravesFan]

Nice story about Frank Wren. (Sorry if it was already posted elsewhere).

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/215/story/815713.html

[Andy G.]

Thanks Canada. It's nice to see Wren being praised.

I won't make this a new thread, but I think there are some unsung heroes on the Braves, specifically in the pitching staff. Eric O'Flaherty, Kenshin Kawakami and Kris Medlen have been really good for our team this year.


IP H ER HR BB K ERA WHIP BAA
Eric O'Flaherty 42 36 15 1 14 29 3.21 1.19 .231
For someone who's mostly thought mostly as a LOOGY, he's faced a lot of against right handed hitters, and he hasn't done a bad job against them. They're hitting .257 against him, though he has issued 9 of his 14 walks to right handed hitters. The homerun he gave up was to a lefty.


IP H ER HR BB K ERA WHIP BAA
Kris Medlen 49.6 46 23 4 24 55 4.17 1.41 .249

as reliever
IP H ER HR BB K ERA WHIP BAA
31.1 29 10 2 13 36 2.87 1.35 .248

since all star break
IP H ER HR BB K ERA WHIP BAA
17.1 14 2 0 4 22 1.04 1.04 .215
These numbers don't include the two innings he threw today where he gave up no hits, one walk and got two strikeouts. I don't necessarily take this to say that he won't be successful as a starter or even that he's better as a reliever. What it does say is that after struggling initially, Medlen has been quite productive so far in his rookie season. He's taken on a more important role recently. He's not being called on ahead of Moylan, but his presence has made it easier for Bobby to manage the late innings of close games, particularly ones that are tied or games that we're losing by one or two runs. I think he's going to have a bright future in the major leagues, as a starter or reliever.


IP H ER HR BB K ERA WHIP BAA
Kenshin Kawakami 131.1 126 58 15 51 90 3.97 1.35 .254
Kawakami has allowed more than 3 runs in only 4 of his 23 starts. He didn't allow more than three runs one time between April 26th to July 3rd, a span of ten starts. The offense is supporting him with an average of just 3.52 runs a game. After winning the past three games he pitched, they Braves have won 11 of his 23 starts. Ideally, he would avoid going deep into counts and improve on his 5.7 IP per start. For a little more than 7 million dollars, he's doing a fine job.

[Wahoo]

Thanks for the post, Andy. I didn't realize how solid Konami had been, but those are some positive numbers.

[Freddy_Ballgame]

Thanks for those numbers, Andy. I think O'Flaherty has proven to be a great pick-up and he may be even better if Cox doesn't wear him out by using him so much! A while back I offered that Medlen looked like he could be huge if he got to work an inning or two at a time and build up his confidence. He has really taken to the relief role. I wonder if he has the make-up to be a closer? I've heard that Cox still "sees" him as a starter. As for Kenshin, he almost always gives a good performance but he drives me nuts, like Russ Ortiz used to. He gets the job done but I believe he loses his dominance after 40 - 50 pitches. He could be a big help in the pen when Huddy returns, if he'd be willing. Of course we can't really speculate on how effective Huddy will be. I'm leaning more toward shoving Lowe into the pen. I guess what we've seen from Lowe goes a long way in explaining why he never became a dominant, ace-type starter. He seems to hit spells where his pitches don't move and if a sinker isn't sinking, well, it's pretty much batting practice.
Look at Kenshin's numbers, if you know where to find such stats, and see how far he is before his effectiveness fades. I bet he is losing it before he gets through the lineup twice!

[Gman]

kawakami's performance this year has been one of the brightest positives so far. The guy has had to adapt to a new country, new league, a bigger ball, shorter rest between starts, and better overall hitters (just to name a few). That's a lot of stress adapting to all that change. Given how well he's done this year with all that going on, I'm thinking there's a good chance he'll be even better next year since he won't be dealing with all that "first time" stuff.

When you look at his US/Japan numbers the one that sticks out for me is that his walk rate this year is nearly double what it was in japan (48 bb over his last 285 innings in japan). Maybe it's adapting to the bigger ball, maybe a little too much respect for MLB hitters. Whatever the case, I think his Japan numbers indicate the potential for a lot of improvement in his walk rates. If he does we could be looking at a 1.20 whip guy which usually translates into a lot of wins. So far so good. He's proving a whole lot of people wrong.

[HaRdCoReBrAvEsFaN]

when KK's throwing strike's he's def a solid pitcher...I wish he'd cut down on the homers, but there not quite as bad when he's not walking guys...

[BigWorm]

He's drawn the opposing teams number 1 pitcher during most of his starts. I've been the biggest Kawasaki hater, but even I will admit I've been too harsh. His numbers are better than serviceable for a number four starter in the major leagues.

[Lauren T.]

I just got an email from "John Schuerholz" (read: some mailing list the Braves have me on) -- apparently, as "a valued member of the Braves Family," I can pre-order Braves playoff tickets before they go on sale to the general public on 9/11. (No, this isn't spam, I checked it out!) Basically, you have to go ahead and buy three tickets to the NLDS and NLCS, then if the Braves make it to the World Series, your card will be charged for World Series tickets.

"The cost per World Series Game for either Outfield Pavilion or Upper Box ticket is $190."

Anyway, if anyone's interested in pre-purchasing post-season tickets, I can send you the link. I don't anticipate being able to go to every game of the post-season if we make it.

"Bobby Cox, the players, and coaches are counting on you to fill the seats at Turner Field this postseason. Thank you again for all of your support in 2009."

[Hillbilly]

Lauren,

Reid Gorecki's at-bat music is the guitar solo from Another Brick in the Wall Part II by Pink Floyd. Completely out-of-the blue information, but I noticed it last night and thought you might want to add it to your Song List.

[Lauren T.]

Lauren,

Reid Gorecki's at-bat music is the guitar solo from Another Brick in the Wall Part II by Pink Floyd. Completely out-of-the blue information, but I noticed it last night and thought you might want to add it to your Song List.
Thanks a lot! :)

[JanShan12]

A week ago, I was really excited about the Braves coming to St. Louis. I have tickets for Friday's game and possibly going Saturday and Sunday too. I thought it would be an important series with the Braves fighting for the wild card. I haven't seen a competitive Braves team come to town in a couple years, so I was really excited. Now... ugh... I'm still excited about going to the game because I love baseball and I'm excited to see the players (you all know I love to get there early and get autographs), but am really upset what has happened the past few games.

[Hobbes]

Yeah, that's disappointing Jan. I went to the game last week and I had been concerned when I first bought the tickets that we would be out of the race by then. Luckily we weren't, but it appears you won't be as fortunate.

[-Dr. Brave-]

I just got an email from "John Schuerholz" (read: some mailing list the Braves have me on) -- apparently, as "a valued member of the Braves Family," I can pre-order Braves playoff tickets before they go on sale to the general public on 9/11. (No, this isn't spam, I checked it out!) Basically, you have to go ahead and buy three tickets to the NLDS and NLCS, then if the Braves make it to the World Series, your card will be charged for World Series tickets.

"The cost per World Series Game for either Outfield Pavilion or Upper Box ticket is $190."

Anyway, if anyone's interested in pre-purchasing post-season tickets, I can send you the link. I don't anticipate being able to go to every game of the post-season if we make it.


The Braves have just announced that these tickets are now on special: Buy one ticket and receive a second ticket at regular price.

[JanShan12]

Yeah, that's disappointing Jan. I went to the game last week and I had been concerned when I first bought the tickets that we would be out of the race by then. Luckily we weren't, but it appears you won't be as fortunate.

Oh well, I guess. I'm still very excited to see them and I'll be posting pics and hopefully I'll have some stories about getting autographs like in years past.

[Hillbilly]

We made our first trip to Turner Field this weekend to watch the Braves go through the motions and fold to the almighty Reds. I love the stadium, but the performance on the field was horrible.

My wife and daughter got to meet Mike Gonzalez before Sunday's game. He signed their hats, took a picture with them, and called my daughter "Lil Mama." I was at the concession stand and missed it all. :banghead: Guess they put the kiss of death on him, since he gave up the game-tying HR in the eighth later in the day.

I did get to take Lil Mama down to the dugout later and get Glen Hubbard to sign her hat, so that was cool.

The Kawakami-Micah Owings thing was horrible. It sounded really bad in person. We were 25 rows up, about even with the edge of the outfield grass behind 1st and could hear Owings moaning as the trainers were tending to him. Really scary situation.

I've got loads of pictures to sort through, and if they turned out decent, I'll try to post a few. Right now I've got a ton of work to catch up on, so it may be tomorrow before I get a chance to show them.

[BigWorm]

We made our first trip to Turner Field this weekend to watch the Braves go through the motions and fold to the almighty Reds. I love the stadium, but the performance on the field was horrible.

My wife and daughter got to meet Mike Gonzalez before Sunday's game. He signed their hats, took a picture with them, and called my daughter "Lil Mama." I was at the concession stand and missed it all. :banghead: Guess they put the kiss of death on him, since he gave up the game-tying HR in the eighth later in the day.

I did get to take Lil Mama down to the dugout later and get Glen Hubbard to sign her hat, so that was cool.

The Kawakami-Micah Owings thing was horrible. It sounded really bad in person. We were 25 rows up, about even with the edge of the outfield grass behind 1st and could hear Owings moaning as the trainers were tending to him. Really scary situation.

I've got loads of pictures to sort through, and if they turned out decent, I'll try to post a few. Right now I've got a ton of work to catch up on, so it may be tomorrow before I get a chance to show them.

Lil Mama- that's cool. I've met Gonzo a few times during Spring Training. He's always one of the most accessible Braves players during camp. He's a super nice guy, I just wish he didn't do that stupid rock a bye baby pitching motion.

[HaRdCoReBrAvEsFaN]

just looked at the standings for 2010 draft...since it looks like we're not going to make the playoffs we need the Cubs and Twins to get hot and allow us to have our 2010 1st round pick protected...

[JanShan12]

No game thread today, but the Braves had a defensive meltdown in the bottom of the 8th, Cardinals took the lead, Braves rallied in the top of the 9th to take the lead, and Soriano shut them down for the win in the bottom of the 9th. Another Braves win = another Cardinals loss. It's good to be a Braves fan in St. Louis right now. If only the playoffs were in our future. :)

[BigWorm]

Atlanta - Top of 9th SCORE
Ryan Franklin pitching for St. Louis ATL STL
S Schumaker in center field. 5 6
R Franklin relieved J Motte. 5 6
R Ludwick in right field. 5 6
N McLouth doubled to deep right. 5 6
M Prado singled to center, N McLouth to third. 5 6
C Jones walked, M Prado to second. 5 6
B McCann doubled to deep center, N McLouth and M Prado scored, C Jones to third. 7 6
O Infante ran for C Jones. 7 6
G Anderson struck out looking. 7 6
O Infante ran for C Jones. 7 6
R Gorecki ran for B McCann. 7 6
G Anderson struck out looking. 7 6
O Infante ran for C Jones. 7 6
R Gorecki ran for B McCann. 7 6
G Anderson struck out looking. 7 6
O Infante ran for C Jones. 7 6
R Gorecki ran for B McCann. 7 6
G Anderson struck out looking. 7 6
Y Escobar popped out to second. 7 6
A LaRoche intentionally walked. 7 6
M Diaz struck out swinging. 7 6
2 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors

Copy and Pasted from ESPN.COM
Didn't know GAnderson could strike out that many times in one inning. That must be some kind of record.

[Lauren T.]

Didn't know GAnderson could strike out that many times in one inning. That must be some kind of record.
:thumbsup:

[BigWorm]

We are in the middle of a fifteen game winning streak..... aren't we? And if so, it's not over .... is it?

[KB 34]

This team knows how to make things as painful as possible for those with hope remaining. Low expectations worked well for me this season. Hopefully I don't have to resort to that for next season but it sure beat the three seasons before that.

[BigWorm]

Just for shtis, giggles, argentina, and me.
Maybe Randy B.

If Colorado stays hot and wins 11 out of their remaining 18 games, they'll be 93-69.

To catch them we need to stay el fuego.
We need to win 18 out of our last 19 games.
Good news is....
7 vs. Washington
6 vs. NY Mets

So Big21mofoingWorm is putting our season at 2 losses. Two Losses and we can officially hang em up. I'm turning back on the games. We're in a playoff hunt baby. And don't anyone tell me otherwise until we lose those two games.

[KB 34]

Crazy things do occasionally happen like Jorge Sosa staying hot for an entire season as the entire baseball world waited for his implosion. Mike Hampton in himself was quite the event. Eh, if these are the terms I'll be slightly more hopeful or something. GO BRAVES. Chipper and McCann, now would be a nice time to get those bats going. Soriano, Gonzalez, and Moylan, I don't care what those inning counts say, your arms feel fine. Lowe, you still have an arm so learn how to use the thing correctly. It doesn't cost $15 million. GO BRAVES

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/05_04/AtlantaBraves_650x632.jpg



http://www.mlb-teams.com/pictures/braves/braves9.jpg



http://blogs.ajc.com/jeff-schultz-blog/files/2009/07/sports_braves_021708.jpg

Be like this guy. Freak everyone out and win the cheapest 20 games ever.
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/baseball-ortiz7.jpg

:hissyfit::hissyfit::hissyfit::hissyfit::hissyfit::hissyfit::hissyfit:

[Lauren T.]

From MLBtraderumors.com: Braves Have Interest In Tim Hudson Extension (http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/09/braves-have-interest-in-tim-hudson-extension.html)

Have I mentioned lately that I love Huddy?

[Chris_Moderato]

The Braves' podcast (http://www.atlantabaseballtalk.com/?p=197) I frequently listen to has an interview with Dale Murphy they just posted today. It's a fun listen because, you know...it's the Murph!

[Lauren T.]

I saw him on Saturday night. Same ol' Murph. What a great guy. :)

[Chris_Moderato]

It burns me that this kind of nonsense (http://www.talkingchop.com/2009/9/11/1025718/braves-starting-pitchers-who-to) gets picked up by MLBTR like it's worthwhile.

[Middle Man]

It burns me that this kind of nonsense (http://www.talkingchop.com/2009/9/11/1025718/braves-starting-pitchers-who-to) gets picked up by MLBTR like it's worthwhile.

..Know this, trading Javier Vazquez would be very difficult...


Oh what a bunch of crap. On its face, it's meaningless. Yes, trading him for Albert Pujols would be very difficult. No, trading him for Jeremy Reed would not be difficult. There are plenty of teams with semi-deep pockets that would love to add him to the rotation. Would he net as much as JJ or Tommy Hanson? Of course not - but there are reasons for that. And those are the same reasons that the Braves won't be trading JJ or Hanson.

[KB 34]

The Braves are going to get Braun for Jurrjens? I'll be back when I finish laughing.




Apparently gondee missed the little detail that Braun signed a longterm deal with the Brewers and even has a no trade clause.
Ryan Braun of
8 years/$45M (2008-15)

* 8 years/$45M (2008-15)
o signed extension with Milwaukee 5/15/08, replacing 1 year/$0.455M contract for 2008 renewed 3/2/08
o $2.3M signing bonus
o 08:$0.455M, 09:$0.745M, 10:$1M, 11:$4M, 12:$6M, 13:$8.5M, 14:$10M, 15:$12M
o may earn additional $6M if Braun qualifies as a Super 2 after 2009 season (increasing salaries to: 10:$3.5M, 11:$5.5M, 12:$7.5M, 13:$9M)
o award bonus: $50,000 for All Star selection
o no-trade clause 2008-11, limited no-trade clause 2012-13 (may block deals to 12 clubs), limited no-trade clause 2014-15 (may block deals to 6 clubs)
o perks: suite for home games
o Braun to donate $25,000 annually to club charity
* 1 year (2007)
o contract purchased by Milwaukee 5/25/07
* drafted 2005 (1-5)
* signed 6/05, $2.45M signing bonus
* agent: Nez Balelo, Paragon
* ML service: 1.129
http://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/2005/01/milwaukee-brewers.html
Yes, stupid media bias is going to make Vazquez difficult to move after he was worth a nice package of prospects and had a great year with the Braves. GM's are stupid enough to make decisions solely based on the NY Times sports page and ESPN, they really are.

I can't believe Braves fans aren't seeing the starting pitching situation for what it is, a wonderful situation where there are two many starters for 5 rotation spots. The solution is not to trade Jurrjens and see if the Braves can have a rotation of Hanson, Reyes, Carlyle, Davies, and Moylan or something in a few years. The rotation next season starts with Hanson and Jurrjens and after that I'm quite open to ideas.

[Freddy_Ballgame]

Keep all of this season's starters and make Lowe the closer......if he could slam the door he'd be doing more than he is now! Hey, he has done it before.....

[CanadaBravesFan]

Keep all of this season's starters and make Lowe the closer......if he could slam the door he'd be doing more than he is now! Hey, he has done it before.....

My thoughts exactly. Use the Soriano-Gonzo money for a hitter and resign Hudson and Vazquez. Then use KJ and perhaps Diaz to get a good set up man.

[Hobbes]

My thoughts exactly. Use the Soriano-Gonzo money for a hitter and resign Hudson and Vazquez. Then use KJ and perhaps Diaz to get a good set up man.
If you keep Hudson, Vazquez and Lowe there wouldn't be any Soriano-Gonzo money. Plus, sticking Lowe in the pen makes him one horribly-expensive closer.

[-Dr. Brave-]

If you keep Hudson, Vazquez and Lowe there wouldn't be any Soriano-Gonzo money. Plus, sticking Lowe in the pen makes him one horribly-expensive closer.

We could get more of our money's worth by using Lowe as our designated pinch-hitter on the 52 days he doesn't pitch.

[KB 34]

If Lowe had a good first half the Braves could potentially find a sucker willing to pickup a lot of his contract. I'd rather try to worm out of the deal rather than see if Lowe can succeed in a different role. With millions of free money to spend comes the possibility of getting better value and relievers aren't $15 million or even close to it.

[Freddy_Ballgame]

My suggestion about Lowe was made mainly because they're gonna be paying him anyway. I wouldn't suggest going out and looking to drop that on a closer. He'd possibly help us out there, unless by some stroke we could trade him. Then again as a 4 or 5 guy he's tolerable but that's still a load of $$$ to pay for a back of the rotation type, so what's the difference?

[Hobbes]

Lowe's recent history prior to this season is simply too good to believe that this year is his new baseline. Sure, he'll likely never be worth the salary we're paying him, but unless we can find a taker (unlikely) we'd be better off keeping him in the rotation and hoping for a return to form.

[Murphys#1Fan]

Lowe's recent history prior to this season is simply too good to believe that this year is his new baseline. Sure, he'll likely never be worth the salary we're paying him, but unless we can find a taker (unlikely) we'd be better off keeping him in the rotation and hoping for a return to form.


Agreed. We're going to lose Soriano and Gonzo during the offseason so I wouldn't mind moving DLowe to the bullpen as closer but given the salary he's making...that's not goint to happen.

[BigWorm]

Our biggest winning streak in over 3 years and the only banter on this thread is complaining about DLowe.??? ! Come on guys, where's the love? where's the excitement?
C'mon Randy, let's go argentina brave, come on gilley. Lead the way. I'm ready for the parade.

[Dreamscape]

Derek Lowe smells.

[barvos4evr]

I think Lowe will end up okay. Will he be overpaid? absolutely, but in this day and age there's always gonna be at least one overpaid player on each team and at least Lowe gives the team a chance to win every 5th day and isn't just horrible. I figure that if you divide his production and dollars between he, Jurrjens and Hanson over those 4 years It will turn out to still be a very productive and low cost rotation. I may be making lemonade here, but it's better than having Vernon Wells or Hampton's last contract! Not to mention that if you stick Lowe in the Bullpen you have killed any trade value he may have. If he pitches next years first half like he did this years, someone would take him and be willing to give up a bat with a similar pricetag. In the pen, we would prolly have to pick up half his salary to move him.

I think Vazquez is sooooooooo gone after this season, Hudson is pitching well and won't have much trade value if we pick up his option and when you figure that they cost the same and Vazquez will bring prospects/bullpen help and Hudson won't..... I think it's the smart business decision to make tho this rotation:

Jurrjens
Vazquez
Hudson
Hanson
Lowe

makes me just salivate with it's potential 110+ wins awesomeness .(team wins not individual pitching wins) That might be one of the best rotations in the best 25 years!

[Lauren T.]

go braves

[BigWorm]

woot woot

[KB 34]

If Hudson gets any indication he's going to be traded whose to say he won't decline his option and look elsewhere? I don't think he'd have to take a paycut to leave and that way he'd get to choose his place. The bottom line is Hudson isn't going to be traded, just like Chipper's never going to be.

GO BRAVES, but why the run now and not a month ago?

[warefreak]

If we could have started this run when the lowly Reds were in town we'd be probably tied or winning the wild card right now and Braves articles would be on CNN and not Rockies.

That Reds series seriously drove me nuts. We pitched well enough to win, but we had nobody who could hit anything.

[HaRdCoReBrAvEsFaN]

Huddy has 10-5 rights does he not? so it's not like he'd have to go anywhere...this is his 5th year here and I believe he's pitched 11 years in the bigs....

[barvos4evr]

which is exactly why the Braves will exercise his option and trade Vazquez. Then I wouldn't be surprised to see Huddy signed to a 3 year extension either.

[Freddy_Ballgame]

Huddy? Who knows? I'd love to see them trade Lowe to one of those cavernous parks where his non-sinkers may just be long fly outs. He's solid, but that price tag is gi-normous for a 4 or 5 guy. Besides, Kawakami has been a better pitcher....he should be in the mix with JJ, Hanson and which ever guy they decide on. Keep in mind, Cox loves Vasquez...it could come into play.

[BigWorm]

Well it looks like the Rockies have swept the Brewers, in effect ending our season. I just wanted to come on here and say that I'm not mad at the Braves, I think they showed great heart by staging this late season comeback. It's been another great season with all you guys from chopnation, and I can't wait for next year. Go Braves.

[Hobbes]

Well it looks like the Rockies have swept the Brewers, in effect ending our season. I just wanted to come on here and say that I'm not mad at the Braves, I think they showed great heart by staging this late season comeback. It's been another great season with all you guys from chopnation, and I can't wait for next year. Go Braves.

Yes, the Braves finished up much better than any fan has a right to expect. We should be thankful that they made the close of the season interesting.

[sdp]

Indeed. You've gotta show up for all 162 games of the season. You can't expect a 13-game winning streak to end the season and make up for mistakes along the way.

The future is brighter than it has been in several years. Go Braves!

[Wahoo]

Helluva run by our boys, but I am little anxious about next season. Where's our pen going to be? Are we going to have another bat? Will Chipper rebound? Can we trade Derek Lowe? Lotsa questions about next season, but I certainly don't feel we are as far away as I thought we were at the beginning of this season.

[The Rap]

Lowe isn't going anywhere and will be in the rotation next year simply because of his contract and his 15 wins. I think the Braves will re-sign Soriano and let Gonzales walk and then maybe make a big push for Billy Wagner. Vasquez would be a huge mistrake to trade because he is solid and Bobby has always wanted him and he had his best year so now trade him? Doesn't make sense. I think next years rotations will be Lowe, Hudson Vasquez, Jurrjens and Hansen with Wagner, Soriano and Moylan the keys to a solid bullpen. Odd man out is Kawakami who I think can be put in a deal with Ryan Church for an outfielder and we should go after BJ Upton or Alex Rios or Hunter Pence in a deal with salary considerations worked out because there is no way we want to pay Rios' contract.

[luvdembravos]

Garret Anderson just got his 2,500th major league hit. Congratulations! Now you can retire.

[HaRdCoReBrAvEsFaN]

While Wagner might be a decent pickup... I don't know about giving up our 1st or 2nd round pick to do so...He's suppose to be a Type A Free Agent...

[HaRdCoReBrAvEsFaN]

Hanson's combined #'s AAA/MLB:

32 GS
14-7
194 IP
145 H
206 K
63 BB
2.41 ERA

pretty damn impressive

[Lauren T.]

September NL pitcher of the month: Jair Jurrjens (http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091006&content_id=7366696&vkey=news_atl&fext=.jsp&c_id=atl)!

[The Rap]

I just added a blog called "How to Trade Derek Lowe" and would love to hear what y'all have to say.

[Hobbes]

I just added a blog called "How to Trade Derek Lowe" and would love to hear what y'all have to say.

Linky: Rap's Blog Post (http://www.chopnation.com/boards/blog.php?b=29)

[HaRdCoReBrAvEsFaN]

that's the type of deal it would probally take to remove Lowe, but I wouldn't trade Schafer or Lowe straight up for Rios...The guy had a .691 OPS overall in 09 and it was .530 in 150+ PA's with the ChiSox...He was under .800 in 08, and has hit 32 Homer's in his last 1200+ AB's....not exactly the guy power hitter we need to go with Nate and JHey...And on top of that you add an extra year and almost 18.2 mill more to the payroll...

[BarveFanHawaii]

My initial reaction to a Lowe/Schafer for Rios deal is that the White Sox are the last team that needs veteran starting pitching. They're also in a tight spot financially, I've heard and they'd probably rather dump Rios' salary than swap it out for something they don't need.

Off the top of my head their rotation is full; Jake Peavy, Mark Buehrle, John Danks, Gavin Floyd and a $1M option on Freddy Garcia that may be worth their while.

EDIT

In regards to who could take Lowe and probably would welcome his production at the price, reference this post I made last night.

http://www.chopnation.com/boards/showpost.php?p=10396&postcount=20

[Freddy_Ballgame]

You guys may be right....right now. By the time Spring training rolls around the lack of quality starters out there may make the trade of Lowe more tenable. Think of it this way, in a bit of a bind, the Braves overpaid for the guy. There will be others willing to go a step or two beyond reason attempting to solidify their staff.
You just never can tell.....

[Hobbes]

While the market for Lowe might improve as we approach Spring Training, the Braves can't really afford to wait that long to make moves to shore up the offense. Unless they get early interest in Lowe, I think it's likely they'll have to work on deals involving somebody else.

[Dreamscape]

While the market for Lowe might improve as we approach Spring Training, the Braves can't really afford to wait that long to make moves to shore up the offense. Unless they get early interest in Lowe, I think it's likely they'll have to work on deals involving somebody else.
This is truth. The Braves have to settle on their pitching rotation within weeks, maybe days, of the end of the World Series. Hudson's option comes immediately after the Series and there is nothing the Braves can do about the team until they decide which of their six pitchers is out.

[Braves N 10]

I personally would rather have Derek Lowe than KK. What is wrong with Derek anyway? He was a solid pitcher for us, and would have had more wins if the pen wouldnt have blown leads, or the defense would have backup him up in others.

[KB 34]

Lowe was a solid #4 starting pitcher last season who makes $15 million. Going into next season Vazquez, Jurrjens, and Hanson are better than him without question, so is Hudson. In the meantime the Braves best reliever is Moylan and a case could be made for the best power hitter being the leadoff man McLouth. $15 million would go a long ways fixing the bullpen and offense, maybe even solve it.

[JanShan12]

The Braves pumpkin I carved tonight from the stencil on the Braves official website. Obviously it didn't turn out too well, but it will do.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y82/JanShan12/Pumpkins003.jpg

[BarveFanHawaii]

That pumpkin is awesome! :D

[jlcct]

That's pretty cool.

[Andy G.]

Forbes did an interview with Chipper.

Off The Field With Chipper Jones (http://www.forbes.com/2009/10/26/chipper-jones-braves-lifestyle-sports-baseball-chipper-jones.html)

Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones is a bit of a throwback baseball player. He's played his entire 16-year career in Atlanta and will most likely retire as a Brave. He's one of the best switch-hitters ever to play the game, and the only one to boast a batting average over .300 (he's at .307) while slugging 400+ home runs (he's hit 426). The 37-year-old, winner of the National League MVP Award in 1999 and a six-time All-Star, is a surefire, first-ballot Hall of Famer, according to Sports Illustrated.

Jones says his off-seasons--which include fun as well as conditioning work--are a big reason for his continued baseball excellence. He spends a good portion of his time at Double Dime, his 9,000-acre ranch in south Texas, hunting deer, turkey and quail.

We caught up with Jones while he waited to board a flight from Texas to his home in Atlanta. He talked about how he spends his off-season, the state of the Braves and the upcoming World Series.

Forbes: How do you spend your off-season?

Chipper Jones: The first part of my off-season is really all about spending time with my boys and just being dad. I also spend a lot of time hunting on my ranches in Texas and Kansas. Those two things are really my therapy. As the off-season gets about two months old, I start to work out and begin swinging the bat a little to stay loose and get back into the game. I play some golf, as well, as a lot of the guys have charity events during the off-season.

You say you find hunting therapeutic. How so?

I love the solitude of being in a tree with a bow and arrow. It's my time to relax, get away from the game and everyday life and go head-to-head with a huge buck in the woods. It's something I really enjoy and grew up doing. I think that's true with a lot of the guys who play baseball.

Your ranch is very close to the Mexican border. Earlier this year the body of an illegal immigrant was found on the property.

Yeah, it was disturbing. I was shocked. We always knew our ranch was one of the paths that illegal immigrants would use from Mexico, but to have someone at the ranch find someone dead on the property [evidently from dehydration] was really unfortunate. It was sad, honestly.

Do you keep in touch with teammates over the off-season?

I do. I see a lot of the guys at the different charity golf events, and I play golf and hunt with a few of them too. Rochey [Adam LaRoche] and I own the ranch in Kansas together, so I see him more than I might even like!

How do you stay in playing shape over the off-season?

I hit the weights pretty hard after those first couple of months off. I really try to add mass and strength, because I feel as if I lose weight during the season. It's important for me to put on some extra muscle, while at the same time stay loose in my hips and shoulders. So, I also swing the bat and stretch quite a bit as well.

Near the end of the season, you mentioned that you were considering retirement after next season. Now that that the season is over, do you still feel the same?

I was really frustrated with how the middle part of the season went for me. I have such high standards for myself and I will never settle for being a mediocre player. I will work extremely hard to make sure that doesn't happen again this year.

The Braves were in the wild-card hunt this year. Give us your scouting report on next year's team.

We have a chance to be very competitive this year. We are probably one bat short right now, and I would like to see us get a right-handed presence in the middle of the lineup. Even if we cannot, I know we have the foundation in the lineup and a heck of a pitching staff, to make a run at this thing next year.

Give us your World Series prediction.

The Yankees are so deep and so offensively sound. It is hard to bet against them. But--and I say that loudly--the Phillies are so resilient and so talented offensively as well. I really believe they can win if their pitching staff keeps them in games early and late. I believe that will be the key to the World Series. Regardless, we should have some real fireworks.

The part that I put in blue is, to me, very encouraging. I hope he comes out next year with an attitude like he's got something to prove.

[HaRdCoReBrAvEsFaN]

I could see Chipper having his final big year next season with the motivation of sending Bobby out on the highest note possible...