Crazy Man with Crazy Thoughts...or just smart?

[Dreamscape]

I can't believe no one posted this, but, here it goes. Furman Bisher, who I tend to think is bordering on either completely useless or slightly insane, posted that now is the time for the Braves to put Chipper Jones on the market.

By bartering Chipper, what the Braves might be able to do is re-stock its own roster with fresh talent. True, Chipper is 37 years old, but so is Raul Ibanez, the fresh personality who has brought so much to the Phillies’ lineup. And Chipper is a young 37, keeps himself young hunting and ranching on his acreage in Texas. He was the leading hitter in the National League last season, so the years haven’t been weighing heavily on him.

A few things...Bisher has no idea of what 10/5 means and he's been writing about baseball for how long. You don't know whether or not Chipper Jones has a no-trade clause? Really?

And beyond that...

Wait, you really don't know? And you didn't even look it up before posting? I know it's a blog, but it's a blog at the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, which isn't the New York Times by any means, but is still a paper with, like, facts and stuff?

And beyond that...maybe it's a good thought. I wasn't so sure about his contract extension in the first place with his penchant for getting hurt and the Braves' love in recent years for redefining mediocre.

Of course, you also have to deal with the fact that your offense, already the weak link, will become even more horrible and you have a lot of money invested in a starting rotation that can't win with the offense we have anyway. You can't start over from scratch with this team. It's fun to do so in your head. Just remake the entire franchise, but you already have commitments that chances are, you can't get out of. Maybe Chipper would accept a deal for another chance at a ring, maybe he never wants to play for another team. But really, the only way this thought makes any sense is with a real fire sale that includes trading your two bullpen hogs, Lowe, Vazquez, Kawakami, and well, anyone planning any birthday over the age of 29.

And while that again sounds fun in my head...it ain't happening. Not with the Braves of Old still firmly entrenched as Team President, Manager, and most of the coaching staff. Sure, they can say bye bye to the pitchers who are nearing social security age and Chipper's not youthful by any means, but he remains one of the top ten players in the NL.

Of course, when he's in the lineup.

Bisher also said less than a month ago that the Braves should be more patient with Francoeur.

He's like the old grandpa who keeps talking about how Grant has us surrounded.

[wordslayer©]

Don't ever see these types of mistakes on my blog.

Anyhow, I wish we could trade Chipper. He will be heading for a fall sooner rather than later. He will hit up until his last breath, but his body will never sustain his ability to play, and why the braves can't seem to recognize this.......I don't know.

One of the hardest things for me to think through with this team is this.....

What exactly is our long term strategy here? When we first signed the players we did this year, it appeared that we were making a run for it now, but if we become sellers, then what the he11 do we do?

Philosophically, the biggest mistakes that GM's make is trying to patch a weak link in the lineup this year, because this only leads to having to fix the same dam*ed weak link again next year. it's like teams don't really seem to have a real long term strategy.

I would love to get into Wren's head and just try to see what in the world he sees as this team as in the next 2-5 years.

[BraveFan]

Frank Wren better bring about 10 World Series rings or he will be known as the guy that ran off three hall of famers. I think it would be idiotic and a huge step backwards. Chipper is still the Braves best player and you don't trade your best player who is under contract for a long time. It would be a horrible move and actually lose money for the team b/c it will kill any attendance the Braves have left.

[KB 34]

I'm not sure Chipper is worth the money the Braves gave him last offseason after things went down the drain with Smoltz. That said both Chipper and the Braves made a deal happened and both sides clearly liked the terms. We heard this kind of stuff in the offseason when Chipper was a potential expiring deal. We've heard it a million times in the past as well. Chipper can veto a deal, he will. The Braves need a healthy Chipper to win and won't trade him. The Braves desperately need anything that resembles a power hitter and Chipper does. I don't see a trade happening but I don't see comemtary like this ending any time soon either.

[Andy G.]

I really don't care if he can't stay healthy. He'll hit until he retires, and I don't want to see him in another uniform. I still get pissed off when John Smoltz is even mentioned around me. I would have a difficult time watching if he were to pitch against the Braves(thank God he's not). I couldn't handle Chipper leaving. I just couldn't.

BTW, nobody has talked about Chipper blowing up at the umpire today. I've NEVER seen him like that, but he was absolutely right. Bobby came out to defend his pitcher, and the umpire wouldn't allow him to do that. He just kept arguing with O'Flaherty. Then when he threw Bobby out of the game without even looking at him for more than half a second, there was no way Chipper wasn't going to blow up at him. He missed an obvious call, and that call lead to a run that never should have scored. Then he didn't even have the balls to acknowledge that and let a manager say his peace, even though the manager only came out to keep his pitcher from being thrown out. More often than not, the umpire will let Bobby yell in that situation until he has nothing left to say then move on without any ejections.

The umpires have been absolutely terrible this year. It's been so bad that I'd like to see some of them getting suspended or fired to send a message to the rest of them. There's too much at stake for that crap.

[Gman]

I really think Furman Bisher is a secret pen name of Andy Rooney.

[argentina brave]

Originally Posted by BraveFanHawaii

Yeah, I saw it and briefly sifted through it before I realized the same thing as you did. He left out the 10-5 rights stuff and despite the frustration he's feeling, I can't imagine him waiving his right to veto a deal so soon after signing an extension. That said, I dismissed this tidbit as just non-sense from someone I've never heard of who doesn't matter. When Rosenthal and Gammons start talking about how the Braves should trade Chipper, then we'll start discussing it as well.

As for trading Jones, I also agree with your assessment, Tommy. This team is clearly built for 2010 and if you trade Jones now, you're giving up the chance to turn a special rotation into a world series championship in the next couple of years as we'll have more of a problem scoring for our staff if Chipper is no longer in our lineup...even if it's only for 140 games a season.

never heard of furman bisher?! he's an atlanta sports institution (despite his recent long in the tooth ramblings of recent years)

i agree with you both that his article borders on fantasy, or at the least, unrealistic revamping.

[Lauren T.]

At a family reunion on Saturday, I spent a good 20 minutes talking about the Braves with my great-grandfather's brother, who's in his 80s. He rarely misses a game, thinks Boog is funny, and thinks Francoeur "isn't right, upstairs". Maybe he should start writing for the AJC -- if they're gonna let an old guy write, he should at least be in touch with the way the team is run right now.