Comments on: Is it over?

By: Mr. Swings@Everything

Mr. Swings@Everything — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:37:59 +0000

write in vote: Acosta can close if you don’t mind him blowing a few.

By: Mr. Swings@Everything

Mr. Swings@Everything — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:36:34 +0000

Blanco’s a high OBP guy. I’m fine with leaving him in. Not batting for the Atlanta Out Machine is criminally negligent. But of course, we’re just running the team to try to develop Francouer.

By: Stu

Stu — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:33:55 +0000

He probably should have hit for Blanco, but knowing Bobby he was thinking that Blanco is a leadoff type, we need baserunners, yadda yadda yadda. It’s flawed thinking, but that was probably the thought process.

Oh, I know exactly what he was thinking, and you’re right. It’s just really frustratingly stupid.

As for Francoeur, it’s easy for us to say Chipper should have batted for him, and we’re right in saying it, but I’m not sure there is a manager in baseball that makes that move.

LaRussa would. Francona probably would.

By: Hiawatha Terrell Wade

Hiawatha Terrell Wade — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:29:26 +0000

As for Francoeur, it’s easy for us to say Chipper should have batted for him, and we’re right in saying it, but I’m not sure there is a manager in baseball that makes that move.

By: Marc Schneider

Marc Schneider — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:28:46 +0000

It is often hard to fathom Bobby’s thinking. Of course, I can predict what his comment will be, “Acosta had good stuff; he just left a couple of pitches up. Otherwise, he pitched great.” Or alternatively, “Those home runs really weren’t hit that well. The wind blew them.” Or “It was just a bad break that they happened to swing where Acosta was throwing the ball.”

I’m becoming pretty fatalistic about this team. The fact is, this has been basically a .500 team for the last 380+ games. You can talk about all the bad breaks or bad managing or whatever, but it is what it is. Good teams win and bad teams don’t. It’s been three years since the Braves put together any kind of sustained run. The players talk about how much talent they have and so forth, but it’s basically bullshit. They just aren’t that good.

By: Mac Thomason

Mac Thomason — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:27:07 +0000

And Bobby did fine. I don’t think you can bring in Carlyle in that situation and you aren’t going to use Ring to pitch to a righthander with the go-ahead run on second. This is all on Acosta’s brain.

By: Mac Thomason

Mac Thomason — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:25:34 +0000

Recap up.

By: Stu

Stu — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:22:54 +0000

Joshua, I’ll tell you exactly what I was trying to say. Bobby was terrible in three respects in the 9th inning alone:

(1) Leaving Acosta in to face Ramirez;
(2) Not hitting Chipper for Blanco;
(3) Not hitting Chipper for Francoeur.

It’s not even arguable, is it?

By: Tony

Tony — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:22:13 +0000

I’m sorry Joshua…but if Mike Rabelo homers off of your pitcher…you are going to allow that same pitcher to face the other team’s best hitter. That’s dumb.

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:20:05 +0000

“Sometimes your guys have to do their jobs.”

Right. It was patently obvious that Manny didn’t have it today. He surrendered a 2 run lead and then allowed a double. You don’t then let him pitch to one of the best hitters in the NL. Cox blew it, as usual.