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Brandon Jones came out of Triple-A Richmond’s game on Wednesday after just one at-bat.
There was no report of any injury, so it appears as though Jones could be on his way to the majors. The Braves are already short one outfielder with Matt Diaz down, and they could put Mark Kotsay on the DL next.
Anybody else played with the “see their unif0rms” thing at baseball-reference.com? anybody else notice that the “model” used from 95-00 looks a lot more ‘roid-y than the one they used before or after? I wonder if this is a subtle jab at the situation.
In response to the Johnson and Francoeur thing from the last thread, I was just taking a quick glance through DOB’s blog and came across this post from somebody:
The issue was whether KJ would have as many RBIs as Francoeur if they hit in the same lineup slot. The clear answer is no because KJ would have the same number of opportunities if he hit in the same lineup slot. KJ would waste more of those plate appearances with walks than Francoeur. The more plate appearances wasted by walks, the less chances to pick up an RBI.
This does not mean KJ would be worse than Francouer. RBI is not everything but KJ would definitely not be a 100 RBI guy in the same lineup slot as Frenchy because too many plate appearances would be wasted with walks.
Francoeur wastes very few plate appearances with walks. Hence, why he can be an RBI machine – that and the fact he executes about as well as anyone in the game with RISP.
From the official site: If Kotsay’s back doesn’t improve and he’s forced to the disabled list, the Braves would likely promote either Josh Anderson or Brandon Jones from Triple-A Richmond.
After showing some promise earlier this month, Jones has hit .222 over his past 10 games and is batting just .260 this season.
Anderson, who is a skilled defensive center fielder, is hitting .282 this year and has batted .325 over his past 10 games. The speedy outfielder has also been successful with 13 of his 16 stolen base attempts.
So we may see Jones, but that sounds like the brass is more likely to go with the hot guy and give Anderson a shot.
please no Brandon Jones, make it Anderson who has played in the bigs.
Let Jones develop, please, unless it is a quick callup.
Missed the game, was JoJo on last night or was itr a feeble Brewers lineup?
Was at the game last night, going back today. My anger at the game, which was only incited by a couple of girls who decided it wise to taunt me as I waited for my friends in the bathroom, was further exacerbated by massive construction delays going west from Milwaukee. There’s nothing quite like turning an hour drive into a two and a half hour drive. At least it’ll be nice out today.
Only Chipper and Gregor Blanco put good wood on the ball at all last night, and in both cases it was usually at people. Hopefully today will be different… but it’s gotta be frustrating for the pitchers to allow only 4 runs in two games and come away with losses in each.
As for Smurph, the problem with all of these suggestions that he be benched or traded or demoted or whatever, is that we don’t actually have anyone who’s any better to take his spot right now.
“…we don’t actually have anyone who’s any better to take his spot right now.”
In fact, we don’t really have anyone at all to take his spot right now. Watching Omar Infante play LF is not exactly the best thing for my faith in the Braves’ playoff hopes.
I vote for Brandon Jones too. I may even vote for both Jones and Anderson to come up, but if it’s one of them, let it be Jones.
Is this really the case? Would Anderson really be any worse in right field? He could probably post at least a .330 OBP, which is no good but about thirty points higher than Francoeur. You can talk about power, but where the heck is Francoeur’s power?
speaking of power, calling Tex….why does it seem that we always get these great players on their contract years and they suck it up? If this guy is wanting $18-20 mil per for 7-8 years, good riddance to him
Ron, that is exactly the lineup I suggested to Rob Cope on AIM earlier this morning. Given everyone else’s struggles with the leadoff spot, I think Blanco should be there until he proves he can’t handle it.
Cox is all about consistency. He likes giving players roles in which he expects them to excel and leave them there even if they struggle. This is typically a good idea, or at the least a better one than jerking players around constantly after very few ABs and whatnot like the Mariners like to do.
I have no problem leaving Tex in the 40hole, but at this point, I think he really needs to consider moving Frenchy down.
Also, if Escobar is able to handle leadoff, I see no reason to give Blanco an extra hundred ABs over the course of a season at the expense of KJ and Escobar.
In the last 30 days this “power hitting” Braves lineup has hit 19 HR, 14th in the league, and has a slg % .403, 13th in the league. That will not get the job done!!
My bad on the weather: the high temp has been downgraded by almost 10 degrees from yesterday’s forecast and now storms are moving into southern Wisconsin. Hopefully the serious stuff will hold off until after 4 pm. For anyone who lives outside the upper Midwest: no, it’s not really summer here yet.
I second Mac in giving someone – anyone – else a shot in RF. I can’t stand watching Francoeur anymore. What can it hurt? He’s a .250 hitter with little power and no plate discipline right now.
Not to pile on, but doesn’t it seem like the worst of 2006 Jeff Francoeur (low OBP) and 2007 Jeff Francoeur (less homerun power) have somehow combined to make the terrible (so far) 2008 nightmare Francoeur?
I like that line-up. If Bobby moved KJ down in the order so he could be more aggressive, why then would you keep him in the two spot?
Bobby really uses kid gloves with young players. I was looking at the kid Bruce in Cincy called up on Tuesday and Dusty had himbatting # 2 in the batting order. Blanco hitting over .300 batting 7th or 8th.
Is it me, or has Frenchy started being more of a free swinger lately? I can’t get splits on pitches/PA by game. But from watching, it seems that he started off the season being more patient, but when that didn’t work he returned to being Mr. Swings at everything.
Duh, actually I do have that data because I subscribe to B-R.com’s Player Index.
2008
Average pitches/PA for Frenchy
April: 3.61
May: 3.3
He’s taking 8.5% fewer pitcher per PA in May compared to April. That may not seem like much but it’s the difference between an nearly the league average over his career (3.79) and his 2006 (3.32).
Ron, I agree with your proposed lineup completely. KJ seems to do better when he’s lower in the lineup, and Escobar has struggled leading off. Blanco takes a good amount of pitches, is a distraction for pitchers when he’s on base, and he’s fast. I think he deserves a shot.
Ha, that’s what I was thinking as I was reading Ron’s lineup. “Hey, that’s Stu’s lineup!”
I like it too, except when Blanco comes back down to earth, he may be so entrenched in the lead-off spot that Bobby dare not take him out until it’s 2 months too late. Kinda like Willie Harris last year…
He’s been out of action for a good 6 or 7 days or so, right? They said he was able to take some fly balls during BP yesterday, and the Bowman article says that he may start hitting in a couple days. If he’s still at least 3-4 days away, why don’t we just DL him retroactive to his last game he played, and we’d have another bench guy for the next 5 or 6 games until he’s back to full strength?
My thoughts on the line up. I think Escobar is a perfect 2 hole hitter since he has high average but doesn’t walk a ton, puts the ball in play a lot but with out seeming to ground into double plays so he would do a great job advancing the runners. His power’s limited so he’s not going to drive in a lot.
Kelly I think is over rated on here some but is good for now while he’s still cheap. He seems to perform a lot better lower in the lineup and has enough power that I think he could be a moderate run producer.
Frenchy’s downside to me is the expectations. He plays good defense and has some limited power albeit that’s getting less and less and is cheap for now. And he’s got some potential to return to 2005 but even if so I think his ceiling these days is a good six hitter. He was expected to become a 3-5 and that’s what makes him look so bad. Especially when you combine him with Diaz since they are so similar. Diaz used to have a little better average while Jeff used to have a little better power. Neither are doing much this year. I think the lineup can handle one starting most of the time but not both. Jeff’s younger has more potential so Diaz is out. I think he’d thrive if he became more of a lefty pinch hitter spot starter anyway.
The biggest thing I think this team needs is a legit left fielder that can hit well enough to score some runs from the 5-6 hole.
Blanco is not the long term answer but for now he’s playing well enough and if he gets on base he can create runs on his own that he out to be hitting first. Not to pull a Bobby and go line up by position but I think Kotsay when healthy could hit lead off as well.
Chipper obviously is on absolute fire and if Tex ever really gets going there is no telling what he could do. For now he’ll just keep getting walked.
So:
Blanco, Greg (or Greg White as Skip calls him)
Escobar, Yunel
Jones, Chipper
Teixeira, Mark
McCann, Brian or shiny new left fielder
Johnson, Kelly
Francouer, Jeff
random left fielder if we don’t make a trade.
Wonder if Juan Rivera available. There were rumors of the Braves interest in him back in March, and he’s not getting any PT as the Halos fourth OF. Career OPS of .803 – he’d be a big upgrade.
I think Kelly’s good just not the second best hitter on the team that some make him out to be. But then if he really is the second best hitter that explains a lot of why this offense is so streaky and why this team isn’t going anywhere.
I don’t think anyone thinks KJ is the second-best hitter on the team. Right now, it would be:
Chipper
McCann
Johnson
But if Teixeira starts hitting like he should, he’d be the second-best. KJ is a hugely valuable commodity, a second baseman who outhits many outfielders, plays the position acceptably, and is cheap.
You find the offense somehow. You can’t go around putting a quarter of your payroll over a seven-year period into one player. If Teixeira would sign for $15 million a year, or for three years, I’d consider it, but that’s a potentially crippling contract. See: New York Mets First Basemen.
As good as KJ has been, he’s still behind Uggla, Utley, Hudson, Phillips, and DeRosa in OPS among NL second basemen. And when you look at Win Shares, he’s also behind Matsui.
I would agree with what Mac said completely. Kelly’s a great value player because of production of set by price.
What worries me the most about Teixeira is not necessary this season’s statistics but what looks like his trend. I’d like him for a few more years but not a long term contract like he’s going to demand. His swing seems to me (who is quite uneducated in such) to be a very uppercut type swing to get his power which means the balls going to go very high so he really has to muscle it out. If he’s 28 now he’s power is going to start to decline in a couple years and it will make it a lot harder to hit them out of the park that way.
The Matsui thing is a playing time issue, probably. NL second basemen, by RC/27. It’s basically Rolen and Uggla and everyone else. I’ll add that the other second basemen grouped with Kelly (DeRosa, Hudson, Phillips, and Matsui) all have huge park advantages — those are four of the six best hitters’ parks in the NL (with Colorado and Philadelphia, not that Utley needs the help).
I probably should have put another option in the poll. “He should be forced to stand in while the pitchers throw at him in an attempt to work out their frustrations.”
What would it take to get Matt Murton from the Cubs and would we want him? He’s batting .354 for the Iowa Cubs and they don’t seem to want him anymore. Doesn’t appear to have the power he did early in ’06 so might not be what we’re looking for.
Our Outfield is Amazing- Norton, Blanco and Frenchy this can’t get any better. Well i really haven’t seen Norton in the outfield this year so to be fair to him can anyone tell me how he looks out there??
Well, angels descended from the heavens and ordered McClung to throw four straight balls to Francoeur, while other angels held Francoeur down so he couldn’t swing.
Hehe! Pete’s great. Chip was just going on about how many DPs the Braves hit into and Pete’s like, “Well, teams that hit into a lot of DPs usually do it because they have a lot of base runners.”
you know, when 3 batters in your line-up are sporting averages of .125; .083; and .000, runs just might be a problem. I cannot believe we cannot find 2 more useful players than this LF and C. Okay, it is a small sample size, but gee whiz.
Considering the control problems he seemed to be having by walking 2 straight, I think I would have just told Corky and Campillo to go stand up there and not swing the bat.
Also, I’m having real trouble maintaining the skepticism about Jorge Campillo that I’ve so vigorously tried to promote. I might actually be in love with him.
Me too, Stu. My mancrushes, for those keeping score, now include: Yunel Escobar, Brian McCann, Gregor Blanco, Jorge Campillo, and Chipper.
Also, though I almost never support intentional walks, I think I understand why you’d want to intentionally walk Chipper Jones. Who knew that Tex would remember how to hit?
That does mean that we’ve now exceeded our run output for the last two games.
The guy who wants are best hitters to bunt runners over doesn’t want us to take an extra base when the other team is just giving it to us? I guess it only counts if you bunt them over.
Stu — I just asked my wife about naming our next child Jorge. That didn’t go over well, but she says I have a shot at Chipper. I just hope he continues to have the magic because our rotation can use it.
Hate King, I can’t believe I forgot Jair Jurrjens. Obviously I totally mancrush on him too.
I’d mancrush on Heyward, but I’ve never seen him play and don’t know when I will. Then again, the temperature in my heart is already rising at the mere mention of his name… so it’s possible I have a crush on him too.
WASHINGTON, DC — Another Alex R. University has just announced that, in recognition of athletic excellence, it is awarding an honorary doctorate to Jorge Hidalgo Campillo. In an email sent yesterday to students and alumni, University president and namesake Another Alex R. wrote, “Some athletes are expected to be great and achieve it, like Ken Griffey. Some are expected to be great and never achieve it, like Brett Tomko. And some are expected to be terrible and then play so well that they win the hearts of the entire Southeastern United States.”
Well Campillo just gave up his first run as a starter…The guy has been rediculous. If he keeps this up, he will definately be the guy to get us far this season.
If a Bennett/Campillo caddy situation works why not a Smoltz/Bennett set up too? 5 innings of Smoltz is much better than 1 no matter what he thinks. Why do we just have to do the same old shit because it’s always been done that way? There is nothing wrong with only going 5 if they’re 5 good innings and you’ve got a good long man like Bennett.
MS@E: IIRC, there were a couple times when Smoltz went like 5 or something, and they brought in Campillo afterwards, and I always thought that worked really well. Personally, I think that would be a fantastic idea. Just alternate which starts (or always give it to Smoltz), and you won’t need to worry about much. Between the two of them, you figure you can get 9 innings.
I doubt Smoltz would make it to July either. I know he says he’s going to the bullpen because he doesn’t want 5 inning starts, but I doubt his body could handle starting any longer, unless it was an extreme situation, like the playoffs.
Someone please explain to me: “Prince Fielder out at home, right fielder Jeff Francoeur to second baseman Kelly Johnson to shortstop Yunel Escobar.” Thanks
I wasn’t commenting on their overall career arcs, just on the fact that they both either hit the ball nine miles or strike out swinging so hard that they fall over backwards on their asses and their really isn’t a whole lot in between.
MILWAUKEE, WI — Phil Stockman waits patiently in the bullpen, whistling Duran Duran to himself, sneaking glances at Eddie Perez to make sure Eddie remembers he’s there.
Stockman helped keep Blanco from killing himself running into the wall on a deep drive in front of the Braves bullpen earlier in the game, so he was at least able to make himself useful in some way today.
This guess the name of the High School team thing between Chip and Pete is getting really annoying. Nothing will ever approach Chip and Joe’s whinging about the length of the game during that 18 inning elimination game against Houston a few years back but this is giving me a similar murderous rage.
…..Acosta tries to mentally pyche himself out for the inevitable 2 innings he’ll be asked to pitch today. Carlyle aimlessly wanders around confused as to why he is with the team. Ohman tries to hide in a corner and hope he doesn’t have to face a right hander to get the final out of the ninth inning when Acosta tires after going 1 and 2/3 innings. Ring starts his 3rd NY Times crossword puzzle of the day knowing he won’t be used until sometime next week. Soriano stretches his arm in a corner and grimaces every time Perez glances at him.
I actually don’t mind the high school thing so much, MS@E, except that Pete’s sort of funny and Chip resolutely isn’t. I’d much prefer that Pete were joking to himself.
By the way, here’s a prediction: Manny Acosta will pitch the next inning. Who wants to take me up on that one?
Oh wait — Acosta’s already come into the game. The timing of my comment may make me look like Captain Obvious rather than a genius, but I assure you I didn’t know that before posting.
I came back to check on the game and saw Boyer pitching. Seriously, this is beyond ridiculous. Bobby, why is he pitching in the 7th in a five run game? Why not Soriano or Stockman?
That was terrible by Weeks. Acosta left that fastball right over the middle of the plate, belt-high and Weeks just stared at it like he was at a fireworks show or something.
Yeah, if you can’t bring yourself to use Phil Stockman in the 7th inning of a game in which you have a 5-run lead, I’m not sure why you bother having him on the 25-man roster. Send him down and bring up a pinch-hitter. Or maybe a real LF.
Why is Manny Acosta batting here? I mean, I know why, but WHY? Use Gotay to possibly extend the lead! Bring in Stockman—even if Gotay does nothing, you still have a 5 run lead!
That was a terrible double switch, BTW. He’s supposed to switch out the guy who batted last the previous inning, which would have been Corky. Acosta shouldn’t have even come to the plate.
#232. I was looking earlier today at OBP and really nobody in recent years has approached .500 for the season except for a couple of the 700 walk seasons from Mr Bonds in the early 00′s
things like that shouldnt happen, you have a chance to break a game open so take advantage of it. We have Stockman, Ring, Carlyle, Ohman, and Soriano left in the pen. I think it’ll be okay if you dont have Acosta pitch in the 8th.
Acosta only threw to one batter, so I really don’t have a problem with this.
Also, I totally agree that with a five-run lead late, we could probably let Stockman pitch occasionally, but I also think that any confidence in Stockman is misplaced. He really hasn’t shown us any reason to believe that he should be used in a late-and-close situation (which this isn’t, admittedly) and I would not want him used in that situation.
Nick,
Right, but we need guys like Boyer in those clase-and-late situations, which is why guys like Stockman should be brought in in the other situations.
Not sure if this has been mentioned but is this the first time all year that the Braves have worn their “new road hats” with their “old gray” road jerseys. If it is, I’d be willing to bet they will make another appearance.
I guess what I’m saying is I totally agree that we should’ve thrown Stockman instead of Boyer, but I don’t have a problem with throwing Acosta, especially since he hasn’t thrown in three days.
It would have been better if either Acosta had started the last inning, or if Stockman/Carlyle had. That was the real problem. But not hitting for the pitcher with the bases loaded is going to cause problems more often than not.
Another K for Acosta…he looks fresh indeed. Bullpen is shaping up quite nicely. Bennett, Boyer, Ohman, Acosta, Soriano, Gonzalez and Smoltz. How Bobby uses them will be the question.
Then why was he activated in the first place? I mean, great that Resop’s gone, but what’s the point in activating a pitcher you won’t use for five days?
We’re winning by five, but we’ve just lost two by 1 run, squandering two brilliant pitching performances. I have no problem burning some bullpen today.
I’m not sure I understand your point, mraver. I don’t think anyone has a problem with Acosta going more than one inning, per se, but with him hitting for himself. And you really think Boyer was the appropriate reliever to start the 7th inning?
No, I haven’t given up on Diaz — I should have said, Randall Simon but better. Basically, he’s a bad-ball singles hitter who strikes out too much but actually does hit a lot of singles. And Simon managed to hang around in the majors for quite a few years with just that one skill.
Too bad for Cincy….Chipper only had 2 hits today. He’s going to be piss. I wish Kelly would go on one of his hot streaks. Great America is the perfect spot.
seriously though, we have 3 pitchers who have no chance in coming into a game. Send at least Ring or Carlyle away and bring up Jones. Norton is looking very bad right now also
how many 1 run losses is that now? we have got to be on pace to set a single season record for this….
May 29th, 2008 at 8:18 amRotoworld:
Brandon Jones came out of Triple-A Richmond’s game on Wednesday after just one at-bat.
There was no report of any injury, so it appears as though Jones could be on his way to the majors. The Braves are already short one outfielder with Matt Diaz down, and they could put Mark Kotsay on the DL next.
May 29th, 2008 at 8:23 amAnybody else played with the “see their unif0rms” thing at baseball-reference.com? anybody else notice that the “model” used from 95-00 looks a lot more ‘roid-y than the one they used before or after? I wonder if this is a subtle jab at the situation.
http://tinyurl.com/3pn782
May 29th, 2008 at 8:32 amIn response to the Johnson and Francoeur thing from the last thread, I was just taking a quick glance through DOB’s blog and came across this post from somebody:
The issue was whether KJ would have as many RBIs as Francoeur if they hit in the same lineup slot. The clear answer is no because KJ would have the same number of opportunities if he hit in the same lineup slot. KJ would waste more of those plate appearances with walks than Francoeur. The more plate appearances wasted by walks, the less chances to pick up an RBI.
This does not mean KJ would be worse than Francouer. RBI is not everything but KJ would definitely not be a 100 RBI guy in the same lineup slot as Frenchy because too many plate appearances would be wasted with walks.
Francoeur wastes very few plate appearances with walks. Hence, why he can be an RBI machine – that and the fact he executes about as well as anyone in the game with RISP.
http://tinyurl.com/6938jn
My feeling is this is how the majority of fans at Turner Field think and why Francoeur is so popular…his 100+ RBIs.
May 29th, 2008 at 8:39 am‘Waste’ a PA with a walk?
No wonder I don’t read DOB’s blog beyond what he writes.
May 29th, 2008 at 8:50 amFrom the official site:
If Kotsay’s back doesn’t improve and he’s forced to the disabled list, the Braves would likely promote either Josh Anderson or Brandon Jones from Triple-A Richmond.
After showing some promise earlier this month, Jones has hit .222 over his past 10 games and is batting just .260 this season.
Anderson, who is a skilled defensive center fielder, is hitting .282 this year and has batted .325 over his past 10 games. The speedy outfielder has also been successful with 13 of his 16 stolen base attempts.
So we may see Jones, but that sounds like the brass is more likely to go with the hot guy and give Anderson a shot.
May 29th, 2008 at 8:50 amplease no Brandon Jones, make it Anderson who has played in the bigs.
May 29th, 2008 at 8:54 amLet Jones develop, please, unless it is a quick callup.
Missed the game, was JoJo on last night or was itr a feeble Brewers lineup?
Was at the game last night, going back today. My anger at the game, which was only incited by a couple of girls who decided it wise to taunt me as I waited for my friends in the bathroom, was further exacerbated by massive construction delays going west from Milwaukee. There’s nothing quite like turning an hour drive into a two and a half hour drive. At least it’ll be nice out today.
Only Chipper and Gregor Blanco put good wood on the ball at all last night, and in both cases it was usually at people. Hopefully today will be different… but it’s gotta be frustrating for the pitchers to allow only 4 runs in two games and come away with losses in each.
May 29th, 2008 at 9:10 amPlease, let it be Jones.
As for Smurph, the problem with all of these suggestions that he be benched or traded or demoted or whatever, is that we don’t actually have anyone who’s any better to take his spot right now.
May 29th, 2008 at 9:10 am“…we don’t actually have anyone who’s any better to take his spot right now.”
In fact, we don’t really have anyone at all to take his spot right now. Watching Omar Infante play LF is not exactly the best thing for my faith in the Braves’ playoff hopes.
I vote for Brandon Jones too. I may even vote for both Jones and Anderson to come up, but if it’s one of them, let it be Jones.
May 29th, 2008 at 9:19 amIs this really the case? Would Anderson really be any worse in right field? He could probably post at least a .330 OBP, which is no good but about thirty points higher than Francoeur. You can talk about power, but where the heck is Francoeur’s power?
May 29th, 2008 at 9:32 am#1, the Braves have now lost 18 consecutive one-run road games dating back to last year!! Someone on the previous thread called it “all luck” (# 11).
Yeah, sure!
May 29th, 2008 at 9:36 amIt wouldn’t solve everything, but I don’t know why Bobby doesn’t try a lineup like
Blanco
May 29th, 2008 at 9:36 amEscobar
Chipper
McCann
Tex
Johnson
Francoeur
random crappy left fielder
speaking of power, calling Tex….why does it seem that we always get these great players on their contract years and they suck it up? If this guy is wanting $18-20 mil per for 7-8 years, good riddance to him
May 29th, 2008 at 9:37 amRon, that is exactly the lineup I suggested to Rob Cope on AIM earlier this morning. Given everyone else’s struggles with the leadoff spot, I think Blanco should be there until he proves he can’t handle it.
May 29th, 2008 at 9:42 amCox is all about consistency. He likes giving players roles in which he expects them to excel and leave them there even if they struggle. This is typically a good idea, or at the least a better one than jerking players around constantly after very few ABs and whatnot like the Mariners like to do.
I have no problem leaving Tex in the 40hole, but at this point, I think he really needs to consider moving Frenchy down.
May 29th, 2008 at 9:42 amAlso, if Escobar is able to handle leadoff, I see no reason to give Blanco an extra hundred ABs over the course of a season at the expense of KJ and Escobar.
May 29th, 2008 at 9:44 amHave you seen Escobar’s numbers in the leadoff spot? They’re no better than KJ’s. That’s plenty of reason to try someone else in that spot.
May 29th, 2008 at 9:45 amIn the last 30 days this “power hitting” Braves lineup has hit 19 HR, 14th in the league, and has a slg % .403, 13th in the league. That will not get the job done!!
May 29th, 2008 at 9:48 amCSG, we got J.D. Drew in a contract year, and he had his career year. So did Farnsworth. What other rental players are you thinking of?
May 29th, 2008 at 9:52 amMy bad on the weather: the high temp has been downgraded by almost 10 degrees from yesterday’s forecast and now storms are moving into southern Wisconsin. Hopefully the serious stuff will hold off until after 4 pm. For anyone who lives outside the upper Midwest: no, it’s not really summer here yet.
I second Mac in giving someone – anyone – else a shot in RF. I can’t stand watching Francoeur anymore. What can it hurt? He’s a .250 hitter with little power and no plate discipline right now.
May 29th, 2008 at 9:52 amNot to pile on, but doesn’t it seem like the worst of 2006 Jeff Francoeur (low OBP) and 2007 Jeff Francoeur (less homerun power) have somehow combined to make the terrible (so far) 2008 nightmare Francoeur?
May 29th, 2008 at 9:57 amRon,
I like that line-up. If Bobby moved KJ down in the order so he could be more aggressive, why then would you keep him in the two spot?
Bobby really uses kid gloves with young players. I was looking at the kid Bruce in Cincy called up on Tuesday and Dusty had himbatting # 2 in the batting order. Blanco hitting over .300 batting 7th or 8th.
May 29th, 2008 at 9:59 amIs it me, or has Frenchy started being more of a free swinger lately? I can’t get splits on pitches/PA by game. But from watching, it seems that he started off the season being more patient, but when that didn’t work he returned to being Mr. Swings at everything.
May 29th, 2008 at 10:11 amDuh, actually I do have that data because I subscribe to B-R.com’s Player Index.
2008
Average pitches/PA for Frenchy
April: 3.61
May: 3.3
He’s taking 8.5% fewer pitcher per PA in May compared to April. That may not seem like much but it’s the difference between an nearly the league average over his career (3.79) and his 2006 (3.32).
May 29th, 2008 at 10:22 amRon, I agree with your proposed lineup completely. KJ seems to do better when he’s lower in the lineup, and Escobar has struggled leading off. Blanco takes a good amount of pitches, is a distraction for pitchers when he’s on base, and he’s fast. I think he deserves a shot.
May 29th, 2008 at 10:35 am#20 – sorry I was just referring to Tex and the great Andruw Jones in his contract year.
May 29th, 2008 at 10:45 amHa, that’s what I was thinking as I was reading Ron’s lineup. “Hey, that’s Stu’s lineup!”
I like it too, except when Blanco comes back down to earth, he may be so entrenched in the lead-off spot that Bobby dare not take him out until it’s 2 months too late. Kinda like Willie Harris last year…
May 29th, 2008 at 10:50 amre: Kotsay
He’s been out of action for a good 6 or 7 days or so, right? They said he was able to take some fly balls during BP yesterday, and the Bowman article says that he may start hitting in a couple days. If he’s still at least 3-4 days away, why don’t we just DL him retroactive to his last game he played, and we’d have another bench guy for the next 5 or 6 games until he’s back to full strength?
May 29th, 2008 at 10:52 amWe could trade for David DeJesus, but he has hives. Yes, it is 2008.
May 29th, 2008 at 10:55 amI thought he’d only been out for a couple of games.
May 29th, 2008 at 10:56 amHe’s like their only good hitter, Mac. I doubt he’d be on the market.
May 29th, 2008 at 10:57 amKotsay has only missed three games.
May 29th, 2008 at 10:57 amThey suck, and they’re going to suck for some time. But hives! Who gets hives?
May 29th, 2008 at 10:59 amIt’s not really that uncommon, Mac: http://www.medicinenet.com/hives/article.htm
Hives run in my family, actually. Both I, my mother, and my sister (who’s had them like 3 or 4 different times) have had them at some point.
May 29th, 2008 at 11:02 am“Both” should not be included in that sentence.
May 29th, 2008 at 11:02 amMy thoughts on the line up. I think Escobar is a perfect 2 hole hitter since he has high average but doesn’t walk a ton, puts the ball in play a lot but with out seeming to ground into double plays so he would do a great job advancing the runners. His power’s limited so he’s not going to drive in a lot.
Kelly I think is over rated on here some but is good for now while he’s still cheap. He seems to perform a lot better lower in the lineup and has enough power that I think he could be a moderate run producer.
Frenchy’s downside to me is the expectations. He plays good defense and has some limited power albeit that’s getting less and less and is cheap for now. And he’s got some potential to return to 2005 but even if so I think his ceiling these days is a good six hitter. He was expected to become a 3-5 and that’s what makes him look so bad. Especially when you combine him with Diaz since they are so similar. Diaz used to have a little better average while Jeff used to have a little better power. Neither are doing much this year. I think the lineup can handle one starting most of the time but not both. Jeff’s younger has more potential so Diaz is out. I think he’d thrive if he became more of a lefty pinch hitter spot starter anyway.
The biggest thing I think this team needs is a legit left fielder that can hit well enough to score some runs from the 5-6 hole.
Blanco is not the long term answer but for now he’s playing well enough and if he gets on base he can create runs on his own that he out to be hitting first. Not to pull a Bobby and go line up by position but I think Kotsay when healthy could hit lead off as well.
Chipper obviously is on absolute fire and if Tex ever really gets going there is no telling what he could do. For now he’ll just keep getting walked.
So:
Blanco, Greg (or Greg White as Skip calls him)
Escobar, Yunel
Jones, Chipper
Teixeira, Mark
McCann, Brian or shiny new left fielder
Johnson, Kelly
Francouer, Jeff
random left fielder if we don’t make a trade.
But what do I know. I’m merely a wookie.
May 29th, 2008 at 11:09 amKelly is 26 years old. He’s OPS+’d 91, 117 and 123 (so far) in his 3 major league seasons. He plays second base.
I just don’t get how one could not see how valuable this guy is.
May 29th, 2008 at 11:13 amhere you go
Escobar
May 29th, 2008 at 11:38 amJohnson
Jones
Tex
Norton
Frenchy
Blanco
Miller
Wonder if Juan Rivera available. There were rumors of the Braves interest in him back in March, and he’s not getting any PT as the Halos fourth OF. Career OPS of .803 – he’d be a big upgrade.
May 29th, 2008 at 11:41 amspeaking of LF’s, here’s the market
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/
May 29th, 2008 at 11:43 amquestion, who would you rather sign to a long term deal? Matt Holliday or Mark Teixeira – lets say same money and same length of contract
May 29th, 2008 at 11:44 amI wouldn’t sign either.
May 29th, 2008 at 11:45 amcareer lines
Matt Holliday – 28 years old – .319/.382/.555/.937
Mark Teixiera – 28 years old – .285/.370/.531/.901
Holliday does get some benefit from playing in Col
May 29th, 2008 at 11:54 amHow come Mac?
May 29th, 2008 at 11:55 amI’d probably go with Tex, but I wouldn’t pay either one $20+ mil.
I guess #38 is directed at me.
I think Kelly’s good just not the second best hitter on the team that some make him out to be. But then if he really is the second best hitter that explains a lot of why this offense is so streaky and why this team isn’t going anywhere.
May 29th, 2008 at 11:56 amEither one would cost a whole lot entering a part of their careers when they’re going to decline. And Holliday gets a huge boost from his park.
May 29th, 2008 at 11:56 amCould Tex be classified as having the dreaded “old player skills”?
May 29th, 2008 at 11:57 amI don’t think anyone thinks KJ is the second-best hitter on the team. Right now, it would be:
Chipper
McCann
Johnson
But if Teixeira starts hitting like he should, he’d be the second-best. KJ is a hugely valuable commodity, a second baseman who outhits many outfielders, plays the position acceptably, and is cheap.
May 29th, 2008 at 11:58 amMac,
Where does the offense come from, then? What inexpensive offensive producer in the prime of his career do you have in mind?
Jorgebacca,
May 29th, 2008 at 12:00 pmI don’t think anyone would argue that he’s our second-best hitter. Third-best (after Chipper and McCann), maybe.
You find the offense somehow. You can’t go around putting a quarter of your payroll over a seven-year period into one player. If Teixeira would sign for $15 million a year, or for three years, I’d consider it, but that’s a potentially crippling contract. See: New York Mets First Basemen.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:03 pmAs good as KJ has been, he’s still behind Uggla, Utley, Hudson, Phillips, and DeRosa in OPS among NL second basemen. And when you look at Win Shares, he’s also behind Matsui.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:03 pmI think you’re right Mac.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:05 pmI would agree with what Mac said completely. Kelly’s a great value player because of production of set by price.
What worries me the most about Teixeira is not necessary this season’s statistics but what looks like his trend. I’d like him for a few more years but not a long term contract like he’s going to demand. His swing seems to me (who is quite uneducated in such) to be a very uppercut type swing to get his power which means the balls going to go very high so he really has to muscle it out. If he’s 28 now he’s power is going to start to decline in a couple years and it will make it a lot harder to hit them out of the park that way.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:07 pmThe Matsui thing is a playing time issue, probably. NL second basemen, by RC/27. It’s basically Rolen and Uggla and everyone else. I’ll add that the other second basemen grouped with Kelly (DeRosa, Hudson, Phillips, and Matsui) all have huge park advantages — those are four of the six best hitters’ parks in the NL (with Colorado and Philadelphia, not that Utley needs the help).
May 29th, 2008 at 12:07 pmChipper isn’t hitting for much power right now, but when you’re hitting .420, who cares?
May 29th, 2008 at 12:10 pmYesco and Chipper both on in the first. I’m predicting another Pythag skewing game.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:13 pmWait, I take it back. Norton, Blanco, and Corky aren’t exactly a recipe for a big run producing game… I’m guessing.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:14 pmI figure they’re pitching around Norton, willing to concede a run to get the change to get Francoeur to hit into a double play.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:15 pmWhat does it say that Norton’s batting ahead of Jeff?
May 29th, 2008 at 12:15 pmYou didn’t have to wait long, Mac.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:16 pmGood grief.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:16 pmWhat is the problem with this team? Drugs on the team charter? Existential loneliness for their families? Bad hotels?
May 29th, 2008 at 12:16 pmbright spot, Francour can’t hit into a DP in the 2nd.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:17 pmI probably should have put another option in the poll. “He should be forced to stand in while the pitchers throw at him in an attempt to work out their frustrations.”
May 29th, 2008 at 12:23 pmWhat would it take to get Matt Murton from the Cubs and would we want him? He’s batting .354 for the Iowa Cubs and they don’t seem to want him anymore. Doesn’t appear to have the power he did early in ’06 so might not be what we’re looking for.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:26 pmThe bottom of the order is bad. I mean really bad.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:27 pmMurton would be a great acquisition for the Braves, especially with Diaz out over a month (and sucking to boot).
May 29th, 2008 at 12:27 pmCorky makes Francoeur look like Babe Ruth. Would you believe he’s hitting .083?
May 29th, 2008 at 12:28 pmlol
May 29th, 2008 at 12:28 pmCan we just have the first 4 guys hit 1-4 AND 5-8?
May 29th, 2008 at 12:29 pmChanged the tagline.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:31 pmwhen does Sammons replace Miller?
May 29th, 2008 at 12:31 pmMcCann is certainly due some rest and his kerfuffle with the ump last night also makes today a good time to sit one out.
Re Murton–the Cubs might still be looking for a CF. Blanco anyone?
May 29th, 2008 at 12:32 pm73–not soon enough
May 29th, 2008 at 12:33 pmIs it possible to be worse at your job than Corky Miller without actually getting killed?
May 29th, 2008 at 12:34 pmI would do Blanco for Murton in a heartbeat.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:34 pmFunny how “free ____” and “release ____” mean the same thing except in this context.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:35 pmOur Outfield is Amazing- Norton, Blanco and Frenchy this can’t get any better. Well i really haven’t seen Norton in the outfield this year so to be fair to him can anyone tell me how he looks out there??
May 29th, 2008 at 12:36 pmAny chance of KJ moving back to left and letting Gotay play some second base?
May 29th, 2008 at 12:37 pm77–unfortunately the Cubs probably wouldn’t
glad to have an afternoon game today–I’m taking my kid to see Smoltz tonight
May 29th, 2008 at 12:37 pmI wasn’t aware that Corey Hart was the new Rickey Henderson. Five pickoff attempts?
May 29th, 2008 at 12:37 pmAnd despite the error, KJ is still the best defensive 2B on the team. Gotay’s that bad, and Prado, of course, is worse.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:38 pmA great Corky Miller fan site:
http://sbeen.com/id60.html
May 29th, 2008 at 12:40 pmCorky’s OPS+ is worse than Glavine’s, Hudson’s, and Jurjjens’.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:41 pmYou must be kidding me!
May 29th, 2008 at 12:41 pmFirst thing that caught my eye on there…
May 29th, 2008 at 12:41 pmMiller went hitless from 9/11/04 to 8/2/07.
@87:
That’s something any true Corky Miller fan would know.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:43 pmBeautiful hit-and-run. Beautiful!
May 29th, 2008 at 12:44 pmI believe the only people who go longer between hits than Corky Miller are the Moody Blues.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:45 pmWell, I’m not sure what the count was, but it’s still good to see runners on the corners.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:46 pmother than HR’s when was the last time we had a runner get to third?
May 29th, 2008 at 12:46 pmAbout time.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:46 pmSo wait, why did we release Brayan Pena again? I must have missed that while on the honeymoon.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:46 pmYeah someone must have plenty time of their hands or probably not when your updating Corky’s stats
May 29th, 2008 at 12:47 pmYunel and Chipper came to play….
May 29th, 2008 at 12:48 pmBut gosh, if he hadn’t gotten rid of Pena, we wouldn’t have Greg Norton!
May 29th, 2008 at 12:49 pmSo that’s now two that Norton’s left on third base and five total runners in three innings. That’s pretty impressive.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:50 pmNew poll.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:50 pmCorky is going to hit a HR today
May 29th, 2008 at 12:52 pmNorton’s folk hero status is completely gone. His avg is now competing with Corky
May 29th, 2008 at 12:52 pmI think “Has the pictures” should be included as an option on the poll.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:52 pmYeah, it will be a game winning homer with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th, ’cause we all now Bobby won’t hit for him in that situation.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:52 pmDamn… Francouer is that bad that Norton is hitting in front of him?
May 29th, 2008 at 12:53 pmWell, that’s just understood.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:53 pmOk, top of the 9th, cause this is an away game.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:54 pmWow…what if Campy is really this good of a pitcher…
May 29th, 2008 at 12:54 pmMeanwhile, Campillo’s struck out five of the first nine he’s faced.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:55 pmOkay, that’s weird.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:57 pmWhat if Frenchy would do that more
May 29th, 2008 at 12:57 pmFrenchy must have passed McClung a c-note.
May 29th, 2008 at 12:58 pmGamecast said Frenchy just walked…can someone tell me what really happened?
May 29th, 2008 at 12:59 pmWell, angels descended from the heavens and ordered McClung to throw four straight balls to Francoeur, while other angels held Francoeur down so he couldn’t swing.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:00 pmBlanco at bats are fun to watch on Gamecast. man does that guy work the count.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:00 pmOkay, Corky. This is your chance. Triple play!
May 29th, 2008 at 1:00 pm@112.. Yeah, a flock of pigs flew over Miller park and then Frenchy walked on 4 pitches.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:00 pmGotta go to a lousy meeting. Hate to miss a minute of the Jorge Campillo Era of Dominance. He’s awesome to watch.
Looks like McClung is ready to go off the rails here…
May 29th, 2008 at 1:01 pmI was half way serious in 94. Where did Pena end up? Anyone claim him yet?
May 29th, 2008 at 1:02 pmHehe! Pete’s great. Chip was just going on about how many DPs the Braves hit into and Pete’s like, “Well, teams that hit into a lot of DPs usually do it because they have a lot of base runners.”
May 29th, 2008 at 1:02 pmHeh. Stupid Frenchy.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:03 pmThanks. I knew it could not have been a regular base on balls to Francouer. Blanco does work the count. I like the little guy.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:03 pmGood job, guys.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:04 pmYou were close Mac….Corky Miller is garbage
May 29th, 2008 at 1:05 pmJeff should be fined for a bonehead play like that. Then he should be benched.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:05 pmyou know, when 3 batters in your line-up are sporting averages of .125; .083; and .000, runs just might be a problem. I cannot believe we cannot find 2 more useful players than this LF and C. Okay, it is a small sample size, but gee whiz.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:05 pmThe powers of suck-a-tude combined for a double play.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:05 pmyah we should bench francoeur … then we’ll have an even better outfield why dont we stick corky miller in right while we’re at it?
May 29th, 2008 at 1:06 pmI think Brayan is still waiting to be claimed.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:07 pmWell, I suppose it could be worse. We could have an outfield of Brain Jordan and Raul Mondosi. (sp)
May 29th, 2008 at 1:07 pmAlright, what did Frenchy do? I am updating box scores on yahoo from the office.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:08 pmFrenchy drew a walk, but then got doubled off of second when the third baseman caught a line drive.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:13 pmOuch!! Brian Jordan and Raul Mondesi talking about a bad outfield.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:13 pmHeh. I’ll take it!
May 29th, 2008 at 1:14 pmAccording to Chip, he wandered too far off the bag at 2nd and got doubled off on a line-drive.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:14 pmConsidering the control problems he seemed to be having by walking 2 straight, I think I would have just told Corky and Campillo to go stand up there and not swing the bat.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:17 pmOk, the top of the order is up.. time to score a run.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:17 pmI gotta say, I don’t understand where it came from, but I’m totally in favor of Corey Hart’s affinity for bunting.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:17 pmAlso, I’m having real trouble maintaining the skepticism about Jorge Campillo that I’ve so vigorously tried to promote. I might actually be in love with him.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:19 pmHahahahaha!
Wow. Tex really needs to pick it up. He’s getting treated like he’s nothin.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:20 pmGreat now, they are going to ealk chipper.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:20 pmWow! The gods are smiling on the Braves again.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:21 pmSo this is how it’s gonna be for Chipper? Another int. walk. Teams are basically saying Tex is a nobody,
May 29th, 2008 at 1:21 pmHallelujah.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:21 pmTEX!
May 29th, 2008 at 1:21 pmAbout damn time Tex!!!!
May 29th, 2008 at 1:22 pmTex delivers!
May 29th, 2008 at 1:22 pmSweet.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:22 pmAlright! Time for another blowout on the last day of a road series to make it not look so bad on the Pythag chart!
May 29th, 2008 at 1:22 pmSo, we’ve officially outscored the Brewers this series. Sad…
May 29th, 2008 at 1:22 pmThat’ll teach them to ealk Chipper with someone on first!
May 29th, 2008 at 1:23 pmIs it just me or is Joe Simpson completely talking out of his ass here?
May 29th, 2008 at 1:23 pmMe too, Stu. My mancrushes, for those keeping score, now include: Yunel Escobar, Brian McCann, Gregor Blanco, Jorge Campillo, and Chipper.
Also, though I almost never support intentional walks, I think I understand why you’d want to intentionally walk Chipper Jones. Who knew that Tex would remember how to hit?
That does mean that we’ve now exceeded our run output for the last two games.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:24 pmKJ’s steal really opened things up.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:24 pmThe guy who wants are best hitters to bunt runners over doesn’t want us to take an extra base when the other team is just giving it to us? I guess it only counts if you bunt them over.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:25 pmfinally.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:25 pm*our best hitters
May 29th, 2008 at 1:25 pmDo not swing at a pitch until you have 2 strikes, Jorge.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:26 pmWhen you walk Corky, it’s time to call it a day.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:26 pmI don’t think I’ve ever seen that. GIVING Kelly Johnson 2nd base.. and then IBB for Chipper. The Brewers deserved to have Tex hit that 3R HR
May 29th, 2008 at 1:26 pmWalk Corky = Get yanked.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:26 pmStu — I just asked my wife about naming our next child Jorge. That didn’t go over well, but she says I have a shot at Chipper. I just hope he continues to have the magic because our rotation can use it.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:26 pmI would also add Jair and of course Jason Heyward to my man crush list, AAR. But that’s just me.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:26 pmOuch. McClung lifted with two outs and the pitcher coming up.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:27 pmChip Caray is so bad at his job.
The man doesn’t know what a draft-and-follow is.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:28 pmMan, based on his Gameday photo, Tim Dillard looks like a really nice guy.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:29 pmJorge Campillo jersey: ordered
May 29th, 2008 at 1:30 pmScrew it. I’m naming my next child Jorge!
May 29th, 2008 at 1:30 pmNaturally we break out here, when we could hardly buy a run for the first two games in the series.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:30 pmAnd with that, Jorge Campillo adds himself to the list of Braves pitchers with a higher batting average than Corky Miller.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:31 pmCampillo is now at .111, while Corky’s at .080.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:32 pmRussell Branyan=Ryan Klesko
May 29th, 2008 at 1:34 pmOuch…
May 29th, 2008 at 1:34 pmand Corky’s LIFETIME OPS is .583, so this year’s small sample size is only slightly off what Corks is. Is he fabulous defensively?
May 29th, 2008 at 1:34 pmHate King, I can’t believe I forgot Jair Jurrjens. Obviously I totally mancrush on him too.
I’d mancrush on Heyward, but I’ve never seen him play and don’t know when I will. Then again, the temperature in my heart is already rising at the mere mention of his name… so it’s possible I have a crush on him too.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:35 pmLOL…U guys are killing me.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:39 pmKlesko was way better than Bryan…look at the numbers. That’s not even close.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:42 pmBranyan I should say…
May 29th, 2008 at 1:43 pmOceanside Mike, I think Jorge is an excellent name.
But then I might be biased. As the Gourds say:
May 29th, 2008 at 1:44 pmhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXeb1uvuaWg
Thursday, May 29, 2008
2:41 PM
WASHINGTON, DC — Another Alex R. University has just announced that, in recognition of athletic excellence, it is awarding an honorary doctorate to Jorge Hidalgo Campillo. In an email sent yesterday to students and alumni, University president and namesake Another Alex R. wrote, “Some athletes are expected to be great and achieve it, like Ken Griffey. Some are expected to be great and never achieve it, like Brett Tomko. And some are expected to be terrible and then play so well that they win the hearts of the entire Southeastern United States.”
May 29th, 2008 at 1:45 pmWow they got Chipper out on a 2-0 pitch. That’s a shocker.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:46 pmI know he’s not batting 1.000, but I’m apparently still surprised when he doesn’t get on base during any given at bat.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:46 pmHow close was that to a homer? Gameday shows it past the fence.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:47 pmWell Campillo just gave up his first run as a starter…The guy has been rediculous. If he keeps this up, he will definately be the guy to get us far this season.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:49 pmU guys are scarin’ me …
May 29th, 2008 at 1:49 pmBlisters? Precaution? Stretching out? I’d have thought Campillo could have gone at least another inning?
May 29th, 2008 at 1:50 pmIf a Bennett/Campillo caddy situation works why not a Smoltz/Bennett set up too? 5 innings of Smoltz is much better than 1 no matter what he thinks. Why do we just have to do the same old shit because it’s always been done that way? There is nothing wrong with only going 5 if they’re 5 good innings and you’ve got a good long man like Bennett.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:51 pmMr. Swings in that scenario, Bennett would not make it to July….
May 29th, 2008 at 1:53 pmnice outing by Campillo–I sure hope his Cinderalla story doesn’t end anytime soon
May 29th, 2008 at 1:56 pmMS@E: IIRC, there were a couple times when Smoltz went like 5 or something, and they brought in Campillo afterwards, and I always thought that worked really well. Personally, I think that would be a fantastic idea. Just alternate which starts (or always give it to Smoltz), and you won’t need to worry about much. Between the two of them, you figure you can get 9 innings.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:56 pmBahahah. Nicely done guys. ^_^
May 29th, 2008 at 1:57 pmI doubt Smoltz would make it to July either. I know he says he’s going to the bullpen because he doesn’t want 5 inning starts, but I doubt his body could handle starting any longer, unless it was an extreme situation, like the playoffs.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:57 pmThey do that in the minors. I believe it’s called “piggybacking.”
May 29th, 2008 at 1:58 pmFrenchy buying back some of the respect he’s lost at the plate.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:58 pmWatching on Gameday. Can someone please tell me how we managed to get Fielder out at home without involving Corky Miller?
May 29th, 2008 at 1:58 pmPrince is dumb. I think he needs to eat more meat.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:00 pmSomeone please explain to me: “Prince Fielder out at home, right fielder Jeff Francoeur to second baseman Kelly Johnson to shortstop Yunel Escobar.” Thanks
May 29th, 2008 at 2:01 pmGabe Kapler?! The hottest man in baseball, and I’m stuck at work. Drat.
Good for Norton, first hit he’s gotten in forever.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:01 pmand he didn’t even hit into a double play
May 29th, 2008 at 2:01 pmbraves14, Corey Hart overran second with Fielder held at third, so the Brewers got themselves caught in a rundown.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:02 pmThanks, AAR.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:04 pmCorky’s 0-3 and his average dropped only 12 points.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:05 pmCorky is such an organizational treasure.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:05 pmGameday is editorializing. “Corky Miller flies out softly to right fielder Gabe Kapler.”
May 29th, 2008 at 2:07 pmBoyer, with a 5-run lead, of course.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:07 pmBrad, I’d say it’s unbelievable if it weren’t so utterly and damnably believable.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:07 pm@176
I wasn’t commenting on their overall career arcs, just on the fact that they both either hit the ball nine miles or strike out swinging so hard that they fall over backwards on their asses and their really isn’t a whole lot in between.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:08 pmWell, he only threw one inning yesterday.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:08 pmDo we actually have anyone else sitting in our bullpen or does Cox send them back to the team hotel when the game starts?
May 29th, 2008 at 2:08 pmThursday, May 29, 2008
3:07 PM
MILWAUKEE, WI — Phil Stockman waits patiently in the bullpen, whistling Duran Duran to himself, sneaking glances at Eddie Perez to make sure Eddie remembers he’s there.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:09 pmStockman helped keep Blanco from killing himself running into the wall on a deep drive in front of the Braves bullpen earlier in the game, so he was at least able to make himself useful in some way today.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:11 pmBoyer’s pitching again????? DAMN
May 29th, 2008 at 2:13 pmThis guess the name of the High School team thing between Chip and Pete is getting really annoying. Nothing will ever approach Chip and Joe’s whinging about the length of the game during that 18 inning elimination game against Houston a few years back but this is giving me a similar murderous rage.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:13 pmLet’s hope he’s just tired and it’s not his arm starting to fall off right on schedule.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:14 pmBoyer may finally be running out of steam.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:14 pm…..Acosta tries to mentally pyche himself out for the inevitable 2 innings he’ll be asked to pitch today. Carlyle aimlessly wanders around confused as to why he is with the team. Ohman tries to hide in a corner and hope he doesn’t have to face a right hander to get the final out of the ninth inning when Acosta tires after going 1 and 2/3 innings. Ring starts his 3rd NY Times crossword puzzle of the day knowing he won’t be used until sometime next week. Soriano stretches his arm in a corner and grimaces every time Perez glances at him.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:14 pmI actually don’t mind the high school thing so much, MS@E, except that Pete’s sort of funny and Chip resolutely isn’t. I’d much prefer that Pete were joking to himself.
By the way, here’s a prediction: Manny Acosta will pitch the next inning. Who wants to take me up on that one?
May 29th, 2008 at 2:14 pmOh wait — Acosta’s already come into the game. The timing of my comment may make me look like Captain Obvious rather than a genius, but I assure you I didn’t know that before posting.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:15 pmI came back to check on the game and saw Boyer pitching. Seriously, this is beyond ridiculous. Bobby, why is he pitching in the 7th in a five run game? Why not Soriano or Stockman?
May 29th, 2008 at 2:16 pmWell, at least Acosta should be fresh for the first time in like two months. I don’t recall him pitching yet in this series.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:16 pmGuaranteed, AAR.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:16 pmOh, I thought you meant ANOTHER, second, inning, to which I also will guarantee.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:17 pmyou might as well get rid of Stockman, Ohman, and Ring right now. I would love for someone to ask Bobby why these guys dont pitch.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:18 pmCarlyle, too.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:18 pmThat was terrible by Weeks. Acosta left that fastball right over the middle of the plate, belt-high and Weeks just stared at it like he was at a fireworks show or something.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:19 pmYeah, if you can’t bring yourself to use Phil Stockman in the 7th inning of a game in which you have a 5-run lead, I’m not sure why you bother having him on the 25-man roster. Send him down and bring up a pinch-hitter. Or maybe a real LF.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:19 pmI think Bobby double-switched Infante into the game.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:19 pm@ 216
The Wombats thing was funny but the bit has run it’s course. Please be over.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:21 pmYou think correctly.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:21 pmFor Greg Norton, I believe.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:22 pmBy the way, Mac, do you think Kelly’s a better hitter than Yunel right now?
May 29th, 2008 at 2:23 pmRight now, no. But he’s streaky. Over the course of the season, yes.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:24 pmBTW, Chipper’s OBP is now over .500.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:26 pmwas Tex’s HR with 2 outs?
May 29th, 2008 at 2:26 pmchipper is NOT fucking HUMAN
May 29th, 2008 at 2:27 pmIt’s almost June and he’s at .422
can anyone say “first ballot HOF”?
or
“Future Braves Manager?”
May 29th, 2008 at 2:28 pmWho remembers when Cox let Acosta hit for himself and then pitch the following inning, which was his third of the night?
May 29th, 2008 at 2:29 pmHE’S LETTING ACOSTA HIT AGAIN!!!!!!
May 29th, 2008 at 2:29 pmall of us remember what happened that night
May 29th, 2008 at 2:29 pmWith the bases loaded, no less.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:30 pmWhy is Manny Acosta batting here? I mean, I know why, but WHY? Use Gotay to possibly extend the lead! Bring in Stockman—even if Gotay does nothing, you still have a 5 run lead!
May 29th, 2008 at 2:30 pmThis is pure insanity.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:31 pmBobby F. Cox.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:32 pmThis is insanity, all right. “Doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result.”
May 29th, 2008 at 2:32 pmIt’s because we’re carrying 13 pitchers, and therefore have just about no one else on the bench.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:33 pmThat was a terrible double switch, BTW. He’s supposed to switch out the guy who batted last the previous inning, which would have been Corky. Acosta shouldn’t have even come to the plate.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:34 pm#232. I was looking earlier today at OBP and really nobody in recent years has approached .500 for the season except for a couple of the 700 walk seasons from Mr Bonds in the early 00′s
May 29th, 2008 at 2:34 pmthings like that shouldnt happen, you have a chance to break a game open so take advantage of it. We have Stockman, Ring, Carlyle, Ohman, and Soriano left in the pen. I think it’ll be okay if you dont have Acosta pitch in the 8th.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:34 pmWe have Gotay. It’s the 8th inning—what are you saving him for?
May 29th, 2008 at 2:34 pmAcosta only threw to one batter, so I really don’t have a problem with this.
Also, I totally agree that with a five-run lead late, we could probably let Stockman pitch occasionally, but I also think that any confidence in Stockman is misplaced. He really hasn’t shown us any reason to believe that he should be used in a late-and-close situation (which this isn’t, admittedly) and I would not want him used in that situation.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:35 pmAll joking aside…Cox is going to kill Blaine Boyer.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:35 pmwhen is our next day off?
May 29th, 2008 at 2:36 pmHere’s a link to lighten the mood:
http://www.ktvb.com/news/localnews/stories/ktvbn-may2708-lary_craig_bobblefoot.344e7094.html
May 29th, 2008 at 2:36 pmNick,
May 29th, 2008 at 2:36 pmRight, but we need guys like Boyer in those clase-and-late situations, which is why guys like Stockman should be brought in in the other situations.
Not sure if this has been mentioned but is this the first time all year that the Braves have worn their “new road hats” with their “old gray” road jerseys. If it is, I’d be willing to bet they will make another appearance.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:36 pmAnd for what it’s worth, Manny is nasty today.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:37 pmThe double-switch did delay the pitcher’s spot from coming up to lead off the inning, but was still stupid. BTW, it was with Boyer, not Acosta.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:37 pmAt least Acosta’s going to strike everybody out.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:37 pmI guess what I’m saying is I totally agree that we should’ve thrown Stockman instead of Boyer, but I don’t have a problem with throwing Acosta, especially since he hasn’t thrown in three days.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:38 pmWay to go, Manny!
May 29th, 2008 at 2:39 pmI don’t have a problem with Acosta being in the game, but I don’t think it makes much sense to leave him in to hit for himself.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:39 pmWOW…. Acosta… 4 batters.. 4 SO!!!!
May 29th, 2008 at 2:39 pmMaybe Bobby is having Stockman shadow Jurrjens, and let him pitch 2 tomorrow. JJ has been having some problems with pitch counts.
I am grasping at straws here.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:40 pmGood to see Acosta pitching well. Very well. He’s looked great his last two appearances, hopefully it isn’t just a fluke.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:40 pmIt would have been better if either Acosta had started the last inning, or if Stockman/Carlyle had. That was the real problem. But not hitting for the pitcher with the bases loaded is going to cause problems more often than not.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:40 pmAnother K for Acosta…he looks fresh indeed. Bullpen is shaping up quite nicely. Bennett, Boyer, Ohman, Acosta, Soriano, Gonzalez and Smoltz. How Bobby uses them will be the question.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:41 pmI figured that’s what Carlyle was for, Godot. He never pitches, either.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:41 pmI would think that’s why Carlyle’s here, Godot.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:41 pmDamn, Stu. I’m literally drinking a Coke right now, too, and I don’t want to give it up.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:42 pmThen why was he activated in the first place? I mean, great that Resop’s gone, but what’s the point in activating a pitcher you won’t use for five days?
May 29th, 2008 at 2:42 pmAre the Brewers really THAT worried about throwing a strike to Blanco?
May 29th, 2008 at 2:43 pmSuggested new nickname for Francoeur: “IPO.” (“In play, out(s)”)
May 29th, 2008 at 2:43 pmClearly, they don’t want to silence their critics.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:44 pmWe’re winning by five, but we’ve just lost two by 1 run, squandering two brilliant pitching performances. I have no problem burning some bullpen today.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:44 pmI guess Cox wants to give Mac the day off. If not, why not do a switch with Miller and not Norton/Infante?
Btw, what is keeping Corky on the team? I’ve seen him throw out a runner, but other than that, an .077 BA doesn’t cut it anywhere except pitcher.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:45 pmHey, Pineapple Face just walked Corky on four pitches! Everyone point and laugh at him!
May 29th, 2008 at 2:45 pmNow that was funny Stu and I like it…
May 29th, 2008 at 2:46 pmThat’s what I’m saying, td. I don’t get it either.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:46 pmI’ve thought for some time now that Matt Diaz is our new Randall Simon. Does that make Francoeur the new Mike Kelly?
May 29th, 2008 at 2:47 pmAAR, don’t give up on Diaz–not yet.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:47 pmCome on Kelly!!!
May 29th, 2008 at 2:49 pmI’m not sure I understand your point, mraver. I don’t think anyone has a problem with Acosta going more than one inning, per se, but with him hitting for himself. And you really think Boyer was the appropriate reliever to start the 7th inning?
May 29th, 2008 at 2:50 pmI’m in favor of just letting Chipper start managing now. He can be a player/manager. I’m serious.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:51 pmWoooo!!! Go Kelly!
May 29th, 2008 at 2:51 pmNo, I haven’t given up on Diaz — I should have said, Randall Simon but better. Basically, he’s a bad-ball singles hitter who strikes out too much but actually does hit a lot of singles. And Simon managed to hang around in the majors for quite a few years with just that one skill.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:52 pmNice job Julian. I wanted Chipper to get another crack.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:52 pmMan, I love Julian Tavarez. He’s like Jose Lima as a swingman.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:53 pmThat’s two outs Chipper’s made on 2-0 pitches today. What a fraud.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:53 pmMike, remember… If Chipper hits .39945 this year, it’s your fault.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:53 pmIs Bobby going to use Soriano here?
May 29th, 2008 at 2:53 pmHe’ll probably try to bring Boyer back in first.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:54 pmTwo tough road losses, followed by a getaway-day blowout win. I’ve seen this movie before.
And Jorge Campillo. So far, he’s a long way from Buddy Carlyle.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:55 pmAny idea why there’s no video footage on Gameday since that batter interference call early on? I want to see Teix’s homer.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:55 pmCampillo, Reyes, and Jurrjens…who would have thought?
May 29th, 2008 at 2:56 pmWell, KJ’s single is up.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:57 pmCampillo, Reyes, and Jurrjens
Sounds like a Miami law firm.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:57 pmSoriano fastballs: 91, 92, 92, 94. Does that sound healthy?
May 29th, 2008 at 2:58 pmSoriano is back, yay.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:58 pmNothing but heat from Soriano….
May 29th, 2008 at 2:58 pmWow, both of those last two pitches looked like strikes to me…
May 29th, 2008 at 3:01 pmI do like how in a game in which his team has six hits, Yost swapped out the guy who has two of them. Now, that’s smart managing!
May 29th, 2008 at 3:01 pmWell, if he does have some sort of structural damage, he will soon completely blow out the elbow anyway, you would think.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:01 pmHe still hasn’t hit higher than 94 on the gun, and now he’s wild.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:03 pmI thought 94 was about what he normally threw. Am I misremembering?
May 29th, 2008 at 3:03 pmWhat was Soriano throwing before he went down? Was it much harder than 94?
May 29th, 2008 at 3:04 pmHe’s fine. Just working out the cobwebs. gg
May 29th, 2008 at 3:04 pmI thought it was around 94 also….
May 29th, 2008 at 3:04 pmAnd that’s your ballgame. I sure wish we could have had a couple of those runs off Jeff Suppan.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:05 pmHooray for wins.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:05 pmToo bad for Cincy….Chipper only had 2 hits today. He’s going to be piss. I wish Kelly would go on one of his hot streaks. Great America is the perfect spot.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:09 pmTop 4 spots in the ATL order:
9 for 19 with 4 BB, 4 R & 6 RBI
May 29th, 2008 at 3:09 pmseriously though, we have 3 pitchers who have no chance in coming into a game. Send at least Ring or Carlyle away and bring up Jones. Norton is looking very bad right now also
May 29th, 2008 at 3:12 pmRecap is up.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:18 pmAnd 94 was his average before — sometimes he’d hit 96, sometimes he’d hit only 92. Today, it was between 91 and 94.
May 29th, 2008 at 3:19 pm