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Big game today, especially for this team’s mental state. Winning the last 2 series of the trip against decent to good competition may help put the road woes to bed, and provide a good springboard into a couple of winnable home series.
It’s a lot to put on young Morton, but if the offense can help him out and score 5-6 runs I feel good about our chances. Hopefully I can get home to watch Morton pitch since I missed the game on Saturday.
I was at the game last night (a belated Father’s day gift). Chipper’s first inning blast was absolutely fun to watch, especially as the chop broke out shortly afterward in the home run porch area of the Arlington stadium. The three run outburst was also satisfying, as so many Ranger fans got up and left. I always enjoy demoralizing the enemy.
But to get back to the brief discussion about Jo-Jo. His outing, I think, was really promising. He clearly was struggling with his control (you only need look at 4 walks against 3 strikeouts and the number of balls to strikes). And yet, he managed the game effectively. And that’s a big key to being an effective major league pitcher–pitching through not having the best stuff. I’m encouraged about that, though I know it’s early in his career to know really where he’s heading. He might be a good #2 or he might be another HoRam. But for now, he looks promising.
Let’s hope Teixeira lives up to his absurd Day Night Splits for 2008 this afternoon. In 2008 his Day game OPS is 1.122 compared to a night game OPS of .629.
Re last thread chatter on Soriano–the mistake wasn’t the trade (getting a used jock for HoRam was doing well) but signing him to a 2 yr deal worth 10m or so was a roll of the dice.
“I thought he was talking about whacking a couple of my coaches…That’s why I was stunned. I didn’t think it was going to happen…At the time, I felt the way he was talking to me, that I was pretty secure for the time being.” Willie I mean everyone in NY had bets on what day you would be fired and you were stunned? Interesting.
Huge game for the Braves today. Even bigger for Tex and Frenchy. This is beyond ridiculous now.
Jeff, I don’t think Jo-Jo’s another HoRam — he has more effective pitches right now, than Horacio ever had, is a better strikeout pitcher, and has a slightly stiffer fastball. I agree with you on his ceiling, that if he continues to develop his fastball and breaking stuff his ceiling is very high indeed, but I think he’s already left the HR comp in the dust, unless he unaccountably decides to start nibbling again.
Marc, I agree with you in principle, but if you’re wealthy, I don’t see why not. Mariano Rivera, obviously, has earned his money, as has Trevor Hoffman, as did Keith Foulke for quite a long time. I think teams need to do a lot better job of identifying which pitchers are much greater injury risks and then paying them accordingly. Soriano was a mishandled Seattle pitcher, which tells you about all you need to know about his arm.
There are certainly relievers who are fully able to justify being paid outrageous sums of money — there just aren’t many of them. And, as usual, I think there’s almost never a good reason to give a pitcher a contract above 4 guaranteed years. Otherwise, the most important thing you can do is figure out how likely they are to break down.
I was thinking that same thing, but the World Series is so far away, I decided to keep it to myself. The AL figured out Huddy before he left Oakland. I think the future ace of the staff is JJ.
Good idea for Francouer?
“Manuel spent his second afternoon as interim manager working David Wright to near-exhaustion. Roughly 4-1/2 hours before Wednesday night’s first pitch, Manuel rapidly fired balls to the plate during a session that lasted three times longer than a typical early workout by Wright’s estimate. The extra tutoring session’s theme: becoming more selective at the plate.
After beginning the session by having Wright swing at every pitch regardless of location, Manuel had Wright identify the part of the plate where he preferred to hit a pitch. Manuel placed a ball on the plate at that location, then had Wright identify the height of the pitch he preferred. Manuel then returned to behind a protective pitcher’s screen and forced Wright to increase his selectivity by having him swing at pitches only in the zone he identified.
The other early invitee was Brian Schneider, who repeated that process as hitting coach Howard Johnson pitched.
As for the session, Wright concluded: “Jerry wants to be involved offensively, defensively, pitching-wise. So it’s good to hear input from a guy that’s obviously been around the game for awhile. Jerry tries to simplify everything. It’s obviously easier said than done, but his drills work on simplifying the game.”
1. Because he sucks.
2. Because you idiots in the media have joined together with the team to shove “Jeff Francoeur, superstar and face of the franchise” down our throats, even though he sucks.
Well, the yanks would have felt foolish to not keep Rivera around, likewise the Mets with Wagner, or Padres with Hoffman… though it’s tough to know that going into things.
Two years wasn’t too long, and while the price was a bit high it wasn’t TOO high if he doesn’t develop mysterious elbow pain. I sort of think we should give a similar contract to Gonzo (or depending on where he is in his career maybe a longer deal for less per year if we can lock him in).
You have to figure you’re going to have 2-4 starters getting about $8-12+ per year, and if you’ve got three solid relievers getting $3-6 per year each that can make sure the starter’s efforts aren’t wasted (Soriano, Gonzo, Moylan for example) then it’s probably a wise investment for the number of wins it saves.
What really gets me about the Bradley spouting is that this kid has gotten far too much praise and been given far too much rope by the team and the media and when a relative handful of fans point out that he isn’t actually a good player, it’s “poor widdle Jeff”.
Hudson’s last year in Oakland (129 ERA+; 4.91 K/9; 2.34 K/BB; 1.26 WHIP; 0.38 HR/9), even accounting for the low K-rate, was better than any season he’s had in the NL. I think we ned to find a different explanation.
How dumb is Mark Bradley? We could actually see the Braves on TV in ‘06 and know that Francouer probably had the worse year ever for a guy that hit 29 HR and had 103 RBIs. Give me a break.
I just realized that we have a chance to pick up some major ground right before the All-Star break. We play Philly (obviously we can pick up games by winning that series), but then it goes downhill really quick – we play Houston, LA, then the Pads. I refuse to be too optimistic, but if there is any opportunity for us to get back into this, that is the time.
What is more about Bradley, whom I have always despised… How exactly is what he did in high school relevant? I bet Andres Thomas was good in high school.
Unfortunately the Cards don’t have Pujols right now andthe Padres are actually better than the D-backs right now. Plus Peavy is back. LA…who knows. Although I do like the Astros match-up. But how it looks on paper means nothing if Tex and Frenchy are still sucking.
Stu,
Maybe I’m getting confused, but I just remember Huddy struggling in the 2nd half in Oakland…
Not to continue to obsess about this, but seriously… if the fans won’t hold Francoeur accountable, who will? Bobby won’t bench him, Wren won’t call him out for not producing, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen Bobby or TP even criticize his approach in the dugout. Nobody in the AJC will ever write anything other than he’s “slumping” when he’s hitting like he always does. Peanut, of course, is waiting for him to silence his critics. The only one of the announcers who ever says anything critical about a player (though you can tell Jon and Pete are thinking it) is Joe, and all he talks about now that Andruw’s gone is that KJ can’t bunt and shouldn’t hit high in the order.
As for Hudson, if the AL had figured him out in 2004, I don’t really see how that’s relevant to the 2008 Rangers. Michael Young, I think, is the only player from last night who was around when Hudson was an Athletic. The Rangers are a fairly young team and an extremely inexperienced one.
• After the All-Star break from 2005-07, Teixeira has hit 60 home runs, fourth in baseball. Ryan Howard, David Ortiz and Alex Rodriguez are the only players with more.
• Same time frame, Teixeira has 196 RBIs, second only to Howard’s 199.
• Again, same span, Teixeira is one of only six players to have at least a .300 batting average, 50 home runs and 150 RBIs; besides Howard, Ortiz and A-Rod, Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday have done it. Pretty exclusive — and elite — company, don’t you think?
I don’t want to jinx them, but when I read this, the first thing that went through my mind is that only the Braves can make the young Mr. Feldman look like the second coming of Cy Young:
“(Texas) will be handing the ball to Scott Feldman (1-3, 4.84), who is trying for his first win since May 9 against Oakland. The 25-year-old right-hander gave up seven runs in five innings of Friday’s 7-1 road loss to the New York Mets, falling to 0-2 with a 5.35 ERA over his last six starts.”
I hope they bomb this guy and give Morton a chance to gain some more confidence with a solid start.
“As for Hudson, if the AL had figured him out in 2004, I don’t really see how that’s relevant to the 2008 Rangers. Michael Young, I think, is the only player from last night who was around when Hudson was an Athletic.”
Easy. Pregame meeting. Talks with Michael Young on what Huddy tries to do. I really don’t know, but there has to be a reason why the AL consistently bash Huddy in interleague play.
I believe Tex will hit in the 2nd half….unfortunately we need him to start hitting now.
Once again, Francouer is interviewed after last night’s game. I wonder if Bobby’s hands are tied in the way he can deal with “the future of the franchise”?
As per the Soriano thing from the previous thread, I’m wondering why they haven’t given him the super duper MRI they gave Gonzo last year when they found microtears in his elbow that the normal MRI didn’t pick up. Is it possible that Soriano has refused this? It is getting rather evident that the Braves are starting to get fed up with him. They cannot continue to allow him to keep them twisting in the wind like this. I agree that it was a good trade (there’s really no disagreeing with that, actually), but that doesn’t really help us right now, does it?
Also, as far as Mark Bradley, I’ve lived in Atlanta nearly all my life and Bradley has been an AJC columnist ever since I can remember, and I can tell you that I would be shocked if there’s a bigger suck-up in any major city newspaper in the country than Mark Bradley. He is exhibit 1A of what’s wrong with the Atlanta sports media. I’m not sure I’ve ever read an article by Bradley calling out anybody for anything. Now seriously, what kind of self-respecting sports columnist can say that? In fact, I read the Knoxville sports page a fair bit, as a Tennessee fan, and I can tell you that Mark Bradley is a bigger suck-up than half the people who work at that horrible paper.
In any other major city, Francoeur would be getting lit up in the local media, but not here. Here the media rushes to the defense of one of the worst everyday players in the league. And people have come to expect this. If an AJC columnist tries to act like, you know, an actual major city sports columnist (usually either Jeff Schultz or Terence Moore – although Moore is a terrible writer), they get completely trashed because they’re not being a sycophantic suck-up. People then claim that the AJC secretly hates the local teams, which always makes me laugh. People here have no idea what a local sports media (or a local media period, for that matter) should look like.
Here is how every Frenchy after game interview should go:
Reporter: Jeff, you looked a little lost at the plate tonight and failed to deliver in some key situations, leaving 13 men on base. What happened?
Frenchy: Well, every time I went to plate I told myself to be patient and wait for my pitch, but once I got up there I just started hacking away like a monkey on crack.
Really? Michael Young can do this, but now National Leaguers like Randy Winn (2005 Mariners), Adam Kennedy (2005 Angels), and Alfonso Soriano (2005 Rangers) cannot? Not to mention the numerous former Athletics who have been dispersed throughout the majors by Billy Beane.
Mac, easy guy I can almost see you frothing at your keyboard. LOL. Who cares if you are correct? I agree that the press is very kind to him. Its almost like HE has the pictures…….OF EVERYONE. But this isn’t the kid’s fault. Its Bobby’s. He decides who plays and who doesn’t. I simply don’t understand why he gets 700 PAs.
And I don’t understand why KJ gets jerked around while Francouer gets to be a sink hole in the teams offense. But again its Bobby. Thats why I personally hold my venom back against the kid. He should be sitting but of course with Diaz and Kotsay on the DL we simply don’t have an alternative but to play him.
On Soriano. It was Bobby’s quote in the AJC that led me to start all that. Very un Bobby like to leave it to the context police to parse his meaning.
Or… Hudson is 9-5 with a 3.78 career ERA against the Mets, and has had some of his best games against a team that features former American Leaguers Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado, and several others. Is it the uniforms?
“Really? Michael Young can do this, but now National Leaguers like Randy Winn (2005 Mariners), Adam Kennedy (2005 Angels), and Alfonso Soriano (2005 Rangers) cannot? Not to mention the numerous former Athletics who have been dispersed throughout the majors by Billy Beane.”
Not to dismiss the other guys, but Michael Young is a career .300 hitter and has lifetime avg of .321 against Huddy. Wouldn’t be a bad guy to listen to. I’m not saying that is the sole reason for Huddy struggles against the AL, but I don’t believe we can completely dismiss it.
You guys need to lay off Jeff. He’s a local guy who is going to get his 100 ribbies. I don’t see what is so bad about that. It’s not like he’s Andruw Jones.
Bobby has no other optoins right now Johnny. He could bring someone up to replace him for a while, but at least Frenchy has some kind of track record (a little seasoned). If you want to blame someone, blame Wren for not getting some extra pop in that outfield when it has been apparent for 2 months now that it is a big sink hole.
Not to pile on here, but it seems like the Braves are just being hoist on their own petard re: the Francoeur situation. I know the Braves organization isn’t a sabermetric darling, but I think it is unlikely that they don’t realize that Jeff is not a very good player- I just think that with him being the new face of the franchise, which they have encouraged, that their hands are tied. There are other options available, even within the organization, that could work for the short-term just to sit him down or give him some work in the minors, but I believe Wren and Cox probably feel like they cannot do that given his prominence in the Braves’ advertising, etc. Feels like the Astros with Biggio, once he really declined- it was hard to sit the guy since he was the face of the team. Although in his case, at least he earned that right, rather than just being granted it by fiat…
Not to beat the point to death, but he is even more like Andruw in that fact that he is too d@mn stubborn to change. Andruw refused to change his approach, and he suffered greatly – as will Frenchy.
I don’t blame Wren. Who do you trade for a viable outfielder? We have nothing. In Wren’s defense, EVERYONE projected Francouer to improve and NO ONE projected that Diaz and Kotsay would get hurt.
You are all right there is no alternative but to wait and see if Francouer can start to hit.
You know what would be funny? If the Braves non-tendered Francoeur this offseason after Francoeur twice turned down a long-term contract similiar to the one Brian McCann got.
Obviously he’s not Andruw Jones because until last year Andruw Jones looked like a lead pipe cinch for the Hall of Fame. I wouldn’t be surprised if he rebounds and still makes it but for some dumb reason we keep seeing comparisons of the two.
I don’t understand what happen between last year and this year. Now to give Frenchy credit, last year he did change his approach by going to right and up the middle, but hit for no power. Over the winter he bulked up to hit more power..now he is not hitting period. Maybe he is just trying to hard.
I still think he is too young to give up on…but the Braves needs to fix it in a hurry before he becomes an Austin Kearns, Cory Snyder, etc.
I’m here to stick up for Mark Bradley on these points.
First off, IMO, Mark Bradley is an outstanding sports columnist & always has been. And for basketball, I don’t think there’s a better columnist in all of the South. (Of course, I’m a writer/editor guy who once reported sports & wrote sports columns, so I’m looking at the craft of this as much as the content.)
When you are a sports columnist, the idea is to make a point & substantiate it. It’s not supposed to make everyone happy. Quite the opposite, it’s supposed to make you think & discuss, kinda like what you’re doing right now. Some guys over-do it; I’ve never thought Bradley does.
His take on Frenchy isn’t too terribly different from mine in the sense that he’s a flawed player, but at 24 he still has time to improve. He’s preaching some continued patience, which many of us are losing or have already lost. That’s not an earth-shattering plea, IMO.
What he doesn’t investigate with depth is the legit fear that most of us share here: Frenchy will always be this way and, on a team like this, we just can’t have this kind of drag.
But, if you notice the length of the column, this is probably one of those web-only-let’s-get-site-some-traffic columns—so I’ll not go crazy about that. For now.
Also, if you don’t think that Bradley is paying attention to Frenchy’s level of play, I urge you to re-read his lede. He may be stating the obvious, but he’s hardly putting out a tomahawk-stamped press release.
Good explanation about Francoeur, Mac. Cheers. It was exactly what I want to say….
I strongly think Francoeur is the product of wrong marketing by John Schuerholz. I think he is not in slump. He just has tools. No skills. I would never regret it if we trade him. I don’t hate him, just don’t wanna watch that killing the Braves. I believe The pen is stronger than the sword. Let them know.
I believe Tex will hit in the 2nd half….unfortunately we need him to start hitting now.
Yes exactly. Normally TRex was a slow starter and Just remember he was a 2nd half guy, though.
well the 1/2 season McLaren, and his Ozzie guillen impression, project didnt last very long did it? I guess the new GM is really trying to change things out there. They should really rebuild that franchise. I think Ichiro would look great in an ATL uniform, and no I’m not suggesting it so lets dont get all crazy here. Just a pipe dream
I think that Tex will end up with a productive year–but not what the Braves had the right to expect. He is 28 and ought to be at or near his peak.
It probably does not mean anything, but the scary thing to me is that Tex seems to have gotten worse sense coming to Atlanta. Andruw declined dramatically and I can only wonder why this happens….
His take on Frenchy isn’t too terribly different from mine in the sense that he’s a flawed player, but at 24 he still has time to improve.
Maybe he does, but let him improve at Richmond. RF is the second best offensive position on the field behind first. We have flushed that position down the toilet three straight years. For a team allegedly trying to win now, that is crazy stupid. Like most I am puzzled by the absolutely loyalty and lack of accountability Jeff is extended by this organization.
“Let me ask you something. What do you know about Adam Dunn?…He’s a lifetime .230, .240 hitter that strikes out a ton and hits homeruns. Do you know that the guy really doesn’t like baseball all that much?…Do you know that the guy doesn’t have a passion to play the game that much? How much do you know about the player? There is a reason why you’re attracted to some players and there’s a reason why you’re not attracted to some players. I don’t think you’d be very happy if we brought Adam Dunn here.”
Win Shares questions… In the original book, you had Wally Berger drop from 33 to 21 WS between 1934 and 1935 despite remarkably similar numbers (150 games each season, three points higher on-base and two points higher slugging in 1935). The obvious difference here is that the team was far worse in 1935, one of the worst teams of all-time. So, two questions. 1) Does Win Shares “punish” players on historically bad teams? Berger wasn’t doing anything differently in 1935 than he had before. 2) Will Berger’s Win Shares/Loss Shares under the new system still show the seeming plummet in value despite the steady numbers?
Asked by: Mac Thomason
Answered: June 19, 2008
See article, “Wally Berger and Friends”. . .will be published today or tommorrow.
The bottom line on Frenchy is he is never going to amount to anything but a mistake hitter unless he gets a better command of the strike zone. If he’s not swinging wildly at junk off the plate and in his eyes, he sits and looks at pitches right down the middle.
I think he can probably get by, hit around .260 and get a jack every now and then, but until he starts swinging at strikes and laying off balls more consistently, he will be what he is. I’m personally shocked he hasn’t really improved that much, considering he seems like a somewhat bright person. How can he sit there and watch KJ, Chipper and McCann have good AB’s time after time and not have it rub off a bit?
ryan–I’m Glad Cox is not having McCann catch an afternoon game in Texas but I agree that the smart play would be having McC DH to keep his bat in the lineup.
I would get a mad at the line-up, but it is a day game after a night game…so McCann has to sit. And no he can’t DH b/c if Miller gets hurt…McCann will have to catch and the Braves would lose the DH.
I dunno. WTH. Blanco’s strength is getting on base. Why not?
Ububba, I dunno about that Bradley. Shouldn’t he be calling Bobby out for playing Frenchy instead of writing yet another ‘lets be patient, he is only 24 column?
Put me down in the ‘I like this lineup’ campaign. Hope Bobby uses this lineup when BMac is back in there (Of course moving him to the 5 spot and dropping KJ to the 6 spot).
This is proof that Bradley doesn’t even use his press privileges to go to Braves games. No player gets more cheers than Francoeur. It’s not even close.
A) sound the alarm. Chipper is under .400
B) The two games I’ve been to this season the cheering was ALL about Chipper and not so much for anybody else (including Frenchy).
The issue about the Bradley column isn’t so much that he is defending Francoeur as a player as that he seemingly wants Frenchy to be immune from any criticism. In most places, as others have pointed out, Frenchy would be booed off the field; in Atlanta, he is more popular than a .400 hitter and, as Mac points out, everyone seemingly treats
his struggles as just a slump when it’s actually reflective of the kind of hitter he is.
I don’t think the “he’s only 24 so give him time” defense works. In fact, he is finishing his third full season in the majors. Regardless of age, most hitters have figured it out by their third year. And most good hitters have figured it out by 24. Of course, the question is what are the expectations for Frenchy; if being a league average RF with some power is enough, then he might be that. But it seems unlikely at this point that he is going to be an outstanding player.
As for why the Braves stick with him, one thing is that organizations hate to admit they made a mistake with their number one draft pick. Frenchy got so much publicity and hype even before he got to Atlanta that it would be rather embarrassing to admit he was a bust, especially given his popularity.
There is honestly no doubt in my mind, JC, that the locals would be more upset if we were to trade or otherwise get rid of Francoeur than they would be if we were to decide that we were selling this year and traded Chipper. Absolutely no doubt in my mind.
Marc,
Disagree about the number one draft pick thing. In baseball screwing up your #1 draft pick isn’t nearly as embarrasing as it is in football or basketball. Bobby sticks with him this season for one reason. He doesn’t have anyone else to play right field AND they are still waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting for him to break out of his season long funk. The Braves aren’t a stats oriented team if they even pay attention to stat analysis at all. They are a scouting oriented organization where athleticism and how you look playing the game is more highly regarded. Lets face it this methodology has served them well. I am sure that because Francouer is so athletic….great arm, terrific bat speed, fast runner and all that he is getting a way longer leash than KJ, a better baseball player in my estimation has ever had.
Again I’m not a Marc Bradley hater but if he were really a columnist he would be askng the 64 million dollar question. Why is Jeff Francouer the face of the franchise and why does he play 160 games a year?
So I understand that the trend in Tex’s career is that he starts slow and heats up in the 2nd half. Seems like there are a number of players that do particularly well in one half and not the other.
Performing well in the first half and then tailing off seems easy to explain as you get worn down by the season.
But how does one account for heating up months after the season has started? It’s not cold anymore after the first few weeks in April. Is it psychological?
Yea that was dumb Chipper…please don’t stress that .400 and start getting Francouer on us.
C. Shorter…the reason for slow start is a mystery. Is it psychological? Are they not in baseball shape? Don’t they see live pitching in spring training? I don’t think there is an excuse…
I’m so dissolutioned when Chipper goes 0′fer and hits into double plays. When I spend the morning doing the math to see how long I I’d think he’d need to play to hit 500 home runs and 3000 hits I just don’t see him as mortal anymore.
Let’s not forget that Chipper was hitting well over .400 with a lot of first pitch swings. If I recall he was seeing some of the fewest pitches of anybody in the NL for a while this season simple because he was following the old Pete Rose adage: “See the ball, hit the ball” and he’s been seeing it quite well so he hasn’t been arbitrarily holding off on swinging when they give him a pitch he thinks he can hit well. Now he may still be a bit fuzzy in the eyes because of the ball to the face still, but the guy hitting near .400 gets some leeway for knowing which pitches he should be swinging at… not so much the kid hitting .250.
Chipper won’t get 500 HRs and 3000 hits. But he won’t need them to get into the Hall. People are already talking about him this year as being close to inevitable, and a couple more years should cement it.
Isn’t the current GM in Seattle the interim GM until they find someone permanent? Does that mean he won’t make any moves? Wouldn’t the organization want the permanent GM to be leading the sale?
Am I wrong, or have the Braves actually stolen multiple bases in this game? I didn’t know they were allowed to steal ANY bases, let alone more than one.
We should note that the Braves have been getting these stolen bases off of Saltalamacchia, and there’s a good chance they know things about him that he doesn’t know himself.
Charlie is pounding the hell out of the strike zone. 70 pitches, 44 of them strikes. I guess he’s figured out how to fix those control problems he used to suffer from.
Ignoring for the moment that you jinxed him…that’s not really all that great a ratio, is it? I mean, it’s obviously not terrible (and, as you note, an improvement over his historical minor league struggles), but I thought one had to get into the 2:1 strikes:balls territory before it became noteworthy.
I would pull Morton, the walks may be a sign of tiring, and why not get him out with a chance to win (at worst a ND), let him end on a high note and build his confidence? That’s my thought.
And then Chipper grounds out again… as he IS super human I can only assume he’s trying to not dominate the team’s offense so they don’t use him as a crutch.
Mort’s done a good job on the bottom half of the Texas order so far — no hits from the 5-9 hitters. So I’d send him out, but if he starts walking more people, yank him sooner rather than later.
I know it’s because they’re doing well now and Davies/HoRam/James suck, but I feel that the trio of Jurrjens, Morton, Reyes has a much better long term prognosis than I felt about the previous three.
A) yank Morton, get him out before he hurts his own psyche
B) @211… forgot about him… hopefully we can hold onto them all for the time being to see who pans out and then maybe trade somebody for a bat or something.
WOW. Prince Fielder hit an inside the park homerun an inning ago. It stuck under the padding in RF and Alex Rios acted like time should be called instead of getting the ball.
Prince hit one last year off of a speaker in minnesota.
That’s just crazy. Who had Prince Fielder in the hit an inside-the-park homerun in consecutive seasons sweepstakes?
That is some spectacular managing there. Bring in a scrub reliever that is holding down Stockman’s place in order to pitch to a guy who is ordered to bunt that can’t get it down who then hit’s a 3 run homer on the 0-2 count. MANAGEMENT!
WOW, I think everyone saw that coming. You could have picked up anyone out of that bullpen (hell, maybe even the field) and it would have been a better choice than Ridgeway.
More stellar bullpen management by Bobby Cox. My goodness–why does it take until mid-summer every year to get decent guys in supplementary roles? The Braves almost seem to enjoy the handicap of terrible middle relievers and horrible backup infielders. Sigh.
If he has to bring in a left-hander and wants to save Ohman for later, why not use Ring? Duh. I hope Bobby realizes he made a dumbass decision by keeping Ridgway.
One run game, two men on base, switch hitter coming up. Great time to bring in the absolute worst pitcher on the staff. The fact that he is even on the roster is completely mind-boggling. He must give reacharounds.
Ridgway truly sucks–and we traded not one, but two players to get him…Morton deserved a better fate, but then as a Braves starter this is part of his role…
The way we are hitting we will be lucky to make this a one run game…
If the Braves can’t come back and win this game…it would mean they would have lost 2 of 3 games to the team with the worst pitching staff in all of baseball.
Why would you want to save Ohman for later? It was the biggest spot of the game, in the 6TH INNING. Hmm, yeah, I’ll bring in my least reliable left hander.
Oh, but everything is ok now guys – we have Frenchy and Miller coming to bat for us this inning!!! I feel bad for Jones having to hit b/w them (how is he supposed to learn anything).
I am hopeful that Corky will get two more at bats this game, and fail both times to drop below .100. If he can do it in the next two innings, that would be good.
Not wtching. What was the 15 pitch Blanco at bat like? ESPN’s GameCast showed all of those fouls (8?) in a row as in the strike zone and the called third strike.
AAR,
Sorry, didn’t read the link, but Tony Bernazard is indeed the least favorite sports figure in NYC right now. He, apparently, would pass on “private & critical” Randolph evals on certain Met players to those very Met players. He’s getting killed in the press & he should be.
Re: Frenchy
I would like to hear alternatives to Frenchy. I haven’t heard anything yet. If we have someone in the system who’s better, he should be playing, but we don’t yet and so he’s not.
And this “face of the franchise” stuff, I don’t get. There are plenty of mediocre-to-bad players on other clubs that enjoy fan support. Who cares which players are popular? I don’t.
I remember when Wade Boggs went into a slump & a good chunk of Yankee fans thought that playing Charlie Hayes at 3B was the answer. I mean, what do you say to that? Me, I ignore it.
There’s a fundamental disagreement about Frenchy among segments of its fanbase. For the moment, I’m not going to go crazy about it—not until they offer him another long-term contract.
Until then, I’ll hope he bats no higher than 6th & wins a few games for us in the process. I know what he is, but I refuse to be consumed by it. I hope he improves & if he doesn’t, I hope the Braves have the good sense not to hitch their future on him. But that’s another conversation.
I’m out, off to MSG to see REM tonight. Go Braves.
Well, he came into this game with an OPS+ of 89. He can basically be replaced by almost any league-average outfielder, which means that they Braves don’t really need to look internal to replace him.
Talk about your proverbial “moment of truth” for Francoeur — let just say that even though he delivered in this at bat (vindication, Mark Bradley!), I’m not going to hold my breath.
Did Infante just execute some fundamental, SITUATIONAL hitting? What’s wrong with these guys?…….and maybe Bobby still has a little left upstairs, since he sent McCann to the plate.
You think Ron Washington is considering demoting C.J. Wilson from the closer role? Just a thought.
More pitching changes! Anyone wondering why there are eight relievers, it’s so that Bobby Cox can make three pitching changes an inning–and feel important, I guess.
Anyone wondering about the 1-run losses, at some point you have the think ‘luck’ has less to do with it than ‘incompetence.’ I don’t even feel upset anymore.
does bobby cox know how to coach for an extra inning game? even if ohman cant pitch to righties (which he’s proven he has), bobby would have burned every one of our relievers, except carlyle, in the 9th inning. that’s just stupid baseball. stockman>bennett. carlyle and bennett on the roster is overkill. ridgway, ohman, ring, and gonzalez on the roster together is overkill. bobby has never been “stupider”.
A win here and it is not a bad trip. Especially if the Phillies lose too!
June 19th, 2008 at 9:16 amCan we please get back to .500? Please?
June 19th, 2008 at 9:19 amSeriously, the “road blues.” When was the last time we saw them? Was it really Chicago?
June 19th, 2008 at 9:38 amI’m happy with the way this team is playing.
Not really.
June 19th, 2008 at 9:45 amSmitty, Phillies don’t play today, but a win and we are an even 5 back.
June 19th, 2008 at 9:46 amNeither do the Mets.
June 19th, 2008 at 9:47 amBig game today, especially for this team’s mental state. Winning the last 2 series of the trip against decent to good competition may help put the road woes to bed, and provide a good springboard into a couple of winnable home series.
It’s a lot to put on young Morton, but if the offense can help him out and score 5-6 runs I feel good about our chances. Hopefully I can get home to watch Morton pitch since I missed the game on Saturday.
June 19th, 2008 at 9:48 amI was at the game last night (a belated Father’s day gift). Chipper’s first inning blast was absolutely fun to watch, especially as the chop broke out shortly afterward in the home run porch area of the Arlington stadium. The three run outburst was also satisfying, as so many Ranger fans got up and left. I always enjoy demoralizing the enemy.
But to get back to the brief discussion about Jo-Jo. His outing, I think, was really promising. He clearly was struggling with his control (you only need look at 4 walks against 3 strikeouts and the number of balls to strikes). And yet, he managed the game effectively. And that’s a big key to being an effective major league pitcher–pitching through not having the best stuff. I’m encouraged about that, though I know it’s early in his career to know really where he’s heading. He might be a good #2 or he might be another HoRam. But for now, he looks promising.
June 19th, 2008 at 10:12 amLet’s hope Teixeira lives up to his absurd Day Night Splits for 2008 this afternoon. In 2008 his Day game OPS is 1.122 compared to a night game OPS of .629.
June 19th, 2008 at 10:14 amRe last thread chatter on Soriano–the mistake wasn’t the trade (getting a used jock for HoRam was doing well) but signing him to a 2 yr deal worth 10m or so was a roll of the dice.
June 19th, 2008 at 10:20 amThe question is whether it ever makes sense to give big money to a relief pitcher, given how inconsistent they frequently are and prone to injury.
June 19th, 2008 at 10:32 amFrom Willie Randolph:
“I thought he was talking about whacking a couple of my coaches…That’s why I was stunned. I didn’t think it was going to happen…At the time, I felt the way he was talking to me, that I was pretty secure for the time being.” Willie I mean everyone in NY had bets on what day you would be fired and you were stunned? Interesting.
Huge game for the Braves today. Even bigger for Tex and Frenchy. This is beyond ridiculous now.
Soriano is hurt, or at least he better be hurt.
June 19th, 2008 at 10:34 amJeff, I don’t think Jo-Jo’s another HoRam — he has more effective pitches right now, than Horacio ever had, is a better strikeout pitcher, and has a slightly stiffer fastball. I agree with you on his ceiling, that if he continues to develop his fastball and breaking stuff his ceiling is very high indeed, but I think he’s already left the HR comp in the dust, unless he unaccountably decides to start nibbling again.
June 19th, 2008 at 10:39 amHere is a concern: given how badly Hudson has pitched against the AL, who starts teh first game of the World Series?
June 19th, 2008 at 10:39 amMarc, I agree with you in principle, but if you’re wealthy, I don’t see why not. Mariano Rivera, obviously, has earned his money, as has Trevor Hoffman, as did Keith Foulke for quite a long time. I think teams need to do a lot better job of identifying which pitchers are much greater injury risks and then paying them accordingly. Soriano was a mishandled Seattle pitcher, which tells you about all you need to know about his arm.
There are certainly relievers who are fully able to justify being paid outrageous sums of money — there just aren’t many of them. And, as usual, I think there’s almost never a good reason to give a pitcher a contract above 4 guaranteed years. Otherwise, the most important thing you can do is figure out how likely they are to break down.
June 19th, 2008 at 10:44 amMarc,
I was thinking that same thing, but the World Series is so far away, I decided to keep it to myself. The AL figured out Huddy before he left Oakland. I think the future ace of the staff is JJ.
Good idea for Francouer?
“Manuel spent his second afternoon as interim manager working David Wright to near-exhaustion. Roughly 4-1/2 hours before Wednesday night’s first pitch, Manuel rapidly fired balls to the plate during a session that lasted three times longer than a typical early workout by Wright’s estimate. The extra tutoring session’s theme: becoming more selective at the plate.
After beginning the session by having Wright swing at every pitch regardless of location, Manuel had Wright identify the part of the plate where he preferred to hit a pitch. Manuel placed a ball on the plate at that location, then had Wright identify the height of the pitch he preferred. Manuel then returned to behind a protective pitcher’s screen and forced Wright to increase his selectivity by having him swing at pitches only in the zone he identified.
The other early invitee was Brian Schneider, who repeated that process as hitting coach Howard Johnson pitched.
As for the session, Wright concluded: “Jerry wants to be involved offensively, defensively, pitching-wise. So it’s good to hear input from a guy that’s obviously been around the game for awhile. Jerry tries to simplify everything. It’s obviously easier said than done, but his drills work on simplifying the game.”
June 19th, 2008 at 10:45 amWhat’s with the venom against Frenchy? | Mark Bradley
1. Because he sucks.
June 19th, 2008 at 10:47 am2. Because you idiots in the media have joined together with the team to shove “Jeff Francoeur, superstar and face of the franchise” down our throats, even though he sucks.
Well, the yanks would have felt foolish to not keep Rivera around, likewise the Mets with Wagner, or Padres with Hoffman… though it’s tough to know that going into things.
Two years wasn’t too long, and while the price was a bit high it wasn’t TOO high if he doesn’t develop mysterious elbow pain. I sort of think we should give a similar contract to Gonzo (or depending on where he is in his career maybe a longer deal for less per year if we can lock him in).
You have to figure you’re going to have 2-4 starters getting about $8-12+ per year, and if you’ve got three solid relievers getting $3-6 per year each that can make sure the starter’s efforts aren’t wasted (Soriano, Gonzo, Moylan for example) then it’s probably a wise investment for the number of wins it saves.
June 19th, 2008 at 10:48 amWhat really gets me about the Bradley spouting is that this kid has gotten far too much praise and been given far too much rope by the team and the media and when a relative handful of fans point out that he isn’t actually a good player, it’s “poor widdle Jeff”.
June 19th, 2008 at 10:48 am(guess that’s what I get for not refreshing before posting… AAR made my points on the ones who are worth it)
June 19th, 2008 at 10:51 amTex DH’ing today…I would have guessed McCann unless he is catching. Norton to play 1B (shiver!!!).
June 19th, 2008 at 10:58 amFrenchy Sucks!
June 19th, 2008 at 10:58 amThe AL figured out Huddy before he left Oakland.
Hudson’s last year in Oakland (129 ERA+; 4.91 K/9; 2.34 K/BB; 1.26 WHIP; 0.38 HR/9), even accounting for the low K-rate, was better than any season he’s had in the NL. I think we ned to find a different explanation.
June 19th, 2008 at 11:00 amHow dumb is Mark Bradley? We could actually see the Braves on TV in ‘06 and know that Francouer probably had the worse year ever for a guy that hit 29 HR and had 103 RBIs. Give me a break.
June 19th, 2008 at 11:00 amI just realized that we have a chance to pick up some major ground right before the All-Star break. We play Philly (obviously we can pick up games by winning that series), but then it goes downhill really quick – we play Houston, LA, then the Pads. I refuse to be too optimistic, but if there is any opportunity for us to get back into this, that is the time.
June 19th, 2008 at 11:01 amBy contrast, the Phillies play us, then the Mets, Cards, and DBacks.
June 19th, 2008 at 11:03 amWhat is more about Bradley, whom I have always despised… How exactly is what he did in high school relevant? I bet Andres Thomas was good in high school.
June 19th, 2008 at 11:05 amBTW, I skip anything written by Mark Bradley. The guy is an idiot.
June 19th, 2008 at 11:05 amThat could be FJM material.
June 19th, 2008 at 11:06 amMark Bradley probably also thinks Omar Infante should play second everyday instead of Kelly Johnson.
The Braves have the Mariners next. That “should” be an easy series-win for them…but then again so should have those Nationals’ series in April.
June 19th, 2008 at 11:11 amJoshua,
Unfortunately the Cards don’t have Pujols right now andthe Padres are actually better than the D-backs right now. Plus Peavy is back. LA…who knows. Although I do like the Astros match-up. But how it looks on paper means nothing if Tex and Frenchy are still sucking.
Stu,
Maybe I’m getting confused, but I just remember Huddy struggling in the 2nd half in Oakland…
June 19th, 2008 at 11:18 amNot to continue to obsess about this, but seriously… if the fans won’t hold Francoeur accountable, who will? Bobby won’t bench him, Wren won’t call him out for not producing, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen Bobby or TP even criticize his approach in the dugout. Nobody in the AJC will ever write anything other than he’s “slumping” when he’s hitting like he always does. Peanut, of course, is waiting for him to silence his critics. The only one of the announcers who ever says anything critical about a player (though you can tell Jon and Pete are thinking it) is Joe, and all he talks about now that Andruw’s gone is that KJ can’t bunt and shouldn’t hit high in the order.
June 19th, 2008 at 11:18 amTex so far on this road trip – BA .147, OBP .275
June 19th, 2008 at 11:19 amAs for Hudson, if the AL had figured him out in 2004, I don’t really see how that’s relevant to the 2008 Rangers. Michael Young, I think, is the only player from last night who was around when Hudson was an Athletic. The Rangers are a fairly young team and an extremely inexperienced one.
June 19th, 2008 at 11:20 amMac, you should email Mark Bradley with those very questions.
June 19th, 2008 at 11:21 amthis is taken from espn
• After the All-Star break from 2005-07, Teixeira has hit 60 home runs, fourth in baseball. Ryan Howard, David Ortiz and Alex Rodriguez are the only players with more.
• Same time frame, Teixeira has 196 RBIs, second only to Howard’s 199.
• Again, same span, Teixeira is one of only six players to have at least a .300 batting average, 50 home runs and 150 RBIs; besides Howard, Ortiz and A-Rod, Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday have done it. Pretty exclusive — and elite — company, don’t you think?
maybe Tex will turn things around?
June 19th, 2008 at 11:24 amI would except that his email isn’t listed.
June 19th, 2008 at 11:28 amI don’t want to jinx them, but when I read this, the first thing that went through my mind is that only the Braves can make the young Mr. Feldman look like the second coming of Cy Young:
“(Texas) will be handing the ball to Scott Feldman (1-3, 4.84), who is trying for his first win since May 9 against Oakland. The 25-year-old right-hander gave up seven runs in five innings of Friday’s 7-1 road loss to the New York Mets, falling to 0-2 with a 5.35 ERA over his last six starts.”
I hope they bomb this guy and give Morton a chance to gain some more confidence with a solid start.
June 19th, 2008 at 11:29 am“As for Hudson, if the AL had figured him out in 2004, I don’t really see how that’s relevant to the 2008 Rangers. Michael Young, I think, is the only player from last night who was around when Hudson was an Athletic.”
Easy. Pregame meeting. Talks with Michael Young on what Huddy tries to do. I really don’t know, but there has to be a reason why the AL consistently bash Huddy in interleague play.
I believe Tex will hit in the 2nd half….unfortunately we need him to start hitting now.
Once again, Francouer is interviewed after last night’s game. I wonder if Bobby’s hands are tied in the way he can deal with “the future of the franchise”?
June 19th, 2008 at 11:36 amAs per the Soriano thing from the previous thread, I’m wondering why they haven’t given him the super duper MRI they gave Gonzo last year when they found microtears in his elbow that the normal MRI didn’t pick up. Is it possible that Soriano has refused this? It is getting rather evident that the Braves are starting to get fed up with him. They cannot continue to allow him to keep them twisting in the wind like this. I agree that it was a good trade (there’s really no disagreeing with that, actually), but that doesn’t really help us right now, does it?
Also, as far as Mark Bradley, I’ve lived in Atlanta nearly all my life and Bradley has been an AJC columnist ever since I can remember, and I can tell you that I would be shocked if there’s a bigger suck-up in any major city newspaper in the country than Mark Bradley. He is exhibit 1A of what’s wrong with the Atlanta sports media. I’m not sure I’ve ever read an article by Bradley calling out anybody for anything. Now seriously, what kind of self-respecting sports columnist can say that? In fact, I read the Knoxville sports page a fair bit, as a Tennessee fan, and I can tell you that Mark Bradley is a bigger suck-up than half the people who work at that horrible paper.
In any other major city, Francoeur would be getting lit up in the local media, but not here. Here the media rushes to the defense of one of the worst everyday players in the league. And people have come to expect this. If an AJC columnist tries to act like, you know, an actual major city sports columnist (usually either Jeff Schultz or Terence Moore – although Moore is a terrible writer), they get completely trashed because they’re not being a sycophantic suck-up. People then claim that the AJC secretly hates the local teams, which always makes me laugh. People here have no idea what a local sports media (or a local media period, for that matter) should look like.
June 19th, 2008 at 11:39 amHere is how every Frenchy after game interview should go:
Reporter: Jeff, you looked a little lost at the plate tonight and failed to deliver in some key situations, leaving 13 men on base. What happened?
Frenchy: Well, every time I went to plate I told myself to be patient and wait for my pitch, but once I got up there I just started hacking away like a monkey on crack.
June 19th, 2008 at 11:41 amReally? Michael Young can do this, but now National Leaguers like Randy Winn (2005 Mariners), Adam Kennedy (2005 Angels), and Alfonso Soriano (2005 Rangers) cannot? Not to mention the numerous former Athletics who have been dispersed throughout the majors by Billy Beane.
June 19th, 2008 at 11:42 amMac, easy guy I can almost see you frothing at your keyboard. LOL. Who cares if you are correct? I agree that the press is very kind to him. Its almost like HE has the pictures…….OF EVERYONE. But this isn’t the kid’s fault. Its Bobby’s. He decides who plays and who doesn’t. I simply don’t understand why he gets 700 PAs.
And I don’t understand why KJ gets jerked around while Francouer gets to be a sink hole in the teams offense. But again its Bobby. Thats why I personally hold my venom back against the kid. He should be sitting but of course with Diaz and Kotsay on the DL we simply don’t have an alternative but to play him.
On Soriano. It was Bobby’s quote in the AJC that led me to start all that. Very un Bobby like to leave it to the context police to parse his meaning.
June 19th, 2008 at 11:43 amOr… Hudson is 9-5 with a 3.78 career ERA against the Mets, and has had some of his best games against a team that features former American Leaguers Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado, and several others. Is it the uniforms?
June 19th, 2008 at 11:46 amTony, give it up. With the team scouting that goes on these days given your premise every game would be 12 to 10.
June 19th, 2008 at 11:48 amBradley’s article makes me dislike Jeff even more.
June 19th, 2008 at 11:49 am“Really? Michael Young can do this, but now National Leaguers like Randy Winn (2005 Mariners), Adam Kennedy (2005 Angels), and Alfonso Soriano (2005 Rangers) cannot? Not to mention the numerous former Athletics who have been dispersed throughout the majors by Billy Beane.”
Not to dismiss the other guys, but Michael Young is a career .300 hitter and has lifetime avg of .321 against Huddy. Wouldn’t be a bad guy to listen to. I’m not saying that is the sole reason for Huddy struggles against the AL, but I don’t believe we can completely dismiss it.
June 19th, 2008 at 11:51 amYou guys need to lay off Jeff. He’s a local guy who is going to get his 100 ribbies. I don’t see what is so bad about that. It’s not like he’s Andruw Jones.
June 19th, 2008 at 11:51 amOr maybe it’s all mental with Huddy….
June 19th, 2008 at 11:52 amBobby has no other optoins right now Johnny. He could bring someone up to replace him for a while, but at least Frenchy has some kind of track record (a little seasoned). If you want to blame someone, blame Wren for not getting some extra pop in that outfield when it has been apparent for 2 months now that it is a big sink hole.
June 19th, 2008 at 11:54 amOr maybe the American League has stolen his magic beans.
June 19th, 2008 at 11:55 amNot to pile on here, but it seems like the Braves are just being hoist on their own petard re: the Francoeur situation. I know the Braves organization isn’t a sabermetric darling, but I think it is unlikely that they don’t realize that Jeff is not a very good player- I just think that with him being the new face of the franchise, which they have encouraged, that their hands are tied. There are other options available, even within the organization, that could work for the short-term just to sit him down or give him some work in the minors, but I believe Wren and Cox probably feel like they cannot do that given his prominence in the Braves’ advertising, etc. Feels like the Astros with Biggio, once he really declined- it was hard to sit the guy since he was the face of the team. Although in his case, at least he earned that right, rather than just being granted it by fiat…
June 19th, 2008 at 11:55 am@48 – he is exactly Andruw Jones, but without the power and defense (now that is really bad).
June 19th, 2008 at 11:56 amAnd when I say Andruw Jones, I mean Andruw from a year ago – not when he was good.
June 19th, 2008 at 11:58 amNot to beat the point to death, but he is even more like Andruw in that fact that he is too d@mn stubborn to change. Andruw refused to change his approach, and he suffered greatly – as will Frenchy.
June 19th, 2008 at 12:00 pmIn fact, you’re right Mr. Swings. It’s not like he’s Andruw Jones. He’s worse.
June 19th, 2008 at 12:06 pmI don’t blame Wren. Who do you trade for a viable outfielder? We have nothing. In Wren’s defense, EVERYONE projected Francouer to improve and NO ONE projected that Diaz and Kotsay would get hurt.
You are all right there is no alternative but to wait and see if Francouer can start to hit.
June 19th, 2008 at 12:08 pmI think I sensed some sarcasm in that 48 post.
June 19th, 2008 at 12:10 pmYou know what would be funny? If the Braves non-tendered Francoeur this offseason after Francoeur twice turned down a long-term contract similiar to the one Brian McCann got.
June 19th, 2008 at 12:10 pmI projected that Kotsay would get hurt.
June 19th, 2008 at 12:10 pmWho do you trade for a viable outfielder? We have nothing.
Jigga what?
June 19th, 2008 at 12:15 pmSorry I forgot the [/sarcam] tag.
Obviously he’s not Andruw Jones because until last year Andruw Jones looked like a lead pipe cinch for the Hall of Fame. I wouldn’t be surprised if he rebounds and still makes it but for some dumb reason we keep seeing comparisons of the two.
June 19th, 2008 at 12:16 pmI don’t understand what happen between last year and this year. Now to give Frenchy credit, last year he did change his approach by going to right and up the middle, but hit for no power. Over the winter he bulked up to hit more power..now he is not hitting period. Maybe he is just trying to hard.
I still think he is too young to give up on…but the Braves needs to fix it in a hurry before he becomes an Austin Kearns, Cory Snyder, etc.
June 19th, 2008 at 12:24 pmI’m here to stick up for Mark Bradley on these points.
First off, IMO, Mark Bradley is an outstanding sports columnist & always has been. And for basketball, I don’t think there’s a better columnist in all of the South. (Of course, I’m a writer/editor guy who once reported sports & wrote sports columns, so I’m looking at the craft of this as much as the content.)
When you are a sports columnist, the idea is to make a point & substantiate it. It’s not supposed to make everyone happy. Quite the opposite, it’s supposed to make you think & discuss, kinda like what you’re doing right now. Some guys over-do it; I’ve never thought Bradley does.
His take on Frenchy isn’t too terribly different from mine in the sense that he’s a flawed player, but at 24 he still has time to improve. He’s preaching some continued patience, which many of us are losing or have already lost. That’s not an earth-shattering plea, IMO.
What he doesn’t investigate with depth is the legit fear that most of us share here: Frenchy will always be this way and, on a team like this, we just can’t have this kind of drag.
But, if you notice the length of the column, this is probably one of those web-only-let’s-get-site-some-traffic columns—so I’ll not go crazy about that. For now.
Also, if you don’t think that Bradley is paying attention to Frenchy’s level of play, I urge you to re-read his lede. He may be stating the obvious, but he’s hardly putting out a tomahawk-stamped press release.
June 19th, 2008 at 12:28 pmGood explanation about Francoeur, Mac. Cheers. It was exactly what I want to say….
I strongly think Francoeur is the product of wrong marketing by John Schuerholz. I think he is not in slump. He just has tools. No skills. I would never regret it if we trade him. I don’t hate him, just don’t wanna watch that killing the Braves. I believe The pen is stronger than the sword. Let them know.
I believe Tex will hit in the 2nd half….unfortunately we need him to start hitting now.
Yes exactly. Normally TRex was a slow starter and Just remember he was a 2nd half guy, though.
June 19th, 2008 at 12:28 pmdoes bobby not understand how to use a dh. if mccann is resting, bobby, he can dh. what is the matter with this guy?
June 19th, 2008 at 12:34 pmwell the 1/2 season McLaren, and his Ozzie guillen impression, project didnt last very long did it? I guess the new GM is really trying to change things out there. They should really rebuild that franchise. I think Ichiro would look great in an ATL uniform, and no I’m not suggesting it so lets dont get all crazy here. Just a pipe dream
June 19th, 2008 at 12:45 pmFrancoeur is hitting seventh!
But worthless Corky is in the lineup. So much for Campillo’s personal catcher (will Corky starter next time Campillo pitches too?)
June 19th, 2008 at 12:49 pmI think that Tex will end up with a productive year–but not what the Braves had the right to expect. He is 28 and ought to be at or near his peak.
It probably does not mean anything, but the scary thing to me is that Tex seems to have gotten worse sense coming to Atlanta. Andruw declined dramatically and I can only wonder why this happens….
June 19th, 2008 at 12:51 pmHis take on Frenchy isn’t too terribly different from mine in the sense that he’s a flawed player, but at 24 he still has time to improve.
Maybe he does, but let him improve at Richmond. RF is the second best offensive position on the field behind first. We have flushed that position down the toilet three straight years. For a team allegedly trying to win now, that is crazy stupid. Like most I am puzzled by the absolutely loyalty and lack of accountability Jeff is extended by this organization.
June 19th, 2008 at 12:52 pmI guess Adam Dunn is not going to the Blue Jays.
From Blue Jays GM Riccardi:
“Let me ask you something. What do you know about Adam Dunn?…He’s a lifetime .230, .240 hitter that strikes out a ton and hits homeruns. Do you know that the guy really doesn’t like baseball all that much?…Do you know that the guy doesn’t have a passion to play the game that much? How much do you know about the player? There is a reason why you’re attracted to some players and there’s a reason why you’re not attracted to some players. I don’t think you’d be very happy if we brought Adam Dunn here.”
I guess that settles that.
June 19th, 2008 at 12:54 pmOh, and frankly I think AAA pitching would eat Frenchy alive.
June 19th, 2008 at 12:54 pmFrom “Hey Bill”… Can’t wait for the article.
June 19th, 2008 at 12:54 pmJoe Simpson’s dream has come true…today’s lineup:
G. Blanco cf
Y. Escobar ss 0
C. Jones 3b
M. Teixeira dh 0
K. Johnson 2b
G. Norton 1b 0
J. Francoeur rf
B. Jones lf
C. Miller c
Francoeur in the seven-hole could be permanent against right handed pitchers if this Blanco leadoff thing is not a one-night stand.
June 19th, 2008 at 12:55 pmThe bottom line on Frenchy is he is never going to amount to anything but a mistake hitter unless he gets a better command of the strike zone. If he’s not swinging wildly at junk off the plate and in his eyes, he sits and looks at pitches right down the middle.
I think he can probably get by, hit around .260 and get a jack every now and then, but until he starts swinging at strikes and laying off balls more consistently, he will be what he is. I’m personally shocked he hasn’t really improved that much, considering he seems like a somewhat bright person. How can he sit there and watch KJ, Chipper and McCann have good AB’s time after time and not have it rub off a bit?
June 19th, 2008 at 12:56 pmryan–I’m Glad Cox is not having McCann catch an afternoon game in Texas but I agree that the smart play would be having McC DH to keep his bat in the lineup.
June 19th, 2008 at 12:56 pmRiccardi is over qualified for a job in the Reds broadcast booth. Nobody hates their own players more than the Reds announcers.
June 19th, 2008 at 12:57 pmI would get a mad at the line-up, but it is a day game after a night game…so McCann has to sit. And no he can’t DH b/c if Miller gets hurt…McCann will have to catch and the Braves would lose the DH.
Expect big things from KJ out of the 5 hole.
June 19th, 2008 at 12:58 pmI’m not too excited about Norton and Corky in the same lineup, but at least Bradley is not starting for the Rangers.
June 19th, 2008 at 12:58 pmI take it I am not alone in the sentiment that I would much rather have a baseball-indifferent Adam Dunn than a hyper-baseball-loving Jeff Francoeur.
June 19th, 2008 at 12:59 pmbetter to keep McCann’s bat in the lineup and bear the small risk of losing the DH–Cox could always ph for the pitcher
plus a pitcher hitting would actually be an upgrade over Corky
June 19th, 2008 at 1:01 pmAnd no he can’t DH b/c if Miller gets hurt…McCann will have to catch and the Braves would lose the DH.
So losing the DH is worse than losing 4-5 McCann ABs? Given that our DH rotation consists of Norton, Infante, and Miller, I think you are mistaken.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:02 pmI dunno. WTH. Blanco’s strength is getting on base. Why not?
Ububba, I dunno about that Bradley. Shouldn’t he be calling Bobby out for playing Frenchy instead of writing yet another ‘lets be patient, he is only 24 column?
June 19th, 2008 at 1:06 pmI like this lineup, except for the whole Corky part. I’m anxious to see how this works out.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:08 pm“Riccardi is over qualified for a job in the Reds broadcast booth. Nobody hates their own players more than the Reds announcers.”
Agreed. Marty Brenneman can be brutal, but I like listening to him.
I think it’s good to give McCann a complete day off.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:09 pmI refuse to listen, did Joe give credit for Yunel’s hit to him batting second?
June 19th, 2008 at 1:10 pmChip Caray: ‘As soon as he gets to .400, he gets a hit!’
Right after that, 2 outs.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:11 pmPut me down in the ‘I like this lineup’ campaign. Hope Bobby uses this lineup when BMac is back in there (Of course moving him to the 5 spot and dropping KJ to the 6 spot).
June 19th, 2008 at 1:11 pmWhat a way to start….
June 19th, 2008 at 1:11 pmThis is proof that Bradley doesn’t even use his press privileges to go to Braves games. No player gets more cheers than Francoeur. It’s not even close.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:13 pmDid Hamilton make a great catch? Did Yunel make a mistake by trying for third?
June 19th, 2008 at 1:14 pmA) sound the alarm. Chipper is under .400
June 19th, 2008 at 1:19 pmB) The two games I’ve been to this season the cheering was ALL about Chipper and not so much for anybody else (including Frenchy).
ububba,
The issue about the Bradley column isn’t so much that he is defending Francoeur as a player as that he seemingly wants Frenchy to be immune from any criticism. In most places, as others have pointed out, Frenchy would be booed off the field; in Atlanta, he is more popular than a .400 hitter and, as Mac points out, everyone seemingly treats
his struggles as just a slump when it’s actually reflective of the kind of hitter he is.
I don’t think the “he’s only 24 so give him time” defense works. In fact, he is finishing his third full season in the majors. Regardless of age, most hitters have figured it out by their third year. And most good hitters have figured it out by 24. Of course, the question is what are the expectations for Frenchy; if being a league average RF with some power is enough, then he might be that. But it seems unlikely at this point that he is going to be an outstanding player.
As for why the Braves stick with him, one thing is that organizations hate to admit they made a mistake with their number one draft pick. Frenchy got so much publicity and hype even before he got to Atlanta that it would be rather embarrassing to admit he was a bust, especially given his popularity.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:20 pmOur cleanup hitter has 25 XBH (total) this year. That is absolutely horrid.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:20 pmEspecially, Joshua, when you consider the fact that the catcher, who doesn’t even play every day, has nearly that many doubles alone.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:22 pmThere is honestly no doubt in my mind, JC, that the locals would be more upset if we were to trade or otherwise get rid of Francoeur than they would be if we were to decide that we were selling this year and traded Chipper. Absolutely no doubt in my mind.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:23 pmTex woulda had it.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:25 pmChipper is below .400–let’s trade him.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:27 pmDon’t worry…Chipper will get hot again.
25 xbh is sad for the clean-up hitter. Wow. I didn’t realize it was that bad.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:31 pmDamn….
June 19th, 2008 at 1:38 pmBrandon Jones appears to be a better hitter than Jeff Francoeur.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:39 pm2 on and Corky up! A dream come true!
June 19th, 2008 at 1:39 pmI’m totally okay with that.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:40 pmAtta boy Frenchy.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:40 pmMarc,
Disagree about the number one draft pick thing. In baseball screwing up your #1 draft pick isn’t nearly as embarrasing as it is in football or basketball. Bobby sticks with him this season for one reason. He doesn’t have anyone else to play right field AND they are still waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting for him to break out of his season long funk. The Braves aren’t a stats oriented team if they even pay attention to stat analysis at all. They are a scouting oriented organization where athleticism and how you look playing the game is more highly regarded. Lets face it this methodology has served them well. I am sure that because Francouer is so athletic….great arm, terrific bat speed, fast runner and all that he is getting a way longer leash than KJ, a better baseball player in my estimation has ever had.
Again I’m not a Marc Bradley hater but if he were really a columnist he would be askng the 64 million dollar question. Why is Jeff Francouer the face of the franchise and why does he play 160 games a year?
June 19th, 2008 at 1:40 pmCorky Miller….no words.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:41 pmHow inevitable was that? Corky sucks.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:41 pmSo I understand that the trend in Tex’s career is that he starts slow and heats up in the 2nd half. Seems like there are a number of players that do particularly well in one half and not the other.
Performing well in the first half and then tailing off seems easy to explain as you get worn down by the season.
But how does one account for heating up months after the season has started? It’s not cold anymore after the first few weeks in April. Is it psychological?
June 19th, 2008 at 1:41 pmI see Corky up, I say to myself “just don’t hit into a double play”, he hits into a double play… but at least a run scores I guess… sheesh.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:41 pmI’m just glad we got a run. Also, nice AB by Blanco, let’s see if Yunel can get another hit.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:43 pmSalty learned that throw in our organization. I’ve seen that one a few times.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:44 pmThat’s an Atlanta RBI.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:44 pmHey, wasn’t Salty supposed to have a good arm? Nice play by Gregor.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:44 pmHehe, I love it. Nice job all around.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:45 pmChipper sucks.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:46 pmChipper delenda est.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:46 pmUnbelievable. First pitch swinging after two walks. Dumb play by a smart player.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:46 pmDoes anyone like research? Can someone find a worse semi-regular on any team than Corky Miller?
June 19th, 2008 at 1:47 pmAgreed, Robert. That was Frenchy levels of dumb.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:47 pmWatching Salty is making me feel a bit better about the trade for Tex. Now, if Tex would start hitting….
June 19th, 2008 at 1:47 pmMariners fire McLaren, the legendary Jim Riggleman will manage the team in Atlanta.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:48 pmThat’s kind of weird timing — they fire the GM a few days before firing the manager? Why not just sack them at the same time?
June 19th, 2008 at 1:50 pmJim Riggleman? Man, old managers never die they just find suckier teams.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:50 pmYea that was dumb Chipper…please don’t stress that .400 and start getting Francouer on us.
C. Shorter…the reason for slow start is a mystery. Is it psychological? Are they not in baseball shape? Don’t they see live pitching in spring training? I don’t think there is an excuse…
June 19th, 2008 at 1:51 pmWorst hitters in baseball (RC/27, min. 25 PA).
June 19th, 2008 at 1:52 pmI’m so dissolutioned when Chipper goes 0′fer and hits into double plays. When I spend the morning doing the math to see how long I I’d think he’d need to play to hit 500 home runs and 3000 hits I just don’t see him as mortal anymore.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:52 pmSo, Corky is the fourth-worst hitter in baseball, including many pitchers, and he can’t throw.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:53 pmLet’s not forget that Chipper was hitting well over .400 with a lot of first pitch swings. If I recall he was seeing some of the fewest pitches of anybody in the NL for a while this season simple because he was following the old Pete Rose adage: “See the ball, hit the ball” and he’s been seeing it quite well so he hasn’t been arbitrarily holding off on swinging when they give him a pitch he thinks he can hit well. Now he may still be a bit fuzzy in the eyes because of the ball to the face still, but the guy hitting near .400 gets some leeway for knowing which pitches he should be swinging at… not so much the kid hitting .250.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:54 pmTwice the publicity to say to fans “we’re sorry.”
June 19th, 2008 at 1:54 pmNice job getting out of that inning by Charlie.
Chipper won’t get 500 HRs and 3000 hits. But he won’t need them to get into the Hall. People are already talking about him this year as being close to inevitable, and a couple more years should cement it.
Also, apparently everyone hates Tony Bernazard. That your perception too, Ububba?
June 19th, 2008 at 1:56 pmRiggleman was the bench coach. Except on the Braves, bench coaches are almost all former (that is, failed) managers.
ESPN – Mariners fire McLaren; bench coach Riggleman takes over – MLB
June 19th, 2008 at 1:56 pmIsn’t the current GM in Seattle the interim GM until they find someone permanent? Does that mean he won’t make any moves? Wouldn’t the organization want the permanent GM to be leading the sale?
June 19th, 2008 at 1:59 pmMarte is below Corky on that list. No wonder the Indians recently signed Morgan Ensberg.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:00 pmTex hit a double just to try and silence his XBH critics.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:00 pmAm I wrong, or have the Braves actually stolen multiple bases in this game? I didn’t know they were allowed to steal ANY bases, let alone more than one.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:01 pmStealing bases successfully and getting hits with RISP? What team is this?
June 19th, 2008 at 2:01 pmDO NOT STRIKE OUT, JEFF.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:02 pmGood to see Kelly be productive. I too am shocked by all this base stealing. Don’t the Braves know you’re only allowed to advance bases on hits?!
June 19th, 2008 at 2:02 pmand Norton even moved the runner over, setting the stage for ….
a pop up from Frenchy.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:02 pmAndy Marte is on that worse hitters list also. Talking about a bust….
KJ will have a huge day…as I stated earlier.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:03 pmThat list has the worst players at the top. So while Marte is bad, he is not as bad as Corky.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:03 pmWow he sucks
June 19th, 2008 at 2:03 pmFreakin’ Francoeur!
All you have to do is bring the runner home from third!
Ugh!
June 19th, 2008 at 2:04 pmHeh. So far, we’ve gotten two out of three runners in scoring position with fewer than two outs in today. So I’m feeling pretty good about that.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:04 pmI can always dream AAR.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:04 pmAhhhh that’s the team I remember. Thought it was bizarro day there for a second.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:04 pmNormally Frenchy strikes out in that situation….
June 19th, 2008 at 2:05 pmBJ don’t be influenced by Frenchy. Watch Escobar or KJ at-bats. Patience, Patience, Patience.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:05 pmWe should note that the Braves have been getting these stolen bases off of Saltalamacchia, and there’s a good chance they know things about him that he doesn’t know himself.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:05 pmCorky = 471
Marte = 484
TP, Jr = 481
June 19th, 2008 at 2:06 pmWhen Francoeur gets a hit, it’s a nice job by him. When he fails, it’s the team doing the failing. I get it.
Lando is definitely in the target audience for the Braves’ recent advertising campaigns.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:07 pmGlad Morton kept Hamilton in the park.
I fear we will regret that Frenchy popup later. At least, he walked and scored the first run on the strength of the Corky GIDP.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:10 pmAnyone know the pitch count on Morton?
June 19th, 2008 at 2:11 pmBoy, Morton’s fastball velocity sure does oscillate quite a bit. Or is he throwing a 4-seamer and a 2-seamer?
June 19th, 2008 at 2:12 pm58 through Byrd’s AB there, Lando.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:12 pmLeave it to Frenchy to not get the runner home from 3rd with less than 2 out.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:13 pm59, according to Sportsline.
Feldman at 60.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:13 pmNow 61 pitches through four, and he survived another Josh Hamilton AB.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:13 pmStu, Morton has a four seamer and two seamer. I think you could say he has five pitches.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:14 pmDoes Morton usually a ground ball pitcher? He sure is getting alot of GB outs.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:16 pm*Is – sorry bout that.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:17 pmJoshua, Morton’s GO/AO ratio in AAA this year was 1.57, so I’d say the answer is probably yes.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:19 pmChipper has dipped below .400 and Corky is about to dip below .100.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:19 pmoff topic: Bill James just posted a new article on BJOL that has a big quote from Mac as the lead in.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:23 pmI know BMAC is out of shape…but he is not sloppy fat like this Corky guy. He must be on the Bartolo Colon diet…This guy is becoming an embarassment.
Charlie O’Brien, Eddie Perez, hell even Bruce Benedict can contribute more than this guy.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:24 pmI like Gregor. He’s seeing 4.06 pitches per plate appearance, you know, which would put him 29th in MLB (18th in the NL) in that category.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:24 pm*If he had enough PAs to qualify, that is.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:24 pmCharlie is pounding the hell out of the strike zone. 70 pitches, 44 of them strikes. I guess he’s figured out how to fix those control problems he used to suffer from.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:25 pmAh, Mort, don’t walk the #9 hitter.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:26 pmAnd, naturally, when I say that, he walks the next two guys. So I’m an idiot.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:29 pm70 pitches, 44 of them strikes.
Ignoring for the moment that you jinxed him…that’s not really all that great a ratio, is it? I mean, it’s obviously not terrible (and, as you note, an improvement over his historical minor league struggles), but I thought one had to get into the 2:1 strikes:balls territory before it became noteworthy.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:29 pmYeah, Blanco is quickly shooting up the list of my favorite Braves players.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:29 pmReading the posts of the Frenchy apologists in the comments of that AJC article is nothing short of hilarious.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:29 pmAAR, why would you point that out? now he’s walked two guys… sheesh.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:30 pmRamon Vazquez has a great mustache in his gameday photo.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:30 pmOne of those tools actually blamed the “lack of love shown him by the fans” for his lack of production.
My head exploded.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:30 pmWhat was that, AAR? LOL, j/k – he was pounding that strike zone before you said anything.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:30 pmWell, when I started writing it, it was 68:44, and 66:44 is obviously the exact 3:2 ratio.
But that, as they say, has been overtaken by the facts, and now we all know that I’m an idiot.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:33 pmPlease walk Hamilton…
June 19th, 2008 at 2:33 pmI’m fairly certain that any loss of control this inning is on Morton, not AAR.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:33 pmNah, AAR is our scapegoat for now.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:34 pmGood job Mort.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:34 pmWell… that ended better than it could’ve been.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:35 pmWell, that could have been worse. Morton’s thrown 86 pitches, but you have to pull him now, right?
June 19th, 2008 at 2:35 pmAnd apparently Texas is watching Atlanta game tape for how to screw up a bases loaded situation.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:35 pmOnly gave up one run, nice damage control.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:35 pmWhew. Will Morton come out for the 6th? I’d let him.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:36 pmI would pull Morton, the walks may be a sign of tiring, and why not get him out with a chance to win (at worst a ND), let him end on a high note and build his confidence? That’s my thought.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:37 pmMorton looks like the real deal–not every rookie pitcher would have been able to limit the damage so well….
June 19th, 2008 at 2:37 pmSo…Chipper has officially cooled off.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:37 pm1st pitch swinging again for Chipper??
June 19th, 2008 at 2:37 pmAnd then Chipper grounds out again… as he IS super human I can only assume he’s trying to not dominate the team’s offense so they don’t use him as a crutch.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:37 pmMort’s done a good job on the bottom half of the Texas order so far — no hits from the 5-9 hitters. So I’d send him out, but if he starts walking more people, yank him sooner rather than later.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:38 pm@184 I say leave him in, but I’m basing that on nothing at all.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:38 pmway to go Markkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk
June 19th, 2008 at 2:38 pmTex called out on strikes? Shocker.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:38 pmTex sucks.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:38 pmI know it’s because they’re doing well now and Davies/HoRam/James suck, but I feel that the trio of Jurrjens, Morton, Reyes has a much better long term prognosis than I felt about the previous three.
How does anyone else feel long term?
June 19th, 2008 at 2:38 pmI still think that Tex has Frenchy’s disease…
June 19th, 2008 at 2:38 pmI would let Mort go one more inning, but I don’t want him facing the top of the order again.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:39 pm#198–Agreed.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:39 pmyeah Kelly!!!!
June 19th, 2008 at 2:40 pmI’d have somebody ready to go, but let him come back out for the next inning if he wants to.
and to Ethan’s question I do feel a bit better about them, though I still have hope that James will re-become a workable #5 member of the rotation
June 19th, 2008 at 2:41 pmWell, Norton still sucks.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:42 pmNorton is the gift that keeps on giving.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:42 pmYou suck, Norton.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:43 pmI am agree with an early poster who said tha the Braves will regret not getting the run in from third when they had the chance a few innings ago.
I hope Morton gets to pitch another inning. He should be able…
June 19th, 2008 at 2:44 pmJudging from everyone else’s comments, I must have a quick hook!
June 19th, 2008 at 2:45 pmI promised a big day for KJ…wish others would join.
Wait this guy has a 4.91 ERA and has held the Braves to 2 runs through 6 innings? In Arlington?
Does anyone know the timetable for Prado?
This is becoming serious with Corky Miller. Especially since a lot of key guys aren’t hitting.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:45 pmSo, Corky can’t field bunts either.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:45 pm@203 – with the way Campillo is pitching – he will be our #5 starter.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:45 pmThink it’s time to yank Morton. He’s pitched well, don’t let him ruin it.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:46 pmI love the make-up of Jurrens. He has future ACE, stud written all over him.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:47 pmRidgway and Acosta warming up…now we have the game in hand….
June 19th, 2008 at 2:47 pmI promised a big day for KJ…
I wish your powers were more reliable, Tony. I recall you promising a slump-busting performance from Francoeur yesterday, too.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:47 pmGood timing on the hook here.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:47 pmOkay, pull him.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:47 pmMeh. Decent outing, but he really seemed to lose it in the 5th/6th with all of the walks.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:48 pmA) yank Morton, get him out before he hurts his own psyche
June 19th, 2008 at 2:48 pmB) @211… forgot about him… hopefully we can hold onto them all for the time being to see who pans out and then maybe trade somebody for a bat or something.
Death by 1000 cuts.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:49 pmRidgway, huh?
June 19th, 2008 at 2:49 pmWhy Ridgway over Ring here? Sigh.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:49 pmAAR really did ruin Morton, didn’t he?
June 19th, 2008 at 2:49 pm@215, it’s not so much that the powers aren’t reliable, they’re just not strong enough to overcome certain things.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:49 pmRidgway must be the one with the pictures–Cox has stars in his eyes
June 19th, 2008 at 2:50 pmWOW. Prince Fielder hit an inside the park homerun an inning ago. It stuck under the padding in RF and Alex Rios acted like time should be called instead of getting the ball.
Prince hit one last year off of a speaker in minnesota.
That’s just crazy. Who had Prince Fielder in the hit an inside-the-park homerun in consecutive seasons sweepstakes?
June 19th, 2008 at 2:50 pmStu, I take full responsibility, unless we lose, in which case I blame Francoeur.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:50 pmI hate Ridgway.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:51 pmI do not understand how Ridgway so quickly earned Bobby’s trust, while Phil Stockman, the obviously better pitcher, cannot get a decent shot.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:51 pmAnd, boy, do I love giving up 3-run homers on 0-2 pitches.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:52 pmI blame Francoeur.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:52 pmI hate Ridgway.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:53 pm“I wish your powers were more reliable, Tony. I recall you promising a slump-busting performance from Francoeur yesterday, too.”
Well he got on base yesterday. We are talking about Francouer. Can’t expect the impossible.
“Ridgway, huh?”
Damn Bobby Cox…now Morton stands to lose it.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:53 pmStockman would have gotten them 1-2-3.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:53 pmMy dodgers fan roommate were talking and we both think we’re fleecing the other. Granted Hudson is proven, but still…
Hudson and Teixeira for Kemp Kershaw and Loney?
June 19th, 2008 at 2:53 pmThat is some spectacular managing there. Bring in a scrub reliever that is holding down Stockman’s place in order to pitch to a guy who is ordered to bunt that can’t get it down who then hit’s a 3 run homer on the 0-2 count. MANAGEMENT!
June 19th, 2008 at 2:53 pm“I tried pacifism once. Not in ‘Nam, of course.”
June 19th, 2008 at 2:54 pmWOW, I think everyone saw that coming. You could have picked up anyone out of that bullpen (hell, maybe even the field) and it would have been a better choice than Ridgeway.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:54 pmMore stellar bullpen management by Bobby Cox. My goodness–why does it take until mid-summer every year to get decent guys in supplementary roles? The Braves almost seem to enjoy the handicap of terrible middle relievers and horrible backup infielders. Sigh.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:54 pmIf he has to bring in a left-hander and wants to save Ohman for later, why not use Ring? Duh. I hope Bobby realizes he made a dumbass decision by keeping Ridgway.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:55 pmThere’s a silver lining, though: according to Houston Astros manager Cecil Cooper, home runs are “rally-killers.”
June 19th, 2008 at 2:55 pmWhy the hell would you bring in Ridgway in that spot and not Ohman or Ring. Bobby’s incompetence costs us another game.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:56 pmI wonder what baseball would be like if the whole sport weren’t run primarily by morons.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:57 pmOne run game, two men on base, switch hitter coming up. Great time to bring in the absolute worst pitcher on the staff. The fact that he is even on the roster is completely mind-boggling. He must give reacharounds.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:57 pmRidgway truly sucks–and we traded not one, but two players to get him…Morton deserved a better fate, but then as a Braves starter this is part of his role…
The way we are hitting we will be lucky to make this a one run game…
June 19th, 2008 at 2:57 pmWho is your least favorite Jeff?
June 19th, 2008 at 2:57 pmWell, our offense needs to get to work, they’re at fault so far as well.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:57 pmI’m still calling for Bobby to be relieved of managerial duties.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:57 pmIf the Braves can’t come back and win this game…it would mean they would have lost 2 of 3 games to the team with the worst pitching staff in all of baseball.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/stats/aggregate?statType=pitching&group=9
Terry Pendleton…you are on the clock. Although he is not the one putting Norton and Miller on the field.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:58 pmGoldblum, probably.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:58 pmWhy would you want to save Ohman for later? It was the biggest spot of the game, in the 6TH INNING. Hmm, yeah, I’ll bring in my least reliable left hander.
My god he is a moron.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:58 pmWill the relief ace concept ever make a comeback?
June 19th, 2008 at 2:59 pmThe guy had a 1.70 WHIP in AAA. What about him screams “major league pitcher?”
June 19th, 2008 at 3:00 pmRelax, at least we have Francoeur leading off.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:01 pmOh, but everything is ok now guys – we have Frenchy and Miller coming to bat for us this inning!!! I feel bad for Jones having to hit b/w them (how is he supposed to learn anything).
June 19th, 2008 at 3:01 pmJinx!
June 19th, 2008 at 3:02 pmThat was a dumb ass move by Cox…..maybe he is shock b/c Chipper is under .400.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:03 pmMaybe we’ll non-tender Francoeur.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:03 pmGood call Parish.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:03 pmStu, that hurts. I like Jeff Goldblum.
My favorite Jeff is probably Joey Ramone, though.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:05 pmWhy wouldn’t you PH for Miller there?
June 19th, 2008 at 3:07 pm“…I feel bad for Jones having to hit b/w them (how is he supposed to learn anything).”
Joshua,
I was just thinking the exact same thing. Just setting the man up for failure.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:07 pmMy least favorite Jeff is Jeffy from Family Circus, though Francoeur is getting there and is almost as dumb.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:08 pmWith 2 outs Jeremy, I wouldn’t have PH for him. I’d do it in the 9th though – his spot will almost have to come up if we are to tie or win this game.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:09 pmhas anyone every found out why Bryan Pena was not kept instead of Porky? my mother-in-law would as good and she’d play for less.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:10 pmYou could combine Norton’s and Miller’s OPS+ and still wouldn’t hit 60.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:10 pmI am hopeful that Corky will get two more at bats this game, and fail both times to drop below .100. If he can do it in the next two innings, that would be good.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:11 pmWere people aware that Chris Resop is pitching for Richmond? I assumed he was gone for good. I don’t know why I assumed anyone else wanted him.
Hey, remember wun? LOL?
June 19th, 2008 at 3:11 pmAcosta’s going to make sure the game gets out of reach.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:12 pmIt’s out of reach now braves14 – somehow this team seems to make every NOBODY look like the Cy Young winner. It’s rediculous how often we do this.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:14 pmNow he brings in Ring.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:15 pmHey, a Ring sighting.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:16 pmDid anybody know that the RockinChrome theme for the Bravesjournal blog was designed by Cory Miller? Any relation?
June 19th, 2008 at 3:17 pmYaaaaaaaaaaaaaay KELLY!
June 19th, 2008 at 3:17 pmSo that should have been a double play.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:18 pmI love the way this team plays flawless baseball.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:20 pmMy least favorite Jeff is Jeffy from Family Circus..
Okay, yes. I agree with that.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:21 pmWhat other manager could use 5 pitchers through 7 innings of 4 run ball. That is crazy. It’s not like they’ve scored 9 or 10.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:21 pm5th pitcher in less than two innings. What do you guys want to bet this game goes extras?
June 19th, 2008 at 3:21 pmTop of the order coming up. Need to get at least one this inning.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:22 pmIf it goes extras, Bennett can pitch multiple innings. And do we still have Carlyle??? If we do, he can go a few as well.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:23 pmI kind of like Jeff Foxworthy and Jeff Bridges.
Jeffrey Dahmer would be pretty low on the list.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:26 pmWe’ll worry about extra innings after we score 2 runs.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:26 pm“Top of the order coming up. Need to get at least one this inning.”
And then get the rest with the bottom of the order?…we better get three this inning.
Pls walk Blanco…
June 19th, 2008 at 3:26 pmYeah! Make’em work.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:27 pmGood battling by Blanco….hopefully he can get on and get a rally going.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:27 pmHee hee – Blanco.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:28 pmThat’s 8 straight foul balls by Blanco.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:28 pmFrancoer doesn’t see that many pitches in 2 games. Learn something you chump.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:28 pmAnd Pete makes a Luke Appling reference to describe Blanco’s at-bat.
That’s 10 straight foul balls.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:29 pmnice delay…must be getting hot on the field
June 19th, 2008 at 3:29 pmThat was not a strike.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:29 pmHoly sh…14 ptiches and then he takes strike 3. Ouch…
June 19th, 2008 at 3:29 pmThat sounded like ball 4 to me.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:30 pmNot wtching. What was the 15 pitch Blanco at bat like? ESPN’s GameCast showed all of those fouls (8?) in a row as in the strike zone and the called third strike.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:30 pmBy the way, can anyone put up some extensive quotes of the Wally Berger piece?
June 19th, 2008 at 3:31 pmBallgame…..
June 19th, 2008 at 3:33 pmGuardado threw nothing but mid-80s fastballs. That was awful.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:33 pmGet the bat off your freaking shoulders.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:33 pmHey ump, give the kid some credit – I think he knows the strike zone getting to 14 pitches.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:33 pmWhat’s with these called 3rd strikes? Wasn’t this guy squeezing the pitchers earlier?
June 19th, 2008 at 3:33 pmUgh.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:33 pmThat was a little low.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:33 pmDang that inning went downhill fast.
No benefit for the 15-pitch at bat.
Will we see Wilson in the 9th?
June 19th, 2008 at 3:34 pmWun, lol
June 19th, 2008 at 3:34 pmIf the ump is going to call that close garbage you’d better be swinging. At least Escobar hit the ball hard.
Hamilton looks like a heckuva smooth ballplayer all the way around.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:35 pmNow that Chipper has hit a cool spot…look for him to go on the DL anytime now.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:37 pmWhat are the chances with Tex and Frenchy coming up that we can get 2 runs in the inning?
June 19th, 2008 at 3:42 pmAAR,
Sorry, didn’t read the link, but Tony Bernazard is indeed the least favorite sports figure in NYC right now. He, apparently, would pass on “private & critical” Randolph evals on certain Met players to those very Met players. He’s getting killed in the press & he should be.
Re: Frenchy
I would like to hear alternatives to Frenchy. I haven’t heard anything yet. If we have someone in the system who’s better, he should be playing, but we don’t yet and so he’s not.
And this “face of the franchise” stuff, I don’t get. There are plenty of mediocre-to-bad players on other clubs that enjoy fan support. Who cares which players are popular? I don’t.
I remember when Wade Boggs went into a slump & a good chunk of Yankee fans thought that playing Charlie Hayes at 3B was the answer. I mean, what do you say to that? Me, I ignore it.
There’s a fundamental disagreement about Frenchy among segments of its fanbase. For the moment, I’m not going to go crazy about it—not until they offer him another long-term contract.
Until then, I’ll hope he bats no higher than 6th & wins a few games for us in the process. I know what he is, but I refuse to be consumed by it. I hope he improves & if he doesn’t, I hope the Braves have the good sense not to hitch their future on him. But that’s another conversation.
I’m out, off to MSG to see REM tonight. Go Braves.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:44 pmDo you run for Teixeira?
June 19th, 2008 at 3:45 pmI hope we score at least one here.
I would hate to waste another road loss without upping our infamous streak.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:45 pmPlease bring in BMac to hit for Norton…
June 19th, 2008 at 3:47 pm@ 311 THAT IS SOME POSITIVE THINKING I CAN GET BEHIND.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:47 pmI wouldn’t, Mac. We might need those guys to pinch-hit. We do have Norton, Frenchy, and Miller coming up.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:48 pmI think Bobby keeps replaying the shot Norton hit in Great American over and over in his head.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:48 pmWhy is Noron hitting instead of McCann?
June 19th, 2008 at 3:49 pmat least we get to keep frenchy in the doghouse. he has a chance to make the last out.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:49 pmHence my sarcasm on 314 – I knew Bobby wouldn’t pinch hit anyone…
June 19th, 2008 at 3:49 pmNow that Chipper has cooled off a little…this offense is beyond shitty.
We were laughing at the Mets and their problems…the Braves will soon be below the Mets.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:50 pmI guess that’s why.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:50 pmNorton!
June 19th, 2008 at 3:50 pmCrud. I thought Norton had homered.
Francoeur, do something right for once this season.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:50 pmso, how will francoeur hit into a double play here?
June 19th, 2008 at 3:50 pmOkay, Gameday says that Norton just doubled. What really happened?
June 19th, 2008 at 3:51 pmIf they ealk Francoeur I will laugh.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:51 pm“I would like to hear alternatives to Frenchy.”
Well, he came into this game with an OPS+ of 89. He can basically be replaced by almost any league-average outfielder, which means that they Braves don’t really need to look internal to replace him.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:51 pmNorton nearly achieving folk hero status again.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:51 pmI’m just going to get this out of the way now:
^&@$* Frenchy! WTF was that?!
June 19th, 2008 at 3:51 pmletting Francoeur hit and having Infante on deck but not using McCann as a ph is insane
June 19th, 2008 at 3:51 pmDamn, Mac, that’s what mine says too.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:51 pmRyan, he will hit a liner and Norton will be caught off second.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:51 pmits true
June 19th, 2008 at 3:51 pmMac, you have got to keep up with the insults on Norton. They work every time – it’s crazy.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:51 pmHe hit it off the left-center wall.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:52 pmHow could Tex not score on the double?
June 19th, 2008 at 3:52 pmhow will franny F this up
June 19th, 2008 at 3:52 pmWTF Infante on deck. Isn’t McCann like our 2nd best hitter? I will not miss you Bobby Cox.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:52 pmIs he pitching around him or is he missing?
June 19th, 2008 at 3:52 pm[Francoeur] will hit a liner…
LOL!
June 19th, 2008 at 3:53 pmTHEY ARE PITCHING AROUND YOU, YOU IDIOT. DON’T SWING.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:53 pmInfield single!
June 19th, 2008 at 3:53 pmgod he is ridiculously lucky.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:53 pmThat’s ma boy!
June 19th, 2008 at 3:53 pmAn infield single. Go figure.
Yesterday, it was a swinging bunt.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:53 pmLet’s see how Frenchy blows this chance.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:53 pmWhat luck.
Come on, just one more. No double plays here, please.
Oh, and if it gets to Corky and McCann doesn’t pinch hit I will join the “fire Bobby” bandwagon.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:53 pmHehe! Sweet.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:53 pmOMG that is grindy.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:53 pmNow we have a one run game….
June 19th, 2008 at 3:54 pmTalk about your proverbial “moment of truth” for Francoeur — let just say that even though he delivered in this at bat (vindication, Mark Bradley!), I’m not going to hold my breath.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:54 pmOr do, I guess. shows what I know.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:54 pmFrenchman
June 19th, 2008 at 3:54 pmhey we finally caught a break
June 19th, 2008 at 3:54 pmYes!
There’s the one run.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:54 pmThat’s just it…absolutely no game awareness. First base open, Wilson was throwing junk up there and yet he couldn’t lay off after getting 2-0.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:54 pmPlease, Infante, don’t hit into a DP.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:54 pmWe’ve still lost 21 straight one run road games correct?
June 19th, 2008 at 3:55 pmUh oh. Is this the dreaded 1 run loss?
June 19th, 2008 at 3:55 pmLet Infante hit. Don’t burn him for Gotay.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:55 pmMan, all we need is a fly ball and Bobby keeps Infante in there. Wouldn’t BMac be the obvious choice here?
June 19th, 2008 at 3:55 pmThe Lemmer just called that a big hit from Francoeur…no comment
June 19th, 2008 at 3:55 pmI almost choked on my popcorn….Norton doubled!!!
Francouer finally….
C’mon Omar….
June 19th, 2008 at 3:56 pmWatch Francoeur get caught stealing.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:56 pmAre they switching pitchers?
June 19th, 2008 at 3:57 pmSac fly. That works
June 19th, 2008 at 3:57 pmInfante again!
June 19th, 2008 at 3:57 pmWatch McCann not get into this game. Bobby has a nasty habit of leaving his best available bat on the bench in close-and-late situations.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:57 pmIt shows how far my confidence in this team has fallen that I see the DP as the expected outcome here.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:57 pmWho called the extra innings earlier? Good call…
June 19th, 2008 at 3:58 pmNever mind. Good piece of hitting.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:58 pmtied
June 19th, 2008 at 3:58 pmNorfante!
June 19th, 2008 at 3:58 pmC’mon, Mac, jack one.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:58 pmHe’s in, Stu. Good things will happen.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:58 pmTime for McCann to put it in the seats and give us a lead.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:58 pmHave you noticed that McCann almost never gets a full day off? He always ends up having to hit for the Hamster. This is a problem.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:59 pmDid Infante just execute some fundamental, SITUATIONAL hitting? What’s wrong with these guys?…….and maybe Bobby still has a little left upstairs, since he sent McCann to the plate.
You think Ron Washington is considering demoting C.J. Wilson from the closer role? Just a thought.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:59 pmSeems Bobby’s approach worked this time.
He stills owes us one for Ridgway.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:59 pmIt’s going to suck when we lose this one.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:01 pmcan anyone judge the guys’ reactions? are they fired up?
June 19th, 2008 at 4:02 pmBoyer still in. Game over.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:02 pmBoyer is still in? Speechless.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:03 pmObviously Bobby didn’t learn anything from last Thursday. Those who do not remember history are doomed to repeat it.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:03 pmOhman’s coming in.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:03 pmAgree. Mac needs a complete day off. Maybe Cox finally sees what a waste a guy hitting .100…and while I’m typing Boyer gives up a leadoff double.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:03 pmToo long for Boyer. Just proven by Kinsler.
Looks like one more one-run loss.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:03 pmthis seems very familiar
June 19th, 2008 at 4:03 pmNow we bring in Ohman, after giving up the double…
June 19th, 2008 at 4:03 pmleadoff double by kinsler
June 19th, 2008 at 4:03 pmOh man, here come ohman
June 19th, 2008 at 4:04 pmwow, all I can say is wow
June 19th, 2008 at 4:04 pmI wish we weren’t so crippled by terrible game management.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:05 pmPop-up bunt! 1 out.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:05 pmAnother pitching change? Ugg.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:06 pmI guess this is why we have 13 pitchers.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:06 pm“Oh man here comes Ohman”
I like that GoBraves….
June 19th, 2008 at 4:06 pm“You can keep doing this only so long Bobby.”
Precious.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:07 pmEven Bobby wouldn’t send up Chris Shelton to pinch-bunt.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:07 pmBennett coming in to pitch to Young.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:07 pmMore pitching changes! Anyone wondering why there are eight relievers, it’s so that Bobby Cox can make three pitching changes an inning–and feel important, I guess.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:07 pmWhy is he pulling Ohman?
June 19th, 2008 at 4:07 pmHaving Stockman here would be nice.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:07 pmI just realize the Braves have the identical record as the Rangers…so I guess we are looking at two very average teams.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:07 pmWith Hamilton on deck no less.
Our manager is completely batshit.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:08 pm396. Thanks, it’s copyrighted now.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:08 pmSo Bennett’s in. That leaves Gonzalez and Carlyle in the ‘pen.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:08 pmPinch bunt…I didn’t know that term existed
June 19th, 2008 at 4:08 pmHeh. Pete just pointed out that we could’ve walked Young and had Ohman in for two more lefties. Which would have been a Good Idea (IMO).
June 19th, 2008 at 4:09 pmHe should have sent Ohman out to left field and then brought him back to face the next 2 lefties!
June 19th, 2008 at 4:09 pmI don’t like this. I feel like Bennett’s been on the mound for three or four Braves’ walkoff losses already this season.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:10 pmInstead, Bennett is going to walk Young anyway and then stay in to face the lefties.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:10 pmThe base runner on second on GameCast looks like a throbbing pus filled pocket.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:10 pmOr just lose it right here.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:10 pmNice.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:10 pmDid he just burn Gonzales?
That’s what GameDay says, but I am sure it is not true. Right?
June 19th, 2008 at 4:10 pmSomehow, I knew Francoeur was going to do that.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:10 pmHeh. Pete just pointed out that we could’ve walked Young and had Ohman in for two more lefties. Which would have been a Good Idea (IMO).
Was just wondering why that didn’t happen…
June 19th, 2008 at 4:10 pmI definately would have left Ohman in there – somebody still has to pitch to Hamilton.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:10 pmNice game Bobby.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:11 pmFuck off, Bobby.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:11 pmthats 22
June 19th, 2008 at 4:11 pmDoes Mark Bradley still wonder why all the hate for Frenchy?
June 19th, 2008 at 4:12 pm#417 – Wow. Just wow. How can Cox miss these basics? I really think he is no longer sharp.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:12 pmSee comment #297
June 19th, 2008 at 4:12 pmWhat a pathetic loss…
June 19th, 2008 at 4:12 pmat least frenchy makes up for his poor offensive performance with gold glove caliber fielding
wait, wait…base hit to left, jeff charging – he’s got a chance! – oh.
nevermind. forget everything i said.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:12 pmI’m happy I hung around the office for that.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:13 pmThat was the worst managed game I’ve seen since…oh, last week.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:13 pmAnyone wondering about the 1-run losses, at some point you have the think ‘luck’ has less to do with it than ‘incompetence.’ I don’t even feel upset anymore.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:13 pmWait, wait! We just broke the record!!!!!
WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
June 19th, 2008 at 4:13 pmHappy points:
We saved Morton from the loss.
We extended our streak of futility
June 19th, 2008 at 4:14 pmThis one-road road thing stopped being “luck” somewhere around the 10th consecutive loss.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:16 pmHappy points:
We saved Morton from the loss.
We extended our streak of futility
And Bobby Cox can’t live forever.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:16 pmI stand corrected. The Rangers now have a better record than the Braves.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:16 pmI’d say it’s the wins in close games (I know there haven’t been many) which have been the lucky ones over the last few years.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:17 pmdoes bobby cox know how to coach for an extra inning game? even if ohman cant pitch to righties (which he’s proven he has), bobby would have burned every one of our relievers, except carlyle, in the 9th inning. that’s just stupid baseball. stockman>bennett. carlyle and bennett on the roster is overkill. ridgway, ohman, ring, and gonzalez on the roster together is overkill. bobby has never been “stupider”.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:19 pmyep, it’s not bad luck when you lose 22 one-run games in a row. bad teams find a way to lose the close ones.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:19 pmI apologize for #432. I should have said “manage” instead of “live.” I went too far.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:19 pmBeyond luck, losing one run games is mostly attributable to
1. bad bullpen
2. bad managing.
It is evident that we are having lots of trouble with 2. That, in turn, is affecting 1.
We need Tony Bernzaard (or whatever) to come fire our manager and hitting coach. If he really wants to fire a few more, then let them go.
This is beyond absurd.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:20 pmYou keep Ridgeway, but send down Stockman….
See comment #420….
June 19th, 2008 at 4:20 pmA one run road loss….that never happens!
What is Boyer’s record now…about 1-9?
Oh yeh, Francoeur sucks. He should had got that runner in from 3rd early in the game too.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:21 pmBobby’s ability to get players to like him = 8
June 19th, 2008 at 4:22 pmBobby’s game management = -3
(Dusty Baker level is -5)
Actually, Stu “live” may be the operative word. That is, as long as Bobby has a pulse, Management will keep him.
Maybe he will still have a contract when he is in the Ted Williams Freeze – O – Rama.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:22 pmStill holding my breath…..
June 19th, 2008 at 4:22 pmAnd Mac, effigies need to be substituted for corpses. The sooner, the better.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:23 pmRecap is up.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:24 pmGreat and when the Braves get back to Atlanta…they to get to face a lefty. Erik Bedard.
Goats:
1) Bobby Cox
2)Jeff Ridgeway
3)Terry Pendleton.
If only to have a different voice…Wren get rid of Pendleton.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:29 pm