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Again, it’s hard to believe that we’re just 5 games behind the Phillies, but that’s where we are. There’s more than enough time for the Braves to win the division, if everyone gets healthy and starts playing the way they have in previous years. (I know what you’ve said about Hope, Mac, but indulge me.)
Agreed–Until the Phillies (or another team)run away with the division or the Braves completely collapse there is every reason to hope for the best. If the Cardinals can win the World Series with 84 regular seasons wins, the Braves can at least stay competitive for awhile….
Between innings late in the game last night, they played Sussudio on the loudspeakers at Turner Field. And then we won the game. Is there anything the music of Phil Collins can’t do?
Awesome about Frenchy not being in the lineup. Too bad Norton is the best alternative. I wonder if it’s because of the injury, or the injury is the excuse Cox is using to do what he should have done many times before – sit Frenchy.
Well, he’s taken Norton out of the middle of the order and Brandon Jones is in the lineup instead of Francoeur. This is pretty much the best lineup that it is possible for us to field with the people we have available at the moment. Only minor quibble is that perhaps Jones should be hitting sixth.
That lineup is as good as you it’s going to get with Chipper and Escobar out. Any time your best hitter (Chipper) and either third or fourth best hitter (Escobar) is out, it’s going to look at least a little ugly.
O’Brien says this was a “scheduled” off-day for Francoeur. I don’t believe. Bobby knows he’s been awful. Put him on the DL with “inability to hit”.
I’m wondering the same thing, Adam M. Though I do have Evan Longoria waiting on the bench. The great thing about Chipper is that he’s a fantasy stud, but you gotta have a back-up 3B. My 3B and CI are pretty solid: A-Rod, Chipper, and Longoria.
Well, there hasn’t been too many weeks this year where I’ve had to make a decision. Longoria didn’t get called up until a couple weeks in, and then A-Rod was injured, Chipper has been injured a bit, and Longoria was in a slump. For all but a couple weeks, it was an easy decision who to start, especially since there are lineup spots for a corner infielder and 3B.
I really blew it with Jair this week. I think he was a two-start pitcher, but I was worried he wouldn’t make his starts, so I sat him. That didn’t turn out too well.
Longoria is .200/.292/.350 in his last six. Hitting around .250 for the month, but his isolated discipline and power are up. Tough decision.
I don’t want to defend TP, but Frenchy apart, this team hits pretty patiently. Silva is a guy you hit or not. You are not going to run the pitch count up on him, as all he does is throw strikes.
Tex? really..Maybe Boras told him Seattle was a possible suitor.
According to Plus/Minus, Teixeira is the eleventh-best defensive first baseman in baseball, while KJ is the 22nd-best second baseman. So yeah, you’re probably right. Yunel and Chipper are by far the team’s best defensive players…
Just a personal thing… Can we not call McCann “Mac”, call him “Heap” or something else? ‘Cause I scan all these comments and it confuses me when my name pops up.
Hah, I know this Mac. I was referencing a spat I had on hear with Bethany last week when I made the exact claim you just made and had Bethany attack me because “she hates him” and “didn’t believe” my stats.
Just for amusement’s sake, selections from Baseball Prospectus:
[T]he shortstop job belongs to Escobar, but it’s not clear he’s good enough to hold it… batting average will be closer to .280… Escobar is not a superior defensive player, either. Brent Lillibridge could pass him by August.
I think you get into sample size issues when you look at any statistic over half a season, but I imagine defensive ones in particular could get pretty exaggerated. Not saying they’re not accurate in this case, but Tex has always had a strong defensive reputation, and IIRC has done well on defensive metrics in the past, so I’d be surprised if he suddenly became mediocre.
Heh. Yeah. I asked Sheehan about it in a chat earlier (indirectly), and he pointed to the slump that Escobar was in at the time. It is accurate that the power numbers aren’t there like you would like from Escobar, but his walk rate is up over last year, so even though he’s taken a BABIP hit, his OBA has improved.
The defense has been fantastic, though, for Escobar, and while he’ll never be a top-teir guy offensively, he’s looking like he should be better than the proverbial “futility infielder”.
We have a chance to take 2 out of 3 from the Mariners–ought to be easy, but it almost seems like an epic struggle.
On the nice side, maybe Lillibridgg (who is from WA) get his first big league hit against Seattle….
June 22nd, 2008 at 9:59 amJJ pitched well despite the total collapse behinf him, and Frenchy got hit in the clutch.
June 22nd, 2008 at 10:03 amSpellcheck is a useful tool.
June 22nd, 2008 at 10:20 amThank you for the lesson in semantics, Coop.
Again, it’s hard to believe that we’re just 5 games behind the Phillies, but that’s where we are. There’s more than enough time for the Braves to win the division, if everyone gets healthy and starts playing the way they have in previous years. (I know what you’ve said about Hope, Mac, but indulge me.)
June 22nd, 2008 at 10:35 amAgreed–Until the Phillies (or another team)run away with the division or the Braves completely collapse there is every reason to hope for the best. If the Cardinals can win the World Series with 84 regular seasons wins, the Braves can at least stay competitive for awhile….
June 22nd, 2008 at 10:39 amThe only “hit” frenchy can get in the clutch is HBP.
Bench-y Frenchy!
June 22nd, 2008 at 10:57 amBetween innings late in the game last night, they played Sussudio on the loudspeakers at Turner Field. And then we won the game. Is there anything the music of Phil Collins can’t do?
June 22nd, 2008 at 11:06 amJeff’s not in the line-up today…
June 22nd, 2008 at 11:08 amBlanco cf
June 22nd, 2008 at 11:09 amInfante ss
KJ 2b
Tex 1b
BMac c
Norton rf
Gotay 3b
Jones lf
Huddy p
Awesome about Frenchy not being in the lineup. Too bad Norton is the best alternative. I wonder if it’s because of the injury, or the injury is the excuse Cox is using to do what he should have done many times before – sit Frenchy.
June 22nd, 2008 at 11:25 amI hope he got injured. He needs to go on the 60 day dl for this team to have a chance.
June 22nd, 2008 at 11:28 amWell, he’s taken Norton out of the middle of the order and Brandon Jones is in the lineup instead of Francoeur. This is pretty much the best lineup that it is possible for us to field with the people we have available at the moment. Only minor quibble is that perhaps Jones should be hitting sixth.
June 22nd, 2008 at 11:30 amThat lineup is as good as you it’s going to get with Chipper and Escobar out. Any time your best hitter (Chipper) and either third or fourth best hitter (Escobar) is out, it’s going to look at least a little ugly.
O’Brien says this was a “scheduled” off-day for Francoeur. I don’t believe. Bobby knows he’s been awful. Put him on the DL with “inability to hit”.
June 22nd, 2008 at 11:38 amIs there any word on Chipper’s availability for next week? I ask for fantasy-related purposes mainly…
June 22nd, 2008 at 11:43 amseriously though 5 of the 8 starters we’re not an opening day starter for us. Silva sucks so why dont we get Huddy some runs, he deserves a win
after last nights game, I had to buy a McCann shirt
June 22nd, 2008 at 11:43 amI’m wondering the same thing, Adam M. Though I do have Evan Longoria waiting on the bench. The great thing about Chipper is that he’s a fantasy stud, but you gotta have a back-up 3B. My 3B and CI are pretty solid: A-Rod, Chipper, and Longoria.
June 22nd, 2008 at 11:54 amThat’s crazy. I have Longoria too and have to make this decision by tomorrow at noon. Anyway, if you have A-Rod that might be a logjam.
June 22nd, 2008 at 11:58 amI love the Braves Live (!) excuse why Frenchy isn’t playing. “It is a schedualed off day for Jeff. He did get hit in the hand and the foot.”
Too bad he didn’t get hit in the head. Frenchy’s head isn’t a vital organ.
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:04 pmSo for three entire years he doesn’t take a day off, and suddenly, the day after getting hit in the hand, he has a scheduled off day. Riiiiiiiiight.
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:07 pmWell, there hasn’t been too many weeks this year where I’ve had to make a decision. Longoria didn’t get called up until a couple weeks in, and then A-Rod was injured, Chipper has been injured a bit, and Longoria was in a slump. For all but a couple weeks, it was an easy decision who to start, especially since there are lineup spots for a corner infielder and 3B.
I really blew it with Jair this week. I think he was a two-start pitcher, but I was worried he wouldn’t make his starts, so I sat him. That didn’t turn out too well.
Longoria is .200/.292/.350 in his last six. Hitting around .250 for the month, but his isolated discipline and power are up. Tough decision.
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:08 pmPut him on the DL with “inability to hit”.
LOL!
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:11 pmI read that we might be in the Ryan Freel market. Thoughts?
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:11 pmI’d pass–the only thing Freel upgrades is the expense of putting a bunch of mediocre players on the field
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:12 pmThat was scary, seeing Jones, LF without Jones , 3B in the lineup card.
And Mac playing the day game after a long night game? Arghh. Stupid Corky.
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:12 pmThoughts?
Well, apparently the Braves don’t have very many.
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:13 pmOur lineup looks so much better without Francoeur in it.
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:13 pmis this site really full of badass tough guys??…….or a bunch of sniveling little weasels rooting for someone to get hurt?
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:16 pmI think McCann will die by the end of July
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:16 pmThanks barrycuda,
I am a bad ass!
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:17 pmBad-ass weasels.
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:17 pmthats about what i figured
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:18 pmActually, I just changed the tagline to “Bad-Ass Weasels.”
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:18 pmBack in the USA. Go Braves!
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:19 pmActually I perfer the term,
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:20 pm“Bad Mother F*#ker”
For the record, I am 100% hulking bad-ass tough guy.
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:22 pmhow does your mother feel about that one Smitty?
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:24 pmI’m more like Samuel L. Jackson than Brent Lillibridge!
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:25 pmol’ Sam L. probably cant hit either.
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:26 pmPllllaaaaaay baaaaall….
(sorry)
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:38 pmHas Tim been topping 90mph in his last couple of starts? Looks to be 89/90 today.
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:40 pmMLB gamecast says BJones is actually in RF w/ Norton in left. If so, I like that arangement even more.
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:43 pmHis velocity is fine. he’s hit 92 on at least 3 fastballst his inning, that’s the norm with 82 changeup, 86 slider….he’s fine.
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:44 pmWhy is Hudson pitching like Atrosta?
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:45 pmI am missing the commentary on MLB.com–is anybody else having the same problem? Since it may be Chip, its actually nice…
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:47 pmJoe continuing to bitch about Ichiro having that on the back of his uniform.
:continues rolling eyes:
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:49 pm9 pitches…nice way to save time…
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:51 pmHell, I remember when Pete Maravich had “Pistol” on his back.
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:53 pmAtrosta…that’s funny
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:57 pmOnce, there were Mariners fans who complained that they had a guy with “Simpson” on the back of his uniform.
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:58 pmnice. burn.
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:59 pmThe Braves, of course, are the franchise that put nicknames on the back of their uniforms.
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:00 pm“Channel 17″
That’s back when Terrible Ted really was kinda nuts, but we loved him for it.
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:01 pmAtta boy tex!
(Bout time.)
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:02 pmScott Boras: “That’s another million!”
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:02 pmTex!
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:03 pmHelluva DP there.
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:07 pmbarrycuda,
My mom is fine with it, but your mother LOVES it.
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:08 pmand smitty throws down the gauntlet.
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:13 pmLooks like teams are realizing that Blanco has about a strong of an arm as Danny Wuerffel.
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:15 pmDouglass,
Throwing down the gauntlet is in the Bad Mother F*#cker code.
I like this Ibanez guy. I wonder what it would take to get him
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:16 pmbraves 14,
I hate Danny Wuerffel, but at least his arm was acurate.
Blanco’s arm is a gun, without rifling and no powder in the shell casing
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:18 pmIt’s an arquebus.
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:19 pmMaybe it is just a super soaker
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:20 pmFrancoeur, of course, has a blunderbuss.
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:22 pmMeanwhile, Hudson has thrown 50 pitches through three, while Silva is looking at maybe the mid-thirties.
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:23 pmMac,
I think you just sumed up our whole season with the pitch count.
I hope TP gets a managerial job this winter
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:26 pmBecause of the two hits, he’s up to 40. Still…
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:28 pmWe are in danger of ending Silva’s streak of bad pitching….Not that I am surprised at this point….
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:28 pmNice play, KJ. You know, he’s probably the team’s best defensive player right now. Scary, huh?
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:32 pmNice DP—Huddy deserves a 6 pitch inning….
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:32 pmTex does it again!
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:34 pm[BORAS]Another million![/BORAS]
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:34 pmAnother million.
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:34 pmI’d say Tex is the best with the glove on the field right now. (I say that without looking at any stats.)
And as I speak, he homers again
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:34 pmMcCann make it back to back!
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:34 pmBack-to-back!
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:35 pmI mean, I guess one at a time isn’t so bad.
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:35 pmI don’t want to defend TP, but Frenchy apart, this team hits pretty patiently. Silva is a guy you hit or not. You are not going to run the pitch count up on him, as all he does is throw strikes.
Tex? really..Maybe Boras told him Seattle was a possible suitor.
Mac!!!
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:35 pmAccording to Plus/Minus, Teixeira is the eleventh-best defensive first baseman in baseball, while KJ is the 22nd-best second baseman. So yeah, you’re probably right. Yunel and Chipper are by far the team’s best defensive players…
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:37 pmYeah, but wouldn’t you rather have Khalil Greene than Yunel?
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:38 pmJust a personal thing… Can we not call McCann “Mac”, call him “Heap” or something else? ‘Cause I scan all these comments and it confuses me when my name pops up.
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:39 pmWell, if this lineup’s gonna be competitive at all, our good hitters are gonna hafta rake. Let’s tack on some more, boys.
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:39 pmHits by Norton, Hudson, and Blanco get us another one! Who is this team?
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:40 pmDouglass… Yunel is rated as the best shortstop in the majors, and it’s not close.
Shortstop
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:40 pm2008
Rank Player +/-
1 Yunel Escobar +19
2 Orlando Cabrera +12
3 Troy Tulowitzki +9
4 J.J. Hardy +8
5 Omar Vizquel +7
6 Erick Aybar +6
7 Cristian Guzman +5
8 Maicer Izturis +3
9 Omar Quintanilla +3
10 Cesar Izturis +2
Hah, I know this Mac. I was referencing a spat I had on hear with Bethany last week when I made the exact claim you just made and had Bethany attack me because “she hates him” and “didn’t believe” my stats.
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:41 pmI think the team is rallying knowing their rally-killer is on the bench today.
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:43 pmGuess I should add that when I pressed her to say who she would rather have Khalil Greene (LOL) was the name she came up with.
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:43 pmYunel is ahead both by +/- and RZR. UZR had him in front by a mile too.
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:43 pmKhalil Greene? Clemson, blaaahhh
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:44 pmAdrian Beltre is like the only good signing Bavasi made. Ever.
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:44 pmAs a very sarcastic person, sometimes I forget how difficult sarcasm can be to detect on the internets.
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:45 pmJust for amusement’s sake, selections from Baseball Prospectus:
“Also, Chipper Jones should be in left field.”
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:46 pmI think you get into sample size issues when you look at any statistic over half a season, but I imagine defensive ones in particular could get pretty exaggerated. Not saying they’re not accurate in this case, but Tex has always had a strong defensive reputation, and IIRC has done well on defensive metrics in the past, so I’d be surprised if he suddenly became mediocre.
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:47 pmI dunno Mac, I think Lillibridge still might pass him by August.
(unless we make a move for Khalil Greene)
(see? sarcasm.)
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:47 pmFigures that the rain down here would knock out DirecTV during a game in which the Braves were actually playing well.
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:48 pmI am not impressed by Suzuki.
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:49 pmHeh. Yeah. I asked Sheehan about it in a chat earlier (indirectly), and he pointed to the slump that Escobar was in at the time. It is accurate that the power numbers aren’t there like you would like from Escobar, but his walk rate is up over last year, so even though he’s taken a BABIP hit, his OBA has improved.
The defense has been fantastic, though, for Escobar, and while he’ll never be a top-teir guy offensively, he’s looking like he should be better than the proverbial “futility infielder”.
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:51 pmAnother promising thing offensively for Yunel is the much improved walk rate — even batting right in front of Chipper much of the time.
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:53 pmAh, a former Vol.
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:56 pmPlus, Boog and Joe says he’s just getting his ‘man strength.’ So he’s got that goin for him, which is nice.
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:56 pmKnuckleballers are funny.
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:59 pmFor those of you worried about Kyle Davies, he got bombed today. >_<
June 22nd, 2008 at 2:00 pmI’d send McCann here
June 22nd, 2008 at 2:00 pmA check swing double. Silly Norton
June 22nd, 2008 at 2:01 pmThis is nice.
June 22nd, 2008 at 2:03 pmGotay is playing very well
June 22nd, 2008 at 2:03 pmI’m liking this game!
June 22nd, 2008 at 2:03 pmIndeed.
June 22nd, 2008 at 2:04 pmMaybe that come back win last night has put some life in this team. Or maybe it is that Frenchy is on the bench and can’t hurt the team
June 22nd, 2008 at 2:05 pmMcCann should have “B.A. Weasel” on the back of his jersey.
June 22nd, 2008 at 2:08 pmRyan Rowland-Smith, of the Sydney Rowland-Smiths…
June 22nd, 2008 at 2:27 pmWho fed Teixiera his wheaties?
June 22nd, 2008 at 2:29 pm[BORAS]That’s a two-millioner.[/BORAS]
June 22nd, 2008 at 2:29 pmAnother million!
June 22nd, 2008 at 2:29 pmWell I think Tex just won the player of the gmae honors over Hudson
June 22nd, 2008 at 2:29 pmIf this guys keeps hitting, we might have something…
June 22nd, 2008 at 2:30 pmAngels up 3-1 in Philly in the 7th
June 22nd, 2008 at 2:34 pmwell Frenchy, get a pinch hit
June 22nd, 2008 at 2:36 pmYes.. now its the time to trade Tex.. Tex for Looney and Kemp!!… do it Frank.. do it do it
June 22nd, 2008 at 2:37 pmI was expecting a ground out. At least Jeff’s keeping me on my toes.
June 22nd, 2008 at 2:38 pmHis strike out form is good though
June 22nd, 2008 at 2:41 pmWhy not Carlyle for two innings?
June 22nd, 2008 at 2:42 pmOh wait that would make sense.
June 22nd, 2008 at 2:42 pmI bet Boyer pitches the 9th
June 22nd, 2008 at 2:44 pmWhy? Gonzalez hasn’t pitched in the series.
June 22nd, 2008 at 2:46 pmPhillies got a run. Utley K’ed leaving the tying run at 2nd
June 22nd, 2008 at 2:51 pmHoly smokes, we could be 4 GB. We’re not even .500
June 22nd, 2008 at 2:52 pmJerome Jurenovich is Sonny Crockett.
OMG, I thought I was joking about Gonzalez.
June 22nd, 2008 at 2:52 pmLovely.
June 22nd, 2008 at 2:55 pmIchiro sucks
June 22nd, 2008 at 2:59 pmGonzo doesn’t quite have his fastball back yet
June 22nd, 2008 at 3:00 pm93 is good, but not letter high
June 22nd, 2008 at 3:01 pmGoing to the 9th in Philly. LAAoASCUSANANHEMW 3 Philly 2. K-Rod should come in.
June 22nd, 2008 at 3:07 pmRon Gant is a clown.
June 22nd, 2008 at 3:10 pmRecap is up. Francoeur sucks.
June 22nd, 2008 at 3:13 pmDon’t know if anybody else noticed or cares, but since Gerald Laird got hurt, the Rangers called up Max Ramirez to back up Salty.
June 22nd, 2008 at 3:19 pm