Okay, this is sort of a recap, but it isn’t a good recap
Boxscore: Atlanta vs. Pittsburgh – February 27, 2009 | MLB.com: News
Kenshin Kawakami made his debut, pitched a couple of innings, gave up one hit, struck out one. Braves pitchers struck out ten, led by Carlyle with three. Chipper, Francoeur, and McCann played with various backups, plus putative CF Janderson. Chipper homered. Francoeur was 0-1 but walked twice, and would have had a hit on a flare behind the second baseman except that a sinkhole opened up and swallowed him to his chest on his way to first base. (Only one part of the above statement — either the walks or the sinkhole — is true. I leave it to you to decide what is more likely.) The Braves walked five times in the first four innings, unusual for a spring game. Somebody won and it was the Braves but it really doesn’t matter at all on any level in any possible universe, as is plainly observable from how someone named “Gunderson” pitched the ninth. You betcha.
Good recap Mac, the sinkhole wasn’t reported enough in the boxscore I was watching.
February 27th, 2009 at 4:07 pmI vote sinkhole – this is Central Florida – it could happen.
February 27th, 2009 at 4:17 pmAlso Heyward got a hit
February 27th, 2009 at 4:24 pmHey everybody! Looks like they got some random new guy guest-blogging on Chop-n-Change! He sure is good! You should all take a look and leave comments!
http://mvn.com/chopnchange/2009/02/what-to-expect-from-tommy-hanson-in-2009.html
February 27th, 2009 at 4:43 pmSo, did they ever get him out of the sinkhole?
February 27th, 2009 at 5:02 pmNo, but it kept him from swinging at pitches out of the strike zone.
February 27th, 2009 at 5:03 pmFrom prior thread, is the “AJ” 0-5, 5K our very own Andruw? Sheesh.
February 27th, 2009 at 5:06 pmI’m actually starting to feel concerned about Andruw. Losing it this totally this quickly isn’t natural. Has he has a real physical, not just a baseball physical?
February 27th, 2009 at 5:09 pmOr a psychological exam? It’s like he’s checked out.
February 27th, 2009 at 5:13 pmFrom the previous…
DOB said kawakami looked very good
I’ll be more impressed the day he says somebody doesn’t, these days.
February 27th, 2009 at 5:20 pmI heard Frenchy took 5 straight pitches. Maybe he’s on this same Mucinex D that Im on or something. Probably something stronger.
#10 – fair enough, I cant watch though and just have to take his word for it.
February 27th, 2009 at 5:21 pm“I’ll be more impressed the day he says somebody doesn’t, these days.”
Agreed. If all I read was his column, I’d be in a perpetual state of shock, confused every year we didn’t win the pennant.
February 27th, 2009 at 5:28 pmGo Mucinex D team! I have pretty much killed a box this week.
February 27th, 2009 at 5:33 pm“I heard Frenchy took 5 straight pitches.”
Oh no; I feel an AJC article on this coming on; it’s been 2 days since someone has fawned over him in print.
February 27th, 2009 at 5:35 pmIf Frenchy continues to take pitches, especially those off the plate, I’ll fawn over him, too.
February 27th, 2009 at 5:39 pm“Somebody” named Gunderson?
How about THE Kevin Gunderson, hero of the 2006 College World Series, and Atlanta’s 5th Round Draft choice the same year.
Should be a Pearl for Phillip Wellman this year.
February 27th, 2009 at 5:50 pmAs in Margie Gunderson.
February 27th, 2009 at 5:53 pm@7
Yes. Our Andruw. I hope Rudy Jaramillo did a better job with Frenchy…
February 27th, 2009 at 5:53 pmWow. And I’ll bet we were very close to signing him.
February 27th, 2009 at 5:56 pmSo what’s the rumor I hear about a Mr. Cinque Whole being named the Braves’ new hitting instructor?
February 27th, 2009 at 7:27 pmYes, Ocho Cinque Whole in fact.
February 27th, 2009 at 7:30 pmSo…anyone here work in midtown and commute from the suburbs?
February 27th, 2009 at 9:46 pmWell Peanut has me convinced. Francoeur has turned it around completely. He has fully silenced his critics – or maybe not.
February 27th, 2009 at 10:36 pmI think most people here live in other states, but I could be wrong.
February 27th, 2009 at 11:42 pmWhat am I missing?
Lincecum signs for 650K.
K?
He’s worth 650K if they cut off a leg.
February 27th, 2009 at 11:52 pmHank,
They still get to dictate terms to Lincecum. They could pay him ~$440,000, the minimum, if they liked; giving him $650k is just trying to make nice with him. A good idea, but not a huge deal.
February 27th, 2009 at 11:58 pmLincecum will get his payday.
February 28th, 2009 at 12:02 amThanks. When is young Tim available for purloining?
February 28th, 2009 at 12:11 amWell done Mac!!
For some reason MLB.TV did not show the game–I wanted to see KK–but if I had seen Frenchy take 2 walks–now that is what I would have remembered….
February 28th, 2009 at 12:25 am@28 – 2013? It’s gonna be a while.
February 28th, 2009 at 4:37 am@22
February 28th, 2009 at 5:55 amDix, i used too and my wife still does if you mean NYC.
On MLB TV:
Why Hazel Mae? I mean, she’s not terrible, but nothing unique or spectacular, either.
Is there a baseball connection I’m unaware of?
February 28th, 2009 at 7:31 amhttp://minors.baseball-reference.com/players.cgi?pid=3014
February 28th, 2009 at 8:25 amthis kid has taken a serious slide in avg. and obp. the past few years,but i’m glad to see our organization take a chance on him. it will be nice to have a middle infielder with power in the minors. it would also be nice if he could put it all together like he did in his earlier years.
looks similar to Brandon Hicks, but a little less on the K’s
February 28th, 2009 at 9:49 amDix,
I do. I work in midtown (on peachtree, just down from WSB), and live in Lawrenceville area.
February 28th, 2009 at 9:57 amRe@32 Thanks, hankonly, for bringing Hazel Mae into the discussion. She has a strong RedSox connection, having been an anchor for NESN. Yep, that’s her real name
Hazel’s pretty, on some days really hot (late 30′s Filipino woman, looks younger). When the MLB Network came on, I asked the same question as above.
But during the spring training camp tours the network is doing (30 Teams in 30 Days), Hazel provides a great change of pace from the continuous good old boy patter. She’s comfortable on camera and seems to relax the ballplayers. She drags more out of them without getting the usual cliches. Managed to find something interesting to ask an Oriole!
If she manages to get BMac on for an interview, I may buy the MLB package.
February 28th, 2009 at 10:56 amAnyone know of a radio station that streams the spring training games?
February 28th, 2009 at 11:06 am#33–I like to see players given every chance to prove they belong in the big leagues, but Brooks Conrad is ancient for a rookie….
February 28th, 2009 at 12:20 pmI calculated MLE’s for Kenshin Kawakami, using algorithms I found on the Seamheads blog. I use Turner Field year-by-year park effects and NL and Japanese Central League year-by-year runs per game and league ERA, for his entire career 1998-2008, to construct a sort of alternate history: what would his numbers have looked like if he were in a Braves uniform the whole time?
Answer: quite good.
February 28th, 2009 at 1:12 pmaar,
Just yesterday The Hardball Times ran estimates. Their guy has decided that Japanese starters numbers are off by 20%, relievers by 10% and that most estimating systems are there fore off. His conclusion on Kawakami had him around a 4.5 era pithcer (average MLB starter. If he gives us 3 years of that on his contract and gets us into the Japanese market, he is well worth it, though.
February 28th, 2009 at 1:26 pm@37-
You can listen to some broadcasts via MLB audio:
http://mlb.mlb.com/mediacenter/index.jsp#20090228
I think it’s free for everybody right now, but to get games during the season (and you’ll get all games, both home and away broadcasts, whichever you prefer, during the season), it’ll cost you like $15.
Anyway, I’m listening to the game today against the Blue Jays right now.
February 28th, 2009 at 1:38 pm@33: Did you see that play he made up the middle on Thursday? Of course Kruk and Phillips hadn’t announced he had replaced Kelly, but I knew there was no way KJ made that play…
Plus his name is Brooks and you can’t argue with that name for a slick fielding infielder with some power.
February 28th, 2009 at 1:59 pmPlayer analysis about a player I know essentially nothing about is up.
February 28th, 2009 at 2:36 pm