23 Jun
Pure Evil comes to town game thread: June 23, Yankees at Braves
“Hi, I’m Braves pitcher Kris Medlen. It has come to my attention that some people think I look like I’m twelve years old. I have only one response: MOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!”
Continuing from the last thread, I’ve never understood why when the MARTA line was originally designed they didn’t put a station within easy walking distance of Fulton County Stadium, which at the time was both the home of the Braves and Falcons. That said, I think the attendance drop off has more do to with declining quality of the product combined with increased attendance cost.
For example, last night the total tab for our group of five guys, including tickets (good seats on the first level about half way down the third base line), parking, a sit down meal at the park (nothing fancy), and two or three brews each came to about $400. Obviously you don’t have to spend that much, but we weren’t being extravagant either.
June 23rd, 2009 at 2:32 pmFree Kris Medlen!
June 23rd, 2009 at 2:37 pmI haven’t lived in Georgia for a long time now, but isn’t it still true that the suburban counties continue to vote against having MARTA stations in Cobb & Dekalb?
June 23rd, 2009 at 2:38 pmThere IS a very convenient bus transfer from Peachtree station to the stadium. Buses leave every two minutes, starting 2 hours before the game. $1.75 for the roundtrip!
June 23rd, 2009 at 2:48 pmI think it’s Gwinnett where MARTA stops were prevented. Don’t know off the top of my head exactly where the county lines are, but pretty sure there are stops in both Cobb and DeKalb.
June 23rd, 2009 at 2:49 pmMarta currently serves Fulton, Dekalb and Clayton Counties. Cobb and Gwinnett do not have rail service but have bus systems that marry up with Marta. I’m not sure if this issue has been on the ballot in Cobb or Gwinnett in some time. However, Gwinnett included it last Novemeber as a straw poll and amazingly the vote was still about 60/40 against. This is somewhat surprising considering the west part of Gwinnett has become highly ethnic, with hign concerntrations of lower and middle class enclaves.
This entire issue points to the larger problem with metro Atlanta’s transportation woes, which is the lack of a regional authority that works on behalf of the entire area. At present we have too many entities with authority, resulting in an inefficient system for the greater region.
June 23rd, 2009 at 2:49 pmRank these 4 starters in order of who you would draft first today.
JJ Joba Hanson Hughes
June 23rd, 2009 at 2:52 pmI’d go:
Joba/Hanson/JJ/Hughes
Joba just barely over Hanson right now.
June 23rd, 2009 at 2:53 pmJurrjens/Hanson/Joba/Hughes
Jurrjens is the only one who has proven himself to be both healthy/good for an entire major league season.
Hanson and Joba is more of a toss up, but I like Hanson’s stuff better and again, IMO, isn’t the injury risk that Joba is. Hughes has sucked even when healthy, but he too has been hurt
June 23rd, 2009 at 2:56 pmIf I’m drafting, it’s JJ/Joba/Hanson/Hughes.
And Joba would be a late-inning reliever, where he could let it fly & not worry about pacing himself & developing some kind of repertoire. Fastball, slider, done.
Truly, he’s nothing special as starter. He’s basically like Al Leiter or Scott Kazmir. Strikes guys out, but walks the ballpark, throws 100 pitches in 5 innings almost every time.
He should be the setup guy in The Bronx (and closer in waiting), but he knows that the big money is all in starting.
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:13 pmI haven’t lived in Georgia for a long time now, but isn’t it still true that the suburban counties continue to vote against having MARTA stations in Cobb & Dekalb?
CCRT is a bus only system that links Cobb with MARTA and has direct routes to downtown as well. GCT provides a similar service in Gwinnett. The prevailing opinon seemed (seems?) to be that one might get on a train with a TV on their shoulder, but a bus would be too cramped for that sort of thing.
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:16 pmCobb and Gwinnett are still run by people who don’t want black people coming to terrorize their women. The fact that the Buford Highway corridor is a series of ethnic enclaves doesn’t really impact things because, well, they don’t really vote.
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:23 pmTom-
That bus transfer isnt terribly convenient…and lest we forget, you have to walk through Underground Atlanta just to get to the bus…just to get to the stadium.
It is not convenient. It is a pain in the ass.
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:26 pmPer DOB:
1. McLouth
2. Escobar
3. Chipper
4. McLouth
5. Anderson
6. Kotchman
7. Francoeur
8. Johnson
9. Hanson
Who needs a catcher?
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:27 pmWe call up Nate’s brother for the game?
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:32 pmI’ve been known to mess up like that — for example, typing “LaRoche” for “Langerhans”. It’s subconscious.
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:32 pmHanson is going to only throw fastballs and he’s going to throw them so hard they hit the backstop and bounce back to him making a catcher obsolete. The umpire will call the game from the batters box opposite the hitter.
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:33 pmI just hope his breaking stuff is working tonight.
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:45 pmUbubba, do you really think Joba won’t be able to figure out how to go 6 innings? A #3 starter is a great deal more valuable than a solid 8th-inning man.
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:53 pmNot for these Yankees, it’s not.
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:54 pm@17 Hanson = bad-a$$
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:54 pmAnybody watch that LSU Texas game last night? that was the deal.
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:57 pmPretty excited to see how Tommy fares against the hated Yankees tonight! I’ll be around.
June 23rd, 2009 at 4:01 pmI always mix up Bob Melvin, Doug Melvin, and Ned Yost subconsciously.
June 23rd, 2009 at 4:02 pmTiger, the bus transfer cost you a buck 75. No additional cost for parking. The ride takes 10 minutes from Peachtree and stops right in front of the gate. And the walk through underground Atlanta, which I actually kinda enjoy, is app. 300 yards long. Takes me one minute.
A pain in the ass?
June 23rd, 2009 at 4:22 pm@16 Wow, I had somehow almost totally forgotten about Ryan Langerhans.
June 23rd, 2009 at 4:25 pmHaven’t done the bus thing myself, and on the way to the game it might not be so bad (since arrivals are distributed over a longer period of time), but I gotta think that the return trip at game end is not any fun at all, particularly since you have to in effect queue up twice (for the bus, and then to get on the rail line).
June 23rd, 2009 at 4:35 pmIn my experience (which was some years ago, and before the asinine “You have to go through UA” policy) there was no line to get on the train after the game. There was often a line for the bus. Moreover, it was located some ways away from the stadium.
June 23rd, 2009 at 4:47 pmI’m pretty sure they’ll bus you back to the Marta station after the game for free.
June 23rd, 2009 at 5:09 pm16 — I remember back in the fall you typed “McCain” instead of “McCann.”
June 23rd, 2009 at 5:34 pmI’m a little worried. It would be the Braves SOP to make a pitcher like Wang look like an all star
June 23rd, 2009 at 6:12 pmWell, Wang’s problem this year is that his sinker hasn’t been sinking. His last outing was OK, but before he came back from his rehab he’d been getting bombed early & often. If Wang’s off, usually you’ll know it right away.
June 23rd, 2009 at 6:15 pmLet’s beat up that Wang.
June 23rd, 2009 at 6:16 pmSo far, this is the Wang I was afraid of. I’ve seen him do this all night.
June 23rd, 2009 at 6:21 pmOnly 6 pitches in the first inning for Wang. Given the heat and Wang’s walk rate (14 in 26 IP, iirc), batters should be taking some pitches. Make Wang sweat and work him for some walks. Sort of like Cano and Posado are doing to Hanson.
June 23rd, 2009 at 6:29 pmDecided to try my hand at graphing pitch flight paths. I know beyondtheboxscore did a graph like this on one of Hanson’s spring training starts when he didn’t throw any change ups, but I still figure’d I’d give it a go…my first attempt, used his last start as the data set:
Tommy Hanson Pitch F/X Flight Paths
Nothing groundbreaking, still cool to see.
June 23rd, 2009 at 6:34 pmYeah, Chip. NL pitchers are soooo much better hitters than AL pitchers. What an advantage!
June 23rd, 2009 at 6:35 pm“Yet to walk a man.” Hmmm….disagree Chip.
June 23rd, 2009 at 6:36 pmConsidering last year, I doubt Wang even takes the bat off his shoulder this game
EDIT: wrong, but I’ll still take it
June 23rd, 2009 at 6:37 pmdoes anyone else think that before the game, chip read his copy of “101 interleague cliches” and is attempting to mention each one before the third inning?
June 23rd, 2009 at 6:39 pmI’m not sure, but it sounds like a fun drinking game
June 23rd, 2009 at 6:40 pmDo we even need to say it? Well, we’re going to anyway. Francoeur sucks.
June 23rd, 2009 at 6:47 pmKelly, what are you doing? How long did it take him to get out of the box? Then he stutter stepped before first base. Jesus.
June 23rd, 2009 at 6:48 pmI like that the Braves, even Francoeur, are being more selective this inning.
Too bad KJ didn’t run, that cost us a run.
June 23rd, 2009 at 6:48 pmFucking idiot KJ. Run it out.
June 23rd, 2009 at 6:51 pmWay to hustle, ACHE
June 23rd, 2009 at 6:52 pmIt’s very easy to hate this team. Jeter nearly turns a single into a triple because of Grandpa Garret. KJ takes a nap in the batter’s box. Francouer sucks.
June 23rd, 2009 at 6:54 pmI’ve about had enough of KJ. That was freaking bush.
June 23rd, 2009 at 6:54 pmStop sucking Jeter’s dick, Chip.
June 23rd, 2009 at 6:54 pmWatching ACHE run is painful
June 23rd, 2009 at 6:58 pmNice slide piece.
June 23rd, 2009 at 6:59 pmDoes anyone with MLB.tv know how to change the picture size? I can’t see the graphics at the bottom of the screen.
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:01 pmIf that throw was a player, it would be Francoeur.
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:09 pmA good team gets these next 2 runs as well.
Edit: And ACHE is coming around?
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:11 pmAnd yet, once again, a Braves runner can’t score from first on a two-out double.
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:11 pmHells yeah
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:13 pmNoice!
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:13 pmProfessional hitter!
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:14 pmslowly, slowly, slowly, the slouth grows on me.
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:14 pmProfessional Hitter
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:14 pmJinx!
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:14 pmTo be honest, right now, LF production is not to big of an issue for the bravos.
Now we only have 3 holes in the lineup.
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:15 pmKotchman sucks
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:16 pmI don’t know about calling ACHE “The Sloth”, because I already tagged Bonds with that. ACHE’s not nearly the player Bonds was, though as far as I know he’s clean.
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:17 pmPhillies 10-0 over TB in the 4th
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:19 pmMets down to STL 1-0 in the 3rd
Marlins tied with BAL 1-1 in the 6th
He was sitting on that slider. Its the only way he touches it.
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:20 pmChipper with another untimely error.
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:21 pmDammit Chipper.
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:21 pmYou have to be kidding me Chipper.
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:21 pmJoe just said the “word”: “Mollycoddle”
….
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:22 pmAhhhh, Chipper!
That was superdumb baserunning.
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:22 pmHis glove is so bad I wish the NL brings in the DH next year, because he is damned awful.
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:22 pmChipper should have made that play, but it’s vintage Yunel stupidity. TAKE THE OUT, STUPID! The pitcher was due up.
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:22 pmI don’t know that wasn’t the easier play, Mac. Cabrera would have been out by five feet.
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:24 pmMac,
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:25 pmThe sure out was at third. It’s not a sure out with Gardner running. He’s a blazer.
Just for argument’s sake, is Ganderson a worse leftfielder than Chipper is a third baseman?
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:27 pm*exhales*
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:28 pmWhew.
Hanson’s @ 73 pitches.
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:29 pmokay maybe ACHE isnt as bad as I make him out to be, I just wish he’d hustle on defense, who knows maybe he is….btw, if hanson stops walking people he’d be flat out ridiculous
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:29 pm@ 78: No kidding. He’s eventually got to start having some shorter innings.
Arod just took that in the throat.
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:31 pmFrancoeur sucks.
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:31 pmI think Hanson can make it through 6 tonight then we can turn it over to the ‘pen.
Jeffy sucks.
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:31 pmI don’t know, but Wang got the strike call at least twice on the ball three to Jeter.
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:32 pmAlso, I like how ACHE has turned into the new “andy” for Bobby
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:33 pmWhat’s the difference in leverage for a runner at 3rd 2 outs and a runner at 1st 2 outs? Answer: with Wang at the plate, very little.
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:34 pmMore fastballs from Hanson this week than last so far. As discussed here during his last start, half of his pitches were curves or sliders last week.
51 of 73 tonight have been fastballs. Though only a touch over 60% have been for strikes so far. If he can just locate that pitch better, with his breaking stuff…
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:35 pmRE Hanson:
Look at his first seven or so starts at Mississippi last year: it took him a little while. He’ll come around.
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:38 pmCouple nasty sliders to start off A-Roid there, the second for a called strike.
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:40 pmACHE is 8 for his last 14.
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:42 pmDear Jorge,
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:44 pmEnjoy the sombrero.
Sincerely, Tommy
Making Posada look silly, love it.
8)
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:44 pmIf I could do it again, I would have kept douche throughout the season, taken the draft picks, and just put Barbaro at first base.
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:44 pmcan tommy hanson save the 2009 braves?
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:45 pmI’ve never been a garret anderson fan and I thought the signing over the off season was stupid but now I’m glad that junior decided to do the retirement tour in Seattle instead.
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:45 pmHanson rocks….93–yeah, maybe….
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:46 pmIt doesn’t seem fair that the Braves waited until Aaron retired to erect his statue since they have a statue of Chipper at third now.
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:48 pmUnfortunately, a very qucck inning….
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:51 pmToo much warning track power from Chipper lately
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:51 pmHave y’all seen Oregon’s new silver uniforms yet?
Link
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:52 pmChip Caray is dumbfounded that the singular of Red Sox is Red Sock…
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:54 pmmoylan and o’flaherty warming up. does acosta and medlen exist?
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:57 pmPlease be the good Moylan.
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:58 pmmoylan coming in with 2 runners on. that’s some scary shit!
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:01 pmdoes acosta and medlen exist
Who?
Hindsight being 20-20, Hanson should have hit the showers after the 5th. Let’s hope the pen holds.
YEAH BABY!!
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:02 pm@99
They are Nike’s guinea pigs
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:02 pmPeter has been brilliant lately.
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:05 pmNice!
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:06 pmMoylan is slowly returning to the Petey we all know and love. If the braves win that might turn out to be the pitch of the night. That sets up O’Flarety in the 7th to turn Swisher and Tex around.
Great job Moylan!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:07 pmderek jeter is so clutch
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:08 pmIf Jeter ever met Tebow, every announcer in the vicinity would explode. Which sounds like a good idea to me, let’s get on that.
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:10 pmknow what i’ve noticed? diaz sure does talk alot. maybe that’s the reason he doesnt get a lot of playing time. he was just shown talking to chipper and chipper was giving him the “straight ahead” look.
i wonder what % of first pitches jeff francoeur swings at. it has to be at least 60%. and, he sucks.
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:11 pmYou would think then that he’d play more, so that half the time he’d be in the outfield where you couldn’t hear him.
ADDED: Francoeur sucks.
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:12 pmFrancoeur sucks.
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:13 pmhow do you guys feel about that promising young outfielder, jeffrey francoeur?
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:13 pmEither the radar gun is reading high or Moylan is getting stronger. He is hitting 90 on the gun more consistently as he had all year, and that is what makes him so tough. No one that throws that way throws that hard.
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:17 pm@114
The worst part about that at bat, was just that you knew he knew he was completely over-matched.
No fight at all in him
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:17 pm@115
Devine…for all the good it did him
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:18 pmfrancoeur has 13 freakin’ extra base hits on the year in 256 at bats. that’s one about every 20 at-bats, or one every 5 games. that’s how bad he sucks.
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:18 pmjust got in…
so Hanson once again effectively wild?
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:18 pmand 4 SBs for nyy?
Chip, the ‘wit, Cary….
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:29 pmGonzo in for the 8th
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:30 pmI like Hanson alot, If he is going through a breaking in period right now he is going to be a legit Ace.
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:31 pm115
Devine didn’t throw like that, he drops down and pushes, similar, but not the same by a long shot. Besides, as much as he stunk in ATL he turned into a good pitcher in Oakland before he got hurt. He was rushed to the majors and pulled a JoJo, I don’t hate him, if the braves had hit any in that series the HR doesn’t happen.
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:32 pmIf Bobby goes Soriano in the 9th, none of the top three should be available tomorrow
stupup,
He was just the closest I could come up with, though I’ve heard Darrow and Gearrin in the minors are very similar to Moylan (Stephen probably has a better idea on that). I agree with you FWIW, on how Devine was handled though
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:34 pm@111 iirc a few games ago one of the announcers gave the figure 47%
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:34 pm@ 90: Golden now.
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:38 pmChip…shut-up. He hypes every single fly ball.
Thanks to McCann, he finally got one right.
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:42 pmchipper hitting the ball well tonight, but nothing to show for. however, b-mac does.
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:44 pmthat one was worth hyping!!
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:44 pmHUGE BOMB by McCann, that is a good way to awake from Hibernation Mode.
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:44 pm@127: glad im not hearing that. chippers pop up caused the yankees announcers to talk about how many homeruns chipper would have if he didnt play in this “cavernous” park. i guess they like the new yankee stadium…
go mac!
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:45 pmMcCmann the man!!
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:45 pmLets get another one ACHE and keep Soriano out of the game if we can.
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:45 pmI cannot believe Yadier Molina is going to start the AS game over McCann
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:46 pmMan, it must be tearing Francouer up to see McCann having so much success…
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:47 pm@135
it must also sting that he could’ve had a nice fat 4 yr deal like McCann’s
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:49 pmSoriano has been filthy lately!!
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:51 pm124
I didn’t mean anything bad earlier. It’s hard to really get points across in print. I am big Moylan fan, when he is right, the bullpen is SO much better.
Moylan is a true submarine guy, alot like Chad Bradford, or the guy from my hometown of Selma, Terry Leach. He throws harder than both of them.
Devine should have been installed as closer in 2006 when the pen stunk so bad and learned on the job and maybe he would still be here. I always thought him and Wickman had similar motions. Both were kind of unique.
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:52 pmI think its a joke that ESPN is airing all of Manny’s minor league AB’s. Its like he’s their hero for being suspended.
Jeter is clutch, 2nd straight shutout??
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:52 pmNice Kotch…..
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:58 pmAnother shutout!
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:58 pmGod I love beating the Yankees
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:58 pm@124: lets just blow them out, then. were due for one of our 10 run games.
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:59 pmWe Shut Out Evil!! Go BRAVOS!!
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:59 pmMan, I fuggin love beating the fuggin Yankees.
8)
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:59 pmThat’s for a Young Andruw Jones, and Javy Lopez, and Mark Wohlers, and Denny Neagle.
The last two night have been ‘old-time’ braves wins.
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:59 pmWow, back-to-back shutouts of the Cubs and Yanks. I like this. A lot.
June 23rd, 2009 at 9:00 pmRecap is up. Francoeur sucks.
June 23rd, 2009 at 9:06 pm