Other playing possibilities
If anything happens to Brian McCann or David Ross, it would seem that J. C. Boscan has replaced Clint Sammons (no longer in the organization) as the guy they’ll call up. Nothing better happen to them. Boscan, proof that not every player who comes out of Venezuela is good, can’t hit; his minor league career line is .227/.316/.313 and there are no sample-size issues there; it’s over 14 seasons, mostly in the Braves’ organization. He has a good defensive reputation, which is just another way of saying he can’t hit. He got into a major league game last season, which is nice, and walked and scored.
Down the road, Panamanian Christian Bethancourt is supposed to be the catcher of the future, but I have my doubts. He hit just .251/.276/.331 last year in Rome, but is just 18 so he has time yet. At any rate, he’s a long way away. I’m am guessing that if someone is needed to backup McCann or Ross for a long time, Jesus Sucre is who the Braves are counting on to fill in. Sweet Jesus, another Venezuelan, hit .253/.272/.381 last season split between Myrtle Beach and Mississippi, two notoriously tough places to hit, and did better in AA. With his Francoeuresque walk rates, he has to hit at least .270 to be useful even as a backup. All these guys, plus Wilkin Castillo and Braeden Schlehuber, are NRIs. You have a lot of pitchers in spring training, so you need a lot of catchers, because as Casey said, otherwise you’ll have all passed balls.
Brooks Conrad really doesn’t have a place on the team, as became apparent after the Braves signed Joe Mather and re-signed Eric Hinske. The Tragic Folk Hero simply doesn’t hit as well as Hinske, and since he’s pretty clearly demonstrated that you don’t want him on the field either, he’s supernumerary to the team’s present needs. He’ll probably get a callup sometime whenever someone gets hurt.
Brandon Hicks will be in spring training and may get called up at some point, which only goes to show you how desperate the Braves are for anything resembling a shortstop in the higher levels of the system… Ed Lucas, a minor league lifer out of the Royals organization, has good on-base skills and more power than some, but a shaky glove rep. Basically, he’s Brooks Conrad minus two years, several clutch home runs, and a high-profile defensive meltdown. He’s mostly played third base in the minors, but has 115 games at short to his credit. Another Ed Lucas is described by Wikipedia as a “blind sportswriter” who has covered the Mets. I think we’ll all agree that if you have to cover the Mets, you don’t want to see them…
Speaking of the Mets, Canadian third baseman Shawn Bowman is one of their former minor leaguers, signed after hitting 22 homers in 106 games for the Blue Jays’ AA team last year. Yes, even the Jays’ minor leaguers were hitting homers. Both Lucas and Bowman were brought in by Frank Wren due to the catastrophic state of the Mississippi and Gwinnett ballclubs last season and are basically minor-league depth. And there’s a good chance that one of them is going to wind up starting at third base at some point if Martin Prado has to stay in the outfield when Chipper goes down. Tyler Pastornicky, acquired in the Yunel Escobar deal last year, projects down the road as a future utility infielder, and with an impressive enough showing might be in place to supplant Diory Hernandez by the end of the season.
I mentioned most of the outfield possibilities in my prior post. To give notice to the ones I blew off in a sentence or two… Wilkin Ramirez is still just 25 and had a cup of coffee with the Tigers a couple of years ago. He’s a low-average hitter with some power and some walks, and could be a decent fourth outfield type if he could play center, which he really can’t. The Braves like another ex-Tiger, Brent Clevlen, more, and probably rightly, though he’s trying to overcome a severe knee injury and a bad season in AAA. He has better on-base skills and is a better outfielder than Ramirez, but lacks the same power… Willie Cabrera didn’t get an NRI, I’m not quite sure why. He’ll be 24 this season and was one of the better hitters on Mississippi’s roster last year (.306/.369/.454) though that isn’t saying much.
twitter… Chipper is going to DH today. Generally sore after 1st day at third base but knee is OK
Also Mac, keep up the great work
March 4th, 2011 at 8:17 amCould Medlen come back to pitch out of the bullpen this September?
March 4th, 2011 at 8:51 amWhen is Chipper NOT SORE?
This is another area of the team (infield, not catcher) where if we could have shed that Kawakami $$, we could have added another good bat/defender either at 3B/SS or in CF.
I hate you, Kenshin.
March 4th, 2011 at 9:07 amThe fact that Chipper is at least hitting today is a good sign.
March 4th, 2011 at 9:10 amThe sun’s shining and Alex R. hates Kenshin Kawakami! It’s been a long winter, but it finally feels like spring.
March 4th, 2011 at 9:25 am@5
I know. Alex is already in mid-season form.
I am waiting on a 130 word post on how AAG and Ugla are the worse double play combo of all time and how it affects Tim Hudson’s life.
March 4th, 2011 at 9:33 amFrom Olney’s latest:
“The hitting model for Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman, as he grew up, was the left-handed-hitting Garret Anderson. “I liked it when he would take an outside slider to left field,” Freeman recalled, as he waited his turn near the batting cage Thursday.”
http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/blog?name=olney_buster&id=6180518
Hmmm…
March 4th, 2011 at 9:42 am“Also, I can sleep at any time and any place. In fact, I’m asleep right now.”
March 4th, 2011 at 9:42 amAAR,
# 5 –
Hate is a strong word. But NOT strong enough in the curious cases of Kenshin Kawakami and Nate McLouth. I wish I only just HATED them both. But my feelings towards these two run much deeper, a “Keith Lockhart-ian” level of hatred…like, Al Queda terrorists hatred.
Sorry, I wanted to clarify.
March 4th, 2011 at 10:03 amSmitty, AAR-
I only hope you are at least somewhat laughing with me and not at me
The sad part is as a mid 30′s something dad now, I am actually so much calmer and more reasonable than ever before.
But crap is crap…and McLouth and KK…CRAP.
March 4th, 2011 at 10:05 amhttp://joeposnanski.si.com/2011/03/01/frenchy-and-hope/#more-6917
I wanted to repost this, not because I like Francoeur…
And no matter what people of superior intelligence to me (such as you, Mac) might think, I still think the bench will be: Lucas, Conrad, Mather, Ross, Hinske.
March 4th, 2011 at 10:30 amHinske, Ross, Young, Lucas, and Mather would be my choice.
It’s too bad Wren couldn’t get a Mike Aviles type.
March 4th, 2011 at 10:57 am@12
March 4th, 2011 at 11:18 amThat’s what I’d want it to be, but a part of me thinks the Braves will at least start the year with Conrad on the team.
If Cox was still manager I’d be 100% sure that Conrad would start the year with Atlanta. I’m not sure how Gonzalez will work it. Does Mather have any options left?
March 4th, 2011 at 11:35 amMy hope is that with Cox finally gone, bad, useless players (like Mclouth, Kawakami and Conrad) stop lingering around too long with the Braves. If Fredi does ONE thing different from Bobby, that needs to be it…get rid of useless guy about 6-8 weeks earlier – minimum.
March 4th, 2011 at 12:05 pm@10,
Nothing but love
March 4th, 2011 at 12:05 pm#16
I know…since we’re Facebook friends, I figured as much. But I rather enjoy what a kick you and AAR still get from my rants…even when my rants are relatively tame!
March 4th, 2011 at 12:10 pmAlex, definitely laughing with you. I hope Jake Willie Harris R. is doing well too!
March 4th, 2011 at 12:12 pmAAR, Smitty-
Truth be told, if Fredi got rid of KK, McLouth and Conrad tomorrow, I wouldn’t know what to do with myself…I would be happy about this and have nothing to rant about for the time being.
Having said that, I’d rather be “bored” by a solid to excellent 25 man roster, than to have to deliver old school “Alex R. rants” to bitch and moan about 3-4 (or more) cancer spots on the team.
March 4th, 2011 at 12:15 pmMe too, Alex, as much as I enjoy your rants.
March 4th, 2011 at 12:29 pmBeachy bounced back nicely from his first ST start: 3IP 1h 0bb 4k 0r
Minor didn’t pitch as well today, but luckily only gave up 1 run: 3IP 5h 2bb 3k 1r
and I think McLouth is taking Alex R’s rants personally this Spring. He has a double and a single today and has brought his average up to .500.
March 4th, 2011 at 12:51 pmWow, Nate’s killing spring training pitching. I think we can eliminate balloting and send him to the All Star game 4 months early. No need to bother with voting
March 4th, 2011 at 12:57 pmIts better than watching him in last years Spring Training.
March 4th, 2011 at 12:59 pmPhil Collins calls time on music career
Hallelujah! Now all we have to do is destroy all copies of his prior recordings and we’re golden.
March 4th, 2011 at 1:56 pm@23
Last year I think I saw him swing and miss at a pitch so late the catcher had already thrown the ball ack to the pitcher when he swung.
March 4th, 2011 at 2:14 pmkimbrel with another rough outing today: 1IP 2k 3h 2er
March 4th, 2011 at 2:34 pmI can’t wait for Phil Collins to unretire with a Jay-Z duets album.
March 4th, 2011 at 2:36 pmAnd they can get the Philystics to back them up.
March 4th, 2011 at 2:55 pm@5,
Alex,
You want people to laugh “with you not at you.” But then you compare a couple of baseball players to Al Quaeda. I assume (or hope)you are kidding. Otherwise, you seriously need help.
March 4th, 2011 at 4:05 pmAAR’s Braves preview for Fangraphs.
March 4th, 2011 at 4:09 pm@24-
Mac, what would we use for a slump buster then? I don’t think Hall and Oates can cut it on their own…
March 4th, 2011 at 4:10 pmI tried to watch a “Behind the Music” on Hall & Oates the other night & couldn’t get to the end of it.
Guilty-Pleasure Street Fight: Hall & Oates vs. Phil Collins. Who wins?
March 4th, 2011 at 4:38 pmI just saw an article where it was suggested that the Yankees call up Jesus Montero to be their backup catcher while Cervelli is out. I know they don’t care about it, but does anyone think that Yankees reporters and fans even know about service time? The front office?
March 4th, 2011 at 5:01 pmPhil Collins wins the fight…
…but only because he enlists the help of Mike Tyson by singing “In the Air Tonight.”
March 4th, 2011 at 5:32 pmHall & Oates are great. I feel no guilt in saying this. Collins’ proper matchup is with Billy Joel.
March 4th, 2011 at 5:41 pmI have a friend who’s favorite act of all time is Hall & Oates. He claims to have seen them dozens of times.
When you dig a little deeper, he’s especially fond of white guys singing R&B, but never the original, y’know, black guys.
That said, my biggest guilty pleasure is Lionel Richie, a black guy who kinda sings white.
#33
March 4th, 2011 at 5:48 pmThese are not discussions that are entertained much in YankeeLand. If a guy can contribute now, they have no problem paying for him later.
Tastes aside, I thought that article demonstrated a remarkable amount of self awareness from Collins. That made me like him a pretty good bit, even though I am no fan of the music.
March 4th, 2011 at 6:31 pmHumble, in a self-absorbed, self-pitying kinda way.
But yeah …
March 4th, 2011 at 6:44 pmMarc — give up, it ain’t worth it.
I heard “Sara Smile” today, and shoot me now but it’s sneaky groovy. There’s a worthwhile subtext to some H&O stuff. There is no subtext whatsoever to Phil Collins, despite Bret Easton Ellis’s best efforts….
March 4th, 2011 at 8:49 pm@38, I think you have to have a little sympathy for the warping influence that people giving you tens of millions of dollars can have. The fact that he recognizes his pop success damaged his cred as a musician to some extent, is pretty rare from those who succeeded at that level. I won’t name the obvious analogue, but it’s a pretty dramatic difference.
March 4th, 2011 at 11:16 pmI nominate Styx to take over the Phil Collins slump-busting role on the Braves Journal video bench. Worst band ever.
Speaking of Lionel Richie, this is pretty awesome.
March 5th, 2011 at 12:07 am“Sara Smile” & “Rich Girl” were pretty good radio songs.
Plus, in “Rich Girl,” Daryl Hall sings, “It’s a bitch, girl,” which sounded pretty subversive when I was in the 8th grade.
March 5th, 2011 at 1:32 am@41 agree on Styx. Styx stynx.
March 5th, 2011 at 6:11 am@41
No way. Heart is much worse than Styx.
March 5th, 2011 at 6:48 am@39&42- You’ve got to admit though, they had songs (“Your Kiss” and “Maneater” come to mind) that were trainwrecks to the extent that people were scarred for life.
March 5th, 2011 at 7:50 amI will be at the Nats/Braves game on Sunday in Viera…..anyone else planning to attend? Beer is on me!
March 5th, 2011 at 7:51 amWe need a poll about which singers/groups should retire.
March 5th, 2011 at 9:26 amLucas getting the start at short today. I’m glad their testing this kid. If he can just be a bit below average in the field at numerous positions, he’d be very valuable.
March 5th, 2011 at 9:58 amSo many bands that suck… but yeah, put me on the Styx Stynx wagon.
March 5th, 2011 at 10:00 am@48,
I still think we need and infielder that is above average with the glove.
March 5th, 2011 at 10:40 amOh, I hate this…
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/03/05/chase-utley-given-cortisone-shot-for-ailing-right-knee/
March 5th, 2011 at 10:42 am@50
March 5th, 2011 at 11:27 amwell then brandon hicks is the only current option.
Diory’s not a bad glove, and he hits better than Hicks, but who doesn’t? Rafael Belliard, now, would outhit Hicks. But you have a good glove man in the starting lineup with AAG.
March 5th, 2011 at 11:34 amCan’t remember the source, but I subscribe to the axiom that I want my bench full of hitters who can’t field, not fielders who can’t hit.
March 5th, 2011 at 11:37 amspike – my first reaction is “Yeah!” but this team must have good, nay, excellent defense to win. It’s just the way we’re built. For proof, I give you Brooks Conrad.
That’s what pisses me off about the Phillies. They can slop around like beer-league drunks and still out-pitch and out-hit just about anybody not from Boston. May they all test positive for some form of non-life-threatening excess.
March 5th, 2011 at 12:21 pmAnd blue-eyed soul is an honorable contribution.
March 5th, 2011 at 12:22 pm@55, well sure, but really, given the number of defensive innings a bench player is likely to see and by extension the actual number of chances he’s going to get in those innings, the impact is minimal. The vast majority of a bench player’s ABs are going to be high leverage, hence Brooksie’s contributions with the bat were way more valuable than his clangy glove cost when in a reserve role. The failure came when it became clear he was going to be a starter and the team didn’t/couldn’t address this.
March 5th, 2011 at 12:31 pmI just want one guy on the bench that can come in and play an inning or two and not suck in the field.
This will make you feel good
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/72233/nike_chicks_dig_the_long_ball/
March 5th, 2011 at 12:38 pm@53
March 5th, 2011 at 12:47 pmmac, in your own words, you disagree with yourself in both your 2009 and 2010 player analyses of diory hernandez. talkingchop and fangraphs have also said that diory is not a good glove man.
All this talk of Hall and Oates puts me in mind of the Yacht Rock web series. Here’s episode 1, in which Daryl and John appear at the beginning and the end as belligerent east-coasters ready to destroy the “smooth” west coast music of the late ’70s.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMTI8vg7A5U
March 5th, 2011 at 1:00 pmsmitty – may very well be my favorite commercial ever.
If not, it’s the one where the blond is holding up a Michelob saying “There’s nothing better on a rainy night in Georgia”. Probably the reason I moved here.
March 5th, 2011 at 1:01 pmhttp://www.minorleagueball.com/2011/3/5/2030640/career-profile-chipper-jones-atlanta-braves
March 5th, 2011 at 3:11 pmDomonic Brown has a broken hand.
March 5th, 2011 at 3:41 pmDamn. He was the one guy you figured wouldn’t get injured.
March 5th, 2011 at 3:49 pm62, here’s another one:
http://www.minorleagueball.com/2005/8/23/14716/4363
March 5th, 2011 at 4:12 pmSo….
Just registered for the MCAT. Any advice?
March 5th, 2011 at 4:33 pm66,
Take a prep class and study hard. Make sure you’re ready for it when you take it, it isn’t helpful to take it multiple times. Try to get a study group together in the months leading up to the exam.
Good luck!
March 5th, 2011 at 4:47 pm… and move to New Zealand.
March 5th, 2011 at 5:31 pmSurely to goodness Bama is in after their win today.
If Clemson’s win over Whining Seth manages to get BOTH VaTech and Clemson in at the expense of Alabama (and/or Georgia) it will be yet another reason to burn down the House of Hypocrisy in Indianapolis.
March 5th, 2011 at 5:33 pmI LOVE HALL and OATES. She’s Gone, Maneater, Sara Smile, Kiss on my List, You Make My Dreams Come True, all great stuff!
March 5th, 2011 at 6:34 pmMy guess on Bama is the only way they get in the NCAA is to win the SEC tourney. The only thing that matters for the SEC tourney is if you win it. I will bet that Bama loses in the finals of the tourney and they still don’t get to the NCAA.
March 5th, 2011 at 7:12 pm@66
If you’re a self-motivator, get a set of review books from Kaplan/Princeton Review/etc. and dedicate a few weeks to review before taking the AAMC practice exams.
If you’re like me and can’t motivate yourself, you might want to look into a prep course, though they can get pretty expensive.
Best of luck!
March 5th, 2011 at 7:32 pmWhenever I think of Hall and Oates, I think of this Psych commercial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1-SngQAUcU
March 5th, 2011 at 7:36 pmBruce Ellington is the Francoeur of Gamecock basketball.
March 5th, 2011 at 9:46 pmLunardi has Bama in, Georgia out. I knew that game meant something.
March 5th, 2011 at 10:01 pmHe must have flipped them after that game then. I still think Bama needs to get to the SEC final game. I think if they can get there, win or lose, they’ll grab a 11/12 seed in the NCAA tournament. There’s a great chance there will be another UGA/Bama matchup in the 2nd round of the SEC tournament now.
March 5th, 2011 at 10:20 pmIf Kentucky wins in Knoxville tomorrow, UGA will open with Auburn, then would face Bama in the 2nd round.
If UT beats UK, Georgia opens with Arkansas, then would face Florida.
If there’s a 4-way tie for 2nd place in the East (result of a UT win), I’m not sure who would end up in Bama’s bracket.
March 5th, 2011 at 11:04 pm66,
I thought the prep course I took for the MCAT was pretty helpful. I hadn’t ever done a prep course for a test before, but the practice tests and general subject review (particularly for the physics portion) were key in getting me focused on the right material and test strategy.
March 5th, 2011 at 11:17 pm@69, Seth’s nickname is Fester as in uncle Fester
March 5th, 2011 at 11:33 pmFYI…todays game is on MLB Network
March 6th, 2011 at 10:47 am8 pitches total in today’s first inning. Hanson only needed 3
March 6th, 2011 at 12:18 pmI like the swing AAG put on the ball to the RCF gap. He had a good rip going the other way vs. Detroit.
I hope he brings that swing with him to ATL. If he can keep the OBP above .310, we will be in business.
March 6th, 2011 at 12:31 pmHall & Oates are one of my guiltiest pleasures.
March 6th, 2011 at 12:33 pmtommy looks like he’s worked on his hitting this offseason.
March 6th, 2011 at 12:37 pmGosh, I love watching Chipper Jones swing a bat.
March 6th, 2011 at 12:51 pmAgon and Uggla had solid knocks to RF today.
That is encouraging.
March 6th, 2011 at 1:02 pmLISP did an excellent job today – 2IP 1H 0BB 5K
March 6th, 2011 at 1:21 pmI must have missed the stories about Todd Coffey arriving to spring training in the best shape of his career.
March 6th, 2011 at 1:23 pm@85, It can’t be beat.
March 6th, 2011 at 1:41 pmGood to see The Prado making a nice sliding catch out in LF. Melky would’ve been doing good just to catch the same ball in a roll of fat last year.
God I hated looking at his stupid fat face.
March 6th, 2011 at 2:09 pmArodys looks tough.
March 6th, 2011 at 2:19 pmDamn. Vizcaino.
March 6th, 2011 at 2:23 pm91 – 92, My thoughts exactly. Vizcaino looks like the real deal to me, I didn’t see any fastballs clocked lower than 92, he looked like he was throwing pretty consistently 94-97. At the very least, he looked
March 6th, 2011 at 2:30 pmhealthy.
Also, Cristhian Martinez looked on fire today.
March 6th, 2011 at 2:50 pmThe Lisp looked like a beneficiary of the wide strike zone all day to me.
March 6th, 2011 at 3:11 pmWilkin Ramirez is having a nice spring. The Braves are loaded with guys who can hit for power and have some patience but can’t field a lick.
March 6th, 2011 at 3:40 pmStu or Parish or anyone,
Heading to Nashville for the first time next week. It’s for work, but I should be able to find some time to go out. Any bar/restaurant/live music recommendations?
March 6th, 2011 at 6:52 pmInteresting info. It’s good to see the Braves in the top 10
http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/international-affairs/2011/2611345.html
March 6th, 2011 at 7:50 pmNew post.
March 6th, 2011 at 10:34 pm