Show #102: The Braves Start the Season 3 – 3
Reviewing the Cubs series. Chipper’s injury. The Glaus Ceiling. And grading the team on week 1.
386 Responses to “Show #102: The Braves Start the Season 3 – 3”
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Pages: « 1 … 4 5 6 7 8 [9] 10 11 12 13 14 … 16 » Show All
April 16th, 2010 at 5:59 pm
Is anyone else out there tired of the Braves not having a true lead-off hitter. Do they just not exist? No, wait, they do- -I’ve seem them on other teams.
I wish we could manufacture a run. Like draw a walk, steal second, sac bunt the guy to 3rd, and then drive him in with a sac fly. But with a runner on third and less than 2 outs- -our hitters are not looking to drive the ball to the outfield. They are content to hit slow rollers to the 3rd baseman.
And finally, does it seem like our defense is less fundamentally sound than others? We don’t seem to hit the cut-off man, catch the ball (Mac at home), etc. Just seem generally sloppy. I can’t figure out if that is us, or just generally in MLB.
I was glad we took the series against the Padres, and sure wish we hadn’t blown the game a week ago against the Giants. 4-2 sounds a lot better than 3-3. But winning last night after getting pants a few nights ago was a nice response.
April 16th, 2010 at 6:02 pm
Jayson Stark on Prado & Kelly J:
Martin Prado (Braves) — Projected pace: .469 batting average, 304 hits, 81 doubles, 142 runs, .541 on base percentage, .594 slugging percentage
RATING: REAL DEAL
It’s safe to guess that Prado isn’t going to hit .469 all season, or average nearly two hits a night. But if you’ve been paying attention, it would be hard to conclude he’s not going to be an offensive force, because this is no two-week phenomenon. Since the Braves made Prado their regular second baseman at the end of June last year, the only NL hitters with a higher batting average and on-base percentage than he’s had (.331/.380) are Hanley Ramirez, Todd Helton and Pujols. Heard of them?
“He’s made himself a very good player,” said one scout. “He’s a player who was considered a utility guy when he first came up. But he’s used an intelligent approach to hitting to make himself a very productive player on a good team. He’s following the same path, for me, as Placido Polanco.”
Kelly Johnson (Diamondbacks) — Projected pace: .360 average, 61 home runs, 142 runs, 122 extra-base hits, .467 OBP, .840 SLG
RATING: HUNG JURY
We can’t rave about Prado without examining the guy who preceded him at second base with the Braves. And Johnson, too, is off to a great start, looking — in the words of one scout — “rejuvenated” by his escape from Atlanta. But not everyone is sold.
For every scout who loves his tools, you can find one who has reservations about his ability to apply them consistently. For every scout who tells you “He has an excellent eye, and the ballpark [in Arizona] fits him perfectly,” you can find one who calls him too “defensively challenged.”
“I don’t see him as a 500-at-bat regular,” said one scout, emphatically. “For me, I think he just projects as a productive major league role-player.”
April 16th, 2010 at 8:15 pm
At what point does Heyward become our clean up hitter?
April 16th, 2010 at 8:18 pm
Bub, I love it! Only problem is how am I supposed to explain the drool on the Rev’s laptop?
April 16th, 2010 at 8:28 pm
Loving me some Hinske
April 16th, 2010 at 8:31 pm
Leah, notes about my photo should be emailed.
Loving me some Hinske, too.
April 16th, 2010 at 8:32 pm
Loving this team! Looking at Melky hitting the ball!
April 16th, 2010 at 8:36 pm
Sorry Bub…I’ll try to remember that. Note to self…(laughing way out loud).
April 16th, 2010 at 8:56 pm
Do we like ole Johnny in the booth? Sometimes he states the obvious and it annoys me. Or maybe I’m just super savvy.
April 16th, 2010 at 9:07 pm
Golly gee Leah i don’t know but he was pretty funny there a minute ago.
April 16th, 2010 at 9:11 pm
lol, I took a phone call or I’d have responded.
I’m on radio.
April 16th, 2010 at 9:15 pm
Thought I was going to have to continue the conversation with myself and that would just have gotten awkward. You don’t have Peachtree TV? Sad. How are finals?
April 16th, 2010 at 9:17 pm
Glaus would’ve had that.
April 16th, 2010 at 9:21 pm
mounds of poo
April 16th, 2010 at 9:26 pm
Yeah Leah that was unfortunate. Hey did you hear John say “day offs”?
April 16th, 2010 at 9:26 pm
Sure did. That was funny.
April 16th, 2010 at 9:27 pm
I guess Bub got another phone call. He’s a busy guy. Tcc’s watering his azaleas. Trying to make yard of the month again.
April 16th, 2010 at 9:37 pm
I’ve got the Rockies announcers tonight. I have yet to hear Smotlz or Glavine in the booth this year.
April 16th, 2010 at 9:37 pm
lol at Chipper falling down & then homering. Wish I could have seen it.
April 16th, 2010 at 9:37 pm
hey Leah…I thought chip might be broken but look out!
April 16th, 2010 at 9:37 pm
Oh…Hey guys!
April 16th, 2010 at 9:41 pm
I think I like Smoltz. Sometimes he has really great stories. Sometimes he’s a bit chatty and his jokes are stupid.
April 16th, 2010 at 9:42 pm
Lowe’s gonna cost us some games this year. Just sayin’.
April 16th, 2010 at 9:43 pm
Smoltz is a low down dirty dog. I’d rather listen to Joe Morgan on headphones. The end.
April 16th, 2010 at 9:44 pm
whew…Lowe was making me nervous. How tired are Medlen and EOF Bub?