Show #104: Braves Go First to Worst in Week 3
The errors in the Mets series. Jordan calls out Chipper. MVP/LVP. And the comeback against the Phillies.
739 Responses to “Show #104: Braves Go First to Worst in Week 3”
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April 27th, 2010 at 1:46 am
If a pitcher hits a Braves batter with a pitch, he throws down his glove and starts punching himself in the face.
April 27th, 2010 at 1:48 am
Walking the Braves’ pitcher to get to the lead off man is sound strategy.
April 27th, 2010 at 1:50 am
Louisville Slugger is suing the Braves for slander.
April 27th, 2010 at 1:50 am
Good night. We suuuuuuuuuuuck.
April 27th, 2010 at 8:23 am
#169 is my favorite. Very funny except #177…it’s too true to be funny. Good work.
April 27th, 2010 at 8:49 am
How sad that we actually are hoping Jordan Schaefer can recover from his injury sooner rather than later?
Rumor that the children of Haiti are organizing a fundraiser to help the Braves get a clean up hitter.
April 27th, 2010 at 9:03 am
The one note of positivity I’ll try to add is that they actually looked a real baseball team at times last night. That’s an improvement. On the flip side, it feels like the season is already over. So that’s not great.
April 27th, 2010 at 10:35 am
Change of subject, if possible, to get us off the “we suck” train: I wish I had time to read sports blogs & whatnot, but I don’t. A co-worker shared this with me today. Leo Mazzone’s Blog from 680 The Fan from last week. I like it!
Things I would change if I were the commissioner of baseball:
Apr 21, 2010 — 3:24pm
* Get rid of the DH
* All Star game would not determine home field advantage. Best record would.
* Eliminate QuestTec
* Reduce major league schedule to 154 games so all post season games could be best of seven
* All Saturday and Sunday regular and post season games would be day games so more children could get involved
* Eliminate World Baseball Classic
* No pitch counts on stadium scoreboards
* Have a more balanced schedule
Baseball is the greatest game in the world so don’t take the human element out of it! -Leo
April 27th, 2010 at 10:38 am
To Leo’s point: “No pitch counts on stadium scoreboards,” do you think that’s so the pitcher himself can’t turn around and see what’s what? I actually like seeing the pitch count totals, but really to guess when a pitcher will get pulled…no other reason.
April 27th, 2010 at 11:43 am
Anne, I like going to 154 games and expanding the first round. Entirely too much luck involved with 5 game series. ALTHOUGH, that too much luck is all that will keep the Yankees from buying championship after championship.
Now, back to the WE SUCK train. This tidbit from Talking Chop:
“Innings 5, 6 and 7 – 9 consecutive outs, 27 pitches seen.”
… points to exactly what I saw last night. They REALLY did react to scoring those three runs like a bunch of junior high kids. Like they reacted to falling out of the race last year, closing with 6 straight losses. Like they reacted to getting “tired of spring training” this year, closing with two shameful performances in exhibition.
There’s no mystery here, to me. Yeah, the team is short on talent. But not this damn short. They are disfunctional. They have an attitude problem. It’s real, not perceived, not made up because we’re trying to match a team’s performance to some personality. No, it’s true. Too many signs.
The atmosphere in this clubhouse is not disciplined, not sharp, not hard-driving. Are we the only club with this problem? Highly doubtful. But teams with more talent can afford a little mental laziness. We can’t.
“Innings 5, 6 and 7 – 9 consecutive outs, 27 pitches seen.” This isn’t a talent problem (exclusively). This is an attitude problem. They scored three runs. Then they phoned in three innings. Then, surprise, the other team scored four, and they couldn’t dial up another run in press mode.
I hope Wren cleans house of TP and Cox. Bring on 2011.
April 27th, 2010 at 11:56 am
*by cleaning house… errr… I guess I mean “lets TP go…”
I really shouldn’t rant in the morning…
April 27th, 2010 at 2:02 pm
Atleast we played better last night. Of course we could NOT have played worse. And better’s not gonna cut it but it was less miserable. I agree with whoever said putting Escobar in leadoff was brilliant. His D was better than ever.
April 27th, 2010 at 3:13 pm
Salary of the best team in baseball: $72,847,133.
Average attendance of the best team in baseball: 25,769
“Maddon then stressed running hard in general, pointing to an infield single for Carlos Pena in a recent game that allowed the go-ahead run to score. He said that in addition to mental mistakes, he cannot stand guys not hustling down the line, always wanting to create a reputation as a team that will run hard every time.
‘That’s what I want out of our group. Pretty simple, really.’”
Okay, I’m really finished now. In my heart of hearts, I don’t believe we’ll stay this bad, and I believe we’ll be in the WC race, eventually. But I also believe this team will not be what it could have been. And if Wren goes “in house” for the next manager, I don’t look for it to get suddenly better. It’s a playin-for-grandpa mentality, where the extra effort gets kudos, it’s not what’s demanded.
Now maybe I’ve spewed enough Negativity to erase my early homerism. Here’s to finding a grumpy medium: The Curtdoza line.
April 27th, 2010 at 3:28 pm
The Ryan Howard contract might be helpful to the Braves return to the top. That’s a risky, risky contract. Had no idea until I read up on it. They could expand payroll and hang on to Werth, I guess, which would be a nightmare. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen.
Schafer
Prado
Heyward
Uggla
McCann
Escobar
Freeman
McLouth/Diaz
Hudson
Hanson
Jurrjens
Medlen
Minor
Moylan
Venters
Kimbrel
April 27th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
” In my heart of hearts, I don’t believe we’ll stay this bad, and I believe we’ll be in the WC race, eventually.”
I didn’t realize how disheartened I’ve become until I read that sentence. Really? I so want to believe that. I’ve never been so doubtful of the Braves which means they’ll turn it around real soon. Too bad quidditch is pretend…I could really get behind one of those teams. And if there’s a bad game I’d perform an obliviate charm on myself so I wouldn’t have to remember it.
April 27th, 2010 at 4:19 pm
Escobar leads off again today. I would move Heyward up behind McCann and in front of Glaus if I were BC.
Here’s an interesting article. Thoughts? Pretty graphs.
http://buzztap.com/-g3l0Yf
April 27th, 2010 at 4:19 pm
Re: the Wild Card, I just don’t see the Marlins, Dodgers, Rockies, Cubs and Brewers will pull so far ahead of us that we fall completely out. Not with Jurrjens, Hanson, and Hudson healthy and McCann + Heyward + Prado driving the offense. We have about as many threatening hitters as the other all-pitching-no-hitting teams like the Giants.
I don’t expect to win the WC, but compete for it. Three of McLouth, Escobar, Glaus, Diaz, Chipper, and Melky will just about have to return to their career norms unless we’re going to actually have a historic year of sudden drop offs.
April 27th, 2010 at 4:41 pm
*reads pretty graphs*
FIRE TP!
Sorry, he messed up KJ. The whole train wreck is on record.
And the team’s offensive approach is awful. Some of that has to fall on the hitting coach. Two points are glaring:
1. TP’s “first pitch might be your best pitch” spill, which was a mantra before this year.
2. Jason Heyward shows up and it’s like he invented the concept of Plate Discipline. Bobby and TP ADMITTED the team had become more patient only because of Heyward’s example. Do these guys not have bosses? Joe Maddon certainly acts like he’s the boss of his team.
April 27th, 2010 at 6:16 pm
Hmmm. But just looked up the Braves’ Plate Discipline figures on fangraphs. Bub is not feeling to confident in his lack-of-approach spill anymore.
We are the second most disciplined team in baseball.
So, now I’m DOUBLY mad at the Braves. They not only suck, they suck in such a way that I can’t figure out how to complain properly.
Next scapegoat: I’m going back to Glaus. He makes too many pouty faces. Ah HA. Just as I suspected. Braves lead the majors in PF%/CUC. That’s Pouty Face Percentage per Correct Umpire Call.
April 27th, 2010 at 6:53 pm
I think we should call the DOB blog “the mothership,” the way non-ESPN shows use that tag for ESPN. It isn’t original, but it’s still cool.
N8 had a good post on the mothership at 2:59 making the case for Dale Murphy’s comparability to Chipper is tinged by the stark difference in the protection hitters behind each of them.
Andruw/Tex/McGriff and so forth versus Bob Horner et al.
April 27th, 2010 at 7:08 pm
Remember when we wondered if McLouth’s .260 average would hurt the team?
We’ve got 8 batters in tonight’s line up hitting less than that. Only Prado is higher than .255
April 27th, 2010 at 7:17 pm
Bobby Cox’s “Pujols is worth 50 million” comment is all over the national media, including the top line on ESPN. Mike and Mike had the quote on their show this morning, too. They just have no idea how easy that man finds it to say the most hyperbolic stuff imaginable.
Heyward: Hank Aaron.
Campillo: Maddux
John Smoltz & Glavine last year: lookin’ great.
5 earned runs give up: best outing ever pitched.
Pujols: 50 million.
You’ve finally done it, Bobby. You’ve said something so outlandish you’re on the front page of ESPN, where the news about your player appraisals just hasn’t quite reached.
April 27th, 2010 at 7:55 pm
“They not only suck, they suck in such a way that I can’t figure out how to complain properly.”
My favorite line in a long while … I’m really considering not watching the game tonight to help change the luck.
April 27th, 2010 at 8:07 pm
Just finished the weekly podcast. Recall that my mom taught Jermaine Dye in grammar school. Does that mean NOTHING?? (probably)
April 27th, 2010 at 8:27 pm
Lowe’s sinker is sinking early. Especially to Ludwick and King Albert.