Show #108: The Braves Keep Winning
The Comeback. What to do with Medlen? Tracking Chipper’s progress. And a state of the team discussion.
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May 23rd, 2010 at 11:49 pm
Can we have a “Cheap Shots at Frenchy” segment every week? I’ll do research. It’s very cathartic: every cheap shot erases one agonizing memory of an inept at-bat/ remark. So… 7,859 to go…
Here’s one: Batting Average now at .211, and .188 against right handed pitchers. Good thing there aren’t many right handed pitchers in baseball, AAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAH!
I agree the offense looks downright dangerous compared with early returns. 10 batters that seem like legit possibilities for doing damage, do you realize that? Ten: Heyward, Prado, Glaus, McCann, Chipper, Hinske, McLouth, Infante, Escobar, and Conrad. If just 5 of those get hot at once, and say 3 of the other ones just stay north of Mendoza, we could put up lots of runs.
Starting pitching, though, worries me. I won’t spell it out since I’ve been so negative lately, but I look for our offense to have to carry us through plenty of games.
Go Braves!
May 24th, 2010 at 12:15 am
Quilvio Veras was the 2nd baseman who I could not think of earlier.
May 24th, 2010 at 10:03 am
Sitting in jury duty this morning. Never been picked before. Anyway …
Back to Bobby’s lineup from Sunday. Curt made a good point about so many guys sitting at one time. My biggest issue was Clevlen for Hinske (despite the match up). It would have been different with Hinske in there from the start.
May 24th, 2010 at 10:43 am
The line up would have been fine, but both the 4th and 5th outfielder were starting. I think you guys underestimate Hinske at 3rd, but I also don’t see why Omar couldn’t play left and Conrad 3rd. I don’t know. Bobby needs to stop sitting Hinske. The pitching will be fine. The Braves are no worse off than the rest of the NL in that regard. The bull pen has been phenomenal. Still don’t understand why Mike Dunn is still in AAA, but that is another issue. He is a lefty, and his control has to be better than Kimbrel’s. They need to find another good arm for the pen because Medlen being a starter is going to hurt the pen in the long run. The key to this team is offense. If they keep averaging around 6 runs a game, then they probably won’t drop many series. Also, let’s not forget the stellar D the guys are bringing to the field, too. I’m excited about the Braves again.
May 24th, 2010 at 10:50 am
My dad didn’t get to see the game, but he called me this morning after he looked at the box score in the paper and promptly asked, “Who the (expletive) is Brent Clevlen?” My response, “Exactly.” My dad is from St. Louis, but has become a closet Braves fan over the years because they’re always on in Tennessee. He has been calling for Bobby Cox’s head for right around 2 decades. Gotta love a Cardinals fan. They do know baseball. He reminds me every time we talk that guys like Hinske and Infante would never leave the field if they played for La Russa. He can’t wait for 2011 either.
May 24th, 2010 at 1:02 pm
I agree…with all of it. Hammy, not sure Hurley can reach his pants but
the visual of his trying made me chuckle. I think this team has had a stutter start of the season. Bobby has made some bone head moves but he’s also made some good ones. Like not letting a RHP pitch to Howard and pinch running for people. I’m not saying I’m not ready for him to go but maybe he will continue to read this message board and act accordingly. Love Hinske. I think Glaus will continue to hit and Cabrera who is known for being streaky will get hot. That’s right hot. Chipper will continue to flounder. While I think Hinske should play more often I don’t think Escobar is going to reach normalcy without consistent at bats. Prado wins a batting title. Ok , that last prediction wasn’t in my crystal ball but I just love his passion.
Can’t wait for a week from today! Cannot wait!
May 24th, 2010 at 1:04 pm
Leah, remember, i’m NOT going to be there.
May 24th, 2010 at 2:01 pm
Wait…is today Monday? I mean a week from tomorrow. Days spent running errands with certain people in my life should count as two cause they feel like about 20. And yes Curt, the court remembers where your allegiance lies.
May 24th, 2010 at 2:04 pm
Stupid family
May 24th, 2010 at 2:10 pm
Lol.
May 24th, 2010 at 6:02 pm
First, the good news: if the Braves win the Florida series, I am resolved to be positive for a whole month, win or lose.
Now, the bad: I just glanced back over our May schedule so far. I knew we’d played some bad teams, but, to make a long story short:
Arizona, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, and Houston, and the Mets. Look at those all in a sentence together. We’ve played five awful, awful teams.
Beyond that, we’ve played two decent teams (Washington and Cincinatti) and one very good team (Ph*lly)
The very good team swept us. One of the two decent teams beat us.
The only decent team we beat was the Reds, requiring a Braves Record Book comback driven by a Grand Slam off an outfielder’s glove.
It’s actually remarkable how exactly this team has played to likely outcomes this year. I looked over the bad April and it was the same thing: yeah, the record was bad, but almost exactly in proportion to the good teams we were playing. Braves are not playing up or down to the competition this year, which, I guess, is at least half good.
But it paints a pretty consistant picture: An average ballclub losing to good teams and beating bad ones.
So, there’s your daily dose of sunshine.
May 24th, 2010 at 6:32 pm
Thanks Mr. Weatherman. I see your point but I remember we played just terrible against the Cards. I mean, it wasn’t them just being really good it was us being pitiful. I think we’re better than THAT…don’t you?
Btw…I don’t see the Hinske interview. Am I blind?
May 24th, 2010 at 7:14 pm
Great minds think alike:
Mara Says:
May 19th, 2010 at 8:45 pm
I’m sure this has been discussed on this forum but I can’t remember. Fair or foul…interleague play. Go.
May 24th, 2010 at 7:27 pm
Found Hinske interview right where I left it.
May 24th, 2010 at 7:33 pm
That may be my favorite player interview. Great questions Steve. Love me some Hinske!
May 24th, 2010 at 8:19 pm
The Braves didn’t get swept by Philly, they won the Saturday game that Medlen pitched.
May 24th, 2010 at 8:34 pm
Didn’t get swept? I thought we did. Oh, well. Yay?
May 24th, 2010 at 9:54 pm
I HATE nights without baseball.
May 24th, 2010 at 9:54 pm
Make that Braves Baseball. Boston’s beating up on TB.
May 24th, 2010 at 11:04 pm
Based on the listed stats, Julio Teheran had 7IP w/ 12K, 2BB, 4H, 1ER, 1HR in his first start after being promoted to high A ball. He got a ND, and his ERA is 1. 29. He turned 19 in January.
May 25th, 2010 at 10:05 am
“We’re havin’ FISH TONIGHT!”. Who said it Bubdylan. Btw…happy late birthday. I saw on Twitter it was yesterday.
May 25th, 2010 at 11:21 am
What’s Bub’s Twitter account?
May 25th, 2010 at 12:02 pm
I have no idea. I may have confused him with the other B. Dylan.
May 25th, 2010 at 12:54 pm
Oh, sorry – I was being thick.
The G-Braves just tweeted the Gregor Blanco’s been called up to Atlanta. Who’s being DL’d? Or sent down?
May 25th, 2010 at 12:59 pm
Hell’s yeah! Bravos vs. Fish means the game’s on in Tampa. I’ll be WATCHING tonight, for better or worse. Go Braves!
May 25th, 2010 at 1:03 pm
Steve, maybe McLouth? Escobar? McLouth has been banged up by pitches. Maybe his ribs are hurt. Maybe Escobar is still hurt. That would explain a lot for Escobar. He doesn’t have that many K’s, but his BA when he puts the ball in play is near .200.
May 25th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
Nothing on my Twitter feed. Who could it be?
May 25th, 2010 at 1:14 pm
Actually, if it were Escobar, they would definitely call up an infielder. My money is on McLouth. Melky hasn’t played enough to be hurt. Hinske and Heyward both fall under the category of man-beast, so I’m hoping both will be playing this series. We need to fix our NL East poo-poo record of like 4-10.
Maybe they’ve seen enough of Clevlen. Blanco is hitting in the .290s and is a decent fielder. I don’t see how Blanco could be worse than McLouth to begin with. It makes sense for McLouth to try to play through an injury because he knows there are 2 guys in AAA who could do the job as well, if not better, than him.
May 25th, 2010 at 1:15 pm
How weird was it when McLouth sacrificed for Hudson the other night. That was really bizarre and unheard of. I think something is up.
May 25th, 2010 at 1:15 pm
Actually, it was my birthday and Bob Dylan’s birthday, too. I was at the beach one time with two other dudes with Bob’s birthday and one guy born on Jimi Hendrix’s birthday. All three of us born on Bob’s were songwriters and the guy born on Jimi’s played guitar, and none of the 4 of us knew about the celebrity b-days until after our hobbies were chosen. Weird, huh? I’m not into astrology, but I do wonder if there’s not at least a little something mysterious to the alignment of numbers & stars.
May 25th, 2010 at 1:33 pm
Dadgummit…I wish I hadn’t responded to Steve’s Twitter account inquiry. How freaked were you when I knew it was your birthday? Happy Birthday for reals.
May 25th, 2010 at 1:40 pm
Carroll Rogers just confirmed that Clevlen’s going to be DL’d.
May 25th, 2010 at 1:45 pm
Predictions on tonight’s lineup?
May 25th, 2010 at 2:02 pm
Prado, Heyman, Chipper, McCann, Glaus, Hinske, Yusmell, McOut, Keys
May 25th, 2010 at 2:41 pm
Tonight’s lineup: Prado, 4; Heyward, 9; Chipper, 5; McCann, 2; Glaus, 3; Hinske, 7; Escobar, 6; McLouth, 8; Kawakami, 1.
I know it’s a privilege to play in the all star game and I should vote like crazy for our players but it always makes me nervous. For instance, what if Heyward plays and gets hurt?
May 25th, 2010 at 2:42 pm
McOut is bloody brilliant.
May 25th, 2010 at 2:51 pm
Agreed on the line-ups, Mara and McOut. Other than on “crazy Sundays,” I think this is it for a while. Let’s win tonight, dammit. I’m a little nervous.
May 25th, 2010 at 3:00 pm
Me too, Steve, me too. Sanchez has been really good lately, and we all know about KK’s troubles. I really hope/think Escobar gets it going. He always plays well in South Florida. I like the other two match ups we have in this series, though, and we got Pittsburgh this weekend. I’m thinking 5-1. We really need to close strong on May. june is going to be BRUTAL. If KK drops 2 in 1 week, then something needs to be done.
May 25th, 2010 at 3:59 pm
Firstly I agree with the lineups. But I understand Mara’s fears about the All star game (Ray Fossey). For those who dont know here’s a link. http://articles.sfgate.com/1999-07-10/sports/17692500_1_time-hits-leader-ray-fosse-collision
May 25th, 2010 at 4:32 pm
I’m not sure we need to worry too much about all stars. None of these dudes is getting voted in. Prado might get picked by Charlie Manuel, and maybe Hudson or Wagner, but other than that we are pretty safe. I don’t see Heyward making the team with all the outfielders in the NL, even with his numbers. Manny Ramirez and a couple of other stiffs will get elected in by the fans. Watch Carlos Beltran to be leading the OF voting at some point.
May 25th, 2010 at 4:36 pm
McOut – yeah, the KK match up tonight is clearly the worst of the three. But, he did look really good last game (he didn’t drop his last start, the bullpen dropped it for him). I just don’t want to lose tonight and all the sudden have a 2 game losing streak. Win game 1 of series. Gots to.
May 25th, 2010 at 4:39 pm
Sorry, the stiff in the OF is Victorino. And Jimmy Rollins, who has played what? 5 games this year? is leading the SSs. Basically it is the Phillies starting lineup, with Pujols and Molina and Braun. Heyward is 6th (so I might be wrong about him), Prado 3rd, etc. All can be read below.
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100525&content_id=10409258&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb
May 25th, 2010 at 4:50 pm
Prado, Heyward, and Hudson all have good shots at the All-Star team, if they keep performing the way they are now. I could see Prado getting snubbed if if they only take 2 2B because KJ might be the only feasible D’Back All-Star. Manuel will take Heyward as a reserve for our lone represenative. I think Heyward is actually more likely than Prado as our All Star because there are 6 OF on the team. A lot of pitchers are having good years, and I’ve already mentioned why Prado might get snubbed.
May 25th, 2010 at 5:26 pm
Let me get this straight, so Clevlen goes on the DL with a sore toe after subbing for a guy with a sore thumb. The injuries on this team are comical. First groins, then hammys, and now fingers and toes. What is up with these guys? Let us not forget Yunel hurting his Chipper, which I think is the new scientific term for oblique. The Braves have to be the softest team in baseball.
May 25th, 2010 at 5:27 pm
I forgot about Matty’s splinter, too.
May 25th, 2010 at 6:15 pm
I’m going out on a limb and predicting our ugliest (or Uggliest?) loss of the year tonight. Florida’s surging offense versus Kitchen Comma Car Keys sounds like a recipe for suck.
Go Braves!
May 25th, 2010 at 6:24 pm
Yeah, the Fish definitely have a better line up than we do.
May 25th, 2010 at 7:17 pm
Chipper is BAD.
May 25th, 2010 at 7:18 pm
Prado single. Heyward single. Chipper DP. McCann K. Braves.
May 25th, 2010 at 7:20 pm
Bobby “I think I’ll sit 5 starters today” Cox is the most stubborn manager of all time.
May 25th, 2010 at 7:20 pm
I’m starting the Both Prado and Heyward Get On Base and Chip And Mac Strand Them count at 2 with that one right there. I think I remember it happening 3 times already, but I’ll stick with 2.
the BPAHGOBACAMST count: 2
May 25th, 2010 at 7:21 pm
McOut…NEVER forget Matty’s splinter. Chipper IS bad. He just pulled a Frenchy…and we’re at 0-0 tonight when we should be at LEAST 1-0. I was watching “A Serious Man” on DVD but stopped it to watch the game. Don’t MAKE me put my Netflick back in…
May 25th, 2010 at 7:23 pm
“A Serious Man” is more hopeful and happy than this game’s gonna be.
May 25th, 2010 at 7:24 pm
If only the Braves would visit a rabbi…(I’m only one rabbi in to the movie)
May 25th, 2010 at 7:26 pm
Oh, for god’s sake.
May 25th, 2010 at 7:27 pm
If you can remain as detached from the characters as the Coens are, you might dig it. I couldn’t.
May 25th, 2010 at 7:27 pm
Nice throw BMac. That was a perfect throw.
May 25th, 2010 at 7:28 pm
Bad defense just cost the Braves a run.
May 25th, 2010 at 7:29 pm
Agreed, McOut. Bub: I’m not Jewish, and I mean this with absolutely no disrespect…I wonder if I were Jewish, would I appreciate this movie more. I actually do like it – I like the Coens, though Burn After Reading almost turned me away for good.
May 25th, 2010 at 7:33 pm
After experiencing an inning of FSMarlins broadcasting, I am convinced that 0 personality is a requirement for anyone who works as a FOX Sports broadcaster.
May 25th, 2010 at 7:40 pm
My Coen Bros observation in ten seconds (not that you asked): Very clever dudes. But they hold most of their characters in contempt. When there’s a character they do care about (H.I. McDonough, Marge, Ed Tom Bell, or Billy Bob’s character in “TMW Wasn’t There”) I can enjoy it without getting the shivers. Otheriwse, too bleak. I don’t have a great time laughing at contemptable and helpless characters.
And their rebellion against the conventions of conflict resolution (The ending of Barton Fink, Lewellyn’s glazed over death in No Country) are not clever to me, or “like real life,” or whatever. Just unsatisfying in a sort of cute way.
That said, Raising Arizona’s my favorite movie.
May 25th, 2010 at 7:46 pm
Bub, I was HOPING to get an unsolicited opinion, because I love it when you wax poetically on any old subject. Thanks. I like me some Barton Fink…but Raising AZ is right up there.
Glad KawaK has chilled a bit…and just helped his cause…oh, and thanks, Prado!
I’m pretty sure if I keep the TV on mute, I can hear the players and fans @ the Marlins field just as loud as if I leave the mute off.
May 25th, 2010 at 7:46 pm
Prado is a man beast, too. Bub, I love me some Raising Arizona.
May 25th, 2010 at 7:49 pm
B-Mac!!!!!
May 25th, 2010 at 7:49 pm
Mac Attack!
May 25th, 2010 at 7:50 pm
McCannnnnnnnn. Can’t believe it.
May 25th, 2010 at 7:53 pm
Maybinnnnnnn. Can believe it.
May 25th, 2010 at 7:54 pm
Maybin crushed that one! KK this is the big leagues. If you throw up in the zone, then even a team’s two worst hitters can crush you.
May 25th, 2010 at 7:55 pm
“I threw a lot with my feeling and soul,” they keep quoting that from KK on the Florida station. He had a blister on his foot in that game, I wonder if he really said “sole.”
May 25th, 2010 at 8:11 pm
Well, no matter what happens after this, I never thought KK would make it through Uggla, Hanely, and Cantu twice with only 2 runs scored. So, I reckon my limb broke.
Go Braves!
May 25th, 2010 at 8:12 pm
Escobar, good job, buddy.
May 25th, 2010 at 8:37 pm
Can Whimper Jones get a ball out of the infield?
May 25th, 2010 at 8:38 pm
Maybe he needed 3 days off.
May 25th, 2010 at 8:57 pm
Doesn’t feel too good, this game. Great at bat by Nate there, though.
Anne – I just could not do Barton Fink. But love me the Coen Brothers typically.
May 25th, 2010 at 9:07 pm
Chipper’s the last hitter on the whole club besides McLouth I’d like to see up right here with bases loaded.
May 25th, 2010 at 9:07 pm
Bub, it’s like you’re in my mind…
May 25th, 2010 at 9:09 pm
Ha! Did Paulino just smile @ McLouth @ 3rd? They were Pirates together once, right?
May 25th, 2010 at 9:10 pm
Sigh.
Strands his 5th, 6th, and 7th runner on the night.
May 25th, 2010 at 9:10 pm
[losing horns] I’m going back to Netflix.
May 25th, 2010 at 9:11 pm
I think the Coen Brothers are directing this game.
May 25th, 2010 at 9:12 pm
Whimper Jones blows it again. He’ll probably get credit for it being a line drive, right? Wrong. An out, is an out, is an out. He looks awful.
May 25th, 2010 at 9:13 pm
Damn the pitcher for hitting Heyward.
May 25th, 2010 at 9:15 pm
Kawakami, while not rock solid, was solid, and he will probably get another L. This team just puts on their Suck Fest act when he pitches. It’s not his fault, but these uys don’t seem driven to play hard behind him.
May 25th, 2010 at 9:16 pm
No kidding. Hitting Heyward really did NOT help us. At least Chipper hit it solidly. It was less frustrating than rolling over on it weakly.
May 25th, 2010 at 9:18 pm
The Braves cannot get Maybin out.
May 25th, 2010 at 9:25 pm
All right…score some runs!
May 25th, 2010 at 9:27 pm
Prado and Heyward won’t be up again unless the other batters don’t wake up.
May 25th, 2010 at 9:28 pm
*do wake up.
May 25th, 2010 at 9:33 pm
Add to that, Piniero was getting hit at a .350 clip by lefties and a .160 something against righties so Chipper takes that knowledge and bats righty.
Miller’s Crossing must get some credit for being perfectly brilliant, although a 12 on the grim meter
May 25th, 2010 at 9:34 pm
Is there anyway Escobar beats that ball? Am I just expecting him to give a halfass effort cause when dude bobbled the ball I had hope.
May 25th, 2010 at 9:34 pm
“once chipper and escober get going, watch out world”
- Steve
May 25th, 2010 at 9:35 pm
The left side of the infield is garbage.
May 25th, 2010 at 9:36 pm
I noticed Freddie flubbed the reverse split putting Pinto (you meant Pinto, right?) in to face Heyward. Not a smooth move for our future (hope, hope, hope) manager.
I watched Miller’s Crossing just this week. Wally Mart shucking them for five dolla. My first time seeing it on a nice t.v., didn’t know how beautiful the cinematography was. John Turturo = amazing in that movie. His finest hour, to me.
May 25th, 2010 at 9:37 pm
“Is there anyway Escobar beats that ball?”
Not without hustling. So, no.
May 25th, 2010 at 9:38 pm
Pinto. yes.
May 25th, 2010 at 9:41 pm
That whole cast is great. Albert Finney is tremendous. All the Coen players are in rare form. Just a great movie.
May 25th, 2010 at 9:42 pm
really surprised to see Chavez still out there
May 25th, 2010 at 9:47 pm
“youse fancy pants, all o’ yas” Love that line.
“Look into your heart, Tom. I’m praying to you. Look into your heart.” Gives me chills just typing it.
And Leo tommy gunning the guy upstairs after jumping out the window is one of the most satisfying pieces of violence in film. I think the score is underrated, too.
And it’s grim, true enough, but I don’t get that scuzzy feeling like nobody’s worth a crap. Leo and Tom’s loyalty to each other is genuinely nice, even the bust up at the end doesn’t really hurt that. “I said we were through, it’s not the same thing.”
May 25th, 2010 at 9:47 pm
So…Steve, you thought we’d take the other two games…right?
May 25th, 2010 at 9:47 pm
Thanks Bobby. Now it’s officially an L. Were there really no other relievers available for the 8th? At the time of the double, Chavez had already thrown 30 and appeared to be laboring.
May 25th, 2010 at 9:48 pm
Never seen Miller’s Crossing. I’ll watch it when I watch that baseball movie with that Crash guy
May 25th, 2010 at 9:49 pm
Since we’re getting our butts kicked anyway, go ahead and let all Chavez’s runs score. Maybe Bobby’ll get the…
…
…
…
… … … no, he won’t.
May 25th, 2010 at 9:49 pm
4-11 in the NL East. Pathetic. I attribute Sunday’s game to Bobby benching 5 starters at once, and this L to him continuing the Chipper 3-hole fiasco and giving all of our good relievers 2 days off. Earth to Bobby, this is Major League baseball. Go manage in a softball league somewhere you washed-up clown.
May 25th, 2010 at 9:51 pm
I forget about Miller’s Crossing. Which is crazy, because it is AMAZINGLY good. Really about perfect. Or, the exact opposite of this game tonight.
May 25th, 2010 at 9:52 pm
Head. In. The. Game. Martin! Escobar’s rubbing off on him. Come back win…here we go!
May 25th, 2010 at 9:53 pm
Sunday we saw most of our regulars get benched, and today we saw 3 pitchers who probably shouldn’t be pitching in MLB. We lost both games. That’s actually not all that surprising.
May 25th, 2010 at 9:55 pm
What’s the opposite of your manager making all the right moves? A Bobby? A Cox?
May 25th, 2010 at 9:57 pm
“Come back win…here we go!”
It’s not impossible if Conrad gets on. Prado-through-Glaus are as likely to put up 4 as anyone on this team.
May 25th, 2010 at 9:58 pm
This game minus Jesse Chavez and Chipper in the 3 spot = winnable.
May 25th, 2010 at 9:59 pm
The 8th must have been past his bedtime. I was surprised when Chavez came in in the first place. I was even more surprised to see him face the heart of the order. I was even more surprised to see him face Ross, one of the hottest hitters in baseball, after walking Dan Uggla, giving up a single to Cantu, and almost walking Hanley. Then I realized Bobby Cox hasn’t retired yet, and I wasn’t all that surprised .
May 25th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
I wish we could at least get to Chipper. He’d have a shot at stranding 10 men in a game. Maybe Bobby would…
…
…
…
…
…
… … … no, he wouldn’t.
May 25th, 2010 at 10:01 pm
Some fireworks.
Do it up, Braves. C’mon.
May 25th, 2010 at 10:01 pm
I LOVE that guy!
May 25th, 2010 at 10:02 pm
1-9 w/ RISP. YIKES!
May 25th, 2010 at 10:03 pm
Now leaving in Jesse Chavez really hurts. THANKS BOBBY!
May 25th, 2010 at 10:03 pm
And that guy!
May 25th, 2010 at 10:04 pm
Chipper Jones freaking sucks. Sorry.
May 25th, 2010 at 10:04 pm
Really Chipper? Really? Go on the DL. Please.
May 25th, 2010 at 10:05 pm
PATHETIC
May 25th, 2010 at 10:05 pm
SIT CHIPPER!!!!!!!!!! Shoulda put Infnte in.
May 25th, 2010 at 10:05 pm
Augh. Why on this big round green world did I EVER think about getting my hopes up in this game. I held it off the whole game just to start hoping at the end. Freaking Braves.
May 25th, 2010 at 10:06 pm
Sorry…my fault. But it was fun for a little bit, right?
May 25th, 2010 at 10:06 pm
Un.
Nec.
Ces.
Sary.
Loss.
May 25th, 2010 at 10:08 pm
We could easily be 25-20 right now, but because of ol’ Bobby Cox were 23-22. We’re also 1for 5 in the WS, but that’s old news.
May 25th, 2010 at 10:08 pm
No runs in the 9th would have been pathetic to me. At least they did something and made it interesting. Chipper is a real drain on this lineup in the 3, that’s for sure. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuudggggggggggggggggge.
May 25th, 2010 at 10:09 pm
Chipper stranded 8 stinking runners.
May 25th, 2010 at 10:13 pm
It just feels like Escobar should be sat down. Not because he isn’t hitting but because of the error followed by the lack of hoofing it to 1st. I think he coulda beat that ball. If you make an error I need to see an exceptional effort during your next at bat.
May 25th, 2010 at 10:13 pm
I was thinking pathetic more for Mac and Chipper, who both disappointed me a lot tonight. Mac got a double, but the 1st inning was unacceptable. When you get your first two runners on base, and then your 3 and 4 make 3 outs between them to end the inning, it sets a bad tone for the game. Both had bad ABs in the 9th, too. I was thinking 4-11 in the NL East pathetic. If they can’t win in the division they will come in 4th, maybe.
May 25th, 2010 at 10:16 pm
I’m ready to see Hanson pitch lights out. I want to make sure the last game was a fluke.
May 25th, 2010 at 10:20 pm
Yeah – that Hanson thing. And really time for Chipper to move down in the line up. For the love of all that’s good and baseball.
May 25th, 2010 at 10:22 pm
There’s really nothing to see here, folks. I’m telling you, we’re beating some bad teams, losing to good ones, might split the difference with other .500 teams. Repeat, repeat, repeat: 81 wins. We’re a game over .500 right now and that’s after a bucketload of bad teams this month.
And Curt, I know you think (or I think you think) that’s par for the course for the talent we’ve put on the field, but I don’t. I think the team is capable of 87-92 wins. But they’re not prepared correctly, not ordered correctly, not disciplined, and have very little approach besides what each individual player brings to the table. I expect some little spurts of nice games, and I guess I can enjoy that. But a sustained push? Fugghettaboutit.
May 25th, 2010 at 10:30 pm
The Braves are 2-7 against the Nats, Mets, and Fish. They definitely have more talent then all of those teams. You’re on to something, Bub. Maybe the guy deciding who plays when and where is the issue. They seemed really unfocused at times, and need a manager who will get on them about it. Bobby’s hands -off, player’s manager approach does not work with this group of players.
May 25th, 2010 at 10:32 pm
Going into the season I felt the Braves were the 4th or 5th best team in the NL. I genuinely believed that they would be the WC team this year. There was no doubt in my mind. So that’s gotta be a 92 win team there.
You just can’t outrun your manager. Their fundamentals are terrible. The lineup is awful in its order. He still can’t manage a bullpen. Even with all the moving around and the situational pitching he has done, he’s still a hack. And until he honestly moves Chipper and McCann out of the 4 and 5 hole and plays Infante more at short I won’t believe any differently. I remember when the Braves rehired Bobby to be their manager and I felt about as confident as I did when the Falcons rehired Marion Campbell.
May 25th, 2010 at 10:40 pm
Curt, how validated and happy will you feel if we hire Freddie Gonzalez next year and he immediately makes even 50% of these logical moves, runs the pen well, and steers us to a 90 win season? I know that, for me, I will be extremely satisfied? I guess that’s kind of twisted, but dang, all this time in frustration, it would be really nice just to finally see it proven I wasn’t taking crazy pills.
Well, g’night, ABT. S’what I get for letting hope creep in. That door is closed now. I’m safe.
May 25th, 2010 at 10:49 pm
I just wished he had retired 2 or 3 years ago. It would have been better for him too. He ruined our season last year. He cost us the playoffs. And at this point I’m openly rooting for Chipper to retire as well.
I saw this headline. Didn’t read the article. Don’t really care. But the headline was perfect.
“Man admits to Phillies game vomit assault”
May 25th, 2010 at 10:51 pm
I am super-bummed because the US Men’s Soccer Team’s defense looked like crap tonight in a 4-2 loss to the Czech Republic, a team that didn’t even qualify for the World Cup. It was a friendly, meaningless game, but most of the defenders for the US were guys that will play in the WC. They didn’t look good playing as a unit. The June 12th matchup against England should be very interesting.
May 26th, 2010 at 12:00 am
Curt, did you see that psycho disgusting Phillies fan was also a police captain? I can’t remember where I saw it but I read that somewhere. Nice.
May 26th, 2010 at 12:04 am
I know you’ll all see it but just so it’s on the board and we can all blast Bobby some more.
“Chipper lined into the out. That’s as good as he can hit a ball. First inning he hit a line drive to the second baseman for a double play one-hopper. I don’t know what to say about it. We were in the ball game right to the very end.”
May 26th, 2010 at 12:19 am
Baseball sucks.
May 26th, 2010 at 2:30 am
“Jesse is improving so much it’s unreal. Again, he’s given up some runs, but his control is so much better. He came up with a curveball Roger’s got him (throwing), he struck out (Hanley) Ramirez with it on a 3-2 pitch. I have a lot of confidence in him, a lot.” -Bob Cox
I’ll see you all in 2011
May 26th, 2010 at 10:21 am
What game was Bobby watching? As a Tennessee fan, his quotes remind me a lot of Coach Fulmer’s post-game head-scratchers. Just throwin’ that out there. Coach Fulmer had a National Championship, but he will always be a very overrated coach, IMO. To me, there are a lot of glaring similarities between Cox and Fulmer Any coach can win given superior talent. Bobby Cox had three hall of fame pitchers and Fulmer had a lot of guys who went on to be very productive/successful in the NFL. Do you think Phil Jackson has all those rings without Kobe, MF, or Shaq? Great managers, like Tony La Russa, win with mediocre teams. The last Cardinals WS team, outside of Carpenter and Pujols, did not have an amazing roster. At that point Wainwright was still in the pen. They might have still had Edmonds and Rolen, but they were not in their prime. It was not his best Cardinals team.
May 26th, 2010 at 10:23 am
I meant “MJ” instead of “MF”. I was obviously still thinking about Bobby when I typed that one. Freudian slip.
May 26th, 2010 at 12:50 pm
I’m just dying for a run by an Atlanta team. Something to get excited about. I’m watching the Flyers make it to the Stanley Cup Finals after getting into the playoffs on the last day of the season. How fun would a run like that be? The Hawks were a joke in the playoffs, the Thrashers have never existed, the Falcons don’t know which way they want to go, and the Braves are the Braves. I really was hoping the Braves were going to do something magical this year. I still think they can make a run, but how far can they go in the playoffs? How far can they go with Bobby? Would they make it out of the first round if they had to play the Cards or LA? Do you think LaRussa or Torre would get outcoached by Bobby?
May 26th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
Do you think Bobby would ever have the stones to sit Chipper to win a series? That’s the answer right there. Chipper’s more of a liability than Yunel. Face it. I agree Infante should start, but he should play 2nd and Prado should play 3rd. Chipper is slower than a 1/2 effort by Yunel, Yunel plays better D, and they are both the last two guys I want to see at the plate with the game on the line. Therefore, I take a slumping, thoughtless Yunel over a slumping, out of shape, and powerless Chipper. At least Yunel had a good year last year. Please let Infante and Hinske play everyday. Curt, I agree that the Braves are capable of a run, but it’s like you said on this weeks show. Bobby has to be willing to sit vets to play the hot hand for them to succeed.
May 26th, 2010 at 2:36 pm
Do you think Medlen is still a starter when JJ is back? Same type of scenario….
May 26th, 2010 at 2:43 pm
My first job out of high school was at this Barbeque joint where most days I showed up late. Once a week I’d drop a rack of ribs into the fire. I’d turned over pots of beans onto the floor, hung out on the phone for hours, and insulted customers that were dressed stupid. I never worried, though.
Cuz MAN what a bossman I had. When anybody asked about me, he just said I was doing a fine job. That rib racks were notoriously slippery, beans on the floor happens to every restaurant, the phone calls were five minutes less each week, and if they lost a few customers for insults, I brought more in by the way I undercharged them at the register.
I loved my job there. We all did. We voted him the Best Barbeque Manager in the Barbeque Press Papers. The food was bad and we eventually burnt the place down, but that guy was one more “employee’s manager.”
(We did have a few years of decent food when Julia Child, Pierre Gagnaire, and Ettori Boiardi all worked in our kitchen. But without our manager, I don’t think they’d have made very good food.)
May 26th, 2010 at 3:17 pm
I bet your BBQ sauce was vinegar based huh.
May 26th, 2010 at 3:22 pm
I predict that Chipper is in the 2 hole tonight and Heyward in the 3. I’m calling it now!!!!
May 26th, 2010 at 3:22 pm
Actually, it was 1 part sugar, 2 parts syrup, and a teaspoon of mustard so the manager could claim to have a grumpy side.
When the food is already sour, ya don’t need any vinegar.
May 26th, 2010 at 3:29 pm
“But when Bobby Cox said after the game that the liner he hit to Jorge Cantu was as hard as Chipper could hit the ball, I thought well, then, that’s not good.” This quote from Carroll Rogers sums it up.
May 26th, 2010 at 3:32 pm
I think Robertson is a lefty, so I’m a little worried about what the line up is going to look like.
May 26th, 2010 at 3:37 pm
McOut – good point. Probably replace Hinske with Melky tonight. Which is just so disheartening. SO disheartening. I don’t care if he’s gotten a few hits lately. I have zero confidence in him.
May 26th, 2010 at 4:02 pm
So much for my prediction about Chipper: 1. Prado 2B, 2. Heyward RF, 3. Jones 3B, 4. Glaus 1B, 5. McCann C, 6. Escobar SS, 7. Cabrera LF, 8. McLouth CF, 9. Hanson P.
May 26th, 2010 at 4:07 pm
Dear tommy Hanson, please be good. Please, please, pretty please pitch really really good.
May 26th, 2010 at 4:08 pm
Steve, unfortunately, we were right. Bobby loves a platoon. I would much rather him platoon Hinske with Infante, if he has to platoon Hinske. I would much rather see Cabrera replace McLouth, if anyone. I won’t be able to watch the game, but I hope Hanson can hold the Fish under 2.
May 26th, 2010 at 4:28 pm
What a ridiculous lineup. Is it by jersey number or something? Did my son do it? And not the 6-year-old, the two-year-old. The 6-year-old knows better. Besides, if he did it, SpongeBob would be in the 3 hole and would probably collect more hits. Does he not know that we are 4-11 against our division?
May 26th, 2010 at 4:35 pm
Not a great looking 5-8, again. We typically don’t score in games where that is the case. That’s like going on a first date with a 3-day old beard, unkept hair, a dirty shirt, and pants that were obviously on the bedroom floor prior to being worn. Unless the girl your going on the date with is an indie-rocker, or unless the team your playing are the Houston Astros, it’s probably not going to go well. Remember how much we scored when we had Glaus, Hinske, Infante 5-7. Yeah, me too. Those were good times.
May 26th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
When will the McDonough Masher take his rightful place at number 3? I would love to see this:
Infante
Prado
Heyward
Glaus
Hinske
Chipper
McCann
McLouth
*Yunel sucks
May 26th, 2010 at 5:07 pm
I agree McOut. I’m so sick of Yunel. Please get him out of the lineup, and if we must play Chipper- -then put him in the 7th or 8th. Could we bat 3 folks 8th? McClouth, Melky, and Chipper.
May 26th, 2010 at 7:37 pm
Chipper looks TERRIBLE!!!
May 26th, 2010 at 7:43 pm
Can we have Hanley? He’d like Bobby.
May 26th, 2010 at 8:04 pm
Gonna be a very long night.
May 26th, 2010 at 8:27 pm
Mac bunts? To get on first and bring up Escobar? Clearly you are all smarter than I and doing something fabulous with your evening instead of watching this game.
May 26th, 2010 at 8:35 pm
Bottom of the 4th was fun.
May 26th, 2010 at 8:37 pm
Snore
May 26th, 2010 at 8:46 pm
Cabrera had a great at bat in the 5th.
May 26th, 2010 at 8:59 pm
Nice throw Melky. Nice catch Mclouth. What the hell’s wrong with Tommy Hanson?
May 26th, 2010 at 9:17 pm
HOLY CRAP! Escobar got a single.
May 26th, 2010 at 9:32 pm
Here we go again. $100 Chipper does nothing here.
May 26th, 2010 at 9:43 pm
Well, you were right about Chipper but it turned out to be a nice inning. Found the Fish’s weak link.
May 26th, 2010 at 9:46 pm
Nice Yunel!
May 26th, 2010 at 9:52 pm
Finally a big hit. Need to start taking some of these series against good opponents. We must play the last two months at home because it seems like we have been on the road all season.
May 26th, 2010 at 10:03 pm
Good game, Bravos. Esco comeback would be huge.
Cracks me up that pitchers are still scared to ring the strike zone with Chipper. A big name takes a long, long time to fall out of pitchers’ subconscious. (Although I did read a distressing insider article today about Chipper’s regression, and the guy said pitchers are getting the news now and it won’t be long till his walks start dropping.)
Go Braves and G’night.
May 26th, 2010 at 10:05 pm
Whew…it seems Wes Helms always kills us.
May 26th, 2010 at 10:09 pm
Heyward did not take one swing during that at bat.
May 26th, 2010 at 10:14 pm
How do you NOT sit Chipper? Is Bobby the only one who can make that decision? Can’t SOMEONE speak up?
May 26th, 2010 at 10:26 pm
Marlin’s bullpen…not fantastic.
May 26th, 2010 at 10:36 pm
Does anyone feel any better about Esco? Melky? Chipper?
My answers: maybe, yes, no
nice win. more wack-job bullpen management tonight
May 26th, 2010 at 10:50 pm
I say: yes, yes and maybe. Chipper still is dangerous, and I think he will have occasional streaks of hitting. Do we see the light at the end of the tunnel? Yep. Do we know when the train will reach the station? No.
May 26th, 2010 at 11:16 pm
We won- didn’t get to see the game. I noticed Chipper didn’t get a hit. Did he hit any “line drives” like his double play in the first inning of Tuesday’s game. Bobby calling that ball a line drive is proof enough that he is out of touch with the game. maybe the Melk Dud is coming around. I doubt it, but maybe. He really is a 4th outfielder when it comes down to it. The only one I would bank on coming around is Escobar. He sucks something awful right now, but I he could still turn it around with his talent.
May 26th, 2010 at 11:21 pm
BTW, If we had won both Sunday and Tueaday we would be only a 1/2 game out of first, which should of happened, but, for some reason, Cox is still the manager. Thanks Bobby.
May 27th, 2010 at 7:26 am
” Chipper had a big walk. “. Guess who said it…big wild guess. That made me laugh. His “big walk” plated a run so i suppose that should probably count for something.
May 27th, 2010 at 8:53 am
A big walk when the pitches were so bad Escobar wouldn’t have even swung at them. Way to go Chip
May 27th, 2010 at 9:18 am
I DVRed the game and watched after I got home. Probably the most unimpressive 4-run win I’ve ever seen. Thank god we keep playing teams with awful bullpens. I don’t quite understand why Moylan pitched two innings last night instead of maybe the 8th Tuesday and the 8th last night. I still don’t get why Chavez pitched in a one run game after everyone had a day off. It also seems like Tuesday night, 8th inning, 1 out, runners on first and second, and Cody Ross, a right hander, at the plate would have been the ideal Moylan spot. It probably keeps that game a one run game. The Braves probably win. But….
The offense looks questionable at best, again. I guess Troy Glaus’s foot problem is why he is slower than Sid Bream. Do we really need to say anything about Chipper? I mean, it so obvious to everyone except Bobby that he shouldn’t hit 3rd anymore. It’s not Chipper’s fault, he’s suggested he be moved in the order. It might take some of the pressure off of him. The Marlins announcers were even talking about how they’d bat him 6th or 7th at this point in his career. It’s funny going through this Chipper thing, and Francona is up in Boston pulling Big Papi at every wise opportunity, like good managers will do. Big Papi is having a better year than Chipper, is a Boston sports icon, and yet even he is not immune to tough managerial decisions. That’s what managers do who care about winning above everything else. Something tells me that if a guy like Tito were making out our line up, a guy like Chipper might not be batting where he is just because that’s where he’s always hit. Decisions might be made based on a player’s actual CURRENT performance.
May 27th, 2010 at 9:41 am
BTW, “Crime Dog” Fred McGriff was at the gig I played last night. Pretty cool. He’s not as tall as I expected, but he is probably one of the nicest guys I have ever met in my life. I always loved him when he was paying, and I like him even more now. He was very kind to take a moment from his evening with friends to talk to a fan. I will never forget going to Atlanta Fulton County Stadium in the Summer one year and the Braves were playing the Cardinals. I went with my dad and two older brothers, all of whom are Cards fans. (My Dad is fro St. Louis, My Mom is from Dalton, GA-thus the split in the family with sports allegiances) Glavine was pitching. The Braves won 5-3 and Fred McGriff hit the game winning 3-run homer. If any of you have brothers, older brothers in particular, then you know how special that game was for me. GO BRAVES!
May 27th, 2010 at 10:11 am
Does anyone know anything about this Yasser Gomez the Braves signed? Cuban defector, CF, apparently he’s going to start out in AAA.
May 27th, 2010 at 10:23 am
“the gig I played last night.”. You Bub and Cledus should start an ABT band. Cool story!
May 27th, 2010 at 10:26 am
Am I right that HAnson will pitch Tuesday night? Any idea who he’ll face?
May 27th, 2010 at 10:29 am
Wait…Hudson’s pitching Tuesday. It’s just counting to 5,you’d think I could do that. Packing for 5 people has taken all my math abilities away.
May 27th, 2010 at 10:37 am
McOut – where were you playing? And why was McGriff there?
May 27th, 2010 at 11:17 am
This place called Grille 116 in Tampa. It’s a very nice restaurant/bar. He apparently goes there a lot. I randomly saw Ronde Barber there a couple weeks ago, too. Also a really nice guy, but it was bitter for me because he usually has some of his best games against the Falcons. Pretty crazy gig.
May 27th, 2010 at 4:20 pm
We miss Halladay next week. Scheduled matchups are — Blanton vs. Hanson, Hamels vs. Hudson, Kendrick vs. Lowe.
May 27th, 2010 at 4:22 pm
Of course we need to take care of Fish tonight and the Pirates over the weekend. Go Braves!
May 27th, 2010 at 4:43 pm
I like the Melky for McLouth move in the line up today. I also like Hinske at 4. Chipper still 3….
Actual: Prado, Heyward, Chipper, Hinske, Glaus, Melky, Escobar, Ross, Hudson.
With Glaus’s bum foot, I would do this:
1. Infante 2B
2. Prado 1B
3. Heyward RF
4. Hinske LF
5. Chipper 3B
6. Escobar SS
7. Melky CF
8. Ross C
9. Hudson P
May 27th, 2010 at 7:24 pm
Hahaha. Might want to turn the field mics down. Hinske just yelled four very audible F bombs.
May 27th, 2010 at 7:26 pm
The Braves have to be the worst hitting team with RISP.
May 27th, 2010 at 7:31 pm
Melky just saved at least 2 runs.
May 27th, 2010 at 7:33 pm
What’s the history between Hanley and Hudson? Hudson inexplicably hit Hanley. Hanley then stole 2nd and scored on a single.
May 27th, 2010 at 7:33 pm
FSMarlins just broadcasted about 20 sec. of straight feedback. Thanks.
May 27th, 2010 at 8:34 pm
A very long, wet 4th inning.
May 27th, 2010 at 8:36 pm
I love Hudson giving Gabby a hard time about that at bat.
May 27th, 2010 at 8:38 pm
NO FAIR! Huddy had to pitch in the pouring rain.
May 27th, 2010 at 8:38 pm
Kind of ridiculous that Hudson had to pitch in that crap, but the Marlins are not. Home field advantage?
May 27th, 2010 at 8:39 pm
I agree Mara. Don’t quite understand it. It was very obvious that the elements were making it hard on Hudson out there
May 27th, 2010 at 8:53 pm
Great minds think alike…we commented about that at the same exact time!
May 27th, 2010 at 9:22 pm
Carroll just posted the tarp is coming off. I wonder if we’ll see Huddy again. My guess would be no.
May 27th, 2010 at 9:24 pm
If Chavez comes in, then I might pull a Chipper and snap at my gf and kick her dog… nah, I won’t do that….
May 27th, 2010 at 9:42 pm
It was INSANE that they made Huddy finish the 4th. But, what a tremendous amount of concentration and, dare I say, grit, he showed getting through it. Battling from 3 – 0, no less.
Mara – pretty awesome that we get Hudson / Hamels. Very, very nice match up.
McOut – very cool and very random about Crime Dog.
May 27th, 2010 at 9:52 pm
I agree Steve, that 4th could have been much much much worse. As it stands, we still have a good shot of winning a series against a NL East opponent.
May 27th, 2010 at 10:22 pm
It sounds like 20 of the 30 fans still at this game are Braves fans.
May 27th, 2010 at 10:23 pm
Ross looked safe to me.
May 27th, 2010 at 10:26 pm
Yes, he looked very safe. Hanley was out in the 1st on his SB, too.
May 27th, 2010 at 10:28 pm
Hey guys – long time no chat. Can I just say . . .
MAARRRRRTTTTTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN!
May 27th, 2010 at 10:29 pm
Ham, I’ll join. MAARRRRRTTTTTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN, me likey the insurance run. C’mon J-Hey.
May 27th, 2010 at 10:29 pm
Ah Meadow…
Steve, cannot wait!
May 27th, 2010 at 10:31 pm
Nice fu manchu
May 27th, 2010 at 10:39 pm
Now I see why Hinske doesn’t play against lefties. Can we start a petition for a Hinske/Infante in LF? I would say Melk/Hinske, but I honestly do believe that Melky is better than McLouth, and maybe he should be our everyday CF until Schafer or our newest Cuban defector is ready. Melky is adapting to a new league/pitchers, and he is a better hitter than McLouth.
May 27th, 2010 at 10:50 pm
Escobar’s bustin’ out…Chipper’s 2 for 3…What is happening?
May 27th, 2010 at 10:58 pm
Escobar is back! Good to see him smiling again.
May 27th, 2010 at 11:00 pm
Mara, the Marlins happened. Both Chipper and Yunel have gaudy numbers against the Fish. Yunel with back to back multi hit games is a very good sign. Him going to RF with that double is vintage Yunel.
May 27th, 2010 at 11:03 pm
Just caught up with the DVR. WTF? All 3 of the Marlins runs tonight haven’t been deserved.
May 27th, 2010 at 11:08 pm
Saito was the good Saito in that inning.
May 27th, 2010 at 11:11 pm
The Braves face 3 lefties against Pittsburgh. Suddenly I’m not so confident about the 5-1 I predicted. How ’bout you, Steve?
May 27th, 2010 at 11:12 pm
MARTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN. 3 hits. You da man.
May 27th, 2010 at 11:25 pm
Back to back multi hit games for Melky.
May 27th, 2010 at 11:28 pm
Good Lord, we have a Jesse Chavez warm-up sighting. Thank God we’re up by 4. This Meyer guy, who has looked absolutely terrible last night and tonight, is one of the 3 no-names JS traded to get Hudson. I’d say that deal worked out pretty good for the Braves.
May 28th, 2010 at 8:36 am
NICE game last night. I haven’t caught up on posts, so I might be twice-repeating myself…apologies ahead of time:
Steve called 2 outta 3 from The Fish – I heard it. Nice call, Steve.
A baseball fan friend of mine sent me an article about this summer’s Cooperstown presentations and John Fogerty’s “Centerfield.” Enjoy. http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/24/john-fogerty-tells-the-story-behind-centerfield/?ref=sports
May 28th, 2010 at 11:28 am
I hope Tim Hudson let all the air out of the crew chief’s tires last night. if they had lost that game because of the bottom of the 4th it would have been a disgrace. It wasn’t even like they were getting a full game in.
May 28th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
McOut – yeah, the 3 lefties in the PITT series is not the greatest news, but I’m very, very heartened by this series with the Marlins. Not Chipper so much (although last night was certainly good to see) but more with two consecutive good nights from Esco and the continued resurgence of Melky. Little to no Hinske this weekend probably, but we scored 15 runs the past two games without the benefit of a single Hinske hit.
May 28th, 2010 at 1:27 pm
If Bobby does sit Hinske, I want a big dose of Infante in LF and let’s keep riding Melky in CF for a while.
That said, I guarantee it’s Nate in CF and Melky in LF tonight.
May 28th, 2010 at 5:16 pm
Good call on the line up, Steve. Unfortunately, I bet we won’t see Omar ever start again unless it’s for an infielder, which is rediculous. I would much rather have his bat n the line up than McLouth’s. McLouth sacrificed for a pitcher a week ago. A pitcher. He put both runners in scoring position for a pitcher and 2 outs. The guy is hopeless. Even he knows it. The question is, when will Bobby figure it out?
Tonight’s Order:
Prado, Heyward, Chipper, Glaus, Escobar, Cabrera, Ross, McLouth, Lowe
Having McLouth in the line up is like having 2 pitchers not named Hudson in the line up. I just hope we don’t end up seeing an entire year of McLouth’s struggles, which I guess we almost have… Is he still under contract next year? I hope not, but I guess our manager next year might not assume a guy should play everyday based on past results.
May 28th, 2010 at 6:38 pm
At this rate, this game isn’t starting until late. I keep hitting massive pockets of rain
May 28th, 2010 at 9:14 pm
4 runs in the first. Are these our Braves??? Oh, Hamburglar’s pitching. Now it makes sense. Typical Hamburglar-supportive production I guess.
May 28th, 2010 at 9:16 pm
Now that’s the way to start a game!
May 28th, 2010 at 9:16 pm
Of course my namesake strikes out to end the inning. Like I said earlier, it’s like having two pitchers at the end of the order.
May 28th, 2010 at 9:23 pm
What’s amazing, of course, is all the offense we’ve put up and all the wins we’ve logged despite McOut in the lineup as much as he’s been.
May 28th, 2010 at 9:26 pm
Lowe and Hudson both raking it compared to McOut. Your right Steve, they’ve played well with 2 guaranteed outs every 9 hitters. It all comes back to Prado, Hinske, and Heyward. Those 3 have carried the Braves offense.
May 28th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
I guess Zach Duke isn’t that good when we don’t sit a bunch of starters.
May 28th, 2010 at 9:43 pm
Maybe let Rossy play the weekend against the lefties and let McCann rest-up and get healthy for the Phils…. McOut w/ another K. Shocking.
May 28th, 2010 at 10:24 pm
Wow, McOut really, really blows. Just awful. Rest of the team, pretty good!
May 29th, 2010 at 3:28 pm
Hey guys I found your blog via bottom 9 and I really like what I have read. I am moving to Georgia next year to play basball at Reinhardt University and will convert into a Braves fan. I was wandering if maybe I could get some love and be placed on your guys’s links list. I am just starting out with blogging and would really be grateful. Thank you!
http://beastbaseball.blogspot.com/
Going Deep,
Alan
May 29th, 2010 at 4:22 pm
Same lineup as last night. I guess Bobby saw something in McOut’s K Trilogy last night to warrant another start. Would love to see Melky in CF and Omar in LF against the Lefty. If McOut gets out hit by our pitcher, again, then Omar should play. Just a thought… Has McOut had a hit in the last week????
May 29th, 2010 at 5:13 pm
Headed to the ballpark – hope we get five innings in before rain…talkin’ 9pm rain. Go Braves!!
May 29th, 2010 at 7:50 pm
Heyward homered off a lefty? That’s awesome. What that his first off LHP?
May 29th, 2010 at 8:48 pm
I’ve got the headline for the next Troy Glaus walk-off:
“Glaussy Finish”
May 29th, 2010 at 10:10 pm
It was August 11 last year before the Braves went 5 games above .500 for the first time.
May 29th, 2010 at 10:57 pm
Back on my couch – good to be at the game. Best comment from the peanut gallery – Pirate fan behind me to Burres: “C’mon! You’re giving up more hits than Rick Dees!”
May 30th, 2010 at 12:06 am
Um, wow, guess who has scored the most runs in the NL East? Look it up. You’ll be surprised. (rhymes with “Graves” and “Caves”)
May 30th, 2010 at 12:25 am
The Phillies?
May 30th, 2010 at 12:34 am
Braves have scored 234 runs.
Phils have scored 231.
May 30th, 2010 at 1:03 am
Glad we won! I was shaking my groove thang on the dance floor at my cousin’s wedding. Did we play good? Any goodness out of Chipper or Escobar?
May 30th, 2010 at 10:16 am
Mara, Chipper got a hit, maybe 2, and a walk, maybe 2. Can’t remember. Escobar .188, McOut .188ish, Omar .319ish… Who would you play???? I know Bobby doesn’t like playing Omar in the OF b/c he likes having another infielder on the bench. Here’s a crazy concept, if and when an infielder gets hurt in a game- cough, Chipper, cough- I think your allowed to move a guy from the OF and put him in an IF position. I still think Escobar is a much better player than McOut. Melky should play CF, which is something I never thought I’d think again. Use the Omar/Hinske combo in LF since Hinske struggles against lefties. After listening to a Frank Wren interview about the team, and this is reading a lot into it, I think he will make a move for another outfield bat if McOut doesn’t come around. He said he was open to making moves if guys can’t turn it around, and he sounded like he will make a trade at some point to fill holes, which is needed if you want to play in October.
IDK, he also said he wants to keep all his young pitchers on the farm b/c the odds of all of them turning into ML pitchers are very slim. That said, if he wants another bat before the deadline, then he’s probably going to have to part with some of them. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Schafer traded. Prado is a great leadoff man, and Schafer plus Redmond, Resop, and maybe a couple other pitchers could probably get another power bat so we actually have a legit cleanup hitter. The Braves have a ton of good young arms and no cleanup hitter…..
May 30th, 2010 at 10:20 am
The Braves will be players at the deadline is a better way to sum it up.
May 30th, 2010 at 11:13 am
I admit it: I talk to myself. Don’t we all? (don’t answer that) Last night at the game I asked myself, “Wonder where Garret Anderson is now?” I feel better now:
May 24: Anderson has had 17 at-bats and four starts, leading to a 2-for-4 performance Sunday, his first multi-hit game of the year. (ouch!)
160 average, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 4 runs. (insert Price is Right losing horns here)
May 30th, 2010 at 11:24 am
Today’s lineup: Prado, Infante, MANBEAST, Glaus, Escobar, Cabrera, Ross, McOut, Car Keys. Infante’s playing 3rd today. Maybe we actually get a sweep with a decent lineup. The Venezuelan Dynamic Duo + MANBEAST= Runs. Does anyone know of a site where you can customize an MLB jersey? I want a number 22 jersey, but I want it to say MANBEAST on the back instead of Heyward. MANBEAST seems more appropriate. Steve, if you get a shot at an interview with Heyward, suggest the name change. It could be like Ochocinco, except it won’t be annoying: Jason MANBEAST.
May 30th, 2010 at 11:33 am
Also, what’s going to happen when they call up Resop? Medlen or KK to the pen? They have to call up Resop in the next two weeks if they want to keep him. He’s having a great year at AAA.
May 30th, 2010 at 11:42 am
The same article mentions that Minor in the Majors before the end of the year is also a strong possibility. Then there’s still Delgado, Teheran, Vizcaino, and Masters. Now you see why I mentioned the possibility of trading some of these guys. Wren said Venters will probably start in the future, so the Braves have like 9 potential starters in their early 20s: Resop, Medlen, Hanson, Vizcaino, Delgado, Teheran, Masters, Minor, and Venters. Resop is the exception, since his old self is 27, lol. I guess you could put the ones who don’t start in the pen with Kimbrel, Dunn, and Marek. It just seems like a lot of pitchers when you throw in the older guys who are good like Moylan and Hudson. I didn’t mention JJ because I don’t think they can resign him, but they will still have him for a few more years. He’s a Scott Boras guy.
May 30th, 2010 at 12:36 pm
The Angels lost their best offensive player due to a walk off celebration. That really sucks.
May 30th, 2010 at 12:44 pm
Hello from Turner Field – at least in a Kawakami game I can look forward to Kawakami’s Geishas high atop Manbeast land. (I’ll join in the name fest)
May 30th, 2010 at 12:52 pm
The wimps up in the Press Box have the windows shut. Pansies!! (unless you’re there, Steve or Curt…)
May 30th, 2010 at 1:01 pm
Press Box boys are ABT comment-readers: windows now open.
May 30th, 2010 at 1:05 pm
I’m so jealous of you Atl folk. Wish I could be there. Scream Manbeast for me.
May 30th, 2010 at 1:08 pm
Raindrops falling, McOut…but I’ll scream if I can!
May 30th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
Chipper not in line-up, but autographing baseballs like a Mo Fo. Signs with his right hand (for those who care) and if you toss him a cap or a mitt to sign, he’ll throw ‘em back. Just balls. Balls!!
May 30th, 2010 at 1:23 pm
First pitch thrown out by Phil Neikro’s grandson (grandpa right there with him) caught by Chipper. Nice.
May 30th, 2010 at 2:12 pm
The radio guys were acting like we needed a hit from Ross bad because we essentially have two pitchers at the bottom of the order. They might be onto something.
May 30th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
Jurrgens in uniform in dugout – good sign for recovery (?)
May 30th, 2010 at 2:35 pm
McLouth is doing Steve, Curt, and Hammy’s homework for the LVP discussion. 6 men left on base in his first 2 at-bats? Pathetic.
O Schafer, where are thou?
May 30th, 2010 at 2:36 pm
Random possibly bogus observation: has Bobby Cox lost weight? He doesn’t look quite as round as he used to.
May 30th, 2010 at 2:41 pm
Malholm is blatantly pitching around Ross to get to McOut.
May 30th, 2010 at 2:42 pm
…except that McLouth at least can field well…wish he’d figure out his swing ESP against his former – and crappy – team!
May 30th, 2010 at 3:47 pm
I can’t BELIEVE Bobby Cox made as savvy and intelligent a decision as pulling KK out with 2 outs and none on base, costing him a chance at a win, to put EOF in to strike out last guy in the 7th.
Have any of you ever seen him do that? I’ve never seen him do it. No words for how impressed I am with that move.
May 30th, 2010 at 3:55 pm
I don’t get why he didn’t pull him after the leadoff walk. I guess the guy who went yard must have been one of those by the book righty/righty match ups. He pulled him to bring EOF to face a guy hitting .174…..
May 30th, 2010 at 4:02 pm
Here’s something weird, the Braves have scored over 6 runs every game this week except Tuesday and Sunday. Guess who pitched on those days… I’ll give you a hint… his name rhymes with Salami….
May 30th, 2010 at 4:16 pm
Yessssssssssssssssssssssssssss!
May 30th, 2010 at 4:20 pm
Triple Yessssssssssssssssssss!
May 30th, 2010 at 4:26 pm
MANBEAST!
May 30th, 2010 at 4:27 pm
I think he looked up right at me when I yelled that, McOut.
May 30th, 2010 at 4:28 pm
AWESOME!
May 30th, 2010 at 4:29 pm
Don’t tell Matty D, but I’m a little in love with Billy Wagner.
May 30th, 2010 at 4:30 pm
I also love sweeping. (Baseball sweeping, not my own.)
May 30th, 2010 at 4:33 pm
Was Steve right on his prediction for the 2nd week in a row?
May 30th, 2010 at 4:41 pm
“Chipper with a Ric Flair to LF” is right there with “I’ve been to 2 rodeos and 3 goat ropins, but I’ve never seen anything like this” as my favorite Joe Simpson sound-bites courtesy MLB.com highlights.
May 30th, 2010 at 4:43 pm
He was so proud of his Ric Flair comment that he said it twice within a span of about 5 seconds.
May 30th, 2010 at 6:15 pm
Braves haven’t lost a series since 8 series ago. And during that time they’ve swept twice (thrice if you count the 2-gamer with the Reds).
May 30th, 2010 at 8:22 pm
Hey gang. Sorry for my absence. Been running around with family and been out watching the games this weekend. What a weekend! I am stupid giddy right now. Just beside myself. And I love how the Phils series shapes up. Did I mention that I’m giddy?!?!?!?
May 30th, 2010 at 8:59 pm
4-t-8-ow-ers!!!!!!
May 30th, 2010 at 9:11 pm
I’m tempted to listen to the last April or 1st May show just to get a better idea of how far the team has come in a month. They played weaker competition, but they took care of business. That’s a far improvement from recent years when they inexplicably would drop a series to the Pirates or Reds(when they were bad). April 8-14, May 19-8. I hope the May version of the Bravos shows up for June. Tough schedule ahead, but if they play like they have been they’ll be fine.
May 30th, 2010 at 9:12 pm
Yeah Mara – I’m very, very excited. Was hanging out with Ballpark Frank last night and he’s pumped up too. I’m jealous that you’ll be at all three games. What a series! A month ago it felt like we were going to be 10 – 15 games out of first place to start June.
May 30th, 2010 at 10:37 pm
I was hoping I’d get to meet Ballpark Frank! Don’t be too jealous…I’m not going to tomorrow’s game just Tuesday and Wesnesday. Wednesday will be with 11 other people and only a handful of them care about the game. I hope I get to watch tomorrow’s game. I hope we win!!!!!
May 30th, 2010 at 10:40 pm
Yes – last year when the Phillies slumped the Bravos matched by slumping against crap teams. Now they have a chance to make a statement. Put the boot in Bravos!
May 30th, 2010 at 10:41 pm
New show soon or not due to the holiday? McOut, sometimes I like to listen to last years’ show. Cracks me up. One time Steve called this “the Schafer Era”. He saw nothing of a broken wrist in his crystal ball.
May 30th, 2010 at 10:47 pm
New show in 30 – 60 minutes.
May 30th, 2010 at 11:12 pm
Happy Memorial Day ABT! I wonder if anyone on here has served our country? A friend *ahem* once told me I needed to guard against giving away too much personal info online. So if that question requires too specific an answer then just know that I thank you.