Show #133: Our Interview with Marlins Beat Writer Clark Spencer
Clark Spencer from the Miami Herald joins us to compare and contrast Bobby and Fredi Gonzalez and to discuss the Dan Uggla acquisition.
147 Responses to “Show #133: Our Interview with Marlins Beat Writer Clark Spencer”
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Pages: « 1 2 3 4 [5] 6 » Show All
December 14th, 2010 at 11:20 pm
Me too…what he said. I’m too depressed to look at tweets or read DOB. I don’t even want to know. I’m pretending I never heard of baseball.
December 14th, 2010 at 11:26 pm
The basic complaint against Liberty Media I am squarely behind.
However, the specific complaint about them “standing by” while the Phillies spend millions this year is not so clear. Until the freak deal of the decade landed in Philly’s lap, the Braves, pulling in way fewer ticket and concession dollars, were yet in position to go head to head with the big spenders in PA.
December 15th, 2010 at 1:13 am
Go Falcons!
December 15th, 2010 at 2:41 am
It’s going to be interesting going forward with the Phils operating this way. Karl Ravech (sp?) described them as the Yankees of the NL, and the Mets are apt to spend as much money as they do, despite the results. So where does that leave the Liberty Media version of the Braves? They aren’t going to just dump money, which is their perogative, but how consistently competitive can they expect to be? Are they the Rays? Hoping to strike gold with a core that plays together until its parts outprice themselves?
I just don’t know how satisfied I am going to be hoping to be the WC team every year.
December 15th, 2010 at 4:01 am
Curt, if the McCann/Heyward/Hanson/Freeman/Minor/Teheran/Jurrjens/Prado core strikes gold, I imagine Liberty will sell just before the out-pricing takes hold.
The real question is: assuming a baseball lover buys the Braves from Liberty, how much of an operating budget is available to a profit-turning Braves team?
I have no idea how to guess at that. They say that ballteams make a killing and that most every franchise could afford to field a nice team.
December 15th, 2010 at 9:16 am
Steve – would Coke buy the Braves? Atlanta company, etc. Coke has some money as I recall. Would it be too limiting as far as marketing? As in the 90% of America who dont like the Braves might start drinking Pepsi? Im sure this is an old question that has a simple answer…I cant remember tho.
December 15th, 2010 at 9:43 am
Here’s hoping Liberty sells after this season. The Braves win the WC, their attendance is up, their brand is up, and Liberty gets out of the baseball business. Their farm system is in great shape, so that will all add to their worth since the team owns all of its minor league affiliates.
Arthur Blank is a legitimate candidate. He wants to own that team. Can he afford it right now? No clue. But as I have witnessed from being a Falcons fan, he will spend the money and he can turn it around quick. Think that it was only a couple a few years ago where the Vick/Petrino fiasco had gripped this team, and here we are at 11-2. The Braves are a lot closer. Beyond him, Ted Turner? Why not? But when you find out the CEO of Liberty got paid more than the entire team, it pisses me off as a fan. Not that he got paid so much, but that they clearly have billions to spend and can’t throw another $20 mill into the payroll.
December 15th, 2010 at 1:21 pm
Phillies sold 35,000 tickets today. They sold 1,500 yesterday before news of Cliff Lee broke.
December 15th, 2010 at 5:40 pm
Braves sold 17 tickets the day after the Uggla trade. The day before that, only 4. So two can play at that game, Mr. Hotshot Pitcher Signer.
December 15th, 2010 at 9:37 pm
15 of those were his extended family from TN.
December 16th, 2010 at 3:05 am
And the other 2 were Cubs fans.
December 16th, 2010 at 1:51 pm
Will – I don’t know if your Coke question was serious, but I’ll answer it as if it was. In a word, no. Coke owned non beverage assets in the ’80′s like Columbia Pictures and a snack company (Eagle Brand, I think) and have since moved away from that strategy. If it ain’t non-alcoholic beverages, they’re not going to be involved.
I agree that the Wild Card is ours for the taking. And, who knows, Oswalt’s rejuvination may not carry over to 2011 and maybe, um, Cole Hamels will trip and fall down some stairs or something.
December 16th, 2010 at 4:29 pm
A cautious tweet from Bowman says an Uggla extension might be close.
That would soothe my baseball ouchy.
December 16th, 2010 at 7:05 pm
I’m changing my mind on McLouth. I feel the pendelum swinging. I say he will perform well again.
December 16th, 2010 at 7:20 pm
I have so much more faith in Shafer bouncing back than McLouth. And yes, I just typed that.
December 16th, 2010 at 11:12 pm
steve – yeah i was totally serious…sort of a random thought really..but mostly given the hometown angle. I guess its obvious that Coke being from Atlanta doesnt really have anything to do with the appeal of coke..its just something people from Atlanta are aware of…
They might have alot to gain by being associated with dipping Copenhagen and using steroids. And petulant behaviour. Perhaps an energy drink that captures that spirit would be a big hit… “Free Agent” or “Big Bopper” or something…lots of Vitamin C, nicotine, caffeine and sugar.
I am just looking at the Coke share price chart right now…talk about steroids.
December 16th, 2010 at 11:27 pm
my colleague from Philly has twice today referred to the Phils as World Series Bound Phils..
I said that all it takes is one fastball to the wrist from one of our crappy middle relief.. Butterfingers. Phily’s own Bobby Clarke style. Just break their ankles, easier to win that way.
December 17th, 2010 at 12:09 am
Curt, I will bet you a hundred dollars of real live money that McLouth has more major league at bats over the next two years than Jordan Schafer.
December 17th, 2010 at 10:37 am
Bub, #117 is pretty enticing. So, why do u think that? Is it more about believing Nate rebounds? Not believing the Braves will sit him if he sucks ala 2010? Or not believing that Jordan shows well in ST?
December 17th, 2010 at 10:44 am
I would take that bet, Bub. Jordan has an injury to use as an excuse. McLouth is just bad. Jordan might rebound if healthy. McLouth is one of the worst everyday starters I have ever seen.
December 17th, 2010 at 11:59 am
I think the money McLouth is owed will cloud that bet somewhat. I know they sent him down last year, but he is already being given the CF job again. So once again he is going to have to stink it up so bad that he forces them to sit him. Schafer doesn’t have that luxury right now. He has to prove himself all over again – as he should – but so should McLouth. 20 ABs in September should not grant him anything. I am just encouraged by the reports about Schafer in a way I didn’t think I would be. And that might be due to the face that I have to put my hope somewhere, and Nate ain’t getting it.
December 17th, 2010 at 2:53 pm
Steve, it’s a combination of both. I am as over Jordan Schafer as any of you could be with Nate. The ajc puff piece was a reach in my opinion.
Nate has done it at the major league level for longer than he … hasn’t done it. It takes a special slump to never come back to that, even to just decent production. And decent is all he’ll have to be to keep the job.
If he weren’t getting on base, I’d think another Frenchy was in the works, but Nate gets his walks. He sees the strike zone. I believe he will recover enough to keep his job.
Curt, I know the bet would be clouded in the first year by Nate’s contract, that’s why I gave Jordan a second year to catch up.
December 17th, 2010 at 3:54 pm
We can make it 3 years if you like. That would only be 33 dollars per year, less than a dollar a week lost for the loser.
December 17th, 2010 at 4:32 pm
Did you know:
Nate McLouth earned 4 hits and 4 walks in his last 15 at bats? (.533 OBP) I know it’s a ridiculous sample size, but people keep saying his post-injury resurgence is tainted by him falling apart again at the very end.
Just want to point out that the VERY end of the very end, he was doing alright.
In short, the walks is why I think he’ll recover. The ability to take a walk is a super indicator from minor leagues all the way to late career evaluations (think of Chipper Jones’ value even as he wanes.)
Heh… as he wanes… and his name is… Wayne.
December 17th, 2010 at 5:15 pm
Bub, I’m all for hoping for the resurrection of Nate, I just don’t believe it. Nothing personal.
Dr. Joseph Dolan: You know, it’s a shame about Ed.
Fletch: Oh, it was. Yeah, it was really a shame. To go so suddenly like that.
Dr. Joseph Dolan: He was dying for years.
Fletch: Sure, but… the end was very… very sudden.
Dr. Joseph Dolan: He was in intensive care for eight weeks.
Fletch: Yeah, but I mean the very end, when he actually died. That was extremely sudden.