Show #153: The Braves Bounce Back with 4 Win Week
The week in review. What and who to target in the trade deadline. And Best/Worst signs of the week.
335 Responses to “Show #153: The Braves Bounce Back with 4 Win Week”
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June 27th, 2011 at 12:21 am
Great Podcast
I do have to say that with this team’s horrible offensive struggles this year, I find it funny how people were calling for Terry Pendletons head all those years. Be careful what you wish for. During the Braves historic run these last 20 years he was the hitting coach for their best offensive year in 2003. Its almost disrespectful how he was called a bad hitting coach. Besides Don Baylor, I would actually say he was the 2nd best hitting coach during this run. He had many great years. Overall, the Braves offense last year showed way more patience. We were so excited for Larry Parrish but now we got we wished for because he obviously has made no impact. Im sure he’s a great guy and he doesn’t he’s not fully responsible but something is off with this team offensively.
June 27th, 2011 at 12:22 am
sorry that was my comment
June 27th, 2011 at 9:04 am
Re #1 – A couple of days ago, Fredi G felt compelled to say that there’s been no team mandate to be more aggressive at the plate (in defense of Parrish, for sure). And I’ll take him at his word, but day to day doesn’t support that.
June 27th, 2011 at 1:20 pm
He also said no coaching changes were coming.
June 27th, 2011 at 5:18 pm
Fair or Foul
The Braves must make a move at the trade deadline to have success in the postseason.
Foul-ish
The word ‘must’ is what bothers me in this.
If you consider the “return of Prado” as an aqusition, if you consider the “return of Medlin” an aquisition, if indeed you consider “Uggla hits .260 with 15HR the rest of the way” an aquisition, then perhaps the Braves may get what they need to “wake up” the offense w/o a trade.
If you are limiting the posiblities to an offensive upgrade in CF or at SS, then, without the benefit of trade, we have a player at Gwinnett. Jose Constanza is playing CF, hitting .339/.386/.392/.778 w/ 18SB in 62 games.
However, that being said, you pretty much need to decide what you are looking for: “win now” or “fix the position for a while” – I don’t think you can have both in this year’s situation (available players, cost of aquisition, cost of contract under Liberty’s team control). I think it will take a lot to “pry away” anyone who is a long term solution and I fear it will be a “Tex trade” to you guys (which, if the rest of the team had performed and we had been WS contenders for the two seasons we had him under control – assuming we didn’t trade him the second year because we were ‘in it’ – would you still see it as a bad trade?)
If you were to replace ‘must’ with ‘should’ in the question, I would say ‘FAIR’!
I agree on Kemp, the Dodgers are worth less w/o him; but, if MLB takes over for McCourt, I don’t think they would have a problem lessening the worth of the team in a sale (since McCourt has used the team as his personal ATM) and might trade Kemp.
If we could pick up Adam Jones, I would be good with that trade.
Additionally, a move may convey a sense of urgency and support for the rest of the team to win…
June 27th, 2011 at 5:18 pm
Fair or Foul
Part I: You keep Medlin over either of our two #5 guys (keep Medlin over Beachy or Minor).
FOUL!
Trade order of those three:
Minor
Medlin
Beachy
I can’t see saying “we know what we have with Medlin”. He hasn’t pitched in a single game since his sugery. They shut him down in a simulated game after just a few pitches because he wasn’t “letting it go”. He was favoring the arm, “afraid” to pitch like he would have to in a real game. That type of “fear” either gets you hit or, if you change your mechanics, gets you hurt. I’m with Hammy in that Medlin’s trade value is higher now that it will be if he “stumbles” when he comes back.
Beachy has something to prove every time he is on the mound. He wasn’t drafted. That information follows you in baseball for your entire career. He has shown he can pitch at this level and pitch well. Minor is promising, but unproven. He was a number one pick, so he has trade value.
Also, one minor thing (pun intended), Minor throws left but bats right… that means his left arm is always exposed to the pitcher when he is batting…
Part II: You keep Medlin over Teheran and Delgado.
Foul.
Trade order of those three:
Delgado
Medlin
Teheran
Delgado looked good, but he is 4-4 at the AA level.
Teheran has looked good at the major level (not great… then again, Medlin didn’t look great prior to his sugery, he was good, but not great), but he is 8-1 w/ 1.79 ERA at AAA (OBTW – Minor, on the same team, is 3-2 w/ 2.74 ERA).
Part II: Out of all five
I will go with:
Minor
Medlin
Delgado
Beachy
Teheran
June 27th, 2011 at 5:22 pm
I think Uggla can “turn it around” this season…
Though the average hasn’t exactly shown it, he has looked better at the plate lately. He isn’t pulling off the ball as much, he is staying on pitches better and he is walking. BUT he hasn’t left the “bad habbits” behind… yet.
June 27th, 2011 at 5:31 pm
Best sign of the week:
Beachy strong start off the DL
Worst sign of the week:
Fredi’s use of Venters instead of spreading it around when it isn’t “tight”…
June 27th, 2011 at 5:37 pm
This week:
3-3 (this is the “down week”, if you stick with the “up week/down week” cycle…)
2-1 in Seattle (They are a good pitch, but can’t score team– sound familiar?)
1-2 in Baltimore (maybe 2-1/3-0, if we can hold down their scoring…)
June 27th, 2011 at 6:32 pm
Mark, thanks for the great stuff.
Baltimore is actually coming to Atlanta, if that changes your opinion on that one at all.
June 27th, 2011 at 6:55 pm
At the theater for #3′s 6th birthday. Brought my Braves snuggle along to keep me warm. Gotta represent!
I would trade Meds (with much sadness) over Teheran or Delgado but not Minor. I’m on the fence with Beachy. I think Uggla turns it around. He just looks better. Of course I thought he would break out in FL so…
Good show!
June 27th, 2011 at 7:23 pm
1. Heyward RF
2. Lugo 3B
3. McCann C
4. Jones DH
5. Freeman 1B
6. Uggla 2B
7. Gonzalez SS
8. McLouth CF
9. Ramirez LF
*facepalm*
June 27th, 2011 at 7:27 pm
Is it bad when Julio Lugo’s top two highlights on mlb.com is an RBI single and an ejection for arguing balls and strikes?
June 27th, 2011 at 7:28 pm
*are an…
yeesh.
June 27th, 2011 at 8:36 pm
#6 – Yikes. I’d not heard that about Medlen. That is troubling.
June 27th, 2011 at 8:37 pm
#12 – Yeah, this lineup kinda horrifies me. Lugo and Diory together smells like a lower team BA than usual. See being horrified.
But, from a novelty perspective, it will be fun to see Heyward bat leadoff.
June 27th, 2011 at 9:24 pm
Steve, watching J-Hey lead off against a lefty with a 1.14 WHIP sounds un-fun to me.
Heyward’s batting a mean .176 against southpaws this year, including only one of his homers coming vs. lefties. I’m trying to be positive, but it seems like we’re giving two outs away right out of the gate. Fredi continues to baffle me.
I will say I agree with the general concept of mixing it up on the line up card. But this one’s just foolishly bad.
June 27th, 2011 at 9:25 pm
At least we are facing a leftie.
June 27th, 2011 at 9:28 pm
To put #17 in further perspective, Jordan Schafer hits the exact same .176 against lefties, though Fredi is sitting him in favor of leading off with Heyward’s exact-same numbers. This does two bad things: robs us of Heyward’s speed if he should happen to get on (in other words, he is actually better than Heyward for lead off in this situation), and, more importantly, loses us Schafer’s defense in that canyon of an outfield.
It could work out. But it won’t be any less dumb for that. This guy just doesn’t have much workin’ upstairs.
June 27th, 2011 at 9:29 pm
#19: *robs us of SCHAFER’s speed if he should happen to get on… not Heyward’s.
June 27th, 2011 at 9:50 pm
Great show yesterday guys…..glad to not hear so much gloom and doom! Can’t start my drive to work on Monday without ya!
June 27th, 2011 at 10:12 pm
C,mon Bub, Heyward looked great in that first at bat. Sigh.
June 27th, 2011 at 10:25 pm
Monster Mac!!!!
June 27th, 2011 at 10:26 pm
Brian McCann is a superstar. Can we say that? I’m ready to.
June 27th, 2011 at 10:53 pm
I’m ready, too. And I love that his power surge came after some tips from his brother a month and half ago.