Show #186: Braves Break Streak, Front Office Makes Moves

June 03, 2012

Show #186: Braves Break Streak, Front Office Makes Moves

Pastornicky sent down. The start of the Andrelton Simmons era. Medlen to join the rotation. The return of Jose Constanza.

Show #186 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

173 Responses to “Show #186: Braves Break Streak, Front Office Makes Moves”

1
wonz Says:
June 4th, 2012 at 1:10 am
Simmons looks good. Welcome back george
2
Nate Says:
June 4th, 2012 at 1:58 am
Does Heyward perform better if you hit him somewhere other than 6 or 7?
3
DAP Says:
June 4th, 2012 at 10:55 am
i agree with every single thing you said about jason heyward. great points there.

its worth mentioning that jason was OPSing in the mid .800s up until mid may. he has had about a 3 week lull where he has OPSed .550. thats terrible, but it wasnt that long ago when he was hitting well. lets hope he figures something out, because we need more than good defense out of RF.

his game winning hit was one of the most softly hit balls i have ever seen off his bat.
4
Shaun Says:
June 4th, 2012 at 11:24 am
Good discussion on Heyward. I think Ham hit the nail on the head: the hype is causing so much passionate discussion.

One thing I take issue with is the idea that sabermetrics was “invented” to help small market teams. Sabermetric principles were made famous by Bill James (and may have been used within the game and possibly outside the game long before) just to get a better understanding of the game and to find out if the stuff that he heard and read from announcers and sportswriters was indeed true. It was more of a skeptic’s movement, if you will. And those principles apply to all baseball, not just small markets trying to keep up with the big boys. Pretty much every team uses what we could call “sabermetrics” to some degree or another, based on what media folks who would know.

Also, I don’t think the intention is to use sabermetrics to claim Heyward has been better than he’s been. No one is saying Heyward has been anything close to good his last 30 games, or whatever. I think many use it just as a tool to evaluate all players. And using those principles, we understand that no player should be judged by his lowest slump or his hottest hot spell. That’s not to say everything is okay. Clearly Heyward is bottom of the barrel among rightfielders, offensively, even over the long-haul of his career or the past couple of seasons.

I think the point most like me are trying to get across is that the situation is not as dire as some fans make it out to be (not necessarily Steve, Ham and Curt). I think the folks taking my view of Heyward are mostly addressing those fans who want Heyward demoted or traded. I would guess most of the hardcore fans have a pretty good grasp of the reality regarding Heyward. Overall I think the conclusions by Steve, Ham and Curt were pretty much spot on.
5
Chris Says:
June 4th, 2012 at 1:57 pm
The Red Sox won 2 World Series with a sabermetric approach so that discussion was pretty silly.

Another big problem is looking at SSS anything. Don’t even look at last 30 days and think it means anything. Pujols had a horrible 30 days and it meant nothing.

The problem is eyes lie often in baseball. People think Freeman is a great defender when he isn’t because he can never get to balls to his right. Has Heyward been great offensively or even good? No of course not but if you are looking at batting average only and ignore walks then you will likely never like Heyward. Pastornicky has a higher batting average but has been a significantly worse offensive player than Heyward. You have to train your eyes by constantly incorporating more information.

Freeman has under-performed this year too and yet it barely gets talked about. His OBP is sub .300 now! Does he cover it with a few hot games? Do people just give him pass because of injury even though Heyward didn’t get the same pass last year?

Maybe its just expectations but people act like Freeman is a more valuable player than Heyward when that hasn’t been the case even when Heyward has been struggling.

Think of fangraphs as a eye appointment to help fix your vision.
6
DAP Says:
June 4th, 2012 at 4:00 pm
Red Sox may have taken a sabermetric approach in the last few years, but i dont think they would have needed that to know that a lineup anchored with players like Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, Keven Millar, Kevin Youkilis, Johnny Damon and other would be pretty solid.

Nor would they have needed to know xFIP of Josh Beckett, Pedro Martinez, or Curt Schilling to realize they might be a part of a good rotation.
7
Walker Says:
June 4th, 2012 at 5:45 pm
“Did Chipper get shot?”

LOL

I love Chipper , but that is the reason why I always cringe when he has to make any kind of athletic moves besides swinging the bat. He’s already fragile, but at age 40, he’s extremely fragile. I’m not mad because it’s not surprising but I’ll wait it out as long as it takes to get a healthy Chipper. That must have been some liner.
8
Bubdylan Says:
June 4th, 2012 at 6:44 pm
Congrats to Teheran on his first complete game.
9
Shaun Says:
June 4th, 2012 at 7:23 pm
I think Chipper went hunting with Dick Cheney.
10
Steve Says:
June 4th, 2012 at 11:06 pm
Here’s the Braves Press Release on Lucas Sims:

ATLANTA – The Atlanta Braves tonight selected right-handed pitcher Lucas Sims from Brookwood High School in Snellville, Georgia with their first selection (21st overall) in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft.

Sims, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound right-handed pitcher, was named the Georgia Region 8-AAAAA Pitcher of the Year after posting an 8-1 record with a 1.19 ERA while leading his team to the Georgia state championship game. Ranked by Baseball America as the 29th-best player in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft, he pitched last summer in the Prospect Classic for USA Baseball’s 18U team. A Lawrenceville, Georgia native, Sims was also a three-year starter at shortstop and had committed to attend Clemson University.

“We are happy to be able to draft a Georgia boy, especially one from our backyard who is a great athlete with a great arm and great make-up.” said Tony DeMacio, the Club’s director of scouting. “We are looking forward to getting him into the fold as soon as possible. We think we have a top of the rotation type of player.”

Sims was named to USA Baseball’s 16U team in 2010 and pitched in two games for the gold medal-winning club. He went 0-0 with a 3.86 ERA with six strikeouts (7.0 IP, 4 R, 3 ER 4 BB).

The 40-round First-Year Player draft will continue Tuesday (June 5) at 12:00 p.m. ET with rounds two through 15 and will conclude Wednesday (June 6) at 12:00 p.m. ET with rounds 16 through 40. Atlanta’s second selection will be the 85th overall pick and the Braves will select 21st in rounds three through 40.
11
Steve Says:
June 4th, 2012 at 11:39 pm
@5 – Chris, I appreciate your comments and passion about the subject. But it’s amazing how the slash line people vs. the Fangraphs people gets polarizing like politics. As we planned this show, we toyed with discussing this very fact but decided to stay more with baseball. The hard core Sabre folks think everyone else are idiots. Again, like politics, it stops all discourse.

“Think of fangraphs as a eye appointment to help fix your vision.” Wow.
12
Steve Says:
June 4th, 2012 at 11:42 pm
“Has Heyward been great offensively or even good? No of course not but if you are looking at batting average only and ignore walks then you will likely never like Heyward.”

I think that was the point we were making. We started the whole conversation with Shaun’s analysis about his being an above average defender and base runner. But it’s the offensive numbers that are turning people off. That was our point.
13
Shaun Says:
June 5th, 2012 at 12:12 am
I consider myself a hardcore sabermetrics person. Not that I’ve ever done sabermetric research myself. Just that I feel comfortable in that world and sabermetric statistics and principles make sense to me.

But I also consider myself a baseball and scouting person. Not that I understand a one-hundredth of what a pro scout understands and knows. But when I listen to or read guys like Kevin Goldstein, Jason Parks and Keith Law, I think that world is very awesome.

I don’t think we need to take sides in the broader debate of sabermetrics versus scouting or whatever. I think anyone who is curious about baseball should be fully in both worlds. From listening to media folks within the game who have worked in or been around front offices, it seems that most teams fully embrace all of it.

I spoke with Steve the other night about Baseball Prospectus’s Up and In podcast (the second-best baseball podcast on the internet) and how Kevin Goldstein and Jason Parks are critical of the sabermetric blogging community and paradoxically seem to fully embrace sabermetrics. I think this is the way it ought to be. We should all be just trying to get better and know and learn more.

I hope it didn’t come across that I think Heyward has been some sort of really good player. I think he’s been lackluster. I was more addressing the folks who think Heyward should be sent to the minors, traded or think he’s somehow lazy and seem to think that he’s never likely to become anything. Perhaps not many of those types of people listen to ABT, given the knowledge that folks bring in the comments. And Steve, Ham and Curt know their stuff so I don’t think their podcast is the type to attract the fanatics who are completely unreasonable about everything the Braves do and all the decisions they make.

No doubt Heyward has been at the bottom rung of the major league ladder, especially offensively. No statistic tells us otherwise. If you think that, sure, you are just as unreasonable as those saying we should trade or demote Heyward or that he’s lazy, etc.

I would only say it’s not quite as bad as it seems, and I think that’s what most of the reasonable fans believe, that Heyward is very likely to just break out in the not-so-distant future and will consistently become a great player. I think his age means a great deal, as plenty of players don’t really break out until 23-24 and players don’t generally peak until their late 20s. So if you think he’s lazy or need to be demoted or traded, you aren’t being reasonable. I also think that if you think some stat is telling us he’s anything more than mediocre, you are also being unreasonable. Hopefully my blog post came across as let’s don’t give Heyward any special treatment but let’s don’t act as if it’s complete doom-and-gloom.
14
Walker Says:
June 5th, 2012 at 1:01 am
To bring all this to a tidy conclusion:

1.Heyward’s offensive production has been dissapointing so far. It not what we all expected.

However, people unfairly expected a superstar at the age of 22.

2.Heyward wil never hit for a very high average.

However we must understand that as this kid gains more and more experience there are very VERY good odds that he will just eventually get better. Plain and simple. He’s just too talented. I’d give it an 80% chance this guy becomes a perrenial all star if not a very good major leaguer. His batting eye is already good at a young age and projects very well to get better and better. How can it not? Be patient and in the meantime enjoy his already all star level defense and baserunning instincts.

Bottom line: If Jason Heyward doesnt at least become a very good major leaguer,something has to go very very wrong.
15
Steve Says:
June 5th, 2012 at 7:56 am
@13,14: Agreed. The calls to send him down, trade him or compare him to Frenchy are really ludicrous.
16
Nate Says:
June 5th, 2012 at 9:57 am
It’s really a miracle that teams built winning clubs before sabremetrics came along.
17
Walker Says:
June 5th, 2012 at 10:55 am
I would be happy if Heyward put up Dwight Evans like career numbers. Dwight Evans was sick and was probaly undervalued in his day.
18
Shaun Says:
June 5th, 2012 at 11:08 am
Nate @16, obviously front offices built winners before sabermetrics (although some front offices used sabermetric principles even before the term “sabermetrics” came in to the vernacular).

Sabermetrics, the concept of using more objective evidence to answer baseball questions (versus just the subjective, like scouting), became more and more common in the age of computers and the internet, simply because it became easier to find, store and process a lot more objective information.

Of course teams won without using that sort of information because they really didn’t have the option, at least not to the degree that they did once computers and the internet, etc. became a normal part of our culture.

But now pretty much every front office uses what we would call sabermetrics to some degree or another. As with any industry, the more information you have, the better off you are. So why would any team not take advantage?

Note, I’m not saying any team does or should ignore the subjective. Obviously it’s necessary to pay attention to a scout’s subjective assessments (i.e., a scout liking a certain player’s tools and skills, which is based less on objective data and more on that scout’s own views).
19
Shaun Says:
June 5th, 2012 at 12:39 pm
Something that we should be discussing more than Heyward and sabermetrics: Simmons up/Pastornicky down.

I believe that move was about shoring up run prevention. I don’t think one is that much better than the other overall. I think once the offense showed positive signs and once Simmons got some time in Double-A under his belt, the front office decided to go with the 80 glove/80 arm at short.
20
Shaun Says:
June 5th, 2012 at 12:46 pm
I believe having Simmons is going to be a lot like having A-Gon: Great defense, poor offense, which is fine as long as the offense keeps it up.

Obviously Simmons doesn’t have Gonzalez’s power but overall offense may look similar (at least to the 2011 version of Gonzalez). Simmons has a stronger arm (98 mph off the mound in college) and may be flashier with the glove. He may have a better glove.

Not to get too much back into sabermetrics, but evidence suggest defense peaks in a player’s early-to-mid 20s. So the Braves could have had this in mind as well: Let’s get him up and take advantage of his defensive value for more years than we would if we waited on his bat to develop.
21
Steve Says:
June 5th, 2012 at 1:09 pm
Dan Uggla leads NL All-Star voting among 2Bs; Chipper is 3rd among 3B, Freeman is 3rd among 1B, and McCann 3rd among C’s. Bourn and Heyward are 7 and 8 for OFs.
22
Curt Says:
June 5th, 2012 at 1:48 pm
http://blogs.ajc.com/mark-bradley-blog/2012/06/05/why-the-braves-could-still-use-the-unlamented-derek-lowe/?cxntfid=blogs_mark_bradley_blog
23
Bubdylan Says:
June 5th, 2012 at 3:48 pm
We could certainly use Lowe, but it’s a pretty weak thesis for an article. Like spelling out how handy the players would be that we traded away for Tex. Or how wet water feels when you pour it on yourself.
24
Shaun Says:
June 5th, 2012 at 4:18 pm
I strongly suspect if Lowe wasn’t moved, another move would have been necessary to clear salary, perhaps a move that would have made the Braves worse than moving Lowe, like trading Prado for not quite full value.
25
Steve Says:
June 5th, 2012 at 4:18 pm
@23 – Agree 100%. I typically like Bradley’s stuff (or at least find it interesting enough), but that columnn is a total air sandwich. On what planet would we have not off-loaded any of his salary in the off-season as we did? His performance this year is completely irrelevant.
26
Bubdylan Says:
June 5th, 2012 at 6:59 pm
Chipper doesn’t want to rehab in AAA.

Fredi wants him to.

If there’s any justice (or comedy) in the world, Fredi will insist. The newspaper fall-out could be glorious. Picture all the it’s-my-last-year-anyway gravitas exhibited against Moyer being employed against Fredi.

*buys a bucket of popcorn just in case*
27
Walker Says:
June 5th, 2012 at 8:08 pm
Chipper just go rehab in AAA for a couple of games please.
28
Adam Says:
June 5th, 2012 at 8:46 pm
Our offense is doing its thing tonight and Huddy looks on. We should play like this every night.
29
Mark in Memphis Says:
June 5th, 2012 at 9:43 pm
Shame Simmons isn’t going to do much offensively, huh?

And, to think, they picked Pastornicky out of spring training mostly because of his bat…

I guess low expectations can pay dividends…. YAY!
30
Curt Says:
June 5th, 2012 at 9:44 pm
@25 – I typically love air sandwiches
31
Mark in Memphis Says:
June 5th, 2012 at 9:46 pm
@22

He can’t sustain it. Check his BABIP… and he hardly strikes out anyone…
32
Curt Says:
June 5th, 2012 at 9:49 pm
I have to say that I find the Miami Marlins and their presence demeaning to the game. The stupid colors, the stupid uniforms, the ridiculous stadium. They lack even a shred of dignity. Maybe the rainbow colors like fine on Reyes. Heath Bell looks cartoonish in that get-up. And that monstrosity in the outfield that Uggla just nailed. How ridiculous. And of course they have a pool out there with a live DJ playing music throughout the game. It’s like Arena Football or XFL stuff. I get Miami, and the flare, and the Latin influence. But bring people to the park for your team, not for gimmicks. (Noting that even a new stadium, name, color scheme, and outlook for a first place team can’t get people to games in Miami.)
33
Shaun Says:
June 5th, 2012 at 10:44 pm
bubdylan @26, yeah, I heard the radio pregame show and Chipper sounded annoyed about the thought of a rehab assignment.

We may be looking at a John Smoltz “homeboy upstairs” moment at some point.
34
Bubdylan Says:
June 5th, 2012 at 10:49 pm
Crap, I missed a great game, or most of it. Way to go, Braves!! Way to go Simmons!! Way to go, Uggla! What a beat-down.

Curt, I like the Marlins’ funky little shtick. But I also like velvet Elvis paintings.
35
Nate Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 12:55 am
Bub, can you please do a blog? COME ON!
36
Bubdylan Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 4:39 am
Nate, I’ve done rough drafts for Braves blogs a bunch of times. They’re so bad. Got that “trying too hard” feel about them. I know I’m funny sometimes and can turn a phrase, but my problem is that I’m terrible at recognizing when I’m doing it. Seriously, it’s no good. I think I’m funnier than I really am most of the time. Then I say something slight and everybody cracks up. Maybe if I had a good editor.

But it’s exceedingly gratifying that you ask.
37
Bubdylan Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 4:51 am
Also, Nate, from the last show’s comments, I agree that the Braves are the last team that should try guiding problem children. Who was the guy the Braves let go that was such a big part of Yunel’s comfort zone early on? I remember thinking how clueless that was, but most fans scoffed at the idea that his tailspin had anything to do with that. I thought it did then, and I wonder how many would doubt it now that the connection between his emotional state and his performance is better established. Anyway, yeah, Braves are like the 1950′s military dad when it comes to nurturing. Most of the time I like that about them. But it has its disadvantages.

The Francisco acquisition might suffer the same fate.
38
David Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 7:09 am
Excellent show, fellas.

Two thoughts on Heyward:

1. I think that what the “Heyward hype” also does is give him a bit more trade protection than other young guys. Actually, I wouldn’t call this just the “Heyward hype” as much as I’d call it a result of living in The Era of the Prospect (or something like that), and Heyward would be just an example. Usually, if a guy is a top-ranked prospect, teams are a lot more willing to be patient with them and give them more time to develop. Some recent Braves examples would include Jeff Francouer, Tommy Hanson, and the four untouchable pitching prospects the Braves currently have (Teheran, Delgado, Vizcaino, Minor). On the other hand, Adam Laroche, who wasn’t that highly regarded of a prospect, was trade bait after only 3 seasons with the Braves, which to me seems like a rather short amount of time.

2. Right now, Heyward’s not a guy that you’d want to build your team around, and the Braves have done a good job of not doing that. They’ve got guys like Bourn, Uggla, Mac, and a couple of starting pitchers to be those guys. Right now, I think the Braves need to realize that where Heyward is now in his development, he’s more of a supporting character than the main guy.
39
will Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 9:28 am
Curt – waah waah waahh. let he who is without lame fans cast the first tomahawk chop.

not that im anything special. I am such a fair weather fan… first game ive watched in 3 weeks. nice one.
40
Shaun Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 10:55 am
David @38, I think teams now have a better understanding that players generally are likely to start their declines around when the hit free agency. Teams just seem to better understand the aging patterns of players now. I think this goes a long way towards explaining why teams wait to trade prospects or young players.

But it also works the other way. Teams seem more willing to give up some solid value for young players when they still have some rather inexpensive years left on their first contract.

But I think it depends on the individual player. LaRoche obviously is a good, solid player but it’s relatively easy to find a firstbaseman like him for a low price. That’s why he was easier to trade after 3 seasons.

Regarding building a team around players, I generally don’t think it’s a good idea to build a team around one player or just a few players. Because baseball is built so much on individual match-ups, I think we sometimes forget that one player or even something like 2-3 players can’t lead a team to the promised land. Obviously you need stars and stars help but you also need much more.

I think that’s why it’s a mistake to focus too much attention on any one player, whether it be Heyward, Chipper, McCann, whomever. But it’s why the players perceived as stars get too much blame, and it happens with every team, it seems. I mean even Chipper got plenty of criticism when he was viewed as “the guy” and the Braves didn’t win. I think now a lot of that has calmed down some with his career coming to an end and now we tend to have some perspective on what he’s accomplished and what his value truly was.
41
Steve Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 11:28 am
@40 – As a fan though, it’s fun for me to root for/focus on (and complain about) one player at times. It’s just the nature of fandom for me.
42
Shaun Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 12:01 pm
Steve @41, I agree. For me it’s just silly to act as if one player is absolutely the sole reason for a team winning or losing. I don’t have a problem criticizing or praising a player for being lousy or being great, relative to similar players at his position or players with other similarities.

I don’t think Chipper should be criticized at all for the Braves lack of World Series or pennants or whatever, nor do I think he should be praised for the Braves winning division titles while he was here. He should be praised for being a great player. That’s about all he has any control over.

It drives me crazy with Jeter. He’s a great player, a Hall of Famer. But some act as if he’s the reason the main or the sole reason Yankees won those championships. Yes, I realize his great play helped a great deal. But it’s still a team game. And we should praise him for being a great player and helping his team not leading his team to the promised land.

It’s sort of like managers. I don’t think managers can possibly make all that much of an impact. But I have no problem praising them if they make great decisions and criticizing them if they make poor decisions, with the realization that they may only win or lose a handful of games relative to the worst possible manager that would be considered for a major league job.
43
Steve Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 12:30 pm
All – I’ve got a favor to ask. The band The K’s, who’s music is featured in the intro and outro of the podcast (and whose singer/songwriter is also my oldest friend on the planet) are finalists in a battle of the bands in NYC. They are one of 5 finalists for Manhattan. If they win Manhattan, they battle the other 4 Borough winners for the NYC crown. It could really help them out. And that’s where you come in. Please go to the following link to vote for The K’s to get to the finals. Here’s the link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Manhattantop5. If you get a chance to share with friends, that would be great, too! Thanks.
44
Bubdylan Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 3:22 pm
Voted & put the word out. Good luck to ‘em.
45
Bubdylan Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 3:28 pm
Q of the day: Does drafting 4 catchers mean anything about Brian McCann? Or just taking best players available?
46
Shaun Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 3:53 pm
Bubdylan @44, I would assume they are taking more or less the best available players. I would think plenty of catchers are pretty athletic in the amateur ranks, so maybe they view some of these guys as being able to convert to other positions. But given that amateur baseball players are usually at least 3 years away from the majors, I doubt the drafting of catchers has much to do with McCann. Those are just my reckless speculations.
47
Shaun Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 3:53 pm
@45, I mean
48
Nate Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 3:59 pm
“Anyway, yeah, Braves are like the 1950′s military dad when it comes to nurturing. Most of the time I like that about them. But it has its disadvantages.”

Definitely, man. I’m worried about the success of this youth movement were in based on their success in developing all these young, talented athletes into the players we need them to be to win a championship. You need an equal balance of that and bringing in good free agents. Hopefully we can see more of that in the offseason.
49
Nate Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 4:03 pm
Bub, your elephants are having quite a year. How many NCs are y’all up to now?
50
Steve Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 4:48 pm
Per a Brave Press Release:

Confirmed Alumni Weekend Participants (as of 6/6/12):

Jose Alvarez, Andy Ashby, Mike Bell, Mike Bielecki, Sid Bream, Tony Brizzolara, Francisco Cabrera, Rick Camp, Brad Clontz, Bobby Cox, Marvin Freeman, Ron Gant, Ralph Garr, Kevin Gryboski, Terry Harper, Bob Horner, Jay Howell, Mark Lemke, Javy Lopez, Ryan Klesko, Keith Lockhart, Greg Maddux, Leo Mazzone, Greg McMichael, Dale Murphy, CJ Nitkowski, Otis Nixon, Jim Nash, Denny Neagle, Phil Niekro, Tom Paciorek, Marty Perez, Todd Pratt, Curtis Pride, Mike Remlinger, Chris Seelbach, Craig Skok, Dwight Smith, Pete Smith, John Sullivan, Jeff Treadway, Pete VanWieren, Jerome Walton, Mark Wohlers.
51
Bubdylan Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 5:01 pm
Nate, they’ve been in the final game/tournament/meet for 5 championships:

Football (won)
Men’s golf (lost final to Texas)
Women’s golf (won)
Gymnastics (won)
Softball (tonight’s game decides it all – I think OU will win it; no way the girls get to Ricketts two times I’m afraid.)

Great year to be a Bama fan for sure.
52
Nate Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 5:04 pm
That is an awesome list. Wohlers. That interview you guys did with him was great. When was that podcast? I probably gonna have to go back and listen again. The Sid Bream interview was another great one. Please never interview Mark Lemke. I might fall asleep and drive off the road.
53
Nate Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 6:12 pm
#51, yep, I’m glad Dave Hart is playing for the good guys now
54
Walker Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 6:19 pm
Dream interview would be Bobby Cox or Chipper. I would settle for Klesko though.
55
Nate Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 6:30 pm
Klesko would be great.
56
Nate Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 6:37 pm
Van Wieren would be cool, too. The Ernie Johnson interview was a good one. Would be cool to hear from another non player who lives it. Plus, he’s probably really comfortable speaking into a microphone.
57
David Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 8:50 pm
52 — I definitely agree on the non-request for Lemke. Loved him as a player, but he’s awful to listen to as a broadcaster.
58
David Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 9:09 pm
GREAT start by Delgado. JJ and Medlen: y’all scoot over and make some room for Mike Minor.
59
Leah Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 9:30 pm
@51 War Eagle!
60
Leah Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 9:33 pm
Come on Craig!
61
Nate Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 9:40 pm
This Marlins stadium is goofy, but it really is so Miami. I’ve heard people saying that and couldn’t watch last night, but it’s true and so hilarious. I love it.
62
Nate Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 9:40 pm
Boo-yah. NL East record gettin’ better.
63
Adam Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 9:41 pm
It’s nice to see Kimbrel dominate like last year. Great win!
64
Leah Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 9:45 pm
Wa-freaking-who!
65
Curt Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 9:50 pm
So Bobby – no idea if that could ever happen. I mentioned it over on FB, but I wrote another article for Where Atlanta recently and it was based off of an MLB request to work with them. The original target for the interview was Chipper, who they felt might happen given MLB initiating the conversation. Alas, it did not happen. I did get to speak with Uggla, who was great. Unfortunately, the interview was really just done for print so the audio was unusable over here. It was recorded on a handheld recorder, cell to cell, and he was on the bus leaving the stadium in Cincy.

We thought we had an in with Klesko, but it has obviously not happened. Still working on him. I went up to meet Pete Van Weiren at a book signing and asked him to be on the show. He took my card and never called me. Would love to have him on though. I would really like to get everyone from the 91 or 95 team on. A dream, to say the least. Steve has had success at these alum weekends. Some guys are much more interested in doing it than others.
66
Leah Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 9:55 pm
Curt, you and Steve need to show a little more leg at these alumni weekends.
67
Curt Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 9:56 pm
sure
68
ham Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 9:58 pm
curt actually needs to show a little less leg.
69
Nate Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 10:03 pm
#65, Curt, thanks for sharing the info. Good luck! I’ll be hoping we get some more great surprises in the future.
70
Leah Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 10:07 pm
So…Ham thinks Steve has nice legs.
71
Nate Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 10:09 pm
The team feels more stable with Simmons at SS.
72
Steve Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 10:23 pm
@71 – Agreed.

To follow up what Curt said, I spoke to Klesko last year, got his number, he said he’d be on the show and then he never returned my calls. And I called him a few times. We’ll keep trying with him.

I really want to interview Smoltz, btw.
73
Steve Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 10:24 pm
Mike Minor had to be watching Delgado’s performance tonight thinking to himself, I need to throw a no-hitter tomorrow.
74
Steve Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 10:26 pm
How did Venters really look? Or, more specifically, how was his location? Were his pitches still up? Details, please.
75
Nate Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 10:34 pm
@ 72, But Steve, can our opinion be true be true if we don’t have stats to back it up?
76
Nate Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 10:37 pm
Can’t help you there my friend, was listening on the radio.
77
Nate Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 11:00 pm
I love the Harden beards in the Thunder crowd. That’s great!
78
Steve Says:
June 6th, 2012 at 11:01 pm
@77 – yes. It’s pretty funny.
79
Bubdylan Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 3:22 am
Well, I couldn’t recommend Men In Black 3 any less. Can’t believe I missed a great Delgado game and Bama’s 4th National Championship of the year for that.

Finally joined the hip universe and bought some Black Keys. I know they’re trendy or whatever, but I really dig it so far.
80
Curt Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 7:37 am
I thought Venters looked good. Spotted his pitches well. He had a couple of breaking balls that never had a chance, but he looked better to me.
81
Steve Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 9:06 am
Non-baseball link (warning, a little blue):

Pretty funny clip about smart phones and shooting video. With bonus George Lucas bashing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Bt9zSfinwFA
82
Mark in Memphis Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 10:11 am
@40

I think the “sterod area” skewed the expectation of what aging players can do and thus skewed the salaries they are offered. It is just now starting (and I stress STARTING) to come back to earth. Unfortunately, it looks like the trend is that you have to pay 10 years worth of salary to obtain 5 – 6 years of the level of play ( if you are lucky) you are paying for and just live with the last 4 -5 years of sub-level play.
83
Mark in Memphis Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 10:16 am
@63

It is nice to see him stop walking the first batter.

He had so few “clean” (no walks, no hits) appearences last year in his saves. Good to see a few now. Kimbrel flirted with putting Reyes on, but Reyes fouled off ball four @ 3-2 before he struck out on the next pitch.
84
Mark in Memphis Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 10:21 am
I believe that “the shift” may be the best thing to ever happen to McCann. He has started to try not to just bee a pull hitter anymore.

If he is successful (and last night’s game does give hope), it can only be good for the team.

I think he had really gotten “locked into” being a pull hitter.
85
Leah Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 10:38 am
http://t.co/gen4zaQY

It’s sad how happy this article makes me. The last place part more than the injuries.
86
Steve Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 10:41 am
@84 – Agreed. Imagine what this offense can do if McCann stays consistent.
87
Shaun Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 10:45 am
Mark @82, I’m not so sure about that. I think more teams realize aging patterns of players, so teams give smaller contracts to some free agents, although teams are still going to give huge contracts to the great free agents. Plus some teams may overvalue certain free agents and still hand out somewhat ludicrous contracts.

Also, I think it’s easier to know how to value players these days, with everyone having access to more information and easier processing of information. We now have a better sense of what a win is worth in the free agent market and teams can use that as a starting point in negotiations and in their own budget.

But I don’t know that the steroid era inflated contracts. Sure PEDs, along with better nutrition and fitness, may have allowed some players to stick around longer but, if everyone had access to PEDs and better nutrition and fitness, the aging patterns of players wouldn’t change and didn’t seem to during that era. A player in his 20s had the same access to PEDs as a player in his 30s, so the way players age didn’t change drastically, at least that’s the idea and, from what I understand, the data seems to support that.

Also, I think with free agency in general teams realize they pay for the first several productive years and realize there is likely to be a decline in later years. Most teams probably accept this because they realize it’s about the only way to get certain players. Another thing that comes in to play is that if a free agent signing works out and leads to more wins, no one cares about the later years of overpaying for less production and, if a free agent signing doesn’t work out, the bad contracts become another GM’s problem.
88
Nate Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 12:06 pm
Any word on Freeman floating around out there? All I’ve heard is contusion.
89
Mark in Memphis Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 12:28 pm
@87

My point was PEDs tended to make players more productive later in their careers. i.e. it wasn’t totally unexpected to have a 35, 36, 37 year old star to keep playing everyday and still be producing at a high level. Therefore, the expectation was teams would offer a 30 year old player a 5, 6, 7+ high-dollar contract because players in the past had been contributing to the end of those contracts. Not so much now…
90
Steve Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 12:42 pm
@88 – nothing yet on Twitter which is where we’ll hear first.

Also on Freeman – just read DOB’s story about his switch back to contacts and how the glasses don’t work (blind spot created by the nose piece). That is bad news. It’s all well and good to have tears flowing at an indoor stadium, but this may get bad again.
91
Nate Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 12:53 pm
#90, I can’t believe were going through another eye issue with a key middle of the order piece. I’ve never had eye issues myself (knock on wood) but what he’s experiencing sounds extremely uncomfortable.
92
Shaun Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 1:02 pm
Mark @89, it would be an interesting topic to look in to. I’m a little skeptical that there were any more players who remained productive in to their late 40′s than in years past and, if there were, that PED’s were the main cause.

I know this is a very crude way to do any sort of research and therefore shouldn’t be taken too seriously , on Fangraphs, I pulled up the over-35 WAR leaders since 1970. While there are a few PED-era players and players who were either known PED users or strongly suspected of using, there are plenty in the top 30 who either didn’t play in that era or who weren’t suspected of using PEDs.

I picked 1970 because I figured that would maybe give us a somewhat equal number of past years in and out of the PED era. But of course those years could be called the Greenies Era.
93
Steve Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 2:11 pm
Freddie’s finger is not broke. Will only miss a few days. So glad about that.
94
Shaun Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 2:41 pm
When I read “Freddie” and “finger,” I think of Tom Green.
95
Mark in Memphis Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 2:55 pm
@94

That is really unfortunate. Want some brain bleach?
96
Mark in Memphis Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 3:36 pm
@45

I saw J.C. Boscan listed on a “should sell high” prospect list, saying his defense is really good and it is expected that his hitting will develop, but he could turn out to not be a regualr major leaguer. It said Braves should trade him for piece to help this year.

Possibly affected the draft picks? Planning to trade him?
97
Mark in Memphis Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 3:39 pm
@95

Just to name a few “high profile” folks:

Mark McGuire born 1963
Year_Age_BA__HR
1996_33_.312_52
1997_34_.274_58_(split between As and Cards)
1998_35_.299_70
1999_36_.278_65
2000_37_.305_32
2001_38_.187_29

Barry Bonds born 1964
Year_Age_BA__HR
1997_33_.291_40
1998_34_.303_44
1999_35_.262_34
2000_36_.306_49
2001_37_.328_73
2002_38_.370_46
2003_39_.341_45
2004_40_.362_45

Rafael Palmeiro born 1964
Year_Age_BA__HR
1997_33_.254_38
1998_34_.296_43
1999_35_.324_47
2000_36_.288_39
2001_37_.273_47
2002_38_.273_43
2003_39_.260_38
2004_40_.258_23
2005_41_.266_18

Sammy Sosa born 1968
Year_Age_BA__HR
2001_33_.328_64
2002_34_.288_49
2003_35_.279_40
2004_36_.253_35
2005_37_.221_45
2007_39_.252_21
98
Shaun Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 4:29 pm
Plenty of high profile players remain productive in their later years and did before the PED era. I don’t know if these types of players having productive years into their late 30′s, to 40′s in some cases, would have necessarily swayed teams to take chances on signing other, older free agents. Those are the type players who are always going to get fairly big contracts later in their careers, PEDs or no PEDs, seems to me.
99
Walker Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 5:03 pm
@96

Boscan is not a prospect, nor will he ever develop hitting skills.
100
Curt Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 8:02 pm
People should treat Minor like he is throwing a no-hitter at this point. Just stay out of his way.
101
Adam Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 8:49 pm
PRADOHHHHHHH!
102
Walker Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 9:11 pm
Wow Heyward hit a BOMB.
103
Nate Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 9:12 pm
Jason smoked that one. I though he had one in his last AB, too.
104
Nate Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 9:17 pm
I’ll tell you what, I like that range right there.
105
Nate Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 9:18 pm
Go ahead and flash some leather, fellas. Simmons is a beast.
106
Nate Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 10:00 pm
Why are they pitching him there, lol? Get ‘em Jason.
107
Mark in Memphis Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 10:00 pm
Think we should sell high on that Heyward kid?
108
Walker Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 10:00 pm
Just a couple of XBH from Heyward
109
Adam Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 10:02 pm
Wow. Two homeruns to center field in that stadium is pretty impressive. Hopefully that’s a sign of things to come.
110
Walker Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 10:17 pm
http://www.riverandreef.com/fishpics/data/media/15/IMG_5115.JPG
111
Nate Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 10:19 pm
@110, Heyward did that with one bite.
112
Mark in Memphis Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 10:22 pm
Tyler WHO?
113
Mark in Memphis Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 10:22 pm
Wonder if Tyler can play the outfield?
114
Walker Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 10:26 pm
@111

Even though they didn’t play, I would guess either Livan or Francisco.
115
Nate Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 10:32 pm
#112, exactly. That dp by Simmons was AMAZING.

#114, lol, completely forgot about Livan, definitely a better candidate.
116
Nate Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 11:20 pm
Medlen line from DOB: 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 58 pitches, 40 strikes.
117
Bubdylan Says:
June 7th, 2012 at 11:29 pm
#116, great news.
118
Nate Says:
June 8th, 2012 at 12:05 am
Curt, I’m about to fill out a Euro 2012 bracket. Please let me know what team you are pulling for asap so I can know who to stay away from. Thanks
119
Bubdylan Says:
June 8th, 2012 at 12:20 am
You guys into The Black Keys? I finally got around to them. I’m so hip now I can’t stand it.
120
Nate Says:
June 8th, 2012 at 12:38 am
If you wanna see what kind of player Jose Reyes really is, watch the replay of the Simmons dp and watch how he goes into second. He really gives it all for his team.
121
Nate Says:
June 8th, 2012 at 12:39 am
Uggla turns it like he expects Reyes to be all over him, but it’s quite the opposite.
122
Nate Says:
June 8th, 2012 at 12:44 am
N/m wasn’t even close enough to break it up.
123
David Says:
June 8th, 2012 at 6:42 am
Another non-baseball link: http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/414fa4b226/the-wire-the-musical-with-michael-kenneth-williams

For those of you who have watched The Wire, this is pure solid gold and a must-see. Just in case that link doesn’t work for whatever reason, just google “The Wire Musical.”
124
Steve Says:
June 8th, 2012 at 9:45 am
I could not be more satisfied with that series in FLA. 2 thorough butt kickings and a pitcher’s duel. The bats coming alive. Great starting pitching. Great bullpen work. Simmons flashing the leather. Putting down May’s hottest team. Damn, the whole thing was just perfect.
125
Shaun Says:
June 8th, 2012 at 10:33 am
Yeah, Steve. When this team looks good, it looks really good, like, maybe best-in-baseball good. You got the sense that they had that kind of potential last season but they never seemed to show it.
126
David Says:
June 8th, 2012 at 11:08 am
Agreed, 124. Just a great showing all-around by the Braves. I was just like you in my predictions for this week — I figured we’d take Hudson’s start but lose Delgado’s and Minor’s starts. I also called for a sweep of the Blue Jays, and I think we’ve got a great shot at that with the pitching matchups.

Saw Ken Rosenthal’s tweet this morning: “Good thing #Braves didn’t trade Prado. Leads ‘em with .324 BA and .394 OBP, and his .484 SLG is second on club only to Chipper’s .485.” Absolutely — with everything else going on this year, Prado is quietly putting together a top-10 MVP caliber year. There’s plenty of other stuff — chances of extending Bourn, Freeman’s eyes, Chipper’s injury and curtain call, shortstop switches, what kind of player Heyward really is, Venters’ and Minor’s struggles, McCann’s flu — all of that has overshadowed Prado’s terrific season. We oughta be talking about him more.
127
Nate Says:
June 8th, 2012 at 12:38 pm
#126, I’m so glad we have Martin Prado instead of Seth Smith right now.

The Braves might have one of the top 3 outfields in MLB. They play great D, all 3 are having solid years at the plate, and Bourn and Prado should both be All Stars, imo. Eve though Jason doesn’t have the average numbers we’d all like to see, he’s getting on base and a good rate, and if he starts hitting like he did in Miami winning this division will not be a problem, imo.

Andrelton Simmons has given this team a shot in the arm. You can tell how excited his teammates are to have him around. He seems very confident/comfortable where he is right now. Maybe Tyler can work on some things and can come back up and contribute in a utility role. It’s something the team could still use, imo.
128
Curt Says:
June 8th, 2012 at 12:44 pm
Nate – I’m going with the Netherlands.

Bub – Black Keys are great.
129
Nate Says:
June 8th, 2012 at 12:59 pm
Agreed, on the Black Keys. Bub, you should also check out Jack White’s new album. I saw him in March and WOW! Worth the price of admission and then some folks.
130
Steve Says:
June 8th, 2012 at 1:31 pm
#127: I agree 100% about the shot in the arm from Simmons. You not only see it on the faces but you hear it in the voices of the broadcast guys.
131
Leah Says:
June 8th, 2012 at 6:17 pm
The Hubs is desperately trying to get tv hooked up before 7. He looks terrified.
132
Bubdylan Says:
June 8th, 2012 at 7:16 pm
#131, lol. Awesome.
133
Adam Says:
June 8th, 2012 at 9:45 pm
Heyward! He’s looked A LOT better this week.
134
Walker Says:
June 8th, 2012 at 9:45 pm
Trade Heyward
135
Walker Says:
June 8th, 2012 at 10:09 pm
I wonder if Fredi thinks making Venters pitch the 7th is a demotion. Guess what, it doesn’t matter.
136
Leah Says:
June 8th, 2012 at 10:29 pm
Why didn’t Fredi tell Francisco, “Just go stand at the plate buddy. Ya know,in fact, just go ahead and leave that bat here.”
137
Adam Says:
June 8th, 2012 at 11:00 pm
I predict a walk-off
138
Leah Says:
June 8th, 2012 at 11:30 pm
5 tools indeed!!! Yea J-Hey!
139
Walker Says:
June 8th, 2012 at 11:33 pm
Hey Steve, can we do more shows on how Heyward really isn’t that good? It seems to help him.
140
Curt Says:
June 9th, 2012 at 2:05 am
Walker, see any show from last year
141
Steve Says:
June 9th, 2012 at 8:43 am
Pretty interesting on Heyward, at the risk of opening up the Sabre debate again, on the timing of the discussion of his WAR, and how baserunning is such an important part of his game. And we saw all that on display last night. What a great win. Finding different ways…
142
Bubdylan Says:
June 9th, 2012 at 7:44 pm
Yawn. Six in a row.
143
Bubdylan Says:
June 9th, 2012 at 8:40 pm
Now here’s a phenomenom I’m not sure even Fredi could match: the Phillies have lost walk-off games 6 times this year, and they haven’t used Papelbon in any of them. Yikes.
144
Shaun Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 1:38 pm
Everything matters but offense is easier to measure because either a guy gets a hit or doesn’t, he gets on base or doesn’t and we can measure how many bases he gets when he gets a hit. Defense and baserunning are harder to measure but it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. I don’t think there’s anything particularly sabermetric about that, but the sabermetric approach is generally defined as trying to objectively gain knowledge about baseball (usually through metrics). If it creates animosity among one group versus another, we should just avoid the term “sabermetrics” and think more in terms of measuring performance. Essentially that’s all we should be trying to do: measure performance and gain some knowledge about a player’s skills and performance. Anyone who thinks sabermetrics is some sort of grand movement, almost like a religion, is going overboard. I think it should be viewed as more of an approach to gain knowledge about the game, just like scouting….end ramble.
145
Chris Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 2:25 pm
Resigning Bourn should be a priority. His speed, defense, and offense is a game changer that the Braves have been missing for years. Losing him and Chipper next year would be a big blow to the offense….It sure is fun watching the Braves again after the 8 game losing streak! The pitching, defense, and offense have been great during the winning streak!
146
Adam Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 2:42 pm
With Teheran (sp?) pitching well we’ve got like 7 starting pitchers who seem to be able to start in the big leagues now: Hudson, Hanson, Beachy, Delgado, Minor, Teheran, and Medlen. Plus Jurrgens is still in AAA.

I feel like Hudson, Hanson, and Beachy are pretty safe but other than that I honestly have to clue as to who are other 2 starting pitchers are going to be for the rest of this season. Anyone have any ideas who are starting pitchers should be?
147
Walker Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 3:10 pm
Kimbrel should have pitched the 5th. Just because it’s the 5th we bring in our worst reliever in a bases loaded situation.
148
Adam Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 3:34 pm
Why is Livan still pitching? “We’re down 2. Let’s keep pitching the guy who gave up 5 straight hits and 3 runs.” doesn’t make any sense. And now he’s still pitching after giving up another 2 run homer?
149
Leah Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 3:35 pm
So glad the boo birds are out in the 6th. Yank him!
150
Curt Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 3:35 pm
Just leave him in there so we have no chance for a comeback. When can we release Livan? He’s so terrible. Here is where you miss Medlen, the reliever. Not that Fredi would have gone with him anyway.
151
Adam Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 3:36 pm
Shocker he gave up another home run. That came out of nowhere. He was pitching so well before…

I guess we threw in the towel? I’m not watching a game when our team isn’t trying.
152
Walker Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 3:46 pm
It really is sad to see a MLB manager really just give up a game. Really sad. Embarrassing to be up 4 and bring in batting practice for the other team.
153
Walker Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 3:52 pm
Oh how I hate avoidable losses.
154
Nate Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 4:16 pm
#150, so true.
155
Nate Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 4:34 pm
The only thing more frustrating than the game is trying to teach my old man how to use/set up his new iPhone. Imagine trying to explain alegebra to a 1st grader. That’s about where we’re at right now…
156
Nate Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 4:36 pm
I can’t wait until he discovers the joyous wonder that is the text edit feature.
157
Bubdylan Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 4:43 pm
Fredi is just so, so bad. Ugh. So bad.
158
Nate Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 7:29 pm
I’m guessing Fredi “Bad Sign” Gonzalez is going to be mentioned in the show tonight.
159
Bubdylan Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 9:56 pm
Gearrin’s up? Now that’s nice news.
160
Steve Says:
June 10th, 2012 at 11:58 pm
Technical difficulties tonight, folks. Hopefully we’ll get the show up Monday night. Sorry and stay tuned.
161
Bubdylan Says:
June 11th, 2012 at 3:04 am
Aw man. I’ve got the 2:05 A.M. No Podcast Blues.
162
Frigatedoc Says:
June 11th, 2012 at 7:33 am
No podcast for the Monday morning commute??!! NO!!! My week is not starting off well!!!!!
163
Frigatedoc Says:
June 11th, 2012 at 7:34 am
You must have let Livan come in and do the editing and he blew the entire episode.
164
Adam Says:
June 11th, 2012 at 12:16 pm
@163 Perfect
165
Bubdylan Says:
June 11th, 2012 at 1:50 pm
Fredi did the editing. The equipment began to overheat, so he unplugged it from the wall socket and straight-wired it to the sun.
166
Leah Says:
June 11th, 2012 at 2:00 pm
Wait…you guys EDIT the shows?
167
Curt Says:
June 11th, 2012 at 2:56 pm
Good one. The bad thing is that Steve is the computer guy.
168
Steve Says:
June 11th, 2012 at 4:37 pm
@166 – Excellent.
169
Steve Says:
June 11th, 2012 at 4:38 pm
We’re winning tonight, by the way.
170
Walker Says:
June 11th, 2012 at 6:01 pm
We are winning if Frediot doesn’t get in the way. He not the sharpest tool in the shed. I mean if at the end of the year, we wonder why we are one game out from the playoffs, all the blame goes on him. He’s the worst.
171
Walker Says:
June 11th, 2012 at 6:42 pm
I’m going to the game tomorrow and excited to see 4 future Hall of Famers I grew up watching.

Chipper- one of the top 3 switch hitters of all time. One of the top 5 3rd basemen.
Andruw- The greatest defensive outfielder of all time.
A-Rod- One of the greatest players and talents of all time period.
Jeter- He’s overrated a tad but I still respect him. He’s “clutch” they say.

Can’t wait.
172
Adam Says:
June 11th, 2012 at 7:54 pm
Oh Delgado. You do not look great.
173
Adam Says:
June 11th, 2012 at 8:33 pm
1. That commercial
2. Just now

“List of reasons why I hate Nick Swisher”

Show #186: Braves Break Streak, Front Office Makes Moves

173 Responses to “Show #186: Braves Break Streak, Front Office Makes Moves”

Leave a Reply

Recent Podcasts

Recent Blogs

Archives

Recent Tweets

Blog Directory

Social Media

Friends of the Show

Music of the Show

Feeds

Atlanta Braves News

Admin