Show #197: The Braves Pitching Competition Heats Up
Does the Dodgers series mean anything? Who’s locked in to the starting rotation? More Chipper love and McCann’s shoulder injury.
157 Responses to “Show #197: The Braves Pitching Competition Heats Up”
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Pages: « 1 2 [3] 4 5 6 7 » Show All
August 21st, 2012 at 6:45 am
Well, knew they were losing when they brought Martinez in so I went to bed. Watching the last play this morning made it much worse.
And I will add that McCann is just as bad, if not worse, than Uggla. I love McCann, but if he can not play and produce, he needs to go on the DL.
August 21st, 2012 at 8:53 am
Tough, tough one to swallow. So many lost opportunities. Gotta pray that Maholm can go deep into the game tonight. And I’m really pissed about how tired I am with no win to show for it.
August 21st, 2012 at 10:42 am
Craig Kimbrel: MIA.
Seriously, what is going on? The save rule is almost as bad for the game as PED’s and gambling. We get to see a team’s 4th-best reliever facing the other team’s best hitters late in a close game. We get to see a team lose a close game without using one of if not the best reliever in baseball. You know that one run that means losing the game? Well, don’t worry about going all out to prevent it. Making sure your closer gets a save is more important.
August 21st, 2012 at 10:45 am
Curtis – certainly last night McCann was better Uggla, but they both could have done better.
There are a LOT of people in baseball who go by the same philosophy that Fredi does in terms of using Kimbrel. On the road, you don’t bring him early, because your opponent will always get the last swings. At home, you can bring him in with a tie (which Fredi does, a lot), because obviously you have a chance to score and win the game without having to go to a lesser pitcher.
It’s not a slam dunk either way, but if you call Fredi an idiot for doing it, there are a lot of other managers who are idiots too. (Which, of course, could very well be true.)
August 21st, 2012 at 10:48 am
Just to add to my last comment, I also don’t think that Fredi is playing to make sure that his closer gets a save. I really think he is doing what he thinks is best for the team.
August 21st, 2012 at 10:53 am
Tonight’s important. Either we shake it off and come back strong or completely collapse. If we lose tonight my hope meter is a neg 100.
August 21st, 2012 at 10:56 am
It’s rough when the bottom of the lineup is Uggla, McCann, Janish, pitcher.
out of that 4 slots (including Hinske, Francisco, Johnson PH):
4-21. 1 RBI (Janish), 2 BB, 4 Ks, 16 LOB
August 21st, 2012 at 12:52 pm
ham @54 and @55, I absolutely agree. This is a much bigger problem than one team or one manager. And perhaps managers do think saving their closers for save situations gives their teams the best chance to win.
I think the save rule has taken hold and it foolishly guides reliever usage throughout the game. And I take every opportunity I’m given to rant about it, whether it’s Fredi or whether it would have changed the results of the game or not. It’s almost a subconscious thing where abiding by the save rule is now thought of as the best way to try to win a game.
I just don’t think relievers would be used in this way if there was no such thing as a save rule or the save stat; if it was just about winning and not about any particular stat or rule. Reliever usage would be based a lot more on match-ups and there likely wouldn’t be one assigned guy that only pitches the last inning in which you have a lead.
August 21st, 2012 at 2:40 pm
I’ll say it again. That strategy makes no sense. It’s so unintelligent and anti intellectual it makes me nauseous. Fredi and these other managers need to wake up and realize the utter stupidity of it. Stop playing towards the save rule. The real save is not allowing any runs in an extra inning tie game on the road. Stopping the other team from scoring when you already have a lead for cushion is not a real save.
August 21st, 2012 at 3:21 pm
NEWSFLASH!!!!
Upcoming Dan Uggla “bobblehead doll” night has been changed to Dan Uggla “bobble ball” night. (Bat not included)
August 21st, 2012 at 8:56 pm
I was really hoping Strasburg was getting washed out of this game
August 21st, 2012 at 9:23 pm
Don’t mean to be negative. But it looks like Braves Country will be holding their breath during a one game playoff in October. I hope not though.
August 21st, 2012 at 9:39 pm
Are the Braves ready to get back to the hotel or what?
August 21st, 2012 at 9:42 pm
At least they made Storen work in his first inning
August 21st, 2012 at 10:21 pm
Middle of our lineup sucks the big one.
August 21st, 2012 at 10:22 pm
McCann and Uggla are supposed to be All Stars. What the hell happened to those two?
August 21st, 2012 at 10:27 pm
What are we going to do about Uggla? He’s been good 10% of the time, bad 20% of the time, and disgustingly awful 70% of the time. Paul Janish has provided more offense then him over the past couple months. I say we bench him for the rest of the season and call up whoever we have from AAA that can play second. I’m sure we’ve got somebody in Gwinet that can hit over .150. I’m seriously done with Uggla.
August 21st, 2012 at 10:34 pm
I’m giving McCann a pass because he’s hurt (still don’t know if he should be playing over Ross). It seems like Freeman is just in a slump though. He played really well for a substantial chunk this season, he’s 22(maybe 23?) and he’s making a fraction of what Uggla is making.
August 21st, 2012 at 10:39 pm
Move Prado to second and let Johnson play Left. It can’t be worse. He’s is more than a hole right now.
August 21st, 2012 at 10:50 pm
If McCann is hurt why can’t he go on the DL. We go through this every year with him.
August 22nd, 2012 at 2:19 am
The Pirates just lost by using the same dumb strategy we lost with Monday. So I guess it hurts and helps.
August 22nd, 2012 at 11:12 am
Just horrible last night. Mac on the DL is tough because it essentially means he’ll be gone for the season, right? If 2 weeks of rest was the answer, they’d have done it already. Is 80% Mac / 20% Ross better than 80% Ross / 20% Boscan? Hard to say. Ross gets exposed when he plays everyday as we’ve seen. And Boscan is no offensive answer.
I don’t think Uggla should be benched, but giving him a day or two off a week seems like a good idea. In other words, I’m still holding out hope that Dan can turn it around. If we really have no Mac and no Uggla in a meaningful way the rest of the season I don’t think the WC happens.
August 22nd, 2012 at 12:00 pm
If we have no Mac or Dan I hope the WC doesn’t happen. My heart strings can’t take it.
August 22nd, 2012 at 12:24 pm
If we have to watch another September collapse, I quit.
Oh, and Fredi better get fired.
August 22nd, 2012 at 1:37 pm
Fredi is definitely gone if we don’t at least win a wild card slot.
McCann needs to be resting. 2 weeks of rest will do him good.