Show #206: Our Interview with David O’Brien
DOB weighs in on the wild card loss, the bottle throwing, the leadership void left by Chipper, Teheran and Delgado, Venters and Hanson and the moves for 2013.
157 Responses to “Show #206: Our Interview with David O’Brien”
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October 22nd, 2012 at 11:20 pm
It’s about time the cardinals magic finally ran out! Up 3 games to 1 and they can’t close it out, gotta love it! It’s just sad to think if the braves could have won that wild card game, I really feel like they could still be playing right now…
October 22nd, 2012 at 11:36 pm
Agreed.
Oh, and for the 400th time – did I mention that I picked a Detroit-SF World Series at the beginning of the season?
October 22nd, 2012 at 11:55 pm
@1 – This year will stick with me for a long, long time. We talked about which of the last three years’ season endings was the most painful and I said last year. But as I sit here now, it is this year by a long shot. The 2012 team had so much potential and we never got to see it play out.
As I watched Ken Rosenthal and Erin Andrews interviewing the Giants on the field I imagined it being the Braves instead. We should have had that this year.
October 23rd, 2012 at 12:13 pm
An interview with DOB? Can’t wait to hear this one!
And yeah — this team had tons of potential to make it far into the postseason. More than 2010 (too many key players banged up) or 2011 (banged up and slumping). This year sucks. Glad the Cardinals are out of it. Go Tigers.
Apparently the Twins are hoping to add 3 starting pitchers this offseason. I’ve got to think that Frank Wren and Terry Ryan (Twins’ GM) will have many phone calls. Josh Willingham and Denard Span are very enticing.
Here’s how I would think the Braves’ pitchers would stack up in a possible trade scenario:
- Medlen: untouchable
- Hudson: next-to-untouchable, but I don’t think the Braves would have any interest in trading him anyway.
- Minor: would you trade Minor for a guy like Willingham? Or Span? While it’d be painful to part with Minor, I don’t think I’d trade him for either of those guys, although if it’s the right player, I think I would. But I think his second half solidified him as next year’s number 3 starter.
- Maholm: if a team is interested in Maholm, I’m betting the Braves would trade him. Totally. And I wouldn’t mind a bit. (I also wouldn’t mind if they kept him.)
- Hanson: I doubt the Twins (or any other team) would be interested unless they line up 2 other better/more experienced starting pitchers first (Greinke? Haren? Dempster?). But if that’s the case, it would mean that a deal probably wouldn’t get done until much later in the offseason, and I don’t think the Braves are interested in waiting that long for the major holes in their lineup. (My guess on the Braves’ approach with Hanson: hope he has another good first half next season, then try to trade him midseason.)
- Delgado: if the Braves were willing to trade Delgado for Dempster at the All-Star break, I’m betting they’d trade Delgado for an everyday position player such as Willingham or Span. It would probably hurt a little less seeing him go to the AL, too.
- Teheran: my guess is that the Braves would be a little more open to trading Delgado than they would Teheran, but only if it’s the right player.
October 23rd, 2012 at 1:54 pm
@4 – IMO, you trade either Delgado or Teheran before Minor. We know Minor can do it. We think Delgado can but we’re not certain and who knows about Teheran anymore.
October 23rd, 2012 at 2:40 pm
#5 — I agree. I’ve got to think that Delgado/Teheran are probably #1 and 2 on the list of “pitchers most likely to be traded this offseason.” I’m sure the Braves would much rather unload Hanson before Delgado/Teheran, but I think he’s got so little trade value at this point that it’s unlikely they’ll get anything good in return for him.
Any thoughts out there about McCann? Olney suggesting that the Braves could exercise the 2013 option, then trade him. No way that happens, not with Bethancourt still needing plenty of development.
October 23rd, 2012 at 3:34 pm
Willingham – blech.
October 23rd, 2012 at 5:05 pm
@7 – I think Willingham would be a nice addition. He’s under contract for two more years at $7MM/ year. His OBP last year was .366 (career .361). He hit 35 HR in 2012 and 29 in 2011. And he bats Righty. I think that would look pretty good in Left field.
October 23rd, 2012 at 8:56 pm
Vis a Freddie’s girlfriend. They arent married, but his girlfriend is actually a model. Chelsea Marie Goff
October 23rd, 2012 at 11:02 pm
@9 – Now that is putting the comments section to good use! Thanks, william.
October 24th, 2012 at 11:13 am
@8 – A few things make me worry about adding Willingham. 1. The last two years he’s hit righties significantly better than lefties. For his career, it’s around even, but I’d hate to see another fake right-handed bat like Uggla in the lineup. 2. Even more worrisome, he’s getting old and he’s had a history of back problems. Dude plays through a lot of nagging injuries, but he hasn’t been an iron man. Only 140+ games once in the last 5 years. 3. He’s not a particularly good fielder. If we assume Bourn is moving on, the Braves could go from having probably the best fielding outfield to one of the worst, depending on who fills CF. 4. For his career he’s been bad in September and October. Last thing the Braves need is a guy who slumps then. 5. Mostly, I just don’t like idea of picking up a guy who will be 34 before the season starts and coming off a career year, playing the most games he’s played in since 2007. Guys like that always seem to flop for the Braves.
October 24th, 2012 at 12:09 pm
The thing about Julio Teheran that’s easy to forget, because he’s been on our radars for so long, is that he’s still only 21. Not that there are no concerns but Triple-A at 20-21 is a major thing. The average age of players in the International League is 27. Most guys Teheran’s age were in Low A last season. They’ve been aggressive in promoting him probably because he’s proven himself at lower levels. It has nothing to do with him being bored. I suspect his struggles have more to do with him being challenged for the first time and actually facing many guys who could be or have been fringe major leaguers.
I don’t think it’s as big a deal, considering his age, that he spend a third season in Triple-A, as it would be for other prospects. Again, most guys his age are going to be in High-A next season.
That’s not to say Delgado is the wrong choice and Teheran is the right one for the Braves. I feel confident the Braves’ staff will make the right decision. We should just be careful to make definitive judgements about Teheran at this stage. We’re still a good ways away from knowing whether he’s a top-end guy or a bust. We may not know that until his third or fourth year in the majors.
October 24th, 2012 at 1:37 pm
Stupid Fox. Some goofball from American Idol is singing the National Anthem tonight. This is the WS! It should always be a huge name with ties to the city. Metallica should be singing tonight. Or Santana. Or even the Chili Peppers, given their CA ties.
Detroit has Aretha lined up, which is awesome. And here’s someone I thought of a possiblity in Detroit who will NOT be performing.
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20121024/ENT04/210240400/
October 24th, 2012 at 3:12 pm
This is exactly how I felt after the WC playoff game…
http://mlb.mlb.com/cutfour/?partnerId=aw-7323594772770109560-1068#contentId=40015010
October 24th, 2012 at 5:17 pm
I like Collective Soul.
October 24th, 2012 at 7:11 pm
Suck it, kid
October 24th, 2012 at 7:31 pm
@16 funniest post of the season!
October 24th, 2012 at 7:49 pm
Gooooooo Infante!
October 24th, 2012 at 10:02 pm
This seems impossible. And 3 consecutive HRs is just ridiculous.
October 25th, 2012 at 8:59 am
Can’t believe they beat the V! Just now listened to the show. Always sad to hear the final show. Almost couldn’t bare it. I’m a little disturbed that I feel similar to DOB about throwing trash on the field.
How nice to have multiple options regarding open positions because we have Mr. Baseball himself on our team. Marteeeeeeen!
October 25th, 2012 at 3:07 pm
@20 – I thought of you when DOB made a point of going back to the leadership topic to include Prado in there.
October 25th, 2012 at 6:34 pm
What can I say. Stick with me boys…I obviously know what I’m talking about.
October 26th, 2012 at 10:18 am
I’m really going to be depressed if this Giants team wins another World Series. 2 in the past 3 years with that team? And the Braves can’t win a postseason series? Makes no sense.
October 26th, 2012 at 10:23 am
I still don’t think Prado is going to work out. I’m Curt-level skeptical about him.
(Just kidding – I actually made my Cubs WS prediction so that my earlier doubt of Prado didn’t look so stupid.)
October 26th, 2012 at 7:00 pm
@23, crap. shoot.
It really, truly is. One day I’m gonna write the definitive article/essay on how baseball postseason is irrecoverably frigged.
It’s a little different when it comes to the Braves’ run of poor playoff showings. I think in that case, bad luck put them in a hole and then the pressure got to them and they couldn’t get out of it. But I don’t think it was some essential high level failure of a team/organization. I don’t think it was Bobby. I don’t think we were “geared for regular season.” I don’t think it was even that other teams were better in the later part of the run (I mean, the point of all this is that it barely matters who’s better in the post.)