Show #86: Checking in on the 2009 Braves’ Off Season
Tim Hudson’s extension. Trading Lowe or Vazquez? Outfield acquisitions. The closer situation. And the 2010 broadcast team.
110 Responses to “Show #86: Checking in on the 2009 Braves’ Off Season”
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Pages: « 1 [2] 3 4 5 » Show All
November 27th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Leah, sorry about your WDE’s!! They scared the crap out of ‘Bama. I’m a Clemson fan but I always pull for “Tiger” teams. I don’t care if it’s Clemson (Auburn with a Lake), Auburn, Princeton, Missouri, Hanshin and (forgive me) even LSU. Did I mention Tiger Woods?
So, who do you pull for in the SECCG?
November 27th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
Not Bama. Not Florida. Tim Tebow?
November 28th, 2009 at 9:53 am
I am going for Bama because our good family friends are die hard, but I am ultimately hoping for a good game. More importantly though, I am praying for GT victory this week. To be honest we could lose to Clemson by 30 (which could happen, yes Tcc, it could), but I only care about the UGA game. I went last year and it felt so sweet to be among the bulldog faithful when we ended the streak.
Firstly, I love Medlen and I am with Stevie in that I hope he is part of the rotation soon. Secondly, I agree that Lowe or Vazquez will not return, but I can’t decide who’d I rather see go. Obviously Lowe, but at the same time I don’t know if we oughta take a chance on him and get a bat for JV. I guess all I can hope for is a good decision by Wren.
As for Closer, I vote Gonzo, if we can get him. I have heard from a team doctor that Soriano is a big time complainer and I like Gonzo’s intensity, even though it leads to sticky situations every so often. Correct me if I am wrong on this, but wouldn’t he be cheaper.
Lastly, is there anything to look forward to in the Rule 5 or 2010 draft for potential 3B prospects, because I think it is a likely possibility that if Chipper doesn’t have a year he is content with that he will leave with BC.
P.S. Thanks for the shoutout in show 85, listened to it again and didn’t catch it the first time.
November 28th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Wiley – say more about, “I have heard from a team doctor that Soriano is a big time complainer…”
November 28th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
I don’t know, it was a brief comment on his part, but he basically said that Soriano was sort of a hypochondriac and didn’t really want to pitch, but that was actually during the beginning of the season, so it might have had something to do with him not getting the closer’s job.
November 28th, 2009 at 10:53 pm
Wiley..maybe they should just call off the ACCCG. Clemson was shellacked by USC today and going into the 4th quarter UGA is up by 10 over GT. There was a lot of talk by the announcers during the CU/USC game about how the SEC is so much better than the ACC and that USC had played close games against UF, Bama and beat Ole Miss. Can’t argue with that. dammit.
There’s no way to know which pitcher to keep and which to trade/sell. Lowe and Vazquez had similar stats except JV had a ton more K’s. Lowe seems more likely to be consistent and Vazquez more likely to have a good year and then falter?
I’m with you on Gonzo. Weird, but he’s our weird.
Chipper will be back to his normal self next year, probably, I think. 280-25-95 would be super.
Update: UGA 30-GT 17 in the 4th Q. Next week we’ll see..
November 30th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Itching for rumors…
November 30th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Hey Leah, here’s all I’ve got. From the baseball insider at Newsday:
Once John Lackey chooses a team, the Braves will shop Derek Lowe more aggressively, hoping that, say, three years and $39 million for Lowe (with Atlanta picking up the remaining $6 million) will be more appealing than the risky commodities out there like Jason Marquis, Randy Wolf or Joel Pineiro.
November 30th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Good lord, Steve – I read “Randy Wolf” and thought you typed “Randy Johnson.” Whew!! Now, THAT’d be a risky move, since The Unit went to kindergarten with, like, Julio Franco…
November 30th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
From DOB: “Chip Caray’s not being brought back by Turner Sports. That means Turner Sports will hire a new play-by-play man for Braves games on Peachtree TV, as well as Sunday TBS games and the postseason games on TBS.”
I called that sh*t to a T!!!!
November 30th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Hammy – where did you see that report about Bob Rathbun? I can’t find it and see it nowhere on the web.
November 30th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Wonder if they would do this to him if Skip was still alive.
November 30th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Steve, yeah ya did. We see your brilliance once again. So, Lowe’s not risky or not AS risky?
November 30th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Dear god, Matt Ryan has been ruled out for the Eagles game. Yikes. Good thing it isn’t a must win.
November 30th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
Hammy – I think you were drunk again prepping for the show. I don’t think they’ve made any decisions on who’s replacing Boog. This is from the MLB.com article about TBS releasing Chip Caray: “With Jon “Boog” Sciambi’s departure to ESPN, the Braves are currently in need of a play-by-play analyst to handle their games televised by Fox Sports South and SportSouth. This would be an opportunity that would provide Caray the chance to once again be around the game and the Braves on a daily basis.”
December 1st, 2009 at 8:30 am
I’m usually drunk listening to the show…so let’s not throw stones.
December 1st, 2009 at 8:57 am
re-listening to pcast to see what you said about McClouth… notice in all the whinging about the Yanks you didn’t at least throw your Japanese fan-base a bone about Godzilla. It wasn’t all about A-Rod… Matsui’s performance was fun to watch, no?
you only mention McClouth once (Ham)…without a glowing review…
so new expensive bat (Dye) + Heyward + Diaz.
Can we use McClouth to get Wagner?
December 1st, 2009 at 9:23 am
Awe Will…I love watching McLouth…once he get’s on base. This is why women don’t run baseball. Emotionally based decisions never bode well.
December 1st, 2009 at 1:11 pm
heyward can’t play center. he’s not ready for that gig and i am not sure he has the range to cover all the ground in CF at Turner Field. and man would that outfield be brutal with those three out there. lot of gappers.
Mclouth has a long way to go to sell me. He’s rather average, and if he is injury prone he becomes a liability.
Word I’m hearing is that they offer Gonzalez, Soriano and LaRoche arbitration, with the expectation that they lose Gonzo and get the pick, have Soriano as the closer and settle on a year year deal with LaRoche with Freeman in the wings.
December 1st, 2009 at 3:24 pm
year year?
one year, make that
December 1st, 2009 at 4:13 pm
Curt – I’ve seen some FA lists out there that rank Soriano as more favorable than Gonzo. I think he will decline arb as well. Kevin Gregg will be our closer next year (the Cubs did not offer him arbitration – so no loss of picks on him).
December 1st, 2009 at 5:36 pm
DOB just tweeted that the Braves offered arbitration to Soriano, Gonzo but not to LaRoche.
December 1st, 2009 at 11:01 pm
Okay – a few things r.e. my gaffe . . .
1 – I am drunk. Always. It makes looking at pictures of Curt’s midsection “beautiful”.
2 – I fell for an internet joke. I googled “replacing Boog Sciambi” and the following link came up (http://rowlandsoffice.wordpress.com/2009/10/09/broadcastron-3000-retained/). I realize now I might should have looked for some corroboration from a more legitimate news source, but see bullet number 1.
3 – Nevertheless, I am relieved – even if this means that Steve called something to a T.
4 – Having said all of this – Bob Rathbun as the Braves announcer in 2010 is not outside the realm of possibility. Just saying.
December 1st, 2009 at 11:46 pm
If we have to go thru next season with Kevin Gregg as our closer and a big hole at first….have we learned nothing?
December 2nd, 2009 at 7:12 am
Hammy, you’re forgiven. I agree about Kevin Gregg…didn’t our lineup knock him around a good bit last year?