Show #92: We Sit Down with Braves Great, Javy Lopez
Javy Lopez discusses a wide range of topics including the ’95 Series, the ’96 Series, his relationship with Maddux, and much, much more.
359 Responses to “Show #92: We Sit Down with Braves Great, Javy Lopez”
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February 10th, 2010 at 5:13 pm
Lukas – you’ve grown much more coherent over the past few days. Glad to see you’ve dried out.
February 10th, 2010 at 5:28 pm
Here is a lengthy, but worthy rant from somebody called 11String at mlb.com
This move is bad on so many levels. The implications are horrible. Doing this means one (or more) of several things:
1) We will not be seeing Matt Diaz as an everyday player, but instead, Johnny Damon. This is horrendous. Diaz is younger (32 this year), more powerful, a better hitter, and a better fielder. Conclusion: Matt Diaz is a better baseball player. Diaz posted an overall UZR in the OF in 2009 of -4.9 in 2009. In LF (where he is positioned to play in 2010), he posted a +2.9 metric.
While Diaz has never been accused of being a Gold Glover, it is plain-to-see to any Braves fan that Diaz’s outfield play has improved tremendously over the years we’ve seen him in ATL, and his range is actually quite good. His arm, while not fantastic, is certainly lightyears above Damon’s.
Meanwhile, Damon (age 36 this year) posted an awful -12.1 UZR in LF this year, the only position he played all year. Given the age disparity, we can probably assume Diaz will maintain his good defensive range in 2010, while Damon will resemble something similar to what we saw in Garret Anderson last year (read: “Fock my life”).
And again … there’s the significant dropoff in arm strength from Diaz to Damon … not to mention the dropoff from Anderson to Damon … it’s possible Damon will be defensively worse than Anderson was last year. Such a crime of constructing the roster in this fashion is unforgivable.
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2) Jason Heyward won’t being in the big leagues. While this is good because it delays his arbitration clock, it is likely bad as it doesn’t have us break camp with the best team possible.
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3) This likely forces a trade at some point of either Melky Cabrera, Nate McLouth, or Jordan Schafer. And while we were likely looking at a trade of either Cabrera or McLouth at some point depending on the development of Schafer, I don’t like the idea of forcing the issue to accomodate an aging veteran with declining skills who wants a 1-year stay in Georgia.
Cabrera, while defensively much superior in the corner outfield to Damon (and Diaz, for that matter), I fully expect to put up similar numbers in 2010 to what Damon would put up in Atlanta.
Damon’s numbers were greatly inflated by New Yankee Stadium, while Cabrera’s were not. On the road, Damon posted a line of .284/.349/.446/.795.
Cabrera on the road posted .278/.336/.409/.745.
That is not a great difference in performance. Now adjust for Damon’s continuing declining skills, and Cabrera’s growing skills, and you’re likely coming at eerily similar results in 2010.
Neither player is a good fit for leadoff. Damon stole an amazing 12 bases last year. 12. You really think that his .350 OBP and 12 SB is a better option that McLouth’s .350-.360 OBP and his 25 SB ability? Or that Damon would play better than Diaz’s .360ish OBP and 15-20 SB potential?
Signing Damon is stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. It’s a waste of what money we do have left in the coffers, and buys us a name, and a name only. The player is certainly not a better everyday option than Diaz, is not a better leadoff option than McLouth, and is not better than Heyward or Cabrera.
I say no to this. No emphatically. I’m mad at Wren for caving into the pressure laid upon him by those in the Atlanta media without the mental capacity to realize this is 2010 and not 2003, and Damon is not the player he once was. Signing Damon, by multiple extensions, makes us a worse club in 2010 because it delays Cox from putting the best lineup on the field, something that will undoubtedly be realized and fixed in July of 2010 … months too late to make the playoffs, I’m afraid.
February 10th, 2010 at 5:37 pm
Did I write that?
February 10th, 2010 at 5:52 pm
Curt, you don’t like Dam*n (get it Bub? I made it a curse word)? So glad there’s a new show…for the sake of my sanity and thumbs oh the poor thumbs.
February 10th, 2010 at 6:18 pm
You baseball wise guys should help a brother out.
http://bit.ly/9v1yQi
February 10th, 2010 at 8:01 pm
Got a ? whom would they trade if Damon was added? or would they? IMO keeping Heyward in triple A would only help him, till June.You can’t slow his progress down only help it since he has only seen very limited time in triple A.The needed at bats at that level is just that needed.Maybe i will see something in Spring Training to change my mind.If i do see he needs to start the season in the show then Melky would be a trade chip not a great one but decent in no way would i trade Diaz or Nate at this point.
February 10th, 2010 at 8:07 pm
Damon, huh? Well I guess we got what we got..did Lukas say that? I mean that now we just wait and see how it all plays out. Yes, Heyward can spend sometime in Gwinnett and it should only help. MattChu..I would not trade those guys either.
February 10th, 2010 at 8:33 pm
Well here’s a quote that shows what I know about Chipper & Damon having no chemistry.
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A little more Chipper on Damon: “I know Johnny. We played on the WBC together, and he’s from Central Florida just like me. We always had a connection — my dad recruited him at Stetson.”
February 10th, 2010 at 8:51 pm
Bub you have great points.I believe Damon has 2yrs left in him though i just want him for one and to put this simple Damon would put butts in the sits at the Ted.This could influence the payroll for next year.
February 10th, 2010 at 9:15 pm
I knew I liked that Matt guy.
February 10th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
I just wrote a song about getting Damon. I’m gonna youtube it probably by tomorrow. I’m not even kidding.
February 10th, 2010 at 10:34 pm
MattChu..I think Jason Heyward would put more BITS than Damon, but may now have fewer AB’s to do so.
February 10th, 2010 at 10:47 pm
Leah, don’t hate me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y-mLjqz_bA
February 10th, 2010 at 10:56 pm
Bub, “Talkin’ Matty Diaz Blues”? Very nearly brilliant. Where was the harmonica???
February 10th, 2010 at 10:59 pm
Tcc, does that sound like the guitar playing of somebody who can play a harmonica?
February 10th, 2010 at 11:17 pm
Bub – you are one creative mofo. Seriously – I LOVED IT. One question: what was that first line, “you can grow your hair out like ….” Couldn’t understand that one line.
February 10th, 2010 at 11:29 pm
… you used to and look like a neanderthal.
Enjoy it while you can. I’m three winces from ripping it down. Too harsh.
February 10th, 2010 at 11:52 pm
Veto the rip. Too great. The “other Dylan” was no genius on the mouth harp but it was a great effect. Great stuff, Bub!
February 11th, 2010 at 5:44 am
haahahahahahaahaaaaaaa
Bub! that was grate!!!
February 11th, 2010 at 7:17 am
I will hate you if you take it down b4 I see it. Gotta do my rat killin then I can see it. Rat killin= rugrats to school.
February 11th, 2010 at 8:00 am
Double blast! It won’t play on my phone. I’ll have to wait until John Bunyan brings home the laptop. Don’t you dare remove it Bubdylan! (wispers) I thought Cledus was the rock star.
February 11th, 2010 at 8:34 am
LOL awesome!!! BUB!!! Next thing you know it will be on Mike&Mike in the morning on ESPN! Maybe Chipper could use it in his recruiting efforts LOL!!! Very talented Bub,i enjoyed it!
February 11th, 2010 at 10:04 am
Boy, if you ever want to find out how narcissistic you really are, post something on youtube.
Better hurry, Leah. Getting squeamish…
(Thanks for the compliments, though)
February 11th, 2010 at 10:49 am
Ill leave this message board forever if you take it down! FOR…EVER!
February 11th, 2010 at 11:30 am
This little snip from Schultz (sp?) piece on Smoltz kind of surprised me.
“I admire him and it was a pleasure to be around him for so long,” Smoltz said of Cox. “Nothing would make it a more perfect scenario than if the Braves went out and won the whole thing in his last year. That’s how much respect I have for him.”