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DEL.ICIO.USPlayoff rotation not just a worry here
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For most of the season, Tim Hudson hadn’t quite lived up to expectations.
That’s not the case anymore.
In back-to-back complete games, the former Oakland Athletics right-hander has been every bit as good as he was at his best in the American League.
With John Smoltz and Hudson, the first two spots in the Braves’ rotation offer no worries. It’s the third spot that still must be settled on going into the playoffs.
Mike Hampton is unlikely to be available and John Thomson hasn’t pitched well since coming off the disabled list. That leaves Jorge Sosa or Horacio Ramirez as the likely No. 3 starter in the first round of the playoffs.
Neither would cause panic from Braves fans, but a victory certainly isn’t a cinch, either. Sosa has been a pleasant surprise for the Braves, but he obviously didn’t come close to the postseason with Tampa Bay. Ramirez has been good at Turner Field, but far from that on the road.
Of course, some playoff contenders — especially in the American League — don’t even have two starters that they can count on.
I was just up in Boston watching the World Series champion Red Sox and their rotation certainly wasn’t a pretty sight.
Comments
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By Harin
August 29, 2005 04:50 PM | Link to this
What about Kyle Davies - the kid is solid. Atleast pitch him and or Sosa on the road games…if we make the playoffs (lets not count our chickens yet). Worst comes to worse - Frenchy could probably pitch if we needed him to.
By Patrcik
August 29, 2005 05:04 PM | Link to this
Forget about Hampton and Thompson. Ramirez gets the 3rd slot because he is a lefty. Sosa should be used to shore up the shaky pen. The real question is what to do with the oft-injured Hampton now that the Braves have to pony up the majority of his bloated salary.
By doc
August 29, 2005 05:21 PM | Link to this
unless thompson shows a complete reversal it will be between sosa and ramirez. bobby tends to go with four rather than three, i believe, so it is straight forward. if not it leaves you with ramirez on a short leash with sosa coming in early from the pen which may work to your advantage if the other manager has made a switch to righties to face lefty ramirez.
if and when we make it to the playoffs we match up well with most pitching this year.during the last road trip, though a lot lamblasted the production, was playoff like as the team knew it hadnt performed as expected during the homestand and needed to come through with some pressure on. what is satifying is except for one game the pitching matched up well with the other teams best and jones and jones supplied some timely hitting against some top caliber guys.frenchy felt it was significant to see the tough guys as he and others will adjust in time for the playoffs.
now lets see what they do with patterson as he has been as good as they come this year. hopefully we can get smoltz’ arm a bit of rest as he may tire down the stretch. the heat and innings will possibly affect him.
By HobNailBoot
August 29, 2005 07:42 PM | Link to this
One item; with all the games with the eastern teams coming up, it’s a shame that Mike Hampton is unable to pitch like he did in last season’s second half into this year. Check the record - he is a bona fide Phillie killer and Marlin tamer when he is right. I watched him pitch a one to nothing shutout against the Marlins last year AFTER he wrenched his knee and missed a start (the game that Mark DeRosa was injured in). In the playoffs, he pitched a beauty against Roy Oswalt in our home win and came in for a relief appearance at Houston in the game we won there. All on a bad knee that required off season surgery. The thing is, with his arm being fine, if he can get that back thing straightened out and not be afraid to cut loose he would be a MAJOR asset for late September and playoffs (should we get in)
By Pete
August 30, 2005 07:21 AM | Link to this
Should the Braves make the playoffs, which I think they most likely will, management will will make their traditional self-satisfied statements about it having been a “great year no matter what happens”. The team will take its cue and perform another first round home playoff swan dive. The third starter won’t matter.
By glennbo
August 30, 2005 08:08 AM | Link to this
Davies has pitched thru the 7th just once. No way do you leapfrog him above Sosa or Ramirez. I’d like to see Hampton or Thompson step up, but it won’t happen.
By Roy Lockwood
August 30, 2005 09:59 AM | Link to this
I firmly believe the New York Mets have the best pitching staff in the National East Division. Their bull pen sucks and they go in streaks in hitting. No consistancy. I live in New York and was at a Mets game last week. My son lives in Duluth, Ga and goes to Braves games with his friends. He is a devout Mets Fan.
By Buzz
August 30, 2005 01:10 PM | Link to this
Well that’s just wonderful Roy. Glad your son is such a big Mets fan, but its possible that you’re on the wrong team coverage. No one around here actually cares that much about the Mets.
Anyway, if the Braves make the playoffs I’m not sure we have a pitcher I want to see in the 3 slot. Sosa, maybe, but he’s unexpierenced at the whole postseason. But you know, I think too much is put on the “playoff expeirence” thing, I mean Smoltz, Chipper, Druw, Hudson…..they are all going to be the Vetrans that guide the team. So I think, seeing as how Ramirez is streaky and Thomson is still in a form of spring traning, that Sosa should get a shot. He might win, he might lose….that’s the beauty of playoff baseball.
By Tony
August 30, 2005 01:53 PM | Link to this
Yea I would have love to have Hampton in the #3 spot if we faced the Padres in the playoffs. With Giles and Klesko being their offense…he would be an asset, if he is healthy. Having said that if Hampton is not available, then it has to be Sosa. No way do I put Ramirez in the 3rd spot if that game is on the road. I guess it all depends on who the Braves face. If they face the Astros…then all bets are off…Might be 0-2 by the team game 3 comes along.
By david trevari
August 30, 2005 03:29 PM | Link to this
as happy as i am with the young pitching success.other than smoltz,and hudson.we dont have any stability.john thompsnon has a chance if he gets his stuff worked out.i think hampton should take the year off,and take care for 2006.and ramirez has potential.i would like to see the braves look the waiver wire these next days.i still feel the braves will do another home playoff colapse.they have lost in the home deciding game many times.i would rather the braves ply all playoff games on the road.they play better there.
By AZBravoFan
August 30, 2005 03:36 PM | Link to this
Ramirez actually might be a good matchup against the Padres on the road since Petco is a pitcher-friendly park. And I don’t think this team will lay down like past teams as Pete suggests. I know the history. I’ve suffered through it just like all you guys. I think in recent years the offense has really pressed because we haven’t had the dominant starters to keep the other team off the board. They were always playing from behind. Sometimes you have to win 1-0 or 2-1 and out-pitch the other guy.(see 1995) I think Hudson and Smoltzie can provide that. If they do their thing, the offense can relax a little and hopefully erase all those bitter memories.
By Fabrizio Di Muro
August 30, 2005 03:41 PM | Link to this
The starting rotation for the playoffs, if we get there, is pretty simple if you ask me.
It’s Smoltz, Hudson, Sosa and Ramirez. At least at this point.
Right now, we can’t rely on Mike Hampton and John Thomson. That might change. But if it doesn’t, it is going to be Smoltz, Hudson, Sosa and Ramirez. Sosa has been very good in the starting rotation, and he’s certainly better than most team’s #3 starter. Ramirez has pitched very well lately, and has pitched very well at home all year.
So I’d put’em in this order: Smoltz, Ramirez, Hudson, Sosa. That way, you break up the two right-handers with a left hander, and you have Ramirez pitch at home, where he’s been light out to this point.
By danny cardwell
August 30, 2005 05:13 PM | Link to this
not sending thompson and hampton to the minors was and will be a foolish mistake. why ruin games we may win for them to get back in shape when they can simply do the same thing where it wont hurt?
By AZBravoFan
August 30, 2005 06:36 PM | Link to this
In the NLDS you might not even need a 4th if you’re willing to pitch guys on 3 days rest. You could go Smoltz and Hudson in 1 and 2. Sosa and/or Ramirez in 3. Then if it’s 2-1 you could gamble with a 4th starter or just go for the kill with Smoltz or Hudson. If you’re down 1-2 then you’re set up with your best starters to try to pull you back. I like the rotation mentioned above for a 7 game series. It sets up Hudson to pitch game 7. Or he could be used in game 6 on 3 days rest. You just never know with those 3rd and 4th guys. Wasn’t it ‘95 when we got the huge starts out of Avery when he had been pretty inconsistant during the regular season?
By Dave S
August 30, 2005 06:49 PM | Link to this
I think Davies deserves a chance to show he has playoff caliber stuff. He has shown he can pitch in the big league. Hampton and Thompson are struggling to get their stuff together. I’m a Braves fan for life !
By Kent
August 30, 2005 08:12 PM | Link to this
Bobby Cox and the Braves have been thru this for 13 years in a row. Bobby knows that Sosa struggles on the road, so carry both Sosa and Ramirez. Use Sosa when you are home and Ramirez for a road start if needed. The question has been and still is…will the Braves find a true closer. Since Smoltz has gone to a starting role, no one has stepped up to fill the spot that Smoltz did so well. If a true closer can be found, the Braves will go deep into the playoffs. Otherwise, we will have to battle to get it done.
By Carroll
August 30, 2005 09:02 PM | Link to this
Why is there even any debate about this? To me, Sosa has been our best pitcher all year after only Smoltz. I might even be tempted to put him 2nd! He has the potential to be a shut-down, dominating starter in the playoffs, a la Livan Hernandez in 97 (except without the cheating). I don’t want HoRam’s finessing, prone-to-the-long-ball a* anywhere near the mound in the playoffs, barring emergency! Playoff teams eat that kind of soft pitching for breakfast (see Greg Maddux, Charlie Liebrandt, and Tom Glavine playoff statistics).
By Dane
August 31, 2005 01:15 AM | Link to this
I think when the braves make the playoffs the rotation should be smoltz,sosa,hudson,davies,ramirez to me if you dont use sosa as 1 of the 3 starters put him closing he has dominating stuff and would be better than reitsma at the end of the game.
By william jackson
September 1, 2005 07:50 AM | Link to this
I have a comment about Andruw Jones.I have not heard big talk about his performance on espn,cnn or tbs like we did a couple of years ago when Mark and Sammy Sosa was going at for their forty home run season, this guy whom I’m SURE KIDS is looking at as a role model saying why he’s not being talked about like other guys before.I my honest opinion Andruw Jones indeed is the man of the hour and should be talked about more often.What a heck of season this guy is having he is caring the braves.GO Braves
By william jackson
September 1, 2005 10:45 AM | Link to this
I have a comment about Andruw Jones.I have not heard big talk about his performance on espn,cnn or tbs like we did a couple of years ago when Mark and Sammy Sosa was going at it for their forty home run season, this guy whom I’m SURE KIDS is looking at as a role model saying why he’s not being talked about like other guys before.My honest opinion Andruw Jones indeed is the man of the hour and should be talked about more often.What a heck of season this guy is having he is caring the braves.GO Braves