Braves

By Greg

June 2, 2006 03:43 PM | Link to this

Dave:

I just want to say that those idiots who are saying nasty things to Reitsma are not true baseball fans. OK, Reitsma has not been an effective closer. We all know that. He knows that. It’s not like he wants to blow games. Booing a guy’s performance is one thing. Insulting him in front of his family is another. We should all wish Reitsma well. Heck, we should all wish Dan Kolb well. They’re people. And they should be treated as such. A true fan can separate a bad performance from a bad man. I wish they could arrest those people who yell, “You suck!” at Reitsma away from the ballpark.

By Mitch

June 2, 2006 03:45 PM | Link to this

Man alive, we Braves fans and blog readers don’t know how good we’ve got it. DOB, thanks for caring enough to do this blog thing right. There are lots of us who bleed red and blue (and red and black - Go Dawgs!) and we need and appreciate the coverage we get here. Nice job, man.

By Boomer

June 2, 2006 03:47 PM | Link to this

DOB, enjoyed that posting. In addition to the things you mentioned there, the Braves had many scoring opportunities that they didn’t take advantage of. One or two clutch hits with RISP and we probably win that game. I, for one, will be glad when we’re done with the NL West. Ramirez pitched very well last night as did Cruz. Too bad that throwing error came when it did and too bad that Rem couldn’t make one more clutch pitch.

By Greg

June 2, 2006 03:49 PM | Link to this

Wasn’t our run-in with Brandon Webb the same time we lost McCann? How much of the offensive struggles have been because we lost one of our best hitters? Especially considering the “below replacement value” we get at 1B and LF offensively, we can’t afford to have McCann gone.

By Bob, journalist

June 2, 2006 03:54 PM | Link to this

I just saw a tape of the first 4 innings of last night’s game. I suppose it’s much ado about nothing but it looked like Ramirez was too slow in starting toward first in the 3rd … perhaps forcing LaRouche to make an unnecessarily difficult play at 2nd.

By BigMuddy

June 2, 2006 03:55 PM | Link to this

DOB: Been a Braves fan since 1970 and was wondering if anyone else saw the fact that the Braves this year are not bad—they are horrible-with the basics like moving the runner over, hitting to off field, and bunting. Considering their other weaknesses and the strengths of the Mets they had better learn in a hurry. Did you hear Jim Leyland on ESPN talk about what he did to turn around the Tigers? Said it was simple—they either play the right way or they sit. Talked specifically about guys hitting long fly balls again and again when the Team was behind one/two runs. Leyland said that was the first sign of guys playing for themselves (trying to hit home runs) instead of getting on base to start a rally. If anyone has noticed that’s exactly what the Braves have been doing this year. Love Francour’s potential but he has not exhibited one iota of “Team Ball” like trying to walk,move over the runner, sacrifice, etc.

By Chop Chop

June 2, 2006 03:58 PM | Link to this

Greg, and that “below replacement value” the Braves get from first base and left field is only exacerbated by Francoeur’s utter lack of (positive) consistency at the plate so far this year. Add that to Giles’ struggles and the Braves have four spots in the lineup that have been hurting them more often than helping. Throw in the catcher’s spot (with McCann out) and the pitcher’s spot and that gives you six spots in the batting lineup where there’s no certainty what you’re going to get from one day to the next. The Braves are lucky to have 28 wins at this point, especially with the bullpen struggles and the uncertainty after Smoltz and Hudson in the rotation. Whether that luck will hold out until guys start being consistently good, who knows? As Braves fans, we just have to hope it will.

By Dave knockahomer

June 2, 2006 03:59 PM | Link to this

Dave: dern good article! and all the truth! It was NOT just Ramirez. It was Remlinger; it was stupid baserunning, etc., etc. But far too many of our guys like Jorge who has pitched great for a couple of games lose because of this ineffective bullpen OR ineffective use of the bullpen by Cox. Why bring in Ramirez when McBride does better against lefties? Tis not a GREAT team this year but they are my team! My game My team My South

GO BRAVES…….in spite of all the blunders!

By Yelling Last Night

June 2, 2006 04:01 PM | Link to this

Greg, I infer from your post that it is allright to yell “you suck” at the ballpark. Is it all right for me to yell “you suck” in my living room? Cause I sure did that last night. And can we yell it at Remlinger as well as Reitsma, cause he’s just not getting the job done lately. I remember a game earlier in the year at Philly, I was listing to the game while driving to SC, and the Braves were struggling early, getting no hits through about the 5th. The Phillies were up a few runs, then all of a sudden in the 6th and 7th the Braves get a few big hits and we go to the 8th up a run. I remember thinking that this was the kind of game a championship team wins. Alas, Remlinger came in to pitch the eight and gave up a 2 run shot and the Braves lose.
Much the same last night…a championship team does the little things like getting the runner to 3rd, or making that one pitch to get out of the jam. I’m a believer in Bobby Cox but if this team doesn’t start playing better fundamental baseball the string of titles is over.

By bravesfansince66

June 2, 2006 04:03 PM | Link to this

DOB, I agree that Ray ought to be given a shot at closing, but who do we have that is reliable enough to get us there? We can’t expect starters to go 8 each night. I truly believe that we need to jump start the offense. Speed ‘em up and start ‘em up. Put pressure on the other team instead of our bullpen. Quit waiting for the 3-run homers. They’re great when they come, but they’re not coming often enough.

By eric the elder

June 2, 2006 04:03 PM | Link to this

Guido, Tony, you got a little job to do for Mr. Salducci. This creep who flapped his gums at Reitsma in front of his kids? You tell him Mr. Salducci is very … disappointed. It’s not-a real smart to disappoint Mr. Salducci. You tell this-a punk he could have a little … accident. You get my drift? Go on, get outta here. You make-a this problem go away.

By ssiscribe

June 2, 2006 04:05 PM | Link to this

Here here to all of the above comments regarding the blog, the game story, deadlines and the like. To think that a decade ago, editors were running around thinking the Internet would be, in one phrase I used to hear, “the CB radio of the 1990s.” A blog like this merely is an extension of what you get on your doorstep every morning, but it’s a huge extension without limits. Smart newspapers are using blogs, podcats, Web sites, video, etc., to further market their product which, in this particular case, is wall-to-wall coverage of our favorite baseball team.

Why this works so well on this particular blog is simple: A writer who takes the time to interact, and a fan base that, for the most part, adds constructive comments and banter to the discussion. I don’t care if you’re covering the Braves or an American Legion game. If you have to write a 12-inch story in 30 minutes (or quicker, much quicker in some cases), there’s no way you’re going to hit on everything in the game story. On a blog, you can, with much more depth and perception. It gives your coverage more life.

Sorry to go off on the journalistic tangent there. DOB, again, thanks for the work on the blog. That’s what makes it go.

To answer above, yes, Brandon Webb beat the Braves the night McCann got hurt, the night Travis Smith pitched as the emergency starter and the homecoming of the two former D’Backs, Villarreal and Cormier, got ugly when both of them were lit up like Red Dawn.

Need a good one from Smoltz tonight. Over and out from our sunny shores.

By Bob, journalist

June 2, 2006 04:05 PM | Link to this

Greg,

While I don’t agree with booing a player’s performance, unless he’s dogging it … I certainly agree with everythings else you’ve said.

After all, the last time I checked, players don’t fill out lineup cards.

By Adam

June 2, 2006 04:20 PM | Link to this

DOB: While we’re spreading around the blame for last night’s loss, at least a little needs to go to Cox. Don’t get me wrong - I’m a huge Cox fan and supporter, but sending Ramirez back out for the 8th when he was clearly tired in the 7th was just a bad decision. How different would the game had been had McBride pitched the whole inning? We’ll obviously never know, but I suspect the results would have been better.

By Stephen

June 2, 2006 04:25 PM | Link to this

I don’t think Ramirez should have even started the 8th inning. We got 7 great innings out of him and he is just getting his arm strength back.I know the pen has not been doing a great job but I think if McBride started that inning we win the game.

By ILL-logical

June 2, 2006 04:26 PM | Link to this

The facts are slowly coming out and revealing an inconvenient truth: the past 10 years of the Braves “success” is coming to an end. And the worst part of that is that it did not have to be this way. Management has ,cleverly I might add,changed the team goal from winning a world championship to winning a divsion.All while putting most of the resources in starting pitching to the detriment of the bullpen.Case in point,Mike Hampton; a no-trade $16 million pitcher whose better days are behind him. Get ready for the we love Andruw but we cant’t afford him speech.All while foisting “Frenchie” on us as the savior.(Unfair to him and unfair to the fans) Make no mistake about it,these decisions are made years in advance;there are no fast budget moves.And budgets are about getting the most effecitve outcomes not size.Smaller budget teams have won world championships. Folks,it’s time to realise that the water in our faces ain’t rain.

By Rob

June 2, 2006 04:29 PM | Link to this

DOB, great post again. I think the majority of fans really enjoy being able to talk about the team in this format, and we appreciate the time you put it to bring the inside info to us.

As far as our bullpen situation, I know have you heard any rumors of other relief pitchers we might acquire? Maybe someone who’s not quite closer material, but could slot in the 7th or 8th to help us get to a closer (hopefully Ray)?

By Carolina Lady

June 2, 2006 04:30 PM | Link to this

ERIC, 4:03 post GREAT! :-))))

By geauxbraves2000

June 2, 2006 04:30 PM | Link to this

I have a feeling BC will bring Rem into a lefty/lefty situation until the sun turns green, no matter what has happened in the past. BC brings Rem in to retire a lefty and fails, different game BC again brings Rem in to retire a lefty, again he fails, another game BC brings Rem in to face a lefty, again he fails, another game BC brings Rem in…..

By Penn

June 2, 2006 04:30 PM | Link to this

I don’t post a lot but I always look for O’Brien’s blogs. His continued involvement makes it so much better than those who put up a story and then ignore all the responders. DOB simply understands this is different from a paper and his cohorts don’t grasp that fact.

Incidentally, I couldn’t agree more, on the above comments, that playing basic small (smart) ball is going to be necessary if the Braves expect to extend their winning streak. Mental errors like last night’s getting thrown out at third is not going to get the job done. And I say that as a strong supporter of Renteria.

By teoa

June 2, 2006 04:31 PM | Link to this

DOB, could you fill me in on what you know about Langer? I’ve heard rumors of an injury…sorry if this has been covered already.

It definitely seems like something is wrong. He was just too good of a contact/2-strike hitter last year and the first part of this year to suddenly be striking out at his current pace — not to mention the 2-strike stats you cited. Last year it seemed like most of his hits came with 2 strikes. He’s got a nice short swing and a good idea of the strike zone, so it just doesn’t make sense unless there is an injury. Contact hitters go into slumps just like everyone else, but they generally don’t forget how to make contact.

Personally, I think Bobby’s patience with Langer is justified. Peter Gammons recently called him “pretty close to being the best left fielder in baseball”, and I think that justifies his playing time (along with the high average with RISP) even considering the recent slump. Like Francoeur, Langer’s upside is too high to give up on him now. I understand why people are calling for Diaz to play more, and I agree…I’d just like to see Diaz get a few starts at first base and let Langer stay out there (against righties) and work his way through this slump/injury/whatever.

By hk

June 2, 2006 04:31 PM | Link to this

journalist bob,

… on the Braves modelling ..

(here)

… your question ‘what about the Mets performance, what about an ‘absolute’ projection ??? … well, in the corporate environment, that’s exactly what we do … the criteria are ‘market share factors’, each competitor in a market are graded out on each factor for now, and say, 5 years from now, and the actual sales in a market are projected for each competitor year by year accordingly … then you play around with investments your company can make to improve your ‘rating’ in a particular factor, see what it does to your market share, see if it’s worth it, etc etc …

… the exact same thing could be done with the Mets, but you would have to do it for every player for every team in the league and I wasn’t that ambitious or that knowledgeable …

… to simplify, in this Braves model, I took all the competition into effect when I chose the constant to make the weighted total come out with the number of Braves wins for the season … question basically was ‘let’s see, how many games will the Braves win this season in my ‘Most Likely’ case for player performance’ … then adjusted the constant to make it come out that number of wins at the bottom of that column, and all the other numbers flowed from there …

definitions:

(1)’potential’ … the relative importance number for each player category reflects his value at his top ‘potential’ performance for this season only, taking into account injury, whether he is coming off the bench, etc … all those add to 100 ..

(2) ‘performance’ … the 0 to 100 number is a percentage of that above ‘potential number reflecting possible performance under various scenarios …

… then, when you multiply (1) times (2)/100, you get a weighted number that is something less than 100, reflecting the collective performance of all the players ..

By bravesfansince66

June 2, 2006 04:34 PM | Link to this

Add one more voice to the growing chorus of those who appreciate DOB’s work and involvement in this blog. Granted, we’re all free to say pretty much what we want about what he lets us know about, but those who criticize either aren’t paying attention, or have been too distracted by journalist jimmy’s and carolina lady’s hartebeast or whatever it is!

By Rob

June 2, 2006 04:34 PM | Link to this

ILL-logical,

How exactly do you build to win a World Series without building to win a division first? I know the wild card is there, but the safest way to get to a World Series is to build the best team you can, and hope they are able to win both the regular season and postseason. I believe ths saying is something like “you’ve got to walk before you can run…” Otherwise we’d have ended up like the Mets of the past 5 or 6 years…spending piles of money to “take our shot”, and failing year after year to even make the postseason.

By TOC

June 2, 2006 04:39 PM | Link to this

What we really need to ask is why did Rameriz pitch in the 8th? He looked tired in the 7th and he was well above his pitch count from his first start.

By Matt M

June 2, 2006 04:41 PM | Link to this

About Renteria’s baserunning blunder. It looked like (to me) that the ball was behind him and went over his left shoulder, which the runner at second goes to third on those ususually. But the ball was a high hard bouncing ground ball. If it was a roller, they probably wouldn’t have even thrown to third.
About the bullpen, I blame Cox for last night. It seems he is using our bullpen for only 1 batter alot this season. I like Paronto, it seems he throws alot of ground balls and nobody hits him that hard, same with McBride. But it seems people are always hitting Remmi hard and in the air. Maybe that just how it seems.
I think we will be ok. Once McCann comes back and then when James is ready and Davies gets back. Hudson, Smoltz, Davies, James, Sosa. Have Thomson as long releiver with McBride, Paronto, Remi, Reitsma for the 8th and try Ray closing. Nothing else has worked. But stop pulling groundball pitchers who are getting outs.

By Greg

June 2, 2006 04:42 PM | Link to this

I agree with everybody. DOB is great. I miss his commentary when he’s on vacation or taking a day off.

To clarify my earlier point: Yes, it’s OK to yell at Remlinger or Reitsma or any other highly paid athlete at the park or at the TV. To do so, is to say that you disapprove of the player’s performance. Yelling at the man outside of the park is a personal attack. I make an exception for Barry Bonds.

By Matt M

June 2, 2006 04:48 PM | Link to this

About our hitting. Yes we are struggling right now and only 3 guys are hitting with minimal power. Just imaging what will happen if the Jones’s start launching bombs, with Giles getting on base more and Renti on base every night. I think we might have to succeed that Laroche and Frenchy aren’t going to be high average hitters, but I think they will be above average and Langers is a star in waiting and then McCann is a contact hitter. We will be ok, as soon as everybody comes out of their funks. The top of the order is doing their job, but our sluggers aren’t slugging, give it time. By the way, AJones has about the same number of homers now as he did last year at this time. His power will come as will CJones.

By Matt M

June 2, 2006 04:55 PM | Link to this

That should have been concede not succeed about Laroche and Frenchy. Sorry about that

By elbravo x

June 2, 2006 05:19 PM | Link to this

Maybe the Braves should eat their ‘grennies’ before the game so they can hit and pitch with intensity. Boy, do they miss their grennies!

By TennesseePaul

June 2, 2006 05:33 PM | Link to this

Nice Post DOB.
I was pleased with the pitching last night from Ramirez. I hope these two outings are the way it’s going to go for the rest of the year. It just makes our staff that much stronger and also gives us trading chips. Really good trading chips. I’m also pleased to see Chipper and Andruw hitting homers again.

The team could stand to improve the small ball approach. Part of the blame should be assigned to TP. I think the encouragment to “stay aggressive” needs to be re-evaluated. I don’t think it’s getting through that staying aggressive should not get in the way of moving runners over, hitting the other way and laying down bunts. I miss the small ball game. It’s really exciting.

By AZBravoFan

June 2, 2006 05:38 PM | Link to this

I agree with those who said Ramirez shouldn’t have started the 8th. He was lucky to get out of the 7th on that freakishly amazing DP that was a very hard hit ball. I think it’s just a testament to how bad the ‘pen has been that BC felt his best option was to run Ramirez out there again.

By Amanda

June 2, 2006 05:39 PM | Link to this

I like the Braves, especially when they score runs and people start to clap and cheer. I clap and cheer with them. Its fun!

Last night, there wasn’t much fun on the window box. Daddy was a little sour lookinng. I had to be extra cute to make him smile.

Please, Atlanta Braves. Don’t make Daddy sour. He’s much easier to train and keep in line when you guys hit your cut-off men and don’t make the first out at third.

I plan on asking my Daddy to build a big jungle gym right after you win tonight. He’ll be very manageable if that happens.

If you guys mess that up, count on recieving several soiled diapers.

By g garcia

June 2, 2006 05:40 PM | Link to this

I think that the loss ought to be blamed on Cox. Ramirez pitched a shutout for seven innings. He struggled to get out to the 7th and looked exhausted. He is fresh from a rehab and he did his job.

Cox should never have put him on the mound in the 8th, especially when he had the opportunity to pinch hit for Ramirez in the bottom of the 7th. Why burn Ramirez out? What was the point?

That loss belongs to Cox.

By gb

June 2, 2006 05:50 PM | Link to this

Cox put hr out there in the eighth because he doesn’t trust his bullpen any more than we do.

By Joe Roman

June 2, 2006 06:05 PM | Link to this

I haven’t got time to dissect all the previous postings, but while it may be true that Ramirez’ play wasn’t the only thing that went wrong last night, the others are part of the vaguries of the game. Haracio’s play was just something no one getting paid to play the game should ever do. Even a little leaguer would get a “time out” at the very least. I’m not saying he should be shot at sunrise, but relief pitchers are going to make bad pitches. Hitters aren’t always going to move the runner over. On the other hand, Renteria’s base running mistake might be problems for that hypothetical little leaguer too. That was pretty bad.

By David O'Brien

June 2, 2006 06:39 PM | Link to this

AZBravoFan, you hit the nail when you wrote this one: “I think it’s just a testament to how bad the ‘pen has been that BC felt his best option was to run Ramirez out there again.” Agreed.

Plus, Horacio was well under 100 pitches after seven innings. If he hadn’t brought him back out and the bullpen gave it up right away in the eighth, just as many or more people would be saying today, “Why did he pull Horacio when he’d only thrown 90-some pitches and was throwing a shutout.” Keep that in mind.

By the way, Langerhans is getting a rest tonight, Diaz in left field against a right-hander. Bobby said just needed to get Diaz some at-bats.

By Carroll

June 2, 2006 06:46 PM | Link to this

Diaz should be out there every night. Langy has been putrid.

By MBATL

June 2, 2006 06:52 PM | Link to this

I don’t really agree, that HoRam shouldn’t have come back out. He walked a guy (not a good thing, but not unpardonable) … and then the error. Then an IBB. If he makes that play, runner at 2B with one out… who knows what would’ve happened. Would’ve liked to see Bobby just stay with McBride once we were in that situation; he looked awesome. That said, you load the bases with nobody out, runs are usually gonna score. ALMOST a miraculous job by the ‘pen.

We’re at the 1/3 point, 54 games. We’ve had periods of terrible starting pitching, blown saves, no hittiing, and a handful of significant injuries (CJ, McCann, HoRam, ER, Davies). but we’re not in bad shape.

I know, I’m a “defender” of the Braves, but can’t deny we’re not playing very good fundamental baseball right now. I don’t see any particular players as the culprit, it’s been sort of a “team-wide” funk. Let’s hope we can pick it up a little. Still plenty of time.

By Bobbymahlon

June 2, 2006 07:11 PM | Link to this

I do not agree with you DOB. Horacio was getting his pitches up and away to right handed hitters in the seventh and he was laboring. The bullpen with Poranto and McBride looked very good but to bring Rem into pitch to a lefthanded pitcher was wrong. BC can not get it into his head that Rem he has trouble with lefties. If he had taken Horacio out he would have built his confidence up something he needs.

By Bob, journalist

June 2, 2006 07:14 PM | Link to this

Odds and ends ……….

When one looks at the Braves over the last 16 years …. it’s difficult to avoid reaching the conclusion that internal player development has been key to the organization’s success … that is, players are fundamentally well prepared to play when they arrive in Atlanta.

Bobby Cox is superb in evaluating each and getting the most out of them. I would imagine that Terry Pendleton is of the same ilk.

Winning records can be deceptive. From my perspective, the Manager of a team that wins 75 games with the talent to win 50 is far better than the Manager of a team that wins 100 with the talent to win 115.

Last year wasn’t the first year during the streak where “unknown” quantities have have been called up after the start of the season and played key roles in our success. However, I don’t believe that many have had longlasting success with the Braves. There may be some truth in the rumor that most folks playing in AA are there for a reason.

Is it also possible that minor league managers and coaches are better equiped to develop talented young players than their Major League counterparts?

Regardless, it has to be easier to convince a “please coach, I gotta be me” player trying hard to get a chance … that “just being you ain’t gonna do!” … than it is to get them to change in difficult times after being called to the dance.

Getting maximum effort from the players is not, within itself, an acceptable coaching standard when some are not fundamentally well prepared … and cronic failure, by those who are well grounded in fundamentals … to make an effort to properly execute those fundamentals … suggests the possibility of managerial ineptness.

If you assume that all managers have at least one rule in common …”If you don’t play by my rules, you won’t play for me!” … then it would follow that cronic lack of proper execution reflects the manager’s acceptable standard of play.

If players aren’t well grounded in fundamentals, the manager should surround himself with coaches that can effectively address that situation.

The fact that Bobby and Terry are firmly in place strongly suggests that Braves’ Management is satisfied with the job they are doing … and the record suggests that Bobby is a very effective manager.

By bill

June 2, 2006 07:25 PM | Link to this

Diaz should play every night until he proves that he can’t hit or that he is a starter…he could play left or right field.

By jennifer

June 2, 2006 08:42 PM | Link to this

RAIN RAIN GO AWAY………..

By Carolina Lady

June 2, 2006 08:58 PM | Link to this

Oh, great! Doug Eddings is at 2nd tonight. How is that man still in baseball??

By David O'Brien

June 2, 2006 09:00 PM | Link to this

Tarp’s off the field and they’re getting it ready. Supposed to start around 9:30, at least that’s what they said 90 minutes ago. It appears they’re sticking to the plan.

By ncscoots

June 2, 2006 09:02 PM | Link to this

since we have a delay, I had time to check out the the blog a little earlier than usual (yeah, I’m the guy who posts at 6AM after everybody else is thru, but hey, I get here when I can!). Whoever yelled at Reitsma in front of his kids deserves to be flayed, certainly put down before he breeds. I’m a peaceful man, but you mess with a man’s family, I’m likely to lose my temper just a little.

Even DOB thinks Chipper should have hit the ball to the right side with a RISP? Oh, no…sorry, don’t buy it. 3-4-5 hitters aren’t paid to get ‘em over, they’re paid to get ‘em in. IMHO, Chipper did not consider giving himself up, and rightly.

HoRam back out for the 8th? You bet. Pitch count wasn’t high, he was locating (despite some blogger’s assertion that he was “up against righties”, or whatever), and the bullpen has been problematic. AS far as the error goes, that was an error of aggressiveness (I’m sure he tired to barehand because he was thinking double-play), not a fundamental error (tip of the hat to nathan!).

I still think by next month the bullpen will look different, and the roles will begin to work themselves out. I guess I just have hgih tolerance for pain!

By elbravo x

June 2, 2006 09:22 PM | Link to this

Maybe the team finally had time to eat their ‘greens’.

By David O'Brien

June 2, 2006 09:40 PM | Link to this

Game off. Postponed. DH tomorrow at _ UGH _ 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Truly heinous for yours truly.

Gotta go talk to the lads and Bobby. Later

By geechee

June 2, 2006 09:44 PM | Link to this

I think David is right about Ray. With no prospects and no money the Braves are going to have a hard time finding a closer. When it is all said and done, Ray will probably be the guy if he continues to pitch well. I think Bobby does not want to just throw him out there and risk blowing his confidence. He let him work his way into it. If it is not him then who? We ain’t got much to choose from. Bobby may be waiting for after the all star break.

By steve_97060

June 2, 2006 09:44 PM | Link to this

Why hasn’t the esteemed journalist jimmy smith explained the posting by letwan under jimmy’s byline?? inquiring minds want to know….

By teoa

June 2, 2006 09:46 PM | Link to this

I’m sure all of you calling for Langerhans to be benched are the same ones that would have Frenchy in AAA right now if it was up to you. Sometimes it makes sense to stick it out with a young player that has shown good potential. Bobby’s patience with players like Langer and Frenchy will pay off. On the otherhand, his patience with Reitsma as a “closer”, Remlinger as a lefty specialist, and LaDouche is a complete mystery to me because those players haven’t shown enough even at their best. (What ever happened to Diaz taking grounders at first?) Sometimes I wonder whether Bobby is really just being patient or whether it never occurs to him to make a change when someone is horrible. Either way, it works out in the Braves favor about half the time…the other half is a complete disaster.

By MrC

June 2, 2006 09:49 PM | Link to this

I can’t believe all the harping on the pitching and defense from last night’s game. The bottom line is you are not going to win very many ball games scoring a single run. It had nothing to do with HoRos error or him coming back out in the eighth. It had to do with scoring 1 run.

By TennesseePaul

June 2, 2006 10:42 PM | Link to this

By jennifer

June 2, 2006 10:49 PM | Link to this

gee so much for the tarps coming off!!lmao

By Bob, journalist

June 2, 2006 10:59 PM | Link to this

ncscoots,

The game’s been called … so before I go to bed …

Pardon my sarcasm but I thought players were all paid to work as a team to get the job done … whatever that might be.

Chipper’s average with runners in scoring position is currently .239. So if he’s getting paid for driving them in … then regardless of his approach, he’s probably overpaid.

I don’t see how his exercising better bat control to hit it in such a way as to advance the runner(s) … just in case he fails to “drive them in” … is asking too much of one who is hitting .239 and striking out 20% of the time with runners in scoring position. In fact, I would expect one hitting .339 to do the same thing.

I like to paraphrase an old adage as “A Hero’s actions may not always be rational but they can always be rationalized by their worshipers” … I’ll always remember an interview with a popular Braves power hitter following a one run, extra inning loss … where that player came to bat in the late innings with the game tied and a runner on second. The opposition infield employed an extreme shift, leaving only the third baseman on the left side of the infield … the runner broke with the pitch and the infielder instinctively moved to cover the bag … so that anything hit to the left side of the infield would have won the game … of course the slugger hit the ball into the teeth of the shift to the 2nd baseman who was playing in the grass between 1st and 2nd. When asked about the play, the popular slugger simply replied “they don’t pay me to hit singles.”

Though he was a personable, fan favorite that I liked, my outloud response to the TV was “They obviously don’t pay you for your brains either!”

By Ron Roberts

June 2, 2006 11:04 PM | Link to this

DOB, strong post, and frankly the AJC’s columnists have been asleep at the wheel covering the Braves’ and their “small-ball” problems. I don’t remember anybody at the paper calling the Braves out on this obvious shortcoming over the years.

Ok, I get that Bobby Cox isn’t a small-ball coach, but it’s not like bunting and moving runners over is like learning the “triangle” offense in the NBA. Bunting, moving runners over, working deeper into the count… these are all basics of the game.

I coach 5 & 6 year olds in t-ball every year, and sometimes we’ll have a kid hit into a groundout on the right side of the infield to move runners over or in… early in the year, they may not understand why they were “asked” to give themselves up; they’ll come back to the dugout either crying or visibly upser… but by the end of every season, those kids get why we ask ‘em to do what we do.

This team, with boppers like Chipper and Andruw and Francoeur in the lineup may be suited for that big inning that Bobby & company play for, but when the bats go cold, I just don’t get why we don’t play some station-to-station ball just to scratch out some runs, either. We have (for the first time in recent memory) a terrific contact hitter who’s gonna hit .320 or better (Renteria) at the front end of the lineup and we don’t do the little things to get a guy at 2nd w/no outs home far too often.

The reason I’m a proponent of going to some “small-ball” tactics in a tight game or when the team is in a slump is because sometimes bunting, hit-and-runs, stealing bases, etc., gets the opponents on their heels and that’s when things happen! Not only that, when they’re a little bewildered, defensively, the hits tend to drop more, and voila, your bats come alive and you’ve worked your way out of a slump.

Don’t get me wrong… my first focus on this team is it’s bullpen, but these 1-run loss games … a good team should win 75% of ‘em, and we’re winning about 40% right now.

Not good.

By Sam

June 2, 2006 11:09 PM | Link to this

The lack of relief pitching hurt this team last night. I’m not calling out Remlinger’s failure last night but indicting the pen as a whole. Horacio looked weak in the 7th. He got out of a jam and should have been taken out there. But who do you turn it over to? If the Braves had some relievers Cox could count on more than the ones he has you would have probably seen him go to the pen and let Ramirez go out with another positive outing. However with the way the pen’s been pitching recently, a tired Horacio is as good a bet as anyone out there (save Ray who was probably being held for a later role). So while you can easily point to Ramirez as losing the game, you can point to the pen too. This is a secondary effect a bad pen can have. You push starters to go too long because you can’t trust the pen.

By Head Coach

June 3, 2006 12:15 AM | Link to this

Well spoked O’brian , I really cant add anything too your blog. However , Let me get this straight. Todays game is rained out , tomorrow is a double header. The first game is going to be shown ( regionally only ) by turner south and the second game is to be braodcast nationally by TBS ??? This is corporate stupidity at its worst. Thats like serving hotdogs at the first game and bratwurst at the second game , fully knowing both could be served at the same time. This is just a massive brain fart about to happen and you wanted too know whats wrong with a ten headed multibillion dollar corporation owning a baseball frachise ?? well here ya go.

By Bob, journalist

June 3, 2006 01:43 AM | Link to this

Ron Roberts,

I like your posts and agree with situational, bat control hitting … but I’m not sure that I understand your comment “… 1-run loss games … a good team should win 75% of ‘em, and we’re winning about 40%”.

Having listened or watched all of our games that were decided by one run, I certainly support the notion that we lost more than one due to poor execution of fundamentals.

We’re obviously not winning any of the “1-run loss” games so I assume you mean that a good team should win 75% of the games where the margin of victory is 1 run. I’ve never given it a lot of thought … and that may be right … but it seems very high to me.

Wiithout giving it too much thought, I would think that it would probably depend on the character of the team and, in general, teams with good pitching should win a higher percentage of “those” games than their overall winning percentage … while the reverse would probably be true for strong hitting teams.

Since tonight’s game has been postponed, I’m going to stop and take a quick look at the stats for each of the MLB teams on MLB.com.

Minnesota has the best winning percentage in 1 run games … it’s exactly 75.0%.

The percentages for the two teams with the best records in each division are:

American League

Boston……..61.5 New York……46.7
Detroit…….66.7 Chicago…….46.7
Texas………44.4 Oakland…….36.4

National League

New York……72.6 Atlanta…….41.7
St. Louis…..56.3 Cincinnati….70.6
Arizona…….50.0 Los Angeles…37.5
Of course, these are 2006 year-to-date numbers … basically, one third of the season.

By Chop Chop

June 3, 2006 02:48 AM | Link to this

Bob, I made a comment around this time last night regarding one-run games and how there is no direct correlation between how good a team is and how well they play in them.

I read Chipper’s comments about one-run games and the Braves’ lack of “small ball” skills. He said that Bobby told him to, “Drive him (Renteria) in.” Well, all I have to say is that it’s Chipper’s job to do whatever it takes to make sure that the runner advances to third base with his at-bat, whether that means hitting a 550-foot homer over Tooner Field or hitting a roller to the right side of the infield. Besides, Chipper knows a hell of a lot more about hitting than Bobby does, so why listen to him? It seemed like Chipper was almost blaming Cox for his mindset at the plate. I doubt that’s how Chipper meant it, but he knows where he’s supposed to hit the ball. He didn’t get the job done, Renteria made a dumb baserunning mistake and the Braves didn’t get a run when they needed it. End of story.

In DOB’s column, I found Pendleton’s comments very interesting. You get the feeling that TP would like to get in there and do it himself.

By blog police

June 3, 2006 04:33 AM | Link to this

Okay, jimmy you managed to dodge the question…why not do some “journalism” and investigate why LeTwan is posting under your name? Could it be that the two most ridiculous bloggers are in fact the same person? Who would have guessed? Everyone? Oops…maybe you’re not quite as clever as you thought. It’s kind of sad that someone is such a loser that it is not sufficient to comment multiple times daily on Braves baseball, but you must also offer silly attempts at humor under two “character” names? (As far as I can tell, Carolina Lady is the only one that is so easily amused as to respond to your posts.) Dude, you have to have something better to do. If not, please find something…anything.

By KneeJerk

June 3, 2006 07:09 AM | Link to this

Ron Roberts- You ask T-BALLERS to give themselves up? That’s laughable and ridiculous. It’s not baseball, it’s T-BALL. Let the FIVE and SIX year olds swing away. It’s all about the KIDS at that age, not your COACHing strategy.

By Dave

June 3, 2006 09:43 AM | Link to this

I wish Bobby had left McBride in I want to see if he can be the answer as set up man or closer.

By Carroll

June 3, 2006 09:46 AM | Link to this

LOL! Even the best team in the history of man couldn’t “win” a “one-run loss”. If the Braves have found a way to “win” 40% of “one-run loss” games, then they are better than “a great baseball team”….they have found a way to defy the laws of math.

And I’m with knee-jerk on the t-ballers. For God sake, they just learned to walk and talk not that long ago….T-ball is just for learning how to swing a bat and throw a ball, and which direction to run on the basepaths. Let them just have a good time and go crazy.

By nathan

June 3, 2006 10:51 AM | Link to this

DOB…..I realize I get a “little” sarcastic on these blogs sometimes. But, I do appreciate you writing this story about the lack of fundamental baseball (& players cabable of executing it if bobby wanted to) being played by the braves these days.

Maybe it’s been the “tone” or the sarcasm I’ve been using, but the last few days as these plays have happened & I’ve moaned and groaned about them people have essentially told me to shut up! I mean, if Chipper is complaing about their lack of fundamental, ABC baseball, what’s next? Bloggers saying Chipper knows nothing about baseball, and he should just stop being so negative!

I appreciate you doin the story, cuz it gives me a “little” credibility with some of my complaints! LOL!

Keep up the good work (which I would’ve said even if this blog wasn’t agreeing with my opinions!).

By Ron Roberts

June 3, 2006 11:47 AM | Link to this

Bob, you’re right… it was a simple grammatical error. Of course, you pointed it out in a decent and adult manner.

Carroll… enjoy the slip up, dude?

To answer to Knee-jerk and Carroll w/regards to the way we coach t-ball… fellas, our job is to teach kids the basics of the game… as much of ‘em as we can. They’re not still wearing Pull-Ups and teething, guys… they hit, they hit directinally, they catch and throw and work as a team. And we all have fun, win or lose.

Besides, we get to coach ‘em at age 5 to 6, and at that rate, they’ve usually already played what Dixie Youth call “wee-ball,” at ages 3-4… so to Carroll’s comment…

For God sake, they just learned to walk and talk not that long ago….T-ball is just for learning how to swing a bat and throw a ball, and which direction to run on the basepaths. Let them just have a good time and go crazy.…

…they’ve gone through that process by the time we’ve gotten ‘em, thank you very much.

We’re asked to give up our free time for practices, pre-season tournaments and a two-and-a-half month of regular season games, by a league that trusts our ability to bring these kids along in the learning of the game. I’ve worked with kids at this level and higher for nearly nine years, now, and nothing warms my heart more than having an older kid I’d coached years ago come say hi to me at the park, while I’m working withy my little guys (and Brooke, this year we have a young lady, too!). They’re usually on their way to a pitching machine or live-arm game, and it does me proud to see ‘em continue in their development.

So yeah, if you wanna react smugly about my volunteer project, and how I teach kids the basics of the game, go ahead. I don’t know Knee Jerk, but I should’ve expected the opportunity to pounce on me would be too enticing for Carroll.

But once again, you’re wrong.

By Ron Roberts

June 3, 2006 12:09 PM | Link to this

Oh, and last year, the Chicago White Sox (the World Champions) were 35-19 in 1-run games. That’s 65%.

Either way, the stats usually bear out that successful teams are over .500 in 1-run games. EVERY 2005 playoff team was, except for the Cardinals, oddly enough.

So, off the cuff, maybe 75% is a lot to ask (wishful thinking on a Braves fan’s part, let’s call it), but we shouldn’t be 10-14 in them and hope to call this team a playoff-caliber squad. The Cardinals could afford to let the 1-run games go more because they more than made up for it with their bats in the regular season. But Houston’s pitching and bullpen exposed their flaw….

…the inability to play small-ball.

By eric the elder

June 3, 2006 12:20 PM | Link to this

I’m troubled by the Chipper comment about Bobby telling him to “drive him in.” Trying to drive a runner in and trying to move him over are not mutually exclusive events. A batter who tries to go to the right side in those situations wants to get a hit and drive the runner in. Lacking that, he at least might move the runner over. Unless “drive him in” is some kind of secret code Bobby uses for “Don’t bother trying to move the runner over,” Chipper’s remark makes no sense to me.

By hk

June 3, 2006 12:43 PM | Link to this

journalist bob,

… you’re doing pretty good for a guy who once cautioned us about numbers :))

… on your one run games, first thought was low corellation with number of wins, but maybe higher relationship to number of one run games played … reasoning, a good team finds a way to hang in there, give themselves a chance to win … then I thought (naw …. hmmmm) … couldn’t stand it, dug out the MLB data you referred to, put it in a spreadsheet,

(here)

….. added a column for today’s rankings of teams from the Oddschecker website, then played around with sorting in various categories, ‘eyeballed’ the data sorts vs the rankings .. observations:

… not much correlation with wins in one run games played

… maybe 70-80% correlation in number of one run games played to NL team ranking (translation: some relationship, but not much)

… maybe 60-70% correlation in number of one run games played to AL team ranking (still less) …

… AL has only 2/3 as many one run games as NL, (more scoring, more volitile I guess)

… both leagues win 60% or more of their home one run games ..

By Caroline Lady

June 3, 2006 01:18 PM | Link to this

jimmy sure shows an ugly side when pressed about the sickeningly cute syrup shiite that he usually pedals.

By steve_97060

June 3, 2006 01:19 PM | Link to this

Eric, What is so hard to understand about Chippers remark? He said he didn’t have a problem with the directive,(to drive him in) just his own execution.

He also stated ” I had a pitch that I thought I could drive to the gap or out of the park, but I just rolled over on it [and grounded to the shortstop].” Sounds like he explains it pretty well, he just didn’t get the contact he wanted…

The opposing pitchers aren’t throwing batting practice pitches to the hitters. Show me a major league manager who on a regular basis would use his third hole hitter who is hitting around 300 to sacrifice with a runner in scoring position rather than trying to knock him in and I’ll show you a manager who won’t have his job very long.

I don’t disagree that the braves inability to play small ball or use situational hitting is hurting them right now, but in the case with Chippers at bat, I think it was the right play, just not executed…

A reminder, a player is considered successful for failing at the plate only 70% of the time, the game isn’t easy, even for the pro’s, if it was, everyone would be doing it…

By eric the elder

June 3, 2006 01:51 PM | Link to this

steve, I guess I wasn’t clear. I agree with what you say, but I don’t understand how “drive him in” is a “directive.” Bobby is over there chirping throughout the entire game with stuff like, “C’mon kid, get a hit.” Is that a directive or just pep talk? Would it not have occurred to Chipper to drive the runner in if Bobby hadn’t said that?

Obviously, a sac bunt was not in order there, and I wasn’t saying Chipper should sacrifice. I also understand that the pitcher is trying not to give him something he can pull. I’m not a Chipper basher, and I don’t fault his attempt to hit the ball where it was pitched. I just don’t understand what “drive him in” was supposed to mean.

By Woogidy

June 3, 2006 01:53 PM | Link to this

Good at-bat Marcus! He looks good at the dish lately.

By Carolina Lady

June 3, 2006 01:57 PM | Link to this

Just for the record, this is the final post from the original Carolina Lady. Any further posts will NOT be from me.

This blog used to be a great fun and informative place to visit, but total ugliness has taken over by witless fools and buffoons. Jimmy, Bob, HK, Matthew et al, I’ll miss you and thank you for the joy and pleasure you brought into my life.

Have a good life!

By Woogidy

June 3, 2006 02:00 PM | Link to this

NO TV for me today, I am following Gameday, Extra Innings doesn’t broadcast Saturday Day games. Smoltz seems to be gettin knocked around pretty good, How does he look?

By Neil

June 3, 2006 02:27 PM | Link to this

The Braves organization needs to do a better job in the area of customer relations. After holding us hostage for two hours and charging ridiculously inflated prices for food and drink, they finally cancelled the game last night and “gave” us the chance to go back today ONLY.WOW! What a deal! I had to work today and my wife had to fly out of town. So we spent around $100 for nothing and had to sit forever in the parking lot while the traffic cops played their little game of sending us where we didn’t want to go. I sure am glad we have ONLY three more MAYBE games to go to. I couldn’t care less if I never go to another Braves game after the ones we’ve already bought tickets for. Anybody want some cheap Pavillion Level seats?

By MBATL

June 3, 2006 02:37 PM | Link to this

Carolina Lady, (guess you’re not here to read this, but anyway…) I just skimmed through the blog; seems to me that folks are talking baseball. Some people get a little excited (I do too, sometimes), but I just don’t see the “ugliness.”

I’m not asking you to stay. I’ve learned to skip over the hartebeest/seals/pies/history of the world posts, but just thought I’d offer one last disagreement.

By Woogidy

June 3, 2006 02:39 PM | Link to this

hey neil wheres BOB? Want some cheese with your wine? jk, Rainouts suck. One time I went to a Cubs game (I live in Chicago)and it rained out. It was the 2nd to last game of the season, so they gave us tickets to any game for the next season. No refunds. I was lit. I just wanted my money back. I’d buy your seats, but I don’t live there.

By Chop Chop

June 3, 2006 02:41 PM | Link to this

steve_97060,

It’s better to use on-base percentage as a barometer of a player’s success rate as a hitter. Chipper’s career OBP is .401, which means he’s successful slightly over 40% of the time for his career. He also has 68 sacrifice flies in his career. I don’t know how many times a runner has advanced on grounders he’s hit to the proper side of the infield, but you would just add that to his percentage of successful plate appearances. Since Chipper is in the top ten in the NL with a .403 OBP (coming into today), that tells you that most guys aren’t quite that successful in their plate appearances, but the league average in OBP is generally around 33 or 34 percent. In other words, “successful hitters” are a good deal better than your “70% failure rate” (unless you consider a guy like Francoeur a “successful hitter” because of the power numbers he has so far, even though he’s hitting around .250 and has a .266 OBP). They’re just not always getting hits. Since getting on base is the most important requirement to avoid having to rely on the solo homer, maybe the generalized “successful hitter” status should be pegged at, oh, maybe 34 or 35 percent.

By eric the elder

June 3, 2006 02:49 PM | Link to this

Carolina Lady, many of us would be sorry to see you go. Perhaps you are still reading a little more.

The blog is a busy marketplace populated mostly by good and decent people. However, like any other open area, we also have predators who substitute crudeness for wit, personal attacks for insight, and a chip on their shoulders for tolerance of ideas. I, too, have put the blog away from time to time, but I return because I have much to learn from others and much to enjoy from people who are creative, articulate, and funny. Besides, I don’t like being deprived by bullies who hide behind their anonimity and enjoy making others miserable.

I’ve learned to tell early in a post whether the writer has views that I might care about, and I’m real skillful with the scroll button. I hope you will give that a try. We would miss your charm and cheerfulness. that a try.

By Dirty Dawg

June 3, 2006 02:51 PM | Link to this

Didn’t get into this after Thursday’s game, but haven’t seen anybody complaining about Francouer’s base running on the throwing error. Instead of running all out and watching his third base coach - who was waving him on to third - he, Frenchy, was looking over his shoulder, making his own decision and obviously slowing himself down…when will these guys play the game the way it’s supposed to be? Who does he think he is, Lonnie Smith?

By brian

June 3, 2006 02:59 PM | Link to this

I agree Lady. This blog should be for insightful info along with some inside information from DOB. It should not be the Braves Vent site. Actually I think there is another spot for Braves Vent. I hope people use that site to vent and leave the blogs alone.

By Robert

June 3, 2006 03:01 PM | Link to this

I agree with DOB about the inability to move runners over and for the hitters to put themselves in better counts. The more pitches a batter sees the more he is acustomed to what the pitcher is trying to do. The problem of scoring runs goes back to last year. I like Terry Pendleton and he has done a lot for this organization, but maybe it is time to focus on looking for a new hitting coach. Just look at what the Dodgers have done with the addition of Eddie Murray. There comes a point where the coach can only say so much to the player maybe the Braves need a change. When I see pitchers struggling and throws 4 balls, maybe the next batter should work the count more.

By steve_97060

June 3, 2006 03:06 PM | Link to this

Chop, I understand there are a myriad of various statistics that attempt to describe a players effectiveness in different situations. In the previous post I was specifically referring to BA, as a base hit or better was what was needed for Chipper to score Renteria from second, not just move the runner over or for Chipper to reach base.

By Jim

June 3, 2006 03:11 PM | Link to this

2 Questions: Why did the Braves pitch to Green with 1B open in the 6th inning? Estrada is a DP candidate if he hits ball on the ground and not the same threat that Green is.

Why did Smoltz pitch the 7th after he had already thrown 103 pitches and is coming off of the aggravated hamstring in his last start? I understand trying to minimizxe the innings that we are subjected to the bullpen, but we also have to be smart about not overusing Smoltz.

By jon

June 3, 2006 03:21 PM | Link to this

Is it panic time yet? Offense is stale…bullpen is terrible….JS is the best, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t worried right now. Are we in the critical mode of acquiring a huge bat and bullpen arm? We can’t be down by more than 6-7 games at the break

By jon

June 3, 2006 03:37 PM | Link to this

CHIPPER JONES IS NOT A 3 HITTER ANYMORE….FOR HEAVEN SAKES..MOVE HIM OUT OF IT

By hk

June 3, 2006 03:41 PM | Link to this

Carolina Lady,

… hang on gal, these folks come and go …

… this particular guy has been targeting you and jimmy and bob since May 18 … in my view, you all are the heart of what this blog is all about …

… good will prevail in the end …

By Chop Chop

June 3, 2006 03:43 PM | Link to this

Thanks for the clarification, steve…

With runners in scoring position and less than two outs (the situation he was in for that at-bat), Chipper is hitting .239, thereby failing 76% of the time to get a hit. Maybe if he focused more on where he absolutely has to hit the ball as opposed to where he can drive the ball, he’d do a better job. I don’t know.

By Chop Chop

June 3, 2006 03:48 PM | Link to this

We’ve only struck out eleven times so far (It’s before the bottom of the ninth as I type this). Is that a moral victory?

By Chop Chop

June 3, 2006 03:51 PM | Link to this

Tough 2-pitch AB by Francoeur.

4-pitch strikeout for Diaz.

Groundout for Pena.

Ball game.

By Chop Chop

June 3, 2006 03:52 PM | Link to this

Excuse me. Skip messed with my head. Groundout for Langerhans.

Skip: “Verizon. It’s the network.”

By Tony

June 3, 2006 03:57 PM | Link to this

Where are the Cubs, Marlins and Nationals…obviously those are the only teams this ballclub can compete with. The good ballclubs have kicked our butts. Can June 8th get here soon enough…McCann who knew you would be missed this much.

One consistent power hitter in Andruw Jones(at least somewhat) and no real contact hitters besides Renteria and McCann, I would imagine good pitchers will have a field day with this lineup.

Damn just remembered the Nationals are playing a whole lot better now…Geez

By Chop Chop

June 3, 2006 03:57 PM | Link to this

The two positives from this game:

1) A solid outing by Smoltz. 110 pitches in 7 innings and he didn’t walk a batter. The strikeout pitch was working today. Unfortunately, so was the gopher ball (2 HRs), but the bullpen wasn’t worn out in the early game.

2) Reitsma pitched a scoreless ninth in a close game for the second consecutive game.

Negatives/Probable Negatives:

1) Crap hitting (12 Ks and only 6 hits)

2) Reitsma pitched a scoreless ninth, which might lead Bobby to let him have the next save opportunity.

By Jim

June 3, 2006 04:00 PM | Link to this

I thought we were supposed to be fortunate in missing Webb in this series. So far we’ve scored 3 runs in the first 18 innings against the rest of the staff. At least Reitsma pitched competently the last 2 games.

By Del

June 3, 2006 04:01 PM | Link to this

As Fred Allan would say: turn out the lights Gracie, the party’s over!! What a homestand, 1-4.

By Robert

June 3, 2006 04:15 PM | Link to this

Look at all the strikeouts in the last 5 games. These batters have no plate discipline. Don’t give me the crap that the Braves have never seen this pitcher before. It doesn’t seem to affect other teams when ther are seeing a pitcher for the first time. The guys are up there looking for balls to drive instead of taking what the pitcher gives him. Please would someone show them how to hit as a team. This team can only when if they are initially ahead by 3 or 4 runs and the starter has to complete the game. If JS and BC don;t make some changes we will be lucky to finish ahead of Florida. We should be gaining ground in the division while NY hated Mets are on this West coast swing. The Braves throught playing at home would help them but I have yet to see this play out. It is time for some changes like moving Marcus out of the lead off spot and replacing him with Edgar. Edgar makes ajustments in his mind before every plate appearence, while Marcus swings for the fences. Edgar is a gap to gap hitter and will be in scoring position more than Marcus. Right now I would take Wilson’s Betemit bat over Giles.

By eric the elder

June 3, 2006 04:20 PM | Link to this

The problem is not so much the won-lost record. The Braves are committing the greatest sin of all: They are simply boring the fans to death.

Much of it has to do with the K’s. The great majority of fans sit at least 100 feet from home plate. Watching a guy take three futile swings and then returning to the dugout is not high entertainment value. Fans need the batter to make contact occasionally so that they can shift their eyes to another part of the field and come out of their comas. When the team strikes out 10, 12, 15, 18 times per game, fans are mesmerized into a mind-numbing state of oblivion.

Maybe this is why that awful chop chant is sounding more and more like a lot of people with abdominal cramps.

By J-Baller

June 3, 2006 04:23 PM | Link to this

Everyone on here is so hyped up with Edgar Renteria, but he’s been just as bad on the homestand as everyone else. And by the Robert, the Mets are playing at Shea today, not on the “west coast swing.”

By Tony

June 3, 2006 04:38 PM | Link to this

J-Baller,

Edgar has been there all season though, if he had not…then who knows how bad the Braves record would be. And he is still getting on base. Also I do believe he had 3 hits in the 1st game against the Dodgers, so get off his back.

By Robert

June 3, 2006 04:38 PM | Link to this

J-Baller please excuse my comment about the West coast road swing. Maybe moving Edgar to the lead off position may just spark the team. We need to give him a chance to set the table and if he was given the jobhe may take it more on this shoulders to complete the task. I am tired of our team swinging at 2-0 pitches or 3-0 pitches when the pitcher is struggling. I wonder how much TP talks with the players about what kind of adjustments he sees needs to be made. For instance today, the Braves were behind 1-0 after a half inning, instead of trying to muscle up on pitches, why not go the opposite way setting up 1st and 3rd situtaions. This is more demoralizing to a pitcher. We needs some changes or we are going to be 9 or 10 out by the break. Its time for Brian Jordan and other veteran players to take to some of the younger players. I know baseball is a grind but some changes need to happen.

By Robert

June 3, 2006 04:51 PM | Link to this

J-Baller no one is on Edgar’s back. I want to see a change at the top of the order. If you look at his career he has always hit and played team baseball. I remember when he played for other teams and when they faced the Braves he would find someway to get on base. I like Edgar as a player and that is the reason I am advocating moving Marcus down into the 2 hole. He hits for average with good speed and works the count more. Just maybe if he worked the count there would be more hits at the leadoff spot, and the pitcher would be aggravated that he would make bad pitches to Marcus and he could use his power. I know the leadoff man starts the game once, but if he and the 2nd hitter can really set up the table it puts a lot of pressure on the pitcher to pitch carefully. The first inning is very important because it tells the other team we are hear to play and demoralize you in the first inning.

By Robert

June 3, 2006 05:01 PM | Link to this

Apparently my eyes are going bad but I guess this happends as you get a little older. Tony I guess you were defending Edgar based on the post from J-Baller. Tony would you like to see a change at the top bases on my previous posts.

By Dave

June 3, 2006 05:19 PM | Link to this

Smoltz is doing the Braves absolutely no good as a starter where I believe the team is at 6-6 in games he has started. He pitches fine overall and the team record should be better but his TEAM value is back in the bullpen to literally ‘save’ the Braves season. JS also needs a ‘Fred McGriff’ type trade very soon for the offense.

By Robert

June 3, 2006 05:29 PM | Link to this

Dave what do you think about moving Edgar to the leadoff spot and dropping Giles to the 2 slot.

By old timer

June 3, 2006 05:35 PM | Link to this

Gads, what’s been going on out here? Jimmy Smith and LeTwan Anthony might be one guy, but he’s one funny guy. Blog police, they are two of the best bloggers on this site. Have you no sense of humor? Humor is hard, and those posts hit a lot more often than they miss.

Carolina Lady, please stay with us.

For those who say this Braves team might not be very good, y9u might be right. Just shows how much they overachieved last year, since it’s pretty much the same group. Too bad they took so much heat for not going all the way. If it hadn’t been for all the division titles, it would have been looked upon as a very successful year to build on. Maybe they’ll take a step back this year, maybe not. But it’s a team with a lot of good young players.

By Chop Chop

June 3, 2006 05:47 PM | Link to this

Dave,

At the moment, the Braves are better off getting a solid seven innings (like today) out of Smoltz in the rotation. He may not have pitched a great game, but he was certainly good enough to get a win on most days. Other than Smoltz and Hudson, what other starters do you think can be counted on for consistently good outings? Smoltz was a hell of a closer, but he’s a hell of a good starter as well. There’s no point in putting him into the pen and removing your best starter from the rotation. None. You hurt the team by limiting its best pitcher to an inning or two. Besides, remember how Smoltz didn’t get many save opportunities in the postseason because the starters and bullpen couldn’t be relied on to give him a chance? That’s why he went back in the rotation. At least he controls his own fate as a starter.

By Woogidy

June 3, 2006 06:52 PM | Link to this

Maybe Reitsma coming in for a relief appearance today means Bobby was “saving” his closer, Kenny Ray, for the 2nd game. It’s getting awfully close to that “60 game mark” that Bobby judges his team by. Hopefully he’s made the switch. We can hope right? Oh, and I’m sitting here watching the Cubs-Cards game and a potential closer trade canididate, Scott Williamson, just left the game with an arm injury.

By eric the elder

June 3, 2006 07:32 PM | Link to this

Hey, nathan, on that botched popup to the infield, did you see Orr strolling toward 1st with the bat in his hand? He goes full out and he would be at 2nd. Instead, he is on 1st and is thrown out trying to steal 2nd. That was a MENTAL mistake, big time.

By Tony

June 3, 2006 08:05 PM | Link to this

Please trade John Thompson…this is getting really sad.

By hk

June 3, 2006 08:14 PM | Link to this

journalist bob,

… reflecting on the goings-on the last few weeks with the continuing assaults on you, jimmy and Carolina Lady, came up with a spread sheet (couldn’t help it)…

(here)

… picked out a few reasons why people choose to participate on the Braves blog … assigned some relative importance numbers, and showed my view of the nature of the contributions you all are making …

… as a result, things are getting better as the days go by, as can be seen over on the right of the page …

By jennifer

June 3, 2006 08:17 PM | Link to this

so ya wanna trade john thompson cause he aint doing good? do u see any other manager wanna trade there players cause they aint doing good? gee Tony u are not a good baseball fan they cant win them all…….. i guess u wanna trade john smoltz cause he gave up runs and didnt win?

By Del

June 3, 2006 08:24 PM | Link to this

Turn off the lights. Pull down the shades. The Braves are done. I am so sick of watching this fundamentally challenged team!

Whatever goodwill and excitement they built up last year, they have totally exhausted this year. They are boring — boring — boring. As best I can see, this team has zero chemistry right now. Watching them on the bench, you would think they have already given up, and have mailed it in.

Maybe my comments are too harsh, but I don’t know how else to put it ……… they stink.

By William McBay

June 3, 2006 08:27 PM | Link to this

You’re right on target about the Braves and their poor hitting! The Arizona pitching staff is good but the Braves seem to leave their bats in the club house when they play this team. I believe the Braves needs a major coaching change. William McBay - A fan all the way from the Milwaukee Braves days!

By Tony

June 3, 2006 08:31 PM | Link to this

Jennifer,

I’m sorry what are you 12 y/o? They have been talking about trading John Thompson for awhile…I am not a good baseball fan? I mean seriously are you really 12 y/o? Are you comparing Smoltz to Thompson? Please don’t respond to me until you turn 18…thanks.

By Eric C.

June 3, 2006 08:32 PM | Link to this

Thompson is abolutely horrific…what is going on with him? It looks like the Braves are heading for another low…what a homestand.

By jennifer

June 3, 2006 08:33 PM | Link to this

and so i guess the yankees need to trade randy johnson cause they dont know what they are gonna get out of him.. look at a-rod he makes alot of errors.. trade him? im glad that ppl in this blog dont coach a team cause your team would suck

By Tony

June 3, 2006 08:35 PM | Link to this

A 2-run homer from Damon Easley…are u kidding me??

By jennifer

June 3, 2006 08:36 PM | Link to this

no im not 12…. i was just asking a question!!!!get for real dude

By Tony

June 3, 2006 08:39 PM | Link to this

Thompson last start he lasted 1 innning gave up 7 EARNED RUNS. Jennifer this is what blogs are for…and please don’t compare Thompson to Johnson or A-Rod…I believe their team is still WINNING!!

By eric the elder

June 3, 2006 08:40 PM | Link to this

Del, you and I and some others have been saying for quite a while that this just isn’t a very good team. We got pretty well hammered for our pessimism, especially when the Braves put together a little run. However, three of the wins against the awful Marlins came about only with some 9th inning heroics, and all 3 wins against the awful Cubs were eked out by 1 run. The team looks utterly confused, tentative, and dispirited. The players look like they can’t wait to get the game over with, and their minds are elsewhere. If that’s partly what you mean by “stink,” I’m with you.

By Tony

June 3, 2006 08:45 PM | Link to this

The team is playing like it is the postseason…usually they actually wait until the postseason to fold. I agree 100% Del…

By jennifer

June 3, 2006 08:48 PM | Link to this

you are a joke tony…im not comparing them im just asking a question..thompson is having issues…smoltz has issues… randy johnson has issues… right or wrong? yankees pay johnson millions of bucks, he dont pitch nothing like he used to when he was with the d-backs..

By jennifer

June 3, 2006 08:51 PM | Link to this

and i will be the first to admit the braves are stinking right now… but still.. ya gonna trade giles he sucks for a lead off man…

By Woogidy

June 3, 2006 08:53 PM | Link to this

No one ever just makes a good point on this blog without an argument. Don’t argue just because you don’t agree with something. This is the beauty of sports. We all either think we would be successful, or think that no one will ever be as successful as Bobby. Yes there are some horrendous points here, but we don’t have to argue them. Ever listen to sports radio and hear the hosts argue? It makes for terrible radio. Now, don’t argue with me on this…

By bobby

June 3, 2006 08:55 PM | Link to this

It’s time to quit whistling in the dark. This team has serious problems and it’s not just in the bull pen. Fixing it may be painful but it’s time for JS and BC to make whatever moves are necessary.

By Jennifer

June 3, 2006 08:58 PM | Link to this

What issues does Smoltz has? I believe he went 7 strong innings struck out 10 today. I believe Randy Johnson almost pitched a no-no last week. Nevermind….Please address Del or Eric.

By Tony

June 3, 2006 08:59 PM | Link to this

Sorry Jennifer, the last comment attributed to you was from me…

By Del

June 3, 2006 09:00 PM | Link to this

Elder Eric, that’s exactly what I mean.

Do you remember how much excitement and anticipation we had before the season started. Compare that attitude to the one we have now. Somethings missing with this team, and I cann’t quite put my finger on it. My gut says it is related to the uncertainty surrounding the sale of the team. Combine that with the injuries, the effect that the WBC had on us, the implosion of the bullpen, the sophmore performance drop-off, a stubborn manager, and the inability of JS to fill some of our holes so far and we are saddled with this mess. At this point, I wish the Braves mgmt would officially declare this a re-building year and get serious about it. Get rid of all the deadwood and lets start to seriously re-tool for next year. I can identify 8-10 players, plus a few coaches that I would like to see replaced.

By Woogidy

June 3, 2006 09:01 PM | Link to this

Magic # for MCCANN = 5

By Tony

June 3, 2006 09:02 PM | Link to this

Woogidy,

Forgot all about McCann, again who knew how important he was to this lineup…damn

By Woogidy

June 3, 2006 09:14 PM | Link to this

Hey del heres a finger * ..!., *just kidding. You’ll need more than one with all those things you listed.

By MBATL

June 3, 2006 09:21 PM | Link to this

Del, just curious; who would you dump? (an honest question… not a challenge). I think the only players you’d get anything for are MAYBE Hudson, maybe Giles and Renteria. And AJ - the Yanks would probably give us whatever young talent they might have for him. Are you ready to go that far? Nobody’s gonna take on CJ’s contract, or Smoltz’s.

You could probably trade Laroche, but not for much. Francoeur might bring some good prospects, but I would hate to give up on him. Langerhans, Diaz, Sosa, Ramirez? We’d get nothing. You could probably get a good prospect or 2 for McCann… but OUCH!

Braves are playing awful; but I still like the lineup, still think we’ve got some good SP. The ‘pen needs help. Thompson’s not pitched great, but his luck has been much worse than his stuff.

Know I’ve been saying it since April, but it ain’t over just yet. And I don’t see just what we can do except rely on pro’s to do their jobs. This team is always rebuilding.

By MBATL

June 3, 2006 09:29 PM | Link to this

Correction: guess Smoltz doesn’t really have a contract for next year, per DOB’s article the other day. We could probably trade him to a contender for the 2nd half (if he agreed to it). Not suggesting we should, just clarifying, as far as our rebuilding options go.

I DON’T WANT to do that… but you guys are talking rebuilding, and you’ve got to give up value to get value, I guess.

By Woogidy

June 3, 2006 09:40 PM | Link to this

THIS AND LAST YEAR ARE REBUILDING YEARS! Look at athe starting 8, all but 1 was a product of the Farm system.

By jennifer

June 3, 2006 09:46 PM | Link to this

one run game EAT that

By MBATL

June 3, 2006 09:46 PM | Link to this

Holy Cow!

By hk

June 3, 2006 09:48 PM | Link to this

… ten to nine !!!!!!!

By Woogidy

June 3, 2006 09:48 PM | Link to this

I’d be honored to lose this game by one run!

By Del

June 3, 2006 09:49 PM | Link to this

MBATL, I should have said 8-10 players I wish we did not have on the roster. Namely: Remlinger, Smoltz, Thomson, Villarreal, Pratt, LaRoach, Orr, Jordan.

I think it is quite possible that Smoltz would agree to a trade with the Tigers. The rest may not bring much, but by the same token thsy aren’t contributing much either.

Holy smokes, 10-9 and still batting. If they could pull a win out tonight, it might be the game that turned the season around.

By old timer

June 3, 2006 09:50 PM | Link to this

One thing this team has in common with the previous 14 is there is no quit in them. Any team’s offense looks flat when they aren’t scoring, but that doesn’t mean there’s no fire inside the players. I think they’re showing now what they are made of.

By student

June 3, 2006 10:00 PM | Link to this

Woodigdy, bringing players up through the farm system is a sign of strength not weakness. We’ve retooled not rebuilt. Chipper and Andruw are products of the farm system too so its hard to tell what your point is. And included in these farm system products is a guy who was leading the league in batting before he got hurt and Frenchy both of whom will I think be great players in the league. This is how you are supposed to build a team, you pick up some pieces through trades and free agency but its a very good sign of the health of the organazation that so many players have come through the farm system. The braves are missing some parts, the whole thing isn’t broken beyond repair, not even this season despite all of the doom and gloom.

By jon

June 3, 2006 10:11 PM | Link to this

Del…please shut up! Contrary to most people on this message forum, I don’t enjoy arguing via keyboard, but your comment about trading Smoltz is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. If it weren’t for Smoltz people like you wouldn’t even care about Braves baseball! He put the Braves back on the map….always remember that…for heaven sakes he’s had an ERA under 4 all year and he’s struggling! Do you honestly think Smoltz is gonna stay at .500 the rest of the year???

By student

June 3, 2006 10:12 PM | Link to this

And seriously Del, thats the stupidest thing I’ve heard for a while. We are 5 games out right now with about a third of the season gone and a game over .500. (pending) I mean seriously are you guys even fans? I haven’t been happy about the last couple of days either and its been a frustrating season so far but the idea that a team in our position that has won 15 straight pennants should just fold our tents now and start trading away guys for prosepects is moronic and makes me glad you aren’t in charge of anything I care about. We haven’t played well but we’re certainly not done yet and its hard to believe that you would like to just give up on a baseball season in the beginning of June. Should the Astros have traded away most of their team in June last year? Because they were in worse shape at that point last year than we were. I still think we might be able to turn this thing around yet, its at least worth trying.

By jon

June 3, 2006 10:14 PM | Link to this

Now with all that being said, I feel Bobby HAS to get Betemet regular playing time. Platoon with Chipper, Edgar, and Marcus…maybe take more balls in left during batting practice. Even first wouldnt be bad idea to take some balls. Either way, we gotta have his bat every game!

By Woogidy

June 3, 2006 10:36 PM | Link to this

tyler yates should be the closer, not kenny ray.

By Del

June 3, 2006 10:38 PM | Link to this

Jon, All I did was express MY opinion. The theme behind my blog was to build for the future now. Chances are 50/50 that the Braves won’t be able to afford Smoltz next year. If we could get a good young closer for him this year, why not. Not arguing with you, but that was my rationale.

By MJ

June 3, 2006 10:43 PM | Link to this

Heard Pete Van Weiren say on the radio that Ken Ray was the only consistent part of the Braves bullpen. “Death Ray” then delivers the death knell. Bullpen consistency? I guess so.

By Bob, journalist

June 3, 2006 11:02 PM | Link to this

Elder Eric,

Me thinks that Guido has had a lot of calls regarding the “Reitsma” incident … you might put him on the scent of those who drove off The Lady.

Whether you agree with her or not, The Lady’s special! We can all put it into perspective by asking ourselves how many people would care if we left this or any other Blog.

There are those on these blogs that frequently go beyond disagreement or being critical of performance … to being disrespectful of the person.

I wonder if, by allowing such abuse to go unchallenged in a public forum, we are endorsing it as acceptable behavior … and are at least indirectly, sanctioning and/or encouraging such incidents.

Eric, did you see the “Old Timer’s” comments regarding Jimmy Smith and The Lady? Kuddos to the old timer! He’s rather astute!

From my perspective, those who author abuse directed at The Lady and Jimmy … or anyone else … should be held in as much disrepute as the one who defamed Chris in front of his family. It’s easy to think as such behavior as being “childish” … but it not … it simply boorish and is to be despised. It’s hard to imagine someone having the goal of being despised. How can that bring any satisfaction?

Eric, I wish I could have been the one to write your “The blog is a busy marketplace” paragraph. It expresses my own feelings far better than I could expect to do. Well written indeed!

MBATL knows that I like and respect him as a blogger but I’m somewhat surprised at his comments to Carolina Lady because I would have thought that he too would find “Blog Idenity Theft” to be unacceptible behaviour and vulgar innuendo to be “ugly” … or at least understand that it would be to someone like “The Lady”.

Perhaps he failed to find excessive use of the asterisk and other symbols to “mask” vulgarities … and correlated that with an absence of ugliness … but I imagine that such obvious ugliness “kommpt nicht in frage” for “The Lady”.

I believe her to be a truly gracious and genuine person … and while I strongly support the adage that “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, I do think that taking issue with her perception of the existance of ugliness, especially after simply skimming the blog, is misguided if not insensitive and innapropriate.

By Jimbo

June 3, 2006 11:27 PM | Link to this

I can’t wait to read Bobby’s comments on Thomson. It should go something like this: “Thomsom pitched great. He was making tough pitches and they were getting bleeders. He only made one bad pitch all night”.

By Eric C.

June 3, 2006 11:43 PM | Link to this

It’s hard to worry about playing small-ball when your pitching and defense are constantly putting you in holes early on and are giving up double-digit run totals.

By MBATL

June 3, 2006 11:46 PM | Link to this

Yeah, it’s hard to think about how to fix things when you’re giving up a dozen runs every other night. I don’t even know where to start. A 3-2 loss would seem like a victory right now.

But it’s early!

By David O'Brien

June 4, 2006 12:05 AM | Link to this

Del, your comments tonight _ which I just made the mistake of reading _ might well be causing God to weep over the world He created.

Seriously, you need to look in the mirror and really think over this blogging stuff, figure out if it’s for you. Jen, yours left a lot to be desired, as well.

The rest of you good folks, what a long day’s journey into night. Nothing worse for a baseball team than to spend 13-14 hours at the ballpark and go home with two losses. The worst.

Maddening, this team. And Thomson really, really looks bad. Even he conceded afterward he has no idea what’s going on or what he needs to fix. That’s not good, obviously.

When Chuck James went down to strengthen his arm to prepare for starting, we all assumed he’d be replacing Sosa. Well, that perception sure has changed in a few weeks, hasn’t it? Don’t know what they’re going to do, but I know what they’d do if they had to make a move right now.

Someone else asked a day or two ago about why they brought up Yates instead of Stockman or Baker from Richmond. I’m pretty certain it’s one of these cases where the Braves probably made Yates a promise when they signed him that he’d be added to the roster by June 1 or be free to pursue other options. That happens a lot with experienced journeymen.

If Stockman and Baker keep dealing like they have, I’m sure we’ll see them sometime this summer.

By jon

June 4, 2006 12:15 AM | Link to this

DOB..do you think Bobby will work Wilson in more? I know it’s difficult, but I really feel he’s the key to all of our problems. He is the spark we need. The offense will be set when and if him and McCann can get in the same lineup on a consistent basis. I would like to see us go with Chuck James and move either Thomson or Sosa to the bullpen. This could help out a lot.

By Chop Chop

June 4, 2006 12:25 AM | Link to this

DOB, I thought Brad Baker was traded to the Red Sox as the player to be named later for Franklin Nunez. Maybe I’m wrong, but here’s the link:

Braves trade Baker to Red Sox

The Braves are probably going to run through every reliever who shows any sign of life at Richmond and Mississippi in the next month or two. Maybe they find a couple that can be consistent. I think Death Ray will be fine, but that three-run bomb he gave up tonight probably made a lot of fans feel like they were kicked in the pills after taking a straight right to the jaw.

By Chop Chop

June 4, 2006 12:28 AM | Link to this

Startup might be the guy called up after Stockman gets his shot.

By Wilson Betemit

June 4, 2006 12:47 AM | Link to this

I have said it before and I will say it again: WHY AM I NOT PLAYING EVERYDAY???!?!??!???!?!????!?! Play me every day, and we will win the division. I promise.

By Head Coach

June 4, 2006 01:28 AM | Link to this

Well , thanks too Ken Ray at least it wasnt another one run loss , lol. They showed a lot of heart coming back with 7 runs in the seventh inning. Betemit went 3 for 4. But seriously , this team is 28-28 and going nowhere fast. Eight teams in the N.L. have a better record and seven have a worse record. This is a middle of the pack mediocre baseball team at the moment , in danger of being swept at home and falling below .500 again. Changes are needed , a lot of them. Without a serious roster shake up or trade , this team will be lucky just too finish above .500 and forget the playoffs or a division winner.

By Chop Chop

June 4, 2006 01:44 AM | Link to this

I’m with you on that, Head Coach.

If you look at a baseball season, there’s 162 games spread out over roughly six months. That’s an average of 27 games a month. The Braves were 18-11 in May, 0-3 in June and are 1-5 in their last six. In order for the Braves to have a really strong shot to make the playoffs, they’re going to need to be around five games above .500 (16-11) per 27 games the rest of the way. That would put them (28-25 through May…plus 64-44 the next four months) at 92-69 with a game that may or may not be made up, depending on the playoff situation.

I understand that this is typical statistical ifs and buts, but I think most of us would agree that the Braves are going to need to win 90+ games to feel good about their playoff chances. It’s hard for me to believe that the Braves are going to find enough consistency in this roster (as it is presently constituted) to be able to put together winning stretches like that.

By Miles

June 4, 2006 01:46 AM | Link to this

I’ve defended this team repeatedly in the past, but I’ve now accepted the fact that this is a mediocre team. The pitching is no longer good enough to cover up any flaws the team might of had in the past like poor defense and lackluster hitting against decent to elite pitchers.

Its hard to fill in the holes when 5 players make up close to 70% of the payroll.

By Kentavo

June 4, 2006 01:54 AM | Link to this

Head Coach, too means also. The word you’re looking for is to.

By Bob, journalist

June 4, 2006 03:15 AM | Link to this

HK, it’s true that I cautioned people about numbers, especially statistics … but, you must realize that it’s okay for an expert like me to use ‘em after midnight or whenever a game has been rained out.

You’ll notice too, that I’m smart enough not to use them when they don’t support my position.

You’re okay … a piece of work … but okay! Can you really say that “…as a result, things are getting better as the days go by”? It’s difficult to reach that conclusion when you read the “bile” contained in some of the posts … I was honestly taken aback as I read some of them … trying to understand the “why” behind the “what” strains the little grey cells.

I think it’s wrong to hold your friends and enemies to different standards of behavior.

To try putting how strongly I feel about such things into perspective … if, during a bloody, corporate political battle … anyone under my span of control verbally had attacked any of my adversaries as “Blog Police” did “Jimmy Smith” … they would have been terminated on the spot and removed from the premises.

To clarify, my people knew the groundrules and would have been shocked at any other outcome. However, I would have been the one most shocked if any of them had ever so behaved.

Others seemingly dissagree … but in my book, such behavior by anyone … is beneath contempt.

There’s a difference between passing the course and understanding the material …

It’s storming again in Nasville …

Today’s games reminded of the young man who was told “Cheer up! Things could be worse.” He did and sure enough!

By Tony

June 4, 2006 11:55 AM | Link to this

OH NO!! Just looked at the schedule for the end of the month…9 games against the Red Sox, Blue Jays and Yankees…sigh. The Nationals, Astros and Marlins before then and Tampa Bay in between the Blue Jays and Yankees. WOW!! That could be the season.

By Jason

June 4, 2006 12:23 PM | Link to this

I would make this war as severe as possible, and show no symptoms of tiring till the South begs for mercy.

William T. Sherman

By tbo

June 4, 2006 12:56 PM | Link to this

I have read all postings on the Braves problems. It appears obvious to me that the biggest problem is Bobby Cox. He continues to make the same old stupid mistakes with his pitchers, especially the bullpen. Reitsma and Remlinger should never be allowed in another game. I was glad to see Remlinger gone several years ago, but NO what does Cox do, but bring him back and then consistently puts the NO-PLAYING goof into game after game. Reitsma has been terrible for THREE years!!!!! Apparently Cox does not have the sense to get rid of him either. I could go on and on about Cox, but I’m just tired of reading about him and seeing his face in the dugout. Sorry for the rambling, but I don’t know what else to say. I am sick of him.

By David O'Brien

June 4, 2006 01:31 PM | Link to this

Chop Chop, that was my bad. Thanks for pointing it out. Meant to say Kevin Barry, not Brad Baker. Hey, it was a looooong day and I was just trying to pound out a post before I left the park.

Anyway, Barry was 3-3 with a 2.04 ERA in 11 games (eight starts) before the weekend, with 55 K and 22 walks in 57 innings, and he’s really been hot lately. So don’t be surprised….

Again, thanks for the correction.

By hk

June 4, 2006 03:06 PM | Link to this

journalist bob,

… on your question about “…as a result, things are getting better as the days go by”, here’s why I think so …

… I’ve mentioned a blog, Free Republic before as an example … I started tracking it in 1996, have ever since … in the early days it was very rough, much much rougher than here … there were alot of people doing bad stuff, not just a few, as is the case now … I watched it gradually settle down over the years, today it’s just fine (20-40,000 messages per day) … have seen the same pattern happening in other blogs as well over a number of years …

… just since I’ve been watching here, the percentage of thoughtful posts has increased significantly … the bad stuff is, I think, from one or two people … main thing is for you guys to keep on keepin’ on …

… five to one in the 7th (groan) …

By Chop Chop

June 4, 2006 03:23 PM | Link to this

No problem, DOB.

It is my life’s mission to correct every mistake made on this blog, and this sentence is being typed with the utmost sarcasm.

Anyway, Renteria has all three RBI today. I guess he’s planning on keeping that average up over .310-.315 all year. That would be awfully nice. Giles and LaRoche each have two hits, so that’s positive.

Remlinger just gave up a hit to Tony Clark, who must be awfully happy with his three hits today. That upped his average from .164 to .197. Three hits to a guy hitting .164? Yeah, that’s how things are going so far this season. Look at Damion Easley. He was hitting .239 coming into this series. After his six hits in this series, he’s up to .282.

Let’s get three runs or something. Yeah!

By Chop Chop

June 4, 2006 03:43 PM | Link to this

Reitsma Time!

Two straight rocket shots!

A three-run job for Easley!

Four homers in two games for that chump!

Easley now hitting .291!

Excitement abounds!

By Chop Chop

June 4, 2006 03:44 PM | Link to this

Tony Clark!

Two homers!

More excitement!

By Chop Chop

June 4, 2006 03:47 PM | Link to this

Clark is now hitting .208.

Reitsma’s ERA is 7.20.

It only went up 1.20 today, so I guess that’s a positive.

By Rodney Derrick

June 4, 2006 03:48 PM | Link to this

At this point, maybe worse can only make things better. Maybe the two homers and the other two hits will finally pierce the brains of Braves’ management that CR, for all his good guy persona and past accomplishments and “great stuff” no longer is able to get hitters out here in Atlanta

By Chuck E.

June 4, 2006 03:49 PM | Link to this

Just remember it doesn’t count as a blown save for Reitsma.

He’s still our closer.

Maybe when 6/6/06 comes this week, Reitsma will turn into a giant pumpkin or something.

By eric the elder

June 4, 2006 03:53 PM | Link to this

We’re 3 games out of 4th place, kids, with the 4th place team coming in tomorrow.

By Rodney Derrick

June 4, 2006 04:00 PM | Link to this

Ironic that the advertisement at the top of this web page concerns “closing costs” and that TNT brings back “The Closer” tomorrow. With 06/06/06 coming Tuesday (actually that date will arrive in Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East tomorrow), everything is coming together in CR’s dynamic performance.

By old timer

June 4, 2006 04:04 PM | Link to this

On the plus side, it’s been an excellent year for the water cooler salesman, who is probably a really nice guy.

By Head Coach

June 4, 2006 04:15 PM | Link to this

Reitsma is cannon fodder and at this point you couldnt trade him for a box of balls. Even the starting pitching has begun to falter. Bad baseball is like a contagious disease , first the bullpen , then the offense , then the defense and now the starters are coming unglued. The whole team is sick. Something has to be done to remedy the sickness and Cox doesnt have the cure. Chipper speaks his mind and gets benched ? Coincidence , I think not. Cox has undermined the confidence of this team with the whole Reitsma soap opera and now its gotten out of control. Cox is the problem and the solution , he better start managing with his head and not his heart , its time to clean house.

By Tony

June 4, 2006 04:27 PM | Link to this

Head Coach,

What exactly did Chipper say? I miss that.

By Chop Chop

June 4, 2006 04:32 PM | Link to this

I’m not sure Pete Orr could bunt a ball off a tee.

By teoa

June 4, 2006 04:43 PM | Link to this

I’m going to save DOB the trouble and provide Bobby’s comments on Reitmsa after the game:

Bobby Cox: “Reitsma was lights out. I mean, the first guy just got a single — everybody gives up singles. Then that next guy hit one down the line, a few feet further and it would have been foul and then he probably would have just gotten a single at best — not Chris’s fault at all. Then the home run: pure luck. If Langerhans was 30 feet taller, he would have caught that ball easy. If we were one of those teams blessed with a 40 feet tall left fielder, you’d all be saying Reitsma should be an All-Star right now. After the first home run, Reitsma put together a streak of two straight outs! Way to go, Chris! I told y’all he’s good, you should have learned to trust the great Bobby Cox by now, I’m always right! Anyway, the streak of consecutive outs would have reached four if not for the home run in between the first two and the last one. But that ball barely made it over. If it had been hit to center, it probably would have just made the warning track — that’s pretty weak if you ask me. Like I said, Reitsma was lights out. He definitely earned at least 50 more appearances for the rest of the year with that gem he turned in today.”

Now, I’ll turn it over to DOB to tell the story behind the story: Is Bobby Cox completely senile? Or does Reitsma have some “special” relationship with Bobby as has been speculated? Because at this point Bobby is clearly not basing his decisions on the best interests of the team. I don’t think Kolb was ever this bad, and Kolb was the worst. And on a related note, how about that 500K the Braves saved by refusing to pay market value for Leo? Pure genius. Now every pitcher on the staff is worse, and the Braves are going to have to spend several million just to get back to where they would be with Leo right now. Nice work, Time Warner, can’t wait for the great Liberty era to begin!

By TennesseePaul

June 4, 2006 05:01 PM | Link to this

teoa: Leo Mazzone worked with both Reitsma and Kolb. Last year Leo was the guiding hand behind Tom Martin, Dan Kolb, Jim Brower, Adam Bernero, and Chris Reitsma. I don’t think he could fix the woes of this year.
Look at the Orioles by the way. Right now their pitching staff is ranked 29th out of 30 teams.

By Blake

June 4, 2006 05:14 PM | Link to this

DOB,

If Reitsma was sent down and claimed off of waivers would they have to take the rest of his salary? Also heard anything about the D-Rays moving Crawford?

By TheSouthernJackAss

June 4, 2006 05:15 PM | Link to this

Hell!…it’s still early!!!…GO NATS!!!…

By fan3585

June 4, 2006 06:03 PM | Link to this

Answer to braves problem: clone reitsma and chipper and fill the team with clones.

By utahjoe

June 4, 2006 06:46 PM | Link to this

DOB: are there any rumors out there that could bring any kind of hope for the season? I don’t think the season is over, there is still a lot of baseball to be played, but things must turn around in a hurray. Someone mentioned Carl Crawford. That would be great but very doubtful. Maybe LaRoach, Langerhans and either Hrameriz or John Thomson but I do not think that could get it done.

By Robert

June 4, 2006 07:02 PM | Link to this

Reitsma should probably be released and the Braves should eat his contract. Reitsma started in Cincy as a starter and failed miserably because he was a 2 pitch pitcher; change-up and fastball. The Reds tried to make him a closer and that didn’t work out either. The Braves and Reds traded for Reitsma and you know the rest of the story. He just doesn’t look confident out on the mound and no bullpen sessions with Roger will correct his mental state.

By geauxbraves2000

June 4, 2006 07:07 PM | Link to this

I believe it was Arsenio Hall who did the bit, “Things that make you go hmmm” I’ve got a couple: Things that make you go hmm, Why BC continues to call on Reitsma? Why did John Thomson have that “elbow” injury at the end of spring training, then all of a sudden was almost lights out during the beginning of the season, but now he couldn’t get out 1st graders?

Secondly, I know the offsense may look anemic at times, but who cam blame them. They score 9 runs and lose, they try to come back time and time again, and time and time again the bullpen puts the game out of reach. Unless the pitching gets better soon I’m afaid this team is going to end the streak. But I guess that’s stating the obvious.

I sure hope JS gets trigger happy soon. I hope at the end of the season I can look back on this post and laugh.

Geaux Braves!!

By Sonny

June 4, 2006 07:29 PM | Link to this

I don’t see things getting any better…Giles with his 240 avg is not a leadoff hitter, Chipper is a shell of his former self, Andruw is back to his old ways after last years aberration. Laroche, Francour and Langerhans are all batting 240 and that’s probably about 20 points below what they’ll usually bat. Pratt is Pratt, a backup. Betemit is underused and therefor not able to contribute. Oh and please someone get Orr and his 199 avg the heck out of Atlanta. Utility player or not, he’s a joke of a hitter.

Now on to the pitching…Smoltz and Hudson are too inconsitent and their skills are on the decline (Smoltz more than Hudson), Sosa and Thompson just plain suck and Ramierez is a wild card right now. The bullpen is the worst in the majors and maybe the worst the Braves have ever had. There isn’t a single guy in the pen that can come in and do his job, not ONE! I knew when JS didn’t address the pen in the offseason that this would happen. Sticking with Reitsma as the closer after he has been crap all but one month of his tenure here, will always boggle my mind.

The division is no longer ours, nor should it be with the way we are playing.

By Sonny

June 4, 2006 07:41 PM | Link to this

I don’t see things getting any better…Giles with his 240 avg is not a leadoff hitter, Chipper is a shell of his former self, Andruw is back to his old ways after last years aberration. Laroche, Francour and Langerhans are all batting 240 and that’s probably about 20 points below what they’ll usually bat. Pratt is Pratt, a backup. Betemit is underused and therefor not able to contribute. Oh and please someone get Orr and his 199 avg the heck out of Atlanta. Utility player or not, he’s a joke of a hitter.

Now on to the pitching…Smoltz and Hudson are too inconsitent and there skills are on the decline (Smoltz more than Hudson), Sosa and Thompson just plain suck and Ramierez is a wild card right now. The bullpen is the worst in the majors and maybe the worst the Braves have ever had. There isn’t a single guy in the pen that can come in and do his job, not ONE! I knew when JS didn’t address the pen in the offseason that this would happen. Sticking with Reitsma as the closer after he has been crap all but one month of his tenure here, will always boggle my mind.

The division is no longer ours, nor should it be with the way we are playing.

By TennesseePaul

June 4, 2006 07:42 PM | Link to this

Things can get better. Trades can happen which change the team and make it better. A trade needs to happen. We need to release Reitsma. We did this with Tom Martin. We took Kolb out of the mix. We can lose Reitsma. I’m sure he’s a great guy. Maybe he could run the nursery or something.

Trade for a hitter. There is apparently a lot of hitters out there. We have a lot of starters. Thomson could be traded or Jorge. I love Langerhans defense, but I hate his whiffing. I can’t stand any of the whiffing. The Scouting report on the Braves must read: Swings at balls, looks at strikes. Pitchers dream.

I heard, who was it, Skip, Pete, Don or one of those guys, talk about how Betemit can’t just move to first base. How you need a lefty there. Then the camera man zoomed in on Jordan (a right hander), they quit talking about it after that. I think Betemit could make the transition just fine. He has good range. I think he can stretch. He can throw across the diamond. He hits. Has good at bats. Doesn’t strike out much. If we keep LaRoche, use him as a pitcher, or a defensive sub. Change is needed.

Worst series we’ve ever had here Cox says. I think they will have the speach today or tomorrow. A change should come this week as well. QUIT STRIKING OUT BRAVES

By Woogidy

June 4, 2006 07:55 PM | Link to this

I got it! Let’s get rid of Langerhans and Laroche. Let’s call up Scott Thorman who has 12 homers and 35 rbi for Triple-A Richmond. Let’s put Betemit at 1b and Thorman in LF. He’s been playing the outfield in the minors a lot lately. Then we’ll package Langerhans, Laroche and Giles to the Orioles for Brian Roberts. Then we could send a starter (Sosa, Thomson, Ramirez) to the Twins for Rincon or to the Dodgers for Denys Baez. Then we’ll call up Chuck James to fill the spot in the rotation and Will Startup to be the closer. Oh yea, and we’ll have “Burn Reitsma at Home Plate Day” to watch him literally get lit up! The last fire in a Braves stadium really got us going so we’ll see how it goes. Thats it. I retire from being a GM!

By David O'Brien

June 4, 2006 08:35 PM | Link to this

I’m not out there today, so Guy will be telling you the rest of the story….

Woogidy, I agree on Thorman. Time to see what that big boy can do….

Blake, yes on Reitsma and waivers. A team that claimed him would only have to pay him prorated share of minimum. Braves pay the rest of his contract.

By David O'Brien

June 4, 2006 08:43 PM | Link to this

Blake, scratch that. I misread your question. I’ll have to find the exact rules, but no, the Braves wouldn’t have to pay the rest of his contract if another team claimed him on waivers.

But it’s different if he cleared waivers and became a free agent, which might be more likely given his relatively high salary and 7-plus ERA. In that case, I think, though I’ll have to double-check (this doesn’t come up often, so I’ve forgotten what happens) that the Braves would then have to pay rest of his $2.75 mill salary this season and a team signing him could sign him to a minimum contract. Pretty sure that’s the way that works.

By Eric C.

June 4, 2006 08:43 PM | Link to this

Changes needed to offense other than fewer strikeouts:

-Giles seems more comfortable hitting 2nd. His OBP is only 4 pts higher than LaRoche and is 60 pts lower than Renteria. He’s batting only .242, 2 pts lower than LaRoche. Giles does lead the team in walks, but Ks way too much. Would Renteria leading-off be a bad idea?

-Getting McCann back will be huge!!

Changes needed to pitching other than a complete overhaul:

-Stop using Reitsma in close games…that alone should add a few wins over the remainder of the season.

-I’m crossing my fingers Ramirez’s recent success is not an abberation. Hudson, Ramirez, and Smoltz is a good 1,2,3… but Thomson, Sosa, and Davies are big question marks. Someone else is going to have to step in (a trade?) and fill in the 4th and 5th spots to get another division crown.

By Robert

June 4, 2006 08:50 PM | Link to this

DOB do you think it has crossed JS mind to release Reitsma and move on. I don’t know what he would bring in a trade maybe a used bag of balls.

By brian

June 4, 2006 09:25 PM | Link to this

As my role of fantasy GM (since we all think we can do as well as JS)

Crawford would cost us James or Davies and they would ask for Salty as well, though we may get by with Thormon. Then we would have to resign him or watch him join the Yankees or Mets.

I agree with getting Thormon up here and getting Betemit regular ABs. One of those guys at 1b and 1 at LF. Chipper is not moving to 1B.

We still need a leadoff hitter and that way Giles can move to the 5-7 hole. Crawford would be the best option though Rocco Baldelli would be cheaper (big health question though). Especially with Young on the horizon, the Rays will have an abundance of OF.

The Tigers could use an experienced starter so I wonder what we could get for Thomson from them (Granderson would be nice but would be expensive). Rodney at Detroit could also step in as a closer but once again is expensive.

We need to do something. The status quo will not work this year. We need a McGriff type trade!!!!!!

By Del

June 4, 2006 09:38 PM | Link to this

Testing.

By Mac

June 4, 2006 09:56 PM | Link to this

If we could get Crawford, we would control him until 2010. According to KR at the TSN: ‘Crawford will earn $2.5 million this season, $4 million next season and $5.25 million in 2008. The Rays also hold separate $8.25 million and $10 million options on him for ‘09 and ‘10, his first two free-agent years.’ Not including Francoeur and McCann, I’d give them whatever they wanted for him.

By Mac

June 4, 2006 10:12 PM | Link to this

Frightenly similar stats: June 4 2006: Reitsma’s ERA 7.20 June 4 2005: Kolb ERA 7.29

Also on June 4 2005, Reistma had a 3.67 ERA and earned his third save of the season. What a difference a year makes.

By brian

June 4, 2006 10:13 PM | Link to this

Thanks Mac,

I would say anyone but Francoeur, McCann, and Salty. I would love to keep James and Davies, but I know one of them would have to be included in the deal

By TennesseePaul

June 4, 2006 10:35 PM | Link to this

I think with Davies on the DL until the late in the year and with James on the DL for now, those two will not be tradable. James, I believe will be in the starting rotation as soon as he’s healthy and stretched out. Thomson or Sosa will most likely be traded. I was glad they didn’t trade Thomson at the beginning of the year, but now I think it’s time to start looking. He has good experience and can be great at times.

Since Sosa can throw 97 mph, I think they’ll hold on to him for a little while longer. If he can be more consistant in every aspect, he’d be worth keeping. Plus, he isn’t a free agent for a while so he’ll be under control and fairly cheap.

Financially the Braves should have 5 or 6 million from the Chipper and Smoltz contracts and Hamptons insurance. Trading Thomson will relieve us of his salary and allow for a large contract to be absorbed. First Base and Left field are the two open positions. If no trading is going to be done, Thorman has to be brought up. I can’t think of a good reason to keep him in the minors.

I just think a trade is going to happen and everything is going to be OK. Maybe it’s a dream, or maybe I’m just to amazed by JS in general, but I just think the man can solve any and all problems.

By Poor Man

June 4, 2006 10:52 PM | Link to this

I don’t care who says what, I am not giving up on my Braves. I love them win or lose.I just do. Go Braves.

By RichieRich

June 4, 2006 11:51 PM | Link to this

I think the Braves need to trade for a leadoff hitter….Carl Crawford would be nice

Ryan Langerhans just isn’t doing anything in left field, Crawford in left and leading off would be a big upgrade and maybe would jumpstart this offense…..What do you guy’s think?

By RichieRich

June 4, 2006 11:55 PM | Link to this

Also, I would like to see the Braves go out and get Joe Nathan from Minnesota to be their closer…..I also agree with getting rid of LASWING, Betemit needs to play somewhere, maybe third like some have suggested with Chipper moving to first….if he would be willing

By J-Baller

June 5, 2006 01:44 AM | Link to this

I’d give up Thomson, Sosa, M.Giles, LaRoche, Jordan, Langerhans, and Reeksma for a top-of-the-line starting pitcher (Willis, Zito, etc.),closer (Lidge-who appears back to his old self, Nathan,etc.), and Carl Crawford (who is perfect for the Braves right now…leadoff and LF). Then send some kid from A to the Cubs for Todd Walker. Hey, ever heard of quantity for quality? That’s what this is. Wherever Betemit is most comfortable - 1B or 2B, have him play there with Walker at the opposite position and work in Thorman at 1B a couple times a week. I know, I know…I’M A GENIUS!!! And one more thing, I thought Todd Pratt was in there for defense because we all know he can’t hit. And he can’t even put a tag on a 40-year old lumbering 1B(Clark)! I’d like to keep Pena up when McCann’s back. He’d be a solid pinch hitter-better than Jordan and Orr at least.

By teoa

June 5, 2006 01:53 AM | Link to this

Tennessee Paul, with all due respect, I just don’t understand the thinking that baseball coaches don’t make a difference. From all I’ve heard, it’s been widely accepted that Leo Mazzone was the best in the business. So why wouldn’t the best pitching coach save his pitchers runs? If you’re football team hired the best defensive coordinator in the game, wouldn’t you expect your team to give up fewer points than they would without that coach? I think a lot of people have bought into this myth that Leo had nothing to do with 14 years of the best pitching in baseball for three reasons:

1. Some of the young guys made comments when he left because they didn’t really like him even though I’m sure they respected him. That’s not a problem at all in my mind. A lot of NFL players don’t like Bill Parcells, but he seems to do alright.

2. Some of the veterans made comments to the effect the Braves would be okay without Leo, but I would guess that was purely motivated by trying to keep everything positive before the season. What else were they going to say?

3. Critics say that Leo was just lucky to have good pitchers (Smoltz, Maddux, Glavine), but Smoltz and Glavine were bad to start their careers, and I think Leo has to be given a little credit for their development. I’m sure they would have been good pitchers with a different team, but would they have automatically turned into the Hall of Famers they became? That’s debatable.

I agree with you that Leo wouldn’t be enough to put this Braves team ahead of the Mets, but the extra 500K it would have taken to retain him would have been a bargain compared to what it costs to buy extra pitching help. One dominant reliever might improve the team ERA by half a run (roughly what I think Leo is worth), but will cost at least a couple million and/or top prospects.

Also, I don’t think it’s fair to compare the Braves’ team ERA to the Orioles. I’m sure it will take a period of time for Leo to establish his system in the Orioles’ organization and begin to have the impact that he had with the Braves. The bad Braves bullpen pitchers from last year that you mentioned were all marginal major leaguers with the exception of Kolb, whose failures were almost unprecedented. You can’t expect anyone to work miracles without talent, although Leo did that more often than anyone. In my opinion, the only valid comparison that can be made is with Braves pitchers who pitched under Leo last year and are now pitching under McDowell. I think you would find that almost all of them have higher ERAs this year (with the exception of Smoltz and Hudson, who are both about the same I think.) I mean, look no further than Sosa. If the Braves could trade out Leo’s Sosa (13-3) for McDowell’s Sosa (1-7) that would be a huge improvement. Or Reitsma: last year Reitsma was merely bad, this year he is Kolbian. (Admittedly, I don’t think Sosa would be on a 13-3 pace this year with Leo, but my point stands: Leo has had a positive effect on a lot of pitchers.) Also, one last bit of speculation: I’m sure Bobby trusted Leo’s opinion of pitchers a little more than the new guy’s. It seems possible to me that Leo would have insisted on ending the Reitsma closer experiment awhile ago — you know, like when 95% of the world new it was a horrible idea, rather than 99.99999999999999% (everyone except Bobby Cox.)

Okay, I’m rambling. All I’m trying to say is that an extra 500K spent on Leo would have been a good investment in my opinion. If he was asking for 5 mil, I probably would agree with you: spend that money on a star pitcher. But 500K is nothing in the grand scheme of things. I just can’t help but think it’s not a coincidence when the worst Braves pitching I have seen in 15 years is taking place the first year Leo is gone.

By TennesseePaul

June 5, 2006 03:01 AM | Link to this

teoa: Well, my point wasn’t that coaches don’t make a difference. (Case in point: Don Baylor vs. TP) I’d agree that Leo was good. My point was that I don’t think with Leo we’d be doing that much better. As for Sosa, last year, at the start of the year, he was miserable. Then he picked it up and got on a roll once he became a starter. A roll that consistantly had him throwing 100 pitches by the end of the 5th. This year though, he is going deeper into games and his strike out to walk ratio is better. It could be that after 30 or so starts, Sosa has a low ERA and a winning record. I have a feeling that we’d still have the same number of blown saves. Maybe because the pen is full of marginal major leaguers.

The one thing we can change is who is sitting in that pen and who isn’t. Reitsma is awful. Villarreal leads the team with blown saves. Yates… come on. Ken Ray is about the only solid guy in the pen. We could probably get by and do well with just an upgrade of two relievers.

By teoa

June 5, 2006 04:25 AM | Link to this

Tennessee Paul: Good point. You won’t find any arguments here about needing major upgrades in the pen. I agree that Ray belongs on this team (the closer job should be his to lose), Paronto has earned a longer look, and McBride should be okay — at least to get a lefty out. The rest could be released and replaced tomorrow with the best minor leaguers as far as I’m concerned (assuming Time Warner isn’t going to spend the money for a complete bullpen overhaul before the sale.) It couldn’t get much worse in most cases, and I think it would be almost impossible to get worse than Reitsma. And getting rid of Reitsma would probably eliminate Bobby’s compulsion to insert the worst pitcher on the staff in the ninth inning of close games.

I didn’t mean to suggest that Leo would be the answer to all the Braves problems — obviously this team has a lot of holes right now, underachievers, etc. I just meant that the decision to let the best pitching coach in baseball leave and assume that you will get the same results from an unproven guy and save a few hundred thousand in the process is indicative of the sort of decision making that led to this disaster of a team.

I happen to think the Estrada trade was another key factor in the current state of the pen. (I argued this a couple of weeks ago, and several people told me how stupid I was…maybe I’m slightly less stupid now that Cormier is in Richmond and Villarreal is getting raked and blowing every save/hold opportunity he gets.) I realize Estrada’s trade value was damaged by the injury and I think McCann should be playing 4 days out of 5, but it seems to me the Braves could have at least held on to Estrada through Spring Training and even split time with McCann for the first couple of weeks of the season if necessary. If they could have established that Estrada is still an All Star .300 hitting, solid defensive catcher, then I would guess they might could have gotten those two key relievers for him that they so desperately need. As it turns out, they basically gave him away because the Braves sure wouldn’t be any worse off without Villarreal and Cormier and they might even be better.

By berigan

June 5, 2006 04:43 AM | Link to this

Is it possible that with Time/Warner trying to sell the team, that NO new salaries would be allowed? Meaning sure, JS could dump some veteran salaries, and get some minor leaguers if you so desire, but don’t ad any hefty/semi-hefty contracts? A fair number of teams for sale can’t add to the payroll. I know, Chipper restructured his contract, but if Time/Warner wanted to pocket the savings,(Since another owner would pay him down the road) what could he or JS do? Sue? Perhaps farfeched, but something seems rotten in Denmark.

By crs

June 5, 2006 11:02 AM | Link to this

This is not a good braves team, the loss of Leo as I expected has really hurt, an average pitching staff without Leo is just that average, Leo was worth probably half a run to a full a run a game. Langerhans is a below average left fielder, Jones obviously could be argued the best CF in the game, Francouer is not patient at all still at the plate, Chipper is questionable at best in the field and his offensive skills continue to decline, Renteria was a nice pickup, Giles is a middle of the pack second sacker, Laroche/Jordan are a joke at first, The catcher combo has been ok. Starters have been dicey and the pen is HORRIBLE. This is an 85 win team tops, barring a trade, this team finishes third and out of the playoffs.

By Del

June 5, 2006 12:38 PM | Link to this

Time for the senior leadership, that Bobby so dearly loves, to step up and lead this team out of the stifling slump they are in. That means you Chipper, Andruw, Giles, Smoltz, Hudson, Jordan and Renteria. Time to get it on!

By BOB C

June 5, 2006 01:31 PM | Link to this

Forget the Braves for a second. Think about a human being - for his sake and everybody’s sake, move Reitsma - even if it’s for a bucket of balls and a copy of the Sporting News.Like Kolb, he is never going to be able to succeed in Atlanta. Let him try to restructure his career elsewhere. It looks like we might be okay 7-8-9 with some assortment of Paranto, McBride and Ray, the rest of most pens are only innings eaters anyway.

By J-Baller

June 5, 2006 01:36 PM | Link to this

Jordan’s been in a slump for about 5 years!!!

By Robert

June 5, 2006 01:51 PM | Link to this

I just wish the Royals had taken Bobby Cox instead of Dayton Moore

By Media Guy Atlanta

June 5, 2006 03:13 PM | Link to this

Get ready Braves fans! Turner Sports is firing 40% of their TV production staff today. Plus, they were told they would lose their severance pay if they went to work for Fox Sports South. So Turner Broadcasting sells Turner South to Fox and then tells the incredible talented production staff if they happen to work for Fox Sports South they would lose any and all of their severance package. Isn’t that nice? Time Warner is slowly selling off all of Ted’s empire. No wonder Ted left the Time Warner board, why would he want to see his empire completely gutted and sold to his arch nemesis Rupert Murdoch? I’m glad I sold my stock in Time Warner back when it was at 54, seeing where this company is headed today I don’t think we’ll ever see the stock back at the levels when Ted ran the show. Due to Fox’ very tight production budget when the Braves go on the road Fox Sports South most likely will be taking a feed from the home team local broadcasters. I’m sure those producers will make sure we get a fine broadcast that’s up to the standards of the former Turner Sports. Please send your letters to Mark Lazarus and David Levy, the leaders of the dying Turner Sports. What a sad day, the lead director of the Braves, Garry Lehman, is being shown the door today, he had passion for the game and the person most likely to succeed him is a college football and basketball director. This is unreal, just wait with only 45 Braves games on TBS next year, I’m sure Don Sutton and most likely Skip Caray will not have their contracts renewed. 6-6-6 happened a day early at Turner Sports and the once proud sports division is being gutted so TBS can keep you laughing with Raymond, Friends and Sex in the City, reruns, over and over and over again! I’m not laughing… Way to go Time Warner! Keep up the good work. Lower ratings, shotty production and the team is headed south since all the money is being spent on salaries for NBA talent and well TBS programmers really don’t like having to place the Braves on the Program schedule. Well at least the Braves are good.. wait Time Warner is doing their best to make sure the Braves fail too. Ted Turner, where are you!

By David

June 5, 2006 03:14 PM | Link to this

I guess we can be thankful that the Mets aren’t playing up to their ability yet.

By David

June 5, 2006 03:23 PM | Link to this

Sad to hear that Media. I absolutely hate the fox broadcasting. The announcers are pathetic. I want to hear skip, pete, joe, don, and hey even Chip. These guys are entertaining. Everytime I put on a Fox sports game. It is like I want to throw a brick at the TV. I hope they go to Fox fix up that place and show how to broadcast a game.

By robdawg06

June 9, 2006 12:28 PM | Link to this

I’ve been banned from the Braves Fan Forum board but at least I can speak my mind here. The problem with the Braves is mostly the bullpen. There are no pitchers in the pen that can get 3 outs every time they pitch. The good teams have 3 or 4 pitchers that can do it most of the time. Chris Reitsma should be released. I’m sure he’s a great guy and all but he’s an automatic loss for the team when he pitches. The Braves have superstar hitters (the Jones boys) and starters (Smoltz & Hudson) and a great core of young hitters & pitchers (Francoeur,McCann,Davies,& C.James). Where are the stars for the bullpen ? Any team that wants to win has to have a dominant closer. Many teams have 2 that could close but use one as a set up man. The Braves have neither. This fan is tired of the Braves picking up trash off the scrap heap to depend on. Step up and pay the price ($$$) to get a real relievers and a real closer Braves.