Braves

By Jared

March 26, 2007 1:39 PM | Link to this

“…and Jeff Francoeur hit .260 with 32 homers 132 strikeouts in his first full season in the majors.”

Might want to re-look at that homerun number.

By mike

March 26, 2007 1:45 PM | Link to this

What happened to Cormier?

By MBATL

March 26, 2007 1:46 PM | Link to this

DOB, what’s up with Cormier’s arm???

By TN-MAN

March 26, 2007 1:46 PM | Link to this

Looks like Cormier is hurt. Anyone know what happened?

By Epinephrine

March 26, 2007 1:47 PM | Link to this

Good thing we signed Redman, huh?

By Shaun

March 26, 2007 1:50 PM | Link to this

DOB, does anyone have an idea why Cormier came out of the game so soon today?

By Matt

March 26, 2007 1:50 PM | Link to this

I may just be the first to post today! Woo! I feel like that Francouer could end up being a monster at the plate with another year or so with Chipper and TP working with him. He would definitley fill in the void in terms of power numbers when/if Andruw leaves. Also, what is the prospect of Diaz being the everday left fielder for the Braves this season?

By Patrick

March 26, 2007 1:50 PM | Link to this

DOB,

What do you know about the Cormier injury at this point???

By TrboDawg

March 26, 2007 1:52 PM | Link to this

I just turned the game on, Cormier left after 1 2/3 ??? What happened?

By David O'Brien

March 26, 2007 1:58 PM | Link to this

No word yet on the Cormier injury. It looked like possibly a lat muscle, judging from the way he was moving his arm.

How fortunate are the Braves now? They’ve literally got a guy pitching right now in a Triple-A game, Redman.

They were preparing six starters, with another on the way (Hampton) in May, barring any more setbacks.

Maybe the Cormier injury isn’t serious, but if it is, the Braves this spring at least are better equipped to handle it than almost any other major league team would be.

But Cormier has pitched so well in September and this spring, you don’t want to lose him.

By David O'Brien

March 26, 2007 2:01 PM | Link to this

As I posted at end of last blog, he left with what looked like an arm injury, but it might be a lat muscle beneath his armpit. Braves have said NOTHING as of 2 p.m. We’re all waiting for word.

By Jason

March 26, 2007 2:01 PM | Link to this

Does anyone else find it a bit disturbing when Francoeur says, “I went up there with no approach. I did pretty good having no clue what I’m doing.” —— what the heck is Terry Pendleton doing? What is the point of having a hitting coach if a guy like Francoeur says that???

By caveman22

March 26, 2007 2:03 PM | Link to this

Hey don’t be bad mouthin’ captain caveman. Seriously, hittin ain’t so easy that a caveman could do it. But I can RAKE baby. Now Dave could you answer my question from the other day about your opinion of Thurman’s potential impact this season. Not his career, just what you think we can logically expect him to do with his bat and glove for us this year.
OH YEAH — TERENCE MOORE SUX

By David O'Brien

March 26, 2007 2:03 PM | Link to this

OK, just got word: IT’S RIGHT-SHOULDER STIFFNESS.

That’s got to be considered good news. Could be far, far worse. Going down to talk to him now.

I’d say it’s probably not a big deal, but we’ll see.

By Bigboi

March 26, 2007 2:04 PM | Link to this

Does anyone know if Comier hurt his toe or elbow?

By Bigboi

March 26, 2007 2:05 PM | Link to this

i sure hope it’s his toe

By PABravefan

March 26, 2007 2:06 PM | Link to this

mlb.com radio broadcast just said that Cormier left with shoulder stiffness. They said he was holding his side when he left the game. They didn’t know how serious it was yet! AHHHHHH!!!! DOB we are all dying to know what exactly happened!!!

By RP

March 26, 2007 2:09 PM | Link to this

DOB,

Backup catcher Brayan Pena. Wouldn’t mention it, but with the recent trade, might confuse some people.

By caveman22

March 26, 2007 2:13 PM | Link to this

you discriminating against because I’m a caveman aren’t you. c’mon DOB, gimme somthin’—lol

By 22oz

March 26, 2007 2:17 PM | Link to this

Jason, I’m with you on TP. I’m not sure he’s actually doing anything. Everyone that has improved never mentions TP in their interviews. Chipper brings hid dad into town, Langerhans went home to get help from his dad, Kelly got a tip from McCann, as did Francoeur. I recall a segment on FSN last year where TP said he didn’t want to change anything on Francoeur. Good call. Apparently Frenchy thinks differently. And lets not forget how successful he’s been with getting Andruw to hit to right field….

By Brent

March 26, 2007 2:19 PM | Link to this

DOB: you said he has shoulder stiffness, in my experience anything wrong with the pitching arm is not good news. Do you think this could be a long term injury?

By Drummerdad

March 26, 2007 2:20 PM | Link to this

DOB, I imagine Diaz gets the cap untill the new pearly white is ready. I lost a top incisor playing basketball in high school. Took an elbow in the mouth going up for a rebound. Glad I stuck to drumming because I was no good at basketball. The real question here is what name Jimmy Smith will come up with for Diaz now. We should take bets or something. “Tooth”? “Teeth”? “Gap”?

By 22oz

March 26, 2007 2:20 PM | Link to this

Caveman22, would you prefer “Francouer was going up there with the approach of a Braves beat writer, or a therapist”?

By michael of b'ham

March 26, 2007 2:21 PM | Link to this

Maybe he(Cormier) just couldn’t get loose today…at any rate at least he didn’t continue to pitch while hurting. Smart move. Just ask Kyle Davies!

By Chop Chop

March 26, 2007 2:22 PM | Link to this

Uh oh…

MESA, Ariz. (AP) — Chicago Cubs right-hander Kerry Wood had stiffness in his right shoulder Monday, a day after an ineffective relief outing. The often-injured pitcher was scheduled to be evaluated by the team’s medical staff.

(In related news, the sun rose.)

By Shaun

March 26, 2007 2:22 PM | Link to this

Lew,

The argument from Braveheart (from what I understand) is that the Boston front office trumps up some bad things to justify letting players go.

I think some of the louder media outlets/members, make too much of naturally dicey situations.

There is always going to be controversy and hurt feelings when players leave or are traded. In Boston utility players are like rock stars and the Red Sox are bigger than basically anything. So certain members of the media are going to blow things way out of proportion.

The Boston front office has been reviled for their moves for years.

The moves that they have been “reviled” for during the current regime have seemed to work out—could it be that the front office is, dare I say, wiser than the revilers.

You want an indication of the media’s relationship with the players in Boston? Try reading Dan Shaughnessy’s column today on Schilling’s blog. The beat writers at the Globe (Gordon Edes, who’s very good) and the Herald (Tony Massarotti, also good), I guess, get along OK with most of the players. It’s the columnists and the talk radio guys who stir the pot. And I think the Red Sox front office, maybe more than anybody else, has leaked stuff as a means to a Machiavellian end. Think JS and his crew would do those kinds of things?

You really think the front office would leak stuff to the media to make players look bad? They would risk their reputation and risk word getting around to other players not to sign with the Sox? The front office would have little to gain and a lot to lose from telling the media bad things about players so it’s easier to let them go.

Again, I think it’s the natural tendency of things to get testy when contract discussions are taking place and some in the media run with the controversy. Think about the Andruw Jones situation—it’s a controversial subject in Atlanta. In a place like Boston, it would be 100 times worse because the media is huge and the Red Sox are huge.

By David O'Brien

March 26, 2007 2:26 PM | Link to this

Just talked to Cormier, who said his shoulder got stiff after that last pitch but that he doesn’t think it’s serious.

Gotta tell you, he sounded like he was trying to convince himself it wasn’t serious. Maybe it’s not, but it just can never be a good thing when a shoulder gets stiff suddenly, after a particular pitch rather than a gradual process.

I asked him if it was hurting for a while, for a few pitches, what, and he said no, just after that pitch he noticed it and he called the trainer out because he didn’t want to risk making it worse this late in spring training. Hey, just telling you what he said.

He has a 1.15 ERA this spring, and now he might have a shoulder injury. I hope he’s right, for his and the Braves’ sake. It’d be a shame if he has anything serious after putting himself in position to open the season in the major league rotation, and after pitching so well in September and this spring.

Fortunately for the Braves, as I said, they can simply plug Davies into Cormier’s spot (I’m assuming Cormier and Redman were going to be the last two guys, and Davies was headed for Richmond. Can only assume since Bobby wouldn’t say and nobody involved had been told).

By PABravefan

March 26, 2007 2:27 PM | Link to this

22 and Jason, add me to that list who think TP is worthless as a hitting instuctor!!! The only hitting instructor who has ever been good was Don Baylor!! Look at the hitters numbers under him and without him. More specifically look at Chipper’s numbers!! I am so afraid he will be the next manager when Bobby decides to hangem up!

By KC

March 26, 2007 2:28 PM | Link to this

Good thing Davies is pitching well.

By Billy (TBFnB)

March 26, 2007 2:30 PM | Link to this

Calm down Brave faithful, the injury just happend and I would imagine that the game is not over yet…thus not much info anyone can provide.

To the person who asked if it was long term….How in the world is someone going to answer that question when in all likley hood the Cormier has not been examined completly yet?

By ElbravoX

March 26, 2007 2:30 PM | Link to this

Wendys is running a commercial with Violent Femmes music as the backdrop tunes. I just threw up! There is nothing that a dollar can’t buy.

By Jared

March 26, 2007 2:33 PM | Link to this

Even if it’s nothing, this shows EXACTLY why having one or two extra starters is always a very good thing (I’m talking directly to the Mark Redman trade advocates).

By TrboDawg

March 26, 2007 2:36 PM | Link to this

Thanks DOB, a continuously great job… on another note. Went to see the Austin Lounge Lizards Friday night. When you’re looking for an ‘intelligent laugh,’ they’re the guys….

By Mitchie-san

March 26, 2007 2:40 PM | Link to this

Kerry Wood is made of glass.

By caveman22

March 26, 2007 2:40 PM | Link to this

22oz I’ll take the therapist as long as it’s Renee Russo from Tin Cup. You didn’t think I was serious did you?? C’mon DOB — Talk to me LOL

By DaVille

March 26, 2007 2:45 PM | Link to this

PABravefan, Chipper had quite a year last season. Whether you’re right or wrong about T.P., that was a bad example. Chipper hit .324, .409OBP, .596SLG, for 1.07OPS. Andruw Jones had 1.4x’s more plate appearances than Chipper. To annualize Chipper’s stats to a full season vs. Andruw’s total plate appearances, then Chipper would’ve had 36HR and 120 RBI.

All I’m saying is that when Chipper played, he was a stud. I don’t think Baylor got much different results than TP.

By Mangum

March 26, 2007 2:45 PM | Link to this

TP is not worthless. If he was he would be out of a job. Who do you think helped McCann put up those numbers last year? Chipper’s numbers are still HOF material, when he is not hurt. Who do you think made those changes in Andruw’s stance/swing 2 or 3 years ago and now Andruw has gone form a 35/100 guy to 45/130 guy. I could go on and on. So please, don’t knock TP unless you know what your talking about. Frenchy was basically a rookie last year and most guys with less that 1 year (hell 3 years at best) have no clue what they are doing at the plate. TP has made changes in Frenchy’s stance and approach. I think they will pay off.

SCORE

TP: one MVP, batting title and Major League hitting coach

22/Jason/PABravefan: waste of blog space

By KC

March 26, 2007 2:47 PM | Link to this

Jared: Agreed. Always good to have depth. But let’s say Cormier’s in the rotation when Hampton returns… what do you do with Redman? If he’s pitching well, you can’t keep a veteran like that at Richmond.

The only veterans that stay at AAA “until needed” are the ones that simply aren’t good enough to hold down a major league job. You’d really only have two choices: trade Redman or send Cormier down to make room.

But if Cormier’s situation isn’t serious, and he continues to pitch this well 4-6 weeks into the season… there’s no way you can send him down.

By michael of b'ham

March 26, 2007 2:54 PM | Link to this

Whither JJS? And what of Kamala the Ugandan Headhunter? Barefoot wrestler. Exposed toes…? Now Sonic; a banana pudding milkshake? Hot,cold, or (yuck)room temp? Oh….! Wher o wh re coul J S be?

Mitchie-san, Great Lakes or Orlando?

By Lil' Chopper

March 26, 2007 2:55 PM | Link to this

This Quote from Francouer “The biggest thing I learned is unless it’s where I want it, don’t swing,”

You mean to tell me that Frenchy didn’t learn that in freakin little league? Hmmmmmm, let’s see here…if the ball is outside of the strike zone don’t swing, and if the the ball is in the strike swing away.

I am a huge Braves fan and I love Francouer, but seriously dude you are in the Majors and you just figured that out?

That’s like a lawyer saying, you know after my first year of trying cases and winning some losing others, I decided to look at some case law…you know for precedent and all. I think that will help me win some more cases.

By Lew

March 26, 2007 2:56 PM | Link to this

Shaun-The thing you’re not taking into account is the adversarial relationship that the Red Sox front office, fans and media have had going on since they traded Babe Ruth to the Yankees. It is literally different than that existing in any other ML city. It is so bad that the ownership and front office is extremely defensive and in your face about every move they make-and they make some very unpopular ones. Now maybe fans need to be put in their place and their ticket purchase may or may not give them the right to be critical, but that’s the way it is. I can see the fans point, though. Every ticket sells at Fenway. The merchandise sells all over New England, and we have been informed that they have already made the Matsuzaka money back on ONE T Shirt deal in Asia. This makes people think a. They have the right to say what’s on their mind and b. wonder why the hell they have Coco the Cereal guy in CF instead of Johnny Damon, when all it would have taken was a couple more bucks, which the Sox obviously had, or why Clemens got his last four Cy Young Awards in other cities.The front office basically tells then it’s because they said so. The end result is a situation just like Braveheart mentioned.

By 22oz

March 26, 2007 2:57 PM | Link to this

Actually McCann credits his dad for his approach.

By Lew

March 26, 2007 3:07 PM | Link to this

New Music Report- Tomorrow’s releases- James Brown’s Number Ones, Stevie Nicks-Crystal Visions Greatest Hits, and three Warren Zevon remasters, Envoy, Stand In the Fire and the All Time Classic, Exciteable Boy.

By Kieran from Long Island

March 26, 2007 3:07 PM | Link to this

A word on the Diaz Incident my father was my baseball coach when I was growing up and his number one concern/fear was always someone getting hit by a bat in the on deck circle. Anytime there was someone swinging the bat and anotehr was walking by he would drop everything and say “HEY! Watch where your swinging that bat!” In his mind it was always the guy swing the bat who was to blame. To cap the story off, the only one who ever got hit was him, one game when he was coaching my younger brother, he was walking back scribbling something in the score book and got drilled right in tricep. He grabbed his arm and Tucked his front lip under his tounge and gave the usual, “This is what happens to random little leaguer and got back to the game. ” When I asked him about it and why he didnt go nuts, he said, “I’m glad he hit me, It’s now that everyone has seen what can happen they’ll be more careful, and you guys are 2 feet shorter then me, if it was one of you your body would be an empty batting tee.”

Glad to see the appreciation for Metallica, master of Puppets definatly the best Metal CD of all time. Their library front to end(although it’s an ongoing fad to criticize their newer material, primarily because their old stuff is astronomically great) is outstanding and should be given a chance by all… especially if your driving late at night!

By caveman22

March 26, 2007 3:26 PM | Link to this

All right since DOB is blowing me off, thanks Dave — ‘preciate ya, anybody else got any comments on Thurman at first. I’ll take anything I can get right now. DOB sux
Not really but maybe I try some reverse psychology, yeah that’s the ticket.
* Terence Moo — well you already know*

By Steve-O

March 26, 2007 3:31 PM | Link to this

DOB, I love evrything you write but I have to disagree when you think for a second Chipper might have been or is jealous of Frenchy…..Whats Chipper got to be jealous of? He is a #1 draft pick, won a World Series, Won an MVP, has had all the girls he wants ‘cuz he’s a sharp lookin guy himself, hell he doesnt look like Bob Horner or anyting dude. He just saw a young kid who is 12 years younger, he knew had the potential to be great so he is on him about everything trying to make him the best he can be. he busts his chops ‘cuz hes an 11 year veteran dealing with a kid 12 years younger. I think if anything Chips trying to keep Jeff modest and not think hes God. I love what Chippers done for all the kids and he does it all because he cares about the franchise and the success they will have now and the success they will have when he leaves. He knows by doing what he’s doing now, the winning will continue if they all buy into his way of going about every aspect of the game. And when alls said and done Chippers legacy will be that of a Hall Of Fame player who helped out the young guys and kept the winning ways intact when he was there and intstilled winning into the young guys. His legacy will be strong.

DAVE JUSTICE IN BRAVES HALL OF FAME!!!!!! YYYYEEEEESSSSSS!!!

(Im 23, he is WHY I became a Braves fan.

By 22oz

March 26, 2007 3:31 PM | Link to this

Mangum, i’m sorry your feathers have been ruffled so, but we’re just saying that every Braves player that gives out credit for improved hitting, you don’t hear TP’s name mentioned. And arguing for Chipper’s numbers only helps my point b/c as i said, he brings his dad in when he has trouble. Andruws widened stance came from watching Albert Pujols. Maybe there are success stories that we don’t know about and DOB can clear them up since has the inside track, but until then, i’ll have my doubts about TP as a hitting coach.

By Braveheart

March 26, 2007 3:37 PM | Link to this

lil chopper, you said: if the ball is outside of the strike zone don’t swing, and if the the ball is in the strike swing away.

that’s not even true either. good hitters are taught often this mantra: one pitch, one zone which is basically wait for your pitch in the zone of the strike zone where you can be successful. that is what Frenchy is referring to. they’re not supposed to swing away at every darn pitch in the strike zone or in Frenchy’s case anywhere within a 30 foot radius of home plate. frenchy is basically saying he is learning that.

i read this weekend on Curt Schilling’s blog his thoughts on a similar thing for pitchers: There is a difference in ‘command’ and ‘control’. Control is the ability to throw strikes. Command is the ability to control the ball WITHIN the strike zone. Most people think home plate is 17 inches wide. It’s not. Home plate, for me, is 12 inches wide. 6 inches on the inner half, 6 inches on the outer half. Using the middle 5 inches is the easiest way to get a ticket to Pawtucket. I think that’s the hardest thing for young pitchers to grasp, The big leagues is not about throwing strikes, it’s about throwing quality strikes. Learn that and then you move on to ‘throwing strikes that aren’t strikes’, which is a whole other lesson.

http://38pitches.com/2007/03/17/q-a-v-and-its-a-long-one/

same thing for hitters like Frenchy. As a young player, he has to learn to swing at only the pitches within the strike zone which are beneficial to him and I think that is what Chipper is preaching to him as a young player and what Frenchy was trying to relate to DOB by making the statement you took issue with.

As for the lawyer thing, that is not a good example either. Many lawyers struggle during their first few years knowing when to make objections and when to shut up, knowing when to get cute with a jury, when to be low key and when to outraged, figuring out which precedents exactly do you want to use, should you narrow the issues down to a more simple concise argument the judge and the jury can understand or do you want to throw the kitchen sink at the judge and the jury.

I know many, many, many lawyers who in their first few years as practicing lawyers were about as clueless as Frenchy despite the hard work. They were like Frenchy. They did not know alot but all they had was passion so they went in there and fought like hell for their clients because at that point in their careers that was all they had. Sometimes like Frenchy, that passion helped them win hearings or trials they should not have based upon their limited knowledge, experience, and abilities at that point in their career, trials and hearings a more knowledgeable and experienced, more reserved and less caveman like lawyer would have lost as opposed to the young idiot caveman lawyer who might not know too much about what he is doing except that he has some poor schmuck sitting next to him with his entire life in the young caveman’s hands, so he better fight like a maniac for the guy.

As they get more experienced and get humiliated in court and on a baseball field, the caveman lawyer and the caveman ballplayer get more accustomed to the nuances needed to get more consistent results for themselves but more importantly their clients and their ballteams.

By ncscoots

March 26, 2007 3:41 PM | Link to this

geez, “where I want it” means a strike that he can drive, instead of a pitcher’s strike…not “if it’s in the strike zone”. Your law analogy is specious.

By TN-MAN

March 26, 2007 3:43 PM | Link to this

Any word on Redman’s outing today?

By Mac

March 26, 2007 3:46 PM | Link to this

DOB:

Any chance the Braves try to pick up (or at least look at) Travis Lee? Believe we tried to trade for him a few years ago. Not sure if he’s injured or not, so if he is, then this question is moot. Thanks.

By Shaun

March 26, 2007 3:47 PM | Link to this

Lew,

First of all, I don’t think the Babe Ruth sell is relevant to the discussion. That has nothing to do with the current Sox front office.

Second, Braveheart’s argument seemed to be the Red Sox front office spreads negative news about some players or badmouths players so they don’t look so bad letting them walk or trading them.

The front office, from what I’ve seen, gives very valid reasons and some in the media make something more out of it (they may say something like “Johnny Damon was a great player, there’s no way they should have let him go for Coco Crisp.”)

What they don’t understand is the entire situation. If you want to sell papers or get people’s attention, you’ll see Damon and look at Crisp after the fact and see that after one season, letting Damon walk was so dumb. What they don’t realize is that Crisp was a young, very good, cheap centerfielder and Damon was an aging, soon-to-be overpaid centerfielder who is going to be greatly overpaid towards the end of a huge, long-term deal.

It is somewhat understandable for some to think ‘superstar player, team has money, why would you let him walk?’ But it’s also not that simple and I think some in the Boston sports media use that simplistic view to their advantage either out of ignorance or out of a desire to create controversy.

The media that covers the Red Sox should know that signing Damon to a long-term deal is extremely risky. Damon is likely to decline greatly the last couple of years of a long-term deal which would not only have cost the Red Sox a lot of money but a roster spot.

By Shaun

March 26, 2007 3:49 PM | Link to this

Lew,

Roger Clemens is not relevant to the discussion. The previous front office decided not to resign him. That has nothing to do with this regime. And if Clemens is not relevant, certainly Babe Ruth is not relevant.

By Jared

March 26, 2007 3:49 PM | Link to this

Who is Ryan Basner and why is he pitching?

By journalist jimmy smith

March 26, 2007 3:51 PM | Link to this

too bad about diaz’ too

By StingerSplash

March 26, 2007 3:54 PM | Link to this

Laughter, laughter … Just a little lyrics from the title track for you DOB, just in case you nod off in the postgame. Thanks for hitting us with some Morphine. Great band. I wonder if the Braves’ front office might not swing a deal or two, though there aren’t apparently any holes to fill now. But if either Johnson or Langerhans gets off to a slow start, will they move some arms for players, or turn things over to Wilson/Diaz and Orr/Prado? At least this year, there are options. And Shaun, it wasn’t that long ago that members of the Red Sox front office leaked stuff on other members of the Red Sox front office, leading to the “gorilla” warfare as Theo Epstein bolted Fenway in a gorilla suit. Or even 20-some odd years ago, when the ownership group split up, with one group holding a press conference saying it was taking over and the other group saying it was in charge.

By Lew

March 26, 2007 4:02 PM | Link to this

Shaun-Why isn’t it relevant? Because you say so? Dude, it set a pattern damn near 90 years ago that continues today. These people up here accept me as a Braves fan because the Braves USED TO play in Boston (for your edification, over 50 years ago). They still harbor an aching in their guts from losing Ruth and don’t you doubt it. You are just wrong so get off of the subject. You plainly don’t know what you’re talking about. Stick to stats, Dude.

By Jeff

March 26, 2007 4:06 PM | Link to this

Super glue ought to do the trick.

By Braveheart

March 26, 2007 4:08 PM | Link to this

Shaun, sorry, not ignoring you. I am working and because we are not going to agree it looks like, I will have to do some research and get back to you in a week or two when we can resume our debate - i’ll try to find the evidence I need to back up my opinion on it.

I would say that that Clemens and Mo Vaughn are relevant to the current front office. It’s a culture in Boston where the media and the front office have often been accused of conducting smear campaigns against player and even Theo Epstein, often with the media and the front office in cahoots with one another.

Here’s a prime example of the smear campaign conducted against Theo Epstein by Larry Lucchino with Dan Shaughnessy being used by the Boston front office as a hitman during that Theo fiasco a couple of years back:

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2005/10/30/letsironoutsomeofthisdirty_laundry/?page=full

As many people have pointed out and villified Shaughnessy for it, the Boston Globe who Shaughnessy writes for also are owned by the same management group that owns the Red Sox.

BTW, I think Mo Vaughn was the first to coin the smear campaign term about the way the Boston front office and the media collude with one another.

The whole point really is that the Bobby and John treat exiting players with dignity for the most part but the Boston front office conducts themselves like trash.

By Wayne in UT

March 26, 2007 4:09 PM | Link to this

Did Diaz lose the “toe” of his tooth??

By journalist jimmy smith

March 26, 2007 4:09 PM | Link to this

at least diaz didn’t lose a tooth in a tax

By Arkansas Hillbilly

March 26, 2007 4:12 PM | Link to this

Well Stan Heath just got fired from the Hogs head b-ball coaches position.

DOB, Word around the streets is Texas A&M is top priority to replace him at Arkansas. I don’t know much about him, but you’re a Big 12 man. Is he worth having? And would you as a KU fan be proud to see us take him off y’alls hands? (“Y’alls” meaning the Big 12)

By Wayne in UT

March 26, 2007 4:13 PM | Link to this

Ryan Basner pitched at Mississippi and Richmond last year, with some measure of success. Could be a call up in 07 if needed.

By journalist jimmy smith

March 26, 2007 4:13 PM | Link to this

oh, the humanity! this jour

By Shaun

March 26, 2007 4:14 PM | Link to this

StingerSplash,

He left in a gorilla suit because he didn’t want to answer the media’s questions. Again, what does this have to do with the argument that the Sox front office spreads bad news about players they want to get rid of? If anything this just proves my point that the Boston media is relentless about Red Sox controversy.

By David O'Brien

March 26, 2007 4:16 PM | Link to this

Meanwhile, Redman gave up FOUR HOMERS in the Triple-A game against the Astros, in six innings. They didn’t give us linescore yet, but Bobby said he gave up four homers, said he was fine, was working on his curveball and wasn’t comfortable on the mound and blah blah blah.

But yes, four homers in six innings….

After talking to Bobby, I’m thinking maybe, maybe Cormier’s injury is not bad. Bobby sounded optimistic afterward, and I saw Cormier messing around with some guys in the clubhouse, emulating someone’s stance. He didn’t seem at all stressed.

We’re not going to know anything until at least he sees how he feels in the morning, but Bobby said he didn’t know of any tests that are even scheduled, no MRIs or anything. So they must not be too concerned yet.

He told Bobby it was something he had in 2005, when he missed only 4-5 days. Bobby said it’s below the problematic areas, the rotator cuff and labrum, and sort of beneath and in back, almost the lat area is where he pointed to.

By Joshhh

March 26, 2007 4:18 PM | Link to this

hey caveman! Its THORMAN!!!! not Thurman.

By David O'Brien

March 26, 2007 4:19 PM | Link to this

Mac, no, Travis Lee isn’t hurt. He’s just bad and has no desire to play. Asked to be released.

Other than that, by all means the Braves should pick him up and thrust him into the 1B mix.

By Lew

March 26, 2007 4:19 PM | Link to this

Shaun-It was that crap between Theo and Lucchino that caused the loss of Damon. That and nothing else. If you think Boston couldn’t afford to pony up the balance for Damon, then you are even more clueless than I think you are. Stick to OBP. Sometimes the numbers back you up. Not here, though.

By Wayne in UT

March 26, 2007 4:21 PM | Link to this

With the latest developments in FL concerning Cormier’s situation and Hampton’s supposed quick recuperation one thing comes to mind. “You can never have enough pitching!”

Looks like maybe Davies will have a chance to redeem himself sooner than later….

By Mitchie-san

March 26, 2007 4:24 PM | Link to this

michael of B-ham… The glorious Great Lakes….

By KC

March 26, 2007 4:25 PM | Link to this

DOB: Encouraging report on Cormier. Thanks!

NOT so encouraging report on Redman. Don’t worry… I won’t shoot the messenger. Unless of course I pick up the Sunday paper to find that you’ve picked the Mets to outlast the Braves in the postseason…

By Shaun

March 26, 2007 4:29 PM | Link to this

Lew,

Let me clear this up. The question is “Does the Sox front office (and the media) conspire using smear tactics to run players out of town?”

Braveheart says they do.

I say there is no evidence for that so why assume? It’s just that feelings are going to get hurt and there are going to be disagreements during contract negotiations and some in the Boston media are going to take whatever they can and use it to stir up a story in order to sell papers or get people listening to their stations.

Braveheart,

Here’s a possibility and I would think you have to accept this as at least possible: Mo Vaughn got upset because Boston basically told him they didn’t want to sign him to a huge, long-term deal. Maybe the Sox front office answered the media’s questions and gave reasons why it wouldn’t be wise to sign Mo Vaughn to a long-term deal (as it turns out it was wise). Vaughn was upset because the Sox were in essence saying he wasn’t as good as he once was and looked at it as the media and management conspiring against him.

You have to consider the source. If you read something that says Mo Vaughn is upset or Derek Lowe is upset and feel the Sox and the media are conspiring to run them out of town, maybe look at it from the front office’s side. The media is constantly asking why this player hasn’t been signed or that player hasn’t been signed. They are probably going to get an honest answer from somebody and a lot of times egos will be hurt because of that. If I’m a star athlete, I wouldn’t want to hear that I’m not as good as I once was even if it was true.

I’m not saying this is what happened but this seems more likely than a conspiracy against Mo Vaughn.

By N8

March 26, 2007 4:30 PM | Link to this

DOB

What in hell are you doing reporting that Redman gave up 4 homeruns (YIKES) in a minor league game.

Now you done, gone out and gave Coach another reason to “go off” for another 48 hours on the Redman/Cormier/Davies “battle (if you will).

Just kidding Coach.

Let us have it.

By Shaun

March 26, 2007 4:32 PM | Link to this

Lew,

The Sox didn’t sign Damon because they know in a couple of years he’s likely to be grossly overpaid. It’s good for teams to value players properly, no matter how much money they have.

By KayakJack in VA

March 26, 2007 4:33 PM | Link to this

Mac, Travis Lee retired, said he no longer had the passion for the game. He would have been their starting 1st baseman. So, don’t imagine that we will be looking at him..

Re: the discussion about Boston. I lived there for 2 years and the Theo expirement started in my 2nd year. Boston most definitely badmouths their players when they are getting ready to get rid of them. Wierd situation in Boston, but it looks ot an outsider like the press goes along with the badmouthing and really piles it on. A player will go from beloved to a scumbag in no time… They’re the opposite of ATL. They have fanatically loyal fans and lousy press.. ;-)

By Wayne in UT

March 26, 2007 4:34 PM | Link to this

After getting Travis Lee for first, maybe we can pick up David Bell to cover third when Chipper goes down, and what the heck maybe we can get Kaz Matsui to cover second in place of KJ.

By 22oz

March 26, 2007 4:34 PM | Link to this

Oops, sorry i’m on the wrong blog, i didn’t know this was a Red Sox blog. Can anyone tell me how to get to the Braves blog?

By caveman22

March 26, 2007 4:35 PM | Link to this

OKOK THORMAN at first base. Didn’t have my spellcheck on their Joshypoo. Now that I have spelled it correctly will Dave O’Brien please answer my question as a loyal and devoted reader of your column and give me his take on THORMAN and I swear if you just say “he’s alright” I’m gonna go MarilynMonroe/AnnaNicole over here and take my whole bottle of Flintstone Chewable’s and you know what too many BAM-BAMS will do to you. * C’MON DOB — GIMME SOMETHIN’!!*

By ncscoots

March 26, 2007 4:37 PM | Link to this

Ouch, the thumber erupts. Guess that curveball needs a little more work, LOL…

By Scalp 'Em Braves

March 26, 2007 4:42 PM | Link to this

DOB:

On the tooth replacement thing (you’ve probably already received a legitimate response to this, but, it’s getting awfully close to “Beer O’Clock” here, so I haven’t read any of the replies.

Diaz is looking at a root canal,grinding off the rest of the tooth (depending on how much is left), temporary cap, and permanent crown. I don’t know this because I am a dentist. I know this because the lower half of one of my top front teeth got shot out by a BB Gun. You read it right - a BB Gun - I was 15, and engaged in a BB Gun battle (we didn’t have paint ball in them days). Stupid, I know, but, as they say, youth is wasted on the young. By the way, with the pulp of the tooth exposed, until Diaz gets that temporary cap on, every breath he takes through his mouth is going to hurt like hell, kind of like the Dustin Hoffman scene in Marathon Man, where he’s being tortured (after tooth drilling) with air on the tooth, or sothed with Oil of Clove.

By the way, when I read that Diaz’s tooth had been broken by a weighted donut, the first thing I thought was that it was the last filled donut in the box, and that Diaz and Wicky both made a dive, with Wicky coming out the winner.

By Lew

March 26, 2007 4:44 PM | Link to this

Shaun-You chalk this whole thing up to players with hurt feelings and a desire by the media to stir up the cesspool and sell papers. You’re wrong, wrong, wrong. There is just no way to spin it otherwise. The Boston Globe and all the other New England newspapers employ JOURNALISTS, not tabloid writers. They don’t just come up with this crap on their own and run with it. They use player and front office quotes-just like DOB does. They are given access to the players and powers that be, just like David and all other team’s writers and beat staff. How long do you think they would enjoy this special relationship and access if they printed fabricated garbage? Theirs’ is a three way adversarial relationship surrounding this team with the players, the front office and the fans. It is like nothing else I have ever seen and I’ve lived in Philadelphia, Atlanta, Miami, Tampa/St. Pete and Orlando, as well as in New England, which I feel to be a pretty random sampling. Dude, on this one you just don’t get it and all your arguements aren’t going to change it. I see it on a daily basis and read it just as often. The front office in Boston have had their heads in dark places for decades. Getting rid of Duquette only led to his replacement by more of the same. They even replaced Theo with Theo, who had left because HE didn’t get any love. When the other idiots failed to sign Damon, they went out and kissed his butt to bring him back. That is how it happened. That is not revisionist history.

By TennesseePaul

March 26, 2007 4:46 PM | Link to this

For Diaz’s tooth, they can use it to make a cast for the cap or replacement. It’s good they found it for that reason only. They can’t stick it back together without him having a dead chip in his mouth. That would start to stink. But you know, it’s been a while since my brother knocked my tooth with his head, so dental science could have advanced.

Very, very, extremely pleased about McCann. I know it’s late, I’ve been traveling and couldn’t post when the news came out. I’m excited about it. I hope they are able to lock up some more young guys to long term deals.

DOB: as always, thanks for the hard work.

GO BRAVES

By Kentavo

March 26, 2007 4:47 PM | Link to this

Hey DOB, what’s up with this Doug Clark dude (not of the Hot Nuts’ fame)?

He’s hitting like .450 or something.

Is he on anybody’s radar?

By Braveheart

March 26, 2007 4:48 PM | Link to this

he was upset by his contract situation. he turned down a 3 year $30 mil kontract I believe. then he got a DUI, which made things ugly in the media. but then the front office asked him to do a substance abuse assessment during contract talks - something that should not have been leaked to the media but indeed it was by the front office. his refusal to do so was used publicly by the front office in the media as a reason to get rid of him. Mo, like Nomar, was wildly popular before that - quick fall from grace executed by the front office through the media thanks in part to his DUI - but it was a smear campaign intended to justify not signing him by the front office.

Furcal had his DUI issues which the media and the fans hear were annoyed with him for but you never saw or heard a hint of Bobby or John in the background pulling the puppetstrings with the media to inflame the fans as to why they could not sign Furcal, resorting to lazy attacks on the man’s drinking problems. They just refused to sign him for $13 mil and rightly so. The soundness of the decision spoke for itself without having to get ugly and personal about it. That $13 mil was far too darn pricey - but the Braves did not have to attack Furcal’s drinking problem through the media to justify not signing him.

You can blame the media Shaun all you want or you can start realizing that in alot of the situations, the media can not even know these things unless they are leaked by someone.

Has the Scooter Libby case taught you anything about how this stuff gets out? And that wasn’t a political statement anyone, so don’t get all stupid that I brought his name into it.

By Lew

March 26, 2007 4:48 PM | Link to this

Shaun-You’re wrong. The Red Sox and Yankees don’t have to worry if it is a long term bad deal. They have money no one else does. Keep in mind they just paid $100 million for a player who never threw a pitch in the bigs. They lost Damon because of infighting in the front office. It had nothing to do with the contract. Remember, they dumped Renteria at the same approximate time and ate what, $18 million? You think they care about a couple of mil? They don’t. There’s more where that came from and they know it.

By MGL

March 26, 2007 4:57 PM | Link to this

Caveman22 - I have personally seen Thorman in action at two games and he has played quite well. He seems to be at ease, and is always hustling. He only has 1 error so far this spring and has been involved in 13 souble plays.

Side note for those who have not seen fielding stats. Bravos lead the National league in fielding % only 18 errors in 27 games. Looks like the chicken littles worrying about defense will have to cry about something else.

By Lew

March 26, 2007 5:01 PM | Link to this

Shaun-As far as bad deals go, what about Andruw this winter? YOu know we can’t afford him, especially five or six years down ther road when he has definitely suffered a diminishing of skills. Do you really think this will stop NY, Boston and the Angels from trying to sign him to a 5-7 year deal? These teams do not approach problems the way the Braves have to.

By Braveheart

March 26, 2007 5:02 PM | Link to this

Yeah, the geniuses though it was a bad move to overpay for Damon but overpay for J.D. Hangnail Drew. Can I genuflect now or should I wait until he ends up on the DL?

The classic case of what I am talking about with the coaches or front office attacking a player through the media is that Tom Verducci article where Joe Torre really went after AROD which AROD is still really angry about. Torre clearly does not like AROD - batting him eighth and then talking to SI about AROD last year was a classic classless hatchet job done on a player by Torre, who is normally a very classy guy.

It’s kind of like high school up there in Boston. You got all the gossip queens who need all the info they can get their hands on. You get the other kids who don’t seek it but love to hear it. Then you got the star QB and the head cheerleader dating each other. Now they are going through a rough stretch in their relationship. If the rest of the school starts to find out if she is a true blond, whether she is smooth as a baby, how often she gives out, or how small or bad he is, does it take a genius to figure out who is spreading the filth to the masses in order to justify dumping each other. The gossip queens and the kids who love to hear that gossip are going to have no clue about those sorts of things unless the QB and the cheerleader have their fingerprints all over the building of that rumor mill.

By OddJob

March 26, 2007 5:02 PM | Link to this

    It's not that Francoeur isn't a self motivated player,but it's the wise move for the organization to withhold the carrot of a big contract till he refines his hitting'

   Fortunately McCann his old roomy is a perfect example of what a smart,disciplined approach can diliver both at the plate and at the bank.

By journalist jimmy smith

March 26, 2007 5:02 PM | Link to this

if the too

By journalist trolling for attention

March 26, 2007 5:06 PM | Link to this

this jour

By RC

March 26, 2007 5:07 PM | Link to this

I realize it’s only spring training, but the Braves are only 1/2 game off of the best record in the majors! What makes me even happier is looking at the rest of the standings and trying to find the other teams in the NL East. Start at the bottom, you’ll get to them faster.

By Wayne in UT

March 26, 2007 5:14 PM | Link to this

I am continually perplexed at the baseball pundits who keep picking the Phillies to finish first in the east???I don’t see it.

By MBATL

March 26, 2007 5:33 PM | Link to this

From Sunday’s NY Times:

“That’s the difference in the mentality in Atlanta and the mentality in Philadelphia,” Chipper Jones, the Braves’ leader, said when asked about Rollins’s remark. “We would have never disrespected the rest of the division by proclaiming ourselves division champs before the beginning of the season. The fact that he did, that has rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. As far as I can remember, I don’t think he has ever won a division. We’ll leave it at that.”

By caveman22

March 26, 2007 5:44 PM | Link to this

MGL you are the man!!!!!!! See DOB, see how easy that was. And to think I was gonna go beer bonging my Fred’s and Barney’s out of the Flinstone Chewables in a vain attempt to grab your attention. Thanks MGL you’ve definitely saved me from a really bad stomach ache. DOB your off the hook BUT TERENCE MOORE SUX

By Braveheart

March 26, 2007 5:51 PM | Link to this

hate to hear that happen to cormier but i guess that is why we should not get our panties all wadded up about redman vs. davies, davies vs. cormier, redman vs. cormier all winter and spring.

a surplus of pitchers often ends up being just enough and all too often not enough.

By OddJob

March 26, 2007 5:52 PM | Link to this

      Francoeur accepting the need to refine his approach at the plate is a very good thing.It's a wise thing for the team to hold back on a contract for a while and allow him to show his commitment and for the team to evaluate further.

    Having his old roomy(McCann) as an example of what a smart approach at the plate can do for his stats and bank account.

 DOB's mention of Chipper's career stats reminds me of a conversation about Chipper I had with a brother on why his sort of hitting is better than a banger who is equal in rbis.

  Looking at McCann's 06 numbers DOB has made a good case as to the depth of his production.However risp average and other simular stats seem to jump wildly from season to season with most players.

 What is the most consistent with great hitters are the things DOB point's to above ops and simular stats are very stable measures thru the years.

  If you put a team together based on ops from top to bottom it would take some really bad luck not to score not only at a good rate but importantly in post season against the top pitchers and all types of pitching.

  My favorite hitter all time is Stan Musial,you could make a case that he was either the thoughest hitter to manage against or the easiest.Let me explain this convoluted statement.His numbers throughout his career were vertually identical righty or lefty, day or night,fast ball or curve.So you could say he's impossible to pitch to.Very true on the other hand the only real decision for a manager is walk him or pitch to him,it don't get much simple than that.

  Put a team of Chipper's McCann;'s and Musial's on the field and go ahead and throw the ball! I dare you!!

By Jay

March 26, 2007 5:58 PM | Link to this

“top 10 CDs that have gotten me through this spring training later this week”

Gotten you through? You poor soul…how did you make it being paid to follow a professional baseball team in Florida? Your life must be rough.

By AdirondackDave

March 26, 2007 5:59 PM | Link to this

Bet Wickman’s got the credit card at the ready.

By OddJob

March 26, 2007 6:07 PM | Link to this

I can’t structure a paragraph on this post because when I drop down for spacing the above happens.If you can help with this please reply.

By hawks are cursed for trading Nique.

March 26, 2007 6:09 PM | Link to this

Go Braves….we have dominant picthing again!! Cox please dont pitch smoltz or hudson over 4 innings in the spring….we know there good to go! I wish we could sign andrew to a long term deal…a carrer contract actually…and when he gets 2 old to play centerfield anymore move him to 1st base or left field…hed still have a very dangerous bat! just like my man javy Lopez…i think he would make a GREAT bat off the bench!!! why is scherultz not looking at javy?? hed come cheep 2.

By journalist jimmy smith

March 26, 2007 6:10 PM | Link to this

some sissy doesn’t like jimmy smith but hides behind false iden

oblique issues affecting jimmy smith’s

By Lew

March 26, 2007 6:15 PM | Link to this

Jay- It’s the travel, Dude. Logging 50,000 or maybe a lot more) miles a year and spending almost two months at a rental house instead of your own can take it out of you. It’s a dream job, but I don’t know I would call it a cake walk. Just dealing with airlines will drive a sane person crazy. Try it sometime. You probably wouldn’t like it.

By Braveheart

March 26, 2007 6:18 PM | Link to this

oddjob, why don’t you put into microsoft word or something and paste special it there and then cut it from word and trying pasting it in here.

By caveman22

March 26, 2007 6:21 PM | Link to this

hey oddjob - quit hitting the return key. It will drop down on its own.

Or just quit posting since this simple format is too technical for you. It’s so easy a Caveman can do it!!!!!

TERENCE MOORE SUX

By John Adcox

March 26, 2007 6:23 PM | Link to this

MBATL, thanks for posting Chipper’s quotation from the NY Times. It’s nice to be reminded why I’m proud to have the Braves represent my hometown. Well said, leaderman. Chipper manages to be cocky and classy at the same time. I like it.

John abides, too.

By MBATL

March 26, 2007 6:32 PM | Link to this

Lew, yep, you’re right. I used to travel a lot, and got to go to some pretty cool places, do some great things. But it’s just not easy to be away from home all the time, to live out of a suitcase, to put up with the hassles of travel. No matter how “glamourous” it is, it’s still not always easy.

Sometimes you’d rather just put some burgers on the grill and hang out with friends at the house. But, DOB will soldier on, no doubt.

Oddjob, I’ve seen other folks have the same problem, but don’t know what it is. My advice (though just a guess) would be to write your posts in Wordpad or Notepad, and cut and paste them in here. (Are you using a MAC, btw?)

I posted the quote from CJ above because I think this Braves team has a pretty tough attitude. Nothing really new for Chipper, but Gonzalez is pretty confident, Thorman is reportedly a big hustle guy, Soriano seems to be a bit of a badass… good to see a little swagger out of the team.

By Lew

March 26, 2007 6:40 PM | Link to this

I wonder how Chop Zone and our other Mets’ friends will spin this one. Duaner Sanchez has been diagnosed with the break of a small bone at the front of his shoulder-a bone attached to two tendons and a ligament. He will likely require surgery. He is expected to be out until AT LEAST the end of August. Another one bites the dust. The Mets better go spend some of all that money they supposedly have. They are in sad shape, pitching wise. The humanity, right? Nah.

By John Hoar

March 26, 2007 6:43 PM | Link to this

For anyone who cares-Diaz and the broken tooth. There are only a couple of directions that things will go. One is that if just the top part of the tooth is damaged then a crown and or root canal with a supporting post will do the job. On the otherhand, and maybe likely with the force that a baseball bat produces, the root is shattered as well. If so, the best treatment will be an implant and crown eventually, which could take as long as a year to do it right. Either way the dentist has to be pretty skilled to make if look natural.

 This is the honest scoop on the situation. Just don't ask me how I know.

By KC

March 26, 2007 7:03 PM | Link to this

That’s a bit of an overstatement by Chipper, I think. What I heard from Rollins was that he felt the Phillies are the favorites to win the division. That’s different from acting like they’ve got it wrapped up or something.

Either way, Rollins has been too cocky. And not a healthy Mike Gonzalez kind of healthy… he’s been deluded and cocky. Bad combination.

By Wayne in UT

March 26, 2007 7:03 PM | Link to this

hawks are cursed are you kidding me man??? Javy was a ‘roids machine. When the testing started, his stats started declining. Of course, I have no evidence, but come on, read between the lines with some of these guys…..

Also, while I would love to have Andruw for his total career, I hope we don’t overpay for him.

By Wayne in UT

March 26, 2007 7:06 PM | Link to this

Lew is right. I spent 4 years covering the entire western US (one year out of Greenville SC). It can become a real drain on you….

By Braveheart

March 26, 2007 7:10 PM | Link to this

lew

in addition to what you were telling jay, as we were referring to in our red sox debate with shaun, DOB also has to try to pry information out of a very clandestine management group who doesn’t like to divulge very much that is going to help him do his job.

then dealing with some players who are jerks or some players who are just having a really bad day or some players who are just plain stupid and are trying to give him something to write about but they are just too stupid to say anything of value.

then trying to cut through all the Bull Durham cliches he hears out of the players which has to be aggravating.

then dealing with editors chomping at you.

then dealing with Bobby who tells you it is a bright sunny day when he is standing in the middle of the French Quarter during the middle of Hurricane Katrina.

then putting up a blog 5 or 6 days a week and having to deal with the insatiable demand of the bloggers for information and for some i guess just plain old attention like the caveman22 guy today.

seemingly writing 10 or so articles a week while at the same time appearing on various radio shows.

having to compete with other reporters and news agencies for stories because you don’t want your editor to call you up angry that ESPN or Bowman or some other media outlet across the country beat you to a story.

living on the road from February 10 until Halloween when you cover the Braves. see what that does to your love life and family life and social life and your sanity. finding a way to work out and eat right while always on the road.

probably often having to swallow his pride for some dude who does not deserve to eat another man’s pride just to get the jerk to talk so you can do your job.

dealing with morons who take cheap shots at him in his blog that the whole world can read.

dealing with office politics back at the AJC HQ.

having to sit in a press box probably with at least a few people who you never really want to associate with and have no respect for.

I have no idea what the life of a beat reporter is like. but i do know that no job is easy. it seems like a dream job but every job has the b.s. you have to deal with. i guess it does beat digging ditches and alot of the jobs we all do. but no job is perfect and he never says he hates the job or the people or the players or anything. he just comments every so often on the irritations and aggravations that actually do come along with the dream job. the man’s entitled. it is his freaking blog after all.

alright, that’s enough buttkissing for one day.

By MBATL

March 26, 2007 7:11 PM | Link to this

KC, I think you’re right - Rollins didn’t really claim the division, just left the Braves out of the mix. But, Chipper’s response is appropriate, regardless, or at least shows a welcomed bit of righteous indignation. (facts? we don’t need no stinkin’ facts!)

Tough news for the Mets on Sanchez. I almost feel sorry for them. Almost.

Oh, and the Marlins acquired Jorge Julio to be their closer. You know, a year ago, he’d have been a great addition for the Braves, but now probably couldn’t earn a spot on the roster.

By OddJob

March 26, 2007 7:13 PM | Link to this

Speaking of cavemen my computer skills are borderline tragic.I typed the above post in paragraphs,for whatever reason you see the result.So I’ll try to reconstruct in ramlbin fashion.Francoeur,s acknowledgement that his hitting needs some gray-matter exercise seem’s positive.Fortunately for him his old roomy is a prime example of a player who parlayed this approach to success at the plate and the bank.DOBs info on Chippers career numbers is very telling.Back in the 90s I had a debate with a brother concerning whether numbers beyond average, homeruns and rbi really matters.My contintion was and is that a team composed of high ops players would be impossible to pitch to.Now the numbers DOB listed on McCann like average with runners in scoring position don’t usually hold up year over year but look at ops it is a great predictor of success if the player has a history of a few season’s with high numbers. Stan Musial was either the toughest guy on an opposing manager,or the easiest.Convoluted ain’t it,here’s what I’m saying Musial’s numbers were vertually identical whether the pitcher was right or left handed,night or day,inside or outside,etc, so the manager really had two choices pitch or walk.Now give me a team of Chipper’s McCann’s and Musial’s and throw the ball! I dare you!!!

By Braveheart

March 26, 2007 7:14 PM | Link to this

wayne, you’re hanging out real early for you tonight. i’m used to seeing your stuff first thing in the morning after you blog at like 3 in the morning.

By Braveheart

March 26, 2007 7:18 PM | Link to this

lew, thanks for taking up my cause with Shaun today - i needed to get a huge project done today and did not have time to continue to engage in that fight i picked with shaun. after i picked the fight with him, he kept baiting me to get back into it but you took up my cause. so, thanks. although i think you just like to fight with shaun and he really hit a nerve talking about your home turf.

By OddJob

March 26, 2007 7:20 PM | Link to this

Caveman real cute!!but not correct,I suspect the problem is with my computer,but it will not drop.I’ve tried everything I know which is admittedly limited, but not to the extend you say.

By David O'Brien

March 26, 2007 7:24 PM | Link to this

Caveman: Thurman … err, Thorman got off to a slow start but has been driving the ball with power for a week or more (he missed three days to be there for the birth of his first kid, but picked right up when he got back a few days ago).

He’s got five hits in his past 11 PAs _ a homer, double and three singles.

His defense has been adequate, nothing exceptional but only one or two plays where you noticed he’s far from a Gold Glover.

That said, I really think Wilson is going to be in a platoon with him, if not right away then soon. And probably right away.

Wilson’s bat is too good to keep out of the lineup, and he might stay healthier playing more 1B than LF because of his arthritic shoulder, I’m guessing.

He can make the necessary throws from the outfield, just not going to make exceptional throws. But that’s OK in left field. He’ll do alright out there, as good or better than Diaz defensively, I would suspect, though haven’t seen enough of Wilson to be certain.

Between Wilson and Thorman at 1B, I think the Braves could get 20-25 homers and about 80-90 RBIs from that position.

By N8......."It's ALL good!"

March 26, 2007 7:35 PM | Link to this

Hey, here’s a neat article by ESPN on everybody’s obsession with the “heat”.

Figured it now applies to us more than last year, with Soriano and Gonzalez in the pen.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/preview07/columns/story?columnist=crasnick_jerry&id=2809709

Damn! Zumaya hit triple digits 233 times last year. Insane.

Enjoy.

By Wayne in UT

March 26, 2007 7:37 PM | Link to this

braveheart: Don’t tell my boss, I am supposed to be working, but I have IE tuned to the blog between memos and phone calls…..

:-)

By Wayne in UT

March 26, 2007 7:40 PM | Link to this

DOB: Agreed. Just hope that Wilson’s playing time doesn’t detract from “Thurman’s” development as a well rounded hitter.

If Langerhans doesn’t cut it full time, I suspect Wilson would be the better alternative in LF over Diaz, who might have been a 1 year wonder. Diaz doesn’t have enough power either. No power, ave defense, does not spell “playing time” in the bigs.

By jour tr for att

March 26, 2007 7:54 PM | Link to this

“Troll on Big Mama!” who wrote that little ditty?

sissy

By N8......."It's ALL good!"

March 26, 2007 8:02 PM | Link to this

Wayne in UT

I mean this with NO disrespect to you or to Bobby, nor to the players I’m going to mention.

You said:

“Diaz doesn’t have enough power either. No power, ave defense, does not spell “playing time” in the bigs.”

One could reasonibly say that THAT is the exact description of Keith Lockhart, though he found his way onto the 25 man roster for quite some time in Atlanta. Jeff Blauser could fall into that category.

When Bobby “likes” a player, they pretty much need to come down with a career ending injury to be bumped from the team. Remlinger, anybody?

Hell, if I remember right, I recall reading a story when we signed Walt Weiss. It said that Blauser was on vacation, and had given his agent instructions on what to “accept” for a deal (all while WANTING to remain with the Braves). JS made an offer, Blauser’s agent declined it and shortly thereafter, Weiss was signed. Blauser NEVER had a chance to override his agent.

ANYBODY with a brain that functions could tell you that if Blauser had NOT been on vacation, he would’ve remained the Braves SS until Furcal was ready.

After hitting .308 with 17 HR and 70 RBI in 1997. He signed a deal with the Cubs and proceeded to COMBINE for 13 HR and 52 RBI while hitting a ROBUST .240 over the next to years in Chicago. DOUBLE YIKES!

You know DAMN well that Bobby was NEVER gonna take him out of that lineup, NO MATTER how crappy he was hitting.

So I disagree with you (DOB - you can let us know….Does Bobby “like” Diaz?), as long as Bobby likes Diaz…..there will ALWAYS be a spot for him on this roster.

By Braveheart

March 26, 2007 8:07 PM | Link to this

233 times?!?!?!?! Wow!

By SoundsFamiliar

March 26, 2007 8:08 PM | Link to this

Lew - Since you seem to be one of the least knowledgeable fans here in terms of baseball, I’ll “spin” the Sanchez situation for you this way: the Mets weren’t counting on him to start the season anyway, so it’s really just more of what we already knew—he’s hurt. And please, Lew, keep drinking the Kool-Aid that tells you the Mets’ pitching is in “big trouble” while you hope and pray that your bullpen—the one stitched together with spit and bailing wire—doesn’t suffer an injury or two itself. Which, of course, is likely to happen, as most of the people in your pen pitched something like under 50 innings last year due to frequent injuries. On paper, your bullpen is great—but paper tears easily, you know. Remember, Lew—the Braves are a sub-.500 team until they prove different. And now I suppose you’ll tell me now how well the Braves have been doing in Spring Training, because you know…that counts….somewhere.

By SoundsFamiliar

March 26, 2007 8:09 PM | Link to this

Lew - Since you seem to be one of the least knowledgeable fans here in terms of baseball, I’ll “spin” the Sanchez situation for you this way: the Mets weren’t counting on him to start the season anyway, so it’s really just more of what we already knew—he’s hurt. And please, Lew, keep drinking the Kool-Aid that tells you the Mets’ pitching is in “big trouble” while you hope and pray that your bullpen—the one stitched together with spit and bailing wire—doesn’t suffer an injury or two itself. Which, of course, is likely to happen, as most of the people in your pen pitched something like under 50 innings last year due to frequent injuries. On paper, your bullpen is great—but paper tears easily, you know. Remember, Lew—the Braves are a sub-.500 team until they prove different. And now I suppose you’ll tell me now how well the Braves have been doing in Spring Training, because you know…that counts….somewhere.

By Lew

March 26, 2007 8:17 PM | Link to this

Braveheart-No problem. You’re right, Shaun and I go back and forth like a couple of brothers with a healthy dose of sibling rivalry-and yes, it is fun. I really do believe all of my arguments, though and DO feel he was wrong. As a matter of fact, upon more reflection, it could be a reason for some of the Sox’s lack of success over the years. Bad karma or something. Instant Karma’s gonna get you-knock you right in the head.

By Wayne in UT

March 26, 2007 8:19 PM | Link to this

N8: All you state is correct, except that you are forgetting one thing. Those guys were middle infielders. Also, I am sure if you searched long enough, you would find that there is a LF or a 1B somewhere who got playing time without the benefit of power or defense.

Here is why I stand behind my ascertion. If you have someone WITH power and/or defense, then I suspect Bobby would give that guy preferential treatment. You should also include SPEED as another aspect that would get a player additional playing time.

Yes, I am certain that Bobby has his favorites, but he is also a fairly smart baseball man, so I don’t think being a favorite is the ONLY thing that would get a guy into the lineup.

Again, go back and find those LF/1B/RF who got playing time when they didn’t have power/defense/speed, WHEN there was really no other alternative. With Wilson, we do have an alternative if Langerhans doesn’t step up.

Don’t mistake my statements for me not liking Diaz, I do. But I have seen too many 1 year wonders over the past 40 years. Diaz might be one of them. If he doesn’t hit 300 with doubles power, his playing time will be limited.

Just some thought: as you state, “it’s all good!”

By Lew

March 26, 2007 8:19 PM | Link to this

Sounds Familiar-Gee, I didn’t realize you liked me so much. As far as the Kool Aid-Dude, your severely overdosed yourself, if you really believe your post. Least knowledgeable? Nah, can’t be. I’m not a Mets’ fan.

By Chris

March 26, 2007 8:21 PM | Link to this

Hey SoundsFamiliar,

Learn how to use adverbs. Dumbass.

By N8......."It's ALL good!"

March 26, 2007 8:22 PM | Link to this

Braveheart

“233 times?!?!?!?! Wow!”

I know! Isn’t that INSANE?

Can you say: Shoulder trouble, elbow trouble….or maybe BOTH, on the horizon?

Still, it’s pretty impressive. What’s more impressive, is that he apparently has it harnessed.

Just so long as he stays away from the “Guitar Hero”. LOL! Which, btw, I can tell is MORE DIFFICULT than actually learning to play the songs on a REAL GUITAR!

L8R.

By Wayne in UT

March 26, 2007 8:22 PM | Link to this

N8: One more thought. If AJ departs, and we pick up a decent starting outfielder (Baldelli type) and then IF Brandon Jones comes around in the minors this year, it would be hard for Diaz to score a spot on this team. Eventually guys like Diaz, Langerhans, KJ, Orr, Aybar, etc will either get better or get replaced. That’s just the roster dymanics of a baseball team.

By Jared

March 26, 2007 8:24 PM | Link to this

When it comes to platoons, I’m kind of Robert-like in my opinion on Cox. It stunts development. It may benefit short-term, but it hurts a player. See: LaRoche and the difference it made when Brian Jordan and Julio Franco were no longer taking all his at-bats against left-handed pitchers. Cox needs to stop with the platoon bologna.

Anyone else think Glavine will be booed pretty badly during the first Braves’ home series against the Mets? For some reason, I think a lot of Braves’ fan know, and are not pleased, with the way he acted this offseason. Maybe I’m wrong, will be interesting to see.

By Lew

March 26, 2007 8:27 PM | Link to this

Spit and bailing wire. I like that. Keep telling yourself how bad we are as Soriano and Gonzalez strike your hiterrs out repeatedly. Stitched together? Dude, if you don’t believe that applies to your triple A rotation, I’m not sure that intensive therapy would help you much. Your spin was interesting- We weren’t expecting him to be ready for two weeks, so it’s ok that he’s out almost five months. Do you realize how stupid you sound?

By Lew

March 26, 2007 8:29 PM | Link to this

Oh yeah-I forgot. You’re a Mets’ fan on a Braves’ blog. If you realized how stupid you sounded, you wouldn’t be here.

By Wayne in UT

March 26, 2007 8:33 PM | Link to this

Jared: While I agree in principle on the platoon thing, there is probably some valid reason’s behind platooning. If LaRoche had been played from the start against all pitching, who’s to say he would have had the same success he had last year. Probably not. Sometimes a young guy must mature as a hitter. Some are there right from the start (see McCann). The McCann situation causes me to want to see Thorman hit against some lefties to make sure he is not another McCann.

By MBATL

March 26, 2007 8:33 PM | Link to this

DOB, I’m surprised to read that you think Wilson will platoon with Thorman. Everything I’ve heard suggest Thorman will be given the chance to play most every day.

I’d be stupid to argue with you - you’re the one in camp with the team - so I’m just, uh, arguing with you, I guess.

Has Wilson played any outfield this spring, by the way?

By Wayne in UT

March 26, 2007 8:36 PM | Link to this

Jared: Glavine has always chased the bucks. YES, he will be boo’d and I hope it is a thundering boo heard all the way our here in Utah. Actually, I will be booing loudly from here, so it might be the “perfect storm”, coming at him from all over the entire Braves World.

:-)

By Robert

March 26, 2007 8:37 PM | Link to this

It’s nice to know that the Braves hitters essentially have themselves to teach each other how to hit.

After all, it’s not like it would be a manager’s job provide instruction, or at least to see to it that instruction is given (and that the pupils are doing their homework and minding their mentors)

No. His only duties are to munch carrots and suagr cubes in the dugout, to utter nonsensical comments regarding his team and his players, to accumulate undeserbed accolades from his adoring fans, and to give little kiddies rides at county fairs accross Georgia

The end of the ‘08 season can not come soon enough

By Wayne in UT

March 26, 2007 8:38 PM | Link to this

Gotta love those Mets fans on a Braves blog. A definite sign of supreme intellegence.

Maybe they subconsciously (sp) want to be a Braves fan.

By Robert

March 26, 2007 8:40 PM | Link to this

“They didn’t give us linescore yet, but Bobby said he gave up four homers, said he was fine, was working on his curveball and wasn’t comfortable on the mound and blah blah blah.”

Blah blah blah? Or hee hee haw?

DOB finally admitting that what Cox says has no perinence to anything (though I predict he’ll be mighty p** off at being called on this)

By OddJob

March 26, 2007 8:41 PM | Link to this

DOB The thing you did concerning Orr and his anxiety about needing a home for his wife put a human face on this time of year in baseball. That must be tough to deal with for everybody close to the situation.And for the player on the bubble and the manager it would be even more so.I’ve heard Mr cox say it is the worst part of the job,no doubt it is.

By SoundsFamiliar

March 26, 2007 8:42 PM | Link to this

Lew - the angrier you get, the dumber you sound. Sanchez wasn’t expected to be out for two weeks—he was out until he could heal, then get back into pitching form, then regain his control. See, if you knew anything about baseball, you’d know that. But you obviously don’t. And yes, he’ll be out a lot longer now, but that was always one of the possible outcomes. AND, Lew, if you don’t acknowledge that your pen has a SERIOUS history of injury, you’re just delusional—but I guess that’s redundant. You are a Braves fan, of course. Pennants are good enough! Long live the streak!

By Gil in Mechanicsville

March 26, 2007 8:44 PM | Link to this

Hey Wayne, Are you in retail, commercial or industrial sales?

By SoundsFamiliar

March 26, 2007 8:48 PM | Link to this

Want to know why you have Mets fans on this Braves blog? Well, a while back, some of us were talking, and one person said, “you HAVE to go read this Braves blog—possibly the dumbest commentary on baseball you’ll ever read.” And so, we did—and LAUGHED and LAUGHED as Braves fan after fan said stupid things like “Release Hampton” even AFTER at least ten people explained that baseball contracts are guaranteed. Man, that was a good one. And that’s just one example. The level of ignorance here about the sport of baseball is astounding.

By Wayne in UT

March 26, 2007 8:48 PM | Link to this

Gil: Commercial sales.

By Wayne in UT

March 26, 2007 8:49 PM | Link to this

and it’s well after 5pm now, so I am “off the clock.”

By Gil in Mechanicsville

March 26, 2007 8:52 PM | Link to this

Contact me at elliotgm@aol.com I may have a lead for you.

By MBATL

March 26, 2007 8:57 PM | Link to this

Sounds to me like the Mets are pretty devastated by the loss of Sanchez:

Article

By Wayne in UT

March 26, 2007 9:00 PM | Link to this

Sounds Familiar: Some of us who actually do know a bit about baseball suspect it is Met’s fans masquerading as Braves fans who keep making the “stupid” statements on our blog. Really though, it is a simpleton who would come onto a blog and argue just for the sake of arguing.

So, I will interpret for you for any other blogs you chose to submit tonight: BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, (I love the Met’s) BLAH, BLAH…

By David O'Brien

March 26, 2007 9:03 PM | Link to this

MBATL, I just have a feeling it�s going to be a platoon at 1B, and frankly I think it should be, long as they�ve got three LFs and Wilson isn’t going to get a lot of playing time out there _ and perhaps not much at all if Langerhans shows his bat is good enough (we know his glove is) to warrant keeping him in the lineup every day.

Wilson is too good a hitter to keep on the bench, and Thorman can develop in a platoon for one year like LaRoche did his first couple years. But that’s just my opinion. I could be entirely wrong, and Bobby might be planning to go with Thorman on an every-day basis. He hasn’t said.

By David O'Brien

March 26, 2007 9:04 PM | Link to this

Oh, and yes, Wilson’s played the outfield, but only a couple of games if I recall correctly. He looked fine when he was out there, in the limited chances he had. He knows how to catch a fly ball just fine. Not Langy, but he’s adequate.

By SoundsFamiliar

March 26, 2007 9:05 PM | Link to this

Yes, MBATL, here’s a quote from that article you posted:

“And Wagner said, “It’ll mean a little more work for everyone.”

Wow—they’re really BROKEN UP.

By N8......."It's ALL good!"

March 26, 2007 9:05 PM | Link to this

“The level of ignorance here about the sport of baseball is astounding.”

Sadly enough, John Rocker has more intelligence than most Mets fans. Ooops! Did I say that out loud? My Bad.

One thing I do know. It took the Mets 11 years of tasting massive ammounts of Braves Dust in their mouths come October, before they actually put a good team on the field.

Even THEN, it took the Braves having guys miss over a 1000 games on the DL last year for it to happen. Funny, huh?

And for the record, Hampton CAN get released any time the Braves want to, they’d just happen to STILL be on the hook for his salary. Sometimes better to cut ties, rather than wasting time and effort WAITING for a guy to get healthy. That (btw) is in no way, shape or form, and endorsement for JS to release Hampton. But if he wanted to do it…..he surely could.

Oh, btw. When is that trio of Bill Pulsipher, Paul Wilson and Jason Isringhausen gonna take charge and be the next “BIG THREE” of starting pitchers in the NL East? I know, I’ve been waiting for QUITE SOME TIME on that “armageddon” scenario, to take place.

By SoundsFamiliar

March 26, 2007 9:10 PM | Link to this

Wayne - try a tinfoil hat. It’ll keep the impostors from reading your thoughts. And I think you Braves fans are doing just fine on your own with the idiotic statements—but it was nice to hear you confirm that even Braves fans know how stupid the level of discussion on this blog is.

By Wayne in UT

March 26, 2007 9:11 PM | Link to this

Gil: Email on it’s way.

Gotta slow down tonight, as my Utah Jazz are on the TV tonight against the Wizards and Agent Zero.

By N8......."It's ALL good!"

March 26, 2007 9:12 PM | Link to this

DOB

I think it’s crucial that Langerhans have a good year and get many AB’s. It’s the only way we’re gonna know if he is capable (with his bat) of replacing Andruw next year in CF.

We all know his glove is good enough. But it’s the stick that needs to be tested. I guess if he can’t “handle” being the LF, batting at the bottom of the order, with AJ on the roster, than that should pretty much tell us how he’d fair at REPLACING Andruw, IMO.

I’m not saying stick with him out there if he is struggling, but if he is hitting the ball, he needs to play everyday, IMO. Not only for defense, but just to get the necessary AB’s to mature as a hitter.

By MBATL

March 26, 2007 9:14 PM | Link to this

Sounds Familiar, a couple of other quotes:

*”He was being counted on,” Wagner said. “That stinks.”

And Heilman said: “I second that.”*

And more from Heilman:

“It won’t fall to one man to take Duaner’s place. We’ll all help each other out.” And it was Heilman who pointed out he had appeared “in almost half our games last year.” He pitched 87 innings in 74 appearances despite the ongoing tendinitis.

Spin it how you want; it’s a big loss for the Mets.

By mike

March 26, 2007 9:14 PM | Link to this

SoundsFamiliar, Trust me, I’ve read many humorous posts on Mets blogs lately. Of course, I’m not dumb enough to think I should chime in. Here are some of the latest topics: (1) Mets fans are upset with this year’s promotional phrase, (2) Julio Franco should be a player-coach, (3) after a recent horrible outing, there was all kinds of complaining about how the Mets should get rid of WAGNER, of all people (I enjoyed pointing this out since you though the Hampton stuff was so freakin humorous), (4) and yes, most REAL Met’s fans (not the fools who post on here) are VERY concerned about the rotation! Now, since I’m sure that ALL Met’s fans on these blogs are so intelligent about baseball, why is it so funny to read about these topics? Listen SoundFamiliar, I remember when I was 15 years old and tried to hang with adults on topics I wasn’t familiar with. Do yourself a favor and go back to studying your sophomore geometry homework. You lose!

By Jared

March 26, 2007 9:15 PM | Link to this

John Rocker was great during the 1999 season when it came to the Mets’ fans. Wish we had another one like him minus the SI comments.

By SoundsFamiliar

March 26, 2007 9:17 PM | Link to this

N8 - Thanks for proving my point. No kidding the Braves CAN release Hampton. But the great unwashed of this blog were INSISTENT that the Braves should “cut him” and spend the money elsewhere—even AFTER it was explained to them—in nice, simple language—that you don’t save any money by terminating a guaranteed contract.

And let me get this straight, because I’m laughing a little too hard—did you REALLY just recommend that sometimes it’s better to “cut ties” and EAT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS rather than wait on every last minute of a guaranteed contract so that a player might at least contribute something for the money he’s being paid? Wow…that was just…..fantastic. Even your fellow Braves fans know how stupid a statement that was.

By Lew

March 26, 2007 9:18 PM | Link to this

Sounds Familiar-I’m not angry. If I was, I probably woould have called you what I really think you are. But I’m not angry. It’s hard to be angry at people so deserving of pity. You just go right on thinking the Braves are a sub .500 team. Just like your idiotic fans chanting Larry Larry as Chipper dismantles the Mets year after year after year. Never realized that little smirk on his face as he cranked pitch after pitch after pitch into your stupid apple in the outfield said screw you louder than any assine chanting ever could. Even named his kid after your sorry stadium because he liked hitting there so much. Your club has a history of being a bunch of losers. Enjoy your one division title in the past 20 years. Just remember “Pennants are good enough! Long live your streak!

By SoundsFamiliar

March 26, 2007 9:22 PM | Link to this

MBATL - Heilman was referring to himself about pitching in half the games last year—not Sanchez. Try reading out loud, it’ll help with comprehension.

mike - There are lots of great topics of discussions on Mets blogs, and some great sources of disagreement. Is all of it informed? Of course not—but the percentage is much higher than this place, to be certain. And of course you remember when you were 15—it was only a year ago.

By flange1

March 26, 2007 9:24 PM | Link to this

SoundsFamiliar, Sorry, I don’t get the spit and bailing wire comment. All of our guys in the bullpen are young studs except for Wickman and he is an older stud. WIth Mota out because HE IS A CHEATER and Sanchez hurt, Heilman is complaining about wanting to be a starter, besides Wagner whio can be a stud in games that don’t matter, who else do have that is not a POS? Please enlighten me how the reat of your bullpen is so great! You lost you 3 major inning eaters from last year and you act like all is the same…Oh I’m sorry you have Chan ho hit out of the Park and Josa can you see it gone Sosa! Talk about spit and bailing wire.

Come on sport enlighten us on the superior Mets bullpen!!!! You are the brilliant baseball man!

By SoundsFamiliar

March 26, 2007 9:26 PM | Link to this

Lew -

I’ll try to type slow so you can keep up:

Last year, ATL won 79 and lost 83. That’s a winning percentage of .488.

You are a sub-.500 team. Accept it.

By SoundsFamiliar

March 26, 2007 9:29 PM | Link to this

flange1 - Thanks for proving my point about Atlanta fans being uninformed. Go look at the injury history of Soriano and Gonzalez, and then tell me about what “young studs” they are. Too funny.

By flange1

March 26, 2007 9:30 PM | Link to this

SoundsFamiliar, If we are so stupid and uninformed, why don’t you go blog with the other Mets fans and leave us alone? You are pitiful!!!

By flange1

March 26, 2007 9:32 PM | Link to this

SoundsFamiliar,

They are healthy now! Who is healthy or not suspended in the Mets Camp?

By Braveheart

March 26, 2007 9:35 PM | Link to this

Sounds Familiar: You said:

You are a Braves fan, of course. Pennants are good enough! Long live the streak!

Was that a Yankees fan talking? Oh, no, no, no! That was a Mets fan talking. A Mets fan?!?!?!?!?!? WTF?!?!?!?! Who died and made them Elvis all of a sudden?!?!?!?!?! We’re Elvis mofo. The Yankees are the Beatles. The Mets?!?!? They’re Vanilla Ice. Remember that.

Chrissakes!!! They win something for the first time since the Reagan administration and they want to start puffing out their chests. LOL! All proud of one division title but then telling others to be ashamed of 14 in a row. You know what Sounds Familiar, you do sound familiar. You sound like a Mets fan. Why are we even wasting our time arguing with you delusional fools? I’m done. Call me in 13 years or so. Maybe then I’ll give you a Scooby snack. But I think it will be about 2024 before you guys are able to puff your chests out again. a division title every freaking 18 years or so.

Oliver Perez in Game 7 of the NLCS?!?!?! Yeah, we’re scared. That sure sounds like a dynasty in the making, alright! LOL!!! Who the heck are you guys kidding? Call us in 13 years. Until then, STFU about 14 division titles in a row.

The arrogance and swagger of the Yankees, the tradition and prestige of the Expos.

By SoundsFamiliar

March 26, 2007 9:36 PM | Link to this

Okay, flange, I’ll leave you alone…it’s too easy anyway.

By Gil in Mechanicsville

March 26, 2007 9:37 PM | Link to this

Hey Sounds Familiar… I w i l l t y p e s l o w e r L A S T Y E A R! ! ! !

By Lew

March 26, 2007 9:43 PM | Link to this

Sounds Familiar-Ever wonder why I love rubbing your ugly Mets’ face in it? Try this one on for size you mental midget. This comes from Eric Simon, the writer of Amazin Avenue, a Mets’ blog. I quote-“The Mets clearly have some concerns about their bullpen, as neither Duaner Sanchez nor Juan Padilla may be close to returning to regular action. Joe Smith has impressed everyone in camp and in all likelihood he will be the right handed specialist when the regular season begins. Ambiorix Bargos and Jorge Sosa, two guys who seemed like safe bets to make the club a month ago have been mostly terrible and are likely ticketed to New Orleans. Aaron Heilman, Pedro Feliciano and Billy Wagner will once again be anchoring the relief corps and it appears the Mets will try to throw a bunch of crap against the wall to fill in the cracks.” I think that says it all. Gee, it was one of YOUR guys said that, Dude, not the Braves’ fans. Get a life. No wait, that won’t help. Get some pitchers who don’t suck. You need them.

By Lew

March 26, 2007 9:44 PM | Link to this

Sounds Familiar-What, you haven’t said Yo Mama yet? I thought that was one of the Mets’ fans best comebacks.

By Oregon_Braves

March 26, 2007 9:53 PM | Link to this

Isn’t it funny how we never get rude fans from any team other than the Mets on here? No Phillies, Marlins, Dodgers or even Yankees fans bother. Only the Mets have fans with such overdeveloped inferiority complexes that they take it upon themselves to be brash and obnoxious towards those who are obviously superior. They hate the Yankees, like the red-headed step-children they are, but have never been able to beat them. They have always been behind the Braves, usually quite a bit, in the NL East and the one year they come out on top, who do you think has slimed out of the wordwork with delusions of grandeur? Yes, those same Mets fans who strive so hard for the headlines of the paper, but who are constantly relegated to the back page. When the Bizarro 2006 season rights itself this year, it will definitely sound familiar, you troll.

By MBATL

March 26, 2007 9:53 PM | Link to this

SF, I didn’t suggest otherwise. If I misrepresnted (and I don’t think I did), let’s go back and read the article again, and you tell me that the Mets think it doesn’t matter.

If the Braves lost Soriano, Gonzalez, even Villarreal (hey, we had a scare with Cormier today), I’d be rational enough to admit that it hurt our chances. But you won’t. You lose a key reliever; your corner outfielders are both dinosaurs; you’ve got 1 good starting pitcher; but you’re gonna come on the Braves blog and talk smack.

The Mets are NL East Champs until someone knocks them off - I’ll grant you that! … so why are you here begging for approval?

By Lew

March 26, 2007 9:54 PM | Link to this

Sounds Familiar-One last thing. I tried looking up this Joe Smith who is supposed to be your RH specialist. Never pitched above AA. Good luck with that.

By Gil in Mechanicsville

March 26, 2007 9:55 PM | Link to this

Last year the Braves found out that even with a great offense, a bull pen that gave up runs like a pair of cheap hose left the club exhusted and out of contention by the All-Star break. The Mets may find themselves in the same position this year with a bunch of AAAA pitchers. Even the Yankees have discovered you cannot buy a pennant without good pitching. Oh what a wonderful time to be a Braves fan!!!!

By David O'Brien

March 26, 2007 10:00 PM | Link to this

N8, just looking back over a paragraph I wrote quickly while ago. Not what I meant to say. Should’ve been:

I just have a feeling it�s going to be a platoon at 1B, and frankly I think it should be, long as they�ve got three LFs and Wilson isn’t going to get a lot of playing time out there _ and perhaps not much at all if Langerhans shows his bat is good enough (we know his glove is) to warrant keeping him in the lineup every day.

That’s what I meant to say. I should tell you, I’m a big Langerhans guy, if he can hit. As I’ve said, he doesn’t need to hit a ton, say .270 with 13-15 homers and a decent OBP. With his glove, that’s probably about enough.

By Lew

March 26, 2007 10:03 PM | Link to this

I just checked out the New York Daily News Mets Blog- Here are their “Recent Entries” 1.Sanchez not definite on surgery 2.Sanchez worse 3. Sanchez fracture 4. Sanchez MRI 5. SANCHEZ SETBACK (their caps). No the Mets aren’t even concerned about his loss. Their fans aren’t either. Weren’t going to need him, anyway. Yeah. Right.

By Carroll

March 26, 2007 10:13 PM | Link to this

All the guys on the XM morning baseball show, including Buck Martinez, picked the Braves. A great time to be a Braves fan, indeed!

By N8......."It's ALL good!"

March 26, 2007 10:15 PM | Link to this

SoundsFamiliar

you asked:

*”And let me get this straight, because I’m laughing a little too hard—did you REALLY just recommend that sometimes it’s better to “cut ties” and EAT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS rather than wait on every last minute of a guaranteed contract so that a player might at least contribute something for the money he’s being paid? Wow…that was just…..fantastic. Even your fellow Braves fans know how stupid a statement that was.”

Yup I did. I realize that the money wasn’t the same ammount. But what if the Braves would have “stuck” with Mondesi and his GUARANTEED contract in 2005? I guess we would’ve had to wait another year, for Francoeur, right?

Like I said. I’m a patient man, when it comes to Mike Hampton. In no way was I saying: “release him”. Basically because I still think he DOES have something to offer.

But if a guy is COMPLETELY worthless, and is blocking a roster spot that could be taken by a YOUNGER more talented guy, why hang on to them??? Especially if the contract is SO BIG that it is untradeable. I’ve always stood by this theory: Don’t COMPOUND a bad contractual decision (overpaying somebody or taking on a BIG BAD contract) by continuing to put the guy on the field, if he CAN’T do the job anymore.

Like the Mondesi deal, this isn’t as much money. But when Marcus Giles was brought up, the RELEASED Quilvio Veras….are you ready for this…..GASP!!…..in MID-SEASON, thus, EATING THE REST OF HIS CONTRACT.

Apparently JS figured it wasn’t worth wasting Giles roster spot, with a guy NOT GETTING THE JOB DONE, even though he was STILL owed money. For the record, Veras’ salary was 3.9 million in 2001. was released at about the mid-point of the season. So while being released JS/Braves ATE ABOUT 2 MILLION DOLLARS just to make him go away.

It doesn’t happen very often in baseball, but it has happened. Maybe you should do your homework.

By mike

March 26, 2007 10:17 PM | Link to this

SF, your 9:22 post confirmed my suspicions. Anyone with a comeback like that is pure genious.

It’s official: YOU LOSE!

By MBATL

March 26, 2007 10:17 PM | Link to this

DOB, appreciate your comments on Wilson/Thorman. I guess my feeling is, that yes, Wilson should get some pt at 1B or OF because he can hit. But a straight platoon at 1B is an assumption that Thor can’t hit lefties, and I hope we won’t make that judgement unless we have to. But like I said, I’ll take your evaluation over mine. Above all, may the best man play.

By N8

March 26, 2007 10:20 PM | Link to this

DOB

Couldn’t agree with you more about Langerhans. I love his hustle and defense.

If he merely turned in to a “Giles-Like” doubles machine, I’d be happy with that defense.

I hope he does well.

I’ll be back later. Time to go watch “24” on the DVR.

L8R

By dcarp23

March 26, 2007 10:24 PM | Link to this

Re: Langerhans, Baseball Prospectus projects the following numbers for this season:

13 HR, 49 RBI, 49 BB, 87 SO, .265 BA, .362 OBP, .449 SLG.

Not bad for a eight hitter, particularly his OPS stats.

By Lee

March 26, 2007 10:30 PM | Link to this

DOB, Master of Puppets is a great album. from a bass player’s perspective Cliff Burton just burns on that album. Especially on Orion, Damage Inc., and Disposable Heroes. Great Album.

By Braveheart

March 26, 2007 10:34 PM | Link to this

Okay, enough with being childish. Here are my predictions for the 14 (include DL Aybar) who are coming up north for opening day:

KJ - .360/.430/.790 OPS (600 Plate Appearances)

Edgar - .360/.420/.780 OPS (650 PA)

Chipper - .400/.550/.950 OPS (550 PA)

Druw - .350/.550/.900 OPS (650 PA)

McCann - .360/.500/.860 OPS (500 PA)

Frenchy - .320/.500/.820 OPS (700PA)

Thorman - .330/.440/.770 OPS (375 PA)

Wilson - .350/.460/.810 OPS (350 PA)

Langerhans - .350/.410/.760 OPS (350 PA)

Diaz - .340/.450/.790 OPS (300 PA)

Aybar - .390/.420/.810 OPS (350 PA)

Woodward - .310/.380/.690 OPS (200 PA)

Brayan - .340/.380/.720 OPS (200 PA)

Orr - .310/.380/.690 OPS (100 PA)

I think if the players perform that way with some give and take, the Braves should score over 800 runs this year like last year. I think those are pretty reasonable and obtainable OPS numbers for the most part for those guys. I was actually kind of conservative with a few like Chipper, Andruw, and McCann. I don’t know. 6 days left. I’m bored. Tried to have a little fun with it.

By KC

March 26, 2007 10:35 PM | Link to this

SoundsFamiliar: “while you hope and pray that your bullpen—the one stitched together with spit and bailing wire—doesn’t suffer an injury or two itself. Which, of course, is likely to happen, as most of the people in your pen pitched something like under 50 innings last year due to frequent injuries.”

2006:

Mike Gonzalez – 54 innings

R. Soriano – 60 innings

Bob Wickman – 54 innings

Macay McBride – 56 innings

Oscar Villarreal – 92 innings

Chad Paronto – 56 innings

“On paper, your bullpen is great—but paper tears easily, you know. Remember, Lew—the Braves are a sub-.500 team until they prove different.”

Am I to understand that at this time last year, when your fellow Mets fans said “the Mets look great this year!”… you responded by saying “They’re not worth a damn until they prove otherwise”? And at no point last year did you think or express that the Mets were the favorites to win the division since the Braves were the champs until proven otherwise? I have a hard time believing that.

You’re holding on to your 2006 glory as tightly as you can. Yes, the title of NL East division champs belongs to you if/until the Braves clinch it this year. I don’t begrudge you that. But the facts are the facts, and right now those facts are telling us that your rotation is awfully thin while Atlanta’s looks damn good. The facts also tell us that any attempt on your part to downplay the strength of Atlanta’s pen just sounds plain silly.

Anything can happen. What looks good on paper doesn’t always play out… but right now, the Braves have to be considered the favorites in the East.

By Brad in MT

March 26, 2007 11:01 PM | Link to this

Just a FYI for everyone, in his ESPN chat today Jerry Crasnick picked the Braves to loose to the Red Sox in the World Series….I didn’t see anyone else notice that, so if someone else did sorry for the repeat. Its nice to see that people are recognizing how good this team can be. He also pointed out how weak the Mets rotation is. I am glad its not just me being a homer, other people have the same view of things!!

By OddJob

March 26, 2007 11:02 PM | Link to this

I’m watching the ucla special on hbo. The debate from the other day about who was better Alcindor or Walton I don’t know but watching Walton his junior year before the feet started breaking down,good god! he would be the perfect modern center,even a better fit today than in the 70s.

By Canuckbravesfan

March 26, 2007 11:06 PM | Link to this

If Wilson’s arthritic shoulder prevents him from making decent throws from the outfield, what are his chances of turning a 3-6-3 double play ? Did Wilson give back some of the money we’re paying him as he appears to be damaged goods ? Just wondering.

By Jared

March 26, 2007 11:07 PM | Link to this

Let’s see:

Braves get: Gonzalez and Soriano.

Mets get: Burgos.

I’ll take what the Braves got this offseason over what the Mets did bullpen-wise every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Last I heard, Burgos wasn’t even going to make the Mets’ bullpen. And they gave up a decent starting pitcher for a cruddy reliever who couldn’t even cut it with the Royals? I guess it’s just more of Omar Minaya’s plan to make the Mets as hispanic as possible (see: pretty much any of his moves since coming in.)

Pedro Martinez, Burgos, Jorge Sosa, Carlos Delgado, Beltran, Jose Valentine, Julio Franco, Oliver Perez, Mota just off the top of my head.

I’m not the one saying this, I found out about Minaya’s alleged pro-hispanic bias from Mets’ blogs I’ve read.

By Chop Chop

March 26, 2007 11:22 PM | Link to this

Metallica rules. They’re the first band I really got into when I was younger. I have all their albums. They rock, dude.

Lee, in your 10:30 post, you extol the virtues of the kick-a* bass playing by one Mr. Cliff Burton. Well, click this link if you want to watch another master bringin’ the thunder:

John Entwistle throwin’ down on 5:15

Damn that cocaine.

By David O'Brien

March 26, 2007 11:22 PM | Link to this

Canuckbravesfans, who said Wilson’s arthritic shoulder prevents him from making decent throws from the outfield. I didn’t. After seeing him play out there a couple times, that’s not my impression. Just curious who said it, or if you saw something that made you think that?

Here’s what I just wrote tonight, in this blog: “He can make the necessary throws from the outfield, just not going to make exceptional throws. But that’s OK in left field. He’ll do alright out there, as good or better than Diaz defensively, I would suspect, though haven’t seen enough of Wilson to be certain.”

Did someone else tell you he can’t make decent throws?

By David O'Brien

March 26, 2007 11:23 PM | Link to this

Oh, and Canuckbravesfan, on the only tough throw I’ve seen him have to make so far from first base, he threw a perfect strike with some zip on it to nail a guy trying to score.

By Spike

March 26, 2007 11:26 PM | Link to this

All this venom directed to our visiting Mets bloggers and the best visual goes unnoticed. Scalp em Braves’ post about Wicky and Diaz diving for the last doughnut is classic!! Wonder if Wicky spilled his beer…nope, not for a doughnut! The season will be a long one, pitchers will come and go, and at the end there will be a division champ. Until the Braves beat the Mets this year the Mets are the reigning division champion, but if you compare last years teams to this years’ you would have to be blind not to see who has improved the most. Now we play see if it all works out as planned. I believe the Braves are one of the three best teams in the NL, and the Mets aren’t even in the top five…we’ll see.

By Robert (Justice Is The Best)

March 26, 2007 11:38 PM | Link to this

Sounds Familiar, it sounds like you don’t like to many people on this blog and think all (or most) of us Braves fans are idiots. Well, pal, if that is how you feel why don’t you simply go somewhere else. You won’t be missed. All opinions are welcomed here but its not to nice or bright to come into somebody else’s turf uninvited spewing venom and non-sense. Also, my friend, keep telling yourself things are okay. We Braves fans did the same thing last year about our bullpen and then Opening Day came and with it reality. You reality won’t hit on Sunday night. It will hit in game #2 of the season when you see Orlando “El freaking Duque” Hernandez getting lit up like a gaudy Christmas tree. Good luck!!!!!!!

By Lew

March 26, 2007 11:54 PM | Link to this

Chop Chop-Dude, I’m with you 100%. John Entwistle was the best there was. It truly is a shame the coke got him. Have you ever hear of a CD called TEP (Tipton, Entwistle and Powell)? It’s Glenn Tipton from Priest on guitar and Cozy Powell on drums. Pretty decent tunes.

By Lee

March 26, 2007 11:59 PM | Link to this

Yeah, Los Mets are in trouble too because Duaner (spelling?) Sanchez will probably sit this year too from that car accident he suffered last season. I would feel bad for the guy, but he is a Met and that would be unethical.

By Greg in TN

March 27, 2007 12:09 AM | Link to this

Evening, well, almost morning for those of us in the eastern time zone…

Been away for a few days hot tubbin’ in the mountains and enjoying the ambiance thereof. So pardon me while I get in a few thoughts that have been percolating over the past several days.

It’s too bad that Pena had to be traded, but I will be rootin’ for him in Kansas City. He’s going to get a chance to contribute early and often since the Royals have optioned 2003 AL ROY Angel Berroa to Omaha. Good for Tony. I like the fact we got a power pitcher in exchange for Pena. Cordier had TJ surgery in December and will have to get his strength back in his arm, I think this trade will pay dividends for us down the road.

I’m glad that Cormier’s shoulder isn’t hurt more than what it’s being reported. The way Davies has been pitching lately, I think we’ll be fine either way. This is looking like the antithesis of last season’s pitching staff.

DOB Great information on Chipper today. It’s the little things like this that make me shake my head every time someone throws out a “Let’s get rid of Chipper” post. The guy is a winner, he’s a positive influence on the kids in the clubhouse, he hits for average and power. There has been some health issues, but as I’ve mentioned here before, we are a stronger team even if he’s only able to go 120-130 games as opposed to any other options we would have at 3B.

We’re at T-minus 6 days 12 hours 57 minutes until opening day.

By Coach

March 27, 2007 12:50 AM | Link to this

According to the Braves/MLB website Redman gave up six earned runs in six innings to go along with the four homeruns he gave up and it was a minor league game to boot. I warned you didn’t I !!!!!. Now Cormier is a question mark and we have a bum lefty in the rotation in Redman , wonderful ! Cox is hellbent on having two lefty’s in his rotation and I thought I was stubborn , but Cox is down right mule headed. Redman’s unofficial spring numbers : 18 innings 12 earned runs and an impressive 6.00 ERA.

By The Grinch

March 27, 2007 1:12 AM | Link to this

Man, sorry I came in too late to pile on that douchebag Mets fan. Oh, well. Cliff Burton was a freakin’ amazing bass player, not to mention the concience of Metallica. When he died they lost their soul, and it left Lars Ulrich free to be a total choad without someone checking him. Shame. Speaking of amazing musicians, going to see the G-3 concert at the tabernacle Wednesday night. Joe Satriani, John Petrucci from Dream Theater and Paul Gilbert. DOB, wish you could come along and receive a guitar clinic. :-) Now, baseball…watched Matsuzaka pitch today while I was at the gym; dude had bad control, threw a butt-load of pitches and STILL didn’t give up a hit to the Reds. They said he was coming in to try to sharpen his breaking stuff; he kept shaking off Varitek (who calls a great game). Man, I’d hate to see what he could do when he was really trying. He reminds me of a poor man’s young Pedro. BTW, Journalist Bob is alive and well; last I heard he was soaking in the tub. Later.

By Mr. J

March 27, 2007 5:07 AM | Link to this

Chop Chop,

I enjoyed the link to 5:15. Just yesterday I gave Quadrophenia a run through from start to finish. I first bought that album as a young’un in 1974 and it still seems fresh to me, and vastly underrated. I especially like Entwhistle’s virtuoso performance on “Can You See the Real Me”- still gives me the shivers whenever I hear it. Some have criticized that album for being over the top and just too much, but to me its dramatic and powerful. The instumental performances are by masters at the peak of their abilities. Entwhistle in particular.

By David O'Brien

March 27, 2007 8:12 AM | Link to this

Coach, thanks for informing us what’s on the Braves/MBL website. It’s also on the website you’re currently reading. The info’s in the story about Cormier and the pitching situation.

And what was your point about, ‘Now Cormier is question mark and we have a bum lefty in the rotation in Redman…”

I don’t see what one has to do with the other. Would you have preferred then didn’t sign Redman for $750,000, so that today you’d have Cormier a question mark and, well, who else in the rotation in the spot Redman will take? Perhaps Carlyle, who’s 1-3 with a 7.41 ERA in 21 major league games (seven starts) in 11 years of pro ball?…

Or maybe Harrison, who showed he’s not ready before being dropped from the camp roster?…

Mr. J, do yourself a huge favor, give yourself a present: The Who’s Live at the Isle of Wight Festival on DVD. A brilliant 1970 performance with the lads rockin’ their arses off, and it’s remastered and sounds like it was recorded yesterday.

The second half of the show was supposedly their only recorded live performance of the complete Tommy rock opera. But they play for an hour or so before they even launch into that.

Ox Entwistle is playing while standing still, off to the side, doing his thing while the rest of the band is flying around, Townsend windmilling and Daltrey whipping the mike stand around and the incredible Moon flailing away. It’s tremendous. Ox is wearing a skeleton suit thing, like a kid might wear on Halloween, a black body suit with a white skeleton printed on it.

By Michael Smith

March 27, 2007 8:24 AM | Link to this

Mr. O’Brien, I have the impression that the Braves are running (atttempting to steal bases) far more often this spring than they did last year. Is that a reflection of a change in philosophy on Bobby’s part or simply because we’ve been up against a number of minor league catchers? Just curious.

By KC

March 27, 2007 8:29 AM | Link to this

COACH: I don’t think it has anything to do with the fact that Redman’s a lefty… it’s more that he’s a veteran, and Cox values experience. Also, the Braves like having a 6th starter waiting in the wings if needed, which they wouldn’t have had (until Hampton comes back) if Redman weren’t here and both Cormier and Davies were in the rotation.

By DC Braves Fan

March 27, 2007 8:45 AM | Link to this

DOB - Why has Brandon Jones not gotten more AB’s this spring? Wouldn’t have been prudent for them to see what he can do? DO you think he may be a call-up later this year or do you think he’s a year away.

By The Grinch

March 27, 2007 8:54 AM | Link to this

And don’t forget Davies sucks; a little detail that seems to keep getting left out. Glad he looks better this Spring and if he doesn’t have TOO much pressure put on him this year (like having to take Cormier’s spot in the rotation to start out) he might develop into an effective pitcher sooner rather than later. However, all he’s proven in the majors so far is that he can come unglued with the best of them; I won’t feel the least secure about his presence until he proves he isn’t afraid of the big bad wolf. Jorge Sosa has good stuff, too, remember?

By Coach

March 27, 2007 9:09 AM | Link to this

O’Brien whether its Redman , Carlyle or even Trey Hodges. They all do a fair imitation of a batting practice machine. Call Redman a mediocre fifth starter or Carlyle a journeyman minor leaguer , I really see no difference other than the paycheck. At any rate , we shall see who is starting April 7th against the Mets. then I’ll know if Cox is on his game.

By David O'Brien

March 27, 2007 9:11 AM | Link to this

DC fan, he hasn’t gotten more at-bats because he’s not on the roster and wasn’t invited to camp. He’s too young to compete for a spot on this team, but they brought him over like they did Elvis Andrus and a other top prospects because they do want to see how they’re progressing and give them a little taste of big-league camp and Grapefruit League games so they’re more comfortable when they’re here for good. Jones looked very good, especially since he had shoulder surgery in the fall. No lingering effects evident whatsoever.

He will be in camp a year from now, count on it. Might be on the team a year from now. He’s that good.

But I wouldn’t look for him to be added to the 40-man roster until next winter.

By DC Braves Fan

March 27, 2007 9:15 AM | Link to this

BTW - For anyone who’s a video game geek and loves baseball, get MLB 2k7 for the 360 (I know, I know, it’s got Jeter on the cover, but nothing a little creative photo-shopping couldn’t solve).

Anyways, it’s the BEST simulation I’ve ever seen/played; it’s so realistic - down to individual players’ nuances (e.g., Nomar’s ticks, Manny’s shoulder shrugs, Chipper’s toe tapping, etc. etc.)

Which brings me to my next Q, which I’m hoping the citizens of this blog can help me on… I’m trying to update the rosters and need batting stances for the following prospects, i.e., for anyone who’s seen them play - who’s batting stances do they remind you of?? 1. E. Andrus (some say like Julio Franco’s? Is that accurate?) 2. B. Jones 3. Salty 4. Lillibridge 5. Y. Escobar 6. E. Campbell (What can I say, I’m a dork, but your help would be much appreciated)

By David O'Brien

March 27, 2007 9:16 AM | Link to this

They might be running a bit more this year, but not expecting much change. You should keep in mind that nine of their 23 stolen bases came from Willie Harris (six), who isn’t going to make the team, and big-time prospect Brent Lilligridge (three), who was here just for a taste of camp and was dropped in the first cuts.

By Lew

March 27, 2007 9:22 AM | Link to this

I’d like to thank all of the Braves’ fans who jumped on that jerk last night. I don’t know what it is (maybe my sunny personality and love of the Mets-yeah) that makes these idiots seek me out. Last night was a great example of how to handle their over enthusiastic bombast (hear that KC and Shaun)? Next time you don’t tell them how wonderful they were last season. Thanks for covering my back, y’all. I appreciate it.

By Shaun

March 27, 2007 9:26 AM | Link to this

Lew and Braveheart,

I did some research lastnight. Duquette wasn’t a people person. Aside from the Clemens fiasco and signing a few mediocre players to some bad deals, he was a pretty good GM. His problems mostly stemmed from the fact that he was too cut-throat during negotiations. He was a bad fit from the get-go. The current regime is far from Duquette.

As far as Damon, I don’t know how to convince you the reason they didn’t sign him is because they didn’t think they would be getting enough value towards the end of the contract.

Here’s a quote from Epstein when asked in an interview if Damon would have still signed with the Yankees if he hadn’t resigned:

“Probably, given the way it’s gone down. I hate to comment on negotiations when I’m not directly involved in them but I’ll say this, I don’t think anyone’s at fault for the way things transpired. Johnny did what was best for him and his family. The Yankees, given the need they had at leadoff and in center field, did the right thing for them. They did a good job in the negotiation. And the Red Sox offered $10 million a year and really adhered to the philosophy of setting a value on a player, remaining disciplined through the course of the negotiation, a philosophy that played a large role in 95-plus wins three years in a row and as tough as it is when you lose players, as tough as it is on the fans, that philosophy will serve the fans well in the long run because it will lead to winning teams.”

The Red Sox are a filthy rich team, but they realize that it’s unwise for even filthy rich teams to greatly overvalue any player.

I don’t blame the media for everything. They are doing their job. But some in the media are oversimplifying things. They don’t take into account that when you acquire a player you aren’t just acquiring a player, you are picking up the player and a contract. And when you spend a several million dollars too many and use up a roster spot on a greatly overvalued player, that can add up and cost a team.

Does this mean they don’t take risks? No. But they take calculated risks.

Matsuzaka, for instance; they spent big bucks on him because the likely reward is huge. He’s a 26-year-old and is largely regarded as one of the best pitchers in the world.

How can we make all this relate to the Braves? Well, look at Andruw Jones. Lew, you brought up that the Braves probably can’t afford to sign him to a long-term deal and that his skills would decline 5-6 years down the road but this wouldn’t stop the Yankees, Red Sox or Angels from making a run at him. You are right, but AJ isn’t Johnny Damon. AJ is a likely Hall of Famer. AJ is likely to be a prolific power-hitter for the next 6-7 years even though his skills will decline.

Also, the Braves’ situation is different from the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, etc. Those teams can afford to slightly overvalue players like AJ, who are likely to be very good even in the decline phase of their career (unlike guys like Damon, Pedro, etc.). The Braves, at this point, probably can’t afford to overvalue anyone. In fact, they probably should look for undervalued players.

To sum it up, the Braves can’t afford to overvalue players at all. Richer teams, can afford to slightly overvalue players but it’s still not a good idea unless those players are great. But even richer teams would be wise to calculate the risks of overvaluing certain types of players (see the 2004-2005 Yankees pitching staff).

Situations that arise in Boston have little to do with the front office and the media conspiring against a player. They have to do with the natural course of negotiating player contracts and all the baggage that goes along with that. And in Boston everything that goes along with player negotiations and transactions gets magnified because the Red Sox are the hugest thing in town, at the very least in terms of sports.

By Shaun

March 27, 2007 9:29 AM | Link to this

Here’s a preview of the NL East:

http://baseballanalysts.com/archives/2007/03/twoontwonle.php

By Lew

March 27, 2007 9:32 AM | Link to this

Coach-I’m not all that comfortable having a fifth starter who gives up four HR in a minor league exhibition, either. I do think, under the circumstances, that he was a decent pick up. We won’t be using a fifth starter much for a while and I hope Redman will be just that-a fifth starter. Our bullpen is deep enough that maybe we can work our way around him early until he gets his act together a bit, or until Davies proves the spring was no fluke. I will say this in Redman’s favor, though. He came to camp completely cold. Maybe after he has some more innings he can work things out somewhat. We shall see. Everyone else looks good to go. Hope Cormier’s is a very small setback. He seems to think so, based on his past.

By Lew

March 27, 2007 9:40 AM | Link to this

Shaun-You can’t convince me or any one else in New England that was the case with Damon, because it wasn’t. Don’t you remember the political situation in their front office (oh yeah. You don’t live here, read the papers here, or talk to Red Sox fans on a daily basis) that caused Epstein to resign and them to dump Renteria (at a n $18 million loss) and fail to sign Damon? All of this with a GM pretender in Lucchino, who didn’t have a clue. The people up here damn well remember. If they could afford to jettison $18 million on an unpopular player, just how was Damon a bad investment? Give up, Dude. You don’t know whereof you speak. I, for one, will address the topic no longer. You’re wrong and that’s all there is to it.

By N8

March 27, 2007 9:48 AM | Link to this

DOB

Just as Coach “warned us all” about Redman and Cormier, I WARNED you yesterday, of the impending ranting that would be coming from Coach.

He took the “bait” just the same as a cat would, to a cup of spilt milk. LOL!

I’d pat myself on the back for prognosticating, but Ronnie Milsap, and Stevie Wonder could’ve seen that one coming.

There’s a stranger in my house, Someone I can’t see.

Always loved those “obvious” lyrics. LOL!

By Matthew At The SLC

March 27, 2007 9:48 AM | Link to this

Good to hear that Francouer isn’t satisfied with being an easy target at the plate who happens to hit home runs every once in awhile like another player we all know on this team (ahem, paging Andruw Jones). And O’Brien, “Master of Puppets” is good, but for that killer guitar metal made famous in San Fran by Metallica, you have to go with “Kill ‘em All,” or “Ride the Lightning.” Those albums don’t let up. They grab you by the throat and precede to liquify your brains with the awesomeness Metallica was once known for. Much like Rocky V, every album after “Metallica” (commonly referred to as the “Black Album”) didn’t happen. They don’t exist. “St. Anger” was a nice try to get back to their roots, and maybe would have been better if Trujillo was part of the band a that time and able to play on the album and give ideas, but still falls short of their first five albums.

By Lew

March 27, 2007 9:50 AM | Link to this

Shaun-I repeat for the last time. The Red Sox are not the Braves. They do not have an inflexible payroll that is only $80 million and likely to stay that way. They had just dumped $18 million of Renteria’s contract, which would have more than paid for Damon’s raise. As far as Epstein-“I hate to comment on negotiations when I’m not directly involved in them…” What part of this exceeds your understanding? He wasn’t privy to them because he wasn’t even there. He was off pitching a GM’s version of a tantrum. He WAS NOT THE GM at the time. No one was. They were stupdily doing it by committee, because of an interoffice power play. When they realized what a botch up they were performing, they went and kissed Epstein’s feet to come back, but it was too late for Damon-he got fed up with their crap.Enough. Amen and Selah. Please go back to OBP. You are completely wrong here.

By Carroll

March 27, 2007 9:55 AM | Link to this

Coach: I hear ya about Bobby’s stubborn love for the vets, but I gotta disagree with ya on Redman. The guy had 3 outstanding outings in four (I think), and that’s after not having ANY time to get into shape….straight off his couch and into games. He is the picture of what you want from a 5th/emergency starter….veteran, cheap, steady, able to eat innings and get to our dominant bullpen….what else could you ask for? If he was keeping a more deserving rook from getting a shot, then I’d agree with ya, but let’s be honest…the cupboard is pretty bare right now. I look at him as the Chuck Liebrandt of the 2007 season….a veteran anchor at the end of the rotation. Let’s just hope that IF we make it into the World Series, we won’t see Redman in relief. LOL!

By Lew

March 27, 2007 9:56 AM | Link to this

DOB-I just checked out my Yahoo home page and lo and behold. Right there under the bBaseball Topics section was this blog. You’ve gone national, Dude.

By Coach

March 27, 2007 9:59 AM | Link to this

Lew , I charted the first two months of the season (yea,I’m a baseball geek) and if there are no rain outs , Cox could go with a four man rotation , incorporate the six off days in the schedule and they would still be pitching on five days rest. the fifth starter would see just three starts in April and four more in June. Smoltz , Hudson and James would get twelve starts each , Cormier would get ten and the remaining eight games would go to Redman and/or Hampton. At any rate , thats maximizing the pitching to the Nth degree. but , we shall see what Bobby Cox does with it.

By Lew

March 27, 2007 10:11 AM | Link to this

Coach-At least this year we have relief pitchers and lots of them that look good. I think that should prove a mitigating factor. It seemingly has given confidence to the other starters, considering their spring performances. I, too, track the games and score the entire season. It’s widely known I don’t accept phone calls during a game. Let’s hope for the best. At least Jorge Sosa is somewhere else this year. Reitsma, too.

By Shaun

March 27, 2007 10:14 AM | Link to this

Lew,

I’ve read plenty about Damon and the Red Sox. The Red Sox offered Damon what they thought was more than fair. The Yankees offered more. He went to the Yankees. Had little, if anything, to do with the politics of the front office. Did you read the Epstein quote? He said it plainly—Damon would have most likely been gone had he been the GM the entire offseason.

I’ve read interview after interview where Theo Epstein talks about placing proper value on players, where he talks about not hanging onto players too long because of sentimentality, etc.

And they didn’t resign and dump Renteria. They signed Renteria to a long-term deal before the 2005 season. They realized he wasn’t a good fit as he had a bad year in Boston, so they traded him for one of the game’s top prospects.

It wasn’t that Damon would have been a bad investment, it’s that he would have been a worse investment in the long run as their other options if they had spent as much and given him as many years as the Yankees did.

What, was the Nomar situation all politics, too? It had nothing to do with the fact that Nomar was among the worst defensive SS in the AL and they knew they couldn’t win a World Series with him at SS, did it?

Lew, there were reasons the Sox did the things they did that had nothing to do with politics. Some folks just didn’t understand the reasons so they assumed it was all politics. People look at the Damon situation and see that he signed with the Yankees, look at his numbers after one year and think “How could the Sox let him go after one year? Must have been politics.” That’s far from the truth. There are very valid reasons for letting Damon go and you’ll see the results soon enough.

By Shaun

March 27, 2007 10:20 AM | Link to this

Lew,

It’s not just about blowing money on Damon—I admit the Sox could have done that. It’s about blowing a roster spot on him. And if he’s getting a lot of money and he’s not a bad player, the Sox are going to have to play him instead of possibly someone better. So they let him go.

There was drama in the front office, but I don’t think it had much to do with the way the Sox let go of some of the “Idiots.” Millar, Damon, Mueller all would have been gone even if Epstein would have stayed on and everything was running relatively smoothly. Absolutely everything I’ve heard and read and their organizational philosophy indicates this.

By journalist jimmy smith

March 27, 2007 10:27 AM | Link to this

journalist has big news. announcement soon. b-i-g news.

now, oblique … jimmy smith injured an oblique yesterday while attempting to blog. this rendered jimmy smith unable to complete simple blog sentences much like a mets fan.

journalist is feeling much better today. jimmy smith wishes to offer condolences to matt diaz for loss of a portion of matt diaz’ front tooth.

as a blogger has already mentioned, it was a hit to the gap. and how long would chipper be out with such an injury? and would chipper’s age be hard to determine with loss of a tooth? and be thankful it was not a toe. toe, teeth, tongue, all are bad baseball injuries.

By Shaun

March 27, 2007 10:27 AM | Link to this

Lew,

I realize the Braves aren’t the Yankees and the Red Sox and vice versa. But those teams would still by wise to run their organization somewhat like the Braves (or A’s or Twins) and the Red Sox have tried to do that.

Look at the Yankees, what they did a few years back—they overpaid a bunch of aging, mediocre pitchers to fill out their rotation. Could they afford it? Of course they could. Was it wise to do it even though they could afford to? No way.

By MGL

March 27, 2007 10:29 AM | Link to this

Shaun, is there any topic about which you don’t know more than anyone else? Keep going though, Lew and Braveheart are killing you on this one.

By Lew

March 27, 2007 10:39 AM | Link to this

Shaun-IU don’t see where wisdom has entered your arguement from any angle. I just talked to the most knowledgeable and intelligent Red Sox fan I know. He agreed wholeheartedly with my entire assessment and reminded me “Don’t forget the hatchet job the front office did on Edgar Renteria at the same time as the Damon situation.” Shaun-I repeat. You’re wrong. Just drop it.

By Lew

March 27, 2007 10:41 AM | Link to this

And Shaun-again, Epstein was not a member of the Red Sox front office at the time of the Renteria and Damon situations. What his thoughtsa are is entirely irrelavant. He WAS NOT THERE!!!!!!

By Renegator

March 27, 2007 10:43 AM | Link to this

Enough with the Red Sox talk - go to a Red Sox blog if that is what you want to talk about. We don’t care!

By Shaun

March 27, 2007 10:47 AM | Link to this

MGL,

You, too, can look like you know more than anyone. Just rely on evidence and what you see instead of your own opinions and understanding. But if you rely on your own opinions and understanding, you don’t have to offer up any evidence to back you up, no one can prove you wrong (or right), so that way of thinking has its advantages, too.

By Lew

March 27, 2007 10:48 AM | Link to this

Rene-It’s as valid a topic as the Final Four or who the college basketball all-time stars are, or BBQ, music or anything else. You are aware of the advice we give to those who don’t care for some topics? Scroll past.

By MGL

March 27, 2007 10:50 AM | Link to this

Renegator, don’t discourage them, it is a slow news day so far and I’m really enjoying watching Lew rip Shaun to shreds.

By Renegator

March 27, 2007 11:03 AM | Link to this

I would scroll past but there is nothing to scroll to. This is the only topic of conversation. Maybe that’s the problem…

By Scalp 'Em Braves

March 27, 2007 11:05 AM | Link to this

Spike:

Thanks for the props (11:26 pm post), and noticing. Sometimes feel invisible here. It seems that unless you come out swinging about some topic, or announce yourself as a Mutts fan, one gets ignored or otherwise lost in the cacophonus discourse.

I’m not going to jump into the Red Sox fray/debate for two reasons. One, I neither know anything about it, nor have time to “research” the issue. Two, I don’t give a tinker’s damn what goes on in Beantown, unless it somehow affects the Braves. Wish a couple of others would take the same track.

On Redman’s bad outing yesterday spelling doom to our rotation. One bad outing in the spring, and all of the sudden a couple of Chicken Littles turn loose with their “sky is falling” routine. Geez, can’t a person have one bad day at work every once in a while? It’s not like the guy was brought in to be our stud on the mound. That would be Smoltz. He wasn’t brought in to be the second best in the rotation. That would be Huddy or Chuckie. He was brought in as a stopgap after we lost Hampton. If we get 3 good or decent starts out of him for every bad start, where’s the problem with that?

As far as the Mutts fans coming in here and creating a near riot (see Sound Familiar last night), how about we just ignore them? Betcha they go away in a hurry. Hell, I get ignored here all the time. The only reason I come back is because I am a Braves fan. Metro(Sexual)Man is ok - the guy does make some good points on occasion, in the midst of his chest beating. But, lets understand this about Mutts fans - they have a well deserved inferiority complex. Not only are they the stepchild of New York, but they are the perennial bridesmaids, ringbearers, ushers, etc. of the NL East. Last year they were vindicated, after spending about 2 billion dollars over 20 years. That’s ok, because we’re gonna leave em in the dust again. I predict that Chipper will Scalp ‘Em again this year.

By Shaun

March 27, 2007 11:08 AM | Link to this

Lew,

If you and your friends really think the Sox are better off in the long run with Damon and Renteria, I don’t know what to tell you. That’s the reason their gone (and Pedro and Lowe and Millar and Mueller): the front office knows the team is better off without them in the long run (over the lengths of their contracts).

Doesn’t my explanation seem much more likely than a conspiracy by the front office to do a “hatchet job” on players? Especially when you read interviews about the organization’s philosophy and pay attention to what they seem to be trying to do?

Here’s something from an ESPN story:

“We have tremendous resources, don’t get me wrong. But [building an uber-team like the Yankees] is not something we can do,” Epstein said. “We have a plan. We’re in a position competing with less resources where we have to keep one eye on the future. We can’t do certain things.”

The bigger budget allows the Yankees to assemble an “uber-team” — one in which star players are brought in to replace those that are injured.

“That’s not our dynamic,” Epstein said. “We’re not going to have an uber-team every year. We’re going to try to build an organization that can try to sustain success over the long run.”

Do you think this philosophy is all and only Theo Epstein’s? Don’t you think that the philosophy of the organization comes from the entire organization?

The Red Sox are trying to copy the Braves’ model on a larger scale. They aren’t conspiring against players. It’s pretty obvious when you consider all the evidence.

By Matt M.

March 27, 2007 11:11 AM | Link to this

Shut the hell up about the Red Sox, they are Yankee wannabes. The is a Brave blog, an organization that drafts their players, not buys them.

By Gil in Mechanicsville

March 27, 2007 11:24 AM | Link to this

Good morning all,

Why the concern for Redman? Most of you may have not been exsposed to a major league pitcher working with a minor league team. They do not care how many runs are scored. They do not care if they win or lose. They have a purpose and that is to work on a particular pitch or motion or style or whatever.

They don’t care if they give up twenty homers. If it allows them to get the feel of a pitch for when it counts. In minor league spring games you can have the same batter come up every inning for the same reason. It is called PRACTICE!!!! Stop it with the whining already. Want to whine become a Phillies fan, that team is never good enough for their fans no matter what they do.

A bit of information for you. Richmond is a very difficult park to hit homeruns out of. It has exactly the same demensions as Turner Field but very heavy air. Trust me, if a guy can hit them out at Richmond (Thorman), he can blast them out at Turner Field.

By Lew

March 27, 2007 11:24 AM | Link to this

Shaun-You are not dealing with a sabremetric situation here. What I have told you for the past two days is nothing that every Red Sox fan in New England is not aware of. Just because you choose to argue endlessly with arguments that do nothing but show your ignorance on the topic is totally beyond my realm of understanding. Every single person the past two days who has commented on this topic has told you you’re full of crap. I’m tired of telling you. Have it your way, Dude. You are one hundred percent wrong and you don’t have a clue. However, it has become more than painlfully obvious that you will stick to your own interpretation of a situation you know nothing about. I’m tired of explaining to brick walls that they are missing a mortar joint. You certainly will not acknowledge your decfect and you damn well won’t fix it, either. Have it your way-Wally.

By Lew

March 27, 2007 11:31 AM | Link to this

Matt, Rene , et al-I’ll talk about whatever I damn well please. If you choose not to join the conversation, so be it. If you had really paid any attention to the whole thing, it really has damn little to do with the Red Sox and everything to do with trying to show Shaun that he does nothing but argue an indefensible position-like he does more times than not. If you have something better to discuss, well flippin bring it up or shut up yourselves. If you don’t like it, scroll past or discuss something else.

By N8

March 27, 2007 11:31 AM | Link to this

Coach

Not that I actually disagree with everything you say (I just like to get under your skin once in a while - which, btw, is ALL in good fun - nothing personal), but your 9:59 post is about the first thing that you’ve said in a while that I COMPLETELY agree with.

I pretty much did the same thing (looking at the schedule), and just so long as guys like Smoltz and Hudson are getting enough rest, I too, would have NO PROBLEM with essentially a 4 man rotation.

But you and I BOTH know that Bobby would NEVER do that, this early in the year.

Besides, that theory only works if the top four guys are CLEARLY on a roll. For instance, what if Hudson is getting shelled on a regular basis and Redman starts the season off hot as hell, despite his spring numbers? What then? Do you move Hudson to the 5th starter spot that would be rarely used in your hypothetical rotation, to “maximize” the pitching.

Don’t mistake the above question for me starting another “Tim Hudson is gonna stink” debate. I believe he will be more effective than last year, and that is a good thing.

I’m just pointing out that in order for the 4 man rotation theory to pan out, the 4 guys in that said rotation, need to be doing a significantly better job on a regular basis than the 5th guy would be doing. On paper, it appears to be a no-brainer, but then again, “on paper” we all thought we were getting an ACE in Tim Hudson, and that hasn’t panned out…….yet.

By Braveheart

March 27, 2007 11:32 AM | Link to this

I have to work today, so I am not going to get too much into it. But If Andruw was in Boston right now, we would be hearing all types of personal attacks right now on him - many of which would be leaked to the media by the front office. Many of those personal attacks would of course be attributed to the quote unquote unnamed team officials or be leaked off the record. When they are leaked off the record, the media member pretends those are his own thoughts, knowledge, and read on the situation knowing that the front office guy just gave him the green light to slam Druw in the most personal way possible - just like what I showed you yesterday in what Shaughnessy did to your hero Theo at the off the record bequest of Lucchino - everyone else in Boston and in the country seems to know exactly how and why Shaughnessy wrote that article slamming and belitlling Theo except it seems for you.

The Boston front office understands the power of using the media as their hit man at contract time - even when they are whacking their own prized golden child who got them a freaking World Series.

BTW, Cabrera was not the difference at all in them winning a World Series as opposed to Nomar - such a myth - keep swallowing that propaganda thrown out there by the so-called sabermetrician geniuses.

The Braves can’t afford to pay Druw and they have made that clear to us. because they have made it clear that it is about business, they don’t have to get personal in their attacks with Druw. That’s the part you are missing Shaun. The Boston media is a monster but something and someone needs to feed that monster the info the monster eats up - the front office in Boston feeds that monster.

Do you think that the AJC would not sell thousands of more papers today if John or Bobby had gone off the record and told DOB, Schultz, Moore, Bisher, or Bradley to go kill Druw and here’s the ammo we want you to use? If the AJC could get them to talk that way about a player, do you think the AJC would hesitate for a second to use it to sell more papers? The Braves just won’t feed that monster in that manner.

For example, last year that deadline deal that supposedly almost went down with Druw going to Boston. How did that get out? Why did it get out? Do you really think the Braves leaked that? Probably not. I betcha they were pretty annoyed that it did. That kind of information can not be thrown out there by the media unless you have loose lips in Boston leaking that sort of thing to their favorite puppets in the media.

Shaun, why are you so resistant to even entertain the idea that the front office engages often in those kinds of tactics against their players?

Look at Sammy Sosa at the end with the CUbs. When he was slamming sammy hitting 60 home runs 4 years in a row, the club could not stop promoting him. The media and the public ate up the image being thrown out there. When his performance slipped (to normal slugger levels) and the front office wanted to find a way to get rid of him and his contract, what happened then? Sammy is a cancer in the clubhouse, Sammy doesn’t steal bases, Sammy can’t get along with the manager, Sammy has a big ego, Sammy does not listen, Sammy plays his music too loud, we secretly think he was doing steroids, his image was always phony, he’s surly not the smiling image you always see, his teammates hate him, what have they won since he got here. All of that was true from 1995-2001 but not a big deal until it came time to negotiate a big contract. Although his performance had slipped somewhat, it was not that bad that the media and the fans would be the ones fueling the attack on sammy. It was simply getting close to contract time and the front office wanted to make sure that they employed all tactics, sound ones and dirty ones, to make sure they did not have to pay him what he wanted. So, they attacked him through the media (alot of it off the record stuff). Now, if the Cubs had simply decided to give him another contract, would any of those things been said by the front office on and off the record through the media about Sammy? No! He would have been the new Mr. Cub, Smiling Slamming Sammy, the hero of Chicago. Bravo, way to lock up our hero. Spin that one for me Shaun. If you do not want to wholly agree, you have to admit that part of it is true.

As for not wanting to overpay Damon, they paid Renteria’s money and they overpaid for J.D. Drew and the Japanese pitcher. So that justification does not cut it either. Why did they sign an old catcher like Varitek to a long expensive contract if they were so concerned with money and value per dollar? If Cabrera was so vital to winning a World Series as opposed to Nomar, why didn’t they resign him? If they were so concerned about money that they would rather have Crisp in center as opposed to Damon why would they pay for an old catcher who would clearly be too old by the time the contract was over and not go sign Molina or some other similar version of Crisp at catcher?

Alright, gotta get back to work. Apologies to everyone else who does not want to read this rant by me. Just know that this did not start as Red Sox discussion - it is more about the classy way the Braves conduct themselves as opposed to the trashy way the Red Sox conduct themselves. Maybe the Red Sox need to start copying that model of the Braves in the way they conduct themselves with class, Shaun?

By Hunter

March 27, 2007 11:34 AM | Link to this

The Red Sox have done it EVERYBODY’S way. Epstein was a student of the Moneyball way of thinking and that’s why he’s taken some of the chances he has(Ortiz on waivers, retaining Trot Nixon when he could have bought someone else, and sticking with Youkilis) because of their OBP, not defense. But, it wasn’t until he bought a dominant closer at the time(Foulke), traded for defense(Cabrera, Doug Men.), and went the traditional way of thinking that they won the World Series. Now, they outbid the Yankees for players and are drawing closer to their payroll. But, enough about the Red Sox…I can’t stand them or their fans anymore. To me, they and the Yankees are one in the same now.

Go Braves!

By David O'Brien

March 27, 2007 11:39 AM | Link to this

Carroll, you nailed it with this one:

“I hear ya about Bobby’s stubborn love for the vets, but I gotta disagree with ya on Redman. The guy had 3 outstanding outings in four (I think), and that’s after not having ANY time to get into shape….straight off his couch and into games. He is the picture of what you want from a 5th/emergency starter….veteran, cheap, steady, able to eat innings and get to our dominant bullpen….what else could you ask for? If he was keeping a more deserving rook from getting a shot, then I’d agree with ya, but let’s be honest.”

$750,000 for a veteran who’ll give you 10 wins? In this day and age that’s better than a bargain. It’s about unheard of. Again, remember Marquis, after his plus-6.00 ERA and being left off the postseason roster, is making roughly 10 times what Redman’s making, and in a new multi-year contract!

By NO CHOP ZONE

March 27, 2007 11:41 AM | Link to this

162 games are a lot of games. It covers the months of April thru Sept. There are many challenges that any team must deal with. Last year we lost Pedro, Sanchez, Nady all for various reasons. We lost El Duque just before game one of the playoffs. Even with all these challenges the Mets were able to win the East and fall one game short of the WS. Only time will tell if the Mets will be able to overcome the losses to key players as well as they did last year. We’ll start finding out April 1st…LETS GO METS!

By David O'Brien

March 27, 2007 11:42 AM | Link to this

Shaun, do you have any freakin’ clue how popular Damon was in Boston, how many jerseys he sold, how much he was a key figure in the greatest year of most members of Red Sox Nation’s entire lives?

Here’s one place where your reliance upon stats and models of organizational efficiency are practically irrelevent. Damon and a couple others WERE the Sox that year, and all of New England, or most of it, was head-over-heels in love with him and them.

It’s about passion sometimes, man. Passion for the game and your team.

By Rodger

March 27, 2007 11:48 AM | Link to this

JJS, classic re: mets fan composing sentences. They are, however, sentenced to another year like 11 of the last 12-looking up at the Braves.

By sri

March 27, 2007 11:51 AM | Link to this

Wood is going to DL with ‘shoulder stiffness’.. hope Cormier stays off it… not to add more fuel to the fire could Shaun write a couple of lines as to what he is arguing about :-) the arguments have become too long winded now, I missed the original argument.. but makes for nice reading..

By Lew

March 27, 2007 11:53 AM | Link to this

ChopZone-Yes we will find out. GO BRAVES!!

By Lew

March 27, 2007 12:01 PM | Link to this

DOB-You got thast right. Just like Tug and the “You Gotta Believe” Mets. The passion is there for sure. It shows when they sell out EVERY regular season game. Something I’m still waiting for Braves fans to do in the playoffs.

By Arkansas Hillbilly

March 27, 2007 12:04 PM | Link to this

Thanks for the props (11:26 pm post), and noticing. Sometimes feel invisible here. It seems that unless you come out swinging about some topic, or announce yourself as a Mutts fan, one gets ignored or otherwise lost in the cacophonus discourse.

I know the feeling, Scalp ‘Em. I’m about 0 for my last 12 in getting DOB or anybody else to answer my questions. And I’m too damned lazy to repeat my questions, just like I’m too lazy to look up that word in your post—“cacophonus.” It’s apparent to me that sometimes he’s just too busy to talk about some of the non-Braves topics that I bring up sometimes, and that’s certainly understandable. This is a busy time of year in baseball world. This is my first spring on the blog, but I can see that the man has certainly earned his accolades.

By Gil in Mechanicsville

March 27, 2007 12:04 PM | Link to this

Anyone remember Bobby Cox’s comments when John Smoltz was shelled in his opener against the Marlin’s a couple of years ago? To paraphrase I believe it was something to the effect that ” I checked with the commissioner and he said he thought we still needed to play the other 164 games”.

Great pitchers will still have bad outings, just fewer than bad pitchers who will still have an occasional great outing.

By Shaun

March 27, 2007 12:09 PM | Link to this

Braveheart and Lew,

The Cubs organization never bad-mouthed Sammy Sosa. He just stopped getting the good coverage because he was no longer as good as he once was. That’s nobody’s fault, that’s the way it was.

Front offices have little to nothing to gain by bad-mouthing players when it is time to move on.

Certainly you can’t truly believe that front offices conspire with the media to try to run players out of town.

The Red Sox do overpay for certain players, when the reward outweighs the risk, when they don’t have any other options, etc. But for the most part, the Red Sox are going to try not to overpay.

The Matzusaka deal is not overpaying. They are getting one of the top 10-15 pitchers in the world at the age of 26. If he were 32 and every scout did not think he was one of the top 10-15 pitchers in the world, I’m pretty certain they wouldn’t have even put in a bid.

The reason that so much controversy ensues in placed like Boston and Chicago is because baseball is much larger there and the baseball media is much larger in those cities. It has nothing to do with conspiracy or conniving front offices. It has to do with the natural course of player transactions and contract negotiations that get magnified because the fans and media are so involved in the teams.

If the Braves situation exactly how it is now—same GM, same manager, same ownership group, same players—was somehow transfered to Boston or Chicago, Andruw Jones’s contract situation would be a weekly discussion on every sports talk station. It would be on all the tabloids.

The reason it’s different in places like Atlanta is because the community doesn’t revolve around the Braves here like Boston community (at least the sports community) revolves around the Red Sox or the Chicago community revolves around the Cubs.

It’s just the atmosphere and the tradition that baseball has in those cities that makes things the way they are there. It has nothing to do with conspiracies by the organization to run players out of town or anything like that.

By GeorgetownKid

March 27, 2007 12:12 PM | Link to this

Mr. O’Brien,

I have a question that pertains more to next season than this season.

Regarding Cormier and Davies, we have the option of having either one of them (or both) in Richmond this year, but what about next year?

Next year, will we have to keep them in Atlanta or waive them?

Davies, from everyting I have read (but have yet to actually see), has the potential to be a top-of-the-rotation starter. And Cormier, who is also quite young (24 or 25 I think), also seems to have significant potential.

I just hope it isn’t too difficult to keep them both.

By Rodger

March 27, 2007 12:14 PM | Link to this

I think Shaun would make a good Mets fan. After what, for 2 or 3 days everyone else has said, he is still delusional.

That said…

HOW ‘BOUT THEM BRAVES?

By Lew

March 27, 2007 12:15 PM | Link to this

Hillbilly-Dude, you’re not ignored. We talk Pink Floyd all the time. BTW-Cacaphony is a harsh sounding word.

By Shaun

March 27, 2007 12:16 PM | Link to this

O’Brien,

The argument the Braveheart and others are making is that the Red Sox front office and the Boston media conspired/conspire to run players out of town.

My argument, and I think what the evidence reveals, is that the organization make unpopular decisions (like letting Damon and others walk) to put the organization in a better position to win.

I’m not denying the fans love Damon and the rest of the “idiots.” I’m arguing that letting them go had little or nothing to do with politics and everything to do with putting the team in a better position to win over the long haul.

By Lew

March 27, 2007 12:17 PM | Link to this

Hillbilly-A cacaphony IS a cacaphony.

By snowball's chance

March 27, 2007 12:18 PM | Link to this

I usually scroll past the “Mets” fans since I don’t believe that what they come up with is from a fan. They throw some shiite out, it hits the wall and only sticks because many of us respond including DOB. It seems nothing can be popular today without a screaming match.

I am not a gambler but I’ve been checking the odds for NL east champs and the mets are tops. The mets started at 4 to 1, while the Braves started at 25 to 1. After betting, the odds have widened in the mets favor.But as Skip always says you’d have to be crazy to bet on baseball. The Braves are getting some praise from ESPN announcers. Is it time to place that bet?

By Lew

March 27, 2007 12:19 PM | Link to this

Shaun-Just keep telling yourself that.

By Lew

March 27, 2007 12:20 PM | Link to this

Shaun-I never said a word about Sosa. I don’t live there so I don’t know.

By Coach

March 27, 2007 12:22 PM | Link to this

The Braves won’t get ten wins from Redman. He won’t be in the rotation long enough , nor will he get enough starts. Hampton will be back and Redman will be sent to Richmond , traded or maybe even lost in waivers.

By Lew

March 27, 2007 12:27 PM | Link to this

Sahun-Yes, I’m sure letting Damon go and replacing him with Coco Crisp certainly was a decision destined to lead them to the promised land again and again. You are certifiable. Dude.

By ssiscribe

March 27, 2007 12:27 PM | Link to this

Hey everybody. Hope things are well. Just checking in before jumping back in on deadline on this pollonated Tuesday afternoon (anybody got a Kleenex?):

— Why is everybody down on Redman? Dude comes from his basement straight to Dark Star and throws it well enough. What did you expect, an ERA of under 1.00 from a guy who’d been working out alone at his house? Reality check, people. Dude is going to be just fine at the back of the rotation and, if you’re wondering about salary and value, I’ve got two words for you: Jason Marquis. Redman is more than affordable, he’s durable, he’s a veteran and he’s a lefty. Enough, already. Would you rather have Jonathan Johnson or Matt Harrison or Buddy Carlyle as the fifth starter?

— What’s the word on Cormier? I know it’s a night game tonight, so probably won’t hear anything until later this afternoon when everybody arrives. Doesn’t seem to be too serious, though, given the fact the Braves hadn’t scheduled any tests for him and the fact he didn’t sound too down about it. Best to be careful at this point in camp.

— Smoltz starting the opener? This we know.

— Is it just me, or is Aybar wizzing away a perfectly good opportunity? Maybe I’m being too harsh, but dude got to camp late, got hurt and hasn’t exactly shown any real urgency in getting well and getting ready for the season. Considering he backs up a key player in the lineup, a player who has a recent history of missing substantial amounts of time, one would think Aybar would’ve taken care of his Visa problems earlier and would’ve done everything in his power to get back onto the field after hurting himself.

I’m not down there, and maybe I’m just misreading things. But to me, I think Aybar best get himself in gear, as much upstairs as anywhere else.

DOB, got the house packed for the return trip to the ATL? Sorry bout your Jayhawks, bro. Methinks Florida wins it all now.

Jimmy, what’s this big news? The blog waits, man!

Selah. The Scribe abides.

—30—-

By snowball's chance

March 27, 2007 12:29 PM | Link to this

Wow, I can cuss in Irish and not get #**+!ed. I thought I’d try since 2 out of 10 DOB top bands are Celtic. kind of ties into all the Beantown talk.

By Shaun

March 27, 2007 12:33 PM | Link to this

O’Brien,

It’s not as if the Sox just let Damon go without making any effort. They offered him what they thought was more than a fair deal. But, again, they made an unpopular decision to not offer him what the Yankees did because they felt that it would benefit the team (and the fans who care about winning) over the long haul. It had nothing to do with politics or a conspiracy, as some suggest.

Look at the Pedro situation. Pedro was, no doubt, an extremely popular player. They could certainly afford to pay him. But if they had signed Pedro, what would they have gotten? Pedro was below average last season and is questionable this season. They certainly wouldn’t have got their money’s worth. It probably wouldn’t have hurt them as bad as other teams but it’s hard to argue signing him would have helped.

By MBATL

March 27, 2007 12:38 PM | Link to this

I don’t know what a cacaphony is, but I do know what a phony caca is … I bought one years ago at Eddie’s Trick and Novelty Shop in Marietta. Ah, good times…

DOB, kinda overlooked your note yesterday that the Braves almost sold Diaz to a Japanese team over the winter. I was really surprised by that; is it likely he won’t make the team, or will be traded? Sounds like management is not too enthralled with him.

And scribe mentioned Buddy Carlyle. I know he’s below the radar right now, but has he turned any heads with management, and could he be called up if we have problems with the back end of the rotation?

By Scalp 'Em Braves

March 27, 2007 12:39 PM | Link to this

Shaun:

I hate to even think about stepping into this big pile of doo-doo you have squatted and dropped on this blog (e.g., front office issues), but I have to say this. You keep referring to “the evidence”. Now, I know a little bit about “evidence”. Deal it with all day, every day. There is relevant evidence, there is irrelevant evidence, there is hearsay, there is circumstantial evidence, there is prejudicial evidence, there is probative evidence, there is admissable evidence, there is inadmissable evidence, there is evidence, due to the source, which is not worthy of belief, and there is the ever popular “concrete” evidence. There is “smoking gun” evidence, there is “red herring” evidence, there are inferences which may be drawn from any of the foregoing types of evidence, but, in our system of jurisprudence, one may not draw an inference from another inference. Opinions may be formed from facts in evidence, but the strength of the opinion is based upon the soundness, and reliability, of the underlying factual evidence. So too may opinions be formed and stated on hypothetical facts, so long as they can be considered as reliable, and not the wild, conjectural, argumentative, unbending, unyielding, myopic point of view that you always see to take.

Just my view of things, but for the sake of Billy, find something else to prattle on incessantly about. You’ve worn the “front office conspiracy” angle out.

By Shaun

March 27, 2007 12:44 PM | Link to this

Lew, I think this is the essence of the flaw in your argument:

“Yes, I’m sure letting Damon go and replacing him with Coco Crisp certainly was a decision destined to lead them to the promised land again and again. You are certifiable. Dude.”

You are judging this deal after one year. The contract that Damon signed (and would have signed with the Sox) was for more than one year. Sure it looks bad after one year, but let’s judge whether the Sox are better off without Damon towards the end of the contract.

Say they had signed Damon for four years and the last two years he was a below average player. Then they are stuck with him. Who’s going to take an older, overpaid centerfielder off their hands in that situation?

Smart teams don’t sign a 32-year-old pretty good player to a four- or five-year deal based on popularity or based on what he did in the past or based on what he can do for one or two more years. Smart teams look at every year of a contract and determine if they are going to regret the contract by the last couple of years of it. And they look at how likely it is they can find a cheaper option that can give them somewhere close to that production level.

Crisp is likely to be just as good or better than Damon by next season. Remember I said that.

By Rick Roberts

March 27, 2007 12:46 PM | Link to this

Glad Tony Pena’s in KC! Am a Braves and Royals fan—KC had to have a defensive SS and, Tony will fit perfectly. Plus, his hitting has improved greatly. Royals will not be an ‘easy out’ this year.

For the Braves, I hate to see guys who earn a shot not get it—Prado, Harris, and Clark should be on the roster. Kelly should go to Richmond to get used to 2B and more AB’s rather that at the MLB level. Aybar should be traded; Diaz should be traded, too—both would bring some talent in return. The three guys that earned it bring much more speed and Harris is versatile. Clark is a good OF. Also, I would keep Pete Moylan. But, this is just me!

By Shaun

March 27, 2007 12:51 PM | Link to this

Scalp ‘Em Braves,

I’m actually not the one who brought up the front office conspiracy thing. That’s actually what started all this. Braveheart seems to think there is a conspiracy in some places to run players out of town. I’m simply trying to refute it because I think it’s ridiculous and I think there is no reason to believe it.

By Advertisement

March 27, 2007 12:53 PM | Link to this

It’s the daily “Shaun & Lew Show”

starring: Shaun and Lew

also starring: Braveheart, KC, and N8

guest appearances by: the ugandan

Tune in anytime, day or night to read the endless, redundant cat fights between Shaun and Lewthe most uninformed and unlearned posters on the blogwill Shaun succumb to an infected boil on his anus, or will Lew pop a gourd with a stroke, stay tuned for the shocking conclusion__we hope.

This message was brought to you by Scope__”Scope kills the sperms that cause bad breath!”

By Bob, journalist

March 27, 2007 12:53 PM | Link to this

This and that …

I’m told that my absence has been noted by some … probably welcomed by others. It’s been primarily due to an erratic broadband Internet connection but things seem to have stabilized … today is full of planned spring cleaning activities but thought I’d drop in and say howdy!

One of Shaun’s, posts triggers this thought: It may be true that Andruw is a prolific “power-hitter” … it’s just a shame that he isn’t a prolific hitter with power.

Andruw and Tiger both have awesome power … the biggest difference between the two may be that one of them knows when and how to use it.

Speaking of power, Bowman said “Redman had his first rough outing Monday, allowing 4 homers and six earned runs in six innings during a Minor League game“… I guess it depends on how you choose to look at it … the 11-10 All Star’s line hasn’t been all that smooth since joining the Braves, not counting yesterday … 12 innings … 16 hits … 6 runs.

Regardless of the “hype” surrounding Hampton’s injury … it’s hard to see the utility of paying Redmond $750,000 instead of using one or more of our pitching prospects if, when, and as needed.

Who is genius responsible for the rule that at least one player from each team must be awarded “All Star” status, regardless of the player’s relative performance level?

The All Star game was once a highlight of the season but has become such a joke that I no longer watch it … it’s just an exhibition game interrupting play during the season.

While no selection process is without flaws, I would like to see the “All Stars” selected by a vote of the General and Field Managers, 3 coaches and the players from each team with 2 or more years of major league service; no votes allowed for any member of the team with which the voter is associated.

Can you imagine having contract incentives tied to All Star selection … when selection is determined by fans with multiple voting privileges? Of course, I guess it would be okay if you were the only medicore player on a really bad team.

The Braves’ approach to offense seems much improved … it will be interesting to see if they revert to trying to pull every pitch and hit the long fly.

Later …

By Coach

March 27, 2007 12:55 PM | Link to this

Ssiscribe , Redman and Marquis have virtually identical career numbers. Marquis 56-52 4.55 ERA 1.42 WHIP , Redman 64-76 4.65 ERA 1.40 WHIP. Maybe the Cubs should have signed both.

By Braveheart

March 27, 2007 12:56 PM | Link to this

Shaun, So you are not willing to say that front offices ever engage in those kinds of tactics?

If you do not understand that they do, then we just really need to end this discussion because it can not be a rational one.

If you are not going to be reasonable about the reality of the relationship between the front office, the media, the players, and the fans, then there is no further need to discuss this.

It may not have to be as Oliver Stone-ish, JFK-ish as maybe I am making it out to be, but it definitely occurs.

If you can’t concede that point, then, I am sorry, because you are terribly naive.

That is the way the entire world works - in almost every workplace in America - not just sports - gladhanding, whispers, innuendo, discrediting, applauding - all to meet your purposes and to get what you want.

Owners and bosses don’t want number crunchers and sabermetricians and glorified accountants - they want guys to be able to combine those skills and that sort of knowledge with people and political skills and utilize those skills with the way the world actually works.

The world does not conduct itself inside of a pretty little spreadsheet or pristine labratory.

And the world certainly does not stop to wait for anyone to calculate what happened, what is happening, or what is going to happen - it’s about just making it happen.

To paraphrase what John Lennon once said: Life is what happens when you are busy making plans.

To make it happen in the baseball business, sometimes you have to use propaganda with the fans through the media against and for your players to meet the ends you are trying to accomplish.

For you to say that the front office has nothing to gain by attacking their players through the media during contract time is just so freaking naive, it makes me sick. I’m sorry Shaun. I like you but good lord.

THEY HAVE EVERYTHING TO GAIN COME CONTRACT TIME. Nomar wanted freaking Jeter and Arod money and got stuck with a one year contract. You are talking about millions and millions and millions of dollars here.

If you don’t have the faith of your sound convictions and beliefs like the Braves do, then you need to act like a dirtbag like the Red Sox do.

Even here in Atlanta, this whole $80 mil budget garbage pill we are told to swallow - that is a piece of b.s. propaganda thrown out there by the owners through the media - they can spend at least $100 mil in this market and still turn a profit - they did as recently as 4 years ago - too many are way too accepting of that $80 mil figure - it is just a different method of utilizing propaganda to refuse to pay people money rather than personally attacking them like the Red Sox do.

The owners use the media to meet their ends. The players use the media to meet their ends. The fans (me, you, and Lew) are using this medium to meet our ends by getting our views and propaganda out there on the issue.

As for Sammy and all of these other players, you keep saying that the Cubs or the Red Sox did not badmouth him. NOT DIRECTLY. off the record shaun. which part of that do you not freaking understand. you fancy yourslf a future GM, you had better start understanding that you can throw the spreadsheets out the window and you better start learning how to play the game -you’re spending too much time studying it. you can break out all the spreadsheets you want and determine what the appropriate dollar figure is for a player all you want but that information is freaking useless unless you have the skills to be able to negotiate that contract down to the price you deem reasonable - thus you employ tactics like using the media.

No, the GM of the Cubs and Dusty Baker never said at a press cconference Sammy is a cancer - that message was told to the media in off the record conversations by team officials. They are not going to come right out and say it - a few do but their careers don’t last very long.

it is how the game is played - it is how real life and the real world is shaun. It just is. Trust me. The rest of us live in it. Come join us sometime. You might want to take off the white lab coat before you come out - you might look kind of crazy out here with the rest of us earthlings.

i’m done. this conversation is over. until next time. cool evidentiary word play scalp ‘em

By Advertisement

March 27, 2007 12:58 PM | Link to this

Just when you think the blog has reached it’s highest level of boredom__a damn lawyer chimes in.

By Braveheart

March 27, 2007 12:59 PM | Link to this

Crisp is likely to be just as good or better than Damon by next season. Remember I said that.

Oh, we will Shaun. Count on it bud.

LMAO!!!!
LMAO!!!! LMAO!!!! LMAO!!!! LMAO!!!!

Froot Loops, Frosted Flakes, and Coco Crisp will never combined be as good as Damon.

By MBATL

March 27, 2007 12:59 PM | Link to this

Shaun, if the question is “should the Sox have kept Damon?”, well, that’s a very basic baseball question. I’m not that impressed with Damon and think the Yanks overpaid for him - which of course the Yanks can get away with. I can’t blame the Sox for letting him go any more than I blame the Braves for losing Furcal to a higher bid. The same thing will probably happen with AJ.

I thought the issue was the badmouthing of former players to justify cutting them loose - and I’m not even sure who’s on which side of that issue. I wish whoever it is would do a little googling and post a quote or two, or even a reference from the media without quotations. That would pretty much settle the issue.

btw, Rick Roberts - Pena made 2 errors in his KC debut! We all know he can catch and throw, so I’m sure it means nothing, but couldn’t have been to insprirational for the KC faithful.

By Lew

March 27, 2007 1:00 PM | Link to this

Shaun-Quit digging your hole any deeper. You’re already not going to get out of it. It doesn’t matter if you take the entirety of Damon’s 6 year contract with the Yankees. Coco Crisp is no better a replacement for Damon than he would have been if we were stupid enough to have traded Andruw for him. Arguing otherwise is just plain dumb. YOu ARE certifiable.

By Lew

March 27, 2007 1:05 PM | Link to this

Coach-I somewhat see your point with the Marquis comparison. However, the one thing you’re not taking into account is the teams Redman and Marquis have played for. Marquis has never played on a team that came in less than 2nd in their division-usually the divison champ. Redman has pitched for teams losing over 100 games in a t least several of his seasons. Thjis would have affected their records, so the comparison is slightly skewed.

By caveman22

March 27, 2007 1:06 PM | Link to this

why this blog really gets off subject some times, speaking of of subject:

TERENCE MOORE SUX

By Lew

March 27, 2007 1:08 PM | Link to this

Advertisement-Sounds Familiar to me.

By GeorgetownKid

March 27, 2007 1:10 PM | Link to this

Regarding Redman,

If he were to start for the entire season this year, I believe it is a very safe bet that he would be right around .500 (probably slightly below .500) with an ERA right around 5.00.

He will also pitch 6-8 innings per start, and the team will have a good shot at winning far more often than not when he starts.

A team who gets that from their #5 starter is in pretty good shape.

And from a financial standpoint, a team who gets that for $750,000 is in very good shape.

Lastly, Redman’s statistical performance will not be too dissimilar from that of Hudson last year.

Ergo, it is hard for one to credibly argue that Redman was not a great Spring-Training pickup and that the Braves are not getting tremendous value for their dollar.

By 22oz

March 27, 2007 1:11 PM | Link to this

I won’t be able to check on this blog again until Thursday, and i have a feeling that when i come back that these folks will still be talking about the Red Sox and Damon.

By Mr. J

March 27, 2007 1:12 PM | Link to this

DOB,

Thanks for the tip on the Ilse of Wight DVD. I actually already own it, but it was because you raved about it on the blog some weeks (months?) back that I went looking for it. Lots of fun! Seeing that performance also gives a new perspective on the Live at Leeds album, which has recently been spruced up and expanded over the original. Same era, and the set list is much the same.

By The Grinch

March 27, 2007 1:14 PM | Link to this

Scalp ‘em, there will never be a living human being who can out-argue Shaun (his exclusion from the human race gives him a noticable advantage in this regard), but that was a hell of a good try. Danged if you didn’t sound like a lawyer. Don’t ever say I ignored you or witheld your props. You too, hillbilly, you big country lug you. BTW Shaun, teams that stress value for the dollar above all else don’t sign JD Screw to a 5 year, 70 million contract. While your argument sounded logical and reasonable at first (before you pulled your robot routine and started beating everyone over the head with it), that one thing I just mentioned renders your position completely untenable. You’re arguing just because you love to hear yourself argue. I’m going to start calling you J.O.S.H.U.A in honnor of the computer in “Wargames.” And something tells me you’re going to come up with some sabremetric nonsense to argue Drew’s an excellent investment by how many outs he avoids making while on the DL. What about signing Matsuzaka to a long term deal; by your common arguments he’ll start to suck next year when he turns 27. Anyhoo, I’ve got some work to do. Go ahead and keep sounding your one note long after everyone else gives up and goes home; you’ll be the last one standing on the field as always and can therefore claim another “victory.” If you were a politician, you’d no doubt hold every fillibuster record of all time.

By Coach

March 27, 2007 1:17 PM | Link to this

Now for the good news ! Of Dave kingman appears to have taken a permanent hiatus and the Braves have a new right fielder to take his place by the name of Jeff Francoeur.

By Bob, journalist

March 27, 2007 1:17 PM | Link to this

Shaun, I think this is the essence of the flaw in your argument:

Contracts are nothing more than an articulation of an agreement of the parties. The organization places a “present value” on the the services of the player for a specified period … if the parties can agree to the “present value” and to the underlying assumptions used to determine such value, any stream of payments having that value should be acceptable to management … actually to both parties.

If they can’t so agree, then no stream of payments should be acceptable to both parties and no contract should be effected.

By Braveheart

March 27, 2007 1:18 PM | Link to this

MBATL, hatchet job done by lucchino through shaughnessy on Theo

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2005/10/30/letsironoutsomeofthisdirty_laundry/?page=full

BTW, Theo reads right through this article and knows who is doing what to him through it and he refuses to sign the contract that is talked about in here - he steps away without really stepping away for a few months because of the disrespect shown to him by his bosses through this article.

By ncscoots

March 27, 2007 1:22 PM | Link to this

Shaun may be naive (sorry, bubba, but you are, just the teeniest bit), but at least he doesn’t sound like an embittered cynic.

Braveheart, maybe your perception of the “real world” is true, at least in your corner of it, but I assure you that some of us don’t see the “real world” that way, nor allow it to BE that way, at least in our corner of it.

By Shaun

March 27, 2007 1:23 PM | Link to this

Braveheart,

I think front offices are trying to win and make money (some are more concerned with one over the other), the players are trying to win and make money, the media is trying inform the public and get a story that will sell papers, the fans are trying to be entertained.

I think during intense business decisions, what one group does may be construed differently by another group. In certain cities things can get even more misconstrued because one group is even more involved than they would be in another city.

I seriously doubt a front office ever calls a meeting and says, “we’ve got to come up with some dirt we can leak on player x so we can look good by letting him walk” or anything like that.

I think in certain cities some in the media are constantly looking for signs of conflict among players and management and they are going to take it to an extreme if they can find any. And conflict is natural in contract negotiations and things of that sort so at least half the time one party or another or both are going to look bad if you dig deep enough.

That’s my assessment of situations like Boston or Chicago. No one is conspiring or doing anything all that classless—it’s just the nature of the beast. It goes along with having an extremely passionate fan base and a huge sports media that wants to cover every minute aspect of the team.

By MGL

March 27, 2007 1:23 PM | Link to this

Lew 12, Braveheart 5, Shaun 0!

By Advertisement

March 27, 2007 1:23 PM | Link to this

Why don’t you dudes go get a room?

By MBATL

March 27, 2007 1:24 PM | Link to this

braveheart, the link didn’t work (probably too long). I’d be interested in seeing the article; maybe you can post it just as text, instead of as a link, and I can just cut and paste it. Thanks.

By eric the elder

March 27, 2007 1:37 PM | Link to this

Bob, jopurnalist, you haven’t missed much during your absence. The blog has pretty much been taken over by a half dozen folks who are basically IM-ing each other.

I tried to find a Dostoevsky novel that is longer than some of these posts, but no luck. I used to check in a couple of times a day and offer an opinion occasionally. Then I went to every other day and then weekly. Each blog reads like the one the week before - - same people, same topics, same insults. The fun folks appear to be gone. With the season about to open, so am I. Enjoy.

By Shaun

March 27, 2007 1:41 PM | Link to this

Braveheart,

How about this for a possibility?:

Mo Vaughn is a year from free agency. The media knows he likes strip clubs. The front office knows they don’t want to sign him to a huge, long-term deal because given his age and skill set he’s likely to decline and not be worth it within a year or two after signing the contract.

Some in the media just see Vaughn as an awesome player that the team doesn’t want to sign and who likes strip clubs so they reasonable assume that a big reason they don’t want to sign Vaughn is because he like strip clubs. A member of the media decides to write this or say this on the air and all hell breaks loose.

…Doesn’t this scenario seem just as likely, if not more likely, than the front office trying to dig up dirt on a player so that they don’t look as bad letting him go?

By Lew

March 27, 2007 1:42 PM | Link to this

Advertisement-Go back to the Mets blog. Everyone knows you’re Sounds Familiar. Scoots-Cynicism doesn’t mean that a person isn’t realistic in their outlook. Shaun-I, too am tired of this whole thing, but I’ve stopped laughing long enough to give you a Damon/Crisp comparison. ..Damon 145 or more games played in all 11 seasons since his rookie year-Crisp 145 games once in five. Damon over .300BA four times-Crisp hit .300 once. Damon 9 consecutive seasons 30 or more 2B hits-Crisp one. Damon career OBP .353-Crisp .329. Damon 60 or more RBI 8 of last 9 seasons-Crisp 2 in 5 (36 RBI last year). Damon 306 SB, CS 85-Crisp 76SB, 33CS. How can you even consider comparing these two players? There IS NO COMPARISON.

By Braveheart

March 27, 2007 1:48 PM | Link to this

scoots, I agree with you. I am actually usually the guy who is fair and upfront and honest and classy about the way they treat people. I think that is the best way to conduct yourself, I agree with you. Unfortunately, it can leave the imprint of sucker on your forehead if you are not careful. Many people resort to those tactics and it is reality. Because I chose not to employ those kind of tactics too much, I don’t always get what I want, need, or deserve. But I would rather have my dignity and know that I treated people the right way rather than get what I want, need, and deserve the wrong way like many people do in the real world. That is why I am applauding the way the Braves do things and despise the Red Sox way of treating their stars.

With that being said, an apology is due. Shaun, that earthling comment was pretty classless and trashy on my part - couldn’t resist. my bad. i guess there is a little red sock in me somewhere. But you still drive me nuts with your black and white vision of the world

By Lew

March 27, 2007 1:49 PM | Link to this

Shaun-I’ll take the comparison one more step-Rafael Furcal-who is considered a prime leadoff man. See whose stats his come closest to, Damon or Crisp. It will put more perspective on how wrong you are. Furcal has played 143 or more games for 5 consecutive years. He has hit 30 or more 2B 4 of last 5 years. He has had 60 or more RBI two times and has stolen 226 bases while being caught 66 times. He has a career .351 OBP. Now would you go on record and compare Crisp to Furcal? You better not go there, Dude.

By Lew

March 27, 2007 1:50 PM | Link to this

Someone mentioned Quadrophenia today. Sounds good. I’m outta here.

By David O'Brien

March 27, 2007 1:51 PM | Link to this

Georgetown Kid, why would it be difficult to keep them both? Davies won’t make any money until he’s eligible for arbitration after the 2008 season (assuming he gets close to 1-1/2 years of service required between now and then to give him 3 yrs) and Cormier will only be first-year arb-eligible after this season, assuming he gets close to a year this year that he needs to give him three years of ML service.

Why in the world would it be hard to keep them both? Makes no sense.

By rammerjammer

March 27, 2007 1:51 PM | Link to this

Shaun,

I spent more than a dozen years in sports reporting and can state this as fact:

1. In markets where the fan base is fanatic (think Alabama football, Kentucky basketball, Red Sox baseball), the media DO have an impact on personnel decisions if the front office or athletic director so desires. If the front office/AD wants to throw a coach or player under the bus, he can make that happen as quickly as a call to a sports editor/director, who’ll be more than happy to publish/broadcast the inside story. That, Shaun, sells newspapers and drives up TV ratings.

2. The extent to which this relationship impacts transactions varies, of course, and it’s IMPOSSIBLE to prove to what extent. But to say there’s no relationship is to deny the truth.

For a good read about this kind of thing, pick up a copy of Spin Cycle: Inside the Clinton Propaganda Machine. Although it’s a political book, the subject matter (using media to advance your messages) is relevant.

By Shaun

March 27, 2007 1:55 PM | Link to this

Braveheart,

To bring it back to the Braves, so we can stop annoying Braves fans since we are on a Braves blog, it’s much easier for their front office to handle contract negotiations. The fan base here in Atlanta is a good one but the community (even the sports community) doesn’t revolve around the Braves. The media is constantly looking for a front-page Braves controversy to put on the sports page every day.

I’m not at all denying the Braves are a first-class organization. I’m just saying in some places no matter how classy the organization is, someone is going to write or say something bad about a particular situation.

By Shaun

March 27, 2007 2:05 PM | Link to this

Lew,

Crisp is likely to be better than Damon if you take into account age, defense and overall ability, not just certain major league stats over the course of their major league careers. Just looking at major league numbers and ignoring things like age and overall ability is a rather simplistic form of player analysis, don’t you think?

Alex Gordon is likely to be better than Corey Koskie next season and the next few seasons given his age, overall ability and minor league numbers, but who’s major league numbers look better? At this point, I’d rather sign Alex Gordon to a big, long-term deal.

By Shaun

March 27, 2007 2:07 PM | Link to this

The media is constantly looking for a front-page Braves controversy to put on the sports page every day.

That should have been “the media is NOT constantly…”

By Braveheart

March 27, 2007 2:10 PM | Link to this

Shaun, I think the best way for you to attack me and Lew and our argument on this issue here in this town is to perhaps draw the comparison to the UGA, Michael Adams, and Vince Dooley saga.

But, seriously, let’s give it a rest. we’re boring the heck out of the others and driving them away which neither of us wants. let’s agree to disagree.

By SoundsFamiliar

March 27, 2007 2:12 PM | Link to this

Lew—

Just to clear things up, I honestly am not Advertisement. He’s getting a little nastier and personal than I would ever really want to. I don’t know if you’ll believe me, but I just wanted to put that out there. And, just as an olive branch, I’ll say—you like the Braves, I like the Mets—good luck to both teams for a spirited and relatively injury-free season. Should be a great competition.

By rammerjammer

March 27, 2007 2:12 PM | Link to this

DOB,

Has Wilson really been so good - or Thorman that bad against lefties - that BC will platoon?

I don’t have the benefit of seeing the games, so I have to rely on your observations and the stats…and the stats seem to support Thorman getting lots of ABs.

By flbravesgirl

March 27, 2007 2:24 PM | Link to this

Guys, how about calling a truce before someone strokes out? Please.

Glad to see that Francoeur is putting a bit more thought into what he’s doing at the plate.

I hope there’s good news on Cormier today & that Diaz is feeling better. Scalp ‘em, the diving for doughnuts line was great. I have a cookbook with a recipe for Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding. The official dessert of the Braves’ bullpen?

By Shaun

March 27, 2007 2:33 PM | Link to this

rammerjammer,

With politicians, it’s a little different. It’s essential for them to try to grab media attention and try to control the message.

With baseball organizations, a team might have to make an unpopular move that’s good for the team (like maybe trading Dale Murphy or something). The media is going to look for reasons and bring up reasons that may or may not be true and I think that’s what we’re talking about here.

The larger the city, the more media personalities you have, the more likely a few are going to bring up a controversial and likely untrue reason for letting a player go. The more media, the more irresponsible media.

Here you go: The Braves trade David Justice. An irresponsible member of the media may somewhat reasonably put two and two together and say something like “the Braves traded Justice because of his tattoos and body-piercing.” An irresponsible member of the media may not take into account or may just not know about Justice’s contract, the fact that he’s aging, the fact that he plays RF and good corner outfielders are relatively easy to find, etc.

By ncscoots

March 27, 2007 2:39 PM | Link to this

Baseball, you gotta love it. A cautionary tale on projecting rosters, offseason acquistions, etc., to wit:

The White Sox trade Freddie Garcia, implying that Brandon McCarthy deserves a rotation slot. They then trade Brandon McCarthy, implying that Gavin Floyd (in return from the Phillies) deserves a rotation slot, or is at least potentially as good as McCarthy. Finally, John Danks (in return from the Rangers) is named a starter, instead of Floyd, who is now reduced to hoping for a spot in the pen. Meanwhile, McCarthy sports a 10.45 spring ERA, and who knows what Garcia is doing.

I just found this mildly humorous, for some reason, as we in Braves Nation speculate on matters of gravitas such as the selection of utility infielders for the trip north :-)

By knowitall

March 27, 2007 2:41 PM | Link to this

Grinch regarding Shaun: And something tells me you’re going to come up with some sabremetric nonsense to argue Drew’s an excellent investment by how many outs he avoids making while on the DL. CLASSIC!

By Shaun

March 27, 2007 2:51 PM | Link to this

ncscoots,

You figure out pitching, especially young pitching, you can make a lot of money.

By TennesseePaul

March 27, 2007 2:52 PM | Link to this

The media is not constantly looking for a front-page Braves controversy to put on the sports page every day.

I don’t know about this. I think they try to stir the pot every now and then. There isn’t too much to stir in this town. Cox keeps the club house fairly drama free which means the “trouble” has to be coaxed a-la AJ-on-waivers of last season. Or perhaps Smoltz calling JS a “homeboy”. There have been other non-stories that were posted on the AJC concerning the Braves which, I think, were mainly ment to drive up reader interest in the paper.
All this pointless round-about I skimmed over, so forgive me if this has been brought up. But the media has an interest in stirring the pot just as much as the franchise would.
But that’s all I’m putting in on this subject.

I’m liking the way this team is shapping up. Even if Cormier is hurt, I feel more confident than last season. We are going in with Smoltz, Hudson, James, Redman/Davies/Cormier/Hampton. The bullpen is going to be solid all season long. The offense is capable. I think it will be more efficient this season. Maybe no streaks of 15+ runs a game for a week, but that isn’t bad. If they can spread the runs out evenly it will do wonders. We averaged 5.2 runs a game last season. Had we met that average in every single game and the other team scored exactly the same, we would have been 98-64 last season. That’s what offensive consistancy would have brought. We’ve improved it in the pitching, so we should be set for a good season.
The offense was good last year, but during our 3-20 stretch we averaged 3.7 runs a game, the pitching averaged 6.1 runs allowed per game. Had we kept our season average in that time, we would have been 11-12 during that same stretch and finished the season at 88-74.
Looking back at all the numbers, we were streaky in all departments. Everything seemed to come together towards the end. The starting, the relief, and the offense, but it was too late. All the striking out didn’t help one bit either. Trading LaRoche and adding Thorman and KJ should reduce our Ks for this season. It’s just looking good guys. We have a solid chance this year. We just have to play the game right and never let up.

GO BRAVES

By Rodger

March 27, 2007 2:54 PM | Link to this

Grinch,

*And something tells me you’re going to come up with some sabremetric nonsense to argue Drew’s an excellent investment by how many outs he avoids making while on the DL. *

That may be the best line all year!

By David-ATL14

March 27, 2007 2:59 PM | Link to this

The earlier * Advertisement * was spot on with his analysis. has the blog ever had a less informed blowhard then Shaun and his band of sycophants, detractors and other such ilk. The same s** ad nauseaum daily.

By GeorgetownKid

March 27, 2007 3:09 PM | Link to this

Mr. O’Brien,

Thank you so much for responding to my post.

By Gil in Mechanicsville

March 27, 2007 3:11 PM | Link to this

Yes, Baseball owners and their minions are such nice people they would never resort to anything resembling collusion, union busting, discrimination, unfair trade, or anti-trust….. Oh… They have already? My Bad… Okay, So how is little slander and bad mouthing and planting stories about a player or two and low balling payroll, poor fan support, lack of media coverage and all the rest really so surprising?

Folks, Wake up and smell the coffee, this is the real world and bad people do bad things and even good people can do bad things when they think they are forced to the wall.

Sorry for being so cynical but I’ve been there and done that and seen it first hand too many times.

By Beachcomber

March 27, 2007 3:14 PM | Link to this

flbravesgirl - I believe you win the “line of the day” with “The official dessert of the Braves bullpen.”

By Scalp 'Em Braves

March 27, 2007 3:14 PM | Link to this

FBG:

Hey there! Kripsy Kreme Bread Pudding??? Lawd, my arteries are clogging just thinking about it. Now, if you could figure out a way to stuff your Red Velvet Cake inside that big, bready doughnut, you’d really pique my interest. I wonder what a velvet donut would taste like? Guess I’ll leave that to Jimmy for further discussion - he’s better at turning a phrase, anyhow. Truth be known, though, with Beefy Bob’s protruberance, bet any dessert sent down there would be rapidly devoured.

Grinch - I echo Knowitall’s highlight of your prediction of Shaun’s analysis of Screw. Wish I had thought of that.

By BB FAN

March 27, 2007 3:17 PM | Link to this

Shaun,

Crisp may have the potential to be better than Damon. However, will it ever happen? That is the question.

Boston made a decision to go with Crisp and let Damon leave. It did not work out. Damon was the face of the Red Sox championship season so he should have been signed.

I understand why the Red Sox did not want to go higher, but because they had the money, Damon is a guy they should have overpaid for.

Millar and Mueller, not so much. Even Pedro was questionable because of his injury history. But Damon, he was healthy and likely to continue to be healthy.

There are certain players that each team need to keep. It could be for the fans sake or the teams sake. The player could be the “backbone” of the team. Damon was one of those players the “Red Sox Nation” loved. And the team was better with him at the top of their line up than they were without him.

I remember the media saying it was because Damon’s weak arm in center, but Crisp’s arm is not much better. And the Red Sox could have signed a strong armed late inning replacement pretty cheaply.

By Steve-O

March 27, 2007 3:19 PM | Link to this

Hey All…

Johnny GM was just on Mike and The Mad Dog up in here in Queens on the YES Network (Great program for those of you who don’t know the radio show im referring to). Couple things…

He was asked if this is still the Jones Boys/Smoltz team or McCann/Francoeur/James….He said no doubt Jones Boys and Smoltz but the young guys are still a huge factor and they are only going to get better…

He pleaded the 5th when asked about Scott Boras and Andruw Jones contract after the season ….. Saying only I am going to put the best TEAM in my economic power blahh blahh same JS stuff… (lets face it lets enjoy this year with AJ and hope we get that ring now)

They were bashing on Johnson/Thorman on the right side, but obviously they dont tend to mention the Jose Valentin/Damion Easley and Alou and Green problems, or the Rod Barajas, Wes Helms Shane Victorino problems in Met and Phils camps, also The Phils bullpen SUUUUUCKS!! And the Mets, with the loss of Bradford (HUGE), Mota (FOR CHEATING) Huge…, Roberto Hernandez are all big losses, now with Sanchez down…..It’s looking good.

JS was being humble throughout but being a long time Braves fan you know he just wanted to say that the Division Title is coming home and Playoffs are back in ATL with this bullpen, and he stressed his confidence in KJ and Thorman, and as we all know its gonna be Wilson/Thorman and they’ll EASILY hit 20+ homers combined so a drop off in about 10 HR’s or so is not gonna kill this team when you got a bullpen with 3 closers and solid setup men and a solid rotation waiting for Hampton to come back which JS said with enthusiasm that everyone will see him early May…..

And we still got #6 he said.

Robert, shut your mouth, your an idiot

By Shaun

March 27, 2007 3:23 PM | Link to this

TennesseePaul,

I the Andruw Jones situation would be a weekly thing in a different city with more media and more tabloid-type media outlets. Mike Hampton would be a big story—“why did this team ever go after this bum, etc.?” John Smoltz’s contract situation and divorce would have been a huge deal.

People don’t much such a big deal about these things here. Just a different atmosphere for a variety of reasons—more to do besides sports and baseball, more laid-back than most cities, less big-time media outlets, more transplants than other places, the Braves are relatively new to Atlanta compared to the Red Sox and Boston or the Cubs and Chicago. I don’t think it’s all because Cox and Schuerholz do a much better job at keeping things in house than other GM’s and managers (although they do an excellent job of that).

By Braveheart

March 27, 2007 3:25 PM | Link to this

Well said, Gil

By Scalp 'Em Braves

March 27, 2007 3:26 PM | Link to this

For those of you fearing the worst from our pitching staff, think about this. Good buddy of mine is a Cubbie. He had a stroke when they signed Marquis to the FA deal. He like to have died when Wood came up with his bum wing excuse (again). He’s about to have a heart attack over Wood starting the season on the DL, and knows that they are going to either burn Prior out, or he’s going to hurt himself shaving. And, think about their bullpen - who is their closer? Set up man? Long relief? The only good, reliable, healthy pitcher they have is Zambrano.

Folks, we freakin got it made in comparison to most teams. Damn, I can’t wait til next Monday!!!

By Shaun

March 27, 2007 3:28 PM | Link to this

The media situation in placed like Boston and Chicago, from the way I understand it is like this:

Imagine Athens is about four or five times the size it is now. Imagine their are four or five papers, three or four sports talk stations, a TV station that all devote a large portion of their sports pages or their air time to the Bulldogs. And imagine the Bulldogs are a pro team, there is free agency and they can trade players, etc.

Imagine how things could get blown out of proportion in an environment like that.

By N8

March 27, 2007 3:37 PM | Link to this

Here’s a couple of links to foxsports.com “articles”, where the EVER SO anti-Braves, Dayn Perry proceeds to diss us once again. Unreal.

The link below is to his “10 players that NEED to stay healthy” story. No mention of Chipper, Smoltz or Hudson.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/6609626

The following link is to the “final” spring training power rankings.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/powerRankings

Now first off, I’m NOT complaining about the #16 ranking. I think it could be more like 11 or 12, (not higher until we prove otherwise), but certainly, we are better than MIDDLE OF THE PACK, at this point, with the improved bullpen.

What I take issue with is his UTTER denial, when it comes to details. We lose Giles and LaRoche and he states:

“The Braves figure to have a fairly potent offense this season…”

Then proceeds to make the following comment about Chuck James:

“Also, Chuck James had a nice rookie campaign, but his fly-ball tendencies may be problematic over the course of a full season.”

That’s the same crap he was saying last year, waiting for James to “come back down to earth”, after each start.

If ANYTHING, the Braves offense is gonna be what stalls this team, if KJ, Thorman, and Langerhans aren’t up to the challenge. Chuck James is the LEAST of our worries in my opinion.

DOB

You know this jackass, or what? For the last four years or so, he’s been on the “this is the year the mighty Braves fall” routine.

Yet with the rotation issues the Mets have, he states that:

“On paper, the Mets are the NL’s best team.”

Let me guess. This guy is from NY?

How does THAT GUY get a high profile national job for foxsports.com???

My guess is he had to (use your imagination - to fill in the blank), somebody important to get the job.

L8R

By Shaun

March 27, 2007 3:37 PM | Link to this

BB FAN,

Still, it’s only one year. Don’t judge the deal yet. The Red Sox could be counting their blessings that they had enough sense not to sign Damon by year three of this contract.

It’s stupid to sign a player to a five or six year deal when he’s likely to only be good for two maybe three.

It’s the other way with Crisp. He wasn’t good last season, but it’s only one year. Let’s judge him by more than just one year. I think it’s more likely than most people think that Crisp is going to be as good or better than Damon, maybe as soon as 2007.

The team was better with Damon at the top of the order when they had him and would have been in 2006 but what about 2007 and beyond? And it’s not just a matter of the team being better; it’s also could the team get maybe 80-90 percent of Damon’s production at half or 1/3 of the cost?

These are all questions that make it challenging to be a GM. It’s relatively easy to see who the better player is next season. But who is going to be the better player and/or better value two or three years down the road? Who is going to allow us roster flexibility down the road? How much is a player likely to decline or improve?

It’s not as simple as ‘Damon was better than Crisp in 2006, they could afford Damon, therefore the deal was bad.’

By caveman22

March 27, 2007 3:45 PM | Link to this

hey NB — don’t forget the all important “swallow”

By N8

March 27, 2007 3:50 PM | Link to this

Imagine a caveman (Brendan Fraser from Encino Man if that “floats your boat”), waking up in about 2 million years from a deep sleep. He fires up his computer (not sure how he knows how to use one in the first place).

What do you think the first thing he’s gonna say to himself?

DAMN!!! Lew and Shaun are STILL going on and on about Johnny Damon? Now THAT is funny.

LOL! Sorry guys, couldn’t resist. I can’t speak for Coach. But it sure makes ME feel good, to sit back and watch somebody besides ME and any “blogger of choice” go round and round on a subject.

Pssst! (for the record…..I agree with Lew.)

By Chop Chop

March 27, 2007 3:53 PM | Link to this

Having lived up in New England in the past and being aware of how insane the Red Sox coverage is up in Boston, I know that there’s plenty of intrigue in both the media AND the club. Theo Epstein is trying to build up the farm system AND go out and spend the gobs of money the team is making up there. That’s why they signed “DL” Drew. They could afford to take the chance he might be healthy again this year. If he isn’t, they’ll be on the hook for his salary…AND find someone else. They paid a ton for Matsuzaka, but someone else would have paid a ton (Read: Yankees) for him next year if the deal hadn’t been done. On the other hand, they gave up Renteria because his defense was so terrible and they didn’t think he could handle it there. They turned around and traded Marte for Coco Crisp, who had an injury-plagued year for them in ‘06. This move didn’t hurt as much because Renteria made so many errors in ‘05, but they didn’t even wait to give him a chance to bounce back. To me, that’s a crazy move. The Red Sox let Damon go because they A) didn’t want to pay him or B) they wanted to disrespect a guy who helped them get to a World Series. I guess that depends on one’s perspective. I remember a struggling and typically surly Keith Foulke being ripped from stem to stern by the fans for his “Johnny from Burger King” comment in ‘05:

“I’m more embarrassed to walk into this locker room and look at the faces of my teammates than I am to walk out and see Johnny from Burger King booing me.”

Foulke was also hurt and basically had no cartilage in his knees, but he chose to rip the fans instead of admitting he was hurt. Smart move on his part. Dumber move: The Sox didn’t sit the guy down when they knew he was hurt. They allowed him to run himself into the ground. Theo knew the guy was hurt, right? If not, Tito Francona had some ‘splainin to do.

Look. The Red Sox organization has made stupid moves, Shaun. They’ve also made good ones. All I ask of you is to accept this and the fact that the team has used the media to get their opinion out. Dan Shaughnessy may or may not be a hatchet man for Lucchino and Dr. Charles Steinberg, but he most-assuredly is a self-promoter who greatly cherishes his appearances on Jim Rome’s ESPN abomination “Rome Is Burning.” He gets something out of ripping players in his hometown. This stuff happens all the time in Boston, like it or not. Even so, I will always respect the Red Sox and their fans. After all, they hate the Yankees more than this two-time fan of a World Series loser to the Bombers could ever possibly hope to.

Yankee-hating can be quite a unifying thing.

By Shaun

March 27, 2007 3:56 PM | Link to this

N8,

The Braves did finish second in runs and figure to still get decent offensive production out of 1B and 2B. I would say it’s likely they’ll have a fairly potent offense if McCann and Andruw stay healthy and Chipper stays relatively healthy.

I don’t know if Chuck James is going to be much of problem but I think the back-end of the rotation and the bullpen aside from the Big Three could be problematic. The back-end of the rotation and the bullpen outside of the Big Three are the areas that could cost the Braves, not the offense, the top starters or the back-end of the bullpen.

By Rodger

March 27, 2007 3:57 PM | Link to this

Shaun,

Go to work, get a beer, listen to some music, whatever-JUST DROP IT!!!

By Chop Chop

March 27, 2007 4:04 PM | Link to this

I wonder how KC’s votes would look if the AJC posted something like this about the Braves…

‘07 Red Sox Bill James Handbook Projections

By Shaun

March 27, 2007 4:10 PM | Link to this

BB FAN,

To relate this to the Braves:

The team was better with Andruw in the middle of the order now and in 2007 but what about a few years down the road and beyond? And it’s not just a matter of the team being better; it’s also could the team get maybe 80 percent of AJ’s production at half or 1/3 of the cost?

It’s easy for Braves fans to say they shouldn’t let Andruw walk or shouldn’t let him go because he’s great. But what about when you take into account age, contract, likelihood of decline, rate of decline, roster flexibility. It’s not so simple.

By Lew

March 27, 2007 4:14 PM | Link to this

Sounds Familiar-No problem. Shaun-what do you not understand about Cereal Guy’s lack of durability? The guy has yet to exceed 145 games in a season. That’s missing 17 games his best year. He missed as much as Chipper last year and he is considerably younger. The guy is mediocre. All I hear about is how much spped he has, but it sure doesn’t translate to stolen bases. He averages about 14 SB per year and gets caught an average of 6 times. That’s a lousy percentage. The guy is an injury machine and can barely be called a fillin for Damon, one of the premier lead off hitters around the past ten years. Like I said, you keep diggin a deeper hole. There is no reason whatsoever, from Crisp’s 5 year career-5 not one or two- to suggest he will EVER be half the player Damon is. It drove me crazy last year when people -yourself included-felt that trading him for Andruw was a vaguely intelligent plan. You were wrong then and he hasn’t gotten any better. He’s a scrub. That’s all.

By Scalp 'Em Braves

March 27, 2007 4:14 PM | Link to this

Not to abruptly change the subject (ok, I’m trying to do just that)….

Anybody know how Giles is doing this spring? I would go look it up myself, but I’m too lazy, and besides, since we got folks here that know everything about baseball, just thought I’d check and see.

By Shaun

March 27, 2007 4:18 PM | Link to this

Chop Chop,

I agree the Sox have made stupid moves. I just don’t think the Damon or Renteria moves were among them. Here are some of them: trading Hanley Ramirez, trading Cla Meredith, trading Freddy Sanchez—young, cheap talent that would have given them a ton of flexibility.

By Lew

March 27, 2007 4:28 PM | Link to this

Shaun-I know you prize youth. Did you know Crisp was about to be 28? Isn’t that the age when you think everyone is now on the decline? The guy has played in the bigs for five years. He has had ovcr 2000AB. He is not an unproven rookie. Not even comparing him to anyone else, I still doubt he’ll amount to anything. He sure hasn’t to this point. I wouldn’t even want himin our outfield instead of Langerhans. At least he plays defense that you can count on. Nathan-Dude I took off over two hours and came back and Shaun was still going strong.

By Carolina Lady

March 27, 2007 4:32 PM | Link to this

Wow. Ya finally get a few minutes free to come here and enjoy reading BRAVES talk - and what do you find but endless boring repetition about some other team and/or their management. Who cares what the Mets’ fans think or say??? Who cares whatever the Reds or any other team does??

Scalp’Em, your 12:39 post was perfect! Loved it!!

Hillbilly, you are never ignored by this lady!

Snowball, 3 cheers on your post, as well.

FBG, you said it!

Ok - I’ll try again in a few days. See ya then!

By David O'Brien

March 27, 2007 4:35 PM | Link to this

JUST A QUICK UPDATE: Cormier feels better today, but Braves say they’ll have to wait a little longer to determine if he’s going to miss time or whatever. Bobby said they don’t have an MRI or anything scheduled yet and probably won’t unless he has more soreness next time he throws.

He’s in uniform today, but obviously not throwing.

I’d say it’s doubtful he’ll pitch Saturday, his scheduled day. Very doubtful

But that doesn’t mean he couldn’t be in the rotation to open the season. They could bring Smoltz back on regular rest for the fifth game and wouldn’t neet a fifth starter until April 8 vs. Mets, the sixth game.

Just too early to tell. But I’d say if there’s any quesiton at all about his health _ and right now there would be _ then Davies will be in the opening rotation. But again, it’s too early to tell.

The soreness/stiffness is really below the shoulder, more in the armpit/shoulder area, though they called it shoulder stiffness yesterday….

Hampton had a great bullpen today, by the way. Pena caught him and was blown away by how good his stuff was. He’d never caught him before, I think.

By Scalp 'Em Braves

March 27, 2007 4:39 PM | Link to this

Shaun:

“The back end of the rotation”?????? Are you calling Redman, Davies, Cormier and/or Hampton A-S-S-E-S? Sure sounds like it to me. Did you pick that phrase up from your figure skating days? What a butthead you are. If you’re so confident those guys can’t hit the broad side of a barn, why don’t you stand at home plate, draw a bullseye on your face, and be confident in knowing they are so not worthy of your confidence in their ability to perform, your nose won’t end up a bloody mess.

By MGL

March 27, 2007 4:56 PM | Link to this

Scalp ‘Em - Ok, you suckered me in, I was curious also. Giles AVG .326, OPB .326. 14 Games, 43 AB 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR. 1 SB.

By TennesseePaul

March 27, 2007 4:57 PM | Link to this

Alright Payne, take it all out of context twist it about, then throw it out the window and start a whole new point full of speculation, heresay and conjectur. My point was simply that Atlanat isn’t immune from media fiascos.
All I know is you “much such a big deal here” on the blog. It’s simple realy, dumping Renteria was premature. Crisp is no Damon and never will be. Even at the end of the contract when Jelly Arm Damon is old and Crisp is soggy and completely saturated with milk.

So I checked out Aqueduct last week in Atlanta at the EARL. It was another great show by those guys.
DOB: you have a copy that will be on your desk in about a week… however long it takes USPS to move a disc from LA to ATL. I think you will appreciate it. At any rate, I look forward to hearing what you think after a couple of good listens.

By OddJob

March 27, 2007 5:02 PM | Link to this

I’m not what Steven King calls a ‘constant reader’ so this has probably been hashed to death,but who will be the team mvp?Could it be the cherubic Scottish lad? Perhaps the young French dynamo,or maybe our switch hitting icon will grab the glory.What about the old links bum with the big right arm? Suns a burnin so I’ll check back tonight.

By KC

March 27, 2007 5:20 PM | Link to this

“Now first off, I’m NOT complaining about the #16 ranking. I think it could be more like 11 or 12, (not higher until we prove otherwise), but certainly, we are better than MIDDLE OF THE PACK, at this point, with the improved bullpen.”

N8, as you know, I agree with you. There’ no way the Braves are middle of the pack. But please allow me to rant for a moment… and N8, this is in no way directed at you. I just pulled your quote because it was the most recent instance of what I’m about to rail about.

ENOUGH WITH THE “UNTIL PROVEN OTHERWISE” GARBAGE!!!!!

I’m so sick of hearing that phrase, I’m about to lose my lunch (fortunately, it was only a handi-pack of animal crackers from the vending machine).

All you can go on is track record. I understand that. I agree with that. But it’s the track record of the players that comprise a team that matters… NOT the track record of a different combination of players that wore the same uniform the previous year.

Every year starts anew. The only instance in which you can appropriately use the “until proven otherwise” phrase, is when a team hasn’t changed. If a team’s almost exactly as it was the previous season… some one might say “yeah, but they’ll play better” to which you could justifiably respond “maybe so, but until they prove otherwise…”

That phrase should not be uttered in regard to the Braves, Mets, or Phillies, because all of the teams have changed, for better or for worse, in a significant way.

If you could hand-pick the best 25 players in baseball and put them all in a Tampa Bay uniform right now… would anyone say “yeah the D-Rays look good, but until proven otherwise”? No one would say that. Well… I’m sure there’d be some idiot, but you get the point.

I’ll say it again: It is the track record of the players that comprise a team that counts… not what a different combination of guys that wore the same uniform did the previous year.

Some might say “yeah, well then look at Tim Hudson’s 2006 track record”. True, but two things… first of all, track records don’t chart the future, they just give you the ability to make educated guesses. Also, it makes sense to put a little more stock in his spring track record this year than you might with another player, because of what he did every season his career (including a very good 3.52 ERA in 2005) heading into 2006.

No one has proven anything in 2007. Every year, you’ve got to do it all over again. We always say things like “reigning NL Champs” or “reigning AL West champs”, but the reality is that this ain’t boxing. No one in baseball is champion until someone else beats them.

No one has proven a damn thing one way of the other in 2007 yet. I’m pretty sure the Cardinals’ rings will be emblazoned with the words “2006 World Champs”.

N8, again… not directed at you bro. Just wanted to let that out. I feel better now. =)

By Christy

March 27, 2007 5:21 PM | Link to this

OMG, I will now turn to just Thrashers blog reading and know to stay away from the Braves blog for at least a month.

Good grief y’all, is there a more insane argument that can be filling up this page than whether or not the front office could or would manipulate the media?

DOB - love your stuff, but gotta ask - any way to impose a word limit on each post?

By KC

March 27, 2007 5:24 PM | Link to this

DOB: Thanks for the update. Glad it’s not actually the shoulder that’s bothering Cormier. And great to heat about Hampton!

By TennesseePaul

March 27, 2007 5:25 PM | Link to this

I gotta say, I’m not too disappointed with Dayn this time around. I think he over states a few teams. I don’t think the Mets are clearly the best team in the NL. I don’t think any team in the NL is clearly the best. But losing Sanchez till August, Pedro till August, and having Sosa and Chan Ho in the pen and possible spot starting is enough to remind me of last years Braves. They weren’t a bunch of bad players. But one bad month can keep you out of the post season. One bad month early in the season is all it takes. And all the Mets potential help comes late in the season when it all could be over should they stumble. And with that starting rotation, it’s possible. So I wouldn’t say clearly the best.
I am impressed he put the Braves ahead of the Dodgers. With all the hype bestowed upon that team this off-season it appears at least Dayn is waking up and noticing they have an even weaker offensive team than last season and a rotation full of average pitchers.
But whatever he thinks, it’s up to the Braves to go out there and prove everyone wrong. Except us. They need to prove us right. We have high, but not unreasonable, expectations for them.

By rammerjammer

March 27, 2007 5:28 PM | Link to this

DOB,

Thank you SO MUCH for the baseball report. Sure feels good to have a little rotation insurance, just in case. We could do a whole lot worse than Mr. Davies.

By KC

March 27, 2007 5:30 PM | Link to this

Just looked at Dayn Perry’s Power Rankings and just about choked… even though N8 had already warned us.

He has teams like the Diamondbacks way ahead of the Braves.

Listen, I know I can’t credibly claim to be an impartial judge of what the Braves look like heading into the season… but I’ve been around the game a long time. Two things I know for sure…

1 - The Braves belong in the top-10 of anyone’s pre-season power rankings.

and

2 - Dayn Perry is the biggest F’in joke in the sports journalism business.

Tell ya what Dayn, if the Braves prove you right… if they’re the 16th best team in baseball… I’ll give you my car and donate a testicle to science.

By MGL

March 27, 2007 5:31 PM | Link to this

OK, new subject - Ex Braves pitchers get shelled today. Ramirez and Millwood both gave up 7 runs in five (so far)

By Lew

March 27, 2007 5:34 PM | Link to this

KC-Actually, if the DRays were replaced by 25 All Stars, someone here would ask if we could have Baldelli and Crawford now. Probably offer to give half the farm for them, too.

By MGL

March 27, 2007 5:35 PM | Link to this

Update - Millwod now down 9 runs, 8 earned against Maddux, who has a 1 hitter and 3 K’s after 4 inn.

By David O'Brien

March 27, 2007 5:51 PM | Link to this

TennPaul, thanks much.

You guys should’ve seen Chipper pitching today before B.P. I’m serious _ he looked like a pitcher. I mean, the windup, the stuff … Eddie Perez was pretty amazed when he stood in there with a bat.

That’s a good sign for Chipper _ he’s feeling chipper enough to be out there throwing hard off the mound.

By N8

March 27, 2007 5:52 PM | Link to this

KC

I agree. I realize that you weren’t directing that right at me, as you stated. But to defend “my use” of the phrase, I will add that I legitimately believe that MOST of the teams that are ranked in the Top 10 are quite possibly better teams than us. But I’m not sure we belong at 16.

So when I was saying “until we prove otherwise”, I was referring to anybody that believes we deserve to be MUCH higher than 16. That’s all.

ALL TEAMS have some serious question marks at various positions. We have a few as well. Along with some question marks at positions we “assume” are taken care of:

Is Smoltz gonna stay healthy at age 40?

Is Chipper gonna hold up?

Is Hudson “back”?

Is KJ a good enough leadoff hitter?

Is Langerhans capable of playing everyday?

Is the Thorman/Wilson combo gonna put up about the same numbers as LaRoche did last year?

Is Francoeur gonn transition his “nice work” in the spring to the regular season?

Is Chuck James gonna “hold up” stamina wise by pitching around 175-200 innings?

Will Hampton pitch (and pitch effectively) this year?

KC With that many questions, that are ALL legitimate concerns, even you have to admit that we shouldn’t be ranked any higher than 10 or 11, right?

If ALL of those question marks turn into non-issues, than I’ll take our chances against ANY team in baseball.

So that is what I meant by “until we prove otherwise”. More the questions about health and what not, than the ACTUAL ability of the players on the roster, as compared to last year.

By David O'Brien

March 27, 2007 5:55 PM | Link to this

John Smoltz is talking to Tom Izzo on the field right now, behind the batting cage. Smoltz is doing most of the talking.

By OddJob

March 27, 2007 6:11 PM | Link to this

I don’t see a team for the ages in either league,and certainly not in our division.If the pitching performs near the high end of potential the playoffs aren’t a pipe dream.If we get to the post season and Smoltz and another starter or two are on their game,well….it could get interesting.

By TennesseePaul

March 27, 2007 6:25 PM | Link to this

KC: You’ll be happy to know that SI has us 10th. But sad to learn they think the Dodgers are going to beat us in the post season. Just don’t think so. Not with that average pitching and below average offense and a closer who’s trick wore thin towards the end of the season.
The D-Backs look like a pretty good team. I’m not surprised how high he has them up there. Personally, I’d put most of the AL central, save the Royals, in the top 10. That’s one tough division. Then drop the Mets down below them. The Angels will be pretty good as well. It’s a small division with a couple of teams that could really flop. I’d pull the Cubs out of 12th and move them to 16th and push everyone else up a notch. Bias would put the Braves in an even swap with the Cubs. But it doesn’t matter. Once the team takes the field, this will all sort itself out.

By snowball's chance

March 27, 2007 6:49 PM | Link to this

I usually ignore Shaun since statistics bore me. You have to give him credit. He has hijacked the BLOG today talking about Boston. I think he did because I only read posts by bloggers who amuse me. Scalp em Braves, do you handle workmen’s comp cases? Grinch you bad, Pimp Daddy. Lew has turned me on to good music. Though he does take an overprotective view of the BLOG I often read his posts. If Shaun has hijacked the BLOG and is headed for Cuba I’d like to point out that Cuba is 90 miles from Key West Florida. 90 miles is equal to 571272 inches, 144.81 kilometers, 475200 feet,or 158400 yards. These numbers get boring don’t they?

By Ricky

March 27, 2007 6:53 PM | Link to this

Regarding Frenchy….”His new strategy is helping him, probably even more than the adjustment he made in his swing. He’s staying a little lower now, and bringing his front foot back slightly before striding forward.”

Sounds like a little Chipper influence there.

By Lew

March 27, 2007 7:43 PM | Link to this

Snowball-Yeah, you’re all my children, Dude. I love you all. Can someone tell me why the hell it matters who has us ranked where in the pre season? I mean, it’s not like we have to worry about the BCS or anything.

By Lew

March 27, 2007 7:45 PM | Link to this

Snowball-I’ll go you one more here. I listened to a very good, very underrated hard rock CD today, you might like. Check out Pigs by Asphalt Ballet.

By Lew

March 27, 2007 7:48 PM | Link to this

KC-Where are we ranked in the Coach’s Pole?

By David O'Brien

March 27, 2007 7:53 PM | Link to this

NEW BLOG UP, or is it too late for all you old fogies to blog? come on, man, show me something!

By Pamela Y Jones

March 27, 2007 8:21 PM | Link to this

Most of the Braves Announcer’s candidates did very well. It’s gonna be a tough call. Chipper,Andruw and Smoltz are the Atlanta Braves along with Bobby Cox.

By TheSouthernJackAss

March 27, 2007 8:23 PM | Link to this

This is what happens when your rude as$ tries to run everybody off…

By BB FAN

March 28, 2007 9:36 AM | Link to this

Shaun,

Once again, it’s about passion! Sometimes, it’s not just stats that a guy gives a team. Damon was the face of the Red Sox!

But once again, you are like a robot with your stats and sh!t. You obviously don’t know about passion. Some players are irreplaceable. Damon was one of them for the Red Sox.