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Home > Terence Moore > Archives > 2008 > December > 03 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USAdding Vazquez, losing Hampton both good for Braves
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Well, this is a nice beginning for the Braves. I’m referring to the addition of Javier Vazquez and the subtraction of Mike Hampton regarding their starting pitching rotation for next season.
As for the subtraction, they don’t come any friendlier in baseball than Hampton, a popular veteran with his teammates and everybody else around the franchise, but enough is enough. He always was another pull, sprain, twist, ache, strain or tear waiting to happen. He spent nearly three seasons between starts before taking the mound last season for his ever-patient bosses with the Braves, and after getting hurt a couple of times again before summer, he did OK.
If you consider that the Braves have missed the playoffs for three years and that they suffered from a creaky rotation filled with injuries last season, they needed better than OK from Hampton next season. They would have gotten worse than that from Hampton with his 36-year-old arm and his wretched medical past. So, when he decided to bolt the Braves as a free agent this week to take less money with the Houston Astros, that wasn’t a bad thing.
Neither was this: The Braves essentially trading splendid catching prospect Tyler Flowers to the Chicago White Sox for Vazquez. Others also were involved in the deal (including infielder Brent Lillibridge from the Braves and lefty reliever Boone Logan from the White Sox). Even so, Flowers and Vazquez were the primary folks on both sides.
Let’s start with Flowers, a rising star in the Braves farm system. He grew up in the Atlanta area, too. He spent his time in the Arizona Fall League this year pounding pitchers for a .387 batting average, 12 home runs and 23 RBIs in 20 games. He’s also just 22, but two things here: The Braves already have a perennial All-Star catcher named Brian McCann, and he’s just 24. Plus, teams have great prospects in their organization either to keep them around if those teams don’t have a McCann in front of them or to trade them for something that those teams need such as a Vazquez.
That’s one new starter down and one more to go in the Braves’ restoration plan by general manager Frank Wren. Although Wren said the Jake Peavy deal is dead, don’t stop believing they’ll get the former Cy Young winner from the San Diego Padres until you see the corpse. And, with baseball’s winter meetings next week, the Braves could grab another starter of significance, or they could win the free-agent sweepstakes for A.J. Burnett.
Whatever happens, they’ll still have Vazquez, and you should ignore his shaky numbers from last year (12-16 record and 4.67 ERA). He also had losing seasons after four of his previous nine years in the majors, stretching from the Montreal Expos to the New York Yankees to the Arizona Diamondbacks to the White Sox.
Vazquez’s thing is inning pitched. He has lots of them. He has thrown more than 200 innings every season but one, and after that one, he had 198 innings.
Innings pitched is among the most undervalued statistics in sports. The more your starter throws, the more your bullpen rests — and the more your team plays in games tight enough to win.
The Braves once had 200-inning machines every season in Cy Maddux, Cy Glavine and Cy Smoltz. The Braves had zero such pitchers last season. Worse, with injuries and age tugging either at their shoulder, elbow or both, Glavine threw 63 innings last year to Smoltz’s 28.
Hampton threw 78.
Get the picture?
Permalink | Comments (64) | Categories: Braves/MLB
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By Fahim
December 3, 2008 5:52 PM | Link to this
Well written and said Terrance. Good work. Flowers, as good as he is, wouldn’t have seen Atlanta as a starter with McCann in that role for a long time. Vazquez has been a solid, if unspectacular starter throughout his career. And we all know how tough pitching is to find these days. I wonder, though, was Vasquez the best they could do for the package of players the Braves sent to Chicago?
By ET
December 3, 2008 6:14 PM | Link to this
I had hoped that Hampton would have taken less to stay with the Braves since we held his hand all these years while he got healthy (assuming that is what he is). I guess loyalty isn’t in vogue these days. He sat around here doing nothing for the organization for three years and then bolts to Houston for less money. That is a slap in the face to us.
If that is his true character then I’m glad he ios gone…good ridence.
By Dacula
December 3, 2008 6:14 PM | Link to this
Great article. The one on Willie Martinez was also right on the money.
By bill
December 3, 2008 6:22 PM | Link to this
I used to dread TMs columns…before I grew up and realized that he is a talented writer, despite my disagreements. That said, you make a great argument for the Braves’ addition through subtraction theory. Being a true fan (I don’t even have a problem with the one World Series…I love watching a winner throughout the regular season, and I love the post-season, win or lose) I hope you are correct. I think you will be.
By Wayne
December 3, 2008 6:31 PM | Link to this
You have to give in order to recieve. However, like the Tex trade w/TX we may have given more than enough. Innings pitched are great, but wins are even better. We definitely need starters and can possibly get by with less costly hitters-like the Marlins do everyear. One more quality pitcher and another stick will work.
By brAves Sucios
December 3, 2008 6:35 PM | Link to this
Yeah, not a terrible trade, not sad to see Hampton go. Let’s at least get some NEW guys in here to possibly miss most of the season with injuries… wish we could have used Flowers to get something a little more, but whatever. We’ll talk come April.
Thanks for the article, T. Moore.
By John
December 3, 2008 6:36 PM | Link to this
Great column Terrance…
Totally agree. Hampton= Nice guy. But the Braves had to cut ties with him. Best of luck to him in Houston.
Hopefully the Braves will acquire Burnett so they do not have to give up Yunel and other top prospects.
By Ken Stallings
December 3, 2008 6:37 PM | Link to this
ESPN is reporting that the Braves have tendered a free agent offer to AJ Burnette to cover four years and pay around $140 million. This appears a seriously competitive offer. if Burnett accepts, then the Braves have the two starters they were seeking and give up Flowers and a compensation draft pick.
I fear Flowers is the real deal and could have worked out at first base with a bat we haven’t had at that position since Fred McGriff left.
If Vasquez works for 14 or 15 wins and 200 plus innings pitched, and if we get Burnett, then we have a real shot at the playoffs and a division title.
Worth it? Yes, if those two things happen. If not, we’re going to regret the Vasquez trade.
You think the Detroit Tigers weren’t really missing John Smoltz the year after Doyle Alexander helped them win their title?
By SO Refugee
December 3, 2008 7:01 PM | Link to this
For some reason, I keep thinking of Brett Butler, Rick Behenna, and Brook Jacoby…
I hope this works out better for the Braves.
By Tony C.
December 3, 2008 7:09 PM | Link to this
Wow.
I completely agree with you Mr. Moore.
By mike
December 3, 2008 7:11 PM | Link to this
First off i just want to say thank you Atlanta for taking Javy of our hands. We now are able to free up our salary cap more and quite frankly he’s not worth the money he’s being paid. Let me tell you what your getting, your getting a guy that has some of the best stuff in baseball but it just does not translate onto the field. He’ll give you between 6-7 innings a game, 1 of those innings will be bad, real bad and once it goes bad he just can’t find the strike zone no more. So good luck and good riddance.
By perryfan
December 3, 2008 7:16 PM | Link to this
“Nice” acquisition but this doesn’t raise us above mediocrity or even make me excited about the season. The Braves need somebody to excite us and make us want to buy tickets. With all of the trouble we are having putting together a rotation, I surprise myself by wishing the Braves would “blow their budget” and sign C.C. The team has become so boring. Is there a modern-day Otis Nixon or Rafael Furcal that can lift us up?
By alex
December 3, 2008 7:17 PM | Link to this
Good talk all around. I think Braves nation probably were underwhelmed because we’ve been salivating over the thought of Peavy. But Vasquez is a horse. And we have an almost barren stable. Here’s hoping the Padres lose the staring match and give us Peavy.
By Jim
December 3, 2008 7:27 PM | Link to this
Good points, Mr. Moore. Vazquez, Peavy/Burnett (hopefully), Jair, will be fun to watch. With an improved Francouer, Kelly Johnson and Kotchman, it should be an exciting year. But we need a left fielder. And center field isn’t such a sure thing either. The Hot Stove sure is entertaining!
By Willie Montanez
December 3, 2008 7:48 PM | Link to this
Solid move. We still need an ace and a left fielder though.
By dawgfan
December 3, 2008 7:55 PM | Link to this
TM, I don’t agree with much of what you write, but you are right on the money on this.
By T-Rock
December 3, 2008 8:19 PM | Link to this
I like getting Vazquez but I hate to see Flowers go. Hopefully we can still land Peavy and if Smoltzie and Glavine can give us anything, I like our rotation.
By Gumbo
December 3, 2008 8:20 PM | Link to this
Nice Column, TM. Agree with your analysis of Innings Pitched - you could add one other thing. U don;t ptich that many innings without being able to shut down OPPS.
By john
December 3, 2008 8:39 PM | Link to this
Terence and everybody: White Sox fan here. Born and grew-up on the southside of Chicago….OK, about Vazquez: Great stuff. Never gets hurt. Give you 200 innings a year. Wonderful person—great teammate…So why did we trade him? Because he can’t pitch well in the BIG GAME. Tightens-up, as they say. Always seems to tense up and has that one disasterous inning………Hey, the WILDCARD guys—-Boone Logan. What an arm ! If he gets his control, you’ll love him.
By Notafool
December 3, 2008 8:50 PM | Link to this
11.5 million a year for a pitcher with a career losing record?!?!?! Are you freakin kidding me?!?!?! This is the best we could do after giving up our best catching prospect? We got ripped… These types of trades are the exact reason the Braves cant win a championship.
By hugh
December 3, 2008 9:01 PM | Link to this
Pure crap—Vazquez is an aging whiner not popular in the dugout or on the field—he’ll lose 15 in Atlanta.
Bigger issue—why don’t we have Burrell, etc. signed, plus some other real free agent hitters—we have “4 nites a week Chipper”—McCann—- and the rest are AA players—not even AAA. Hey Wren—spend some bucks(Liberty Media doen’t give a poot about Atlanta)—sign some talent or you’ll see tons of empty seats. Right now we hace zippo.
By Bill Robinson
December 3, 2008 9:34 PM | Link to this
Well said, Terrence. I am starting to believe it’s not a bad thing.
By John
December 3, 2008 10:13 PM | Link to this
Ken Stallings…. just wondering what makes you think Flowers at first? I hear the Braves have a young first basemen-in-waiting in Freddie Freemen… Freemen, Heyward, Schafer, Hanson should be good for the Braves in a couple of years… some homegrown talent who hopefully will stick around for a while
By BBuck5
December 3, 2008 10:18 PM | Link to this
It was time for Hampton to go. I know pitching is needed but don’t understand why they didn’t move Flowers to left field to get young power into the lineup.
By A.S.
December 3, 2008 10:19 PM | Link to this
Wow T. Moore I think this it the first time I actually agree with one of your articles. Way to go! Keep up the honest, straightforward writing.
By Michael
December 3, 2008 10:24 PM | Link to this
The only thing about congratulating the Braves for both moves is they offered Hampton more money than Houston did. I agree that it’s good that he’s gone for stability, but it wasn’t because Atlanta wasn’t interested.
I have no idea how he’s making more than the MLB minimum. I wish I could have more than $100 million for the lack of pitching he has done in his career. The MLBPA really has the MLB owners by the you-know-whatsits.
By Leo Rimando
December 3, 2008 10:31 PM | Link to this
I like the trade alot. We’ve hitched out wagon to McCann, so we’re trading a surplus catching find in Flowers for solid pitcher in Vazquez. A good move by Wren. I like the aggressivenss he’s shown (hope he keeps it up!). Vazquez at times is wild (see high WHIP and ERA), but should have more good games than bad. He’s a strikeout pitcher and we definitely need that. He’s not a #1; but will be okay at #2 or #3 depending where you want to slot Jjurgens (who would be awesome at #3). Vazquez is brilliant at times. I think Bobby Cox and the Braves’ club harmony will have a postive affect on Vazquez. Thank you Ozzie Guillen giving us a baseline that Vazquez can compare the Braves to.
One more thing! I like the preemptive move in trading for Vazquez before the Winter Meeting!! Take note Wren is also preemptively trying to close the Burnett deal before the Meetings! If he can do Braves fans, then we have a GM who will give us a shot in reclaiming the division again!
Close the Burnett deal, trade for Ibanez, bring up Hanson, and Heyward and we’ll make a run for it in 2009!!
Go Braves!!
By Lee
December 3, 2008 10:32 PM | Link to this
So we traded a nice catching prospect and are essentially paying someone 11.5 million dollars a year to lose 12- 15 games a year. I am losing my faith with this team and management fast.
By Terence Moore
December 3, 2008 10:34 PM | Link to this
To Willie Martinez, and to others with his viewpoint that the Braves still need an ace and a left fielder/slugger, among other things:
The Braves do, but they can only fill one hole at a time.
With the winter meetings coming next week, Braves fans should feel confident that GM Frank Wren is going to make a move or two. He clearly has a plan, and he appears to be going about it methodically and diligently.
By hop
December 3, 2008 10:47 PM | Link to this
this is a horrible trade with the braves giving far more than they will receive.
by giving this type of talent, they should have received far more than this ,like an ACE.
they receive at best, a third or fourth starter.
the braves should be following the rays and marlins model of developing your young talent from within and then you will be a contender.
what a huge waste of young great talent.
By double deuce
December 3, 2008 10:55 PM | Link to this
Good commentary on the Hampton for Vasquez deal. It was time for Hampton to go, and for those who think he should have taken less and stayed around I think he needed a change of scenery. There is no loyalty in baseball except for a few marquee players, and thank God the Braves have had Chipper for his entire career. I hope we don’t go into next season depending on Smoltz and Glavine. Whatever we get from them should be considered a bonus, with JJ, Javier and Huddy being the focus and then see what shakes out with Peavy. That would be a nice fresh start.
By GermanBravesFan
December 4, 2008 3:21 AM | Link to this
KEN STALLINGS: you think a four-year offer to Burnett for $140 million is fair? Hmmm… Have you done the math on that? That would pay him $35 million per year!!!! I am sure he’ll sign TODAY for that kind of money…
I am sure you got your numbers wrong on that one!! ;-)
By GermanBravesFan
December 4, 2008 3:22 AM | Link to this
Losing Hampton, indeed, is not a big loss. However, it would have been nice to have him around at $3 million per year… He could have been a solid #4 starter!
By Armond Hill
December 4, 2008 4:09 AM | Link to this
Bull hocky. We gave up a herculean slugger for a 30 something journeyman #3 starter. That’s just GREAT! Lord knows we have a roster of sluggers up to our eyeballs. Had we traded him for Peavy, that’d be one thing. But no. We dealt him away for a guy that’s gonna give us 200 mediocre innings. Well, at least we got the Falcons.
By Three Man Rush
December 4, 2008 7:34 AM | Link to this
Moore, what RU saying? Good pitching beats good hitting?
The little league world series proves that year after year. You can only win with pitching, because you cant rely on hitting.
It’s pitching. Everyone knows that. There’s nothing else to write about baseball. It the pitching is good, then the Braves will make the post season.
That’s the story of baseball. The end. I mean, now that I’ve blogged today, why even play out this coming baseball season? We all know what’s going to happen.
The best pitching will win.
By Mitch
December 4, 2008 7:38 AM | Link to this
I’m glad Hampton is gone. He pitched very well for us the first two years he was here, and even made us forget Glavine for a while, as we won two divisions, and Glavine took up residence in the basement at Shea. Then, it became the worst trade in baseball history.
Terrance, I agree with you that we need an innings eater. Now we need an ace. Unless Frank pulls a Christmas miracle to get us Peavy, we really need Burnett. While we can dream that Glav and Smoltz will be back and pitching for us next year, reality is one or both might leave, or retire. Do we throw 20 mil at two 40 odd year old pitchers, with such a tight budget? I dont know. If we get Burnett, and have JJ, and Vasquez, that isnt a bad 1-3. Gonzo or Soriano is our closer, so then you’re looking at 20 mil for numbers 4-5 starters, in Glav and Smoltz? Not sure about that.
Vazquez was a good move. Now we need Burnett, or.. Peavy, to make our winter complete
By JohnGTFan
December 4, 2008 7:48 AM | Link to this
Never thought I’d say this…but GOOD column TM. The only thing I don’t understand is why you and DOB and a few others actually think ATL may still get Peavy. I don’t think so. Atlanta will probably win the sweepstakes for AJ…I mean come one…ATL is the only team offering a guaranteed 5th year and at around 17mil per season. Noone else will give that 5th year…and he wants back in the national league…AND he has mad respect for Bobby, Chipper and the Braves….AND IT’S A PITCHER’S PARK! And of course, he would have a solid SS knowing that WHEN he signs with ATL, there will be no need for ATL to pursue Peavy…hence the starting SS will still be on the roster!!!
By dale in newnan
December 4, 2008 7:51 AM | Link to this
good job moore keep it up
By manny
December 4, 2008 8:07 AM | Link to this
Mike Hampton was a bust, see ya later!!!! We could have given that money to another power hitter and closer. The braves are making sound moves but please get a power hitter in the line up, take Andrew back if he can drop 45 pounds! LOL
By GermanBravesFan
December 4, 2008 8:12 AM | Link to this
KEN STALLINGS: an offer for Burnette for four years and $140 million??? I think that would get it done… ;-) Have you done the math on this one??? this would equate to $35 million per year… WOW
By D.Ellis
December 4, 2008 8:33 AM | Link to this
Actually the money for Burnett is inaccuarate. 5 Years @ 140 Million???? That is CC money not Burnett money
-Hopefully if the Braves get him he can stay healthy and be a very solid #2.
By Robert
December 4, 2008 8:37 AM | Link to this
None of the individual player moves matter a flip
Until the Braves get rid of the donkey that manages the team, it wont matter if they field a team of Babe Ruths - they wont win jack
Every year the same thing. Distractions, smoke, mirrors, and lots of excuses and apologies from the local media
I aint buyin it
Fire Cox and then we can talk about whether moves were good or bad for the Braves
Until then, all we’re debating is whether a 90 win roster will win 80 games, an 80 win roster will win 70 games, a WS team will lose in the first round of the playoffs, or something similar
By richbrave
December 4, 2008 8:59 AM | Link to this
HAMPTON for VASQUEZ at the 3 in ‘09 looks good to me. At least we have an arm without the injury history. ROSS as BUC. O.K. I guess. Now on to BURNETT and a CF. DYE appears to be in the mix as a rental for one or two years until HERNANDEZ or SCHAFER appear.
By DannyFish
December 4, 2008 9:14 AM | Link to this
Question TM
With the Pad’s trading Khalil Green to St. Louis they need a SS and we know they’d like Yunel. We are supposedly preparing to make Burnett a 5 year offer. If Burnett takes the offer is there any chance the Braves still consider Peavy if Towers can accept a legit offer?
By Robert
December 4, 2008 10:19 AM | Link to this
“It’s pitching. Everyone knows that. There’s nothing else to write about baseball”
Actually, it’s pitching and managing
For the better part of 15 years, the second did its best to negate the first in Atlanta
By Matt
December 4, 2008 10:46 AM | Link to this
To all of the people that are saying he “tightens up” in the big games, i wouldn’t mind that as long as we can make it to a big game. Just think of a rotation burnett, jair, vasquez as your 1-2-3 punch. then later in the season get back hudson then Atlanta should be a formidable opponent in the playoffs.
By Rober
December 4, 2008 11:40 AM | Link to this
“then later in the season get back hudson then Atlanta should be a formidable opponent in the playoffs”
It is, by definition, impossible for a Bobby Cox managed team to be a formidable playoff opponent
By Bo
December 4, 2008 12:38 PM | Link to this
Mr. Moore, I agree 100%. I believe Frank Wren will fill the Braves needs before spring training. Thanks for post.
By DannyFish
December 4, 2008 1:16 PM | Link to this
Robert
Are you saying that Bobby Cox got us to the playoffs all those years by himself because our pitching wasn’t good? There are three Hall of Fame pitchers in Maddux, Smoltz, and Glavine that would probably argue with that. To say that Bobby had to do his best to negate poor pitching is just plain ignorant.
By Say What
December 4, 2008 2:08 PM | Link to this
Hey ET, what are you on dude? Loyality is not in any ball player’s mouth. They don’t know the word, how to spell the word, and probably have never thought of the word. They are loyal to themselves and the dollar sign. Plus, I will give Hampton a little bit here. The guy is going through a divorce and wanted to be closer to his kids. While a flight from Atlanta to Houston is not that far on a jet, hey, three hours is three hours when you are pressed to get there and back for a game or something. He would have done better to go to the Dbacks, but they did not make an offer.
By Braves Boy Lost in Queens
December 4, 2008 2:27 PM | Link to this
I am excited. I remember being really bitter every time we would go play the woeful Expos and then strike out eleven times to Vazquez. I think he could have quite a season being back in the NL and the perfectly spaces Turner Field. 14-8 204 IP 204 SO.
By Chillymutt
December 4, 2008 2:34 PM | Link to this
Will someone please tell Mike that there is not a salary cap in MLB.
By Robert
December 4, 2008 2:34 PM | Link to this
Im not worried about Vazquez. Atlanta seems to be the place where pitchers thrive. Roger is surely not Ozzy. Vazquez will win 18 for the first time under Roger and Bobby.
By Rick Long
December 4, 2008 4:45 PM | Link to this
In my view, Wren and Towers need to stop the testosterone olympiad at the meetings next week and rekindle the Peavy discussions, particularly since the Padres apparently are trading away Greene. While Vazquez is surely an upgrade, I do not view him as a “front-line” pitcher which Wren said he would aggressively pursue.
Given his injury history and the fact that his on the field production has NEVER matched his stuff, I cannot fathom even considering offering Burnett more than a 3 year deal (5 years is a sure receipe for disaster—see, e.g. Pedro Martinez).
Peavy on the other hand is one of the few GENUINE ACES in baseball who is only 27 and has already won a Cy Young Award. If, as Peter Gammons claims, the Braves were close to a deal for Peavy which would not require them to surrender any of their top 5 prospects (had Flowers reached top 5 status before the trade to the Chisox?) but balked at including a Class A pitcher in the deal, I think this is a horrible mistake.
By bfred
December 4, 2008 5:17 PM | Link to this
Let’s put an over/under on how many innings Vasquez goes this year before the arm-eating buzzsaw that is the Braves’ pitcher conditioning program condemns the guy to season-ending surgury. I’m putting it at 120.
I know they fired the strength and conditioning coach last year, but what about McDowell? We never had these kinds of injuries under Mazzone.
By Jim
December 4, 2008 5:24 PM | Link to this
We gave up way too much for a mediocre starter. And one that Ozzie Guillen wouldn’t start in crucial games. I’m sure that Ozzie is chuckling over this one. Get two spendid talents and take a piece of dead wood off his hands. A bad start to the off season and rebuiding of the starting rotation.
By GT
December 4, 2008 5:37 PM | Link to this
“Whatever happens, they’ll still have Vazquez, and you should ignore his shaky numbers from last year (12-16 record and 4.67 ERA).”
Care to elaborate? Why is a 4.67 ERA on 200+ innings something to ignore? How will adding an ERA over 4 improve the Braves rotation? Innings are great, but poorly pitched innings are just what they are - regardless of whether its a starter or a reliever on the mound.
This deal was a waste of money (Vasquez earns in excess of $11M a season), and a waste of a prospect that could have been dealt elsewhere for greater return.
Congratulations on your purchase, Frank Wren.
By gayle
December 4, 2008 6:18 PM | Link to this
I wish the Braves would take a visit to Flowery Branch and see how Arthur Blank has transformed a losing and disheveled franchise in just one year.
But no, the Braves keep going with band aids while ignoring the elephant in the room. Until the management and with it the philosophy of this team changes, the names of some players may change, but the results will be the same.
It takes guts and strong ownership to make the kinds of moves that Arthur Blank did - but this is where the Braves are the weakest. They can’t make the tough moves and will change the window shades and cross their fingers but the status quo will remain.
How can Braves fans get excited with a pitcher with a losing career record and offering a king’s ransom for a malcontent from Toronto?
Same stuff, different year. Yawn.
By Jborodawg
December 4, 2008 7:03 PM | Link to this
Robert: “…Atlanta seems to be the place where pitchers thrive…” Huh?!
Hudson had a lot of balls to leave for less money; after being paid millions to not pitch all these years.
As for Vazquez: almost every Sox blogger (at espn.com and chicagotribune.com) thinks it’s a great deal; near unanimous they wanted to get rid of him.
Hope we don’t pay too much for Burnett; getting up there in the age department.
On the other hand: Burnett is an ace and Vazquez ‘should’ give us a lot of innings. Just don’t expect Javy to be our star in the WS.
By Marc
December 4, 2008 7:23 PM | Link to this
Good article. The one thing no one’s talking about though is the simple fact that we could start 09’ without a single left-handed starter in our rotation. Am I the only one concerned by this?
By richbrave
December 4, 2008 7:28 PM | Link to this
BRAVES BOY LOST:
Hopefully so. Make it happen. Careful rooting for the BRAVES at METS games. My eldest lives in KINGS COUNTY, and both she and my son-in-law are METS fans as is my other son-in-law here in RICHMOND. Dang! We’re outnumbered. What passes for knowledge I just can’t understand.
And a tip of the hat to MR. EARL STAFFORD for inviting 300 guests to the inauguration parade. What a magnimous gift for those less fortunate AMERICANS.
By Scott S.
December 4, 2008 9:19 PM | Link to this
Can we all take in the positives? First, Vazquez wants to be in Atlanta and with what will be an excellent bullpen he could certainly pitch like an ace and win 18 games. Second he will be playing under less pressure from Bobby than under Ozzie. Finally, pitchers park instead of a hitters park. We are looking fine!!!! Lets get a big boppin’ left fielder to spruce up the offense and all our pitchers can win while we score 5 to 6 runs a game!!! Merry Christmas and all I want is Burnett or Peavy!!!! This would make for a Philly stomping, Mets beating war machine in the NL east!
By GTsteve
December 4, 2008 10:00 PM | Link to this
I couldn’t help but notice that the Padres let their ShortStop go today, does that mean anything for the Peavy for Yunel and others trade.
By Jeff
December 4, 2008 10:02 PM | Link to this
Consider that Vazquez was able to pitch all of those inning mostly in the AL where managers did not have to pinch hit for him. He will not be expected to pitch anywhere near 200 innings with the Braves because he will be pitching from behind too many times. To compare him to Maddox Galvine and Smoltz in their prime is absurd.