Andrew & Mac on the Braves

8 Comments

1. 

   Brad on September 6, 2003 at 12:53 pm

   Great job Mac – I really enjoyed the read!

2. 

   Rivers on September 6, 2003 at 10:40 pm

   I would be tempted to make Hampton the #1 starter in postseason … he’s the only lefty of the three — which would come in handy against the Giants …

   That might not be the best idea.

   v LHP – .281 .360 .478
   v RHP – .255 .326 .399

3. 

   Mac Thomason on September 7, 2003 at 1:31 am

   See what happens when I don’t look things up? Bonds terrifies me, though.

4. 

   Rivers on September 7, 2003 at 10:09 am

   You’re gonna be in for a shock, Mac:

   2002
   v LHP – .384 .556 .976
   v RHP – .363 .592 .719

   2003
   v LHP – .379 .536 .825
   v RHP – .326 .525 .720

   Bonds has ’em for breakfast, too.

5. 

   Mac Thomason on September 7, 2003 at 1:41 pm

   Just walk him.

6. 

   bamadan on September 8, 2003 at 9:08 am

   If the Braves play the Giants, I too would walk Bonds any time his AB means a thing. He is such an extreme player that my general disdain for the IBB as a strategy goes out the window. Heck, Showalter may have had the right idea when he walked him with the bases loaded and up by two!

   But if any other team plays SF, I will hate seeing all those walks to Bonds. He is the greatest hitter at least since the early 50s and a reasonable argument can be made that he is the best ever. Do we really want to see him on the biggest stage in baseball (no, this time it REALLY counts, Bud) taking four outside, unstrapping his armour and trotting to first? It offends my sense of the contest to see the rules of the game turned on their heads like this — the walk was designed to force the pitcher to throw hittable pitches to the batter. I’d rather see Bonds facing Randy Johnson or Eric Gagne or Tim Hudson or Esteban Loiza or Jose Mesa (bwaa, haa, haaaaa) with the game on the line, then see a manager hold up four fingers.

7. 

   MS on September 8, 2003 at 10:06 am

   Mac, It was fun reading that interview. I just wanted to say that I thought it was interesting how you really think the world series opponents (if the braves made it) would be the yankees…I think the yankees have fallen apart (even though I know they usually slump around this time and then come back to make it in the end, e.g. 1998 and 1999)…This time it looks like they’re done…I really think the most likely opponents would be the red sox, white sox or athletics although if I were to put money on it I’d bet on the red sox…That’s kinda scary cos we’d have to deal with Pedro and Wakefield’s knuckleballer (I know this sounds silly but are there are any knuckleball-throwin’ starterz in the NL?)…

8. 

   Mac Thomason on September 8, 2003 at 11:23 am

   The discussion was written over a couple of weeks. When I wrote that, the Yankees had about a five game lead and looked to be cruising. I’d still bet on them. The Central teams aren’t actually any good, the A’s still haven’t won a postseason series, the Mariners have run out of gas. As for the Red Sox… Well, you know.

   “Don’t worry. They haven’t been able to beat us for 80 years and they aren’t going to beat us now.” — Yogi.