Because I am bored with spring training. Active players who aren’t on the Braves and haven’t been with the organization in the past. Some of them may be on the downside. I’ll do a team, feel free to join in.
C Jorge Posada
1B Jeff Bagwell
2B Ray Durham
3B Mike Lowell
SS Miguel Tejada
OF Bobby Abreu
OF Brian Giles
OF Lance Berkman
SP Johan Santana
SP Al Leiter
CL Keith Foulke
Favorite how? Just nice guys who are good players, that kind of thing?
Just players I like, that’s all. They’re all good players, but there are better ones.
C Pudge Rodriguez
1B Albert Pujols
2B Adam Kennedy
SS Khalil Greene
3B Hank Blalock
OF Ichiro!
OF Gary Sheffield
OF Vlad Guerrero
SP Ben Sheets
SP Jake Peavy
CL Francisco Rodriguez
I guess Sheff doesn’t count because he was on the Braves. Replace him with Carlos Beltran.
I just noticed that not only do I have two Astros, I have two players they stupidly lost — Santana in the Rule 5, and Abreu (my favorite non-Brave of all) in the expansion draft. Stupid Astros.
Actually, there’s a lot of that on my list. The D-Rays then dumped Abreu for Kevin Stocker, foreshadowing their entire existence. Everyone knows Bagwell for Andersen, and Giles for Rincon was almost as stupid. The Yankees gave up on Leiter 148 wins ago, and traded Lowell for Ed Yarnall and two even less distinguished players.
C Eh.
1B Todd Helton
2B Biggio
3B Melvin Mora
SS Carlos Guillen
OF Barry
OF Adam Dunn
OF Johnny Damon
SP Oliver Perez
SP Mark Prior
Should-be CL Mike Gonzalez
C Pudge
1B Todd Helton
2B Biggio
3B A. Ramerez
SS K. Greene
OF T. Hunter
OF Adam Dunn
OF Alou
SP Schilling
SP Mark Prior
CL Hoffman
C Victor Martinez
1B Albert Pujols (my favorite non-Brave — I think I have a nonsexual crush on him)
2B Craig Biggio, although Iguchi, the White Sox’ new Japanese import, is on the verge of stealing my heart
3B Melvin Mora or Eric Chavez
SS Miguel Tejada
LF Brian Giles
CF Mike Cameron before he became a damn Met, maybe Aaron Rowand now
RF Ichiro!
DH Travis Hafner
LHP Johan Santana
RHP Jake Peavy or Javy Vazquez
CL Keith Foulke
Fav. all time Braves
C Olson
1B Crime Dog
2B Lemmer
SS Jeff Bluaser
3B Chipper/T.P.
OF Murphy
OF Gant
OF Andrew
SP Glavine
SP Maddux
RP McMichael
RP Pena
CL Smotz
As for favorite Braves, Johnny Estrada just moved up the list.
(from the AJC
The players you’ve picked, Mac, have a common bond. They’re cold-blooded killers, the kind I love to see play, except against the Braves, of course. When they do play the Braves, I hold my breath each time they come to bat.
Also, thanks for not picking a DH. Who needs it!
My favorite Braves All time since following in ’58
C Joe Torre
1B Darrell Evans
2b Marcus Giles
3b Eddie Mathews
SS Rafael Rameriz (weakest spot)
Lf Chipper Jones (had to make room for Eddie)
Cf Dale Murphy
Rf Hank Aaron
P John Smoltz
Mgr Bobby Cox
Favorite non-Braves lineup:
1 Tim Raines, LF
2 Willie Randolph, 2B
3 Rod Carew, 1B
4 George Brett, 3B
5 Dwight Evans, RF
6 Carlton Fisk, C
7 Lyman Bostock / Gorman Thomas CF
8 Dickie Thon, SS
SP Fernando Valenzuela, Mike Boddicker, Bruce Hurst, Roger Clemens, Mark Fidrych
RP Dan Quisenberry
Honorable mention: Terry Kennedy – when I was 15 living in San Diego I was kinda sorta dating this girl who had a crush on the Padres catcher. She loved going to games to watch him play. I got to watch the games and spend time with a very cute girl who even was a year older than me and had her drivers license. Wow, that was a lot of years ago.
Least favorites:
1 Pete Rose, 3B
2 Jeff Kent, 2B
3 Gary Sheffield, LF
4 Gary Carter, C
5 Jim Edmonds, CF
6 Steve Garvey, 1B
7 Dave Parker, RF
8 Gary Templeton, SS
SP Curt Shilling, Randy Johnson, Nolan Ryan, Juaquin Andujar, Jim Palmer
RP Armando Benitez
Oh, what the hey
C Paul LoDuca
1B Todd Helton
2B Jose Vidro
SS Khalil Greene
3B Eric Chavez
OF Torii Hunter
OF Lance Berkman
OF Ichiro Suzuki (who doesn’t like this guy)
SP Jose Lima
SP Roy Oswalt
RP Rod Beck
Fun topic Mac
Most and least, in that order…
C Jason Kendall, AJ Pierzinski
1B Todd Helton, I guess Mike Sweeney
2B Mark Loretta, Jeff Kent
SS Michael Young, Royce Clayton/Neifi Perez
3B Eric Chavez, David Bell
OF Garret Anderson, Barry Bonds
OF Luis Gonzalez, Moises Alou
OF Brian Giles, Carlos Beltran/Larry Walker
SP Jake Peavy, Roger Clemens
SP Barry Zito, Randy Johnson
CL Trevor Hoffman, Eric Gagne
Brave faves:
C – Javy (no real competition)
1B – Willie Montanez (the original hot dog)
2B – Giles (Hubbard a close second, but fading)
SS – Blauser (Go, Bud Man!)
3B – Chipper (Best position player in ATL history)
OF – Murph (hip to be square)
OF – Gant (he’d be a HOFer if the field extended 100 feet into LF foul ground)
OF – Andruw (I’ve said enough about Andruw)
IF – Darrell Evans (my first fave Brave)
OF – Claudell Washington (not a great player, just flat-out cool)
PH – Julio!
P – Knucksie (all-time fave Brave)
P – Mad Dog (best player we’ve ever had)
P – Smoltz (I’ve got tickets for April 10!)
RP – Rick Camp (for The Game)
RP – Marvin Freeman (I’m a proud and defiant member of Marvin’s Free Men — all those boos during his brief tenure as closer still haunt my dreams)
Least fave Braves:
C – Jody Davis (reputation preceded him, new rep trailed him)
1B – Ken Caminiti (Esasky second, but I can’t get angry at him for vertigo — Caminiti made me angry)
2B – I’ll put Oberkfell here
SS – Andres Thomas (worst player ever, Marty Perez close second)
3B – Jim Presley (all-time least fave Brave)
OF – Brett Butler (for off-field sactimoniousness)
OF – Kenny Lofton (sourpuss)
OF – Ken Henderson (irrational childhood hatred)
P – Len Barker
P – Zane Smith
P – Marty Clary
RP – John Rocker
RP – all Ghastly Boys, Charles Kerfeld, captain
Least Fav. Braves
C- Berryhill
1B-Cammy (when he was with the ‘Stros I loved him)
2B- Lockhert
3B-Presley
SS-Ozzie Guillen
OF-Roberto Kelly
OF-Steve Lyons (yes he had a short stint with the club)
OF-Kenny Loften
SP-Andy Ashby
SP-Zane Smith
RP-Gryboski (I know I can hit this guy)
Berryhill?!?!? I’d never put a man on my least favorite list who was part of the Game 7 rally in 1992 against Pittsburgh. I think he drew a key walk in the inning, but its been awhile since I saw the game on ESPN classic. If anyone remembers Berryhill’s contribution to the inning (or maybe he struck out), please post it. Thanks.
I’m surprised to see no one put Justice on their lists. I know he had his problems with Atlanta fans, but his homer was the only thing we had in Game 6 1995. Justice will make my list when I decide to make one. I’m also surprised to see no one put Lonnie Smith on their least favorite list. I don’t blame him for WS Game 7 1991, but I figure somebody does. I applaud everyone for leaving him off.
Here are a few of my Least Fav. Braves I don’t think no one has mentioned yet.
1B Randall Simon
OF Reggie Sanders
P Albie Lopez