Behind the fold, lest there be popups.
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Behind the fold, lest there be popups.
Use code “Journal” for a 5% discount.
My ‘Something Else’ stood for ‘Chipper, Huddy, Thomson, and Hampton Healthy’ 🙂 Other than that, I think we’ll be okay.
My something else was a couple/three relief pitchers. Closers are overrated and expensive. Just a few decent arms in the bullpen and the Braves will be fine, if we get at least 2 of the injured starters back.
On the Baseball Prospectus web site is one of the best reviews of Bill Shank’s Book, “Scout’s Honor.”
I find that I agree with the majority of the review.
This review is in the free part of the site. I like to hear what other readers think.
Sorry,
I forgot to post the link:
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=4216
I voted for a closer. I know, anyone can be a closer. Except Dan Kolbb and Chris Reitsma. But a closer would have a positive ripple effect on the rotation by pushing Reitsma back to set up and taking innings away from Benero and Kolbb who hasn’t really looked that bad the last couple of games.
Struggle I posted a notice about the BP article in the previous thread. Its a great article. Silver extolls the virtues of the Braves organization. However one can almost feel the utter confusion on his part. How do the Braves grow so much of their own talent? What is it about their scouting/teaching/developement and analysis that produces the Smoltz, Andruws, Giles, Furcals, etc. that other teams don’t do?
Silver’s review is right on the same page as the one JC Bradbury did a while back on Hardball Times. Shanks wasted a great opportunity to extoll the virtues of one of baseballs great organizations to write the anti Moneyball book.
Is it safe to assume that a vote for “Adam Bernero’s head on a stick” is the same as a vote for another reliever? Ot would that have to be “something else”?
I’m tellin ya, we’ve already got ourselves a Kloser 😉
something else = good health = runaway 2nd half. If you are ahead every night a closer isn’t terribly important
Just watched Chipper play up here in Rome tonight. No limping. He took it easy (not tagging up on a sac fly).
Last year he was 0-4 in Rome. This year 2-3 i think. 3 rbis, ground in to DP, and made a couple tough stops at 3rd.
Here’s the story about Chipper’s first rehab game:
http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20050713&content_id=1130489&vkey=news_atl&fext=.jsp&c_id=atl
BTW, I voted something else, same something as Kyle.
I agree with Viking Dawg. 2 good arms in the pen but no rent a pitchers like Billy Wagner or Kent Mercker. Devine will be ready some time next year so lets get some arms that will be here for awhile.
The Natspo’s have some nice arms when they fall out of the race…
Has anyone noticed Devine is in Mississippi? His combined stats: 9 ip, 3 hits, 4 bb, 12 k’s, and 0.00 era. I bet he is in Richmond by the end of July.
Here is a link to the stats: http://minorleaguebaseball.com/app/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Joseph%20Devine&pos=P&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&did=milb&pid=457733
I have to admit, I don’t understand the closer fixation. Out problem in the playoffs has been scoring, not pitching. Much as I love the way the kids are playing, this team will get mowed in the postseason without some additional offense.
spike,
I agree that scoring has been a problem in the playoffs, but what current position player do you want to sit? The only possibility is Langerhans, but we could only afford a player that would make a marginal improvement. Frankly, I believe any money that is spent should be on our shaky bullpen, whether its a closer or not.
I think the bullpen is the first priority, with outfield second. There is nobody in the bullpen now that I would trust to shut down the Cardinals in the last couple of innings in a close game. In the outfield, Johnson is playing well and Langerhans is OK. An improvement there is a luxury, not a necessity. I’m assuming, of course, that Chipper, Hudson and Hampton will be back with no problems or else all of this is moot.
My “something else” stands for 2 good relievers and an extra bat. That in addition to Adam Bernero’s head on a stick. I don’t trust the bullpen in the regular, the post, or the off-season, and I don’t trust our rookie offense in the playoffs. Of course, the Nats are helping us get there with the piles of suckitude they just traded two pretty good guys for.
Still getting popups, Mac. This time it was a “shoot the duck, win a free something-or-other.”
What I am about to type pains me and goes against anything I know. I have a feeling Dan kolb is going to be lights out in the second half. His last three or four outings he quit trying to throw it past guys and got weak little ground balls. I think he know that “strike outs are Facist” now. He can strike people out, but only when he has to. If I am right about this we will be better than ok.
Welcome to the brotherhood, Smitty. We’re strong and growing. Adding you to my last count we’ve got… uh… two members!
LEt’s get everyone healthy and get through the regular season. When Hampton, Hudson and Smoltz are all healthy for the postseason, you have a much better relief corp with Sosa and Colon. Reitsma will get much needed rest in September and be able to close out games. It would be nice to have someone along the likes of Alou because he is seasoned and is obviously is still pretty good. I believe some other team will end up with him though. I believe you could trade Kolb, Betemit and one other guy to the Giants for Alou and cash. They need prospects that will be playing soon along with a closer, so we have something they need and visa versa.
The Natspos did get Preston, so let the games begin!
I wouldn’t give up too much for Alou. He makes too much money, he is old, and he is not that great in the club house. I still think we should get Petterson from the Cubs and let him work out his problems in AAA. Around late August we can see if he is ready to come back to the show. At this point if he is ready he would be a great addition to the team. Patterson is a five tool guy who needs a change of location. Comming home would help and he wouldn’t have all the presure on him that he did in Chicago. If we get deperate of an outfielder maybe we could get a Randy Winn.
creynolds, I think our club will start to grow in a few weeks. That or we are both crazy.
Colorado just scored two huge deals. Amazingly lopsided.
I tend to think the Oakland deal is ok because Jay Payton is as good as Eric Byrnes, and Quintanilla doesn’t look so hot and wasn’t going anywhere within the organization. I’m not sure on the interest in Kennedy, but Jay Witasik looks like he may be back to being a decent bullpen arm. But they totally fleeced Washington on Preston Wilson.
I think the Natspos got better, but I don’t think it will be enough. Their bullpen is starting to tire and Stanton won’t help that much. Wilson is somewhat an upgrade, but they still need another bat or two.
Kennedy pitched brilliantly last year for Colorado and is still young. The Rockies could have gotten way more for him this past offseason. Witasick is a useful setup guy too. Byrnes became expendable when Swisher started to hit the last two months. In my view, the A’s got the best of that deal.
Nats got shafted. How did the Rockies pull that off? Zach Day and JJ Davis need some work, but they’re young. They got a great deal.
The talent we have at catcher would make Brayan Pena. The Phils are close to dropping out, and Wagner is in a contract year. So the question is…do you send a catcher who we probably won’t use and another prospect for Wagner, who we basically would be renting?
If we had a good closer, the Nats wouldn’t be in front right now and San Diego wouldn’t have swept us (still stings).
Wagner shortens the game to an eight inning game, so in this case, I am in favor renting him. However, will the Phils make this inter-divisional trade?
My “something else” vote is for a healthy Chipper/Hudson/Hamptom for the rest of the season. If the Braves get that, the other pieces will fall into place.
I voted for Bernero’s head on a stick–but that’s just an indication of needing extra depth in the ‘pen. And frankly, that can be achieved through the return of Hampton, Hudson, and Thomson as well. I wouldn’t mind acquiring a closer like Wagner, but what’s the realistic possibility that the Phillies would trade within the division? I know they are close to falling out, but Wade’s got to know that if his team doesn’t finish strongly he’s out. Why would he start dismantling a team (for the next guy)? That would be like a current government raising taxes so the next guy wouldn’t have to… it just never happens.