So, here’s what we know:
C McCann
1B LaRoche
2B
3B Chipper
SS Renteria
LF
CF Andruw
RF Jeffrey The Outmaking Wonderboy
Left would appear to be Langerhans/Diaz as the default, even though the Braves appear to have no confidence in either. Second base is a cluster… a huge mess. Choose your second baseman… if you dare!
The final result of the earlier poll is “Let’s Not Call Him Anything, Let’s Just Ignore Him”. If we have to mention him, he will be called “Peanut”.
Is that poll for who probably will start at 2B or who we’d LIKE to start at 2B? Cause if it’s the first, then it’ll probably be some overpriced useless veteran that had a good reputation several years ago.
Here is what I do if left wth no other options .. I put Kelly Johnson in Left if his arm proves OK .. I may platoon Prado and Aybar at 2nd base … as far as Langerhans ( late inning defense) and Diaz (late inning pinch hitter) ..there ya go .. but here is hoping we get a LF that can lead off and KJ can play 2nd base ….
KJ will start at 2B and LF will be a platoon of some sort. My best guess for the roster next year:
C McCann
1B LaRoche
2B KJ
3B Chipper
SS Renteria
LF Diaz/Thorman
CF Andruw
RF Sir Outsalot
BN: Diaz/Thorman
BN: Langerhans
BN: Willy Aybar
BN: Pete Orr
BN: Brian Penya
Langerhans is the 5th OF/defensive replacement, you’ve got at least one good bat off the bench (Diaz or Thorman, whichever isn’t starting), two switch-hitters, every position covered at least twice, usually three times, and your pinch runner in Orr. This assumes Atlanta runs with a 12-man pitching roster, which I think is what they did last year.
Anyhow, I’m comfortable with this roster. Our offense should actually be better next year with Thorman/Diaz being a lot better than Langerhans/Diaz, and KJ should be able to out-perform Marcus’s pathetic numbers. (Although I’m not quite sure who leads off…. Renteria first, KJ second?) The question is whether that lineup can hold up defensively. The good news is that we’ll have solid defensive replacements available for later in Langerhans and Orr. I’m not sure if Aybar or KJ will turn out to be the better glove man at second, but that could also be an option.
I hear they are going to stage timed 60 yard dashes to see who gets to lead off, you know since speed is the most important factor.
“The question is whether that lineup can hold up defensively”
That might be the question, but I think I know the answer, unfortunately.
Pffft, we all know.
*Price is Right losing horns*
Bad.
But that’s life, we can’t have a perfect team.
I voted for Prado, because I think he’ll end up with the job, but my preference would be Willy Aybar. Why make the betemit trade if he’s not going to start?
I too voted for Prado, but have a personal preference for either Aybar or Johnson.
When is the last time we hand an unplayed rookie starting in the field on opening day? This won’t be the year either. Cox will go with the “proven” commodity of Pete Orr.
When I saw L’il Jonny’s name on the poll, I nearly spat hot cocoa on my keyboard. If he is the Opening Day 2B, I will not watch this team until JS is fired. And I think there’s a 0% chance of that happening, fortunately, so you can hold me to it.
I voted for Aybar, but somehow, I doubt it now. I think it’ll be Prado, and that will be like returning to the 1970s.
Cox has strongly hinted that it will be Prado. Things might change, but …
When I saw L’il Johnny’s name I nearly spat vodka on my keyboard.
Kevin Towers reported said he has offered Giles 1-year @ $3-4M.
mraver, that is exactly what I think the lineup will be if we don’t make anymore moves (and given the D-Rays insistence on James and the fact that we probably can’t get equal value for LaRoche, I don’t think there will be anymore significant moves). Although, I think KJ is the leadoff guy because of his plate discipline. I like that lineup.
2B Kelly Johnson
SS Edgar Renteria
3B Chipper Jones
CF Andruw Jones
C Pimpbot
RF Jeff Francoeur
1B Adam LaRoche
LF Scott Thorman/Matt Diaz
Offensively I think we are better because KJ will probably set the table better than Marcus did last year and after that it’s the same. The only defensive change is at 2B, Thorman had limited playing time last year and the outfield defense was fine. None of us know how KJ will do at second, we can only guess. But we should at least give him a chance. The reports seem to indicate that he is learning the position, he has a good teacher in Hubbard, and he came up as a shortstop so he is probably capable. The bullpen will be light years better than last year at the beginning of the year and the rotation has a lot of question marks. It all hinges on how those guys in the rotation do, but if everything goes right we may have the best rotation in baseball. I know that we can’t count on everything to go right, but in these circumstances we are stuck with the starters that we have and that may not turn out to be a bad thing.
What I’d like is for a Prado/Aybar platoon at 2b. What I expect is some mediocre veteran to be acquired via trade or free agency. I don’t see any reason to think KJ will show any more ability to be an infielder than he did in the past. If he has a good offensive spring training, he’ll push Langerhans for playing time in LF instead.
Jeff, when I first read your post, I thought you said that Kevin Towers had offered Giles 1 year, $34 million.
Then I re-read it. Oops.
Wow, that is kind of Gross. So this coming season, instead of our bullpen costing us the game on several occasions, it will be the infield. How many times do you think a Bill Buckner type play will happen to the Braves in 07?
1-year $34M would be quite a payday.
Colin,
What I meant was that Boras will set the market, b/c of the Wells offer. If he says “Wells is getting this, Andruw was 2nd in the MVP voting once, has won more gold gloves, and could be considered a better player than Vernon, we want X amount of dollars more.”
Seeing what Wells got only proves how much we need to trade him. I love Andruw (man crush style) but pissing around 80-85 wins isn’t going to help us the years after this. Is there another Jeff Francoeur in the system that can replace Andruw’s talent and production? No…there isn’t. Campbell is good, I saw him quite a bit in Danville, but none of the other prospects are can’t miss bats (not saying Campbell is)
If Andruw veto’s the trade, so be it, but at least look to try and make this team better in the long run. As far as we know, the only thing Andruw has said is he’d prefer to stay in warmer climate areas and the last I checked the SoCal temps are pretty stable during the summer.
I’m pulling for KJ to play some where. I think LF. His value is mostly in his offense. Y’all remember George Bamberger, manager of the old Brew Crew? He insisted that his infielders play all the positions to increase his lineup flexibility. So for all of y’all out there that have played higher level ball should a guy that has played SS be able to make the switch to 2b?
You know Thorman looked almost natural out in left. I mean he looked a lot more natural than Chipper or Ryan Klesko.
From Peanut, 12/06/06:
As for Andruw Jones, it’s become even more evident that he’ll be in Atlanta for the 2007 season.
On Tuesday night, Jones’ agent, Scott Boras, indicated there was “new information” regarding his client. This hinted that the Braves were ready to approach the Gold Glove outfielder about a potential deal that couldn’t be completed without him waiving the no-trade clause he’s earned by compiling 10 years of Major League service time and being with the same team for five consecutive years.
When asked about Boras’ comment, Schuerholz’s response wasn’t surprising.
“I don’t really care what he says,” Schuerholz said.
Often the best athletes play a lot of SS coming up, then move to other positions based on need, desire, stereotypes about body type, etc. Moving from SS to 2B is fairly common, if not easy because of new footwork for turning doubleplays, and the like.
You know, I could have included Eric Campbell since he’s been moved to second. But I don’t see it as a possibility. There’s a better than even chance that the position changes hands at some point this year, possibly more than once, as it often did between the Lemke and Giles tenures.
Mac, how about next threat a poll on #5 starter?
Oops, make that “thread.”
Adam R
Since when does anyone on the planet believe that Frenchy is even close to a replacement for Andruw? Francoeur is still swinging at pitches throw in August. Lets pray the Braves have guys in the farm system far better than Francoeur. I’d trade Frenchy and get 2 Baldellis…that make up for the loss of Andruw.
Johnson at 2nd. If not Johnson, Aybar has the OBP.
To me, it doesn’t seem like the Braves would do any of the options. The Braves never get creative with their defensive alignment, and certainly don’t like huge defensive liabilities. (Johnson) They also tend to have players who fall out of favor and just can’t buy their way into the starting lineup. (Aybar) They also tend not to give rookies starting jobs right off the bat unless the rookie is a very highly regarded prospect. (Prado, Pena) They typically do not comment that a minor league player is not ready for the major leagues yet if they have any intention of giving him a legitimate shot. (Escobar) I refuse to consider Pete Orr the starting second baseman. Schuerholz Jr., please. Right.
There is also no reason to import any new guys, because there are enough candidates in house, and nobody who the Braves bring in will be any better. If the answer ends up being Jose Castillo, I am going to be furious.
I hear Keith Lockhart is still living in Atlanta. We could put him in at second and sign jordan to play left. Let Eddie Perez be the back up catcher. I bet Mike Bielecki could be our fifth starter.
@ 26 – Your post reads like the response a republican candidate might give to the question “are you pro-choice?” in a race for office in downtown NYC. What, are the Braves just not going to have a 2B next year?
I guess the job could go to Prado…. He’s just so awful with the bat. In actuality, his play in the majors last year was probably better than he’s done at any other level. His ISOP% was up, his HR% was up, his BB% was up relative to his career…. Sure, if he can keep that up he might be servicable. But I just don’t see it happening. I’m really hoping Johnson learns the position well enough to earn the job in ST. I’m hoping for that for a couple of reasons, not the leaset of which is so that we’ll be able to roster Thorman in the LF platoon instead of KJ, which would allow us to keep both on the roster.
If KJ isn’t the starting 2B, I would like to see Aybar. I think he’s the best leadoff option the Braves have (he’ll hit at least .280 and my guess is an OBP of at least .350), but they seem to want to keep him as a reserve to replace Chipper. IMO, no reason he can’t start at second and, should Chipper go down, move over to third and let someone else (Orr, Prado) take over second.
I agree with mraver,
The starting second baseman should be Willy Aybar. He seems like the best player for the job plus he could lead off. If we keep Aybar on the bench just because we want him to back up Chipper if he gets hurt(hope he doesn’t) then we traded Betimet for shit. Play Aybar at second, if Chipper does get hurt, then move him to third and play either Prado at second.
oops….take out the “either”
2B Kelly Johnson
SS Edgar Renteria
3B Chipper Jones
CF Andruw Jones
C Brian McCann
RF Jeff Francoeur
1B Adam LaRoche
LF Gregor Blanco/Thorman
Well I voted for Kelly Johnson. I had trouble though, because none of the options seemed like options the Braves were likely to pick, which is to say, nobody stands out to me as the inside track guy. Maybe I should have voted for “Damned if I know,” but that seemed like a copout.
Consider me copped out then, because that’s what I voted.
Um, could someone please explain t me why the lefty 1B who hit .285/.354/.561 last year is batting behind the RH RF who hit .260/.293/.449? See how all of the numbers in the second set are way lower than the numbers in the first set?
Well, damned if I know if the only truly honest answer, unless one of you is Bobby Cox. Is one of you Bobby Cox?
Sam,
Because no matter what the stats looked like last year…..Bobby always had McCann and Frency hitting right behind each other….
Well, Rochy hit 7 most of the time last year and it worked well for him. He also hit 5 a bit, and McCann and Frenchy could each slide a spot under that scenario.
@#26
Did Aybar’s base-running mistakes really cost him a starting position at 2B? What else could have caused him to fall out of favor?
Random observations:
1) You forgot about Willie Harris!
2) I voted for Prado, both because I think he’s the early favorite and because I’d actually like to see what he can do. He’s had some decent OBPs in tough leagues in which he was fairly young for the level. If he can field the position adequately, he could be, well, adequate.
3) I don’t really consider Orr to be a viable option at all, mostly because of his defense. He’s awful in the field from what I’ve seen.
Sam Hutch,
Its because Booby doesn’t like hitting two lefties in a row
I’m guessing Aybar & Prado will duke it out in spring, maybe platoon. I tend to believe it won’t be a dramatic offensive dropoff from ’06 Giles.
If Aybar isn’t a complete embarassment at 2B—hard to say as he’s only handled about 75 chances in his MLB career there (just one error, though)—he could be a surprise.
Again, it’s about the pitching, which sucked last year.
I doubt the baserunning mistakes were that important. I am just going by the fact that the Braves didn’t play him at second base at all and that Schuerholz has gone on record saying that he sees Aybar as a Betemit-type utility player. (As opposed to saying that he sees Aybar as a second baseman.) It could all amount to nothing. I’m sure Aybar will see plenty of time at second during spring training though.
having wickman for the year, getting hampton, kj back, and acquiring soriano, the only real thing we have lost from last year is an unproductive giles. upgrades in the pen, in the rotation, and at the plate. and, hopefully francoeur learns some patience. i think we should be much better, and even though there are questions, it is looking much better than last year at this time.
Hey guys, we should have traded Giles and all our baggage last year for something, draft picks in 10th+ round even, now we have nothing. JS needs to retire, he is becoming Mal Moore….
BTW, John Rocker was good man, so kiss my *** ****** and have a happy ******* new year you worthless pieces of **** **** *****, and to all of the asian female drivers that read this I hope you all go ********************************* and then ***********************, you *****************, you heard me you ******************.
Love and Kisses, signed John ” *************** ” Rocker!
PS. ****************** !
I remember reading an interview with Renteria in which he said that if a person can play short, he can also play second. For purely defensive reasons, why not let Edgar prove his assertion and play lil’ Tony at short?
Trade Druw for pitching, make Smoltz into a reliever again…, trade Hudson and Thompson for prospects, and go get some mid level guy like a Taveras who is a decent lead off hitter(I know Rockies..but still)
1 Lead Off guy
2 Renteria
3 Chipper
4. Mccann
5. LaRoche
6. Out Mega Factory
7. Johnson
8. Aybar
That should be good for 600+ runs a year
Now pithcing
Starters
Hampton, Davies, Somebody, Somebody, and James
Bullpen…this is where it is awesome
Wickmania, The Bearded Pole, Ice Cube Baez, and others….those 3 can whip some …… and therefore give us a bullpen to be feared. Smoltz closer, Wickman 8th, Baez 7th…I like the changes of pace and stuff.
A staff with a 3 ERA and solid in the clutch and an offense that would produce 3.7 to 4.1 runs would be decent enough to guarantee a wild card spot considering how medicore the NL is.
Because Lil Tony had 1 homerun this year, and it was his first since he was conceived in his mother’s womb……
Baez is a Baltimore Oriole now…if my mind isn’t failing me again…
How the heck did that happen?
PS(Long time no see, I’ve been exited in fantasy football and I have spent the last 2 weeks on Tidesports.com explaining why Paul Johnson is evil….)
Has Salty been traded to anyone yet?
Looking at the career stats, I really don’t see much difference between Aybar, Johnson, and Prado. Whoever plays the best defense… I don’t see any of them as a leadoff man. They’re all young though, so they should trend upward at least. But if one of them hits .265 in a full season, that’s the best I expect.
Hey, I don’t know if this is good news for you or not, but I don’t think Saban is going anywhere, I think its just his agent Sexton lying his *** off as usual….
Aybar is the best, more speed, and probably a better hitter.
Baltimore flashed some dollar bills and Baez bolted quicker than you can say “Give us Wilson back”
And no, Salty’s still here…
I see it as great news that Saban is staying. He is one of the top 5 coaches in football and I’m more than happy that he’s staying a bit longer in South Florida…
Ububba a serious question way off subject. Why are homes in Buffalo NY so cheap ? A guy told me today that his buddy bought four homes over there for $40,000 a piece. I thought he was full of it. Then I looked them up online and sure enough they’re dirt cheap. What gives. Thanks.
Because you have to live there.
I am neutral about Bama getting Saban (great coach, but how long would he stay?), but I’m still not certain that he won’t come to Alabama. If he doesn’t like pro coaching (I think he’s probably hinted at that at some point), I just wouldn’t be surprised to see him come. I think the rumors are still out there for a reason – not just because Alabama fans are delusional in hoping for him.
As for 2B, I think the real poll should be how many weeks will Prado keep the job. I say he loses his job in the middle of May to Johnson and Thornton becomes our regular left fielder.
I lived in a suburb of Buffalo (Hamburg) for a year when I was six. I only really remember a few things about it:
1) When we were out of school, a bunch of the neighborhood kids would get together and pick teams. We’d spend the morning building snow forts and collecting snowballs, then go home for lunch, then spend the afternoon having massive snowball wars. It was truly great.
2) My dad put an aluminum ring in our backyard and filled it with water, and we had an ice skating rink for two solid months.
3) There was a snowstorm one night, and at some point the wind must have shifted (the Lake Erie effect), because the next morning we had snowdrifts against our front and back doors. My dad climbed out the window to dig us out. Three months later we moved to Atlanta….
The thing that worries me about Aybar or Prado being our starting 2B is that it would likely lead to a situation where we had Aybar, Prado, and Pete Orr all on the same roster. Now, maybe it’s just me, but that’s a significant part of our roster that has zero pop. It pushes either Kelly Johnson or Scott Thorman off the roster, leaving us with a bench that looks like:
Weak-hitting IF
Weak-hitting IF
Part of LF platoon
Bryan Pena
Ryan Langerhans
I think we had a similar situation (maybe worse!) last year while Chipper was out, and we had Orr, Prado, and lil’ Tony Penya on the same roster. It’s gotta be about the most punchless bench ever assembled. Langerhans is crap, and while Pena hits for a good enough BA to keep his OBP above-average, he’s got nil for power. So that’s basically one player on the bench who can come in and get a double or HR. It helps that the regular lineup is stacked, but that doens’t mean I want to be pinch-hitting with one of these jokers.
The Braves never get creative with their defensive alignment, and certainly don’t like huge defensive liabilities.
The amusing part about this is that the Braves infield is already a disaster, no matter who the second baseman is. Chipper and Renteria are statues out there — if it’s hit to them, they’ll make the play, but they have zero range.
I think Prado’s probably the favorite, but there’s a not-insignficant chance that KJ could win it with a good spring. The vibes I’m getting is that the Braves really want KJ in the lineup, but they want to see how his defense is in game situations before they hand him the job.
Also, Mraver, none of those backup infielders is a shortstop. The dreadful thing is that L’il Tony is the only reserve shortstop on the 40-man. But Aybar does have some pop, not a lot but not bad for a second baseman.
The Braves never get creative with their defensive alignment
The opposite is true — we’ve always employed overshifting in the infield when the opportunity arises. I can’t swear to this, but I believe we were the first team to play the SS on the first-base side of second base for Barry Bonds. Andruw cheats to the weaker corner as well.
Bad news for any UGA or any football fan…David Pollack will need surgery to repair his broken neck, meaning that his football career is probably over. I have expressed many times that he is one my favorite football players, so obviously i’m really tore up by this news. All I can say is good luck to him and his family.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AphVPHtpFlTPuq__WzZ7CIpDubYF?slug=ap-bengals-pollack&prov=ap&type=lgns
@61 – Yeah, the weak hitting bench is not a good thing. Of course I dare to say that most anyone will be better than Pratt and Jordan – especially Pratt.
I haven’t thought of it, but a bench of Thorman, Aybar, Diaz, Orr, Johnson and Pena is one too many (assuming as an example that Langerhans and Prado start and we keep 12 pitchers). Am I missing something, or does this mean that the Pete Orr era could also be coming to an end? Won’t at least one of those guys be sent to AAA or traded?
Jay10, ESPN just said that Pollack wont ever play again, but then again they reported that Rich ROD was coming to Bama and 30 minutes later he said he was staying. I like Pollack, but after that injury I dont think its a risk worth taking and trying to play again. He’s lucky he’s able to walk and even luckier he’s alive, its not worth it to try again.
As for our infield, we suck!
Giants Outfield = Braves Infield
CSG,
I agree 100% the risk of playing again isn’t worth not being able to play with his children one day, or like you said even being able to walk again. Sadly he is going to have to put the pads up and once again injuries end another promising career.
The good news for Georgia fans is that Neil Calloway has moved into the lead for the UAB head coach job.
Daniel Rathman is an idiot….
http://www.all-baseball.com/archives/024790.html
He believes that Vernon Wells is worth more than what the Blue Jays are offering and that Vernon should play out this year and expect to get $20+ in free agency. Ummm, I say you get a ridiculous offer you might want to take it. Who knows what kind of spending there will be next year, take advantage of the stupid offer you just got!
Mac, do you believe all the talk about the Board of Trustees steping in and blocking Jimbo Fisher from the job. Something about wanting him and Saban and not wanting UAB to get him. Pipe dream maybe?
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2697585
Porter fined $10K for saying that Kellen Winslow is “soft.” Please tell me there is more to this than the word “soft.”
CSG,
Deadspin said that he called him a “fag”….that’s why he fined $10k.
http://jeffreynye.deadspin.com/sports/nfl/joey-porter-didnt-mean-to-offend-you-he-just-meant-to-offend-the-fag-221529.php
Below is a quote from the Braves MLB site:
“Like Harris, Clark will be battling for one of the final roster spots. He and recently acquired T.J. Bohn appear to be the top candidates to serve as a fifth outfielder. ”
I know about Harris and Clark (unfortunately), but who in the heck is T.J. Bohn? Is he expected to beat out Thorman?
While Reitsma’s agent, Mike Paolercio, would say only that “multiple teams” were involved, there were indications the Yankees were one of about seven teams to express interest — although they believe he will likely return to Atlanta.
http://www.nj.com/yankees/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/116607542416870.xml&coll=1
I wouldn’t mind at all having Reitsma back at a cheap, incentive-rich deal. I know that probably puts me in the minority.
I just voted. 157 votes and not one single vote for last-place Yunel Escobar. Ouch.
Reitsma to the Yanks? We have left a few dead cats in their laps in recent years. May the tradition continue…
Homes in Buffalo are cheap because its the armpit of the earth….
Springfield, Mass is the armpit of the earth … Buffalo is a close second.
I thought Birmingham was
I voted for Aybar because we know he can play second base. The only other options were Prado and Johnson. I think Aybar would out perform Prado and has a little more Major League experience. I couldn’t vote for Johnson because none of us know if he can even play second base. He played SS once, but was move because of his defense. That gives me pause when voting for him to be our starting 2B. We have a lot of options, but not many good ones.
TJ Bohn is a guy the Braves picked up on waivers from the Mariners. I don’t know why. Career minor league line .281/.363/.426. Fourth outfielder type on a team that already has Langerhans; there will be no fifth outfielder no matter what Peanut says, because there are too many infielders.
Smitty, are you trying to anger me?
No Mac, but you have to admit that getting around in B-Ham is hard. The roads are crazy. They even have an exit out of the left lane downtown.
A colleague of mine whose husband is from Buffalo says that housing is cheap there because the GM plant closed and all the factory workers have moved on to other parts of the country.
I lived in B-ham for a summer. Not so much an armpit, as an ankle or toe.
For a good time, try merging into the left lane of I-85 South from 316, now that construction assures you’ll be attempting to do so at about 25 MPH…
Interesting list from BP — average player age at each minor league level:
Triple-A: 27.4
Double-A: 25.0
High-A: 23.5
Mid-A: 22.3
Short-Season A: 21.9
Rookie (Pioneer/Appalachian): 21.3.
The Braves have the fourth youngest system, averaging about one-half year younger than league.
Birmingham isn’t nearly as hard to get around in as Atlanta. If Pascual Perez were with the Braves today, he’d still be stuck in traffic behind one of the permanent construction lanes.
I will admit that downtown Birmingham, in summer, is an awful place to be; I have pollution allergies and it nearly killed me when I worked there. Stay out of the valley that time of year and you’ll be okay.
Yeah, I was training for a marathon that summer and probably erased a year off of my life expectancy.
I used to live in Athens, Al and had to go through Birmingham to get to Atlanta and Athens, Ga.
Birmingham is more of a smelly pair of old undwear than an armpit. It is, however, the social mecca of the south 🙂
Atlanta is a hard town to get around itn. So is Chattanooga.
Anyone think Pinero would be a smart pick up if we could get him cheap? He would seem to be a good 5th Starter Option.
Also, I think I read somewhere that Renteria said that if you can play short, you can play second. Why not stick him there? We seem to have some pretty talented options in the minors at SS.
I know Mac doesn’t want to talk about Rocker, but just for some perspective on how much of an asshole he is, read this.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=pearlman/061214
I’m sorry i don’t know how to link it, but this is the guy that wrote the original Rocker story for SI. If I ever had any sympathy for Rocker, no more. The guy is simply a disgusting human being who has used his 15 minutes of fame apparently to do nothing for the rest of his life.
Interesting side note:
Saw this on engadget’s website:
“While the Wii may be getting most of the attention for video game-related injuries, it’s not the only non-conventional controller capable of causing some serious bodily harm — and as this latest incident shows, not even professional athletes are safe. When Detroit Tigers pitcher Joel Zumaya was sidelined for the first three games of the American League Championship Series earlier this year, the cause of his bad arm was kept under wraps. But now the source of his ailment has finally been revealed, with team president and general manager Dave Dombrowski telling WXYT-AM that too much Guitar Hero was to blame — after Zumaya gave up the game, his arm improved enough to pitch in the World Series. Of course, this all could have been avoided if he’d rigged up a full-size guitar for Guitar Hero instead of rocking out for hours on end with the bundled pint-sized piece of plastic that dares call itself an axe.”
Yeah, I read that Rocker response, too. What are you going to do?
Rocker has done a lot of wrong things, but perhaps the worst thing he’s done is fail to leave the stage. He’s got a little T.O. in him. He has a hard time being ignored. Personally, I’ll do my best.
I had an ex who went to college in Buffalo. She said that it didn’t feel like you were on the East Coast—it felt more Midwestern. And the Lake Effect snow was stifling or depressing, depending on how you viewed it.
Famous sons & daughters: Ani DiFranco, Vincent Gallo & the Goo Goo Dolls, who used to appear in press pics wearing Buffalo Bison caps.
And I must confess, I find very amusing all the talk of Atlanta being a tough town to drive. Try the Long Island Expressway during rush hour or 2nd Avenue near the 59th Street Bridge on a Friday night. You won’t be feelin’ groovy.
Sports South is talking Jon Sciambi to replace Rathburn according to DOB on the AJC
Good Simon and Garfunkle refrence ububba
Who is the second highest paid player in the NBA?
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/basketball/nba/top.50.salary/index.html
Wow!
He has to give some cut to the boosters I bet
You know, at least we can all feel good that no matter how stupid baseball contracts are, NBA contracts are at least twenty times stupider.
And I must confess, I find very amusing all the talk of Atlanta being a tough town to drive. Try the Long Island Expressway during rush hour or 2nd Avenue near the 59th Street Bridge on a Friday night. You won’t be feelin’ groovy.
Can’t say I’ve tried the combination you give here, but Atlanta traffic is the worst I’ve experienced and I live in the LA area. I think the decision to have every single expressway under construction at all times is probably a mistake.
Yeah, I’ve driven in NYC, and my experience with Atlanta has been much worse — though, admittedly, much more frequent — largely because of two factors: (1) the non-stop construction (already mentioned), and (2) Atlanta drivers are far worse than NY drivers. For the most part, the peeps in NYC seem to know what they’re doing, whereas I’d guess less than a third of people driving in Atlanta should even have been granted a license.
Regarding the team, I think Pete Orr doesn’t make the 25 man cut.
The team is going to carry Diaz/Thorman for LF and Langerhans for defensive replacement. If they carry breyan pena and TP jr, with Aybar as super utility, both Orr and Prado end up in AAA.
I am assuming KJ beats out Prado for the 2B job..
I was thinking Orr might be the odd man out; Lil’ Tony can basically replace his pinch running abilities, and he can play defense. Under only the worst of circumstances would either be called on to bat, anyway.
If Pascual Perez were with the Braves today, he’d still be stuck in traffic behind one of the permanent construction lanes.
There’s only one artery with major construction going on right now (GA 400.)
Orr will get lip service as part of the second base competition during spring training, but will get released in late March. Bank on it.
And unfortunately, that’s the one I need.
And unfortunately, that’s the one I need.
traffic? what traffic? I havent left the tech campus for almost 2 days now!
Really, what year/major are you at Tech? I graduated CS this summer.
Or do I remember you saying somewhere that you were a professor?
not a prof., jsut trying to become one!
a phd student with my thesis proposal looming..grrr
CS major.
good to see someone got out. is always good news
This is official move in week to the new building too, so now I got to pack all the stuff in my office after I finish my draft. just a bad week
I was pretty disappointed that the Klaus building didn’t get finished before I left. I hope they blow up the States Lab. How are the new facilities?
What is your concentration / thesis topic?
Relative to the rest of the country, Atlanta is bad. But we’re talking 2 million people in ATL proper vs. 13 million people in NYC. I’ve been driving between Long Island & Manhattan a couple times a week for about 11 years. I’ve never seen a traffic jam in Atlanta at 3 a.m. (I’m sure they happen, but I’ve never been in one), but here it’s a 50-50 gambit. (I’m out late a lot.) There’s nothing quite like getting onto the LIE late-night & joining a line of cars as far as the eye can see.
Construction never ends here either because the rain & snow crack up the roads year-round. Hence, you can have meteorite-sized holes in the road anywhere—could be the middle of 2nd Avenue in Manhattan or in the middle of the BQE. Add that with the sheer constant volume of traffic and it’s a bit worse than Atlanta, IMO.
Unfortunately, traffic-wise Atlanta is somewhat beholden to its Dekalb & Cobb suburbs, which refuses to adopt mass transit.
Hey, I’ve been looking on the internets for a McCann home replica jersey in a L and I can’t find one…are they this difficult to come by in ATL as well?
The new building is rather cool. Wayyy wayyy better than the current building.
I would gladly take a sledgehammer to the states lab if they organise a lab demolition day
concerntration : distributed computing and security.
http://www.al.com/sports/birminghamnews/kscarbinsky.ssf?/base/sports/1166178954208060.xml&coll=2
Institutional control!! Trustees hiring football coahes!! What’s going on at UAT & UAB?
I think I may add “UAT” to the banned list… Are there any words that have those letters in that order?
gradUATe
Right. As in, “I graduated from Auburn with a degree in Cow Flatulence Studies.”
well at least we know who the most annoying Auburn fan is on this board. Congrats!
What about “Hey, where UAT?”
Mac, Wryn. Both of those were great. I am rolling. Keep up the good work!
they were pretty good, but anyways how about them Braves
Are you sure they would spell graduated that way? I worked with an Auburn grad who would have said he “gradgiated” from Auburn and learned much.
All in good fun 🙂
Wait…you know an Auburn grad who got a job, JoshQ?