A platoon of Ryan Langerhans and Matt Diaz! How exciting! The individual winner was, I guess, Diaz, since a platoon of Thorman and Diaz finished second, and Diaz got the most individual votes. Speaking of Diaz…
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Ok… I’ve been off the net too long. Cabrerra for LaRoche? HUH?
If LaRoche goes it better be for pitching, not Roberts or Cabrera. I’ll move LaRoche for Gonzo, but we better had keep him.
I also want to try and get Rios if he’s available
Okay, just let’s see if this works.
Thank goodness. I’ll stop posting for a long time now.
I saw KJ make some decent plays — to me, his biggest problem is a seeming lack of confidence that’s led him to play the deepest left field I’ve ever seen (outside Fenway). Diaz is just bad, though he tries very hard. He’s very Kleskonic.
both are bad, very bad!
Diaz is so much fun to watch. I don’t think he actually knows where any of the walls are until he runs straight into them.
The Braves season last year can be sumed up in one play. The one where Diaz is running to the corner to catch a ball, over runs it by ten feet and hits the wall. The ball lands in fair and the guy gets a tripple. I honestly think I am a better left fileder than Diaz. I would like a shot.
In other news; I just sent Mal Moore my resume. If any of you on here want to be on staff, let me know.
I like TIm Hudson’s reactions after Diaz overruns balls and runs into the walls. Anyone remember Andruw laughing at him?
“Kleskonic” is now my word of the day.
The Diaz play that is seared in my mind is the one during the Phillies game where he does get to the ball, but he closes his glove a split second too soon and it hits off of his “fingers” and just falls to the ground, that blows the game after the Braves had the lead for once.
Rumors from today….
Pirates GM Dave Littlefield’s priority remains finding a way to acquire Adam LaRoche, 27, who had 32 home runs and 90 RBIs last season and would more than fit their bill for a young, left-handed power hitter. Atlanta still would welcome the addition of Mike Gonzalez, even after acquiring setup man Rafael Soriano from the Seattle Mariners, but the Braves want more to part with LaRoche because their backup at first base, Scott Thorman, is no known commodity. The odds still favor Atlanta making a deal with the Los Angeles Angels rather than the Pirates, as the Angels would be better able to fill the Braves’ need for a leadoff-hitting second baseman.
Concerns about Mike Gonzalez’s health were diminished after he had another physical last Monday in Pittsburgh and was given another clean bill. Gonzalez missed the final five weeks of last season to elbow tendinitis, which raised a red flag from Atlanta at the winter meetings. No deal on any front appears imminent, though some expect the Pirates to make some type of move involving Gonzalez before the end of the year.
The Pirates and Yankees have engaged in feeler-type talks regarding Mike Gonzalez, but there is no firm word from Pittsburgh or Atlanta — counter to the reports out of New York — that those have included the Braves or any third party. Rather, they are focused on a deal that would send Gonzalez to New York for outfielder Melky Cabrera and another player, likely a pitching prospect.
@10
Thanks, mraver. At first I wrote “Kleskoesque”, but that seemed to indicate some sort of stylishness, and there is no “style” to the way Diaz and Klesko play defense. Hence, “Kleskonic”.
“Kleskonic.” The sound suggests the sense. I dig it.
Smitty, I’ll take a spot. Do you need a special teams coach?
Peter Moylan is 38? Sheesh. Good thing we spent so much time working with this young, fresh-faced talent.
Brave Moylan earns top honour | | The Australian
Baseball Reference says that he’s 28, which seems more likely.
The last option in the poll is irresistable. Chipper in left was no treat either.
Smitty, I’d be happy to coach defensive backs for you, but YOU MUST KEEP JOE KINES AS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR.
Then I’ll ascend to DC after Joe hangs ’em up in a few years… beautiful.
Just to reply to ububba, who said in the last thread that he’d root for Anton LaVey if he had a .900 OPS:
Anton LaVey actually DOES have a .900 OPS. He’s about to break Hank’s all-time home run record, and he’s loaded with more drugs than Keith Richards. Would you trade Adam LaRoche for him?
Who is Anton LaVey?
Who is Anton LaVey?
Check Wikipedia. He’s, ah … interesting.
Yeah, look him up. lol
Peanut believes that the reason are trying to trade Adam LaRoche is because they won’t be able to afford the $3 million that he’s going to command in arbitration. I swear to God.
http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061217&content_id=1763195&vkey=news_atl&fext=.jsp&c_id=atl
Check it.
So how could we afford Brian Roberts then? If we can’t afford LaRoche, we may as well just dump everyone in a Marlins-style firesale and be prepared to contend again in 2010.
Comparing Barry Bonds to the founder of Satanism seems more than a little unfair. Come on…
Well, both are charlatans of a sort.
Do you unfair to Bonds or to LaVey?
ALV was actually the founder of the Modern Church of Satan – not Satanism itself. Of course that’s probably just splitting hairs.
St. Peter to ALV: “You cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven, you are the founder of Satanism.”
ALV to St. Peter: “No just the Modern Church of Satan”
St. Peter to ALV: “Oh is that all, well come right in”
Do you MEAN unfair to Bonds or to LaVey?
Andy H,
That’s what I want to know. Something doesn’t add up.
We really will need a recruiting cordinator, any takers?
AAR,
That guy actually has a 1.051 OPS. And last year (.999) was the first year he was under 1.000 since 1991.
And LaVey actually died in 1997…just before…the other guy…started to go ballistic. Faustian? Hmmm…
Smitty, offensive or defensive coordinator, sign me up. I’ve been playing the mess out of some Madden and NCAA 07 lately
Ububba, last year’s stat is what I was referring to–Barry Lamar’s contract with Anton LaVey’s Dark Lord appears to be running out, or at least costing him a few points of OPS. (That line from Major League comes to mind about the Good Lord hitting a curveball, but it might offend some of the posters in here.)
If there’s one thing that we can all agree on, however, I think it’s the wonderfully apt comparison of Bonds to Dr. Faustus, right down to the Matt Christopher novelized adaptation, “The Kid Who Only Hit Homers.”
“recruiting coordinator”
PC talk for bagman?
While the Baldelli and Rios rumors have been interesting, I’m not sure either guy fits the prototypical leadoff hitter mold. The Braves still need a guy to fill that hole.
There are some creative posters in here, and I’d love to be able to reconcile this in my own mind: Who is the best option for the Braves leadoff hitter next season? Since there is no obvious ideal candidate “in house” right now, who outside the organization should/could the Braves land for leadoff (Ideally a 2B or an OF)?
Chone Figgins is the only name being thrown around right now for LaRoche. I would rather keep Laroche if thats the only option
I wonder if the Reds are making Ryan Freel available? He could leadoff and play 2B or LF. Cincinnati is always after pitching, and the Braves have to do something regarding the leadoff spot.
I hear Aliester Crowley can play left and lead off. He’s, like, majick with the glove.
/try the veal!
AAR,
Gotta have a sense of humor, no matter which way you swing.
And, speaking of juice & Faustian deals: True Story.
In October, 1988, I had just gotten back to my Athens home from a wedding. A handful of friends came over to watch Game 1 of the World Series. We walked into the house just in time to see a replay of Jose Canseco clanking a grand slam off the center-field TV camera. The game & the series looked like a mismatch.
As the game wore on & our beer supply became more depleted, the Eckersley/Gibson moment arrived. Everyone was hissing that LaSorda would even send this gimpy mess up to the plate. Then, out of nowhere, one of my pals says: “Look at Gibson! He’s made a deal with the devil—he’s going to hit a homer! Just watch!”
When it happened, instead of soaking up the historic moment, all eyes turned away from the TV to Frank, who just gave his best Alfred E. Newman look with upturned palms.
CSG,
As would I if all we get is Figgins…..but if that starts to expanding to include two more players then I’d listen.
Ububba, great story. Maybe we should widen the inquiry of nefarious deeds beyond just steroids and start wondering about what players may have enlisted the sinister help of Ol’ Scratch himself.
My money’s on Gary Majewski. Especially if you look at his goatee.
Alex Rios would be a terrific pickup. Maybe the Angels get LaRoche, the Blue Jays get Bartolo Colon and we get Rios. That would be a good deal. If we feel the need to get Figgins (and I am not crazy about him) we would need to give the Angels something else. Maybe some random pitching prospect like Matt Harrison. I think the Jays would do it because they want to trade Rios for pitching and this accomplishes that goal. I think the Angels would because they would still have Lackey, Santana, Weaver, Saunders and Escobar and they would be getting the slugger they want in LaRoche plus more young pitching depth if they decide to trade Figgins for one of our prospect pitchers. Obviously, we would replace LaRoche with an equally good slugger that can play center when Andruw leaves and we possibly get Figgins to leadoff and play 2nd, but that part is not urgent to me.
2B Chone Figgins
SS Edgar Renteria
3B Chipper Jones
CF Andruw Jones
LF Alex Rios
C Pimpbot
RF Jeff Francoeur
1B Scott Thorman
Pimpbot will cut your bitch hass if you mess with one of his hoes.
The idea that Adam LaRoche=Bartolo Colon is just nuts. Sorry, reaganman.
Why, Jenny? Because LaRoche isn’t worth a former CYA winner… Or a guy who went 1-5 last year and has a weight problem isn’t worth LaRoche?
Anyway… Would you rather have Rios, or Colon?
Rios
Just in,
Terrell Owens was fined for $35k for spitting in Lockdown’s (aka DeAngelo Hall) face. There was no suspension.
reaganman used the word “pimpbot”
my day is complete now…
Mac,
Rios, no doubt.
Rios!
Carmelo got 15 games….Is that too much, not enough, just about right?
I think it should’ve been 15-20
i just think we really need to stop with these three-way proposals.
they NOT going to happen, we’re just spinning our wheels here for no reason.
likely, just get ready to see diaz/langerhans in left next year, laroche in an oriole uniform, and overpaying brian roberts to play at second base.
15 days, that is a vacacion!
I guess the 15 is ok…
The only problem I really have is Isiah Thomas not getting suspended. He clearly told Carmelo “don’t go in the paint, your not going to like it”
BTW,
I really like Carmelo, but that was a bitch move.
korobeiniki, the trade rumors are too much fun. God knows they are wrong most of the time, but I have nothing better to do right now.
@ 54 – Aren’t we just spinning our wheels here anyway? This is a blog afterall. Unless Mac is secretly JS??!?
Well, Jeff K, if we come up with something good, then some bored sportswriter might notice and write the rumor on a website or in the newspaper and the next thing you know, JS has to make a denial.
Remember the whole Peavy for Giles, etc. deal that was supposed to be nearly complete back in early November? I think that was started in someone’s blog and look how far that one got.
Yup, spinnin’ our wheels.
Have the Braves done something new this offseason?
Didnt resign Giles, Ward, Thomson, or Reitsma. I guess not doing something = doing something.
Yeah, this is the first offseason since ’03-’04 that the Braves did not sign Brian Jordan.
Victory!
If anyone cares….
“Today at High Noon, Clear Channel Radio Atlanta launched “94.9 The Bull”, at 94.9 fm. The new Country station is the home of “The Biggest Hits and The Biggest Stars” like Keith Urban, Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, George Strait and Rascal Flatts. Additionally, 94.9 The Bull is the new home of the Atlanta Braves beginning with the 2007 season. The Bull’s airstaff will be announced over the next few weeks.”
Don’t celebrate yet. The offseason isn’t over, anuthing can happen.
#63 – Amen, but there is still time too
Is it true that TBS won’t broadcast Braves baseball anymore?
I would rather sign Dale Murphy than Brain Jordan
So here’s my thing:
Who cares about the leadoff position? I say screw it. Just let Renteria or Diaz or Mr. 2B or McCann or whoever leadoff. It’s not like it matters for more than the first time through the lineup. (Well, sorta. Don’t necessarily want one of your best hitters going after the SP… but Renteria or KJ or someone, fine.) In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t really matter that much, and the Braves lineup as it is currently stands will probably score 700 runs even if you lead off with the pitcher. I mean, we’ll have maybe one position that is below league-average in OPS on a given day? Okay, *maybe* two if we have both Prado and Langerhans in the same lineup. But still, that’s fantastic. And I’m not even talking “league average for their position”; I mean, “league average” overall. It’s going to be a damn good lineup no matter how you cut it. The rotation will be better with Hampton (heck, can’t be worse….), and the pen will be VASTLY improved.
Right now, we’re better than the Mets. If they sign Zito, well, then it might be different, but we’ll still win the WC without a problem. I mean, we were, what, 4 games under .500 last year? I say Soriano and Wicky add at least 10 games to that win total, and that’s before we even consider the offense improving (Giles was a big drag last year, maybe we have NewLaRoche for the whole season, etc.) and the better rotation.
So my point is, why screw with this just so we can have a prototypical leadoff hitter?
Right now, we’re still a 79-win team.
we still need a good lefty out of the pen! McBride will be better, but any small injuries and we’ll need help. Wickman and Soriano are huge additions. We desperately need better infield defense and a better bat for LF. If we can get another starter, better defense, and a better bat in LF we’ll win 90 games….
I don’t know, I have to think that the team has improved (though Wickman and Soriano aren’t worth anything like ten games) but it’s a very fragile team.
Prado is Pathetic:
IOW, in the Mexican Winter League, he’s punchless. I’d still rather have him than Castillo, but I’m really hoping KJ can cut it. Right now, there’s nothing recommending Prado as better than PTG Orr.
what are Prado’s and Johnson’s career minor league numbers?
Except the fact that PTG Orr is Canadian, et il est comme ses paysans: completement ridicule au baseball. Martin Prado est de Venezuela, ou ils savent qu’est-ce que c’est le baseball, quand-meme.
I agree that, between Wick & Soriano, we’ve improved. But we are what our record says we are & it still says 79.
I’ll start projecting win totals when our roster is a little more complete. I can’t start threatening other teams until we know what we look like and what our rivals look like.
And, Bulldog Nation forgive me, but I will be singing “Rocky Top” tonight. Need a big Colt victory to win my weekly NFL pool.
csg:
Prado: .296 / .348 / .386
Johnson: .281 / .366 / .464
Comparing minor league career numbers straight across is not appropriate, but even the career lines there tell the story.
Johnson: .281 .366 .464
Prado: .296 .348 .386
And the disparity would be much greater if you consider only the high minors. Prado has hit four career homers in AA and AAA combined, while KJ’s numbers are dragged down by a poor year in Myrtle Beach in 2002.
Caray and Van Wieren on the new station
http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/stories/2006/12/18/1219bravesradio.html
I sure hope they bring back Joe too. He and Skip form my favorite broadcasting team.
Who cares about the leadoff position? I say screw it. Just let Renteria or Diaz or Mr. 2B or McCann or whoever leadoff. It’s not like it matters for more than the first time through the lineup. (Well, sorta. Don’t necessarily want one of your best hitters going after the SP… but Renteria or KJ or someone, fine.) In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t really matter that much, and the Braves lineup as it is currently stands will probably score 700 runs even if you lead off with the pitcher.
I think it matters to the players. Some guys seem to be comfortable in one position in the lineup and uncomfortable in another. Giles should have been a fine leadoff hitter, but he wasn’t. Its possible that he would have had the same season batting #2, but maybe he wasn’t comfortable leading off, or maybe he changed his approach to try and be like what he thought a leadoff guy should be.
Four Hokies are going to miss the Chick-fil-A bowl….
Ike Whitaker, he is undergoing treatment for alcohol issues.
Jared “Big Boot” Develli underwent surgery on a hernia. He’s the guy that puts in 10+ yards in the endzone on kickoffs.
Jahre Chessman is a freshman cornerback that has been playing very well as of late.
So all of those really hurt, but we can still take the dawgs. 😉
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/bowls06/news/story?id=2701212
It is the official policy of this blog that the Atlanta bowl game is referred to as the “Peach Bowl”. Or to give it its full name, “The KFC/Church’s Peach Bowl Presented By Popeye’s”. This will continue until the bowl’s name is no longer held hostage by a restaurant chain I still mainly associate with mall food courts.
Jay,
So you line up the excuses before the kickoff?
As Borat says, “Nice!”
anyone excited about the Papa Johns Bowl, people in Birmingham could really care less. How would you like to know some guys are off to Hawaii to play and you’re coming to Birmingham. How exciting!
Smitty,
Can I take the receivers? I actually have some experience with this. I held this same position at UA several years ago. Actually it was for the Phi Mu sorrority flag football team, but it’s experience nonetheless. I also worked with special teams, but I see that has already been taken. Wow! That was a tough job! (-;
Ububba,
No, i’m not making excuses at all…first of all, none of the 4 are starters, Chessman is a 4th or 5th corner right now, all I said is when is does play(4th quarter) he plays pretty well….Develli is our kickoff guy, not a big deal because we can stick Dunleavy or Schmitt in his spot.
Trust me, were going to win. Our defense is waaaay better, i guess the offense is kind of a push, but we have a better quarterback right now(who is your QB going to be, Stafford, Tereshinkski, cox???) Branden Ore is better than all three of your runningbacks…just because we don’t play in the “great SEC” don’t get it twisted….we’re coming to play…
Good luck, it’s going to be a helluva game 😀
Jay,
Did you see the Auburn game? Did you see the Tech game? Our QB, whose name is Matthew Stafford, is improving quickly, perhaps enough to win his next game.
And no, you don’t play in the great SEC. And no, our team is not named after a castrated turkey.
Hahahahahahahahaha……Touche
I would join this fascinitating UG-VTech debate…
but my team is 6-6 and playing a bowl game against Nevada in Idaho so that’s a sign to shut up.
And my team is also 6-6, has no head coach, and is playing in Shreveport. So it could be worse.
Touche Macathon… (has a snazzy ring to it)
We got our replacement already and I think that Shannon is the right man for the job.
UGA got to play in the Poulan-Weedeater Independence Bowl once. We beat future SEC power Arkansas, but I don’t remember feeling especially good about it.
Of course, it was the middle of the Ray Goff Era & I didn’t feel good about a whole lot during that time.
This is something I had never heard of before: Runner Fails Gender Test, Loses Medal. Seems like she won a race, but gynecologists begged to differ on the degree of her femininity. I wonder if Dick Pound had anything to do with this.
It was fairly common before the fall of the Soviet bloc for Western athletes, coaches, and officials to claim that Eastern women, especially of East Germany, were actually men. I’ve never been sure of how far the claims were true, how much was due to testosterone supplements (“steroids”), and how much was just sour grapes. Probably some of all three with the middle one predominant, with some ethnic bigotry thrown in for good measure.
The line of gender is rather fuzzier than people like to admit, and the tests frankly have some problems. Some people who are genetically women have male characteristics. Some people who are genetically male have female characteristics. And I think I should probably stop here and say that everyone should be really cautious going forward with this line of thought.
Go Hokies! I hope Sean Glennon breaks his damn leg in the last play of the game and is out for life.
That kid is a loser. I tutored him in math a couple of times last year, and he was possibly the dumbest, lamest person I have met in my life.
Joshtothemaxx,
Wow, good to see another Hokie fan on the journal, but dayum, a bit harsh?
Go ‘Canes! I promise next year they WILL play in the national championship game.
Pedro,
No offense, but I hope your not a betting man…although Davey will probably agree with you. 😉
I don’t like to bet, but I bet that next year the will play at least in a BCS Bowl game.
Maybe a bit harsh. But he really was a douche.
GO HOKIES!
Go Falcons!
Go Braves!
Go Carmelo Anthony!
Alright, I don’t want to sound like an immature, uneducated 20 year old male, but I’m going to: shouldn’t the gender test be settled by what is existing between your legs? (I swear I tried to sound a little more mature, but I just couldn’t do it.) I mean, we can talk about Y chromosomes, estrogen, and testosterone until we’re blue in the face, but at the end of the day, isn’t that what decides if you’re a male or a female?
Oh, and Chick-Fil-A rocks. Plus, my college gets their combos for 3 bucks, and that makes paying for food really easy. I literally eat Chick-Fil-A atleast 4 or 5 times a week. $3 for a meal? Heck yeah!
I think your testosterone is too high!
OK, triple post, but there’s not a whole lot going on on here right now:
How are we a 79 win team right now? We’re getting Hampton back and even if he’s disappointing and he’s league average, then that’s a heck of a lot better than who we threw out there last year. Full season of James, full season of Wickman, and bring in Soriano radically boosts our pitching. I know technically relief pitching doesn’t do much in the whole Win Shares department, but how many games did our bullpen blow? I mean, really, a solid set-up man and a full year of someone who can close can change our season a great deal. Even now, I’m encouraged, and I’m sure we’re not done. Unfortunately, it looks like Laroche is a goner (bummer…), and I’m sure JS will get pretty good value for him, which may make our team better if we get pitching. We definitely have offense to spare.
Ah dude, if you’re talking about me, you haven’t seen my muscles lately. I used to be in pretty decent shape playing baseball and football in high school, but dang, working and school and no sleep has killed me. I gotta hit the track and the weight room… anyway..
That’s the thing, Rob… It’s not always one way or another. I am not going to get into anatomical detail here, but sometimes calling an organ one thing and not another is a judgment call. Also, there are all sorts of conditions that can cause people’s anatomy to exhibit characteristics of the “opposite” sex.
Gene testing could settle the issue in many cases, but a significant fraction of people are neither XX nor XY. For instance, about .1 percent of people are XXY; are they “male” or “female”?
Wow, that’s amazing. Of course, without getting into anatomical detail, I figured there are certain obviously distinguishing characteristics of the male and female sex organs. I guess I was wrong. I guess with the plurality of truth being so prevalent, I suppose sex organs are going to be the next victim.
Alright, I’m going running. I’m on my way back. 175 here I come.
Nationals sign Ray King
http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061218&content_id=1763885&vkey=news_was&fext=.jsp&c_id=was
Also, what about Phil Stockman? He seems a better option, to me, than Boyer, Paronto, Yates and a few others.
Mac,
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE post the Rocky Horror Picture Show transvestite song clip !!! It’s just perfect at this moment. I would do it, but don’t have the techno savvy.
If the Braves are so in need of cash, to the point where they may be looking to trade LaRoche, why didn’t they just non-tender Villarreal? That would save some money.
Villareal doesn’t make that much money.
Which song are you talking about? I mean, there are transvestites in just about all of them.
Title is “Sweet Transvestite.” You Tube gotta have it.
Here:
Perfect! We were shivering with antici … pation!
Wow, Skip gets only 10 games on TBS next year, and Pete gets none. It’s going to be Chip and Joe all year long. I suppose those of us who don’t live in the south (to get the Braves on the radio) and are too poor to get satalite radio are just out of luck.
http://www.ajc.com/braves/content/sports/braves/stories/2006/12/18/1219bravesradio.html
‘Rissa,
Yeah, living in St.Louis, i’m going to have to either purchase the MLB package with Charter or get the MLB.com audio or video thing…
Damnit….Manning is destroying our secondary…So much for a 77 point lead in one my fantasy football match-ups…
I’m loving Indy right now. C’mon Peyton, run that clock…
‘Rissa- If you’ve got a decent internet connection and $10, you can listen to the radio broadcasts via mlb.com. It’s really not a big investment at all, and you get to listen to Skip and Pete and mute the TV. 🙂
Anyhow, with KJ or Aybar at second and Thorman manning left instead of Langerhans, our lineup will be better than last years’, which was arguably the best in the NL (we were neck and neck with the Mets for runs scored, IIRC). I just don’t see why we’d want to trade away LaRoche so that we can stick a guy with an OPS around .750 in the lineup. (Note that this might also mean more games of Langerhans starter, further degrading the offense….)
The Orioles have renewed their pursuit of Braves first baseman Adam LaRoche, this time without offering second baseman Brian Roberts.
In the latest discussions, the Braves likely are targeting Orioles closer Chris Ray, who could join closer Bob Wickman and setup man Rafael Soriano to give the team formidable late-inning relief.
The Braves probably would want another player in addition to Ray — perhaps Penn. They have been reluctant to trade LaRoche for Pirates closer Mike Gonzalez without receiving another piece in return.
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/6287132
Ray AND Penn??!!
Hmmm… that might be worth doing. That could take care of a good chunk of the pitching. Then we wouldn’t have to worry about how much Scott Thorman drags down the offense.
Ok, since Ryan’s name has popped up on this thread, I can’t resist to say this…trade Adam and sign Ryan to be our everyday leftfielder again!!! Yeah, I am just kidding, but I can’t resist…
I would trade LaRoche for Penn and Ray in a damn Blacksburg second. I think the length of a Blacksburg second is how long it takes an agriculture major to shotgun a natty light.
A quick look at the Braves stats from last year, and wow, I did not realize how awesome Chipper was in his typical 2/3 of a season.
Looking at the offense, I don’t think it is reasonable for a lot of those guys to repeat. I would expect:
Worse: McCann, Diaz, Chipper, Aybar (worse than Betemit did)
Push: LaRoche, Renteria, Langerhans, A Jones, 2B guy
Improve: Francoeur, backup C, Thorman
As for pitchers?
Worse: James, Villarreal, Wickman (won’t repeat 1.04 ERA)
Push: Smoltz, Cormier
Improve: Hudson, Hampton (over Thomson), Soriano (over everyone else)
Basically, I think this team right now is better than they were last year. Not by as much as I thought at first glance, but we’re significantly better in the rotation and bullpen I believe, and about the same at the positions. Don’t forget that last year our Pythagorean Win/Loss record was 85-77. Had we been lucky in the opposite direction, last years team could have gone 91-71 and we wouldn’t be nearly as worrisome.
Rob, gender and sex aren’t the same thing. However, if this person who won the medal doesn’t have a penis, and has been treated like a woman her entire life, I don’t think there’s any legitimate reason to declare her ineligible. I mean, which should Jamie Lee Curtis should always be up for, Best Actor or Best Actress?
Getting Penn and Ray would probably give the Braves enough bargain chips to find a replacement for Andruw…
I think the Orioles trade and the Pirates trade involving Ray, Gonzalez and perhaps Penn respectively for LaRoche are pretty good deals. The ones involving Figgins and Kotchman, and the other involving just Melky Cabrera for LaRoche suck. But that is just me.
I only trade Laroche for pitching, 30+homers and 90+rbi’s, young, cheap and an excellent glove, this is a guy who keeps us competitive with an 80 million dollar payroll, we need players like him, who do we slap at 1B if he is gone, and no, Chipper will never be at 1B.
Ugh, i hate all the rumors of him for an outfielder, outfielders can be bought and traded for with minor league pitchers, do not burn a good young infielder on one.
David, I’d say that if you watch the strip scene in True Lies, the answer to the question of Best Actor/Actress is quite clear. She’s a woman, and what a woman.
I’m a staunch LaRoche guy, but I would trade him for Ray and Penn, no question. If this is a real offer, and unless the Angels are offering Ervin Santana, I think we should do it.
more from today, and from what Dan said earlier….
Ken Rosenthal has some new late-night material up. Some highlights:
The Orioles still want Adam LaRoche…these rumors just won’t die. Bucco Blog may have had enough. The new structure seems to be something like Chris Ray and Hayden Penn to Atlanta for LaRoche. The O’s are right to shop Ray; I don’t think he’ll have a 2.73 ERA or 33 saves in 2007.
The Devil Rays couldn’t get Marcus Giles to take their three-year offer; various Baldelli and Upton packages didn’t entice them. Still think there’s going to be some action with this club soon enough.
More rumors:
New York Post (scroll down): “As for the Yankees adding Gonzalez, the Pirates are dragging their feet. They have returned to the original plan of wanting lefty-hitting first baseman Adam LaRoche from Atlanta. However, the Braves want Gonzalez and more and the Pirates are balking at the proposal.”
I’m pretty much in full agreement with everything you said there, sansho. One thing I wonder about is whether our ‘pen would become to right-handed-heavy, but when those righties are throwing 97 miles per hour, I guess that’s not a bad problem to have.
Anyone think JS is trying to get Gonzo + starter or Ray + starter for LaRoche? That way he could turn around and make a decent offer of Davies + Another Young Starter to get Baldelli or Rios?
Makes some sense, we keep a really good setup in Ray or Gonzo and trade off for a potential leadoff LF…
I would hope that if we make the O’s trade we would keep both players. When your top 4 consists of a 40-year-old, a guy who hasn’t pitched in a year and a half, a guy who fell off a cliff last year, and a guy with all of 1/2 season of success at the major league level, you need two additional starters. Because something is likely to go wrong, and we don’t want to enter the Cormier Zone any more often than absolutely necessary.
Her name was Lola, she was a show girl …
Yankees get another lefty…Kei Igawa
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2701974
Makes a lot of sense, csg. Trading LaRoche for a stud reliever and a starter as well as getting Rios or Baldelli would help next year and in 2008. We’ll lose Wickman in 2008 to retirement, most likely, so why not have a set up and closer ready to slide up into those spots.
I had heard years ago something about Jamie Lee Curtis having some issue, but I was beginning to think I had imagined it. Anyway, AAR, you are right about her being a woman regardless of “technical issues.”
I am certain that the Curtis thing is an urban legend; she’s born children, which is pretty much a clincher for being female.
Mac,
I think Jamie Leigh adopted her children with husband Christopher Guest, if I’m remembering the E! True Hollywood Story my wife made me watch correctly. Or maybe it was A&E Biography….
Anyway, regardless of any chromosome-related issues, Jamie Leigh Curtis is h-a-w-t hot.
Here’s what Snopes has to say.