ESPN.com – MLB – Box Score – Phillies at Braves
Mark Redman reached a new low. Honestly, it calls for immediate release. The Braves staked him to a 3-0 lead in the first after he somehow got through the top of the inning without allowing a run. By the time the inning was over, some seven hours or so later, ten Philadelphia players had reached base, McCann had left the game with a bruised finger suffered when trying to catch one of Redman’s slopballs, and Redman had finally been pulled after walking in the go-ahead run. Redman’s final, release-worthy, line was 1 2/3 IP, 5 hits, 3 walks, 1 strikeout, four runs, and the Vulture in the game.
The bullpen gave the Braves a chance; in their 7 1/3 innings of work they allowed two runs, one by Villarreal in the third and one on a homer allowed by Moylan in the seventh. But the Braves couldn’t get any runners in, their only run coming on Chipper’s solo homer in the eighth, his second of the night — he had hit a two-run homer in the first. The Braves had ten hits, four doubles to go with the two homers, but only one of the doublers scored, and Braves pinch-hitters continued to stink, going 0-3.
Brayan Pena came in for McCann and went a rather ugly 0-3, then got hit on the head with a bat in the Phillies’ last plate appearance of the game. It’s quite likely that he will have to go on the DL for Jerrod Saltalamacchia or Corky Miller, even if it’s just day-to-day, because with McCann’s bruised finger they’ll need a catcher and Bobby is unlikely to bite the bullet and put Wilson back there.
Many thanks to Josh for his variation on the banner.
New banner looks good…
Should be interesting to see which one comes up, I personally would like to see Salty come up. I just wanna see what he can do in the majors.
Is there an open spot on the 40-man after the release of Langerhans? There would have to be room for Salty to be called up, then the clock would start on his arbitration.
Willie Harris took that spot. (Another reason I wanted to give Blanco first crack.) Someone (Redman) would have to be released or put on the 60-day DL to make room.
Well, if I had to make a completely uninformed guess, I would say he probably does have a concussion based on the way he was walking off the field. He didn’t look like he had a clue in hell of where he was.
I think in a perfect world, Bobby would’ve liked to rest McCann tomorrow and then give him the off-day Thursday, and I think that would probably be a good choice. I really think the best way to do this would be to start Wilson there just for tomorrow night. I agree that we don’t want to start him there for long, but it sounds like McCann is probably alright, so it should be just for tomorrow. And I would really rather not see whoever comes up from the minors start in his first game, assuming he’s even able to get to the ballpark in time (I have no idea where either Richmond or Mississippi are playing tonight.) But if he is, we’ll have him and two emergency catchers (Diaz and Orr), and that will be more than enough for one game.
Also, I might have to put on the riot gear after saying this, but I would really prefer we not call up Salty for this. Why would we jump Salty over Corky Miller for this two-week period? Salty had to go back to AA this year because he couldn’t adjust to AAA last year, and now just when he’s starting to get back into the swing of things, we’re gonna pull him all the way up to the majors and have him sit on the bench?
Absolute best-case scenario here is that Salty plays so well that we feel compelled to kick Pena out of the moving car and keep Salty up as our backup catcher. And that might actually be one of the worst things that could happen to him. He needs at-bats every day.
There is no way that Bobby is gonna make him learn first base this year in the middle of the season, no matter how good he is. I think we all know that’s where this is headed eventually (well, either that or a trade…and make no mistake: if one of the catchers is traded, there is zero chance that it will be McCann), but it’s not fair to do that to him midseason.
All we’ll need is a short-term backup catcher. Resist the temptation, bring up Corky Miller and let’s stop mind-f****** ourselves.
http://www.velcroblog.com/images/braves07/smhamelsoggling.jpg
Cole Hamels used this as preparation. That’s why he was the winning pitcher. Come on Cole, stop checking out the Braves’ girls (from Game 1 of the series, per velcroblog.com)
Oh, and kick Redman’s worthless ass out immediately. Move Villarreal to the spot and call up someone from Richmond as long reliever, bring up a starter from Richmond, sign another free agent…I don’t care. Whatever. But whatever it is, I had better read when I wake up tomorrow that we have jettisoned that worthless piece of shit.
Corky’s not on the 40-man roster, either. So either way, we’re gonna have to release Redman. Excellent…their hands have been tied.
Something I didn’t know until just now… Chipper passed Rollins for the league lead in homers tonight, with 10. Remember, Chipper has never led the league in any official category. I’m guessing he’s the best player to have a big fat 0 on the Black Ink Test.
I’m wit Nick, wouldn’t call up Salty. And not that I’m looking to trade him, I’m just trying to think what he could bring in help if we did. Yovani Gollardo from the brewers? They’ve got Sheets, who should be coming towards FA soon, but his injuries may keep his price do-able in a hometown discount + revenue sharing way. Their hitters are cheap enough that they could extend on sheets a bit. Suppan’s locked up for 4. Capuano should be hitting arb but he and Davis several years away from being gone. They have other arms. Assuming the Brewers are willing to part with him, is he enough for Salty? Is Salty enough for him? What’s his value, really? Switch hitting power catcher with character and contact skills? I’d think we could get Gollardo and some low level guys, call it an A/A+ player plus a PTBNL? Who else would you all target for Salty, if you were moving him?
Gollardo’s first three years in minors, through AA (age 20):
52 starts, 19-9, 303 IP, 230 hits, 110 BB, 329 K.
So far this year in AAA: 30 IP, 42 K, 8 BB, 0.93 WHIP. 1 HR.
How much more would you be looking for for Salty?
Nick, you really put it into perspective with Salty. You made some good points. If McCann is ok, and it seems like he is, then why not just let Wilson start tomorrow, Garcia is a righty so Thor will be at 1st. Hopefully Bobby lets Diaz start, something tells me Harris will be starting though.
I heard Joe say that he thinks Bobby is going to do the same thing with Diaz and Harris as he did with Langerhans, platoon vs right/left pitchers.
Is it safe to say that Redman has the pictures right now??
I mean, there’s no other explanation why this man is still “pitching” for the Braves…
I was about to post before the game about how we didn’t need a left fielder immediately, but if Diaz doesn’t hit about .300, with his low walk rate and average power, he’s a problem. Harris is not impressive, and Wilson hasn’t looked good at all. We need someone to step up soon or there will be a trade.
If it’s just an emergency two week thing, I’m with the other guys that we should call up Corky Miller. I’m a little puzzled as to why a 3rd catcher is not on the 40 man. If it helps us send Redman packing because we have to free up a roster spot, maybe it’s a blessing in disguise.
Forget starting Villarreal. He’s just as bad as Redman. I don’t expect Cormier to do anything anytime soon (when did people start thinking he was good anyway? Does one spring training really fool people that much? His starts will be the usual four runs in five innings.)
Anthony Lerew is tearing it up in Richmond. I want Lerew and I want him now!
Both Mark Redman and Rotoworld seem to think Redman’s days with the Braves are over.
Dan, he’s not as bad as Redman. Nobody’s as bad as Redman. Redman’s a whole standard deviation of badness beyond everyone else. Villarreal can at least give you five innings a start with an ERA around five, which is twice the innings and half the ERA of Der Rote Mann.
Why is Villarreal as bad as Redman? Oscar was good as a starter last year. No stamina, but he kept us in the ballgame and pitched 5 solid innings.
I’m usually more in the Bobby camp of waiting til mid-to-end of May to “see what you really have,” but Redman’s gotta go. There’s nothing there. He just doesn’t have what he used to have, which really never was that good.
I also don’t think we should call up someone like Lerew or Harrison. No need to start someone’s arb clock over a 5th starter problems. Let Oscar give it a shot, and then when Cormier gets up, let him either take over the 5th spot or Davies if he doesn’t improve. Davies did have an improved 3 or 4 innings after his imploded 2nd inning in Colorado.
Wow, Mac, we’re on the same page there.
I really wish this was the first search engine hit on the new site, but it was the second:
cut mark redman – Google Search
Okay, saying Villarreal is just as bad as Redman was too much. But he’s bad. He’s was bad in spring training has been bad this year. People make too much of a few five inning starts from 2006.
I’m opposed to Villarreal starting. I wish the Braves had traded him. He’s bad coming out of the bullpen.
Give me Lerew. Give me Cormier if he’s healthy. Don’t give me Villarreal, Redman, Tanyon Sturtze or Trey Hodges.
Okay – let me preface this by saying I am blind drunk and depressed about the state of poker – but for urlhix and all the other music junkies on the board, I am ecstatic about discovering Atahualpa Yupanqui. It’s brilliant thirties latin folk music. Like John Lee Hooker playing tango. Anyway, we ain’t getting Harden, our 4-5 pitching is going to be a problem all year long, but if we limp into the playoffs we got a shot. April has been good, but May will be the test. The Dl will tell the tale. If Chipper and McCann play 140 games, we’re in. Here’s to 89 wins and a seat at the finals table.
Thanks Spike.
de nada
how’s that XM radio working out for you btw? 🙂
Oh, really well. I like the music, talk radio, and being able to catch all the baseball games. Unfortunately the Nexus 50 has the XM PassPort thing, so it’s another thing other than the player and remote to bring to the house dock from the car dock. It’s bearable though, especially since I get 7 free months. Thanks for asking.
Are you in Atlanta? Would anyone on the board be up for a game meetup in e. Atlanta or somewhere else? Or even a Skyline game night? I am good through late June for travel.
Me and my brother are going to the Tuesday Red Sox game in late June. We could totally make that Braves Journal Night like Aaron Gleeman and those other Twins bloggers do at Twins games.
Remind us of the date in a couple of weeks, and we’ll join you, if not during, then at least before or after.
Drunky go night night.
Great stuff, Spike. I found a bunch of his tunes on Soundpedia (you posted that link, right?) and it is sure hitting my mood on a warm late spring night here in Greene Co. Sure love Soundpedia. What an awesome resource!
Also love the new banner, Mac. Just a great look overall, IMHO.
We were hoping to make it to bark in the park with our three-legged dog this coming sunday but it sold out before we were able to get tickets. :o( Hopefully we’ll be able to catch it when they do it again in September.
“While evaluating what to do with Redman, the Braves won’t consider promoting either Matt Harrison or Jo-Jo Reyes from Double-A Mississippi. Both young hurlers need more seasoning, but they could opt to promote a number of candidates from their Triple-A Richmond team.
Buddy Carlyle threw six scoreless innings against Charlotte on Tuesday night to move to 3-1. Anthony Lerew is steadily showing some progress with better control. As for Jonathan Johnson, he has posted a 2.91 ERA and limited opponents to a .216 batting average in four starts.”
http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070501&content_id=1940439&vkey=news_atl&fext=.jsp&c_id=atl
Redman must go! But Lerew should be allowed time to develop–he has less than 20 innings at Richmond and in his two stints with the Braves got hammered. Now, he is a real prospect, but I do not want to see him get ‘Devined’.
The Vulture is not nearly as bad and should be considered; I would not be surprised if we see Buddy Carlyle or Trey Hodges or Kevin Barry.
The good news is that before too long one of the following should be ready: Lerew, Harrison, Reyes, Smith (the Braves don’t know that he exists–but look at his stats).
The other point is that we probably need 2 starters not one: Davies needs to go back to Richmond to work on his command…
Just save us from Jonathan Johnson….
“Now, he is a real prospect, but I do not want to see him get ‘Devined’.”
Oh please. Not everyone is Joey Devine. Give the guy a chance. He’s been in AAA forever.
“if we see Buddy Carlyle or Trey Hodges or Kevin Barry.”
I’m funny with Buddy Carlyle. But I think me, and just about everyone else, would be very happy if Trey Hodges, Kevin “no one wanted me from waivers” Barry and especially Jonathon Johnson never saw a day with the Braves in 2007.
Sadly, I know the way Bobby Cox things, which means it’s going to be Hodges or J. Johnson if it is indeed someone from Richmond….
funny=fine
Lerew spent a lot of time at AAA because he was awful:
http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Anthony%2520Lerew&pos=P&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=434679
Now, some of that may have been mechanics and he pitched well once he was sent down to AA. Therefore, it makes sense to let him establish himself at Richmond before going to Atlanta.
Since we need two starters, I assume that we will see Lerew in Atlanta at some point this season. If he continues to pitch well, he will get his chance….
At some point in time Bobby has to figure that the team has NO chance of winning with Redman starting. I STILL can’t believe that I’m pining for Lance Cormier to make a come back.
Starting Villareal sounds good to me. We’d only have to score 6 runs to win with him in there.
Lerew has 10Ks, 8BBs, 0HR, and 2 HBP in 19+ IP. I don’t think he’s a good option. He’s not pitching all that great, but good enough to keep some confidence. Let’s not destroy it.
My solution: FREE BUDDY HERNANDEZ!
On catching, I think this is a good time to bring up Salty. There is little pressure, and he is absolutely crushing Double-A with plate discipline and power. He’s repeating Mississippi, so he probably ought to go up to Triple-A soon anyway. If he struggles, no one expected any more. If he excels, he can work on his fielding when he goes back down.
Soundpedia? What is it? Sounds muy interesting. http://www.soundpedia.org?
Hey. OK, this is wierd, but when I’m on my desktop I can’t get to this site. But when I’m on my laptop here I am. Any ideas? (on my desktop it just takes me to a “go-daddy” register page.)
That I agree with. Spare us the horror of Corky Miller. Jarrod Saltalamacchia should get a chance if Brian McCann or Pena has to miss any real time (which I don’t think is happening anyways.) Someone would have to go on the DL, or Redman to be released for that to happen. The Braves have a slew of emergency catchers, with Craig Wilson, Matt Diaz and Pete Orr.
It was when Johnny Estrada went on the DL in 2005 that McCann made his mark after being called up from Class-AA Mississippi. Who knows what could happen with Saltalamacchia if he got the chance?
Lerew will likely get a chance this year, especially if he stays good in AAA. I’d rather try him now than suffer through Johnson blowing two or three games before the Braves catch on. But that is just me.
It’s amazing that I’m pining for Lance Cormier. Yuck.
Wow
jesus – that’s beyond borderline nepotism. Bet the skip sure was happy to see li’l jonny riding to the rescue.
It’s always nice to have your dad being the GM, right?!
Anyway, the Braves need another starter, period. Davies needs to spend the whole season with Richmond, period. Redman must go, period. I am very happy with Smoltz, Hudson, and James as the top three. I am happy with Cormier to be the fifth starter when he is back (if at all). All the team needs is a fourth starter will can give the team six innings with ERA around 4…wait, that worths around 10+M nowadays…
JC – You could have gone all day without mentioning JS Jr being called up to Richmond. I was trying to convince myself that JS Jr still being in baseball had nothing to do with nepotism. I think I’ve been under an illusion.
I actually thought that Lerew looked decent when he was called up in 05 – his ERA probably doesn’t back that up, but he showed promise to me. He was even talking about being the closer in 06 and then he imploded in Richmond for some reason. It wouldn’t be bad to give him a shot. Heck, Redman’s pitching could even make J. Johnson look like a young John Smoltz by comparison. All I want is someone who can give us 6 innings and allow 4 runs or less per start.
Only a matter of time before Jonathon Schuerholz, Jr.’s token big league debut.
Redman has GOT to go. How long was that game last night? 4 hours? He’s killing me. I don’t want to see Lerew, Harrison, or Reyes brought up. When will Cormier be available? I also think Salty should not be called up unless McCann is out for an extended period of time.
Pena is always good for a nice quote: “I’m still alive,” Pena said. “So I’m going to play.”
Hopefully, “Chuckie James just be Chuckie James,” and dominates the Phillies.
latnam, try typing “ipconfig /flushdns” (without the quotes) on your desktop computer. It may be trying to go to an old bravesjournal site.
Also, I would definitely be interested in a meetup at a Braves game. I’d also be interested in a game in Rome or Macon…
http://www.bravesbeat.com/bravesjournal/archives/2005/05/the_legacy.html
“John Schuerholz is a far greater baseball executive than Hank Aaron was. But when Aaron was running the Braves’ farm system, he had the integrity to cut his son when he knew his son didn’t have it. It’s time for John Schuerholz to do the same. It’s not only best for the Braves, it’s time Jonathan moved on with his life.”
Mac posted this wisdom two years ago (May 11, 2005.) I’ve seen the jokes, but I had no idea that it was this bad.
Salty is coming up. Just heard Bill Shanks confrim it on 680 The Fan on the way in.
McCann is supposed to be on 790 The Zone in a few minutes. I’ll see what he says.
If Salty is indeed coming up, it seems to me that the Braves are trying to market him for trade…
Thank God it’s Saltalamacchia and not Corky Miller. I hope McCann is okay. How is he coming up? Redman gone? McCann/Pena on DL? What’s the story?
And of course, no one asks McCann about the DL catcher situation. Since McCann didn’t mention going on the DL, I suspect Pena is going on the DL. My guess is McCann will get a day or two of rest, and Salty will catch with Craig Wilson (or even McCann) backing up in an emergency.
My guess is that Salty will be our 5th starter.
By the way, this is off-topic, but here’s a good column by ESPN’s new ombudsman about a great deal of what’s wrong with ESPN–Skip Bayless and Woody Paige are called out by name, among others, by the way.
I wonder if anything will actually happen as a result of this. I’m guessing no.
I bet Pena goes on the DL and Salty will start today, off day Thursday, maybe starts Friday and Saturday, then we see McCann back.
Also important to remember: Bill Shanks is a moron and frequently “confirms” factually inaccurate stories.
“My guess is that Salty will be our 5th starter.”
Speaking of that, Adam LaRoche is becoming much more vocal about wanting to pitch. He was a pitcher in highschool and supposedly a better pitcher than hitter at the time. I think, though not 100% sure, he pitched a couple of times in the minors too. I wonder if he’d be better than Redman.
Ann Nicole Smith’s baby is better than Redman
What about Dan Smith? I know its rare to jump from AA to MLB, but his numbers look very promising. Not to mention, he’s listed at 6’5 , 250lbs. He could take McBrides position at tackle and let Moylan slide back out to end.
why does Bobby dislike Phil Stockman. He’s a gangly giant that strikes a lot of people out. But, he never seems to be first on the call-up list.
Great article, AAR. Thanks for the tip.
I think the Richmond staff has gone 35 innings without giving up a run
I think Stockman is on the DL
Smitty,
He’s not on the DL, he’s in Richmond.
1-0 0.00 ERA 6 IP 6 K 1 BB (3 games)
http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Phil%2520Stockman&pos=P&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=430666
Braves: Dan Smith does exist (seriously, you never hear about this guy.)
I turned on the radio, and they are indeed saying Saltalamacchia is coming up, though Pena will likely start tonight (zzzzzzz).
“Dan Smith does exist”
Correction: Dan Smith does NOT exist.
From AJC:
“It was getting better, now it’s just back to where it was,” said McCann, who had just taken a guard off his finger the inning before because he was having a hard time catching Redman’s cutter. “It took 20-30 minutes to get the pain to go away. It’s going to be sore. It’s just how much I can tolerate. I’m going to try my hardest to catch the ball game [Wednesday] night.”
Also from AJC:
Redman’s ERA was 10.13 coming in and he actually made it rise to 10.62.
“You just have to keep your spirits up,” said Redman, now 0-4.
“As easy as things can snowball they can also turn around. Unfortunately, [it’s been] a rough start.”
“rough start”, that’s an understatement.
I think I forgot to close that
That’s a good read, AAR. I especially liked this:
“The yelling commentators sound angry. None of the yellers sounds to me as if he is reacting authentically to something he cares about.”
This is why I advocated Skip Bayless “winning” the Road From Bristol. He gives me the distinct impression that he hates sports.
Okay, everyone is saying that Saltalamacchia is getting the call. Yet I see nothing about McCann going on the DL, he’s talking about playing tonight, the radio says Pena will “likely” go and nothing I see about Redman’s release (at least not yet.) Oh well.
Who would vote for Hawk Harrelson over Skip Bayless anyways?
If Salty gets called up, I believe he has to be up for 10 days. If that’s the case, you probably wouldn’t want to send down a pitcher or anyone else. The logical choice would be to DL one of the catchers (Pena), so you’re not carrying three catcher and under-manned at some other position.
Release Redman! DL Pena! Call up Cormier!
Richmond starters have gone 35 or 36 straight innings without allowing a run. Would any of these guys be ready to replace Redman.
oops. didn’t see post 64
The rule is that you have to stay in the minors for ten days after being sent down. There’s no rule against up-and-down callups, though it’s not a bad idea. Teams will often call up a pitcher to make one start, then send him right back down.
Best news of the day: McCann X-rays negative.
AAR,
Thanks for the column.
ESPN became a clown show a long time ago. I like their occasional online column, but I hate their site, their radio is awful (I have real sports radio in NYC—it blows the ESPN stuff away) and Sports Center is generally one big “branding opportunity” or brazen sell-out. Anyone want a “Budweiser Hot Seat”?
And don’t get me started on the ESPN Zones. Can you imagine that meeting? “I got it—we’ll have a chain of sports Bennigan’s…same lousy fried food, but with an arcade! We can promote our on-air ‘talent’ with posters & sandwiches. It’ll put the Q Scores of Stuart Scott & Kenny Mayne through the roof!”
As the columnist noted, ESPN’s on-air pundits just say outrageous things loudly (like FNN, in my mind) with little regard for fairness. (Remember, this is the place that gave us Sean Salisbury.) On-air conflict isn’t always interesting, especially if it’s that orchestrated. Like the political shows that don’t really get to the heart of an issue, it’s just…2 guys arguing on camera.
Because I’m a media guy myself, I don’t find this stuff informative or particularly entertaining. I look for info in a variety of outlets and make my mind up on my own.
But that’s just me. There are obviously plenty who get almost all of their sports info from ESPN. Of course, ESPN knows there’s a nation of sports zombies out there, so they focus-group every move to death—and that’s why it all goes down like packaged crap.
ESPN is the canned vegetables of sports. You can get fresh vegetables in other places, but who has the time? And who really wants to make the effort?
All but one of our teams are in first place!
(MLB)Atlanta- 16-10(1st place)
(AAA)Richmond- 16-5(1st place)
(AA)Mississippi- 18-7(1st place)
(A)Rome- 7-19(7th place)
Roma delenda est!
Bringing up Salty is a dumb idea. In 45 days, you turn the clock on another arb year. Yes the two roster fillers at catcher in Richmond are horrible, but there is no reason to do that.
The 40 man roster moves are a problem.
I am sure Pena will be DL’ed in light of the problems with the Cardinals catcher whose name escapes me. Pena should be on low exercise and exertion for about 2 weeks to allow the concussion damage to heal as fully as possible. This is serious business when it is bad enough to cause problems remembering.
Jay10, on Stockman, Carroll Rodgers at AJC reported yesterday that he had a small pull near the surgically repaired zone that the staff thought was not a big deal, but he is to sit for 10 days or so. He hasn’t had an appearance in several days. However, he is the most likely “K-Rod factor” in our minor leagues. He could come up around Aug 1 and blow the ball park down. A Mark Wohlers that is taller and with better control. Scary, huh.
“Free Phil Stockman”.
How come the draft isn’t really popular for baseball? Is it because teams (especially the Braves) pick unknown, local high school kids? Is it because college baseball isn’t as popular? Is it because the players stay in the minors for years, whereas in football they’re there pretty much instantly?
The Rome Braves thing got me thinking.
Those, and MLB doesn’t like to publicize the draft. Instead of a big meeting, it’s a conference call. Until recently, they wouldn’t even release the names of draftees formally and you had to reconstruct it. Last year was, I think, the first time it was available online.
One thing, Cliff: Salty would only stay up until McCann and Pena were healthy, probably 15 days. The clock stops if you’re in the minors. If he had to stay up longer, that means we’d need him anyway.
Dan,
I, for one, find the MLB Draft each June very interesting. I’m sure I’m one of the few loser who sits and listens to most of it online. Personally, its better than the NFL Draft…there is a new pick every 30 seconds, instead of every 15 minutes and you don’t have the morons at ESPN talking about the same thing over and over and hyping up players. But, yes, its b/c of all the unknowns and the fact that it is at least 4 or 5 years before a player makes an impact in the majors.
One thing about the draft that was hilarious either last year or the year before was when the Dodgers made their picks. Tommy Lasorda was announcing them and the say, for example “With pick 134 the LOS ANGELES DODGERS OF LOS ANGELES select…” it was pretty funny.
If anyone cares, flashlight boy has been sentenced to 15 days in prison.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2855998
McCann is fine, he will not go on DL.
I haven’t seen anything about this move. I’m not saying that it won’t happen. I wouldn’t be shocked if they called Salty up. I would, however, be surprised if it was McCann going on the DL and not Pena.
Also, they can’t call up Cormier because he’s injured. (Well, his 15 days are up, so I guess they could technically, but it would be pretty stupid.) The AAA pitchers on the 40-man roster who aren’t DLed are Manny Acosta, Jose Ascanio, Blaine Boyer, Joey Devine, Anthony Lerew, Macay McBride and Phil Stockman. I really don’t follow what happens at the farm teams very much, so I’ll leave it up to those of you who do to decide which one of those would be best. Given that we would need either a starter or long reliever (depending on what we do with Vulture), I’m guessing it’s not Boyer, Devine or McBride.
And for the record: I still say calling up Salty is a bad idea. Corky Miller may suck, but when all you need is a stopgap, you put in a stopgap player. If it were McCann and not Pena going on the DL, maybe I would reconsider, but I still wouldn’t be too excited about it.
Agian, McCann isn’t going on the DL, heard it here first. No need to worry he’s fine.
He won’t be able to play tonight but will be okay hopefully by friday.
Unknown, Can you confirm that Salty is coming up or if Pena is going on the DL?
Showing my limited knowledge of our minor league teams, I failed to recognize that some of those pitchers are AA, not all are AAA. The AAA ones are Lerew, McBride, Stockman and Acosta.
I know nothing about Acosta, but it appears he’s a closer type. And if Stockman is being rested, I guess that probably means Lerew unless we want to delve into AA.
Yeah, I’ve heard nothing since Bill Shanks said Saltalamacchia was coming up. Did he jump the gun again (big news on Tom Glavine!)?
He’s been kicked out of Shea for three years?
Well okay, but Shea isn’t going to be around three more years…
I have not heard anything about call ups but I can confirm that BM will not be on DL and miss only one or two games at most.
In honor of Mike Hampton forcing REDman on us, Can we get a YouTube clip of Dire Straits “Money for Nothing”???
…Chicks for free.
Also, for what it’s worth, the story by Mark Bowman on the team site says that if we needed to call someone up, it would likely be Corky Miller. Granted though, this story was posted last night. I would link to it, but I can’t seem to hyperlink text for some reason. It’s the first story under “Braves Update” on the front page.
Also, if we do have to bring up a catcher, it would almost certainly mean the release of Redmond and the call-up of Lerew, as there’s no other starter that we could call up without dumping someone else off our 40-man roster. If we don’t call up a catcher, we could bring up Hodges or Carlyle or Barry or whoever.
Unknown,
Is it hearsay or is there a link?
The source is a lot better then a “link”.
“The source is a lot better then a “link”.”
The voices in your head?
Sure, if thats what you think.
Mac,
I am pretty sure that a post June 10 call up does not count as a year toward free agency except when added to other partial years that toal back to approx 160 games. That is, 2007 becomes year one if Salty comes up for one day before June 10. Then Year two can be delayed by sending him back to the minors, until the next call up.
DOB finally updated….
I’ve got a strong suspicion it’s going to be Salty, the Braves’ top-rated prospect who is hitting .309 with seven doubles, six homers and 13 RBIs in 22 games for Double-A Mississippi, with 13 walks and 17 strikeouts.
And I think it’d be a good choice. Bobby has never been afraid of throwing guys into the fire, and Francoeur and others have shown the move from Double-A to the majors can be made without a layover at Richmond. Salty’s got all the potential in the world, and this might be his chance to play ever day.
If it’s Salty coming up, it probably means it’s Brian McCann going on the DL with that recurring injury to his left ring finger.
http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/ajc/braves/entries/2007/05/02/will_salty_get.html
That would, of course, be Redman, not Redmond. I always get Redman confused with Mike Redmond, for some reason. The backup catcher who could not make an out against Tom Glavine. Is he even still in the league?
No, he’s in the other league, with the Twins. Joe Mauer : Mike Redmond :: Brian McCann : Brayan Pena.
Didn’t they mix up their WS rings when they were teammates with the Marlins? Redman and Redmond that is.
This has probably already been mentioned, but, Langerhans had two strikeouts in his Oakland debut and was pulled for a pinch hitter.
lil help….does anybody here read Braves Journal through Google Reader? I’m having trouble with mine, it keeps sending me to the old Braves Journal site. I’ve updated the URL several times…but Google Reader won’t take me here. I figured it’d eventually switch over in a day or two but still got nothing. Any suggestions from other google reader users would be helpful, thanks.
Wryn, you’re right, and it was my bad. Flashlight boy has been banned from watching the Mets play baseball for 3 years, Shea or otherwise. I think.
That is, I’m not sure if he’s allowed to watch the Mets on the road. But he’s definitely not allowed to watch the Mets in New York for the next 3 years.
I know from the site tracking that some people are getting in via Google Reader. Anyway, the feed addresses are:
http://bravesjournal.us/?feed=atom
http://bravesjournal.us/?feed=rss2
ok, that worked! I”m in now. Thanks
If Pena is DLed, I would get Miller to come up (if someone is going to sit, better him than Salty.) If McCann is DLed I would go with Salty.
I agree Smitty. If you’re just going to bring a catcher up to be McCann’s back-up, bring up Miller. His exposure will be less, and it won’t keep Salty from getting good at-bats.
Just went to the corner deli that’s owned by the Braves fan & loaded with Met fans (workers & employees).
In a rare moment of tokenism, Walter the owner allowed the employees to have the Met game on the radio. I got there just in time for Beltran to pop up with the bases loaded. As I’m waiting for my coffee, a collective groan ensued.
“C’mon, guys–it could be a lot worse,” I said. “It could be Lima Time!”
The immediate response from 2 counter guys: “I hated Lima Time!”
If Salty is coming up, he’s not going to be backing up. There is too much chatter going on here for this not to be true.
McCann is not going on the DL. I heard him on the radio this morning. He made no mention of it, and he says he is fine. My guess is that he is going to get a few days off and maybe pintch hit.
JC, if Salty is definitely coming up, then Pena would most definitely be put on the DL. If that’s the case, then Salty will be up for 15 days. If McCann is only going to sit for a couple games, that means Salty is pretty much going to sit for a week and a half. How do you see that he won’t be a back-up?
Agian, unless something has changed there is no need to DL BM.
What makes Salty so good that he can’t be a backup for a week? McCann wasn’t brought up to be the starter but Estrada just so happened to be out longer then expected and never fully recovered that season. Basically IF Salty is brought up it would mean he would prob. give BM a rest for the weekend series and then maybe make another start or two until pena is back. If it’s the other guy then BM will be back in lineup this weekend. Make sense?
Salty called up and Pete Orr being sent down??
Let me re-phrase. He’s going to get significant playing time while McCann heals. He will likely start tonight and the next few games. If Pena goes on the DL (they could cut a pitcher) then he will serve as a buck-up PH for a week or so. I don’t think his long-run development is going to be hurt.
Good point.
I’d prefer Woodward being sent down over Orr, never thought i’d say that.
Good idea to send down Orr. That way in a few days we can send Salty back down, release Redman (with the off day we only need 4 starters) call up a pitcher and bring Orr back in ten days.
That move seems to make the most sense. I just wish it was Redman getting cut instead.
On a unrelated note, they found Marijuanna in Josh Hancocks SUV, and he had been in a wreck just days earlier at 4:35 in the morning. Starting to sense a pattern here……
The press pass info on MLB.com for today still hasn’t been updated. Anyone found any official info on whether Salty has been called up yet?
seems like we’re running out of time to make a move if we are planning on it
Salty on stand by baby!
I think it is his brithday too! What a gift that would be!
You can have Saltalamacchia or Miller in Atlanta and not announce the move until just before the game. The options would seem to be:
Designating Redman for assignment, or outright releasing him;
Putting Pena or McCann on the DL;
Sending Orr down;
Sending Davies down;
Sending Moylan down.
I don’t see the last happening, because Moylan has pitched pretty well after his first appearance. Davies is being skipped, but wouldn’t be able to come up for ten days after the demotion. There’s relatively little need for Orr — even by his usual standards — with Harris on the team. You know what I think they should do.
What if they just shoot Redman in the face?
A no-prize to whomever figures out the stunningly obvious video dedication Saltalamacchia will get if activated.
Though today’s dedication is already written and should post soon.
According to MLB.com, there are only 39 names listed on the 40-man roster. Any idea who is left off, or could they just add Salty to the list?
http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/team/roster_40man.jsp?c_id=atl
Is it Elvis’ “Return to Sender”
Interesting article by ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick on the top NL right fielders from ages 23-28. He has Frenchy ranked #1.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=crasnick_jerry&id=2857144
“Catch Us If You Can” by the Dave Clark Five?
The all-start ballots are up(atlantabraves.com). I was compairing outfielders numbers (a new thing they let you do) Frenchy actually, as of now, is All-Star starter worthy. So is McCann, Chipper, and KJ. Maybe even make an argument for Renteria.
Has Redman been put out of our misery yet?
Does anyone have Kathy Bates cell number and a sledgehammer she can borrow?
I think Aybar is off the 40-man now.
Bowman is now reporting the Salty news…
If the Braves determine that neither McCann or Pena can play on Wednesday night, Saltalamacchia’s contract will be purchased from Double-A Mississippi. Better yet, he’ll make his Major League debut by serving as Atlanta’s starting catcher on Wednesday.
http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070502&content_id=1942469&vkey=news_atl&fext=.jsp&c_id=atl
I will bungle the song dedication for our new arrival. It is the David Lee Roth song tht is something like “Be Kind to Teacher.”
Cliff’s right, though his memory seems to be in the same place as Eddie’s sobriety. Van Halen, “Hot for Teacher”.
Why “Hot for Teacher”?
He married a gym teacher (not his own) from his high school.
Internet archive version of AJC story.
“Maybe even make an argument for Renteria.”
There are 3 shortstops who are worlds better than Renteria in the NL East alone.