ESPN.com – MLB – Box Score – Braves at Cubs
So, it appears that Lance Cormier is not the answer, or that if he is the question is very obscure. Cormier flat-out sucked, giving up a grand slam to Mark DeRosa of all people in the first and solo homers in each of the next two innings, and was chased without getting an out in the fifth. Final line: four innings, eight runs, nine hits, one strikeout, one walk, one loss. It was 9-0 before the Braves got their lone run in the seventh.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia may not be the answer at first base either; he committed an error there after coming into the game in the late innings. Escobar went 0-4 in his second go-round, but he still looks better than Orr or Woodward; Prado was sent down to make room for Cormier. Presumably Pena or someone else will be brought up after the Tuesday double-header.
KJ had hits in his first two ABs — against a lefthander, at that. He’s hitting .316/.409/.513 against lefties, but will probably be out of the lineup the next time. For Woodward, no doubt. Paronto had a good inning and McBride allowed a hit but struck out the side in his one inning of work. That’s about it for the good side.
Isn’t it a bit early to say that Salty might not be the answer at first?
I know he didn’t look like J.T. Snow out there..but maybe he just needs some more playing time at 1B.
considering salty has only ever taken balls at 1B, but not ever played, one would expect mistakes. Unfortunately his cost us the game. 😉
who in the hell would expect that in his first inning of play he would have 2 balls hit to him, both being far from routine? he made a great play in knocking the ball down, but once again, just like cormier, lets not throw him to the dogs quite yet.
“KJ had hits in his first two ABs — against a lefthander, at that. He’s hitting .316/.409/.513 against lefties, but will probably be out of the lineup the next time.”
Bobby Cox’s brain: illogical. Left-handers can not hit left-handers. Does not compute. Need Woodward. Beep.
I’m just glad to see us back winning another series. Now lets take care of the Marlins and move on.
Re Salty: I’d give him a while to get his feet wet. Getting those balls hit to him in his first go around is probably the best thing for him. The big story in this game is that we need another pitcher. Same story different day.
Kinda funny how it might not matter if Salty can play 1st or not as he might be the only way for us to improve our pitching. We’re going to have to give him up if we want to get a top notch starter.
So with top notch starter as we talking about? Saltalamacchia for Dan Haren? Blanton? Dontrelle Willis? Aaron Harang?
It better be something a little higher on the ladder than Nate Robertson.
It would be nice to get someone like Dontrelle Willis but who knows…
I just don’t think Dontrelle Willis is worth what it would take to get him. His numbers have been going the wrong direction…
I just don’t think Dontrelle Willis is worth what it would take to get him. His numbers have been going the wrong direction…
Sorry. I have no idea how I double-posted that. I don’t think it’s profound enough to say twice.
Why don’t we go for Johan while we’re at it? *Rolls eyes*
It was Cormier’s first start of the year. Let’s give him a few more before we throw him under the bus.
Salty doesn’t look ready to play 1B. He may be better off going down to Richmond and playing every day the rest of they year there at 1B if that’s where the Braves want him to be in the future.
Well, Cormier needs another couple of disasters before I give up on him. Perhaps this is only because I know that everybody else who would follow will also provide disasters. Trey Hodges, anybody?
I don’t expect Cormier to be the second coming of Clemens, Maddox, or any other great pitcher. At this point, I’d simply be happy with a pitcher that could pitch 6 innings while only allowing 4 runs. I’ll setting for 5 innings and 4 runs though.
Not that it would have made any difference, but I think Chip was wrong about the Braves catching a break in the first inning when A Ramirez got hit leaving first for second. Replays looked like Thorman would have gotten the ball had it not hit Ramirez; if he had the Braves would have turned 2 and gotten out of the inning before DeRosa got to the plate.
At least Caray didn’t gush about Cormier making great pitches …
Re comments on the last thread about whether the Braves have better pitching or position talent in the minors–my vote is pitching. There are some good pitchers in the pipeline–Harrison and Hanson might be the best–but the position players (esp OF) seem rather thin. Rome’s offense this year is pathetic–no one over 750 OPS except Schaefer who has already been promoted to MB.
Re Pinella–I don’t think he warrants 7-10 games. His contact with the ump was minimal and he didn’t directly encourage the idiots to throw stuff on the field. I say 3 games fits the crime.
A Ohio newspaper says the Braves are scouting the Reds’ Homer Bailey. What would it take to get him?
A whole lot, probably Saltalamacchia for a start. Bailey is one of the two best pitching prospects in the game — actually, probably the best since Phillip Hughes is hurt.
It’s hard to believe the Reds would deal Bailey. More likely is dealing a Cincinnati starter to create a rotation spot for Bailey.
I agree — the Reds probably wouldn’t trade Bailey straight-up for Francoeur. Of the Reds’ current starters, Harang is the obvious prize, and I think he could be great out of Tiny American Bandbox, though he’s actually pitched about the same on the road and at home.
The Yankees look worse than the Cubs–money/payroll help create winning teams but smart management is at least as important.
BTW–Robinson Cano may make Francoeur look like a Wade Boggs model of hitting patience.
Harang is the guy I want too, especially over someone like injury-prone Haren or Dontrelle Willis, who hasn’t been anything special since 2005. The guy led the NL in strikeouts just last year.
Would the Reds really trade him though? Even if they were really out of it?
We’re not getting Haren for Salty; just not happening. *Maybe* Haren for Salty + Davies + Hanson or Harisson. But even that would really, REALLY surprise me.
I only watched 3 or 4 innings, but I got so annoyed by Chip’s stupid Cubs stories, I changed the channel. I think someone needs to go in the booth periodically and remind him he doesn’t work for the f***in Cubs anymore. Chip Carey delenda est.
Lance Cormier was burning them in there at 86 mph today. Flat, straight over the middle of the plate. I’m not really suprised he did horribly, but I say give him a few more chances, he will be better than Redman. Anyone’s better than Redman. I’d rather prop up a corpse on the mound than Redman. Glad we don’t have to worry about that guy anymore.
1 more good arm and I think we have the wildcard, wouldn’t hurt to get rid of Woodpradorr either.
Kelly Johnson is still my hero.
I agree with those who think that dealing for quality starting pitching will be very difficult–and possibly not worth the price.
Yes, yesterday was a disaster, but Cormier gets a few more chances. It wss his first game and things might have turned out differently had he gotten the DP in the first. At least in theory Cormier is still our best hope for a 5th starter.
My gut feeling is that the Braves rushed him through his rehab and that he could have used one or more starts at Richmond before coming back. Had Smoltz not been injured he might still have been on his way back–therefore, it was not entirely surprising that he got hit.
Whether he can pitch the way he did in September and in Spring Training remains to be seen…
Sunday’s game was destined for the loss column–bad pitching plus no hitting. Just one of those things–even good clubs lose 50+ per year. And, as bad as he looked today, I also think Cormier should get a few more starts since there don’t seem to be any better options at the moment.
After the debacle of losing 3 to the Phillies (not to mention losing 3 of 4 to the Nats on the last road trip), I’m happy to have a 4-2 roadtrip with Chipper on the shelf.
Exactly.
OK, going to a Jacksonville Suns/Mobile Bay Bears game tomorrow. They’re the AA affiliates of the Dodgers and D-Backs. Besides Justin Upton, do you guys know of any noteworthy players worth checking out while I’m there?
Is Scott Elbert pitching for Jacksonville? Speaking of highly touted prospects…
from mlb.com
“His cutter wasn’t as sharp as it’s been in the past and that’s usually his go-to out-pitch,” said catcher Brian McCann,
“It looked like he was going to get out of it,” Braves manager Bobby Cox said. “He got DeRo 3-2 and it went right down the middle. It got us off to a rough start.”
“I just didn’t have good stuff today,” said Cormier, who allowed eight earned runs and nine hits in just four innings. “Some days you’re going to have good stuff and some days you don’t. It’s a battle when you don’t.”
I like analysis was also part of my job. I checked out the gameday graphic and my guess wasn’t way out. Walking a enemy batter, that is disater. I really hate it. But I think Cormier is not a pitcher like that. He is also not a flyball pitcher.
I didn’t give him up though I got a shock. I believe the Braves still need his help.
Rob and all other Florida fans,Billy D might be coming back.
It’s also being reported on the Fanhouse, ESPN, Fox Sports..etc
Oh my sweet Moses, I sure hope those dirty sons of guns otherwise known as the Magic allow him to come back to Florida. A coach that doesn’t want to coach for your team probably wouldn’t be the best thing for Orlando. Send him back home!
Go Gators! Wooohoo!
Oh, and yeah, Scott Elbert is still in Jax. I’m hoping to catch him. I forgot to mention him earlier.
Yeah, if this was Spurrier, I wouldn’t be as excited. But Donovan, you can change your mind every day til the season starts. As long as he’s in Gainesville when it counts, he can do whatever he wants. I’m starting to feel this way about Meyer too.
I’m glad I missed this game. I’d love to get Harang. What does his contract look like? Homer Bailey would be insane, but the Reds would never trade him.
Why don’t we trade for Lincecum while we are at it….haha.
Hate King,
Here is Harang’s contract.
signed 4-year deal worth $36.5M thru 2010 season on 2/6/07- + he receives salaries of $4.25M on 2007, $6.75M in 2008, $11M in 2009 and $12.5M in 2010- + the deal includes a team option for 2011 worth $12.75M or a $2M buyout- + the value of the option rises to $13M with 210IP in 2010- + the option becomes a mutual option if he is traded the value of the option also rises to $14M against a $2.5M buyout- + 2006 salary: $2.35, 2005: $440K
Agent: Sam and Seth Levinson
Speaking of Chip, what do we have to do to get him out of the TV booth? His stupid comments make me want to bash myself in the face with a mallet. I’m embarrassed for Skip.
Dan, Dan Haren isn’t injury prone. He’s thrown 520 innings in two and a third seasons as a starter in MLB. He’s younger and better than Harang, and a heck of a lot cheaper. What more could you want?
Of course, I don’t see any way Beane trades the guy. Getting Haren for Mulder might have been the best move Beane has made.
I think he was thinking of Rich Harden. But just reading through his injury notes would take the rest of the year
I just dont see the Red giving up starting pitching. Even if they are out of it…
Forgive me, Rob. If I were in your position, I’m pretty sure I’d be happy to…but if you’ll indulge me for a moment, what is with all these coaches who take a freaking job and then all of a sudden are like, “Oops…just kidding. Can I have my old job back now, please?” It seems like we get at least one a year. I mean, what the hell? Does it work like this in the real world? What…you forgot to consult your family before you made the decision the first time? You forgot that you liked it at your old job and discover that all the people at your new job are insufferable pricks? Well, TS!
I mean, the guy signed a freaking contract. He didn’t agree in principle and then before the press conference have second thoughts (which is bad enough, by the way). He actually signed a contract and left and now wants his old job back! Just absolute lunacy!
I just hope to God that one day the original team of one of these indecisive coaches says, “Oops…sorry. We’ve already found your replacement. Have a nice life, asshole!”, and then the team they were going to in the first place says, “Well, we don’t really want a coach who doesn’t want to be here. So long!” and then the coach is completely f*****. Maybe then, we wouldn’t have one of these morons surfacing every freaking year. But there’s absolutely no way in hell that’s gonna happen this time.
And incidentally, not that he apparently cares, but if he finds a way to weasel out of this, he has just completely torn to shreds any chance he had of ever coaching in the NBA…and I mean ever.
As far as that terrible game goes, you have to give Cormier at least one more start (and probably two) before you start throwing him under the bus. I mean hell, he only had two days notice. You almost have to throw this one out and act like the next one is his first start back.
Second, this is a little extreme and simplistic, but I play Salty at first every single time a lefty starts against us this year (unless it’s a day game after a night game or something, in which case he’ll be starting for McCann). Think about it. It won’t decrease his trade value any, because his offensive numbers won’t suffer, and most people want him as a catcher anyway. If we discover that he can’t cut it, we trade him, because no matter how great he is, if he can’t play first, he’s pretty much completely useless to us. I mean what…are we gonna keep him as a career backup catcher?
Rob–You might try to get a look at Javier Brito who plays 1B for Mobile. Obviously not the prospect that Upton is, but he looks good and I think I remember hearing positive things about him.
Sounds like a great night.
Obviously, congrats again if Donovan stays with the Gators.
Donavan in a douche if he leaves, no better than Saban and the crap he pulled with the Dolphins…..
I saw Homer Baily pitch last year. He is awesome.
The Reds would probably give him up for another out fielder, they like to collect them.
Can someone tell me where the Atlanta Braves power has gone? One homerun at Wrigley field? Has the Terry Pendleton approach zapped Jeff Francouer of his power? Should we be worried about Brian McCann hitting and defense? Is Scott Thorman another Chris Shelton? (Shelton was on fire at the beginning of last year with like 50 hrs, he is back in the minors now). We can trade Jarrod, b/c we need him at first and insurance if McCann falters.
Cormier…is that it?
Tony, your worried about nothing. Baseball is a game of streaks and all our star players, Andruw, McCann, Francoeur will all have numbers similar to past years at the end. Not too impressed with Thorman but he does need more then a half of season.
Lets face it, we are playing for the wildcard so lets not freak when we lose a game and start thinking everything is coming to an end.
Who says we are playing for the wildcard? We are 3 games back, its not like we are the Yankmee’s and have a double digit deficit. If it becomes August, and we are three games back, then yeah,we’ll be playing for the wildcard. Once this team decides that the wildcard is good enough, we might as well throw in the towel…I find it hard to believe Bobby is saying ” its ok guys, we are still in the wildcard hunt!”
Not only is Chip Carey not going to be taken off the Braves game, he is probably going to be the voice of TBS on the division series playoff games and, next year, on the TBS Sunday game of the week. Maybe it’s just as well that the Braves won’t be on TBS after this year.
I still think the Braves should go after hitting. I am suspicious of their ability to get a quality starter without an arm and a leg. James and Davies have both shown flashes and who cares about the fifth starter (by the way, I guess should not play on Sunday–last four Sunday games, they have lost by a combined 42-12). Cormier will probably end up being at least only tolerably bad as opposed to horribly bad. I have a bad feeling that Chipper is going to be out a long time and their offense generally doesn’t impress me. If they score more runs, their bullpen can carry them at least part of the way.
draft coming soon folks, and with the 14 and, what, the 31 in the draft, we can get a good young position player at 14…
Dominguiez is a name i am hearing…kid’s got AMAZING power potential (took two out in la at chavez ravine…with a wood bat…no small feat for a 17 year old)…
move eric cambell to the OF…
and with 31 get the OTHER pitcher from Vandy (name is escaping me, but 11-2 speaks volumes in the SEC…with a 3 era) who is more major league ready…
anyone else hearing anything???
Anyone see this?
http://withleather.com/post.phtml?pk=3019
I’d love to get Dominguez. He’s supposed to be a great defensive 3B as well as a big hitter.
Jason Heyward’s name has been linked with the Braves. He’s from Georgia and has been compared to Fred McGriff.
Saw the M-Braves again Saturday night.
Super exciting game as the M-Braves were down 3-1 in the bottom of the ninth. Esquivel tied the game up at 3 in the ninth and then hit a walk of winning single in the 10th.
I can’t speak for the other leagues but right now the M-Braves top players are starting pitching and outfielders. Matt Harrison, Dan Smith and “The Bean” Reyes are the biggest reason they have the best record in the southern league. Carl Lodenthal is also playing very well and had a huge triple the other night and leads the team in batting average. Esquivel is just leading the league in homers and RBI’s and the team in walks. And Brandon Jones is playing alright.
On the infield Diory Hernandez is hitting well. They didn’t have a short stop ready when Lillibridge went up so guys are playing out of position there. Corner infielders are struggling a bit. Relief was great until they all got called up to one level or another.
My current beef is with the handling of Diaz. Matty is flat-out mashing the ball, and he’s batting 7th yesterday. 1) He needs to be in the lineup every day, and 2) he needs to be hitting in the 2-3-4-5 slots. You can’t have a guy hitting .340 batting seventh. He has only 14 rbis this year. That’s a travesty.
Huddy vs Wes Obermueller, a RHP. I like that matchup.
Can we mash the Marlins a little?
I like our chances against the Marlins, if only they didn’t have that freaky voodoo hex against us.
I’m not saying that Cox and the players are saying we are playing for the wildcard. But if you look at the teams and look at our pitching it’s obvious we won’t be able to continue to play with the mets for the division. I do feel that we can get the wild card and make some noise in the playoffs but right now I just don’t see us playing with the mets for 162 games. Just my opinion…
I’ve been a big time Diaz booster ever since I saw his minor league numbers. He’s a perfect #2 or #3 hitter. He makes contact a lot and may not have a ton of power. I couldnt believe bobby chose to put Escobar in the 2-slot. This has to be a showcase for potential trade partners, so bobby figured the kid would look better in the 2-hole.
Also, anyone else find it annoying that Kyle Davies outhit Orr, Prado, Woodward for the month of may.
brule,
Do you run all your post through babelfish before they appear on here?
sorry to come back to this, but the donovan situation is a total mess for everyone involved. be a man. stand by your decision.
as far as the marlins go, we ought to take the series. the only hick up i see is if buddy gets knocked around and we nuke the bullpen in the first game and then smoltz can only go 5-6. the braves have killed the kid he’s facing. in 2 appearances he’s lasted just 3.1 innings and allowed 7H and 8ER.
Justin, take it easy on the guy. English isn’t his first language. It’s kinda cool to think we have fans on the other side of the Pacific Rim, you know?
Isnt Obermueller the guy the Braves got in exchange for Kolb?
Yes, and he was released April 17th. Good thing we weren’t tempted to keep that guy at the time; he’s got an ERA over 5. Can our offense turn him into Cy Young? I submit that we can!
And yeah, lay off the guy, Justin. I think it’s pretty cool that he can also work on his English on here too. Where’s he from anyway?
As for Donovan, as a Gator fan, I would love to have him back. If I was disconnected from the situation and possessed no bias, I would say that Donovan should honor his commitment to Orlando. However, people have said that Orlando “forced him to make a rash decision.” However, Billy Donovan should have either said no or asked for more time to make his decision. Obviously I would love to have him back, but he shouldn’t have signed a five-year contract without being totally sure that’s where he wanted to be for five years.
Yeah, that’s him. He never got outta Richmond though. Which is hard to do considering we trade for him in the winter, then released him in April sometime I think.
Damn you people beating me to it.
“be a man. stand by your decision.”
Which one? The decision he made, as relayed the recruits, that he was staying at the University of Florida, or the decision to leave for Orlando?
Sometimes I go to mlb.com and just look at some random team’s stats… just to see what I’m missing this year. I was surprised to see Texas is actually worse than the Royals, as well as EVERYONE ELSE IN THE MAJORS. Their 5 starts with the most starts have a minimum ERA of 6.28. Jeezie.
Another bad team in Cincy, but they’ve actually got some ok starting pitching. Their top 4 is “acceptable”, but fuck that bullpen suckssss. Just eyeballing the pitching and hitting stats, it’s not really all that clear WHY they suck. AGon, Griffey, Dunn, Phillips, Hatteberg, and Hamilton are all hitting pretty damn well.
Baseball is a funny sport. Baseball statistics are even funnier.
Yes, and he was released April 17th. Good thing we weren’t tempted to keep that guy at the time; he’s got an ERA over 5.
Compared to Carlyle’s 9, Redman’s 11, and Cormier’s 18, Obermueller’s 5 looks pretty darn good. I had forgotten we had him for a while. If for some reason he had been made the fifth starter on opening day, we’d be in better shape.
bfan,
either for that matter.
i’m not saying i wouldn’t take the money and go to orlando, no one would fault him accepting that offer. If he really wanted to stay at florida and had a contract in the works then tell the school and see what they can work out. when you sign a contract you should do your best to honor it, now there is really know way to get out of this with out burning a bridge…oh well.
Rob and Alex,
That’s why I asked if used babelfish. Was nothing to do with ridicule, just curious if he used a translation or not.
I personally don’t see what Donovan gains by going back to Florida. His legacy is already set by becoming the first coach since the early nineties to lead his team to back-to-back National Championships.
So what does he have left to do at Florida? He’s lost his top six scorers from last year, three maybe four of which will be taken in the first round of this year’s NBA Draft. If he does indeed go back, it’s going to be very tough for him to keep his team a championship contender. I do have to say I don’t know how good their recruiting is going, but I don’t think anyone they get will be able to compensate the loss of Noah, Horford, Brewer, Green and Humphrey, at least not right away.
Maybe the pressure that is put on college coaches that leave for the pros got to him. But it’s not like the Magic were expecting him to turn this young Magic team into a serious contender, maybe in a few years but for right now they have players who are still developing.
Chris–my gut feeling is that we are going draft Tim Alderson in the first round. The Braves would certainly jump at Heyward, but he won’t be available; Moustakas (who will probably not be around either) is a Boras client as is Harvey. I wouldn’t be surprised if Beavan gets picked as well. Basically, its anybody’s guess, but the Braves have drafted a fair amount of player from the Southwest and Alderson is impressive.
That said, we do need some position players….
One other thing: I hope we get Smoker, but I do not want to see the Braves use their first pick on him. With #14 we ought to do better.
Re Obermuller having an ERA over 5–that’s half of Redman’s and at a much lower price.
There’s been a lot of discussion on BJ about the Braves trading for another starter. I agree it’s needed, but I don’t think it is likely until mid or late July. Wouldn’t it be nice at that time, however, if the Braves had the $2m or so that they wasted on Redman, Sturtze, and Woodward (TPJ would have been better and cheaper)? The options they’d have in July would probably be greater with another $2m–they could take on more salary in a trade and might not have to give up as much young talent.
Craig Wilson turned out to be wasted money also, but I don’t hold that one against JS. Up front that looked like a decent signing.
Re: Blake Beavan
Blake Beavan…the right handed Randy Johnson? Maybe.
http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070601&content_id=1998486&vkey=draft2007&fext=.jsp
According to Sickles…these are how he sees our draft going…
1st round- Josh Smoker, LHP, Georgia HS
Supplemental round- Will Middlebrooks, INF, Texas HS
2nd round- Josh Horton, SS, North Carolina
3rd round- Jess Todd, RHP, Arkansas
4th round- Nicholas Barnese, RHP, California HS
5th round- Dominic de la Osa, OF, Vanderbilt
That’s all he has right now…
Oh here’s the link…just scroll down.
http://www.minorleagueball.com/
Josh Smoker, that is a baseball name if I have ever heard one.
As long as we don’t take another relief pitcher in the first round I’ll be happy.
I’m really liking this Blake Beavan kid…
Blake Beavan is one of the top pitching prospects in the class of 2007. He is an intimidating force when on the mound as he stands 6-7 and weighs in at 210 pounds. Blake is an intense player when he steps on the field and is known for his fiery attitude. He funneled that energy in a positive way this past season as he put up impressive numbers on the mound going 8-1 with a 0.36 ERA and struck out 99 batters in 58 innings of work. He also put up a .379 batting average and had 26 hits and 16 RBI’s. As a sophomore he went 7-3 with an ERA of 0.65 while striking out an incredible 97 batters in 64 innings pitched. Blake has been an All-District selection the past three years and has helped his team from a 1-23 record his freshman season to the playoffs in his junior season. Blake also helped his summer team to the Mickey Mantle World Series title at the 15- and 16-under age groups. As a member of the USA Youth National Team he went 3-0 with a 1.10 ERA in helping the United States to a silver medal. In his spare time Blake is involved with his youth group and was a quarterback for the football team his freshman and sophomore seasons.
“That other pitcher from Vanderbilt” = Casey Weathers. He is excellent, but despite his 11 wins, he is their closer. I am not sure I want another reliever right now, though not a bad pick at #31. He will probably go a little higher.
I would be pleased with a Heyward and then Smoker for our one and two picks, though both would probably have to slip a little.
Also De La Osa is a beast. I would be stoked if we landed him as late as the 5th round.
By the way, that’s a mock draft posted on Sickels’ site, not his forecast.
Richard Smoker would be an even better baseball….uh….Backstreets name
isnt there a player in San Fran named Richard Smoker?