Just a note on the steroid testing issue…My understanding is that the biggest reason why we did not have testing is that the player’s union was completely against it at all costs. Rather than a prolonged strike, it was shelved.
Ron
on August 16, 2007 at 2:38 pm
#2, yes and also the owners were in self-serving denial about the scope of the problem.
Well, if that’s what self-serving denial is, then yes, it is the same thing. 😉
braves14
on August 16, 2007 at 3:19 pm
Wickman has thrown a lot of pitches the last 2 days. If we’re tied or winning in the 9th, I think he’s gotta get the day off, no?
Smitty
on August 16, 2007 at 3:19 pm
I hope I get to pitch over Wickman.
Marc Schneider
on August 16, 2007 at 3:22 pm
Couldn’t Smoltz close? It’s probably his day to throw anyway. 🙂
JoshQ
on August 16, 2007 at 3:26 pm
Maybe Moylan will close tonite if necessary. Personally I’d rather us just win 12-2 and move on to facing Webb tomorrow.
braves14
on August 16, 2007 at 3:32 pm
The logical choice would be Moylan (or Soriano…), but knowing Bobby’s tendencies lately he might put a tired Wickman out there anyway in the 9th.
csg
on August 16, 2007 at 3:36 pm
if we win tonight we’ll be nine games above .500, have we been that high all year?
Stu
on August 16, 2007 at 3:38 pm
This isn’t related to tonight’s game at all, but several have questioned the “options” process recently, and I thought this was a very helpful answer provided by Keith Law today in his chat:
Good question. The main issue is his options. A player who gets a major-league contract goes right on the 40-man roster, so he takes up space there and may lead to another prospect being exposed to the Rule 5 draft. If you’re on the 40-man roster and don’t make the team, you are sent out on an optional assignment, and the first time that happens in any year, you are charged with one option. Players get three options, although players with fewer than five full years of pro experience can be granted a fourth option. But for a lot of players, especially HS players, four years isn’t enough development time. After 2011, Rick Porcello will be out of options. What if he struggles a little in AA? What if he gets hurt and misses most of a season? It’s a risk you run with major-league deals. That’s how Adam Loewen ended up in the big leagues as quickly as he did. Now, with a polished college guy like Price, it’s not a big deal.
By the way, an interesting note I read in teh Hardball Times says that the two leading teams in Batting Average on Balls in Play (BABIP) are the Detroit Tigers and the Atlanta Braves. I don’t know if that’s good. My understanding is that if your offensive performance is based on a high BABIP, it means it’s more a result of luck than skill. Is that right?
Godot
on August 16, 2007 at 4:15 pm
BABIP for batters is not random. It is a controllable skill to a certain extent.
They have a fairly high LD% too
Yea, they hit a lot of GBs, and they are sneaking thru, but if you look at the players per se, there is no significant overachiever you can put your finger on.
Chipper and Renteria are playing a bit better than career norms. KJ looks like this is his niche, but we don’t know. Yuni certainly looks like he is overachieving, and you don’t know with Frenchy, because of his new approach and his raw strength.
May not see a dropoff this year, but will be interesting how they perform next year..
Nick
on August 16, 2007 at 4:17 pm
Not to insult anyone who’s really heavy into the stats thing, but that may be the most useless stat I’ve ever seen. I’m not even sure what it tells you. I guess the higher teams are “luckier” than the lower teams, but just because you’re high doesn’t mean that your offensive production is entirely based on luck and just because you’re low certainly doesn’t mean that your offensive production is more based on skill. Maybe I’m not seeing something with that stat.
Also, I wonder what hilarious umpiring adventures we will have tonight. Angel Hernandez should be the home-plate umpire, so God knows what will happen. Let’s see if they go for the sweep of atrociously umpired games.
KLB
on August 16, 2007 at 4:39 pm
Anyone notice anything special about this box score?
I don’t know if that’s good. My understanding is that if your offensive performance is based on a high BABIP, it means it’s more a result of luck than skill. Is that right?
Yes, but only to an extent. Good hitters are more likely to maintain a high BABIP than bad ones. The Braves’ flukiness on balls in play can probably be chalked up almost entirely to Harris, Chipper, and maybe Diaz and Renteria.
Other than the left fielders, the Braves don’t really have anyone who would cease to contribute if they suddenly stopped hitting .330, so I’m not too concerned about balls in play luck catching up with them.
MGL
on August 16, 2007 at 4:42 pm
Heyward’s first HR
JoshQ
on August 16, 2007 at 4:47 pm
Dude has an OPS of 1.667!!!
I have a feeling that Angel will throw Bobby out again just for the ESPN face time.
Stu
on August 16, 2007 at 4:48 pm
I must admit that I’m more excited about Jason Heyward than any first-round pick the Braves have made since Chipper.
Hey, guess what! Unless this game is played in record time — unlikely, with Chuck James pitching — it’s going to be another morning recap. Sorry.
Rob Copenhaver
on August 16, 2007 at 4:52 pm
Has anyone compared Jason Heyward to any players? Like, Heyward could be this guy or that guy? Those always give me a glimpse of their upside and the type of player they are.
KLB
on August 16, 2007 at 4:54 pm
Can’t find the link but Baseball America said Heyward has as much upside as any player in the draft. He possesses a rare blend of strong tools and feel for all phases of the game. He draws physical comparisons to Fred McGriff, while his tools are similar to Willie McCovey’s and his approach is comparable to Frank Thomas’. Heyward’s father played basketball at Dartmouth and his uncle played basketball for John Wooden at UCLA. He led McDonough High to the school’s first state championship in baseball as a junior, when he was used as a center fielder, first baseman and pitcher. He’ll play right field as a professional, where he’s a solid-average defender with average arm strength. He’s an average runner. His plate discipline and pitch recognition are outstanding, though some scouts left his games frustrated that he wasn’t more aggressive. He rarely misses his pitch, and he shows above-average bat speed and a willingness to use the whole field. He has plus-plus raw power. Heyward will need to lower his hands in his set-up to improve his ability to get backspin on balls, helping his power translate into more home runs.
and before McGriff messed up his arm running into a wall and thus being moved to first.
Cliff
on August 16, 2007 at 5:02 pm
By the way, does anybody have the Wellman “grenade toss” vido link? I have been trying to search the archives and can’t seem to find it.
Godot
on August 16, 2007 at 5:04 pm
And for all the Heyward love, Cody Johnson rips 2 more HRs.
Contact is still an issue for him though
Jeremy
on August 16, 2007 at 5:15 pm
I think it’s a lock that Heyward is the team’s #1 prospect going into next year.
Tommy Hanson has really struggled since being promoted to Myrtle Beach. He could be passed up on prospect lists by Rohrbaugh; Bryan Smith of BP is higher on Rohrbaugh.
Stu
on August 16, 2007 at 5:39 pm
According to DOB, Heyward’s blast was 400 feet and to the opposite field. Yes, please.
braves14
on August 16, 2007 at 6:13 pm
Jo-Jo Reyes pitched 7 shutout innings in his last start, allowing 3 hits, 0 walks, and struck out 6
BABIP can be revealing for individual players. It might explain the difference in McCann ’06 vs. McCann ’07, for example. His ’06 BABIP was .344 — this year it’s .297. That difference accounts for nearly all the difference in his batting average, and it jibes with my memory of an awful lot of flared singles last year.
Kyle B.
on August 16, 2007 at 6:17 pm
Bonds is too busy trying to sue Curt Schilling to play tonight.
BABIP can be revealing for individual players. It might explain the difference in McCann ‘06 vs. McCann ‘07, for example.
Difference between ’06 McCann and ’07 McCann = One got hit on the wrist trying to effing bunt, and one didn’t.
Mr Swings @ Everything
on August 16, 2007 at 6:33 pm
Heh.
No Angel Hernandez tonight. I wonder what happened???
Alex R.
on August 16, 2007 at 6:42 pm
I hope Hernandez got his ass fired.
Alex R.
on August 16, 2007 at 6:43 pm
Way to go Chuck.
He may now be this team’s 5th starter.
Actually, we have Smoltz & Hudson, a #4 starter in Carlyle, and 2 #5 starters in James and Cormier.
Robert
on August 16, 2007 at 6:44 pm
Well that was quick. All uphill tonight.
Alex R.
on August 16, 2007 at 6:46 pm
And the best part? The Phils and Mets are already winning both their games.
It’s like trying to claw uphill through quick sand.
braves14
on August 16, 2007 at 6:48 pm
Triple for Willie!
Remy
on August 16, 2007 at 6:48 pm
Willie!
Robert
on August 16, 2007 at 6:51 pm
Might as well get them all back right here…
RobBroad4th
on August 16, 2007 at 6:53 pm
Humidity can be a major factor for teams not used to it. Luis Castillo left a game a few weeks ago with heat exhaustion because he wasn’t used to it.
It ain’t over yet.
braves14
on August 16, 2007 at 6:57 pm
This umpire’s calling a low strikezone.
Our New Insect Overlords
on August 16, 2007 at 7:05 pm
I would rather see Villareal starting right now than James.
Alex R.
on August 16, 2007 at 7:05 pm
Take. James. Out.
braves14
on August 16, 2007 at 7:05 pm
Chuck doesn’t have much tonight.
Dan (but not that Dan)
on August 16, 2007 at 7:05 pm
@29
It’s all over YouTube.
Tanto
on August 16, 2007 at 7:07 pm
Goddammit Chuck, it’s a pitcher. Throw a strike.
RobBroad4th
on August 16, 2007 at 7:08 pm
How about we don’t give up homeruns to the Giant’s bottom half of the order?
Mr Swings @ Everything
on August 16, 2007 at 7:09 pm
Based on that baseball america profile in post 25 and knowing nothing about the guy I bet that Heyward is black. Why else would he be compared only to black players? Am I right?
blake
on August 16, 2007 at 7:10 pm
Rob,
sadly, the entire Giants lineup is a “bottom half of the order”
Our New Insect Overlords
on August 16, 2007 at 7:11 pm
What disappoints me in Chuck is this — all we’re really asking of him is to keep the team in the game. Six innnings, 3 runs. Shoot, that’s an ERA of around 4.50. He can be a freaking below-average starter and that’s all we need right now — and he’s not even that.
Coop
on August 16, 2007 at 7:11 pm
@ 38 Skip said Hernandez went to Wrigley as part of his normal rotation. Alas, he was not fired.
Our New Insect Overlords
on August 16, 2007 at 7:11 pm
not “around 4.50” … it’s “exactly” 4.50. My bad.
RobBroad4th
on August 16, 2007 at 7:11 pm
Blake,
Well put. Molina batting fourth is kind of a joke.
Stu
on August 16, 2007 at 7:12 pm
Luis Castillo left a game a few weeks ago with heat exhaustion because he wasn’t used to it.
The dude played for a decade in Miami.
Stu
on August 16, 2007 at 7:12 pm
Luis Castillo left a game a few weeks ago with heat exhaustion because he wasn’t used to it.
The dude played for a decade in Miami.
Stu
on August 16, 2007 at 7:15 pm
Well, at least Chuck is completely useless tonight.
RobBroad4th
on August 16, 2007 at 7:16 pm
But he came from Minnesota and he’s older than he was in his Miami days.
Stu
on August 16, 2007 at 7:19 pm
By a year and a half. It’s not like he’s 50. I think it’s a stretch to say he’s “not used to it”.
Jeremy
on August 16, 2007 at 7:19 pm
At least they’ve ran up Lincecum’s pitch count. That’s 49 in 2 innings.
Alex R.
on August 16, 2007 at 7:21 pm
Chip Caray, talking glowingly of Cox hating LaRussa, now needs to be beaten senseless. I hate you Chip.
RobBroad4th
on August 16, 2007 at 7:22 pm
Stu, fair enough.
Good thing Chuck is nailing down
Stu
on August 16, 2007 at 7:22 pm
Unfortunately, the Giants are running up Chuck’s runs count. He should be embarrassed. And shot.
I’m out, guys.
Alex R.
on August 16, 2007 at 7:22 pm
I am beyong sick of James. This is not a #3 or #4 starter. This is a middle reliever at best. He can’t last and gives up the gopher ball.
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, BOBBY, GET OSCAR IN THERE.
Our New Insect Overlords
on August 16, 2007 at 7:23 pm
The Vulture is finally up. Too late.
Alex R.
on August 16, 2007 at 7:23 pm
amen, Stu.
Mr Swings @ Everything
on August 16, 2007 at 7:26 pm
LOL. I didn’t really need to check but a google image search reveals that Heyward is indeed black.
LINCOLN FREED THE SLAVES OVER A HUNNERD YEARS AGO!! THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS RACISM.
RobBroad4th
on August 16, 2007 at 7:27 pm
I don’t know if you’re joking or what, dude, but that’s the most ignorant statement I’ve ever read.
Mr Swings @ Everything
on August 16, 2007 at 7:31 pm
All caps plus really stupid statements equals sarcasm. Check out the baseball america profile quoted in post 25. Look at the players that Heyward “projects” to be. They are all black. Any time I’ve ever seen “projections” white players project to be other white players. Black players are projected to be like other black player. Latin players are projected to be like other Latin players. That’s racism folks.
anon
on August 16, 2007 at 7:35 pm
this is effing ridiculous
Our New Insect Overlords
on August 16, 2007 at 7:35 pm
Bobby, thanks for realizing what we could see 40 minutes ago.
RobBroad4th
on August 16, 2007 at 7:36 pm
It looked like he was going to have a quick inning there for a second.
Dan (but not that Dan)
on August 16, 2007 at 7:38 pm
Granted he’s pitching a terrible game, but we really didn’t think Chuck could have gotten their pitcher out?
Remy
on August 16, 2007 at 7:38 pm
Bring on David Wells.
RobBroad4th
on August 16, 2007 at 7:38 pm
Okay, I’m sure there’s a logical explanation for using your former 7th inning pitcher in a long relief spot. I’m sure there is.
Kyle B.
on August 16, 2007 at 7:38 pm
Is Chuck available to throw for the Home Run Derby next year? He just made the Giants look like the 1927 Yankees.
Robert
on August 16, 2007 at 7:39 pm
That’s racism folks.
If so, it’s of the most harmless flavor imaginable.
James is really something tonight. Tateriffic.
Mr Swings @ Everything
on August 16, 2007 at 7:45 pm
You are right that it’s pretty harmless. I’d say it does point to a deeper problem.
Alex R.
on August 16, 2007 at 7:49 pm
Thormsn is just garbage. We should have used Diaz.
Robert
on August 16, 2007 at 7:49 pm
So Yates came in just to retire the other team’s pitcher? Seriously? Most pointless move ever?
RobBroad4th
on August 16, 2007 at 7:49 pm
There’s Thorman doing what he does best. What a sad display of ineptitude.
RobBroad4th
on August 16, 2007 at 7:50 pm
Robert,
My guess is that Cox knew the pitcher’s spot would come up the next inning with the Giants pitcher scuffling and so he didn’t want to waste a long relief guy on one batter.
Robert
on August 16, 2007 at 7:53 pm
Why did he waste anybody on one batter? James couldn’t have gotten the pitcher out? Weird. I guess he wanted to send Chuck a message or something.
RobBroad4th
on August 16, 2007 at 7:54 pm
Yeah, its a bit weird. Then again, he almost walked the pitcher the first time up.
Our New Insect Overlords
on August 16, 2007 at 7:55 pm
Thorman is your classic AAAA player. In other words, he has a bright future with the Royals.
RobBroad4th
on August 16, 2007 at 7:57 pm
Looked like Francouer was throwing to third. Geez.
I guess we’ll need to target the wild card and forget our division aspirations.
RobBroad4th
on August 16, 2007 at 8:03 pm
Ball 6. Its not like we need base runners.
braves14
on August 16, 2007 at 8:12 pm
Not that James has pitched well in his last 3 starts, but he was pretty much lights out in most of June and July. He didn’t pitch that many innings, but that’s good for him in future years. He’s just 25.
braves14
on August 16, 2007 at 8:16 pm
He had one bad start in June, which made the monthly ERA 4.46. In July it was 2.48.
RobBroad4th
on August 16, 2007 at 8:18 pm
No breaks tonight.
RobBroad4th
on August 16, 2007 at 8:26 pm
This is a pretty good argument for Villareal not starting.
Stu
on August 16, 2007 at 8:28 pm
This is a pretty good argument for Villareal not starting.
Really? How’d our #3 do tonight?
RobBroad4th
on August 16, 2007 at 8:29 pm
People think Oscar is the answer to our starting pitching problems.
braves14
on August 16, 2007 at 8:31 pm
I think he was referring to the stat the announcers gave, saying that in Villarreal’s outings when he goes 2 innings his ERA is like 2.50, and his ERA in 2+ inning stints it’s at 4.24. But I don’t know about how much stock goes into that with sample size and all.
Stu
on August 16, 2007 at 8:32 pm
I don’t know if he’s the answer, but I’d certainly give him a shot.
He’s having a bad night, but so did our alleged third-best starter. Oscar’s been very, very good lately.
RobBroad4th
on August 16, 2007 at 8:33 pm
I won’t argue in favor of James. But I also don’t want to see Oscar plugged in there. We can agree to disagree.
braves14
on August 16, 2007 at 8:33 pm
I don’t disagree, I don’t see how he’d be worse than Redman/Cormier/Lerew/Reyes
braves14
on August 16, 2007 at 8:34 pm
referring to Villarreal.
'Rissa
on August 16, 2007 at 8:35 pm
Giants have scored in every inning tonight. This needs to stop.
RobBroad4th
on August 16, 2007 at 8:35 pm
True, but I don’t see how he’d be better than said company for 5+ innings.
Frank
on August 16, 2007 at 8:36 pm
This game really sucks. Chuckie looked like a batting practice pitcher.
I’m out of here. Of course, I just got here. 🙂
braves14
on August 16, 2007 at 8:38 pm
Well, it’s not like said company made it 5 innings, like ever.
It’s all a moot point though because apparently Villarreal is a Reliever and that is Final.
RobBroad4th
on August 16, 2007 at 8:38 pm
Well, at least we took another series. We won’t make up any ground until the Mets start losing anyways.
How the hell do the Giants score in every single inning?
Stu
on August 16, 2007 at 8:40 pm
Career starts: 4
IP/start: 4.5
ERA in starts: 3.50
WHIP in starts: 1.17
K/BB: 10/3
Stamina could of course be a problem. I wish they’d started stretching him out earlier, like instead of calling up Reyes.
Stephen
on August 16, 2007 at 8:40 pm
Just joining the game and yes this really sucks–but I think it was always going to be a tall order to sweep the Giants….
Jeremy
on August 16, 2007 at 8:42 pm
Pirates tied it up 7-7 in the seventh. Pirates have the bases loaded with nobody out.
Jeremy
on August 16, 2007 at 8:43 pm
Paulino strikes out. Blah.
braves14
on August 16, 2007 at 8:43 pm
Great
Remy
on August 16, 2007 at 8:44 pm
I like what we’ve seen of Acosta thus far. Lots of ground-ball outs.
Jeremy
on August 16, 2007 at 8:45 pm
Nady predictably hits into an inning ending DP. Stupid Pirates.
Stephen
on August 16, 2007 at 8:45 pm
Is Accosta really that good or have the Giants become apathetic?
Remy
on August 16, 2007 at 8:47 pm
No, Acosta’s last outing was fairly short and sweet. I’m glad he got called up.
RobBroad4th
on August 16, 2007 at 8:47 pm
If they stretched Villareal’s arm, who knows. I was referring to the stat about the high ERA in 1+ (?) innings of work as a reliever.
Regardless, when Villareal is your best option (and hey may very well be), that’s not good.
'Rissa
on August 16, 2007 at 8:49 pm
Is Kelly Johnson more hurt than anyone is saying?
Stephen
on August 16, 2007 at 8:49 pm
Woodward is the equilvalent of raising the white flag…
Remy
on August 16, 2007 at 8:51 pm
Does Kelly Johnson ever show any emotion?
RobBroad4th
on August 16, 2007 at 8:51 pm
I said the exact same thing, Stephen. Weird.
Stephen
on August 16, 2007 at 8:52 pm
I guess its pretty obvious….
'Rissa
on August 16, 2007 at 8:54 pm
Why use Moylan here? We might need him in September, Bobby…
RobBroad4th
on August 16, 2007 at 8:54 pm
Well, I’ve gotta run. It’s a shame to miss our big come back.
Go Pirates.
Jeremy
on August 16, 2007 at 9:00 pm
LaRoche!
Jeremy
on August 16, 2007 at 9:03 pm
Bay!
Stephen
on August 16, 2007 at 9:03 pm
Our first hit since the 4th…on a chopper…
Jeremy
on August 16, 2007 at 9:03 pm
Pirates up 9-7, still batting in the 8th.
'Rissa
on August 16, 2007 at 9:08 pm
Would that have made it out?
Stephen
on August 16, 2007 at 9:09 pm
Great play–especially when you’re leading by 6…
Go Pirates
Jeremy
on August 16, 2007 at 9:13 pm
Phillies won. Back to third place.
Jeremy
on August 16, 2007 at 9:21 pm
Mets lost. We stay 3.5 back.
negrote
on August 16, 2007 at 9:50 pm
ASAP we need a fifth starter…
MD
on August 16, 2007 at 9:59 pm
This is getting crazy with the East! It’s like watching the pitafull Central Division! Can you say Cardnials?
Kyle B.
on August 16, 2007 at 10:12 pm
Classic Bobby from Braves Notes:
“Wick impressing Cox: Although he blew a save opportunity for the second time in his past six opportunities Tuesday night, closer Bob Wickman has garnered plenty of recent praise from Braves manager Bobby Cox.
“He’s pitched great,” Cox said. “His stuff is good.”
…”I don’t know how much better you can get,” Cox said.””
@139
i don’t know how much closer to suicide he can take me. blob and bobby need to get their collective shit together.
chucky was total pants tonight, and to be that bad against that poor of a lineup isn’t very inspiring. i can only hope we pick up some help of the waiver wire soon, other wise it’s gonna be along 41 games.
Aram
on August 16, 2007 at 10:32 pm
There is something to be said for a live arm that that hitters have never seen before. It can be a big advantage for a pitcher down the stretch. The Braves have some talented, live arms in Acosta, Ascanio, and Devine that the hitters in our division haven’t seen a whole lot of. I hope Bobby uses that to our advantage down the stretch.
I would give the Braves a 11% chance of winning tomorrow, I know, I know, thats way too high.
Who stole our Chuckie and replaced him with this clown?
Jeremy
on August 17, 2007 at 12:31 am
Some of Chuck’s comments after the game make me wonder if he’s going through a dead arm period.
braves14
on August 17, 2007 at 12:51 am
That doesn’t surprise me; he’s in his 1st full season as an MLB starter.
braves14
on August 17, 2007 at 12:53 am
But it does concern me. I’ve heard that pitchers can regain life on their pitches after working through a dead arm period. Also, I don’t think the Braves need to do any damage to his arm.
Remy
on August 17, 2007 at 12:58 am
Chuckie needs a couple more pitches in his repertoire.
urlhix
on August 17, 2007 at 2:17 am
One more would be a start.
Stephen
on August 17, 2007 at 4:54 am
On a positive note, Jason Heyward got off to a great start in his first minor league game:
and he just turned 18…he is a player to be watched.
Ron
on August 17, 2007 at 6:05 am
I saw this headline in the NYT: “Long-Studied Giant Star Displays Huge Cometlike Tail.” Further proof that Bonds used ‘roids?
Winning 2/3 is okay, but at some point the team needs to put together a few 5/6 streaks if they are to overtake the Mets. If they can’t do it vs a terrible team like the Giants, who will they do it against?
Dan
on August 17, 2007 at 7:11 am
Going to be hard for the Braves to put any long streak together when James, Carlyle and Cormier are making 60% of the starts.
Kenny
on August 17, 2007 at 7:17 am
150. I read that about Heyward, also Cody Johnson hit two more home runs and is leading his league in home runs. It is great to see both guys doing so well.
First!
Just a note on the steroid testing issue…My understanding is that the biggest reason why we did not have testing is that the player’s union was completely against it at all costs. Rather than a prolonged strike, it was shelved.
#2, yes and also the owners were in self-serving denial about the scope of the problem.
Ron,
I thought the owners knew about it and didn’t do anything because they were greedy and wanted money. ;P
Sam – isn’t that the same thing?
Well, if that’s what self-serving denial is, then yes, it is the same thing. 😉
Wickman has thrown a lot of pitches the last 2 days. If we’re tied or winning in the 9th, I think he’s gotta get the day off, no?
I hope I get to pitch over Wickman.
Couldn’t Smoltz close? It’s probably his day to throw anyway. 🙂
Maybe Moylan will close tonite if necessary. Personally I’d rather us just win 12-2 and move on to facing Webb tomorrow.
The logical choice would be Moylan (or Soriano…), but knowing Bobby’s tendencies lately he might put a tired Wickman out there anyway in the 9th.
if we win tonight we’ll be nine games above .500, have we been that high all year?
This isn’t related to tonight’s game at all, but several have questioned the “options” process recently, and I thought this was a very helpful answer provided by Keith Law today in his chat:
Good question. The main issue is his options. A player who gets a major-league contract goes right on the 40-man roster, so he takes up space there and may lead to another prospect being exposed to the Rule 5 draft. If you’re on the 40-man roster and don’t make the team, you are sent out on an optional assignment, and the first time that happens in any year, you are charged with one option. Players get three options, although players with fewer than five full years of pro experience can be granted a fourth option. But for a lot of players, especially HS players, four years isn’t enough development time. After 2011, Rick Porcello will be out of options. What if he struggles a little in AA? What if he gets hurt and misses most of a season? It’s a risk you run with major-league deals. That’s how Adam Loewen ended up in the big leagues as quickly as he did. Now, with a polished college guy like Price, it’s not a big deal.
#12 – According to this chart http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/teams/nleast/ it looks like we were 10+ in early May.
We were actually +12 (24-12) on May 12.
By the way, an interesting note I read in teh Hardball Times says that the two leading teams in Batting Average on Balls in Play (BABIP) are the Detroit Tigers and the Atlanta Braves. I don’t know if that’s good. My understanding is that if your offensive performance is based on a high BABIP, it means it’s more a result of luck than skill. Is that right?
BABIP for batters is not random. It is a controllable skill to a certain extent.
They have a fairly high LD% too
Yea, they hit a lot of GBs, and they are sneaking thru, but if you look at the players per se, there is no significant overachiever you can put your finger on.
Chipper and Renteria are playing a bit better than career norms. KJ looks like this is his niche, but we don’t know. Yuni certainly looks like he is overachieving, and you don’t know with Frenchy, because of his new approach and his raw strength.
May not see a dropoff this year, but will be interesting how they perform next year..
Not to insult anyone who’s really heavy into the stats thing, but that may be the most useless stat I’ve ever seen. I’m not even sure what it tells you. I guess the higher teams are “luckier” than the lower teams, but just because you’re high doesn’t mean that your offensive production is entirely based on luck and just because you’re low certainly doesn’t mean that your offensive production is more based on skill. Maybe I’m not seeing something with that stat.
Also, I wonder what hilarious umpiring adventures we will have tonight. Angel Hernandez should be the home-plate umpire, so God knows what will happen. Let’s see if they go for the sweep of atrociously umpired games.
Anyone notice anything special about this box score?
http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2007_08_16_indrok_brarok_1
I don’t know if that’s good. My understanding is that if your offensive performance is based on a high BABIP, it means it’s more a result of luck than skill. Is that right?
Yes, but only to an extent. Good hitters are more likely to maintain a high BABIP than bad ones. The Braves’ flukiness on balls in play can probably be chalked up almost entirely to Harris, Chipper, and maybe Diaz and Renteria.
Other than the left fielders, the Braves don’t really have anyone who would cease to contribute if they suddenly stopped hitting .330, so I’m not too concerned about balls in play luck catching up with them.
Heyward’s first HR
Dude has an OPS of 1.667!!!
I have a feeling that Angel will throw Bobby out again just for the ESPN face time.
I must admit that I’m more excited about Jason Heyward than any first-round pick the Braves have made since Chipper.
Hey, guess what! Unless this game is played in record time — unlikely, with Chuck James pitching — it’s going to be another morning recap. Sorry.
Has anyone compared Jason Heyward to any players? Like, Heyward could be this guy or that guy? Those always give me a glimpse of their upside and the type of player they are.
Can’t find the link but Baseball America said Heyward has as much upside as any player in the draft. He possesses a rare blend of strong tools and feel for all phases of the game. He draws physical comparisons to Fred McGriff, while his tools are similar to Willie McCovey’s and his approach is comparable to Frank Thomas’. Heyward’s father played basketball at Dartmouth and his uncle played basketball for John Wooden at UCLA. He led McDonough High to the school’s first state championship in baseball as a junior, when he was used as a center fielder, first baseman and pitcher. He’ll play right field as a professional, where he’s a solid-average defender with average arm strength. He’s an average runner. His plate discipline and pitch recognition are outstanding, though some scouts left his games frustrated that he wasn’t more aggressive. He rarely misses his pitch, and he shows above-average bat speed and a willingness to use the whole field. He has plus-plus raw power. Heyward will need to lower his hands in his set-up to improve his ability to get backspin on balls, helping his power translate into more home runs.
The player Heyward’s been most compared to, that I’ve seen anyway, is McGriff, but he runs better.
http://www.baseballamerica.com/draftdb/2007xrnd.php?rnd=1
and before McGriff messed up his arm running into a wall and thus being moved to first.
By the way, does anybody have the Wellman “grenade toss” vido link? I have been trying to search the archives and can’t seem to find it.
And for all the Heyward love, Cody Johnson rips 2 more HRs.
Contact is still an issue for him though
I think it’s a lock that Heyward is the team’s #1 prospect going into next year.
Tommy Hanson has really struggled since being promoted to Myrtle Beach. He could be passed up on prospect lists by Rohrbaugh; Bryan Smith of BP is higher on Rohrbaugh.
According to DOB, Heyward’s blast was 400 feet and to the opposite field. Yes, please.
Jo-Jo Reyes pitched 7 shutout innings in his last start, allowing 3 hits, 0 walks, and struck out 6
His ERA is now 1.00 at Richmond.
BABIP can be revealing for individual players. It might explain the difference in McCann ’06 vs. McCann ’07, for example. His ’06 BABIP was .344 — this year it’s .297. That difference accounts for nearly all the difference in his batting average, and it jibes with my memory of an awful lot of flared singles last year.
Bonds is too busy trying to sue Curt Schilling to play tonight.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=txbondsschilling&prov=st&type=lgns
BABIP can be revealing for individual players. It might explain the difference in McCann ‘06 vs. McCann ‘07, for example.
Difference between ’06 McCann and ’07 McCann = One got hit on the wrist trying to effing bunt, and one didn’t.
Heh.
No Angel Hernandez tonight. I wonder what happened???
I hope Hernandez got his ass fired.
Way to go Chuck.
He may now be this team’s 5th starter.
Actually, we have Smoltz & Hudson, a #4 starter in Carlyle, and 2 #5 starters in James and Cormier.
Well that was quick. All uphill tonight.
And the best part? The Phils and Mets are already winning both their games.
It’s like trying to claw uphill through quick sand.
Triple for Willie!
Willie!
Might as well get them all back right here…
Humidity can be a major factor for teams not used to it. Luis Castillo left a game a few weeks ago with heat exhaustion because he wasn’t used to it.
It ain’t over yet.
This umpire’s calling a low strikezone.
I would rather see Villareal starting right now than James.
Take. James. Out.
Chuck doesn’t have much tonight.
@29
It’s all over YouTube.
Goddammit Chuck, it’s a pitcher. Throw a strike.
How about we don’t give up homeruns to the Giant’s bottom half of the order?
Based on that baseball america profile in post 25 and knowing nothing about the guy I bet that Heyward is black. Why else would he be compared only to black players? Am I right?
Rob,
sadly, the entire Giants lineup is a “bottom half of the order”
What disappoints me in Chuck is this — all we’re really asking of him is to keep the team in the game. Six innnings, 3 runs. Shoot, that’s an ERA of around 4.50. He can be a freaking below-average starter and that’s all we need right now — and he’s not even that.
@ 38 Skip said Hernandez went to Wrigley as part of his normal rotation. Alas, he was not fired.
not “around 4.50” … it’s “exactly” 4.50. My bad.
Blake,
Well put. Molina batting fourth is kind of a joke.
Luis Castillo left a game a few weeks ago with heat exhaustion because he wasn’t used to it.
The dude played for a decade in Miami.
Luis Castillo left a game a few weeks ago with heat exhaustion because he wasn’t used to it.
The dude played for a decade in Miami.
Well, at least Chuck is completely useless tonight.
But he came from Minnesota and he’s older than he was in his Miami days.
By a year and a half. It’s not like he’s 50. I think it’s a stretch to say he’s “not used to it”.
At least they’ve ran up Lincecum’s pitch count. That’s 49 in 2 innings.
Chip Caray, talking glowingly of Cox hating LaRussa, now needs to be beaten senseless. I hate you Chip.
Stu, fair enough.
Good thing Chuck is nailing down
Unfortunately, the Giants are running up Chuck’s runs count. He should be embarrassed. And shot.
I’m out, guys.
I am beyong sick of James. This is not a #3 or #4 starter. This is a middle reliever at best. He can’t last and gives up the gopher ball.
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, BOBBY, GET OSCAR IN THERE.
The Vulture is finally up. Too late.
amen, Stu.
LOL. I didn’t really need to check but a google image search reveals that Heyward is indeed black.
LINCOLN FREED THE SLAVES OVER A HUNNERD YEARS AGO!! THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS RACISM.
I don’t know if you’re joking or what, dude, but that’s the most ignorant statement I’ve ever read.
All caps plus really stupid statements equals sarcasm. Check out the baseball america profile quoted in post 25. Look at the players that Heyward “projects” to be. They are all black. Any time I’ve ever seen “projections” white players project to be other white players. Black players are projected to be like other black player. Latin players are projected to be like other Latin players. That’s racism folks.
this is effing ridiculous
Bobby, thanks for realizing what we could see 40 minutes ago.
It looked like he was going to have a quick inning there for a second.
Granted he’s pitching a terrible game, but we really didn’t think Chuck could have gotten their pitcher out?
Bring on David Wells.
Okay, I’m sure there’s a logical explanation for using your former 7th inning pitcher in a long relief spot. I’m sure there is.
Is Chuck available to throw for the Home Run Derby next year? He just made the Giants look like the 1927 Yankees.
That’s racism folks.
If so, it’s of the most harmless flavor imaginable.
James is really something tonight. Tateriffic.
You are right that it’s pretty harmless. I’d say it does point to a deeper problem.
Thormsn is just garbage. We should have used Diaz.
So Yates came in just to retire the other team’s pitcher? Seriously? Most pointless move ever?
There’s Thorman doing what he does best. What a sad display of ineptitude.
Robert,
My guess is that Cox knew the pitcher’s spot would come up the next inning with the Giants pitcher scuffling and so he didn’t want to waste a long relief guy on one batter.
Why did he waste anybody on one batter? James couldn’t have gotten the pitcher out? Weird. I guess he wanted to send Chuck a message or something.
Yeah, its a bit weird. Then again, he almost walked the pitcher the first time up.
Thorman is your classic AAAA player. In other words, he has a bright future with the Royals.
Looked like Francouer was throwing to third. Geez.
That was amazing@!
Not our night, folks.
I guess we’ll need to target the wild card and forget our division aspirations.
Ball 6. Its not like we need base runners.
Not that James has pitched well in his last 3 starts, but he was pretty much lights out in most of June and July. He didn’t pitch that many innings, but that’s good for him in future years. He’s just 25.
He had one bad start in June, which made the monthly ERA 4.46. In July it was 2.48.
No breaks tonight.
This is a pretty good argument for Villareal not starting.
This is a pretty good argument for Villareal not starting.
Really? How’d our #3 do tonight?
People think Oscar is the answer to our starting pitching problems.
I think he was referring to the stat the announcers gave, saying that in Villarreal’s outings when he goes 2 innings his ERA is like 2.50, and his ERA in 2+ inning stints it’s at 4.24. But I don’t know about how much stock goes into that with sample size and all.
I don’t know if he’s the answer, but I’d certainly give him a shot.
He’s having a bad night, but so did our alleged third-best starter. Oscar’s been very, very good lately.
I won’t argue in favor of James. But I also don’t want to see Oscar plugged in there. We can agree to disagree.
I don’t disagree, I don’t see how he’d be worse than Redman/Cormier/Lerew/Reyes
referring to Villarreal.
Giants have scored in every inning tonight. This needs to stop.
True, but I don’t see how he’d be better than said company for 5+ innings.
This game really sucks. Chuckie looked like a batting practice pitcher.
I’m out of here. Of course, I just got here. 🙂
Well, it’s not like said company made it 5 innings, like ever.
It’s all a moot point though because apparently Villarreal is a Reliever and that is Final.
Well, at least we took another series. We won’t make up any ground until the Mets start losing anyways.
But yeah, this sucks.
How the hell do the Giants score in every single inning?
Career starts: 4
IP/start: 4.5
ERA in starts: 3.50
WHIP in starts: 1.17
K/BB: 10/3
Stamina could of course be a problem. I wish they’d started stretching him out earlier, like instead of calling up Reyes.
Just joining the game and yes this really sucks–but I think it was always going to be a tall order to sweep the Giants….
Pirates tied it up 7-7 in the seventh. Pirates have the bases loaded with nobody out.
Paulino strikes out. Blah.
Great
I like what we’ve seen of Acosta thus far. Lots of ground-ball outs.
Nady predictably hits into an inning ending DP. Stupid Pirates.
Is Accosta really that good or have the Giants become apathetic?
No, Acosta’s last outing was fairly short and sweet. I’m glad he got called up.
If they stretched Villareal’s arm, who knows. I was referring to the stat about the high ERA in 1+ (?) innings of work as a reliever.
Regardless, when Villareal is your best option (and hey may very well be), that’s not good.
Is Kelly Johnson more hurt than anyone is saying?
Woodward is the equilvalent of raising the white flag…
Does Kelly Johnson ever show any emotion?
I said the exact same thing, Stephen. Weird.
I guess its pretty obvious….
Why use Moylan here? We might need him in September, Bobby…
Well, I’ve gotta run. It’s a shame to miss our big come back.
Go Pirates.
LaRoche!
Bay!
Our first hit since the 4th…on a chopper…
Pirates up 9-7, still batting in the 8th.
Would that have made it out?
Great play–especially when you’re leading by 6…
Go Pirates
Phillies won. Back to third place.
Mets lost. We stay 3.5 back.
ASAP we need a fifth starter…
This is getting crazy with the East! It’s like watching the pitafull Central Division! Can you say Cardnials?
Classic Bobby from Braves Notes:
“Wick impressing Cox: Although he blew a save opportunity for the second time in his past six opportunities Tuesday night, closer Bob Wickman has garnered plenty of recent praise from Braves manager Bobby Cox.
“He’s pitched great,” Cox said. “His stuff is good.”
…”I don’t know how much better you can get,” Cox said.””
@139
i don’t know how much closer to suicide he can take me. blob and bobby need to get their collective shit together.
chucky was total pants tonight, and to be that bad against that poor of a lineup isn’t very inspiring. i can only hope we pick up some help of the waiver wire soon, other wise it’s gonna be along 41 games.
There is something to be said for a live arm that that hitters have never seen before. It can be a big advantage for a pitcher down the stretch. The Braves have some talented, live arms in Acosta, Ascanio, and Devine that the hitters in our division haven’t seen a whole lot of. I hope Bobby uses that to our advantage down the stretch.
Aram, don’t hold your breath.
Just damn:
Fri, Aug 17 7:35 pm EDT L. Cormier vs. B. Webb
No chance, no chance at all.
I would give the Braves a 11% chance of winning tomorrow, I know, I know, thats way too high.
Who stole our Chuckie and replaced him with this clown?
Some of Chuck’s comments after the game make me wonder if he’s going through a dead arm period.
That doesn’t surprise me; he’s in his 1st full season as an MLB starter.
But it does concern me. I’ve heard that pitchers can regain life on their pitches after working through a dead arm period. Also, I don’t think the Braves need to do any damage to his arm.
Chuckie needs a couple more pitches in his repertoire.
One more would be a start.
On a positive note, Jason Heyward got off to a great start in his first minor league game:
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?gid=2007_08_16_indrok_brarok_1&t=g_box&did=milb
and he just turned 18…he is a player to be watched.
I saw this headline in the NYT: “Long-Studied Giant Star Displays Huge Cometlike Tail.” Further proof that Bonds used ‘roids?
Winning 2/3 is okay, but at some point the team needs to put together a few 5/6 streaks if they are to overtake the Mets. If they can’t do it vs a terrible team like the Giants, who will they do it against?
Going to be hard for the Braves to put any long streak together when James, Carlyle and Cormier are making 60% of the starts.
150. I read that about Heyward, also Cody Johnson hit two more home runs and is leading his league in home runs. It is great to see both guys doing so well.