Game Thread: August 29, Braves at Marlins

For those of you who have been wondering, the presence of Scott Thorman and Pete Orr on the Braves is due to a little-known codicil to NAFTA, requiring that should the Montreal Expos move to the US, at least one American major league team must have at least two Canadians on its roster for more than half the season. The Braves were the franchise selected, at lot, to be this team. In exchange, part of Thorman’s and Orr’s salaries are balanced out by donations of Canadian bacon and Alanis Morrissette records.

256 thoughts on “Game Thread: August 29, Braves at Marlins”

  2. And, if there’s one, what is the reason for Chris Woodward’s presence on our roster? Is there some kind of law about the presence of people physically unable to play baseball in rosters?

  4. Woodward does have a very Canuck look about him. I am going to make the assumption he must also be Canadian.

  5. well the Dodgers added Wells and Loiaza and gave up nothing, is that better than Cormier/Carlyle??

  8. csg – With absolutely no research, I will go ahead and answer “no” to that question.

    Not to the “Canadian” part, but to the “worse” part.

  10. I would really have to wonder if any team has two Canadians on their team period. Can anyone think of anybody? The only other Canadian that immediately comes to mind is Jason Bay.

  13. From the last thread.

    Yes Wake Forest had an easier schedule last year. They played Ole Miss.

    And sorry Ububba. I don’t think Ole Miss will win all there non-conference games. Missouri is a lock to loose and I fully expect to loose to Memphis. Now La Tech and Northwestern State are more the Rebels speed.

  14. Jorgbacca,

    I will give you Missouri, but I think they have a good chance against Memphis and am looking forward to that game.

  16. Jorg,
    C’mon now, the conference is counting on you to make the rest of us look good. ;)

    Eric Gagne is Canadian. And FWIW, so is Steve Nash.

  17. Just our luck–instead of Canadians like Bedard and Bay, we get Thorman and Orr. Maybe the team needs to strengthen it’s Canadian scouting department.

  23. We’ve had a jumbotron. We just have an all-HD jumbotron now, the biggest HD jumbrotron in the SEC or something.

  28. Woodward OPS vs lefties: .582
    Johnson OPS vs lefties: .805
    Having an idiot manager: Priceless?

  29. 3 pitchers with no power, and 1 pitcher with some pop in the lineup tonight. our last 4 batting averages are .224, .200, .250, and .133.

  30. and we have buddy on the mound. guess we are forfeiting this game as well. i hate everything.

  33. I have typed 4,527 words on the 2007 Vanderbilt football team. I hope some of you will read them.

  34. Woodward at 2b for Kelly because… Chris is right handed I guess. I don’t know why you’d want a right handed batter who can’t hit rather than a left handed batter who hits quite well vs lefties, but I guess that’s why Bobby is managing and I’m not.

  37. Is there some sort of agreement? Do we get spotted a couple of runs because Bobby’s starting Woodward?

  38. “Woodward at 2b for Kelly because… Chris is right handed I guess.”

    Oh, I forgot about that. For Cox to play Woodward, I figure it was because someone is sick or hurting. Instead it’s because of Cox’s lefty-vs.-right matchup fetish. I’m really getting sick of it.

  39. yunel’s homerun granted based on the previously decided upon run spot to the visiting team as a concession for them starting a much lower than replacement level position player

  44. The Mets’ lead in now 4.0 against the Phillies. I’d want to see the Mets blow it, even if it is the Phillies.

  46. IM close to being okay wiht McCann getting a night off, so that basically gives him two days of rest. However, with him out of the lineup there is now way you give KJ the night off

    Woodward/Miller a scoring machine!!

  48. Wow, two outs and no one on and the combination of Chris Woodward and Corky Miller produce a run.

  51. Wow. Woodward and Miller combine to produce a run. The baseball gods have a strange sense of humor.

  52. Corky Miller’s fielding will win this game for us. It would be terrible to have a utility player that can hit and play catcher! Keep Pena in Richmond forever I say!

  60. Cox is no genius. Great clubhouse manager, great demeanor, great motivator – I guess – but he is just not a genius. I think sitting Johnson for Woodward, at this juncture, is bizarre at best, stupid at worst. Whatever, it’s just rearranging deck chairs on the titanic anyway.

  65. we’ll lose by one, just so we can say that we scored more runs in the series and we’re able to lose 2 of 3

    I hope Carlyle takes some revenge here and hits someone for that

    Diaz you’re a hitting fool

  66. Sorry folks, this won’t convince Cox. The pitcher is left-hander, it just makes his fetish worse.

  68. If Diaz doesn’t get the full time job next season I hope he goes to the Mets and hits .750/.850/2.500 against us for the rest of his career. That guy has been shafted beyond all reason.

  69. Adam,
    I’m not thrilled with the Woodward move either. But I’m certainly not going to call my manager an idiot if those guys produce & we win the game.

  73. I’m not calling him an idiot… I never used that word. I said the move is stupid and that he’s no genius. I can see what it looks like – some dude on a blog thinking he’s got all answers when the guy in the dugout has 14 division titles, 5 pennants, and a WS – but it’s just a weird move. And it’s a strange time to be doing it.

  77. “I still want Carlyle to hit Hanley or Uggla”

    I don’t. No free baserunners for some petty revenge.

  78. Marlins announcers:

    “With Willie Harris struggling, at what point do the Braves start playing Diaz more consistently?”

  79. In other news, CBS Sportsline is reporting McCann is 1-1 with an RBI single. Glad to have CBS around.

  83. Skip must have been hanging out with Bud Selig. He has apparently been convinced that all the Marlins need to turn the franchise around is an expensive new stadium paid for by the citizens of Florida.

  87. #83 – Chip goes on about that for hours during TBS telecasts as well…

    All six fans in attendance tonight agree I’m sure.

  88. The usual order of things has been restored with Corky’s easy groundout with the bases loaded and a chance to knock Willis out of the game. Enjoy your rest, Brian.

  94. Tim Hudson will start the opener of the three-game set with New York, and John Smoltz is scheduled to pitch Sunday’s finale on his normal four days’ rest. Cox is not yet sure if he’ll take Smoltz up on his offer to pitch on short rest for the remainder of the season.

    “I know he wants to,” he said. “He loves it.”

    4 man rotation maybe?

  95. I’ll tell you what, I freaking love John Smoltz.

    For that reason, I hope Bobby won’t take him up on his offer.

  101. I hope Cox does. Drop the deadweight that is Carlyle and go to: Smoltz, Hudson, James and Cormier.

  104. FWIW, benching Johnson for a game here and there when he’s going through a rough patch probably isn’t a horrible idea.

    Although I wish we had someone better than Woodward to play for him.

    Also, Diaz is awesome.

  105. #94, I still say no. If we were 1-2 games out of a playoff spot, I’d consider it. But not when we’re 5+ and sinking like a rock. No point in risking injury to Smoltz for nothing.

  108. Dan,

    I think that’s a horrible idea. This season’s over; let’s preserve Smoltz’s arm for next year.

  109. we do his name is Prado. just like we have a better replacement for Miller in Pena. Just like us probably having a lot better hitters who can hit here instead of Thorman

  111. Anyone on Gameday notice that all of our hits are to the left of the field and all of our outs are to right side of the field

  114. “This season’s over; let’s preserve Smoltz’s arm for next year.”

    Preserve? He’s got six months off to rest.

  117. I don’t believe the season is entirely over, but I also don’t believe in overworking Smoltz.

    If he gets hurt, rest isn’t going to help that much.

  119. Is this Andruw Jones coming around? Maybe he’ll pull a Carlos Beltran and slug us all the way to the World Series.

  122. Don’t mess with Steven Segal I mean Corky Miller. Don’t they look alike in the face.

  126. Preserve? He’s got six months off to rest.

    I didn’t know that Dallas Green posted here.

  137. I his last 7 games, KJ has a .393 OBP with 2 HRs and 7 Runs scored. He gets on base and then gets driven in by the two excellent hitters behind him – that is, when he’s batting 2nd. I’d also mention he has a .391 OBP on the season, so in no way is KJ slumping; he’s the 2nd most productive 2B in baseball.

    I know I know, dead horse, moot point. Anyway, I’m rooting for Woodward to make me wrong and Cox look smart.

  139. Well, Woodhead has three walks and hasn’t committed an error yet, so I guess you have to say starting him today worked out so far.

    Buddy’s ERA: 5.03. Dontrelle’s: 5.08.

  155. wonderful thorman, your 1st hit since April and you try that, can we just get baseball players on our team? its all we ask

  160. bet he was trying to catch De Aza off guard and take second on a lob throw that Ramirez would have cut off. It only looks stupid because it didn’t work.

  161. that might have been one of the most obvious outs at trying to stretch a double i have ever seen. absurd.

  163. I should add that despite an 11-5 hit advantage and three home runs, the Braves are only up by three and could easily lose this game, particularly since nobody has any idea who will pitch the seventh and eighth.

  173. I dunno, I’d still probably go with A-Rod, even with all his baggage and age, but you could do worse than Ramirez. You could also do worse than Cabrera.

  181. Yeah, I read a piece about how his weight could end up costing him tens of millions – or something. Interesting problem for a ballplayer to have (though it’s hardly unprecedented).

  185. Dan,

    Unfair? It’s perfectly fair. In fact, I’d rather have him do it, because he’s the one who can pack the heat and isn’t a rookie.

  186. When are the Marlins going to move Cabrera back to the OF? He has the range of my grandmother at 3B.

  188. Mac,

    *laughs* That was great.

    I’ll still call Cabrera The Fat One. My brother and I called Tony Gwynn Bubble Butt at the end of his career, but that was more affectionate than anything else. We didn’t hate him.

  189. Count me in as someone who would roll the dice with Cabrera no matter what he weighs.

    What’s wrong with Soriano as the closer?

  190. Did I just hear that Joe said Diaz is starting against Maine only because Harris is struggling NOW?

    Well, better late than never.

  191. Simpson and Sciambi think it’s common sense to start Diaz against Maine on Friday. Surely the walls are closing in around Cox on this one.

  197. “Did I just hear that Joe said Diaz is starting against Maine only because Harris is struggling NOW?”

    No, they’re just lobbying for it. No one knows yet if Diaz will get to play more or if this platoon will continue.

  201. Plus, he is our best long reliever. Villarreal is coming back down to earth, and who knows if Mahay or Ascota will crash in that role.

  221. “He’s due up sixth, thereby guaranteeing a bases-loaded, two-out situation.”

    For Soriano to come up, the inning has to survive the trio of Woodward, Miller and Harris.

  223. a hit and run with Woodward and Miller, I dont kno wif Im impressed or not. How should I feel?

  228. Mac any word on Dave O’brien getting back to you ? If you answered this already I’m sorry I missed it. Thanks.

  232. Man, I don’t care who wins or loses with the Mets and Phillies. The Braves benefit either way if they win.

  234. wow, Soriano with heat

    I bet Bobby is going think that he needs to let Soriano get two inning saves more often

  239. I prefer the Phillies to sweep at this point if only to get into the Mets heads coming to Atlanta.

  242. And still…this series should have been a sweep. Who would have thought that Smoltz would be the starting pitcher in the game the Braves lost?

  243. as much as it paibs me to say it, i still prefer the mets to win at this point. the wild card is our only hope, and philli needs to get back to their losing ways fast.

  245. The Braves are only a game further back in the division than the WC (before today’s games)

  246. How is the Wild Card our only hope? We’re 5 back in the division and 4.5 back in the Wild Card. Not to mention we play the Mets and Phillies six more time apiece.

  247. We very easily could be 5 games back in both division and wild card after the night. Division we only have two teams in front, and we play them head to head a lot more than the wild card teams. Division isn’t any less attainable.

  248. Well, right now, the Braves are essentially in the same position in the wild card and division race. Five in the East, 4 1/2 in the Wild Card.

  251. You gotta see the end of that Phils game. Green would’ve been safe at first if Anderson hadn’t tackled the Philly 2B.

    Hey, a Phils win tomorrow & a Braves sweep of the Mets…why the hell not?

  254. You’ll see it on Baseball Tonight, I’m sure.

    Phils up 3-2, Top 9, Met runners on 1st & 3rd. Green hits a slow grounder to short, Rollins gets it, hesitates, tosses to the 2B, who is roll-tackled by Marlon Anderson a bit out of the baseline. The ball goes bounding toward first & Green beats the rap, the tying run scores.

    Not so fast: The tackle at 2B was a little too obvious and, in the ump’s judgement, outside the baseline. Automatic DP, the run doesn’t score, ballgame, Phils win.

  255. I thought it was the correct call. Bad play by Anderson as Green would’ve easily beat the play at first.

    I’m actually surprised we haven’t lost a game in that heartbreaking fashion yet.

  256. I still believe we can make the playoffs for various probably stupid reasons.

    It would be interesting to see what a poll result would show if asked how many here actually still think we can do it.

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