Whatever. Home teams in CAPS.
ALABAMA 31 Houston 20
Kentucky 35 SOUTH CAROLINA 33
LSU 31 Florida 21
Georgia 41 TENNESSEE 10
AUBURN 27 Vandy 23
MISSISSIPPI 21 La Tech 17
MISSISSIPPI STATE 26 UAB 19
ARKANSAS 40 Chattanooga 12
165 Comments
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The LSU-Florida game may be closer if enough Gators make parole.
I like those picks – however Auburn will win by more than 4, I think GA/Tenn. will be closer. Is this Fulmer’s last year if he loses?
If Auburn does win by only 4, I think the game will be more low-scoring than Mac’s prediction.
I think La’Tech beats the Rebels this weekend. They scored 40 on Hawaii and as bad as the Rebels defense is they’ll score around that many again. La’Tech held Fresno state in the teens and I don’t see the Rebels allowing less than 20 points this season.
Quite depressing in fact considering I’m an Ole Miss season ticket holder and will be in attendance.
GO MOCS! BEAT ARKANSAS!
(I am a Chattanooga Alum)
Despite what happened last week, Auburn’s offense is still bad, and Brad Lester alone isn’t enough to fix it. And on defense, they’re playing without Quentin Groves.
Obviously they’ve played different schedules, but their offensive stats are remarkably similar. Vandy is 86th in the NCAA in yards, 85th in passing, 68th in rushing, 58th in scoring. Auburn is 91st, 95th, 65th, and 63rd.
If Chris Nickson plays well, I think we’ll give Auburn a run for its money.
I’m not exactly optimistic about that condition coming to fruition, though.
I still fuming over OU’s loss to Colorado at this point.
This will hopefully be the game that gets the Fat Man Phil Fulmer fired. Let’s go Mark Richt!
Hate the Pumpkin!
Kenny:
If the Vols lose out, Fulmer will be the coach next year
I like the 41-10 prediction, but I think you’ll see some extra fight in the Vols on Saturday, plus Richt often finds a way to keep it close. I say, Dogs win by a field goal.
A man can always dream.
The Tennessee AD came out this week and stated publicy that this game will not determine Fulmer’s future with the Vols. This of course means that this game will definitely determine his future at Tennessee.
Kenny, got to love that DREADED vote of confidence.
There is absolutely nothing worse in sports when the coach’s boss comes out and says that there is nothing to worry about. It is almost always a harbinger that the coach is a dead man walking.
You mean “dead man waddling”.
Mac’s picks are still off:
ALABAMA 33, Houston 31
Kentucky 28, SOUTH CAROLINA 24
Florida 30, LSU 20
Georgia 27, TENNESSEE 20
AUBURN 31, Vanderbilt 10
(and around the nation)
Oklahoma 24, TEXAS 17
Virginia Tech 20, CLEMSON 14
Ohio State 26, PURDUE 20
ILLINOIS 35, Wisconsin 21
KANSAS ST 34, Kansas 23
That 9-point LSU/Florida line sure is interesting. I’m rooting like mad for LSU, but I’d be inclined to take the 9.
I don’t know if this has been linked to the thread or not, but here ya go:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=turcotte/071001&sportCat=golf
I don’t have access to videos at work (Boo!), so I can’t speak to the contents of the video.
The LSU-Florida game may be closer if enough Gators make parole.
You must be referring to Tony Joiner’s arrest. And if you had any idea what you were talking about, you’d know that Tony Joiner did not do anything wrong, that it was a misunderstanding, and the owner of the tow yard isn’t going to press charges. Also, it was him who said that Joiner didn’t do anything wrong. But hey, anything to sneak in a joke. Who cares if it makes sense, right?
From an ESPN chat:
Travis (PHX): Keith, what are the Braves going to do for a center fielder? Cheap stop-gap until Jordan Schafer is ready?
Keith Law: (1:11 PM ET ) That’s what I would do – Schafer looks like the real deal, a potential Sizemore clone, and I wouldn’t go long-term with Hunter or Cameron.
I must admit that KLaw saying this has me quite excited.
But hey, anything to sneak in a joke. Who cares if it makes sense, right?
Sort of like your Davies/Dotel/DeJesus ramblings last night, eh, Rob?
My “ramblings” were rooted in an opinion that you didn’t agree with, not a jab at a team based on a joke that didn’t hold water.
I didn’t check out the end of last thread until just now, and as someone said, yes, Stu does deserve credit for calling the Dotel deal. I will say that a “good gamble” can lead to a bad return, but I’m sure Stu will disagree with that too.
Rob,
Take it your a UF fan. You check out the phone calls from the Joiner arrest. They are kind of funny.
http://gainesvillesun.com/article/20071004/NEWS/71004010/1002/NEWS
Anyone know the timetable for Schafer? Looks to me like he’s about 2-3 years away.
I live in Tennessee and an insider I heard on the radio said that Fulmer will have a hard time keeping his job if they lose to Georgia. And the dreaded “vote of confidence” sure doesn’t help matters.
I didn’t mean to offend, Rob C. Most of us Georgia grads don’t let truth keep us from dissing Florida. I know I certainly don’t.
Who plays centerfield isn’t as important to me as how we improve our starting pitching. I’m not crazy about the free agent class. I guess a trade must be made.
What solid number three or better can we get without crippling our everyday lineup?
Schafer should start next year in AA. The Braves have never been hesitant to bring players up from there. I think his timetable will depend on the Braves strategy. If the Braves pick up a one year veteran, which I think they will, he will probably be in Atlanta in ’08. I think if this is the case he will be starting for good in ’09.
If however the Braves sign someone like Mike Cameron, than I doubt you would seem before ’09 and probably more likely 2010. I personally hope this is not the case.
Time table on Schafer:
We will know a lot more once he has 150 ABs in Mississippi. That jump to AA can be tough for a hitter, especially to Pearl which has really challenged Braves’ hitters in its short history.
Best case = mid-season callup in ’08.
Most likely = mid-’09 to 2010.
Houston, UAB, La Tech, and Chattanooga in Week 6. Gotta love the SEC “No really, take another week off” scheduling.
I would usually agree with you especially about the at-bats, but Schafer is also an extraordinary CF. I got to see him a couple of times. I know that once Bobby sees him in CF he will probably want to keep him up in Atlanta.
It didn’t seem to matter much that both Francoeur and McCann were struggling with the bat in AA when they got called up. Of course that is just my opinon.
I’m not sure it’s a best case scenario we’d see him in mid-2008. IMHO, we’ve promoted way too many kids straight from double-A who could have used a little extra minor league seasoning. Obviously, I’m thinking of Jeff Francouer, but Kyle Davies is another example. Joey Devine, even more so.
I don’t really want him seeing any significant at-bats till 2009 at the earliest. He’s welcome to come to spring training, and get a few September call-up at-bats before then, but I want to make sure he gets all the seasoning on the farm that he needs before he comes up.
“Grady Sizemore”… ooh. I just gave myself goosebumps.
I think the organization is probably targeting 2009ish, as Parish alludes to, but if we have another Raul Mondesi situation in CF next season, they might decide to rush Schafer.
Will you feel that way if we have a Chris Woodward type player in CF?
Robert,
Chattanooga by 23!
If we have a Chris Woodward type player in CF, I think I’ll feel the same way, just nowhere near as sober.
LOL! Yes, I know exactly what you mean. That honestly is what I fear the Braves will do. I know that the Braves will go their standard route and get a veteran player as “insurance” for CF. Of course, with the year AJ had at the plate it would be tough to find anyone who could do worse.
That 9-point LSU/Florida line sure is interesting.
I’d say. Something fishy is afoot.
A Chris Woodward-type CF? Are you talking about a Ryan Langerhans or about someone who can’t even catch the ball?
Jeremy,
Point-shaving?
ububba,
I am thinking more a Langerhans type CF?
Kenny,
Didn’t we do that already? Langer can catch it & he has good speed and he hustles, but I believe that he’s proven he can’t consistently hit ML pitching.
Sam,
I’m not saying that but something definitely smells funny about that line. As someone who bets on CFB quite a bit, Vegas often puts up lines that seem too good to be true — and they never work out that way. It’s uncanny.
All the lines this year have been really weird.
Auburn -18 or whatever @ Florida
Georgia +2 at Tennessee
Now this one.. I mean, huh?
Jeremy,
Maybe they just pull numbers out of their butts sometimes.
Auburn was favored by 18 at Florida? There’s no way that’s true.
They have Illinois by 3 on the 5th team in the country. Craziness…
I meant Auburn +18
Oh, you’re right. Auburn was that much of a ‘dog. I was questioning the number as much as the +/-.
I know it opened at 20.. not sure where it finished.
As it relates to the UGA game, a +2 might as well be a “pick ’em” game.
I think Wisconsin is extremely overrated, but how could any SEC fan be willing to take the Zookers and the points against anyone. I have no idea what that team will do, and would never touch that line.
I definitely took Georgia against Tennessee. Richt owns Fulmer, especially on the road.
I took Auburn at +17.5, and was loving it. The money line would have been absurd.
Actually, I think Langerhans’s problem is that he hits MLB pitching extremely consistently.
Well said, AAR.
By the way, can you guys help me out here? I’m not a gambler, so I don’t really understand some of the lingo. What does “giving points” mean, what’s the difference between the money line and the spread, what does “pick ’em” mean, and what’s a “teaser”?
Alex,
For example in the UF vs. Auburn game, Florida was a -18. This meant that for Florida to cover the spread the would have to win by more than 18 points. This what is meant by “giving points.” A pick ’em is usually when there is no point spread. This generally happens when two teams are considered equal. A teaser is a little more complicate. My understanding is that you get a certain amount of points that you can spread over a couple or several games. I have never played on one of these.
A teaser is a prop bet that allows you to alter the betting odds up and down in your favor, usually anywhere from 6 to 7 points. So, for example, on a teaser card, instead of it being LSU favored by 9, it goes to LSU being favored 15.
The thing with a teaser bet is you have to pick quite a few more games correctly. It would roughly take 8 games on a teaser card to make what you could on just a regular three team parlay.
Usually when I tease games I take favorites and “tease down” the spread. So if it was a three team teaser for 7 points and the spreads were -9.5, -10.5, and -12.5 the spreads would become -2.5, -3.5, and -5.5.
I usually tease up the lines in the NFL, just because of the parity. I don’t usually play teasers, though, and when I do I’ll pick a bunch of games and bet $5 or $10 just for fun.
I would definitely tease the LSU/UF line up, though. UF +15 is a better bet than LSU -3, in my opinion.
Aside from my weekly NFL pool—which I love because it’s the only thing that keeps me genuinely interested in the NFL—I only bet on sports when I’m in Vegas. Then I go hog-wild on parlays.
Man, can you believe the Colorado Rockies? That team is out of its mind right now.
It’s been a while since the Braves have gotten on a roll that even approaches what the Rockies are doing right now.
Kaz Matsui with a grand slam.
It’s just not a good week to be a Met fan.
I can’t remember a team ever being this hot going into the post-season & continuing the streak once they got there.
I know that the ’98 Yanks won their last 7 games going in (the last 4 vs Tampa) and then they won their first 4 post-season games. But they “only” won 10 of its last 14 regular-season games.
The Rockies won 13 of its last 14 & now 2 in the post-season. That’s just crazy.
I’ve always kinda liked the Rockies—I’m pretty excited for their fans.
News flash: Jose Mesa really, really sucks.
The Colorado Rockies are sort of like the Seattle Seahawks to me—I just have no opinion.
I was in Denver on a business trip last November & asked about the Rockies. I was told, “Denver is about the Broncos first, the Avalanche second, with the Nuggets & Rockies battling it out for 3rd.”
I’m sure the Rocks are #1 at the moment.
I originally started following them when they went all-Braves (Nied, Reynoso, Castilla) in the ’93 Expansion Draft.
Over time, I just grew to like ’em because they aren’t the Marlins.
I liked how they lost all 13 games to the Braves that year & then 3/4 in the ’95 NLDS. So, I guess I have no baggage with that bunch, unlike most of the NL.
Chip Caray’s voice is already driving me insane in this Yankees-Indians game. I might not watch, I don’t care about the outcome of this game enough to listen to Caray the whole way through.
Ballgame. The Phillies are officially one game from elimination.
I’ve always rather liked the Rockies. There are teams I don’t care one way or the other about, but I’ve always been rather fond of Colorado (except when they play us). I don’t really like any of the other teams in the NL (not that I have anything against Arizona, except that I’m kind of jealous they could come out of nowhere to win and the Braves couldn’t), so I think I’ll hang with Colorado until I have to choose someone else.
Actually, it would be awesome if the Phillies got swept. That would really stick it to Mets fans. Their team couldn’t even rally enough to force a playoff game against a team that got swept in the first round.
I want to see Alex Rodriguez fail miserably in the playoffs, the Yankees defeated in the first round and the Yankees’ fans stupidly running one of the best players in the game, if not the best, out of town.
Dan, I wouldn’t worry about THEM running HIM out of town. He’ll take the money and run all the way to the bank by opting out of his contract.
If A-Rod fails again in the post-season, it’ll be his fault, not the fans.
Nice job of working out of a jam there by C.C. 33 pitches, a homer, two walks, but only one run.
He’ll have to limit his pitches better in the future, though, or he’ll be out of there in 5.
@ #65
I guess Joe Simpson was right.
I’m listening to the Cle/NYY game on the Indians radio via Internet. Their announcers seemed to be complaining about the Damon HR.
Was Damon’s HR fair or foul?
TBS never showed a good camera angle on the Damon homerun. It was ruled foul and changed to fair after the umpires met on the mound. It looked foul to me but I can’t really tell. I’m sure if it was the wrong call, ESPN will be screaming for instant replay soon.
And TBS will catch more hell.
Gotta like this story. It might make me actually root for the Rockies to go far.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3049388
Ububba, that’s a great story. Thank you for sharing it.
And I’m with you — I didn’t really have an NL team to root for. I’ll root for these guys. Also, nice job of the Indians nickel and diming Wang for 3 runs in the first.
Sounds like they snaked some balls up the middle, which happens with Wang. Of course, Wang is a different pitcher on the road. He’s amazing in The Bronx. Dunno why that is.
Years ago, I would’ve rooted for the Cubs & the Red Sox to make the WS—mom was a BoSox fan from Hartford, dad was a Cubs fan from the northside of Chicago. (Before the ’90s, I always thought it made perfect sense that I was a Braves fan.) But their woe-is-us fans annoy me now, so to hell with ’em.
I’m not sure how I would characterize BoSox fans. It feels like their woe-is-us mentality has given way to smug, pedantic, self-entitled, and condescending. They’re more like Yankee fans than they are Cub fans nowadays.
I agree with you about the Cubs, ububba. Here’s what I wrote elsewhere today:
All the Cubs need to do to end a century of lovably losing is win 11 more games before the end of their season. Unfortunately, they’re already down one in the best-of-three Division Series. In my opinion, the public excoriation of the fan who caught the foul ball in 2003 was utterly abhorrent — he didn’t force Alex Gonzalez to boot the ball, after all — and the sooner that he can be exonerated, the better.
On the other hand, if the Cubs win, will they lose their warm and fuzzy veneer and just become another corporate expense account baseball team like the Yankees and Red Sox, with a national fan base that won’t tolerate second place? Will it bring out the worst in Cub Nation, or the best?
Although the one constant from Sox fans is their whiny, sky is falling attitude. I called my dad (a huge BoSox fan) during Beckett’s dismantling of the Angels last night.
Me: “Beckett looks sharp tonight. Throwing a lotta strikes. The Angles are completely overmatched.”
Him: “Goddamn Varitek is calling for too many fastballs.”
The Yanx and Indians are both a little jumpy… they both ended their inning on a caught stealing.
Jeremy,
That’s true to a large degree, but I hung out with a good half-dozen diehards in Atlantic City this past August (when they were about to cough up their 14-game lead) and, in their deepest, darkest moments they are the same ol’ bunch with the same ol’ nightmares.
The smugness is outward. But when they’re among their own, they’re still scared shitless of the Yankees.
AAR,
I think the ’03 success brought out the worst in ’04 Cubs fans. If they win anything beyond this first round, it’ll happen again.
I’ll root for the Rockies as well, I guess. The only year I played in Little League in 1994, it was on the Rockies.
When I played Little League, the Rockies were an NHL team.
Hot DAMN, that was a nice fastball. I guess Derek Jeter doesn’t have that “belly full of guts, Mark Lemke scrapiness” that all players need in the playoffs right now. Heh heh heh.
ububba,
Wow, you’re old. 😉
How very Francoeur-ish of A-Rod.
I remember when I thought 44 was old.
I’m just kidding. I don’t really think you’re old. If I think you’re old, then I think my parents are old (and I don’t).
I think Julio Franco is the international date line for old — if you’re older than him, you’re old. If not, you’re not.
I second that.
We all should be laughing at the Phillies and Yankees right now. Everyone LOL@ the NL East Champs!
Boy, the Yankees are taking an old-fashioned beating.
“and the owner of the tow yard isn’t going to press charges. Also, it was him who said that Joiner didn’t do anything wrong.”
I’ll keep that in mind next time I get my car towed in Florida.
What’s that fine establishment called? Free Parking?
Read the article, drewdat. He had made arrangements to pay for the car, but no one was there to take the money. This is according to the owner of the tow yard atleast. I hope you can trust him.
you know, ken griffey jr. was a pretty damn good ballplayer through his first 11 years in the league. i was just running some numbers, and his first 11 year werent THAT much better than andruw’s first 11 years in the majors. the differences are very minute and jr. only broke 400 putouts 1 time during that span. so, who was the better all around centerfielder? basically, it breaks down to this:
junior averaged per year offensively:
3 more homeruns 11 more rbi’s got on base about 3% more than andruw.
andruw averaged per year defensively:
70 more putouts per YEAR.
so, i just wanted to let you guys who have been here for the 11 years of andruw’s lollygagging, lackluster offense, huge hot and cold streaks, and “i dont care” attitude that we have really seen something special the last decade in centerfield. i am glad we are cutting ties with andruw, and i do feel the best is behind him, but damn he was something else to watch. i will miss him.
Mac,
I love your game picks this week – if it’s my Dawgs that get the fat pumpkin fired, I will be laughing my a– off.
I have some news from an event I attended here in D.C. tonight:
It was a Board of Trade event and the Nationals were the host. At the event, I had the chance to meet Stan Kasten.
Besides the fact that he made a crack about being able to change me from a Braves fan to a Nats fan, I first asked him if the Nats were going after Andruw – he said “not at $20 million, that’s for sure”.
I made a crack about what a joy it must be to negotiate with Boras is and he says that Boras is a piece of work as an agent but they are actually good friends and he doesn’t mind working with him.
He did tell me that Schuerholz HATES Boras and won’t even sit in a room with him – anymore – at ALL.
I then asked him about the Braves re-signing Teixeira and he said “no way” because of JS’ unwillingness to deal w/ Boras.
Personally, I am not sure I’m completely buying it because Kasten is now with the Nats and he met me and learned right away I was a Braves fan. But Kasten was pretty emphatic in our conversation.
If that’s true, then why in the stinking world did Schuerholz trade for Teixeira when he won’t even deal with Boras, however justified?!
Yeah, I can’t imagine JS trading for a dude that he won’t re-sign on principle.
…and giving up so freaking much for him.
Yeah, that’s a TON to give up if he flat-out knows he won’t touch his agent with a ten foot pole. I’d like to see JS write a book and talk about his hatred of Boras. Pro-vo-ca-tive…
Rob Cope, you know as well as anyone else that the tow company owner is only saying those things to cover his own assets in Gainesville. There is overwhelming evidence that does not support his claims, including the phone conversations linked to above, yet he insists that it is all a misunderstanding. Who are you going to believe, the witnesses and cops at the time of the event or the business owner well after the event?
This sort of thing happens in Gainesville and other college towns in the south all the time. It’s no secret that the prosecutor and business owner are both Gator fans. The evidence is there to convict him in this case; the question is, will the right thing be done? Color me skeptical.
Tsk-tsk…
http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/uga/stories/2007/10/04/alabama_trash_1005.html
Yes, the deal for Tex never made sense unless he is either signed by the Braves or if JS plans to flip him in the next few months for quality starting pitching.
Otherwise, it means the Braves used their best trading chips to pay for a player who will be gone in 2009–and failed to improve the team in 2007.
Tex is a great player and I wish the Braves could sign him, but I doubut it will ever happen. The worst thing about the trade is not that Salty, Feliz and Andrus may all be stars one day–but the opportunity cost…..
No way, no how John Schuerholz trades Mark Teixeira over the offseason. The man is all over the Braves’ official site now, they even put his image over Andruw Jones’ on the site banner. There was even a quote by Schuerholz in the AJC about how he’s going to try and sign Teixeira to a long term deal and that was part of the reason for letting Andruw Jones go.
Other another note:
http://www.newsday.com/sports/columnists/ny-sphow055402872oct05,0,4079458.column?coll=ny-sports-columnists
Kind of harsh, wouldn’t you say?
Tex fills a gaping hole for the Braves for the final 2 months of this year and all of next year. If the Braves make the playoffs next year and Tex wins the MVP, who cares that they had to give up
– a rookie catcher who is blocked by Brian McCann
– a AA pitcher who has never pitched in the majors and doesn’t project to be a top of the rotation guy
– a A pitcher who may never make the majors
– a A infielder that is highly touted but has shown little ability to hit
to get him and Ron Mahay (who pitched extremely well for the Braves). For all we know Shuerholz may retire after next season and somebody else may be the one negotiating with Boras over Tex anyway.
Bobby said the other day they’re going to work like dogs to sign Tex. I’ll find the link.
http://www.ajc.com/braves/content/sports/braves/stories/2007/10/01/braves_1002.html
“We know we’ve got him for one year, and we will do everything we can to try to sign him,” Cox said of Teixeira, who will be eligible for free agency after the 2008 season and is represented by hard-driving agent Scott Boras.
Amen Ron. If the Braves win the World Series next year and Teixeira goes .300/.380/.550 with 40 homeruns in the regular season, who cares?
Until one of those prospects (aside from Saltalamacchia, he was blocked) makes something of himself, let’s stop trying to act like we traded John Smoltz for Doyle Alexander.
That said, I’d like the Braves to resign Ron Mahay if possible. He did good work.
The question is not who the Braves had to give up (except for the fact that we now have much less to trade) but what the trade did for the team. Unfortunately, if the criteria for assessing the trade were wins and losses the best that can be said is that the impact was negligible.
In addition, the Braves must now pay Tex’s salary–which may limit their ability to go after free agents.
I would still hope that the Braves can sign Tex to a long term deal (which means the Liberty Media has given JS more money to spend than many of us believe), but if they can’t he remains the best trading chip left. Tex will be 28 next year so he could bring a large return….
The biggest problem last season was not offense, but starting pitchers.
For what it is worth, I believe that Andruw was on the website until very recently…..
I would love to see Mahay back next year. Count me in the Rockies camp for the playoffs too.
Let me add that I hope we resign Mahay as well….
“but if they can’t he remains the best trading chip left.”
Well, Brian McCann probably is the best one. But I am certain McCann is in the untouchable camp with Teixeira, Francoeur, Chipper Jones, Smoltz and maybe Hudson. Maybe even James too but I really doubt that.
Being the best trading chip doesn’t mean being traded. I’ll eat my hat if the Braves ship Teixeira somewhere else this offseason.
Has anyone seen the Braves’ 2008 schedule yet? Seems every other team has one out except the Braves.
I strongly believe we will re-sign Mark Teixeira. The last time Bobby started leaking comments like this was when we traded for Hudson and there was uncertainty surrounding whether we’d be able to sign him to a long-term deal. Bobby tends to get what he wants.
And I’d love to re-sign Mahay as well, but he’s going to be expensive. Quality veteran lefty relievers are very hard to come by, and to do so, you have to pay. Remember Mike Remlinger 1.0? I don’t expect we’ll re-sign Mahay. Though he would be an improvement over Chris Woodward as a PH.
@ 105: Thank you, Ryan C. I’m older than dirt and have been a baseball junkie since 1950. What Andruw gave the Braves was once in a lifetime defensive excellence and potent if streaky offense for the better part of 11 years. I agree the Braves can use their bucks better than spending them on Andruw, but I will miss him more than a little.
Dan, at least Doyle Alexander got the Tigers to the playoffs…
He’s actually one of the best-performing deadline acquisitions ever, right up there with Fred McGriff. The only trouble was the guy they traded him for could pitch a little too. It’s hard to predict a young live arm will turn into one of the best right-handed pitchers of all time. I don’t fault the Tigers too much on that deal, because Doyle pitched damn near like the best pitcher in the league once he got to Detroit.
Reading the music downloading verdict, I don’t think I will ever spend money on music again, CDs, iTunes, or concerts. I find the industry’s actions deplorable in their efforts to make an example of this individual. I already own plenty of CDs and iTunes downloaded songs. And there’s always the radio.
Music Industry, I hear you loud and clear and you can count me out.
Tex and Mahay gave the Braves everything they could have asked for. Unfortunately James and Carlyle (and Dotel and Renteria) became injured and Cormier and Reyes couldn’t make up the slack. Do you think the team would have made the late run it did with a platoon of Thorman and Franco playing first base? Certainly not. Without that trade, they wouldn’t have been in contention until game 158 and probably would have finished with a losing record again.
Ron,
Is anybody disputing those points?
Nobody says those guys didn’t help the team—the issue is whether giving up what we gave up was worth it to finish third.
The problem is we don’t know what the Braves gave up.
We didn’t know on July 31 that James was going to be injured and miss 3 weeks or that Renteria would be injured and miss a month. Even as late as mid-August the Braves were in a virtual tie for the wild card. So absolutely the trade was worth it. If we hadn’t made the trade, we would now be looking for a first baseman, an outfielder, and a starting pitcher this offseason. Having traded for Tex greatly softens the blow of losing Andruw to free agency and allows Shuerholz much more flexibility to strengthen the starting staff.
Dan,
I don’t know that it’s a “problem”, but it’s certainly part of the equation. My point is that you can’t just say, “Look, Teixeira did great, it was a great trade!”
IF he doesn’t lead us to greatness in 2008 or IF he doesn’t re-sign with us, and IF those prospects do pan out, it wasn’t a good trade. Too early to tell either way.
Ron,
No, I’m pretty sure we’d be headed into 2008 with Salty as our 1B. And we’d have more money to spend on said OF and SP.
Which may or may not be a better situation—I don’t know. Again, I think it’s too early to tell either way, so unilaterally labeling the trade, good or bad, doesn’t make much since at this juncture, IMO.
Or much sense.
I don’t fret over trades once they’re done. JS is trying to win & that’s all I can ask for.
IF we get a pitcher, we should make the playoffs next year.
ububba,
Yeah, JS is trying to win. So is virtually every other GM in the game. I think it’s fair to ask for more.
Not that he hasn’t consistently made great decisions, and not that I have any control over the process, anyway, but it’s somewhat cathartic (to me, at least) to talk this stuff out, discuss hypotheticals, etc.
We could be like the Orioles and think that everyone is untouchable. Im glad JS doesnt hesistate to send our *prospects* for All Stars. I wont complain about what we gave up for Mahay and Tex.
In a vacuum, I wouldn’t so hesitate, either. But when things like differing contract lengths and salaries come into play, it’s a little more nuanced than you (and many others) are making it out to be, csg.
That said, I’m not complaining, either. I’m just trying to clarify the relevant issues when it comes to analyzing a trade like this.
Mac, just because you hate Auburn doesn’t mean you have to let it affect your picks. Shoot you were THIRTY POINTS OFF last week.
I don’t hate Auburn, and I picked them to win. The only team whose picks are influenced by hate is Tennessee.
The Auburn/Vanderbilt game is the quinessential “trap game.” Auburn just pulled off a huge upset against UF, and its next game is against Arkansas a team that Tubberville has routinely struggled with. If you look at patterns this is a game that Auburn, and more precisely Tubberville usually struggles in. There is a reason the spread has moved a full point this week. It opened at Auburn -8 1/2 and is now -7 1/2. I took Vanderbilt against the points.
has anyone else ever wondered what kind of guy doyle alexander must have been? i mean, he put up damn good numbers everywhere he pitched and the team couldnt wait to ship him out. kinda like kenny lofton. anybody know any details about him?
I honestly do not know anything about, though I understand the Braves got a pretty good pitcher when they traded him.
Stu,
JS is trying to win now, that’s more what I meant. Not every GM is trying to do that.
I’m not going to worry about the guys who were dispatched. I applauded the move when it was made & I’m not going backward one step.
Second-guessing trades can be fun, I suppose, but I get little thrill from it.
Cool.
Just saw John Smoltz at lunch.
DOB’s blog is a humdinger today.
Lotsa Glavine talk and—stand back you Dan Haren fetishists—Oakland trade musings, plus a small shot at JS about the non-negotiations with Boras about Andruw. (And he just reminded me to run out & buy the new Springsteen.)
http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/ajc/braves/entries/2007/10/05/braves_glavine.html
@142
the two things that auburn has struggled the most with the past two years are early games and scoring, which is why this game will be a real test for this young squad. it would be great to see them come out and dominate, but i just don’t think they have it in them right now. it’s amazing how much easier it is to win ball games when you hold on to the ball and don’t give it away 5 times.
i say the spread is pretty accurate, i’ll be surprised if auburn wins by more than 10 points.
i always get a chuckle out of the bloggers on DOB’s site that suggest trading hampton
I’d rather mow the lawn than read the bloggers on any AJC site.
I really want to know what our budget will look like next season. DOB says we should offer Glavine $9ish million like it ain’t no thang, and that Mike Cameron is a strong possibility…seems to me the numbers won’t work, but I’d love to be wrong about that!
Jason Stark: Egomaniacal Moron.
From his ESPN chat today…
Patrick; Georgia: Where do you think Andruw Jones will end up?
Jayson Stark: I’ve been waiting for this question. I know there are people who think I’m the guy who ran Andruw out of Atlanta because of what I wrote in my book. But what that book reflected was what many people in baseball were already seeing — that his body is changing, that he isn’t quite the same athlete he was and that his offensive contributions, even before this year, weren’t what they appeared to be if you just checked his home run numbers. So I’m not surprised the Braves made this decision. If Scott Boras keeps insisting that Andruw is a $20-million-a-year player and the deal has to be seven years, he’ll be out there a long time. Remember, NO position player has gotten $20 million a year since ARod and Manny, eight offseasons ago. But here’s a team to keep on your radar screen: Baltimore.
Nobody thinks that, Jayson. Way to interject yourself into the situation, though!
Stu–Thanks for the quote from Stark–its one more reason why I hope that Andruw has a great season next year–wherever that may be….
i always get a chuckle out of the bloggers on DOB’s site that suggest trading hampton
It’s at the point where I think it’s one guy just messing with everyone on that blog. Every time someone asks about Mike Hampton and ten people, including David O’Brien, say he’s untradeable, another person comes out of nowhere and asks if you can trade Hampton for Ken Griffey, Jr.
Can someone please kidnap Hampton for one more year?
per Braves website…
Financial outlook: The Braves haven’t revealed where next year’s payroll will stand. Chairman and team president Terry McGuirk has provided assurance that it won’t drop and hinted that this year’s attendance increase could have a positive effect on next year’s budget.
What is known is the reality that many players are going to enjoy salary raises next year. As an arbitration-eligible player, Teixeira could gain a salary in the $13 million neighborhood.
John Smoltz’s salary jumps from $8 million to $14 million. Tim Hudson’s back-loaded contract calls for his salary to rise from $6 million to $13 million.
Simply looking at these three players provides a better picture of why the Braves chose not to even enter into contractual negotiations with Andruw Jones.
The Braves’ other notable arbitration-eligible players are Mike Gonzalez, Rafael Soriano, Tyler Yates, Lance Cormier, Oscar Villarreal, Willie Harris and Matt Diaz. Some of these guys will be granted raises and others may be non-tendered because it’s deemed their price exceeds their value.
Diaz gains arbitration-eligible status because he is a Super Two, which means he ranks among the top 17 percent in total service in the class of players who have at least two but fewer than three years of Major League service. There’s a chance Kelly Johnson will also fall into this category.
Having “Super Two’s” is a problem that you want to have, but a few million here and a few million there and pretty soon it adds up to real money.
No surprise but it’s official–Glavine declined the option with the Mets.
Quick – name the last SEC team Auburn has beaten at home? You’re *really* good if you can name the last 3.
Colonel Rebel.
Negative in each category.
Colonel Rebel is a negative in pretty much any category imaginable, isn’t he?
Last win at Jordan-Hare:
Florida (2006)
Last three:
Florida, LSU (2006)
Alabama (2005)
Next win at Jordan-Hare:
Ole Miss (2007)
Cute Stu.
Seriously, do you consider Dave Neal to be the voice of Commodore football?
(Like I have room to talk, he’s been PBP for our last three home conference games)
Hey, I even took the time to look up Auburn’s schedule in order to make that joke.
Joe Fisher is the voice of the Commodores!