I don’t really have anything.
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I don’t really have anything.
Use code “Journal” for a 5% discount.
I voted for Bobby, mainly because we seem to be running out of people to blame. Andruw earned it this year.
Decent sports weekend coming up. I’ve got an eye on the baseball, but for me tomorrow is all about 2 big SEC games: UGA/Tenn & LSU/Fla.
I have a convention at the Javits Center in Manhattan Saturday, but I’ve refused to make appointments after 3 pm. By 3:30, I’ll be hunkered down in a Hell’s Kitchen bar, rooting on the Dawgs.
Hopefully, we’ll see a lotta Brown & Moreno breaking into the secondary.
I had to vote for Bobby. I didn’t really want to do it, but there are reasons not to vote for anyone else.
I think Frenchy will be blamed for a lot if he doesn’t turn into the player people are expecting him to (like Andruw). That said, I voted for Bobby, because he’s the manager and will have plenty of opportunities to decisions that can be questioned.
My dream for next season: Braves win the East with a week to go. The winning pitcher for that game is Glavine. That would just rub Mets fans so badly it would be awesome.
Heads would explode, for sure.
I hate Andy Pettitte.
Thank God for Joba Chamberlain’s rookie-ness.
Whew. Smoltz’s record stands for now.
… or is it the bugs? Man, they’re in swarms there.
If a tree falls on Chip Caray in the forest and no one’s there to hear it…is it still hilarious?
It’s funny to hear him talking about bugs.
I just started watching the game and for some reason TBS is playing in Spanish for me. What is the story with all the bugs?
The WINNING run is in scoring position… for the VISITING team in a 1-1 tie.
Yeah, sure, Chip. Whatever you say.
Tom L,
A reporter said that they’re called “Canadian soldiers”, essentially flying ants, and they’ve hatched early for some reason and that has caused the swarms at the game.
I wish my TV would broadcast in Spanish. On this station, anyway.
Chip Caray gives new meaning to the phrase “SAP button”.
Hahhahaha
I really hate the American League, but come on Indians!
That is one of the only times where a bunt is a good idea.
Indians finally win! Yanks down 2-0, whooo!
Wow, what a game!
I voted Someone Else’s, namely John Shuerholz.
That game was a real bare-knuckler.
It felt like, as long as the Tribe could hang on until Rivera left, they’d win & that’s exactly what happened.
Cue WFAN & get ready for “Yankee Rehab.” It’s gonna be an interesting couple days.
New York fans are NOT happy. It’s been a rough week.
New York and Chicago losing. Yessssssssss
Hey, I like Dave O’Brien even more now! He mentioned his friend Don at a CD store in Toco Hills — that’s gotta be Ella Guru, one of the no-doubt-about-it best music stores in Atlanta. They really know their stuff, treat people well, and have good prices. Oh, and they’re named after a Captain Beefheart song, of course.
Any other Atlantans on here, definitely check that place out.
This whole mess is created by Time Warner. It has to be TW’s fault.
Manny Ramirez unloads on Frankie Rodriguez for a walk-off, BoSox up 2-0.
What a blast.
Well, I may have all my loyalties in the NL, but so far it has been the ALDS giving us the best games. Tonight’s two games were great – except for the Red Sox victory, anyway.
I only heard some of the game on the radio… but what happened with the bugs? And will the Yankees now blame that and not their inept hitting? Whatever. They didn’t hit last year either, and I don’t recall any insects descending on Comerica Park.
If you only listen to John Sterling, the Yankee radio announcer, you’d think it was an incident of Biblical proportions.
When Rivera got the last out in the bottom of the 9th to send it to extras, Sterling said, “If not for the bugs, this game would be over.”
Of course, he didn’t say anything about how Fausto Carmona was spitting bugs out of his mouth, but that doesn’t exactly fit his narrative.
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.
So long Cormier and Harris. Maybe Yates and Villarreal too.
I would not be surprised to see us keep Yates–Cox seems to have great faith in him. Bobby kept sending him out no matter how badly he had pitched. It seemed like he was waiting for Yates to blossom into a shutdown closer….
How much more money could Cormier possibly get? Its not like is 2007 numbers command a raise….
What were the 2007 salaries for those arb-eligible players?
things are looking up for ol’ Croom at Miss St, they are 3-2 right now and playing UAB today. Should be an easy win for state. However, check out this remaining schedule
Oct 13 – Tennessee
Oct 20 – @ West Virginia
Oct 27 – @ Kentucky
Nov 3 – Bye
Nov 10 – Alabama
Nov 17 – @ Arkansas
Nov 24 – Ole Miss
I bet we keep Cormier and Villareal, maybe Yates and if we have no CF replacement probably even Harris. Bobby likes Yates in the same manner that he loved Reitsma. Cormier didnt pitch as bad as some make it out on this board. I hope we keep him just for depth purposes. If we can get Glavine or anyone else, I like this
Smoltz, Hudson, Glavine, James, Hampton
Reyes, Cormier, Bennett, Carlyle, Lerew…it’ll be the 1st time in a while that we’ll have depth in that position. I’ve got a bad feeling that James will be dealing with arm issues from here on out
anyone think Manny got all of that one last night? Jeez!
All of the Division Series are 2-0. Any guesses on how many sweeps we’ll get out of this?
Everyone seems to think Hampton will be our #5. Though I think that would be wise considering he’s about as fragile as a 90-year old woman’s hip, but I think he’ll almost definitely be our #3 or #4 next year. I don’t like it, mind you, but II would be very surprised to see our $15 million stud of yesteryear at #5.
I’m not usually one to point and laugh, but I’m debating wearing this t-shirt around Queens. Maybe people will think I’m just a disgruntled Met fan and not swelling with pride.
http://www.tshirthell.com/store/product.php?productid=997
How much more money could Cormier possibly get? Its not like is 2007 numbers command a raise…
Who cares? He sucks. The Braves could save some needed-money dumping the worthless Lance Cormier.
How did this team fail to make the playoffs, part 20:
N.L. Runs Saved Above Average
Los Angeles ranks fourth on the National League RSAS list, led by Brad Penny who is second individually and Takashi Saito who ranks 10th. Atlanta is the only other N.L. team with more than one entry and, oddly enough, they have three: John Smoltz (T4), Peter Moylan (6) and Tim Hudson (T9). Despite that, however, as a team, they rank seventh.
NL RSAA
Leaders
1 Brandon Webb, AZ44
2 Brad Penny, LA 35
3 Jake Peavy, SD 34
T4 Carlos Marmol, Chi26
T4 John Smoltz, Atl 26
6 Peter Moylan, Atl 25
T7 Manuel Corpas. Colo24
T7 Roy Oswalt, Hou 24
T9 Cole Hamels, Phil 23
T9 Aaron Harang, Cin 23
T9 Tim Hudson, Atl 23
T9 Takashi Saito, LA 23
http://dodgers.scout.com/2/687721.html
Can somebody please confirm or dispute my understanding that RSAA is a cumulative, counting, stat and not a rate stat?
If I understand that right, then it means Moylan had an even more spectacular year than I or most anybody around here thought and also that Carlos Marmol was a demi-god.
It’s a counting stat.
hey thanks Cole
If the Phillies beat the Colorado Rockies tomorrow night in Game 3 of the National League division series at Coors Field, Kyle Lohse is scheduled to start Sunday in Game 4.
There is no chance Cole Hamels would pitch on short rest in Game 4.
“No,” Hamels said yesterday after the team’s 10-5 loss to the Rockies in Game 2. “It’s too much of a risk. It’s something where, I would rather pitch Game 5, because it’s something about getting to that next level, that next stage. I don’t know if it’s selfish. Some people might take it that way, but I think it would be better for me to go on my normal days’ rest because of the track record.”
“I know they understand that and I understand it,” Hamels said. “That’s why, mentally, I’m not going to alter the schedule. That’s what they asked me to get prepared for, one and five, and that’s what I’m going to do.”
Pirates fire Jim Tracy.
http://www.courant.com/sports/baseball/hc-extras1006.artoct06,0,4579718.story
i’m sure everyone will be driving the bids up on this gem:
http://cgi.ebay.com/CHRIS-WOODWARD-SIGNED-BASEBALL-BRAVES-NY-METS-PROOF-COA_W0QQitemZ290167812309QQihZ019QQcategoryZ27260QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
yessir, that’s a chris woodward autographed ball up for auction!
I don’t think tht ball’s authentic. It doesn’t look like it’s been dropped!
WHOA! The Zooker knocked off a top 5 team!
As I’m typing this, Tennessee just jumped to 28-0 on UGA. Umm, what’s going on here?
Sounds typical. 😉
Stu still in mourning?
So, if Tennessee wins and Florida loses tonight, USC is first place in the East.
Hot damn, that’s a development.
…
Not that I’ve been bandwagoning, but I’ve been a closet South Carolina supporter for a little while.
Wryn,
Not mourning. That wasn’t unexpected. I do hope this game causes the coaches to strongly reconsider our starting QB.
Do the Cubs, Phillies, Yankees, or Angels have a better chance of overcoming a 0-2 deficit? Do any of them have a chance?
Well, the Phillies are the only ones of those teams playing on the road. The other three will be in front of supportive crowds. That should mean something.
Alabama’s 2007 team is starting to really resemble the 2005 team. Good record, but are they good at all?
The Vandy win doesn’t look impressive after the Auburn result today. Arkansas lost to Kentucky by two scores in Fayetteville; the Georgia loss looks pretty bad right now, and I can’t figure out the FSU thing yet.
Beating Houston by 6 in Tuscaloosa really doesn’t help matters either.
Houston is better than people thought, but Bama isn’t that good either. Wilson (Bama’s qb) hasn’t put it together and the play calling isn’t in sync. We are also extremely thin on defense.
I’m still looking for improvement (especially offensively) as the year progresses, but if we get a few key injuries on defense, we could be looking at 6-6 or 7-5. Whatever happens, I don’t think we’ll do better than 8-4. I don’t see us being a top SEC contender until 2009 or later.
Stanford over USC is definitely at least as big of an upset as App St over Michigan. Probably bigger. We were thisclose to Cal being the number one team in the country. Cal!
Parity sucks.
You do realize South Florida probably goes to 4 or 5 in the AP.
Craziness.
I’m still not onboard with the “South Florida is legit” crowd.
Ya know, what I don’t care: Go Gators.
That comma was incorrectly placed. Forgive me…
Rockies win.
And MLB execs have the all Mountain Time Zone NLCS that they’ve always dreamed about. Snicker.
Boy, the Phillies suck.
Great to see the Phillies go down in flames….now I will be especiallly happy if Cleveland wins….
Everyone LOL@ the NL East Champs!! Good deal to the Rockies. I hope they take it all.
Two sweeps so far. Can the Red Sox and Indians make it four? That would have to be a first.
glavine says he will sign with us for a discount.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2007/10/glavine-would-t.html?cid=85483494#comment-85483494
If the Phillies couldn’t be denied entry into the playoffs, it’s nice to see them get swept out. Now, once the Yankees and D-Backs are taken care of, I’ll be satisfied that all the teams I intensely dislike can’t win it all.
‘Rissa, I would LOVE to see all the series be swept, if only to screw Fox. I hate how TV revenues drive the times and dates that baseball is played, and the playoff schedule is the absolute worst. It actively interferes with the teams’ ability to play the games.
TBS’ coverage hasn’t been awful, though — baseball is actually 5-10 times more enjoyable to watch when Tim McCarver and Joe Buck aren’t announcing it.
Jeff, why do you intensely dislike the D-Backs?
AAR,
My guess is he hates them from 2001?
I actually like the Diamondbacks because of 2001. I mean, I hated that they knocked us out in the Championship Series (I still don’t like Schilling/Johnson for that reason), but they also beat the Yankees, which somewhat redeemed them. I was definitely rooting for them over the Cubs, if for no other reason than Cubs’ fans are annoying and they have Rafael Soriano on the team. Plus, I’m still more upset about 2003 than I am about 2001.
I’m off to Yankee Stadium for another potential sweep. It’ll have some extra juice tonight because it could be the end of the Torre-Era Yankees.
As reported by the Bergen Record, Generalisimo Steinbrenner with another kooky missive:
http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxMTMmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTcyMDQ5NzEmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2
Maybe they’ll replace him with Jim Tracy.
Another moon shot from Manny… 2-0 Red Sox, and looking like sweep #3.
I just want Schilling to give up a few runs so that his playoff stats get a little less gaudy.
But this Angels lineup is seriously more punchless than the Washington Nationals. It’s hard to believe these guys scored so many runs this year, even if they had lil’ Sarge and Garret Anderson in their lineup.
9-0, now if the Indians can get Joe Torre fired tonight, we’ll see some history. Have there ever even been three series sweeps in Division Series history before?
No, ‘Rissa. The closest we’ve come is two sweeps and two 3-1 Division Series, in 1998 and again last year.
Hey Mac, I’d love to hear you weigh in about a possible Glavine signing in a new thread. I’m really on the fence about it and I’d love to hear what people thought.
Does anyone really think Hampton is going to give us anything next year? I do not see it happening.
I dont think Mike Gonzales will be of use next year either. Shame, could have made for a great pen with him and Soriano.
Way to destroy the 2008 season before it even begins, oldtimer. Thanks a lot.
I wonder about the effectiveness of Hampton as well, but at worst, I think we can stick him in the bullpen. I don’t expect him to be a third starter. At best, I expect him to be as good as Buddy Carlyle was in 2007. Not that good, but b etter than Mark Redman and can give us good starts sometimes.
As for Gonzalez, why do you feel the need to write him off? Did you do the same thing with Smoltz? Gonzalez will be back in June, most likely. I refuse to call him Steve Avery right now.
Hey, Brodie threw his first ever NFL touchdown pass today that kept the Chiefs from getting shutout. Only 421 more to go to tie Favre as of right now :).
Just because Hampton hasn’t pitched in 1 1/2 years doesn’t mean he has forgotten how to pitch completely.
Come on Indians! I want a fourth sweep!
Man, I hope so.
Sam,
No, worst case is that Hampton remains injured or is reinjured and doesn’t pitch at all. You know, sort of like the last couple of seasons. Counting on him is foolish.
Gonzalez was injured in, what, late April or Early May? TJ surgery takes at least a year from which to heal, and that’s only in the best case scenario. So, best case, he gets to start pitching again next May or so, when he’ll be rusty and of no real use to a team looking to make the playoffs. More realistically, he’ll return around the AS Break next year, at which point he’ll begin to pitch the rust off, making him ready by mid-August (at the earliest) or so.
oldtimer wasn’t writing him off completely or calling him Steve Avery. I the odds favor the of-no-use prediction more than they favor him being of any use, IMO. And I think, as with Hampton, the front office should build the team as though they won’t have him, with anything they get an unplanned bonus.
And even if neither are of any use, how does that destroy the 2008 season? You don’t think other roster changes will be made?
You have a real knack for making up things to argue against yourself.
Then I’ll just shut up then. You’re ALWAYS right, Stu.
AAR,
Yes, 2001, plus that the Braves are 2-4 this season and 1-5 against them last year. A bunch of this is probably just envy.
Look, I don’t think that it’s entirely unreasonable to expect Mike Hampton to at least have a bullpen role if he can pitch. We can always get someone else to pitch in a bullpen spot. The question will be is John Schuerholz dumb enough to make the same mistake twice with the starting rotation. I don’t think he is. It’s a plus if Hampton pitches effectively in any way.
The Gonzalez thing doesn’t bother me at all because the bullpen isn’t a high priority right now, which is encouraging. I prefer (in moments of clarity, and not angry pouting, like in the last post) not to speculate on what might have been because it’s a little pointless at this moment. I do believe that Gonzalez will be able to pitch effectively eventually, but who knows where the Braves will be by that point.
No, I’m not.
Hey, don’t get mad at me because you overreacted to two legitimate points and responded without thinking.
Hey, guys, let’s try not to lose perspective here. If you want to watch baseball on TBS, you have to be willing to endure 5 minutes of Dane Cook and Frank Caliendo for every 10 minutes of baseball — and even THEY’RE not as bad as Joe Buck and Tim McCarver.
Stu, I love ya, but even if I didn’t I’d have to say that those guys make you look like Mahatma Gandhi.
I know. I realized that after a few minutes.
All I expect from Hampton is at least enough for a decent bullpen role if he’s healthy. That’s a low enough expectation that can be reached. Anything else is cake.
Not having Gonzalez for most of the season obviously isn’t a good thing. But to fill the left-hander role, the Braves have several options to choose from, and all can be effective.
I love Brett Favre. (Can you tell I’m not watching baseball?)
Sam,
Yeah, our ‘pen should be okay, but Gonzalez is pretty dang hard to replace. I doubt we’ll re-sign Mahay. Ring should make for a very strong LOOGY, but Gonzalez was a guy who absolutely shut down lefties and righties. He’ll be missed. (As he was this season.)
AAR,
I actually enjoy Caliendo’s impersonations, but I’m quite sick of those commercials, for sure.
I have no idea how to respond to your second paragraph.
Stu, as a reliever, Gonzo is able to come back sooner. June is a realistic time table. The issue is actually whether he can gain back the velocity he had before the injury. However, I agree with you that counting on Gonzo is very dangerous as we have learned from Hampton’s experience.
In respect of Hampton, counting on him to be even a fifth starter is foolish as you said. That’s why I actually think the team need to acquire TWO starting pitchers.
Stu–I thought of you this morning, when I got up to watch either of the delayed AL playoff games and discovered that FOX was showing a replay of Vandy-Auburn…at least it saved me from watching the Yanks win…
Ironically, I thought of that game when I got up this morning and took a dump.
Stu, I actually enjoy Caliendo’s impersonations too, but he’s only as good as his joke writers, and those commercials are starting to get mighty old.
Anyway, I meant to give you a compliment, however funnily-worded. I like having you around here, and just wanted to remind Sam that however he felt about you, it was important to keep it in perspective.
Trade idea: what if we trade Renteria to the Cubs for Sean Marshall and Jacque Jones?
Hmmmm, well, if Jones is due for a rebound and they think Marshall is expendable, that would be decent.
I don’t think Jones is any better, offensively or defensively, than our other outfield options.
Willie Harris was better than Jones in 2007. Yikes.
If we keep Harris but lose Diaz, I will be upset. Unsurprised but upset.
Went to the Yanks/Tribe game tonight. A zoo, of course, at Yankee Stadium.
For the locals, it went from extreme fear (with Clemens on the mound) to confidence (Hughes on the hill). The place went totally up for grabs with Damon’s 3-run HR.
Lotsa talk about Torre’s somewhat odd bullpen choices tonight, but I could care less. I have tickets for tomorrow’s game, too, so I just wanna see more baseball.
Chien-Ming Wang vs Paul Byrd. I think it’s going back to Cleveland.
Mike Hampton in the bullpen? The game’s most expensive relief pitcher at 14.5 million? Come on. If Hampton is healthy, he’s got to start.
If we keep Harris but lose Diaz, I will be upset. Unsurprised but upset.
Same here. It wouldn’t shock me at all to see the Braves sell Matt Diaz to Japan like they wanted so badly to do last offseason and keep Willie Harris for no obvious reason.
Dan,
It’s not as insane as counting on him to start. Money is just a number here. It’s what Hampton can do that counts.
We don’t know if Mike Hampton will stay healthy, but if he can pitch I’d say he be much better in that fifth slot in the starting rotation than Cormier/Bennett/Carlyle. I don’t know about Jo-Jo Reyes though.
I think if you look at Hampton as the #5 guy and nothing more, it won’t hurt if he sucks on goes on the DL again.
Ububba, I’m not sure that Torre was the one making surprising bullpen decisions. How about Eric Wedge bypassing Rafael Betancourt and Rafael Perez and giving the ball in a close game to Aaron Fultz?
IT’S GREAT TO BE A TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER!
Dan,
That’s true. He would be best as a fifth starter, but if he has to pitch in the bullpen, it wouldn’t be such a bad idea.