Jurrjens fights off jitters | ajc.com
The Braves believe he’ll develop into a quality top-half-of-rotation starter, but for now he’s competing for the fifth spot. There is only one job available as long as Mike Hampton stays healthy.
In other words, there are two jobs available. Meanwhile…
Jurrjens faces competition from rookie left-hander Jo-Jo Reyes and others, but the pressure doesn’t figure to rattle the youngster.
Chuck Who?
Related: New poll.
Let’s go to fantasy land for a minute and pretend Hampton is healthy on opening day…is Chuck James the odd man out? Would he go to the bullpen or is he out of options? No way three lefties are in the rotation.
Where’s the “No, he will be in the minors” option?
He’s not out of options and he will probably start of the DL if Jurjjens or Reyes prove they can be useful to start the season.
I don’t think he can be sent to the minors. I may be wrong.
There, I added it.
last thread, re: Jason Heyward = No Bid’ness
AAR, thanks. I’m going to push that nickname for Heyward until there’s mainstream adoption. Will you join me?*
(*anyone here watch HBO’s Rome? Cirian Hinds was excellent as Julius Caesar. The Wire is my favorite, but Rome is right there with The Sopranos for #2 and Deadwood not far behind. The run of epic series may be over though.)
From the previous thread, someone said that Moustakas was probably going to be in the majors by the end of this season, and I’m sorry but I have to call you out on that. There is practically no way that a high schooler is making it to the majors with less than a full season of minorleague ball.
I know he is a fantastic prospect, but he is as far away as Heyward.
I thought Chuck James did have options. That this year he could be sent down.
Obviously, DOB is convinced Chuck is not in the running. Usually, he has informed reasons for thinking things.
Besides, Chuck probably needs a DL rehab stint in Richmond anyway.
You know, I had really high hopes when DOB became the beat writer – he answered personal emails, and we had a really great discussion about stats, but it seems like he pretty quickly got co-opted by the system and became a less embarrassing version of Peanut.
#7
I never got into “Rome,” but I loved “Deadwood.”
Trading James would be a bad idea. Wait until James or Hampton (or just Hampton) gets hurt and let Reyes and Jurjjens get their time in that way.
At the AJC, you’re never going to get a bulldog beat guy—the editors don’t want that.
They had a guy kinda like that back in the early ’80s (Chris Mortenson) & the team hated him, clammed up around him & he was essentially denied access. In a one-newspaper town, that’s death.
When discussing the Braves/AJC relationship, a buddy of mine (who’s close to the Braves) quotes “Miller’s Crossing”: “They’re as cozy as lice.”
I don’t think Sekou Smith is in the Hawks’ various owners’ pockets.
Hmm, I didn’t know Chris Mortensen was a beat writer. Looking at Wikipedia, he covered the Braves from ’83-’85. He’s pretty much covered football every since. How ’bout that…
I like DOB — seems like a nice guy, writes a lot, answers the comments on his blog posts, which is a Herculean task, etc. — and I don’t really look to beat writers for smart stuff like what ought to be done, on the basis of statistical analysis and the like, and to criticize the team for making tough decisions. That’s mostly been ceded to the blogs, for better and for worse. Obviously, Posnanski’s in his own crazy category.
So it’s up to us to be smart.
And I like DOB’s musical moments. Just today, he’s got lyrics to “Darkness on the Edge of Town.”