Remember, everybody — whining works!
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Remember, everybody — whining works!
Use code “Journal” for a 5% discount.
What the hell happened to Chuck James this year? I don’t get to watch many games on TV anymore. I know it felt like he was walking a tightrope the past 2 years, but this year is implosion city. What did I miss?
Chuck James luck ran out. Speaking of Chuck James….
Do you remember when Horatio Ramirez was the ace of the 2004 US Olympic Baseball team? I don’t either.
I think we maybe forgetting that this is Frank Wren’s 1st year as GM, so I wouldn’t look for him to throw in the towel so quickly…he is trying to prove himself.
Go Braves!
I’m feeling good tonight. Let’s go Huddy!
I mentioned this late last night after the game, but I really can’t stop thinking about. If we were in such ridiculous need of outfielders that we just absolutely needed to call Jeffy back up early from his timeout, why in the hell did we just send Jason Perry down when signing Julian Tavarez? We now have the same number of outfielders as before. Why would we not just sign Tavarez and not bring Francoeur up? Either Wren is just a complete moron, or there’s something fishy going on.
Regardless, the result is that now we have Francoeur basically running around bragging about winning his little pissing match with Frank Wren and, in general, just being a total schmuck. This can do nothing but destroy team chemistry. There has to be somebody in that clubhouse who realizes that Francoeur is being a total jerk, and if he doesn’t shut the hell up very soon, you’d have to think that it will eventually blow up, if it hasn’t already. If anybody in charge (either Cox or Wren) cares the least bit about team chemistry, he almost has to be benched (or sent back down) for awhile now just so that it’s clear that it’s not acceptable to be making those types of comments.
The Braves should bring in Bonds, roid him up so he’s in a rage, tell him that Francoeur ratted him out to the Mitchell report, and then stand back and watch as Francoeur goes on the 60-day DL with “baseball-related injuries,” namely a bat upside his rock of a head. Maybe it would knock some sense into him. I am only sort of kidding.
Teams that win have no problems with chemistry. Trim the dead weight and put together a few winning streaks and everyone will love everyone else.
I do tend to read too much into things sometimes but it really does seem like guys are going up there hacking at the first pitch in support of their hacktacular team mate. Am I the only one?
Hey guys, I just heard something on the news about Hampton maybe pitching tomorrow. If that’s the case, then he’ll be in Jacksonville and I do NOT wanna miss that. Anybody know if I can find pitching matchups for minor league baseball?
Here ya go, Rob
http://www.mississippibraves.com/pressbox/bravesbeat/index.html?article_id=709
Has Frenchy been flapping his gums since his recall? I have not heard anything about that.
Also team chemistry only gets questioned when a team is not performing well, i truly believe team chemistry is overrated in baseball.
Just because everyone loves each other does mean you will win, and doesn’t mean you will lose either.
With all the outfield problems, why is Brandon Jones still in AAA? Is there something I missed. He wasn’t playing bad for the big league team
Re: Making Form Out of Dysfunction
The champion A’s of the early ’70s didn’t get along terribly well. Everyone knows about the Bronx Zoo of the late ’70s. And the Piniella Era Reds endured some clubhouse squabbles, too.
Aside from the fights & titles, the common factor here? They all, in some way, were united against their owners.
Re BJones, he wasn’t playing poorly compared to Francouer, but I wouldn’t say he was playing well compared to any other corner outfielder in the NL. He started okay but came back to earth, IMO, which ain’t worth much.
In an effort to point out a positive on Frenchy… came across this story about him from last year:
http://homerderby.com/archives/87
Apparently he confronted A-Rod about being a jerk to some guy in the clubhouse who brought him the wrong sandwich.
The problem with B. Jones was handedness.
The problem is that the Braves would rather spend a roster spot on a decrepit former mediocrity turned replacement-level softball player named Greg Norton than on a young player who might be good but might not.
I’m just explaining why he went down. When Kotsay came back, we had 3 left handed outfielders
Um… Perry hits lefthanded. As does, I believe, every true outfielder in the top three levels of the organization except Francoeur.
Other than Diaz.
Right, Diaz. Okay, so there are two. Everyone else, lefties.
Um…
Jones went down when Kotsay came back. July 1.
Ten days hadn’t passed before they sent Francoeur down, July 4.. I don’t believe Jones could be recalled.
Perry was the best option to come up, because as you said, they’re all lefties.
I’m just trying to explain why he went down. Please save me the condescension.
Why, if they were thinking of sending Francoeur down, he didn’t just go down when Kotsay came back, I do not know.
The main point is that Francoeur sucks and Norton sucks and Kotsay and Blanco aren’t exactly worldbeaters, but the Braves are comfortable with them and not with Jones for some reason.
http://braves.scout.com/2/767501.html
Enjoy Japan, Chris Resop!
Well Norton wasn’t supposed to be this high on the outfield options list. But Diaz wasn’t supposed to tear his PCL, Francoeur wasn’t supposed to go all Andruw on us, and Infante was supposed to be the THIRD right-handed outfielder.
I believe the thought was, Norton is capable of doing the job for which he was brought in, late-inning pinch hitting and backing up 1b.
I honestly believe that makes Norton a more useful player than Francoeur, in this particular situation. If someone had to be moved to get us some BODY to fill right field, it was Francoeur, not Norton, because I think they feel Norton can do A job, and he can’t be sent down, he has to be waived.
So Frenchy went down, and Perry came up, because B. Jones was ineligible.
When Infante got hurt, I don’t know why they chose Frenchy over Jones. Probably a combination of these: Frenchy is right-handed, has shown SOMETHING in the majors before, and was 7-13 in Mississippi.
That move might be right or wrong. I don’t defend it. I was just explaining that Jones went down for Kotsay because he’s left-handed.
Mac………if whining really worked, Frenchy would be playing semi-pro ball in Latvia by now.
lol @ 24
What’s Bernard Gilkey up to these days? Danny Tartabull?
Lineup up
Blanco LF
Escobar SS
Chipper 3B
Tex 1B
McCann C
Whiner RF
Johnson 2B
Kotsay CF
Hudson P
Disappointed in the Braves handling of Frenchy. Where is the leadership with this organization?
Wren, and those who made this decision are leaving themselves open for question. If he falters, what do they do then?
28: On the radio the other day, Wren said (basically) that they’d just play it by ear if Francoeur kept sucking. It’s that kind of inspiring leadership that instills confidence in a fanbase.
I can’t believe Frenchy is still hitting 6th, though that may be there to break up the left-handedness at the bottom
Man, is anyone else’s FSN South picture jumping around?
Jea, what do you want him to say? “If Francoeur sucks it up again, he’s trade bait or Mississippi’s new regular.” Yeah, that inspires confidence…
I don’t know, Rob, but I think having some sort of plan is better than nothing. I know he was in a tough spot, and I’m being too sarcastic, but it just didn’t sit well with me.
whining works?
OMG,, look at the Andruw stats.@-@
I don’t know why the scouters crazy about a tool player. Seemingly they think baseball is a game of chance. I don’t trust them out and out though.
Jones couldn’t have been called up to replace Francoeur, which was why Perry was, but he certainly could’ve been called up to replace Infante. And that still doesn’t explain the whole Tavarez-for-Perry thing.
Way to make him work.
Looks like Chipper is in a slump by anyone’s standards.
Well, a slump by anyone’s standards except Francoeur’s.
Did the Braves implement some sort of rule that says they must allow the Dodgers’ pitchers to be perfect the first time through the lineup?
Chipper is hitting .210 points higher than Andruw, and I’m complaining about how low Chipper’s batting average has gotten.
When Andruw’s production declined, it dropped off the face of this earth.
june 27…last time we scored in the first inning.
It could be worse, we could have signed Andruw
Didn’t see Chipper’s first at-bat. How did he look?
It feels so refreshing to see Andruw come up in another uniform, knowing that the odds of a strikeout/weak roller to the left side are about 85%.
I think Chipper is hurt.
Chipper probably isn’t as near 100% as he could be. I’m glad he got the All-Star selection (and I’m sure he’s glad, too—he gets an extra $2 million next year because of it), but I really wish he’d get those three days off. Chipper is our offense.
15 batters up this game, 15 batters down. I’m only following on Gameday. Do both pitchers look as good as that makes them sound, or are the batters on both teams just really pathetic?
Boy, you can just cut the tension with a knife out there tonight.
I am still waiting for our offense to be even a fraction of what I thought it would be.
Phils just took the lead over the Cards in the 8th.
Cardinals and Phillies are two of my least favorite teams. Is there any chance they can both lose that game?
The difference in quality between Vin Scully and Simpson/Sciambi is so vast it’s difficult to describe.
Ground out pitching duel.
Can I ask a non baseball related question? Why is it that when a woman knows you like doing a certain thing she must constantly try to interrupt that thing?
no hit through 4 for the 3rd straight night. that’s abysmmal
Sigh.
Anyway, as usual, morning recap, assuming the evil neighbors behave themselves.
D. Lowe perfect through 4. Do we ever hit this guy?
Don’t the Dodgers have the best team ERA in baseball? That didn’t come about by accident.
Yeah, we’ve hit him. I wonder if the Dodger bloggers are saying the same about Timmy tonight.
It would help to make Lowe work just a little maybe.
27 batters up, 27 batters down. Lowe and Hudson have pitched a complete perfect game so far.
He’s thrown like 30 pitches thru 5. This is infuriating.
Keep swingin at that 1st pitch. Best way to get the season over with more quickly.
Not any more…
Imagine if the Braves had kept Andruw Jones around another year.
Imagine the bottom four of the lineup with Andruw Jones, Francoeur and the pitcher…
@52 Mr.Swings.
You’d better ask a woman. HAHAHA.
Question is ambiguous. For example? IMHO, It’s different case by case.
Who here did not know Andruw was going to ground out to the left side?
Oh, goody. Andruw can be unclutch even in another team’s uniform.
I can has offense?
Through five full innings, one baserunner, 101 pitches thrown, and five balls hit out of the infield.
An early-90s kinda Braves game.
Wow, McCann is the only Brave who has hit the ball out of the infield so far tonight.
Uh, guys, this is a little too close to Monday’s game. Let’s snap out of it.
I don’t like this perfect game flirting thing.
we have now been no-hit for 18 innings in this series.
Can we buy some batting tees for the Braves?
Honestly, the Braves have now had seventeen innings of nothing to start these three games (7 on Tuesday, 4 yesterday, 6 tonight). This is beyond description for what should be a decent offensive team.
diaz and schafer both went deep tonight.
http://tinyurl.com/58xv6g
Ballgame.
I bet Hudson hates this offense.
game over
Tim, if it’s any solace, we hate this offense too.
Meanwhile, everyone else in the division has won. We’ll be six out, 4.5 behind the Marlins and Mets, unless the offense revives.
1-0..over? seriously? it’s not THAT hopeless.
Pretty early for Hudson to begin allowing fly balls. His pitch count is still fairly low…
we will wake up this inning.
Get some runs for Hudson.
Bunt!111
Yay
great job by Blanco there
Blanco to third on a groundout…nice
what a play by blanco….amazing.
Now /that’s/ a heads-up running play by Blanco.
he’s calling low strikes tonight..maybe has to do with the sinking action.
At least the PG is gone.
well I’ll say it, Chipper that was crap
Urgh.
Time for Chipper to be sent to Pearl for a weekend.
Why is it the Braves always wait till two outs to get the deep flyout with the runner on third?
Chipper needs to take himself out of the lineup… this playing hurt bullcrap is doing nothing but killing this team. It’s obvious something is wrong, he just looks like he doesn’t want to be out there… last nite he takes a fast ball right down the middle of the plate and starts to walk back to the dugout before the ump even calls him out. Most of his attempts in the last 3 games have been lackadaisical at best. I really hope he doesn’t play in the all-star game and rests instead.
time for TP to get sent to Pearl
he looks fine to me…there are no grimaces on any of his swings. He’s just not getting the job done right now
whats sad is that we are leading the series 9-6 in runs scored and about to lose 2 of 3
“Chipper needs to take himself out of the lineup… this playing hurt bullcrap is doing nothing but killing this team. It’s obvious something is wrong, he just looks like he doesn’t want to be out there.”
i hope you’re kidding. chipper has looked better running the past 5-6 days than he has in quite a while. this crap about “looking like you want to be out there” is ridiculous. what’s he supposed to do? smile and wink and secretively think…”oh man! tough break. i’ll get you next time” *wink* he’s not “hurting the team” by being out there. you want prado to play?
!!!!
I’m surprisingly glad for Andruw getting that round of applause
when Chipper bounces out and Andruw comes through you get the feeling that this is not our night.
95 — pretty much sums up the year. what’s our pythag record now?
72, good to see Mark Bellhorn is still alive and well.
I have to say that not pinch-hitting for Lowe with the bases loaded is kind of insulting. Apparently they assume two will be enough.
Now, maybe it will, but it’s still kind of insulting.
Hey Ryan C
Chipper has K’d 5 times in the last 3 games and is 0-10 this series. I’m not saying he needs to look “chipper” and happy everytime he goes out there but these last 3 games he has looked uncharacteristically bad. This isn’t just a dry spell, he just doesn’t look like his normal self out there. I do think he should skip the all-star game to get some needed rest
Good work Frenchy, now we can continue the road 1 run futility.
!!!!!
Francoeur homered. Did anyone win Powerball tonight?
I don’t believe what I just saw.
WOOOO FRANCOEUR!
“I do think he should skip the all-star game to get some needed rest.”
i’m fine with this statement. i’m not fine with you suggesting that chipper, just because he’s slumping, that he’s hurting the team and should pull himself.
Well crud, it’d be a tie game if Hudson didn’t melt down in the eighth. It’d be a tie game if Chipper got that run in.
Again, the Braves failing at doing the little things.
(Also, how many times has McCann grounded out to second base this season?)
103, he’s human. He’s entitled to one bad series this season.
serenity now
did jeff francoeur get teeth extensions? his teeth look more horselike this year than i remember in the past.
Well Ryan C… Maybe he shouldn’t take himself out but he cost us a run this game plain and simple
Why is that insulting? Lowe is CRUISING right now — not even averaging 10 pitches an inning, so what incentive is there for Torre to take him out? It was only two games ago that we got one-hit, who’s to say it won’t happen again tonight? It’s not like the boy-wonder has lit things up since he made it back from Mississippi…..
What’s hilarious is that I just took a second to go back to gameday, and Frenchy knocks one out. I will eat some humble pie now.
yes, plain and simple, he did, however suggesting to bench our best player because he doesnt “look good at the plate” is asinine.
Another one-run road loss?
Goatay is not the one to hit and run with
Joe just said “we may lose Gotay as a result.” Are you freaking serious Joe, do really think Gotay would’ve gotten on base somehow? Geez, you’re a moron
WTF was that?
Wow, how about the little things and paying attention to the fundamentals? Is it any more obvious than now that the coaching staff and batting lineup needs a complete overhaul in their approach to the game?
chipper will be due up 4th in the 9th. lets hope he can redeem himself.
What Bobby is doing to Boyer is borderline criminal.
if you’re wondering…you have to score runners at third with one out and you cant let anyone beat you on an 0-2 count. I really feel sad for our starters. They have to be perfect in order to get a win
Inept and clueless. That’s a hell of a way for this team to play out the string. Look out, Nationals!
anyone know the speed on that last pitch? boyer looked like he just lobbed it up there (the pitch kemp hit, that is).
gotta hold em here . . . . not that it matters
the pitch Kemp hit was 95 and down in the zone
49th appearance…most in MLB. Bobby’s favorite toy, indeed.
LETS GO BRAVES
would anyone take a flyer on Scott Hatteberg right now? he wouldnt be worse than our current, Infanteless, bench. Would have more power potential also
Coming up on the one year anniversary of our last one run road win, a game we did our best to give away in the ninth.
hey we are about to lose our 24th straight 1 run road decision
Ryan C…. i never said the coaches should bench him. There comes a time that when a player plays simply to help the team they need to be realistic and say am I actually helping the team? Or am I just playing to play. I don’t think you or I can say whether or not chipper is actually hurt, but based on tonight and the last three games, he isn’t helping. At no point this season has he looked this uncomfortable at the plate than he has in the last 3 games.
the problem with having Kotsay run wasn’t the possibility of burning Gotay–it was burning an out which the Braves had only 4 remaining at the time
nice at bat norton you freaking clod
norton, with a 2-0 count and nobody out in the 9th, swings at a ball in his f’in eyebrows.
jon,
ok
Extending our major-league record.
Nice work, Frank Wren.
Meek. Bloody meek.
6 under, 6 games back of Phillies again. 4.5 behind both the Mets and Marlins.
I hate this team.
SOS, week in, week out, month in, month out, year in, year out for the last three freaking years. Is anyone capable of pulling the trigger on blowing up this team? Boy this gets frustrating, but I guess that’s what being a fan is all about.
“F*#$ it man, let’s go bowling.”
this team is a joke… and a major reason is Wren/Cox/and pendelton.
Absolutely horrific at-bat by Norton. What a joke.
Hey we get Peavy on Friday
meanwhile, Brian Jordan sucks on Braves Live. Seriously, how many people get worse at there jobs everyday (not including our Braves players)
Frank Wren?
You guys sound like Met’s fans.
This game is definitely Bobby’s, Pendleton’s, Wren’s, ad Chipper’s fault, and had absolutely nothing to do with Derek Lowe throwing 60 strikes and only 25 balls.
Yeah, it’s always the pitcher. Has nothing to do with Gotay and Norton hitting late in a close game. Or Corky starting every 5 days.
Will that be the excuse all this weekend when we face the worst team in the NL?
We have the same winning percentage as the Reds and Pirates. No use fighting it any longer, guys. This team just ain’t very good. Bobby could push every button right and they still wouldn’t be worth a shit. You can’t make chicken salad out of chicken shit.
Look, obviously the goal every year is to win the WS. This team isn’t making the playoffs, & even if they did, they would just get bounced in the 1st round. So, let’s regroup for next year. It won’t do any good to trade for some mediocre RH outfielder, just so we can win 78-82 games & finish 3rd in the division.
There’s something wrong with the makeup/chemistry here. On paper they should kick people’s asses…but….look at the garbage we see every night. I don’t mean we should clean house & trade 4-5 starters…just try to mix it up A LITTLE.
Totally agree.
We need some competent outfielders. This team isn’t that far off. The pitching has been very good; the bullpen has been OK. You simply cannot be a winning team when you get below league average production at every outfield spot. That is utterly absurd.
EDIT: Of course, we’ll be a lot farther off next year without Tex. There will be holes at all three outfield spots and at first base. That’s going to be hard to overcome. And I don’t exactly trust our GM to make the right moves in the offseason.
Wren HAD to make a move when Diaz and Kotsay both got hurt, esp. w/Francoeur being Francoeur. Calling up Brandon Jones is not the answer.
And Diaz/Kotsay aren’t even that good.
Brad, I don’t think there were many decent outfielders available in the trade market that early in the season.
I really wonder if Bobby really sent Kotsay to steal in the eighth inning or if Kotsay ran on his own…it took away Chipper’s chance in the ninth.
Wren should have addressed the OF in spring training. Opening the season with an outfield of Diaz (who is a very good part timer but is over matched as an everyday player), Kotsay (chronic back issues, league average ceiling) and Francoeur (wildly inconsistent performer) was a recipe for disaster.
I don’t think there were many decent outfielders available in the trade market that early in the season.
Oh bologna. Juan Rivera was available, among others. Good GMs get creative to improve their team. I mean, c’mon. Finding OFers than can provide league average production shouldn’t be too terribly difficult.
Jeremy, even league average commands premium nowadays. That’s why we end up with guys like Norton and Gotay. I am sure we could have Juan Rivera if Wren overpays. Of course, then we would bash Wren for overpaying.
So, put me down in the trade Tex for prospects camp. I know it would be easier to let him play the rest of the year and let him walk for the two draft picks. That would be easier for the front office to justify trading the six players for Mahay, DeVall and two draft picks, I understand that. I like what the Indians did with Sabathia, I know Tex isn’t going to get the return, but get a placeholder at 1B and a couple of AA prospects. You don’t have to pay the signing bonuses on the prospects, instead of drafting and then paying those guys who will be even further down the line in terms of development.
jj3bagger, it all depends on what teams are offering…
Yes, the Dodgers have very good pitching but this is ridiculous. To get a total of three hits in two of the games? I’m sorry, that’s not acceptable if you were facing Smoltz, Glavine, and Maddux in their prime. Lowe’s a good pitcher but last I saw, no one was planning his HOF induction ceremony. Other than the Nationals, I have not seen a team this easy to pitch against. This is just a lousy team, period. They keep losing and they keep losing and they keep losing and they stay in denial; at some point, you are your record. And they aren’t doing much better at home now either.
I don’t know where to go with this team. Obviously, they need more pop in the outfield but, on the other hand, even their good hitters can’t consistently generate runs. A one hitter and a two hitter in the same series?
As for Chipper not playing in the AS game, that’s not really his decision to make. You can’t just skip the game just because you are tired. I’m sure everyone of those players could use the rest. People seem shocked that he is in a slump, as if he was going to hit .420 all year. This is why no one has hit .400 in 60+ years.
We can rip Wren all we want but what OF did you all want him to get? Xavier Nady? please, he stinks, This team would be no different with him in it.
Wren had a budget to work with, he was at the max when he got the job, picked up a pitcher because we all bitched about pitching and knew it needed to be addressed, he traded an old guy for a young SP stud and a potential leadoff guy/trade bait in Gorky. We all applauded when he got someone who could breath when he traded Yates.
Kotsay was looking very good till he got hurt.
What has hurt us is the injuries compounded with
a farm system is horribly weak overall and that he has nothing to do with.
This year is a wash. Do not blow up the team, who are we going to trade, McCann and Escobar?
Is it true that Brian Jordan has been seen hitting off a tee and working out around the facility?
(yes, I’m kidding. Lord, I hope!)
Recap is up.