ESPN – Braves vs. Mets – Box Score – August 19, 2008
Reason No. 352 I hate this awful ballclub: I’m running out of things to write. They actually led 3-2 in the eighth, and I figured I had something. I could talk about how the bunt remains stupid, how in the first inning Escobar bunted after Blanco walked leading off (I don’t care if he did it on his own or Bobby made the call — it’s Bobby’s fault either way). This, of course, is a giant “WALK CHIPPER” sign and the Braves didn’t score in the inning. In the third, Blanco walked, and Escobar didn’t bunt and instead singled and Chipper singled in a run and the Braves got three runs in the inning instead of just one, which is all you’ll get when you bunt even if it works.
Well, I guess I wrote that anyway, but you get the idea. It’s hard to write about LOSS AFTER LOSS and I came really close to just writing that this team sucks and lost and there’s no damned point to continuing beyond that.
Anyway, 3-2 lead, and you know what that means — HIBERNATION MODE! After giving up two in the first Reyes settled down and went six, and Bennett threw a perfect seventh. But Bobby left him in (he actually came to bat, and walked) and after getting one guy walked the next two, then allowing an infield single to Beltran. Then Ohman came in and continued to prove that he should have been traded by giving up a two-run double to Lazarus Delgado. And Tavarez came in, because why not? and gave up a two-run single, and a double to make it 7-3. I hate this team.
Chipper was 2-3 with two walks and is hitting .365, for what that’s worth
It’s indeed very tough to write on one loss after another. Maybe it’s time we just pick on what are the positives we can find in each game…if there is any…
Too many walks, too few clutch hits, one dumb bunt…
Well Escobar could have swung away in the first and hit into a double play….
Or he could have broken his hand trying to bunt, as he nearly did earlier this year. Or he could have been struck by a meteor. Who knows? All I know is that bunting reduces your chances at multiple runs and doesn’t really increase your chance at one.
We are one or two players away. Their names are Sandy Koufax and Mickey Mantle, but that’s beside the point.
Here’s an idea, Mac: Braves Loss Madlibs.
You won’t have to write any more summaries of losses. Instead, you can ask us to fill in the blanks for some Braves Loss template the end of the game.
For instance…
“I hate this ______ (noun). Jeffy, who _____ (verb), killed yet another ______ (noun), popping up _____ (adverb) to second with the ______ (noun) loaded. ______ (adjective) Bobby Cox, who hopefully will _______ (verb) after this season, continued his _____ (adjective) love affair with bunting us out of _____ (noun), and of course, our _______ (adjective), _________ (adjective) bullpen ______ (verb).
“Again, I _______ (verb) this team.”
I’m sure we will marvel at the accuracy of the finished product.
I love Adam’s idea!
Have we traded Kotsay yet?
Great idea Adam.
We could also enter in Braves loss type sets named after some of our starters. For Example:
The Hudson A: Starter goes eight strong only to lose because of lack offense and sucktastic work from bullpen.
The Hudson B: Starter goes deep into game bullpen holds, only to lose because lack of offense and a sucktastic defense.
The Mike Hampton: Starter gets hurt before the first two innings are complete leaving the game to a collection of relievers and little hope of winning.
The Chuck James: The offense shows up and knocks opposing starter out early, sadly Chuck James shows up and give opposing team hope by walking every other batter and XBH’s to those who didn’t walk.
I think I could go all night with these.
I hate this tomfoolery. Jeffy, who blows, killed yet another marketing opportunity for himself, popping up predictably to second with the gun (pointed at him from a sniper perch) loaded. Rotund Bobby Cox, who hopefully will re-evaluate the strategies he uses in the game of baseball after this season, continued his risque love affair with bunting us out of house and home, and of course, our scared, delirious bullpen defecates (in the bed).
Again, I somehow love and hate this team.
I took some liberties. Liberates. Lillibridge.
We are one or two players away. Their names are Sandy Koufax and Mickey Mantle, but that’s beside the point.
[golf clap]
The Braves new slogan.
“Braves Fever, Catch it! (Warning: Symptoms include nausea cramps, headaches, rundown feeling, broken heart, bad hamstring, bad shoulder, bad elbow, etc.).” Mike Hampton could do the commercials.
McCann stranded 8 runners. Either he’s caught Braves Fever or he’s covering for Jeffy.
I’ve thought about reinstituting the Miserable Braves Loss Type-Index, which had gotten pretty extensive.
Really Mac, I would love to see some of those. We definitely need some self-deprecating humour.
I had them all in a text file, but not on this computer. Here’s one:
I guess this would be Type 1.2(a)
Mac,
That sums up about half the losses this year, except for the offense wakes up late deal. We haven’t seen much of that. Maybe some late threats, but very few times did they actually scare the other teams.
Corky’s Big Night:
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/clubs/ip_index.jsp?sid=milb&cid=t431
Maybe the Braves will call him up in September….
For those who may feel nostalgic about the first Teixeria trade:
http://www.minorleagueball.com/
The legacy of Kolb (the Wickman trade) is evident as well….
As far as the bunting thing goes, please tell me I did not witness McCann attempting to bunt runners over with runners at first and second and nobody out and bunting into a double play. I was cooking dinner and not paying a great deal of attention to the game, and I looked up and saw that happen and couldn’t believe what I was seeing. In fact, given that nobody’s mentioned it yet, I’m starting to think maybe I dreamed the whole thing. But if it actually happened, that is by far the worst bunt call I have ever seen.
@Stephen: Oh, God, no!!!
Lazarus Delgado (chortle). Hang tough, Mac.
Kids took over my TV when the Mets were up 2-0, I caught the score when we were up 3-2… and then again when we were STILL up 3-2 in the 8th… I finally regained my TV for long enough to see a couple Mets cross the plate in the 8th and I quickly turned it back over to video games and played some Wii baseball to see what it felt like to win a baseball game (no matter how artificial it may be).
Twilight zone moment… right now the Tampa Bay Rays and the Chicago Cubs are the two winningest teams in baseball… I expect four creepy guys on horses to ride by any minute now.
Go Braves!
(And take the Falcons with you!)
What are Ohman’s numbers since the trade deadline?
Ohman’s numbers since Aug 1.
Link
in 66 appearances he’s only given up runs 8 times if I count correctly (or maybe those were earned runs)… but three of them have been from July 25th till now (9 innings, 6 runs, and 14 appearances). I don’t think he’s “done” but he’s probably more than a little fatigued from all those appearances.
Olympians who scare me: http://tinyurl.com/5cjxvj (well the other pics of them are less frightening, but that shot is FREAKY)
Bolt just set the world record in the 200M – 19.30 seconds
Olympians who dont scare me
http://tinyurl.com/6k4nbm
and
http://www.foxnews.com/photoessay/0,4644,4829,00.html#12_275
By the way, you all know this already, but Joe Posnanski has been hired by SI to write an online column, and they’re also reprinting his blog on their website. I wrote it up at Chop-n-Change.
This is really, really good. (I stand by my wish that the AJC would hire me to replace Furman Bisher, though.)
I’m just glad that at long last Furman Bisher can be replaced.
csg;
jailbait would scare me (and as I married a nowhere-near-olypmic-level gymnast I fear them in general)… though the javelin thrower is impressively not scary.
edit: and China is apparently a culture that “gets” its audience:
http://tinyurl.com/5nwmv5 they send out bikini clad cheerleaders between matches of bikini glad beach volleyball competition apparently.
this offseason this guy would sell off most of the infield
http://www.sabernomics.com/sabernomics/index.php/2008/08/looking-ahead/
thoughts
what an idiot.
wish I could read that here at work… I’m curious how that would work (and I assume there’s an argument made :D).
wow, it just hit me that Maddux is going to be managed by Torre… that’s just not right.
As usual, I think JC’s got some fascinating ideas — and I’ve personally advocated trading Infante, because I think he’s basically having his career year — but I don’t support the idea of trading Johnson or Kotchman. Unless Martin Prado is able to make some fairly massive defensive adjustments in the offseason, which is unlikely, he won’t really be able to be a starting second baseman. And we don’t have anyone else who’d really be capable of filling Kelly’s or Kotchman’s spots in the lineup. And trying to patch the holes with cheap veterans is something I’d like, for once, to avoid.
Kelly and Casey are not ideal — they’re adequate, and Kelly’s above-average for his position, but they aren’t that great — and they can’t hit enough to compensate for holes elsewhere. Kelly’s regression this year may be a typical sophomore slump, or it may demonstrate his limitations as an everyday player. He’s certainly not an ideal person for us to hang our hats on. But he’s the best we’ve got, and I’m not sure how we’d be able to get anyone else who’d be as good.
Casey Kotchman, again, isn’t great, and his offensive regression this year is similarly disappointing (it’s also probably the reason the Angels traded him and we obtained him in the first place). His cheapness certainly gives him value. But the Braves’ post-Galarraga 1B wasteland makes me pause at the notion that we can afford to trade away a cheap, somewhat productive first baseman just because we can find another one somewhere. Canizares, it seems, will never get a chance to prove himself; I’m not sure who else the Braves should target, as long as we’re assuming that we wouldn’t be able to afford Tex.
hey JC, sorry didnt even know it was you. I just saw the article on a different website and didnt really look to see who wrote it.
you know what frustrates me the most about Kotchman?? is TP. Kotchman hit 3 HR’s in his last 4 games with the Angels. As soon as TP sees him, he decides his stride is too long and it needs to be changed immediately. We are reaping the rewards arent we??
I always find reading JC’s blog very interesting. I read it regularly and really enjoy his writing style and insight, but I find myself vehemently disagreeing with him at least 50 percent of the time seemingly.
I continue to believe that just selling all your players in an attempt to retool almost never works. You can back off of spending for a year or two, but just dumping everybody is the easy way out, and only lazy and horrible GMs ever think that this is the correct solution.
Having said that, and while I disagree with it, I can see the argument for trading Chipper, especially if we’re giving up on next year (which I don’t think we are). However, trading Kelly, not a very good idea. I hear JC’s argument, but I’m not buying it (and for what it’s worth, trading Swisher wasn’t a very good idea, either. It outlined the No. 1 problem with Moneyball IMO. Beane seems to think he’s dealing in stocks, not players. Eventually, you need players, and he’ll never have them if he keeps selling them off when they reach peak value).
Trading Kotchman, even worse and totally, totally pointless. He’s under contract through 2011 and he’s cheap, so even if we’re fire selling, there would be absolutely no reason not to keep him, since under JC’s plan, we’d be competing again in 2010.
Trading Infante, OK by me if we can get something worthwhile, especially if we’re giving up on next year, but if we’re not, we probably won’t trade him, given how useful he is to have around.
(Sigh)A noted economist persuades me that we’re stuck with Francouer.
Of course, there’s the one about two economists shipwrecked on an island. One of them says, “Um…Assume a canoe…”
The money will best be spent obtaining talent. Talent is expensive. Those who recognize it are also expensive.
Let’s see how Liberty protects its asset.
I agree with JC that the Braves rushed Frenchy to the show.
I really don’t think this team is as far away as people think. Injuries have been the big killer this year.
We have great hitters in McCann and Chipper. I would move KJ this winter and see if I could find a center fielder or a middle of the rotation starter.
We really need to sign a solid starter and one really good outfielder and a solid one.
If we can keep our players healthy and sign a few people, we should be a good team next year.
How is trading Chipper next year any different than trading Tex this year. You are not going to get as much for him, even if you trade him in the offseason. He’s in the last year of his contract next year, he’s considered injury-prone by many, and he’s 36. If you were going to trade him away, why didn’t you do it in July and keep Teixiera?
We have some of the best prospects, all of which will be ready in 1-3 years. What we need are some players that can make an impact next year.
It seems to me, and I admittedly have been wrong upon rare occasion, that Chipper would be worth a lot more to a contender than to my beloved Braves. An American League team could spell him at third and keep his bat in the lineup. I’d have been delighted to have gotten 25-30 more games with Chipper batting four times than we did. I think he’d be worth a ransom of prospects to a contender.