Atlanta Braves vs. New York Mets – Box Score – May 12, 2009 – ESPN
I hate this game sometimes. The Braves led 3-0 going into the bottom of the eighth. The Mets got a couple of sorry hits off of Jair Jurrjens, who had been masterful to that point. Bobby stuck with him instead of going to a reliever, and on 102nd pitch of the game, Reyes hit a one-out double into the gap to make it 3-2, though fortunately he tried to stretch and was thrown out at third. Then Bobby goes to the pen, and wound up using both Moylan and O’Flaherty (with Soriano probably unavailable) to get one out.
In the ninth, because Moylan and Soriano weren’t options, Bobby had to go with Gonzalez against a primarily righthanded portion of the Mets’ lineup. Beltran doubled leading off. They couldn’t get him to third with the next out, so he took off on a steal attempt. He looked out — obviously out — but was called safe. Gonzalez “hit” the next batter (who dived into the pitch — according to the rulebook, he is not entitled to a base) and then threw an 0-2 breaking ball to Luis Castillo, who couldn’t catch up to Gonzalez’s fastball with a head start, a bottle of amphetamines, and a cheat code. He hit a sac fly to tie it.
In the tenth, Chipper singled with one out. McCann (who already had three hits, including a double, on the night) just missed a homer, after which Chipper stole second. The Mets walked Brian, and I have no problem with the steal; the intentional walk is almost always a bad play. But they got Kotchman, and Francoeur was basically an automatic out.
Bennett pitched the bottom of the inning, and got two easy outs. Reyes then hit an infield single up the middle, and stole second. Bobby had Bennett walk Alex Cora; if the intentional walk is almost always a bad play, the intentional walk to Alex Cora always is. Bennett then walked the next man, a pinch-hitter. And then he walked Beltran to end it. Genius managing, great pitching.
The Braves had lots of chances. They just didn’t come through that often, and had some bad luck; McCann’s double probably would have scored Chipper from first (there were two out) but bounced off a fence that is apparently out of play and was called a ground-rule double. But they stranded ten men, and Francoeur in particular looks totally hapless against righthanded pitching.
It’s blossoming into a personal hate with Francoeur. I can’t take much more of him.
Right as you think the Braves might be a decent team, they remind you of how mediocre they really are.
Also, the single biggest reason of the last 4 years being crap (other than pitching injuries) is Jeff Francoeur. Why can’t the Braves realize this?
This is the type of loss that can lead to a 7-15 stretch.
I can handle losing, but I hate to watch a team beat itself. Walkoff walks are just unacceptable.
The call at third was total bs. Beltran was obviously out.
Schafer had a good night. As much as he’s struggled lately, his defense finally came through and that throw was quite good.
yea we could have used Oflaherty .. stupid to use both Moylan and Ofaherty to get one out … then Booby does his normal goof leaving ina guy who is having trouble getting the ball over .. he looked shaken after the walk to the hitter before Beltran .. would have gone to carlyle or Parr in hindsight … just a another heartbreaking loss .. not as bad as the Philly masacre but close .. I hate the Mets
My two-year-old son got a Braves jersey when he was a baby. My mother-in-law got it at a department store in Richmond. It was the only one there — of course, it’s a Frenchy jersey. I think I’m going to burn it. Should have done it a long time ago…
I dont understand either why Francour is in the lineup every night .. why cant Infante or Diaz play right field .. I tell you this too .. garret anderson may be the worst outfielder the Braves have had since Jeff Burroughs
The sad thing is that he’s only the 2nd worst outfielder on his own team, only behind his bookend in right field.
Well that was the chance to have a winning record, a 6-2 road trip and a series win over another division rival. There is still a chance for that ofcourse, but less of one considering JoJo (I haven’t won a major league game in about 30 starts) is pitching.
I have yet to see Jeff Bennett have an inning this season where he wasn’t in some kind of trouble, laboring cluelessly out there. Is there not a better option? I get that he’s basically the last guy on the pen, but come on, if we have to resort to this guy on the roster then the organization has failed.
Lastly…i’ve had it with Francouer. I gave him the benefit of the doubt when he looked like a more disciplined hitter the first 20 games or so. Now he’s just doing what he did all of last year, looking utterly immature at the plate and making for easy outs.
Say what you want about the bullpen management, but if the 3rd-base umpire was competent the Braves get the W.
The day after the Braves get rid of Francoeur, some time in the distant future, it should become illegal to mention his name.
This game was lost in the 9th inning last night.
Here is why:
The braves were up by 6 and Carlyle was stuggling a bit, but with 2 outs BC got Gonzo up instead of Bennett or Parr.
I have an issue with that because, if Bennett is not good enough to get one out with a five or six run lead in a pitchers park, then he is NOT good enough to start the 10th in a tie game.
Moylan is a crap shoot out of the pen right now, and BC is jerking him around. Gonzo needed the rest. He looked tired tonight. His velocity was fine, but location was bad, a sure sign of fatigue.
The braves need another reliever (on top of lots of other things). Bennett has to go, he has no command.
Joseph Reyes needs to lock JoJo on the bus tomorrow and come up big, if not the pen is in for more pain.
I know tomorrow is only the 36th game of the year, but the braves need a huge effort from some other guys on the pitching staff.
Counting down the days till Hanson and Medlen get pulled up. As it is, Josie Jo is probably pitching for his job tomorrow (or at least he should be) with Charlie Morton ready to drive over any time.
If he has a bad outing tomorrow it is time to make Reyes a reliever.
How about that weak attempt by Garret Anderson to catch that late inning blooper? We need a late inning defensive replacement on this squad.
Ugly loss tonight.
That’s probably what bothers me most about this loss. One bad call and we get lost. This is what happens when you have a couple of wet blankets in Anderson and Frenchy conveniently spaced in the lineup.
And Bennett is basically old Wickman, without the fan club.
The blown call at third was bad, but two Mets (Reyes at third and Wright at second) were called out on the basepaths when they were actually safe. I don’t think the umpires cost us the game.
I know the call at 3rd was terrible, but it never should have gotten to that point.
BC left JJ in too long on top of mess up last night in the 9th.
Again, the braves, on top of having no offense, are two arms short in the pen.
The braves cannot keep relying on two guys in the pen everynight.
Either get some bats or get some arms.
First off, since I was gone through the whole game: @19 from the previous thread AAR quotes my previous statement:
“You know who else never had a specific ‘strikeout pitch’? Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux.”
And then comments:
“Sigh.
Are you telling me you really never saw Tom Glavine or Greg Maddux throw a changeup?
Greg Maddux has the 10th-most career strikeouts ever. Glavine has the 24th-most strikeouts ever. This may seem hard to believe, but a good way to crack the top 25 all-time strikeouts list is to strike a lot of people out, by pitching. Both Maddux and Glavine had pitches that struck people out, in other words. You could call those strikeout pitches. Maddux’s cutter and changeup, and Glavine’s changeup, were particularly devastating; each was, in its time, considered one of the best pitches in baseball. So devastating, in fact, that the two of them struck out nearly 6000 men combined.”
Alex, you’ve expressed my point exactly (and I’ll say I considered only mentioning Maddux because someone could make a reasonable case about Glavine’s changeup if they wanted to.) I wasn’t saying these guys Tom, Greg and Jair don’t strike people out, only that they didn’t have a “strikeout pitch” like John Smoltz’s slider or Andy Pettite’s cutter.
Maddux never had “one” strikeout pitch, and he never needed it because he was fully capable of striking you out with any pitch in his arsenal. Jair has that sort of stuff, though in a much less mature form than the later Maddux. Just look at Maddux’s K-rate at the age of 22: 249 IP, 140 K… Jair recorded 188 1/3rd IP last year, and struck out 139. He may not have one pitch that makes you jump out of your seat, but he’s got enough variety and command to strike you out with whatever pitch he chooses to throw.
If you’re saying Jair doesn’t have a strikeout pitch, then clearly neither did Maddux until ’91. (Btw, Glavine at 22: 195 1/3 IP, 84 K.)
Let it go, man.
Edit: Frenchy sucks.
Free Infante! I went to the game tonight. The Mets are 9-0 when I go to a game. Bobby is senile and needs to hang it up. There’s no reason JJ should pitch to Reyes. Bobby and Francoeur are hell bent on ruining this team.
Pitch counts are in parenthesis.
May 5:
Down 2-1, Bobby uses Soriano in the 8th (14) and Gonzalez in the 9th (9). Gonzalez gives up 2 runs and the Braves eventually lose 4-3 after K-Rod gives up 2 runs in the bottom of the 9th.
May 6:
Up 8-6, Bobby uses Soriano in the 8th (15) and Gonzalez in the 9th (15). Braves win 8-6.
May 7:
Up 4-2, Bobby uses Soriano in the 8th (29) and Gonzalez in the 9th (13). Braves win 4-2.
May 8:
Off day for both Gonzalez and Soriano as we were down by multiple runs most of the game.
May 9:
Up 6-2, Bobby uses Gonzalez in the 9th (16). Braves win 6-2.
May 10:
Up 4-2, Bobby uses Gonzalez in the 8th (17) and Soriano in the 9th (12). Braves win 4-2.
May 11:
Up 8-3 with 2 runners on, Bobby calls for Gonzalez to warm up, though he isn’t used.
May 12:
Up 3-2, Bobby uses Gonzalez in the 9th (17). Blows the save, Bennett takes the loss in the 10th.
There’s 2 things you should take from this.
First, the back end of the bullpen is very effective in general. They’ve played a very large part in our recent success. And there is much reason to be encouraged by the bullpen.
Secondly, Bobby Cox is using the back end of this bullpen ENTIRELY TOO MUCH. He’s just completely mismanaged it. I know it’s good and he feels comfortable with it at the end of close games, but they’re relief aces for a reason, you moron. You can’t use them every time you want to. Because, when you REALLY NEED THEM, in the super-high leverage situations, they’ll be unavailable or ineffective. That’s what we saw tonight. Gonzalez has now pitched on 6 of the last 8 days and warmed up on a 7th. Soriano has pitched 5 of the last 8 days. This is just absolutely absurd. There’s a reason Tony LaRussa started using Eckersley exclusively in the 9th when his team is ahead by 3 or less. That’s the time that the opposition needs to score the most. And that’s presumably the time they’re trying the hardest to score. Save your relief aces for then. It’s simple.
On the 5th and 9th there was NO REASON to use Soriano or Gonzalez. When you’re down, you don’t use your relief ace unless he needs to get regular work. When you’re up 6-2, you don’t use your relief ace unless he needs regular work. And there was no reason for Bobby to even get Gonzalez warm on the 11th. With 2 outs and a 5 run lead, I don’t care if the sacks are juiced, you get your 4th or 5th best pitcher on the relief staff warm, not your relief ace.
I’ve been on this blog talking about how I don’t approve of Bobby’s overuse of the back end of our bullpen for a few days now fearing a situation like this would happen. And it did. And we REALLY needed a relief ace. Unfortunately, one was unavailable and one was ineffective because he’d been overused for a week straight.
We need to call up Medlen just to give our relief pitchers a rest.
Pretty wrenching loss.
The good: Jurrjens was terrific, Kotch is a great-fielding 1B & Schafer had 2 outstanding OF assists. Got to hang with Rob Broad4th & crew.
The bad: Frenchy & everything else.
How was the streaker, though?
On Francoeur: As many of you know around here, I’ve been one of the last few supporters of Jeff on this site. I didn’t get a chance to watch today’s game, and I’m just now checking out his Gameday. I’m assuming someone missed a sign in the 2nd… cause I can’t imagine Brian McCann was straight stealing, but other than that his at-bats look pretty decent. A couple tough close strike calls in his first AB put him in a position to swing at a bad pitch, but other than that his pitch selection looks pretty decent for the game. Of course Gameday doesn’t tell you anything about the types of swings he’s putting on these pitches, but just seeing improved selection is encouraging.
I did get a chance to watch the last two games, and was less impressed, but to be fair he had two pretty tough, locked in pitchers to face in Myers and Santana. When Johan came out yesterday he fared much better against the middle of the Mets ‘pen. From what I’ve seen this year, it appears Jeff’s problems are a different set than he encountered last year, which is a good sign. Sadly, they’re still serious problems. It appears that Jeff can handle average ML pitching at a reasonable clip, but is easily dominated by great pitching. This explains why his RP numbers are consistently higher than you would expect from his OBP/SLUG, because when he’s getting on base and showing power it is generally against pitcher’s in situations that allow rallies to form around him.
Clearly, it is getting to the point where we can’t keep doing the same thing and expect different results. Unfortunately, as I’ve said before, Jeff is still one of our best 3 OF options for every game, so he keeps getting put out there, but I don’t think a lack of rest is any real part of his problems. Further, I don’t think a stint in the minors will help anything. As he showed last year, and as my hypothesis suggests, he would likely dominate AA or AAA pitching which would just reinforce the notion that he doesn’t need to make further adjustments (though it may at least renew his confidence if that becomes shaken.) To be fair, he has hit in 11 of the last 13 games, so I can see giving him a few more games to try and regain the stroke he started the year with, but if that doesn’t happen then there needs to be some changes… though I can’t say exactly what form they should take. If his problems are as psychological as I suspect they are, then I wonder if it might not help him to get away from the game for a couple of weeks, or at least get away from the bright lights and expectations and spend a DL stint getting back to basics… does anyone know if Rudy Jaramillo has a brother, or a cousin or something???
Today’s loss is all on Rob.
What’s new? Frenchy sucks?! That’s old news. Bobby made bad decisions? That’s old news.
Hey ububba, good to see you, man. Wish I could say the same about the 2009 Braves.
Are we sure Barbaro Canizares can’t blunder around left field for eight innings?
The streaker was awesome. He did a hook slide into 2nd base. He did another one in short left field. Then he got arrested.
He seemed to be wearing some sort of Chili Pepper-like loin covering. Looked like a technicolor sock.
Edit: Allgood, Rob. We still gotta break your Braves/Mets bad streak.
@26 In his favor, he did call it.
@25 “I didn’t get a chance to watch today’s game”
You should have stopped there.
Edit: Jeffy sux.
The streaker was awesome. He had met colored fake testicles.
@29 That is awesome. If his junk was covered they should have shown it on TV. Of course that would just encourage the idiots.
Mac, based on what I know, Barbaro Canizares is slow…very slow…like slower than Ganderson.
I’m sorry, there is no way anyone can sanely defend Francoeur, who is the worst everyday outfielder the Braves have had (for multiple years) since the Deadball Era — or possibly ever.
I heard the Falcons need some linebackers, I think Frenchy is fast and big enough to play that position? He is too slow to play corner and safety.
@22: I’ll admit ever since Leo left I’ve been suspicious of what his impact actually was on bullpen management, because Bobby has had some flaws. However, just looking at the 5th and 9th of May, where you suggest he shouldn’t have used Soriano and Gonzalez I have to disagree with you.
On May 5th, we got through 7 innings with a 2-1 deficit. If Gonzalez does his job we win the game 3-2, assuming we still get 2 off of K-Rod in the 9th. Sori and Gonzo had only worked 2 games each over the previous 6 days, and the Braves had scored a run off Putz the day before.
Your case is stronger for the 9th, but a 4 run lead isn’t really a whole lot different than a 3 run lead, and if anyone but Gonzo starts the 9th and lets anyone on base then you’ve got to get Gonzo warm to pitch to the Phillies hard hitting lefties anyways… partly because O’Flaherty was already out of the game, which, if anything, was the actual bullpen management error of the game.
As for yesterday’s ballgame, I was certainly disappointed that we had to get Gonzalez warming up, but it was a necessity. If Sheffield goes yard against Carlyle, did you really want to see Bennett in the game against Reyes?
The fault of today’s blown save lies mainly with Gonzalez. He didn’t warm up for too long yesterday, and I doubt he had really broken a sweat before Carlyle got Sheff to ground out. Gonzo’s given up runs in 5 appearances this year, and every one has come after a day off, on 3 occasions it was multiple days off… He’s still working on consistency, rest would help, but it isn’t the main contributing factor in my opinion. (Having Soriano to pitch the 10th would’ve been nice, but he was legitimately used in the last two games as well.)
Frenchy has a lucrative career as a inspirational/motivational speaker in his, hopefully, near future.
Other than that, he sucks.
Hard.
@34: Seriously? We’ve had far worse for single seasons… we could possibly have two worse by the end of this year alone. Oh, sorry, you said for multiple years… well if he continues his current dip then he might be able to earn that title, though if he ends up around ’08 levels he won’t keep his job all year…
I’m still guessing he rebounds to around ’06-’07 levels, and I’m willing to bet we had a few OFers in the ’80s that stuck around for worse multiple-year stretches than that (considering his 5 years.)
If Cox starts either Infante or Diaz (or both), we probably win. I know hindsight is 20/20, but right now we’re obviously a worse team with KJ and Anderson.
I’d hate to see the poor schmuck who could be inspired/motivated by Jeff Francoeur.
@30: So no one who missed today’s game could possibly have a legitimate opinion on Francoeur? Today’s game was that pivotal to a person’s understanding of the man that is Jeff?
I’m really sorry I missed it… thankfully I’ll be moving back into the Braves broadcast range in August, so I won’t miss so many epic 5 AB stretches of a person’s career.
@39: I really think we need to bat Kelly somewhere besides leadoff. In the 128 times he’s leadoff a game in his career, he’s produced a .214/.276/.368 line! He clearly doesn’t like it there, but sadly Schafer doesn’t look ready… I’m of the opinion that it’s about time for Schafer to sink or swim. Put him at the top of the order for a week and if he can’t handle it there then send him down to Gwinnett and see if Infante can man CF on an everyday basis.
It is not just 5 ABs. You know this, Gadfly. The man is hitting like a pitcher. He hit like a pitcher last year, and his numbers this year are virtually the same. The Braves are paying him 3.8 million to do this.
If he does not get “hot” (by his meager standards), he will be gone by this time next month. Mark my words.
Frankly, I know that even if he gets “hot” that he still sucks, so I kind of hope that he sucks at the least Braves losses as possible so that the Braves can finally liberate us of his beer league caliber talent.
Francoeur was brutal tonight—awful ABs in 3 big spots & particularly lost on Wright’s “triple” to right.
When the ball was hit, he looked like he was trying to play Pin the Tail on the Donkey, as if he’d been blindfolded & spun around 3 times.
I do agree that we need to get KJ out of the leadoff spot. For whatever reason, he is not succeeding there. I think Escobar should leadoff, Kotchman should bat 2nd, McCann should cleanup, KJ bat 5th, and Anderson 6th.
I don’t know if anyone has mentioned this, but I think part of Gonzalez’s problems in the ninth was McCann’s insistence on calling for a low and inside breaking pitch which Mike obviously didn’t have control of. McCann pounded his glove to the ground and set up inside before the Beltran double, the Tatis hit-by-pitch, and the Castillo sac fly. The Beltran double and the Castillo sac fly were both belt high, and the Tatis hit-by-pitch was (obviously) too inside.
“So no one who missed today’s game could possibly have a legitimate opinion on Francoeur?”
3/10. You might want to switch baits. The non sequitur doesn’t really work for you.
A frustrating loss….However, a bad call was probably decisive and these things do happen and will happen again. That is one of the realities of a 162 game season…..
The worst part, at least for me, is watching the punchless offense….
Is Jurrjens the Braves’ answer to Santana?
I don’t know, but for those who in the offseason predicted some ‘regression’ he is off to a terrific start….
We have been very lucky with Jurrjens. The kid is awesome.
Yeah–at the risk of getting carried away with prospect potential–the possibility of Jurrjens and Hanson is very exciting. Now, if JJ or Morton can just turn the corner….
@43: My reference to 5 AB was in response to urlhix’s comments that since I didn’t watch today’s game I should’ve stopped and not expressed any opinions on Francoeur. I’m not sure it’ll just take a month of his recent meager production (he did just hit in 10 straight games, which sounds like a good streak until you realize they were almost all exclusively 1/4 games with a single.) He is capable of getting hot, like actual hot, but I agree he’s also capable of getting people to say he’s “hot” when he clearly isn’t… when he is actually hot he’s our best outfielder… as much as I wish that wasn’t our situation, it is.
@45: My brain is probably too tired to formulate a lineup, but I’d change your projection slightly. I’d bat Esco 1st, Kotch 2nd, McCann 4th, like you said… but I’d bat Anderson 5th, Frenchy 6th, Schafer 7th and Kelly 8th. I’m not saying Kelly isn’t a better hitter than Jeff or Jordan, but I think he would fare better in the 8th hole than either of the others. Jeff and Jordan need protection to keep from being even easier outs than they have been for the last couple weeks. Also, this keeps you from batting 3 lefties in a row. This of course is assuming you don’t like my idea of throwing Jordan into the leadoff pool to sink or swim.
@47: Do you not understand the definition of a non sequitur, or have you already forgotten what it is you wrote earlier? @30 you wrote:
“@25 “I didn’t get a chance to watch today’s game”
You should have stopped there.”
To which I replied:
“So no one who missed today’s game could possibly have a legitimate opinion on Francoeur?”
If you actually think this is a non sequitur there is simply no hope for you.
@52: Yeah, I find it hard to not start labeling Jurrjens, Hanson and some lefty (maybe Jeff Locke) as the reincarnation of the Big Three… maybe Medlen can play the Avery role and Derek Lowe can be Charlie Liebrandt.
Stephen, I have no hope on JoJo. My hope is on Rohrbough. I bet he will be much better than Locke. Actually, I am paying very close attention on Edgar Osuna as well.
Two out of three and I’ll forget this game. Of course, with Jo-Jo Reyes, it’s likely another loss today.
Keith Law’s Twitter/Facebook status:
According to Gadfly you can have an OBP of .291 as long as you have lots of RP.
794 PA is a seasons worth. You would think that the Braves would know by now that Francouer isn’t even average much less good. As far as options are concerned I’d say that Infante or Diaz should be given shots at everyday play. And look to leverage a Medlen or Morton now as their value is high. But for those two or a package you should only expect league average. Hell, I’d give a left nut for league average right now.
The bottom line on this loss is that Gonzo has to perform. Nobody is perfect but he is paid to close out close games and he didn’t.
I am starting to feel sorry for Frenchy. Everybody keeps telling him that he is good, and he keeps proving his supporters wrong…
Re: The Big Three:
I was hoping for Greinke to be the third member, then we could have had:
Guy acquired from Detroit in a steal – Jurrjens
Guy raised through the Braves farm system – Hanson
One of the best pitchers in the game acquired via free agency – Greinke.
He ruined it all with that contract extension.
Yup, it is time to send Frenchy out to the pasture, but who do we put in RF?
Infante, Diaz, Andersin, Schafer and..Brandon Jones?
A trade will be made soon, i can feel it in my bones, or its my arthritis acting up.
Why would any team give Francoeur an IBB?
The most telling portion of this thread was the part where someone said they didn’t see the game last night so they had to check the gamecast, but they did see the two previous games and were LESS impressed.
When the gamecast Francoeur on an 0/5 1K 7LOB night is more impressive than the live Francoeur of the previous two games, you’re really in trouble.
I nominate Francoeur and Bennett for a Loser Leaves Town Match.
Hate King,
By definition, WE are the losers there, as we’ll be stuck with the winner.
Oh, I know it’s not a classical non sequitur. Apologies on the poor choice of logical fallacy. It had been a long day and I was a little grumpy about the loss.
If you want to not see the game and then still have an opinion of how Jeffy’s AB’s went, well then go right ahead.
This team is living or (most likely) dying with Frenchy in RF this season. Wren stated as much in the spring when he said there was no back up plan if he struggled; that they weren’t counting on it. (good thing they didn’t sign Dunn and his inferior defense -sigh-) This offense cannot withstand two sinkholes in the OF corners and 1B. It’s about time to start speculating what will be carved up in July to provide playmates for Hanson and Heyward.
2008 IBBs to Jeffy.
Date Opp Pitcher Inning RoB Out
5/8/2008 SDP Joe Thatcher 9 -23 1
5/20/2008(1) NYM Sc. Schoenewei 5 -23 1
6/12/2008 @CHC Scott Eyre 8 -23 0
6/13/2008 @LAA Darren Oliver 7 3 2
6/25/2008 MIL Mitch Stetter 8 -2- 2
Well, that didn’t work very well. Sorry, the pre-tags didn’t take, but I think you can make it out.
Game thread is up.
KC–I think that Rohrbough has a higher ceiling than Hanson, but the fact that the he has battled injuries (even if they are not arm related) in consecutive seasons, is a bit troubling.
More generally, I try not to get excited about pitching prospects until I see them perform well at AA…
Jeffy 2009
Month: K : K/AB
April: 7 : 8.4%
May: 8 : 15.7%
Career K/AB : 19.5%
Small sample warning, but it appears the new approach is wearing off, or pitchers have adjusted. Probably a little of both.
I have to think that TP’s job is in imminent jeopardy. Not just because of Francoeur, but for the offensive struggles of several players. There isn’t really much the Braves can do to improve the outfield. I suspect trades are going to be complicated by the team’s horrible attendance. There is no I-75/85 construction this year and attendance is still way down (almost 20% compared to attendance through mid-May last year). I doubt anyone will approve adding salary at this point. The team is pretty much stuck with what they’ve got. If the fans need a confidence boost, I think a firing is in order. I think Bobby is off-limits, but TP certainly isn’t.
As much as fans want demotions of Jeffy (minus readers of TigerBeat) , Anderson, and Schafer, the replacements aren’t any better. The Josh Anderson trade was a mistake, and I don’t think Anderson is all that good. But, he would have allowed Schafer a chance to develop in the minors.
Yes. I am absolutely sure that I do not want Barbaro Canizares attempting to play left field in the majors. His range at first base consists of a step to either side. The only reason I’m calling Barbaro up is if we’re out of it in September as comic relief.
He is also so slow that the other day, he hit a slow ground ball to third. The 3B made a terrific play to get the force out at second (running in, barehanded play, falling away from the throw, etc.), and then the 2B looked up and noticed that Barbaro was still running, lollipopped a throw to first just to be able to say he did it basically, and Barbaro beat the throw by about half a millisecond. I’m still not convinced he wasn’t out.