Because, you know, it is.
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Because, you know, it is.
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Congratulations Tiger!!
From previous thread,
One thing I learned is that, as little as I understand about women, I understand even less about teenage girls. It’s not my daughter so much (although she goes through periods of, what I consider, completely irrational emotional swings), but teenage girs can be among the most vicious, backbiting people this side of Congress. I didn’t have sisters so I was shocked to see how they treat each other. Of course, you have a long time to worry about that!
Re the Braves, I agree with AAR’s point that the Braves’ development system is lousy. With all the talk about all the great prospects, most have not panned out (McCann is an exception, of course). Other than him, their best young players have come through trades. That’s why I really worry about Hanson and Heyward–very hyped and probably very talented but somehow I’m afraid the Braves will screw them up.
tonights lineup should look like this, but it wont
McLouth
Yunel
Chip
McCann DH
Barbaro
Diaz RF
Ross C
Prado 2B
Blanco LF
NL K/BB Leaders (mimimum 60 innings pitched):
1. Dan Haren – 7.55
2. Javier Vazquez – 6.56
3. Cole Hamels – 4.67
4. Johan Santana – 4.14
5. Josh Johnson – 3.85
NL K/9 Leaders (minimum 60 innings pitched):
1. Javier Vazquez – 10.97
2. Tim Lincecum – 10.82
3. Johan Santana – 10.37
4. Jake Peavy – 10.14
5. Jorge De La Rosa – 9.62
NL Strikeout Leaders:
1. Javier Vazquez – 105
2. Tim Lincecum – 95
3. Jake Peavy – 92
4. Johan Santana – 91
5. Chad Billingsley – 90
Marc, I have 3 teenage girls. I too grew up with brothers so I too find myself constantly mystified by the emotions of that particular sub species of human. So I am laughing hysterically at the line
‘teenage girs can be among the most vicious, backbiting people this side of Congress’ and empathizing at the same time. But its kind of weird in our house. My girls still like me, especially on pay day 🙂 and we get along great. On those occasions when I cause the sad daughter face my wife has no qualms to explain why I am a dumbass and how there was a better way to discuss whatever with them. Where upon I throw up my hands and mutter something like ‘women, I swear’.
Not sure that the Braves development system is lousy. McCann and Escobar are good players and play difficult to fill positions. Not to mention Wainwright and the haul that Texas got. I haven’t done any analysis but I would hazard a guess and say that they have been more right than wrong in who they have brought up, who they have traded and who they have cut ties with.
Does anyone have any sons here? I have two daughters as well. Maybe all these female Braves fans explains why they run Jeff Francoeur out there everyday.
Gotta feel bad for Javy. He’s really been great. This year, he’s had a little of that Millwood-itis—the disease of one bad inning.
Yup, teenaged girls can be super-mean. My mother managed Little League girls softball for as long as my younger sister played. From ages 9-12, everything was fine. When my sister turned 13 & mom she took over her 13-15 team, yikes!
I’ll top you both with my 5th girl born on May 5th. That’s the end though, so no son for me. My oldest (who turns 8 in August), just said she wants want to start playing softball. I’ll take it!
Can we name a team that has developed as much talent as the Braves. Seriously. Name one.
One two-year-old son that likes to wear his Braves cap. Girl on the way.
I have a 19 year old son too. Never got into baseball. ‘Too slow dad, no action.’ Probably a good thing he didn’t play as heredity cursed him with his old man’s hand/eye coordination. Its easier to figure out what makes a teenage guy tick but I swear I haven’t a clue how to motivate one. I reckon its gonna take a dose of poverty.
Teenage girls are like KJ. Predictably unpredictable. Its amazing really.
@8 FIVE girls! Dude……
JC, got a 5 month old son, he cant speak yet but Im guessing he doesnt like Francoeur at this point either though.
Lineup: per DOB
1. McLouth CF
2. Escobar SS
3. C. Jones DH
4. McCann C
5. Anderson LF
6. Canizares 1B
7. Francoeur RF
8. Johnson 2B
9. Prado 3B
Diaz turns into Rickey Henderson and we add a spot in the lineup and he still cant play. I dont mind Chipper DH’ing though
c shorter, congrats for the one on the way
I’m the proud dad of an 8 year old son who before each Out Machine plate appearance in last Sunday’s game said “inning over.” That’s my boy!!!
edit–His mother is not pleased that he knows and regularly utters the phrase “Francoeur sucks.”
2 girls, a wife and a female dog….its an estrogen fest here on a regular basis
Prado is the one with the bad groin. Why is Chipper DHing? Why is Jeff… well nevermind. There’s no sense trying to figure out Bobby’s lineup or relief pitching strategies.
The Big Bill Hell Memorial Lineups:
Braves:
McLouth cf
Escobar ss
Chipper dh
McCann c
Anderson lf
Canizares 1b
Francoeur rf
Johnson 2b
Prado 3b
(Hanson p)
Orioles:
Roberts 2b
Jones cf
Markakis rf
Huff dh
Mora 3b
Scott lf
Salazar 1b
Wieters c
Andino ss
(Berken p)
from peanut’s latest blog post:
“Without a suitable replacement, it’s also tough to envision trading Yunel Escobar. But for every sensational contribution the shortstop provides, he seems to further bother his teammates by habitually committing mental mistakes and displaying the flashy personality that infuriates opponents and umpires.”
it sounds as though his teammates dont like him. hell, i’m a fan, and personally, he screams “douchebag”. professionally is a different story.
Yunel infuriates opponents and umpires? Oh no! The horror! Trade him immediately!
#18,
He infuriates opponents and umpires? Not as much as he infuriates fans and teammates.
Maybe Frenchy can play short stop.
#20, even if he could, he still can’t hit.
Damn, teenage girls can be insanely cruel, i coached girls volleyball and softball for the last 7 years.
Despite that, I will never understand them.
I’m fine with Chipper DHing. Kinda figured he’d get some of that action in the IL games. Guess Prado’s OK, then.
Re: Our shortstop
If Yunel doesn’t have his head up his ass a few times a week, it’s an upset.
And he’s definitely got a little Jose Reyes in him, although Reyes, himself an occasionally curious baserunner, is certainly more loathed by opponents. Dunno what it says about us, but Yunel’s still one of our better players.
Re: Teenagers
When my mom coached the 13-15 team, I didn’t mind her teenaged girls as much as she did. Of course, I was a teenaged boy…
Coming in late, (middle east time) but great piece JC.
Congrats Tiger.
Fangraphs has a decent article about Barbaro.
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/from-cuba-to-clean-up-barbaro-canizares
I’m excited for Hanson tonight.
YUNEL!
If Yunel could do that more regularly, his antisocial tendencies — and even most of his brain farts — could be overlooked.
I guess Berken is a little hittable..
hanson is rattled
Hanson’s struggling a lot more than I expected.
As with his first start, Hanson seems to have extreme difficulty dealing with runners on base. I honestly don’t know what can be done about that.
He’s going to have to throw those breaking balls for strikes, or they’re never going to have to offer at them.
Bullshit call. That curve was a strike
tommy just got screwed. the ump gave up on his curve.
Also, the ump is going to have to call those strikes strikes, or they’re never going to have to offer at them..
Make up call there. Low and away had been a ball all inning.
@32
That was a great pitch the ump missed, at least he made it up to the kid.
I have officially lost all faith in KJ.
Hanson just does not seem to understand… I mean, our offense gave him TWO WHOLE RUNS. Come on, if you can’t win with that, you don’t deserve to pitch for the Atlanta Braves.
@37: Welcome to the ever-growing club.
That curveball is going to be money for Hanson in his career. There aren’t many guys who throw that hard with a straight breaking ball like that. Oswalt comes to mind.
Nice throw by B-Mac, but he should have been safe. Going back to yesterday — if we’re going to have some form of instant replay, I wish it was comprehensive, instead of this piddling, piss-ant, cop-out version that only reviews potential home runs.
That third strike was a perfect 10. A gorgeous, baffling arc. Even with the inconsistency, it’s clear Hanson’s got the right, albeit raw, stuff.
i know kj is better than this but he really looks completely lost at the plate. it would be nice to have a hitting instructor to be able to help.
giving up a lot of baserunners.
The O’s appear locked in on the timing of Tommy’s fastball.
As much fun as it is to crum on the O’s, they have a few guys who can hit a little bit – you’d better bring more than a fastball. If Tommy can get those breaking pitches over he’ll be fine, but if they can sit on #1, he’s going to get hit.
hopefully he will adjust to the majors like he has every other league. right now, he is getting toe up.
Well there’s karma for you, Mac gets the call he shouldn’t have, then Yunel screws up the one he should have gotten.
Given Tommy’s now-bulbous pitch count, I reckon we’ll have a Medlen sighting tonight because we’ll need some long relief.
What a load of crap. Two calls at second base completely missed in just over three innings. MLB, please institute comprehensive instant replay NOW. This incompetence has gone far enough.
With regard to Hanson, I think there might be a bit of an adjustment period. I mean, remember when he went from Myrtle Beach to Mississippi?
The first couple months weren’t great…
Horrible call at second on McCann
Wow, was that stroke by Barbaro a sight for sore eyes! A HITTER!!
And the incomptent Laz Diaz costs us a run.
Barbaro!!!
Ignorant effing Laz Diaz
Wow, even Joe getting on Frenchy’s patience, or lack thereof.
Edit: Hes so bad
Aggggggggggggggggggggggggggh!!! And another crappy call by another crappy ump costs us a run. And now Francoeur is swinging at pitches just off the dirt and in his eyes. I will now light myself on fire.
How do you have 2 doubles and a single in the same inning and not score a run?
Lets play “how will Frenchy screw this up”
A. Popup
B. Strikeout
C. Grounder to the pitcher
D. Other
EDIT: And we have a winner with “B”!!!!
Joe’s finally given up on Frenchy. Hallelujah.
csg, thanks.
I like the human element involved in the game (umps making calls without replay)… but there sure have been a number of bad calls lately.
sigh
Wait, I was rockin tunes, while watchin the game…what’d Joe say after Frenchy failed (again)?
Can we pay someone to take Frenchy and KJ?
I almost think I wouldn’t mind the “two challenges per team” rule like the NFL has.
And if they uphold the play, the other team gets a run.
Never happen, but I kind of think it would be interesting
@60
An extended soliloquy about having a plan at the plate.
He’s still going…
Yeah I’m listening to it now. More of the same as far as that goes. Nice to see him goin after Failcoeur though.
Scoreless inning! Well done Tommy!
@58: I admit my view is affected by football (my resume includes stints on the business side of an NFL organization), but there’s too much at stake nowadays — wins affecting ticket sales affecting revenues, jobs for management/coaches, overall legitimacy of the product, et. al. — to not take the time to get the calls right. Baseball is a sport of stoppages, anyhow, so the impact on the general flow of the game would be minimal; it’s like Roger McDowell strolling out to the mound. Balls/strikes, I admit, are impossible to judge, and replay won’t work there, so the human element will continue to have an impact. But on plays around the basepaths, interference judgments, etc., replay would help. Anything to get the calls right.
Francoeur sucks. I feel like I (along with many others) say this every day, but it really does bear repeating.
@62: Heck with the challenges. Do it like the last two minutes of a half, where if the replay official upstairs sees an objection, he buzzes the home-plate umpire, who stops play. Then give the replay official final say over the call (like some college conferences). This keeps it logistically simple. Spares us the peep-show spectacle.
Times like this, I wish I was dictator of North American sports, because any replay solution would be better than what we have, which is for all intents and purposes, nothing.
EDIT: Great, another Brave hurting after a HBP (Escobar). Why the hell does it keep happening to guys that actually swing a useful bat, as opposed to an unnamed pair of vortexes in the lineup?
C’mon, B-Mac.
Does Tommy have to hit a guy now for right after the Escobar HR?
Cool stat: when Chipper and Mac combine 2 or more hit we’re 18-11 and when they are less than that we’re 12-19
EDIT: How lucky are we that McCann is locked up and Jeffy refused to be?
You’d really like to see Canizares get a chance with a couple of guys on here. Don’t blow it, G
We never really get to see it because of the leagues, but Camden Yards really is a beautiful park.
I’d love to go to a game there if I could ever get the chance
Can’t believe he took a walk. Well done.
well, inning over now. too bad.
Well, at least he hit it kinda hard. He still sucks, though.
Hey, what’s new? Frenchy sucks!
http://www.sadtrombone.com/
The sad part about Frenchy’s at bat was that I was almost glad he didn’t hit the GS because it probably would have put the blinders back on the front office for another month.
I have no complaints about that AB by Frenchy.
S.N.F.S.S.
Situation Normal Frenchy Still Sucks
There ya go, Hanson!
SNAFU – Situation Normal All Frenchied Up
A lot of borderline calls going against Hanson tonight?
@83: Seemed that way to me on Sunday, too.
Of course, if Tommy can get others to chase stuff like he did with Mora there, the umpire’s strike zone will matter little.
Joe trying to have it both ways: On the one hand, Joe is starting to lambaste Frenchy’s plate discipline. On the other, he’s still discounting the value of OBP.
Prado sacrificing is an uh, interesting call there.
Joe mentioned that he was talking with Frenchy and said something to the effect of if he was driving in 100 runs, a low batting average would be fine, even saying an average in the .220s would be acceptable, and that Francoeur agreed. Sometimes I wonder if these guys pay attention to the sport they play…
NEWS FLASH: According to Joe, the NL tries to “manufacture” runs and the AL plays for the 3 run homer.
We will now pause to let the magnitude of that sink in
KJ sucks.
Money curve by Hanson for strike three on Wieters
Last batter for Hanson.
er…moylan in….game lost….
He’s beyond his usual pitch count any way. I think they waited one batter too long for him.
Why, Bobby?
Moylan apparently is good at coming in with either the bases loaded or nobody on.
All right! Now Peter will give up the lead in the next inning…
Hanson – 9 hits and 5 walks in 5.2 IP. Yikes!
Wouldn’t you figure that would yield more like 5 or 6 runs?
He pitched better on Sunday, IMO, but gets the better result tonight.
I guess I’m a victim of inflated expectations due to hype, but I’ve been disappointed by Hanson.
I like what I see of the kid, he has big league stuff.
Moylan, well, there goes the lead, sorry kid.
I think I can run faster than Ganderson…
canizares victim of sinkers
gj cani…way to be patient
Hanson had better raw stuff Sunday, but did a better job of pitching in jams today. He needs more consistency, and he must learn to trust his off-speed stuff more — particularly on the first pitch — but he’s doing all right.
Meanwhile, Barbaro had a splendid, patient at-bat. Yet another newcomer who shows far more plate discipline than a certain, unnamed five-season veteran.
Barbaro can hit…
Somehow, it’s always Francoeur.
low strike there, jeffy quick to 0-2
nice…rbi single from jeffy off an 0-2 count – Braves 5-2
Jeffy!
He had to come through eventually, but he had a nice cut last time, too.
Parish, don’t begin to have hope for Jeffy, it will only it will only make things tougher when you see his next at bat. Just trying to help.
Wow, nice play by Prado. He is becoming quite a decent third baseman.
Eric O’Flaherty,
You have been very good. I did not expect you to be. In fact I was extremely skeptical of your abilities. For this, I am very sorry.
Sincerely,
Ethan
PS: Please don’t start sucking because of this letter
Bravo, Prado!
Marvelous Martin!
That’s what I like from the 9-spot in the order.
PRADO!!!
I do like that Hanson doesn’t seem to get rattled when guys get on base, unlike Jo-Jo.
Wait, I thought only AL teams tried to hit home runs? Dammit Prado we’re MANUFACTURING runs over here!
It wasn’t a three run homer, though.
Chipper seems to be in a bit of a slump.
Yeah, Chipper does seem to be a bit off tongiht…maybe he doesn’t like DHing…
Why Soriano with a 5 run lead when he’s been used a lot lately?
That looked like a penis that Joe drew on the prompter. I think they realized it too since they started laughing lol
The exasperated look on Soriano’s face isn’t inspiring much confidence.
@122
Thinking the same thing.
Bobby always does this though. Every time that we’ve lost a couple, he treats the next game we’re winning like it is a one run game…regardless of the score
Boog remember when there was a big penis in the Orioles outfield??? Yeah that was awesome!
Wow. Great rally by Soriano; nice stab by Prado to make up for the error.
Seems like Frenchy and KJ want to end the game asap.
There comes Bobby again…using Sori and Gonzo on a five-run lead/
talk about mixed emotions
Yay Jeffy singled in a run!
Boo Jeffy singled in a run buying him another month of playing time.
I’ve decided I’m definitely a fan of Barbaro. I can live with the D. Cat is already our 4th best hitter after Chip, Heap, and Escobar.
114,
My thoughts exactly. I expected the job to be handed to Boone Logan out of ST.
Recap up.