“Hi, I’m Braves pitcher Kris Medlen. It has come to my attention that some people think I look like I’m twelve years old. I have only one response: MOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!”
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Continuing from the last thread, I’ve never understood why when the MARTA line was originally designed they didn’t put a station within easy walking distance of Fulton County Stadium, which at the time was both the home of the Braves and Falcons. That said, I think the attendance drop off has more do to with declining quality of the product combined with increased attendance cost.
For example, last night the total tab for our group of five guys, including tickets (good seats on the first level about half way down the third base line), parking, a sit down meal at the park (nothing fancy), and two or three brews each came to about $400. Obviously you don’t have to spend that much, but we weren’t being extravagant either.
Free Kris Medlen!
I haven’t lived in Georgia for a long time now, but isn’t it still true that the suburban counties continue to vote against having MARTA stations in Cobb & Dekalb?
There IS a very convenient bus transfer from Peachtree station to the stadium. Buses leave every two minutes, starting 2 hours before the game. $1.75 for the roundtrip!
I think it’s Gwinnett where MARTA stops were prevented. Don’t know off the top of my head exactly where the county lines are, but pretty sure there are stops in both Cobb and DeKalb.
Marta currently serves Fulton, Dekalb and Clayton Counties. Cobb and Gwinnett do not have rail service but have bus systems that marry up with Marta. I’m not sure if this issue has been on the ballot in Cobb or Gwinnett in some time. However, Gwinnett included it last Novemeber as a straw poll and amazingly the vote was still about 60/40 against. This is somewhat surprising considering the west part of Gwinnett has become highly ethnic, with hign concerntrations of lower and middle class enclaves.
This entire issue points to the larger problem with metro Atlanta’s transportation woes, which is the lack of a regional authority that works on behalf of the entire area. At present we have too many entities with authority, resulting in an inefficient system for the greater region.
Rank these 4 starters in order of who you would draft first today.
JJ Joba Hanson Hughes
I’d go:
Joba/Hanson/JJ/Hughes
Joba just barely over Hanson right now.
Jurrjens/Hanson/Joba/Hughes
Jurrjens is the only one who has proven himself to be both healthy/good for an entire major league season.
Hanson and Joba is more of a toss up, but I like Hanson’s stuff better and again, IMO, isn’t the injury risk that Joba is. Hughes has sucked even when healthy, but he too has been hurt
If I’m drafting, it’s JJ/Joba/Hanson/Hughes.
And Joba would be a late-inning reliever, where he could let it fly & not worry about pacing himself & developing some kind of repertoire. Fastball, slider, done.
Truly, he’s nothing special as starter. He’s basically like Al Leiter or Scott Kazmir. Strikes guys out, but walks the ballpark, throws 100 pitches in 5 innings almost every time.
He should be the setup guy in The Bronx (and closer in waiting), but he knows that the big money is all in starting.
I haven’t lived in Georgia for a long time now, but isn’t it still true that the suburban counties continue to vote against having MARTA stations in Cobb & Dekalb?
CCRT is a bus only system that links Cobb with MARTA and has direct routes to downtown as well. GCT provides a similar service in Gwinnett. The prevailing opinon seemed (seems?) to be that one might get on a train with a TV on their shoulder, but a bus would be too cramped for that sort of thing.
Cobb and Gwinnett are still run by people who don’t want black people coming to terrorize their women. The fact that the Buford Highway corridor is a series of ethnic enclaves doesn’t really impact things because, well, they don’t really vote.
Tom-
That bus transfer isnt terribly convenient…and lest we forget, you have to walk through Underground Atlanta just to get to the bus…just to get to the stadium.
It is not convenient. It is a pain in the ass.
Per DOB:
1. McLouth
2. Escobar
3. Chipper
4. McLouth
5. Anderson
6. Kotchman
7. Francoeur
8. Johnson
9. Hanson
Who needs a catcher?
We call up Nate’s brother for the game?
I’ve been known to mess up like that — for example, typing “LaRoche” for “Langerhans”. It’s subconscious.
Hanson is going to only throw fastballs and he’s going to throw them so hard they hit the backstop and bounce back to him making a catcher obsolete. The umpire will call the game from the batters box opposite the hitter.
I just hope his breaking stuff is working tonight.
Ububba, do you really think Joba won’t be able to figure out how to go 6 innings? A #3 starter is a great deal more valuable than a solid 8th-inning man.
Not for these Yankees, it’s not.
@17 Hanson = bad-a$$
Anybody watch that LSU Texas game last night? that was the deal.
Pretty excited to see how Tommy fares against the hated Yankees tonight! I’ll be around.
I always mix up Bob Melvin, Doug Melvin, and Ned Yost subconsciously.
Tiger, the bus transfer cost you a buck 75. No additional cost for parking. The ride takes 10 minutes from Peachtree and stops right in front of the gate. And the walk through underground Atlanta, which I actually kinda enjoy, is app. 300 yards long. Takes me one minute.
A pain in the ass?
@16 Wow, I had somehow almost totally forgotten about Ryan Langerhans.
Haven’t done the bus thing myself, and on the way to the game it might not be so bad (since arrivals are distributed over a longer period of time), but I gotta think that the return trip at game end is not any fun at all, particularly since you have to in effect queue up twice (for the bus, and then to get on the rail line).
In my experience (which was some years ago, and before the asinine “You have to go through UA” policy) there was no line to get on the train after the game. There was often a line for the bus. Moreover, it was located some ways away from the stadium.
I’m pretty sure they’ll bus you back to the Marta station after the game for free.
16 — I remember back in the fall you typed “McCain” instead of “McCann.”
I’m a little worried. It would be the Braves SOP to make a pitcher like Wang look like an all star
Well, Wang’s problem this year is that his sinker hasn’t been sinking. His last outing was OK, but before he came back from his rehab he’d been getting bombed early & often. If Wang’s off, usually you’ll know it right away.
Let’s beat up that Wang.
So far, this is the Wang I was afraid of. I’ve seen him do this all night.
Only 6 pitches in the first inning for Wang. Given the heat and Wang’s walk rate (14 in 26 IP, iirc), batters should be taking some pitches. Make Wang sweat and work him for some walks. Sort of like Cano and Posado are doing to Hanson.
Decided to try my hand at graphing pitch flight paths. I know beyondtheboxscore did a graph like this on one of Hanson’s spring training starts when he didn’t throw any change ups, but I still figure’d I’d give it a go…my first attempt, used his last start as the data set:
Tommy Hanson Pitch F/X Flight Paths
Nothing groundbreaking, still cool to see.
Yeah, Chip. NL pitchers are soooo much better hitters than AL pitchers. What an advantage!
“Yet to walk a man.” Hmmm….disagree Chip.
Considering last year, I doubt Wang even takes the bat off his shoulder this game
EDIT: wrong, but I’ll still take it
does anyone else think that before the game, chip read his copy of “101 interleague cliches” and is attempting to mention each one before the third inning?
I’m not sure, but it sounds like a fun drinking game
Do we even need to say it? Well, we’re going to anyway. Francoeur sucks.
Kelly, what are you doing? How long did it take him to get out of the box? Then he stutter stepped before first base. Jesus.
I like that the Braves, even Francoeur, are being more selective this inning.
Too bad KJ didn’t run, that cost us a run.
Fucking idiot KJ. Run it out.
Way to hustle, ACHE
It’s very easy to hate this team. Jeter nearly turns a single into a triple because of Grandpa Garret. KJ takes a nap in the batter’s box. Francouer sucks.
I’ve about had enough of KJ. That was freaking bush.
Stop sucking Jeter’s dick, Chip.
Watching ACHE run is painful
Nice slide piece.
Does anyone with MLB.tv know how to change the picture size? I can’t see the graphics at the bottom of the screen.
If that throw was a player, it would be Francoeur.
A good team gets these next 2 runs as well.
Edit: And ACHE is coming around?
And yet, once again, a Braves runner can’t score from first on a two-out double.
Hells yeah
Noice!
Professional hitter!
slowly, slowly, slowly, the slouth grows on me.
Professional Hitter
Jinx!
To be honest, right now, LF production is not to big of an issue for the bravos.
Now we only have 3 holes in the lineup.
Kotchman sucks
I don’t know about calling ACHE “The Sloth”, because I already tagged Bonds with that. ACHE’s not nearly the player Bonds was, though as far as I know he’s clean.
Phillies 10-0 over TB in the 4th
Mets down to STL 1-0 in the 3rd
Marlins tied with BAL 1-1 in the 6th
He was sitting on that slider. Its the only way he touches it.
Chipper with another untimely error.
Dammit Chipper.
You have to be kidding me Chipper.
Joe just said the “word”: “Mollycoddle”
….
Ahhhh, Chipper!
That was superdumb baserunning.
His glove is so bad I wish the NL brings in the DH next year, because he is damned awful.
Chipper should have made that play, but it’s vintage Yunel stupidity. TAKE THE OUT, STUPID! The pitcher was due up.
I don’t know that wasn’t the easier play, Mac. Cabrera would have been out by five feet.
Mac,
The sure out was at third. It’s not a sure out with Gardner running. He’s a blazer.
Just for argument’s sake, is Ganderson a worse leftfielder than Chipper is a third baseman?
*exhales*
Whew.
Hanson’s @ 73 pitches.
okay maybe ACHE isnt as bad as I make him out to be, I just wish he’d hustle on defense, who knows maybe he is….btw, if hanson stops walking people he’d be flat out ridiculous
@ 78: No kidding. He’s eventually got to start having some shorter innings.
Arod just took that in the throat.
Francoeur sucks.
I think Hanson can make it through 6 tonight then we can turn it over to the ‘pen.
Jeffy sucks.
I don’t know, but Wang got the strike call at least twice on the ball three to Jeter.
Also, I like how ACHE has turned into the new “andy” for Bobby
What’s the difference in leverage for a runner at 3rd 2 outs and a runner at 1st 2 outs? Answer: with Wang at the plate, very little.
More fastballs from Hanson this week than last so far. As discussed here during his last start, half of his pitches were curves or sliders last week.
51 of 73 tonight have been fastballs. Though only a touch over 60% have been for strikes so far. If he can just locate that pitch better, with his breaking stuff… 😯
RE Hanson:
Look at his first seven or so starts at Mississippi last year: it took him a little while. He’ll come around.
Couple nasty sliders to start off A-Roid there, the second for a called strike.
ACHE is 8 for his last 14.
Dear Jorge,
Enjoy the sombrero.
Sincerely, Tommy
Making Posada look silly, love it.
8)
If I could do it again, I would have kept douche throughout the season, taken the draft picks, and just put Barbaro at first base.
can tommy hanson save the 2009 braves?
I’ve never been a garret anderson fan and I thought the signing over the off season was stupid but now I’m glad that junior decided to do the retirement tour in Seattle instead.
Hanson rocks….93–yeah, maybe….
It doesn’t seem fair that the Braves waited until Aaron retired to erect his statue since they have a statue of Chipper at third now.
Unfortunately, a very qucck inning….
Too much warning track power from Chipper lately
Have y’all seen Oregon’s new silver uniforms yet?
Link
🙄
Chip Caray is dumbfounded that the singular of Red Sox is Red Sock…
moylan and o’flaherty warming up. does acosta and medlen exist?
Please be the good Moylan.
moylan coming in with 2 runners on. that’s some scary shit!
does acosta and medlen exist
Who?
Hindsight being 20-20, Hanson should have hit the showers after the 5th. Let’s hope the pen holds.
YEAH BABY!!
@99
They are Nike’s guinea pigs
Peter has been brilliant lately.
Nice!
Moylan is slowly returning to the Petey we all know and love. If the braves win that might turn out to be the pitch of the night. That sets up O’Flarety in the 7th to turn Swisher and Tex around.
Great job Moylan!!!!!!!!!!!!!
derek jeter is so clutch
If Jeter ever met Tebow, every announcer in the vicinity would explode. Which sounds like a good idea to me, let’s get on that.
know what i’ve noticed? diaz sure does talk alot. maybe that’s the reason he doesnt get a lot of playing time. he was just shown talking to chipper and chipper was giving him the “straight ahead” look.
i wonder what % of first pitches jeff francoeur swings at. it has to be at least 60%. and, he sucks.
You would think then that he’d play more, so that half the time he’d be in the outfield where you couldn’t hear him.
ADDED: Francoeur sucks.
Francoeur sucks.
how do you guys feel about that promising young outfielder, jeffrey francoeur?
Either the radar gun is reading high or Moylan is getting stronger. He is hitting 90 on the gun more consistently as he had all year, and that is what makes him so tough. No one that throws that way throws that hard.
@114
The worst part about that at bat, was just that you knew he knew he was completely over-matched.
No fight at all in him
@115
Devine…for all the good it did him
francoeur has 13 freakin’ extra base hits on the year in 256 at bats. that’s one about every 20 at-bats, or one every 5 games. that’s how bad he sucks.
just got in…
so Hanson once again effectively wild?
and 4 SBs for nyy?
Chip, the ‘wit, Cary….
Gonzo in for the 8th
I like Hanson alot, If he is going through a breaking in period right now he is going to be a legit Ace.
115
Devine didn’t throw like that, he drops down and pushes, similar, but not the same by a long shot. Besides, as much as he stunk in ATL he turned into a good pitcher in Oakland before he got hurt. He was rushed to the majors and pulled a JoJo, I don’t hate him, if the braves had hit any in that series the HR doesn’t happen.
If Bobby goes Soriano in the 9th, none of the top three should be available tomorrow
stupup,
He was just the closest I could come up with, though I’ve heard Darrow and Gearrin in the minors are very similar to Moylan (Stephen probably has a better idea on that). I agree with you FWIW, on how Devine was handled though
@111 iirc a few games ago one of the announcers gave the figure 47%
@ 90: Golden now.
Chip…shut-up. He hypes every single fly ball.
Thanks to McCann, he finally got one right.
chipper hitting the ball well tonight, but nothing to show for. however, b-mac does.
that one was worth hyping!!
HUGE BOMB by McCann, that is a good way to awake from Hibernation Mode.
@127: glad im not hearing that. chippers pop up caused the yankees announcers to talk about how many homeruns chipper would have if he didnt play in this “cavernous” park. i guess they like the new yankee stadium…
go mac!
McCmann the man!!
Lets get another one ACHE and keep Soriano out of the game if we can.
I cannot believe Yadier Molina is going to start the AS game over McCann
Man, it must be tearing Francouer up to see McCann having so much success…
@135
it must also sting that he could’ve had a nice fat 4 yr deal like McCann’s
Soriano has been filthy lately!!
124
I didn’t mean anything bad earlier. It’s hard to really get points across in print. I am big Moylan fan, when he is right, the bullpen is SO much better.
Moylan is a true submarine guy, alot like Chad Bradford, or the guy from my hometown of Selma, Terry Leach. He throws harder than both of them.
Devine should have been installed as closer in 2006 when the pen stunk so bad and learned on the job and maybe he would still be here. I always thought him and Wickman had similar motions. Both were kind of unique.
I think its a joke that ESPN is airing all of Manny’s minor league AB’s. Its like he’s their hero for being suspended.
Jeter is clutch, 2nd straight shutout??
Nice Kotch…..
Another shutout!
God I love beating the Yankees
@124: lets just blow them out, then. were due for one of our 10 run games.
We Shut Out Evil!! Go BRAVOS!!
Man, I fuggin love beating the fuggin Yankees.
8)
That’s for a Young Andruw Jones, and Javy Lopez, and Mark Wohlers, and Denny Neagle.
The last two night have been ‘old-time’ braves wins.
Wow, back-to-back shutouts of the Cubs and Yanks. I like this. A lot.
Recap is up. Francoeur sucks.