Philadelphia Phillies vs. Atlanta Braves – Box Score – September 20, 2009 – ESPN
The Braves had a chance to get out of this game unscathed, but then the rain cleared up.
They took a 1-0 lead in the first when Diaz singled in Prado, but that was it for the offense. Tommy Hanson wasn’t as sharp as in his last two starts, but did strike out seven. He allowed seven hits, including lots of doubles, and walked four, which was enough for the Phillies to put up four runs through five innings.
Then the rain, which had been going on through most of the game, really picked up. There was a nearly two-hour delay and when we came back, the umpires had a plane to catch and started to call just about everything a strike. The Braves did get a run in the ninth on a pinch single by McCann, but even the World’s Worst Closer can usually hold onto a three-run lead, and did this time.
Bobby is still punishing Yunel for his perceived wrongdoings, and still running out ACHE against lefties even though he is basically a slug and has a .262 OBP and .276 SLG in September. His 0-4 — in the cleanup spot — did not help, nor did his usual defense, or lack thereof. But keep on picking on the guy who’s leading the team in runs scored, Bobby… McCann had a normal off-day after a night game. He now has 88 RBI, and a reasonable shot at 100. This is basically all we have to root for now, that and Moylan getting through the season without allowing a homer. LaRoche was also out of the lineup due to a sore back which he caught from Gonzalez, who caught it from Church.
Welp, the season turned out somewhat better than I expected. Here’s hoping we have a busy offseason.
Would you rather have Bradley or ACHE?
Chipper needs to wear a dust mask around the clubhouse.
FWIW, the ESPN article said that Yunel was out w/ a sore elbow
That ball got him on the guard. I would bet that the sore elbow is just a cover story.
So because Yunel is a good hitter, his transgressions should be overlooked? Keep in mind, neither you nor anyone else knows what goes on inside the clubhouse. It’s quite possible there’s a lot more to the story.
#4, it looked like it got him on the point of the elbow, which is not covered by the guard.
He’s hurt. There’s enough to rag on Bobby for without just flat making stuff up.
Regarding the Tennessee/Florida score:
“Meyer said the Gators are not out to impress pollsters and fans who want to see blowouts.”
I’m sure.
This was my one game to go to for the season. I’m not sure how much you could see it on TV, but they were playing for a WHILE with a LOT of rain. Basically the last three runs Tommy gave up could be blamed somewhat on the weather (they have better hitters than we do, and with that much rain I just don’t think Tommy could do much with his pitches to make them not hittable). I think they kept the game going because of the forcast and were hoping to get enough in to make it a game before they simple HAD to call for a delay.
Not sure if you saw the Bowman twitter feed, but it had cleared up for a good bit in the middle of the delay and the grounds crew had worked for half an hour to get the field back to playable… and then it started raining again and they had to cover it up. Once things cleared up and they had the tarp off the diamond again (still folded up off to the side though) it was still 20-30 minutes before they started playing again.
Luckily after that it stayed clear and they still let the kids run the bases after the game (which is the MAIN thing my 6yo wants to do at the game).
Don’t worry, Charles. Boog and Joe made countless references to the World Series Game 5.
@7 I agree with Robert on this one.
I agree with Robert as well. Anyways, Bobby did the same thing with Andruw and does it with all his players. It’s not like he’s picking on the guy – he’s trying to help him grow into a better ballplayer.
But that is besides the point – because he was out with an INJURY – not for disciplinary reasons.
Call me crazy, but I’ll be at all 3 Braves games in Flushing this week.
@#12
Bobby doesn’t do it with all his players. He sure as hell has never did it with Anderson, who has more balls land at his feet then Paris Hilton has in her face. And if that wasn’t enough he bats him in cleanup when McCann isn’t in there, despite the fact that his August and September numbers have been flat out terrible.
And as I said last night Escobar did nothing that McCann hasn’t done, and I’ve never seen him benched for it. Now let me explain that. Escobar was frustrated that he grounded out on a pitch he thought he could do more with, so he wasn’t thinking of busting it. I’ve seen McCann do that countless times, slamming his bat on the ground before he starts running and going slow. I know Mac isn’t fast, but it was obvious to me that he wasn’t running at full speed on those occasions. I didn’t care and apparently Bobby didn’t either, but let Yunel do it one time and he gets yanked. All I want is consistency.
I mean, it must be hard for Yunel to know he has to play mistake free baseball or he will get pulled, despite the fact he plays half of left field for ACHE and covers more ground on the infield then any other SS in the majors. And oh, did I mention he’s a ++offensive player? I don’t care if he’s another Manny (he’s no where close), the Red Sox won 2 world series with that head case, you have to make exceptions for top talent, you just do. Shaq is the most hypocritical b!tch I’ve ever seen in pro sports, but no way would I have dealt him in his prime. It’s about winning titles people, and the Braves have a much better chance to do that with Escobar on the team, not traded for scraps like I fear will happen.
@14 – I don’t think one person on here advocated getting rid of Yunel. That would be just plain stupid. I have no clue where that came from. And ACHE is a different animal altogether. Again, he is trying to teach Yunel the concept of baseball – you can’t teach grandpa over there anything he doesn’t already know. If he doesn’t hussle, then he doesn’t hussle. Half the time I actually think he does hussle, but it just looks like he’s moving in mollases. But I’m glad all of you know what goes on in the clubhouse and that Bobby isn’t fair with his players. After all, it’s just the players who say they would rather play with him than any other manager. I guess they wouldn’t say that unless he was unfair?!?
You’re crazy, ububba. Wish I could go.
Just so long as Robbroad4th isn’t going. 🙂
Any idea if they are going to shut Hanson down? He is scheduled to pitch on Friday here and Washington and I would like to see him, but given the situation, I am wondering if they will shut him down for the year.
Damn. Missed an A on a statistics exam because I didn’t fully read a question–and the answer was simple. I hate **** like that.
Well, I tried to post as myself from work again. I was hoping after a few weeks away from using it, this IP wouldn’t still go to the spam filters. Alas, I’ll have to be split personality mild mannered computer programmer BFedRec by day, and exhausted father CharlesP by night.
ANYWAY… was just going to suggest that if you missed it, they’ve got the clip of the Diaz run down on the official site and it’s great fun.
BTW great line about Chipper’s retirement talk on MLBTR:
“When an .823 OPS is a down year that has you considering retirement, I think that’s a sign you’ve had a pretty great career.”
Got friends from Georgia visiting & they wanna go to all 3 games—helluva excuse, I say.
Dunno ’bout Rob, but I think he’ll be at one of ’em. (Consider us warned.)
AJC’s Mark Bradley to Bobby: “Maybe it’s time…”
http://tinyurl.com/m6wv7t
@21,
Great point.
Vanderbilt has a very good defense, Mac.
And, yeah, the Bears have 5 Commodores, or more than half of the total number in the NFL (9). 4 of them are starting. We’ll see how that experiment works out.
Stu, we were very disappointed with Vandy Saturday night. What happened? I’ve now seen all three of State’s games on TV. They are really terrible. I thought Vandy looked alright against LSU especially on defense.
Just wondering your thoughts because I expected Vandy to hold State to 7 points or less.
Our offense is terrible. I, along with most VU fans, was operating under the assumption that we could only improve on last year’s terrible offense. However, we’re much worse. (It’s weird; the talent is there, and the scheme seems conducive to success, but the playcalling and execution have been awful.)
Anyway, we’re using this new “no-huddle” scheme, which results in much quicker 3-and-outs, which results in our defense being on the field forever. MSU won the TOP battle 38.5 minutes to 21.5 minutes, and we didn’t even turn the ball over. They scored a late TD on a completely gassed defense.
But, yeah, State’s pretty bad. We’re worse right now.
Milton Bradley just got suspended for the rest of the season for complaining to the press about the Cubs (on top of everything else that he’s done this season).
It’s clear that the Cubs don’t want him back, and would love to get rid of him. His contract calls for payments of $9M in 2010 and $12M in 2011. Would it be crazy to approach the Cubs about a trade involving Derek Lowe and Bradley? Lowe is set to make $15M each of the next three seasons, so that would free up substantial payroll for the Braves.
The Braves’ outfield next year will have McLouth, plus you have to figure we will resign Diaz and Church. Heyward will be in Atlanta by June at the latest. However, this is a heavily left-handed lineup, almost completely devoid of a RH power bat.
Lowe is pretty much the opposite of Bradley – with Lowe, you know what you’re going to get – a reliable, innings-eating sinkerball pitcher who will get lit up when he’s not on his game. Bradley is talented and temperamental, plus he’s fairly injury-prone. However, he’s a switch hitter with power from the right side (career line of .306/.389/.497).
The Braves as an organization seem to shy away from drafting or signing ‘bad-character’ players like Bradley (with a few exceptions) but it seems like the net result would be a positive for the Braves, assuming they could get Bradley to behave. We could trade for Bradley with the expectation that he would get around 400 ABs in the season, playing against left-handed starters (and whenever McLouth and/or Church are injured, which is sure to happen). Lowe is a quality starter, but he’s expensive and we happen to have a surplus of guys who are good bets to equal or beat his pitching line next season.
All in all, I think the move would benefit the Braves. That said, it would be a controversial move and I doubt Wren would have the stones to do it.
@27: I don’t think it boils down to Wren’s “stones.” Bradley is an alienating figure who has always caused trouble and been involved in controversy wherever he has gone. He’s not a good teammate, he’s injury prone, and he’s a self-centered shithead. Why would any team be interested in adding him? He’s not someone you desire to be in your clubhouse.
If the guy were a monster producer, that would be a different story. But he brings nothing mentally or physically to a team. He’s barely got better numbers than Martin Prado this year. He’s a subtraction and good GM’s don’t add subtractions if they’re trying to win, even it if clears payroll.
If you want to get rid of Lowe, there are easier and more effective ways of doing it than acquiring Milton Bradley.
I hesitate to attack any player on personality terms — I don’t know what’s going on. Is there a tendency for losing to follow him around?
In 2001, the Indians went 91-71. They got Bradley, and went 74-88. The Rangers got rid of him this year, and have already passed last year’s win total, while the Cubs have collapsed.
However, the Dodgers got Bradley in 2004, and they went from 85 wins to 93. The A’s got him in 2006, and went from 88 wins to 93.
I don’t think there’s any pattern here.
If you want to get rid of Lowe, there are easier and more effective ways of doing it than acquiring Milton Bradley.
What are they?
Bullets, arrows, poison…
True, assuming the murder couldn’t be connected to the Braves. I’d be all for getting Bradley and saving $25 million in the process. I really don’t think we’re even giong to try to trade Lowe, though.
If I could get the Cubs to eat around 4 MM. I’d probably do Lowe for Bradley. It would save you around 5 MM annually and get rid the last (and probably worst) year of Lowe’s contract.
Bobby has handled guys like Bradley before, and he’s better than he’s played this year
@30 I’m all ears too.
@27 Nick. No way. The year that got Bradley the big pay day was at Texas. You have to wonder if teams take a look at park effects at all. Bradley is also fragile. The most games he has played is 141 back in his age 26 year. To date he has averaged 94 games a year.
Yeah we need a right handed power hitting left fielder but IMHO there are better candidates than Milton Bradley.
@31 LOL.
Appreciate your answers Stu. I can’t help but wonder why they don’t play Mackenzie Adams more.
I imagine Vandy still takes care of business against Rice this weekend.
I’d rather re-sign ACHE than trade for Bradley (and I don’t at all want to re-sign ACHE). If the Braves want to trade Lowe, they can surely find a better player (and even a better Cub) to swap expensive contracts.
Adams just isn’t that good. Smith isn’t right now, either, but he’s got more ability than Adams and will be here for two more years after this one.
I sure hope we’ll take care of the Owls, who are really bad, but who knows? Before this last game, I was sure we were going to beat you guys again this year, but that would now seem to require an impossible amount of offensive growth in a two-week period. Sigh.
Ok but in a battle of schools with a bunch of smart kids, who is smarter Vandy or Rice?
Pretty even, it appears.
I believe Rice, like Vanderbilt, also holds its athletes to much-higher-than-the-NCAA-minimum (though lower-than-the-normal-student-body) academic standards.
I’m thinking that all Bradley would bring to the Braves is a new topic for folks on BJ to complain about.
Milton Bradley might be great for my APBA team, but not my real team. No thanks.
If it makes you feel better Stu, I’ve learned not to take that one for granted because anything can happen. Lately the team without 4 plus turnovers seems to win it. And we’re always capable of giving the ball away. Especially if we come in with a hangover post Carolina. I’m really nervous for both games.
Derek Lowe hasn’t suddenly lost it. Whether he’s been bothered by the blister for some time or not, he has an entire offseason to make any adjustments he needs and I’d back him to make them.
There is certainly no need to swap him for Milton Bradley, who can’t play in the NL because he’s too fragile.
Maybe there’s no need, but I can think of 25,000,000 reasons why it wouuld make some sense.
For some perspective, commentators are saying Cubs will have to eat down to about 3 million before anybody takes Bradley. We could probably get somebody to take Lowe for his contract (no players). BIG difference. I think, in the REAL market, this deal ought to be Cubs take Lowe and pay 8 a year toward Bradley.
However, I do not want him, even if cheap. If he performs mediocre, then you will have playing time fusses. If he performs poorly, he will take shots at everybody. He is very likely to be hurt and thus you have to pay for a real back up plan. Just not a good idea.
Who would take Lowe for his contract?
I think that a deal for Lowe may be possible. The Braves will be dealing from a strong position this off season. Virtually every team needs starting pitching. Lowe’s salary will limit the possible trading partners, but a deal can be made.
Think back 6 months ago to the frenzy on this site to acquire Jake Peavy. That was a four for one deal, that would have looked terrible if the Braves made it, but lots of folks were in favor.
Peavy was somewhat more expensive than Lowe will be (4 years / $63 million vs. 3 years / $45 million), but was 10 years younger and significantly better at pitching. And teams weren’t yet fully faced with the reality of the economic climate. ’09 Peavy and ’10 Lowe are not at all comparable.
Yes, and if everyone is nice I won’t dig up the people who thought that if the Padres wanted Tommy Hanson for Peavy we should still do the deal.
It’s common practice to put morality clauses in player contracts. Could a player be required to take a vow of silence? If Bradley really pisses people off that much could the Braves, or any team, pay him a little extra to maintain complete silence from the time he arrives at the park to the time he leaves?
New thread/poll.