Still boring game thread: May 5, Braves at Natinals

What is there to say about these guys? I guess I could make fun of one of their players.

Hey, that Adam Dunn sure strikes out a lot!

Sigh.

179 thoughts on “Still boring game thread: May 5, Braves at Natinals”

  2. I like the new poll.

    I guess the extra classic edition is next.

    Murph and the Magic Tones is already taken, though.

  3. Today’s lineup: McLouth, 8; Prado, 4; Chipper, 5; McCann, 2; Glaus, 3; Heyward, 9; Diaz, 7; Infante, 6; Hanson, 1

    Well we got our wish regarding Melky out of the Starting lineup. With Olsen going tomorrow we may get two straight starts for Diaz.

  5. Well we miss Halladay in the Phils series but they miss Hanson and Hudson (and maybe Jurrjens):

    Phillies series: Lowe vs Moyer, Jurrjens (TBA) vs Blanton, Kawakami vs Hamels. Jurrjens still a question with sore hamstring.

  6. KK = BP

    Of course, I don’t have a solution for a fifth starter, but you gotta admit it’s true.

  8. JJ to the DL and Medlen will start per DOB & bowman on Twitter.

    “mlbbowman: Jurrjens will go on DL. Medlen will start Sat. vs Phils. Craig Kimbrel will be promoted later this week “

  9. Well we need to win the next two against the Natinals. That Phillies series does not look promising.

  10. always wanted Medlen to replace someone in the rotation, just was hoping it might be KK or Lowe

  12. The other day I saw that Prof. Stephen Hawking was explaining how to build a time machine (shoot a really fast rocket into & out of a wormhole, etc.)

    So… we bring on Hawking as a special assistant to the GM, simply have him build us a time machine and—voila!—our lineup issues would be solved. It would be like the APBA All-Stars of Doom:

    The ’71 or ’57 Aaron in LF, say, and the MVP-era Murphy in CF, maybe ’93 McGriff or the ’98 Galarraga at 1B. We keep Chipper, but update with the ’99 version. Hell, he can even bring back the ’07 KJ & platoon him with Prado.

    Just need that time machine.

  13. well, it didn’t take very long to need that 6th starter we shipped off for a left fielder who cannot hit.

  14. This may be a dumb question, but why in the world wouldn’t Kimbrel be promoted until later this week. If JJ is on DL, don’t you kind of need that extra pitcher?

  15. The JJ move is interesting, but I guess it allows you an extra reliever sooner. They can always make the DL date retroactive to his last start, but this leaves you short-handed in the bullpen w/o Medlen. Also, I wouldn’t be surprised if they send Chavez down in light of his last few outings when JJ is healthy.

  16. From Carroll Rogers at AJC:

    “It’s official with Jurrjens. He’s going on the DL, Medlen is pitching Saturday, and Craig Kimbrel is on his way here. The Braves are hoping he’ll get here some time during the game tonight. The Braves are hoping JJ will miss only one start and be able to pitch soon after he comes off the DL during that home series with Arizona.”

    Kimbrel “on his way here” makes a lot more sense than waiting until later in the week.

  17. Looking forward to seeing some Craig Kimbrel.

    Gotta have something to look forward to..

  18. Didnt get to see or here much about Kimbrel (brain surgery stuff going on) can someone give me the low down?

  19. Throws hard, has no idea where it’s going. As the Nats are boring, I’m planning a player analysis as the game thread tomorrow.

  20. why wait to activate kimbrel? maybe to delay starting his arb or free agency clocks

  21. @18 – Small right-hander (5’10” ish) with a high nineties power arm (said to touch 100 on occasion.) Kind of a slinger arm action, to the hitter it looks like the ball came out of his ear. Braves hype-machine says he looks like a right-handed Billy Wagner (Both short guys with big arms, slinging arm action, 100 mph sometimes, really good slider.) Wagner himself had nice things to say about him in Spring.

    Walks a lot, K’s a ton. Triple A numbers this year:

    15 innings, 1.20 ERA, 5 BB, 21 K. WHIP of 0.8, and hitters are batting .132 against him.

  22. Still lead the league in walks, 15th in homers, 14th in runs scored. I think we are the boring team.

    As always, thank God for Houston or we would be last in everything. They have nine homers and 49 walks in 26 games which seems impossible.

  23. how many here would love to see medlen dominate and steal the 5th starter spot from kawakami?

  24. @21–Re Kimbrel “walks a lot”: He does have a history of wildness but those numbers for this year are ok (small sample of course)–4+ K/BB ratio and 3 BB/9IP are not bad.

  25. I did not think Kimbrel would be ready this year, but after seeing him a couple times in Gwinnett, he is.

    It’s not just his walks being down, but he is more efficient with his pitches. I hope he can stay strong in the Majors.

  26. I didn’t think he’d be ready either, but I agree. It’s pretty clear AAA hitters are over matched against Kimbrel at this point.

  27. please god can we move heyward up in the order? i think at this point hes proven that he shouldnt bat that late…. imagine how many RBI he would have if he was batting 5th or so? seems like every HR he hits is a solo shot…

  29. You just don’t understand the wonders for clubhouse chemistry that making Heyward “earn” his way up the order does.

  30. Gotta say, I agree with those who say the Braves definitely aren’t running enough.

    Nevermind that we aren’t good at it. We make too many outs with the bat. We need to start making more on the bases, like McLouth there.

  31. I’m not a Kimbrel believer in the short-term. He was wild as anything this spring, and just last year he walked 6.8 men per nine, hit three guys, and threw ten wild pitches. Long-term, if he remains healthy, he should be a stud.

  32. @29- your right i dont understand. how does mclouth “deserve” leading off or how glaus or melky “deserve” to even be on the roster…

    what about hinske earning his way up the batting order? am i the only one who would LOOOVE to see that?

  33. dont get me wrong though, im not on the “rush a rookie” bandwagon. just saying that if he is the onlyone bringning the bat to work everyday than MAYBE jsut maybe he shouldnt bat behind glaus

  34. .289/.412/.627
    scary to think what he’d be hitting if he didn’t go through that 1-20ish slump

  35. Maybe by hitting Heyward lower in the order he can “lay in the weeds” and “ambush” a pitch…or something.

  36. Hard not to be in favor of batting Heyward cleanup or 5th. But if the rest of the lineup doesn’t wake up, it’s not going to matter a whole lot.

  37. I’d love to see Heyward infront of McCann and Glaus. Don’t imagine it will happen anytime soon. But I’d like to see him in a spot where pitchers have to go after him. And maybe that would make Glaus AB’s less crucial, as hopefully McCann and Heyward will have driven in some of the runners Glaus has been stranding so far.

    However, I didn’t say anything about McLouth not deserving to hit leadoff. I just implied that running isn’t the answer to our problems, because we don’t have the personnel to do it. I think McLouth is the best choice for leadoff, because none of the other logical candidates are doing anything to take it away from him.

    Give me more Hinske, but color me skeptical that he can a decent left field.

  38. all good points. maybe if he wasnt 4th or 5th if he wasnt behing glaus could help. going to the plate with a garunteed 1 or 2 outs doenst help your case on getting to home plate…

    maybe im just biased because i grew up 10 miles from where heyward was born in NJ

  39. I’d put Heyward 3rd and slide everyone over a spot like the Brewers did with Braun his rookie year.

    ..

    Infante for cleanup!

  50. that’s what happens when you take Heyward out. The team automatically defaults to throwing the game since all hope is lost.

  52. To say that Melky in for Heyward is a downgrade is the understatement of the day.

  58. Chip said he’s been battling some shin problems. Chip also says fisted and sprayed. So …. yeah.

  59. @55

    baseball-reference says the Braves drafted him in 2003. I would have sworn he was with the Marlins at some point before checking that but I was probably remembering an OOTP dynasty or something.

  61. @57

    The new MLB gameday thing has a little box with twitter comments about the game. Someone just recently twitted that the Braves defensive replacement in RF means that Heyward is out of the game. …Thanks buddy.

  62. The Nats announcers also just said that it’s easier to steal third than first.

    Still better than Chip.

  63. Isn’t Rob Dibble one of the ‘Nats announcers?

    Imagine a teaming of Chip and Dibble. Dear God.

  66. Sounded like Chip was surprised that Prado went for it. I think the Nats were as well. Nice play, Nitram!

  67. Man is this a boring and unexciting team with Heyward out (like now) and without Chipper or McCann doing much of anything.

  68. “Dibble and Chip.” “Chip and Dibble.” Either title for that sitcom, you couldn’t go wrong.

    One’s a Drip, the other’s a Dribble. No they’re not, they’re Chip and Dibble!

  69. why is Melky a MLB player? Honestly.. isn’t there one minor league player in AA or AAA that can produce more for the 3MM he’s making? Not just in the Braves minor league teams.. I mean, the entire minor leagues in the United States of America.

  73. Melky is good evidence that braves would rather spend less money on a much less player…

    ill do wren a favor. i can strike out and hit weak pops for 1.5M a year

  77. @70 Javy’s struggles for NY don’t really support that. Do you think the yanks would take Melky back in exchange for Vazquez at this point? Just call it a reset!

  79. I say we lose 6 to 4 tonight. Last night we lost 6 to 3 and I call that progress!

  85. Melky sucks.

    I believe the Braves have 0 home runs from left field this year.

  89. #85

    You are correct, sir.

    Coming into the night, Braves left fielders were hitting a balmy .194/.259/.233.

  93. Teheran so far tonight 6 ip, 4 hits, 0 bb, 8 k–era now 0.84–i’m guessing he’ll be headed to MB soon

  94. 90-

    I thought 88 was funny too. Ah, sex. Sex is fun, and is funny. It’s great. And girls! Sex and girls. Sex WITH girls! Ah. Funny. And great.

  99. For about 3 years now, we’ve had a lot of players who just suck at fundamentals, like bunting.

  100. Was it Jimy Williams who got a lot of attention for working with our pitchers at bunting when he was here?

  104. jordan schafer with 2 hits and a walk in rome tonight. he’s now 4 for 10 with 2 walks. we need him to be ready next year, and maybe earlier.

  106. ya know what i love about prado…he really understands baseball. instead of hacking away at a 3-1 count, he knows chipper’s hot so he takes one. prado is a player.

  109. McCann’s looked pretty bad for awhile.

    I hope he gets a rest tomorrow. Good excuse to start Ross with the lefty going.

  110. 93,
    Probably after another month. The traditional development path includes about 100 innings at Rome and about 100 innings at Myrtle Beach. Teheran will be approaching 100 Sally League innings in a month, and that’ll give him 4 months to pitch ~100 innings in the Carolina League, and if all goes well, he’ll start 2011 in AA.

  111. Ryan C @ 104-

    Oh I think we’ll see Schafer sooner than later. I think the all-star break is a good over-under, and I’ll take the under.

  113. Took Tommy Hanson 95 pitches before he actually looked sharp tonight. His first 1-2-3 inning will be his last.

    Gutty performance, if less than dazzling.

  116. You can tell Moylan’s doing well by looking at the pitch F/X on Gameday. Everything is down down down.

    Hope I didn’t just jinx it win Dunn coming up. :-D

  117. So it hasn’t failed yet, but why on EARTH would Bobby bring Moylan, a right-handed side-armer in, to face two lefties, sandwiched around a righty who’s 5-9 against him, and who hit like, the only homerun Moylan’s given up in the history of forever?

  118. The last time Moylan allowed a homer was Opening Day 2008…and it was Zimmerman.

  121. So I guess Saito for Harris, Guzman (entering in the 6 hole for the pitcher), and Desmond; and Wagner gets the top of the order-ish in the ninth.

  122. @118 I was at the game.
    ——-
    In other news….good tidings from Rome.

    Schafer is 4 for 11 in his rehab stint so far and Teheran was lights out today 7IP 4H 0R 0BB 10K lowering his season ERA to 0.81

  127. i’m not sure saito gets to work enough and it looks like we’re paying for it..
    SHITO SAITO!

  132. Im sick of hearing Joe and Chip talking about how these Nationals need to be firing on all cylinder and that the Braves need to be taking advantage of these matchups…..the Braves are the worst team playing tonight fellas

  134. PW is probably the man to ask this of, but if anyone else knows feel free:

    My understanding, possibly incorrect, is A) Anyone on the 40 man can be on the big league DL, B) if you’re on the 60 day, you can be replaced on the 40, but not if you’re on the 15 day, and when coming back from the 60, you must be returned to the 40 man, or be waived to come off, C) once you begin your rehab assignment, you have a limited amount of time before you must be assigned to a club.

    Schafer was optioned down before he was disabled. Why is he only the Atlanta 15 day DL? Did we have to assign him to Atlanta out of Spring Training, and THEN re-DL him?

    And is he currently accruing service time? If he is, why didn’t they 60 day him?

    Also, is it true that Schafer is ticking down a clock now, and at the end of a certain number of days he must be assigned to a club; if that club is not Atlanta, then he expires an option?

    Does the club he’s assigned to immediately following the DL stint have anything to do with the DL time accruing service time?

    Lots of questions.. Just want to understand where it all stands with Schafer

  138. Love that stat for Braves LF this year? I wonder what it is for the last ten seeing as the team has neither developed or signed one in ages (unless you count that half season of Thomas)?

  139. Brian has looked like Francoeur tonight. Swinging at balls, taking perfectly hittable pitches.

    Looked just like Francoeur. That’s literally the worst thing I can say about a baseball player.

    Also, is that sinking feeling in anyone else’s gut whispering to them that we might have to watch Kimbrel give up a walk-off job in his big league debut tonight?

  140. how many times are these guys going to take fastballs over the middle of the plate? our cleanup hitter cant pull the trigger…this team doesnt deserve to be competitive, they do nothing right

  145. 141 — Either that, or they’ll send Kimbrel back down and recall Parr if Medlen works hard.

  151. 134,
    Placing a player on the 15-day DL creates a space on the active roster and placing a player on the 60-day DL creates a space on the 40-man roster. Players accrue service time while they’re on the active roster, 15-day DL, or 60-day DL, but not if they’re on the 40-man but on an optional assignment to the minor leagues.

    If Schafer is on the 60-day DL still, he’s accumulating service time. As soon as he’s done with his rehab he’ll be optioned to AAA and he’ll stop accumulating service time.

  152. I missed it while checking email, but whatever you did Matty, good job!

  154. Who do you think is the better glove man between Infante and Hicks? I mean, I assume Infante stays in because he’s got major league experience… but he’s also a backup, and Hicks has a pretty good defensive reputation.

  155. Thanks PW.

    But why is he accruing if he was sent down BEFORE he was DL’d? Did he accrue for the remainder of last year, or just since the beginning of this year?

    Or perhaps when we decided to DL him from Gwinnett, we recalled him before DL’ing him to avoid a grievance from the union?

  157. I think Joe had it right, Hicks to SS, Infante to 2b, Prado over to 1b. That would have made the most sense to me.

  159. 155,
    The Braves recalled him from AAA and placed him on the 60-day DL on September 1, 2009 to make room on the 40-man roster for Tim Hudson.

  160. Thats what I missing. And they did that to make a temporary spot until the end of the year, without having to waive anyone. Thank you.

  161. Riggleman has confused me tonight. He bunted in the first with his two-hole hitter. Then in 5th he played the infield back with the tying run at third. Now in the 9th down one, he doesn’t bunt.

    Enough stupid in there, he might just win this game.

  166. @159 & 160–thanks gents, I’d also been wondering about Schafer’s status

  167. Good win.

    Wish we’d ponied up to sign Wagner one of those times he was FA and we were whispered to be interested. It would have been nice to have him here for 6 or 8 years.

  168. So … anyone think Infante’s good enough to consider trading our gifted-but-obtuse SS if we get a decent return?

  169. So, we still have 6 years of control of Schafer, counting this year?

    And…

    No on trading Yunel.

  171. Billy Wagner has always been a guy I didn’t like simply because he wasn’t on my team. Now that he’s here, I feel bad for not liking him for so long.

  172. I’m not saying I flat-out dump him, but I’m listening to offers for Escobar if I’m Wren. I think there’s at least a 50-50 chance that his head keeps him from ever developing.

  174. 169,
    Yes, at the least the Braves will control Schafer through 2015. The maximum amount of cumulative service he could have after the 2010 season is 1 year, 121 days. In that event, he’s under team control as a slave through 2012 and as an arb from 2013-2015. If he accumulates less than 20 more total days of service this year (extremely unlikely), they’ll control him as a slave through 2012 and as an arb from 2013-2016.

  175. Would not his 6 year minor league free agency kick in if he’s not on the 25 man by the end of this year?

  176. Fully prepared for the worst when #22 went down, so I went to an Irish pub in Sunnyside—and returned home with a win.

    Yippee, 4 out of 5. Guinness… victory, same thing.

  177. Some good news from BP regarding our top two prospects at Gwinnett too.

    In summary, Kimbrel is a right handed Billy Wagner and will be well above average as a closer when he learns control, and Freeman will be an above average 1B but needs to fix his swing a little to give him more power and stop him getting jammed inside.

  178. cbwilk over at talking chop seems to think that schafer will be at gwinnett after his next game. something’s gotta give for the outfield situation at gwinnett. it’s really not fair to those 5 guys to not start regularly (jones, clevlen, young, blanco, schafer).

    and it’s not like you can slide one of them over to full-time dh because of barbaro. 2 people that deserve everyday abs will not get them.

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