I think Omar Infante is great, but I’m pretty sure that the creators of the All-Star Game didn’t intend for there to be a “utility player” spot.
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I think Omar Infante is great, but I’m pretty sure that the creators of the All-Star Game didn’t intend for there to be a “utility player” spot.
Use code “Journal” for a 5% discount.
Kinda feel bad for Omar. He’s just minding his own business, suddenly he’s the go to guy for every all-star snub column out there.
The creators of the All-Star game didn’t intend for it to decide the home field advantage for the WS either. Frankly, Omar belongs there more than a lot of people routinely voted in by fans.
Who voted for REO Speedwagon?
aar from the previous thread:
Would you really like to release Derek Lowe and let him sign for 2 years at Major League minimum with the Phillies? Mets?
Maybe you trade him with a good prospect for a bad prospect. You don’t make a $6 million player (or better) available to your competitors for 400,000.
According to Bruce Feldman:
Weeks ago, Vols faxed over a list of every JR & SR on USCs roster to the Trojans’ compliance office to alert them of their recruiting plan.
We have claimed one already! Just thought it was funny.
why would you release Lowe? He’s not a clubhouse cancer or anything like that. He’s not useless either
It’s pretty funny when these SEC folks get so excited about scoring someone off the bottom of our depth chart. It’s like Emmanual Moody all over again.
Oh, is Tennessee still in the SEC?
Im not sure he was on the bottom of the depth chart. He just wanted to play somewhere that would be on TV.
Glaus is back in the lineup tonight. Hope he and Diaz can get it going.
Could you see Bobby playing both Infante and Diaz in the corners with Blanco up the middle? I couldnt and Im searching for ways to get Melky out of the lineup
If it gets Melky out of the lineup, I’d put Heyward out there in a cast.
A leg cast.
Diaz played both right and center on occasion last year.
Sooo, apparently BJ Upton is available. I don’t follow the AL too closely, but he seems like a decent bet to buy low on. Young, cheap RH CF currently down on his luck after past success. What’s a fair swap from an ATL perspective, or are you even interested?
Upton is available because he’s 25 years old and going backward. He had one really good year, and one pretty good year, and the last two he’s been Francoeuresque.
Upton’s Offensive Winning Percentages by age:
Jose Oquendo for the Hall of Fame! Let’s make it happen.
@9, will Mitch Mustain follow? He doesn’t seem to have much of a future at USC behind Matt Barkley and might be able to start for the Vols this year.
(If so, too bad Arkansas is not on the schedule so he could try to stick it to “Mr. Interception King” Lady)
Upton’s also been a bit of a problem child in his time in Tampa. He’s had trouble with the manager & fellow players for what’s seen as lack of effort.
@9, will Mitch Mustain follow? He doesn’t seem to have much of a future at USC behind Matt Barkley and might be able to start for the Vols this year.
Maybe. It never made sense for him to come here in the first place. He was never going to be the #1. It took a pretty surprising flame out by Aaron Corp just to get him to #2.
UT does need a QB.
As this is Kentucky’s best chance in 25 years to beat UPRH (University of the Particularly Ridiculous Hue), I’m quite certain that enough Trojan players will find their way to the bend in the river to beat us, at least.
@14, I get that that is why he’s available, Mac, but he has a minor league track record that would hint at something much better than Frenchy. Seriously, in your opinion, he’s done? Just seems strange that a 25 yo could lose the strike zone permanently in just 2 years (he’s actually a bit better this year). Frenchy never had it.
@17, I had heard that too, and traditionally (although who can say going forward) the team has had good luck with players shaping up here.
The Upton discussion just reminded me of what it is I like so much about Gregor Blanco – he cares.
He obviously cares deeply about every at bat, every play in the field, every opportunity to help the team. That’s worth a helluva lot in my book.
Upton’s a talented jerk. I’ll pass.
ross must finally be healthy.
1. Prado 2B, 2. Infante RF, 3. Jones 3B, 4.Glaus 1B, 5. Escobar SS, 6. Diaz LF, 7. Ross C, 8. Blanco CF, 9. Jurrjens P
Oddly, Upton’s similar to a lot of players who wound up never fulfilling their early promise. Most-similar hitters through age 24:
1. Rick Monday (956)
2. Lee Mazzilli (954)
3. Max West (953)
4. Ruppert Jones (949)
5. Bobby Tolan (948)
6. Chili Davis (947)
7. Melky Cabrera (945)
8. Sixto Lezcano (943)
9. Johnny Damon (942)
10. Corey Patterson (941)
Only Davis and Damon became stars.
@18, I’ve always found it to be an odd decision as well. I guess there was the one Trojan backup who became a starter for New England & Kansas City..(looking it up).. Matt Cassel.
Now we’ve gone and wasted way too much digital ink on someone without any real accomplishment in Mustain. My bad.
Yes, Cary, you owe me one-millionth of a penny for wasting bandwidth.
21—Blanco is 26, with a career MLB OPS+ of 83. Upton is 25, with a career MLB OPS+ of 100. I wonder if Andrew Friedman would trade his jerk for our humanitarian.
Mac, are you suggesting a *change-of-scenery* trade of Melky Cabrera for B.J. Upton??
I think you did!
Slumping though he is, Upton looks like Willie Mays next to Melky. And not jsut physically.
Year of the Umpire and the Atlanta Braves | Sports | SPLICETODAY.com.
#22 – As if Bobby is saying, “If you hadn’t noticed, we could use another power bat. I’m hitting a guy with 0 HR in 300+ PAs fifth. And really, it’s the right thing to do.”
Half that list, especially the first name – Monday, Mazzili, Lezcano, Davis and Damon turned out just fine.
Escobar and Lowe to Houston for Berkman and Oswalt. Get it done, Wren.
eeeeek! Berkman and Oswalt are owed THIRTY ONE MILLION dollars next year.
Yeah, I was kidding. I think that’s a trade that neither side would have any interest in making.
Now, JJ and Melky for Matt Kemp, on the other hand…
FWIW, Reyes back in the Mets lineup tonight.
I wouldn’t take Seantrel Henderson if you paid me. [Reggie Bush joke goes here.]
Yeah, he figures to be a handful for whoever gets him.
Welcome back, Troy.
Awesome.
Looking like one of those nights.
This has all the signs of a frustrating night.
Blanco got robbed of a double, that ball was fair.
Also, he beat the throw to first.
JJ normally gets beat by the Phils in the 6th or 7th innings…
Really? That little pause while Howard got his fat ass over to first got everyone riled up? Man, baseball players are ridiculous.
I’m willing to admit that my DFA Lowe suggestion from the last thread was tossed off with next to zero consideration, but let me caveat it pretty severely: if we determine that Lowe has no place on our 25-man roster, then there’s really no harm in letting him hurt another club. I just object to keeping him in the 5-man rotation when there are better starting pitchers in our organization. If he’s pitching well, let him start. If he’s pitching terribly, let him relieve, let him pinch-run, whatever.
Martin Prado, MACHINE.
Prado is frustrated by his mortal teammates yet again.
That was an All-Star running catch right there by Infante!
Wow, that looked like a triple of the bat.
46- I hope the Braves at least try putting him on waivers like Toronto did with Alex Rios last year. You never know. The last year of his deal is going to be a financial anchor on this team in 2012. Especially when you figure Minor, Teheran, etc should be about ready at the league minimum.
Yay! Consecutive hits that result in a run!
You would think that someone at Peachtree would at least know what the trivia questions used on Fox were.
Omar Infante, All Star.
This feels like the part of the script where jj gives up a single and a double, and a run, and we follow out, walk, single, double play, and then never threaten again.
Can’t hit a ball much harder than that. Consider me encouraged by Matt’s PAs tonight!
Can we keep this broadcasting duo permanently?
Who is the broadcasting duo Dan?
EJ and Smoltzie. It’s a good team, but neither is interested in doing this full-time right now, and Ernie, of course, has higher-profile gigs.
Hamels is still throwing 95. Gotta get him out of there.
Martin!
Mac….for those of us outside of the viewing area, who are the braves announcers besides Chip and Joe?
Never let a pitcher face The Prado four times in a game.
PRADO!!!!!!!
Suck it, Utley!
Go Nitram!
FEAR HIM!
The Prado, All-Star
Sneaking a fastball by Prado is like trying to sneak Omar Infante past an all star team!
It’s usually Chip and Joe on the Fox broadcasts (Fox South and SportsSouth) with Glavine on Sundays. Some group of Joe, Ernie, and John have handled the Peachtree broadcasts. Don works radio with Jim Powell, with Lemke as a sub when needed. There is no radio in Tuscaloosa or Birmingham, by the way — apparently, all the Birmingham stations want to get paid to run the broadcasts, and the Braves don’t do that.
Wow….Prado again. When Heyward gets back I think I may have to purchase the package….
Dammit, JJ.
I don’t want to second-guess… but O’Flaherty should have faced Howard. But that run is Diaz’s fault.
That’s… unfortunate.
Also, I disagree about bringing in a reliever. It’s a tough call, and that’s an ideal situation for a LOOGY, but JJ was cruising and had a low pitch count. Guess we shoulda gone with the reliever.
Damn. Jj got a couple of gift strikes and couldn’t close the deal
The run is JJ’s fault because he walked the freaking leadoff hitter after his team gave him the lead.
That lead off walk was a killer
Thanks Mac. Make a liar out of me JJ, nevermind he normally blows it in the 6th or 7th. Cmon Bobby. Youk just left the Red Sox game with an injury…..hopefully it is not serious.
Eh, Diaz tried to make a great catch and almost did.
And then he stood there like an idiot while the ball rolled away and Ryan Freaking Howard got a triple.
He couldn’t find it.
Big K
GJ, ROOGY.
Wow, that 2-2 pitch by Moylan was fantastic.
Good job Blanco!
Nice throw in from Blanco there.
Nice throw and delivery by Blanco there. He doesn’t have a cannon, but if he gets rid of the ball quickly and delivers it accurately, you can live with it.
Wow, nice work by Moylan/Venters there.
CHIPPER! Nice play!
Let’s get that run back
Thought that ball hit to center field was going to be much deeper than it was, good thing Howard is slower than Glaus.
Never expected to get out of that.
Cmon offense….PLEASE
@68 – nice one.
Ah, that Philly bullpen.
I’m surprised that the Phillies are willing to give up the run here. I think it’s the right call in this ballpark, but it’s against “the book”, I believe.
Damn it Escobar
awful.
CRAP. Screw you, Yunel.
What the fuck is wrong with Escobar?
I still think he’s spending too much time around Melky.
more awful
F this team.
2 horrible f’n abs. yunel’s a piece of work…and shit.
Guess the Phillies aren’t the only team that can strand a runner on third with no outs in a big game.
People on this board like to ride Melky and Lowe, but Escobar has been the Frenchy Award Winner this year.
99—So many things. Oh, you mean with his hitting?
anonymous lurker, could you lurk some more?
Yunel, could you get a grip?
Imagine how much better we’d be if Yunel was hitting more like his usual self.
The Braves have 10 hits as opposed to the Phillies 2??? If we lose, I’m going to blow a freaking gasket.
“I still think he’s spending too much time around Melky.”
Robinson Cano agrees.
Escobar has played very good defense at SS. He’s made more than a few plays that would’ve been hits with most other players out there. So he’s got value that way. But man has he been brutal at the plate.
i’ll say this again, the day yunel is not a brave will be the day i start loathing him.
Even at his best, Yunel was never really easy to root for.
Also, I did not like the decision to PH for Ross here.
If I were the Phillies I would throw to first until I picked Escobar off.
“I still think he’s spending too much time around Melky.”
Famous last words.
@114
I think you have to send you best hitter to the plate here if you can.
115—LOL.
Thats going to cost them
Saito has been really hittable of late.
Smitty-
I’ll take Ross vs. Contreras over McCann vs. Romero.
Romero against McCann was a given. Let me ask you guys this question, those of you who see the Braves often. Does it look like McCann will ever be the dominant hitting catcher he was two years ago?
advertise melky and yunel as the party package and trade their sorry asses.
I still like our chances in a battle of the bullpens.
McCann’s solved a lot of his problems against lefties this year, but while he’s killed lefty starters, LOOGYs are a different matter. And this year, at any rate, Ross has been more likely to hit a single than McCann.
Yeah, what a disappointment that Brian McCann is.
@122
what kind of question is that? teachers say that there’s no such thing as a bad question. dont believe it…
Tony, over the last 28 days, McCann has hit .299/.379/.532. His stats are as they are because of his slow start due to the eye problems.
Ill still take McCann at bat with the game on the line.
This has been an agrivating series.
Oh, I understand now. Nevermind.
Cut me some slack guys, I said dominant, I didn’t say he was wasn’t good. Quit being so sensitive.
It’s probably O’Flaherty in the ninth if we don’t score, Wagner if we do. I really hope we score….
“what kind of question is that? teachers say that there’s no such thing as a bad question. dont believe it…”
I am a teacher. And yes, while there are stupid questions, there are also stupid answers.
Might be a good night to have some fun with Mr. Lidge.
Mets won.
Ah! Gotta take that one for the team Gregor.
Take one for the team, Gregor!
What a crap at bat.
At what point do you just sit FB and not swing if it’s a slider?
I mean, seriously. He has yet to throw a slider for a strike.
This strike zone has been all over the place
Can Prado bail our asses out again?
That was much more of a strike than the last one
Home plate umpire is clueless.
O’Flaherty against these guys in this ballpark…yikes. I hope we live to see the tenth.
Ibanez was just a tad late on that swing.
Nicely done.
McCann, OTOH, is super-easy to root for.
Ok, if we don’t score in the 10th, we’re looking at Jesse Chavez time.
Couldn’t we go w/KK instead?
You could, but Bobby usually saves the long reliever for last.
And the Rays wonder why they can’t draw…Vanilla Ice is in concert after the game on Friday.
If we go w/Chavez, it’ll be a moot point
WTF. Why is Chavez in? Where is Kawakami??
@153: And so it is. Well, this game was fun.
The white flag has been raised.
Who here didn’t think that was gone?
Ha! Exciting!
Why the hell bring in Jesse Chavez!? Why even have Jesse Chavez! in the frickin’ majors?
Wouldn’t it be a lot less gut wrenching for Cox to just forfeit?
3 of those pitches were strikes, right? At least 3?
the ump’s as bad as Chavez
I hate this umpire.
I was thinking the same thing mravery.
Chavez reminds me of Jaret Wright when he was with us…except sucky.
This ump has been terrible.
Thank God. For a second, I thought we’d just lost to Dane Sardina.
Well that was…something. Had the at ’em ball working.
I’m not exactly brimming with supreme confidence when Jesse “AirTran, How Far Did It Go” Chavez on the mound, but he got out of it.
GO GO GO GO YES!!!!!!
Sac bunts are for chumps!
Matty! Yeah baby!
Welcome back, Matt.
Mike Minor was 89-93 MPH with a really good change and an above-average curve that he struggled to locate. He was the second best left handed pitching prospect that started the game tonight.
And Chavez is in line for the win. Who knew?
If Yunel and Diaz would have done that 3 innings ago we could have all gone to bed by now.
Matty Dye-azz!!
well, that’s better than a bunt
172 – Saw Minor in Chattanooga vs. the Lookouts. He was impressive. Hit 94 on the gun, good change.
All- If I was Matt Diaz, I would press charges on that guy who has been impersinating me all year.
Nice to have the hitting fool back tonight.
This guy pitching for the Phils makes Ray King look like a lingerie model. C’mon Brian, hit this guy.
I went to brush my teeth, what did i miss?
Actually, he kinda looks like a cross between Kruk and Schilling.
178 — Diaz doubled to deep right, Escobar scored. (hit and run)
Escobar singled to center.
excellent.
thank you
‘Ske Ball.
yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hinske with the insurance! Against a lefty!
I take it all back!
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
I take it back, Hinske!
That works!
EFF-YOU Kruk!!
And who had Eric Hinske down for knocking one out off a lefty?
Hey, that looked like Hinske.
Hinske just crushed that one off of ‘Krukilling’. C’mon Wags, shut ’em down.
I love Zagurski. I might add him to my fantasy team just for looking so awesome.
Smoltz kept on saying that the Phillies pitcher was throwing too many fastballs. It looks like he threw one too many.
Good for Matt and Yunel….
ESPN reporter says that LeBron will announce his free agency decision on ESPN Thursday but ESPN won’t confirm. This is what happens when one company rules the sports world.
193—It was actually a hung slider to Hinske.
lol@ Ernie.
“Hey this pitcher looks pretty good Smoltzie”
BOMB
Fantastic play. Wrong runner.
Wow, that was an amazing play by Yunel.
Nice!
Whew, what a win.
Excellent win.
The past few years, the Braves don’t win this game.
Wins like this just make my day.
F this team.
Yeeeahh.
Helluva win tonight.
Something tells me they would have lost this type of game the past 3 or 4 seasons. Good win.
-203
D’oh. Jinx.
Would have been nice to win it earlier, but a good win nonetheless. 13 hits to 3 would have been hard to stomach too.
You could just feel we had this one.
now maybe the team can relax against Moyer and finally beat the 80y/o
How the hell did the Atlanta Braves win this game?
Makes no sense.
#205 – What are the chances that guy works as a scout in the non-specific midwest or pounds Keystone light shirtless?
Now let’s beat Old Man Moyer. It’s one thing to lose to him, but when he dominates you to the point he starts making national headlines…it’s not good.
How long before JJ can throw more than 80 pitches before tiring?
Claims to work as a scout. My theory is it’s a 17 year old.
Recapped.