San Diego Padres vs. Atlanta Braves – Box Score – July 22, 2010 – ESPN.
That is how you answer blowing a lead. This team is so resilient. Facing a pitcher with a 3.53 ERA, the Braves scored two runs in the first, led 4-0 after three, and poured it on late, while Tim Hudson had no problems shutting down the Padre batters.
In the first, Prado walked, then was erased on a force play, allowing Heyward to reach. Chipper followed with a single to make it first and third (Heyward’s baserunning has been outstanding since his return, and all season really) and the first run scored on a Glaus sac fly. The rightfielder dropped the potential third out of the inning, a fly ball from Diaz, and Gonzalez drove Chipper home (he probably should have been out, the throw was weak) to make it 2-0.
Melky led off the second with a double, but Hudson couldn’t get the bunt down and he only went to third on Prado’s groundout. Heyward came through with a single, however, making it 3-0. In the third, Diaz singled with one out and came home on an AAG double to make it 4-0. (Laughably, with two out the Padres walked Melky intentionally, something they did later in the game as well. The first time, it didn’t hurt them.)
The Braves couldn’t get another run in, blowing a couple of chances, but Hudson was completely in control of the game. Their only threat of note came in the fifth, with a single and a HBP, but the eighth-place batter grounded into a double play and the pitcher grounded out to end that. In the seventh, the Padres bullpen went to work, and this time, it didn’t go so well. Diaz walked with one out, and Nate Louth ran for him even though Diaz is faster than he is. AAG’s fourth hit of the day made it first and second, one out, and Ross doubled to score Louth, making it 5-0. Then came the second walk of Melky, which backfired when the pitcher hit the pinch-hitter Hinske on the foot. (Hinske is day-to-day; Medlen ran for him, go figure.) Prado flew out, but infield singles by Heyward and Chipper made it 8-0 before they finally went to another reliever, who got Glaus to ground out.
Dunn started the eighth with eight straight balls, got the next guy out on a 3-2 groundout, then walked the next guy. Bobby brought in Moylan, who got a double play to end it. He went out for the ninth, and wound up needing only 14 pitches for 1 2/3 innings of work.
From the last thread, brule @ 22
“Francoeur is still tremendous popularity? Ha! What did he do for the Atlanta Braves as a baseball player? I can’t get it about Atlantans if he is just popular because he is a hometown kid. Even he has wife. Why should chicks chase him? Sorry….A little strange for me.”
As I’m writing this, the AJC rss feed on the left column indicates that the latest article is “francoeur subject of trade speculation”. Yup, an ATLANTA journal constitution articles deals with a poor player we got rid off a year ago. Why do we/they still care? You’d feel like he’s still on our payroll.
Wonderful game, Huddy is awesome. Seems like the players love AAG. I am sure the Mets love seeing we won before their game starts!
I don’t care if the Phillies pick up Oswalt. I would care much more if the CARDS pick up Oswalt…
I’m baffled as to how the Cardinals are not running away with that division. Has their offense been struggling?
I’d like to believe the Astros wouldn’t deal Oswalt to their main division competitor.
@5 This is Ed Wade we are talking about.
No one is really a competitor to the Astros, right? You’d have to find someone who is on their strata of suck.
4- Their infield outside Pujols has been either hurt or atrocious and the back of their rotation (4-5) hasn’t been much better
How about an article that compares Jeff Francoeur to Roberto Clemente? Sure thing: http://www.athbaseball.com/20100722436/2010-archives/july/jeff-francoeur-trade-imminent-is-roy-oswalt-coming-to-ny.html
#9
Jeff certainly is a “roll player.”
Let’s see… Clemente didn’t walk much. They are, or were, both carbon-based life forms. That’s about it.
If being a good clubhouse guy is so important, why don’t they put it on the scoreboard?
@12 HA!
At the risk of opening up the proverbial can of worms again, check out this quote from Diaz about AAG. Pretty pointed:
“Big addition,” outfielder Matt Diaz said. “Playing behind him…. People doted on Yunel’s range, and rightfully so. He had a ton of range. But not only does Alex have the range, Alex positions himself to get rid of the ball quick. He may not have Yunel’s arm, but he gets rid of the ball so quick, and he’s got a very strong arm. It seems like it’s an easier ball for Troy to catch.
Someone mentioned the Marlins in the game thread. Just noticed that they’re only five games back in the wildcard now. Never count out the Marlins; they are Pure Evil. Cut off their heads and put a stake in their little fishy hearts while you have the chance.
@14, what the heck is he supposed to say? “Yunel was awesome, way better than Gonzalez, but I hated his lazy ass.”
Squish the Fish & vanquish them to the bottom of the NL sea!
Oswalt to the Cards is the scariest option. We can compete against all the contenders in the NL but if the Cards add Oswalt, it will be super hard to win a series against a team that has a 1-2-3 of Wainwright, Carpenter, Oswalt
Jeff K, from last thread … 900cc.
Word is Jamie Moyer could be in line for Tommy John.
The Cardinals could very well be our first round opponent too.
The Braves game is being replayed now on SS if you missed it.
@9 “francouer is attractive to a contending team” yeah, if the contending team sees him is right field for whoever they are playing.
The Marlins really underperformed their Pythag record in the first half.
They simply had too many good players to not be a .500 or better team.
@23,
Hmmm, interesting. I think we should hire the guy who managed them during that period.
I say let the Phillies give away their future for Oswalt, that way we can get back to running this show.
So, Ed Price says that the Rays are shopping BJ Upton…
Poz tweets that DeJesus may have messed up his wrist running into the wall on a catch. So much for that option.
Which player had the higher OPS (.190 points higher) in 2008?
a. Jeff Francoeur
b. Rick Ankiel
OH NO! THEY ARE GOING TO WIN THE DIVISION! WE ARE DONE!
NOT TIMO PEREZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I really, really hope Philadelphia trades Werth for Oswalt in a 3-way trade. On the other hand, I really, really would be afraid of the Rays if they landed Werth. I mean, I already think they’re awesome. That would just make them scary.
@29 I would worry about the Cards first before I even THINK about the Rays. I would much prefer seeing Owsalt in Philly.
Hey guys, Frenchy’s big mouth!!!
“If there was an opportunity to play more somewhere else, that would be great…I love it here, but if they decide to go in a different direction, I would be happy to play somewhere else.” Jeff Francoeur, addressing reporters at Dodger Stadium
teheran doing what he does best…pitching
7ip 3h 1er 9k 0bb
freeman also has 3 hits tonight.
I bet there’s a recreational league where they would let him play.
Trade them both for DeJesus.
Mac – Thank you for the best recaps. They are the Standard.
Does Jeff Francoeur still play for us? Did we not trade him a year ago? Is he not a crappy baseball player who means nothing to our success or failure at this point? Have we not even gotten rid of the guy we traded him for?
I swear, sometimes it seems like this is Francoeur Journal. Move on! The guy sucks. Are we going to start talking about Ryan Klesko and Dwight Smith and Kent Mercker? Is Rafael Belliard going to become a topic of discussion? What’s Darren Holmes up to these days? Some of you are like a bunch of girls talking about their ex-boyfriends, driving by his house, calling his phone and hanging up, and saying “I just don’t care about him anymore. By the way, does he ever talk about me? Is he seeing anyone?”
Gosh. Can we talk about the Atlanta Braves?
They should trade Frenchy to Toronto so he can balance out Yunel in the clubhouse.
@34 As a Braves fan, I love making fun of Frenchy and I enjoy every single second of it.
@35 Not going to work. Didn’t we have exactly that?
I think the Hawks should trade for Chris Paul, even if it means we have to trade one of Josh/Horford.
I nothing Jeff Francoeur. As far as I’m concerned, he doesn’t exist. I mean, he exists in space and time, but he’s such a non-factor in my fandom of the Braves. He’s just another former player who sucked and moved on. Some people on here act like his beat writer, giving updates on everything he does and any quote he makes that appears in print.
When you have to sift through 10-20% of posts because they’re about a former player, something ain’t right…
C’mon Rob!
I hate it when someone tells me what I can and can’t discuss and when it’s not the moderator/blogger.
I hate it when you don’t have a life and dwell on a guy you’ve never met and will never play for your favorite team again. Go to Metsblog and talk about Jeff Francoeur, bro.
No. And cut out the personal attacks.
Sounds good. I’ll have “Page Down” ready. Maybe you, Coach, and Chief Nocahoma can cluster your posts to make it easier on the rest of us.
Rabble rabble rabble!
You have to admit, Rob, Frenchy did his share of work to help the Mets losing to us the last time. So he isn’t as non-exist as you hope he is.
man, everyone is touchy after a great series win
Rob, you sound like my old roomate talking about his ex-girlfriend. If her name even came up by accident in a casual conversation he’d go out of his way to remind everyone that if people didn’t keep bringing up her name he’d have long since forgotten she even existed. We would of course all nod and smile.
I’m going out for beer with Corky Miller tonight.
Look at Jeffy just screwing up our blog chemistry…
Milt Thompson is fired and Dejesus is hurt….interesting
@46
Did I not just make that same analogy?
@48 I was just starting to drink some water and I almost choked. LMAO.
Am I Yunel? Don’t trade me to the Jays blog guys!
Did Mitch Williams ever have a concussion? I dunno, maybe he’s got a flask of vodka nearby.
Good win. Late to the demographic study in the last thread…
41, 1988 Ford F150 270,000+. 1993 Camry 180k. Obviously I believe in driving them into the ground, much like Bobby with relievers.
Frenchy sucks.
Looks like Moyer’s finished, which leaves Tim Wakefield as the only active major leaguer older than this 43-year-old bag o’ bones. I used to tell my dad that as long as Phil Niekro was still pitching, there was hope for him, too.
Mitch does seem a little stewed tonight. Also, Billy Ripken reminds me of Jared Svenning from Mallrats.
@1 Nasa
My wireless was unstable. Soorrrry, couldn’t access the internet. Generally, I don’t talk too much or hate keep making excuses but I’d like tell you. I undestand what you want to try telling me. But I think you didn’t read the whole page or I’m sure you didn’t understand what I was saying. I know Francoeur is not a Braves now though I had missed watching games last season. I just told my thoughts about someone’s quote even though I didn’t point out his name. It was my opinion and curiosity. A general thing!
Additionally, I just thought it was ok because Mac didn’t say that you guys has banned on talking Francoeur and MORE this board exists for the free talking about baseball. ESPECIALLY the Braves including the former braves. I am really sorry if I brought about the problem on the board.
@52 and 55 Mitch does seem a bit slow tonite…..
Just supposing here…
Would you trade KK, Medlen, Delgado, and Dunn for Oswalt to keep him away from the Cards and/or Phils?
Negatory.
Nope….Ill take Medlen cheap over Roy’s contract by itself….
I think we can all find this amusing, even though it is about Frenchy. SNY’s Kevin Burkhart asked what he did the last two games, while sitting the bench, to occupy his time and part of what he said was ‘I drank a lot of Mountain Dew.’
@56
I wouldn’t worry about it. We’re all here to talk about baseball and give our thoughts on it, regardless of whether it’s on former or current players. Seems silly to only limit ourselves to talking about current players or happenings though, as some seem to prefer.
In other words, I think we should all talk about Francoeur for the rest of this thread.
Did that guy look goofy when he was at the plate or what? You just knew he was going to go up there and swing away just by looking at his face.
Also missed the demographic study.
24, 2004 Acura TL w/ A-SPEC, 102k miles
@61
Darn…I would have guessed he’d say “I ate a lot of Arby’s roast beef sandwiches”
i know he’s got some baggage and i know this might be far-fetched, but i think we could work out a deal with the rays for upton. they have absolutely no competent lh relief. how about…
dunn, melky, and a prospect for upton
Upton in CF and Heyward in right….I like it. BJ is only 25.
I’d trade KK, Medlen, Delgado, and Dunn for Dan Haren, although I have no idea why anyone would want KK.
Fun fact: since June 27, there’s been only one day (July 11) when the Mets and Phillies both won. Since then, the Mets have been 6-14 (tied for the worst record in baseball) and the Phillies 8-13 (tied for 3rd worst).
While he might have been a bit too militant about it, I generally agree with Rob on this one. I’m not in favor of banning talk of him or anything like that, and I do read most of the Jeffy posts and even find some of them amusing, but in general, this board spends way too much time talking about Jeff Francoeur.
His time here was punctuated by both incredibly crappy play and great popularity. It was a very interesting dichotomy, and as such, was worthy of note while he was here. But he’s gone now, and it’s really not even worth paying attention to at this point, unless we’re playing the Mets. And even then, we spend way too much time thinking about it.
Nick,
Now you’re talking about Jeff Francoeur, AND Rob Cope, and NEITHER of those guys is a Brave.
Pretty bold, man. You’re getting in to some pretty dangerous territory…
65—When I mentioned it earlier, I was thinking something like Venters and Schafer.
Bill Shanks reports that Beachy gets promoted to AAA and Teheran gets promoted to AA tomorrow. Wow.
Freddie Freeman is doing really well for a 20 year old at Gwinnett. He’s now .287/347/483 with 12 homers according to B-R, and I’m not sure when that was last updated.
He and Willie Cabrera are the only position prospects I have any faith in right now in the upper minors.
72 — Those guys sure seem to be on the fast track, especially Teheran.
Boston’s John Lackey working on a no-no thru 7 IP in Seattle, but he’s given up a run.
And, on cue, Mets down 1-0 to LA in 7th.
73- Those are the same numbers MiLB.com has, so they were updated after last night. He went 3-5 tonight, raising his BA to .291.
@71&72
i didnt realize you’d mentioned it (i do see now at post 25), and i really didnt realize the rays might be shopping him (hence my words “far-fetched”). here’s the link if anyone is interested…
http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2010/07/22/mlb-trade-deadline-roundup-rays-shopping-b-j-upton/
that’s great news about beachy and teheran. teheran might be a top 5 mlb prospect by season’s end and beachy has been “beastly” (which is what his nickname should most definitely be).
apparently the orioles had a ton of people ejected tonight. Baseball tonight is about to show it
Looking like Freeman definitely has the inside track to be our starting 1b next season.
@72 Minor will be ready when next season starts, and Teheran will be ready when 2012 starts. One of Lowe and KK needs to be traded this offseason.
I wouldn’t mind taking Upton if the Rays would take Melky!!!
Well, that’s that for Lackey—4 outs away & beaten by Josh Bard.
But I must concur: Is Mitch Williams downing a Vicodin with each Jameson’s shot?
Man, you guys are right. Mitch Williams is completely sloshed. He just insinuated that he’d rather not throw a no-hitter if he’s already given up a run.
prospects that should be apart of the 2011 team
Minor, Freeman, Collins, and Kimbrel
I still think we see Teheran midseason next year
Tyler Pastronicky and Collins may both turn out to be pretty good…
Wigginton will probably be suspended for a while…looked like he bumped the ump a couple of times
@83 Having Teheran by midseason next year would be really pushing it. As of now, the Braves need to find a rotation spot for Minor next season already. Don’t think they want two rookie pitchers joining the rotation in the same season. Considering how deep our starting pitching is, there is no point to rush Teheran.
Collins in 2011 = Dunn in 2010.
77,
Love it. Brandon Beastly.
I’m guessing that Orioles fans are welcoming the rare bit of entertainment that tonight’s game brought.
Mets remain in full shrivel mode, getting shut out 2-0 thru 8 by Kuroda. They’d drop back to 3rd, 7.5 out.
God, Bill Hohn is such a douchenozzle.
89 — Sweet.
I feel uncomfortable especially someone overreacts when that subject comes up. However I will try to undestand cause everyone is totally different. I’m quite shy at the offline and a generous person if you believe it or not.
@62 DowneasterJC
Thank you for cheering me up.
@51 kc
You joke around.* Don’t woorrrry! I will be traded to the Jays blog or somewhere!
well since Beltran’s return the Mets have lost every game he’s started in 0-6, and won the only game he didnt start in. That changes tonight, hopefully, he didnt start and they’ll lose again.
Im sure they didnt think theyd go 1-7 when getting him back
And they “really lost” the other game he didn’t start, too.
This trip has been a gutpunch for the Mets on so many levels.
@85–Wigginton shouldn’t have gone batsh!t crazy, but it looked like he had a legit beef about the call.
Speaking of bad calls, Posada’s non-tag against the Royals tonight was some fine umpiring.
What in the hell happened in this Red Sox-Mariners game?
Casey Kotchman, of all people, hit a big double to help in that rally.
HA HA HA, Delcarmen and Papelbon blow Lackeys start. Seatle scores 5 in the 9th now 6-6 and still batting
Nighty-night, Mets.
Welcome to 3rd place.
And who, representing the tying run, made the final out?
You guessed it—Jeff Francoeur.
As the game summary would probably read if Mac were a Mets fan: Diamondbacks 2. Frenchy makes the last out, appropriately.
mets lose
Had they not come back and won, the Padres could’ve felt legitimately hard done by last night, as both the call on the Prado missed tag and the play where Glaus pulled his foot off the bag were really awful.
Mets lose again!
The Mets are so close to fourth place.
@99–re last out for the Mets–you mean he who shall not be named made the last out 🙂
And the Phillies move into 2nd, 7 GB of the Braves.
I was as happy as anyone when Jeffy was traded, and was doubly glad when the Mets were the trading partner, but I don’t really get the enmity. He wasn’t the one that kept writing his name on the lineup card. His daddy didn’t own Delta and force them to put him front and center in their promotional campaign. He *looked* like a star, and for a brief moment, he was. You spend all your life with everyone telling you how great your are, you start to believe it. It’s jarring and difficult to accept when you discover that you aren’t so great after all.
He may have never had it in him to be a real star, but he could have been a useful major leaguer. The Braves sure didn’t do him any favors when a) they brought him up when he wasn’t really ready; and b) they didn’t let the demotion stick when they at long last sent hime back down. He never seemed a bad sort to me, just clueless.
I guess Matt Kemp does suck.
Wow, it’s both Teheran AND Delgado being promoted…
Randall Delgado got promoted to Mississippi in tandem with Teheran. So I guess that means they’re going to let him throw his slider in games this year after all. It’s a plus pitch that they haven’t let him throw in a pro game yet. He might seriously take off.
BTW, I’ll be rooting for squished fish in person on Monday in SF. Headed that way on a business trip, and will take the opportunity to catch a game at AT&T Park for the first time. Any recommendations on not-to-be-missed food and drink while there?
Can anybody that knows more about prospects than I do answer this question for me ? Is there any chance that Beachy gets a callup this season as a late inning arm in relief ? He seems to be really getting fastracked.
I think Kimbrel and Dunn would be called upon before they would call up Beachy. Dunn would be sent back when O’Flaharty is back. Beachy may join when the roster is expanded though. FYI, they are trying Christian Martinez as a starting pitcher as well.
Besides, don’t forget our Chris Resop!!!
The Phillies just fired their hitting coach Milt Thompson…
Frenchy’s initial promise, combined with unthreatening good looks, secured him a level of societal perks that was lofty even among his peers. And then his inability or unwillingness to change his approach made him a bad major league ballplayer, which made his celebrity seem increasingly unearned. And there’s not much we (the big “we”) enjoy more than s***ing on unearned celebrity. Replace “Francoeur” with “Lohan” and this could be a TMZ message board.
@111,
It’s impossible not to get a good meal in San Francisco.
I think it’s fun talking about Francouer. The enmity comes from his attitude of entitlement and the disconnect between the perception that he is a good player and the reality that he is not. It’s not his fault, but that’s life. Plus, he is with the Mets–if he goes to, say the Pirates, I suspect, people here will talk less about him. I have no problem with making fun of him as long as it doesn’t get too personal.
#78, we should do that in one of Bobby’s last regular season games. If the division is sewn up, then all the starters should start kicking dirt onto the umpires shoes at some randomly assigned point and get thrown out.
#115 – Perfect. Unearned celebrity. In our country that list is huge.
Greetings from Tropical Storm Central. I’m here to tell you to make other plans tonight because this game ain’t happening.
Better analogy: Paris Hilton. At least Lohan is a decent actress.
#111
Marc’s right. SF’s a helluva restaurant town.
And that China Basin area has lotsa hip little watering holes & eateries near the ballpark. Don’t remember the names, but there are some nice cafes nearby. Caveat: If you stray too far from the area on foot, it can get a little sketchy with aggressive street people.
They’re not really near the park, but my fave SF bars are: The Top (DJs & stiff drinks in the Lower Haight, unpretentious fun), Murio’s Trophy Room (really old-fashioned, guy bar, among hippieville in the Upper Haight near Golden Gate Park) and Vesuvio (the original Beatnik bar in North Beach, right next to City Lights bookstore & plenty of good Italian joints).
Great town, enjoy.
@Rob…
The thing is, his continued employment is bemusing outside of our community. He is a legitimate baseball topic, and discussed on any number of sites, not just this one. While I concede there is certainly an greater air of schadenfreude here, I assure you his name comes up regularly on all the baseball sites I read. I don’t get bummed out when there is pro hoops discussed here, which I loathe – people have a broad set of interests, and as long as the set largely intersects mine in a Venn diagram sense, I am fine with whatever.
@119
That’s a bummer. Though hopefully Bonnie can work her way a little closer to the Florida Panhandle and help me get a three day weekend.
As I’ve written before, I will never not make fun of Jeff Francoeur.
@ 56
My comment wasn’t directed at you, but rather at the Braves as a whole.
I think us fans have every right to talk and make fun of JFK. I mean he “ruined” our baseball days for almost 4 years, least we can do is make fun of him for 4 years!
On the other hand, seeing the AJC talk about the Mets outfielder is beyond me. As far as I know, the New York newspapers don’t hold updates about how our shitty players are performing. That was my point.
Lohan used to be a decent actress. Right now, though, she’s 1989 Dale Murphy. I hope that some day she can get her life together, and maybe even give a few more good performances, but right now I worry that ship has sailed.
@125, It’s sad that she thinks a “Deep Throat” biopic is going to save her career.
@115, Great point about the unearned celebrity. I do think that’s at the heart of it.
Corky didn’t show so I’m singing karaoke with a bunch of people never mocked on this site. In Okinawa.
Did Vandy’s new coach really talk about inseminating turkeys at SEC Media Days?
————–
I can’t figure this Kawakami thing. Is there simply no role for him at all? Surely he pitched well enough to get something in return? No?
—————
What is it with umpires blowing so many obvious calls?
#117 – I think that would be hilarious, but Im sure MLB would hand down some lengthy punishments/fines to players coming out of the dugout and arguing with umps
114 – what the Phils cant hit when they arent stealing signs?
Any day now, we’ll see one of Kenshin’s legs sticking out of a woodchipper.
regarding weather…
looks like the braves might be getting a few off days. weather.com has the rain chances around gametime tonight to be 50%, but there’s no way that’s accurate. the storm will have passed by saturday, but the outer bands will still be “wreaking havoc” (according to overly dramatic jim cantore).
@110
serious question: why would an organization suppress a pitcher’s full repertoire? health reasons?
Yeah. There’s a belief that breaking balls are harder on the arm than fastballs.
Whoa there, Jim Cantore is a beast.
sorry for the triple post guys…
you guys remember the 30 year old cuban defector we signed named yassir gomez? he debuted for mississippi last night and got on base all 4 times.
matt lipka is ripping shit up in the GCL. he now has his batting average up to .347. last night he had a homer, a double, a single and 2 stolen bases.
with salcedo, lipka, and pastornicky as infield prospects in our organization, the depth is not near as bleak as what it once was.
From Calcaterra’s morning wrap-up:
“Tigers 5, Blue Jays 2: The Jays had opportunities to extend an early two-run lead, but stranded runners and failed to get a timely hit or two. After that Verlander bore down and Toronto just didn’t have a chance. The Jays ran themselves out of an inning when Yunel Escobar got thrown out trying to stretch a double into a triple with two-outs in the seventh. Cito Gaston: “I’m sure our coaches will talk to him about that play. You can’t go for third in that situation unless you know you are going to make it standing up. You can score just as easily from second with two out as you can from third.” Somewhere Bobby Cox chortled good luck wishes to the Blue Jays coaches.”
o/My Bonnie lies over the ocean…
I have to stick with the Lohan analogy:
Freaky Friday — top prospect
Mean Girls — 126 OPS
Herbie Fully Loaded — 87
Prairie Home Companion — 102
Georgia Rule — 72
I Know Who Killed Me — 68
Rehab — Traded to Mets
Prison — Benched by Mets
I think especially sliders are believed to put a heavy strain on the elbow.
@138 –
.429/.478/.762 – For now anyway, Toronto is fine with the occasional out.
But spike, I am not of the hard core anti Yunel faction. But I still get it as to why people think the stats don’t show his silliness properly and your post helps prove that.
So, Yunel gets credit for a hit toward batting average and an extra base toward iso (2nd) yet he is just as out and his hit (unless runners were on base) is no better than a ground out to 3rd. Great for OBP, great for BA, great for SLG, but a negative toward team run scoring (lost one of the 27 precious outs).
Looks like the braves might be getting a few off days…
Damn. We’re on a roll and scheduled to miss Josh Johnson. Let’s get those friggin’ games in.
@140, very good. The thing with Jeffy was that his hot start combined with the “hometown boy makes good” storyline was just irresistible. I don’t think he sought celebrity, it was thrust upon him and he went with it. If he had struggled out of the gate, the whole narrative would have been much different and he might have ended up where he belonged as a somewhat useful platoon outfielder.
sansho 1,
I’ve got a 13 year old daughter who was formerly into Li Lo and I haven’t seen as many of her movies as you must have.
But, I do like your analogy except that I would probably put “The Parent Trap” in place of “Freaky Friday” and call it something like “first round draft pick.”
cliff — I haven’t seen any of them, I’m just a movie review addict.
And I truly believe most of the ridicule is based on not much more than anger over the fact that he sucked and we kept playing him. But Rob seemed verklempt, so I thought I’d help him out by shaming people out of talking about Frenchy. 🙂
anybody else see Zambrano getting pumped and thanking the heavens in his ONE inning pitched in Iowa? hilarious.
Gratitude is on the 12-step list.
We’re starting to hear a few names as to who was behind “The Party” at South Beach. (Btw, this is the only thing that could ever cause a UK / Vandy SEC East Championship battle.)
Anybody hear the definitive word on who organized and paid for this thing?
Hope they’re sharpening the guillotine blades …
Again on KK,
How many people really believe he has been so bad that he couldn’t have pitched the 8th and 9th yesteday? Is he maybe hurt?
I think he has pitched about like a first division # 5 starter. That isn’t good for his money, but it isn’t an albatross contract.
I would not be surprised to find out that Lowe and KK are on waivers in early August. There would be a little risk on Lowe, but Minor can probably cover good enough to let him ride if somebody wants that contract.
I’m not that confident in Minor yet, and Lowe hasn’t been that bad lately. Not worth his contract by any means, but not so bad that I’d be more comfortable with Minor out there instead.
BTW who wants to pay for another four years of my school so I can work on pre-med instead of this BS film degree I’m going to end up with here soon?
Just curious – why would the Braves put Lowe on waivers this year?
I know we’d like to be shed of his contract, but it’s highly unlikely anyone would bite and don’t we need him for the stretch run? He’s really pitched pretty well.
Lindsay Lohan is case in point for the double standard we have as a culture for “dangerous women.” She hasn’t done in her entire life half the shit Robert Downey, Jr. has stuck up his nose, but he’s a darling comeback story and she’s just a trashy whore in the tank.
I like Lindsey Lohan more with every passing day.
You put virtually any high priced veteran on waivers, except the ones you have no intention of ever moving. Andruw Jones went through waivers four or five years running, for example. You put them on the wire; if anyone claims them you can either 1) pull them back off the wire or 2) work out a deal and shed the salary. If no one claims them then they have cleared waivers and you can trade them after the deadline without having to go through the process again.
Downey has been in a lot of good movies the past 4-5 years. We pay to be entertained, not to say “I like whats-his-name”. The same reason why Charlie Sheen is still on primetime TV even though he put a freakin’ knife to some woman’s throat. Mike Tyson is a convicted felon but all you hear is “he was so funny in The Hangover!”
anyhooo… how great is our lineup without the black hole McLouth? I’ll take Melky’s slap hits over him any day.
Well maybe if Lohan gets out and makes an awesome superhero movie people will like her again.
I’d stick Lowe on waivers in August and let anyone who wanted to claim him have him for a bag of balls and a marginal Single A outfielder. I’d go with a JJ/Hudson/Hanson/Medlen rotation right now, with KK or Resop or whoever as fill-in 5th starter.
The point is that once a female star has been labeled like Lohan, the best she can hope for is a sort of Elizabeth Taylor career arc. That standard doesn’t apply for men. Downey, Jr. gets work despite being a whore. Mel Gibson still works despite being completely fucking insane. Mike Tyson is feted for his “The Hangover” cameo and the fact that he’s a convicted rapist never comes up.
The double standard is pretty obvious.
If someone is willing to pick up Lowe on waivers, and thus his salary going forward, yeah, you do that deal in a heartbeat. Then you find a real offensive force to pay what Lowe was making.
If this storm is going to knock out two or three games, couldn’t MLB have moved the games to ATL?
Hey, it’s not like we’re the Phillies and should expect special treatment.
Looking at the forecast, I think that if the groundskeepers in Miami are at all competent they’ll get the game in tomorrow evening.
@157,158,159, the worst part is Iron Man was, how to put his, not that great from where I sit. The story was ludicrous, the special effects predictable, and the performances perfunctory. Not that I care particularly about the cinematic fate of LiLo one way or another. She does take a nice mug shot though.
@160, it’ll suit me just fine if they get rained out and never have to be made up. Couple days off for Chipper and the pen, and we can set up the rotation for those games in Cincy.
Sam, I’m very sympathetic to the point you’re making, but I’m not sure it’s quite as cut-and-dried as you’re making it out to be.
Before Edge of Darkness last year (a movie that bombed with both critics and audiences), Mel Gibson hadn’t had a starring role in a film in seven years. He spent more time as a producer and director with his own film company, Icon Productions. He basically made his own movies and did what he wanted. It’s not like the Hollywood studios were just feeding him project after project.
As far as I’m concerned, Robert Downey’s career — frankly, the very fact that he’s still breathing — is little short of miraculous. But he’s not the only actor to clean himself up that way. Drew Barrymore did the same, and she’s now one of the most powerful women in Hollywood. I think Downey and Drew Barrymore’s careers should serve as an inspiration to all of the screwed-up, drugged-out wrecks in Hollywood.
Lindsay Lohan has talent, and she’s basically spent the last few years on a desperate mission to overdose. I hope some day she can get clean.
EDIT: Also, I just disagree that no one brings up Tyson’s rape conviction. EVERYONE brings it up. Including you.
@162
Another reason the analogy works — saying you think Lohan is hot will piss off your girlfriend, just like her rooting for Francoeur used to drive you up a wall!
Sam-
Your analogy makes no sense. Lohan is like 20something. RDJ is in his 40s at least. If Lohan gets her life together in the next 20 years and starts making movies, I guarantee you, no one will care any more about her stint in jail.
LiLo Journal.
so if we have weather issues the next 3 days does that force Wren’s hand in making a move or will he still have time to sit and evaluate our CF issues?
Talk of bad weather is depressing. Please tell me the Marlin’s new stadium will have a roof.
The new stadium will have a roof, but given 25MPH winds with gusts, I think that they’d cancel tonight’s game anyway.
File this under: Rain falls down and sun rises in the East.
It was only a matter of time.
Rob Neyer and Rany Jazayerli have kidnapped Alex Gordon to keep him from being traded to the Mets.
If the Marlins new stadium is going to be in downtown Miami…it better have a roof. That’s basically right on the water.
Speaking of the Mets…Carlos Beltran, post-steroids, has been nothing special. Remember that incredible hot streak he was on with the Astros that year? That was legitimate (rolling my eyes)…
Never mind. Corky Just walked in.
The double standard is pretty obvious.”
Completely agree. Folks will point out that the analogy is incorrect, that Downey had more of a career before he tanked, that Lohan is less talented, etc. Fair enough. But the more germane issue is that of women who “fell,” very very few ever “came back.” Ultimately, it’s far more unusual for a woman to make a comeback because her “fall” usually has to do with with a loss of traditional femininity, whereas a man, in falling, is often just giving in to the more wanton impulses of his masculinity. Guys like Downey fall but don’t “lose” much.
If you want to convince anyone, Adam, you should try to present some evidence. Like, any. At all.
Sansho’s comment at 140 is the greatest actor/athlete comparison in the history of whatever.
Yeah, Brittany’s really suffering.
@164, Drew Barrymore is a good example of a woman who turned it around.
Mel Gibson’s career will never work again and Mike Tyson was a sight gag in “Hangover,” so I don’t really buy those as examples.
Yep only a matter of time until he who shall not be named was linked to the Royals.
Drew Barrymore’s family is legendary and well-respected in Hollywood…plus she was a likeable, loveable child star. So she had plenty of people pulling for her. And just b/c she sleep around with tons of people at a very young age, does not mean she was headed for disaster. She basically just grew up.
Rob, Rany, and Posnanski will each pop a vein over this, much to our entertainment….
Roman Polanski? No one seems to care about what he did.
And Britney Spears is not and will never be anywhere near as popular as she was before she went crazy. She’s a walking punchline.
Charlie Sheen is probably the best example of someone who is still immensely popular despite dozens of outbursts.
so if they cancel tonights game, would we see a DH this weekend or will they look at future off days for both clubs?
if its further down the line, do the Braves skip Medlen again?
The thing about Gibson is… I really, really love his movies. Braveheart’s one of my favorites ever, and Apocalypto is terrific, and the Lethal Weapon movies are awesome, and so on.
It sounds increasingly likely that he’s a terrible person. And I’ve tried to withhold judgment, not because I believe in giving people a second chance or because I truly believe he’s a decent human being, but for the entirely selfish reason that I like his movies.
I hate everything about the Mel Gibson mess, including my reaction to it. But good lord, the man has made some good movies.
While we’re veering way off topic, I just saw that Daniel Schorr died. Now there was a newsman, kiddies.
“[Brittany Spears]’s a walking punchline.”
Unlike, say, Robert Downey, Jr. circa his melt-downs? Heck, he was a punch line right up until Iron Man.
Apocalypto is terrific
you should see The Naked Prey,the, um, “inspiration” shall we say for this movie.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Naked_Prey
Schorr spoke at my HS graduation, 31 years ago.
I can’t say I’ve ever heard more than grumblings about RD Jr.’s past. But I wasn’t paying attention to those sorts of things.
I have kind of a double standard when it comes to athletes vs. actors. For some reason, I don’t really care what an actor does off screen, as long as he or she makes movies that I enjoy. As a result, I don’t care that Robert Downey Jr. had a ton of issues in the 90s, or that Drew Barrymore had the same sort of issues. All I really care is that I enjoyed Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes.
However, for some reason, when an athlete starts having off the field issues, I am more inclined to want that athlete off the team I root for. Not really sure why that is, but it is.
Not sure if this was ever linked, but Baseball America‘s Mid-season Top 50 includes 5 (!) Braves prospects.
RIP, Daniel Schorr. I never really knew him as a newsman, but I certainly enjoyed his cameo in the Michael Douglas movie The Game.
Spike, thanks for the tip. I’ll check it out.
162—WHAT??? Did you ever read the Iron Man comic books? I thought the movie was fantastic — I even liked the second one — and very true to the original story. Of course, this is coming from someone for whom Iron Man / Tony Stark is probably the greatest or second-greatest comic book character of all time…
New thread.
@194 Maybe one’s appetite for heavyhanded foreshadowing, trite storylines, obvious plot devices, one dimensional characters, noblesse oblige and dimestore populism diminishes with age. Or maybe it’s just you.
/kidding!
//well in a way!!