Curious. Prado spent a good portion of the year challenging for the batting title, missed huge chunks of time with injuries, was forced off his regular position because of Chipper Jones‘ injury, then was shut down with yet another injury of his own. And yet, he (a) set career highs in plate appearances and games played, and (b) put up an almost identical slash line (.307/.350/.459) to his career averages (.307/.356/.454). I think we can pretty much state that Martin is a .300 hitter with medium power and on-base skills. He finished ninth in the MVP voting; likely he would have been some higher if he’d been healthy.
That’s a lot more valuable at second base than in left field, but it’s also pretty close to Matt Diaz‘s career line, for example. That is to say, it’s not out of place in left field, it’s just not at an all-star level. If he goes on a tear and hits .330 again, then we can talk. He has played very little in the outfield in the majors (three starts in 2008, two innings in 2009) and only one game in the minors. He has, however, played there regularly at times in winter ball. I don’t think we can count on him being a defensive plus. Then again, who knows how much outfield he’ll actually play? He could get yanked in to cover for Chipper, or for Freeman. He has improved as a second baseman, and is certainly better than Uggla, but the Braves aren’t going to mess with their new acquisition.
Evidently we could toss a beer can into left field and it would get a plus defensive rating. We have every reason to believe Martin will approach playing LF with the same dedication he always brings, so I think he’ll be okay. More to the point, I love Martin Prado.
@105 in the previous, I love Lucas as much as anyone, but he was A: old for his league, and B: in the PCL. I wouldn’t take those hitting numbers too seriously just yet.
I understand that batting in the PCL might have something to do with increased numbers, but can you really be “old” for AAA?
Once again Mac, your analysis is spot on.
I think he will play a lot of second and third this year (late innings at second)
Sickels did his top 50 hitting/pitching prospects and here’s where the Braves were listed:
Hitters:
#8 Freddie Freeman
#48 Matt Lipka
Pitchers:
#3 Julio Teheran
#15 Mike Minor
#26 Randall Delgado
#28 Craig Kimbrel
Not bad-that’s 6 in the top 100 and 5 in the top 60 or so.
@6
doesnt make sense that vizcaino gets left off that list and lipka’s on it.
Could be that if he did a list to 100 there would be 60 pitchers and 40 hitters which would remedy that concern a little, but on his list from October, he had Vizcaino ahead of both Kimbrel and Lipka. Not sure why the opinion changed other than health.
#7–Sickels has made the point more than once that Vizcaino gets docked because of his injuries–which seems reasonable to me…..
It makes surface sense to say that Martin would be better served by putting him in one spot and leaving him there. Does that really matter, though?
—————-
Someone told me the other day that Elroy Face named his son Richard.
well, ryan c
seeing that vizcaino loves his curveball to the point where his arm might fall off, you could see how John is a bit, well, skeptical.
lipka, however, is a scout’s dream: he’s athletic, he’s got a short, compact swing, he’s fast, he can field, and he’s got some pop that will only get better as he fills out. He’s a legit 6’1″ and, from many of the scouting reports I’ve read, he’s a poor man’s Mike Trout.
@11
isnt he projected to have to make a move away from SS? that would take a lot of his value away.
@3, when you’ve never gotten double digit HR’s until your age 27 season, and that in the PCL, yeah, you are too old for AAA.
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=13085667&topic_id=7961660
man, freddie is some kinda ugly. as braves’ fans, we are truly blessed with some classy individuals.
@13 he probably doesnt have much pop, but his on-base skills far surpass diory’s.
Can someone post a link to the Sickels article?
Would you say that baseball players are more classy in general than players of other sports?
@17
American sports? Yes. They get in far less legal trouble.
Freddie seems to have a good head on his shoulders, its ugly as hell, not quite Lemke or Blauser ugly, but he’d make Ray Charles flinch.
Nah, I don’t think he’s abover average MLB-ugly, just take a way those glasses and he’s alright 😉
@ 10: Justhank, I worked with a guy named Richard Head. He went by Rich, to his face.
My half-brother has an uncle named Richard Head, in South Bend, Indiana.
I think there are a lot of those in South Bend.
So, the Nationals traded for Tom Gorzelanny. They’re having an annoyingly-productive offseason.
Stu,
Shooting their bullpen would have been a productive offseason for the Natspose.
Sorry spike, there’s no article on the Sickels top 50, it’s just something he sends to the people who pre-order his book. Not even sure if I was supposed to re-print the Braves info here, but I figured as long as I didn’t post the whole thing it was cool.
@25
I’m assuming Hellickson and Chapman were the two above Teheran?
@14, His I-just-rolled-out-of-bed beard and doo aren’t doing him any favors. As long as the kid can hit, he can fug it up all he wants.
Traditionally, journalists have said that of the team sports, the nicest players are hockey players followed by basketball, while baseball players (who are noted for a spectacularly juvenile sense of humor) and football players bring up the rear. That may not be true anymore, with the internationalization of hockey and the educational levels of basketball and baseball players equalizing.
My hope for Freddie is Todd Helton lite
@28
i dont consider hockey an american sport. that’s my southern side speaking.
Hockey’s what cows leave in the field.
Ethan that’s right Hellickson, Chapman, Teheran, Moore, Pineda
Freddie is some kinda ugly.
Well, the ugliest Braves pitcher of all time also happened to be the best Braves pitcher of all time.
Huh? Spahn? Maddux? Niekro, I guess, but he was no Zane Smith.
Mac may have a point
http://danmahan.com/autos/uploaded_images/1987_topps_ZaneSmith-701371.jpg
Nor was he a Rick Camp, or a Steve McMurtry, or a Rick Mahler. Or Terry Forster…Charlie Kerfeld. Them dudes was ugly.
Oh the memories…
Forster – the infamous “Fat Tub of Goo”.
Zane Smith was Billy Ray Cyrus’ idol.
#1
I echo Sam’s thoughts. He can’t be worse than ACHE in LF, could he? But, sad to say, my sneaking suspicion is that he’ll play more 3B than we’d like.
He’s a valuable guy to have on the team & FWIW, he does give the fans the idea that he cares deeply about his performance. Certainly, that’s an overrated notion, but it does warm my heart. I like to root for people, not just the players who represent positive statistics.
#28, 30
It’s been my personal experience that hockey players are the coolest guys and, yes, that may have more to do with the Canadian culture.
#34
I always thought Zane Smith should have a non-speaking role in a film.
@40
“I always thought Zane Smith should have a non-speaking role in a film.”
_Deliverance_, perhaps?
I actually think Prado will be an upgrade over Melky or ACHE in LF
The “doomed” poll is very exciting.
43 – gotta be one of the closer polls in history.
I agree with ububba on hockey players. I’m always careful to put the good guy label on any athletes but I think the Canadian culture is part of it, and I don’t have any figures, but I’d guess that the average salary is quite a bit less than the other professional sports, but I’m sure it’s gone up after the lockout.
My experience are hockey players are for the most part pretty down to earth guys, except for Devils players, all those guys are dicks.
My understanding of hockey player personalities is grounded entirely in the movie Slap Shot. Is it too much to hope that the movie is true?
Impossible not to love Martin Prado. Plus’ he’s Venezuelan. He can’t miss.
I would think baseball players might be even worse than football players in terms of intelligence, personality and bodily function humor.
Uni watch wrote about the Eephus League!
http://www.uniwatchblog.com/2011/01/18/uni-watch-profiles-bethany-heck/
Cool beans, Bethany. You’ve hit the big time, now.
Congratulations, Bethany! The Eephus League certainly deserves to be seen by as wide an audience as possible; it’s made with tremendous amounts of both love and skill. I hope the publicity train keeps a-rollin’.
Arb day today. Any chance Prado gets a multi-year deal?
@50 He should.
Thanks guys, I appreciate you all putting up with me.
@51 Bethany
Great interview!
I posted a question on EndGrain, which is terrific, too.
Good work Bethany, but you knew that already.
@47 – Kudos to you. I had no idea you were actually from Auburn. My mother and her family are as well – we still have a really cool house my grandfather built in the 40’s near the center of town.
Are you freaking kidding me?
If it means no more Chip, I’m okay with it.
Although I’ve grown strangely comfortable with how terrible Chip is..
It means 45 more games of Chip. The Peachtree TV crew was the only reprieve we had.
Edit: Nevermind Stu answered my question.
Big win for the mighty Mocs last night taking down Cremins and the College of Charleston. The Roundhouse was rockin’ (or as rockin’ as you can get with just shy of 4K in attendence)
Now hopefully the Vols can do what UK couldn’t and win at GA.
Weird dynamic there between FSN and Turner Sports. Turner sold Turner South to FSN, which in turn became SportsSouth. Then Turner developed a new iteration of Turner South, Peachtree TV. Now they’re having FSN produce baseball games on Peacthree TV. I don’t get it.
The Peachtree news kind of murdered my day.
Spike, where’s the house at? Thanks Kevin(I replied to your question) and Smitty.
#44
I wouldn’t imagine too many Devils are sharing their personalities with the public these days.
#47
Well done, Ms. Heck.
#55
An expanded season of Chip-induced web groaning. Joy. He’s become our Dick Vitale.
Big game tonight: UGA hosting the K-Town Schizos
Oh for God’s sake! If they’re gonna do that, can they just put them all on SportSouth so that I can watch them on replay when I get home late from work? Since Turner Sports obviously couldn’t care less about the Braves anymore, why don’t they just sell their package to someone that does?
61—At least Dukie V understands the principles of the sport he’s covering. Chip is ignorant of baseball, inarticulate, and has that annoying voice. Otherwise, he’s great at his job.
Francoeur sucks.
I’ll be in the building tonight, ububba, which is probably a good thing for you, because when I attended this exact game last year, we lost by like 30 points.
One would think that if UT starts out like they did against Vanderbilt, the linked above will be the result (again). It’s UT, though, so they’ll somehow put together a complete game out of nowhere.
So, is it fair to say that Matt Ryan’s pick-6 to Tramon Williams represents the worst decision ever made by a QB in the playoffs? I mean, the more times I see it, the more I’m just … WTF? What was he thinking? That was literally the worst big-moment play I’ve ever seen.
@67 I’d put it second behind the INT Favre threw to end his Super Bowl bid last year.
Fun with analogies!
Play-by-play:Chip Caray::Playing baseball:_______
a) Melky Cabrera
b) Corky Miller
c) Jonathan Schuerholz
d) Other
The Favre thing was a worse result, clearly, but I still think the Ryan decision was worse. In (long) FG range, down 7, with 10 seconds left on the clock, rolling left, throwing across his body, to a receiver flanked by one of the best cover corners in the league, who would’ve picked up a maximum of, what, 7 or 8 yards? In what crazy mind is “throw this thing the F away” not the only possible reaction? I mean, seriously, WTF?
Hahahaha, that’s a pretty convincing argument, Stu.
I think this was a bit worse, for a variety of reasons:
http://tinyurl.com/ydc55tp
First, it was the Super Bowl, so the game was bigger. The Skins were down 14-3 with 12 seconds left in the half. They were deep in their own end. Why would they do anything other than fall on the ball there?
But the Ryan play was close, because the result of the play essentially ended the game. Because of their situation (10 seconds left, no timeouts), everyone in the building knew what kind of play the Falcons were going to run & they didn’t disappoint. The execution, of course, was woeful.
Bethany, congrats on the praise and attention your project is getting! Well deserved.
@57
Oh right.. I forgot that Chip was on SS and not Peachtree anymore.
=/
Also, I’m not sure I understand the whole “Pujols had better sign with the Cards because not many teams need him as much otherwise” sentiment. I can see teams like the Yankees and Phillies being less interested because they already have big contracts tied up in similar 1B talent, but I’d think pretty much every other team in baseball could use Albert Pujols.
I’d pay him $27-30 mil, anyway. Sorry Freddie. Learn to play 3B.
72—I concede.
another reason why the astros are the worst franchise in baseball:
“The Astros avoided arbitration with Clint Barmes, signing the infielder to a one-year, $3.925MM deal, according to Rosenthal.”
Brewers avoid arb with Prince Fielder: One year, $15.5 Mil.
Padres avoid arb with Heath Bell: One year, $7.5 Mil.
Rosenthal says Martin signed for $3.1 million.
Francoeur is the third-highest-paid player on the Royals.
And $3.25 million for Jurrjens.
Yanks sign Phil Hughes ($2.7 M) & Joba Chamberlain ($1.4 M).
Curious to see if the Yanks, now having signed Soriano, will deal Joba, who had essentially lost his set-up gig last year in favor of Kerry Wood. He’s really become a spare part.
I’m a little late with this comment, but in my family we always referred to Zane Smith as “the other brother Darryl”.
Hope!
Braves sign:
Martin Prado; 1 year, 3.1 million
Jair Jurrjens; 1 year, 3.25 million
You mean the other other brother Darryl.
May all your dreams come true, Stu.
@60 – Corner of Woodfield and Gay (yeah, I know). A very large wooded lot with a white brick 40s modern house (window walls, sunken living room, breezeway, that kind of thing).
@87 I actually have a professor who lives very close to there, just a block up on Fontaine on the corner by Gay. I’ve seen that house, very cool!
I guess the Peachtree thing could be worse, in that they could just not put those games on TV at all or make you pay to watch on MLBTV or something.
@69
I’d put in a write in vote for Scott Thorman. I think we can give it to both men that they care about their jobs and try hard, but there is obviously an inverse relationship between that and the actual results.
Something else I was thinking about: I really hope JJ has a good year in 2011. In 2012, with Medlen back to (hopefully) full strength and Delgado, Hoover, and Teheran preparing to graduate, getting a Garza-like package for JJ would be great for both short term costs and long term player development. I love JJ, but long term I think he’s the odd man out.
72 — At least that happened to Theismann.
Is Kentucky really only a 4.5 pt favorite at Alabama tonight. Seems low.
Braves also settled with Moylan and EOF. I assume there was a reason why they had to wait for the filings.
Dusty, Alabama is perfect at home and the best defensive team in the conference. They can’t shoot at all, but they’ll keep the game close at a minimum.
2 mil for moylan. 895k for o’flaherty. that brings the total for arb players to 9.245 million. which also brings the estimated payroll to 91 million.
“So, is it fair to say that Matt Ryan’s pick-6 to Tramon Williams represents the worst decision ever made by a QB in the playoffs?”
I’m starting to sound like a broken record, but the play-call put Ryan into a terrible position. That was an easy read for Williams. Ryan should have thrown it away, true, but the fact that the play never had a chance–and never really should have had a chance, because it was idiotic–is on the O-Coordinator. Every time I think about it I get annoyed anew.
I’m not that excited about Moylan’s salary. He can’t post another 5.23 BB/9 and expect the ERA to stay low, especially since his strand rate will not stay at 80%.
Yeah, I can’t really believe they’re paying him that much, either. That said, at least we’re not paying Matt Capps $7 million or Jonathan Papelbon $12 million.
Or, another other brother Darryl.
Anyone notice just how bad Moylans splits were last year?
vs LH – .308BAA 2.78WHIP 13.2IP 22B 3K
vs RH – .214BAA 1.04WHIP 50IP 15BB 49K
We now have two guys that are big pieces of our bullpen who have just awful splits. Best of luck Roger.
Ridiculous ending in Athens.
The last 2 UT hoops shouldn’t have counted at all.
Looks like the refs didn’t call a lot of stuff
Yeah, like that shot-clock violation. That might’ve been an in-house malfunction, which is kind of amusing since Derrick Floyd (a former UGA player) runs the clock there.
But, that last play was a textbook definition of an over-the-back foul.
I agree it was over the back. SEC refs are terrible. I am starting to think their bad call balance out over the game.
Tough loss for the Dawgs. Great win for the Vols. Good game.
Their bad calls don’t balance out over the game. They normally strongly favor the home team.
Finally the Vols get a break
Kind of ruined a good game, because very rarely do you see 2 in a row that bad at the end of a game.
I thought Hopson was fouled on his shot before that. Saturday’s Vandy game had terrible calls going both ways. Of course the league office doesn’t care/
This is a repeat for anyone who follows me on Twitter, but SEC basketball officials are just as good at their jobs as NCAA enforcement officials.
And, as we know, SEC football refs have had their moments, too.
I agree that the SEC football refs have had their moments, but after the bowl games, they look pretty good in comparison to other conferences. I don’t think that’s the case in basketball. By the way – Bama 52, UK 34 with 15 minutes left. Let’s not blow it now!
UK has cut Bama’s lead to 4 with 5 minutes left. Not looking good.
I actually didn’t realize Moylan had those kind of numbers against lefties. The thought of Fredi Gonzalez using him and Sherrill correctly makes my head hurt; which is to say… we might be screwed.
Bama wins! Bama wins! Alabama 68, UK 66
I missed the final sequence (and I’m glad I did, from what I’m gathering), but if Jeremy Price had given the Dawgs anything other than another batch of silly fouls and whining they wouldn’t have been in that position in the first place. Brian Williams appears to be in better condition than Price, sad to say.
Bama might be pretty good.
Row Tahd!!!
RAMMA JAMMA YELLA HAMMA GIVE EM HELL ALABAMA!
Bama played with great heart. JayMychal is a warrior. Congrats on the win.
Georgia got rump-ranged.
I’m sure it’s old news, but I was just on yahoo sports and loved the Ike Davis comment about Pujols. Apparently somebody asked him if he’d be willing to switch positions if the Mets could get Pujols and he said “I’d be a @#$%ing middle reliever if we could get Albert”
I think Prado’s the best. He’s a solid get on base hitter nothing flashy, he doesn’t try to be the hero. He just hits to help his team and get on base. He’s not bad defensively and hasn’t ever cocked an attitude. So I think he’s a great asset to the Braves and personally he should stay in the infield. But he’ll give it everything no matter where he is so whatever.