Atlanta Braves vs. Washington Nationals – Box Score – August 01, 2011 – ESPN.
I wonder what the record is for most losses in a row while outhitting your opponent. The Braves had ten hits to the Nats’ eight and hit three homers, but still lost because of continued absolute futility with runners on base.
Michael Bourn led off the game with a single, but was erased on a line drive DP. The Nats took the lead in the bottom of the inning on a homer by — why not? — Rick Ankiel. The Braves tied it with a Dan Uggla homer in the second. But Jair Jurrjens, having seemingly pitched out of a jam, gave up an RBI single in the bottom of the inning to Livan Hernandez to make it 2-1. Another Ankiel homer made it 3-1, and Jurrjens couldn’t get an out in the sixth as the Nats stretched it to 5-1.
David Ross hit a homer in the seventh to cut it to 5-2, and Uggla’s second homer of the night made it 5-3 in the ninth. Jason Heyward singled with one out to follow Uggla, bringing the tying run to the plate, but no dice.
Today’s Fredi move is hitting the pitcher eighth. It probably isn’t a big deal, but backfired today when Jurrjens bunted into a double play in the third.
We absolutely need to start winning or we miss the playoffs. Also, first.
That and letting one of the worst everyday players in the NL make the last out when he represented the tying run.
Braves have got to do something about Alex.
I knew it was going to be a bad night in the 1st when Prado missing that HR by a foot, then on the next pitch lined into that DP.
Arizona has nothing but cupcakes that rest of the way in the division, and a four game home stand vs. the ‘Last’stros.
Braves better start winning.
We used to love Belliard, right?
Yes, but Cox wasn’t stupid enough to play him all game, every game.
I feel a pastornicky callup in September.
You have to pinch hit for AAG with Hinske in the 9th don’t you?
any updates on mccann?
So we’ve got a 2nd baseman that hits like a left fielder. Better put a left fielder out there that hits like a second baseman, or else it won’t seem fair.
I used to love it when Fredi stuck Bonifacio out in left, but that was because he didn’t manage MY team.
Dude, you really pulled a ‘first’? We have maybe three rules here.
@8 he’s hurt
@9 Well, that’s the idea when we decided to put Prado in leftfield. I don’t understand, when did we start to love speed so much? I would start Hinske over George everyday.
@10 I agree, please don’t pollute this blog with all these stupid “firsts” “seconds” “thirds”.
Fourteenth.
Count it.
@14 Thanks Rob for your support!
It’s very depressing reading this list…
http://www.minorleagueball.com/2011/8/1/2308393/atlanta-braves-2011-top-20-pre-season-prospects-in-review#storyjump
After the “Big 4” and the graduation of Freeman, Kimbrel, and Beachy, our farm system has NOTHING! You can make a case for Simmons, Salcedo, and Milligan, but we have drafted terribly in the past couple years. The focus on speed is very disturbing. There should be a more balanced approach on speed/power. Our minor league system really lacks power hitting.
@15 – Salcedo is probably going to crack the top 100 this year. He’s got a chance to be special. There are some really promising things going on in short season ball too – Brandon Drury is setting the world on fire as an 18 year old, and Beckwith and Nick Ahmed look really good too.
I don’t think it’s that troubling that the system looks weaker now than it did this time last year. I mean, it just graduated three legit ROY candidates – that’s what it’s supposed to do. If it takes 6 years to reload (I’m thinking 1 or 2 max) that will still be okay because of what it’s stocked the big team with in the last three years and probably next year too.
16th
Ha.
Was at the game today. Thought we looked good early with all the hard hit balls, but then it turned into the same old song.
Going again tomorrow, and I have 2 extra free ticket vouchers (for up to $30) if anyone in the area wants to go. First come, first serve; just give me some way to contact you.
Didn’t Mac already warn you once about not posting “first”?
Was kinda watching Yanks-ChiSox out of the corner of my eye tonight & it seemed like everytime I looked up, Adam Dunn was hitting & looking unbelievably lost.
His last AB vs. Sabathia was just sad. Two half swings on fastballs up and away, then a flailing hack at a sweeping breaking ball. He really is a mess.
On the flipside, that game did provide a classic example of why CC Sabathia is so bad-ass. Didn’t have his great stuff, gave up 10 hits (but no walks) & was in trouble a lot, but he gutted out 8 innings & turned over a 3-2 lead to Rivera.
The difference between him & a guy like AJ Burnett is amazing. If Burnett goes out there & starts getting hit, you can just see him thinking, “Well, it’s just not my night.” Sabathia is just the opposite. He never stops battling.
I know it’s damn-near impossible for anybody to live up to that crazy contract he signed, but he’s really doing about as well as anyone can.
@16 I agree to an extend, but our draft record in the last two years has prevented me from being too optimistic.
I have high hope on Salcedo. In fact, he is my only hope in our farm system outside of Big 4 who has potential to be something special.
The Phillies make me sick…they have players who come up big when they are losing. We have AGONY….
@23 I think that’s exactly what the Mets and Phillies fans were thinking when we were in the 90s and early 00s. That’s what the best teams do. We are not quite there yet.
JJ doesn’t seem to know yet how to manage his off-nights. Not to bring up with Chip/Joe spoke about at length this evening.
But he just isn’t consistently good. He has stretches of dominance. But pitches very lazily at times.
JJ’s command was crap tonight. Plus, he was wild high & you rarely see that.
Unless it’s Lincecum in the offseason.
Seems like he was pitching a bit emotionally-charged tonight. Saw the highs and lows in the pitches.
I just can’t wait to see what the Braves might be forced to pay for JJ. Just not sure I’d be ready to commit a big chunk of the pitching payroll from what I’ve seen over the last few years.
This latest stretch is just another reason why I don’t want to pay premium for less-than-premium pitcher.
D-backs whipping up on the Giants, so AZ will be only two back in the loss column in the WC. I’ve got a bad feeling about the next couple of weeks . . .
Well, while Fredi continues his dugout nap time, we are about to fall 7 games out of 1st and and have our WC lead cut to 2.5 games. Pastornicky could not possibly be a worse hitter than AAG. He should be the one hitting 9th, not the Summer of George
Phillies with yet another late inning rally, wich is actually good because they are holding down other WC contenders. It doesn’t matter though as long as we keep losing.
And I have never in my life hated a Braves position player as much as AAG. Wickman, Kolbb and Rocker are ahead of him, but that’s it.
When the Phillies lose to the Brewers in the first round, it will be hilarious.
@28 You have to remember though, that JJ is only 25. He is still a kid. If you look at Maddux’s and Smoltzie’s early years career stats, you will find that we have been extremely lucky with JJ and Hanson. I am not saying JJ and Hanson will be as good as Maddux and Smoltzie, but we have to remember the two are still very young. I would pay both JJ and Hanson to keep them.
Uggla starts hitting and everybody else takes a seat .. what else can happen ??? And yes Freddie G must havw went to sleep in 9th .. having Alex Gonzalez at plate as tying run and not bringing up Henske or Chipper as pinch hitter .. what in the crap is FG thinking ????
7 Games back and Arizona creeping up to 2.5 half out of wild card … we may be doomed ……
DOOMED!!!! Mac, we are DOOMED!!! Just like last year.
I feel like Arizona are unsustainable. Anytime they want to quit playing over their heads is great with me. 10+ game losing streaks like the Mariners and Marlins would be extra credit, but not really necessary.
We are a much better team than Arizona, we’re just in a bit of a rut. We are right up there with one of the top 5 records in baseball still, aren’t we? Don’t panic yet. The Phillies were way behind us at one point last season too.
Sounds like some of us are denial about our doomedness. WE ARE DOOMED. Really though, we’re not going to lose the wildcard to AZ. Well, unless we keep playing AAG over Pastornicky. Count me among the “he can’t possibly be a worse hitter than AGony” group.
It doesn’t help that McCann is out but sucks to be so reliant on one hitter like that – Chipper, too, I suppose.
And yes, I am with Mac…that “first” crap is the kind of childish junk they pull on the AJC Blogs, not here.
I have to say that the Braves are lucky that they’re not in a much bigger losing streak. They have been unable to hit at all lately with runners in scoring position and their starting pitching has been inconsistent and has also run into some bad luck.
I’m not a Fredi fan, but I can’t blame him for how they’ve been playing lately. I think his managerial moves have been okay for the most part. The batting order has been pretty good and I don’t have a major problem with hitting Jurrjens 8th. I also think he’s done a better than average job of managing the bullpen lately.
Losing I can tolerate. The best teams in baseball lose 60-70 times a year. What I’m having a hard time tolerating is Fredi’s clueless managing. You have to give your team the best opportunity to win and giving crucial at bats to Boscan and AAG late in the game with options on the bench is baffling. His idea of managing is squinting at the game and putting his hands on his hips. We will be very lucky if he doesn’t cost us in a more pivotal game this year.
I’m sorry, but why in Gods name should Hinske lose ABs to Jerk Store? Even if you think his minor league game translates to the big leagues, that kind of player is not as useful as a guy who can hit for power.
If this wasn’t obviously true, you’d see Juan Pierre DH’ing, just to get some extra speed in the lineup. If you can pick a guy to hit, and don’t have to consider his defense, you ALWAYS pick the big SOB who hits the ball hard.
Fast slap hitters aren’t actually GOOD, they are just a way to make the best out of demanding defensive positions like CF and SS. If you have an offensive player who profiles as a LF type, WHY IN GODS NAME choose a second CF over him?
I want to strangle Fredi. He makes me hate baseball.
I don’t even pay attention to the Phillies anymore. We’re 8 behind them in the loss column, by the time they lose 8 we’ll have lost 20.
@44 I say we let the Phillies win 120 games and then they lose in the first round as Adam said.
I’m not a Fredi fan, but I can’t blame him for how they’ve been playing lately.
Sure you can. Just try it, it’s fun.
12,
When you graduate your top top prospects, the farm system is going to be thin. The fact that we still have four top-100 prospects, along with Pastornicky and Salcedo (both have chances to crack some top-100 lists) says a lot about how well we’ve drafted over the last couple of years. We’re still a top-7 farm system. If you take away most teams’ top 2 prospects, they’re quickly going to drop into the 18-30 range. We’ve drafted really well.
41,
Completely agree. If the team is not performing, that’s on the players. You can argue all day about shoulda/coulda/woulda from Fredi, but the bottom line remains: if the team is not going to hit, pitch, or field well, then they’re going to lose. There’s no amount of lineup optimization/bullpen management/in-game strategy that’s going to effectively change that.
@46 – Yeah, I agree. Why spare Fredi? I mean this blog used to roundly criticize a guy whose teams won only
2149 games, 14 division titles, 5 pennants and a World Series.
Truthfully its still hilarious that you guys ladle the criticism on Fredi when the Braves have the 4th best record in all of MLB.
One note that went ummentioned: Dan Uggla got his OPS above .700 for the first time since game 4. He finished June with a .955 OPS and looks to up that in August!
Didn’t we trade iloveemmastone to Houston?
JJ consistently gets 0-2 on batters and fails to put them away. As soon as he gets that 2nd strike he starts throwing junk out of the zone. Insanely frustrating.
I wish there was some way we could determine who posted first without the poster saying “first,” but there’s simply no of way of knowing.
Any NYC-area posters headed to Citi Field this weekend?
Gonna try to be there Fri & Sat nights. Lemme know & we’ll share a bevvy.
When the count is 0-2, JJ gets a strikeout 48% of the time. He gives up a hit 3.8% of the time.
NL average is to give up a hit on an 0-2 count 14% of the time.
All numbers are from this year via baseball-reference.com. This year, JJ has been a very good 0-2 pitcher.
Truthfully I think it’s still hilarious that people judge a manager by team record.
so Uggla is on my fantasy team, and after last night Yahoo ranks him as the ninth most valuable player over the past 30 days. what a comeback!
@55
Well, I think managers are judged too much on the teams record, but the teams record should have some reflection on the manager.
I mean the best manager of all time couldn’t win with the Royals talent, but at the same time the worst manager could have screwed up the ’27 Yankees.
@52
Post of the month. Unfortunately there are many days left in the month.
After the “Big 4″ and the graduation of Freeman, Kimbrel, and Beachy, our farm system has NOTHING!
This is one of those statements that will pop up here and just sort of hang in the air, leaving rational men dazed and confused at the sheer lunacy of it.
Okay, here’s the nicest thing I can say about Fredi. While his in-game decisions are frequently dubious, in-game tactics is less important than clubhouse management in a field manager’s responsibilities. Fredi deserves credit for holding together a team with a sputtering offense that has received next to nothing from Prado, Heyward, and Uggla til recently. Moreover, the terrific rookie campaigns of Beachy, Kimbrel, and especially Freeman must be counted to his credit: developing rookies next to veterans is one of the absolute most important things a skipper can ever do. Frankly, if he holds the clubhouse together and gets his rookies to produce, his in-game failures look small by comparison.
Boy, I never thought I’d say that. Don’t make me do it again, please.
@53 – I’m heading over to Citi this weekend, just not sure whether friday or saturday yet.
I hold out hope for Fredi because, while his tactical decisions have not been awesome so far, he’s shown a willingness to experiment and learn. Look how quickly he bumped Proctor from the #4 guy in the pen to the last guy out. He’s getting better at pulling starters all of the time. He played Schafer over McLouth when McLouth was clearly the better hitter. Heck, last night he went with the indie #8 pitcher opening.
Sure, Fredi’s decisions so far have left a lot to be desired, and he might have cost a couple of games, which is a big minus. However, it’s not hopeless. He’s not 70 years old with a rigid “by the book” mentality.
I’m guessing no one has bothered to ask if Eric Hinske poked his head in the manager’s office before the game and said “Skip, I got a tweak in my leg or something.” Not that that sort of information is something a manager of a baseball team would have on a day to day basis that people complaining about his rosters wouldn’t have on the internets.
@59 That’s funny Sam. That’s not the only thing I wrote.
The lack of hitting talents behind Heyward and Freeman have been going on for years. We got Salcedo through international free agent signing, and we got Pastornicky through the Yunel trade. We have NOT drafted well in the past couple years. The focus was indeed on speed as Wren has mentioned in his interview, but the result has been quite poor.
Forgot to finish my thinking. While I think we are all quite confident in the Braves’ ability in developing pitcher, such confidence can not be applied on the hitting side.
@64 The Danville guys are really looking pretty good though. Ahmed, Beckwith, and Drury could do a lot to make the positional depth in the system look quite good (compared to now anyway) as they work their way up. Drury, especially, is really young (not sure of the others’ ages). Lipka’s had a rough year, but he’s also a baby. I think there’s reason for optimism, even if things don’t look great right now .
The lack of hitting talents behind Heyward and Freeman have been going on for years. We got Salcedo through international free agent signing, and we got Pastornicky through the Yunel trade. We have NOT drafted well in the past couple years. The focus was indeed on speed as Wren has mentioned in his interview, but the result has been quite poor.
So, aside from the guys who have shot through the system so fast as to make the majors as 21 year olds, and the plethora of pitching prospects just banging away with no place to play (who would be pretty good trade chits themselves) and ignoring the guys we got via trades and international scouting, we got nobody. Is that about it?
This seems a bit wide-eyed to me, personally.
To follow up @65 with a little less snark, if we continue to develop pitching prospects the way we are currently developing pitching prospects, we won’t need to develop more than one or two hitters every so often. We can just trade the Randall Delgados and Brett Oberholtzers of the world to fill needs when they arise.
If you’re really good at developing pitching, you can live with only developing a Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman every four or five years or so.
@68 Exactly. If one of the Danville guys pans out 4 years from now, that’s ok given the way our farm works. And there’s plenty of reason to think that Salcedo or Pastornicky will contribute for the big team long before 4 years are up.
We don’t have many holes to plug in the next couple of years on the field, so the relative lack of almost-ready position players in the minors isn’t as great a concern as it might be. McCann, Freeman, Heyward, and Uggla should all be here for several seasons to come. Prado seems slightly less certain to me, but only slightly. At any rate, we wouldn’t get rid of him in the next couple of years without a ready plan to replace him. 3B (or LF) and SS need replacing soon, but we seem to be entering a period of overall stability in the lineup. Meanwhile, yes, we need to prioritize the next wave of position prospects, but won’t need them to arrive until, when, 2015?
Maybe, and this is just a theory mind you, because the Braves have limited finances, they tend to draft and sign at or below slot, and try to take advantage of the international market and trades as a better way to build their system. Open playing field with the international guys, and somebody else paid the bonus for the trades.
@68 If you look at the three drafts since the Heyward-Freeman year, the result on the hitting side has been sad. The pitching side has not been too bright either.
Also, the logic you use for 68 implies that we can live with Fredi because we have enough talents to overcome Fredi’s shortcomings. While this is true, does that mean we should be happy about it? I don’t think many of us are happy with Fredi, right?
The pitching side has not been too bright either.
That Minor kid seems to be ok, and cost $1M less than Wheeler.
@55 – So, how else would you judge the quality of the manager? YOUR idea of what game management or lineup construction should be? How many baseball games have you managed sir?
And what AAR said. This ain’t football. The little contests between pitcher and batter, batter and fielder decide the game way more than the tactical decisions of the manager.
I get it. This is a blog. Bitch away if y’all want but our Braves are winning and to whatever degree you wish to credit him or not, Fredi Gonzalez is a part of it. Bobby pretty summed it up when someone asked about his success. Good players.
Fredi is far from perfect, but I think the majority opinion on this site is far off base with the Fredi hating.
EDIT: I’ll go so far as to say that Fredi is pretty much as close to a Bobby Cox clone as you’re going to see in MLB today, and that the only difference between him and Bobby was that fans here seemed to have more respect for the old man, because he was the old man. Which suggests to me that many here didn’t actually appreciate what Bobby (and in his own way, Fredi) actually bring to the table.
Because it’s so much easier to complain about Eric Hinske not playing every day (as if Eric Hinske has ever been an every day player) or the SS hitting like a SS.
@75, as usual I agree with the sentiment, but I am pretty sure our SS is significantly below league average for a SS. Not that it’s necessarily Fredi’s fault, mind you.
@73 Outside of Minor, there is no one left to be excited about. Let’s hope there is another Beachy coming.
@75 Sam, I have not been on this blog as often as I used to be to judge your general opinion on Fredi. However, Fredi has actually been quite different from Bobby in many areas (eg lineup management, lack of double switch, early exit for Lowe, etc.). Personally I think it’s actually not fair to call Fredi as Bobby clone because it’s not the case.
@76 Is it Fredi’s fault for not pinch-hitting for AAG in late and close situation?
@76 – I understand the frustration with Alex Gonzalez. I understand that it’s compounded by the fact that Yunel Escobar is currently going through a phase where he is apparently interested enough in baseball to make the effort to be good again. I understand the “God, I wish we had the number Yunel is putting up in Toronto out of SS” sentiment.
But none of that – absolutely zero percent of it – reflects on Fredi Gonzalez. Fredi didn’t trade the headcase for the auto-out. Bobby Cox did. (If you don’t think that trade was pushed forwarded by Bobby you don’t really understand the Braves’ front offices very well.)
Alex Gonzalez gets at bats because he’s the best SS option the Braves currently have. If you tried to play Julio Lugo there you’d lose as much defensively as you gained offensively. It’s not like we’re sitting a young Alex Rodriguez, or even a young Walt Weiss to get AGon at bats.
The most you can say about last night’s game is:
1. Why did Constanza play ahead of Hinske? and…
2. Why didn’t Hinske or Chipper PH for AGon with two out in the 9th?
I suspect the answer to #1 is “because we’re going to play the all-defense squad and try to win 3-2 until Mac and Chipper get back.”
I suspect part of the answer to #1 and #2 is that Chipper is still hurting and Hinske probably isn’t 100% either. (If Eric Hinske could field LF on a regular basis, he *would.* It’s not some sort of secret, internet-discussion-board only knowledge that he’s a hell of a hitter when he’s in there.)
In previous discussions I’ve conceded the failure to double-switch, which I do think reflects poorly on Fredi. I would also be far more willing to PH for Gonzalez in situations such as last night’s ninth inning. I’d take the chance on going to extras with Lugo as the SS, rather than the chance that AGon would get a hit. But I don’t think choosing the other option – playing the odds of AGon at bat rather than the odds of Lugo at SS in extras – is entirely indefensible.
Fans respected Bobby because of the pennants. Call me when Fredi gets his very first.
I was at the game last night and it seemed to me that the Braves had absolutely atrocious at-bats with men on base. What bothers me generally about the Braves (and I must say I don’t see them every night since they aren’t on TBS)is that they do not seem to grind out the at-bats like the Yankees or Red Sox do. Now, maybe this is observational bias but, at least last night, they seemed all in a hurry to go up and try to hit a five run homer. Heyward, for as much as he is struggling, still seems to try to work the pitcher but, for whatever reason, it isn’t translating into results (except for the walks). The others didn’t and AAG is just pathetic; whoever in the Braves organization thought he can hit should be strung up (I hope it wasn’t Wren). The guy is clueless.
And, in fairness, they hit in some bad luck last night. Prado scorched a couple of ball (I was sitting near the foul pole down third and thought his ball was a home run). Freeman hit a rope right at the left fielder. (Sitting down close, it’s sort of scary to see how hard those balls are hit.)
Yeah, it would take video of Fredi telling AAG, “Swing at everything or you’ll be benched” for me to blame him for the shortstop situation. We have other patient players. Overall, we’re 8th in the league in walks, so hacking away is not a systemic problem.
Fans respected Bobby because of the pennants. Call me when Fredi gets his very first.
When did Bobby win his first pennant?
Well to be fair he won a division and had a 3-1 ALCS lead in ’85.
Since our shortstop situation is so bad, is it possible that we would get our hands on a player no other team would bother claiming? A Jamey Carroll type?
At some point, the front office has to start tossing around ideas on how to fix the shortstop situation.
He did do that, Spike. After five years of questionable effectiveness with the Braves (78-81) he went to a Toronto club with far better resources and development process and guided them consistently up the ladder through 1985.
In 1986 he was hired as the Braves general manager and tasked with rebuilding their farm system.
In 1990 he took over the field manager duties again, halfway through the season, as the team hired John Schuerholz away from the Royals to be GM.
For the next 20 years he’d field division and pennant contenders for the Braves.
In all of those successful years, in Toronto and Atlanta, his teams consistently fielded a payroll in the top five of the league.
Fredi Gonzalez is fielding a roster hamstrung by an ownership who will simply not pay the same rates as the primary competition. Yet they’re competing, still.
The hatred of Gonzalez here is way over the top. He’s not perfect. No manager his. But he’s far from horrific.
@84
Does that really matter? The Braves won 14 straight starting with his 2nd year in his 2nd stint. I think it’s fair to say that, since he was let go, he probably didn’t have the fans’ respect his first go-around.
At some point, the front office has to start tossing around ideas on how to fix the shortstop situation.
I suspect it will be ill-received here, but I also suspect that the front office thinks the SS situation is *just fine.* That is to say, I strongly suspect that the front office’s position is “we get Mac and Chipper back, and Heyward comes around, the offense will be fine with Alex Gonzalez playing defense at SS.”
8 games. After yesterday, that’s how many games Arizona and San Fransisco play against each other. Every single one of those games is a loss for one of those teams, and we’re up on both.
I’m still pretty confident in our playoff chances.
And honestly, with our starting rotation and our bullpen, a lineup of…
Bourn (CF)
Prado (LF)
Chipper (3B)
McCann (C)
Uggla (2B)
Freeman (1B)
Heyward (RF)
Gonzalez (SS)
pitcher
…isn’t bad at all.
Or a lineup of
Bourn (CF)
Heyward (RF)
Prado (3B)
McCann (C)
Uggla (2B)
Freeman (1B)
Hinske (LF)
pitcher
Gonzalez (SS)
My point all along is that Fredi Gonzalez’s field management has very little to do with the outcome of games. No manager has THAT much effect on who wins or loses. If that was the case then there would be managers making 30 million dollars a year and not players. To Alex Remington’s point, if the guy is keeping the clubhouse focused on the job at hand then he is doing his job.
It is fairly evident that Fredi has the respect of his players and in the end thats the only thing that counts.
ububba’s praise of CC is spot on. Love how that man battles.
That, to me, is pitching. Anybody can throw when they’ve got all their stuff working. Pitching is giving your team a chance to win when not everything is perfect.
Thought Hanson battled like that the other night. DLowe is driving me crazy lately because he doesn’t.
Will we be putting Lowe on waivers? Is that even a good idea?
#89 – I agree. The Braves are very confident the team can carry Alex Gonzalez’s glove.
Before the Bourne acquisition, I was afreid that they thought that they could carry both Schafer AND Agon’s glove.
Dan Uggla’s apparent return to form has changed everything as far as the offense goes.
edit : Fearless prediction. Market forces and the lack of a minor leagues solution will cause Braves will resign him for next season.
Last weekend against the Marlins, AAG seemed to be hitting the ball better. I don’t think you hit for him there either, from a confidence stand point.
AAG didn’t lose the game. Rick the Stick’s two home runs won the Nats the game.
Can’t win them all guys.
Uh, don’t you start to lose respect in the clubhouse when you fail to make sound baseball decisions (like pinch-hitting for Gonzalez)?
Just think we’re leaving too many wins on the table and it’s going to bite us.
You can also lose the clubhouse if you don’t give a respected veteran a chance to break out of a slump. IMHO.
If the manager makes knee jerk decisions based on the opinions of bloggers and the press, he most definitely will lose the clubhouse.
I have no respect for a manger who bats the pitcher 8th…
@99, what if your team had Micah Owings and Jordan Schafer in the starting lineup?
“I have no respect for a manger who bats the pitcher 8th…”
Really? Tim Hudson really should have been batting above Chris Woodward in 2007.
Uh, don’t you start to lose respect in the clubhouse when you fail to make sound baseball decisions (like pinch-hitting for Gonzalez)?
Not to be trite or short, but, no. You don’t. You lose the clubhouse when you start valuing micro-management to probability charts over the human factors of your players. Like Johnny says @98, you lose the clubhouse faster by pulling a struggling vet and undermining his confidence (and your support of your player, publicly) than you do by leaving him in and him failing to get the hit.
“I have no respect for a manger who bats the pitcher 8th…”
The funny thing is that this is by *far* the most stat-forward thinking I’ve seen any ML manager deploy this year. The math supports this bit of LaRussaian skullduggery. LaRussa only played this card when he had a super-stud hitting third (McGwire, Pujols.) But it also washes if you have a weak lineup with only your #2 and #3 hitters really producing. Batting the “second leadoff hitter” 9th gives you the best opportunity to put as many runners on in front of your 2-3-4 hitters as possible, without taking away that extra at bat from your clean-up guy by pushing him down to the 5th hole.
@102 As pissed as I am at Agony, I definitely agree with Sam.
If you’re going to complain about Fredi losing the clubhouse, then note the times he hasn’t stuck up for his players after bad calls.
@102,
Sam, I agree with you in general but there are some situations where even the other players will acknowledge you have to make a move. Are you saying Fredi can never pinch hit for Gonzalez (if that’s what you are referring to) because the players don’t like it. I agree that, probably the most important part of managing is managing the clubhouse but that doesn’t mean you do only what the players want. I don’t think leaving Gonzalez in to hit last night lost the game-you can’t assume Hinske wouldn’t have hit a home run–but I find it hard to believe the team would have been up in arms if he had put Hinske in in that spot.
I can remember watching games with Raphael Belliard up at bat in a high leverage situation. You knew as a fan that Raffy didn’t stand a chance but you could hear Bobby in the background yelling
‘Come on Raffy!’ Then in the post game interview he would say something like ‘Yeah Raffy put up a good at bat there, put on some good swings.’ As a fan you are flabbergasted because it was clear that Belliard hadn’t even seen the pitches. But Belliard and the rest of the team knows who has their back. For a guy like that you bust your ass for every inning of every game.
Delgado to AAA, per DOB.
Marc @ 105 – As I’ve said, I probably would be pinch hitting in that situation. I would almost certainly have put Chipper in that at bat, asked him to “get on” and maybe drive in one, then take my chances with Hinske launching one out of the pitcher’s spot. And if it gets tied up and goes to extras, I run Julio Lugo out at SS.
BUT:
All of this assumes that the clubhouse isn’t aligned behind AGon. I don’t know if that is actually true. Fredi should.
All of this assumes Chipper is capable of swinging a quality at bat. I don’t know if that is true. Fredi should.
All of this assumes that Hinske was healthy enough to take an at bat. I don’t know if that’s true. Fredi should.
In short, in a theoretical world where all of my assumptions are true, I PH for Gonzalez last night. But I’m willing to acknowledge that I don’t have perfect knowledge of all factors, and that the Bald One Who Pisses Many Off has better knowledge of those factors than I do.
Remember when Boscan was given a crucial at bat over Ross only to have Ross lead off the ninth anyway? That’s on Fredi. That was more egregious than leaving AAG in yesterday.
@102 – I think that Sam stated it perfectly. To add on, there is a fine line. To your point winning games is paramount. But its a long season. I think its legit for a manager to give a struggling player a chance to succeed in lieu of playing the odds becuase so much of the game is mental. Uggla is a case in point. A little success has morphed into a sustained run of success. Agon isn’t the same type of player that Uggla is but if he gets hot he can contribute to the offense. Where Fredi earns his money is deciding when Agon isn’t going to get his confidence back and pinch hitting for him in a high leverage situation.
Rob, @109, I agree, Ross should have PH for Boscan there, even if you run the risk of Brooks Conrad catching in a dire emergency.
#61
DWonder,
Cool. I’m leaning on going to both games—Saturday’s at night, BTW.
If you make it, you can email me (djtimes at testa dot com). I’ll give you my cell & we can connect.
How is Jo-jo Reyes still in the major leagues?
@113 JoJo is wrong handed
@108,
Sam, I agree totally. People have no idea what the situation is in the clubhouse or in terms of injuries. I’m just saying that, especially at this point in the season–it’s not that early any more-you can’t always be making decisions based on how it affects the player’s confidence, especially a guy who has been around like Gonzalez. These are ostensibly grown men getting paid a lot of money to win. But, yes, it is a fine line and it does depend on the player. You should be quicker to pinch hit for Gonzalez than for Uggla based on their track record.
Let’s face it; as much as people complain about Gonzalez, he’s supposed to be, at best, a complimentary offensive piece. His failings are more noticeable because other guys have also beens struggling. He would be hitting 8th if the rest of the lineup had been performing as it is supposed to. He is a good shortstop (I had a good seat to see a play he made last night and he is very smooth)and an execrable hitter. Teams have won with that setup (as the Braves did with Belliard).
@112, Wish I could join you fellas. I’m starting to really miss NY (though more often that not it’s food related). 🙂
You won’t miss it come January.
BTW, will have to catch Braves/Fish down your way next year.
Interestingly I will also be in NY this weekend, but probably won’t be able to make it to a game
I think you could get away with PH for AAG there without causing any hurt feelings if you use Chipper. I mean who can really feel bad about being hit for by Chipper Jones? It’s not hard to justify that particular move, at least, without upsetting the clubhouse.
@119,
If it is the playoffs, you hit for him. Because it isn’t, it will be ok.
Wow Frediot. AAG is batting 5th. What’s up with Heyward now?
1. Bourn CF, 2. Prado LF, 3. Freeman 1B, 4. Uggla 2B, 5. Gonzalez SS, 6. Conrad 3B, 7. Ross C, 8. Constanza RF, 9. Lowe P
@120 Gotta get there first.
Reed Johnson is looking better every day. This can’t keep going on.
AAG is 7-15 against Lannan. I submit this as fact, not justification.
I bet Heyward is just sitting with the Lefty starter.
I suspect “what’s up with Heyward now” is called “John Lannan.”
Lannan is holding LHB to .193/.273/.294.
Heyward is hitting .167/.263/.310 vs LHP.
It’s a good day to sit Jason.
our “future of the franchise” is being platooned, ok
Apparently Frediot’s dart hit the #5 when he pulled AAG’s name out of the hat….there can be really no other explanation
I love that Agony is batting fifth on the day we debated whether or not Fredi hurts our chances of winning. (Good points were made for both sides).
Raucous debate notwithstanding, Alex Gonzalez has a much better chance of getting a hit off of John Lannan today than would Jason Heyward.
Okay, in fairness, Ross has little split career and actually a reverse split this season, but Conrad sure doesn’t.
AGON vs LHP, 2011: .263/.291/.434
100 points of BA, 30 points of OBP and 140 points of SLG over Heyward.
I don’t care if it’s Heyward or Gonzalez or whomever they have sitting on that bench in the lineup tonight. This team needs another right-handed bat. I second the Reed Johnson point, though he would be tough to acquire through waivers.
What matters most in a lineup is determining who gets the one additional PA the last time through the lineup. The fallacy in batting AAG above the #7 slot is that he likely will not be facing a lefty his last time up. You want to minimize the likelihood that he will get an additional PA.
BTW, is this lineup saying that Fredi thinks JJ is a better hitter than Lowe?
It would be different, BTW, if Fredi was more willing to pinch hit for him. Then I wouldn’t really care where he hits. However, last night demonstrated that AAG will not be subbed for a pinch hitter. He needs to be in the bottom third.
There is something to be said, though, about spreading the automatic outs throughout the lineup. I’ve been frustrated watching the 7-9 spots eat up the last 6,754 runners on base.
Of course, this all depends upon Conrad and Ross not being automatic outs tonight. Both have looked pedestrian lately. For that matter, so too has Prado.
July wOBA:
Prado: .300
Ross: .299
Conrad: .308
AAG: .223 (!)
It’s up to Lowe to drive some runs in tonight!
AGon v LHP: .263/.291/.434
Conrad v LHP: .167/.333/.500
Ross v LHP: .214/.313/.250
Heyward v LHP: .167/.263/.310
All numbers are from 2011. The only real argument is if you honestly think 70 points of SLG from Conrad outweighs his tendency to strike out (the 100 points of BA.)
It’s a beggar’s banquet any way you slice it, but no boys, there’s really not an excuse to break out your “Frediot” hanging nooses over this one. Given the bullets available, there’s no reason not to run AGon out there in the five hole.
AAG will not be facing a LHP his last time at the plate, though, and that’s what really matters for the lineup. If Fredi would pinch for him, I can see getting him more whacks at the starter, but he won’t.
If you spread your outs around, your good players have to bat .900 to score any runs. Bunch your outs, go down 1-2-3 every other inning, and hope the other guys get a few hits before they make 3 outs.
Or, don’t pencil 3 automatic outs in the lineup at all, I guess.
How many ABs has Conrad got against lefties this year, Sam?
Conrad was pretty good against LHP last year. And this year Fredi really hasn’t used him against LHP very much.
If experience managing MLB games is the standard by which we allow ourselves to judge an actual MLB manager, then nobody is qualified to judge anything and everyone should shut up.
Which is a stupid idea, because Fredi is clearly an idiot when it comes to actually making baseball decisions. If there wasn’t someone who had done something before him, I think Fredi would be paralyzed by ignorance when faced with making a decision.
Also, re: 138, it seems that Sam values OBP as much as the Braves reportedly do.
I’ll take Conrad’s 42 points in OBP over AAG’s 100 points in BA.
.494.
That’s Alex Gonzalez’s OPS since July 1.
Only 15 plate appearances (12 official at bats minus the walks) vs LHP this year, so it’s a small sample, certainly. Either way, you’re rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.
Jared Weaver is being suspended for six days for throwing at that guy’s head. That’s a lot for an everyday player but only one start for him.
I do love it when pseudo-statheads who know nothing more than the line they’ve been taught to parrot from their internet friends start lecturing me on the value of OBP against 40 fucking plate appearances. That’s just so much fun.
I was lecturing people on the value of OBP when you were shitting your diapers.
Wow, 2 for 12 with a homer and 3 walks… I guess he probably shouldn’t face any lefties.
Last season, he was .278/.366/.444 in 41 PA, by the way.
Why is this guy only used as a LH batter? Your best pinch hit threat is Hinske, who is a lefty. You think you’d find a few opportunites for your second best pinch hit threat, who happens to be a switch hitter, to hit righty.
I don’t know why Conrad hasn’t seen more PH action as a LHB. Neither do you. I’m guessing someone will explain to us that it’s because the manager is an idiot who can’t possibly tie his own shoelaces in the morning. Because people on the internet like to say shit like that.
Sam probably lectured you on how to go about shitting your diapers. He also may or may not have lectured the diapers on how to better hold shit.
The point here, is that Sam lectures.
Over the last month Alex Gonzalez has looked as bad as a major league hitter can possibly look. I don’t know how any rational person could pencil him in the five hole right now, regardless of what the splits look like.
Here’s the basic facts, if you’re actually interested in them. The numbers quoted here – NONE of them matter. None of them. They’re all so tiny as to exit any sort of reasonably trustworthy data set. They’re nothing but a crutch to prop up preconceived notions. The only time these sorts of stat quotes are relevant is when you’re dealing with year long samples. Preferably multi-year data sets. Everything else is false precision.
Quoting Gonzalez’ last month of OPS is about as useful as Joe Simpson saying “he’s looking better at the plate; his swing is more compact.” It’s just blah blah blah you use to fill in the “details” of your “argument” to establish your emotional response as valid.
The Braves are having trouble scoring runs. You’re reacting emotionally to that as fans. It can’t be random luck, or the variations of a long season and the chaotic impact of injuries. No, it has to be something PREDICTABLE. And thus, we create the Frediot meme to satisfy ourselves and help us sleep better in the dark.
You don’t like me, for the record, because I tend to point out when you’re bullshitting yourselves, just like the “ignorant” non-stats oriented fans you like to feel so superior than.
You’re welcome. You need someone to do that for you.
#147 – classy
Congratulations on being old, Sam.
I’ll still take Conrad’s OBP over AAG’s, regardless of sample size. At least with Conrad there’s a chance that he trends with his SSS. We have a LSS that says AAG sucks.
I’ll take the gamble on success, not the certainty of failure.
I’m beginning to see why you’re so in love with Fredi. You both think awfully alike.
Sam probably lectured you on how to go about shitting your diapers.
Unlikely. Had I the opportunity, I would have almost certainly have drowned you lot in the bathtub.
@152
lol
Guys, I think I get it! The INTERNET, is Sam’s lawn, and he is royally peeved that we are still on it!
I’m beginning to see why you’re so in love with Fredi. You both think awfully alike.
And this, the fact that you think me simply pointing out that the hatred of Gonzalez here is over the top is in fact evidence that I am “so in love” with him, is why you’re still thinking like a child.
That’s almost close to funny @157. Not a hit, but my battleship felt the wake from the miss. Keep working on it, kid.
Would “enraptured with” have been more to your liking? Let’s not kid ourselves (and seeing as how you have such a disdain for “bullshit” I wouldn’t think you’d be prone to such), you’ve taken “simply pointing something out” to it’s reactionary, vitriolic extreme.
Sam, you’re intelligent, there is no debate in that, but is it really necessary to be such a frickin’ dick?
I am pointing out your error with the same intensity that you make the error. See how that works?
Ryan: no. Sometimes it’s just fun.
I just skimmed through the thread, so maybe I missed something…
But I’m very surprised to see lower case emmastone so easily out-douched.
Anything to pass the slow summer afternoon, eh boys?
The more I think about that lineup, the more I wonder if Wren should have given up a major prospect for Reed Johnson and Jeff Baker.
Sam hasn’t flipped out like this since that time people said Jair Jurrjens (aka Tom Glavine lite) was pitching over his head and due for regression.
@162
Right.
@166
Which he was and has done.
@147, Sam, you cannot simultaneously dismiss someone else’s argument as a fallacious appeal to authority (“pseudo-statheads who … parrot from their internet friends”) and then immediately make your own (“I was lecturing people on the value of OBP when you were shitting your diapers”). Either none of us have standing to talk about this or all of us do.
@168 – You’re wrong! Next question!
#155: “…drowned you lot…”
Join me in reading Sam Hutcheson’s posts accompanied by the pretentious fake British accent of late ’90s Madonna.
I’m actually excited about the offense. Remember at the beginning of the year when we couldn’t buy a hit? Everyone other than Alex is seeing more hits fall, and the runs will follow eventually.
#171: I’d like to see more walks than the 5 we’ve gotten in the last 6 games before I get my hopes up.
Spike, I am not claiming any excess authority with relation to stats quoting, merely pointing out that I need not be lectured on the value of OBP by some nit that was sucking down formula when I started having these same conversations about baseball. As I said, anyone quoting stats on this thread is just spinning up ad hoc justification to prop up their pre-established position. There is nothing – absolutely nothing – predictive in any of the numbers posted in this thread.
@170, my fake British accent is much more of a snotty Northender type.
anyone quoting stats on this thread is just spinning up ad hoc justification to prop up their pre-established position.
*raises hand*
Didn’t I explicitly do the exact opposite of this @124?
@173, So by that logic, AAG’s numbers against lefties do not support his placement in the lineup today?
Fine, Sansho @124 gets a cookie.
Rob @ 176 – no, they don’t. I posted those numbers in response to the caterwauling “what possible excuse could their be for this.” All those numbers show is that batting AGon 5th against Lannan is as defensible as batting David Ross 5th.
But no, the numbers don’t prove jack shit. They’re just noise and spin. In season numbers are damned near meaningless.
Being a dick is the currency of the internet.
Usually, however, it’s better to be a dick when being wrong and obstinate. Sam’s pretty much right, so he should probably chill.
Let the data speak for itself. Determine the 95% confidence of a 40 PA sample, post it with an invective, and scene.
Thanks!
Unfortunately, it’s one of those organic stevia bran cookies.
Stevia is not half bad…
Has anybody watched “The Franchise”? I grew up actively rooting against the Giants but it looks like it might be fun.
#143 you are correct. None of us are qualified to offer more than an opinion about the merits of Fredi Gonzales ability to manage. My point, which you fail to refute is that the results speak dor themselves.
Haven’t seen it. I did just wrap up “Terriers” last night. Thanks to whoever here recommended it. Really good show, got screwed by bad marketing so there won’t be a second season.
#170: Perhaps, but since you’re being a dick I’m going with the pompous washed up popstar.
#179: The best internet contrarians aren’t hyperaggressive in their sociopathy, but merely glib. It’s a shame to see Sam pass up that opportunity.
@183
The results don’t speak for Fredi. Fredi’s actions (hitting AAG fifth) speak for Fredi.
But I thought that all any of us were doing was just offering opinions. My opinion is that Fredi probably wears a helmet when he’s not on TV.
@Sam
“In season numbers are damned near meaningless.”
I don’t need to say anything when you’re so intent on self-destruction.
@185 – I do glib elsewhere. This is sort of the dank underground club where I work on my schtick before taking it live to the nation.
The results don’t speak for Fredi. Fredi’s actions (hitting AAG fifth) speak for Fredi.
This milk tastes funny. Because I said it tastes funny! So it tastes funny! Proven!!
Whatevs, Dexter.
Ok, I’m ready for another frustrating game, let’s roll.
@186 HUH?
Preface shit like that with IMO or some other such acronym and you’ll have just a tad bit more credibility.
I’m tired of John Lannon looking like Whitey Ford or somebody against us.
Declare obvious opinions as opinions because you can’t identify them on your own? No thanks. I’m not that altruistic.
@188
I forgot, that only works if you’re Sam Hutcheson or agree with Sam Hutcheson.
@187
“The nation” being the AJC blog where they know the value of a gut feeling and chance.
You know the real irony here, “DowneasterJC?”
I know more about statistical analysis AND baseball than you.
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Rancorous mood on Braves Journal today! Hopefully the team harbors similar feelings toward Lannan.
Lots of discussion about Sea Bass and his spot in the batting order, but I didn’t see anyone mention Conrad playing 3rd with Lowe on the mound. I’ve got my fingers crossed about that.
Oh come on guys, let’s play nice.
The conversation here was just so much better than my options at work today. I thank Sam for the entertainment. I hope to someday achieve his level of grumpiness.
Some delightful Larussa bashing is occurring on the radio broadcast. Apparently he complained to MLB that the advertisements on the circumferential marquee at Miller were being changed based on brightness every half inning to give the Brewers an advantage. Jim Powell and Sutton were incredulous.
Yeah, Davey Johnson (who has one of the best reputations among statheads) has Ankiel leading off.
T-Bone is Charles Thomas
Must give it up for the Summer of George…it just keeps rolling along
do the pitchers even practice bunting anymore? Absolutely pathetic
Nats score that run with only 1 hit in the inning. Braves have been having trouble scoring when they get 3 hits in an inning. Wonder if the Braves even noticed the incredible, awesome at-bat by Desmond to hit a fly ball with a runner at 3rd and 1 out.
And as I type…ANOTHER horrible bunt. Jeez.
Look! Way to go Bourn!!!
OMG, we got a guy home from third.
Too bad Lowe’s bunt sucked
Well, Prado picked him up. Good job.
Fail bunt, but at least there isn’t an automatic out at the top of the line-up.
Holy crap, check out the offensive explosion! And we scored a runner from 3rd with one out!
Great AB by AAG
Is there some rule that we have to get three hits to score in an inning?
GEORGE!!!
Keep at it George…wow
This is a much better game than the last couple.
T-Bone! Guess Fredi made the right call.
This Constanza guy can hit a little!
COME ON BOURN!!!!
Lannan just walked the bases Lowe-ded. /Chip
Constanza doing his best Charles Thomas impression.
If we all want to have a group hug and make friends and shit, we can talk about how fucking terrible Chip Carey is. He may be history’s worst monster. If he calls another dying quail a “line drive” I may have to kill a bus full of kindergarteners.
It’s Caray, not Carey.
Episode: ACTIVATED
I’m behind on DVR but T-Bone is hot. One might say he’s been eating some Kung Pow Chicken.
Lowe’s got this. He laughs at your 3 runs against Lannan, offense.
Mostly typed before that grand slam.
What would Lannan and/or Ankiel be doing if Atlanta didn’t exist?
Multiple memes in play — “Episode” and “Take the out, stupid.”
@#$!
Seriously?
This is a fucking joke, right?
DFA that clown…I am completely losing faith in this team doing anything the rest of the way.
It’s a good thing we kept Derek Lowe.
That’s the Lowe I know!
Earth to Fredi, Time to pull you starter (it was time a few batters ago)
lol @ lowe pointing to the sky like it was a pop up.
Wow.
Can’t win for losing.
I was away from the TV for like 5 minutes what the hell happened?
Derek Lowe is God’s gift to the opposing offense. I’m glad we didn’t trade him. His playoff experience is going to come in handy.
T Bones got this! No bullpen action Fredi? Guess he had to take a nap after that visit with Uncle Umpire. I bet he is pooped.
Need to make an August waiver deal for Ankiel. Not to put him in our lineup, but to keep him out of theirs for the six games these teams play from Aug. 30 onward.
D. Lowe is submarining Braves season.
Wren is going to have to find some pitching, who would have thunk that in June?
Derek Lowe: fierce competitor, shitty pitcher.
Lowe or AAG…which is the bigger lineup joke?
Fredi just NOW starts warming someone up?
I stand by my opinion that Fredi is an idiot.
I know there’s no one I’d want on the mound in Game 7 more than Derek Lowe…
for the Yankees…
for comedy value.
I think Martinez just got up on his own accord.
Oh wait, they’ve batted around and scored 5 runs. We can now get someone up in the pen. What a joke
And yet Fredi leaves the dickhead on the mound….
I cant watch this clown anymore.
Please get rid of him, just dont let him wear a Braves uniform anymore.
@239 Just re-promote Teheran, move Lowe to Proctor’s spot in the ‘pen and DFA Proctor. Teheran wasn’t great in his starts, but he wouldn’t do any worse than Lowe.
@244
It’s like a drunken Jimmy Duggan from “A League of Their Own” is managing.
Derek’s filthy with his stinker ball tonight.
@248
Exactly. We saved all our prospects, why not use them? Minor and Teheran are both better options at this point. Lowe can be mop up
Bad defense by Uggla and a horrible, horrible play by Freeman caused that inning.
@251
Or, he could just mop the concourses. That seems safer.
Hibernation mode now for the offense
Lowe sucks so bad that…wait, what is that smell?
We were lucky to get 3 off of this guy. I’m not seeing us coming back tonight.
I can’t believe we gave Shane Reynolds a 4 year, 60 million dollar extension.
The one game we score a run vs. Lannan (really more a function of Bourn and Constanza not being fully indoctrinated yet), and Lowe has to be on the mound. What a troll.
Lowe again? WTF?
So, since no one will ever take Lowe off our hands and we will need to trade Jair this offseason just to meet our budget, it’s a good thing we kept all of those pitchers…
Ok, I can’t take anymore tonight.
are we sure that Fredi is not a compulsive gambler and bets against the Braves every night?
With every lousy start, our share of Derek Lowe’s contract we’ll eat after an offseason increases by seven figures. I think we’ll probably have to gobble $12.5 million now.
Godfather II in on AMC, just so you all know.
@258 Kawakami, Nate, and Linebrink are coming off the book, so trading JJ is not necessary if we are not looking for big acquisition. If Chipper decides to retire, we will actually have money to spend.
Yeah, but several are getting raises. Money will be tight if Chipper comes back.
The Lisp would almost certainly be a better option than Lowe. Switching their roles would be the easiest thing in the world.
Lowe: 7.18 ERA since July 1.
It’s over, man. Enjoy eating innings in Houston or Oakland next year.
Can Lowe go on the DL with Zito-itis?
Is Lowe ensured? If so, he needs to “take one for the team” and break his arm.
Surely my ears are deceiving me, because it sounds like Joe and Chip are criticizing Lowe.
@268 I don’t think even they can justify Lowe’s performance. No more excuse.
I hope Lowe would retire before Chipper does, but I know Boras will not let him.
@264 I am hoping that the money coming off the book will be enough to cover the raises, but I haven’t have time to look into the details.
If a team is willing to eat 500k of Lowe’s salary in addition to any random AAAA player they may have on hand to actually make the transaction a trade I hope Wren has the sense to do it. Sunk cost, etc.
Call up Minor, put Lowe in the pen, rid Proctor.
@270 With the way he is pitching, who would want him?
Lowes ERA is now approaching 5.
The Orioles just picked up Jojo Reyes. Some teams require nothing beyond an occasionally beating heart from their pitching acquisitions.
Proper Proctor usage.
@274: Just means we’ll lose 14-3 instead of 9-3.
At this rate, even I would take JoJo over Lowe. At least JoJo is younger and is a lefty.
At least there’s this:
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/6824419/part-2-victors
@ 271
Big emphasis on the word “if”! No matter what I don’t see a justifiable reason for the 2012 Braves to break camp with him on the roster. I hope the team doesn’t have to depend on him down the stretch, because however unsportsmanlike this is, I am in “rooting for him to fail” mode.
@268,
What did Joe and Chip say?
1BB, 12k. Parrish sucks.
@279
They were talking about how Lowe has been trending downward for the whole season, how they would understand if he just wasn’t getting any run support, how he wasn’t going enough innings, and they implied that he might need to be removed from the rotation.
Recrapped.