Atlanta Braves vs. Philadelphia Phillies – Box Score – July 7, 2012 – ESPN.
So, Michael Bourn is an All-Star, McCann homered again, Hanson pitched seven good innings, and the Braves beat the Phillies.
Really, I could stop there. Oh, I suppose I could do the contrarian thing of pointing out how ridiculous we all are for complaining all the time during what wound up being a very nice win, but that conversation already happened in the last thread and you all said it better than I could.
Instead, I’ll just point out that the Phillies are the losingest franchise in the recorded history of professional sports across the globe. The franchise’s record is 9274-10341, 1067 games below .500, a career winning percentage of .473.
That’s awful, obviously. But this year, they’re 37-49, a winning percentage of .430, while the Pittsburgh Pirates are in first place. You are all aware, of course, that the Pirates have not had a winning season since 1992. In the past 20 years, their franchise record is 1341-1750… which is a winning percentage of .434.
So the Phillies have a worse winning percentage this year than the Pittsburgh Pirates have had since 1993. Oh, and they owe Ryan Howard another $115 million over the next five years.
Life is good.
Should we blame less on Wren and more on ownership?
“Under GM Frank Wren the Braves won more games while spending less money than every team but the Rays from 2009-11, Rosenthal notes.”
The Phillies have pasted their peak. Unfortunately, the damn Natspos are in their upswing…while we are stuck at natural.
I’m told by Phillies fans that they will retool and by awesome yet again. Yes, because Howard and Utley are getting younger and healthier every year.
Fun stat of the day:
Most doubles per triple, career (minimum 200 career doubles, 1901-present):
3. Mike Sweeney, 65 (325 doubles, 5 triples)
2. Victor Martinez, 91.667 (275 doubles, 3 triples)
1. Brian McCann, 105 (210 doubles, 2 triples)
This guy might be one to keep tabs on.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=martin003cod
So when will Uggla start his 30 game hitting streak?
Updated WAR rankings: (Last update was after 7/3 game)
Bourn- 3rd (same)
Prado- 7th (same)
Heyward-9th (down 1)
Chipper-27th (up 4)
Uggla- 29th (down 8)
Andrelton-56th (down 13)
McCann- 60th (up 24!)
Freeman- 70th (up 1)
Phillies opening day salary : $172,093,902
Cliff Lee – $21.5m 1-5 3.98ERA
Roy Halladay – $20m 4-5 3.98ERA
Ryan Howard – $20m 4AB 0RBI
Chase Utley – $15m 30AB 3RBI .281OBP
Jimmy Rollins – $12m .721OPS
Those 5 guys equal our entire payroll.
@4. Another pitching prospect is always good, but we really need more hitting prospects…
Warning: political statement.
AAR for President.
MLBTR:
Cody Ross told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter) that he rejected a multi-year offer from the Braves to sign a one-year deal with the Red Sox this winter. Ross has a .275/.352/.560 slash line in 220 plate appearances this year.
If you’re on Twitter, and you’re not following Dale Murphy, why do you even bother?
https://twitter.com/DaleMurphy3/status/221813308494331904/photo/1/large
I hope you can see that without being logged in. I’m not sure how Twitter stuff works…
With quite a bit of glee, Another Alex R. you are rescuing us from the mediocrity of the Braves season thus far. At the Phillies expense. Excellent! Thanks, AAR.
screw Cody Ross.
let’s break out the brooms today, boys!
Another reason to hate Cody Ross. I knew there was something else.
@14–Agreed. I will now bite my lip and root for the Yankees every time they play the Red Sox as long as Cody Ross is no that team.
Andrelton Simmons – 285Innings 16 Runs Saved
Tyler Pastornicky – 326Innings -16 Runs Saved
Only Brendan Ryan and Yunel are ahead of Simmons, but each of them have almost 700 innings.
http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=ss&stats=fld&lg=all&qual=0&type=1&season=2012&month=0&season1=2012&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&players=0&sort=9,d
Who is this “Pastornicky” person?
I had this whole post regarding Jack Wilson being useless, Diaz and Hinske not filling their roles, Freeman’s inability to hit LHP, our need for a bench player, starting pitcher, relief pitcher, and how nice it would be to go to the Cubs as a one stop shop, adding Dempster, Camp, and Reed Johnson, releasing Diaz and Wilson, but it was too long. So, with 0 analysis, that’s my rewrite.
Brewers must be ready to move Greinke. He’s getting the start today after getting ejected in the 1st inning yesterday.
Hamels is supposedly on the block. Any shot we could go after him, since the Phillie’s run of success is likely over?
Did Reed Johnson ever have that muskrat excised from his face? I don’t want to look at that.
How was McCann thrown out there?
Dan Uggla appears to be in one of those “slumps” that they talk about.
Way to make them work, Bravos. 20 pitches one inning, 7 the next.
Well, that’s not good.
The thing about Jair Jurrjens is that his stuff is not nearly as good as it was a few years ago. It’s not just his velocity, it’s also his movement.
The thing about JJ is that since he’s come back, he’s got 3 starts with 18ip and a 1.47 ERA, gone 2-0, and opponents are hitting .250/.299/.333 against him. Smoke and mirrors, perhaps, but he has been a success regardless.
Ok, let’s get Freddie in.
Ka-boom.
WOO!!!! Thanks for the mojo, Joe.
???
Dan… Uggla, you tell me?
Wow, Andrelton Simmons just pulled off the coolest hustle double ever.
DAN! Hopefully, that’s one of them there slumpbusters.
God, I love Simmons.
Uggla has had enough of everyones’ crap.
Coming into this game, vs. the Braves:
Roy Halladay: 8 G, 56 IP, 2.89 ERA
Cliff Lee: 8 G, 49 1/3 IP, 3.83 ERA
Kyle Kendrick: 16 G, 74 2/3 IP, 2.29 ERA
Vance Worley: 4 G, 13 IP, 1.38 ERA
Honestly, losing to Jason Pridie?
You’re going to let JASON PRIDIE beat you? Come on, JJ, shape up.
Jeez, JJ just doesn’t have it.
So Jason Pridie — Jason Pridie — has all three Phillies RBIs today. This is a 28-year old journeyman with a career triple slash of .229/.308/.364.
Oh no. Andrelton Simmons was icing his hand in the dugout, then he looked headed further into the clubhouse. This is after that headfirst slide on the hustle double. No no no.
BMAC!
Oh NO. Jack Wilson is in the on-deck circle for Simmons. NO NO NO.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Why in the hell is Wilson still on this team?
Alright, Jack. Be a hero.
Really nice at-bat by Uggla, working a nine-pitch walk.
And… here comes Hinske. Here’s hoping.
Check that, break one out, Hinske.
Alright Hinske, prove you still belong here.
Someone needs to tell Hinske he’s being paid to play baseball, not expand in size.
See, now PHing Hinske for Simmons makes me way angrier than JJ challenging some bum.
Okay, Eric. Please go away.
And now he K’s and we’ve lost Simmons. Capital fucking idea Fredi.
give me cantstandsya over Hinske anyway. He is shot.
Um, obviously Hinske pinch hit for Simmons because Simmons hurt his wrist. Guess you’d rather have Wilson hit there?
Spike, we lost Simmons when he started icing his hand in the dugout and then followed the trainer into the clubhouse. Hinske was a better pinch hitting option than Jack Wilson, which just means that our bench sucks.
Actually, yes. Wilson can’t hit, but neither can Hinske at this point.
No cable TV – had no idea Simmons was hurt.
Yea, I’m assuming Simmons was taken out because of the play at second. Can’t fault Fredi for being extra careful with him.
And bad call by the ump on strike three.
HOLY CRAP. Jason Heyward just made a CRAZY play on Juan Pierre. That was AWESOME.
59, yeah, but the ump has called that pitch a strike all day long. Howard complained about it in the first inning. Hinske should not have taken it with two strikes.
At least JJ’s doing well when he’s not pitching to Pridie.
We really need another bat off of the bench
Weirdly enough, we need Tyler Pastornicky a lot more than Jack Wilson, but I’m not sure Pastornicky’s ready.
MLB Trade Rumors notes that Josh Beckett might be on the market.
Why isn’t Chipper available?
I don’t mind Fredi hitting Hinske there ans saving Chipper.
David O’Brien @ajcbraves
Simmons left the game with an injured pinky finger on his right hand. Will be re-evaluated further
I’m guessing that Ruiz hasn’t been visited by the PED Testers yet this year.
He is having an insanely abnormal good year compared to his career stats.
@69
And this is only his 5th game against the Braves. It would be understandable if he had faced the Braves 19 times.
Damn, Brian’s locked in.
BMAC!!!!! 4th in a row!
Yes, I am… oh, wait. Still true, though.
Silencing his critics.
@69, I know you’re only half serious, but Ruiz has been a good enough hitter the last three years to where we can allow him a half season outlier before burning him at the stake.
And suddenly McCann’s ISO is back up to his career norms. How about that.
Nice recovery by JJ; time to leave this one to the pen.
JJ banks another good outing. I really don’t care how he does it.
Two innings is two too many to be without Simmons.
Hurry back, Andrelton.
JJ knows how to win
Great game for JJ. Nice to see him pitching better.
Yes, fantastic job by JJ.
Via @BravesStateMind: Teheran has allowed 7R through 5IP today for Gwinnett.
Interesting use of Medlen here. At least his inherited runners scored percentage can’t get worse.
9 pitches, 3 outs. And Minor was actually up in the bullpen earlier, when JJ was struggling.
I think Medlen would be a fine setup man, but I still wish they’d just let him start.
EOF has been used three straight days, so…
It did work. This may be a new role for him- full innings that aren’t suitable for Kimbrel or O’Flaherty.
David O’Brien @ajcbraves
O’Flaherty gets day off after pitching in three straight games
Simmons fractured his finger.
Braves Twitter: Simmons has fracture of fifth metacarpal on right hand. Will see Dr. Gary Lourie tomorrow to examine and determine course of treatment.
That sucks.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
Fractured finger for Simmons.
With that injury Simmons will be out 6-8 weeks.
In response to #75, Ruiz has quietly been one of the most interesting stories in baseball the last few years, sort of like a mini-Jose Bautista. Catchers are famous for aging early, and through his age-29 season, he was batting .242/.329/.359 in 880 PA.
Since then, he’s hitting .294/.382/.448 in 1569 PA.
Why can’t we have nice things?
Oh God. Oh no.
Simmons should have went spikes first into Utley, teach him not to block the bag like a douche.
“Who is this ‘Pastornicky’ person?”
Guess we’ll be finding out soon…
So will the Braves go with Jack Wilson or go back to Pastornicky until Andrelton gets back? Yuck.
Poop.
Simmons getting hurt is really the worst thing that could have happened. We’ve lost our best starter and now we’ve lost one of our most valuable position players.
I guess the Braves are now in the market for someone that can play major league caliber defense at short.
Howard really sucks.
Maybe they can get Yunel 😛 I hear the Jays are sick of him.
With that injury Simmons will be out 6-8 weeks.
Is that 6-8 weeks out or 6-8 weeks without doing anything with the hand? If it’s the latter, it’s not unlikely his season is over. Here’s hoping that at least it doesn’t carry over into next year like Jason’s thumb injury did. Too bad, I really enjoyed watching him play.
Ban the headfirst slide. Now!
Oh, we won. It doesn’t taste as sweet today.
Well, there’s still Kimbrel. If he gets hurt, the icy embrace of death starts getting much more attractive.
Sweeping the Phillies should have been more fun than this.
Win the battle, lose the war.
Pastornicky hit a HR today for Gwinnett. Not that it makes him any more likely to avoid botching a 6-4-3.
@75 – yes i am joking, but he’s hitting 73 pts higher than his career avg, has 4 more HRs at the break than his previous career high, and is slugging 170 pts above his career avg.
if it quacks like a duck….
Sweeping the Phillies should have been more fun than this.
I second that. But still, nice job guys!
At least it was game before All Star break and not game after. How has Pastornicky done in AAA?
And Betancourt strikes out Flores with the winning runs on base to beat the Nationals. We’re four out.
I think before yesterday leftys had an OPS (yes) of 0.190 against Kimbrel and it’s obviously dropped even lower during the last two innings. I wonder if at some point other teams will try right handed pinch hitters.
We’re past the Mets. Hopefully for good. And I’m not so sure about that 6-8 weeks. Depends on exactly how it’s fractured.
113 — True. I only said that based on my experience. If it’s a hairline fracture it might not be as long.
@113 Asked a hand specialist about the injury. Said it could be four weeks depending on the type of fracture. At that point he went into medical talk that I can’t translate into proper English.
Pastornicky’s hit 255/ 301/ 355 in Gwinnett going into today.
Bury the Phillies!
Everything with Simmons hand obviously depends on how severe and where any fracture is, but you can do a lot with your pinky in a splint if needed.
During the game, you never saw Simmons acting like the hand injury was severe. Good thing its All Star break week.
Recapped.
118 — The metacarpal bones are located about halfway down your hand (if not farther), so I don’t think a simple finger splint is going to be it.
I know this because I broke one once.