Man, I hate off days, don’t you?
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Man, I hate off days, don’t you?
Use code “Journal” for a 5% discount.
I hate this team.
Three straight off days? I thought we’d just had the All Star Break.
Today’s game should be incredibly interesting.
Did something change? Don’t the Braves have a day game today?
Didn’t see the game on tv last night. What did Melky do besides be a fat POS?
Who gets drilled today?:
1 Melky
2 Posey
3 Blanco
4 Melky’s Sandwich
The way Braves have played, I’d rather them get back at Melky by beating his darn team. Then starting beaning guys. Throwing at him after losing to the Giants at home, again, just seems petty. Drilling him once Braves are destined to win the game, priceless.
I think we can safely say that Durbin still sucks. Though at that point in the game not too many options out of the pen.
I can’t blame Durbin or Fredi or the rest of the pen. The offense couldn’t get that second run in regulation, and that’s why we lost.
Maybe the Braves should start beaning themselves rather than other players.
This is just such a meh team; not really good at anything, win a few, lose a few. In their last 48 games-nearly a third of the season-they are two games under .500. What’s saving them is that the other teams in the division, except the Nats, are worse. The team has descended to mediocrity. And they are stuck with Uggla for another three (?) years as he gets worse and worse.
I’m convinced Durbin is Scott Linebrink in disguise. You think he’s absolutely worthless, then he seems to pitch pretty well and you think he’s got a chance to help us. Next he reverts back to the horrible pitcher we all know. That pattern is not unlike the whole Braves team, sigh.
Well, our offense is pretty good, but that’s about it. We could probably fix some of our pitching issues by replacing Jurrjens with Delgado, but it would still be far from a great pitching staff.
When you give up 9 runs on consecutive nights, you look like an Ozziesque shitheel if you hit someone. Play better. That will send the message.
I think Fredi not hitting for Janish was a mistake. No way he should have hit there, especially after the WP.
He brought Chipper off the bench way too early as well.
It is little things, like managing your bench, that cost you games.
The guy in the other dugout is master at it. Fredi should take notes.
I wish O’Flaherty had drilled Melky on that 0-2 pitch.
I think that sack of crap is my least favorite athlete of all time.
As far as I’m concerned this game ended in a 3-3 tie. I’m just wondering how they’re going to fit that into the standings columns of the USA Today.
Meanwhile, I was at the Nats/Mets game last night. I realize I should probably have been rooting for the Mets but I feel that every day that the Mets lose is a good day. BTW, this David Wright is pretty good.
Melky’s antics…
1. On his HR, he admired it like it was a moonshot, yet it was just a wall scraper.
2. Was caught on video pointing up to the booth, mockingly, as he crossed home plate.
3. Was jeering back at fans.
4. Fake threw a ball into the stands after a warning track fly ball 3rd out.
5. FLAILED out of the way, completely overexaggerating on a ball that was up, but directly down the middle.
6. With Heyward at 2nd, a flyball was hit to LF, Melky caught it, then waved glove at Heyward daring him to go.
7. When his HR ball was thrown back on the field, he stood at the top of the steps in the dugout with his hand up wanting the ball back.
These might all not count as antics. I just listed everything I could think of.
However, Joe Simpson is not helping matters. He constantly bashes Melky, his attitude while wearing a Braves uni, and…of course, hit fatass.
Let’s get a pitcher. By my quick eyeball test, the Braves have a starting staff better than the following NL teams: Pirates, Astros, Cubs, Dbacks, Rockies & Padres.
The Pirates, Cubs, and Diamondbacks all have us beat when it comes to SP fWAR. But we’re still edging the Cardinals as the best hitting team in the league.
“Batter strikeouts don’t carry the stigma they used to.” -Shaq Green-Thompson
http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=green-002sha
Let’s let Mr. Hudson express our concerns with Melky tonight.
Oh, and Melky, Cecil Fielder wants his clothes back…
Too bad Jurrjens isn’t pitching today.
I hope we sign Stone Cold Steve Austin for a day
On the use of Kimbrel,
I agree with him in the 9th (there are still some who seem to have a problem with that for some strange reason).
However, I propose a corollary on closers at home with the score tied in the 9th. Look at the lineup and make sure who is coming up. If, as last night, it is the most potent part of the other guy’s lineup, you would be a fool to send out anything less than your best. But, if you have a string of lesser lights (say 7, 8, 9 and particularly if no really good pinch hitters are available), you might want to use a lesser reliever and hold back the CLOSER ™ until a streak in the top or middle of the order is up.
And they are stuck with Uggla for another three (?) years as he gets worse and worse.
3 years & $39 million.
Just wanted to point out that if this had been the only start anyone had seen from Minor, they’d be just as excited as people are about Sheets. He was hitting his spots, had good velocity (well, at least to start the game), struck guys out, didn’t walk many….
So when I said about Sheets that it was just one game and we should all be a little calmer, this is the kind of thing I was referring to. Guys can just “have it” one night. Doesn’t mean they’re going to be a cog in your rotation for the rest of the year. I’m looking forward to Sheets’s next start, and I hope he can do it again. If he was able to give the Braves a consistent 6 innings each time time out, it would be a real boon for this team’s chances down the stretch.
@20 – I like WAR, but for the purposes of the gut feel ranks I was doing I don’t think the 2012 to-date WAR ranks apply.
For example, 2012 WAR tells me that Jeff Samardzija is 50% better than Matt Garza. I very much disagree.
Fredi is strapped for good relievers and the mirage that was good Chad Durbin probably came to an abrupt halt last night. With Venters DL’d and not being Venters, what’s Fredi supposed to do? He used Avilan for multi-innings last night and I’m assuming the Lisp was unavailable. Pitching wise,he did what he had to do.
Moves I didn’t like: 1. Using up 2 PH for “matchup” purposes. Burning Hinske to get a better matchup with Pastornicky is stupid.
2. Letting Janish hit.
@27, in other words, it’s possible that Ben Sheets might suck as badly as the rest of our team. Thanks, but I’d prefer my unrealistic hope. It beats the hell out of actually watching this team right now.
Freddie!
Hey lookee there!
Gregor Blanco has a career OBP of .355.
The Nationals have designated Ankiel for assignment. I guess keeping him on the roster just to play well against the Braves was no longer worth it.
Did anyone see Melky’s first at-bat? I see in the box that porkchop got a hit but sadly, not the hit I want him to get.
I’m beginning to think that we should try to extend Michael Bourn’s contract.
Gameday showed Bourn’s hit landing beyond the wall. What happened?
Alex, I agree. I hope we can keep him.
36,
Was a gapper in left-center. Not close to going over the wall.
Giants were conceding a run there and Prado can’t put the ball in play.
Coming into today’s game Melky’s batting average was .354. Coincidentally, in his one season with the Braves Melky’s slugging percentage was .354.
@28-
That’s not strictly true. It tells you that the outcomes Smardizjakqi has produced this year are 50% better than what Garza’s done. Which is more of an empirically varifiable observation than an opinion. What it does note tell you is what either player will produce going forward.
Frankly, this is a distinction many people in the “stats” community (and otherwise) fail to make. The other big one in my eyes is that people equate anything unexplainable through current SABR techniques with luck when its simply not. There are things we are not able to fully quantify at this point, whether its due to all possible data being unavailable or our own inability to fully utilize the data we have. Just because we aren’t able to completely explain why someone’s BABIP is 40 points lower this year than it was last year doesn’t mean it’s luck.
Very true.
Also, there is the degree to which I will never ever want anything to do with Jeff Samardjmxtpk because of his mullet. It is egregious.
@21) Those are great stats Sansho1 🙂
But “luck” has taken on a new meaning. Most in the stats community understand that “luck” just means “unexplainable,” and they write the word assuming that readers aren’t assigning the traditional meaning of the word in those contexts.
40—It is incredible when paired with that ‘tache.
I hate the Giants but their announcers are wildly entertaining. Outside of Scully, probably my favorite in baseball.
No access to MLB.TV again? I can get no video.
In all honesty, it would be hard to believe that Jeff Sarasdflkjasdfa weren’t a Gator fan. He certainly looks like one.
Tom, I’m getting access to mlb.tv. Try switching browsers?
@40
If Superman can trick him into saying his name backwards, will he vanish back to his own dimension?
P.S. I don’t mean Ffej
@39 – Completely agree. I guess I was trying to say in a poorly phrased way that using only 2012 to-date WAR is not the best way to answer the question “Which NL pitching staff would you rather have going forward”.
MLB.tv is working for me too.
Thanks Alex, but it’s not working on IE, Chrome or iPad. Gameday is doing ok. No idea what this is about.
DAVID ROSS IS THE MAYOR OF MY HEART.
Best backup catcher in baseball!
Ahh, MLB.TV works on my XBox 360. Just as I was running out of devices.
Just tweeted this:
NYM 9, Wash 1
For crying out loud, Tim, DO NOT have an episode now.
Ross had great numbers last season too, until he was forced to play everyday when McCann went on the DL.
Good God. Diaz and Ross swing at Ball 4 and Uggla watches a called 3rd strike.
My first thought: why is Tim Hudson still out there? He was done last inning.
Then Melky hits a triple.
Will someone hit this douchebag already?
If Tim had plunked him, he’d only be on first right now.
Melky just makes me want to cry
I extend my middle finger every time the fat jackass comes on my screen. Futile gesture, but it feels good regardless.
Uggla’s at-bats are like Francoeur’s in 2006 and 2008-2009: swing at balls out of the zone, then take strike three down the middle.
Why the fuck did Hudson begin this fucking inning?
No ones warming, gives up a triple to the leadoff man, and you don’t yank him until AFTER he gives up the run and the bases are clear?
Well he’s not in trouble NOW, Fredi. If he was good enough to start the inning, why not leave him in with one out and no one on?
It just makes no sense whatsoever.
Just to be clear, I hate Melky for his attitude, facial hair, 2010 laziness, Yankee connection, douchbaggery this series, and that time he threw the ball sideways in the outfield.
I do not hate Melky because he keeps tattooing meatballs Braves pitchers throw him. Get the turd out or drill him!
Craig Kimbrel: despite all appearances to the contrary, a pitcher for the Atlanta Braves.
3 hits and 0 walks for the offense today.
Kimbrel is such a luxury.
So nice to have a super-badass closer.
After last night, I don’t feel bad about pulling out a cheap one. Go Braves.
Only one strikeout by Kimbrel? Weak.
You know, before the game, I bet Fredi said something like, “Make every hit count, fellas.” And they did.
@29
Eric Hinske is completely incapable of hitting LH pitchers nowadays, and the move resulted in Michael Bourn being at the plate with a chance to win the game. If they hadn’t walked Pastornicky, they would’ve faced him, which is still better than Hinske vs. LH pitching, and using Ross would’ve been dumb because of the possibility that he’d get intentionally walked when Pastor was just as likely to also get IBBed. It was a good move all the way around.
Also…woo hoo!!! Braves win!!!
Extra base hits. They’re a good thing.
I will be at the first game of the DH on Saturday. Oh, please tell me someone good will be pitching. Good being a relative term for the Braves pitching staff, of course. And, oh yeah, Stasburg pitches tomorrow night-unfortunately, not for the Braves.
I think the Giants might be the best team in the NL right now.
Simpson: “The Giants are going to Philadelphia, and the Phillies have Mr. Cain and Mr. Lincecum to look forward to.”
Yes Joe, the Phillies probably are looking forward to facing Lincecum.
#78 – Best pitching staff at least
@72
How was this a cheap one? There certainly wasn’t anything cheap about Bourn’s triple or the Freeman and Ross homers.
I forgot to give major props to Minor for his start yesterday. Very, very impressive.
77 – I think I read that Sheets is planning on the early game.
@77
Delgado will pitch one of the games, I’m not sure which. If you follow the rotation order, it should be Sheets pitching the other one, so you’ve got a 50-50 shot of seeing an interesting starting pitcher toe the rubber for us.
We’ve done pretty well against Strasburg so far at least compared to the rest of the league. He’s 2-3 against ATL with a 4.26 compared to 14-5 with a 2.36 against everyone else.
He’s actually made 5 of his 35 career starts against us and after tomorrow it will be 6 of 36 or one out of every six.
@Marc
Good news! ESPN lists Sheets and Edwin Jackson as the probables for Game 1, Delgado and John Lannan as the probables for Game 2. So your afternoon game is looking like a decent matchup. Game 2, on the other hand, might as well be a Gwinnett vs. Syracuse International League game.
From klaw chat today:
billy (vegas) [via mobile]
Have u heard anything on this guy cunningham in the braves AA system. Is he abel to take over in center if bourn doesnt sign next year.
Klaw (2:08 PM)
Extra outfielder ceiling. If that.
Yikes, Sheets and Delgado in a double header. Not exactly two starters likely to give 7 or 8 innings. Hope Medlen can play long man in both games.
ububba asked last night if anyone had ever given up two three run homers in an extra inning before. The answer is no. First off, there are only 77 pitchers in the retrosheet event database who managed to give up a 3 run homer or grand slam more than once in extra innings in their entire career. no one else did it twice in the same game, much less the same inning, so it’s a quite unique event — Chad and Fredi should be proud.
A few guys did it twice within a month or so… notably, Rick Camp, who pulled it off for the Braves on April 23 and May 15, 1982.
Spectacular research. Thanks, Jonathan!
#89
Dang, really?
Always knew that Durbin would set records.
Yeah, the Braves have done pretty well against Strasburg; the last game they won in 2011 was against him. Sheets and Jackson could be an interesting match-up.
Now, tell me one other thing. Does Uggla have to play?
Gives up two three run homers in the 11th inning. Gets charged with 1 earned run.
The complete list of Braves giving up 3+ run extra inning dingers (note that the event database is pretty sparse before the 60’s):
Ted Abernathy 1966
Rick Camp 1982 (twice)
Don Collins 1977
Joey Devine 2005
Brian Edmondson 1998
John Foster 2005
Gene Garber 1980, 1981
Boom Boom Hernandez 2003
He Who May Not Be Mentioned 2005
Frank LaCorte 1977
Alejandro Pena 1992
Craig Skok 1978
Oscar Villarreal 2007
I have no memory whatsoever of Brian Edmondson.
Looking at that list makes me glad, once again, that I was not a Braves fan between 1977 and 1989.
Y’all had some serious time in the wilderness to get through.
It’s interesting that if you look up Terry Foyster’s name on google, it’s like he never existed except on this site. It’s like he’s a figment of Braves Journal’s imagination. In fact, there’s no google image or b-ref page. Odd…
I am ashamed of this thread…
http://bravesjournal.us/?p=2373
@42, Stu said:
But “luck” has taken on a new meaning. Most in the stats community understand that “luck” just means “unexplainable,” and they write the word assuming that readers aren’t assigning the traditional meaning of the word in those contexts.
I disagree that most people make the distinction. I think people honestly think that most variations around a .300 BABIP is just “luck” and purely random. Perhaps folks who are the most literate on the subject and spend the most time thinking about it don’t believe this, but most of the time they still use the word “luck”, which most of their readers take at face value. There’s no reason to use a potentially ambiguous word when you can be crystal clear with little extra effort.
97 — Are you spelling his last name “Forster” on the searches?
Oh my…I didn’t realize that was the way it was spelled! Hooray, he’s real! And actually, he wasn’t that bad. This is great…
A Triple A pitcher is being called up to Chicago tomorrow just in case Dempster gets traded this weekend.
Recapped.