Pardon the interruption…
I’m home for the holidays and I hope many of you are as well. I wanted to suggest a casual Braves Journal meetup at Manuel’s Tavern at 5:30 pm on Thursday, December 20.
I look like this:
If you read this blog and are in Atlanta, odds are that you’ve been to Manuel’s, but it’s at 602 North Highland (link to Google Maps).
I’m gonna just be hanging out there for a couple hours, from 5:30 to 7:30. I hope you’ll drop on by and have a beer with me! If you think you’ll be coming, feel free to drop me an email — my email address is in the box marked “CONTACT” at the top right. Or just come find me. I’m the guy with a mustache and glasses.
“Anybody don’t like this life is crazy” – Manuel Maloof. I first saw that sign in 1973. It made sense then, it still makes sense today. I’m sorry I’ll miss you down there. I could use an Andeker right now.
Y’all enjoy.
Morales has been traded for Jason Vargas. Probably safe to say that Bourjos and Trumbo are probably staying put.
For your reading pleasure:
http://www.foxsportssouth.com/12/19/12/Murphys-kids-kickstart-Hall-of-Fame-camp/landing_braves.html?blockID=837387&feedID=3639
look if Rush made it in, who’s to say what’s going to happen?
Billy Crystal co-hosted SC tonight.
If Billy Crystal read the phone book at my favorite dog’s funeral, I’d giggle like a stoned schoolboy all the way through.
Always has and apparently always will just crack me up.
Trade Josh Smith now. Just do it. Get what you can.
I have a late meeting in Alpharetta. Doubt I can get down there close to that time frame. I’ll have to catch you guys at Spring Training.
I would love to go, but Iwill be unable to. have one for me
Good idea, but but I doubt I can make it, and the weather is nasty. But, I may be able to stop in if a few things go my way today.
Let’s see, 5 hours from North Carolina, 2 hours to find the place, and hour for traffic…damn, I needed to leave 30 minutes ago.
Over at Talking Chop, they put up a scenario where Bourn returns to Atlana on a 1 year deal ranging between 7&10 million. In the scenario, Bourn would have a clause in his contract that says the Braves cannot offer him arbitration after the year so he can go into 2014 offseason without costing another team a draft pick. A long shot but interesting.
I should be there – probably on the 5:30 side.
@12
Where does he play?
Center, with Upton in left, I suppose. It’s like getting All of the Money for just All the Money We Have Left.
That outfield would be Death to Flying Things.
I’d throw 10 million at Bourn under those conditions in a heartbeat. Can’t imagine that Boras would meekly surrender like that however.
If the only option is Seattle, he might.
I can’t believe that the reason teams aren’t interested in Bourn is that they’d lose a draft pick. If that really is the reason, that’s just stupid. An individual draft pick in baseball is worth pretty much squat. You have like 50 of them, and there is pretty much no difference between the first and second rounds as far as prospects panning out. Anybody to whom money is not an issue who would rather have a first-round draft pick than Michael Bourn is not someone I want as my GM.
I’m all for a one-year Death To Flying Things outfield at that cost.
I think it’s too early for Boras to raise the white flag on Bourn.
I could see Bourn replacing Hamilton’s glove in Texas, but what Texas needs most is a power bat.
If we sign Bourn, imagine how much our infield improves too.
They would have to hit everything at Uggla, or hope it is 25 rows into the seats
@19 – Its not the draft pick only. Boras is the agent. At one point in time Bourn and Boras were probably delighted with the precedent set by the Upton contract. With most of the CF slots having been filled maybe Bourn over priced himself. But I don’t see the Talking Chop scenario happening at all.
Yeah, Boras is famous for waiting deep into the winter. His strategy doesn’t always work, but it works surprisingly often. The key is that he plays on the insecurity and sense of panic that teams start to feel as they approach the season and don’t feel happy with their teams as currently constructed.
In January or February, there’s usually a Boras client still on the board, and he’s usually the best player available at that point – and has often been the best free agent available all offseason. There are always a few teams willing to pay a premium for a player like that, in the hopes that they’ll be able to basically score unanswered points against their division rivals.
There is no chance that Boras would allow a client coming off a career year to take a one-year, below-market deal. And I am convinced he won’t have to.
Well, I am conflicted as to which moniker I like best, Operation Running Bear or the Death to Flying Things outfield. Granted, DTFT is probably better for the team, but ORB seems much more likely.
BTW Alex, If I lived in Atlanta I’d love the chance to meet you and I’d buy. It’s been said a lot but I’ll say it again. Thanks for all you have done for Braves Journal.
Thanks, Johnny. This place means a lot to me. I’m glad to be able to help continue Mac’s legacy, but I’m grateful for everyone else’s help — all of the analysis by people who’ve written for the blog, and the continued participation of all of the commenters. So, thank you.
Wish I could come home from Philly to be there. Hoist one for Mac!
Alex, that thing on your lip is new. You guys have a wonderful time!
I’m headed to the bar. It looks like the weather’s clearing up. Hope to see some of you there!
(It’s true, it is new. I grew it for Movember and decided to keep it. We’ll see how long it stays.)
I’m sitting at a round table next to a Christmas tree, under a Leinenkugel Summer Shandy sign.
Heading there now – don’t leave.
Pho Dai Loi baseball cap, brown horsehide biker jacket
Take some pics of the gathering!
You all have fun guys.
If you can submit a HOF ballot, what names will you put for this year? You can find a full list of candidates here:
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/steroids-era-muddies-hall-of-fame-ballot–forces-lines-to-be-redrawn–211851939.html
Wish I could have joined the festivities. Would have beat walking home in 30kt winds with mixed rain and sleet. But heartwarming to see my twitter feed light up with news that Gattis hit a 3 run shot in the first inning. He’s on track to break the team record.
I left out a crucial detail: he hit that home run off of Antonio Bastardo. Maybe we’ve also found an answer to the new Phillie John stinking Lannan.
I totes drank some drinks for you lot tonight. Then I drove home. Because…REBEL!
This guy… this guy… is the guy.
The world is not supposed to end for at least an hour yet, but for Aguilas fans on twitter the sky is already falling: apparently some local tv reporter just announced that after the regular season ends Dec. 31 Gattis will not be sticking around for the playoff round robin.
Not sure what that means, or whose decision it was. Wouldn’t surprise me if Wren just wants to get him a month or so off.
Spike and I had some great beers. Here’s hoping y’all are here tomorrow.
What beers? And how great?
Gattis news appears to legit:
http://tinyurl.com/bvm2cky
He had this
I had this and this
We both had this
Apparently he homered off something called an Alberto Bastardo, not an Antonio Bastardo.
45- I’d burn my right hand in a slow fire to have Stone’s available up here. Or Terrapin for that matter.
46- Hahaha. Baseball is full of Bastardos, apparently. I don’t think we’ll ever be seeing Alberto in the show.
Terrapin RPA was my first favorite micro. Changed my life. Truly!- when I decided to leave Athens I didn’t really have a good reason or destination, just chose Fort Collins because of my newfound interest in micros and the fact I’d been there once. Like the others, I hoist my drink at y’all- my current favorite, Odell Brewing Co.’s IPA.
I had my first Odell’s IPA this summer. It is SO GOOD.
Damn straight. If I thought myself capable of alcohol fidelity, I might consider it the One. Thankfully I am able to dabble.
I was planning to go and lurk, but my meetings with my investors went long. I hope it was grand.
rest assured we talked trash about everyone who didn’t make it.
the “lurking” line is hilarious though. I wish someone had actually done it.
Jealous.
New thread.