Braves flew across the country. Was the weather why?
Maybe the fans should turn around and say good bye.
Cameron Maybin is a sight to behold.
But the rest of this team just wants to fold.
And I’m singing:
Lose in SD and not a thing is alright.
Padres were the ones to whoop us last night.
We all want to leave, I can guarantee.
But Braves are too special to you and me.
Williams Perez gave up four with some help from A J.
This offense can’t overcome that on any day.
Peter Moylan saw Yonder Alonso unload.
But Braves only got three, no wins on the road.
And I’m singing:
Matt Kemp really got it done for one night.
Collin Rea may be pitching for more of this sight.
Had to watch Craig Kimbrel do his thing.
So, we make up stuff and try to sing.
Top of the ninth, and two on and none out.
Only one run scores and we begin to pout.
Losing is in our veins like a fish in the sea.
Can we find some more players like Freddie Free?
And I’m singing:
Follow Braves and this crap’s every night.
You watch this and it makes such a fright.
If you want to see a win, there’s no guarantee,
that you’ll find a way make it more fun to see.
@Nick, previous thread. Suggestion in case the game gets bad tonight: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlKL_EpnSp8
Mallex Smith hit 2 triples 😀 on his way to a 3-6, now 13-27 with 5 multi-hit games in the last 6. Black Betty with 2 more doubles (.328/.363/.489) and Freddie Freeman 2/3 with a double for Gwinnett:
http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?gid=2015_08_17_gwiaaa_tolaaa_1&t=g_box&sid=t431
Actually, I do think Mallex Smith could be a better hitter than Maybin next year.
By the way, Long live Uncle Kracker!
Wouldn’t it make sense to bring Bethancourt back up for the remaining games to see if he’s improved defensively? Have we not put AJ through waivers at this point? or is Bethancourt just an offseason trade piece?
Bethancourt is one of the few players in our system with a modicum of power, so I hope we don’t trade him. Who else other than Freeman can slug .489?
@3, I think they both will hit better than Michael Bourn!
Betty has typically improved pretty drastically with the bat after 200-300 ABs at each level of play. Witness:
A: .607 OPS (2010), .753 OPS (2011)
AA: .566 OPS (2012), .741 OPS (2013)
AAA: .716 OPS (2014), .852 OPS (2015)
MLB: .548 OPS (2014), .508 OPS (2015)
Obviously, Betty’s bat hasn’t shown up at all at the majors yet (nor has his defense been as advertised, frankly) but it’s too early to write him off, and he’s only had a grand total of 224 MLB ABs thus far. Catchers are notoriously slow to develop on offense – see, e.g., Yadier Molina – and that could certainly be the case here too. Betty’s only 23 years old. I could see him putting up a .700-ish OPS next season for the Braves, along with frustratingly inconsistent defense.
Since I was the only person on the previous thread last night, I’ll repost this:
With Cameron Maybin’s home run last night, he becomes just the fourth player in our entire system to reach double figures in home runs. No player has yet reached 15. Freddie Freeman has 14, Carolina’s Jacob Schrader has 12, Gwinnett’s Cedric Hunter has 11 and Maybin now has 10. So yeah…I would say the talk of power problems is certainly justified.
Austin Riley has 9 HRs in rookie ball, not sure how many PA’s that it but probably less than 200. There’s potential there for sure. But…hard to see how that helps us conquer the world in 2017.
My love affair with Maybin keeps growing stronger. Please don’t trade him.
Appalling.
I can almost guarantee we’ll be trading the mound of pitching for power in the 2015 and 2016 offseasons. That goes in hand with the comments by Hart that pitching is currency, and everyone needs pitching (instead of a 3B, C, etc.). He’s collected many pieces that won’t have a spot on our ML roster should most develop.
Do we really have tons of pitching to spare? Some of it needs to be used to flesh out the bullpen. A lot is being bet on the ability of some other high-ceiling guys to recover from arm injury.
So do we really go to battle next year with this lineup?
Mallex Smith
Maybin
Freeman
Olivera
Markakis
Simmons
Peterson
Bethancourt
p
Looks awful on paper
I’ll be surprised if Bethancourt is still in the org next year.
@12, but will they do the little things?
I think we have enough pitching prospects to turn into some position players. One could also trade a position player like Maybin along with some pitching prospects to get an actual left fielder. Maybin has more value, if he continues, as a center fielder for another team than as a left fielder on our team.
I also think the Braves should consider trading Markakis. There are only so many positions that are producing power in the game right now, and 1B and 3B are both occupied. We have/will have average power at C, 2B, SS, and CF, so that really just leaves LF and RF. He’s playing well, but you just can’t his type of player at his position on this team.
Can Olivera play LF?
I think his bat and salary are better used at 3B.
For the Maybin discussion, I needed to confirm the number from the fangraphs article on the positional adjustments to WAR (per 600 ab’s):
Catcher: +12.5
Shortstop: +2.5
Second Base: +2.5
Third Base: +2.5
Centre Field: +2.5
Left Field: -7.5
Right Field: -7.5
First Base: -12.5
Designated Hitter:-17.5
I get that only righties play third (usually), but this seems all jacked up in the middle (it may have changed drastically, but they said it’d be “tweaked”).
Correction, different article has it as per 162 games ((defensive innings/9)/162) * numbers above. Point stands (in my eyes, at least)
Does Matt Wisler always take his glove off between every pitch?
Chris Johnson on DL with spider bite. Geez, that guy…
Here comes a bases loaded, inning ending double play.
Its almost like he tries to do it.
If there was a more “in the bag” turn of events than a Simmons bases loaded GIDP, it was us giving up an RBI single to Mudge the very next half-inning.
…and then Mudge getting himself doubled off of first.
Lots of genius baserunning by the Padres tonight.
Disgusting
FFS
World’s worst bullpen.
At least most of these crap arms won’t be around next year.
World’s second worst bullpen – three best pitchers = World’s worst bullpen
If you give up a home run to B.J. Upton, the game should be declared over and B.J.’s team automatically awarded the win.
If he hits two, your team should be required to forfeit the rest of that year’s games.
Any Braves pitcher who gives up a HR to Melvin should be sent down to Danville, to never return.
We’d better watch out, because allowing three to him in a game will result in a franchise’s immediate dissolution under my plan.
Melvin homers more frequently (based on PA’s) than any Braves OF #unfunfact
Alex, please check your e-mail.
BJ homered twice? LOL
the double play
such terse efficiency to say
we gave up two
the other twenty five they just accrue.
Is this rock bottom? Or do we have to wait till next year?
confronting the prodigal son
we had believed his sole skill was to run
but whether that was correct or not
he then twice excelled at the leisurely trot.
this new pink pill for ladies now
one wonders if our rules allow
for tiring bullpen arms
equivalence of need and no less charms.
Alfred Lord Wren
had the ability to know when
the bullpen was settled
old arms having been magically refettled.
I made a prediction on the blog for BJM a few days ago and was way off. I said 4 for 4 with a hr and 4 rbis. He was only 3 for 4, but he had 2 hrs and 5 rbis. It would be funny if it wasn’t so predictable.
Recapped.