The optimist says the glass is half full, the pessimist says the glass is half empty. The engineer says
the glass is twice the size necessary, and the grammarian says everyone is wrong since full and
empty are absolutes not subject to modifications like ‘half.’ Meanwhile, while everyone is arguing
over the state of the glass, the pragmatist sneaks in and drinks the rest of the water – which is what
happened in the bottom of the 10th, when Michael Taylor drank the water that Brandon Cunniff was
supposed to be watching and the Natspos walked off with a 5-2 extra inning win.
The good from the game: Julio Teheran went six innings, pitching on a razor’s edge, and despite
giving up five hits and four walks, he allowed only one run, which is what you want your front line
starters to do when they don’t have their dominant stuff. Freddie Freeman had three hits, which is
what you want your best hitter to do. A J Pierzynski had a hit – which tied him for 10th all-time for
catchers with Bill Dickey.
The bad: Well, Arodys Vizcaino didn’t look good at all trying to go two innings, giving up the tying
run in the bottom of the ninth, and needing Peter Moylan to bail him out for the last out of the
ninth. Matt Marksberry – bless his heart – he took the loss by allowing a lead off single to Bryce
Harper, and then was immediately yanked for Cunniff. Kinda hard luck to face probably the scariest
hitter in the NL for your only batter and take the L.
Anyway, another game down, and another loss to keep pace with the Failies.
JC’d from end of last thread, @JohnWDB:
I would root for us to win and would take the No. 3 pick, yes.
The NBA situation is even more ridiculous because there’s a lottery and yet it’s still the worst tanking league, by far. Probably need to come up with a more equitable lottery.
By the same token, though, the pro-tanking people would’ve had the Hawks tank last year, a year in which they wound up as the No. 1 seed in the East and made the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time. If you don’t try to win, you won’t.
If you’re going to completely tear it down, then tanking these two seasons makes sense. The argument is really about whether the complete tear down was needed.
My position has always been that this team’s ownership and revenue situation means that they can only get better through the drafts, which takes a long time no matter what. The players returned from the firesale this year are unlikely to make any difference at all in our team 5 years from now – which is the horizon where our hopefully excellent international-scouting/drafting will pay off.
What the firesale does do is guarantee a terrible record, high protected draft picks, etc etc.
It just pains me that we think the playing field is so uneven that we have to lose on purpose to have any shot. That’s not what I want to be rooting for.
The entire point of the firesale, literally the entire premise, was that our best players weren’t going to be around for even two more years, let alone 5.
I was right to give up on baseball before opening day.
I’m not sure who wanted the Hawks to tank last year, Nick. They had the rights to swap picks with the nets, so there was nothing to be gained by losing more.
Anyhow, general principles. I was watching last night and hoping we’d win. And I find myself pulling for the team to win a given game, but globally speaking, I hope we get as much future good out of this crappy season as possible, and that probably means losing a little more. I would never hope for the team to try to lose–that is beyond shameful–but there’s some good that can come from the losing that’s going on.
Good recap, btw. I think the bullpen is half full of low-A relief pitchers and the team is half empty of even marginal big league talent.
I found myself thinking that Michael Taylor has more power than anyone in our system above the rookie level, including MLB. But can he move the runner over?
The Braves will come out with great picks and considerable slot money. They believed they locked up a solid core group, and I don’t think having them get over-matched is a good sign.
The Phillies have played much better since the break and will likely pass the Braves. I’ll root for the Phils to win all day, but the Braves losing, especially like they have recently, is bad news.
Shelby Miller really just doesn’t know how to win.
Betty’s not fixable. As long as he just throws his glove out there hoping for the stop, he shows that he’s learned nothing.
Concur, Overlord. Shoot him.
That’S WRONG. Just admonish him strongly.
He did run hard to back up first. It’s the habits that have to be corrected.
We could have kept the good players one more year, and cut the bad players (BJ and Uggla). The financial losses from not doing so are going to be tremendous. Way more than eating those contracts.
Right now there’s a lot of really good parts of the fan base that have convinced themselves that everyone we got back in the firesale is a can’t miss stud prospect. That’s not even close to reality. Nothing any of us can do about it though. If we’re going to be the Marlins and Devil Rays then all you can do is watch the low minors and wish for the best.
Supposedly, these are “earned runs.”
Oh, well. Sorry to all the ‘Bama folks, but my wife went to school in Madison, so, on Wisconsin.
A day after Teheran spent all night battling.
You’re right, he should have given up three “earned runs” in the fourth.
Shelby might not know how to win, but he does know how to be a good teammate. That was really big of him to immediately approach Maybin in the dugout and tell him to shake that non-catch off.
And this has turned into a joke. That was a clown play, bro. I think I’m done for the evening.
Can we just call up Greg Smith?
Not a prospect, not a great player. But he’s pitched well in AAA, and last night felt like a revelation.
A competitive start shouldn’t seem that abnormal.
I’m glad to have gotten my “boos” in on Harper while I could. This day was always coming.
Fredi did quite a turn-around job on this team.
It may be mandatory to dislike Harper, but I’d trade our whole outfield for him and find two guys from the minors to throw out there with him.
Harper is a first ballot HoF unless he gets hurt or gets caught molesting sheep or something. A giant douche…no doubt. But everyone would take him on their squad.
Here it is, your moment of zen: http://m.mlb.com/video/v454032083/nymmia-colon-makes-a-superb-behindtheback-play
Sweet Georgia Brown.
Edit: To be clear, I am referring to the Harlem Globetrotters theme song in reference to Colon’s behind the back assist, and not the particular strain of manure the Braves have been tonight. Sorry if there was any confusion.
@12,
“Right now there’s a lot of really good parts of the fan base that have convinced themselves that everyone we got back in the firesale is a can’t miss stud prospect.”
Who has done this, aside from some delusional fanboy you have constructed in your own mind?
@25 – I made the mistake of reading ajc comments on DOB’s shockingly critical blog post last week, and there are indeed multiple fans arguing exactly this point. That and that the Braves did a great job of dumping Melvin’s contract (by selling part of Kimbrell’s value, btw) to save money in years during which the team’s not even trying to win. We should put on a parade down Ted Turner Drive to celebrate Liberty Media’s financial success.
http://www.myajc.com/news/sports/baseball/qa-with-coppolella-how-did-braves-get-this-bad/nnYz5/?icmp=ajc_internallink_invitationbox_apr2013_ajcstubtomyajcpremium&ecmp=ajc_social_twitter_2014_braves_sfp
Copollela sounds like a world-class douche-nozzle:
“But this is something that Braves fans aren’t used to. And I’m not used to it, either, and neither are John Hart and John Schuerholz. They named the GM award after John Schuerholz – he was that successful. John Hart has been one of the most winning executives throughout baseball and has rebuilt two franchises.”
…
“John Schuerholz is a winner, John Hart is a winner, I’m a winner. And we’re going to fight our way out of this.”
Fight! Fight! Fight!
PS check your email Alex.
That interview read like every meeting I’ve ever had with a C level executive.
JohnWDB: Revisiting your question regarding three of the four worst teams in baseball coming from the same division since the six division split, it looks like we could also have three of the four best teams in baseball coming from the same division. If both of these things happen, this will truly be a weird season. We’ve already seen strange stuff such as a day when the home team won all of the scheduled games, an ambidextrous pitcher, and a pitcher named Zych who became the last player alphabetically..
@30, thank you for your research. It truly is a weird season. I almost wish we’d tried to contend, as it seems anything could happen. Come to think of it, that means the Cubs will win the World Series. Well, good for them.
If our aim is to get the number 1 pick, then we are wildly successful! Assuming we will blow past the international spending limit next year, we may actually get some premium talents into our system.
In 75 PA for the Braves, Nick Swisher is hitting .267/400/467. Maybe he’s not done yet and can help us next year.
The bullpen should also be better, as Grilli, Chris Withrow, Shae Simmons, and Paco Rodriguez will return from injury.
Just need to find some starting pitching. May need to sign a FA starting pitcher or two. And a catcher.
#28
Sorry Spike, I had Alex out for some beverages tonight. (No, we weren’t watching the Braves.)
Recap is up.