Cheers! Just a reminder that all pieces that are not Game Recaps or Game Threads will have comments turned off and be channeled to the bar for streamlined discussion. Let’s chat!!
The Bar, 4/11-4-15
49 Comments
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Ian to have TJ surgery: https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/36159933/sources-braves-rhp-ian-anderson-undergo-tommy-john-surgery
Tough for Ian but explains some things. He’ll come back stronger and we’ll need him for the stretch run next year.
We’ve missed our closer, our top 2 starters, our CF & now our C/DH — and we’re 7-4.
I’ll definitely take it, but let’s get healthy.
Question about Matt’s post on the first ten games, specifically about Albies’s struggles. This sentence jumped out at me: “Players of his size often regress quickly.”
Is that true? What is the evidence for that comment?
Separately… JonathanF, how about minor leaguers? In that case, I think we can make room for Terence Senegal, Robert Wales, David Slovak, Charles Russian, and former Braves farmhand Dylan Spain. And, from NPB, Shosei Togo.
In regards to players of smaller stature regressing more quickly, I’m going off anecdotal references more than any hard data I’ve seen. Michael Bourne, Ender Inciarte, Jose Reyes, Dustin Pedroia, et al all come to mind as recent examples of small stature players who seemingly went from all-star caliber to below league average in the span of 1-2 years and didn’t really recover. Maybe injuries take a harder toll on smaller bodies. Maybe smaller players have to rely on core strength, as opposed to creating leverage and angle via long limbs, more for power and that that’s harder to maintain through age. But we rarely see smaller players producing at high levels for a decade+. Altuve is the only current exception that comes to mind, though I’m sure there are more.
Fwiw Ozzie is my fav. current mlb player and I hope he goes makes me regret ever suggesting he might be in the middle of a career regression.
Thanks for the pitching notes, Cade. Really appreciate your regular content. Since you joined Braves Journal, i pretty much get all my Braves news from here. Thank you!
Cade is doing a great job keeping us up to date, that’s for sure! I was told last week about the Ian news. Tough stuff. I figured the Braves wouldn’t tell the media until the surgery was scheduled.
Thanks, Timo! I’m really enjoying being a part of what Ryan is building here. Glad you’re enjoying the articles!
Ryan, our comments used to be numbered and permalinked – you could reply to individual comments by number, and you could also go back and link to them. Can that be re-enabled?
It’s not something that can be re-enabled & I don’t have the time to research adding a commenting system at the moment. If any Braves Journaler would like to look for a solution, I’d be down.
I sure am anxious to get Soroka back. If we get him in good shape, we could have a very good six-deep rotation even without Shuster and Dodd. I sure hope some of the international infield prospects ripen. We might not have to argue about Grissom, Arcia, and Albies. I know about TINSTAAP and all but it sure seems like we may have more brewing on the farm than others give us credit for. Sucks about Jethro, though. I hope he can come back.
Matt K, I’m not buying it. Ender Inciarte and Michael Bourn were listed at 5’11; Jose Reyes was listed at 6’0. Tons of major leaguers are that height.
Ozzie is listed at 5’8. Relatively few major leaguers are that height, but I’d point to Pedroia as a success story. (So’s Altuve, of course, as well as Jose Ramirez, though Ozzie’s not in their league!) Pedey was terrific until injuries kept him off the field. He never stopped producing. I don’t see these cases as being comparable at all.
A new piece for the bar to discuss: https://bravesjournal.com/2023/04/12/braves-farm-week-1-top-performers-rome-braves/
Thanks for that piece, Ryan! Kevin Kilpatrick caught my eye in spring training as a local kid I had never heard of before, but the reports of him I found while Googling all echo Ryan’s comments: strong makeup, across-the-board okay tools, projection of the guy as a contributor. Love that. I think it’s just fantastic for the team and fantastic for Major League Baseball when a guy who grew up a few miles from the stadium (he’s from Stone Mountain and went to Redan) gets drafted in the 17th round and gets a chance to contribute to the club. I’m rooting for him every step of the way.
We have a game thread.
A new piece for the bar in where I channel my inner OG Alex R (not the current Alex R):
Hey crew. I have a friend that’s a HUGE Braves fan and just lost her dad. Unfortunately for them, they are struggling with the funeral expenses. If you are willing to help, you can send me a Venmo and I’ll get her our collection on behalf of the Braves Journal website.
My Venmo is Ryan dash Cothran dash 3
Anything you can do to help is great! Thanks!
Ads reduced by about 40%.
Thanks Ryan!
Nice piece on Ozuna, Ryan. I can answer one of your questions. Why not drink something slurvy and then drive when your paycheck is not in question? He gets the $64M regardless. If he actually had to EARN or be responsible to get paid then things might be different.
“Why not drink something slurvy and then drive when your paycheck is not in question? He gets the $64M regardless.” Dang…that’s good.
A new piece for the bar to discuss on an off day.
Thanks Ryan about the week 1 piece on the GreenJackets. Ambioris Tavares looks really great and Esposito at 2B is a great athlete…looks great when he’s on the base paths and stealing bags.
Any idea why Owen Murphy, J.R. Ritchie and our other top 10 prospect pitcher aren’t getting any starts yet? Fuentes got the ball for the home opener and was all over the place. Did not look good.
Bad news crew. While it hasn’t been reported yet, Orlando Arcia does indeed, have a broken wrist according to the same source that sent me the Ian Anderson news.
Although I don’t think of it as good news (and certainly not for Arcia), we probably get to see either Grissom or Shewmake. Time to find out who can fit.
Grissom is coming. Not in AAA lineup.
The Lovelady DFA seems surprising. The Grissom news seems exactly as expected.
And for any of us who were watching Arcia, unfortunately this isn’t a shock. He took a fastball to the wrist and jumped back with a scream. Hopefully he heals as fast as he can.
Wonder who they are clearing a 40 man spot for.
We literally can’t catch a break.
That’s likely a 6-8 week injury. This sucks, he was really having a breakout start.
Ryan, I usually comment on my IPhone. Even though I check the option to remember my name and email, it still makes me type it every time. Am I the only one having this issue? Does it do this on a computer?
It doesn’t work on a computer either, at least not for me.
It’s a WordPress bug. It’s being worked on.
Every now and then I have to thank this board for introducing me to Jason Isbell, hot damn, just amazing.
I second that enthusiastically!
I don’t like Isbell or really even Stapleton as I think they only appear ‘good’ because Luke Bryan and Kenny Chesney… exist but Sturgill Simpson is the ticket.
Chief, I’m friends with Chris. He’s an amazing human and an extraordinary songwriter and guitarist. He also writes music for many pop artists, which shows his diversity. I challenge you to not listen to the music and read his lyrics. You’ll be enlighted.
And you’re flat wrong about Isbell. He’s likely the best songwriter in the country right now.
Also, we have a new thread to discuss in the bar.
It’s official.
Arcia to 10-day IL, Grissom recalled.
I seriously don’t believe d’Arnaud is going to catch again this year. Not with that concussion history. Assuming he comes back, which I do of course, he must be a full-time DH, so Tromp stays. Maybe that’s the Ozuna farewell?
Fun with numbers!
Keith Lockhart, 1997-2002: 1597 PA, .248/.312/.359, 73 wRC+, 1.7 WAR
Marcell Ozuna, 2021-2023: 756 PA, .215/.274/.389, 81 wRC+, -1.3 WAR
Corky Miller, 2008: 67 PA, .083/.152/.133, -27 wRC+, -0.4 WAR
Marcell Ozuna, 2023: 41 PA, .083/.195/.250, 20 wRC+, -0.4 WAR
Dear. God.
I read this and immediately heard Mac’s voice singing the Corky Miller song.
New piece for the bar!
I have to give credit to Chief. As I recall, in spring training when the Braves were trying to decide on the fifth starter, he said Elder was a much better bet to succeed than Dodd or Shuster, despite their much better stats in spring training. Elder had already demonstrated success at the big league level.
Having said that, Chief is dead wrong about Isbell and Stapleton. (Of course I agree about Bryan and Chesney but that’s low hanging fruit.)
I look forward to Rios sometime soon, and you spiting out more sunflower seeds here!
We have a game thread, ladies and gents.
We have a game thread!
Game thread is up. https://bravesjournal.com/2023/04/16/braves-vs-royals-game-3/
Nice piece. Way to have your eye on the ball!