Well, when you throw that dead cat, sometimes he bounces, but he eventually settles to bottom. After last night, my senses all tell me I have been observing a dead cat, not a merely stunned cat. And among those senses is smell. It smells a little like rotting flesh. Although it is theoretically possible this team drags itself into the playoffs, that possibility seems heavily dependent on somebody else coughing it up.
You figure you have a chance with Max Fried pitching. You know this bunch only scores more than 5 runs about once a month, so you have to keep the other guy down. Well, Max did O. K., but this Braves offense needs perfection, and rarely gets that. 6 IP, 7 K, 3 H, 4 BB. That is WHIP under 1. But add a run scoring wild pitch and an HBP and overall, mediocre. 3 “earned” runs.
So, 3 to zero entering 7. Daysbel Hernandez, one whom many of us have wondered why he has been staying in Gwinnett, brough a gasoline can to the mound. He got one out. Then, he walked three guys and got pulled for Aaron Bummer. Well he gets a ground ball to Merrifield at 2nd. Merrifield comes home with the force in play and the runner beat the throw. So, still 3 on and one out. Then Mookie Betts hits a sacrifice fly to raise the stakes to a “Double Grybo” for Bummer. But why stop there? Then Teoscar Hernandez singles to get one more in. Then, Freddie Freeman homers. 6 runs in one inning. At 3 to 0 you figure it is over. It is kind of like Richard Pryor said, “you can kick my ass, but don’t be hollering at me, too!”
Our offseason question is usually driven by that great classic of 70′ song, “Rock on.” “And, where do we go from here?” Well, I think I will attempt to use my telepathic assistance to another team that might have a chance. With this one, it just depends on how much the parts get obliterated and how long they smell. I know it is a strange picture choice, but if this isn’t “The Twilight Zone.” I don’t know what is.
Yeah, after last night, I’m officially closing the book on this season. (My metaphor, of course, isn’t nearly as vivid and imaginative as Cliff’s.) Like all of us here at BJ, I kept waiting for the team to get hot, a la the 2021 crew, but it never happened. The only small solace is that, unless that dead cat in the middle of the road is run over by several Mack trucks in succession, to the point that there’s literally nothing left–which is to say, if they lose every game left on the schedule–they’ll at least have a winning season. But I am not going to subject myself to the probable beating they will take against the hated Mets, assuming that that series still even means anything by the time it comes around this time next week. (The next team up, Cincinnati, has killed us this year.)
I wish I could say I’m optimistic that AA will make any patented genius moves this off-season and get the ship righted for next year. It is much more likely, however, that he makes a couple of tweaks and counts on a healthy offensive core reverting to 2023 form. Thing is, though, the offense was pretty anemic even before Acuna and Harris (and then Albies and Riley) went down. It was only the pitching that kept them competitive for most of the season, and chances are high that next year’s group will not be as good. (Related: So long, Max. You were great for us more often than not.)
Sad to say, it feels like the window on this being a championship calibre team has closed. But 2018-2023 was pretty special, particularly right in the middle there . . .
I don’t think our championship window has closed, but we are not going to be the stacked 100-win-caliber team we were in 2021-23. I know I keep banging this drum, but the Murphy trade closed our window on being that team. The damage of that trade will never be fully known and it can’t be quantified in a simple WAR comparison of catchers. However good Murphy is at framing, having one more black hole in the offense that can’t make contact with a runner at 3rd and nobody out is too big a price to pay when you could have an elite hitter in his stead for millions less.
I agree that we will not likely see a big splash in the offseason, but if we do make a deal, I expect it to be for a middle infielder, and Bo Bichette seems like the most likely target.
If Harris and Acuna rebound to anywhere near career norms next year, and we return most of the pitching staff with health, we can win the divison or at least 90 games, and that is good enough to contend.
My other main critique of AA is that when we were a monster contender, he repeatedly failed to acquire an ace pitcher. Maybe that is on ownership, but the main difference between us and Philly in the 2022-24 years has been the fact that they signed Georgia boy Zack Wheeler and we didn’t.
(replying to stampton) At least for 2024 I’d say AA did a pretty good job in acquiring an ace pitcher. Or are you distinguishing between an ace who is likely to pitch at that level for multiple years and someone like Sale who has been amazing but you don’t think is likely to keep it up?
Jamesd, I was referring to 2021-2023 when we had stronger overall teams. Sale was a great acquisition for 2024.
I’m not quite ready to call the Murphy trade a bust, but I’m about 67% there. I’ll give him another 162.
Greetings from Honolulu…
Submitted for your approval (to quote Rod Serling): We’re still in this thing (to quote Larry Munson).
So, I’ll ride it to the end… although I did tune out yesterday’s shite sandwich in favor of the Falcons Surprise.
On the way out here, we did a 3-day stop in Seattle & caught a Mariners/Rangers game (deGrom’s ’24 debut). Weird stadium, retractable roof, but open partly on one side, so the rain still gets into the walkways (kinda like So-Fi Stadium in LA).
Hard to root against the Mariners, especially when you look up and see their rather puny assortment of post-season banners. Since its 1977 inception, the M’s have only 3 division titles & 5 post-season appearances.
Count your blessings, folks.
There are 12 games left in the season and the Braves are one game out of the playoffs. The Falcons have 15 games to go and are tied for a playoff spot. Not much difference. Why give up one and be optimistic after one good (fortunate) game for the other?
Even if we get Ozzie and Austin back, given their rust, this is not a great team, So what? It’s not a bad team, either, even crippled.
Going back to Sunday, if Mookie’s hit in the ninth is pulled slightly more, Arcia makes the play and the inning is over. That doesn’t mean the Braves would have won the game, but I thought that play was emblematic of what a crapshoot any particular game is. Baseball is an exquisitely well-balanced gamen and a few breaks in the next two weeks see us at 8-4 and a few bad breaks see us at 4-8, with exactly the same team.
And Mark Graybill, I remember when you gave up on them in 2021. Don’t make me go look up your comment….
“Giving up” just means that this bad team can’t hurt me anymore. It’s not like we don’t want them to win. It’s more that the early-acceptance of missing the playoffs gets the disappointment out of the way. This lineup is awful, one of the worst we’ve ever had, so I don’t think high-expectations are really justified. Still gonna root for them, but probably won’t watch when we’re down 3-0 in the 5th.
Honestly, I think the Murphy hatred is a bit unfair. The guys is an excellent defensive catcher and he was great for the first half in 2023 until he got banged up and hasn’t looked the same this year after missing 2 months due to the oblique injury. These guys are pressing and trying to do way too much. It really doesn’t matter if we make the playoffs this year, since it will be just another early exit. But I believe once the offense has everyone back next year (hopefully healthy), then they will have the protection that they need. Including Olson, who one clown “fan” refers to as “Aids”.
Well, I don’t hate Murphy, I just hate the trade for him. He is a fine player but not one we had to acquire at the cost we did.
Contreras would help us more right now and he is very likely to be much better over the next 5 years. And then there’s the opportunity cost in money and other prospects.
And that same “fan” who refers to Olson as “aids” also refers to Michael Harris as “Fat Ass” and “Cheeseburger” Some “Fan”
I think AA has a lot of work to do for 2025, but as long as we have all new coaches and a new manager I’m happy. Thank you for your service Snit. Enjoy retirement.
Snitker’s biggest failing at in game managing is his refusal to pull the pitcher before it’s too late. The most infamous example is Bryce Elder in the NLDS last season, but leaving Jesse Chavez in after giving up a couple of hits only to see him give up a 2 run double is the latest example.
Chavez has an ERA north of 5.00 and a WHIP pushing 1.600 since July 1, which is right around the time the players started that silly campaign to get him to the All-Star Game.
Also, ballgame.
Woof.
The series with the Mets won’t matter. It’ll be over by then.
Nah. We could easily run off 4 straight. This is just how we’ve been playing.
The shine was worn off Grant Holmes, Jesse Chavez and Pierce Johnson. Quite the astute move to pitch them back to back to back. Sometimes it feels like we aren’t trying to win with the stuff we do.
I really don’t like Snit’s pitching management, but pulling Holmes after 4 was exactly what he should’ve done. I had criticized him for trying to get 5 out of him. After that, you need someone to eat innings, and they didn’t eat them.
The pen is out of gas. Has been evident for a few weeks. The offense has no gas. I’d have left Kenny Powers in until he got in trouble. Oh well. Mark another one off the calendar. Football season is here.
Can’t disagree here. Ultimately, the bullpen only has a handful of guys we can really trust. The rest are highly shaky, and that’s on AA.
There’s yet a glimmer of hope but the hill just got harder to climb. At the same time, what has this team done to merit a playoff spot? They’re 62-63 since taking 2/3 from Cleveland in April.
Recapped