“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.” F. Scott Fitzgerald
Try each of these pairs of ideas on for size and see if you can function:
Bryce Elder is at best a 4A pitcher, and the Braves are doomed to lose any time he pitches. Bryce Elder went six innings in today’s 4-1 victory over the Cardinals, surrendering only one run on five hits.
The Braves bullpen is a dumpster fire, and Anthopoulos made a fatal mistake in not doing more to cover the loss of Minter and Jimenez. Today the Braves’ relievers pitched three scoreless innings to enable the Braves to gain a comeback win by scoring 4 runs in the 7th and 8th innings.
The Braves’ corner outfielders are pathetic, and starting Eli White in today’s game (he of the career .302 slugging percentage), is a clear symptom of the corner OF disaster. Eli White hit a game winning three run home in the eighth inning of today’s game.
The Braves lack “fire” and appear to be lifeless; they miss clubhouse leaders like Freeman, Markakis, and Swanson. The Braves had yet another late-inning comeback today, demonstrating that they have a “never say die” winning attitude.
The shortstop position is a particular offensive black hole for this team; Nick Allen may provide a good glove, but you can’t expect any production from a guy with a career OPS of .544. Nick Allen went 2/4 today and doubled and scored the game tying run in the seventh.
This team is off to such a horrendous start that a tear-down as was done in 2015 is in order. With today’s win, the Braves have won 5 of their last 6, and have a .588 winning percentage since their disastrous 0-7 road trip to start the season (and if they keep up that percentage the rest of the season, they will finish with 91 wins on the season, and will likely make the playoffs).
Brian Snitker is over the hill and asleep at the switch as the manager. The team has maintained its poise and confidence in order to turn around after a disastrous start; some might claim that is due in large part to the steady had of their manager at the helm.
* * *
After the successful 5-1 homestand, the Braves must head out west for the second time this season. This time it’s three games in Phoenix and then three in Denver. The Snakes look pretty good, but the Rockies are as pathetic a franchise as we’ve seen in baseball since last year’s White Sox. A winning road trip is entirely within range.
So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.
Thanks for the quick turnaround Mr. Soon to be unemployed.
Thanks, Cliff. It’s easier to have a quick turnaround when you did not watch the game–once again I missed a day game due to work. But this is the last time that will happen!
“There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy, and the tired.” FSF.
Pursuit may suit this team better than being pursued. It has before!
God, what a recap. Beautiful!
I really enjoyed the recap also. Great job. Glad we have not decided to tear down the team and send Snitker packing just yet.
I feel like this team is going to be one of peaks and valleys. They have enough talent to have some good peaks, especially when they get contributions from the less talented (Elder, Arcia, White, Kelenic, etc.). But, we’re in for valleys when the better players (Olson, Riley, Ozuna) struggle. All the while, AA is going to have to churn the bottom of the roster looking for lightening to strike. Maybe we can be in the race sufficiently for the leadership of the organization to let AA fix the bullpen in late June. I don’t think we have organizational depth to fix SS and LF midseason. Nor do we have the depth to add a difference maker in the rotation. All that said, there’s always a chance. I’m hoping for another magical summer.
Kudos to you, Mr. Floyd! Loved it!
Beautiful, tfloyd, thank you!
In other words: “It was the best of teams. It was the worst of teams.”
Or: “All winning teams are alike, but each losing team has its own Kelenic.”
Or maybe: “Call me Snitker.”
Nice work.
This made my day. Bravo!
Or: “All winning teams are alike, but each losing team has its own Kelenic.”
Tis a far, far better recap tfloyd writes than has ever been written. Tis a far far better retirement he goes to than has ever been known.
If we’re .500 by the end of April (or close to it) then it will just be another .500 month for us which we have every year.
Greetings from Virginia Beach, Va…
How odd I wake up to FSF here, too. In the hallway, just outside my hotel room, there’s a picture of FSF, his wife Zelda & his daughter, all of whom were visitors to this hotel back in the Jazz Age. Serendipity indeed. Danke, tfloyd.
Back to winning baseball… makes everything else more tolerable.
“Too much of anything is bad, but too much champagne is just right.”
A baseball season, like Gallia, est omnis divisa in partes tres.
We are not even halfway through the first third of the season. We won’t know a lot about where this team is heading until much further along. In the meantime, let’s embrace the contradictions!
I will be in ATL watching the Braves play the Dodgers the weekend after next, if anyone is around and up for a beer.
Kimbrel is maxing out at 93 MPH on the fastball and is using a lot of knuckle curves to get hitters out. As much as I want to see him in a Braves uniform again, I don’t want him to come up and get shelled and then be DFA’d into retirement.
In his prime, Kimbrel never had the command to be able to get by with a pedestrian fastball. That said, there certainly have been power pitchers who have managed to reinvent themselves as crafty junkballers – just look at Uncle Jesse! I would be overjoyed if Craig could have one more go ’round the sun, but before any potential callup there had better not be any doubt of his dominance.
I fear he’s gonna get shelled and then DFA’ed into retirement. Seeing that his fastball was as low as 91 scares the hell out of me.
Kimbrel was bad last year and will get 2 million if he makes the roster.
Quintana was good last year and is only getting 4 million this year.
Some of these moves just don’t make sense to me.
Bravo, Tfloyd.
Eli White is starting over Kelenic tonight.
https://x.com/pitchprofiler/status/1915423124058746950
Guys! We’re good! We have an elite reliever!
Good job by Sale to get out of that 1st inning. He finally seemed to be locating his slider properly against Naylor. Hopefully that continues.
Eli!
Phil Cuzzi is bad.
Some BABIP going our way for once.
Chasen Shreve was released.
Eli White has always been an interesting player, but now he is showing some of the power that he carried with him at AAA. In hope Snit keeps him out there. And let’s not forget he’s a pretty good SS.
Sale just cannot seem to find his slider.
Really liked the at-bats we put together in the second. Nice to see them string hits together!
Boy, this really is the worst zone we’ve had all year – even worse than the egregious one a week or so ago. That one, however, was not enforced as equally. Cuzzi’s just basically closing his eyes and calling anything within a half-mile radius a strike.
Ozzie is slumping.
Some really good PAs by our guys tonight.
Nice outing by Sale tonight except for the high pitch count.
This kid up from Triple A for Arizona isn’t fooling anyone.
Well done, Eli! Stung that one, at about 100 mph off the bat. Nice game for him.
Recapped