crazietalk.net

Yesterday's sour-tasting extra-innings loss notwithstanding, the Braves are playing some darned good ball these days (won 11 out of 13 before yesterday, and the Fillies lost yesterday anyway, so the Braves lost no ground in the standings).
Unfortunately, Chipper Jones is just not that good a hitter anymore, but he still commands enough respect at the plate to be among the league leaders in walks, and to ensure that Jason Heyward gets some fastballs to hit.
If the boys can play well enough in long-time bugaboo south Florida this week, then the series vs. the Fillies beginning on Memorial Day could be a real showdown (especially when you consider that it's preceded by a three-gamer against the Pirates). Naturally, I'll be in attendance, and I must confess that I'm almost as excited about the free postgame Beach Boys concert as I am about the game. That will be game #10 on the season for me.

wilson wrote:If the boys can play well enough in long-time bugaboo south Florida this week, then the series vs. the Fillies beginning on Memorial Day could be a real showdown (especially when you consider that it's preceded by a three-gamer against the Pirates).

...and so it comes to pass. I'm good.
First place or bust.

Don't look now but guess which former last place team is in 1st in the NL East...

wilson wrote:

wilson wrote:If the boys can play well enough in long-time bugaboo south Florida this week, then the series vs. the Fillies beginning on Memorial Day could be a real showdown (especially when you consider that it's preceded by a three-gamer against the Pirates).

...and so it comes to pass. I'm good.
First place or bust.

Sorry Hawks, TURNER FIELD is the real "Highlight Factory!"

GO BRAVES!

-EarlJam

...and the beat goes on. The last time the Braves won as many as nine games in a row was ten years ago, during a 15-game streak in 2000. That win streak was the longest in the NL since 1961, and the second-longest ever in the NL.

Meanwhile, Troy Glaus has not only totally redeemed himself for his April struggles, but he now has a very legitimate case for an All-Star selection. The NL Player of the Month for May, alongside Jason Heyward, May's NL Rookie of the Month. Those two share the team lead in home runs with 10 apiece, and Glaus is now tied for the league lead in RBIs with 42. At exactly the 1/3 mark of the season, this projects to impressive numbers--30 HR, 126 RBI on the season. He has homered in 4 of the last 5 games, and was robbed of a round-tripper by a(nother) great Shane Victorino play in the one homerless contest.

The next couple of weeks will tell us a lot about this team. A road series against the Dodgers pits the Braves against a team with just as impressive a record over the last month. A four-gamer in Arizona (where the Braves should win at least three against a terrible D-bags team) precedes another road showdown against a top-flight club, against the Twins in their beautiful new ballpark.
After that long roadie (the season's longest, in fact, at 11 games), the Braves come home to square off against the Rays, probably the consensus best all-around team in baseball.
If the Braves come out of the next 14 games having won, say, 9 or 10, then I'll be ready to say this team is the real deal. I will already say that the past month's play is the best such stretch of really high-level baseball that the team has played in years, and that it included the two most amazing sports comebacks I've ever witnessed live--April 20 vs. the Phillies, when they got shut out for 8 2/3 innings before winning with home runs by Glaus, Heyward, and McClouth (three of the last four batters) in 10 innings, and of course, the game exactly a month later, when the Braves trailed the Reds 8-0 in the 2nd and 9-3 in the 9th before eventually winning it with a walkoff grand slam.
I haven't been this Braves-crazy in way too long.

Maybe I should have gone to Madagascar sooner this season. ;)

The Braves trade for Rick Ankiel (outfield) and Kyle Farnsworth (bullpen). Will this help?

Lavabe wrote:The Braves trade for Rick Ankiel (outfield) and Kyle Farnsworth (bullpen). Will this help?

IDK.

After going ofer on his opening day, Ankiel helped the Braves over those nasty Mets yesterday.

While I was gone, what did the Braves do with their alleged pitcher, Kawakami?

Lavabe wrote:After going ofer on his opening day, Ankiel helped the Braves over those nasty Mets yesterday.

While I was gone, what did the Braves do with their alleged pitcher, Kawakami?

Kawakami the trainwreck has only pitched once since June 26. I think Kris Medlen has taken his starts.

The really bad news is Prado is on the DL:

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=A ... 10-mlb-atl

throatybeard wrote:

Lavabe wrote:After going ofer on his opening day, Ankiel helped the Braves over those nasty Mets yesterday.

While I was gone, what did the Braves do with their alleged pitcher, Kawakami?

Kawakami the trainwreck has only pitched once since June 26. I think Kris Medlen has taken his starts.

The really bad news is Prado is on the DL:

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=A ... 10-mlb-atl

Prado's injury could have been a lot worse. They feel confident he will be healthy when he comes off the DL. Kawakami, however, is another story. He actually was pitching quite well for a while there but was snake-bitten with NO run support and bad defense behind him. Still though, the overall consensus is that he sucks.

Gonna be some great pennent races this year!

-EJ

I quit.

Two errors, one hit batsman in the ninth with a one-run lead.

Walking the lead-off runner three innings in a row late in the game and into extra innings.

They suck. They are not deserving of first place.

Go Phillies!

FUCK!

-EarlJam

Tommy Hanson has two no-decisions in his last two starts. In these last two starts, he's given up a total of four runs or so. If I were him, I would demand a trade. This is ridiculous.

Of the Braves' last six losses, five have been by one run. So frustrating.

-EJ

Try this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1283&p=75507&hilit= ... 010#p75507

"Fuck the Braves"

I've been saying that for years...

devildeac wrote:Try this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1283&p=75507&hilit= ... 010#p75507

I am in a merging mood.

Tuck the Fraves!

Agreed

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The Atlanta Braves: Breaking hearts for over forty years

Remember this thread, folks?
Braves have a lead over the NL's greatest starting pitching staff money could buy.
No need to kvetch... just yet.

However, I believe someone needs to tell Wilson that his absence is starting to upset the karma that has kept the Braves in 1st. Time for him to re-surface on CTN.