Atlanta Braves 2010 Thread

[cl15876]

My first merge! Glad I finally got to do one!

Since NO ONE ELSE has acknowledged, GOOD JOB!!!!! and thanks for not experimenting on ANY OF MY POSTS! ;) Go Nats!!!!!

BTW - Go Yankees!!!!!!!

[wilson]

I just got home from Turner Field. I have been in attendance for lots of great comebacks, but never before have I seen that shocking a turnaround within a single game. Awesome.
Back for more tomorrow. Katie didn't bat an eye before responding in the affirmative when I asked her if she wanted to go to the whole series with me. This one could be a keeper.

[cl15876]

I just got home from Turner Field. I have been in attendance for lots of great comebacks, but never before have I seen that shocking a turnaround within a single game. Awesome.
Back for more tomorrow. Katie didn't bat an eye before responding in the affirmative when I asked her if she wanted to go to the whole series with me. This one could be a keeper.

Good for YOU!!!! Can't wait to see the posts of her in pirate uniform and duke tat on her cheek! ;)

[Miles]

Folks on 610 AM are thinking the Braves have what it takes to grab the Wild Card. I think it's too early to set your sites that high, or maybe that low. This is an interesting team. Hope y'all do well and enjoy the season!

Go Cubs.
Go Padres.
<sigh>

[wilson]

Folks on 610 AM are thinking the Braves have what it takes to grab the Wild Card. I think it's too early to set your sites that high, or maybe that low. This is an interesting team. Hope y'all do well and enjoy the season!

Go Cubs.
Go Padres.
<sigh>

For now, I'm reserving judgment on the Braves with regard to the season overall. The lineup has some major holes. There is no good leadoff man, we've gotten nothing out of the #7 and #8 slot, and Troy Glaus (batting mostly 5th) has been an unmitigated disaster so far, his big homer last night notwithstanding. I wish I thought Bobby would tinker some and try to hit on a better mix, but I fully expect to see the lineup stay pretty much the same until about July before any admission that maybe it's not working.
On the other hand, the pitching staff, both starters and relievers, is as strong from top to bottom as it's been in probably 10 years.
There are some good pieces in place, but the team has by no means hit its stride yet.

[EarlJam]

Chipper Jones is hurt again. That's two injuries in less than three weeks.

New term: "IW" (Injury Whoring)

-EarlJam

[devildeac]

Chipper Jones is hurt again. That's two injuries in less than three weeks.

New term: "IW" (Injury Whoring)

-EarlJam

3 more words:

Knows Mike Hampton.

[EarlJam]

Chipper Jones is hurt again. That's two injuries in less than three weeks.

New term: "IW" (Injury Whoring)

-EarlJam

3 more words:

Knows Mike Hampton.

Good call. I had already forgotten about Mike.

-EJ

[Lavabe]

Chipper Jones is hurt again. That's two injuries in less than three weeks.

New term: "IW" (Injury Whoring)

-EarlJam

3 more words:

Knows Mike Hampton.

Meet Billy Wagner. ;)

[wilson]

Ugh.

[EarlJam]

Ugh.

A common topic is being discussed among Braves fans this morning: what the hell did the Braves do during Spring Training?

Seriously, they can't hit, can't score, can't catch pop flies. They are throwing the ball away, getting picked off of bases, and making base running errors. And NOW, they have the weather against them.

Time to break out the sage an garlic necklaces.

-EarlJam

[Lavabe]

Ugh.

Seriously, they can't hit, can't score, can't catch pop flies.

Well, I guess they can pitch, eh?

[devildeac]

Ugh.

A common topic is being discussed among Braves fans this morning: what the hell did the Braves do during Spring Training?

Seriously, they can't hit, can't score, can't catch pop flies. They are throwing the ball away, getting picked off of bases, and making base running errors. And NOW, they have the weather against them.

Time to break out the sage an garlic necklaces.

-EarlJam

This is truly amazing because they had one of the better NL records this year in spring training, IIRC. (2nd best?)

[wilson]

...they had one of the better NL records this year in spring training, IIRC. (2nd best?)

Spring training don't mean shit, ever. The wheels aren't totally off for the Braves yet, though. It's still early, so although they're in last place(!!!), the Braves are only 3 games out. A couple of guys who have been mostly putrid (Glaus, Cabrera) got some good swings on the ball last night. Yet again, though, the team on the whole petered out late. The Braves got zero hits after the 4th inning, and the pitchers allowed the Cardinals to dink-and-dunk their way back into the game. The overall balance of last night's fade notwithstanding, though, the pitching staff has been generally solid; the lion's share of the team's underperformance lies in their tepid bats. They need to get things going very soon, and unfortunately, I'm not sure whom on this roster I really envision stepping up, especially if this turns out to be a 100-game campaign instead of a 130-game campaign (or worse) for Chipper. Brian McCann is his stalwart self, and Martin Prado has started out excellently, but Jason Heyward is now officially mired in a (totally understandable) slump, and the Glaus and Cabrera acquisitions look like colossal blunders thus far (though I confess that I find a bit of solace in the fact that Javier Vazquez is getting shelled in New York).

[EarlJam]

...they had one of the better NL records this year in spring training, IIRC. (2nd best?)

Spring training don't mean shit, ever. The wheels aren't totally off for the Braves yet, though. It's still early, so although they're in last place(!!!), the Braves are only 3 games out. A couple of guys who have been mostly putrid (Glaus, Cabrera) got some good swings on the ball last night. Yet again, though, the team on the whole petered out late. The Braves got zero hits after the 4th inning, and the pitchers allowed the Cardinals to dink-and-dunk their way back into the game. The overall balance of last night's fade notwithstanding, though, the pitching staff has been generally solid; the lion's share of the team's underperformance lies in their tepid bats. They need to get things going very soon, and unfortunately, I'm not sure whom on this roster I really envision stepping up, especially if this turns out to be a 100-game campaign instead of a 130-game campaign (or worse) for Chipper. Brian McCann is his stalwart self, and Martin Prado has started out excellently, but Jason Heyward is now officially mired in a (totally understandable) slump, and the Glaus and Cabrera acquisitions look like colossal blunders thus far (though I confess that I find a bit of solace in the fact that Javier Vazquez is getting shelled in New York).

Totally agreed. I'm far from the point of giving up on them.

History has shown that the most valuable ingredient to long-term success in baseball is pitching.....and defense. The latter has been inexplicably and unacceptably horrible of late, but it will get better. It just HAS to. The pitching, as you mentioned, has been solid. It has to be really frustrating for the Braves' pitchers to go out there and lose 3-2, 2-0, 1-0, etc. on an almost nightly basis. Barring loss of a limb or giving birth to a child, Chipper needs to be out there every game. Enough of Hamptonitus.

As you wrote, it's a long season. Granted, the Phillies, with their pitching and ridiculous defense (what an outfield!), are the big-time favorite, but who knows? The Braves have the key ingredients.

-EJ

[EarlJam]

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

BRAVES VIBES!!!

THEY TURN IT AROUND TONIGHT!!!!!

YES THEY WILL!

The final score will be 7-3 Braves.

-EarlJam

[EarlJam]

The VIBES work dammit!!!

-EarlJam

[EarlJam]

Two to nothing good guys, here on a pleasant but chilly night in St. Louis. One out for the Braves here in the top of the third, the pitch to Chipper rolls foul....

3-2 the count, and the pitch, pop fly to left, shallow, the catch is made and there it is, two outs.

...

-EJ

[EarlJam]

Well, they're losing again.

Actually, getting shut out.....again (ho hum).

And oh, COOL (sarcasm), they are making errors again; two so far and the Braves are in the third inning.

Time to pull a basketball coach move and send nearly the entire hitting and fielding lineup to AAA Gwinnett.

And as I type this, the Braves just threw a wild pitch that allowed another run to score. 3-0 St. Louis.

Wow. Just wow.

-EarlJam

[devildeac]

2nd place behind the Filthies. And they still have 2 guys below the Mendoza line and Chipper is about an 0-fer away from it.