2011 gameday thread

[PureBaseballFan]

Neagle, Wright and Hammond all benefitted from having Leo handle them. It was typical Yankee hubris to think that could be easily duplicated.

I also love the idea that Steve Karsay and Farnsworth were successful here. That's news to me. Neither was a horrible bust or anything (though I will always despise Farnsworth for that choke job in Houston in '05), but "successful" seems like a stretch.

Farnsworth was good for the Braves during the regular season but of course most remember his playoff performance more.

So we keep hearing about the Braves looking at Pence, Willingham, Ludwick among other corner OFers but why not Beltran? If the Braves are willing to add a corner OFer why not do the best of both worlds with one who won't cost a top prospect and is a good offensive player.

[chip&smoltz95]

Farnsworth was good for the Braves during the regular season but of course most remember his playoff performance more.

So we keep hearing about the Braves looking at Pence, Willingham, Ludwick among other corner OFers but why not Beltran? If the Braves are willing to add a corner OFer why not do the best of both worlds with one who won't cost a top prospect and is a good offensive player.

i was under the impression the first two guys would play CF and I hadn't heard anything about ludwick yet.

[PureBaseballFan]

i was under the impression the first two guys would play CF and I hadn't heard anything about ludwick yet.

Willingham is a bad LFer so him in CF would be terrible.

The thing is the Braves have reportedly looked at a bunch of corner OFers, with most being RH. It most likely is pure speculation but all those names have been mentioned in some way or another with the Braves, though most aren't anything more then this guy makes sense based on the reported player the team is looking for.

[bobbylouise]

Anybody heard when Prado will be back?

[Los Bravos]

Farnsworth was good for the Braves during the regular season but of course most remember his playoff performance more.

Which is why I was careful to be specific in my condemnation of him. He did exactly the same thing that Reardon did in '92 (solidify the pen down the stretch, then eat it in the most damaging way when it counted most.)

[PureBaseballFan]

So the All-Star rosters are out and while everyone talks about the Vogelsong pick my biggest problem is Sergio Romo is not only the better reliever I think he has the better beard as well.

I know he was a player's pick but there are just so many better relievers then Wilson.

Kimbrel
Sean Marshall
Eric O'Flare
Mike Adams
Carlos Marmol
John Axford
Antonio Bastardo

[PureBaseballFan]

Please get Scott Proctor off this team, he gives me the Manny Acosta feeling (and usually delivers) whenever I see him come into a game.

[Los Bravos]

You're only as strong as your weakest link and he is this team's weakest link, by far.

[chip&smoltz95]

Please get Scott Proctor off this team, he gives me the Manny Acosta feeling (and usually delivers) whenever I see him come into a game.

You're only as strong as your weakest link and he is this team's weakest link, by far.

funny that everyone thought linebrink was the "crap guy" at the beginning and now it's proctor. gotta have a whipping boy. although, i do think if moylan or meds make it back before rosters expand he might be the guy to be let go. i don't see martinez replacing him when he comes back after the all-star break. he'll probably replace gearrin again.

[PureBaseballFan]

funny that everyone thought linebrink was the "crap guy" at the beginning and now it's proctor. gotta have a whipping boy. although, i do think if moylan or meds make it back before rosters expand he might be the guy to be let go. i don't see martinez replacing him when he comes back after the all-star break. he'll probably replace gearrin again.

The thing is Proctor is a poor man's Linebrink, they both struggle with control and usually when they miss with there mid-90s fastball it is usually right in the middle of the plate. The thing is Proctor misses in the middle of the plate or struggles to get a strike at all.

So Fredi doesn't appear to be the only NL East manager not to care about the two-hole in the lineup because while Gonzalez makes little sense at least Michael Martinez of the Phillies who's OBP is nearly below the Mendoza line.

[chip&smoltz95]

The thing is Proctor is a poor man's Linebrink, they both struggle with control and usually when they miss with there mid-90s fastball it is usually right in the middle of the plate. The thing is Proctor misses in the middle of the plate or struggles to get a strike at all.

So Fredi doesn't appear to be the only NL East manager not to care about the two-hole in the lineup because while Gonzalez makes little sense at least Michael Martinez of the Phillies who's OBP is nearly below the Mendoza line.

yea that 1-2 combo of schafer and gonzo leaves a lot to be desired.

[PureBaseballFan]

Am I alone in thinking that Laz Diaz's strikezone is the worst in baseball?

[SamtheBravesFan]

Am I alone in thinking that Laz Diaz's strikezone is the worst in baseball?

I'm not sure, how bad was it?

[Los Bravos]

In it's parameters or in his inconsistency in calling it? I can think of a lot of guys who are more inconsistent.

[PureBaseballFan]

I'm not sure, how bad was it?

It did help us at times as pitches that were clearly strikes were called balls because the catcher had to move the glove back over the middle of the plate. He also called pitches that were consistently 2 inches off the plate strikes, think the pitches that Chipper was called out on to end the Baltimore game.

In it's parameters or in his inconsistency in calling it? I can think of a lot of guys who are more inconsistent.

He wasn't inconsistent but as I said above there were pitches called balls that were down the middle because the catcher had to move his glove, as well as the terrible outside calls that were strikes.

[PureBaseballFan]

Well hopefully the Braves can complete the sweep today because the Rockies are without their 3 best hitters. The lineups for the day game.

1. Charlie Blackmon
2. Jonathan Herrera
3. Jason Giambi
4. Seth Smith
5. Mark Ellis
6. Ian Stewart
7. Ryan Spilborghs
8. Chris Iannetta

1. Jordan Schafer
2. Alex Gonzalez (I hope to god he isn't hitting here for the Phillies series)
3. Chipper Jones
4. Freddie Freeman
5. Dan Uggla (hopefully this series is beginning of something good and not just another blip on the radar)
6. Jason Heyward
7. David Ross
8. Nate McLouth

[chip&smoltz95]

couldn't ask for a better time for uggla and the braves offense to be clicking heading into the bandbox of philly. freeman, uggla, mccann should all go deep AT LEAST once.

[Los Bravos]

The way he's swung the last week or so, I would add Heyward to that list.

[chip&smoltz95]

The way he's swung the last week or so, I would add Heyward to that list.

prior to today he had 1 hit in his last 14 ABs. plus, he struggles mightily against lefties (.161 avg. on the season). Braves will face two of them.

[PureBaseballFan]

This isn't good news. I bow down to Chipper for playing through that injury and once Prado is back then I sort of hope he has the surgery with him hopefully ready to go for late September or at least the playoffs.

Over the past few days I have sort of got the feeling the Braves might tweak the roster but not make any major roster move, the only thing I thought that could force a move is if Chipper had to go down for a large portion of the remaining season.

[chip&smoltz95]

This isn't good news. I bow down to Chipper for playing through that injury and once Prado is back then I sort of hope he has the surgery with him hopefully ready to go for late September or at least the playoffs.

Over the past few days I have sort of got the feeling the Braves might tweak the roster but not make any major roster move, the only thing I thought that could force a move is if Chipper had to go down for a large portion of the remaining season.

i actually am really excited about this move. I think it has seriously been affecting his hitting, but he just dials up the focus/andreline/etc with RISP that's why the high numbers there. i really think (and have for a while) that he should have the surgery as soon as prado returns as well. Contrary to what many think I don't see how this effects what the braves do in the trade market either.

Prado takes chipper's spot at 3B.
No matter what chipper does the braves need a CF. I like both bourne or pierre (cheaper prospects).
The braves can get by with some combo of mclouth (been doing a great job in LF and 8th in the order), schafer, and hinske in LF. Especially if they gave production from CF and 2B (still iffy on RF).
Also, while I am fine with adding a RH bat to go along with CFer, I think I am okay with giving wilkin ramirez more like is 4-7 or 5-8 as a PH so far. Plus, you have conrad the switch-hitter (better vs. RHs, i know).

[PureBaseballFan]

The second I saw Scott Proctor come into the game I knew it was over, I get the Braves like the guy and have tried to get him in the past and finally have him but just like Mather you have to cut the cord on a failed experiment.

[Los Bravos]

I felt the same way and I'm reading the same response in place after place.

One of these days, sometime before I die, I hope this team has an ownership that is responsible and responsive and a manager who isn't either hidebound or absolutely clueless. We have a great roster, one that can play with any team in the game, but this junk has to stop.

[PureBaseballFan]

I felt the same way and I'm reading the same response in place after place.

One of these days, sometime before I die, I hope this team has an ownership that is responsible and responsive and a manager who isn't either hidebound or absolutely clueless. We have a great roster, one that can play with any team in the game, but this junk has to stop.

I think the blame has to go on Wren, I like the overall job he has done with the team but he is the one that brought him in after getting destroyed by Triple-A last year (ERA over 7.00 in Gwinnett) and thought that a straight flat fastball is useful in the majors because hey it hits 95.

[Los Bravos]

Wren has a share of the blame for treating this guy like a prized special prospect but Gonzalez continues to run him out there in high leverage situations and then make the most brain dead of all possible excuses (he said it wouldn't have been fair to use Cory there because he's too young to pitch in such a high pressure situation) when called on it.