Interlude: Bobby’s bullpen management
I’ve gone through the bullpen mainstays, and I’m really not up to tackling Manny Acosta right now. So let’s talk bullpen management. Last year (this stat is from the Bill James Handbook) Bobby was the manager most likely to use a pitcher on consecutive days. I think we all knew that, instinctively, but it’s been confirmed.
Read the rest of this entry »Spring Training Starts Today
Wow, what a long winter it has been. But that doesn’t really matter anymore, because spring training is here and it starts today at 1:10 PM EST against the Mets. Coverage will by on SNY, as well as MLB.tv. That is, as long as the weather holds up.
Read the rest of this entry »UPDATE: How my health situation resembles the Braves offense in early 2009
I am going to be allegorical here, because it’s basically the only way I know how to put this.
Read the rest of this entry »JJ is OK…..WHEW!
Did you just hear that collective sigh of relief??? That was all of Braves Nation sighing after young ace pitcher Jair Jurrjens MRI came back clean this morning. The MRI showed no damage to the rotator cuff or labrum, only some slight inflammation in his right shoulder. JJ should be a able to resume pitching as soon as next week and should have no problem being ready to make his first start this season.
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Reunited and it feels so gooooood….
What a reunion for the Braves and Tommy Glavine! After the way Tommy spoke out against his former team last season about the way he was released I wasn't sure this would ever happen, but it has.Read the rest of this entry »
Spring Training Invites
Here is a list of the non-roster invites to the Braves major league spring training camp:
Braves making a run at Damon
Captain Caveman may still end up wearing a Braves jersey after all. Apparently things are starting to heat up again with the Braves and Johnny Damon. The Braves have offered a 1 year deal (with deferd money) and have also asked Chipper Jones to reach out and contact Damon to give him his best sales pitch about why he should come to Atlanta. Hopefully Chipper can get through to Mr Damon and let him know that he is needed. Maybe Chip will invite Johnny out to his ranch for a some fishin'.Read the rest of this entry »
Other outfield possibilities
Two other outfielders are on the 40-man, these being Gregor Blanco and Jordan Schafer, both of whom had 2009 seasons they would rather forget. Blanco, who spent all of 2008 with the Braves, wound up spending most of 2009 in the suburbs, and did not hit either there or in his major league action. You’re all familiar with Blanco, a player who has identifiable strengths, mostly his walk rate and ability to work pitchers, plus some speed, but whose complete lack of power and high strikeout rates keep him from being a really valuable player.
Read the rest of this entry »New Braves 2010 BP Cap
Some of you probably haven't seen that the Braves will be sporting a new BP hat this season. No red bill this year, but a red outline around the classic white A and some white piping. Looks different, but not bad. What do you guys think? Read the rest of this entry »
Javy Lopez Interview
Ran across this interview with former Braves great Javy Lopez. He talks about a lot of topics ranging from catching, and not catching Greg Maddux, winning the 95 World Series, the next Braves manager, and of course steroids. The steroids part is very confusing to me. He never comes out and says that he took them, but to me he is acting as if he is giving the interview from the point of view of someone that did. What do you think?Read the rest of this entry »
Braves appear to be passing on Damon?
For now, it looks like all the Johnny Damon talk was all for not. The Braves are not currently pursuing the once shaggy haired outfielder and unless the price tag comes down quite a bit, will not be looking at him any time soon either. I think the Braves would love to have Damon if he were to sign for about a $2 million, one year deal, but I just think someone else will give him more money and maybe a second year. At this point the only way the Braves call Damon is if they have an early injury to one of their outfielders, but I don't think Damon will still be around to take.
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Weird stat from last season
Last season the Braves starters led the majors with a a 3.52 ERA and worked the second-most innings (986). But, they still had four relievers who ranked among the majors' top 11 in most appearances, including Peter Moylan with a franchise-record 87 appearances and former closers Mike Gonzalez (80) and Rafael Soriano (77) to go along with loogy Eric O'Flaherty (78). I find it kind of odd that our starters pitched the second most innings, yet our pen was worked as hard as any other team. I think it comes down to Bobby Cox needing to trust more arms in the pen other than his go-to guys. Hopefully the bullpen can be a bit deeper this season to save the arms of Wagner(37) and Saito(40). I don't think either vets arm will hold up for 75 games. Read the rest of this entry »
“Camp Roger” kicks off today at Turner Field
Tim Hudson is ready to shake off the off-seaon rust get this season started to prove he is injury free and ready to be an ace again. He showed up today for the first day of the Braves two week long voluntary pitching camp at Turner Field. Hudson, along with Peter Moylan, Kris Medlen, Eric O'Flaherty, prospects Todd Redmond, Lee Hyde among 9 Braves pitchers that reported this morning. Jurrjens, Kawakami, newcomer Mike Dunn and even star rookie Tommy Hanson are expected to participate in the 2 week long camp. The annual two-week pitching camp serves as a pre-spring training starting point for pitchers to prepare for the real work that begins Feb. 19 in Florida.
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Other infield possibilities
The Braves can’t really afford for Infante to go down again, because the second utility infielder position does not look like a strong point. Brooks Conrad and Diory Hernandez return from last year’s team. Conrad showed the same problems that have kept him in the minors for so long, an inability to make regular contact and defensive movement resembling Keith Lockhart riding on a Galapagos tortoise. Conrad’s defensive statistics were not actually too bad, and in 58 plate appearances he had two homers, two triples, and a double. Unfortunately, he had only six singles, and he can’t survive hitting .204. Hernandez, meanwhile, hit very well in AAA but upon promotion in no way resembled a major league ballplayer, hitting .141/.198/.212 and looking awkward defensively, though again his defensive stats are pretty good.
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