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Thread: Braves 2011

  1. #1

    Braves 2011

    It's about that time ...

    Braves gearing up for a new season. I love the starting rotation and the bullpen looks good, despite Wagner's retirement. I'm excited to see Year Two of the Jason Heyward era. Anxious to see Dan Uggla at second base. Love McCann behind the plate.

    But I worry about:

    (1) Chipper's health. It's going to be an ongoing issue. Can he play 120-130 games at third and bring anything close to his normal bat? Even the last two injury-riddled seasons, he was around 120 OPS plus. Just three years ago, he won the batting title and the year before that, he led the league in OPS.

    (2) Centerfield. I'm not a McLouth fan. I don't trust Jordan Schaefer. Is there another option?

    (3) First base. Okay, I know Freddie Freeman is a great prospct, but he looked shaky during his late callup last year. He needs to be productive.

    (4) Left Field: Okay, this is fine when Prado is there, but what happens when he has to play third base -- either to rest Chipper or to replace him when he's ailing? Right now, Eric Hinskie/Jerry Mathers (the Beaver? I'd rather have Wally -- he was the athlete ... okay, I know it's Joe Mathers) look like a platoon option. How's that going to work.

    A year ago, the Braves earned a wild card bid, despite a series of crippling injuries. The Phillies look loaded in the NL East, but I could see the Braves repeating as wild card contenders.

    I"m op-TOE-mistic -- as always in spring!

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by Olympic Fan View Post
    (2) Centerfield. I'm not a McLouth fan. I don't trust Jordan Schaefer. Is there another option?
    McLouth really came on strong late in the season, so I am not convinced he is worthless.

    As for Schafer, supposedly he finally figured out in the off-season that swinging up to down is better than swinging down to up. He is hitting line drives instead of striking out and the team is said to be very encouraged.

    He should have come to one of my little league practices, we taught these kids to stop dropping their hands and uppercutting on the ball several years ago!

    -Jason "I don't worry about Freeman-- he tore it up in the minors and I think he will translate" Evans
    Why are you wasting time here when you could be wasting it by listening to the latest episode of the DBR Podcast?

  3. #3
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    How can we start a discussion about the Braves without a mention of the new Manager, Fredi Gonzalez, and what he can or will do for the team. I know nothing about him, and I imagine most Braves fans are in the same predicament as I am. I'm going to miss Bobbie.

  4. #4
    McOut went 2-2 and generally played very well in yesterday's game. I know it's only ST and doesn't mean much, but last spring it took him about 3 weeks before he managed 2 hits.

  5. #5
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    I'm pretty optimistic about the Braves this year. The Fillies' rotation is sick, for sure, but their lineup has been pretty clearly downgraded in my opinion, and they're also getting old. Rollins was already a step slow last year, and Chase Utley has more cortisone shots than hits in spring training so far. I also think they'll miss Jayson Werth. Top to bottom, factoring in offense and the bullpen, I really don't think the Braves are that far behind the Fillies, and even the rotation is closer to the Fillies' than most think.
    Buster Olney has been complimentary too, suggesting that he may actually pick the Braves to win the division, and he's not alone in that opinion.
    As for team specifics:
    -We're very deep at SP, with at least one very solid hurler set to begin the year in Gwinnett.
    -I'm very excited to see Dan Uggla in a Braves uniform, and I think he'll add a dimension to the team that has been desperately lacking in recent years.
    -I think Freddie Freeman will be fine. He's had a good spring so far, and everyone associated with the team has gushed about his cerebral approach and remarkable maturity.
    -Speaking of those attributes, I can't wait to see Jason Heyward again, either. I think he's gonna be a beast this year with a season under his belt. I am wary of those who have him figured for an automatic 30 home runs; I think we're looking at more like 20-25, but I do expect him to more or less match his very solid overall offensive numbers from last year.

    Question marks:
    -Chipper. I love the man; he is the Braves at this point. But I'll be ecstatic if he plays 120 games. As Olympic Fan pointed out, Prado in LF is totally fine with me (I don't even worry about the defensive adjustment...he's been playing there in winter ball for several years), but when he has to come in and spell Chipper at 3rd, it raises a(nother) question mark in the outfield, which brings me to my next question mark...
    -Centerfield. McLouth or Jordan Schafer, one or the other, simply has to step up. McLouth has had a very solid spring so far, drawing some high praise from Chipper among others, and supposedly Schafer is truly healthy for the first time in two years. However, this has yet to be proven on the regular-season field, as it will have to be before I'll feel comfortable with that position. CF is just too much a production position for it to be the black hole that it was last year.
    -Last question mark: Defense. The general consensus is that it's been downgraded (and it wasn't very good last year). I think Uggla has gotten a bad rap to some extent, and as I said above, I'm not all that worried about Martin in left. However, lapses in the field definitely cost the Braves several games last year (well before the Brooks Conrad nightmare), and with such a formidable division foe in Philadelphia, we can't afford that again this season.

  6. #6
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    Regarding the D, everyone has been raving about Freeman's defense. I know 1B is not one of the crucial defensive positions on the field, but he will be pretty good over there from what I hear.

    -Jason "I think the hitting is going to be waaay better than last year" Evans
    Why are you wasting time here when you could be wasting it by listening to the latest episode of the DBR Podcast?

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by JasonEvans View Post
    Regarding the D, everyone has been raving about Freeman's defense. I know 1B is not one of the crucial defensive positions on the field, but he will be pretty good over there from what I hear.

    -Jason "I think the hitting is going to be waaay better than last year" Evans
    [Sarcasm] Wait defense at 1st base isn't that important?? Because I could have sworn every time I watched a game that Mark Teixeira played in I got to hear at least 50 times about how great a defensive player he is and how many errors he saved the Yankee infielders. [End Sarcasm]
    (Side note: I don't have anything against Tex just get tired of announcers beating a dead horse)

    I have to agree, the hitting is going to be much improved. While the starting rotation will not have the hype of Philadelphia's I believe it will be more than adequate. Could the season come down to 3 games against the Phillies in September like it almost did last year?

  8. #8
    Join Date
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    Former Major Leaguer and current Braves single-A manager Luis Salazar was airlifted from the Braves' spring training game today after being struck square in the face by a Brian McCann line drive, screamed into the dugout.
    Published reports indicated that Salazar was immediately knocked unconscious and remained so for anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes, with at least some of that time spent not breathing on his own.
    The latest reports indicate that he has improved and is now conscious and breathing normally, but that he has multiple facial fractures, will definitely require surgery, and is not out of the woods yet (much of the worry centers upon potential eye damage).

    McCann was said to be so shaken up by the incident that he finished his at-bat in listless fashion and then immediately left the game and traveled to the hospital.

    Salazar needs prayers, good energy, whatever. Here's hoping he can bounce back and enjoy the season normally.

  9. #9
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    In his third surgery since being struck in the face by a Brian McCann line drive, Braves Single-A manager Luis Salazar had his left eye removed this morning. According to team officials, this has been described as a positive step forward by doctors, and Salazar still fully intends to return to work for the organization. He is not expected to need any more surgery, and the current plan is for him to return to camp within a week.
    Good to hear that he's progressing, and that the prognosis seems to be upbeat, but jeez...losing an eye is pretty darned serious.
    Continued prayers for him.

  10. #10
    Two days from now I will be in DC watching the opener for this year's edition of the Braves. I can't wait!!!!

    I really hope McLouth figures it out and turns in a solid year because the Braves will need him, especially if Prado has to play a lot at 3rd. If not then meet the outfield's version of David Eckstein, Matt Young. http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=457568#sectionType=career&sta tType=1&season=&gameType='R'

    Like every spring, I am eternally hopeful.

  11. #11
    Dev11's Avatar
    Dev11 is offline Commissioner of Statistics, DBR Podcast
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    Quote Originally Posted by kmspeaks View Post
    Two days from now I will be in DC watching the opener for this year's edition of the Braves. I can't wait!!!!
    I'll be there, too. GO NATS.

    At least you're not the Mets, so I can't really hate.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dev11 View Post
    I'll be there, too. GO NATS.

    At least you're not the Mets, so I can't really hate.
    Or Phillies fans. Too bad had to sit through the cold and rain to watch a shutout. We will get those Braves this weekend.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dev11 View Post
    I'll be there, too. GO NATS.

    At least you're not the Mets, so I can't really hate.
    Quote Originally Posted by BlueDevilBaby View Post
    Or Phillies fans. Too bad had to sit through the cold and rain to watch a shutout. We will get those Braves this weekend.
    Hope you guys had fun last night. Not really baseball weather, was it? Chipper had a good night, though, and so did McCann and Heyward while the pitching staff managed to give us 9 shutout innings. Chief Nocka Homa was right there on Heyward's shoulder. Nice start.

  14. #14
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    Interesting sporcle here. Winningest pitcher for each franchise in the decade 2000-09. I got 20 of 30. I don't follow teams other than the Braves and Cardinals very closely. Fin fact, despite leaving the team after 2003, Maddux was still the Braves' win leaded in the 00s with 68 wins. Typical of some franchises that are usually sad sack lately, I don't even recognize the names of the leaders for the Orioles, Pirates, or Rockies. And Trachsel led the Mets? Really?

    http://www.sporcle.com/games/caramba/WinLeaders

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  15. #15
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    Bravos win again today. Huddy with 7 strong innings, only one run allowed, and McCann had 4 RBIs, all with 2 outs. In fact, the braves had 7 2-out RBIs. That's real good!

    --Jason "now, if they can just take 2-out-of-3 in every other series, they should have a decent season " Evans
    Why are you wasting time here when you could be wasting it by listening to the latest episode of the DBR Podcast?

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by JasonEvans View Post
    Bravos win again today. Huddy with 7 strong innings, only one run allowed, and McCann had 4 RBIs, all with 2 outs. In fact, the braves had 7 2-out RBIs. That's real good!

    --Jason "now, if they can just take 2-out-of-3 in every other series, they should have a decent season " Evans
    Would love the Braves to start strong this year. It's been a while since we've really had a strong and consistent April/early May. Love that Chipper and McCann are off to fast starts. That really takes the pressure off the rest of the lineup and lets them relax and do their thing. What I'll be watching for the next few weeks:

    1) 4th and 5th starters: Can Beachy and Minor make our 4th and 5th spots an asset? Both have shown a lot of promise. When Jurrjens returns, will he look like 2009 Jurrjens or the 2010 Jurrjens who battled injuries and inconsistency all year? If he's back to his usual self, the Braves have the potential to have the second best rotation 1-4 in the NL.

    2) McClouth: This one's obvious. If McClouth can hit in the 2-hole, the lineup becomes much more formidable. Heyward can stay as a run producer as probably the best 6th hitter in baseball. McClouth and Prado can set the table for Chipper, hopefully leading to a lot of runs in the 1st inning which will put extra pressure on opposing starters. Also, as the only legitimate stolen base threat on the team, we may even be able to manufacture runs if we need them with straight steals or hit and runs with low strikeout guys like Chipper and McCann hitting behind him.

    3) Infield defense: So far, so good except for an error by Hanson. With Lowe, Jurrjens, and Hudson relying on sinkers to produce groundball outs, we've gotta be tight on the defensive end.

    4) Health. We made the playoffs last year despite eye issues with McCann, injury issues with Chipper, thumb issues with Heyward, and a thigh injury that ended Prado's breakout season. Our bench really was an asset, especially on the offensive end, as Hinski and Conrad helped power the offense when called upon. Hopefully this year our bench will have make a similarly strong contribution but we'll be able to rely on the four aforementioned players for more this year. I think it's naive to think Chipper will play too much more than 120-130 games even if he's more or less healthy, but the offense can survive an absence by Chipper much better if McCann, Prado, Heyward (and now Uggla) are all healthy and playing consistently.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by JasonEvans View Post
    --Jason "now, if they can just take 2-out-of-3 in every other series, they should have a decent season " Evans
    That should be enough for the Wild Card. Not sure it would enough for the division, though.

  18. #18

    2-out-of-three

    Quote Originally Posted by Duvall View Post
    That should be enough for the Wild Card. Not sure it would enough for the division, though.
    You are kidding, right?

    The Braves are currently playing .667 baseball. No National League team has matched that pace since the 1975 Cincinnati Reds "Big Red Machine". And no National League team has bettered it since the 1942 St. Louis Cardinals.

    The Phillies have never won even 63 percent of their games -- NEVER.

    Seriously, I doubt the Braves maintain that pace (any more than I think the Phillies will remain unbeaten), but winning 2-of-3 all season as Jason said would almost unquestionably be good enough.

    I'd take .667 right now and not play the rest of the season.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Olympic Fan View Post
    You are kidding, right?

    The Braves are currently playing .667 baseball. No National League team has matched that pace since the 1975 Cincinnati Reds "Big Red Machine". And no National League team has bettered it since the 1942 St. Louis Cardinals.

    The Phillies have never won even 63 percent of their games -- NEVER.

    Seriously, I doubt the Braves maintain that pace (any more than I think the Phillies will remain unbeaten), but winning 2-of-3 all season as Jason said would almost unquestionably be good enough.

    I'd take .667 right now and not play the rest of the season.
    Yup, I was well aware of the parity in baseball (moreso than in any other sport) that makes a team that can even win 60% of its games a very potent team and a lock to make the postseason. I was kidding about winning 2-out-of-3. No way do I expect the Braves to maintain that pace over the course of the season. That would come out to a 108 win season.

    --Jason "I'll take 100 wins and be quite happy with it " Evans
    Why are you wasting time here when you could be wasting it by listening to the latest episode of the DBR Podcast?

  20. #20

    .750

    Braves up to .750 (3 of 4) after winning Monday afternoon in Milwaukee.

    A strong six innings by Beachy (four hits, one run), solo home runs by Prado and Uggla in the seventh, then solid relief for a 2-1 win.

    The best part of the .750 start is that it's all on the road.

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