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October 29, 2005
New Pitching Coach
Roger McDowell has been named the new pitching coach for the Braves. He's 44, a young buck for the coaching staff, and was with the Dodgers' AAA team (Las Vegas) last year as the pitching coach.
Seems to be a surprise, so Bobby must really like him. Another fresh, young face for the Braves.
Posted by David Lee at 11:24 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
October 18, 2005
My Off-Season Advice
Catcher: McCann is more than ready to take over full-time behind the plate. Johnny isn't going to have another season like last year and still has fairly high value. Use him as trade bait for possibly a backup shortstop or a reliever.
First Base: Let it be a Spring Training dogfight. LaRoche vs. Marte vs. Chipper. The player with the worst defense is moved to third. The player with the best hitting stays at first. That means Marte starts at third base, Chipper starts at first base, and LaRoche backs Chipper up. Julio is strictly a pinch-hitter.
Second Base: Marcus Giles...forever.
Shortstop: Don't overpay for Speedy. He's below average for a leadoff hitter, despite his speed, because of a low OBP. His defense was great this season, but is replaceable. If he's going to cost you an arm and a leg, keep the arm and leg and start Betemit. Willy B is ready to play everyday.
Third Base: See First Base.
Left Field: Give the starting job to Langy in Spring Training and see how he reponds. If he doesn't do well, rotate him with KJ.
Center Field: Andruw Jones...forever.
Right Field: Same situation as Left Field. If Francoeur doesn't respond to full-time play from the beginning, there's always KJ.
Starting Pitching: Smoltz, Hudson, Thomson, Jorge, Horacio, Davies, and James are my candidates. Smoltz, Hudson, and Thomson are givens. If the Braves had any brains, they would bring Jorge back to the rotation. I'd hate to see Horacio back in the rotation next year. Use him as trade bait, the same way as Johnny. Davies has a lot more experience than James, but that would mean no lefties. Let there be a battle for the fifth spot between those two in Spring Training.
Bullpen: This may be a very big trouble spot, but I don't think the Braves need to make any moves. They have good, young talent that will turn into a solid pen.
McBride has proven over and over that he should be the main lefty, but Bobby continued to put Foster over him, who almost always gave up either a hit, walk, or home run. Surely he has learned by now.
Boyer has a ton of potential, but his arm injury makes him a question mark.
Reitsma is too inconsistent to be a top-notch reliever, but is good enough to be a setup man that doesn't drive you too crazy. He'll be back.
Brower should be brought back. He showed that he still has some left in the tank at the end of the season.
Kolb...won't be back. I'll leave it at that.
Lerew should be given a chance in Spring Training for a bullpen spot. Some say put James in the bullpen, but I think they should keep him as a starter. These two are possibilities.
And Farnsworth. The Braves should use their money to bring him back. He proved that he can be a great closer. With Leo's teaching, it will happen.
This is my pen - Boyer, McBride, Lerew, Brower, Reitsma, Farnsworth.
Posted by David Lee at 03:27 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
October 09, 2005
A Thank You to the Braves
I'm too depressed to write a recap. I can barely type right now because the game made me so tired. But I will say a little something.
This series just wasn't meant to be, and I'm going to accept the defeat a lot better this time. Why? Because we shouldn't have even gotten to the playoffs. The Braves had yet another amazing season. A roller coaster ride of injuries, rookies, close wins, and heartbreakers led to 90 wins, a 14th consecutive division title, the strongest future a team could have, and even more respect for one of the greatest managers of all time.
While I was angry at first, I quickly came to realize what the Braves accomplished this season, and it's simply amazing. In my opinion, one of the greatest seasons in Braves history. Not just because of yet another division title, but also because this year we have seen what our future holds. I guarantee at least one world championship with this wave of new talent that was brought up this season. And because they are so young, they will carry the Braves dynasty for many, many years. Thanks to the Braves for a season I will never forget, and we'll be back next year for another great run.
Posted by David Lee at 09:41 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Bobby Cox and the Bullpen
I posted this on the forums but I'm so heated that I thought I'd put it everywhere I can find. Warning: rant ahead.
Bobby Cox does not know how to manage a bullpen. He takes Jorge out before he needs to. I believe he was on 90 pitches after six innings last night when he was pulled. He had settled down nicely and was getting outs. He could have gone another inning.
He puts Reitsma in way too much. Reitsma was used in the first two games and while he did ok, he can't pitch consecutive games with any success. Yet another example of Bobby using Reitsma too much.
He uses friggin' Foster over McBride over and over again. While Foster continues to give up runs, McBride has become our best lefty and one of our best relievers. But does that matter? No, just keep using Foster and just watch him lose more games.
He doesn't use Brower enough now that he's probably our best middle relief option. Brower has settled down and pitched well the past several outings. He has become more effective than Reitsma, but you'll never see Bobby put him in before Reitsma.
He doesn't use Farnsworth enough. He seems to only put him in in save opportunities. He is by far our best reliever. Use him until his arm falls off.
Just use McBride, Farnsworth, and Brower until he fails, and you have a bullpen. Put the relievers on the mound that have been getting it done recently, not the ones that you went to at the beginning of the season. I'll never understand some of Bobby's moves.
Posted by David Lee at 11:16 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
October 08, 2005
Astros 7, Braves 3
Is two consecutive wins too much to ask? Apparently so. Making it hard on themselves once again.
The Astros started the scoring with two runs in the first. The Braves answered with two runs in the second on McCann and Jorge singles. But that was all the Braves could manage until the eighth inning. But before that, Houston broke it open for four runs after Bobby went to the bullpen in the seventh. The last Braves run was an Andruw RBI double.
Andruw had another great game, going 3-4 with an RBI. McCann and Jorge had the other RBI's. Oswalt shut them down for seven and a third. Jorge lasted six innings and should have gone seven, allowing three runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out three. He was on 90 pitches, Bobby. Come on.
Must-win game four. I'm guessing Timmy is going tomorrow against Pettitte. The time was changed to 1:00 on ESPN. Go Braves.
Posted by David Lee at 11:04 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 06, 2005
Braves 7, Astros 1
John Smoltz is Da Man. The Astros scratched out a first-inning run, but that was it for seven innings: seven hits, one walk, five strikeouts. He threw only 93 pitches, so he might have gone longer if the Braves hadn't scored five runs off Roger Clemens in the first three innings.
In the 2nd, Andruw singled, Ant laid down a very good sacrifice bunt, and Big Frank went down 0-2 but worked a seven-pitch walk. Ryan Langerhans also went 3-2 before missing a high fastball. But Brian McCann took two balls and hit a three-run home run in his first postseason at bat. And in the 3rd, after Speedy and Marcus made outs, Chipper walked, Andruw singled him to third, and Adam Ant came through with an RBI single which Orlando Palmeiro turned into a two-run double. Smoltz took it from there.
We scored two more runs against Chad Qualls in the 7th, Andruw and Frank delivering RBI singles. Chris Reitsma and Kyle Farnsworth pitched scoreless innings. Might as well give Farnsworth some work given the off day tomorrow, but couldn't we have used him yesterday?
Speedy, Ant, and Andruw reached base three times each; Francoeur and Langerhans each reached twice. Kelly Johnson drew a pinch-walk in his first postseason plate appearance in the 8th. Willy Taveras had three hits for the Astros, and Lance Berkman two; Brandon Backe and Brad Lidge worked scoreless innings.
Saturday, in Houston, at 7:30pm on Fox, Jorge Sosa, who did not lose a start on the road in the regular season, opposes Roy Oswalt, who had a bad day the only time he faced the Braves. I expect our offense to once again decide the outcome, for better or worse.
Posted by Andy Blumson at 11:59 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
October 05, 2005
Astros 10, Braves 5
Fearless prediction: if we score five runs tomorrow, we'll win.
Tim Hudson had nothing: 6.2 IP, but five walks and a hit batsman helped seven hits score five runs. Chris Reitsma and John Foster bombed in the 8th: Reitsma allowed four of five batters to reach, and Foster struck out Lance Berkman with the bases loaded but then, with two out, let in all three runs and plus one of his own. On the other hand, Joey Devine relieved Hudson with two on, hit his first batter, but got the out, and Macay McBride pitched a scoreless inning. I wonder who will be first out of the pen tomorrow if Smoltz can't finish what he starts.
The offense was fine: five runs on nine hits. Chipper hit a solo homer off Andy Pettitte and an RBI double off Dan Wheeler; Andruw hit a two-run homer off Pettitte and drew a walk, but struck out against Wheeler with two on in the 8th. Big Frank hit a single off Pettitte and a triple off Russ Springer leading off the 9th; Johnny Estrada singled him home. Speedy had a hit, Marcus had a hit, Julio drew a walk. Not a great offensive performance, obviously, but against the Astros it has to be enough. Hudson just didn't have his stuff, or his control.
The Astros piled up eleven hits, nine walks, and two plunks. Craig Biggio (who was neither of the plunks, by the way) scored three runs; Morgan Ensberg drove in five on three singles and a bases-loaded walk. Lance Berkman drew three walks, one intentional and one a pitch-around; that worked in that he didn't score any runs. But Adam Everett and Brad Ausmus each reached base twice, and Pettitte reached once; that's not okay.
Smoltz versus Clemens tomorrow at 8pm. It doesn't get any better than that.
Posted by Andy Blumson at 07:17 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 02, 2005
Marlins 7, Braves 6 (10 Innings)
End of the season didn't end on a very good note, but hey, it's all good.
Marlins led, Braves took the lead, Marlins took it back, Braves took it back, Marlins tied it with two outs in the ninth, and the Marlins won it in the tenth. There's your recap. Willie-B had two RBI's. Chipper added a solo shot along with two hits. McCann drove in three on his two hits.
Horacio lasted five innings, allowing one run on five hits while walking one and striking out four. Devine pitched a scoreless inning. Boyer proved that his arm isn't good to go, allowing three runs. I doubt that he will be on the roster. Foster, Brower, and Farnsworth each pitched a scoreless inning. Davies earned the loss by giving up the lead and winning run.
The start of the playoffs is here. The Braves will host the Astros on Wednesday, October 5th at either 4 P.M. or 8 P.M. Andy Pettitte vs. John Smoltz. Revenge...
Posted by David Lee at 04:55 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Marlins 6, Braves 4
Sorry for the lack of recap yesterday and the slow one today. Hey, they've already clinched...
Chuck James, who started in place of Jorge because of a long rain delay, drove in a run in his first ML at bat. Langy hit a two-run shot and Ant added another RBI on a single, but a late charge by the Marlins gave them the lead and win.
James pitched great, going three and two-thirds, allowing no runs on three hits while walking two and striking out two. He definitely has a big league future. Lerew gave up two runs in two innings of work, Brower pitched a scoreless inning, McBride loaded the bases, and Kolb let them all score. Kolb earned his eighth loss and blew his seventh save on the eighth inning rally by the Fish.
The final game of the regular season starts at one on Turner South. Horacio goes against Dontrelle. Nice way to end the season. Go Braves and Falcons.
Posted by David Lee at 11:29 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack