It wasnt an exciting offseason for Braves fans. The bitter taste of blowing an 8.5 game lead in September isnt soon to be forgotten, the team didnt upgrade much at all so there hasnt been too much to get excited about. A slow spring start only made the tension worse. But a new season is upon us
I think the offense will be better- theres no doubt about it that injuries affected the collapse of 2011. Getting Martin Prado back healthy will help the offense, I think the biggest key though is Jason Heyward.This team is in serious trouble if he repeats the 2011 Heyward we saw. Im saying it now I believe he will be good and be a bright spot for our offense. I can see him hitting 22 home runs with 85 RBI. I think hes too good to be a bust.I think Mccann will have a big year for us and bounce back from the worst September of his life in 2011.
I am concerned about Chipper Jones. I think hes going to miss ALOT OF GAMES. I just cant see him staying healthy. and if he gets hurt we move Prado to third base who plays left field? Eric Hinske? I think Hinske is great- but hes a top guy off the bench not an everyday player.I respect Chipper to the fullest but I do think him & his $14 million contract will hurt this team. I will be shocked if he plays more then 120 games. I dont think the braves will get much of any production from the short stop position.I do think the kid Simmons is the best option for us- we need defense up the middle to help the young pitchers we have.
I get super excited when I think about havin Michael Bourne with this offense for an entire season. hes goin to hit .300 and get on base and steal 60 bases. I hope him stealing will rubb off on other players- the braves have got to start putting pressure on defenses by running and taking bases. We cant just rely on Bourne to cause chaos on the basepaths. I do think this offense will highly benefit from a full season with Bourne leading off though. He changes the dynamics of the offense alot. He has got to get on base and make pitchers worry about him swipping bases though. Keep the pressure on the defense and pitchers and let Chipper,Mac,Uggla, and Heyward get good mistakes pitches to hit. Last season the braves couldnt get a big hit with runners in scoring positon to save there life- That has to change in 2012. Good teams get the big hits when they need them. The braves have got to take advantage of chances when there presented.
I know many will disagree with me here but I have big worries about the starting rotation- Hudson is 36 and has back issues, Hanson is great but has shoulder problems, Jurrjens is a stud who cant stay healthy for more then 2 years in a row. Brandon Beachy is a good young pitcher but he throws too many pitches which leaves him gased by the 6th inning. and then you have Mike Minor whose looked great this spring but Im personally not sold on yet and Delgado and Teheran- which are both good but there rookies. Can you really count on 3 young guys with less then 1.5 years in the big leagues to pitch you into the playoffs and win big games down the stretch?? Im just see us having big issues with health and too many young pitchers to have big success from our rotation. I think the braves are going to almost have to make a trade at some point for a proven veteran to pitch in big games down the stretch. Do you really wanna see Delgado or Minor or Teheran pitching in September middle of playoff race on the road in Philly, or Washington, or St Louis? I dont... there too young to handle it.Experience is the best too- but this team will need innings and your not going to get more then 5 innings from Minor, Teheran, Delgado and Beachy at times. Our bullpen is going to get burned.. but luckily our bullpen is the best in baseball.
Kimbrel and Venters are lights out at the end of the game, You throw in Oflaherty and Medlen and you have a very deep talented pen. If Peter Moylan can come back and produce then this bullpen may be one of the best ever. I love Kris Medlen . I think he is so underrated. He is a starting pitcher whose putting the team first and going to pitch out of the pen- he will give you the long inning relief and give you quality innings. You cant forget about Christhian Martinez either. He threw alot of long big innings out of the bullpen last year. I hope the Braves will at some point move Kris Medlen to the rotation where I think he is best suited- but until then he will be apart of the best bullpen in baseball.I just hope that the lack of innings our starters will throw wont overuse the bullpen. Just because we have multiple weapons in the pen doesnt mean we need to use them EVERY night.
I dont think this team is good enough to win the divison but I wouldnt rule it out totally. I think the injuries philly has to Howard and Utley will keep the braves in the race but the braves have got to get off to a hot start and get some distance between them and philly before philly starts to get there key players back from injury. I think the Nationals are a team on the rise and they always give the braves fits. The national league East is to me the second toughest divison in baseball. The only team I cant see being a factor is the Mets.I think if the Braves rotation stays healthy and Heyward bounces back then the offense will score enough runs for the Braves to win alot of games
.I think this team will make the playoffs as the wild card team- health is a #1 factor though. we have to stay healthy for a shot at the playoffs.If we start having injuries I dont think this team will make the playoffs and if it does we wont go far in it.But if we stay healthy I think this team can compete with anybody in the national League. Heyward stepping up and getting back to form, and the rotations health and the young guys stepping in and pitching well and giving us innings will show us how far this team can go.I like this team alot.. I just dont like its manager too much- but thats a story for another day.. what do you all think about the 2012 Braves?
IAM A DIE HARD BRAVES FAN OF 21 YEARS.. HERE ARE MY THOUGHTS OF WHAT I FEEL ABOUT THE ATLANTA BRAVES- PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE!
Friday, March 23, 2012
Sunday, October 2, 2011
FINAL THOUGHTS ON 2011 SEASON
Damn.. what a dissappointing end to a good season. This Braves team is too talented to be sitting at home right now. Where do I begin to state my thoughts... I have given myself a couple days to get over the shock over not making it to october. I dont know what happened to martin prado this year but he was not good. He never seemed comfortable after the Braves got mike Bourn. It seemed to take away some of is agression and he just wasnt producing. Brian Mccann also sucked in the second half. In the first half he was legit MVP canidate but he was awol in second half. I read he it about .190 in the last 30 games of the season. The Braves offense honestly just never got on a roll this year.We never seemed to get the clutch big hit that we needed. This offense really under achieved. We defiently made the right move firing the hitting coach. The players just didnt click well wit the coach and the offense never got in synk. Down the stretch the Braves hitting was horrible.
The injuries to Hanson and Jurrjens no doubt about it hurt us. But it didnt cost us wild card. Fredi Gonzalez used Kimbrel and Venters way to much this year and by september they had nothing left. Kimbrel really faded under pressure in Wednesday game. It was so dissappointing to see. Derek Lowe was a joke this year and I hope hes gone next year. Im not sold on mike minor, I think the braves could use a good veteran in the rotation. I do believe they will try to trade Hanson or Jurrjens. Hopefully we could get a good bat in return
I was so dissappointed with Jason Heyward this year. He was literally an automatic out the entire season. We have got to upgrade right field position next year. I dont think the braves should give up on Jhey yet but hes def. become a major concern. He just looked lost the entire year. He seems to lack passion and hasnr adjusted to the pitchers adjustments to him. Im not sold on Jhey being a legit future MVP. Is he the next Francouer?? I know alot of Braves fans will disagree with me but I think Chipper is hurting this team. He is making 12 million a year for .280 avg 18 hrs and 70 rbis thats not enough production for the $ hes making.. I respect what Chipper has done in is career but at this point to me with is contract he is handicapping this team. I thought he played better then I expected him to this year- he showed he still has some left in his tank but with is $ hes just not worth it anymore.Braves need to see if he can rework his contract.
I dont like Fredi Gonzalez- I dont think hes the man for the job- He is too much like Bobby Cox and AI respect Bobby Cox but him only winning one ring with those elite teams in the 90s was because of his micro managing in playoff games. Fredi was too reserved for me- when we were struggling in september he was too laid back when she should have tried to spark this team. When your team blows a lead like that I do blame the manager. He should have had the the players better prepared and more on edge- the atmosphere was too laid back. The last month of the season the braves played with no heart, no passion, no edge. I didnt see them play hard with passion until game #162 and by then it was too little too late. It was a joke they had to turn to the astros for helping getting into the playoffs. Its time this team has a new voice, new leader that doesnt involve from the Bobby Cox cloth. I just was so disappointed with te lack of intensity that Fredi Gonzalez showed this season especially in september. It was on him to hold this team accountable and wake them up. Where was the leadership in the clubhouse? Who stepped up and said " enough of this bullshit this ends tonight" .It pissed me off in games in September the players would do post game interviews and just be soft, show no emotion or anger in losing. How can you not be upset when your huge wildcard lead is cut into half and over?? the final series against the phillies the braves didnt show up until the last game. Why wasnt bourn stealing bases like crazy? where was constanza? why didnt thry try to move prado down when he wasnt hitting?
The phillies had nothing to play for the final 3 games yet they showed more desire and heart then the braves did. I give credit to charlie Manuel for that and hold Fredi G accountable for that. As I sit here it still blows my mind that the Braves arent in the playoffs. They showed nothing down the stretch that would indicate they were legit playoff team. No great pitching, no clutch hits, no big innings.. How do you claim to be playoff team but lose series to Fla,Ny mets, and Washington?It was a joke. There was no excuse. no excuse but they played without urgency or heart. The braves thought talent alone would get them to october. But talent didnt. if you would have put the heart of the 2010 team with the talent of 2011 team I think we could have given philly a run for there money. The Braves just didnt have heart this year.And that goes back to my issue with Fredi G and lack of real clubhouse leader. The Braves should have had Bourn running like crazy when he was on base.. he didnt start playing until the last game when was running often. where was that effort monday and tuesday??? This team is just a joke that we didnt make it. We upgraded with uggla and he did produce for us. But the lack of production from heyward killed us,I was highly impressed with Freddi Freeman . I think he will def. be a major factor in the future. But we ave got to figure out Jason Heyward.
All in all when I think back on the 2011 season I will think "choke" I personally am not proud of the Braves at all. For this team to have this much talent and be sitting at home right now is just nuts- Im thankful for the Red sox because they have more talent and more money then the braves and they choked too.I want to see more changes made this offseason. Hold more people accountable- let Fredi G know how he managed and handled the team down the stretch was not productive and it showed in the way the braves come out and played. Im dissappointed with not making the playoffs but what disqust me is the fact the braves showed no passion or heart the last month. They werent worth my money I spent on them in september. I will never understand why the Braves waited until last game of the season until they showed effort in september. Its like they werent woken up until game 162. Thats why there was no game #163.I will always love the Braves but I lost alot of respect for there heartless play in september this year. Im not ready to say " wait til next year" because it should have happened this year!
The injuries to Hanson and Jurrjens no doubt about it hurt us. But it didnt cost us wild card. Fredi Gonzalez used Kimbrel and Venters way to much this year and by september they had nothing left. Kimbrel really faded under pressure in Wednesday game. It was so dissappointing to see. Derek Lowe was a joke this year and I hope hes gone next year. Im not sold on mike minor, I think the braves could use a good veteran in the rotation. I do believe they will try to trade Hanson or Jurrjens. Hopefully we could get a good bat in return
I was so dissappointed with Jason Heyward this year. He was literally an automatic out the entire season. We have got to upgrade right field position next year. I dont think the braves should give up on Jhey yet but hes def. become a major concern. He just looked lost the entire year. He seems to lack passion and hasnr adjusted to the pitchers adjustments to him. Im not sold on Jhey being a legit future MVP. Is he the next Francouer?? I know alot of Braves fans will disagree with me but I think Chipper is hurting this team. He is making 12 million a year for .280 avg 18 hrs and 70 rbis thats not enough production for the $ hes making.. I respect what Chipper has done in is career but at this point to me with is contract he is handicapping this team. I thought he played better then I expected him to this year- he showed he still has some left in his tank but with is $ hes just not worth it anymore.Braves need to see if he can rework his contract.
I dont like Fredi Gonzalez- I dont think hes the man for the job- He is too much like Bobby Cox and AI respect Bobby Cox but him only winning one ring with those elite teams in the 90s was because of his micro managing in playoff games. Fredi was too reserved for me- when we were struggling in september he was too laid back when she should have tried to spark this team. When your team blows a lead like that I do blame the manager. He should have had the the players better prepared and more on edge- the atmosphere was too laid back. The last month of the season the braves played with no heart, no passion, no edge. I didnt see them play hard with passion until game #162 and by then it was too little too late. It was a joke they had to turn to the astros for helping getting into the playoffs. Its time this team has a new voice, new leader that doesnt involve from the Bobby Cox cloth. I just was so disappointed with te lack of intensity that Fredi Gonzalez showed this season especially in september. It was on him to hold this team accountable and wake them up. Where was the leadership in the clubhouse? Who stepped up and said " enough of this bullshit this ends tonight" .It pissed me off in games in September the players would do post game interviews and just be soft, show no emotion or anger in losing. How can you not be upset when your huge wildcard lead is cut into half and over?? the final series against the phillies the braves didnt show up until the last game. Why wasnt bourn stealing bases like crazy? where was constanza? why didnt thry try to move prado down when he wasnt hitting?
The phillies had nothing to play for the final 3 games yet they showed more desire and heart then the braves did. I give credit to charlie Manuel for that and hold Fredi G accountable for that. As I sit here it still blows my mind that the Braves arent in the playoffs. They showed nothing down the stretch that would indicate they were legit playoff team. No great pitching, no clutch hits, no big innings.. How do you claim to be playoff team but lose series to Fla,Ny mets, and Washington?It was a joke. There was no excuse. no excuse but they played without urgency or heart. The braves thought talent alone would get them to october. But talent didnt. if you would have put the heart of the 2010 team with the talent of 2011 team I think we could have given philly a run for there money. The Braves just didnt have heart this year.And that goes back to my issue with Fredi G and lack of real clubhouse leader. The Braves should have had Bourn running like crazy when he was on base.. he didnt start playing until the last game when was running often. where was that effort monday and tuesday??? This team is just a joke that we didnt make it. We upgraded with uggla and he did produce for us. But the lack of production from heyward killed us,I was highly impressed with Freddi Freeman . I think he will def. be a major factor in the future. But we ave got to figure out Jason Heyward.
All in all when I think back on the 2011 season I will think "choke" I personally am not proud of the Braves at all. For this team to have this much talent and be sitting at home right now is just nuts- Im thankful for the Red sox because they have more talent and more money then the braves and they choked too.I want to see more changes made this offseason. Hold more people accountable- let Fredi G know how he managed and handled the team down the stretch was not productive and it showed in the way the braves come out and played. Im dissappointed with not making the playoffs but what disqust me is the fact the braves showed no passion or heart the last month. They werent worth my money I spent on them in september. I will never understand why the Braves waited until last game of the season until they showed effort in september. Its like they werent woken up until game 162. Thats why there was no game #163.I will always love the Braves but I lost alot of respect for there heartless play in september this year. Im not ready to say " wait til next year" because it should have happened this year!
Monday, August 22, 2011
BRAVES ARE HOT
I said before the 7 games between the giants and d-backs I would be happy with the braves going 5-2. so watching them go 6-1 was great. I saw come from behind and win and win by large amount, win in tight game, pitch great, beat great pitching and have good hitting- The Braves just are playing really well right now. I think the difference is the fact that they now have speed in the lineup. Having Bourn and Constanza in lineup and on base is a headache for pitchers having to worry about them taken a base. Jurrjens and Hanson have been hurt during this recent hot run for the Braves- I know there going to take there time with Hanson given the fact they have cushion in wild card lead and Minor has pitched well filling in for him. So hopefully the rest the give Hanson will benefit them late September and in the playoffs.
Im feeling very good about the Braves right now- Peter Moylan has started rehabbing and he will hopefully feel the void of the 6 & 7th inning struggles the Braves have seen this year. The Braves arent going to win the division this year but I feel as long as they stay healthy they are going to be a major force in the playoffs- I feel they match up very well with the phillies in the playoffs. The offense is gotten hot and the pitching is slowly getting back to form. If somehow Jason Heyward could wake up and start getting hot the Braves lineup would be as legit as any team in baseball- Could you imagine- Bourn,Prado, Freeman, Uggla, Chipper and Heyward all hitting and contributing down the stretch? That would be a nightmare for pitchers.
I hope Freddi Gonzalez will continue to get days off for Venters, Oflaherty, and Kimbrel- having there arms fresh end of September and for the playoffs will be great if we have a collision with philly. I hope Derek Lowe can get his mind right and start pitching well again. We need him - he really hasnt done much at all this year- We are lucky to get 6 innings from him and when he goes he goes fast. If he continues to get lit up the Braves need to think about replacing him in the rotation. But there is still 34 games left this season we will see what happens. Given how the Braves have played over the last 7 games Im looking forward to seeing what the Braves do the final month of the season.
Im feeling very good about the Braves right now- Peter Moylan has started rehabbing and he will hopefully feel the void of the 6 & 7th inning struggles the Braves have seen this year. The Braves arent going to win the division this year but I feel as long as they stay healthy they are going to be a major force in the playoffs- I feel they match up very well with the phillies in the playoffs. The offense is gotten hot and the pitching is slowly getting back to form. If somehow Jason Heyward could wake up and start getting hot the Braves lineup would be as legit as any team in baseball- Could you imagine- Bourn,Prado, Freeman, Uggla, Chipper and Heyward all hitting and contributing down the stretch? That would be a nightmare for pitchers.
I hope Freddi Gonzalez will continue to get days off for Venters, Oflaherty, and Kimbrel- having there arms fresh end of September and for the playoffs will be great if we have a collision with philly. I hope Derek Lowe can get his mind right and start pitching well again. We need him - he really hasnt done much at all this year- We are lucky to get 6 innings from him and when he goes he goes fast. If he continues to get lit up the Braves need to think about replacing him in the rotation. But there is still 34 games left this season we will see what happens. Given how the Braves have played over the last 7 games Im looking forward to seeing what the Braves do the final month of the season.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
BRAVES UPDATE-Special weekend.. Big win
WHAT A WIN LAST NIGHT!!! to me that was one of the best wins of the season- It set the tone for the whole series. I hope the Braves can follow up with another one tonight. The Braves lead the majors in come back wins this season with 21. Iam amazed to see how good Constanza has done since he got promoted to the big leagues-He has basically put Heyward on the bench which is called for when you check his .216 average and .174 average vs left handers. I still like Heyward alot but he is not producing at all this season and his at bats are becoming painful to watch. Constanza and Michael Bourn have changed the dimension of the offense.
I was lucky enough to be able to attend the Braves game Friday and Saturday. It was great to see John Smoltz and David Justice and the other players I grew up watching. It braught back memories of my childhood watching games on TBS. Fridays game was great- 5 Braves home runs and Uggla extending his hitting streak. Too bad that feeling didnt follow thru to saturday and sunday. But all in all it was a very special weekend at Turner Field.
The next 7 games are so important to the series- everygame in August and September is big but to face the 2 teams that they could possibly face in the playoffs ( D-BACKS) and the team thats trailing them for the wild card ( Giants) to beat these teams would be really big for us. Im hoping the Braves can go atleast 5-2 during the 7 games against these guys. Im becoming annoyed with the Braves starters not named Hudson or Beachy. Our offense has finally come up big and scored some runs but now the pitching is fallen into mediocrity. This has to change if we are going to be legit come playoff time. Philly has been almost unbeatable since getting Hunter Pence and with that rotation your not going to see them go on an extended streak of losing.Im all but settled that we wont win divison. But I know we still havent reached our full potential as a team. I hope Hanson being on the DL will give him proper rest and he will come back being the force I know he can be. I hope the same for Jurrjens as well.. The Braves are 71-51 - its going to take atleast 95 wins to get into the playoffs via the wildcard. that means the Braves will have to go about 24-16 over the next 40 games - If they canget there rotation right with the new dimensions of speed to the offense should not be that hard to do.. Time will tell though- Im looking forward to it.
I was lucky enough to be able to attend the Braves game Friday and Saturday. It was great to see John Smoltz and David Justice and the other players I grew up watching. It braught back memories of my childhood watching games on TBS. Fridays game was great- 5 Braves home runs and Uggla extending his hitting streak. Too bad that feeling didnt follow thru to saturday and sunday. But all in all it was a very special weekend at Turner Field.
The next 7 games are so important to the series- everygame in August and September is big but to face the 2 teams that they could possibly face in the playoffs ( D-BACKS) and the team thats trailing them for the wild card ( Giants) to beat these teams would be really big for us. Im hoping the Braves can go atleast 5-2 during the 7 games against these guys. Im becoming annoyed with the Braves starters not named Hudson or Beachy. Our offense has finally come up big and scored some runs but now the pitching is fallen into mediocrity. This has to change if we are going to be legit come playoff time. Philly has been almost unbeatable since getting Hunter Pence and with that rotation your not going to see them go on an extended streak of losing.Im all but settled that we wont win divison. But I know we still havent reached our full potential as a team. I hope Hanson being on the DL will give him proper rest and he will come back being the force I know he can be. I hope the same for Jurrjens as well.. The Braves are 71-51 - its going to take atleast 95 wins to get into the playoffs via the wildcard. that means the Braves will have to go about 24-16 over the next 40 games - If they canget there rotation right with the new dimensions of speed to the offense should not be that hard to do.. Time will tell though- Im looking forward to it.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
THE MICHAEL BOURN TRADE
Let me say this- I LOVE THIS TRADE. for years I have always felt the Braves have needed a speed guy to get on base, steal and create oppurtunites to get knocked on. Bourn is exactly this guy. He has an average above .300 and has led the National League the last 2 years in steals. The chance to manufacture runs at the top of the lineup is something I cant stress enough of the fact the Braves need. It would have been nice to get Hunter Pence but he plays right field- what would you have done with Heyward? With the emergence of Dan Uggla the need for power has gone done. What the Braves need to happen now more then ever is Heyward to step up. If Bourn gets on base, creates havoc on base- Uggla continues to produce if the braves could get Jason Heyward going this offense would be maybe the toughest one to stop. Jason Heyward has been killing the Braves with his lack of production.
I was a bit dissappointed the Braves didnt land Pence- Even more disssappointed he went to Philly. But honestly I think this Bourn trade is perfect for the Braves. He is the type player who can change entire set of offense. If he does with the Braves what he did in Houston this offense is going to improve- its going to give Prado better pitches to hit- if you get Bourn on, Prado on then Freeman,Uggla, and Mccann when he gets back healthy will have multiple rbi chances - and Jason Heyward as I mentioned before now becomes the key piece to this offense. I just dont see how any Braves fan can be dissappointed in this deal. Jordan Schafer had potential but face it he wouldnt have carried the Braves down the stretch. Did you really want a rookie whose batting .230 leading off for the Braves down the stretch in late August and September? I didnt. I liked Schafer but Im thrilled with this trade. Bourn is a proven player now heading a Braves lineup that was desperate for speed. It is a perfect match. And to get talent you have to trade talent. The Braves didnt have to trade any of there top 4 pitching prospects- they traded 3 young prospects and Schafer to get Bourn. It is a win win trade. Bourn can help this team win RIGHT NOW. Schafer wouldnt have done that. I really think this move is going to help the Braves so much. I look forward to seeing how the offense changes with the addition of Bourn.
I was a bit dissappointed the Braves didnt land Pence- Even more disssappointed he went to Philly. But honestly I think this Bourn trade is perfect for the Braves. He is the type player who can change entire set of offense. If he does with the Braves what he did in Houston this offense is going to improve- its going to give Prado better pitches to hit- if you get Bourn on, Prado on then Freeman,Uggla, and Mccann when he gets back healthy will have multiple rbi chances - and Jason Heyward as I mentioned before now becomes the key piece to this offense. I just dont see how any Braves fan can be dissappointed in this deal. Jordan Schafer had potential but face it he wouldnt have carried the Braves down the stretch. Did you really want a rookie whose batting .230 leading off for the Braves down the stretch in late August and September? I didnt. I liked Schafer but Im thrilled with this trade. Bourn is a proven player now heading a Braves lineup that was desperate for speed. It is a perfect match. And to get talent you have to trade talent. The Braves didnt have to trade any of there top 4 pitching prospects- they traded 3 young prospects and Schafer to get Bourn. It is a win win trade. Bourn can help this team win RIGHT NOW. Schafer wouldnt have done that. I really think this move is going to help the Braves so much. I look forward to seeing how the offense changes with the addition of Bourn.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
THOUGHTS AFTER LAST NIGHTS GAME
Boy oh Boy how many of yall stayed up to watch that marathon game last night? Im glad the Braves got the win but I feel bad for the pirates. Both teams battled there butts off and for the game to end on such a suspect call is just a downer. Given the fact the Braves needed all 162 games to make the playoffs last year every game is imporant- so for the Pirates this loss may sting for a bit. I believe it was a horrible call and The Braves caught a major Break. The Braves werent so lucky witht he injury bug- Brian Mccann will miss atleast 2 weeks with a strained oblique muscle.Those are injures you dont heal from quickly and if you dont take care of them right they can linger. Just ask Chipper Jones.
Mccann injury is such a big blow given the fact that this offense is now losinga potential MVP canididate. The offense has been weak with Mccann - what is it going to look like without him? I think David Ross is legit but losing Mccann is huge. I think this futhermore shows the Braves have got to get a major bat before the deadline. Who knows if you can count on Chipper Jones ( I myself am very suspect he will be healthy down the stretch) and with Mccann out the Braves cant trust Uggla and Freeman to carry the load. I would have loved to have Beltans bat in this line up but from a defensive standpoint it didnt make sense given the fact hes not a center fielder anymore.
Im hearing now B.J Upton mentioned right now. He does have great potential and maybe he would produce in a fresh enviroment- But Iam not crazy about him. He cant even hit .250 and I dont see him coming to the Braves and running like he does with Tampa. The Braves just dont believe in running for some crazy reason. They sit back and wait on the 3 run home run which this year has become the solo home runs. Im not against getting Upton but Im not crazy about him. I would love to get Hunter Pence but it seems like the Astros are asking an arm and a leg.
Its bad news for Philly and Atlanta that the Giants are landing Beltran- whichever team ( PHI, ATL or SANF) got him were going to get a major upgrade. But to see the world series champs get him with that pitching staff- man it hurts. Thats why I believe it has become a must that the Braves step up and do something. Not only do Atlanta fans have to worry about philly now San Francisco has come back into the picture which had seen Philly and Atlanta as the only elite teams in the NL. Iam anxiously awaiting the Braves response to Mccanns injury, The Giants move landing Beltran and what Philly will do- because I know they wont stay pat. It will be an intresting 4 more days to say the least-if the Braves want to overcome Giants and Phillies they better pull the trigger to help an offense that hasnt been alive much of the season.
Mccann injury is such a big blow given the fact that this offense is now losinga potential MVP canididate. The offense has been weak with Mccann - what is it going to look like without him? I think David Ross is legit but losing Mccann is huge. I think this futhermore shows the Braves have got to get a major bat before the deadline. Who knows if you can count on Chipper Jones ( I myself am very suspect he will be healthy down the stretch) and with Mccann out the Braves cant trust Uggla and Freeman to carry the load. I would have loved to have Beltans bat in this line up but from a defensive standpoint it didnt make sense given the fact hes not a center fielder anymore.
Im hearing now B.J Upton mentioned right now. He does have great potential and maybe he would produce in a fresh enviroment- But Iam not crazy about him. He cant even hit .250 and I dont see him coming to the Braves and running like he does with Tampa. The Braves just dont believe in running for some crazy reason. They sit back and wait on the 3 run home run which this year has become the solo home runs. Im not against getting Upton but Im not crazy about him. I would love to get Hunter Pence but it seems like the Astros are asking an arm and a leg.
Its bad news for Philly and Atlanta that the Giants are landing Beltran- whichever team ( PHI, ATL or SANF) got him were going to get a major upgrade. But to see the world series champs get him with that pitching staff- man it hurts. Thats why I believe it has become a must that the Braves step up and do something. Not only do Atlanta fans have to worry about philly now San Francisco has come back into the picture which had seen Philly and Atlanta as the only elite teams in the NL. Iam anxiously awaiting the Braves response to Mccanns injury, The Giants move landing Beltran and what Philly will do- because I know they wont stay pat. It will be an intresting 4 more days to say the least-if the Braves want to overcome Giants and Phillies they better pull the trigger to help an offense that hasnt been alive much of the season.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
JASON HEYWARD STRUGGLES
For as bad as Dan Uggla has been and much flack as hes taken I feel like people havent focused on how horrible Jason Heyward has been this year. He is hitting a good 30 points higher then Dan Uggla but he has less home runs and Rbi then Uggla does and Uggla isnt exactly blowing me away with his run production. What has happened to Jason Heyward? Hes not even having good productive atbats- he seems like a tottally different player then he was last year. I dont think he has gotten comfortable at the plate at all this year. I do believe his shoulder affected his production but lets be real here this is more then an injury problem. I dont think Heyward has adjusted well to the inside pitch, the way the pitchers are adjusting to him, I dont think Heyward is confident in himself and honestly I think he is lost. There is growing speculation within the Braves brass that they should trade for a right fielder and platoon him with Heyward or even send Heyward down to the minors in a place less stressful to fix his broken swing.
This is such a big difference for the guy braves fans fell in love with last year. Heyward isnt walking or getting on base like he was last year, hes not giving good at bats, hes not producing, hes not doing anything but being an automatic out and his defensive play has upset me on more then one occasion this year. He doesnt take good route to balls hit his way and his arm is weak and off target in my opinion. I still believe in Jason and want the best for him but the 2011 Jason Heyward is making me grow tired and making me think Dan UGGLA isnt so bad after all...
AT the same token the struggles of Jason I should mention how impressive Freddie Freeman has been. Hes honestly having a better season then Jason had last year. Hes hitting to all parts of the field and stepping up and having huge atbats producing for this team this year and his defense at first base has been gold glove worthy. The thing that impresses me most about this young guy is its been said he soaks up advice like a sponge when veterans come to him with advise. The thing that helped a young Brian MCcann was his open ear to Chipper Jones advice. Freddie Freeman seems to be the same way. Always willing to listen and learn to the veterans coming his way to help guide him. The future looks really bright for the Braves first baseman.. Its scary to think about the Heyward/ Freeman duo and compare it to the Francouer/ Mccann duo... Francoeur career started off the charts and he faded like the wind, Mccann had no headlines when he was braught up and all hes done is been an all star every year hes played. Lets hope Heyward is less like Francouer and more like the phenom we saw of himlast year and as for Freddie Im fine with the Mccann comparisions.
This is such a big difference for the guy braves fans fell in love with last year. Heyward isnt walking or getting on base like he was last year, hes not giving good at bats, hes not producing, hes not doing anything but being an automatic out and his defensive play has upset me on more then one occasion this year. He doesnt take good route to balls hit his way and his arm is weak and off target in my opinion. I still believe in Jason and want the best for him but the 2011 Jason Heyward is making me grow tired and making me think Dan UGGLA isnt so bad after all...
AT the same token the struggles of Jason I should mention how impressive Freddie Freeman has been. Hes honestly having a better season then Jason had last year. Hes hitting to all parts of the field and stepping up and having huge atbats producing for this team this year and his defense at first base has been gold glove worthy. The thing that impresses me most about this young guy is its been said he soaks up advice like a sponge when veterans come to him with advise. The thing that helped a young Brian MCcann was his open ear to Chipper Jones advice. Freddie Freeman seems to be the same way. Always willing to listen and learn to the veterans coming his way to help guide him. The future looks really bright for the Braves first baseman.. Its scary to think about the Heyward/ Freeman duo and compare it to the Francouer/ Mccann duo... Francoeur career started off the charts and he faded like the wind, Mccann had no headlines when he was braught up and all hes done is been an all star every year hes played. Lets hope Heyward is less like Francouer and more like the phenom we saw of himlast year and as for Freddie Im fine with the Mccann comparisions.
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