Official Atlanta Braves Thread

[Mesmer]

We need a center fielder.

If only Mclouth could hit over like 100

[BF91]

If only Mclouth could hit over like 100

He's making some mechanical changes, so I'm holding out a little bit of hope for him, but either he needs to start hitting or Schafer needs to hurry up and get his ass in gear down in AAA. I don't have any real concerns with Schafer, he's just knocking off the rust at this point. Melky has been hitter better as of late, so if all else fails we should get Melky some more time in CF.

If our eight-hole hitter is our biggest problem though, I'd say we were in a pretty good spot.

[Mesmer]

Melky has been hitting very well recently. I agree that he needs more time @ CF and Mclouth should be a bench player or demoted to AAA to get his poo together.

[BF91]

Melky has been hitting very well recently. I agree that he needs more time @ CF and Mclouth should be a bench player or demoted to AAA to get his poo together.

Can't get his poo together if he's on the bench. And I'm not sure if he has any options left, so him going to AAA may not be possible. Since he's identified what may be the problem, I'm going to give him to the end of this upcoming road trip before I start calling for his head. If he thinks his batting stance is what's throwing him off, the two weeks should be plenty of time to get it right.

[Fiz]

bf91 you're the most optimistic braves fan ever

here lets be friends

Julio Teheran, RHP, Braves (High-A Myrtle Beach): 8 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 14 K.

Quick quiz: When Stephen Strasburg arrives in the majors next week, who's the best pitching prospect in the minors. You have a better candidate than Teheran? He's 19 years old, he's giving up one run over 21 innings in three High-A starts with 28 strikeouts and four walks, and he's touching 97 mph with his fastball while showcasing a plus changeup and a curveball that rates even higher. Add in a long, projectable frame and outstanding command, and nobody matches that combination. Period.

trade him before his shoulder turns to sand tia

[Fiz]

it'll never happen since halladay and jiminez are out of their minds but it'd be funny if cy young voting came down to tim hudson's dominance with the bat.

[Fiz]

this game has been babip as hell for heyward

[BF91]

bf91 you're the most optimistic braves fan ever

So kill me. McLouth was a ~.850 OPS guy in his twenties when we got him last year, those kind of players don't just start sucking for no reason. Nobody is really pressing him hard for playing time right now and if we've gotten this far with him, another two weeks isn't going to hurt us. Like I said earlier, if our biggest issue is our #8 hitter, then we're in a pretty good spot.

Oh, and that was another good win for the Braves. Venters made it a little too interesting at the end, but I like Bobby showing come confidence in the kid. 1.5 up and going for the sweep tomorrow afternoon!

[faultlessjoint]

I brought my broom to work this morning. Getting strange looks from my coworkers.

I figure I'll watch the gamecast on mlb.com (It's much better than ESPN's gamecast. Doesn't look as pretty but provides much more useful information.) and record it on my DVR. If things go well then I'll watch a condensed version when I get home.

I can't remember the last time I was this excited about the Braves.

[Johnny Rockets]

It's easy to get excited in June....

Might want to put your broom back in the closet for now. Kendrick threw 8 innings of shutout ball (4 hits) against the Braves while Lowe faced the Phils twice this year giving up 5 and 7 runs (he has pitched much better as of late though). Then there is the "due" factor....the Braves are due for a loss and the Phils are due to start hitting.

On a side note...Oswalt has said he would waive his no trade clause for a chance to go play for the Nationals......would be interesting with him and Strasburg added to what appears to be a fairly good baseball team.

[The Saltman]

I have a sinking feeling that the phillies are gonna lose again today...

[Joscott]

Heyward is due for a homer too...

[BF91]

Might want to put your broom back in the closet for now. Kendrick threw 8 innings of shutout ball (4 hits) against the Braves while Lowe faced the Phils twice this year giving up 5 and 7 runs (he has pitched much better as of late though). Then there is the "due" factor....the Braves are due for a loss and the Phils are due to start hitting.

Well you've also got to consider that this Braves team is playing much better than the one Kendrick faced, that Kendrick has been absolute ass most of the year, and that Lowe has been pitching like the guy we thought we were getting when we gave him $60MM. There's a "glass half full" perspective on this game for each side.

On a side note...Oswalt has said he would waive his no trade clause for a chance to go play for the Nationals......would be interesting with him and Strasburg added to what appears to be a fairly good baseball team.

I'll be honest, that would worry me a little bit. The Nationals are in a place where they can buy at the deadline and make not just the division, but the wild card interesting too. A rotation next year of Oswalt-Strasburg-Zimmermann-Lannan and whoever their fifth starter may be would be pretty stout.

I doubt Wade and McLane trade Oswalt though, they're too stupid to start a rebuilding process.

[Johnny Rockets]

Well you've also got to consider that this Braves team is playing much better than the one Kendrick faced, that Kendrick has been absolute ass most of the year, and that Lowe has been pitching like the guy we thought we were getting when we gave him $60MM. There's a "glass half full" perspective on this game for each side.

.

The Phils are in one of the worse slumps in recent memory....quit being a cloud trying to take away my ray of hope.

I actually hate Kendrick....can't stand the face he makes when things are about to go really bad.....you can always tell when he is about to blow up. Watch for it today.

I also dislike him on a personal level.....went to spring training with my wife a couple of years ago. I was talking with Larry Anderson and when I turn around Kendrick is trying to get my wife's phone number. Later on in the day Kendrick sent a one of the other pitcher's (not sure he was) back over to try and get her number again. Prick.