Wren already shot down the idea of bringing up Freeman

8/13/2010 11:59:09 AM

^ Was that before Chipper got hurt though? The real solution is to teach Mclouth how to play 3B and the WS title is ours.

8/13/2010 12:23:19 PM

No, DOB asked him yesterday. Where have you gone, Vinny Castilla?

Can we restart the HOF discussion? I still think he's just barely in, unlikely on the first-ballot.

8/13/2010 12:29:12 PM

Chipper? I think he'll easily be a 1st ballot guy. Honestly what has he not achieved in his career? MVP, World Champion, batting title, should have been the ROY, multiple All Star games, 300+ career average, 400+ HRs, ~1500 RBIs. Biggest bat in one of the greatest team achievements in baseball history (14 consecutive division titles).

I guess the biggest knock against him might be the fact that he played in the steroid era and there are guys like Thome and Palmerio that probably won't get in despite having better stats than Chipper. A lot of that is due to his inability to stay healthy which is another huge knock against him. If he is ever linked to roids, then yeah he has zero chance.

8/13/2010 12:40:01 PM

Quote :

"I guess the biggest knock against him might be the fact that he played in the steroid era and there are guys like Thome and Palmerio that probably won't get in despite having better stats than Chipper. A lot of that is due to his inability to stay healthy which is another huge knock against him."

That's what I see hurting him the most. 400 HR doesn't mean much in the era he played.

I think being a #1 overall pick who stayed with one team his entire career (the only one ever) helps. He took a lot for the team, playing hurt, restructuring his contract several times for free agents, and was friendly with the guys that are gonna be voting for him. Pretty much the anti-Jim Rice. I think showing productivity late in his career is huge, too. 2008 could go a long way to getting him in.

I definitely think he'll make it, and wouldn't be surprised if it were on the first ballot, especially with the criteria slowly evolving over the next five (hopefully six) years.

Chipper, Griffey Jr. and Maddux are the top players from the mid-90s that I'd wager large sums of money on not roiding. (Not because they're three of my favorite players )
[Edited on August 13, 2010 at 12:53 PM. Reason : Brandon Hicks called up to fill Chipper's spot]

8/13/2010 12:47:47 PM

chippers also got a lot better BA/OBP than Thome, even though I think he'll make it too. Who would be eligible in 5 years? He'll definitely get overshadowed by Griffey Jr., who should make the HOF induction a huge thing in 2015.. anybody else notable retire in the past year?

[Edited on August 13, 2010 at 2:13 PM. Reason : weird, lower OBP actually]

8/13/2010 2:12:07 PM

Quote :

"I guess the biggest knock against him might be the fact that he played in the steroid era and there are guys like Thome and Palmerio that probably won't get in despite having better stats than Chipper. A lot of that is due to his inability to stay healthy which is another huge knock against him"

shouldn't that increase his odds of getting in? since voters have definitively shown that they aren't putting 'roiders in, guys who were productive without the added benefit of drugs should be a shoe-in i would think

8/13/2010 2:43:27 PM

McGwire got 23% of the vote last year. They haven't definitively shown anything, and he'll be in eventually.

Voters also aren't going to assume that anyone from that era is clean. For all we know, Chipper was juicing with everyone else.

8/13/2010 2:46:45 PM

so are they just going to not vote anyone in, since they might've been juicing? if there's no evidence or even whispers, they won't keep him out

8/13/2010 2:48:28 PM

Chipper is a hof caliber player no question but coming into this year I thought he needed another year or two to pad his stats some. I think the fact that he hasn't been tied to any PEs makes his numbers look better. You can't compare his stats to the juicers and say he wasn't as good. You look at his stats and say. Damn he was pretty damn good without cheating. And he was an all around player instead of just a power hitter. In addition to all the other hof related stats mentioned he's 3rd on the list for switch hitting HRs. Behind two guys named Mickey Mantle and Eddie Murray, not bad company.

8/13/2010 2:48:51 PM

Quote :

"so are they just going to not vote anyone in, since they might've been juicing?"

So are you not going to read my post?

8/13/2010 2:50:34 PM

Quote :

"Voters also aren't going to assume that anyone from that era is clean. For all we know, Chipper was juicing with everyone else"

what part am i misinterpreting. if voters aren't going to assume innocence, then they must be assuming guilt, or at the least suspicion.

8/13/2010 2:56:44 PM

They'll be suspicious about everyone, and they should. But that isn't going to keep everyone out, like McGwire, who is obviously beyond suspicion, and I said would eventually make it.

8/13/2010 3:03:58 PM

and i'm saying that they can be suspicious all they want, but if there's zero credible evidence suggesting he juiced then i think his stats are strong enough to get him in first ballot.

it's really not worth arguing semantics, since we both think he'll get in

8/13/2010 3:09:03 PM

I think arguing about Thome going into the HOF is pretty interesting. Dude is the most prolific/least important baseball player ever. Has there ever been a guy in any of the major sports who put up historic numbers like Thome and be virtually unknown by average fans.

Maybe I am short changing him, but dude goes out and hits 40-50 bombs a year with regularity and never seemed to even be in the MVP talk. He has a career OPS of 950+. I guess it was because he did not do anything else well like run or play defense. I think he'll get in, but in my mind he's just not in the same class of HOF players.

8/13/2010 3:26:02 PM

Chipper says he will return for Spring Training next year!

8/13/2010 9:13:11 PM

Chipper Jones is a lock for the HOF, even if he doesn't play another game. Compare his stats against the third basemen already in the hall . . . the only stat he's really lacking in is HR. I think there are only 14 third basemen in the hall, and his stats compare favorably with all of those guys.

8/14/2010 1:24:39 AM

Heading down to ATL. Stopping at a rest stop currently. Hope we don't get rained out tomorrow!

8/14/2010 1:33:36 PM

What does this 5 on the scoreboard mean

[Edited on August 15, 2010 at 3:11 PM. Reason : Troy Glaus escapes my anger for the GIDP and SO earlier. What does this 8 on the scoreboard mean]

8/15/2010 3:09:13 PM

I got a random question:

Have websites and scoreboards suddenly switched to referring to strikeouts as "so' instead of "k?" Seems like I remember a time when everything listed them as a "k," but I could be wrong.

8/15/2010 3:15:50 PM

K is a pitcher's strikeout

SO is a batter's strikeout

[Edited on August 15, 2010 at 3:18 PM. Reason : GD JJ]

8/15/2010 3:18:03 PM

nice fucking throw to third. why in the world would you test his gun like that.

8/15/2010 3:26:24 PM

That throw by Ankiel was beautiful. Great game. Still sweating my balls off and got some sun.

8/15/2010 5:20:45 PM

Hudson for Cy Young? He's dominated his last 5, 7 of his last 9 giving up 1 or less. 14-5 with a 2.13 ERA, I had no idea he was doing that well, but those are pretty damn good numbers (which is all that matters) on a contender, something that Johnson and Ubaldo can't say anymore. If Carpenter/Wainwright split votes, he might just have a shot if he can keep it going

8/16/2010 9:26:34 AM

Hudson deserves consideration, but unless he gets to 20 wins and keeps that ERA right around 2, he has little shot. Ubaldo has gotten so much press (and deservedly so) this year that he'll probably win it unless he collapses the rest of the way. Just my opinion. Wainwright should win though IMO.

It amazing that there are five pitchers with stats this year that probably would have won it last year. Year of the Pitcher for sure.



[Edited on August 16, 2010 at 9:31 AM. Reason : hj]

8/16/2010 9:30:37 AM

MILKYYYYYYY

8/16/2010 10:24:20 PM

hell yeah

8/16/2010 10:26:11 PM

i love the resilience of this damn team!

8/16/2010 10:54:20 PM

Awesome game last night. Shocked that the Braves pulled it out. Defense man, defense. The Braves defense sucks although Melky came up big with that throw to end the 8th and then got the game winning hit. I still cannot believe the way the defense crumbles late in the game. Conrad wound up with only one error, but it should have been two. And Heyward probably deserved an error on Conrad's overthrow as he bobbled the ball allowing another run to score.

Oh well the Braves continue to pitch great and get clutch hits although they need to start hitting better with RISP overall. Would have sucked to only win 2 out of 4 against the Dodgers after they scored a total of 6 runs and went 0-24 with RISP during the series. Time for the Phillies to start losing.

8/17/2010 7:54:23 AM

Prado's back tonight. Had a hit last night at Gwinett. Minor's first home start, too.

8/17/2010 5:40:03 PM

for a split second just now, I thought the NCAA was investigating the Atlanta Braves

8/17/2010 6:49:59 PM

Pudge ejected!

8/17/2010 7:30:25 PM

don't need him, Harper's in the majors already right? prick

8/17/2010 7:55:16 PM

minor is quite impressive... first time i have had the opportunity to watch him



glaus makes me

8/17/2010 8:26:16 PM

Could Joe Simpson hate Chip Caray any more?

8/17/2010 8:28:30 PM

Diory Hernandez w/ a solo shot

8/17/2010 8:53:42 PM

Two observations:

1) While I do enjoy actually getting to see the braves games when they play the nats (because raleigh is washington's market ) the announcers and rob dibble make me crazy.

2) Bobby Cox has to throw out the jv lineup more than any manager ever.. i swear mccann gets a day off every other day.

8/17/2010 9:11:08 PM

Nice pair of doubles by Diaz and Prado to get 3 runs across

[Edited on August 17, 2010 at 9:12 PM. Reason : 3]

8/17/2010 9:11:47 PM

Nats announcer = the suck.

Called out their LF on "lack of hustle" even though he sprinted to retrieve a double smoked down the line by Diaz.

Used Melky as a reason to say the Braves have nothing but speed in the OF. L O L

8/17/2010 9:14:13 PM

Quote :

"Could Joe Simpson hate Chip Caray any more?"

lol do you really think so?

8/17/2010 9:16:34 PM

floodgates wide open

bases loaded w/ nobody out

glaus at bat

6-2 braves

[Edited on August 17, 2010 at 9:37 PM. Reason : ]

8/17/2010 9:36:48 PM

phillies need to stop winning

8/17/2010 10:33:58 PM

Quote :

"i swear mccann gets a day off every other day."

He's started all but ~20 games. Usually only sits on day games after night games and the occasional LHP.

[Edited on August 17, 2010 at 10:37 PM. Reason : lol Mike Minor beer shower on the postgame show]

[Edited on August 17, 2010 at 10:38 PM. Reason : lol at Mike Minor saying "shiiiittt" on live TV]

8/17/2010 10:36:17 PM

^ Spot on. McCann has played more games at C than anyone other than LaRussa's lap dog Yadier and Jason "how am I still a major league player?" Kendall

http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/fielding/_/position/c/league/nl/sort/gamesPlayed

As for the Braves, good comeback last night. Fucking Phillies. Who the hell is Carlos Ruiz and why has he somehow become Pujols in August? I still think the wild card is coming out of the East, but with the Braves and Phils playing each other 6 out of 12 to end the season, it could allow a team like the Cards or Reds to steal the wild card. Wish the Reds and Cards played in a real division.

8/18/2010 7:18:07 AM

multiple outlets reporting derek lee may be traded to braves

http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/david-kaplan-chicago-sports/2010/08/-normal-0-false-false.html

[Edited on August 18, 2010 at 10:36 AM. Reason : adsdfag]

8/18/2010 10:35:47 AM

soo, where does that leave glaus? back at 3rd?

8/18/2010 10:50:24 AM

If true, I am not a big fan of that move. yeah Lee would bring more power and much better defense at 1B, but is he really that much of an upgrade over Glaus? Plus Lee is an injury concern right now. I'd hate to give up any decent prospects for an over the hill player.

8/18/2010 10:59:27 AM

^

Quote :

"The trade is not expected to land the Cubs much in the way of talent "

8/18/2010 11:09:57 AM

Troy Glaus is never never never never never never never never going to play third base again

[Edited on August 18, 2010 at 11:12 AM. Reason : Yeah, Wren can't give up too much for a two-month rental who's having the worst year of his career]

8/18/2010 11:11:56 AM

if we get him as cheap as it sounds like we are, make the deal. the defensive upgrade is one perk and Lee is hitting .313 the All Star break.

MLB trade rumors brought up the point that Lee "projects" to be a Type-B free agent so if the Braves offer him arbitration and he signs elsewhere, we would get a first round supplemental pick. So this move could actually bolster the farm

8/18/2010 11:18:02 AM