Here's a mlbtraderumors.com article that adresses the Braves rotation for 2008: http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2007/09/mailbag-braves-.html
Basically, Dierkes mentions who we have and the options in terms of what we can get. He says we could potentially sign Tom Glavine or make a play at a starter returning from injury (Matt Clement or Randy Wolf). Dierkes also comments on Renteria as a trading chip and in another article, says we might be able to trade Renteria for A.J. Burnett, which would be very interesting from a Braves perspective. Another option, supposedly, is Kei Igawa. It will definitely be interesting to see how this all shakes out.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Friday, September 7, 2007
Bob Wickman
The Arizona Diamondbacks have signed Bob Wickman. He better get used to pitching in non-save situations as the Diamondbacks have an excellent closer in Jose Valverde.
Player Update
Edgar Renteria was activated from the 15 day DL. He's not in the starting lineup, Yunel and Kelly will return to the platoon once Edgar returns.
Source: Rotoworld
Source: Rotoworld
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Divisional Roundup 8/31/07 - 9/6/07
Mets: Orlando Hernandez has receivied a cortisone shot in his elbow, after feeling some discomfort in his start against the Phillies on August 30. Currently, he hopes to start again when the Mets play Atlanta, Sept. 10 - 12. This may be good news for the Braves, but Hernandez has a 2.77 ERA in two starts against Atlanta this year. To take his place Mike Pelfrey was recalled from Triple-A to pitch against the Braves, where he pitched very well. He gave up one hit, one run, in six innings of work in a 5-1 Mets victory. Pedro Martinez made his return to the rotation this week. He was on a 75 pitch count, and wasn't to exceed 35 pitches in an inning. He mostly threw in the low 80's, and only reached a high of 87 mph. He pitched well enough to get the win, 3 runs, 2 earned in 5 innings.The Mets posted a 5-2 record over the last week. Their team ERA of 4.40 was good enough for 5th in the NL. Billy Wagner has continued his struggles, appearing in 2 games and giving up 4 runs. He recorded one loss, but still managed a save. On the other side of the ball, the Mets had a good week also, they scored 46 runs, and had a .292 batting average. The whole Mets lineup had a good week, but Alou had an especially good week hitting .500 in 18 at-bats, with 1 homerun and two doubles.
Phillies: Cole Hamels, who was scheduled to pitch on the weekend was scratched from his start. He felt some soreness in a bullpen session. The Phillies are saying it's nothing structural, but his had a history of arm trouble, it'd be a blow to the Phillies future rotations if this is serious. Freddy Garcia underwent surgery on a torn labrum. He's a free agent next year, and won't be ready until the All Star Break.The Phillies went 3-4, which is miraculous, seeing as they had a team ERA of 7.09. That was worst in the NL. The charge was lead by Alfonseca who pitched only 1.2 innings and gave 7 earned runs. Things were much better for their offense, hitting .316 for the week. Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, and Jayson Werth all hit over .400 in at least 25 at-bats.
Marlins: Scott Olsen's start was pushed back a few days to work on a flaw in his delivery. This was sorely needed he was 1-7 in his last 8 starts. They recalled INF Robert Andino, the Marlins had hoped that he could play short, so they could move Hanley to center, but that doesn't look it'll happen any time soon with his poor hitting in Triple-A.The Marlins didn't fare much better that the Phillies in the pitching aspect, having a team ERA of 6.27 which can be explained by their .319 BAA. Overall they went 2-4, their batting didn't fare to well either. They hit .278 but only scored 31 runs over the week. Nobody hit particularly well, the best was Hanley who had a .375 BA with a homerun and 4 doubles.
Nationals: John Patterson will have surgery on a nerve in his elbow, he had a similar surgery on a different nerve last off season. He should be able to make a full recovery during the winter. Christian Guzman, who was supposed to be out for the season with a thumb injury, could make a comeback for the last two weeks of the season. During September call ups the Nationals promoted Ross Detwiler, Justin Maxwell, Jonathan Albaladejo, Arnie Munoz and Ryan Langerhans.The Nationals had an excellent week, going 5-1, and held a 2.77 ERA which was best in the NL over that span. The pitching was led by Jason Bergmann and Matt Chico, who both pitched 7 inning, 4 hit, 1 run ball. Their offense didn't fare quite as well, but was enough to get by. They scored 24 runs which was only better than Atlanta and San Fransisco.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Prospect Profile: Eric Campbell
We apologize for the inconsistency with respect to our columns, but we're still trying to work out the nuts and bolts and logistics of how to run the site. Expect more timeliness next week. So here it is...the inaugural Prospect Profile. Before I begin analyzing Eric Campbell, let me say we'd love to hear from you about what prospects to feature in this column from here on out. These don't necessarily need to be our TOP prospects. I'd rather do it on more obscure guys you readers are curious about. Send us an e-mail: tomahawktalk755@gmail.com to make a suggestion. Also, when I quote a batting stat line, it reads AVG/OBP/SLG, and then it is followed with "DTs". DT refers to Davenport Translation, which is a method developed by statistician Clay Davenport to translate minor league statistics into major league ones. So his DT stats are what he hypothetically "would have done" if he had been playing in the majors instead of whatever league he was in at the time. They account for league and park difficulty.
Now on to Campbell. I picked him because he's been in the news lately, getting suspended for the rest of the season down at High-A Myrtle Beach. He's hailed by many Braves fans as the inevitable replacement for Chipper Jones at third base. But is he really the guy we want replacing Chipper? Will his attitude be an issue going forward? Or perhaps the better question: Can he hit?
2004: The Braves drafted him in the 2nd round in 2004, 71st overall out of an Indiana high school, then signed him for a $500,000 bonus. He reported to the short-season GCL Braves. He hit just .251, but his 7 homers tied him for second in the league. He was drafted as a shortstop, and played most of his games there, but after 12 errors in 36 games at short, the Braves decided he was better suited for third base. He looked like a classic power prospect, hitting lots of homers, but also striking out in more than 20% of his plate appearances. He got a 22 at-bat cup of coffee at Rome after the Gulf Coast League season ended, and while I'd like to say he didn't embarrass himself, he really did, managing just 3 hits (all singles).
2005: The Braves moved him up to Rookie-level Danville in '05, and the Appalachian League hasn't been the same since. Campbell plowed through 262 at-bats, hitting .313/.383/.634 (DT: .257/.302/.449), with 15 steals to boot. He led the league in almost every offensive category imaginable: home runs (18), RBI (64), total bases (166), runs (77), doubles (26). He ranked third in hits with 82 and his 15 steals were good for fifth. However, his strikeout tendency actually increased, as Campbell struck out 64 times in 294 plate appearances (21.8%). His plate discipline clearly needed work, and his swing was still too long, but as a 20-year-old ready to move up to A-ball, he had plenty of time to fix things. The move to third base full-time was a successful one as well, as he showed good defensive promise at the hot corner.
2006: The promotion to Low-A Rome hurt his rate stats a bit, as he hit .294/.333/.514 (DTs: .272/.299/.464), but that disguises a marked improvement in his plate discipline. In more than two hundred more plate appearances (as compared to 2005), he struck out just four more times. Unfortunately, increased plate discipline didn't translate to increased patience, as he also walked five LESS times despite all the extra PAs. The power continued to show as he led his league in homers yet again, but still showed a maddening tendency to try to pull every pitch within four feet of home plate. He played some solid defense at second base in the Hawaiian Winter League, making his stock that much more interesting, as the Braves had no second baseman at the time (of course, the arrival of Kelly Johnson has really destroyed any potential value he might have had at second). But here's the interesting part: he got sent home early from the Hawaiian Winter League team for unspecified disciplinary reasons (a precedent to the suspension he would earn in 2007).
2007: This is where things get really dicey for Campbell. He moves up to High-A Myrtle Beach, a killer environment for any hitting prospect's numbers. But Campbell gets murdered. On June 13, he's hitting an abysmal .168/.265/.318 and he's already missed 31 games with a wrist injury. He picks it up a bit through the end of June, finishing the month at a respectable (remember how tough the league is) .250/.321/.428. He would go back on the DL again before the season was out, and his season ended on August 21st as the Braves suspended him for the rest of the season for "insubordination". He also built up a bad rep for inconsistent effort. At the plate, he never could shed his pull-hitting tendencies, going to left field with nearly 50% of his balls in play. He finished hitting just .221/.312/.406. But there is reason for hope. He kept his strikeout rate the same while nearly doubling his walk rate (from about 5% of his PAs to 10%).
Campbell is something of an enigma. If he can maintain his excellent power stroke while increasing his selectivity to keep his walk rate up, he can be a great player. And he's got the glove to be a good one at the hot corner. Besides needing to keep working on his swing, he still clearly has some attitude issues which need to be dealt with. His 2007 season certainly diminished his former status as Heir Apparent to Chipper Jones, but there's still reason to believe he will one day fill Chipper's Mizunos as the Braves' third baseman.
Now on to Campbell. I picked him because he's been in the news lately, getting suspended for the rest of the season down at High-A Myrtle Beach. He's hailed by many Braves fans as the inevitable replacement for Chipper Jones at third base. But is he really the guy we want replacing Chipper? Will his attitude be an issue going forward? Or perhaps the better question: Can he hit?
2004: The Braves drafted him in the 2nd round in 2004, 71st overall out of an Indiana high school, then signed him for a $500,000 bonus. He reported to the short-season GCL Braves. He hit just .251, but his 7 homers tied him for second in the league. He was drafted as a shortstop, and played most of his games there, but after 12 errors in 36 games at short, the Braves decided he was better suited for third base. He looked like a classic power prospect, hitting lots of homers, but also striking out in more than 20% of his plate appearances. He got a 22 at-bat cup of coffee at Rome after the Gulf Coast League season ended, and while I'd like to say he didn't embarrass himself, he really did, managing just 3 hits (all singles).
2005: The Braves moved him up to Rookie-level Danville in '05, and the Appalachian League hasn't been the same since. Campbell plowed through 262 at-bats, hitting .313/.383/.634 (DT: .257/.302/.449), with 15 steals to boot. He led the league in almost every offensive category imaginable: home runs (18), RBI (64), total bases (166), runs (77), doubles (26). He ranked third in hits with 82 and his 15 steals were good for fifth. However, his strikeout tendency actually increased, as Campbell struck out 64 times in 294 plate appearances (21.8%). His plate discipline clearly needed work, and his swing was still too long, but as a 20-year-old ready to move up to A-ball, he had plenty of time to fix things. The move to third base full-time was a successful one as well, as he showed good defensive promise at the hot corner.
2006: The promotion to Low-A Rome hurt his rate stats a bit, as he hit .294/.333/.514 (DTs: .272/.299/.464), but that disguises a marked improvement in his plate discipline. In more than two hundred more plate appearances (as compared to 2005), he struck out just four more times. Unfortunately, increased plate discipline didn't translate to increased patience, as he also walked five LESS times despite all the extra PAs. The power continued to show as he led his league in homers yet again, but still showed a maddening tendency to try to pull every pitch within four feet of home plate. He played some solid defense at second base in the Hawaiian Winter League, making his stock that much more interesting, as the Braves had no second baseman at the time (of course, the arrival of Kelly Johnson has really destroyed any potential value he might have had at second). But here's the interesting part: he got sent home early from the Hawaiian Winter League team for unspecified disciplinary reasons (a precedent to the suspension he would earn in 2007).
2007: This is where things get really dicey for Campbell. He moves up to High-A Myrtle Beach, a killer environment for any hitting prospect's numbers. But Campbell gets murdered. On June 13, he's hitting an abysmal .168/.265/.318 and he's already missed 31 games with a wrist injury. He picks it up a bit through the end of June, finishing the month at a respectable (remember how tough the league is) .250/.321/.428. He would go back on the DL again before the season was out, and his season ended on August 21st as the Braves suspended him for the rest of the season for "insubordination". He also built up a bad rep for inconsistent effort. At the plate, he never could shed his pull-hitting tendencies, going to left field with nearly 50% of his balls in play. He finished hitting just .221/.312/.406. But there is reason for hope. He kept his strikeout rate the same while nearly doubling his walk rate (from about 5% of his PAs to 10%).
Campbell is something of an enigma. If he can maintain his excellent power stroke while increasing his selectivity to keep his walk rate up, he can be a great player. And he's got the glove to be a good one at the hot corner. Besides needing to keep working on his swing, he still clearly has some attitude issues which need to be dealt with. His 2007 season certainly diminished his former status as Heir Apparent to Chipper Jones, but there's still reason to believe he will one day fill Chipper's Mizunos as the Braves' third baseman.
Joe Blanton?
Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors:
"Perhaps [the Athletics should] try to match up with the Braves by offering up a Joe Blanton for Yunel Escobar...The discussion for either [Blanton or Haren] would begin with two top-flight prospects, hopefully position players...[A's GM Billy] Beane should shoot for a shortstop, third baseman, and top pitching prospect."
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2007/09/needs-and-luxur.html
Well isn't this handy. Blanton is exactly the guy we need to fill our #3 rotation slot, and he'd do a superb job there. Hasn't even reached arbitration yet. Doesn't strike out a lot of guys, but is posting a career high in K rate this year. What's making the difference is his vastly improved control (he's down from 2.69 BB/9 to a ridiculous 1.41 BB/9). He keeps the ball on the ground (1.41 GB/FB ratio). He's an awesome talent, and could even become an ace with a move to the NL. He's a legit #2 in the AL as it is, and he's ranked 23rd in the league in VORP among pitchers.
What's best is they NEED a shortstop. They can't expect anything out of Bobby Crosby anymore, and Escobar is young and talented to fill a need there. What's also nice is that they want POSITION prospects. The Braves are strong in position prospects, but weak in pitching, and most teams want pitching, which handicaps the Braves' ability to make deals. But I'd offer Escobar (to fill their shortstop need), Eric Campbell (third base) and Jo-Jo Reyes (pitching prospect) any day of the week.
Blanton is EXACTLY what the Braves are looking for.Here's our 2008 rotation then (2007 VORP rank in parentheses):Tim Hudson (9th), John Smoltz (14th), Joe Blanton (23rd), Chuck James (77th), Mike Hampton (NR)
Three of the top 25 pitchers in baseball? Yum. Add in a Torii Hunter signing, and the Braves are the best team in the National League, hands down.
Let's do this.
"Perhaps [the Athletics should] try to match up with the Braves by offering up a Joe Blanton for Yunel Escobar...The discussion for either [Blanton or Haren] would begin with two top-flight prospects, hopefully position players...[A's GM Billy] Beane should shoot for a shortstop, third baseman, and top pitching prospect."
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2007/09/needs-and-luxur.html
Well isn't this handy. Blanton is exactly the guy we need to fill our #3 rotation slot, and he'd do a superb job there. Hasn't even reached arbitration yet. Doesn't strike out a lot of guys, but is posting a career high in K rate this year. What's making the difference is his vastly improved control (he's down from 2.69 BB/9 to a ridiculous 1.41 BB/9). He keeps the ball on the ground (1.41 GB/FB ratio). He's an awesome talent, and could even become an ace with a move to the NL. He's a legit #2 in the AL as it is, and he's ranked 23rd in the league in VORP among pitchers.
What's best is they NEED a shortstop. They can't expect anything out of Bobby Crosby anymore, and Escobar is young and talented to fill a need there. What's also nice is that they want POSITION prospects. The Braves are strong in position prospects, but weak in pitching, and most teams want pitching, which handicaps the Braves' ability to make deals. But I'd offer Escobar (to fill their shortstop need), Eric Campbell (third base) and Jo-Jo Reyes (pitching prospect) any day of the week.
Blanton is EXACTLY what the Braves are looking for.Here's our 2008 rotation then (2007 VORP rank in parentheses):Tim Hudson (9th), John Smoltz (14th), Joe Blanton (23rd), Chuck James (77th), Mike Hampton (NR)
Three of the top 25 pitchers in baseball? Yum. Add in a Torii Hunter signing, and the Braves are the best team in the National League, hands down.
Let's do this.
Player Update
Brian McCann is day-to-day with a left ankle contusion that he suffered in todays comeback victory against the Phillies. But, with the off day tomorrow he might not have to miss a game.
Source: Rotoworld
Source: Rotoworld
Braves 9 Phillies 8
Wow. The Braves score 7 runs in the final 2 innings to secure a win over the Phillies. The rally was capped by a 3 run double that tipped of Roverson's glove, with 2 outs by Matt Diaz in the bottom of the ninth.
Now, lets go back to the start. Hudson had another below average start giving up 5 runs in 5 innings, 11 hits, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts. The phillies got 3 in the first, with an RBI single from Rowand and Werth. Then in the second, a solo shot from Pat Burrell, and a sac fly from Chase Utley added two more. Next, it was the Braves turn in the bottom of the sixth. Willie Harris had a solo shot, his second of the year, and Chipper scored Kelly from first on an RBI double. The Phillies scored three more in the seventh off Oscar Villarreal.
Now for the good stuff. Chipper doubled to lead off the bottom of the eighth, Teixeira flied out. Mccann then singled, which sent Chipper to third, then Francoeur singled, scored Chipper and sent Brian to second. Thorman then singled to load the bases, then while Yunel was batting, Brett Myers threw a wild pitch, to score Chris Woodward (pinch running) and send the runners up a base. Yunel walked, Diaz singled to score a run, then Harris walked to score another run.
Bottom nine, two outs, bases clear, Jeff singles, then Prado singles, Yunel walks, sets the stage for Diaz who clears the bases with a walk-off double to the opposite field.
Player of the Game: Well, I think it's pretty obvious, but I'll try and explain how big Diaz was. Using a statistic called WPA, this stat is updated live during games at fangraphs.com. It gives you the data on how likely you team is to win the game. They can also assign a percentage to a player on how much they helped their team to win a game. Teams have even chances to win at the start of the game so each team has a 50% chance of winning, a team only needs to gain another 50% to win the game. Matt Diaz won 90.8% of the game for us, or a WPA .908, the league leader for the season, A-Rod, has a combined WPA on the season of 6.10. WOW!
Now, lets go back to the start. Hudson had another below average start giving up 5 runs in 5 innings, 11 hits, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts. The phillies got 3 in the first, with an RBI single from Rowand and Werth. Then in the second, a solo shot from Pat Burrell, and a sac fly from Chase Utley added two more. Next, it was the Braves turn in the bottom of the sixth. Willie Harris had a solo shot, his second of the year, and Chipper scored Kelly from first on an RBI double. The Phillies scored three more in the seventh off Oscar Villarreal.
Now for the good stuff. Chipper doubled to lead off the bottom of the eighth, Teixeira flied out. Mccann then singled, which sent Chipper to third, then Francoeur singled, scored Chipper and sent Brian to second. Thorman then singled to load the bases, then while Yunel was batting, Brett Myers threw a wild pitch, to score Chris Woodward (pinch running) and send the runners up a base. Yunel walked, Diaz singled to score a run, then Harris walked to score another run.
Bottom nine, two outs, bases clear, Jeff singles, then Prado singles, Yunel walks, sets the stage for Diaz who clears the bases with a walk-off double to the opposite field.
Player of the Game: Well, I think it's pretty obvious, but I'll try and explain how big Diaz was. Using a statistic called WPA, this stat is updated live during games at fangraphs.com. It gives you the data on how likely you team is to win the game. They can also assign a percentage to a player on how much they helped their team to win a game. Teams have even chances to win at the start of the game so each team has a 50% chance of winning, a team only needs to gain another 50% to win the game. Matt Diaz won 90.8% of the game for us, or a WPA .908, the league leader for the season, A-Rod, has a combined WPA on the season of 6.10. WOW!
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Prado Called Up
The Braves have called up 2B Martin Prado. This article from atlantabraves.com also mentions that after Richmond coucludes its season, Chad Paronto, Joey Devine, and Gregor Blanco could be called up.
Do The Braves Still Have a Shot?
As of today, the Braves are 7 1/2 out of first in the NL East; and 5 1/2 out of first in the NL Wildcard, with 4 teams ahead of them. There are 24 games left to be played, 5 against the Phillies, 3 at the Mets, and the rest are against teams that are 1 game over .500 or worse.
In the AJC (subscription required), Terrence Moore reminisces about other teams that have over come greater deficiets. In 1964, the Cardinals trailed 6 1/2 games to the Phillies with 12 games left to play. The Cardinals managed to win the pennant with 1 game of breathing room over the Phillies. Remeber the 'Miracle Mets' in '69, or the 2002 Oakland A's who won 20 straight games to make it to the playoffs. Moore uses these teams as proof that the Braves still have a shot, even though everyone is dismissing them as non-contenders.
PECOTA projects the Braves to have a 6.5% chance to make the playoffs. It only gives us a .75% chance to win the division, so we'll concentrate on the wildcard. On average, the winner of the NL Wildcard has 88 wins. Currently, the Braves have a record of 70-68, to make it to 90 wins which has a good chance to clinch the Wildcard, the Braves would need to go 20-4 the rest of the season. This sounds hard, and it is. But, it is definitely possible for the Braves and their explosive offense, with the help of some solid starting pitching from James, Carlyle, and Cormier.
In the AJC (subscription required), Terrence Moore reminisces about other teams that have over come greater deficiets. In 1964, the Cardinals trailed 6 1/2 games to the Phillies with 12 games left to play. The Cardinals managed to win the pennant with 1 game of breathing room over the Phillies. Remeber the 'Miracle Mets' in '69, or the 2002 Oakland A's who won 20 straight games to make it to the playoffs. Moore uses these teams as proof that the Braves still have a shot, even though everyone is dismissing them as non-contenders.
PECOTA projects the Braves to have a 6.5% chance to make the playoffs. It only gives us a .75% chance to win the division, so we'll concentrate on the wildcard. On average, the winner of the NL Wildcard has 88 wins. Currently, the Braves have a record of 70-68, to make it to 90 wins which has a good chance to clinch the Wildcard, the Braves would need to go 20-4 the rest of the season. This sounds hard, and it is. But, it is definitely possible for the Braves and their explosive offense, with the help of some solid starting pitching from James, Carlyle, and Cormier.
Sheldon Taylor
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Game Thread
Sorry we haven't beeen doing game threads and recaps...its taking us a little bit of time to get organized. Also, my cowriters are out of town and may not be getting access to a computer. Anyway, today will start the threads and recaps. I think we have a pretty good sense of timing, as today's the fifth career matchup of Glavine and Smoltz.
Tom Glavine (11-6, 4.15) goes against John Smoltz (12-6, 3.06) in what should be an exciting matchup of two future hall-of-famers. Game time is 1:05 P.M. and the game will be broadcast on TBS.
Tom Glavine (11-6, 4.15) goes against John Smoltz (12-6, 3.06) in what should be an exciting matchup of two future hall-of-famers. Game time is 1:05 P.M. and the game will be broadcast on TBS.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Waiver Trade Deadline
With the waiver trade deadline passing a couple of days ago, many Braves fans are asking why we didn’t go after a pitcher that had cleared waivers, like Odalis Perez or Josh Towers. The obvious question is “Would an acquisition have really mattered?” But for the sake of dicussion, let’s take a look at these players and evaluate whether or not they could have helped the Braves.
Odalis Perez, the former Brave is an interesting case. His ERA, 5.57 doesn’t look great, but he hasn’t been helped by a .337 BABIP, or batting average on balls in play. Here is a short Wikipedia article explaining BABIP. Whan you consider that a .300 BABIP is league average, you can couclude that Perez has been unlucky. His ground ball %, 45%, is very solid as well. Now to the negatives. His K/9 rate has dipped to a career low 4.19 while his BB/9 rate has increased from 2.21 to 3.28. This probably means that he is pressing too hard, trying to be perfect too much. Brandon Webb had similar symptoms earlier in the season, and I’d say he’s done all right, so the problem is most likely fixable. The main problem is his contract. He’s making 7.75 million this year, and has a 9 million club option for next year. As a result, any trade may have been a rental.
Verdict: Good Decision to Pass
Josh Towers is a more interesting case. As of now, Towers sports a 5.19 ERA, but he’s pitching in the toughest division in baseball. Shave about a run-and-a-half off that ERA (shift to National League and easier division) and you have an excellent ERA. His peripherals are soild across the board. His K/BB ratio is 3.60 (right behind Jake Peavy), which is exceptional. His HR/9 rate and BABIP are too high, suggesting that he’s been unlucky as well. His contract isn’t bad either. He makes 2.9 milllion in 07’, and he’s arbitration eligible in 08’. He has had clubhouse issues, dissing fellow Blue Jays, but that clubhouse does that to people. If you don’t remember, Shea Hillenbrand became upset when nobody in the front office congratulated him on the adoption of his child and he later got in a fight with manager John Gibbons. Anyway, I hope Schuerholz at least inquired, but no rumors have provided evidence to support it.
Verdict: Should’ve Taken A Stab
Odalis Perez, the former Brave is an interesting case. His ERA, 5.57 doesn’t look great, but he hasn’t been helped by a .337 BABIP, or batting average on balls in play. Here is a short Wikipedia article explaining BABIP. Whan you consider that a .300 BABIP is league average, you can couclude that Perez has been unlucky. His ground ball %, 45%, is very solid as well. Now to the negatives. His K/9 rate has dipped to a career low 4.19 while his BB/9 rate has increased from 2.21 to 3.28. This probably means that he is pressing too hard, trying to be perfect too much. Brandon Webb had similar symptoms earlier in the season, and I’d say he’s done all right, so the problem is most likely fixable. The main problem is his contract. He’s making 7.75 million this year, and has a 9 million club option for next year. As a result, any trade may have been a rental.
Verdict: Good Decision to Pass
Josh Towers is a more interesting case. As of now, Towers sports a 5.19 ERA, but he’s pitching in the toughest division in baseball. Shave about a run-and-a-half off that ERA (shift to National League and easier division) and you have an excellent ERA. His peripherals are soild across the board. His K/BB ratio is 3.60 (right behind Jake Peavy), which is exceptional. His HR/9 rate and BABIP are too high, suggesting that he’s been unlucky as well. His contract isn’t bad either. He makes 2.9 milllion in 07’, and he’s arbitration eligible in 08’. He has had clubhouse issues, dissing fellow Blue Jays, but that clubhouse does that to people. If you don’t remember, Shea Hillenbrand became upset when nobody in the front office congratulated him on the adoption of his child and he later got in a fight with manager John Gibbons. Anyway, I hope Schuerholz at least inquired, but no rumors have provided evidence to support it.
Verdict: Should’ve Taken A Stab
Not Enough Passion?
“We’ve got to start playing with a little more passion.”
This was said by Tim Hudson after yesterday’s loss. Here’s the question: Are the Braves a little too tight? You never see some of the crazy high-fives and chest mashing as you see in other team dugouts. Also, there are the comments made by former Braves. Recently shipped out Kyle Davies commented that he felt restricted in the clubhouse. Here’s an excerpt from a recent AJC story:
Davies said he immediately felt comfortable in the Kansas City clubhouse."Everybody comes up and talks to me; it's not like it's all business," he said, which spoke to how he'd felt in the Braves clubhouse recently. He was asked, then, if he thought the Braves' clubhouse, which has a reputation for quietly professional, was too buttoned down.
"I don't think they're buttoned down, but I just think everybody is uptight," Davies said. "Everybody is trying to do this, trying to do that, instead of letting everything come to them." Which means Davies was doing that too, right? "You're a product of what you're around," he said.
Braves fans who have painfully watched this brutal stretch know that something is going wrong. Generally, one way to break out of a rut is to change things up. Maybe a more cheerful, enthusiastic attitude would help turn things around. It’s worth a try.
Some Braves fans would point out, and rightfully so, that the Braves have had these policies throughout the streak and wonder why the Braves would deviate from that attitude. When you look at the team through the 90’s, most of the Braves teams were comprised of veterans, with maybe a few rookies. Now, the team is younger, with Yunel Escobar, Brian McCann, Kelly Johnson, and Jeff Francoeur playing key roles. Perhaps these players would thrive in looser atmosphere. What are your thoughts?
This was said by Tim Hudson after yesterday’s loss. Here’s the question: Are the Braves a little too tight? You never see some of the crazy high-fives and chest mashing as you see in other team dugouts. Also, there are the comments made by former Braves. Recently shipped out Kyle Davies commented that he felt restricted in the clubhouse. Here’s an excerpt from a recent AJC story:
Davies said he immediately felt comfortable in the Kansas City clubhouse."Everybody comes up and talks to me; it's not like it's all business," he said, which spoke to how he'd felt in the Braves clubhouse recently. He was asked, then, if he thought the Braves' clubhouse, which has a reputation for quietly professional, was too buttoned down.
"I don't think they're buttoned down, but I just think everybody is uptight," Davies said. "Everybody is trying to do this, trying to do that, instead of letting everything come to them." Which means Davies was doing that too, right? "You're a product of what you're around," he said.
Braves fans who have painfully watched this brutal stretch know that something is going wrong. Generally, one way to break out of a rut is to change things up. Maybe a more cheerful, enthusiastic attitude would help turn things around. It’s worth a try.
Some Braves fans would point out, and rightfully so, that the Braves have had these policies throughout the streak and wonder why the Braves would deviate from that attitude. When you look at the team through the 90’s, most of the Braves teams were comprised of veterans, with maybe a few rookies. Now, the team is younger, with Yunel Escobar, Brian McCann, Kelly Johnson, and Jeff Francoeur playing key roles. Perhaps these players would thrive in looser atmosphere. What are your thoughts?
Friday, August 31, 2007
September Callups
The Braves have called up relief pitcher Royce Ring, catcher Brayan Pena, and everyone's favorite 50 year-old ballplayer, 1B Julio Franco.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Divisional Roundup 8/30/07
This column will sum up the week's action around the NL East. All the other teams' transactions, player news, and how they’ve been playing over the last week will be summarized in a brief paragraph for each team. This column will be published every Thursday.
Mets: The Mets' biggest splash this week was landing 1B/OF Jeff Conine from the Cincinnati Reds for Minor Leaguers Jose Castro and Sean Henry. Jeff has career numbers of .285/.347/.444, which aren’t bad for a guy drafted in the 57th round. And it isn't like Castro or Henry are particularly interesting prospects. Conine will serve as a pinch hitter, and can play left field to give rickety 41-year-old Moises Alou the night off. To make room for Conine on the 40-man roster, Pedro Martinez was moved to the 60-day DL. Pedro is expected to make one more rehab start and then join the Mets after rosters expand. Paul Lo Duca was activated from the DL after missing 15 days with a hamstring injury. Reliever Ambiorix Burgos underwent Tommy John surgery on Tuesday, he will miss most if not all of next season recovering. Think the Mets are regretting dealing Brian Bannister for Burgos this past winter? Damion Easley, Jose Valentin's miracle replacement at second base, will miss the rest of the season with a severe ankle sprain. Endy Chavez was activated from the DL, after missing 2½ months with a partially torn hamstring. The Mets missed him quite a bit. He was a Willie-Harris-esque spark plug in their lineup.
The Mets have had their stuggles on the field this week as well, going only 2-5 over the last 7 games. Much of the blame for their stuggles can be pinned on the 4.79 ERA they posted in those games, and the .315 BAA. Billy Wagner also struggled in the past week, pitching 2 innings and giving up 3 ER, but he didn't receive any losses. Their batting fared just as well; they were 22nd in the league with only 25 runs over the last 7 games. But there have been a few bright spots: David Wright went 10-for-22, with 2 doubles, 2 homeruns, 3 stolen bases, 7 RBIs, and only 6 strikeouts.
Phillies: Adam Eaton was activated from the DL with a sore shoulder. This could actually be good news for the Braves, as Eaton has only managed a 6.23 ERA over 138.2 IP this year. Chase Utley was activated from the DL after suffering a broken wrist, but expect it to be a while before his power returns. Recent signee Russell Branyan was designated for assignment to make room for him. Dropping Branyan doesn't really make much sense, given that Greg Dobbs is left with most of that playing time. Cole Hamels was sent to the DL with a mild MCL strain in his left elbow, but an MRI showed no ligament damge. He is expected to make a start this Sunday. Shane Victorino was activated from the DL after suffering a calf strain. He has still been bothered by it, and he sat out a few games to rest after coming back. Freddy Garcia is seeing a specialist about his sore right shoulder to see if surgery is necessary. In his rehab starts his fastball had been topping out at 84 mph, and currently has no timetable to return.Philadelphia has had a pretty calm week, going 4-3, but that includes a three game winning streak against the Mets that they are taking into tonight's game. They posted a team ERA of 3.80 over the week which was half a run lower than the league average, but curiously had a rather high BAA of .293. The Phillies also had an excellent offensive week, scoring 38 runs and had a BA of .316. Jayson Werth had a sensational week, going 14-for-23 a .609 BA.
Marlins: Ricky Nolasco was activated from the DL, and then optioned to Triple-A. The Marlins aren’t quite ready to give him a spot in the rotation yet. The Marlins signed RHP Byung-Hyun Kim for the rest of the season. The Fish originally let the Diamondbacks take Kim on waivers, so the Snakes were responsible for his contract for the rest of the year. Then when the Diamondbacks dropped him last week, the Marlins came and signed him for league minimum. He will start Saturday or Sunday. Aaron Boone will undergo season ending knee surgery on Sept. 4, having been on the DL since June 25. RHP Henry Owens is going to see a specialist about his right shoulder to see if surgery is necessary. Owens has been on the DL since June 9.
Florida had a horrible week pitching, posting a 6.68 ERA (with alot of help from the Braves) but still went 2-5 thanks to their 34 runs scored. Miguel Cabrera has been stone-cold recently, posting a .083 BA (2 for 24) but Jeremy Hermida has been able to pick up the slack, going 12-for-30 with 3 doubles and 2 homeruns. Rick Vanden Hurk has been throwing the ball well of late, posting a 1.80 ERA in his last two starts.
Nationals: Nick Johnson had surgery to remove a rod and screw where he broke his leg last year. It is unsure whether he will be ready for spring training. SP John Patterson suffered a setback during rehab, he isn’t expected to rejoin the team this year. He’s been on the DL since May 5 with a nerve problem in his elbow. Wily Mo Pena suffered a contusion on his foot, and is day-to-day. Since joining the Nationals he has showed his outstanding power, with 4 home runs in 34 at-bats. Jason Bergmann was activated from the DL and made his first start on Tuesday. He went 6 innings and gave up 4 runs, walked one and struck out one. John Lannan was optioned to Triple-A to make room for Bergmann.
Washington went 1-6 over the last week, due to their pitching staff who put up a 6.31 ERA over the last week, and a 38/28 K:BB ratio. Their offense has been slumping too, putting up an average of 4.8 runs a game. Dmitri Young sparked that offense, hitting .409, and Ryan Zimmerman drove in 8 runs with the help of 3 homeruns.
Minor League Roundup: 8/22/07-8/29/07
I posted this, but didn't write it. Shashank is our minor league beat writer. Sorry about the lateness, but we're still trying to get all the logistics figured out. This column will normally be a Wednesday column. Without further adieu, a trip around the Braves organization:
Since this is the inaugural Minor League Roundup, I thought I’d include some background info so you’ll know what the format will be like. Each week, there will be a short description of each team’s week along with a Who’s Hot, Who’s Not type update. Here’s hoping you will become weekly readers!
AAA: The Richmond Braves went just 2-5 over the past week, including a four game losing streak. They have now dropped to 2 GB of the International South leading Durham Bulls.
Who’s Hot: Not many guys hit well this past week, but both Brayan Pena and Gregor Blanco hit .333 while Pena also added a homer and 4 RBI. Joey Devine and Zach Schreiber have pitched well in relief, with Devine striking out seven in four innings of work.
Who’s Not: Brandon Jones and Brent Lillibridge had down weeks, but both have solid numbers overall on the season, with Jones hitting .311 and Lillibridge hitting .296. Look for them both to be in Atlanta come the start of the 2008 season. The rotation in general had a bad week, with the exception of Jeff Bennett. Pitching prospect Dan Smith got hammered, allowing five runs in four and two-thirds. He’s struggled since being moved up.
Notes: Pitcher Kevin Barry went on the DL. Martin Prado was named an International League All-Star for his performance during the ’07 season.
AA: The Mississippi Braves went 3-4 this past week, not a bad week in what has been an interesting season record-wise. The Braves won the division in the first half but sit in last place in the second half. Overall, the Braves are in 4th, 13 games back of the division leading Jacksonville Suns.
Who’s Hot: A guy who’s dropped off the radar , J.C Holt, has hit .367 with multi-hit games in his past three. Prospect Van Pope is finally showing signs of life, with a .304 average and a homer this past week in an otherwise forgettable season (he’s hitting .223).
Who’s Not: Kala Kaaihue is 1 for 22 in his last seven games. He has really struggled since being called up from Myrtle Beach, where he hit .298 with 22 homers. The main problem has been strikeouts… he’s struck out 50 times in just 29 games. These are troubling signs for a Braves fan, especially when you consider that Kaaihue’s our ticket to a team without Scott Thorman.
Notes: Reliever Kevin Gunderson has just been called up to Mississippi. He has tossed two scoreless innings, allowing five hits. After being lights out in Rome and Myrtle Beach, righty Kris Medlen was called up and promptly gave up three earned runs in a third of an inning. Not exactly an inspiring start.
High-A: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans have gone 0-8 (make-up games included) over the last week. They currently sit last in the Carolina South at 59-75.
Who’s Hot: Ouch. That’s all you can say. OF Jordan Schafer hit .346 with a homer and 2B Diory Hernandez hit .360 with a couple of stolen bases, but that’s all the production the Pelicans could muster up.
Who’s Not: Everybody else. Literally. Eric Campbell takes the cake, though. Due to insubordination (Rotowire), Eric Campbell has been suspended for the rest of the season. I don’t understand what’s going on. This is the second time he’s been suspended, and this suspension just adds icing to an already disappointing season. Maybe the Braves should adopt a three strike policy with him…one more suspension and he’s gone. Any suggestions?
Notes: Pitcher Tommy Hanson has been called up for Rome, and he has struggled with his control. Despite his 6’6” height, he’s more of a control pitcher, but he is racking up some strikeouts as well.
Low-A: The Rome Braves have gone 4-3 this week. They sit in fifth at 35-30 (tough league) and 6.5 games back of the Columbus Catfish. Minor league team names are excellent
Who’s Hot: RF Jon Owings hit a couple homers, but again, not many quality prospects here. I guess that’s what happens when you trade your farm for one player. I do like Teixeira, by the way, we just gave up too much. Starter Jamie Richmond pitched six solid innings in his last start, giving up just one earned run and striking out six. He’s got a 3.56 ERA on the season.
Who’s Not: Can I say Eric Campbell again? No? Well, beyond Richmond, there’s not much here in terms of potential, so maybe saying the Rome Braves overall would be appropriate. I guess 2007 draft pick Brandon Hicks, a shortstop, whose bad week hasn’t put a damper on his overall average, which is .311.
Rookie: Danville has gone 4-3 this week. They’re in first place at 48-20 and have clinched their division. The playoffs start in about a week.
Who’s Hot: First round draft picks Jason Heyward and Cody Johnson lead the list. Heyward is hitting a solid .333 since his call up, while Johnson may deserve a whole new category for himself: Who’s Really Hot? Johnson hit .320 this week and added three homers to his league-leading total. His 17 homers in 62 games leads the league by seven. Jeff Locke has been on fire as well, going six and two-thirds with 11 K’s in his last outing. His record’s up to 7-1. Steve Evarts improved to 4-0 with a 1.95 ERA when he threw five scoreless with seven K’s in his last appearance
Who’s Not: 2007 draft pick Dennis Dixon hasn’t hit well. He has only gotten ten at-bats, though.
Short-season rookie: The GCL Braves finished with a 2-3 record in a miserable season overall. They have finished their season at 17-43, 25.5 games behind the GCL Yankees (as much as I hate to say it).
Who Finished Hot: Samuel Sime finished with five homers, the lone bright spot on a weak offense. Eric Barrett finished with a 1.36 ERA
Who Finished Not: Prospect Cory Rasmus took a beating, ending with an 8.59 ERA.
Well, that’s it for this week. Hope you enjoyed it and don’t worry, they will be shorter from here on out.
Since this is the inaugural Minor League Roundup, I thought I’d include some background info so you’ll know what the format will be like. Each week, there will be a short description of each team’s week along with a Who’s Hot, Who’s Not type update. Here’s hoping you will become weekly readers!
AAA: The Richmond Braves went just 2-5 over the past week, including a four game losing streak. They have now dropped to 2 GB of the International South leading Durham Bulls.
Who’s Hot: Not many guys hit well this past week, but both Brayan Pena and Gregor Blanco hit .333 while Pena also added a homer and 4 RBI. Joey Devine and Zach Schreiber have pitched well in relief, with Devine striking out seven in four innings of work.
Who’s Not: Brandon Jones and Brent Lillibridge had down weeks, but both have solid numbers overall on the season, with Jones hitting .311 and Lillibridge hitting .296. Look for them both to be in Atlanta come the start of the 2008 season. The rotation in general had a bad week, with the exception of Jeff Bennett. Pitching prospect Dan Smith got hammered, allowing five runs in four and two-thirds. He’s struggled since being moved up.
Notes: Pitcher Kevin Barry went on the DL. Martin Prado was named an International League All-Star for his performance during the ’07 season.
AA: The Mississippi Braves went 3-4 this past week, not a bad week in what has been an interesting season record-wise. The Braves won the division in the first half but sit in last place in the second half. Overall, the Braves are in 4th, 13 games back of the division leading Jacksonville Suns.
Who’s Hot: A guy who’s dropped off the radar , J.C Holt, has hit .367 with multi-hit games in his past three. Prospect Van Pope is finally showing signs of life, with a .304 average and a homer this past week in an otherwise forgettable season (he’s hitting .223).
Who’s Not: Kala Kaaihue is 1 for 22 in his last seven games. He has really struggled since being called up from Myrtle Beach, where he hit .298 with 22 homers. The main problem has been strikeouts… he’s struck out 50 times in just 29 games. These are troubling signs for a Braves fan, especially when you consider that Kaaihue’s our ticket to a team without Scott Thorman.
Notes: Reliever Kevin Gunderson has just been called up to Mississippi. He has tossed two scoreless innings, allowing five hits. After being lights out in Rome and Myrtle Beach, righty Kris Medlen was called up and promptly gave up three earned runs in a third of an inning. Not exactly an inspiring start.
High-A: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans have gone 0-8 (make-up games included) over the last week. They currently sit last in the Carolina South at 59-75.
Who’s Hot: Ouch. That’s all you can say. OF Jordan Schafer hit .346 with a homer and 2B Diory Hernandez hit .360 with a couple of stolen bases, but that’s all the production the Pelicans could muster up.
Who’s Not: Everybody else. Literally. Eric Campbell takes the cake, though. Due to insubordination (Rotowire), Eric Campbell has been suspended for the rest of the season. I don’t understand what’s going on. This is the second time he’s been suspended, and this suspension just adds icing to an already disappointing season. Maybe the Braves should adopt a three strike policy with him…one more suspension and he’s gone. Any suggestions?
Notes: Pitcher Tommy Hanson has been called up for Rome, and he has struggled with his control. Despite his 6’6” height, he’s more of a control pitcher, but he is racking up some strikeouts as well.
Low-A: The Rome Braves have gone 4-3 this week. They sit in fifth at 35-30 (tough league) and 6.5 games back of the Columbus Catfish. Minor league team names are excellent
Who’s Hot: RF Jon Owings hit a couple homers, but again, not many quality prospects here. I guess that’s what happens when you trade your farm for one player. I do like Teixeira, by the way, we just gave up too much. Starter Jamie Richmond pitched six solid innings in his last start, giving up just one earned run and striking out six. He’s got a 3.56 ERA on the season.
Who’s Not: Can I say Eric Campbell again? No? Well, beyond Richmond, there’s not much here in terms of potential, so maybe saying the Rome Braves overall would be appropriate. I guess 2007 draft pick Brandon Hicks, a shortstop, whose bad week hasn’t put a damper on his overall average, which is .311.
Rookie: Danville has gone 4-3 this week. They’re in first place at 48-20 and have clinched their division. The playoffs start in about a week.
Who’s Hot: First round draft picks Jason Heyward and Cody Johnson lead the list. Heyward is hitting a solid .333 since his call up, while Johnson may deserve a whole new category for himself: Who’s Really Hot? Johnson hit .320 this week and added three homers to his league-leading total. His 17 homers in 62 games leads the league by seven. Jeff Locke has been on fire as well, going six and two-thirds with 11 K’s in his last outing. His record’s up to 7-1. Steve Evarts improved to 4-0 with a 1.95 ERA when he threw five scoreless with seven K’s in his last appearance
Who’s Not: 2007 draft pick Dennis Dixon hasn’t hit well. He has only gotten ten at-bats, though.
Short-season rookie: The GCL Braves finished with a 2-3 record in a miserable season overall. They have finished their season at 17-43, 25.5 games behind the GCL Yankees (as much as I hate to say it).
Who Finished Hot: Samuel Sime finished with five homers, the lone bright spot on a weak offense. Eric Barrett finished with a 1.36 ERA
Who Finished Not: Prospect Cory Rasmus took a beating, ending with an 8.59 ERA.
Well, that’s it for this week. Hope you enjoyed it and don’t worry, they will be shorter from here on out.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Welcome to Tomahawk Talk!
Thanks for visiting. This site is going to be dedicated to all things Atlanta Braves. We’re going to be dedicated to providing the best Braves coverage anywhere.
So who are we anyway? You’ll hear from three authors on this site: Shashank Bharadwaj, Tom Gieryn (some of you know me as rtgthree on ProSportsDaily), and Sheldon Taylor. We’re three Atlanta guys who all have lifelong obsessions with Braves baseball. This blog is the result of our combined desire to write about, discuss and analyze every aspect of the Braves.
There will be at least one post every day, and here’s what you can expect to find if you visit regularly:
1. Game recaps: We’ll have detailed reports on every Braves game, day in and day out—and not written by somebody who just read the box score the next morning.
2. Columns: Each day of the week we’ll put up a different column covering different pieces and angles of the Braves organization. Here’s what we plan to write about:
Monday: Players of the Week…we’ll name the most valuable Braves over the previous week
Tuesday: A Look Back...starting in 1990, we’ll look at the transformation of the team from last place to its 14th straight division title, evaluating each move along the way
Wednesday: Minor League Roundup…a trip around the Braves minor league system (who’s hot, who’s not, who’s on and off the radar)
Thursday: Divisional Roundup…we’ll break down each team in the NL East, from their play on the field to their personnel moves
Friday: Prospect Profile…each week, we’ll take a detailed look at a different prospect out of our system
Saturday: Point/Counterpoint…we’ll pick a topic and have two writers write opposing views about a specific Braves question
Sunday: Stat of the Week…to understand some of the advanced stats we’ll use, this series will introduce sabermetric numbers and what they mean for player evaluation
3. News and Rumors: We’ll cover every tidbit of Braves news we can get our hands on, and give you at least a brief analysis of what happened, why it happened and what it means for the team and the players involved. Also Tomahawk Talk can be your one-stop shopping for any reported rumors that could involve the Braves. Any articles or blog posts we find about the Braves that we like, we’ll link to, and offer our commentary on what another writer has to say.
4. Discussion: You can’t be a good blogger without good readers. We want to hear from all of you. Leave comments, write us e-mails at tomahawktalk755@gmail.com. We’ll participate in the discussion on the comments, and we’ll be looking for e-mail suggestions for columns. If you see an article about the Braves (that isn’t just a game recap), send us the link. If you have a question, ask us and we’ll do a “Mailbag” column to answer it. We want to know which prospects you want to know more about for Prospect Profile, and we’d love suggestions for topics for our Point/Counterpoint column.
I’m not really big on “rules” on a blog. This should be an opportunity for everybody to voice their Braves opinions. I kind of expect that we’ll all be decent to each other and avoid profanity, racism, etc. I’m going to make it so you have to register to post, just so we can get to know each other.
Finally, I’ll ask for a favor from all of you readers. You don’t have to like our blog, but if you do, please tell your friends. The more readership we have, the better our discussion will be. If you have a blog or website, link to us. E-mail links to your buddies. Quote us on forums where you post.
Thanks for visiting and GO BRAVES!!!!!!!
So who are we anyway? You’ll hear from three authors on this site: Shashank Bharadwaj, Tom Gieryn (some of you know me as rtgthree on ProSportsDaily), and Sheldon Taylor. We’re three Atlanta guys who all have lifelong obsessions with Braves baseball. This blog is the result of our combined desire to write about, discuss and analyze every aspect of the Braves.
There will be at least one post every day, and here’s what you can expect to find if you visit regularly:
1. Game recaps: We’ll have detailed reports on every Braves game, day in and day out—and not written by somebody who just read the box score the next morning.
2. Columns: Each day of the week we’ll put up a different column covering different pieces and angles of the Braves organization. Here’s what we plan to write about:
Monday: Players of the Week…we’ll name the most valuable Braves over the previous week
Tuesday: A Look Back...starting in 1990, we’ll look at the transformation of the team from last place to its 14th straight division title, evaluating each move along the way
Wednesday: Minor League Roundup…a trip around the Braves minor league system (who’s hot, who’s not, who’s on and off the radar)
Thursday: Divisional Roundup…we’ll break down each team in the NL East, from their play on the field to their personnel moves
Friday: Prospect Profile…each week, we’ll take a detailed look at a different prospect out of our system
Saturday: Point/Counterpoint…we’ll pick a topic and have two writers write opposing views about a specific Braves question
Sunday: Stat of the Week…to understand some of the advanced stats we’ll use, this series will introduce sabermetric numbers and what they mean for player evaluation
3. News and Rumors: We’ll cover every tidbit of Braves news we can get our hands on, and give you at least a brief analysis of what happened, why it happened and what it means for the team and the players involved. Also Tomahawk Talk can be your one-stop shopping for any reported rumors that could involve the Braves. Any articles or blog posts we find about the Braves that we like, we’ll link to, and offer our commentary on what another writer has to say.
4. Discussion: You can’t be a good blogger without good readers. We want to hear from all of you. Leave comments, write us e-mails at tomahawktalk755@gmail.com. We’ll participate in the discussion on the comments, and we’ll be looking for e-mail suggestions for columns. If you see an article about the Braves (that isn’t just a game recap), send us the link. If you have a question, ask us and we’ll do a “Mailbag” column to answer it. We want to know which prospects you want to know more about for Prospect Profile, and we’d love suggestions for topics for our Point/Counterpoint column.
I’m not really big on “rules” on a blog. This should be an opportunity for everybody to voice their Braves opinions. I kind of expect that we’ll all be decent to each other and avoid profanity, racism, etc. I’m going to make it so you have to register to post, just so we can get to know each other.
Finally, I’ll ask for a favor from all of you readers. You don’t have to like our blog, but if you do, please tell your friends. The more readership we have, the better our discussion will be. If you have a blog or website, link to us. E-mail links to your buddies. Quote us on forums where you post.
Thanks for visiting and GO BRAVES!!!!!!!
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