Braves vs Brewers

It's been a couple days since my last post. I took today off from work (sick) and was able to watch the game. I was thinking of what to put in a rant post until the Braves scored 7 runs in the 8th. It immediately put a smile on my face just as it did to those in the Braves dugout. I think today was a confidence booster. 9-3 was the final score.


Before I get with today's game. A couple things on the 1st two games...

-Chuck James pitched pretty well on Monday. If he can continue this that would be very helpful.

-Andruw Jones hit his 350th homerun. A pretty impressive accomplishment at the age of 30.

-Some good news on John Smoltz. He left early in yesterday's game due to injury, but it was minor and he will make his next start. What a sigh of relief.

Today's game looked like another loss. I was pretty disappointed the Braves could only get one run off of Dave Bush. It always seems like the Braves can't hit poor pitchers. Tim Hudson threw a wild pitch which let Damian Miller score from 3rd, putting the Brewers up 2-1 in the bottom of the 7th. When the TBS broadcasters said that the Brewers are 25-1 with a lead after the 7th, I thought for sure the Braves lost this.

-I thought everyone did pretty well, except for Scott Thorman and Pete Orr. I am being patient with Thorman, because I believe he can improve if he continues to play on an everyday basis. I am trying to figure out why Pete Orr is still on the team. Orr, Woodward, and Prado need to go.

-Rafael Soriano was pretty dominant all of May. This game he struck out the 1st two batters on 6 pitches. Prince Fielder cooled him off with a homerun.

The Braves get an off day tomorrow and will begin a series agianst the Chicago Cubs on Friday.

Phillies Sweep Braves

The Braves lost game 3 of a 3 game series today. They lost all three verses the Philadelphia Phillies and now are 4.5 games back of the New York Mets. It won't be long before the Braves slip into 3rd place if they keep playing like this. I really don't know what to say. I am a bit worried right now.

-Kyle Davies pitched 4.1 innings with 8 earned runs. He is now 2-3 with a 5.51 ERA. This guy is confusing. One game he pitches well and the next he completely blows up. Still inconsistent as always. I like this guy and really wish he could settle down and be a reliable pitcher.

-Chipper Jones missed the entire series. I just have this feeling that this guy will never be healthy for an entire season again. It might be safe to label him "injury prone." We need Chipper in the lineup as much as possible.

-Matt Diaz continues to hit well, and so does Willie Harris. This is hard for me to chose who should be the primary left fielder. But if they can both hit well in the platoon role, then I guess it's best to leave it be. I like Diaz more, but it is hard to keep Harris out.

-Andruw Jones had a decent game, going 1-2 with a homerun and a rbi. We really need him to step up with the weak pitching we have.

-Jarrod Saltalamacchia went 2-5 with a monster homerun. This guy is a keeper. There has to be a spot for him to play everyday soon.

-Then you have Scott Thorman, who makes it harder for someone like Saltalamacchia to get time at 1st base. Thorman keeps showing flashes of brilliance like in today's game. He went 2-4 with 1 rbi. I think we have to be fair and keep Thorman in.

-I'm really not impressed with Martin Prado. The guy can't hit at all. I don't expect him to be up on this team for very long.

-Macay McBride and Chad Paronto aren't making me very happy. At least Bobby used them in a garbage game instead of a game with a lead.

As far as the series went, I was very disappointed. I might be wrong about Tim Hudson being back. Maybe his good start was a fluke, or maybe he can't find the right mechanics lately. I'm hoping he can get back on track because the Braves really need it.

This team right now does not look like a division winner. Lets hope they don't repeat last season's poor performance in June.

Mike Gonzalez to have Tommy John

Well, this is pretty bad news. Arguably our best reliever will be out for the year after Tommy John surgery. This was quite a shock when I found out. Last I knew everything was going well and Gonzalez felt no pain. Well, I hope the best of luck to him and hope he can return to the team next season. So much for trading Adam Laroche away. I would certainly be angry if Adam was currently tearing it up.

This is quite a hit on our bullpen. I think the Braves ought to do a trade for another quality reliever or start sending guys up from the minors to see who fits best.

Braves vs Mets Game Rant

Wow, again Oliver Perez pitches lights out against the Braves. I can't figure it out. I wasn't able to watch any of tonight's game, but last time the Braves faced him I couldn't stand it when he hopped over the foul line on his way to the dugout. It was childlike. Just imagine John Smoltz skipping along like a little fairy.

Of course when Bobby Cox snorts a kilo of cocaine before a game(not really), he is certainly bound to have a lineup like this...

Martin Prado 0-4 .111 avg
Edgar Renteria
Chipper Jones
Jeff Francoeur
Matt Diaz
Andruw Jones
J. Saltalamacchia
Chris Woodward 0-4 3 strikeouts .207 avg

Can anyone explain to me why Chris Woodward was playing at 1st base? I thought that Scott Thorman was to be given a chance to play everyday and that Jarrod Saltalamacchia was to be the backup. Let me sum up Chris Woodward in one word...GARBAGE. The Braves released Craig Wilson and Mark Redmond, it is now time to get rid of Woodward. We have a good amount of infielders in the minors who I am sure can do better than this guy...

I also can't figure out why Martin Prado was in the lineup either. Here is Kelly Johnsons recent schedule.

Play
Rest-enter game in 6th inning
Play
Rest
Day Off
Play
Rest

I understand that Johnson struck out 4 times vs Perez last time they played. However, I'll still take the chance and go with him over Prado.

Maybe if Bobby feels the need to "rest" anyone, it should be Andruw Jones. His presence in the lineup isn't really helping either way. Tonight, the Braves had 4 pitchers in the lineup.

My lineup for tonight is better than the one assembled by Cox-this is IF Thorman needed any rest.

Johnson .423 obp/.574 slug/.328 avg against lefties
Renteria
Chipper
Francoeur
McCann - catcher
Saltalamacchia - 1b
Diaz
Andruw


Tom Glavine will face John Smoltz tomorrow. This game is certainly a winnable game. It's only a matter of how Cox decides to use his players.

Redmond Released-Devine Called Up

It is about time. This guy should have never been signed in the 1st place. The Braves also called up Joey Devine to fill in a spot in the bullpen. The guy has a ton of potential and hopefully this time up he has better luck.

Here is an article on both from the Braves official site.

ATLANTA -- Despite all of his enormous struggles, Braves manager Bobby Cox had remained optimistic that Mark Redman would eventually turn things around this season. If he eventually does, it will benefit somebody other than Cox.

Before Tuesday night's series opener against the Mets at Turner Field, the Braves announced that they had given Redman his unconditional release. To take his spot on the 25-man roster, they recalled Joey Devine, who will remain with the big-league club until they need to promote a starting pitcher for Saturday's game against the Phillies.

After Redman posted a 10.62 ERA through his first five starts of the season, the Braves placed him on the 15-day disabled list and hoped that an ingrown toenail had indeed been the root of his struggles. The initial plan was to allow him a month to rehab with Triple-A Richmond.

But with health concerns surrounding Anthony Lerew and John Smoltz, the two hurlers they started in Saturday's doubleheader, they opted to cut Redman's rehab short. Then after watching him surrender four hits, including a grand slam and issue two walks while recording just four outs in relief on Saturday, they came to the conclusion that they had to part ways with the 32-year-old veteran.

"The deal was to give him four or five starts down there [at Richmond] to get it together and then come back," Cox said. "But we needed somebody on standby for Lerew and Smoltz in case they couldn't pitch. I thought it was only fair that he be the guy. It just didn't work out."

Cox seemed somewhat distraught after delivering the news to Redman, who saw opponents hit .380 against him in six Major League appearances.

When the Braves signed Redman on March 9, he certainly appeared to be an economically wise option to provide stability to the back end of their starting rotation. At the time, they didn't know how much time Mike Hampton was going to miss with a strained left oblique muscle.

Now with Hampton missing another season because of another elbow surgery and Redman back on the unemployment line, the Braves are in search of a fifth starter. Cox said the most likely candidates to start on Saturday are Trey Hodges and Buddy Carlyle, both of whom are enjoying successful seasons with Richmond.

Devine, who was the club's top selection in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft, has seemingly gained the control he lacked during the first two rocky years of his professional career. In 22 1/3 innings with Double-A Mississippi, he issued eight walks, surrendered 14 hits and allowed four earned runs. Opponents have hit just .187 against him.

Andruw Jones Rant

Today I visited mlb.com when just a few seconds after, I find the headline "Andruw On Pace for Unflattering Record." I chuckled and clicked on the link to find out just what this record could be. Folks, Andruw is on pace for 188 strikeouts for the season. If he continues this, he could break the Atlanta Braves Franchise record by a large margin and could even break the MLB record set by Adam Dunn in 2004, which is 195. Andruw currently has 51 strikeouts. What many people don't realize is that Dunn himself is already on pace for about that many this year too with 60 strikeouts so far. The obvious reason someone even wrote such an article is because this isn't the Andruw Jones we expected.

The strikeout total isn't what bothers me, it's the attitude this guy has. Here are a few comments quoted from the article.

-"I swing the bat the way I want to swing, the way I swing it all the time," Jones said. "So some days, you're going to have bad days and some days, you're going to have good days."

-"I can go 0-for-24," Jones said. "I don't care. People can make a big deal about it. I don't. I just go out there and play and help my team any way that I can."

-"It's not the first time that I've struggled in my life," Jones said. "It ain't no big deal. Free agent or no free agent, I just go out there and play the same way that I always play."

Does he not sound like a very ignorant person? He is basically refusing to change something with his mechanics to improve his hitting. Does he realize,that he could actually help the team more if he made a big deal out it?

-But while regularly not accepting advice from Braves hitting coach Terry Pendleton, he hasn't shown the initiative necessary to make the adjustments that might have prevented him from recording just five hits in the 36 at-bats that he registered on the forgettable 10-game road trip that the Braves just experienced.

-This mindset provides indication of why he owns a .265 career batting average. His glove and power numbers may allow him to join Reggie Jackson as one of Cooperstown's members who own a sub-.270 career batting average.

-"There are some who are just .260 hitters," Pendleton said. "But there are others who are doing that and possibly are much better than they have shown. He's definitely better than a .260 hitter."

I agree with Pendleton, Andruw Jones has the capability to be a much better hitter. He just refuses to let anyone help him.

Andruw used to be one of my favorite Braves, but lately his character has changed the way I feel about him. In fact, I wouldn't mind if he signed with another team after this season. His defense has been in decline, and he has never been a very great hitter. Maybe it is time for a change in centerfield. Who knows, maybe by the end of the season, I will have totally different thoughts about Andruw.

If I were Bobby Cox, this would be my lineup...I don't believe the whole "righty vs lefty" blah blah garbage makes much of a difference.

Johnson
Renteria
Chipper
McCann
Francoeur
Diaz
Thorman
Andruw

Braves vs RedSox Game Rant

Well, another pathetic performance by the Braves today. This game should have been won. However, the very questionable decisions by Bobby Cox and the T-Ball player Andruw Jones aren't exactly going to help win ball games.

-Martin Prado was called up to fill in a roster spot (Lerew on DL). This call up made no sense at all. Don't we already have enough crappy bench players in Orr/Woodward already? Prado went 1-5 and cost us a run with his defense. This is the guy many Braves fans wanted to start over Kelly Johnson. Well, how do you like him now?

-This was Tim Hudson's first bad start of the season. I guess he was due, but he should have had only 5 earned runs instead of 6. I feel Martin Prado should have been charged with an error when he bobbled a ball during an attempted double play. It should have been turned easily for the last 2 outs of the inning. Instead a run scored and only one out was made.

-Not only was Prado called up, he started today's game in place of Kelly Johnson! What is this? Johnson comes off a night where he smacked in 5 rbi, then rests the next day which is before an off day?

-Chris Woodward played 3rd base while Chipper was DH. Another stupid decision, how are we supposed to win games when you don't have your best players playing? Chipper should of played 3rd, and Saltalamacchia should have been DH.

-Andruw Jones went 0-5 with 5 strikeouts. 5 STRIKEOUTS?!?! Oh, and here is a comment from him in this article.

Andruw assumes sixth spot: With his stiff back healthy enough for him to play on Sunday, Andruw Jones began his stint in the sixth spot of the lineup. For now, he doesn't appear to be too upset about Cox's decision to move him out of the cleanup spot.

"I don't care," Jones said. "It's not the first time that it's happened. So it's not really a big
deal."

Of course you don't care Andruw, it is apparent that you really don't care about a lot of things right now. Like the fact that you are hurting this team right now with your absurd hitting skills. If you did care, you would be working to change this. Hopefully soon enough, you will realize that the chances of you making more big bucks after the season are getting smaller each day you bat something like 0-4 with 3 strikeouts.

I do give Cox credit for moving him out of the 4th spot of the lineup. He shouldn't even be hitting in the 6th spot either. Right now it looks like the pitcher has a better chance of getting a hit.

-I was going to put a post about Anthony Lerew going to the DL, but I'll mention it here. From the same article with Andruw's comments, here is a bit on Lerew.

Lerew's future: After the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, Cox indicated that Lerew's exit after two innings wasn't prompted by a medical issue. Then about five minutes later, the 24-year-old hurler admitted that his right elbow has been bothering him for more than a month.

Obviously still thinking Lerew was healthy enough to pitch, Cox gave him the option of returning to Richmond to continue pitching.

"I gave him a choice," Cox said. "[He could] go down and pitch and get back up here or go on the disabled list. He chose the disabled list."

Cox's words provided indication that he certainly wasn't happy with Lerew, whose aloof personality has caused some to compare him to the Nuke LaLoosh character from the movie "Bull Durham."

That is such a great thing to hear. This makes it harder for the Braves to get of Mark Redmond.

-I posted about Chipper Jones and his comments on the interleague schedule. He was right about the schedule being tough. In fact the toughest in all of MLB.

According to a formula devised by the Elias Sports Bureau, the Braves' Interleague schedule ranks as the toughest in the Majors.

The Braves will face the Mets for a 3 game series starting Tuesday. Former Brave Jorge Sosa will start for the Mets vs Kyle Davies. This is a good chance to climb back up in the NL East standings. The Braves must win at least 2 games.

Braves 1-1 in Double Header

The Braves returned the favor by beating the Boston Redsox 14-0 after losing 13-3 earlier today. Game one was absolutely pathetic by the Braves, but game two was a complete turnaround. Let's hope this motivates the team after a poor stretch of games and makes them continue to win.

Game One

-Anthony Lerew had a bad start. He also had elbow soreness and was removed from the game after 2 innings.

-Mark Redmond, who just came off the DL, was put in for long relief and continued his horrible pitching. Redmond gave up 4 earned runs in 1.1 innings. He has an 11.63 era for the season. Time to say goodbye.

-Chad Paronto, who I thought was going to have a good season, is also a bad pitcher. He gave up 5 runs (4 earned) in 1.1 innings. That is an 8.25 era for Mr. Paronto so far this season. I don't see any reason to keep him on the team any longer.

-Andruw Jones went 0-4 and has a .219 batting average. This guy is completely useless right now. As I mentioned before, he needs to be removed from the cleanup spot of the order until he learns to hit again. He should start taking advice from hitting coach Terry Pendleton now and quit trying to pull everything.

Game Two

-John Smoltz pitched an excellent game today. The pinky he dislocated on his pitching hand in his last start obviously had no effect. 7 innings, 3 hits allowed, 1 BB, and 7 k in todays game. He also lowered his era to 2.85.

-Chipper Jones went 3-5 with his 12th homerun of the season. A great example of why this guy is needed in the lineup as much as possible.

-Kelly Johnson went 3-6 with a homerun and 5 rbi. I am hoping this gets him going agian. A much needed performance he had tonight. He was a single short of going for the cycle.

-Brian McCann also had a good game going 3 -6 with 2 rbi.

Tomorrow the Braves will have Tim Hudson on the mound vs. Kason Gabbard. Gabbard has never pitched in the Majors before and will be making his 1st debate. I expect a win here from the Braves. A series win would be a good start to the interleague play.

Braves Lose Series vs Nationals

The Braves just lost 3 of 4 games against the Washington Nationals. This is absurd. Losing to a team that had just 12 wins before the series is unacceptable. It isn't going to get any easier against the Red Sox who are 27-12.

-Chipper hit a homerun tonight, his 11th of the year. I guess his bruised hands aren't a factor anymore. It's nice to have him back.

-Andruw Jones continues to struggle going 0-4 with a strikeout. He needs to be moved out of the cleanup spot immediately.

-Kelly Johnson was supposed to get rest by taking the day off, but then came in after the 6th inning. Make up your mind Mr. Cox.

-Jeff Francoeur drew a walk. That is now 12 walks for the season.

Tomorrow the Braves will play the Boston Redsox for a 3 game series. Anthony Lerew will face Devern Hansack. Hansack is pitching in place of Josh Beckett, so the Braves must take advantage of this situation.

Craig Wilson Released

Craig Wilson, who I claimed was horrible has been released. This enables Scott Thorman to play everyday. Thorman has improved and is becoming a contributor to the offense. This is a great improvement and it gets rid of one of the platoons. I applaud the Braves management for doing this. This makes me wonder if Matt Diaz will be moved if Willie Harris continues his hot hitting.


Other interesting news is that Braves top prospect Jarrod Saltalamacchia will stay on the Braves and serve as a back up for catcher and first base. I don't know if I like this idea. This could limit his development by having him not play everyday. On the other hand, it could help him by giving him more major league experience. I guess we will have to wait and see what happens. He is a much better player than Craig Wilson and Brayan Pena which is another improvement.

Gonzalez on 15 day DL

This is strange.

WASHINGTON -- Mike Gonzalez still has no clue why he lost so much of his velocity during Tuesday night's game. But for the next two weeks, he'll have the opportunity to rest his left arm.

The Braves placed Gonzalez on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday afternoon and recalled left-handed reliever Macay McBride from Triple-A Richmond.

During the eighth inning of Tuesday night's game against the Nationals, Gonzalez's fastball was being clocked around 83 mph. Just three days earlier while throwing a scoreless inning against his former Pirates teammates, his fastball was registering closer to 92 mph.

Gonzalez, who missed the final five weeks of last season with tendinitis in his left elbow, isn't feeling any sort of discomfort. But the Braves want to take precaution in hopes that he's simply bothered by a dead arm.

Let's hope that this is minimal and doesn't take out our top reliever any longer.

For those who are unaware of what dead arm is, it's actually called "dead arm syndrome" and is common especially among pitchers. I found an explanation on wikipedia. It's not the best source, but at least you can get an idea.

Dead arm syndrome starts with repetitive motion and forces on the posterior capsule of the shoulder. The posterior capsule is a band of fibrous tissue that interconnects with tendons of the rotator cuff of the shoulder. Four muscles and their tendons make up the rotator cuff. They cover the outside of the shoulder to hold, protect, and move the joint.

Overuse can lead to a build up of tissue around the posterior capsule called hypertrophy. The next step is tightness of the posterior capsule called posterior capsular contracture. This type of problem reduces the amount the shoulder can rotate inwardly -- a motion needed by pitchers to throw the ball forward before releasing it.

Over time, with enough force, the player may develop a tear in the labrum. The labrum is a rim of cartilage around the shoulder socket to help hold the head of the humerus (upper arm) in the joint. This condition is called a superior labrum anterior posterior (SLAP) lesion. The final outcome in all these steps is the dead arm phenomenon.

The shoulder is unstable and dislocation may come next. Dead arm syndrome won't go away on its own with rest -- it must be treated. If there's a SLAP lesion, then surgery is needed to repair the problem. If the injury is caught before a SLAP tear, then physical therapy with stretching and exercise can restore it and return the player to the field.

Another Good Outing for Hudson

Tim Hudson threw another Gem tonight (May 15th) verses the Washington Nationals. Hudson is now 5-1 with an ERA of 1.77. I think it is safe to say that Tim Hudson is back to his former self.

-You might have heard about John Smoltz and his dislocated pinky. It was pretty scary at first. There was speculation that the Braves lost their top pitcher for a couple months. As it turns out, his pinky is recovering well and he might be able to make his next start against the Red Sox.

-Chipper Jones is still out with bruised palms. X-Rays were negative, when he will be back is still a question.

-Andruw Jones is still struggling at the plate. He shouldn't be batting cleanup at this point. He has batted .228 since Aug. 7th of last season. Looks like Andruw isn't one of those guys that will benefit from the last year of their contract. I think Andruw is simply trying to hit the ball out of the park each at bat. Whatever the case, he better start hitting soon.

-I am a little concerned about Kelly Johnson right now. Maybe he is in a slump or maybe his impressive 2nd half of April was a fluke. Obviously he wasn't going to bat .350 with an OBP of .450 all season, I just didn't expect this much of a drop off. His batting average has dropped to .280. His walks have also decreased a lot.

-Edgar Renteria continues to impress this season by hitting 2 homeruns tonight.

-Willie Harris has shown no signs of slowing down. I like this guy.

The Braves will continue the series tomorrow. Kyle Davies vs Levale Speigner. I really can't guess the outcome here. Davies could blow up tomorrow and have another bad outing. The Braves could get shut out by Speigner (what they seem to do against unfamiliar pitchers). Or the complete opposite could happen; Davies continues his little streak of good outings and the Braves mash Speigner.

Chipper on Interleague Schedule

Chipper Jones decided to voice his opinion on this year's interleague schedule. He believes it is unfair because of the teams the Braves have to play. They are the Red Sox (6 games), Tigers (3), Twins (3) and Indians (3). Meanwhile, the other teams in the NL East division besides the Mets get easier competition. There is more to it, but I agree with Chipper here. It's not like the people who do work on the schedule don't have any indication how certain teams will perform. Good educated guesses can be made on how good a team will be based on previous years and how the team looks currently. There are plenty of baseball statisticians that already do studies like this and aren't far off. So why is it, that the Braves are scheduled against these potential playoff teams, and not any teams such as the Devil Rays? You can read the article here.

Team Records through May 14th

Red Sox 25-11
Tigers 23-13
Twins 18-19
Indians 21-14

Braves 24-13

Liberty Media- Owners by Wednesday?

From AJC.COM

If all goes according to plan, the Braves — finally, formally — will have a new owner by midnight Wednesday.

Major League Baseball's 30 team owners plan to take up the issue of whether to approve Time Warner's proposed swap of the Braves to Liberty Media at a late-afternoon meeting Wednesday in New York. And if the owners approve the deal, Time Warner and Liberty will be prepared to complete the closing of the complex transaction within hours, so as to beat a change in the federal tax code that takes effect at the stroke of midnight.

A favorable vote by 23 of the 30 MLB owners is required for a team to change owners. Generally, by the time a proposed deal gets to the point of being presented for an owners' vote, the tough issues have been navigated and approval, while not perfunctory, is expected.

So, a process that has inched along for 18 months could culminate with a flurry of activity in Manhattan Wednesday night.

A replay of how the unusual deal — more a trade than a sale, as it turns out — got to this point:

December 2005

Time Warner puts the Braves up for sale. Falcons owner Arthur Blank says he will consider a bid. Time Warner asks Ted Turner if he'd be interested in buying back the team.

January 2006

Turner (right) decides to pass, saying he's "been there, done that." Talks heat up between Time Warner and Blank.

February 2006

Two other prospective local buyers enter the bidding: a group led by real estate executive Ron Terwilliger and the family of radio mogul Lew Dickey Jr.

March 2006

From out of nowhere, Colorado-based Liberty Media Corp. says it "would love" to swap its Time Warner stock for a Time Warner-owned asset, such as the Braves, in a tax-free transaction. Time Warner is initially skeptical that Liberty really would want to own a baseball team.

April 2006

Liberty proves to be serious, after all, about the notion of a tax-free swap of much of its four percent stake in Time Warner for the Braves and, more importantly, $1 billion-plus in cash. (Simply selling the stock back to Time Warner would result in massive taxes; swapping the stock for an asset — the Braves — and cash can be tax-free for both sides.) Time Warner breaks off talks with Blank and other bidders to focus exclusively on trying to do the deal with Liberty.

May 2006

Although on record as preferring local family ownership when possible, baseball commissioner Bud Selig says that a sale of the Braves to an out-of-town corporation wouldn't be a deal breaker for him but that he hopes for some sort of local component to new ownership. President George Bush signs a new tax law that will change the rules for "cash-rich split-offs," legalese for stock swaps such as the one Time Warner and Liberty want to do.

June 2006

With Selig's desire that ownership have some sort of local component — and with Liberty having no apparent passion for hands-on operation of a baseball team — it becomes clear that part of the deal will be a continuing oversight role, perhaps a managing partner-type role, for Braves president Terry McGuirk, who has long ties to both Liberty chairman John Malone and to Selig.

July 2006

Time Warner continues to distance itself from the Braves by reaching a new TV deal with MLB that will end the team's three-decade run as national programming on TBS after the 2007 season.

August 2006

Time Warner and Liberty grapple with the legal requirement that no more than 75 percent of the package being exchanged for stock in this type of tax-free swap can be cash, with at least 25 percent being the value of the operating asset(s) in the deal. The new tax law also requires adjustments in the deal because, for purposes of the 75-25 test, the value of the asset cannot include operating capital and certain investments (such as the Braves' 1/30th stake in MLB's Internet division).

September 2006

"Perhaps all things with Time Warner are complicated, but things related to baseball teams and the like are particularly complicated," Liberty CEO Greg Maffei (right) says at an investor conference.

October 2006

Selig says "steady progress" is being made and that the delays don't trouble him.

November 2006

MLB's last owners' meeting of the year passes with the deal still not ready for a vote.

December 2006

At an investor conference, Maffei cites the difficulty of simultaneously satisfying the IRS and MLB.

January 2007

Negotiations resume after the holidays, with Time Warner now considering including a second asset (the Leisure Arts group of craft magazines) in the deal.

February 2007

All issues finally resolved, Time Warner and Liberty sign a letter of intent and send the deal to MLB for review. Pending MLB approval, Time Warner would put the Braves, Leisure Arts and $1 billion-plus into a newly formed subsidiary, then swap that subsidiary to Liberty for a huge block of Time Warner stock.

March 2007

MLB's legal and financial staff review the deal and investigate the buyer. Selig stresses that his priority is to preserve the stability of the Braves franchise through the ownership change.

April 2007

Malone, the Liberty chairman, is interviewed by baseball's ownership committee. By all accounts, the meeting goes well.

May 2007

The deal, which has unfolded at glacial speed the past 18 months, will be racing the clock on Wednesday. Under a tax-law change that takes effect at midnight, the amount of allowable cash in such a tax-free swap will be reduced from 75 percent to 67.67 percent. If all goes as planned, Liberty Media will own the Braves by then.

Current Braves thoughts

I would like to share what I think about the Braves at this point in the season. So far pretty good. What is even better is that this isn't even the time of the season that the Braves usually play well. In the past the Braves have played poorly in April.

April Record

2002: 12-15
2004: 11-10
2005: 14-10

Braves are currently 23-12 in 1st place. They definitely needed this good start to keep pace with the Mets.

Here is a little thought on some of the players

Kelly Johnson- Cox made the right decision going with this guy. It was a decision between either Johnson or Martin Prado to play 2nd base. Prado put up fairly well numbers in spring training and was known to have good defense. Johnson was chosen and has exceeded many people's expectations. He seems to be cooling off a little bit right now, but still good with .419 obp/.508 slug/.286 avg.

Edgar Renteria-His offense is there (.392/.496/.333) but his defense seems very lacking. He has bad range which lets a lot of balls through. Recently he missed a couple games due to flu like symptoms.

Chipper Jones- Still the same guy putting up good numbers. What is different is that he has been healthy so far this season, which we hope will continue. The Braves need him in the lineup as much as possible. Chipper is hitting .410/.636/.303.

Andruw Jones- Andruw is off to a pretty slow start. These last couple of games he has had a few key hits. Possibly breaking out of his slump? I hope so, he needs to improve this - .373/.463/.236.

Brian McCann- McCann has been kind of quiet so far. He is still putting up good numbers regardless. Perhaps he is one of those guys that always hits his best in the 2nd half of the season. We will see. (.359/.448/.295)

Jeff Francoeur- An improvement on his plate discipline. This is crucial if he wants to be a real big impact player. So far so good, he is likely to improve on his walks throughout the season. (.360/.507/.301)

The rest of the guys have been pretty disappointing. Scott Thorman is not playing to expectations and Craig Wilson is proving why he can't stay on one team for very long. The guys I listed above with some comments are the major contributors to this team as far as scoring runs. Willie Harris is impressive so far, but it's unlikely he will put up this line for very long ( .516/.440/.400 in 25 at-bats). Harris also leads the team in stolen bases with 4.

Is anyone still questioning the Adam Laroche for Mike Gonzalez trade? So far it looks like an absolute steal for the Braves. Laroche is currently batting .279/.278/.165. It was interesting to see Gonzalez pitch against Laroche last night (May 11th). Laroche hit into a double play and Gonzalez went on to save the game.

John Smoltz- Smoltz recently signed a contract extension. The Braves really needed this because he is a great, consistent pitcher. He is also like another coach in the clubhouse. I know that these aren't the best stats for a pitcher, but John has a 5-1 record, 3.25 era in 52.2 innings pitched.

Tim Hudson- Recently got hit in the wrist by a line drive. It is apparent that he is OK and will be ready to make his next start. Lets hope it doesn't affect his pitching, because Hudson looks like the Hudson of old when he was with the Oakland A's. He has a 4-1 record, 1.83 era in 59.0 innings.

Chuck James- Many were hoping this guy would continue his success from last year. So far it hasn't happened. Hopefully he can rebound against the Pirates tonight (May 12th). 3-3, 4.84 era, 35.1 innings.

Kyle Davies- Kyle has been struggling, but the last few games he seemed to be getting back on track. He pitched a good game last night, hopefully a sign of better things to come. 1-1, 5.35 era, 33.2 innings.

Anthony Lerew- Lerew had in impressive debate earlier this week against the San Diego Padres. He didn't get the win, but managed to go 6 innings giving up 2 runs. He had 7 strikeouts to go with it. Is Lerew the guy to fill in the 5th spot?

Rafael Soriano- Yet another steal from the Braves. By trading Haracio Ramirez to the Mariners, the Braves got another good relief pitcher to go along with Mike Gonzalez. Soriano filled in for the injured Bob Wickman, getting 5 saves in 5 opportunities.

Mike Gonzalez- Began the season a little shaky. He also had a little scare with elbow soreness. It all seems to be in the past now as Gonzalez continues to dominate. Also getting save opportunities, Gonzalez has now converted 26 out of 26 chances carrying over from last year.

Bob Wickman- Currently on the DL, but it looks like he is doing well and will return shortly. Hopefully he can return to his role as a closer and be successful. At least we know we have 2 very capable guys to fill in if Wickman fails.

Earlier I posted about the Braves rotation, saying that it was weak. My thoughts have changed a bit since. With Anthony Lerew sent up from the minors and Kyle Davies improving, it looks better now. Mark Redman should be gone for good, which is a big help. The Braves have a 3.88 team era which is pretty good.


The Braves face the Pirates for 2 more games, then the Nationals for 4. Could the Braves win 6 more games here?

Braves meet with black group

By AJC | Tuesday, May 8, 2007, 08:10 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Upset over the lack of African-Americans on the Braves roster, members of Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow-PUSH Coalition met with team officials Monday.

Less than 10 percent of major league players are African-Americans. The Braves have one African-American player, left fielder Willie Harris. “You go to where the talent leads you,” Braves GM John Schuerholz said. “Finding major league-caliber baseball players is far too difficult if you try to narrow your criteria down to demographics.”

Joe Beasley of Rainbow-PUSH said, “If they put resources into recruiting here in the United States, and more specifically here in Atlanta, there are talented players here.”

How do you feel about this issue? What should the Braves do?

Wow, does Jessie Jackson have nothing better to do? This guy does nothing but promote racism, and make things more troublesome. Get this...LESS THAN 10 PERCENT OF MAJOR LEAGUE PLAYERS ARE AFRICAN-AMERICANS. I agree with Scheurholz, you get the best talent out there regardless of their race. As if the Braves roster doesn't have any diversity.

Here are some of the countries where our players are from,

U.S.
Australia
Dominican Republic
Mexico
Canada
Colombia
Curacao
Panama
Venezuela
Cuba

This is like complaining about the lack of Latin Americans or White people in the NBA...Get over it, that is how it is.

Rotation weak? - May 7th Game Rant

At the start of the season, Atlanta looked to have the best rotation they have had in recent years. After the loss of Mike Hampton for another season, Lance Cormier on the DL, and poor pitching by Chuck James, the Braves pitching looks poor.

-Smoltz and Hudson are the only reliable starters.

-Chuck James has yet to pitch beyond the 6th inning this season after 7 starts. Tonight he threw 94 pitches in 3 2/3 innings!

-Kyle Davies hasn't shown any real good indication that he should remain on the team. Davies is the most inconsistent starter of all.

- The best part is that we don't even have a 5th starter right now. Anthony Lerew is scheduled to start tomorrow. Hopefully he can impress.

I am really concerned right now.


Tonight Bobby Cox decided to sit Renteria tonight and put Woodward in his place. It must be the "we need to give him more at bats" excuse again. Woodward did go 2-3 with an rbi. Why is it that players are getting days off already ONE MONTH into the season? Is the unscheduled games at least once a week not enough? These guys get paid millions of dollars, work 3 hours a day for half a year. Give me a break. Cal Ripken Jr. played in 2,632 straight games, and the current most consecutive games played is held by Miguel Tejada, which is less than half of Ripken's. I'm not expecting everyone to play a couple thousand straight games, but if you aren't injured or really sick, then play the game.

May 6th Game Recap

What looked like a loss for the Braves Sunday afternoon trailing 1-4 in the bottom of the 7th, they came back and scored 5 to win the game 6-4. Kyle Davies pitched a solid game through 6 innings, then allowed 2 more runs before being pulled. There were several questionable calls made by the umpires behind the plate and third base. Salty tagged Andy Laroche out at home and he was called safe. Chipper Jones was called out on a check swing which resulted in the ejection of Chipper and Cox.

-While serving a as a pinch-hitter during the decisive five-run seventh that the Braves produced, Jones objected to the fact that third-base umpire Bob Davidson felt he hadn't checked his swing on a two-strike pitch from Chin-hui Tsao.

The strikeout immediately brought Braves manager Bobby Cox out of the dugout, leading to the 128th ejection of his career. That fired up the emotions of Jones, who had some choice words before and after being ejected by Davidson.

"Looking at it in slow, slow, slow motion, it could have gone either way," Jones said. "But that's not even what made me mad. The fact of the matter is he looked over at our dugout -- when Bobby stepped out, he [leaned toward our dugout], waited on Bobby to open his mouth, couldn't even tell what was said, and he threw him out. That's what upset me."

- From ajc.com

"Bob Davidson feels like all these thousands of people who come to the park come to see him," Jones said. "That's the way he always has been. It's a joke among us players."

"But the fact of the matter is we overcame bad officiating by the third base umpire and the home plate umpire (Sam Holbrook) and we still won. So I'm proud of our guys."

Chipper will probably be fined for his comments on the umpires.

-Jarrod Saltalamacchia played his 2nd game this season and further proved why the Braves should hang on to him by going 2-4 with an rbi. He also showed off his good arm by throwing out Juan Pierre at 1st base.

"Salty is going to be a player," Jones said. "I don't know where he's going to play. But he's going to be a player. We have a nice luxury with two stud catchers. So we're going to have to find a spot for him, because his time is coming. He's ready. I think he's been ready, to be honest with you."

It almost seems that Salty would be a better option at catcher, and then moving McCann to 1st base. Whatever the case, both players should be on this team in the future.

Tomorrow the Braves start off a four game series against the San Diego Padres. Chuck James will face Chris Young.

More Saltalamacchia rumors

From ajc.com (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

The unofficial lingo for it is "blocked" – when a top minor league prospect has a stud playing his position in the major leagues. Even worse is when it's a young stud.

That might make Jarrod Saltalamacchia the most blocked player in baseball. Saltalamacchia, rated by Baseball America as the top prospect in the Braves' organization, is playing behind catcher Brian McCann.

McCann, 23, is the darling of the organization. He's fresh off winning a Silver Slugger award and making his first All-Star appearance in his first full season in the majors. Last month he signed a six-year contract extension worth $26.8 million.

So where does that leave Saltalamacchia? In Mississippi, for one.

"I just take it the same way as everyone else takes it," he said. "I'm proud of Brian. He was always a level above me [in the organization], but in spring training we always got along. We hung out. Even now, the first person I saw when I got to spring training was him. I gave him a big hug and told him congratulations. He's doing a great job."

While McCann got off to another good start for Atlanta, Saltalamacchia has been getting off to a hot start of his own for the Class AA Mississippi Braves. Entering Thursday night's game, he was leading the Southern League in home runs (tied with six), slugging percentage (.754) and on-base plus slugging percentage (1.226). He was second in hitting (.377).

He has been trying to get back on track this season after a disastrous start ruined his first Class AA season a year ago.

His game is the part he can control.

"I'm glad [McCann] is doing well," said Saltalamacchia, a supplemental first-round pick in 2003. "I don't wish anything bad upon anybody. I hope he continues to do well. I know that if I continue to do well, I'm going to have a spot somewhere, whether it's with the Braves or with another ballclub. So I'm not too worried about that at all."

That's just it. A player who's "blocked" becomes the most logical trade material. But being a top prospect, Saltalamacchia is also of supreme value to his own club.

There have been cries among Braves fans to move "Salty" to first base. The organization has resisted.

Braves director of player development Kurt Kemp helped map out some reasons why:

1. It's too soon for him

"We really believe he's a fine catching prospect," Kemp said. "A fine hitting, and power-hitting prospect. I don't think at his age, and the level that he's at, you need to do anything different than help him be the best player that he can be right now."

Saltalamacchia, who turns 22 Wednesday, needed time to rebound from last season. He hit .230 with nine home runs, including a 2-for-39 slump. It was clear he needed at least another year in the minors and a return to Class AA.

The Braves didn't want to complicate that with a position change.

2. It's too soon for the Braves

What if McCann gets hurt? That's how McCann got his call-up from Class AA Mississippi two years ago, when Johnny Estrada was injured.

"We don't all know what the future holds," Kemp said. "I think you can make a decision too early on something like that. Chipper Jones and Andruw Jones have been in their positions on our big-league club for a lot of years, but it doesn't mean when [prospects] get to A ball or AA that we thought, 'Geez, we better move them.'

"If a guy gets to a position where he's ready to help the major league club and the major league staff feels like there can be real positive help with somebody in a different role, then we would surely do that. But I'm just saying I don't think it's anything you have to rush to judgment on."

3. He's too valuable as a catcher

A catcher who can hit, and hit for power, is much more rare than a first baseman who can, and therefore more valuable.

"There are a lot of guys who could go from being a catcher to something else," Kemp said. "There are very few guys that could ever go from something else to being a catcher. So why would you take that away from him when we think he has abilities to be an outstanding player in that realm?"

4. He wants to stay as a catcher

All things being equal, Saltalamacchia would like to stay at his position.

"Ultimately [the organization] makes the decision, so it's whatever they want me to do," he said. "If they want me to move to first, then I'll go to first. If they want me to catch, I'll catch — which right now they told me they want me to catch. I don't know what their plans are. I try not to worry about it."

Of course, all of the above could be trashed if the Braves decide they want Salty's bat in the big leagues sooner rather than later. The first base platoon of Craig Wilson and Scott Thorman was hitting a combined .192 (14-for-73) entering the weekend series in Colorado, which was second-worst in the National League.

Saltalamacchia has played some first base (and third) in high school. But the Braves do not favor midseason crash courses. It's hard enough to make the jump to the big leagues trying to concentrate on hitting.

Or the Braves might decide to trade him. In 2005, they dealt Andy Marte, a top minor league prospect who was "blocked" by Chipper Jones at third base. Marte was traded to the Red Sox in 2005 in the deal that brought Edgar Renteria to Atlanta.

"You always want to get to the big leagues with the team that you grew up with, but I'm not ignorant," Saltalamacchia said. "I see who's in front of me. I know my chances are very slim, so whatever it takes, you know?"

JARROD SALTALAMACCHIA FILE

• Position: Catcher

•Age: 22

•Team: Mississippi (AA) Braves

•Hometown: West Palm Beach, Fla.

•Ranking: Braves' No. 1 prospect by Baseball America and the No. 36 minor league prospect overall by the magazine

•Family: Wife, Ashley; 4-month-old daughter, Sidney

•2007 stats: .377, five doubles, six homers, 13 RBIs in 17 games

•2006: Hit a career-low .230 in 92 games with the Mississippi Braves. Went on the disabled list with a wrist injury July 2. Hit .352 (25-for-71) in 23 games after returning.

•Quotable: "I got in a hole," he said of his 2006 woes. "Once you get in that kind of hole, it's tough to get out. I think I tried a little too hard to get out of the hole and just dug deeper. ... I've been hitting since I was 4 years old. You've just got to go back to the basics sometimes."

I don't know what to think. I personally believe that the Braves should have him switch positions after a year. Either 1st base or the outfield. If they do choose to trade him, it better be darn good. A player or two that can be very good for our team for years to come. Any one year or half year rentals would be absurd.

Smoltz pitches good game (May 5th)

Smolts heats up when the weather does, he pitched a good game as he threw 7 scoreless innings agianst the LA Dodgers. He struck out former Braves player and top prospect Wilson Betemit 3 times. Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano pitched the last two innings to complete a shutout for a win. The final was 4-0.

Since being called up from the minors to fill in for Ryan Langerhans (traded), Willie Harris is batting .455. He is already an improvement. Even though it's pretty small sample size, this is better than Langerhans batting .081 during the same span. Harris is also decent in the outfield. He looks to have good range, he saved a potential bases loaded hit by making a nice catch in full stride.

Tonight will be Derek Lowe vs. Tim Hudson. I predict the Braves come away with the win. Hudson is still pitching strong, and the Dodgers offense isn't very legit.

Jeff Francoeur - Best Right fielder in NL?

I found a good article on ESPN.COM by Jerry Crasnick.

Article


# 1 Jeff Francoeur, Braves

Yes, we're aware that Francoeur posted an abysmal .293 on-base percentage last season, struck out 132 times and stole one base in seven tries.

He was also 22 years old and four years removed from the Parkview (Ga.) High School senior prom. Nevertheless, he displayed the mental toughness and durability to appear in all 162 games for a franchise with high expectations.

If Francoeur has one attribute the other players on this list lack, it's the "wow" factor. He's incredibly athletic and energetic, can hit the ball out to any part of the park, and has the type of throwing arm you rarely see these days. He also exudes star appeal. Just check out Francoeur's 50,000-watt smile as he gives catcher Brian McCann a fist bump on the cover of the Atlanta media guide.

The best news is, he's learning to take a pitch now and then. Francoeur already has nine walks, a total he didn't reach until July 24 last year. If Carl Crawford could raise his on-base percentage from .290 to .348 over four seasons and Jose Reyes is suddenly working counts in New York, it's counter intuitive to think Francoeur will be exactly the same hitter three or four years from now.

"He's the one player in this group who could really bust out and be a 45 [homer], 130 [RBI] guy," said a National League personnel man. "He already has a great feel for the game, but his best years are way ahead of him."

This sounds just about right, Francoeur is slowly learning his plate discipline. This guy is only 22 and will likely improve. Don't forget that the majority of baseball players usually have their best seasons between the ages of 26-30. Francoeur has a lot of seasons ahead of him still.

Saltalamacchia to play tonight

Saltalamacchia has been called up to play tonight's game (May 2nd) to play in place of an injured McCann and Brayan Pena.

Article

"During Tuesday night's loss to the Phillies, All-Star catcher Brian McCann and his backup Brayan Pena were both hit with swinging bats. McCann aggravated a bruised left ring finger that he first injured on April 22. Pena was hit on the head and possibly suffered a concussion."

This is ridiculous. I don't know who was swinging the bat, but whoever it is needs to learn to have better control. Mark Redman was pitching and I doubt he was making them swing awkwardly at any of his pitches.

The end of Mark Redman?

I certainly hope so, after last nights game (May 1st) this guy has clearly showed that he can't pitch. I wouldn't even want this guy starting on a single A baseball team. He has no good pitches and he throws on average about 85 mph max. He apparently has a slider, but it's hardly different from a regular fastball. A mistake signing this guy? Yes sir! I think JS was hoping he would turn out putting numbers similar to his 2003 season.

Mark Redman Pitching Stats

5 Games, 0 Wins, 4 Loses, 10.62 ERA, 2.11 WHIP, 20.1 IP, 9 walks, 12 strikeouts

Can anyone look at these numbers with a straight face?

Possible replacements are Buddy Carlyle, Anthony Lerew, and Jonathon Johnson from the minors. I would go with Lerew here and give him a few starts. There is no way he or any of these guys can do worse than Redman.