TBS Petition

I found a petition online for any Braves fans who are against TBS for taking away the broadcast of the games after this season. If you wish, you can sign the petition here.

Possible Platoon at 2nd

This was shocking news to me. I would have never expected Cox to try to make a platoon here. I think Cox doesn't have enough patience with the younger guys. Kelly has exceeded expectations and he is playing way better than Marcus Giles did last season. He is in a slump right now which is common. I can understand Bobby giving him a few days to think it over and work on his swing, but to think about taking half his starts away is ridiculous.

Once again, Cox uses the argument of "having a player in to get at bats."

"He told me he wanted [Escobar] to play and get at-bats while he's up here," said Johnson, who has hit .228 with a .319 on-base percentage in June. "I don't have much to say about it, to be honest with you."

"I just can't sit Escobar," Cox said of the 24-year-old infielder, who has batted .264 (19-for-72) since joining Atlanta on June 2. "I just can't do it. It's a good problem."

Sorry, but that isn't really a good enough reason Cox. Unless you are showcasing him for a possible trade, there really isn't any real good reason why Escobar HAS to be playing. Granted, I do like Escobar and think he will be a great player, but he is a rookie and isn't exactly tearing it up right now either. If you are worried about Escobar ruining his development by not getting enough playing time, then why wouldn't that not happen to Johnson? I'm sure that this whole idea has nooo effect on Kelly.

The only real successful platoon I've seen in recent years is Adam Laroche/Julio Franco and this year Matt Diaz/Willie Harris. We all saw how Laroche did when he got to play everyday.

"It's nothing against Thorman and nothing against Kelly," Cox said. "It's just when you score one run in five days, you want to shake things up a little bit."

That's fine, I can understand that idea. Why not platoon Andruw Jones as well. Maybe stick Willie Harris in center field when Diaz plays in left. Oh wait, Andruw has "earned" the right to play everyday despite his t-ball like abilities right now.

This is all what I hope just a short term solution to get the offense going. If this carries on through the rest of the season, then wow...

Braves Beat Nationals

The Braves have won an amazing two games in a row! After the tough times during last week, this has to be a confidence booster.

-Buddy Carlyle had a nice outing tonight. He gave up 5 hits, 1 earned run in 7 innings and had 6 strikeouts to go with it.

-Yunel Escobar filled in for Kelly Johnson, going 2-5. Alright, at least this time benching Kelly makes some sense. Kelly is having a bit of a slump.

-Is Brian McCann getting things going? 2-3 with a homerun last night and 3-4 tonight. Hopefully this is the beginning of a hot streak.

-What else can I say about Salty? He continues to impress me by smacking 2 homeruns tonight. I really hope the Braves can manage to make important trades and keep this guy. I don't care what it takes, FIND A SPOT FOR HIM.

-Andruw Jones actually contributed to the team. How? A 3 run homerun in the 5th that is. Of course it was his only hit of the night.

With Smoltz on the mound tomorrow night, the Braves should end the series with a sweep.

Tigers Sweep Braves

Another pathetic loss tonight as the Detroit Tigers sweep the Braves 0-5. The Braves have scored 1 run in the last five games. That is 4 shut outs out of 5 folks.

You do have to take into consideration of the teams the Braves have played lately. Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians, Boston RedSox (twice) and the Detroit Tigers are certainly no cake walk. 2 of them are in 1st in their own division, and the others are very capable of playing in the playoffs.

Team Records

Redsox 48-26
Tigers 45-29
Indians 43-31
Twins 38-35

Although I didn't expect the Braves to play this poorly during interleague play, I knew it wasn't going to be easy.

The Braves play the Washington Nationals tomorrow. Maybe the Braves will be able to win a couple and get things back on track. I know that they will start playing better again, it is just a matter of when.

So instead of saying "the Braves suck!" or "we are done" just take a moment and think about it, the season isn't even halfway over and the Braves are only 4.5 games back. I am still expecting JS to make that trade to help the Braves make a serious run for the playoffs and there is no way Andruw hits .200 for the rest of the season.

Braves Continue to Lose/ Cox Ties Record

The Braves dropped another game to the Tigers today losing 1-2. One more loss and the Braves are at .500. Too bad this team couldn't take advantage of the Mets poor play recently.

Also, Bobby Cox tied John McGraw with his 131st ejection. We know Cox will pass and continue to add to that list.

At this point it is obvious that this team isn't good enough to make a run for the playoffs. If the Braves want to start winning, they need to start hitting (especially Andruw) and get a good quality pitcher via trade. If not, I feel that they should try to trade Andruw Jones and get something for him before he hits free agency. He has a no trade clause, but why not give it a try.

I also think they they should avoid trading Saltalamacchia. This team has a lot of infield talent in the minors and I think a prospect like Yunel Escobar, or Brent Lillibridge should be involved.

Macay McBride Traded

I don't think I like this deal. I like McBride and think he has a lot of potential. Plus he also looks like a better pitcher than who the Braves got. I guess well see in the long run...

From atlantabraves.com

ATLANTA -- When Wilfredo Ledezma travels to Atlanta late Wednesday night, he'll be accompanying his former Tigers teammates and looking ahead to his future with the Braves.

Before Wednesday night's series finale against the Red Sox, the Braves announced that they had acquired Ledezma from the Tigers in exchange for Macay McBride. Both left-handed relievers are expected to be active with their new teams on Friday, when the Braves and Tigers begin a three-game series at Turner Field.

"[McBride] is a young guy still developing his [pitching] ability," Braves general manager John Schuerholz said. "I think that will come. But it's obvious by our actions that we like Ledezma and his future better. The Tigers like the deal as well."

Ledezma, whose potential to be a starter made him even more desirable to the Braves, went 3-1 with a 4.79 ERA in 23 appearances with the Tigers this year. Since going 3-0 with a 3.00 ERA in eight April appearances, he has gone 0-1 with a 6.10 ERA in 15 appearances.

There is some belief that Ledezma's struggles are a product of the fact that he'd be better utilized in a starting role. But for now, the Braves are going to use the 26-year-old southpaw as a reliever.

"He has a good arm and starting potential," Schuerholz said. "We don't know exactly when that will occur. But in the future, that's a possibility."

Statistically, Ledezma isn't exactly a great upgrade in comparison to McBride. He has surrendered 38 hits and issued 26 walks while registering just 24 strikeouts in 35 2/3 innings this year. Opponents have hit .277 and registered a .390 on-base percentage against him.

McBride's greatest strength was his ability to retire some of the top left-handed hitters in the game. He saw lefties bat just .160 against him this year. Left-handers hit .340 against Ledezma and reached base at .400 clip.

"The reports are very good on Ledezma and we're going to take a crack on him," said Braves manager Bobby Cox during his pregame radio show on 640 WGST.

Tigers manager Jim Leyland believes Ledezma has the potential to be a successful starter. But with the abundance of top-flight arms in Detroit, his future as a starter existed elsewhere.

Ledezma has made 106 career appearances (33 starts) in the Majors. During the 25 starts he made from 2004-06, he went 7-8 with a 5.26 ERA.

"I think that he has a chance to be a [heck] of a Major League pitcher," Leyland said. "I think that he believe he could be a starter, but he knows that wasn't going to happen here."

McBride, the Braves' top selection in the 2001 First-Year Player Draft, was targeted to be one of Atlanta's top relievers this year. After issuing 11 walks in his first three innings, he was sent to Triple-A Richmond. In the 12 innings he's completed since returning to Atlanta, he has posted a 3.00 ERA and issued four walks.

After learning of the trade on Wednesday afternoon, McBride took his equipment to the visitors' clubhouse in anticipation of Friday night's series opener.

"I don't think it has really sank in yet," McBride said. "If I had had to go somewhere else and play, it might have sank in a little quicker. It might make it easier this way."

Like Ledezma, McBride has the ability to be a starter. During his conversation with Leyland, the 25-year-old southpaw didn't get a sense of what his targeted role will be. But he did come away with the belief that his new organization at least plans to keep him in the Majors for this weekend's series.

One appealing aspect for the Tigers was the fact that if needed, they will have the opportunity to allow McBride to gain seasoning at Triple-A Toledo. They didn't have that luxury with Ledezma, who is out of Minor League options.

"I'll play it day-to-day," McBride said. "That's what you do when you've got options.

Bobby Cox's Ejections

Some of you may already know it, but Bobby Cox is one away from making the record of most times being ejected from a major league ball game. The record is at 131 which is held by John McGraw. Jayson Stark of ESPN wrote a good article about it, and here is also a good rundown on all of his ejections.

Trip to Cleveland Series

If you are a regular reader, you probably would have noticed that I haven't posted in a few days. That is because I went on a little trip to Cleveland to see the Braves on Saturday and Sunday. It was my 1st time there and also the 1st time for the Braves since the 1995 World Series. I would certainly go there for another interleague series in the future whenever that may be. It was overall a very good trip and a new experience for me.

Saturday after the game, I got Travis Hafners' autograph. I probably could have received more from some of the other guys but I didn't feel like getting an autograph from players like David Dellucci was really worth it.

On Sunday morning I watched the majority of the Braves players get out of their taxis and enter the stadium. I was able to get some autographs from Brian McCann, Tim Hudson, and Bob Wickman since they were the only players to walk up and sign.

Jacobs field is a nice ballpark. I would probably rank it 3rd at all of the parks I've been to as far as looks, food, seating and so forth. (PNC, Citizens, Jacobs, Veterans, Skydome/Rogers Centre)

I missed the National Anthem for the 1st game, but I got to see the Barenaked Ladies sing for the 2nd one. I believe it was Tyler Stewert (drummer) who threw the 1st pitch.

I was happy with the result of the series. I didn't expect the Braves to win any of these games. Two out of three games against a good AL team is good enough for me. I did feel that they could have swept the Indians, but poor fielding and hitting lead to the loss of the final game.

-Chipper got his 2,000th career hit Sunday.

-Edgar Renteria went 5-5 with a homerun and 2 rbi Saturday.

I wanted to try to stay away from any kind of ranting, but Andruw Jones is absolutely horrible right now. I really wish Bobby Cox would use some common sense and put him further back in the lineup.

On Monday the Braves play another hard opponent, the Boston Redsox. Curt Schilling will be on the mound for Boston and Chuck James for Atlanta.

Interesting Article

I was doing the usual site surfing when I stumbled upon this pretty interesting article on ajc.com. David O'Brien (writer) talks about Salty at 1st base. However the best part is about a dispute between Scott Boras and Jayson Stark.

Apparently agent Scott Boras (who represents Andruw Jones) disagreed with Stark about Jones being overrated and decided to give him his share of garbage. Stark defends his thoughts and wrote back with a good explanation.

It is rather long so you can go here. I strongly suggest you take some time and read it.

Twins sweep Braves

Wow, I just finished watching the Braves blow a 2-0 lead in the 9th to lose their final game of the series. Could this team fall apart any worse?

What is funny is that the TBS announcers said the the Twins were something like 0-27 when trailing after the 8th inning this season. Sure enough the Braves were the team to solve that problem.

When is Bobby Cox going to realize that Andruw Jones SHOULD NOT BE BATTING CLEANUP.

I really don't feel like saying anything else on this game.

Braves vs Twins- Game 2

The Braves lost to the Minnesota Twins for the 2nd time in the series tonight. The Braves were shutout by Carlos Silva who is an average pitcher at best. The only good thing about the game was the return of Chipper Jones who went 3-4.

-Edgar Renteria and Willie Harris both went 0-4.

-Chuck James had a bad outing, giving up 6 runs in 4.1 innings.

It just looks like the Braves had a bad game overall. I am happy to see Chipper back in the lineup and hope to see him stay healthy for the remainder of the season.

Tomorrow Tim Hudson will be on the mound against Johan Santana. I feel the Braves will get swept this series. There is no way the Braves will beat the best left handed pitcher in baseball.

Braves Draft

I am going to simply ignore the Braves past couple of games (loses) and go right into some good news.

The Braves had an OK draft from what I have read so far. Even though it's not as big of a deal as the NFL's draft, it is still pretty important. Guys like Chipper Jones were aquired in the 1st round. The only pick I really like is the 1st pick, Jason Heyward.

Round 1, 14th pick overall

Jason Heyward 6'4" 220 lbs HighSchool

Outfield/1st Base

Focus Area	Comments
Hitting Ability:	Heyward is a strong, left-handed hitter with the chance to hit for average and power.
Power:	His best tool. He's got tremendous power and power potential from the left side.
Running Speed:	Close to average. He's not a speedster, but he won't clog up the bases, either.
Arm Strength:	Near average, but should develop average arm strength with a good long-tossing program.
Fielding:	Heyward plays center for his high school team, but will likely be a left fielder or first baseman at the next level. He's average defensively overall.
Range:	He's got average range. He's not a stiff, but won't win any gold gloves.
Baseball Instinct:	He's got very good baseball instincts.
Physical Description:	Heyward is a big strong, power-hitting lefty at age 17.
Medical Update:	Healthy.
Strengths:	Power potential from the left side, approach at the plate.
Weaknesses:	Some think he can be too patient at times, but that could be the result of not seeing any good pitches. He also may be limited to left field or first base.
Summary:	Heyward is one of the most intriguing high school bats in the draft class. He's got legitimate power potential from the left side, always a hot commodity, but isn't an all-or-nothing hitter. He's got a good approach at the plate and has the chance to hit for average and power. If the cards fall right, he could be a future cleanup hitter.

Round Comp A, 33rd pick overall

Jonathan Gilmore 6'3" 190 lbs HighSchool

3rd Base

Focus Area	Comments
Hitting Ability:	Gilmore showed a better approach at the plate during this showcase than he had in the past. He adjusted well to offspeed stuff and showed good extension through the zone.
Power:	Gilmore has projectable raw power.
Running Speed:	He's a below-average runner.
Arm Strength:	Gilmore's arm seemed tired or labored during the showcase.
Fielding:	Gilmore was a little slow defensively with an almost casual approach.
Range:	The lack of quickness showed and his range was limited.
Physical Description:	Gilmore has an Aaron Boone-body type and has changed physically in the past year, looking stronger now.
Medical Update:	Healthy.
Strengths:	Offensive potential, with power and overall hitting ability projection.
Weaknesses:	His defensive game is behind his bat and was lackluster with the glove at this showcase.
Summary:	Gilmore improved at the plate tremendously in his senior season. The infielder has good raw power and showed a better overall approach in his offensive game. His defense isn't as sharp, but he will be drafted because of his bat potential.

Round 2, 69th pick overall

Joshua Fields 6'00" 183 lbs College

RHP

Focus Area	Comments
Fastball:	Fields throws a plus fastball that sat consistently in the 93-96 mph range.
FB Movement:	Coming from a direct overhand slot, Fields' fastball is very straight.
Slider:	Usually, Fields has a good hard slider in the 78-79 mph range. He didn't throw it much in his Friday outing.
Control:	Usually Fields has decent control, but he was overthrowing up and out of the strike zone on Friday. He came out of his delivery and was constantly behind in the count, which kept him from getting to his above-average slider.
Poise:	It was below average on Friday. He was given a lead and was perhaps too amped up to close out a win against Oregon State on opening night.
Aggressiveness:	Being aggressive for a closer is a good thing, but he was overly-aggressive in a save situation on Friday. He can be too aggressive, wanting to come in and throw hard. He needs to learn to channel that.
Physical Description:	He's a six-foot righty with a power arm who'll likely always have to answer questions about his size.
Medical Update:	Healthy.
Strengths:	Fields has a legitimate power arm with the classic fastball-slider mix.
Weaknesses:	Normally, command is not a problem for Fields, but it was on Friday. He has shown the ability to keep his fastball down in the zone and will need to get back to that in the future.
Summary:	Fields will be one of the most-watched college closers this season. His outing on Friday may be just one hiccup chalked up to Opening Night jitters. His size will always be an issue because of his plane to the plate and leverage, though others (Billy Wagner from the left side) have shown size doesn't always matter.

Round 2, 78th overall

Frederick Freeman 6'5" HighSchool

1st Base


Round 3, 108th overall

Brandon Hicks 6'2" 200 lbs College

ShortStop

Current Roster Thoughts

I figured it would be a good time to go over some of the players. A little change from the usual game rants and such.

Bullpen Pitchers

The bullpen has been alright so far being more reliable than last season. The Braves had a significant loss with Mike Gonzalez being out for the rest of the season. I hope he recovers well and can return for the next season sometime.

Blaine Boyer- I really don't know that much about Boyer, he was pretty decent pitching for the Braves during the 2005 season. Here are his stats. Certainly he can be an improvement over Chad Paronto.

Macay McBride- Macay is a lot better than his stats currently indicate. He is currently our only left handed reliever and can be pretty sharp at times. Still needs some work.

Chad Paronto- Chad started out the season in good shape. He was a reliable guy and I didn't feel worried with him out on the mound. Since then, things have changed. He has a 7.02 era right now. I am baffled that he is still in the bullpen when there are guys waiting in the wings (Devine) that the team could use.

Oscar Villarreal- One of the better relievers the Braves have. Oscar can even start a game if needed. He sometimes has a few bad outings, but as of now he is valuable the way the pitching is.

Bob Wickman- Wickman has been pretty solid lately. He has converted all of his save opportunies since his return from the DL.

Rafael Soriano-Soriano was pretty much unhittable giving up 1 hit in a span of 14.2 innings. He has been the best relief pitcher by far and has only given up an earned run or more in only 3 games out of 26 appearances.

Starting Pitchers

Our starting rotation is pretty weak at the moment. We have nobody that is officially the 5th starter.

John Smoltz-John won his 200th game on May 24th against the NY Mets. He also continues to be a solid ace that the Braves desperately need. I have him currently as the 9th best pitcher in the Majors so far this season. We also have this guy for another couple seasons from a recent contract extension.

Tim Hudson-Tim Hudson has looked like the Tim Hudson of the Oakland A's. Although recently he has struggled in a few games. I am sure it is nothing to worry about. Hudson is currently listed as the 8th best pitcher this season ahead of Smoltz. Let's hope he can continue his good season.

Chuck James-When this guy has his stuff going, he is really on. He has a very good fastball change up combination. Chuckie has been steadily progressing as the season continues and is becoming a decent # 3 starter. The only concern I have is his inability to go beyond the 6th inning. He has only pitched 7 innings in one of his 13 starts.

Kyle Davies-Take a moment and look at this guys game log. Inconsistency is all I have to say.

Starting Lineup

The Braves have the 10th most runs scored in the Majors. Hey it is ahead of the "mighty" Mets offense! Two other division foes (Florida Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies) have scored more runs.

Kelly Johnson-Kelly has exceeded my expectations so far. This guy is a prime example of what a leadoff man should do; get on base (.389 OBP). He doesn't steal many bases (it's overrated anyways). Instead he has some pop to make up for it. Johnson is currently the 3rd best 2nd baseman in the NL.

Edgar Renteria-If I am not mistaken, Edgar is on pace to have his best season ever offensively. I have him ranked as the 3rd best SS in the Majors currently, and 18th overall best hitter. Call me crazy, but he is truly having that good of a season. His defense however is different. Edgar has the worst zone rating out of all SS in the Majors except for Derek Jeter. (Jeter winning a gold glove=complete joke)

Andruw Jones-Andruw has been a real big disappointment. What was expected to be a very good season due to "contract year," it has been the complete opposite. There is still plenty of reason to believe that Andruw will somehow turn it around and help the team in some way or another. It is still unknown whether the Braves will be able to resign him or not.

Jeff Francoeur-Francoeur leads the team in rbi with 43. However RBI is a pretty bad stat. One significant thing is his OBP. It currently is at .345 which is ok. The best thing is that it is over .050 points higher than last season. That is a HUGE improvement.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia-The future star of the Braves? That only depends on whether the Braves decide to keep this guy or not. Trading him would be an unwise decision. Salty is quickly becoming a fan favorite, and has huge potential. I would personally like to see Salty eventually take over as the 1st baseman of the Braves. His size and athletic ability would enable him to be a good defender at the position and allow his bat to be in the lineup almost everyday.

Players that need to stay

Yunel Escobar
Jarrod Saltalamacchia

Players that need to go

Chad Paronto
Pete Orr
Chris Woodward
Scott Thorman (or improve)

Players that need to improve

Brian McCann
Kyle Davies
Andruw Jones

Braves Lose Last Game to Marlins

As I predicted, the Braves lost the last game of the series. Which is 3 loses out of 4 to the Florida Marlins. Not something you want to do against a division foe.

-Kyle Davies continues his inconsistency with another bad outing. 5 earned runs in 5 innings. This is probably the most unpredictable pitcher on the Braves.

-Kelly Johnson and Jeff Francoeur each contributed with 2 rbi.

-Salty continues to prove his top prospect value by going 2-5 in place of McCann. McCann has a bothersome finger and ankle sprain.

-Like usual...there was a substitution of a regular starter. Chris Woodward went an awesome 0-5 while playing SS. Good choice Bobby!

-For a moment I thought Andruw Jones was getting back on track. Looks like it was a fluke and he is back to his usual pathetic hitting ways. Why Bobby Cox has a .219 hitter in the cleanup spot is beyond me. Please stick him back in the 6th spot or so.

-Scott Thorman went 3-4. He shows signs of life once in a while.

The Braves will play the Chicago Cubs again tomorrow. Chuck James will try to out duel Rich Hill.

Braves vs Marlins

The Braves are 1-2 in three games so far. I am not very pleased with the way this series has gone.

On Monday, Tim Hudson struggled allowing 6 runs (5 earned) in 6 innings. The Braves couldn't hit Obermueller who had an era over 5.00. What a surprise!

-Yunel Escobar went 4-4 with an rbi. He is an excellent replacement for Chipper as of now. Orr, Woodward and Prado aren't going to cut it.

-Jeff Francoeur added to his walk total by getting two walks. It is nice to see that he is still trying to take some pitches.

In today's first game of the double header, the Braves couldn't hit Mitre. Luckily, Mitre only pitched 5 innings and the Braves were able to score from homeruns by Salty and Woodward.

-Buddy Carlyle pitched a good game going 7 innings, allowing only 1 hit, which was a homerun to Aaron Boone in the 3rd.

-Saltalamacchia hit his 2nd homerun of the season to put the Braves in the lead.

-Chris Woodward surprisingly hit a homerun as well, which made it back to back after Salty's.

-Pete Orr continues his horrible play going 0-2. I can't figure out why this guy is still on the team, or why he even played in place of Johnson for that matter. Why does Cox feel the need to rest Kelly so often? Is there something I don't know about?

In tonight's game, the Braves couldn't hit Vanden Hurk who has an era over 8.00! The Braves previously roughed this guy up in another series, why couldn't they this time? John Smoltz gets a loss when only allowing 2 earned runs. Not good.

-Right hander Blaine Boyer was called up and pitched an inning giving up one hit. A possible bullpen improvement. What I can't figure out is that the Braves decided to send down Carlyle after his impressive game. Wouldn't it make more sense to let Cormier get a few starts down in the minors to see if he can catch up a little more before risking another blowout?

-Scott Thorman went 0-4, further hurting his chances of keeping his job.

Kyle Davies will face Scott Olsen tomorrow. The way the Braves have been playing lately, I will have to say they will lose this one.


In other news, Chipper Jones bruised hands have not been getting better and it is a big concern. You can read more about it here. I just don't understand, Chipper was doing fine just days after his collision and all of the sudden he got worse.

Mississippi Braves Manager Clip

In case you missed it, manager Phillip Wellman of the Mississippi Braves went crazy after he was ejected during a game on Friday. I have seen dirt kicking, home plate being covered, and bases being thrown, but this guy added some extra creativity in his rage. It was very funny.

You can watch it here on youtube.

Doesn't he look a bit like Bob Wickman?

June 3rd Game Rant

The Braves failed to capitalize on a Mets loss today by losing the final game of the series to the Cubs 1-10. Why can't the Braves ever sweep a team? The only sweep this season is from opening series against the Phillies. It would be nice if they could go on a little winning streak.

-Lance Cormier looked like a little league pitcher out there today surrendering 8 earned runs in 4 innings. I know it is just one start, but it is obvious that he is not a solution for the 5th starter either.

-The Braves again failed to hit against a pitcher with little experience. The Braves make poor or young pitchers look like Pedro Martinez in his prime.

-What made me angry, is that Aramis Ramirez was hit by a ball off of Jacque Jones' bat while running to 2nd base. Ramirez was out and the ball was dead. Had Ramirez not got hit by the ball, a double play should have been made to end the inning. Instead, Cormier gives up a grand slam to former Brave Mark DeRosa.

-Kelly Johnson continues to hit well. Going 2-4 in today's game. Why he was benched yet agian for yesterday's game has me confused. The only reason I could think of was that Rich Hill is a left handed pitcher. I wonder if Bobby Cox looks at stats at all, because Johnson hits lefties better than righties. .325 avg/.513 slug/.413 obp vs left .282 avg/.500 slug/.390 obp vs right

-Jarrod Saltalamacchia got a little action at 1st base. He had a nice diving grab on one play but made a throwing error. I think Renteria could have caught the throw, but he just watched it fly by. I think sooner or later Scott Thorman will lose his job if he can't get anything going.

-Renteria has no range. There were two ground balls in the 1st inning that could have been fielded by him. Instead they just slowly rolled by him. At least dive for them Edgar, put a little more effort in.

Tomorrow Tim Hudson will be on the mound to face Wes Obermueller and the Marlins. This game should be won easily.

Game 2 of Cubs Series

The Braves won their second game of the series against the Cubs today. Chuck James pitched a well game and Yunel Escobar had an excellent Major League debate.

-Chuck James went 6 innings and allowed 2 earned runs. He had some control issues and walked four, but overall a decent game. His era is now 3.78 for the season.

-Escobar went 2-4 with an rbi in his 1st game up from the minors. He is already impressing me and it shouldn't be too much longer before he replaces someone like Prado.

-Marin Prado continues to struggle, going 0-3 in the leadoff spot (batting .179 for the season). He also had an error late in the game that cost a run. I don't like this guy and think he belongs in the minors. I laugh at those who wanted this guy over Kelly Johnson.

-I am starting to run out of patience on Scott Thorman. I would like to see him have some success but he is really killing this team.

Tomorrow the Braves will have Lance Cormier, who has finally recovered from injury pitch against Sean Marshall. I have no idea what kind of outcome to expect. The Braves don't fare well against unfamiliar pitchers, but then the Cubs have lost 6 straight. A sweep would be very nice.

June 1st Game Talk

With Davies on the mound opposing Carlos Zambrano, I wasn't exactly sure how this game would turn out. Davies is streaky, and Zambrano has always been a good pitcher until this year. I thought if Zambrano were to turn it around, best bet it will be against the Braves. I was able to catch the last 3 innings when I got home from work and liked what I saw.

-Kyle Davies pitched well. He pitched 7 innings and allowed one run. Even more impressive is that he went 3-4 with an rbi at the plate. If Davies can learn to be consistent, he could be good.

-7 players in the lineup had 2 or more hits.

(Johnson,Harris,Renteria,McCann,Francoeur,Orr,Davies)

-The Braves had 20 hits, and there was just one strikeout. Guess who had to ruin it? CHRIS WOODWARD.

-Kelly Johnson looks like he is rebounding. 3 for 6 with an rbi. His batting average has raised to .295 over the last couple days.

-Carlos Zambrano had a little shoving fight with Michael Barrett in the Cubs dugout. That was interesting.

-Willie Harris continues to impress, when will he slow down? Never I hope.

-Two errors in a row allowed the Cubs to score 3 in the 8th. Good thing we had a large lead.

Tomorrow Chuck James will face Rich Hill. I think the Braves can come away with a win here.

Chipper Jones to the DL

Article

CHICAGO -- When Chipper Jones headed into the batting cages behind Wrigley Field's ivy late Friday morning, he was hoping his sore right hand had made a dramatic improvement. By the time he came out, he came to the realization that he's destined for another stint on the disabled list.

After talking with Jones, Braves manager Bobby Cox announced that his veteran third baseman will be placed on the 15-day disabled list for the fourth time since the start of last season. The move will be made retroactive to May 24.

"The only frustrating part of this is I have seen no improvement whatsoever," said Jones, who bruised the palms of both of his hands during a fall that followed a May 11 collision with Pirates third baseman Jose Bautista.

Third baseman Yunel Escobar will be promoted from Triple-A Richmond to take Jones' spot on the 25-man roster. The 25-year-old top prospect from Cuba will arrive in Chicago in time for Saturday afternoon's game against the Cubs.

"He's a player," Cox said of Escobar, who is hitting .333 with two homers and a .456 slugging percentage in 180 at-bats with Richmond.

When Jones initially suffered the injury, he missed four games and then returned to play in the next seven. While hitting two homers and recording at least one hit in six of those games, he aggravated the bruising located where his right thumb meets his right palm.

Because he hasn't seen much improvement since getting a cortisone shot in his right hand May 23, Jones is getting a sense that he's suffered more than simply a bone bruise. When he swings from both sides of the plate, he's feeling some discomfort in both of his wrists.

"I think there's something else," Jones said. "I've got pain on the outside of both my hammock bones. I've got pain radiating in both my wrists."

Cox doesn't necessarily believe that this prolonged discomfort means that Jones has suffered anything more than a bruise.

"When he did it, I knew it was going to last a long time," Cox said. "Bruised thumbs can last forever."

Having seen multiple leg injuries and troublesome feet prevent him from playing in more than 110 games either of the past two seasons, Jones entered this year intent on playing at least 150 games. Before suffering this injury, he hadn't missed a game with a health-related issue.

Jones, who is hitting .300 with a .600 slugging percentage and 12 homers, would be eligible to come off the disabled list next Friday. In hopes of gaining some relief, he will not be swinging a bat over the course of the next few days.

"When I swing, my wrists hurt; my thumbs hurt," Jones said. "It's impossible to use my hands."

So much for that goal of at least 150 games. I was wishing that he wouldn't have to go on the DL this year. I hope when he returns next Friday, he is healthy enough to be able to rejoin the team. For some reason, a week doesn't seem long enough. Either way, he better be healthy and playing when I go to watch the Braves in Cleveland.

I like the idea that Yunel Escobar is going to get a chance. I think he can perform well enough to replace either Orr, Woodward or Prado.