Atlanta Braves II

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#7,126
#7,126
If you want to throw something through the wall, go watch MLBNetwork's Top 10 right now catchers. You won't believe where McCann is ranked and who is ranked ahead of him.
 
#7,127
#7,127
They have Mike Napoli #1. The same Mike Napoli who caught 61 games last year, and before 2011 had a career slash line of .251/.346/.485 and is so bad defensively he has to DH and play first almost half the time.

Oh, and Napoli's first half stats? .232/.344/.529, with 12 homers, and 33 RBI's. Great job there shredder.
 
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#7,128
#7,128
slh1089 said:
We were hanging with te Phillies a majority of the time last season and had a commanding wild card lead going into September. So I don't believe they are just sitting around wasting time if they wait and see what they truly need mid season. If I remember correctly , I believe I read an article by Dave Obrien that discussed the fact that the team would not have as much money to spend as believed. Also, a team that by all means should have been in the playoffs last year has upgraded in some aspects with the return of some from injuries. Therefore, I believe they can afford to "wait and see."
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That's the difference between being an organization that hopes to win and and an organization that's serious about it. Losing teams look at all the potential upsides, hope for the best, and then react when some things don't work out. Winning teams figure out what their potential weaknesses are and then, when possible, shore them up ahead of time. It's true in sports; it's true in everything. It's not an accident that the Braves lost the 1996 World Series because the Yankees had Wade Freaking Boggs available to come off the bench for them.

The weirdest effect of the Great Atlanta Chokejob of 2011 is the way that it's apparently convinced the team and its fans that everything is great, this team is a serious contender, and what happened was just a fluke. It wasn't. This was a seriously flawed team last year with an offense that scored fewer runs than the league average. You can't just go into this season assuming that Heyward will hit again and Prado will hit again and Chipper will hit again and McCann will hit for both halves of the season; that's too many question marks. You have to add some offense. If the losses had been spaced out differently, the team would understand that. But since they were bunched up at the end, everyone's willing to yell "FLUKE!" and go right back into 2012 with exactly the same questions as last year. I don't get it.

I don't mean to be reflexively negative. I'm just frustrated because this is a team that is literally one or two significant bench players away from having a legitimate chance to win the WS this year, and the team is either too cheap or too full of hubris to make any move at all. It's maddening.
 
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#7,129
#7,129
zjcvols said:
They have Mike Napoli #1. The same Mike Napoli who caught 61 games last year, and before 2011 had a career slash line of .251/.346/.485 and is so bad defensively he has to DH and play first almost half the time.
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Guy ended up hitting .320 with 30 dingers last year. His career OPS is higher than McCann's. He plays in the American League. No way he's better than McCann, but I'm not surprised that he's the sexier pick right now.

I'd be a lot more annoyed by the pick if the St Louis Cardinals hadn't been given the opportunity to be World Series Champions largely because Brian McCann was awful in the second half of last year. To wit:

Oh, and Napoli's first half stats? .232/.344/.529, with 12 homers, and 33 RBI's. Great job there shredder.
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McCann's 2nd half: .203/.301/.384, 9 homers, 21 RBI. Napoli's first half stomps a mudhole in McCann's second half.

This is the great unthinkable thing for Braves fans right now. McCann's second half has to be a fluke. Has to be.
 
#7,130
#7,130
He wasn't the same after he got hurt. He'll be back to his all-star self this year.
Vercingetorix said:
Guy ended up hitting .320 with 30 dingers last year. His career OPS is higher than McCann's. He plays in the American League. No way he's better than McCann, but I'm not surprised that he's the sexier pick right now.

I'd be a lot more annoyed by the pick if the St Louis Cardinals hadn't been given the opportunity to be World Series Champions largely because Brian McCann was awful in the second half of last year. To wit:



McCann's 2nd half: .203/.301/.384, 9 homers, 21 RBI. Napoli's first half stomps a mudhole in McCann's second half.

This is the great unthinkable thing for Braves fans right now. McCann's second half has to be a fluke. Has to be.
Click to expand...
 
#7,131
#7,131
Vercingetorix said:
Guy ended up hitting .320 with 30 dingers last year. His career OPS is higher than McCann's. He plays in the American League. No way he's better than McCann, but I'm not surprised that he's the sexier pick right now.

I'd be a lot more annoyed by the pick if the St Louis Cardinals hadn't been given the opportunity to be World Series Champions largely because Brian McCann was awful in the second half of last year. To wit:



McCann's 2nd half: .203/.301/.384, 9 homers, 21 RBI. Napoli's first half stomps a mudhole in McCann's second half.

This is the great unthinkable thing for Braves fans right now. McCann's second half has to be a fluke. Has to be.
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It is. Guy was batting .305 before his oblique injury, and to be honest, he wasn't the same since. I think it was the major issue.

And while he sucked that second half, I'm willing to forgive because he carried us in 2010 and literally kept our offense from being the third worst in the NL that first half in 2011. He was well on his way to his career best season. Dude was a monster.
 
#7,132
#7,132
zjcvols said:
It is. Guy was batting .305 before his oblique injury, and to be honest, he wasn't the same since. I think it was the major issue.

And while he sucked that second half, I'm willing to forgive because he carried us in 2010 and literally kept our offense from being the third worst in the NL that first half in 2011. He was well on his way to his career best season. Dude was a monster.
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McCann is the best and most consistent thing about the Atlanta Braves. I'm not questioning that. But the fact is that he was abysmal over 200 plate appearances in the second half last year while the Braves had one of the better backup catchers in the majors on the bench. If he was too hurt to play, he shouldn't have been in there. If you substitute David Ross for McCann's numbers in the second half of last year, the Braves make the playoffs.

Every spring I argue that McCann needs to spend some time learning to play LF and/or 1B so that the Braves can keep his bat in the lineup even on his days off. He is too good a hitter and too important a part of the lineup to miss 40 games a year because he's a catcher.
 
#7,133
#7,133
I think if McCann hadn't gotten hurt, he would've won mvp.

I watched the top 10 right now. Joe Sheehan's list was the most accurate.
 
#7,136
#7,136
Vercingetorix said:
McCann is the best and most consistent thing about the Atlanta Braves. I'm not questioning that. But the fact is that he was abysmal over 200 plate appearances in the second half last year while the Braves had one of the better backup catchers in the majors on the bench. If he was too hurt to play, he shouldn't have been in there. If you substitute David Ross for McCann's numbers in the second half of last year, the Braves make the playoffs.

Every spring I argue that McCann needs to spend some time learning to play LF and/or 1B so that the Braves can keep his bat in the lineup even on his days off. He is too good a hitter and too important a part of the lineup to miss 40 games a year because he's a catcher.
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McCann in left? Yikes lol.

The problem is Freeman is going to play 150 games. What should be interesting is the new MLB schedule next year. If interleague becomes regular, they might move to the DH full time, and then you have that ability to play 150 games.
 
#7,137
#7,137
Vercingetorix said:
McCann is the best and most consistent thing about the Atlanta Braves. I'm not questioning that. But the fact is that he was abysmal over 200 plate appearances in the second half last year while the Braves had one of the better backup catchers in the majors on the bench. If he was too hurt to play, he shouldn't have been in there. If you substitute David Ross for McCann's numbers in the second half of last year, the Braves make the playoffs.

Every spring I argue that McCann needs to spend some time learning to play LF and/or 1B so that the Braves can keep his bat in the lineup even on his days off. He is too good a hitter and too important a part of the lineup to miss 40 games a year because he's a catcher.
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McCann agrees with your assessment about blaming him.

McCann ready to shake struggles of last season  | ajc.com
 
#7,138
#7,138
zjcvols said:
McCann in left? Yikes lol.

The problem is Freeman is going to play 150 games. What should be interesting is the new MLB schedule next year. If interleague becomes regular, they might move to the DH full time, and then you have that ability to play 150 games.
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Introducing the DH to the NL during McCann's contract year could make him a lot of money.
 
#7,139
#7,139
TBrown said:
MVP is pretty bold. I dont think he would have eclipsed Kemp (who should have won) or Braun.
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They probably would've still made the playoffs, and he would've had a hellllllluva year especially for a catcher.
 
#7,140
#7,140
Dbake005 said:
They probably would've still made the playoffs, and he would've had a hellllllluva year especially for a catcher.
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Haha I think we were one hit in 50 different games away from being in the playoffs. I think the days on a catcher winning MVP in the NL are over due to games missed. (Maybe Posey at 1st)

As much as it would help the braves and keep McCann in a braves jersey, I would hate the DH in the NL.
 
#7,142
#7,142
Dbake005 said:
I think there should be a DH in both leagues.
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Ah, a point of contention between us. I need empiracle statistical data supporting your stance. Something along the lines of PAxFV(squared) +/- difference in revenue/each teams share

PA is player approval and FV is fan vote. Solve for x
 
#7,146
#7,146
GAVol said:
MLBPA will throw a hissy fit.
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So you make some other small concession somewhere else. It's 15 teams, and only a few of them have a real, full-time DH who's paid like a superstar instead of a bench player. It wouldn't be like going to a 23 man roster or anything.

Eliminate the DH and go to a 26 man roster. Or raise the minimum ML salary enough to keep the total player salaries close to the same. Or something.
 
#7,147
#7,147
I think having a DH is real baseball. Just my opinion. I am fine with it. Starting pitchers work hard enough on their craft... they don't need to be asked to be solid hitters, as well.

Having the DH different in two leagues is the real problem. It gives AL teams a clearrrrr advantage and that is what really bothers me.
 
#7,148
#7,148
Dbake005 said:
I think having a DH is real baseball. Just my opinion. I am fine with it. Starting pitchers work hard enough on their craft... they don't need to be asked to be solid hitters, as well.

Having the DH different in two leagues is the real problem. It gives AL teams a clearrrrr advantage and that is what really bothers me.
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Managing a lineup around the pitcher's spot in the order during a close game is the most interesting aspect of baseball strategy. And the last thing baseball needs to be doing is eliminating aspects of their sport which are interesting.

I will grant that it would probably help the Braves in the short term, because you want Fredi Gonzalez making as few decisions as possible.
 
#7,149
#7,149
100%

vercingetorix said:
managing a lineup around the pitcher's spot in the order during a close game is the most interesting aspect of baseball strategy. And the last thing baseball needs to be doing is eliminating aspects of their sport which are interesting.

I will grant that it would probably help the braves in the short term, because you want fredi gonzalez making as few decisions as possible.
Click to expand...
 
#7,150
#7,150
Vercingetorix said:
Managing a lineup around the pitcher's spot in the order during a close game is the most interesting aspect of baseball strategy. And the last thing baseball needs to be doing is eliminating aspects of their sport which are interesting.

I will grant that it would probably help the Braves in the short term, because you want Fredi Gonzalez making as few decisions as possible.
Click to expand...

Pretty easy devil's advocate stance... Multiple pitching changes are always exciting and keep fans engaged.
 
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