Jack Wilson just grounded out as a pinch hitter in tonight’s game against the Diamondbacks. It was 2-2, the Braves were guaranteed eleven more outs, and no one was on base with the top of the lineup due up. Fredi Gonzalez goes to Jack Wilson to get a rally started. Don’t think about that idea too long or your head might explode. Jack Wilson is hitting .172 on this season in 36 games and 70…
As the Zack Greinke rumors begin to fly and the possibilities of bringing him aboard explored by a few bloggers, I felt it was time to take a look at what starters the Braves should seek out. I’ll try to keep this exercise reasonably realistic. Obviously, a team headed to a sub-.500 finish would still be a little hesitant giving up a team-controlled starter simply because they should be sellers. I also lack much “inside”…
(Previous information about this list can be found here.) Favorite Braves List (so far) Catcher – Brian McCann A few weeks ago, I began what should be a recurring list over the summer – My Favorite Braves of All-Time. Brian McCann was an easy choice and today, we head over to first base. This position was ultimately an easy choice (much like catcher), though I imagine we will start getting tougher choices with the rest…
When someone does what Aaron Northcraft did Friday night, they need not wait and hope to randomly be chosen as a prospect to write about. Northcraft, starting his 14th game of the year for the Lynchburg Hillcats (A+), quietly tossed the first no-hitter of his professional career against the Salem Red Sox. In full disclosure, Northcraft’s no-hitter was shortened to seven innings because doubleheaders in the minors typically are shortened to avoid too much stress…
Don’t really have a specific subject in mind, so here are a few things of interest. ——– The Braves are third in WAR among non-pitchers in the majors. A big part of that is due to the Braves currently leading the bigs in the fielding component of WAR, which for non-catchers is UZR. Last year, the Braves finished in the bottom ten in the fielding component. The outfield has been tremendously important to this change,…
Coming into the offseason after last year’s debacle, any trade speculation involving the Braves also seemed to include Jair Jurrjens. According to Dave O’Brien, Jon Heyman, Jayson Stark, and a score of bloggers, the Braves were fielding offers for Jurrjens. Even more, Frank Wren was in the enviable position of waiting for a Zack Grienke-like haul, or at least that was the feeling. But as the winter months got colder, no deal seemed relatively close. …
Several years ago, then-General Manager John Schuerholz published an ego-stroking book called Built to Win. At the time, the Braves were coming off the “Baby Braves” year of 2005, a year that was supposed to jump-start the next string of playoff appearances. Since that book was released during the spring of ’06, the Braves have made one trip to October baseball and find themselves in the midst of a disturbing trend of loses. On May…