Dear Atlanta Braves,

[Kaos]

Dear Atlanta Braves,

I supported you through the Rafael Ramirez, Pascual Perez and Claudell Washington years.  I was with you for Rick Camp, Biff Pocoroba, Rick Maehler. Through years of losing. Through Ted managing. And Chuck Tanner. And Bobby Wine. And Russ Nixon. 

I've always been there. My grandmother loved the Braves. Loved watching them on TBS even when they lost.

And when you won? I was there for that too. All the years of almosts with the greatest pitching staff in the history of the game. 

But now?   Now? 

Fuck you Atlanta. 

Trading Simmons is the final straw.   I'm done.   

[Snaggletiger]

Dear Atlanta Braves,

I supported you through the Rafael Ramirez, Pascual Perez and Claudell Washington years.  I was with you for Rick Camp, Biff Pocoroba, Rick Maehler. Through years of losing. Through Ted managing. And Chuck Tanner. And Bobby Wine. And Russ Nixon. 

I've always been there. My grandmother loved the Braves. Loved watching them on TBS even when they lost.

And when you won? I was there for that too. All the years of almosts with the greatest pitching staff in the history of the game. 

But now?   Now? 

Fuck you Atlanta. 

Trading Simmons is the final straw.   I'm done.

K, I feel your pain.  All of the above.  I was in Fulton County Stadium for Len Barker's debut.  You know, pitched one no-hitter, so sell your soul for the greatest pitcher ever? 

Simmons surprises me...but then it doesn't.  It's been a fire sale and like I said in the Bitch & Moan...Freeman will be next.  Now, THAT...I will BITCH AND MOAN if it happens.  But looking at Simmons, I'm suddenly kind of meh on this deal.  Great, great, great defensive player.  Almost non-existent stick.  4 HR's this season and 40 odd Ribbie's. He was going backwards. They unloaded an $8.2 million contract they were beholden to for the next 5 years.  Signed through 2020.

So....the Braves are essentially a clean slate.  They need a lot.  Numerous young, live arms on the pitching staff.  Several solid starters but they need to go get a #1.  A boy-dog they can build Tehran, Miller & one other around.  They NEED a catcher.  Pryzyrinskizi is solid but 74 years old and Bettencourt is...suck.  Freeman is A number 1 if he stays and I believe Olivera will be the bomb.  Need to add a top free agent on the infield.  Outfield...Maybin was dynamic at times.  Markakis is signed so he's there. Need to spend that extra cash on a big time bat.  As in .295  30 HR 107 RBI.

Like I said in B & M...I'm hoping there's a master plan.  You don't completely tear a team down to the ground unless you have some direction in building it back up.  It's obvious they went into the think tank and said this ain't working.  Blow it up.  The question is what's the second part of the plan?   

[AUJarhead]

The question is what's the second part of the plan?

Profit.

[Kaos]

K, I feel your pain.  All of the above.  I was in Fulton County Stadium for Len Barker's debut.  You know, pitched one no-hitter, so sell your soul for the greatest pitcher ever? 

Simmons surprises me...but then it doesn't.  It's been a fire sale and like I said in the Bitch & Moan...Freeman will be next.  Now, THAT...I will BITCH AND MOAN if it happens.  But looking at Simmons, I'm suddenly kind of meh on this deal.  Great, great, great defensive player.  Almost non-existent stick.  4 HR's this season and 40 odd Ribbie's. He was going backwards. They unloaded an $8.2 million contract they were beholden to for the next 5 years.  Signed through 2020.

So....the Braves are essentially a clean slate.  They need a lot.  Numerous young, live arms on the pitching staff.  Several solid starters but they need to go get a #1.  A boy-dog they can build Tehran, Miller & one other around.  They NEED a catcher.  Pryzyrinskizi is solid but 74 years old and Bettencourt is...suck.  Freeman is A number 1 if he stays and I believe Olivera will be the bomb.  Need to add a top free agent on the infield.  Outfield...Maybin was dynamic at times.  Markakis is signed so he's there. Need to spend that extra cash on a big time bat.  As in .295  30 HR 107 RBI.

Like I said in B & M...I'm hoping there's a master plan.  You don't completely tear a team down to the ground unless you have some direction in building it back up.  It's obvious they went into the think tank and said this ain't working.  Blow it up.  The question is what's the second part of the plan?

You count on your shortstop to clean up the middle, not to hit homers and drive in runs.  He got on base. He scored runs. Put the ball in play.  Only like 40 something K's in 550 at-bats.

Simmons was good enough in the field that I might watch games just hoping to see him do something spectacular. 

Ozzie Smith didn't hit homers or drive in runs either. 

Fuck the Braves.

[GH2001]

You count on your shortstop to clean up the middle, not to hit homers and drive in runs.  He got on base. He scored runs. Put the ball in play.  Only like 40 something K's in 550 at-bats.

Simmons was good enough in the field that I might watch games just hoping to see him do something spectacular. 

Ozzie Smith didn't hit homers or drive in runs either. 

Fuck the Braves.

The Oz was a silver slugger. Your mouth is dirty and whorish.

[CCTAU]

You count on your shortstop to clean up the middle, not to hit homers and drive in runs.  He got on base. He scored runs. Put the ball in play.  Only like 40 something K's in 550 at-bats.

Simmons was good enough in the field that I might watch games just hoping to see him do something spectacular. 

Ozzie Smith didn't hit homers or drive in runs either. 

Fuck the Braves.

Yardbelly did the same thing, but I didn't want him as the permanent starter.

We have never had THAT guy at SS. We always end up with "seviceable".

Will we get THAT guy now? I doubt it.

[Snaggletiger]

Aaaannnd there goes Cameron Maybin.  Banished to Detroit.  So, the Braves will now have a roster that goes Freeman, Markakis and 20+ guys named Gonzales or Rodriguez or some shit.  There is no reason to keep Freeman anymore.  I hope for his sake that they ship him to the Cards or Red Sox or Yankmees...

[Buzz Killington]

It's funny cause it's true...

[AUJarhead]

Can we have Shelby Miller back?

[Snaggletiger]

Can we have Shelby Miller back?

Sure, why not?  We're not using him anyway.  I understand they are in fact entertaining trade offers for Miller. I know the Cubbies have thrown them a freakin' bone.

Miller was a perfect example of how inept the Braves were this past season. The guy was 6-17.  Horrible, right?  With 3.02 ERA.  Three...point.....Oh....stinking....Two!  Somebody need to sue for run support.

[Kaos]

Aaaannnd there goes Cameron Maybin.  Banished to Detroit.  So, the Braves will now have a roster that goes Freeman, Markakis and 20+ guys named Gonzales or Rodriguez or some shit.  There is no reason to keep Freeman anymore.  I hope for his sake that they ship him to the Cards or Red Sox or Yankmees...

It's that fucking Mexican manager.

[GH2001]

It's that fucking Mexican manager.

Si