Da Braves

[Snaggletiger]

So, you took a pic of a Philly fan digging at his ass?

Man, you're sick.

[Token]

So, you took a pic of a Philly fan digging at his ass?

Man, you're sick.

And that Philly fan was missing some teeth.  At first glance, I though he was wearing some cheap off-colored Bama hat.  Boy was I glad to see the Phillie "P" on it.

[Buzz Killington]

And that Philly fan was missing some teeth.  At first glance, I though he was wearing some cheap off-colored Bama hat.  Boy was I glad to see the Phillie "P" on it.

For what it's worth, his bammer cousin was sitting on the other side of the plate.  He just left before the game was over.

[Thrilla]

I never heard a number but the lower levels were pretty full and there were some folks in the upper levels as well. 

FYI...the 755 Club is teh awesome as well.  That was my first trip up there.

Best part about it?  You can booze past the alcohol cut off time.  It comes in especially handy for extra innings games.

I refuse to make any comments about the Braves as it appears that by doing just that, it helps the team.  It's tough, but I will prevail.

[Aubie16]

Finally made it back to another game where Wagner made an appearance. Filmed his entrance with my friends phone. Sorry about my drunken screaming in the middle of it. Audio isn't great but thats what happens when people are yelling all around you.

[Thrilla]

Bye bye, Yunee.  You had such promise but you blew it with your poor attitude and terrible first half this year.  This was a good pickup for the Braves.  As stated in another thread, we needed to include some minor league prospects to get a big bat in the lineup, and that's exactly what Wren did.  However, I'm not so sure about trading 5 players...although I haven't been sure about Wren's moves before and he's proved me wrong.

Braves get Gonzalez; Escobar to Jays

The second half hasn't begun yet, but the Atlanta Braves made a trade Wednesday to try to stay atop their NL East perch.

The Braves acquired shortstop Alex Gonzalez, who has 17 home runs at the All-Star break, on Wednesday in a five-player trade with the Toronto Blue Jays.


 
Gonzalez
 
Atlanta sent shortstop Yunel Escobar and left-handed pitcher Jo-Jo Reyes to Toronto and received Gonzalez and two minor leaguers (shortstop Tyler Pastornicky and pitcher Tim Collins).

"This trade improves our club for the second half of the season," Braves general manager Frank Wren said in a statement. "We have been looking at ways to strengthen our club offensively and Alex Gonzalez is a proven veteran player who gives us added power. He is a winner and a solid offensive presence in the lineup as well as a quality defensive shortstop."

The Braves currently hold a four-game lead over the second-place New York Mets. The two-time defending NL champion Philadelphia Phillies are in third place, 4½ games behind Atlanta.

Gonzalez, 33, is batting .259 and had 50 RBIs for the Blue Jays. His 43 extra-base hits at the break were tied for fifth-most in the American League.

In 12 major league seasons, Gonzalez has 131 home runs. He is a career .248 hitter.

The 27-year-old Escobar is a career .291 hitter but is struggling this season with a .238 average. Last season, he hit .299 in 141 games, achieving career bests in home runs (14) and RBIs (76).

Reyes, 25, appeared in just one game for the Braves this season. In 41 career appearances (37 starts) he is 5-15 with a 6.40 ERA.

Pastornicky, 20, has a .258 average, six home runs and 35 RBIs for the Jays' Class-A Dunedin club this season. Collins, also 20, has a 2.51 ERA in 35 appearances for Toronto's Double-A team in New Hampshire.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5379421

[notthatcool]

Bye bye, Yunee.  You had such promise but you blew it with your poor attitude and terrible first half this year.

I don't know much about Gonzales, but Yunel had been pissing me off for a few weeks now.  His shitty attitude and almost causing Glaus to break his wrist in NY sold the deal for me. 

I was thinking of possible moves and SS was #1 on the list.  Pumped about the second half.     

[Thrilla]

I don't know much about Gonzales, but Yunel had been pissing me off for a few weeks now.  His shitty attitude and almost causing Glaus to break his wrist in NY sold the deal for me. 

I was thinking of possible moves and SS was #1 on the list.  Pumped about the second half.     

As am I.  Gonzalez already has more homeruns this year than Yunel's career best.  I can only think of two areas where Yunel may be better:  defense, and batting average.

[Snaggletiger]

I like the move.  Other than batting average, Gonzales will already be among the team leaders in most categories.

[Aubie16]

Bye bye, Yunee.  You had such promise but you blew it with your poor attitude and terrible first half this year.  This was a good pickup for the Braves.  As stated in another thread, we needed to include some minor league prospects to get a big bat in the lineup, and that's exactly what Wren did.  However, I'm not so sure about trading 5 players...although I haven't been sure about Wren's moves before and he's proved me wrong.

We only traded 2 guys, Escobar and JoJo.  We received the other 3. Gonzales and 2 minor leaguers.

I agree with you that it was a great trade. Escobar's toxic attitude was killing the clubhouse and dugout. Check out this scathing article from Mark Bradley:

Yunel Escobar was slow to learn to be a professional. How many times do you have to be told to hustle before it’s clear you just don’t care to do it?

No one can suggest the Braves didn’t give him a fair chance. He played 446 big-league game for this club, and his excesses worsened over time. And it’s one thing to hang on to a problem if the problem is hitting and driving in runs, but at age 27 Escobar had ceased to manage that.

Even with the Braves in first place, this was the right move at the right time. We shouldn’t worry about the absence of Escobar roiling the waters. He was always the guy most apt to upset the others with his disregard for the game and its conventions. He was always the Brave the others could count on to carry himself least like a Brave.

A tiny example: On a Sunday afternoon earlier this season, Escobar drove a ball in the gap in left-center. His hit brought home the go-ahead run, but somehow he managed to get thrown out at second base on a ball so perfectly placed that it would have been a double for anybody else in the big leagues. (Put it this way: Sid Bream would have made it.)

Escobar got thrown out because he watched the flight of the ball and admired his work, as opposed to running hard. The Braves noticed. The Braves always noticed. As one man in the clubhouse said afterward, exasperation in his voice: “He has been told time and time again.”

This is a happier clubhouse than it has been in years, and not just because the team is in first place. Because these guys like and respect one another. The one guy who didn’t fit — and who was never going to fit, no matter how many chances the Braves offered — just got traded. “In the short term, this really improves our ballclub,” Wren said, and it improves it not because Gonzalez is a greater talent but because he’s a real pro.

Addition by subtraction, I believe it’s called.

http://blogs.ajc.com/mark-bradley-blog/2010/07/14/addition-by-subtraction-the-braves-trade-yunel-escoba/?cxntfid=blogs_mark_bradley_blog

[Token]

Damn good move, but where do we put Omar?  The guy has to play. 

And for the record, I'm now satisfied with the 2010 Braves and fully expect our guys to make a serious run at the NLCS, if not the WS.

[AUJarhead]

As long as you cocksuckers promise not to roll Toomer's Corner if you win the NLCS this year, like you did in 1992, I wouldn't have a problem with the Braves going to the World Series.  However, if just one of you bastards decides to go roll the corner, so help me God, I'll root for the Yankees.

[AUTiger1]

Damn good move, but where do we put Omar?  The guy has to play. 

And for the record, I'm now satisfied with the 2010 Braves and fully expect our guys to make a serious run at the NLCS, if not the WS.

I fully expect the Bravos to dominate the second half and cruise to an easy WS win!    

I fully expect Thrilla to come across Al Gore's intrawebs and kill me

[Snaggletiger]

I fully expect the Bravos to dominate the second half and cruise to an easy WS win!    

I fully expect Thrilla to come across Al Gore's intrawebs and kill me

A plague upon your household.

[Thrilla]

We only traded 2 guys, Escobar and JoJo.  We received the other 3. Gonzales and 2 minor leaguers.

I agree with you that it was a great trade. Escobar's toxic attitude was killing the clubhouse and dugout. Check out this scathing article from Mark Bradley:
http://blogs.ajc.com/mark-bradley-blog/2010/07/14/addition-by-subtraction-the-braves-trade-yunel-escoba/?cxntfid=blogs_mark_bradley_blog

Yeah, I realized my mistake when I listened to 680 AM last night on the way home.  Sounds even better now.  Jo-Jo failed to impress me at any point in his career with the Braves.

Damn good move, but where do we put Omar?  The guy has to play. 

The only thing I can come up with is rotating out with Chipper, and rotating out left and center fields.  It's tought to take Chipper out as he's a veteran and leads the team, but he will need breaks weekly.  The other times Omar will need to be in the outfield.  Heyward should be back tonight for the start of the second half and will lock down right field once again.

I fully expect the Bravos to dominate the second half and cruise to an easy WS win!    

Your going to keep me busy today, eh?  I'm looking up your IP address right now and will soon download a gay porno virus on your computer.

[AWK]

Yeah, I realized my mistake when I listened to 680 AM last night on the way home.  Sounds even better now.  Jo-Jo failed to impress me at any point in his career with the Braves.

The only thing I can come up with is rotating out with Chipper, and rotating out left and center fields.  It's tought to take Chipper out as he's a veteran and leads the team, but he will need breaks weekly.  The other times Omar will need to be in the outfield.  Heyward should be back tonight for the start of the second half and will lock down right field once again.

Your going to keep me busy today, eh?  I'm looking up your IP address right now and will soon download a gay porno virus on your computer.

Or you could just upload the one of the thousands you already have on your computer?

[Snaggletiger]

Or you could just upload the one of the thousands you already have on your computer?

snap

[Thrilla]

Or you could just upload the one of the thousands you already have on your computer?

I don't share well.

[AWK]

What, in the fuck, happened to the Braves last night?  Wagner blew a 4 - 2 lead at the top of the 9th to eventually lose to the Padres in the 12th inning...

[Snaggletiger]

What, in the fuck, happened to the Braves last night?  Wagner blew a 4 - 2 lead at the top of the 9th to eventually lose to the Padres in the 12th inning...

Blew a chance to get even farther up on the Mets and Phillies since they both lost. 

Barnacles!!!