@VernonO.: Everybody should feel heat when a team doesn't win.
@Chip: Uggla has been extremely classy and handled things great.
@Kevin: Very very doubtful.
@Hugo: Spin. Have you noticed that in every city in America stadiums now are being built downtown, not in suburbs?
@FieldOfDreams: Wren has been reticent to trade pitching prospects in past.
@wanderboyd: Check back after season.
@Jeff: To deal with? Smoltz or Chipper.
@jrhode: Oh come on yourself. That doesn't change the stadium deal.
@Jeremy: Not avoiding the question but it's really way too early to speculate. But I tend to doubt a major move.
I'm told we're wrapping this up, folks. Thanks so much for participating and for your questions. Lots of good ones. Take it easy and enjoy your day!
That's a good question, Chris. As far as hitting goes, I think Freddie Freeman is a guy everybody looks up to and knows what he's doing at the plate. He's not super vocal though. Chris Johnson, Justin Upton. Jason Heyward. all have leadership qualities.
I think you can make a case for Simmons to bat in the second spot....though Simmons really hasn't gotten on track yet this season. maybe hitting with some better protection would help him. ...I think LaStella could definitely be the kind of guy you want hitting second. Think he'd need a little time under his belt before they'd put that on them though. We'll have to see. I'm with you that there aren't a ton of obvious leadoff options.
Nobody immediately comes to mind other than Matt Lipka, who has some serious wheels. Loved to watch him run during spring training. But his development was stalled by hamstring injury, so he's not an immediate solution. ...and shoot, Constanza can give you speed and a slap hit, but he's not a long-term answer in the leadoff spot. Seems to do good things when he gets opportunities up here, though, doesn't he?
Hm. good question. Always love a good Maddux question. Based on what contract Santana was looking for last winter, I think you'd be safe to make him a qualifying offer and take your draft compensation. ...and i think it was a good move to bring Maddux back for a year, even when somebody lost a poker hand there!
Cliff, I'm not sure on what planet a reporter would ask a player if he's afraid of a fence and I'm never going to ask that question, so not sure how to answer your question. I've seen B.J. have problems with balls in gaps, not just at the fence. But i think his glasses have helped him in the field. there was a play he got hurt on right before the all-star break last year that i think he overran, maybe because he couldn't see the ball well. I do think Andruw Jones is the best center fielder i or we will ever see. And he does kind of ruin the position for me now. He...was....amazing.
I don't want to get much into that, since it's such a polarizing subject and some fans seem so eager to jump on anyone who's critical of replay and immediately say we're dinosaurs for liking things as they were, including the manager/umpire confrontations. But I hate the replay system.
Eventually I think he will. But he just got married again, and is doing a lot of stuff with his ranch as a hunting destination, etc. So it might be a few years before he is ready to dive into something as time-consuming as hitting coach. That's not a cush job, takes a whole lot of ours, and with the money that top players make these days, it's a MASSIVE pay cut from what they earned while playing, with just as many or more hours involved and obviously all the travel and spring training away from home, etc. So maybe just an advisory role of some kind in the near future? I don't know, helping out hitters and working in the broadcast booth, that kind of thing. Sort of live Glavine, but maybe more involved on the field. But I don't know. Just talking out my ... Speculating.
Oh, wait. I just re-read your question. You said non-HOF Brave. Dale Murphy.
Hmm, good question. Dave Parker, George Foster, Pete Rose, Willie Stargell. And in a different category, from covering them, a much of great guys like Cliff Floyd, John Burkett, Jeff Conine, Martin Prado, etc)
Not sure what you mean by the question. Yes, we are definitely spoiled watching best defensive shortstop in the game, far and away the best in my opinion. But his errors last night were costly (should've been two, not one error). Not an either/or situation. He had a bad game. It happens to even the best. The error led to two unearned runs in a 4-3 game.
it's not an "experiment," he's a veteran bench bat, nothing more.
It's an intersting/difficult situation. Unless they skip him a few times or start bringing him out after 5-6 innings instead of 7-8, I don't see how he can stay in rotation all year and then be at 175 early in September. They've made it clear that there's a certain percentage increase that they're willing to go to in regards to young pitcher's previous season innings total or career-high total and max increase they'll let him go to over that amount. Which is only reason it makes some sense to put Wood in 'pen for a while as a second lefty, then get him stretched back out and not have to worry about the innings limit late in season.
Pretty simple: Thumb was swollen at base, fatty part of hand, after being jammed by pitch. Throbbed in fifth inning at Miami, couldn't grip ball. Why make him try to pitch again on schedule when Floyd had to come off DL anyway?
Don't think so, not before September, unless there's an injury.
Yes, it does. Just being honest. Watching way too many close pitches in those situations, especially this year.
