Re: Atlanta Braves

rene144 · Post by **rene144** » 06/01/2009, 23:26

gex · Post by **gex** » 08/01/2009, 21:49

Forse sono un po' all'antica, però stimo moltissimo i giocatori che spendono tutta la loro carriera con la stessa squadra (sì, anche Jeter e Rivera) e oggi ci sono rimasto malissimo quando ho letto di Smoltz: almeno è andato ai Red Sox, ma un po' di delusione rimane.

Like most mornings, this one didn't start out much different from the ones before it. As usual, when my girlfriend leaves for work around 6:30 every morning, I grab my phone and hop online to see if there's been any significant news going on in the world overnight before I fall back asleep for another couple hours.
Only this morning wasn't like all of those other mornings.
Because this morning, instead of seeing some headline about some shooting in Downtown, some holdup gone wrong, some wreck that was snarling traffic for all the morning commuters, what I saw was something which can hurt you in only the way years of devotion to a sports team can: a picture of John Smoltz walking off the field at the Ted (in front of a laughably small crowd) his cap in hand acknowledging the meager standing ovation he was receiving with the headline: "So Long, Smoltz."
It could have been the headline I was expecting -- after a couple months of strenuous rehab, John's arm had once again given out and he was forced to unceremoniously call it a career after yet another unfortunate injury. But, no, that's just what I selfishly wanted it to be.
Back on the 24th of July 1989, I made my first of many pilgrimages to old Fulton County Stadium. Your typical Monday night back in '89, the eventual National League champion San Francisco Giants were in town taking on the Murph and the rest of the lackluster Braves. The 22-year old on the mound for the hometeam had just celebrated his one-year anniversary of his first ML outing the day before and had already ran made a huge impression on the faithful in the 33 starts since his debut against the Mets a year before. For the first time since the man out in rightfield with a #3 on his back burst onto the scene almost a decade prior, Braves fans had something to be excited about.
And, as you're well aware, the kid taking the mound that day was none other than on John Andrew Smoltz.
It was a brilliant outing by Smoltize: a complete game, ten strikeout, three-hitter performance against a team loaded with offense. Unfortunately, the mammoth two-run homer he surrendered to the lethal Kevin Mitchell in the fourth was more than enough for the Reuschel/Brantley/Lefferts/Bedrosian combination the Giants through out, as the Braves weren't able to put a run on the board and lost 2-0.
I guess the thing that sticks out in my mind most about the game in question is the exchange that happened two days later between my father and my seven-year old self. As we drove through town on that Wednesday night, with the Braves and Giants on the radio, closing out their three-game set, Dale Murphy sent a pitch into the left-centerfield seats at the Launching Pad and my dad exclaimed, "see, we could've been there if you kids didn't want to see Smoltz pitch."
I don't know why that statement has always stuck with me, but it's one of those childhood memories that no matter how hard you try to shake it, you just can't.
So, here I sit, almost nineteen and a half years later, trying to shake that and a million other memories of John Smoltz's Hall of Fame career from my head.
As we all know and have heard countless times, Smoltzie was the only player in a Braves uniform from the 106th loss of the 1988 season through the end of the 14 straight division titles in 2006. He was the one on the mound for the 104th loss of the '88 season and a little over three years later, he was the one with Greg Olson in his arms as the Braves celebrated their unbelievable 1991 NL West pennant.
And he was the one who went out in Game Seven of the greatest baseball game of our generation and pitched the game of a lifetime, only to be duped by Chuck Knoblauch and the phantom relay that stopped Lonnie Smith dead in his tracks.
He was the one who stood there, alongside Tom Glavine, Steve Avery and the newly acquired Greg Maddux and was dubbed Atlanta's Young Guns -- a foursome which would finally lead the Braves to the promise land and that one World Series title in 1995.
He was there, along with Chipper in 2005, holding high yet another unlikely division title banner after a new cast of youngsters with names like McCann and Francoeur burst onto the scene and brought a bored fanbase back to life.
And we were there for John when time and time again, injuries began to take their toll on his aging body. From the selfless trip to the bullpen and taking on the closer's role in 2001 -- where he became one of the most elite closers the game has ever seen -- to the unprecedented return to the starting rotation in 2005. From the will-he-or-won't-he talks in the off-seasons after 1996 and 2001 where other teams threw more money at him, but he remained loyal and returned to the only Major League team he's ever known.
But unlike those two previous off-seasons, where Smoltz was willing to take less for a shot at more with the Braves, this off-season just wasn't the same.
As things grow more and more uncertain concerning the future of the Braves franchise, with the post-season drought now sitting at three seasons, the decision to keep reach an agreement became increasingly difficult for the 41-year old and the Braves organization.
For Smoltz, we all know how difficult it has been to sit back and watch the team fumble their way through the winter. Nothing has went right. From the debacle over Jake Peavy, to being outbid repeatedly for a number of free agent pitchers, to the fiasco with Rafael Furcal and the "what just happened here?" agreement, to the only key significant acquisition being a 32-year old starter who cost the Braves two of their most cherished prospects.
For the Braves, it was trying to make the move to start over, only having setback after repeated setback. The dire need for some fresh, young starting pitching. And being unable to get it. The trying to acquire a catalyst for the offense and one more bat for the middle of the lineup. And being unable to get either. To looking down the barrel of an off-season gun where their only major move could be taking a risk on a fan favorite who is coming off reconstructive shoulder surgery and not being ready for action until May or June.
So a decision had to be made. There needed to be a breaking point.
And it doesn't matter what side of the argument you fall on here -- whether you are in support of FireFrankWren.com or feel Smoltz has soldout the franchise like Tommy Glavine did when he left for New York -- the important thing to remember here is what #29 has brought to us all for the past two decades.
Yes, I do feel a little letdown by the front office for not putting forth a stronger effort in bringing Smoltzie back. If only for the mere fact this is going to become a complete public relations disaster for a team who has seen their fanbase become a mere fraction of it was even a decade ago when the city of Atlanta was flourishing and the club had a beautiful new stadium to call home. Things didn't go the way any of us wished last year when the Braves tried to bring Glavine back for one last lap around the track, but we can still all hold our heads high and say he's most likely going out the way he should -- with a tomahawk on his chest.
And, yes, there was also no person more adamant about the age of our pitching staff at the start of last season. I made more than a few concerns with the backbone of the rotation being built around a couple 40-somethings. We all honestly have to start looking towards the future at some point, holding onto the past isn't going to get any more banners put on the facade of the 755 Club at Turner Field anytime soon. But the taste left in my mouth by this is just too much to swallow right now.
As sports fans, we should all have the "whatever is best for the team" mindset. Whether that mindset is directed towards the present or the future, is ultimately up to the holder of said opinion, however. Somethings go above and beyond that, however. As sports fans, we also come to hold the athletes we idolize as something more than just assets to be bought and sold at their peaks and valleys. They become family. They become the familiar face that we can always count on to be there on hot summer nights in August and the cool evenings in October. They are the names and numbers that we wear on our backs -- and in our hearts.
We've said farewell to Greg Maddux and Leo Mazzone. We've done the same to Glavine -- once, and likely to do it again soon. Within the next year, we'll probably say our goodbyes to Bobby Cox, as well. And, eventually, it will be Chipper's turn, too.
They were all there for some, if not most, of this long and winding journey that has lead a city from a team full of perennial losers to the top of the world for almost two decades, but only one of them was there for the full ride.
I want to sit here and say that I'm pulling 100% for Smoltz to get another chance at the Fall Classic with the Red Sox, honestly and truly I do. But I can't. Sometimes, we all gotta be a little selfish -- just like some people say Smoltz is. I wish him nothing but the best and hope he is able to finish out his career on his terms. I also hope he is able to have a healthy 2009 and is able to prove any of the doubters out there wrong.
But I just can't bear to visualize John Smoltz celebrating a World Series victory without the Braves logo on his jersey.
So, good luck, John... Just not that much.

gex · Post by **gex** » 11/01/2009, 12:09

L'unica volta in cui Pablets non scrive Atlanta Braves - Waiting for Kawakami arriva in effetti la firma del lanciatore giapponese per tre anni anche se non sono ancora rese note le cifre. Nel periodo 2004/2006 ha avuto un record di 45-22 lanciando in media 197 innings, ha vinto anche un Cy Young in Giappone; non si tratta di un power pitcher, ma piuttosto di un finesse guy dotato di una fastball discreta e di una buona curva. Probabilmente il suo maggior pregio è l'ottimo controllo che lo ha portato in patria a concedere 200 BB in circa 1500 innings, vedremo come si adatterà negli States.

Curiosamente Kawakami è stato anche il perdente della finale per il bronzo delle Olimpiadi dello scorso anno contro gli Stati Uniti lanciando 2.1 innings con 4 H, 4 ER, 1 BB e 1 K.

gex · Post by **gex** » 13/01/2009, 14:54

I Braves avrebbero offerto un contratto di 3+1 o 4 anni a 15 milioni/anno a Derek Lowe candidandosi come favoriti per l'ingaggio dell'ex Dodgers, mentre alcuni rumors parlano di un possibile ritorno di Andruw Jones in Georgia. Proprio le mosse giuste se si vuole ricostruire, spero che la dirigenza non pensi che la squadra abbia qualche possibilità di essere competitiva nel 2009.

pelato · Post by **pelato** » 13/01/2009, 16:03

gex wrote: I Braves avrebbero offerto un contratto di 3+1 o 4 anni a 15 milioni/anno a Derek Lowe candidandosi come favoriti per l'ingaggio dell'ex Dodgers, mentre alcuni rumors parlano di un possibile ritorno di Andruw Jones in Georgia. Proprio le mosse giuste se si vuole ricostruire, spero che la dirigenza non pensi che la squadra abbia qualche possibilità di essere competitiva nel 2009.

Se arrivasse Lowe, e a questo punto non vedo quali altre squadre possano inserirsi nella trattativa, la rotazione sarebbe assolutamente di buon livello... è vero che non basta solo quello però le altre dovranno sudare parecchio...

gex · Post by **gex** » 13/01/2009, 21:10

pelato wrote: Se arrivasse Lowe, e a questo punto non vedo quali altre squadre possano inserirsi nella trattativa, la rotazione sarebbe assolutamente di buon livello... è vero che non basta solo quello però le altre dovranno sudare parecchio...

Beh sicuramente Lowe e Vazquez sono buoni pitchers, ma dietro di loro ci sono troppe incognite a cominciare da Jurrjens (che non credo si riconfermerà ai livelli del 2009) e Kawakami (può diventare come Kuroda o come Igawa), senza parlare dei problemi fisici di Glavine e Hudson; invece confido molto in Hanson che difficilmente però sarà protagonista già dal prossimo anno. Per quanto riguarda il lineup invece c'è una carenza incredibile di potenza e la situazione degli esterni è ancora tutta da decifrare... In NL East siamo dietro sia a Phillies che a Mets secondo me, quindi continuo a rimanere perplesso circa le mosse della dirigenza in questa offseason.

gex · Post by **gex** » 19/01/2009, 21:23

I Braves evitano l'arbitration con Mike Gonzales raggiungendo un accordo per 3,45 milioni; il giocatore sarà comunque FA nel 2010.

gex · Post by **gex** » 22/01/2009, 21:50

Grazie a Braves-Nation.com ecco la situazione contrattuale di Atlanta per il 2009:

I giocatori sotto contratto per l'anno prossimo sono: Tim Hudson (15.500.000 $), Derek Lowe (15.000.000 $), Javier Vazquez (11.500.000 $), Chipper Jones (11.000.000 $), Kenshin Kawakami (7.666.667 $), Rafael Soriano (6.350.000 $), Brian McCann (3.666.667 $), Mike Gonzales (3.450.000 $), Omar Infante (1.850.000 $), David Ross (1.400.000 $), Matt Diaz (1.237,500 $), Greg Norton (800.000 $). Il totale è di 79.420.833 $ per 12 giocatori, anche se solo 11 saranno attivi all'opening day (Hudson sta recuperando dalla Tommy John).

Tre giocatori sono invece ancora in attesa dell'arbitration: Casey Kotchman, Kelly Johnson e Jeff Francoeur. Nei primi due casi è verosimile che la cifra si attesti a metà strada tra le richieste del club e quelle dei giocatori, 2.862.500 $ per Kotchman e 2.825.000 $ per Johnson. Francouer invece è reduce da un 2008 veramente penoso e realisticamente si dovrà "accontentare" di quanto offerto dalla società, ossia circa 2.800.000 $. A questo punto il payroll totale arriva a 87.908.333 $ per 15 giocatori (14 attivi); i restanti 10+1 posti dovrebbero essere per Yunel Escobar, Josh Anderson, Martin Prado, Jair Jurrjens, Charlie Morton, Manny Acosta, Blaine Boyer, Jorge Campillo, Boone Logan e Peter Moylan ed ognuno costerà 450.000 $.

A questo punto resta da risolvere l'incognita LF, con il monte stipendi che si attesta verso 92.408.333 $ per 24 giocatori: gli 8 milioni di $ che mancano per arrivare a 100 dovrebbero bastare per assicurarsi un buon esterno come Dunn, Swisher o Nady. Il reparto rimane in ogni caso assolutamente da brividi, per fortuna la farm può contare su alcuni ottimi elementi che potrebbero debuttare già nel 2009. :gazza:

gex · Post by **gex** » 01/02/2009, 11:36

gex wrote: 2.862.500 $ per Kotchman

Ed infatti la cifra è di 2.885.000 $ per un anno più incentivi.

gex · Post by **gex** » 05/02/2009, 22:18

Visto che in questi giorni non c'è molto da dire sui Braves attuali, ricordo che oggi compie 75 il mitico Hank Aaron.

Video

gex · Post by **gex** » 07/02/2009, 11:50

Secondo Mark Bowman di mlb.com Atlanta avrebbe offerto un contratto a Glavine di circa 1-2 milioni di $ per un anno. :gazza:

gex · Post by **gex** » 11/02/2009, 14:44

FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal reports that the Braves will meet with free agent left-hander Tom Glavine on Wednesday.

As Rosenthal writes, Glavine "is seeking a guarantee in the $2 million to $3 million range." The Braves offered him $1MM last week. Glavine, 43, went 2-4 with a 5.54 ERA in 13 starts last season before undergoing surgery. He is expected to be ready for Opening Day.

The Braves are thought to have around $7MM left in the budget, but are still in need of an outfielder.

Personalmente per Glavine arriverei al massimo fino a 2 milioni; in fondo la priorità maggiore rimane l'esterno, spero in Dunn o Swisher.

surfbear · Post by **surfbear** » 11/02/2009, 19:34

gex wrote: Personalmente per Glavine arriverei al massimo fino a 2 milioni; in fondo la priorità maggiore rimane l'esterno, spero in Dunn o Swisher.

gex · Post by **gex** » 12/02/2009, 21:10

As for the outfield, Rosenthal says the Braves are "checking into" free agents such as Garret Anderson, Luis Gonzalez, Jim Edmonds, and Ken Griffey Jr. ESPN's Jerry Crasnick wrote earlier today that the Mariners are making progress with Griffey. Rosenthal says a Nick Swisher trade "also remains possible, but the Braves almost certainly could land one of the free agents for less than the $5.3MM that Swisher will earn in 2009." Swisher is guaranteed an additional $16.75MM for 2010-11, if his 2012 option for $10.25MM is declined.

gex · Post by **gex** » 15/02/2009, 14:36

Mentre sono sempre più insistenti le voci di un possibile arrivo di Griffey Jr. ad Atlanta, segnalo quest'intervista di BA a Tommy Hanson.