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ATLANTA BRAVES THREAD!


Ronald McDonald

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Good thing we are getting all of our L's out of the way!

I`m curious as to who mentioned that Chipper was huge and bloated. Just watched the Braves play and he looked in pretty good shape to me. No excess weight and pretty quick.

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Good thing we are getting all of our L's out of the way!

I`m curious as to who mentioned that Chipper was huge and bloated. Just watched the Braves play and he looked in pretty good shape to me. No excess weight and pretty quick.

I wish this weren't the case, but Chipper looks as if he has put on a few pounds. Doesn't mean he still can't hack, and some say this picture was taken at a bad time on a windy day. But this article doesn't give me much hope.

http://deadspin.com/5892885/fat-chipper-jones-may-or-may-not-be-fat-but-he-reportedly-looks-terrible

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Well after the Braves all but officially announced Pastornicky as the Opening Day SS it now appears that Andrelton Simmons may be the man to get the first hack at it. Pastornicky has gone something like 3-26 this Spring and Simmons is hitting around .290. Simmons is said to have a great glove and hit an even .300 last year but has never played above high-A ball. I figure any production we get out of SS this year is just a plus.

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I can't remember a championship team that played an entire season with a question mark at SS. Why can't Braves management make a move for someone at that position? It's beyond frustrating.

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I can't remember a championship team that played an entire season with a question mark at SS. Why can't Braves management make a move for someone at that position? It's beyond frustrating.

Frank Wren. In 1999 he took the Orioles from the one of the best teams with one of the highest payroll in MLB strait to the basement. They fired him after one season, but they haven't got their act right sense. He believes in the farm system, which to his credit is probably the best in baseball, but I have to question if we have so much talent in the farm why not trade one of the 8 big league ready pitchers and get a SS who can hit.

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Atlanta has about 8 million to play with at the trade deadline so if the SS position is a serious problem by July then I think we'll see a move. This is just me speculating but I could see the Braves in the market for Cleveland's Asdrubal Cabrera or Baltimore's JJ Hardy. Both have a lot of pop for the SS position (25-30 HR). With Bourn as a speed guy this lineup really just needs some more power IMO, so that would do it. Also, I think both of those teams need pitching and will be out of contention by the trade deadline so they could be real sellers.

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Well after the Braves all but officially announced Pastornicky as the Opening Day SS it now appears that Andrelton Simmons may be the man to get the first hack at it. Pastornicky has gone something like 3-26 this Spring and Simmons is hitting around .290. Simmons is said to have a great glove and hit an even .300 last year but has never played above high-A ball. I figure any production we get out of SS this year is just a plus.

Watching the game vs. the Tigers now. espn just said that there is a split between the on fields staff and the front office on who to start. The coaches/players want Simmons while the office wants Pastornicky.

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Well after the Braves all but officially announced Pastornicky as the Opening Day SS it now appears that Andrelton Simmons may be the man to get the first hack at it. Pastornicky has gone something like 3-26 this Spring and Simmons is hitting around .290. Simmons is said to have a great glove and hit an even .300 last year but has never played above high-A ball. I figure any production we get out of SS this year is just a plus.

Watching the game vs. the Tigers now. espn just said that there is a split between the on fields staff and the front office on who to start. The coaches/players want Simmons while the office wants Pastornicky.

Interesting. Kind of strange there is a split, neither have much experience and Simmons--to me--appears to have more upside.

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Atlanta has about 8 million to play with at the trade deadline so if the SS position is a serious problem by July then I think we'll see a move. This is just me speculating but I could see the Braves in the market for Cleveland's Asdrubal Cabrera or Baltimore's JJ Hardy. Both have a lot of pop for the SS position (25-30 HR). With Bourn as a speed guy this lineup really just needs some more power IMO, so that would do it. Also, I think both of those teams need pitching and will be out of contention by the trade deadline so they could be real sellers.

The way they're playing in spring ball and from what I've watched today, we'll be sellers by July. :laugh:
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Atlanta has about 8 million to play with at the trade deadline so if the SS position is a serious problem by July then I think we'll see a move. This is just me speculating but I could see the Braves in the market for Cleveland's Asdrubal Cabrera or Baltimore's JJ Hardy. Both have a lot of pop for the SS position (25-30 HR). With Bourn as a speed guy this lineup really just needs some more power IMO, so that would do it. Also, I think both of those teams need pitching and will be out of contention by the trade deadline so they could be real sellers.

The way they're playing in spring ball and from what I've watched today, we'll be sellers by July. :laugh:

Yeah I hope not. Atlanta usually seems to start slow IMO though so hopefully that is all these Spring struggles are.

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Chipper just announced he will retire after 2012 season.

Saw that earlier today! First Ballot HOF IMO! Think we're looking at our next hitting coach!

I think so too. Too bad he won't be able to get to 500 HR (doubt he would even if he played in 2013) but he's been phenomenal.

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I hope Chipper can play 100-125 games in his last year.He can still mash and hit in the clutch.I would not be suprised to see him out of the three hole if he struggles early.

He is one of the best atl braves position players ever.He is probably number two behind Hank.First ballot HOFer without a doubt.

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Just a hypothetical: If Chipper had played his whole career in the AL with the DH do you think he would be retiring this season? I'm sure he still would've played 3B for the vast majority of his career but being able to get an active day off (DH-ing) I think would have stretched his career at least through 2013. What say ye?

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If Chipper can play 90 games this season it will be a miracle.

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones will have arthroscopic surgery Monday to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.

Jones injured the knee Thursday when he slipped while stretching before batting practice. It also was just before his scheduled news conference, where he announced he was planning to retire after this season.

"We were talking on the field to get ready to go up for the news conference, he called (manager) Fredi (Gonzalez) in off the field to let him know he thought he had just injured his knee and it didn't feel right," Braves general manager Frank Wren said Saturday. "Just a strange coincidence."

Jones, who turns 40 next month, suffered a similar injury last summer, when he had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.

"When he had it last year, it was only 17 days, and talking to Chipper, he feels like he can make it back for our home opener (April 13)," Gonzalez said. "The difference between this year and last year, last year he was in midseason form when he did it. Now he's in conditioning mode, so it's possible it could be another week.

"I feel like he can come back and be fine. I'm not worried that he won't come back and be able to play and be a productive player. I've seen him do it too many times."

Dr. Marvin Royster, who had performed all five of Jones' previous knee surgeries, was in Florida and looked at the MRI Friday, then examined Jones Saturday morning, when he diagnosed the torn meniscus.

"It just stinks. I feel bad for the guy, because he's trying to go out on a good note and then this happens," catcher David Ross said. "But the one thing about Chipper, he heals faster than anybody I've ever seen. Knowing him, he'll get back in about a week and a half. I just hope for him he gets healthy and gets back and has a great last year."

The plan now is to move Martin Prado from left field to third base, and mix and match in left, most likely with a platoon of Eric Hinske and Matt Diaz

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If Chipper can play 90 games this season it will be a miracle.

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones will have arthroscopic surgery Monday to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.

Jones injured the knee Thursday when he slipped while stretching before batting practice. It also was just before his scheduled news conference, where he announced he was planning to retire after this season.

"We were talking on the field to get ready to go up for the news conference, he called (manager) Fredi (Gonzalez) in off the field to let him know he thought he had just injured his knee and it didn't feel right," Braves general manager Frank Wren said Saturday. "Just a strange coincidence."

Jones, who turns 40 next month, suffered a similar injury last summer, when he had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.

"When he had it last year, it was only 17 days, and talking to Chipper, he feels like he can make it back for our home opener (April 13)," Gonzalez said. "The difference between this year and last year, last year he was in midseason form when he did it. Now he's in conditioning mode, so it's possible it could be another week.

"I feel like he can come back and be fine. I'm not worried that he won't come back and be able to play and be a productive player. I've seen him do it too many times."

Dr. Marvin Royster, who had performed all five of Jones' previous knee surgeries, was in Florida and looked at the MRI Friday, then examined Jones Saturday morning, when he diagnosed the torn meniscus.

"It just stinks. I feel bad for the guy, because he's trying to go out on a good note and then this happens," catcher David Ross said. "But the one thing about Chipper, he heals faster than anybody I've ever seen. Knowing him, he'll get back in about a week and a half. I just hope for him he gets healthy and gets back and has a great last year."

The plan now is to move Martin Prado from left field to third base, and mix and match in left, most likely with a platoon of Eric Hinske and Matt Diaz

I agree with Ross, Chipper is a freak when it comes to speedy recoveries (although that is kinda offset by his propensity to get injured in the first place). Maybe this will be a blessing in disguise later in the year when he may be slightly more rested  :)

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Just a hypothetical: If Chipper had played his whole career in the AL with the DH do you think he would be retiring this season? I'm sure he still would've played 3B for the vast majority of his career but being able to get an active day off (DH-ing) I think would have stretched his career at least through 2013. What say ye?

I'm not sure he wouldn't feel even more satisfied leaving now in that situation, because unless the dynamics were changed such that he didn't spend two and a half years in left field (or however long he patrolled left while Vinnie Castilla played third), then he would still have the wear and tear on his knees, but probably be over 500 home runs and 3,000 RBIs by virtue of having played in more games.

Now, had he never made the move to left, I think he'd probably have another two or three years in him at least. If his body weren't failing him, he'd probably play, and play well, for the next ten years. Chipper plays because he loves it, not for stats or for money (the stats might mollify him when combined with the pain, but they have never been his reason for playing). That's one of the greatest reasons it's been such a joy to watch him virtually my entire life.

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Back on ESPN right now.. down to the Yankees 3-0 in the 5th. JHey robbed a HR earlier.

That was a nice play by Heyward. Also, his HR was beautiful to see as it was to left-center. He really stayed on the ball well and drove it to the opposite field.

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Just saw we're interested in Xavier Nady!

As a backup I like him, but the guy gets hurt a lot. Good numbers when he's healthy though.

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