Home General
Hey folks - as a member of the DawgNation community, please remember to abide by simple rules of civil engagement with other members:

- Please no inappropriate usernames (remember that there may be youngsters in the room)

- Personal attacks on other community members are unacceptable, practice the good manners your mama taught you when engaging with fellow Dawg fans

- Use common sense and respect personal differences in the community: sexual and other inappropriate language or imagery, political rants and belittling the opinions of others will get your posts deleted and result in warnings and/ or banning from the forum

- 3/17/19 UPDATE -- We've updated the permissions for our "Football" and "Commit to the G" recruiting message boards. We aim to be the best free board out there and that has not changed. We do now ask that all of you good people register as a member of our forum in order to see the sugar that is falling from our skies, so to speak.

Braves Ongoing Season Comments Thread..

WCDawgWCDawg Posts: 17,293 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

Notice how I caped all the words in the title.. so as to make it look official ?

First comment. Folty looked really good tonight. The velocity and demennor seemed to be better. If he gets back to 2018 form it will be a huge boon to our chances of making the postseason.

«13456796

Comments

  • donmdonm Posts: 10,241 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    His velocity was as good as ever. He seemed much calmer. Except for one inning, no excessive # of pitches in an inning and zero walks. He would give us 3/5 of a rotation. Julio and Gausman give us 1/2 a starter each for a total of 4/5 of a rotation. Not bad. The hitters are looking good...really good.

    Question. Does this affect your evaluation of the new pitching coach any?

  • WCDawgWCDawg Posts: 17,293 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate
    edited May 2019

    I never criticized the pitching coach. I criticized the decision to fire the old coach after having I think the 7th best team ERA last year. We went into tonight with the 14th best ERA, so it's still an open question how it plays out.

  • orlandoorlando Posts: 2,322 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    Folty looked more relaxed tonight. Even got a rare hit I believe.

  • volatilisvolatilis Posts: 3,239 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    To me, the first few games was Folty's spring training. He's gotten better each time the last 2. I like the way the starting rotation is shaping up. Sean has really improved the bullpen.

  • WCDawgWCDawg Posts: 17,293 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate
    edited May 2019

    I'm guessing at some point Newcomb will be given another shot at starting. No doubt he's useful in the pen now though. Winkler just goes out and delivers game after game.

  • donmdonm Posts: 10,241 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    @WCDawg I'm guessing at some point Newcomb will be given another shot at starting. No doubt he's useful in the pen now though. Winkler just goes out and delivers game after game.

    That's certainly my hope for Sean. It would be great to have 2 solid lefties in the rotation. Similar to the days of Glavine and Avery.

  • volatilisvolatilis Posts: 3,239 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    Just a little side note - Braves were 18-20 when they finally decided to put Acuna, Jr back leading off. 11-3 since.

  • WCDawgWCDawg Posts: 17,293 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    volatilis. As long as it's working, keep working it. Statistically Acuna looks better suited for the 2 or 3 spot, but sometimes it just works.

  • volatilisvolatilis Posts: 3,239 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    I'm all about it working, too. Bobby Bonds was one of my favorite lead off players, I see a lot of similarities with him and Acuna.

  • CTDawgCTDawg Posts: 2,107 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    Honestly I don’t know why we waited so long to put him back in leadoff. It changed our season last year

  • WCDawgWCDawg Posts: 17,293 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate
    edited May 2019

    CTDawg. I think the reason is Acuna simply doesn't look like a logical choice for leadoff. There's also the idea that RA is a budding superstar hitter. Not many all around great hitters bat leadoff, Mookie Betts being a big exception.You usually put your best hitters at 3 and 4.

    We really don't have an ideal high OBP/great base runner though, so you keep plugging people in and see what happens. There's also the possibility the surge has little or nothing to do with moving Acuna.

    Don't get me wrong, RA has a lot to like at leadoff or any other position. If we had more power throughout the lineup I'd be less concerned with not having him in an RBI spot. He's averaging a run scored a game since being moved though, that is exceptional. If Ronald can do for us what Betts does for Boston..I'm good.

  • BankwalkerBankwalker Posts: 5,348 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate
    edited May 2019

    This team could make the postseason, but it isn’t winning the NLCS without a closer. Coming up on a week until the MLB draft.

  • CTDawgCTDawg Posts: 2,107 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    The way I see it, you need to get him as many at bats as possible. He just gives us a spark that Ender and Albies can’t do consistently, and I just think you ride with what works. And Acuna at leadoff works

  • WCDawgWCDawg Posts: 17,293 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    It's working now, so leave Acuna where he's at till it's not working. I've seen far too many short term trends in baseball to be convinced just yet he's best long term batting 1st.

  • georgiaboygeorgiaboy Posts: 846 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    What do you do with Ender when he comes off the DL? You can’t afford to sit the kid (Reilly) the way he’s hitting the ball. Wonder if we can trade Donaldson for relief help and move the kid to 3rd?

  • KirbstomperKirbstomper Posts: 1,102 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    Nah Donaldson is our 3rd best player, that would probably make us worse.

  • donmdonm Posts: 10,241 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    Agree Kirbstomper. Riley will likely level out a good bit. Ender is a gold Glover who is a .280-.290 lifetime hitter. He will be an asset again.

  • georgiaboygeorgiaboy Posts: 846 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    Personally, I’d rank Donaldson behind every starter except the catcher. Camargo could’ve done all he’s done as an every day player. Waste of money through the first 2 months.

  • georgiaboygeorgiaboy Posts: 846 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    Riley may level out eventually but he’s our best hitter right now. Ender may be a Gold Glover but he hasn’t hit near .280 the past 2 years. He’s been a liability this year. Will be interesting to see what Snit does. Bet he doesn’t sit Reilly though.

  • KirbstomperKirbstomper Posts: 1,102 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    Yeah you can have your opinions and all but every metric I’ve seen has Donaldson as a very good player so far. He is hitting 25% better than mlb average, and Camargo was 15% better than mlb average last year (he hit a lot better last year than he has this year).

This discussion has been closed.