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Atlanta Braves Season Thread

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Comments

  • TheSmartWayTheSmartWay Posts: 901 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    I agree with you that neither will contribute this year. The reason I mentioned Max Fried in the last post was just to point out that, 2 years ago, Fried was a fringe bullpen/long relief type guy. I just can't stand seeing all the hate those guys get from Braves fans I guess, I still feel like one or both could put it all together the way Fried did.

    To your point, I'm right there with you on the bullpen games. It doesn't make sense to let a team with such a great bullpen keep getting dragged down by their SPs. Snitker doesn't know how to manage a bullpen though, and will never bite. I've never been more frustrated by a manager than Snit.

  • GeorgiaGirlGeorgiaGirl Posts: 1,854 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate
    edited September 2020

    Wright seems like he has some Fried in him in which they have similar flaws, but he doesn't even seem to have the similar mind that Fried did in recent years.

    Fried was already starting to flash to boot at age 24-25. We have not gotten that St Louis game out of Wright which was truly the eye opener for me with Fried.

    Edit: It really feels like to me the best case now for Wright is probably a Bauer/Morton pathway with it happening on another team.

    With Touki...I just...don't know.

  • AnotherDawgAnotherDawg Posts: 6,761 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate
    edited September 2020

    One of the downsides to today's game is that young pitchers aren't given as much time to develop at the major league level.

    Tom Glavine started 43 games before he turned 23. He lost 21 of those games. Then he turned a corner in year 3, going 14-8. In year 5 he won 20 games and the Cy Young award as the Braves went from worst to first and started their miracle run of the 90's. Glavine finished his career with 305 wins.

    Notably, the Braves handled fellow "young gun" Pete Smith the same way. He and Glavine came up together, debuted in '87, and were thrown into the rotation in '88. Smith started 59 games in his first two full seasons and lost 29 of them. Unlike Glavine, he never turned the corner, but the Braves gave him every chance. Smith finished his career with 47 wins.

    I'd be willing to bet if Toussaint and Wright were allowed to start 40-50 games each, without worrying about the results, then one or both might develop into a frontline starter. They have the stuff. It's the mental part that takes time. But time is not a luxury they have.

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

    The Braves were terrible during this stretch in the late 80s. This stuff still happens, it’s just not supposed to happen on a team trying to make the playoffs. If you start Tuoki every 5th day and lose 80% of those games in a playoff race that doesn’t make sense. If we were the pirates, then yeah let’s see what we have in him.

    For what it’s worth, I’m starting to seriously doubt Wright. When you consistently get hit hard with “great stuff”, how great is it really? Hopefully he can turn it around but he clearly doesn’t have dominant stuff, and something is missing.

  • PTDawgPTDawg Posts: 2,169 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    I think you actually can afford to have your 5th starter on a contending team get 20-25 starts with not too much concern on their stats/performance like the Braves did with Glavine in the 80's provided you think they are developing. Yes, I know the Braves were terrible in the late 80's but I'm referring to how they brought their young pitchers along. However, that approach only works for a contending team in the #5 spot provided that 1-4 are solid and reliable. Back then it was magnified even more as the 4- man rotation was basically the standard. The Braves problem is that basically spots 2-5 in the rotation are all developmental and unpredictable (3-5 prior to soroka going down). That will not work long term. Of course this isn't a long term season so who the heck knows.

  • AnotherDawgAnotherDawg Posts: 6,761 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate
    edited September 2020

    Boy, these guys are something.

    Spot 'em five runs and come back again?

    Three runs in the 9th, all with two outs?

    Ozuna, 5-for-5?

    C'mon man!!!

  • PTDawgPTDawg Posts: 2,169 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    I love the fight in them but the lack of situational hitting is driving me crazy. Where is the fly ball to get a runner home from 3rd with less than 2 outs? A ground ball to the other side? Something. Just had 2nd and 3rd with no outs and couldn't score

  • PTDawgPTDawg Posts: 2,169 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    You've got to be kidding me. Bases loaded with 1 out in consecutive innings and can't score.

  • SquillDawgSquillDawg Posts: 1,438 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    Only able to watch on gamecast on ESPN. It's painful on so many levels.

  • AnotherDawgAnotherDawg Posts: 6,761 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate
    edited September 2020

    Due to the rule change I imagine we'll never see another one like this, but I remember it like it was yesterday. Watched the whole thing live, to the finish.

    Edit: this is a really fun/interesting article BTW. I wouldn't bother posting if I didn't think some of you might enjoy it.

  • PTDawgPTDawg Posts: 2,169 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    Yep. Was too young to hang in that late back then but I've heard about it.

  • TeddyTeddy Posts: 7,109 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    The worst situational hitting team I’ve ever seen. At least they can hit the long ball

  • AnotherDawgAnotherDawg Posts: 6,761 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    To this day it is the most memorable game, in any sport, that I've ever watched. Really hard to convey how bizarre/amazing/incredible it was.

  • PTDawgPTDawg Posts: 2,169 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate
    edited September 2020

    Kind of like the 7 OT LSU-A&M game a couple of seasons ago, just in long form. I got stuck on that one and couldn't turn it off even though it was 130 in the morning or something like that.

  • TNDawg71TNDawg71 Posts: 2,218 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    Great memory of that one. Rick Camp swung the bat worse than Oglvie in bad news bears.

    That article reminded me how much I hated John Sterling in those days.

  • RomeDawg288RomeDawg288 Posts: 1,013 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    Agree that Wright and Toussaint will both eventually figure it out, just not there yet.

  • donmedeirosdonmedeiros Posts: 3,379 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    So the future looks a little brighter - Soroka, Freid, Anderson, Wright, Toussaint and maybe even Folty making a comeback. Those are some good arms...if and when they "get it" it could be a nice staff.

  • Canedawg2140Canedawg2140 Posts: 1,832 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    Whoever taught Anderson how to PITCH needs to work with 4-5 other guys. I worry about our minor league coaches actually teaching PITCHING over THROWING.

    His fastball is 93-96. Not always 96. And it doesn't look max effort. His changeup looks like his fastball, cause it's the same effort. And his curve is a 8% of the time pitch.

    Most importantly, he doesn't seem to have major psychological problems like Newcomb, Folty, Wright, etc.

    Braves should invest in a shrink for Gwinnett...

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