Atlanta Braves 2012

[bsking]

So we have less than 2 weeks until pitchers and catchers report.  Gotta love how baseball season sneaks up on you.

Well first things first, the Braves unveiled their new Home Friday Jerseys and man do I love these:



Gotta love the cream!

[OnTheHillHogFan]

The alternate looks great. BTW They will be wearing the red jerseys on Friday now instead of Sunday.

[bsking]

The alternate looks great. BTW They will be wearing the red jerseys on Friday now instead of Sunday.

Yeah I read that later after I posted.  So we are going to have 5 unis we wear consistently.  Nice.  And I honestly like them all.

[The Boar War]

The home alternate has a clean classic look.  That's a nice jersey.

[SPAL]

Gonna be a long year im afraid. But the future is exceptionally bright

[ucahogfan]

Gonna be a long year im afraid. But the future is exceptionally bright

I think we have the talent to be very good this year.  Hopefully our pitchers can stay healthy.

[bsking]

I think the Braves will compete to be the 2nd best team in the NL.

If we can get production out of J-Hey and Freeman continues to impress we should be really good.

2nd best rotation in the NL.
Best Bullpen in baseball.

Those 2 things will take you a looong way.

[SPAL]

Im nolt sold we have one of the best rotations. Huddy is good but you cant be certain of his health.if he stays healthy he is one of the best. Hanson syruggled last year, but he is still young. Jj shoulf be traded by opening day. We have a lot of great potential but its not proven.  We need uggla to start hot and heyward to fihure it out. Can he stay healthy?  freeman cant have a sophomore slump.

We ar not the 2nd best team ,imo

[OnTheHillHogFan]

Im nolt sold we have one of the best rotations. Huddy is good but you cant be certain of his health.if he stays healthy he is one of the best. Hanson syruggled last year, but he is still young. Jj shoulf be traded by opening day. We have a lot of great potential but its not proven.  We need uggla to start hot and heyward to fihure it out. Can he stay healthy?  freeman cant have a sophomore slump.

We ar not the 2nd best team ,imo

Hanson only struggled after he hurt his shoulder. Before that he was one of the best pitchers in baseball

[bsking]

Im nolt sold we have one of the best rotations. Huddy is good but you cant be certain of his health.if he stays healthy he is one of the best. Hanson syruggled last year, but he is still young. Jj shoulf be traded by opening day. We have a lot of great potential but its not proven.  We need uggla to start hot and heyward to fihure it out. Can he stay healthy?  freeman cant have a sophomore slump.

We ar not the 2nd best team ,imo

JJ won't be traded by opening day.  He won't be traded at all unless we are out of it by July which I doubt.  When JJ is healthy he's Cy Young caliber.

Hanson was top 10 in ERA and top 3 in k/9 before his shoulder flared up.

Hudson is a given.

Beachy has proven that he can be a very good MLB starter.

Throw in our all-world prospects and you can't argue we don't have a top 3 NL rotation.

[SPAL]

I hope we do keep JJ. All indications are that  he should stay. If everybody is healthy, yes, we have a top rotation.

[ucahogfan]

Story on the ESPN homepage.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/spring2012/story/_/id/7597888/atlanta-braves-avoid-making-changes

[AirForceHog]

I can't wait for the season this year. I have been ho hum about the Braves the last couple of years but I believe this group has a real shot. I know I know the injury bug can rear its ugly head again, but I really think this team is loaded with talent and will suprise some folks this year.

[fantana]

Heard a rumor today that Hudson might be traded? Maybe for a bat?

[bsking]

Heard a rumor today that Hudson might be traded? Maybe for a bat?

Zero Validity.  First, he's a 10/5 guy.  Full NTC.  Second, he's our ace right now.  Would be starting on Opening day but he's coming off surgery and will miss a month.  If anyone gets traded it would almost assuredly be JJ but I don't see that happening.  If it does it will be near the deadline and it probably isn't a good sign for our playoff hopes.

[OnTheHillHogFan]

Lost their first spring training game today to the Tigers 2-0. Braves had 1 hit

[gutshot]

After the two weekend games, there's nowhere to go but up.  Lord have mercy.  Shaking off the rust, I'm guessing...or hoping. 

[bsking]

Spring training games mean absolutely nothing.  I'd have said the same thing if we won both 15-0.

[gutshot]

Glad to see Arodys Vizcaino getting this elbow surgery done, rather than trying to fight through it and wasting seasons of controllability.  Maybe when he comes back, it will be as a starter.

[bsking]

Well, opening day is tomorrow for the Bravos.  Braves haven't gotten a lot of love this off season.  SI has them finishing 4th in the East.  Almost everybody has the new look fish finishing 2nd.  Time to send Mr Jones off as he deserves with a ring for his other hand.

[ucahogfan]

Well, opening day is tomorrow for the Bravos.  Braves haven't gotten a lot of love this off season.  SI has them finishing 4th in the East.  Almost everybody has the new look fish finishing 2nd.  Time to send Mr Jones off as he deserves with a ring for his other hand.

I think it is because we didn't make any big offseason moves like the Fish did.  It seems like people are punishing the Braves more than they should for our late season collapse.  We have the best pen in baseball, a great young rotation, and a very talented lineup.

[OnTheHillHogFan]

Well, opening day is tomorrow for the Bravos.  Braves haven't gotten a lot of love this off season.  SI has them finishing 4th in the East.  Almost everybody has the new look fish finishing 2nd.  Time to send Mr Jones off as he deserves with a ring for his other hand.

Keith Law picked the braves to win the east.

[bsking]

If things "click" we could be the best team in the NL.  Now will Heyward come back to life, Fredie stay hot, Chipper stay Healthy, Uggla be consistent, our young pitchers pitch to potential?  Who knows.

The fish are over rated.  Period.  Who knows what Josh Johnson is going to bring after TJ surgery and after him they are mediocre at best 2-5.

[ucahogfan]

Keith Law picked the braves to win the east.

Yeah, I looked at the picks from the ESPN analysts today.  The NL East was definitely the most crazy division.  Why are people proping up the Nats so much?  Strasburg is limited in innings and Storen will start the season on the DL.

[pigture perfect]

Chipper is really going to be missed next year. What a great character he is for baseball. I respect him so much for staying with the Braves all these years. We (baseball fans) will be losing a rare breed when he's gone.

[bsking]

Pssh.  Marlins.

[pigture perfect]

Pssh.  Marlins.

Handley Ramirez sure didn't look comfortable at 3rd last night. By the time he figures it out, the Fish might be out of it.

[bsking]

Handley Ramirez sure didn't look comfortable at 3rd last night. By the time he figures it out, the Fish might be out of it.

Even if he does, I doubt they have a shot.  Even if Josh Johnson is Cy Young caliber, which he didn't look like he will be, their starting pitching and pen is really weak.

[OnTheHillHogFan]

Lost to the Mets today 1-0

[bsking]

Yeah.  Will probably be the story of our season.  Tommy looked great though.  He's worked a sinker into his arsenal and should win 18 games this year if he can get some run support and keep his PC down.

[ucahogfan]

Well swept by the Mets to open the season.  Only positive about it is that we have 159 games left to correct that problem.

[bsking]

Painful to get swept by the Mets...

[pigture perfect]

I didnt see that coming. Good news is Philly and Miami not look too sharp yet either.

[bsking]

I didnt see that coming. Good news is Philly and Miami not look too sharp yet either.

Yeah.  This team may not be a playoff team.  We gotta hit.  Lot of baseball to be played though.

[bsking]

Well the old man can still rake.  And the Rev knocked his first homer.  We aren't going 0-162!!

[ucahogfan]

Well the old man can still rake.  And the Rev knocked his first homer.  We aren't going 0-162!!

Our record without Chipper in the lineup - 0-4
Record with Chipper in the lineup - 1-0

[bsking]

On a bright note our pitching has been good.

[bsking]

Well the Braves ended their road trip with a 2 game winning streak.  Seems like the bats are coming around a little but.  Heyward hit is first homer of the season and the old man is still raking.

[gutshot]

Heyward looks a lot better at the plate right now even on his outs, and he's still a damn good baserunner.  Glad to see him getting in the mix early.   

Craig Kimbrel sliced Carlos Lee into pieces in that final at bat.  Lee didn't know what to look for, and I think he even caught the ump off guard with those two fastballs at the knees.  Kimbrel pretty much struck him out looking twice in that at bat before finally getting the call the 3rd time. 

On a side note, Jordan Schafer looks healthy and happy.  His outfield routes are still a little rough around the edges, but he played well in the series and seemed to be having fun on the field.  I hope he gets it together and puts up a good showing with Houston.  He could be an exciting player to watch. 

[ucahogfan]

3 game winning streak!  Almost back to .500 after the abysmal start to the season.

[bsking]

3 game winning streak!  Almost back to .500 after the abysmal start to the season.

Yeah man.  Good win, got to love actually scoring runs.

Anybody calling for Stanek's head yet?

[ucahogfan]

Anybody calling for Stanek's head yet?

A couple people were.  JCVH set them straight because I wasn't available to.

[bsking]

A couple people were.  JCVH set them straight because I wasn't available to.

Glad somebody still has some gas in the tank.  Good wins for the Hogs and Bravos today though.

[bsking]

Another good win for the Bravos.  Got it back to .500 with a 4 game winning streak.

I like what I'm seeing from the bats lately.  Love Heyward's approach and Mac is just mashing.

[OnTheHillHogFan]

According to the people in EI we now have no chance of hosting a regional.

[bsking]

According to the people in EI we now have no chance of hosting a regional.

So many morons...

[OnTheHillHogFan]

Heyward has hit his second HR of the year today. Chipper hit his second as well. 5-1 braces bottom 6

[bsking]

Another good win.  Swept a good team out of town.  Gotta love the old man and the future getting it done on the same day.

How about the bottom of our rotation in the last 2 days:

14.1 Innings
5 Hits
3 BB
0 ER
10 Ks

[pigture perfect]

5 in a row. Not a bad way to redeem yourself after a slow start.

[Hogz87]

Gotta love the hot start by Heyward.  I still haven't been able to watch a game.  I wasn't able to get my MLB.TV account set-up until Friday and then today the storm knocked our power out in the 2nd inning and didn't comeback on until after the game was over.  What's different about Heyward this year compared to last season? 

Ever since scoring two runs in the first two games, we're averaging 5.6 runs per game in the last 7 games.