4/13/15 GDT Callaspo at 2nd, batting 2nd

[zitothebrave]

Somehow Freddi keeps on getting worse as a manager. I didn't think it was possible.

Dissent is not allowed in the ranks. Someone find a new thethe to replace the old one. This one is on his way to siberia.

[Braves1976]

LOL please, you and others will still watch.

Yall are acting like Jace is Mike Trout here.

No, we're acting like he's Tommy La Stella! :)

Seriously, get some new material because only idiots like broken records. You keep telling anyone that says anything about skipping a game that they'll still watch (even if they mean in person rather than not watching at all) and you throw out "Stop acting like [insert player name] is Mike Trout (or Babe Ruth)" like you never had an original thought in your life.

[clvclv]

Blasphemer! JJB never makes a mistake

Really was hoping the nice start might cut some of the old whining off for at least a little bit (since the first week outcomes left nothing for the haters to do but eat crow) but if losing Graham and replacing him with Cody Martin and not playing Peterson a few times early on to see if this "soft platoon" mess really works out OK are the worst things that happen, I'd hope there are a whole bunch of folks ready to fall on their swords. IIRC, some of the folks bitching about Jace not being in the lineup are the same people who promised they weren't watching anymore.

Since the stated intent was to cut down on strikeouts and Peterson has K'd 5 times in 18 ABs to Callaspo's none in 13 (while hitting .538), what exactly is the problem?

[thethe]

Dissent is not allowed in the ranks. Someone find a new thethe to replace the old one. This one is on his way to siberia.

I'm a homer but I think I'm fair.

[Julio3000]

Really was hoping the nice start might cut some of the old whining off for at least a little bit (since the first week outcomes left nothing for the haters to do but eat crow) but if losing Graham and replacing him with Cody Martin and not playing Peterson a few times early on to see if this "soft platoon" mess really works out OK are the worst things that happen, I'd hope there are a whole bunch of folks ready to fall on their swords. IIRC, some of the folks bitching about Jace not being in the lineup are the same people who promised they weren't watching anymore.

Since the stated intent was to cut down on strikeouts and Peterson has K'd 5 times in 18 ABs to Callaspo's none in 13 (while hitting .538), what exactly is the problem?

Stay beautiful, buddy.

[Heyward]

No, we're acting like he's Tommy La Stella! :)

Seriously, get some new material because only idiots like broken records. You keep telling anyone that says anything about skipping a game that they'll still watch (even if they mean in person rather than not watching at all) and you throw out "Stop acting like [insert player name] is Mike Trout (or Babe Ruth)" like you never had an original thought in your life.

Point is it's not like Jace has ripped the cover off the ball.

But whatever, you and others always blame Fredi for everything so not really surprising.

[gilesfan]

Isn't denial a river somewhere?

[Braves1976]

Dissent is not allowed in the ranks. Someone find a new thethe to replace the old one. This one is on his way to siberia.

Exactly, send thethe to the shop to reprogram him to get back on track or else off to Siberia with you, me and others. :)

[Braves1976]

Point is it's not like Jace has ripped the cover off the ball.

But whatever, you and others always blame Fredi for everything so not really surprising.

Wait, you think you have a point? Now that's funny!

[Heyward]

Wait, you think have a point? Now that's funny!

[Enscheff]

Small sample and everything, but CJ and Callaspo are hitting while Jace isn't. CJ hasn't gotten a start since the 10th, and Callaspo just went 3-6 vs the Mets' RHed pitchers.

If you have a "soft platoon" this is exactly how you do it.

[zitothebrave]

Really was hoping the nice start might cut some of the old whining off for at least a little bit (since the first week outcomes left nothing for the haters to do but eat crow) but if losing Graham and replacing him with Cody Martin and not playing Peterson a few times early on to see if this "soft platoon" mess really works out OK are the worst things that happen, I'd hope there are a whole bunch of folks ready to fall on their swords. IIRC, some of the folks bitching about Jace not being in the lineup are the same people who promised they weren't watching anymore.

Since the stated intent was to cut down on strikeouts and Peterson has K'd 5 times in 18 ABs to Callaspo's none in 13 (while hitting .538), what exactly is the problem?

Problem with "losing Graham" was protecting lesser players. Why protect Jaime? Why protect 24 year old in A ball YEan Carlos Gil? Graham is literally pitching in the majors right now. We let a major league reliever go (who's don't quite well in his SSS) for nothing. Not to mention he's 25 so it's not like he's old. Twins may have just gotten their EOF or David Carpenter from us.

[50PoundHead]

Problem with "losing Graham" was protecting lesser players. Why protect Jaime? Why protect 24 year old in A ball YEan Carlos Gil? Graham is literally pitching in the majors right now. We let a major league reliever go (who's don't quite well in his SSS) for nothing. Not to mention he's 25 so it's not like he's old. Twins may have just gotten their EOF or David Carpenter from us.

I think Graham's injury played heavily into the decision not to protect him. Right or wrong, he had experienced arm problems two straight years. Didn't help that he was a college reliever that took on a heavier innings load when he hit the pros. I thought the minor league staff mishandled him and should have left him in the bullpen.

[clvclv]

Problem with "losing Graham" was protecting lesser players. Why protect Jaime? Why protect 24 year old in A ball YEan Carlos Gil? Graham is literally pitching in the majors right now. We let a major league reliever go (who's don't quite well in his SSS) for nothing. Not to mention he's 25 so it's not like he's old. Twins may have just gotten their EOF or David Carpenter from us.

And again I ask - does anybody really care other than those who just want to say "what if" in case it doesn't work out so they can talk about the "idiots" running the team?

We lost another EOF or Carpenter? How many of them have we consistently found and fixed?

Part of the reason we've always drafted so many SPs is that they won't all work out or have spots in our rotation, but they can be turned into very effective middle relievers - Hursh, Cabrera, Fulenchek, Grosser, etc. will be "the next" Cody Martin.

[zitothebrave]

I think Graham's injury played heavily into the decision not to protect him. Right or wrong, he had experienced arm problems two straight years. Didn't help that he was a college reliever that took on a heavier innings load when he hit the pros. I thought the minor league staff mishandled him and should have left him in the bullpen.

Certainly there is concern, but his upside was our future closer. Instead we've pissed his upside away.

[50PoundHead]

Certainly there is concern, but his upside was our future closer. Instead we've pissed his upside away.

Then why did he spend three years as a starter in the minors? I get maybe one year as a starter to get him some innings, but he should have been in the bullpen once he hit AA.

[Dalyn]

Pretty quick trigger on Jace Peterson. Freaking 7 games in. Makes me not want to watch to be honest.

It's a Mukaki Rebuild. We need to see what the young exciting players like Callaspo have.

[zitothebrave]

Then why did he spend three years as a starter in the minors? I get maybe one year as a starter to get him some innings, but he should have been in the bullpen once he hit AA.

I agree 100%. Braves in the past have used relievers as starters and starters as relievers to get them to work on certain things. I think the idea of making a reliever a starter IIRC is to have them hone their mechanics. I think with Graham what they were trying to do was maximize his trade value and it almost worked.

[Dalyn]

Just got completely lucky that they didn't lose Martin, too.

[50PoundHead]

I agree 100%. Braves in the past have used relievers as starters and starters as relievers to get them to work on certain things. I think the idea of making a reliever a starter IIRC is to have them hone their mechanics. I think with Graham what they were trying to do was maximize his trade value and it almost worked.

I don't want to hijack, but what you have just described is my biggest gripe with the entire Wren regime. Graham came out of college with lights-out potential closer stuff. So what do the Braves do? Try to convert him into a starter. I get the reasoning behind Martin's conversion because he's a command guy whose stuff isn't as electric as Graham's was. But there was no reason for Graham not to head back to the bullpen after his second season as a pro. I just hope the Braves' minor league instructional/player development approach is a bit more sensible moving forward.