GDT #16, 4/18/14: Braves (Harang) @ Mets (Niese) 7:10 PM;Heyward out, Simmons LEADOFF

[The Tariff King]

You said he doesn't need to be starting

 

[Mad Dog Murph]

Simmons is currently leading off ( may change tonight). Justin needs to be driving in runs like he has been in the 5th spot. CJ I could see in the future if BJ continues to struggle but he has no speed. That said BJ is coming off a productive 8 games. Since talking with Chipper he has had a slash line of 273/368/424 - 793. Let's keep him there and see what happens. If he reverts back to extreme suckitude then sure move him down. But as of now he's doing ok there.

Well, if you go with the talk that is all the rage right now, the #2 hitter should be your best hitter because on average, the #2 hitter gets more AB's during a season that any other position in the order. That is why you see a lot of teams putting their "best" hitters in the #2 spot in the lineup. Some of the old guard and "purists" still don't see it that way. To me, it makes since to give your best hitter more AB's throughout the year, so wouldn't that be Freeman. I am not sure I want Freeman hitting second, but I would like another one of our better hitters there and move BJ down to 7th or so. Yes, he has improved and I am one of the few here that likes BJ and hopes he gets his confidence back, but at the moment, there are better hitters in the lineup that need to be considered for the 2 whole and those extra AB's.

 

[UNCBlue012]

What's the rules on making game threads?! I feel like we should have one up already. haha

 

[UNCBlue012]

AdamRubinESPN: Saturday #Mets vs. #Braves:
EY Jr. – LF
Murphy – 2B
Wright – 3B
Granderson – RF
C Young – CF
Duda – 1B
d’Arnaud – C
Tejada – SS
Colon – RH

 

[thethe]

What's the rules on making game threads?! I feel like we should have one up already. haha

We have a tradition on this board (started by niners) where one poster will create the gameday thread each day until the Braves lose. Then another poster has the right to make the thread until the team loses. Statistics are recorded in the following thread:

http://www.chopcountry.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1349

Feel free to create the thread the next game after the Braves next loss.

 

[UNCBlue012]

This is kind of what I figured, but awesome! That sounds great. Hopefully I won't have to make one for quite a long time and the boys will keep on winning!

 

[UNCBlue012]

No jinx here, but the Nats are getting beat 4-2 at the end of the 8th. It seriously seems like the only solid position player for the Nats this year is Rendon. Everyone else is really up and down either offensively or defensively. It's sad... for them.

 

[thewupk]

No jinx here, but the Nats are getting beat 4-2 at the end of the 8th. It seriously seems like the only solid position player for the Nats this year is Rendon. Everyone else is really up and down either offensively or defensively. It's sad... for them.

LaRoche is having a good year so far but I suspect he will cool off and play to his normal levels soon. And they ended up losing

 

[UNCBlue012]

Lineup:
Heyward RF
B.Upton CF
Freeman 1B
J.Upton LF
Gattis C
Uggla 2B
Johnson 3B
Simmons SS
Santana RHP

 

[The Tariff King]

Unc are you going to stick around for the game with us

 

[nsacpi]

Lineup:
Heyward RF
B.Upton CF
Freeman 1B
J.Upton LF
Gattis C
Uggla 2B
Johnson 3B
Simmons SS
Santana RHP

Posting a lineup in a prior game thread violates section 23 of the Game Thread Codebook. I believe the punishment is a lifetime ban.

 

[Mad Dog Murph]

Posting a lineup in a prior game thread violates section 23 of the Game Thread Codebook. I believe the punishment is a lifetime ban.

I would recommend a ban, but he is a UNC fan so I will give him a pass

 

[Heyward]

No jinx here, but the Nats are getting beat 4-2 at the end of the 8th. It seriously seems like the only solid position player for the Nats this year is Rendon. Everyone else is really up and down either offensively or defensively. It's sad... for them.

They've been hitting pretty well actually.

Defensively is another story.

 

[Mad Dog Murph]

They've been hitting pretty well actually.

Defensively is another story.

They have been hitting much better than our Braves but they SUCK in the field. They are like 6th in the league in hitting and DEAD LAST in fielding

 

[thewupk]

They have been hitting much better than our Braves but they SUCK in the field. They are like 6th in the league in hitting and DEAD LAST in fielding

I wouldn't say much better. Entering today the Braves had a team wrc+ of 103 and the Nats were at 105 which is 10th and 6th respectively in MLB. Defense is indeed another story as the Braves lead baseball at the moment with +18 DRS and the Nats are 23rd at -6.

 

[Heyward]

I wouldn't say much better. Entering today the Braves had a team wrc+ of 103 and the Nats were at 105 which is 10th and 6th respectively in MLB. Defense is indeed another story as the Braves lead baseball at the moment with +18 DRS and the Nats are 23rd at -6.

We've been hit or miss at the plate.

The Nats for the most part have been very solid offensively, not many easy outs in their lineup.

 

[NinersSBChamps]

This guy is delusional and always will be. He constantly claims the Braves aren't good even after winning like 96 games last year.

Yeah getting owned in the playoffs the last decade plus is a trait only a good team has.

 

[NinersSBChamps]

In what world has Floyd not been a solid starting pitcher?

What is your reasoning for this?

He had one good season in 08 with the White Sox. Aside from that he has been mediocre at best.

 

[nsacpi]

Yeah getting owned in the playoffs the last decade plus is a trait only a good team has.

Do you think Harang might be the difference between past playoff failures and future playoff successes?

 

[The Tariff King]

Yeah getting owned in the playoffs the last decade plus is a trait only a good team has.

Losing in the playoffs is not the way to measure the success of a team.

Are the Marlins a better franchise/team just because they have two?