Hanley Ramirez

Julio3000 said:
Chipper was balls awful.
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But it was all worth it for Vinny Castilla's bat.

vinny_castilla_studio_portrait_photofile.jpg
 
jpx7 said:
I give Vinny a lot of credit: his presence on the team is how I learned to pronounce "Oaxaca".
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Could not be stated enough. I was reading at a 10th grade reading level in the 6th grade, but even I didn't know how it was pronounced. I kept reading it as "O-axe-a-cuh". Mind was blown when I heard it pronounced as "O-uh-ha-cuh"
 
Heywood said:
Could not be stated enough. I was reading at a 10th grade reading level in the 6th grade, but even I didn't know how it was pronounced. I kept reading it as "O-axe-a-cuh". Mind was blown when I heard it pronounced as "O-uh-ha-cuh"
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This is such a strange post. Who remembers the actual level they were reading on in the 6th grade?!?
 
Vinny Cashsteala...ugh I hated that move, and even though we ended up with Sheff later in the offseason, it still baffles me to this day what JS & the organization was thinking at that time with that particular move. We needed another impact bat and while Sheff was the answer, no doubt, and a huge move, the other significant need was 1B which we once again neglected.
 
Sometimes I like to make up ring introductions for guys who really do nothing to warrant them. Imagine this in your best Buffer:

AT THIS CORNER, THE MAN WHOSE PUNY BAT AND DECLINING DEFENSE PUSHED A 1ST-BALLOT HALL OF OF FAMER INTO THE OUTFIELD . . . IT'S THE OAXACA WHACKER, THE MEXICAN MULLET, THE CASHSTEALA, THE ORIGINAL SUCKING VORTEX OF DOOM, VINNYYYYYY CAAAAAAA-STEEEEEEEE-AAAAAAAA!
 
Millwood1Hitter said:
Vinny Cashsteala...ugh I hated that move, and even though we ended up with Sheff later in the offseason, it still baffles me to this day what JS & the organization was thinking at that time with that particular move. We needed another impact bat and while Sheff was the answer, no doubt, and a huge move, the other significant need was 1B which we once again neglected.
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Wah you mean the idea of offering 1 guys 1 million dollar contracts and signing the first one to accept was a bad idea? I mean we wouldn't have been better if instead of doing that we waited out on David Ortiz. Who wound up signing for a whopping 1.25 million.

I stay up at night sometimes drooling over that offense. Imagine Furcal, Giles, Chipper, Sheffield, Ortiz, Lopez, Andruw, SVOD. Or if instead of SVOD what if we signed someone like Frank Catalanotto to play LF instead of Castilla.
 
zitothebrave said:
Wah you mean the idea of offering 1 guys 1 million dollar contracts and signing the first one to accept was a bad idea? I mean we wouldn't have been better if instead of doing that we waited out on David Ortiz. Who wound up signing for a whopping 1.25 million.

I stay up at night sometimes drooling over that offense. Imagine Furcal, Giles, Chipper, Sheffield, Ortiz, Lopez, Andruw, SVOD. Or if instead of SVOD what if we signed someone like Frank Catalanotto to play LF instead of Castilla.
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Why sign a guy for a million when you can get a player the caliber of Castilla for 4 million a year over 2 years.

In 2002, we spent 3 million on Castilla and 4 million on Albie Lopez. Great investments. After the debacle of trying to find a first baseman in 2001 with Rico Bologna, Ken Caminiti, Wes Helms, and finally lucked into Julio you think you'd want to shore up a major weakness especially when firstbaseman offensive probably we're the easiest to find.

But hey, the economics of baseball stink. Absolutely stink!

But let's compound the stench by signing Paul Byrd and acquiring Russ Ortiz two years later which ultimately lead to the dismissal of our ace in waiting, Millwood.

Still makes me sick thinking about it......7 MILLION FREAKIN DOLLARS TIED UP INTO A MEDIOCRE 3RD BASEMAN AND LONGMAN in 2002...on our last hurray to legitmately compete for the WS if we could have shored up the biggest area of need (1B).
 
zitothebrave said:
Wah you mean the idea of offering 1 guys 1 million dollar contracts and signing the first one to accept was a bad idea? I mean we wouldn't have been better if instead of doing that we waited out on David Ortiz. Who wound up signing for a whopping 1.25 million.

I stay up at night sometimes drooling over that offense. Imagine Furcal, Giles, Chipper, Sheffield, Ortiz, Lopez, Andruw, SVOD. Or if instead of SVOD what if we signed someone like Frank Catalanotto to play LF instead of Castilla.
Click to expand...

I remember that offseason being so excited for the 2002 seasont o begin I'd constantly compare our lineup on paper vs. the Mets in class.

Furcal - Cedeno
Giles - Alomar
Chipper-Vaughn
Sheff - Piazza
Andruw- Alfonso
Castilla- Burnitz
Lopez - Payton
Surh/Franc-Ordonez

I thought the Mets were going to be really dangerous that year, but they ended up sucking after all those trades Phillips made. [MENTION=73]acesfull86[/MENTION]
 
Vinny produced some great moments for this board. 2002 not so much offensively, but 2003 he had a great year at the plate being our #7-#8 hitter.
 
Millwood1Hitter said:
Vinny Cashsteala...ugh I hated that move, and even though we ended up with Sheff later in the offseason, it still baffles me to this day what JS & the organization was thinking at that time with that particular move. We needed another impact bat and while Sheff was the answer, no doubt, and a huge move, the other significant need was 1B which we once again neglected.
Click to expand...

Millwood1Hitter said:
Why sign a guy for a million when you can get a player the caliber of Castilla for 4 million a year over 2 years.

In 2002, we spent 3 million on Castilla and 4 million on Albie Lopez. Great investments. After the debacle of trying to find a first baseman in 2001 with Rico Bologna, Ken Caminiti, Wes Helms, and finally lucked into Julio you think you'd want to shore up a major weakness especially when firstbaseman offensive probably we're the easiest to find.

But hey, the economics of baseball stink. Absolutely stink!

But let's compound the stench by signing Paul Byrd and acquiring Russ Ortiz two years later which ultimately lead to the dismissal of our ace in waiting, Millwood.

Still makes me sick thinking about it......7 MILLION FREAKIN DOLLARS TIED UP INTO A MEDIOCRE 3RD BASEMAN AND LONGMAN in 2002...on our last hurray to legitmately compete for the WS if we could have shored up the biggest area of need (1B).
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Well, all right! Two obnoxious, childish rants within the span of just over an hour. See, this type of mentality supplies ample fuel for women, who perceive (certain) men to be perpetual adolesecents.
 
Knucksie said:
Well, all right! Two obnoxious, childish rants within the span of just over an hour. See, this type of mentality supplies ample fuel for women, who perceive (certain) men to be perpetual adolesecents.
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What's obnoxious and childish about those posts? It's the truth, and sometimes the truth hurts. JS just wasn't that good during the turn of the century, admit it. Baffling move after baffling move and a lack of foresight into the near future by knee jerk reaction moves.
 
Millwood1Hitter said:
What's obnoxious and childish about those posts? It's the truth, and sometimes the truth hurts. JS just wasn't that good during the turn of the century, admit it. Baffling move after baffling move and a lack of foresight into the near future by knee jerk reaction moves.
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Dude, all you do is whine, bitch and complain. Within the context of the times, some of those moves were completely justifiable. What was so wrong with getting Russ Ortiz? They needed an innings eater, and he supplied it. Sooooo many posters think that they're resident experts at who has "value" and when it's at peak or diminished. Damian Moss hit his ceiling and won 15 games. The Braves needed an innings eater. They call that "asset management."

Vinny Castilla was re-acquired for 3 reasons:

#1: Cox loved him
#2: They regretted the fact that he was selected in the expansion draft. Would've been the best possible option for when Pendleton was set free. Then Pendleton was brought back!
#3: It's not as if his contract was a budget buster.

Millwood leaving had nothing to do with Paul Byrd (yes, a highly questionable signing - but my raison d'etre isn't to sit around and overanalyze everything Schuerholz did or didn't do 15 years ago. The Millwood for Johnny Estrada trade was a direct result of Maddux accepting arbititration. My early perception of Millwood was that he could be kind of a baby Smoltz. With your user name, you have to go with the meme that he was "future staff ace." It's not sour grapes. I liked the dude, but doubt that he had the consistency to even approach 20 wins/season without multiple Cy Young-caliber rotation mates. Everybody looked better in the 4th spot with The Big 3 at the front end.

Some of the other stuff you go off about was due to them getting backed into a corner with extremely detrimental decisions to make at the most inopportune times. How about the Big Cat getting cancer? How about Smoltz's elbow popping? Of course you know better with the benefit of hindsight and owned a fantasy league team.

Yes, some of us come from different eras. If you had recalled the 2nd half of the 80's, you would have grasped how crucial 1991 was at the time. Just to have the team reach .500 was tantalizing prospect. To go from worst to first and reach the World Series (!) was more than could be hoped for when every baseball preview magazine predicted last place in the NL West.

As far as Schuerholz is concerned, the man has my respect. He's won WS in 2 different leagues. Not too shabby. Hey, you've got to go off because you just knew that Bruce Chen wasn't going to alter the course of Western Civilization after 2 starts and that Andy Ashby was source of your eventual ADHD problems. Damn. The Braves organization should've consulted with you first to sort out various roster difficulties. Why haven't you submitted your resumé?

Christ, you make it seems as if Schuerholz couldn't get his right leg through his briefs on any given morning. Then, by all means, let's talk about what he did. For worst move, everything begins and ends with Ed Hearn for David Cone. For effect: that was before he ever entertained ANY thoughts of moving the family to Atlanta. JS will be the first to admit that disaster of epic proportions. Now, let's move onto the good moves, which you seem unable to acknowledge.

FA signings: Terry Pendleton, Syd Thrift, Rafael Belliard, Deion Sanders
Trade: Jimmy Kremers for Otis Nixon
Minor Trade for Alejandro Pena @ deadline

Trade: Melvin Nieves, Vince Moore and Donnie Elliott for Fred McGriff

[video=youtube;C0hD3YAQ9j0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0hD3YAQ9j0[/video]

Trade: Estaban Yan, Roberto Kelly, Tony Tarasco for Marquis Grissom

These moves must be acknowledged within the context of his career. We could remininsce about others, but you get the gist.

As far as the turn of the century, he had a restricted budget. How was that his fault? No way were they going to compete with the Yankees on the same footing for spending. He realized that with the extra layers of playoffs, this was a crapshoot, and he pursued it from that standpoint. The teams were given an opportunity to win a division with the hope of going on a tear. St. Louis followed the exact same strategy. Let's be real. Not every recent champion Cardinals team was legitimately "good enough" to win it all, but they did in spite of the odds.

If you want to talk about "curses," then maybe something did cause irreparable damage after Wohlers threw that hanging slider. They would never win another World Series game again, despite more or less being in every game vs. NYY in '99 but never being in the series. Then again, so what? It's just baseball. Just a game. They've won it all in my lifetime/adulthood. It'd be nice if it happened again, but my attachment isn't based on All Things Braves.
 
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