Moylan to DL: Ohhhhhhh nooooooooo!
Yeah, it’s true. Our second-best reliever got lonely, so he went to join our best reliever on the DL. The redoubtable Buddy Carlyle is up in his place. On the other hand, Glavine says he’s feeling “no worse” than he was two days ago, which is less bad than it could be.
But on the other other hand, Smoltz has been DL’ed, James has been DL’ed, Hampton is currently DL’ed, Soriano is currently DL’ed, Moylan is currently DL’ed, and Glavine — who is one of the most unDLable players this side of Cal Ripken — left the mound after 16 pitches in his last start because his hamstring was killing him.
Forget the fact that we’ve scored 10 runs or more in a third of our games. It’s officially time to panic. Everyone, all together now:
AHHHHHHHH!
Oh, yeah, I guess we’re playing the Marlins tonight. Apparently, they’re leading the division. On the other hand, they suck. Go Braves.
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, April 15th, 2008 at 5:05 pm and is filed under Uncategorized.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
THE AUTHOR
RECENT ARTICLES BY DIVISION RIVALS
ARCHIVE
RECENT ARTICLES BY DIVISION RIVALS
SPONSORS
Online Seats
Atlanta Braves Tickets Atlanta Thrashers Tickets
Ticket Specialists
Braves Tickets Atlanta Hawks Tickets
Coast to Coast Tickets
Atlanta Braves Tickets Atlanta Hawks Tickets Atlanta Falcons Tickets Atlanta Event Tickets Theater Tickets Online
Tickets4U
Atlanta Braves Tickets World Series Tickets Atlanta Falcons Tickets
Great Seats
Atlanta Braves Tickets Atlanta Falcons Ticket Atlanta Hawks Tickets Chastain Park Tickets Atlanta Event Tickets
43 Responses to “Moylan to DL: Ohhhhhhh nooooooooo!”
April 15th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
So, no mention of who could possible fill in for the closer role? No research to see which prospects might be brought up to the ML level? All we get is an “AHHHH!”?
I really hate the quality of Chop-n-Change’s analysis this season so far. It’s like the worst commentators have taken control…
April 15th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
*sigh* i guess its just one Injury after another…. i just want to see the guy OFF the Surgery Room…rumors are that hes going to see Dr.Andrews and then get a second opinion….so i think this is Pretty darn serious folks…*gulp*
April 15th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
I agree with Brett.
Also, I’m surprised that we weren’t reminded of one-run losses or ten-run wins in this post.
April 15th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
We’re tryin’ as hard as we can. It’s a little difficult for one person to carry the entire load and since I’m away right now, that pretty much falls to Alex.
April 15th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
I’m kind of getting sick of us calling up these pitchers with no upside. Regardless of their performance in AAA, Campillo and Carlyle are just not good pitchers. Give me Schreiber or Medlen or even Charlie Morton as someone who could possibly come up and be an effective reliever out of the pen.
April 15th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
Campillo and Carlyle may not be major league pitchers, Will, but this is the position in which this club finds itself now because of all the injuries and because of the offseason trades of Villareal, Ascanio, Devine, and Yates. I don’t want to rehash the trades, because those players are gone now and (for better or worse) the Braves will have to sink or swim without them.
It is tempting to say “make a trade for Brian Fuentes”, but this is a bad time of year to try to acquire pitching. It is far more likely that the Braves will be forced to deal with this internally.
Here is what I would do now:
1) Call up Phil Stockman and Jo Jo Reyes immediately. Option Buddy Carlyle to Richmond.
2) Try Manny Acosta in the closer role until he proves he can’t handle it.
3) Try Stockman and Will Ohman in the eighth inning set-up role. Blaine Boyer gets the seventh inning role. Jorge Campillo in the long relief role. Chris Resop to be used situationally against righthanded batters. Royce Ring to be used situationally against lefthanded batters.
4) Rotation: Hudson/Smoltz/Jurrjens/Reyes/Bennett until Glavine and/or Hampton are ready to pitch.
5) Promote Thomas Hanson from Myrtle to Mississippi. I’m certainly not sugggesting Hanson is ready for Atlanta yet, but they would be crazy to keep him in Myrtle under these circumstances, given the way he has pitched there so far.
April 15th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
This is the worst I have ever felt as a Brave fan right now (the time when we lost to the Astros in the playoffs was the worst). We have a great offense, but it only shows up a couple of times a week. I didn’t like the way how Scott Olson was quick pitching us tonight though. Well that was smart on his part though. Hopefully we will comeback and win.
btw, Matt Diaz isn’t a better defender than Willie Harris. That will be a good poll question to ask, I guess.
By D’Andre William (I am better than you, and I know it)
April 15th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
I assume that we’re calling up these nobody’s, because they don’t want to use up options on guys like Schreiber, Medlen, Reyes, and or Morton.
(1) I will really like for Bennett to take Hampton’s spot in the rotation.
(1.A) If Tom Glavine has to go on the DL he should get replaced by Charlie Morton.
(2.) We should replace Rafael Soriano with Kris Medlen.
(3.) Lastly, we should call up Phil Stockman in Peter Moylan’s place.
Reyes has a low ERA in AAA, but he isn’t pitching deep into games because he just can’t throw a strike. That is going to be a huge problem for him down the line. If ever wants to live up to his potential that is going to have to change. I can only hope if Tommy or Thomas Hanson can pitch the way he has been pitching for the next 4-6 starts, he deserves to get called up. Hopefully our Rome pitchers can get things turned around over their. I also can see Jason Heyward getting called up by midseason.
April 15th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
In hindsight, the Villarreal and Yates deal certainly look dumb but at the same time, when they were done, they (At least the Villarreal deal) were smart at the time. We didn’t know we’d get Kotsay at the time or that Blanco would impress as much as he did. When these happened, my opinion was at least we still have talent in the minors but the Braves just don’t seem to want to tap into that and are instead content with using the retread journeymen. I’d rather have a big risk, big reward type guy than someone you know will come in and be well below average.
I like most of your suggestions but not Hanson. You’re right, he has been great, but he also is a flyabll pitcher (And has taken that to an unnatural extreme this season) in a park where homeruns go to die. I think you leave him there and after another month if he is still going strong, you give him that next step.
April 15th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
I said we should promote him if he continues his success in his next 4-6 starts. That is probably in a month in a half. Hopefully the Braves don’t get shutout.
April 15th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
Why not walk Hanley too Ohman
April 15th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Schreiber, Reyes, and Morton have all already had an option used for this season so it doesn’t matter. Medlen, I was surprised to learn, is not actually on teh 40-man roster.
April 15th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Just keep letting them score. Since it’s earlier in the season and we have nothing to lose.
April 15th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
You have become quite bitter this season, D’Andre.
April 15th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
Walk Uggla too!!! COME ON!!!
Will, can you briefly explain the option process?
April 15th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Sorry Will and everybody else. I will calm down. On the bright side my LA Lakers are in first place in the west.
Lets go Kobe and the Lakers!!!
April 15th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
Basically, once a player is added to the 40-man roster, they have three option years. At any point during those three years, that player can be sent down and called up as many times as the team likes, without using up another option or being subject to waivers. I’m not sure how it wrks if a player’s contract is purchased mid-season but not brought up to the majors, but for a player like Reyes or Schreiber who was on the 40-man roster and optioned down at the end of spring training, they have already used one of their options for this year.
April 15th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Can anyone explain me how in the world we get SHUTOUT by the Marlins!!! We make Scott Olsen look like Sandy Koufax out there!!!! I just cant believe what i just saw in this game!!! This team needs a restart, t sure needs something… i just THANK GOD were in April….i hope that by May this offense will be in Full Throtle!!
April 15th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
oh, ok I get it. I thought each player had five options. Then they only can be called up and down five times in their career.
Tim Hudson is going to shut down the Marlins tomorrow and the Braves will get back on track.
Lets go Bravos!!!
April 15th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
Brett, the de facto closer for now is probably Acosta. He’s talented but erratic, so I’m guessing Cox will lean towards a closer-by-committee, giving innings to everybody and trying to figure out who can throw strikes when the chips are down. Ohman, obviously, can’t. Ring pretty clearly can’t either. Bennett has been impressive as a swingman, so it would be hard to slot him as a closer since he’s basically the 5th/6th starter. Campillo had 2 great innings the other day and shot himself up the depth chart, but I imagine Bobby will try him in a few different roles — 7th/8th inning guy, long reliever, spot starter — before deciding where to slot him. Carlyle, as Will pointed out, ain’t the answer.
Basically, there are no perfect solutions.
April 15th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
I just hope we get to .500 or above before this month ends. We really can’t afford losing months if we want to win the NL East. Good thing the Mets and Phillies aren’t healthy right now. I seriously doubt the Marlins will stay in contention.
April 15th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
In all fairness, though Olsen is a headcase, he is still a very talented pitcher.
April 15th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Also, Brandon, I did mention 10-run wins in the post, though I appreciate your and Brett’s critique that it’s a stat of limited use. I’ll try to repeat myself less, though it gets hard when the Braves seem to do the same things over and over — tonight was the second time in two games where they issued two bases-loaded walks in a single inning.
Jair Jurrjens continues to struggle from his lack of an out pitch, but really he wasn’t the problem tonight. The problem was the Mark Teixeira’s lack of production in the middle of the lineup and a chloroform nap from most of our hitters: our first three hitters went 5-12, while the rest of the lineup went 1-21, and made Scott Olsen look like Aaron Cook. We still can’t hit soft-tossing lefties, and I’m completely at a loss to understand why.
April 15th, 2008 at 9:02 pm
By the way, Brett and Brandon, what kind of analysis would you like to see? If you have an idea, by all means suggest it.
April 15th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
Man those florida marlins won’t even last up there in first place at all when you have a team like the Braves in that division,and as I pointed out earlier,the NL East will be just a two-team race between the Braves and the phillies,and the team with a better bullpen will win that division,the Braves are at 5-8 now,that is three games below 500.We Braves fans need to be patient,because totally great things are in store for our team for years and years in the near future,and another thing it is just 13 games into the season.
April 15th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
Its strange to watch this offense at work. There is no question that we have the talent, 1-8 to outhit anyone in the league- but they only seem to show up for certain games. We show up in big games and often in late and close situations and put together excellent, patient at bats. But for some reason in games like this against mediocre lefties we go up there impatient and get shut down. Call it what you want, say it’s april, say Tex is a slow starter, whatever. But when the pitching staff is in trouble and hurt, you expect a lineup like this to get fired up and decide to out hit anyone.
As for Jurjjens struggling due to a lack of an out pitch, I disagree. He’s 22 years old and was penciled in as our fifth starter before the season started. The guy has given up 8 runs over 3 starts, he’s pitching 6 innings a game, and he’s kept us in every game he’s pitched. That is all you expect out of someone like him. The fact that the offense is anemic, and the bullpen terrible (again) is certainly not Jurjjens fault. He has been one of the few bright surprises on this team in the early going.
To say I’m dissappointed is an understatement. This is not the way a winner looks- ever. I don’t care what month it is, but everything we’ve done has looked like the same mediocre/below average team we have had the last few years. Losing one run games is what bad teams do, and getting shut down by Redman in Coors Field is something a bad team would do. Good teams find ways to win games, they do it when their fifth starter gives them 6 good innings, they even do it when their starter gets hurt in the first inning- but this team isn’t getting it done. And it is damn depressing to watch.
Sorry for the pessimism. I’m usually very upbeat about the Braves. But lets be honest, this team is showing no life. They have given us fans very little to be excited about. I don’t know why that is- I’m not sure where our fire has gone, but it sure as hell isn’t there now.
April 15th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
i agree with Brent said on Jair Jurrjens. Jurrjens has been great for the Braves this season. Only if we can get JoJo Reyes and his control down, he should be able to do the same.
April 15th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
Brent I totally agree with you hey this is Atlanta,you have to win and losing has always been a total disappoinment in Atlanta,whether its October or the regular season,hey you have to win in a winning tradition like Atlanta,because it is totally disappointing when you don’t,yes they are the Braves as always have been so it has always been impossible to start panicking regarding their 5-8 start,but then again you don’t want fall behind too far,because you have a contender in the NL East known as those philadelphia phillies.
April 15th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
I agree, Jurrjens has been as good as could have been expected, however I also partly agree with Alex in that he needs to develop an out pitch to reach his potential over time. He’s got a very good fastball and changeup but an inconsistent breaking pitch. If he can ge that consistent — even if it isn’t great — that will help him a lot. I do think that he has looked very good so far though.
April 15th, 2008 at 9:33 pm
Bravesnation, I have wondered this for a while and I am finally going to ask… are you a native english-speaker or is your first language not english?
April 15th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
I agree with you and Alex that he isn’t dominant. And I don’t expect him to be. But he is 22 years old and has all of 10 starts under his belt. I expect that his arm will devlop as he ages, but for a 22 year old rookie we can’t expect anything more.
Another alarming trend, and some deja vu from last year. over our last 10 games we are 4-0 when Hudson and Smoltz pitch and 0-6 when anyone else pitches. Ugh
April 15th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Wait a minute do the Marlins suck or do we suck Alex?
April 15th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
I miss Tyler Yates.
April 15th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
yeah, Yates is way better than Resop right now.
April 15th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
The Marlins aren’t going to be above .500 this year, but we played a terrible game in every way and deserved to lose.
And, yes, I absolutely agree with Brent and Will that Jurrjens pitched a fine game. For the most part, he was able to get Marlins hitters to chase his pitches and ground out harmlessly. But he seemed to have trouble putting guys away on a 2-strike count if they were willing to foul balls off and lay off his breaking pitches out of the zone.
Don’t get me wrong: for a #4 or #5 starter, he has been sensational, and he’s quickly becoming one of my favorite new Braves. I think the only thing that’s really holding him back is an imperfect ability to finish hitters off.
April 16th, 2008 at 12:05 am
Our offense has been inconsistent AND our pitching staff has been ravaged by injury, yet neither of those trends can be expected to continue to this extent. And guess what? We’ve only played 8% of our games this season. In other words, we still have 149 games to make up 3 losses in the standings. BREATHE PEOPLE!
April 16th, 2008 at 7:54 am
Alex, what I’ve come to expect from C-n-C isn’t heavy analysis with stats, a la Hardball Times, but rather situational prediction, in-house analysis and a tempered enthusiasm for the Braves.
Your comment (#20) would’ve made an appropriate post. I was probably hard in my criticism; it’s been an early but difficult season. Though in a post that deals with the fact our two best relievers are on the DL, I’d rather talk about logistics than emotions. The possibility of Charlie Morton being brought up was an idea I hadn’t considered. It’s early, but what about the option of a trade; who would we target and what would it cost? It’s frustrating to hear about these injuries, but I promise a lot of us already went through that frustration before coming here.
Thanks for asking for suggestions. I hope this helps.
April 16th, 2008 at 11:35 am
Lots of teams look bad early in the season and end up doing quite well. The Yankees were 11-19 last year and made the playoffs. The Red Sox struggled in 2004 early. The Braves were 20-27 in late May 1992 and went to the World Series, were 19-21 in 2002 and won 100 games, etc., etc. Baseball history is replete with examples like that.
I’m not usually the optimist here but teams always look lifeless when they aren’t playing well. It’s like saying someone with with a cold doesn’t sound good. As for close games, I think if you look back over the years, the Braves record in one-run and extra-inning games has not been particularly good. It never stopped them from winning big in the past.
That’s not to say the Braves will automatically turn it around. They certainly aren’t as good as some of the teams I mentioned above and, more disturbingly, they have pretty much played the same way for the last three years. (The record in the last 337 games is 169-169). Obviously, too, the injuries are a real problem.
I’m sure Wren will consider trades if things continue. But, remember, to cite a cliche,sometime the best trades are the ones you don’t make. Trades made out of panic or desparation inevitably turn out badly. Unless the team threatens to fall out of contention, I think you have to see what the team looks like in, say, the middle of May before contemplating any big changes.
April 16th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Marc, I looked at the Braves’ record in one-run games over the past 10 years, adn the Braves actually had an extremely positive record in such games from 1998 through 2005. Entering this year, despite their horrendous record in one-run games the past two years, they were still slightly over .500 in one-run games from 1998 through 2007.
April 16th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Well atleast most of the braves are set to return at the end of April. After Mike Gonzalez comes back, and if the Braves can stay away from more injuries, they should be in great shape.
April 16th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Alex,
Alex,
Looking at your figures, I’m not sure I agree with your analysis. Prior to 2006, the Braves had very strong one-run records in three years (1999, 2002, and 2004), .500 or slightly above in 3 years and below .500 in 2 years. (I’m not counting the last two years.) I don’t think this really contradicts what I said. They had some pretty good, even great, years when their one-run record was unspectacular (although obviously not as bad as they have started this year). In several of those those years,their won-loss record in one-run games was well below their overall winning percentage.
April 16th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Well ,like all of you have stated here in one-run records in 04,02 and 99…that didnt impact much…we didnt win the WS…true,we havent been to Playoffs in the 2 years that we’ve been the worse in the ML in 1-run records but….my point is that i dont think is quite important…people make it more important than it really is, IMO…
April 16th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
Marc, I guess I’m willing to overlook performance in one-run games in a single year as a fluke, but to use a string of years as indicative of a possible trend. So when I see that over the nine seasons from 1998-2005, with the exception of 2003 (and arguably 2001), the Braves basically either broke even in one-run games or won way more than they lost, I’m willing to say that they used to be pretty good at winning those types of games.
Of course, it’s totally possible that “one-run games” are meaningless as a category unto themselves, capturing so many different aspects of a team’s performance that they really don’t say anything useful in isolation. But as the Braves drop to 0-6 in one-run games tonight, and 37-64 since the beginning of 2006, I have to wonder what if anything that horrendous record tells us.
Leave a comment