Duel of Zeros, then Braves are Heroes

Adam Miller and Chuck James threw zeroes at each other for five innings, and then Brian McCann, of all people, got an RBI triple, to jumpstart the scoring, and Scott Thorman capped it with a two-run homer in the eighth and the Braves won 6-0.

W - Bob Wickman (1-0)
L - Aaron Fultz (0-1)
HR - Scott Thorman (1)

Three Stars
P Adam Miller - 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO
P Chuck James - 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 2 SO
1B Scott Thorman - 2-4, HR, R, 3 RBI

Yesterday's games

Braves tame Tigers

Tim Hudson had a very strong five innings and Brian McCann and Brandon Jones went deep for three of the Braves' four runs. However, Peter Moylan barely held on in the final inning as the Braves won 4-3.

W - Tim Hudson (1-0)
L - Zach Miner (1-1)
S - Peter Moylan (1)
HR - Brian McCann (2)
Brandon Jones (1)

Three Stars
P Tim Hudson - 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO
RF Brandon Jones - 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI
2B Martin Prado - 2-3, 2B, BB

Braves squeeze out win versus Reds

Jeff Francoeur had a two-run homer in the first inning, Kelly Johnson led off the third inning with a homer, and Buddy Carlyle had a four-inning shutout start and the Braves won 6-5. Will Startup made it difficult in the ninth, but he managed to finish the game despite giving up two runs.

Nice to see Jeff can still hit easy pitches. ;)

W - Buddy Carlyle (1-0)
L - Aaron Harang (2-2)
S - Will Startup (2)
HR - Jeff Francoeur (3)
Kelly Johnson (2)

Three Stars
P Buddy Carlyle - 4 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO
C David Ross - 3-3, 2B, R, RBI
SS Tony Pena, Jr. - 2-3, 2B, R

C Brian McCann

Believe it or not, McCann was the best offensive catcher in the National League, and arguably the second-best offensive catcher in all of baseball (Joe Mauer). There is no reason to believe that he'll stop hitting. But there are reeasons to believe that he'll have to sit a couple of games with injuries. So, that means that whoever backs him up (Pena? Miller?) will have to pick up the slack on offense.

BP: .303, 24 HR, 85 RBI, .893 OPS, 2 SB
BJH: .315, 23 HR, 87 RBI, .928 OPS, 2 SB
RW: .308, 23 HR, 88 RBI, .899 OPS, 1 SB
SN: .308, 23 HR, 84 RBI, .914 OPS, 1 SB

Wow, look at RW and SN's predictions, they're almost identical except for the OPS. Nice.

Sam's Projections: .309, 25 HR, 86 RBI, .922 OPS, 1 SB

RP Macay McBride

McBride may be a LOOGY specialist this time around. Last season, lefties batted .181 against him in 116 plate appearances. That could help him be more effective. If not, hope he doesn't go up against too many righties.

BP: 3-3, 56 IP, 57 H, 29 BB, 45 SO, 4.52 ERA, 1.535 WHIP
BJH: 3-4, 63 IP, 65 H, 34 BB, 59 SO, 4.71 ERA, 1.571 WHIP
RW: 3-2, 42 IP, 41 H, 24 BB, 38 SO, 3.86 ERA, 1.548 WHIP
SN: None

Sam's Projection: 3-3, 58 IP, 57 H, 28 BB, 52 SO, 4.07 ERA, 1.466 WHIP

LF Ryan Langerhans

Ryan Langerhans is still in line to have his left-field platoon with Matt Diaz, now that it seems that Craig Wilson is going to be splitting time with Scott Thorman at first base. He should do about what he did last season. I think he was lucky that he got better in spring training. That might have saved his job.

BP: .265, 13 HR, 49 RBI, .811 OPS, 3 SB
BJH: .260, 9 HR, 37 RBI, .781 OPS, 1 SB
RW: .251, 9 HR, 40 RBI, .748 OPS, 1 SB
SN: None

Sam's Projection: .260, 10 HR, 38 RBI, .798 OPS, 2 SB

3B Chipper Jones

"How healthy is he going to be this season?" is now the sentence that is always connected to Chipper Jones, ever since he had that catastrophic injury in 2002 in left field. Some people blame is current problems on that, but Jones has also decided that he's not going to have surgery on his problematic feet. So this means that Chipper will be injured the rest of his career. We have to hope that he'll be healthy enough to play. When he plays, he produces, there's no question about that. I wouldn't bet money on him playing more than 140 games, though, especially now that he has an injured right oblique muscle right now.

BP: .291, 22 HR, 73 RBI, .920 OPS, 6 SB
BJH: .293, 27 HR, 90 RBI, .925 OPS, 6 SB
RW: .300, 25 HR, 83 RBI, .960 OPS, 4 SB
SN: .300, 25 HR, 82 RBI, .955 OPS, 4 SB

Sam's Projection: .304, 28 HR, 89 RBI, .950 OPS, 5 SB

I would love to see Chipper stay well enough to hit more than that.

Braves downed by Cards

It wasn't a good effort after the Braves took the lead 4-1, aided by a Craig Wilson home run. The Cards scored eight more, especially off of Johnathan Johnson in the 9th, and they won 9-5. I'm afraid that I can't say much about this one today. Don't really feel like it.

W - Brian Falkenborg (1-0)
L - Johnathan Joesph (0-2)
HR - STL - Scott Spiezio (2)
ATL - Craig Wilson (2)

Three Stars
P Brian Falkenborg - 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, W
1B Craig Wilson - 2-3, HR, R, 3 RBI
3B Martin Prado - 2-3, 2 2B, BB, R

Braves, Cards, seesaw to tie

The Braves and Cards settled to a 6-6 tie at the Wide World Of Sports. Edgar Rodriguez and Chris Duncan drove in three of the Cards' runs via the long ball. Mark Redman gave up three runs in his fourth inning of work and Cris Carpenter gave up four in his four innings.

Pete Orr had three hits for the Braves and three RBIs while in the lineup for Chipper Jones, who injured his right oblique muscle during batting pratice. It is not known how long he'll be out.

HR - Chris Duncan (4)
Edgar V. Gonzalez (3)

Three Stars
3B Pete Orr - 3-5, 2B, R, 3 RBI
C Yadier Molina - 2-3, 2 R, 2 RBI
PH-C Edgar V. Gonzalez - 1-2, HR, R, 2 RBI

CF Andruw Jones

One of the greatest centerfielders in Braves franchise history is also about to finish his career with some other team. Face it, the Bravers just don't have any extra money to give Andruw what he is probably going to demand ($18-$20 million per year). Besides that, why would any team, much less the Braves, want to sign a .270 hitter with declining defensive skills for that kind of dough? Plus, the Bill James Handbook rates Andruw at a "high" injury risk. With all those balls he dives for, he's bound to injure himself badly sooner or later.

Just thought I'd get that off my chest.

My bet is that Andruw will continue to produce like he has lately. There's no reason for me to believe that he won't. He'll get his payday after the season, and the Braves will lose their best center fielder since Dale Murphy. The best courses of action depend on how the team does in 2007:

If the Braves are in contention by July: Andruw stays with the team to help them get to the playoffs, because he'll be concentrating more to get better stats and a big payday (or so they say), and the Braves won't get anything in return.
If the Braves are way out of contention by July: Find a team who will take Andruw for one or two blue-chip prospects so that the Braves get something for Jones in order to reload for 2008.

BP: .277, 35 HR, 103 RBI, .899 OPS, 5 SB
BJH: .264, 40 HR, 113 RBI, .882 OPS, 5 SB
RW: .266, 43 HR, 122 RBI, .912 OPS, 6 SB
SN: .263, 43 HR, 126 RBI, .894 OPS, 5 SB

Sam's Projection: .265, 38 HR, 115 RBI, .904 OPS, 5 SB

2B Kelly Johnson

Have to let Marcus Giles go because of budget concerns? That's okay; just stick a guy there who has played in the infield before and one of the best second basemen the Braves have ever had can teach him how to play second! That is what's happening with Johnson. He'll be fine at second. In fact, I would go so far as to say the Braves and their fans would not miss Giles because Johnson is better equipped to be a leadoff hitter. My guess is that Johnson will be as good as Giles was last season, which is fine.

BP: .291, 13 HR, 50 RBI, .871 OPS
BJH: .276, 7 HR, 32 RBI, .823 OPS
RW: .254, 6 HR, 28 RBI, .746 OPS
SN: None

My take is more near the BP one; with major league playing time at second, Kelly should flourish in the leadoff role.

Sam's Projection: .287, 10 HR, 48 RBI, .860 OPS

Braves lose lead to Yanks and game

Oscar Villareal allowed a game-tying homer to Raul Chavez and a go-ahead squeeze by Kevin Reese and the Braves lost to the Yankees 3-2. That was about the only thing that went wrong for Atlanta. Chipper Jones had a solo homer to put the Braves up 2-0. Lance Cormier had an excellent five innings where he allowed just three singles. Kei Igawa pitched three innings and got five strikeouts, but he walked four.

W - Sean Henn (1-0)
L - Oscar Villarreal (0-1)
S - Brian Bruney (1)
HR - ATL - Chipper Jones (1)
NYY - Raul Chavez (1)

Three Stars
P Lance Cormier - 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO
C Raul Chavez - 1-2, HR, R, 2 RBI
P Kei Igawa - 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 5 SO

SP Tim Hudson

Another one of those love-hate relationships. Since coming to Atlanta in the lopsided trade. (admit it, it was VERY lopsided), Hudson has just gotten worse. Last season, he made a career-high 35 starts, but he also had his worst season since his rookie year in 2000. He allowed a huge amount of runs last season. Some would say that was due to the fact the Braves had a bad defense, but I'm not entirely sure.

I realize what I said before, but I still think that Huddy will improve. In fact, I'd look for a markedly improved Hudson this season; he can't be that bad forever. If he does improve, and the Braves are out of contention by July, look for him to be moved, along with Andruw Jones.

BP: 12-10, 198 IP, 209 H, 62 BB, 126 K, 4.14 ERA, 1.369 WHIP
BJH: 15-10, 223 IP, 220 H, 71 BB, 147 K, 3.75 ERA, 1.305 WHIP
RW: 13-10, 204 IP, 215 H, 69 BB, 126 K, 4.24 ERA, 1.392 WHIP
SN: 13-9, 225 IP, 231 H, 71 BB, 145 K, 3.84 ERA, 1.342 WHIP

Sam's Projection: 16-9, 230 1/3 H, 202 H, 65 BB, 158 K, 3.90 ERA, 1.160 WHIP

James doesn't have good outing, Braves fall to Astros again

Chuck James allowed three runs in four innings, including a solo shot to Chris Burke, as the Astros won 4-2. Bob Wickman also gave up a solo homer in the fifth, that one to Lance Berkman. Blaine Boyer pitched two scorless innings to finish the game's pitching for the Braves.

Scott Thorman had two doubles for the Braves and Jeff Francoeur added two more hits, raising his spring batting average, thanks to fat pitches, to .414. Yunel Escobar and Ryan Langerhans also had two hits each.

In other news, the Braves have reached a crossroads with Tony Pena, Jr. Either he makes the team or he's waived. Quite frankly, it makes no difference to me whether he is waived or not. He's valuable as a late-inning defensive replacement and pinch-hitter. Besides that, he's pretty much the second coming of Rafael Belliard. Don't forget that the Braves also have Yunel Escobar, who could easily step into that role if need be. Let someone else take the role of that kind of benchie. ;)

W - Jason Jennings (1-1)
L - Chuck James (2-1)
S - Ezequiel Astacio (1)
HR - Chris Burke (1)
Lance Berkman (1)

Three Stars
CF-2B Chris Burke - 2-2, HR, R, RBI
1B Scott Thorman - 2-4, 2 2B, R, RBI
P Blaine Boyer - 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO

Manny Acosta Stamps A Ticket to the Minors

Ascota came into the ninth inning and had a 3-2 lead. He didn't record an out. The Braves lost 11-3. That's the story, pretty much. :)

Chipper did take the field and get two singles in four trips. So maybe that ankle wasn't as bad as we thought.

W - Trever Miller (1-0)
L - Manny Acosta (0-1)

Three Stars
P Dave Borkowski - 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO
1B Eric Munson - 2-2, R, 3 RBI
LF Hunter Pence - 1-1, 2 R, BB, RBI

IF/OF Willie Harris

Willie Harris, who has been bouncing around the majors, is a versatile player, who can play a few positions, but doesn't hit very well at all. His real asset is stealing bases, but his carrer high is only nineteen. That is pretty much it with him. He will probably start the season in Richmond.

BP: None
BJH: .242, 3 HR, 12 RBI, .676 OPS, 11 SB
RW: None
SN: None

Sam's Projection: .238, 2 HR, 8 RBI, .690 OPS, 8 SB

Deja vu: Braves lose, Chipper hurt

Chipper Jones sprained his ankle and the Braves lost to the Cardinals 3-1. John Smoltz had four scoreless frames and Braden Looper had 4 2/3 innings of shutout ball. Tyler Yates gave up a home run by Rick Ankiel in the sixth. Yes, that Rick Ankiel. Peter Moylan took the loss, giving up two runs in the ninth.

W - Ryan Frankin (1-0)
L - Peter Moylan (1-1)
S - Dennis Dove (1)
HR - Rick Ankiel (1)

Three Stars
P John Smoltz - 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO
P Braden Looper - 4 2/3 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO
RF Rick Ankiel - 2-2, 2B, HR, 2 R, 1 RBI

SP Mike Hampton

As we all know, Mike Hampton is once again injured. It's a shame, because he seemed to be ready to come back and give it another go. He is projected to come back in May. It is hopeful that he can be league-average. Mark Redman was signed to take his place.

No offense to Mike, who has put a lot of hard work into coming back, but things will be a lot better for the Braves once his contract runs out.

BP: 4-6, 84 1/3 IP, 101 H, 32 BB, 43 K, 5.15 ERA, 1.577 WHIP
BJH: 7-7, 130 IP, 141 H, 54 BB, 71 K, 4.50 ERA, 1.500 WHIP
RW: 4-3, 52 IP, 54 H, 17 BB, 24 K, 3.98 ERA, 1.365 WHIP
SN: None

Sam's Projection: 5-4, 78 2/3 IP, 90 H, 31 BB, 69 K, 4.30 ERA, 1.538 WHIP

Braves turn bad outing by Gonzalez into victory

After a hiccup by Mike Gonzalez in the sixth inning, giving the Cardinals a 3-0 lead and ruining Kyle Davies' excellent outing. Fortunately, the Braves rode a five-run eighth, capped by a two-run double by T. J. Bohn, to a 6-3 victory. Davies had four scorless innings and Cris Carpenter had 4 2/3 scoreless as well.

W - Blaine Boyer (1-0)
L - Tyler Johnson (0-1)
S - Johnathan Johnson (1)

Three Stars
Cris Carpenter - 4 2/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO
Kyle Davies - 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 0 SO
T. J. Bohn - 1-1, 2B, 2 RBI

Redman with decent debut, Braves win against Blue Jays

Mark Redman pitched three innings and gave up a run on four hits, but Lance Cormier bailed him out with four scorless innings and the Braves took the lead on back-to-back homers courtesy of Andruw Jones and Brian McCann as the Braves took the game 4-1. Rafael Soriano had a shutout inning and Macay McBride finished the game going 1-2-3 and getting two strikeouts. Scott Thorman had two singles.

W - Lance Cormier (3-0)
L - Dustin McGowan (0-1)
S - Macay McBride (1)
HR - Andruw Jones (2)
Brian McCann (1)

Three Stars:
Lance Cormier - 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 SO, W
Andruw Jones - 2-3, HR, R, 2 RBI
Josh Towers - 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO

Braves down Pirates with three dingers, James and Carlyle

Chuck James allowed four singles in three innings and no runs. Buddy Carlyle shut out the Pirates for two more innings on just a single. Willy Aybar and Kelly Johnson hit their first homers of the spring as the Braves won 8-5. Matt Harrison unfortunately allowed two runs in an inning of work. I would guess that he's going to get more seasoning in the minors, and he'll be a true emergency starter.

Ryan Langerhans also hit a home run.

W - Chuck James (2-0)
L - Zach Duke (0-1)
HR - ATL - Willy Aybar (1)
Kelly Johnson (1)
Ryan Langerhans (2)
PIT - Ronny Paulino (1)

Three Stars
P Chuck James - 3 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO
3B Willy Aybar - 3-5, HR, R, RBI
2B Kelly Johnson - 2-4, HR, R, 2 RBI

RP Mike Gonzalez

Was it a high price to trade Adam LaRoche to get Gonzalez? Well, we got Brent Lillibridge as well, so it'll probably be worth it. :) He will be the closer soon, especially if Bob Wickman starts to falter. The Braes are set in the closer's role, something they really couldn't say in 2005 and 2006.

BP: 4-4, 54 2/3 IP, 47 H, 29 BB, 61 K, 28 SV, 3.22 ERA, 1.390 WHIP
BJH: 4-2, 50 IP, 39 H, 25 BB, 59 K, 40 SV, 3.24 ERA, 1.280 WHIP
RW: 3-3, 51 IP, 38 H, 27 BB, 61 K, 26 SV, 2.29 ERA, 1.275 WHIP
SN: 3 W, 65 IP, 57 H, 22 BB, 68 K, 27 SV, 2.77 ERA, 1.215 WHIP

Sam's Projection: 1-2, 68 1/3 IP, 52 H, 28 BB, 70 K, 25 SV, 2.32 ERA, 1.171 ERA

Mike Gonzalez is still dynamite when healthy, and when put into the game in the late innings, he is NOT giving up the lead very often, that's for sure.

Three New Players to Add to The List

P Mark Redman
2B Willy Aybar
INF Chris Woodward

EDIT: Plus two - IF Pete Orr and SS Tony Pena, Jr. That's everyone, I guess. :)

I'll add them at the end and keep going like I am here.

Braves sign Mark Redman to minor-league deal

Former All-Star Mark Redman, who got there in 2005 because the Royals needed someone to be there, signed with the Braves and was invited to spring training. If he does well, he'll be the replacement starter for Mike Hampton.

I like this signing because it gives the Braves a little more pitching depth in an emergency, and Redman has had some success at the major league level. But according to his recent major league experiences, he may not be any better than Shane Reynolds was in 2003 with Atlanta, and he hasn't had an ERA+ over 100 since 2003. Oh well. Good signing, JS. :)

RF Jeff Francoeur

The subject of many a discussion in the baseball world. You either love him or hate him. You either think he'll improve or he'll flame out. I love him and I think he'll improve.

From what I've seen and read, the people who think that Francoeur will flame out rely heavily on sabermetrics and cite his low slugging percentage, his impatience at the plate and the sheer number of outs he made in 2006 (507, 3rd in the NL). However, sabermetrics also relies on a traditional method of player progression of talent and output:

1. The player improves steadily until age 28.
2. The player peaks from age 28 to 30.
3. The player steadily declines after age 30.

Those who criticize him seem to toss this progression out for Frenchy, and he's only 23 years old!

BP: .284, 26 HR, 81 RBI, .825 OPS, 6 SB
BJH: .276, 31 HR, 111 RBI, .803 OPS, 4 SB
RW: .278, 28 HR, 97 RBI, .810 OPS, 3 SB
SN: .277, 31 HR, 107 RBI, .788 OPS, 1 SB

Look at all these pretty projections. Everyone would kill to have this kind of stuff out of a 23-year old kid. But I'm going to add something to it:

Sam's Projection: .287, 35 HR, 120 RBI, .852 OPS, 15 SB

Yes, fifteen stolen bases. Francoeur is a better base-runner than people think he is. That will become an asset for him. I can gaurantee that y'all will see a new and improved Frenchy this season.

Yanks top Braves in extras, and Hampton out

Not only did the Yankees beat the Braves 5-4, but Mike Hampton got injured in batting practice!

I suggest we get used to the idea that Oscar Villarreal, Lance Cormier, or even Rafael Soriano, will be starting full-time. Oh, and Frenchy homered today. Huddy pitched four innings and allowed two runs on a Giambi homer.

W - Chris Britton (1-0)
L - Steve Colyer (0-1)
S - Ron Villone (1)

Three Stars
P Tim Hudson - 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO
P Colter Bean - 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO
RF Jeff Francoeur - 2-4, HR, R, RBI

LF Matt Diaz

Matt Diaz had problems hitting with the Royals and Devil Rays. The Braves then picked him up and their doctors saw that he had vision problems and gave him corrective lenses. He only gave Atlanta fans a .327 season in 322 plate appearances. However, his defensive prowess is weird. He runs around like a chicken with his head cut off out there, but his fielding stats of FRAR and FRAA indicate that he's a better fielder than Ryan Langerhans, mostly because of his range:

Diaz: 16/11
Langy: 10/3

As you can see, that doesn't really make sense, as it's obvious that Langerhans is the better fielder. But it doesn't really matter. You can do it ugly, just as long as you do it right.

BP: 375 PA, .302 AVG, 53 R, 12 HR, 50 RBI, .830 OPS, 6 SB
BJH: 348 AB, .316 AVG, 46 R, 10 HR, 46 RBI, .846 OPS, 7 SB
RW: 223 AB, .314 AVG, 29 R, 6 HR, 29 RBI, .837 OPS, 6 SB
SN: None

Sam's Projection: 402 PA, .308 AVG, 60 R, 16 HR, 55 RBI, .842 OPS, 6 SB

Braves tie with Tiggers, Smoltz getes nice start

John Smoltz allowed just three hits in three innings and the Braves tied the Tigers 4-4. Johnathan Johnson was the only one who had a bad day flinging the cowhide for Atlanta.

Craig Wilson went 2-5 and scored a couple of runs, driving in himself with a second inning homer. The immortal Trey Hodges finished the game for the Braves, pitching two innings, walking one and striking out two.

HR - Craig Wilson (1)

Three Stars
P John Smoltz - 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO
1B Craig Wilson - 2-5, 3B, HR, 2 R, RBI
P Trey Hodges - 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO

SP Kyle Davies

Kyle Davies, a young starter for the Braves, missed a lot of time last season due to a groin injury. When he was pitching for the Braves, he didn't do well at all. Some of it could be a function of pitching while injured or coming back too soon from injury because the Braves were in such dire need for starters last season.

BP: 6-8, 119 2/3 IP, 125 H, 55 BB, 95 K, 5.02 ERA, 1.504 WHIP
BJH: 3-4, 63 IP, 66 H, 8 HR, 31 BB, 51 K, 4.86 ERA, 1.540 WHIP
RW: 5-6, 73 IP, 81 H, 9 HR, 35 BB, 57 K, 5.05 ERA, 1.589 WHIP
SN: None

Davies has the fifth starter spot here in the spring and I doubt he'll pitch himself out of it. Because the little data that we had to go on when it came to Davies wasn't good at all, no one seems to project that Davies will do that well. I don't exactly think that he'll tear the National League a new hole, but I do think that he'll stay healthy enough and pitch well enough to win 10 games. I have a little more confidence in him than they do.

Sam's Forecast: 10-9, 151 1/3 IP, 160 H, 65 BB, 102 K, 4.73 ERA, 1.487 WHIP

Stat Projections!

I've decided to show some stat projections from several sources and come up with some kind of a cosensus for my own. :)

The Sources:

* Baseball Prospectus 2007
* The Bill James Handbook 2007
* Tuff Stuff Rotowire Fantasy Baseball 2007
* The Sporting News Fantasy Baseball 2007

Our candidates for comparisons:

P Kyle Davies
LF Matt Diaz
RF Jeff Francoeur
P Mike Gonzalez
P Mike Hampton
IF/OF Willie Harris
P Tim Hudson
P Chuck James
2B Kelly Johnson
CF Andruw Jones
3B Chipper Jones
LF Ryan Langerhans
P Macay McBride
C Brian McCann
P Chad Paronto
C Brayan Pena
IF Martin Prado
SS Edgar Renteria
P John Smoltz
P Rafael Soriano
1B Scott Thorman
P Oscar Villarreal
P Bob Wickman
1B/LF Craig Wilson
P Tyler Yates

I'll do some predictions myself, even though it is proven that it's notoriously hard to predict batters and pitchers off-hand. ;)

Braves put up double digits on Nats again, win see-saw battle

Today, the Nationals jumped out to a 6-4 lead in the third inning, thanks to a two-run shot by Brian Schneider. However, the Braves took the lead back 7-6 in the fifth inning and tacked on a few more, winning 10-6. Two solo shots were belted by Yunel Escobar, Ryan Langerhans and Corky Miller launched a two-run homer. Kevin Barry and Joey Devine both had two shutout innings apiece.

W - Macay McBride (1-0) <- gave up four runs in two innings
L - Emiliano Fruto (0-1)
HR - ATL - Yunel Escobar (1)
Ryan Langerhans (1)
Corky Miller (1)
WAS - Brian Schneider (1)

Three Stars
LF Willie Harris - 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 SB
2B Kelly Johnson - 2-4, 2B, 3 R
C Brian Schneider - 2-2, HR, R, 4 RBI

Braves swat Nats big time

Pounding seventeen hits, the Braves treated the fans to a 14-5 drubbing of the Nationals. Lance Cormier and Chad Paronto combined for 5 shutout innings and ten different Braves drove in runs. Craig Wilson drove in three and Chipper Jones drove in two.

W - Lance Cormier (2-0)
L - Jerome Williams (0-1)
HR - Robert Fick (1)

Three Stars
P Lance Cormier - 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, W
1B Craig Wilson - 2-3, 2B, R, 3 RBIs
P Chad Paronto - 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO

Bravos' pitching does it again

Chuck James gave up a first-inning, two-out RBI single to Jeff Kent and that's the only run the Braves gave up, winning 4-1. The Braves staff turned in a very nice performance, not even allowing a double by the Dodgers. Buddy Carlyle turned in another scoreless two-inning stint and Manny Acosta had two shutout innings as well. Tyler Yates, Steve Colyer and Will Startup finished the game with a goose-egg inning each.

Martin Prado went 3-4 with a double and drove in a run and scored one. Yunel Escobar had two singles in five trips and scored a run.

Three Stars
3B-2B Martin Prado - 3-4, 2B, R, RBI
P Buddy Carlyle - 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO
P Joe Mays - 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO

Astros bat around the Braves

Houston used a 14-hit attack, mostly on Johnathan Johnson, and won 6-1. The Braves had just four singles, Andruw Jones' being an RBI single. Tim Hudson started the game for Atlanta and pitched two scoreless innings. Jason Jennings and Paul Estrada had two-inning stints of scorelessness for the Astros.

W - Dave Borkowski (1-0)
L - Johnathan Johnson (0-1)
HR - Jason Lane (2)

Three Stars
P Paul Estrada - 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO
P Jason Jennings - 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 SO
P Tim Hudson - 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO

Atlanta pulls out win against Pittsburgh in 10

Willie Harris scored the winning run on a Martin Prado chopper to third and the Braves pulled out a see-saw game against the Pirates in extra innings 5-4. Peter Moylan, who pitched two scoreless frames in the 9th and 10th, got the win.

John Smoltz pitched two scoreless innings to start the game and Ian Snell matched him with two goose eggs. Tony Armas, Jr. pitched another two scoreless frames.

Down 1-0, the Braves tied the game on a solo shot by Jeff Francoeur, his first of the spring.

Mike Gonzalez, in his first appearance against his new team, gave up a two-run homer to Brad Eldred and the Pirates took a 3-1 lead with that in the sixth.

The Braves retook the lead with three runs in the sixth, on the strength of two doubles by James Jurries and Iker Franco. Oscar Villarreal then gave up a solo shot to tie the game.

W - Peter Moylan (1-0)
L - Romulo Sanchez (0-1)
HR - PIT - Brad Eldred (1)
Brad Bixler (1)
ATL - Jeff Francoeur (1)

Three Stars:
P John Smoltz - 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO
1B Brad Eldred - 2-3, HR, R, 2 RBI
P Peter Moylan - 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, W

Braves open spring with win; beat Dodgers

Following the easy pasting of the Yellow Jackets, the Braves continued to score, beating the Dodgers 7-2 in their Grapefruit League opening game.

Yunel Escobar turned in a perfect day with three singles and an RBI, and Kelly Johnson singled and had an RBI. Jarrod Saltalamacchia had a pinch-hit single, driving in two. Brent Lillibridge scored two runs.

On the pitching side, Kyle Davies had an encouraging two-inning start where he gave up no hits and struck out one. Lance Cormier vultured the win when he gave up two runs in two innings after Davies. Buddy Carlyle pitched two scoreless innings and three other pitchers had one scoreless inning each.

W - Lance Cormier (1-0)
L - Chad Billingsley (0-1)
HR - None

Three Stars:
P Kyle Davies - 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO
SS Yunel Escobar - 3-3, RBI
P Buddy Carlyle - 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO

Braves shut out punchless Yellow Jackets

In the 20-year tradition, the Braves still remain the top baseball team in the state of Georgia.

Atlanta defeated the punchless Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets by pitching them to death, shutting them out on two singles, winning 5-0.

The Braves got on the board with a Ryan Langerhans homer leading off the third and just expanded the lead from there. Five different Braves had one RBI each.

With pitching, the Braves got two shutout innings from promising lefty Matt Harrison, spot starter Kevin Barry and prospect Jose Ascanio. The three combined for 10 strikeouts.

W - Kevin Barry
L - Jared Hyatt
HR - Ryan Langerhans

Three Stars:
LF Ryan Langerhans - 1-1, HR, BB, R, RBI
P Kevin Barry - 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
P Matt Harrison - 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K

Lou Burdette Passes Away

The former Braves hurler passed away Tuesday morning, losing his battle with lung cancer. He was 80 years old.

Burdette pitched for the Braves from 1951 to 1963. He is probably best known for his 3 complete games in the 1957 World Series, joining Christy Mathewson as the only other player to accomplish this feat. He also served as the Braves pitching coach in 1972 and 1973.

He will be missed. May he rest in peace.

(Note: The article is incorrect in saying that Burdette led the league in strikeouts three years in a row. He did lead the league in hits allowed three years in a row and led the league three times in K/9 ratio in the space of four years. Maybe they meant that.)

EDIT: I didn't read that his preferred spelling was "Lou" instead of "Lew". Changed to reflect that.

The State of the Braves pitchers, Feb. 2

Rotation
John Smoltz - The ol' reliable rock of the pitching staff. It's amazing that he's still pitching as well as he is. I hope it lasts as long as possible. Smoltz turns 40 in May and I'm sure the injury questions will pop up again with him, just like they do every other season. He'll pitch like he did last year, and maybe there will be a few little injuries, like last season.
Mike Hampton - The last time he stepped on a mound in the regular season was in August of 2005. So after a year and a half of relative inaction, can Hampton contribute even an average season for the Braves? That's about what I expect, which would be a step up from all the other people who filled in the fourth and fifth starter slots after Horacio Ramirez and John Thomson went down with injuries.
Tim Hudson - Even a bigger question mark than Hampton, and he started 35 games last season. What was the cause? He gave up a lot of home runs, but not many more than he gave up in Oakland at worst. Was he trying to pitch through an injury? Was this just a fluke bad year? I sure hope so. The Braves Wild Card chances hinge on that, at least.
Chuck James - Chuck allowed a chunk of runs for someone who won 11 games, but he should be fine in his second season as a starter. The Braves are going to need him as well. I think him being a flyball pitcher is a bit valid: he allowed 20 homers in half the innings that it took Hudson to allow 25 dingers.
Kyle Davies - Hampered with injuries most of last season and inconsistent otherwise, let's hope that a full off-season of recovery can help him be the pitcher that he could be and what the Braves really need out of the back end of their staff. I can't say much more than that because I don't have much good things to go on. ;)

Bullpen
Oscar Villarreal - Nicknamed "Vulture" on Braves Journal because of his penchant for getting wins off of others, a lot. He was the signature long reliever of the team in 2006 and did a decent job there. He'll do a decent job there again. Also, the Braves won three of his four starts.
Macay McBride - The upside here is that he rarely allowed more than two runs in any sitting. Since he had experience in 2006, he may do better next season.
Tyler Yates - His middle name is Kali. That's all you need to know. Oh, how does he pitch? Ahem, well. He's not that great: he allowed two or more runs six times in 56 games with Atlanta, which ballooned his ERA. However, he seems to have a lively fastball, so that's why Bobby Cox is keeping him on the squad.
Blaine Boyer - One of the early injuries that decimated the Braves bullpen, Boyer will be looking to earn one of the four bullpen spots up for grabs. Yes, I said "four". Why? Well...
Mike Gonzalez - Obtained from Pittsburgh, Gonzalez has a cannon for a left arm, probably one of the best fireballing left-handed leaders in all of baseball. His stats show it as well. However, he has had a history of some elbow trouble and never pitched more than 54 innings in a season. But he may not have to. :)
Rafael Soriano - Imported from Seattle, Soriano is another fireballer that will probably share setup duties with Gonzalez, which creates a strong young combination. I would guess that he is part of the only trade in baseball history that involved two players who got beaned with a line drive in the same year.
Bob Wickman - He was the Braves' savior, stepping right into the closer's role after being traded to Atlanta and blowing just one save, converting 10 others. He'll be a dependable closer because he does know how to pitch in the closer's role. Kind of like Trevor Hoffman or at worst, Doug Jones. :)

The bullpen, the Achilles heel of the 2006 Braves, is much improved. The starters are about at the same situation they were last year. However, if the offense holds up, these Braves could be Wild Card contenders. :D

State of the Braves batters, Feb. 1

Starting Lineup
2B Kelly Johnson - The organization seems poised to hand over the second base job to Johnson, who started his career as an infielder. No one exactly knows how he'll respond after playing very little over the last two seasons. What is encouraging is that since Glenn Hubbard, former Atlanta second sacker and current first base coach, helped Marcus Giles improve his fielding, he can do the same for Johnson.

SS Edgar Renteria - Pretty dependable batter, but has the range of a statue. Mac Thomson at Braves Journal believes that Renteria's fielding is one of the prime reasons that Tim Hudson failed at pitching so badly in 2006, since he is a groundball pitcher and Renteria can only get to balls hit right at him. I'm inclined to agree with that.

3B Chipper Jones - The best third baseman with Scott Rolen and Alex Rodriguez when he's healthy, thanks to his prolific batting. One negative is that he has the range of a statue as well, giving the Braves the worst left side defense in baseball. The other negative? His feet and legs are still giving him problems. If he's on the field, he'll perform. If he's not, he needs to make sure he gets better!

CF Andruw Jones - This is most definitely Andruw's last season in Atlanta. I do believe that Andruw wants to finish his career in Atlanta, but I also think that the almighty dollar will talk louder. Alfonso Soriano makes $18 million a year thanks to his new contract. Vernon Wells makes $17 million a year thanks to his new extension. How much do you want to bet that Andruw's going to get $19-$20 million a year in his new contract? The Braves won't be able to afford that. I've enjoyed the ride, I have no qualms with him leaving if he does because that's the state of baseball today: where people rarely take what the team can give them to stay.

C Brian McCann - Who's the best catcher in the National League? This guy. In just his second year. That's freaky. He's not perfect: he is as slow as a snail on the bases and could be prone to ankle injuries again. But he projects to be a wonderful batter.

RF Jeff Francoeur - All right... calm down. Keep perspective... he is just 23. And he has 43 home runs in his short career, which is nice. But I still believe in these two things:

1. He needs to cut down on his first-pitch swings. He seems to make an uncanny amount of outs that way.
2. He needs to be develop a better batting eye so he can get a few more walks.

He does those things and he'll be a great hitter and realize his potential.

LF Matt Diaz - Unquestionably, he can hit. Credit could go to his corrective lens, but he is talented. The strange thing about him is that his fielding statistics are deceptive. He has a wonderful range factor, but in real life, he reads balls poorly. He needs to start full time; the Braves need his bat in the lineup.

1B Scott Thorman - With the trade of Adam LaRoche to Pittsburgh, Thorman is thrust into the first base slot. He is the seventh best Braves prospect, according to Baseball America, and his minor league career has been compared to that of Adam LaRoche's. But I don't think he's ready for a full-time first base job. He hasn't proven to me that he can hit consistently enough to do that.

Bench
2B/3B Willy Aybar - Obtained from the Dodgers at the trade deadline last season, Aybar was once thought of to be the next candidate for the second base job, because it was assumed that Marcus Giles would be traded. Giles did leave, but it seems that Aybar has done something to make the "supersub" tag stick on him. He's going to be a back-up for Chipper Jones at third base. He'll get some starts there once Chipper goes down with an inevitable injury.

OF/1B Craig Wilson - Signed to help boost the bench, he's going to get some playing time in left field and first base. It was said that Thorman is going to start first base by himself, but that's bogus.

OF Ryan Langerhans - This could possibly be Langerhans' last time to make good for the Braves. He's 27 and his slugging dipped from 2005. It's quite possible that he could go the way of Mark DeRosa if he doesn't improve in a platoon role with Wilson or Diaz.

C Brayan Pena - He'll most likely be the backup catcher, because he has the most major league experience out of any of the other candidates. It's that simple.

UT Chris Woodward - He's a very versatile fielder and that's the reason why he'll make the club. Beyond that, he has practically lost his ability to bat effectively.

All-around, the offense is relatively intact, and if everyone does what they're capable of, the 2007 Braves should have no trouble equaling the offensive prowess of last year's club.

Time To Talk About Outfielders; More Gushing About Francoeur

I know that second base was and still is hotly debated, but it looks like

The 2007 Braves outfield projects as thus:

LF - Some combination of Matt Diaz, Ryan Langerhans, and Craig Wilson
CF - Andruw Jones
RF - Jeff Francoeur

Left field is yet again a three-man position, and that's just fine with me, considering the three-man position wasn't a burden last season.

Diaz's fielding statistics are pretty good, but if one watches him field, he looks like a chicken running around with its head cut off. But, hey, if you can do it right, I don't care if you do it ugly; unless a particularly ugly missed catch causes the Braves to lose the game. According to FRAR/FRAA runs from last season, Diaz fields better than Langerhans! (16/11 - 10/6) Of course, Langerhans is considered the superior fielder, and he basically is. But Diaz can at least field well enough.

As for Andruw, the only thing I can say about him is this: he had better have one of those "contract years", even though they don't really exist. That would be like Javy Lopez just decided in the middle of the 2003 season to turn on the hitting switch on his machine so he could get paid the big bucks. But if that really is the case... Andruw had better turn on his hitting switch when the season starts and not in the middle of it. Whatever happens with Andruw, I'll accept it. If he leaves and the Braves get nothing, I'll accept it. If he's traded in the middle of the season, I'll accept it. If he's signed to another contract by Atlanta, I'll accept it.

Now for the fun part.

Jeff Francoeur, the next Tony Armas, Sr.

Baseball Prospectus, in their interesting book Baseball Between The Numbers: Why Everything You Know About The Game Is Wrong, has a list of their worst 100-RBI seasons since 1972, based on a correlation between their RBIs on the season and a statistic called Value Over Replacement Player, which measures the value of a player's offensive output against a theoretical AAA player from the same position in the same amount of plate appearances.

Here are the three worst 100-RBI seasons since 1972, which is how far back BP's database goes:

Joe Carter, 1997 Toronto Blue Jays - 102 RBI, -2.4 VORP
Tony Batista, 2004 Montreal Expos - 103 RBI, -1.1 VORP
Tony Armas, 1983 Boston Red Sox - 107 RBI, 6.9 VORP

They're ranked by RBI per VORP. I don't know how they calculated it, but I do know this:

Francoeur's 2006 campaign falls between Batista and Armas. Why? His 2006 VORP was:

-1.0

Because he had the same number of RBIs in 2006 as Bastista in 2004, Francoeur takes the third spot. But it's a dubious spot: just the third player since 1972 to have a negative VORP and 100 RBIs in the same season.

But hey, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's have Mark Bowman talk about our buddy Frenchy instead:

Jones' need to venture toward right field has been lessened since the arrival of the athletic Francoeur, who some believe is capable of being a quality center fielder at the Major League level. Francoeur's strong and accurate arm has enabled him to notch a Major League-high 26 assists since making his Major League debut on July 7, 2005.

That is nice. That means he has a pretty good arm, but from what I recall, Francoeur had a few throwing errors as well. We'll see these assists drop because Frenchy will get a reputation for throwing people out, just like Andruw. :)

After starting last season with just two hits in his first 36 at-bats, Francoeur managed to hit .272. By the end of the season, he'd tallied 29 homers and collected 103 RBIs -- allowing him to join Hank Aaron and Eddie Mathews as the only players in franchise history to enjoy a 100-RBI season before their 23rd birthday.

That doesn't mean that he's going to be as successful as them: at least they could take walks.

Oh, oops, did I say walks? Is that what's so bad about Francoeur? Sorry, my bad. Wait, I'm not sorry.

Francoeur's plate discipline has drawn ire from his critics. He swings at the first pitch more than anybody in baseball and hasn't entirely proven that he has a keen since of the strike zone.

*The Price is Right* Ding ding ding ding ding!! That's right!!!

But while drawing eight walks in his final 29 games in 2006, he showed some signs of being a little more patient.

Wow... what a small sample size. This rate would produce 44 or 45 walks. That is not good enough.

Still, it can't be said that Francoeur isn't able to come through in the clutch. He hit .320 (55-for-172) with runners in scoring position and .288 (80-for-278) with runners on base last season. His 53 two-out RBIs ranked second in the Majors, trailing only Philadelphia's Ryan Howard, who had 55.

And he hit something like .226 with two outs. Isn't that more when he HAS to hit?

Wow, two-out RBIs. Fascinating. RBIs are about a matter of circumstance, not about how good people are. It's just a plus when people drive others in.

Francoeur's RBI Opportunities: 74, 33rd in the majors
Howard's RBI Opportunities: 91, 4th in the majors

Lots of RBI opportunities mean lots of RBIs.

"[Francoeur] can sit on pitches now," Cox said. "He's sharp kid. He is still working. He is not going to walk an awful lot, which is fine with me where he is hitting in the lineup.

This scares me to no end, that Bobby Cox is comfortable with the idea that Francoeur won't be able to walk a lot. Well, what about when Francoeur is the cleanup hitter for the Braves or somewhere around there when Chipper Jones is retired and Andruw Jones is playing for some other team? I bet he'd want more walks then.

And I think if you took his aggression at the plate away from him, I don't think he'd be as good."

That may be the case, but you'd also cut down on his atrocious number of first-pitch outs.

Francoeur and Jones combined for 232 RBIs in 2006, tying them for the third-highest total among any NL duo.

With 162 RBI opportunities between the both of them. :)

LaRoche Traded; At First I Was Upset, But Then I Felt Better

ATL gets:
P Mike Gonzalez
SS Brent Lillibridge

PIT gets:
1B Adam LaRoche
OF Jamie Romak

At first, I was upset about this trade, and so were a few other Braves fans on Baseball Fever, because we thought that this was a trade of LaRoche for Gonzalez straight up. I was against that because it just didn't seem right on it's face. Trading a young first baseman who appears to be just hitting his peak for an excellent reliever who just happens to have a problematic elbow. I then learned that there were prospects involved. I left for dinner, I came back home and read more about the trade.

I think the Braves came away nicely in this one. Who is Brent Lillibridge? One of the top prospects in the Pirates organization, that's who. :)

The downside of this whole thing is that Scott Thorman is starting. He has no business doing so and the upcoming season will show that. On the other hand, this means that Jarrod Saltalamacchia could get a look at first base in Richmond in 2007 and be the first baseman in 2008 if it doesn't work out with Thorman.

Another LaRoche Rumor, This Time It's Tolerable

That's right. It's tolerable. The best thing for the Braves according to the article is this trade:

ATL gets:
P Hayden Penn
P Chris Ray
BAL gets:
1B Adam LaRoche

Now, I have said before on Braves Journal, I believe, that Hayden Penn is another Kyle Davies, and so far, he has pitched like it. But, just like Davies, Penn is said to have the tools to become a great pitcher. Chris Ray, though, would appear to have immediate impact with the Braves if he has traded to them. Last year he had an ERA+ of 166 in the American League, which is excellent. He would be almost-gaurateed closer insurance in case the good ol' veteran Bob Wickman falters.

I do not trust Scott Thorman with the first base job, which he would get automatically get if LaRoche is traded. But, I believe that the gains that Ray and even Penn would give the Braves pitching staff would offest any negative impact that Thorman has on the offense.

LaRoche for Penn and Ray. Do it.

First Marcus Giles Is Let Go (Okay), Then This Rumor (Not Okay)

Marcus Giles was not offered a contract for the 2007 season and he was let go. I'm okay with that. The Braves didn't have enough room on the payroll and you can't keep everyone, no matter how much you like (or dislike, in the case of Giles' bad year).

However, THIS rumor then shows up:

ATL gets:
LF Melky Cabrera
NYY gets:
P Mike Gonzalez
PIT gets:
1B Adam LaRoche

I have been on record at the baseball-fever.com message board saying that Cabrera would solidify our left field mess, give Bobby Cox the "fast" person that he so desperately desires (like a security blanket ;) ) in the leadoff position, possibly put Kelly Johnson at second base, and give the Braves a viable replacement for Andruw Jones when he leaves in free agency. However, I oppose this deal.

Why?

It would severly compromise the Braves' offense.

In the leadoff spot, the Braves might actually improve there with Cabrera; Giles had more doubles, home runs and RBIs in his worst year since 2002 than Cabrera did in 2006. Cabrera is a plus in that he got walks similarly to Giles in 2006 (56-62) in 102 less plate appearances (524 to 626), struck out less (59 to 105), and hit better (.280-.262).

However, Cabrera hit mostly in the eighth and ninth spots in the lineup. He did have 34 starts in the first and second spots in the batting order, so he may be able to adjust to being a top of the order hitter.

So what's the problem?

Scott Thorman.

It is to my understanding that the Braves feel comfortable in putting Scott Thorman at first base immediately. Over the long term, that might be a good plan. They think Thorman is just like LaRoche. But this is a crucial time for the Braves. They need to keep up their offensive production to win games because of their very questionable pitching staff. Trading away one of the crucial pieces of your offense and replacing him with a slightly seasoned rookie just screams "huge risk". Who knows, Thorman might prove me wrong if this goes down. I hope he does. And I hope if Cabrera joins the team, he'll be a very nice leadoff hitter. I want to be proven wrong. But I think that all indications say I won't.

Braves Pull Off Big One; Acquire Soriano From Mariners

The first trade of the off-season, and I am SO glad it was made:

Braves get:
RP Rafael Soriano

Mariners get:
SP Horacio Ramirez

This is the utter steal of the off-season. Soriano in just 60 innings had 65 strikeouts and 21 walks and a 2.25 ERA, which translates to a 193 ERA+, in the American League, exactly what is needed in a reliever. Exactly what the Braves need. They don't need Ramirez, of whom I said is inconsistent and injury-prone. How the Mariners and their GM Bill Bavasi decided to do this trade is beyond me, but I'm not complaining. ;)

I'm sad to see any Brave I'm familiar with go, but that's baseball and THIS is what appears to be a classic great Schuerholz trade. :D

EDIT: NOW, THE DEFENITIVE LINK!

ESPN: Trade is completed

Glavine Re-signs With Mets, What Was All The Fuss?

Us Braves fans may have held out hope that Glavine was going to return to Atlanta. And that would have made the Braves better, but not over-the-hump better. I had waffled about this issue for a while, but I decided the Braves were better off without Glavine.

But look at it this way: Glavine is around 41 years old, at the end of his career. Sooner or later, he's going to run out of gas. Everyone does. Besides, only the Mets would by $10.5 million to a 41-year old pitcher. ;) Makes Tim Hudson seem like a bargain! :D

And there's also this. The Mets paid $10.5 million just to keep Glavine in New York when they could have had 28-year old Barry Zito for just a few million a year more. Utterly baffling.

Special Report: Georgia Tech @ Georgia, 2006

This is my first live blogging. And it is going to be of the most aniticipated football game in Atlanta and Athens, Ga.

Here in Anderson, S. C., the sports editor at the newspaper, John Brasier, with whom I worked with during my internship, said in the preview that Georgia Tech was possibly looking past Georgia to the ACC Championship game. With all due respect to him, and I mean that, Mr. Braiser is wrong. First, Georgia Tech cannot possibly be looking to the ACC Championship Game because they don't even know who they're going to play. Second, the Georgia game is the most meaningful game of the season to Georgia Tech. No other game means as much. To players and fans of the rivalry, the reason the season exists is to play the game of Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate! :)

Now is it possible that John is right? Sure, it's possible. But I believe that it is highly unlikely. Plus, there is the fact that Georgia Tech hasn't won against Georgia since 2000. I think they'd be eager to break that streak.

Even the CBS people say that this game is more than just a game. And Georgia Tech is going to look past it?! Yeah right.

The show's featured important players of the game are Matthew Stafford, quarterback for Georgia, and Tashard Choice, running back for Georgia Tech. No argument there. Choice is one of the best running backs in the ACC and Stafford is a promising freshman quarterback for Georgia.

Twice already the announcers have mentioned that this group of seniors has never lost to Georgia Tech. Well, la-dee-da.

Steve Buerlein says that the team that keesp their emotions in check enough will win.

The usual praise for Calvin Johnson. He does deserve it all. He is that good. He leads the ACC in receiving yards and touchdowns, just to name two things.

Georgia Tech has eleted to receive. I don't think that's a good idea. They would need the ball to start the second half. Especially here.

Jamaal Evans broke a nice run to the 41 yard lime. Ball tried to go for an early dagger and neither Johnson nor Battle got it, so he almost blew it. Three and out, as I thought.

Now for Durant Brooks, one of the best punters in the nation. Boom. At the nine. Brooks is the man.

Wow, even I fell for that play fake. Even the announcer was fooled by it. NOW they give it to Lumpkin. Figures.

Georgia: "Don't Give it Away."
Georiga Tech: "Get to Stafford."
So says CBS, makes perfect sense

Right now, Georgia is doing what Georgia Tech should be doing. Smart, efficient and good passing. Running the ball isn't that succesful right now. The best thing that Georgia needs to do is pass.

Third and 21 thanks to a 15-yard personal foul, Georgia gets it to Massoquoi, but just for 11 yards. Ely-Kelso punts it to the nine. It might be a battle of great punters.

Georgia Tech: "Make the Right 'Choice'"
Georgia: "Find Johnson's Kryptonite"

Tashard Choice gets it two timnes in a row. He'll get it a lot more since Ball can't pass. 2nd and 8 after a Choice first down.and as usual, Ball can't pass. 3rd and 8. Passing time. And it looked like Ball just threw it away. This is why he's not a good quarterback. Sure, CBS showed that Ball has 20 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions, which is an improvement, but what Ball is doing right now is what kind of quarterback he is: bad throws, tends to throw it away too much, scrambles. And when Ball can't do anything, they go to Choice. A lot. And that's easy to sniff out.

Lumpkin is getting stuffed running, so he's passed to and he gets a first down, then he's stuffed again. I sense a trend.

Timeout with 2:31 in the 1st by Georgia on third and 8 after a recovered fumble. Pass. First down. Like clockwork. Might be under review, but it'll be a first down. And it is. Georgia just has to keep doing what they're doing and they'll get a touchdown.

Lumpkin: kept from a first down twice, 3rd and 3. FINALLY a sack!! First one that Georgia has allowed in two games, and thank goodness they'll have to punt. End of the 1st quarter.

Punt, GT ball. Reggie Ball sacked. What a surprise. He'll need a long pass now. Punt coming up for certain. Calvin Johnson got some yards, but now it's 3rd and 9 after 2nd and 19. And James Johnson drops it and gets slammed by Battle. Punt by Brooks to the 15-yard line. Time for another Georgia march. Georgia Tech has to get their offensive act together. Eventually, they'll allow a touchdown.

Stafford fumble!! And Georgia Tech recovers!!! Phillip Wheeler!

Wow, another throw to Calvin and another miss too! How exciting! Right to Tashard Choice, he gets just a yard. Time for a big play.

Big play my ass. Reggie Ball was just running around, he wasn't doing anything. According to the replay, someone was WIDE open in the endzone, Choice was open early on. Ball's a fool.

Travis Bell's up and the kick... the guy might be inconsistent, but he got the 35-yard field goal in. 3-0 Yellow Jackets

Stafford incomplete. Survivor: Cook Islands advertisement. Whoo-hoo. Kenny Scott, GT's best cornerback, broke up another pass. And a freaking good catch, I thought Stafford was throwing it away.

Danny Ware gets to the 35-yard line. This is why Georgia Tech needs to pony up on offense. Their defense is not going to keep this up. 3rd and 5, Georgia calls a timeout because of the play clock. At least this will give the Jackets defense a brief rest.

... false start on the offense. 3rd and 10, and How I Met Your MOther, something I won't be watching! Kenny Scott covered Massoquoi and Georgia will have to punt, thankfully again! Downed at the 11. And I won't be watching the Amazing Race either. Choice gets two more, 3rd and 1. Naturally, they sniffed that out. Ball sneaks up for a first down.

Calvin stumbled and he missed it with a dive! Dangit.

Choice gets to the 40 though, then again to the 49, then to the 39! At last, they appear to be moving the ball nicely! Another home run ball and it appears to be defensive pass interference, but they're not challenging. Little option does absolutely nothing. 3rd and 10. Time for another pass. And they won't get it.

Incomplete to Calvin Johnson, who had Paul Oliver practically climbing Johnson's back as the ball got there. Brooks for a punt and he got a touchback.

Lumpkin stuffed again behind the line. Might as well just call him Kregg "Stuffed" Lumpkin. :D Pass for a catch and run for a first down, what a surprise. Lumpkin gets six yards. This is almost predictable. Incomplete pass, but it was off, Massoquoi could have gotten to it, but didn't. Short pass and catch, I bet here.

I was almost right. Short pass and drop. ;) Punt for Ely-Kelso. This game might as well be called Battle of the Feet. Ely-Kelso vs. Brooks.

Short pass to Calvin, he gets two. At least he caught another ball. Makes me feel better. :) However, Choice runs for a first down at the 31! :D And time for a time-out with 1:00 left.

Colorado, Ole Miss, Florida.

Nice pass to James Johnson, 2nd and 1. Johnson didn't get the next pass this time. 3rd and 1. Choice is stopped at the line of scrimmage. It's time for 4th and 1. Personally, I think it's too risky to go for it. The Yellow Jacket defense is going to give up a touchdown sooner or later.

Georgia Tech runs the clock down to 11 seconds and calls another time-out. Very smart. Playing for the last play of the half. As long as it's way down the field, if a pass is intercepted, it's unlikely to be brought back for a touchdown. Of course, this is Georgia Tech's last chance until Georgia's first series ends in the second half. This is why I think it's a better idea to kickoff in the first half.

But... someone decides to punt. Brooks punts it to the 12 and that's the end of the first half. That's fine, I guess. Playing it safe. However, the other side of the coin is you get a good play that scores a touchdown and you get a bigger cushion and some more momentum.

Analysis: It's fine that Georgia Tech has the lead, but they need to put some more points on the board. Ball needs to pass better, Calvin and James Johnson need to catch better. I'm convinced their defense can't keep this shutout up, though I commend the fact that they've kept the Dawgs out of the endzone and between the uprights on the road. Very good job by Tashard Choice running. Held Lumpkin to 27 yards on 11 carries, they need to

Second half up. Not excited. Very nervous. I get the impression that TV announcers expect Calvin Johnosn to dominate every say. It's almost insulting. The guy isn't Superman, as some like to call him.

Minter gets a first down, but Lumpkin is stuffed again and again. And another pass for a first down. Why can't they stop them on the short passes to spot third-down conversions? And Lumpkin not stuffed, 10 yards. Looks like what I said is coming true. Tech needs to score points. Their defense can't hold it up forever.

Offsides by Georgia Tech, first penalty of the day, what did I say?

However, Stafford is stuffed at the 49 to negate the free play. :) 2nd and 16. Stopped at the Georgia 49! 3rd and 19: Jahi-Word Daniels stops the pass, which ends up being short, just like before. Ely-Kelso punt time. Fair catch at the 20.

Now Choice is stuffed for a two-yard loss. He had to talk to Ball in order to hear the play, so it was kind of obvious. Choice to the 27 for a 3rd and 2.

And the ball is tipped and intercepted. What a surprise. What a sur-prise. And it's in the 25 yuard line too. Danny Ware is now stuffed, thankfully.

Short pass and run for a first down. They'll get a touchdown. This is the game right here. Because Ball can't do shit.

Incomplete pass, 2nd and goal. Tipped and Kenny Scott almost intercepted it. Third and goal. Stafford kept it but he just got to the 8th. Time for Ely-Kelso to ... MISS A 23-YARD FIELD GOAL!!!!! HE MISSED A CHIP SHOT!!!!! SHOCKER!! Well, maybe not a shocker, he isn't really a kicker, but DAMN!!

Who is the only player to have his number retired in Georgia and not in the College Football Hall of Fame? is the ALFAC!! trivia question. I don't know. Charley Trippi, I guess.

Six yards for Choice and then one yard for Choice. Another short drive? Well, Choice fumbled at the end of the third-down play (YIKES!) but he got it right back and that actually gets GT a first down! (WHEW!) Challenged by Mark Richt, of course. According to the announcer, Choice couldn't get that ball in the NFL because he had his foot out of bounds. In college, you can come back in bounds.

The Georgia fans are chanting something during the challenges and I can't tell what it is. Call confirmed, Georgia is charged a timeout because they blew it. Of course, Reggie Ball negates that whole thing by losing six yards. Predictably, Choice is stuffed. If Ball can't do anything, they run the ball, it's almost transparent. Long pass play time.

Fumble, flags are out, touchdown singal. What the hell?! Tony Taylor just dug it out of the pile and ran it in from 29 yards out for a touchdown. Damndest thing I've ever seen. 7-3 Bulldogs This is the game swinger. Georgia will win since Ball can't do squat.

Boy, I'm Mr. Pessimist. Jamaal Evans got to the 34 yard line. Nice jumping up and down there for me. Of course, Ball incomplete. Ball run to the 28. 3rd and 6. Choice to the four! Ball squirts for a yard. This is better. :D

False start, still 2nd down, feh. And Calvin gets his play and freaking misses the catch. At least it wasn't intercepted. And he MISSED it again thanks to a classic bad Ball!!! God, I'm pissed off as much as Calvin is. Bell getting a field goal try, he gets it. 7-6 Bulldogs Kickoff. End of the 3rd Quarter. Ball can't do squat.

By the way, the answer to the AFLAC!! trivia question is Theron Sapp. Was I ever wrong.

Lumpkin. Stuffed. Loss of two. Complete. Lumpkin first down, wasn't stuffed that time. Quick throw and attempt to run dropped. Lumpkin. Stuffed! I LOVE saying that! :D Incomplete!! They stopped them on third down!! Thank you!!!!!!!!!

Punt time for Ely-Kelso. Bad punt, good field position for Tech. Again. But they won't get anything except maybe a field goal. HOWEVER, that is all they need.

The announcers REALLY wanted offense. Pffft. Tashard Choice to the 50. 2nd and 4. Ball runs for a first down to the 43, his most successful run all day. Again to Choice. To the 39. 2nd and 6. He really is a very nice running back.

Deep ball, Calvin dives and misses again! But he wouldn't have gotten it anyway he landed out of bounds. However, Calvin gets an reverse run and he gets to the first down. Choice to the 21! At last, efficiency!! 2nd and 1. First down at the 14 for Tashard! Choice is the man today. :) Choice to the 10.

TOUCHDOWN BY TASHARD CHOICE!!!!!!!

Two points...

No two points. "Bad Reggie" Ball slipped and fell. Still, 12-7 Yellow Jackets.

Asher Allen returns it to the 36. Pass to the 50. Here we go. Pass to Massaquoi, another first down at the 40. Touchdown impending for Georgia. Danny Ware to the 25. Touchdown still impending for Georgia. Ware to the 20. Touchdown still impending. Ware 4 yards. 3rd and 2. Easy first down for Georgia, I'm guessing. Ware first down. 15 yard line for Georgia, they'll just keep running down the clock. Now Ware is stuffed one yard in. Lumpkin stuffed with just 3 yards advanced there. 3rd and 6. Massaquoi gets the first down at the 4. FUCK!

Georgia touchdown denied to Danny Ware. 2nd and Goal. Ware stuffed. At the three. 3rd and Goal.

Massoquoi pass touchdown. FUCK! The two is good with Massaquoi. Georgia Tech's defense didn't hold. I knew they wouldn't. Bulldogs 15-12.

I'm so pissed off I can't see straight.

Georgia Tech may just as well give up. Bad Reggie isn't going to do anything.

Last drive. Futile drive. I may as well just stop writing right now.

Again, the announcers are invoking Calvin's name. He's not going to do anything. He has been quite corraled in by that Paul Oliver guy. 85 yards to go. Sixth striaght loss here we come. James Johnson missed the pass. Holding on Andrew Gardner. Refused. Third and 2. This is it. Sacked at the 15, what a surprise. Reggie Ball sucks. Reggie Ball just sucks. This is the game. I predict: Long Ball to Calvin and it will be intercepted because it will be a classic Bad Reggie pass.

WOW, an automatic first down!!!!!!! WHAT A GIFT!! Georgia calls a timeout. I don't think GT will do anything, though.

REGGIE BALL FUCKING SUCKS, HE FUCKING CAN'T DO ANYTHING RIGHT!!!!

There Will Only Be One Jones In Atlanta

About in the middle of the 2007 season or later. How do I know?

This.

I bet you all money that Scott Boras is going to try to get Andruw a contract with at least $19 million a year, maybe even $20 million. Thanks a lot, Alfonso, you've destroyed the Braves' offense in the future.

Will He Stay Or Will He Go? DANANA-NANA-NANANA

To Mark Bowman's Mailbag! What nice ditties hath he for us today?

With Tom Glavine filing for free agency, what are the odds of him becoming an Atlanta Brave?
-- Jordan U., Scranton, Pa.

As much as I'd like to see Glavine back in Atlanta to win his 300th game, I just don't see it happening. The Braves don't need him as much as the Mets and won't be able to financially match the offers made by New York.

The Braves don't need him as much as the Mets? Ummmmmm... I'd say Glavine is needed by both teams equally. I have zero confidence in Kyle Davies and Horacio Ramirez, and I would like to see Ramirez gone. Someone else in the Braves system can be developed to be better than him, I'm certain of that. Whoever it is, I don't know, but anyone can probably be more consistent than Ramirez was last year.

There's no doubt in my mind that Glavine would love to end his career with the Braves. Thus, he's holding out hope that Atlanta would overwhelm him with an unexpected offer.

Or not. They don't have the money to spare, that is the impression I get.

But by keeping the Braves in the mix, he's also putting pressure on the Mets to make their best possible offer. This combined with the fact that Pedro Martinez's future is unknown provides him great leverage in his negotiations with his current employer.

Ding ding ding! Give the man a prize, he knows something! :D

Until the Mets decline to exercise their option on Nov. 20, the Braves can't even give Glavine any indication of what they'd be willing to offer. But unless a high-salaried player like Tim Hudson or Andruw Jones was moved, it doesn't look like they would be able to offer anything more than a $7 million annual salary.

That would be stupid to move Andruw just to get Glavine for one or two years. No one will take Tim Hudson and his huge contract, as I said, after his career-worst year.

Of course, if Atlanta deals somebody like Hudson or Jones, Glavine may see this as a move that decreases the Braves' chances of getting into the postseason. Thus, that could lead him back to the Mets, who have the finances to fill their many needs.

HA! Moving Tim Hudson INCREASES the Braves' postseason chances just by getting rid of his horrible inconsistency! As I said, I'm certain that anyone can step in and perform better than him. ANYONE. Make Oscar Villarreal a starter, I don't care, just get Hudson as far away from the Braves as possible.

As for getting into the postseason altogether, the Braves need pitching, pitching and more pitching. Their offense was very good last season. Even without a true leadoff hitter and super, they still were third in runs per game in the National League.

If the Braves were in desperate need to strengthen their starting rotation,

If? IF?! They ARE!!

they may be more apt to do whatever necessary to bring Glavine back. But with John Smoltz, Mike Hampton and Hudson currently in place, there isn't a need for desperation.

Smoltz good. Hudson crap. Hampton BIG question mark. Davies and Ramirez super crap. Seems like a good time for a remedy to me.

Over the next few weeks, you'll continue to hear Glavine say he'd like to do whatever is best for his family, which still resides in Atlanta. This obviously leads one to believe he'd be willing to provide the Braves a great discount.

Although he's likely already financially set, I just don't see this happening. He's a sharp individual who understands his business both on and off the field. Thus, he'll keep a poker face over the next few weeks and force the Mets to provide him their best possible offer.

I agree with this, but that's all. The Braves need to have Glavine, or at the very least someone like him; a stablilizing force in the roation. Kyle Davies and Horacio Ramirez are NOT stabilizing forces by any stretch of the imagination. Someone else needs to be in there.

McCann earns Silver Slugger Award

Well-earned, Brian! :D The Braves have had three of the last four Silver Sluggers for catcher:

2003 - Javy Lopez
2004 - Johnny Estrada
2006 - Brian McCann

Game 5: MLB All-Stars 5, NPB All-Stars 3

Jose Reyes hit a sayonara two-run homer and the MLB All-Stars completed the first sweep of a series against the NPB in history. It was a see-saw affair, with the NPB taking a 2-0 lead, then the MLB took a 3-2 lead and the NPB staved off another loss by singling in the tying run with two out in the ninth off of John Maine. In the 10th, Jose Reyes came up with Bill Hall on first and clubbed the series-ending homer to right.

Ryan Howard, who hit .556 with 8 runs, 3 doubles, 4 homers and 8 RBIs, was named MVP and received 3 million yen, which, at the current rate, is $25,462.50. Not bad for a week's work. ;)

W - Scot Shields (1-0)
L - Hisashi Ogura (0-1)
HR - MLB - Jose Reyes (1)
NPB - Takahiro Arai (1)
Shuichi Murata (1)

Game 4: MLB All-Stars 7, NPB All-Stars 2

The NPB is still fighting, and that's good, but the MLB shows why it has the best A and B-team. The teams were tied 2-2 after six. In the eighth, the MLB broke through with five runs, helped by Ryan Howard's fourth homer, which pretty much gives the series MVP to him. ;) This makes the fourth win for the MLB. They could seep, and that is probably the first time in history that they would do that. :D

History of the Japan Series on MLB.com


W - Mike Myers (1-0)
L - Kazuo Fukumori (0-1)
HR - David Wright (2)
Ryan Howard (4)

More tidbits from Mark Bowman and the Braves Mailbag

If you were the general manager and could make only one trade, would it be to get a true leadoff hitter? Upgrade the pitching staff with a starter or reliever? Or would it be some other move?
-- Randall C., Dallas, Ga.

Being Braves GM John Schuerholz this winter would be a daunting task. Over the past few years, he's had to make tough decisions regarding whether to bring the likes of Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux and Gary Sheffield back to Atlanta. But with the many different decisions he has to make, I'd say this winter will be his most challenging of the past decade.

No question about that. There are three factions of the Braves that need to be improved desperately:

1. Bullpen
2. Starting pitching
3. Leadoff spot

There are certainly reasons to trade Andruw Jones and Tim Hudson. There are even more to cut ties with Marcus Giles and Horacio Ramirez. And at the same time, Glavine is going to continue to leverage the Braves to get the best possible contract from the Mets.

There are reasons to trade Andruw, but that doesn't mean that they're necessarily good reasons. Players like him don't grow on trees. It is quite possible that if he can't play center field anymore, we could just move Jeff Francoeur there instead.

And no one would take Tim Hudson in a million years. Not after he just had the worst season in his career; the Braves are stuck with him.

Cutting ties with Giles is a good idea. He could be easily replaced and not really be missed all that much. Horacio is expendable, and he could easily be traded because there is always a demand for left-handers.

Glavine is going to get as much money as he can from the Mets. And they're going to give it to him. Since Pedro Martinez's career is in danger of ending, the Mets need Tommy more than ever.

Fortunately, you've simplified things and asked me to make just one trade, and with little surprise, I'll tell you I'm keeping both Jones and Hudson. While doing so, I'm risking losing Jones for nothing more than draft picks and knowing that another mediocre season from Hudson will mean even less trade interest heading into the 2008 season, when his back-loaded contract starts becoming loaded.

The Braves would be foolish to let Andruw walk away. They need him. And as I've said before, the Braves are stuck with Hudson, so all of the Atlanta faithful should hope and pray that 2006 was a fluke; that Tim has something left.

Earlier this week, I was talking to a Braves representative about trading Ramirez. Last week, I indicated it was certainly something I'd explore, and I still feel that way. But at the same time, this individual reminded me that doing this would significantly cut in the staff's starting pitching depth.

Yeah, from mediocre to less than mediocre. I'd contend that the Braves really don't need Horacio and his incosistency. He hasn't even done that well in his four years in the majors. It's time to let him go.

But with Lance Cormier and Oscar Villarreal both around to provide some depth if a starter should get injured, I'm going to go ahead and trade both Ramirez and Giles. Throwing an economical defensive whiz like Ryan Langerhans in the deal may allow me to get a rather healthy return.

Not a bad idea. Someone would go for that, and it would get rid of the Braves' logjam in left field, giving the position all to Matt Diaz, despite his questionable defense (as I'm reminded of a crucial error he made on a ball that bounced off his glove and that caused the Braves to lose the game), and give the second base position to Willy Aybar, a situation that I would be comfortable with because the two have proven that they can play at the major league level.

My biggest desire is to get a leadoff hitter, but I don't know if a trade is necessary for anything more than to gain the payroll flexibility that would allow such an acquisition. Trading both Giles and Ramirez would free nearly $8 million and allow me to seek the services of a free agent like Gary Matthews Jr. or Julio Lugo, both of whom could capably fill the leadoff role.

Lines!

Matthews, Jr. - .313/.371/.495 (19 HR, 79 RBI) - a career year for him, but he is 31 years old. If he stops hitting, he needs to walk some more, and he'd be fine.
Lugo - .278/.341/.421 (12 HR, 37 RBI) - 30 years old, he's not that much better than Giles. Probably costs more.

Obviously, I'd like to get Tampa Bay's Carl Crawford. But there doesn't appear a good fit with the Rays, who wouldn't be wanting to add salaries like those possessed by both Giles and Ramirez. They'd be looking to acquire more economical commodities like Kyle Davies, Chuck James and Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

Pffft, I say get rid of Davies. And do we really need Salty? He'll end up being traded anyway, I would guess.

Knowing there's a chance for me to fill my need for a leadoff hitter without having to give up young stars and these three aforementioned top young players would keep me from making such a deal.

Davies is looking less and less like a top young player, and that's all I can say about that.

Acquiring Matthews may be difficult. First, the Rangers would obviously like to keep him, and there is the issue that the Braves cut him in Spring Training a few years back.

The Rangers will most certainly overpay for him, that's for sure. I don't think the cutting issue would matter. Honestly. Matthews DID stink up the joint in spring training. Besides, the Braves wouldn't cut him this time if they do sign him. :p

Also if Andruw Jones is still around, Matthews may not be interested in playing left field.

That would be strange.

So maybe Lugo is the best choice to acquire as a leadoff hitter who would play second base. But in order to afford his contractual demands, which would likely be around $5.5 million a year, trading guys like Giles and Ramirez is a must.

Ew. Lugo really doesn't fill the need for a leadoff hitter at all. First off, he doesn't hit much more better than Giles. Second, he can't steal bases anymore. The Braves need a base-stealer. Lugo isn't one.

In return, I'd be looking to get top-notch prospects who could team with Davies and James to provide great hope with the starting rotation for many years to come.

I wonder if there are any that the Dodgers would be willing to give up. ;)

That's all. :)

Game 3: MLB All-Stars 11, NPB All-Stars 4

At first, starter Hiroyuki Kobayashi was excellent for the NPB, allowing no hits through four innings. Not to mention that Norichika Aoki led off the game with a home run, giving NPB a 1-0 lead. Then, reality set in. Joe Mauer hit a two-run shot and Jacque Jones had an RBI single to put the MLB up 3-1. The NPB tied the game with an Ogasawara sac fly and a single to Utley by Shuichi Murata, off of starter Erik Bedard and reliever Clay Hensley. Then in the bottom of the inning, Ryan Howard singled in a run and Andruw Jones tied the game with a shot to left. An Eishin Soyogi single got a run back for the NPB, but a Jermaine Dye RBI single and a three-run moon shot by Howard put it waaaaaaay out of reach, making it 10-4. David Wright's solo shot was just icing on the cake.

W - Clay Hensley (1-0)
L - Hiroyuki Kobayashi (0-1)
HR - MLB - Joe Mauer (1)
Andruw Jones (1)
Ryan Howard (3)
David Wright (1)
NPB - Norichika Aoki (1)

Game 2: MLB All-Stars 8, NPB All-Stars 6

This time, Ryan Howard led the MLB attack with two homers and drove in three runs. Tadahito Iguchi drove in two runs with a double and Lyle Overbay hit a solo homer to put the MLB up 8-6 in the eighth. The lone homer for NPB came on catcher Tomoya Satozaki's two-run blast in the third off of Bronson Arroyo to make it 7-4.

The NPB is down 2 games to 0 in the series, but I gaurantee you folks they'll still be playing their hearts out.

W - Bronson Arroyo (1-0)
L - Kentaro Nishimura (0-1)
S - Brian Fuentes (1)
HR - MLB - Ryan Howard 2 (2)
Lyle Overbay (1)
NPB - Tomoya Satozaki (1)

Game 1: MLB All-Stars 3, NPB All-Stars 2

Jermaine Dye hit a two-run homer in the third off of Tetsuya Utsumi to make it 3-0 and that was all the MLB needed as John Lackey pitched five innings, allowing just one run on two hits. John Maine pitched two innings of relief and allowed one run on two hits. With the score 3-2 after the seventh, Scot Shields and Joe Nathan shut out the NPB All-Stars the rest of the way.

W - John Lackey (1-0)
L - Tetsuya Utsumi (0-1)
S - Joe Nathan (1)
HR - Jermaine Dye (1)

Yomiuri Giants 7, MLB All-Stars 7

It was a tie, folks. For those of you who don't know Japanese baseball, games can end in ties because people need to catch the bullet trains. I kid you not.

I'm proud of Andruw Jones for hitting two homers, one off of starter Chiang Chien-ming. ;D

HR -
MLB - Andruw Jones 2 (2)
Ryan Howard (1)
David Wright (1)
YG - Shinnouske Abe (1)