The Atlanta Braves have won 16 of their 50+ wins this season in their last at-bat, and a number of those have been dramatic walk-off wins.
This is an ongoing chronicle of those wins, with video from MLB.com
Please check back as the season progresses.
What in the name of Babe Ruth is Jason Heyward doing on the National League All-Star squad? Were the voters drunk when they voted or what?
Did he make the starting team because of his stellar performance? Don’t make me laugh, eh.
Let’s look at his numbers for a minute. Currently, he is ranked 74th in the NL in batting with a .251 mark. That’s impressive, yes?
He is 42nd in the league with 11 HR and 31st in RBI with 45.
He ranks dead last in starting right-fielders in the league in AVG, is in a three-way tie for fifth place in HR, and ranks fifth in RBI. We are talking right-fielders only folks, not all outfielders.
What about those numbers has an All-Star ring to it?
He started out the gate with a full head of steam, hitting a HR and driving in four in his pro debut.
He has been as inconsistent as can be imagined, fluttering between .176 and .300, but has been in a nose-dive since June 10, dropping from .272 daily to his current .251.
His reputation certainly preceded him, as everyone thought he was “all that.” The fans seemed to rush to the MLB sites to cast their vote for the “J-Hay Kid.”
This particular case clearly gives credence to having the voting only for a couple of weeks, maybe in late June. The first few weeks of a season are not nearly enough to allow someone to make a valid decision on the “best of the rest.”
It must be disappointing to a player who has worked his ass off (enter Jonny Gomes) and is finally one of the leaders in the three basic statistics for the outfield.
Heyward has no business whatsoever being associated with the game. He is currently on the DL and I believe should be still on the shelf for the ASG. All that notwithstanding, the man has not earned a place on the squad. It will show in his resume that he made the All-Star team in his rookie year.
Many people, myself included, are crying about the legalized thuggery perpetrated on Joey Votto by voters and Charlie Manuel alike. Even as much as Votto belongs there, I believe that Heyward does not belong there perhaps more.
The entire procedure for selecting an All-Star team needs to be reworked. Fans, by and large, aren’t knowledgeable enough to make educated choices, as the curious case of Jason Heyward illustrates in living color.
If the fans should be able to vote, no more weight should be given to it than say, 25-30 percent.
The game was originally intended to showcase the best players in both leagues, not rookies who have “great prospect” written all over them, or players who usually have good seasons (hi Joe Mauer and Ryan Braun).
Players are pulling out of the game and the HR Derby at an alarming rate. It is getting to be the Midsummer Disgrace instead of Classic.
Bud (Judge Landis wannabe) Selig messed it up a few years ago by allowing the winning league to host the World Series opening game.
So far the only thing that has been done that makes sense is having Arthur Rhodes selected to the National League team.
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2010 certainly seems to have provided one of baseball’s most dynamic draft classes in years. Every corner of the Majors seems to have itself a prominent and productive rookie.
Whether its speed, power, consistent hitting, or power pitching; every base seems to be covered.
Here’s to the rookies of 2010. If an All-Star team was strictly comprised of MLB rookies, it would probably look something like this…
Originally posted at The Bravesologist.
Jason Heyward:
After being tested by a hand specialist yesterday, Jason Heyward has been placed on the 15-day DL retroactive to Sunday, when he pinch-ran for Eric Hinske.
Heyward has had the injured hand since May and his play obviously diminished due to the injury (.181/.287/.245). The DL is probably the right move to make. If he is going to have to play with it for the full season, it makes sense to give him time to rest and get it at least close to healthy.
Having Heyward out of the lineup hurts offensively and defensively. The top of the lineup had no easy outs with Prado, Heyward, Jones, McCann, and Glaus at the top. All have very high on base percentages and have been the key cogs in the lineup all season. With Heyward out, Melky Cabrera becomes the regular right fielder and, unless Cox alters the lineup, will also man the two spot.
Matt Diaz:
Matt Diaz is being called up to replace Heyward, so at least the Braves should get a bit better against left-handed pitching. The outfield now has numerous options against both righties and lefties. Against righties, a combination of Eric Hinske, Gregor Blanco, and Melky Cabrera is likely best. Against lefties, Omar Infante, Melky Cabrera, and Matt Diaz is probably the most efficient group. I don’t expect Bobby to handle it this way, though. Most likely, Blanco will stick in centerfield almost full-time with Cabrera staying in right. Hinske and Diaz will probably platoon and Infante will get spot starts in the outfield and infield as usual.
If Diaz can produce like we have seen from him in the past and Blanco can continue to get on base, this outfield alignment may be a bit more productive than they have been as of late.
Kenshin Kawakami:
In a move that must have been a very difficult decision, Kenshin Kawakami has been demoted to the bullpen to make room for Kris Medlen. As i mentioned in past articles, either decision had merit. If Medlen were moved to the bullpen, his innings would be limited and the bullpen would be strengthened. If Kawakami were moved to the bullpen, we would have the better pitcher throwing more innings in Medlen.
Jair rejoining the rotation alongside Medlen means that we are replacing one of our worst starters with one of our best starters from the previous year. If Kris were the one to be removed, we would be replacing one of our best starters this year, this was the right decision.
Kris Medlen:
I was vying to keep Medlen in the rotation pretty heavily as the deciding day day neared. I just believe Medlen is significantly better than Kawakami and his 3.70 K/BB ratio as a starter justifies that notion. Kris’ change up is far-and-away the best on the team and his fastball sets it up nicely. Medlen’s numbers may eventually dip a bit, but overall I think he should continue to act as one of the top three starters on this team. Medlen’s 0.90 WHIP in June lead all starters by a significant margin, with Tim Hudson finishing second at 1.21.
Jair Jurrjens:
Jair Jurrjens replacing Kawakami should mean an even more sturdy rotation, but there is a chance that Jurrjens is not quite ready yet. He has pitched rather poorly at Gwinnett in his rehab starts (6.38 ERA and a 1.36 K/BB ratio in 24 innings).
Jurrjens will face the Nationals on Wednesday and the Phillies in Philadelphia on Tuesday if all goes accordingly. Unless the Braves alter the rotation, he would just miss pitching again before the All-Star break and likely pick it back up at home against the Brewers at the start of the second half.
Roundup:
Overall, there was some good news and bad news in the past day. The Braves were able to beat Stephen Strasburg thanks to a tremendous pitching performance by Tim Hudson and they took advantage of the National’s spotty defense. Jair Jurrjens will return on Wednesday and Kris Medlen gets to stay in the rotation. Matt Diaz will return to the team and hopefully better the offense against left-handed pitching. Unfortunately, the likely All-Star, Jason Heyward will miss 14 more days including the All-Star game.
You can find more from Ben at The Bravesologist , Talking Chop , or on his twitter@Ben_Duronio
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As we get one All-Star back from thumb injury another falls. Jason Heyward, the rookie phenom, who has taken Hotlanta by storm, landed on the DL today with an left thumb injury.
The good news was the MRI showed no structural damage so two weeks of resting the thumb should do the trick and he will hopefully be back by the All-Star break. Playing through the pain certainly didn’t work and since the initial injury 39 games ago, Heyward has seen his average drop from .299 to .251.
He’s also only amassed 3 HR and 17 RBIs in the injured span while in the previous 31 games prior he was a man possessed hitting 8 HR and 28 RBIs.
Clearly a little rest is needed for the big boy, but the real question is – who do you pick up off the wire in the meanwhile? Here is a list of players who are probably out there to help fill the void for the next two weeks.
It may be only a few months into the baseball season, but some young players are already starting to become household names. Whether they play in the outfield, behind the plate, or on the mound they’re making an impact in their early careers.
Stephen Strasburg, the most hyped pitcher in recent memory, has played better than expected.
In his major league debut, Strasburg tied the Nationals franchise by record, fanning 14 batters in seven innings without walking a single batter. Now that’s how to start your career.
In only three starts, Strasburg has a 2-0 record with 32 K’s and a mere five walks. In 19.1 innings, he’s given up only 10 hits and has a 1.86 ERA.
Strasburg has already made a case to be an All-Star selection, and with stats like those, how can you disagree.
His fastball can clock at over 100 miles per hour, and his curve ball can drop eight inches at times. His circle change is also a deadly pitch that can reach 90 miles per hour. With pitches like that, it’s hard to image anyone can get a hit off this guy.
It’s obvious Strasburg has a bright future ahead of him, and I have a feeling we will see him become one of the most elite pitchers in the game. We can only image what’s to come from this 21-year-old phenom.
Jason Heyward, the Spring Training break-out right fielder, started his MLB career with a homer and hasn’t let up.
He’s batting .263 with 11 homers and 44 RBI’s, not to mention coming through in a few crucial moments this season.
When runners are in scoring position with two outs, Heyward is batting .353 with 14 RBI’s off of 12 hits. Also, with the bases loaded Heyward is 4-12 with nine RBI’s.
Can you say clutch?
Twenty-six of Heyward’s 62 hits have resulted in extra bases and you can tell the Braves are happy with his production. Heyward seems to be a future star in the MLB.
Florida’s recent call-up, Mike Stanton, is already making an impact. The right fielder, like Heyward, has only played in 10 games, but contributed eight RBI’s off of nine hits.
Golden_State_of_Mind is a Jabberhead and an SJ contributing author
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When the Atlanta Braves signed Troy Glaus this past offseason, they hoped for an offensive spark that has been lacking at first base in recent years; they got much more than they bargained for.
Glaus has been stellar this year, and last night was no exception. Glaus hit a home run off Robinson Tejada on an 0-2 count to give the Braves a 5-4 victory over the tough-luck Royals Saturday night.
Glaus went 1-4 in the game, his homer being his only hit, and Brian McCann also homered to run the Braves’ winning streak to four games and send their home record to 23-7. Billy Wagner worked the ninth to earn the win.
The Royals, under skipper Ned Yost, still struggle to compete in a mediocre AL Central. Yost, who served as the Braves third base coach, bench coach, and bullpen coach during the 1990s, was hired to give the team a bit of a boost. The boost hasn’t found its way to the diamond, and the Royals fell to 29-40 on the year, fourth place in the AL Central ahead of a lackadaisical Cleveland Indians club still holding out hope for Travis Hafner to return to his power days.
The Royals have some good players, such as Scott Podsednik and Jose Guillen, but just can’t seem to keep it together.
The Braves, whose win on Saturday pushed their lead to 1 1/2 games over the surging New York Mets, are trying to bring a championship to Atlanta; they last won it all in 1995. Manager Bobby Cox is retiring at season’s end, giving the Braves tremendous motivation to win a ring.
Saturday’s game showed a typical example of what the Braves are doing right this year. This team is clutch, with guys like Martin Prado (.310 with runners in scoring position and two outs), Troy Glaus (.424 with RISP and two outs), Eric Hinske (.357 with RISP and two outs), and Jason Heyward (.353 with RISP and 2 outs) leading the way.
This team does extremely well rallying with two outs and finds ways to win late in the game. This tortoise out of the gate turns into the rabbit at the finish line, owners of the third best record in the majors and the best record in the National League. Happy days are here again in Atlanta; can these Braves keep it up? All signs point to yes.
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All indicators seem to be pointing toward Chipper Jones retiring at the end of the 2010 season, barring some sort of miracle turnaround at the plate.
I’m hoping that he’ll right the ship and somehow manage to salvage the season, but I just don’t see it happening. Though, this is one case where I hope I’m wrong.
It’s too bad, really. The Braves are in first place in the NL East—albeit by the slimmest of margins. Yet, Chipper is in an unfamiliar place.
Yes, he’s still batting third and holding down the fort at third base, but he’s not contributing offensively in the way he’s accustomed to.
Time catches up to everyone (except Barry Bonds, it appears), and there comes a day when the body won’t do what it used to—it doesn’t react as quickly, heal as fast, and the bat doesn’t get through the zone like it once did.
It looks like that day has come for Larry Wayne “Chipper” Jones—now age 38.
He has been the anchor in the three-hole for the Braves for nearly two decades, and he is every bit as important to the team’s past success as Maddux, Glavine, or Smoltz.
He’s a lifetime Brave, and he’s given everything he has to the organization that drafted him 20 years ago.
However, Bobby Cox’s loyalty to the former MVP might prove costly if Jones continues to struggle as he has been since he won the NL batting title in 2008.
In 51 games this season (he’s missed 14 so far), Jones has scored 24 times, driven in 23 runs, and has just four home runs. He’s batting an abysmal .233 and slugging .366 in 172 at-bats—not Chipper-like numbers.
Jones met with Cox and Braves GM Frank Wren to discuss his future with the team. He was supposed to hold a press conference at which he was expected to announce his plans to retire at the end of the season, but he canceled it.
That doesn’t mean he’s not retiring; it just means he’s not ready to announce it to the world, and I’m okay with that.
Will he call it quits after this season? If I had to guess, I’d say yes.
In the meantime, I hope that he can find his stroke and help the Braves make it back to the postseason—something he’s gone on record saying he wants to do before he retires.
The Braves will move on just as all teams do, and the future looks bright with young guys like Martin Prado, Tommy Hanson, Jason Heyward, Omar Infante, Johnny Venters, and Brooks Conrad.
However, it will be a bit surreal to see the Braves take the field for the first time without No. 10 at the hot corner and batting third.
On a more positive note, Chipper had two hits in five at-bats including career home run No. 430; he also scored twice and drove in a run in a losing effort to the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday.
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It’s been a while since Atlanta Braves fans have had much to cheer about. Long gone are the days of Maddox, Glavine, and Smoltz. The Jones boys broke up after 2007. The streak of 14 consecutive NL East Championships ended five seasons ago. The 1995 World Series is but a distant memory.
We all knew that their reign atop the NL East couldn’t last forever. Still, it’s been hard to watch the Bravos struggle through four seasons of mediocrity while the Phillies have won three straight division titles and have been to back-to-back World Series— winning it in 2008.
Granted, the Braves’ misfortunes pale in comparison to… the Chicago Cubs.
As they say, “There’s always next year.” This year, my friends, is that year.
The Braves are 37-27 and in first place in the NL East. They’re on pace to go 94-68— the most wins since they went 96-66 in 2004. It would also be the first time the Braves won more than 90 games since the division titles streak ended in 2005.
Why have the Braves been able to turn it around so far this season?
It’s easy to say that it’s been a team effort, and that’s true. However, I’ve identified five Braves who deserve a little extra attention for their contributions in 2010.
Let’s start with…
Every so often, you hear people of influence connected to or interested in Major League Baseball fuss about how the black American baseball player is disappearing from the diamond.
Various reasons are given—the game’s simply not cool, it doesn’t translate to the urban setting, MLB doesn’t do a good job of reaching out to the black community, etc.
In my opinion, one of the biggest—if not most popular—reasons for the disparity in racial demographics between the Majors and the other big two American sports is the money.
More precisely, it’s the speed with which a prospect can cash in on his talent.
There is a general understanding that the riches come quicker in the National Football League and the National Basketball Association. It may be true that the average career is longer in professional baseball, but patience and forethought have never been the calling cards of youth.
Consequently, the lure of the pro contract is much stronger and the image of the pot of gold more tangible in basketball and football.
In truth, the Show will always feature a longer trek to the Promised Land. It will never be able to compete with the NBA’s stable of teenage millionaires and the NFL will remain a greener league because virtually all of its players enter before the age of 23.
However, there’s a fresh breath of air blowing through baseball these days. The last couple of years have seen an influx of super-young, super-talented ballplayers who’ve made an impact right away.
As this collection of pulse-racing ability will attest, the path to the big leagues is getting shorter for the truly elite blue-chippers. Understand, these aren’t guys with a shot at being just average or even good.
This is a list of 15 superstars in the making who will ring in 2011 shy of their 24th birthdays.