I don't know the Braves

[Guest Edgy DC]

They got these new guys. Tell me about them.

[Farmer Ted]

The Mrs. the other day..."What happened to that dolphin face guy. What's his name?"

Well, he ain't playing.

[Willets Point]

I know them. They're a bunch of fucks.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Haven't had a 300-game winner since Warren Spahn!

[Frayed Knot]

A quickie KTE/update since it's been a while (May) since we last saw them.

Check out the hitting numbers on this squad; only MOST of them are hitting .300+

We all know about Mark Teixeira (.294/.395/.540) coming over in the dealine deal to replace the mostly awful Scott Thorman and mostly old Julio Franco at 1st
Kelly Johnson - the one-time SS prospect, turned OF suspect, now reinvented as a 2nd baseman - is putting up great numbers (.301/.397/.497) at the top of the lineup
Edgar Rentarea is out after rolling an ankle the other day. so Yunel Escobar is the sub who, in what seems like Brave tradition, comes out of nowhere to hit .331/.373/.414
Chipper still at 3rd, still hitting well - .334/.429/.582
Matt Diaz & Willie Harris are manning LF and hitting the hell out of the ball when they do - .347/.376/.490 for the RH hitting Diaz, and .328/.397/.414 for the LH Harris
Andruw is really the only one having a sub-par season at the bat - .217/.316/.426
Jeff Francouer is still a bit raw but turning into a more complete hitter every day - .304/.349/.450. Good fielder, great arm.
Brian McCann gets the job all to himself now (thanks to the trade and a long-term contract) cooled off after a hot start but is still dangerous - .268/.319/.455

Buddy Carlyle - currently on leave from doing two shows a night at Grossingers in the Catskills - is the un-sexy name & record (5-8, 5.76) we'll see this week. We never faced him as a Brave.
John Smoltz missed a few starts around the AS break - will go against El Duque.
We smacked him around once this year: 5.2 IP, 6ER, then lost to him twice: 6 IP, 2 runs; and a 7 IP shutout
Tim Hudson (12-5, 2.87) - has been most of the year and faces Maine coming off his worst start of the season. He shut us out over 7 innings in April.

Closer Bob Wickman is a mediocre at best kind of closer.
Aussie pick-up Peter Moylan (1.94) has been the best set-up man lately, much better than high-priced imports Mike Gonzalez (injured) or Raphael Soriano (erratic), or ex-Met Tyler Yates (too many walks)
Ron Mahay (2.72) - came from Texas in the Teixeira trade and will be their main LHP out of the pen.

[DocTee]

My prediction is that Ron Mahay hurts the Mets more than Mark Teixiera.

[G-Fafif]

They think they're so great that they don't need Julio Franco!

(Last I read, he accepted an assingment to single-A where he can influence child Braves until Sept. 1.)

[metirish]

DocTee wrote: My prediction is that Ron Mahay hurts the Mets more than Mark Teixiera.

A small sample of just over three innings,Mahay sports an ERA of 21.60,8 ER,5 HR against the Mets.

[Frayed Knot]

I forgot to mention the newly acquired Octavio Dotel in the pen.

[Guest metsfanbook]

I have a feeling that we're going to get to know them.

[Guest Kid Carsey]

You're now a site admin and I have no idea who the heck you are???

[Guest Edgy DC]

That weren't my doin'.

Strange kind of mistake. First he has trouble loggin' on, then he gets bumped to administration before his tenth post.

Half of me wants to fix it, the other half wants to let him go.

You know, metsfanbook, telling guys I have to demote them is not a part of my job that I like, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to bump you down.

All the way down to batboy, sadly.

[stevejrogers]

Yancy Street Gang wrote: Haven't had a 300-game winner since Warren Spahn!

I find it quite inneresting that the last two home grown future 300-game winners that the Braves had both got in while wearing New York uniforms, and on the road.

Of course I really find it facinating that Spahn's last year with the Braves was Niekro's first. Then in 1987 Knuksie was brought back for one final start in a Brave uniform, which meant he was a teammate of a debuting Tom Glavine.

Circle of life! =

[Willets Point]

There doesn't appear to be any great Braves' pitcher who debuted in 2002, thus the chain is broken. From a baseball fan point of view, that's a bummer, but the Braves hater in me is just fine with that.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Maybe a great Mets pitcher will debut in 2007.

2006 has a couple of candidates, but I don't see any for 2007. Joe Smith? 300 saves maybe, but 300 wins seems unlikely.

[Elster88]

God I still hate the Braves.

And Larry.