Would you trade these Braves?

Good fans. :)

The AJC has a photo gallery up, asking fans if you want to trade a handful of current Braves. I'm loving the fan support of some of these boys. Click here to see the full gallery. Are there any you'd want to trade? (Right now Mac is the only one with a higher "no" percentage than Jonny -- Mac is at 94% and Jonny, as you can see, is at 93%.)

Answering the Mailbag, 12.20.11

I'm a few days late again with my little off-season project. Gotta love the holidays!

Every time I read the Braves Mailbag on the official site, I always answer the questions in my head before reading Bowman's (real) replies. Woo! Let's go. Here's this week's mailbag...

Oh yeah, don't take my responses too seriously... :)

Why are the Braves not trying to go after any big-time free agents like the rest of the National League East?
-- John H., Pittsburgh

I have a few theories on this. First, our current roster is pretty good. I have confidence Huddy and Moylo will come back all healthy and strong, Freddie won't have a sophomore slump, and JHey will be strong in his corner. Second, we don't have an unlimited budget. (I think the people who ask questions like this don't have a budget of their own, or they don't look at the front office as a business.) Third, if all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you do it too? ;)

I've read recently that the Braves talked to the Orioles about trading Prado and Jurjjens for J.J. Hardy and Adam Jones. Any substance with this?
-- Patrick S., Williamson, Ga.

Someone misspelled Jurrjens and it wasn't caught before being posted. :)

As for the actual question...why can't people separate speculation from fact?

What is the chance we will get Josh Hamilton once he is a free agent after this year?
-- Kaleb H., Dawsonville, Ga.

Do not want. I know this is a ridiculous reason not to want a player on your team, but I feel like I couldn't trust him.

I've been very impressed by Kris Medlen and feel that he's a top-tier starter. Will he be given the chance to compete for a role in the Braves' starting rotation?
--Chris K., Lincoln, Neb.

I think that will depend on whether or not Huddy, Hanson, and Jurrjens are healthy when Spring Training starts. If all three are good to go, he would be a fantastic addition to the bullpen. Frankly, I don't know why it matters where Meds ends up -- he'll be valuable any and everywhere.

If Freddie Freeman can play left field, what about the Braves trading for Mark Trumbo?
-- Scott S., Cleveland, Tenn.

Freddie played 3B for 5 games in rookie ball and literally every other professional game in which he has played defense, he has been at 1B. Have no idea where this guy got the idea FFF can play LF, but I'd rather watch his splits at 1B than watch him chase balls down in the OF.

Has there been any discussion on moving Dan Uggla to third base once Chipper Jones retires?
-- Scott B., Tallahassee, Fla.

Again, let's keep Uggla right where he is. And I hope Marteeeeen becomes our regular 3B when Chipper finally hangs it up.

If Tim Hudson is still injured, who would be the Opening Day starter?
-- Brent W., Kailua, Hawaii

Hopefully Huddy will be fine. If he's not, and JJ is healthy, my vote's for JJ.

Adios, November

Tomorrow is December. DECEMBER. I can't believe 2011 is almost over.

This is a post full of stuff on the internet. I have a tiny cold today, so I'm not going to go into detail with any of these. Read, don't read, whatever.

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Gotta love that someone made a gif of this. Source

• AJC: McCann contract situation looms for Braves. I remember when I first heard of Mac's current contract - I was in Florida with my family, at an outlet mall, when my friend Suzanne called me. "Baby is signed through 2013!" she shouted in the phone. "REALLY?!" That seemed so far away then. :) Now it's just around the corner. I do hope he becomes a lifer.

• FoxSportsSouth: Braves Insider: Atlanta young and staying that way. JHey isn't eating steak anymore. We have a young team.

• Chicago Tribune: Greg Maddux leaving Cubs organization. Going to the Rangers, as we've all heard. Going to evaluate pitchers. I would be concerned that he's not interested in doing that here, but we have Glavine. It's all good.

• Bowman's MLB Blog: Braves believe Pastornicky is ready. I rarely have a problem with giving a rookie a shot. As long as he's healthy, give him a go.

• MLB: Hudson OK for spring after back surgery. Glad he got this taken care of - hope rehab goes as well as possible. We need Healthy Huddy!

• al.com: Craig Kimbrel to host baseball clinic. Have a kid 7-14 years old? Go.

Hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving!

Answering the Mailbag, 10.25.11

I've done a few of these in the past, and thought it would be a fun off-season project. Every time I read the Braves Mailbag on the official site, I always answer the questions in my head before reading Bowman's (real) replies. Woo! Let's go. Starting with this week's mailbag...

Oh yeah, don't take my responses too seriously... :)

Jose Constanza really contributed to the team this year. Why didn't he play much toward the end of the season?
-- Bren H., Jonesboro, Ark.

He cooled off; did you not see that? A good manager puts together his best lineup based on who's doing well - could be based on past performance against the opposing pitcher or batters, the guy who doesn't seem to miss a good pitch, or the guy whose glove is so amazing, he can't be benched against a hot team.

Was it a strategic plan for the Phillies to sweep the Braves to end the season? I think the smart thing would have been to lose a game or two to Atlanta and then face the D-backs in the National League Division Series.
-- Brent W., Kailua, Hawaii

Why would any team intentionally lose games? Even with a clinched playoff spot, you want to have momentum going into October. Look where the Cardinals are!

What do you think about moving Martin Prado to shortstop?
-- Jorge Martinez, Key West, Fla.

No. No no no. If you've paid any attention at all, you've heard over and over that SS is Marteeen's "worst" position. Plus, everyone on the team seems to want Alex there. If he'd been playing shortstop behind me when I pitched in softball, I would have been much more confident in our team's ability to win. ;)

Are the Braves planning to trade Derek Lowe?
-- Severin Shultis, Columbus, Ga.

Again, what rock are these people living under?! Yes, of course they are. Can they find someone to take his salary? That remains to be seen. (DLowe amuses me. If he's a Brave next year, we'll deal with it then.)

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Hey, let's do 10/7's mailbag too. Why not.

What do you think happened to Jason Heyward this year, and do you think he will bounce back next year?
-- David P., Omaha, Neb.

I think it was just a sophomore slump. Pitchers adjusted to him. I have no reason to doubt his ability to "bounce back", but I prefer forward positive thinking, not dwelling on the past.

Do you see the Braves signing Mark DeRosa to be a super-utility type of guy?
-- Jeff M., Lakeland, Fla.

YES PLEASE. Oh, I just saw DeRo's name. Lemme re-read the question...

Oh yeah, I already talked about this. He'd fill a need on the team and WE ALL LOVE HIM. So why not?

Do you see the Braves signing Michael Bourn to a multiyear deal?
-- Sandra P., Jacksonville, Fla.

That would be nice. I like him.

What should we expect from Martin Prado next year?
-- Mike A., Clemson, S.C.

Tight pants, great shoes, great smile, funny interviews. ;)

Braves Strike Out Bullying

video link on mlb.com

About 3 weeks ago, blog reader Mike G. emailed me, asking if I'd seen this video at the Ted or if I knew where he could see it. I hadn't seen it, but they did show it on the jumbotron before the end of the season. Very positive message! Good job, Braves. :)

The video stars Chipper, JHey, Mac, and Huddy. Here's the press release, including info for download.

Braves 2012 Wall Calendar

I was walking by a calendar kiosk in Town Center Mall today and just thought I'd see if they had our calendar yet, and if they did, who "made it".

Of course I bought one. I'm such a sucker.

The Braves featured on the back are DLowe, JHey, Marteen, Fredi (?), Huddy, Freddie, JJ, BMac, Tommy, Uggla, Kimmie (!), and Chipper. If you ask me, all our All-Stars should be in it! ...But they didn't ask me. Heh heh.

back view

$15.99 retail, cheaper on Amazon.

2011 "Love Notes": Outfielders

At the end of 2008, I wrote an end of the year wrap-up on each player in the organization. 2009 was skipped, and last year I decided to write “love notes” instead of a semi-objective wrap up for each player. A few people have wondered if I’m doing the same this year – why not? So here are short little notes to the boys, from one of their biggest fans. Ya know. :)

Names taken from baseball-reference.com, hope I didn’t miss anyone...

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#14
Dear Marteeeeen,

Staph sucks. I know – ask the scar on my jaw. Next year will be better. Thanks for making two of my friends so happy by throwing them baseballs.

Love,
Lauren

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#13
Dear Nate,

I really did enjoy the return of your Pittsburgh hair this season. Hope you heal up well and return to form next year.

Love,
Lauren

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#22
Dear JHey,

Sitting in right field so often this year, it was so fun to watch you interact with the fans. You made so many people cheer!

Love,
Lauren

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#20
Dear Ske,

If I had worn a He-Man shirt at one of the BP experience days, would you have come over and said hi then? Probably not, still. Oh well. I enjoyed your sound bites on Braves Live, especially when you called yourself a big teddy bear (in spite of looking “scary”).

Love,
Lauren

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#24
Dear Mike,

Your infusion of speed in our team got a lot of us excited to watch every game. Also, at the Moylo Show thing? You looked like you probably smelled the best of everyone downstairs.

Love,
Lauren

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#1
Hey Jordan,

I did not appreciate paying for parking at the CNN Center to get you to sign an awesome picture I took of you, only to find out you left 2/3 of the way through your autograph session. Not cool. (Not even gonna talk about anything else.)

Hmm.
Lauren

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#17
Dear ConSTANza!

Loved watching you run (always), loved watching how awesome you were with the kids at Family Field Day. You can stay. :)

Love,
Lauren

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#4
Dear Joe,

I hope you heard our “GO JOE!” GI Joe cheers earlier this year. I was truly sad when you left the big club.

Love,
Lauren

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#17
Dear Tiny Matt Young,

You’re still taller than I am. :)

Love,
Lauren

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#23
Dear MattE!

There are no words for how excited I am that one of my favorite former Braves came back so soon. I love how hard you play the game. Next year: goatee. Yes? Yes.

Love,
Lauren

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#4
Dear Antoan,

Socks UP + speed = I’m a fan. Hope to see you in Atlanta again soon!

Love,
Lauren

Game Day Pictures: Braves vs Mets 9-17-11

Love the new cleats - best shoes on the team, VZ boys!

I entered a photo from a recent game in a contest and it won, so I went to this game courtesy Infinite Energy. Thanks, gas company! We had a great time. :) My cousin Catherine was the photographer, so obviously she had to come... and Alison was front and center giggling over her Marteenball, so of course she got a ticket too. Ticket #3 was offered to Molly (the other adorable girl in the pic!) but she had family plans and couldn't drive over for the game. Completely devastated, I offered the ticket to Tammy -- SJ's mom, who I thought would be a fun addition.

...I forgot that Tammy hoots at the boys. And I accidentally gave her a large, unfolded fan, and she used it as a megaphone.

Looking back, it's kind of hilarious. In the moment - all day - it was mortifying. Well, at least O was amused...

Did I mention she was loud? She was loud. She has her own cheers, too...
Crazy lady. ;) ❤

Okay, so we all went early for BP (of course) and stayed late for the Styx concert. Here are some pictures, click to enlarge, and there are about a million pics in the album because full sun + new camera = best time to test it out, right? Right.

Raise your hand if you don't like SocksUp Beachy.
...
That's what I thought. ;)

Come back sooooon, JJ!

This is his Stallone pose.

Hi Jonny. Yes, my friend hooted at you. Thanks for waving at her.

I love it when they play keep-away from Kimmie. hee hee

Telling secrets?

Hats off!

Tommy's hair flowed as he ran like a lion's mane. A giant red lion's mane.

I always say "bye boys" when they run in, but Tammy yelled it in the megaphone so they could hear it today. *sigh*

While we were upstairs to take Tammy through the 755 Club (she'd never been) and get Alison her favorite dinner (pasta in the club level), I realized my wallet wasn't in my bag. 99% sure it was in my car's back seat (and the car was parked in an official lot for once), I wasn't going to go to the car to check on it, but Catherine insisted. As some of you know, I have fibromyalgia and sometimes I can't walk very well. It's fun. ;) Catherine offered to go to the car for me: "You're just going to worry about it and you're not going to enjoy the game," and the other girls agreed and each offered to walk with her. I have great friends and family. :) I tried to protest, but seriously, Catherine had her mind made up.

Well, she and Alison went to the car, the wallet was in the back seat, and in a stroke of bad luck, somehow the keys got locked in the trunk. It took the supposed on-site AAA service TWO HOURS to get there, and the girls missed the first half of the game. I felt horrible. :( :( :( So sorry my perpetual bad luck rubbed off on you girls!

Let's go back to positive things, yes? Tammy and I saw our friend Allison M. outside the gates and got to say hi to her for a second, and a super-nice/helpful Braves employee named Connor entertained us for a little while and told me where to go to inquire about AAA. And look at what Tammy found... it's a BMac ball, the boy version of Jenna's Tommyball!

So cute. There's a JHey ball, too.

great cut

Sometimes I forget MattE's a Brave again and I get super-excited to see him in the cage or on the rail. It wasn't the same without MattE!

There are a lot more pics like this in the full album.

WHY do I keep accidentally getting pictures of them with their hands in their pants. Does it really happen that often?! This is one of the more family-appropriate ones.

For SJ :)

Happy birthday, Pam!
(There are about a zillion pics of Huddy in the album. He pitched a great one.)

Mike looks fast just standing there, doesn't he?

Freddie flipping a ball to a fan

Heyyy Molly!

He looks like a model for the trophies they hand out in Little League!

Too, too pretty.

It was fan appreciation weekend, and they gave away prizes to random seat locations. I wonder what would happen if no one was in the seat?

I get a lot of crap for praising baseball players on other teams, but I don't care. R.A. Dickey is awesome in his own way, and just look how he finishes a pitch. That is a perfect fielding position. He's not falling off the mound from exertion or landing unevenly. He's square with the plate, ready to field.

The sun was pretty bright for a little while.

For Laura

119 is a good place to sit. Great view of the game.

pitchers :)

The Gonzalezes were sure Alex touched the bag.

They didn't convince the umpire.

Stop distracting me, cute pitchers! There is a baseball game going on!

The Mets have pink backpacks. Our bullpen boys never did that this year.

Oooh, keeping comments to self on this one. (Enlarge and you'll see.)

Put this on the FB - JJ! You're looking the wrong way! :D

Tommy's hair and beard don't look the same color here. They looked closer when he was running in BP. I haven't checked it out up close. :D (Don't plan on it, either, heh heh. That's Jenna's boy. She can, and let me know. Ha!)

Beardy Rossy did NOT spend enough time on our end of the rail.

Sent this to Michelle last night, prompting a jokey exchange...
Me: Your boyfriend is so bald. :)
Michelle: You do realize yours is too, right? And younger? ;)
Me: Really though, I love how smashy they are. Cuddle a little closer, boys!

I have a lot of friends who love Marteen.
There's a fair amount of #14 pics in the album too. :)

Game-winning hit, thank you sir.

Heh heh

Close it out, doll!

I get a lot of accusations - almost entirely from men - that my blog is "all about butts" or "baseball pants" or whatever you want to call it. Might as well give 'em what they want, right?

Hug! High/middle five!

Oh yeah, they could definitely hear Tammy's hooting. *sigh*

Oh, one other thing from the game... lesson learned: when I zoom out the new camera it doesn't automatically refocus.




Next: Postgame Styx concert. They didn't play the only Styx song I know (Mr. Roboto) but the show wasn't bad. Apparently this song is/was popular:



I recognized the chorus but...yeah, didn't sing along. Sorry, rock fans. There are some pics in the album for you!

Final score: 1-0 Braves!

Full Album! Thanks again, Infinite Energy, and thanks for coming with, ladies! :)