Comments on: The Braves Are Back http://www.bravesblast.com/2009/08/14/the-braves-are-back/ Analysis of our favorite Atlanta Braves. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 13:38:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: A Delawarean http://www.bravesblast.com/2009/08/14/the-braves-are-back/comment-page-1/#comment-9196 A Delawarean Wed, 19 Aug 2009 06:22:15 +0000 http://www.bravesblast.com/?p=1328#comment-9196 Aw, still no response. :( I wanted that friendly wager too! Aw, still no response. :( I wanted that friendly wager too!

]]> By: A Delawarean http://www.bravesblast.com/2009/08/14/the-braves-are-back/comment-page-1/#comment-9190 A Delawarean Sat, 15 Aug 2009 11:45:38 +0000 http://www.bravesblast.com/?p=1328#comment-9190 Damnit, the post submitted before I finished entering. Anyhow: You *honestly* believe that the Braves are going to go 30-17 for the rest of the season? They are facing the Phillies seven more times before this season ends, and the Florida Marlins 10 more times. That's just division rivals. Let's even assume the Braves are a superior team than these squads (Which I don't, but I'll humor it) -- that's more than a third of their remaining schedule. Do you honestly believe they can reliably play that far above Philly and Florida to preserve a .600+ winning percentage? I don't believe the disparity between the teams are that great. I am not saying the Braves are gonna suddenly drop six of seven or anything, but you need to expect a bit of regressing to their mean. I could foresee the Braves picking up 26 or 27 games by season's end, but they ain't gonna win 30. And unless some sort of catastrophic injuries happen, the Phillies still have the division this year. Assuming the Braves pick up 26, the Phillies need to go 21-28. I just simply can't see that happening. 32 of those games are to sub-.500 teams. Unfortunately, the wild card is a bigger mess. Sitting 3.5 games back, the Braves chase 3 teams, but only actually play Florida. At least for the division, you're the author of your own fate. Damnit, the post submitted before I finished entering. Anyhow:

You *honestly* believe that the Braves are going to go 30-17 for the rest of the season? They are facing the Phillies seven more times before this season ends, and the Florida Marlins 10 more times. That’s just division rivals. Let’s even assume the Braves are a superior team than these squads (Which I don’t, but I’ll humor it) — that’s more than a third of their remaining schedule. Do you honestly believe they can reliably play that far above Philly and Florida to preserve a .600+ winning percentage? I don’t believe the disparity between the teams are that great.

I am not saying the Braves are gonna suddenly drop six of seven or anything, but you need to expect a bit of regressing to their mean. I could foresee the Braves picking up 26 or 27 games by season’s end, but they ain’t gonna win 30. And unless some sort of catastrophic injuries happen, the Phillies still have the division this year. Assuming the Braves pick up 26, the Phillies need to go 21-28. I just simply can’t see that happening. 32 of those games are to sub-.500 teams.

Unfortunately, the wild card is a bigger mess. Sitting 3.5 games back, the Braves chase 3 teams, but only actually play Florida. At least for the division, you’re the author of your own fate.

]]> By: A Delawarean http://www.bravesblast.com/2009/08/14/the-braves-are-back/comment-page-1/#comment-9189 A Delawarean Sat, 15 Aug 2009 11:25:19 +0000 http://www.bravesblast.com/?p=1328#comment-9189 > so I'm assuming that means you don't believe > the Braves will continue to play well over > .600, correct? If so, I'm open to friendly > wagers. =) You are absolutely on crack, sir. The Braves are playing pretty good ball right now, but there's 47 games remaining in their season. You *honestly* believe that the Braves are going to go > so I’m assuming that means you don’t believe
> the Braves will continue to play well over
> .600, correct? If so, I’m open to friendly
> wagers. =)

You are absolutely on crack, sir. The Braves are playing pretty good ball right now, but there’s 47 games remaining in their season. You *honestly* believe that the Braves are going to go

]]> By: josh http://www.bravesblast.com/2009/08/14/the-braves-are-back/comment-page-1/#comment-9186 josh Fri, 14 Aug 2009 23:07:31 +0000 http://www.bravesblast.com/?p=1328#comment-9186 Can't wait for this series to begin. I think that with Nate coming back it just makes our bench so much stronger. Infante and Johnson coming off the bench with Diaz, Church and Anderson combo to do what you want with depending on who is pitching. Norton!!! Well he can bat in the btm of the 8th while were up by 6 runs. I'm really not sure what we are going to do when Hudson comes back? It's a good problem to have. Lets win this series tonight and we will actually have something to root for this September down the stretch. PhillyWhooo shouldn't you be in kids section at the mall geting your Vick jersey? Go Braves Can't wait for this series to begin. I think that with Nate coming back it just makes our bench so much stronger. Infante and Johnson coming off the bench with Diaz, Church and Anderson combo to do what you want with depending on who is pitching. Norton!!! Well he can bat in the btm of the 8th while were up by 6 runs. I'm really not sure what we are going to do when Hudson comes back? It's a good problem to have. Lets win this series tonight and we will actually have something to root for this September down the stretch. PhillyWhooo shouldn't you be in kids section at the mall geting your Vick jersey? Go Braves

]]> By: Kent http://www.bravesblast.com/2009/08/14/the-braves-are-back/comment-page-1/#comment-9188 Kent Fri, 14 Aug 2009 19:36:37 +0000 http://www.bravesblast.com/?p=1328#comment-9188 Phillywhoo, the Braves have more than just a "nice rotation". That's like my saying to you "You have a nice lineup, but...". The Braves have one of the top 3 or 4 lineups in the NL now to go with that pitching. Just as the Phillies have significantly improved pitching to go with their offense. And 40 games, as I've already pointed out, is not all that small a sample size. It's 1/4 of the season. As for the Rockies and Cardinals... maybe they DO belong in the "best team" conversation. I don't follow those teams as closely, so I'd have to take a closer look before forming an opinion on that. But to say that RIGHT NOW, TODAY that the Phillies and Dodgers are significantly better than the Braves is to ignore reality. You want to dismiss their success as too small a sample size (even though it's not)... so I'm assuming that means you don't believe the Braves will continue to play well over .600, correct? If so, I'm open to friendly wagers. =) Phillywhoo, the Braves have more than just a "nice rotation". That's like my saying to you "You have a nice lineup, but…". The Braves have one of the top 3 or 4 lineups in the NL now to go with that pitching. Just as the Phillies have significantly improved pitching to go with their offense.

And 40 games, as I've already pointed out, is not all that small a sample size. It's 1/4 of the season. As for the Rockies and Cardinals… maybe they DO belong in the "best team" conversation. I don't follow those teams as closely, so I'd have to take a closer look before forming an opinion on that.

But to say that RIGHT NOW, TODAY that the Phillies and Dodgers are significantly better than the Braves is to ignore reality. You want to dismiss their success as too small a sample size (even though it's not)… so I'm assuming that means you don't believe the Braves will continue to play well over .600, correct? If so, I'm open to friendly wagers. =)

]]> By: phillywhooo http://www.bravesblast.com/2009/08/14/the-braves-are-back/comment-page-1/#comment-9187 phillywhooo Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:53:27 +0000 http://www.bravesblast.com/?p=1328#comment-9187 I will, however, say that it's nice to have an interesting series in August. Too bad the Mets couldn't join us in the pennant race! I will, however, say that it's nice to have an interesting series in August. Too bad the Mets couldn't join us in the pennant race!

]]> By: phillywhooo http://www.bravesblast.com/2009/08/14/the-braves-are-back/comment-page-1/#comment-9185 phillywhooo Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:48:14 +0000 http://www.bravesblast.com/?p=1328#comment-9185 You have a nice rotation, no doubt, but a relatively stretch of good ball doesn't really get them into the discussion about the best teams in the NL, unless you also want that discussion to include the cards, cubs, giants, rockies and marlins. The phils and the dodgers are clearly the class of the NL, as evidenced by last year's NLCS and this year's standings. If the Braves sweep this weekend's series, at that point I think you'd have a legitimate claim to be part of the short list, but not before. You have a nice rotation, no doubt, but a relatively stretch of good ball doesn't really get them into the discussion about the best teams in the NL, unless you also want that discussion to include the cards, cubs, giants, rockies and marlins. The phils and the dodgers are clearly the class of the NL, as evidenced by last year's NLCS and this year's standings. If the Braves sweep this weekend's series, at that point I think you'd have a legitimate claim to be part of the short list, but not before.

]]> By: Kent http://www.bravesblast.com/2009/08/14/the-braves-are-back/comment-page-1/#comment-9184 Kent Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:25:06 +0000 http://www.bravesblast.com/?p=1328#comment-9184 Dude, we all know what the standings are. The Braves dug a hole early, and being 6 games back in the loss column from the Phillies, who have significantly bolstered their pitching... it will be tough, no doubt. And the Wild Card won't be easy either. My point is simply that the Braves ARE back. Is it too late this year? Maybe. We'll just have to wait and see. But they are CLEARLY a completely different team from the one we saw early in the season, and belong right there in the conversation with the Dodgers and Phillies when we talk about who the best team in the league. Dude, we all know what the standings are. The Braves dug a hole early, and being 6 games back in the loss column from the Phillies, who have significantly bolstered their pitching… it will be tough, no doubt. And the Wild Card won't be easy either.

My point is simply that the Braves ARE back. Is it too late this year? Maybe. We'll just have to wait and see. But they are CLEARLY a completely different team from the one we saw early in the season, and belong right there in the conversation with the Dodgers and Phillies when we talk about who the best team in the league.

]]> By: Jonathan Brown http://www.bravesblast.com/2009/08/14/the-braves-are-back/comment-page-1/#comment-9182 Jonathan Brown Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:22:38 +0000 http://www.bravesblast.com/?p=1328#comment-9182 6 games over .500, sure, but like Kent pointed out, they are playing .650 ball now and that's all that matters down the stretch, especially when we're just a few behind going into a head-to-head weekend series. I'm excited. I'm coming around on the offense :) 6 games over .500, sure, but like Kent pointed out, they are playing .650 ball now and that's all that matters down the stretch, especially when we're just a few behind going into a head-to-head weekend series. I'm excited. I'm coming around on the offense :)

]]> By: phillywhooo http://www.bravesblast.com/2009/08/14/the-braves-are-back/comment-page-1/#comment-9179 phillywhooo Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:42:09 +0000 http://www.bravesblast.com/?p=1328#comment-9179 you guys are six games over 500 and in danger of getting effectively eliminated from the postseason this weekend ... don't go getting your panties moist just yet. you guys are six games over 500 and in danger of getting effectively eliminated from the postseason this weekend … don't go getting your panties moist just yet.

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