i dont know much about wickman, but as long as he isn't in the blue-light-flicking business with reitsma and co., he's an added improvement.

7/20/2006 8:04:10 PM

i think these stats are correct.. if not they are close. he's 15/18 in save opportunities this year. and last year was tied for the ML lead in saves with around 45 i believe.. so needless to say an improvement

7/20/2006 8:30:15 PM

Wickman is definitely an improvement. He's no Rivera or Wagner, but he's an established closer unlike any other guy in the Braves pen. Plus they only gave up a single A catcher to get him. Sure that kid could one day be a solid major leaguer, but given the Braves depth at catcher with McCann and Saltamacchia, they didn't need him anyway. A good move by Scherholtz...

7/21/2006 3:03:49 PM

The Braves are tied with a league worst in blown saves with the Kansas City Royals. Picking up me (I'm a free agent) would've been an added improvement. So good move. Hopefully we can get us a wildcard.

7/22/2006 2:03:52 PM

we still need lots of pitching help

even if wickman is lights out, we still have to get to wickman

7/22/2006 3:53:42 PM

the sports analysts are saying the braves are done dealing... I hope not because Ernie's right... If Jorge Sosa has anything to say about it, Wickman will never see a single pitch. Not because Sosa will be closing, but because sosa will surrender any lead necessary to put in a closer.

7/22/2006 4:21:39 PM

[Edited on July 22, 2006 at 4:26 PM. Reason : by 'analysts' are you refering to rathburn and torburg? cause those guys are fucking morons]

7/22/2006 4:25:26 PM

nope. Speigel and Lekas, my favorite XM morning sports show (Sporting News Radio, XM Channel 143. XM can be heard all across America, including my hometown of Morehead City, North Carolina... for those of you who don't know... that's SN's XM promo)

7/22/2006 4:53:08 PM

Don't run on Frenchy, fool.

7/23/2006 10:11:59 PM

more like

don't trot around first and make a bad slide on frenchy, fool

7/23/2006 10:16:28 PM

2-1 Braves, gg Edgar.

7/23/2006 10:23:24 PM

wickmania officially begins tonight

7/23/2006 10:25:05 PM

gone. GG Frenchy.

7/23/2006 10:28:57 PM

oh shit

big bob is from green bay

I LOVE THIS GUY

7/23/2006 10:36:26 PM

The way the Braves have giving up leads this year, they should petition MLB for this to be a save for Wickman.

[Edited on July 23, 2006 at 10:42 PM. Reason : .]

7/23/2006 10:42:20 PM

save or not, what a fucking relief it is see a guy come in and sit em down in order

7/23/2006 10:43:18 PM

first time since 1998 that the braves won without at least one single. Cool stat.

7/24/2006 9:40:00 AM

^ That is a cool stat. I hope Chipper's oblique is not hurt too badly because we need him obviously. If/when he comes back, I hope Bobby sits Giles and lets Betemit keep playing. His D last night was awesome and he had another extra base hit. Hopefully Andruw is okay too.

Oh yeah and Joe Morgan and the fat white guy both continued to mis-pronounce Betemit's name like "bed-a-meeeee"



[Edited on July 24, 2006 at 10:10 AM. Reason : s]

7/24/2006 10:10:29 AM

The announcers said they talked to Betemit before the game and he told them that was the correct pronunciation. I was surprised to hear that.

7/24/2006 10:13:39 AM

^ Okay well I stand corrected. The Braves guys will still say it like it spelled and that is fine with me because "Bed-a-Mee" sound gay and French.

7/24/2006 10:18:54 AM

Its funny that they:

a. never asked him how to pronounce it

or

b. asked, but said fuck it we'll say it the way we want.

7/24/2006 10:20:58 AM

Andruw should be back after the phillies set. They're saying chipper might be out longer. that bitch gets hurt every season.

7/24/2006 12:02:29 PM

Chipper definitely gets hurt alot, but he's no Griffey Jr thankfully. He has lots of "two week" injuries. I really wish he try and lose some weight in the offseason and work on his flexibility because he always seems to pull hamstrings, etc. Andruw is fat, but atleast he can still move his fat ass well and doesn't get nagging injuries. Granted he is 6 years or so younger than Chipper too.

7/24/2006 2:17:37 PM

will the braves go after another relief pitcher, a starter, or both? Last night during the game they mentioned Betemit as bait. What teams would be interested in him, and be willing to give up a good pitcher in return?

7/24/2006 2:22:44 PM

it was rumored that san diego might give up linebrink for betemit, doubt that will happen now

we absolutely have to get another pitcher if we want any chance

and we'll have to lose betemit or giles to get another pitcher

7/24/2006 2:23:52 PM

and we could trade giles for a rietsma. So no thanks there. I'd rather have a .200 hitter hitting leadoff than another bad apple in the already spoiled bunch of a bullpen.

7/24/2006 2:27:28 PM

who would replace giles though? betemit is a good young player, but i think he would be missed less than giles b/c they have other viable players that can fill in 3rd or OF.

7/24/2006 2:29:51 PM

betemit is ready to start somewhere

homeboy is batting .400+ in the leadoff spot

his defense at second is a step down from giles, but his bat more than makes up for it

7/24/2006 2:30:47 PM

I, personally, would not miss Giles. I thought I would miss Furcal but Renteria has made me say, remember that Rafael guy that used to play for the Braves? Yeah, Rafeal Belliard.

[Edited on July 24, 2006 at 2:35 PM. Reason : .]

7/24/2006 2:34:54 PM

^^His bat is def. better than giles, but who would lead off? granted giles isn't really a lead off hitter himself, but we would have 0 speed at the top of the line up......but if they keep smashing the ball like they've been doing i guess it won't matter.

[Edited on July 24, 2006 at 2:38 PM. Reason : .]

7/24/2006 2:37:59 PM

Quote :

" but who would lead off?"

like i said, betemit is batting over .400 as a leadoff hitter

it doesn't matter who stick up there, no could do as badly as giles has done

Quote :

"but we would have 0 speed at the top of the line up"

renteria is our best base stealer, he'll still be batting second

giles has only 8 SB all year

we have 0 speed at the top of the line up now

there is no reason for keeping giles

[Edited on July 24, 2006 at 3:54 PM. Reason : who says you need speed at the top of a lineup to win anyway?]

7/24/2006 3:54:16 PM

^see

Quote :

"but if they keep smashing the ball like they've been doing i guess it won't matter. "

i guess you're right though....i just wish they had more speed to play small ball when needed, b/c they're not winning every game by 4+ runs, especially in the playoffs.

7/24/2006 4:08:24 PM

I gotta agree with Ernie on this one. Giles is a pathetic leadoff hitter. He never sees many pitches, swings at everything, doesn't walk enough, doesn't steal enough, can't hit for an average, and of course has a crappy OBP (which is the what is really vital in a leadoff hitter anyway).

Why anyone would want to keep Giles over Betemit at this point is beyond me. If Giles could find his stroke from last year, then it would be a good argument, but right now Betemit can provide a solid glove at 2B, SS, and 3B and hit with some pop. Giles is just a decent 2B with a maginal bat.

Plus Betemit is probably making lesst than Giles which will make AOHell much happier.

7/24/2006 4:12:35 PM

^i wasn't necessarily disagreeing. Just saying i'd like to see a little more speed on the roster, if not in the starting lineup, at least on the bench.

7/24/2006 4:20:04 PM

pete orr is the fastest canadian alive

[Edited on July 24, 2006 at 4:27 PM. Reason : ]

7/24/2006 4:27:19 PM

Yeah it would be nice to have some speed, but that is not how the Braves are built. They could have tried to trade for Gathright before the Rays gave him to the Royals for basically nothing, but all he would have been was a pinch runner. Langerhans has good speed and Orr has decent speed so they have reliable speed off the bench. They don't have a Dave Roberts or a Jose Reyes type guy who can pinch run and steal a base if that's what you mean.

Other than the year with Otis Nixon and Deion Sanders, have the Braves ever had more than one guy who could steal 25+ bases since the 14 yr streak began? It always seems like they have either one or no fast guys.

7/24/2006 4:28:09 PM

I would still be in favor of trading betemit for a good reliever. Without patching the holes in the pen, we will be guaranteed an early exit from the playoffs (again) if we even make it that far.

Quote :

"Other than the year with Otis Nixon and Deion Sanders, have the Braves ever had more than one guy who could steal 25+ bases since the 14 yr streak began?"

Sid Bream.

But that bitch stole the most important base in Braves history.

[Edited on July 24, 2006 at 4:29 PM. Reason : .]

7/24/2006 4:28:33 PM

^ Technically he didn't "steal" that base. Plus he ran on candy assed Barry Bonds and his girl arm. I think a blind-folded Steven Hawking could score on Bonds from 2nd

7/24/2006 4:33:35 PM

yeah it wasn't a steal

still one of the most awesome moments ever though

7/24/2006 4:38:15 PM

I know it wasn't a steal but for bream that was a steal. No way that bitch should'a made it from 2nd to home on that single. It was Bonds? I remember Van Dyke making the throw... It was hit to left-center... I can hear it now (line drive base hit to left center one run will score... bream to the plate he is................... SAFE SAFE SAFE! BRAVES WIN BRAVES WIN BRAVES WIN BRAVES WIN! ..... They may have to hospitalize Sid Bream)


Oh the glory days.

[Edited on July 24, 2006 at 4:46 PM. Reason : .]

7/24/2006 4:44:18 PM

definitely bonds

jeff francoeur could make that throw if he were playing left field in three rivers

7/24/2006 4:46:53 PM

van dyke was center? I remember that bitch just sittin on the field watchin the pileup.

I laughed at him. I can't remember why but I really hated him.

7/24/2006 4:47:27 PM

GD you people..... It was hit to left... Baroids Bonds fielded it and made the "throw".

7/24/2006 4:57:55 PM

yeah we know

7/24/2006 4:58:37 PM

it was me who said van dyke. GD me. And it was hit to left-center. So give me a bit of credit.

[Edited on July 24, 2006 at 4:59 PM. Reason : .]

7/24/2006 4:59:09 PM

hahaha, this is funny for some reason

7/24/2006 5:00:31 PM

wtf

cole hamels has 11 Ks through 4 2/3

and torburg just compared him to koufax

ahaha

[Edited on July 24, 2006 at 8:20 PM. Reason : ]

7/24/2006 8:19:12 PM

very cool moment, in my room by myself as a little kid up late at night and they scored!!!

7/24/2006 9:38:43 PM

hell yes bob wickman

7/24/2006 10:26:17 PM

gg wickman. 4.5 back in WC

7/25/2006 9:11:33 AM