Atlanta Braves Minor League Recap: 7/8

by yondaime4 on Jul 9, 2009 12:10 AM EDT in Minor League Recaps Comment 63 comments

Andruw Jones has hit 3 HRs tonight and he still has another ~~game~~ at-bat to go. That is more than anyone has hit in a Braves uniform this season and he has done it playing mostly part time.

Gwinnett 7, Durham 6

K. Johnson 1-4 HR(!), 3 RBI, K
B. Canizares 2-5 2B
A. Perez 4-5 2B

I guess it is nice to see KJ flashing a little power. But he needs to get back to being the good 2B he was last year and the year before, though at this point it is probably a moot point as Prado has pretty much sewn up the job for the rest of the season.

Mississippi 1, Birmingham 3

M. Young 1-4 3B, SB(26)
J. Heyward 0-3 BB
F. Freeman 2-4 2 2B, RBI

Jason Heyward pulls in his first hitless game in AA but he has still be on base every game in Mississippi and hasn't struck out yet. Frederick Freeman also just keeps hitting doubles. There was some discussion today in the thread from yesterday about Freeman's power. My two points there were Freeman hit like 3/4 of his homers last year after the break and he has been hitting a bunch of doubles this season which are a good indicator for future power.

Potomac 9, Myrtle Beach 0

C. Johnson 1-3 BB, K

The second half of the season could get ugly in Myrtle Beach.

Rome 5, Greenville 6

B. Schlehuber 2-5 2B, 2 RBI
M. Kennelly 2-4, RBI
JJ Hoover 5IP 6H 4R 3BB 9K

I think that Braeden Schlehuber hits better when he isn't catching. I don't have any statistical evidence to back that up other than last night's and tonight's games. Either way Rome has two catcher's who could be solid hitters down the line. Hoover gave up more than 3 runs for the first time in 7 starts, but you have got to lover those Ks. I also think this is the first time he has given up more than 2 walks in a game all season.

Danville 3, Bluefield 4 - 12 Innings

RSF 1-4 K
R. Hefflinger 1-5 2B, K
J. Teheran 7.1IP 8H 3R 1BB 3K

Julio Teheran's GB/FB numbers in the last two games: 24-9. Just ridiculous. He isn't striking out as many guys as we probably thought he would/could but his control has been spectacular. If he can get his hits down a little (probably will come with better defense behind him) we are looking at a great prospect, finally.

GCL Blue Jays 1, GCL Braves 13

C. Bethancourt 2-4 2B, K
L. Hiller 4-5 2 2B, 4 RBI, CS
A. Feliz 4-4 2B, HR(1), 3 RBI

Layton Hiller probably needs to be moved up simply because he is hitting the ball and hitting it hard. He has an XBH in all but 2 games so far this season. He is also 21 years old and in the GCL so I would guess they could make some room for himin Danville. Maybe move RSF up? Please?

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The second half of the season could get ugly in Myrtle Beach.

No joke, Cody’s getting lonely

by VivaLosBravos on Jul 9, 2009 12:12 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

why dont we call him up?

2009 Atlanta Braves Motto: We ♥ leaving RISP.

by mvhsbball on Jul 9, 2009 12:15 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

because he has holes in his swing the size of Olympus Mons

by yondaime4 on Jul 9, 2009 12:20 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

True, but he won’t do any good if MB is losing 9-0 every night.

2009 Atlanta Braves Motto: We ♥ leaving RISP.

by mvhsbball on Jul 9, 2009 12:25 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He can work on his swing regardless of how the rest of the team is doing though, which is more important for him long term.

by Lennox on Jul 9, 2009 12:30 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

true also. i just think it might be tough to stay motivated when your team is getting destroyed every night. but i definately get your point about working on his swing.

2009 Atlanta Braves Motto: We ♥ leaving RISP.

by mvhsbball on Jul 9, 2009 12:31 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I guess it is nice to see KJ flashing a little power. But he needs to get back to being the good 2B he was last year and the year before, though at this point it is probably a moot point as Prado has pretty much sewn up the job for the rest of the season.

Until he has a bad week or two, then the fans will turn on him and Bobby will start platooning him.

by Lennox on Jul 9, 2009 12:20 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

lol, this

Francoeur: "If OBP is so important, why don't they put it on the scoreboard?"
Chipper: "Wow, you really are a dumbass."

by Rhyno18 on Jul 9, 2009 12:32 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Riaan Spanjer-Furstenburg got HBP tonight, too.

I guess pitchers figure that they can save the 3 extra pitches it would take to IBB him and they don’t risk him getting a base hit. Plus, they make him pay for his greatness physically.

"If I had a little humility, I would be perfect" - Ted Turner

by Little Lady on Jul 9, 2009 12:24 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I was starting to think we may have missed on the Andruw Jones deal. Then I looked up his stats to see that heading into tonight he was hitting a robust .239 and had only 30 RBIs. I quickly changed my mind. McClouth will work just fine.

by MTSU11 on Jul 9, 2009 12:33 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Right now he’s got a .349 OBP and a .585 SLG. Which is better production than anyone in our OF.

by Lennox on Jul 9, 2009 12:45 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think some of it is helped by the Texas stadium, but you’re right; he would’ve been the better option over FUGA, and especially better than Frenchy.

by soup du jour on Jul 9, 2009 8:57 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think most of it has to do with their amazing hitting coach. I really don’t believe he would have made the progress he has with TP by his side.

by MTSU11 on Jul 9, 2009 11:55 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He hit over 30 HRs for several years with TP by his side…

"Actually, Justin was right."
by bigjoe on May 15, 2009 9:04 AM PDT

by justincredubil02 on Jul 9, 2009 1:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He also completely imploded with TP by his side. I think he just needed a change of scenary and going to the place with the best hitting coach in baseball doesn’t hurt. There’s no way of knowing what he would have done if he had come back to Atlanta and I’m just glad we didn’t take the risk.

by MTSU11 on Jul 9, 2009 7:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Does anyone think Teheran could be our top pitching spec by the end of the year if he keeps this up?

by braves32 on Jul 9, 2009 12:37 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

And does anyone have a scouting report on his pitches?

2009 Atlanta Braves Motto: We ♥ leaving RISP.

by mvhsbball on Jul 9, 2009 12:39 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Short one...

Teheran already has a fastball that sits comfortably between 93-95 MPH, though he can reach back and bump it up to 97 MPH. Complimenting his fastball is a low 80’s changeup with deceptive fade and a powerful curveball that has a late bite to it. Scouts have marveled at how smooth and quick his arm action is, though he needs to clean up some of the mechanics in his delivery. His body has considerable projectibility and needs to build bulk and stamina to handle the rigors of a full season workload.

"If I had a little humility, I would be perfect" - Ted Turner

by Little Lady on Jul 9, 2009 12:42 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sounds good to me.

maybe we’ve found Tommy and JJ a 3rd starter in 2 or 3 years.

2009 Atlanta Braves Motto: We ♥ leaving RISP.

by mvhsbball on Jul 9, 2009 12:48 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I’ve also seen that he has a sinker. I don’t know about that, though.

"If I had a little humility, I would be perfect" - Ted Turner

by Little Lady on Jul 9, 2009 1:07 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

actually...

in 2-3 years, Teheran has the possibility of being the #1 of that trio.

by apoxonbothyourhouses on Jul 9, 2009 6:34 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

that wouldnt be congruent with everything we’ve heard about Hanson. He’s our ace for suer for years.

by traphicg on Jul 9, 2009 11:58 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Strengths: Teheran throws easy gas, displaying a 90-93 mph fastball with above-average life in instructional league. His changeup is also a plus pitch and he’ll throw it at any time in the count. His poise is remarkable, and he has a strong idea of what he needs to accomplish by working both sides of the plate as well as the top and bottom of the zone.

Weaknesses: Teheran has a rolling curveball and needs to tighten the spin on the pitch. He also must do a better job of commanding his pitches in the zone. While doctors found nothinig wrong with his shoulder, he’ll have to get stronger. He’s still learning that he can’t just overpower every hitter he faces.

by yondaime4 on Jul 9, 2009 1:36 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

"He’s still learning that he can’t just overpower every hitter he faces."

I think that might be the biggest hurdle for young pitchers to overcome. Sure, you can throw one down the middle at 96 in A ball and make the batter look silly, but don’t try that in the Bigs.

2009 Atlanta Braves Motto: We ♥ leaving RISP.

by mvhsbball on Jul 9, 2009 1:41 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

...in chipper's words:

“I like facing young pitchers who are proud of their fastball”

2009 Atlanta Braves Motto: We ♥ leaving RISP.

by mvhsbball on Jul 9, 2009 1:42 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

link?

i would love to read that

by traphicg on Jul 9, 2009 11:59 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't know...

The Delgado’s are doing well at higher levels.

"If I had a little humility, I would be perfect" - Ted Turner

by Little Lady on Jul 9, 2009 12:40 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Spruill/Hoover/DeVall/Teheran

I think is clearly the top teir.

Pete Rose was actually banned from baseball for teaching Jeff Francoeur how to play. He made up the gambling stuff to hide his shame.

by VivaLosBravos on Jul 9, 2009 1:10 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

probably

by Heyward is the next crime dog on Jul 9, 2009 1:20 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Spruill Hoover Devall Teheran DelgadoX2 if only half of these guys pan out we will have a great rotation on our hands

by Heyward is the next crime dog on Jul 9, 2009 1:23 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

“So Andruw Jones has hit 3 HRs tonight and he still has another game to go. That is more than anyone has hit in a Braves uniform this season and he has done it playing mostly part time.”

Yeah, but if we had Andruw we wouldn’t have gotten McLouth. I’ll take Nate over Andruw for the next 3 years. anyone with me?

2009 Atlanta Braves Motto: We ♥ leaving RISP.

by mvhsbball on Jul 9, 2009 1:27 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

agreed

Yeah, I don’t take Andruw’s success in texas as, “hey, look what the Braves missed out on” cause he seems to be more of a product of Ranger’s Ballpark and Rudy. His home and away numbers are eerily off, course, the 3 HRs were in Cali tonight. There’s no way of knowing what, if anything we would have gotten out of Andruw. The Ranger’s had the outfield depth to take a chance on someone like Andruw whereas the Braves needed someone to fill a whole in the outfield. I suppose the Braves could of also offered Andruw the minimum contract too, but we don’t know what went on between Wren and Jones.

Either way, I love me some McLouth.

by award6 on Jul 9, 2009 1:44 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

nate is really starting to hit like we all thought he would. him and marteeeeeeeen have been money at the top of the lineup recently.

2009 Atlanta Braves Motto: We ♥ leaving RISP.

by mvhsbball on Jul 9, 2009 1:51 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Or we might have an OF with Andruw and McLouth instead of McLouth and Francoeur …

by Lennox on Jul 9, 2009 8:39 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If we had had Andruw, we wouldn’t have needed McLouth and Schafer could have started at AAA instead of being a Francoeurian black hole in our offense for 2 months. Or we could have still added McLouth and had McLouth in LF, Andruw in CF, and Diaz in RF. For the little it would have cost us to bring back Andruw for this season, it definitely was a bad call in hindsight.

by redwards95 on Jul 9, 2009 9:04 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I’d prefer FUGA in LF, AJ in CF and Nate in RF. FUGA has been really hitting well and having some pretty damn good ABs lately. He is not the black hole that he was early on.

"Actually, Justin was right."
by bigjoe on May 15, 2009 9:04 AM PDT

by justincredubil02 on Jul 9, 2009 9:11 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree. I think Andruw has more range in center field and a better arm than McLouth.

by Gage23 on Jul 9, 2009 11:48 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

why do you say that? Our OF needs more than just 1 competant player.

"Actually, Justin was right."
by bigjoe on May 15, 2009 9:04 AM PDT

by justincredubil02 on Jul 9, 2009 9:10 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

surely u jest… one should do it

Heyward,Hanson,and Shaffer r ready now!! Why do you think they havent signed the "right handed bat"?

by fatazfoot on Jan 7, 2009 8:59 PM EST

by Swo12bv on Jul 9, 2009 9:21 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don’t get it. How would the signing of Andruw prevented the McLouth trade?

People will come Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again.

by mvandonsel on Jul 9, 2009 11:45 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Schlehuber as catcher: .215/.282/.348 (158 ABs)
Schlehuber as DH: .232/.284/.348 (69 ABs)

Whoops. Doesn’t hit better when he’s not catching. Actually, he is hitting 1.000/1.000/2.000 in his one at bat as a pinch-hitter…

by tgthree on Jul 9, 2009 9:38 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

WHOOPS! YOU GOT ME!

by yondaime4 on Jul 9, 2009 10:12 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Andruw couldn't have hurt

I agree that spending $500k on Andruw would not have been a waste. I mean, we paid Tom Glavine $1million to make 3 minor league rehab starts. What would another $500k have been? And, as we’ve seen, Andruw is more than capable of producing. I know Texas is a hitter friendly park, but if you look at it his home and away isn’t that much different. He has 7 home runs at home, which is only half of his homers, and he’s only batting .255 at home, which is only 5 points higher than his .250 overall average. Plus, we know that late in the summer when it heats up in Atlanta that Turner can become a launching pad. He’s not even playing everyday and he has been productive. It has to be hard to get in a groove when you’re only playing 3 days a week. I think this was another bad off season move by Wren, just one he didn’t make.

by michaelcooksey on Jul 9, 2009 10:12 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

“Another bad offseason move”

What were the others?

"Actually, Justin was right."
by bigjoe on May 15, 2009 9:04 AM PDT

by justincredubil02 on Jul 9, 2009 10:22 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

tendering FYF signing Glavine Giving Lowe about 8 million too much over the length of his contract. do those count as bad moves

by Heyward is the next crime dog on Jul 9, 2009 11:03 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yea, those count, not finding an outfielder, GA has produced some, but honestly he has not helped near as much as we needed him to. I am not a Kawakami fan, I’d say giving him a 3 year deal at age 34 was a bad idea. Botching the whole Smoltz situation. And, teh above mentioned waste of money on Glavine, Lowe and Francouer…

by michaelcooksey on Jul 9, 2009 11:10 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

So if Lowe posts a sub 3.00 ERA the rest of the season will it still have been a waste of money?

by yondaime4 on Jul 9, 2009 11:38 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

No, if Lowe is able to do that then it is not a waste of money. But, if your aunt had a dick she’d also be your uncle. Our team is full of if’s but right now it looks like we gave Lowe too much money just to try to ease the hurt of the Smoltz debacle…

by michaelcooksey on Jul 9, 2009 11:44 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, right now at the midpoint of a season. You can go ahead and write off signing Glavine and maybe keeping FYF. But saying Lowe was a waste of money after a bad month is just ignorant. And besides pretty everyone said at the time that we overpaid for lowe and we would be grumbling near the end of the deal anyways, but the point was that we had failed on several fronts and needed to land someone who was dependable. What else were we supposed to do? Sign Randy Wolf?

by yondaime4 on Jul 9, 2009 11:50 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree that there is still another half of baseball to play and that Lowe really only had 1 terrible month, but, to be 1-5 since May 28th in a time when we really could have used our number one starter to be reliable and help us pick up some ground on the Phillies was not all too impressive. Lowe simply has not pitched enough to live up to his contract. And, considering Randy Wolf’s numbers are comparable to Lowe’s at this point, I would say that signing Randy Wolf would not have been terrible, considering he was signed for a shade under $5 million. $10million would have went a long way in bringing in some offense. The thing is we gave Lowe too many years and too much at his age. Most pitchers don’t get better with age and Lowe will be turning 39 during the last year of his contract in which he will make $15million.

by michaelcooksey on Jul 9, 2009 12:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

You can’t just toss aside context when you are making an argument. Randy Wolf has not pitched more than 170 innings in a season since 2003. We were coming off a season where none of our starters tallied more than 188 and one Jurrjens was over 160. We were shopping for durability and consistency and Lowe matched up with that. Like I said, it was pretty much general consensus that we overpaid for his services and yes the contract will look even worse in a couple years if he deteriorates noticeably. But by then we will have Hanson at the top of the rotation in his first Arb year followed by Jurrjens and who knows who else. I wouldn’t be surprised if the AVG salary for our rotation then isn’t much different it is now simply because of talent shuffle.

by yondaime4 on Jul 9, 2009 12:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

kinda because regardless of the money we think he deserved at the end of his contract we still could have got him for less in the offseason

by Heyward is the next crime dog on Jul 9, 2009 5:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not necessarily

He turned down a decent offer from the Mets b/c he wanted the 4th year guaranteed. We gave him that 4th year with a slight increase in salary from what the mets were offering.

Like I said before, signing D Lowe was about more than getting us a SP. It was about keeping one away from NY and Phi.

"Actually, Justin was right."
by bigjoe on May 15, 2009 9:04 AM PDT

by justincredubil02 on Jul 9, 2009 5:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

FYF – we were supposed to give up on him after 1 bad year? I was no fan of giving him a raise, but come on, nobody could have seen this coming. Players, even FYF, deserve more than 1 bad year.

Glavine – I see no problem with signing a hall of famer who may or may not have had anything left in the tank to a $1M contract to be the #5 starter in our rotation

So, you think Lowe is being paid $2M/year too much? Are we really getting that picky now? $2M a year? Lowe is a big-time pitcher who never gets hurt and is a sure thing to give your bullpen a rest. Sure, he has had a bad month, but overall on the season, he has been pretty good.

Besides, we signed him to the longer contract for more money to keep him from going to the Mets or Phils – I think that is worth the extra $2M alone.

So no, in my mind, giving your starting RF another chance, taking a cheap chance on a hall of famer and signing the best SP on the market were not bad moves.

"Actually, Justin was right."
by bigjoe on May 15, 2009 9:04 AM PDT

by justincredubil02 on Jul 9, 2009 1:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Completely agree with all of this.

And you can’t use hindsight to made present judgements.

by dlkinser86 on Jul 9, 2009 2:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

+11.25

by yondaime4 on Jul 9, 2009 10:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Andruws big night.

How about we see if we can trade Pendelton for Jaramillo. He must be really good and Pendelton is really bad. I think we could have found room for both Nate and Andruw.

by Fear The Turtle on Jul 9, 2009 11:07 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs