Braves Quote For The Day
by gondeee on Feb 1, 2010 1:59 PM EST
in Quote For The Day
42 comments
From Mark Bradley, AJC:
Not once as a Brave has Hudson had a season to match what Vazquez did last year — 15-10 with 238 strikeouts and an ERA of 2.87. The Braves are betting that a rotation can be just as strong without its No. 1 man, but for that to happen Hudson must produce at a higher rate than he has since switching leagues.
Let's expose some major holes in that statement: (1) Javier Vazquez has never had a season to match what he did last year, and with a career ERA of 4.19, odds are he'll never have another season like last year, (2) Tim Hudson actually had a 16-and-10 season in 2007, winning percentage-wise better than Vazquez' 2009, and (3) Hudson's career 3.49 ERA -- over a half run better than Javy's -- should tell us that at virtually the same age, Hudson is a more sure bet to have a good season than Vazquez. Hudson has also never had a losing season, Vazquez has had five.
Bradley is wrong, there is no extra pressure on Hudson to make up for what Vazquez did last year. What Vazquez did last year is something that even he would be hard-pressed to repeat. Hudson just needs to go out and be that pitcher he's been since coming to Atlanta -- that's good enough to be a top-of-the-rotation starter.
0 recs |
42 comments
|
Email
Print
Comments
This a thousand times over.
"My team of nine guys who hit like Albert Pujols and never ever bunt just beat your team with one Shane Victorino 472 to 3."
by justincredubil02 on Feb 1, 2010 2:06 PM EST reply actions
Yes.
As much as I loved Javy and his time with the Braves, the odds of him duplicating last year are astronomical. If Timmy is healthy, we shouldn’t miss a beat.
"...Braves tie! ...Braves tie! ...Braves tie!"
by The Keith Lockhart Era on Feb 1, 2010 10:57 PM EST up reply actions
He's an ass
Mark Bradley is gunning for Frank Wren. He has basically blasted everything Frank’s done, and doesn’t even give him credit for the moves that turned out better than expected. Hell, he even panned the acquisition of Javy last offseason. What a doucher.
and has been for many years.
Tim Hudson, on the other hand, is a consummate professional and should be ideally situated to have a very solid year.
It’s is one thing for him to be an “ass”. Unfortunately, there are plenty of those to be found wherever you go. However, it is another thing entirely to write an article about the MLB team in the home market of the paper for which you are employed and be completely wrong about every fact or stat you put in the article.
The quality control of journalism these days makes the throttle issues Toyota is dealing with look small and insignificant.
i'll add
2a) but then again, making an argument based on winning percentage is not always advisable.
4) Tim Hudson is coming back from surgery, Vasquez isn’t.
and...
The thing about Vasquez that made me believe he could repeat (or at least come close to repeating) his 2009 season was that his success seemed to be tied to being in Atlanta. We had several stories about how he finally felt comfortable, about he loved playing for the Braves/Cox. Last year’s Javy was different than any other previous version — I don’t think you can completely lean on his numbers from previous seasons.
With that said, I don’t expect him to do as well since he is no longer in Atlanta…I guess we’ll never know if he could ever repeat his success :(
"If I have asthma, they won't let me scuba. And if I can’t scuba, then what’s this all been about?? What am I working toward??"
JV’s peripherals were always better than his numbers. Despite that, he was turning into a dominant pitcher for the Expos in 2002 before he switched over to the American League. He did have that one tough season with the D-Backs in 2005, but given his previous set-up, it wasn’t surprising to see him have a career year when he switched leagues.
Plus, Vazquez has topped 200 innings every year since 2000 (with one exception where he picked 198). Hudson missed starts in 2004 and 2005, then just had the Tommy John surgery and missed over a year’s worth. Plus he had that groin tweak in his rehab. Vazquez gave us a much better chance to eat up those innings so we’re not using Moylan for 90+ games.
we’ll resign him cheap after he blows up in NY.. you know FW at least had this thought…
Pujols is NOT God.... sure he'll hit .350, hit 50 bombs, and drive in a 125....but then again...so will Heyward..
by lemke2blauser2bream on Feb 1, 2010 5:29 PM EST up reply actions
Didn't Chipper have that thought as well?
…minus the “blow up in NY” part.
"...Braves tie! ...Braves tie! ...Braves tie!"
by The Keith Lockhart Era on Feb 1, 2010 10:58 PM EST up reply actions
Plus, Hanson is our ace now anyways.
I don’t think there’s any pressure on Hudson to fill JV’s shoes this year. He’s just another front-end starter we’ve got.
Q: If on-base pct is so important then why don't they put it on the scoreboard? -Failcoeur
A: Because the Braves don't want to show their fans how bad you suck.
Id give JJ that role…
Pujols is NOT God.... sure he'll hit .350, hit 50 bombs, and drive in a 125....but then again...so will Heyward..
by lemke2blauser2bream on Feb 1, 2010 5:30 PM EST up reply actions
Thank you gondee...it had to be said
Seriously, Mark Bradley might be the most dillusionally negative sports writer employed today. To his creidt he is consistently dilussionally negative. The only thing I can make of it is that he has to secretly be a Mets fan.
Doesn't Bradley have a bone to pick with Hudson?
Seems I remember the two of them had a confrontation last spring because Huddy thought Bradley published a piece that torpedoed the Braves’ efforts at signing Griffey. Did I imagine that?
That was DOB I think. But I don’t think it was a big as deal as people thought it was.
Q: If on-base pct is so important then why don't they put it on the scoreboard? -Failcoeur
A: Because the Braves don't want to show their fans how bad you suck.
I believe Hudson was upset at some beat writers, DOB among them, for guessing at who would be booted off the 40-man roster once the team finalized the Garret Anderson deal. Hudson was looking out for Anthony Lerew, who was booted. Hudson just didn’t like the speculation.
Actually
I think it was because of DOB leaking info about Ken Griffey Jr.
by Jay212033 on Feb 1, 2010 6:52 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Even though FUGA worked out a little better than Junior and his .214 tag,
I’m still irked at DOB running his mouth on that one.
"...Braves tie! ...Braves tie! ...Braves tie!"
by The Keith Lockhart Era on Feb 1, 2010 11:00 PM EST up reply actions
This.
I like how he used the three worst pitching stats – wins, strikeouts, and ERA – from one single season to try and prove a point.
I think Javy would’ve put up good numbers for us again next year, but only slightly better than what Huddy will do for us. You can trust Huddy for 15 wins, a mid 3’s ERA, and a couple complete games every season.
"Sometimes I wonder what'd it be like to be outside and not hear the birds chirping...I think it'd be kind of nice."
by alligatorimpersonator on Feb 1, 2010 2:51 PM EST reply actions
I don't login or comment much here
But this guys an idiot. Javy had a career year..he’ll never top it.. He’ll still have trouble with that one inning per game.. Honestly to think this rotation has lost anything is simply ignorance..infact it has gained. #1 Lowe will be much improved and settled in. #2 Hudson will be healthy and rested. #3 hanson will be up for a full season #4 Jair freaking jurrjens #5 kk will be much improved and settled in Atlanta just like lowe..
by UNVNSABAN on Feb 1, 2010 3:01 PM EST via mobile reply actions
im not trying to pick on you
But I’m going to use what you said to ask something that’s been bugging me. Why is it that everyone assumes that Lowe will be better this season? As far as I recall, there is nothing to explain his bad season last year (injuries, etc). So, isn’t the safe assumption that he is simply on the downside of his career?
Don’t get me wrong — I tend to think he will be better than last year…but do I think he will return to his previous self? No…it appears to me he is on a downward slope..
"If I have asthma, they won't let me scuba. And if I can’t scuba, then what’s this all been about?? What am I working toward??"
I tend to think that he was adjusting to
Atlanta and I know this explanation has been posted elsewhere and ran into the ground but..take away 2-3 games and he had great outtings..was he worth his contract price last year? No, but I do think he rebounds this year and he will feel less pressured this year..
Jmho.
by UNVNSABAN on Feb 1, 2010 4:05 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
We are mostly hoping he will be better. A few months ago, one of our posters did an amazing analysis of his year tending to show his uneven work was a mere anomoly. And he has talked about mechanical issues with his delivery or release point screwing up his ability to locate his pitches and the movement of his pitches. So, it seems there may be some good reason to hope.
On the other hand, he may, in fact, just be in decline and on the downside of his career.
He also mentioned his slider had become ineffective, which corroborated Lowe’s story of not being able to grip it like he wanted and thus use it effectively, and I believe it eventually got tied into the heat/humidity of Atlanta, considering how well he started the year. If he can reconcile his slider grip he should be fine. Not ace-quality, but a strong number 2 pitcher good for 200+ innings. It all hinges on him sorting out that slider.
I hope he rubed that part of his finger that kept getting blistered with a fingernail file – you know, you callouse (sp?) it up.
"My team of nine guys who hit like Albert Pujols and never ever bunt just beat your team with one Shane Victorino 472 to 3."
by justincredubil02 on Feb 1, 2010 7:23 PM EST up reply actions
10 seconds
callous
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
sooooo close….
"My team of nine guys who hit like Albert Pujols and never ever bunt just beat your team with one Shane Victorino 472 to 3."
by justincredubil02 on Feb 1, 2010 8:15 PM EST up reply actions
he probably peaked in LA, but stil he’ll put up better numbers than last year…
Pujols is NOT God.... sure he'll hit .350, hit 50 bombs, and drive in a 125....but then again...so will Heyward..
by lemke2blauser2bream on Feb 1, 2010 5:58 PM EST up reply actions
I think Lowe will be better this year...
…because he had a ridiculous BABIP against spike last year (.333 after normally being in the .290’s) which is mostly luck. It won’t get back to his Dodger numbers because our infield defense isn’t that good and he is a groundball pitcher, but it should revert towards the mean, making him a much more effective pitcher.
im starting to worry
about the AJC writers. are the stupid or something? DOB drools about Damon and the rest just criticize every little move the Bravos make. it gets annoying.
Remember folks, I'm almost always wrong.
My sig was too long...
by mvhsbball on Feb 1, 2010 3:10 PM EST via mobile reply actions
ugh
the statement that Hudson needs to do what Javy did for the rotation to be the same overall is stupid.
All that needs to happen for the team’s overall rotation to perform at the same level is:
1) Kawakami continue the improvement he showed at the end of last season
2) Hanson pitches a full season instead of half a season
Those two things balances out the whole thing. If Hudson pitches to an ERA of 3.49 like his career average then thats a difference of about .60 which means that we need .30 less in ERA from the first half #5 rotation starters and .30 less from KK.
not that hard and thats not even factoring in improvement in Lowe if he does improve
Shocker
Mark Bradley said something ridiculous that is based on nothing but a thought that clearly originated in his butt? Not like that hasn’t happened before.
Look, it isn’t that the Braves won’t miss Vazquez. They will. The guy was a sure thing for 200 innings and 200 strikeouts. That’s very valuable. But last season was a career year for sure. Hudson was every bit of an ace before TJ, and the rest of the rotation is quite solid. It is undoubtedly the best in the NL East, and ranks among the best in baseball on paper without Vazquez.
He hasn’t done a very good job of breaking down the trade (always just refers to it as Javy for Melky, doesn’t put it in enough context), but piling on Bradley for being negative about the Braves seems kind of silly and over the top. If anything, in recent years he has adopted somewhat of a homer/optimist persona to his opinions. He happens to not like the Vazquez trade. This article is really a piece about how Hudson has to step up for us to have as strong of a rotation as we had last year, which is absolutely true whether you think that Javy would have repeated his career year or not.
To be fair, Javy would have had to step up for us this year if we want to have as good of a rotation as we had last year…
"My team of nine guys who hit like Albert Pujols and never ever bunt just beat your team with one Shane Victorino 472 to 3."
by justincredubil02 on Feb 1, 2010 8:16 PM EST up reply actions
Certainly – if we still had Javy, writers would be writing interview articles with Javy asking him if he thought he could maintain the level he did last year in order to continue the success of the pitching staff. With the way things have turned out, Hudson is a key and will have to step back in a big way. We essentially chose Hudson (albeit with a longer deal plus the haul from the Yanks) over Javy, so it’s proper to put a spotlight on his return and note the high bar that was set last year.
I'd like to post...
a point of view to add something, but all I can say is preach fellow chopheads! I think you’ve all nailed this puppy down…
by Gjmoody on Feb 1, 2010 7:40 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
Related FanPosts on Talking Chop
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2010 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
