Things Read in Other Moms' Basements - Around the NL East 05.08.10

The first thing I want to say is that I'm glad that pacgnosis and mvhsbball are in charge of doing recaps these days, because I don't really envy their duties one bit right now. Last year, when it was a loose rotation of myself, gondeee and cbtits doing previews and recaps after the all-star break, the Braves lost more than three in a row only twice, and the second time was the tail end of the season, where I was busy getting trashed in Minnesota after the Braves were finally out of contention. The winning was fairly consistent, and it was easy to appease everyone. But now, the Braves are off to a very poor start and wins, let alone hits and runs on the road are becoming extremely hard to come by. Almost get no-hit one night, only to have Jamie Moyer make a little bit of history by becoming the oldest man in history to throw a CGSHO the next. With all the injuries, losses, and overall poor play, it's certinaly difficult being a Braves fan these days, and I'm running out of things to tell you guys. But pac and mv, they're doing a great job of coming into work each day and delivering the summaries, bad, and rarely, good.

I know the people mean well, and they have been nothing but polite and class acts here, and are no doubt still very much welcome, but the competitor in me sighs with disappointment when Mets, Cards, Nationals, and Phillies fans come over here and offer their polite condolences to us for how crappy the Braves are playing. As I said, visitors are always welcome as long as they're civil, but the fact of the matter is that the Braves are playing so poorly, that other teams' fans, even "bitter" divisional rivals' fans are feeling bad for us. I do not like this notion. I preferred when Mets fans were miserable that Chipper Jones still owned them, Phillies fans being baffled by Martin Prado's utter inability to be retired against them, and Nationals fans irritated when Tim Hudson delivers quality start after quality start against them. This is the passion that sports rivalries and competition bring out in fans. Not this pity. And the worst part is that the Braves have done very little to make us, and our opponents' fans believe that a turn around will ever come, at least on the road.  I'm not telling all other teams' fans to stop coming here, quite the contrary, but in my frustration, I just wish it weren't like this.

The only slice of silver lining that I can hope to comfort with is the simple fact that the Braves are 8-4 at home, while they are 4-12 on the road - 12 games at home compared to the 16 played away. So far, home is where the heart is, and as long as the Braves can maintain their moderate success going at home, they might be able to remain in position to strike at some point. Hopefully. Either you can have a little faith in that facet, or pull out the "I'm only being realistic" card that is so quickly unsheathed to cover up for how you've given up on the season but choose to attempt to envelope the rest of us with your wet blanket. You know that look your mom/wife/imaginaryGF gives you when you're seething with rage over Brian McCann airmailing a throw to second base into the outfield, and then they kind of either nods or shakes their head ignorantly to get you out of the way? The way your non-sports loving friends kind of glaze over when you try to explain how bothered you are by Derek Lowe's slider doing its job but Chase Utley still finds a way to get enough barrel on it to flare it into LF? Yeah, most of us feel your pain too. Which is why you're discouraged from using TC as a place to solely vent your frustrations; because a post posted out of anger and discontent is only going to be responded by those with the same negative feelings, and seldom does anything good come out of it.

All I can say is that if you're not enjoying Braves baseball, then don't watch it/listen to it/follow online. Disconnect, go do something else. It doesn't make you any less of a fan to miss a game or a week's worth of games, just like it doesn't mean you're suddenly betraying your favorite restaurant because you want to try something else sometime. I love being pleasantly surprised when I anxiously turn my phone back on after watching a movie, log onto a mobile browser, click ESPN: MLB scores, and see the number next to ATL being higher than the opponent's. Or when I go to a sit down restaurant and pretend to go to the bathroom so I can walk by the bar and hang around long enough to see on the SportsCenter bottom line that the Braves have defeated the Pirates. Step out of Mom's basement, I promise it will still be there when you get back.

Great googly-moogly, this was the longest intro I've ever written. Welcome to another week's edition of Things Read in Other Moms' Basements.

Marlins prospects tearing sh*t up this week - Miami Herald
Fish equivalent of super prospect, Mike Stanton has purportedly hits a 500 ft. home run. He's also hitting .341 with 14 HR, and an OPS of 1.437 at the time of this writing. And Andrew Miller, down in A+ ball in Jupiter was part of a combined no-hitter on Thursday, throwing six no-hit innings (with six dreaded walks kills), and two relievers completed the no hitter.

Fredi Gonzalez has closed door meeting with Fish after getting swept - Miami Herald
I really wish Bobby Cox would do one of these sooner rather than later.

Struggling Coghlan put into lineup anyway - MLB.com
Despite the fact that he was put on the bench for struggling, unfortunately for the Fish, Cameron Maybin has decided to start struggling too. Desperately seeking a spark, Fredi's got little choice but to go back to Coghlan to try and spark the offense.

Prospect Scott Cousins hits for the cycle in AAA - Fish Stripes
The 25-year old outfielder did in reverse fashion, by homering first, followed by the triple, double, and then the late-game single. I wonder how many more rare events are going to happen in AAA this year?

Anibal Sanchez isn't that bad - Miami Herald
Reading this article, I couldn't help but think how familiar all this sounds if "Anibal Sanchez" were replaced with "Kenshin Kawakami."

Obscure stat alert - MLB.com
In a loss to the Giants, Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla made obscure history - both of them homered in the same game for the 20th time, making it the most by any middle-infield pair, currently playing ball now.

Marlins sign Doug Mientkiewicz to minor league deal - Miami Herald
In order for the Fish to fulfill Jonathan Brandis' SeaQuest prediction of the Marlins 2010 World Series championship, the Marlins pick up the same guy who the Red Sox used to win their 2004 title.

When strikeouts are OK - Marlins Maniac
An interesting read discussing the difference in the value of a strikeout when it's coming from a power guy versus a contact-and-speed guy.

Clay Hensley placed on bereavement list - Miami Herald
Sad news for the Fish reliever, who was informed of the unfortunate news of his father's passing.

Andre Dawson gets a sneak peek at his HOF section in Cooperstown - Miami Herald
It must be really slow for the Herald if they're covering a guy that only played for the Fish for only the last two years of his 21-year career.

Stephen Strasburg goes to New York - Federal Baseball
Syracuse, New York, that is, after being promoted to the Nationals AAA-Syracuse Chiefs. His debut will be against none other than our own Gwinnett Braves.  And how did he do?  Dominant.  6.0IP, 1H, 6K, 1BB, 65 pitches.  He also dropped a bunt, and delivered a 2RBI single.

OPS guy doesn't really try to walk - Nats Insider

"No. I never try to draw a walk. I never, NEVER, go up there looking to draw a walk."

Also mentions that if Brian McCann is not catching, he will probably see a pitch he likes. Because they're BFFs.

The Franchise is now endorsing things - WaPo
Now I haphazardly mentioned recently that Ryan Zimmerman is the consummate professional, and doesn't really ever do anything that draws any attention to himself. Well, now that's changed pretty quickly, as the Franchise has started doing endorsements in the DC area. And not the generic canned endorsements for Eastern Motors, because Zim's a classy guy. So he plays the didgeridoo for a Mercedes dealership, and has starred in a line of caveman commercials for Geico.

John Lannan sits out with elbow pain - MLB.com
Quietly among the league leaders in quality starts from the last two years, it's bad news for the one consistent rock of the Nationals rotation, John Lannan, as he is temporarily shelved with pain in the one place a pitcher doesn't want pain - the elbow. Matt Chico will likely be his interim replacement. Also mentioned in the link is that GM Mike Rizzo was out in Nevada scouting, you know who.

The mythical "chemistry" big reason for Nationals success - WaPo
The one intangible that can't be measured by statistics, the Nationals clubhouse is demonstrating better chemistry and unity than in previous years.

Matt Capps named April's Delivery Man of the Month - MLB.com
But aside from chemistry, is the contributions of the most solid Nationals closer since Chad Cordero, in Matt Capps, whose 10/10 saves in the month of April has earned him the dubious honor of Delivery Man of the Month. I still stand by all my claims that he's not that great and is likely playing over his head, and that the Nationals would probably be well off trading him while his stock is high, sooner, rather than later.

The Nationals' season - luck or destiny? - Federal Baseball
An interesting look at the Nationals' strong start versus Pythagorian W-L, and the factors that have contributed to their current success. Is it luck, or is it destiny?

Nationals have a chance to steal the city - WaPo
Admittedly, I'm not a big fan of Thomas Boswell, never have been, but I have to admit that I like this article he wrote. With the recent choke of the Capitals, return to the abyss for the BulletsWizards, and months away for the Redskins, the early success of the Nationals is a great opportunity for them to win some localites over. DC's a town that only likes winners, and for a team that is struggling to draw fans to the park, it's something to try to capitalize on.

Ian Desmond latest young shortstop to draw comparisons to Cal Ripken, Jr. - WaPo
Why is it that every few years there's always a shortstop that comes up who makes a few slick plays, hits a few homers, and then suddenly he's the next Cal? Jeter, Tulo, come to mind immediately, but now Ian Desmond? As much as I think he's going to be a bonafide Brave-killer throughout the next decade, give him more than a month before making the complementary comparisons to Cal Jr.

Nationals attempting to hire Bryce Harper's JuCo coach as a "scout" - SI.com
Commence backpedaling - stories of Harper's attitude problems are attempted to be quashed, his mythical baseball-playing brother, and the curious method of putting Harper's coach on the payroll for "scouting" reasons.

Customized Bryce Harper Nationals shirt sighted at Natinals Park - WaPo
It's going to suck for this guy if the Nats pass over Harper. Those customized shirts ain't cheap.

HOF pitcher, Robin Roberts, passes at the age of 83 - Beerleaguer
I'm not going to pretend like I really knew who Robin Roberts was, but he's apparently considered one of the greatest RHPs in Phillies history. Phillies uniforms will have #36 on their right sleeves for the remainder of the season as a result.

Leave it to Philly to go overkill - Huffington Post
When a fan gets onto the field, it's supposed to be 20-40 seconds of hilarity and cunning wit. How many security guards can the perp elude, how many ankles can they make buckle with their Marshall Faulk-like moves? How long will it take for the security guards to inevitably tackle the perp, and just how many additional guards will take a cheap shot on someone on the ground? Well unless you're in Philadelphia, you'll get answers to very few of those moves because instead of trying to do it the old fashioned way and tackle someone, Philadelphia security just resorts to the Buzz Killington method of simply tazing the bro.

Prospect watch: Domonic Brown - The Good Phight
Brown is the likely reason Jayson Werth won't be back next season, and he's seemingly progressing right on schedule. He doesn't have the raw power that Mike Stanton has for the Fish, but he's becoming a legitimate five-tool threat. With Brown, Heyward, Strasburg, Stanton, and Ike, the NL East is going turning into one big showcase for young talent coming up.

Charlie Manuel will miss Saturday - Philly.com
Likely due to medical reasons, but the Philly skipper is going to sit Saturday out. Hopefully it's nothing severe, and he's back on the stoop the next day.

Ryan Madson out for up to eight weeks - Beerleaguer
I can't really think of a clever line for this one. It's his own dumb fault for getting injured in the first place, and I already made the joke about Jeff Bennett last week.

Jimmy Rollins headed to rehab in Clearwater - MLB.com
Out since April 13th, Rollins heads to Florida for some rehab, and then likely 3-4 minor league starts before returning to the big club. If we're 1-2 against the Phils without Rollins, imagine what it's going to be like with him back.

The Halladay Rules - Philly.com
To me, this editorial is kind of a stretch, comparing Roy Halladay to Michael Jordan. Maybe in the essence of how both Halladay now, and post-retirement #1 Jordan became more "refined" athletes to finesse their dominance, but what it sounds like to me in the end, is that both guys were really good at playing the umpires/offciating crew like fiddles.

2008 World Series victory voted top Philadelphia sports moment - Philly.com
Personally, I would've gone with Wilt Chamberlain's 100 point game, because that's something that will NEVER be done again.

Next week is big for Carlos Beltran - MetsBlog
In a nutshell, if Beltran's recover does not show significant improvement, the likelihood of needing more surgery increase. Now I'm not saying this is getting to me Mike Hampton-esque, but it's certainly no laughing matter.

No timetable for Daniel Murphy's return - New York Daily News
The sad thing is that despite his great attitude and saying all the right things, so many Mets fans have already forgotten about him since the emergence of Ike Davis.

Pedro Feliciano - an All-time Great Met? - NY Sports Dog
(hat tip: Amazin Avenue)
As far as I'm concerned, the answer is no - he's still a LOOGY.

The difference between Mets and Yankees fans - WSJ
I find it kind of ironic the results of this survey, because the Mets are the ones short for "Metropolitans," a name that is supposed to mean they're all sophisticated and drinking Courvoisier out of exaggerated goblets, but it turns out that more Mets fans are slobs and, well, more "truer" baseball fans than Yankees fans, who are apparently all metrosexuals.

"Mets fans own more guns,"

Mental note: don't eff with Mets fans in New York.

That's sure a hell of a lot of interest - New York Daily News
So when the Mets waived Bobby Bonilla back in 2000, they still owed him $5.9M. Apparently some arrangement was worked out to defer the money into annual installments of nearly $1.2M a year starting in 2011 until . . . wait for it . . . 2035. I'm guessing the Mets are hoping that Bonilla dies or something in that 24 year stretch and then they don't have to pay him anymore, because it doesn't take a math genius to know that $1.2M x 24 = way the eff more than $5.9M. $28,637,956.80 to be exact. Only the Mets... Only the Mets.

Kelvim Escobar shut down for shoulder surgery - MetsBlog
I remember a few years ago, Tanyon Sturtze pulled this exact same stunt for the Braves. It was funny seeing all this ST footage before the games at Turner Field, and you could always see "STURTZE" running around, stretching, taking PFP, and then he never played a single game for the Braves when the regular season started.

This is Jeopardy! - Metstradamus
No Mets blog makes me laugh more than this one does. And not in the "ha ha, they're the Mets and doing dumb things" kind of way, but in a legitimate, "this guy posts awesome stuff," kind of way.

Some bonus links of non-NL east news that were some interesting stories:

Ernie Harwell, 92, passes - ESPN
I'm not going to pretend like I know everything about Ernie Harwell. I knew of his name, and I certainly knew of his voice, but in the end, I really didn't know really anything about him. All I can really say about his passing that he was certainly one of the most iconic voices ever in the game, and that it is very much a sad day for baseball that he has left the building.

Eric Byrnes cut by Mariners, out of baseball, goes to play beer-league softball - Deadspin
Once considered the "veteran leader" of the young and upstart Diamondbacks a few years ago, only to become such a bad player that the Dbacks would cut him outright and get hung with his $11M a year salary and then get picked up by the Mariners, where he sucked so bad that despite being paid only the league minimum by the M's, he's cut and sent home. No problem, Byrnes decides to sit out for a little bit with his $11M cushion and go play beer-league softball. Maybe he'll be the best player on the field again.