Outstanding season by the team. The season was made even more enjoyable by Lindsay’s really exceptional commentary and analysis. So glad I found BT and the subscription is best money I spend all year.
Poor NLDS when it did feel like the Dodgers were beatable. Offense never showed up. Muncie out homered the Braves. In game 5, Braves pitchers walked 3 Dodgers, 2 of them scored. Braves had 5 walks and not one of them scored.
On to what hopefully will be a productive off-season and one that ends on-time. My thoughts on Braves needs. Front office has to adapt to the changes occurring in baseball. The biggest change is the velocity of change. Baseball used to evolve over decades. With the advent of advanced analytics, better scouting and other factors, the pace of change in baseball has accelerated. AA built this team when the prevailing strategy was find guys in their early 20’s with talent and lock them up through their most productive years (ages 26/27 - 31/32). This strategy isn’t holding true. Many guys are declining in late 20’s. Riley is not an isolated example. Braves need to deal with this and it could be tough. The second strategy that has changed in the last couple of years - offense is directly correlated to HRs (hit the ball in the air and ignore SOs). Not true anymore. Braves are going to have to find ways to diversify their offense. And lastly, the invest heavily in top end starting pitching philosophy doesn’t work. RIP to the importance of the 5 man rotation. Pitching depth and versatilty is much more important. Fortunately, Braves are in pretty good shape for this and Weiss has shown he understands how to use pitchers outside of the “baseball formula”. The last thing the Braves need is to chase top end, high-priced SP FAs despite the clamor i expect the fans will make.
Tampa Bay and Milwaukee are examples of teams that recognize trends early, adapt quickly and take advantage of them. Probably add Cleveland to that list as well. Mariners are a great example of club that followed all 3 of the conventional truths I pointed out and can’t play .500 baseball. The pace of change has increased in the MLB and recognizing the changes and adapting quickly is more important than ever. I think Braves front office is up to the challenge.
With all the proposed changes the Owners want to make; I feel like this may the last time i watch or care about Baseball.
Everything about Baseball is worse than the game I grew up on in the 60s and 70s. No more Appalachian League, watered down expansion baseball, only draft college players, International draft ( of 18 year olds)
I loved following the 60’s and early 70’s baseball. I count myself lucky I was able to follow the Braves back then - warm GA summer nights with WSB on the transistor radio under my pillow. I also find today’s game interesting and enjoyable. Very different, but still enjoyable. I hope you won’t give up on the game.
I'm a real Walt Weiss fan but I point the finger at him for tonight's disappointing loss. First, should Mahle have been allowed to continue in the 7th? We could argue that for a while but to bring in Fuentes after he had pitched 3.2 stressful innings 48 hours earlier was just stupid. Fuentes didn't have his usual velo and no command and two walks later we have the setting for disaster. Earlier in the year Weiss appeared to always be careful to not overuse Fuentes - "a very valuable young arm". Tonight he was clearly overused and Weiss should have known better. (It also underscores AA's mistake in not getting another high leverage reliever at the trade deadline.) But, even if they had gotten out of the 7th still tied, this teams'ability to move runners along is so pathetic it probably wouldn't have mattered.
If "Stars shine the brightest when the lights are the hottest", we only have two bats that qualify: Harris and Oz.
*Stop paying high dollar for low value talent (e.g., Yaz, Thomas & Kim are over $36MM in waste).Get rid of them IMMEDIATELY.
*Find options to the Injured to Death Group of Acuna, Murphy (bring back the guy you let go in August), Strider and Riley. Get rid of them once a replacement is found (or now. it won't matter. they just take up space)
Find young option to Olson. He is so slow on pickoffs, Graceful as a 3 legged ox, won't hit more than .250, GIDP candidate in the middle of the lineup.
*Mahle & Dubbie should be resigned.
*Bring up kids to fill 3B, SS, LF, RF,1B & #2 catcher. Maybe we won't beat Philly next year cuz we didn't do crap to get Arreaz to Atlanta. But ANYTHING is better than watching Acuna ABS crap, Acuna not hussle, Acuna backs up nothing in the outfield...
Outstanding season by the team. The season was made even more enjoyable by Lindsay’s really exceptional commentary and analysis. So glad I found BT and the subscription is best money I spend all year.
Poor NLDS when it did feel like the Dodgers were beatable. Offense never showed up. Muncie out homered the Braves. In game 5, Braves pitchers walked 3 Dodgers, 2 of them scored. Braves had 5 walks and not one of them scored.
On to what hopefully will be a productive off-season and one that ends on-time. My thoughts on Braves needs. Front office has to adapt to the changes occurring in baseball. The biggest change is the velocity of change. Baseball used to evolve over decades. With the advent of advanced analytics, better scouting and other factors, the pace of change in baseball has accelerated. AA built this team when the prevailing strategy was find guys in their early 20’s with talent and lock them up through their most productive years (ages 26/27 - 31/32). This strategy isn’t holding true. Many guys are declining in late 20’s. Riley is not an isolated example. Braves need to deal with this and it could be tough. The second strategy that has changed in the last couple of years - offense is directly correlated to HRs (hit the ball in the air and ignore SOs). Not true anymore. Braves are going to have to find ways to diversify their offense. And lastly, the invest heavily in top end starting pitching philosophy doesn’t work. RIP to the importance of the 5 man rotation. Pitching depth and versatilty is much more important. Fortunately, Braves are in pretty good shape for this and Weiss has shown he understands how to use pitchers outside of the “baseball formula”. The last thing the Braves need is to chase top end, high-priced SP FAs despite the clamor i expect the fans will make.
Refer to Tampa Bay. Who is their GM?
Tampa Bay and Milwaukee are examples of teams that recognize trends early, adapt quickly and take advantage of them. Probably add Cleveland to that list as well. Mariners are a great example of club that followed all 3 of the conventional truths I pointed out and can’t play .500 baseball. The pace of change has increased in the MLB and recognizing the changes and adapting quickly is more important than ever. I think Braves front office is up to the challenge.
With all the proposed changes the Owners want to make; I feel like this may the last time i watch or care about Baseball.
Everything about Baseball is worse than the game I grew up on in the 60s and 70s. No more Appalachian League, watered down expansion baseball, only draft college players, International draft ( of 18 year olds)
Too old for this Crap.
I loved following the 60’s and early 70’s baseball. I count myself lucky I was able to follow the Braves back then - warm GA summer nights with WSB on the transistor radio under my pillow. I also find today’s game interesting and enjoyable. Very different, but still enjoyable. I hope you won’t give up on the game.
I'm a real Walt Weiss fan but I point the finger at him for tonight's disappointing loss. First, should Mahle have been allowed to continue in the 7th? We could argue that for a while but to bring in Fuentes after he had pitched 3.2 stressful innings 48 hours earlier was just stupid. Fuentes didn't have his usual velo and no command and two walks later we have the setting for disaster. Earlier in the year Weiss appeared to always be careful to not overuse Fuentes - "a very valuable young arm". Tonight he was clearly overused and Weiss should have known better. (It also underscores AA's mistake in not getting another high leverage reliever at the trade deadline.) But, even if they had gotten out of the 7th still tied, this teams'ability to move runners along is so pathetic it probably wouldn't have mattered.
If "Stars shine the brightest when the lights are the hottest", we only have two bats that qualify: Harris and Oz.
*Stop paying high dollar for low value talent (e.g., Yaz, Thomas & Kim are over $36MM in waste).Get rid of them IMMEDIATELY.
*Find options to the Injured to Death Group of Acuna, Murphy (bring back the guy you let go in August), Strider and Riley. Get rid of them once a replacement is found (or now. it won't matter. they just take up space)
Find young option to Olson. He is so slow on pickoffs, Graceful as a 3 legged ox, won't hit more than .250, GIDP candidate in the middle of the lineup.
*Mahle & Dubbie should be resigned.
*Bring up kids to fill 3B, SS, LF, RF,1B & #2 catcher. Maybe we won't beat Philly next year cuz we didn't do crap to get Arreaz to Atlanta. But ANYTHING is better than watching Acuna ABS crap, Acuna not hussle, Acuna backs up nothing in the outfield...