August 25, 201610 yr Author Slight tangent: I know us Twins fans have to deal with Danny Santana, but how frustrating would it be to be a Braves fan watching Jeff Francoeur play in 99 games for that awful team? Plus they've got Kemp and Markakis as two other old guys taking up time in the outfield. I'm glad we get to see Kepler and Rosario in the outfield instead of what the Braves are dealing with. Not a chance. I'm not worried at all about what the major league team is doing. Of course, I've been writing about the Braves minor leagues for multiple years now, but I've watched maybe 10 major league games of the team this year, including the ones I attended in person at Target Field. They are doing things right at the lower levels to have wave upon wave of pitching and hitting to come for a decade without bringing in anyone else, let alone considering that they'll be getting the top pick next season and will qualify for the competitive balance lottery for the first time ever this year. The scorched earth way of rebuilding seems to bug a lot of people, but when you know that's the purpose, I don't have an issue with it. It's when a team has one foot in and one foot out that it's miserable to be a fan.
August 25, 201610 yr Author I think you could say neither player is rated, period. The catcher in particular appears to be the very definition of org filler (40th round pick last year who has seen scant playing time in rookie league ball since). The "SS the Braves got" is not a shortstop. He's been primarily a 1B this year, but has played basically everywhere but catcher (he even pitched). Still, I'd take him over Francoeur, except the Braves also had to send an international bonus slot away in the deal too, so it's not quite a pure Francoeur for minor leaguer swap. (Considering the Rangers gave up the semi-interesting prospect, and got back a lot of international bonus pool money, Francoeur may not even be the key figure in the deal.) The slot money means nothing to the Braves. They were over the allotment anyway, so one slot's value traded away is just that much more tax to pay on what they've already done going over their max.
August 31, 201610 yr Author Battle for #1 - Twins and Braves tied, Braves have the tie breaker right now. Bigger deal for me as a Braves fan, per SBJ, Braves are currently sitting 8th-worst in revenue this year, which would qualify them for the competitive balance picks for the first time ever.
September 2, 201610 yr The Orioles have 15 stolen bases on the year... Yes, that's their team total. I guess it makes sense with their roster, but still, that number is shockingly low.
September 6, 201610 yr Verlander has quietly returned to true Ace status. His pitches are nasty. So then there's hope for Hughes?
September 7, 201610 yr Author So then there's hope for Hughes? Don't you have to ACHIEVE ace status before you can return to it?
September 12, 201610 yr Baltimore Orioles C Caleb Joseph is closing in on a stat that no other baseball player has accomplished in history. If Joseph goes the rest of the year without driving in a run, he’ll become the first player to have at least 100 at-bats in a big league season without one RBI since the category became official in 1920, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
September 17, 201610 yr Just saw old friend Pedro Florimon enter the game as a pinch runner for the Pirates. He was referred to by Reds' announcers as "a speedster."
September 17, 201610 yr After a couple of meh seasons, I hadn't realized to what level Justin Verlander has rebounded. Good for him: 200IP, 156 hits allowed, 216 K.
September 22, 201610 yr Baltimore Orioles C Caleb Joseph is closing in on a stat that no other baseball player has accomplished in history. If Joseph goes the rest of the year without driving in a run, he’ll become the first player to have at least 100 at-bats in a big league season without one RBI since the category became official in 1920, according to Elias Sports Bureau. UPDATE: 10 games remaining for the Orioles. Joseph still has 0 RBI. He's closing in on a historic season! Edited September 22, 201610 yr by Vanimal46
September 24, 201610 yr The Cubs have the best record in baseball and they're -3 games in BaseRuns. The Red Sox have the second best recored in baseball and they're -8 games in BaseRuns. That's absurd.
September 24, 201610 yr It is pretty cool to see David Ortiz have the season he is having. It has to be hands down the best offensive season put up by a 40 year old - Bonds was close but not quite as old. Walk away Big Papi and fade away into the background of greatness. Hope you win the MVP in your final season!
October 3, 201610 yr UPDATE: 10 games remaining for the Orioles. Joseph still has 0 RBI. He's closing in on a historic season! FINAL UPDATE: Caleb Joseph achieves MLB immortality. 132 at bats. 0 RBI. No other player in MLB history since the stat was tracked in 1920 can say they went an entire season without driving in a run.
October 4, 201610 yr FINAL UPDATE: Caleb Joseph achieves MLB immortality. 132 at bats. 0 RBI. No other player in MLB history since the stat was tracked in 1920 can say they went an entire season without driving in a run. Watch him drive in 6 in tomorrow's game....
October 4, 201610 yr Author Watch him drive in 6 in tomorrow's game.... More fitting would be that he comes in as a defensive replacement and ends up getting an at-bat in extra innings with a guy on second and slaps a single to win the game, his first RBI of the season.
October 4, 201610 yr More fitting would be that he comes in as a defensive replacement and ends up getting an at-bat in extra innings with a guy on second and slaps a single to win the game, his first RBI of the season.Or, had the Orioles been required to play a tiebreaking game 163, Joseph could have driven in a run there and squandered his dubious "record"!
October 4, 201610 yr On a related note, I wonder how many guys have driven in a run in the postseason, after zero MLB RBI in the regular season? Obviously it would be a guy who didn't play the full MLB season like Joseph. I am sure a few pitchers have done it, just wondering about position players. None of 3 guys I found who made their MLB debuts in the postseason (Bug Holliday, Mark Kiger, Raul Adalberto Mondesi) drove in a run. Guess I have to root for Joseph to do it now, so I can get an answer to this trivia question!
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