SB Nation - Brian Barton

Braves Re-sign Wes Timmons, Add Mitch Jones

cbwilk — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:02:22 -0000

More photos » by Mark J. Terrill - AP

Mitch Jones broke a few bats this year, but he also hit 35 home runs in AAA.

The Braves have retained another one of their Minor League free agents, bringing third baseman Wes Timmons back into the fold. Timmons has been with the organization since he was drafted in the 12th round in 2002 and this is the second year in a row he has been re-signed after becoming a free agent. He's spent his last four full seasons at AAA for the Braves, collecting a .267 average and .746 OPS in over 1400 AAA plate appearances, good numbers for a utility player who has seen time at every infield position in his career. 2009 was Timmons' best season of his career, as the 30 year old hit .283 for Gwinnett with a .782 OPS, including a .416 OBP, and was named an International League All-Star, as well as being named the league's best defensive third baseman for the third consecutive season. His June was particularly impressive as he managed a .394 average and 1.018 OPS in 71 at bats.

Gondeee reported it last week, way before anyone else, and now it's official, the Braves have also added Minor League free agent outfielder/first baseman Mitch Jones. Jones made his Major League debut with the Dodgers this June, collecting a .308 average and .785 OPS in 15 plate appearances, including going 2 for 5 as a pinch hitter. He had an outstanding year for the Dodgers' AAA Albuquerque affiliate, hitting .297 with a 1.015 OPS, 26 doubles, 35 home runs, and 103 RBI in just 434 plate appearances. It's surprising however that he had never been called up to the Majors since an average AAA season for him works out to about 483 plate appearances, a .270 average, a .905 OPS, 28 doubles, 29 homers, 91 RBI, and 134 strike outs, a very respectable number considering his offensive production.

At worst, Jones will provide a powerful, veteran presence to the middle of Gwinnett's lineup, but it seems likely that he'll be given a shot to earn a spot on Atlanta's team, likely as a right handed hitter with power off the bench who can adequately play first base as well as left and right field. As a 32 year old with very little Major League experience, he may not be the ideal answer to some of Atlanta's offensive woes, but he could very well provide infuse some much needed power to the Braves in 2010.

I'm not sure it's been reported on Talking Chop, because I certainly missed it,because I erroneously had him as part of my Rule 5 preview, but the Braves have released outfielder Brian Barton. Barton was acquired from the Cardinals in exchange for Blaine Boyer and appeared in just one game for Atlanta, spending the remainder of his year with Gwinnett, where he hit .266 with a .744 OPS, 17 doubles, 7 home runs, and 17 stolen bases in 426 plate appearances.

C.B. Wilkins is the author of the baseball novel Four-A. The story follows a relief pitcher over the course of a year as he bounces between AAA and the Majors, attempting to balance his dreams and his reality. It can be purchased here: https://www.createspace.com/3407939

Braves Rule 5 Preview

cbwilk — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:00:35 -0000

Crafty lefty Edgar Osuna could intrigue a team as a LOOGY or a back of the rotation starter.

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The Rule 5 Draft has really never helped nor hindered the Braves. They rarely select a player, unless they clear a spot on their 40 man roster before the draft they won't be able to select anyone this year, and the few players they do select tend to get traded away in Spring Training (Jamie Walker and Chris Spurling are good examples). They also rarely lose a player who isn't returned; Adam Stern, who was a part of a World Series Championship with the Red Sox in 2004 after being selected in the Rule 5 Draft from the Braves was the last player they actually lost for good and he played very little in the Majors, either during the 2004 season or after. So, in reading this preview it's worth keeping in mind that the Braves might not premantently lose any players through the Rule 5 Draft, regardless of what happens today.

Most Likely To Be Selected

Edgar Osuna, LHP: Osuna was recently named the 11th best Braves prospect by the bloggers here at Talking Chop, three spots ahead of Jose Ortegano, fellow lefty and good friend, who was protected on the 40 man roster. He's the epitome of a crafty lefty, working a fringe fastball with a plus plus changeup and pinpoint control. Of the available players, Osuna seems like the most likely to be selected, particularly with his success at AA Mississippi and the fact that he'll be just 22 in 2010. His stuff would play well if he were used as a situational lefty out of the bullpen and he could even make waves at the back of the rotation for a bottom of the standings team.

Matt Young, OF: Though he was named the top center field prospect by Talking Chop, Young didn't appear on the top 25, mostly because he will be 27 next season and has only played a handfull of games above AA. But, while he may not be an ideal prospect, he could be exactly what a team is looking for in the Rule 5 draft. He has absolutely no home run power, but he hits a fair amount of doubles and a ton of triples. He also steals bases, setting team records for Mississippi the last two years, and gets on base at an above .400 clip. Though his arm is below average, he has the range to cover centerfield and began his career as an infielder so a team looking to store him could find many uses for him off the bench. His inability to play right field, he could cover the ground but never make the throws, might scare some teams off, as might his inexperience above AA, but he could be an interesting, and cheap, option for a bad team.

Possible, But Unlikely To Be Selected

Barbaro Canizares, 1B: Canizares, who made his Major League debut with the Braves in 2009, recently passed through waivers without being claimed, making it unlikely that he will be selected, since teams oculd have had him on their roster without the limitations created by the Rule 5 draft. Things change in the course of a few weeks, so it's possible that a team could choose to take him and use him as a power bat off the bench, or even the right handed part of a platoon at first base or designated hitter, but it's more likely that they'll see him for what he is, a 30 year old defensive liability who lacks the power to justify being a DH and who wears down as the season goes on.

Brian Barton, OF: No stranger to the Rule 5 Draft, having been successfully plucked from the Indians by the Cardinals in 2008, Barton could be an interesting option for a team looking for a 4th or 5th outfielder. Despite only appearing in one game for Atlanta, he played well enough for Gwinnett to suggest that he could thrive off a Major League bench again, but, as with Canizares, it seems unlikely for a player who's already passed through waivers unclaimed to get selected in the Rule 5 Draft.

Erik Cordier, RHP: 2009 was Cordier's healthiest season and while he doesn't have the near 100 mph stuff he had when the Royals made him a 1st round selection, he still has a strong, live arm and he could intruige some teams as an option out of the bullpen. But, given that he doesn't throw as hard as he used to and that's he's had some problems with walks (5.5 per 9 innings in 2009), he probably won't be picked.

Kevin Gunderson, LHP: Named the 6th best relief prospect by TC, Gunderson's funky delivery could intrigue teams looking for a lefty out of the pen. But, he was fairly ineffective against lefties last season, allowing a .321 average to them. The fact that the Braves chose to protect Lee Hyde, a lefty who's barely been able to take the field for the majority of his career, ahead of Gunderson on their 40 man roster, is telling, and may be why he remains within the organization.

Ryne Reynoso, RHP: After getting his feet wet as a reliever, Reynoso has been a consistent starter for Myrtle Beach and Mississippi the last two years. He's an interesting player, but he doesn't have the kind of top notch stuff that teams typically look for in the Rule 5 draft.

Eligible, But Unlikely To Be Selected

2B JC Holt and 3B Van Pope both have AAA experience, but neither have hit enough to merit much interest. RHP Michael Broadway and LHP Tim Gustafson both have interesting arms, but netiher have the stuff or the petigree that teams look for. OF Jon Mark Owings is basically coming off a lost season because of a rotator cuff injury. and didn't show enough constistent contact to indicate that he could handle Major League pitching right now. OF LV Ware and OF Luis Sumoza are both too far away from the Majors to merit much interest.

Rule 5: You do talk about the Rule 5 draft

DanUpBaby — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:00:18 -0000

Nothing exemplifies the Hot Stove season quite like worrying about the Rule 5 draft. Most of the players don't stick it out all year; most of the ones that do are eventually traded for Ronnie Belliard or Blaine Boyer; and most of the time it would be completely absurd to spend time thinking about this. Fangraphs won't return my calls, but according to my new WARP/seconds-in-your-limited-lifespan converter most of these guys peak around fifteen, twenty seconds. (Brian Barton, simply because his nickname was briefly "Enunciate It", broke the curve at forty-five.)

But it is November, and I already did a VEB Theater, and though it kills me to say it there is no baseball going on at Busch Stadium. So let us take solace in the dim light of this good news: the Cardinals will probably not lose a useful player to the Rule 5 draft this year. In approximate order of near-term usefulness:

ALLEN CRAIG
WHY WE SHOULDN'T BE THINKING ABOUT HIM: He doesn't really have a position; he's a minor league slugger who played in the PCL, so his numbers are vaguely suspicious; he strikes out too much and doesn't walk enough.
WHY WE WILL ANYWAY: He's looking more likely every day to spend significant time in left field in 2010, and there's a non-zero chance that he has a hot month while David Freese burns and Tony La Russa is suddenly convinced he can play third. He's never crushed a league, but he's also been extremely consistent level to level—in his three full seasons he's always hit .300, always hit 20 home runs, and always managed an OBP over .365. If the Cardinals find a left-handed outfielder they're comfortable with he is the ideal short side of a platoon.

JON JAY
WHY WE SHOULDN'T BE THINKING ABOUT HIM: He might be the platonic representative of the Cardinals' more conservative draft inclinations—he's almost guaranteed to be a likable fourth outfielder, but he's almost guaranteed not to be a likable third outfielder.
WHY WE WILL ANYWAY: He cowrote the Federalist Papers, and every dollar the Cardinals don't have to spend on a fourth outfielder who can play great defense and get on base a little is a dollar they can spend on the player who is consigning him to the bench. If pressed into service on a full-time basis he probably wouldn't hit much worse than Harold Ramis did last year, although the only thing we have to suggest his defense would be as good—I have the distinct impression that he was drafted as a defensive "tweener"—are a year and a half of minor league numbers.

ADAM OTTAVINO
WHY WE SHOULDN'T BE THINKING ABOUT HIM: His career minor league ERA is 4.15, and his career minor league BB/9 is even higher. In the high minors he's basically been Todd Wellemeyer.
WHY WE WILL ANYWAY: He's a first rounder, so we have to think about him, up to and including the moment in which he crushes our dreams. We were only allowed to stop thinking about Chance Caple last June. In addition to that, Ottavino's always been a Stuff Guy, and not a Results Guy; this is good for him, and bad for us. lboros's expert scouting report set me back about three years, as far as forgetting about him as a front-line guy goes.

In any case, he's too good a Rule 5 pick to not put him here. He's exactly the kind of starter who gets drafted, pitches fifty innings for a non-contender in the Brad Thompson role, and spends a third of the season on a rehab assignment for Rule 5 Syndrome. In fact, if he were playing for another team, we would be including him on a list of players for whom the Cardinals should dump Brad Thompson on the eve of the Rule 5 draft.

TYLER NORRICK
WHY WE SHOULDN'T BE THINKING ABOUT HIM: The Cardinals have Trever Miller and the Diner signed through 2010, so for once we don't need to worry about LOOGY free talent. He walked nearly seven batters per nine innings last year.
WHY WE WILL ANYWAY: He's probably better than Carmen Cali. Against lefties, his strikeouts-to-hits ratio was 2.5, which is awesome. His first name is Floyd, which is awesome, too.

DARYL JONES
WHY WE SHOULDN'T BE THINKING ABOUT HIM: He followed up 2008's breakout campaign with a breakdown campaign, treading water in AA Springfield. He's not a good 2010 option, even though we were hoping he would be.
WHY WE WILL ANYWAY: He's DJ Tools! He runs like a gazelle! He leaps like a gazelle! He no longer hits like a gazelle! He's the top hitting prospect on a team that doesn't have any, and he's got a skill-set that's become more popular in the outfield corners in recent years. He's not nearly as MLB-ready as Brian Barton was, but somebody might grab him anyway.

BRYAN ANDERSON
WHY WE SHOULDN'T BE THINKING ABOUT HIM: I don't think anybody's thought about him since last March.
WHY WE WILL ANYWAY: You remember Charles Cutler, who we all watched fly up the prospect lists this year with a great high-average low-power season in the low minors? Bryan Anderson is five months younger than Charles Cutler. Anderson was rushed through the system, but until going down with injuries this year he had displayed his one tool, hitting for average, at every spot. So far he's stuck at catcher.

He probably shouldn't be Molina's back-up this year, if the Cardinals have any long-term plans for him—because he's still only 23—but he's interesting enough at a position where offense is at such a premium that if keeping him on the roster were contingent to, ah, keeping him on the roster, some club would do it.

FRANCISCO SAMUEL
WHY WE SHOULDN'T BE THINKING ABOUT HIM: Adam Ottavino's career walk rate, which is a concern, is a little more than half of Francisco Samuel's walk rate. I have nothing else to say about that.
WHY WE WILL ANYWAY: It takes exactly two good weeks for our opinion to change about middle relievers, and the Cardinals traded every single righty relief prospect who was ahead of him on the depth chart before 2009.

MARK HAMILTON
WHY WE SHOULDN'T BE THINKING ABOUT HIM:

WHY WE WILL ANYWAY: After threatening to join Mike Ferris in the annals of great college sluggers who didn't do anything in the Cardinals system he was nearly as impressive as Allen Craig in an abbreviated season spent between AA and AAA. It seems like we've been thinking about Hamilton a lot longer, but they're the same age, and Hamilton's hitting prowess is less BA dependent. He might be the most underappreciated player in the Cardinals' system.

If something were to happen to—no. No. For the Cardinals Hamilton will never, ever, ever, ever play regularly, ever, don't even consider the possibility, but for another team in the Rule 5 draft he could be Chris Shelton.

Top-5 Off-Season Questions for the Atlanta Braves: #5

gondeee — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:42:03 -0000

More photos » by Mark Avery - AP

Ryan Church and Kelly Johnson may not find themselves in the Atlanta Braves plans for 2010.

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We conclude our look at the top-5 questions facing the Atlanta Braves this off-season.

Question Five: To Tender or Non-Tender

One of the repeated questions I was asked on blog-talk radio shows this season was how long Jeff Francoeur was going to be in a Braves uniform. My repeated answer, and one that I put in post after post on this blog, was that he would not be in a Braves uniform through the end of the season, but that the Braves were unlikely to just release him. The logic followed that the Braves had built this guy up too much to just "waive" him goodbye, they had to get a warm body for him. Enter the Ryan Church trade. Church gives the Braves a player that they can cut ties with without the big media frenzy and the fairweather fans screaming, "but not Francooerrr." By trading him during the season, at least there was the distraction of games to be played to misdirect attention.

So there you have it, the Braves will release Ryan Church this off-season. Church is a third-year arbitration case who made $2.8 million last year, and would likely get a raise to over $3 million next year regardless of his 2009 numbers. That's way too much for an oft-injured fourth outfielder.

The Braves will also release Kelly Johnson this off-seaosn.

Wow, I really said it. This is a very similar situation to the Marcus Giles situation several years ago (which actually was the impetus for moving Kelly to second base). Giles was coming off a poor season in which the Braves had a tight payroll and through arbitration he was due a big raise. The Braves tried and tried to trade him, but every other GM knew that the Braves couldn't afford him, and they didn't want to give up players and more money by trading for him. This is exactly the situation we find ourselves in with KJ. Yes, Cox came out and gave Kelly a vote of confidence, but I bet you can find a similar quote from Cox at the end of the 2006 season about Giles, and Marcus had a much better year that season than Kelly did this year.

As much as many Braves fans like Kelly, the fact is he just hasn't lived up to his promise, and the Braves can't pay him many millions just to see if he finally will next year. Yes, the Braves will try and trade him, and we'll hear plenty of rumors, but that ain't happening, and the Braves will release him.

Brooks Conrad will also be non-tendered. As good as he was for a few weeks during his mid-year call-up, he was only 1-for-18 as a pinch hitter -- that one hit was a three-run game-winning homerun in his first at bat as a Brave. The Braves may offer him a minor league contract and another invite to spring training, but not a major league contract or a guaranteed spot on the 40-man roster.

Brian Barton, gone. Greg Norton, mercifully gone. Buddy Carlyle will probably get released, but with an eye towards a minor league contract and an invite to spring training. Ditto for Jorge Campillo.

Eric O'Flaherty, he'll be back, as he was a pleasant surprise. I can't see the Braves parting ways with any other pitchers, other than the ones listed above and the annual parting of the ways with Vladimir Nunez. I get this feeling that there will be a lot of new faces added to our bullpen or potential bullpen mix this off-season. Bobby Cox needs more relievers he has confidence in, and I feel there will be a lot of auditions going on in spring training.

Matt Diaz will be offered a contract, and will get a hefty raise -- this is one of the reasons I think he'll be a prime trade candidate. He's good, but the Braves covet a power bat, and they may be able to match up with a team who would prefer the Diaz approach to hitting. I would rather keep him, but as I said in the first post today (question one), I don't see how he fits in the outfield with Heyward and a power bat that would presumably play left.

That's all for the top-5 questions, I hope you enjoyed them. I initially thought these five questions would be just one post, but they sort of spiraled out of control, so thanks for reading (if you've gotten this far).

Atlanta Braves Minor League Recap: 9/3 (Danville Wins The Championship!)

cbwilk — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 07:04:20 -0000

Brandon Jones hit 2 doubles and drove in 2 runs for AAA Gwinnett.

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Norfolk 3, Gwinnett 2

B. Jones 2-4, 2 2B, RBI
B. Barton 2-4, SB
J. Halama 5.1 IP, 3 R, 2 K, 3 BB

A steady, soaking mist fell all night and so did the G-Braves. After getting rocked in the first inning, 912 year old John Halama actually pitched very well, no small feat given the conditions. Brian Barton and Brandon Jones continue their late season surges, with Jones continuing to show the extra base power that he lacked before the beginning of August. Gwinnett falls to 2 games behind Durham in the division, but maintain their 3.5 game lead in the Wild Card. If they win tomorrow against Norfolk, or if Syracuse loses their game, they will clinch a spot in the playoffs.

Carolina 6, Mississippi 5

B. Hicks 1-3, HR (9), 2 RBI
K. Kirkland 3-4
T. Gustafson 7 IP, 3 R, 3 K, BB

Brandon Hicks contininues his late season surge, and I think we're all hoping he can continue this into the AFL and restore some faith in his prospect status. Tim Gustafson is making up for lost time and successfully making the conversion from reliever to starter, as he throws his 4th straight quality start.

Myrtle Beach - Off

the Pelicans will begins their season-ending 4 game series against the Winston-Salem Dash (worst name ever!) tomorrow night.

Augusta 1, Rome 0

M. Minor 5 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 9 K, 0 BB
M. Mehlich 4 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 4 K, BB

This is getting pathetic. Maybe nobody told the Rome offense that the season doesn't end until Monday. With another dominant pitching performance wasted, Rome has now gone 41 innings without scoring a run. Wow. And Agusta's lone run was unearned, so they're not even playing defense well. Mike Minor hasn't really been tested in the Sally League, as he's now allowed just 1 run and struck out 17 in 14 innings. We'll see if he can continue that success in the AFL.

Danville 5, Elizabethton 0

O. Marval 2-3, 2 RBI
M. Crim 9 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 5 K, BB

Appy League Pitcher of the Year Matt Crim was dominant all season for the D-Braves, so why should the league championship be any different? Crim followed up Brett Oberholtzer's dominant performance in Game 1 with a gem of his own as the best team in the league made things official. Behind a pair of RBIs by DH Osman Marval, the Danville offense scored 5 runs, 4 more than they needed, and the Danville Braves are the 2009 Appalachian League Champions.

Atlanta Braves Minor League Recap: 8/31

cbwilk — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 06:10:07 -0000

Gwinnett 8, Durham 6

G. Blanco 5-6, 2 R
W. Timmons 3-5, 2B, R
B. Conrad 2-4, RBI
B. Canizares 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI
C. Burke 2-5, 2 2B, RBI
B. Barton 3-5, RBI
T. Redmond 5 IP, 5 R, 6 K

The offense ran wild in this game, racking up 18 hits, including 5, good for 2 runs, off former Brave Jeff Bennett. Brooks Conrad manged a few hits and an RBI in his final game with Gwinnett this year, as he'll join Atlanta tomorrow along with Clint Sammons and Luis Valdez. Brian Barton followed up yesterday's 2 hit game with 3 tonight and August was his second best month of the season.

Mississippi 2, West Tennessee 1

W. Cabrera 1-4, HR (8), RBI
K Kirkland 2-4, 2B
T. Jones 3-3, 2 2B, RBI
R. Reynoso 7 IP, 1 R, 2 K 5 BB

Willie Cabrera and Travis Jones continue their fine work of late, accounting for both M-Brave runs. Since the All-Star break Cabrera has hit .356 with a .922 OPS while Jones has hit .311 with a .860 OPS. Both are only 23 (though Jones turns 24 in November) and they've done a lot in the second half to retain their marginal prospect status. Ryne Reynoso puts up another solid start in a season where he's reaffirmed and perhaps increased his prospect status.

Wilmington 3, Myrtle Beach 0

C. Fuller 2-3
E. Cordier 4 IP, 3 R, 5 K, 4 BB
C. Rodgers 2 IP, 3 K

The Pelicans eeked out only 3 hits and struck out 16 times. In addition to their poor offense, they had Chris Shehan playing center field and Cole Miles playing short stop, so I'm sure the defense wasn't very pretty either. Chad Rodgers pitches in his 2nd game for Myrtle Beach and just 5th of the season after missing most of the year with elbow problems. He's been one of the Braves better prospects, so hopefully he'll be able to return to Myrtle Beach next year and post a successful, injury-free season.

Rome 2, Charleston 0

Y. Campusano 2-3, 2B, RBI, R
L. Sumoza 2-4
R. Barba 1-3, 2B
D. Delgado 7 IP, 0R, 7 K, 3 BB

Rome made the most of their hits in support of an outstanding outing by Dimaster Delgado. The 20 year old has had a very fine season for the R-Braves since joining the team in June, posting sub 3 ERAs in both June and August. 24 year old Ryan Barba, the second oldest player on the team and full time short stop, get a hit to nudge himself over the Mendoza Line.

Kingsport 12, Danville 2

C. Harrilchak 2-3
R. Spanjer-Furstenburg 1-3, HR (8), RBI
C. Bethancourt 1-3, HR (2), RBI
M. Crim 1 IP, 2 R

Matt Crim must have liked losing so much he thought he'd try it again. The Appy League Pitcher of the Year didn't really get a full start in though, and I'd assume it's so he can pitch in one of the league championship games later in the week. League MVP RSF slugs out yet another homer, as does my favorite teenage prospect, catcher Christian Bethancourt.

GCL Braves 5, GCL Yankees 3

D. Falcon 2-4, HR (3), RBI
K. Farrell 3 IP, 1 R, 3 K, BB

The Orlando Braves finish out their season with a win, finishing out their season 26-34, dead last in their division and 5th worst in the league. I guess the Braves save all their short season wins for Danville. I sort of remember Daniel Falcon playing 3B for the DSL team last year, but he played LF in this one. Either way, the 20 year old had a so-so season, definitely a disappointment compared to last year.

Atlanta Braves Minor League Recap: 7/24 (Heyward is a Freak)

yondaime4 — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 03:10:34 -0000

Lehigh Valley 5, Gwinnett 7

JC Holt 2-4 3B, RBI, K, SB(12)
B. Barton 1-3 HR(5), 3 RBI

I would like to write more here but there just wasn't a whole lot ot get excited about despite the 7 runs. Francisley Bueno started the game but only pitched one inning before being pulled (I think this was rehab for him) for John Halama who pitched a solid 5 innings. Brian Barton's 3-run shot was the difference maker in this game.

Mississippi 10, Tennessee 0

J. Heyward 3-5 2B, HR(2), 3 RBI, BB
C. Rodriguez 3-5 RBI
S. Diamond 6IP 7H 0R 2BB 5K

I really don't want to talk about Jason Heyward in every recap, but he just doesn't give me much choice. He is now batting .417 as of the end of this game and has 9 XBH in his last 10 games along with 7 walks. I am completely in love with this guy, but I must temper this. He needs to get at least 100 ABs in Mississippi before going anywhere else, and probably closer to 150 (I don't think he can get up to 200 there this season). If he is still hitting over .350 come the end of August he might force the Braves hand on a September call up. Not to be overlooked, Scott Diamond pitched an excellent game (along with the bullpen).

Myrtle Beach 10, Winston-Salem 1

C. Lee 1-5 HR(3), BB, K
C. Johnson 1-4 HR(25), 2 RBI, BB, K, SB(10), CS(6)
G. Rodriguez 3-4 HR(3), BB, K
J. Thompson 6IP 2H 1R 3BB 5K

Cody Johnson did not want to be completely bested by Jason Heyward tonight. His contact rate is still way down this month with his batting average sitting at a cool .206 for July. Gerry Rodriguez is still hitting the ball well in the Carolina league and has posted an OPS that is equal to the one he had in Rome (.776).

Rome 4, Hickory 2

Y. Campusano 2-4 3B
L. Sumoza 2-4 RBI, K
Z. Spruill 7IP 2H 2R 1BB 7K

Zeke Spruill is starting to get a second wind (not that he has ever been especially bad this season) and has 28 Ks in his last 24IP with only 14 hits allowed. He has been just as impressive over the long haul as well not allowing any more than 3 ER in any of his last 10 starts and only allowing more than 2 walks in one of those. He still maintains a 4:1 K:BB rate for the season, which is spectacular.

Danville 6, Bluefield 9

M. Jones 1-3 HR(3), 2 RBI
O. Marval 2-5 2B, RBI, K
J. Teheran 5IP 7H 5R 2BB 4K 9-2 GB-FB

Danville blew our chance at the organizational sweep, but we still get the full season sweep (currently dependent on the team in Atlanta winning) I don't know where Julio Teheran has been, but he came back a little bit rusty. Really the killer was a 3-run homer that he gave up, his other components were fairly solid as you can see.

GCL Braves 2, GCL Phillies 3 - 7 Innings

K. Rose 1-4 K
J. Hanson 1-4 2B, RBI, K
R. Pacheco 5IP 6H 2R 2BB 3K

Hey look, complex ball!

GCL Braves 2, GCL Phillies 4

J. Dalfonso 1-2 2B, BB
K. Farrell 5IP 6H 4R 3BB 3K

More complex ball!

Glavine, Campillo, Barton, Medlen, Hanson, McLouth... a busy Wednesday for the Atlanta Braves

gondeee — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 02:40:16 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

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After the Atlanta Braves came back to win Tuesday's game in extra innings, the players waited patiently for Wednesday's game, but the Braves front office was busy moving players up and down between the majors and minors, trading players, and parting ways with a Braves legend. Here is a recap of the day's events:

They placed pitcher Jorge Campillo on the DL for the second time this season with rotator cuff tendinitis.
They recalled outfielder Brian Barton.
They announced that they had released future Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Glavine after they deemed he could not pitch at the major league level. Glavine said he was surprised and disappointed.
The team announced that Kris Medlen would move to the bullpen.
They announced that they would recall top prospect Tommy Hanson to start against the Brewers on Saturday, making his major league debut.
Just after game time they announced that they had traded Charlie Morton, Gorkys Hernandez, and Jeff Locke to Pittsburgh for outfielder Nate McLouth.

Quite a busy day for the Atlanta Braves and their fans, and one with a lot of emotion, shock and excitement. The news of Tom Glavine was not the way I think many people, including Tom, wanted his career as a Brave to end. The news that another Tom, Tommy Hanson, would be finally called into big league service is what Atlanta fans have been waiting for all year.

At the end of the day the Braves strengthened their outfield (something they tried to do all off-season), acquired a lead-off hitter, strengthened their bullpen, and added the most promising pitching prospect they've had since Steve Avery to their major league rotation. I don't think anyone had any idea all of this would happen when they woke up this morning (probably not even the Braves front office).

Atlanta Braves Minor League Recap: 4/30

yondaime4 — Fri, 01 May 2009 04:34:31 -0000

Gwinnett 5, Pawtucket 0

G. Blanco 2-5 RBI, K
B. Barton 3-5 2B, RBI, SB(3)
B. Canizares 1-3 2B, 2BB, K
D. Hernandez 3-4 2B, 2 RBI
V. Pope 2-3 2 2B, BB, K
T. Hanson 6IP 3H 0R 2BB 9K

Man I think that is the most guys I have posted in one recap, maybe ever. 15 base runners and only 5 runs. Oh well can't pick too much. This was a classic Hanson start. he gave up all three hits in the first two innings (BTW as I am writing this Buster Olney is talking about Hanson's start on BB Tonight). After giving up two hits in the first inning he went on to get 17 of the next 19 guys out with 7 straight before he exited after 6 innings. He got up to 92 total pitches, his first start over 85 on the season. His ERA sits at 1.69 right now and I can't imagine he could be any more ready for the the Show. He just needs a spot to open up for him now. Also, Diory Hernandez is hitting .372 on the season with a .926 OPS. I still don't like his game.

Montgomery 9, Mississippi 2

W. Cabrera 1-4 2B, K
E. Campbell 2-4 2B
P. Britton 1-4 2B, 2 RBI

Stupid Mississippi being in a different time zone as everyone else and making me post this an hour later than I should. The big news here, at least for me, is that Willie Cabrera came off the disabled list today. He's not a huge prospect to a lot of people, but he has a solid all around game with some power in his bat and he is only 22. He and Concepcion Rodriguez could sneak up on some people this year when they finally start to make some adjustments to the league. Also, how is this team 9-10. on paper they should be a juggernaut!Also the team released 2B Javier Guzman today leaving them with only 24 men on the roster. Impending movement elsewhere?

Myrtle Beach - Off

Rome 1, Lexington 13

L. Sumoza 2-3 BB
G. Rodriguez 2-4 2B, K

Tim Gustafson is on the comback trail after missing nearly all of last season recovering from Tommy John Surgery. He was OK in his first couple of games back but today he gave up 6 runs in a 1.1 innings. Then someone named Brandon Beachy came in and gave up 7 runs in 2.2 innings. Not good at all. But Gerrardo Rodriguez continues to rake with a .325/.365/.613 line. Woot.

Tuesday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:21:29 -0000

More photos » by Jim Prisching - AP

Corey Hart, who has apparently not been photographed since dying his hair over the weekend, is off to a nice start and has some encouraging things to say about his new approach.

Browse more photos »

Some things to read while hanging out in Nashville with Richard Sterban of The Oak Ridge Boys.

If you would have guessed that Todd Coffey would be the Brewer getting the most attention two weeks into the season, you probably could have won a fair amount of money. Coffey is profiled in the JS this morning, in a story that makes it sound like he really needed a change of scenery last fall.

Don't let Coffey's performance trick you into thinking the bullpen is fixed, though: As Chuckie Hacks notes, Brewer bullpen pitchers not named Coffey have combined to post a 6.00 ERA in 30 innings. Take out Mark DiFelice and it jumps to 6.65.

Speaking of problems that aren't resolved yet, Brewed Sports rips a hole in the argument that Jeff Suppan has made a sudden transformation.

On the other side of the coin, we have Corey Hart. The Official Site takes a look at his altered approach in 2009, and his new philosophy on selecting pitches to hit might be the most encouraging thing I've read all spring.

After the always popular road off-day, the Brewers open a three game series with the Phillies tonight. It doesn't sound like weather will delay or postpone any games in the series, but it doesn't sound like it will be pleasant either. Weather.com is predicting on and off showers in the afternoon and evening today and again tomorrow. Perhaps Philadelphia needs a visit from Brick, the bad weather hating bactrian.

Down on the farm:

Mat Gamel and Brett Lawrie are on Baseball America's Prospect Hot Sheet. (h/t FanShot)
Baseball America's Minor League Transactions notes the Brewers signed 26 year old infielder Kevin Melillo to a minor league deal. Melillo has spent five years in the minors and hit .260/.348/.444 in AAA over the last two seasons. He's also among today's top performers in the Minor League Notes.

The Brewers had two rough weeks, so for some it's obviously time to give up on them: The Hardball Times Dartboard has them at 23rd and Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star dropped them from 14th to 26th.

I'm guessing every reader of this site has already heard that Corey Hart and J.J. Hardy dyed their hair black over the weekend. The story is several days old, which makes it even more impressive that the best headline was a late entry: "The Brewers Will Win or Try Dyeing."

Around the league:

Braves: Acquired Brian Barton from the Cardinals for Blaine Boyer. Also, Brian McCann will see an eye doctor today regarding blurred vision that has kept him out of several games.
Marlins: Placed reliever Andrew Miller on the DL with an oblique strain.
Mets: Signed Wily Mo Pena to a minor league deal.
Padres: Reacquired utilityman Chris Burke from the Mariners.
Red Sox: Placed Rocco Baldelli on the DL with a hamstring injury.
Twins: Placed reliever Jesse Crain on the DL with shoulder inflammation.

So, even though it's only been a couple of weeks, there have been several occasions in game threads and elsewhere where Ken Macha's decision making has been called into question. If you're one of those consistently baffled by his moves, Joe Posnanski wants to hear from you.

The sky is still falling: Baseball Digest Daily reports attendance from the first two weeks of 2009 is on pace to be 6.9% lower than last season. Here are the problems with that number:

As Fox Sports notes, attendance is always down in April and September because of weather. They don't mention it, but attendance is also down in April, May, some of June and September because kids are in school.
As noted ad nauseum, two new ballparks opened in baseball's largest market this spring, and they're both smaller than their predecessors.

In a related note, Bleed Cubbie Blue takes a look at the forecast in Chicago today, where rain and snow are expected and the high is only 46, and wonders if baseball could do more to keep early season baseball out of the cold. It's an idea that seems good in concept but will never work: Giving more April home games to teams like the Brewers would give them more low-attendance dates and cost them high-revenue home games later in the season. Warm weather and dome teams wouldn't, and shouldn't have to, agree to that deal.

Sometimes statistical analysis drops to a new low: The Book blog discusses the merits and value of a 3'2" pinch hitter.

Oh, and I'm starting a recipe blog.

Drink up.