SB Nation User Blog: Doghnut

Even more Stark

Doghnut — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:17:34 -0000

Even more Stark

From Stark:

Home Of The Brave

If the Twins make it into the postseason, it will be amazing. But if the Braves make it, it will be downright historic.

This team was 8½ games out in the wild-card race with 21 games left in the season. And now, with seven games to go, these same Braves are only two out in the loss column.

So if they can stampede back this week to overtake Colorado, the Braves will go down in history.

The Elias Sports Bureau reports that before this outfit came along, only one club in history -- the 1964 Cardinals -- had ever been 8½ games back in September and lived to make up that entire deficit and play a postseason game. So the Braves would tie that record if they win the wild card.

But the last date on which those '64 Cardinals were 8½ back was Sept. 5, when they still had 27 games to play. So the Braves would be the first team to trail by that many games as late as Sept. 11 on the calendar, and with just 21 to play on the schedule. Oh, and one more thing: If they somehow blow by the Phillies and win the NL East, they'll own all these records unto themselves, since they were a whopping nine games behind the Phillies after games of Sept. 9.

The Braves have made up this ground by going 14-2 over the past 2½ weeks, with both losses coming against Philadelphia last weekend. The Braves finish the season with three home games against Florida (the Marlins are 4-2 at Turner Field this season) and four at home against Washington, a team they're 5-0 against in Atlanta and 9-4 against altogether.

It's official: Sanchez gets the nod

Doghnut — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 12:35:32 -0000

It's official: Sanchez gets the nod

We all knew it was coming...now we can stop talking about it!

Frenchy out

Doghnut — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 03:13:54 -0000

Frenchy out

"Francoeur has a torn ligament in his left thumb, leaving New York without its right fielder and top hitter."

Everyone thinks the worst part about the Mets' season is their injuries, but I think a different part about that statement is MUCH worse.

Hampton Insurance Settlement

Doghnut — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 18:04:07 -0000

Hampton Insurance Settlement

Not huge news, but the Braves apparently reached some settlement over Mr. Glass' injury time.

In fairness to LaRoche, he wasn’t the only one in the clubhouse that was a bit overdramatic. The t...

Doghnut — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:40:43 -0000

In fairness to LaRoche, he wasn’t the only one in the clubhouse that was a bit overdramatic. The team hung McLouth’s jersey near a photo of him … next to a lit candle.

The Bucs aren't responding well to McLouth's departure.

When he comes up in two weeks, he's going to be something special...

Doghnut — Fri, 29 May 2009 15:47:28 -0000

When he comes up in two weeks, he's going to be something special...

Kevin Kernan, ESPN First Take on Tommy Hanson

Bowden out

Doghnut — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 16:40:50 -0000

Bowden out

Yes, I'm linking to another SBN blog. Bowden has resigned in Washington.

Braves Rift

Doghnut — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 20:05:43 -0000

Once again, I have stolen from MLBTR who posted a link to sabernomics. Some of you who regularly ready Terrence Moore at the AJC (I do not) may have already seen this (sans the sabernomics analysis). For the rest of us, it's got a few interesting bits in it, mostly about an apparent rift between Bobby Cox and Hank Aaron. Sabernomics attempts to put the dots together and connects the Cox-Aaron rift with other problems within the Braves.

I'm not sure what any of this means for the organization. Maybe it means we are spiraling down the drain, maybe it means nothing. Either way, I thought many of you would find it interesting.

http://www.sabernomics.com/sabernomics/index.php/2008/09/a-divorce-on-the-horizon/

Chipper Interview

Doghnut — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 01:14:19 -0000

I stole this from MLBTR, but it's an interesting read. Thought you guys might like to take a gander..

It's a little long, but worth it if you have the time..I thought the tid-bit about Tex blowing the reporter off in the first paragraph was interesting...the rest is mostly about Chipper and his career...

This line was especially interesting: " And he informs me that a shocking number of major leaguers tip their pitches. "I would say if you face seven pitchers in a week, four to five of them are doing something that gives them away." He talks about how for nearly a decade he owned one pitcher, a former frontline starter for the Astros named Shane Reynolds. "I was watching film on him one day, and I saw that he was holding his glove differently when he threw his split, his fastball, and his curveball. I hit .400 o him, lifetime, because I pretty much knew every pitch he was gonna throw." Eventually, Reynolds was traded to, of all places, Atlanta. "I walked over to him and introduced myself," Jones recalls. "I said, ‘How are you doing? I’m Chipper. Nice to meet you. You’re tipping every pitch.’ And he sat there with his mouth open for like ten seconds. I said, ‘Every pitch. And we need to fix it.’ I took him into the video room and showed him, and it was like somebody had shot his dog. He was devastated that for the last ten years he had been tipping his pitches.""

Also, on Chipper's potential to be resigned: "Will he play for the Braves in 2010? “Whether we can sign him is not just a function of our desire or our want or our hope,” says Schuerholz carefully. “It’s a function of what his expectations become. We have great admiration for him, and we recognize clearly what his value is to this team. And we will measure that against what we believe to be his real, true ability to continue to function at that level. The reality of our business begs that we recognize the fact that it would be a really unusual development if he were to remain here.”"

http://men.style.com/gq/features/full?id=content_7467&pageNum=1

Fantasy Baseball

Doghnut — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 19:39:17 -0000

So, I haven't really played FB for a few years now. I used to play 6 or 7 years ago with AOL (they had a FANTASTIC system), but haven't seriously played since then.

I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions of good (free) sites for FB. I played fantasy football a couple of seasons ago at ESPN and a few seasons ago at CBSSportsline (not sure if they even have FB...) and wasn't too impressed with either.

I was hoping there would be a better site than ESPN...otherwise, I will play with the WWL. Anyone have any suggestions?

Update [2008-3-5 13:17:39 by Doghnut]: Thanks guys. Decided to go with Yahoo. I already started two teams.