SB Nation User Blog: traphicg

McGwire gives me hope

traphicg — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:34:51 -0000

Hey ya'll - i've brought this up before but didnt hear much about it. Or, rather, dont remember hearing much about it. Its something i've been thinking about for a long while, ever since Chip helped Mac with his swing a few years back. I bring it up now because its been hard to hear about ANYTHING else in St. Louis than the new batting coach, but also b/c its the offseason (Yankees suck).

Do you think Chipper could, would, or should be our future batting coach?

I personally think he should. I also think that if Bobby was a bit younger and had more on a contract, Chip for sure WOULD. Right now, given the new hirings and changing face of the front office, I'm not so sure.

But my deep down gut (heart) feeling thinks (hopes) that in the next several years, we'll see Chip as batting coach and Smoltz as pitching coach.

Who are you rooting for in the playoffs?

traphicg — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:17:19 -0000

It seems as though the darkness has swept over this once-ecstatic world series bound town of St. Louis. Its very difficult, as well as dangerous, to NOT follow and root for the Cardinals if you take residence here. Red covered everything, half days and early clockouts expected, Pujols jerseys accepted as "business casual" this week, and sales and deals on ANYTHING a seller can spin as playoff related (2nd Big Mac for free on Cards game days, Playoff Pitcher (of beer) deals, and red colored foods that dont need to be)..... I'm obviously pushing for the Cards to make it and win it. Busch Stadium also opens up all doors after the 7th inning, playoffs or regular season, so if the WS makes it here again, we all get to PARTY for the ends of the games. For free.

Just wondering where Braves fans' leftover emotions are pushing them this year....

Who are you rooting for?

"Smoltz tipping pitches"

traphicg — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 17:48:55 -0000

"Smoltz tipping pitches"

I, for one, get pretty pissed off when I read this crap. I've mentioned a million times that I live in STL, so I get a lot of this stuff first hand whenever it happens. Its amazing to have Smoltzy down the street, but not amazing to actually have conversations like this.

Grow up Cardinals - you just signed an HOF lock (LOCK!!!) and you're suggesting his success in his first amazing start was due to something YOU informed him??? lol

All-Star Festivities.... live from STL

traphicg — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:56:47 -0000

Happy Mid-Summer to everyone!

I dont post too much, nor do I fanpost at all really, but I couldnt pass up this opportunity. I live in St. Louis and have been for around 6 years. It's a fantastic baseball town, and it is common during playoffs for businesses to close early for day games, dress codes to be thrown out of the window in favor of Pujols' jerseys, and a palpable excitement at events such as this week's.

Just a few thoughts.

Since last Thursday, there has been celebrity sightings and long lists for reservations at restaurants. By yesterday morning's news, there was a list of restaurants closed to the public, a handful of parties open to the public, and more flotsam and jetsam loosely related to baseball.

For a small fee there's a Fan Fest going on at the football dome, but highly geared towards children, and autographs and other meet and greets arent really going on there so much. I'm sure there are some, but its more of the kids time to experience the game.

Since President Barak will be here, Busch had to abandon all home rules - no reentry, no smoking, no plastic bottles allowed in. A friend who ushers there said the water bottles are a concern - someone in the upperdeck could launch a full Evian towards the prez and kill him, and the rest of us will have to pay 7 bucks for water.

Hanley Ramirez is having the only player-sponsored party open to the public on tuesday night. Jim Edmonds', Mike Shannon's, and Albert Pujols' restaurant/lounges are having closed parties, with some celebs mentioned like Billy Bob Thornton, Tommy Lasorda, and Edward Norton.

I'm rambling, trying to think of all the coolness going on. Really the only reason I posted this is b/c this town is literally electric right now. I'm ticking off the seconds until I ditch my car and take the metrolink downtown. I have no tickets and no desire to be in the stadium tonight - there is one section of Busch that the balls surely will come out to the streets, and a bunch of my pals and I are going to try to catch some. Kinda like the kayakers at Pac Bell a few years ago.

Its wild. I cant stand working anymore - if you're a baseball fan, this is amazing. Like the super bowl but freakin better.

HeLowe heLowe heLowe!!!

traphicg — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 18:50:14 -0000

I know i havent been around much at all in several months, but I finally took some time to read up a LOT about Lowe, the Smoltz sitch, and even back to Furcal. So, i feel up to date and ready to go. I wanted to drop a piece about Lowe, and maybe someone will holler back.

I'm very pleased with this deal. I'm impressed with Lowe's attitude, despite being a Boras client, and he seems appreciative that the Braves just basically gave him whatever money ol' Scotty wanted. So with that, I am confident he'll bring good rapport and very good clubhouse assistance, leadership, etc... he was always a class-act guy, and you felt like you rooted for him from afar. I remember switching to alot of those dodgers games when AJ, Furcal, and Betemit were playing, and Lowe was a good dude to see up there.

Compared to the other options, i'm VERY happy. Peavy was a blown deal and a disaster from the get go, and on the Braves homepage, he breaks it down really nicely about the costs and years per Burnett, Peavy, and Lowe. It seems like we paid what we could expect, but ended up SAVING money, and guaranteeing LESS years than we almost had to. It seems great!!

Almost done - Smoltz leaving is sad as hell, but its not so clear who's "really" being the "baby" in this. Lowe can bring good leadership and skills, similar to Smoltzie. And if he's still trucking away the way he was until recently, Lowe should be able to continue his regimen and stay healthy for this contract.

And, hello??!!?!?? What about when Huddy comes back? If all goes well, we would have the two best sinkerballers in the MLB! Our 1-2 punch would be great, and game time would probably average 2 hours!!

But the final point comes back to his attitude. If pitchers go to the Yankees, it would'nt have been a good match with us anyway. Perhaps i'm sour grape-ing the AJ and Peavy, or doing the opposite with Lowe, but I just feel good about this whole offseason all of a sudden.

Go Larry....

Mr. Glass.......

traphicg — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:19:08 -0000

I'm sure hoping I can fill 75 words while talking about this %#%^ *!$ steal we took from the Rockies years back. I dont know if I need more than a few though.

Ha.

That's what I had originally envisioned.

But seriously, I doubt anyone on here even actually considered his return a possibility. Even through all the stupid BS we've been hearing, about how he's optimistic, Hampton could improve the rotation, etc..., I didnt seriously think we'd ever see him pitch again. So, this new addendum to the Glasstastic Voyage is really a much needed humorous chapter. Funny in a haha way, not in a "I better laugh or I'll cry" way we're so familiar with.

I think the Braves need to get their asses beat. Someone should throw at their heads, behind them, whatever, but get them charged up. I dont recall seeing one before, but if the Bravos had a bases clearing brawl, and it went either way, I think that might charge them up into playing as a ^#%$ team for a change.

Doubleheader last night

traphicg — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 03:31:43 -0000

I just thought that a new fan post about last night's game would be more effective than adding to that thread. And, I guess, I'm assuming that people want to talk more about last night's awesome marathon. At least I do, or would want to point out a few things. It was RIDICULOUS! It was awesome at times, and excruciatingly tense and boring at others.

Yunel went 4-9!!!!!!! Thats crazy.

Mac came in late, really late, and still went 0-5. What's up with that?

Chip, of course, manages to turn a 9-plate appearance into an amazing line. Wow. I saw it and I dont believe it. 3-5, 4 BB, HR, 3B, 2 RBI, 3 R..... COME ON MAN!!!!!!

Gonzo, wow, his snake charm is something else. I mean, when its a save opp, he is just ALL over it. Its like he's feeling the ball and pitch surge through him, he's just SO anxious and ready to pitch, he wants it so bad, all while he's almost taunting the batter. He's just like begging them to step in, they dont even have to be ready. In fact, often, they're so off their timing that they just get locked up. He shut Beltran down last year near the end for him, and I remember thinking these same exact thoughts. I LOVE THIS GUY!!!! I've liked him since the get go, and wished he was the 8th inning man, when they had Gonzo-Rafi-whomever that i dont remember right now.

I'm just totally for this guy, and we should be locking him up good. We cant wait around for Smoltz to see if he'll be the closer, and Rafi's "mysterious" aches are too reminiscent of my old school homeboy Steve Avery. "Uhh, where'd my speed go?" Yeccchhh, i'm worried for him.

11 INNINGS of scoreless relief!!!

Again, I saw that with my own eyes, and just flat out cant believe it. As a matter of fact, it sort of pisses me off with this proof that our team IS good, and that they just dont play well together, per se.

Yeah, so's i was just thinking i would get down on this first, since, i figured, if I devoted 4+ hours to baseball already, I should give it a little more. You know, close it out right.

Those damn Astros and their need to play epics with us.

Happy trails.

Only one more for Huddy....

traphicg — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 02:38:42 -0000

Now, granted, when Smoltzie and Glavs (and Mr. Glass) were slated to be in our rotation, I had even loftier expectations for Hudson - i thought maybe if pressure was taken off of him, he could relax and get his true ace form back. But, as the season grew, and injuries SURMOUNTED even the biggest skeptic (read: Mets fan) prediction, I've sort of slated Hudson for a nice run this year with a lot of wins and few losses - and the ever present woulda-been's, blown-by-whomever-tonight bullpen fiascos leading to the no-decisions.

So, in my head, i've had Huddy lined up to go something like 18-8, 20-6, 19-7, etc, for the season. I think that's reasonable to assume someone in his shoes should strive for at least.

But now i'm looking at those loss totals, and averaging them out (i mean, i'm not Beard, but I do think I remember how to figure an average from 3 numbers) scares me. By my calculations, Huddy better start winning and hoping for no-decisions, b/c he's on pace to have HELLA losses. I'm not bashing him, not at all, I love the guy. He gives it his all, its his life, he wants to succeed, and he's not FYF.

I guess I'm trying to start a new conversation about Huddy, to see what everyone else is thinking. B/c damn, he's the guy we all thought was the sure-fire W, the dude who you knew would bring it home. And lately, victory is being spelled J-U-R-R-J-E-N-S.

8-6...... damn......

"...occasional lumps..."

traphicg — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 05:41:26 -0000

I didnt actually think reading about the Braves tonight was going to make me feel better, but I was cracking UP at this... LOL!!!! This is classic - from the same mailbag about the Tex trade:

Manny Acosta and Blaine Boyer are still learning and that's why they're taking their occasional lumps in some pressure situations.

Oh, occasional lumps? Like, "occasionally" Acosta gets a strike? Or like FYF "occasionally" strikes out with men on?

Injury update: Can you guys help me out please?

traphicg — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:00:12 -0000

I've been trying to keep up. I have, honest. But, with the 6 game sweep, and the road trip with the Halos lingering, i took a few days off of Braves. Thankfully, too, since they won a series actually.

But part of this Braves fast, even before it included the actual games, was that I stopped reading all the reports, articles, and seemingly by-the-minute injury updates.

What this post is intending, is to have all our injury info on one post for quick reference. Currently, i feel like I have no idea what's going on. I see posts about Hampton and Glavine in the same sentence. I see Soriano gone. Gonzalez? Who? I didnt even catch a follow up about Smoltzie.

So, it would really help me out if we could get this all out here. Who is injured, why, and what is the expected outcome? Desired outcomes maybe should be held off on until we can get the facts straight.

Thanks ya'll, whoever will end up posting a lot.