Comments on: Buy or Sell? http://www.braves-report.com/blog/2008/07/10/buy-or-sell/ An Atlanta Braves Fansite Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:35:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Bud http://www.braves-report.com/blog/2008/07/10/buy-or-sell/#comment-5835 Bud Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:10:27 +0000 http://www.braves-report.com/blog/?p=208#comment-5835 BBlackwell: Good post. I agree with you that baseball history is chock full of teams that have taken off in the second half. While the 5-22 record in one-run games is frustrating beyond comprehension, it does show this team has been in games all season long. Just need to close the door on some of them. Geography helps, too. Were the Braves in four of the other five divisions, they'd be out of it and ready to sell. But in the middling NL East, where being average reigns surpreme, 84 or 85 victories might be enough to win the division. And the Braves HAVE to play better in the second half ... or one would think. Gonna play the IF game here for a minute, but IF the young pitchers can avoid hitting the wall innings-wise, and Francoeur plays like the Francoeur we saw in 2005, 2006 and 2007, and Gonzalez continues owning the ninth, and Kotsay stays healthy and Blanco continues settling in at the leadoff spot, then this team figures to grab a few more wins in the late and close games it's for the most part let slip away so far. Had the Braves just won FIVE of those one-run games they lost, they'd be 48-44 and tied with the Mets and Fish at 1 1/2 games back. It won't take much to get back near first place. The next nine games, starting tonight in San Diego, are critical in making that happen, though. After those nine games, the Braves should have a better feel for what to do at the deadline. Go 7-2 or 2-7, and the buy or sell decision is easy. After those nine games, the Braves then go to Philly for three. Need to play well the next two and a half weeks, for that stretch is going to determine if they go for it or start looking toward 2009. Good blog. Enjoyed reading it. Will have to add this to my daily reading list. Bud. http://braves.today.com BBlackwell: Good post. I agree with you that baseball history is chock full of teams that have taken off in the second half. While the 5-22 record in one-run games is frustrating beyond comprehension, it does show this team has been in games all season long. Just need to close the door on some of them.

Geography helps, too. Were the Braves in four of the other five divisions, they’d be out of it and ready to sell. But in the middling NL East, where being average reigns surpreme, 84 or 85 victories might be enough to win the division. And the Braves HAVE to play better in the second half … or one would think.

Gonna play the IF game here for a minute, but IF the young pitchers can avoid hitting the wall innings-wise, and Francoeur plays like the Francoeur we saw in 2005, 2006 and 2007, and Gonzalez continues owning the ninth, and Kotsay stays healthy and Blanco continues settling in at the leadoff spot, then this team figures to grab a few more wins in the late and close games it’s for the most part let slip away so far. Had the Braves just won FIVE of those one-run games they lost, they’d be 48-44 and tied with the Mets and Fish at 1 1/2 games back.

It won’t take much to get back near first place. The next nine games, starting tonight in San Diego, are critical in making that happen, though. After those nine games, the Braves should have a better feel for what to do at the deadline. Go 7-2 or 2-7, and the buy or sell decision is easy. After those nine games, the Braves then go to Philly for three. Need to play well the next two and a half weeks, for that stretch is going to determine if they go for it or start looking toward 2009.

Good blog. Enjoyed reading it. Will have to add this to my daily reading list.

Bud.
http://braves.today.com

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