Didn't I pick a fun game to attend, and apparently I was one of the few Braves fans who chose to attend last night's game. While the official attendance for the game was just over 15,000 (pitiful enough), I would be surprised if there were 7,000 people in the stands. Look, I know it's a weekday and school is back in session, but that crowd was pitiful. At times early in the game from section 402 it was so quiet you could hear the yells of the food vendors from the lower levels. With a crowd like that, it is no wonder that the Braves played what looked like completely unmotivated baseball.
I have no idea how we really lost this game. We had puh-lenty of opportunities to score, and just about everyone in the lineup let us down at some point. I recall a key bases loaded one-out situation late in the game in which Omar Infante popped up, failing to get the runner in from third.
Jair Jurrjens deserved a better fate, he pitched a very good ball game. He loaded the bases in the first, but from my vantage point I blame some of that on Garret Anderson, who loafed over to catch a fly ball that he let bounce in front of him for the first hit of the ballgame. From where I was sitting it looked like a pretty piss-poor effort -- 90% of the crowd didn't notice.
Perhaps more people will realize that the Braves are in town tonight, and that they are actually in a pennant race. I think the loudest the stadium got before the ninth inning (which was a pretty decent comeback, by the way), was when Adrian Gonzalez homered in the third inning. At that point the few Padres fans made their presence known.
If you've read this and you're thinking, "if the Braves would have won, gondeee wouldn't have panned the team and the crowd so bad." Wrong. Maybe it was the drunken frenzy that I got whipped into in the Chop House, but that game, the way we played, and the crowd that "didn't" show up, was damn embarassing.
0 recs | 92 comments
1. Infante: 0-6
2. Prado: 0-6
3. Chipper: 0-4, 1 BB
Yeah, that’ll do it every time.
10-4 - August 26, 2009
Woof…
get swoll yunel - August 26, 2009
thank you for pointing out the GA "loafing"
I kept thinking “he’s going to catch that”…and then he let it drop!!
Doghnut - August 26, 2009
I feel for whomever we put in Center…because he has to cover all of center field and half of left.
NCChopper - August 26, 2009
Now, I think GA has improved tons since the start of the season. He’s shown a lot more hustle. You can’t ask him to sprint. That’s too much. ;)
Gage23 - August 26, 2009
Games like this prove my point that Chipper shouldn’t have been talking about how keeping Hanson in the minors the first part of the season theoretically hurt the team. At no point in the year has starting pitching been the problem. The offense is the problem and has been all year.
cbwilk - August 26, 2009
This a thousand times over!
justincredubil02 - August 26, 2009
Chipper was honestly answering questions that were asked of him.
He has historically been very accessible to and open with the media. In my opinion, this is exactly the way to be, at least 98-99% of the time.
To the extent this leaves him open to criticism from fans who don’t appreciate his protocol for dealing with the media, which he has to do each and every day, I imagine he very seriously could not care less.
fandave - August 26, 2009
So the reporter asked “Chipper, how many games do you think this team lost because Hanson was not called up sooner?”
justincredubil02 - August 26, 2009
it's not the fact that he was honest that we have a problem with
it’s WHAT he said…not THAT he said it
Doghnut - August 26, 2009
I do not understand.
He is allowed in your view to express his honestly held opinions.
But if you happen to disagree with those opinions or interprete those opinions as being unjustified or somehow inappropriate, then its just dandy fine to rip him up one side and down the other.
Does that sum it up?
fandave - August 26, 2009
that sums up fine
He has a right to say whatever he wants. That doesnt make what he says right. And when I think he is wrong, I will point it out.
What is so wrong with that?
Doghnut - August 26, 2009
You can do it and you have. Nothing necessarily wrong with it.
fandave - August 26, 2009
I understand the sentiment behind why Chipper said what he did, and I get why he said it. More than anything, he meant it to be a compliment to Tommy. And I know it’s tough when there’s a microphone in your face every day. But, even with all that, I think a guy who’s been around as long as he had could have found a better way to express what he meant.
And obviously Chipper doesn’t care what i think about what he says. That’s kind of a silly thing to even bring up.
cbwilk - August 26, 2009
Its not all about you. In fact, I didn’t mention you at all.
What I said was “fans” (plural and generic) and was actually thinking about the 90% of the commenters here who instead of addressing the substance of Chipper’s statements, took the opportunity to rip him for having the gall to criticize the GM, having a lousy season, being in a slump, etc., etc., etc.
fandave - August 26, 2009
Sorry, when you directly reply to one of my posts, I assume you’re talking about me.
cbwilk - August 26, 2009
You accused me of being silly for suggesting that Chipper doesn’t care about your criticism. I made no such suggestion.
You and others here have expressed criticisms. This is your right. The point I was trying to make in the first place is Chipper is a public figure and deals with the media constantly, has an approach for doing so and sometimes fans are not going to embrace his comments, which comes with the territory.
fandave - August 26, 2009
And the Rockies won again. 5 1/2 out of the WC. Guuuureat.
10-4 - August 26, 2009
I dont think people realize how hard it will be to catch them
If Colorado goes 18-18 over its final 36 games (HIGHLY unlikely), they will still reach 90 wins.
That means, just to tie them, we would need to go 24-13 over our final 37 games!!!
In reality, we will probably have to catch the Dodgers, which, admittedly, seems like it might be easier at this point. Even still, we will have to go 11 games over .500 the rest of the year AND have the Rockies go .500 the rest of the year just to TIE them.
To put that in perspective, we’ve only managed to go 7 games over .500 through our fist 125 games…
Doghnut - August 26, 2009
All true
But don’t discount the fact that this team is 23-14 since the allstar break — we are playing much better baseball now than we were for the first 3 months. Hope is not lost yet, but it’s fading fast. We basically haven’t made up any ground in the last two weeks, mostly b/c the Rockies and Phils are playing just as good, if not better, baseball than we are.
fphjr01 - August 26, 2009
Schafer, KJ, Chipper, McCann, Francoeur, Anderson, Escobar, Kotchman are not even close to the same team as McLouth, Prado/KJ, Chipper, McCann, Anderson, Escobar, Laroche, Diaz/Church.
Why do people comparing our current team to the team that started the season?
justincredubil02 - August 26, 2009
we are undoubtedly better
but we still lose crucial games (like last night). In the end, i think it might be too little too late
Doghnut - August 26, 2009
Fans are also to blame
I am in San Diego and though this was a VERY important game. I would have miss work to go to this game if I was in Atlanta or Athens or anywhere close to it. We needed the sweep and this first game was critical. The fans did not show up and that DOES make a difference. Is hard to get pump up when your fans don’t care.
I saw the game on TV and notice all the empty seats and I agree there was probably less than 7000 people. What a shame!
jvvenez - August 26, 2009
I know the crowd makes a difference
but you shouldnt need the crowd to score 2 runs against San Diego. We needed 2 runs in 9 innings — they should be able to do that in an empty stadium.
Doghnut - August 26, 2009
Try this for a different perspective:
Since June 28, the Braves’ 33-19 — that’s 14 games over .500
fandave - August 26, 2009
like i said
I just dont see us keeping that up indefinitely. I hope im wrong.
Doghnut - August 26, 2009
Well, haven’t we kept that pace up now as long as we kept the .500 pace up?
justincredubil02 - August 26, 2009
Embarrassing – yep that fits.
Hard to put a positive spin on this one, but we can once again say that the PITCHING was great. Our SPs should not feel that 1 bad bitch and 1 run allowed will be their downfall. The BP did a great job and there really is no excuse for our offense not finding a way to get runs…the Padres gave us baserunners and we failed to execute.
I hope they saw the Padres celebrating on their field last night in their sleep and come back tonight determined to play like we know they can.
They’re running out of time and with the teams ahead of us in the WC winning, we gotta stop losing these type of games.
NCChopper - August 26, 2009
1 bad “pitch” ?
I laughed…
gondeee - August 26, 2009
haha
didnt notice that
Doghnut - August 26, 2009
Oops. Oh well, that’s what I get for posting and cooking the same time.
NCChopper - August 26, 2009
Why was GA in the game.
He had just come back from being hurt and they could see he couldn’t run worth a crap and was sure as Hell not going to run the bases well either,another runner would have scored off LaRoche’s double in the 9th,GA either couldn’t or wouldn’t, pisses me off. It really sent me out of my chair. Bobby needs to get the dust out of his brain and manage!!!
jimmontg - August 26, 2009
who else would play there?
justincredubil02 - August 26, 2009
I meant the needed to put a pinch runner in for him, I know they already did with Gorecki but they knew GA wasn’t running either.
jimmontg - August 26, 2009
who? KJ was used, Gorecki was used, Ross was used. All that was left was Church, and I don’t know if that would have been an upgrade in speed.
justincredubil02 - August 26, 2009
we just have too many hurt players,but had we used Norton yet?
jimmontg - August 26, 2009
yeah. He PH-d in the 7th I think…maybe it was the 8th.
Oh, and he got on base.
:)
justincredubil02 - August 26, 2009
you know I think it is amazing to have such a low average and an unbelievable OBP.
jimmontg - August 26, 2009
When Bobby kept GA at first, the radio guys were wondering why Bobby just didn’t use a pitcher. They pointed out that the best running pitcher, JJ, was already out, so then why not go to someone like Medlen; he’s gotta have more speed than GA, and probably would’ve scored in the ninth. Or maybe Bobby was saving him for extras?!? Either way, someone else should’ve been pinch running for GA and we should’ve won that game 2-1 in 9 innings
GoBravesNY - August 26, 2009
Using a pitcher makes a ton more sense, but then what do you do in the field? I don’t think Boone can play LF.
justincredubil02 - August 26, 2009
under my thinking, the pitcher scores in the 9th for the game winner, so that dilema doesn’t exist. But if they don’t, hey, you can’t get much worse defense out of Boone than GA, right? :). Actually, use a double switch, with Gorecki replacing GA playing LF, DRoss playing C and bring in a new pitcher
GoBravesNY - August 26, 2009
Let's face it this team isn't making the playoffs.
We are just good enough to be over 500 but not good enough to win when we need to.
taney71 - August 26, 2009
agreed
Doghnut - August 26, 2009
Let's face it, there are 37 games left to play.
The Braves will be playing those games and we get to watch and see what happens.
fandave - August 26, 2009
true
at the very least, it will be exciting
Doghnut - August 26, 2009
I'm guessing you haven't looked at the numbers.
We don’t have the history this year of winning games we need to and we don’t have the bats to power our way to more runs.
taney71 - August 26, 2009
How’d that Dodgers series (you know, the one we needed to win), that Nationals series (you know, the one where we needed to win), the Mets series (you know, the one we needed to win) and that Florida series (you know, the one we needed to win) turn out?
I think if you look at the numbers that you seem to be referring to, that you will find they actually support the opposite of your argument.
The power has been there lately (McCann, Yunel, LaRoche, Diaz, KJ). The bats seem to be there every 3 or 4 games, and we have won several rubber matches in a row. I would consider rubber matches in a 3 game series “need to win” games, and the history of THIS team (NOT the team with Schafer, Francoeur, a sucky Anderson and a “what the hell is going on” KJ) supports the fact that they ARE winning these games.
justincredubil02 - August 26, 2009
We are behind in the division and wild card race...
so how do the numbers not support what I said. We didn’t win enough and often blew games we should have won in the first half to 2/3rds of the year which is why we aren’t going to make the playoffs.
taney71 - August 26, 2009
The evidence that I presented contradicts this statement.
The names that I presented who have all been hitting for power lately contradict this statement.
justincredubil02 - August 26, 2009
I don't know what world you live in but
we are going to lose a series to a bottom feeder in the west. We are 10 games behind the Phillies and are most likely out of the wild card race as well. You didn’t present any evidence that contradicts what I said.
And as to comment on your post below, you can’t take away our record from earlier this year. It is what it is and is part of our record for the year. Yes, the team is somewhat different but not good enough to make the playoffs.
taney71 - August 27, 2009
Also, you can't ...
split the team into the Schafer, French, sucky Anderson v. McCann, Escober, LeRoche, Diaz, etc. Regardless of who was playing what position and when all those players made the current Braves record which isn’t good enough to make the playoffs in the time left in the season.
taney71 - August 26, 2009
The current team now is not the team back in April. The current team is playing about .160 percentage points better than the April team. The April team put us in a hole that the current team can and is climbing out of.
justincredubil02 - August 26, 2009
This
Gage23 - August 26, 2009
What Justin said.
fandave - August 26, 2009
I love all of this “we suck” talk after another series opening loss. If we win the next two games, this won’t even be an issue as .667 ball from here on out (As we have been playing since late June) will get us in the playoffs.
justincredubil02 - August 26, 2009
I guess everyone’s down because we almost got shutout by the 2nd worst team and that it seemed like the Braves were not trying their best. Me I’m just aggravated at GA because he could have won the game in the 9th but couldn’t step on the gas.
jimmontg - August 26, 2009
.667 wont necessarily get us into the playoffs
Doghnut - August 26, 2009
.667 will NOT get us to the playoffs now...
If we were winning at that clip a few months ago it would have been another story.
taney71 - August 26, 2009
.667 is respectable enough that if we DON"T make the playoffs, then I can hold my head high and say “well done, Colorado. Your better was better than our better.”
justincredubil02 - August 26, 2009
I agree there
Part of my point is that even if we do play that well — and we very well might — it might still not be enough.
Hopefully, the Dodgers continue to suck horribly (they actually have been slightly under .500 since the AS break, iirc) and we can push them out of the way for the WC. I just dont see us catching the Rockies tho.
Doghnut - August 26, 2009
I agree with you here.
The Braves are playing well but not well enough to make the playoffs with the current state of the division (Phillies playing lights out) and the wild card (Colordo looking good and not losing enough to make a difference for a .667 mark).
taney71 - August 26, 2009
My beef with last night’s game (other than the lack of some miniscule ability to get runners in during the 8th, 9th and 10th innings) was this:
It the bottom of the 8th with the bases loaded and only one out, Omar Infante (who was already 0-for) pops up to SS. In that situation, why in God’s name would you not sacrifice??? This was the IDEAL situation for a squeeze play!
Then, to highlight this missed opportunity even more, in the 9th inning with 2 on and 2 out, Matt Diaz (who is absolutely raking right now, and has been one of our best, if not THE best hitter of late) tries to bunt for a hit. Really???
Bone-headed plays in tight spots cost us that game (and several others this season).
That game was ours for the taking, and we let it slip right through our fingers.
The Padres are who we THOUGHT they were! And, we letthemoffthehook!
justincredubil02 - August 26, 2009
I was shocked at the bunt as well.
WienerDog - August 26, 2009
Of course, if Diaz had beat out the bunt, the Braves would have won and we’d all be talking about what a brilliant play it was. The problem was that it was bunted hard enough that the first baseman could stay where he was. A good idea, poorly executed.
John Holton - August 26, 2009
I forgot about that bunt,I agree, that was ignorant.
jimmontg - August 26, 2009
You know now that I think about it there have been several times a sacrifice bunt with 1 out would have got the runner in. They don’t seem to try for the bunt very often unless it’s the pitcher at bat. The way Omar and Prado were hitting last night it wouldn’t have been a bad idea.
jimmontg - August 26, 2009
or if there is a runner on 1st and less than 2 outs.
justincredubil02 - August 26, 2009
I got two baseballs
And I’m about as apathetic as Garret Anderson is when it comes to shagging them. That’s how dead Turner Field was last night, to justify gondeee’s statements. I’m in the right field stands, chatting with a friend on the phone, and four seats over, plop, Garret Anderson BP homer. I pick it up, and there’s nobody in sight.
Having gotten lucky, I decide to get out of the sun, and walk over to the LF foul territory, which is usually packed, but since there’s nobody in attendance, I’m the only one there. I see Heath Bell finishing his stretching, and I call out to him, and he shakes my hand, and we chat a little bit, and then Edward Mujica lets loose a wild cannon of a pitch that goes sailing a foot away from my head into the seats. I glance back to see six stairs up, not a single fan in sight within reasonable distance to get the ball, and Bell looks at me and says “You better go get that,” which I eventually do since, you know, there’s nobody at the park.
At 6:45 p.m., 15 minutes until game time, there were still less than 8,000 people there. I swear Gwinnett had a better turnout on Sunday than this.
The game itself was a stinker, alright. I thought the exact same thing gondeee did about Anderson’s gliding on the same hit he allowed; had Garret gone into second gear, he would have caught that ball, and I guarantee Reid Gorecki makes that catch. But it’s moot since that hit didn’t cost us, because it was one of those games where the anemic offense did the job instead.
Mat Latos once again made the Braves look like the B-squad we’re capable of looking like at times, and once again the Braves leave Jair Jurrjens winless despite him allowing one run. And once again, the Braves leave about a roster-worth of men on base, with nobody seeming capable of making a RBI-hit. Even the run-scoring single by Adam LaRoche looked like it was going to be caught, but got a little lucky. And man, in the 12th, I had the most morbid thought that if Everth Cabrera didn’t GIDP, and we had to see David Eckstein, something bad was going to happen. Times like that, I hate being right. Oh well. Let’s hope that once again, the Braves can follow a series opening loss, and take 2/3. 2/3 is a good goal, but it’s the losses like this one that really are going to separate the pretenders from the contenders; as much as I hate to admit it, and not want to pay attention, but yeah, this team really is going to need a lot of outside help to have a chance to get into (mid)October.
royhobbs - August 26, 2009
I can remember all those post-seasons and the Braves still had empty seats in the stands. I don’t really consider this a surprise.
Even the games I go to, the crowd never really gets into it. I feel like I’m the only one rooting for my team. I don’t know what it is about some Braves fans that are so uninterested toward their team. It’s sad and completely frustrating when you are at games and it’s so quiet!
I can remember going to Colts game when I still lived in Indiana and the place was always loud (and this was before Peyton Manning was the QB).
I totally agree with you royhobbs that it seems like every rookie pitcher or pitcher coming off surgery makes the Braves look like AAAA players rather than the major leaguers they are. The Braves will score 12 runs one game and then score 1 run the next two. It’s maddening and doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
The Braves starters through quality game after quality game only to have the inept offense to waste them. This series with the Pads should have been a sweep. There is no reason or excuse to lose to the Padres. I didn’t see the pitch Adrian hit out of the park, but why the f*ck are you giving the one great hitter on their team anything to hit.
This team is good, they definitely have the pitching to go far into the playoffs. But can this team get to the playoffs? That remains to be seen. I have faith in this team, and hopefully they will continue to win each series.
Sparhawk - August 26, 2009
So SAD
I think I follow the Braves more from San Diego that most Braves fans in GA. I bougth the MLB package to follow all their games on my PC and have gone to all games here in SD. It is just sad to see the empty seats at Turner Field. JUST SAD! Good post Roy
jvvenez - August 26, 2009
Well,
If you makes you feel any better, the attendance overall for the season hasn’t been totally dismal. There have actually been very good crowds there for most games. I can only think of a couple since summer began that have been really sparsely attended.
sddbaker - August 26, 2009
Hey...
can’t everybody be happy and optimistic for just a day or two? We’re in it! The games mean something! It’s baseball! We aren’t the Mets!
But, if you are going to be a gloom and doomer when we lose, could you not be a kneejerk bandwagon-type fan when we win? Maybe be a little consistent with your opinions on the team’s chances? Just as a favor to me.
sddbaker - August 26, 2009
Amen!
fandave - August 26, 2009
if it makes you feel any better
i’m always fairly pessimistic, even in the good times :)
The only time i’ve felt overly optimistic was right before our last series with Philly, where we had a heavy pitching advantage heading in. Then we sucked and my natural disposition came back…
Doghnut - August 26, 2009
funny
jimmontg - August 26, 2009
Awww, that’s so sweet.
I’m cheerful again! thanks!
Sparhawk - August 26, 2009
No Problem! You are so welcome....
Next time I will use a picture with a kitten or a puppy.
Heck, why wait? Here you go….
sddbaker - August 26, 2009
AWESOME!
Good point. But it does make me mad the poor attendace.
jvvenez - August 26, 2009
Rec'd
Yakker - August 26, 2009
The thing is, I personally am not a kneejerk/bandwagon fan. I consider myself a realist, and its these kind of loses that burn. This has happened multiple times to the Bravos all year. So, I can see why people are really teed off with this loss. No matter what, I love my team through the thick and the thin.
mad_dog_maddux - August 26, 2009
2 things..
Question: Was it GA who was held up at 3rd when we might have had a chance to score, but ended up with bases loaded instead? I can’t remember.
And… WORST JOKE OF THE WEEK came from Fred Hickman in the post game BravesLive broadcast. He was talking about how both at San Diego and now here at home the Braves have been unable to hit this kid Latos. He said the Braves were “Latos Intolerant”. I can hear you groaning from here ….
NCChopper - August 26, 2009
Yes it was GA
And he probably would’ve been gunned down…but I wish he’d gone for it and at least MAKE them get him out.
Hard to believe we had so many scoring oppurtunities and…failed.
WienerDog - August 26, 2009
your question: if you were talking about the ninth- it was GA, and WeinerDog is right, he should’ve gone and made them get him out, OR Bobby should’ve used someone like Medlen to pinch run and send them so we would’ve won.
wait, did Hickman really make that joke. I just threw up in my mouth
GoBravesNY - August 26, 2009
I bet you tasting your bile again was better than that joke.
wow, that was a bad joke and not even funny.
Sparhawk - August 26, 2009
i’m meeting up with my cousins this weekend, and they are all die hard met fans. I can guarantee it will be better than that joke.
GoBravesNY - August 26, 2009
I thought it was kinda funny
TradeAndruw - August 26, 2009
GA
On TV, they said GA’s back was still bothering, and he did look really slow pulling in to third. Seems like if he’d been healthy, they would have sent him, but with the team’s hottest hitter coming up next, it probably was the right move to hold him at 3B.
Yakker - August 26, 2009
i agree
iirc, he had BARELY reached third when the ball made it to the infield.
Doghnut - August 26, 2009
I wish today’s game was a day game so I could get this bad taste out of my mouth.
musicman - August 26, 2009
NOW the season is over
nick9314 - August 26, 2009
The Jurrjens/DIaz/LaRoche show can only go so far. Jesus.
And yeah, imo, if the stadium had been half-way full, we would have won the game. It’s Atlanta’s fault, as much as the Braves. (don’t take that as a shot to the gut, it’s just truth)
Chief Noc-A-Homa - August 26, 2009
you forgot the Hanson/Javy/Soriano part of that show
GoBravesNY - August 26, 2009
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