Today is the only split squad game of the spring for the Braves. For the uninitiated, a split squad is where the team takes half of their players one place and half another place. Usually one of the games is a home game, but this is the rare away-away split squad.
I'll be taking the long and stop-lighted drive down Irlo Bronson to Osceola County Stadium to take in the Braves at the Astros. No, I did not want to drive two hours each way to the Gulf Coast; not after the 7 hour journey from Atlanta yesterday.
I'll be watching Kenshin Kawakami take the mound, followed by Manny Acosta, Michael Dunn, Jonny Venters, and Craig Kimbrel. Had I chosen to go to Dunedin and see the Braves take on the Blue Jays, I would be watching Kris Medlen, Stephen Marek, James Parr, Juan Abreu, Kyle Cofield, and Lee Hyde.
I'm gonna hit the road and hopefully get a good ticket. I may tweet some updates from the stadium, or I may try to mobile comment, we'll see.
0 recs | 69 comments
I’ll be at Osceola stadium today too. Awesome stadium, great food. Way better than Disney.
I’m sitting behind the braves dugout and I’m the dude wearing a braves headband (oh yeah) if any TC’ers want to say hi.
Sid Bream's Moustache - March 14, 2010 via mobile
I'm assuming
heyward will be teleporting between the two games today? :-)
SidKotchman - March 14, 2010 via mobile
Nope, he’ll be playing both at the same time. No need to teleport.
ATLforlife - March 14, 2010
Heyward doubles to deep center field!
Scott Coleman - March 14, 2010 via mobile
Anybody know
where I can listen to radio of the game?
bravesforever16 - March 14, 2010
either game
bravesforever16 - March 14, 2010
If you have an iPhone, blackberry or android phone you can on the MLB At Bat 2010 app. Definately worth it.
Scott Coleman - March 14, 2010 via mobile
Yeah
I did that and the next week my IPod Touch broke.
bravesforever16 - March 14, 2010
That sucks man
Scott Coleman - March 14, 2010 via mobile
B mac just hit one that hasn’t landed yet in Kissimmee! Bout 430 to deep right center!
I also got a wave from Bobby. Best day ever
Sid Bream's Moustache - March 14, 2010 via mobile
Nice!
Meds is throwing well in the other game and JHey ripped one to center for a double.
Scott Coleman - March 14, 2010 via mobile
nate...
is now batting .048 and striking out at a ridiculous rate.
ryan c - March 14, 2010
quick
someone steal his contacts!
atl192485 - March 14, 2010
Worst case scenario
Do we keep Nate 3 months if he can’t get it together? Does he lose the leadoff spot? Is the leadoff spot the problem?
bighop - March 14, 2010
....
with his track record, you gotta think he’ll get it together.
ryan c - March 14, 2010
I agree
but with the eye/contract difference from last year, what if his abilities changed. We thought Frenchy would be a good hitter, he turned into a black hole. I’m talking worst case.
bighop - March 14, 2010
Nate at least has a track record. With Frenchy all we had was “hope.”
FineHamAbounds - March 14, 2010
he will be fine
I think we need to give him a chance to hit lower in the lineup though so he can find a groove
willlinn - March 14, 2010
not indefinitely... just for a bit
willlinn - March 14, 2010
leading off
might be his problem. I’ve read repeatedly that he doesn’t like hitting lead off. Since coming to Atlanta his K% has gone up and his SLG has dropped. Now he’s batting .043 and rarely making contact it seems. Either send him back to the Optometrist or lower in the order. If it’s just an adjustment issue with the contacts I’d have him doing double time in the cages. We are going to need him in 3 weeks.
bighop - March 14, 2010
Heyward k’s looking in his 2nd AB, but it’s 3-0 braves
Scott Coleman - March 14, 2010 via mobile
Prado
with a 2 RBI single and Thurston an RBI out. No link, no radio,no clue, following the box score sux!
bighop - March 14, 2010
Sounds like Prado ripped it up the middle.
Scott Coleman - March 14, 2010 via mobile
I second that
bravesforever16 - March 14, 2010
so much for parr's chances...
ryan c - March 14, 2010
Parr is getting destroyed
Scott Coleman - March 14, 2010 via mobile
how so?
ATLforlife - March 14, 2010
3 hits 1 BB 3 runs in 0.1 innings
bighop - March 14, 2010
hits
include a double and a triple
bighop - March 14, 2010
yikes! That’s…horrible.
ATLforlife - March 14, 2010
yeah
like gas on a fire!
bighop - March 14, 2010
count him out
willlinn - March 14, 2010
joe thurston....
goes deep…sigh.
ryan c - March 14, 2010
really?
HR? trying to take Conrads advantage away
bighop - March 14, 2010
Yeah
Conrad and Thurston are doing well this spring and if its a tie Thurston will get the spot since he’s the vet
bravesforever16 - March 14, 2010
thurston has nothing to offer...
ryan c - March 14, 2010
Who loses
the spot on the 40 man, Blanco or Marek? I think Conrad gets it for that reason.
bighop - March 14, 2010
thurston and conrad...
isnt it nice that its a hard choice between the 2 so far?
willlinn - March 14, 2010
mclouth with another k....
what is going on with him?
ryan c - March 14, 2010
We want the real McLouth back
…not the McLousy we’re seeing this spring…
SwedishBrave - March 14, 2010
heyward with another double...
he’s ridiculous!
ryan c - March 14, 2010
Beast mode
[ON] off
Scott Coleman - March 14, 2010 via mobile
I'm thinking
Heyward might be pretty good, you know…servicable
bighop - March 14, 2010
frasor plunks diaz with an up and end pitch....
matty d is pissed.
ryan c - March 14, 2010
Diaz
is the best show in baseball when he gets mad
bighop - March 14, 2010
somebody make diaz t-shirts
willlinn - March 14, 2010
Manny Acosta just got shelled for two straight bombs. Bout 450 a piece. Ouch
Sid Bream's Moustache - March 14, 2010 via mobile
So much for Manny’s nice spring
bravesforever16 - March 14, 2010
Same ole Manny,
time to turn him loose, imo
HEYJUDE - March 14, 2010
I’m not 100% sure, but this might have been the first time he faced the middle of a true MLB order (Pence, Lee). Since they’re both righties, I would say his chances are dwindling fast.
LeeTro - March 14, 2010
Acosta
is pretty good against AAA batters, but ML kicks his butt
bighop - March 14, 2010
BMac with another BOMB to RF!
Scott Coleman - March 14, 2010 via mobile
B mac just hit his second jack if the day. He is absolutely murdering the ball
Sid Bream's Moustache - March 14, 2010 via mobile
Nice to hear Mac is heating up.
HEYJUDE - March 14, 2010
he is so sick when he is fresh
we’ve gotta let ross play more games this year
willlinn - March 14, 2010
Heyward rocks one to 3rd...
But a nice diving play and throw got him at 1st by a step. 2-4, 2 2Bs 1K
Scott Coleman - March 14, 2010 via mobile
This is really confusing.
justincredubil02 - March 14, 2010
apparently, in the Braves/Pirates game, the braves have loaded the bases 3 times and failed to get any of those runs in. Ouch.
justincredubil02 - March 14, 2010
*astros.
justincredubil02 - March 14, 2010
Geez, brings back memories of last year,
get them on, but can’t get them in.
HEYJUDE - March 14, 2010
I think we have been fairly abyssmal with bases loaded in ST so far.
justincredubil02 - March 14, 2010
I'd give anything to see those Heyward doubles/McCann bombs
kreese555 - March 14, 2010
I wish we had more split squad games this spring...
not a lot, but a few more, as it gives more innings to let people work, especially young guys like Freeman, Hicks, etc.
Mr. Sanchez - March 14, 2010
Freeman has had a real nice spring so far
Scott Coleman - March 14, 2010 via mobile
Plenty of innings, but no radio. I’m looking forward to FSS on Tues and Wed. Pretty good day for a bunch of players, Medlen, McCann, Heyward, Thurston, Freeman, Prado, Cofield. KK got a little rocked, Acosta and Parr suffered, McLouth just seems lost. I can’t stop thinking about a Diaz, Cabrera, Heyward, Young outfield, that would be quite a downgrade.
bighop - March 14, 2010
Medlen has been awesome.
I’m wondering what the Braves would do if Derek Lowe struggles mightily again this year, and we have Medlen in the pen. Do we really give Medlen a chance to succeed and put a 15 million dollar man in the pen?
alligatorimpersonator - March 14, 2010
Last year
We traded a hometown legend in Francoeur, Kotchman, benched Kelly Johnson and outright dumped Tom Glavine. I’d say anybody is fair game with Wren at the helm. Lowe and McLouth are in a different group from Acosta, Chavez and other fringe players who struggle, but I don’t think anybody is guaranteed anything anymore.
bighop - March 14, 2010
reply fail to alligator
bighop - March 14, 2010
And that’s how it should be. If you suck, contract status be damned, we’d rather try to win.
J-Freak - March 14, 2010
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