If it's Monday, then it's the Atlanta Braves fan confidence poll "Classic." As always, this poll and therefore your confidence level should encompasses several areas of the team. These areas include, but are not limited to, the team’s ownership, current management, talent, minor-league system, and general playing ability on the field. The poll will stay open for 48 hours, and then the results will be posted and graphed against the previous weeks.
0 recs | 40 comments
My personal confidence plummets
Any office that trades Escobar at 27 for Gonzalez at 33, or even Escobar at 33 for Gonzalez at 27…I have no confidence in. Gonzalez’s career OBP of .294 is atrocious and its amazing that he is still a major league baseball player. I was pretty upset to get Melky on this team, but I’d rather have a team comprised of 8 Melkys and a pitcher than have 1 Gonzalez. It’s easy to have a career year when you are the worst hitter in a big time power lineup in a hitters park. Now we get Escobar’s worst half season to start with, and an even worse 2nd half from Gonzalez. And Toronto gets a career first half from Gonzalez and most likely a career 2nd half from Escobar.
Sorry, I know this argument is soo last week but I needed to get that off my chest. I’ve honestly lost confidence in that front office. This was a really bone-headed move.
Alex H - July 19, 2010
Escobar was unfocused, made way too many mistakes and was in a season long slump
he was also creating issues in the dugout apparently
I have no problem with the trade, Gonzo is a very capable shortstop and can hit as well. Escobar was not hitting at all
Jtpdolphins2009 - July 19, 2010
Wait a second… the season is over? Did we make the playoffs? Did Heyward get ROY?
vooodooo - July 19, 2010
Bone headed moves or not, I still trust our line-up and great pitching. The front office is disturbingly weird, but I sit at a nine because I know the team is doing great. (First place—Heyward back, Diaz and McCann looking good at the plate etc.)
Until we lose first place, I’m not going to lose confidence.
Joseph_C - July 19, 2010
Who knows...
My confidence is still pretty high after the trade. Yes the trade by numbers may look bad, but there are other things to consider such as attitude and hair to consider.
wadlinger - July 19, 2010
yes i said consider twice...
wadlinger - July 19, 2010
lol
Gotta agree with the hair. That was one thing that needed to go. But I think that when Chipper and Heyward are healthy, our starting SS should be Infante, not Gonzo.
Oh and when Bobby batted Gonzo 3rd in the order, EWWWWW
Alex H - July 19, 2010
i was a nine last week but
the news of McLouths return has me a little nervous this week. the esco trade is still a very iffy move for me as well. did anyone else notice that esco hit a grand slam days after we dumped him. talk about a kick in the pants.
ChitownBravos - July 19, 2010
Oh I noticed
Hes raking over there. Why you might ask? Because just like Gonzo, he’s the least feared hitter in a power lineup in a hitters park. Escobar’s numbers for the 2nd half are going to dominate Gonzos. Not to mention we traded potentially the best defensive SS in baseball at 27 with a few years left of control. Other than the hair there is no justifiable reason for this trade. If he was such a poison in the clubhouse, then why not trade him in the off season when he was considered one of the best SS in baseball and no reason to believe he would fall off? And once again, if hes such a poison, then why are we still in 1st? It couldnt have been so bad that we dump him for nothing. We didn’t horribly need his power bat. He was actually coming around and hitting more line drives and gappers, and saving the 2nd most runs in baseball (referencing a previous post that showed he was the 2nd best defensive player in baseball behind Zobrist). Defense isnt everything, but when its THAT good, yes, I’d say his defense outweighed his offense. This trade really makes me feel like we could be in for a collapse…
Alex H - July 19, 2010
I like Frenchy the man, but not Frenchy the player. Similar to that, I liked Escobar the player (except his few lapses) but definitely not Esco the man. He was haughty and regularly indifferent of what happened. Not always—but enough where it mattered. Team chemistry is more important than defensive ability.
Joseph_C - July 19, 2010
but...
All we keep hearing about is how great team chemistry has been this year. Some players say its the best chemistry they have ever seen on a team. So one player clearly hasn’t brought us down, considering we had the best record in the NL at the time of the trade. Either way that brings me back to the point that if they had such a problem with him and they thought team chemistry was so important, we shoulda traded him at the peak of his value, not when its at its lowest point it has ever been. In the off season we could have gotten a monster package for him. At least monster compared to the 2 guys we got. A career setup man and a career pinch runner.
Alex H - July 19, 2010
Assumptions
You’ve made a ton of assumptions with very little data to back it up. Escobar was mired in a horrible offensive year. He’s been great in the past but that doesn’t mean a thing. Even if Escobar goes on to have a great second half of the season, which I’m not convinced he will, that doesn’t mean he would have prospered had he continued to play with the Braves. Esco is a strong defender, hard to argue that, but everyone acts like Gonzo is a slouch, which he certainly isn’t. As good as Esco? No, but not far behind either. He has already made a couple outstanding plays in his 4 games with the Braves. If he had Esco’s arm, there would be a pretty legitimate argument that there isn’t a downgrade at all.
A couple weeks ago when I saw rumors that Esco might be traded I was pretty disappointed. I’ve always liked him, but the game the weekend before the allstar break where he got Glaus hurt because he nonchalantly threw the ball to him pissed me off. Even then I probably would have forgiven him, had he not earlier in the same inning failed to catch a pop up which he called, just because he didn’t hustle. He jogged out to the ball, called off Blanco, and then let the ball drop a foot behind him. Absolutely ridiculous.
kamujin - July 19, 2010
Data
Gonzalez is a career .294 OBP. And thats not a small sample size. Thats 12 seasons. That is absolutely pathetic. And to prove my point about the ballpark and being the least feared hitter in a power lineup, Escobar hit another HR tonight. Thats right, 0 HR all season and already 2 since the trade. Goes to show you about how inflated the stats are in Toronto. Which means Gonzalez will come back down to earth for us. And earth for Gonzalez is worse than a replacement player. We went out and got a terrible player for a really good player. AWESOME!
Alex H - July 19, 2010
I agree
but it’s past now and everyone needs to move on. The trade makes sense, but it doesn’t make sense
Braves24 - July 19, 2010
The reason to trade him is because Bobby wouldn’t have him anymore. If you can’t get along with Bobby Cox, you’re a problem, because he gets along with everyone.
cbwilk - July 19, 2010
you don’t care to acknowledge the reality of the situation. a troublemaker on a team making a championship run is a cancer. that is the beginning and the end of story. FW apparently needed to make the move. addition by subtraction. insofar as you aren’t on the inside, in the clubhouse, in the dugout, you don’t know exactly why it had to happen, but it did.
fandave - July 19, 2010
BFD. Let the guy play ball, all these old saws about “winning clubhouses” and “team chemsitry” be d*mned.
What does it matter? So the other players hate him? Again, BFD. As long as the dude hits and fields, I could give a good G*dd*mn how he gets along with others.
Yakker - July 19, 2010
side note
escobar was not hitting this year
telemakhos - July 19, 2010
I agree. And the Braves did as well, apparently. He stopped hitting, he got traded.
It’s easy to put up with antics like his when he’s hitting .300. Not so easy when he’s hitting .240 with 12 XBH on the season (for the record, that’s fewer than Diaz and tied with McLouth). McLouth and Hicks are the only two position players with worse SLG% on the season.
-C
cthabeerman - July 19, 2010
Note:
Those stats do not include his time with Toronto.
-C
cthabeerman - July 19, 2010
Still a 10
Decent week, overall. I think the trade is a good move. Chipper alluded to that when he said “It’s a lot quieter over there.” Don’t think we need to make any ther trades, unless an offer too good to refuse comes along.
DawgB - July 19, 2010
I’m not brave enough to be a ten. If we hit the postseason, I will be.
Joseph_C - July 19, 2010
I'm a 1.
How DARE they get beat by Randy freakin Wolf? RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE!
UMDBHIK - July 19, 2010
You going to vote?
Joseph_C - July 19, 2010
If you are going to say it, at least vote a 1. You haven’t even voted yet. hahaha :P
Sparhawk - July 19, 2010
I voted, just without logging in.
UMDBHIK - July 19, 2010
Cheater. :D
Joseph_C - July 19, 2010
Like my grandfather always told me; he said, “Chris, cheaters never lose and losers never cheat. Now give me 20 so I can get me a lap dance.”
UMDBHIK - July 19, 2010
I’m still at a 9. This team wins ugly and nice. They can even come from behind to win. Ultimately, they have been winning series after series.
The minor league system is very good and next few years will be interesting. If Minor is ready for next year and with a glut of other pitching just a year or two away, does anyone feel that Jair Jurrjens will be traded by next year’s deadline since he’s a Boras client?
Sparhawk - July 19, 2010
Yeah, I think Jurrjens will end up being traded. No telling when, but he’s going to get expensive real soon with Minor nearly ready. If Minor gets traded, JJ probably stays another year.
bighop - July 19, 2010
Yep
I think he will be out. Love the guy in the rotation, but he is a very attractive option for other teams. With our great prospects, we can let his value rise then trade him to someone for a nice prospect package. Hopefully that package includes a major league ready shortstop. Even more hopefully, Yunel Escobar. LOL
Alex H - July 19, 2010
Toronto’s got this young kid who’s been raking recently, and he’s really nice with the leather too…maybe the Braves should send a scout up there to check him out.
Yakker - July 19, 2010
yep
I hate it but its true. Boras said JJ will not sign an extension and will go year by year. JJ has been the most consistent arm since 2008. I wish JJ would just fire or make the deal without talking to boras.
Braves24 - July 19, 2010
i hope Scott Boras
gets a venereal disease that makes him sterile so our children wont have to deal with his children getting every f’ing pro athlete paid waaaaaayyyyyy too much money!
ChitownBravos - July 19, 2010
10
3 weeks in a row for me.
RichmondBraves - July 19, 2010
Started to click 9
but ended up an 8….Why? we only split with the Brew Crew….Our Hitting did not improve till the last game of the series…I really, really disagree with the opinion of the “oh no we traded Escobar” crowd. As far as I can tell “The Axe” (new nick name for Alex Gonzo?) Seems a much more focused player…an with/out going into a long explanation I refer to an input by one of our members that said “most people have a breakout year at age 25”
I go one step further….since Unel’s “Breakout” he has emerged with a lack of focus that raises its ugly head at the worst of times. I think this has to be a major warning sign that however great his offensive numbers may have become and however great most of his defensive plays…..The “bonehead” ones were game crushers….added to this his need to try pull every damn ball reminded me of Andruw Jones…I hate to compare in anyway AJ with him because Andruw’s defense never lacked focus and when the game was on the line rose to new hights!
In conclusion we are left with the age difference…The Axe is 33 top age for Short Stop?
I don’t know ask Cal Ripken (yes, last few years moved to 3rd)
bravestatoo - July 19, 2010
Are you
really comparing Cal Ripken to Alex Gonzalez?
Erihury - July 19, 2010
only in usefulness past 33 not in hitting ability
bravestatoo - July 23, 2010
I hope Esco goes onto play well in his career, but I like the trade.
Also I have no doubt that our system can produce another awesome player.
TCfromDubVee - July 19, 2010
I’d like to thank the 15 Brewers fans for meekly attempting to sink the fan confidence number
bravos1984 - July 19, 2010
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