2005: the year the Braves lose the division

He'll be on the DL by July 4.

This was my first taste of Joe+Jon this season, and they were in fine form -- that is, they were being dumbasses. I feel bad for Jon Miller, though. He's like the Jim Ross of baseball broadcasters -- he much better than he appears to be because he gets dragged way down by his stupid colour commentator.

Also to his credit, he almost had the game-winning hit (a nice-looking extra-base liner to right-center), were it not for nice throws by Abreu & Polanco to nail the runner @ the plate (who happened to be a catcher fresh off the bench). I have to give kudos to the Morgan for his observations re: why the Braves floundered. Morgan is much better when he's discussing in-game happenings instead of theorizing about why stuff works or doesn't work.

Also, Mattbot OTM re: runs scored by way of pitcher errors should most definitely be EARNED. Of course, I have to finish campaigning for getting reliever's ERAs corrected to account for Inherited Runners Scoring before I start working on that issue.

Nice TBS matchup tonight, Hudson-Clemens.

Someone change Jayson's pants!

Hopefully he can proceed to crater completely (he's only got one BSV despite the 6.00ERA so he's 'getting the job done'), so that Chris Reitsma can take the closer job.

OH OH OH OH OH you're being too hard on him -- after all, he picked up the hold! HMMMMMM???

However, I'm all for Reitsma earning the closers job and rescuing me from the basement of the saves category in the ILB Fantasy League.

(It'd be kinda fun to create a fake BBTN blog & make up posts for all the talking heads on there, wouldn't it?)

Closers overpaid? Gitouttatown!

I AM IN A WORLD OF SHIT

By DAVID O'BRIEN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 05/18/05

SAN DIEGO — The longest Braves road trip of the season is turning into the most brutal two weeks of Dan Kolb's career.

The Braves closer lost his job after blowing another save — and another potential win for John Smoltz — when Kolb allowed two runs in the ninth inning of a 3-2 loss to the San Diego Padres on Tuesday.

Manager Bobby Cox said Wednesday that Kolb (1-4, 6.48 ERA) would move to middle relief and the Braves would "piece together" the closer role by committee.

"It's building a little too much," the manager said, referring to the late-inning meltdowns in general and to the scrutiny on Kolb, who has blown two saves on the trip and three in 13 opportunities this season. "We need to straighten it out before it explodes. That's what we're doing."

The Braves didn't need a closer Wednesday when the Padres beat them 8-4 to complete a three-game sweep. Atlanta dropped to 3-6 on a 12-game trip that concludes with a weekend series at Boston.

Atlanta blew eighth- or ninth-inning leads in four losses on the trip.

"I totally understand [the Kolb move]," third baseman Chipper

Jones said. "The time has come to make changes. We should have a bigger lead than we do."

Atlanta's lead in the NL East is down to a half-game over Florida.

"It's been a rough road trip," said center fielder Andruw Jones, who's done his part with six home runs. "The starting pitchers are pitching great. Even the bullpen, they manage to keep us in the game. It's just the last three outs — we've not been getting the job done."

Cox said any other reliever could be used in ninth-inning situations for the immediate future, depending on matchups, who's rested and who's hot.

Adam Bernero, Chris Reitsma, Jorge Sosa and left-hander John Foster seem likely candidates, along with Kevin Gryboski after he returns from the disabled list.

Kolb, who is a $3.4 million middle reliever until further notice, looked distraught after Cox met with him Wednesday morning. "You've just got to respect what he says," Kolb said, looking away as he answered a reporter's questions. "He's trying to do what's best for the team."

Kolb blew two saves in six days, costing Smoltz two potential wins.

Smoltz, the former closer whose shoes Kolb has failed to fill, allowed four hits and one run in eight innings Tuesday and left with a 2-1 lead. Kolb surrendered two runs, three hits and two walks in the ninth while recording one out. He walked the first batter he faced for the sixth time.

First batters are hitting .231 with a .474 on-base percentage against Kolb, after hitting .177 with a .219 OBP against Smoltz during the 2002-04 seasons.

Pitching coach Leo Mazzone was asked about getting a game's last three outs.

"Some pitchers make it a lot more difficult than it should be," Mazzone said. "You can't [walk the leadoff man] in a one-run game. Or any save situation, really. It comes back to get you."

Kolb said after walking Ryan Klesko to start the ninth Tuesday, "Leadoff walks don't bother me. I'm a ground ball pitcher; I can get double plays."

Cox wants Kolb to work on command and use his slider and changeup more.

"I pitch the way I pitch," Kolb said of that suggestion. "I'm a fastball guy. I'm getting ground balls now. I'm just going to try to keep going [at] guys."

He has the fourth-highest ERA among NL relievers, second-highest walks rate (16 in 16 2/3 innings), and fourth-worst baserunners-per-nine-innings (18.4).

On May 11 at Colorado, Smoltz allowed four runs (three earned) in eight innings and the Braves scored three in the ninth for a 5-4 lead. Kolb allowed two runs in the bottom of the ninth and recorded one out.

"Smoltz pitched great in Colorado and he pitched great [in San Diego]," Andruw Jones said. "But if you don't get the last three outs, you're not going to win. . . . I'm sure [Smoltz] is frustrated a little bit. You wish he could go nine, but you've got to pass it over to those bullpen guys because they've got a job to do, and that's what they're here for."

It was the fourth time on the trip that Atlanta blew an eighth- or ninth-inning lead, Reitsma and Kolb each picking up two losses and two blown saves.

Kolb is popular in the clubhouse, but teammates agreed with Cox's decision.

"It's very important for the team," Chipper Jones said. "Things aren't working, so he's going to change it up a little bit. We got some questions down [in the bullpen], no doubt. When you have a lead in the eighth and ninth inning, you have to close the door."

Smoltz said he felt bad for Kolb. He'd hoped his replacement would get off to a good start to quiet skeptics who questioned the decision to go with a low-strikeout closer who had the role less than two full seasons in Milwaukee.

"It's tough enough answering questions after you don't get it done," Smoltz said. "But the way it's been happening, it's probably getting more people uneasy, because he's got the stuff and he just is not throwing enough strikes. He knows that and he's putting a lot of pressure on himself.

"This is not a fun environment to come into and feel like you have to be perfect all the time."

Oh NO, will the media *freak* like they did with the early '04 Red Sox? "Abandon the ALMIGHTY Single Closer Paradigm?!?"

OMG - Homer Neck Simplex II! "Like, yeah, I'll bring the 88 MPH heat and smoke those bitches!"

I get the feeling I'm the only Braves fan on this board. Familiarity (TBS) breeds contempt?

The next week has the Braves playing the Marlins for four and the Phils for three. The Nationals can't keep their pace up, can they?

The 9th was particularly rough for me because Reitsma is on my fantasy team. That was one cheap/lucky comeback: infield single, single, infield single off 3B's glove after a crazy bounce, infield single off SS's glove against the shift on a very weakly hit ball = 2 runs. That's some wacky shit.

"Up next, Wilson BAIT-a-meat."

Search: one stick of dynamite. Destroy: one ESPN play-by-play man.

Interesting bit after the game last night -- Furcal can't be around alcohol as part of his probation, so he couldn't be in the clubhouse for the champagne spraying. The Braves whooped it up for a few minutes, but then put everything down and went to wherever he was hanging out and celebrated with him. I think Don Sutton said they all sprayed Coke on each other.

http://www.ajc.com/braves/content/sports/braves/0905/27bravesnotes.html

Is he still wearing his uni upside down?