ADD + Procrastination = Baseball Internet Irritability

I still have things I need to finish, but I felt the need to mention this first.

The Dan Uggla trade.  Oh, yes, I'm still on that.  And I haven't even gotten to the Shaun Marcum trade (from the Jays to the Brew Crew) yet!

And no, I am not over it.  I'm over the Yunel trade.  But Yunel went to the Jays, so there was a little comfort there.  Omar did NOT go to one of my teams.  And I still torture myself with an Omar Infante Google alert.  Because I adore him.

All-Star Super-Utility... Mr. I play all positions on the field except pitcher and catcher.  Mr. I can do it all.  No, I'm not going to be over that.  I can very easily say that Omar Infante was one of my very favorites.

And I'm pissed off that I'm being told to shut up about it.

Well, I'm not gonna, damn it.  I'm entitled to bitch and moan, just as you're entitled to celebrate.  I have the right to my opinion, and I can bitch about it if I want.  Don't you tell me that I need to "stop it already."  It has nothing to do with pessimism.  Was it a good trade?  Maybe so.  I really do hope so.  Does that mean I'm going to stop missing Omar?  Lemme think... hmmm.  Nope, not really.

I'm well aware of the numbers, thanks.  I DO keep up with that stats.
In 9 seasons of baseball, playing 770 games, Omar has a fielding percentage of .981, and 83 errors.
In 5 seasons of baseball, playing 769 games, Uggla has a fielding percentage of .980, and 73 errors.

Those are similar defensive numbers, yes?  Yes.  Can Dan Uggla play anywhere else?  Maybe.  Can Omar Infante?  YES.  And no, their hitting stats aren't at all similar.  But see, Infante being the versatile player he is, was always used off the bench, or as a defensive guy.  Or spot starting/subbing for injured guys.  Who knows what kind of hitter he would have become if he had been given an everyday role?  And before naysayers try to tell me I'm wrong... My prime example is Martin Prado--he was "just a utility guy," too.  Besides, YOU don't have proof that he WOULDN'T have become the similar kind of hitting machine that Marteen is.

Let me tell you something.  These guys?  They were always this good.  Just because Braves brass didn't see it or chose not to use them that way does not mean they are LESS THAN just because they're sitting on the bench.  That was part of why the Braves were as good as they were for 2010.  The bench.  Brooks Conrad played a HUGE role in getting us into the playoffs.  And you know who else did?  Omar Infante.

Someone's injured?  You're going to have to do more fancy maneuvering because you don't have Omar Infante to sub in anymore.  Now, we have Prado.  And as much as I absolutely love and adore Marteen, let's not forget that he gets hurt.  And he plays hurt.  A lot.  That's when a second super utility WHO IS HAS ALL-STAR CAPABILITIES would come in freakin' handy, don't you think?

I'm well aware of what Dan Uggla is supposed to be bringing to the table.  And hurray, he's a Brave.  But I don't feel one bit bad about putting high expectations on him.  Because he cost me one of my lovies, and one of my friends' lovies, and I'm still pissed about it.

Normally, I give them (new Braves) a chance to get accustomed.  Dan Uggla, unfair as it might be, ain't gettin' any such chance.  He damn well better dazzle and shine and hit a freakin' home run on Opening Day and every other day that he plays.  He better power us right into the playoffs.  OR I'm going to be pissed all season long.

We Miss Our Lovvies

This is a joint post from Braves Love and Aly♥Baseball.  Hope you like it.

Beginning at 2:08 PM, Lauren messaged me.  The following is basically the chat transcript talking about trades… remember how I said stuff about spidey-senses?  Apparently, I’m not the only one…  (note:  italics are things that weren't in the conversation)

Lauren: Is it bad that I'm super worried we'll trade Mike Dunn?

Because I'm super-worried

And I don't want him going anywhere yet

I just read part of an article on my phone

About someone wanting to trade Beachy + Dunn for Delmon Young

And I almost cried

Alison: I just coughed in disbelief

Lauren: But... Who's trade value do you think is higher? Beachy or Minor?

I don't want Pretty Mouth going anywhere

I'm not as attached to Minor

Alison: I like Meds, Version Tall & Skinny [I think MM looks like Meds when he smiles big]

either way, I'm not super duper attached. I like MM and I like BB. We don't have any lefty starters though...

And Mike Dunn's ass/calves/pretty face have to stay here.

Lauren: <3 <3 <3  Dunn

Again, partial to BB because of the waving

And the smiling

Alison: :D

Lauren: And the fact that he was drafted in 08 and striking out Utley in 2010

Alison: heh

Lauren: That's... Amazing.

At this point, I went to work.  Lauren was babysitting.  I looked at my phone (around 5:20 PM), and this is what I saw:

Lauren: OMG 5-5 )+_ :2*3 (:2 _//

That was supposed to be

DID YOU HEAR THE UGGLA RUMOR

WE WILL CRY IF IT IS TRUE

Alison: Which one????

Am I gonna be pissed??

Lauren: Uggla for INFANTE AND MIKE DUNN

Alison: Uh… NO!

Lauren: Apparently the deal is close to done

Alison: O  M  G

Lauren: I'm seriously sick

I don't want Uggla if it means giving up Mike Dunn. I love Mike!! And I KNOW you don't want to give up Omar. >:(

  x-(

Alison: No

Lauren: I'm going to change this poopy diaper now, and then maybe the smell will actually make me sick and I'll feel better

But

I'm seriously upset

Alison: I feel ill  [I actually WAS ill... this didn't help matters]

Lauren: :'(

Alison: we have some hope;  the Blue Jays are interested in Uggla and I'm sure that they can pull out a better package than the Braves…

Literally minutes after I said that, the deal was done.  But I couldn’t respond since I was actually working, and then, when I got a moment, I didn’t want to be the one to say it… because that would make it real.  However, by 5:49 PM, there was no way to deny it—the news had broken.

Lauren: It's done. I actually want to cry. Driving home now.

680 the fan says Prado in LF

Uggla was told he's at 2B

Alison: yeah.

Lauren: I'm sick.

Alison: me too

Lauren: I don't want Uggla. I want one of my Lovvies back.

Alison: I want my Lovvie back.  omg.  why

Lauren: We need to do a conversational joint post tonight called "we want our lovvies back"

Alison: ok.  I'm down.

Lauren: Because...

Alison: I'm going to cry

Lauren: Prado in LF means Ske and MattE are a no-go

Alison: yeah.

Lauren: I am for real scowling

In my car, at this red light

Alison: honestly, Mike Dunn being traded, I am upset, but not as upset as I am about Omar.

Omar has been my darling from Day 1

(of course, I have so many darlings... but still)

Lauren: vice versa for me

I always liked Mike's mr clean head

But the end of the season, he rocketed to infinity status

Alison: I know.

all I have to say is, if Dan Uggla slumps when he gets here… I'm going to declare that something about the Braves is cursed.

A few minutes later…

Alison:  I knew it, too.

Remember when I was like, "I think we might trade Omar?"

I just didn't know it'd be for Dan Uggla... :(

***Why am I just saying “I knew it, too” without anything before it?  WEIRD!  (7:03 PM)***

Lauren: I can see how the organization would see both boys as being expendable

but I see my desktop wallpaper

and...

not expendable

>:(

Alison: :(

Lauren: http://twitter.com/jcrasnick/status/4683280729251840

Alison: While I'm glad that the Braves were like "hands off MARTEEN"

did it HAVE to be Omar?

Lauren: it's all bad

Alison: this just means I have to go to every marlins game now

Lauren: so Mike and Will Ohman can pose for us ;)

Alison: yes

Lauren: and you can take pics of Omar practicing SS

Will's a free agent again, I think

I need to look him up

well, Omar will practice everything

to stay sharm

sharP

Alison: true, because Omar is the shiz

Lauren: whatt's wroing with me

I CAN'T TPE

*sob

Alison: I feel shellshocked

I mean

I <3 him.

I want to make a "We Miss You, Omar" sign

I hope he gets to start

why is Frank Wren breaking up my Venezuelan Troupe of Man Love?

it's like the cutest bromance ever, Prado and Infante!

Half an hour goes by… Keep in mind, I’m at work…

Alison:  ok.

well

Fredi likes Dan.

I guess that's a start.

Lauren: His name is Uggla

:p

;)

http://twitter.com/gondeee/status/4671754790240256

Alison: the Marlins needed a lefty in the bullpen?

they do not!

also, what??

is he being sarcastic?

Lauren: either way, it's obnoxious

Alison: strangely, I actually do like all the NL East teams.  [I’ll clarify here and say that I like individual players on the Phillies, but NOT the Phillies.  ;P]

Lauren:  yeah, I do too, in a weird way :)

Alison: I've been mostly UN foulmouthed.  [I’m kind of surprised]

I think I'm still bleh, like…

when Gregor was traded I was like, "SOB"

right now, I feel numb.

I think it's because I'm sick

Lauren: I stopped shaking

I think that was blood sugar

but I still feel shocked

Alison: but I feel super just... numb.

and we both know how I felt about the Yunel trade…

there was cursing

I figuratively threw things

And that's that.  We ended this conversation on the phone, after I had gotten off of work (around 10 PM). 

Before anybody accuses me of not putting the team first, that isn't it at all.  I am glad that we have consistent power-bat in the line-up.  But damn it, he came at the cost of one of my darling Venezuelan boys~! 

This is how much I love Omar Infante:  Last season, which was my first time playing fantasy baseball, I stuck him on my team, even though he's a utility guy who doesn't play every day... knowing that when he came back from his hand injury, Bobby WOULD play him.  I did the same thing this year, and he was amazing.  And before anybody decides to say anything "smart," Omar is damn well good enough to be a starter.  That's what made Atlanta's bench so damn good.  (BTW, having Omar on my team really did help me substantially, especially during the second half.)



Trading Omar breaks my heart and weakened Atlanta's bench substantially.  As I said on Twitter, I have the right to be upset about the Braves trading away one of my babies.  Yes, I do.  I can be glad that we landed a power bat, but I can still be upset if the cost was one of my lovvies.  I don't care that it's contradictory, because that's just how I feel. 



I care about winning just as much as the next fan, and yes, I DO look at stats.  Hell, I even draw my own graphs.  I have one about Mike Dunn, actually.  That doesn't mean I don't also appreciate the other aspects of the players--whether or not they hustle (even if their hustle doesn't result in the results everybody wants), what kind of smiles they have (shows that they love playing the game--that's a huge part of it; it's not ALL business), and whether or not their unis fit nicely (I'm sorry, if you're looking at purely numbers, then you're not going to have female fans.  It's that simple).  For instance, Hanley Ramirez puts up nice numbers--buuuuut he might also be a primadonna.  That's the thing:  ultimately, I care whether or not the team wins.  I am a team girl, and I'll always be loyal to the team, even if it's ultimately the laundry that I care about.  Jerry Seinfeld wasn't kidding, y'all; sports fans just care about their clothes being better than your clothes.  ;P  The point is:  I want the Braves to win.  I'm just sad that in order to do that, we had to trade away the BEST SUPER-UTILITY GUY IN THE SPORT along with Mike Dunn. 

As for Mike Dunn, I'll miss you, and your unintentional posing for my pictures, and your calves that I'd take pictures of for Lauren, and your using-your-entire-face smiles.  You may have made me a little nervous, but I hearted you anyway.

Best of luck to Mike and Omar.  (Just... not against the Braves, please... or only do good when your team is losing by like... 5 runs.  Thanks, lovvies.  I'll miss you.)  I hope Omar continues proving guys wrong by having a monster season, and I hope Mike becomes an awesome set-up man.  :)  Just... like I said, not to the Braves detriment, please.  Thanks.  I'd hate to have to root against them..... /sob

I can't believe this was my only Bubbalicious photo of Omar...

Who am I going to call "Velociraptor" now? 

♥

 Also, I can't shake the feeling that Dan Uggla isn't going to put up the numbers he did in the last five years when he gets here.  It's dreadful, I know, and I hope I'm wrong...  I really do.  I want him to be a BEAST.  Monster season.  I like the way he plays.  I just hope... well.  Maybe he'll take a hometown discount?

I'm going to miss seeing Martin at 2B.  I guess it's more incentive for me to sit in the OF to watch my favorite player.  ;)  But with Martin in LF, that means... my other faves Eric Hinske and Matt Diaz probably won't be back.  :(  No secret that I LOVE both Ske and MattE...

So many mixed feelings, y'all.  le boo hoo.



We better win.  And we better win HARD.

Moral of this story:  Don't like the bench players or the relievers--Frank Wren will trade them and break your heart.

Good-bye Omar

Though I never did talk about it on the blog, I did mention my fears to a few of my friends, who then very quickly calmed me down.  I should know by now that I should always prepare myself for the worst when I get that trade spidey-sense of mine.

Examples:
Frenchy?  I called it, though I didn't know it'd be to the Mets.
Yunel?  Gregor?  That nagging feeling about the two of them being traded was in my gut, but I managed to talk myself out of it... only to have it happen.

Yes, I'm calling myself an Atlanta Braves trade psychic.  I might not know where the boys are going to go, but I know that they'll be traded.

And Omar was tingling my spidey sense.

I'm still in shock.  As far as Dan Uggla goes, I honestly thought that the Jays would make some big play for him, and I would have been ok with that.  Uggla at 2B, Aaron Hill at 3B, Yunel at SS?  That infield would have been STACKED.

I am well aware of what the team NEEDS.  I'm still a team girl; I'll always be loyal to the Braves.  But that doesn't change the fact that one of my darlings was traded away along with a guy that I was quickly growing very attached to.

We'll miss you, Omar and Mike Dunn.

Now I really don't feel like making the second half of my gameday post.  Ugh.  I have so many Mike Dunn and Omar pictures.  This is going to be unbearable.


Also, lastly:  Welcome aboard, Dan Uggla.  I swear I'll say nice things about you soon.  Just...

I need a little time to say goodbye to my boys...

Edit:  I don't mean to make it seem like that I won't miss Mike Dunn.  I SO will. He was very smiley and nice.  And he was good.  I like him.  But Omar... Omar has been one of my darlings from the get-go.  An infinity heart.  And he's GONE.  And I'm obligated to root against him now.  :(

Gwinnett Braves vs. Charlotte Knights (25 August 2010)

At long last, I have finally gone through my photos from the G-Braves game.  I like Cool Ray Field.  It's super mellow, tickets are cheap, and it's totally easy to eavesdrop shamelessly on the players if you really want to.  (I sort of wanted to.)  I thought about sitting along the first base line so I could get Freddie photos, but I figured that I'll have plenty of opportunities to take photos of Freddie throughout the years and not necessarily all that many chances left to take photos of Troy Glaus (who was rehabbing and playing 3rd base).  Plus, the G-Braves dugout was actually on the left side rather than the right side.  No photos of dugout antics (le sigh) but nice photos of the players walking back to the dugout.  The photos that didn't turn out blurry, I mean.  I don't understand how I can be so close to the field, and still manage such blurry shots.  My hands are entirely too shaky.

Also, I'd like for everybody to note:  SOCKS UP.  That is all.

JC Boscan & all his gear

Matt Young, who is a pocket person (he's "listed" at 5'9"!)
I want to make friends with him.

Scott Diamond, the game's starter.
He's a cutie.

Mike Dunn.  Check out those calves, Lauren!

Freddie Freeman!

Mighty Mouse & Freddie

Seriously.  The eyebrows are intense.

The big man.  Also, the only person who didn't get the "SOCKS UP" memo.

Joe Thurston
Psst--Lauren... look.

I cannot, for the life of me, figure out who this is! :

EDIT:  I have discovered his name!  He is Wilson Ramirez, of the Dominican Republic.  We got him from the Tigers at the Trade Deadline, just before they finalized the Gregor Blanco trade to Kansas City.  In other words... none of our center fielders in the Bigs can hit are hitting, we're still platooning in the outfield, and we traded away my dollfaced Gregor who consistently hit, and restocked his spot with Wilson here.  Well.  At least he's cute?

Natey getting to CF

Giant Troy signs for teeny kids

Freddie looks like he feels awkward.
Crap, did he catch me taking photos of him too?

:)

Troy about to throw a ball to a fan

I realize that the preceding three photos were somewhat awkwardly cropped.  But Charlotte's third base coach was in my shot, and trust me, the back of his helmet wasn't really all that interesting--just a shiny black blob in the right hand side of my photos.  He, like the Mets' Hale, kept moving into my shots.  /grump

Brent Clevlen, looking intense, yet goofy.

Natey aka Mighty Mouse next to the Knights' catcher,who is a giant.

Nate looks like a Little Leaguer--that helmet is too big!!

FREDDIE!  He looks supremely confident, here, doesn't he?

Yep, THIS guy.

"Hmm.  Have I forgotten something?"

"I know, right??"

 I noticed something just now, after going through these photos.  Look at Troy's batting helmet.  Look at everybody else's batting helmets.  Troy's wearing his Atlanta helmet!  Maybe the G-Braves didn't have one in his size?  Natey should have brought his from Atlanta, too.  His head looks like it's swimming in the one he has in Gwinnett.

Natey playing with the ball

J-Stamina of the Heavy Hitters... and one of the ushers, plugging his ears!  ;D

"Showtime" of the Heavy Hitters

HOME RUN TROY GLAUS

Rounding the bases

Michael Broadway

CRAIG "KIMMIE" KIMBREL
(Just TRY to mess with this guy...)

Good game!  The G-Braves won against the Knights, 9-6.  Joe Thurston and Freddie Freeman turned a triple play in the 1st inning (FF caught a liner, fired to Joe, who stepped on 2B, fired back to Freddie, who touched 1B).  BEAUTIFUL.  Stephen and I really wanted a replay.  Buuut... oh well.

Troy Glaus and Joe Thurston both homered... this was very exciting.  :)

OH.  So there was this guy about 4 rows behind Stephen and me, who had a very thick, almost unintelligible, Southern accent, who would sort of heckle Troy very loudly.  It wasn't particularly mean, just "COME ON, TROY!" (+ some stuff I couldn't even comprehend, just some syllables jammed together) even when the ball had been NOWHERE NEAR Troy Glaus, or the play had nothing to do with 3rd base.

Of course, I suppose I can't talk because every time Nate McLouth got up to bat, I'd cheer VERY loudly, "LET'S GO MIGHTY MOUSE!!!"  No, I was not inebriated... No, he probably didn't appreciate my cheer.  Yes, I got stares.  No, Nate did not react (nor did my cheer work... le sigh).  At least Stephen thought it was funny.

There was also this little boy behind me, who kept getting very irritated about the lack of balls being hit in our direction.  "I want a ball, I'm gettin' mad."  Well, kid, maybe you could ask nicely instead of shouting at the players?  He was grumping about it the entire game, and I admit it, I wanted to slap him upside the head and tell him to shut his trap and watch the game.  It was to that point that, if any ball had come in our direction, I was going to get it, and deliberately not give it to him because he was so obnoxious.  (Yes, I am spiteful.)  If you wanted foul balls, you should have sat on the first base line... nobody hit any foul balls near us.  And good.  Because my camera was there.  And also... my face.  :P

There's Nothing More to Say...

Except I need a couple more days to reach the stage of acceptance.  My whole day was ruined... 

An Open Letter to Frank Wren:

I think I should go ahead and preface this post with the following message: I WILL be foul-mouthed and this will not be work-safe OR family friendly.

I know you are trying to make moves that are beneficial for the team. As a fan, I appreciate that. As much as I love the players, the team comes first.  So I will not argue about Jesse Chavez, even though some (re: many) Braves fans seem to dislike him.  I like him.  He's got some very good stuff, and I would take him over Mike Dunn. But that's neither here nor there. I won't argue about LHP Tim Collins either.  But Gregor Blanco?  Really?

You took Gregor Blanco from me?  Isn't it bad enough that you traded away Yunel?  I won't even argue with that trade.  That was a mutually beneficial trade, and it seems that both players are settling in nicely with their respective teams.  And considering that I love both teams, it wasn't as heartbreaking as it could have been.  (Yes, I'm well aware I practically threw a tantrum.  But it wasn't necessarily about the trade itself as it was about the media circus following it; re: DOB & MB.)  But did you HAVE to take Gregor Blanco?  Did you HAVE to take Gregor away from me?


I'm furious beyond words.  GREGOR BLANCO?  I couldn't fucking believe my ears when I saw Kevin Millar and whoever the heck it was breaking the news on MLB on Fox today.  I mean, why did we do this?


Here's what happened:  We DFA'd Brent Clevlen so that we could finally bring Gregor back up.  This was the expected move.  We got Wilkin Ramirez from the Tigers and immediately optioned him to the Minors (I think to triple-A).  And then, I thought we were safe... no major trades, a "fuck off we're a damn good team just the way we are because we're BAMFs."  No.  Evidently not.  Because then I hear some voice on the television telling me, after I celebrated with Craiggie about Gregor being called back up, that he had been traded with Jesse Chavez and Tim Collins.  


I am loyal to my boys, almost to a fault.  Tim was pretty good from what I heard, and Jesse IS good.  I think he has been unfairly judged, but his stuff is nasty.  (I especially like Jesse because he was so sweet to these kids during batting practice.)  But I am okay with parting with them.  But I am not okay with parting with Greg White.  I'm sorry, I just can't be.  I don't care if Rick Ankiel is hot and that Kyle Farnsworth is now an ex-ex-Brave.  Gregor is part of the Venezuelan Troupe, and I LOVED him here.  I know that he can't play everyday here because we have an overabundance of OF players.  But he is SO good.  And always with that hustle and that bright gorgeous smile, and you snatched him from me, Frank Wren.  You took him and you shipped him to the AL and I am unlikely to see him again.  


You've gutted my heart.  I know I'm being melodramatic but I am so furious.  You just HAVE to do this to me every season.  First you traded away my classmate, who has a GOLD GLOVE, for an decidedly average (but nice) player.  Then you traded away Javier Vazquez because you agreed to that ridiculous contract that Scott Boras negotiated for Derek Lowe, and nobody wanted to take on that contract.  Then you traded away my baby Yunel (who is flourishing in Toronto away from all the negativity here), and then... you take Gregor?  If Gregor doesn't start in KC, he's wasted in the AL.  


We now have the SAME EXACT situation as before.  We have a converted OF who may or may not provide some pop with his bat.  We have a minor league OFer.  And I haven't looked at his numbers yet, but I can't fathom that Ankiel will be better than Blanco.  As for Farnsworth, it's not that I don't like him.  I like him well enough; former Brave.  But you gave away 2 solid if not stellar young pitchers for a closer-turned-middle-reliever.  He just makes me nervous, very nervous, all the time.  


I've calmed down significantly since I wrote the very beginning of this post.  But I am very bitter, and I don't think I will ever forgive you, Frank Wren.  I hope this turns out to be a genius trade.  And I will love the Braves regardless.  And I still have respect for you.   But I hold grudges.  And I will not forget.  And I will not forgive.  Not for Gregor.  If it had been to Toronto, yes... but not KC.  I just can't.  I'm sorry.  I cannot understand, nor will I EVER understand, why you never seemed to factor Gregor into your plans for the Braves' future.  After he did EVERYTHING he could to show he had what it took to be in the Majors.  After the phenomenal performance he gave this season.  No.  No matter how well this trade turns out, I won't forget or forgive this slight on Gregor.  And no, I do not care that I'm being dramatic.  That's just the way it's going to be.


Sincerely,


Alison