Yardbarker: Chuck James

Braves Season an Epic Disaster

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 22:20:24 -0500

Lost in the excitement of the playoff race and the start of football season, some baseball teams entered the season with high hopes, yet find themselves far from influencing the "Hunt for October." While the Mariners have the worst record, the Braves are certainly the team which has fallen the farthest. Anyone remember the start of the season when ESPN was talking about the Braves winning the World Series? Jayson Stark and Peter Gammons both had them in the Fall Classic.

Chipper did his part this year.

Some might argue that the Braves aren't that bad. Their run differential is better than the Astros, who are 14 games ahead of them in the loss column. Chipper Jones has had the best batting average in the NL pretty much all year, and Jair Jurrjens is probably the best rookie pitcher in the NL. They have a young All-Star catcher, and a bunch of young prospects in the outfield.

However, the Braves currently have the 4th worst record in the NL, and that doesn't even tell the full story. Jeff Francoeur led off a recent list of most disappointing seasons in the entire league, and could easily play himself out of a starting job next year with his .235 average and .352 slugging pct. Good thing he can take some walks, wait...

The answer to that question is "Definitely not."

The Braves have lost the last 11 games started by Jo-Jo Reyes, and Charlie Morton's ERA has ballooned to 6.32 in 15 starts. Chuck James is clearly done as a starter in Atlanta, and Glavine and Hampton have both posted ERA's over 5.00 when they've been healthy. In other words, both the young and old members of the Braves rotation have really struggled this year. Tim Hudson won't pitch til the middle of next year at the earliest, and Smoltz's career may be over. Only Jurrjens and Campillo appear to be serviceable members of next year's rotation.

Bobby Cox appears convinced that overworking his better relievers is the path to success, such that Boyer, Bennett, and Ohman will all have more than 70 appearances, and Ohman and Boyer could finish 1-2 in appearances in all of MLB.

It might be time for the all-time ejections leader to retire.

To make matters worse, the Braves do not appear to have acquired any players who can contribute soon in the trades for Teixeira and Kotsay. Casey Kotchman, acquired from the Angels to replace Tex, has hit a whopping .227 since his acquisition. The young outfielders have all looked promising at times, but none still has an average over .270. They could all develop, but Chipper will have retired by then. The Braves must decide whether to keep Prado and Kelly so that one of them can replace Chipper, or to trade one in an attempt to win sooner.

Regrettably, all that optimism at the start of this year was quite misplaced, and it may be a couple more years before the Braves are again competitive for the NL East title.

The Braves And Their "Rotation" Scare Me

Mon, 19 May 2008 07:50:00 -0500

I'll admit it. What I thought at the beginning of the season was a very deep rotation with the nastiest one-two in baseball has turned into an iffy starting rotation with only three consistent starters and two gap-fillers. This can't last long.

Phils Chucked James

Fri, 16 May 2008 06:20:42 -0500

On Wednesday night the Braves hit 3 longballs off struggling righty Brett Myers; last night was an entirely different story. Cole Hamels, the true staff ace, shutdown the Braves for his first career shutout, spreading 4 hits and 2 walks over 9 frames with 6 k's lowering his era to 2.89. On the offensive side, the Phils came firing back with 3 homeruns of their own (Vic, Howard, Feliz) as they chucked starter Chuck James from the game after 4 innings. Every single batter had a hit, with the exception being Chase Utley; Cole Hamels even chipped in 2 base-knocks. Phils record now sits at 23-19 good for 2nd place in the NL East behind the annoying Florida Marlins. Tonight the 1993 World Series will be relived in Philly, of course there's no John Kruk, Lenny Dykstra, Darren Daulton, Joe Carter, or Paul Molitor though. That's right, the retarded return of Interleague play with the Phils playing host to the Toronto Blue Jays. Interleague play was a novel idea at first, now it's boring and causes uneven competitive balance. We've got Jamie Moyer kicking off the action tonight against David Purcey (don't worry I've never really heard of him either), then Adam Eaton versus AJ Burnett on Saturday, with Kyle Kendrick set for a showdown with surprisingly successful Shaun Marcum on Sunday. Let's just hope the Phils win the series and crybaby Scott Rolen gets beaned and booed. ___________________________________ Shiver Me Timbers: Don't look now but the Pirates are almost at sea level (20-21). Yesterday they came back wielding their swords down 5-1 entering the 5th inning, and ended up winning the game against the Cardinals 11-5 by dropping a 7-run cannonball on them in the 8/9th innings. Overall the team is playing much better, guided by the hots bats of Nate McLouth, Xavier Nady, and newest Phucco Jason Michaels. Not all is sunny and calm in Pirates' Bay though, as slugging catcher Ryan Doumit has been sidelined for at least a month with a broken thumb. Time for Ronny Paulino to step up in his absence and keep this ship afloat. It would be nice to see this club put together a decent season to get the fans back at beautiful PNC Park.

Douchebags On Parade

Thu, 15 May 2008 06:03:58 -0500

Nationally televised Wednesday night game on ESPN and we've got our douchebags on parade. Brett Myers and Ryan Howard stole the show last night. Yes, Chipper Jones may have more hits than at bats (is that possible?) and Tom Glavine won his 900th game, but Myers and Howard captivated the audience with their ability to single-handily (well, actually I guess it would be double-handily in this case) blow the game. Undeserving title holder of #1 starter Brett Myers has been a complete and utter train wreck this season. Through 9 starts the immature, whiny, hothead has a 5.91 era with 15 homeruns allowed; that's a pace for 59 homers and the weather hasn't even warmed up yet. Last night he allowed 3 solo shots with 9 hits and 3 walks for 8 runs overall through 4.1 agonizing innings. 2 of those 8 runs were unearned and that's where douchebag #2 steps up. We all know of Ryan Howard's struggles at the plate (just look to the top right of this blog for his Mendoza Line counter), but he has and always will be a DH playing firstbase. Howard dropped a throw that would have completed a double play that hit him square in the middle of his mitt. Is it really that difficult to catch a ball? Seriously, I've seen people wrangle up greased pigs better than Howard scoops up balls. Despite the handy work of the Howard and Myers, there were some positives to take away from last night: Chris Coste was 4-4, Utley nailed his 14th roundtipper, the bullpen worked 4.2 scoreless innings, and the Phils almost came back from an 8 run deficit. Rubber game tonight with King Cole (4-3, 3.36) vs. Chuck James (2-2, 7.58), they better damn well win!

Series Preview: Phils vs. Braves

Tue, 13 May 2008 05:47:53 -0500

Ouch, the Braves just got tomahawk chopped by Pittsburgh, losing 3 of 4 along the rivers. But the way the season is going for the Braves, this really isn't a surprise. Sure, the Pirates suck, but the Braves have now only won 5 games away from Turner Field, compared to 14 losses. Luckily, this series is in Philadelphia. Here is how the pitching matchups look. Game 1 - Kendrick v. Reyes - Who is Jo-Jo Reyes? Here is what Wikipedia has to say about him. All I know is that he's a chubby lefty with limited experience. He'll probably carry a no-no into the seventh... Game 2 - Myers v. Glavine - Glavine has given up 2 runs or less in 5 of his 6 starts (of course, one was a 0 inning, injury shortened game). Myers, on the other hand, has given up 2 or less runs only twice this year. Game 3 - Hamels v. James - Our ace needs to come through again... _____________________________ Ol' Dirty Bastardo After posting a 1.17 ERA in Clearwater, lefty Antonio Bastardo shimmy-shimmy-ya'd his way up to the R-Phils last week and made his first start, with mixed results. He didn't walk a batter and struck out 7, but he also gave up 7 hits, including 3 long balls, and 5 runs in 5 innings. We'll keep an eye out for Bastardo, who should be making his next start against Harrisburg this week. _____________________________ Miss My Gookie? The Phils traded Reading infielder Travis "Gookie" Dawkins to the White Sox for a player to be named. Will he be missed? No. He contributed only a warm body and a funny name to the Phils organization. I can't believe he only had 16 career major league hits, though. It seems like he's been around forever. Goes to show you what a memorable name will do for you. Maybe I should pick a funny name to post with...

Smoltz cant shoulder the load

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 18:14:39 -0500

Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz is experiencing soreness in his shoulder again. Smoltz left today's game after the 4th inning, which he gave up 4 runs in, and complained about discomfort in his throwing shoulder. He's already missed his first start of the season because of this. He said this discomfort prevented him from throwing his pitches the way he would normally like. Will this cause his 2nd stint on the disabled list this year?

Chuck James Wins... A Trip To Richmond

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 09:41:12 -0500

Braves spot starter Chuck James won last night's game after going 5 innings and giving up four runs, but he got demoted to AAA Richmond immediately after the game. Why for? Check in.

Braves Knock Out Fish 7-4

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 09:36:21 -0500

The Braves scored five runs in the first inning as Chuck James started for the Braves - that's all they would need as James only gave up 4 runs. Chipper jacked his 7th home run of the season on his birthday as the Braves went on to beat the Fish 7-4.

Chuck James Optioned to Richmond

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 16:40:47 -0500

Chuck James was activated from the DL yesterday to make a start against the Rockies, but after hitting two batters, walking one, and giving up six runs in just three innings of work, he's being sent to AAA Richmond.

Breaking Down The Braves Back End Rotation Options

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 14:09:38 -0500

Six pitchers a competing for the final two rotation spots in Atlanta. This article breaks down how each of the six guys is doing so far this spring.

Mailbag: Future Rotation Options?

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 10:34:01 -0500

John Smoltz has long been the patron saint of the Braves rotation, and Tom Glavine rejoins him for a rehash of the 1990s duo that terrorized lineups across the league. But with both of them aging beyond 40, they're not going to be around forever. BravesBlast looks at the future rotation - check in to see whether or not the rotation will be strong in years to come.

James Looks Forward to Spring Training

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 10:17:11 -0500

A day after pitchers and catchers reported, BravesBlast looks at Chuck James and his unorthodox delivery method, as well as some of the issues he faces heading into Spring Training.

NL East Rotations

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 07:03:29 -0500

This offseason I've broken down and offered my opinion on the NL East outfields and infields so far, and the Phils have naturally won each of the polls. Now it's time to check out the rotations. However, with the Mets addition of some dude named Johan, this is merely for formality. *Career won/loss record, era, whip, and pitching arm in parentheses. Atlanta Braves: 1. John Smoltz (207-145, 3.26, 1.17, R), 2. Tim Hudson (135-70, 3.51, 1.26, R), 3. Tom Glavine (303-199, 3.51, 1.31, L), 4. Chuck James (22-14, 4.00, 1.32, L), 5. Mike Hampton (138-101, 3.97, 1.44, L), and reserves- Jair Jurrjens (3-1, 4.70, 1.14, R) and Jo-Jo Reyes (2-2, 6.22, 1.68, L). That is a solid rotation with some great veterans at the top. Smoltz joined the 40+ crew along with Glavine, but both can still pitch effectively, especially John-boy. Hudson is a menace when he has his cut fastball is working, and Chuck James is soft-tossing lefty that gets it done. Hampton is a crapshoot because he's always injured, but waiting in the wings is Jurrjens who has tremendous upside. Florida Marlins: 1. Scott Olsen (23-26, 4.86, 1.53, L), 2. Sergio Mitre (10-23, 5.36, 1.55, R), 3. Andrew Miller (5-6, 5.69, 1.75, L), 4. Mark Hendrickson (43-55, 5.01, 1.45, L), 5. Ricky Nolasco (12-13, 4.91, 1.44, R), and reserves- Rick Vandenhurk (4-6, 6.83, 1.74, R) and currently DL'ed Anibal Sanchez (12-4, 3.24, 1.37, R). Being brutaly honest, that's one of the worst rotations in the Majors. There's definite potential in there, but overall that's a whole bunch of high era's and whips...could be a very long season in Florida. New York Mets: 1. Johan Santana (93-44, 3.22, 1.09, L), 2. Pedro Martinez (209-93, 2.80, 1.03, R), 3. John Maine (23-19, 4.19, 1.29, R), 4. Oliver Perez (45-53, 4.43, 1.43, L), 5. Orlando Hernandez (90-65, 4.13, 1.26, R), and reserves- Mike Pelfrey (5-9, 5.55, 1.71, R) and Jorge Sosa (36-48, 4.59, 1.46, R). Wow! Holy Mother of God Wow! I openly weep when I look at this rotation. Santana is quite possibly the best pitcher in baseball, Pedro and Orlando are effectively crafty, Maine is still improving, and Ollie really found himself last season. This is one of the best rotations in baseball. Philadelphia Phillies: 1. Cole Hamels (24-13, 3.68, 1.18, L), 2. Brett Myers (59-47, 4.34, 1.35, R), 3. Kyle Kendrick (10-4, 3.87, 1.27, R), 4. Jamie Moyer (230-178, 4.21, 1.32, L), 5. Adam Eaton (64-55, 4.70, 1.40, R), and reserves- Chad Durbin (25-37, 5.75, 1.57, R) and JD Durbin (6-6, 6.19, 1.83, R). Hamels if healthy could put himself into Cy Young consideration, Myers if mentally capable can be an awesome force in the rotation, Kendrick has moxy, and Grand Pappy Moyer has guile for a 45 year old. However, the 5th spot in the rotation is horrendous with Eaton, and our reserves are disheartening too. Washington Nationals: 1. Shawn Hill (6-10, 4.53, 1.33, R), 2. John Patterson (18-25, 4.32, 1.35, R), 3. Jason Bergmann (8-8, 5.00, 1.37, R), 4. John Lannan (2-2, 4.15, 1.53, L), 5. Matt Chico (7-9, 4.63, 1.54, L), and reserves- Tim Redding (24-40, 4.91, 1.53, R) and Tyler Clippard (3-1, 6.33, 1.70, R). Like the Marlins staff, the Nats' isn't very good. They too have potential, but they're not scaring anyone with those top 5. Click on URL to vote in the poll.

Braves Rotational Preview

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 15:27:35 -0500

BravesBlast takes a look at the different candidates for the Braves rotation this coming year. The Braves will likely have a decent rotation, but best-case, we'll tell you why it could be one of the most potent in all of baseball.

N.L East preview so it's finally here, also my 2008 1st quarter blogging breakdown.

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 23:30:13 -0500

So even thought I've been holding it off for so long I finally found the right time to do it so let's start out with the twisted N.L East. So i'm gonna break this down from the best team to the worst teams. 1.Phillies This is a really good team with a awesome offense and a pretty good defense.They have probaly the best infield in the league with Howard on 1st,Utley on 2nd, Rollins at short, and either Wes Helms or Gregg Dobbs at 3rd. They also have one of the better prospects in the last 10 years in Cole Hamels who pitched lights out last year with a 15-5 record and a 3.33 and showed everyone that he'll dominate the league for the next 10 years 2. Mets The reason why I have the Mets at number 2 is of there average to bad pitching even though it's getting better with some of there young prospects like John Maine and one of there recent signings Matt Wise. Also like a said about the Phillies the Mets have a great lineup but this is probably better with the fact that they have a good combination of average with the likes of Luis Castillo, David Wright who's also a great power option,power with Carlos Beltran, and speed with the always great Jose Reyes. 3. Washington Nationals Yes you might think I'm crazy but this young team will be hungry and looking to beat the living crap out of anyone that comes in there way One thing that i don't like about this is because of there pitching which is very young and it take a year or two for them to get used to major league hitting. The main reason why i put them ahead of the braves is the mix between of there prospects and vets, the young guys which they got this offseason, Lastings Milledge and Elijah Dukes both great great youngsters. They also have great veteran players willing to help the youngsters out and can play some ball. 2 of there vets I like are Paul Lo Duca who joins former teammate in Lastings Milledge,also one of the surprise players of last year in Dmitri Young who had a great .320 BA and also should do the same in 08'. 4. Atlanta Braves Remember when this team won the East every single season for 15 years straight, all i have to say is where did that team go. First let's start with there pitching ok all i have to tell you is Smoltz is a year older, Tom Glavine is a year older. Two things I like about there pitching is Chuck James and Tim Hudson, Chuck James I love this guy for two things his name is legendary and he's a very good pitcher. TIm Hudson I always kinda liked this guy but as Smoltz and Glavine get up there in age Hudson and James have to learn to step up as the 1 and 2 starting pitchers. 5. Florida Marlins This could by far be the worst team in the N.L but in 5 and 10 years this team will be scary for what I'm bout to say. Hanley Ramirez this guy is a scary scary player, he has it all power,average,speed,fielding,good eye with less than 100 strikeouts. Remember that trade a few weeks ago when they traded Cabrera and Willis they got 2 of the top 30 prospects in baseball with Cameron Maybin who got 5 stolen bases in only 25 games but this fool needs to get his average up. Also Andrew Miller who did pretty good for himself in the 13 games he started he got a 5-5 record and a 3.63 ERA. Last but not least my 08' blogging breakdown I'm gonna go by the time I'm gonna do them from January to April and then around march I'll do another one like this December 22-January 1st A.L preview . After i finish my N.L preview I'm gonna go straight to my A.L preview do screwing around. January 5th- Feb 3rd NFL playoffs game by game review until the super bowl and maybe pro bowl. Feb 1st- March 1st my HUGE sorry i had to use caps but it's gonna be a big big fantasy baseball preview with top 50's of each positions with breakdown of each player in each league. March 1st-March 30th day by day team breakdown with some special guest of Ryan Parker and maybe Dontrelle Willis