Are the Braves for real? | The Boneyard

Are the Braves for real?

Joined
Dec 6, 2016
Messages
3,919
Reaction Score
9,187
I will start by saying I do not totally get baseball as far as it being something to watch, or what the allure is for a game that seems to take so long and move so slow. Not trying to troll as, at the same time, I like the stats behind the game. I find the numbers kind of interesting, a lot.

I grew up liking the Braves, of all teams, I think mostly because an older boy across the street liked them and I just looked up to him and thus, followed him. Then when I watched the team I though Chipper Jones was just so cool. To my young mind he was kind of a bad @ss, a little mysterious and really good.

As I grew, I got more bored of baseball. But always kind of checked in on the Braves at least as far as the standings. I know they have stunk it up as of late but this year they seem to be kicking butt and taking names, at least in the first 30 or so games. Very good records vs the Phillies and Mets without a single game played vs the Marlins. They are currently up 4-0 on the Mets, a win would bring them to 19-11 and in first place.

Is this early season run sustainable or will they be brought back down to earth? I will likely not watch a game all year, just don't care to actually watch a full match...but the stats behind these 30 games are interesting and the numbers that represent this turn around fascinate me. They were bad two seasons ago, really bad. So to go from that to, so far, 19-11 is quite impressive. But also the fact that they are 2-2 vs a very VERY bad Reds team is kind of odd too. Any way, what do you think? I know the team is super young, which could bode well. Possible wild card team?
 

Purple Stein

I like to sim things.
Joined
Jul 9, 2017
Messages
1,878
Reaction Score
7,496
Acuna really helps stretch out their lineup, but I think they need another bat to protect Freeman. Pitching is sketchy.

They should be competitive all year, though WC may be a stretch. Things would have to really break right.

Baseball is an experience in slow time -- you should allow yourself the indulgence of that patience.
 
Joined
Aug 24, 2011
Messages
10,833
Reaction Score
28,330
Someone as young as Acuna will have his test the 2nd time around when pitchers look at tape and find the hole(s) in his swing. Then he'll have to adjust and we'll see how ready he is. Lots of guys have a big first time through.
 
Joined
Dec 6, 2016
Messages
3,919
Reaction Score
9,187
At the half way point 47-34 AND after holding off the cards today now 48-34 and a solid sweep of the cards on the ROAD to boot. But the next 7 are tough too, at yanks, at brewers. If they can go even 3-4 I will be thrilled.
 
Joined
Dec 6, 2016
Messages
3,919
Reaction Score
9,187
And it seems they totally were for real as they clinched the first NL spot over the fading Phillies this weekend. It looks like they will likely have to face the Dodgers and I really think the Dodgers will make short work of the Braves but just making it to the playoffs after a dismal 70-92 season (well, the past few seasons were awful) really is incredible . I think the Braves will finish 20 or 21 over which is a huge swing, obviously and that is enough to be happy with but if they beat the Dodgers, well that is just gravy.
 

storrsroars

Exiled in Pittsburgh
Joined
Mar 23, 2012
Messages
19,716
Reaction Score
38,478
Acuna really helps stretch out their lineup, but I think they need another bat to protect Freeman. Pitching is sketchy.

They should be competitive all year, though WC may be a stretch. Things would have to really break right.

Baseball is an experience in slow time -- you should allow yourself the indulgence of that patience.

Atlanta is definitely for real, and like the Cubs of a couple years ago, arriving a year earlier than expected. Acuna is probably going to have a better career than Harper. Going to be a tough division for the Mets to compete in unless their FO gets serious about acquiring decent offensive talent to go with the pitching.

As to the OP... baseball can certainly be quicker. It's still my #1 sport and always will be. But it can be maddeningly slow at times. Even during games that aren't Yankees/RedSox.

To give an example of how far off the rails MLB has gone, Maddon currently has 20 pitchers on the Cubs active roster. TWENTY. If his starter goes four innings, Maddon can bring in a new reliever with every out over the last five innings. That's ridiculous.

I was just answering some questions about the 69 Mets on another forum and while I was there, I noticed that during the WS, both the Mets and O's only used 21 players in the WS. Mets only used one actual reliever (Rod Taylor) and used two starters in relief. Every game, including the 10 inning game, was completed in under 2:30, with one game under 2 hours. That's incomprehensible now. TV is partly to blame, but so is baseball itself.

Baseball may be viewed as slow, but it's also not hyped up by limited vocabulary jackwagons on too much Five-Hour Energy hyperbolically exaggerating whatever action they're commenting on - NFL, NBA, MMA... can't watch any of 'em. The quality of the productions and studio personnel offends me and may even have damaged my brain before I got smart enough to avoid it.
 

Online statistics

Members online
292
Guests online
3,060
Total visitors
3,352

Forum statistics

Threads
155,799
Messages
4,032,013
Members
9,865
Latest member
Sad Tiger


Top Bottom