More Trades

According to Braves sources, Atlanta is also looking to trade current RBrave Kyle Davies for Reds starter Bronson Arroyo or perhaps Royals closer Octavio Dotel.  Apparently, KC is interested…

Big Deal in the Works?

This blockbuster deal, as reported, would have major implications for some former, current and future R-Braves.

(1) The inclusion of catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia in the trade would mean Brayan Pena, who has been reliable (.315, 4 HR, 34 RBI) in his return to Richmond this year, would likely return to Atlanta to back up Brian McCann.

(2) The inclusion of wunderkind shortstop prospect Elvis Andrus removes a large obstacle for Yunel Escobar, already a steady A-Brave, and Brent Lillibridge, who has made a promising transition to Triple-A, to securing long-term spots in Atlanta’s infield.

(3) The acquisition of Teixeira, particularly when Atlanta is giving up so much for him, indicates major disappointment with Scott Thorman’s first full year in the bigs. Last year’s star in Richmond, Thorman is hitting just .220 with 10 homers for Atlanta.

The prospects reportedly included in the trade – Salty, Andrus, Matt Harrison and Neftali Perez – were each among the top 10 prospects in the organization at the beginning of the year. None ultimately would done a R-Brave uniform: Saltalamacchia skipped Triple-A; Andrus and Perez, a righthanded pitcher, are teenagers in Single-A; and Harrison, the lefthanded ace of Double-A Mississippi, was a very likely Richmond callup before the end of the season.

Hit me. Two Times.

Corky hit a grand slam, Prado went 5 for 8 with his own dinger, and the Braves outscored the Lynx 17-4 in yesterday’s doubleheader.  Young hotshot outfielder Brandon Jones also smacked one out, as well.  The Braves had hot bats last night, jumping ahead early in each game and providing some cover for starters Bennett and Boyer.  Good times.

Bomb Scare?

What the heck?  Who would dare interrupt the Braves in action?  Could it have been called in from the Toledo dugout?  Worried about a blemish on their IL leading record?  Feeling shellshocked from the 9th inning walkoff blast on Friday night?  What were the demands…..more hanging curves?  Let’s just say I have my suspicions.

52-42

Nothing like 4 home runs by the opposing team to dampen a night.  The Clips powered their way to a 10-7 win last night at the Diamond.  Canadian superstar Lance Broadway went 3-4, and he had this to say after the game, “Big win, eh?”  Martin Prado and Corky each had 2 hits for the Braves.  The teams play their 6th game in a row tonight.

52-40

The Braves bounced back from a 5 run deficit last night in Columbus.  The good guys scored 4 of em in the 5th inning on the strength of 2 costly throwing errors by the Clippers and a homer by Corky.  Even Lance Broadway couldn’t save the day.  They play again tonight.  These teams have another go at it in a series at The Diamond starting Wednesday. 

51-40

The Braves lost to the Clippers last night, done in by a 4-4 night by Columbus’s totally hot star – Lance Broadway.  If I could do it all over again, I’d change my name to Lance Broadway.  The Braves’ Blaine Boyer earned the loss; Doug Clark went 3 for 3.

Kevin Barry

Back again for a review of latest RBraves.com featured player.  There’s not much juice here on this go around.  So let’s take 5 minutes with Kevin Barry.  Unfortunately, Barry picked up the loss in yesterday’s (July 12) game with the Mud Hens, giving up 4 earned runs in 5 innings of play.  Three of the runs were from dingers.

Barry, a graduate of Rider University, was selected by the Braves in 2001’s amateur entry draft and has moved about in the organization, spending some time in Richmond here and there since 2004.  In 2006, he worked some relief in Atlanta when he wasn’t in playing Richmond.

Onto the old throwaway.  Kevin reverts back to the Brave party line of childhood idol – it was his grandfather.  It’s not clear if the interviewer actually recorded Barry’s answers in their entirety, which would give Kevin similar verbal skills to Tonto, Tarzan and Frankenstein, or if the reporter was merely too lazy to fully record #28’s statements.  Judging from the level of execution from previous throwaways, I would guess the latter.  When asked about what he and other pitchers discuss in the bullpen, there’s no comment.  His favorite thing about being a Brave is that “it’s a first class organization”.  True dat.  No superstitions for the Barrinator, and he takes the game pretty seriously; his answers regarding what fans might be surprised to know about players is that 1) baseball’s a job, and 2) “it’s not just showing up at 7:00 and playing a game.”  More accurately, it’s showing up a few hours earlier than 7 and playing a game, no?  The best movie to watch on long bus rides is The Man from Snowy River.  I’ve never seen this flick, but it’s amongst my wife’s favorites.  I’ll let the reader make assumptions here.  Now, I can agree with his choice for resurrected TV – The A-Team, the show about Vietnam vets who become mercenaries for hire to right wrongs and deliver justice to those who have none, allthewhile avoiding the insane Col Decker, who will stop at nothing to find Hannibal, Face, Murdoch and BA.  These Braves have some awesome taste in 80s TV.  Now if the next Featured Player lists MacGuyver….

That about wraps up my take on the old throwaway.  I’m looking forward to the second half of the season and will try to post more frequently about the most storied franchise in all of professional sports, your Richmond Braves.

New Prospect List

Interesting list on Talking Chop of the top 25 Braves’ prospects at the midway point this year.

Matt Harrison (5-4, 3.23), the Mississippi lefthander, is ranked higher than fellow lefty Jo-Jo Reyes, though Reyes has surpassed Harrison as the organization’s top prospect in some other eyes.

Jo-Jo was 8-1, 3.56 ERA at Miss. this year and then 2-0, 1.57 ERA with 27 SO in 23 IP during an impressive, but brief, four-game stint in Richmond. Reyes earned the call to Atlanta over the weekend to replace the injured John Smoltz. He was roughed up in his debut but has been promised another start.

48-36

Richmond won against Syracuse 7-6 last night at The Diamond, with every Brave contributing at least a hit and starter Ryan Baerlocher recording 7 Ks in front of a sellout crowd.  The Braves pitching staff combined for an impressive 11 strikeouts.  Richmond scored the go ahead run on a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the 8th.  As a result, reliever Manny Acosta picked up his seventh win of the season.  The teams go at it again tonight.

http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/sports.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2007-07-05-0182.html