Braves win division! Hooray! Who's on the roster?

[CBAreject]

In the bullpen, Farnsworth, Reitsma, McBride, Foster, Boyer, and Ramirez will likely make the roster.

The starting rotation will be Smoltz, Hudson, Thompson, Sosa.

Here are the positions that are up for grabs:

4th outfielder

-candidates: K. Johnson, B. Jordan, T. Hollandsworth

7th bullpen spot

-candidates: Davies, Devine, Kolb

3rd catcher:

-candidates: Perez, Pena

*NOTE: We may opt to go with a 10 man pitching staff, in which case an extra outfielder would be added.

I think Kolb should absolutely be left off. I would probably choose Jordan and Devine out of these. I have to go with Pena as the 3rd catcher b/c Perez has no value as a pinch hitter. I know Davies was strong as a starter, but he hasn't shown me much as a reliever. I think Devine is as good as we can do for that last spot. Jordan sucks, but I just don't think Hollandsworth brings much. Jordan doesn't have bat speed, but he manages to get clutch hits. Johnson has promise, but he really struggled the last few months.

Here's the roster:

OF: Francoeur, Jones, Langerhans, Jordan

IF: Jones, Furcal, Giles, Laroche, Franco, Betemit, Orr

C: Estrada, McCann, Pena

SP: Smoltz, Hudson, Sosa, Thompson

RP: Farnsworth, Reitsma, Boyer, McBride, Foster, Ramirez, Devine

[shock]

i dont see us bringing a third catcher. it will either be another pitcher or outfielder.

[CBAreject]

Why? Bobby almost always uses 3 catchers in the playoffs

[Plainview1981]

I would think The Braves would go with a 3 man ratation

of Smoltz/Hudson/Sosa.

[CBAreject]

Bobby uses 4 pitchers if he has 4 good ones...usually. There have been years where he went with a 3 man, but it generally hasn't worked well for him. This year, he almost certainly will b/c Smoltz is not 100%.

Statistically, pitchers do much more poorly on 3 days of rest than 4.

Smoltz, Hudson, Sosa, Thompson, Smoltz....that's your division series pitching order. You really have to ask if that is worse than Smoltz, Hudson, Sosa, Smoltz, Hudson. You're basically trading a 3-days rest Hudson start for a fresh Thompson start and letting Smoltz rest an extra day. I think it's worth it.

[chillzatl]

I agree, i would take Jordan and Devine. Davies, as he proved yesterday, is a starting pitcher. he doesn't have the makeup to pitch relief. HOllandsworth has the stink of the cubs on him. Everything about the guy screams LOVABLE LOSER...

As for the catchers, it will probably be Pena. I think Perez still ahs some injury problems of some sort.

I like our lineup and rotation going into the postseason. Giving the starters a little bit of rest over these last few games is going to be key, as well as being able to set our rotation. Houston will probably win it, unless their offense just completely goes south again over htese last few games. But without a Beltran on their team to save them, I see us getting by them.

[pathway23]

I think Hollandsworth will have a spot...who else can come off the bench hitting lefthanded? Brayan Pena? I think he is better than Brayan Pena off the bench...I see Bobby going with 2 catchers in this special case for that reason. I haven't been impressed with Hollandsworth either but he is our only lefthanded pinch hitter. Other than that, I agree with you on the 4 man pitching rotation for the championship series, we'll see on the division series, might go with a 3 man there, and if we lose it won't matter.

[Plainview1981]

Quote:

---

Bobby uses 4 pitchers if he has 4 good ones...usually. There have been years where he went with a 3 man, but it generally hasn't worked well for him. This year, he almost certainly will b/c Smoltz is not 100%.

Statistically, pitchers do much more poorly on 3 days of rest than 4.

Smoltz, Hudson, Sosa, Thompson, Smoltz....that's your division series pitching order. You really have to ask if that is worse than Smoltz, Hudson, Sosa, Smoltz, Hudson. You're basically trading a 3-days rest Hudson start for a fresh Thompson start and letting Smoltz rest an extra day. I think it's worth it.

---

The problem is that John Thomson isn't a good pitcher.

[Plainview1981]

I understand with John's injury... But I'm not so

sure that Thomson should be starting pitcher in the

playoffs. I think I'd atleast go with Davies or some

one like that. Yes. Davies is young... But it;s the

Braves young players that helped get them this far.

[Lascar78]

Let's all hope that Kolb does not make the lineup

[Plainview1981]

Or Brower...

[chillzatl]

NO FREAKIN WAY. Davies has proven that he's a damned solid major league starter. Even as a rookie he's better than Thompson has been in any of his starts this season.

If we're up 2-1 and have to go to a game 4, we should put Davies out there and then have a semi-fresh smoltz for game 5, if needed. If we're down 1-2 in game 4, you gotta run smoltz out there on 3 days rest.

Either way, Thompson is long relief IMO.

[Plainview1981]

Also, Davies needs the playoff experience. Thomson is

a journeyman who's had one good year. The thing about

Thomson is that he seems to give up ALOT of hits...

Just can't see the positives in starting a 31 year old

journeyman who isn't any better than Davies who is much

younger and supposed to be a building block for the

future.

[chillzatl]

I mean you never know. They could throw Davies out tehre and he pitches 8 shutout innings and gains the rep of being a playoff badass. Sure it could go the other way and he gets completely owned. But you gotta take a chance. He's the future and Thompson was little more than a rental reclimation project.

[Plainview1981]

Davies hasn't had a GREAT rookie season, but as said he

is a building block and needs the experience. Not that

starting Davies isn't a risk.. He has a 4.85 era, and he

gives up plenty of hits in his own right... But who knows

if Thomson will even be back next year. I suppose he could

be considering Hampton will be out next year.

The question marks for me would be Thomson and Reistma, with

Kolb and Brower being left off. I like Boyer and think he'd

fair well out of the pen in the playoffs. I also think the braves need to stock the pen with alot of long relief guys

considering John being banged up, and as we know sometimes

Sosa doesn't give enough innings.

[CBAreject]

Davies over Thomson? What are you smoking?

Davies has shown jack recently. Thomson is a very solid starter. When he's going good (e.g., 2nd half last year), he's as good as we have.

Thomson can pitch 7 innings and give up 2 runs or less pretty consistently when he's going well.

[CBAreject]

1) Bobby likes veteran pitchers...he may go with a rookie outfielder, but he hates to put rookie pitchers in big situations. REMEMBER, in 1991, Bobby threw Charlie Liebrandt in game 1 of the world series. WHY DID HE DO THAT? WE HAD 3 BETTER PITCHERS (AVERY, SMOLTZ, GLAVINE). He did it because Liebrandt had pitched in the world series before. It was a bad decision, and it may have cost us the series, but that's the way Bobby is. This time, Davies is NO Glavine, Smoltz, Avery of '91. It's a much easier choice.

2) Davies has been horrible the last 2 months of the season. Thomson was very strong in his last start, and he was pretty good in the one before that.

3) Bobby has been pitching Davies out of the bullpen for a month and starting Thomson. Why? He plans to use Thomson as his 4th starter in the NLDS.

There is NO WAY he goes with Davies in game 4.

AND WHAT IS THIS about just giving Davies some playoff experience? You can't throw an NLDS and an entire season just to 'get a rookie some experience'. That's so absurd.

Thomson may not be the right choice for game 4, but there is NO WAY I can see Bobby going with Davies. It is either Thomson in game 4 or a 3 man rotation.

[Plainview1981]

2) Davies has been horrible the last 2 months of the season. Thomson was very strong in his last start, and he was pretty good in the one before that."

He had ONE really good outing this month and that was againest

a really struggling Marlins team.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/gamelog?playerId=3611

"

2) Davies has been horrible the last 2 months of the season. Thomson was very strong in his last start, and he was pretty good in the one before that."

Thomson has a 5.82era since the allstar break.

"

AND WHAT IS THIS about just giving Davies some playoff experience? You can't throw an NLDS and an entire season just to 'get a rookie some experience'. That's so absurd.

"

What has Thomson earned? He has a 5.82era since the allstar

break.

Bottomline... Neither have been great, but since Davies

is the bulding block, and Thomson will be a nobody again

when he leaves the Braves, so you go with Davies...

[CBAreject]

Hey, you don't have to convince me that Thomson hasn't been very good. Once again, you are taking something that isn't my point and arguing with it.

The main point is that Bobby will not go with Davies based on the reasons I listed, of which you only addressed one.

I'm not defending Thomson, but you are even wrong about what you are arguing (even though it isn't the main point). Thomson has had 2 very good starts this month (1 run allowed in each). In 3 of the last 5 starts, he's given up 2 runs or less. Sure, he has a 5.82 ERA since the all-star break, but that's because he was coming back from injury (a point you COMPLETELY ignore). Thomson was horrendous in those first three starts, giving him an 8+ ERA in August. His September ERA is 3.75. Davies, despite being healthy all season, has a 5.5 ERA after the break.

Davies has made exactly 1 start since August 4th, and he didn't do all that well in that start. He may be better than Thomson, and he certainly will be better in the future, but there is just NO WAY Bobby starts him in game 4. Why would you start any pitcher in game 4 who had made 1 start in the last 2 months unless that pitcher was an all-star?

This isn't about what 'Thomson has earned'. It's about what Davies hasn't earned and what he hasn't been prepared for in the last 2 months.

Are you seriously telling me that you think Bobby will take a shaky rookie pitcher who has started 1 game in the last 2 months and start him over a proven vet who has pitched well in the last month and was lights out last year in the 2nd half in a CRITICAL game in a big series?

If you believe that, you are just ignoring some major data:

1) Bobby loves vets

2) Bobby doesn't trust rookie pitchers

3) Bobby loves John Thomson

4) Thomson appears back in form

5) Davies has made 1 start since 8/4/05

[Plainview1981]

I don't think 5 innings counts as a good outing. I know

the expectations for pitchers had declined... But 5 innings

ain't getting it done.

"The main point is that Bobby will not go with Davies based on the reasons I listed, of which you only addressed one."

Bobby should go with Davies.. He's got beatup as a Relief

pitcher... But he is a starter and seemed to fair much

better in the role.

"2) Bobby doesn't trust rookie pitchers"

Maybe he should change that abit and perhaps the Braves

would have more success in the playoffs. Alot of the

Braves team is rookies.... That's what got him a division

title this year.

"His September ERA is 3.75."

He had one good outing againest a bad team and the other

he only pitched 5 innings.

"Bobby loves John Thomson"

He also keeps throw Kolb and Brower out there despite the

fact they suck.

"homson appears back in form"

Back in form??? When was he ever really that good? His

best year was last with a 3.8era... Not impressed.

"Are you seriously telling me that you think Bobby will take a shaky rookie pitcher who has started 1 game in the last 2 months and start him over a proven vet who has pitched well in the last month and was lights out last year in the 2nd half in a CRITICAL game in a big series?"

What has John Thomson proven?? He's had a winning record

ONCE in his entire career... And 3.8era that is a career

low. He gives up alot of hits and overall just isn;'t very

good.

Thomson hasn't proven anything. Oh, I'd take Smoltz on

3 days rest over a healthy John Thomson. Sorry, the guy

just isn't that good and hasn't been his entire career

basically. I understand he got hurt, but he had a 4.50

era in his last two starts before getting hurt.

I wouldn't be shocked if Bobby went with Thomson.. But

I don't think he should.