OR…
“The Long Kiss Goodnight”
~JB, lovin’ Friday, bracing for the weekend series
This weekend in Philly will make or break the Braves’ season. As Rod Tidwell would say, “You’re hanging on by a very thin thread.” …but I don’t really dig it.
So if the Braves are swept (yet again) by the Phillies that would pretty much mean a guaranteed postseason of fishing trips with the Nationals as their cellar dweller buddies. Even losing 2 of 3 at the CBP would bring us to 7.5 out with August just around the corner and it gets late early out there.
So with the inevitable departure of Mark Teixeira after 2008 closes its’ doors and the high possiblity of trading him off before July 31st, what do we do if we actually win three in a row in Philly? We’d be 3.5 out at best and looking like contenders again. So…?
However, as unlikely as this seems and less than a week remaining before the end of the month, Tex’s departure is becoming a long, drawn out, seperation that I wish would just happen already. The better he hits as a late season hot bat, the more I wish we’d either sign him some exorbinant contract or give him his papers and be on our way. It’s like dating a gorgeous girl for about a year and then when you realize it’s not going anywhere you become part of a breakup that gets dragged out for months. And you know if you don’t go ahead and end it now you’ll just grow more attached.
But with a largely consequential series this weekend, anything short of a sweep in my mind would seal Tex’s immediate fate of finishing ‘08 elsewhere. Barring a sweep, I’m still not sure we’d keep him to the finish as a Brave but it very well could be a slight possibility considering how good of a second half hitter he is. I don’t know what do you think?
As JS said just after sending Kevin Millwood Philly-bound, “The economics stink”.
Good news tonight is we send Jurrjens (9-5) who other than his last start has pitched rather well against Kyle Kendricks who, though a good 8-4 pitcher has not exactly dominated the Braves. We can get runs off of him if we get the bats going.
So let me hear from you. What do you think we should do after this series is over? What if the Braves can pull off an unlikely sweep of the Phils… should we keep Tex? What if the Braves are swept once more by the Phils… is the season over?
Please leave your thoughts.
1 Comment
July 26, 2008 at 1:28 am
After that game we’re thinking the opposite. I was disappointed to learn that the Yankees sealed the deal on Nady but we’re apparently still in the market for Jason Bay or a Casey Blake type. Frank Wren says we’re needing a “power right-handed outfield bat”. I couldn’t agree more. We’ve got a lot of outfield talent in the farm we could trade away and Jason Heyward is the only untouchable, so with a win tomorrow night (fingers crossed for Hampton) and a win in the finale vs. Blanton we should be in a great position to make a deal and a big push at the playoffs.
- http://atlantabred.mlblogs.com/
July 26, 2008 at 12:28 am
After that game we're thinking the opposite. I was disappointed to learn that the Yankees sealed the deal on Nady but we're apparently still in the market for Jason Bay or a Casey Blake type. Frank Wren says we're needing a "power right-handed outfield bat". I couldn't agree more. We've got a lot of outfield talent in the farm we could trade away and Jason Heyward is the only untouchable, so with a win tomorrow night (fingers crossed for Hampton) and a win in the finale vs. Blanton we should be in a great position to make a deal and a big push at the playoffs. – http://atlantabred.mlblogs.com/