Rowland's Office

Wren sets the record straight

(Via our pal The Bagman) 

"Many of the trade speculations that have been written over the past few weeks are inaccurate," Wren said. "For the most part they are simply an outsider speculating what we might do and not what we would do." 

That doesn't mean the Braves aren't interested in Peavy. 

"From our perspective we still feel the same and we are looking to the future when that next wave of talent I spoke of arrives in Atlanta," Wren said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. 

Wren reaffirmed he wouldn't deal the team's top prospects. I assume that includes Tommy Hanson. 

Rays in 6

Southpaw David Price will be the difference, neutralizing the biggest threats (Utley, Howard) in the Phils line-up. And don't underestimate the Phils' week-long layoff (see Detroit, 2006). 

--CB

Premature application

I see my old pal Duane from Forest Park has tossed his hat into the ring -- Duaney, baby, you're a good caller, and that Brenda's a firecracker, but let's leave the announcing to the professionals. That would be me, baby. 

Heeey! 

I already have several signature catch phrases, like "baby," "Double A, M-C-O," "For man's best friend ..." and, of course, "Heeey!"And no one's more experienced than Uncle Bo. I was trading barbs with Skinny Bobby on QXI before Atlanta even knew the name Pete Van Wieren.  

The Braves need a shake-up, and who better than Bobo to stir the pot? I could probably persuade my good friends the 2 Live Stews to join me in the booth. They don't like baseball, but that's the genius of it. That's where you get your fresh insights, from inexperience. We'd be the McCain and Palin of the airwaves, baby. 

The Stews and I could pass the time commiserating about sports that truly matter, like the NFL and NBA. What would fans rather hear? The Stews' searing insights into Kobe Bryant or yet another waltz down memory lane? And by waltz I mean slow and boring. My memories are all technicolor, baby! 

Heeey!

I can name drop with the best of them, from Susan Anton to Pete the Northside Barkeep. And I might even be able to persuade Jerry to drop in, a la Travis Tritt. Jerry's wisdom isn't confined to the gridiron, baby. Plus he could give pep talks to a team that needs motivating -- a team that needs to learn how to innovate. That's Jerry, baby, or as I like to call him, "The Innovator". 

I'm sure the old tractor jockey will do everything possible to prevent me from assuming what's rightfully mine. He's afraid, baby, and he should be. I'd be the voice of the fans, questioning all the stupid moves made by the dottering old man in the Braves dugout. He makes JIm Hanifan look like like Vince Lombardi.

Humor, innovation, pointless distractions, Susan Anton anecdotes -- who else brings that skill set to the mic? Maybe Darrel Chaney. 

For man's best friend, this is Double B, O-C-K! 

Mr. Wren, dude, I need a job

Or at least one with good pay, air conditioning and some kick-ass fringe benefits like travel, nice hotel rooms and free food. What I'm getting at is I think I might like to step in for Pete.

By the way, we'll miss you, Professor. I been listening to you for all of them 33 years. Godspeed in your retirement. You deserve it.

Now, back to my main point. Like I say, I been listening to Pete and Skip and Ernie and all them all my damn life. I know how it's done. I could come up with some of my own sayings, and use my nicknames y'all like so much on this web thingamajig. We ain't got Teshowmethemoney no more, but I could still find a way to use it.

Example: Since we ain't got Teshowmethemoney no more, starting at first is Casey Kotchman-I wish I could get a damn hit. And then there's Freedomy in right. With Kelly Johnson, the possibilities are endless. 

And for some catch phrases, I'd say stuff like: "Welcome to another night of Braves baseball, y'all. Tonight we're gonna pour a can of North Georgia whup ass on the pansy-ass New York Mets!" I hear a lot of people, business types, nowadays saying "absolutely" all the time. So I could start saying that a lot.

Like: "The 2-1 to Chipper. He swings and poleaxes one to deep right hard as my daddy used to wallop me after I'd skip school. That ball is absoluuuuutely a home run!" Or, "Hot damn, boys, another win for Jurrgenson and Hotlanta!" Maybe, "Home run for Prado! Let's all get blotto!" 

Plus, maybe I could pick up on Skip's trick of naming the hometowns when people get a foul ball. I could, I don't know, tell what they're thinking about. "A fella dreading a call from his creditors just snagged that one." Or, "A preacher from Hahira caught that ball, and he's hoping none of his flock is watching 'cause he's here with his gay lover from midtown Atlanta." Or, "There's a lady who's hoping her neighbor don't find out she boned that neighbor's husband last night."  

I don't know. Just some ideas. Anyhow, I could do it. And it'd pay more than my two jobs I got now put together. A loading dock at a plumbing supply house and the floor at Lowe's ain't exactly climbing the American ladder. 

If I got that announcing gig, I think Brenda would like it 'cause, one, I'd be bringing home pretty good jack, and two, I'd be gone a lot. We might could use some time apart, with all this stress and all from our financial difficulties. What's that they say, being in a different place makes you horny? Something like that. 

Anyhoo, if I need a reference, I might use one of y'all if that's OK. Absoluuuuuutely!

Be good, fellas. I gotta go. Brenda's got some kinda online 12-step meeting she's gotta get onto. Later.

--Duane From Forest Park 

Too much

Let me repeat: Tommy Hanson should not be traded. Certainly not as part of a package that would include Jordan Schafer AND KJ (the hot rumor du jour). I want Peavy, but I don't want him pitching for a non-contender. 

I trust Frank Wren won't be so generous. I could live with Yesco, Morton /Medlen and Schafer, or some similar combination, but trading Adam Wainwright a second time isn't going to reverse the team's course. The Braves need as many talented arms as they can get -- trading Hanson just doesn't make sense. 

Speaking of the Peavy deal, would you rather keep Yesco or KJ? I say KJ, though not with great confidence.  

--CB

CD chimes in with a counterpoint: 

That's a lot. On the other hand, you're trading one player -- KJ -- who looks like a sure-fire solid big leaguer, and two maybes for a guy who is a bona fide superstar pitcher. I'd assume that if Wren could, he'd hang onto Hanson and send them Charlie or someone else. The Braves have other pitching prospects and of course Gorkys behind Schaefer. And you can plug Prado in at second. Left field -- who knows?  Plus, Peavy's contract is very reasonable for a guy like that. 

If that's what it takes, I say do it. I wouldn't let Hanson block this deal. The Braves badly need a bold move like this. If Hanson turns out to be a Cy Young winner, so be it. We know Peavy is one already. You just don't see legit aces in their prime traded. We'd be getting more or less the equal of Sabathia for, what, half the money (and the three players)? 

The Professional

Nice tribute from Mark Bradley:

We who sat and listened will miss him every bit as much as we’ve missed Skip, maybe even more. See, Pete’s was always the harder part. He had to do the homework and make sense of everything. He had to tell us how many outs there were when Skip was cracking jokes about alimony. Pete had to be the professional, and that’s the only real way to remember him. 

Pete the pro’s pro. Pete the Professor. Pete Van Wieren — another great Atlanta voice gone but not forgotten. Never ever forgotten.

Pete retiring

The Braves have announced that The Professor is retiring. There's a press conference this afternoon. The club's news release did not mention Skip's death, but you'd have to think it was a factor in Pete's decision.

Yet another sad day for Bravos fans. Thanks for all the years, Pete. We'll miss you. And thanks for the heads up, Clete Fan.

--CD

The only Top 10 Braves prospects list that matters

What makes ours different from the others? We haven't seen a single one of these players in person. Or on TV. No PECOTA projections, either. If casual research and gut reactions aren't good enough for you, then go to hell. 

1. Tommy Hanson. Prospects guru Kevin Goldstein says Hanson hasn't gotten his due:

For some reason, he's relegated to Group B, on the fringes of the discussion. That's despite the fact that he had one of the most dominating seasons put up by any pitcher at any level this year, and he also proved himself at Double-A, and he now has the scouting reports to match the numbers. Now, he's proving he belongs in that group in Arizona as well. With nine strikeouts in four no-hit innings on Saturday, Hanson extended his scoreless streak to 8 2/3 innings in three games, during which he's allowed just one hit and struck out 14. Right-handers against him are 0-fo-20 with 12 strikeouts.

As the competition improves, so does Hanson. He projects as a Kevin Millwood-type, but that might be underestimating his talent. Let me repeat: 323 career IP, 231 hits, 373 strikeouts.

2. Jason Heyward. Tops on all the other lists, and with good reason. If he played center field, I'd probably concur. That's not to slight him -- I just value potential aces more than corner outfielders. Then again, Heyward isn't just any corner outfielder. The lefty slugger hit .323 this year, exhibiting solid plate discipline while showing glimpses the power he's expected to deliver. Think Frenchy, pre-2009, minus the all-or-nothing approach and the aversion to taking walks.

3. Julio Teheran. He's been compared favorably to Felix Hernandez. According to Baseball America, the Colombian righthander "pounds the zone with an 88-91 mph fastball, and also features an above-average curveball and plus changeup--which is easily his best offering." And he's only 17. Teheran barely registered in '08, pitching only 15 innings at Danville. But he's got the best arm in the organization, and that includes the parent club. Because of that potential, the Braves consider him untouchable. 

4. Gorkys Hernandez. He appeared headed for a breakout campaign in Myrtle Beach but struggled after missing nearly a month with hamstring problems. He's a skilled defender and a potential nuisance on the bases. It's debatable, but I rate him as the team's best center field prospect. 

5. Jordan Schafer. He could've tumbled into obscurity after his humiliating suspension, but he finished strong after a slow start and stands a decent chance of being the starting center fielder -- in Atlanta or San Diego. Defensively he's ready, but his strikeouts (88 in 84 games) worry me, especially for a top-of-the-order type.

6. Freddie Freeman. A lot like Heyward -- hits from the left side with power and without a lot of strikeouts. Casey Kotchman is just keeping first base warm for the 19-year-old OC native. Expect him to stay put -- the Pads have Adrian Gonzalez in the majors and their best hitting prospect plays first base. 

7. Cole Rohrbough. A big, hard-throwing southpaw. When's the last time we had one of those? Struggled at Rome, but pitched much better after a promotion to Myrtle Beach. Improved control was the key. He missed plenty of bats, striking out 104 in 90 IP. 

8. Tyler Flowers. The only real talent the Braves have left at the catcher's position. Most assumed Flowers would move to first with McCann blocking his path, but now Freeman stands in his way. Still, you have to be impressed with the numbers (.288-17-88, .921 OPS) he compiled in Myrtle Beach's cavernous park. 

9. Kris Medlen. No offense, but I hope he ends up in San Diego. Formerly a middling reliever, Medlen was converted to a starter and sizzled down the stretch in Mississippi. He averaged one strikeout per inning pitched (120 total) and walked only 24. The downside: 121 hits allowed. 

10. Cody Johnson. Among Rome's trio of lefty sluggers, Johnson, the Braves' first-round pick in 2006, hit the most homers (26). He finished second to Freeman in RBI (89). So why don't you hear more about him? Johnson struck out 23 more times than Freeman and Heyward combined. That's a strikeout roughly one out of every 2.5 AB's. If he can make better contact, Johnson could bolt into the Top 5. 

--CB

Untouchable

Yesco or Tommy Hanson? Not even close. Same with KJ. I'd offer Medlin AND Morton instead. 

As much as I want Peavy in Atlanta, the Braves should NOT trade Tommy Hanson to get him. After dominating minor league hitters, the Braves hurler is now toying with Arizona Fall League opponents. 

In his last start, Hanson struck out eight of the first nine batters he faced. In two starts, covering 8.2 innings, he's allowed only one single, striking out 14 and walking three. 

That's against the toughest competition he's ever faced, as the AFL attracts some of the game's premier prospects. 

Looks like Hanson may be ready to join the big club. Imagine Peavy, JJ and Hanson in the same rotation. No doubt the Pads will push hard to get Big Red, but Wren should make it clear Hanson won't be dealt. Maybe he already has. 

This stat speaks loudest on Hanson's behalf. In 323 career minor league innings, Hanson has allowed just 231 hits. He's struck out 373. 

Sounds like a young Jake Peavy.

--CB

Who am I?

Which player was Ted Turner referring to when he said, "So all he is is the best there ever was." 

Find the answer here, but be forewarned: It's easy to get lost in the SI Vault.