Chipper Jones told ESPN.com's Buster Olney that he and Jim Thome met and complained "like two old grannies" last summer when Jones was struggling and Thome wasn't playing much. Thome finished strong and re-signed with the Twins and Jones is eager to play again, too. Here are the details on Jones and from around the majors:
- Jones says getting rest every week or ten days helps him stay strong throughout the season. The veteran third baseman has only played in 135 games once in the past six seasons because of a variety of injuries, so it makes sense to give him the occasional day off.
- The Phillies tried to sign George Sherrill this winter, before he signed with the rival Braves. Philadelphia sent executive Pat Gillick to see Sherrill and manager Charlie Manuel talked to him, but the left-hander wanted to play within driving distance of his father.
- Joe Torre makes about $2MM in his new job with MLB, according to Olney.
- Gio Gonzalez looks very, very good, according to a scout.
Hmm…I thought the Phillies wanted to win this year. You can’t have a complete pitching performance without good relief pitchers. Starting pitchers don’t always cut it and, certainly, George Sherrill is NOT the way to go. Every time they’d announce his name at Dodger Stadium, it would spark the old craving for a cigarette and I would wish they still had indoor smoking sections so I could retreat from the game during his 2/3 of an inning while he gave up four consecutive runs. I feel sorry for the Braves.
It is Dodger fans you should feel sorry for. Your team just went 80-82 and your haul from this offseason included names such as: Cormier, Rincon, Miles, Carroll, MacDougal, Thames, Kapler…
Sherrill, at this point in his career, is no more than a LOOGY. Too bad Joe Torre couldn’t see that. His numbers with the Braves should be much better.
Too bad Sherrill refused to go to the minors and fix his mechanics..
6 man pen Madson is a one of the best set up men
and Lidge’s salary ain’t going anywhere…
Well isn’t that just a cherry on top for Braves fans our number 3 lefty in our bullpen, was one of our rival’s top relief targets…
Gio!! He’s Oakland’s #1… oh wait, that’s Cahill, oh wait that’s going to be Brett Anderson… 3 #1 pitchers for less $ than 1 of Philly’s starting 5 gets paid. Nice work Oakland. Lock these guys up now.
Every time someone mentions Gio Gonzalez I start having nightmares of that Gonzalez / Gavin Floyd for Freddy Garcia trade. Ah, what could have been. Glad to see him doing well in Oakland.
For 162 X 9 innings I like the Braves pitching more than I like Philly. That is not taking ANYTHING away from the Philly rotation, but I feel that the Braves pen is much deeper. With Ugla in, and a healthy Prado, I am not sure if Philly is even the best team in that division. Jones’ health is probably not going to be an issue.
“Jones’ health is probably not going to be an issue.”
Well, if/when Chipper goes down that opens up a hole in LF. This is why I am REALLY hoping that both McLouth and Schafer get it together. Both have looked great this spring and both are capable of being productive. That way the defensively superior Schafer can play center and McLouth and his horrible arm won’t have to be relied upon as much out in LF.
Or they ship a couple of young pitchers out for a legit left-fielder if Chipper goes down early. Either way, they can fill the LF hole with someone productive if Prado is forced to play 3B. They made the playoffs with Diaz, Melky, Ankiel, and McLouth in the outfield last year, so it’ll be borderline impossible to get less production out of their outfield this year.
Gio Gonzalez and Gavin Floyd for Freddy “piece of fat garbage” Garcia = worse trade ever!
I thought someone would do something like this…Yes, the Phillies’ pitching staff scares me to death this year.
Are you saying Lidge is going to stay healthy and effective?
I love how Philly fans think the season is already over…
Maybe had he phrased it “Well, there’s the pony in the poop… the Phillies didn’t get Sherrill, TOO.”?
I love how Met fans already know the season is over.
A lot of great young players have developed in Oakland. Unfortunately, most of them leave there.
We love it, too.
Signed,
Phillies fans
Mets ownership are insults to baseball.
And so is a Commissioner who just keeps giving ’em more chances…and bucks. However, every dollar they borrow now to buy band-aids for a sinking ship is just more rope for them to hang by…eventually. I just wish that “eventually” would hurry up and get here already!
The Mets are an insult to the words “ownership” and “baseball”.
I think Susan rounded out her comment with the acquisitions the Braves made in addition to their pen, and comparable rotation, they are a more complete team than the Phillies. So not exactly a pitching only debate.
The Braves have a great amount on depth at most positions, unless the rotation gets injured like it did in 2008 they should be able to take the division.
You never know with bullpens. Pens are streaky even if you have the same talent from one season to the next. If Lidge and Madson (who are both at contract years) play like they did in the second half of last season then the Phils have the better pen this season. The Braves have no one who can play in a big playoff besides Derek Blowe who wouldn’t even be a number 5 starter for the Phils.
The only complete landslide in your comparisons is Halladay>Hudson. At 10 years younger, Hanson put up VERY comparable stats to Lee last year. JJ was injured last year so thats not a very favorable matchup, but look at the year before. And I will give you the Hamels>Lowe. But Lowe isn’t the guy that is going to overpower batters. With the Braves bullpen and revamped lineup, its not going to be a complete domination by the Phils this year. Yes the Phils have a powerful lineup, but I think the Braves have a more complete team and will compete with the Phils more than anybody gives them credit for.
how is hanson better than hamels. pass it to the right
war isnt end all be all , name another stat that hanson has him beat , era no strike outs no world series mvp no , wins no , plus i would rather have a lefty , and we will see this year who war is higher
baseball reference says otherwise hamels 2010 4.7 war Hanson 2.5 war 4.7>2.5 everyday of the week home slice
I realize ws mvp is not a stat but hamels got one and hanson dont and i dont use fangraffes and since their is such a big disparity in war on these two credible websites maybe war not as accurate as you think , and baseball-reference says hamels is better in everyway so thats what im going with Hamels>hanson to everybody outside atl sorry man
agree to disagree how bout that