I think a lot will depend on how the team does over the next ten days. They have series vs. Washington, Florida and Philly. If they can win all three series and get back to within five games of the lead, then I don’t think that they’ll trade him. However, if we lose 2 of 3 to the Marlins and Phillies, then we’ll definitely be sending Tex on his way.

I don’t think we’ll trade him because I think that Frank Wren is under the illusion that the team is on the verge of getting healthy.

I don’t believe that he’s had a very good season, esepcially if you compare it to last year. He’s had some woeful shooting slumps and has been a non-factor in several games this season.

To me, Josh Smith is playing better than Joe and deserved the A.S. nod; while he can be wild at times, he’s consistently getting points, rebs, and blocks. He’s been much more of a constant threat this season than Joe and I wish more people had taken notice of it. FYI, Charles Barkley had Smith on his All-Star list, but no JJ.  

How many games will you be attending? I heard somewhere that Mike and Steve were mulling over season ticket options.

It’s a shame that the WNBA has folded yet; it must be a great write-off for the NBA.

So, was Larry & the Blacks a dream or reality? My favorite part of that ending sequence was when they showed the family making a ruckus in the movie theater.

I was going to post this yesterday before the game, but it’s even more relevant now. Has Francoeur lost his patience at the plate? He’s been so disciplined all season and has shown no signs of his freeswinging past. However, over the past few weeks, he’s been worse than Andruw about chasing bad balls. Last night’s 5 K’s did nothing to help his cause.

This team is so maddening as they can’t get everyone on the same page to put a run together.

Where do you think Andruw will be playing in 2008? Do you still want him to be in Center Field?

I personally don’t think we need to re-up his contract. Bor-ass will demand way too much for him and we don’t need to tie ourselves up long-term again like we did with Chipper and Hampton. Because of Chipper and Hampton, the Braves have been limited in recent years with what they can and can’t do in the off-season. Adding another albatross of a contract for a player that is batting .213 and is still as undisciplined at the plate as his rookie year is not what we need. I realize his glove will be sorely missed, but we can find someone cheaper and younger to stick out there that can serve us adequately (rumors already about Torii Hunter and Mike Cameron have surfaced). Even Willie Harris would do OK out there as he has great speed and has looked comfortable in the position when Andruw has sat out.

By not tying ourselves to Andruw, we’ll at least have the flexibility financially to make a run at Tex after the 2008 season.

Almost 2600 hits and a .298 average are solid , but i’m not so sure he’ll make it.

To his credit, he has 3 All-Star Games, 1 A.S. MVP (90), 5 Silver Sluggers and 1 AL Batting Crown.

Baseball-reference.com has two indexes for HOF Credentials and he falls short on both.

At this point, he’s more known for his age than his accomplishments, so in some ways his recent years might be helping his chances popularity-wise. However, to some voters, he might be tarnishing his chances by being known as a player that doesn’t know when to quit, even though his numbers have been pretty solid up until this season.

I’ve been slacking on the Quickhitters lately.

Do the Braves have a realistic shot in September for the Division and/or the Wild Card? As of tonight, we are 3 1/2 and 1 1/2 games out, respectively.

In the Braves’ attempts to acquire a quality Starter, left-handed reliever and possibly Mark Teixeira, Salty and Yunel’s names have been popping up as possible trade bait.

Today’s question is this: Who would you rather keep and why?

I’ve gotta go with Yunel as he’s very versatile defensively, he has good speed and is a very patient hitter. Also, if you saw last night’s Arizona game where he stole second on Valverde, he’s very opportunistic.

I like Salty, but since we have McCann locked up long-term, i’m not sure where he fits in. First Base is a possibility, but he doesn’t have a lot of experience at the position.

Besides Hampton, who’s been the most useless Brave on this year’s roster? Past winners include Pete Orr, Brad Clontz, Chris Reitsma and Greg McMichael.

 While Yates, Villarreal and Ledezma come to mind and are all worthy candidates, I think that it’s Chris Woodward, hands down. The guy is supposed to be a good fielder and a solid hitter. He hasn’t hit all season, either in a starting role or pinch-hitting,  and is shaky at best in the various infield positions. Anyone see that throw on the DP attempt right into Bonds’ back two nights ago? Classic Woodward. While I enjoy seeing Bonds get beaned, I didn’t need to see that at that juncture; at least hit him in the neck so that there’s some partial paralysis.