after his release from the Mets. I am not really bragging about this, because I didn't like him a heck of a lot 20 years ago when he was 40. But, does he have anything left in the tank at all? I know his numbers were bad this year in New York, but he seemed to have good bat speed the few times I've seen him.
a good guy to have hanging around the clubhouse during the stretch and when the postseason begins. especially after smoltz called out that adulterer wearing #10 about his lack of leadership. plus, when you take a guy off your rival team like that it always seems to bite them in the ass. braves are now a lock to win the division. sorry marty.
to be honest, the #1 positive I thought about is that he would know the tricks of the trade to all the Mets now. he slept with the enemy for a few months, almost like a spy. lol
well so far Julio is 8-32 with the Braves with an OBP easily over .300. he can still play and is a solid 7-8 hitter. the mets just can't play him with delgado and wright at 1st and 3rd
first base is the position that you expect the most offense from. an OBP over .300 is nothing to write home about. it is barely acceptable. if franco keeps playing regulalrly he will kill the braves.
when you compare him to Thorman, we'll take it. why don't you worry about Delgado and his whopping .325, and that is in the FOUR spot, much less the 8 spot Julio is in.
i am worried about delgado! doesnt mean franco is not a team-killer at first. i see the braves fading and i am waving goodbye to them. i am welcoming the phillies in as their replacement as the second-place contender. but now that utley is down for the stretch run, i am waving goodbye to them as well.
i wouldn't wave bye to the braves just yet, because they have the most potential momentum going into the deadline. Everyone gives Saltalamacchia so much pub, but I don't think he is nearly as good as Yunel Escobar. but you're right. the Mets are totally the team to beat.
question for you about the Mets, Martin. why does this Castro guy not play more at C? I mean, i know Lo Duca is a decent player, but everytime I see Castro in the box-score I see that he is like 2-4 with a 2B or a HR.
i dunno, he has been rock solid, and has power, while loduca has zero power. loduca had a great season batting 2nd last year, never striking out and advancing the runner. but this year castro has been far better and deserves more playing time than LD. willie randolph is not a good manager in terms of playing the right guys and making good decisions. he is good as far as the players respecting him, but i dunno how much that is worth. he pretty much threw away a game yesterday with a bad substitution that stupidly emptied the bench when he didnt have to. he is probably the dumbest manager in the league.
