Play Ball

Final (class) post

2006-04-16T08:49:00.000-05:00

That's right folks, another college semester has come to a close. And with it comes the end of my online journalism class AKA the opportunity to start this blog and run my mouth about my favorite topic in the world. I am not sure if I necessarily got anything out of it, but I had a lot of fun with it. If there is one thing I wish I could do differently it would be to find time to read John Schurholtz's book during the semester and to blog about it, but I am taking two English classes so there is already too much reading in my life right now. I didn't have any real surprises, other than that people really seemed to like my style of writing. I shared it with my family and my friends that would understand it. And with the exception of my stepfather the Mets fan everyone liked it, and even he liked it just not the topic. I like the idea of blogging and a lot of the ones I read. But I also found a lot of disregarded blogs out in cyber space, and while I will try not to let that happen to this one, it made me sad to see them all left alone without a new post in months.
I don't know if I will be able to keep this up because my life is a crazy busy mess, but I will try, mostly because it gives me the false sense that someone is listening.

Smoltz is Smoltz

2006-04-16T08:40:00.000-05:00

John Smoltz pitched a complete game shutout to bring a little order to the Braves starting rotation. It was the first win by a Braves starting pitcher this year. And he was definitely the Smoltz of old in the 2-0 win, which the Braves needed to gain a game on the Mets who lost last night.
Now I know it is early, but my stepfather sees no problem with telling me everyday how far ahead the Mets are, so it is not to earl y to worry about it.
Adam LaRoche collected two hits, including a solo homer, and Jeff Francoeur added a run-scoring single.
LaRoche has carried his weight all season and Francoeur has broken out of his slump in a major way this week. Which I knew he would.
The Braves face off with the Padres today at 1:05. John Thomson and his 2.08 ERA get the start.

Keeping it in the family

2006-04-15T21:54:00.000-05:00

I can't remember a time when my world didn't revolve around the Atlanta Braves. So I can name just about every player to put the tomahawk across his chest in the past 10 years. Jeff Blauser is no different. I loved him for his bat and ability to plug up holes in the infield. So I am nothing but proud of him for getting his first win as a manager, especially since it is with the Mississippi Braves.

odds and ends

2006-04-15T21:44:00.000-05:00

Aussie pitcher called up... and may help the hurting Braves bullpen
Renteria gets hurt... Braves just can't catch a break
Francoeur finds his stroke... I was never really worried about him, I knew he would start hitting again.
Joey Devine down to the minors.. The Braves have had really good luck with their rookies being ready to play in the bigs, Devine just isn't.

The silver lining

2006-04-15T21:34:00.000-05:00

I am a firm believer in looking on the bright side, so when Chipper Jones got hurt I went ahead and KNEW that Wilson Betemit would be fine.
And he proved me wrong. He didn't do fine.
He did much, much better.
He is hitting well over .350 and playing excellent defense.
But I actually feel bad for him. On April 25 when Chipper Jones gets off the DL Betemit will walk back to the bench and take a seat. But he doesn't seem to mind. He signed with the Braves in '96 knowing he would be Chipper's back-up for a while.
So kudos to Betemit for being good enough to play everyday, and humble enough to sit down when Jones is back.

Say it ain't so... again

2006-04-15T21:25:00.000-05:00

For the third straight season Chipper Jones has been placed on the disabled list. After both teams acknowledged that the field in San Francisco was wet they played anyway and it came back to bite the Braves. On a slow roller to third Jones slid as he was charging the ball. He said he heard a pop, and while I didn't hear anything I saw it and it was ugly to watch. Originally everyone thought it would be much worse but x-rays show it as just a sprain and he will be back in two weeks.
Just 15 days.... phew...

Pitching Pitching Everywhere and not a win in sight

2006-04-15T21:16:00.000-05:00

The Braves starting pitching isn't winning. They have given up most of there runs in the first inning and the starting rotation is already out Horatio Ramirez who went on the disabled list after coming up limping while running to first base on a bunt.
But I have found the silver lining. Oscar Villarreal leads the league in wins with 4.
So yay for the bullpen's bright spot.
Because other than that Reitsma has faltered, like I said he would, and no one else can dig the Braves out of the holes the starters put them in.
The bullpen is doing much better then I thought they would, especially considering the number of innings they are being forced to pitch. The starters need to pull it together. But I refuse to point a finger at Roger McDowell. It is hard for the Braves starters to unlearn all of what Mazzone taught them. And this is the same Braves team that always starts slow and then destroys the competition when it is time to clinch the division.
I am still sure that the Braves starters can get it together. Even if I don't have much company there.

The Good Guy

2006-04-15T21:10:00.000-05:00

John Smoltz is continually being named as one of the most charitable baseball players. And he seems to only get better with age.
Smoltz along with The Atlanta Braves, Major League Baseball and the Baseball Tomorrow Fund opened the Atlanta Braves Baseball Academy in Atlanta.
He funded his own field, which was named after him. The other fields were funded by Jones, Jordan and Hampton.
There needs to be more of this. Where is the Derek Jeter or the Barry Bonds field. Come on you guys make more money than any human needs!

Catch-up

2006-04-15T20:48:00.000-05:00

Well the Braves won the April 5 game, but it didn't end until 3 am. The 9-8 final was a nail biter. Since then things haven't been going so well.
April 6 - 6-4 loss the the Giants. Jorge Sosa threw 70 pitches in less than 3 innings... awesome!
April 7 - 14-6 win over the Giants. Kyle Davies threw A LOT of pitches and in true Braves pitching fashion gave up a lot of runs in the first inning but the Braves bats held up there end with an 8 run 7th inning. The Braves scored on walks and errors with only 2 hits. Basically the Giants beat themselves.
April 8 - 12-6 loss to the Giants. More bad pitching
April 9 - 6-5 loss to the Giants. Smoltz pitched well but a 3 run 6th gave him the loss.
April 10 - 6-5 win over the Phillies in the home opener. John Thomson pitched well and helped his own cause with a double.
April 11 - A day off... thank goodness
April 12 - 7-5 loss to the Phillies. Jorge Sosa still didn't pitch well and while the Braves got a few runs in the Braves pitchers can't stop giving up runs.
April 13 - 7-6 loss to the Phillies. Jeff Francoeur finally started hitting, two home runs, but did I mention the pitching didn't do its part.
April 14 - 5-4 win over the Padres. Francoeur homered again to give the Braves the win and Tim Hudson pitched better.

And it starts...

2006-04-05T22:23:00.000-05:00

The Braves are in the middle of the fourth inning against the Dodgers as I type this but the season has already started to look like a continuation of last year's injury-ridden mess.
Chippper Jones didn't start the game because of an abdominal pull, luckily Wilson Betimet started in his place and sent a home run over the left field wall to tie the game after Horacio Ramirez gave up five runs in the first two innings. The Ramirez came up to bat in the fourth, put down the bunt, and had it beat out because the Dodgers couldn't decide who was going to throw it to first. However, he came up limping and had to leave the game... Great. He had finally settled down after giving up the five runs and now he is headed back to the club house.
And with the lack of bull pen hope the last thing that needs to happen is for a pitcher to be out in the fourth inning, and indefinitely.
And extra piece to the now crumbling puzzle is that Ramirez was scheduled to pitch opening day in Atlanta next week. And there are no off days between now and then to give anyone some time to rest.
Everyone cross you fingers he is fine.
I have to go to bed- damn these west coast games that start at 10pm- lets hope there is good news when I wake up.

First Loss

2006-04-05T13:03:00.000-05:00

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned...
Well let me know who scorned mother nature because I am going to give them a stern talking to!
In the second game of the season John Smoltz and the Braves got the first loss. In the rain of the first inning Smoltz said he had trouble gripping the ball, giving up four runs immediately, that he could never get back.
The Braves eventually scored four runs, but it was the fifth run that Smoltz gave up in the third inning that was the deciding factor.
The upside- the Braves still scored four runs, not too bad. Proof that the offense is there. Andruw doubled to get his fifth RBI of the season. FIVE IN TWO GAMES! Last year was not a mistake.
And the bullpen didn't need nearly as much to sustain itself as it did Monday. Now I am not dillusional enough to think that this one outing means all the problems are better for this season, but like I said one day at a time is as good as it is gonna get with this bullpen.
Tonight the Braves finish up the three game set in LA, with Horacio Ramirez getting his first start of the season in his home state. Lets hope having family and friends at the game is just what the Braves need to beat former teammate Odalis Perez and win the series.
First Pitch- 10:10

Opening Day!!

2006-04-03T21:41:00.000-05:00

To hell with Christmas, Opening Day is the happiest day of the year.
Especially when the Braves win an 11-10 hitting fest over the LA Dodgers, and former Brave Rafael Furcal.
So the pitching didn't look great, in fact I could feel my blood pressure rising with every hit the bullpen gave up. But Vilarreal got the win, and (opening mouth to insert foot) Reitsma got the save. I know I have blasted him, and I still don't think he can do it all season, but I am going to take the bullpen one day at a time at this point. Because they just aren't going to hack it all season.
Andruw Jones picked up right where he left off last season, with a homerun in the fifth inning.
And the rookies did their job, with Jeff Francoeur, Brian McCann and Ryan Langerhans all making their first opening day start, and the media took notice. In fact Bobby Cox had to tell the reporters to leave Francoeur alone before the game.
John Smoltz is scheduled to pitch tomorrow, come on old man, you still got it.

Something really funny....
Unknown ailment: John Smoltz and Francoeur went to see a movie on Sunday night and Smoltz exited the cinema with a small bruise on his left eye.
Francoeur joked that he was responsible because he had jabbed the veteran pitcher after he'd gone to sleep. But truthfully, Smoltz has no idea why his eye was still bruised on Monday morning.
Smoltz says there is no discomfort and that he'll definitely pitch Tuesday night's game against the Dodgers.

Yeah I would love to know what happened there....

Catchers, Catchers Everywhere

2006-03-19T20:10:00.000-05:00

A few years ago I almost cried when the Braves let Javy Lopez go to the Orioles. He had just come off an excellent year at the plate and he wasn't the worst catcher in baseball. But the Braves had Johnny Estrada coming up from the minors and he was forecasted as one of the best catchers in the minors. And while Johnny never had the personality that Javy did, he did a solid job as a hitter and an excellent job behind the plate.
Then last year Johnny struggled with injuries and along with a bunch of other rookies Brian McCann came up and established himself as a major leaguer. So in January Estrada found himself on the way to Arizona, and McCann is the Braves starting catcher this year.
But McCann better not get comfortable because there is another minor leaguer in the Braves' system biting at his heels.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Ok so I can't say it either, but his stats speak for themselves.
His homerun on March 3rd was what the Braves needed to beat the Dodgers and he is making quite the impression on Bobby Cox and catching veteran Todd Pratt.
Did I mention he is only 20. Yeah, he can't even legally drink. This kid should be sitting in class next to me, not being the topic of my blog.
Braves' rookies proved last year that age really ain't nothin but a number. But I want to know that the Braves are doing in their farm system with all these catchers... and can we get some of that depth at 1st base?

Things you never knew

2006-03-19T19:58:00.000-05:00

All obsessed fans know things that the random person would never know about their teams. But it isn't just the random stats or knowing that Chipper Jones' real name is Larry and he got the nickname Chipper because he was 'a chip off the old block' and very much like his father that the truly obsessed fan knows. So here is a blog post that has four things that many Braves fans won't know... or don't want to acknowledge. And since it is one in a series they may have unknown facts on your favorite team too.
Four Tiny Tidbits

TICKETS!!!

2006-03-19T19:30:00.000-05:00

This isn't really news, just very exciting! As of about 15 minutes ago I am the proud owner of two tickets to the Braves v. Mets game on April 30th in Atlanta. My Dad scored us tickets so I am going to go visit him for a week after finals and go to Atlanta to see my boys! It is a TBS televised game so check it out, I have made the camera once before while in Atlanta at a game, I think I can do it again.

Starting Pitcher

2006-03-18T21:22:00.000-05:00

Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Greg Maddux, Russ Ortiz.
They have all started Opening Day for the Atlanta Braves. And this year Tim Hudson gets the honor. My heart goes out to John Smoltz who in a perfect world would get the start. But it isn't perfect and Smoltz will be 39 in May and has been resting this off season after hurting pretty bad after the Braves lost to the Astros last year. He even said that if the Braves had advanced over the Astros he would not have been able to pitch. He also passed on the World Baseball Classic to be ready for this season. So the torch is being passed to Tim Hudson, and he will start Opening Day for the Braves, with John's blessing.
So far this Spring Training Hudson has been nothing but spectacular this spring. He has given up minimal runs and performed well. He has been unhappy with his stats, but very happy with his mechanics. Smoltz calls him the future of the Braves pitching and Bobby Cox thinks he can win 30 games this year.
Hudson went 14-9 last year, so 30 wins would be amazing. One can only hope. With Hudson's '30' wins and Smoltz at the number 2 spot the Braves have a good starting rotation. Add Jorge Sosa, John Thompson and either Horatio Ramirez or Kyle Davies and this rotation will be great. Even without Leo Mazzone.

My new favorite

2006-03-18T20:53:00.000-05:00

Scott Miller is my new favorite journalist.
Ok so maybe he can never replace Peter Gammons but he has carved himself a little place in my heart lately.
Reason 1
Reason 2

First of all he is sarcastic, which I love! I don't think there has been any sarcasm ever in this blog...
And in his sarcasm he points out that the Braves have been, are, and will continue to be the team to beat in the NL East. He points out why none of the other teams can take them down.
The Mets are relying on some old pitchers, Pedro Martinez, Steve Trachsel and former Brave Tom Glavine.
The Phillies don't have any pitchers, not even old ones.
The Nationals have already lost people this spring and well, they don't have anyone to lose
And the Marlins are young and inexperienced, and well they are the Marlins

Miller says all of that much better than I just did plus he adds all the reason the Braves are still amazing...Both Jones', Brian McCann, Tim Hudson and Kyle Davies, just to name a few

Reason 2 really makes me happy- 5 Things to Know About the Braves! Know them- there will be a quiz.

Reality TV

2006-03-18T19:26:00.000-05:00

There are few Atlanta Braves, past or present, that I truly detest. If they wore the Tomahawk on their chest then I can usually find something I like about them. There is one glaring exception.
John Rocker
I was at Shea Stadium when he pitched against the Mets and got batteries thrown at him. In fact my sister got her picture taken with him before he ran his mouth to Sports Illustrated. My mom still has the ball he signed.
But the guy is a one of a kind, and I mean that in the least flattering way possible. But he has gone where all has-beens in need of another 15 minutes go- Reality TV.
Now SportsCenter is as real as I want my tv, but the masses seem to like it so I will leave that for Meg's blog.
Rocker pitched to a bunch of average people for the Spike TV show Pros v. Joes. And he did well.
So Congrats to you Mr. Rocker, you can't handle the majors anymore but you are an ace against your everyday American, the exact ones you didn't want to sit next to on the subway. But I am begging you, stop grasping for another shot at the spotlight!

Kirby Puckett

2006-03-18T18:40:00.000-05:00

I was 5 years old in 1991, when the Atlanta Braves faced the Minnesota Braves in the World Series. Now I was in my footy pajamas and fast asleep when the games were being played but I know the details of those games as well as if I had been watching them instead of doing my homework like I did in 1995 when the Braves actually won.
So Kirby Puckett is a name I am all to familiar with, and despite dashing the World Series dreams of the Braves that year he was an amazing ball player and when I heard that he had passed away I was extremely sad. Here is one of the many stories that came out after he passed away about what a great guy he was, they always come out even if someone wasn't that great a guy. And while Puckett does have some marks on his record, that isn't what most people remembered.
Braves fans remember his damn homerun. Baseball fans remember everything else. This reporter remembers that same home run. His kid remembers Halloween.

There is no Crying in Baseball

2006-03-18T18:23:00.000-05:00

I grew up in a small town in New York and went to Webutuck High School. Our mascot was the Warrior and I can not tell you how many time they talked about changing the mascot because it was deemed offensive. It has been a debate country-wide. Are mascots like the redskins, indians and.... braves.
Now a church in Richmond, Va has taken up the argument that the Braves mascot is offensive. The catch- Richmond is the home of the Atlanta Braves Double-A affiliate. The United Methodist Church has decided not to hold a convention in Richmond in protest of the name.
Boo Hoo.
Sorry, but as I have been directly involved in this argument while I was in HS I just don't care that they are having there convention in Tampa instead of Richmond. I honestly don't see how the mascot is that offensive. We live in a society that is so concerned with being politically correct that if the mascots were really that offensive they would have been gone a long time ago.
So, seriously if you don't like the team name, that is your opinion. I am sure the Devil Rays appreciate you coming to town.

WBC

2006-03-18T16:59:00.000-05:00

USA is out the the World Baseball Classic. It is unfortunate, but the WBC is less about who wins and more about the global experience. And while reviews are mixed about how effective it has been one thing is obvious, despite all the whiny ball players who were just too cool to play in the Classic the ones who did are acting the way baseball players should, like people who love the game and are 12-years-old at heart.

"I had more butterflies today than any playoff game or other game I've ever been in," said Team USA third baseman Chipper Jones. "And I wasn't even starting. I was just hoping those guys could get a cushy lead before they let me in there to mess it up."

Now that is what I want to hear. There are very few things that Chipper Jones could do to make me dislike him. He has been a fixture of my summers for 11 years but that quote simply reinforces why, despite the less than admirable things he has done in his personal life, he is one of the good guys in the game.

Here is one more things, the transcript of an interview with Chipper, Buck Martinez and Jake Peavy....pretty interesting

Lets play a game

2006-03-18T16:44:00.000-05:00

Do you remember that game 'One Of These Is Not Like The Other?' When you were a little kid you had to choose which one in the group didn't belong, like
blue
yellow
house
red
Well when I was in Florida I experienced a big-league version of this, excuse the pun. When I was sitting in the press box, I looked around at reporters from MLB.com, the Boston Globe, The Boston Herald and a number of Florida paper and the reporters were all middle-aged men. Wow did I feel out of place. But I know that is a feeling that is not going anywhere because I love what I do, and it is primarily a job filled by men.
And all the reporters were extremely nice, and treated me with respect, but it was very obvious I was the Northeastern kid. The Globe reporter even introduced himself and asked if I planned on trying to co-op at the Globe.
The crowning moment of my press box experience was when Emanuele hit his homerun and four 'professionals' turned to me and asked me who that kid was and about his stats. It was a little satisfying... hey, I knew something they didn't.
So here is to a career of two childhood games: baseball and one of these things is not like the other.....

Spring really is the best time of year

2006-03-18T16:28:00.000-05:00

I am learning more and more every day that this journalism thing is what I was born for...
On March 3 the Northeastern University baseball team played the Boston Red Sox in an exhibition game, and the Northeastern News sent me down there to cover the game. The game was the second in a college doubleheader. The Sox played Boston College and with Curt Schilling on the mound the Eagles were shutout 10-0. But after all the A-listers went back in the clubhouse, the B grade names and non-roster spring training invitees came out to play NU.
With Matt Clement on the mound the Sox beat the Huskies 9-2, but even though the Huskies got the loss, they definitely made their mark.
Northeastern's centerfielder and leadoff hitter Chris Emanuele took Clement, a 2005 MLB All-Star deep over the left field wall. Clement only gave up 21 homeruns last year, but Emanuele took him yard on the third pitch of the game. Even though they only scored one more run in the game that homerun solidified Emanuele as a Major League prospect, and it made it way more fun to write this story for the NU NEWS
Last year's America East Pitcher of the Year, Dave Pellegrine started the game for the Huskies but only pitched one inning before taking to the clubhouse. Every NU pitcher took the hill for about an inning to keep everyone fresh for the regular season.
After the exhibition game the Huskies went 4-4 on their 8 game southern swing before returning home for their first home game. The two home games were cancelled due to weather and the Huskies hit the road again to face Savannah today.

Random

2006-03-10T02:07:00.000-05:00

So this has little to do with the Braves specifically, although Chipper Jones is mentioned. I just want other people to read something that literally made me laugh out loud and is a testament to how much sports can bridge gaps between people.
It isn't very often I read the Falls Church News Press (ok so maybe this is my first time) but in my daily search ( it is only not stalking because I am a journalist) of Chipper Jones his name came up in this website and when I read the opening, I didn't care what came after, the guy had me hooked.
And he went on to make some pretty good points on a wide variety of sports topics.
So I hope the 'Power of Christ compels you' or at least makes you smile.

Another rumor in the ring

2006-03-10T01:51:00.000-05:00

There have been a few rumors floating around about who will buy the Braves now that Time Warner has put them on the block. Previously the only interest seemed to be coming from Home Depot founder Arthur Blank but he has yet to make a move, or an offer and so another rumor has entered Turner Field.
Last month, Time Warner sold Turner South a regional network that carries Braves' games, to News Corp.'s Fox Cable Networks.
And now John Malone's Liberty Media is in talks with Time Warner to exchange its 4 percent stake for some of the companies assets, specifically the Atlanta Braves.
While I was all in favor of Blank and I not a fan of the newest rumor. I don't feel like Liberty Media will take care of the team. To them it will just be a business, and baseball teams need a bit of love and care to succeed. But again it is just another rumor. I will get upset when something real happens.

BOOOOOO TED TURNER

2006-03-10T01:36:00.000-05:00

Ted Turner is infuriating!
So I may love the man for bringing me the days of TBS the Spuerstation and putting hundreds of Braves games in to my NY living room, but right now I loathe him.
He stepped down as Vice Chairman of the Time Warner company in 2003 and has been slowly relinquishing power ever since. And with him gone the Braves have been put up for sale while slowly losing money the past three years, despite continued success.
Then he announces that he is 'disappointed' that Time Warner is selling off assets, most specifically the Braves.
Well then don't leave! DUH!
If he is so worried about the fate of the Braves and sad to see them go, then keep them.
He bought them for $12 million and they are now worth $382 million.
Maybe, just maybe, they are worth keeping. At least he showed that he cared about the team and that is more than some owners which was a huge part of their success.
But I really don't want to listen to how sad and let down he is when he is retiring with all the revenue from the team and his other investments.
Boo Hoo....
Yeah I would cry myself to sleep every night if I was retiring with that much money, and just selling my baseball team because I felt like it.

Smoltz v. A. Jones

2006-03-10T01:23:00.000-05:00

Teammates since 1996 John Smoltz has never thrown a pitch to Andruw Jones outside of batting practice, and those don't count.
That all changed March 5 when Smoltz started for the Braves against WBC team, the Netherlands, for whom Andruw is the starting center fielder.
Bobby Cox knew what he was doing when he announced his starting pitcher and he also knew the guys would not give up a chance to earn bragging rights.
Before the game Cox said "With Smoltzie going you know damn well he will go after him."
And that's exactly what he did.
Smoltz told Andruw what was coming. Two fastballs.
What he didn't tell him was that he was going to ask for a new ball and toss the old one back, but not to the umpire. Instead it went right back at Andruw... who was one step ahead and preceded to tip the ball into the Braves dugout.
Unfortunately, there was no clear victor as Jones grounded out to third base. No strikeout. No homerun. No bragging rights.
But at least they had fun, and isn't that what both the WBC and spring training are about?

The right way to train

2006-03-10T01:06:00.000-05:00

Bobby Cox has clearly been doing something right. You can't really argue with 14 straight division titles. But an AP Wire story gives a slightly different perspective on what Cox is doing right.
apparently it is all in the spring training.
Cox has always been a no nonsense guy but he runs his camp in the same way he runs his locker room, which is not the norm in baseball.
Instead of having his players doing a ton of drills and trying to get them in shape, he expects them to be in shape already and then just has them work on baseball drills. And when they are done they are told to get off the field, instead of hanging around on the field for hours.
The players are expected to already be in shape and he will work on their mechanics, and if you don't get in shape so he can do that, then you don't make the team....
Maybe more teams should give it a try.

Mike Remlinger

2006-02-27T00:10:00.000-05:00

In 2002 Mike Remlinger made the All-star team in his third year with the Braves. After that season he left for a contract with the Cubs. But as the article from Macon Telegraph states he was never quite the same.
Remlinger was one of the guys that came in and had a resurrected under Leo machine and was never quite the same after he left.
Now, with his 40th birthday approaching, he has signed a minor league deal with the Braves. He will make $700,000 if he is signed to the major league roster after Spring Training.
And there is a very good chance of this happening. The bullpen is seriously lacking any depth, or experience. There are bunch of rookies making house in the bullpen, and even if Remlinger isn't the same dominant lefty he was in 2002 there is no end to the things he can teach the kids he will sit with.
I just hope heading back to Atlanta will help him rebound from the 14.85 ERA he posted in eight appearances with the Boston Red Sox before being designated for assignment. Or maybe he will consider retiring and being a bullpen coach......

Blank look at Braves

2006-02-15T23:01:00.000-05:00

Ted Turner bought the Braves and pumped money into them in a George Steinbrenner/Yankees kind of way. And the Braves won, ok so only one World Series, but you can't really argue with 14 NL East titles. In the height of the Superstation days TBS and the Braves were a corporation, not just a baseball team. But those days are long gone and in December Time Warner announced the Braves were for sale.
The person that seems the most interested in the Braves is Home Depot founder Arthur Blank. My thoughts: let Blank buy the Braves, maybe he can put some good old fashioned tlc into the Braves and they can get themselves another World Series in the near future. While nothing is being confirmed by Time Warner or Blank it is the only rumor coming out of the sale and it seems like he is genuinely interested. He already owns the Atlanta Falcons and he clearly can run a business, Home Depot certainly isn't hurting.

Even if it isn't Blank the Braves clearly needs to be sold. The Braves don't even register on Time Warner's radar anymore because they are such a small part of a huge corporation. Here is why AJC.com thinks the Braves need to switch hands, ASAP.

Different Approach, Same Results?

2006-02-15T22:43:00.000-05:00

One if the biggest changes the Braves went through this off season was the departure of pitching coach Leo Mazzone. Mazzone brought in top pitching prospects and resurrected long forgotten about careers. But apparently things aren't as rosy as they seemed in Mazzone's tenure. Since Roger McDowell, an unknown minor league coach, was named pitching coach stars like Tim Hudson have openly said that they are glad to have the prankster take over for the hard-nosed Mazzone. In Hudson even told USA Today that McDowell 'is going to do awesome.' Sounds like words of praise to me, but you can't argue with results and it will be hard for McDowell to match Mazzone's.
Read up on Hudson's new favorite....

A real winner

2006-02-15T22:06:00.000-05:00

Now one can look many many places for the reason the Braves consistently win, and there of course is no one reason but a main reason sits behind the scenes. In 1991 Bobby Cox stepped down as general manager of the Atlanta Braves to focus in his job as manager. And when he did the Braves went out and got John Schuerholz from the Kansas City Royals. The Royals had just won a World Series and he took on the Braves and Ted Turner's big wallet and he bought a really good team. But now with Turner trying to sell and big names like Maddux, Glavine, Furcal and Mazzone gone Schuerholz has had to depend on the farm system and making smart trades. Jeff Gordon, a special correspondent for FOXSports, named Schuerholz the number one executive in professional sports.

This season Schuerholz he lost Mazzone and Furcal but he went out and got Edgar Renteria and Roger McDowell as well as rising stars Brian McCann, Kelly Johnson and Jeff Francoeur. And with talks of the Braves being sold getting louder everyday what Schuerholz is accomplishing gets more impressive every year.

Still the team to beat

2006-02-10T14:00:00.000-05:00

Dayn Perry's other Braves article for the week was not a look back but a look ahead to the season. Perry is convinced (as am I) that despite another off-season of upheaval you can't bet against the Braves this year. So instead of listening to me tell you (again) why the Braves are still the NL East team to beat why don't you let Perry tell you.

How the Braves became a dynasty

2006-02-10T13:40:00.000-05:00

Dayn Perry is a special correspondent for FOXSports.com and the author the book Winners: How Good Baseball Teams Become Great Ones (And It's Not the Way You Think). He has spent a good deal of time writing about the Braves in the past week for FOXSports.com.
First he posted an excerpt from his book 'How the Braves Dynasty Came to Life- And it is not how you think.' Which is a really cool look at how Ted Turner, John Schuerholz and Bobby Cox turned the Braves from one of the worst teams in baseball (i.e. today's Devil Rays) to a baseball Dynasty. And it all began the year I was born....

"The Braves in '86 brought back Cox, as general manager. It was under his watch as GM that they traded for John Smoltz and drafted, among others, Chipper Jones, Kent Mercker, and Mike Stanton. However, before Cox returned to the organization, farm director Paul Snyder was drafting future core contributors such as Ron Gant, Mark Lemke, Tom Glavine, Jeff Blauser, and David Justice. After running through managers such as Eddie Haas, Chuck Tanner, and Russ Nixon, Cox decided to return to the dugout in June of 1990. By October of that same year he had determined that the dual role was too taxing, and he stepped down as GM after five seasons on the job. As Cox's replacement in the front office, the Braves hired Royals GM John Schuerholz, who over the previous decade had guided Kansas City to four division titles and a World Series victory in 1985."

And so the Braves became a dynasty....with a little help from TBS. yeah so it helped that Turner had enough cash to own a couple television channels. In the past few years Turner has stopped pumping money into the Braves, in the NL East both the Mets and Phillies have a higher payroll than the Braves, but they continue to win despite what the experts predict. What would happen to the Yankees of their payroll suddenly dropped? Think about it...

The power of a name

2006-02-09T12:59:00.000-05:00

So I was searching around the web looking for anything new and post worthy when I came across something that struck me as really really funny. When I searched 'Chipper Jones' a story came up about fern farming. How are the two connected you ask? Well I was curious too. Turns out Jones' hometown of Pierson Florida is the Fern Capital of the World. And appearantly that title may be in jeopardy. When the Tampa Tribune ran a story on the state of the ferns they added the fact that it was Chippers Jones' hometown into the top of the story, instantly thousands more people are going to see this story. So kudos to the Tampa Tribune for getting a few more hits on their website. Check out the state of Jones' hometown too, it is actually interesting.

By the way, Jones and his family no longer live in Florida. He has a massive ranch in Texas now.

Farm system

2006-02-09T00:08:00.000-05:00

Last year the Braves had 14 rookies play for them, and all of them performed well and kept the Braves afloat with veterans like Chipper Jones injured. Andruw Jones, Rafeal Furcal and Marcus Giles all came up through the Braves minor leagues it makes you wonder what is in the water down there. OR maybe it isn't the water at all and the Braves are hiding some amazing coaches in Richmond, Rome, Danville and Myrtle Beach. So here is an interesting story I found about one of the coaches now in Richmond, the last step before Atlanta. Maybe this guy will be the next Bobby Cox for the Braves.
Although I don't think Bobby Cox will ever leave. In 300 years he will be sitting in the dugout and fining players who aren't working hard enough.

Everyone has a different spin

2006-02-08T23:52:00.000-05:00

I posted ESPN's projected starters and pitching rotation earlier. Here is what AtlantaBraves.com has to say on the subject.

Projected batting order
1. 2B Marcus Giles: .291 BA, 15 HR, 63 RBIs in 2005
2. SS Edgar Renteria: .276 BA, 8 HR, 70 RBIs in 2005
3. 3B Chipper Jones: .296 BA, 21 HR, 72 RBIs in 2005
4. CF Andruw Jones: .263 BA, 51 HR, 128 RBIs in 2005
5. 1B Adam LaRoche: .259 BA, 20 HR, 78 RBIs in 2005
6. RF Jeff Francoeur: .300 BA, 14 HR, 45 RBIs in 2005
7. C Brian McCann: .278 BA, 5 HR, 23 RBIs in 2005
8. LF Ryan Langerhans: .267 BA, 8 HR, 42 RBIs in 2005

Projected rotation
1. John Smoltz, 14-7, 3.06 ERA in 2005
2. Tim Hudson, 14-9, 3.52 ERA in 2005
3.John Thomson, 4-6, 4.47 ERA in 2005
4. Horacio Ramirez, 11-9, 4.63 ERA in 2005
5. Jorge Sosa, 13-3, 2.55 ERA in 2005 or Kyle Davies, 7-6, 4.93 ERA in 2005

Projected bullpen
Closer: Chris Reitsma, 15 saves, 3.93 ERA in 2005
RH setup man: Blaine Boyer, 3.11 ERA in 2005
LH setup man: Macay McBride, 5.79 ERA in 2005

This one is virtually the same but with Kyle Davies in the mix as a possible starter. He is young (22) with great stuff but it will be atoss up between him and Sosa. They are both possibilities for moving to the bullpen or keeping around if one of the starters gets hurt.

It also puts Giles in the leadoff spot and Renteria second. Bobby Cox is gonna have trouble finding a way to balance the two of them at the top of the orders. They are both No. 2 hitters, not leadoff.

Reitsma again finds himself in the closers spot but the question is how long will he stay there. He has time to prove himself, he just has to be better than last year.

Kelly Johnson was left out of the mix here, but I assure you he won't be this season. He took a while to get hit his stride last year but once he did he lit up the score board. I don't expect miracles, he is 22, but he has alot of talent and with hitting coach Terry Pendleton around he is going to knock a few balls around.

Projected starters

2006-02-08T16:16:00.000-05:00

Here is what ESPN has projected the Braves lineup and starting rotation to be for the season

Catcher- Brian McCann
1B- Adam Laroche
2B- Marcus Giles
3B- Chipper Jones
SS- Edgar Renteria
LF- Ryan Langerhans/Kelly Johnson
CF- Andruw Jones
RF- Jeff Francoeur

SP1- John Smoltz
SP2- Tim Hudson
SP3- Jorge Sosa
SP4- John Thompson
SP5- Horacio Ramirez
CL- Chris Reitsma

Only a few problems. The closer will likely not be Reitsma, he didn't hold up last year after Kolb bombed and I doubt he will this year. Let him handle the eighth inning and give Blaine Boyer the ball in the last inning. He is young and has good stuff it is just a matter of control at this point but Reitsma has already proven he can't do it.
First base is a hole for the Braves. Laroche does not hit well enough to be the everyday first baseman, which is why the tandem of him and Julio Franco worked. But with Franco gone so are a lot of clutch hits.
And finally Renteria at short: I am just not convinced he can replace Furcal. The Braves now have two No. 2 hitters (Renteria and Giles) but no one to lead off. But I am willing to be pleasantly surprised.
Finally, while the rookie squad performed miracles last year they are young and they will be streaky, or worse, just not perform like expected. So lets hope McCann, Francoeur, Johnson, and Langerhans all live up to last years numbers. They will have to if they want to keep the Mets from biting at their heels, and their 15 NL East title.

Same old song and dance

2006-02-08T15:55:00.000-05:00

So here it is, with a week until Spring Training, the articles about how this is the year have started. While many team's 'this is the year' articles talk about this being the year they win it all and get the World Series ring for the Braves the 'this is the year' talk always comes around to it being the year they break their 14 NL East Championships in a row.
And as usual the experts are predicting the end to the streak at the hands of the.....Mets.
I have heard it before, and on paper they have a much better team. But they have had the best team on paper in the NL East at least 5 times in the 14 year span, and obviously have not lived up to their potential. So they win the Wild Card... who cares, 14 pennants in a row is a big deal and one of the great baseball records.
Bobby Cox has a way of taking what looks to be a team that will be mediocre at best and making them winners. Last year he had no bullpen (Dan Kolb proved to be the WORST idea anyone ever had) and holes in key positions (first base and left field). Not to mention the extended time Chipper Jones spent on the disabled list. But did they still come out on top of the Mets- yes.
Because Bobby Cox pulled up 14 rookies and they all came through.
Now this year we may have lost Furcal, Marte and Mazzone but we still have Cox and Andruw Jones (who should have been MVP) plus Giles and the starting pitching of Smoltz, Hudson and Jorge Sosa who surprised everyone last year.
So to the naysayers- it is always easy to pick on the person on top but the Braves haven't blown it yet.
And when it comes down to it the Braves trade for what they need and bottom line- THEY WIN.

Giving Camp Roger a Shot

2006-02-06T00:52:00.000-05:00

Now that I am done whining about Leo Mazzone being gone (at least until McDowell screw up and I get angry and my resolution to give him a shot ends abruptly sometime in June), lets see what Roger McDowell actually has going on for himself... And the Braves.

He has a World Series ring- So it was for the Mets. What is better about that World Series ring is that it came in 1986.
There you go, I can see the wheels turning. He has a ring from the 1986 World Series, he played for the Mets, he is one in the elite group to have a notch in the win column for World Series Game 7.
*DING* The lightbulb went off for every Red Sox fan. Sorry.

He also pitched for the Dodgers, Rangers, Orioles and White Sox but did nothing impressive. A 70-70 record with a 3.30 ERA and 59 saves. Pretty standard. And then as it usually goes he hurt his shoulder, didn’t recover and lived up to the old adage those who can’t, teach.
When his career ended in 1996 the White Sox asked him to stay on and coach, and he has done well for himself. After taking a few years off he wound up in Las Vegas coaching for the Dodger’s Triple A team.
Ok so no one impressive has come out of that farm system, but I am not giving up hope yet. Now he is in Atlanta, and I haven’t even mentioned his greatest accomplishment yet.

He was in an episode of Seinfeld. Yeah on ESPN’s list of best Seinfeld sports moments the new Atlanta pitching coach ranked number one.
He instantly gets a little more respect from me.

-Just a few other facts-
Graduate of Bowling Green State University in Ohio. "The only school to give him a scholarship."
Inducted into the BGSU Hall of Fame
Drafted in the third round (59th overall pick) by the Mets in 1982.
Known for being a prankster...lets see how hard ball (no pun intended) Bobby Cox feels about his hijinx.....

It Is Not Camp Roger

2006-02-06T00:26:00.000-05:00

"It's like with a new baby -- that first day is an ecstatic high. Now, it's time to go to work." -- New Atlanta Braves pitching coach Roger McDowell, on replacing Leo Mazzone, who held the position for the previous 15 seasons.

Please Please Please tell me he didn’t actually say that to a reporter....

Nope he did. While I admire this guy for taking over a post that everyone, and no one, wanted, does he really need to say things like that? When Leo Mazzone chose to leave Atlanta for Baltimore I was sad. There were tears. Then I was nervous for my team because who would want to come in and take over for a man who spent 15 years (nearly my entire life) building one of the best pitching staffs in baseball history.
Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz say enough. But then there are the careers he resurrected from baseball oblivion..... Mike Remlinger!
Ok so he couldn’t save Mark Wholers but one mistake in 15 years, I can sleep at night.
Then there are the pitchers who were dazzling while enrolled in the Mazzone school of magic, but bombed when they left. Denny Neagle and Kevin Millwood.
Whats worse is that they still call it Camp Leo. Pitchers and catchers report in 10 days, except for the Braves. Leo always had them come earlier than any other team in the majors and start getting ready for the season. And now with him in Baltimore (whose pitchers did not report early) the Braves still had the pitching staff report two weeks early. And they still called it Camp Leo. Not Camp Roger. It will never be Camp Roger.
When Mazzone retires and is the first pitching coach inducted into the Hall of Fame (it will happen) no one will remember him as the guy who coached in Baltimore. He will be the guy who rocked back and forth in the Atlanta dugout for 15 years.
So good luck Roger McDowell....you have a couple million fans to prove yourself to....and Bobby Cox.

2006-02-02T01:03:00.000-05:00

The World Baseball Classic is making an huge splash this off season. With games beginning March 3 and going until March 20 it will be a huge fix for baseball fans who can’t wait for April’s Spring Training. And where exactly do the Braves have their representatives? Well so glad you asked because Atlanta’s stars are making a pretty good showing. And with good old Barry Bonds bowing out there is room for one of the most popular Braves to play for team USA.

For team USA
- Last year’s rookie phenom and NL Rookie of the Year candidate Jeff Francoeur is on the US roster. When he graced the cover of Sports Illustrated last year he was the first Brave to do so since the 1995 Championship team. Did I mention this kid turned 22 in January?
- Chipper Jones is as much an Atlanta staple as Turner Field itself. But he wasn’t going to even get a USA roster spot until Bonds decided to ‘sit this one out’ -- like he did all of last season. Now Jones will be on as a third baseman, but will likely be a back up. Not a starter, not even close. According to a ESPN Sportsnation poll fans pick him third behind Alex Rodriguez and David Wright

Who should start at third base for the United States?
56.4% Alex Rodriguez
28.4% David Wright
12.5% Chipper Jones
2.6% Morgan Ensberg

-And of course Tim Hudson who will pitch well and keep everyone smiling, same Tim, different uniform.

So America isn’t well represented by the Braves, PANAMA, on the other hand has a good grip on Atlanta’s finest. (Or does Atlanta have a good grip on Panama’s finest?)
-Manuel Acosta, Jose Camarena, and Manuel Rodriguez will all rep for the Braves on Panama’s team. Who you ask..... as you should. They are all farm system kids who haven’t made their mark yet. Oh, but if they perform well in the WBC expect Bobby Cox to be giving these kids a few extra minutes in Spring Training.

Three men from the Atlanta Braves roster will be playing for NETHERLANDS but the only one you will have heard of is Andruw Jones. When he scorched up the hitting charts last year and was passed over for MVP (another day, another post) he finally lived up to his potential making him the most prominent name in the Netherlands bench.
But hey lets give one second to Ardley Jansen, ok seconds up.

Peter Orr, Chris Reitsma and Scott Thorman all call Canada home and will play for the Great White North in March. My fear- Reitsman will get hurt and he is our only solid closer candidate. Orr will perform to his usual mediocre standard leaving the question out there- why do we keep him around- we need a real first baseman.

There are other five other Braves representing their countries next month but with the exception of Jorge Sosa they are another group of minor leaguers who have yet to make their mark.
Here is to hoping some of them shine in the WBC and they are able to fill some of the gaping holes in the Braves roster.

Home Plate...Where it all starts

2006-01-26T12:10:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone,
This is the cliche beginning blog just letting you all know what this is going to be about. For me it is simple, all baseball, all the time. And even more specifically a focus on the Atlanta Braves. I obsess over every detail of that team and it is time to share some of that with the world. There will be the occasional non-Braves blog too. For example in the spring I will be heading down to Fort Meyers to watch the Northeastern University Baseball Team take on the Red Sox in Spring Training, and I am not sure there is anything the Braves can do in that weekend to top that. So you get the basic idea.
(tomahawk song comes on and everyone starts chanting and waving their right arm)

~People ask me what I do in the winter when there is no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring~ Rogers Hornsby