Just a few months ago, the Phoenix Suns had the best record in the NBA, were the most fun team to watch and had a genius of a head coach leading them into the playoffs.
This morning the Suns' season set with a 1st round elimination as the #6 seed playing a bland, personality-less brand of basketball with a coach on his way out the door for his team's lack of defense and inability to close out games.
What happened?
The answer, of course, is obvious - the Suns traded Shawn Marion for Shaquille O'Neal. The trade was supposed to finally get Phoenix past San Antonio. Instead, the Suns fell apart and were nearly swept by the aging Spurs. The trade caused a firestorm of debate when it went down, but there is no controversy about it anymore - it is a disaster. It is David Lee Roth for Sammy Hagar. It ruined the band.
The Shaq trade slowed down the Suns' attack because O'Neal is no longer the same athlete as Shawn Marion. In fact, O'Neal is no longer the same athlete as Shaquille O'Neal. He used to be a defensive force. He used to be unstoppable with the ball on the block. He used to be the most dominant player in the league.
No longer.
O'Neal hurt the Suns more than helped. He failed to score with the ball, failed to stop Tim Duncan inside and failed to make free throws to punish Gregg Popovich for his Hack-a-Shaq strategy (which really needs to be addressed for the good of the game - it is miserable to watch and borders on unsportsmanlike). Without Marion's athleticism on the wing in the fastbreak or ability to make a three to spread out the defense, the Suns became very ordinary very quickly.
The other aspect of the Shaq trade that was not properly addressed when it happened was the mid-season shifting of gears for the team. If the trade happened over the summer, it might have turned out differently. Instead of learning on the fly while losing games, the Suns could have transitioned into a more normal NBA-style. Instead, it lost games that turned them into a #6 seed without any chance to win the championship. The Suns needed to win three road series in the NBA West to make the Finals - no prayer.
Where do the Suns go from here? Steve Nash is showing his age and wear. The same goes for Shaquille. Amare is the franchise player for Phoenix, but he needs shooters around him that are not on the Phoenix roster right now. Boris Diaw finally showed his potential at the end of the San Antonio series, but still plays soft and passively for long stretches. Leonardo Barbosa and Raja Bell have both plateaued as decent enough players, but not championship level. With Coach Mike D'Antoni likely gone, we could see the Suns completely blown up from the most fun, exciting team in the league to Steve Kerr's dream of San Antonio II.
What a shame.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Lots of Braves News
Atlanta traveled to...you guessed it..Washington D.C. for yet another series with the Nationals and dropped the first game 6-3 after a good returning start by Tom Glavine. Besides the veteran lefty, the Braves also got Chipper Jones and Yunel Escobar back in their line-up, but the bullpen (just Blaine Boyer) allowed a 4-run 7th inning that doomed the Braves.
While the returning Braves were welcomed (especially Escobar who replaced some lousy Little Leaguer named Lillibridge), Atlanta sent another ace to the D.L. as John Smoltz's shoulder landed him on the 15-day list. Rumors are already swirling about a return to the bullpen for Smoltz since the Braves have no closer and his shoulder might not hold up for the entire season. I hate taking him out of the rotation and wonder how often the Braves will need a closer with a starting staff consisting of Chuck James and Jeff Bennett.
From the "Don't Get Your Hopes Up" department, Mike Hampton makes a rehab start in Richmond today. Let's hope he gets out of warm-ups unscathed.
While the returning Braves were welcomed (especially Escobar who replaced some lousy Little Leaguer named Lillibridge), Atlanta sent another ace to the D.L. as John Smoltz's shoulder landed him on the 15-day list. Rumors are already swirling about a return to the bullpen for Smoltz since the Braves have no closer and his shoulder might not hold up for the entire season. I hate taking him out of the rotation and wonder how often the Braves will need a closer with a starting staff consisting of Chuck James and Jeff Bennett.
From the "Don't Get Your Hopes Up" department, Mike Hampton makes a rehab start in Richmond today. Let's hope he gets out of warm-ups unscathed.
Chipper Tracker - Larry Wayne Goes For .400
Chipper returned to the Braves line-up and picked up right where he left off with a 2 for 5 night including a homerun.
Current Average - .432
Current Average - .432
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Jumping on the Bandwagon - Hail to the Hawks
By halftime of last night's game, I was prepared to write this posting regardless of the outcome of Game 4 between the #8 seed Atlanta Hawks and #1 Boston Celtics. The young, athletic Hawks won me over after rebounding from an early punch in the mouth to take a 9-point 1st half lead over the heavily favored Celtics. When Atlanta rebounded from being down 10 points in the 2nd half to defeat Boston last night 97-92, I was officially converted.
I am now an Atlanta Hawk.
Weak, I know. Listen, I love Steve Nash and the Suns, but watching them with Shaq is like watching Arnold Palmer try to swing a golf club these days. Steve Kerr killed the Suns and their chance to win a run and gun championship. My NBA loyalties are once again up for grabs and the Hawks snatched 'em up.
How can you not love this team right now? First, they are young and athletic. They are running everyone's champs out of the gym by creating turnovers and pushing the ball up the court. They are blocking so many shots inside that the Celtics are content to throw up scared, middle school basketball shots from inside the paint rather than challenge Atlanta's bigs. Joe Johnson is unstoppable with the ball. Josh Smith is fearless. Josh Childress cannot be blocked out. Mike Bibby is taunting the Boston crowd. Al Horford is talking trash while putting up double-doubles. Zaza Puchulia is in Kevin Garnett's face staring down the potential league MVP.
Don't these guys know they are the Atlanta Hawks?
And how about the fans in Phillips Arena? That place has been rocking for the Games 3 and 4 victories. The players have clearly been feeding off the energy and the Celtics are clearly rattled by it.
Coming into these NBA playoffs, this looked like the least interesting of all the 1st round series, but it has quickly developed into the best one. The Celtics look fatally flawed right now. They are not athletic enough to keep up with the young Hawks. They are getting beaten to loose balls and wearing down in the 4th quarter. The only Celtic that looks ready to compete with Atlanta is Rajon Rondo.
Meanwhile, the upstart Hawks have made all the right moves to turn this into a Best 2 of 3 series. Give Coach Mike Woodson credit - his decision to shorten the bench and go with his young studs is paying off. Remember that Woodson was nearly fired during the season as Atlanta struggled to compete for the playoffs. Now, the former Pistons assistant with the freshly shaved head is taking it to former Hawk Doc Rivers.
The series is about to get even more interesting. Will Kevin Garnett be suspended for Game 5? Garnett threw an elbow at Puchulia after a rebound exchange that erupted into a near brawl. Puchulia reacted like a good hockey goon who realizes a superstar scorer is willing to fight - he went after Garnett with the intent of getting the Celtic superstar ejected.
It might have worked, but even better than expected for Atlanta. Garnett shoved a referee during the melee. The NBA could easily suspend Garnett for the crucial Game 5 because of the action. It might also suspend starting center Kendrick Perkins for stepping onto the court from the bench.
In short, the Boston wheels seem to be coming off. The mechanics, however, deserve much of the credit. After getting blown out in Games 1 and 2, the Hawks have been brilliant for back-to-back games and have a chance to pull off one of the great upsets in NBA history.
Whether or not they win the series, they are winning back some fans who left the team along with Dominique Wilkins, Kevin Willis, Mookie Blaylock and Dikembe Mutumbo. They have won me back.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
NFL Draft - Winners and Losers
Did your life feel a bit emptier a few hours ago? That is because the NFL Draft ended after seven rounds of excitement and intrigue. People say you cannot judge the success or failure of a draft for three years, but that won't stop me or any of the other 428 draft gurus from passing judgment.
Winners
*Me - for milking this "I hate the NFL Draft" cow as long as possible. There is so much material and so little time to make fun of it all.
*ESPN - for convincing people that "The Draft Matters" by showing a few success stories from the later rounds. What happened to the hundreds of other players who have gone in those late rounds and now flip burgers somewhere after getting cut during training camp? Did those picks matter?
Losers
*The Philadelphia Eagles - What were the Eagles thinking when they selected OG Michael McGlynn out of Pitt with their 4th round pick while Utah State's Shawn Murphy was still on the board? McGlynn has a receding hairline that concerned scouts about his durability and he only ran a 4 hour 20 minute marathon at the combine. Meanwhile, teams were buzzing over Murphy's inside technique (don't you know what that means?) as well as his graceful Downward-Facing Dog during the yoga session at Indianapolis. There is simply no chance the Eagles will win a game in 2008 after this pick.
*Anyone who watched more than 30 minutes of the NFL Draft - self-explanatory.
Here is a fun game to play: Pretend You Are Mel Kiper Jr.
Okay - everyone wants to know if their respective team did well or not during the draft. Of course, there is absolutely no way for Mel (you) to know, so you have to make something up to justify your salary. Now, here is the game - argue that each team is both a winner and a loser.
I'll go first with my team - the Dallas Cowboys.
The Cowboys were big winners at this year's draft. They sured up their backfield by selecting Felix Jones out of Arkansas and some other kid out of Georgia Tech. They also found a diamond in the rough in TE Martellus Bennett and swiped CB Michael Jenkins up with the 1st rounder they got from Seattle for the over-rated Julius Jones. Add Pacman Jones to the mix and the Pokes are poised for the post-season.
And the other side:
The Cowboys had a miserable draft this weekend. They lost out on Darren McFadden and settled for Felix Jones and some other kid out of Georgia Tech. Of course, they already have Marion Barber III in their backfield, so other needs (i.e. defense) should have been addressed. Dallas wasted its 3rd round pick on a tight end that will watch Jason Witten for the next five years. The aging offensive line got no help this weekend. Add Pacman Jones to the mix and the Pokes will be lucky to win 5 games next season.
Fun, huh? The thing is - I have no clue which take the "experts" will have on the Cowboys, but either one makes perfect sense. These draft experts are thieves ripping off the sports networks with their wild guesses disguised as insights. Remember this - Mel Kiper said Akili Smith would be a better professional quarterback than Donovan McNabb. Tell me that ain't stealing money.
Enough breaking down 2008 - time to start preparing for the 2009 NFL Draft! It is just 364 days away...
Winners
*Me - for milking this "I hate the NFL Draft" cow as long as possible. There is so much material and so little time to make fun of it all.
*ESPN - for convincing people that "The Draft Matters" by showing a few success stories from the later rounds. What happened to the hundreds of other players who have gone in those late rounds and now flip burgers somewhere after getting cut during training camp? Did those picks matter?
Losers
*The Philadelphia Eagles - What were the Eagles thinking when they selected OG Michael McGlynn out of Pitt with their 4th round pick while Utah State's Shawn Murphy was still on the board? McGlynn has a receding hairline that concerned scouts about his durability and he only ran a 4 hour 20 minute marathon at the combine. Meanwhile, teams were buzzing over Murphy's inside technique (don't you know what that means?) as well as his graceful Downward-Facing Dog during the yoga session at Indianapolis. There is simply no chance the Eagles will win a game in 2008 after this pick.
*Anyone who watched more than 30 minutes of the NFL Draft - self-explanatory.
Here is a fun game to play: Pretend You Are Mel Kiper Jr.
Okay - everyone wants to know if their respective team did well or not during the draft. Of course, there is absolutely no way for Mel (you) to know, so you have to make something up to justify your salary. Now, here is the game - argue that each team is both a winner and a loser.
I'll go first with my team - the Dallas Cowboys.
The Cowboys were big winners at this year's draft. They sured up their backfield by selecting Felix Jones out of Arkansas and some other kid out of Georgia Tech. They also found a diamond in the rough in TE Martellus Bennett and swiped CB Michael Jenkins up with the 1st rounder they got from Seattle for the over-rated Julius Jones. Add Pacman Jones to the mix and the Pokes are poised for the post-season.
And the other side:
The Cowboys had a miserable draft this weekend. They lost out on Darren McFadden and settled for Felix Jones and some other kid out of Georgia Tech. Of course, they already have Marion Barber III in their backfield, so other needs (i.e. defense) should have been addressed. Dallas wasted its 3rd round pick on a tight end that will watch Jason Witten for the next five years. The aging offensive line got no help this weekend. Add Pacman Jones to the mix and the Pokes will be lucky to win 5 games next season.
Fun, huh? The thing is - I have no clue which take the "experts" will have on the Cowboys, but either one makes perfect sense. These draft experts are thieves ripping off the sports networks with their wild guesses disguised as insights. Remember this - Mel Kiper said Akili Smith would be a better professional quarterback than Donovan McNabb. Tell me that ain't stealing money.
Enough breaking down 2008 - time to start preparing for the 2009 NFL Draft! It is just 364 days away...
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Chipper Tracker - Larry Wayne Goes For .400
Chipper sat out today's 4-3 loss to the Mets with back spasms.
Current Average - .442
***The Chipper Tracker will return when Chipper returns to the Braves line-up.
Current Average - .442
***The Chipper Tracker will return when Chipper returns to the Braves line-up.
Friday, April 25, 2008
East Coast Bias
Last night was yet another NBA playoff thriller in Utah as the Houston Rockets fended off the Utah Jazz thanks to an amazing block and save by Houston rookie Carl Landry (who had a tooth knocked out earlier in the game). If this series went 21 games, it would surely be 11-10 for one team or the other. The same can be said for the Spurs vs. Suns and Mavs vs. Hornets.
Sadly, I have watched less than an hour of these series outside of the Saturday afternoon game between San Antonio and Phoenix. This is the best basketball on the planet in one of the best years of basketball in NBA history and I cannot stay up late enough to watch it.
Wait, you say, what about the earlier games? Yes, it is true - I can enjoy the Magic vs. Raptors series. I have no problem staying up for Rasheed Wallace vs. Andre Iguodala. If the Hawks can find a way to stay within 20 points of the Celtics, I will be watching.
The best basketball is being played out West these days while I'm living in Chattanooga. This brings me to the following question:
Is there any advantage whatsoever to living in the Eastern Time Zone?
As far as watching sports goes, there are none. I wait longer for games to begin and then cannot stay awake long enough to see the ones on the West Coast finish.
What about in other facets of life? Here is all I can come up with for advantages to living in the East:
1) My vote matters more - chances are the election will be decided before polls are closed in Oregon. Then again, my vote doesn't really matter much because of the electoral college's winner-takes-all system that makes voting pointless in all but about ten up-for-grabs states. Never mind.
2) I can eat my breakfast in peace without college football distracting me at 9 a.m. from my bowl of Shredded Wheat. Breakfast IS the most important meal of the day.
3) Because I'm at home watching games until I go to sleep, I don't waste lots of money at bars and restaurants at night hanging out with my friends. Those poor West Coast saps have nothing to watch after 10 p.m., so they have to leave the house, have expensive cocktails and meaningful conversations. No thanks.
4) The media is biased towards my teams, except for Jim Rome and that jerk Pedro Gomez.
5) Let's say the rapture happens. If it goes down at 11 a.m. EST on a Sunday, there is a half-decent chance I will have been or might even be sitting in church being a good Christian. Good news for me - I don't get Left Behind like that guy from Growing Pains. On the West Coast, it would be 7 a.m. and people would still be asleep after a Saturday night of partying (see #3) without repentance. Do you think God is really going to factor in the time difference when He makes decisions about salvation? It at least gives us ESTers an advantage, no?
Other than my cereal being less soggy and my chances for eternal life being better, there are no advantages to being stuck in the Eastern Time Zone. Tonight, when Steve Nash sinks a game-winner at the buzzer of triple-overtime and I'm sound asleep dreaming of living in California, will be just another reminder of it.
Sadly, I have watched less than an hour of these series outside of the Saturday afternoon game between San Antonio and Phoenix. This is the best basketball on the planet in one of the best years of basketball in NBA history and I cannot stay up late enough to watch it.
Wait, you say, what about the earlier games? Yes, it is true - I can enjoy the Magic vs. Raptors series. I have no problem staying up for Rasheed Wallace vs. Andre Iguodala. If the Hawks can find a way to stay within 20 points of the Celtics, I will be watching.
The best basketball is being played out West these days while I'm living in Chattanooga. This brings me to the following question:
Is there any advantage whatsoever to living in the Eastern Time Zone?
As far as watching sports goes, there are none. I wait longer for games to begin and then cannot stay awake long enough to see the ones on the West Coast finish.
What about in other facets of life? Here is all I can come up with for advantages to living in the East:
1) My vote matters more - chances are the election will be decided before polls are closed in Oregon. Then again, my vote doesn't really matter much because of the electoral college's winner-takes-all system that makes voting pointless in all but about ten up-for-grabs states. Never mind.
2) I can eat my breakfast in peace without college football distracting me at 9 a.m. from my bowl of Shredded Wheat. Breakfast IS the most important meal of the day.
3) Because I'm at home watching games until I go to sleep, I don't waste lots of money at bars and restaurants at night hanging out with my friends. Those poor West Coast saps have nothing to watch after 10 p.m., so they have to leave the house, have expensive cocktails and meaningful conversations. No thanks.
4) The media is biased towards my teams, except for Jim Rome and that jerk Pedro Gomez.
5) Let's say the rapture happens. If it goes down at 11 a.m. EST on a Sunday, there is a half-decent chance I will have been or might even be sitting in church being a good Christian. Good news for me - I don't get Left Behind like that guy from Growing Pains. On the West Coast, it would be 7 a.m. and people would still be asleep after a Saturday night of partying (see #3) without repentance. Do you think God is really going to factor in the time difference when He makes decisions about salvation? It at least gives us ESTers an advantage, no?
Other than my cereal being less soggy and my chances for eternal life being better, there are no advantages to being stuck in the Eastern Time Zone. Tonight, when Steve Nash sinks a game-winner at the buzzer of triple-overtime and I'm sound asleep dreaming of living in California, will be just another reminder of it.
Does Anybody Know When the NFL Draft Is Going to Be?
WHO WILL THE TEXANS PICK IN THE 3RD ROUND???
WHAT TIGHT END WILL GO 1ST IN THE DRAFT???
IF THE RAMS SELECT DORSEY AND THE FALCONS TRADE DOWN WITH THE SAINTS, WHY SHOULD I CARE AT ALL ABOUT THREE TEAMS THAT HAVE ZERO CHANCE OF GETTING TO THE SUPER BOWL NEXT YEAR???
WHY AM I WRITING IN ALL CAPS???
I NEED TO KNOW!!!
WHAT TIGHT END WILL GO 1ST IN THE DRAFT???
IF THE RAMS SELECT DORSEY AND THE FALCONS TRADE DOWN WITH THE SAINTS, WHY SHOULD I CARE AT ALL ABOUT THREE TEAMS THAT HAVE ZERO CHANCE OF GETTING TO THE SUPER BOWL NEXT YEAR???
WHY AM I WRITING IN ALL CAPS???
I NEED TO KNOW!!!
Chipper Tracker - Larry Wayne Goes For .400
Happy Birthday, Chipper - he celebrated by going 3 for 3 with a homerun. The Braves split the two-game series with the Marlins with a 7-4 win before catching a flight to New York for a weekend series with the Mets.
Current average - .442
Current average - .442
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Chipper Tracker - Larry Wayne Goes For .400
Andrew Miller was serving it up last night, but Chipper only managed to go 1-4. The Braves wasted too many opportunities in their 7-2 loss to the Fish.
Current average - .422
Current average - .422
TYLER IS STAYING!!!
Tyler Smith announced he is coming back to Knoxville for his junior year.
I am smiling ear to ear right now. Remember the poll here a few weeks back about Bruce and Tyler? I must admit to voting that I expected both to leave, but now we have both back, Scotty Hopson signed to start next year and we look poised to make another run at the SEC and Final Four in 2009.
Good ole Rocky Top
Rocky Top, Tennessee
I am smiling ear to ear right now. Remember the poll here a few weeks back about Bruce and Tyler? I must admit to voting that I expected both to leave, but now we have both back, Scotty Hopson signed to start next year and we look poised to make another run at the SEC and Final Four in 2009.
Good ole Rocky Top
Rocky Top, Tennessee
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Mocking the Draft - A Better Writer Beats Me to an Article
Once again, my blogging procrastination has cost me. I've been working on an article in my head all week to mock the NFL Draft this weekend, but was beaten to it by this superior article from Fox Sports.
Instead of reading my mock discussion between Todd McWho? and Gel Kiper Jr. (see...the Fox article is already better than mine), enjoy someone else's writing.
Instead of reading my mock discussion between Todd McWho? and Gel Kiper Jr. (see...the Fox article is already better than mine), enjoy someone else's writing.
Chipper Tracker - Larry Wayne Goes For .400
Not a good night for Chipper - 0 for 4.
Current average - .430
Current average - .430
Smoltz Get 3000th Strikeout, But Braves Get Crushed
John Smoltz was dominant last night and recorded his 3000th career strikeout, but the Braves' bats failed to show up in a 6-0 loss. The Braves entered the 9th only down a run, but the wheels came off after a poor throw to second base meant a double-play became an RBI fielder's choice. The Braves' win streak ended at six.Back to Smoltz - where does he rank in terms of all-time Atlanta pitchers? Warren Spahn is still the greatest Braves pitcher, but Smoltz deserves consideration for #2 if not #1. Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux might have been better in their primes, but Smoltz is STILL in his prime at 40 years old. It is amazing what the years in the bullpen did for Smoltz's arm and career. Heck, he is easily the greatest closer in Atlanta's history and could also be the greatest starter.
The Braves host Florida for a quick two-game series before heading to Shea Stadium (I'm right this time...) for a big weekend series.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Chipper Tracker - Larry Wayne Goes For .400
April 21 vs. Nationals - 1 for 3.
Current batting average - .453
Current batting average - .453
Five in a Row - Braves Pound Nationals
The Braves are clicking on all cylinders right now. Tim Hudson did not have his very best stuff last night, but was bailed out in the 1st inning by Jeff Francoeur's outfield assist at the plate and later Yunel Escobar doing the same in the 5th. The offense scored early and often on its way to an easy 7-3 win over the struggling Washington Nationals.
Matt Diaz looked like his old self last night with a 3-4 effort at the plate. Granted, it was against a left-handed pitcher, but he had much better at-bats regardless. For whatever reason, the entire offense looks more comfortable and relaxed at the plate right now. When things are clicking, they are clicking.
That might be the stupidest sentence in the history of the blog.
Did anyone see the worst call in the history of baseball in the first inning last night? Yunel Escobar put down a nice bunt and beat the throw by 10 feet - easily - only to be punched out. The call was so bad that there was more bewilderment than anger about it. I have never seen a call so easy missed so badly in an MLB game.
Don't look now, but the Braves are over .500 for the first time all season and only .5 game behind the Mets (we won't worry about the Marlins). Don't look now some more, but the Big Boys in the N.L. East look vulnerable this season. The Mets look old (Delgado, Alou, Pedro) and cannot claim a better starting staff than the Braves even with Johan Santana. The Phillies are riding Chase Utley's remarkable bat, but Jimmy Rollins is on the D.L. and Ryan Howard has turned into Dave Kingman with his penchant for swinging and missing. The Phils staff is not overly impressive either. The Braves, even with their injuries, might be the best team in the division. They are certainly playing like it right now.
Tonight - the Braves go for the sweep and John Smoltz goes for 3000 strikeouts. I'm predicting both. I also predict Mike Hampton will strain his groin watching the proceedings.
Matt Diaz looked like his old self last night with a 3-4 effort at the plate. Granted, it was against a left-handed pitcher, but he had much better at-bats regardless. For whatever reason, the entire offense looks more comfortable and relaxed at the plate right now. When things are clicking, they are clicking.
That might be the stupidest sentence in the history of the blog.
Did anyone see the worst call in the history of baseball in the first inning last night? Yunel Escobar put down a nice bunt and beat the throw by 10 feet - easily - only to be punched out. The call was so bad that there was more bewilderment than anger about it. I have never seen a call so easy missed so badly in an MLB game.
Don't look now, but the Braves are over .500 for the first time all season and only .5 game behind the Mets (we won't worry about the Marlins). Don't look now some more, but the Big Boys in the N.L. East look vulnerable this season. The Mets look old (Delgado, Alou, Pedro) and cannot claim a better starting staff than the Braves even with Johan Santana. The Phillies are riding Chase Utley's remarkable bat, but Jimmy Rollins is on the D.L. and Ryan Howard has turned into Dave Kingman with his penchant for swinging and missing. The Phils staff is not overly impressive either. The Braves, even with their injuries, might be the best team in the division. They are certainly playing like it right now.
Tonight - the Braves go for the sweep and John Smoltz goes for 3000 strikeouts. I'm predicting both. I also predict Mike Hampton will strain his groin watching the proceedings.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Break Out the Brooms - Braves Sweep Dodgers
No Hudson, no Smoltz, no Glavine - no problem. The Atlanta Braves swept the Dodgers over the weekend behind the arms of Jeff Bennett, Chuck James and Jair Jurrjens and an offensive line-up that produced the big hits expected of it coming into the season.
Chipper Jones is hitting like a Hall of Famer right now. I brought up hitting .400 last week and felt a little silly about it. Not anymore. His bat is as hot as I can remember seeing one.
The weekend hopefully was the beginning of a turn-around for Mark Teixeira. He picked up some key RBIs against the Dodgers. Mark Kotsay is hitting the ball well, Jeff Francoeur is getting on base, Yunel Escobar is a tough out every time he steps to the plate...it is fun to be a Brave for a few days.
An interesting situation is playing out in left field. Bobby Cox moved Matt Diaz down to 8th in the batting order before platooning him with Gregor Blanco this weekend. The statistics don't lie - Diaz has been terrible against right-handed pitching this year, hitting just .182, and he has only two extra-base hits so far on the season. Blanco is an exciting player with speed who is a more natural 8th hitter than Diaz.
What is a natural 8th hitter, you ask? Blanco is more likely to get on base so the pitcher spot does not lead off an inning (which usually kills an inning). I suppose Diaz is more likely to produce an RBI, but not the way he is currently swinging the bat. It is sad to see a guy like Diaz finally get his shot to be an everyday player and get off to such a slow start, but the Braves have some young depth that means Cox does not have to watch him wave at bad pitches if he does not want to.
The Nationals come into town tomorrow - are the Braves playing them every other series? It sure feels like it.
Chipper Jones is hitting like a Hall of Famer right now. I brought up hitting .400 last week and felt a little silly about it. Not anymore. His bat is as hot as I can remember seeing one.
The weekend hopefully was the beginning of a turn-around for Mark Teixeira. He picked up some key RBIs against the Dodgers. Mark Kotsay is hitting the ball well, Jeff Francoeur is getting on base, Yunel Escobar is a tough out every time he steps to the plate...it is fun to be a Brave for a few days.
An interesting situation is playing out in left field. Bobby Cox moved Matt Diaz down to 8th in the batting order before platooning him with Gregor Blanco this weekend. The statistics don't lie - Diaz has been terrible against right-handed pitching this year, hitting just .182, and he has only two extra-base hits so far on the season. Blanco is an exciting player with speed who is a more natural 8th hitter than Diaz.
What is a natural 8th hitter, you ask? Blanco is more likely to get on base so the pitcher spot does not lead off an inning (which usually kills an inning). I suppose Diaz is more likely to produce an RBI, but not the way he is currently swinging the bat. It is sad to see a guy like Diaz finally get his shot to be an everyday player and get off to such a slow start, but the Braves have some young depth that means Cox does not have to watch him wave at bad pitches if he does not want to.
The Nationals come into town tomorrow - are the Braves playing them every other series? It sure feels like it.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Braves Bounce Back, Lose Moylan For Season
It is much easier to write about the Braves' faults, so this will be a quick hitter. Atlanta looked fantastic last night in all phases of the game. John Smoltz was unhittable. Chipper Jones smoked two dingers. Every Brave in the starting line-up had at least one hit and the bullpen did not allow a run in four innings.
The Braves welcome 300 pound Andruw Jones back to Atlanta this weekend - what kind of ovation will he get? I'm interested to see the reaction Jones gets tonight. I expect he will largely be booed, though I don't totally understand why. Andruw never lived up to his potential and had a terrible 2007 season, but he was a terrific centerfielder and had a few good years at the plate. I hope the Braves fans are kind to Andruw even as I'm glad he is gone.
Bad news this morning - it looks like set-up man Peter Moylan is out for the season with elbow troubles. The bullpen is already the weakest part of the team and now injuries are piling up. Mike Gonzalez, Rafael Soriano and now Peter Moylan are all on the shelf. It will be interesting to see if the Braves make a move to secure the pen or if someone steps up to fill the sizable void.
The Braves welcome 300 pound Andruw Jones back to Atlanta this weekend - what kind of ovation will he get? I'm interested to see the reaction Jones gets tonight. I expect he will largely be booed, though I don't totally understand why. Andruw never lived up to his potential and had a terrible 2007 season, but he was a terrific centerfielder and had a few good years at the plate. I hope the Braves fans are kind to Andruw even as I'm glad he is gone.
Bad news this morning - it looks like set-up man Peter Moylan is out for the season with elbow troubles. The bullpen is already the weakest part of the team and now injuries are piling up. Mike Gonzalez, Rafael Soriano and now Peter Moylan are all on the shelf. It will be interesting to see if the Braves make a move to secure the pen or if someone steps up to fill the sizable void.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Braves Hope to Avoid Sweep in Miami
0-7.
That is Atlanta's record so far this season in one run games. 0-7. The Braves lost another tight game last night to the Florida Marlins 5-4 after dropping the opening game of the series 4-0. The 1st place, yes 1st place, Marlins look to sweep Atlanta tonight.
The Braves' broadcasters did a terrific job of illustrating some of the offensive problems plaguing Atlanta right now.
(On a side note, am I the only person who thinks the Braves' play-by-play guy looks like the lead character from Knocked Up?).
Atlanta continues to get bad at-bats with runners in scoring position. Last night, Matt Diaz chased a ball out of the strike zone with a 1-1 count to ground into an inning-ending double play. Mark Teixeira did the same thing earlier. Only Chipper Jones and Brian McCann show any patience with guys on base.
There have also been too many empty at-bats with ducks on the pond. The Braves have struggled moving guys over or hitting flyballs with runners at third all year.
We all knew the pitching staff was suspect with its age and bullpen issues. The assumption was this line-up could produce enough runs to overcome it. The line-up just isn't producing. It is only April, but Bobby Cox must be toying with some batting order changes to spark some kind of offense. Teixeira is slugging .352 from the clean-up spot with 6 RBIs right now. Kelly Johnson has a .292 OBP from the leadoff spot. I wouldn't mind seeing Yunel Escobar moved up to the leadoff spot and Jeff Francoeur moved into the 4th spot in the order. Teixeria looks terrible at the plate right now as he continues to try to pull everything. I thought I was done watching front shoulders fly open before the pitch is released when Andruw went to L.A., but Tex has stepped right into his under-achieving cleats so far this season.
The offensive bright spots have been Escobar and Chipper. Does Jones have a shot at hitting .400 this year? It is early, but even his outs are ripped right now. He looks locked in from both sides of the plate.
Smoltz tries to fry the fish tonight before the Braves host the struggling Dodgers this weekend.
That is Atlanta's record so far this season in one run games. 0-7. The Braves lost another tight game last night to the Florida Marlins 5-4 after dropping the opening game of the series 4-0. The 1st place, yes 1st place, Marlins look to sweep Atlanta tonight.
The Braves' broadcasters did a terrific job of illustrating some of the offensive problems plaguing Atlanta right now.
(On a side note, am I the only person who thinks the Braves' play-by-play guy looks like the lead character from Knocked Up?).
Atlanta continues to get bad at-bats with runners in scoring position. Last night, Matt Diaz chased a ball out of the strike zone with a 1-1 count to ground into an inning-ending double play. Mark Teixeira did the same thing earlier. Only Chipper Jones and Brian McCann show any patience with guys on base.
There have also been too many empty at-bats with ducks on the pond. The Braves have struggled moving guys over or hitting flyballs with runners at third all year.
We all knew the pitching staff was suspect with its age and bullpen issues. The assumption was this line-up could produce enough runs to overcome it. The line-up just isn't producing. It is only April, but Bobby Cox must be toying with some batting order changes to spark some kind of offense. Teixeira is slugging .352 from the clean-up spot with 6 RBIs right now. Kelly Johnson has a .292 OBP from the leadoff spot. I wouldn't mind seeing Yunel Escobar moved up to the leadoff spot and Jeff Francoeur moved into the 4th spot in the order. Teixeria looks terrible at the plate right now as he continues to try to pull everything. I thought I was done watching front shoulders fly open before the pitch is released when Andruw went to L.A., but Tex has stepped right into his under-achieving cleats so far this season.
The offensive bright spots have been Escobar and Chipper. Does Jones have a shot at hitting .400 this year? It is early, but even his outs are ripped right now. He looks locked in from both sides of the plate.
Smoltz tries to fry the fish tonight before the Braves host the struggling Dodgers this weekend.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
April Means One Thing - Time to Keep Talking Football
Enough already.
A few days a week, I have free periods in the morning to grade, plan and blog while enjoying Mike and Mike on ESPN Radio. At the end of my day, I'll often make the trip up 27 North with Mike Tirico or Stephen A. Smith. For someone who deeply loves music, I listen to a bunch of sports radio.
Today was an especially disappointing day of a.m. listening both in the morning and afternoon. There are a million different sports topics that deserve attention right now, including Carmelo Anthony's DUI arrest, the up-coming NBA playoffs, the benching of Baron Davis, the beginning of the MLB season, college basketball players turning professional, the NHL playoffs and theft of the Seattle Supersonics. So what was today's topic?
A.M. on my a.m. - NFL Draft preview.
P.M. on my a.m. - 2008/2009 NFL Schedule.
Are you kidding me? The NFL is the only major sport NOT in season right now. Why is it dominating the airwaves?
The answer is simple - because it is what we the listener wants to hear, right? But is it? Am I the only person who is sick of the 12 month NFL coverage?
Look - I love the NFL as much as almost anyone. I love my Cowboys, really like the Titans and will usually make an effort to watch any televised game during the season. I ordered NFL Sunday Ticket for two years. I am commish of a fantasy football league. The bottom line is that I like football.
I hate the over-coverage of it. Why, oh why, would Mike and Mike devote an entire show to previewing the NFL Draft that is not for another week and a half? Why preview it in the first place? Am I wrong to assume that most NFL fans care who their respective team will draft in the 1st round and pretty much nothing else?
This morning's show featured a spirited debate between Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay, two men whose job is the exact same, over which cornerback would be the first one selected in the draft. Who, besides the agents and mothers of these cornerbacks, possibly cares? I love football, but have never once had a conversation about which outside linebacker is slipping in the draft or what kind of 40 time a fullback ran at the combine.
The afternoon drive home featured even more nonsense. The two ESPN guys were "breaking down" the newly arrived NFL schedule for the up-coming season. Fine. Let me know what intriguing match-ups are on the horizon and which teams got especially easy or difficult draws. I can live with that.
The conversation drifted, however, to individual match-ups in November and December. December?
"I think the Cardinals will really give the Cowboys a game in Week 8."
You do? Based on what? Your crystal ball or your time machine? How do you know what players will be healthy in December? How do you know what rookies will make an impact? How do you know anything at all about a game that is eight months away?
The simple answer is for me to turn my radio to music or NPR and avoid this nonsense that bothers me so. I must be the only person sick of hearing about football all the time, right?
Am I? I just cannot believe that millions of sports fans care about combine workouts and projected 3rd round picks. I cannot believe I am the only person who tires of predictions and analysis of events so far in the future that no intelligent conversation can possibly take place.
If I'm the only one, I'll turn the dial to something else this summer whenever the ever-popular gridiron discussions begin. I have a feeling, though, that I'm not the only person who would rather hear discussion of baseball, basketball, playoff hockey and golf on his April commute than more NFL drivel.
Am I wrong?
A few days a week, I have free periods in the morning to grade, plan and blog while enjoying Mike and Mike on ESPN Radio. At the end of my day, I'll often make the trip up 27 North with Mike Tirico or Stephen A. Smith. For someone who deeply loves music, I listen to a bunch of sports radio.
Today was an especially disappointing day of a.m. listening both in the morning and afternoon. There are a million different sports topics that deserve attention right now, including Carmelo Anthony's DUI arrest, the up-coming NBA playoffs, the benching of Baron Davis, the beginning of the MLB season, college basketball players turning professional, the NHL playoffs and theft of the Seattle Supersonics. So what was today's topic?
A.M. on my a.m. - NFL Draft preview.
P.M. on my a.m. - 2008/2009 NFL Schedule.
Are you kidding me? The NFL is the only major sport NOT in season right now. Why is it dominating the airwaves?
The answer is simple - because it is what we the listener wants to hear, right? But is it? Am I the only person who is sick of the 12 month NFL coverage?
Look - I love the NFL as much as almost anyone. I love my Cowboys, really like the Titans and will usually make an effort to watch any televised game during the season. I ordered NFL Sunday Ticket for two years. I am commish of a fantasy football league. The bottom line is that I like football.
I hate the over-coverage of it. Why, oh why, would Mike and Mike devote an entire show to previewing the NFL Draft that is not for another week and a half? Why preview it in the first place? Am I wrong to assume that most NFL fans care who their respective team will draft in the 1st round and pretty much nothing else?
This morning's show featured a spirited debate between Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay, two men whose job is the exact same, over which cornerback would be the first one selected in the draft. Who, besides the agents and mothers of these cornerbacks, possibly cares? I love football, but have never once had a conversation about which outside linebacker is slipping in the draft or what kind of 40 time a fullback ran at the combine.
The afternoon drive home featured even more nonsense. The two ESPN guys were "breaking down" the newly arrived NFL schedule for the up-coming season. Fine. Let me know what intriguing match-ups are on the horizon and which teams got especially easy or difficult draws. I can live with that.
The conversation drifted, however, to individual match-ups in November and December. December?
"I think the Cardinals will really give the Cowboys a game in Week 8."
You do? Based on what? Your crystal ball or your time machine? How do you know what players will be healthy in December? How do you know what rookies will make an impact? How do you know anything at all about a game that is eight months away?
The simple answer is for me to turn my radio to music or NPR and avoid this nonsense that bothers me so. I must be the only person sick of hearing about football all the time, right?
Am I? I just cannot believe that millions of sports fans care about combine workouts and projected 3rd round picks. I cannot believe I am the only person who tires of predictions and analysis of events so far in the future that no intelligent conversation can possibly take place.
If I'm the only one, I'll turn the dial to something else this summer whenever the ever-popular gridiron discussions begin. I have a feeling, though, that I'm not the only person who would rather hear discussion of baseball, basketball, playoff hockey and golf on his April commute than more NFL drivel.
Am I wrong?
Good Neighbor Blogging - The Georgia Sports Update
Georgia is on my mind.
It hit me this morning that several thoughts in my blogging head were all Georgia related. The Braves are always at the forefront, but after a weekend of watching Augusta events and last night's playoff berth for the Atlanta Hawks, I decided to devote this morning's posting to the Peach State.
The Master's
I had the weekend all to myself as Martha took the kids (and even the dogs) to visit her mom in Virginia. What a great weekend to be a bachelor - Master's weekend! I settled in on Saturday to watch Tiger, Phil and...Trevor Immelman?
Instead of being excited about Sunday afternoon in Augusta, I was looking for something to do. This year's Master's was a big bummer. Phil fell apart on Saturday and never really recovered. Tiger failed, once again, to make any type of charge from behind. I love both of them, but this year's tournament was there for the taking and neither was able to do it.
Without either of the superstars in real contention, I pledged my allegiance to Nashville's Brandt Snedeker. The former Montgomery Bell Academy and Vanderbilt golfer was likable and seemed somewhat at ease under the pressures until the back nine on Sunday when he hopped aboard the bogey train. Classic Commodore - early success that falls apart in the end. Bobby Johnson and Kevin Stallings know this tale all too well.
You know who Snedeker reminded me of? Tom Watson. I came up with that all on my own.
As for champion Trevor Immelmen, color me unimpressed. I do like his pre-shot routine of focus and finding a spot in front of his ball, but his overall game left me bored. He had no personality throughout the championship.
Which brings me to this: is it sacrilege to make criticize the Master's? I love it, but some of the tournament is just silly. Listening to Mike Tirico do his best Jim Nantz ("Saturday...at the Master's") was nauseating. I pictured Hootie Johnson standing beside Tirico nodding approval with each dramatic pause before he said, "a tradition unlike any other...The Master's." I guess I always assumed the whole thing was Nantz's schtick, but it must come from greater powers if Tirico had to puppet it as well.
What other tournament besides the Master's subjects us year after year to the same highlights of tournaments past? As a huge Greg Norman fan, I'll admit that watching Larry Mize's chip or Norman's historic collapse against Faldo year after year puts me in a sour mood. Beyond that, however, do we need to watch the same highlights (Nicklaus's putt, Mickelson's celebration, Tiger's chip) over and over? There are fantastic moments in other tournaments that are not replayed ad naseum like those from Augusta. For example, how often does the PGA Championship replay Bob Tway's chip or Corey Pavin's fairway wood? The Master's has lots of history - we get it.
Finally, we haven't had an exciting Master's finish since Tiger in 2005. The last three have all been snoozers. Why? It is probably cyclical, but I wonder if the course itself is part of the problem. Sacrilege, I know. The hole locations are so tough that hole after hole requires a safe shot to avoid bogey rather than an aggressive one to make birdie. It is awfully hard to catch up making pars, but the course kills these guys whenever they try to step on the gas. I'm not sure what the solution ought to be (a few easier pin placements on Sunday?), but three straight years of boring finishes are a problem.
Atlanta Hawks
Good news - The Hawks are going to the playoffs for the first time since 1999.
Bad news - The Hawks play the Boston Celtics in the opening round.
I cannot decide how I feel about this Hawks team after watching them 8-10 times over the course of the season. There is some young talent on the team that shows promise, but nothing that points toward future championships. Joe Johnson is an excellent, under-rated player on the wing. Josh Smith, at times, is a real force on the court as a finisher and rebounder. Beyond that, the Hawks are a bunch of good, not great players. I like the promise of Al Horford, the defense of Josh Childress, the leadership of Mike Bibby and athleticism of Marvin Williams, but I don't love any of them.
Atlanta has been a miserable franchise for years because of awful draft picks (say it with me...the team that needed a point guard and passed on both Chris Paul and Deron Williams) and awful management. I was once a big Hawks fan, even after the Dominique era. Atlanta was a real contender for a few years with the Mookie Blaylock, Steve Smith, Christian Laettner, Dikembe Mutombo, Lenny Wilkins combination. They were a #1 seed one year. I would love to see them return to past glories, even if those glories were marginal. Hopefully this year will be a start, but I imagine the Celtics will finish the series in four games.
Atlanta Braves
The question coming into the season was whether or not the Braves aging pitching staff could make it 162 games without falling apart.
Verdict? 13 games into the season and we have seen Smoltz, Hampton and Glavine all dealing with injuries already.
The Braves are a frustrating team because of the nagging feeling that they could make an October run if everybody stays healthy, but the reality that there is no way it will happen. Mother Nature has taken its toll on Chipper, Hampton, Smoltz and Glavine. They are still effective, but the grind of the season is too much for them.
I'm afraid the opening chapter of this season's story has foreshadowed the end of it - injuries, close losses and suspect back-end starting pitching will waste big years from the prime talent to cost the Braves a spot in the post-season.
I know, I know - you are tired of my gloomy Braves attitude. Frankly, I'm tired of it too. I like this team more than quite a few of the playoff teams from the past. I like Kotsay more than Andruw, Escobar more than Furcal, Tex more than LaRouche, McCann more than Estrada and Hudson more than Ortiz. In a seven-game series, the Braves will be tough to beat. I'm afraid, however, they are not built for the long haul and will be watching rather than playing in October.
It hit me this morning that several thoughts in my blogging head were all Georgia related. The Braves are always at the forefront, but after a weekend of watching Augusta events and last night's playoff berth for the Atlanta Hawks, I decided to devote this morning's posting to the Peach State.
The Master's
I had the weekend all to myself as Martha took the kids (and even the dogs) to visit her mom in Virginia. What a great weekend to be a bachelor - Master's weekend! I settled in on Saturday to watch Tiger, Phil and...Trevor Immelman?
Instead of being excited about Sunday afternoon in Augusta, I was looking for something to do. This year's Master's was a big bummer. Phil fell apart on Saturday and never really recovered. Tiger failed, once again, to make any type of charge from behind. I love both of them, but this year's tournament was there for the taking and neither was able to do it.
Without either of the superstars in real contention, I pledged my allegiance to Nashville's Brandt Snedeker. The former Montgomery Bell Academy and Vanderbilt golfer was likable and seemed somewhat at ease under the pressures until the back nine on Sunday when he hopped aboard the bogey train. Classic Commodore - early success that falls apart in the end. Bobby Johnson and Kevin Stallings know this tale all too well.
You know who Snedeker reminded me of? Tom Watson. I came up with that all on my own.
As for champion Trevor Immelmen, color me unimpressed. I do like his pre-shot routine of focus and finding a spot in front of his ball, but his overall game left me bored. He had no personality throughout the championship.
Which brings me to this: is it sacrilege to make criticize the Master's? I love it, but some of the tournament is just silly. Listening to Mike Tirico do his best Jim Nantz ("Saturday...at the Master's") was nauseating. I pictured Hootie Johnson standing beside Tirico nodding approval with each dramatic pause before he said, "a tradition unlike any other...The Master's." I guess I always assumed the whole thing was Nantz's schtick, but it must come from greater powers if Tirico had to puppet it as well.
What other tournament besides the Master's subjects us year after year to the same highlights of tournaments past? As a huge Greg Norman fan, I'll admit that watching Larry Mize's chip or Norman's historic collapse against Faldo year after year puts me in a sour mood. Beyond that, however, do we need to watch the same highlights (Nicklaus's putt, Mickelson's celebration, Tiger's chip) over and over? There are fantastic moments in other tournaments that are not replayed ad naseum like those from Augusta. For example, how often does the PGA Championship replay Bob Tway's chip or Corey Pavin's fairway wood? The Master's has lots of history - we get it.
Finally, we haven't had an exciting Master's finish since Tiger in 2005. The last three have all been snoozers. Why? It is probably cyclical, but I wonder if the course itself is part of the problem. Sacrilege, I know. The hole locations are so tough that hole after hole requires a safe shot to avoid bogey rather than an aggressive one to make birdie. It is awfully hard to catch up making pars, but the course kills these guys whenever they try to step on the gas. I'm not sure what the solution ought to be (a few easier pin placements on Sunday?), but three straight years of boring finishes are a problem.
Atlanta Hawks
Good news - The Hawks are going to the playoffs for the first time since 1999.
Bad news - The Hawks play the Boston Celtics in the opening round.
I cannot decide how I feel about this Hawks team after watching them 8-10 times over the course of the season. There is some young talent on the team that shows promise, but nothing that points toward future championships. Joe Johnson is an excellent, under-rated player on the wing. Josh Smith, at times, is a real force on the court as a finisher and rebounder. Beyond that, the Hawks are a bunch of good, not great players. I like the promise of Al Horford, the defense of Josh Childress, the leadership of Mike Bibby and athleticism of Marvin Williams, but I don't love any of them.
Atlanta has been a miserable franchise for years because of awful draft picks (say it with me...the team that needed a point guard and passed on both Chris Paul and Deron Williams) and awful management. I was once a big Hawks fan, even after the Dominique era. Atlanta was a real contender for a few years with the Mookie Blaylock, Steve Smith, Christian Laettner, Dikembe Mutombo, Lenny Wilkins combination. They were a #1 seed one year. I would love to see them return to past glories, even if those glories were marginal. Hopefully this year will be a start, but I imagine the Celtics will finish the series in four games.
Atlanta Braves
The question coming into the season was whether or not the Braves aging pitching staff could make it 162 games without falling apart.
Verdict? 13 games into the season and we have seen Smoltz, Hampton and Glavine all dealing with injuries already.
The Braves are a frustrating team because of the nagging feeling that they could make an October run if everybody stays healthy, but the reality that there is no way it will happen. Mother Nature has taken its toll on Chipper, Hampton, Smoltz and Glavine. They are still effective, but the grind of the season is too much for them.
I'm afraid the opening chapter of this season's story has foreshadowed the end of it - injuries, close losses and suspect back-end starting pitching will waste big years from the prime talent to cost the Braves a spot in the post-season.
I know, I know - you are tired of my gloomy Braves attitude. Frankly, I'm tired of it too. I like this team more than quite a few of the playoff teams from the past. I like Kotsay more than Andruw, Escobar more than Furcal, Tex more than LaRouche, McCann more than Estrada and Hudson more than Ortiz. In a seven-game series, the Braves will be tough to beat. I'm afraid, however, they are not built for the long haul and will be watching rather than playing in October.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Braves at Home in D.C.
After a miserable trip to Denver that saw the Braves lose three in a row before a merciful snow-out of the final game against the Rockies, Atlanta has looked terrific with back-to-back wins over the pathetic Washington Nationals.
It it premature to get overly excited about wins over the Nats (who have now lost 9 games in a row), but the bats seems to be waking up and the top of the Braves rotation is living up to expectations.
Jeff Franceouer had a monster day this afternoon with two homeruns. Brian McCann looks locked in at the plate. Mark Kotsay is swinging a hot bat and Matt Diaz continues to come up with timely hits. And that is the bottom of the order! The Braves are scoring runs without getting much of anything from Mark Teixeira thus far, but there is plenty of talent from 1-8 to plate some runs.
The big factor all year has been the inability to get a lead-off man on base. When the Braves open an inning with a runner, they score. When they don't, they don't. Much of the season so far has fallen in the "don't" category, but today the Braves had runners on base early and often to coast to an easy division win.
On the mound, Tim Hudson is off to a Cy Young season. He opened the season with a terrific start against the Nationals that ended with a loss, but Friday night he was spectacular in a 3-hit win.
The bottom half of the rotation is still a concern. Chuck James was sent to Richmond after serving up batting practice to the Colorado Rockies in Denver. It was clear from Bobby Cox's body language throughout that start that he was not comfortable with James on the mound. Without Hampton and with a youngster like Jurrjens, the bottom half of the rotation continues to cause Atlanta problems, wearing out the bullpen and forcing the line-up to press to keep up.
The Braves are also out their closer as Rafael Soriano is hurt. One of the concerns about giving the closing job to Soriano was his durability and that concern is proving apt as he watches Peter Moylan and Manny Acosta share the duties. It also looks like the Braves blundered by trading Tyler Yates who has been better in Pittsburgh than anyone Atlanta has in middle relief.
Finally, the Scott Spiezio story is over. The drunken veteran couldn't stay sober in Richmond (can you blame him?), so he won't be called up to Atlanta anytime soon.
The Braves look for a sweep tomorrow with Tom Glavine toeing the rubber for both Atlanta and my fantasy baseball team (the 8th place Joe Boo's Rum). First pitch is scheduled for 1:35.
It it premature to get overly excited about wins over the Nats (who have now lost 9 games in a row), but the bats seems to be waking up and the top of the Braves rotation is living up to expectations.
Jeff Franceouer had a monster day this afternoon with two homeruns. Brian McCann looks locked in at the plate. Mark Kotsay is swinging a hot bat and Matt Diaz continues to come up with timely hits. And that is the bottom of the order! The Braves are scoring runs without getting much of anything from Mark Teixeira thus far, but there is plenty of talent from 1-8 to plate some runs.
The big factor all year has been the inability to get a lead-off man on base. When the Braves open an inning with a runner, they score. When they don't, they don't. Much of the season so far has fallen in the "don't" category, but today the Braves had runners on base early and often to coast to an easy division win.
On the mound, Tim Hudson is off to a Cy Young season. He opened the season with a terrific start against the Nationals that ended with a loss, but Friday night he was spectacular in a 3-hit win.
The bottom half of the rotation is still a concern. Chuck James was sent to Richmond after serving up batting practice to the Colorado Rockies in Denver. It was clear from Bobby Cox's body language throughout that start that he was not comfortable with James on the mound. Without Hampton and with a youngster like Jurrjens, the bottom half of the rotation continues to cause Atlanta problems, wearing out the bullpen and forcing the line-up to press to keep up.
The Braves are also out their closer as Rafael Soriano is hurt. One of the concerns about giving the closing job to Soriano was his durability and that concern is proving apt as he watches Peter Moylan and Manny Acosta share the duties. It also looks like the Braves blundered by trading Tyler Yates who has been better in Pittsburgh than anyone Atlanta has in middle relief.
Finally, the Scott Spiezio story is over. The drunken veteran couldn't stay sober in Richmond (can you blame him?), so he won't be called up to Atlanta anytime soon.
The Braves look for a sweep tomorrow with Tom Glavine toeing the rubber for both Atlanta and my fantasy baseball team (the 8th place Joe Boo's Rum). First pitch is scheduled for 1:35.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Remembering the Valley
Like most golfers, I'll be watching The Master's tournament in Augusta this weekend. Watching the professionals pass by Amen Corner, avoid the rolling azaleas and slip on the green jacket is a rite of passage from winter to spring. It is time to clean the clubs and start chipping balls in the backyard to prepare for the summer season.
I decided to get a head start on the competition last weekend with a trip to East Brainerd to the Hickory Valley Golf Club. The Valley, as we lovingly call it, is a 9-hole course that is flat enough to walk, empty enough to slip on at a moment's notice and challenging enough to justify the $11 fee.
It is also gone.
With visions of Titelists and Big Berthas dancing in my head, I put on my blinker to veer left into the Valley parking lot only to see high grass on the greens and a padlock on the entrance gate. For years I'd heard rumors that the Valley was on its last legs, but figured it would eventually find a new owner to keep it alive. I kept driving along Hickory Valley Road before doubling back with sadness for a last look at the corpse of a course I played at least 50 times in my life.
Most Chattanooga golfers won't feel the same sense of loss as me. After all, the Valley was no one's favorite golf course. It was only 9 holes, so it could quickly turn into a slow round of golf when over-crowded. It was never in great shape. The greens were sometimes less-than-true and often painfully slow. You never knew what type of golfer was going to be in front or behind you because the Valley attracted a wide variety of players. There was always a collection of hackers slicing and whiffing their way into bitter frustration at the Valley.
One of my final memories of the Valley was being paired up with a couple of Japanese guys who spoke no English and had no idea how to handle the expensive set of clubs upon their pull-cart. After watching my playing partner hit a poor fairway wood on the opening hole, I turned my head to walk toward my ball for my approach shot when I heard the unexpected sound of clubhead meeting ball behind me. My playing partner decided to take a mulligan without alerting me and nearly killed me with a line-drive past my head.
It was another day at the Valley.
The 1st hole of the Valley is...I mean was...a par 5 that required an immediate decision of whether to lay-up in front of the creek that protected the green or to be aggressive and risk a big number on the opening hole of the round. It was a fun quandary because an opening eagle or birdie made for the potential of a memorable round, but finding the water meant leaving a par-5 over par.
The 2nd hole was a straight par 3 over a small pond to a small green. I always played this hole well for some reason. Hole 3, however, always gave me trouble. The par 4 moved left-to-right with the tee shot shooting through a natural tunnel of over-hanging trees. For whatever reason, I had a tendency to launch my approach shot over the green into the clubhouse parking lot. I suppose the lack of background threw off my depth-perception, but it was a common thing for me to find my ball near the mower shed instead of on the putting surface.
One of the great things about the Valley was that Holes 1-3 brought you right back to the clubhouse. My uncle used to play these three holes on his lunch break. If I saw a back-up on the 1st tee, I could usually convince the person in charge to let me start on Hole 4. I loved that part of the Valley's layout.
Speaking of Hole 4, it was another of several "temptation" holes on the course. The 4th was an easy par 4 that required little more than a 3-wood and pitching wedge. The temptation was the size of the fairway that begged an undisciplined golfer (me) to come out of his shoes in the hopes of blasting one. The penalty for doing so was a field on the right that took your slice and hid it in the high grass, turning an easy hole into a scoring disaster.
After the 4th, the intelligent walker pulled out a long iron and left his bag along the cart path to double-back to the 5th tee box. The 5th was a fun hole that called for a tee shot long enough to clear some trees that protect the green, but not so long that it ended up in the farm across the barbed-wire fence (which every Valley golfer encountered at some point in the hopes of retrieving an errant shot).
As a kid, my favorite hole was the 6th. As an adult, it was my least favorite. It required nothing more than a wedge with the only trouble being behind the green. As a kid, it gave me a chance for par. As an adult, it lacked personality and challenge.
Hole 7 was another left-to-right, short par 4. The temptation on 7 was to carry the trees on the right to potentially drive the green. Otherwise, an easy 5-wood led to a wedge approach. Seems like an easy decision, doesn't it? My decision on 7 was usually influenced by my score. If I was scoring well by 7, I would play it safe for a par. If I was struggling, why not go for the glory?
Hole 8 was a long par 3 that offered more depth-perception problems. The green was straight ahead, but a long-iron, if smoked, could end up on the 9 tee box or even worse in the drainage ditch beyond it. As a kid, the decision was whether to play a wood that could end up in the drink or a long-iron that was nearly always short.
The final hole at the Valley was the par 5 9th. The previously-mentioned gutter ran along the right side to swallow up any slice. There was no playing out of this ditch, so it served as a hazard to be avoided. The right side of the fairway was protected by a row of trees, so the key was to be straight. The green was protected by a grass mound that worked as a false-front. I hit many a shot on 9 that I thought would be close, only to learn I was short of the green.
Ah, the Valley. So flat. So cheap. So fun. It is silly to build an emotional attachment to a golf course, especially one as pitiful as Hickory Valley, but it happens nonetheless. I miss it already.
In fact, all Chattanoogans ought to be saddened by the loss of the Valley. We need courses like Hickory Valley where kids can learn to play without holding up the low-ballers. If the hackers aren't getting their kicks at Hickory Valley, where can they go? There are a few low-cost, over-par golf options left in the city (Concord immediately comes to mind), but not as many as when I was learning how to play.
Eastgate is gone.
The Quarry is gone.
Rivermont is gone.
Hickory Valley is gone.
Maybe I'm the only one mourning the loss of lousy golf courses, but I doubt it. Take a trip to Eagle Bluff or Brown Acres or Valleybrook and ask how many golfers there learned the game at one of these courses. I imagined teaching Abby and Caroline how to play golf at the Valley like my dad and granddad did at Eastgate when I was a kid. Where can I take them to play when all the bad courses keep closing down? Where can we go where they can be loud, slow and awful?
Enough with the sadness. Here's to the Valley: a working man's golf course that offered so much to the area's bad golfers while charging so little. You took many a Top Flite from me with your creeks, barbed-wire protected out-of-bounds and ridiculously deep and wide drainage ditch. You offered a fun afternoon of golf that included some of my lowest rounds. When my score ballooned or swing broke down, you even offered a row of condominiums down the leftside of Hole 9 as targets to take out my anger. Though your conditions and amenities were often bogeys, you will also be under par in my heart.
Thanks for the memories.
I decided to get a head start on the competition last weekend with a trip to East Brainerd to the Hickory Valley Golf Club. The Valley, as we lovingly call it, is a 9-hole course that is flat enough to walk, empty enough to slip on at a moment's notice and challenging enough to justify the $11 fee.
It is also gone.
With visions of Titelists and Big Berthas dancing in my head, I put on my blinker to veer left into the Valley parking lot only to see high grass on the greens and a padlock on the entrance gate. For years I'd heard rumors that the Valley was on its last legs, but figured it would eventually find a new owner to keep it alive. I kept driving along Hickory Valley Road before doubling back with sadness for a last look at the corpse of a course I played at least 50 times in my life.
Most Chattanooga golfers won't feel the same sense of loss as me. After all, the Valley was no one's favorite golf course. It was only 9 holes, so it could quickly turn into a slow round of golf when over-crowded. It was never in great shape. The greens were sometimes less-than-true and often painfully slow. You never knew what type of golfer was going to be in front or behind you because the Valley attracted a wide variety of players. There was always a collection of hackers slicing and whiffing their way into bitter frustration at the Valley.
One of my final memories of the Valley was being paired up with a couple of Japanese guys who spoke no English and had no idea how to handle the expensive set of clubs upon their pull-cart. After watching my playing partner hit a poor fairway wood on the opening hole, I turned my head to walk toward my ball for my approach shot when I heard the unexpected sound of clubhead meeting ball behind me. My playing partner decided to take a mulligan without alerting me and nearly killed me with a line-drive past my head.
It was another day at the Valley.
The 1st hole of the Valley is...I mean was...a par 5 that required an immediate decision of whether to lay-up in front of the creek that protected the green or to be aggressive and risk a big number on the opening hole of the round. It was a fun quandary because an opening eagle or birdie made for the potential of a memorable round, but finding the water meant leaving a par-5 over par.
The 2nd hole was a straight par 3 over a small pond to a small green. I always played this hole well for some reason. Hole 3, however, always gave me trouble. The par 4 moved left-to-right with the tee shot shooting through a natural tunnel of over-hanging trees. For whatever reason, I had a tendency to launch my approach shot over the green into the clubhouse parking lot. I suppose the lack of background threw off my depth-perception, but it was a common thing for me to find my ball near the mower shed instead of on the putting surface.
One of the great things about the Valley was that Holes 1-3 brought you right back to the clubhouse. My uncle used to play these three holes on his lunch break. If I saw a back-up on the 1st tee, I could usually convince the person in charge to let me start on Hole 4. I loved that part of the Valley's layout.
Speaking of Hole 4, it was another of several "temptation" holes on the course. The 4th was an easy par 4 that required little more than a 3-wood and pitching wedge. The temptation was the size of the fairway that begged an undisciplined golfer (me) to come out of his shoes in the hopes of blasting one. The penalty for doing so was a field on the right that took your slice and hid it in the high grass, turning an easy hole into a scoring disaster.
After the 4th, the intelligent walker pulled out a long iron and left his bag along the cart path to double-back to the 5th tee box. The 5th was a fun hole that called for a tee shot long enough to clear some trees that protect the green, but not so long that it ended up in the farm across the barbed-wire fence (which every Valley golfer encountered at some point in the hopes of retrieving an errant shot).
As a kid, my favorite hole was the 6th. As an adult, it was my least favorite. It required nothing more than a wedge with the only trouble being behind the green. As a kid, it gave me a chance for par. As an adult, it lacked personality and challenge.
Hole 7 was another left-to-right, short par 4. The temptation on 7 was to carry the trees on the right to potentially drive the green. Otherwise, an easy 5-wood led to a wedge approach. Seems like an easy decision, doesn't it? My decision on 7 was usually influenced by my score. If I was scoring well by 7, I would play it safe for a par. If I was struggling, why not go for the glory?
Hole 8 was a long par 3 that offered more depth-perception problems. The green was straight ahead, but a long-iron, if smoked, could end up on the 9 tee box or even worse in the drainage ditch beyond it. As a kid, the decision was whether to play a wood that could end up in the drink or a long-iron that was nearly always short.
The final hole at the Valley was the par 5 9th. The previously-mentioned gutter ran along the right side to swallow up any slice. There was no playing out of this ditch, so it served as a hazard to be avoided. The right side of the fairway was protected by a row of trees, so the key was to be straight. The green was protected by a grass mound that worked as a false-front. I hit many a shot on 9 that I thought would be close, only to learn I was short of the green.
Ah, the Valley. So flat. So cheap. So fun. It is silly to build an emotional attachment to a golf course, especially one as pitiful as Hickory Valley, but it happens nonetheless. I miss it already.
In fact, all Chattanoogans ought to be saddened by the loss of the Valley. We need courses like Hickory Valley where kids can learn to play without holding up the low-ballers. If the hackers aren't getting their kicks at Hickory Valley, where can they go? There are a few low-cost, over-par golf options left in the city (Concord immediately comes to mind), but not as many as when I was learning how to play.
Eastgate is gone.
The Quarry is gone.
Rivermont is gone.
Hickory Valley is gone.
Maybe I'm the only one mourning the loss of lousy golf courses, but I doubt it. Take a trip to Eagle Bluff or Brown Acres or Valleybrook and ask how many golfers there learned the game at one of these courses. I imagined teaching Abby and Caroline how to play golf at the Valley like my dad and granddad did at Eastgate when I was a kid. Where can I take them to play when all the bad courses keep closing down? Where can we go where they can be loud, slow and awful?
Enough with the sadness. Here's to the Valley: a working man's golf course that offered so much to the area's bad golfers while charging so little. You took many a Top Flite from me with your creeks, barbed-wire protected out-of-bounds and ridiculously deep and wide drainage ditch. You offered a fun afternoon of golf that included some of my lowest rounds. When my score ballooned or swing broke down, you even offered a row of condominiums down the leftside of Hole 9 as targets to take out my anger. Though your conditions and amenities were often bogeys, you will also be under par in my heart.
Thanks for the memories.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Catching Up - Vols Stuff
The blogger has been bogged down this week with tests, grading and some occupational manueverings (Goodbye GPS - Hello McCallie!). I have missed some exciting stuff in Knoxville and miserable stuff in Denver.
The Lady Vols won back-to-back National Championships on Tuesday night with an impressive win over Stanford. I'm not going to pretend to know much about women's basketball, but I thought Stanford would get the Vols. The Cardinal (the color, not the bird) were rolling in the tournament, but they had not faced a defense like the one UT clamped down upon them. The Vols harassed in the halfcourt and took the ball with their 3/4 court traps. They led early and held on late.
The interesting story coming out of the game was Candace Parker's decision to turn pro. Apparently, with the shoulder injury and maybe some sentimentality after the championship, Parker waited until the last minutes to file her paperwork for the WNBA draft. There are reports that Parker's paperwork, due at 10:00 a.m., were handed to the WNBA at 9:55. Wow.
The other good news out of Knoxville is the non-announcement of Tyler Smith. So far, so good. While the draft keeps loading up with underclassmen (including my own protege DeAndre Jordan), Tyler continues to be a Vol.
Keep your fingers crossed.
The Lady Vols won back-to-back National Championships on Tuesday night with an impressive win over Stanford. I'm not going to pretend to know much about women's basketball, but I thought Stanford would get the Vols. The Cardinal (the color, not the bird) were rolling in the tournament, but they had not faced a defense like the one UT clamped down upon them. The Vols harassed in the halfcourt and took the ball with their 3/4 court traps. They led early and held on late.
The interesting story coming out of the game was Candace Parker's decision to turn pro. Apparently, with the shoulder injury and maybe some sentimentality after the championship, Parker waited until the last minutes to file her paperwork for the WNBA draft. There are reports that Parker's paperwork, due at 10:00 a.m., were handed to the WNBA at 9:55. Wow.
The other good news out of Knoxville is the non-announcement of Tyler Smith. So far, so good. While the draft keeps loading up with underclassmen (including my own protege DeAndre Jordan), Tyler continues to be a Vol.
Keep your fingers crossed.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Mourning Memphis
I'm a little sleepy this morning and a lot sad after staying up late to watch the Memphis Tigers unravel in the final two minutes of regulation to cough up a national championship to the Kansas Jayhawks. I did not get to sleep early enough, but saw a nightmare nonetheless.
What went wrong for the Tigers down the stretch? They looked like a team of destiny after Derrick Rose's banked jumper at the shot clock buzzer (Billy Packer - you don't think he called that one? Really?). Up nine points with the ball and just over two minutes left, the celebration was about to begin in San Antonio for Coach Cal and crew.
Then...disaster.
The story this morning is Calipari's decision not to take a timeout after Rose's free throw to set his defense, but that was not the reason Memphis lost the game. The Tigers are runners-up this morning for two reasons: sloppiness and lack of focus.
The Tigers have been loose and carefree all year, resulting in a one-loss record and place in the Final Four. With a championship on the line, however, the problems that Coach Cal has lived with/ignored all year surfaced to doom the Tigers. The sloppiness that Calipari failed to correct because he wanted his team to be fast and free cost him a national championship.
It began with an sloppy in-bounds pass that resulted in a momentum-swinging three-poniter for the Jayhawks. It continued with a sloppy hedge from Joey Dorsey that resulted in his fifth foul and disqualification. The Tigers then lost concentration at the free throw line as Douglas-Roberts and Rose combined for a sloppy 1-5 at the line in the final minutes of regulation. Finally, the Tigers sloppily defended the most obvious play in that final situation (the dribble hand-off - are you serious?), sloppily failed to foul as instructed and then sloppily fell apart in the overtime.
There is no doubt the Tigers lost their poise in the final moments. CDR could, and probably should, have been assessed a technical foul for slamming the basketball in the final minutes. Billy Packer applauded the referee's decision, but there is no "he was just mad at himself" exception for unsportsmanlike behavior like slamming down the basketball. Though it was not called, it was a glaring example of Calipari's failure to correct the sloppiness and lack of focus in his boys.
As for the final timeout, I don't fault Calipari for not calling it after Rose's free-throw. The assumption is that if Calipari called the timeout, the Tigers would have executed. What if they did not? What if Bill Self had set up a better play in that timeout (remember - Kansas did not have a timeout left)? The Tigers should have known what to do based on months of practice; they simply did not execute it.
Don't discount Kansas's role in all this either. Kansas's defense was terrific all night long. They made plays down the stretch - from Chalmer's shot to the made free-throws - that Memphis failed to make. In the end, however, the story of last night's game is the Memphis collapse.
Heartbreak Hotel indeed.
What went wrong for the Tigers down the stretch? They looked like a team of destiny after Derrick Rose's banked jumper at the shot clock buzzer (Billy Packer - you don't think he called that one? Really?). Up nine points with the ball and just over two minutes left, the celebration was about to begin in San Antonio for Coach Cal and crew.
Then...disaster.
The story this morning is Calipari's decision not to take a timeout after Rose's free throw to set his defense, but that was not the reason Memphis lost the game. The Tigers are runners-up this morning for two reasons: sloppiness and lack of focus.
The Tigers have been loose and carefree all year, resulting in a one-loss record and place in the Final Four. With a championship on the line, however, the problems that Coach Cal has lived with/ignored all year surfaced to doom the Tigers. The sloppiness that Calipari failed to correct because he wanted his team to be fast and free cost him a national championship.
It began with an sloppy in-bounds pass that resulted in a momentum-swinging three-poniter for the Jayhawks. It continued with a sloppy hedge from Joey Dorsey that resulted in his fifth foul and disqualification. The Tigers then lost concentration at the free throw line as Douglas-Roberts and Rose combined for a sloppy 1-5 at the line in the final minutes of regulation. Finally, the Tigers sloppily defended the most obvious play in that final situation (the dribble hand-off - are you serious?), sloppily failed to foul as instructed and then sloppily fell apart in the overtime.
There is no doubt the Tigers lost their poise in the final moments. CDR could, and probably should, have been assessed a technical foul for slamming the basketball in the final minutes. Billy Packer applauded the referee's decision, but there is no "he was just mad at himself" exception for unsportsmanlike behavior like slamming down the basketball. Though it was not called, it was a glaring example of Calipari's failure to correct the sloppiness and lack of focus in his boys.
As for the final timeout, I don't fault Calipari for not calling it after Rose's free-throw. The assumption is that if Calipari called the timeout, the Tigers would have executed. What if they did not? What if Bill Self had set up a better play in that timeout (remember - Kansas did not have a timeout left)? The Tigers should have known what to do based on months of practice; they simply did not execute it.
Don't discount Kansas's role in all this either. Kansas's defense was terrific all night long. They made plays down the stretch - from Chalmer's shot to the made free-throws - that Memphis failed to make. In the end, however, the story of last night's game is the Memphis collapse.
Heartbreak Hotel indeed.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Pirates Take Series; Hampton Out Again
I'm back on the ledge.
Mike Hampton's return to the mound was delayed, yet again, after he strained his pectoral muscle during warm-ups before his first start in over two years. Hampton is back on the D.L. and the Braves are back in the same situation as a year ago - a worn-out bullpen, untested youngsters in the starting rotation and one-run losses adding up.
Jeff Bennett had to make an emergency start when Hampton could not go. Bennett was fine, though he could only go four innings. Blaine Boyer looked fantastic following up Bennett, but the bullpen could not hold the lead the Braves grabbed during the 6th inning. Frankly, it wasn't all the bullpen's fault - Martin Prado's error led to the tying run.
Bobby Cox did some crazy stuff in the 10th as he ran out of bullpen help. Wanting to bring in Royce Ring to face lefty Adam LaRouche but not wanting to take out Chris Resop (his last reliever), Cox sent Resop to left field while Ring struck out LaRouche. The Braves' skipper then moved Resop back to the mound to subsequently give up the game-winning hit to Brave-killer Xavier Nady.
Chipper Jones is off to a great start at the plate as he went 3-5 against tough lefty Zach Duke. Matt Diaz made the play of the game for the Braves on the base paths with a terrific slide into second to break up a double-play. Sure enough, the Braves kept batting and kept scoring in the inning, taking the lead. There is a reason fans love Diaz - he is a tough out, a tough competitor and he gets everything out of his talent.
The Braves head up to Shea Stadium for a huge early series with the Mets. I know, I know - it is only April. With Hampton on the D.L., three one-run losses already and the best team in the league in front of them, the Braves could really use some good starts from Hudson and Smoltz to avoid digging themselves an early hole.
Mike Hampton's return to the mound was delayed, yet again, after he strained his pectoral muscle during warm-ups before his first start in over two years. Hampton is back on the D.L. and the Braves are back in the same situation as a year ago - a worn-out bullpen, untested youngsters in the starting rotation and one-run losses adding up.
Jeff Bennett had to make an emergency start when Hampton could not go. Bennett was fine, though he could only go four innings. Blaine Boyer looked fantastic following up Bennett, but the bullpen could not hold the lead the Braves grabbed during the 6th inning. Frankly, it wasn't all the bullpen's fault - Martin Prado's error led to the tying run.
Bobby Cox did some crazy stuff in the 10th as he ran out of bullpen help. Wanting to bring in Royce Ring to face lefty Adam LaRouche but not wanting to take out Chris Resop (his last reliever), Cox sent Resop to left field while Ring struck out LaRouche. The Braves' skipper then moved Resop back to the mound to subsequently give up the game-winning hit to Brave-killer Xavier Nady.
Chipper Jones is off to a great start at the plate as he went 3-5 against tough lefty Zach Duke. Matt Diaz made the play of the game for the Braves on the base paths with a terrific slide into second to break up a double-play. Sure enough, the Braves kept batting and kept scoring in the inning, taking the lead. There is a reason fans love Diaz - he is a tough out, a tough competitor and he gets everything out of his talent.
The Braves head up to Shea Stadium for a huge early series with the Mets. I know, I know - it is only April. With Hampton on the D.L., three one-run losses already and the best team in the league in front of them, the Braves could really use some good starts from Hudson and Smoltz to avoid digging themselves an early hole.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Coming Off the Ledge - Braves Rout Pirates
After a promising performance from 22-year old Jair Jurrjens, the Atlanta Braves' bats exploded in the 8th inning to ensure their first win of the year over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Atlanta got long balls from Matt Diaz, Mark Teixeira and Yunel Escobar in the victory that ensures they will not go 0-162.
The best news of the evening might be the bullpen's work. The maligned pen went three & two-thirds without giving up a single hit. Six different Braves' relievers combined on the performance.
The other bright spot was Jair Jurrjens. Acquired from the Tigers in the Renteria deal, the youngster beat out Jo-Jo Reyes, Buddy Carlyle and the host of other ineffective starters from 2007 to get a spot in the rotation. He looked solid last night before running out of gas in the 6th. If the Braves can get innings from him, the concerns about Smoltz's, Glavine's and Hampton's durability won't be so pressing.
Speaking of Mike Hampton, he returns to the mound tonight for the first time in over two years. What is the over/under on pitches before he tears some ligament or breaks some bone? I'm guessing 15, not counting warm-up tosses.
Seriously, I hope Hampton can perform tonight and be something of an asset for the Braves. It is not his fault that the Braves over-paid for a broken down pitcher. It isn't even his fault that his body keeps letting him down. Actually, I guess it is his fault, but I don't blame him for it. It is out of his control. You get my point.
If Hampton can win 10-12 games this year, it will be a remarkable accomplishment. I'm just keeping my hopes down at this point with him. Two and a half years is a long time between starts. Even if he stays healthy, how effective will he be?
Finally, did anyone see the trivia question last night during the game? The Pirates have the longest streak of losing seasons in sports history. 15 years. It does not seem that long ago that the Pirates were winning with Bonds, Van Slyke, Bonilla, Drabek and Jim Leyland. The last time they had a winning season was 1992. I was shocked by it, but they really have been bad for a long time.
The best news of the evening might be the bullpen's work. The maligned pen went three & two-thirds without giving up a single hit. Six different Braves' relievers combined on the performance.
The other bright spot was Jair Jurrjens. Acquired from the Tigers in the Renteria deal, the youngster beat out Jo-Jo Reyes, Buddy Carlyle and the host of other ineffective starters from 2007 to get a spot in the rotation. He looked solid last night before running out of gas in the 6th. If the Braves can get innings from him, the concerns about Smoltz's, Glavine's and Hampton's durability won't be so pressing.
Speaking of Mike Hampton, he returns to the mound tonight for the first time in over two years. What is the over/under on pitches before he tears some ligament or breaks some bone? I'm guessing 15, not counting warm-up tosses.
Seriously, I hope Hampton can perform tonight and be something of an asset for the Braves. It is not his fault that the Braves over-paid for a broken down pitcher. It isn't even his fault that his body keeps letting him down. Actually, I guess it is his fault, but I don't blame him for it. It is out of his control. You get my point.
If Hampton can win 10-12 games this year, it will be a remarkable accomplishment. I'm just keeping my hopes down at this point with him. Two and a half years is a long time between starts. Even if he stays healthy, how effective will he be?
Finally, did anyone see the trivia question last night during the game? The Pirates have the longest streak of losing seasons in sports history. 15 years. It does not seem that long ago that the Pirates were winning with Bonds, Van Slyke, Bonilla, Drabek and Jim Leyland. The last time they had a winning season was 1992. I was shocked by it, but they really have been bad for a long time.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Braves Still on Pace for 0-162 - Lose to Pirates in Extra Innings
I could not find the game on television last night (DirecTV - anyone know where it was?), but saw the highlights this morning. Am I the only one having flashbacks of last season when the Braves continually scored runs but found ways to lose close games?
First, the game never should have gone into extras. If you haven't seen the highlights of the botched play in the outfield, you can watch it here.
Tom Glavine was good, not great, but the real concern is the bullpen. The Braves need to pen to have a good year with the aging starting rotation, but thus far it has been a liability. I know - only two games. Still, things don't look good right now for Atlanta's arms.
The defense was lousy too - three errors.
People - it is time to panic. The Mets looked great yesterday. The Braves now have losses to the Nationals and Pirates. The division is lost and the wild card is a pipe dream.
At least the Braves won't end today 0-3. They have the day off.
First, the game never should have gone into extras. If you haven't seen the highlights of the botched play in the outfield, you can watch it here.
Tom Glavine was good, not great, but the real concern is the bullpen. The Braves need to pen to have a good year with the aging starting rotation, but thus far it has been a liability. I know - only two games. Still, things don't look good right now for Atlanta's arms.
The defense was lousy too - three errors.
People - it is time to panic. The Mets looked great yesterday. The Braves now have losses to the Nationals and Pirates. The division is lost and the wild card is a pipe dream.
At least the Braves won't end today 0-3. They have the day off.
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