WE are the ones saving our money and buying the tickets.  WE are the ones staying up until 1am to watch West Coast games.  The FANS are the ones living and dying with every game, buying the apparel and merchandise, teaching our kids the Tomahawk chop and imitating Skip Cary for the hell of it during the work day.  Dale Murphy doesn’t play in Atlanta anymore.  David Justice went to Cleveland.  Hell, Tom Glavine played for the Mets!  But the constant is you.  And me.  And your buddy.  Your Uncle, Aunt and 2^nd Cousin twice removed.   When spring training comes around, we won’t know if Martin Prado will be a Brave.  Will Chipper Jones play 120 games?  Not sure about that.  Who will be the Braves ace?  Don’t know.  But one thing IS for certain.  WE WILL be there.  WE will scour the schedule and see what games we want to go to.  We will check with our parents to see if they can watch the kids on a Tuesday so we can get to the Ted.  We will see when the “businessman’s specials” are and think about how we can skip out to go see the home team play.  We’ll dust off our Braves jerseys, hats, window stickers and the rest.  We’ll dress our daughters in pink Braves gear and slip the #22 Heyward toddler jersey on our son’s back.  WE.  Not them. 

LeBron James summed it up best when he told anti-Heat fans that he’d be ok and they would have to go back to their miserable lives…or something to that affect.  And you know something, he’s right.  Losing hurts, but if you have a 2 million dollar house, 4 Lexus sedans and a pool the shape of your face, it may not hurt so much.  But when you’re a “9 to 5’er”, your boss yells at you, your car breaks down and you’re just having a lousy day, losing stinks EVEN more.  Isn’t tomorrow a bit more fun when your team wins?  It’s a return on your emotional/financial/communal investment.  It’s like raising a child.  You put in ALL the hard work and when you get that one unsolicited “I love you”, it’s so worth it.

I know it’s silly.  It’s just a game and we should all have much more important things to concern ourselves with.  But isn’t that the whole point?  It IS just a game.  It’s an escape from our problems, our angst, our worries and alike.  It takes us from the real life we live to our past life as a child.  When you had sports heroes, you rooted for the home team and you shared that fun/passion with your friends and family.  No one wants to talk politics or religion anymore.  It stinks and it doesn’t get you anywhere.  But sports!  It’s fun and mostly harmless.  WE are going to stomp you this weekend!  No you’re not, WE are going to stomp you!  Sports give us the pride we may not be able to achieve anyplace else in life.  It’s the one place where as long as you jump on board and NEVER get off, you have a team for life.  And their success can be your reason for celebration.  So say WE all you want!  What’s it hurting?  Nothing.  What’s it helping?  Your soul.  Happy Holidays!

If you want more of my shenanigans during the week, follow me on Twitter @yourdailyvinnie.  Thanks!

With the Fall Classic around the corner and the weather getting cooler here in the South, school is in full swing as well.  And one of the things all kids look forward to with school is yearbooks.  Getting your picture taken, hoping all your “besties” will write super long notes in the back pages of your book, thumbing through the candid shots to see how many you’re in and of course, Senior Superlatives.  I think every high school kid secretly hopes and prays to get one of these awards in the yearbook.  Even the ultra reclusive, non-fiction reading, 10,000 Maniacs listening, aloof, ponytail/uni-cycle guy in your English class secretly wants to be “best all around” or “cutest”.

So I’ve heard the Atlanta Braves yearbook is out now.  And the guys are passing them around the clubhouse getting everyone to sign them before they leave for the year.  Why don’t we take a peek and see who won some of those coveted superlatives?

Best All Around – Dan Uggla.  I know, I know.  How can a guy with a .233 average be best all around?  But that’s just it…best ALL AROUND.  You know I’m not a SABR guy.  I’m a perception guy.  And my perception is that without Uggla, the Braves don’t sniff the WildCard.  His defense is severely underrated and without his play during and after his hitting streak, the Braves don’t have a chance to have their infamous collapse.

Class Clown – Peter Moylan.  He gets the vote for two reasons.  One, he supposedly is a great clubhouse guy, funny guy, twitter guy and for some reason every Braves fan loves him.  I like him fine.  But reason #2 he gets this vote is because he “clowned” all of you Braves fans into thinking he was an important piece to the puzzle.  This is not a slam on the guy.  But I’m trying to figure out how a guy who really hasn’t played much recently and really only had one decent season with the club is SO vital to its success.  He’s a sidearm middle reliever.  Not Billy Wagner.

Smartest – Larry Parrish, former hitting coach.  This cat has to be the smartest guy in MLB, period.  He gets hired to be a hitting coach, gets paid to be a hitting coach, even gets a uniform.  Then he does absolutely nothing to improve the team’s hitting.  I’m not sure I’ve ever even heard him interviewed this year to be held accountable for the team’s shortcomings.  His philosophy was to be free swinging and see what happens.  Yea…what happens sucks, Larry.  Honorable mention goes to Kenshin Kawakami.  He got PAID big time to hang out in Gwinnett and eat funnel cakes at Coolray Field all summer.  Pretty darn smart if you ask me.

Cutest Couple – Eric, O’Flaherty, Jonny Venters and Craig Kimbrel.  These guys were absolutely great this season.  Anybody who blames Kimbrel for the last game loss to Philly is a Jose Reyes…umm…I mean…a sub human, no account jerk.   The guys were used more than the smoosh room on “Jersey Shore”.  Every time the Braves were up by 4/5/27 runs…I never understood why the lesser bullpen mates weren’t brought in to save these guy’s arms.  But what do I know?  Oh that’s right.  Even I know that’s stupid.

Most Likely to Succeed – Freddie Freeman.  This is the one category where I could have put 4 different Braves.  I even thought I’d put Jose Constanza as the winner.  But then I remembered, according to some of you, he was already the Dominican Mickey Mantle and was packing for Cooperstown as we speak.  His greatness transcends a silly high school superlative.  Give me a break.  He’ll be installing windows with Chuck James next year.  Back to Freeman.  This kid was everything we could have hoped for.  And his stats back up the perception that he’s the new BMOC.  And while Chipper Jones is still the ultimate Braves on this team, Freddie may well be the best Atlanta has to offer for the next 10 years.

Most Likely to Tip his Cap – Fredi Gonzalez.  Enough said.

Mr. Atlanta Braves – Chipper Jones.  Ok, most of you know that while I think Chipper is great, he has some MAJOR leadership flaws and is not the greatest face of a franchise I’ve ever seen.  But you know what, I’m warming up to an idea.  This guy is truly the greatest Atlanta Brave there’s ever been and it would be nearly impossible to have a player better than him.  Also, I’m starting to realize he is a much more effective leader than most give him credit for.  When they show those dugout meeting he holds, every player is riveted to Chipper.  And he may be the second greatest switch hitter in baseball history.  So while he REALLY needs to work on strengthening his oblique this off-season, my apologies to Chipper.  If 2012 is his last year, Braves fans will see one last year of the greatest Atlanta sports “idol” the city ever had to offer.

Some superlatives I left off like, “Most Awesome Player Ever”.   Eric Hinske wins that in a run away and everybody should know that.  “Most Likely to Screw Himself into the Ground While Striking Out” was left off as both Alex Gonzalez and Martin Prado were in a dead heat to win that award. “Most Likely to be Working at Olive Garden Next Season” was a three way tie between Scott Linbrink, George Sherrill and Scott Proctor.  These three make Manny Acosta or Blayne Boyer look like world beaters.  And “Most Likely to be Better at Drag Racing Drunk than Throwing a Ball Over a White Plate” goes to Derek Lowe. Too bad we’ll see him again next year.

So Braves Fans, thanks a bunch for putting up with me and reading my blogs.  I’ll be writing over the winter break and getting ready for the 2012 season.  I hope we have some classes together!

If you want more of my shenanigans during the week, follow me on Twitter @yourdailyvinnie.  Thanks!

I don’t need to say how wrong I was. I don’t need to get into stats, or how big of a lead they had on what day. I don’t need to get in to who’s at fault or who’s to blame, because I really don’t care. The bottom line is it happened. Now, we deal with it.  Bad to worse.

It’s hard to describe how I feel at this exact moment. I’m not mad. I’m not depressed. The best way to describe my feeling is to have you picture yourself walking into a room with your parents having sex, then you realize—hey, that’s not my dad!

I won’t get too down though. Baseball is supposed to be fun. When taken too seriously (like I have in the past, trust me) it takes most or all of the fun out of it and if it’s not fun, what the point? I’m not 10 years old anymore. I don’t wake up, put on my cap and go outside and wait for another kid so we can start a pick up ball game. Now, I wake up and try not to bet too pissed off that I’m actually awake, shower and go to work.

One of the only things that gets me through the day (during the summer) is that I know the Braves are going to play that night.  I just need to get through eight hours of people grumbling at me and I’ll be listening to Chip and Joe call a Braves game. I can appreciate baseball for what it is—a break from real life. Baseball is the National Pastime and we need to treat it like that. Watching baseball is a luxury, not a job.

Now that the season is over, I can look back and say it was a pretty damn good year for the Braves. We saw the best rookie season ever for a closer. Craig Kimbrel is the NL Rookie of the Year and his teammate Freddie Freeman is a close runner up. No one else is close to them. We watched in amazement as Dan Uggla carried the Braves for two months, while putting an end to all the naysayers who got on him for his dreadful start. We watched Jair Jurrjens begin the season as the best pitcher in the league and got a good look (more than we should have) at the Braves ‘Fab Four’ pitchers in action.

Randall Delgado is the real deal. He pitched phenomenal down the stretch and made one of the most important starts of the year, though the bullpen couldn’t hold the lead. Mike Minor showed why every team at the trade deadline wanted him and why Frank Wren wouldn’t move him for anyone. Arodys Vizcaino was throwing gas out of the bullpen and has a devastating breaking-ball. We probably saw the least out of Julio Teheran than the others, yet he is their #1 guy and deservedly so. He went 15-3 2.55 ERA 122 K at AAA Gwinnett and was named pitcher of the year. He is going to be a top of the rotation guy for the Braves very soon.

As I get older life goes by faster and faster. Each season seems to go by in the blink of an eye—and it’s not going to get any better. Time is my enemy. It seems like the season started last week. I swear I was just listening to Spring Training games on my iPhone, getting more and more excited as the snow melted and hoping this year would be “the year.” The next thing I knew it was the All-Star break and now it’s nearly October and college football is in full swing.

There is an old saying that everything good eventually comes to an end. A great Braves season is no different. It was a great ride and I don’t regret being a die-hard fan for one moment. I had a great time watching this year, and 2012 should bring more of the same. It will mostly likely be the last season we watch Chipper Jones play. Here’s to the Hollywood ending for #10 that I ‘know” will happen…

My name is Matt and I am a Braves fanatic.

The End.

So let’s look at these so-called under achieving Atlanta Braves.  We won’t go back 20 years to 1991.  That’s when the Braves began taking shape as an organization dedicated to competing for a title every year.  We’ll only go back to 1994; the first year of the current NL East (not really, since because of the strike, of 1994 nobody won jack, and 1995 is actually the first year of titles).  This also allows us to compare apples to apples by viewing the NL East in its current form of the Phillies, Nationals (Expos), Marlins, Mets and Braves which began in 1994.  Let’s look at the numbers of NL East Titles.

NL East Titles since 1994

Washington Nationals/ Montreal Expos – 0

Florida Marlins – 0

New York Mets – 1 (2006)

Philadelphia Phillies – 5 (2007-2011)

Atlanta Braves – 11 (1995-2005)

Now let’s check Wildcard titles.

NL Wildcard Titles since 1994

Nats/Expos – 0

Marlins – 2 (1997, 2003)

Mets – 2 (1999, 2000)

Phillies – 0

Braves – 2 (2010 and PLEASE 2011)

Now, how about National League pennants?

NL Pennants since 1994

Nats/Expos – 0

Marlins – 2 (1997, 2003)

Mets – 1 (2000)

Phillies – 2 (2008, 2009)

Braves – 3 (1995, 1996, 1999)

And now, what matter most to all the SNE and other detractors of the hometown Atlanta Braves…World Series Titles.

WS Titles since 1994

Nats/Expos – 0

Marlins – 2 (1997, 2003)

Mets – 0

Phillies – 1 (2008)

Braves – 1 (1995)

First let me say this is pretty impressive.  For a division (in a league of 6 divisions) to produce 4 WS Champions in the last 17 years is not too shabby.  Considering the press of the Northeast would have you believe no real baseball is played south or west of the Philly train station.  Secondly, if you’re JUST looking at titles, the Marlins are the best of the NL East.  Florida has the same number of WS Championships as Boston and MORE than Philly in the last 30 years.

Ok, now let’s really get dirty.  We’ll give 1 point for WC Winners, 2 points for division titles, 3 points for NL titles and 4 points for WS titles.  Here’s how the NL East ranks:

5.  Washington/Montreal = 0 pts

4.  New York = 7 pts

3.  Florida = 16 pts

3. Phillies = 20 pts

1.  Atlanta = 34 pts

Wow!  For an underachieving, sorry, no good, crummy team like the Braves and a city with horrible, stupid, back water, non-savvy fans…this doesn’t look too bad.  I know what some would say.  Yes, they COULD have won more.  The Braves SHOULD have won more.  But what’s funny to me is how negative it ALWAYS is toward the Braves with their success.  The Buffalo Bills went to 4 straight Super Bowls and lost ALL of them.  But Jim Kelly and crew are celebrated nationally.  The Philadelphia Eagles went to 4 straight NFC Championship games and lost 3.  And they lost the Super Bowl the one time they did manage to win the NFC.  And they aren’t killed as an organization.  The city and press just decided to pin all the short comings on consummate good guy Donavan McNabb and ship his tail out of the city for Mike Vick.  That tells you all you need to know about that place.  City of Brotherly Love….whatever.

I think the attitude about the Braves is a systemic problem that all non-Southerners have about us (especially people from the Northeast).  They can’t grasp that we didn’t have the Braves (or ANY team) in 1918 like Chicago, New York, Boston and Philly did.  We don’t have generations of fans yet like they do.  We didn’t have a winning tradition for decades like they did.  But yet Atlanta can boast more success than some of them over the last 20 years.  But Braves fans and its organization fight the perception that all Southerners do in life.  That our achievements are just luck.  That we’re too stupid and unsophisticated to have achieved on our own.  That only with the help of the ultra refined, highly educated Carpetbagger can anything in the South be successful.  Yes, we Yankee Carpetbaggers will marry the South’s pretty women and live in its awesome weather, educated our kids in its schools and eat all its awesome food…but you Huckleberries are still pretty dumb.  Just shut up and let us win at baseball.  What do “youz guys” know about baseball?

So I say all that to say this.  The Braves may end up losing this year.  We may not even make the playoffs.  But be PROUD Atlanta Braves nation!  We have a team that competes EVERY year.  Ignore what everyone else says…GO BRAVES!!!

If you want more of my shenanigans during the week, follow me on Twitter @yourdailyvinnie.  Thanks!

Sure, the Braves still hold a 3.5 game lead in the Wild Card, but the way they have been playing of late is like being the prettiest waitress at a Denny’s.  Sure you’ll get better tips than the rest of the girls, but the big picture is bleak.  You work at a Denny’s.  If the Braves were my waitress right now, I’d ask to see a manager and I certainly wouldn’t leave 20%.  If they don’t pull themselves together soon, they may just be working at Denny’s for a long time and by working at Denny’s I mean losing out to losers like the Mets.  This limp to the finish line isn’t going to impress many people and not going to get them far IF they make the playoffs.

The Braves have three series left this season and there’s really no reason they can’t get the job done. Or, should I say, they SHOULD get the job done. They will have to face their nemesis one more time this season and it may determine if they make the playoffs; and no, I’m NOT talking about the Phillies.

They start off with three games in Florida against a team they have owned this year—of course the Braves will face the Marlins’ best pitchers (Nolasco, Sanchez and Vazquez). It will be the last time the Braves play the Florida Marlins (as they will become the Miami Marlins) and the last time at Sun Life? Stadium. I will kind of miss tuning in to see the 12 fans in the stadium on a given night.

The Braves travel to Washington D.C next and play at team that owns them. It doesn’t seem to matter where the game is played, or who is playing for either team—the Nats simply own the Braves. It looks like we will see the bionic arm of Stephen Strasburg next weekend. My only solace is that he hasn’t been pitching deep in games (and probably won’t this year).

The Braves finish the year against the Phillies, who have nothing to play for except to spoil the Braves shot at a playoff berth. I would imagine the Phillies will rest some of the regular players and will set their pitching rotation, so the Braves may luck out and miss Halladay and Lee. Or at least I pray they do!

Be careful what you wish for; that’s something I seem to be saying to myself more and more. A few weeks ago I was worried that the Braves had such a big lead in the Wild Card that they would go into the playoffs without playing a meaningful game for 2 weeks. Now, I just want them to get there. I’m telling myself that maybe it’s good they are slumping now. They are too good to keep playing this poorly for a whole month, so when the NLDS comes around they will heat up and make a run at the whole thing. Whatever gets you through the day, right?

Brian McCann can’t keep slumping. Martin Prado’s average can’t keep going lower and lower. Jonny Venters can’t walk every batter he faces and Derek Lowe can’t let in 6 runs every start. OK, Maybe the Lowe thing can happen, but it can’t keep going this way for the Braves. It just can’t! They will win these last three series and they will make the playoffs. No more will the Braves be serving Grand Slam Breakfasts to truckers in spaghetti stained wife beaters. The Braves are going all the way!

Follow me on Twitter @BRAVEinNY.

But there’s one scene at the end where Jim Brown is throwing grenades into storm drains and trying to run to safety.  Right when he’s about to be free and clear, he’s shot in the back and killed by one of the Nazi soldiers.  DAMN!  Every time I watch DD and see that scene, I think, THIS will be the one time where Jim Brown makes it.  Where he lives and gets to go home.  But it never happens.  It’s always the same ending.  I think y’all know where I’m going with this.

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve felt the same way when I watch a Braves game.  Atlanta has a lead, bases loaded with no outs, O’Ventabrel about to pitch, McCann at the plate or a grounder out to the mound.  Any of these scenarios earlier in the season would give Braves fans something to be happy and cheer about.  But now we all wait for the other shoe to drop.  We dread seeing the Braves #6 hitter come up with runners in scoring position.  We wring our hands as Venters comes in to pitch in the 8^th inning to a dirty Nazi…um…I mean…Shane Victorino or anyone on the Washington Nationals.  It’s not fun to watch and we all end up getting shot in the proverbial back.  And when the Braves magic number has been the same for about 12 days, it doesn’t give any Atlanta fan too much hope for the playoffs or World Series.

BUT!!!  There’s another movie to consider as well.  There was once a young man who didn’t know his parents.  He possessed great power, but didn’t know it.  He was befriended by a “crazy old man” who lived out in the desert.  The man taught him the ways of his power and how to use it.  They took off on an adventure to help save a rebel leader and destroy a symbol of pure evil.  That’s RIGHT!  Star Wars, Episode IV (I think Empire Strikes Back is the best, but New Hope was the first and my parents took me to see it at a drive in, so I have fond memories of it).

Luke Skywalker uses his new powers to save Lea, escape Jose Reyes (I mean Darth Vader) and blow up the Death Star.  He closes his eyes and destroys the Death Star with one shot; just like at home with his T-16 shooting womp rats.  So Braves fans…hold on to HOPE!  We just need one player to be our Han Solo, when he shoots Vader’s Tie Fighter and clears the way for Luke’s one single shot.  One guy to clear the way for that play to win it all.  One timely hit, pitch, out or HR.  So as Han Solo might say:

You’re all clear kid!  Now let’s blow this thing and go home! I hope the Braves take that single shot and hit the bull’s-eye.  Because if not, instead of celebrating with all the Rebel Alliance…we’ll be hanging with Jim Brown.  And nobody wants that.

If you want more of my shenanigans during the week, follow me on Twitter @yourdailyvinnie.  Thanks!

The good news is that unless the Braves have a Met-like collapse in the next three weeks, they are going to be in the playoffs. In fact, most of baseball is already decided. We are just waiting on the Rangers/Angels race to see who is going to lose to the Yankees in the first round.

This being said, the Braves have six more series to get ready for the Milwaukee Brewers. They have their roster expanded for September, so Fredi has the luxury of resting some guys down the stretch. Now, there is a lot of debate whether it’s better to go in to the playoffs with a  big lead and everyone is well-rested, or if it’s better to be like the 2010 Giants and have a do-or-die game every day and sneak into the playoffs on the last day. I don’t think we will ever know the true answer, but If I were Fredi…

…I would rest my starting pitchers the 3^rd week of September; especially Brandon Beachy. Jair Jurrjens is already out for 2 weeks resting his sore knee and Tommy Hanson has also been out for weeks. Hanson is feeling much better according to the reports and is close to returning; I’d keep him out another week. Derek Lowe and Tim Hudson are horses, but let’s face it they aren’t getting any younger. It wouldn’t hurt to give them a little rest too.

The Braves have four stud pitching prospects in Minor, Teheran, Delgado and Vizcaino (who is in the bullpen the rest of the year).  Why not use these guys for the next couple weeks? See what they have. I know Fredi has done this the past week, but it is more because everyone is hurt. Let’s see what these guys can do when given a few starts in a row.

…I would rest Freddie Freeman for at least a week. He seemed to re-aggravate his leg injury on a stretch in Philadelphia this week and I wouldn’t want to take any chances of him being banged up for the playoffs; he is way too important.

…I would get Eric Hinske, Matt Diaz, Brooks Conrad, David Ross and Jack Wilson in as many games as possible. These guys are going to be vital coming off the bench and the more at-bats they can get now, the better. They need to be ready to come off the bench in a big spot and getting them in the games now is the best way to prepare them. This will give the regulars like Dan Uggla, Chipper Jones, Martin Prado, B-Mac (it helps having the best backup in the majors) and the aforementioned Freddie Freeman some much needed rest.

…I would sit out Alex Gonzalez as much as possible over the next few weeks, if for nothing else than to cut down on the double plays. Sure, he is a great defensive player, but so is Jack Wilson. He has more Web Gems than Gonzalez since 2008 (I just made that up, but it seems right) and he can’t be any worse at the plate.

…I would rest Jonny Venters more than normal. He has given up runs in his last three games—now I know that he is human and it will happen from time to time, but he just doesn’t look like himself recently. I would however keep pitching Craig Kimbrel, if for nothing else than to get me some much needed saves in my big-money fantasy league.

…Lastly, I would do everything I could to beat the hell out of the Phillies those last three games of the year. I know the Phillies are probably going to have their Lehigh Valley roster in the games, but it would be a nice way to enter the playoffs and kind of stick it to them before (HOPEFULLY) a rematch in the NLCS.

Obscure Brave of the Week: Kevin McGlinchy.

Kevin McGlinchy was a relief pitcher with the Braves from 1999-2000. He was drafted by the Braves in the 5^th round of the 1995 Draft. He made it into 64 games in 1999 and pitched pretty well going 7-3 2.82 ERA 67 K. He pitched in only 10 games for the Braves in 2000.

McGlinchy may be best known for giving up the Grand Slam Single to Robin Ventura in the 1999 NLDS. I still get sick thinking about that game…

McGlinchy went to the Devil Rays after the Braves, but never really pitched in the majors again. He played some Independent League baseball with the Long Island Ducks and Nashua Pride for a bit.

He is currently living back in the Boston area. One of my co-workers’ told me he works with his dad—I can’t tell you exactly what he does because that would require me to go and talk to one of my co-workers. You know how that is…

Follow me on Twitter @BRAVEinNY.

Until Next time… Go Braves!

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1. Martin Prado.  I’m not sure what’s wrong with his play lately.  My feeling is that he was a GREAT #2 hitter when he didn’t need to protect a very good #1 hitter.  But with Michael Bourn getting on base and trying to manufacture scoring chances, Martin seems lost.  And it’s spilling into his defensive play.  I don’t think I would have ever said this, but Prado missed some balls that Chipper would have gotten to.  Martin is not making plays that Chipper would.  And Prado’s outfield play has been a bit pedestrian as well.  He’s been the main cog for the Braves the last 2 years and he needs to regain his first half form for Atlanta to be successful.
2. Right Field.  I mean, WTF?  Jeff Francoeur is my man, but I think he messed up that area at Turner Field for anybody now playing there. Jason Heyward, Jose Constanza, Matty Diaz, etc… Any team that is a contender has positions with big time “Big Boppers”.  1^st Base and/or 3^Rd Base.  Left Field and/or Right Field.  And oddly enough, 2^nd Base.  The Braves have Freddie Freeman and Dan Uggla to fill in some of those spots.  And Chipper, when healthy, is more than adequate at 3^rd, even at his advanced age.  But it’s the same old song for Atlanta at the corner outfield positions.  No real power and/or dynamic players.   Prado can get it back in Left, but I’m not sure about Right Field.  Do the Braves currently have a player that is BETTER than Francoeur in Right?  I’m not real sure they do.
3. Starting pitching.  OK, so Derek Lowe sucks.  I think we all can agree on that.  And with Tommy Hanson, I really feel it’s a crap shoot on his health and production.  He’s like that crazy but funny friend you invite to a party.  He most likely won’t show up, so don’t count on him.  But if he does show, it’s a real nice surprise.  JJ…let’s hope he gets going.  Tim Hudson and the bullpen (if Scott Linebrink somehow misses the team bus) are solid and there are no worries there.  And these youngsters.  I feel like the super young Brandon Beachy, Mike Minor, Randall Delgado and Julio Teheran make a better wait staff at Chick-Fl-a than a MLB pitching staff.  Don’t get it twisted, they’re AWESOME.  But how good do you feel if the Braves really need them to start important games come post season?  Not real good.  But if Lowe and Hanson are the other options, maybe we cross our fingers.
4. Brooks Conrad.  Where the hell has this guy been?  Fredi has played just about everyone on the bench, but you don’t see Conrad getting any real playing time.  And his pinch hit appearances seems to be down as well.  If Julio Lugo was a better option that Conrad, Brooks must have some awful breath or something to keep him riding the pine.  Get him a Tic Tac, pronto.
5. NSE (National So-Called Experts).  I addressed these fools last week.  But now I’m WORRIED because I may actually agree with them.  If the playoffs began today, I’d have to take the Phillies and Brewers as favorites in the NL.  And out of the 8 playoffs teams, the Braves MIGHT be ranked 7^th or 8^th.  So while the thought of those slap nuts giving the Braves no credit drives me crazy, this the first time this year I actually think they’re on to something.  And it’s not Roy Halladay’s jock strap.
6. The City of Atlanta.  I feel it, don’t you?  Atlanta (and most of the US, save the Northeast) is slowly but surely flowing away from baseball to football season.  When BOTH local sports talk shows spend 75-80% of airtime talking about college football and the Falcons, the Braves are becoming an afterthought.  I think it’s imperative for a local team’s success to be tied to the amount of buzz coming from said team.  And that buzz needs to translate to radio, TV and other mediums (such as the Super Colossal, Gigantically Impressive AtlantaBaseballTalk podcast…available on iTunes).  So once the Braves are out of mind, it’s a wrap for the excitement in the city.

So don’t get me wrong, I’m really juiced about the post season.  And I’ll be at the Ted like most of y’all that can get to the A.T.L.  But I hope things get more exciting here in the next few weeks.  Because when the biggest news about your team is them getting Matt Diaz back, that’s not something we can rally behind for long.

If you want more of my shenanigans during the week, follow me on Twitter @yourdailyvinnie.  Thanks!

Derek Lowe began the year pitching lights out— his slider was nasty and it looked like he was going to have a year proving to everyone why he got that $60 Million contract. Then as the thermometer went up, so did Lowe’s ERA. It got to points where you thought Jo Jo Reyes was on the mound (OK maybe not THAT bad).

There was speculation in the offseason the Braves may try to move Lowe and his $15 Million-a-year contract to free up salary and a rotation spot for one of their young starters. Then again, at the All-Star break the rumors began to pick up again. Nothing happened, again.

Now, counting down the final 6 weeks of the season I can hear the engine of the Derek Lowe bandwagon roar, as he has found his groove (again). It’s fun to watch and I feel great for him personally, but didn’t this already happen? Last year?

I looked down at my left hand and saw a wedding ring, so I’m pretty sure I wasn’t in a coma since last October, so that’s a good sign. Then what the hell is going on?

As I thought I was imagining things, I looked at the TV and saw Matt Diaz—in a Braves uniform—batting—FOR THE BRAVES!

The Braves have been looking for a right-handed compliment to Eric Hinske for the whole year and they finally got their man (back). Diaz kills left-handed pitching and this move really gives them balance from both sides of the plate. Though Diaz hasn’t hit like he has in the past (0 HR this year) I am confident that he will flourish, being back in Atlanta. He is a much better option than the guy they picked up last week, Wes Helms—wait, WES HELMS?! You have got to be kidding me. If I see #6 walk out of the dugout tomorrow I’m done.

*****

Obscure Brave of the week: Greg Myers

Greg Myers was drafted in the 3^rd round of the 1984 draft by the Toronto Blue Jays. He was a catcher and DH in the big leagues for 18 seasons for a total of 7 teams; including the Braves (on more than one occasion).

Myers was a solid back-up catcher (or as the Braves used him a 3^rd catcher for the playoff roster) and was a decent power bat coming off the bench. He was acquired by the Braves (for the first time) for the last month of the 1997 season. He only played in 9 games, but was on their playoff roster. He was acquired again in 1999 at the trade deadline and saw a lot more action this time around. He played in 34 games for the Braves and hit a couple home runs, backing up Eddie Perez (as Javy Lopez was injured).

Fun fact: Myers was Nolan Ryan’s 5,714 and last strikeout victim at the end of the 1993 season.

Follow me on Twitter @BRAVEinNY.

When people compare the American League and the National League and say the AL is demonstrably better, I giggle.  What a loaded conversation!  The argument that teams in the AL are SO much better than the NL is not valid.  The statement that the Junior Circuit is vastly superior to the Senior Circuit is simply just not true.  You’re comparing apples to oranges, or in this case, traditional baseball to church league softball.  The singular mistake everyone makes with the “AL/NL” discussion is not considering this reflection:

You MUST totally wipe out any knowledge of the American League’s Designated Hitter position to evaluate the leagues fairly.

What I mean by this is simple.  You can’t talk about how good Texas is if you add Michael Young…the DH Michael Young.  You can’t say the Boston is better than Atlanta if you even MENTION David Ortiz…the “I STINK at 1^st Base” Big Poppy.  The fact that the “so-called national experts” (we’ll refer to them as SNEs from now on, or you can just call them idiots) do their “power rankings” of BOTH Nation and American leagues is kinda stupid.  Let’s list just some of the DHs and then really take a step back.  Consider how differently you’d think about these teams without that DH.  Or the fact that the DH would be an everyday player, which we can safely assume they stink in the field or are old as hell and can’t play effectively.  AND the fact that they most likely would add a utility player or bullpen pitcher with the additional spot, which would not really add anything to the “power ranking” of that team.  Here’s just some of the list.

Victor Martinez – Tigers

David Ortiz – Red Sox

Billy Butler – Royals

Val Guerrero – Orioles

Johnny Damon – Rays

Hideki Matsui – Athletics

Jim Thome – $5 if you name a team he HASN’T been on this year

Jorge Posada – Yankees

And that’s just a list of players designated as DH for their teams.  Not somebody like a Paul Konerko, who’s been hurt the past month.   But he is STILL playing every day as the DH, not his usual position of 1^st Base.  Imagine what that’s like.  To have a player HURT, but still able to contribute in a big way to the success of the club and how the team is PERCIEVED around baseball and with SNEs.  Think of how the Braves would be thought of IF Chipper was the DH.  No “days off” for the old veteran anymore.  Just have him grab a bat 4 times a game and swing away.  The lineup would be, most likely:

Bourn – CF

Prado – 3^rd

Freeman – 1^st

Uggla – 2^nd

McCann – C

Chipper – DH

Heyward – RF

Constanza – LF

Gonzalez – SS

Not too shabby.  And think of HOW older guys get hurt.  Usually playing out in the field.  I know Chipper is infamous for his “oblique swings”.   But seriously, he mostly gets hurt playing the field.  I’ve heard the topic come up the last couple of years with Chipper, Carlos Lee, Todd Helton, etc.  Hey…do the Braves trade Chipper to an AL team and he’d just DH?  He’s got value to a team in American League. NOBODY says the opposite.  Hey…Jorge Posada can’t play catcher anymore.  Let’s see if we can trade him to the Astros and he’ll ride the pine there, too.  Jim Thome NEVER gets to 600 home runs without being a DH and not a real reliable one at that, lately.

So I know SABR people will have 16 different stats that will help the “Quasimodo Hunchback” non-stat guy understand how dumb I really am.  And those stats will allow them to make them feel like they’ve made me feel foolish to make this argument.  Trust me, that won’t happen.  Everyone thinks I’m an idiot already.  Adding you to the list is like drinking Diet Coke with your Whopper.   It ain’t doing much.  So whether it’s your 7 handicap or your thoughts on the Red Sox being vastly superior to the Braves…remember this.  You’re comparing apples and oranges.  And I’m a watermelon guy.

If you want more of my shenanigans during the week, follow me on Twitter @yourdailyvinnie.  Thanks!

I was never much of a baseball player growing up, football and basketball were more popular in Indy, but the summer of ‘98 is the reason I am a baseball fan today.  The summer of ‘98 pushed the needle heavily in the Cubs direction.  From 1998 to 2002 Sosa hit nearly 300 home runs.  For 5 seasons, Sosa’s at bats were must-see TV.  I was becoming a huge Cubs fan, but I never forgot about the Braves.

Then in ‘03 the tables turned.  By that point everyone was aware that Sosa was juiced but I didn’t care.  Then Sosa got busted in the game against the Devil Rays for the corked bat.  In the blink of an eye I could no longer ignore the cheating.  Still, I wasn’t completely off the bandwagon . The “Lovable Losers” moniker went from charming to down right annoying.  With remote in hand, the dial routinely found TBS and only out of habit would I venture over to WGN.  That season ended with the “Bartman Game” and I thought for sure the Cubs would never win it all. Still my strange journey as a displaced baseball fan was not over.

From ‘04 to ‘07, I watched just about every Braves game I could on TBS.  I planned my schedule around day games and for night games would have to strategically manipulate the rest of the family in order to control a remote.  Then somehow I started the ‘08 season without knowing what was in store for me.  At that time, I didn’t have many friends that were baseball fans so the news that TBS wasn’t carrying as many Braves games didn’t get to me right away.  I remember that first week checking the TV Guide thinking, “Where are all the games? What is going on here? This isn‘t very funny.”

With limited Braves games on I was left with little options to feed my baseball appetite.  It was back to WGN.  2008 was a good year for the Cubs, they won the division but were swept by the Dodgers in the NLDS.  I went into the playoffs rooting for the Cubs and when they lost I realized that I didn’t really care.  In January ‘09, the Cubs decided to give me 30 million reasons why I should never root for the team again by giving Milton Bradley a 3 year deal.  That officially ended my career as a part-time Cubs fan.

Most Braves fans had last week’s games against Wild Card hopeful San Francisco and NL West leading Arizona circled on the schedule.  For me, these 4 games  against the Cubs are bigger.  I don’t just want to win, I want to beat their fan base into submission.  I hope it gets so bad that by Thursday afternoon’s series finale Uggla, Chipper, and Freeman are bombing homers into empty bleachers.  I want to see the streets of Sheffield and Waveland full of wandering Cubs fans contemplating their core beliefs.  How has the least successful franchise in professional sports managed to keep one of the best fan bases?  Who could love a loser for this long?

Some people, mostly ones privileged enough to grow up in a baseball town, find my journey as a baseball fan flaky and fair weathered.  I can’t really argue against those opinions, but I know what I like.  I like winners and the Atlanta  Braves are winners.

2011 has really been a good year for the Braves and the holiday spirit has got me to thinking that, as a Braves fan, there are a lot of things to be thankful for right now—here are my top five:

5- Peter Moylan is going to begin a rehab assignment at AAA Gwinnett and, if all goes well, will be re-joining the Braves bullpen by Sept. 1. Many people, including me, thought the Braves were going to add a right-handed relief pitcher at the trade deadline. They chose not to act however and it looks like they made the right call. If Moylan comes back and pitches like he has in the past, the Braves are going to have one hell of a bullpen!

4- Dan Uggla is now Dan Uggla. It was tough to watch while Dan Uggla hit in the .170s for the first three months of the season. He was off-balance and looked so uncomfortable at the plate. When the calendar turned to July, something clicked and Uggla came alive. After a 33-game hitting streak his average is now around .230 and he’s now the right-handed power bat the Braves so desperately needed.

3-In a sick way I am thankful that the Phillies, Brewers and Diamondbacks are playing out of their minds right now. The way I see it, they’re playing so well that it’s nearly impossible to keep it up. We’ve all witnessed the Braves take such a huge division lead that they had it clinched by the beginning of September and didn’t have to play a meaningful game for 3-4 weeks going into the playoffs. I am hoping these teams are peaking too soon and they Braves can be there when they do. Maybe this will be the year the Braves can be the ‘hot’ team that heads into the playoffs and mows down everyone that gets in their way.

2- Back at the beginning of the year there was a lot of debate over who should be the Braves closer. Many thought Jonny Venters should be the guy and were very outspoken when Kimbrel struggled. I cannot be more thankful that Fredi Gonzalez stuck with Kimbrel through that rough patch. Kimbrel is leading the majors in saves and hasn’t allowed a run since June 11^th in Houston. He is one of the most dominant closers in the game (right now) and should be the 2011 NL Rookie of the Year.

1- The Braves didn’t trade any of their top pitching prospects at the trade deadline—Thank God! (I still can’t believe the SF Giants traded Zach Wheeler for Carlos Beltran) Each of “The Four Horsemen” has pitched for the Braves this year and I don’t think anyone has looked as good as Randall Delgado did Tuesday night. WOW! He threw strikes, worked quickly and didn’t look frazzled at all, unlike his first start. His fastball was up to 97MPH and his changeup was as nasty as it gets. This kid is good!

Mike Minor followed Delgado’s great start by pitching the best game of his career on Thursday. The Giants couldn’t touch Minor, who threw 6 scoreless innings, while striking out 9. Arodys Vizcaino has been throwing gas out of the bullpen this week and has made me all but forget about Neftali Feliz, or whatever his name is…

Finally, Julio Teheran, who many think is the Braves best prospect and the best pitching prospect in baseball, has torn up AAA this year. He has put up a 13-2 with 2.14 ERA 112 K 1.13 WHIP. The funny thing is, he has probably been the least impressive guy in the majors this season. I have no doubt he can put it together and be a front of the rotation guy; it’s going to be fun to watch when he does…

*****

Obscure Brave of the Week: Mark Redman

Redman was the first round pick of the Minnesota Twins (13^th overall) in the 1995 Draft. He played for a total of 7 teams in MLB and was the lone All-Star for the KC Royals in 2006.

Redman signed with the Braves in March of 2007 and was absolutely horrible. He posted a 0-4 11.63 ERA in 6 games before being released on May 22^nd. I guess what I’m trying to say is I’m THANKFUL he was only with the Braves for 6 games and I never have to see him on the mound again!

Follow me on Twitter @BRAVEinNY.

By the way…The five teams to retire Jersey #5 are: NY Yankees (By the way…The five teams to retire Jersey #5 are: NY Yankees (Joe DiMaggio), Cincinnati Reds (Johnny Bench), Detroit Tigers (Hank Greenberg), Baltimore Orioles (Brooks Robinson) and the KC Royals (George Brett).

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Anywho, I felt like it was time to revisits theme/walk-up songs.  Some players are doing just fine with their songs.  Brian McCann has one that everybody stands up and does this little gesture with their hands.  It’s kinda fun.  But it seems to only be people under 25 or so.  If I get up too quick, I’d pull my back out.  So I’ll let them have their fun.  Some, however, need a bit of tweaking.  So here goes a Dog Days of Summer edition of possible walk up songs!

Martin Prado – Wait by White Lion

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrPJgnOXjy8

Dude!  WAIT!  You don’t have to swing at every first pitch.  Did Francoeur take over for Larry Parrish as hitting coach?  It’s like some different Prado came back from the DL and the one we know and love is still there…waiting.

Jason Heyward – Sit down, You’re Rocking the Boat from Guys & Dolls

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7kzsZreG0o

Umm, got the hint from Fredi yet, JayHey?  Bro, if they could go back in time and send you to Gwinnett in July, they would.  I’ve been a BIG supporter of Heyward playing and working this slump out.  But Jose Constanza playing this much instead of Jason is like holding the purse of a girl you like while she’s dancing with some other guy.  You’re not sure what’s going to happen next, but it’s most likely going to suck for you.

Chipper Jones – All I Need by Jack Wagner

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn8E9rrBt7s

All…Chipper…neeeeeeeeeeeeds, is just a little more time, to be sure, that he’s heeeeeeealed.  I mean, the onions on this guy.  He BLASTS Heyward for not playing through pain and not being more consistent with his health.  Has there been ANYBODY more inconsistent with their health (beside Mike Hampton) that Chipper the past 5 years?  I know he’s had injuries, but if 2011 is his last year, the Braves may retire both Chipper’s number AND the numerous x-rays of his oblique.

Freddie Freeman – I Get the Job Done by Big Daddy Kane

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVHZ0H2oVp8&feature=related

I work, baby.  Crisp and clean with no caffeine.  How clutch is our man, Freeman?  Everything we thought Heyward would be, Freddie IS.  He’s the new face of the Braves franchise.  He’s gotten better each month and if we didn’t have Craig Kimbrel LOSING his mind striking out more people than the Teamster’s Local54, he’d be the Rookie of the Year.  I was not high on Freeman the first month or so.  But his play has everyone believing he’ll be anchoring 1^st base in Atlanta for about 14 years.

Dan Uggla – I’m Bad by LL Cool J

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV8UC7HsjnY

Who’s badder than Uggla right now?  Nobody, that’s who (apologies to my man, Eric Hinske).  The slump is a thing of the past and now so is the hitting streak.  But name the one player that you want coming up in a pressure situation now.  McCann…maybe.  Freeman…possibly.  Hinske…now you’re talking my language.  But Uggla is NOW the player we thought we were getting.  I don’t think I’d rather have anyone else batting in key situations.  And I just don’t mean the 9^th inning.  Dan’s hits/runs seem to put the Braves on top, get them closer or tie things up.  He doesn’t have too many HRs that make the score 9 to 1.  Or hits a meaningless HR when the Braves are up by 6.  So forget Oreos…eat Cool Ugg Cookies.  He’s BAD!

Jose Constanza – Who Are You by the Who

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_FZVD5lsAw

Who IS this guy?  When you’re a 27 year old rookie, don’t get it twisted.  You have NEVER been considered a prospect with a high return.  27 year olds playing in AAA are the also rans.  So for Georgie to be playing this well and making SO many things happen for the Braves, it’s truly amazing.  I still think he’ll fade in another week, but give the guy credit.  He got a date with the really hot girl and he’s pulling out all the stops to impress.  I just hope he’s not holding somebody’s purse come playoff time.

So if I’ve missed someone you love to root for or if you have suggestions, I DEMAND to hear them!  Music is a big part of my life and I enjoy all types (Except the Bruce Springsteen/Bob Dylan genre…that actually kinda sucks).  So bring on the songs and Go Braves!

If you want more of my shenanigans during the week, follow me on Twitter @yourdailyvinnie.  Thanks!

We all knew that eventually someone else was going to be batting #3 for the Braves and until recently many Braves fans, including me, thought it was going to be Jason Heyward. It seems to be a sensitive point for many people, especially after reading Vinnie’s blog and all the comments. Like most Braves fans I have loved this kid since before he was called up. I hope he is the Braves #3 hitter of the future, but right now the only team he should be hitting 3^rd for is Gwinnett (or maybe the Mets).

With Chipper back, Martin Prado is back in left field, newly acquired Michael Bourn is in center and Jose Constanza deserves to be in RF. I wish I could say Heyward does, but right now, Constanza gives the Braves the best chance to win and that’s what the pennant race is all about.

Constanza, who has spent five full seasons in the minor leagues, has been putting up good numbers since he signed with the Cleveland Indians organization; He is a career .290AVG hitter and has 233 stolen bases. It’s not like all of a sudden, he is playing over his head—the kid has talent. HE can go get the ball in the outfield, which we have all seen (ask Jose Reyes) and has been a menace on the base path. I love having Constanza at the bottom of the order, teaming up with Bourne to create a weapon the Braves haven’t possessed in many years—SPEED!

Lately the Braves have added speed to go along with their home run power to create a formidable offense to go down the stretch. While the Braves would always be waiting for the 3-run home run, they can now play small-ball and really give pitchers fits when they get on base—which they have been doing tremendously (they just have to figure out how to get them in more often).

I really think this newly added dynamic can give the Braves that edge they need to knock out Philadelphia in the playoffs. That is if their pitching can get back on track…

I was glad when I heard Jair Jurrjens was put on the DL, not because I don’t like him, but he hasn’t been “himself’ since the All-Star break. It looks like it was due to his knee and hopefully this will resolve the problem. The Braves need the Jurrjens that dominated the first half of the year to have a shot at Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hammels.

To take it one step further, I would really like to see Tommy Hanson placed on the 15-day DL to rest the tendonitis in his shoulder. Obviously with San Francisco and Arizona coming to town, I want the Braves best pitchers on the mound (Hanson being one of them), but I want the strongest rotation possible going into the playoffs (yes, I am thinking that far ahead) and a rested Tommy Hanson would give the Braves just that. It’s not like they don’t have a few stud pitching prospects to make a start or two…

*****

Obscure Braves of the week: Charles Thomas

Charles Thomas was selected in the 19^th round of the 2000 draft by the Atlanta Braves. He worked his way through the minor leagues and was called up to the majors in June of 2004, where he was a contributor to the Braves playoff run. He hit .283 7HR 31RBI in 83 games for the Braves and played a terrific LF.

Thomas, teamed along with Andruw Jones in CF and JD Drew in RF led Bobby Cox to nickname the outfield, “The Kudzu Kids” for their speed and ability to track down what seemed like every ball hit to the OF.  The spark Thomas provided the Braves in 2004 reminds me a lot of what Conztanza has done so far this year (except I don’t think Thomas ever licked his bat).

Of course, we all remember Thomas better for being the key piece that was sent to Oakland to get Tim Hudson in a Braves uniform, but Thomas was really good for the Braves, but unfortunately for Oakland, not so much.  Thomas last played professionally for the Nashville Sounds, a AAA club of the Milwaukee Brewers, in 2007.

*****

I am a huge Braves fan, but even more so I am a baseball fan. I love the history, the trivia, the players, and the science behind it. It is relaxing and exciting all at the same time—the only game where the defense has the ball. It’s the best game in the world…

One of the things I love to do when talking about baseball is to bring up trivia. I love the Jayson Stark question on Mike and Mike in the Morning, the one on MLB Network, and hell, even the AFLAC questions every game.

While I was in Atlanta, Walter Banks was grilling me on some questions and I felt like I held my own. I want to pose the same challenge to the readers on Atlanta Baseball Talk, so here is a trivia question for you. I just want to preface this by saying Ron Gant is DEFINITELY not an answer…

Five teams in baseball have retired the jersey #5, who are they players?

No cheating!

Follow me on Follow me on Twitter @BRAVEinNY.

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You go to one of your favorite eateries and have a seat.  The waitress comes over and takes your drink order and says “let me tell you about our specials tonight”.  And then it happens. WOW, that special sounds GOOD!  Your mind starts racing.  You think, “I know what I’m in the mood for, and I know what I usually order here is good, and even when it’s not that good it’s still pretty good…ARRRRGGGHHH”!  Dammit!  Why did she have to tell you the specials?  Now you’re totally torn.  You make a game time call and you go for it!  “The Special” it is.  It comes to your table and it’s “ok”, but you kinda wish you’d stayed with what you really came for.  So much for your yummy night out on the town.  Right now, Jason Heyward is that old faithful meal and Jose Constanza is that really good sounding special.

Look, I know what most of you will say.  The Braves have to play the hot hand.  They have to go with who is playing well.  And, on the whole, I’ve always believed that, too.  There’s no “I” in TEAM.  The collective is greater than the individual.  Winning and team success trumps individual achievement.  But baseball is different.  It’s not really a team sport.  It’s an individual sport masquerading as a team endeavor.  And the Braves need Jason Heyward to develop as an individually singular “great player”.  I’m sorry, Constanza is not Heyward.  He’s not even in the same ballpark as Heyward…well, physically he IS…but you get my point.  Jason Heyward NEEDS to be great.  He needs to be successful.  And Fredi Gonzalez needs to let Heyward play everyday.  I know, I know.  You don’t have to tell me about Heyward’s struggles.  Look, I took the guy in the second round of my fantasy draft.  He’s been stinking it up more than you will after eating that special you shouldn’t have ordered.  And for a long while I’ve been in the “sit him down, send him down, put him down, whatever” camp.  But I’ve changed my thinking.  He JUST turned 22.  He’s never struggled to perform at a high level in his life.  He’s a superior athlete with tremendous skill.  Growing up, there were times where I just wanted to say “I got it, I got it, don’t worry” when faced with a challenging task.  Even though I had NO IDEA how I was going to achieve that success.  It’s all part of maturation.  Failing…sometimes failing badly.  Heyward has no choice (and the Braves don’t either) but to work through his struggles and overcome them. 

Yes, the Braves have a team that can win now.  And if Heyward isn’t playing up to snuff, he’s hurting Atlanta’s chances to make the playoffs, go deep and maybe win it all.  But at the beginning of this season, didn’t everyone consider Heyward a BIG part of this team and its estimated success in 2011?  Wasn’t he thought of as the present AND future of the Braves ballclub?  The Braves MUST let Heyward play.  Constanza is a good story, but he’ll be irrelevant by the time this blog gets posted.  If you need a real world Braves example, remember Wilson Betemit?  Remember when people were calling for him to take over 3^rd base and for Atlanta to get rid of Chipper?  Chipper may now be a shell of what he was, but at that time, getting rid of him would have been pretty stupid.  Not letting Heyward play through this would also be pretty stupid.

So an open request to the Atlanta Braves.  Don’t bring me a menu, don’t read me the specials.  Just give me “The Jason Heyward”…with a World Series on the side for dipping.

If you want more of my shenanigans during the week, follow me on Twitter @yourdailyvinnie.  Thanks!

Their starting pitching has taken a step back (and another now with Jurrjens back on the DL) and are leaving tons of guys on base—case in point; Sunday’s loss to the Marlins where they had 13 hits and only managed 1 measly run. It was really terrible to watch.

The Braves did improve themselves recently, adding speedster Michael Bourn to the top of their lineup, but if they can’t get hits with guys on base, he is just going to add to the LOB issues. I have to say, the buzz around the Bourn deal came with mixed results from the crew at Turner Field. Most of the people who work at the TED were not high on the deal; I definitely don’t think it was a disaster. Bourn is a great leadoff hitter and as long as he keeps hitting .300 and stealing bases it will be a solid deal (easier said than done). Though, my first reaction when I heard about the deal was, “Please don’t turn into Nate McLouth.” As you may remember, Bourn is not the first former All-Star and Gold Glove winning center fielder the Braves has acquired to bat leadoff…

I was expecting the Braves to add a right-handed bat, to compliment Eric Hinske off the bench and I still do. It will have to be a waiver deal, but I am 98% certain they are going to go and get a RH hitter before the rosters expand on September 1^st.

Now beggars can’t be choosers, so I am not expecting the world here. I’d be very happy with a guy like Oakland’s Josh Willingham or the Cub’s Russ Johnson; similar to the Giants acquisition of Cody Ross last season.

In terms of the right-handed reliever the Braves were expected to add, I am now fine with promoting from within.  I like the job Anthony Varvaro has done so far since being called up from AAA Gwinnett. It seems like every game we went to over the past week; Varvaro was on the mound—probably because he has been.

I also think there is a good chance the Braves may bring up Arodys Vizcaino to throw some heat from the ‘pen. He has been dominant for Gwinnett since being moved to the bullpen to cut down on his innings and I think he’s do the same in the majors—kind of like Neftali Feliz did in his first year with Texas. Then again, if Peter Moylan comes back like himself, we won’t have to worry.

*****

I have to take a moment to thank a few people that went above and beyond to make our time at Turner Field truly a memorable experience. First off, my good friend Roger and his wife Cathy were amazing to us the whole time. We had terrific seats down the first base line for the first three games and were able to get up to the Golden Moon Casino Level to avoid the blistering heat Sunday.

We were lucky enough to spend some time with Walter Banks down in section 105 and had a great time talking Braves, baseball and Atlanta history with him. He couldn’t have been more friendly and welcoming to us. Walter truly deserves all the praise and attention he gets.

Lastly, I have to say the staff at Turner Field is the friendliest of any sporting event we have attended. Everyone is always quick to say ‘hello’ and ask how we are doing. It starts at the top and trickles down to every employee we met. This definitely is not the case anywhere else and it definitely is noticed and appreciated.

*****

Obscure Brave of the week: Greg Colbrunn.

Greg Colbrunn was drafted in the 6^th round of the 1987 Draft by the Montreal Expos and played in the major leagues for a total of 13 seasons. He also had stops in Florida, Minnesota, Colorado, Arizona, Seattle and of course, Atlanta.

Colbrunn was a member of the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks World Series team. He is now the Manager of the Charleston River Dogs, a Class A affiliate of the New York Yankees.

Battling for a playoff spot in 1997 and 1998, the Braves needed a right-handed bat to come off the bench (sound familiar?) and Colbrunn was the guy both years. He was a decent hitter, but I never thought he was anything special. I am hoping the Braves can get a guy of a higher caliber this year…

Follow me on Twitter @BRAVEinNY

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The hotel has been sold out since April and I got one of the last two rooms. As my luck would have it, it turns out they were both handicapped rooms. My shower is about 3 feet off the ground—it literally hits me in the knee when it’s turned on.  But I’m in Atlanta, I can see the TED from my window and the Braves are playing again today!

I have been able to do some really cool things here so far, thanks to a really good friend that works for the Braves. I have been documenting everything on a Flip Cam (shameless plug) and will be making a video of the entire trip.

My first game here (against the Pirates) was tough. A lack of offense was the cause of the Braves demise once again, something I am hoping changes very soon with a deadline deal. It definitely won’t be Hunter Pence, as he was dealt to the Phillies last night. I hope it won’t be Josh Willingham, Coco Crisp and definitely NOT Ryan Ludwick.

I think Carlos Quentin is the best fit for the Braves right now. He provides right-handed power and is very affordable for the next hear and a half—I actually thought he was the guy, even before Pence was dealt. I especially thankful the Braves didn’t give up two of their top four pitching prospects as reported!!!

I would also be OK with BJ Upton under two circumstances: The Braves don’t give up too much and he turns his attitude around. Of course , the latter is much for of an unknown and a gamble. He is the most talented guy out there on the market, but can he and will he harness that into his play on the field? That’s the million dollar question. I think he can; especially with the Braves.

Then there is Michael Bourn. It would be ideal for the Braves to add a proven leadoff hitter at last. I saw a tweet last night with a projected lineup including Bourne, and I have to say, it was scary. I never thought I would say this, but all the Braves would need is for Heyward to pick it up—he has truly been awful lately and I have heard grumblings about sending him down to AAA. Now, that may be extreme, but if you look at the way he’s been playing…I get it. It may be the best option for a month or so if the Braves acquire an outfielder.

We now have less than 24 hours until all these questions (and more) are answered. No more rumors and no more what ifs. The Braves are going to get a hitter and possibly a relief pitcher at the deadline. I truly believe it will be a quality player and (for the love of God) not Ryan Ludwick! The Phillies, Giants and Braves will continue to be the class of the league and the only real race this year will be in the NL Central. Who knows, something could be done by the time this blog is posted. We can only sit back and watch…

Obscure Braves of the week: Jose Hernandez.

Jose Hernandez played in the majors for 15 seasons, including the Braves, for their stretch run in winning the 1999 National League Championship—he was acquired at the trade deadline, along with pitcher Terry Mulholland.

Hernandez played for a total of 10 different teams; I could write another blog to list them all, but I will just say he was known primarily as a Cub. In 2002 he was sitting at 187 strike outs for the season (one shy of the ML record at the time), but his manager kept him out of the lineup 4 of the last 5 games of the year, as to avoid being the “Strikeout King.”

My most vivid memories of Hernandez involve me screaming at the heavens, “WHY?” when the Braves traded for him and again when he was put in a game… The good news is that it was only for a few months.

I am tweeting constantly during the games down here, so if you feel so inclined…

Follow me on Twitter @BRAVEinNY.

Until Next Time…Go Braves!

Larry Wayne Jones, Jr. (Chipper) is 39 years old.  And the fact he’s still playing at the highest level is amazing.  He won a batting title at 36 and was an All Star at 36 and 39.  He’s a seven time All Star and a two time Silver Slugger Award winner.  And this is on top of his 1999 MVP and 1995 World Series ring.  But from 2004 to present, he’s averaging less than 120 games a season (this is assuming he’ll play 120 in 2011).  He’s been on the DL so much the last few years, they’ve given him Mike Hampton’s old locker.  Now don’t get me wrong, Chipper is one tough dude.  I think his ability to play through pain and rush to play hurt (or not totally healed) is a big reason he’s so vital to the team.  But is THIS Chipper really that vital anymore.  I had a friend that had an old VW Bug.  It ran like a POS, needed water added daily, you could hear the gears shifting through the radio speakers and the car would lock/unlock itself at random.  My friend simply would say “but it’s a good car, it’s been such a good car”.  While Chipper is more valuable than any Volkswagen will ever be (sorry hippies and Fish fans), he’s breaking down and no amount of duct tape will help.  Would you take a road trip with a car if you knew there was a decent chance it would break down?  Would you ask a friend to help you move if you knew deep down they wouldn’t show up?

In 2008, when Glavine came back to the ATL, a buddy called me.  “Dude, I didn’t know Glavine and Smoltz were both back with the Braves.  Good staff now, huh?”  My reply, “Yes…if it was 2001”.  I feel the same about Chipper now.  Yes…the Braves need him.  Yes…Hall of Famer in my mind, no question.  But if Atlanta can’t count on some modicum of health and the organization is constantly scrambling to fill the lineup card with someone else and flip things around, how valuable is he really?  And while we’re all waiting for Chipper to remain healthy and we all keep thinking he’s the key to the Braves success…I’d take a “performing to expectation levels” Jason Heyward over a “healthy” Chipper Jones right now.  And I’d take that because it truly is a drag getting old.  And Father Time is still undefeated.

If you want more of my shenanigans during the week, follow me on Twitter @yourdailyvinnie.  Thanks!

When I think about the Braves making a trade, the first question to ask is what do they need? Well, the only players I would want to replace are Wilkin Ramirez (a right-handed outfielder), Julio Lugo (a capable backup shortstop), Scott Proctor (a right-handed relief pitcher), and, until today, Cory Gearrin—who was just sent back to AAA Gwinnett to bring up Cristhian Martinez. I really believe the Braves will need Martinez on their on their roster down the stretch.

So lets look first at the right-handed outfielder…

One of the biggest names linked to the Braves so far has been the Mets’ Carlos Beltran. In a strictly baseball standpoint, I’d love to get Beltran for the next two months. But, on a personal level, I still hate this guy from his days with the Astros. I guess the bottom line is, will he help the Braves win and what is he going to cost?

The answer to the first question, of course, is yes. I have been hearing the Mets like Randall Delgado and Arodys Vizcaino. If the Braves even thought of trading these guys for Beltran, especially to a division foe, I would tell you they are on crack—this can’t happen. I have also heard the Mets have been scouting Mike Minor, this is interesting. Though I still wouldn’t want to see a top prospect traded to the Mets, Minor is the one high-level prospect I wouldn’t mind being traded. The big three (Teheran, Delgado and Vizcaino) simply cannot be traded in my mind (unless the Rockies want to trade us Tulo).

If you were to ask me right now, would you trade Minor for Beltran (taking into consideration the Mets would be paying him), I would say no. I can’t give him to the Mets.

I actually think Minor is going to have some trouble being consistent at the big league level. Plus, the Braves drafted a pitcher that is very similar to Minor (Sean Gilmartin), so if they miss Minor, they will have a guy next year with the same skill-set.

The next name kicking around for the Braves has been the Reds’ Johnny Gomes. He’s barely hitting his weight now, but he KILLS lefties, which something the Braves desperately need. He would also help the Braves gain ground in the highly important neck-tattoo category. Who would the Braves have to give up though? Not Minor.  To make this deal work for the Braves they would need to give up only a low-level prospect with little upside.

The Rays B.J. Upton has been linked to the Braves for over a year. He definitely has the talent, but his attitude has been in question. It could be that a change of scenery would do him well, and I think Atlanta would be a good fit. Of course, I’m sure this would mean the end of Jordan Schafer’s days in Atlanta, but I can handle that; just as long as we get the GOOD Upton, not the guy who doesn’t feel like running after a ball in the gap.

The last name I have heard is the Astros’ Hunter Pence. I would GLADLY trade Minor and others for this guy. He may be the most awkward-looking player ever, but he produces. I would love, LOVE this guy on the Braves for many years.  But the problem is the Astros know he is good and will want the farm for him—though I’d be tempted to give up most of it.

Other names connected with the Braves have been Ryan Ludwick, Reed Johnson, Ryan Spilborghs and Michael Cuddyer (who would be ideal, but has been said to be ‘untouchable’ by the Twins.)

In terms of right-handed pitchers, I have heard the Braves express interest in the Padres’ Mie Adams and Heath Bell, that’s right THAT Heath Bell. Of course both would be set-up men. Can you imagine a back-end of Bell, Venters and Kimbrel?! WOW! I can’t see it happening, especially since they would have to give up a lot for Bell and/or Adams, but I could see a lesser name, like Farnsworth was last year.

I haven’t heard of the Braves potential interest in a back-up shortstop, but I wouldn’t mind an upgrade. Now, if the Braves go into September with Julio Lugo being the guy, I can live with it…But I wouldn’t mind a guy with a little more pop.

Most of the rumors you hear will never come to fruition—it’s always the deals you never hear about or expect that end up happening. I mean who would have thought Rick Ankiel would have been a Brave last year? Not me. But he hit probably the biggest HR of the year for the Braves.

I do have one major problem with the trading these days in baseball. Why is it that just because a team is having a down year, they think they have to trade every one of their good players? Let’s take Hunter Pence for example. Why the hell would the Astros even consider trading their best player? Now, maybe they are just rumors, but if I were the Astros, I’d come right out and say, “There’s NO WAY we are trading the face of our team.” I mean come on!

How about the Rays? There have been a lot of rumors about trading BJ Upton and James Shields. Why would you trade Shields? So, you are behind the Yankees and Red Sox this year, so let’s dump half the team?! Absurd!

*****

Obscure Brave of the Week: Ron Mahay.

Mahay was ‘the other guy” the Braves received when they traded the Rome Braves for Mark Teixeira in 2007. He was originally drafted as an outfielder by the Boston Red Sox back in 1991. He was called up by the Red Sox during the 1994 baseball strike, so he is not in the MLB players association.

After the Red Sox, Mahay played for the Athletics, Marlins, Cubs and Rangers before arriving in Atlanta. He pitched well for the Braves going 1-0 2.25 ERA 23K 28 IP.

Following the 2007 season, Mahay played with the Royals and Twins. He has been in the minor leagues with the Dodgers and Diamondbacks over the last 2 years and just recently signed a minor league deal with the Cardinals on July 5^th.

I will be driving down to the ATL on Wednesday and plan to make a video journal documenting the entire trip (iMovie is amazing!). I will be chilling somewhere between Sec. 111-115; I know a guy…

Go Braves…

Twitter: @BRAVEinNY

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Severus Snape – Bobby Cox.  Nobody saw this coming, right?  Hold on and hear me out.  The thing that Snape and Bobby (or Severus Cox as he might be called) have in common is knowing what WE don’t know.  When he was starting McLouth when no one else thought that was a good idea or trying to give Manny Acosta ONE more chance to prove himself…we screamed at the TV because we didn’t know why.  But give the guy credit; he won with ALL sorts of lineups and rag tag groups of players.  There were a bunch of situations where we thought Bobby’s moves were pure evil (ride the bench Ron Gant).  But take a step back, get all the info and THEN judge.  His motives were for a bigger, much nobler purpose.  So while the guy drove us crazy sometimes, he truly had the best of intentions.  And all those winning seasons should tell us that he’s not a bad wizard at all.  Just misunderstood.

Death Eaters – All New York Yankee players.  I know the line of teams that have fallen victim to the Bombers is long and distinguished (to quote Maverick from Top Gun), but the Braves may have had one of the worst defeats.  Out of the last 14 teams to go up 2-0 in the World Series, only ONE has not won the fall classic.  The1996 Atlanta Braves.  If you close your eyes, you can envision Jim Leyritz floating out to the mound and sucking the soul out of Mark Wohlers (good guy with bad luck that night).  And for good measure, throw in the Mets as death eaters as well.  I’m sure there were some total incompetent, silly, less talented death eaters that were assigned to lesser evils like making it foggy at Hogwarts or moving people’s keys, etc…

Harry Potter – Brian McCann.  This could have been a few different guys (Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux and Dale Murphy come to mind), but I feel like Mac is comparable to the Boy who Lived.  When we first met him, he lived under the stairs (the stairs being Francoeur’s shadow).  But we saw a quick flash of his skill and power (HR off of Roger Clemons).  He reluctantly took over al leadership role when other/older players didn’t want the responsibility (cough, cough…Chipper Jones, the Braves Hogwarts’ Prefect).  He came into his own when times got tough (Frenchy left, playoff drought, Bobby retired).  And now is a full blooded baseball wizard (he passed all his O.W.L.S.) that can go toe to toe with anyone (All Star MVP, 6 time All Star, multiple Silver Slugger winner).  And he even has his own scar (premature baldness).  But the bald head with the beard is magical.  It only enhances his swagger as our Tri Wizard Champion…umm, I mean…the best catcher in MLB.

Dumbledore – John Schuerholz.  Too easy?  This guy is the “Wizard of Peachtree”.  If The Ted is Hogwarts, then JS is the headmaster.  He’s pulled off so many magic moves you’d think he’s doing that thing where Hermione could be at two places at once.  Schuerholz has put together an organization that runs smoother than a 1^st year’s potions class.  Even when things look dark, this wizard throws up a Tomahawk shaped Patronus Spell and saves the day.  If he just wouldn’t have traded for Mark Teixeira (got caught up in dark magic by mistake).

Lord Voldemort – I’m not sure on this one.  Someone who turned to pure evil and tries to rule the planet with a dark, sinister, malodorous magic?  Man, that list is SUPER long.  I’d LOVE to hear your ideas.  Some that come to mind for me:

1.     Northeast worldwide leader of sports media outlets - (one in Connecticut comes to mind…let’s call it ESAN (Evil Sports Azkaban Network).

2.     Rival organizations/cities – Philly/Phillies, New York/Mets, New York/Yankees just to start.  I know this seems harsh, but, I MUST NOT TELL LIES! Actually, let’s throw all MLB teams in there, except the Cubs.  They’re the Dudley Dursley of the Major Leagues.  The little chubby team that just can’t get out of their own way.

3.    Carpetbagger Fans at the Ted – Really?  You move down here, eat our food, marry our women, get educated in our schools and make a life/living here.  And you can’t even get behind OUR teams.  Is your love for Philadelphia that great?  You were smart enough to move from the “Forbidden Forrest”.  Do yourself a favor and root for the good guys.  Staying a Mets fan once you move to Atlanta is like getting to Hogwarts and making Draco Malfoy your BFF.  Bad move, Slytherin House.

4.    People who order three soft tacos at Chipotle – Seriously?  Those take way too much time to make and I’m in a hurry!  Also, if you get behind someone with a little sheet of paper…RUN!  They are ordering burritos for 7 people and they’re paying separately for all of them.  PURE EVIL, I tell you!

Well, Harry Potter is coming to an end.  But it will always be a part of pop culture.  So do yourself a solid and be a part of “Braves Culture”.  It’s pure magic.

If you want more of my shenanigans during the week, follow me on If you want more of my shenanigans during the week, follow me on Twitter @yourdailyvinnie.  Thanks!

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It starts Sunday with the Futures Game (which has only been around for the last ten years or so). I think it’s so much fun to watch the star prospects that you don’t normally get to see flash their talents in a major league setting. It was fun to see Julio Teheran again this year—and even better, he started. The star for the Braves though was Arodys Vizcaino, who seemed to just look at the batter and he was out. His outing lasted all of 40 seconds…

Then of course we have the Home Run Derby on Monday night. This has really become the marquee event. I can remember back to the early 90’s when Ryne Sandberg and Cal Ripken Jr. won and it was barely televised. It used to take place during the day and shown on tape delay—now it takes 3 hours just to get through round 1. This year’s Derby seemed to drag on forever; personally I feel it was the most boring one yet. Of course, I was spoiled 3 years ago by Josh Hamilton at Yankee Stadium…

Most people think the Celebrity All-Star Softball Game is awful, but it is one of my guilty pleasures. I don’t know what it is but watching Rollie Fingers, Ricky Henderson  and Fred Lynn take on Dean Cain and whatever other B (or more like C) star celebrities is absolutely fascinating! Hey, Roger McDowell used to do these every year, sporting that rainbow clown wig. He should bring that back…

MLB Network has really brought the day of the All-Star game to life with coverage that rivals Super Bowl Sunday. They show a press conference, red carpet show, batting practice for both teams, and interviews with half the players. It’s probably overkill for most, but for me I just love it! It’s summer and it’s baseball; what else could you ask for?!

Unfortunately Fox has been carrying the game and we have to deal with crazy Tim McCarver and Joe Buck, who is most likely having an All-Star Game in his head where he is the only player. I think it would be great to have the host team’s announcers call the game. Now, I know most announcers are terrible, but ANYTHING is better than the Fox crew—I’d rather have a kid scratching rusty nails on a chalkboard call the game than these guys.

One of my favorite moments is when they are announcing the teams. There’s just nothing like hearing the players on ‘your’ team announced. It is something that has always stuck with me and something I will always enjoy. Of course this year I was VERY annoyed that Tommy Hanson was left out and even more that Jurrjens didn’t start, it was still a fun game.

Apparently, I was in the minority in my feelings this year as the 2011 All-Star Game was the lowest rated EVER. To a point, I totally get it; it didn’t help that Derek Jeter blew it off to ride in a helicopter with Lyla Garrity (for the FNL fans).

Now, the problem is that this game is supposed to be an exhibition of the best players in the game. Every team has to be represented (so you are getting ALL the best players), but it’s nice for every fan to have a guy (or five) to root for. So why this game STILL counts for home field in the World Series is beyond me. I get why they did it, but it’s not working. If there was no tie in Milwaukee it would have never happened, and I hope it never happens again.

This is the best All-Star Game of any sport and I hope it always will be. They just have to keep it to what it was meant for and what it should be—an exhibition.

Obscure Brave of the Week: Jesse Garcia.

Jesse Garcia was a 26^th round pick of the Baltimore Orioles in the 1993 Amateur Draft. He kicked around the minors for a few years before making his MLB debut in 1999. On Dec. 18, 2000 Garcia was traded to the Braves for IF Steve Sisco (Obscure Brave shout out!). Garcia played for the Braves for parts of four seasons, with a career-high 50 games in 2004.

After the Braves, Garcia played a little for the Padres and played in the minor leagues for the Cubs and Astros. He was used as a utility infielder and didn’t hit for much (or at all).

I bring Garcia up now because he is the complete antithesis of an All-Star. Although I think he did play on his Jr. College All-Star team while attending Lee Junior College.

He is no relation to Jerry.

Follow me on Twitter @BRAVEinNY

(10 more days…)

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So I’m laying down some SERIOUS rules for the second half of the season.  These are not suggestions, thoughts or ideals that I’d like to see enforced.  We’re talking brand new by-laws here!  I’m communicating with the Braves and Turner Filed as we speak to get these rules implemented (and by “communicating to the Braves” I mean they’ve hung up on me several times, directed me to their legal counsel and have now blocked my phone number).

1.)     The wave – If anyone actually likes doing the wave, please tell me why?  The wave has run its course.  Just like YMCA, the Macarena, the Chicken Dance and Communism.  When they blast YMCA over the loud speaker, don’t you cringe a bit.  When they play “Celebration” by Kool & the Gang at a wedding, don’t you want to punch the DJ?  WHY are we still doing the wave?  And even worse, WHY THE HELL are you doing it in the 8^th inning of a tie ball game.  Everything has it’s time and place.  The time and place for the wave is high tide at Hilton Head Island.

2.)    Calling someone else that’s at the game then waving violently at them – You’ve all been warned.  If it’s before the game starts or in the first inning, I’ll allow it.  Because I know some of you can’t figure out how to agree on a time and place to meet people, so you have to scramble to see each other even though you most likely just saw one another in the parking lot.  But trust me, if it’s the 6^th inning, the game is tied, Freddie Freeman is up to bat with bases juiced and I hear “Hey, Kalee…can you see us?  It’s me, Liam.  Yea…I’m with Tanner, Bryce and Ashton. “   I PROMISE I will rip your bedazzled iPhone from your Bieber-like paw, shove it in your hippie “wanna be cool” hemp purse and fling it into section 336.

3.)    Wearing a suit to the game – Trust me, I know schedules are packed with activities.  But really?  10% of the country is out of work, but you were brokering a “big, couldn’t wait until tomorrow morning deal” 15 minutes before first pitch?  Hey, nothing says “let’s celebrate the good work on the Penske File” like going to a 100 degree game in August in your Men’s Warehouse three piece RIGHT after work.  Do us all a big favor, Trump…take a change of clothes.  Or wear a red suit with a blue Braves bow tie.  That’s acceptable.

4.)    Making me get up during tense moments so you can pass by – If you need to go potty…hold it, sister.  End of discussion.  And if you think you really, really need that funnel cake right when BMac is up to bat, you don’t.  Save it for when Alex Gonzalez is batting.  I would actually like to miss him striking out once and a while.

5.)    Bringing a book or magazine – I usually only see this at Georgia Tech football games, but it happens.  Unless it’s a Street & Smith or some kind of sports reference item, leave it at home.  Save the new Sue Grafton novel for the neighborhood pool.  ***also, any living entity that might fall asleep during a game, leave him/her/it at home.***

I’m sure there’s more I’ve missed and I’d LOVE to hear from you on what gets you sideways at the games.   I know you’re as passionate about the game as I am.  And it’s not just baseball and the Braves.  I love watching sports.  I mean REALLY watching it and checking out all the little things.  That’s what makes live sports so great.  The unexpected little things that make you say “WOW…never saw that before”.  So guys, pack the cooler and buy some peanuts (outside the stadium of course, to save some green).  Ladies, put your hair in a pony tail, run it through the back of your Braves hat and put on that Bravos gear (there’s nothing hotter than chicks wearing team logo gear at the ballpark).  Old people…enjoy the game, but please stay to the right, to allow others that can walk unaided to pass quickly.  I’d like to get to my seat by the 3^rd innings, Claude.  People of the world, let’s all get focused and enjoy this run.  It might be something you can think fondly on for years.  And you’ll never do that with a funnel cake.

If you want more of my shenanigans during the week, follow me on If you want more of my shenanigans during the week, follow me on Twitter @yourdailyvinnie.  Thanks!

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Uggla, or the guy ‘supposed’ to be Uggla, had been hitting in the .170s all season and looked like he was going to be this year’s Nate McLouth. But in a surprising turn of events, it looks like Mr. Uggla himself is now playing 2B for the Braves. There have been some flashes of power before this year, but nothing like the mammoth shot hit Tuesday night against Colorado. It was followed up by another moon-shot Wednesday.

Uggla has been taking a lot of walks lately, showing that he is seeing the ball much better than the “impostor.” Nothing showed me that this guy is the real deal more than Tuesday night’s double to right center field. He wasn’t pulling off the ball trying to jack one to Tennessee; he was just trying to put a good swing on the ball and take what the pitcher had given…beautiful!

Speaking of Nate McLouth, this is NOT the same player from last year. He, like the new Uggla, is seeing the ball great, taking walks, making solid contact, and maybe best of all, playing terrific defense. McLouth has been aggressive both in the field and at the plate, and as I said before it all has to do with the hair. As soon as I heard that he had grown his hair back out and had the Lance Bass-esque blonde highlights, I knew he was back. Of course, back means he hits .250; but it’s a heck of a lot better than .150.

*****

The Braves are going to finish the first half of the year by making a trip to Philadelphia to face off against the best team on the planet (record-wise of course). They will be going against “The Big Three” (it was four, but Oswalt is on the DL, again), but I’m sure the Braves have a lot to say about starting pitching…

The Braves have actually had better pitching than the Phillies this year and at this point, I think they can stand up with any rotation out there. It has become so much fun (especially lately) to watch the Braves on a daily basis. It doesn’t matter who is pitching on a given day or who they are playing against, it just feels like they are going to win; no matter what.

What is scary is that Beachy and Hanson have spent time on the DL, Hudson hasn’t been the ‘real’ Tim Hudson for a long stretch yet, and Lowe has been up and down. IF these guys get it together, forget about it!

They should have had two starting pitchers named to the All-Star team (Hanson HAS to be named as a replacement!) to go along with two relievers (Kimbrel also has a good shot to be a replacement, joining Venters).  Can I just say this…WHY IS RYAN VOGELSONG AL ALL STAR?! I know a lot of people are bringing up the Omar Infante selection of a year ago, but there is a huge difference—Charlie Manuel named him, NOT Bobby Cox.

Bruce Bochy has made a FARCE of this year’s game naming both Vogelsong (and his whopping 12 starts) and Tim Lincecum (who is 6-7 on the year) to this year’s team. Look I get it, you want your own guys there, but if you are playing to win the game, you need to bring the best players. Leaving Tommy Hanson, who is 10-4 2.52 ERA off the squad is ridiculous and Bochy should be ashamed of himself!

*****

Obscure Brave of the Week: Travis Smith

Travis Smith was drafted in the 19^th round of the 1995 Amateur Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. He played college baseball for the Red Raiders of Texas Tech. He played in parts of five seasons for the Brewers, Cardinals, Braves (twice), and Marlins. He played with the SK Wyverns baseball club in the South Korean League for a year before returning to the U.S. where he pitched for the Las Vegas 51’s, a AAA-affiliate of the LA Dodgers before retiring in 2007.

Smith was a whopping 5’10” 170lbs and as you can imagine didn’t throw very hard, but we was effective for a few starts with the Braves. He didn’t go very deep into games but as least got them a couple wins in 2004. You could say he was a smaller version of Buddy Carlyle, which is pretty small.

My friend Zach and I were driving around the mid-west going to different baseball stadiums back in 2004 and after a game in Chicago (White Sox) we decided (well I decided) that we needed to drive overnight to get to the 1:00pm game in Philadelphia because they were playing the Braves, and Greg Maddux was scheduled to pitch!

It was a tough ride, but we got there at about 6am, killed some type by grilling bacon and eggs at a rest stop and was allowed in the parking lot at around 9am – they actually didn’t charge us to park because they felt bad for us…we were trying to pay in nickels and dimes since we were out of cash (except for ticket money of course).

My excitement turned to disbelief, which turned to anger when I saw this scrawny dude wearing #43, throwing in the outfield with the name “Smith” on the back of his jersey. I had never heard of Travis Smith before and no one in Philadelphia had either—of course they haven’t heard of toothpaste either.

You may remember this game for the fact that as Smith was warming up in the visitor’s bullpen and one fine, upstanding Philadelphia citizen remarked to Leo Mazzone, “Hey Leo, who’s the paperboy?”

Follow me on Twitter @BRAVEinNY…

Only three more weeks until my drive down south—I can’t wait!

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Jordan Schafer Bobblehead Night -  Everyone loves a good bobblehead and the more realistic the better.  Schafer’s tiny head won’t be lost on this give-away, it will be more like a bobble-helmet.  I’m picturing a G.I. Joe sized figurine with one of those batting helmets you used to get ice cream in.    What ever happened to the ice cream helmets?

Eric Hinske Tattoo Night – Free Temporary Braves Tattoos to the first 10,000 fans.  Also, as a side promotion, buy 1 get 1 free tickets to any fans with Braves tattoos. The team tattoo is a the sign of a dedicated fan.

Free Bro-Hawk Night sponsored by Great Clips -  If you’re looking for the main reason why the Braves have played so well in 2011 it has to be the starting pitching.  If you need more than one reason than let me point you in the direction of the Bro-Hawk.  Freddie and Uggla have it.  Schafer was talked into it.  Now everyone in the Ted will have a chance to be broskis!

Tim Hudson Soul Patch Night -  I can’t really grow a beard but I’ve always felt the soul patch would be do-able. Nobody, however, pulls off the soul patch as well as Huddy.   Free Soul patches would also help me avoid the sideburns from growing in all Joe – Dirt like.  One other hair related promotion that I considered was Tommy Hanson Red Beard Night.

Dan Uggla Shake Weight Night  – Say what you will about Uggla’s performance at the plate but damn does he have some rock solid forearms.  The Shake Weights will be a nice way to get those arms ready for Tomahawk Chops going deep into October.

Brandon Beachy Ball Night  -  When scanning down the roster looking for players to pair together with a game day promotion, Beachy Ball Night seemed like a no-brainer.  Then some common sense set in.   10,000 beach balls could surpass the White Sox Disco Demolition Night and the Indians 10 cent Beer Night as the worst game day promotion ever.

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3 Up

1. Freddie Freeman – Really impressive week from Freeman.  7 for 14 with 4 HR against the Rockies, is a great sign going forward. I feel the play of Freeman in the second half could be one of the biggest stories to follow.

2. Craig Kimbrel -  Picked up his franchise rookie record 27^th save of the season Thursday.  He seems to be getting stronger as the season goes on.  In his last 10 appearances dating back to June 19, 0 BB to 16 SO and 9 saves.

3. Tyler Pastornicky – The Mississippi Brave hit for the cycle Tuesday night and currently his average is up to .297 on the year.  The bat continues to improve but the challenge to Pastornicky’s path to the Majors is in the field. He is currently leading the M-Braves with 18 errors in 80 games.

3 Down

1. Vogelsong over Hanson -  I can understand where Bochy is coming from, he has to do what’s best for his team but Hanson led a group of about 50 players more deserving of the spot than Ryan Vogelsong.

2. Mark Reynolds -  The guy has serious power and will punish mistakes.  Still its tough to get beat by a guy that has averaged 200 K’s a year the last three seasons.

3. News Surrounding Chipper’s Knee -  The All-Star break would have given a little time for Chipper to get the surgery but now that he will be in Arizona for the game a procedure seems unlikely.  With Prado coming back and Lugo offering defensive flexibility the window to be proactive with this injury is now.

Blaine Boyer – Huge, silly wooden necklace.  My only regret is that it wasn’t too heavy that he couldn’t get to the pitcher’s mound.  Total gas can.

Kyle Davies – His performance in Boston after just being called up was AWESOME.  I liked that kid.

Joey Divine – The home runs he allowed in the playoffs still have not landed.  He deserved better from the Braves.

Chuck James – He went from installing windows to having to most wins the second half of 2005 on ANY MLB pitcher I believe.  Then, like Keyser Soze…POOF…he was gone.

Brain McCann – 6 time All Star and best catcher in MLB

Brayan Pena – He was the one player from Cuba that fans liked (Yunel Escobar being the other).

Andy Marte – Ummm…I’ll get back to you on him.

Jeff Francoeur – See below.  I’ll always root for him.  Stand up guy and good person.

Ryan Langerhans – The Langer “Hands” kids in the upper outfield stands.  Quite Clever.

Kelly Johnson – I still boo him when I see highlights of D-Back games.  Potential spoiled.

Macay McBride – I don’t remember him, but he needs to have a sandwich named for him at McDonald’s.  What were his parents smoking and/or injecting when they named him?

None of these cats were born before 1981 and that made for a young, inexperienced team.  But they gave the Braves what they sorely needed.  A shot of excitement and energy Bravos’ fans hadn’t seen in a while.  And the head of that class was Jeff Francoeur.  Frenchy was OUR guy.  Born in Atlanta.  Raised is Gwinnett.  Got all sorts of press at Parkview High School.  And he came on the scene with a BANG!  Jeff should have won Rookie of the Year and his mug was on the cover of Sports Illustrated with the heading “The Natural”.  He was going to be the face of the Braves for years to come.  But it didn’t work out that way.

He worked out in the offseason and got totally muscled out.  He became impatient on the plate and struck out more than Dan Uggla is doing now.  He just wasn’t right and wasn’t playing well at all.  Then, out of nowhere, he was traded to the Mets.  He now is actually playing well for the Royals and I’m happy for the guy.  But during all that time here in Atlanta…the real player was coming into form.  Brian McCann was going from Francoeur’s sidekick to full blooded leading man.  His maturation from rookie to leader of this Braves team is something else.  And the moral of this story is one that a certain Braves player needs to pay attention to.  That player is Jason Heyward.

If you haven’t noticed, JayHey is STILL trying to figure it out while his buddy is killing it.  His buddy is one Freddie “Fab 5” Freeman.  Freddie is solid defensively at first base, he’s hitting for power and seems to have a durability that Heyward doesn’t have just yet.  Freeman is a good pick for NL Rookie of the Year and he seems to be getting better and better each day.  Heyward came in with a bunch of bells and whistles.  And rightfully so.  But he needs to realize that Freeman made be this groups B-Mac.  So hopefully Jason can get it going again and become the superstar we all want him to be.  Because I just don’t think anyone wants to see HIM wearing royal blue anytime soon.

If you want more of my shenanigans during the week, follow me on If you want more of my shenanigans during the week, follow me on Twitter @yourdailyvinnie.  Thanks!

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Like Cox, Gonzalez has done a good job not getting to high during winning streaks and not getting too low during losing streaks. The Braves remain a very professional team and are still a top MLB franchise. There is just one place that the two managers differ, and it’s something I think needs to change…

We all know Cox was famous for getting ejected; He’s done it more than anyone else in baseball history. We could all hear him cheer his players at bat or bark at the umpires for what seemed like every pitch that went against the Braves for 20+ years. Gonzalez on the other hand, is the most quiet manger I have ever heard—or NOT heard.

There have been a good deal of calls that have gone against the Braves recently, and for the most part Gonzalez was nowhere to be found. A couple times he has peeked out of the dugout and had what seemed like a gentleman’s talk about the call, but I haven’t seen him get fired up once (Cox-158, Matt-1, Fredi-0; as a Brave).  I saw his face get red once, but it just turned out to be gas.

I want to see Fredi get fired up and yell! I want to see him get red-faced, in an umpire’s grill letting him know, in no uncertain terms, he blew the call…Just once! I want him to fire his team up, which they have desperately needed on more than one occasion. Like when they are losing 2 of 3 to the Padres; twice! Or, when the Mets are kicking their butts; twice! The offense has been slumping on and off all year and maybe a profanity-laced tirade would get them going—it worked for Bobby. So here is what I’m proposing…

We need to set up a quota for Fredi Gonzalez. He needs to get the boot a minimum of 6 times a year (just once a month), or there will be consequences (he needs to squeeze one in before the All-Star break too, just to get off on the right foot). I’m not asking him to be Ozzie Guillen or to challenge Bobby’s record, I just want to see a guy who gets behind his team and lights a fire under their butts when they need it.

Of course there is only one Bobby Cox; With a new regime comes a new way of life. Braves fans can adjust to a new face in the dugout, but a manager who isn’t getting rung-up on a regular basis? We’re only human for God’s sake!

*****

Obscure Brave of the Week: Albie Lopez.

Since we are on the topic of getting angry and yelling, here’s a guy that made me, and the rest of Braves Nation, scream at their TV on a regular basis.

Lopez was drafted in the 20th round (529th) in the 1991 Amateur Draft by the Cleveland Indians. He made his MLB debut with the tribe in 1993 and played there a few seasons before being selected in the 2nd round (48th) of the 1997 Expansion Draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He moved on to Arizona, Atlanta and finally the Royals before moving on the Independent baseball in 2004.

Lopez signed with the Braves prior to the 2002 season (I am still asking myself why) and was horrendous, going 1-4 4.37 ERA. Luckily, he was hurt most of the year. WOW—I know that sounded horrible, but we were all thinking it, right? Signing Lopez has to go down as one of the worst Braves decisions in the last 25 years.

He currently pitches for the Edmonton Capitals of the Northern League. At least the Canadians have to put up with him now…

Follow me on Twitter @BRAVEinNY.

Go Braves!

Friday nights starter was Todd Redmond. I rarely feel bad for professional athletes, they get to play a sport they love for a living but its hard not to feel a little bad for Todd Redmond .  When most baseball experts begin talking about the Braves farm system the first thing they mention is the great, young pitching.  Redmond is neither great nor young but still you have to wonder if on another team he might get a chance to get that call to “The Show.“  Only 26, Redmond is in AAA for the third straight year, so for him there is still hope that he might develop into a back of the rotation starter down the road.  A former 39^th round pick for Pittsburg, Redmond has already exceeded most expectations by making it this far in professional baseball.  Redmond did not have it going Friday night, he gave up 8 earned runs in only 4 innings in picking up the loss.  I’m willing to give him a free pass on the poor outing since his mood must have been passive due to the fact Columbus was wearing pink jerseys in support of Breast Cancer Awareness. 

Saturday nights game was the one game I was really looking forward to since Julio Teheran was pitching.   Braves fans really turned out for this one and it was an amazing atmosphere that night with over 11,000 fans, the biggest draw for the 4 game series.   The crowd was awesome, my seats were not.  Located down the first base line and 20 rows up it was hard to see the location on Teheran’s pitches but for the most part he pitched really well.  I was hoping he could blow hitters away and have double digit strikeouts but that didn’t happen.  Teheran only struck out 4 but really made only one mistake when the Clips started the bottom of the third with a leadoff homer.  He pitched out of a jam in the 5^th and finished the night giving up only 1 run in 7 innings and getting the win in a 5-1 victory. 

Mike Minor pitched Sunday night in what turned out to be the best game of the series.  The Clips’ were all over Minor in the 3^rd where he was not sharp at all and they made him pay for his mistakes.  Minor loaded the bases then walked in a run on 4 pitches, struck out a batter and then gave up a grand slam.  After the 5 run third, Minor settled down and his final line was 6 hits, 5 ER, 4 BB, and 5 SO in 5 innings.  I was a little disappointed in the Minor as I expected him to continue his strong pitching from his last start in the majors and dominate in AAA, not beat himself with terrible control.  Minor was let off the hook for the loss when the G-Braves scored 5 in the 9^th thanks to recent acquisition Chris Carter’s grand slam. G-Braves win 8-5. 

By the time Monday’s game rolled around I was completely burnt out on the minor league game day promotions. The dizzy bat race just seemed childish, mascot tomfoolery became predictable, and even the kiss cam was dull.  I only took a few notes but and the G-Braves won Monday’s game, 5-1 and took 3 games in the series against a good Columbus team that has several good prospects. 

I mentioned the pitching in the series but there where three guys on offense I wanted to see in person; Mauro Gomez, Jose Constanza, and Stefan Gartrell.  Here are some of my thoughts on what I saw in Columbus from these three. 

Gomez has had a solid year for Gwinnett with a .830 OPS but is blocked by Freddie Freeman and will likely not be getting to the majors any time soon.  I was hoping to see tremendous raw power from Gomez but he really had a bad series and didn‘t show me enough to think he can contribute to the big league club. He did hit a homer on Saturday night but strike out in 7 of his 16 at-bats in Columbus.  The Domincan’s got quad-A player written all over him if he can’t find a little discipline at the plate.  You know what they say though, “You don’t walk off the island.”

Constanza is having a career year and leads Gwinnett in average, triples, and steals.  Unfortunately, he ended up getting hurt in Sunday’s game and was replaced in the lineup.  That was the last I saw of Constanza and to be honest  I’m not really sure why I like him so much after seeing him play a few games.  He is small and is a tough out, but with little to no power and Jordan Schaefer ahead of him, he is organizational depth at best.  Consider my man-crush for Constanza officially over. 

Gartrell is a guy I want to see the Braves give a chance as he is probably no better or worse than Wilkin Ramirez.  A 31^st round pick of the White Sox in 2006, Gartrell has been solid but not spectacular in his minor league career.  His power numbers have improved every year his .879 OPS this season is a career high.  I really wanted to see how he played in right field. His range seemed average and I didn’t get to see him show off his arm in any of the games and Gartrell did not have a great series at the plate going 3-15. For the record, none of my three batters I was looking forward to seeing did well at the plate, combined 9-40. 

This year I’ve probably watched either part or all of over 100 baseball games and these 4 games with Gwinnett in town were the first games I’ve seen in person.  It’s a completely different experience being at the game as opposed to watching on TV.  I forgot how much I loved just being at the ball park, hearing the crack of the bat, the pop of the mitt.  Now I can’t wait to get back to the park. I’ve already started counting down the days until the Bravos return to the Buckeye State.

As of this weekend, the only team that has more wins than Atlanta is Philly (I’ll pause as you boo violently or vomit).  Other stats to consider:

1.)   Second highest winning % in NL

2.)  Only three teams have more one run wins in MLB

3.)  No team has played more extra inning games (See, there’s EXTRA value in being a Braves fan, the most free baseball in the league)

4.)  Only two teams in NL have more day game wins (I guess no one has blue eyes that plays for the Braves, unlike Josh Hamilton)

5.)  They would be leading all other MLB divisions except the AL East.  They would be 2.5 games behind the New York Yankees (again…pause for vomit or boo break)

6.)  The top two ERAs in the NL – Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson (But wait, that can’t be right? Supposedly the only entity with a better rotation than Philadelphia is the Planet Earth)

7.)  First NL pitcher to 10 wins – Jurrjens (Sorry, Nurse Halladay)

8.)  Craig Kimbrel’s 20 saves ranks 4^th in NL.  And he’s had the most save opportunities at 25

9.)  And the only team to have more injuries is Custard’s 7thCalvary at the Battle of Little Big Horn

So what does all this say?  The Braves have been hanging in there all year.  Their pitching has been keeping them in games.  They’re leading the Wildcard.  And this is with everyone but Fredi Gonzalez on the DL (though I’ve heard he strained his right wrist when he tipped his cap to the Mets for the 19^th time in a three game series).  So now everyone is back except Martin Prado.  And don’t get it twisted, he’s a HUGE part of this Atlanta Braves team.  But if Uggla keeps slowly getting better and better…and the pitching stays warm to hot…and Jordan Shaffer keeps rolling along…and McLouth can keep LF warm; When Prado comes back, it will be like when the Braves got Mark Teixeira (Except Prado will actually help win games for Atlanta).  He’ll be this generation’s Fred McGriff.  Instead of the Crime Dog, that will be Prado’s nickname, the “Crime Hombre”.  Or maybe “The Bandito”.  Something cool like that.

So while Fredi doesn’t go all crazy like Rollie and Jason Heyward isn’t Ed Pinckney, maybe Braves fans can begin to get excited.  Maybe the Braves are the real “Beasts of the NL East”.  Just like in College basketball, the longer a team hangs around AND hangs around AND hangs around in baseball, the more likely something special might happen.  So let’s petition for them to put up basketball nets at Turner Field.  That way the Braves have something to cut down when they win it all this year.

If you want more of my shenanigans during the week, follow me on Twitter @yourdailyvinnie.  Thanks!

Over the past week I’ve been experiencing a slight to moderate to pain behind my left knee which blossomed into treacherous pain throughout my left leg with no visible sign of anything abnormal….until yesterday when I found small bumps on it. So, I call my doctor (who I have on speed dial), go to see him and find out that I have Shingles.  SHINGLES?! Isn’t that something my grandmother should get because she craps herself every night and sleeps in it?

Couple that with the fact that I have somehow gotten old.  Plain, old.  I may not look old (I was ID carded twice before I could see Pineapple Express). I may not technically be old, but since “you’re only as old as you feel,” I am 71, not 31—an old 31.  In coming to terms with this, from now on I will eat dinner at 4:30 PM, wear my pants so high that ball hangs out of my pant leg, and will be trading-in in my Volkswagen for a Buick.

What does this all have to do with the Braves you ask? I think the Braves and I are a lot alike. They are in contention most years and are regarded as one of the top organizations in baseball if not sports with a higher payroll than most teams. But like me, their share of unavoidable aggravation is never far behind.  They avoid catastrophe (heck, they’re not the NY Mets)…but if it can happen to a team, it will happen to the Braves.

From the press box fire on Fred McGriff’s first day, to Brooks Conrad’s errors in the 2010 playoffs, injuries like losing Chipper and Prado at the end of last season, to John Smoltz’ many arm injuries, to Andres Galarraga’s lost 1999 season, big time players (we are told) who haven’t panned out yet (McLouth and Uggla), playoff meltdowns like the entire 2000s… All nothing that destroy the Braves entirely but just enough to put them out of it until the next set of happenstance.

*****

Obscure Brave of the Week: Dan Kolb

Well, he is not so much obscure, but he fits this blog too well. This week, let’s call it Unfortunate Brave of the week…

Here is a perfect case of the Braves making a seemingly great move but as their luck would have it, turned out to be a calamity.

Kolb was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 6^th round (150^th) of the 1995 draft out of Illinois State University. He made his MLB debut with the Rangers in 1999 before moving onto the Milwaukee Brewers where he made a name for himself. From 2003-04, Kolb saved 60 of 67 games for the Brewers and was named to the 2004 NL All-Star Team.

Before the 2005 season, Kolb was traded to the Braves for hot prospect Jose Capellan and minor league pitcher Alec Zumwalt. Kolb was set to replace John Smoltz as the Braves closer, but, was horrendous, going 3-8 5.93ERA and just 11SV before being replaced by Chris Reitsma (who himself is eligible to be DREADFUL Brave of the Week in a future blog).

Following the 2005 season, Kolb was traded back to the Brewers for pitcher Wes Obermueller and a bag of…..well, you know.  I think the Braves would have given away another top prospect to get Kolb out of town.  Maybe they could have sent three of their top prospects to Milwaukee and then watch them play in the World Series two years later.  Wait, that happened in 2010 when the Gwinett Braves, err… Texas Rangers won the AL pennant.  See what I mean?

I have spent so much time watching the Braves over the years. No matter what was going on in my life, this was the one constant. I watch now more than ever and I think part of it is that it is a tie to my childhood and good times in my life, as well as the bad times baseball helped me through. I feel like I’m going to make a Field of Dreams/Terrence Mann speech so I will get on with it…

We each have moments that stick with us over the years; here are my top-10 Braves moments during my lifetime.

10. Welcome to the Show (2010): There has never been so much hype around a Braves rookie, but last April, in his first MLB at-bat, Jason Heyward showed everyone why he was this good. I said to my wife when he took the plate “How awesome would it be if the hit a home run?” Well, it was more awesome than I expected. Of course, no one could have missed this, it has been replayed at least 500 times over the last year, but it doesn’t get old.

9. The Benches Clear (1992): It was the first Braves game I attended and it was at the world famous Shea Stadium. John Smoltz was on the hill and it wasn’t his best day. Ryan Thompson hit a grand slam off of him and Smoltz drilled the next batter. The benches cleared and there was a huge pile in the middle of the field. I saw Ryan Klesko pick up a dude and toss him (what seemed like) ten feet. It was the first and only fight I’ve ever seen live.

8. Double Duty (1996): Coming off a Worlds Series win in 1995, the Braves went into the 1996 World Series as heavy favorites against the Yankees. In game 1 John Smoltz went up against the Yankees hot pitcher, Andy Pettitte. Smoltz won the Cy Young Award that year, but he wasn’t the star of the game. 19-year-old Andruw Jones hit home runs in his first two World Series at-bats—the first and only player ever to do so. The Braves blew out the Yankees in game 1 and game 2…I think they called the series after that; I can’t recall. I think it was something equivalent to the 10-run rule in Little League.

7. Classic Maddux (1997): I may be the only one who recalls this game, but during the first year of Interleague Play, the Braves came to Yankee Stadium for a three-game series. A family friend got us tickets a few rows behind home plate and Greg Maddux was on the mound. It was a classic Maddux start, as the game lasted 2hrs 3mins, Maddux threw 88 pitches and the Braves won 3-0 on a Ryan Klesko upper-tank HR.

6. Walk-off Walk (1999): The Mets and Braves were in the height of their rivalry in the 1999 NLCS and the Mets were gaining momentum in the series. They had just come off the Robin Ventura Grand Slam Single and my sleep patterns were suffering. Everyone I went to college with seemed to be a Mets fan and I was getting crap from all of them. I wanted the Braves to win just to shut them up almost as much as I did for being a fan. I don’t know how it happened, but Kenny Rogers walked Andruw Jones with the bases loaded to end the series. My main thought that night was, “Phew!”

5. Brooks Conrad’s Walk-off Grand Slam (2010): This is as excited as I have been in the last few years. I was in my office (ducking a meeting) to watch the end of this game. I did everything I could not to run laps around the building shirtless.

4. The Catch (1992): I still can’t believe Otis Nixon jumped that high; neither could Andy Van Slyke. A few years later he came to upstate NY for an autograph signing and he said it was the best play he’s ever made—that was an understatement. It’s probably the most famous defensive play in Braves history.

3. 1995 World Series (1995): Of course this has to be included. The Braves lone Championship of their dynasty capped off a playoff run that not many sportswriters predicted. I vividly remember Joe Morgan saying the Reds were “clearly the better team” and the Braves had no shot in the NLCS. Of course the Braves swept the Reds and then took care of the Indians, who were the powerhouse of the MLB.  I will always remember Marquis Grissom making the catch and Mark Wohlers jumping on the mound.

2. Brian McCann’s Home Run Game 2 NLDS (2005): I was down in Atlanta for the playoffs (the one and only time; so far) and was feeling pretty bummed about the game 1 loss. Then, McCann blasted a HR off Roger Clemens, over the Right-Center field wall. After the game, we saw him walking to the bus and he gave us all high-fives. It was the most exciting game I’ve ever attended.

1. The Slide (1992): I was struggling to stay awake when my grandmother started shaking me saying, “You aren’t gonna wanna miss this—they might do it!” Who would have thought Francisco Cabrera would get that hit, or Sid Bream could run faster than a turtle, but it all happened perfectly. I have had this poster on my wall since 1993 and will always remember this as the best moment of my Braves history.

*****

Losing 2 out of 3 to the Mets, again, is DISGUSTING!!!

*****

Obscure Brave of the week: Mike Bielecki

Since a few of these moments were during the 1992 season, I’d thought I’d stick with someone from this year—so why not Bielecki?

Bielecki was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates (8^th overall) in the 1979 draft. He made his MLB debut in 1984 and played for 14 seasons total, playing also for the Cubs Indians, Angels and of course the Braves. He had three stints with the Braves (1991-92, 1994, 1996-97) and was a solid pitcher out of the bullpen for Bobby Cox.

In 1993 Bielecki had been invited to join teammates Steve Olin, Tim Crews and Bob Ojeda on a fishing boat in spring training, but he ended up backing out. He was very lucky because the boat crashed, killing Olin and Crews, and severely injuring Ojeda.

Bielecki is currently living somewhere on planet Earth.

Follow me on Twitter @BRAVEinNY.

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There is, however, one area baseball needs to address,  and that’s the way most people watch the game.  I don’t mean adding another cup holder to the seats or putting Jumbotron’s the size of football fields into stadiums but changing the product being shown on television or the internet.  Baseball is America’s past time but an ever changing society with constant technological advancements has simply passed baseball by and gravitated to more TV friendly sports, such as football and basketball.

Baseball has always been behind the curve when it comes to adapting to technology.  In 1999 , the NBA announced they would be starting their own TV network via the internet and by 2003, NBA TV was in 45 million homes.  Later that year the NFL launched the NFL Network.  It took 5 full years for baseball to respond with a network of its own.

Baseball simply cannot continue to fall behind when it comes to fans being able to access the game.  I am currently a subscriber to MLB.TV and it is a tremendous bargain compared to the NFL Sunday Ticket and NBA League Pass.  For $130 I can see every out of market MLB game with home and away broadcasts.  NBA League Pass is $180 for the season and that’s about half as many games as baseball.  NFL Sunday Ticket is usually done through a cable provider that requires signing a contract and the final cost of full access for 17 Sundays works out to over $250.

This is a small advantage to baseball but it can be better.   MLB should look into applying the style of the NFL’s RedZone channel into a nightly baseball format.  No commercial breaks, no throws to first, no mound visits, just baseball.  Show live and taped delayed highlights of the biggest at bats in games and show multiple games at once.  Baseball overload.  This might not appeal to the baseball purists, “scoring at home,”  but in 25 years announcers will be saying, “And that’s a 6-4-3 double play, for those of you tweeting at home.”

The topic of realignment will likely get dragged out for another year or two and people’s defense will likely be that this will somehow change the historical aspect of the game.  Maybe all baseball needs to do is change is the way it looks at change and start protecting the future and not the past.

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Braves All Star Campaign

Martin Prado  -  It was a real shame last week that Prado landed on the DL as this likely will cost him any chance at making his second consecutive All Star game.  A career .300 hitter, Prado was having a slightly down year at the plate in average but made up for it in other ways.  After playing most of his career in the infield, Prado has made a smooth transition to left field and when it seemed just about everybody was either hurt or out of the lineup entirely, Prado was the glue that held this offense together through the first two months of the season.  Even if Prado wasn’t placed on the DL he likely would not have received enough votes or been a manager’s selection , but if you ask any Braves fan they will tell you that Martin Prado has been our first half MVP.

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