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© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
2,867 comments Add your comment
ncscoots
July 27th, 2009
4:09 pm
I find it hard to believe the Phils can stay this hot for the rest of the summer. They’re good, but not that good.
Yeah, me, too. But will they cool off more than the Braves will cool off, so some ground can be made up? Braves have been pretty hot, too.
Phillies have been darn near incandescent, though, so maybe they’ll just flame out altogether, LOL.
THWG
July 27th, 2009
4:09 pm
Awesome photos, McFann. I got my photo on the front page of the Athens Banner Herald when I was maybe 13. I was swimming at the summer league state swim meet and a photographer got a perfect picture of me diving into the water. Fun stuff, really.
Wayne in Utah
July 27th, 2009
4:10 pm
Piedmont Blues
I hope you are right about the Phillies not being able to continue at this level. Their rotation is shaky for sure. And, which Brad Lidge will show this September???
blazon
July 27th, 2009
4:11 pm
Shamus Thacker…
Cole Porter liked them too…
“So please be sweet, my chickadee, and when I kiss ya, just say to me
It’s delightful, it’s delicious, it’s delectable, it’s delirious,
It’s dilemma, it’s de limit, it’s deluxe, it’s de-lovely “
McFann ;Ô;
July 27th, 2009
4:11 pm
Shamus–
Chickadee babies are some of the brattiest baby birds! They’re so loud and so funny…just love ‘em!
Cedar Waxwings are very beautiful–their feathers are so smooth! We saw hundreds in some berry bushes in front of a book store once. That was something else!
McFann ;Ô;
July 27th, 2009
4:13 pm
THWG–
Thanks!
I was swimming at the summer league state swim meet and a photographer got a perfect picture of me diving into the water. Fun stuff, really.
Hey, that’s cool! Fun stuff for sure.
Piedmont Blues (ex-BFIR)
July 27th, 2009
4:13 pm
Wayne, ncscoots,
Lidge has shown indications that he hasn’t completely buried the guy who occupied his body in Houston. He’s had a couple of serious meltdowns this year. Maybe all that good karma he had in 2008 will even out …
THWG
July 27th, 2009
4:15 pm
McFann-
I especially like the lineup board photo. Where did you see that, anyway?
Wayne in Utah
July 27th, 2009
4:17 pm
Did Dave come on yesterday and give a run down on the HOF ceremonies? I heard Rickey was very un-Ricky like. I think that’s great!
RHR
July 27th, 2009
4:18 pm
Hey Heath – where has our centerpiece of the triangle been? Did you scare her away?
Nova Scotia Steve
July 27th, 2009
4:19 pm
ncscoots…
boy are they (Phillies) playing good baseball now tho…wow. Scary.
Meanwhile the Cubs are very very hot as well…There’s a lot of good/decent team in the NL this year…more than normal.
Phillies/Cards/Houston/Braves/Giants/Dodgers/Cubs/Rockies/Marlins
Wayne in Utah
July 27th, 2009
4:20 pm
Who is the elder statesman still living in the HOF? Stan Musial? Yogi Berra?
RHR
July 27th, 2009
4:21 pm
Oh there she is. Hey girl hey.
Vinings Jim
July 27th, 2009
4:21 pm
RHR – someone’s been keeping her busy – sorry.
PWHjort
July 27th, 2009
4:22 pm
Let’s go! They’re running out of Whisky!
Wayne in Utah
July 27th, 2009
4:23 pm
NS Steve
A puzzling thing to me is how the Cub’s GM still has his job after signing Milton Bradley! I would love to be a fly on the wall of Lou Pinella’s office!
RHR
July 27th, 2009
4:23 pm
Can’t y’all spend time together here on the blog?
The Love Child of Dale Murphy and Johnny Cash
July 27th, 2009
4:24 pm
Wayne,
I believe it’s Bob Feller.
Chucktown Brave
July 27th, 2009
4:25 pm
Heath
It is relevant because in all 3 of those contests, the game could have been drastically altered if we had scored maybe 1 more run. How? Because in the loss to the mets, we were only down 2-1 going into the 9th… to the giants, we were tied 1-1 in the 8th… and to the brewers, were down 2-0 in the 8th. If we could have gotten a second run in all 3 of those games, we would have been tied in 2 of the ballgames while taking the lead in the other (all of them in the 8th or 9th inning). Anything could happen at those points in the game. So to answer your question about the relevance of scoring more than 1 run, it is important because Soriano or Gonzalez may have gotten the ball instead of Acosta/Logan.
cabravesfan
July 27th, 2009
4:25 pm
RHR-
Hi
I see you and LT have been having an interesting discussion 
I’m attempting to actually work today- failing miserably so far
Wayne in Utah
July 27th, 2009
4:26 pm
Love Child
Thanks! That would be correct for sure.
Wayne in Utah
July 27th, 2009
4:26 pm
Later folks. Go Gwinnett Braves!
Vinings Jim
July 27th, 2009
4:28 pm
RHR – we did on Saturday (or was it Friday) – yesterday I was out and about most of the day, so I was not to blame for her absence. And tonight’s my last night time class for at least a couple of weeks, so she should be here. (wow, I’m almost beginning to believe this entire fantasy I am concocting). Next thing you know, I’ll tell you she just went to lunch.
RHR
July 27th, 2009
4:28 pm
Heh. Yeah I’m actually trying to break my record for doing as little as possible today. It’s pretty slow around here this time of the month so I’m actually doing all the work I have in between my multitude of comments.
The Love Child of Dale Murphy and Johnny Cash
July 27th, 2009
4:29 pm
By the way, if Jim Rice is a HOF’er, how in the hell is Dale Murphy not?!?!?!
McFann ;Ô;
July 27th, 2009
4:31 pm
THWG–
Uh…It was…well, let’s seem you walk in, turn…left…it was on a brick wall, behind some of the first seats near the entrance, I think…
Wish I woulda taken a photo from further back–then maybe I’d be able to recall exactly where it was. Sorry ’bout this…
ncscoots
July 27th, 2009
4:31 pm
There’s a lot of good/decent team in the NL this year…more than normal.
Yeah, but something will happen to one or more teams to take them out of contention. The aberration would be that not happening. Giants’ pitching no longer overcomes their offensive woes, Phillies’ pitching comes back to earth, Marlins remember that they are the Marlins, things like that, LOL.
162 exposes every flaw, eventually, and teams either find ways to compensate or don’t. See which teams are still standing after the dog days, and then we can start thinking about the scoreboard watching. Assuming, of course, that the Braves themselves survive those same dog days, LOL.
THWG
July 27th, 2009
4:32 pm
That’s cool. I’ve been to probably 3 or 4 G-Braves games and I haven’t seen it. Pretty cool. I guess I’m not the most attentive person ever.
Shamus Thacker
July 27th, 2009
4:33 pm
I’ve photographed birds, butterflies, wildflowers, wildlife, landscapes, cityscapes, old barns, beautiful old homes, and pretty much everything in-between, for many, many, years.
Got rave reviews for some weddings too, but when you get paid, the hobby turns into a job. I’ve been offered some pretty staggering sums for the time required to attend rehearsal and wedding, Turned them all down since 2002. Last one I did was at Clermont House in Rome, a large Victorian abode built by a Civil War General, later converted to bed-and-breakfast. The house actually has secret/hidden passages and stairways for servants. I used those during the ceremony and reception to move about unnoticed. I’d be at the top of the grand staircase one moment, at the bottom the next during the ceremony. Got bride from back, then front, as she came down stairs. Felt like I’d played football afterwards. lol
I didn’t intend to write an autobiography, just turned out that way. Now, should I delete it?????
WTF……
Piedmont Blues (ex-BFIR)
July 27th, 2009
4:34 pm
ncscoots,
One reason I think the Braves can keep winning (though probably not at a .727 clip) is that — other than Prado and Ross — no one in the lineup is having a career season. Church is clearly an upgrade over Francoeur. McLouth is putting together the sort of production you might have optimistically expected before the season from Schafer. Everybody else is producing as expected, with KJ and Norton in fact underperforming.
The offense may be enough to support the pitching after all.
Carroll Rogers
July 27th, 2009
4:37 pm
Thanks for keeping things firing today….DOB and I are both traveling and have things going, so it’s good to know you guys can hold down the fort on an off day…..
I did have a chance to talk to Frank for an off day story I’m doing. He’s listening and talking to other clubs but things are pretty quiet right now, as he said “nothing is immiment, or on the front burner.” I got the impression from talking to him that if anything, a small move here or there, maybe to add a bullpen arm, but nothing big. As for Vazquez plus Huddy = pitching surplus come late August, he said that’s a good problem to have. and if anything, they’ll address that in the offseason.
I asked him if we might see Heyward up before the end of the year, and he said: “We just let young players play. There are no plans to promote him to AAA or the big leagues, but with our young players, we let them play until they tell us they need to get up here.”
Got to work on the story but just wanted to check in.
cphizzle
July 27th, 2009
4:37 pm
yep church sure is an upgrade specially with frenchy hitting over 300 with 2 hrs and 14 rbis…church has got 7 walks woo…hoo…
Piedmont Blues (ex-BFIR)
July 27th, 2009
4:38 pm
Love Child,
Rice may have been the most feared RH hitter in the AL for more than a decade, beginning with his rookie season. Murph had four great years, three other good years, and the rest of the time was erratic. Murph was a better outfielder than Rice, but he never struck fear into opposing pitchers the way Rice did.
Piedmont Blues (ex-BFIR)
July 27th, 2009
4:40 pm
cphizzle,
And since the trade, Frenchy’s team has collapsed and the Church’s has made a run at the wild card. I’ll take that deal.
Fish Bisch
July 27th, 2009
4:41 pm
Hey BOD and C-Rod, where’s the new blog? I crave Marlin statistics.
Rob from SC
July 27th, 2009
4:41 pm
Wren is being careful about putting pressure on Heyward
Mo Bandy
July 27th, 2009
4:42 pm
Do I hear Frank Wren’s phone ringing? Is that a call from Mississippi?
ncscoots
July 27th, 2009
4:43 pm
no one in the lineup is having a career season.
True, that. Though July might be disguised as a career month, for a few guys, LOL. And right now ALL of them are hitting.
Just have to keep 4 or 5 guys going at one time, that’s all. Doesn’t have to be the same guys in August or September, just as long as enough guys are hitting enough. To, as you say, support the pitching.
Go back to the game logs in ‘93, and, even during that run down the stretch, the Braves had some guys who weren’t going well offensively. But, they had enough guys who were, and that’s what counts.
cphizzle
July 27th, 2009
4:43 pm
piedmont the mets have d wright and frenchy and that is it they cant hit and pitch to…now church on the other hand plays every now and then and draws a couple of walks no way is he responsible for the teams recent hot streak.
RHR
July 27th, 2009
4:45 pm
Shamus – I love photography. What kind of camera did you use when you were doing it professionally? I’ve been obsessing over which SLR camera I want for like a year now, reading reviews, looking at sample shots, I still don’t know.
Piedmont Blues (ex-BFIR)
July 27th, 2009
4:45 pm
cphizzle,
So you’d rather have Francoeur?
McFann ;Ô;
July 27th, 2009
4:46 pm
THWG–
I didn’t see it, either until we were leaving…Dad had seen it when he got up get a soda, I think, and he showed us on the way out. It is somewhat hidden.
Shamus I’ve photographed birds, butterflies, wildflowers, wildlife, landscapes, cityscapes, old barns, beautiful old homes, and pretty much everything in-between, for many, many, years.
That’s cool…photography cann be so rewarding. Well, I just use a little digital camera, but still…
but when you get paid, the hobby turns into a job.
Hmm…that’s annoying.
Mo Bandy
July 27th, 2009
4:49 pm
So Omar Minaya has to go to ownership to fire his assistant? Is Omar in charge, or not?
DAP
July 27th, 2009
4:49 pm
peidmontMurph was a better outfielder than Rice, but he never struck fear into opposing pitchers the way Rice did.
i think you ruined that post with the word “never”. in 82-83 murphy was the best player in the NL, and went on after that to hit 36. 37. 29 and 44 homers in the following 4 years. rice may not have had the drop off at the end that murphy had (in toher words, rice was constant for longer), but id say in the seasons between 1980-1987, dale murphy was every bit as imposing to pitchers as jim rice ever was.
Roman Gal
July 27th, 2009
4:49 pm
Everyone loves girls who are not afraid to frolic LOL. Count de Monet
Haha…that’s good to know.
Piedmont Blues (ex-BFIR)
July 27th, 2009
4:49 pm
ncscoots,
Yes, July could be an illusion …
What I like is that Heap has an 0-for-6 and we still score nine runs. Chipper takes a day off and we score 10. You’re right, if five or six guys (any five or six guys) are hitting most days, there’s a great chance of winning.
cphizzle
July 27th, 2009
4:50 pm
id rather have frenchy than church yes sir call me crazy
PWHjort
July 27th, 2009
4:50 pm
cphizzle,
You’re crazy.
Roman Gal
July 27th, 2009
4:50 pm
I knew you’d be all over that. RHR
It never ends, I tell you!! People still don’t know how to spell Andruw’s name…
Steve from OH
July 27th, 2009
4:51 pm
id rather have frenchy than church yes sir call me crazy
Crazy.
AndyC
July 27th, 2009
4:52 pm
Wayne in Utah
I agree completely that if you have an effective offensive you can afford to have a below average offensive first basemen if he is gold glove caliber defensively. Right now we have that scenario with the Braves but when the team is struggling offensively it hurts to have a less effective hitter in the lineup.
As far as the plus/minus comparison for first basemen. I am sure that Kotch has saved the Braves several runs during the course of the season, but does that make up for his lower RBI output…I don’t know.
Roman Gal
July 27th, 2009
4:52 pm
(my Logan says to tell you hello!) Wayne
Is he a Logan Schafer fan?
cphizzle
July 27th, 2009
4:52 pm
ahhh you guyzzzz i knew it was coming
Roman Gal
July 27th, 2009
4:53 pm
“It was still a hefty package, although the Braves fended off the Rangers’ efforts to acquire pitcher Tommy Hanson or center fielder Jordan Shafer.” Steve from OH
And that’s why I don’t freak out about the trade like some other people do…
RHR
July 27th, 2009
4:54 pm
Just wait til Ryan Dion Furstenberg gets to the show.
Roman Gal
July 27th, 2009
4:54 pm
Fans in other cities aren`t as nice as the ones we have here.
Well, this is the South, afterall…all that “Southern Hospitality” stuff ain’t made up!
RHR
July 27th, 2009
4:55 pm
Ryan Dion VON Furstenberg even.
Piedmont Blues (ex-BFIR)
July 27th, 2009
4:56 pm
(Hope this isn’t a double post)
I dunno, DAP, Rice was a beast. Murph was a joy to watch — and he deserved those MVPs — but during the early-to-mid-80s, I would argue that Jack Clark and Pedro Guerrero were more feared at the plate than Murphy.
Also, for better or worse, the Hall does tend to value players who were dominant over their entire careers above those who stayed in the game long after they passed their peak.
Mo Bandy
July 27th, 2009
4:57 pm
cphizzle
Do you think that if Jeff had stayed with the Braves, he would have been better off for his career? I am thinking that the change was needed if he is ever going to become a decent ML player. He just seemed to be too stubborned.
Steve from OH
July 27th, 2009
4:57 pm
And that’s why I don’t freak out about the trade like some other people do…
Ditto.
boutTHATmouf
July 27th, 2009
4:57 pm
I live in tennessee and i visite iowa a few weeks back and i couldnt get over how rude people were there
Rob from SC
July 27th, 2009
4:57 pm
Carroll, Has Frank Wren not been looking at the Mississippi box scores. Jason Heyward is making that statement as I type this.
BossLady
July 27th, 2009
4:57 pm
BravesFaninWIS, I loved that O’Flaherty comment, I screamed in my office
Roman Gal
July 27th, 2009
4:58 pm
If he ever tried that stunt with the D-Braves, RSF would show him no mercy… Steve from OH
You got that right! Riaan Spanjer-Furstenburg doesn’t take anyone’s crap…mostly because he can take anyone at anytime without even breaking a sweat.
YE19
July 27th, 2009
4:58 pm
DOB,
Does Chuck James do toilets, or only windows?
Seriously, I know he was non-tendered over the winter, but does anyone know how CJ’s rehab from shoulder surgery is coming? It’s been almost a year since the September surgery. Would be nice if he could get his career back on track – Thought he might be the next Glavine the way he pitched throughout the minors and during his first ML season.
cabravesfan
July 27th, 2009
4:59 pm
VJ-
keep dreaming, my friend
Shamus Thacker
July 27th, 2009
4:59 pm
RHR: I used a Cannon EOS A2e with eye-controlled auto-focus. I could focus on any part of the frame by means of an infrared beam, inside the viewfinder, that detected pupil alignment. It was/is an awesome piece of equipment, though not digital. I used “Kodak 160 Pro” portrait film for weddings. That film was unbelievable for texture and subtle contrast in difficult lighting situations.
Steve from OH
July 27th, 2009
5:00 pm
Carroll, Has Frank Wren not been looking at the Mississippi box scores. Jason Heyward is making that statement as I type this.
I didn’t know there was a secton in the box score for personal statements…I wonder what Brandon Hicks’ look like? Maybe something like M—–F—- another G#@D#@n 0-5 I’m never gonna be a big-leaguer!
RHR
July 27th, 2009
5:00 pm
Well he certainly can’t take MFIKY. I hope he doesn’t try. For your sake.
ncscoots
July 27th, 2009
5:00 pm
Piedmont Blues, exactly. Whether you win 5-2 or 10-2, still counts as one W. As long as the team doesn’t get into one of those funks where three runs is a breakout, LOL, they have a chance. We’re agreed.
Vinings Jim
July 27th, 2009
5:00 pm
cabravesfan – you lost count? I suspect Tom hasn’t, and can bring you up to date when he returns (which, based on his most recent missive, will be the weekend the Braves are in LA). Of course, the count is only about quantity, not quality.
RHR
July 27th, 2009
5:01 pm
Thanks Shamus, I finally sold my old film camera, it was a Canon and I’m pretty sure I’ll go with a Canon again…just not sure which model.
Alright – I’m outta here, good evening all.
DAP
July 27th, 2009
5:02 pm
piedmontAlso, for better or worse, the Hall does tend to value players who were dominant over their entire careers above those who stayed in the game long after they passed their peak.
that i understand, and im not at all saying that murph was better than rice or that he deserves to be in the hall if rice gets in, i just think you paint with too broad a brush when you say that murphy NEVER scared pitchers the way jim rice did. i believe thats incorrect.
cabravesfan
July 27th, 2009
5:04 pm
VJ-
if Tom ever returns to civilization we can talk…and who said it was only about quantity?
TnBrian
July 27th, 2009
5:04 pm
If Wren isn’t planning on making any big trades then I’m with him. The team is good enough to get to the playoffs as it is. No sense on trading a young player or two for another rental.
ncscoots
July 27th, 2009
5:05 pm
MO-Fickee! That’s what I’m talkin’ about, LOL.
“Go ahead, get in the box. Better to die quick than to think about it ahead of time.” – a typical MFIKY pre-pitch thought
Roman Gal
July 27th, 2009
5:08 pm
Just wait til Ryan Dion Furstenberg gets to the show. RHR
I actually think it’s funny when people misspell his name…especially Shamus, who never spells his name the same way twice.
PWHjort
July 27th, 2009
5:08 pm
Oh. My. God. Omar Minaya said the reporter who broke the story about Bernazard trying to fight minor leaguers did so because he wanted Bernazard’s job. The Mets are such a joke. It’s laughable at this point. Over/Under 10 weeks before Minaya is fired?
Vinings Jim
July 27th, 2009
5:11 pm
cabravesfan – just saying that adding another side to the polygon was becoming as simple as addressing one post in your general direction, and then said personage would claim the role of the newest side. I guess the Geometry teacher in me just wants to point out that the polygon is definitely not equilateral.
Mo Bandy
July 27th, 2009
5:14 pm
That was a tough call for Minaya, because Bernazard was his boy. Omar is not long for his job, in my opinion.
Rob from SC
July 27th, 2009
5:14 pm
What did O’Flaherty say
Rob from SC
July 27th, 2009
5:15 pm
Mets won’t win anything until they clean house throughout the entire organization.
ncscoots
July 27th, 2009
5:16 pm
That was a tough call for Minaya, because Bernazard was his boy. Omar is not long for his job, in my opinion.
Might be too much machismo in the front office, and not enough in the clubhouse.
cabravesfan
July 27th, 2009
5:16 pm
Math Major, it is definitely my call on who gets which side…it is in your best interest to be nice to me
Mo Bandy
July 27th, 2009
5:17 pm
O’Flaherty said that people from SC were not to be told what he said.
Heath
July 27th, 2009
5:17 pm
cabravesfan -
You going to any of the games in LA?
Fred
July 27th, 2009
5:18 pm
DOB, If you need a plumber, call Donald at 770-318-1109. He did a great job installing a new hot water heater for us and his prices are excellent. Also, I live in Dekalb county, and when I replaced an old toilet with a new “low-flow” version, the county gave us a $100 rebate (the toilet and installation cost about $250). Good luck.
Nova Scotia Steve
July 27th, 2009
5:18 pm
So what games are we interested in tonight folks…anyone going to be blogging?
Shamus Thacker
July 27th, 2009
5:18 pm
McFann, though I’ve studied photography from an early age, I never wanted it to be my job. I love the creative end artistic end. I love just hitting the road in search of something unusual. I’ve watched many a sunset from some pretty breathtaking locations. Most of the time a beautiful sunset never materializes, but when it does, I wouldn’t take all the money for all the weddings in all the world to miss it. The weddings I did were always on weekends. It ate-up all my spare, non-working, time, and I was making enough money anyway. The money end (of photography) was taking away from the fun end; anyone who knows me knows that’s not something I’ll tolerate…
dogsbrekky
July 27th, 2009
5:19 pm
Wayne (UT) – back in the big rainy city so got us the mega millions ticket
Tues night nos = 2 5 10 29 39 23 $60 Millsky
Wed night NY lotto = 2 9 13 23 31 39 and 7 14 22 49 55 56
cabravesfan
July 27th, 2009
5:20 pm
Heath-
I’ve already got my tickets for Saturday night, thinking of going on Sunday also…we will see if I can find affordable tickets
Mo Bandy
July 27th, 2009
5:20 pm
And Mr. O’Brien, if you or that purty girl Carroll needs a good clean used car, you can call Junior at BR-549.
cdog
July 27th, 2009
5:21 pm
please don’t be sucked by kelly johnson having a good day he will cost you more games than he will win for you. he is a loser
Billy Mays
July 27th, 2009
5:22 pm
Get your cheap game tickets at Stub Hub!
Mo Bandy
July 27th, 2009
5:23 pm
Am I supposed to listen to advice given by a blogger who calls himself cdog?
Rob from SC
July 27th, 2009
5:23 pm
Mo Bandy
I don’t like SC either
RC
July 27th, 2009
5:23 pm
I just saw Heyward’s stats at Mississippi after the weekend: .422/.506/.734. It’s only been about 60 at-bats, and I REALLY don’t want them to rush him, but if this keeps up I’d say Heyward is screaming for a callup.
Freeman’s doing really well also.
Rob from SC
July 27th, 2009
5:26 pm
Remember whn th Angels called up K-Rod with about 20 games left in the season, and he was a major reason why they won the World Series. Maybe Jason Heyward can do the same thing for us
Vinings Jim
July 27th, 2009
5:26 pm
CBF – I suspect that is always in my best interest.
Mo Bandy
July 27th, 2009
5:27 pm
RC
We don’t need no players screaming in the Braves dugout. We should send him back to Danville so he can learn to quit that screaming.