Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
4,215 comments Add your comment
DS1
January 11th, 2012
4:05 pm
Lollygagger
Bingo!
Lollygagger
January 11th, 2012
4:05 pm
Coincidentally, there’s a 100% chance that my work productivity has taken a hit this afternoon.
I blame the Braves’ dull offseason for this, as I feel the need to check in every little while in hopes of some news. Any news.
DS1
January 11th, 2012
4:06 pm
nolie
I wonder how many under 30 folks have ever heard the saying……….
Hillbilly
January 11th, 2012
4:08 pm
DS1, Well I’m 32 and when nolie posted it, my mind went straight to the Ronnie Milsap song Pure Love instead of the ivory soap commercial…so there you go.
nolie
January 11th, 2012
4:08 pm
yup been a while since they ran that ad for years back in the day
MFin04
January 11th, 2012
4:08 pm
“Maybe it was just my perception, but it sure seemed like we had more failed hit and runs last year.”
Yes, it may not be that there were more failed hit and runs last year, it definitely seemed like it, but when they failed it was blatantly obvious. Like guys were only half way or two-thirds to 2nd when the ball got to the base.
“Bourn runs about one-third of the time when he reaches base, over his career. What do you propose that the 2 hitter does the other two-thirds of the time? Scratch”
Prado just did not seem comfortable hitting with Bourn on in front of him. Not sure what it was, but it is definitely something to be worked on if he is hitting 2nd again.
Hillbilly
January 11th, 2012
4:09 pm
But my point remains the same…. Why not 99 and 11/25ths?
nolie
January 11th, 2012
4:09 pm
Milsap likely got it from the Ivory ads
DS1
January 11th, 2012
4:09 pm
Youngun!
Efrim
January 11th, 2012
4:10 pm
Keith Law analyzed the Ryan Madson deal for the Reds. The last paragraph was the fun part:
The big losers here are the Phillies, whose rash overpayment to Papelbon (four years, $50 million) looks absolutely comical in light of every relief signing and trade that has come along since then. Signing relievers to four-year deals is madness in most circumstances, and Papelbon isn’t the elite closer to justify an exception to that rule, and the market has otherwise scoffed at reliever contracts of that length. Looking ahead to 2013, the Phillies have committed more than $100 million to just six players, assuming Roy Halladay’s contract option vests, a list that doesn’t include potential free agents Cole Hamels and Shane Victorino. And the attempted justification for the loss of the Phils’ first-round pick for Papelbon — that they would get a first-rounder back after losing Madson — was destroyed by the new CBA. They’ll get a sandwich pick and a second-rounder instead, leaving them worse off in this year’s draft after several major trades have left their system very thin above Class A.
Hillbilly
January 11th, 2012
4:11 pm
Youngun!
But old enough to bring in Milsap. Partial credit?
Jimmy
January 11th, 2012
4:12 pm
“Looking ahead to 2013, the Phillies have committed more than $100 million to just six players, assuming Roy Halladay’s contract option vests”
Wow. Just wow.
Efrim
January 11th, 2012
4:12 pm
I think Cole Hamels is a goner after this season. He’ll want Sabathia money on the open market and I think the only team willing to give him such….well, is the team that gave it to Sabathia.
Also, I know Hamels is a Southern Cali dude, but given that the Padres have no money, the Angels spent so much this winter, I find it hard to believe he’d go there. But….if a Dodger owner comes into play with big dollars, he could go there. I do not see him re-signing with Philly.
nolie
January 11th, 2012
4:12 pm
Prado did not seen comfortable or strong the entire time after he got back from that infection. he didn’t do much of anything well.
Maybe we will see this year if that was the entire reason or if you are right about him being uncomfortable
Bat Masterson
January 11th, 2012
4:13 pm
“Maybe it was just my perception, but it sure seemed like we had more failed hit and runs last year.”
At the beginning of the season there was a lot of radio commentary about failed hit and run attempts. I seem to remember a lot of bunts, too.
Efrim
January 11th, 2012
4:14 pm
Jeff Fisher going to the Phins is great news for my Niners.
Brave Fan
January 11th, 2012
4:14 pm
If Chipper were totally candid he would have said he did pretty well last year considering the fact that he couldn’t run the bases, play D with any range, bend over to catch any grounders other than big easy hops, or run out any infield grounders.
Great player that’ll be in the HOF. I have enjoyed watching him over the years but father time does not play favorites. Neither should the Braves!
nolie
January 11th, 2012
4:15 pm
because they used percentages and that was a simpler time?
BravoMan
January 11th, 2012
4:15 pm
It’s all down hill for the Phillies after this year mark my words.
nolie
January 11th, 2012
4:16 pm
bull
DS1
January 11th, 2012
4:16 pm
It all started in 1881 when Harley Procter, son of Procter & Gamble co-founder William Procter and a legendary soap salesman in his own right, decided he needed a new angle to hawk Ivory soap. Then as now people were impressed by scientific testimonials, and Harley decided if he could come up with a lab test showing Ivory was “purer” than other soaps, he’d win sales.
Trouble was, there wasn’t a standard for purity in soap, so Harley hired an independent scientific consultant in New York to concoct one. The consultant concluded that a 100% pure soap would consist of nothing but fatty acids and alkali, the somewhat yukky sounding substances that nonetheless are the chief ingredients of most soap.
That definition having been arrived at, Harley sent out some Ivory Soap for analysis and compared it with earlier analyses he’d had done of castile soap, regarded at the time as the best soap available. He was gratified to discover that by his consultant’s definition, Ivory soap was purer than the castile soaps. The impurities consisted of uncombined alkali, 0.11%; carbonates, 0.28%; and mineral matter, 0.17%. Total: 0.56%. Thinking that “99 and 44/100% pure” had just the right touch of technical authenticity to appeal to the great unwashed, so to speak, Harley began sticking the phrase in Ivory advertisements, and another classic marketing slogan was born.
your welcome………
raleighbravefan
January 11th, 2012
4:16 pm
I enjoy the discussions about the Braves, BBQ, and assorted topics of the day. The different points of view are interesting and informative. I also like the fact that a feel a friendly connection with all of you. I even enjoy the friendly repartee, and find the level of wit to be pretty high here. I think we all even enjoy “poking the lion” once in a while, and kid each other, like you would a friend or brother. On my part, it’s all intended to be in good fun and friendship, even if I strongly disagree with you.
The problem…when the fun stops…is when one or more take themselves too seriously, or become offended/angered by something another says (often mis-spoken or mis-understood). These blog fueds are no fun, and I usually tune out until they end.
That said, I think we all benefit from the collective knowledge and point of view offered by so many from different backgrounds, geography, stages of life, and life experience. I appreciate you all, and it’s my priveledge to consider you my friends.
Efrim
January 11th, 2012
4:16 pm
Nothing would make me happier than to see Prado kill it this year and the Braves sign him to a four year deal with him taking over for Chipper at third base in 2013(provided Chipper doesn’t return).
Haven’t seen enough good from Salcedo and am very skeptical on Terdoslavich and Drury – all of which are our 3rd base prospects in the minors.
MFin04
January 11th, 2012
4:16 pm
“Maybe we will see this year if that was the entire reason or if you are right about him being uncomfortable”
Agreed. He didn’t look comfortable at the plate period. I think it will be good to have Bourn hitting first in Spring Training, and getting guys used to hitting with him on in front of them.
Lollygagger
January 11th, 2012
4:17 pm
Efrim-
I think that’s another of the many reasons Wren is so reluctant to give up any of Braves’ AA or AAA prospects in trades…I think there is a general feeling that the Phillies’ window is about to close because the MLB team is getting long in the tooth and the farm system is depleted from recent trades. Wren probably feels like the Braves will be rising with a young team in a year or two, while the Phillies will be stumbling and rebuilding. Braves could again regain control of NL East for a few years if it works out that way. Course a few good draft picks or trades to replenish the farm for Phillies could change that in a hurry again.
DS1
January 11th, 2012
4:17 pm
As a friend, partial credit is allowed.
Efrim
January 11th, 2012
4:17 pm
The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports that Saints SS Roman Harper is dealing with a “significant” ankle injury.
We. Can. Win.
nolie
January 11th, 2012
4:19 pm
cool Wayne, I remember that development in 1881 pretty well considering…….
Efrim
January 11th, 2012
4:20 pm
Lolly, while I will agree that there are some warning signs for the Phils, I really think that any team with a 175 million dollar payroll will always be good. It would take a catastraphic mismanagement for them to be bad. I think they will slowly come down from the mid-high 90’s in win totals to the low-90’s. But that’s still going to be a really good team, imo.
They do have a poor farm system High-A and above, but the lower levels has some upside talent so we’ll see. I won’t ever count them out.
ncscoots
January 11th, 2012
4:21 pm
Maybe we will see this year if that was the entire reason or if you are right about him being uncomfortable
My hope is that he’ll take Chipper’s approach to hitting 2: look for a fat pitch to hammer. If Bourn runs, he runs.
Bay Area Steve
January 11th, 2012
4:21 pm
“a lot of radio commentary about failed hit and run attempts”
I’m telling you guys, announcers (even the former players) call everything a hit-and-run. If a guy is stealing, and the batter swings: hit-and-run. I really think the 3-2 decision is a separate issue from forcing guys to swing in advantageous counts (1-1, 2-1, 3-1). Maybe I’m the only one. I guess, in both situations, the guy at the dish has to put the ball in play.
Let’s all agree, please, that making outs on the bases (with all we know now) is frustrating as all get out.
DAP
January 11th, 2012
4:21 pm
ChattTownBrian SS is an unknown, obivousy
um…didnt you just post what the numbers will be at the end of the 2012 season? what, your crystal ball doesnt work on rookies?
DS1
January 11th, 2012
4:22 pm
raleigh
Now, if we are such good friends, why have I never seen you out here at Leavenworth on visiting days?
It gets very lonely on the cell block……………….
nolie
January 11th, 2012
4:22 pm
BTW MF04. I gotta give you some props for much more interesting and reasonable posts than at one time
Jimmy
January 11th, 2012
4:23 pm
Hey raleighbravefan, Shut up…you looser maroon.
nolie
January 11th, 2012
4:25 pm
no boy friends in stir Wayne???
BravoMan
January 11th, 2012
4:25 pm
Who are we voting for in 2012 presidential election if you don’t mind me asking?
keylargo
January 11th, 2012
4:25 pm
I think the Ivory 99 & 44/100 pure people took quite an advertising hit when it went public that one of the biggest porn stars ever (Marilyn Chambers) picture was on the front of the box.
DS1
January 11th, 2012
4:26 pm
BAS
The ones that get to me are the ones where the runner gets thrown out by a half a mile. Now that was a botched hit and run, I’d think.
It just seemed to me that we saw more of that and also a lot more bunting early in the game. Which I am not very fond of unless it’s the pitcher.
DAP
January 11th, 2012
4:26 pm
scoots as well as hit the increased number of strikes that are thrown.
Myth.
is it really a myth that most pitchers throw more fastballs with a base stealer on?
Jimmy
January 11th, 2012
4:26 pm
nolie – did I pick up last year that you were a former scout?
Brave Fan
January 11th, 2012
4:26 pm
Hit and run attempts had nothing to do with Prados problems after Bourn arrived. He had Staph and had to start over without a spring training. He didn’t get it back but he’ll be fine this year. Besides, Bourn is too quick and too good of a stealer to waste swings in a hit and run anyway. You hit and run when guys need the protection b/c they can’t straight steal.
Efrim
January 11th, 2012
4:27 pm
Phillies will have 94 million invested in Ryan Howard(34), Roy Halladay(37), Cliff Lee(36), Jimmy Rollins(36) and Jonathan Papelbon(34) for the 2014 season, provided Halladay’s options vests – ages in parentheses.
richbrave
January 11th, 2012
4:27 pm
keylargo
January 11th, 2012
4:25 pm
I think the Ivory 99 & 44/100 pure people took quite an advertising hit when it went public that one of the biggest porn stars ever (Marilyn Chambers) picture was on the front of the box.
Huh? Whose box was she hung on the front of?
Tomahawkin (The Godfather)
January 11th, 2012
4:27 pm
Give Me Raul Ibanez on a 1 Year 4-5 mill deal….Can’t be no Worse than Loaf?
Lollygagger
January 11th, 2012
4:28 pm
while I will agree that there are some warning signs for the Phils, I really think that any team with a 175 million dollar payroll will always be good.
Very true. Money doesn’t fix everything, but it sure helps a lot!
DS1
January 11th, 2012
4:28 pm
BravoMan
Now that one will get you into a little trouble around here………..
nolie
Too many, since I’m such a hunk!
Bay Area Steve
January 11th, 2012
4:28 pm
“the runner gets thrown out by a half a mile”
I think, almost without exception, this is when a non-basestealer is sent with two strikes to stay out of the double-play. And, Fredi (like many) does it with a K-prone hitter, and against top K pitchers. Quite irritating.
ncscoots
January 11th, 2012
4:28 pm
I’m telling you guys, announcers (even the former players) call everything a hit-and-run. If a guy is stealing, and the batter swings: hit-and-run.
If the runner looks in, I’d consider the possibility that it’s a hit-and-run. If he doesn’t, he’s stealing.
I’m with you on this, it’s the most mischaracterized action in the game.
nolie
January 11th, 2012
4:30 pm
voted # 6 all time porn star AND a vice presidential candidate . which is worse???
Sopheee
January 11th, 2012
4:30 pm
Who are we voting for in 2012 presidential election if you don’t mind me asking?
Tim Tebow
Bat Masterson
January 11th, 2012
4:31 pm
I appreciate you all, and it’s my priveledge to consider you my friends. _ raleighbravefan
Considering all the basement dwellers here you can truly claim to have friends in low places. Right back at you, ralieghbf.
DS1
January 11th, 2012
4:31 pm
@DAP is it really a myth that most pitchers throw more fastballs with a base stealer on?
Not a myth when Pudge was catching.
nolie
January 11th, 2012
4:33 pm
supposedly Bourn didn’t need to look in, he had the go sign at all times
DAP
January 11th, 2012
4:34 pm
bravoman, that would be a pretty clear violation of the rules of the blog.
richbrave
January 11th, 2012
4:35 pm
Tomahawkin (The Godfather)
January 11th, 2012
4:27 pm
Give Me Raul Ibanez on a 1 Year 4-5 mill deal….Can’t be no Worse than Loaf?
I like IBANEZ. He’s hard-down with his boots laced tight when it counts.
raleighbravefan
January 11th, 2012
4:35 pm
As expected, you guys have made me laugh.
keylargo
January 11th, 2012
4:35 pm
RichBrave
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marilyn_Chambers
nolie
January 11th, 2012
4:35 pm
depends on the pitcher, Mad Dog didn’t
raleighbravefan
January 11th, 2012
4:36 pm
DAP – a “clear violation of the rules”, indeed. A “personal foul”, as it were.
raleighbravefan
January 11th, 2012
4:38 pm
Gone until tomorrow, my friends.
keylargo
January 11th, 2012
4:38 pm
voted # 6 all time porn star AND a vice presidential candidate .
I was at a party over the weekend and someone brought up Spiro Agnew. That was my tip to go home.
nolie
January 11th, 2012
4:38 pm
the first consideration should be getting the batter out
Jimmy
January 11th, 2012
4:40 pm
See ya tomorrow RBF.
MFin04
January 11th, 2012
4:40 pm
” I like IBANEZ. He’s hard-down with his boots laced tight when it counts.”
Take a look at his overall numbers…and half of that is in Philly. Pretty awful. His on base rivals A-Gon’s.
ncscoots
January 11th, 2012
4:40 pm
is it really a myth that most pitchers throw more fastballs with a base stealer on?
More “strikes”, the poster said (though he might have meants fastball, I guess). But most pitchers are going to pitch the hitter, not the base-runner. If your book says you get the guy out with change-ups or sliders, that’s what you’ll throw.
You futz with the baserunner by changing your timing, not with what you throw. If he’s picked up your delivery well enough, doesn’t matter what you throw, he’s going to get the bag. The idea is to not give him the anticipatory step. If you can make his first step reactive to your movement, instead, you have a good chance to get him on most pitches.
If pitchers were indeed focused on the runner rather than the guy with the stick, 2 hitters should, as a matter of course, have a better BA or OBP in situations where the speedy base-runner is on 1B. No data I’ve seen supports that notion.
(That doesn’t mean that some pitchers don’t lose focus on the important part of the equation, though. But I’d call that the exception, not the rule.)
nolie
January 11th, 2012
4:44 pm
U.S. Senate dedicated a bust of former Vice President Spiro Agnew. A 1896 resolution dictates that every former vice president is entitled to a bust in the Senate wing of the Capitol. The statue was finally commissioned in 1992 and cost taxpayers about $50,000. some were not happy about it considering
richbrave
January 11th, 2012
4:44 pm
Hey, since IVORY soap seems to be a popular subject today, he’s a quote from one of my fav movies about a competitor
Hey, don’t ‘oh sh**’ me, troop! The old man has me breaking-in another new Lieutenant and he looks like Palmolive-f***ing-soap! – HAMBURGER HILL
alexcox
January 11th, 2012
4:44 pm
no renunsiar a prado y si jj chiper conseguir su ultimo a|~o aver q da
BravePack
January 11th, 2012
4:45 pm
raleighbravefan
January 11th, 2012
4:16 pm
I enjoy the discussions about the Braves, BBQ, and assorted topics of the day. The different points of view are interesting and informative. I also like the fact that a feel a friendly connection with all of you. I even enjoy the friendly repartee, and find the level of wit to be pretty high here. I think we all even enjoy “poking the lion” once in a while, and kid each other, like you would a friend or brother. On my part, it’s all intended to be in good fun and friendship, even if I strongly disagree with you.
The problem…when the fun stops…is when one or more take themselves too seriously, or become offended/angered by something another says (often mis-spoken or mis-understood). These blog fueds are no fun, and I usually tune out until they end.
That said, I think we all benefit from the collective knowledge and point of view offered by so many from different backgrounds, geography, stages of life, and life experience. I appreciate you all, and it’s my priveledge to consider you my friends.
Kiss azz.
Well said and I agree wholeheartedly. To those of you I’ve offended with comments I apologize and would hope you didn’t take it too seriously. No hurt feelings or harm intended.
Arkansas Transplant
January 11th, 2012
4:45 pm
Now the hottest thing going is Ibanez?
nolie
January 11th, 2012
4:46 pm
el whatevero
MFin04
January 11th, 2012
4:47 pm
“But most pitchers are going to pitch the hitter, not the base-runner.”
I don’t know about that. Yes, they are going to go after the hitter, but the runner will have some effect on pitch selection. And perhaps there aren’t more strikes thrown, but definitely more fastballs, otherwise the pitcher is going to get killed with stolen bases on off-speed stuff.
DAP
January 11th, 2012
4:47 pm
scoots most pitchers are going to pitch the hitter, not the base-runner. If your book says you get the guy out with change-ups or sliders, that’s what you’ll throw.
You futz with the baserunner by changing your timing, not with what you throw.
yes, that makes sense. but, i have observed (dont kill me for it) pitchers changing things with a basestealer on. rushing delivery, slide step, whatever, that can make them more hittable sometimes. obviously, that just an every now and then kinda thing. but it happens.
Arkansas Transplant
January 11th, 2012
4:47 pm
I’ve been out most of the day, did I miss a heat discussion?
DS1
January 11th, 2012
4:47 pm
I think I will vote for Thomas Dewey!
richbrave
January 11th, 2012
4:49 pm
nolie:
OMG, ol’ THEODORE. Mr. “Nattering nabobs of negativism” himself. Used to keep an invite to the coronation of RICHARD MILHAUS and SPIRO hanging on the wall in my den to remind me just how stupid I was, and what a rotten bunch of crap politics is. AND…….I might add, it hasn’t gotten better over the past 40 years.
Jimmy
January 11th, 2012
4:49 pm
AT – yeah go back two pages when you get a chance. Page 12.
Arkansas Transplant
January 11th, 2012
4:50 pm
Jimmy, thanks.. I’ll have to take a look.
Jimmy
January 11th, 2012
4:50 pm
Talk later good folks.
keylargo
January 11th, 2012
4:51 pm
Among the things Spiro Agnew was charged with were extortion, tax fraud, bribery and conspiracy.
Do you think might have had an unlimited number of opportunities to take money for doing “favors?”
DS1
January 11th, 2012
4:51 pm
I’ve got a man repairing/replacing some soffit and fascia where the wind blew it off last month. Every time he makes some racket, the old pug starts howling.
I guess we’d be having a howling good time here, huh?
richbrave
January 11th, 2012
4:52 pm
DS!:
DEWEY? He won, it was in all the papers!
But then you wouldn’t have had the pleasure of enjoying HARRY “the buck stops here” S. foir another four years.
ncscoots
January 11th, 2012
4:53 pm
i have observed…pitchers changing things with a basestealer on
Humans. You cain’t do nothin with ‘em.
I’m not disagreeing that it happens, not at all. Just not to the extent that it becomes a significant factor. Or, at least, as significant as some of our contributors might think.
I have to admit it, but even pitchers can sometimes be stoopid, LOL.
Lollygagger
January 11th, 2012
4:53 pm
Red Soz just acquired Brad Emaus to back up 2B and 3B. Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that what Red Sox already have Mike Aviles for? If Sox are still looking for pitching, would a JJ for Aviles and prospects make sense for Braves?
Murph
January 11th, 2012
4:55 pm
I’ve decided I am no longer to evaluate players based on stats or their on-field performance.
From here on out I will be evaluating players by their Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 ranking. Naturally this means that most old guys will have poor rankings in Murph’s Scouting Bible, but they are old and probably aren’t good for much anyways.
DS1
January 11th, 2012
4:57 pm
Later folks…………
richbrave
January 11th, 2012
4:58 pm
Is today the “LOVE and KISSES’ edition on the old blog? – Dewey Oxburger STRIPES
richbrave
January 11th, 2012
5:00 pm
I’ll tell GIL you send your regards DS1. Later.
Jbailz
January 11th, 2012
5:01 pm
Efrim – We gotta win!!!! I’ve got my buddy who’s a HUGE Saints fan coming over and although he respects the Niners doesn’t think we have a snowballs chance to win it. I want to rub it in his face when Alex Smith throws for 250 with 3 TD’s and we win!
nolie
January 11th, 2012
5:03 pm
And perhaps there aren’t more strikes thrown, but definitely more fastballs, otherwise the pitcher is going to get killed with stolen bases on off-speed stuff….MF04
not as much as you think, again depending on the pitcher and what works best for him. Maddox never threw more fastballs and he is not the only one. Getting the hitter out is by far the biggest consideration. a guy with a mediocre fastball who uses it simply because a runner is on is likely to end up with two runners on. scoots had it pretty right.
ncscoots
January 11th, 2012
5:03 pm
but definitely more fastballs, otherwise the pitcher is going to get killed with stolen bases on off-speed stuff.
How many fastballs would you think a pitcher throws in a six-pitch AB with no baserunner? Now, how many more do you think he could throw in a six-pitch AB with a baserunner?
Lollygagger
January 11th, 2012
5:06 pm
Niners have great defense- but is it good enough to stop the Saints’ offense? Niners have to hope for a defensive battle, and that probably ain’t gonna happen with the Big Easy comin’ to town. I don’t know that I’d put a high percentage on SF winning that game. But hey, they play the game on the field with human beings, so you never know…
ncscoots
January 11th, 2012
5:06 pm
likely to end up with two runners on
…or two in.
nolie
January 11th, 2012
5:07 pm
a pitcher is as smart as his catcher since we have to tell them everything to do, even when they should scratch their arses
Patio Daddio
January 11th, 2012
5:15 pm
To nolie
Atlanta Braves Scout Shares Travel Tips
Every second counts for Bob Johnson.
An advance scout for the Atlanta Braves, Johnson attends baseball games across the country where he scrutinizes every hit and pitch executed by the competition. So to avoid missing even an inning, Johnson aims to be on the first flight of the day.
“Fly early,” he advises other travelers. “That’s basically my mantra. I will try to get the best first flight I can get out in the morning. … And I don’t mind connections.”
By the end of this year, Johnson, 64, expects to have flown roughly 120,000 miles.
“I’ll set my schedule up so I can see every pitcher we’re going to face in the upcoming series,” says Johnson, who also studies the hitters on opposing teams. “I saw every starter the Atlanta Braves faced this year.”
Making it to all of those games makes him an early riser.
“It’s very rare I fly after 7:30 in the morning,” says Johnson, who recommends that travelers book connecting flights that depart at least an hour after the first flight lands, rather than the 40 minutes often suggested. “I fly a lot of connections. It’s hard to get (directly) from point A to point B anymore. I try to connect through cities where flights are on time. Houston is a great example.”
Johnson books his own trips and became an expert at perusing the websites of the airlines he flies most often: United and Continental. And that task will become even more streamlined now that the two carriers have merged.
“My priority is always the lowest fare,” says Johnson, adding that he also needs good connections to cities where major league teams play. “Most of the teams I work for are smaller-market clubs that really watch their pennies, so that’s infused in my system, to look for the lowest fares.”
And in comparison with many of his frequent-flying peers, Johnson is a bit old school. For instance, he prints his boarding pass at the airport rather than at home.
“Those of us who are flying a lot … we know the process,” he says of travelers like himself who’ve achieved premium status with the airlines they fly most often. “I personally like the human touch, so I’ll go check in at 4:50 or 5 in the morning.”
Leaving so early also increases the likelihood his flight won’t be delayed. “At that hour you don’t have a lot of the problems you have later on in the day. Airlines want to get that first flight out because that aircraft is going to be used two or three times in the day.”
While many passengers stuff everything they can into an overhead bin to avoid fees or their bags possibly being lost, Johnson checks his luggage.
“I was home maybe eight days during the course of the season from April to October, so I have to pack a lot in that bag,” Johnson explains.
And though as a platinum-level frequent flier with United and Continental, he doesn’t have to pay checked baggage fees, Johnson still makes a mental note of how much he’s carrying.
“I can pick up a suitcase and figure out what the weight is,” Johnson says. “I know the difference between 45 and 48 pounds.”
Despite the need for multiple changes, he doesn’t overpack, carrying four or five outfits at the most and sending out his laundry, or washing it himself, while on the road.
And all that time traveling has made Johnson adept at catching a nap whenever he gets the chance.
“In my job, the greatest skill you have to acquire is the ability to sleep on an aircraft,” he says. “I can be asleep 30 seconds after the demo (video) goes off unless I want to work on the plane. … You grab sleep whenever you can.”
Johnson was scouting high school and college talent for the Montreal Expos when an Oakland Athletics staffer recommended that he become an advance scout for the Northern California team. Johnson started with the A’s in 1997 and stayed with them for eight years. He then went on to work for the Texas Rangers and the New York Mets. He made the move to the Braves last year.
When Johnson hits the ballpark, he pulls out a chart and gets to work jotting down notes.
“I’m looking for tendencies,” he explains. “If a guy sets his hands at a different position on different counts. I want to know his stance. Does he close up? Is he an open-style hitter? Does he dive into the pitch? … I first check his hands, then his feet. Then I check where his head goes on certain pitches.”
Johnson does double duty at each game. “Some guys will only chart the team they’re going to play,” he says. “I chart both teams, because that allows me to double up on a lot of guys. Let’s say it’s Houston against the Cubs, and we’re going to play Houston. I’ll focus on Houston, but I’ll also have information available to me when we play the Cubs.”
Back at the hotel, he writes up reports on the game and then emails them to the team’s video coordinator, who compiles the various streams of research. The team’s manager and staff will ultimately share the information with the players to help them prepare for future match-ups.
By the end of the season, Johnson has accumulated more than 300 charts. When the playing is done for the year, he’ll pull the stacks out of his closet and “throw them out.” It starts all over again in a few months.
“Every year is a different year,” he says. “The way you stay in the big leagues is by making adjustments to the competition. For example, a pitcher that used to throw 95 and now throws 91, he has to adjust his style to the hitters.”
There isn’t much Johnson doesn’t like about his frequent trips. “I love my job and also love traveling to some of the best cities in the country and the world,” he says.
But he does have one complaint: travelers who complain about traveling.
“I get really annoyed with people who complain” about the Transportation Security Administration screeners at the airport, he says. And he also gets frustrated by fellow fliers who don’t know the rules of the road. “Infrequent travelers really don’t know what’s going on a lot of the time and that’s probably the most bothersome part of what I do. It’s really a pretty easy process if you put your mind to it.”
Johnson’s travel tips
• Take the first flight out in the morning.
• Don’t be afraid of a connection. Just give yourself an hour or two between flights.
• Snooze whenever you can to beat jet lag. That can mean a nap on the plane or at the hotel before heading to work.
Lollygagger
January 11th, 2012
5:16 pm
a pitcher is as smart as his catcher since we have to tell them everything to do, even when they should scratch their arses
Well, wouldn’t that be a balk? Or at least fall under the deceptive motion category?
abwright
January 11th, 2012
5:16 pm
nolie, January 11th, 2012, 3:43 pm…”Bourn ran at about the same rate in Atlanta as he did in Houston last year, he just was not as successful”
And since Houston was not in the same division as Atlanta, you can’t even blame BMac’s poor percentage of throwing out base runners for the difference. <g>
nolie
January 11th, 2012
5:19 pm
we have to tell em what to throw and then show em(not just tell them but hold up the mitt so they can see) where to throw it. then when they mess up we gotta jog out to the mound in all that heavy hot gear (God forbid that they might take a few steps toward the plate) and pat them on the arse and tell em how great they are and how well they are gonna do, them trot back, squat down and repeat as necessary. buncha maroons with entitlement issues for the most part
Jbailz
January 11th, 2012
5:21 pm
DOB – The Black Keys coming to Salt Lake City with the Arctic Monkeys. Going to try and go, the stuff I’ve heard from the Black Keys is really good, haven’t heard of the Arctic Monkeys though.