Brooks Conrad has his career moment, wins it for Braves
Brooks Conrad capped the biggest ninth-inning comeback in Braves history with a walk-off grand slam against Cincinnati (Curtis Compton/AJC).
This was a big moment for Brooks Conrad. Possibly even bigger than when he was MVP for Pittsfield in 2001. Bigger than when he rocked for Round Rock in 2004 (and was hit by a career-high 12 pitches). And Salem – dude, he owned Salem.
Could it be even bigger than in 2008 when Brooks Conrad, minor-league lifer, the closest thing on the Braves’ roster to Crash Davis, played for the Sacramento River Cats and was named the team’s “Best Teammate”? (Did that come with a participation trophy and a gift certificate to Pizza Hut?)
The Braves left for Pittsburgh Thursday night. Somebody will be buying Brooks Conrad dinner. Maybe a car.
Before this season, the 30-year-old had played 36 games in the major leagues and 1,103 in the minors, give or take a Motel 6. On Thursday, he exorcised every miserable night’s sleep, every seven-hour bus ride from his mind and body. Pinch-hitting in the ninth inning, Conrad hit a walk-off, grand slam homer to punctuate a seven-run ninth-inning and the biggest ninth-inning comeback in franchise history. The Braves stunned Cincinnati and probably themselves, 10-9.
“I’m on cloud nine,” Conrad said.
“There’s something you don’t normally see,” manager Bobby Cox said.
“We’re sitting there thinking, ‘Did we just win this game — did we just score enough runs to win this game?” Chipper Jones said.
We live for these moments in sports. Half of the announced crowd of 21,621 had left by the time Conrad stepped to the plate. Years from now, probably 121,621 will claim they were there to the end.
Cincinanti's Laynce Nix had Conrad's fly ball bounce off of his glove, then over the wall for a home run. (Curtis Compton/AJC)
The Braves trailed 8-0. Starting pitcher Tommy Hanson felt blessed that he became an afterthought following an eight-run second-inning. He had to be rescued by Jesse Chavez (a string of words so seldom typed).
By the ninth inning, when the Reds led 9-3, Cox had pulled Jones and catcher Brian McCann out of the lineup and was in surrender mode.
Then Troy Glaus singled. Eric Hinske, who had struck out three times, singled. Yunel Escobar hit a potential double-play ball to deep short that Orlando Cabrera bobbled (it was ruled a hit). A two-run single by Nate McLouth followed. Then came a walk. Then another botched potential double-play, this time an error when third baseman Miguel Cairo couldn’t get the ground ball hit by Martin Prado out of his glove.
That made it 9-6. Bases loaded. The stage was set for a dramatic finish, but only because Jason Heyward was up. He struck out.
New script.
Conrad, a switch-hitter, left the on-deck circle. But after the Reds pulled left-handed reliever Arthur Rhodes out of the game and put in righthander Francisco Cordero, Conrad, now planning to hit left-handed, forgot to switch his batting helmet (with the ear flap on the other side).
“When I got to the plate the umpire said something but I didn’t really hear him,” Conrad said. “Then [Reds catcher] Ramon [Hernandez] said, ‘Hey, you may want to switch your helmet.’ So I had to move that past embarrassment real quick.”
He did. Just looking to hit something in the air, Conrad slapped a 2-2 pitch to deep left. Laynce Nix leaped at the wall. But the ball went off his glove, then off the top of the wall and over.
Conrad? He thought it was an out.
“From my angle, I thought he had brought it back,” he said. “I had my hands on my helmet. I thought, ‘No way.’ Then fans started going crazy and [teammates] kept running around the bases.”
He was pounded by teammates in a celebration at home plate. He was joyously assaulted again in the clubhouse. This time players doused him with hand sanitizer.
These are the stories we don’t see coming. Conrad was signed as a minor-league free agent in 2008. He hit a game-winning, pinch-hit three run homer last season in Washington. But he spent most of the season in Gwinnett. This spring, he was the last player to make the roster. He barely beat out Joe Thurston.
“Tough decision,” Cox said.
He doesn’t wear batting gloves. “He just raw-dogs it,” Jones said.
“You have to have guys like him on a team. Just down and dirty, clay everywhere, from head to toe.”
Jones realized something from the dugout. Conrad was pinch-hitting in his No. 3 spot (which later became the pitcher’s spot after a double-switch). “Great decision by Bobby, getting me and B-Mac out of there,” Jones said, smiling.
Afterward, Conrad was asked the obvious: Had he ever experienced a moment like this?
“Having my first-born kid,” he said.
On the field?
“Nothing compares,” he said.
♦
Earlier posts
We’re live, and Braves are alive: Do you think it’s for real?
Fredi Gonzalez should top Braves’ list to replace Cox
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119 comments Add your comment
Jeff Schultz
May 20th, 2010
10:13 pm
Thirty Points — Would you like an 8×10 glossy?
Jeff Schultz
May 20th, 2010
10:13 pm
Doug — Really was. Love the replay at the end when he puts his hand on helmet and starts to turn into dugout.
Jeff Schultz
May 20th, 2010
10:14 pm
Bob Horner — Thanks.
mike
May 20th, 2010
10:14 pm
And the truth lies somewhere between Mr.Charlie and Dawgdad………
Mr Charlie
May 20th, 2010
10:15 pm
When do you yank Hanson? Right after he let up the grand Slam? So maybe Bobby pulled him one or two batters too late. Maybe not.
But there was no guarantee that the next pitcher would have gotten out of it either. As a matter of fact, Hanson is one of our best pitchers, it was the 2nd inning, we were already 5 down, why burn up your bullpen? If Hanson finds it, maybe he goes 6 more innings.
Fact is, Hanson is young, he has not struggled much, and Bobby let him stay in to maybe work his way out, to let him grow, to give him experience to be in that position, and he might very well be a better pitcher because of it. There will be a time in Hansons career he will have to get batters out when his best stuff was not working. He was not able to do it today, but he might next time he will learn something. I think he got rattled due to inexperience, keep him in, let him grow some nads for the next time. Yanking him too early would have just shown him that you don’t have confidence in him. In this case, too late was better than too early.
Norton? Well, the guy was the best pinch hitter in the NL the year before. Again, pinch hitting is the hardest job in the league, and Norton had a track record of success. He was due, but nothing in baseball is 100%. It did not work this time, but Bobby never would have know if he did not keep sending him out there. Finally, you did not see Norton in practice, studying film, you did not see what Bobby saw. Baseball is a humbling game.
Cox does not manage for that game, he is managing for the season. Even if we came up one run short today, I would not have 2nd guessed it.
Jeff Schultz
May 20th, 2010
10:15 pm
Cattle Dawg — Figures. I’m never there when somebody else buys the round.
TheAntiMe
May 20th, 2010
10:15 pm
Not in our house Reds fans
Thanks for the video, Jeff. I just loved the part where in the stands the father and his teenage son all dressed up in their Reds attire – who obviously spent the day just waiting for the game to end so they could gloat to the Braves fans – were standing there looking like they just ate a bad Dodger Dog, or at the very least, some of those Colorado Rockies Mountain Oysters. Cool beans!
Jeff Schultz
May 20th, 2010
10:16 pm
Thank you, Dr. Striker.
Jeff Schultz
May 20th, 2010
10:17 pm
The AntiMe — Thanks. Yeah. That was funny. Can’t imagine what it would be like to be sitting in crowd for that game if you’re a fan of the other team.
Rick
May 20th, 2010
10:20 pm
I don’t necessarily blame Chip Caray because it was hard to tell if the LF actually caught the ball, and I think people unfairly criticize him (probably because of who he’s related to), but WOW did he butcher that call! My advice to Chip: keep your mouth shut until you know what happened. I know it’s an unfair comparison, but ol’ Pete Van Weiren or his Daddy wouldn’t have done that. Hopefully, he’ll learn from that and improve, because I do want to see him do well and have a long career as a Braves announcer.
Mr Charlie
May 20th, 2010
10:23 pm
Mike, I agree, Cox make wrong moves as every manager does. One move changes the destiny of the game, and there is no guarantee that doing one thing here or there will change the outcome of the game. Sometimes it is destiny that you lose (ask the Reds about that).
Who is better? Torre? LaRussa? Maybe, but they have jobs. I don’t know of a whole lot managers I would rather have, I and sure can’t think of any unemployed managers who might be better.
benchwarmer
May 20th, 2010
10:25 pm
Now that’s great baseball!
Thirty Points to your Twenty-Four Points
May 20th, 2010
10:32 pm
I’d love a glossy!! I’ll sell it to the ad agency that does the Rogain ads. I’ll also sell it to Glamour Shots to use as a “before” photo.
Thanks Schultzie!!
Coach (2011 or Bust)
May 20th, 2010
10:32 pm
Well, after Heyward struck out on a foul tip into the catchers mitt I thought that’s it, game over.
Which is why it ain’t over till it’s over. Even as a Braves fan I was stunned when the ball went off the glove of the Reds outfielder and over the wall. The Reds fans must be sick right now.
No to take anything away from the Braves improbable rally in the ninth but when a team commits four errors in one game….the baseball Gods tend to take vengeance. The Reds booted this one away allowing the improbable to happen. As for Brooks Conrad, awesome moment for him and the young man deserves the accolades.
TheAntiMe
May 20th, 2010
10:34 pm
Actually, I think the baseball gods refused to let the Reds win with the way they kicked the baseball around today (apologies to Hanley Ramirez, that’s a switch, by the way). They had four charged errors and it easily could have been five. The Reds really didn’t deserve to win today’s game, IMHO.
Mr Charlie
May 20th, 2010
10:37 pm
Absolutely, the baseball gods have spoken. All you can do is the best you can, the chips fall where they may. I think the Reds thought the game was won in the 2nd inning and lost focus. This Braves team seems to have destiny on its side. Hopefully, come September all these games will be a difference maker. Plus it give the Braves confidence that they are never every out.
asheville dawg
May 20th, 2010
10:40 pm
Now that was an exiting baseball game. I love it when one of the guys at the end of the bench
come up with big hit or big play! Reminds you the little guys can win big too.
Tweets that mention Brooks Conrad has his career moment, wins it for Braves | Jeff Schultz -- Topsy.com
May 20th, 2010
10:41 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by J.C. Redbird, Nick Weber. Nick Weber said: Forgot who shared this link, but it's a cool story. About Brooks Conrad, who hit a walk off slam for the Braves today: http://bit.ly/bJ7kcq [...]
Coach (2011 or Bust)
May 20th, 2010
10:41 pm
I’ve been to two rodeo’s and three goat roping’s but I have never seen anything like that…..what a great line from Joe Simpson.
P. Bull Terrier
May 20th, 2010
10:43 pm
If Bobby Cox was a good manager he would have told the Braves to score all those runs in the first inning. What kind of moron waits until the bottom of the last inning to tell his team to score 7 runs? I don’t know why they keep the guy.
Mr. Charlie & Chief76, you are both too smart to be wasting your time trying to use rational thought to convince the dumb masses that you’re right.
Monger, that’s funny.
TROTTINGHOME
May 20th, 2010
10:43 pm
WHy isn’t Dave O’Brien doing trhis article? Just wondering …he use to do most of the game writing.
DanWoods
May 20th, 2010
10:49 pm
“”I’ve been to two rodeos and three goat ropings, but I’ve never seen anything like that.”
Wow 3 goat ropings and that makes Joe some sort of an expert. Yea today’s comeback was big. But come on, Simpson must be in a coma. There have been some very exciting goat ropings. The 1999 finals????
Reid Adair
May 20th, 2010
10:52 pm
What a great moment for Brooks Conrad and a big comeback for the Braves. Great post, Jeff.
Mr Charlie
May 20th, 2010
10:54 pm
I did not even know they were playing a day game until I saw Shultz’s live article. I check the internet and it was 5-0, 3 minutes later, it was 8. I was hoping it would be one of those barn burner games, like a 14-13. I check a few times and saw the brave puttin up zeros. Last I checked is when the 8th just ended, and I have to say, I thought it just was not to be. Then I went to dinner and checked my phone and saw the score, I could not belive it.
Mr. Wow
May 20th, 2010
11:18 pm
WOW………..WOW……………….wow………………..Man!!!!!!!!!………………………….WOOOOOOOWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ph.D.
May 20th, 2010
11:34 pm
A great American story! Thanks Jeff! Go Bravos. This year has magic written in the air.
Kane337
May 20th, 2010
11:34 pm
How about that Braves bullpen? Hanson gives up 8 runs by the 2nd inning and the bullpen only gives up 1 run the rest of the game.
chem
May 20th, 2010
11:48 pm
Chipper, 6+4 = 10
willy
May 20th, 2010
11:52 pm
I LOVE THE BRAVES AGAIN!!!
GTmasterZ
May 21st, 2010
12:17 am
Congratulations to Brooks Conrad.
I wish May would go on forever for these Braves.
Real UT
May 21st, 2010
12:30 am
Chipper probably does know a thing or two about raw-dogging it. Atta boy Hoss.
YAD
May 21st, 2010
6:19 am
How could anyone watch the Slam video and continue to make “they don’t care” posts about the players, i.e. Chipper and Yunel, attitude?
Phil
May 21st, 2010
8:09 am
“Fact is, Hanson is young, he has not struggled much, and Bobby let him stay in to maybe work his way out, to let him grow, to give him experience to be in that position, and he might very well be a better pitcher because of it. He was not able to do it today, but he might next time he will learn something.”
And this is the same manager who would not let Hanson finish off a 1 hitter against Houston last year, bringing in Soriano instead to lose the game. Yea, that made him a better pitcher, showing Hanson that he didn’t have the confidence in him to get the complete game win.
Doesn’t take pitchers out when he needs to, and takes them out when he shouldn’t.
You can’t have it both ways with Cox, but knowing you Mr. Charlie you will defend Cox till your dying breath.
Cox put the team in an incredibly bad position by being 8 runs down in the 2nd. But the players refused to give up and bailed his stupid butt out. All credit goes to them.
And don’t tell me it was the great Cox that strategized scoring 7 runs in the bottom on the 9th and he knew what he doing all along. But I’m sure you will.
Braves fans suck
May 21st, 2010
8:11 am
Jeff Schultz is a hack.
Todd
May 21st, 2010
8:20 am
I wrote yesterday he should be playing over chipper. Bobby has no clue how to manage. He puts in some old crap who can’t hit or field while this guy has been on fire. If chipper cared about the team at all, he would say put in brooks and see how he does for a couple of weeks.
mountain_jim
May 21st, 2010
8:24 am
Well I was in the live blog late yesterday during the game, and I had to laugh during this comeback as I knew Jeff would have to scramble and re-write his next column-in-progress.
But it was worth waiting for. Excellent column Jeff. I marvel at the folks bitching about Bobby in here after the Braves just served up the biggest 9th inning comeback in franchise history. Something told me to stay and watch that 9th inning live and I am glad I did.
As Mark says, Kudos.
Jeff Schultz
May 21st, 2010
8:38 am
P. Bull Terrier — That’s pretty funny.
Jeff Schultz
May 21st, 2010
8:39 am
Thanks PhD.
Jeff Schultz
May 21st, 2010
8:40 am
Kane337 — Good point about the bullpen. Even Jesse Chavez retired eight straight until giving up a home run.
Jeff Schultz
May 21st, 2010
8:42 am
Mountain Jim — Thanks. Carroll Rogers and I both were saying we were just happy it was a day game. Night game would’ve made it a deadline nightmare and the Brooks Conrad story would not have been given the play it deserves.
meh
May 21st, 2010
8:43 am
pretty awesome. go Braves!!
Sonny Clusters
May 21st, 2010
8:51 am
Stinky Wintes hit a ball like that once. That ball just cleared the fence and Stinky was thinking it wasn’t out. He hollered real loud and dropped down to his knees and started rolling around in the dirt and he was crying and tears was running down his face and he was agonizing about not winning the game with a big hit when the umpire said, “Boy, get off the ground and run the bases or I’m going to call you out.” We celebrated that night at the Dairy Queen.
mountain_jim
May 21st, 2010
8:54 am
I rememeber when Bobby chose Brooks for the final roster spot out of spring training when his average was well below the other player, and at the time I wondered what the deciding factors were.
ttuman4702
May 21st, 2010
9:05 am
Mr. Charlie is spot on with almost everything he said. Someone said nobody was calling for Glaus to be benched. Wrong!!!! There was comment after comment suggesting he couldn’t hit ’cause he was off “the juice”. He needed to be cut. Etc. Yeah, every coach, player or commentator sings Cox’s praises, but you guys are smarter than all of them. You know better. That is what is wrong with the world, people who don’t know anything and think they know everything!
Sid
May 21st, 2010
9:33 am
One for the ages………………….!! No Braves fan will ever forget this game!
AJC guy
May 21st, 2010
9:36 am
I was at the game – and I have witnesses! What a comeback…
Sid
May 21st, 2010
9:38 am
Who wasn’t coming out of there chairs when Sid Bream was lumbering home…….!!!
Run Lindsey Run…………….didn’t it seem like Bream was never going to get to the plate……lol….!!
Phil
May 21st, 2010
9:38 am
“Yeah, every coach, player or commentator sings Cox’s praises, but you guys are smarter than all of them. You know better.”
You must have missed that game in Houston last year. On the post-game show Ron Gant and Joe Simpson spent 20 minutes trying to figure out why Cox took Hanson out of that 1 hitter. He was cruising, wasn’t tired, he was a beast that night. Yet he took him out so the bullpen could get some work.
These are the types of decisions that Cox makes that will cost you 10 games or more during the season. What would an extra 10 wins have done for us last year? It would have put us in the wild card, that’s what.
I know every manager makes poor decisions sometimes but Cox just keeps making moronic decisions over and over every year. That’s why we haven’t been to the playoffs in 5 years.
GT BABY
May 21st, 2010
9:39 am
Jeff – I saw you on tv last night with a tape recorder all in Conrad’s face hahahaha
Sid
May 21st, 2010
9:40 am
Braves fans suck
May 21st, 2010
8:11 am
Jeff Schultz is a hack.
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Normally I don’t feed the trolls but I am taking much joy in this Reds fans agony.