Live from the ballyard: A flip-flop explained, A-Rod eyed
It was only a week ago I suggested the Braves’ season could be finished, at least as a vibrant entity, by the Fourth of July. Today I wrote there’s a way they can win the NL East. And now you’re saying, “There Bradley goes again, flip-flopping like a flounder on the dock at Fisherman’s Wharf.”
And I say, in my fishy defense: Things change.
The Braves are playing better. The Phillies lost six in a row. The Mets are hurting. Winning the division seems infinitely more do-able today than it did June 17. But — and you knew there was a “but” coming, didn’t you? — they can’t stop playing.
They’ve split their first four games against the Red Sox and Yankees. They have five to go, and then three against the Phillies. These eight games will determine the course of July and beyond.
Go 5-3 or better and the Braves will have proved something to themselves and the watching world. Go 3-5 or worse and they’ll have given their doubters — which I, on occasion, have obviously been — further evidence. Go 4-4 and they’ve treaded water, which probably isn’t a victory this late in a season.
And I’m delighted to report I’m on-site at Turner Field, ready to report and ruminate on all tomahawk/pinstripe developments. I just took a walk through both clubhouses, and the players seem loose. (That’s a joke. Baseball players always seem loose — they do this every day.)
Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte were watching videotape, presumably of the Braves. (Pettitte starts tomorrow night.) A-Rod and Jeter were nowhere to be seen. (The big Yankees, Jeter especially, are famous for hiding from the media before games, surely because there are so many media types following the Bombers.)
I’ll head back downstairs in a bit to do some more goofing around — er, research — and I’ll keep you appraised. And I’ll be here all night, ready and willing to serve as your online master of ceremonies. So no flipping, y’hear? (Flopping’s OK; flipping’s verboten.)
A word of apology: I had to step away from this blog for 45 minutes. According to esteemed colleague Sekou Smith, the Hawks are about to trade Speedy Claxton and Acie Law to Golden State for Jamal Crawford, which I believe is a tremendous move. But I’m back to baseball now, and I’ll be here throughout the game.
A Yankee update: Hung around the Bombers’ clubhouse. A-Rod finally wandered through and plopped down on the sofa — off-limits interview area, even though it’s in the middle of the room — and chatted with Robinson Cano. Then A-Rod picked up People magazine and read it closely. Then he switched to Entertainment Weekly.
Movie night: For pregame entertainment, the Yankees started off watching “Full Metal Jacket” on DVD. Then they got bored — not enough action, I guess — and switched to “Next Friday.
Hiding as a strategy: Saw Chipper Jones by the cage and said, “You might be a great player, but you can’t hide from the media the way Jeter does.” He laughed. (He and Jeter are pals.) And Chipper said, “I don’t have the same kind of media he does.” And he doesn’t. There were 30 reporters gathered in the dugout for Joe Girardi’s pregame briefing. Bobby Cox gets antsy if he sees a half-dozen of us.
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411 comments Add your comment
Bill (SC)
June 24th, 2009
10:16 pm
5 perfect innings…4 awful innings. I wonder how we would have done if our SP had not gotten hurt.
Reid Adair
June 24th, 2009
10:16 pm
Mark, I’m surprised most of those 10,000 didn’t leave when they saw Manny Acosta coming in from the bullpen to start the ninth.
Cro25
June 24th, 2009
10:16 pm
Looks like Giarardi’s startegy worked out…got them boys fired up and the Braves defense has not hurt them either.
Mark Bradley
June 24th, 2009
10:17 pm
Pettitte vs. Lowe. Good matchup tomorrow.
Bill (SC)
June 24th, 2009
10:17 pm
I expect the Phils to go on a long winning streak. I don’t think the Braves are capable of this. It is great to only be 4 out but realistically can you imagine the Braves winning more than 5 in a row. We have not won more than 3 in a row all season.
Cro25
June 24th, 2009
10:18 pm
I like our chances if we bring our bats…
back again
June 24th, 2009
10:18 pm
hey, at least we had a 2 game winning streak. i am trying to stay more positive about this team, but its hard.
Ross
June 24th, 2009
10:18 pm
I’m not giving up – but clearly something has changed in baseball – no speed, no hustle, no defense, lots of beards, baldys, and bling. Too much fashion, too little action.
Mark Bradley
June 24th, 2009
10:18 pm
You know, the Braves’ bullpen ERAs aren’t awful. Acosta’s is 2.92 as we speak.
Bill (SC)
June 24th, 2009
10:19 pm
This game is not over yet…hopefully the Yanks will get all the runs out of their system tonight.
Cro25
June 24th, 2009
10:19 pm
They just showed the interference play again and the home plate ump wasn’t even looking and the 1B ump was not in position.
Mark Bradley
June 24th, 2009
10:19 pm
Rivera up with sacks jammed. Yankee fans going crazy.
Cro25
June 24th, 2009
10:19 pm
HP ump was looking at the runner scoring.
darrin sloan
June 24th, 2009
10:20 pm
Thank you Mark dont give up what is 4 games this team can do it if we can get into the 8th and 9th innings and we can with the starting pitching we have it was just bad luck tonight with one more bat i think we can do it
Bill (SC)
June 24th, 2009
10:20 pm
Please don’t walk Rivera.
Mark Bradley
June 24th, 2009
10:20 pm
Give Rivera credit. He hit it pretty hard. But McLouth caught it about 200 feet from home plate.
back again
June 24th, 2009
10:20 pm
any one has a live chicken to sacrifice?
Mark Bradley
June 24th, 2009
10:21 pm
That’s the home ump’s call, not the first-base ump’s. He has to be watching the play at the bag.
Cro25
June 24th, 2009
10:21 pm
Only his 2nd career AB!
Cro25
June 24th, 2009
10:22 pm
Yeah, I know. But the HP ump didn’t even look that way. I think Cox wanted him to appeal, but neither one saw it.
The Dust
June 24th, 2009
10:22 pm
4 runs. Rivera. 3 outs to play with. What happens?
Mark Bradley
June 24th, 2009
10:23 pm
Can I say something? I don’t much care for these Yankees, but I like Rivera. I always have. He’s a prince.
Cro25
June 24th, 2009
10:23 pm
I’m a GHSA ump and that is a tough play to call. But hey, they make the big bucks and should have made the call. It was a big play in this game.
Cro25
June 24th, 2009
10:23 pm
Rivera has had a very nice career, no doubt.
Mark Bradley
June 24th, 2009
10:24 pm
He’s also an unbelievable pitcher. He throws the same thing every time, and he’s going to Cooperstown.
Cro25
June 24th, 2009
10:24 pm
Was there anyone between him and Wetteland?
back again
June 24th, 2009
10:24 pm
rivera is money..what does it take to get someone like him on our roster?
Mark Bradley
June 24th, 2009
10:24 pm
Rivera: Three batters faced, three K’s. One to go.
Cro25
June 24th, 2009
10:25 pm
about 18 million per year.
Mark Bradley
June 24th, 2009
10:25 pm
Nope. Rivera came up as Wetteland’s setup guy and succeeded him as closer in 1997. Twelve years ago. Think about that.
Cro25
June 24th, 2009
10:26 pm
Wow
Mark Bradley
June 24th, 2009
10:27 pm
Yankee fans still here and going nuts. Two strikes on Escobar. And there’s … Strike Three!
Cro25
June 24th, 2009
10:27 pm
there have probably been 500 different closers in MLB combined since then.
back again
June 24th, 2009
10:27 pm
rivera makes it look easy. all of the pitches looked excatly the same….cutter
back again
June 24th, 2009
10:28 pm
automatic
The Dust
June 24th, 2009
10:28 pm
Rivera vs. Kelly, PH, Nate and Yunel = 4 Ks. Tip your waitress. He’ll be back tomorrow.
Reid Adair
June 24th, 2009
10:28 pm
Four straight strikeouts by Rivera.
Mark Bradley
June 24th, 2009
10:28 pm
Not an artistic game, but a loud and wild one. The Braves looked good, and then they looked bad. The Yankees looked dead, and then they put up eight runs. With some assistance, I might add.
Going downstairs now for what I’m sure will be a fun-filled night of interviews in the Braves’ clubhouse. I’ll check back momentarily.
darrin sloan
June 24th, 2009
10:28 pm
time to call it a night we will get them tomorrow Mark hope your daughter has a great and happy birthday hope to talk to you tomorrow if your on during the game
trob
June 24th, 2009
10:30 pm
we really need to bounce back tomorrow night and hope the phils fall again. we need some momentum for when the sox come in town. if we can do well and and take down the phils ill be feeling good. atleast moylan, gonzo, and soriano got the night off
Braves Fan in N.Y.
June 24th, 2009
10:44 pm
Kelly Johnson stinks.
How come everyone wants to run Frenchy out of town but no where near the venom for KJ? Overall, Frenchy’s stats are a bit better and he’s way better defensively.
And please, Bobby… no more Bennett in clutch situations. You must have a man crush on this guy–a journeyman pitcher at best. Back of the bullpen maybe but never wwhen the game is on the line.
Mark Bradley
June 24th, 2009
10:50 pm
Back now. According to Bobby Cox, Moylan wasn’t available tonight. (Gonzalez, either.) So it was pretty much Bennett or no one against A-Rod in the sixth.
Going to put up a little video back on the original blog page of Cox. Give me a minute.
Mark Bradley
June 24th, 2009
10:50 pm
And thanks again, Darrin, from both Rachel and myself.
Mark Bradley
June 24th, 2009
11:07 pm
Video’s back on the original blog page. You might find it edifying.
RHR
June 24th, 2009
11:23 pm
Haha Mark, you instigator. Putting up that video. Is that fresh or recycled? Heh.
Mark Bradley
June 24th, 2009
11:37 pm
Video is farm fresh. I took it myself, as if you couldn’t tell.
Coach ( 2010 or Bust)
June 24th, 2009
11:58 pm
OK. I’m in agreement with Bobby Cox for once. The 0-2 pitch to A-Rod with the bases loaded was absolutely idiotic. The question is, who is the moron who called for Jeff Bennett to groove an 0-2 fastball to A-Rod when they should have wasted a pitch?
I’m betting that idiot is Bobby Cox.
I can’t comment on the rest of the game as I was so angered by that one pitch that I turned the game off. I can’t say that I missed anything during the last three innings.
But I will leave the blog with this last thought.
3.7
That is the average run support per game this month from our offense after the Nate McLouth trade. So how the hell can our Braves be expected to win while scoring an average of less than four runs per game? The answer is obvious. They can’t, they aren’t and they won’t. Turn out the lights the party is over. It’s (2010 or Bust)
francoeuristheman
June 25th, 2009
12:25 am
francoeur looked pretty good tonight, didnt he greg…you freakin idiot… howd that bomb he hit sit for you…. how bout an article about that mark
francoeuristheman
June 25th, 2009
12:29 am
oh yeah howd that frenchy homerun sit for you mark…you seemed more excited to report the popout to the pitchers mound than the homerun…
Mitch C
June 25th, 2009
6:45 am
Bad game last night, Mark. I was impressed with the way KK looked in the first two innings. Too bad he hurt himself.
I dont know if there are any “must” win games in June. Probably not. I’d say that tonight is as close as we can have to that. We need to beat the Yankees tonight, and win this series.
On a side note, tonight is Smoltz’s first start for the Sox. I’ll probably be doing some channel surfing. Will be very interesting to see how he pitches after a year out.
Mitch