Live from the ballpark: Braves put Bradley mojo to test!
I’m here at the ballyard to conduct a grand experiment. I’m here to see if the El Marko mojo still works. (”El Marko” was what Max Baker, who was so addled he nominated me for president of our senior class at Maysville High, occasionally called me.) And my mojo is mighty. From the AJC of Oct. 22, 1996:
“That the Braves are going to win this World Series is apparent. It is also, in the grand scheme, secondary. No longer is this team playing against the overmatched Yankees. The Braves are playing against history … This is the greatest team of the post-free agency era, among the best ever. You can trot out any of baseball’s storied assemblages – the 1927 Yankees, the Gas House Gang, the Big Red Machine – and wonder how these Braves would have fared, but that sword cuts two ways: Would those clubs have seemed so majestic if they’d had to hit against the Braves?”
That was, alas, the zenith — or the nadir — of El Marko’s so-called career. The Braves led that World Series 2-nil. They would lose it 4-2. The team I likened to the 1927 Yankees lost four straight to the 1996 Yankees. Talk radio in New York (and there’s a lot of it up there) had great fun with me for months.
I mention this because I just posted a little something about how I’m thinking the 2009 Braves will be playing in October. The 2009 Braves have won six of seven since the All-Star break and have closed within three games of the wild-card lead. They’re playing well. And I’m here today to watch them lose 15-2 and make me look silly for, oh, the 797th time this calendar year.
I’ll be happy to entertain any and all questions as we put my powers of hexation to the test, and I’ll begin with a couple of notes: The Braves announced today they’ll be moving to 680 The Fan and its FM affiliate Rock 100.5 next season, which affects me not one whit. (I’ve got Sirius XM.)
Loading ...And according to esteemed colleague David O’Brien, the Braves have recalled Kelly Johnson and sent Brooks Conrad to Gwinnett. And Bobby Cox has named Johnson his starting second baseman for every game the rest of this century. (Kidding about that last part.)
Oh, and one thing more: In the moments before we get going here — it’s overcast, by the way — you might take a look at another El Marko post from this morning, this one posing the musical question: Is Tommy Hanson the best Braves’ rookie pitcher ever? As ever, I thank you for your patronage.
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509 comments Add your comment
rusty
July 23rd, 2009
3:47 pm
Enter your comments here
Chris
July 23rd, 2009
3:47 pm
The Brewers lineup tomorrow is about 20 times better than the Giants, we had to have this sweep, blew it.
Mark Bradley sucks a lot!
July 23rd, 2009
3:47 pm
Go away Mark Bradley. You suck.
Crazy Trades McGee
July 23rd, 2009
3:47 pm
So Bobby feels like if he doesn’t go straight to Moylan then it counts? Just because he ran through the entire rest of the bullpen in two innings to get to Moylan, it still counts as using him again, Doofus.
goldglove?
July 23rd, 2009
3:48 pm
Hey Mark…the next time we get a streak going….STFU!
G Man
July 23rd, 2009
3:48 pm
Bobby once again didn’t ride his horses. He tinkers when he should let things be and doesn’t do anything when he should tinker. I agree with Bama Aaron – Cox’s bad side has always been his suspect handling of the pen.
Steven L.
July 23rd, 2009
3:48 pm
Joey,
You have to find some humor at Kelly Johnson being in the game for 5 seconds before the Braves start playing their worst baseball since… well… since Kelly Johnson was replaced!
Mark Bradley
July 23rd, 2009
3:49 pm
What happened on the play at first base was that Moylan’s throw hit Uribe and bounced away.
And Will, I did say that about Kawakami. What, you’re expecting consistency now?
Seriously, I can see Kawakami being moved to a set-up role if Hudson returns and there’s no place for Kenshin in the rotation. If nothing else, it would save the Braves having to sign a set-up guy.
Chris
July 23rd, 2009
3:49 pm
KJ go away!
EW
July 23rd, 2009
3:49 pm
you can’t knock KJ for being called up. Chemistry?? eh, KJ has more chemistry with this team anyway, and he’s a better option off the bench. As long as Prado’s in, I’m happy. Nobody was praising KJ when he was successful. And oh by the way, haven’t heard much from the FIRE TP Peanut Gallery since the Braves started winning. I’m tired of the Braves fair weather fans, you’re either with us or you’re against us.
Michael Scharff
July 23rd, 2009
3:49 pm
That’s the problem with Cox and the Braves – when they’re good, they’re very, very good, but when they’re bad, they are EL STINKO ROTTEN…
Zach
July 23rd, 2009
3:51 pm
that was an adam laroach play by kotchman at first. Whats your take on interference on the moyland play? and what is chipper doing?
John
July 23rd, 2009
3:51 pm
When will the Braves realize that Moylan is an average-to bad pitcher. He is only good in situational spots where you need a ground ball. He always lets runners on base, even if he gets out of it. I do not understand why he is used so often. He had one good year when he snuck up on everyone. I guess his delivery was new to people. MLB hitters catch up to stuff like this. Just look at Hideo Nomo.
Mark Bradley
July 23rd, 2009
3:52 pm
Bruised left forearm on Gonzalez. X-rays were negative. He’s day-to-day. But, as the San Fran writer Ray Ratto first put it, “Aren’t we all?”
And Kelly Johnson singles to lead off the eighth. The man’s a machine.
Josh
July 23rd, 2009
3:52 pm
Goes to show how big a deal it is when McCann is out of lineup. This game could have been a different story had he hit instead of Ross with the bases jammed earlier.
Alex
July 23rd, 2009
3:53 pm
Moylan is sooooooo bad
Mark Bradley
July 23rd, 2009
3:53 pm
All four San Fran runs in the eighth were unearned. And Prado singles, too, which might have been a big deal had not McLouth hit into a DP. He has batted four times today and made six outs.
Joseph
July 23rd, 2009
3:54 pm
I am not a fan of Moylan and cringe everytime he is out there,,,,,,,
BamaBrave
July 23rd, 2009
3:54 pm
Is it just me or does it seem that the braves always play bad against lefty starters
EW
July 23rd, 2009
3:54 pm
McCann has taken over Chipper’s role as carrier of the team. Load em up on your back Mac, we’re gonna need to ride you to October.
Bama Aaron
July 23rd, 2009
3:55 pm
Disappointing way to end the homestand. Next time Mark please no prognostications….
jay
July 23rd, 2009
3:55 pm
Mark – please don’t go to another Braves game for the rest of the damn season. Thanks.
Mark Bradley
July 23rd, 2009
3:55 pm
I didn’t see a replay on the Moylan throw, but it looked to me like a bad throw, not runner’s interference. It wasn’t one of those things where the pitcher is throwing directly up the first-base line. Moylan was more toward third base. And he waited a little long, or so it seemed to me.
Big play in the inning was the Kotchman goof, IMHO.
The_Superhoo
July 23rd, 2009
3:55 pm
What the hell is going on with McLouth? I thought we got rid of our OF automatic out?
Cletus
July 23rd, 2009
3:56 pm
Why play McLouth? He has a crap batting average, is an average CF and does very little to help us win. I think Ryan Church would get us better offensive production. Blanco could hit for better average and play better D.
He is the weakest link.
Mark Bradley
July 23rd, 2009
3:56 pm
I promise I won’t come to a Braves game over the weekend. That good enough for you?
A. Teesman
July 23rd, 2009
3:56 pm
This is all Bradley’s fault and nobody else’s.
Bama Aaron
July 23rd, 2009
3:57 pm
And I agree Joseph… Moylan is the one pitcher I wince as soon as his name is announced..
mrjed
July 23rd, 2009
3:58 pm
Steven, UR right! KJ brings the above mentioned “chemistry’ in and the whole team goes to hell! I’d say is chemistry is H2SO4 to the team we’ve seen since the all star break.
goldglove?
July 23rd, 2009
3:58 pm
Hey Brad…how about you and KJ spend some extended time in GWINNETT???
Alex
July 23rd, 2009
3:58 pm
BTW, Buerhle 4 outs away from a perfect game!
Mark Bradley
July 23rd, 2009
3:58 pm
A seventh Braves pitcher has entered the fray. Manny Acosta, following Kawakami, O’Flaherty, Medlen, Gonzalez, Logan and Moylan. If this does go to bonus cantos, Tom Glavine might get a job offer.
jeff
July 23rd, 2009
3:58 pm
3 out of 4 is not bad
Lance
July 23rd, 2009
3:59 pm
This game reminds me of almost every Braves postseason loss in the 90’s… no one hits, someone makes stupid errors, and the bullpen breaks down. Ahhhh, memories….
goldglove?
July 23rd, 2009
3:59 pm
Meanwhile,Buehrle is PERFECT through 8 innings against the Rays.
space monkey
July 23rd, 2009
3:59 pm
This game comes under the heading of: You can’t win them all.
jeff
July 23rd, 2009
4:00 pm
We can sweep the brewers. We have the 3 aces going
Mark Bradley
July 23rd, 2009
4:00 pm
Brian Wilson up in the San Fran bullpen. Mike Love singing backup.
Cletus
July 23rd, 2009
4:00 pm
The thing about Bradley is he does not care if the Braves win or lose. He’s like the turncoat reporters in Vietnam that did everything they could to make the US feel bad about being over there.
All he’s got to do to get his paycheck is poke fun at the guys who are dying out there.
ranger
July 23rd, 2009
4:00 pm
I am at work and not really following the game. My gut is telling me that Kelly Johnson was brought back up. OK. But we sent Brooks Conrad somewhere and kept Diory Hernadez and Greg Norton. Together they are not hitting my weight. If this is true please let me know, I have access to psyciatric care for to goofball that made that choice.
BamaBrave
July 23rd, 2009
4:00 pm
Bad game, that extra 1/2 game on Philly would’ve been nice.
G Man
July 23rd, 2009
4:01 pm
Cletus – I hear your frustration but going to have to disagree with you in the big picture. McLouth was hitting over .300 as a Brave heading into the break. Albeit, he has been pretty terrible since the break but is still the only Brave on pace for over 20 HR’s and 100 RBI’s. I’d also argue that he is an above average CF (at the least).
I actually have never seen him as a lead off guy. I think he’s more suited for the 5 spot. He also seems to have a hitch in his swing right now. It’s too long. Anyway, here’s hoping he breaks from the slump.
Steven L.
July 23rd, 2009
4:01 pm
Wasn’t that Kelly Johnson and not Prado that got the single?
Bama Aaron
July 23rd, 2009
4:01 pm
LOL… ok thanks for that Mark…needed the chuckle to help ease this…
Lance
July 23rd, 2009
4:02 pm
I am a little perplexed by McLouth… i want to like the guy, and everyone kept telling me he was this former all-star, great pick up, etc… But let’s be honest, his numbers are horrendous. How can we expect to maintain a potent offense with a leadoff hitter batting .250??
Mrs. Chanandler Bong
July 23rd, 2009
4:03 pm
Mark Bradley, you are the new Jeff Francoeur.
Not Disappointed
July 23rd, 2009
4:03 pm
Mark, you can come to ball game anytime you feel like. While you’re here come by and help with remodeling my kitchen!!! Go Braves and Ga Tech!
A. Teesman
July 23rd, 2009
4:03 pm
I was kidding about that whole Bradley’s fault remark. Afterall, it’s baseball … they play every day. You can’t win ‘em all.
Dale
July 23rd, 2009
4:03 pm
Mark Bradley, Can you please just stop with your antics?! No one cares that you think you can jinx the Braves. I have read about this same thing in a column of yours a few months ago. Just stop. Stop trying to get attention. It’s obvious that’s what you’re trying to do. It just comes across that you’re screaming for it. “Look at me! I can predict when the Braves play bad. Pleas, look at me!!!!!” So annoying.
IlliniBrave
July 23rd, 2009
4:03 pm
Mark: reading through that line of seven pitchers really makes you take a second-look:
Kawakami – O’Flaherty – Medlen – Gonzalez – Logan – Moylan – Acosta
I mean, if that isn’t the sorriest line-up of mediocrity I don’t know what is. Besides Gonzalez, the rest of these guys are throw-aways and retreads. Come on, Mark, give us your honest opinion on this bullpen. It has to be one of the weakest in MLB.