The Braves: They’re encouraged, engaged and en fuego
"Raise your hands if you think we can win this thing." (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
Never let it be said that ballplayers don’t pay attention. After the Braves had beaten Washington 8-1 Tuesday night, the clubhouse TVs were tuned to two games. The one on the left had Marlins-Astros. The one on the right had Phillies-Cubs. And when Carlos Ruiz of the Phils hit a ninth-inning home run that was subsequently adjudged to have been foul, no fewer than six Braves stopped en route to the shower to monitor the proceedings.
The Fish blew a lead in the ninth and went to extra innings. Ditto the Phils. The Fish won in the 11th, the Phils in the 12th. The Braves stayed 4 1/2 games behind Philly in the NL East, one game behind the Marlins for second place.
“We kind of keep up,” said the rookie Tommy Hanson, who won his seventh game Tuesday. “I don’t do it on days I’m pitching, but I’ll look up [at TVs or scoreboards] on days I don’t.”
And why not? This is getting good. The Braves are back in a race from which they were almost eliminated. They’re 4 1/2 out with 49 to go and the Phils coming in this weekend. They believe they can do this, and they’re pumped in a way they haven’t been all season.
“You feel like you’re a kid again,” said Ryan Church, who was traded from the Mets, the preseason favorites, back into the NL East race. “You definitely feel what’s going on in this division.”
“We went on that West Coast swing, and we never play well out there,” Matt Diaz said. “Not only did we play well, but we played well against the best team in the league [Los Angeles]. That gives you confidence.”
And here it was only Aug. 11 and the scoreboard-watching had already commenced. Not that there’s any kind of clarity. “I don’t know who to root for,” Diaz said. “Do we root against teams in the division race or the wild-card race?”
He smiled. “One thing I do love is when other teams play extra innings.”
The Phils and the Cubs and the Astros and the Fish all did that Tuesday, but not the Braves. They won handily and hustled into the clubhouse and flipped on the TVs. And someone asked Bobby Cox, who was following the Marlins-Astros game in his office, if he’d taken to watching the scoreboard.
“Only since Opening Day,” he said.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Guides
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2010 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
139 comments Add your comment
Bark Madley
August 12th, 2009
12:35 am
FIRST
Mark Bradley
August 12th, 2009
12:43 am
Kudos, Bark.
rhynster
August 12th, 2009
12:53 am
Hey Mark,
If I ever find myself the heir to a gigantic media conglomerate or something like that, I’m gonna hire you to be my journalist.
I’ll pay you quadruple what AJC pays you, ’cause you know, what with my being an heir to a gigantic media conglomerate and all.
And for your mousepad, I’m gonna get you a re-creation of one those old ’70s mudflaps you’d see on trucks with the guy stepping out, thumb raised in the air. But yours is gonna say, “Keep on blogging”.
Mark Bradley
August 12th, 2009
12:55 am
Why, thanks, Rhynster. That’s mighty nice, you being an heir to a gigantic media conglomerate and all.
rhynster
August 12th, 2009
12:57 am
Now, if I can just find a way to marry into Mr. Cox’s family or something. You reckon he’s got an available daughter?
Mark Bradley
August 12th, 2009
1:01 am
If we’re talking about the Cox family of Cox Enterprises, I believe the primary owners are sisters. If we’re talking about Bobby Cox, I know he has a daughter. Don’t know if Skyla is available, though. (I’ve met her and she’s very nice. And funny in an acerbic way, like her dad.)
Dan
August 12th, 2009
1:08 am
Soriano’s blown save Thursday would have killed a lot of teams. This team has rebounded unbelievably from that. I’ve been critical of them a lot this year, but it shows a lot of intestinal fortitude to fight back these last four games the way they have. Bravo boys, let’s keep it going tomorrow.
Ashley
August 12th, 2009
1:16 am
Where were the regular announcers for the tonight’s game? I missed Joe and Boog. I have to admit that Chip was pretty painful. When O’Flaherty came into pitch, we were 3 pitches into his portion of the inning before Chip shut up enough from his inane drivel to mention who was the current Braves pitcher on the mound!
But to be fair, the weirdness began DURING the ATT call to the bullpen, when Sportsouth played a Verizon commercial immediately after Hanson left the mound.
Mark Bradley
August 12th, 2009
1:16 am
Haven’t lost since, Dan. Funny ol’ game, isn’t it?
Mark Bradley
August 12th, 2009
1:22 am
Don’t know where they were, Ashley. Night off, maybe? But the Braves have so many announcers I can’t keep them straight: Don Sutton, Jim Powell, Mark Lemke, Joe Simpson, Jon Schiambi, Chip Caray, Ron Gant, Brian Jordan. Not counting Fred Hickman and Jerome Jurenovich.
Kenny Powers
August 12th, 2009
1:27 am
Youkilis charges the mound and gets body slammed.
Priceless
Ashley
August 12th, 2009
1:32 am
Mark, you kept them straight pretty well. Good job!
Since you mentioned them, here is my top 5 ranking of the announcers:
#1: Joe Simpson: Heir to the Ernie Johnson/Skip Caray legacy. Great knowledge.
#2: Don Sutton: He’s annoying at times, but he’s OUR ANNOYANCE. It’s good to have him back.
#3: Jon Schiambi: I like his sense of humor.
#4: Jim Powell: A little too solemn at his job, but he’s growing on me.
#5: Chip Caray: Sorry Chip. Too much color commentary, too little actual baseball play-by-play. His voice and chatting should not overshadow what is taking place on the field or in the bullpen. But it does.
abudefdef
August 12th, 2009
2:04 am
Hmmmmm….4.5 games back…Phillies coming to town for a three game stretchs…Braves could easily (ok, well maybe not EASILY) end up HALF A GAME out of first place headed into Monday! Of course…they could also get swept, but I don’t see that happening with our starting pitching…GO BRAVES!
KEEP THE FAITH BRAVES NATION!
Keep the Faith
***WHOOOOOOAAAAAA OOOOOOOOAAAAAAAA WHOOOOOOOAAAAAA OOOOOOOAAAAAAAA***
**TOMAHAWK-A-CHOPPIN**
abudefdef
August 12th, 2009
2:08 am
Oh yeah, to all the Chipper detractors out there: 2-4, 2 runs, HR, BB
Chipper ROCKS!
TomaHawk
August 12th, 2009
2:26 am
Glad to see the braves puttin on a run when it counts most! Esp with the nats winning 8 in a row before tonight and we never seem to beat them…only makes tonights win that much more sweet!! Good to see infante back with a hit and run, and chip back as well. Hope nate comes back tomorrow and our lineup is looking pretty nice! Go Bravos! I’ll be there saturday cheerin yall on!! CHOP CHOP!! mark will you be there this weekend??
Eric C.
August 12th, 2009
5:09 am
Ashley…I like Don Sutton on TV, but his radio play-by-play is lacking. For example, when Don says that the ball is “lined to left field,” he often makes the listener guess as to whether it was caught or not. Too often he doesn’t follow through on his play-calling and this has annoyed me for years and years.
Don
August 12th, 2009
5:20 am
Mark,
Thank you for the good articles. Keep them coming.
Here’s hoping that the Braves can continue to play this well.
I do believe that they can .
ChasZee
August 12th, 2009
6:17 am
One of the best features of the iPhone MLB app is the ability to choose either team’s radio broadcast. Mr. Sutton so enjoys his folksy stories and stats (the batter really is hitting .437 in Tuesday day games on the road against lefties with curly hair?) that I go with the opposition announcers in hopes of knowing what happens on the field. Never occurs to Mr. Sutton that fans are always just tuning in and want to know THE SCORE!
George
August 12th, 2009
6:17 am
I was sure glad to see that colon in the heading of this article. For a split second there I thought you had gone the way of the broadcast media guys and were into double subjects.
slow roller
August 12th, 2009
6:57 am
For all you Chipper fans out there, he’s lost his range. Shoulda knocked down the RBI single from Zimmerman in the first inning. Good thing he can still hit! He was getting a little worried that the team might be able to win a game or four without him in the lineup. McCann is a mess lately, what’s up with that?
john d
August 12th, 2009
7:18 am
Hey Smoltzie too bad these classless Braves brass didn”t listen to your whining! We would be so much better with you and the union rep in our starting rotation!!
Nativebird
August 12th, 2009
7:44 am
Great to see the Bravos put away a clearly weaker team. Need more of those. BTW, have you noticed this year opposing teams STILL walking Chipper intentionally to get to McCann? Been happening all year really. Nats paid for it this time, but until Brian puts up numbers better than 12 HRs and 50 Rbi’s, I still see this happening and I think that has ’something’ to do with Chippers lower production this year.
Bank Walker, Texas Ranger
August 12th, 2009
7:50 am
Mark, ever notice people really like your work when the Braves are winning and you’re a buffoon when they are loosing?
Ainglish teacher
August 12th, 2009
8:01 am
It’s losing, not loosing.
MightyQuinn
August 12th, 2009
8:11 am
“Bark Madley”, now THATS funny! Wish I’d thought of it. You’ve hit the big time Mark; you have a groupie!
Bank Walker, Texas Ranger
August 12th, 2009
8:11 am
losing, sorry, s***
MightyQuinn
August 12th, 2009
8:12 am
Lay off Bank Walker, Ainglish, we’ve all been contaminated by FALCONS (SUPPER BOWL) SORRY. Its a disease.
Bank Walker, Texas Ranger
August 12th, 2009
8:16 am
Know how to spell, thanks anyway, just not how to type
Bank Walker, Texas Ranger
August 12th, 2009
8:19 am
Twenty-ninth And by the way the Braves are done
greg
August 12th, 2009
8:23 am
Bark is an idiot>
Andyman
August 12th, 2009
8:30 am
Ashley – Chip is one of the announcers when games are played on Peachtree TV. I believe it was said early in the broadcast that Joe had the night off and would be back on Friday. I’m not sure if that meant he’ll be back on Peachtree TV Friday or just back from his time off on that day. I see the game is on SportsSouth tonight, so I suppose we’ll find out if Joe is actually back tonight.
Mark Bradley
August 12th, 2009
8:32 am
Quinn, Bark Madly has been around for a while. That was the nickname given me on The Hive for being such a UGA fan — at least according to Tech fans.
Bank Walker, Texas Ranger
August 12th, 2009
8:39 am
That’s funny, but for someone to think you are that big a UGA fan must be paranoid to the point of medication. Maybe a SEC fan but not UGA
Ed Kennedy
August 12th, 2009
8:40 am
Fast Eddie
Regarding TV coverage, I have asked Fox Sports and Sportsouth to add hits/innings to the stats for a pitcher coming in just as they do with bb/k. I would also appreciate more frequent out of town scores, ala ESPN. Peachtree TV seems to do a timely job of keeping us updated with out of town scores but the other two stations give us about two updates a game.
Mark Bradley
August 12th, 2009
8:43 am
I’m a fan of one and all, Bank Walker. Didn’t you know that?
Bama Aaron
August 12th, 2009
8:45 am
Great game last night. Nice to see even a few calls go our way (as Morgan was obviously safe at 3rd). My 2 cents on the announcers. I love listening to Joe Simpson and I’m glad Don Sutton is back. Boog is ok but not quite grown on me. Chip Caray is not his dad…honestly I don’t like listening to him. And Ron Gant needs to stay in the studio and leaving announcing to someone who knows how to do it.
It was nice to see Infante back in the line up last night. Doesn’t look like he’s missed a beat.
Ryno
August 12th, 2009
8:49 am
Mr. Bradley – I know the Braves aren’t looking ahead, but that doesn’t mean I can’t.
Do you know the pitching matchups for this weekend? Are the Braves going to have to face both Cliff Lee and Hammels?
MatthewH
August 12th, 2009
8:53 am
Mark-thanks for the live blog from the game last night. Good thing it wasn’t an SEC game, huh?
Mark Bradley
August 12th, 2009
8:53 am
Lee won’t pitch against the Braves, Ryno. He’s starting the Thursday game against the Cubs. Ricky Blanton opposes Jair Jurrjens on Friday. Beyond that, the Phillies’ probables haven’t been listed. The Braves will start Kenshin Kawakami on Saturday and Javier Vazquez on Sunday.
Mark Bradley
August 12th, 2009
8:54 am
Good point, MatthewH. I’d have been brought up on charges by now in violation of the new SEC media policy.
defactodawg
August 12th, 2009
9:02 am
Mark,
I can’t wait to see what you have to say about the Pitino situation. I know it will be great reading!
Mark Bradley
August 12th, 2009
9:03 am
I don’t know, De Facto. There’s not much pleasant in that whole mess, I fear.
tvsportscaster
August 12th, 2009
9:09 am
Mark, the Phillies starters for the rest of their series are Cole Hamels Saturday and JA Happ Sunday.
DawginLex
August 12th, 2009
9:11 am
Mark,
They are doing it to me again. I really like this team. This year, I’m hopeful they don’t throw me over a cliff as they have done in the past.
Mark Bradley
August 12th, 2009
9:13 am
Thanks, TVS. And I know what you mean, Dawginlex.
JDH GT
August 12th, 2009
9:15 am
I agree with most here on the whole announcer thing. I really like Joe and Boog together. They seem to have nice chemistry. I’ve always like Don Sutton. It’s taken me a while–mainly due to my longing for Skip and Pete–but Jim Powell has really grown on me. I actually enjoy his laid back way, and he has a very dry wit that (at times) reminds me of Skip. The only time I like Chip is when he is impersonating his father. They should make him do all of his broadcasts in his father’s voice.
Homer
August 12th, 2009
9:22 am
FIRE BRADLEY!!!
ChillyMutt
August 12th, 2009
9:26 am
Very nice to see the Braves bounce back from that heartbreaker on Thursday nite. Let’s see if they can keep it up. That has been the knock on them the last few years – being able to sustain momentum. Good to see Infante coming back. Really like our bench/platoons. I think that and starting pitching are our strength. Cox just needs to keep everyone involved (which he has).
ghostwriter
August 12th, 2009
9:26 am
MB: Is McClouth going to be playing tonight?
I’m really liking this team now. Esco and Prado are absolute beasts. And the pitching has been amazing all year.
Reid in EAV
August 12th, 2009
9:29 am
Hope I’m right about this, but this is starting to feel like the ‘91 stretch drive against the hated Dodgers, complete with the scrappy underdog feel and everything. Who knows what’ll happen tonight with both teams (I hope we take care of bidness against the Nats, at least) but if we started the Philly series today and swept them (not the most likely outcome, but after the Dodgers tilt I wouldn’t rule it out) we’d only be 1.5 out of first in the East. As Mel Allen used to say, “How about that?!”
And while I’m dreaming, if we beat the Nats tonight AND the Phils lose AND we sweep the Phils, that’s a 1/2 game off the pace for the Bravos. A virtual tie with more than 40 games to go. Let the games begin!
Really hoping the ancient Pedro Martinez stinks up the joint tonight, btw. It wouldn’t be the first time. If I were Charlie Manuel, I’d go with the other ancient guy (Moyer) who’s at least somewhat proven this season, but what do I know? Nothing, obviously.
Mark Bradley
August 12th, 2009
9:29 am
Don’t know about McLouth tonight, GW. As you’re aware, he was in last night’s lineup before he took BP.
GSU Student
August 12th, 2009
9:30 am
What sports fan doesn’t like rankings?
1. Joe Simpson- Gives great insight and does not come off bias, but always seems to favor ATL of course.
2. Boog- He compliments Simpson well and has great knowledge of the NL EAST
3. Jim Powell- I come from the Midwest and Powell reminds me a lot of Pat Hughes, who is the guy on Cubs radio with Ron Santo. Powell is strong.
4. Don Sutton (with Powell)- When Sutton is not calling play-by-play I think he contributes well.
5. I like Lempke’s contributions thus far
12. Chip- I don’t know, just don’t get a great vibe with Chip
17. Don Sutton (without Powell)- Brutal
jeffrey d
August 12th, 2009
9:30 am
Nope, no 4 AM article this morning after a late night. I was starting to think you were a robot Mark. Or maybe some computer program created by the AJC.
Mark Bradley
August 12th, 2009
9:33 am
If I were a computer program, Jeffrey, I’d be in the earliest Beta stages.
ghostwriter
August 12th, 2009
9:34 am
As a side-note… it’s looking like the Phillies should have gotten Halladay after all. They must not be too comfortable with us and Florida creeping up like we are.
Ted October
August 12th, 2009
9:41 am
With Medlen look strong recently out of the pen, Hudson set to come off the DL later this month maybe, and Kawakami throwing amazing in his recent start, what do you think the Braves staff will look like next year? Who is the most expendable?
Jurrjens & Hanson- Obviously here to stay
Vazquez, Lowe, Hudson- Veteran guys (This set of 5 seems like the best staff in the league, (Stats wise, Lowe and Hudson are your 4/5 guys)
Medlen- I think he has potential to be an effective cheap 5th starter, he seems to have figured the mental side of the Show out
Kawakami- Has proved he can step up, and every other week he faces one of the best pitchers in the league
Don
August 12th, 2009
9:41 am
You continue to refuse to address the main problem with the Braves offense and run production. I suppose that the reason you do not address it is because this is caused by a glaring continuous failure by Bobby Cox. He has never taught/developed/emphasized/demanded that his hitters work the count – make the pitcher throw a lot of pitches. The Braves are next to last in all of baseball in average number of pitches seen per at bat – which guarantees inconsistant run production and failure. Otherwise they would (with their Pitching) already have a comfortable lead in the Division. This enables your hitters to see what the pitcher has, adjust to the pitcher, get better pitches to hit, make him make mistakes, secure more walks, wears the pitcher down both within innings and for the game, gets you into their weak middle relief etc. Good Managers at every level of baseball (from Little League on up) very quickly learn the obvious advantages of doing this. Cox has never done this — The way he won the Divisions was having All Star Pitching so dominant and far far superior to all other teams that it made up for this and made it almost impossible to lose over the 162 game regular season schedule — But even with that far superior Pitching, he usually only barely won the Division – and only one W.S. in 14 post season opportunities. Just watch the approach of the Braves batting order and then watch a good run producing team. The only salvation for the Braves is over the years having SOME hitters who are mature enought to do this in spite of Cox. One of the biggest mysteries in baseball is how the Atalanta Writers can defend Bobby Cox when he fails to do this and also is incompetent in so many other ways.
Ted October
August 12th, 2009
9:44 am
Come root for the Phillies this weekend Don, we don’t want you!
Andrew
August 12th, 2009
9:47 am
Don (8/14 9:41 AM) , why are you so depressed?
JDH GT
August 12th, 2009
9:47 am
Wow, Dan. Have you been watching the games since the All Star break? The Braves have been one of the best hitting teams in the NL during that time. It doesn’t seem to be a fluke, as this has gone on for 25+ games now.
JDH GT
August 12th, 2009
9:48 am
Sorry, DON!
jeffrey d
August 12th, 2009
9:48 am
Or maybe something like pong?
The 2009 Braves have me leery of a face plant. They get hot then all of a sudden they can’t hit the ball out of the infield, pitchers can’t keep the ball in the park, and the defense looks so ridiculous you expect to see Chipper Jones slip on a banana peel next. Hopefully we hold it together this time, especially with the Phils coming in.
I just hope somebody tells Bobby that McCann can’t hit lefties this year. He’s killing us at cleanup
Shady Kraft
August 12th, 2009
9:53 am
Don. The Braves are 16-9 since the All Star break. Absolutely crushing the ball. To quote the Great Seargent Hulka “lighten up Francis”
Mark Bradley
August 12th, 2009
9:56 am
The Sarge from “Stripes” makes an appearance! The one with the big toe! The one who got “blown UP, sir!”
Ted October
August 12th, 2009
10:00 am
Jefferey D’s comment about McCann had me interested, but it appears he is correct>
McCann is hitting .193 with 1 HR and 12 RBI vs. left-handed pitching this season.
Garrett Anderson: .315
Shane
August 12th, 2009
10:04 am
Hey Don
Then how did Cox win in Toronto with Average pitching
OWNED !!!
IT amazes me all the Cox bashing. Only in ATL would fans be so dumb as to not realize the job a HOF like Cox has done here. I mean he was only the architect of the 91 turnaround and basically reworked the entire organization from top to bottom. Even the 82 team that won under Torre was a team that Cox had assembled. Turner was just in his channeling Steinbrenner days and felt he needed to change managers every couple of months or Bobby would have has a chance to complete the turnaround.
HE IS ATLANTA BASEBALL AND ANY SUCCESS THEY HAVE HAD IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO HIS WORK HERE !!!
CajunStorm
August 12th, 2009
10:05 am
It sure woulda been nice if we had spent Kawakami’s money on Adam Dunn. Same dollar for dollar. But after what I’ve seen from Ol’ Framk Wren, I’ll give him a pass. Hell, we have a good young team and still have ALL our orospects. Beside when the “spotlight” has been bright on KK and we really needed him, he has stepped up big time. Great sign for the playoffs.
Hey Mark, you are the GM last February! Kawakami or Dunn? (Same $)
Shane
August 12th, 2009
10:09 am
My favorite scene from Stripes is when OX (John Candy) is playing poker with the guy who was a little slow
He asks to see his cards and the guy asks him what he should do. Ox says something like ” Id go all in but thats just me im a gambler! ” which the guy does and then he proceeds to take his money
I laughed till I cried.
Bushwacker
August 12th, 2009
10:10 am
I like Don Sutton but he’s not very good doing the paly by play on radio,you never know if someone got a hit or its an out.
Ex: “he winds and pitches….line drive to right…..then its several momnets before he says what happened, with Skip and Pete you knew instantly if its a hit or an out, its almost like he forgets he’s doing radio and not tv.
Just a little constructive criticism, its frustrating to the fans to not know what’s happening.
jeffrey d
August 12th, 2009
10:14 am
Ted – I know….I’m not saying he should platoon with Ross or anything, but for the love of Belliard, get the man out of the cleanup spot when we’re facing a lefty.
CajunStorm
August 12th, 2009
10:17 am
Chill out, Shane. All we TRUE Braves Fans are saying about Bobby is that we know HE is capable of BETTER. Really!! I’m a Marv Levy and Dan Reeves fan as well, but 0-8 in the SuperBowl leaves a bad taste in most reasonable fan’s mouths. Lenny Wilkins and Tony Dungy are like Bobby Cox in that they have accomplished great records and playoff success but only have 1 RING to show for it. What do ALL of these men have in common? Great builders of franchises, teams, and MEN, and are DUE the highest respect! But Dang, could we have gotten at least 1 more RING, bcuz we KNOW they were all capable of at least 1 more!!
Shane
August 12th, 2009
10:18 am
Anybody realize KK has a lower ERA than Lowe since the break.
Andre "Pulpwood" Smith
August 12th, 2009
10:24 am
Regarding the Pitino story (which I can’t get enough of) is there a more pathetic character anywhere on earth than Tim Sypher? First, he’s Pitino’s gofer, then he marries the woman who Pitino has impregnated (in a closed restaurant!), then he’s forced to bring the little lady’s list of demands to Pitino. Good times!
RC Cola and a Moon Pie
August 12th, 2009
10:25 am
i do agree with a lot of the posters here about the announcing. I find joe simpson incredibly insightful. i love his input on situations both from a defensive/pitching perspective and an offensive/hitting perspective. I think Boog compliments that tone and they are my favorite duo. I especially love their little inside jokes (which to me, are not inside – like how they mention every now and again about the clock tower that Joe drew with the telestrator one night when they were away… yes, it looked phallus [sp]). they are entertaining.
i don’t mind chip caray with anyone. he is busy at times, but i give him a pass on that.
Don sutton is fine on tv but painful on radio. he doesn’t clarify on radio and that leaves me confused most of the time. i am glad he’s back with the team though…
I told a coworker of mine that i was done with the braves this year. they bring me to the brink then leave me hangin with a bad performance. but they are like that psycho ex that you can’t get rid of. so, i guess im gonna hitch my wagon and see where this ride goes. after all, i’ve been a fan since listening to ernie sr and chip with my granddad on AM since i was a wee little lad. go braves. slap chop the phillies like vince…
braves4ever
August 12th, 2009
10:26 am
M B , I was trying to find the page from last night and wow, I began to wonder if last night was a sendoff for you as this blog is buried deep in the annals of AJC sports , I mean you have do some serious looking to just find Mark Bradley and a blog. Did you upset the apple cart last night with the live blog competing with Carroll and cause her to get the geeks to hide you from public view? lol.
oldbaseballguy
August 12th, 2009
10:28 am
Been listening to baseball since Harry Carey with the Cardinals.
I believe Joe Simpson is the best baseball announcer I have ever heard.
On TV he lets the game be the focus of attention. On radio, doing play by play, the listener can almost see the game on the field.
Really good at his craft.
PWHjort
August 12th, 2009
10:35 am
someone asked Bobby Cox, who was following the Marlins-Astros game in his office, if he’d taken to watching the scoreboard.
“Only since Opening Day,” he said.
HA. Awesome. Love it.
Nativebird
August 12th, 2009
10:38 am
I like Don Sutton, when he’s not talking about himself, the HOF, namedropping the other HOF players and coaches he knows, and mimicking other great announcers like Ucker or Scully with those painfully transparent attempts at those old-time corny catch-phrases that just don’t work when contrived by a wanna be announcer…which is virtually the ENTIRE broadcast.
Nothing Like October
August 12th, 2009
10:40 am
Yesterday, I saw an advertisement for Braves Post-Season tickets.
It’s been too long!!
JeanE
August 12th, 2009
10:43 am
I hate it when the games are on P’tree TV because Chip is so annoying. I just love Simpson & Boog together, really really enjoy listening to them, they are funny, insightful & have great chemistry. Ron Gant literally puts me to sleep! His voice to too soothing, doesn’t keep me awake!! And I see a big future for Chipper as a DH, man can he hit but his injuries have really accumulated to negatively affect his defense.
Shane
August 12th, 2009
10:43 am
Cajun. If Lonnie Smith just keeps running we have one more right there. I didnt see Bobby telling him to stop
Shane
August 12th, 2009
10:46 am
And if Mark Wholers doesnt go brain dead and hang a slider to Leyritz that would be another one.
Would 3 be enough? I wish we would have won those as well. Bobby put his guys in position to win and thats all he can do. He cant bat or throw the pitches.
braves4ever
August 12th, 2009
10:50 am
M B , Has there been much behind the scene talk of Hanson being in the running for Rookie of the year. Would that not be cool ,2 ROY from Atlanta in one year. What do you think he will have to post from here on out to be mentioned? Do you think 13-14 wins, ERA of 2.90 would be good enough?
bfred
August 12th, 2009
10:50 am
I’d love to catch the Phils, but our immediate competition is Colorado. They’re the only team ahead of us in the wild card that I worry about down the stretch. CO has the best run differential at +63 (Braves +44). The Fish are actually dead even at 531 scored and allowed (Braves 505/461) and I just don’t see their pitching matching up over the last quarter of the season. Ditto San Francisco and Chicago.
So who do we pull for? The first-place teams (LAD, Cards and, if you think we have a better shot at the WC than division, Phils); whoever’s playing Milwaukee (3.5 games behind Braves) and Houston (4 games; both teams are below .500) that isn’t ahead of us in the WC race, and otherwise everyone below us (Brewers, Astros, Mets {okay, maybe not Mets}, Diamondbacks, Reds, Pads, Bucs, Nats).
Jared
August 12th, 2009
10:51 am
Mark, is the Braves rotation definitely set?
With the extra day off Thursday I thought they might skip KK (also because he had such a war of a game in LA) and go with Jurrjens, Vazquez, and Hanson for the Phillies, all on normal rest. Also, espn lists Hamels, Blanton, and Happ as the Phillies probables.
LSU
August 12th, 2009
10:52 am
“Raise your hands if you think we can win this thing.”
Mark,
You do realize that the Braves are only a 5 losses out of 7 games streak, which has happened many many times this season from being blown out of this hunt, don’t you? One more week of mostly wins, and I’d think about raising my hands.
RC Cola and a Moon Pie
August 12th, 2009
10:52 am
shane, those are great points. i also wonder how many blown saves we’ve had this year alone – not that i’m throwin off – but i know that we would probably be atop the wildcard standings if not the division if we could’ve held the lead. (and i really don’t know the total numbers, but there’s last thursday, i can think of 2 from Mike Gonzales alone and 1 from moyer – that’s 4)..
does anyone know the real number of blown saves/leads this year?
MiltonDawg
August 12th, 2009
10:55 am
Difficult to swallow that the Braves current record hasn’t been like this since 05/23/08- what happened? BUT, these guys are on a roll, need to go ahead and beat the Nats and hopefully, just hopefully have the Phils & Fish lose. Need a sweep of the Phils this weekend to make things interesting.
stew
August 12th, 2009
11:02 am
When a pitcher throws a ball, a batter has a choice of swinging at or taking the pitch. If a batter takes a pitch, there are only two possible results -called strike or ball (one bad one good). There is no need for any batter to swing at a pitch with less than two strikes on him. If a batter swings at a pitch, obviously the pitch can’t be called a ball. Also, in order to drive in runs, you have to swing at pitches (the only time a ball produces a run is on a bases loaded walk). But, the results from swinging at pitches are more than 50% bad. You can fly out, ground out, get a hit or a strike. A fly out (unless its a sac fly) or a ground out (unless the infield is back and it moves a runner) is never good. Swinging at pitches is like gambling. You could get a good pitch to hit and pop it up. Gambling offense in any sport should be played after you get a lead you go for the juggler. Until you get that lead the game should be played conservatively. Good offense doesn’t have to be seven or eight runs a game. It can be four or five runs a game with good pitching. Hit consistently enough to win. Our problem earlier in the year was that we’d lose 2-0 (a well pitched game with little or no offense). Francoeur would go to the plate hacking at the first pitch with the bases loaded and hit into a DP (end of threat) or Schafer couldn’t make contact. Certain game situations demand a take sign even if the batter hits a home run on the pitch he was supposed to take. Winning games is what really counts. Putting up great offensive numbers doesn’t really matter. It’s the manufactured run that wins a game not the grand slam in a blow out that wins pennants.
Mark Bradley
August 12th, 2009
11:03 am
The Braves have blown 16 saves in 42 chances. (That doesn’t mean they’ve lost each of those 16 games. For example, both Philadelphia and Florida had blown saves last night but won anyway.) Only three National League teams — Los Angeles, Houston and Washington — have blown more than 16 saves. Here are the pertinent numbers from CBSsports.com.
25-Year Braves Fan
August 12th, 2009
11:04 am
Who did Braves cut to make room for Infante?
Not seeing that anywhere.
Charlie
August 12th, 2009
11:05 am
KK or Dunn? Hmmm, interesting questions. Well, last I saw KK, he was shutting down the Dodgers on what was probably the most gutty pitching performance I have seen this year, and the last time I saw Dunn struck out 4 times. Kind of a no brainer.
Mark Bradley
August 12th, 2009
11:07 am
Diory Hernandez was optioned to Gwinnett, 25-Year.
braves4ever
August 12th, 2009
11:07 am
25-Year Braves Fan , that would Dory Hernandez
CajunStorm
August 12th, 2009
11:11 am
Shane, I feel you and great points. Let me be clear…I Love Bobby Cox. All I’m saying is Lonnie and Wholers weren’t good enough or mature enough to make the great play so GREAT Coaches always seem to have ordinary “brain dead base runners” and “Floating Hanger Closers” step up and not make those mistakes. I know that’s a tall order but winning 2 more rings is just that….A TALL ORDER.
me
August 12th, 2009
11:12 am
Better to end hot than start hot!
Don
August 12th, 2009
11:19 am
Relating to the Braves failure to work the count- make the opposing pitcher throw a lot of pitches – being next to last in baseball in average numbe of pitches seen per at bat; — It is true that the Braves have been scoring runs and winning since the All Star break — but any team is going to have some hot streaks — The failure to work the count and make opposing pitcher throw a lot of pitches will mean the run production will not be consistant and will mean failure over the complete season – unless your pitching is so great that it will overcome this – which is possible this year – but doubtful – we will see. Point is that if we were doing this, we could now be leading the Division by 4 games instead of trailing by 4. The advnatages of this and necessity for this is obvious – Cox has never taught/emphasized/implemented this – which is just more of his imcompetency.
RC Cola and a Moon Pie
August 12th, 2009
11:26 am
Wow!!! 16?!?!?! that’s almost too hard to swallow – imagine if that number were just reduced by 5 or 6…
so, for all of the offensive woes this team had in the early going we could be in a totally different position if we could have just held on to HALF of those opportunities… my concern down this stretch will be this very worked bullpen. savor these 8-1 victories…
CajunStorm
August 12th, 2009
11:26 am
Really, Charlie? Really a no brainer?
Kenshin Kawakami: 21 Games, 4-9 record, 4.12ERA, $8,333,666
Adam Dunn: 112 Games, .278 Avg., 30 HR’s, 84 RBI, .405 OBP, $8,000,000
I’m not trying to trash KK or Wren but what I’m saying is KK is a dime a dozen in this league and we had the money and option to get Dunn who has put up those numbers for the past 4 years now. No one on the brave is touching that. And plz don’t go the defensive liability route on me because anyone in their right minds would take Dunn over Diaz in RF.
There are no time machines so we are who we are but FRANK, after all the great moves, the KK (pitching)over Dunn (Power Producer) might be the difference between a “push” to try to get into the playoffs or a “push to WIN THE WHOLE DARN THING!!
JDH GT
August 12th, 2009
11:26 am
Don,
That is just not true. Again, this doesn’t appear to be just a “streak.” It has been going on for about 30 games now, and it started when we took a few impatient PLAYERS our of the lineup. They have been replaced with patient PLAYERS who do work the count. As a result, the Braves are getting into opponents’ bullpens much earlier in the game, and you are seeing them take advantage of that. You are about a month too late with your baseless comments.