Live from Braves-Phils: First place – wouldn’t it be nice?
"Got to keep those lovin' good vibrations happenin'." (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
The Braves haven’t been in first place this late in a season since Oct. 2, 2005. They’ll be in first place if they win today.
How’s that for a snappy lead?
Memorial Day at the ballyard. Phils in the house.Big crowd assembling. Traffic a mess. Clouds overhead. Beach Boys to perform afterward.
(And here I pause for a Beach Boys digression. I saw Brian Wilson perform at the Daytona 500 a few years ago, and I thought to myself: Here’s an individual who couldn’t bring himself to leave his house — the one with the sandbox in the living room — for years at a time, and now he’s standing up there in front of a couple hundred thousand other individuals.)
Chipper Jones said it Sunday: “We’d like to win two of three. When we’ve played these guys the last few years, we went in knowing we had to sweep.”
True enough. Since 2005, which ended the run of excellence, the latest the Braves have been in first was May 15, 2007. So you could say there’s something at stake today. Then again …
It’s baseball. This is Game No. 51. There will be 111 games remaining after this. You don’t clinch pennants on Memorial Day, and the Phillies, who have been hurting — Jimmy Rollins is on the disabled list and Placido Polanco has been hurt — and who haven’t been scoring (six runs in the past eight games, three in the past six). And the Braves won’t face either Roy Halladay, who just worked a perfect game, or Jamie Moyer, who’s 2-0 against the Braves this season without yielding an earned run.
In sum, you have to think the Braves have a splendid chance to win this series, which would not only put them in first place on Memorial Day but would leave them there on June 2. Which would be big news ’round here.
And I’ll be here to witness the doings, and I invite you to join me. And if Brian Wilson and Mike Love get into a fistfight afterward — Love famously thought Wilson’s shelved masterpiece “Smile” was gobbedlygook — I’ll tell you who prevails.
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513 comments Add your comment
Marie
May 31st, 2010
3:58 pm
When do the Beach Boys take the stage?
AlabamaRamblinwreck
May 31st, 2010
3:59 pm
Hey, Mark. You think Pittsburgh’s leadoff hitter/centerfielder might be on the market later this summer??? He looks great offensively, defensively, and he has great speed. I feel like an addition like that would put this team in an elite category going forward.
Ashley
May 31st, 2010
3:59 pm
Did you know the Atlanta Braves logo has been used as a gang symbol? I’ve actually seen people with “A” hats, stopped them to chat about a recent Braves game, and was told “I just like the hat.” I am not saying that makes them gang members, but it has been documented about the logo’s usage.
First it was rosary beads being used as gang necklaces, and now the “A.” Nothing’s sacred anymore.
Gang Identification – Sports Team Logos
SPORTS TEAM
GANG NAME
HOW OR WHY USED
Atlanta Braves People Nation Gangs Initial “A” For Almighty
Poorbrave
May 31st, 2010
3:59 pm
kurula, I think BNW got you mixed up with someone else. Don’t worry about it.
IlliniBrave
May 31st, 2010
3:59 pm
OMG – why Chavez? Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!
Mark Bradley
May 31st, 2010
3:59 pm
I might actually do that, Chef Tim — go back and run some of those comments.
I believe I wondered if Glaus had undergone Greg Norton surgery.
Bravissimo
May 31st, 2010
3:59 pm
Well at least its a good crowd….even if they did bring their surfboards.
Elliptical Logician
May 31st, 2010
3:59 pm
Alabama,
We thought that about their last centerfielder too.
Kashi
May 31st, 2010
4:00 pm
if j hey had got on base today…..it would be a embrassing runs allowed to phillies pitcher.
"Chef" Tim Dix
May 31st, 2010
4:00 pm
Troy, NL PotM without question.
Mark Bradley
May 31st, 2010
4:00 pm
Don’t know, Marie. I’m guessing maybe 20 minutes after the final out.
Brock
May 31st, 2010
4:01 pm
skyline, hafbrauhaus in Newport then the Yacht Club in Ludlow. What a great memeorial day!!
Mark Bradley
May 31st, 2010
4:01 pm
Two outs until the Braves clinch … being in first place on Memorial Day.
NCBravesFan
May 31st, 2010
4:01 pm
There were some fans that said it was too early to make a judgment call on Glaus – I tip my cap to them. He looked done to me in APR.
AlabamaRamblinwreck
May 31st, 2010
4:01 pm
I never thought it, Elliptical, but yes, some did.
"Chef" Tim Dix
May 31st, 2010
4:01 pm
That’s think about the internet Mark, once it’s out there…
kurula
May 31st, 2010
4:02 pm
taken out of context, my april glaus comments could be construed as negative.
Elliptical Logician
May 31st, 2010
4:02 pm
2 outs to first place. Unflippingbelievable.
JTH
May 31st, 2010
4:02 pm
Some of you are grouchy today.
No grilling here, too much rain.
Mark Bradley
May 31st, 2010
4:02 pm
I’m familiar with Northern Kentucky, Brock. My wife is from Taylor Mill and went to Covington Holy Cross.
Ashley
May 31st, 2010
4:02 pm
Can we add more days to May?
"Chef" Tim Dix
May 31st, 2010
4:03 pm
thats THE THING, including MY poor grammar.
Mark Bradley
May 31st, 2010
4:03 pm
These live chats are kind of like watching a game with your buddies, except that they don’t keep a printed record to remind you of all the silly things you said.
AlabamaRamblinwreck
May 31st, 2010
4:04 pm
All we need is a centerfielder, and maybe Jair back, and this team has some potential to be very special. Of course, they gotta keep it going, but having a strong bullpen can really help get us through the dog days of the summer.
"Chef" Tim Dix
May 31st, 2010
4:04 pm
My April comments include refusal of soup.
roger
May 31st, 2010
4:04 pm
nice pitch one more to go
Brave New World
May 31st, 2010
4:04 pm
29-22 looks good right now
Mark Bradley
May 31st, 2010
4:04 pm
An out away from the World Series crown.
Er, the division lead.
Brock
May 31st, 2010
4:05 pm
Love covington. My wife went to Notre Dame Academy in Park Hills. Small world.
NCBravesFan
May 31st, 2010
4:05 pm
Mark: true, and you have to buy all your own beer in the blogosphere. Other than that, it’s a pretty nice gig.
roger
May 31st, 2010
4:05 pm
first place!!!!!
BravesTeach
May 31st, 2010
4:05 pm
I like this happening on Memorial Day. It makes me think of all the joy a lousy team & a cooky owner brought to so many older Veteran’s throughout the 1970’s & 80’s. Some of them were around for the 90’s.
Mark Bradley
May 31st, 2010
4:05 pm
Braves are in first place.
.
May 31st, 2010
4:05 pm
Great Game.1st place Braves.
ATL FAN363
May 31st, 2010
4:05 pm
Congrats to the frist place braves and my hat goes off to the phil for scoreing 3 runs
Bravissimo
May 31st, 2010
4:05 pm
Enjoyed it MB…see ya agin soon…
Sid
May 31st, 2010
4:05 pm
first time since 2005 in first June 1
AlabamaRamblinwreck
May 31st, 2010
4:06 pm
20-8 IN MAY!!!!! Awesome!
Mark Bradley
May 31st, 2010
4:06 pm
I probably need to rip Frank Wren about now, don’t you think? Just to make up for all the gushing I’ve been doing.
daBraves860
May 31st, 2010
4:06 pm
Awesome we’re starting June in 1st place!
Brock
May 31st, 2010
4:06 pm
good game Bravos. I’ll drink to that win. Hope I didn’t piss too many people off. Just love the game.
IlliniBrave
May 31st, 2010
4:06 pm
That one inning with no runs scored might have cut Chavez’s ERA in half!
NCBravesFan
May 31st, 2010
4:06 pm
Chef: I just did a lot of cheesy, negative Glaus wordplay – but I did think the man was about done.
"Chef" Tim Dix
May 31st, 2010
4:07 pm
As usual, enjoyed it folks!
JTH
May 31st, 2010
4:07 pm
Wow. 1st place.
Well, I know some of my April comments were negative. But knowing Cox and how the Braves operate as a franchise I now think it was too early to complain. Good job.
Go Braves!
Marie
May 31st, 2010
4:07 pm
Nice, division lead.
Marie
May 31st, 2010
4:08 pm
Mark will you still blog during the concert?
AlabamaRamblinwreck
May 31st, 2010
4:09 pm
Not to be Debbie Downer, but the next few weeks are going to be tough. Rays, Dodgers, and Twins….Here we go, and keep those bats hot!!
.
May 31st, 2010
4:09 pm
Beach Boys called off because of Oil spill…
Go Braves! Go Blackhawks!
May 31st, 2010
4:12 pm
EFF PHILLY!!!!!!!
GO BRAVES!!!!
GO BLACKHAWKS!!!!!!!