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.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
513 comments Add your comment
Legend of Len Barker
May 31st, 2010
2:31 pm
Mark, Smile was released a few years ago as a Wilson solo album. Love threatened to sue Wilson because he thought Wilson was misappropriating the Beach Boys’ name. But that’s been Mike Love’s relationship with everyone the past 20 years. There is another former Beach Boy who does some performing, Al Jardine, but Love sues him every now and then too.
Weird relationships. Especially considering Mike Love has a first cousin once removed who is also his grandson.
Bo Diddley
May 31st, 2010
2:33 pm
Are you kidding me??? Get back in the box and hit!!
Mark Bradley
May 31st, 2010
2:34 pm
The Phillies can’t get a break. Chipper makes a play to rob Ruiz, and now Valdez can’t get a HBP call from Vanover.
kurula
May 31st, 2010
2:35 pm
hanson needs to exploit this ability he has…hit folks and then get them out.
Bravissimo
May 31st, 2010
2:35 pm
Somebody else on the phils is gonna get tossed before this is over
Mark Bradley
May 31st, 2010
2:36 pm
Ha. I laughed, kurula.
GT Alum
May 31st, 2010
2:38 pm
I agree, Cornfuzed. I’ve always been a supporter of both players (although Josh’s pouting in the Orlando series was inexcusable). I don’t think they cause Rocker-esque locker room issues. While almost no one is untouchable, I would have to get a lot in return to trade either one.
JTH
May 31st, 2010
2:38 pm
Are we SURE the Braves aren’t getting makeup calls from yesterday?
Mark Bradley
May 31st, 2010
2:42 pm
Every Philly could get tossed and it wouldn’t make a difference. That team can’t score as is.
Mark Bradley
May 31st, 2010
2:43 pm
Phils have two hits. One’s from the pitcher.
Bravissimo
May 31st, 2010
2:44 pm
Thats fine Mark…I hate all the Philly teams.
kurula
May 31st, 2010
2:44 pm
i think they’ll score against lowe. luckily, the braves will already have 5 runs on the board at first pitch.
Mark Bradley
May 31st, 2010
2:45 pm
A really nice moment: Braves, Phillies and umpires are applauding today’s Hometown Hero, a Marine wounded in action.
Bo Diddley
May 31st, 2010
2:46 pm
Beautiful sight. Beautiful gesture.
eddie willers
May 31st, 2010
2:46 pm
Nice tribute to the young serviceman.
Kinda puts it all into perspective, doesn’t it.
Barnacle Bill Bavasi
May 31st, 2010
2:47 pm
Yunel’s not perfect, but he’s a lot better than Larvell Blanks.
OldTimer
May 31st, 2010
2:47 pm
You get shut out by the Mets three times in a row, your goose is not only cooked but somewhat char-coaled. In bowling they call it a turkey.
Looks like Bobby will be going out with a ring.
Bo Diddley
May 31st, 2010
2:48 pm
And Rafael Ramirez.
JTH
May 31st, 2010
2:49 pm
I appreciate all our service men and women. My grandfather fought in WW2 and my father fought in Vietnam. Without people like them we wouldn’t be able to enjoy our freedoms like baseball on Memorial day.
/0
Cornfuzed
May 31st, 2010
2:49 pm
And Rafael Belliard
kurula
May 31st, 2010
2:49 pm
is hanson what chipper would call ”effectively wild”?
Mark Bradley
May 31st, 2010
2:50 pm
Time for the Tool Race. I have Paintbrush.
.
May 31st, 2010
2:51 pm
And Jerry Royster!
Bravissimo
May 31st, 2010
2:51 pm
Does Hanson know Chip calls him “Big Red”?…does he care?
UGA ALL THE WAY
May 31st, 2010
2:51 pm
C’mon HAMMER!!!
Mark Bradley
May 31st, 2010
2:51 pm
Nope. Saw wins. Paintbrush places. Hammer put Drill into the wall. I kid you not.
heywood...
May 31st, 2010
2:52 pm
what’s up, mark? i’m in late, but i’m here for the duration.
how bout them 1st place braves!!
TONE
May 31st, 2010
2:52 pm
I remember when Rafael Belliard went deep wasn’t that in chigago
Mark Bradley
May 31st, 2010
2:53 pm
You’d think that if any entrant would have been trading paint, it would have been Paintbrush.
.
May 31st, 2010
2:53 pm
Tool race is a joke. Copy of pres race.
heywood...
May 31st, 2010
2:53 pm
i had to work today and i was in the military.
that sux!
Ralph Garr
May 31st, 2010
2:53 pm
Beep Beep!
Barnacle Bill Bavasi
May 31st, 2010
2:53 pm
Test Saw for PEDs and launch an investigation into Hammer’s finances in case he was paid to take out the favorite.
Mark Bradley
May 31st, 2010
2:53 pm
Escobar with another hit.
Mark Bradley
May 31st, 2010
2:54 pm
Hey, heywood. Where’ve you been?
Bravissimo
May 31st, 2010
2:54 pm
wtg hammer….they hardly ever show the race on tv…but they show all the other stadium races
Mark Bradley
May 31st, 2010
2:54 pm
Time for Nate to shine.
Elliptical Logician
May 31st, 2010
2:55 pm
Hey Mark: will the Beach Boys concert be televised?
Mark Bradley
May 31st, 2010
2:55 pm
Alas, he hits a drive to shallow shortstop.
ATL FAN363
May 31st, 2010
2:55 pm
Wow nate didnt see that coming
Elliptical Logician
May 31st, 2010
2:56 pm
Nate, Nate, Nate.
Tommy Hanson with 2 hits today!
Bo Diddley
May 31st, 2010
2:56 pm
Okay, can Hanson bat leadoff for us?
Mark Bradley
May 31st, 2010
2:56 pm
That I don’t know, Elliptical Logician. Perhaps Braves postgame will carry some of it.
Hanson now has as many hits as the defending National League champs, FYI.
kurula
May 31st, 2010
2:56 pm
nate got into that one…
JTH
May 31st, 2010
2:57 pm
2 hits for Hanson! And the pitcher spot continues to out hit McLouth. Ugh.
ATL FAN363
May 31st, 2010
2:57 pm
we let nate bunt from here on out
"Chef" Tim Dix
May 31st, 2010
2:57 pm
SO…Just got in, can anyone bring me up to speed?
Elliptical Logician
May 31st, 2010
2:57 pm
Methinks Jordan Schaefer may be chomping at the bit in Gwinnett. Any word on how his recovery is coming along?
Mark Bradley
May 31st, 2010
2:57 pm
That’s the first career two-hit game for Tommy H.
Barnacle Bill Bavasi
May 31st, 2010
2:58 pm
Beginning to think Nate needs to see Smoltz’s shrink.