Live from the ballyard: Call Thumb No. 158 and win a T-shirt!
I’d all but abandoned hope. There Bobby Cox was, 32 games remaining as a big-league manager, and he was stuck on 156 ejections. My sweet dream was that the Thumb King would reach 162 before he retires, which would make him the only man who could ever truthfully say, “I wasn’t around for the end a season’s worth of games.”
Forget Cy Young and his 511 wins. Forget Joe D. and 56 straight. I was thinking 162 ejections would be the standard to end standards. I was thinking 162 heave-hos would impel the folks in Cooperstown to waive the waiting period and induct the crusty skipper posthaste..
But I had, as noted, begun to doubt the great man. His once-furious pursuit of history had slowed to a crawl. He was tossed only three times through 129 games, and I’d begun to think our roaring lion had resigned himself to going out with a whimper.
Then he got tossed Sunday, which was nice. But even with No. 157 in the book, my spirits were so low as to be a flickering ember.
Then I walked into the Braves’ clubhouse Monday and saw this written on a whiteboard:
“HP – B. Davidson.”
And hope sprang anew. Bob Davidson, known variously as Balkin’ Bob or Balk-a-day Bob, is famous for his quick trigger, and he, as noted last month by Atlanta writer Thomas Lake in a fine profile of Cox for Sports Illustrated, shares the record for most Cox ejections with six.
And here I’m thinking: Balk-a-day Bob in town for four games … two ejections easy, possibly three … Cox then has 159 with 28 pressurized games remaining. In sum, I’m thinking:
There’s still a shot.
And with that, I’ll open the figurative floor for questions, comments and ejection projections. Let the record show that yours truly has “bottom of the fourth” in tonight’s Thumb Pool. But I’m not, as you might have heard, much good at predicting. So I’m asking you to step right and make your picks. And I thank you, as ever, in advance.
Oh, and by popular demand: We’ve made this a contest. Call the correct half-inning — we’ll cut off entries after the third, but you can predict a early ejection now — and WIN A T-SHIRT! (Of some sort.)
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936 comments Add your comment
Mark Bradley
August 30th, 2010
8:54 pm
Mrs. Mitch, you’re killing me. People NEVER say nice things about me. I’m breakin’ out in hives.
Philly Phan
August 30th, 2010
8:54 pm
and why aren’t you at the game allen while you troll here with me?
Headley Lamar
August 30th, 2010
8:54 pm
When the Oracle doesnt know nobody does.
todd grantham
August 30th, 2010
8:54 pm
yes Marc. Thank you. heh, heh
5150 P.O.A.D
August 30th, 2010
8:55 pm
Need an error to get the Braves a run.
Mark Bradley
August 30th, 2010
8:55 pm
And Mrs. Mitch, I have to inform you that not all live blogs are like this one. You’ve either caught us on the worst or best night of the year. I can’t tell.
Bravissimo
August 30th, 2010
8:55 pm
Bobby looks like hes in a good mood tonite..I dont think this is the night for ejections
Heath
August 30th, 2010
8:55 pm
I lived in DC and the Metro was outstanding. Wish we had a subway here.
Going to the UTC-Appy State game Saturday. Feel free to come down, Philly. Chattanooga needs your tourist dollars as well. Expecting 20,000 – the Mocs won’t know how to handle people being there.
Headley Lamar
August 30th, 2010
8:56 pm
Anybody who wonders about small crowds in ATL has never driven in the city around 5:00
1. There is no mass transit of any real kind.
2. ATL is a bunch of suburbs 45 minutes from the ballpark
3. The traffic can be unreal at times.
Tag Team Champions
August 30th, 2010
8:56 pm
Neon yellow shirt in, neon green shirt out.
Allen
August 30th, 2010
8:56 pm
Mr. Bradley I hate to distract you from neon shirt but what is Tim Hudson’s ERA right now? Just saw Halladay at 2.22 on the ticker
Mrs. Mitch
August 30th, 2010
8:57 pm
Todd – Of course, 2XL please!
**know meant now
Mark Bradley
August 30th, 2010
8:57 pm
Hudson’s ERA is 2.24, Allen.
Philly Phan
August 30th, 2010
8:57 pm
so nobody can answer my sellout question? anything MB???
5150 P.O.A.D
August 30th, 2010
8:58 pm
toDD grantham don’t you have some future convices to babysit until the kickoff of UGA’s high school football season. ToDD do know where you drunk mutts puppies are? They sure ain’t at Drivers Ed!
Katherine
August 30th, 2010
8:58 pm
Trying to drive through traffic in atlanta is like a slow death…only more painful.
Heath
August 30th, 2010
8:58 pm
And when they put AAA in Gwinett they gave locals another option that is cheaper and closer.
Headley Lamar
August 30th, 2010
8:58 pm
Hudson and Halladay have basically canceled each other out for both teams all year.
todd grantham
August 30th, 2010
8:58 pm
Mark, no matter how much you like Mrs Mitch as a new blogger, if i were you i wouldnt bet on her in a spelling bee.
Mark Bradley
August 30th, 2010
8:58 pm
Sorry. I missed, the question, Philly Phan. What were you asking?
Also Ashley
August 30th, 2010
8:58 pm
Colonel Neon Mustard now has a blue-shirted friend
Sons of Rick Matula
August 30th, 2010
8:59 pm
The decision not to put a Marta stop at the stadium was one of the many ways Marta has screwed the pooch.
kurula
August 30th, 2010
8:59 pm
allen–2.24 ERA
Mrs. Mitch
August 30th, 2010
8:59 pm
This has definitely been a very active night, I agree. This is my first foray into blogging. Have I gotten my hopes up?
todd grantham
August 30th, 2010
9:00 pm
i expect you would fill it out quite nicely.
Bravissimo
August 30th, 2010
9:00 pm
Philly Phan…this has been discussed ad nauseum on here and espn for quite sometime…..My own reason is that I live 3 hours from the stadium….i can only go on weekends or holidays.
Katherine
August 30th, 2010
9:00 pm
philly i’ll type slowly for you…..there is no mass transit to the game, traffic is horrible, braves fans come from all over the south, hence a lot of them not being close enough to go the game. Any other brain busters philly ?
Headley Lamar
August 30th, 2010
9:00 pm
When you have to leave the house at 5 am to drop the kids off at school on time and be at work at 8 all of a sudden the ballgame doesn’t seem like such a good idea.
Especially when its on TV locally.
Heath
August 30th, 2010
9:00 pm
With all those Phillies sellouts, what’s their home record? It was horrible last year.
"Chef" Tim Dix
August 30th, 2010
9:00 pm
Philly Phan: Here, have a battery.
Allen
August 30th, 2010
9:00 pm
What’s he 16-5 with a 2.24 ERA he has got to be in the top 3 for the cy young, is he eligible for the come back player of the year too?
Philly Phan
August 30th, 2010
9:00 pm
when was the braves last sellout? and any consecutive sellouts?
kurula
August 30th, 2010
9:00 pm
here’s my inning…
Cox Going Out On Top
August 30th, 2010
9:00 pm
Mark-
Since I missed out on the ejection prediction, can I just get the shirt if he doesn’t get ejected at all?
I mean, I’d have to be first on the pecking order because I shared the same thought with you about the “153″ shirt, right?
Selleck Waterfall Sandwich
August 30th, 2010
9:00 pm
Mark, do any of the Atlanta scribes vote on ROY or any of the other awards? I’m not shocked that the emphasis is always on half of the game, offense, but surprised that defense doesn’t garner more points in the equation.
Mrs. Mitch
August 30th, 2010
9:01 pm
I talk better than I type. spelling was always my worst. Thanks for rubbing it in, Todd. :p
Allen
August 30th, 2010
9:01 pm
easy heyward dont hurt yourself
Mark Bradley
August 30th, 2010
9:01 pm
I don’t know, Cox Going Out On Top. I don’t know if that would be in the spirit of the competition.
Meanwhile, the Mets are running around the bases and the Braves are running around in their bullpen.
Headley Lamar
August 30th, 2010
9:01 pm
Still got a ballgame here.
Thole reminds me of Ed Ott.
Katherine
August 30th, 2010
9:02 pm
you josh thole
Bravissimo
August 30th, 2010
9:02 pm
Philly Phan….www.baseball-reference.com….I think youll find all that there.
todd grantham
August 30th, 2010
9:02 pm
Mrs, the lack of spelling ability has never gotten anyone ejected from the blog to the best of my knowlege
Also Ashley
August 30th, 2010
9:02 pm
Thanks Ernie! “Jurrjens has settled down” (prior to the triple).
Little League World Series
August 30th, 2010
9:03 pm
Didn’t the kids play their series this weekend in Philly? I think the dimensions of the field are about the same.
5150 P.O.A.D
August 30th, 2010
9:03 pm
SORRY ToDD: Convicts… mutts. I posted fast.
Damn 22 you could have made that catch. you killed my line score.
Philly Phan
August 30th, 2010
9:03 pm
so you think the transit in philly is that much better?? you would think the people that live in atlanta would support a first place team then if most of you live so far away. i live an hour from philly and still catch a few games when i’m home.
Mark Bradley
August 30th, 2010
9:03 pm
Last Braves sellout was July 17, a Saturday night. No consecutive shutouts this season.
Allen
August 30th, 2010
9:03 pm
Mr. Bradley I know Hudson has got to be top three for cy young, can he win come back player of the year too?
Headley Lamar
August 30th, 2010
9:03 pm
Scott Diamond perfect game through 7 at Gwinnett.
Bravissimo
August 30th, 2010
9:03 pm
You confirmed for the race this weekend MB?