5/15/98: I have a lot of respect for Bobby Cox, but I have to wonder what he was thinking tonight. First, he gave Ozzie Guillen a start. Worse, he had Guillen hit leadoff, which is simply bizarre because there is no non-pitcher on the current roster less suitable to hit there than Guillen. Then he has Dennis Martinez close out the game. I can understand wanting to rest Kerry Lightenberg, who has worked a lot lately, but Martinez should probably be the last reliever to get a shot at the closer role. Including Brian Edmondson, who Cox apparently won’t use unless he’s either out of pitchers or up (or down, if that ever happens) by more than six runs.

Braves won, of course. Seven in a row.

The big news in baseball is the proposed megadeal that would send most of the Marlins’ remaining players — Gary Sheffield, Bobby Bonilla, Charles Johnson, and Jim Eisenreich — to the Dodgers for Mike Piazza and Todd Zeile. Apparently all that’s holding this up is Sheffield yielding his no-trade clause or something. This probably makes the Braves’ road slightly tougher, because it improves the Dodgers a little, even though it doesn’t really address their real problems. Also, the Mets, who are still something of a threat, might go after Piazza, since the Marlins will certainly trade him.