ESPN.com – MLB – Box Score – Braves at Mets
Hey, that’s the score for the series, too!
With Marcus Giles joining the wounded last night, and McCann taking an off day after a night game, the Braves needed a strong effort from Tim Hudson. They got it. Hudson took a perfect game into the sixth and a shutout into the ninth; he managed to hold on for a three-hit complete game win.
Andruw, unsurprisingly, provided the only earned run the Braves would get with a seventh-inning solo homer. The Braves got only four hits, but managed to score another run in the eighth courtesy of two Wright errors — one allowing Tony Pena to reach in the only way he’s likely to, followed by another on a Betemit grounder to score him.
Pena did make some nice defensive plays, but Matt Diaz had the big one, throwing out Ramon Castro at the plate to end the sixth after a two-base Jordan error gave them runners second and third, one out. Francoeur had two hits, the only hits the Braves got before Andruw’s homer.
A much needed day off leads into a three-game series at Washington. Smoltz faces Billy Traber (who?) in the opener.
can someone describe Jordan’s error and Diaz’s throw. Im trying to picture what happened and with no hits in the inning I cant figure it out?
Mac, it was just a one-base error by Jordan. Glavine bunted the runners over to 2nd and 3rd.
Still a terrible play, though.
Single by Ramon Castro, BJ tries to get the lead guy, but bad throw – 1st and 2nd. Glavine bunt – 2nd and 3rd, 1 out. Reyes with a fly ball to medium left, Castro tests Diaz, who throws a strike to home plate just in time for the out. Double play, no runs.
preciate it….
I hope we beat the crap out of the Nats. Smoltz v Billy Traber is a step in the right direction.
hey Mac, how them Roger Mcdowell poems coming now?
If the starting pitchings stays like this, I’ll write Roger an ode.
Cool stat: In the last 5 games (even including Sosa), Braves starters have lowered their cumulative ERA from 7.99 to 5.34.
Boy, that really shows how wretched things had gotten, when you need 4 absolute top-notch starts to get the ERA down into Rockies territory.
Roger McDowell: a haiku
Like a rose petal
Floating upon a clear pond
I love you, Roger.
Pete and Don said that John Patterson was toeing the rubber for the Nats Friday night.
Roger McDowell
has the eye for video
Tim Hudson gets the win.
So says the Braves mlb.com site.
Where is NY METs? He said he would be here win or loose. I am a little sad.
Three days too late but
Let the Roger love fest start
Eat crow you bastards
I fell asleep about a half hour before the game started and woke up an hour and half later. I immediately put the game in but didn’t have my glasses on and thought it was inning 3. With my glasses it became inning 8. :>) Glavine was still pitching so I pinched myself in confusion. Then I noticed that the Mets only had one hit. It occurred to me that Hudson was pitching. Watched the rest of the game and the Braves definitely made a statement to the Mets this week! Feels real good for a change.
im also quite happy that the two off days the next two weeks let us skip sosa twice in a row…smoltz hudson and thomson for the mets next week if they do
since we havent seen our mets fan, i thought id venture over to the mets.com message board, to see the racist rants and bandwagoneers in their loserdom glory. this one was great, on the first page i looked at.
“You’re right.
The Mets have NO excuses.
We’re just not as good as the Braves.
Wilpon better pick up some BIG TIME free agents next winter.”
“BIG TIME free agents”????
What a group of loser wannabe yankee fans. They got the best FA pitcher in recent years (Pedro), the most sought after FA position player (Beltran), the most sought after closer (Wagner), and they still think the answer is more “BIG TIME” free agents.
Meanwhile, the Braves “BIG TIME” FA signings in the same time period have been:
(1) John Thomson
(2) Brian Jordan
(3) Peter Moylan
(4) Mike Remlinger
(5) Todd Pratt
Last, and certainly least, Raul Mondesi.
If you have some time to kill, go visit a Mets blog. I just did and boy oh boy are they hating life right about now. I wouldn’t post anything, though, lest their agony and despair be transmuted into the slightly more purifying (and satisfying) emotion of rage. Let them wallow in their misery for a while.
The last three braves games were a combined 6 hours and thiry minutes long.
My favorite thing about Mets fans in recent years is that you never have to say anything to them. They know the Braves beat them, but they’ll always bring it up to you first.
From NY Mets:
“good game
2 things
The mets beat you fair and square. We had beltran and floyd out, and you had chipper and renteria.
Your pitching was better then expected. If you continue this new found trend, this series is going to be a lot of fun to watch.
Next game is even going to more important then this one. I predicted a sweep, im 2 away. Lets see if i look more like nastradamus, or some cheep palm reader.
Posted by: NY METS at April 17, 2006 10:29 PM”
Palm Reader…
Jim “Beam” Bowden drank
Slapped by girlfriend, stopped by cop
This explains a lot
Evidently our boy NYMETS subscribes to the now defunct Psychic Friends Network.
Hudson really showed up today, great game from the likes of the recap, thanks for that. But, please (!!) guys, don’t encourage L’il Met to post. We don’t want the Mets fans here when we lose, and we don’t want them here when we win.
I like this item from the game ESPN game recap:
Wright’s three errors matched a Mets record, set many times.
I was going by ESPN; Traber was called up to replace Ryan Drese but I’d skip him if I could.
The mistake on the error was my fault, not Alex’s. Like he said, he kept me up to date from the bottom of the fifth on and I misread what happened.
You ain’t kidding about those Met Forums. They’re brutal and dripping with so much self-hate.
A couple samples from Met-Land?
??hat tip to Andruw Jones?Glavine made a great pitch, and Jones simply sat on it and jacked it?and that?s about all the love I can give this clown, whose cocky grin makes me wanna punch myself??
Punch yourself? OKfine?
But this one?s even better?
?Holy hell, do I despise the Braves.
?It’s infuriating that no matter what, year after goddamn year, even when they’re banged up and injured, they get key contributions from guys who are either marginal players (Matt Diaz? Kyle Davies?), overripe prospects (Betemit), or flat-out ridiculous finds (Julio Franco? C’mon).
I’d like to say that on one level, I respect them for having the organizational depth and talent maximization that we never have and still don’t, but nah, I detest those (an unmentionable, yet perhaps self-referential epithet) unconditionally.”
I hope those guys don’t have wives or pets.
OK, now I?ll let them stew, unfettered in their misery.
re: NY bias against the Braves on ESPN.com–just a reminder that the Associated Press, headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, whips these game recaps out. That would almost certainly serve to explain part of this “bias” that appears to exist.
However, I do know that ESPN employees have traditionally shown their personal allegiances to the Red Sox, I assume due to its geographical location. Some Yankee followers, but not as many. I also predict that ESPN just “reports” the stories that originate from the nation’s most popular and successful teams–your Avalanche, Yankees, Red Wings, Notre Dame football, and–whether we care to admit it or not–the Braves. Just my opinion, but I think we get plenty of attention from those guys. Nothing wrong with picking the Mets to win the division, even if those guys are idiots for doing so.
Not bad for a lineup that only had 3 everyday players start the game
Kyle Davies is a marginal player? I dunno. If he were a Mets prospect, he’d be David Wright’s pitching equivalent, I wager.
A tip of the cap to Pratt for calling a good game today. He and Hudson must have really been in synch. I know Pratt doesn’t have much of a bat, but he seems to have done his homework. A real quick study. And that’s what you want a veteran backup catcher to do for you: add stability, especially when a pitching staff is sorting themselves out.
As good as he is (and I think overall he’s pretty great), David Wright could be this generation’s Steve Garvey or Tony Perez in that eventually he’ll be a 3B converted to a 1B.
Chipper comments, I’m guessing, to follow…
Kyle Davies is a marginal player? I dunno. If he were a Mets prospect, he’d be David Wright’s pitching equivalent, I wager.
Or Cy Heilman.
Wow, what a nice present to come back to after being out all day. God I love the Braves, and I love the team they put together this year, more than any other team in a long time. As these young guys mature they are going to give us what we have been missing for a while; that urgency to win in the post season.
Heilman gets plenty of props from Mets fans, and he’s what, 27? Davies is five years younger. I have to think in five years he’ll be MUCH better than Heilman is now.
Yeah, and just when he starts hitting his peak, he hits free agency and will cost too much for the Braves.
Here’s some trivia (and I don’t know the answer):
When was the last time that a team’s first 3 wins by starters were all complete games?
Let’s just hope that Kyle Davies will be good enough to even be a valuable FA. He’s 22 and I’m glad we have him as a 4/5 starter, but take it easy. He’s not the next Dontrelle Willis or Doc Gooden.
The met’s board on mlb has gone insane. They’re whining that andruw is on roids and demanding the mets trade for Manny. Laughable.
Well, by the time he is a free agent, maybe we’ll have a new owner who will be willing to pay enough money to keep him.
If Andruw is on ‘roids, then Mike Piazza was genetically engineered in a laboratory underneath a Flushing chop-shop.
One of my personal favorites on the Mets message board was in reference to the swagger they all though they had last week. “I love David Wright to death, but it’s a little hard to swagger when you’ve got three errors and the bat stuck up your ass.” Wow, that didn’t take long for them to turn on David Wright. I guess they haven’t completely done it yet, because they still “love [him] to death”, but if he continues this slump through the rest of the week, he’ll go from being the most beloved Mets player to being booed by his hometown fans.
Also hilarious was the rant of a Mets fan who had to watch the game on TBS because he was in Las Vegas. “I had to sit there and listen to those two assholes talk about how one of them got charged $30 for breakfast and (this was my favorite) how David Wright was ‘the Mets’ version of Jeff Francouer.’ So I suffered doubly.”
Dear lord……
Well, hats off to the braves, you got us this time. I only hope we can sweep you in Atlanta to even it up a bit. My prediction of a sweep has come to an end. I guess I can’t be right about everything!(LOL) To say Im not disappointed would be a lie. I know we have a better team then you we just couldn’t put it together for some reason. All I can say is damn. Still as I had mentioned and many, many others on this site there is still a lot more ball to be played and I am still confident the mets will come out on top but this loss has definitely ruined my night. Good game braves, and Ill be curious to see how both teams fair next series with all players from both sides healthy.
I’ll give David Wright this: He says the correct things after a game like he had today.
“This is a humbling game,” he said on local radio. “One day you get a big hit, the next you drop the ball. This one’s on me.”
No excuses, didn’t put it on another player, didn’t whine about some mystery injury. He accepted responsibility, took his hit & moved on.
Ububba, that’s a nice comment. I definitely respect David Wright: not only is he a great ballplayer, but he has class.
But I’m sure grateful to him for handing us the game today.
Quick comment on David Wright to go along with ububba’s comment: As much as the Mets are a rival and I love to see Atlanta beat them, I love David Wright and his attitude is one of the reasons why.
On another note…What’s gotten into the starting rotation lately? Whatever it is, I hope McDowell gives it to all the other pitchers…we have a chance to dominate a weak Washington lineup.
Mets fan, it would make more sense to say “I believe” we have a better team than you, rather than “I know” because the truth is nobody really knows. Another thing to consider regarding the earlier remark about Davies leaving years from now as a FA: One thing I think the Braves are intentionally doing is choosing and developing youngsters from the local area and its surroundings. For example can anyone ever imagine Francouer leaving when his family, friends and girlfriend comprise a nice percentage of the attendance when he’s playing at home?
Well, ububba, I will say this…despite the classless Mets fans, the classless ESPN analysts and the classless New York media, the Mets are fortunate to have several classy players including Glavine, Julio Franco and especially David Wright.
Of course, they also have guys like Pedro and Delgado but the fact that they have guys like Franco makes them not all bad.
Andruw on steroids? Ha. His head is way too normal sized and arms too normal.
But Mets fans are clearly on some sort of drug to say Kyle Davies is “marginal.” Apparently, they only read Baseball America when they get 1 prospect right once in a while…of course, more often then not, they trade away their biggest prospects (Huber, Kazmir).
There are few things in the sports world more enjoyable than listening to WFAN after the Braves beat the Mets in a big game (real or perceived).
Hearing the fans turn on their own team and the piling on by the studio hosts just create a cycle of high comedy.
Chris Russo: “I’ll say it: The Mets have no guts.”
Mike Francessa: “If we’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that the Mets cannot look the Braves in the eye, doesn’t matter who is wearing the Atlanta uniform.”
Baseball Tonight Predictions:
Karl Ravech: Guys, the Braves take 2 of 3 from the Mets. What gives?
Harold: Well, Karl, first of all let’s take into consideration that this is April and it means absolutely nothing. The Braves couldn’t touch the vaunted Pedro 2 nights ago and sitll have the 2nd or 3rd worst starting ERA in the NL.
Kruk: Great point, Harold. Plus, consider the fact that the Mets were missing players such as Beltran and Floyd. They were forced to start a triple AAA roster. The Braves on the other hand had their best team on the field.
Harold: So true, Kruk. And that 2nd game was an aberration for a brilliant star in the making like Victor Zambrano. We have all expected for a while now that he’s the next great Mets pitcher and when you put on a uniform like the Mets, it means something in this business. In fact, for years while in Seattle, I like every ballplayer, dreamed of being a Met. Victor is living my dream.
Ravech: But guys, what about the fact that the Braves were missing Giles for 2 games and Rentaria and Chipper Jones for 3 games? Wouldn’t you say that makes the players missing for both a wash? also, Pedro pitched OK but despite missing 2 players that night, the Braves still scored 3 runs. And what about Hudson and Davies performances? Back to back complete games?
Harold: Really, Karl, let’s not blow this out of proportion. The Mets already have a 3 game lead 16 games into the season and I think it’s safe to say the season is effectively over them.
Kruk: I agree, Harold…for the Braves to have had a hope in hell, they had to get a sweep and failed to do so. The pressure is clearly on the young Braves. I think the Mets could even rest most of their regulars at this point.
Harold: So, True, Kruk, so true.
Ravech: Ok, let’s bring in Peter Gammons for extra analysis on this…Peter…your take?
Gammons: Well, I have to agree with both John Kruk and Harold here. The Mets looked completely dominant and the Braves frankly lucked into 2 wins. I honestly don’t know how the Mets even did this. The Mets should win every other game between the 2 teams.
Also, let me add this Karl…I fully expect the Yankees asnd Red Sox to play the in the ALCS game and the Mets to meet the winner of that series in the World Series. Any other match-ups would be a grave disappointment to all of us here in Bristol.
Alex, I just want to say, if you decide to take revenge on the Worldwide Leader, make sure that the fallout doesn’t land in New Haven…
Darren Daulton is being interviewed on “real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” right now.
I think Tom Cruise planned this. He wanted someone on TV immediately after Katie’s birth so that Cruise wouldn’t be the craziest person on the planet, people are talking about.
I suppose if I played for the Phillies, I would believe in time travel as well.
The coolest thing about this Daulton thing is he’s really this psychotic. He’s not actually on drugs…just wacky, wacky stuff.
Now Daulton is telling the interviewer that the guy from “A Beautiful Mind” wasn’t actually crazy–everyone else is.
You cannot make this stuff up. Ok, I will stop now.
Andruw is a totally old-school ballplayer physique-wise. His upper body is strong, sure, but he’s built like a tank, not like Mr. Olympia; his homers come from those tree trunk legs and gi-normous butt of his. The roiders are the guys with size 30 inch waists, 50 inch chests and huge biceps.
For all the flack that Andruw gets about not playing like he used’ta in the field, he’s been spectacular every game I’ve seen him. This coming from a guy (me) who thought that he was a lot worse last year than he normally was. I dunno what happened but he’s a different guy in the field (but the same M-V-P candidate at the plate 😉
I apologize to all of you Braves fan. I just say crazy things when I see my man, David Wright play. What an ass he has!!!!!! :-)!
Not good news on Marcus.
If we lose him and Renteria and Chipper…oh, boy.
we should call up that marte kid, i hear he’s wicked awesome at 3b
Andruw really does seem to hit better with Chipper out; that said, it is not to early to start the MVP chant after last year. It would add some lustre to the 2006 season if Andruw and Pujols battle it out for HR/RBI crowns. If so, great–it should be Andruw’s year.
Stop it, Kyle! I’m trying to forget his existence.
I heard a radio interview with Pete Van Wieren today & he said that Marcus might’ve broken his finger on that slide into 2nd Tuesday & Edgar will probably get retro DL’d.
He thinks, however, that Chipper will come off the DL next Tuesday. He said the ankle is fine, but the knee needs time.
Get used to a bellyful of Pete Orr & Li’l Tony Pena.
According to the article, x-rays didn’t reveal a break, but MRIs can reveal stuff the x-rays didn’t catch. I kind of hope it’s just a break and not ligament damage.
Hey, I heard that Schuerholz kid can play second base.
“The roiders are the guys with size 30 inch waists, 50 inch chests and huge biceps.”
Kyle, you just described Ron Gant.
*vomits on Alex*
We’ll still be alright. It’s tough to shoulder all these injuries and not worry, but we know how to battle obstacles.
What an outing by Hudson. He had such amazing movement on pitches. He had total control of the lower strike zone, which is a VERY good sign. In that horrible bay wind as well. Keep it up Tim, squash those reports of your early demise.
I’m really glad Jordan didn’t blow our great defensive effort, good move to bring in the Ant for the later innings.
I didn’t like how Chip and Don kept reacting to the media’s treatment of the Mets. We don’t need to say anything after that series. For starters, it’s early and that series doesn’t mean THAT much. Also, the Braves let it be known how easy with actual play how easy it will be to “run away with this divsion” as the Baseball Tonight crew put it a couple of times.
It doesn’t matter whose playing in the uniforms or where, it’s the ATL East until someone takes it away with play.
I really don’t care what sports pundits say. If anything, I’d rather hear them poor-mouth my teams.
I’ve been hearing it for years with the Braves (and the Devils for that matter) and we’re like Jason from Friday the 13th–we keep coming back, machete in hand.
What a line ububba. spot on.
NJ Devils fan?
Big-time Devils fan.
After nearly 16 years up here, they’re the only team in the NYC area that I truly love. And they’ve given me some great moments.
I’ve loved the Penguins since I was 9, so watch it…
Even though the Penguins broke my heart a couple times, I can’t hate ’em.
Fact is, seeing Mario Lemieux in person in the ’91 playoff vs. the Devils just blew me away & made me really want to understand the game.
And I gotta say that the 1991-93 Pens group may be the best team I’ve ever seen. Much respect. I hope they turn it around soon.
1996 Redwings was darn good!
2002 Wings too
can you tell my fav team? Hint:its not nashville.
Everything I’m reading says Patterson for Friday.
According to MLB.com:
“With Thursday’s scheduled off-day, Cox took advantage of the opportunity to adjust his starting rotation. Kyle Davies, who tossed his first career complete game on Tuesday, will take Jorge Sosa’s turn in the rotation and pitch on regular rest during Sunday night’s series finale against the Nationals.
Sosa, who hasn’t lasted five innings in any of his first three starts, will pitch with seven days of rest on Tuesday. When Cox informed the struggling right-hander of the decision, Sosa responded favorably and even told the veteran skipper that he’d come out of the bullpen if necessary on Wednesday afternoon.”
After reading this message, I am pretty sure Sosa will be the one going to the bullpen when HoRam returns…
Does HoRam still have options left? i want to say yes
“Billy Traber (who?)”
In case no ones mentioned it already Traber was part of the Alomar to the Mets deal
I too am thinking it’ll be Sosa to the pen, HoRam back in the rotation. Right now, I’m okay with that. I think decent is all we’re going to get from Sosa, and I’m willing to let HoRam have a few starts to show whether he can match that or not. If he falters, then hopefully James will be given a shot to be the lefty in the rotation. I am of the mindset that the first couple of months of the season can be used to give pitchers a shot while leaving plenty of time to adjust if they don’t work out.
I wanted to say I would never want to see HoRam coming back. However, with the way Sosa is pitching, I don’t think there are much differences between the two.
I was at game sitting behind 1B on a line to 2b. Jordan fielded grounder on edge of grass and turned to make throw to left side of 2b. Had he been left-handed, the throw would have been easy but Jordan looked like he was trying to slice the ball to Pena who was covering. The throw was short and Pena’s inexperience and the on-coming runner caused Peno to flich = error. Error could have been called on either Jordan or Pena. A more experience SS would have made the play.
Diaz’s throw was a rope. I really thought the play was to 3b since the ball was hit rather deep into a strong (20 mph) swirling wind. Surprisingly (because the Met’s catcher Castro was running), the ball was to Pratt in plenty of time and Pratt blocked the plate like the pro he is. Ump took his time to call the play to make sure that Pratt held the ball but the runner was out by a mile.
Other note: Francoeur’s third at bat ultimately produced an error called on Wright. It could have been a hit. His second a bit was almost the same circumstance. Good case of Official scorer favoring home team by not giving visitor a hit.
Regarding Hudson, I don’t have any doubt that he has great stuff to get hitters out even without his splitters. However, it is the lack of consistency in his control which concerns me. Whether there is some kind of problem in his pitching delivery or an injury waiting to happen, I don’t know. I am just very anxious to see Hudson’s next start to find out if the Hudson we saw today is only a mirage or a real deal.
I agree w/ the above comments that at this point, there’s hardly any difference between Jorge Sosa and Horam. I still would rather have Sosa overall because I think HoRam is completely unredeemable at this point, but the bottomline is that until Chuck James gets a shot, we will have one rotation hole and 4 solid pitchers–I can live with this.
Also, if Giles goes on the D.L., is there any way (in the meantime) the Braves would consider (for offensive purposes) moving either Rentaria or Betemit to 2nd Base so we don’t have to take Betemit out of the lineup once Chipper returns?
It’s a thought but I hate Betemit being benched at all at this point—would be really frustrating. His defense has looked pretty damned solid to me–certainly better then LaRoche’s at first.
Alex R, Betemit did play one game at second base last season. I believe that was a game which the Braves were trying to showcase Betemit’s ability to play second base before the trading deadline.
I agree with you that I would love to keep Betemit’s bat in the lineup when both Chipper and Edgar returns. However, we will probably see Orr instead considering how Bobby’s brain function.
we need the DH
No DH.
Ever.
ububba–big devils fan here too. wondering if you caught that horribly written article on the front page of espn predicting a ranger win in seven.(i think it was yesterday, oculd have been this morning) it went into detail of both why the rangers would win (“because they are and extremely hard working team”) and why the devils wuld lose. This despite the fact that we stole the division from them with 11 straight and they lost 5 straight coming in. unbelievably hate espn.
What’s Steve Avery and Mark Lemke up to nowadays?
Good grief, let’s hope Giles is OK and Sosa or Ramirez can give us 6 solid innings once in a while.
Ice,
Again, I could care less what anyone says or writes. Usually, something like that is just provocation or just a contrarian position. There are a ton of Rangers fans out there & they’re eating it up. But that kind of nourishment is like consuming styrofoam–doesn’t do much for you.
Strange things happen in the playoffs sometimes & a team can gain momentum after a Game 1 upset, but anyone who has been watching the Rangers lately (and I mean the past month) can’t believe they’ll be healthy enough to win this series. Their defense is a shambles and they’re gonna bring their injured goalie back too early. How well did he do against Ottawa the other night? He was a sieve.
Forget the Devils and how well they are playing for the moment (and, believe me, I could go on), but the Rangers couldn’t even gain 1 lousy point against the 2 worst teams in the East (NYI, Pit) last week. How are they going to do against Marty Brodeur, an all-world goaltender who has won an Olympic Gold Medal, 3 Stanley Cups, and 18 of the 25 playoff series he’s ever played in?
Jagr’s line is still scary, but that’s it: Their second line has been depleted by injury. Conversely, the Devils have 2 strong lines with the Gomez-Gionta line seemingly unstoppable with the new rules. I have a hard time believing NYR will slow it down.
But…I’ve seen stranger things happen in the NHL playoffs. I mean, Carolina’s Kevin Weekes almost singlehandedly beat the Devils in the ’02 playoffs. And who does he play for now? The New York Rangers.
Some people mention that the Rangers have never lost to the Devils in the playoffs and that’s true, but it was a long time ago. The Rangers broke our hearts in ’92, ’94 & ’97 (the last time they even made the post-season), but Brodeur, who shouldered the last 2 defeats, has been pointing to this series for a while.
Be careful what you wish for? Bring it on, baby. Marty has been waiting for this series for 9 years (and so have I). I think he’ll be outstanding.
My prediction: Devils in 6.
According to the Braves mlb.com site:
“If the Braves are forced to place either Giles or Renteria on the disabled list, they’ll likely promote Martin Prado, who is hitting .333 at Double-A Mississippi. Prado, who is already on the 40-man roster, impressed Cox with his versatility during Spring Training.”
What’s Steve Avery and Mark Lemke up to nowadays?
Skip and Don mentioned during the game that the Mets had one of those pregame interviews with Tom Glavine on before the game, and they asked Tom the name of his dog. Tom’s answer? “Scoots.”
So wherever Lemmer is, I hope he’s smiling.
Lemke does a pre-game radio show for the Braves’ flagship station, am 640.
ububba,
Good luck to your Devils. I personally don’t care a lick about Hockey (Mac hates it more then me…I am just indifferent), my 3rd addiction after Baseball and Football (College Football in particular) is Basketball and my SAN ANTONIO SPURS.
Unfortunately, I was really hoping we’d get the Lakers in the first round…when your third best player is a “toss up” between Smush Parker and Kwame Brown, then I like my boys’ chances of a clean sweep. As I was saying to Mac, Kobe will get his 35-40 (even with my guy Bruce Bowen on him) but the difference when a Bowen or an Artest covers Kobe is that he gets 35 rather then 45-50 like he does against most other swing defenders.
With regards to the recent ‘snafu’ the other night where the Clippers and Grizzlies played and both teams were evidently trying to lose because of the stupid current loophole in the NBA playoffs system, I don’t blame the Clips and Grizz at all…if I were a fan of those teams, hell yeah I would rather have home court in the first round against denver then be on the road at Dallas. That’s night and day…and if yuo survive Denver, you get the Suns-Lakers winner whereas on the other side, you survive Dallas somehow you end up with my Spurs or an Artest led Kings.
I think the NBA needs to fix their current playoff system. It should go by won-loss record, plain and simple. The Spurs and Mavs were by far, the best 2 teams in the west and no one was close. Dallas should be the 2 seed and it’s a huge snafu that they will likely meet in the 2nd round. (Not that I want to be too bold and jinx us against Sacramento). It’s ridiculous that a 60 win Mavs team is not the 2 seed.
ububba…my ‘I don’t care a lick about Hockey’ was only intended t state my preference. I even used to work for an NHL team (back in 2000) doing sports marketing and I still don’t follow it!!! But I apologize for lessening your joy with that statement.
Still, for Hockey to even be at all relevant again, it has to get off the “Outdoor Life” Network. I didn’t even know that channel existed until it was announced that it would carry NHL Games. It’s very sad and gives me great sympathy towards Hockey.
Though let me say this…I may not follow Hockey (I really only selfishly care about Baseball, NFL and College Football, and NBA & College Basketball), but I would choose Hockey any day of the week over NASCAR or Golf. I can’t find 2 things I care less about or am less interested in than NASCAR and Golf. The only time I am ever interested in Golf…when I am watching my DVD of “Happy Gilmore” (I don’t even like ‘Tin Cup’–think it sucks) and when I am playing mini Golf.
As for NASCAR, I know they go in circles a lot…round and round they go…who will die today, nobody knows! That’s racing to me.
Mike Greenberg on ESPN radio was giving some credit to the Braves this morning. He said that with everyone making a big deal when the Mets won, you can’t say its not a big deal that the Braves ended up winning the series. Something like that, anyway.
Andy,
I am relieved to hear that because when I was in my car (earlier in the ‘Mike & Mike’ show) there was no mention.
I thought it was DAMN convenient that “Baseball Tonight” was not on the air last night with an NBA doubleheader. Frustrating actually…I really wanted to see Harold, Gammons et all actually admit some wrong and give the Braves some freaking credit.
certainly you all know that we almost never had Glavine because of the L.A. Kings
On the NBA playoffs…Not only do they have it wrong with the Mavs not being the number 2, but I also hate the playoff schedule. It takes 2 weeks or something to get through the first rount. Ridiculous!
I also saw that if Giles goes down, we may bring up Martin Prado. Does anyone know enough about him to give a reasonable assessment? I know that he is better than Orr or Pena, but I’m a little ignorant of his credentials.
He is most certainly not better than Orr.
By the way, if Chipper and Renteria are healthy and Giles is not, there is no way that Booby plays Orr instead of Betemit, even he is not that insane.
Justin,
Well, you said it best by calling him, “Booby” and it would be a “boob” move to play Orr over Betemit.
It’s why I wish if we have to choose, I would rather have Giles back sooner then Rentaria. I like both players and we need both, but considering that BOOBY would probably screw Betemit over and play Orr or Lil’ Tony at 2nd, then I am gravely concerned.
Waht’s more is that while Betemit may never win a gold glove, I have seen him make some seriously nice, sharp plays in the field so far at both SS and Third Base. I am not sure why his defense gets ripped–he’s solid. I will take that. And wouldn’t we all take solid defense + his terrific bat in the lineup–at 2nd Base? Hell yes.
Please, BOOBY, don’t play Orr over Betemit if 2nd Base is open. Please, please, please.
Alex,
Don’t worry the Braves appolgy show on ESPN usually takes place around October 1.
Prado is a decent option, considering the state of affairs we’re in. He has some plate discipline and defensive chops. He will hit for roughly zero power, though. I’d imagine a line of ~.250/.310/.300. Not good, but better than Tony Pena Jr.
—
ububba, i think the pens re-building process can really get underway now that Mario is gone for good. I hope they stay in pittsburgh! the future looks bright with crosby there now and malkin (who was a STUD in the olympics, ovechkin-level skill) coming next year. it’s a shame they spent money on free agents trying to turn it around this year.
Smitty-
Nah…around October 1, they spend 5 seconds saying, “wow, I can’t believe they made the Playoffs again” and then they spend more time picking against us in the Playoffs (which sadly never works out for us).
I wonder if like the drunk, stupid, outrageous Mets fans, the ESPN guys also consider Kyle Davies a “marginal” player. Clearly he’s no match in young talent like the great Aaron Heilman or Brian Bannister being the 2nd coming of Doc Gooden.
Love the blinders Mets fans wear.
O.K. well it sound like Prado is at least better than Pena. That’s something I suppose. The problem is that I’m sure he is not ready for any big league production. These pesky little injuries are getting a little annoying. Thank God we have a farm system that has guys who can come in and plug a hole for a few games.
So we’ve called up Prado. All we need to do now is call up Louvre and Guggenheim and we’re all set!
/terrible joke
Alex,
Don’t sweat the hocky comments; I realize hockey is a regional/cult sport. Thers’s no middle ground. You either live for the NHL playoffs (like me) or you just see a game with a neverending series of turnovers.
And as NBA goes, I’m a lifelong Hawks fan, so it’s been pretty tough since 1999. Since then I’ve enjoyed watching the Nets, but I’m not a diehard. And I really love watching the Spurs. To me, there’s only 3 teams in the NBA worth watching, squads that play team basketball: Spurs, Nets & (hate to admit it) Pistons.
Basketball is not a degree-of-difficulty sport and the NBA has become nearly unwatchable: too many teams, too few players who care, too few teams that know how to play. When I look at the NBA & realize that there are far too many players and teams that I can stand, I realize that I don’t really like the NBA so much anymore.
That said, I love Duncan. I love Kidd. And the Pistons (as much as I hate them on principle for their Hawk beatdowns in the ’80s) are a sheer wonder to watch–I don’t root for them, but they are awesome.
If it’s Spurs vs. the Nets or Pistons in the Finals, I can deal with that.
well, unless Wade and Shaq both turn in superhuman performances, the Pistons will roll into the Finals. I also think this year the Clips have played good team basketball this years also, which is wild enough. But despite what should be some great series out west, it’s gonna be Spurs and Pistons – again.
Go Grizz!
It seems that every year we have one or two players chosen to be the ones who really suck as well as the ones we rteally despise. Past “members” of this club include Albie Lopez, Rico Brogna, and Danny Kolb. I think this year we have this pair, Horam and Sosa, to kick around and deservedly so. Bobby’s loyalty to his players is well known and documented and this is not meant as any kind of criticism at all, but I sure wish he would realize they suck sooner than later as they’re blocking Chuck James.
I have a friend in LA who’s a Clipper season-ticket holder, mainly because he can’t get Laker seats. But every time I see him, he’s telling how much the Clippers have improved. Last January, he was telling me that this team will surprise some people this year. So far, he’s been right.
I probably won’t go out of my way to watch Clips-Denver, but if it’s on I’ll watch a little Elton Brand. Plus, my Clipper pal is a lifelong Jets fan–he’s suffered enough; he deserves a little sports redemption.
ububba-
I hate the Pistons a lot. Yes, they play team basketball but Rasheed Wallace maybe the single most unlikeable person in all of sports…or at least tied with Barry, T.O. and Ricky Williams.
If my Spurs dont make it, I would root for Kobe or anyone over a team with Rasheed Wallace!
Rasheed’s a little crazy, has a bad temper, but I wouldn’t rate him in with T.O. or Barry on the selfish meter. And Ricky Williams is just a harmless stoner (unless you’re a Dolphins fan).
Out in Portland, I know a guy who outfitted Rasheed’s house with a DJ/sound system. Said he was very generous, a sweetheart.
Rasheed Wallace: sweetheart. I love it.
I wouldn’t rate Rasheed anywhere near Barry Bonds or T.O. either.
Who dislikes Ricky Williams? Let the man be already… I can’t stand the Dolphins and, anyway, their biggest problem was hiring Wandstadt.
As for the Braves, I think right now James is getting people out in the bullpen, which hasn’t exactly stabilized (after all, Ray and Remlinger are still getting key innins), so they should leave him there. The verdict is still out on Sosa… it’s only April! Even Jake Peavy has an astronomical ERA right now. Of course, the point is not that Sosa is like Peavy; it’s that you can’t tell much from a few starts… especially when Sosa didn’t get the work in this March.
As for HoRam, dump him. His peripherals have been terrible for his whole career – he gives up too many home runs, doesn’t strike anyone out, lacks an ‘out pitch,’ and unbelievably, can’t control his 84 mph fastball. The sad part of it all is that he’s gonna be in the rotation when he comes back, which can only be explained by the fact that he can eat innings and let guys like James and Sosa bring stability to the bullpen. I guess.
Yes, and some women found Charles Manson to be sweet and charming too.
Rasheed a complete punk with a horrible attitude…one of the most loathsome athletes I jave ever seen in my 31 years. Just completely loathsome.
He makes Pedro Martinez seem like a nice, humble, unassuming guy.
Adam,
I agree…we should find a sucker (Diamondbacks?) who will take Horam off our hands. Seriously, we suckered them into Russ Ortiz and Johnny Estrada, how about making it a trifecta so they will take Horam and say give us–Chad Tracy? Conor Jackson?
bwa ha ha ah ah ah aha!!!!!!!
If even Arizona is not that stupid, I would rather him just spend his days toiling in Richmond and give Chuckie a shot.
I thought rasheed was more of a punk in his UNC years, but now he seems to be a great team guy who is really passionate (too passionate for the refs 😉 about the game. i prefer someone like that 1000% over a guy who takes plays off (randy moss, e.g.).
No, that’s not passion, that’s just Rasheed being Rasheed..a.nd he’s a big punk. He still says horribly outrageous things to anyone that will listen and mouths off, yanks his jersey over his head, and acts in general like a 15 year old punk.
He’s completely loathsome.
Yeah, I have no problem with Rasheed. (He sure was great for the Hawks in that one game.) He’s not nearly on the level of Bonds, T.O., or anyone of that ilk.
On the radio yesterday, I heard Pete Van Wieren talking up Chuck James to the Met pre-game guy. He said something like, “Before too long you may see Chuck James get a few starts. He’s succeeded at every step in the minors, he’s not going to blow people away, but at his best he’s like Tom Glavine.”
I’m guessing Bobby will let HoRam fail some more & maybe make Sosa the long man, whatever that means any more.
So Alex, you hate Rasheed, but you LIKE Kobe?
I don’t like Kobe, but I like him more then a jerk like ‘Sheed. Say what you will about Kobe off the court, you don’t see him getting kicked out every other game like ‘Sheed.
I am sorry, everyone in here can disagree with me, that’s fine, but I find Rasheed utterly dispicable. Just awful.
Furthermore, Kobe also respects his opponents on the court…unlike Ray Allen, who’s team sucks and he whines every time Bowen defends him hard, Kobe does nothing but respect Bruce’s game and says he appreciates how tough Bruce makes it for him and he enjoys the competitiveness.
Not saying he’s a great guy off the court, but you hear those same type “on the field” things from say a guy like David Wright who was totally respectful and classy about the Braves wins at Shea.
That’s my point about a low life like Rasheed. He whines, blames the officials for every single thing and gets himself thrown out of games acting like a complete a–hole every night. or seems like every night.
I wonder who on earth actually like Kobe? I think Alex R is just saying he hates Rasheed more than he hates Kobe.
Also, I dislike the Pistons a lot, but I criticize my own teams when they have BAD guys.
When the Spurs had Rodman, I openly complained about him as a person…or the Braves when they had Lofton or Bret Boone or Rocker. I don’t like bad guys on my own team, even if they contribute on the field.
When guys with bad reputations come to my team and behave, different story…Sheff’s 2 years in Atlanta were clean so I was cool with him. Same w/ Nick Van Exel in San Antonio…the Spurs right a squeaky clean tight ship (which I absolutely love) and Popovich made it clear from day one that Nick would have to come in and fit–he has and he’s been good all year. His teammates love the guy and he’s even acting as a mentor to our younger PG’s like Parker and Udrih.
Van Exel’s past is bad but if as a Spur, he’s going to behave and act OK, I have no room to complain.
If I ever see Wallace apologize, clean up his act and start acting with a semblence of class, i will be the first to stand up and applaud him.
Until that time, I despise the guy.
I just read from somewhere that Renteria is expected to play on Sunday night, and Chipper will be ready couple nights later when he is eligible to come off the DL. Hope Marcus will not be out for too long.
Didn’t I read somewhere that McBride will be coming off the DL before the Friday game?
You know, I actually met someone recently who preferred Kobe to Shaq; she was from LA, of course, and used something other than ‘logic’ to arrive at that preference. But whatever, to each his/her own.
Just so Alex R. doesn’t get backed into a corner anymore than he already is, I do recall that a couple years ago Rasheed compared David Stern to a slaveowner. Now, I’m all for calling slimy commissioners out – I think the much-heralded Tagliabue is actually the worst… well, maybe Selig, but he’s less a dictator than a pawn – but when you make $17 million a year to play a game, as Rasheed did then, I think ‘slaveowner’ is a bit over the top.
Well, if we can anything for HoRam, let’s hope it’s a utility guy who can hit. The Braves are once again well on their way to not fielding a healthy lineup until July… and that hasn’t even been the trouble spot so far. But my guess we’re stuck with the guy for at least the rest of the year.
Alex,
Hey, difference of opinion is what makes the horse races, y’know?
Sheffield “squeaky clean” in Atlanta? I’d say just the opposite–he was a juicer.
And let’s not forget that he was as big a post-season failure as anyone we’ve ever had.
FYI – Again, on the day after the Mets lose another series to the Braves, New York talk radio is high comedy.
WFAN Caller: “I hate to admit it because I hate the Braves more than anything, except maybe the Yankees, but they are in our head. The Mets see that Atlanta uniform and it doesn’t matter who’s wearing it, they turn to dust. I don’t care what the fans say, I don’t care what Willie says, this team will never reach the top until they beat the Braves.”
Another caller: “Hey, maybe this year will be like 2000 where we get the Wild Card & somebody else beats the Braves for us.”
My eyes are tearing & my sides hurt.
if the d’backs decide to call up drew and need another starting pitcher, craig counsell might be a decent fit.
Don’t you think they could get more than Horacio for Counsell, though, Kyle?
Counsell is gonna be 36 this year.
I’m always a fan of Bill E. Hall. He’s squeezed out right now. With him and Betemit, we’d have two super subs. Then again, with pitching like we’ve had this week, maybe keeping Lil Pena is the way to go.
I’m curious about the Braves trading Dye. Do any of you know the backstory there? (Besides Lockhart’s photos) Dye seemed just as promising as Tucker, if not more. Did we think Lockhart was a starter? Was there an attitude problem?
Why would we want Counsell? When Chipper, Renteria, and Giles return, what is he gonna do? I don’t think we need a utility infielder that makes $1.75m. Betemit has better than him already.
Rob,
Amen.
IIRC, it was a righty-lefty thing. We needed left-handed bats. Or so JS and Bobby thought.
Sheff was a juicer (although he’s never officially been convicted, we all know he is), so yeah, that’s accurate…I am talking about his outward actions towards the city, Bobby, fans, media…he was fine for 2 years and didn’t create any stir except for one statement at the end of his Braves tenure where he said our locker room was too business like.
Yes, Rasheed calling Stern a ‘slave owner’ is par for the course with that moron. I am not a Stern fan at ALL (though admittedly, he’s made a lot of $ for the NBA and compared to Bud Selig, Stern is the greatest commish ever) but that comment is ridiculous.
As for Mets fans…sadly, like Mac, I used to be one and like Mac, I have immediately family who are fans so it does make it more problematic to bash the entire organization and not feel a LITTLE guilty. (I will say it again…how ironic that Mac and I have the identical back story vis a vis the Mets)
So, whenever possible, I will try & mix in a compliment like saying over & over what a class guy David Wright is or what a solid job Davey Johnson did with them in the 80’s. Plus, I emphasize again how nice the guys were to me when I met them all in 1985 (and many of them again in Spring Training of 1988).
But, the typical, loud, obnoxious New Yawker who “hates” the Braves annoys me.
We may kick their a—- every year, sure, but Braves fans and players have never once said a bad word about the Mets fans & players the way they constantly deride us. The comparison between Braves and Mets fans isn’t even close.
then again, Atlanta fans might not care enough about their sports teams to insult other sports teams fans.
Dix,
That’s a sad but kind of fair statement. Even I have to admit that when Sheff and Justice have been critical of the laid back locker room and fan atmosphere in Atlanta, I can’t say I disagree.
The truth is, I think the Braves fans on BravesJournal (and we may not always agree but we are all passionate Braves fans!) are in a serious minority.
Passion-wise, I can’t disagree (even if some it is annoying and stupid) that the Mets fans are more animated.
What I can’t get over is how many Mets fans show up at Turner Field whenever the Braves and Mets play. Just goes to show how many transplants are in Atlanta. To tell their truth, I admire their loyalty.
the truth
Alex,
Now that I can see that you are a Spurs fan, I can see why you would defend Bowen, but that guy committs more fouls a game than all the other players on the court combined.
Justin,
That is entirely untrue…then you have to say that about every top defender. Burce gets called all the time when he does commit fouls but he is one of the 4 or 5 most committed defenders in the league with Ben Wallace and Ron Artest.
Ray Allen is a baby. I brought Kobe Bryant up because here’s the most talented guard in the NBA (and someone Bruce defends 4 games a year and sometimes in the Playoffs when the teams play) and Kobe has over & over talked of sheer admiration for Bruce’s tough defensive style.
If you want to talk about a player who commits an incredible number of fouls that don’t get called, then bring up Shaq. If they called every offensive foul he commits, he’d be done by the end of Quarter One.
And yes, before someone says it, I agree, he gets hacked a ton and those should be called…but he also commits a ton of offensive fouls. Just because you are fat doesn’t mean you have the right to throw your body into anyone standing near the basket.
I will say for the record that Shaq is a very funny guy and I don’t think he’s a bad guy…this isn’t a Rasheed thing…just pointing out something that many critics say about Shaq.
And for the record, the only player in the league who whines and moans about Bruce everytime they play is the playoff-less Ray Allen and his 12th seeded Sonics. Boo hoo, Ray. God forbid someone should play hard nosed defense on Allen.
i don’t like counsell either, but he’d be a nice player to have now. he’s a hell of a lot better than pete orr. he can also play a mean shortstop.
i assign zero value to horacio, so if he brings anything of value in a trade (i.e. so long as he doesn’t bring in someone with an albatross contract) it’s a good deal for us.
How is Marcus doing? I am too lazy to read the thread for updates.
JH
No updates yet. I guess we’ll know by this evening, though.
Alex,
I guarantee that if you or Mac lived here, you’d drop your Met sympathies like a bad habit.
Being a very loyal Braves fan in Metville is not easy; the abuse is constant, the dum-dum factor remains tiresome, but I rarely say a word. My answer is usually offered on the field.
So when the usual result occurs, I squeeze every drop out of that lemon.
Alex,
Just because you don’t see defense from anyone else in an NBA game anymore, doesn’t mean that what Bruce Bowen does can be considered defense. The guy give a great effort, I will give him that, but please, don’t be like the media and everyone else, and confuse effort for solid man defense.
Just a comment about Lemmer and Avery. Lemmer does the Braves post-game show with some other guy on 96 Rock in Atlanta,and a few other stations. Avery hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2003 when he played for San Diego, I don’t know if we’ll ever see him in the Majors again.
doubledawg- Here’s my take: J.S. gambled and thought Lofton would stay in Atlanta. In the meantime, Andruw Jones was getting closer to becoming an everyday player and Andruw could have played RF, while Klesko stays in LF. He trades Dye to get the veteran Tucker for a season grooming Andruw for full time duty. So, Klesko, Lofton, Andruw is your outfield in 1998? In reality Tucker/Jones platoon in ’97 and in the end you know Lofton leaves after 1997 and Andruw takes CF. As for Lockhart, he didn’t provide any asset to the team. This is the way I see the situation.
ububba,
Honestly, my brother’s obnoxiousness alone has ruined the Mets for me and I don’t even have to see a plethora of Mets fans daily (yes, you clearly have it worse). Thankfully, my dad balances it out for me because he’s a Mets fan and I love my dad so it ‘softens the blow’ but when he makes the same insane declarations about how (fill in the blank) Mets prospect is the next “greatest thing since sliced bread” I always have to correct him. I always (thoughtfully) let my dad know that while the Mets are capable of producting a Scott Kazmir or a David Wright every other year, a truly great organization like the Braves produces 8-10 of those guys a year.
And that’s why our roster is made up largely of system guys while the Mets is a hired gun factory (save for a D. Wright). End of story.
Living in the Washington, D.C. area now for 5 1/2 years, I have “new” hatred for certain teams:
The Redskins and the Maryland Terrapins.
I could have cared less about either 5 1/2 years ago and frankly, since I used to live (on 2 different occasions) in Texas, I hated the Cowboys so I probably felt sympathy for the ‘Skins.
No so fast, my friend! (to quote Lee Corso).
The hybrid Redskins/Maryland fan in this area is generally loathsome and headache inducing. My God these people annoy me. Of course, any sympathy I gained for the Cowboys was lost about 1 month ago when a certain wide receiver rolled in with his super agent to big D. Yes, Terrell Owens is a one man wrecking crew for Public Relations.
Only a rubber faced, Joan Rivers-esque fool like Jerry Jones could sign an overhyped moron like T.O. after the man spit on the Cowboy logo the last several years.
By default, the victimized Eagles and the Giants are the least hateable teams in the division though any team with a Manning (any Manning) loses my sympathy as well. So, by default, God help me, that makes the Eagles the least hateable team in the division.
I guess I am not around enough Mets fans in person to have as much outright hatred…especially as long as we keep waltzing into Shea with Triple AAA players and taking 2 of 3 games. That shuts those people up very fast.
Eagles least hatable? As Vincent Vega said in “Pulp Fiction”: “That’s a bold statement.”
But I know how family members can color one’s acceptance or rejection of certain teams. For example, my dad grew up in Chicago & was a big Cubs fan; my mom grew up in Hartford, went to school in Boston & rooted for the Red Sox.
So I had genuine sympathy there, but I’m afraid it’s gone now. I tend to view a chunk of those fans as overdramatic, narcissistic bores. Don’t hate ’em, but not nearly as interested.
Of course, growing up in Georgia as a Braves fan in the 1970s, I was quite positive that there was some parental-related, karmic-loser succession going on: Cubs+RedSox=Braves.
Then, I move to New York and the next year the Braves win the pennant. So somewhere, somehow, those chains were broken.
And basically, that’s why I see the Atlanta Braves as a blessing, not a curse.
What is the minor league record for HR? And when will mike hessman break it?
According to ajc sprained finger for Giles. No broken bones or chips. He should be out for only a few days…hopefully.
speaking of the 96 rock post game.. that show is just absolutley terrible. I have no clue why they dont’ screen the calls better. The same questions are repeated over and over.. Last year it was ‘HOW BOUT THESE YOUNG KIDS’… earlier this year it was ‘OMG WHATS WRONG WITH FRANCOUER’ … I haven’t heard it since the braves left town.. (listen to it on the way home with games)
Joe Bauman, who hit 72 home runs in 1954 for the Roswell Rockets of the Longhorn League, had 337 career minor league homers and no major league at-bats. Maybe he’s the record holder?
This stuff is great so let me chip in. I guess when you’re 58 and living alone like me you begin talking to the television. :>) I noticed it when the Nike commercial featuring Kobe came on. You know then one where he asks why do you hate me? He says you do because of his swagger and talent and I respond with, “No it’s not. It’s because of your self-centered behavior, watermelon sized ego, and maybe that you paid your way out of deep sht.”
I understand what Alex is saying about Rasheed but think he’s come a long way after joining the Pistons. The others on the team swear by him and maybe it’s just a case of him finding his own posse.
Sheff bothers me. He didn’t just criticize the fans but the other players on his own team near the end of the season and then promptly went out and fell on his face during the playoffs. In addition, I watched his press conference announcing his signing by the Yankees and swore that the words he used were word for word what he said two years earlier upon joining the Braves. I just wish some player would openly say “I left because they gave me more money.”
Finally, I live in NYC and find that most Mets fans are jackasses who are blinded by their loyalty to their team. When I tell them “things look good but if you expect Glavine to pitch like this for the rest of the year . . . .”
Yankee fans are better and the only problem I have with them is that they sometimes come of like it’s their God given right to win the whole thing. I guess that’s what you get when you can, and will, buy whatever you need.
Belliard hit his 1997 homerun against the Mets, didn’t he?
ububba,
I have to laugh at this quote from you:
“Then, I move to New York and the next year the Braves win the pennant. So somewhere, somehow, those chains were broken.”
Well, now you & I have something in common.
In the Fall of 1991, I was entering my Junior Year of High School in Savannah, when in September, my dad and mom came back from a job interview in San Antonio (hence where the Spurs obsession came from) and announced we were leaving Savannah (my home for 16 years–I was born in Birmingham, Al. and moved to Savannah on my first birthday in 1976).
Well, we left Savannah in September of 1991 and the Braves completed their worst to first finish a few weeks after I left. It was the most bittersweet time in my life. Lifelong Braves fan who suffered in the state of Georgia in the 1980’s and 1990 and then I leave–and the Braves are in the Playoffs and all I could do was watch from our temporary apartment on Medical drive in San Antonio with my old Braves hat on.
It was an incredible time though sadly, my two most vivid and horrible memories are Kent Hrbek illegally lifting Ronnie Gant off of first Base and the umps allowing this and Puckett’s horrible, painful home run off Charlie Liebrandt.
Anyway, it’s just funny that you went through a similar experience, ububba.
David,
He did. It was a late September game at Shea, last Saturday of the season. The reason I remember it is because I was away on business that weekend and when I saw that box score with “HR – Belliard (1)” I almost spit out my coffee. Unfortunately, I’ve still never seen the HR.
Michael,
I go to Yankee games with co-workers all the time and the best Yankee fans poke fun at their fat bankroll with a little aplomb. They’ll say things like, “When does Zito’s contract run out? We’ve got him pencilled in for ’08, right when Mussina leaves,” or “Robin Ventura will go into the Mets Hall of Fame as a Yankee,” or “What’s Torii Hunter making? We’ll double it!”
There’s a faux arrogance to match the genuine arrogance. It’s all in fun and deep down they know it’s an embarassment of riches. The more dedicated fans know what time it is. So they root for the homegrown guys on principle (Bernie, Jeter, Posada, Mariano, Wang, Cano) and the “off-the-rack” guys (Giambi, Damon, Mussina, and to a degree A-Rod) never get all the love. Just the way it is.
BTW, I really enjoyed a bit you did on seeing Hendrix (with Band of Gypsies, I think) in one of your previous blogs or your site.
Alex,
I hear you. I also think that NOT being in Georgia probably adds a little fuel to the fandom. It keeps me in touch with with what I still consider home.
Thanks, ububba, for filling me in. I was living in Budapest, Hungary, at the time and didn’t even have the benefit of an Internet radio broadcast. (Mercifully, I also missed the Eric Gregg debacle.) A buddy in Atlanta sent clippings from the AJC, and that had to be the best piece of mail I received the entire time I was overseas. Let’s hope that one day the Braves’ Web site will feature a highlight reel so that we can finally see and hear Belliard’s blast.
i made a video tribute to the mets and their new rap on youtube…
check it out.
Quote from Braves’ site:
“An MRI taken in Atlanta on Thursday morning showed that Braves second baseman Marcus Giles has a sprained ligament in his left middle finger.”
Prado is on his way up.
…scott,
U R brutal, dude. At some point, you’ll have to do an edit session when we get to Wagner.
BTW, Run-DMC should have that song’s composer arrested.
Moylan is probably on his way down to make room for Prado.
I lived in Philly for a few years and will never – repeat: never – have anything good to say about Eagles fans. Words cannot even begin to express just how stupid, violent, and fickle they are. As a result, the Eagles are, in my opinion, incapable of being anything but the least likeable (or most hateable) team in that division. And I really don’t like the other teams – especially the Redskins (still the “remarkable” name in sports).
I grew up in a family that followed the Mets because they were the only non-Yankees team left in New York after the relocations of the 1950s. Of course, becoming a “Mets fan” because the Dodgers were no more hardly made for true fans. So when I grew up in Atlanta not even Jerry Seinfeld could convince me to pull for that horrible franchise. I don’t even pity the Mets; I think their bungling makes for high comedy, and their fans pain for even more.
And the last thing is I’d agree with what I’ve read here on the Yankees fans. We shouldn’t forget that their great teams of the mid to late 90s did have a homegrown nucleus, and it has been the aging of that nucleus – combined with some of the most horrific free agent signings, particularly of pitchers, seen anywhere at anytime – that has led to their plateau as ‘good but not great.’ Plus, I think the Yankees fans are much more informed than Mets fans. They keep score, hell they know how to keep score, they cheer when appropriate, etc. The Mets fans, like Michael said, are just… slow. And it feels so good when the Braves own their team.
Adam,
I agree…most Eagles fans (and Philly fans in general) I have ever seen or been around are pretty dispicable. It’s not like I LIKE them…it’s my own personal “ratings” system as to my level of hatred for various NFC East Teams:
(worst to best)
1. Redskins
5 1/2 years in this area can make anyone a Redskins hater. Their fans are bad enough to make Mets fans seem reasonable.
Dan Snyder also is like Steinbrenner which just fuels how evil they are.
2. Cowboys
Hated them more when I lived in Texas around all their fans living in different cities, but they have fallen right back off the wagon with the signing of T.O. Owens a Cowboy is almost enough to make them #1 evil in my book…if I didn’t live in Northern Virginia.
3. Giants
They have a Manning and NY fans–the combo is deadly. And Coughlin is the NFL’s answer to Larry Bowa…a mediocre coach who screams. a lot.
4. Eagles
Possibly the worst fans and an organization I hate, but in this division, they have managed to be the least hateable. again, in this division.
Plus, 2 years of T.O. raised my sympathy level in a big way for McNabb and Andy Reid. Big time.
David,
Thank you for bringing this great memory back to me this morning. The Belliard HR was a Joy to behold! It certainly belongs on any Braves highlight video. One of the best things about it was the reaction in the Braves’ dugout–he get a big hug from Chipper and other disbelieving teamates.
Wonderful. Apparently off the atlantabraves site,
Giles has sprained finger; team awaits DL decision. In the mean time, Braves will probably send down Peter Moylan to AAA and call up Martin Prado in AA.
Since Sosa will be going to the bullpen during this weekend series, the Braves can send Moylan to Richmond and bring up Prado. By the time one of Chipper and Edgar coming back and Sosa moving back to the rotation, Prado will be going back to the minor for McBride. This will work out perfectly.
This is a great news on Marcus. A sprained ligament sounds much better than a broken finger. The guy needs some rest anyway. He has been playing hurt.
id still be willing to keep a 10 man bullpen and swap james/sosa just for this stint to see if james can handle a spot in the rotation. i mean, nothing permanent, itd just be interesting…
Agreed–it will be a good thing for Giles to heal and rest.
I am also curious to see how Prado performs. Apparently he has a good glove and some promising offensive skills.
Oh, please let them kick out a useless reliever. IIRC, Moylan has pitched once, in a lost cause. Prado isn’t much, but anything to get rid of that godawful 12-man bullpen.
Well, we have been calling for an 11-man pitching staff since god knows when, but Bobby just keeps going back to the 12-man staff. I didn’t expect the old man to change his style and I don’t expect him to change now. However, we may not see a 12-man staff for at least one or two weeks considering the Braves will have another off day next Thursday.
Perhaps I am dreaming, I think there is a chance that Chipper, Edgar, Marcus, and McBride will all be back by the time the Braves play the Mets again next week.
I guess that Kyle Davies really is marginal…
Sheesh.
Now I realize why they call Kyle marginal…there was a Kyle Davis who played for Indiana University back in 2001…
http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/D/kyle-davis.shtml
…haha, yeah, Kyle Davis was marginal!
For anyone interested, ESPN Classic is showing a Cavs-Bulls playoff game from ’89….Pete Van Wieren is doing the play-by-play.
To David Remy; magyar besselt?
To ububba; I can’t remember where you read the fact that I knew Jimi Hendrix but I’m no longer with the site overall and limiting myself to participating in this great blog.
I wasn’t aware that Giles has been playing hurt. What was the injury he was playing through?
AAR, Marcus and Chipper got hurt on the same day in SF, and Marcus has been playing with a strained right quad since.
http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060409&content_id=1392313&vkey=news_atl&fext=.jsp&c_id=atl
KC, thanks for that. Well, I guess I’m almost happy that he’ll have a chance to rest it, although I wish we had more healthy hitters to back up his absence. The renaissance of the Baby Braves last year was a truly incredible phenomenon, but there aren’t any more prospects as close to ready as those guys were, except for maybe Salty.
I hope we don’t rush him.
From what I hear, the Braves will be lucky to get in two games over the next three days.
That will be great news for the Braves. On the other hand, didn’t the Braves play last April at RFK basically under water?
According to various news outlets, Derrek Lee out 6-8 weeks following a collision with Rafael Furcal (broken wrist)..
Wow, Fookie’s getting violent now..
Apparently, Julio just hit a home run to give the Mets the lead against the Padres….
now oldest player in ML history to homer, right?
Linebrink sucks.
Take that, Jack Quinn! Way to go, Julio!
Oh, I love Fuckie, he happens to run into my first baseman on my fastasy team who is basically my team’s only consistent home run supply. I bet Furcal must be “running under influence”!!!
Linebrink and Embree really did a job on Peavy’s start. At least the Phillies lost; for my money they may be the real challenge this year.
I still think the Phillies are one pitching ace away from being a real dangerous challenge, and I don’t think Brett Myers can fill that role yet.
The Mets obviously made significant improvement from last year, but I believe they closed the gap with the Phillies but neither of them is good enough to overtake the Braves.
It’s always tough to gauge the Braves chances after just three weeks play because Bobby knows the season is a marathon and things develop along the way so the team usually picks up at a specific time and shoots forward. Until then all the doomsday prognosticators usually spout off only to be shut up later.
Further progress has been reported by AJC regarding the sales of the Braves. I really wish the team will end up to be sold to Blank instead of another corporate owner.
http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/stories/0421bravessale.html
No help from Linebrink tonight, but every Nat victory over Philly is a blessing. And yes, I have no problem with a ton of rain in D.C.
Michael,
Y’know, I don’t remember the specific column or blog entry; I just remember that I’d just seen this short little documentary on Hendrix & Band of Gypsies & a somewhat uneven (or downright bad) performance at MSG that everyone was talking about. The doc was alright, but it was lacking somehow & I wanted more.
Then, that same day I stumbled across your entry where (I think) you describe the very same show. I guess I Googled the show & your entry was there.
But I had no idea that you actually knew Hendrix at all. That sounds like a rich conversation at some point.
(I’m a total music fanatic. I saw Buddy Miles play at a grade-school cafeteria in Columbus, Ga., when I was 8. Don’t ask me how that happened; I’m still curious myself.)
Funny enough, just got back from an Irving Plaza rock show myself & it’s sleepytime. Catch up later.
Michael, thanks for joining the discussion. Nem tudok maygyarol. All of the street signs look like that phrase Superman had to repeat to make an impish villain disappear. I did my best, and the locals were very appreciative. Budapest is one gorgeous city. Rich culture there, especially if you like the arts. Bart?k! I would catch Braves scores off of the wire services at the English-language newspaper where I worked, so I had to put games together in my head. The 1997 NLCS almost made me throw myself in the Duna (Danube).
Stephen, I mentioned Belliard’s homerun because it seemed like just one more heartbreaking example of how the Braves have owned the Mets in recent years.
Can’t spell either. Magyarol.
I just read in the paper that FSN is going to show the game tape delayed to many markets because of the Preds playoff game. That sucks.
http://msn.foxsports.com/tv/schedule?regionCategoryId=273
this is there TV listings for today – no changes according to the website. I guess we’ll wait and see
kltpzyxm.
Close. Mxyzptlk.
No, you got it.
Even though the Predators are about 5th on the pecking order of my favorite teams across sports, I think the playoff game still comes in above a game with the Expats. Wish they weren’t at the same time on the same channel, though, would be nice to at least flip back and forth.
There’s a great photo of Julio hitting his record-breaking homerun up right now on the front page of the NY Times online.
http://www.nytimes.com/
Drewdat: Preds are my #2 team, and I’m making the trek to Nashville from Athens for the games this weekend. So, I’ll miss the game too. At least the first part. I’ll try to be around, I’ll be staying at my inlaws house this weekend. I’m probably stupid for making this trip a week before finals.
Here’s to a Devils-Preds NHL Finals matchup. (Strange that Nashville’s in the West, huh?)
From the AJC:
The Braves recalled infield prospect Martin Prado from Class AA Mississippi, where the 22-year-old Venezuelan was batting .302 with three doubles, four RBIs and a .373 on-base percentage in 14 games.
He is strong on defense at second and third base and can also play shortstop.
“Some wisenheimer, having some fun with that New York Mets? ?Our Team, Our Time? team promotional song, has recast it with ?highlights? of the series loss to the Braves earlier this week. Right now the guys at Faith And Fear In Flushing are slowly banging their heads against their keyboards.
We would think this was put together by a Braves fan, but, as we all know, there are no Braves fans.”
That comes from Deadspin. Why don’t we go in there and leave some comments to show that Will there are Braves fans and lots of them.
wait, did anyone get put on the DL for that move, or did the Braves just send someone down?
I’ve heard they’re sending Moylan down and going with a 10-man pitching staff for a few days. The bullpen is rested now, thanks to the two complete games and the off-day.
Make that 11-man pitching staff. I just read 10-man somewhere and knew it was wrong, but it was stuck in my head when I wrote that post.
Whoever made the Mets video that is on deadspin, i love you.
‘Rissa, that’s a good point. We had 3 complete games in 5 days, followed by an off day. That’s probably more rest than Oscar Villarreal and Lance Cormier have ever had in their life.
Oh, yeah, that’s because we beat the Mets with consecutive three-hitters. As Rudy Giuliani once said about the Braves, “They suck. They suck completely. They suck with conviction.”
Also, I’d happy to comment on the video but I don’t have a deadspin invite. if anyone wants to drop me one… 🙂
Did Giuliani really say that?
Well, he said while hosting Saturday Night Live.
Ohhhh… well that’s better… I guess.
Another Alex R., are you on Facebook?
Ububba,
put up the link to that video.
You know, politics aside, that Braves quote from Rudy kinda makes me like him a little more.
i confess, the video’s mine…i made it a couple nights ago after getting ticked at all the mets message boards.
enjoy it.
put up a link to the video
Never mind, I found it. That is great. “Our team, our time..” Not so fast NY METs
Latnam you are in fact stupid for going to the hockey games a week before finals.
Here’s the link in case anyone hasn’t seen it. Nice job!
Our Team, Our Time
I just walked out of the last law school class of my entire life. Strangely, I don’t feel any different. Probably because I have to study non-stop for the next 2 weeks for exams. Oh yeah, and the Bar exam.
Bama Football is First in Something, Congrats
Haha..
omg… I hope they don’t show the game tape delayed… I’ve planned the night out to watch the game! Ugh… hopefully they won’t
When do you take the bar, TN Brave? And was law school worth it? I guess it might take a few more years on that one, but still…
A Metfan co-worker came into my office & I played him the doctored video of the “new Met fight song.”
His response: “I don’t get it. Why are they showing all those Andruw Jones homers?”
Jenny,
my comments re: lawschool
dont go without taking a year off. do something productive, but fun, its trendy to teach english in east asia, do that. once you start law school, the clock begins ticking until retirement. its much different than liberal arts grad school, which is like summer camp, where after 5-6 years of increasingly inane discussions, everyone fights over a non-tenure track job at Boise Poly-tech.
rather, in law school, you’ll find yourself surrounded by people just as intelligent as you, who probably want to harder than you do (not a comment aimed at you, its just that there is no shortage of OCD nerds in law school), and your classmates will have some of the worst personalities in the world. “adverse selection” at its worst. dont get me wrong, i had a blast, met a lot of good friends. i just think id enjoy working more now, if I had done something “less responsible” first. the post-graduate fuck around year has become just one more entitlement in the upper middle class amercian kids life. take advantage of it, retirement is a long way off.
lastly, get your parents to pay for it. mine wouldnt, so I ended up doing the 7 year tour of Athens. UGA, was like going for free, but im sure actually going for free would be much, much sweeter.
Jenny, I take the bar the last week of July.
To me, law school was worth it because I had known for a long time that I wanted to attend and ultimately practice. However, I personally feel that unless you really know that you want to go to law school, it could be a miserable experience for someone who doesn’t know what they are getting into. Law school is a totally different breed of grad school, at least from what I have learned by talking to friends in medical, pharmacy, dental, PT, and MBA programs. Go sit in on some classes and talk to people who are students. From what I gather, there are plenty of regulars on here that are in law school, too. A law degree would be valuable even if you didn’t practice law, but I personally wouldn’t want to spend 3 years here if I didn’t want to be an attorney. I like working in the legal field, but I didn’t think law school itself was very enjoyable. However, I do know plenty of people who really like it.
Jenny, I’ll quote Doubledawg: