Get me with the arrogance. This is, mostly, a selection of entries from here from the years 1998-2003. I have added a brief comment to each one. The first part, I actually compiled several years ago when I was trying to preserve the old archives from the Compuserve version of the site. I was considering maybe turning it into a print-on-demand book, but that seemed like a lot of work for not much return. A little while back, it became clear to me that publishing for Kindle would be much easier and could also be cheap enough where someone might actually be okay with paying for it. So I finished up what I had done before and added the first two years done via blogging software. There are a few gaps; sometimes I just didn’t write anything, occasionally the posts are lost, most often I didn’t think anything was interesting enough.
It sells for $2.99. I wanted to make it lower, but Amazon’s pricing structure tends to encourage the $2.99 price point. It’s readable on the Kindle, of course, and also on computers (with the Kindle for PC program) and on a variety of smartphones and other devices (with Kindle apps).
That is awesome! I want to get it, but I have a Nook. Is there another way to get it?
Well, like I said there’s a program for PC that reads Kindle files, and apps for smartphones. I’ll look into publishing for Nook if it’s possible.
Just got a Kindle- perfect to help start filling it up. Thanks Mac
Okay, smart baseball people. I have a rules question. I was skimming this article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304173704575578281000498578.html
In the article, an MLB spokesman says that no player besides the pitcher can wear a jacket while running the bases.
My question: How do the umpires know who the pitcher is? Does the player have to act as the pitcher for at least one pitch? If so, what about the top of the first? What if a player pitches, then plays the outfield before running the bases (e.g. Resop)?
It’s not arrogance. You’re a librarian. It was the only sane thing to do.
guys, i just created a fantasy league on yahoo. everything’s pretty standard except OPS takes place of average. the title of the league is Braves Journal Crowhoppers and the password is Chipper. Come join! the draft is Sunday, March 20th at 8 pm.
league id:108458 password: chipper
Bought the book- it’s fun to look back, especially since I didn’t get here until around 2000 or so. Great stuff.
Did you publish comment threads? That’s half the appeal of this place.
Well, most of this time there weren’t a whole lot of comments, and I only had access to the ones from 2003. But if I do a second volume, I probably wouldn’t, because I’d be concerned about rights issues.
@4: You’re thinking too much. Go have a beer.
I should have said this first: I don’t see it as arrogance and I’d think anyone who saw that way was kind of a dick.
Second, you have my permission to publish all of my awesome comments.
Oh lord – I love you as a writer, but not postng the comments section would be criminal. A world without Coach is not one worth living in.
@13,
Coach and that Met fan troll we had for awhile would be the first to sue.
And Landogarner. How can you have a book without “Huckleberry” comments?!
I’ve had the Kindle app installed on my Droid for quite some time, and this is the first e-book I’ve bought for any format. What a way to start it off. Thanks Mac.
Gadfly and wun.
And, my goodness, jac holtman.
That should be “holzman” or “holtzman” or something like that.
Also, 4Seam was insane and awesome. I’d love to read more about jenny’s love of the Red Sox, too.
My Proctor theory: There’s got to be someone high up in the scouting department who loves him. Probably scouted him in high school and just can’t let go.
Kimbrel
Venters
O’Flaherty
Moylan
Sherrill
Linebrink
That’s six who are pretty much guaranteed opening day roster spots.
That puts Proctor in competition with at least:
Juan Abreu, Beachy, The Lisp, Cory Gearrin, Lee Hyde, Erik Cordier and Marek for the final spot. That’s probably all you can reasonably consider.
What the bullpen really needs is a guy to abuse for garbage innings/spot starts, and none of the guaranteed guys look ideal for the role. We know Beachy, the Lisp, and probably Cordier could go. Abreu and Hyde went in mostly 1 inning appearances last year and Marek never went more than an inning at a time. After seeing his “physique” yesterday it became clear why. Gearrin’s interesting in that he got 80 innings in 50 appearances, but making a sidearmer the long guy seem uncharacteristically progressive for the Braves.
Regardless, I don’t see how Proctor fits in here, even if the didn’t suck. He’s also coming off injury to the extent that he’ll probably be limited, which is a terrible marriage in bullpen with more than it’s fair share of situational guys. Personally, I think Beachy is perfect for the last spot. Proctor, as he has since day one, makes no sense.
1st) Mac, if this were on facebook I would “like” it.
2nd) So happy that baseball is back. Looking forward to another season of bravesjournal quips.
Mac, I’m really enjoying the book so far. As an aspiring writer myself, I always enjoy watching the evolution of other writers as they find their own voices. It’s really interesting to be able to go back and watch the evolution of yours from as far back as 13 years ago.
@4 Don’t they identify who is the pitcher in the lineup card? At least that’s what I thought the lineup card will demonstrate.
@7 I am in ryan.
I think there should be a book of Alex R rants.
I rmemeber when Braves Journal was linked with, like, three other sites that were updated once a week, at best.
Wasn’t there a guy who wrote for one of them named Michael Rappaort?
Isn’t it about time for a Nate McLouth article where he silences his critics?
We currently have 4 players in our fantasy league, but it will be up to 5-6 by lunch. Still 6 spots left…
yahoo league id: 108458 password: chipper
I will definitely download it on my Kindle. IMO, Kindle (or e-readers generally) is the greatest invention ever. Of course, Borders might beg to differ right now.
The Braves lost yesterday; the season’s over, it’s time to panic, fire Wren and Freddi now!
Alex R rants should be in The Onion.
Sorry for the multiple posts about the league, but I’ve come up with an incentive for the winner. The losers (which, hopefully will be 11 of them), will have to send a book, loser’s recommendation, to the champ. It must be a book that you’ve read in the past and can even be a book in your possession that’s slightly used. I’ll be sending “God and Football: Faith and Fanatacism in the SEC” by Chad Gibbs to the winner. Should be fun…
@25 Smitty, I agree. Peanut is loosening up his fingers; McLouth will soon have an opportunity to silence his critics.
Ryan,
Are you already waiving the white flag of surrender?
@29
Oh no, smitty. I’m just making sure that everybody knows they’ll be donating me a book. and if, for whatever reason, I lose, then my friend will sell one extra book.
are you in? if so, i plan on DESTROYING YOU!
I wonder what the comments on Braves Journal would have looked like after this play that the twins are memorializing in this bobblehead.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/615269-minnesota-twins-once-again-make-a-splash-with-bobble-head-collectible?utm_source=newsletter
I wonder what the comments will be after seeing this article.
20 years later and I still want Kent Herbek to die.
@31
I know this might be a bit of an abomination coming from such a die hard Braves fan as myself, but I frickin’ love that bobblehead.
Now, Kent Hrbek and his vowel-deprived name can burn.
Joined the league. I know I mainly lurk here, but I plan on changing that this season – preferably with mad crazy trash-talk and a series of book reviews in the fall.
@33
Glad to have ya, Josh. Bring it! We’re up to 7 now and one of my buddies will be joining before 3. 4 spots remain.
Joined your league, Ryan. I’m looking forward to getting demolished.
@36
I really like your fantasy name. My dad, with his complete inability to say curse words, uses that phrase quite often.
9 now…
Eh, why not, I joined too.
I couldn’t think of anything clever for my teamname, I swear I’ll get something before the season starts.
Joined the league, infrequent poster and lurker myself, but couldn’t pass up the opportunity to compete with some Braves fans.
As an aside, gotta say, I miss Powell and Sutton after listening to these two.
We have 10 now. 2 more spots available.
If there are spots tonight when I get home and am able to check fantasy leagues on Yahoo, I’ll sign up.
ironically i was signing up for the fantasy league this morning and i was trying to decide on a team name…and my 2 choices were “Kent Hrbek is Still an A$$hole” or “Ron Gant’s Biceps”…and since i couldnt fit the Hrbek one in the allotted space i went with the Gant one.
so needless to say, that bobblehead made me throw up in my mouth.
I’m liking Explosive Renteria the best right now.
I joined the league because once upon a time I had a cool job that was easy and didn’t require but an hour or so of my time in a given daily 8 hour span and during the time that wasn’t that 1 hour I would peruse and post on these pages. I play for nostalgia.
McLouth 2-2 with a double, an rbi, and a walk today!
I believe that’s as many hits as he had in all of spring training last year, and I’m not joking.
IMO, we need a good McLouth and Schafer. They could both get a lot of playing time.
No Surprise Dept.
Beltran to play RF for the Mets this year, Pagan to stay in CF.
Of course, I wouldn’t be shocked if Beltran ended up the year as a DH.
we have 11. one more spot available.
all full. thx everyone!
I took the last spot.
Oh, well. I’m in Florida and could not sign up for the league.
But, I am watching spring baseball.
per twitter…McLouth goes 2-for-2 with two walks, two RBIs, three runs, and a stolen base. A nice day for the #Braves CFer
Nate McLouth: “My first hit was a bloop hit but at least it didn’t take me nine games to get it.”
At least Nate is self aware.
So it looks like I was on to something @25. I feel Nate silencing his critics any day now.
@56, It’s either going to be “silencing his critics” or “righting the ship,” though I think the latter expression is usually used for pitchers starting after a loss. Good ol’ Bowman.
As bad as Nate was last year, I find it hard to dislike him.
Nate’s comeback is clearly complete. Can we trade him to the Royals now?
Nate’s definitely took the torch Yunel left behind for having the worst hair on the team.
I don’t know. Can’t stand the parted hair look that Lowe has.
Just me or does Miguel Cabrera look like he’s gained 25 bad lbs over the offseason?
I had the same hairdo as Lowe once.
The year was 1998, and I believe I was in the 5th grade. And it probably doesn’t help that he doesn’t have much left to part up there.
Stu, nice job over at minorleagueball guessing the prospect. I am unspeakably awful at that.
Yeah, Derek just needs to give it up and go with the buzz. It’d probably give him some relief from the heat, anyway. That and if he did away with the long sleeves in August.
@64-Just saw that. Well done Stu. I also am terrible at that game.
Nate and Chipper both look good so far. I’ve already started to drink the kool-aid, and in about two days I’ll have talked myself into how this team can win 100 games. Spring training is awesome.
Spoiler Alert: At the end of Mac’s book a Dan Kolb shaped Death Star is nearly completed.
If I am Wren, I would call the Cards and suggest a Kawakami-Pujols trade. That will create some good laughs.
Wonderful Terrific Monds II – Yahoo! Sports.
Yes, he’s the son of Wonderful Terrific Monds III. Apparently there was the proverbial accident with a contraceptive and a time machine.
Atlanta’s sports misery: What I knew as a fan, finally proved by statistics-
http://tinyurl.com/4z8x9uf
And for that person that does not completely trust tinyurls-
http://preview.tinyurl.com/4z8x9uf
#69
Plays “with a chip on his shoulder,” right?
@69
It seemed like every year when the G Braves came to Chattanooga it was, “You have to go out and see Wonderful Monds play!” After a couple of years, everyone got over it.
So the best Peanut has said about McLouth is that he’s off to a great start.
So the question remains, will McLouth prove capable of experiencing the opportunity to revitalize his career and produce the kind of results necessary to go about the business of silencing his critics?
73,
Is there reason to believe he will?
Is anyone as excited about Jorts Day as I am?
Tebow, probably.
Stu — the picture, please.
Atlanta more sports-miserable than Buffalo or Cleveland? I wouldn’t trade places with either, and that’s before discussing the weather.
Cleveland didn’t even make top 5, and they endured Micheal Jordan’s career, LeBron’s Decision, Edgar Renteria in ’97, Earnest Byner’s fumble, and the Browns moving to Baltimore only to win the Super Bowl. How do you top that?
How does the Kool-Aid taste, Craig?
Jeffy,
If they don’t put clubhouse presence and nicey points on the score board, does it count?
And another. Jeff Francoeur OWNS the first week of March!
http://joeposnanski.si.com/2011/03/01/frenchy-and-hope/
@79,
That’s sort of ridiculous line, Mac. I don’t see what’s wrong with the article. He’s not saying he is going to take back what he said about Francouer as a player. He just said he’s a nice guy. Why do we have to personalize our feelings about the players?
ACHE is retiring
Even if it’s spring training, why in god’s name is McLouth in CF and Schafer in LF? Really hope I never see that happen in a game that counts.
Birmingham ball park could take root near civic center | al.com.
I was kidding, a little, about getting shot before, but only a lunatic goes to that part of town after dark. It’s one of the getting-killed capitals of the country.
It’s a much better area than Hoover, where the current park is.
No. Not in the slightest.
Surely you realize I was joking. But seriously, I would rather live/visit anywhere in the world over Hoover, AL. As a Birmingham resident, I pity all the poor souls who live there.
You’re assuming they have souls.
I am that rarest of mortals, a Hoover native over the age of 35. My parents lived there for about the first year of my life, but then moved to Bessemer. Not exactly a socio-economic upgrade, but I’ve always identified myself as being from Bessemer.
A wise choice, Mac. If I had known you were a Hoover native, I would have stopped posting here years ago.
I was just reading Babe Ruth’s stats. Did you realize that 11 people left BABE RUTH off their ballots for the Hall of Fame? Holy crap.
Seriously, though, why is Louth in CF and Schafer in LF. Do we think this means that the new management still thinks Louth is a capable CF? Sure hope not. Even in a spring training setting, it makes no sense to me.
Probably they don’t intend to move the starters around, so they want to be able to plug in the backup (Schafer) at all three positions. Also, Louth was terrible in left field.
Hoover is a much much better area than downtown Birmingham. Its not really comparable.
#93 – thats what I was thinking, if Schafer is going to be the 4th outfielder he might as well start seeing some fly balls in every OF spot.
75—You know Rob Cope and mravery are!
@94 false.
@91,
I think Babe pissed a lot of people off.
Why the Hoover hate? Seemed like a nice place when I was through there.
You’re not going to start singing “Pleasant Valley Sunday” are you?
————-
Think Jenkins could miss a shot against us for a change?
96—That’s what I get for trying to do that via phone. Where in the world did that image come from?
Anyway…You know Rob Cope and mravery are!
@100
Classic
Meet the Debts, Greet the Debts…
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/de_perate_mets_in_new_relief_pitch_3Sp88YVWEvp3QZH8q8HwtO
If it is indeed true that the time to buy is when the blood is in the streets, do the Mets have anything we’d like?
Reyes? (Can’t believe I typed that …)
Reyes is only signed through this year, so he’s playing for his next contract. But I can’t imagine the Mets trading anyone of real value to Atlanta.
Believe it or not, I’ve already heard talk that the Yankees could be interested in him after this season. He’s only “27” right now.
Reyes would be a nice get for us. Even if he walks, we would probably get a 1st round pick.
This Mets situation is just insane.
From the book, nicknames for Rey Sanchez: “Rey-Rey”, “Reychel”, “Double Pley”, and (after what I call the worst throw any shortstop has ever made) “Mr. Glove”.
Considering his performance last year, I’d say that Jose Reyes is more likely to walk in the offseason than during the season.
Atlanta Braves Team Health Report 2011 – Will Carroll – SI.com.
Sad news about Mark Wholers….his family’s house burned and is a complete loss. You can hear the audio of the fire department here:
http://dandleestrickland.wordpress.com/2011/03/01/mark-wohlers-house-burns-down/
@109- The red light on Minor and Hanson seems stupid. I get the potential concern, but if you want to play it like that, putting Venters as green is ridiculous
111—Yeah, that was weird.
He’s acting like Hanson was a pure rookie in 2010, when he was third in ROY voting in 2009. I have him with 194 innings pitched in 2009 (including AAA), and so he went up by less than ten innings last year. That’s nothing.
His only real rationale is that pretty much all good young pitchers get injured. And, okay, that’s basically true, though it effectively moots all attempts at analysis.
Good for MLB.
@113
And that’s after having thrown 28.2 innings in the AFL.
84 — Schafer sucks at CF too.
He does? I thought he had a pretty good rep.
Stupid Honor Code.
Adios, Bama.
@107, my favorite was St. Rey the Batless.
118 — Yep. The Braves always hype up their prospects’ defensive rep. Remember when Adam LaRoche was going to win a Gold Glove?
Schafer is athletic enough, but he runs very strange routes. I nicknamed him Magellan. I figure the defensive metrics will back me up for the 2 months he was up in ’09.
Good Vandy-UK game.
We came all the way back but made the untimely errors at the end. Should have ended that Rupp winning streak.
Now, we have to beat UF.
Yep, another easy win over Vandy. Oy.
————-
Five SEC East teams get in. Bama has left itself some work – like winning the SEC Tournament.
————-
desert – what did he do? Unbelievably bad timing.
————-
Purdue will win the National Championship.
I’m not convinced Tennessee is in. They’re bipolar. UK could very well beat them at Knoxville on Saturday. Couple that with a first round SECT exit and they’re firmly on the bubble.
justhank,
Cheating on a test wouldn’t merit this punishment, as they rarely get caught anyway. That being said, BYU athletes aren’t known for the smarts (I’m really good friends with a professor that had both Jimmer Fredette and Charles Abou last year in his Physical Science 100 class, and apparently both of them went to the help lab after every class-three times a week- for around two hours. I took the same class from the same professor, and I thought that it was the second easiest class I had taken at the Y).
If it was drugs, he would have gotten kicked out of the university. So I’m thinking alcohol or sex; most likely the latter, considering Unga (our RB) was treated the same way two years ago after it was known he knocked up his volleyball-playing girlfriend.
And you know what really blows? If it was 99% of other universities, the coaching staff (or the university) wouldn’t care in the first place. Of the remaining 10 schools, 9 would turn their heads if their basketball team was destined for a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament. BYU is the only university with the rare combination of “we care about our honor code” and “we’re going to show you we care about the honor code by making sure that we don’t give preferential treatment to a star athlete”. Unga’s pregnant girlfriend was allowed to stay at the Y to finish her studies, whereas Unga was not. Similarly, Davies is going to be made an example of.
Look, I love that I go to a school that places emphasis on living a clean, chaste life and all that, but come on. It’s probably our only legitimate chance at a Final Four in my lifetime. Show a blind eye just this once, would you?
/endrant
126—BYU may be the only school that would do it because of sex, but it’s hardly the only school that will boot a star athlete for an Honor Code violation.
Virtue is its own reward, I guess. (It better be.) Whatever, it’s a real shame. You guys had a legit shot to make it to the last weekend.
Btw, Lake Powell is the most breathtaking place I’ve ever been.
Update:
I just heard from an extremely reliable source that it’s because he got his girlfriend pregnant.
Stu,
Probably. It’s just that when you know that this stuff regularly goes on at other universities and gets thrown under the rug unless it affects on-field performance, and you go to a school that will condemn a player for these actions more than it will condemn a student… it’s just stupid.
The service academies wouldn’t put up with their version of an honor-code violation either.
Didn’t BYU cut some slack to Jim McMahon while he was there?
Glad I went to Georgia. I woulda got tossed from BYU during orientation week.
@130- I’m with you. In fact I did get evicted from my freshman dorm during orientation for transgressions so egregious that my dad told me “Boy, you’re lucky they didn’t put you under the jail.” I miss college.
Wait, students at BYU call it “The Y”? I wouldn’t have guessed that one.
Garret Anderson retired.
I guess I can stop irrationally hating him and start appreciating him for having a fairly decent career.
Hard to imagine any player who seemed more indifferent.
I know. I would have liked him much more if he had never been a Brave.
I guess decent is relative. On one hand, just staying in the majors for a bagillion years is an amazing accomplishment. On the other, he was a sub par corner outfielder for 13 of his 16 years. Being not quite bad enough to lose his job for a decade and a half wouldn’t be a decent career in most fields.
I’m waiting for Jeff Francoeur to retire and AAR post, “I guess I can stop irrationally hating him and start appreciating him for having a fairly decent career.”
I never understood the near hatred of Anderson by Braves’ fans.
Francoeur will never have a career nearly as productive as Anderson’s….
Stephen, the reasons are simple. He sucked, and he didn’t care.
New post.