Notes and observations from Turner Field on Sunday evening:
– The Braves organist, who is among the more underrated ballpark presences, implicitly nicknamed the Miami shortstop “Adeiny In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.” +1.
– If you haven’t tried the Kevin Rathbun steak sandwich yet, I think you should. It’s $15, but if you just commit to buying one less beer or ice cream or whatever your usual treat is, plus figuring in the dinner entree you aren’t buying now, it’s not really that much more than you were already committed to pay. 200 level, just to the first-base side of home plate. Thank me later.
– Section 406 has the most aggressive usher in the ballpark. I mean that as a compliment, really. I’ve seen this lady around for a few years and she obviously takes a great deal of pride in her work. I respect that. But it’s 406! Come on, who’s trying to sneak around 406 angling for better se – eh, scratch that thought. You got me, 406 Usher. Game recognize game.
– There was a screamer of a foul ball hit down the third-base line that a fan down near field level made a barehand play on. If you are a reader of this blog, sir, let me give you proper internet congratulations. That was a great play.
I sat in section 206 this past week, and the usher there was turning people away all game with no remorse whatsoever. There were tons of empty seats everywhere, but at least he was doing his job.
Gattis is doing well in AAA. 2 doubles yesterday, HR and single last night.
Sounds like an exciting game!
For those who complain about bad scheduling for the Braves, note that the Mets played a night game last night and now have a 1 PM game in another city. I didn’t even think that was allowed. If I were a Mets fan, and the Mets were in the race at all, I’d be complaining bitterly. On the other hand, if I were a Mets fan, this would probably be #78 on the list of things I’d be complaining about. But seriously, how do you schedule something like this?
If I were a Mets fan, la la la la la de da.
Evan “Mike Hessman” Gattis
You deserve proper internet congratulations for nailing the four most notable events at last night’s game to the exclusion of all others. Well done.
@4, Did this happen to the Braves once this year? I recall that it did. But it shouldn’t.
@mlbbowman: The Mets played beyond 11 p.m. in D.C. last night. PR man @Jay_HorwitzPR said the club got to their ATL hotel around 4 a.m. #Braves
can’t help but think about these two guys…both blessed with exceptional talent, both refugees at some real risk from an oppressive regime..
both welcomed here and allowed to market their considerable skills..
both, now, ‘famous’ ..
one, happy, deeply grateful…the other carrying so much anger…
the human condition you would say in its manifest forms…
still seems sad.
a contrast in Cubans you’d say
for Jose Hernandez, his way
a warm smile for Freddie
but Puig is so ready
to snarl all his talent away.
The guy Fernandez really reminds me of is Dontrelle Willis. He had the same sort of attitude (and talent) when he came into the league. Further, he maintained it even through injury as his skills diminished. I got the sense that the attitude never changed, even as great promise withered. Puig, by contrast, I hate to say, reminds me a bit of Yunel.
The Mets are running out a AAA lineup today.
Dice K…
didn’t the Red Sox start off by having to pay 50 million plus to negotiate with him? and then the same again, or more, for a long term contract?
Geez.
or was that Special K?
Yep: $51,111,111 posting fee, $52M contract over six years.
Success!
What do you immediately do to a team who got to their hotel room nine hours ago? Bunt hit!
FREDDIE!!!!!
Freddie!
@11 as opposed to the AAAA lineup?
Dean Martin…Sleepy Time Gal…the 4 a.m. Mets
Sleepy time Mets, when all the baseball is through
Japanese arm, trade a starter or two
Aaron Harang? what a steal!
dear David, how does he feel?
when you’re the play at home, lose at home four o’clock sleepy time crew.
I love this recap.
Slept late this morning. What’s shaking at the Ted?
43 minutes to get through eight outs. After 1.5 innings, we’re on pace for a four-and-a-half-hour slog. Can’t even get Dice-K out at the plate. It’s an Ernie Johnson special; we’re “zipping right along …”
Maholm is the worst.
@18: David Wright is apparently going to take rehab in the playoffs with the Savannah Sand Gnats. Anybody think having an All-Star take the field in the A playoffs shows respect for minor league baseball?
@20, I was just thinking how this game is on pace to be six hours long.
Dice-K makes Trachsel look downright speedy. Can you imagine what Skip would have been like calling games Dice-K was pitching?
Success! Good for him.
Hugs!
Have yourself a day, Freddie! 5 RBIs in 2 innings is not too shabby.
@9, I would be extremely wary of taking media representations of players at face value, especially for comparative purposes. These guys are both being plugged into some really shopworn narrative stereotypes.
and this is awesome.
http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3145477/miseredawg.mp3
Will Maholm or DiceK go 5?
Paul, you suck.
What’s this about BJ being a great defensive player?
Maholm is more than capable of gagging this. I have faith.
What was BJ doing?
Why bunt down 4?
Paul Maholm is the greatest batting practice pitcher…ever.
@ 27
sorry, could make no sense of the link..explain please?
on the larger point…no one is telling me what to make of Hernandez and Puig…latin baseball players these days have little chance to hide who they are, the camera captures unrehearsed spontaneity..Hernandez and Freddie the other day was exactly that, heartwarming to be corny…while Puig in the dugout 10 days ago in Miami and then getting rid of those flyball outs the other night in LA, the way he did it so that even dear old Don M had to take him out…chalk and cheese
@31 absolutely…. He is by far my least favorite player and can certainly cough up this lead with just a couple of hitters and his batting practice junk
The Drama in Dodgertown is a gift to the media, not an invention from it.
#27
A friend of mine in NY tossed that to me last night & I laughed my ass off. There’s nothing quite so funny as when SEC fans are in “crisis mode.”
Success is very successful today.
Apparently Justin doesn’t like batting practice fastballs
If Success has decided to become the next Otis Nixon, I’d be fine with that, minus the tragic coke habit.
@34,36 The link was for the UGA fans here – it has nothing to do with baseball. Just a non sequitur that I should have put in a separate post.
regarding the other bit – no one has a chance to hide, but choices are made about which images to present to the public and the corresponding story presented that frames the narrative. I don’t think it’s a particularly pleasant discussion, given that it’s one that we’ve had here many times. I don’t care for the very loaded language that accompanies the images, and I find the conclusions drawn to be trite, two dimensional cartoons that have no real depth of knowledge of either subject and hew to a very hackneyed storyline with the cultural sensitivity of the Frito Bandito, and I’ll leave it at that.
FWIW
CARDINALS CATCHER YADIER MOLINA LEFT THE GAME IN THE BOTTOM OF THE FIFTH INNING WITH SORENESS IN HIS LEFT WRIST.
BJ! Please please please get hot for the playoffs. Please.
WOOOO SIMMONS!
Why would Road Runner pull outside pitch?
Man, BJ is daring one to hope here.
Also, I fear that the occasional colossal defensive brain fart is just what you get when BJ Upton is your center fielder. It’ll be worth it if he heats up for the playoffs.
Offensive outbursts are so much fun. Especially when they’re against the Mets.
Anybody who saw the Mets’ pathetic collapse in Washington last night knew this was coming today. I don’t know why I watched that whole thing last night, but I did, and it was pretty sad. And the Mets got in at 4 a.m. directly after that before a 1 p.m. game…and had Daisuke starting today. So yeah, not a particularly great combination.
@46 DiceK shown have flown down early, if Los Mets could afford it.
BJ again!!!
Oh, BJ. Dare I hope?
Getting enough Reitsma Room for Freddie Garcia…
@50, I’m not sure we’ll see Garcia today. Perhaps one thing missed by today’s recap was his 4.2 innings pitched in last night’s game, with no runs on 3 hits and 1 walks, 2 Ks. And consistently pitching in the high 70s.
Two misplays by the Reason in one inning? Did he fly with the Mets last night?
@47..
lovely thought..
Uh, oh, hope that’s not another outfielder down. Success! was just getting back into his successful ways.
Elliot is as dishonest as SUCCESS! Stealing from the poor LOS METS
Success has shown the Braves enough to deserve a spot on the playoff roster. So if he’s a little banged up, he’s got a good four weeks to recover. There’s no better time than the present.
Sorry for my crappy layout skills, but here are two lines to compare:
PA: 454, 448
R: 46, 58
H: 142, 111
2B: 29, 23
3B: 0, 0
HR: 10, 14
RBI: 58, 62
BB: 24, 57
K: 95, 51
BA: .333, .287
OBP: .368, .377
SLG: .471, .455
OPS: .839, .832
OPS+: 127, 124
TB: 201, 176
The one on the left is Chris Johnson this year. The one on the right is Chipper Jones last year.
Roughly equitable. As amazing as Chris Johnson has been this year, he’s been merely filling the shoes of Chipper, whose last years with the club haven’t gotten the full respect they deserve by many for his offensive contribution.
Batting down in lineup most of season hurts number of runs and RBI. How much does sitting out an inning keep CJ fresh?
There’s Dan’s hit!
He will take it, a line drive in every score book (except Eephus)
Oh, IWOTM.
John R., here you go:
Is every hit for Dan the rest of the season a seeing eye hit?
Strained lower back for SUCCESS!
Kept it under 4 hours, aided by the fact that we only played 8 1/2.
Gattis is still raking at AAA, with a couple of more hits today. If Success! can’t play with the back strain, I guess Gattis and Terdo will split time in left field?
Diana Nyad, age 64, becomes the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without a cage protecting her..
fifth attempt, last one ended with jellyfish attack…
53 hours, 110 miles..
wow
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/03/sports/nyad-completes-cuba-to-florida-swim.html?hp&_r=0
Sat in 406 for today’s game and you’re right about that lady. She made a guy in a Keith Hernandez jersey move to his proper seat even though there were rows of empty seats.
Matsuzaka needs to go join whatever team Kawakami is playing on.
Recap up
@68 Is Kawakami still pitching? Or is it what you are actually referring to?
@57 Finding a replacement for Chipper who can replicate his production is not easy. I honestly think “he’s been merely filling the shoes of Chipper” is already quite an accomplishment even if we are talking about the 2012 version of Chipper.
@56 Schafer has to be in the playoff roster. He is our backup plan in case either Jason can’t come back in time or BJ’s recent surge is just a fluke. Honestly, I think he deserves to start in the playoff.