The outlook wasn’t brilliant for the ‘lanta nine that day,
The score stood 3-1 with but one inning left to play.
And so when Garcia walked to first and Flowers singled the same,
A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of that game.
A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest
clung to the hope which springs eternal from the delenda ests.
They thought, “If Jace just won’t load the bases, at that,
we’d put up even money now with no bases-loaded at-bat.”
But Jace coaxed a walk, to the disparagement of all,
And A.J., the much despised, had a chance to smack the ball.
And as he approached the dish, and fans saw what had occurred,
There was Tyler safe at second and Adonis a-hugging third.
Then from five thousand throats and more there rose a demoralized yell;
It rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;
It pounded on the mountain and recoiled upon the flat,
Over that dreaded, ever dreaded, bases loaded at-bat.
Ten thousand eyes on A.J. as he rubbed his hands with dirt;
Five thousand tongues bemoaned him as he wiped them on his shirt;
Then while the confident pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
The crowd knew the best they could hope for was a measly little foul tip.
And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,
And A.J. stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.
Close by the ancient batsman the ball so quickly sped—
“I’ll foul that off,” said A.J. “Strike one!†the umpire said.
From the grandstand, blue with empty seats, there went up a muffled moan,
The fans all knew the future and showed disapproval with a groan;
“Blame them! Blame the Johns!†shouted someone on the stand;
And those all around nodded bleakly at the knowledgable Braves fan.
The swagger is gone from Turner Field, losing is now our fate,
Three Reds scored on Bruce’s hit, while one Brave alone crossed the plate;
And now the bases-loaded K, and now Mallex swings away,
And now the wholly predictable bases-loaded double play.
Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright,
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light;
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children grin,
But there is no joy in ‘lanta—the 2016 Braves have lost again.
Aybar delenda est.
It is a far, far better recap that you do, ‘Rissa, than the Braves have ever deserved.
That was great. Thanks so much, ‘Rissa.
Awesome.
Fantastic recap. It’s not exaggerating to say that the only two things keeping me in touch with the Braves are this place and my wife’s habit of getting a score update notification on her phone, walking over to me, placing a hand on my arm, and saying in a gentle voice, “the Braves are losing again.” She also shakes her fist at Turner Field whenever we drive through town.
Mighty ‘Rissa hit a home run. Bravo.
OK Alex. Shut the site down, nothing will ever top that.
Thanks a LOT, ‘rissa. Now I gotta find another Barves site to haunt.
Principal blame for the Lost Season lies neither upon the manager nor the babies, and we KNOW the front office does not err. Therefore, it must be Braves Journal that’s at fault.
Repent, malfactors, and cease your evil ways. Believe in the process. This too shall pass.
Maybe.
Excellent, ‘Rissa.
My recap of Friday’s game will probably just be another link to my stupid spreadsheet, so y’all better really enjoy the great ones like this.
Yep, tonight’s will be a let down too.
Great job Rissa,
Bad play, Barves.
Wow! Logged into braves journal this morning and was reminded once again why I love this site. Thanks Rissa!
Braves trying to hose a Florida county for stadium money
@12
I wish they could have struck a deal with Pinellas County. I may be a little biased, but the plot of land discussed, which was less than 5 minutes from my home, would have provided us with some kind of baseball when the Rays inevitably leave town. Sweet, Steinbrenner Field, here I come.
Ya know, it’s kinda nice when you have someone who can hit a three run homer…
Thanks for this, ‘Rissa. Jay Bruce is having himself a little bit of a season. Julio Teheran should be traded for a package including, but not limited to, Evan Gattis.
Might as well throw Blair and Wisler into that deal. Folty, too, if he’s off the DL by then.
Trade them individually, each for a Gattis. Some might scoff, but tell me you wouldn’t be entertained to see a team of 8 Gattis’s lumbering around the field.
He can be a lot more candid about where we’ll play during spring training in three years than how much we’ll suck in three years.
““It’s a difficult time. Counties have to have the capacity and the willingness and the political support. Not that they don’t, but it takes time to generate that and get the votes put in place.”
IT’S LIKE RAAAA-IIYAAAAYN, ON YER WEDDING DAY
+’Rissa
“We’re now focusing on 2019” might have more than one meaning.
Just between you and me and the rest of Braves Journal, I would be thrilled with making the playoffs so early as 2019. It sure ain’t happening next season.
We’re only 5 position players, 2 starters, and 3 bullpen members away from contention. Easy.
@23
The Braves are that many guys away from a real baseball team, not contention.
Wait, so there’s 3 positions we’re set at? I still feel like we need 100% turnover.
@23 – You must be counting on Swanson and Albies becoming real baseball players.
I think Inciarte can turn it around and Smith just might be ok. Although they are really too similar to be on the same team. Freeman (sort of) and Teheran are the only MLB ball players I’ve seen on this team.
If it all shakes out right we could be ok as far as up the middle position players. So all we need is a catcher, 3b, a power bat in LF and/or RF. Not too tall an order, right?
On the pitching side all that is needed is for 4 or 5 of the 200 pitching prospects in the system to make the show.
I’m convinced the Braves will be ok.
MLB keeps sending me alerts, “Do you want to see your favorite Braves at the All-Star game? Fill out your ballot now to send them there!”
Actually, MLB, I’m rather looking forward to having a break from watching any of these Braves play for four straight days. I’m a little sad that “one player from every team” rule exists, because that means someone from the Braves has to go.
Jose Reyes DFA’d. He’s probably better than Aybar.
We should send Daniel Castro. He’d be the most representative member of the team. He can’t hit and he isn’t healthy, and he’s on the DL, so we wouldn’t have to actually watch him flail.
I’m sure someone will pick up Reyes for the minimum, but honestly, I’d rather it wouldn’t be us.
What is the blogosphere’s infatuation with poetry? I’m seriously asking. I think I know the answer but I’d like to hear your thoughts.
Why ask if you already know the answer? Unless it’s a trivia question… But now you’ve got me curious–what is it?
I actually have I guess the opposite of infatuation with the poetry. Maybe I’m lazy but I usually find it too tedious to try to parse the poetry posts to extract whatever the buried information/message is. I just want to read clear, concise information about whatever the topic is (usually Braves related on here); I don’t want to have to guess what the meaning is. I typically skip past most of the poetry entries but might go back and read them if they get enough others commenting on that particular post.
So, you want to know why people who take the time to register their opinion publicly on the internet, on something in which they likely have no real vested interest, let alone expertise, also like to register that opinion fancily?
31—A great number of the people comprising the blogosphere enjoy reading and writing, generally. A great number of the blogosphere people who enjoy reading and writing, generally, enjoy reading and writing poetry, specifically.
The loveliness of this recap is self-evident. No cold and timid soul, ‘Rissa.
I understand that threads sometimes get hijacked by off-topic stuff, like poetry. I personally tune out whenever college football comes up, which is a lot. But…
C’mon. This is a great American poem ABOUT BASEBALL, parodied to describe what happened last night. The original is about the the love, drama, and heartbreak of following a team and a player. And one of my favorites. I can probably recite half of it from memory.
I can’t think of a better BJ post in recent times.
To quote the poet Luther Ingram, if loving “Casey at the Bat” is wrong, I don’t wanna be right.
I’ll sing you a poem of a silly Braves blog
Whose fanciful recaps were never a boring slog,
But we only want to delenda one dirty dog–
And that man is Erick Aybar.
@37, amen.
Further in the spirit of homage to the old masters, it’s times like these I’m reminded of Skip Caray after a particularly rough rain delay call-in show:
“Goes to show you, if you let anybody call, anybody will….”
@33 Agreed. I find the poetry on here distracting, a bit silly, and generally less funny by half. Just recap the game.
Just my opinion…
29 — I thought Castro went down to Gwinnett when they activated Aybar.
Yep — right you are! All the more reason to make him our All-Star. Half the guys on the major league team belong in the minors, anyway.
Chief at 42,
Most of the time, when I read somebody’s recap, I already know the score and frequently know a lot of the details. If this is somebody’s internet lifeline overseas I could understand a “just the facts” stance. But when I recap, I want to add something to the story that you won’t find at ajc.com or wherever.
Mac’s vision was not to be a community of “dumb jocks.” But more of “renaissance men (and women”) who commonly shared interest in one specific MLB team, the Atlanta Braves. So, I guess I will keep stretching and try to be a worthy follower of Mac and worthy competitor of Rissa, Blazon, AAR, and the many others who provide much reading pleasure.
These games don’t deserve recaps. A standard form letter should suffice.
@42 I’m not the biggest of poetry fans, but I still have Casey At The Bat memorized from my baseball-obsessed teen years when I decided it was iconic enough that I needed to know it. This whole season I’ve thought “there is no joy in Mudville” pretty much every time I’ve looked at the Braves record, and last night the situation in the 9th caused “I’d put up even money now with no bases-loaded at-bat” to pop into my head. It made me laugh, and I thought it might make others on here laugh some, too. I figure we can use all the laughter we can get this season, so I rolled with the idea. Of course, I also approach recapping with the idea that so many straight up recaps are available on the web that I try to make mine something more Braves Journal-like: funny, sarcastic, etc. We just have different expectations, I guess.
For the record, poetry doesn’t bother me, but I’d rather talk baseball. Since we have no baseball to really talk about for the next few years, might as well try to mix in some variety.
A standard form letter should suffice.
That gives me inspiration.
I’ve been waiting to see how long until we’re just playing Braves game recap Mad Libs.
AAR had to recruit recappers, and I for one declined bc of the time commitment.
But if I did recaps, and somebody didn’t like mine, I’d tell them their options were either 1) take over the gig, or 2) pound sand.
I’m not a poet myself, but it seems douchey to tell other people what they want them to write. The recappers here are not paid.
We’re not paid?!?
I get paid in the laurels and hearty handshakes of my peers.
Our four run leads don’t last as long as theirs do.
Matthew 6:19, recappers.
“Our four run leads”
I, for one, never expected to see that noun pluralized.
“They’ve just had a revolving door in their bullpen…” Since people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, I feel like a Braves announcer should be the last person in baseball to say something like that about another team.
I love this Aybar.
MLB.tv is broken again. It just showed Erick Aybar getting his second RBI hit of the game.
I kinda like Mallex & Incifarte together at the top of the lineup. Speed is one thing we do have, might as well use it.
Don’t say this too often, but I think Freddie should’ve had that pick.
@60 MLB.tv must be working again. It’s now showing that the Braves are losing.
Casey Kelly has an enviable 0.0 innings pitched, three hits, three runs, two “earned.” And he’s still in there.
I thought we already fired Fredi!
SNICKER must been talking to Freddie Gonzalez and Freddie told him .. don’t take out a pitcher when it’s obvious he is getting lit up .. wonder how many Kelly will give up ??? Guess maybe it’s take one for the team time again .. all our relievers arms are about to fall off …
Yep, they fixed MLB.tv. There’s Erick Aybar making an error.
@62 .. Freddie of old would have had that throw but why should be get in front of ball and take it off chest.. he has already taken some hit by pitches .. 2 times last night .. he is not gonna take anything for team cause his teammates aren’t taking up for him by hammering Bruce or Phillips with a pitch ..
He’s a free man!
would love o see freeman start a hot streak now..
Hey Snitker acting like major league Mgr.. where did he learn that?? Not from FG .. he actually just went righty vs righty and lefty vs lefty .. wow
Folk Hero sighting!
Snitker could abuse more arms than Dusty Baker
And Jeffy demonstrates why someone used to post here with the handle of Mr. Swings @ Everything.
I wonder what Brooks Conrad is up to these days…
Casey Kelly is not the answer, unless the question is who is the next guy to go back to AAA.
For the love of God, fix your sound FSN.
I don’t think anyone is gonna call to complain they can’t hear chip and joe.
Omar Infante DFA’d. He’s toast.
As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, lightning took out my smart tv. Got that fixed, but it also got my direct tv receiver. Technician is coming tomorrow at long last, so I may, after 3 weeks finally be able to watch some baseball, but for today, I won’t see a single inning of Braves baseball.
As such, I think I should do tonight’s recap.
And this is where we lose. So is there a star to take with the #1 pick in the 2017 draft?
Ivan De Jesus? Seriously? You guys realize who his dad was (of the same name)–the man who was ignominiously traded for Ryne Sandberg, who would’ve otherwise been a philly.
Maybe Aybar should get hit in the nuts on a regular basis. It seems to make him play better.
Freddie Freeman is a single short of the cycle and we’re going to extras?
Are we out of pitchers yet?
I’d rather Freeman hit another HR instead of the cycle
@85, when I look back on this season, I will probably not remember that we won 55 games instead of 54 due to a late inning homer, but I’ll damn sure remember a cycle.
Especially given all the cyclic discussion from the past couple threads…
Now no one will ever mention Mark Kotsay as a Brave ever again.
I had completely forgotten Mark Kotsay got the cycle in a Braves uniform. I will resume forgetting it.
Well, let’s go for a no hitter next. Haven’t had one of those in 22 years.
The Reds with a five-man infield!
I’ve seen over 2000 braves games in my life and I have missed both cycles. Damn the Lightning. Damn you directv.
https://www.sadtrombone.com/
Only the Braves could screw that up.
LOL
I surfed in here ready to hand a prize out to the first person to utter the name Albert Hall. What a disappointment!
Enjoy your team, Cobb County.
Was there any other way that could have ended?
I’m not sure we’re going to be in the playoff conversation come September
Now would be a good time for AJP’s first homer.
It’s still a tight race for that #1 pick though:
Braves: 18-46
Twins: 20-44
Reds: 26-39
I hope we get rewarded for watching the whole thing…Francouer needs to pitch an inning, then catch an inning.
Glavine must have gone home.
102 — Too bad Francoeur already pinch hit.
Now a good time for that Freeman homer
Never mind, I hear Tom now.
Has there ever been one challenge where Caray doesn’t say “remember, there has to be clear and convincing evidence to overturn”?
So if Gant has to pitch tonight, who starts tomorrow? Kelly and Weber are both unavailable.
Well, Gant may not have to pitch tonight.
I don’t see how Coppy can watch this and remain calm enough to not call up any of the kids.
I hated that IBB.
A bases-loaded go-ahead walk to Jose Peraza sums up this season awfully well, too.
When your pitcher has the control of a nonagenarian who just ate lunch at Taco Bell, a bases-loaded-IBB with two outs is, um, a suboptimal decision.
bases loaded
you should assume the offense then imploded
all laws of probability
deferring to gratuitous amiability.
Nobody wants to win this game.
It’d be hilarious if the Braves failed to get that runner in from third.
An Erick Aybar intentional walk. Well… now I’ve seen everything.
lolReds
Reds just did not want to win that game LOL.
I DO NOT BELIEVE WHAT I AM SEEING!
We’re all better people for watching that whole thing.
Mercy!
Great walk-off by the lead singer of the Chase d’Arnaud Band.
My favorite part of all of this is how blazon emerged from nowhere to drop a wry clerihew @114 and then vanish into the fog
@124
the fog?
a man has to walk his dog
while we both found it hard to believe the ending
his attitude has become positively condescending.
Recapped, but this guy doesn’t have the poetry chops.
But the Braves gave you much, much better material to work with.