Earl Weaver’s formula is hard to beat.  Behind seven strong innings by Max Fried, who struck out a career high 13 Red Sox, and a tie breaking three run homer from Ozzie in the sixth, the Braves defeated the Red Sox 8-3 Tuesday night in Fenway. 

Remember those first two starts by Max Fried back at the beginning of the season?  That must have been someone else in a Varsity costume. Over his ten starts since, the real Max Fried has shown up.  His ERA is 1.83 over his last ten starts.  And he’s going deep into games–seems like he goes seven or more every time out.  What’s more, he is a joy to watch, as he relies on six or seven pitches now, and is able to throw any of them at any time where he wants them.  My favorite, though, will always be the knee-buckling Sandy Koufax curve.

[I shouldn’t have thought of Koufax and the Dodgers.  I had vowed to myself not to mention that this is likely our last season to enjoy Max in a Braves uniform; I do try not to be negative.  But last night’s game gave me an idea: do you suppose we could find that Max look-a-like who started those first games and somehow get the Dodgers to sign him instead of the real Fried?  Then after they do that, AA swoops in and signs the real Varsity and gives him all the money.  Get it done, AA. (and don’t share this scheme with the Dodgers, y’all)]

The offense really may be coming around.  I don’t make predictions, but it’s hard to believe that June won’t be a better month for the hitters than that miserable May just past.  So far, so good.  The pitching and the defense are doing their part.  If more of the hard hit balls that died on the track will leave the yard, this could yet be an Earl Weaver dream team.  That’s “pitching, defense, and three run homers” for you youngsters who don’t remember the Earl of Baltimore.

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That’s pretty much all I have to say about last night’s game, since I didn’t actually see any of it.  I’m at a conference and the dinner event was over just as the game ended. The conference is at the University of Notre Dame, and the dinner was in a skybox overlooking the football field.  Hence, the photo of Touchdown Jesus above. 

That has nothing to do with the Braves v. Red Sox, but of course I think about the Braves and baseball wherever I am and whatever I’m doing. So here is the link: Carl Yastrzemski was the best baseball player ever to come out of Notre Dame.  He didn’t actually play for the Fighting Irish; he was on the team his freshman year, but that was when freshman were ineligible. Thanksgiving of his sophomore year he signed with the Red Sox, and the rest was history.

And what a history it was.  Yaz played 23 seasons for the Red Sox, and accumulated 96.5 bWAR in that excellent career.  He was one of the all-time greats—and inner circle hall of famer.  But since this is a Braves blog (and I am who I am), it occurred to me how similar his career was to Henry Aaron’s.  Each man played 23 seasons in the big leagues, and their careers largely overlapped.  Both were remarkable for their consistent greatness over a very long period. Each won only one MVP, but they were consistently great for over two decades each.  Each played in two World Series (Aaron’s team won one of those; Yaz played for the Sox during the curse years so of course his team lost in seven both times).  Yaz was in 18 All Star games, Aaron in 25 (Hank had the advantage of two ASG’s a season early in his career).

But get this.  As great as Yastrzemski was, Aaron was almost 50% better.  Hank’s career bWAR was 143.1.  In all significant offensive categories, Aaron was a little better than Yaz (and in some a lot better).  Between his age 22 and age 40 seasons, Yaz had an OPS+ of at least 112 every year, and in three seasons it was over 170.  But in his age 22 through age 40 seasons, Aaron’s OPS+ never dropped below 142 for a single season!  Do I ever tire of singing the praises of Mr. Aaron?  You already know the answer to that question.

Braves try to keep it going in a day game Wednesday.  Spencer PDQ Schwellenbach gets his second start, facing Nick Pivetta, making his 160th start.  Pivetta is the Platonic ideal of journeyman starter (and that’s not a bad thing at all) but I’m looking for a stronger career out of Schwellenbach, starting with his first MLB Win today.

Braves Wednesday Lineup

  1. Michael Harris II
  2. Austin Riley
  3. Marcell Ozuna
  4. Matt Olson
  5. Ozzie Albies
  6. Travis d’Arnaud
  7. Jarred Kelenic
  8. Orlando Arcia
  9. Spencer Schwellenbach

I need for Spencer to get a little chubbier so we can call him Schwellybelly.