Yes, the Braves are a game under .500 and 3 games back in the division. But this team will be good.
Pitching has been really good. Vazquez took a hard-luck loss last night, after going 8 innings (longest Braves outing all year) and throwing only 99 pitches! Better yet, only 27 of those 99 pitches were outside the strike zone. Then Soriano came in with a lights out performance in the 9th.
Ted Williams said: "The hardest thing to do in baseball is to hit a round baseball with a round bat, squarely." And St. Louis can attest to that, it wasn't square hits but dinky little bloop singles strung together in the 5th that put the Braves down last night. Unfortunately, the Braves, while squaring up a few, were unable yet again to string together enough hits to push across more than 3 runs.
Our pitching is great, but we've got to do more on the offensive side. Where's that bat that Frank Wren promised? Garret??? Garret?? Bueller? The Braves have averaged just over 3 runs per game in our last 15, and it's only that high thanks to an 11 and a 10 run game thrown in there. We need more consistency scoring runs, but I think we look good to be a contender all year. Perhaps we'll even pick up that big bat before the trade deadline!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Last Night's Game
What a ballgame. Awesome performance by Jo-Jo (who name's their kid Jo-Jo?). But what was even better was Gonzalez. The closer was consistently pumping 95 mph fastballs past everyone he faced last night, and pulling the string with that 86 mph slider. He was nasty yesterday and gave Braves fans confidence of what's to come from the back of the bullpen this year!
In a related note... Albert "don't call me the greatest player of all time" Pujols had an impressive at bat the 9th. Representing the tying run for St. Louie with 1 out in the 9th, Pujols came to plate with the bat on his shoulder, and left it there! Gonzo threw 3 out of the zone, so you can't blame Pujols for not swinging at the 3-0 95 mph heater right down the heart of the plate. But once the count moved to 3-1, Gonzo blazed the outside corner with another heater that Pujols just stared at. You are the man in the StL line-up Pujols... you're supposed to be hitting the ball, not looking for a walk in the 9th inning of a one-run ballgame! Gonzo finished him off with that nasty slider that came back over the plate, again Pujols was staring. You may recall, the last widely proclaimed "best hitter in baseball" to stare at 3 straight strikes in the 9th inning of a close ballgame was promtly removed from the roster in Bean Town.
In a related note... Albert "don't call me the greatest player of all time" Pujols had an impressive at bat the 9th. Representing the tying run for St. Louie with 1 out in the 9th, Pujols came to plate with the bat on his shoulder, and left it there! Gonzo threw 3 out of the zone, so you can't blame Pujols for not swinging at the 3-0 95 mph heater right down the heart of the plate. But once the count moved to 3-1, Gonzo blazed the outside corner with another heater that Pujols just stared at. You are the man in the StL line-up Pujols... you're supposed to be hitting the ball, not looking for a walk in the 9th inning of a one-run ballgame! Gonzo finished him off with that nasty slider that came back over the plate, again Pujols was staring. You may recall, the last widely proclaimed "best hitter in baseball" to stare at 3 straight strikes in the 9th inning of a close ballgame was promtly removed from the roster in Bean Town.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Getting people to think
Terence Moore (24 year sports "journalist" for the AJC) states that his objective in writing is getting people to think. The only thing he's ever caused me to think is, "Damn this dude is one racist ass."
His M.O. has been creating a "story" (read a bunch of words together in a column) when there was no story by inserting the proverbial race card. Fortunately for us all, he's putting down the pen.
If you've not had the torture of reading his columns, google "Terence Moore Race" or "Racist." Here's one of my favorite editorial responses to a T-Mo column: "Terrence is the biggest racist POS in Atlanta. After 5 years of living in Atlanta and reading the AJC I would rather cut off my own nuts then read his garbage. " This was written in 2006, so after another 3 years of enduring "his garbage" this poor commenter is likely among the nut-less today. Here is an interesting article responding to one of his columns as well, brought to you by the good folks at "Every day should be Saturday."
Also, thanks to Mackie at BloggingPantsless for bringing this shit-canning to my attention.
Rejoice Atlanta sports readers, today is a day to celebrate.
His M.O. has been creating a "story" (read a bunch of words together in a column) when there was no story by inserting the proverbial race card. Fortunately for us all, he's putting down the pen.
If you've not had the torture of reading his columns, google "Terence Moore Race" or "Racist." Here's one of my favorite editorial responses to a T-Mo column: "Terrence is the biggest racist POS in Atlanta. After 5 years of living in Atlanta and reading the AJC I would rather cut off my own nuts then read his garbage. " This was written in 2006, so after another 3 years of enduring "his garbage" this poor commenter is likely among the nut-less today. Here is an interesting article responding to one of his columns as well, brought to you by the good folks at "Every day should be Saturday."
Also, thanks to Mackie at BloggingPantsless for bringing this shit-canning to my attention.
Rejoice Atlanta sports readers, today is a day to celebrate.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Weekend Wrap-up
The Braves have gone 3-1 since my last post, perhaps that should tell me something. Two wins (Thurs and Fri) came by way of walking in the winning run (guess what goes around comes around). The offense woke up Saturday afternoon, and promptly returned to its slumber before Sunday's game.
Also a part of this weekend was the Goat family's first trip to Six Flags together. I haven't been to Six Flags since since I was 15 and apparently my age was showing. Aside from fighting a tinge of nausea all night, getting the crap beat out of me by jerky roller coasters, and constantly referring to how it "used to be," it was an awesome experience. Apparently some roller coasters have experience an entire lifespan since my last trip. What happened to that "new" roller coaster Deja Vu? Anyone remember the Z-Force?
I was never tall enough to ride Z-Force before they took it out and moved it to California (Six Flags Magic Mountain (according to Wiki). What I did ride this time was Goliath (3X actually).
By far the coolest roller coaster I've ever ridden. Very comfortable, no jerky ass beating, and FAST. Because the park was only open to Georgia State students (and family and friends) we didn't wait for anything. We even rode the Mindbender when our crew of 4 were the only people on the ride! We finished the night with one last hurrah on Goliath, and this time we waited a few minutes to get a ride in the front car... it was worth every minute.
We rode all the roller coasters (didn't catch some of the other rides: Wheelie, Acrophobia), here's how I'd rank them:
- Goliath
- Georgia Scorcher
- Batman
- Mindbender
- Superman
- Georgia Cyclone
- Dalonaga Mine Train
- Ninga
- Scream Machine (it beats you up worse than ever before)
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Bullpen-a-buzz
You play manager: Soriano has given up nada all year (0.00 ERA), and watching him last night he looked lights out. Gonzo has struggled a bit in the early going (5.68 ERA), but has recently come up with a few clutch appearances. Who's your closer?
Gonzo has been wild and his fast ball a bit lame, we're seeing a lot more 91 than 93+. While Soriano's fastball has come to life, we saw 94 last night, and it moves. I would make the switch to Soriano now, if not for this fear: Is Gonzo going to give you anything in a non-save situation?
He was great last night when he came in in the 8th to face a lefty, but that was a tied ballgame, and he was likely to pitch the ninth, had his place in the lineup not come due the next inning. As it was, Prado pinch hit, had a great at bat to draw a walk, which eventually lead to the go-ahead run. But what happens when you need him in the 8th with a 3 run lead? Or in the 7th when you're down 2 and need to keep the game within reach? Does he have that mentality? Will his feelings be hurt if he views this as "losing his job?"
I think these guys have the potential to be great stoppers in any order, but today Soriano definitely has the hot hand. Hopefully Bobby can get them to work together put "titles" aside and get outs.
In a related story, the bullpen as a whole has been great since ditching Boyer. No earned runs in the Nats series. Hopefully we're building on something here!
Gonzo has been wild and his fast ball a bit lame, we're seeing a lot more 91 than 93+. While Soriano's fastball has come to life, we saw 94 last night, and it moves. I would make the switch to Soriano now, if not for this fear: Is Gonzo going to give you anything in a non-save situation?
He was great last night when he came in in the 8th to face a lefty, but that was a tied ballgame, and he was likely to pitch the ninth, had his place in the lineup not come due the next inning. As it was, Prado pinch hit, had a great at bat to draw a walk, which eventually lead to the go-ahead run. But what happens when you need him in the 8th with a 3 run lead? Or in the 7th when you're down 2 and need to keep the game within reach? Does he have that mentality? Will his feelings be hurt if he views this as "losing his job?"
I think these guys have the potential to be great stoppers in any order, but today Soriano definitely has the hot hand. Hopefully Bobby can get them to work together put "titles" aside and get outs.
In a related story, the bullpen as a whole has been great since ditching Boyer. No earned runs in the Nats series. Hopefully we're building on something here!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
New Look on the Bases
Beginning with tonight's attempt to prevent getting swept by the worse team in baseball, the Braves have announced that Martin Prado, Kasey Kotchman, Jordan Schafer and Chipper Jones will be replaced on the base path with these guys:
Apparently the professionals have forgotten how to run the bases. I won't recount all the blunders for fear that I'll be pissed off for the rest of the day, and if you saw them I'm sure you don't want to hear about it again. You are major leaguers boys... these are the easy parts of the game.
At least 4 base running mistakes, arguably more, in the past 2 one-run games could easily be the difference in trying to avoid the sweep and going for the sweep ourselves.
Let Teddy Win!
Apparently the professionals have forgotten how to run the bases. I won't recount all the blunders for fear that I'll be pissed off for the rest of the day, and if you saw them I'm sure you don't want to hear about it again. You are major leaguers boys... these are the easy parts of the game.
At least 4 base running mistakes, arguably more, in the past 2 one-run games could easily be the difference in trying to avoid the sweep and going for the sweep ourselves.
Let Teddy Win!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Good Bye Blaine Boyer/ Game Recap
Two days ago the Braves designated Blaine Boyer for assignment, allowing him to join the likes of Dan Kolb, John Rocker, and Chief Nokahoma, as promising Braves that just never lived up to their potential.
The Braves dropped another one early this morning, and we can't blame the bullpen. We can't blame any of the pitching really. Lowe wasn't outstanding, in fact he didn't have good stuff at all. But to not have the stuff he didn't have last night, 6 innings and 3 runs was a great outing and the Braves had a great chance to win that game. And the Bullpen did their job through the rain and rain delay to not allow any runs.
Sometimes you drop 1 run games to inferior teams; in 162 games schedule it's going to happen. If you're going to blame the loss on someone, let's blame it on the ridiculous non-call @ 2nd base when David Ross was plunked in the head by a throw from 1st trying to double him up after Lowe's second terrible bunt attempt. After getting hit with the throw, Ross should have been able to cruise into second and sit in scoring position with one out for the top of the order. Instead, Nat's shortstop Guzman collided with Ross knocking him down, then tagged him out once the throw came in from the outfield. For those of you who don't know baseball, that's textbook obstruction. When a fielder prevents a runner from advancing to a base by making contact or altering his route, the runner is entitled to the base he would have obtained had the fielder not been a moron. Yet on this night, the moron was third base umpire Brian O'Nora (who was covering the play at second thanks to the crew being a man down--MLB games usually have 4 umpires, last night we had a 3 man crew). And don't let the "man down" be an excuse, this is a play that any little league umpire working in a 2 man crew could have made. There is no excuse for a professional umpire (how awesome would it be to make a damn good living umpiring professional baseball) to miss that call.
The Braves dropped another one early this morning, and we can't blame the bullpen. We can't blame any of the pitching really. Lowe wasn't outstanding, in fact he didn't have good stuff at all. But to not have the stuff he didn't have last night, 6 innings and 3 runs was a great outing and the Braves had a great chance to win that game. And the Bullpen did their job through the rain and rain delay to not allow any runs.
Sometimes you drop 1 run games to inferior teams; in 162 games schedule it's going to happen. If you're going to blame the loss on someone, let's blame it on the ridiculous non-call @ 2nd base when David Ross was plunked in the head by a throw from 1st trying to double him up after Lowe's second terrible bunt attempt. After getting hit with the throw, Ross should have been able to cruise into second and sit in scoring position with one out for the top of the order. Instead, Nat's shortstop Guzman collided with Ross knocking him down, then tagged him out once the throw came in from the outfield. For those of you who don't know baseball, that's textbook obstruction. When a fielder prevents a runner from advancing to a base by making contact or altering his route, the runner is entitled to the base he would have obtained had the fielder not been a moron. Yet on this night, the moron was third base umpire Brian O'Nora (who was covering the play at second thanks to the crew being a man down--MLB games usually have 4 umpires, last night we had a 3 man crew). And don't let the "man down" be an excuse, this is a play that any little league umpire working in a 2 man crew could have made. There is no excuse for a professional umpire (how awesome would it be to make a damn good living umpiring professional baseball) to miss that call.
Friday, April 17, 2009
2009 Ted Review
Well, if you haven't been out to the ol' ball park this year... here's my opinion from my first visit of the year:
"Everything is the same only more expensive."
It starts with parking, last year, parking was $10, except for premium games, then it was $12. It was $12 yesterday, and will likely be $15 on premium days.
Tickets, on their face appear to be the same price. Outfield Pavillion (my seat of choice for nearly every game) $22. Problem is, last year you could buy the tickets at the game for face value ($22), or pay ticket master an inconvenient "convenience charge" to get them online in advance. This year, there is a $2 price increase for tickets purchased the day of the game. They've got us by the nuts!
And speaking of nuts... I was a bit annoyed by one particular junk-in-the-trunk 30 year old vender lady with a prison style neck tat attempting to sale assorted nuts. As she walked the stairs of the right field pavillion, which was adorned with an Elementary School kids enjoying a field trip, she used sales lines like: "I've got the best nuts in the stadium." "Come get my nuts." "My nuts are the sweetest" and "You can't get these nuts on the internet (what does that even mean?)" That's right, it's as unfunny now as it was then, but she thought she was cool and sadly her sales strategy appeared to be working.
Back to prices... Beer (the most important price) is up $.50 to $6.75. You may remember a few years ago, beer was $7, but you got a 24oz beer. Then they "dropped the price" to $6.25 and it stayed that way for a few years, but you only got a 16oz, plastic doesn't keep your beer cold, bottle. Now you get the same crappy bottle with the new increased price.
Not that $.50 or $2 is that big of a deal, but it annoyed me in light of all the off-season comments regarding the economy. I heard several interviews with Frank Wren regarding what they were going to do to try and keep people coming to the ballgame during the recession. None of the ideas he mentioned included increased ticket, parking, or beer prices. I didn't make it to concession and I rarely do, so I can't comment on whether Skip & Pete's HOF BBQ has joined in the price parade.
It may or may not keep me from attending games, but consider this:
If I drink 1 beer in stead of 2, the Braves forego $6.25 for the chance to earn an additional $.50 if I had drank another.
Moreover, if I go to one less ballgame this year, that's $10 in parking, $44 in tickets, and $12.50 in beer ($66.50) they didn't get, because they increased prices by $2, $4 (2 tix), and $1 (2 beers) ($7).
"Everything is the same only more expensive."
It starts with parking, last year, parking was $10, except for premium games, then it was $12. It was $12 yesterday, and will likely be $15 on premium days.
Tickets, on their face appear to be the same price. Outfield Pavillion (my seat of choice for nearly every game) $22. Problem is, last year you could buy the tickets at the game for face value ($22), or pay ticket master an inconvenient "convenience charge" to get them online in advance. This year, there is a $2 price increase for tickets purchased the day of the game. They've got us by the nuts!
And speaking of nuts... I was a bit annoyed by one particular junk-in-the-trunk 30 year old vender lady with a prison style neck tat attempting to sale assorted nuts. As she walked the stairs of the right field pavillion, which was adorned with an Elementary School kids enjoying a field trip, she used sales lines like: "I've got the best nuts in the stadium." "Come get my nuts." "My nuts are the sweetest" and "You can't get these nuts on the internet (what does that even mean?)" That's right, it's as unfunny now as it was then, but she thought she was cool and sadly her sales strategy appeared to be working.
Back to prices... Beer (the most important price) is up $.50 to $6.75. You may remember a few years ago, beer was $7, but you got a 24oz beer. Then they "dropped the price" to $6.25 and it stayed that way for a few years, but you only got a 16oz, plastic doesn't keep your beer cold, bottle. Now you get the same crappy bottle with the new increased price.
Not that $.50 or $2 is that big of a deal, but it annoyed me in light of all the off-season comments regarding the economy. I heard several interviews with Frank Wren regarding what they were going to do to try and keep people coming to the ballgame during the recession. None of the ideas he mentioned included increased ticket, parking, or beer prices. I didn't make it to concession and I rarely do, so I can't comment on whether Skip & Pete's HOF BBQ has joined in the price parade.
It may or may not keep me from attending games, but consider this:
If I drink 1 beer in stead of 2, the Braves forego $6.25 for the chance to earn an additional $.50 if I had drank another.
Moreover, if I go to one less ballgame this year, that's $10 in parking, $44 in tickets, and $12.50 in beer ($66.50) they didn't get, because they increased prices by $2, $4 (2 tix), and $1 (2 beers) ($7).
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Maiden Voyage 2009
Finally getting to the Ted for my first time this year. 2 hours from now I'll be watching Kawakami throw some nasty curve balls and hoping our rag-tag line-up (Chipper is out AGAIN, and McCann is off for "day game after night game" rest) can post some crooked numbers.
Hey Bobby
ALI- "Where's that optomism today Bobbo? The pen really sucks, eh?"
#6- "You're right Goat, what else can I say?"
There you have it folks, the wise one left speachless.
#6- "You're right Goat, what else can I say?"
There you have it folks, the wise one left speachless.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Jackie
I tried in vain, and eventually shock to get a word of commentary on "Jackie Robinson Day" from my favorite commenter on all things race related (and even those things that have absolutely no relation to race, yet are somehow stretched to include the proverbial ace-in-the-hole the "race card"). But surprisingly, Terrence Moore has yet to comment. Instead, I give you this less controversial, but hopefully more appropriate note:
Thank you Jackie, you made the game great.
Hey Bobby
ALI- "Hey Skip, took one on the chin today, eh?"
#6- "Plenty of bright spots in today's game, 'cept the score."
ALI- "You're the eternal optomist Bobbo, what was so great?"
#6- "Did you watch the game? Javy struck out 12 in his 6 innings of work. I know goats are terrible at math, so I'll help you out. That's 2/3 of the total outs he recorded by way of stike out. He gave up 3 runs in 6 innings, that's a 'quality start' for all you stat geeks."
ALI- "Damn, that's pretty impressive. So what's up with Garrett Anderson? Did he forget that you can get outs by catching fly balls even in foul territory?"
#6- "You know Goat, your attitude is a bit condescending. Garrett's old and a bit fragile, I think his eyesight is deteriorating, but we'll have him fitted for bi-focals soon. Didn't I say there was positive things to take from this game?"
ALI- "You're right Bobbo, what else you got?"
#6- "How about Johnson? Kelly popped his 3rd long ball. He's really got some pop in this bat."
ALI- "So why's he hitting lead-off?"
#6- "Who's the soon to be Hall-of-Fame manager here Goat? There's another pretty decent manager in Chicago that has a lead-off man with pop."
ALI- "You make a good point, sir, as you always do. Speaking of other good managers, LaRussa likes to bat the pitcher 8th, and place a high on-base-percentage guy in the 9 hole which is designed to provide more RBI opportunities for the top of the line up. With Schafer's speed and OBP, what do you think of hitting him 9th, and potentially having ducks on the pond when Johnson takes to the dish?"
#6- "LaRussa is a moron. I'm tired of being compared to him. This interview is over."
#6- "Plenty of bright spots in today's game, 'cept the score."
ALI- "You're the eternal optomist Bobbo, what was so great?"
#6- "Did you watch the game? Javy struck out 12 in his 6 innings of work. I know goats are terrible at math, so I'll help you out. That's 2/3 of the total outs he recorded by way of stike out. He gave up 3 runs in 6 innings, that's a 'quality start' for all you stat geeks."
ALI- "Damn, that's pretty impressive. So what's up with Garrett Anderson? Did he forget that you can get outs by catching fly balls even in foul territory?"
#6- "You know Goat, your attitude is a bit condescending. Garrett's old and a bit fragile, I think his eyesight is deteriorating, but we'll have him fitted for bi-focals soon. Didn't I say there was positive things to take from this game?"
ALI- "You're right Bobbo, what else you got?"
#6- "How about Johnson? Kelly popped his 3rd long ball. He's really got some pop in this bat."
ALI- "So why's he hitting lead-off?"
#6- "Who's the soon to be Hall-of-Fame manager here Goat? There's another pretty decent manager in Chicago that has a lead-off man with pop."
ALI- "You make a good point, sir, as you always do. Speaking of other good managers, LaRussa likes to bat the pitcher 8th, and place a high on-base-percentage guy in the 9 hole which is designed to provide more RBI opportunities for the top of the line up. With Schafer's speed and OBP, what do you think of hitting him 9th, and potentially having ducks on the pond when Johnson takes to the dish?"
#6- "LaRussa is a moron. I'm tired of being compared to him. This interview is over."
Monday, April 13, 2009
This ain't the minors anymore
Today I salute the Seals, and despite the prevailing baseball theme here at ALI, I'm not referring to the 1931 San Fran minor league club. Today I salute the US Navy Seals for plunking 3 of 4 pirates from their homely little vessel and causing the fourth to crap his pants in submission. I also tip my cap to our President and Commander in Chief for authorizing the use of deadly force to bring these ass-hats to their knees (and/or turn them into shark chum as the case may be). Finally, to Captain Phillips who negotiated with the aforementioned ass-hats and volunteered to be taken hostage in exchange for the release of his crew and ship.
I know many others are joining me in celebration today. Great job men.
Busy Day
It's always busy returning to the office after a long weekend. I even to work with me and worked over said "long weekend" and I'm still busy.
Braves cleaned house this weekend, although if it weren't for XM radio and Verizon Wireless ESPN MVP, I would have never known. We had a beautiful weekend at the beach, but Masters weekend and baseball's opening weekend are not a good time to be stuck with only broadcast television!
Several guys played well this weekend, but I think Soriano's performance deserves to be noted. He took the ball in all three games and was lights out come Sunday night pushing his fastball into the mid 90s!
Braves cleaned house this weekend, although if it weren't for XM radio and Verizon Wireless ESPN MVP, I would have never known. We had a beautiful weekend at the beach, but Masters weekend and baseball's opening weekend are not a good time to be stuck with only broadcast television!
Several guys played well this weekend, but I think Soriano's performance deserves to be noted. He took the ball in all three games and was lights out come Sunday night pushing his fastball into the mid 90s!
Friday, April 10, 2009
Out of town again
Back to the beach for Easter weekend. We really live a tough life.
If any of you are making the trip to the Ted, down a $6.50 budweiser for me and double up on the Tomohawk Chops.
If any of you are making the trip to the Ted, down a $6.50 budweiser for me and double up on the Tomohawk Chops.
Thursday, April 09, 2009
What a day
I'm not going to waste anyone's time throwing up on my computer about yesterday's historic meltdown. You all know what happened, I'm no reporter. Just suffice it say, it's over, let's move on, the 0-3 Nats are in town for the home-opener this weekend. This is the first home-opener I've missed in a few years, but the beach comes calling and Mrs. The Goat would not be happy if I scrapped a beach trip for 1 of 81 games (as she sees it) to be played at the Ted this year.
What I will tell you about is an otherwise awesome day. 4:30pm Tuesday evening I get a call from a great friend (you'll know why she's so great in a moment... keep reading). "Goat," she says, "I know this is short notice, but can you get out of work tomorrow?" "Probably not, I'm already out Friday." "Bummer, my husband just got 4 tickets to the Masters Practice Round and Par 3 tournament tomorrow." "HELL YEA I CAN GET OUT OF WORK."
3 phone calls, 2 voicemails, and 1 conversation with my boss later, and I'm free for a trip to Augusta. I am one of fortunate few to have been, now twice, to the Mecca of Golf (in the US) that is Augusta National. If you ever get the chance, it's one of those "can't turn down" opportunities, even for a practice round. Sell your youngest child or promise your first-born, it's an incredible sight.
The highlight of the day was Greg "The Shark" Norman drilling a turtle in the shell with an errant shot that he attempted to skip across the pond on the par three 16 (they do cool stuff like that during practice rounds). The ball never touched the water, just a raced 1 foot foot in the air from the blade of his 4 iron to the shell of that unsuspecting turtle. Priceless entertainment.
What I will tell you about is an otherwise awesome day. 4:30pm Tuesday evening I get a call from a great friend (you'll know why she's so great in a moment... keep reading). "Goat," she says, "I know this is short notice, but can you get out of work tomorrow?" "Probably not, I'm already out Friday." "Bummer, my husband just got 4 tickets to the Masters Practice Round and Par 3 tournament tomorrow." "HELL YEA I CAN GET OUT OF WORK."
3 phone calls, 2 voicemails, and 1 conversation with my boss later, and I'm free for a trip to Augusta. I am one of fortunate few to have been, now twice, to the Mecca of Golf (in the US) that is Augusta National. If you ever get the chance, it's one of those "can't turn down" opportunities, even for a practice round. Sell your youngest child or promise your first-born, it's an incredible sight.
The highlight of the day was Greg "The Shark" Norman drilling a turtle in the shell with an errant shot that he attempted to skip across the pond on the par three 16 (they do cool stuff like that during practice rounds). The ball never touched the water, just a raced 1 foot foot in the air from the blade of his 4 iron to the shell of that unsuspecting turtle. Priceless entertainment.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Deja Vu
And not in that weird "wake up every morning and relive someone trying to kill your girlfriend" sort of way. In the good way, the way that sees solid starting pitching and a few long balls put the Braves ahead 4-0.
Chipper showed his swing is spot on with a long double and longer homer. Kelly Johnson smacked the first pitch of the ballgame over the right field bleachers (not exactly lead-off man stuff, but we're on the board before the first out!). Schafer had a few great at bats, 0-3 with a walk to show for it, but this kid's going to be solid.
Garrett Anderson misplayed 2 fly balls, fortunately only one of which actually fell to the ground for a 2-bagger, and neither ended up hurting.
JJ was solid, but a bit wild. If that's an off night, I think we'll all take it. 5 2/3 scoreless on 4 hits. He threw a lot of pitches though fighting to find the zone. Of course plate umpire, Mark Wegner's zone was tighter than the division champion T that Phils Manager Charlie Manual stretched over his 70 year old gut last fall.
Not acceptable for any reason!
Jake Taylor, Catcher
Gregg Zaun, 38 
Jake Taylor, 38ish I noted yesterday watching the O's kick the snot out of the Yanks that O's catcher Gregg "Don't call me washed up" Zaun bears a striking resemblance to famed catcher Jake Taylor. As Zaun (age 38) was trying to calm hurler Jeremy Guthrie as he attempted to squander a 6-1 lead, I had flashbacks to 1989, when as a 7 year old, I was first subjected the F-bombs and public urination that comprise the ROTFLMAO flick "Major League."
If you haven't seen the movie, I hereby declare you are NOT a baseball fan. Essentially Jake Taylor is a washed up major league catcher struggling with his old-ness and broken down body while he's got a team of misfits to lead. The more I think about this analogy the more it sounds just like Zaun and the O's. Don't worry Zaun, you get the girl in the end.
Monday, April 06, 2009
The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
The Good:
If you watched the game last night, you'll know most everything was good. Primarily Lowe was flat out nasty. Next time you see him on the mound, check out how every pitch moves at the tail end, no wonder noone hits him. And I don't mean your average sinker-ball movement, this ball goes in, tails back, drops straight down... he can do anything with a baseball. It was purely Maddux-esce.
More good. Francouer's swing was spot on when he drove a first-pitch inside fastball over the left field wall. An inning earlier, Buffalo Wild Wings errupted when McCann parked one in the second deck of the right field porch that rivaled the shots Josh Hamilton was taking in making a mockery of the 2008 home run derby.
Finally, Schafer was as good as advertised. His first major league at-bat resulted in taking Brett Meyers over the 409 mark in centerfield on a pitch that was a bit low and away, not the power zone pitch that McCann and Francouer got. He followed with single up the middle in his second at bat and an intentional pass in his third.
Not related to on the field action, it was great to hear Don Sutton back on the radio! Welcome back curly.
All in a all, a great night for Braves fans.
The BAD:
ESPN commentary. I despise Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN for the same reason I hate Sunday Night Football, the commentary is down-right terrible. From September to January I'm constantly pleading for someone to shove a turducken in Madden's fat throat just to keep him from talking. Likewise if they'd put Joe Morgan in a comfy chair in the corner of Cooperstown to celebrate this fantastic career as a player it would keep him from tarnishing this reputation by opening his mouth. And finally Jon Miller has lost it. I'm not sure if he just doesn't do the requisite homework or just doesn't care, but his meaningless comments and confusing player names causes me to mute the TV in favor of an un-synchronized radio broadcast!
The UGLY:
Somehow Gonzo got out of it with only a small tarnish on Lowe's stellar night. The right handers in the line up ate him up, but he ended striking out Ryan Howard and the new lefty bat of Raul Ibanez. In the end we got the W, but I'm not sure I can take a season of that type 9th inning.
I need to learn how to capture and insert video clips. Meanwhile check out www.braves.com.
If you watched the game last night, you'll know most everything was good. Primarily Lowe was flat out nasty. Next time you see him on the mound, check out how every pitch moves at the tail end, no wonder noone hits him. And I don't mean your average sinker-ball movement, this ball goes in, tails back, drops straight down... he can do anything with a baseball. It was purely Maddux-esce.
More good. Francouer's swing was spot on when he drove a first-pitch inside fastball over the left field wall. An inning earlier, Buffalo Wild Wings errupted when McCann parked one in the second deck of the right field porch that rivaled the shots Josh Hamilton was taking in making a mockery of the 2008 home run derby.
Finally, Schafer was as good as advertised. His first major league at-bat resulted in taking Brett Meyers over the 409 mark in centerfield on a pitch that was a bit low and away, not the power zone pitch that McCann and Francouer got. He followed with single up the middle in his second at bat and an intentional pass in his third.
Not related to on the field action, it was great to hear Don Sutton back on the radio! Welcome back curly.
All in a all, a great night for Braves fans.
The BAD:
ESPN commentary. I despise Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN for the same reason I hate Sunday Night Football, the commentary is down-right terrible. From September to January I'm constantly pleading for someone to shove a turducken in Madden's fat throat just to keep him from talking. Likewise if they'd put Joe Morgan in a comfy chair in the corner of Cooperstown to celebrate this fantastic career as a player it would keep him from tarnishing this reputation by opening his mouth. And finally Jon Miller has lost it. I'm not sure if he just doesn't do the requisite homework or just doesn't care, but his meaningless comments and confusing player names causes me to mute the TV in favor of an un-synchronized radio broadcast!
The UGLY:
Somehow Gonzo got out of it with only a small tarnish on Lowe's stellar night. The right handers in the line up ate him up, but he ended striking out Ryan Howard and the new lefty bat of Raul Ibanez. In the end we got the W, but I'm not sure I can take a season of that type 9th inning.
I need to learn how to capture and insert video clips. Meanwhile check out www.braves.com.
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Finally here!
It seems that this offseason, more than most, I was itching to see what Spring would bring. Aside from the rediculous yellow dust that's choking us all (Olive Mackalicious not excluded), which we have come to expect, and all the rain which we've come to NOT expect, this Spring brings a totally revamped club at the Ted and new outlook for the next 162 games.
We're finally just a few hours from seeing what the $16M man is going to bring to the table. Colby's got her Braves jersey on and the TV will be on ESPN all day (now that Mighty Ducks has ended on TBS). So grab a bag (too bad they don't come in boxes anymore) of Cracker Jacks and a 40oz of Schaefer... It's ballgame time!
We're finally just a few hours from seeing what the $16M man is going to bring to the table. Colby's got her Braves jersey on and the TV will be on ESPN all day (now that Mighty Ducks has ended on TBS). So grab a bag (too bad they don't come in boxes anymore) of Cracker Jacks and a 40oz of Schaefer... It's ballgame time!
Friday, April 03, 2009
How the other side lives, part duex
I'm not a big magazine reader, and if I were, there would be many on my list before I got down to "GQ." However, this article was forwarded to me and it made a great read. Not to mention, it has a reasonable tie to A Lucid Interval for its focus on former baseball great turned great embarrassment, Lenny Dyksra.
Enjoy: http://men.style.com/gq/features/landing?id=content_8558
Enjoy: http://men.style.com/gq/features/landing?id=content_8558
How the other side lives
I had a conversation yesterday with a rather successful attorney. He told a story of sharing a dinner with his wife at some fancy sushi bar. "When we got the check," he said, " it was $650!" Someone asked was he upset? "Of course not," he said, "it's a lot easier to go out and have a night for fun and drop $650 than to have that same night of fun and end up pregnant."
Nice perspective I thought.
Nice perspective I thought.
Predictions
Let's make a quick run through the divisions, I'll pick division winners and a wild card from each league.
AL East- Yanks- Why is noone picking them? They're loaded with pitching, and despite the fact that I hate them, they're going to be good.
AL Central- Indians- this is going to be probably the weakest division in baseball. However, look for it to be extremely competitive. In the battle of the suckies, Cleveland will suck the least.
AL West- another weak division, but like everyone else you've got to pick the Angels.
AL Wild Card- Boston, they're deep in pitching and can Tampa really repeat?
NL West- Giants. Dodgers get all the talk, but they have no pitching. The Giants are loaded with pitching and have an improved line-up.
NL Central- Cubs, duh.
NL East- Braves. Maybe a homer pick, but I really like the new look and pitching depth. If not the division they'll take the wild card, but I can't pick against them.
NL Wild Card- Phils, because I can't pick the Mets. I think the Phils left handed line-up is suspect and so is their pitching after Hamels. Hamels is a young ace, but the next starters have a combined age of 874,699.
The playoffs are a crap-shoot. I'll say the Red Sox eventually win it all. Still would love to see a Braves/Sox Series!
AL East- Yanks- Why is noone picking them? They're loaded with pitching, and despite the fact that I hate them, they're going to be good.
AL Central- Indians- this is going to be probably the weakest division in baseball. However, look for it to be extremely competitive. In the battle of the suckies, Cleveland will suck the least.
AL West- another weak division, but like everyone else you've got to pick the Angels.
AL Wild Card- Boston, they're deep in pitching and can Tampa really repeat?
NL West- Giants. Dodgers get all the talk, but they have no pitching. The Giants are loaded with pitching and have an improved line-up.
NL Central- Cubs, duh.
NL East- Braves. Maybe a homer pick, but I really like the new look and pitching depth. If not the division they'll take the wild card, but I can't pick against them.
NL Wild Card- Phils, because I can't pick the Mets. I think the Phils left handed line-up is suspect and so is their pitching after Hamels. Hamels is a young ace, but the next starters have a combined age of 874,699.
The playoffs are a crap-shoot. I'll say the Red Sox eventually win it all. Still would love to see a Braves/Sox Series!
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Sheff's Chefs
I heard a rumor this morning on XM that the Braves and Phils were the front-runners for one Gary Sheffield. You may remember him as a guy that hit homeruns and had incredible bat speed. That was him in pre-AARP form.
Fortunately, I can find nothing on www.braves.com to verify this rumor. But there is plenty of news throughout www.mlb.com of other teams that are interested. Hopefully the other teams interest will drive him away from the Braves, even though Cox is basically the only manager that Sheff has ever worked well with.
My problem with Sheff (whom I loved in his prime) is that he's old, his bat doesn't move like it used to, he's always hurt and he has played a total of 48 games in the outfield in the last 3 years!!! For those of you new to this game... the National League, of the which the Braves (and Phils) are a member requires all everyone who hits also plays in the field. OK, that's more than 1 problem, but you get my point. Much less, who would you cut for a guy that has proven he can't swing or run anymore?
Prove me wrong Sheff.
Fortunately, I can find nothing on www.braves.com to verify this rumor. But there is plenty of news throughout www.mlb.com of other teams that are interested. Hopefully the other teams interest will drive him away from the Braves, even though Cox is basically the only manager that Sheff has ever worked well with.
My problem with Sheff (whom I loved in his prime) is that he's old, his bat doesn't move like it used to, he's always hurt and he has played a total of 48 games in the outfield in the last 3 years!!! For those of you new to this game... the National League, of the which the Braves (and Phils) are a member requires all everyone who hits also plays in the field. OK, that's more than 1 problem, but you get my point. Much less, who would you cut for a guy that has proven he can't swing or run anymore?
Prove me wrong Sheff.
Mom and Baby are doing well
It's been a hectic two days, painful at times, but well worth it. The below pictured FX35 was a really nice vehicle, but I wasn't that excited about an AWD and definitely didn't want to pay a premium for a feature I didn't want. In the end, it was the "less luxurious" version: Nissan's Murano that proved to have more features, more room, and a better price tag.
It was nice to flirt with the idea that we could be among the ranks of the luxury car drivers for a while (but honestly, we're no Mrs. Mackilicious--- ooooohhhh smack!). But like I said this Murano SL has all of the features of the Infiniti... sorry no pics, it was late.
It was nice to flirt with the idea that we could be among the ranks of the luxury car drivers for a while (but honestly, we're no Mrs. Mackilicious--- ooooohhhh smack!). But like I said this Murano SL has all of the features of the Infiniti... sorry no pics, it was late.
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