Sweeping the Jays turned a .500 home stand against bad teams (3-3 against the D'backs and Rockies) into a well above average one (and the Jays are supposed to be good!).
It's hard to wrap up 3 games in one post, but most importantly Kawakami must be mentioned.
He went 8, giving up nothing to beat the best pitcher in baseball (Roy Halladay). Let's hope this is a sign of things to come and maybe a glimpse that $23 million could be well-spent over the next 3 years.
In other news, I smoked a Boston Butt this weekend for myself and 10 selective invitees. The meat was great, I chose to eat my naked so as not to let sauce detract from the smokey goodness.
Speaking of smoke- I'm leaving in a couple hours for my annual pilgramage to the Great Smokey Mountains and the Tail of the Dragon. Today through Saturday I'll be winding my motorcycle through some of the best roads in the country. If you're the praying type, pray that I keep the rubber side down.
While you're praying, Friday I get the results of February's bar exam. Let's hope and pray that I passed!!!!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
Theeeeeeeee Yankees Win
Ok, the Yankees have won 9 straight, and it's getting annoying. I'm not so much annoyed that the Yankees are winning, I fully expect them to win. I'm annoyed because XM Homeplate (baseball talk radio), aka my morning crack, is inundated with the worst voice in baseball: John Sterling.
"A thrilla from Godzilla"
"An A-bomb from A-rod"
"They go back-to-back and belly-to-belly" or for 3 HRs in a row: "back-to-back-to-back and belly-to-belly-to-belly."
What the hell are you talking about John Sterling???? And how have you kept this job for 20 years?
Apparently I'm not the only one annoyed as one NY Post columnist writes.
"A thrilla from Godzilla"
"An A-bomb from A-rod"
"They go back-to-back and belly-to-belly" or for 3 HRs in a row: "back-to-back-to-back and belly-to-belly-to-belly."
What the hell are you talking about John Sterling???? And how have you kept this job for 20 years?
Apparently I'm not the only one annoyed as one NY Post columnist writes.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Andruw
Kind of light at work today (obvious). I'll get a week's worth of posting in before lunch.
Remember Andruw Jones?
He's quietly putting up some pretty decent numbers in Texas. He's hitting .292 in 65 at bats, with 4 home runs. AND... He's only struck out 15 times!!!!
I really hope he's back. We all hated to watch him fall the way he did, but he's still young (31) and it would be awesome to see him return to Allstar status. His first 10 years were absolutely Hall of Fame type numbers (with the type of defense he played), it was a shame to watch him struggle.
Here's to famed hitting coach, Rudy Jaramillo for his work with Andruw. Let's hope the year shows similar results for Francouer (who also worked with Rudy this offseason).
Remember Andruw Jones?
He's quietly putting up some pretty decent numbers in Texas. He's hitting .292 in 65 at bats, with 4 home runs. AND... He's only struck out 15 times!!!!
I really hope he's back. We all hated to watch him fall the way he did, but he's still young (31) and it would be awesome to see him return to Allstar status. His first 10 years were absolutely Hall of Fame type numbers (with the type of defense he played), it was a shame to watch him struggle.
Here's to famed hitting coach, Rudy Jaramillo for his work with Andruw. Let's hope the year shows similar results for Francouer (who also worked with Rudy this offseason).
Happy Birthday Skipp
Happy Birthday #6.
Doubtful I'll ever forget this one. Bobby and I share a birthday, along with one of the greatest men (and biggest Braves fan) I ever knew... Pepere (which is French for grandfather).
Doubtful I'll ever forget this one. Bobby and I share a birthday, along with one of the greatest men (and biggest Braves fan) I ever knew... Pepere (which is French for grandfather).
HodgePodge
Does anyone know what "hodge podge" means? Or where it orginates? Guess I could try wiki.
Francouer is NOT leading the team in GIDPs (ground into double play). Escobar is. However, Escobar is hitting .308 and also tied for the team lead in homeruns (4), so we'll take it.
Vazquez had ANOTHER great outing last night, striking out 6 in 5 innings and not giving up an earned run, lowering his ERA to 3.39.
Chipper Jones has made 6 errors in 32 games! He had 13 all of last year (115 games) and 9 in 2007 (127 games). But he's hitting .315 and leading the team in homers.
Kelly Johnson is leading the team in stolen bases. He has two and that is SAD!!! Carl Crawford leads the majors with 25 stolen bases. The Braves as a team have 8! Bobby Abreu is 100 years old and he has 15! David Wright is a 3rd baseman with 10!
I learned this week that Otis Nixon is instructing KIDS (yes Kids) at a training facility in Marietta designed to help little leaguers become big leaguers. Not included in his typical lesson is instruction on how opiates can make you jump over outfield walls.
Finally, Dontrell Willis earned his first win in nearly 2 years Tuesday night. I hope he's back, I thought he was going to be great.
Francouer is NOT leading the team in GIDPs (ground into double play). Escobar is. However, Escobar is hitting .308 and also tied for the team lead in homeruns (4), so we'll take it.
Vazquez had ANOTHER great outing last night, striking out 6 in 5 innings and not giving up an earned run, lowering his ERA to 3.39.
Chipper Jones has made 6 errors in 32 games! He had 13 all of last year (115 games) and 9 in 2007 (127 games). But he's hitting .315 and leading the team in homers.
Kelly Johnson is leading the team in stolen bases. He has two and that is SAD!!! Carl Crawford leads the majors with 25 stolen bases. The Braves as a team have 8! Bobby Abreu is 100 years old and he has 15! David Wright is a 3rd baseman with 10!
I learned this week that Otis Nixon is instructing KIDS (yes Kids) at a training facility in Marietta designed to help little leaguers become big leaguers. Not included in his typical lesson is instruction on how opiates can make you jump over outfield walls.
Finally, Dontrell Willis earned his first win in nearly 2 years Tuesday night. I hope he's back, I thought he was going to be great.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
What's up with the line-up?
If you watched last night's game, you probably wondered why Kotchman was hitting 2nd, Escobar was leading off, and Kelly Johnson was hitting in the 6 spot. Whatever, it worked. Kotchman and Johnson both had 3 hits and neither struck out.
What the shift failed to do, was spark Francouer, who's average has fallen to .242 (dangerously close to topping his impressive year last year). My solution is: MOVE FRENCHY TO THE 2 HOLE. He's got as much speed as anyone else we've been hitting there (Escobar is slow, and Kotchman runs hard, the wheels just don't turn fast). Most importantly he'd be hitting in front of our best hitter, so he'd definitely get better pitches to see than he currently does, being supported by the .216 hitting Schafer. Also, the new spot in the lineup would fit his new approach better as well, and maybe he wouldn't feel like he needed to hit long balls. If we can hit a first baseman second, we can hit anyone there... give it a shot!
On a different note, JJ was awesome again last night, pulling his ERA back under 2. 7 innings of 1 run baseball. Here's your ALLSTAR Atlanta.
What the shift failed to do, was spark Francouer, who's average has fallen to .242 (dangerously close to topping his impressive year last year). My solution is: MOVE FRENCHY TO THE 2 HOLE. He's got as much speed as anyone else we've been hitting there (Escobar is slow, and Kotchman runs hard, the wheels just don't turn fast). Most importantly he'd be hitting in front of our best hitter, so he'd definitely get better pitches to see than he currently does, being supported by the .216 hitting Schafer. Also, the new spot in the lineup would fit his new approach better as well, and maybe he wouldn't feel like he needed to hit long balls. If we can hit a first baseman second, we can hit anyone there... give it a shot!
On a different note, JJ was awesome again last night, pulling his ERA back under 2. 7 innings of 1 run baseball. Here's your ALLSTAR Atlanta.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
'The Comeback Kids'
This weekend, the Yankees, yes the Yankees, which I hate as much as any one man can hate any one team, won 3 consecutive games in walk-off fashion. No this didn't make me suddenly start gushing over the thought of Johnny Damon. What it did do was take me back...
Back to a time when I would lay on the living room carpet watching the Braves long after any 10 year old should be in bed (the Braves were in the Western Division then and that made for some really late road games). I'd lay on my stomach with my chin in my hands until my elbows got raw from rug burn, but I wouldn't care because I knew the Braves would win. Down by three going into the 9th, I knew they'd come back... it's what they did.
Don't you remember just knowing Francisco Cabrera was going to lace one into left and slow Sid would score from second? You knew Otis would make a ridiculous catch, Rafeal Belliard would come up with a late inning pinch hit, or the Crime Dog was going deep when we were down.
I'd stay up (and mom would let me) because we knew. We knew the Braves weren't done until the last out was made and more often than not, the Braves were on top.
But now... there's no confidence. I like to think it's going to happen, but noone in the dugout seems to. Mrs. Goat fight's the urge to turn the channel to the 84th season finale of American Idol because she knows I won't speak to her for a week if she does. Maybe it's a perception thing because I was a kid then and I'm grown up now. But really, we all know in Goat years, I'm still just a kid, and I'm dying for that "magic" to return.
Back to a time when I would lay on the living room carpet watching the Braves long after any 10 year old should be in bed (the Braves were in the Western Division then and that made for some really late road games). I'd lay on my stomach with my chin in my hands until my elbows got raw from rug burn, but I wouldn't care because I knew the Braves would win. Down by three going into the 9th, I knew they'd come back... it's what they did.
Don't you remember just knowing Francisco Cabrera was going to lace one into left and slow Sid would score from second? You knew Otis would make a ridiculous catch, Rafeal Belliard would come up with a late inning pinch hit, or the Crime Dog was going deep when we were down.
I'd stay up (and mom would let me) because we knew. We knew the Braves weren't done until the last out was made and more often than not, the Braves were on top.
But now... there's no confidence. I like to think it's going to happen, but noone in the dugout seems to. Mrs. Goat fight's the urge to turn the channel to the 84th season finale of American Idol because she knows I won't speak to her for a week if she does. Maybe it's a perception thing because I was a kid then and I'm grown up now. But really, we all know in Goat years, I'm still just a kid, and I'm dying for that "magic" to return.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Deal of the Day
Yesterday I covered two games in one day, and today is an off day, so you (lonely reader) get a special non-Braves post.
A buddy just linked me to this site. Apparently a different item is for sale every day (generally). Then they have "woot offs" where they sell an item until it sells out (usually less than a day). Items vary from $2 widgets to a few hundred dollar gadgets. Today's item is the Roomba at an incredible deal (refurbished $130 +$5 shipping). Shipping is always $5.
Check it out!
A buddy just linked me to this site. Apparently a different item is for sale every day (generally). Then they have "woot offs" where they sell an item until it sells out (usually less than a day). Items vary from $2 widgets to a few hundred dollar gadgets. Today's item is the Roomba at an incredible deal (refurbished $130 +$5 shipping). Shipping is always $5.
Check it out!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Finally my rant
Fortunately the Braves played a great game this afternoon and pulled in a 12 inning victory off the bat of Prado and the strength of 2 shutout innings by Jeff Bennett and a save by Gonzo. So I'm not as pissed as I was, but I still can't let last night's game go without commenting.
Here's the pic, Beltran was clearly out and the Braves were clearly screwed:
Watch the video here, 3rd base umpire Greg Gibson is in terrible position to make the call. I hate calling out umpires, but no matter how good they are, they cannot see a play looking through a runner while both the umpire and the runner are in motion!
BAGS BAGS BAGS!!!!
I'll get to last night's annoying game later today if I have time, and I get over being pissed.
Meanwhile: What is up with women and bags???? Here's the story... I get on the elevator today (we're on the 22 floor, I have little choice, but to take the elevator). Taking the ride with me are 4 women and their 12 (YES 12 !!!) bags. I thought I'd have to get out and wait for another elevator so their bags would fit! Each woman had an obnoxiously large purse, another large monstrosity of a bag, an some other miscellaneous bag (a couple of them being plastic grocery bags). I ask you female reader(s) [sadly I know there may only be one of you]: WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO GET THROUGH AN 8 HOUR DAY???
The only thing more obnoxious than the bags was the perfume... but that's another rant all together.
Meanwhile: What is up with women and bags???? Here's the story... I get on the elevator today (we're on the 22 floor, I have little choice, but to take the elevator). Taking the ride with me are 4 women and their 12 (YES 12 !!!) bags. I thought I'd have to get out and wait for another elevator so their bags would fit! Each woman had an obnoxiously large purse, another large monstrosity of a bag, an some other miscellaneous bag (a couple of them being plastic grocery bags). I ask you female reader(s) [sadly I know there may only be one of you]: WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO GET THROUGH AN 8 HOUR DAY???
The only thing more obnoxious than the bags was the perfume... but that's another rant all together.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
What a game!
If you didn't watch last night's game, you should have! What a pitcher's dual. You wouldn't know it by the 8-3 final, but starting pitching was everything you'd expect from Santana v. Lowe. Lowe had the better outing, though Santana still did not give up an earned run. The base hits he gave up really put his defense in position to fail, and as day follows night, they did!
Clutch hitting by Kotchman (AGAIN) and Diaz capitalized on the Mets mistakes, and we took it to their ace in game 1 of this 3 game series. Matty is now 10 for 18 (.566) against Santana; does anyone is the league hit him that well? He also pulled in another clutch hit against whatever pathetic lefty (a journalist would look that up, a blogger will not) they put in to place Santana.
Great game, great showing by the offense, and even better by the pitching. Keep it up Bravos!
Clutch hitting by Kotchman (AGAIN) and Diaz capitalized on the Mets mistakes, and we took it to their ace in game 1 of this 3 game series. Matty is now 10 for 18 (.566) against Santana; does anyone is the league hit him that well? He also pulled in another clutch hit against whatever pathetic lefty (a journalist would look that up, a blogger will not) they put in to place Santana.
Great game, great showing by the offense, and even better by the pitching. Keep it up Bravos!
Monday, May 11, 2009
"Maybe we should play all our games on the road..."
A 4-1 streak on the first five games of this road trip lead Mrs. Goat to say last night, "maybe we should play all our games on the road." The Braves record on the road is now 10-7 compared is a dismal 5-9 at home. This painful reality reminded me of another soapbox I was planning to jump on: Why the hell are we ever out-cheered by our opponents at the Ted????
Last Tuesday, I joined a few friends (and sadly Met fans) to sit just behind the wall in left-centerfield as Kawakami faced the Mets in the second of a two game series. The Braves struggled to score runs, as has often been the case, and Kawakami had a shaky outing (again not a surprise). Throughout the game I remember thinking, "damn Goat, there sure are a lot of Mets fans here." Braves fans made a few weak attempts to drown out the chant of "Let's Go Mets," but they generally were as unsuccessful as our men on the field.
As I sat and fumed a little, I was taken back to a game just a few years ago on Father's Day. The Bo-Sox were in town and so were all there bandwagon fans with no tie whatsoever to the city of Boston or the men with two socks adorning their jerseys. I had long fashioned myself a Red Sox fan after a Braves fan (and with good reason, I'm 50% New Englander), but this game ruined it for me. There is no way that there were 25,000 legitimate Red Sox fans in Atlanta for that game. And no way that Braves fans should have been out-numbered by fans for a team over 1,000 miles away!
Get off you arses Braves fan, get down to the stadium and make some freaking noise.
Last Tuesday, I joined a few friends (and sadly Met fans) to sit just behind the wall in left-centerfield as Kawakami faced the Mets in the second of a two game series. The Braves struggled to score runs, as has often been the case, and Kawakami had a shaky outing (again not a surprise). Throughout the game I remember thinking, "damn Goat, there sure are a lot of Mets fans here." Braves fans made a few weak attempts to drown out the chant of "Let's Go Mets," but they generally were as unsuccessful as our men on the field.
As I sat and fumed a little, I was taken back to a game just a few years ago on Father's Day. The Bo-Sox were in town and so were all there bandwagon fans with no tie whatsoever to the city of Boston or the men with two socks adorning their jerseys. I had long fashioned myself a Red Sox fan after a Braves fan (and with good reason, I'm 50% New Englander), but this game ruined it for me. There is no way that there were 25,000 legitimate Red Sox fans in Atlanta for that game. And no way that Braves fans should have been out-numbered by fans for a team over 1,000 miles away!
Get off you arses Braves fan, get down to the stadium and make some freaking noise.
Friday, May 08, 2009
Don't look now...
After a two game sweep of the fish, things aren't so bad in the Atl. As poorly as our offense has played, we've managed stay just 2 games out of the lead in the East.
Tonight is a lefty-lefty match-up as Jo Jo heads to the hill to face Cole Hamels. Hamels has been shaky to start the season and here's to hoping that trend continues. Jo Jo on the other hand has been pretty solid.
McCann back with spectacles. I really hope that make him look like Chris Sabo from the 80s-early 90s Reds: 
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Perhaps it was 'Roid Rage'
that caused Manny to push the ancient traveling secretary before himself being pushed out of Boston.
This just in: Manny has been suspended 50 games for testing positive for a banded substance. Add him to the list. The AP is reporting right chere (reported 4 minutes ago).
GREAT... as if the A-Rod book wasn't enough, this will poke the fire a little more. Sports talk will never get rid of this stupid story.
This just in: Manny has been suspended 50 games for testing positive for a banded substance. Add him to the list. The AP is reporting right chere (reported 4 minutes ago).
GREAT... as if the A-Rod book wasn't enough, this will poke the fire a little more. Sports talk will never get rid of this stupid story.
Some much to say, but the man's keeping me silent
Been a busy week. There is lots to talk about, including and 8 run performance last night. Even though the Braves did not get a hit after the 3rd. Unfortunately, I only have time throw up a few words before running.
Garret Anderson pulled in 3 RBIs yesterday, maybe that will get him back on track. Bear in mind that he didn't get any spring training at bats, and has been hurt most of this year. It's going to take some time to get his timing down.
In an unrelated story. Sidney Ponson (you may remember him from his colossal failure with the Yankees, or his decent performance for the Nedtherlands this Spring) was essentially on the chopping block in Kansas City (apparently they're good enough this year to consider cutting people), but yesterday he was on the winning end of an 8-1 ballgame. I didn't see the game, so I don't really know how well he pitched, but the game line was a point of interest.
D. Lowe thew 5 relatively weak innings, but got the win, which can make up for other games where he's thrown well and not gotten any run support.
running...
Garret Anderson pulled in 3 RBIs yesterday, maybe that will get him back on track. Bear in mind that he didn't get any spring training at bats, and has been hurt most of this year. It's going to take some time to get his timing down.
In an unrelated story. Sidney Ponson (you may remember him from his colossal failure with the Yankees, or his decent performance for the Nedtherlands this Spring) was essentially on the chopping block in Kansas City (apparently they're good enough this year to consider cutting people), but yesterday he was on the winning end of an 8-1 ballgame. I didn't see the game, so I don't really know how well he pitched, but the game line was a point of interest.
D. Lowe thew 5 relatively weak innings, but got the win, which can make up for other games where he's thrown well and not gotten any run support.
running...
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Lacking
My creative juices, much like the Braves' offense, needs a swift kick in the nads. I've got little to add today aside from, Vazquez had his first tough outing (giving up 3- 2 run jacks). It's not the end of the world. He still threw 6 2/3, and the Braves could have still won the game if we had any offense.
It was good to see Chipper get a jack (his 3rd) on a belt-high fastball (what was Putz thinking?). Garret should be back in the line-up today, and McCann by the weekend. Maybe we'll start scoring some runs soon.
On a more pleasant note, my second trip to the Ted for 2009 takes place tonight. Here's to the Braves getting off the skid!
It was good to see Chipper get a jack (his 3rd) on a belt-high fastball (what was Putz thinking?). Garret should be back in the line-up today, and McCann by the weekend. Maybe we'll start scoring some runs soon.
On a more pleasant note, my second trip to the Ted for 2009 takes place tonight. Here's to the Braves getting off the skid!
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