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by Berigan
Well, after being revived from a near death experience, (and some nasty frostbite) Spring is about to return…unless we are about to enter a new ice age. (20 for a low Tuesday night here in the ATL!!!) I’d rather enter another gilded age, but, I don’t have a say in the matter.
Speaking of things I have no say about, your Atlanta Braves! Our Bravos are about to get paid for what many have been doing for weeks if not months already, swinging bats, and throwing the ol’ Horsehide. Or is it cowhide??? Synthetic leather like material, PETA approved???
Whatever, the guys are getting ready for the long grind ahead of them. And that’s just spring training, never mind the actual baseball season…..and fingers crossed, post season.
One thing just about every team, save the Padres have in abundance is hope for a good season, and with a few breaks, a real playoff race to be involved in.
Remember last spring??? Me neither, but Salty reminded me in a post a few days back that we had something like 10 potential starters last year at the start of spring.
We all could imagine a rotation of Hudson, Smoltz, Glavine, Hampton, and perhaps that kid Jurrjens (If he outdueled Chucky and Jo-Jo for 5th slot) giving the Mutts and Phillies phits, err, fits. Hmm, lets, see now, which of that group was still starting in September for us???
Do I really need to recap that we lose Smoltz and Hampton, but gained Javy Vasquez, Derek Lowe, and that Japanese guy, who’s name better start rolling off my tongue PDQ??? I guess I do, if I don’t want this lead to be only 3 paragraphs long! 😉
Thats 3 guys, that if their health luck/karma doesn’t do a 180 being a
Brave, should each make 30+ starts, and go 200 + innings, which will really rest the old bullpen in May and June, and make Bobby look like he has gained 30 IQ points, and is no longer in Forrest Gump territory! 😀
A real bopper in Left will make him seem smarter than Einstein! That, and not starting McCann 12 games straight.
Anyhoo, I know we will all be writing about our hopes and dreams for the team in the coming weeks, we will get familiar with, and excited about some of the kids we only know based on their names, and what writers have written about them.
Baseball tonight occasionally does a segment where guys on the panel have to make bold predictions. Who might be a surprise MVP, what team will win the most games the 2nd half of season, etc.
My bold/crazy predictions are that if we don’t get a real left fielder in spring training, Justin Heyward will have a huge spring, sparking talk of him being the left fielder. Also, Tommy Hanson will be so impressive, and Glavine will hurt his hammy in the second to last start of spring and will go north with the club.
What are everyone else’s Batpoop crazy predictions for the Braves in 2009???
~Berigan~
Braves & Stuff 
Terrific, Ber!! THANKS!!!
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Ah, fresh bloggage. Thanks, Ber.
I think the Braves used up at least 5 years worth of bad luck last season. Therefore this should be a very healthy year. I expect a major resurgence from Frenchy & at least one of the kids we’ve been hearing about to have a breakout spring.
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Great lead Ber… Perfect way for us to jump off with the beginning of spring training. The best thing about spring is everyone gets a do over. It does not matter what your record was last year, you can always be the ’91 Braves or the ’08 Rays. Worst to first is not impossible… Well, maybe not for the Padres or the Pirates but then again, anytime the Cubs are a preseason favorite for anything then even those teams can have a chance.
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Braves are talking to Griffey??
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/9220882/Sources:-Braves-join-Mariners-in-Griffey-pursuit?CMP=OTC-K9B140813162&ATT=49
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One must wonder who is reading our little blog, Bowman made the same reference to the Francouer /Braves arbitration as being a financial form of chicken as I did…..
Hey. I’ll take Griffey, even in his sunset years he is a class act. He would be great for the City of Atlanta…
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Happy VD!
😯 Raisins…you said that!?!
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Junior is fine…although Gil and I disagree over Garrett Anderson…I like the dude.
Ber…I don’t recall blogging often, much less recapping 10 pitchers from last spring. Then again, I’ve been so busy it could be an ‘out of body’ blogging thingie. I mean, I must rest occasionally, but my sub-conscious has a mind of it’s own! 🙄 Altered states of sorts.
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Ber…I forgot! Nice lead!
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Blogination concluded…guys grab your gal….gals, grab your guy and have a nice evening!! 😎
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Oh my, Josie is just starting to read the mail I sent her on what the stimulus means for us… Wow, is she stimulated… or is that agitated… same but different.
Salty, Raisins, I think you guys are really going to enjoy the Gwinnett team this year. It will be much better than attending an Atlanta game. Trust me, I’ve been to both… Well, not Gwinnett perse but triple A. This will be especially true if you take your kids. I think they are going to have a very strong pitching staff. Y’all are going to really like the coach, Dave Brundage. Smart guy who loves small ball…
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Junior and Atlanta seem like a natural fit. With his geographic connections, and the potential for a platoon with Diaz, its actually a nice situation.
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Gil, I fully intend to take advantage of the AAA team this season. I am only sorry that it is at the expense of Richmond.
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Salty, you were right, I gave you credit, and it was Chris that said it! 😦
chrisklob Says:
January 27, 2009 at 10:33 pm
….
After asking all those questions I think back to last spring when the Braves brought in 10 guys to compete for the five spots. You see how well that worked out for them. Maybe they need to bring in 15 this year so they don’t have to patch up the rotation with gum, baling wire and spit like last year.
Chris, Salty, Potato, poetato! 😛
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As you all know, I’m easy(yet, still alone on valentine’s day 😕 ) Garrett Anderson, Griffey…it’s all good. Well, the one issue I thought of with Griffey, you can’t really have a platoon cleanup hitter, can you??? But, if Frenchy is half of what Chipper says he is, it may be a moot point….
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We’ll get over it Raisins. Sometimes it’s all for the better. The marriage between the Braves and Richmond was getting a little stale anyway. Not the Braves fault as much as the former mayor. I’ve talked to a couple of guys who live here in Richmond and I think we will get together sometimes and drive down to Norfolk to see Gwinnett and maybe up to Woodbridge to see Myrtle Beach play.
I’m still going to get a HD TV just as soon as Obama sends me the money for it…. I already spent most of my available cash adding a room addition and a wheelchair ramp onto the back of the house.
Yes, I realize I am being foolish putting money into the local economy by hiring a contractor who uses local labor and pays taxes here in the US all the while improving my primary residence and increasing the value of the real estate and genuinely improving my living conditions when I could be supporting the Chinese economy by purchasing a HDTV so they could lend us our money….
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Ber, perhaps the feel they will only need an alternate cleanup hitter on days that McCann doesn’t play.
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Berigan, you have to leave the house to find available women…. Trust me, they are out there. It’s why I stay close to home…. I have learned the hard way not to tempt fate.
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By the way, I saw a really well done restoration today. It was a 1970 Chevelle SS 454cid . Hugger Orange and black roof. Really nice car. it had that really nice crackle to the exhaust that you get with big block Chevy.
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Gil, you are right of course…but where I live is not exactly prime county for single folks.
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Gil, someday I hope to be rich enough to at least own a 1969 Impala with a 427, or a 1970 with the 454….sigh….
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Berigan… It’s why God invented churches… Allows nice guys to meet nice gals and not feel threatened. While hanging out in the bars will allow for you to find companionship but like the old saying goes, when you lay down with the dogs, you’ll get up with the fleas… Or as Raisins says, Happy VD…
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Chris, Salty, Potato, poetato!
😆 We’re both from Charleston…easy to confuse one for the other! 😆
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It’s why I stay close to home…. I have learned the hard way not to tempt fate.
…and name my truck, Danica! 😛
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Or as Raisins says, Happy VD…
He won’t live that one down anytime soon! 😆
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I can honestly say I’ve never been wished, nor wished anyone, ‘Happy VD!’ Nope, never have!!!
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What… VD isn’t an acronym for Valentine’s Day?
Silly me…
😀
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Good thing I held off on wishing everyone a wonderful Baseball Month…
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Gil, I guess it feels funny to me to be looking at Churches more for Honeys for than Jesus!
But, if you say that It’s why God invented churches, who am I to argue??? 😛
There is a church I like a fair bit fairly near by, but folks leave in a hurry there…plus, what’s with having services before noon??? That will never catch on! 😉
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Here’s the difference between CL and Ber.
CL has a bumper sticker that says “God is my Co-Pilot”.
Berigan has a bumper stick that says “God is my Pimp”!
:-O
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By the Ber, nice lead (for the blog, I mean).
To answer your blog question, I think this season holds a lot of “ifs” in the future.
If the Braves sign Glavine and Griffey…..
If Chipper can stay healthy……
If French Bread can find his old stroke and can play decent defense…..
If Moylan is as good as he was in 2007……
If Gonzo continues his rehab from TJ surgery with no problems……
If a true leadoff hitter emerges…….
If JJ doesn’t suffer from “Sophomore Slump”……
If Kotchman can prove that his time with the Braves last year was an anomaly (Blog first? — probably not)…….
If some of the kids (B Jones, Shaffer, Hanson, et al) can step up and contribute at the highest level……
You know what they say “if “if’s” and buts were candy and nuts, we’d all have a Merry Christmas”.
It seems that for the past few years there have been a lot of questions about the upcoming vintage of the Atlanta Braves. It never was that way before. I don’t like it but I understand the root of it. But, if most of those things come true, it should be a pretty good season.
In retrospect, who could have predicted the 08 Braves would have suffered so many catastrophic injuries? Providing they can avoid that, I am hopeful that the Braves will be competitive in the NL East.
I think the Mets have some real issues with money. I think Madoff may have really hurt the Wilpon family. They are a very big market team and they’re opening a new stadium this year. One would think that they’d be blowing it out Yankees’ style but they’ve been quite reserved. Castillo and Delgado are still old. They’re talking about moving Castillo to leadofff? Really? With those knees? Can Delgado continue his resurrection? What did they do aside from getting a new closer?
The Phillies have to be the favorites. But their All-Star second baseman just had some pretty major surgery. He thinks he’ll be back early but will he? I know Lew doesn’t think so. I have my doubts too. Can Raul Ibanez make the transition to the NL and replace Burrell’s numbers? Is this the year the wheels finally fall of for Jamie Moyer? Frankly, they didn’t really have to do a lot to.
Ladies and gentlemen, today is the day that all those answers (and more) start to get answered.
PITCHERS AND CATCHERS REPORT!!! The four finest words in the English language and the best day of my year!
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Ber, did you hear that two members of Chuck Mangione’s band died in that plane crash yesterday? Just read that across the street.
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😯 Chris!
I keep hoping the scent of baking will bring a nice guy in but there doesn’t seem to be any where I live. Several years back a big magazine (Cosmo or one of those) did a study to find the places in America where there was the largest disparity of single men to single women & vice versa. Places with the most men were a town in Alaska (pipeline workers ), a Marine training camp ( don’t recall where) & someplace with a huge prison ( don’t wanna know where). All of those are easily explained as to why the disparity. The place with the most women? Sarasota/Bradenton. And no one could figure out why that was. There are simply not enough guys to go around. Nice for them but it stinks for shy girls who aren’t much to look at.
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What did they do aside from getting a new closer?
Chris, they did get basically 2 closers, which means they are going to be much, much tougher to beat from the 7th inning on than last year.
But yeah, not much else was improved was it??? You must be right that they are hurting money wise, why didn’t they sign Abreu for $5 mil???
And there are a lot of ifs for several teams this year….
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When are you single folks going to learn, it’s not about looks… It’s about attitude…
Best advice ever gleaned from a poster… “No one can make you feel inferior without your permission”….
Ber, churches always have some type of activities for adults. Bus trips, pot luck suppers etc. Nope, won’t really meet a lot of folks during the sermon but Sunday schools, prayer meeting etc. I’m just saying that there are folks just like you looking for the same things you are out there. But if you don’t advertise a little bit they are not going to know about you.
FBG.. I still hope Josie and I can get together with you while we are in Sarasota in a few weeks.
Salty, do you live close to Chris?
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Gil…Chris is in Mt. Pleasant…near Isle of Palms. I’m in Woodstock, north of Atlanta. I will be in Charleston much of this week, though, checking on my dad. Get this: he has an implant that delivers a jolt to restart his heart, should it stop. Fair enough; however, they need to test that it really works, so…he goes into the hospital so they can induce a heart attack! 😯 To say the least, he’s not thrilled about this one…can’t fault him!
Chris…I’ll try to ‘ring’ you up! I will definitely hit Bessingers…can hardly wait. It’s a diet buster, for sure, but mmm…mmm…yummy!
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Salty, that really sucks! Will say a prayer for your pa…good grief.
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Salty, I’m glad to hear you’re headed back to God’s Country but not for the circumstances. I’d love to meet you. Please give me a call so we can get together.
Certainly some prayers are to be said for Salty Sr!
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Gil, I would love to see you & Miss Josie! (And maybe bring some goodies? I do like to feed people, must be the Italian side of my heritage.)
Wow. Best wishes to Salty Sr. I wouldn’t be looking forward to that either.
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Nice Berigan. I enjoyed the read. I hope this team will be good. I suppose the answer to your question would rest in the volume of liquid in the glass… is it half full or half empty?
Half empty then I’d say the team has if’s all over the place. If Francoeur can hit. If Vazquez can reduce his major league high homer total over the past 5 years. If Kawakami is healthy and his 110 inning season last year was only the result of a six man rotation which only a result of a Japanese Manager getting artsy. If Jurrjens doesn’t suffer a physical set back from pitching too many innings last season. And If some improvement is seen in the outfield, and thus the line up.
Half full then I’d say the team is full of hope, all over the place. I hope Francoeur can hit. I hope Vazquez can pitch well. I hope Kawakami is the beezkneez. I hope Jurrjens builds on a fantastic rookie season. And I hope the outfield walks softly and swings a big stick.
But even still I’m not sure it will be enough to get to the post season. At most only two teams from a division can go. At present the Mets and the Phillies have been holding those top two spots for a few years.
This season should be more fun to watch than last season though. Ten pitchers, 20 pitchers, 100 pitchers in spring training is meaningless… unless all those pictures are top of the rotation MLB caliber guys. Otherwise they are just rushed minor leaguers on a sinking ship.
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Best wishes to Sr. Salty as well…
Now, my 2 cents worth:
guess it feels funny to me to be looking at churches more for honeys for than Jesus<
Ber, I believe you go to church first looking for Jesus and His will for you. If you seek His will, then He will bless you for it. I won’t quote chapter and verse, and y’all probably don’t want me to, but the bible says to “seek first the kingdom of God, and the rest will be added to you”. That means you seek the center of His will, and He will provide for your needs, and sometimes desires, in abundance. It’s a pretty good deal if you ask me.
(OK, you didn’t ask me; I couldn’t help myself.)
OK, I’ll step down from the pulpit now… 🙂
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Uh Ber… What Raisins said…
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TP.. I think last year was a classic example of rushing pitchers to the majors. Come to think of it, that’s been the case the past couple of years.
I still believe Glavine is a solid number 3 guy, it’s just he will have the benefit of a reduced work load.
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From Cafardo’s Latest: Crosby, Oil Can Boyd?
By Steve Adams [February 15 at 2:03pm CST] * Here’s something I can’t believe I’m typing… can Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd make a Major League comeback at age 49? Oil Can hasn’t pitched since 1991, but claims his velocity is back up in the low 90s, and his curveball is back to form. He’s always dreamt of carrying on Satchel Paige’s legend and pitching into his 60s. Boyd’s quote:
“”I have nothing to lose, and all a major league team has to lose is 15 minutes,” said Boyd. “Give me 15 minutes and I’ll show I can still pitch. That’s all I want.”
Boyd threw at the Red Sox fantasy camp, and former catcher Mike Stanley said that Oil Can’s stuff is the same as it was 18 years ago, and his passion hasn’t died down one bit.
Certainly an interesting story, but can he live up to his word?
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/02/cafardos-late-2.html
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If I were the National’s GM, I’d have him in camp tomorrow…
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Hey, not much warning, but if you all like funny, romantic comedies, check out No Time for Love, 1943, with Fred MacMurray and Claudette Colbert. One of the better comedies of the 40’s but little known today…I guess because Paramount made it, and Universal(Which owns Paramounts old films) rarely gives a flying flip about showing/renting out the old films in their library.
Fred is quite the he man in this film, which is pretty funny if you only know him from Flubber, and my 3 sons. He was very different in his youth.
V, at least I can hope you will take a chance on this one!
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Crud, on turner classic movies…. 😳
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Kind of disappointing 500 for me with Junior doing his Dale Senior imitation..
Why do certain guys think they have entitlement?
I other news, the Griffey Jr, watch has begun in earnest. While I like Garret Anderson, Junior might be the better choice.
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While I like Garret Anderson, Junior might be the better choice.
See, this is how gentlemen disagree! I like Garrett, but can live with Junior…Gil, he feels otherwise. We can both live with it…even though, for sure, I know Gil’s wrong! 😛
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Why does this thing keep logging me out?! Arrgh!
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Junior seems a little more fragile injury-wise but I’d be pleased to add either of those guys to our Braves.
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Salty, don’t be greedy. Your going to be able to watch one of the best starting rotations in baseball this summer. All you will need to do is by tickets to the Gwinnet games.
Like I said, I like Garret Anderson but Junior is going to be a better fit for the club in other ways besides baseball.
That said, if I had my druthers I would have Nady playing everyday but that’s going to happen either.
Blanco is going to be playing AAA this year unless he is traded because Anderson is out of options. Also you can tell us all how great Diory Hernadez looks at short.
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And Salty, I might not always be right but by gum I’m never wrong… 🙂
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I like Garret Griffey…
😀
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From a fringe (way in the fringe) NASCAR watcher:
Why is there so much hubbub over Dale Earnhart, Jr.? Seriously, what has he done besides swim in the lucky side of the gene pool? He continually gets as much press coverage for what he doesn’t do as other drivers get for what they do.
I don’t get it… 🙄
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That said, if I had my druthers I would have Nady playing everyday…
Here…Hear! 😕 😆 I’m with ya, Bro’ Gil!!!
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Well, that’s weird… I posted a reply to Raisins’ opine and it has vanished… Gremlins?
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So, I’ll try again… Dale Jr. is NASCAR “royalty” like Kyle Petty. A lot of Dale Sr fans were rooting for him and the kid does have a likability about him. That said, he is getting a lot of free passes but I have noticed a lot of his fans are drifting over to new comers like Kyle Bush.
We “redneck” race fans are just like everyone else and love to be on the side of a winner.
Personally, my NASCAR roots go back to the late 50s when I first discovered the sport and cheered for the likes of Fireball Roberts. I confess, I was never a Richard Petty fan nor a Dale Sr. fan. I guess I felt they were given too many passes by NASCAR….
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Hey, y’all! I got interested in NASCAR back when Piedmont sponsored Texas Terry and he won the championship. I had paid some attention to it prior to that, but wasn’t zealous about it. Really lost interest after so many of those I had followed died/retired, especially Dale sr. There’s only so much available time to me so I focused on baseball.
One of y’all start putting your thoughts together for another lead/s. We’ll need it before you know it! THANKS!!!
Back to the Physical Terrorists this afternoon. 😦
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Yep, the “Roster” was the bomb… 🙂
Physical Terrorist… Apt name, I’ll bet a lot of them are into S&M… Just saying…
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For the record, most of my pre ’90s was spent rooting for Ford drivers. I still like awesome Bill… The “ThunderChicken” really put Ford back on the map.
Now I just go with the team. Josie has moved on to root for Jimmy Johnson. I am not a big Hendricks fan but I can’t fault her choice. He really comes across as a clean cut guy and pretty intelligent.
Okay, back to the real world. Baseball is getting back into the fore with players arriving in camp as we blog…
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Bill Elliott – one of my favorites. I don’t know what they did to that T-bird that one particular year, but nothing could touch it that whole year.
Yarborough, Petty, Rudd, so many gone from the sport. Now it seems dull and ‘corporate’.
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CL… For better or worse, the sport has evolved from a bunch of good ole boys racing to high end corporate types who happen to race…
I must admit the sport is much safer now but stock cars are not very stock any longer.
Yep, when Bill hit 212 mph with that car and they discovered that 200 mph was pretty much the safe limit for earth bound vehicles, a lot changed. Mostly, it put Ford back into racing….
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Wow… Mike Hampton has the absolute worst karma I have ever witnessed.
He didn’t even make it to a throwing session before having an irregular heartbeat show up in a “routine” physical. He’s back in Houston receiving treatment.
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He’s the only athlete I have ever heard of who hurt himself just existing…
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That is amazing.
Maddux returning as Padres coach:
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-padres-maddux&prov=ap&type=lgns
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Maddux could probably be the best bench coach in the game, more likely will become a manager. I can’t see him being wasted as a pitching coach.
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A shame about Hampton, steroids will do that to you over time… One reason they are contraindicated as a permanent solution to things like knee and shoulder injuries.
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Bill Elliott – one of my favorites. I don’t know what they did to that T-bird that one particular year, but nothing could touch it that whole year.
I wonder if they checked for PEDS? Not the driver, but the car!
Maddux would make a heck of a manager I’ll bet. Funny that there aren’t that many former pitchers managing clubs though. Wonder why that is….
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Because they were pitchers… Not thought to be connected to the everyday players. Then again, Tommy Lasorda was a pitcher. The real reason may be they don’t want to put in the hours necessary to be successful and not get paid 5 million a year. Wasn’t Bud Lack a pitcher and maybe Larry Deiker?
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Ya’ I once thought about using Awesome Gil from Mechanicsville but thought it might be just a tad bit over the top… 🙂
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Would have been more like Awful Gil
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Just read the report on Hampton, either atrial fib or atrial flutter, likely the former. Cardio version and digoxin and he will be ready to rumble…
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Chris, if memory serves correctly, they took that car apart piece by piece and never did find anything illegal with it. Just a truly amazing year he had. Just left everybody else in the dust.
Bennie Parsons. Ned Jarrett. Hoss Ellington. Cale Yarborough. Ricky Rudd. Terry and Bobby Labonte. Some names have just slipped my mind at the moment – I sure enjoyed watching in those years gone by. Not so much now.
So. Has Griffey signed yet?
New lesson: PT days are not to be trifled with! There is a REASON they schedule several days between appts: PAIN!!!
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ESPN Classic is replaying the 1996 World Series game 4… the Leyritz game. (Sorry, I hope I didn’t spoil it for anyone!) 😀
Mrs. Raisins and I were there. We were given tickets to that game. We sat high in the field level seats on the outfield portion of the 1st base side. It’s the only Braves playoff game I ever attended. I’ll never forget it…
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AP:
Day 2 of spring training. Still no Tom Glavine.
But it appears more and more likely baseball’s only active 300-game winner will soon be in camp for the Atlanta Braves.
The two sides had a good meeting last week, and Glavine’s agent, Gregg Clifton, was planning to talk with the team again Monday in hopes of moving closer to a deal.
The Braves are eager for the 42-year-old Glavine to return as the fifth starter in a rebuilt rotation, but only if he’ll take a significant cut in the $8 million he made last year, when he made only 13 starts before season-ending elbow surgery.
Clifton sounded hopeful that a deal will be reached.
“We continue to make progress,” he told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. “When you have two sides that want to be together, it shouldn’t be too difficult to reach a resolution.”
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Dang!
They lost again…
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They lost again? I didn’t know the Braves played today!
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Game 4, 1996 WS was on ESPN Classic…
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I hope you didn’t have any money on that game! 🙂
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😳
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😀
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Sometimes it messes with one’s mind, watching old sporing events….at least my mind! 😕
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I feel like I’m in one of those darn commercials where they yap about “3G” – Glavine, Griffey, Garrett. Just waitin’ for somebody to sign.
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FLB, what commercial is that????
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Berigan, I don’t know if you have the mlb network on cable but those old games are fun to watch. Often I see players that I forgot ever played for that team. And, of course, watching baseball re-runs is better than watching Oprah any day!
Of course, my wife hates it. She walked in the other day and saw I was watching a game. Her reaction was “Aw S@^#, has baseball started again?”
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If that’s karma, what the heck did Hampton do? Must’ve been pretty bad.
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Sporing events, Ber? Something to do with mold? 😉
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Cellphone commercials. Verizon, maybe? They talk about their “3G network”. No idea what it actually stands for.
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Chris, that’s why you have multiple TVs & DVRs. Fortunately for Dad & I, Mom & Melissa are at least casual fans. They’ll watch some with us & love going to the ballpark.
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Gooey Gopher Guts?
Goofy Goober Guys?
Gabber Got Gone?
Greedy Green Grabbers?
Georgia Giants Girl?
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Chris, I don’t have cable(have DISH) but I accidentally set my DVR to record any of the older games(Just meant to record the one I was interested in)
and I saw both 1 and 2 hour versions of the 1986 playoffs(Red sox beating Angels and the Donnie Moore-still say it wasn’t that bad a pitch he made) and the Mets beating them.
I deleted the 2 hour shows, but kept each 1 hour versions to record….
Chris, I will no doubt marry a woman that hates baseball, cars, jazz, and old Movies! We can commiserate when that happens! 😛
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Gooney Goo Goo?
(That’s from a very old Eddie Murphy album).
FBG, we have multiple tv’s, thankfully. Karen gets to enjoy the new HD tv downstairs. I am relegated to any of the others in the house until it’s her bedtime. Then I get to watch the new one. (Sigh)
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Gettin’ Glav ‘n’ Grif?
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😆
I had that Eddie Murphy tape… absolutely wore it out. There was a time I could recite very word…
😆
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I love the Spore channel we just got, can’t pull me away from the set when the world championships that take place in bogalusa…
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Spore?
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Bunny Berigan recorded a song called The Gonna Goo, in 1937. Man, I wore out that 78!!!
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We could use Gabber Got Gone whenever a certain long-posting Stuffian steps away from the blog.
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Actually, the song sucked! 👿
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You realize I am now picturing you with 1 of those bunny ear headbands on, Ber.
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I was thinking more of a defected ex-icon who can’t seem to shut up about the Braves…
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Spore?
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I’m still ignoring him, VOR.
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Ber’s 11:17, my 11:24.
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… he keeps yammering to the press about how “disappointed he is with how he was treated” blah blah blah blah blah. 🙄
I’d be talking about how I’m getting a full season’s pay for a half-season’s work.
Or how about how excited I am to be in the “great rivalry” in the “great organization” and “how great everyone is” etc…
No… it’s poor me this, big bad Braves that… Shut up already…
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I’m not particularly happy with the way Smoltz has carried on about the Braves since his departure. However, as I often do, I will play devil’s advocate.
Smoltzie has always been one to speak his mind. Frankly, I appreciate that in an athlete. Really, how many times can you hear a guy say “Well, we’re just taking one game at a time”? So many athletes’ responses are canned, PC garbage that say absolutely nothing! If Smoltz feels a little spurned, I’m okay with it. At least we know he’s human and feels human emotions.
When his career is over, nobody will remember that he played for the Sox for a year or two. When you think of Joe Namath do you think of him as a Ram? When you thnk of Montana do you see him in a Chief’s jersey? When you think of OJ do you….. oops, bad example.
Any way, you get my drift. Smoltz is out of his comfort zone and I’m sure he’s pretty uneasy about that. But this too shall pass.
Smoltz will always be a Brave. He’s just having a little fling while he still can.
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Smoltz was involved in a divorce after a very long marriage…guys and gals, right after divorce…it’s all they can talk about.
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That’s a very good point Ber. I would think that this would be a similar circumstance for him. Braves fans too, actually.
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And after posting that, I also thought that he might be using his anger as fire for the next season. Not that you would think he’d need to do that, but he is older…just a thought…
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Anger? I think it is an insatiable need for attention. It seems more like “Look at me!” than “I am pissed!” But that’s what makes him so good at interviews, analysis, big games, etc. He loves and craves the attention.
Maybe its just me… Maybe I need to shut up already…
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Great Gobs of Goo!!! 😯
It’s midnight:25!!!
I’ve been watching (sort of) an old Who concert on VH1 Classic and let time slip by on me.
Gonna be rough when the alarm goes off tomorrow morning. I may just hunk it across the room.
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Beddy-bye time, children.
L8r
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Anger? I think it is an insatiable need for attention. It seems more like “Look at me!” than “I am pissed!” But that’s what makes him so good at interviews, analysis, big games, etc. He loves and craves the attention.
You may well be right and you certainly don’t need to shut up already. You’re opinion is certainly valid. But let’s face it, in this day and age, what big time athlete doesn’t have an ego? I’d rather have a guy like him on the mound than some knucklehead that’s afraid to take the ball. Frankly, I have always loved his passion.
It must really be tough for athletes like Smoltz that are so passionate about their game. How do you channel that energy in the offseason or after you retire? Seriously, after competing at the level he has for so long, how do you just turn it off? Does beating the daylights out of your kid at darts or some PS3 game really give you any satisfaction?
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VH1 Classic is playing The Who live at Leeds in 1970. I am so tired, but I can’t tear myself away. My eyes want to close, but my ears want to stay awake.
What to do? what to do?
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
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FLB,and everyone else…I posted this before, but hey, people forget
Bunny Berigan was a real guy!!! Everyone had a nicname, back when jazz was fun, and not deadly serious, pretentious and dull. Louis Armstrong was Satchmo. “Duke” Ellington. “Count” Basie. “Red” Nichols(and his 5 pennies) Miff Mole. Ziggy Elman. Muggsy Spanier. Willie, the Lion Smith. “Fats” Waller.
You get the message.
Bunny playing trumpet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pf7EmJTQj2Q
Must have been pretty tough to have such a pansy name!@
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Easy Raisins. Watch The Who and sleep in tomorrow!
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Yeah V, you will think up a good excuse to your boss, perhaps remind him of his love of the Who…
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V, you did get a DVR from DISH, right??? Just record the sucker! Of course, it probably ended at 1 am, and you are already in dream land, but that’s me all over. Great suggestions that are a day late and 2 dollars short(inflation)
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Spore… Roman League.. right?
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4 Spore, and 7 beers ago….
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Yeah V, you will think up a good excuse to your boss, perhaps remind him of his love of the Who…
I am the boss! And I do love The Who…
Of course, it probably ended at 1 am, and you are already in dream land
Yes, the Who concert was done at 1:00, and so was I.
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4 Spore, and 7 beers ago…. :lol::lol:
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Ken Rosenthal:
Finally, the Braves are close to re-signing free-agent left-hander Tom Glavine.
The team made Glavine a counter-offer Monday that would bring the pitcher close to the $4.5 million potential value he is seeking on a one-year contract, according to a major-league source.
A deal likely will be finalized Tuesday — a day on which the Braves also could learn whether another potential Hall of Famer, free-agent outfielder Ken Griffey Jr., will choose their offer over the Mariners’.
The fella across the street says it’s pretty much down to “dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s”.
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Nothing new yet on Junior, but I have a feeling it’s coming. 2 guys will have to drop from the 40-man… I’ll bet it’s Lerew to accommodate Glavine. He’s likely to get a free pass through waivers.
Now, who goes to accommodate Junior? Tough call. DOB speculates Blanco. That’s a tough one. He would not get through waivers. He would not pass Go. He would not collect $200. I’m not a huge fan of Blanco’s, but he does have some game. Perhaps Frank will work a minor deal to clear a spot or 2. It’d be a shame to let a guy like Blanco just go away for nothing. If the Braves do get the Griffey deal done, they will have an abundance of young outfielders behind Griffey/Diaz and ahead of Heyward. Tough spot to be in. So maybe one of BJones/Blanco/Anderson will attract the interest of a team in need of depth whether at the major league or AAA level.
I’ll bet Anderson sticks around though. He plays all 3 OF spots, is the best of the 3 defensively, and the fastest of the 3.
Anyway, those are my random thoughts. Should be plenty to discuss over the next few days.
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Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to work I go…
(I did that from memory… I hope I did it right…)
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I did not… 🙄
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😐
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Trump casinos file Chapter 11, always said it’s not how much you make but the size of the debt load you are entrusted with. Alas, I never have been smart enough to borrow more money than I could afford to repay.
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Larry Larue, Mariner’s Insider:
Ken Griffey Jr. has options now, something he hasn’t had all winter, and he continues to mull them over – Atlanta or Seattle.
This much is certain, it won’t come down to money. Junior has enough to buy Iceland. With absolutely no facts for support, here’s my thinking: Griffey will be a Brave within a day or two.
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Bowman:
There’s still no definitive word that Ken Griffey Jr. has chosen the Braves over the Mariners. But we’ve reached a point where I’d definitely be shocked if Griffey wasn’t stretching alongside Chipper Jones and Brian McCann on Wednesday, when the Braves hold their first full-squad workout of the season.
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And so, who gets dropped off the 40 man roster? Do guys on the 60 day DL count against the roster? If the 15 day DL can be used then look for some one to pull up lame… 🙂
Any pitcher such as Carlyle or Bennett will not get by Jim Bowden… Decisions decisions…
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Found an answer to my question. Players on the 60 man DL do not count on the 40 man roster until they are activated.
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15 day cannot, 60 day can. Teams have sometimes used this method to manipulate the system, but the Braves historically have avoided that method.
I think Lerew is almost a sure bet to be placed on waivers. As I said earlier, Blanco is in the unfortunate position to be stuck between a future HOF and an star prospect. And he is virtually the same player as Anderson, except not as good defensively and not as fast… so…
Somebody suggested trying to sneak Sammons through since the BUC market is pretty saturated, and he isn’t exactly a top C prospect. I could see that, too.
Surely some GM is looking for a young backup outfielder on the cheap… maybe even for the infamous PTBNL.
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Well, Hudson is or will be placed on the 60 day I would think.
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I think the Braves are taking a very good look at the pitchers they claimed on waivers this winter. They could try to pass one of them through waivers or outright one of them without any real financial hit.
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DOB says Junior has agreed to terms though no announcement has been made yet…
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Griffey deal is done! Announcement has been made .
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Story:
http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/stories/2009/02/17/braves_griffey.html
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I still like it. Griffey is just a top drawer kind of guy. I expect the lines to be pretty long for his autograph in Atlanta… And something positive for Terrence Moore to write about… Won’t be so harsh when they replace TP this year with a real hitting coach.
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I really like it on alot of levels. His playing ability notwithstanding, his character and his presence will be great for the clubhouse. He will sell tickets, he will sell jerseys; he simply creates a little excitement.
It gives the team a boost just with the acquisition.
Did I mention he can still play?
Kudos for Frank. He has been much maligned, but he has done everything he said he would, and some. I like the product. We are back in the mix, IMO.
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I may have to ask for a Griffey jersey for my birthday… 😀
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‘Bout dang time!!!
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Mark Bowman:
The Atlanta-Journal Constitution reported on Tuesday that Griffey has chosen the Braves over the Mariners.
Both Griffey and his agent, Brian Goldberg, said that story was not accurate.
Braves general manager Frank Wren was still scheduled to meet with Griffey’s agent, Brian Goldberg, on Tuesday afternoon and at that time he may learn that the 39-year-old outfielder has decided to continue his career in Atlanta.
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In case this flew under the radar, Fredi Gonzalez got an extension through ’11 with the Fish.
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Liberty Media deal staves off Sirius bankruptcy
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D96DDTUO0&show_article=1
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The Simpsons – NEW Main Title
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Sirius… Howard Stern… bankruptcy… cause and effect?
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Gil,
You know what’s really sad??? Besides him being worth hundreds of millions???
Ichabod Crane has a young, beautiful, seemingly sweet looking wife. 😥
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For some reason for which I have yet to fathom, young beautiful, seemingly sweet looking girls tend to be drawn to sleeze bags like Stern. Maybe the being worth hundreds of millions of dollars has something to do with it.
There is another reason maybe, women older than 35 know better and avoid his type like the plague…
I tried satellite radio for a while but found it to be boring with them playing the same repeat tracks over and over.
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So….no trade really????
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Oooo, that’s gotta be a little embarassing for DOB.
So what’s the verdict on Idol, Gil? I still like Danny best. Some of the others were train wrecks.
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Man, pretty quite today….Well, after 12 noon at least.
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Is that genius in bikini still on?? If she isn’t, she should have put on a thong to get through to the next round or 3! 😈
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Naw, she was gone a few rounds ago.
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Alexis I thought did the best of the night. A couple were really bad. A couple were just okay singers. Actually there were 5 who I think have a chance to advance. Alexis, Danny, Ricky, Anoop (based on all the face time he got earlier) and maybe Michael Sarver… but it’s idol so who knows???
I wouldn’t put it all on O’Brien, I would suspect the unnamed source mention was someone feeding information to Terrence Moore. Why else would his name be on the by-line?
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Well… KJ has avoided arb. Smart boy.
That leaves FrenchPoodle, who seems to have a personal axe to grind by making the Braves go to the hearing. Whatever… For a guy who says he has his confidence back, it seems weird to me that he wants to go have his team trash his play. That’s a real confidence builder… 🙄
Whatever. It’s his
funeraler… right to do so.LikeLike
KJ got $2.825MM for ’09. I wish I could settle for $2.825MM… 😦
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“We are still kicking things around with my family and have not made a decision,” Griffey told MLB.com from his home on Tuesday afternoon. “This is the first time in my career that I have been a free agent, and it’s nerve-wracking.”
I don’t understand this. He isn’t a 15 yr old school girl trying to decide what to wear on a date. You decide what you need to do, then do it. End of story. If Seattle is such a big deal, go there. If you really want to be closer to your family, go to ATL. Smacks too much of adolescent ‘drama queen’. sigh… How on earth would some of these people manage ‘in real life’ without their big bucks to smooth things over for them? I’m not impressed.
But, then again, I am completely sleep deprived, in pain and on drugs.
Advice to anyone contemplating shoulder surgery if you have any options at all: DON’T DO IT!
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I think, too, that part of the delay in announcing may be Frank trying to make a move or two to clear the necessary roster spots.
If you ask me, both Junior and Glav have reached prelim agreements. They are simply taking their time with the minutia because: a) they are not in the same hurry we are, and b) the roster maneuvering I just mentioned.
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I’m sorry about your post-op trouble, CL. There’s a light at the end of this tunnel, though.
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BTW…
My band is making an appearance on a small local TV channel next week. It’s Friday night, Feb. 27 at 7:00p on WATC Channel 57. It’s a live show called Atlanta Live. We’ll be on throughout the 7-8 hour.
Pretty cool… 😀
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I should have said – “Pretty cool…” 😎
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Oh, and I know you didn’t ask, but…
A-Roid is not only a cheat and a liar, he insults my intelligence. What a dumbass…
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Here’s a crazy story:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/baseball/mlb/02/17/nats.gonzalez/index.html
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My Cousin Vinny.. Love it, Young and stupid could be a qualifier for a lot of bad choices. Just plain stupid is another. That’s how I feel about me… I pay my bills on time, don’t try to live beyond my income, never took performance enhancing drugs…
So who gets the bail outs? Who got the biggest contract in major league history? Who will get the free pass?
Enough of that… It will only make me mad to think about it.
So, my question is, does Palmaro get an apology from Tejeda for tell him it was a B12 shot and it really was steroids? The man was booed out of baseball and I think he was telling the truth all along….
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And CL… not to say I told you so but….
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Great exposure for your group Raisins, congratulations…
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Thanks, Raisins! Nice song! Another one that I like – isn’t rock – just a nice little toe-tapper here
I think today is one of the worst days I’ve had since surgery 2 weeks ago. 😡
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That could have been Furcal in that story, huh?
Yeah, you did, Gil. I know I really didn’t have a choice in the matter, but I’m so sorry that this was necessary. I am fair worn out!
And PT again tomorrow……. I may not go.
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And, that’s great for your band, Raisins!!!! Congratulations!!!!! 😀
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CL… You can’t not go to PT…. It will only seize up and you will have loss of function. You may not care if you can ever throw a curve ball again but you may want that arm for other things in the future like flipping pancakes or picking flowers….
Pain meds can be titrated to effect… You may need something stronger…
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… or picking pancakes and flipping flowers.
Hey; you never know… 😀
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Yep… could happen… 🙂
CL… One of the reasons I refuse to let anyone operate on my back is because while I am in pain and my right foot stays numb a lot, at least I can still walk and I have not had the best results with surgery.
Josie did survive her shoulder surgery but it did take a while for her to get past the pain part.
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Things sure do seem quiet coming out of Orlando… I don’t like it… 😐
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One of Mother’s Home Visit nurses was just here – had the same surgery twice on the same shoulder. Said each time it took a full year for recovery – but she can use it ‘pretty well’ now.
All I want is a good night’s sleep…… 😦
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Wow… I just strolled across the street. While it typically is full of vitriol and negativism anyway, they are tearing the erstwhile beat writer a new one. All the while, he is conspicuously AWOL. It is not very pretty…
Something afoot, though. Could the reason for the delay be/have been on the Braves’ front all along? Could Frank have been working another angle while keeping Junior at arm’s length? Could this have been a little posturing and leverage from Frank for a trade with another team? Maybe the Yanks thought they were holding all the cards before the Junior “signing” and called with lesser demands… WHo knows. I’m just pulling stuff out of left field… (yes, the pun WAS intended.) 😉
Something’s up, though, and it doesn’t seem like business as usual.
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You’ve got to stick with the PT, dear, otherwise you’ll wind up needing the shoulder manipulated. You do not want to have that done. Basically they pull, twist & wrench on it ’til all the scar tissue “breaks up”, which is a euphemism for tearing it all. Then you get to start the healing & PT over from the beginning again.
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VOR, that’s awesome. You’ll have to see if you can get video of it linked on here.
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Lots of good stuff was posted whilst I slept…
CL, you are such a good person, this isn’t fair at all! 😦 Of course, we all know life isn’t always fair. Gil’s right, you seem pretty tough, if the percoset(I know I’ve misspelled it) isn’t strong enough(and I’ve had them, and they are not all that and a bag of chips, IMHO) go ask for hydrocodone. The strong stuff. The doc shouldn’t be afraid of giving it to you. Worked best for my Mom and me when my Back pain was at it’s absolute worst a few years back. Didn’t take all the pain away, but enough to at least sleep. Oxycotin is a joke in my book. Tried that, and didn’t do much, and to think people go out of their way to abuse it(A drug that can suppress your desire to breathe if you take enough! ) just don’t get.
If your surgery doc won’t prescribe it, ask your GP for something then!
Surgeons are swell folks at their job, but after the surgery….sometimes they think their job is done.
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V, great news! 🙂 Please remind us a lot, day before, day of…some of us don’t have very good…something, or another…
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V, what you are saying about what folks across the street are saying about DOB, about makes me want to go back there and tear those folks a new one!
Didn’t think that was possible…
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FLB, I used to think you were at least part vampire, but here you are, posting in the middle of the day, guess I was wrong! 😛
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Too many crazy people over there…
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He has reappeared and has quelled the uprising… for now. 😆
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Ah well, he’s a big boy and seems to be richer than a guy working for a slowing dying paper should be(How many thousands of cds does he have, anyway???) And has a dream job….
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I am definitely a night owl & not a morning person but the real reason is Dad hogs the computer. Ever since he used up his extra leave & then officially retired, I never get to use the ‘puter during the day. But Mom had to go to Tallahassee for meetings & her coworker bailed on the trip so Dad volunteered to go. It’s almost a 5-hour drive from here & I-10 is a boring drive through nowhere. Her company’s paying for the gas & room for 2 nights anyway.
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Jealous much Berigan??? 😕
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If it helps, Ber, I always thought he seemed pompous & overly impressed with his own “coolness” & Grinch confirmed that for me after meeting him.
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FLB, here’s the trick(My Pa is a computer hog as well)
Just say, hey Dad, can I just get on a sec to check email??? Being a Dad, he’ll likely say yes, or give me 10 minutes. he may then think of something he was going to do that day anyway. Or, you can suggest something! 😉
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Well, when we move ( who knows when that’ll be) we are becoming a 3-computer household & I will have my own down in my part of the house.
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That’s interesting FLB. I could be pretty darned cool if I had the means to own a motorcycle, ate out all the time, saw every concert in town(good and bad) and could tell folks my job is to cover the braves.
I’ve got the jealousy thing pretty much under control , don’t ya think??? 😀
Actually, in the past, if I had the moola to eat out every night, I get pretty sick of eating rich, fattening food. And my ears would ring like the phone at a 911 bank if I saw as many concerts as he did…
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Ber, if you are not paying alimony or child support, you can throw your money away pretty easily. And I have thousands of CD too… Well, I used to have a job and a computer and lots of time on my hands… Kind of like now but without the job… and the money… 🙂
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Gil, truth be told, I have about a thousand cds myself. But, my lame excuses are I had a 25% discount at Borders, got $30 bucks a month “book” credit, and I have been selling cds and DVDs for years and years.
but I think he admitted to something 5-6 times that number. I have friends that think I’m crazy to have as many as I have. Simple rule I have. If you have as many cds as me or less=sane. More cds than me=Crazy! 😛
I still think he’s living off his family, or perhaps his first wife!
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Well, that’s Karma… My first wife lived off me so I guess it evens out. Funny, I’ll pay $13 for cd but resist like crazy downloading a song for 99 cents. I finally broke down and bought a MP3 player and then downloaded my own songs off of CDs onto it. I must say it’s a little easier to tote than a CD player or a Walkman.
I didn’t pay full price for all my CDs either. Amazing what you can find at Goodwill sometimes.
I finally gave away all my eight tracts. Didn’t know CL could still play them 🙂
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The frightening thing for me Ber is I have almost as many movies on VHS and DVD… Did I ever tell you about my excessive compulsive streak?
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quote from the beat writer:
Almost forgot to mention: Chipper and the Braves have made some progress toward a multi-year extension. He said a deal isn’t imminent, still work to be done, but he sounded encouraged by the talks they’ve had so far.
Good!
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Thank you, VOR!!!!! 😀
Braves better not lose out on Jr. because the ajc ticked him off jumping the gun.
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Before I jump for the evening:
IF Frank gets the Junior deal done;
IF Frank gets the Glavine deal done;
IF Frank gets Chipper extended
along with the rotation makover, he has really outdone himself this winter.
Let’s hope the IF’s go away, huh?
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OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HAIL 2 TO 3 INCHES IN SIZE HERE!!! Never seen hail bigger than maybe quarter size….
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Yowch! Hope your roof is sturdy & none of the cars are out in the open, Ber.
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FLB, I do not know how, but the car, our beater that there is no room in the garage for, somehow looks to not have a dent!!! I heard the hail(I got home just in time) pounding somewhere, and it wasn’t even raining yet!
I HOPE the roof is ok, wait, just wait til you see how big the hail is! And weirdly shaped.
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Whoa. Looks more like quartz crystals than ice.
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Here is a post from the jazz board I frequent. It’s just easier that way….Forgive the politics that has already popped up. They is crazy, crazy far left wing folks.
http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=50054&st=0#entry889046
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It’s of the photos, I mean…more storms headed this way! Hope the V man, and the Salt man are aok!
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and I don’t use mozilla for that site, so I didn’t realize you won’t automatically see the pictures, you will have to click on the links, which I could have just done here….oh well….
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Berigan… That is some mean looking hail… Hard water….
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hard water,
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well, it looks like the cheap way wasn’t necessarily the best way for ol’ Wren to go….
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3917214
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Wow…
DOB is taking a big ol’ whoopin’ across the street. Those folks are out for blood. You still want that gig, B?
Now what? Anderson? Edmonds? I’d go with Edmonds in the same platoon arrangement.
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Man, V, you ain’t just whistlin’ dixie! 😯
I’ve still been reamed worse on that jazz board, and by folks at the bookstore that hated me when I wouldn’t lay down and give them cash back on the purchase made 9 months ago….and for a lot less than he gets. So, I’ll take his job if he quits! 😛
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Always the bridesmaid, never the bride…….
Here’s a delicious little tidbit from Mark Bowman:
Sources have indicated that Griffey’s tide turned shortly after he became upset with the fact that The Atlanta-Journal Constitution was reporting that he’d already decided to play for the Braves.
http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090218&content_id=3846944&vkey=news_atl&fext=.jsp&c_id=atl
I was reading yesterday afternoon that some of his denizens were crucifying him for his statement. I won’t go over there today (too crazy, I’m sure) but I’m sure he’s got be pretty embarrassed.
I wonder if Terrence Moore(-on) was blasting the same info out too. Hope he takes the big ol’ whuppin’ he deserves too.
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Ber, I know Edmonds is a good player and I guess I’ll have to learn to live with it if he comes, but I just can’t stand the smarmy look on his face.
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I suspect Terrence was the one with the source. Oh well, when Junior snaps a hammy running out an infield hit this spring everyone in the Braves dugout will give a collective sigh of relief….
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Has this been the weirdest offseason ever or what?
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Confirms my hunch:
Griffey said this is his first time as a free agent (in other words, the first time he didn’t have a secure little niche waiting for him – or someone telling him where to be and what to be doing) and he found it “nerve-wracking.”
He was ‘agonizing’ between his personal ties to SEA and accommodating his family in ATL.
He’s weak personally, insecure, and puts himself first. He’s a scared little boy.
IF he ‘got upset’ that ajc was reporting he had chosen the Braves, then he was praying for any tiny little thing to happen that would provide him with an excuse to scurry back to Mommy – ie – SEA. If it hadn’t been that, it would have been something else.
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Ick. Don’t like Edmonds. Never have & I don’t think I could make myself like him if he did come to the Braves.
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Well, I think the Braves were played a bit in that one. It would be pretty lame to use any media outlet as a reason for changing your mind. For sure he wouldn’t make it in New York.
After all, the AJC would have been a lap dog for him…
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Rosenthal likes the Braves:
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/9238050/Improved-Braves-look-awfully-dangerous?CMP=OTC-K9B140813162&ATT=49
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So… let’s get this deal with Glavine settled so roster can be set.
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Betcha the AJC doesn’t report it until the ink is very, very dry…
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While I do not hold the beat writer in any way responsible for a bad headline at the root of the ire across the way, this picture made me spit Cheerios on out my desk:
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Dang filter!!! 😡
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Raisins, looks like you might be in dire need of an avatar change!
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Doorbells…
http://www.stimuluswatch.org/project/view/8982
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Klobber, I just did it. It just hasn’t happened yet, I suppose.
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Actually, in the picture, Junior’s hat is on straight… it’s his head that’s on backwards. 😆
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Francoeur, Braves avoid arbitration
http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090219&content_id=3848322&vkey=news_atl&fext=.jsp&c_id=atl
I am glad the boy came to his senses.
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What a mess this Junior nonsense turned into. DOB has taken a pounding like I’ve never seen before. I think every and idiot has turned out to dump all over him, Moore, Bradley and the AJC.
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French, “The way I look at it, A) I’m not going to suck and B) We have pitchers who will throw 200 innings,” Francoeur says.”
😆 😆 😆
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Great read in the Rosenthal piece, CL.
Gotta hit the road…
c u all L8r
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Good stuff, y’all. Rosenthal makes good arguments for the Braves. And I am glad to see Frenchy was sensible. Nothing good could have come out of that arb. meeting.
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You know, hopefully the Braves will use that moola “saved” on Frenchy to go get Garrett Anderson. We NEED a bat, a guy like him, while clearly not the first choice, is the best bet right now. As V pointed out, he hit .293 last year. What, 19 HR’s 84 RBI’s???(If I’m right on those 3 numbers, that is my memory in a nutshell-can recall numbers I have read a week or so ago, no problem, but – a movie I recorded on Disc for Dad and me to watch last night, I laid it down somewhere-and still can’t find it! )
Matt can still play a game or so a week to keep Garrett fresh. He will get the chance to pinch hit several days a week, fill in for Garrett in the 9th after Garrett’s last AB…Or, we can trade away guys to get a player teams wouldn’t be able to get anything for, except from us.
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WOW!!! Check out this guy on CNBC who is on the Chicago trading floor talking about Morgage ballouts, amazing!!!
http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1039849853
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Of course that is all Griffey did… He bailed out….
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Now, while I think Griffey would have been a nice addition to the Braves team, I didn’t think he would have been THE addition to the team. Maybe one of the kids will get an opportunity a little bit sooner….
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looks like you are right Gil….
Braves Leaning Toward Internal Options In OF
By Tim Dierkes [February 19 at 1:12pm CST]
ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick talked to Braves GM Frank Wren, who says the Braves are more likely to try their young outfielders than acquire a veteran outfielder after failing to sign Ken Griffey Jr.
Crasnick adds that the Braves “aren’t very excited” about Garret Anderson and have little to no interest in Jim Edmonds and Luis Gonzalez. He says the salaries of Xavier Nady or Nick Swisher might be prohibitive. Pure speculation on my part – the Braves could definitely afford Luke Scott if he’s available for trade.
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And perhaps Justin Heyward is the next Andruw Jones(the good, young one I mean!) and my Krazy prediction of him in left won’t seem so crazy after all! 😛
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Ber… It’s not beyond the pale by any means, however, I suspect Schafer has the inside tract. Maybe he will be Atlanta’s next Chuckie T…
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It appears we may have actually retained Glavine. Excuse me while I recover from the shock of a successful signing.
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FLB, are you sure??? Really sure??? Has DOB said it is a done deal??? 😛
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It’s on the Braves’ MLB page now.
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Boy, y’all are excited about it.
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I think everyone went to bed at around 6 PM! 😉
I was afraid to think what the banner at the top of the page would look like if he wasn’t a brave! There aren’t any other famous crying Indians, that I can think of!
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Good morning y’all… It has been quit the melt down at the AJC the past few days. Nothing like a little passion about a team to get things going. Crashed the site two days in a row… The Bosses at the Paper(Is that the right term anymore?) must be ecstatic with all the blog hits.
And I am glad the Braves signed Glavine. I still don’t understand all the invective being thrown at him over his union activities. Not a good occupation to be a messenger these days one would think. Contray to popular belief, unions are not the work of the devil as some major corporations would have you think. But that is a debate for another blog…
CL, I hope you took my advice and asked for something to give you a bit more relief. Josie said it was about six months before the pain stopped. She hated PT too. A word of advice, you cannot get addicted to pain pills if you are in pain.
I had to stop taking hydrocodone however because it would make me mean. I have talked to several people and they have said they have had similar experience with it. Just terrible mood swings with it.
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Wow… it has been a very busy week. I’ve not had much time to even breathe.
Inhale… exhale…
I am glad they got the Glav thing done. (It is done, isn’t it?) This will give them a very deep and talented rotation, with Hudson and Hanson (nice ring to that) waiting in the wings.
Now, offense. (Nice transition for a non-scribe, huh?) Like everyone else, I would like to see another impact bat in the lineup. I think it would bump the Braves from a team that could surprise to a team that will be right there. There are just too many variables left to make me comfortable. That being said, if the variables come together in a positive way, the Braves will be right there.
IF FrenchPoodle bounces back…
IF Anderson/Schafer can put together a productive full season.
IF Diaz can be the hitter he was in 2007.
IF BJones and his healthy wrist can be the other side of the LF platoon, and show why he was a promising prospect.
IF there is a deal left up Frank’s sleeve to acquire an everyday LF.
You all do realize, though, that those variables lie with EVERY outfielder we have? Question marks in LF, CF and RF… that to me overshadows the refurbished pitching. I don’t want to lose another butt-load of 1 run games because we can’t push another run across. Dominant pitching is great as long as you don’t lose a bunch of 2-1 games.
Garret Anderson isn’t the answer, as much as I’d like him to be. He’s very inconsistent, has the same plate discipline as FrenchKnot, and is too costly to platoon.
Edmonds? Probably would be a decent platoon partner with Diaz, but nothing spectacular. He can’t hit lefties anymore, but he did knock 19 HR’s against righties last season. He hit mostly from the 5 hole, so Mac would still have to cleanup. And he can still play defense, although he has played all CF. I’d rather have either Anderson or Schafer there full time.
See? Even question marks with Edmonds.
Dream scenario for the dried grape?
1) Bounceback year from FrenchMaid. VERY important to the 2009 Braves.
2) Big rookie year from Schafer. He could be our Shane Victorino. I think it is possible, and almost as important than FrenchConnection, but not quite.
3) Nady in LF. Hey… it’s my dream, right? I want some proven consistency somewhere in my outfield.
3a) OK, I know we aren’t making the trade. Hopefully Diaz can do what he always does to lefties, and BJones can chip in a little productivity from the left side. Maybe…
4) Anderson is a good 4th outfielder/bench guy to have because of his defense and his speed. He’s not a bonafide MLB starter, but I like him on the bench.
Right now, I’m having trouble mustering up much excitement… 😐
I think I need more coffee.
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Right now, I’m having trouble mustering up much excitement…
Well, we wouldn’t want to peak too early would we? 🙂
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But there was clearly some bitterness over the turn of events, some of it directed at media outlets that reported Griffey had decided to play for Atlanta. Pitcher Tim Hudson got into a heated argument in the clubhouse with a newspaper reporter, claiming his story angered Griffey and led him to back out of dealings with the Braves. A team official had to step in and lead Hudson to a back room. Int’l Herald-Tribune
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/02/19/sports/BBN-Braves-Griffey-Fallout.php
😯
Sounds to me like DOB is having a rough week…
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‘Morning, y’all!
Well, at least Glavine is settled. Hope he is very successful and helpful to the other pitchers.
Outfield. Who knows?! It is a golden opportunity for the young guys. One of them should rise to the occasion! Here’s hoping!! Wish we had a realistic shot at Nady.
I wish they’d get the roster settled so I can make a new banner!
Who’s got the next lead??
Gil, I realized that I was trying to fight this battle by myself. Never a good thing! I didn’t ask the doctor for anything. I asked the Great Physician to deliver me from that horrible grinding pain. I took 1 percoset + 2 aspirin and went to bed. I fell asleep, slept like a log for five hours, woke up and that pain was gone. G.O.N.E. That night, for the first time since surgery, I slept the entire night, in my bed, and woke up feeling better than I have in a very long time.
Went to PT. The therapist started the stretching – I had wonderful ROM. She even asked me if she was working on the correct arm. A bit of pain but no tears.
Slept all night last night, even on my left side.
This morning, I was able to bathe and dress myself with only very minor help from Kelly. God is so blessedly wonderful!
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Conflicting reports abound. 🙄
The Rocky-Mountain News says the Braves are focused on GA.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2009/feb/19/ringolsby-legal-ruling-agent-of-change/?partner=RSS
This is tiring…
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AMEN sister girl! He is good – all the time.
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But there was clearly some bitterness over the turn of events, some of it directed at media outlets that reported Griffey had decided to play for Atlanta. Pitcher Tim Hudson got into a heated argument in the clubhouse with a newspaper reporter, claiming his story angered Griffey and led him to back out of dealings with the Braves. A team official had to step in and lead Hudson to a back room.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-braves-griffeyfallout&prov=ap&type=lgns
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You know, I can’t think for a minute a player would be able to get angry at a fluff piece like the AJC. The story written was accurate. Did not say he was signed, just that a close friend said he was close to choosing Atlanta. Other reports state it was Willie Mayes who convinced Junior to return to the Mariners.
I think the AJC was an excuse, not a reason. Huddy needs to cut back on the ‘roids because they are making him edgy.
That said, if Junior was/is that thin skinned then it is no wonder he has always played for a losing ballclub…
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Very nice comparison of Junior and GA:
http://mlbnotebook.com/2009/02/mr-anderson.html
He almost has me convinced. I could go so far as to find a GA avatar…
😀
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A-roid caught in yet another lie:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3920425
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Stat from across the street:
Francoeur (11 homers) and Mark Kotsay (3) were the only Braves oufielders with more than three homers in 2008.
Anybody got GAnderson’s celly digits?
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Another one from over there:
Anderson led Braves outfielders with three homers after the All-Star break, despite playing only 24 games after the break. Francoeur had two in 244 at-bats after the break.
😥
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Gee Raisins, I thought it was going to tell me that A-Roid didn’t really have a “Cousin Vinny”
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Does that mean he “was just a ute“?
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That’s wonderful, CL!!!
Now, Braves. I like Huddy but he needs to get a grip on reality. If Junior is such a headcase that a newspaper report saying someone close to him said he chose the Braves sends him running off pouting to Seattle, then we don’t want him. I think that was a convenient excuse.
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Gil, I agree about Glavine. I have never understood why people seem to hold him personally responsible for the strike.
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Happy 25th Birthday to Mac!
Do y’all think if I brought a cake over to Disney I might get a hug or at least a picture?
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Betcha would! 😀
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Better make it lo-cal, though. 😆
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I don’t allow calorie-counting when it comes to my cakes, VOR. 🙂
Actually a big plate of cookies, brownies or cupcakes (something they could eat on the spot) would probably guarantee a bunch of ’em would stop by my spot on the rail. However I doubt I’d be allowed to bring anything in.
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from Terrence Moore in the ajc:
Smoltz, “I didn’t leave the Braves, by the way. You leave when you’re given a choice.”
Not given a choice? 😯
I really wish he’d shut his pie hole and just pitch. Oh, that’s right, he can’t pitch yet.
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Yankees star Alex Rodriguez has had a long relationship with a steroid-linked trainer who’s been banned from major-league clubhouses, The Daily News in New York reported Friday.
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/9243616/Report:-A-Rod-linked-to-trainer-banned-by-MLB?CMP=OTC-K9B140813162&ATT=49
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Sounds like sour grapes, VOR (not you, you’re sweet). He just can’t leave it alone. It’s a shame that he’s tarnishing his legacy this way.
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Boras is Anderson’s agent…..
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A-roid is a cheat, a liar and bugs the #3!! out of me. I wish he would just go away.
Charles Barkley is human, makes mistakes, and knows how to apologize.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/printedition/la-sp-sports-media20-2009feb20,0,7820789.story
No excuses, no reference to other people, no vague evasive language, no attempt to divert attention from the mistake. Welcome back, Charles.
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And most importantly, NO LIES.
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CL, great news! You deserve a break! 🙂
V, I think you were the one that made a good argument for G.A. (just so people know we are talking about the player, not the state!) a few weeks back. I wasn’t too excited, because Abreu was on the market. But, since Liberty had 500 mil to bail out Sirus/XM, but not 5 mil to bail out left field, he looks a lot better to me.
Everyone was so happy about Griffey, I bit my tongue a bit, and tried to look at the positive. But, his bat is much slower. I don’t think a bad knee makes your bat slow….take away power? Sure, but slow, heavy looking??? I don’t think so. G.A. should have a chip on his shoulder with the Angels dumping him after so many years. If he hits .290, he will drive in a ton of runs for us.
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I have never had a big beef with Glavine either. And…playing Devil’s advocate a bit, Smoltz recalls how Glavine was treated by the Braves…he recalls how Maddux was made out to be a bad guy for accepting arbitration(And the Braves were all the sudden “poor” and didn’t want him anymore anyway)
So, to make sacrifices(Yeah, I know we’d all love the opportunity to make sacrifices and still have millions in the bank) sign for less, for many years, than one gets on the market, then have the new kid, Wren, offer you much less, with less guarantees than a team that has never dealt with you before…I can understand the bitterness to a point…plus, most players are prima donnas! 😀 As are GM’s and Presidents of teams…
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From a Mariners fan on the Jazz board I’m on…
Quincy
As much as I enjoyed watching him grow up with the Mariners and am grateful for what he did for the team, he could be difficult to wholeheartedly like at times. He did some silly things in Cincinnati, such as insist that a certain announcer call his 600th (I think) home run. He’s also had some grudges against various journalists. Perhaps with good reason, I don’t know.
Sad to say he’s pretty much the highlight of the 2009 for the M’s. I hope he can be happy & healthy. However it sounds like the poison locker room still exists at least after reading some quotes from Beltre. It mainly has to do with several players who don’t care for how Ichiro is treated as being above the rest.
The way things are looking we can continue our “my team is worse than yours debate” throughout 2009.
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Okay, this one doesn’t count…. not TJ
http://www.rotoworld.com/content/HeadLines.aspx?sport=MLB&hl=254655
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Well, just as I thought, the Braves did not have to remove anyone from the 40 man roster when they signed Tom Glavine, Tim Hudson (AKA Killer) was placed on the 60 day DL…
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Shocking news… John Rocker admits to being on steroids… 🙂
I wonder if Ron Dibble will ever admit to being on the juice? NAW….
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Interesting article from SI that was written in 2002. It’s a long read but I found it quite interesting about what was “known” then.
http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1025902/1/index.htm
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CL, I’m glad you’re better!
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Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, right?
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2009/02/19/2009-02-19_arods_pal_the_tainted_trainer_steroidlin.html?page=0
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Thanks to all! Another good day today. I think, at this rate, I’ll be back to ‘normal’ in record time! What a magnificent difference!!!
Great articles!!
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Wow. ajc is a complete 3-ring circus. WordPress didn’t last long, did it?
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Good for you CL… I am glad He interceded for you.
Chris, People act like steroids are a new thing, they have been around for a very long time. I know there are some folks who likely did not do steroids, folks like Strawberry and Doc Gooden who chose cocaine instead. It’s no wonder much of our society is brain dead…
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They do seem to be having a lot of problems. I’m glad we don’t have a 100 post limit.
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Must be the more refined group we have FBG.. 🙂
By the way, contrary to popular lore, if you build a ginger bread house they may not come… Players are generally reluctant to accept food stuffs from fans because with all the craziness they are afraid they might ingest something they shouldn’t. I know, it seems crazy but I am afraid that is what the world has evolved to.
Not to worry, I will be glad to take any extra goodies you might have off your hands. “hey, I try to do my part :-)” Anyway, the days are counting down to next week when Josie and I embark on our excellent adventure.
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Photos, Gil, photos! As in many. Multiple! 😆
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I will try my best CL…
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It wouldn’t be allowed in anyway, Gil. Disney security is better than the old guys who check bags at McKechnie.
When are you & Miss Josie headed down?
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Gil, are you still planning to come thru Charleston on your way home? If so, will you have internet access on your trip? If not, I need to give you my cell number so we can get together while you’re here.
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Gil, I posted that Verducci article because I thought that it gave an interesting snapshot as to what was known or believed seven years ago. Seems like quite a lot was going on then. I know that steroids have been around a long time, at least twenty years, and probably more.
What I found most interesting is that players were so open about their use of ‘roids. While not against baseball rules, it was still against federal law. Seems that in those days, everything was out in the open. Nowadays, everyone’s pretending their Sargeant Schultz in Hogan’s Heroes….. “I know nothing”!
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FBG, I will be in Sarasota on the 7th and 8th of March.
Chris, yes, I will e-mail you my number. I expect to be in Charleston, (Isle of Palms) the 8th and/or the 9th of March.
Chris, there are a whole lot of illegal things that the law ignores. It’s illegal to come into this country without a proper visa but you see how well that has turned out. Normally it is only the law abiding who are hurt by the plethora of new laws passed by our congress and general assembly.
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Orlando Hudson has agreed to terms with the Dodgers. Great pickup for LA and a nice landing place for Hudson. LA will be formidable this season if they can get consistent starting pitching minus Lowe. Also, I think they are trying to re-sign some guy… Marty or Mikey or something like that. He’s supposed to be pretty good…
😀
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Something strange about a guy not wanting to sign a $25 million dollar one year contract in a down economy. He should ask Ohman about turning down 5 mill guaranteed… Timing the market can be tough….
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Gil, Manny doesn’t live in the same world that you and I live in. He not only marches to the beat of a different drummer, he has his own orchestra.
And his agent feeds it… 🙄
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The scary thing is he can hold out until July or August with the knowledge that someone with deep pockets and no brains will come along and ante up…
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Sounds like a classic Boras maneuver, doesn’t it?
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Manny always hated spring training anyway… Too many beat writers around I guess. 8)
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It would only be right for Manny to have to sign for only one year, after leaving Boston for having to “settle” for one year, 20 mil contracts. But, for him to get 25 Mil in this economy is disgusting, IMHO. Early in the offseason, that’s one thing, but now??? Let him sit out til July or August, it will cost him millions of dollars, and HOF votes down the road.
How sad is it he might be one of the few non steroid guys of his era, and you can’t root for the guy???
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How sad is it he might be one of the few non steroid guys of his era, and you can’t root for the guy???
Ber, I agree. However, it could be said that what he did was worse than cheating. Manny quit on his team multiple times. He tried to bring his team down. Steroid users were trying to better themselves (albeit for selfish gain) but the by-product of that was that many became more productive players thereby helping their teams.
I don’t fully buy into that, but I’m just saying that some could make that argument.
BTW, where is everyone?
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Gil, I agree with your 7.38. The law does seem to pick and choose what should be enforced. Often, it seems, the things that are enforced aren’t the most important in the big picture but they are brought to the forefront by the media or in this case a book.
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Ghost town tonight, huh, Chris?
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Yup, been a pretty slow day at the old saloon!
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At least our blog works. I’m waiting for ajc.com to implode. Not just Braves’ stuff but everything is wonky there.
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Well, it’s less than a week away so can I start getting excited about seeing the Braves Friday? Not expecting much of a roster, this is probably their furthest ST trip .
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Haven’t been to the ajc in a couple of days. Got kind of tired of the same old bunch of idiots slamming DOB for the Griffey fiasco. I’m not sure who to blame for it, if anyone, but it sure does get tiring. My scroll wheel has been getting a lot of use lately.
You absolutely have permission to get excited about seeing the Braves. I’m excited for you! I used to go to ST every year but haven’t in a while now. You won’t see too many regulars this early but they are required to bring four on each away trip. You probably will see Hayward and some other top prospects though. I hope you have fun and get lots of autographs! If you need any help in that department let me know!
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I’ve never really done the autograph thing. McKechnie Field isn’t good for that, there’s just one small area where you can get close enough for it. Unless you go very early, which Dad & I may do. Only autograph I ever got was Steve Avery’s.
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I hope you do go early. ST is pretty relaxed. It’s a lot of fun to meet the players, take pictures, and chat with the guys. Much more relaxed than a regular season game.
As a female, you have a distinct advantage over any male autographers. Good luck!
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I think you’re confusing me with the girls who show up in bikini tops & little shorts. And I’ve never seen anyone get to chat & take pics with the players here. It’s like a stampede.
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That’s too bad. Maybe you should expand your ST visits to more than just one spot. I’ve had good luck at a lot of places, especially Disney.
Alright, gotta turn in before I turn into a pumpkin. I certainly don’t want to be as orange as Arod was in his interview with Gammons.
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Good morning Stuffville… Finally finished up our room addition yesterday. Well, all except for the carpet. That will have to wait until after vacation I’m afraid.
Yes FBG, the AJC blogs have been a bit screwy, You’re right Chris, many of the same faces over there but some of them do actually know what the are talking about and some really do think they do….
In all fairness, DOB received a couple of cheap shots from Mark Bowman and others in his role in the Griffey debacle. Man was reporting what he heard from what he considered a reliable source. One problem with speed reading is some folks forget to actually read what is said.
And the need for more power… Still believe the Braves are one strong bat in the middle of the line-up away from being “THE” force in the NL East vs being “A” force. The defense and the pitching looks as good as anyone’s so far. It is the run producing factor which appears suspect.
Perhaps some guys can come back or someone can step up. That is what ST is all about I would think.
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WE NEED A NEW LEAD!!!! SOMEBODY??
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It doesn’t have to be of “War & Peace” proportion…….
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I started to read Terence Moore’s latest post on the AJC, (A few days old) but, had to stop….not because I was disagreeing, but because I wasn’t disagreeing with him! 😛
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I really wish he’d shut his pie hole and just pitch. Oh, that’s right, he can’t pitch yet.
He’s exercising the only muscle that works right now…the one that feeds his ego. In fact, it may just be the only muscle he uses the entire season. Dollars to doughnuts he makes less than 10 appearances…if that. Sorry…he’s burning bridges faster than repairs can be made. With time…and humility, he’ll be welcomed into Atlanta’s open arms again, as he did far more good than the recent damage he’s administered. For now, though, he really needs to shut the $%# up! 😯
By the way: Hi, everybody! Back in Muts land through next week! 🙄
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That’s some might “salty” language there, Mister! 🙂
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Folks, it’s all just conjecture shaped to sell newspapers. I’m over it… Like I said, I can see all sides to that argument.
Salty, let us know how the folks up there really feel about the Mets chances this year…
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I gotta be me!
So does Smoltzie…I guess. 🙄
Garret Anderson…ok by me! 😆
Anyone read Chipper’s remarks about Hanson @ DO’B’s site? So…how much confidence does the kid need?
Klobber…sorry I couldnt’ connect with you…never stopped while in Charleston…just ran, ran, ran…then back to ATL and fly to NY. Crazy! Worst of all…I never made it to Bessingers! Now, that’s just wrong! 😡
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Shame on you Salty! Not because you didn’t call me but because you didn’t go to Bessingers!
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So, the Braves sign Garret Anderson to a one year deal. Didn’t we have this conversation last week before Junior came into the picture? Not quite the star quality of Griffey but actually a better fit right now. Okay, let the games begin…
http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/stories/2009/02/22/braves_garret_anderson.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab
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Here’s another interesting article from the SI Vault about drug use and steroid use in all sports. It’s from 1969 and gives an interesting perspective to what was going on forty years back.
http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1082543/1/index.htm
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Oh sure, Garrett Anderson signed a contract, but does that really mean anything??? 😕
I said about dang time with Griffey, it just feels…meh….right now. Then I read on the Mlbtraderumors sight that he will platoon, but don’t see that info on DOB’s article, in fact, Bobby talks about how he can hit both. IF Diaz is tearing the cover off the ball, maybe, but I saw some clip of spring training on one of the local channels while working out(no sound, no CC) and I saw Diaz from behind take one of those terrible wiffs, off balance, just looked terrible.
Hopefully, with G.A. always being a starter, that is what will happen, with Diaz filling in once a week or so, and pinch hitting.
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Ber, I just think everyone just got a little crazy with the prospect of Griffey coming to Atlanta and we all sort of lost touch with reality on how much a factor Junior would really be. Then at the height of the frenzy, Griffey said never mind. Just sucked all the air out of the room and left everyone feeling a bit out of sorts.
Reality is Garret is a better choice and will help the team. That said, Garret is at the point in his career that he is not an everyday player so while it might not be a straight platoon in left field with Diaz, Matt will still get a fair share of playing time. All and all, that is not a bad thing. 162 games is a long season and it will be good if some of the older guys have something left at the end.
Like I said, you just don’t want to peak too early.
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I think we are all ready to see some baseball. be it just spring training. still time to get into the swing of things…
Keys for the year, stop being beat up by the Phillies… You just can’t be owned by a club like the Braves were owned by Philly. If the Braves just play them even this year, it will make a huge difference at the end of the season.
Right now I think the Braves are pretty even with New York and Philadelphia, going to come down to who stays healthy and pitching depth. I don’t know about the staying healthy but the Bravos really do have some nice depth in the pitching department.
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Yes, Klobber…I have sinned! 😦 Those onion rings…mmm…mmm…Gil…you and Josie must check out Bessingers. Good stuff…and you will be stuffed! 😆
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I will put it on my list of must see places…
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Gil, when you and Josie are here perhaps we could go to Bessingers. Excellent bbq with mustard-based sauce, THE WAY GOD INTENDED IT TO BE! 🙂 Salty is right about those onion rings. Simply sinful.
Of course, I’ll need to see a note from your cardiologist first for liability reasons!
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Yes…friends aside, a medical release is a must! Bessingers is very good…healthy? Not so much! 😆
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Salty, how your dad?
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What I meant to say was, How IS your dad?
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Welcome home, Salty!
BBQ & onion rings? It’s my mom’s version of heaven.
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I’m relieved to get Anderson into the fold. Now we’re ready for games.
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I agree about Anderson FBG. He’s a known quantity, unlike some of the kids. I’d just as soon see Shafer spend a little more time in the minors developing his game. J Anderson or Blanco in CF, French Toast in RF and Garrett Anderson in left with Matt on the bench works for me.
Any one have any idea about who might get dropped from the 40-man or will they put Hudson on the 60-day DL to create a spot?
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That’s how I feel too, Chris. Too many unknown quantities in the outfield before.
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Hey, FBG…thanks for the greeting, but I’m not home…I’m in New York…but with family, so not all bad.
Klobber…my dad’s procedure went well, but he called a few hours ago with chest discomfort and was headed to the hospital. He’s admitted overnight…not considered serious, although it is the heart, so…. He sounds much better now than a few hours ago, so that’s positive. Hopefully, he has a restful night and heads home tomorrow. We shall see…and thanks for asking!
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Well, you’re “home” with us now anyway. Hope Salty Sr. has a good night.
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Salty, sorry to hear about the complications. Did you say he’s at Roper? I just learned today that one of my neighbors is a nurse on the cardiac floor there. I’ll tell her to keep an eye out for him.
Have fun in the Big (Rotten) Apple!
FBG, when you think about it, offensive production from the outfield was abysmal last year. French Braid is a huge question mark. The CF position is unfilled so far. GA gives them something solid in one of those positions. I hope it works out. He’s a good clubhouse guy too from what I’ve read.
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Braves on ESPN Thurs. at 1. I believe Hanson is supposed to pitch 2 innings that game after Lowe. I’ll see KK Fri. here.
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Yeah, we can all hope Frenchy’s got it turned around but how do you know ’til the games start? And the rest of them, well- Matty’s knee & crazy swing ????, Josh is fast but how much will he hit???, Blanco???, BJones????, don’t think Schafer is ready just yet. Too many question marks for me too feel comfortable.
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to feel comfortable…
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tofeel too comfortable! You have it goin’ both ways! 😆
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FBG, you raise some pertinent questions. Hopefully they are answered (correctly) in ST. Of course, we’ll be looking for a full scouting report on the newest Japanese phenom on Friday afternoon……
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Salty, glad “test” is behind your Father, and he will be release from the hospital very soon! Crazy test, if you ask me…
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Good morning all, Chris, Hudson was placed on the 60 day DL to create a spot for Glavine. We will see who the Braves think is expendable shortly. Likely it will be a pitcher.
Salty, I hope all is well with your dad. Smart man not taking any chances now. Once bitten twice shy….
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Now this sleazy…
http://www.timesdispatch.com/rtd/sports/professional/professional_baseball/article/BOWGAT23_20090223-060204/213221/
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Gil, I saw a different article on this subject somewhere yesterday. If true, wow, what a dirtbag that guy is. Sickening.
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I have learn not to be too judgmental or jump to conclusions to early but evidently this practice has been going on for some time now.
Somehow it all seems to fit with Washington DC. Kickbacks and bribes are the norm there. Likely they will nail the bad guys with an income tax evasion charge. That is like the “lying to the investigators” charges we see in conjunction with the steroids scandal.
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Gil, what you said at 8:39p.
And, 182 games is a really long season. In fact, it would require a one game playoff at the end of the regular season, 5 in the NLDS, 7 in the NLCS, and 7 in the WS.
😀
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Wow… 😯
You just don’t expect THAT in baseball. It is in Washington, though. You DO expect that in DC.
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I am SO multi-tasking at the moment.
I am listening to Huddy on 680 the Fan, who are broadcasting from the ballpark this week.
I am engaged in a “chat” conversation with my brother on gmail.
I am catching up on the blog.
I am reading the news on GA.
I am trying to do some inflow and outflow work items.
Whew!
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ajc:
With runners in scoring position, Anderson hit .338, including .356 with two outs.
THAT is huge on this team. Their failure last season in that area is well documented.
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OK, let’s look at the ol’ “to-do” list:
Acquire 2 solid starters – check
Acquire LF with solid bat – check
Acquire back-up catcher – check
Solidify bench – check
Take care of arb deals – check
Extend Chipper – ~~~~~
I said, extend Chipper – ~~~~~
Frank, there’s still a very important item left on your list. If you can take care of this one you will have had a very successful, if turbulant, offseason. How ironic to make that statement after the way it started…
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Yep, those are a little like Terry Pendelton’s numbers back in ’91
Yep, 182 is a really long season…. I would claim a typo but the 6 and the 8 are not that close together…
Okay, as much as I hate to get up and do something useful on my list today, no one has volunteered to come over and do them for me. Only a couple of more days to make sure the house is ready for Josie’s and my absence.
I’ll pop in later. Wind chill has it at 17 degrees this AM.
Can’t wait for those warm sea breezes…
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What is it with these guys??
VIERA, Fla. (AP) – Left-hander Odalis Perez was a no-show at the Washington Nationals’ training camp Sunday, the last day for players to report without facing the possibility of disciplinary action.
Perez has expressed his dissatisfaction with his contract since he gave his agent the OK to sign a non-guaranteed minor league deal with Washington on Feb. 5 that would pay him $850,000 if he makes the team, the same stipulation he faced last year.
You’d think that a pitcher with a losing 7-12 record would be thankful to have a contract. Guess not.
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I think he wants part of the stimulus money CL… He sees everyone else in DC with their hand out so it figures “why not me”???
Sigh… It’s all a drama camp….
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I always like Bowden as well…shows you can’t always judge a person from 60 second interviews on tv, and what others have written about them. 😕
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Gil, can you put a good word in for me with Kasten??? I can GM for…lets say, half of what Bowden got. And I can throw in my leftie craftiness and replace O. Perez as well! I bet I could throw as hard as he does. Once. Then they’d carry me off on a stretcher, but it would be worth it.
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This find an error thingy is frustrating, but still a good way to kill time for a little bit…
http://www.accessatlanta.com/news/content/entertainment/find_five_challenge_2_13_09.html
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OK – an absolutely brilliant new lead is posted – just my humble opinion, of course… 😆 😆
NEW BLOG IS UP!
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