Happy Trails, Tom

Tom Glavine was released by the Atlanta Braves yesterday. The 43-year-old lefty was just ready to come back from injury after making his last rehab start, only to be shocked by his release. I concur with Chipper Jones who said, “Sentimentally, [the day] stunk. But if you look at it in terms of this organization going forward, you have to hope it’s a step in the right direction.”

We’ll miss you, Tom.

In his honor, I wanted to bring back something from his glory days, the immortal Nike commercial with him and Greg Maddux, “Chicks Dig The Long Ball.”

This is still hysterical.

Braves (and Baseball) Lose a Legend

Skip Caray, the legendary announcer for the Atlanta Braves for so many years, passed away on Sunday in his sleep. Growing up a Braves fan watching TBS, I’ll never forget Skip’s ability to be harshly sarcastic, while being lovable and hysterical at the same time. My favorite Skip-ism is when there was a foul ball into the stands. “And a fan from (obscure town), GA goes home with a souvenir,” Skip would quip.

He was also about the most honest announcer in history. He was known to give viewers permission to turn off the game when the Braves were stinking it up. He had a blunt mouth and a big heart. I’ve listened to him call games for my favorite team pretty much my whole life, and he will be greatly missed.

From the Atlanta Journal Constitution:

“It’s a sad day,” John Smoltz said. “There are no words. Sad doesn’t do it justice. I will always remember Skip for his humor and his ability to go about life the way he did. I gained so much respect for what he did and how long he did and how he did.”

“I figured Skip Caray is as much a part of Atlanta Braves baseball as any of us,” said Jones, who will rejoin the team in Arizona later this week. “We all grew up listening to Skip, whether it be on TV or radio. Any time the guys on ESPN imitate [you] calling the highlights, you’re pretty much a legend. From a fan’s standpoint, he’s going to be a huge loss for them because he relayed the games to fans for so long.”

…Said manager Bobby Cox: “This was completely unexpected and is a complete loss. I had just spoken with Skip this week when we did the radio show and I didn’t know he wasn’t feeling well. He seemed in his normal good spirits. We’ve all lost a very good friend. For me, he was a good buddy — at the park and away from the park. We always had a lot of great laughs. He will be very sorely missed.”

From Dave O’Brien at AJC:

Skip was in the pantheon of great baseball broadcasters, in my book. That he didn’t get selected to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown while alive is a shame. If he doesn’t get elected soon it’ll be a complete injustice. Yes, he was that good, that impactful, that important. No doubt…

When the Braves looked awful, Skip would say it — he’d spare no words in his brutal assessment of the team to others of us who covered it, and on the air he’d make his point with acerbic humor, rather than express some phony, rose-colored lens view that no one would’ve bought anyway…

And he wasn’t phony. Nothing about him was.

You knew where you stood with him, and you knew how he felt about the team, about baseball and about the corporations and networks that have pumped so much money into the game and hijacked it, for all intents and purposes. They arrogantly believe they can make whatever changes, subtle or otherwise, they see fit to make to further their own interests. They believe that because they can.

Skip hated a lot of that stuff. But he loved the game. Man, how he loved it….

We’re gonna miss Skip. We’re gonna miss him something fierce.

The venerable broadcaster, who lived life to the absolute fullest, died Sunday in his sleep.

Rest in peace.

Here’s a few other stories:

Chipper, Cox, other Braves mourn Caray (AJC)
Skip Caray did it his way (AJC)
Braves grieve after losing great friend (MLB.com)
Farewell to Skip Caray (ESPN.com)

We’ll miss you Skip. Thanks for all the great memories.

Braves (and Baseball) Lose a Legend

Skip Caray, the legendary announcer for the Atlanta Braves for so many years, passed away on Sunday in his sleep. Growing up a Braves fan watching TBS, I’ll never forget Skip’s ability to be harshly sarcastic, while being lovable and hysterical at the same time. My favorite Skip-ism is when there was a foul ball into the stands. “And a fan from (obscure town), GA goes home with a souvenir,” Skip would quip.

He was also about the most honest announcer in history. He was known to give viewers permission to turn off the game when the Braves were stinking it up. He had a blunt mouth and a big heart. I’ve listened to him call games for my favorite team pretty much my whole life, and he will be greatly missed.

From the Atlanta Journal Constitution:

“It’s a sad day,” John Smoltz said. “There are no words. Sad doesn’t do it justice. I will always remember Skip for his humor and his ability to go about life the way he did. I gained so much respect for what he did and how long he did and how he did.”

“I figured Skip Caray is as much a part of Atlanta Braves baseball as any of us,” said Jones, who will rejoin the team in Arizona later this week. “We all grew up listening to Skip, whether it be on TV or radio. Any time the guys on ESPN imitate [you] calling the highlights, you’re pretty much a legend. From a fan’s standpoint, he’s going to be a huge loss for them because he relayed the games to fans for so long.”

…Said manager Bobby Cox: “This was completely unexpected and is a complete loss. I had just spoken with Skip this week when we did the radio show and I didn’t know he wasn’t feeling well. He seemed in his normal good spirits. We’ve all lost a very good friend. For me, he was a good buddy — at the park and away from the park. We always had a lot of great laughs. He will be very sorely missed.”

From Dave O’Brien at AJC:

Skip was in the pantheon of great baseball broadcasters, in my book. That he didn’t get selected to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown while alive is a shame. If he doesn’t get elected soon it’ll be a complete injustice. Yes, he was that good, that impactful, that important. No doubt…

When the Braves looked awful, Skip would say it — he’d spare no words in his brutal assessment of the team to others of us who covered it, and on the air he’d make his point with acerbic humor, rather than express some phony, rose-colored lens view that no one would’ve bought anyway…

And he wasn’t phony. Nothing about him was.

You knew where you stood with him, and you knew how he felt about the team, about baseball and about the corporations and networks that have pumped so much money into the game and hijacked it, for all intents and purposes. They arrogantly believe they can make whatever changes, subtle or otherwise, they see fit to make to further their own interests. They believe that because they can.

Skip hated a lot of that stuff. But he loved the game. Man, how he loved it….

We’re gonna miss Skip. We’re gonna miss him something fierce.

The venerable broadcaster, who lived life to the absolute fullest, died Sunday in his sleep.

Rest in peace.

Here’s a few other stories:

Chipper, Cox, other Braves mourn Caray (AJC)
Skip Caray did it his way (AJC)
Braves grieve after losing great friend (MLB.com)
Farewell to Skip Caray (ESPN.com)

We’ll miss you Skip. Thanks for all the great memories.

Chipper on the Onion

Chipper on the Onion

Smoltzie’s Done

The aching shoulder was just too much to take, even for the ultimate competitor. John Smoltz announced he’s having season-ending shoulder surgery, ending his 2008 campaign and possibly his Hall-of-Fame career. It’s a sad day for us Braves fans who have appreciated his grit and determination to compete at the highest level for this long regardless of his circumstances. Whether that meant moving to new roles (closer), old roles (back to starter 3 1/2 years later), new arm angles, etc., the man was willing to do whatever he had to to help his team compete.

There’s still a chance he could come back next year, but the way he’s talking, I doubt it. He wants to be able to lift his arm well enough to play with his kids, play golf, have a life once baseball’s done. Can’t blame a 41-year-old for that. If he decides he can come back, I will be ecstatic to get to see him a few more times, but, regardless, he’s a legend in my book.

Some teammates’ reactions:

Jeff Francouer:

“To be honest with you, I’m happy for him in the fact that he can have some closure this season. He wanted to get back worse than anybody, but his arm wouldn’t allow him to do it.

People said he’d never be able to start again, he came out and started again. He’s pretty much been able to do whatever he wants. And so in here we’ll lose a leader and a guy everybody looked up to, but baseball will just lose a guy that really is one of the top three or four guys that when you talk about major league baseball, he’s the face of it.”

Brian McCann:

“All year long, he goes out there and gives us everything he’s got when he’s hurting. It just shows you what kind of guy he is. I look up to him. He’s a great teammate and a great friend.”

Bobby Cox:

“He’s been such a special guy in this clubhouse and a special guy on this club and has meant so much to everything that has been accomplished here.”

Tom Glavine:

“He has demonstrated time and again the ability to come back from an injury or adjust the way he pitches or adjust his role. He’s a great athlete. He’s got a great work ethic in terms of what he expects out of himself. It’s that desire to keep pushing and keep going that’s proven he can come back.”

…and Smoltz:

“This spring, where my frustration came in was I was looking forward to this year more than any year I’ve ever played, with Tommy [Glavine] coming back, with the possibility of this team being as good as I thought it could be. I did what I thought was best – and I almost pulled it off. It almost worked. The irony is the first four games is probably the best I’ve ever thrown…There’s not one bitter, remorseful sad bone in my body.”

Click here for a timeline of Smoltzie’s career.

Smoltzie’s Done

The aching shoulder was just too much to take, even for the ultimate competitor. John Smoltz announced he’s having season-ending shoulder surgery, ending his 2008 campaign and possibly his Hall-of-Fame career. It’s a sad day for us Braves fans who have appreciated his grit and determination to compete at the highest level for this long regardless of his circumstances. Whether that meant moving to new roles (closer), old roles (back to starter 3 1/2 years later), new arm angles, etc., the man was willing to do whatever he had to to help his team compete.

There’s still a chance he could come back next year, but the way he’s talking, I doubt it. He wants to be able to lift his arm well enough to play with his kids, play golf, have a life once baseball’s done. Can’t blame a 41-year-old for that. If he decides he can come back, I will be ecstatic to get to see him a few more times, but, regardless, he’s a legend in my book.

Some teammates’ reactions:

Jeff Francouer:

“To be honest with you, I’m happy for him in the fact that he can have some closure this season. He wanted to get back worse than anybody, but his arm wouldn’t allow him to do it.

People said he’d never be able to start again, he came out and started again. He’s pretty much been able to do whatever he wants. And so in here we’ll lose a leader and a guy everybody looked up to, but baseball will just lose a guy that really is one of the top three or four guys that when you talk about major league baseball, he’s the face of it.”

Brian McCann:

“All year long, he goes out there and gives us everything he’s got when he’s hurting. It just shows you what kind of guy he is. I look up to him. He’s a great teammate and a great friend.”

Bobby Cox:

“He’s been such a special guy in this clubhouse and a special guy on this club and has meant so much to everything that has been accomplished here.”

Tom Glavine:

“He has demonstrated time and again the ability to come back from an injury or adjust the way he pitches or adjust his role. He’s a great athlete. He’s got a great work ethic in terms of what he expects out of himself. It’s that desire to keep pushing and keep going that’s proven he can come back.”

…and Smoltz:

“This spring, where my frustration came in was I was looking forward to this year more than any year I’ve ever played, with Tommy [Glavine] coming back, with the possibility of this team being as good as I thought it could be. I did what I thought was best – and I almost pulled it off. It almost worked. The irony is the first four games is probably the best I’ve ever thrown…There’s not one bitter, remorseful sad bone in my body.”

Click here for a timeline of Smoltzie’s career.

Can We Win a Game on the Road, Please?

Why it’s frustrating to be a Braves fan: simultaneously the best home team while also the worst road team. Not to mention they’re 1-11 in 1-run games. Yeah, 1-11. And they’re only 3.5 games back. Imagine if they could do anything in the clutch. I’d almost rather lose by 5 or 6 runs than 1 run every game.

East	W	L	Pct	GB	Home		Road	East	Cent	West	Streak	L10
Florida Marlins	23	16	.590	–	12-9		11-7	12-5	9-7	2-4	Lost 2	7-3
Philadelphia Phillies	22	18	.550	1.5	11-8		11-10	4-6	9-6	9-6	Won 1	5-5
New York Mets	20	17	.541	2.0	12-7		8-10	13-8	4-6	3-3	Won 1	5-5
Atlanta Braves	19	19	.500	3.5	14-4		5-15	8-11	5-5	6-3	Lost 1	6-4
Washington Nationals	16	24	.400	7.5	10-11		6-13	10-17	6-7	0-0	Lost 1	4-6

Can We Win a Game on the Road, Please?

Why it’s frustrating to be a Braves fan: simultaneously the best home team while also the worst road team. Not to mention they’re 1-11 in 1-run games. Yeah, 1-11. And they’re only 3.5 games back. Imagine if they could do anything in the clutch. I’d almost rather lose by 5 or 6 runs than 1 run every game.

East	W	L	Pct	GB	Home		Road	East	Cent	West	Streak	L10
Florida Marlins	23	16	.590	–	12-9		11-7	12-5	9-7	2-4	Lost 2	7-3
Philadelphia Phillies	22	18	.550	1.5	11-8		11-10	4-6	9-6	9-6	Won 1	5-5
New York Mets	20	17	.541	2.0	12-7		8-10	13-8	4-6	3-3	Won 1	5-5
Atlanta Braves	19	19	.500	3.5	14-4		5-15	8-11	5-5	6-3	Lost 1	6-4
Washington Nationals	16	24	.400	7.5	10-11		6-13	10-17	6-7	0-0	Lost 1	4-6

3,000 Strikeouts for One

John Smoltz, pitcher of 20 years for my favorite team, the Atlanta Braves, reached a milestone last night that few before have been able to obtain. In a game against the Washington Nationals, on a 2-2 splitter to Felipe Lopez, Smoltz struck out his 3,000th batter of his career. He is only the 16th pitcher in MLB history to strike out that many.

Terrance Moore from the Atlanta Journal Constitution has a good story on Smoltz and the game last night.

Now, despite the fact that my wife has a somewhat-creepy crush on him, John is, and will be until he retires, my favorite player. Not only is he a great competitor who can dominate on the mound in any circumstances, he is a man of integrity and a man of God who follows Jesus Christ. His charity work has been well-documented, and he routinely speaks at events for Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and has shared his testimony on “Faith Day” for the Atlanta Braves.

In an interview with “Sharing the Victory” magazine about FCA, John said: “People ask me how I can go out and pitch in front of 45-50 thousand people. I tell them I’m not pitching for 45-50 thousand people. I’m pitching for One.”

Here’s an article from CBN about Smoltz, and here’s some videos to commemorate this milestone for John:

A recap of the game where it happened (he struck out 10 in the game in 7 innings):

The tribute they showed on the video board at Turner Field in Atlanta when it happened (done by a hand-held camera, so it’s not perfect, but still worth seeing):

Congrats John, and thanks.

3,000 Strikeouts for One

John Smoltz, pitcher of 20 years for my favorite team, the Atlanta Braves, reached a milestone last night that few before have been able to obtain. In a game against the Washington Nationals, on a 2-2 splitter to Felipe Lopez, Smoltz struck out his 3,000th batter of his career. He is only the 16th pitcher in MLB history to strike out that many.

Terrance Moore from the Atlanta Journal Constitution has a good story on Smoltz and the game last night.

Now, despite the fact that my wife has a somewhat-creepy crush on him, John is, and will be until he retires, my favorite player. Not only is he a great competitor who can dominate on the mound in any circumstances, he is a man of integrity and a man of God who follows Jesus Christ. His charity work has been well-documented, and he routinely speaks at events for Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and has shared his testimony on “Faith Day” for the Atlanta Braves.

In an interview with “Sharing the Victory” magazine about FCA, John said: “People ask me how I can go out and pitch in front of 45-50 thousand people. I tell them I’m not pitching for 45-50 thousand people. I’m pitching for One.”

Here’s an article from CBN about Smoltz, and here’s some videos to commemorate this milestone for John:

A recap of the game where it happened (he struck out 10 in the game in 7 innings):

The tribute they showed on the video board at Turner Field in Atlanta when it happened (done by a hand-held camera, so it’s not perfect, but still worth seeing):

Congrats John, and thanks.

He has the what?

I like Mike Hampton, I really do. Despite all the injuries and the big salary that has basically gone to waste. I feel for the guy who has essentially been injured for 2 and a half years straight now. I’m not one of those Braves fans who blames him, I just think he’s had an extraordinary run of bad luck.

The other night, he was prepared to make his first start in 31 and a half months, only to strain a pectoral muscle (completely unrelated to his other injuries and a fluke). Emotionally, that had to be tough.

But this line by Jeff Schulz of the Atlanta Journal Constitution was great:

“Mike Hampton suddenly has the durability of a Peep in a microwave.”

Ouch.

He has the what?

I like Mike Hampton, I really do. Despite all the injuries and the big salary that has basically gone to waste. I feel for the guy who has essentially been injured for 2 and a half years straight now. I’m not one of those Braves fans who blames him, I just think he’s had an extraordinary run of bad luck.

The other night, he was prepared to make his first start in 31 and a half months, only to strain a pectoral muscle (completely unrelated to his other injuries and a fluke). Emotionally, that had to be tough.

But this line by Jeff Schulz of the Atlanta Journal Constitution was great:

“Mike Hampton suddenly has the durability of a Peep in a microwave.”

Ouch.

Tito and the Gun Show

My Braves are taking on the New York Mets today in the first meeting between the two NL East favorites after last night’s matchup was rained out. It will be Tim Hudson vs. John Maine.

In honor of Timmy’s second start of the season, wanted to share this song by Tito and the Gun Show. They made a splash last year with their song about Mark Teixeira (even got to perform that song at Turner Field before a Braves game), and they came back with this Timmy Hudson ditty.

Go Bravos!

Tito and the Gun Show

My Braves are taking on the New York Mets today in the first meeting between the two NL East favorites after last night’s matchup was rained out. It will be Tim Hudson vs. John Maine.

In honor of Timmy’s second start of the season, wanted to share this song by Tito and the Gun Show. They made a splash last year with their song about Mark Teixeira (even got to perform that song at Turner Field before a Braves game), and they came back with this Timmy Hudson ditty.

Go Bravos!