AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2006 > August > 28
Monday, August 28, 2006
The “homeboy” equation solved
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Can you imagine if, say, Gary Sheffield had called John Schuerholz the “homeboy upstairs”? Man, would that have been fun, or what?
Anyway, gotta hand it to Jeff Schultz (or as I like to call him, the homeboy columnist). He got folks talking, which is what his job is about, in large part.
I’m not gonna call Schuerholz today for a comment about Smoltz’s comments to Schultz (or, J.S. to J.S. on J.S.) That can wait until tomorrow, since it’d be rather self-serving of the AJC, I think, to call and get a comment about being called “homeboy” by the (bearded) face of the franchise.
(Chipper would be the non-bearded face of said franchise. Or the homeboy at third base.)
Anyway, again, Smoltzie has stirred up a (bleep)storm for what, the third or fourth time this season? There was the interview where he said he’d be open to being traded somewhere else if it’d “help the Braves,” and his call for the front office to make a trade, and now this.
God love him. He makes our jobs a lot easier, being so candid. It’d be one thing if, say, Tyler Yates said it. Or Horacio Ramirez. Or just about anyone else, other than the Joneses. But when Smoltz says something, given his accomplishments and service to the franchise, it really carries substantial weight.
So when the Sunday baseball chapel-attending spokesman for Home Depot calls the dean of GMs the “homeboy upstairs,” it’s a bit jarring, to say the least.
I’d suggest Schuerholz probably spit up his coffee when he opened the newspaper this morning - but I’m pretty certain he was informed or directed to the quote sometime last night, since it was posted by early evening on our website.
Hey, say what you will about this rollercoaster of a disappointing season for Los Bravos, but there has rarely been a dull moment, has there? Man, this team used to be vanilla-bland, button-down, etc. Still are, relatively speaking, when compared to many other teams.
But when the 39-year-old former Cy Young Award and likely Hall of Famer calls the most respected GM in baseball (he is still that, folks, despite how this season has transpired) the “homeboy upstairs” well, what a country. What a game.
There’s something to be said for having the stature and confidence to say whatever the hell’s on your mind whenever you want, huh? Must be nice.
Oh, and for the record, of course the Braves should exercise the option - and do it now. At $8 mill next season, there’s no way they won’t exercise it.
And while the Braves and other teams always wait until after the season to exercise such options, especially on 39-year-old pitchers with extensive arm problems in the past, my opinion is they should make an exception in this one case, because they’ll not have another case like this ever again.
Pick up the option now. Smoltz deserves to have that security as he plows through these final six weeks of the season, leaving it all out on the field every start as he turns back the clock and continues this remarkable stretch. It’s just good for the entire team, a gesture to the future Seniors Tour golfer and to all the young guys on this team who respect him so much.
Just swallow the pride, put aside the ego, forget he called you a homeboy, and tell him the option’s being picked up (and by the way, this would be a good time to point out that this might just be the biggest ongoing clash of the towering egos outside of Dallas Cowboys training camp).
Even if something were to happen to Smoltz after the option’s exercised, he’s deserving of the $8 mill next season. Look at it this way: Combine his $11 mill salary this season and $8 mill next season, and the $19 mill isn’t much more than the one-year market rate these days for a pitcher of his ilk.
And that’s not even taking into account what he’s done for the Braves (and yes, I realize they’ve done plenty for him, too.)
Oh, today’s fun stat: Smoltz is 8-3 with a 2.60 ERA at home this season, while the rest of the Braves pitchers are 20-31 with a 5.06 ERA!
OK, what’s your favorite Monday song? I’ve got two here. You like either or both? Or have another, better one? And if you don’t like music, then skip over it and post a baseball thought, don’t bother complaining about the music being on the baseball blog. Nobody wants to hear that whining here.
I Don’t Like Mondays” by the Boomtown Rats
*The silicon chip inside her head/Gets switched to overload.
And nobody’s gonna go to school today,/She’s going to make them stay at home.
And daddy doesn’t understand it,/He always said she was as good as gold.
And he can see no reason/’Cause there are no reasons/What reason do you need to be shown?
Tell me why?/I don’t like Mondays.
Tell me why?/I don’t like Mondays.
Tell me why?/I don’t like Mondays.
I want to shoot/The whole day down.
The telex machine is kept so clean/As it types to a waiting world.
And mother feels so shocked,/Father’s world is rocked,
And their thoughts turn to/Their own little girl.
Sweet 16 ain’t so peachy keen,/No, it ain’t so neat to admit defeat.
They can see no reasons”Cause there are no reasons/What reason do you need to be shown?
Tell me why?/I don’t like Mondays.
Tell me why?/I don’t like Mondays.
Tell me why?/I don’t like Mondays.
I want to shoot/The whole day down.
All the playing’s stopped in the playground now/She wants to play with her toys a while.
And school’s out early and soon we’ll be learning/And the lesson today is how to die.
And then the bullhorn crackles,/And the captain crackles,
With the problems and the how’s and why’s.
And he can see no reasons/’Cause there are no reasons/What reason do you need to die?
Tell me why?/I don’t like Mondays.
Tell me why?/I don’t like Mondays.
Tell me why?/I don’t like Mondays.
I want to shoot/The whole day down.
Or?
“MONDAY, MONDAY” by The Mamas and The Papas
Monday Monday, so good to me,/Monday Monday, it was all I hoped it would be.
Oh Monday morning, Monday morning couldn’t guarantee/That Monday evening you would still be here with me.
Monday Monday, can’t trust that day,/Monday Monday, sometimes it just turns out that way
Oh Monday morning, you gave me no warning of what was to be/Oh Monday Monday, how you could leave and not take me.
Every other day, every other day,/Every other day of the week is fine, yeah/But whenever Monday comes, but whenever Monday comes/You can find me cryin’ all of the time
Monday Monday, so good to me,/Monday Monday, it was all I hoped it would be
Oh Monday morning, Monday morning couldn’t guarantee/That Monday evening you would still be here with me.
Every other day, every other day,/Every other day of the week is fine, yeah/But whenever Monday comes, but whenever Monday comes/You can find me cryin all of the time
Monday Monday …
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