AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2007 > April > 29
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Wish you were here … and be nice!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With this blog today I feel like a New Orleans cop on horseback, moving in to disperse an unruly crowd (not that I ever witnessed that up close and personal or anything, not during JazzFest a decade ago, or anything like that….)
So much tension on the last blog, you’d never know you folks follow a team that was in first place before today with a 15-8 record, with the most road wins (nine) in the majors.
But hey, when you’re engaged in heated debate over how to better the back end of the starting rotation, like certain individuals here, then I can understand how you wouldn’t see the forest for the trees.
But anyway … hey, need to know if it’s worth the time of writing a new blog on a Sunday afternoon, when you all aren’t in the office jabbering online. Are there enough Braves/Man In Black blog denizens at homes or on weekend jobs or whatever to make it worth the time to post a new blog once on the weekends, either Saturday or Sunday, so the other one doesn’t sit there from Friday to Monday?
Show by responding with plenty of posts, please. Flood this thing. That’s the only way I’ll know. And let’s try to make them good posts, leaving some of yesterday’s garbage behind (but obviously continuing any relevant discussions that might actually be non-offensive to a good portion of the audience).
I don’t know what it’s like where you all are, but I’m telling you, there can’t possibly be nicer weather that what I’m in right now on this Sunday afternoon in Denver, where it’s about 80 degrees, 20-percent or so humidity, and not a cloud in the sky. Absolutely stunning weather, and perfect for ‘ball.
Let’s hope Kyle Davies and the lads make it a swell afternoon at the ‘yard.
Paronto on rehab assignment: In case you missed my post on the other blog an hour ago, Chad Paronto’s going to do a brief rehab assignment with Class A Rome on Monday and Ol’ Double-A Miss on Wednesday, after which he’ll be activated from the DL and rejoin the bullpen. The Braves will obviously be glad to get him back; he’s a big part of the ‘pen, literally and figuratively.
Funny scene yesterday, when Paronto was walking back from the weight room here at Coors Field, and me and another guy were standing by the clubhouse door. “Just lifted the whole weight room,” said Paronto, who is the size of a freezer.
McCann gets day off: Brian McCann is out of the lineup today, only the fourth game (in 24) that the catcher hasn’t started behind the plate. When I asked Bobby Cox if McCann was at all sluggish or needed a rest, he looked at me like I had two heads. As Bobby correctly pointed out, McCann is hitting balls as hard as ever, including one that was caught at the center-field wall Saturday.
He’s 1-for-13 in his past three games, but McCann was 5-for-13 with four doubles in the first three games of the trip, and also had a two-RBI game at Florida in the middle. He’s fine. The finger he hurt last weekend isn’t an issue, and McCann is still hitting .295 with 10 extra-base hits and 13 RBIs.
Chipper feeling … well, OK, what’s a synonym for “chipper?”… He’s feeling good, relatively speaking. Has a bit of tightness in his left thigh, apparently, but not anything to keep him out of the lineup.
And when I entered the clubhouse this morning, old Hoss was playing on a big rubber exercise ball like a little kid. Bunch of Braves were watching ESPN on the big screen hanging in the middle of the clubhouse, and Chipper puts the ball down in front of them and runs and dives on it, grinning like a kid.
He’s played every game, and all but a couple of innings all season. Cox said he won’t even let him take him out for a pinch-runner, so determined is the third baseman to keep playing and contributing.
And folks, he’s contributing in a huge way: Entering today, Chipper’s batting .319 with seven doubles, a triple, a team-high seven homers, 16 RBIs, a .421 OBP and a gaudy .648 slugging percentage.
He’s third in the NL in slugging behind Bonds (.828) and Miguel Cabrera (.688), and Chipper’s fourth in OPS (1.069) behind those two and Aaron Rowand.
I was curious and looked up Chipper’s numbers since last summer. In 74 games since June 24 he’s hit .364 (102-for-280) with 23 doubles, three triples, 26 homers, 67 RBIs, 64 runs, 42 walks, a .446 OBP and a 1.192 OPS. Again, 74 games.
OK, game’s starting. Gotta go … A little music, maestro:
“STILL FEELING BLUE” by Gram Parsons
Time can pass and time can heal/But it don’t ever pass the way I feel
You went away a long time ago/And why you left I never knew
The lonely days and lonely nights/Guess the world knows I ain’t feelin’ right
And when you’re gone the hours pass so slow/And now I’m still feeling blue
And baby/Since you’ve walked out of my life
I never felt so low/Can’t help but wonder why you had to go
There are many girls but I can’t say/They come and go but still I feel this way
And ever since the day you said goodbye/No one treats me like you used to do
I hope you’re out and happy now/Doing up the town cause you know how
Every time I hear your name I want to die/And now I’m still feeling blue
All right
And baby/Since you’ve walked out of my life
I never felt so low/Can’t help but wonder why you had to go
I hope you’re out and happy now/Doing up the town cause you know how
Every time I hear your name I want to die/And now I’m still feeling blue
And now I’m still feeling blue
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