AJC > Blog > Archives > 2005 > October
October 2005
We’re a winner
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
OzzieBall works.
OzzieBall works because it’s not “small ball,” it’s “smart ball.” Don’t be conventional; forget the bullpen if they can’t get it done. Don’t overmanage. Go with your gut. Let the players play. Trust your guys.
OzzieBall works because of that “pitch like you were pitching for Cuba” speech to Jose Contreras to get him psyched. Laughing a lot and smiling - enjoying the game and having fun - those things work wonders in a game that’s gotten all corporate and buttoned-down. His guys believe in OzzieBall and that’s really the key to why it works.
When Ozzie was a Brave (remember Ozzie - the only guy gutsy enough to wear No. 13 while in Camp Cox?) he kept the clubhouse loose — or at least as loose at any Braves clubhouse reportedly can be — with his joking, chattering, laughing, smiling. You’d hear Skip say it on Braves broadcasts: He’s going to be one heck of a manager someday.
Today is someday.
OzzieBall works. And baseball is a better game because of it.
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Who can it be now?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Leo to Baltimore? To help rebuild the O’s, who are still rebuilding from their last rebuilding stint?
Yeesh.
That said, let’s get the hot stove fire stoked as to who our new pitching guru will be. If it’s Don Sutton, the umps may have to bring brooms with them to extricate him from the mound during in-game conferences.
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Hard to be a saint in the City
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Master headed to work, possibly, for The Boss? To try and be the Bronx Bombers’ latest means of salaried salvation?
My head hurts.
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Keep on keeping on
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A friend of mine who disagrees with Tom Hanks’ character in “A League Of Their Own” in that she believes there is crying in baseball, especially when the Braves inevitably seem to blow it in the first round of the playoffs each year herelately, says it’s absolutely, unequivocally, 165% time for Brian Jordan to hang ‘em up and retire.
Granted, the guy’s got the heart of a lion and his will to win, in my opinion, knows no bounds. But his body just isn’t having it anymore. Despite the final few bursts of Makin’ It Happen that I saw from BJ — mega-hustle at the Colorado game where that 14th NL East pennant we’ll have to make do with for another offseason was raised; his outstanding left field catch in Game One of the NLDS against Houston; more hustle when it counted in the do-or-die Game Four against the ‘Stros when the Braves didn’t do enough and ended up dying — I think my friend is right. It’s time for new backup blood in the outfield.
That Jordan was emotionally hurt when Schuerholz traded him to the Dodgers for Gary Sheffield always struck a chord with me. He wasn’t grandstanding about that; I totally believe he felt cast out by a team he loved, suddenly sent away from a city he’d made his own, from fans he enjoyed playing for — no, make that trying to win for. He wanted the Braves, he wanted Atlanta, he wanted us and he didn’t understand why he wasn’t wanted.
Sitting out in right field, which is now Francoeur Field after the hometown rookie’s stellar breakout performance this season, my friend and I screamed loudly during that late September Colorado game, rooting on our man Jordan. During pre-inning tossarounds, he’d turn around and joke with us, flipping balls our way, trying to make sure the folks in all parts of our section got their fair shot at a coveted free souvenir. We appreciated it. We love No. 33.
We talked all night about where next we’d like to see him in the Braves organization. Coaching third? He understands baserunning. Bench coach? He’s got the fire. Fielding instructor? He’s patrolled some turf in his day. The Babies need this man around to mold them into Men. Jordan, as we know, is the man. He’s got to keep on keeping on at what he does best: Being Brian Jordan.
But when it’s time, it’s time. And we wish we could turn back that cruel baseball clock that ages our favorites all too fast. Because Francoeur is our future but there’s this little part of us that’s not quite ready to let Jordan hang ‘em up just yet.
But it’s time. It’s time.
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Going, going, gone
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
There’s no excuse this time. There’s just no excuse.
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Give it up or turn it loose
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Memo to the Braves bullpen: Either come to play like we’re trying to win this division series or just go ahead and sink us so you can all go home early, watch the remaining teams in the playoffs and see how real relief pitchers get it done.
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Even it up
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Smoltzie outduels The Rocket. McCann, not Francoeur, is Our Hometown Hero of the night. Braves get one back from the ‘Stros with Cartman-esque authori-tay.
But in that bandbox Houston calls a ballpark, our pitching has to be spot-on. There is literally no room for error since there is literally no room for much of anything in those field dimensions. This will be the biggest game of Jorge Sosa’s career and he’s got to pitch like it.
What worries me is who’ll be his backstop. If it’s McCann, I feel a sense of comfort. If it’s Estrada, I feel a sense of the Astros going up 2-1 on us. We can all thank a certain Mr. Darin Erstad for knocking the stand-in-there out of Johnny back in June. He’s just not the same catcher he was before that hit and McCann, rookie though he may be, is the guy we need in there for the NLDS.
Let the Kids play, Bobby. They do us more favors in the field than on the bench.
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Same old song and dance
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tim Hudson is 0-4 as a starter in ALDS games with Oakland. He looked the part today in this league, too. I know. I was at the game. The starting pitching killed us. The bullpen just tossed the dirt into our Game One grave.
Go ahead. Say it. “There’s always Game Two.” Right. Since we’ve rebounded so spectacularly in the past three postseasons after dropping Game One.
Today, I was out there at the Ted, trying to not lose my voice when Francoeur tripled in the 9th. Maybe in this Game One, luck would turn our way and we’d miraculously rally to an amazing win.
But no. The damage was done. Houston looked solid today. We were erratic. As the game stretched to three hours and I hung around until the bitter, final out, I realized just how worn out I was. You get tired of this kind of disappointment, year after year, and division titles aren’t enough anymore. We, the fans, deserve more from this organization.
Today, the Braves didn’t play like there was no tomorrow and Cox didn’t manage like it. Tomorrow, by God, they — and he — had darn sure better.
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Don’t go breaking my heart
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Pettitte vs. Hudson. Clemens vs. Smoltz. Oswalt vs. Sosa. Formidable matchups all. And we’ve owned Houston in playoffs past.
But if this team can’t get it done in the first round this year, I honestly won’t know what to think about our Braves and what’s been such an exciting ride during this sort of mini NL East Worst-to-First season. Blaming the bullpen is easy but no team is perfect and World Series winners are the teams that find a way to win, flaws and all.
This First Round Curse of late is no joke. Maybe the young Kids, and hopefully the grizzled vets, will finally come to understand what other postseason teams just “get”: Play like there’s no tomorrow. Because this town’s been waiting a long time to spend a few more tomorrows with the Braves and today we believe it’s our game to win.
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