AJC > Blog > Archives > 2007 > May
May 2007
Check, please!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
OK, Liberty Media. Show and prove. You said there’s flexibility in YOUR budget so that the Braves can spend a bit to win.
We could use more wins. Pony up that flexibility. Let’s get this new ownership thing started off right.
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Just win, babies
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Braves, all we as fans ask is that you play your best to win against every team on the schedule — AL or NL. That’s it. No more, no less.
So, please. Stop crying “UNFAIR” about a minor matter in a world where those of us who come to your games, cheer you on and fund your salaries could tell you a thing or two about the true inequities suffered silently in this life day in and day out.
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Doggin’ it
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We were watching Sunday’s loss to the Pirates and my niece turned to me and said, “You know what really pi**es me off? Seeing Chipper and Andruw dog it down to first. Everything else about this year’s team is great, and I love those guys, but whenever I see them NOT run it out down the line, I just get mad as hell.
“Go ahead. Put what I said about Chip and Andruw in your blog.” That’s what my niece told me yesterday as the Braves fell to the Bucs in Steeltown. “Because I’d like to know if any other Braves fans out there feel the same way as I do about the not running it out to first thing.”
Well, folks? Thoughts on dogging it down the line? Yea, nay or what’s the big deal? The floor’s all yours.
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Mets Hair Flub For Men
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
AP photo
Huddy pulls off this look MUCH better.
Sometimes the jokes just write themselves. Like this “Mets shave their heads in show of solidarity” bit.
A show of solidarity. In MAY?
My colleague here at ajc.com/sports nailed it, saying, “So the reigning NL East champs ALREADY need a show of solidarity and they had to resort to buzz cuts? Little insecurity up there in New York, huh?”
Apparently. Just a little.
Chop The Vote
Let us now sally on over to Stats Street, where we see that Hotlanta is, as of this writing, leading the division by a half-game. The NYJV Squad was idle Thursday so there is that little “gimme” for them.
Braves numbers
Home — 13-7. Away — 9-5. Division — 14-8. Streak — Won 3.
Mets numbers
Home — 7-7. Away — 14-5. Division — 11-9. Streak — Won 2.
A couple of stats should get Braves’ fans antennae pinging like crazy. We’re doing well at home AND away. The Mets can’t stay away from Shea enough (really, who can blame them?) and when they’re home in the Fiendly Confines they’re .500. We? Are beating teams in our division, which in this era of the unbalance schedule is a must to make it into the postseason. They? Aren’t.
Usually, anything I hear on ATL sports radio goes in one ear and out the other because it’s just professional talkers talking. But this insight about the 2007 Braves has some gravitas (as does this team). “It seems like this year, every little thing, every inning means more to these guys than it did to the 2006 Braves,” the host said. And I have to agree.
This team is obviously better put together than last year’s bunch and our bullpen is vastly improved. But the biggest difference that I see on the field is Frenchy’s willingness to wait for his pitch or not try to always be the Swing For The Fences Hero of his rookie half-season; Hudson’s admitting that he wasn’t fully prepared last year and that’s not acceptable; Willie Harris making the most of a call-up, becoming a fan fave for his gritty play. If you ever saw him playing with the ChiSox when they won the World Series, you know what he can do.
We’re a half-game up and in this NL East race because of the little things. Excelling at them is always a big deal, even if it doesn’t seem like it. Hard work brings about success.
Our team’s solidarity “gimmick”? The oldest trick in the book: We want to win.
And we’ll look great doing it, hair and all.
FIELD TRIP! LET’S TAKE THE PARTY TO METSBLOG.COM, Y’ALL
Since, as the Queens’ fans say, “fair’s fair,” let’s all go comment on the blog that made Chop Chick famous. Post YOUR comments about the Mets, their shorn noggins and how the Braves rock right here.
You’ll have to create a login to comment (“fair’s fair” — we ask folks to do the same on our AJC blogs) but y’all should see what they’re saying about us. Is most of the talk about baseball? No. They’re indulging in redneck stereotypes about the South, etc., etc. We had fun on this blog with the haircut thing, stoking a little good old-fashioned divisional rivalry fire in the name of baseball, and for that we’re called rednecks, racists, “a culture who think Donny and Marie Osmond are America’s sweethearts …and that cousin Jenny would make a fine looking wife.” And then there’s the brilliant, insightful comment that Atlanta fans are to be chastised for “basing your team on the genocide of an entire continent of people, complete with stereotypical “indian chops” by a bunch of rednecks whose ancestors slaughtered said “indians.” Note: Thank your Boston buddies for the name “Braves,” NYJVers. Milwaukee inherited it and then it came to us.
Oh, and here’s a little history lesson for Mets fans, thanks to the NYC.gov website:
“The first director-general of the Manhattan Colony was Peter Minuit. One of his goals was to purchase Manhattan Island from the Indians. The island was eventually purchased; however, Peter Minuit was recalled since there appeared to be some evidence that he was partial to a group of farmers who were bent on fur smuggling. The new director-general was Wouter Van Twiller. During his regime, a church, a sawmill, and a bakery were constructed. And at the same time, he furthered his own interests by purchasing from the Indians: Welfare and Governors Islands. He was replaced byWillem Kieff. Fur smuggling and his taxation of the Indians were his worst problems. The Indians and the Dutch began a slaughter episode. The Dutch were almost helpless since they were greatly outnumbered. An English mercenary, John Underhill and his paid followers carried out a merciless slaughter of Indian tribes. The latter finally sued for peace which began in August 1645.”
I guess Peter Minuit’s stealing Manhattan Island from the Shinnecock — or Canarsee; historical accounts vary — in 1626 for $24 is OK since the Mets have a good team this year. And it’s cool to overlook that little “merciless slaughter of Indian tribes” part, as well as the taxation bit. Give them $24 and take it back with accrued interest, like smuggling and paying the English to do your dirty work when you can’t buy off the tribes anymore.
Classy show, Mets fans. Really classy.
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Sweet on Salty
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Joey Ivansco / AJC
Salty’s here, we’ve got him, he’s looking OK for a guy who jumped to the bigs and I hope we keep him.
In other words, John Schuerholz, that’s Braves Fan Speak for DON’T TRADE OUR PRIME-LOOKING PROSPECT FOR A QUICK FIX SOLUTION.
Any questions? No. Good. That is all.
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Why can’t we be friends?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Let’s get better acquainted, y’all. Check out the new Chop Chick page on myajc.com. It’s where you’ll find my photos from the games. (I’ll post some here, too. And I should really take some.) Mainly, it’s where we Tomahawks fans can hang out and talk even more ball in a casual setting, make fun of David Wright’s unibrow, whatever goes.
Meanwhile, Langerhans was traded AGAIN, this time to our NL East “rivals,” the gNats. Now I know he’s not hitting a lick right now but good God almighty — is he now K-mart style baseball brand material? Geez…
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Hop on the Chuck Wagon
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Driving to work this morning, I heard one of the local sports radio hosts refer to the Braves rotation as “Smoltz and Hudson and Three Days of Cussin’.”
Whoa. Back up there. THREE days of cussin’? Why diss Chuck James? Play “The Third Man Theme” whenever he takes the mound at The Ted for this guy because we’ve got ourselves a gem here, folks.
James’ overall stats tell me that, barring unforeseen injury (let’s NOT go there) or what have you, the talent is there. The numbers: 14-6 (W-L), 3.87 ERA, 116 Ks to 59 walks. Serviceable and at 26, plenty young enough to keep on getting better.
Right now, the knock on James is his road ERA — a whopping 6.10. He’s had a so-so start in ‘07. But let’s remind ourselves of last season, when he posted that stellar 11-4 record. What stands out? Chuck James didn’t falter when the 2006 Braves did. He didn’t post a fair-to-middling record that other newbie starters would be OK with, seeing as how they were still getting their feet wet in the bigs. James donned the Tomahawk, took the mound and looked like he deserved to be here (he did) without getting big-headed about it and losing focus.
All Chuck James did from June-Oct. 2006 was step up. Do his job (i.e., win games). Again, the numbers:
During a forgettable June, James, in two starts, went 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA. In July, he started four games, went 2-2. 8.53 ERA. When August rolled around, he put in six games, going 3-1, pruning his ERA to 2.97. At season’s end in September/October, James finished the season with a 4-1 record, 3.29 ERA, through another six games.
In 2006, Chuck James led the Braves’ pitchers in winning percentage at .733. That’s something. Something good.
It’s early. Let’s not fork over the NL East to the Mets just yet, Gods of Jock Radio. Not when the numbers demonstrate that, really, Chuck James should just be warming up as the first divisional sprints of the long, hot baseball summer are merely beginning.
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