AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2005 > August > 27 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USBraves no surprise now until they fail
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jeff Schultz
Let’s start with this: It’s not 1991. Your pants don’t fit any more, nobody’s having Nick Esasky acid flashbacks and Terry Pendleton isn’t hitting that rare baseball exacta: comeback player of the year and MVP.
“You can’t really say this is like ‘91,” said Pendleton, now the Braves’ hitting coach, whose ‘91 pants also don’t fit anymore. “Some people didn’t think we had chance to win the division this year, but some also said, ‘You never know about those Braves. They may do it again.’ That didn’t happen in ‘91. NOBODY expected us to win.”
It’s not that nobody expected the 2005 Braves to be in position for another division title. It’s just that nobody expected these circumstances could lead to anything but six feet under.
Injuries, bullpen fires and a lineup brought to you by the Fisher-Price Gwinnett County Distribution Center: Welcome to your 2005 Atlanta Braves.
With five weeks left in the season, the Braves are clinging to first place in the East. But they are teetering. A six-game lead was halved. It’s like they were sitting in a tent when the wind kicked up, and one guy turned to the other and said, “I forget. Did we stake the corners?”
They have 33 games left. Of those, 26 come against the four teams right on their hineys: the Phillies, Marlins, Mets and Nationals.
Pendleton said he “honestly never expected” a bunch of kids would do this well. So he’s not about to start soothsaying on the rest of the season.
“You could probably list as many reasons about why we won’t win it as why we will,” he said.
Oh, they’ll win it. They’ll win it because John Smoltz has returned to the rotation to give the team a consistent power pitcher. Almost 200 innings and his arm hasn’t fallen off.
Then again, without Smoltz, the bullpen has moved to within one blown save of qualifying for FEMA funding. Forget it. The Braves will never win it.
Oh, they’ll win it. I forgot. Dan Kolb isn’t the closer anymore.
Now he’s either a middle reliever or the set-up guy. They’ll never win it.
Chris Reitsma. Good.
Chris Reitsma. Dan Kolb.
Kyle Farnsworth. Save!
Kyle Farnsworth. Ball three. Ball three. Ball three.
Aug. 23: Jeff Francouer makes the cover of Sports Illustrated.
Aug. 29: President Bush reinstates the draft and, of course, decides to start with anybody nicknamed, “Frenchy.”
July: 18-8. Bravo!
August: 11-12. Bravo â€â€? isn’t that the channel that carries “West Wing” repeats?
Fear not. They’ll win it. Andruw Jones has already hit 40 home runs. Andruw rocks. Andruw went 22 straight games in which he struck out only nine times and walked 13.
Then Andruw played 18 more games. He struck out 19 times and walked on nine. Andruw only rocks a little now.
Rafael Furcal has a .344 average and a .414 on-base percentage in the last 53 games.
Also, his knee looks like it’s in the third trimester.
The Braves will win it because Brian Jordan is back. He’s a great guy, a great leader, and when he comes off the disabled list …
Um, did I already say he’s a great guy?
The Nos. 3 and 4 starters, Mike Hampton and John Thomson, went a combined 7-3 with a 2.56 earned run average in April and May.
The Nos. 3 and 4 starters, Mike Hampton and John Thomson, are a combined 1-4 with an 11.79 ERA since. The good news is, their health insurance hasn’t been canceled.
Doesn’t matter. The Braves will win it. They’ll win it because after John Smoltz and Tim Hudson, it really doesn’t matter who the third starter is heading toward October.
Glavine-Avery-Smoltz. Kaput. Maddux-Glavine-Smoltz. Kaput. Maddux-Glavine-Millwood. Kaput.
They’ve won 13 straight division titles. They’ve been here before.
They’ve won 13 straight division titles. They’re not going to be here forever.
And the wind is kicking up.
Permalink | Comments (15) | Categories: Braves / MLB, Jeff Schultz
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By Greg
August 27, 2005 11:23 PM | Link to this
Is there a point to this? Hamlet made up his mind faster.
By Joe Roman
August 27, 2005 11:33 PM | Link to this
Oh ha, ha, ha, another sportswriter who dreams of being a stand-up comedian. This column is about as original as a pair of shoe laces. Is there any doubt why the AJC gave up trying to get people to pay to read Schultz’s stuff? The ‘I know better’ school of sports journalism is beyond tiresome.
By Andy
August 28, 2005 05:40 AM | Link to this
Wow, Jeff I think some people are scared and taking it out on you. Fun piece. No one knows. I’m scared—really scared about the end. It will be fun—I hope. The 3-4 starters will be Sosa and Rameriez. Wow—scary—makes that Nick Green trade look REALLY AMAZING.
By Bill
August 28, 2005 12:39 PM | Link to this
Has anyone considered making Thompson the closer? His stuff looks good for 2 innings…
By Birdbrain
August 28, 2005 06:53 PM | Link to this
My pants fit just dandy Mr. Schutlz…the one consistent factor in the rambling piece is that Bobby Cox is still the manager,you could throw the Bad News Bears out there and he would win the division.
By bt
August 28, 2005 07:10 PM | Link to this
John Schuerholz in Kansas City - 1 world series title (thanks to Don Denkinger).
John Schuerholz in Atlanta - 1 world series title (partially due to the strike in 1994-95.
being close is not enough! stop the hero worship of braves’ management (and oakland’s moneyball while we are at it). unless you win when you have the chance (and the braves have had 14 of them), you are underperforming!
By Pete
August 28, 2005 08:48 PM | Link to this
This “column” is … strange.
I’m looking for another Braves first round home playoff swan dive. Then for mgmt to tell us why we should be satisfied.
You’re right … it’s not 1991 anymore.
By Jeff Schultz
August 29, 2005 12:29 AM | Link to this
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By schultzypooper
August 29, 2005 12:32 AM | Link to this
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By Jeff Schultz
August 29, 2005 12:36 PM | Link to this
Wow. And I thought I was strange.
By Marty
August 29, 2005 01:33 PM | Link to this
People like “bt” above are the reason Braves fans are disparaged all over the country. John Schuerholz puts together a winning team on a budget, our minor league system drafts, signs, and trains the next great Braves, Leo and Bobby whip the team into major-league-best shape, and yet all some supposed “fans” do is complain about the Braves’ inability to win the World Series. Hey, Toronto also won a World Series in the 1990s. If you’re a REAL fan and watch the games, who would you rather have as your team — Toronto or Atlanta? Appreciate the great teams we have had and the 4 years of wonderful games we have had the pleasure of watching, and stop complaining.
By Marty
August 31, 2005 07:31 AM | Link to this
Make that 14 years of great games.
By Lee
August 31, 2005 10:12 AM | Link to this
Braves fans should be excited about this team. I would much rather be in a position to have a chance to make the playoffs/World Series every year, than to go back to the 80’s and the season is over by July 1. World Series championships are great, but winning year after year is better than winning it all once and have losing seasons for 10 consecutive years. Be happy for what we have and continue to support our Braves. CHOP CHOP!!!
By GBF
August 31, 2005 10:50 AM | Link to this
This team does so much given the luke warm local support. Shut up and go to the game, you might learn something. Atl fans are the worst! Any MLB city would die for the quality product year in and year out. Yet, they don’t draw.
I don’t live in Atl anymore, but if I did I’d go often. A passionate fan base would put them over the top. You jerks in the media can’t blame anyone in the dugout or front office for that - go look in the mirror…
By Nicholas
August 31, 2005 03:58 PM | Link to this
Everybody keeps complaining that the Braves haven’t won enough world series. But what they forget is that ever since Turner sold his company and the team they haven’t been given the money they were getting in the begining. So anytime they have a big star blossom they have to let him go in free agency. Imgine if Tom Glavine or Millwood could have kept working with Leo for a few more years or if Kelesko could have had more time to develope at first base. They Braves might have won a few more series. Everybody need to just apprieciate what we have been able to be a part of over the past 15 years. Shurholtz and Cox deserve as much credit as they have been given for being able to win as much as they do. How many times have everybody counted the Braves out. For the past three years its looked as though they would be back to their old ways of chillin in the basemant, but yet again they end up being in first down the stretch. So everybody who keep hatin on the Braves should look back and the past and realize they have had a chance to see one the best runs in sports history.