AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2005 > October > 26 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USBraves stocked with pitching coaches
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Furman Bisher
FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH: No reflection on the departing (sob) Leo Mazzone, but there must be some pretty good pitching coaching going on in the farm system before these fuzzy-cheeked pitchers move right in with the Braves, and perform like veterans. Mike Alvarez at Richmond, Kent Willis at Mississippi, Bruce Dal Canton, seven seasons at Myrtle Beach, and Jim Czajkowski at Rome are the parties in mind… . Did you realize that George Bush ran the Texas Rangers when Sammy Sosa and Jose Canseco, two sluggers under steroid suspicion, passed through?… . And whatever became of “Bye-Bye” Balboni?
— Michael Young has found the way to become the unknown soldier of baseball. Who’s Michael Young? He’s the Texas Rangers shortstop who led the American League in hitting. Not Rodriguez, nor Jeter, nor Ramirez, but Michael Young, who comes to work daily toting his lunchpail.
— It must be said, that I have never seen worse umpiring in the major leagues than in this postseason, in both leagues. Aren’t these guys supposed to be the cream of the crop? If so, the cream has soured. (And as a puzzled reminder, after Don Denkinger blew the call that eventually cost the Cardinals in the 1985 World Series against Kansas City, he still spent 13 more seasons in the major leagues.) Let’s hear it for mediocrity.
— Come Nov. 11, the Montreal Canadiens will retire Boom Boom Geoffrion’s sweater and No. ll with a big blowout in The Forum. And though this is somewhat belated, the tireless scout Marty Blake was awarded the 2005 Bunn Lifetime Achievement in a Basketball Hall of Fame ceremony.
— Hey, wonder how the “Ragin’ Cajuns” of Lousiana-Lafayette failed to come under the fire of the holier-than-thou NCAA and its campaign to clean up all its members’ nicknames. First place, it wouldn’t dare stir up those Cajuns, and in the second place, they rage on and are happy for everybody to know it.
— Don’t know if you remember a Falcons linebacker named Lyman White — I didn’t. The former LSU Tiger has been sentenced to more than two years in prison for theft of $1.3 million from a Medicaid fund in Louisiana. Played here in 1981-82.
— While there was nothing official about Tiger Woods’ cut-less “streak,” those who dote on such records have conveniently sloughed off his defeats in the World Match Play Championships, by Peter O’Malley, Kevin Sutherland, and this year by Nick O’Hern. Both the Aussies O’Malley and O’Hern took him out in the first round.
— Cincinnati writer Bucky Albers, on the Torrance and Devlin golf courses at St. Andrews Bay: “Both should mature into modern classic Scottish links,” which should please developer Don Panoz.
— Russell Baze rarely takes his tack east of the Mississippi, but the California jockey this year became only the second in history to ride 9,000-plus winners, most of them on the West Coast. Lafitte Pincay Jr. is the other.
— There are more Cabreras and Matsuis in major league baseball than Smiths.
— Broadcaster David Feherty, on why he switched from playing golf to talking about it: “If you’re a lunatic, golf can be a good thing to do.”
— Arnold Palmer on Jack Nicklaus and retirement: “Jack did leave the door open. He’s allowing himself a little room, if he decides to play again. It’s just a matter of priorities.”
— Name of the Week: Hope Edge, how fitting for a coach, which she is, of the women’s golf team at Wake Forest.
— Now they’re getting somewhere. The National Football Foundation has created an academic Heisman, to be named the Draddy Trophy, and will make the first award this season.
—You wonder what befell the Yankees this season? Well, one day I noticed a pitching line that includes the names Wang, Quantrill and Groom. Where’d Brian Cashman come up with these guys, out of the Yellow Pages?
— Now if the Georgia Dome is recognized in some quarters as the prize among indoor facilities in the NFL, just where does Arthur Blank aim to direct his $150-million in “enhancements?”
Permalink | Comments (9) | Categories: Furman Bisher, Other
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By Gene
October 27, 2005 09:02 AM | Link to this
“The Boomer” was one of the great personalities in sports and the player who invented the slap shot. Perhaps his fans in Canada resented Boomer ripping up a Montreal jersey as the Flames coach and the fact that he became an Atlanta resident. There is a great story that an Anglo player asked a French-speaking teammate what Boomer was saying. The reply was, we don’t understand him either. He was sort of the Casey Stengel of hockey.
By jlroberts
October 27, 2005 09:42 AM | Link to this
bobby cox must go, poor coach hasno idea how to manage and win, remember g dye a brave with the white sox, must get rid of overpayed catcher estrata for pug rod of detroit a real catcher.knob,and 4 others shouldnt be on rooster of the braves today.. winlesscox is poor manager and braves need a go getter not and old faded brave
By Ala. Jim
October 27, 2005 09:59 AM | Link to this
Mr. Bisher, you’re a genius. You covered all the sports in one fell swoop. Nice job!
By Lynn Sharp
October 27, 2005 11:36 AM | Link to this
I have been a Braves fan since the early 80’s and have suffered these many playoff disasters of the past years. As I have said many times, If you want a manager to “stay the course” over a 162 game schedule, Booby Cox is your man. However; for a short series Bobby is not the man. He is to much of a players manager and will not give you that motivational push needed to fire up the troops. Bobby only fires up umpires.
By Greg from Marietta
October 27, 2005 11:44 AM | Link to this
Furman,
As always you tell it like it is, keep up the great writing. And bye the way, who is this ignorant numb nuts “jlroberts”?? This guy not on doesn’t know how to write, he hasn’t got the foggiest idea of what he’s talking about. Hey, but this is America where even the “Sports Challenged” can express their view.
By Parish
October 27, 2005 11:54 AM | Link to this
jlroberts,
No idea what language you are speaking. Must be an Australian dialect - G’dye to you too. I’m not sure how Estrada could be overpaid as an all-star at near the league minimum. And I don’t know who this Knob is, but I have to feel for this rooster, trying to support the aforementioned Knob and four other professional athletes on its frail avian frame.
By ChaCha
October 27, 2005 12:12 PM | Link to this
Good to know that the Braves organization is prepared to replace Leo with someone from within. Now, perhaps we’ll get to see how influencial Bobby Cox was and is with the pitching development and coaching. It woould not surprise me that Bobby was the man, all along.
I think “Bye Bye” Balboni is hanging out with Joe Carbone and Brad Kominsk.
By TheBigBoy
October 28, 2005 02:54 PM | Link to this
Bisher writes: (And as a puzzled reminder, after Don Denkinger blew the call that eventually cost the Cardinals in the 1985 World Series against Kansas City, he still spent 13 more seasons in the major leagues.) Let’s hear it for mediocrity.
I’ll take mediocre over corrupt. Furman Bisher has been allowed to write for another 40+ years for the AJC after authoring a libelous piece of fiction on Wally Butts and Bear Bryant fixing a Georgia-Alabama football game. Bisher’s pack of lies resulted in jury awards of over $3 million to Butts and Bryant and the Saturday Evening Post going out of business.
By MBATL
October 29, 2005 03:05 PM | Link to this
Wow, that blast against Furman is pretty big stuff, Big Boy. I know NOTHING about it, so can’t really agree or disagree, but sure sounds like you have some personal interest in it. Just a comment…I’m not challenging you on it at all, like I said.
As to the article, I am hoping that the Braves will promote from within the system. My understanding is like FB’s, that the Braves have done a pretty good job of installing a philosophy throughout the organization. Just as with promoting players, I’d hope to see us stay inhouse for a new pitching coach.
And I sure agree about the umpiring. Some type of replay is in order, at least post-season, or maybe even beginning Sept. 1 when the pennant races heat up.