AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2006 > April > 18 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USTip for Braves: Aim for wild card
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Furman Bisher
FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH: And this from the Baseball Hall of Fame, on scheduling a teleconference interview with the winner of the Ford Frick Award: “Only if recipient is living.” (Otherwise, it might be difficult establishing connection.)
• Hint to the Braves: Forget the Division Championship this season. Go for the wild card. Those National League teams seem to have better postseason luck.
• Strange that Gary Sheffield has been able to avoid headline association with the steroids scandal. Remember he had said at the time he joined the Braves: “I spent this winter working out with Barry Bonds and his trainers.” All the way from Tampa to the West Coast to work out? Nobody blinked.
• How about this? A NASCAR driver doing a radio commercial for seed. Not speed, but seed. Grass seed.
• Naturally, Leo Mazzone’s name often comes up when Braves pitching hits a doldrum. But look at this: Jason Marquis fails here, but becomes a big-game winner in St. Louis. Bruce Chen never got off the mark here, but has since won 27 games, 13 last year with the Orioles. Now, Mazzone gets a second chance with him in Baltimore. Stand by for later developments.
• One of the advertising game’s biggest hoaxes: “Consolidate your debts.” Yeah, but how do you make them go away?
• I guess Reggie Sanders just couldn’t stand the monotony. After seven seasons with seven different teams, he did an encore with the Cardinals last season, then hit the road again. But he didn’t leave Missouri. He only went west to Kansas City, where he’s leading the Royals in RBIs.
• When the Braves needed help last season, all they had to do was put in a call to Richmond or Mississippi, and every farmhand they called filled the need. A bit different this year. To fill out the bullpen, they picked a guy off the scrap heap, Ken Ray, then crossed the International Dateline for another, Peter Moylan, the pharmaceutical salesman from Australia.
• How genuinely refreshing to see an athlete, Aaron Baddeley in this case, proudly exhibit his faith, as he did at the Easter Sunday services, then go out and win the tournament at Hilton Head.
• Weird doings, that after 56 years at the AJC, I still get calls from solicitors asking if I’d like to subscribe to the paper.
You mean they didn’t know?
• Checking through the LPGA Press Guide I find six Kims, three Lees, two Kangs, a Jang, a Yang, a Han and a Lim, but only one Smith —a name Jackie Gallagher acquired by marriage.
• For the first time in its history, the National Football Foundation has an actual football player as its president. Ron Johnson, the former Michigan running back, succeeds Jon Hanson.
• When Ed Dyas played fullback at Auburn, he was also linebacker, punter, kicked field goals and extra points. “It wasn’t a case of sitting around waiting to go in, you were always on the field.” A few days ago, Dr. Ed Dyas, now a surgeon in Mobile, was awarded the National Foundation’s lifetime achievement award.
• Some jokester circulated an offer of a round of golf at Augusta National, on the condition of abstaining from sex for a year. He reported 31 per cent of the female respondents accepted. No report on the males. Just treading water, I guess.
• Name of a member of the PGA of America’s board of directors: Tim Shank.
• Putters get too much blame and too much credit. No putter ever missed a putt, only the hands upon it and the head behind it. • Milo Hamilton is a road warrior no more. From now on, he only does the Astros games at home. “Fifty-five years of planes, trains and buses is enough.”
• Breaking fast from the gate in the race for National League MVP: David Wright of the Mets.
• Fact of the Week: Takes 3,000 cows to supply the leather needed to manufacture footballs for the NFL for a season. … Selah.
Permalink | Comments (13) | Categories: Braves / MLB, Furman Bisher
Comments
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By F******* Mane
April 19, 2006 01:09 AM | Link to this
It’s refreshing to see a player exhibit his faith? You mean everyone from Deion Sanders and Rafael Furcal pointing to the sky after every move they make ain’t enough for you? Kurt Warner giving a freakin’ sermon after winning the Super Bowl is not enough faith for you?
By Ron Roberts
April 19, 2006 08:50 AM | Link to this
…yeah, ‘cause ain’t busy enough with the Universe… he’s got time to particpate in the outcome of an athletic event.
By Ryder
April 19, 2006 09:50 AM | Link to this
not to mention getting involved with a professionsl wrestling angle
By Rodney
April 19, 2006 10:23 AM | Link to this
Are you now an Anti-Braves fan? Wanting the team to not win the division but settle for the wild card? When you play with mediocre expectations, you get poor results. Can’t believe it, Furman Bisher actually pulling against the Braves.
By Bradley G
April 19, 2006 11:40 AM | Link to this
Rodney, I don’t think he was actually rooting against the Braves with that comment. When I saw his heading, I clicked on to blast him for being “Anti-Braves” as well. However, his point was that the Wild Card winner has been more successful in the playoffs than the division-winning Braves. Read it again…
By Sean
April 19, 2006 11:43 AM | Link to this
Great article. I thought even those with the shortest of attention spans would enjoy reading each article in its entirety. That expectation was destroyed by the “Anti-Braves” commentor, who obviously couldn’t read one sentance ahead as to your inital comment.
By Curt
April 19, 2006 11:49 AM | Link to this
Not sure with all this talk about faith how Furman missed that the Cubs put a left fielder named Angel Pagan on the DL.
By davef68
April 19, 2006 11:49 AM | Link to this
takes 300 cows to supply NFL with footballs?
I thought they called it “pigskin”?
By Rodney
April 19, 2006 01:12 PM | Link to this
Bradley and Sean. {Trust me Sean, I have a great attention span and that’s not what you should have criticized me for, rather for being to serious.} Anyway, the point is - making comments (serious or joking) about settling for less than your best - encourages apathy and not trying your best all through life. Hardly a noble point to emphasize and defend. Read it again…
By From L.C.
April 19, 2006 01:18 PM | Link to this
Where can you sign up for the round of golf at Augusta National. I’d make the sacrifice just to play the most manicured golf course in the world. Also, a note for pitchers. Everyone should take a page from the Chicago White Sox where their pitchers are trained to go a full 9 inning, not throw a 110 pitches and call for a reliever. Great game Davie against the Mets Tuesday.
By Carolyn Wilder
April 19, 2006 01:52 PM | Link to this
Great column, I’ve been thinking the same thing regarding the Braves. The wild card team has been winning a lot! And Gary Sheffield? Why is everyone focusing on Bonds? I’m no Bonds fan but seems to me there are a lot of other players, including sheff, Giambi, and others who did the same thing.
By Scott
April 20, 2006 10:33 AM | Link to this
I thought at first he was making fun of the Daily News headline (check out Jeff Schultz’s article)
By braves fan
April 20, 2006 12:11 PM | Link to this
I guess Furman should take his own advice. Furman, don’t shoot for being a good columnist. Aim for pathetic. Good news is, you’ve reached your goal already. Keep up the crappy work.
Saying to only aim for the wild card is like asking Tiger Woods to try to finish 2nd behind Phil Mickelson, because maybe Lefty will trip on his way to the trophy ceremony and then they’ll give it to Tiger. You play to win. And the only guaranteed way to get to the the playoffs is to win the division.
Somebody wheel Furman to the infirmary, its time for his pills.