light servings

Just a few notes I wanted to get down before I forgot...

1. Okay, after that last Braves post, things have gotten even worse. The series against the Cubs was very discouraging. But, to read other blogs, especially on AJC, it appears many fans are blaming Bobby Cox. Have these people forgotten about the 14 division titles in a row? Did Cox have nothing to do with those. Has he all of a sudden forgot how to manage. Of course he hasn't, so lay off of the team for now and give them time to figure it out. Or go be a Mets fan and whine about every single bad break your team gets. This is why they play the games people, wins aren't automatic, as much as we've been spoiled into believing they are. I'm going to try and remain patient for the time being and not call for drastic changes on the team yet. Besides, I wasn't too optimistic going into the season anyway.

2. I'm going out on a limb and predicting Stuart Appleby will win the U.S. Open. I think he's due to win a big tournament and he's proven in the past he can get on a hot streak and play out of his mind. This is the perfect week to do it. Tiger's injured, and Phil, well let's just say Phil can never play by the book. Yeah, the book says Phil is due this week but things with him just never make sense.

Are the Braves toast?

It's now June 11, and the Braves are struggling pretty bad. They got swept by the Phillies in a 3 game series and just lost in another ugly game to the Cubs yesterday. They've lost 4 in a row, are the proud owners of a 7-22 road record, and are currently 6.5 games out of first.

But, on the other hand, things aren't as bad as they seem. They have some key players injured and/or underperforming who hopefully will come around soon. Injuries to Mark Kotsay and Matt Diaz in the outfield are obviously hurting the team. Kotsay is nursing a recurring back injury and Diaz has a torn knee ligament but both are expected to be back before too much longer barring any setbacks. Obviously, Chipper has been out a few games with a strained quadricep. That's a lot of productive players who are out of the lineup right now.

One key player for the remainder of the year will be Jeff Francoeur. He's hitting around .250 right now, which is well below his career average of .276. So, he should gradually be able to get his average back to where it should be. In my opinion, his performance will have a big impact on whether or not the Braves are able to compete for the division title. There are no guarantees, but I find it very likely that Francoeur will come around and the players I mentioned will get healthy soon. When this happens, there's no reason they shouldn't get back on track.

Braves fans in music video form

Check out the new video from "Tito and the Gun Show," the two Braves fans who last year became known for performing a song in tribute to Mark Teixeira. Pretty entertaining guys, keep up the good work. Always to see the Mets get knocked down a notch or two.



H/T: http://thebaseballbeat.wordpress.com/2008/05/31/mets-v-braves-on-youtube/

What happened Andruw?

When he was with the Braves, Andruw Jones without a doubt earned a reputation as one of the best centerfielders in the game. Then, he got to the end of his contract and seemingly lost his ability to make contact with the ball and even some of his range in the outfield. Now that he's with the Dodgers, he doesn't exactly have the patience of the fans and media as he did in Atlanta whenever he had a slow start. That is, if you consider the following article by T.J. Simers as an good reflection of the feelings of the rest of LA:

"As for his play on the field, the Tubbo has one home run, and so far it looks as if he has only warning-track power, which suggests he has lost something.
"If you think that's what I've got, warning-track power, then write it down," Jones said, and it always helps when I have a player's permission to criticize him. "I lost my power, I suck, I should retire."
"I hope you're not waiting for me to disagree with you," I said.
Then Jones went out, and struck out on three pitches in his first appearance at the plate. I wonder if he cared.

Hard to disagree with Simers, but as a former Andruw fan, I fear the negative press may hinder his chances of breaking out of his slump. I don't think any writer in Atlanta ever wrote such a negative article about any athlete. Not sure why Simers felt the need to make it personal between he and Andruw. Just an ugly situation that may get uglier soon.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/baseball/mlb/dodgers/la-sp-simers11-2008may11,0,7611597,full.column

Braves acquire Norton. Who?

So yesterday, the Braves picked up another utility player in a trade with Seattle. They acquired Greg Norton, who by all appearances had been having good results this year with limited playing time. His average so far this year is .438, but just 16 plate appearances. His career average is .253, while playing for 5 different teams, notably the Mariners, Rays, and Rockies.

I have to ask, do the Braves really need another guy like this? The move was apparently made because of an injury to Martin Prado, who will miss up to six weeks with a sprained thumb. The injury left Ruben Gotay as the only backup infielder, until Omar Infante makes his introduction as a Brave, after suffering a broken hand in winter ball, within a week or so. I get that they were short a player for now, but what about a call-up from the minors? What about Brent Lillibridge? I know he didn't do that well when he was last up but have they given up on him? Is there no one else at Richmond?

My concern in this is one I've had before, that Frank Wren is too eager to make moves based on how it should work out on paper. Every Braves fan knows that over the years they've been successful because the players are able to mesh together and most players fit in. The few players who haven't fit in, Lofton and Deion Sanders notably didn't stay around that long. Correct or not, I give credit to John Schuerholz for always keeping these factors in mind when making, or not making, trades. I just wonder if Frank Wren is thinking the same way. Hopefully this move will work out and Norton will fit in, as will all the other players new to the team this year. I just hope Wren remembers you can't just bring any player in and expect his numbers alone to fill a hole, his personality has to fit in as well in order to benefit the team.

John Daly living the life

It' s easy to knock on John Daly for wasting his talent due to multiple bad habits. On the other hand, can we all say we aren't just a little bit jealous of someone who golfs for a living yet still seems like a kid growing up on a farm in the country. Here's a classic vid of him, presumably close to home in Arkansas, playing in jeans, no shoes, shirtless and smoking a cig.

http://ozarksfirst.com/media_player.php?media_id=34761 (via deadspin.com)

Jim Nantz owes Tiger an apology.

If you were watching the Masters this past Sunday, you may have heard Jim Nantz and others in the CBS crew comment on how frustrated Tiger appeared to be during his final round. Well, I noticed it anyway, and it sounded to me that Nantz was out of line and a bit too harsh. While I wouldn't normally take it upon myself to stick up for an athlete, I did in this case. The following is the email I sent to Augusta National and copied to CBS sports:

I am writing to express my opinion regarding certain
comments made by Jim Nantz in regards to Tiger Woods
during the Sunday Masters telecast.  Mr. Nantz has,
thus far, on two occasions unnecessarily criticized
Tiger for his performance and disposition.

Although I can't recall the exact words used, I
believe Mr. Nantz initially made a comment when Tiger
was around #4, stating that he wasn't handling his
frustration very well.  Then, David Feherty made the
astute observation that Brandt Snedeker caught a break
when he got a great result, from a less than great
putt on #2, which fell in the hole with a rather quick
pace.  Mr. Feherty's point was that other player's
were catching breaks and Tiger simply was not.  Thus,
the cause for frustration by Tiger.

The second unnecessary comment by Mr. Nantz was more
direct.  If I recall correctly, Tiger hit a shot on #7
which was perhaps two yards too short, and spun off
the front of the green.  Peter Kostis made a comment
that frustration was the best description for his
week.  Then, Jim Nantz remarked that all players deal
with the same frustrations.  As Tiger played his chip
shot, Mr. Kostis again reiterated his remarks about
Tiger's frustration level.  At this point, Jim Nantz
derided   Tiger by saying (paraphrasing) "but wouldn't
you think with his seasoning and experience he would
handle it better."  Mr. Kostis responded to the effect
that he certainly had in the past.  Mr. Nantz
apparently fails to realize that Tiger's record over
the years shows that he is able to properly to handle
his emotions while performing at a higher level than
anyone else in the game.

I feel that these comments by Mr. Nantz were
mean-spirited and displayed an obvious bias against
Tiger Woods.  I am aware, from an article in USA
today, that Mr. Nantz may have a history of personal
animosity with Tiger.  Whether true or not, these
comments certainly add validity to that possibility.


Frankly, while I have always enjoyed watching the
Masters, these comments by Mr. Nantz have made it a
less enjoyable experience.  With the Masters history
of great attention to detail and respect for the game,
I am hoping that you will take this opinion seriously
and ensure that Mr. Nantz refrains from offering such
negative commentary in the future. 

As you may have heard, Tiger just revealed yesterday that he had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee two days after the tournament. While he did not in any way blame his performance on an injury, it is apparent that he was dealing with pain during the tournament. Of course, this would explain why he was moving slowly around the course and did not appear to be on top of his game.

As I felt during the tournament, I feel even stronger now that Jim Nantz owes Tiger Woods an apology for his negative comments during the final round. Yes, Tiger was moving slower than usual, and did appear to be laboring more than usual, but now we all know why that was. One would think that Tiger's record, establishing him as the greatest golfer in history, would be enough to earn the respect of those in the media, but apparently Mr. Nantz isn't buying it.

So, Jim, are you sticking by your comments that all players were dealing with the same set of circumstances during the Masters? Do you still believe he had no cause to show frustration on the course during Sunday's round? Or was your commentary in poor taste and presumptuous?