What a great game. That was what baseball was all about, right down to a near-heart attack in the ninth inning. I’m torn, though. Lowe was doing so well I think they should’ve left him in. I know innings and you don’t want to wear down your number one guy, but Gonzalez just about choked it up and killed us all, then somehow managed to pull it out. Think I would’ve let Lowe finish the game, personally.
Greg “Mad Dog” Maddux, a legend of pitching, is no longer active, but his legacy remains. Fittingly, the Braves will be retiring his number.
The Braves announced Sunday morning that they will retire Maddux’s number and induct him into their Hall of Fame during a July 17 ceremony at Turner Field.
“His fingerprints are all over the success this club enjoyed from 1991-2005,” Braves president John Schuerholz said. “Those kinds of guys who make that kind of impact deserve to be honored in the manner that we are going to honor Greg.”
For the best article on Maddux that I’ve read, see this amazing piece on ESPN.com. Or this one. While he’s not the type to open up, the man’s a legend. If only for “Chicks Dig The Long Ball.”
Braves fixture and all-around mostly-good guy* Chipper Jones has signed a 3 year, $42 million deal that should put him with the Braves through his retirement. As a big fan of Chipper throughout his career, it’s good to see the guy stay in one uniform for the duration, and we sincerely hope we’ve avoid the demoralizing sight of the once-great hero* limping around in a bizarro uniform for one more season.
Just in case you need a reminder, here are some highlights of Chipper’s career, courtesy of Wikipedia, god’s gift to slackers and aspiring sportswriters.
McCann left today's Spring Training game with, as Al Michaels would say, "a hand."
MLB.com just broke the news that Braves all-star catcher Brian McCannleft today’s Spring Training game with an injury after taking a Mark Teixeira foul ball off his hand. It’s likely a precautionary move, but even if it’s not a major injury, the all-star catcher will more than likely miss the rest of Spring Training.
Teixeira was McCann’s teammate in 2007 and 2008. You think you know a guy!
“Braves Nation could breath a collective sigh of relief Saturday after Brian McCann’s finger injury was diagnosed as a mere bruise.
“The All-Star catcher was struck in the right ring finger by a foul tip off the bat of former teammate Mark Teixeira in the first inning of Saturday’s 6-4 loss to the New York Yankees.”
Bobby Cox told AJC the team “caught a break.” No foolin’, especially since McCann’s backup is David Ross, whose OPS+ over the past three years has been 130, 68 and 88 (that’s actually pretty great for a backup catcher), whereas McCann’s has been 143, 100 and 104.
Over the past four games, Cox has seen his prospective relievers total 8 1/3 innings and allow 21 earned runs. That equates to a 22.68 ERA, which has been primarily accounted for by struggles from Logan and fellow left-handed reliever Eric O’Flaherty.
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Closer Mike Gonzalez surrendered three earned runs in one inning Wednesday night, and he then talked about how excited he was about his increased velocity. This outing against the Nationals came just a few hours after Rafael Soriano decided to tell the Braves that he was feeling some discomfort in his left side.
It’s only Spring Training, but it’s always ominous when your bullpen implodes before the season starts. Either Bobby Cox needs to get some help on the line or he needs an exorcist to cast out the Curse of John Smoltz, last seen lurking ominously around the bullpen making spooky “Woooo!” noises.
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