The Braves Lose a Game

Braves beat Boston, thanks to an Austin Riley 3 run homer. Yaz homered as well. Braves take two of three to go 6-4 in their last ten. Phillies went 7-3 against easier competition, but didn't gain much ground. But...

...the Marlins always seem to play the Braves tough. Our nemesis. A tough low line drive hit right at RF Yaz, who charged the ball and tried to make the catch. The ball was most probably knuckling back and forth - making the catch all the tougher. The ball caroomed off Yaz's glove and bounced toward center field. But CF Michael Harris was standing there in center watching the play, instead of moving to back up the play. Sure the line drive play happened quickly, but Harris could at least have been moving that way. People hate it when people bring up guys who hustle: Pete Rose, Larry Bird, Derek Jeter, Michael Jordan - but they made plays because they never stopped moving.

Bummer walked the bases loaded, then walked the next batter to force in a run. Already down 6-0, Weiss let Bummer stay in to try to work things out. Didn't work: the next batter hit a grand slam. 11-0 Marlins. Then another HR. 12-0. Not pretty. After the game the Braves gave Bummer his unconditional release.   

Years ago, Braves manager Walt Weiss used to babysit the young manager of the Marlins.

Acuna was activated from the disabled list. Drake Baldwin was placed on the 10 day injured list. Many fans will panic. 

You’d think that on a Bark In The Park game, the stadium would hold back on all the loud music for one night.GT head coach Brent Key indicated that transfer QB Mendoza is the leading candidate to start this fall. 

Ceil’s sinuses have been draining for like three weeks now. She’s been taking all sorts of medicines: NyQuil, DayQuil, Motrin, Sudafed, Advil, Tylenol, but nothing seems to work. 

After church Sunday we ate lunch at the Moxie Burger down off Paper Mill Road. Not our usual Moxie across from the Roswell Square. Ordered a chicken sandwich for C and a burger for me. They brought me a turkey burger, so I thought I’d eat it instead of sending it back. It wasn’t good at all. Ugh. The fries were excellent. 

Walking out of the service, C mentioned that she hadn’t been able to sit out in the sun. So we ate at a table out in the sunshine, no shade. Nice to be warm, but I wish I’d had a ball cap to block the sun. I need to keep one in Ceil’s car. 

After Sunday School the guys were talking about getting back to climbing Kennesaw Mountain on Saturday mornings. I was standing there, so I received a personal invitation. Guess I’ll be going with them next Saturday. I’ve only climbed Kennesaw once before, several years ago. 

Monday: treadmill and sauna. A sandwich for lunch. C had brunch with MC in Buckhead at La Bon Nosh. Matthew stopped by to visit.  Supper was grilled chicken tenders, kale salad, black eyed peas, steamed rice, and grilled vegetables: broccoli, sweet potatoes, beets.

Anna & Caleb haven't really been attending any church regularly, but it looks like that may be changing soon. They'd been waiting on a church plant to start up in Marietta - Gem City Church. Passion City Church is helping them with finances and resources, though once the church gets off the ground, they will be autonomous. Gem City already has over 1400 followers on Instagram.

Theo was the most popular boy name in 2026 and 2025. In 2024 Theo ranked fourth, and seventh in 2023. 

Denison: I feel a special urgency to think with you about Nicholas Kristof’s recent article in the New York Times. The transcendent issues it raises are crucial for the Jewish people and especially relevant to Christian cultural engagement. Kristof’s May 11 column focuses on allegations of “widespread Israeli sexual violence by soldiers, settlers, interrogators in the Shin Bet internal security agency and prison guards.” 

Top career home run totals among players who only played for one major league team.

 

Player                 HR   Team   WAR

Ernie Banks........512....CHC... 67.8

Lou Gehrig..........493...NYY....113.7

Chipper Jones.....468...ATL......85.3

Mickey Mantle.....535...NYY....110.3

Stan Musial.........475...STL....128.6

Cal Ripken..........431...BAL..... 95.9

Mike Schmidt......536...PHI.....106.9

Willie Stargell......475...PITT......57.7

Mike Trout...........415...ANA......89.5

Ted Williams.......521...BOS....121.8

Carl Yastrzemski.452...BOS..... 96.5

Mel Ott................511...NYG....111.0

Jeff Bagwell........449...HOU.... 79.9

Wall Art

Art options to display in my home office: my Tull Today magazine cover, the framed Dale Murphy / Dwight Gooden Nike Stickball poster, framed baseball card of Anna, framed Mickey Mantle baseball card, framed Beatles Sgt Peppers album, a Braves Country Concert poster, the framed Braves logo poster Anna had given me, a drawing Matthew had drawn as a kid, a framed first issue of Sports Illustrated with Eddie Mathews on the cover, framed Greg Maddux Sports Illustrated cover, my Falcons helmet, 1972 Braves batting helmet, the San Diego Chicken bobblehead, my Olympic torch, and a shelf for a few caps and sneakers. Also my Veggie Tales Larry Mobile. 

Article: people who browse social media but never post aren't necessarily passive — they may have quietly opted out of the pressure to perform. Millions of others simply aren't on social media at all.

Must see vacation destinations, according to one source: European river & canal cruises, Italy's Amalfi coast, Ireland’s castles and countryside, a month in Provence France, a Galápagos Islands Expedition, Australia, exploring the Greek islands, a bungalow in Bora Bora. 

Henry Winkler is the nicest man in show business. Before he landed his iconic role of The Fonz on Happy Days in 1974, he made one time appearances on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and The Bob Newhart Show. After becoming famous, Winkler noticed a downtrodden actor trying to get his handwritten script made into a movie, and decided to help him out. That's how the movie Rocky was made.

Caitlin Clark made WNBA history - again. Angel Reese was quoted as saying "I know I'm a great player". In Sunday's sellout game at State Farm Arena, Reese shot 1-8 from the field, with eight turnovers. 

The Day Ted Turner managed the Braves.

Denison: "it is vital that I write, speak, and respond to cultural issues in ways that offer biblical truth with personal humility. What God says is what matters, not what I think. And what I think comes from a finite, fallen mind couched in experiences that limit my perspective and understanding. Given the differences that exist in a culture as disparate as ours, can we find hope beyond humility and unity beyond tolerance?" ME: it's sad that so many other "Christian" voices that I hear don't think and speak and act this way. 

Article: an angry Muslim man refused to sit in his assigned seat on the plane, which was next to an elderly woman reading her Bible, and demands to be moved. The only open seat was in first class, so the flight crew upgraded the elderly woman to the first class seat so she wouldn't have to put up with the belligerent Muslim.

ERNIE BANKS  [SABR Bio] holds the record for the most career hits at Wrigley Field, with 1372. He was born & raised in Dallas, Texas. He was the first National League first baseman to record 22 putouts in a game, on 09-My-1963 vs. PIT. Banks played 1269 of his 2476 games at 1B. A 14-time All-Star, Ernie was the first player at his position to twice homer three times in a game. Banks had 3-HR games four times, on 04-Aug-1955, 14-Sep-1957(2), 29-May-1963, and 09-Jun-1963.

Head's Up

Little Miller is holding her head up.

She doesn't want her food source out of her sight.

Cool photo of Atlanta: the city in the forest.

That's the Candler Park golf course in the foreground, with Mary Lin Elementary School across the street.

The Braves players seem to understand that Weiss expects performance. Sounds like he is up front with them about playing time, etc. Weiss is a black belt in taekwondo. After both Harris and Olson got picked off first base on Tuesday night, bringing the season total to ten - equalling their 2025 total - Weiss admitted their strategy and approach was going to change. This past offseason Weiss had hired the Mets first base coach, who had helped the Mets lead the league in stolen bases. The aggressiveness has yet to transfer over to Atlanta yet. 

Rome has some cool dude alternate uniforms.

Best MLB player by uniform number. They got 96 right. Shouldn't 45 be Michael Jordan? 

Been driving past this East Cobb liquor store for 30 years. Never saw a sign like this. Might need to start paying closer attention. Ducks Burger Bar is right behind this store, at Roswell and Providence.

MICKEY MANTLE  [SABR Bio] passed Babe Ruth for the most career postseason home runs. The Babe had 15, but Mantle ended up with 18 - all in the World Series, of course. Mantle won the only American Triple Crown, batting or pitching, in the 1950s. In 1956, Mantle had .353, 52 HR, 130 RBI. All three led the majors that season. It was the only year he ever led in RBI or average. He led in HR two additional times. Full list. Mantle once said, “It’s unbelievable how much you don't know about the game you've been playing all your life." He also said  “All the ballparks and the big crowds have a certain mystique. You feel attached, permanently wedded to the sounds that ring out, to the fans chanting your name, even when there are only four or five thousand in the stands on a Wednesday afternoon.” And: “After I hit a home run I had a habit of running the bases with my head down.  I figured the pitcher already felt bad enough without me showing him up rounding the bases.”

STAN MUSIAL  [SABR Bio] hit .357 and  was voted MVP at age 22 in 1943, then led the Cards over the Browns in the 1944 WS. He led the majors in triples each of the three times he won the MVP. MVP in 1943 with 20 triples; MVP in 1946 with 20 triples; MVP in 1948 with 18 triples. Stan was #2 in MVP voting in 1949, 1950 & 1951. He was also runner-up in 1957.

The Whole Duty of Man

Clay Smith JFBC 

The Whole Duty of Man 

Ecclesiastes 12:9-14…a difficult book to preach. 

In the movie Castaway, the main character looks at his life and realizes that much of what he thought was important really wasn’t. 

Three Conclusions, for the book of Ecclesiastes, but also for life. 

 1. v 9-12 we need to hear God’s word. The book bounces around…a collection of sayings, assembled together by the author, Solomon, who was known for wisdom. We’ve learned that we live in a sinful world. Lots of vanity. We live in a fallen world. We learn about the gift of work. We’re taught about the fear of God. All this was Solomon’s intent. 

Enduring phrases come from the book of Ecclesiastes: there’s nothing new under the sun. Words of truth - Gods truth. God uses these words to prod us along. Some Old Testament verses may seem outdated, but they’re there to bind us all together. Gives us stability. Comforts the disturbed, and disturbs the comfortable. 

All truth is ultimately God’s truth. He’s the great Shepherd. This is the word of God, that carries us along by the Holy Spirit. Nothing is impossible with God. Show me a Bible that’s falling apart, and I’ll show you a life that’s not. 

Movie: The Book of Eli. We had no idea what we had until we lost it, talking about not having a Bible to read. All other books pale in comparison to the Bible. 

2. v 13 Fear God’s Name. We’ve lost a healthy sense of the fear of God, and have respect in Him. 

If God never tells you no, then you follow a false God. God does give us grace. In light of what God has done for me through Jesus, what is my response? A meaningful life is to fear the name of God. 

3. Obey God’s commandments. Matthew 7 - the man’s house remained when it was built on the rock. The truth will set you free. Until you learn the boundaries of obeying God’s word, you’ll never know how to be conformed to the image of Jesus, to be set free. 

What’s the Point - of the book of Ecclesiastes… 

…Life is brief, and God is eternal - so live for what lasts. Standing before God in judgment will be a real thing. We can stand before God in complete righteousness, because of what God has done for us through His son Jesus. 

JFBC’s two year goal: 500 baptisms. After 4-1/2 months they've baptised 167 so far. 

36 in Sunday School today. Lesson on Genesis 20. Groundbreaking on the new building will be this fall. 

Next Saturday: climb Kennesaw Mountain with Dan, Brian, Dan, etc. Gotta start planning out what to wear. 

Me: listening to podcasts is a waste of time, compared to reading books. The podcasters spend half their time chitchatting and joking around, trying to sound cool. All that crap would never make it into a book.

Vintage Football Helmets

This afternoon I placed the eleven vintage football helmets I’ve collected up for sale. We’ll see if anyone buys them. Vikings Bears Chargers GT Auburn Dolphins Jaguars Broncos Rams Cowboys. I’ll keep my Falcons helmet unless someone overpays for it.

Speaking of Dollar Tree, I always check the sale table. I’m a sucker for the PopTarts if they’re 63 cents for the box. Went crazy and bought 5 boxes of the SMores flavored PopTarts. Might help me slow down on such purchases. 

Since it was Saturday I got to the golf course extra early. Teed off at 6:18 am using the light up balls, even though it was starting to get light out.

1. Hit two good 4 irons off the tee. "Long" and straight. Approach shots weren’t pretty but got good rolls - one up the hill to the right fringe. Hit two good chips.

2. A good "long" 4 iron to the front right fringe. One good chip, and a couple others were okay. 

3. I pulled two 9 irons left, and flubbed two right. Can’t seem to hit a good tee shot on this hole. I did hit a real good chip. 

4. Six iron off the tee sailed left. Hit two decent chips, and two poor chips. Missed the first two par putts, but sank my third try.

5. Hit a great 4 iron onto the green (below). Then a second one to the fringe. Sank my first long putt for birdie. Hit another putt - and it went in as well. Missed my third putt by inches.

6. Hit a long low straight drive that clipped some leaves on the left side of the fairway, but it still rolled way down further than I’ve ever hit a drive on this hole. Hit two more tee shots. Both sliced right, but playable. Hit one great 4 iron that got knocked down by a tree, but flubbed my other tries. Hit several decent chips and lag putts.

7. All three drives sailed right. One hit a tree and bounced back into the fairway. Flubbed two 5 irons, then hit a nice one. Hit three 7 irons decent, but they rolled off the left side of the green. My fourth attempt wasn’t pretty, but it stayed on the green. I hit three good lag putts.

8. My drives were okay, but I didn’t get good distance. I hit one chip shot, to the back fringe. Two good lag putts.

9. Hit two good hybrids. Two of my chips were good. Two putt for a finishing bogey...at 8:01 am.

After golf this morning I stopped by the Sandy Springs farmers market for Ceil. Brought the box home and then I went to the gym. Treadmill and sauna. Stopped by Dollar Tree on the way home.

The Braves Clubhouse Store is selling at least ten City Connect themed caps, including the on field version. Plus dozens of other cap styles as well as several different bucket hats. Last week I went inside the team store but hardly glanced at the caps. There’s only one cap that interests me, though I won’t be buying it. Of course if I stumble across a Braves cap at a thrift store, there’s a good chance that I’ll snap it up. 

Current cap list: 5950 home, 5950 road, 5950 road, 5950 crackers 7-3/4, 5950 crackers 8, 5950 tomahawk,  5950 tomahawk spring training, 5950 white front BP cap, 5950 speedway classic, 1950 all black, 1950 royal lower case a, 1982 royal cap, 1972 white front cap, Boston Braves Red Bill, Boston Braves grey cap, 3950 home stretch fit, 3950 Stripers stretch fit, Gwinnett SnapBack, Gwinnett St Patrick’s, Greenville Braves SnapBack, Stripers grey SGA flag cap selling, Crackers navy cap, 1998 World Series cap selling, Baseballism cap, 5950 Pelicans, Masters cap, black Titleist, navy Titleist, GT, Savannah Bananas, St Louis Browns, 3950 Braves camo snapback, 3950 royal mesh snapback, 5950 All Star Game cap.

Kirk Cousins 2.0

The Las Vegas Raiders produced a funny schedule release video with QBs Fernando Mendoza and Kirk Cousins. Many Atlantans don’t like Cousins after he didn’t reveal that he was injured late in the 2024 season. He obviously thought he gave the team the best chance to win. The team had really messed up by signing Cousins to a huge contract, then drafting another QB with the #8 pick in the draft - a move that eventually cost the GM his job. 

But I’m a big Cousins fan. He’s a hard worker, loves Jesus, is a family man, and establishes deeper than usual relationships with his teammates and coaches. In fact, Fernando Mendoza may just be Kirk Cousins 2.0.

Heard someone say that Vans are the new dad shoes. Also Hokas. In fact it doesn’t matter what brand of sneakers an old white guy wears - he’s not going to look cool, even if it’s the same exact sneaker the cool 20-something’s are rocking. 

Speaking of the cool 29-something’s, looks like they all wear golf shirts and kaiki shorts to Braves games, and probably to everywhere else. It wouldn’t be cool for them to be seen wearing a Braves jersey or cap. They gotta stick to their uniform. Now get off my lawn. 

Reminds me: I need to check eBay and Poshmark for one of those cool dude golf shirts with the tiny Bloopers or Braves feather designs on them. 

BREAKING NEWS: "Numerous Residents are furious after dozens of empty Waymo autonomous vehicles reportedly flooded an Atlanta neighborhood, circling a cul-de-sac for hours without passengers and causing major frustration among locals". ME: I love how the media uses words like "furious" and "major frustration".

Yesterday afternoon Matthew stopped by to visit. We watched the Braves game last night. 

This morning Ceil and I went on a walk after 10:30 am - 1.75 miles with Winnie. Then I cleaned out her car and drove over to the CarSpa on Windy Hill and Cobb Parkway. Ran it through the wash and detailed the inside. Stopped by Taco Bell on the way back for a free burrito and free senior citizen soft drink.  

Article reveals the actual source of covid, which also answers the question of why. The truth is out there.  

TED WILLIAMS  [SABR Bio] was the AL MVP in 1946 & 1949. However, he led in WAR four other years: 1941 (10.4) 2^nd; 1942 (10.5) 2^nd; 1946 (10.6) 1^st; 1947  (9.5)  2^nd; 1949  (9.0)  1^st; and 1951 (7.3) 13^th. – Ordinals indicate AL MVP voting position. He led the majors twelve times in on-base percentage and ended his career as the all-time OBP leader. His lead in OBP, .482, will not be challenged any time soon. His memorable home run in post-World-War-II Fenway Park has been scrutinized extensively. In Boston on 09-Jun-1946(1), he hit a ball that stands as the record distance, 502’, for any home run ever hit there.  A good explanation here:  SABR. 

Denison: more details come to light about the 2024 sinking of the Russian 'ghost ship".