More Braves Bits

 

 Evidently I wasn't the only one to notice Freddie jawing Kelly Johnson - note this article on mlb.com: http://m.mlb.com/cutfour/2015/09/10/148581834

 

Any thoughts on the Braves? Seems like they're right where everyone predicted they'd be at the beginning of the season. Nice to see Olivera hitting well. His slingshot throwing motion still worries me. I might've detected a slight nod when Cespedes stepped in the box to bat.

Did you see Cespedes first at bat last night? He chopped the ball and broke his bat? The outfielder turned and sauntered back to the dugout. The ball had rolled fair. Can't remember if Miller or AJ picked it up, but AJ wound up jogged almost all the way to the Mets dugout to tag Cespedes. Perhaps the Cuban was just going to get another bat. The scoring was 2U, not 1-2. When Cespedes was announced several Mets fans chanted "MVP! MVP!"

 Thursday night's game: there were eleven people there for me to talk to, which helped the rain delay pass. I knew that John Parkes kept score of every Braves game but last night was the first time I sat with him during the game. He records extra details like what time the game starts and ends, and what the temperature and attendance are. He also adds other notes – quite similar to me.

My scoring is a little more complex, noting how runners advance from base to base and sometimes even charting balls and strikes and pitch counts. John admits that every night he gets home and throws the scorecard in a file and doesn't look at again. Last night he saw the Braves mascot Homer and mentioned that the guy playing Homer is also Harry the Hawk. I told him you used to be friends with Harry. It took him a minute, but he later remembered Harry's name was Wayne Pea.

We also discussed the new stadium. John wasn't sure if he would go to games there. Depended on ticket prices and bus schedules. I suggested he could go to Hawks games, momentarily forgetting that Hawks tickets are far more expensive than the dollar tickets he buys. He didn't say much about basketball. John does like greeting the same stadium ushers at every game. Not sure if he knows all the finer points of baseball, but then again there are plenty of people who know more than me. They're the ones not making ridiculous comments on social media.

After the rain let up Shelby jogged out to the outfield and got his shoes and long pants wet stepping in puddles. Later he reappeared with the cuffed pants and long navy socks - what he wears when he isn't pitching. Not sure if he changed out of a wet uniform or if he was trying to change his luck.

Pregame parades at Turner Field: anyone could participate in the zombie parade. They say you need a special ticket, but that's mostly for the special T shirt.
  

ROB: I just realized Chipper Jones first major league game was this date in 1993. 

I ended up not going (Thursday night).  With the rain, it was a good decision.

I think the Braves should go full out Cuban - sign Cespedes and trade for Puig.  Not that they will do either, of course.  I do like what we have seen of Olivera - he is not the player I thought he was when we first talked about him over the winter.  He really filled out physically.

I hope management has not fallen in love too much with Maybin in CF and Peterson at 2B next year.  Maybin has regressed to an average MLB hitter while Peterson has an OPS about 20% below average.  Of course, they are both an improvement over '13-'14 BJ and Uggla.

Labor Day weekend: Anna went on a church trip to South Georgia. She drove - and got a speeding ticket. It never ends. Will went to the UGA football game then spent the night at the Normans. Last Saturday night I went to the GBraves game. Today Will is touring the medical school in Augusta. As a white male Will faces an uphill battle gaining admission into PA school - more females are admitted. Anna comes home for the first time today. She's riding home with her roommate Emily.

Work is busy but overall I'm liking the move downstairs to the new department. The three main managers are good to work with. I've known and worked with two of them for years and they know and speak of me well. The third is a non-nonsense get things done type, which is good. He and his boss can be fun.

Our small group friend Lee recently went on a JF mission trip. He could call home but the purpose of his trip had to be helping/training citizens to set up their own businesses, which is what he did.

Wednesday when I was driving down my street at 3:15 I was going down a hill where a creek crosses underneath the road. The four deer inhabiting our neighborhood dashed across the street in front of my car, then hopped across the creek and into the woods behind our house.