Great Expectations

People are acting like their lives are ruined because the Braves lost 5 games in a row – something they hadn’t done since 2017. Six years. They have won what, six straight division championships? What do people want? These days even the Yankees don’t win big every year. How soon people forget the Braves best hitter and pitcher are out for the year. In two of the five games during the losing streak the Braves started a rookie making their MLB debut. Perhaps people should lower their expectations. Even if the Braves don’t win 90 games, dang they’ve had a good run.

I don’t think Ozuna has a very scientific approach to hitting. I think his strategy is to swing for the fences on every pitch. Seriously though I do think he has cut down on his swing this year, hitting more singles and doubles instead of striking out trying to hit a home run. That is how the Phillies and Dodgers hit.

Some think the Braves are missing last year’s first and third base coaches – Washington and Eric Young.

No one wanted to fire the hitting coach last year, when the Braves set several all time hitting records. Most don’t even know who the hitting coach is. I remember when Kevin Seitzer was trying to blow bunts into foul territory.

By the time they fired the hitting coach and replaced him, the team will be out of their slump. The Braves are on pace to win 90 games. How many times did teams managed by Casey Stengel win 90 games?

LOU BOUDREAU [SABR Bio] was the last player/manager to lead his team to a World Series championship. His performance as a player also had much to do with it. He is the last player to have over 100 RBI in a season with fewer than ten strikeouts. In his MVP year of 1948, Boudreau had 106 RBI and only struck out nine times. Nobody since. At 5’11”, he was captain of the Thornton Township HS in Harvey, IL basketball team (They did not have a baseball program). He led the "Flying Clouds" hoops squad to 3 straight Illinois HS championship games, winning in 1933 and finishing as runner up in 1934 &1935.

DENISON: many are mourning the loss of civilians who died during the rescue operation (including the US VP). The Israeli military reported that Hamas sought to fire at Israeli forces behind civilians. Some voiced anger at Hamas for holding hostages in residential buildings.

ME: the AP had been reporting erroneous and inflated casualty figures they’d received from Hamas.