The Brave Yankee

No team has ever started the season 0-7 and then rallied to make the playoffs. But remember, no team had ever made the playoffs with so many starters missing so many games – until the Braves did it last year.

 

Question: as a Mercer fan should you be disappointed if they lose 60-0 in Tuscaloosa to the University of Alabama?

2025 payrolls:

330.5 Dodgers

323.1 Mets

212.8 Braves rank 8th (includes 45.8M for injured players)

 

I’m not going to waste time expecting the Braves to be able to compete against teams that pay tens of millions to every reliever in their bullpen. Kinda like college sports with NIL and the transfer portal. We’ll see how it all shakes out in September. Atlanta’s GM is the most proactive in MLB, but he can only do so much. Snitker was managing last night like the 7th game of the World Series. Easy to second guess. Not worth it to get all worked up about a loss on April 2.    

 

The Braves can finish in last place for all I care. I’ll still be a fan. I’m not going to complain.

After being swept by the Padres, the Braves put a starting pitcher on the disabled list, and suspended their new free agent left fielder for using steroids. So now they’re missing two starting outfielders and two starting pitchers. No one should expect much success this week against the Dodgers, the best team that money can buy. Everyone forgets that last year the Braves made the playoffs despite so many injuries: Acuna, Strider, Riley, Albies, Harris, Murphy, etc. Plus Fried had an off year, and didn’t show for the playoffs. Hard to just say, “yeah, but they should’ve won anyway” when they had to cobble together a roster of replacements they found on the scrap heap – guys who’d been cut by lesser teams.

I have only watched parts of two Braves games. The GM AA has already made at least three roster moves, and it is only April 2. Freddie Freeman was back in the lineup after tweaking his surgically repaired ankle at home when slipping in the shower.

According to MLB the Braves were going to wear their red-billed home caps on the road, and not wear their all navy caps at all any more. Well they’re wearing the all navy caps already. I’m sure you noticed.

Yankees use of those new torpedo bats has baseball buzzing. The Braves ordered a batch. Aaron Judge tied the record of most home runs in March. It must be the topedo bats - who knew he could be a power hitter? I need me some torpedo golf clubs. Yankees changed their logo to include the torpedo bat. Last night the Yankees debuted a new torpedo glove: super big to catch more flies.

Are you going to watch the Augusta National Women’s Amateur golf tournament this week? I’m rooting for Stanford’s Rachel Heck, a military veteran. Loved her in The Middle. Almost time to compile our Masters 10+10 lists.

JOHNNY BENCH  [SABR Bio] is the only catcher to lead the majors in home runs for a season and then do it a second time. Bench led the NL (and MLB) in 1970 with 45 HR and in 1972 with 40. Only a handful of catchers have ever led the majors in homers once. Bench was NL MVP in 1970 & 1972. The Cubs’ Billy Williams came in second both those years. Bench’s MLB-leading RBI seasons were ’70 & ’72 with 148 & 125, as well as 1974 with 129. His childhood friends nicknamed him “Hands”. He could hold 7! baseballs with one hand.

Denison: Roman Catholic bishop Robert Barron, in a First Things article titled “It’s Always Open Season on Christianity,” writes: “…the elite media can be counted on to write pieces debunking Christianity precisely at the holiest time in the Christian calendar.”

John 12:42-43: Many even of the authorities believed in Jesus, but for fear of the Pharisees did not confess it, so they would not be cast out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.  

…that’s what I think of sometimes when I’m scrolling through social media posts.

 

 

 

Update: My Bracket

I successfully picked 85.8% of the NCAA tourney, the same as Dick Vitale and better than Stephen A Smith’s 74.7% and Hannah Storm’s 72.6%. More than Scott Van Pelt and Mike Greenberg and Jason Kelce. I picked the Final Four, though since all four #1 seeds advanced, so did over a million others. I am third in my office pool, out of nine. Both the guys ahead of me also picked Duke to win, so third is where I will finish.  

Golf Saturday morning. I wanted to recap my round to remember all the good shots I hit. I’m improving right when the course is closing down. I teed off at 7 am. 

1. Tee shot faded left. Great 6 iron. Chip took off right. Lag putts weren’t good. Double.

2. Decent 6 iron off tee. Poor chips. Double.

3. Mulligan got a great roll to the fringe. Lags weren’t that great. Bogey.

4. Great 6 iron onto the green, with a lightball ball (which doesn’t carry as far). Two putt for par.

5. Hit both my tee shots onto the green, both lightup balls. Glorious. Lags weren’t the greatest. Bogey.

6. Hit a great hybrid past all the rough, near the 150 yard marker. Flubbed two lightup balls with my 5 irons, then rocketed my third attempt to the distant fringe. I was putting for birdie. Missed, so I had to settle for a par.

7. Hit another good hybrid, most of the way up the hill. Then two 5 irons that weren’t the greatest. I was under a tree, so I pulled out my 3 iron to hit a low shot, knowing it was too much club. Hit a nice shot, but wasn’t surprised when it rolled off the side of the green. Call it a double.

8. Hit an okay drive. Hit an 8 iron onto the green, though it settled at the opposite end of the hole. Long lags. Bogey.

9. My tee shot felt good but I couldn’t find it. Two terrible chips. Lags weren’t good either, on the sloped greens. Double. Finished at 8:10 am.

Back home I puttered around the house. At 6 pm Ceil asked if I was ready to go. Where? I asked. I wasn’t ready to go anywhere.

Young Jimmy Ewing’s birthday party. They’re selling their house on River Springs Court, down the street from his dad’s house and Jim and Suzi Voyles. Mary Hurt was there. David Hurt had lost a tooth and didn’t come. When I told this to Ashley Corbitt, he said “So?” Ashley was talking mostly to older Jim Ewing, but I had a nice chat with Ashley’s wife Diane. Their condo in Vinings has a great view. I had forgotten that Ashley had gone into business with Steve Suggs and Steve’s friend Reid Meyer, who I’d worked with at Jim Suggs’  company.

Spoke for a while to Jim Voyles, who’s working on a deal to renovate five castles in Spain and Portugal. Suzi talked to Ceil and Mary. The Voyles' daughter arrived with her three daughters, who Ceil teaches at Veritas. Lots of good Jets Pizza to eat, those I ate only two squares. The Ewings are moving four miles south, still in Sandy Springs. Young George Ewing also made an appearance.

After church Sunday we walked to our cars with Scott and Robin Condra. Then we drove C to Costco, where we saw Kelly Curran. I grabbed a Costco hot dog and soda. Lazy Sunday after we got home. I did hit the gym this morning, and cranked the incline up higher than usual.

C spent Monday night at W&MCs to keep the girls. I went to CiCi’s Pizza for lunch. Shouldn’t have. But then I didn’t need supper.

The Six Players who can win the Masters. I shouldn’t share this.

Links to info on The Committee of 300, the World Economic Forum, the New World order, “overpopulation” control, etc. Scary stuff.

Article: phrases you say that tells others that you are out of touch – according to some kid just out of college. Thank goodness I already make an effort to refrain from saying them. Number one is sharing articles like this one. Just kidding. Number two is say “just kidding”. I need to compile a list of things that 20-somethings say that shows that they’re out of touch, but instead us older wiser folk just shake our heads, realizing that they’re just going to have to learn these things for themselves, since they’d never try to learn from an older generation (that’s #3 on this kid’s list).

Before Alfonso Soriano in 2000, MIKE GREENWELL [SABR Bio] was the last player to hit home runs for each of his first three major league hits, on 25-Sep-1985, 26-Sep-1985 & 01-Oct-1985. From 1985-1996, Greenwell played only for Boston. He was an All-Star in 1988 & 1989, and was a Silver Slugger in 1988. In 1997, he signed with the Hanshin Tigers in Japan — but his stint ended after seven games when he fractured his foot. He returned stateside, saying he’d had enough. He was replaced on their roster by Darnell Coles, playing the last professional baseball season of his career.

Denison: the less we understand God’s will, the more we need to trust it. Oswald Chambers observed, “Faith is not intelligent understanding; faith is deliberate commitment to a Person where I see no way.” Bishop Charles Henry Brent agreed: “Pray hardest when it is hardest to pray.” When our circumstances are most difficult, we are most likely to question the love and power of God in our lives. That we require his love and power the most.

April Bobbleheads & SGAs

Back by popular (?) demand, my humble list of bobblehead & other interesting major & minor league SGAs. A work in progress. What did I miss?

The April bobble of the month is a three way tie: Chris Sale Triple Crown, the Rome Schwellenbach, and the Angels Big A Millennium Falcon. Wow.

QUESTION: the Rome Schwellenbach is the first bobblehead for the young pitcher, right? Will that make it hold a high value should he fulfill his promise, kind of like a rookie baseball card? Discuss. Talk amongst yourselves.

Man isn’t it great that teams just give away all these bobbleheads, just for the price of a ticket? For most minor league teams trying to break even, bobbleheads are a loss leader. I try to remember that teams don’t have to give away anything, so I try to not complain when every SGA isn’t a never seen before talking race car triple bobble with real wheels and a motor. Sure the giveaway is an effort to attract fans who may normally not attend, but for us collectors, it’s a treasure (or a money-maker). For instance, this year the Braves have at least 45 promotions in 81 games, and they continue to add. #THANKFUL   

3.27 THU Predators Jelly Roll BH

3.28 FRI UGA t-shirts students only

3.29 SAT UGA Charlie Condon BH

3.30 SUN UGA Charlie Condon sherseys 

4.01 TUE SEA Julio Rodriguez BH

4.01 TUE SEA Woodstock BH special ticket

4.04 FRI WSH 20th anniversary rings

4.05 SAT WSH 2005 replica jerseys 

4.05 SAT Daytona Elly De La Cruz BH

4.05 SAT Rome blanket

4.06 SUN ATL deaf awareness spec tix

4.06 SUN ATL chris sale triple crown 3000 kids

4.07 MON BOS Jarren Duran ASG MVP BH 

4.08 TUE WSH Hello Kitty BH special ticket

4.08 TUE ATL los bravos cap spec tix

4.09 WED ATL chris sale cy young BH  15000

4.10 THU ATL hello kitty figure spec tix

4.11 FRI UGA throwback hats students only 

4.11 FRI Balt clear stadium bags

4.12 SAT Balt Cedric Mullins t-shirts

4.12 SAT CIN Elly De La Cruz switch hitter BH

4.12 SAT Inland Empire Angels hoodie

4.13 SUN UGA throwback sherseys 

4.13 SUN Balt Oriole bird plushie kids only

4.14 MON SD Padres aloha shirts 

4.17 THU Rich stadium figurine 

4.18 FRI Balt hockey jerseys 

4.19 SAT Balt Davis Rubenstein BH

4.19 SAT Rome Spencer Schwellenbach BH

4.19 SAT Gwinnett Chopper BH & rare Dave Murphy appearance

4.19 Angels Big A Millennium Falcon BH

419 SAT ATL girls night out cap spec tix

4.20 SUN ATL los bravos cap spec tix

4.20 SUN ATL mascot security t shirt 3000 kids

4.21 MON ATL los bravos cap spec tix 

4.22 TUE WSH James Wood BH

4.22 TUE ATL los bravos cap spec tix

4.22 TUE ATL Chipper Jones BH 15000

4.23 WED ATL los bravos cap spec tix 

4.23 WED WSH James Wood BH

4.24 THU UGA sherseys

4.25 FRI UGA beer bats students only

4.26 SAT UGA cowboy hats  

4.26 SAT WSH 20th anniversary hats

4.26 SAT Inland Empire Sugar Skull BH 

4.27 SUN WSH t-shirts kids only

4.27 SUN ATL Peachtree Street Festival

4.29 TUE Gwinnett Black Crackers XL shersey 500