Braves News

Should the Braves trade Yunel Escobar?
"Yunel Escobar is, shall we say, a different sort of Brave. He has blond highlights in his hair. He doesn't always pay attention. He has a temper and is given to the sulks. He has yet to respond to the gentle urgings of Bobby Cox, which have become less gentle over time. According to Buster Olney of ESPN.com, the Braves "are willing to trade Escobar for a good hitter right now." (Link requires registration.) But I don't think they will. Nor do I believe they should. Because Yunel Escobar is a different sort of Brave in another way: He can really hit. And he can really play. The Braves have become so skilled at siphoning off higher-maintenance types that they have lesser tolerance for one ..."
Braves torch Hamels and Phils, 11-1
"When Cole Hamels last pitched, the Toronto Blue Jays chased him from Friday's game in the fifth inning. Hamels, angry with himself and the world, earned an ejection on the way out.That seemed like a low point in the season, but with tonight's 11-1 loss to Atlanta at Turner Field, the Phillies quickly circled back to their darkest moment.Hamels' exit was calmer, but his performance was even worse. The pitcher allowed nine hits and seven runs in four-plus innings, and trudged off the mound with his head down. And just like in Friday's game, which provoked a rare team meeting, the Phillies waited until the seventh inning for their first hit off Jair Jurrjens. They are now just a half-game in ..."
Braves support Jurrjens, who flirts with no-hitter
"Lost in a rubble of run support that Jair Jurrjens hadn't seen in a month came a gem of a pitching performance. The 23-year-old Curacao native weaved a no-hit effort in and around nine runs from the Braves' offense before his no-hit bid ended with two outs in the seventh inning of an 11-1 pounding over the Phillies Former Braves catcher Paul Bako singled to give the Phillies one hit to the Braves' 11 at that point and put at least some kind of damper on a big night for the Braves. Jurrjens, now 6-6 despite a 2.73 earned-run average, snapped his four-game losing streak with seven one-hit innings. He walked four, struck out six and allowed only one unearned run on his own two-base throwing ..."
Braves' Kelly Johnson reacts to benching
"What's good for Martin Prado is not so good for Kelly Johnson, after manager Bobby Cox said Tuesday night that it was time to give Prado a shot at the everyday second base job. But the numbers stacked up against Johnson, who has hit only .168 with no home runs and five RBIs in his past 28 games. His season average was down to .216 entering Wednesday night's game. "I'm not playing well, not hitting well," Johnson said. "I want to get on track. I want to be in a good position and be ready, so I can have good at-bats and just play as good as I can to help the team win." Johnson is prepared for whatever role that turns out to be, even if it's strictly coming off the bench. "I want us to win ..."
Rollins struggles as Phils fall
"When Charlie Manuel decided last week to bench Jimmy Rollins for four games, his well-stated hope was that an extended break would help free the Phillies' languishing leadoff hitter from the longest slump of his career. But his fear was equally transparent: What if it doesn't work? "There have been a lot of guys that have been elected to the Hall of Fame that have had terrible years," said Manuel, sitting in the dugout before Tuesday night's series opener against the Braves at Turner Field. "Everybody goes through that. That's a part of the game." So with the very real possibility that the worst season of his career simply won't be salvaged, Rollins returned to the Phillies' lineup and ..."
Big night for Prado inches Braves closer to Phillies
"Martin Prado played like a (utility) man on a mission Tuesday night for the Braves, and in the end he won more than just a 10-inning game against the Philadelphia Phillies. He won a starting job. Prado had a career-high four hits and four RBIs, including a homer and a game-ending single in the Braves' thrilling 5-4, come-from-behind win at Turner Field, their first home win against the Phillies since 2007. Afterward, Braves manager Bobby Cox said Prado would be the starting second baseman over slumping Kelly Johnson, at least for a while. "He's too hot to take out," Cox said of Prado, who hit a two-out, eighth-inning RBI double to tie the score, and a one-out single after falling behind in ..."
Jordan Schafer's homer caps dramatic G-Braves rally
"Jordan Schafer's home run capped a seven-run rally that propelled the Gwinnett Braves to an 8-7 home victory against Louisville on Tuesday afternoon. The G-Braves entered the eighth inning trailing 7-1 and tied the score on pinch-hitter Reid Gorecki's two-out grand slam. Schafer, making his third start since coming off the disabled list, followed with his second homer since joining the G-Braves."
Escobar, McLouth held out of Braves lineup
"Shortstop Yunel Escobar and center fielder Nate McLouth were both in, then out, of the Braves' lineup for Tuesday night's series opener against Philadelphia. Escobar (strained hip flexor) and McLouth (sore hamstring) were in the first lineup posted in the afternoon. Escobar was scratched after telling a trainer during batting practice that his hip was still sore. "He said he couldn't go," said manager Bobby Cox, who added that he wasn't sure when the enigmatic Escobar would be ready. "I don't know. I'm going to have to talk to him." About 30 minutes later, McLouth sat next to Cox in the dugout after batting practice and told him that his left hamstring was still a little sore, but he was ..."
Kawakami adjusting to life in Atlanta and as a Brave
"Five months into his new life in Major League Baseball, Kenshin Kawakami could be a pretty lonely guy by now. Since February, he's been away from family and friends back in Japan. He has no one here that he is particularly close to and who speaks his language, unless you count Daichi Takasue, his 22-year-old interpreter and, by default, his closest companion. But that's not how Kawakami sees it. And he doesn't need Takasue to answer this question for him: Are you happy? "Yes," Kawakami said. Kawakami signed a three-year $23-million contract with the Braves, which does make the transition to life away from home easier. He's also found a favorite sushi spot - Hayakawa on Buford Highway. But ..."
No more interruptions
"And so ends another interleague festival for the Red Sox. With their 2-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves yesterday at Turner Field, the Sox headed to Baltimore to begin a three-game series against the Orioles tonight, closing out their 2009 interleague schedule with an 11-7 record. Terry Francona couldn't be happier. The manager always supplies delicate and diplomatic answers when quizzed by the media about the annual slate of interleague games, though it is clear he'd just as soon be able to use his players in the roles for which they were acquired in the first place. "I would assume (interleague play) is financially (viable), or we wouldn't be doing it," Francona said. "And there's nothing ..."
Brad Penny has a lost art
"It used to be Tim Wakefield who played the role of the Tough Luck Kid on the Red Sox [team stats]. He'd flutter an evening's worth of quality knuckleballs at the opposition and place himself on the precipice of victory . . . only to come away with a no-decision or a loss because either his offense or his bullpen didn't deliver the goods. And now, playing the role of Tim Wakefield . . . Brad Penny. Amazing. Earlier this season, Penny had some bowwow outings and somehow avoided getting clubbed with the "L" next to his name. Now, he's pitching fine but isn't getting the "W's." To use an old line that has been around baseball since the days of flannel uniforms and sleeper cars, Brad Penny ..."
Red Sox' sweep deprivation
"In all three of their interleague road series this season, the Red Sox [team stats] won the first two games, but when it came time to go for the sweep, couldn't apply the knockout blow. It happened in Philadelphia two weeks ago, earlier this week in Washington against the hapless Nationals, and yesterday, against the Atlanta Braves, too. A combination of the searing heat and rookie pitcher Tommy Hanson silenced the Red Sox, 2-1. "As long as we keep winning series, that's a good thing," said Dustin Pedroia [stats]. "You want to sweep teams, but it's tough. Everyone's got good players and it's tough to sweep a major league-caliber team." Manager Terry Francona offered the theory that the Sox ..."
Hanson makes start, stops Braves' skid
"Tommy Hanson pitched six scoreless innings of two-hit ball in a 2-1 win against Boston on Sunday, and this was the stuff of which young legends are made. Understand, when Braves manager Bobby Cox left the ballpark Saturday, a team trainer told him it would "take a miracle" for the rookie Hanson to shake off flu symptoms and be ready to make his scheduled start Sunday afternoon. When Hanson drove to Turner Field Sunday morning with roommate Kris Medlen, the designated emergency starter, Hanson told Medlen to be ready because Hanson didn't think he was going to make it to the mound. Six hours later, after Hanson (4-0) blanked the power-laden Sox to run his scoreless innings streak to 20, ..."
Chipper Jones swings through slump
"Chipper Jones was mired in one of the worst slumps of his career, but the veteran third baseman took a philosophical approach when asked about it Sunday morning. Then he went out and hit a home run in the first inning of the Braves' 2-1 win against Boston at Turner Field. Before that shot to the first row of the left-field seats, Jones had been 10-for-60 (.167) with one RBI his past 16 games, with as many errors (three) as extra-base hits (three, all doubles) during that stretch. To say he wasn't panicked would be an understatement. "I'm a .310 lifetime hitter, and for the last few years I've hit .340," Jones said in his deep, distinct drawl. "The numbers have to average out sometimes." ..."
Kawakami's next start bumped
"Kenshin Kawakami's next scheduled start was bumped from Tuesday to Friday, giving him more time recover from the neck contusion that he got from being hit by a line drive on Wednesday. An off day in the schedule Monday will allow the Braves to use other starts on regular rest for the Phillies series that begins Tuesday, while Kawakami will have time to heal fully before Friday's series opener at Washington."
Wakefield on top of it all in beating Braves
"When they have needed him - the day after Daisuke Matsuzaka's disastrous start in Oakland, in a duel against Cliff Lee in Cleveland - Tim Wakefield has been there for the Red Sox. And it was no different yesterday, an oven-like heat bearing down on him in Atlanta, as the Sox needed every one of his 88 pitches. It has been this way for years, though there have been bad games and missteps and injuries along the way, of course. For so long that, after 15 years with the Red Sox, the slow knucklers have caught up to the rockets of the Rocket. Wakefield, with the 382d start of his Sox career, tied Roger Clemens for the most starts in club history, a mark of not just longevity but excellence. ..."
Tim Wakefield, Red Sox 'pen combine on shutout
"Since May 30, the Red Sox have won 18-of-25 games, a hot streak that has seen them seize control of the AL East. Not coincidentally, since that same day, Red Sox starting pitchers have fashioned an ERA of 3.38, which, as much as anything, explains the surge. It was no different yesterday. Tim Wakefield blanked the Atlanta Braves for six innings, then placed the game into the capable hands of the bullpen, which chipped in with three scoreless innings, resulting in a 1-0 Red Sox win. "This," said pitching coach John Farrell following his charges' second shutout in the last week, "is more indicative of what we expected when the staff was constructed in the offseason and at the start of the ..."
Braves waste another Vazquez gem
"It seems hard to believe that the listless Braves, who were shut out again Saturday by the Boston Red Sox, are still only five games out of first place with a week to go before the season's halfway point. But most Braves seem fully aware that it has had little to do with how they've played and is more about how badly the season has gone for 2008 National League East champion Philadelphia and the injury-plagued New York Mets. "I hate to say it, but we're only five games back," said catcher Brian McCann, who seemed embarrassed to say that after the Braves lost 1-0 to the Red Sox in front of a crowd of 48,151, wasting another strong start by Javier Vazquez (5-7). McCann added this to make ..."
Braves' solid-gold arms are undone by dime-store bats
"If pitching is 75 percent - or 90 percent; estimates vary - of baseball, why are the Braves further under .500 than they've been all season? Because the other 25 (or 10) percent of their team is worth about 10 cents. Without meaning to say it, Brian McCann said it perfectly: "We've got to start playing better baseball." Then he checked himself. "Not better baseball - we've got to swing the bats better." The Braves swing the bats just fine. It's the hitting part that bumfuzzles them. They've scored one run in two games against the Red Sox, who have managed only five but have already won this loud and steamy series. Jair Jurrjens was rather good Friday night but wound up the loser. Javier ..."
Tommy Hanson sick, could miss Sunday start
"The bad news for the Braves didn't stop after the final out of Saturday's 1-0 loss to Boston. Bobby Cox said after the game that rookie Tommy Hanson, the scheduled starter for Sunday's series finale, has been battling sickness and might not be able to pitch."
Cox won't say when Escobar will return to lineup
"Shortstop Yunel Escobar was out of the lineup for the second consecutive game Saturday, and the official reason given by the Braves was a strained hip flexor that has bothered him off and on for the past month. While no one doubted that Escobar was hurt, the consensus in and around the Braves clubhouse was that he would have played Saturday if it were up to him. It was not up to him. Manager Bobby Cox declined to comment, but the Braves are frustrated by Escobar's immature behavior. Most recently, he mouthed an expletive toward the scorekeeper in the press box after being charged with an error in Thursday's loss to the Yankees, an incident caught by the TV cameras on the game broadcast. ..."
It's a bravo performance
"As a rule - and a prudent one, at that - manager Terry Francona avoids Josh Beckett when he pitches. That goes for before and during games. Why face that intensity, that competitiveness more than absolutely necessary? That was why Francona was set to send Beckett out for the eighth in a consecutive scoreless stretch that had reached 16 innings. He sent John Farrell, his usual emissary, to get Beckett's blessing. "I was certainly ready to let him hit and go out in the eighth,'' Francona said. "But his stomach - let's call it intestinal turmoil. He just wasn't feeling real good. When he says it's time to get out of there, there's no reason to push.'' There must have been relief in the home ..."
Homecoming for John Smoltz
"While his Red Sox teammates were stumbling around their hotel rooms yesterday morning, John Smoltz was in the kitchen of his home in suburban Atlanta, cooking pancakes for the kids. He hopped into the pool to cool off. He played with the family pets, which consist of three dogs and a cat. He wanted to cut the grass, but, well, two factors got in the way. One, the man who handles the landscaping at the Smoltz house was already on the case. And two, we're not talking about your basic front lawn here: His house sits on 21 acres, and Smoltz says it usually takes him 7 hours to give his beloved grass the attention it deserves. But if Smoltz didn't get a chance yesterday to tend to his lawn, it ..."
Red Sox get creative while Josh Beckett does his thing
"As if dealing with Josh Beckett on one of his patented runs wasn't enough, the Atlanta Braves were also up against a Red Sox team on a roll last night. The Sox managed just four runs off young starter Jair Jurrjens, but were creative in their accounting. The Sox used the long ball, an infield double, two balks, passed ball, a sacrifice bunt and a groundout to create a 4-1 win, getting high marks for efficiency. "Whatever gives us a chance to win," said David Ortiz, who slugged his eighth homer in the fifth to stake Beckett to a 1-0 lead. "When a team is playing good, you can't be making many mistakes out there because we'll take advantage of it. I've seen that a lot. That's how the games ..."
A Lowe-down dirty shame - the Braves' ace is in a hole
"Two days ago I called Derek Lowe the Braves' ace because that's how I've come to see him. Alas, he's not pitching like one. We can hope this is a momentary lapse, the kind every pitcher must endure and correct over the course of a six-month season. But the cold truth is that Lowe isn't looking Lowe-like. Over his past six starts he has yielded 48 hits and 24 earned runs in 32 2/3 innings. He has won once in a month. He has had to be removed in the middle of innings in his past three outings. His ERA has grown from 3.45 on May 23 to 4.53 today. Only once since he settled in as a big-league pitcher more than a decade ago has Lowe finished a season with an ERA that lofty. This is, as I say, ..."
Boston's Beckett beat Braves for 2nd time this week
"In this season of Jair Jurrjens' discontent, when the Braves pitcher has performed superbly but rarely received much help from his teammates, Friday night's result seemed entirely predictable. The Braves faced Josh Beckett for the second time in a week, and the Boston ace shut them down again in a 4-1 Red Sox win at Turner Field. A sellout crowd of 48,418, including a strong representation from Red Sox Nation, watched Beckett (9-3) pitch seven scoreless innings as the Braves lost for the 11th time in 16 games. Beckett is 6-0 with an 0.38 ERA in his past seven starts against the Braves, including a five-hit shutout last weekend in Boston. The Braves failed to score while Jurrjens was in the ..."
Online balloting to decide '09 All-Stars
"We, the people, are deciding who goes to the 80th All-Star Game July 14 in St. Louis.We are ready for the mad rush.We are entering that Validation Key over and over, submitting our 25 allotted votes in the 2009 All-Star Game Sprint Online Ballot at MLB.com.We punched those Walt Disney Pictures G-Force All-Star Game paper ballots and left those little chads all over ballparks, and now those last paper ballots are being collected tonight at Pittsburgh and Houston as it goes online-only for the homestretch.We know it's the final week to decide starters. Our deadline as empowered fans is 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday, and we know that only because we have been staring at this javascript voting app ..."
Mother's Day bats now up for auction
"It has been a big first half of baseball for current American League All-Star first baseman vote front-runner Mark Teixeira, and that included that memorable Mother's Day game back in his hometown of Baltimore, where he crushed a two-run homer for the Yankees.He was swinging a pink bat."It's obviously huge -- I think that's the first home run I've hit with a pink bat, so I'm going to go bring that to Mom right now," Teixeira said on May 9, referring to Margy, a breast cancer survivor who had been diagnosed when he was a freshman at Baltimore's St. Joseph's High School. "As soon as I hit it, I thought about it. It's pretty special to me."Margy may have gotten that pink bat, but another one ..."
Alex Rodriguez keys outburst, New York Yankees beat Atlanta Braves, 11-7
"Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez took over Thursday night's 11-7 victory against the Braves, using the game to demonstrate that despite his struggles to bounce back from hip surgery, he remains a force. Dogged by questions about a recent slump and the security of his spot as the cleanup hitter, Rodriguez tied Reggie Jackson for 11th place on the all-time home run list with 563. The homer snapped a drought of 69 road at-bats with a home run, his longest since 1997. Rodriguez drove in four runs, the first on a homer to straightaway center field at spacious Turner Field. He finished 3-for-5 with four RBIs. Just the facts: - Aided partly by the Braves' three errors, the Yankees continued to bust ..."
John Smoltz still needs time
"A 42-year-old pitcher, making his first start since shoulder surgery a year ago, pitched for the Red Sox [team stats] last night. He pitched a little like Daisuke Matsuzaka [stats] in the four-run, 34-pitch first inning, then he resembled Brad Penny the next couple of innings before channeling Josh Beckett [stats] by striking out the side in the fifth, his final inning. The pitcher, No. 29 on the scorecard, answers to John Smoltz but clearly, the John Smoltz whom the Red Sox want to pitch for them this season has yet to arrive. No. 29 got roughed up in his first start, and by his own estimation, is about two or three starts away from smoother sailing. "I threw so many quality pitches that ..."
John Smoltz starts rough
"Being an avid golfer, John Smoltz is well-acquainted with the mulligan. In that spirit, let's just agree his Red Sox career began in the second inning last night. Pitching in the major leagues for the first time in more than a year, Smoltz came out a little too amped for his own good, and by the time he gained control of his emotions, the Nationals had four runs in the first. The Red Sox never recovered in a 9-3 loss, but that hardly was the story. The return of Smoltz, who hit 94 mph with his fastball and grew stronger as the game wore on, was all that mattered. "I can't be disappointed," Smoltz said. "I'm very encouraged by how good I can be, and how I felt." Smoltz' final line wasn't ..."
Braves reliever breaks hand punching door
"Braves reliever Jeff Bennett broke a bone in his non-pitching hand when he punched a door near the dugout out of frustration during Wednesday night's loss against the New York Yankees. The right-hander, who has struggled for much of the season, was placed on the 15-day disabled list and left-hander Boone Logan was recalled from Class AAA Gwinnett to take his roster spot Bennett will have surgery to insert a pin in the break in his fifth metacarpal below the base of the pinky finger. "I'm ashamed of myself," he said after seeing the Braves' hand specialist Thursday. "This is a professional sport; you handle yourself in a professional manner. I didn't do that. … I'm just hopeful that ..."
A-Rod, Yankees rock Lowe, Braves
"The Braves scored five runs in the fourth inning Thursday night — and got only within two runs of the New York Yankees. That said plenty about the depth of the hole that Braves starter Derek Lowe put his team in during an ugly 11-7 loss in the series finale against the Yankees at soldout Turner Field. Derek Jeter had four hits and reached base six times, and Johnny Damon and Alex Rodriguez had three hits and four RBIs apiece for the Yankees, who handed the Braves their 10th loss in 16 games and fourth consecutive series defeat. A crowd of 47,508 saw Lowe (7-6) give up eight runs (six earned), 11 hits and three walks and leave without an out in the fourth inning. It was his second ..."
Alex Rodriguez drives in four as Yankees outlast Braves in slugfest
"After watching Alex Rodriguez swing the bat Thursday night, Joe Girardi may never rest him again. A-Rod had his best game in a month, helping the Yankees to an 11-7 win over the Braves to send them home for the Subway Series feeling pretty good about themselves. Rodriguez went 3-for-5 with a home run, a walk and four RBI in his first multi-hit game since he went 5-for-5 against the Rangers on May 25 - also the last time he drove in four runs in a game. "He's had some good swings and hasn't gotten a lot out of it," Girardi said. "Tonight, he got something out of it. He was locked in tonight. It was the Alex of old." That Rodriguez was in the lineup at all came as a bit of a surprise, ..."
Rodriguez Gives Yanks a Positive Sign
"Alex Rodriguez's personal choices make him an object of derision away from Yankee Stadium. It is not that way all the time, but it happens enough to be noticeable in almost every road game. It is a burden he may carry for the rest of his complicated career.On Thursday night at Turner Field, a fan placed a sign decrying Rodriguez's steroid use directly behind the plate. Later, the stadium organist played "Material Girl," by Rodriguez's famous friend Madonna. And many fans booed him, as usual. Rodriguez responded with a ferocious performance, helping the Yankees outlast the Atlanta Braves, 11-7. He had his first multihit game in a month, with a homer, two singles and four runs batted in, ..."
Why the Yankees and not the Braves? Mariano Rivera
"We forget it now, but they ran neck-and-neck for a while in the '90s, each trying to outspend the other, each making the playoffs every year, but it wasn't until 1998 that the Yankees became imperial and the Braves began to recede. It wasn't until Mariano Rivera settled in as closer that the Pinstripe People lapped the field. Watching last night at Turner Field, watching Rivera work a four-out save with all four outs being strikeouts, I was reminded of how much difference one man can make. The Yankees found their Rivera and have been winning ever since. (No, not always titles, but winning nonetheless.) The Braves never quite found theirs, and they paid the price. Postseason baseball comes ..."
Joe Girardi gets tossed, sparks Yankees in 8-4 win over Braves
"Maybe it was Brian Cashman's surprise visit or Joe Girardi's not-so-surprising ejection. Perhaps it was a team meeting Tuesday night or the embarrassment of having a perfect game thrown against them for five innings. Whatever the motivation, the Yankees exploded for eight runs in the final four innings Wednesday night, earning a much-needed 8-4 win over the Braves. Understandably frustrated after watching his team get dominated by a pair of Braves rookies through five innings, Girardi was ejected from the game in the sixth for arguing a blown call when Brett Gardner got picked off first base. Francisco Cervelli went deep moments later, sparking a three-run sixth that gave the Yankees a ..."
Kawakami day-to-day after brief scare
"When Braves right-hander Kenshin Kawakami fell to his knees during the third inning of Wednesday night's 8-4 loss against the Yankees at Turner Field, he found himself in a brief state of shock. Fortunately, approximately three hours later, the Japanese hurler was able to talk about the Joba Chamberlain liner that had felled him and left a noticeable bruise on the right side of his neck. "I'm fine," Kawakami said through his interpreter. "I'm alive. At first, I was worried that it might have hit a bone. I'm glad it didn't." With his head tilted toward the first-base line at the end of his delivery, Kawakami was unable to react to Chamberlain's liner. As the ball bounced toward Braves ..."
Alex Snaps Out of Cold Spell With Big Hit
"Pick a reason from an extended menu why the Yankees broke a three-game losing streak last night and you wouldn't be wrong. GM Brian Cashman parachuting in and delivering a stern message to his comatose hitters that it was time to wake up tops the list. Joe Girardi's sixth-inning ejection serving as a spark. Alex Rodriguez delivering a clutch, two-run, two-out single in the same inning. Joba Chamberlain's solid outing. Francisco Cervelli's first big league homer. Nick Swisher's homer and two RBIs. And Mariano Rivera fanning all four batters he faced. In the end, the 8-4 victory over the Braves in front of 42,315 was the result of many hands and kept the Yankees five games back of the AL ..."
A-Rod, Yankees pop Braves
"Braves pitching was perfect through five innings Wednesday night against the Yankees. Then it got imperfect, in a hurry. Alex Rodriguez hit a tie-breaking, bases-loaded single in the sixth, and the New York Yankees withstood two Braves rallies in an 8-4 win in front of a crowd of 42,315 at Turner Field, approximately one-third of which were Yankees fans. Pitchers Kenshin Kawakami - who left after being struck by a line drive near his neck - and rookie Kris Medlen (2-3) were perfect through five innings, but three runs were charged to Medlen in the sixth, two scoring on Rodriguez's two-out single against Jeff Bennett. That began a four-inning stretch that couldn't have been any more ..."
Braves manager Cox still going strong
"The Braves' Bobby Cox finished first by a wide margin in a new Sports Illustrated survey that asked major-league players which manager they would most like to play for. If he sticks around long enough, they might all have a chance to play for him someday. Cox, 68, was asked Wednesday how long he plans to continue managing. He either doesn't know or won't say. "I feel great," said Cox, who smiled before adding, "I don't look great, but I feel great." Cox is in the second year of a two-year contract extension he signed at the beginning of the 2008 season, and apparently there have been no discussions about a new deal. He indicated that wasn't unusual at this stage of his career. "We never ..."
Girardi Waves His Arms, and Yankees Swing Their Bats
"Cause and effect is a tricky thing to pinpoint. When a general manager makes a surprise visit in the middle of a series, demands results and gets them, does he get the credit? When a manager is ejected while his team is being no-hit, and the offense then goes on a scoring spree, is he the star of the game? The Yankees were glad to have questions like that to ponder after an inspired 8-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field on Wednesday. With General Manager Brian Cashman watching from the seats behind the plate, the Yankees shook a severe offensive slump, even if they regained none of the ground they have lost recently in the American League East. "We always want to win; we ..."
Despite Yankee history, Bobby Cox's loyalty in Atlanta
"Bobby Cox played for the Yankees and got his start as a manager in their organization, but the venerable Braves manager laughed when asked if he had any loyalty to the pinstripes when facing his old team. "No, no loyalty," he said before Tuesday night's series opener against the Yankees at Turner Field. "Not even split loyalty." But, he added, "You've got to respect their tradition and the Steinbrenner family." The Yankees are playing in Atlanta for the first time since 2000. "Why does everyone get there panties in a wad when the Yankees are in town?" asked Braves pitcher Derek Lowe. Lowe pitched for the Boston Red Sox from 1997-2004, so he knows all about the passion that overflows in the ..."
Hanson, Braves survive jams to blank Yankees
"The basepaths were bustling with Yankees while Tommy Hanson was on the mound Tuesday night, but the big redhead didn't allow any of them to score. Mark it down as another test passed for the Braves' pitching phenom, who worked 5-1/3 innings during a 4-0 win against the New York Yankees in a much-anticipated series opener at Turner Field. Hanson (3-0) allowed four hits and five walks in his fourth start, but the right-hander made big pitches when he needed them most to run his scoreless-innings streak to 14. The Yankees left the bases loaded twice against him. "Tommy would bend a little bit, then he would get out of it," manager Bobby Cox said. "That's a sign of a pretty good pitcher, to ..."
Yankee Hitters Continue Disappearing Act in Atlanta
"The Yankees are in a tailspin. They look eager to return to the comfort of the American League and desperate for their highest-paid player to stop performing at his worst. Another National League team stifled the Yankees on Tuesday night, when the Atlanta Braves took a 4-0 victory at Turner Field. Alex Rodriguez started for just the second time in five days, but still looked rundown. A single skipped by him to start a three-run rally, and he went 0 for 4, extending his slump to 1 for 23. "I thought he had some good swings tonight," Manager Joe Girardi said. "There were no results. It's taking him a little time. He's been in a funk. But he's going to come out of it, too. History's on his ..."
Glamour series comes to The Ted
"It's a sports marketer's dream. It's a baseball lover's delight. It's a manager's nightmare. We're talking about the Atlanta Braves' homestand, which began with a makeup game against the Chicago Cubs Monday night, will careen into a three-game set against the regal New York Yankees beginning tonight, then catapult right into another three-gamer against mighty Red Sox of Boston. Clearing that minefield, the Braves will return to National League play with a series against the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies. Reportedly the season will continue after that. "Obviously these next six games before the Phillies series has been something a lot of fans have been looking forward to and we've ..."
Source: Injured Glaus has trade appeal at 1B/DH
"Here's another name to consider for all those teams in the market for a first baseman or designated hitter. Troy Glaus. Glaus, who has yet to play this season while recovering from surgery on his right shoulder, is progressing better with his hitting than his throwing, according to a source with knowledge of his recovery process. While Glaus hit off a pitching machine for the first time Monday and could be ready for a minor-league rehabilitation assignment by the middle of next week, he is struggling to throw at distances of greater than 90 feet, the source said. If Glaus cannot play third base, he will be of virtually no use to the Cardinals. Albert Pujols, perhaps the best player in the ..."
Bobby Cox has supporters. Who knew?
"You dared me to pose the question in poll form. Being daring, I did. I asked last week, "Do the Braves need a new manager?" I was sure I knew what the majority would say, but it was a thinner majority than I expected. Sixty percent of roughly 2,000 respondents said the Braves do in fact need a new manager. I figured it would be 70-30, maybe even 80-20. And why did I think that? Because I read the comments on the ol' blog. And I've grown accustomed to the anti-Cox rants. How he blew all those World Series. How he's 1-14 in the final game of the postseason. (Not, mind you, in the final game of a postseason series - let's not give him any credit for winning the NLCS five times or an NLDS six ..."
Cubs come up empty against Braves
"With his team in the midst of a stretch of 22 games in 22 days, Cubs manager Lou Piniella has to find a way to rest his regulars on occasion. For Monday night's makeup game in Atlanta, Piniella opted to give outfielders Milton Bradley and the struggling Alfonso Soriano the day off. "I was going to give three guys today off," Piniella told reporters, "but with Reed Johnson's back spasms, we were only able to give Soriano and Bradley a rest." It probably didn't matter whom Piniella put in the lineup Monday unless they were able to produce more than a single and/or come through in the clutch with runners on base. Neither came to fruition for the Cubs, who rapped out 10 hits (all singles) but ..."