Rowland's Office

As we ponder ways to get those poor college football coaches some attention for the noble work they do to shape young lives and further the mission of higher education, something else is going on. The Mets are collapsing, and at a perfect time.

Alas, if only the Bravos were close enough to pounce. The Phillies are, and as our team is sorting out offseason plans, we’re left to enjoy the Stinkins’ pathetic slide. They could miss the playoffs entirely if certain things go right.

It appears the weakness most of us thought would plague the Mets this season is finally catching up to them — bad, old starting pitching. Maine and Perez have been solid all season but they’re both wilting under pennant race pressure. El Duque has been good but he’s old, fragile and hurt now that they need him most.

Sad, isn’t it?

Still worse for the Stinkins, as they desperately cling to a shriveling lead, the Yankees are playing the opposite role in the AL East. I’m no Yankee fan, I assure you, but their success only deepens the Mets’ pain. How hilarious would it be to see the Mets and Red Sox, my two least favorite teams, both barf up huge division leads in September? Extremely hilarious.

Call me petty. I’m only human, and a wise man I know once told me we all harbor hostility when it comes to sports, we just have to choose where to direct it. There’s some of mine.

–CD

The Boston bigmouth is a free agent, and I’m surprised we’re not hearing his name bandied about more. I doubt he stays in Beantown, as Beckett, Matsuzaka, Wakefield, Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz will all be returning. So where will Schilling go?

His production is down, but the former Oriole/Astro/Phil and Diamondback still rates as the best starting pitcher available this offseason. A two-year deal, worth around $25 million, might be enough to secure his services.

Would you like to see the Bravos make a play for Schilling? Or would you just as soon have Bobby Bonilla back?

If his price is reasonable, I’d be all for it. Sure, he gets on my nerves, and he’s become a tad injury-prone, but an October threesome of Schilling, Smoltz and Huddy would dominate.

–CB

From a Vols fan, no less, who actually thinks baseball gets more attention than college football:

If it could only rain everday so that loyal college football fans could actually enjoy their sport without having something that has no life value shoved down our collective throats. All I’m asking, pleading for is balance.

I understand. I get so sick of turning on local talk radio and hearing them drone on and on about baseball.

–CB

The Braves second baseman said he’s open to another position switch.

“I would love to stay [at second]. I feel like I’m only going to get better the more games I play and the more I get to know myself out there.

“But the way I am, it’s not about what’s best for me personally. It’s what I can do to help the team, whether it’s going to to the outfield or even learning another new position altogether.”

Good for KJ. Such a move would allow the Braves to keep both Edgar and Yunel; Johnson would likely move to either center or RF, although there should be some concern over his surgically repaired elbow, which he said bothered him for much of the summer.

It would give the Braves a dynamic lineup, with only one everyday player returning (Brian McCann) that hit under .280 this year. It would also rob the Bravos of a valuable trading chip, though I think for some teams Brent Lillibridge might be more attractive. Not sure if it would be enough, but I’d offer Oakland a package including Lillibridge and Chuck James for Joe Blanton, then go after one of three former rotation stalwarts (Bartolo Colon, Freddy Garcia and Randy Wolf) returning from injury. Each could likely be had for an incentive-laden, low-risk deal.

–CB

Sentimentality aside, I hope we’re seeing the last of Andruw in a Braves uniform. His best days seem well behind him.

DOB posted some frightful numbers in his blog today:

In 118 games since May 2, Jones has hit .210 with 19 homers, 69 RBIs, 49 walks, 103 strikeouts, a .292 OBP and a .387 slugging percentage.

In his past 50 games, he’s hit .219 with five homers, 23 RBIs and a .299 OBP. He’s grounded into more double plays (seven) than he’s hit homers in that stretch.

In his past 14 games, Andruw has hit .152 (7-for-46) with one double, four RBIs and a .174 slugging percentage.

Among everyday players in the NL, only Ray Durham (.217) has a worse average. Marcus Giles is second from the bottom, at .228. Gilly’s decline has been alarming, leaving one to wonder if he previously benefitted from PED’s. His statistical highs and lows are reminescent of a poor man’s Bret Boone.

–CB

Interesting item in the local organ over the weekend; Bobby says Rafael Soriano might join the rotation in 2008.

Soriano came up as a starter in the Mariners organization. He started eight games in 2002, winning none. Overall he was 0-3 with a 4.56 ERA.

Not much of a sample, and not very convincing, but I like the idea of a power arm in the rotation. Bobby also mentioned Manny Acosta as a possible starter in ‘08. Next year’s ‘pen should be deep enough to allow one of them to make the transition, with Moylan, Mahay, Royce Ring, Joey Devine and Jose Ascanio in the mix (notice I didn’t mention Yates or Villarreal; the former has regressed this year, while the latter is a likely candidate to be non-tendered).

And no, I didn’t forget Mike Gonzalez. Keep in mind he’s not due back until June, and it might take him a while to return to form. Until then, who works the ninth? Soriano has yet to prove he can handle the role. Might Petah deserve an audition? Or Acosta? Or maybe the Braves will use Edgar to acquire a more proven closer (Brad Lidge?) instead of a starter.

–CB

I’m no fan of George W., but he does love baseball, and he seems to know more about the Braves (he invited JS, Smoltzie, Hudson, Francoeuer and McCann to the White House Friday) than your average Atlantan:

Francoeur said Bush told them he had watched some of Smoltz’s game Wednesday against the Mets on ESPN.

"He asked Mac if he was beat up behind the plate," Francoeur said. "He asked about my arm. So it was cool."

–CB

George Brett pimps 7-Up — imagine a Kansas City Royal player appearing in a national commercial these days. Golden Age my ass!

(via Royals Retrospective)

–CB

CB will be along with his picks, but I’ll go now. The American League is pretty well set: Boston in the East, Cleveland in the Central and the Angels out west. The Yankees won’t blow a 3.5-game lead in the wild card.

There are still two races in the NL, the Central and the wild card. I’m picking the Cubs in the Central. I think they have better starting pitching than the Brewers and an easy schedule the rest of the way. In the wild card, the Pads hold on. They have a much easier slate from here than the Dodgers. And the Phillies? I just can’t see a team with Jamie Moyer as an ace — which he is until and if Hamels returns — making up a game and a half.

Arizona holds on in the West. So in the NL, we’ll have the Mets vs. the Padres and Cubs vs. Arizona in the Division Series. I’ll take the Mets and the Cubs. Mets, dammit, will win the pennant.

In the Junior Circuit, it’ll be Boston vs. Cleveland, I’ll say, though the Red Sox could face the Angles first; and the Yanks vs. LA-Anaheim-Freeway-Orange County. I’ll climb out the limb a bit and pick an ALCS of Cleveland-Anaheim — Boston’s rotation is struggling and Cleveland’s will prove superior — and the Angels take it.

Angels beat the Mets in the Series.

–CD   

In honor of the roughly 400 people who turned out for the Marlins game against the Nats the other day, we thought we’d look back at some of the smallest crowds in Atlanta Braves history.

The nadir came on a Monday night, Sept. 8, 1975, when 737 people turned out to see a duel between a future Hall of Famer and one of the most dominant righthanders of the era. However, Phil Niekro and J.R. Richard happened to pitch for the two worst teams in the National League.

The Astros entered the game with just 55 wins, against 89 losses. The Bravos were 63-81. Cesar Cedeno hit two homers and drove in six to lead Houston to victory in a game saved by Mike Stanton. No, not that Mike Stanton.

The Astros weren’t much of a draw back then. Thirty one years ago to the day, 970 folks showed up to watch the Braves beat the ‘Stros 4-3. They saw something they’d never see again — Al Autry in a major league uniform. In fact, they had never seen it before. This marked the only appearance by the Braves righty in the bigs. He got the win, outdueling future Bravo scrub Bo McLaughlin. I imagine the grandkids aren’t transfixed when grandpa starts talking about his cup of MLB coffee.

(Cedeno must’ve thrived on the small crowds — he hit a homer and drove in two runs.)

Only 877 people attended the Braves-Giants game on a Tuesday night in September, 1977. The Braves were 51-87 at the time, and played like it, losing 12-2. Among those who toiled on the mound for the Bravos: Eddie "Buddy Jay" Solomon, Don Collins, Duane Theiss and Max Leon.

The Bravos played several other games in the 70s with just over 1,000 fans in attendance — too many to list.

The 1980s weren’t much better, though compared to the previous decade the turnstiles were hopping. Here’s a look at some of the smaller crowds from the Reagan era (including some low figures from games the Braves played on the road — note the sparse attendance at Wrigley Field, before the Cubs were officially designated as cuddly):

1980

Sept.3 at Cubs: 1,480
Sept. 29 vs. LA: 2,150

1985

Sept. 16 vs Hou: 2,400
Sept. 17 vs Hou: 2,484

1986

Sept. 22 vs. SD: 2,419

1987

Sept. 9 vs SD: 2,501

1988

April 12 vs. Hou: 1,938

1989

May 4 vs. Phi: 2,047
Sept. 5 vs SD: 1,528
Sept. 21 vs Hou: 2,117

Before TP, JS, BC and the rest rescued the francise, Old Blue was a lonely place. The home team was last in the NL in attendance for three straight seasons: 1988-’90. The club drew a combined 2.8 million in those three years, a total surpassed in the 1992 season by itself, which was the first year Atlanta drew 3 million.

–CB and CD