Brooks "Freakin" Conrad

I know what you're thinking. Who in the -censored text- is Brooks Conrad? Well, he's an infielder for the Atlanta Braves and you better know that. This dude just momentarily saved the Braves from a likely loss by blasting a 2 run HR far above the Houston skies.

Troy Glaus has also gone deep after an ineffective at bat by Brian McCann in the 9th inning. And, all of a sudden, the Braves are in position to steal a victory from Houston. With a scrawny azz 1.5 game lead on Philadelphia, Atlanta needs all the wins they can get. The Phillies ain't goin' away, ya'll.

Let's just hope the Braves bullpen can lock this one down. "Wild Bill" Wagner can be erratic. So can Atlanta's defense (3 errors tonight).

I didn't get this posted in time to provide any further theatrics. Wagner just recorded the save. Guess I gotta work on my typing speed.

Go Braves!

Fading Braves

It's been a long time, since I've mentioned the Atlanta Braves on this blog. Well, there's a reason. Although I was less than thrilled with the start to their season, I chose to shut up and give 'em some space. Coincidence or not, they caught fire during my self imposed MLB silence and built an 8 game lead in the NL East. But, my Bravos are having issues again. So, maybe it's time to "un-jinx" 'em one more time. Here's the deal...

Atlanta has struggled mightily over the last few weeks. Clutch hits have become non-existent, as the Braves continue to squander away the efforts of a solid pitching staff. First baseman Troy Glaus carried this team, with a Herculean bat in June. Unfortunately, he's starting to portray an image of Superman choking on a kryptonite laced buffet. It's ugly. So dang ugly, that the bat of Glaus has become a .130 (batting average) sized toothpick, with a whittled down slugging percentage of .174 and 3 scrawny hits during his last six games.

Meanwhile, the dastardly Phillies have added ace, Roy Oswalt, to their already solid pitching rotation. After a hard fought victory over the annoying Gnats in Washington, Philadelphia sits just 2.5 games back of Atlanta. It seems like just the other day, the Braves were cruising toward a NL East title. But, it's a long season and a lot has changed, quite rapidly within the division.

Don't get me wrong. It ain't time to panic in Atlanta. But, the recent acquisitions of outfielder Rick Ankiel and RP Kyle Farnsworth will provide little more than a laugh track for Braves opposition. All Star 2B, Martin Prado, is gimpy (day to day) and Atlanta is in dire need of an offensive MVP. Somebody will step up. That's how the script is 'sposed to read, ain't it? I just wonder, who will it be?

Next up for Atlanta is a much needed return to the friendly confines of Turner Field. On Monday night, the Braves will face the meaningless NY Mets at 7:10 ET on ESPN.

Too Early 4 Frustration

Hey ya'll, the Atlanta Braves are mightily struggling. The bats are colder than the beers in my fridge. But, it's April. Don't get me wrong. Those are some ice cold cervezas and losing is always bad. But, we're talking about a sport that boasts a season of 162 games. For the most part, Atlanta is getting stellar performances by any pitcher not named Derek Lowe. And, "Wild Bill" Wagner has already gotten his once in awhile blown save out of the way.

Yes, my Braves are currently stuck inside a somber land called loss after loss after lossville. In the past week, they've fallen from a 3 way tie for first in the NL East, to last place in the division with an 8-9 record. That puts them 2 games back of WASHINGTON, who is tied with Florida for runner up to Philly. But, this is after 17 scrawny azz games. I've adopted the John Kincade (of 680 the fan) theory on the sport. What's that, you ask. When it comes to Major League Baseball, you really don't know squat, until the end of May.

Early on, I've been a little over zealous in my praise for Jason Heyward. That doesn't mean the kid won't be a star. What it does mean, is that I should temper my enthusiasm just a bit. I need to chill with a cold Corona and let things play out on the diamond a little longer, before I crown him the next Henry Aaron. It also means, my fellow Braves fans and I shouldn't freak out and become frustrated with this team after just 17 games. I don't like the Troy Glaus experiment at first base, but I'll give him another month, before I question his presence on the 25 man roster.

I've just got to keep telling myself, "It's a long season, Robster. And, all of the Braves' goals are still in front of them."

What are they saying on Braves radio? Nothing. Tonight's game is currently delayed by rain, which could result in another loss, but we're not lamenting that here. So, how 'bout some CCR? Click on the title of this post, ya'll. The video's a bit boring, but the song is classic rain delay music.

Update: Between the time it took me to write, proof read, and post this clever article, the game was called. Mets win a five inning affair, 1-0. Chipper Jones appears to be headed back to the DL. Florida Evans says, "Damn, Damn, DAMN!" Braves fall to 8-10 after getting swept by the Mets in New York. Oh well. Don't let that stop you from enjoying this post and rain delay music. Ha. Have a good night, ya'll.