Postseason 2014 Starts Tonight!!!

            The postseason is here!!!  I am so excited.  There is nothing quite like playoff baseball.  You never know what miracle the baseball gods will concoct.  Carlton Fisk waving the fly ball fair in 1975, Ozzie Smith's walk-off home run in 1985 ("Go Crazy Folks!  Go Crazy!" - Jack Buck), Kirk Gibson's walk-off home run in 1988 ("In the year of the improbable, the impossible has happened." -Vin Scully), Sid sliding in 1992, David Freese in 2011, the list goes on and on.  It truly is a magical time.

            We'll just get this out of the way.  My Braves didn't make it.  They just didn't seem to have "it" all year long.  There were some good times, but the dominance of years past just wasn't there.  Losing Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy during Spring Training started everything off on the wrong foot and they never seemed to quite recover; just as I feared.  Maybe next year...

            Two of my three favorite teams made the playoffs this year.  The Dodgers and the Cardinals.  Unlike last year when they faced off in the National League Championship Series (NLCS), they are playing each other in the first round; the National League Divisional Series (NLDS).  I don't think I can choose between the two; so once that series is over I will know who my playoff team is.  I am so excited about seeing Clayton Kershaw and Adam Wainwright pitch against each other Friday night.  That is the match-up I was hoping for last year, but never got.  We will see it in game one and then hopefully again in game five (because I hate seeing anyone get swept in any playoffs).

            From there the winner of that series will play the Nationals and the National League Wild Card winner.  This will be either the Pirates or the Giants and it will be decided tomorrow night.  This is the third year that the Wild Card will be decided in a one game series between the top two remaining teams in each league.  I still hate this.  Don't get me wrong.  It is very compelling and exciting.  It gives the playoffs the feel of a Game Seven right out of the gate.  As I write this I am watching the A's and the Royals in the top of the eleventh inning, knotted at seven, loser goes home.  But it is just morally wrong.  Anything can happen in baseball; which means any team, no matter how inferior, can win one game and any team, no matter how great, can loose one game.  So one fluke play can determine a game and knock the second best team in the league out (because let's face it, if they were the best team they would have won their division).  That being said,  maybe I am opposed to the wild card all together; but it's been around since 1995, so I guess it's not going anywhere.

            Admittedly, I am nowhere near as familiar with the American League, but their Wild Card game is now headed into the twelfth inning .  The winner of this game will go on to play the Angels in one ALDS and the Tigers and Orioles will play in the other.  The American League ended up interesting this year.  Lots of smaller market teams that you cannot help but root for; unless you just absolutely refuse because they do not make their pitchers bat.

           All in all I think this is going to be a great Postseason and I just cannot wait to see it all play out.        

         

I can't believe I missed it!

            I love a  good pitching performance.  So last night at 9:00pm when I got the notification on my phone that the Dodgers game was about to start and that Clayton Kershaw was pitching I thought I would tune in.  I have MLB TV and can watch out of market games on my computer.  Truth be told I do not watch it enough to justify the $120 a year it costs.  The Dodgers start so late here in the Central Time Zone and I've usually watched the Braves, so I just don't go through the trouble of getting out the laptop, logging in, etc., etc.  But yesterday the Braves played early, so I thought I would tune in. 

            I watched the first few innings.  Listening to Vin Scully reminded me of why I've shelled out the $120 the last two years.  I could listen to him read the phone book.  I'm sure he would have an interesting nugget of information about each person listed.  Around 10:00 I started to get sleepy.  I dozed off and woke up about ten minutes later.  It was then that I decided to shut the computer down and go to bed.  When I woke up this morning I saw the notification that the Dodgers won 8-0.  I don't do this every morning but I checked the box score.  I wanted to see how long Clayton pitched.  Maybe he had a complete game shutout.  Wouldn't that be exciting?  I also wanted to see how many hits he allowed.  I was sure it wouldn't be many.  Then I saw it, and I was devastated; he didn't give up any hits.  He threw a no-hitter!!!!!  And I missed it!  And for what?!?!  To sleep.  I feel so weak.  I couldn't have possibly needed to sleep that badly.  I can't believe I missed it.  How could I have not checked the box score before I turned it off?  It might not have even mattered?  Three hitless innings isn't that uncommon for Kershaw.  I guess I would have probably turned it off even if I had realized that he had not given up a hit yet.  I've learned my lesson though; check the box score before you turn off a game that has not ended yet!

            In all seriousness, I am so very excited for Clayton Kershaw.  I can't think of another pitcher in the major leagues right now that deserves it more.  I'm also excited for the Dodgers.  Two no-hitters in one season is huge.  Two no-hitters in one month is unbelievable!  I would also like to point out that I did not see Josh Beckett's no-no on May 25th either.  I was out of town and did not even know anything about it until well after the game had ended.  I guess I need to start paying more attention.  Maybe there will be another this season! 

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band + The Braves = Best Weekend Ever

            Last weekend was just about the best weekend ever.  Saturday I saw Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band and then Sunday I went to my first Braves game of the year.  

            Bruce Springsteen is (and has always been) my absolute favorite musician.  Case in point:


Me in my first Bruce shirt (and Auburn shorts)

            Saturday I went to my tenth show (which I know is a drop in the bucket compared to the legions of fans who have seen him hundreds of times).  Unfortunately during the last two tours he came to Atlanta before April 15th, and I worked in public accounting.  Hopefully I won't miss another one.  We did not have great seats.  Well, the seats were okay; our circumstances were just bad.  The guy in front of me was the broadest guy there and the two in front him were probably the tallest.  We could not see anything; but the music was good.  Scratch that.  The music was incredible!  Here is the setlist:

Clampdown (The Clash cover)
Adam Raised a Cain
The Ties That Bind
Jackson Cage
She's The One - opened with the first couple of lines of Not Fade Away (Buddy Holly cover)
Independence Day (tour premiere, piano solo)
High Hopes
Just Like Fire Would
Tougher Than the Rest (sign request)
Cadillac Ranch
Trapped (sign request)
Point Blank
Heaven's Wall
Seeds
Death to My Hometown
Wrecking Ball
Shackled and Drawn
The Ghost of Tom Joad
The Rising
Badlands

Encore:
Drive All Night (tour premiere)
Born to Run
Ramrod
Dancing in the Dark
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
Shout
Highway to Hell (AC/DC cover)

            This was only the second show that included Clampdown.  It sounded great and has been played in both shows since.  After Adam Raised a Cain, Bruce said, "I'm in a River kind of mood."  He proceeded to play seven songs from The River over the course of the show, including two tour premieres.  It was a night of firsts for me.  I would have to check my records (yes I keep copies of setlists from the shows I've seen and refer to them as "records"), but I'm pretty sure this was the first time I have seen Jackson Cage, Independence Day, Tougher Than the Rest, Seeds, Point Blank and Drive All Night; and of course all of the covers he played and anything from the last two albums.  It was so awesome!  I hope he comes back around soon. 

           The next day we saw the Braves take on the Reds.  It was Julio Teheran against Johnny Cueto.  Their ace against our ace (arguably).  I expected to see a low scoring pitchers duel.  The Braves won 1-0 in the tenth.  The score can't get much lower than that.  It was a good game.  Plus we got to see our first manager's challenge in person.  In the bottom of the first Johnny Cueto tried to pick off B.J. Upton on first.  Upton was called safe.  Bryan Price, the Red's manager, came out to challenge.  The replay on the jumbotron showed that Upton was out.  It would have been the third out.  The Braves fans were disappointed, but knew the call would be reversed and the Reds fans cheered.  (There were a lot of Reds fans there by the way.)  But then, after discussing with the replay officials in New York, the umpires came out and said that the play stands.  The Braves fans were in disbelief and the Reds fans were livid.  There were two right behind us that repeatedly declared that the call was horse fertilizer (how do you like my Vin Scully-esc paraphrasing?).  Then Bryan Price came back out to argue and was ejected. 

            The next nine innings were just business as usual.  In the top of the tenth I realized that the pitcher's spot was coming up for the Braves in the bottom of the tenth.  I just knew Evan Gattis would pinch hit, hit a homerun and that would be it.  Evan Gattis did in fact pinch hit, but struck out, for the second out.  Then Jason Heyward singled, B.J. Upton singled and then Freddie Freeman singled; scoring Jason Heyward.  It was a good thing the game ended then because it was about to rain.  The grounds crew was getting the tarp ready before the game was even over.  Even though the game ended before the rain came, we were not left with enough time to get to the car without getting completely soaked.  In hindsight, we should have looked at the radar and hung out in the concourse area for a while because it probably only rained for twenty or thirty minutes.  But we were out in it when it started pouring and got to ride all the way home soaking wet.  Oh well, I guess the entire weekend couldn't be perfect.          
 

Opening Day 2014

            Opening Day is finally here!  And not a moment too soon.  It's been a long off-season, especially for Braves fans.  

            First, the season ended a lot sooner than we wanted after going 1-3 against the Dodgers in the NLDS.  That was heart breaking. 

            Then, we lost Brian McCann to the Yankees in free agency, no surprise there.  After that, we lost Tim Hudson to the Giants in free agency.  I don't know what everyone else was thinking, but this surprised me.  I thought he would want to stay in Atlanta.  Then the Giants came along and offered him $23 million for two years.  I don't remember the amount the Braves offered, but if memory serves, they only offered him one year.  So, good for him!  I am a Tim Hudson fan; we will miss him as a Brave, but at the same time I am very excited for him.    

            After that, the Braves made the surprise announcement that they are building a new stadium.  (What?!?!?!)  It is set to open in 2017 in Cobb County, northeast of Atlanta.  To be honest, I'm still processing this.  

            In January it was announced that the Braves will have three inductees into the Hall of Fame in July.  Bobby Cox was elected along with Tony La Russa and Joe Torre by the Veterans Committee.   And then Greg Maddux and Tom Glavin were elected along with Frank Thomas (War Eagle!) by the Baseball Writers Association of America.  Six inductees is a lot in one year, especially after no one was inducted last year.  I am so excited to see all of these men go to Cooperstown.  They are all very deserving!   

            Then came the extensions.  This was by far the best part of the off-season.  The Braves signed extensions for:  Jason Heyward (two years, $13.3 million), Freddie Freeman (eight years, $135 million), Julio Teheran (six years, $32.4 million), Craig Kimbrel (four years, $42 million), and  Andrelton Simmons (seven years, $58 million).  They also extended the contracts for manager Fredi Gonzalez and general manager Frank Wren.  They locked up a lot of very important guys for a long time.  

            Everything was looking great.  Sure, we lost two important veterans, but with those extensions, it looked like we were going to be set this year, and for years to come.  Then tragedy struck.  In about a twenty-four hour period, during Spring Training, we lost not one, but two of our top starting pitchers; Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy.  Both have since had their second Tommy John surgery and will miss the entire season.  Not to take anything away from those five huge extensions, but such a blow to the starting rotation really hurts.  

           In other news around the league:  

               - Clayton Kershaw signed a seven year, $215 million contract with the Dodgers; which is the biggest overall deal for a pitcher, ever.  If any pitcher deserves this, it's Clayton Kershaw.  

               - Derek Jeter will retire after this season.  It does not matter what teams you like (or loathe), everyone likes Derek Jeter.  The game will not be the same without him.  

               - Mike Trout and Miguel Cabrera just signed monster deals with the Angels and Tigers, respectively.

               - We will have repay and certain calls can be challenged this year.

               - The penalty for using PEDs is now more stringent: 80 games for the first offense, 162 games for the second offense and banned for life after the third offense.

            So here we are, Opening Day.  It's been a crazy off-season and I'm so glad we can just play already (or, at least, watch them play) instead of speculating about it. 

Happy Opening Day everyone!

            

The off season is a little more bearable for me because…..I love hockey too!

            I started really watching hockey during the 2010 Olympics.  I had watched hockey before.  Birmingham used to have a team in the East Coast Hockey League and I went to several games.  During that time I watch some NHL too.  But the Birmingham Bulls left in 2001 and, let's face it, hockey isn't exactly popular in the deep south, so I stopped keeping up with it.  Then came the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.  I didn't get to watch a lot of those games.  I was still in public accounting at the time and was lucky to see the prime time coverage, even on Saturdays; and the hockey games do not get very much of the prime time coverage.  I did get to see the gold medal game.  That sealed it.  I was hooked.  It's funny, now that I think about it; that a game so heartbreaking could hook you, but it did.

            So after the Olympics were over I wanted more.  I wanted to be a hockey fan too.  Which meant I needed to pick a team.  Obviously the hero of the Olympics was Sidney Crosby.  You couldn't have written the scenario of what he did any better.  The face of the NHL, getting the gold medal winning goal, in overtime, for Canada, against the USA and in Vancouver to boot.  Yep, he was a hero, for the Canadians.  For the Americans, not so much.  I read that he was booed in his first game back in Pittsburgh.  That's crazy, because he is LOVED in Pittsburgh.  The next Penguins game was schedule to be on TV.  So I watched it.  Then I watched the next one and the next one.  And that was it, I became a Penguins fan.  I've been accused of being a bandwagon fan.  I guess that's true.  I became a Penguins fan the year after they had won the Stanley Cup.  The thing is, if you are going to follow hockey in Birmingham (and you are not planning on paying for NHL Game Center) you have to pick one of the more popular teams because they are on TV more often.  I may be a bandwagon fan in the way I chose my team, but not in the sense of how I follow them; i.e. I will not be changing teams.  And by the way, I have been a subscriber of NHL Game Center for two years now.

            So here we are, in the middle of the 2014 Olympics.  I have gotten up at 6:30 the last two mornings (Saturday and Sunday) to watch USA hockey.  The game against Russia yesterday was amazing.  Eight rounds in a shootout before there was a winner!  Are you kidding me?!?!?!  I'm so glad I got up early for it.  I'm hoping for another USA vs. Canada gold medal game; just with a different outcome this time.  Go USA!

What do we do now?

            Well.  The Braves season ended Monday.  I still can't believe it.  I knew we didn't have the momentum going in, but the Dodgers did not have a great September either, so I thought we had a chance.  I really thought this was our year; this was THE team.  They played their hearts out this year and I am proud of what all they accomplished.  I just hate that it ended so early.

            Monday was heartbreaking.  Absolutely heartbreaking.  First of all, the game was in LA, so it did not start until 8:30 cst.  I watched the game with the TV muted and listened to Jim Powell and Don Sutton through my MLB At Bat app.  That is not something I usually do, but I just couldn't listen to the TBS announcers any more.  I watched games one and three with the sound on.  If you did not know any better you would have never guessed the announcers were not affiliated with either team.  This was the Dodger's show, and it was the Dodger's series to lose.   Nevermind the Braves finished 96-66 and the Dodgers finished 92-70; or that the Braves won the regular season series 5-2.  When game three started and the announcers were recapping game two, the sentiment was that the Dodgers had lost game two, not that the Braves had won.  Looking back, maybe that was the case.  Games one and three  ended with scores of 1-6 and 6-13, respectively.  Blowouts.  And game two's score was 4-3.  So the one game the Braves won, was close.  Even so, I just couldn't listen anymore.  The app was a couple of minutes behind the television feed, which was unpleasant, but I dealt with it.  

            The game was close.  So close.  I was so proud of Freddy Garcia.  From what I saw leading up to the game no one game him a chance; especially after the Dodger's announced they were starting CY Young favorite Clayton Kershaw.  Garcia allowed two early solo home runs to Carl Crawford, but other than that he held his own.  In an interview the day before he said he was not nervous and that he would "just make pitch".  And that's what he did.  The game was tied 2-2 when he came out after the sixth.  Then in the seventh Jose Constanza hit a single, scoring Elliot Johnson and the Braves took the lead.  I thought that was it.  It had to be.  We have one of the best bullpens in the league.  Jose Constanza would go down in infamy just like Francisco Cabrera when he drove in Sid.  "Just make pitch" would be our new saying; it would be on t-shirts for sure.  We would play again Wednesday in Atlanta.  Kris Medlen would get the start against Zack Greinke (who we beat in game two).  We would go on to play the Pirates in the NLCS (because I had tickets to game seven, so we would need home field advantage).  But none of that came to pass.  In the bottom of the eighth Yasiel Puig hit a double off of  David Carpenter.  Then Juan Uribe hit a home run giving the Dodgers a one run lead.  And that was it.  It was so sad.  The boys looked so defeated.  I can still see Chris Johnson standing at the rail of the dugout with his arms draped over it.  He had a great series, and a great year, and to see him like that; so dejected.  Heartbreaking.  Tuesday was rough.  I was still so disappointed; oh, and tired.  The game ended after midnight and I stayed up until the end.                      

            So what do we do now?  I've played the "what-if / if only" game the last couple of days.  What if Craig Kimbrel had been brought in to pitch the eighth?  What if Jonny Venters or Eric O'Flaherty had not gotten hurt and could have pitched that eighth inning?  If only Tim Hudson had been healthy, game four might have been our clinching game instead of our "win or go home" game.  If only our sluggers hadn't been slumping, maybe we could have had a bigger lead and those two runs in the eighth inning wouldn't have mattered so much.  I'm tired of thinking about all of that.  It doesn't change anything.  

            The Cardinals beat the Pirates last night, so even if the Braves had advanced, my NLCS tickets would have been obsolete.  The Cardinals and Dodgers will face off starting tomorrow.  That is going to be a great series.  I would love to see Adam Wainwright and Clayton Kershaw face off, but the schedule was released today and that does not look likely.

            There is a lot of good baseball left.  I guess that is what we do now.

It's Hard to Not Count Your Unhatched Chickens When You're 13 Games Up

            I cannot believe baseball season is almost over.  This summer has flown by!  Maybe that is because all three of my favorite teams are doing well.  The Braves, Cardinals and Dodgers are all currently leading their divisions.  The Braves and Dodgers have considerable leads, but we know all too well not to take it for granted.  Remember 2011?  As late as September 8, 2011 the Braves were leading the Wild Card race.  The closest team behind them was the Cardinals.  They were 6.5 games back.  The Braves did not make the playoffs that year.  That was decided on the last day of the regular season.  The Cardinals went on to win the World Series.  That’s one of the things that make baseball so great.  Nothing is decided until the very end.  The best game I have ever watch was game six of that World Series.  The Cardinals were down to their last strike not once, but twice.  They pulled out the win and went on to win game seven and the World Series.  I felt sorry for the people who just do not “get” baseball after that series.

            I am getting a little worried about the Braves.  Sure they are thirteen games up, and playing very well, but we’ve all seen this before.  I wrote a while back about the Braves being streaky this year.  I’m still worried they will hit a cold streak at the worst possible time.  Plus, guys are getting hurt; really important guys and by really freaky accidents.  Tim Hudson’s ankle got stepped on while he was covering first and it resulted in a season ending injury.  Jason Heyward got hit in the jaw by a fastball while batting and he is out for at least the rest of the regular season.  By the way, my favorite hockey player, Sidney Crosby, took a slap shot to the jaw and missed a considerable amount of time last hockey season.  I’m starting to wonder if it’s me.  Hudson and Heyward’s injuries both happened at Citi Field.  Good thing we don’t have to go back there!  Last night a pitch hit Justin Upton and now he has a contusion on his hand.  Hopefully he will not miss too much time.  We cannot afford to lose anyone else. 

            They pretty much have to keep it together because…..I HAVE POST SEASON TICKETS!!!  Presale tickets went on sale earlier this week and I have two to the second game that will be played at Turner Field during the NLDS.  Of course it is yet to be determined when exactly that will be, but I will be there.  I am so excited!  I have never been to a post season game before.  I can’t wait.  In the mean time we will see how the Braves finish.  Here are a few things to consider:

-We have already lost Hudson, and Beachy had a scare last week with his elbow.  We are second in the league in ERA and have had great pitching.  Will it hold up?

-Will Jason Heyward make it back for the post season?  He was the best hitter on the team when he got hurt.  Will he still be hot?

-During the game tonight they announced that Fredi Gonzalez has started his original line-up 28 times this season.  Tonight is game 134.  Things have not gone exactly as planned, but the boys have done a fantastic job.  Will the back-ups continue to step up?

I hope so, on all counts!  We will see.     

The All Star Game

It’s that time of year again….the All Star Game is tonight!  I love the All Star Game.  It is so much fun to see the best of the best play together; to see rivals play side by side.  Unlike most other sports, the MLB All Star Game has significant meaning.  Since 2003 the All Star Game has determined which league gets home-field advantage for the World Series.  Do I agree with this policy?  No.  It makes no sense.  Here is the perfect example of why: In 2010, top of the seventh, Brian McCann, a Brave, hit a bases clearing double, scoring Matt Holliday, a Cardinal, Scott Rolen, a Red and Marlon Byrd, a Cub.  Phil Hughes, a Yankee, allowed two singles (accounting for two base runners) and then Matt Thornton, a White Sox, walked Marlon Byrd and allowed the hit by Brian McCann.  The National League won 3-1 and because of that the Giants had home-field advantage over the Rangers in the World Series.  It would be more logical if the team with the better record got home-field advantage.  But Mr. Selig does not consult me on such matters, so the All Star game is very important.  That year the Giants had the better record, so my example is really a moot point, but still.  I do not agree with it, but that’s the way it is and it does make the All Star Game quite interesting.

            2010 was especially special because it broke the National League’s fourteen year losing streak.  I was so proud of the National League that night.  Having a Brave knock in the winning runs was just icing on the cake.  I truly think the NL is superior and it was so great to see them finally rise above and show it.  The NL has now won three All Star Games and three World Series in a row; hopefully this trend will go on for a long time. 

I voted early this year and do not honestly remember who all I voted for.  I know I voted for mostly Braves with some Dodgers and Cardinals thrown in; oh, and Martin Prado.  When it came to the American League I was somewhat lost, since I do not follow it as closely.  The All Star Game presents a great way to learn about the players from teams that you may not follow; just another reason to love it.  The Braves got three in and the Dodgers, only one.  The Cardinals are well represented.  I’m disappointed that Freddie Freeman will not be able to play, but I am so glad that he won the final fan vote.  Yasiel Puig is very impressive and I would have definitely voted for him had a Brave not been in the running…but, well, Freddie.   He has been great offensively and defensively for years now and he deserved to go.  I’m excited that Brian McCann was chosen to be Freddie’s injury replacement.  As we learned in 2010, Brian McCann can make things happen.

A lot of people prefer the Home Run Derby (I have noticed that these are usually the same people who think baseball is boring).  Not me.  I think the Home Run Derby gets boring after a while.  It’s batting practice.  I will however say that it is special and touching when the player’s dad is throwing to them.  That is pretty awesome.  At least nothing is riding on the Home Run Derby, like home-field advantage for something really important.  I like small ball better and I think it would be so much fun if there were skills competitions much like the NHL does.  For example, they could test the faster guys to see who can steal a base fastest; the outfielders to see who can jump the highest to steal home runs; the pitchers to see who can pick off runners better; maybe even infield players to see who can turn the quickest double play; things like that.  Baseball is very situational, so it might be difficult to artificially create those scenarios, but at least it would be different. 

By the way, if you aren’t rushing home to watch the game, go out and pick up a copy of 42: The Jackie Robinson Story.  It comes out on Blu-Ray/DVD today.  I saw it in the theater.  It is an amazing movie.  I’m almost as excited about getting my copy as I am the game tonight!

Chicago: Part Two

Part two…..the part that actually qualifies this trip for a baseball blog:

The hand operated score board with the "W" flag after the game.

            Sunday we went to Wrigley Field and saw the Cubs take on the Astros.  Wrigley Field is definitely a place every baseball fan should visit.  Entering Wrigley Field was like stepping back in time.  There are not a lot of the frills you would find in other parks.  There is no jumbotron to watch replays or to show fans dancing and acting silly between innings; just a massive, majestic hand-operated scoreboard.  The ratio of organ music to stereo music is a lot higher than most other parks.  There are no shenanigans between innings; no costumed characters racing, no contests involving the fans.  There is just baseball.  The vibe is a lot more serious and business-like.  It’s refreshing.  The big team store is across the street, because in 1914 when Wrigley Field was built, I would imagine the need for a team store was much less.  Actually there are a lot of good size stores selling Cubs gear outside of the stadium.  The concourse areas are much narrower and the concessions areas are much smaller.  There are no areas to sit and eat or just hang out in the concourse area.  You are expected to take care of your business and go to your seats.  This park was built for baseball, not commercialism.  There is a possibility that a lot of renovations and updates may take place at the park after this season, including but not limited to a jumbotron.  I am so glad I was able to visit Wrigley before any of these major updates take place.



The view from our seats



                 I have to say our experience was good, but not ideal…because it was so hot that day.  As southerners from the southeast we sometimes have blinders on and feel like we have a monopoly on heat.  It gets so hot here and with the humidity it is miserable, and there is no way anywhere else can compare.  Everywhere else has a “dry heat” right?  And it’s just not the same.  Well, the heat that day at Wrigley Field rivaled any day I’ve spent at Turner Field.  We had great seats; right behind home plate, section 123.  We were on the first row of that section.  At most parks you would have a bar in front of you and a small drop off.  Not here; here we had nothing in front of us and all the leg room you could ask for.  If someone on our row needed to get up, it did not affect us one bit.  The only downside was that the vendors were walking around in front of us for most of the game.  I am embarrassed to say that we went to the wrong seats at first.  We had seats 101 and 102, and when I spotted seats 1 and 2 for some reason I thought that was close enough.  I’ve done that at Turner Field before; I don’t know why I do that.  We did not go to our seats until right before the game started because of the heat and the seats were in the sun.  During the second inning some people informed us that we were in their seats, so we moved to our actual seats.  Those seats were literally too hot to sit in.  We tried for about a minute and then decided we had to do something else; anything else.  We walked around the concourse area for about two innings. That is when this conversation took place:

Mom:  How long are we going to walk around out here?

Me:  I don’t know, but we cannot go back out there to those seats.  We’ll have third degree burns on our backsides.

Mom:  I don’t want to miss “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”

Me: You mean the seventh inning stretch?

Mom: Yeah

Me:  Well, it’s the third inning now, so I think we’ll make it.

            We went back to our seats during the fourth inning.  By that time our seats were in the shade and everything was bearable.  We knew we would eventually be in the shade because of how the sun was moving, but we simply could not wait it out.  The seats immediately behind home plate and along the first base line were never in the shade.  I do not know how those people stood it.  All in all we had a great time!  The Cubs won 14-6 so we got to see them raise the white W flag and hear the crowd sing “Go Cubs Go”.  I recommend a trip to Wrigley Field to any baseball fan.  It is such an institution.  And I recommend a trip to Chicago to anyone.  It is a great city with lots to do and see!         



Greg Maddux's number on display.  It is retired by the Cubs (as well as the Braves).



Chicago: Part One




Chicago skyline as seen from Lake Michigan

          



Skydeck ledges on 103rd floor of the Willis Tower



            A couple of weeks ago my mom and I visited Chicago.  It was a great trip.  We arrived in Chicago at eight o’clock Friday morning, which means we left Birmingham at six o’clock.  It was soooo early; but it turned out to be a good thing because apparently over two hundred flights were canceled that day due to a computer glitch and the earliest ones were not affected.  We went straight to the hotel expecting to just check our bags since it was so early, but they had a room ready so we were able to go up and get settled.  After that we headed out for some Chicago style pizza.  Some friends of mine recommended that we go get pizza for lunch instead of dinner to avoid a long wait.  We went to Gino’s East.  It was quite tasty.   Next we caught the tour bus.  We had tickets to a double-decker bus tour of the city.  It was a hop on-hop off tour, with tickets good for three days, so we got on at the closest stop.  The next stop was at the Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower).  We went up to the SkyDeck on the 103^rd floor and went out on one of the ledges.  It was rainy Friday afternoon so the view was not as good as usual, but it was still really impressive.  After that we headed back to catch the double-decker tour bus.  It was delayed due to traffic so we got to wait on it in the rain.  Once we got on the bus we had to sit inside in the lower level because of the rain.  We were only a few stops from Navy Pier, so we got off there.  I had told myself while planning the trip that I didn’t want to go to any chain restaurants that I had been to before.  We were going to do all new, Chicago-y things.  But after getting up so early, and spending a good bit of the day in the rain, I wanted to go to Margaritaville.  My mom agreed, so that’s where we went.  This was not the first time we’ve gone to Margaritaville after a bad weather day during a vacation.  Last Spring during our frigid trip to Niagara Falls we also visited Margaritaville.  After dinner we went back to the hotel go to bed.  We were beat!  And had a lot to pack into the next two days.

Tour boat from architectural tour

            The next morning we went back to Navy Pier to catch an architectural boat tour.  We really enjoyed this tour.  It went a piece down Lake Michigan and then up the Chicago River; pointing out all of the historical buildings.  After the boat tour we rode the ferris wheel at Navy Pier then headed to lunch.  For lunch we went to the original Billy Goat Tavern.  Yes, that Billy goat.  See, the guy that opened the Billy Goat Tavern in 1934 is the same guy that tried to take his Billy goat to Wrigley Field in 1945 which is where the curse of the Billy goat comes from.  I will not rehash that story here, but it’s pretty interesting if you’re looking for something to read about, after reading this blog.  After lunch we got back on the double-decker bus tour, but this time to actually take the tour and not just for transportation.  That tour was great too.  This time we got to sit up top and actually see the tour.  We got off at Millennium Park and saw the bean.  Then we got back on and rode the bus to the John Hancock Observatory.  After that stop we had seen the entire double-decker bus tour.  We were going to eat in the restaurant at the John Hancock Observatory, but there was quite a wait.  So we ended up at The Grill in The Westin across the street.  It was really good and I had a War Eagle moment.  We overheard one of the men at the table next to us talking about SEC football, and then we heard him say that he had gone to Auburn and was there at the same time as Pat Sullivan.  So I went over to say “hello” and “War Eagle!”  After dinner it was almost time for the fireworks at Navy Pier so we went back there. 

 

Ferris wheel at Navy Pier

Cloud Gate aka The Bean at Millennium Park

            One of the most exciting things I noticed from the boat tour and the bus tour was that Chicago was ready for the Stanley Cup Finals!  Game five was that night in Chicago.  Chicago and Boston were tied 2-2 in the series.  We saw well wishes for the Blackhawks all over the city.  The lions outside of the Art Institute had on Blackhawks helmets, the brachiosaurus outside of the Field Museum had on a Blackhawks jersey and there were several signs, banners and flags.  The Blackhawks won 3-1 that night and went on to score two late goals Monday night in Boston to win 3-2 and to win the Stanley Cup.

One of the lions outside of the Art Institute

 

            I am doing my post about this trip in two parts, since it is somewhat lengthy.  Check back soon for our trip to Wrigley Field!

You want my first born in exchange for tickets...okay, that seems reasonable...

            It's here.  Dodgers week.  The week leading up to the Braves/Dodgers series in Atlanta.  I have gone to at least one game in the series for the past three years.  This year will be no different.  I love going to these games, although it is conflicting to see two of my favorite teams play each other.  I usually wear my Dodgers shirt (where else am I going to wear it?) and I've been using my Dodgers Tervis Tumbler all week, so Saturday come game time I will be a Dodgers fan.  The series is usually in August, so usually by then you can tell who needs a win more.  Unfortunately it's only May and that is already evident.  Both teams have had some hard times recently, but the Dodgers definitely need some wins.  I don't know why the series moved to May but I am not complaining.  It is HOT in Atlanta in August.  I bought my parking pass for the game several weeks ago; still paranoid from Opening Day.  I bought tickets yesterday and I'm hoping someone can shed some light on what is going on with ticket prices.

            I started looking a few weeks ago.  For the Dodger games I try to sit behind the visiting dugout.  That is where fans of the visiting team tend to sit so I do not feel quite so out of place in my Dodgers shirt.  I usually buy tickets off Stub Hub.  The tickets for these sections are listed for $100+.  I do not know the average prices at other parks, but based on my experiences this is high for Turner Field.  So I waited it out for weeks.  By Monday I was getting concerned.  I know I paid more for Opening Day tickets, but I rationalized it because it was Opening Day.  I never imagined the price of everyday tickets would go up that much too.  I started to think maybe it was me, maybe I'm just cheap and I've convinced myself that I never really spent that much on tickets; so I looked up my previous orders on Stub Hub.  It turns out I'm not crazy.  Last year I bought two tickets for the Saturday Dodgers game in section 118, row 9 for $59 per ticket.  Currently there are two tickets in section 118, row 9 for $117.  If you're keeping score at home, that's double.  DOUBLE!  Is this the new norm?  What is going on?  Did the price of tickets go up so much from the primary seller that the secondary sellers are asking that much more?

            I ended up buying tickets yesterday.  I checked Stub Hub and there was a pair in section 212 for $37.  Tickets in the 200 sections were going for $60+, so I decided I'd better snatch those up.  After I did the remaining tickets in that section were $79.  That's a huge difference.  It's not the area I really wanted to sit in, but for a $70 (give or take) price swing it will be okay.  A small part of me is wondering why those tickets were for sale for such a "discount".  I have sat in that section before so I know the view is fine.  I know I am just being paranoid, but I am a little concerned that I am going to get there Saturday and the backs are going to be missing off of the seats or something like that.

            I'll try not to think about that.  I'm sure they will be fine.  For now I will just get ready for Saturday.  I have my Dodgers cup and my baseball playlist going.  I am so excited! 

            But seriously, does anyone know what is going on with ticket prices?

I was afraid of this...

            Before the season started there was a lot of talk about the Braves having one of the (if not the) most powerful lineups in the league; especially after signing BJ Upton and trading for Justin Upton.  It was the hot topic of the off season.  There were lots of articles written, MLBN talked about it constantly and my twitter timeline was full of excitement about this team.  The Braves have what has become known as "The Outfield".  There is no limit to what they can do with the two Uptons and Jason Heyward.  And then in the infield there is Freddie Freeman, Dan Uggla and Brian McCann who can also be very powerful hitters.  I was excited too (still am)!  Well, about 90% excited and 10% concerned.  With power hitters like we have also comes strikeouts and streaks (good and bad).  During the American League Championship Series last year, when the Tigers swept the Yankees, the announcers talked about how the Yankees couldn’t make things happen because everyone was trying to hit a homerun.  Everyone wanted to be the hero and no one was content with just getting on base.  I am still learning about the game, so I love when announcers go into analyzing and explaining mode.  This reasoning made sense to me (I will not pretend that the movie Moneyball had nothing to do with it) and now I try to look for things like this.  So when the talk about the Braves’ power hitters started I couldn’t help but worry that at some point they too will have cold streaks because everyone wants a homerun and will not settle for less.

            The Braves started off hot!  They went 12-2 during the first five series, including a ten game winning streak.  And then they cooled off; going 3-7 during the next three series.  As of Sunday the Braves lead the league in homeruns with 36, and they are second in the league in strikeouts with 224.  I know they will come back around, but when?  And then how long before another cold streak?  Another concern is injuries.  Brian McCann has not played a game this season, Freddie Freeman has missed time and Jason Heyward is currently out.

 They just took the first game in a four game series against the Nationals.  Chip Caray just said during the post game show, “It’s great to see the Braves manufacture runs.”  I agree!  This game was the first game they have won that a homerun was not hit.  Jordan Schafer, who got on base four times and stole two bases in the game, scored on a single by Justin Upton in the first.  (What?  Justin Upton hits singles too?!?!)  Freddie Freeman scored on a single by Gerald Laird in the fourth and Laird scored on a sacrifice fly by Andrelton Simmons in the seventh.  It was fun and exciting to see the boys play small ball to get the job done.  If there is a series perfect for turning things back around it is against the Nationals.  They are expected to be the Braves’ main competition in the NL East.  Plus after being swept by the Braves a few weeks ago a few of the Nationals players said during interviews that they still believed they were the better team.  So beating them is just fun.        

Trades and Their Emotional Tolls

Every year, in one sport or another, there is a trade or a free agent signing that breaks my heart.  This year, there have been a few.  One was the Jordan Staal trade to the Carolina Hurricanes.  I understand the need to trade him because he was going to be a free agent and the Penguins were probably going to lose him all together in just a year.  It is still strange to see him playing somewhere else.  Another was David Ross signing with the Red Sox.  Don’t get me wrong, I am very excited for him.  He got a two year, 6.2 million dollar deal.  The Braves are going to miss him greatly.  He did a great job backing up Brian McCann; which unfortunately he had to do a lot.  I am concerned about McCann's health and our need for a great back up catcher.  When was the last time McCann went a full season with injury?  Yeah I can’t remember either.  Not to take anything away from Evan Gattis or Gerald Laird.  I am sure they are great too.  In fact, Gattis has been very impressive offensively right out of the gate.  David Ross was just proven to be invaluable.  He seemed to always come up with a hit when needed.  He was also Tim Hudson’s catcher.  He caught for him when they played together at Auburn (just another reason to love both of them) and they have great chemistry.  When Ross was doing more and more catching toward the end of last year, the rotation got mixed up and he didn’t always catch for Huddy.  It may just be my imagination, I do not have any numbers to back it up, but those games did not seem to go as well as when the two were paired together.  I just know we are going to miss David Ross, but I wish him the best and I look forward to continue following his career.

Another guy that will be greatly missed is Martin Prado.  He was pretty much my favorite Brave.  I understand the business side of things and why he was traded.  With just one year left on his contract, the negotiations were not getting done and we were more than likely going to lose him next year to free agency.  I am excited about acquiring Justin Upton, who has also been very (VERY!) impressive thus far; I just wish it had not been at the expense of Martin Prado.  Martin Prado can do anything.  He seemingly can play any infield position.  He regularly started at third base on Chipper’s off days last year and has also played first base and second base.  Last year he regularly played left field, but he is expected to start at third base for the Arizona Diamondbacks this year.  Prado is also a very reliable batter.  He has a career batting average of .295.  His yearly batting average has been over 300 four of his seven years in MLB and he has a career on base percentage of .345.  He also appeared to have great chemistry with all of the guys and was fun to watch.   

I have read that women traditionally do not fair well in fantasy sports because they get too emotionally connected and are not as good at making trades or sitting out players who are slumping.  I have never played fantasy baseball, but I know this would definitely apply to me.  First of all, if at all possible, my team would be made up of my favorite players; with little or no regard to their actual ability.  You know those people who just know their team is going to do great and truly believe that anything in baseball is possible?  I am one of them.  I would pick my guys because I just know they are going to do well and if they got in a slump I know I would stick with them because I would just know that any minute they are going to break out of it.  But that is part of what makes baseball so great; the believing and the faith.

Can anyone relate?  Any trades that broke your heart?  Or fantasy baseball stories?