Catcher’s Blog

This is my review of the day game in Atlanta on June 25, 2008. It was good trip, it was a very, very hot that day, and we played a good game. I got decent footage and pictures below. The footage is a little shaky and I apologize for that. That would be from me not being able to hold my camera still hardly at all. I can’t sit or stand still, so that’s probably why. The footage was clearer on my computer before I uploaded it to photobucket, so know that it wasn’t my camera. The only bad thing about that day was that it felt like it was 100 degrees, literally, with no shade hardly at all and the seat digging into my leg the whole time, resulting in my leg becoming almost numb when I did finally get up around the 8th inning. I’ll save the rest for the review. The review is under a cut for length purposes.

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I wasn’t planning on posting today, but DOB’s blog changed my mind. First, we’ll look at some quotes that I’m referring to:

“I’m finally off the hook,” he said, smiling as he ate a postgame sandwich in a clubhouse that was as noisy as a frat party when compared to the morgue atmosphere of the previous week. People were smiling, laughing, after the pins-and-needles atmosphere we felt entering the clubhouse after recent losses.

Most of you know just what Johnson was referring to — his dropped popup with two out in the ninth inning a week earlier against Philadelphia seven nights earlier, when the Braves had a game in the bag … until it squirted out of his glove.

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Johnson hadn’t stopped thinking of that popup since. But late last night, he could finally smile about it, since some of the mounting pressure of losing for a solid week after his error had finally been released.

“I told my wife [earlier Friday], if this [losing] goes on much longer, when we walk by fans it’s not going to be, ‘Hey, there’s Kelly Johnson, the Braves second baseman,’” he said. “It’s going to be, ‘There’s Kelly Johnson, the guy who dropped the ball and lost us the season.’”
If the Braves don’t start playing like they did last night a lot more frequently, that dropped ball might still be the moment fans point to first, fairly or not, as the point where the season was lost.

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No, that dropped popup is a moment that sticks out, not just because the Braves were one out from a series-opening win against the Phillies, but because they seemed to be in a daze the rest of the weekend and much of the Chicago series.

And, of course, because a dropped popup with two out in the ninth tends to stand out in the memory bank more than so-and-so failing to deliver with bases loaded with none out, or with one out, or with two outs….”

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We’ve been told before by KJ himself, that KJ is very hard on himself. I’m sure that’s all he’s thought about until last night after they won and still probably will for the remainder of the season. But even though no one but himself could be to blame for dropping the ball, there is other people at fault for that loss and it’s not KJ’s fault we went on a 6-game losing streak. KJ can only control what KJ does and even then sometimes he can’t control that since he’s merely human. I know I’m a fan of KJ and I’m not saying this because of that love as a fan I have for him, I’m saying it because some fans automatically turn on players when they start costing the team wins. Take Frenchy for example, people wanted his head, along with KJ’s, on a silver platter to feed to the wolves when he continued on his major slump.

Fans that decide to pack it up this early in the season, after a few mishaps and tough losses, shouldn’t be fans at all. Injuries are a mere excuse, but you can’t get past them when it’s half of your starting lineup/payroll on the DL; they’re going to start hurting you eventually. But with that, fans should be behind the team that much more to help pick them up. If the going gets tough and the tough gives up, you’re not going to get very far no matter what you do. We as fans need to keep supporting this team, no matter what they do. We need to show them that fans are not just there to see them win, we need to show them that we’re there for when they win, lose, or whatever. True fans never give up on their team, no matter how bad things get. I’m not giving up on this team and true fans won’t either.

I didn’t get to see the entire game last night because I was dog sitting and the people didn’t have the channel out at their house. My friend and my mom were telling me what was happening, though, but I still didn’t get the full effect of it. I didn’t see the botched play by KJ, and I know everyone wants to blame the loss on him, but he’s not the only one that should take the blame.

From what I’ve read and heard, there are many different reasons we lost the game, KJ’s error just made it seem like he was to blame for dropping the ball. But even through that tough loss, most fans on AJC are ready to take KJ’s head and call it a season. I, for one, will not call it a season until we’re out of it in September. I don’t care if we are 4.5 games back, we can still come back from that. We have to keep trying and shouldn’t give up because of one tough loss. Today is a new day and anything is possible. Maybe it’s just me, but true fans shouldn’t be naming players’ heads to be had, we should be looking at the next game trying to win that one, and so on. We could sit here all day long naming reasons why we lost and who’s to blame for the loss, but it will not get us anywhere. Hanging our heads and wishing players to their deaths, per se, won’t solve anything.

Tonight “Never know with Jo-Jo” takes the mound against Kyle Kendrick. Let’s forget about last night and try to win the next two. On paper, this looks like a pretty even match up, even though Kendrick has three more wins than Jo-Jo and one never really knows which Jo-Jo will show up. Think of the run support Kendrick has behind him, though, and that’s probably why he’s won five games.  Let’s make it happen, guys.

Normally, I don’t make girl-y posts on here, and I’m sure this one won’t be the last since I am, in fact, a girl and do have my moments at times. I’ll be honest and admit it. Today we have a video of KJ being interviewed on Braves Live after the game yesterday. With my girl-y, fan girl intuition kicking in, I really have no clue what he’s even saying or the questions being asked, nor do I really and truly care. The deer-caught-in-headlights look in his eyes, his breathy expressions of disappointment, and his shirtless, freshly showered self has me completely unfocused on the topic at hand. I’ll be honest and admit it.

Did the team just get swept? Of course, they did. Are we upset that they did? Yes, we are, but, from the female perspective, as guys are the same with girls, we tend to focus on the sexiness that is Kelly Johnson. KJ might not be the hottest guy on earth, he may not be the most defined or muscular guy, but nevertheless, us females are going to have the same reaction as if it were any other guy that is remotely good looking and has a toned and defined body (and even some who don’t) unless you have really bad taste in guys or are just not into guys at all. Probably because previously the only skin you saw in the clubhouse consisted of arms and legs of the players with bike shorts and undershirts on, walking about in the locker room. Or seeing Chino walking out of the shower in a towel that is barely covering his body, which is definitely not my idea of something I want to see on Braves Live or at all really. *gag*

But I will add to this girl-y post, that I do honestly think there’s more to a guy or a baseball player than looks. But again, me being my girl-y self at times, I had to mention it. I am of the female nature and I do think my favorite players are good looking, but please know that that is not the only reason that I like them. There are other reasons as well, naturally. I’m trying to add more personal things in the blog and be less stat-motivated on here, so please know my blog won’t change completely.

But moving on to a-not-so-fan-girl-point. Today starts the homestand with the top two teams in the NL right now. Hopefully our luck is still at Turner Field since we can’t seem to find any on the road whatsoever. First up, we play the Marlins for four games and afterward in come the Phillies for three, who are now in first place in the division.

Tonight we have Jo-Jo matching up against Scott Olsen. Jo-Jo’s last start in Milwaukee was probably his best start in the majors so far, yet he still ended up taking the loss due to lack of run support. This shouldn’t be a problem since we are back within the fences of Turner Field, which is our security blanket for some reason. Let’s hope Jo-Jo can match his last outing and actually get a win for it this time.

Yesterday couldn’t have gone more swimmingly. We beat the Mets twice in one day. How sweet is that? It’s nice we cut down our lead in the standings, but we still have two more games to play before this series ends. As we saw yesterday, Braves hitters acted like they actually had a clue at the plate with the timely hitting and smart baseball that they played. Where has this team been all year long? Patience is key at the plate. Yesterday proves that we are a much better hitting team when we don’t resort to flailing at every first pitch and are patient enough to work the count to tire the opposing pitcher. Plus it seems Teixshy and KJ have figured something out, which can only mean good things to come if they keep at it.

I once said on DOB’s Braves blog before when KJ was still struggling mightily in the leadoff role that moving him down in the lineup might help him improve. What response did I receive? That I didn’t know what I was talking about and that KJ should stay put and ”work out his slump in the leadoff spot.” Well, no offense, but I think he hit the nail on the head last night when he said that he had different situations in the bottom of the lineup and while trying to be more aggressive, he feels more comfortable there. He feels like he can do some damage rather than just work the count, see pitches, and get on base. Is KJ a decent leadoff hitter? Yes, he is, but there’s only so long you can try something one way and it not work. Try a different method and it just might click. He was pressing and trying too hard to get on base in the leadoff spot. His patience is probably the only leadoff characteristic that he possesses. He is a pull/power hitter and needs to be driving in runs, not trying to score them, even though his speed is an added bonus. My point is to keep KJ in the 7th spot, especially against the Mets.

Teixshy seems to be heating up and Frenchy is not. Teixshy was hitting all day long yesterday and in both games. Let’s hope this is the start of a really hot streak to make up for the lack of hitting he’s been doing lately. Bobby finally got off his high horse and let the 370-straight-game, right fielder sit out a game. I don’t expect Frenchy to ride the pine two games in a row, but lets hope if he is indeed back in the lineup tonight that the rest helped him out.

After last night’s collision, Escobar might be out, but no one really knows for how long. If Escobar does sit a few games, who will fill in for him? I’ve read Infante is probably our only option, unless we call someone up that probably won’t match Escobar’s production that he’s contributed so far this season. Let’s hope he’s only out for a game or two, but even that will put a hole in the leadoff spot and in defense at shortstop. Just a note on this from my viewing of the incident. I found it very admirable of Chipper to stay out on the field on one knee with the Mets’ medical staff, manager, etc. until Church was up and walking while the rest of our players went into the clubhouse. Just saying. You won’t hear any of the Mets’ fans talking about this, I’m sure.

Two games down, two more to go with the Mets. JJ is on the mound and will face Mike Pelfrey. Let’s keep it going boys and take the series at the very least.