Braves/Cardinals Wild Card Game Most Nerve Racking I've Ever Seen

I have never been more nervous about a baseball game than I am about today’s National League Wild Card playoff game between the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals, which begins at 4 p.m. on TBS.  

There are many things leading to the nervousness, the first of which is that it’s a win or go home game. The Braves were clearly a better team than the Cardinals this season finishing a whopping six games ahead of them in the wild card standings. The Cardinals, by the way, are tied with the American League Central Division champion Detroit Tigers for the worst record this season of the 10 MLB playoff teams. The Braves 94-68 record would have been good enough to win half of the divisions in baseball. So, the Braves are the better team, but in a one game win or go home playoff anything can happen, which means I will be on the edge of my seat for the entire game. I, also, have a very bad hunch about this game, but maybe that’s because I’m a pessimist. The Cardinals do have a knack for winning it all when they’re the worst of the playoff teams and have done so twice in the last six seasons.

In my opinion, the second wild card was a bad move on the part of Major League Baseball. I’m not just saying this now that it could potentially screw over the Braves; I’ve said it from the very day it was instituted before this season. I know it will lead to more excitement for most fans, but if you’re a fan of one of the four teams playing in the two games it must be a horrible experience. It’s not actually really the second wild card that bothers me so much, but the fact that it’s only one game. If it was a best of three series it wouldn’t be some bothersome, because it would be fair. A one game playoff in this situation doesn’t seem fair; especially to a team like the Braves that was six games ahead of the Cardinals.

The second reason I’m very nervous is that if the Braves lose to the Cardinals today it will be the last time I will ever see Chipper Jones play the game of baseball and it’s frankly not something I’m ready to happen under this circumstance. I know that Chipper’s career will come to an end sometime this month, but I would rather it be under more fair circumstances than a one game playoff against a frankly lesser team.

The third and final reason why today’s game is making me so nervous is that this is the best team the Braves have had in over five years. This team is frankly capable of going the distance, in my opinion, but their biggest threat may actually be today’s game because of the unusual and new circumstances. Not only is it the last opportunity that the Braves will have to win a World Series with Chipper in the lineup, but who knows what will happen to the team next season. The Braves look like they should be contenders for years to come, but I think a big key for the team in free agent center fielder Michael Bourn could be leaving for a bigger contract in the offseason. Chipper Jones has definitely been the heart and soul of this Braves team this season and honestly should garner at least slight NL MVP consideration, but Michael Bourn has been the best and most important piece on this team, at least as far as the offense goes.

Luckily it appears I will be getting off of work a few hours early today to see the game at 4 p.m., but it’s going to be the most nerve-racking baseball game I’ve ever seen. Hopefully the Braves can bust things open early so I can relax and actually enjoy the game.

Chipper, Braves Clinch Posteseason Berth

I know this is about four days too late, but congratulations to Chipper Jones and the 2012 Atlanta Braves on clinching a postseason berth in entertaining fashion with a walkoff, game-winning home run by second year first baseman Freddie Freeman against the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night.

You can see the walkoff homer: HERE

The thrilling victory for the Braves ensures that Chipper will play in at least one playoff game in his final season as the Braves will most likely be the first of two wild cards in the National League. Despite being a whopping six and a half games ahead of the second NL wild card team St. Louis Cardinals with just four games remaining in the regular season the Braves will be forced to play the Cardinals in a one game playoff next Friday to determine which team will go on to the Division Series.

I wasn’t a fan of Major League Baseball adding a second wild card team to each league prior to the season and now I’m really aggravated by it as the Braves could easily get screwed by the new format. It’s actually the one game playoff format that bothers me more than the addition of the second wild card. If you’re going to have a second wild card than the two wild cards should meet in a best of three series. Anything can happen in a one game playoff and the Braves will be facing a red hot Cardinals team that has won nine of its last 12 games. Being the much better team this season the Braves really don’t deserve the chance to have their run end in this fashion.

I fully understand at this point that Chipper Jones’ career is either going to end with a loss or with a World Series champion celebration and I’m perfectly fine and content with either, but if the Braves do in fact lose to the Cardinals in this new system I will be pissed off. Chipper and the Braves at least deserve a shot against either the Washington Nationals, Cincinnati Reds or San Francisco Giants as the fourth best team in the National League.

Congratulations to Chipper Jones and the Atlanta Braves, once again, on their trip to the playoffs. Chipper Jones began his career with a World Series victory in his rookie season of 1995. It sure would be nice to bookend his career with World Series rings.

You can watching the clinched playoff berth celebration: HERE

Cute story time …

I knew that the Braves had the opportunity to clinch a playoff berth on Tuesday, so even though the Braves weren’t on television here locally in Arkansas I was following the late innings of the game on MLB’s Gameday. I was attempting to pay attention to the game on Gameday while my girlfriend, Aprille, and I were watching the new NBC/Matthew Perry sitcom “Go On” on television. The Braves trailed by a run going into the bottom of the ninth inning with Chipper leading things off for the Braves. Chipper quickly led off the inning with a double and then moved to third base on a wild pitch by the Marlins reliever. When Freddie Freeman took the pitcher deep to straightaway center field and the flashing home run sign flashed on the top of the Gameday screen I leapt off of my couch and onto the living room floor and yelled something to the effect of “Yes!” My girlfriend, who had zero clue that I was paying attention to the game online while we were watching the show, looked at me like I was crazy or had lost my mind. She must’ve been thinking to herself, “Damn, he must really love Matthew Perry.”  

Chipper Knocks Out Phillies with Ninth Career Walkoff Blast

Old number 10 never ceases to amaze Braves fans. Exactly four months to the day that Chipper Jones hit a game-winning walkoff homer against the Philadelphia Phillies to win 15-13 on May 2^nd he had a little more walkoff magic.

Braves starting pitcher Paul Maholm got roughed up early by the Phillies lineup and exited the game in the third inning down 7-1. However, the Braves started a comeback in the bottom of the ninth inning that culminated with Chipper blasting a fastball from Phillies All Star closer Jonathan Papelbon into the seats at Turner Field for a dramatic 8-7 win.

Jones’ game-winning blast was a much-needed boost for the Braves who have now won only five of their last 15 games and are trying to remain clinging on to one of the two National League wild card spots. The last couple of weeks the Braves have looked eerily similar to the hot team last year that saw a 9.5 game wild card lead blown during the final month of the season to a hard-charging St. Louis Cardinals squad that would go on to win the World Series.

With one month to play in this season, the final month of Chipper Jones’ career, the Braves hold a 3.5 game lead over the Pittsburgh Pirates for the crucial second wild card spot.

Hopefully Chipper’s late inning heroics will get the Braves back on the right track and send them to the playoffs. The Braves will likely have to settle for a wild card position, because the Washington Nationals have a 6.5 game lead in the National League East Division with the final month left to play.

The homer, which was Jones’ 14^th of the season, was the ninth walkoff home run hit during his illustrious and future hall of fame career. 

You can see Chipper’s dinger right HERE

Braves Take Thrilling Game in Personal Farewell to Hero

Me with my girlfriend Aprille

So many emotions ran through my mind during the great Atlanta Braves 12-inning victory against the St. Louis Cardinals tonight as I sat high up on the third base side of Busch Stadium, with a fantastic view of the entire field and an enchanting view of the St. Louis skyline, Arch included that I don’t think I can possibly do them all justice in this blog post. 

Tonight’s game was all about me as a lifelong Braves fan and Chipper Jones fan getting to see the legendary, future hall of fame third baseman one last time before he calls it quits at the end of the season. As soon as I heard he was retiring toward the end of Spring Training I knew I had to get tickets to see him play one last time and I knew the best chance would be the Braves one trip to St. Louis the season. 

After getting the tickets I immediately began to worry about whether or not Jones would even be able to play due to his injured knee that’s kept him out of a handful of games this season, but was incredibly relieved just minutes prior to the first pitch of the game to find out that he indeed would be playing as he took the field for his last second calisthenics.

View of Busch Stadium

Jones did play indeed and he did it fantastically well over the entire 12 innings that the game would last. Jones went 2-for-4 in the game with two singles, two walks, a RBI and two runs scored, including what would prove to be the winning run in the top of the 12^th inning as he was driven home on Braves right fielder Jason Heyward’s game-winning homer after walking ahead of him to lead the inning off.

Even though Jones has recorded two base hits previously in the game I was somewhat disappointed that my lasting image of Chipper would be of him walking back to the dugout after looking at a called third strike in the top half of the ninth inning. However, with the game prolonged, mostly by Braves relievers Eric O’Flaherty and veteran Livan Hernandez pitching beautifully out of multiple jams, Jones got another final at-bat for me to see in person and drew the walk against Cardinals reliever Kyle McClellan before crossing the plate on Heyward’s shot that barely cleared the wall in center field. Now, my final image of Chipper Jones in person will forever be that of him stepping on home plate with that deciding run. The baseball gods were really on my side tonight with that offering.

Chipper scoring the winning run was certainly not the only special moment of the night for me as a Braves fan. The standing ovation from the entire Busch Stadium upon Chipper’s first at-bat in the first inning, in which he would also draw a walk, was almost enough to bring a tear to my eye. I’m pretty surprised, actually, that it didn’t. I kind of wish it had, as it would’ve made the moment more poetic. Massive respect goes out to Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, who noticing the great moment, took a meaningless trip out to the pitching mound to let Chipper have a prolonged moment in the sun, something he’s seeing at every final stop he makes on the road during this season.

I’m sure I could go on and on about tonight’s game, and I wish I could, but it’s early in the wee hours of the morning and I’m running out of adrenaline on this fantastic day, which must rank up there with the greatest of my still fairly young life. I know that Chipper’s farewell tour still has a long way to go until the end of the season, but my farewell was tonight and it was one helluva fare the well.  

    

Click HERE to see box score of game. 

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This didn't have a whole lot to do with the ballgame and Chipper Jones' farewell, but I wanted to share this photo that my girlfriend, Aprille, took because it's one of the greatest/most amusing things I've ever seen at a sporting event. 

I'm typically not a fan of sports mascots, but there was a truly great moment from the Cardinals mascot, Fred Bird, on Friday night when he showed up as fans, us included, were waiting in line to enter the ballpark. There was a street musician outside of Busch Stadium playing a guitar and upon noticing him, Fred Bird walked on over, strapped on the musician's axe and started playing. It wasn't Jimmy Page's solo from "Stairway to Heaven," but as far as mascots go it was Zeppelin-esque. 

Just One More Day 'til Gametime

Now that it’s past midnight and Thursday morning I can finally say that there’s just one more day standing between me and the Atlanta Braves vs. St. Louis Cardinals game I’m going to see at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Friday night.

I’ve been anticipating this game ever since I got tickets for it over a month ago. Back toward the end of spring training when Braves’ future hall of fame third baseman Chipper Jones announced that he’d be retiring after this season I knew that I had to go see him play ball one more time. That may not be a hard task for most Braves fans, but when you live in central Arkansas the opportunities grow small. I knew that my only chance would be to catch the Braves during their one trip to St. Louis to play the Cardinals this season. Luckily things worked out and I’ll be seeing the game at 7 p.m. on Friday night on the third base side of the field, hopefully with a good view of Chipper at the hot corner.

My fandom of baseball can be traced back to the beginning of Chipper Jones’ career during his rookie season in 1995, when I fell in love with the sport and the Braves. Seventeen years later I still love the sport and the Braves, despite only being able to see them play a handful of times on television a year because they’re no longer shown exclusively on TBS (a sad day that was and one I hope to get time to write about on this very blog). My love for baseball and the Braves is never going to die, no matter what. If I could make it through the steroid issue that forever tainted the game than nothing will kill my interest or love for it. However, the end of Chipper’s career really signifies a sort of metaphorical end to my life. I know that at 24 and a half years old that I’ve been an adult now for quite some time, but I honestly (a year removed from graduating college at the University of Central Arkansas) still feel like a kid much of the time. That probably sounds weird, creepy and all sorts of things, but it’s true. One of the few things left from my childhood is the joy and true honor of watching Jones round those bases and field his position in the field. That will come to an end in early October, or if we’re truly lucky in late October (how cool would it be to see Chipper Jones begin and end his career with World Series titles?).   

The biggest concern that I have going into Friday’s game is whether or not Chipper Jones will actually play in the game. Jones has been playing in most of the team’s games of late, but has also missed a lot of time earlier on in the season after recovering from knee surgery right before the season began. It would frankly be pretty disappointing and heartbreaking to travel all the way from Conway, Ark. to St. Louis (a good eight or nine hour drive) to have Jones not in the lineup, but I know that that’s the way the game goes sometimes. Either way it should be a damn good game. 

I hope that tomorrow at work, my last day at work this week, flies by so I can get on the road to St. Louis. The Cardinals are the local team so tune into the television on Friday night and you might see me, I’ll be one of the very few in attendance at the Busch wearing a Chipper Jones T-shirt.

This will be my last blog post before the game on Friday night, but I'll definitely have a ton to say following the game. 

Jones Ties Career Best With 5 RBI Game; Has Words About Moyer

Chipper Jones had another great game on Saturday night (May 5) in the Atlanta Braves 13-9 win over the Colorado Rockies as he drove in a season high five runs. The five RBI game matches Chipper’s career best.  

The Braves were down 6-0 to the Rockies before Jones really got them kickstarted. In the top of the fifth inning, Chipper doubled in pitcher Mike Minor for his first RBI of the night at Coors Field in Colorado. In the top of the sixth inning he drove in shortstop Tyler Pastornicky and pinch hitter Juan Francisco on a single to center for RBIs two and three. RBIs four and five came in the top half of the seventh inning when another single scored right fielder Jason Heyward and pinch hitter Martin Prado.

Despite, Jones’ career-tying game the thing that possibly stood out the most from Saturday’s game was a controversy that brewed between Jones and the Rockies 49-year old starting pitcher Jamie Moyer, who earlier this season became the oldest starting pitcher to win a game in baseball history. Moyer accused Jones of stealing signals.

After the game Jones mentioned that Moyer’s accusation of him stealing signals “woke up a sleeping giant” and led to the Braves comeback after starting the game down 6-0 to the Rockies.

Jones told MLB.com: “He accused me of relaying a sign down 6-2 with a 3-0 count to Brian McCann. I have never relayed a sign to anyone while I’m on second base. You question our integrity, that’s wrong. I’ve never accused him of doctoring a baseball. I’ve never accused him of over-milligraming, nothing. That’s (garbage) and he woke us up. I didn’t see any signs on the 900-foot homers that were hit.”

Jones also told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s David O’Brien on Sunday: “I told (Todd) Helton and Tulo (Troy Tulowitzki) to tell him he could meet me in the tunnel to discuss it if he’d like, and I never heard back.” I love that Chipper 

Jones still has that kind of fire at age 40 in his final season.

I really don’t get why Moyer and other players and baseball people view stealing signs as such a big deal/bad thing in the first place. Sign stealing should be viewed as a great strategy/skill and not breaking one of baseball’s unwritten rules. So, Moyer was essentially making a huge deal out of something that baseball folk need to desperately get over. 

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It is now less than five days before I get to go to Busch Stadium up in St. Louis to see the Braves take on the Cardinals. I desperately hope that Chipper Jones is in the lineup for Friday night's game.