The game seemed to be lost before it started when Chipper Jones had to be scratched from the line-up after taking a ball off the eye during batting practice.

ESPN - Braves vs. Angels - Box Score - June 13, 2008

First off, a refresher on our commenting policy. I think things have gotten a little too heated at times, and Lord knows the Braves aren’t helping matters.

I feel like we’re watching those Now What? commercials about insurance, where something is always going great then something bad happens in the end. While those are just commercials and made up segments of companies trying to sell insurance, we keep living in this Now What? funk that we have been in for a while. Will it get better? Who knows? If this is how we keep playing, then I think we should come up with a new motto for the remainder of the season. See the video below.

It’s not all your fault. Unlike the flabbergasted Bill Bavasi in Seattle, you actually built a pretty good team this offseason. Many pieces were in place, but you had to know that while strong, the team was built on a shaky, 40 year old foundation. Surely you have a backup plan in place, right? If so, I think now’s the time to enact said plan.

ESPN - Braves vs. Cubs - Box Score - June 12, 2008

This team depresses me.

How much? This much:

ESPN - Braves vs. Cubs - Box Score - June 11, 2008

So, now we have Glavine back on the DL with a left elbow strain, which is what caused his early exit in last night’s terrible excuse of a game. But to add to that, Jurrjens might be headed to the same M*A*S*H unit that is known as the Braves DL. Apparently, Jurrjens twisted his ankle while walking down the Cubs’ dugout steps after the game on his way to the clubhouse. I swear this team is cursed. Like KJ said before in his shirtless interview, it’s like they all have voodoo dolls or something. That’s the only thing I caught that he said the entire interview, so if he didn’t say that, then he should have. Now who is the one sticking the pins in the players? We should really find out and soon.

Have I mentioned that I hate this team?

ESPN - Braves vs. Cubs - Box Score - June 10, 2008

All Atlanta Braves outfielders have combined for fifteen homers. Six of these are by Kotsay and Diaz, who are on the DL and may never return at this rate. As of this writing (before Monday’s games) eight major leaguers have 16 or more homers and five more have 15 exactly. If you limit to the nine homers by active players (seven by Francoeur, who sucks, and one each by Blanco and Norton) fifty-three major leaguers have more homers than the entire Braves outfield, and another ten have the same number. One or both will certainly increase when Monday’s games are added in.

This is a short post because I have to get to class a little early to study for finals. But can we please just do well tonight and this series? And on this whole roadtrip? We’re not asking for much. A few wins here and there wouldn’t hurt. We’re facing the best team in baseball record-wise, so we have to be playing smart baseball tonight. Can we please score more than a total of five runs? Please. Us fans will appreciate it very much. Glavine vs. Ted Lilly at 8:00 pm EST. Let’s get a win tonight…for once.

After an impressive 2007 that saw much improvement in plate discipline, it seemed that Jeff Francoeur was poised to take the logical next step forward in 2008.  As of June 9, he is batting .253/.303/.415.  Atlanta fans are clearly still waiting for that step forward.  So what happened?  There’s a fine line between a flawed player and an unlucky player, and we have to look a little deeper to see which area Francoeur falls into.

Well, this past weekend was horrendous and we were at home nonetheless. But that’s what happens when you have to overuse the bullpen early in just about every game and the season overall. Something has to be done. I don’t know what, but something has to be done. I know the Phillies are red hot right now, but they didn’t over-match us really. We gave the games up by not being able to capitalize when guys were on base or in key situations, like the latter innings of all three games. Can we please just do well on this roadtrip? I know we hate June, well I think it’s the other way around, but still. Can we still not suck on this roadtrip?

Well, does that make 3 games in a row the pen and the bats ruined a great outing by a starter? I don’t think you can ask much more from Huddy, Jojo and Campy than what they did the last three outings. Huddy gave up one run, Jojo two through seven and Campy only three. With only that information, how many game would you have thought the Braves won? Of course, in a lot less innings, the pen gave up just as many runs. This is something that needs to get fixed, or we don’t have a prayer.

ESPN - Phillies vs. Braves - Box Score - June 08, 2008

Don’t make me resort to Tiffany.

Is the law of averages starting to kick in? We couldn’t stay as hot at home as we had been forever. Does that mean we are going to start doing better on the road? Let’s hope. This game didn’t really have a lot of positives, other than some good base stealing and Chipper finding his power stroke. Oh, Jojo did pitch a great game, he just threw one too many pitches.

ESPN - Phillies vs. Braves - Box Score - June 07, 2008

Sorry for the delayed recap, but sometimes real life interferes. I know, its not fair, but that’s just the way it is.

It’s obvious now that Jeff Francoeur is working for some other team, and apparently he’s recruited Kelly Johnson and Manny Acosta. What they do?

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.

ESPN - Phillies vs. Braves - Box Score - June 06, 2008

I think I want to try a Googlebomb. But right now, the only one that comes to mind is “Francoeur Sucks” and I’m already in the top ten for that. Any ideas?