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Well, he’s famous. A lot more famous than his results dictate. Ankiel was the #1 prospect in baseball at one point, a hard-throwing lefthanded pitcher. He made it up to the majors briefly with the Cardinals as a 19-year-old, and at 20 went 11-7 with a 3.50 ERA, 194 strikeouts in 175 innings. And then, he lost it. Leading 6-0 in the first game of the 2000 NLDS against the Braves, Ankiel suffered a sudden and total loss of pitching ability, throwing four walks and five wild pitches in the third inning. And he never recovered. He showed some flashes in the lower levels of the minors, but his control was utterly shot and eventually he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2003. After five games in relief in 2004, the Cardinals threw up their hands and converted him to an outfielder.

Atlanta Braves vs. Cincinnati Reds – Box Score – July 31, 2010 – ESPN.

Thank God they don’t have artificial turf in Cincinnati anymore.

Atlanta Braves vs. Cincinnati Reds – Box Score – July 30, 2010 – ESPN.

Cincinnati, a southern city accidentally placed on the northern banks of the Ohio River, is named after the Society of the Cincinnati, an organization of the early years of the Republic. The society, in turn, was named after the Roman general Cincinnatus, who was given dictatorial powers during a war and who as soon as the crisis was over gave up those powers and retired to his farm. He probably never existed. The people of Cincinnati all aspire to give up the city life and move to farms, but they have allergies. The primary claims to fame for Cincinnati are the TV show WKRP in Cincinnati and not being Cleveland.

Atlanta Braves vs. Washington Nationals – Box Score – July 29, 2010 – ESPN.

The Bobby Cox All-Stars, the best seasons for players under Bobby Cox:

C Javy Lopez, 2003 (.328, .687 SLG, 43 HR)
1B Andres Galarraga, 1998 (.305, 44 HR, 121 RBI)
2B Marcus Giles, 2003 (.316/.390/.526, 101 R)
3B Chipper Jones, 1999 (.319, 45 HR, 126 BB, MVP)
SS Jeff Blauser, 1993 (.305/.401/.436, 110 R)
LF Jeff Burroughs, 1978 (.301/.432/.529, 23 HR, 117 BB)
CF Andruw Jones, 2005 (51 HR, 121 RBI, GG)
RF Gary Sheffield, 2003 (.330/.419/.604, 132 RBI, 126 R)

Atlanta Braves vs. Washington Nationals – Box Score – July 28, 2010 – ESPN.

Today’s video is dedicated to Peter Moylan and Jonny Venters.

Atlanta Braves vs. Washington Nationals – Box Score – July 27, 2010 – ESPN.

Our nation’s capital, Washington DC, was founded in a pestilential swamp on the banks of the Potomac River because George Washington wanted it near his house. The city’s primary industry is politics and government. Since we do not talk about politics on this blog, this post will instead cover all the other interesting things about Washington.

Atlanta Braves vs. Florida Marlins – Box Score – July 25, 2010 – ESPN.

So, Nate McLouth has been named the Official Braves Journal Whipping Boy, the first permanent BJWB since the trade of Jeff Francoeur. Here to answer the questions you might have about this position is me. Take it away, me:

Atlanta Braves vs. Florida Marlins – Box Score – July 24, 2010 – ESPN.

Inductions of Dawson, Harvey and Herzog Highlight Hall of Fame Weekend 2010, July 23-26 | Baseball Hall of Fame.

Atlanta Braves vs. Florida Marlins – Box Score – July 23, 2010 – ESPN.

Florida, or “America’s Wang”, was annexed by Andrew Jackson after the War of 1812 against the orders of President James Monroe, who thought it would cause nothing but trouble. James Monroe was a smart man and one of our most underrated Presidents. One writer describes Florida at the time as “a volatile no-man’s-land, a center for international intrigue and illicit commercial activities.” It hasn’t changed. The state is divided into beaches, which make up one percent of its land area, and pestilential swamps, which make up the other ninety-nine percent.

San Diego Padres vs. Atlanta Braves – Box Score – July 22, 2010 – ESPN.

We Want Blanco! We Want Blanco!

San Diego Padres vs. Atlanta Braves – Box Score – July 21, 2010 – ESPN.

San Diego Padres vs. Atlanta Braves – Box Score – July 20, 2010 – ESPN.

They have really only two good hitters, Adrian Gonzalez and Nick “No Relation” Hundley. Their outfield is better than ours but it’s not good, and they have Jerry Hairston Jr. playing shortstop. Their pitching is good, but nobody but Latos really stands out. Their bullpen is outstanding, I’ll grant. And there they are, with the best record in the league. Let’s do something about that.

Michael Dunn Minor League Statistics & History – Baseball-Reference.com.

Milwaukee Brewers vs. Atlanta Braves – Box Score – July 18, 2010 – ESPN.

I was thinking, “What if Jeff Francoeur was a bad fourth outfielder?” And then I remembered, he is!

Milwaukee Brewers vs. Atlanta Braves – Box Score – July 17, 2010 – ESPN.

Have we established a new normal, now?

Milwaukee Brewers vs. Atlanta Braves – Box Score – July 16, 2010 – ESPN.