Conference 7.286::sports_90

    I'd love to see the Braves turn it around too.  Won't happen though
    until the starting pitching is a lot more consistent, regardless of how
    many HRs Justice and Gant hit.
    
    Re the bullpen, what's the current status of Mike Stanton?  He looked
    good towards the end of last year, but this has been a lost year for
    him due to injuries.
    
    
    py (trying to forget that he picked the Braves for second in the NL
    West in the BASEBALL conference)

    Stanton technically is on the DL and will not pitch this year. He
    has been to rehab twice, and each time has suffered minor setbacks.
    Braves insiders say he won't pitch this year at all, that they
    are hoping for the best next year.
    
    You're right: the Braves' alleged "Young Guns" starting staff
    were more like PopGuns than the  real thing. Only promise shown
    is Smoltz, who has pitched well after the break. Pete Smith is
    about to pitch again after a rehab stint, and he has plenty of
    talent, but has yet to pan out. We traded away Lilliquist, who
    has shown some promise with the (Is It?) Padres. He's a lefty
    whom the Braves gave up on too quickly, I thought. 
    

    Don't forget about the Bruce Sutter disaster, not to mention Nick
    Esasky.  Seems the Braves are unlucky as well as inept.  (A *bad*
    combination in anybody's book!  ;^( )
    
    When analyzing the organization though, I honestly feel you've gotta
    start at the top, and the top for the Braves is none other than Captain
    Ted.  Ted freely admits he hasn't been to a Braves game this year,
    'sept the one he took Jane Fonda to in LA.  Good ole Ted.  The guy
    thinks nothing of dropping close to $30 million on a Goodwill Games
    that nobody wants.  He made front page news a few months ago by
    calling Christianity "A religion for losers" (this from the guy who
    owns the Braves?!  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!11111).  
    
    Until Ted goes, or at least hires someone who will take full reigns of
    the club, I'm not optimistic about the future.  
    
    
    - ACC Chris
    

    Sutter AND Hrabosky I forgot about. But there are many more...
    
    Well, the Braves, in my opinion, are better off with Turner
    AWAY from the games. The more he keeps his hands off the
    organization and leaves it to professionals (granted, these
    are not "professionals" we have running the team now), the
    better off the Braves will be. I'll never forget the time
    Turner went down to the dugout and managed a game for publicity
    early in his ownership days. This got him a suspension, of course.
    But it was a stupid, idiotic stunt. Keep Chasing Jane (I'm Not)
    Fonda (Her), Ted, and STAY AWAY from the braves...
    

    
    Ed,
    
    What about the Bob Walk trade???  Certainly, this had to be one of the
    biggest miscalculations of the past decade...
    
    Maybe we should start thinking about buying this team....
    
    :>) 

    re .4
    
    I don't think that Ted managing the team was such a bad thing. 
    
    If George Steinbrenner has spend a week in the Yankee dugout on his
    own, he might have turned out to be a better owner ...

    Walk is fitting for his name, isn't it? He probably walked
    more batters in Atlanta than he got out. I think he also
    was mediocre in Pittsburgh and (I think) now Philly. gosh,
    he's been around for awhile, huh Steve?
    
    After we win the lottery this weekend, Steve, we'll
    consider offering Turner a mil or two and a good bottle
    of bourbon for his team (That's the 100 meg florida lottery,
    that is, for those of you who aren't aware)...Are they worth
    that much?????????...
    

    Unless I've missed something, Walk is still with Pittsburgh and is
    having an OK year.  But OK by the standards he set the past few years
    would be great in Atlanta.
    
    	--dan'l

    Ed, thanks for the info on Stanton.
    
    If you guys hit the $100 mil and decide to buy the Braves, I'll gladly
    supply the bottle of booze... :-)
    
    
    py

    Bob "Whirlybird" Walk won Game 1 of the 1980 World Series for the
    Phillies over the Royals.  The Phils' first-line staff of Steve
    Carlton, Dick Ruthven, and Larry Christensen were worn out from the
    Houston playoff series.
    
    For that one night alone, Walk will always be a hero in Philly.  I seem
    to recall something about him being the first rookie pitcher to win a
    Game 1 in over 50 years or more.
    
    Bob Hunt

    With his 27th HR of the season yesterday, David Justice now has more HR
    since the All-Star break (22) than any other player in baseball.
    
    
    py