What is happening to my NL?

I am a fan of the National League. Originally because it is the league the Braves are in, but as my knowledge of the game and how it is played developed, I have sided with the NL's strategy as well. A lot of people would argue that American League games are more exciting, with more power hitters and hard throwing pitchers. I can understand that, but I consider this to be an opinion appropriate for a casual fan, or someone who doesn't really get into the details of the game.

If you are the kind of fan who likes to see more than just a simple display of power, if you love the hit-and runs, sacrifices, stolen bases, etc., the nasty curves and off speed pitches that completely confuse the batter, you are for the NL, where there is a much greater element of strategy to the game. For instance, the pitchers bat in their spot in the lineup, unlike the AL that has a designated hitter for them. This means if the manager wants to put a good hitter in to hit for the pitcher, he has to take the pitcher out of the game. A lot more thought is required in this case as opposed to having the DH bat in that spot no matter who is pitching the next inning.

So, back to my original topic, I have a theory, I should say I agree with a theory, because it is not new, that the NL has fallen behind the AL in the last several years because they have not stuck with their original strategy. I think this started around the strike in 1994. Baseball lost a lot of fans at that time and I think the idea to bring them back was to make the game exciting with power hitters, chasing the record and what not. We saw all kinds of players bulking up legally and illegally trying to be that big home run hitter, and it actually changed the way the game is played. The NL suffered because the change was new to them and they haven't been able to keep up. The AL has clearly been the better league since the mid 90's. That point was emphasized last night when they extended their streak to 13 All Star games without a loss (12 wins, 0 losses, 1 tie).

What the NL needs to do to compete against the AL is not to hit home runs like them, but to out think them. (kind of like how a moderate Republican is not the right strategy against a liberal Democrat. We saw how that failed in the last presidential election.) Play better small ball. Squeeze plays, bunts, sacrifices, stolen bases, etc. Draw the walk, hit singles and doubles, just get on base and let your teammate drive you home. It will work, and it is way more exciting than the all or nothing power hitting style of the AL.

I guess the reason for writing all this is that while I like the fact that the All Star Game actually means something now, with home field advantage in the World Series going to the winning league, it sucks that the advantage has gone to the AL in this first year since that change.

Tommy Hanson's 1st MLB Start

My friends Chris, and Anika, and I took Chris's daughter Ella to her first game today. It was a good one to see! The Braves won 8-7 but Tommy Hanson got a no decision in his first start. Our other new addition, Nate McLouth, had a clutch hit late in the game, and Chipper went 4-4 with a single, a triple, 2 homeruns, and an intentional walk! I took some pictures, but my camera isn't great, and our seats were pretty far from the field. Some of them turned out pretty good though. The 2 right handed batters are Yunel Escobar and Chipper Jones. The left handed batter is Nate McLouth, and of course the pitcher is Tommy Hanson.

My Favorite Baseball Movies

Here they are in random order. I am sure i have forgotten some, but most are here.

The Jays Are Back In Town (The Jays Are back, The Jays Are Back)

It's about time for a new post, huh? This weekend the Toronto Blue Jays are in town for an interleague series with the Braves. This is significant not only to each team this year, but also to their shared history.
Cito Gaston, the manager of the Jays, started his major league playing career with the Braves, and was Hank Aaron's roommate while with the team. He also played minor league ball with Bobby Cox, and later worked on Bobby's coaching staff with the Braves, so he has a personal connection with the team.
There is a bigger significance that that though. While they don't seem like likely rivals the Braves and the Jays have been just that since 1992. Remember, 1991 was our cinderella season when we went from worst to first in the National League and lost to the Minnesota Twins in the World Series. Toronto beat us in '92 to win their first World Series. They have been rivals ever since.
I have to admit, with the way each team has been playing this year I was very pessimistic about this match up. The Jays have the best record in the American League and the Braves are hovering around .500. But last night we sent out a struggling rookie pitcher in Kenshin Kawakami to face their ace, Roy Halladay, and we won 1-0. Tonight we put our ace on the mound, Derek Lowe, against Casey Janssen who has been on the DL since 2007. So hopefully the Braves will take advantage of the pitching match up and lock in the series win tonight setting up for a sweep tomorrow afternoon.

Say Goodbye To The Greatest Atlanta Brave In My Lifetime

Yesterday the Braves battery staff reported to spring training for the first time in 21 years without John Smoltz on their roster.

Sure there were other great players on the Braves in the past 31 years (my lifetime) like Dale Murphy, Phil Niekro, Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux to name a few. There are many with stats as good or better than Smoltz's, and Glavine, Maddux, and Chipper Jones along with many lesser known players helped drive the team to success at the same time that Smoltz did. And Glavine is back to finish out his career with the Braves. It is only a matter of opinion, but John Smoltz is my favorite and has been since he brought hope to Braves fans early in his career. Now that we have Glavine back, it is only him and Chipper Jones from the glory days. Let's hope the stick around a while.

Introduction

I am starting this blog more as a hobby for myself. I don't really expect people to read it or comment on it, but I welcome you to all the same. I don't think I will write much in this blog, just post items relating to baseball that I enjoy.