OK, today, we are definitely moving quickly. Deal? Deal.
From the satellite offices on Amelia Island, Fla., let's do this.
Braves get it done
We all were nervous, and we all know that nothing was announced until the process inched closer to the witching hour of 4 p.m. on Wednesday's deadline.
But the Braves added layers of help to a bullpen that needed it desperately.
And if you're like me and had both barrels loaded to blast any inactivity, well, then we must fire off the Roman candles of celebration for the attempts to get better.
And those attempts were not made with selling off the pieces the organization viewed as cornerstones to the future. So no one sent any of the blue-chip outfielders or a couple of the young arms to the Mets for a mega-prize for Noah Syndagaard or Edwin Diaz (who has been pretty crap-tastic this year, to be honest).
One more thing: The Braves added three relievers who have had closer experience and the Dodgers added none. Yes, that's addition by addition and addition by inactivity for the Boys in Blue.
Let's take a quick spin around the MLB on deadline deals.
Dodgers struck out, but at least it was swinging. By all accounts L.A. tried to acquire several of the closers on teams that are not competitive this year. None arrived and, while not many of you know this, the Dodgers' bullpen is as bad as the Braves. And the Braves got better.
Houston. Wow, home run. The Astros used to feel like a small-market club. Now, they are the World Series favorites, and who wants to see Verlander, Cole and newly acquired Zach Grienke in the first three games of a series? Never mind the fact that the two teams Johnny Astros Fan has to be most worried about come October - those Yankees and Red Sox - did next to squadoosh before the trading deadline. Another version of addition by addition and improvement by others' inactivity.
The Braves also slugged one to the gap. Did it clear the fence? Time will tell, but adding Shane Greene (1.18 ERA, 22 saves, 0.87 WHiP) from Detroit and Mark Melancon from San Francisco as well as Tuesday's deal for Chris Martin from Texas have to be viewed with smiling eyes. Greene looks to be the closer from the get - which is great because Greene has been great and that means Luke Jackson can find a more comfortable place in the bullpen hierarchy for the collective ulcer he has birthed among Johnny Braves Fans everywhere.
Final side question: Considering the price the Astros had to pay for Grienke and what the Mets paid for Marcus Stroman, with the benefit of hindsight, signing Dallas Kuechel and trading pennies on the prospect dollar for the bullpen additions sure feels like Alex Anthropoulos got the better end of that deal than signing Craig Kimbrel and trying to add a starter, no?
Falcons being Falcons
If you are a long-suffering Falcons follower (like me) you are comfortable holding your breath.
Sadly, you also are comfortable being disappointed after holding said breath.
That leads us to news of the day for first-round-pick Kaleb McGary.
Above all else, here's hoping McGary's heart surgery (yes, heart surgery) went well Wednesday. Regardless of how it affects his NFL career, here's hoping the young man out of Washington recovers quickly.
It is unknown as of now how long McGary, who was battling for the starting right tackle spot, will be out, and the Falcons say they knew of his heart condition, which has required two previous surgeries.
Yep, Falcons gonna Falcon.
(Side note from Falcons camp: Considering that Michael Thomas just got a five-year, $100 million deal, if I had any influence on Julio Jones, my message would be "Brother, sit down until you get paid. Period. Michael Thomas is good, but he ain't no Julio Bleepin' Jones.")
Home here, home there, homers everywhere
OK, we're trying to be brief, but any doubt that the baseballs used this year are juiced is not completely out the window.
What a farce - and a bold-faced lie from commissioner Rob Manfred at the All-Star break - that the balls are not juiced and it is just an abnormality.
Check this stat from baseball writer Paul Pabst, and, yes, it's a Pabst blue ribbon stat:
"Most HR Before August 1 – All-Time
2019 Twins - 209
2019 Dodgers - 183
2019 Yankees - 180
1996 Athletics - 179
2019 Brewers - 178
2019 Mariners - 178
2000 Blue Jays - 178
So tell us again commissioner about that time you caught a fish "THIS BIG."
This and that
- Yes, I watched the debate last night. I was again underwhelmed, but this time it was by front-runner Joe Biden. Maybe he was trying to play peacemaker. Maybe he kept his cards close to his vest, knowing that as the frontrunner, the less ammo for the other gunslingers the better. Who knows? I think Kamala Harris was OK, but she had such a breakthrough moment in the first debate, it was going to be hard to duplicate. I think Tulsi Gabbard is pretty impressive in a lot of ways, but would be more than a trendy VP pick. The two winners in my view? Corey Booker, who had the type of oration and delivery that a lot of us expected from the beginning, and Elizabeth Warren. Yes, she was in Debate 1 on Tuesday, but the flatness of Day 2 made Warren's efforts from Day 1 look even better.
- OK, you know I love stories like this. Yes, that's the details of an anything-but-risky gambler putting $67,000 on the Warriors to make the playoffs last year. The payout was $670. This year, the same player put $105,000 on the 76ers to make the playoffs. The payout, if Joel Embiid does not get hurt, would be $2,010.
- OK, as your momma likely told you, never trust that kid named Thorbjorn in your class. Well, she was right. Ryder Cupper and current No. 62 golfer in the world Thorbjorn Olesen has been arrested for sexually assaulting a female passenger while she was asleep on a flight to London. He also was accused of peeing in the aisle of the airplane.
- Have you seen the class-action informercials on cable TV about lawyers asking if you used Round-Up? Well, Merril Hoge, the former ESPN analyst who spent his NFL career as a bruising blocking back, says his cancer is from Round-Up.
- Speaking of clickbait, you can just about start any sentence with "'Game of Thrones' fans are angry" and a) I am going to click on it; b) it could be about anything from Seven Kingdom Cookies to the realism of the characters on the commemorative lunch box; and c) in truth, and I am as guilty as any in this, most people are pretty much just angry because it's over.
Today's questions
True or false on a Thursday, "Game of Thrones" fans are generally mad.
True or false, the Braves deserve an A for their deadline moves to address the bullpen.
True or false, you would never bet $100,000 to win $2,000 regardless of the sure-thing nature of the wager.
Today is August 1. Lots of history here personally.
Herman Melville would have been 200 today. Which way on a Thursday: "Moby Dick" is overrated, underrated, or properly rated?
On this day in 1978, Pete Rose's 44-game hitting streak ended. I was watching it live when ol' Gene Garber struck him out to end the game. Side question: If you were a Southern youngster who played wiffle ball in that time frame and you could not impersonate the side-winding Garber or the switch-hitting Rose, well, there was little use for you in our wiffle league.
In fact, here's a quick list of the dudes who could easily walk to the plate and give it a go:
Rose of course; Morgan and his elbow flapping in the wind; Willie Stargell and his big bat circles as he got his feet set; Gary Mathews and those mini-circles as the pitcher was about to deal; Steve Garvey and that statuesque pose; Jose Cruz and that HUUUUUUUUGEEEEEE leg kick; Rod Carew and that obscenely open stance with the flat bat. Who am I missing?
On this day in 1981, MTV debuted. Yes, MTV is 38 bleepin' years old with an identity crisis, a mortgage and real-life (or would it be "The Real World") issues.
Does MTV make the Rushmore of all-time cable channels? Go, and remember the mailbag.
