Braves win in 19; Pirates robbed

Okay. We make no secret of our affinity for our favorite baseball team, the Atlanta Braves. We've been a fan since we attended our 1st game at Fulton County stadium at age 10. Even when they sucked.

That being said, they got a break Tuesday night. The Braves played the Pittsburgh Pirates and sparing you the details of the early part of the game, it went 19 innings. Yes, 19 innings. Not the longest Braves game ever, that would be the 1982 game that Rick Camp hit a walk-off homer in, but the longest in Turner Field history.

Anyway. Bottom of the 19th inning, the light hitting Julio Lugo is somehow on 3rd base with 1 out, Jordan Schafer is on 2nd and pitcher Scott Proctor at the plate.

Proctor hits a chopper to 3rd and for some reason, Lugo heads home, the throw beats him there by roughly a week, he brushes against the catcher Michael McKenry and touches home plate...and is ruled safe by umpire Jerry Meals.

Needless to say, bedlam ensues, the Pirates blow a gasket and the Braves celebrate the win. The ump, he later admits to MLB.com reporter Mark Bowman  he thought the catcher "Olayed" the tag, but then admits after looking at replays McKenry may have tagged Lugo on the shin. Meals said, "I just saw the glove sweep up. I didn't see the glove hit his leg."

This is camera video from TV of what happened...from Pittsburgh...



And the other TV version from Braves broadcasting- until it gets pulled...
((HT: MLB/FSNSouth/youtube))

Terry Collins Is At Wits End

((HT: MLBAM/SNY/youtube))

And we would be, too, if we just lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates in another horrible seventh inning fold-up and gave Kevin Correia his 8th win of the year...

Evidence below...


Kevin Correia... no one had him in the pool...
Gare-on-tee...

Sidney Crosby goes yard....

Who says that Hockey players can't play other sports? For that matter, Sidney Crosby, already dubbed the natural in hockey, might just be a natural in baseball too.

Fast forward to earlier this afternoon, when Crosby joined the Pittsburgh Pirates for batting practice. Watch the swing. He's a lefty, and quite honestly, the stroke...it is pretty much textbook.

It didn't take long for the kid, to catch one. Check out the video from the Pittsburgh Penguins and NHL.com:

Never let your Pierogi post on Facebook...The Pittsburgh Pirates might not like it.

((ht:pittsburgh post-gazette))

This was too funny to pass up. One of the people who dresses up as a Pierogi at the Pittsburgh Pirates home games was apparently fired for slamming his team on his Facebook page.

Andrew Kurtz took shots at the teams entire management team, he was fired very shortly thereafter.

More from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette RIGHT HERE

Mr. Kurtz wasn't totally off-base with what he said, but the Pirates didn't seem to look at it that way saying that Kurtz was allegedly already in trouble for doing something in violation of company policy.

Awww...guess he'll have to do without those $25 dollar checks every few weeks. We'll try and refrain from making any Pittsburgh related jokes at this time due to the fact the we know some people who live there and from what they say, the people in Pittsburgh don't really have a good sense of humor about stuff like this.

Pirates Startes On DL After Line Drive To Head

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Chris Jakubauskas ((pictured, thanks Bob Levey/Getty)) was hit in the face by Lance Berkman's line drive in the first inning of Saturday's game in Houston and was carted off the field.

Berkman drove a 1-0 pitch back to the mound and hit Jakubauskas in the head. He fell and the ball bounced all the way back to catcher Jason Jaramillo.

Medical staffs from both teams ran to the mound as Jakubauskas stayed down, repeatedly kicking the dirt in obvious pain. Berkman ran to the mound, joining all of the Pirates infielders.

"I just wanted to pray for him," Berkman said. "That's a scary situation. That's probably the most rattling thing I've been a part of in the big leagues. There's really not much I could do. I just wanted to be over there and lend any support that I could."

Jakubauskas was down for almost 5 minutes before he sat up, holding an ice pack and towel against his face. Jakubauskas was taken off the field on a medical cart. He gave a thumbs up to the crowd, who offered a standing ovation.

"It's as good as could be expected. He doesn't seem to have a concussion. He was conscious and was answering questions," said Pirates manager John Russell. "It was very frightening. Now it puts the game in perspective."

Here's the play in question...
((HT: FSAstros))


Sunday Update:
Jakubauskas was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a concussion and head contusion a day after he was struck in the head by a Lance Berkman line drive.

He received a call from Berkman on Saturday night, who was relieved to find out the pitcher will travel with the Pirates for their next series in Milwaukee.

"He was still a little woozy but he was coherent, and I was glad to see he was conscious and was doing good," Berkman told MLB.com. "It's just a scary deal, but hopefully there's no lasting impact from it and he'll just continue with his career."

Pirates Infielders Reject Contract Offers

((HT: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/Kovacevic))

The Pirates have pulled back their contract extension offers to Jack Wilson and Freddy Sanchez ((pictured, thanks Chris Creamer/Flickr)) and though they remain open to new negotiations, there was no indication that any are forthcoming.

"That time has come and gone," general manager Neal Huntington said this afternoon of the offers' life span. "They feel like we're awfully light both in years and dollars. In our minds, the conversations are at a standstill."

Neither of the player's agents, Page Odle for Wilson and Paul Cobbe for Sanchez, responded formally to initial offers, though Wilson's rejection was not believed to be nearly as emphatic as Sanchez's. Wilson's was for two years and $8 million, plus a club option for 2012. Sanchez's was for two years and $10 million, plus the voiding of his existing 2010 vesting option that could pay him $8 million.

Huntington, who described the initial offers as "expired," strongly suggested that the next move will not be his.

"If they want to continue dialogue, we're open to it," he said. "If not, we understand. We move forward. No harm, no foul."

And how long might the Pirates' door remain open?

"I think that comes when we trade one or both, which may not happen. We made an offer, and we put a deadline on it, which is something I've done with every offer I've made, whether it's a minor league contract or major league. You can't just leave it out there. We're a little time-sensitive here because of the looming trade deadline."

That is July 31.

"And just because they don't accept doesn't mean they're going to be traded. If we get the right baseball deal, we get the right baseball deal."

Huntington pointed to the lack of counteroffers as pivotal to this point.

"Typically, in a negotiation, you get a counteroffer. That's how conversations continue. We've not gotten that to this point. We felt pretty strongly that our structure was in place but that we were open to some adjustments off it. Not significant adjustments. Not huge differences in years or dollars. But if there was something that added value to the player, we're open to that. In our minds, they're not even interested in the foundation we've laid."

People Perpetually Pissed At Pirates

Understanding the significance of the Pittsburgh Pirates road trip into OSG HQ/Atlanta, we decided to grab the vibe of both dugouts since the Nate McLouth trade to the Braves.

You've heard the story about the lighted candle in the clubhouse where McLouth played cards.

((The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Dejan Kovacevic went into detail about the spot where Sean Burnett, Jesse Chavez, and McLouth played regularly...))

"There ain't a guy in here who ain't [ticked] off about it," first baseman Adam LaRoche said. "They might be trying to hide it or whatever, but ... hey, you get a guy's loved by everybody, not just in this clubhouse but in the community, who does everything you could want a guy to do, a perfect guy to be a leader ..."

LaRoche paused.

"It's kind of like being with your platoon in a battle, and guys keep dropping around you. You keep hanging on, hanging on, and you've got to figure: How much longer till you sink?"

You make a deal for a player like that, and you'd better get at least one elite guy in return," one veteran said. "Who's the guy in this trade? Who is that player?"

McLouth added Friday: "It's a new chapter, as I've said, but ... I wanted to win here."

Speed forward a day or so...

SVP and GM Neal Huntington wrote a letter ((or was it typed...???)) to Bucs fans on the Pittsburgh Pirates website trying to 'splain wha-happen...

"I understand why some people at first glance may believe this move was financially motivated, but I can assure you that this was strictly a baseball decision. In fact, our owner Bob Nutting was as surprised as some of our fans when we sought his approval for this trade.

((What...? Kinda like the Braves and that "Tom Glavine" fella...?))

"We have said several times that tough decisions will need to be made as we build and sustain a championship caliber organization. The decision to trade Nate was perhaps the most difficult one both personally and professionally that we have made to date. Tough decisions are not always popular. However, we have a singular focus on our goal of building an organization that can consistently compete for championships, not simply finish above .500. The organizational talent level has been vastly improved during the past two years and, as a result, we are a much stronger organization and closer to our ultimate goal."

((uh, sure...))

Which brings us to today and the Pirates visiting Turner Field...

OSG Sports caught up Jack Wilson before the game for an update:

"I've been here for nine years," the veteran said, "and I keep seeing the kids leave. They stay for two or three years and then they're in another dugout."

Nate McLouth talked to OSG and is still coming to grips with the change of address:

"You feel like you're walking out on relationships. But, once you're on the field, things take care of themselves."

Makes you wonder if the two relievers brought their table, candle, and picture of McLouth on the road with them for some sort of closure...

The plot thickens...

11PM Update: Glavine Released, McLouth Acquired

((HT: MyFoxAtlanta))

FOSG Buck Lanford led the 11:00 NewsEdge program from Turner Field with some feedback from Chipper Jones...


David O'Brien from the AJC has the details on the Braves trying to make a killshot in the NL east by picking up Pirates Center Fielder Nate McLouth:

One day after sending Jordan Schafer to the minors, the Braves made a bold move to improve their outfield by trading three prospects to Pittsburgh for All-Star center fielder Nate McLouth.
They shipped right-handed starter Charlie Morton, center-field prospect Gorkys Hernandez and minor league lefty Jeff Locke to the Pirates for McLouth, an All-Star and Gold Glove winner last season when he hit 26 homers with 94 RBIs and led the National League with 46 doubles.

“He’s a great pickup for us,” third baseman Chipper Jones said of McLouth, 27, whose nine homers, 34 RBIs and seven stolen bases this season easily surpass the Braves’ current team leaders in each of those categories.

“A week ago I didn’t expect to be able to make a deal for a bat this early,” Braves general manager Frank Wren said after announcing the trade during Wednesday night’s 3-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs. “I thought it would be later in June or July at the very earliest.”

The Braves acquired a speedy slugger who can bat anywhere in the top half of their order, and who they’ll have under contract for three or four more seasons. McLouth signed a three-year, $15.75 million deal this spring that runs through 2011, with a club option in 2012.

“This happening this early is opportune for us,” Wren said, “because it gives us a lot more of the season to put our team together and gives us a chance to win games.”

McLouth joins a Braves outfield that was tied for last in the majors with 10 homers through Tuesday, and finished last with 27 homers in 2008. He almost single-handedly matched the Braves’ outfield total with his career-high 26 homers in 2008, when he hit .276.

He stole 23 bases in 26 attempts in 2008, and he has not been caught stealing this season.

“He’s a baller, dude,” said Braves closer Mike Gonzalez, a former Pittsburgh teammate.

“Definitely an upgrade. He changes the whole offense. And he’s not just a hitter. He can go get it in center field. He’s a great guy to have in the clubhouse, too. He’s fluent in Spanish, too. Really smart guy.”

Your Sunday Triple Play...

((HT: FSN Pittsburgh))

This is about as easy a 6-4-3 triple play as it gets...

The Pittsburgh Pirates pulled off their first triple play in 16 years in the eighth inning of their game against the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday.

With Brandon Phillips on second base, Jay Bruce on first and the Reds leading 2-0, Edwin Encarnacion hit a blooper into short left field that was easily caught by shortstop Jack Wilson.

Phillips, running on the pitch, was around third base and was out when Wilson threw to Freddy Sanchez at second base. Bruce was already at second, and Sanchez threw to first baseman Adam LaRoche to complete the triple play.

It was the first triple play for the Pirates since August 10, 1993, at St. Louis, and the first time the Reds had hit into a triple play since April 21, 2007, against Philadelphia.

Here's the play...

Bucs Prospect Speaks On Wife's Charges

((HT: WFTS-TV/CBSSports))

Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Jose Tabata said Friday his much-older wife lied to him about being pregnant with his child before she was accused of abducting a 2-month-old baby girl, who has since been returned to her parents.

Tabata, speaking publicly for the first time since his wife's arrest earlier this week, also said 43-year-old Amalia Tabata Pereira ((pictured, booking photo courtesy Hillsborough County Sheriff's Department)) never told him she was incarcerated for more than two years in an arson case years before they met.

According to Pirates general manager Neal Huntington, Tabata's wife showed off pictures of an infant and told the player that the baby was his, only to have Tabata learn hours after seeing the baby that the girl had been taken from her parents in Plant City, about 60 miles from Bradenton, where the Pirates train.

Pereira, arrested after the baby was handed over to authorities in a Bradenton shopping center parking lot on Tuesday, was taken Wednesday to the Hillsborough County Jail and is lodged on $750,000 bond on an abduction charge.

The 20-year-old Tabata, an outfielder and one of the Pirates' top prospects, said he has since learned his wife told him "many lies" -- the worst of which the baby was his own.

"She completely falsified her pregnancy and the eventual birth of a baby girl, which would have made me a father for the first time," said Tabata, who read a prepared statement in Spanish but did not answer questions from the media before an afternoon workout. "Imagine how that made me feel."

The infant, Sandra Cruz-Francisco, was taken from her parents -- Rosa Sirilo-Francisco and Andres Cruz -- on Monday after a woman who identified herself as "Janet" said she was an immigration official and demanded the baby be turned over by the mother, or the parents would face deportation.

After giving Janet her baby, the mother called police later that night to report the infant had been taken. Less than 24 hours later, an anonymous caller told Manatee County officials the baby could be picked up at the shopping center.

"The truth is that my wife told me many lies that, until this whole situation began, I did not know," Tabata said. "One that hurt me a lot was her history as a criminal -- that she had spent years in prison, that she had robbed and committed fraud."
Tabata said he cannot forgive his wife for what happened.

"When this is all over, I will never be able to forgive her for her cruel actions," Tabata said in a statement he directed toward Pirates fans. "You will also understand that I will do everything possible, with the support of God and my family here with the Pirates, to overcome this craziness. The truth is I would never wish this situation on anybody, but I know that life has its good and its bad, and I know that good times are not too far off in the future."
Tabata and Huntington said that, because the case remains under investigation, neither the club nor Tabata can address specifics about the case.

"I, like you, have questions that remain unanswered," Tabata said. "However, the sheriff's deputies have told me not to speak about the details of her criminal case, including the details of our history together, and the lies that she led me to believe about her. Therefore, I will not be able to comment further or answer any of your questions until the investigation is complete. I do give thanks to God that no harm was made to the baby girl and that she is in his safe hands with her parents. My thoughts will always be with them."

Tabata, who grew up in Venezuela, said he has long idolized the late Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente and he hopes he will respond to this situation the way Clemente would.

"I asked myself, 'What would Clemente do in this situation?'" Tabata said. "I know Clemente was a man known for his decency, responsibility, doing what he says, and always doing the correct thing. And I believe the only correct thing in this moment is to tell the truth."

Tabata and his wife met when he played for the Yankees' Class A Tampa farm club and were married in January 2008. Tabata was traded seven months later to the Pirates in a deal that sent outfielder Xavier Nady and left-hander Damaso Marte to the Yankees.

WFTS-TV's James Zambroski has the details from the TV side...

Pittsburgh Pirates Need A Dose Of Reality

The Pittsburgh Pirates have been so bad for the last 15 years that they are clearly in desperation mode. The Buccos now have gone to the ends of the earth to find talent including 2 pitchers from India neither of whom had touched a baseball until earlier this year.

The Pirates signed Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel, both 20 years old, whose claim to fame is being the top finishers in a reality TV show called "Million Dollar Arm", which sought athletes who could throw strikes at 85 miles per hour or faster. The show was sponsored by a California sports management company that believed it could find major league talent in India. Apparently, the Pirates were impressed with the pair from India.

"They have potential, but they're very raw," Pirates General Manager Neal Huntington said. "There are a lot of things to cover. They've only had six months of baseball experience. They probably wonder why they have to cover first base on a ground ball hit to the right side, but they love the game."

Singh and Patel even have an agent, Jeff Borris one of the most well known in baseball.

I give the Pirates props for going to such expense to find talent. But a reality show from India makes you wonder "What the heck are they thinking!" Maybe Singh and Patel will amount to something and get a cup of coffee in the Majors. I can't wait to see them when pitchers and catchers report in February.

Manny Being Hollywood, Ken Griffey, Jr. Traded To White Sox

What a day in baseball on the final day of the trading deadline. The trade wins were blowing some blockbuster deals. First the Cincinnati Reds traded Ken Griffey, Jr. to the Chicago White Sox after Griffey approved the deal. The Reds receive pitcher Nick Masset and infielder Danny Richar.

You can read more from the Chicago Tribune HERE and read the Cincinnati Enquirer’s take HERE.

Meanwhile the other blockbuster is Manny Ramirez got the hell out of Boston and is bound for Hollywood. It’s probably not the 3-way Ramirez would prefer but the Red Sox got together with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Los Angeles Dodgers to make the un-happy Ramirez happy. The Dodgers get Ramirez, the Red Sox get Jason Bay and the Pirates get what the Pirates always get, cheap labor. The Buccos with receive 2 prospects for the Dodgers and 2 from the Red Sox.

More on Manny being Hollywood from the Los Angeles Times HERE and from the Boston Globe HERE.

The Boston Globe’s Dan Shaughnessy says Ramirez had so Manny memories in Boston.

Ken Griffey, Jr photo: Courtesy The Nasty Boys.wordpress.com

Manny Ramirez photo:Courtesy Boston.com