Monday, July 30, 2007

Mark Teixera acquired in big trade for the Braves



AP Photo

It's official; the Braves have aquired first baseman Mark Teixera from the Texas rangers. They also aquired a much-needed left handed reliever, Ron Mahay.

AJC.com

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Hank's Record

Aaron keeps low profile, but former Braves talkOld gang offers universal admiration
By JILL VEJNOSKA
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 07/25/07

Phil Niekro may well be fishing when it happens. Mike Lum could be on the road to another minor-league town.

Ralph Garr and Davey Johnson don't know for sure if they'll see Barry Bonds hit the home run. After all, homers don't come on a predictable schedule.

Not usually, anyway.

"Hank told me, 'I'm getting this over with right now,'\u2009" recalls Dusty Baker, who was in the on-deck circle at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium when Henry Aaron broke Babe Ruth's supposedly unbreakable home run record on April 8, 1974. "And he did."

Friday, July 20, 2007

It was a beautiful day for a ball game!

Cubs won 9-8. Bonds hit HR's 752 and 753. The weather was awesome.

Check out my videos...


National Anthem


Bonds HR 752


Bonds HR 753


Take Me Out to the Ball Game


Cubs Win!

Welcome Back Julio!

Franco glad to be 'home'
AJC.com

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 07/20/07

An athletic career that began back when Michael Jackson was relevant and Michael Jordan was a champion — with North Carolina — now seemingly hinges on a few swings over the next month or so. Julio Franco's last swim against the riptide of time began Thursday at Turner Field, the place where one way or another his long, winding career seemingly was meant to end.

Franco spared no dramatic image in describing his return to the Braves at the age of 48. Cut free earlier this month by the team the Braves are chasing in the National League East — the New York Mets — Franco said he fell to his knees and prayed for deliverance back to the team that once before had rescued his career.

A big day in Wrigley; Cubs win and Bonds homers twice

Bonds Hits 752nd and 753rd Home Runs

Check out the video from MLB.com


AP Sports Writer

Barry Bonds moved within two homers of Hank Aaron's record Thursday, hitting Nos. 752 and 753 with two of his biggest swings this month and ending his worst slump in six years. He was rested and ready, all right.

Bonds sent the first pitch from Cubs starter Ted Lilly high over the right-field fence leading off the second inning — the first drive out of Wrigley Field to reach Sheffield Avenue all season. Then he homered again in the seventh on a 3-2 pitch from Will Ohman, a three-run shot that stuck in the basket of the center-field wall. Ohman became the 443rd pitcher to give up a home run to Bonds, who has 19 homers on the year.

It was his 71st multihomer game, second behind Babe Ruth's 72, and second this season. He went 3-for-3 and scored three runs in the Giants' 9-8 loss.

Bonds' first homer pulled the Giants within 4-1 and was San Francisco's first hit off Lilly, who surrendered his third career homer to Bonds. The next homer got the Giants within one and gave Bonds six RBIs on the day, his most since driving in six runs Sept. 22 last year at Milwaukee. It was his seventh career game with at least six RBIs.

Cubs hold off Bonds, Giants MLB.com

CHICAGO -- Barry Bonds hit his homers, and the Cubs still won. Everybody's happy.

Bonds drove in six runs, belting career homers No. 752 and 753, but the Cubs took advantage of three errors in the first inning to beat the San Francisco Giants, 9-8, Thursday and take the series, 3-1.

"You're watching a Hall of Famer," Chicago's Cliff Floyd said. "We won a game, and the fans got a chance to see him chase history. That's a double win."

Unless you're Ted Lilly or Will Ohman. Both Cubs lefties served up Bonds' blasts.

"I hate to have Bonds hit two home runs off our pitchers," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "That's what the fans came out to see in these four days and they got their money's worth. He put on a power-hitting exhibition and our team won a baseball game."

Aramis Ramirez drove in two runs to back Lilly (10-4) and help the Cubs win for the 18th time in their last 23 games. And they did so despite not having Derrek Lee in the lineup as he served the second day of his five-game suspension, and losing Floyd and Daryle Ward to injuries. Lilly did his part when he singled in the fifth, notched his first career stolen base and scored on Alfonso Soriano's double.

That's right. Lilly stole a base.

"I always wondered why pitchers don't do that -- they never pay attention to them," Floyd said. "If you're a little bit of an athlete, you should take off."

Giants 4 Cubs 2, 7/17/07

The San Fransisco Giants defeated the Chicago Cubs 4-2 on Tuesday night July 17, 2007 (box score). David and Joe went with me to the game while my sister took Matt to Chuck E Cheese. The first photos were taken when the boys and I went over to Wrigley in the morning to purchase tickets.


The boys and found the spot where you can "peek" inside Wrigley from behind the right field wall.






Now there's a Cubs fan!




On the way to the game






Our seats were in the upper deck


"EAMUS CATULI" (presumably latin for "Go Cubs) and AC036198 means either "After Championship" or "The Year of the Cubs" then the number of years since the Cubs' last division title (03), pennant (61), and World Series (98). That's right - the Cubs have not won the World Series since 1908!


Joe keeps score


Bleacher bums


David and Dad


Joe and David


Not a bad seat in the house


We moved down to the lower section for the last few innings


Nice view from upper deck behind home plate


Looking west down Addison from Wrigley


We're on our way home....

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Cubs 9, Astros 3

CUBS Win! Harry would be proud! Box score.


Joe and I got up early enough to drive over to Wrigley Field. The ticket window opened up at 9. The window was behind home plate and the line circled around the outside of Wrigley, along Addison, way down the right field line. Many of the people in line were scalpers. One of the scalpers, seeing I was with a kid, let me ahead of him. The only tickets available were standing room only. Above is the view along Sheffield, behind the right field fence, when we were on our way back to the car.


Walking to the Cubs game.


Making the trek toward Wrigley Field on Addison Street.


We love the old homes with neat landscaping in the North Side of Chicago.


David said that it didn't seem like a mile.


We found some free parking, as usual, in a neighborhood about a mile from Wrigley.


Almost to Wrigley!


It was a wonderful day for a ball game with temps in the 70's and gusty winds and sunny skies!


The boys really liked the Cubs Mr. Potato Head giveaway!


One of the most famous signs in baseball...


You are looking at a true blue Cubs fan!


Go Cubs Go!


The Cubs have friendly ushers who go out of their way to take family photos. I have experienced this on several occasions. The usher who did it today was even kind enough to let me show him how to use my broken camera.


The wind was blowing out to right and was in Matt's face.


This was our view. We began in the standing room only section, behind section 215. It didn't take us long to find some good seats.


David and Joe are enjoying a big Cubs win!


Ted Lily pitched a great game. With the wind blowing out, he gave up only one run in eight innings. Here he pitches to Astros legend Craig Biggio.


David really enjoyed seeing the Cubs win. This is the best the Cubs have played in four years. They have a real chance to make the playoffs this year.

Thursday, July 05, 2007

July 4, 2007 Road Trip

The boys wanted to drive somewhere in our new vehicle. We decided to head down Alabama Highway 69 south from Cullman. We drove through Walker County and into Tuscaloosa County. We ended up spending most of Independence day in Tuscaloosa and we had a blast.


We stopped at VFW Post 4850 in Jasper in Walker County. We looked at the F-4C Phantom that was used in the Persian Gulf War. We also took a minute to think about those who sacrificed for our freedom, including an uncle of mine whose plane was shot down over the Pacific by the Japanese in WW2. We said a prayer of thanks for and blessings on our country.








We passed this old, abandoned gas station in northern Tuscaloosa County. The license on the pump was from 1989 and the price per gallon was $1.24. I probably stopped there on my way to college back in the 80's!


After arriving in Tuscaloosa, we drove through downtown and stopped by the Quad at the University of Alabama. I showed the boys some of the buildings where I had college classes. Joe and Matt are sitting outside Reese Phifer Hall, which houses the school of Communication. That is where I worked on my undergraduate degree.


The name was changed to "Reese Phifer Hall" after I graduated. Before that it was simply known as the "College of Communication".





Pictured above is Bibb Graves Hall. This is the "education building" That is where I worked on my Master's Degree.





This is a shot of Denny Chimes, looking toward the east. It was dedicated in 1929 in honor of George Denny, President of the University.


Here is "The Mound", on the northwest side of the Quad.


Outside the Gorgas House. It was built in 1829 and is one of the few campus buildings that survived the Civil War.


The Round House was once a guard house and is one of four buildings left standing after federal troops burned the campus during the Civil War.


The back side and main entrance to the Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library. I spent many, many long hours in that place. I liked studying there.


This is the side of the library that faces the Quad.


After leaving campus, the boys and I bought a watermelon and rode over to River Road Park. We ate the melon along the bank of the Black Warrior River.












After leaving the river, we ate supper at Taco Casa on 15th Street before heading for downtown.

We were walking through downtown Tuscaloosa on our way to the Independence Day celebration.



Entering the July Jubilee


The water balloon contest was probably the best part! We did well.


Joe and Matt just won.




Matt and Joe drawing!


Even old Dad teamed up with another gentleman and won!


David in action!


Riding the train (really it was a tractor with several trailers made to look like a train)!


Face painting was fun, but that was a long line!





A fun time was had by all. David was ready for the fireworks, but he did get one final water balloon game in first!

Photos from the Tuscaloosa News. Album one. Album two.