The actual longer title of the chapter in “You Can’t Put No Boogie Woogie on the King of Rock N Roll” (Villard Books- 1991) is “Atlanta Brave-ly Faces the New Season”.
Since the San Diego Padres brought the 2024 baseball season to an end it would be pure speculation as to what the Pride of Moreland would say about the Bravos short playoff participation that ended on October 2.
Being the gracious non cynic that Lewis Grizzard (LG) was during his short life span (1947-1994) he would point out the unfortunate facts that follow when he described the disastrous 1990 season under the Chief Noc-A-Homa mascot and his live-in princess girlfriend in the left field bleachers:
He would first graciously point out the following:
1) The “tribe” would lose two of its All Star pitchers (early in the season) and then starting outfielder (MH) to injuries as well as an All Star third baseball (AR) and an All Star Second baseman (OA) and the forty year old All Star pitcher (CM) would have had a bad year in his stellar major league career. The replacement players brought in to substitute for the injured members did a commendable job but most were better equipped to perform in the “bunt and move this runner over” category. The number of strikeouts in the “aim for the fences” mentality against 98-101 mph fastball relievers versus a bunt strategy might also be revealing.
2) The loss of the Most Valuable Player (RA) to a season ending knee injury before the year really got started and a reduction in average and home runs by their first baseman (MO) could accumulatively be used as an adequate excuse for not being able to make the playoffs as a wild card against the pious Padres.
However, the nine next to the Mexican Migration border, in an article in the Sports Section of USA Today on Thursday, October 3, 2024 by columnist Bob Nightengale (BN), vividly reported how the cash heavy losing squad of 2023 recreated itself into the team that eliminated the Braves in the Wild Card Round in two games.
The following excerpt (by BN) not only shows how 2024 turned into a season of success but also demonstrates how Atlanta could have possibly avoided being knocked out of the National League pennant race:
This team, with 19 new players from a year ago, is a living, breathing example of playing the game the way it's supposed to be played. The Padres put the ball in play more than any other team. They strike out less than any other team. They lead the major leagues in extra bases taken on singles and doubles.
Instead of swinging for the fences and worrying about their personal stats, they routinely move runners over, laying down the second-most bunts in the league.
This selflessness is reflected in the difference in comeback victories, going 10-2 in extra innings and 22-19 in one-run games this season. A year ago they were an MLB-worst 25-42 in games decided by two or fewer runs. This year they were an MLB-best 40-25.
"Guys are willing to do what it takes and hit the ball the other way," Musgrove said. "We've got plenty of guys who can slug here, but you'll see those same guys who can slug, hitting the ball the other way and moving runners over. It may not be pretty for you, but that's your job. So those things get celebrated. Last year it didn't seem like anybody was happy about getting the job done because, it didn't provide them a lot of praise.”
The calculation of the number of 1 run games lost by the now Annihilated Atlanta club that had base runners on 1st, 2nd, or 3rd base with 0 or 1 out and the opportunity to advance or score a run is left to the radio/television commentators who seem to have compiled may known useless fact from whether Babe Ruth had changed his underwear on the date in 1927 when he hit his 60th home run to the exact amount of money that the late Pete Rose won/lost during his betting career that has cost him a trip to Cooperstown.
Brevity being the object of these articles LG’s scientific prediction of the Braves destiny of not making it to the World Series in 1990 with a final record 65 wins-97 losses and an 6th place finish in the National League West was prophetic and can be reviewed by purchasing a copy of the aforementioned best seller named in the first paragraph and reading of chapter pages, 125-127.
(A review of the meaning of the term, “bunt”, in any baseball dictionary might be a not so subtle suggestion to the management staff (?) of the Metro Atlanta club for the 2025 season.)
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If you have additional information about one of Mr. Summers' articles or have suggestions or ideas about a future Chattanooga area historical piece, please contact him at jsummers@summersfirm.com)
Jerry Summers