Opening day for Albany Dixie is March 5 and this season the league is breaking with tradition a bit.
League President Frank Sullivan has planned a festival-type event to recognize the 350 plus youth baseball and softball players. What used to be an early morning event at Dixie Park has been moved to afternoon and early evening at Ken Gardens.
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Tired of cold weather? Me too. So let’s think forward to April and a sunny 75-degree day at “The Ted”. Technically, the 2011 season begins on the road in Washington, but we are just imagining, right?
So what does the Braves line up look like? Well I am sure our new skipper Fredi Gonzalez is looking for my input, so here goes.
LF-R-Martin Prado .307-15 HR-66 RBI Our best player in 2010.
RF-L-Jason Heyward .277-18-72 Needs to avoid the sophomore slump.
3B-S-Chipper Jones .265-10-46 Played in 95 games in 2010.
2B-R-Dan Ugla .287-33-105 Brings much-needed punch to the heart of the order.
C-L-Brian McCann .269-21-77 Should benefit from Ugla’s presence.
SS-R-Alex Gonzalez .250-23-88 Most of his 2010 HR and RBI production was pre-trade.
1B-L-Freddie Freeman .167-1-1 Hitting No. 6 or 7 will give the rookie time to adjust.
CF-L-Nate McClouth .190-6-24 Yuck!
On the positive side, this line up has that left-right transition that worked so well for Cox with only three right-handed hitters scattered on the card. Plus Ugla will add a long ball threat.
On the realistic side, how many games can Chipper give us? 110? Maybe 120? When you think about that you realize the depth chart becomes a huge factor. Right now it looks like Fredi is counting on Joe Mather and Prado to play all over the field. Martin is our starting left fielder and is listed as our back up at third, second and first base.
So what happens in those 52 games when Chipper is resting or nursing a hang nail? My guess would be it all depends on how well McClouth responds to his 2010 disaster. If he has found his swing and is hitting .250 or better, he will be back at leadoff, giving Fredi lots of adjustment options. If not, Prado will have to stay there, creating a hole in the order. Prado, Heyward, Ugla, McCann, AGon followed by Joe Mather, rookies and struggling center fielders just doesn’t have the same thunder.
Noticeably absent from the team’s depth chart is Eric Hinske. What is Fredi’s plan for him? Why is he off the board? The chatter is speculating about Hinske’s weight. Left fielders shaped like a keg of beer don’t usually get a lot of action. So “Ske” may be this year’s bat off the bench. He signed a one year $1.45 million contract in the offseason and hit .298 as a pinch hitter in 2010. My guess is that Ske will be used primarily to back up Freeman at first.
The “Round mound of A-town” could also displace Brooks Conrad as an emergency player as our third option at second and on the hot corner. Conrad is still on the roster despite his poor performance at the close of 2010.
At first glance, the rotation and bullpen look strong. Hudson, Lowe, Jurrjens, Hanson, Minor and Beachy will fill out the starting spots. Kimbrel and Venters give the team options at closer.
The bottom line may be determined by how the team adjusts to a new leader. Gonzalez is in a tough spot. It is never easy to follow a legend and unless he wins immediately, the heat will build on the skipper.
There, I feel warmer already.
As best I can tell there have been two “Quarterback Clubs” in Albany.
The first organization was also occasionally called the “Touchdown Club”. It was started by Booger Seely and held an annual meeting at Radium Country Club. The event was a notorious affair that lasted into the early morning hours.
In a recent conversation Seely recalled having Bud Wilkinson and Otto Graham visit as speakers. When Graham came to The Good-life City, he apparently got on the wrong plane in Atlanta and wound up at the Tampa airport. Seely had to convince Mayor Gray to send his plane to get the wayward guest.
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Good job Albany Civic Center and Dougherty County School System. Holding those high school basketball games at the Civic Center is a step in the right direction. Now the city needs to go to the next level and invite some colleges to hold neutral site games in the facility. Ask Albany State to play FAMU, Valdosta State or Georgia Southwestern in the facility for the good of the community.
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By Mike Flynn
For most of the 1990s and part of this decade, the Tattnall Square Academy Trojans dominated GISA AAA football action. That all changed around 7:45 p.m. last Friday.
Those of us that follow the Deerfield-Windsor Knights have known this was coming, but it became official during the first quarter of the state finals. The Trojans, a team that had gained a mere 450 passing yards all year, came out throwing the football in the worst conditions of the season. Then they attempted a fake punt deep in their own territory. The passes fell to the mud, the fake punt failed miserably, and the mighty Trojans were playing desperate, afraid they needed an edge against our boys. Turns out, they were right.
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Before every Deerfield-Windsor home game, many of the Knights family gather for a tailgate. It is a special time. The moms put on a good feed, the dads, grandparents, siblings and former players all give their opinions of the test that lay ahead.
There are older fans like Bill Devine who at 83 years of age remembers the names and numbers of most of the Knights and never misses a game.
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Wow what a week! We are so lucky to live in the Great State of Georgia. Who else can claim the Masters and the Braves?
Note to self … don’t make an enemy of the Masters. In case you have been on another planet, this guy named Tiger has a history, and someone wanted to jab him by flying banners over the tournament. On day one, they accomplished their mission with a reference to Bootyism. Then, mysteriously, the FAA showed up to do a surprise safety inspections and grounded the aircraft for a seatbelt infraction.
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The greatest reality show on earth is college football and the 2009 season was no disappointment.
Remember the punch, Oregon vs. Boise State? Excessive celebration calls, followed by a crew suspension? The spike by LSU? The block by Cody? Those were great moments in the regular season, and last week we had football fed to us intravenously.
Idaho went for two to beat Bowling Green rather than go to overtime. Auburn made a game-saving tackle to top Northwestern and signaled the revival of the War Eagle program. Jo Pa’s boys found a way to beat LSU on the sloppiest track ever, and the Seminoles sent Bobby out as a winner.
Boise State finished perfect, again, but won’t get to play for the title, again.
All that and we still have two more BCS bowls to play.
Then there is the off-field drama. After Alabama beat down his Gators, Urban Meyer assumed the fetal position for three days in a Gainesville hospital. Then he resigned for health concerns. The next day he decided he would just step down indefinitely. Obviously, Tim Tebow came in overnight and healed the Gator coach.
For a week, all we heard about was Meyer and how he wanted to be daddy again. Not one word about the team that pummeled him so badly it caused the entire episode. Could that have been intentional? I know Meyer has real health issues, but why not coach the game then make an announcement?
By resigning, then not … he dominated the news for several days sucking all the wind out any Alabama media hype. Maybe it was intentional, maybe not, but the effect robbed the Tide of much coverage.
It never fails; when I disrespect Florida I get mail. This letter came last week:
I was passing through Albany this evening and stopped in a local Chinese Restaurant for dinner. Picking up a copy of the Albany newspaper, I read your column in which you doubted Tim Tebow’s ability to perform in the NFL due to weak passing skills. I agree with you that he needs to work on not bringing the ball down below his waist, but other than that, you missed the boat entirely.
As a high school and college player, he showed tremendous ability to throw the ball, a long way and accurately. You referenced the Alabama game, but how many passes hit the hands of receivers and were dropped? From the first pass to Demps to the dropped touchdown by Hernandez, Tebow put the ball spot on. His passer ratings speak for themselves. I think he’ll do just fine in the NFL.
Patrick Bowie
LaGrange, GADear Patrick,
The last time I checked, LaGrange, Ga., is not in the state of Florida. Do you know what happened to traitors during the Civil War?
Well, I don’t really know either, but I’m sure it was something pretty bad. As for your question, “How many passes hit the hands of receivers and were dropped?”
With the hype of Tebow, I thought he would be able to snap the ball to himself, throw an accurate pass down field, out run said pass, catch the ball and score without crying. Guess I was wrong.
Finally his college career comes to a close. Let the healing begin.
By this time next week, we will have witnessed Georgia Tech rolling up Iowa, and Alabama claiming yet another national title. Then we can look forward to national signing day, spring drills, the release of the summer preseason publications …
Not only is college football great, but this country allows this game to flourish. I love America! Bet ya they don’t have anything like this in China.
Written by Mike Flynn.
The eight month death march to August begins. Sure we have a few bowl games, state playoffs and an outside shot of getting the Falcons to the postseason, but August represents new hope for the local high school programs and the Bulldogs. In the meantime, we will have to find something to distract us.
Do these people have a clue? In case you missed this one, this organization of geniuses wants the University of Georgia to replace UGA VII with an electronic dog replica because it would be “more humane.” If anyone from PETA is reading this, let me tell you a story of my youth.
When I was 12 or so, I would often go to Georgia games with my parents and their friends. We would spend the night at “The Georgia Cente.” I always got to sleep on one of those rollaway beds with the comfortable spring in the spine.
Often on the Sunday morning after the game, the Seilers, owners of the UGA line, would ask me and my friend Clark Carter to walk UGA III. They would give us the key to his room and tell us to go upstairs and bring down the dog.
That’s right; I said the key to UGA’s hotel room. I slept on a cot; UGA had his own room. No kidding.
Not to mention the dog gets sideline access, a very nice dog house and is adored by the Georgia cheerleaders. That sounds like a humane existence to me.
So tonight I am going to sear some steaks and eat some mammal in honor of UGA VII. After all, People Eating Tasty Animals is only natural.
Same old story. Man learns to drive and putt. Man wins the Masters. Man marries the hot Swedish nanny. Man has a globetrotting affair with a nightclub hostess. Man finds out his Swedish wife is also pretty good with a pitching wedge.
I am wondering what type of endorsements Elin Nordegren might get now.
Of course, there’s Lee Press-On Nails. “If you really want to claw out the eyes of out your cheating husband, use Lee Press-On Nails.”
The exclusive development near Orlando where the couple resides could use the slogan, “Live here and you won’t even get arrested after your trailer trash blow ups.”
On Sunday morning, the media was making a huge deal about two golf clubs being found in the drive way. Duh … Stevie obviously told Elin that the nine iron was too much club and she opted for loft when smashing out the car windows.
There really is a good lesson in all of this for you youngsters. If you want to be untouchable by the Florida State Patrol, learn to drive a golf ball 350 yards.
Don’t laugh, State troopers visited the happy home the day after the incident to interview Tiger and Elin. An agent told the troopers neither was available for comment and to “come back tomorrow.” Hmmm … I wonder if that will work for me the next time I am pulled over for speeding in Florida.
“Sorry officer. I am just not available to take this ticket. Would you like to talk to my agent?”
Fan may not be a big enough word to describe William Rose. Teammate might be a better fit. For the last three seasons he has run onto the football field with the team, endured long bus rides and stormed the sidelines yelling encouraging words to the Deerfield-Windsor School Knights
As he roams the sidelines prior to kick off he screams, “Let’s go!” The players slap his shoulder and call him “Main Man” as he runs past.
At age 20, William never played a snap, but his contribution to the Knights is significant.
“They see me and they get fired up. I see them and I get fired up. That is my job, get them focused and fired up, so they can take care of business” he says with pride. “The coaches like me to get on to them and make them work harder.”
As the Knights celebrated at mid-field after their semifinal victory over Pinecrest last week, William ran through the crowd screaming, “One more. One more!” His crutches moved faster than his legs as he wove in and out of players, parents and students. Cerebral palsy robbed William of the opportunity to play, but it doesn’t take away his chance to contribute to the Knights, who will try to defend their GISA AAA state championship Friday at home.
William’s younger brother, star fullback and defensive end Quinton Adkins, is a senior and will play his last game for DWS on Friday night. Next year may find Quinton on a college roster, but William may be a permanent fixture on the sidelines off Stuart Drive.
“He loves it down there,” said Quinton. “He really feels at home and is a part of something.”
“I am not really sure how this all evolved,” said DWS head coach Allen Lowe. “He started coming to watch practice when Quinton started playing, and ever since, he has been a huge inspiration to all of us.”
Now, three years after showing up at his first practice, William has his own locker, jersey, and helmet. His status as the team’s inspirational leader is unchallenged, and he is often heard fussing at and with players about their effort.
“They all really like having him around. If he misses a practice the other players and coaches ask where he is. There is less energy when he is not out there,” said Quinton. “Of course I love having him there because he is my brother, but you can tell the rest of the team feels the same way.”
William is so inner-woven into the fabric of the Knights that the players know not to bend down to help him after one of his many spills down the steps, on the field or in the hall. Hands coming down to lift him bring a growl of, “I can do it!”
After one recent fall, as William fought to successfully lift himself up from the ground a Knight fan walked by, grinned and said, “If everyone on our team has that much heart, we will never lose a game.”
Written by Mike Flynn.
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