Sports Page Atlanta

Georgia Tech started their spring football practice today.  No one is quite sure how the Yellow Jackets will do under Paul Johnson and his new offense.

Here is how some other Georgia Tech head coaches have done in their first season as the football head coach…

Chan Gailey - 2002: 7-6

George O’Leary - 1995: 6-5

Bill Lewis - 1992: 5-6

Bobby Ross - 1987: 2-9

Bill Curry - 1980: 1-9-1

Pepper Rodgers - 1974: 6-5

Bill Fulcher - 1972: 7-4-1

Bud Carson - 1967: 4-6

Bobby Dodd - 1945: 4-6

William Alexander - 1920: 8-1

John Heisman - 1904: 8-1-1

Braves General Manager Frank Wren today said, “I think we’ll make a deal or two,” he said. “I’m not sure of the magnitude yet.” At this point, nobody’s sure who’s coming back to the Braves, but the cast of characters available to depart are easily defined.

You know the out-of-options Braves relievers, but just to remind they are Blaine Boyer, Chris Resop, Tyler Yates and lefty Royce Ring. Boyer and Resop have had very good camps, and Ring’s shown at least some progress using more breaking balls to help him against right-handed hitters.

Not saying Ring won’t get traded, especially since Braves expect to have lefty Mike Gonzalez back from Tommy John surgery the first week in June, Cox said again today.

But to me, Yates looks like a goner. Plenty of teams interested in a guy who had 75 appearances last season and had a 3.96 ERA in 56 appearances in 2006. I look for Yates to be traded this week.

Other Braves rosterables who are out of options include, Brayan Pena and Scott Thorman. Thorman has been rumored to be out the door, as well.

In a conversation about how the rotation would fall if Smoltz did land on the DL, Bobby Cox gave reporters a few different scenarios. All of these scenarios included Jair Jurrjens.

The Braves would open with Tim Hudson pitching opening night Sunday at D.C., then Glavine on Monday at Turner Field. After the Tuesday off day, Cox said either Mike Hampton or Jair Jurrjens could pitch Game 3, with the other going, obviously, the next day. He hasn’t decided whether to split up the lefties with Smoltz out of the rotation.

With Smoltz in the rotation, Cox said he would have split up Glavine and Hampton. He didn’t give specifics, but I think it would have gone Hudson, Smoltz, Glavine, Jurrjens, Hampton.

Oh, yes, without announcing Jurrjens was in the rotation, Cox did announce it by saying Jurrjens could go in the third slot, or Hampton could. You have to read between the lines, put 2 and 2 together, etc, a lot on this beat. Not that anybody expected Jurrjens wouldn’t be in the rotation, which has seemed like a done deal since that game March 5 right here in Winter Haven, when he pitched three perfect innings against the Tribe in his second Grapefruit League start.

It surely appears as if Jurrjens is in the rotation.

The shoulder tightness that caused John Smoltz to miss his scheduled start on Friday, will now, most likely, land him on the DL to begin the 2008 baseball season. But, that’s not all bad news for the Atlanta Braves. Bobby Cox feels that the timing is perfect, as he’d rather see Smoltz miss the first week or two than go down in the middle of the season.

There’s also another good reason for the Braves to be happy. With a few younger players out of minor league options, placing Smoltz on the DL will allow the Braves to carry one of them on the roster, protecting him from having to make it through the waiver process. The protection will only last until Smoltz returns from the DL, but that could give the Braves enough extra time to mull things over and even contemplate a trade.

If Smoltz lands on the 15-day DL, the Braves would plan to bring him back to start April 6 in a Sunday afternoon home game against the New York Mets. That’s the first date the Braves would need a fifth starter, because of an April 1 off day.

As DL stints go, Smoltz’s temporary absence would be far easier to absorb now than at midseason. “It’s perfect,” manager Bobby Cox said of the timing.

A Smoltz DL stint could be backdated up to nine days into spring training, provided he doesn’t pitch in a Grapefruit League game in that period. If he pitches later this week, it will be in a simulated or minor league game.

photo credit: jspatchwork

One of the feel good stories of the spring for the Atlanta Braves was the return of Javy Lopez. The 37 year old catcher was attempting a comeback with the team where he spent many good seasons. However, after hitting .188 in 32 spring at-bats, Lopez was informed that he would not be carried by the Braves on their 40 man roster. In lieu of being cut and reassigned to AAA Richmond, Lopez announced that he would retire.

“He told me he really wants to retire as a Brave, said he thinks of himself as a Brave after spending the bulk of his career here. And that’s how we think of him, too.”

The 37-year-old slugger has a .287 career average with 260 home runs and 864 RBIs, including 214 home runs and 694 RBIs in 12 seasons with the Braves through 2003.

photo credit: gaytlsports

The Atlanta Hawks won their 30th game of the season yesterday against the Orlando Magic.

30 was their win total last season. The Hawks still have 13 games this season to increase their total.

Here are the Hawks win totals the past few seasons…

• 2006-07: 30 wins
• 2005-06: 26 wins
• 2004-05: 13 wins
• 2003-04: 28 wins
• 2002-03: 35 wins
• 2001-02: 33 wins
• 2000-01: 25 wins

Now in the 1986-87 and 1993-94 seasons, the Hawks had 57 wins (I think they not quite there yet).

Outfielder Jordan Schafer was sent down to Double A-Mississippi as the Atlanta Braves made some cuts. Schafer is just 21 and many experts think he will be a future superstar and be the starting center fielder next season.

In grapefruit league action this spring, Schafer hit .316 (12-for-38) in 17 games. Last year in the minors, he hit .312 with 15 home runs and stole 23 bases.

The Falcons just signed kicker Jason Elam to a 4-year contract. Elam is one of the best field goal kickers in NFL history. He shares the NFL record for longest field goal after booting a 63-yarder in 1998, but he is also on another impressive list.

Here is a list of the kickers that have kicked the most field goals of all time…

1. Morten Andersen - 565
2. Gary Anderson - 538
3. Matt Stover - 435
4. John Carney - 425
5. Jason Elam - 395

The Atlanta Falcons are bringing kicker Jason Elam back home. The Snellville, Georgia native signed a 4-year/$9 million contract. Elam spent 15 seasons with the Denver Broncos and was named to 3 Pro Bowls.

Elam kicked 4 game-winning field goals last season which was the most by a kicker since 1990.

He has made 395 career field goals and 601 extra points.

As Barrett Sallee mentioned in his article, John Smoltz missed his start due to tightness in his right shoulder. The 8-time All-Star has a better than .500 record in every month, but some months are better than others. Of the 207 career wins by John Smoltz only 29 have happened in the month of April.

Here is a breakdown of each month in his outstanding career…

• April: 29-24
• May: 38-24
• June: 35-30
• July: 34-19
• August: 40-25
• September: 27-23
• October: 4-0 (19-4 including postseason)

Some might say his best April was in 1999 when he went 4-0 with a 1.51 ERA, but then again it is hard to beat his April when he was a closer in 2003 when he had 10 saves and a 0.00 ERA.