Sports Page Atlanta

Daron over at Mash On The Gas just posted a .pdf file of the 2008 Georgia Tech depth chart. The kick return and holder positions haven’t been announced on this depth chart and there are still just under two weeks before opening kickoff for this to change due to last minute coaching decisions or injuries, but all in all, this is good stuff.

I’m especially appreciative to the brain child who explained to me how to pronounce Mario Edwards name properly (mahr-E-O) in the bottom right corner of this file.

Chicago swept Atlanta yesterday and the Braves are struggling big-time, ok we all knew that and we all know that the Cubs are really good this year.  In fact they have the 2nd best record in baseball (only the Angels are better).

The Braves at home and the Cubs on the road has changed dramatically throughout the season as you can see…

Braves at home

March through June: 28-14

July through August: 5-13

Cubs on road

March through June: 17-23

July through August: 11-7

Do not be fooled by Flip Murray’s 2005-2006 season, where he averaged 13.5 points on 45% shooting, including several 25-plus point games. The six-year veteran sports a career average of 9 points per game with a 41% field goal percentage. He doesn’t shoot threes very well (28% career) and, while listed as a point guard, he averages only 2 assists per game in his career while averaging 22 minutes a game.

The acquisition of Murray for the Hawks is nothing more than filler to complete a 12-man roster. He had a good end to last year for an abysmal Pacers team (starting 15 games and averaging 11 points a game), but he doesn’t fill any need for the Hawks. They’ve got Bibby starting and the up and coming Acie Law (well, if Mike Woodson would ever play him) as a backup. Even beyond that, Salim Stoudamaire has done a decent job coming in for a couple minutes at a time and hitting threes.

Flip Murray is not a big man (where we desperately need a back-up for Horford who isn’t Zaza or Randolph Morris) and he isn’t any better than the plethora of back-up small guys we had. He won’t replace Josh Childress as an energy bench player. Ideally, he’ll compete for garbage minutes with Mario West. Of course, I expect Woodson to have him playing over Acie Law. Whee.

Contract details are still forthcoming.

Former Georgia Bulldog shortstop Gordon Beckham signed with the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.  The Dawgs all-time home run leader signed a $2.6 million signing bonus.  He was the 8th pick overall taken in the draft and will report to Single A Kannapolis.

The deadline for players signing was this Friday. There are still 10 first round draft picks unsigned.

Today Jason Marquis will be pitching game one for the Cubs against the Braves.  Marquis as you remember starting his big league career with the Braves, pitching for Atlanta from 2000 to 2003.  He finished those seasons with a 14-15 record.

Since then, he has done better than average.  His record entering today since leaving the Braves is 61-53.

In that time period, Tim Hudson has 66 wins, John Smoltz 47 (he was a closer for one year in that period) and Tom Glavine had 54.

While players are dropping like flies over in Athens, the AJC reported yesterday that some Georgia Tech football players might not be as injured as they say they are.

Sophomore Correy Earls has missed more than a week with a hamstring injury, and junior A-back (and former wide receiver) Greg Smith has missed much of the past week with a hip injury. Both began the summer as starters, or at least sharing reps with the No. 1 offense.

Smith practiced for a while Monday morning, and then walked over to, “The Beach,” where injured players work out with strength and conditioning coach (official title: director of player development) Eric Ciano.

Smith’s position coach, Jeff Monken, did not appear pleased. When the team broke for water, Monken went near — but not all the way to — The Beach, and in so many (loud) words told Smith that he needs to practice.

Even new Head Coach Paul Johnson had a few words for his team.

“If you’re hurt, you’re hurt; you can’t help it,” he said. “But we’ll find out. I play the guys who practice.”

The old axiom that starters don’t lose jobs by injury does not apply at Tech. The Yellow Jackets have a new coach, and as such there are no starters — yet.

“That’s exactly right,” Johnson said. “And if you’re not out there practicing, you’re certainly not going to get to play. That’s not any indictment against kids that are hurt. But when you get hurt, you’ve got to fight your way back up the depth [chart].

Trinton Sturdivant will miss the entire 2008 season.  He started every game last season for the Bulldogs.  He is 1 of 6 returning players for the Dawgs that started every game for Georgia in 2007.

Here are the other 5 that are returning…

QB - Matthew Stafford

C - Chris Davis (played guard last season)

DE - Roderick Battle

DT - Jeffrey Owens

FS - CJ Byrd

According to many sources, Georgia starting tackle Trinton Sturdivant tore his ACL, MCL and PCL in his left knee on Monday and will miss the entire upcoming season. The sophomore will have reconstructive surgery in the next few days.

Last season Sturdivant started all 13 games and was named freshman all-american.

Possible replacements for the left tackle position could be Vince Vance, Josh Davis or Cordy Glenn or maybe guard Clint Boling could change to the tackle position or Kiante Tripp could change from right tackle to left.

Tyler Flowers was named the Carolina League’s Hitter of the Week after a fantastic week for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans.

.556 (10-18), 7 R, 5 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 4 BB, 1 SO, 1 SB, 1.333 SLG

Flowers now has an eight-game hitting streak after picking up a base knock in all five games he started for Myrtle Beach last week. His best effort came Monday against Kinston, when the catcher was 2-for-3 with two home runs and five RBIs for the Pelicans in a lopsided 17-2 win. He had two hits and an RBI each of the next two nights before hitting another home run as part of a three-hit day in Lynchburg Saturday. Flowers has an RBI in each of his last six starts and now has 75 on the season, tied for third in the league with teammate Ernesto Mejia.

Tommy Hanson was just named the Southern League’s Pitcher of the Week after his dominant performance yesterday. Hanson did not earn the victory as the game was lost in the late innings, but he threw six innings of shutout ball while only giving up two hits. He also struck out ten batters while only walking one.

For the season, with seven starts in Myrtle Beach and 15 starts in Mississippi, Hanson is 10-4 with a 2.57 ERA. He’s struck out 142 batters while only walking 42 in 122.1 innings.

Hanson continued his sparkling season for the Braves, with two more 10-strikeout games. The 6-foot-6 right-hander has fanned 10 or more in three straight starts and four times overall this season for Mississippi. He has a total of 93 strikeouts in 82 1/3 innings. He shut down the powerful Huntsville lineup Monday, allowing two runs on four hits in six innings for the win. Hanson had no such luck Sunday, settling for a no-decision, despite shutting out Jacksonville on two hits for six frames. Hanson ranks just outside the top 10 in strikeouts in the Southern League even though he started the season with Myrtle Beach.