Even after the sweep by the mighty Mets, the CPA says…Atlanta still has a chance to win the Wild Card. The Reds are leading the Wild Card pack at 55-50 - a .524 winning pct. That puts them on pace for a 85-77 record. Atlanta is 48-56, and to get to 86 wins, they would have to go 38-20 – a .655 winning pct. A .655 winning pct. is a 106 win pace, but over the course of only 2 months, it is more reasonable – especially considering that other than 6 games with the Mets, the rest of the schedule consists of mediocre NL teams..
In order to pull this off, every time through your rotation, you would have to get 3 Quality Starts. Smoltz will give you one, but Hudson, James, Ramirez and Schiel/Davies would have to pitch much better than they have lately. With Wickman and Baez, the bullpen should be settled down. The offense has cooled down, but they are still 2nd in the NL in runs scored.
I still say there is a chance. And if they do get the Wild Card, then they would probably have a 1st round matchup against a very beatable St. Louis team. And then, 7 games against the Mets.
SI.com writer Lang Whitaker’s dad chimes in…Was listening to ESPN radio talk this AM and they were discussing records that would never be broken. The one record that was pretty much considered unbreakable was an NBA player who averaged 48.5 min per game, playing 3882 total minutes out of a possible 3890, and also averaged over 46 min per game for 7 seasons. I did not know the answer, but I'm sure you do.
Do you know any other record that will not be broken? David Justice said Pete Rose's total hits would stand forever.
I correctly replied…That wasn't Wilt Chamberlain?He would be the only one I would think would've come close, and I think that was the year he scored 100.I don't think he ever fouled out - maybe once or twice (correct again, old school strikes again).
The pitcher who won 511 MLB games...I think that record is safe! Perhaps Rose's 4000-plus hits (4195?)How 'bout winning 15 or more games in 16 straight seasons...Greg Maddux?Will anyone ever beat Maravich's collegiate scoring records......over 40 PPG for 3 straight years?
I've heard people say that no one has broken Maris' 61 homes runs...without steroids! Perhaps Pujols or Ortiz will challenge it soon.
What about Gretzky's point total record? Second place is over 1000 points behind him. He has more assists than any other player even has total points (1963) and he has had four 200 point seasons (the only four ever in the NHL). These seem like the most unattainable records to me in any sport.
Oh, as a Braves fan, I do believe that they can still make the playoffs. If everything falls their way, it could be quite interesting. They could potentially win 20 games in the month of August which would put them about ten games over .500 going into September and the schedule isn't that bad in September either. If they could put it together, they could win 35-38 games that are left. That would give them a win total between 85 and 88 games which is right around the prediction of the wild card total to get in.
Starting pitching is the key now. They've addressed most of the items that were weak. Hudson and Ramirez have to throw some solid innings and let the bats do some talking. This weekend series with the Reds I think will show us where they stand (just like last weeks Mets series did) and if it's possible to make the playoffs.
I loved how Gretzky dominated hockey...his records are amazing and certainly belong on the unbreakable list. Others have come along, like Mario, but most have suffered injuries along the way. I'd like to see a kicker challenge Morton Andersen and Gary Anderson.
My Braves are killing me, but I'm keeping the faith!
No relation to Dale! Lifetime Georgia boy...enjoys visiting the rest of the USA. The CPA is my buddy with a finger on the pulse of MLB. I'm a GT grad who also appreciates UGA. Love the Braves & MLB, tolerate the Falcons, Hawks, & Thrashers. A worker bee enjoying Little League & ballet - my excuse for not having hours to write & research. More ramblings can be found at www.sacrifice fly.blogspot. com
