Sports

Baseball is back after the all-star break and yes, nothing has changed for the Braves. They are hitting homeruns, getting good starting pitching and the bullpen scares you to death but somehow hangs on to win. All of the above were on full display in San Diego.
The Braves hit six homeruns, which is hard to do in the three-game sweep. Donaldson hit three homeruns and Acuna had two over the weekend. All-star pitcher Mike Soroka was great on Sunday afternoon as he got his tenth win and Dallas Kuechel continues to get better as he looked really good in Friday night’s win.
Then there is the bullpen. Yes, everyone’s cardiac kids made everything interesting. The pen allowed five earned runs compared to just three for the starters over the weekend.
Remember the old saying that good pitching gets out good hitting? Sooner or later the bullpen will have to step it up. That brings things to the July 31 trade deadline. Okay I am not going to change the everyday eight or the bench. Here is where I have questions. For the starting pitching, I like Kuechel and Soroka.
What about the third starter? Since you can make it with three in the playoffs, do you really like Fried or Teheran? I just don’t, sorry! How about that bullpen? Do you like Luke Jackson having to get out the Cubs, Brewers or Dodgers with a one run lead? Better have plenty of Tums on hand. The Braves have some good trade chips in the system and as much as I wouldn’t want to move him, Drew Waters may have to be available.
I like Pache a little more and it looks like he will make it to the majors a little sooner. I think the kid would bring back a nice return but I wouldn’t just let him go for a rental. The lead is seven games going into Milwaukee on Monday night. It will not be easy!
Monday was a big afternoon for the Falcons. It was the deadline for the team to come to terms with star defense tackle Grady Jarrett. He was playing under the franchise tag if a deal couldn’t be reached by 4:00 p.m. on Monday.
The Falcons got under the deadline with just over an hour to spare as they agreed to a four-year deal worth 68 million with 42.5 guaranteed. The deal is probably about right so all should be good in Falcons land. The next deals will probably go to Julio and Deion Jones. The birds go to camp next week.
Let’s wrap things up over seas as Wimbledon played the men’s finals on Sunday with top seeds Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. It was an epic battle but finally Djokovic won, 7-6, 1-6, 7-6, 4-6 and 13-12. The fifth set was decided by the tiebreaker for the first time in the history of the tournament.
Personally, I do not like a final set tiebreaker. This year was the first year that the final set tiebreaker was in place. It was played at 12 games all instead of the traditional six games all. I still think they should play the final set out.

Beginning July 22, 2019 through August 9, 2019, from 8:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. in the front office at Dodge County High School (DCHS), DCHS will begin assigning seating for those Indian fans who had reserved seats last year.
Starting August 12, open seats will be available for anyone interested in reserve seating for the 2019-20 football season.
Our first official home game is August 23 at 7:30 p.m. The price is $35.00 per seat.
If you have any questions, please call the high school at 478-374-7711.

We have made it to the all-star break in the long Major League Baseball (MLB) season.
Let’s start by me saying, “I was wrong about this year’s Braves team,” at least so far. Atlanta is 54-37 and hold a six game lead over the Nationals and 6.5 over the Phillies.
There is little question about what’s carrying this team and that’s the offense. The infield has 68 homers and is lead by all-star Freddie Freeman’s 23, but to me the surprise is Dansby Swanson. He already has a career high of 17 homers and just two runs-batted-in (RBIs) away from his career high with 57 RBIs.
To no surprise, the outfield is led by all-star Ronald Acuna. He has 21 homers and a very good .292 average. Acuna is great out of the lead-off spot and also has 13 stolen bases.
The big move was the bringing up of Austin Riley. He has been really good in power with 16 homers and 41 RBIs. Riley has really struggled in his last 30 games, as he is hitting only .212. Strike outs have always been his problem and he has 69 in just 49 games in the majors.
If there is a downfall to this team, it’s pitching. The starters have been led by all-star Mike Soroka. He is 9-1 with a 2.42 earned run average (ERA). For a while, another real good story was Max Fried. He is 9-4 on the year but he has struggled lately, as his ERA is over five in his last six starts. The big pickup was free agent Dallas Kaechel. He is currently 2-2 with a 3.60 ERA. Kaechel has been a whole lot better in his last three starts.
I still feel that they need some help in the starter’s spot. The trade deadline is three weeks away. I hope there is a trade coming to add to the rotation.
Despite the record, the problem is the bullpen. I know that Luke Jackson has a 4-2 record and 14 saves in 20 chances. Let’s be honest. How do you feel with Jackson in the game with a one run lead in the ninth? I have a real bad feeling in my stomach, but most of the time he gets the job done (like Sunday against the Marlins). The team needs help with bullpen help to hang on to the lead in my opinion. I believe that the Nationals and the Phillies will make a run at them in the second half.
So, what happens in the second half? It won’t be an easy start, as they hit the road in San Diego and Milwaukee. Then they return home for what will be a real big series against the Nationals. This thing may come down to what team will make the big move at the trade deadline.
I think the Phillies will certainly do something after adding so much payroll. I am not as sure about the Nationals. If they struggle they could actually be sellers at the trade deadline.
The unpredictable will be the Braves. They have the prospects to make the big move but are the most conservative. The Braves have played the best of the three so far, but I see a change coming from the pack.
The National Basketball Association officially put their “season” underway this week. The complicated trade the Hawks made draft night, that gave them the overall pick, did finally become official on Saturday.
The deal was in question for a while as the Lakers almost backed out of an earlier deal. Things did officially pan out and the pair of deals that eventually gave them De’Andre Hunter from Virginia. Things will slowly continue to improve in Hawks land, but it’s going to take a while.

Since we have entered the second half of 2019, let’s take a look at the major sports in the state. My apologies to Atlanta United, Atlanta Dream and Georgia Tech football.
Let’s start with the team that should improve the most this year and that is the Hawks. As expected, they weren’t very good in the 2018-19 season but they did much better as the season went along. Trae Young became one of the most exciting young players in the game. The Hawks have become an offensive force as Young, Kevin Huerter and Dewayne Dedmon scored a pile of points, but defense became an issue. That led to a trade in the 2019 draft as they moved up to get De’Andre Hunter from National Champion Virginia. He is considered the best defender in the draft. He should be an asset right away. Their second number one pick, which they got from Dallas, is Cam Reddish of Duke. The reviews are very mixed on him as he struggled in his one year at Duke. If he can play up to his very high ceiling, then a low playoff spot isn’t out of the question.
Next up are the Falcons. They looked to improve on the offensive line as they spent a pair of number one picks on it. The offense shouldn’t be the problem as the skill positions shouldn’t be the issue. Jones, Sanu, Ridley and Hooper should be plenty of targets for Matt Ryan. The return of Devonte Freeman should help the running game if he can stay healthy. All the questions seem to be on the defensive side of the ball. Can Vic Beasley return to his one year of quality play? Can Grady Jarrett show interest as he is playing with the franchise tag? Can Deion Jones stay healthy for a whole season? This is the year that Dan Quinn must come through orthe Birds will be looking for a new coach.
Let’s stay on the football scene and go to Athens and take a look at Kirby Smart and the Dogs. The offense lost several key skill position players as Holyfield, Hardman, Wims and Nauta are all gone. This week wide out JJ Holloman was dismissed due to domestic issues. Still, the offense should be fine as the line is projected at number one in the conference. Fromm and Swift should have big years. It would be nice if Robertson would live up to expectations. The defense should be better so we will see. The Dogs should win the SEC East but you know who is waiting on the other side of the conference.
Now for our current team and that is the Braves. I will be the first to admit that I am stunned that they have the lead as the calendar goes to July. The offense has been sensational as all-star starters Freddie Freeman and Ronald Acuna lead the way. There isn’t an easy out in the line up. Rookie Austin Riley started great but he has come back to earth some. He has struck out quite a bit. There is no way they can keep the offense up so the pitching must improve. Do you honestly think a rotation of Keuchel, Teheran, Soroka, Fried and the unknown will win a division? Or maybe the bullpen with Luke Jackson pitching the ninth with a one run lead? Not the best case scenario for me either!
Ownership must put some money in this to make this thing work. It will be interesting to see how things go between now and July 31. I will make one fearless prediction as I see one bullpen deal being made. I do not know to what extreme.

It was a wild week on the area sports scene and yes, most of it was good and some I just cannot explain. Anyway, here we go. Yes it was another big week for the Braves. They went 4-2 on the week and they increased their lead to 6.5 games as the Phillies have dropped seven straight and they are going nowhere fast. The Braves carried a 46-32 record going into Monday night’s game against the Cubs. This is the part I cannot explain. How in the world is this possible? The team has three of the projected starting rotation in AAA or on the injured list. Gausman, Newcomb and Foltynewicz have been little or no factor. Vizcaino, who was the projected closer, got injured and eventually traded.
A.J. Minter was the next closer and he was awful and eventually sent to AAA. Luke Jackson was finally named the closer. Somehow he manages to get through the ninth, but he makes it very interesting. Sunday was a good example as he came in with a two run lead and he allowed a run but did hang on for the 4-3 win. He is 11 for 17 in save opportunities this season.
The reason this team is winning is offense. It is coming from every position. First baseman Freddie Freeman in on quite a roll. He is hitting .316 with 21 homeruns and 61 RBIs. Albies is also getting the job done at second. He is still the work in progress from the left side. Still, he is hitting .282 with 11 homeruns. Swanson has been much better at short. He is hitting .259 but he has tied his career high with 14 homeruns. He also has the big hits like on Saturday with a three-run homerun against the Nationals. Donaldson has been as advertised. He has 15 homeruns and he is hitting .260 but he will probably not be back next year for one reason. It’s Austin Riley. The kid has played in 36 games and he has 12 homeruns and 34 RBIs. He is doing good enough in left field and he will probably play third next year. He has a .280 average. He will strike out a good bit and he has with 49 in 136 at bats. Due to the Inciarte injury, Acuna was forced to centerfield. Granted, his defense has struggled a little but his bat has not been affected. He is hitting .286 with 18 homeruns. Markakis has been solid in right. He has 42 RBIs and he has played in every game. Only Swanson is the other player who has been in all 78 games. There was plenty of speculation about what the team would do for catcher. They decided to go with Flowers and bring back Brian McCann.
It has paid off as they have combined for 14 homeruns and 44 RBIs. The bench has also been huge with the trio of Camargo, Culberson and a new season pickup Matt Joyce. They have combined for eight homeruns and 40 RBIs mostly in a reserve roll. Camargo hit a game winning two-run homerun in Sunday’s game in Washington. The question is, can they hang on? I do think the bats will cool off a little but they will still hit. The big question is the pitching. I know that Keuchel will continue to improve but they need one more starter. The one I like is Marcus Stroman from Toronto. His record isn’t as good, it’s 5-9, but his ERA is 3.04 and that is really good in the American League.
They also need a closer. Sorry to all Luke Jackson fans but I don’t think he is the answer. I also like a BlueJay here and it is Ken Giles. He has 12 saves and he has 47 strikeouts in just 27 innings and the league is just hitting .202 against him. His ERA is just 1.33. He only has one blown save for the season. His only blown save was back in April against the Red Sox. The price shouldn’t be real high on getting the pair and getting these two would go a long way toward winning the National League East.
I knew the Hawks were going to be aggressive going into last week’s draft. There was no question that they wanted to move up into the top five of the draft. They found a trade partner in New Orleans. They sent a pair of the three first round picks, 8 and 17 and a second round pick for the fourth overall pick, number 57 and the contract of Soloman Hill. They used the fourth pick on Virginia forward De’Andre Hunter. He is considered the best defensive player in the draft. He should also contribute to the high-powered offense led by Trae Young.
They still had the 10th overall pick and they got Cam Reddish from Duke. He didn’t have a great year but his upside was just too good to pass up. I really like the direction that this time is going. I don’t think that they are playoff quite yet but who knows? There are also reports that the Hawks and Lakers are talking trade so something else may be on the agenda.

It was a huge week for baseball at the Dodge County Recreation Department (DCRD). Twelve out of town teams invaded Eastman for the Georgia Recreation and Park Association (GRPA) district one class “C” boys 12 and under tournament. It was a great week as the department was in great shape as Kyle Shipman and Shane Dunlap had the fields looking great.
The department battled extreme heat and dry conditions until rain moved in prior to the tournament. As said Director Travis Niblett on the fields “the weather was something we couldn’t control. It went from hot and dry to wet with no in between. I thought our fields played great. Our guys did a great job getting the fields ready to go”.
Live pitch baseball also presents its own set of challenges. A GRPA mandated pitch count is in effect for the amount of pitches a pitcher can throw in a game and in the tournament. There also has to be rest in between a certain amount of pitches. Travis Niblett had high praise for the staff “DCRD’s staff put on a clinic in this tournament. Many thanks to Hailey Hickman, Jenna Hickman, Caitlyn Gooch and Margaret Simmons who kept the books and the extreme challenge of keeping pitch count logs for 24 games. Things went without a glitch,” said Niblett.
As for the tournament itself, things started out on Monday. There were five games on the agenda. The weather did allow all five games to be played. The featured game was Reidsville playing Screven County. Reidsville had a strong team and won 5-0.
Tuesday was supposed to be a huge day with nine games on the schedule. The day featured perhaps the best-played game of that tournament as Reidsville played Glenville. Reidsville eventually won an extremely well played game, ending 5-4 in extra innings. The host team Dodge got underway in a 4:00 p.m. start. Dodge took an early 2-0 lead but the weather turned around 4:30 p.m. and the game was called for the day around 5:00 p.m.
On Wednesday, play got underway at 12:00 p.m. Unfortunately for our Dodge team, Johnson County would rally late to beat Dodge 10-5. The weather would play another role by mid-afternoon as lightning would suspend play for about an hour. Dodge would unfortunately be eliminated later in the day in a loss to Screven County. Play ended just before midnight as ten games were completed in a very long day.
On Thursday, play started at 2:00 p.m. under absolutely beautiful conditions. The tournament would be narrowed down to three teams, as Reidsville would wait for the winner of Screven County and Glascock County. The early game between Glascock and Screven would be a wild one. The lead would swing back and forth and eventually go to extra innings tied at 8-8. Glascock would eventually win 11-10 in nine innings in a game that took over three hours to play. That advanced them to the championship game against Reidsville. Reidsville was too much as they grabbed the championship with a 12-3 win. Both teams will be in the class “C” state tournament that will start at the end of the month.
The tournament was very well attended as 2500 people were at the event for the week. Thanks goes out to the Albany Umpires Association for doing a fine job of umpiring the event. Thank you to the gatekeepers Julianne Bellflower, Seth Cossett and Logan White. Thanks also to Body Gray who helped out on many fronts, to Earl Boutwell and staff with the concession stand and to Kyle Turner and Phillip Kilgore of the Georgia State Patrol for providing security for the event.

As I mentioned last week, it would be a huge week for the Braves and that is the way things turned out. Things did not start well at all. On the field, they dropped 2 of 3 to a fair Pirates team. Off the field, Craig Kimbrel headed to the Cubs in a three-year, $43 million dollar deal. Reports are that Atlanta didn’t make the final four. Then came late Thursday. Word started to surface that the Braves had the lead on starting pitcher Dallas Kuechel. I still had plenty of questions but around 11:00 p.m., the word was out that the Braves and Scott Boras had agreed on a one-year, sort of, worth $13 million. Kuechel was scheduled to start Saturday for Gwinnett but he was rained out. Hopefully, he got to start Monday for Class “A” Rome. Kuechel seems to think it will only take two minor league starts to get ready. Right now, it looks like he would replace Gausman in the rotation. I really like the deal but bullpen help has got to happen or I think they will be in real trouble.
In a Sunday afternoon move, Atlanta did sign first round draft pick Shea Langeliers. The Baylor catcher was the ninth overall pick in last week’s draft. He is known to be a spectacular defensive catcher. The majority of the experts think he will hit plenty well enough.
Now for the week on the field. The offense was pretty good at times as Freddie Freeman and Ronald Acuna, Jr. led the way. Acuna hit a three run game tying homer in the ninth on Sunday to send the game to extra innings. The Braves beat the Marlins 7-6. As for Freeman, he was rock solid as always. He had ten hits on the week including three homers and seven RBIs. It wasn’t a great week for super rookie Austin Riley. He only went five for 30. He did have a pair of very big hits as he hit a three-run homer Monday to help the Braves come back and beat the Pirates. On Saturday, he had a late double and scored the games only run in a 1-0 win. Thanks to some late game heroics by the Reds, the Braves entered Monday night’s play only one game out of the lead in the unpredictable National League East. Things will get interesting this weekend as the Phillies come to Sun Trust Park.
I know the Hawks don’t get much attention but they made another really big trade last week. On Thursday night, the Hawks acquired shooting guard Allen Crabbe and two number-one draft picks in return for Taurean Prince and a future second round pick. In getting Crabbe, they do get his $18.5 million dollar salary. They do get the 17th overall pick in this year’s draft and a lottery protected number one pick next year. I really expect the Hawks to package a couple of this year’s picks to move up in the upcoming draft. Currently, they hold three first-round picks and three second-round picks in this year’s draft. There is no way they keep all three first-round picks so expect early trade action. They also have three first-round picks in next year’s draft as well. I wouldn’t be the least bit shocked if the Hawks are not a contender in the next few years.