Sports

Late July and early August is always a special time for sports fans. It’s the trade deadline for baseball fans and it’s summer practice for all football fans. August kicks off for the Falcons as they play the Broncos in the Hall of Fame game. Don’t expect Matt Ryan and company on the field very long. I do expect the Falcons to get superstar wide out Julio Jones signed to a long-term deal.
On the college front, the Dogs hosted six 5-star players and four more 4-star players on official visits. There should be some big announcement real soon. On a sad note, former UGA superstar wide out A.J. Green tore ligaments in his ankle in the first day of practice with the Bengals. He is expected to miss around eight weeks.
Things just seem to get better in Athens. On Monday night, the Dogs got a huge commitment from five-star running back Kendall Milton from California. Georgia pretty much beat out every major college team for him. Milton is considered the fourth best running back recruit. On Saturday, Georgia picked up offensive lineman Chad Lindberg from Texas. He is a four-star lineman in the 2020 class. There were eight other huge players on their official visit to Athens over the weekend.
The trade deadline is a huge day for major league baseball fans. I have high hopes that the Braves make a move for a starter and a big bullpen piece. The injury of Markakis also puts an outfielder in play. I still like getting Greinke and now maybe Peralta from Arizona. I would hate to move Waters but I think I would as long as it’s not for a rental. A bullpen piece would also be nice and there are several out there. I will remind everyone of this, the Braves were “in” on everybody during the off-season and yet they only got Donaldson and that was back in November.
The on field play has only been okay at best. They looked horrible losing a pair at home to last place Detroit. Things looked better as things looked well against the Phillies. The loss of Markakis didn’t help things at all. Playing Inciarte or Duvall every day may or may not work out. Duvall started great with a three-hit night including a long homerun. Things started going bad on Sunday, as they were whipped 9-4 in Philly. Things appeared to be going no better Monday as they were trailing 6-2 in the bottom of the seventh in Washington. A loss will cut the lead to just 4.5 games. I feel like the team needs a boost at the trade deadline. I hate to trade any of the quality prospects but the time is now.

The Falcons have just reported to summer camp but it will be a quick turnaround. The Falcons will play the Denver Broncos on Thursday night, August 1st. I am sure the starters will get very little playing time at all in the matchup that saw the birds lose in their first Super Bowl game. They did get more good news as Deion Jones has signed a new four-year deal worth 57 million and 34 million will be guaranteed. That deal was doable due to the long-term extension of Grady Jarrett. The next big deal on the agenda will be an extension of super star wide out Julio Jones. I expect a four-year deal worth better than 20 million per season.
The final major was played on the PGA tour as the British Open was played over the weekend. Hometown boy Shane Lowry won but to me that wasn’t the big story. It was the story of Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods. This was the 83rd major that the pair had played in the same major.
This was the first time that both had missed the cut in the same major. Granted, I am a huge Phil fan but I am afraid that the pair of legends are at the end of their hall of fame ropes. They both have won this year but it is painfully obvious the best is well behind them. They can both win again but it will not be often. The big question is what will Phil do when he turns 50 next June? Will he give the senior tour a try?
We are exactly one week out from the July 31 trade deadline, so what will the Braves do? They have a 60-41 record, which is good for a 6.5 lead going into Tuesday night’s play against Kansas City. They have to get a pitcher or hopefully two but what are they willing to give up? Drew Waters, Cristian Pache and Ian Anderson are the top three prospects in the organization.
Honestly, I don’t think Pache or Anderson are going anywhere unless deGrom is offered and I honestly do not see that happening. The starters that I think are available are Stroman, Greinke and probably Bumgarner. It is unlikely but what about Greinke? He is owed a pile of money. If they could work the money, he would be fabulous for this franchise. Put him with Kuechel, Soroka, Teheran and possibly Gausman and things would be really strong. Speaking of Gausman, how good was he on Sunday night? Anyway, bullpen help is needed and there are several out there like Giles from Toronto, Greene from Detroit, Yates from San Diego (but warning he could be expensive) and Edwin Diaz from the Mets. Okay I will go out on a limb and make a trade prediction so here we go: the Braves send pitcher Bryse Wilson another small minor league piece and Darren O’Day to offset some salary to Arizona for Greinke and cash. The amount of cash would dictate the quality of the second player involved. Greinke is signed through the 2021 season. He is owed 32 million in 2020 and 2021. He is 35 but he is having a really good year with a 10-4 record with an E.R.A. under 3. I do think we will see a bullpen deal of some sort. I would love to see Giles, Greene or Yates. We will know in one week.
Let’s wrap things up on the local front. Wednesday, July 31 is the deadline to sign up for football and soccer at the Dodge County Recreation Department. You can sign up at Dodge-Recreation.com or call the department at 478-374-4696. Also, moms and dads we still need coaches as well.

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.