Atlanta, we've been dumped...

Yes, I'm posting again today.  And again, I'm not posting about the happiest of topics, but this needs to be addressed.  

As you may or may not know I am a big baseball fan and a HUGE Braves fan.  So it broke my heart today to find out that John Smoltz is leaving the Braves to go to the Red Sox.

John Smoltz isn't just any Braves player, he is the Braves.  He's a career player and has played his entire 20+ year career with the Braves.  Of course this is a money issue.  Smoltzy (as us fans call him) has turned down better offers in the past to stay in Atlanta, but for some reason, late in his career he's leaving Atlanta and moving to Boston.  And you guessed it, it's for more money.  The Sox offered him a better guarantee than Atlanta did, but after reading somethings about the deal that we offered him there was huge potential there to make way more than the guarantee.  I have no problem with the Red Sox.  They're a fun team to watch and a great team (if you're into that whole American League thing) but why did they have to take our Smoltzy?  Of course I have a feeling that Smoltz will only pitch a handful of games and I wonder if he'll even be a starter.  He had major surgery last season and only pitched a few games (but enough to score his 3,000th career strike out, which I was there to see) and many (myself included) didn't think he'd pitch again.  I've heard that Smoltz wasn't into coaching (because as much as I love Bobby Cox he is going to have to retire at some point and Smoltz would be an awesome replacement) but I think with Skip (Caray) passing and Pete (Van Wieren) retiring that Smoltz could've taken over as being the voice of the Braves and called the games.  He's sat in the booth plenty of times and done stuff for both TV and radio and he's very funny and personable.  I think he would be the perfect replacement and a voice and personality that the fans could not only relate to but trust and admire.  

So anyway, Smoltz is moving to Boston.  I feel confident that when the day comes that Smoltz (along with Glavine and Maddux) get inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame that he will go in as an Atlanta Brave.

I'm still looking forward to baseball season and watching my Braves.  It's going to be a rebuilding year (much like last year) with a lot of new guys and some big changes.  But we'll succeed.  We are America's team!