John Smoltz Turns His Back On Atlanta

This is not a Gay issue, but I love the Braves. I can not believe that Smoltz is turning his back on the Braves and going to the Red Sox.

Smoltz, 41, has reached a preliminary agreement with the Red Sox on a $5.5 million contract, according to major-league sources. The deal is pending a physical, which is slated for Monday.

The deal also will include $5 million in incentives, giving Smoltz the chance to earn a total of $10.5 million, sources said.

With Smoltz, who is coming off shoulder surgery, the Red Sox would have six veteran starters.

Smoltz has been with the Braves organization since August 12, 1987, when the team acquired him from the Tigers for pitcher Doyle Alexander. The team entered the offseason planning to reconstruct its rotation and then re-sign Smoltz and free-agent lefthander Tom Glavine if they were still available.

Glavine, unlike Smoltz, is unwilling to play for any team but the Braves.

With Smoltz coming off major surgery, the Braves were not inclined to guarantee him significant doll

"I was going to withhold comment until the announcement of my signing with a new team, but I now feel the need to clear up any misconceptions and inaccuracies about the contract negotiations between myself and the Atlanta Braves," Smoltz said in a statement released by his agency. "There were large discrepancies between the offer from the Braves and offers from other teams. I have always loved the city of Atlanta, and it will always be my home. I will cherish my 21 years with Bobby Cox and all my Braves' teammates. I continue to wish the Atlanta Braves nothing but success in the future."

I always believed that John played the game because he loved to play. Now, we all see his true color, green. It will be said to see the Braves start the season with out him, but maybe we will have a pitcher that will not be on the bench most of the season. Good luck, Red Sox, on Keeping him healthy.

Via Fox Sports

Crazy New Olympic Baseball Rules

Extra innings will have a new look in what could be baseball’s last Olympic appearance.

Each team’s at-bat in the 11th inning and beyond will begin with runners on first and second bases. Teams may start the 11th at any point in their batting order under format changes announced Friday by the International Baseball Federation and adopted in time for next month’s Beijing Games.

Baseball and softball are making their last appearance for a while, after the International Olympic Committee voted to eliminate the sports from the 2012 London Games. Both sports are working to be reinstated for the 2016 Olympics.

Under the new format, the 10th inning will be played normally. At the start of the 11th, teams will have the option of beginning at any point in the existing batting order and placing the previous two batters on base.

For example, a team that opts to lead off with its No. 3 hitter would begin with its No. 1 batter on second base and its No. 2 hitter on first with no outs.

“It’s kind of the same thing (as the traditional extra-inning format),” said U.S. pitcher Jeremy Cummings of Triple-A Durham. “You just get two guys on, so more than likely, guys in the Far East will probably bunt them over. So you’ve got one out with guys on second and third, so that might make the bunt defense come into play a little bit more.”

The 12th inning and beyond would begin where the previous lineup left off, with the two hitters ahead of the batter scheduled to lead off that inning being placed on first and second bases.

Initially, USA Baseball executive director Paul Seiler was opposed to the format change, but he warmed to the idea after discussing it with general manager Bob Watson, field manager Davey Johnson and the rest of Team USA’s on-field personnel.

“The traditionalist in me says, ‘No way.”’ Seiler said. “The IOC is really managing-slash-massaging sports within the Games. We’re one of those few sports that baseball people or traditionalists would say, ‘We do have a tiebreaker—we keep playing until the game’s over.’

“But you know, in the Olympics, where you have (a) finite amount of time to get your program finished (and) the early game goes 15, 16, 17 innings, then what does that do? Television is affected, transportation is affected—a lot of logistical things that we don’t have to worry about on a Friday night in Durham. It’s a domino (effect).”

The new rules are being tested at a youth tournament this week in Canada and will take effect for all tournaments under the federation’s umbrella.

Via Yahoo sports