Braves Surprise Fans With Glavine Release

Another link to the Atlanta Braves’ decade-and-a-half run of success is now gone. Fans were shocked only hours before Wednesday’s game with the sudden release of veteran pitcher Tom Glavine. Team management told the future Hall of Famer that he was not progressing well enough from injury rehabilitation the past few weeks. Glavine had just played for the Class-A Rome Braves the day earlier, and appeared ready to rejoin the big-league club this weekend. The 43-year-old had been looking to rebound from shoulder and elbow surgery.

Shock and surprise was also felt by Glavine’s teammates in the Braves clubhouse Wednesday night, such as from veteran third baseman Chipper Jones:

"I feel bad for him because he wanted so hard to come back. It’s a tough situation to really comment on because emotionally you want to see Glav come in here and finish up, and he’s not going to be allowed to do that."

Longtime manager Bobby Cox said last night the release of Glavine was one of the hardest things he's had to go through.

Glavine played 17 seasons for Atlanta, and had rejoined the club last year. His 305 victories rank him 21st in alltime baseball history, and he was the Braves’ winning pitcher in the team’s World Series clinching game in 1995.

Braves Open Season With Win

The Atlanta Braves opened the 2009 season last night with a decisive 4-1 win at Philidelphia. The Braves did their offensive damage on the strength of 3 home runs--Brian McCann knocked a 2-run homer in the 1st inning, followed by solo home runs from Jeff Francouer and Jordan Schafer in the 2nd inning. For Schafer, the 22-year-old rookie centerfielder hit the homer in his first major league at-bat. He became only the fourth Braves player in franchise history to accomplish that feat. Just as satisfying for the club was its initial effort from pitcher Derek Lowe. The veteran worked 8 innings, and allowed only 2 hits, 0 runs, along with recording 4 strikeouts. Lowe is the centerpiece of a rebuilt rotation for Atlanta, and signed a 4-year/$60-million contract in the offseason. After today off on the schedule, the Braves and Phillies resume their opening series tomorrow night in Philidelphia.

GPB's Edgar Treiguts previews the Braves' 2009 season with an interview of team radio broadcaster Don Sutton (aired Friday, Apr.3rd on GPB). Click to listen below.

Braves Ready to Open 2009 Season

The Atlanta Braves are back from their spring training stay in Florida, now set for a pair of exhibition games Friday night and Saturday afternoon at Turner Field. Ahead Sunday night, the team opens the 2009 season against the World Champion Phillies in Philidelphia. For a preview of the upcoming season for the Braves, GPB's Edgar Treiguts spoke to radio broadcaster Don Sutton.

Click below to listen to the interview.

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Chipper Jones Deal Ensures Retirement In Atlanta

The Atlanta Braves inked a contract extension with Chipper Jones Tuesday, in effect assuring the star third-baseman will spend his entire career with the franchise. The deal is worth a reported $42 million through the 2012 season. An option for the 2013 season could push the value of the entire extension to more than $60 million.

Jones in a Tuesday afternoon press conference at the Braves' spring training complex in Orlando was thrilled to get the deal done.

"It means a lot to me to know that I'm going to spend my entire career with one organization. During my time in Atlanta, I feel like it's been the best organization in baseball."

Braves' general manager Frank Wren released this statement.

"This contract ensures that Chipper will play his whole career as a Brave, which was a key factor for us, our fans and for Chipper. He has been an outstanding performer with our club for a long time and he is still a key part of our team."

Jones was the number-one pick of Atlanta in the 1990 baseball draft, and first cracked the Braves' major league roster in 1993. He turns 37 years old in April.

Jones is a six-time All Star, winner of the National League MVP in 1999, and won the majors' batting title just last season.

Braves To Sign Griffey-Jr.

The Atlanta Braves have reportedly agreed-in-principle to a deal to bring outfielder Ken Griffey-Jr to the team. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports the 39-year-old veteran is expected to get a 1-year contract with $2 million guaranteed. Incentives would push the deal’s value higher.

Griffey is a 13-time All Star and one of six players in major league history to hit 600 or more home runs.

In other Braves’ news, the team is also reported to be close to striking a deal to return veteran pitcher Tom Glavine to the roster.

The Braves are in the opening days of spring training workouts in Orlando, Florida.

Sports--Braves Get Busy

In the wake of losing longtime veteran pitcher John Smoltz to the Boston Red Sox, the Atlanta Braves were busy Tuesday.

The team reportedly has reached contract terms with veteran free agent pitcher Derek Lowe. The deal is a reported 60-million dollars for 4 years. The 35-year-old pitcher played with the Los Angeles Dodgers last season. A big bulk of his career was with Boston, with whom he won a World Series in 2004. Lowe has averaged 15 wins a season over his past 7 years. His deal will become official once he passes a physical this week.

An official move the Braves announced Tuesday--the introduction of the first Japanese-born player in the history of the franchise. Pitcher Kenshin Kawakami has been signed to a 3-year contract.

John Smoltz Leaving Braves

Thought by many Atlanta Braves fans, and many Braves players to be a day they'd never see, veteran pitcher John Smoltz is leaving the organization. Smoltz has agreed to a 1-year, $5.5 million contract to pitch for the Boston Red Sox in 2009.

It is a shocking jolt to a Braves' offseason that has not been fruitful in re-tooling the roster for the upcoming season.

Smoltz ends a 21-year run with the Braves--the only team he has ever played for. His career numbers include 210 wins, 154 saves, and 3,011 strikeouts. The former Cy Young Award winner is the only player in baseball history to win at least 200 games while posting at least 150 saves. Smoltz's career has been marked by numerous returns from injuries. His five arm surgeries include a shoulder surgery that cut short his 2008 season. Smoltz has been rehabbing the shoulder in the offseason in hopes of drawing a new contract. The Braves had been cautious in formally offering a deal until feeling sure of Smoltz's recovery. Boston officials reportedly made an offer at least two weeks ago after watching Smoltz work out.

Reaction from Braves' players has ranged from shock to surprise to frustration. Veteran third-baseman Chipper Jones told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution he was very disappointed in the team, telling the newspaper "I'm very disappointed. Deflated, frustrated...never, ever in a million years did I think this day would come for John Smoltz. I never did."

Retirement for longtime Atlanta Braves announcer

Longtime Atlanta Braves broadcast voice Pete Van Wieren announced his retirement Tuesday. Van Wieren called Braves games for 33 years, dating back to 1975. In a statement, Van Wieren says stepping away is "simply a desire to live life without restrictions of a baseball schedule".

This marks the second monumental change in the Braves’ broadcast booth in only three months time--longtime radio partner Skip Caray passed away in August.

Van Wieren in his long broadcast career also did work for the former Atlanta Flames hockey team, and NFL’s Atlanta Falcons. He was a 10-time winner of the Georgia Sportscaster of the Year Award.

Georgia sports for Monday, September 29th

Atlanta Falcons--

The Falcons suffered a 24-9 loss on the road at Carolina Sunday afternoon. The Atlanta-offense consisted of only 3 Jason Elam field goals. The Falcons' season record fell to 2-2.

College football weekend--

It was a rough night for the Georgia Bulldogs Saturday evening. The Bulldogs were battered by visiting Alabama 41-30 in a contest from Athens. It was Georgia's first loss in five games this season. The Bulldogs fell in the Associated Press writer's rankings from 3rd to 11th. Georgia fell to #10 in the coach's USA Today poll.
Georgia Southern lost their Saturday game in tough fashion in Statesboro, 38-37 in overtime to Wofford. The G-Southern Eagles' record is 2-3.

Atlanta Braves--

The end of a difficult season came Sunday afternoon for the Braves--a 3-1 loss at Houston. The Braves finished their worst season since 1990, a record of 72-90 for the year. Good news came in the form of the first-ever batting title for veteran 3rd-baseman Chipper Jones. His .364 average for the season led all major-leaguers.

Georgia sports for Friday, September 26th

College football weekend--

It will be a top-10 showdown in Athens tomorrow night. The 3rd-ranked Georgia Bulldogs will host #8 Alabama. Both teams enter the contest with 4-0 records. Kickoff is 7:45, In Statesboro Saturday, Georgia Southern hits the home field with visiting Wofford. The G-Southern Eagles are 2-2. Georgia Tech's Yellow Jackets are off this weekend.

Atlanta Braves--

The Braves will wrap a dismal season with a 3-game weekend series at Houston. With their current record of 71-88, the Braves are guaranteed of their worst season since 1990. Minus the 1994 strike-season, the Braves made the postseason in 14-straight completed seasons--1991-2005. This will be a third straight year not in the playoffs. Veteran 3rd baseman Chipper Jones however, is likely to secure the National League batting title. His .365 averages leads that of St. Louis' Albert Pujols at .353.

PGA Golf in Georgia--

The Tour Championship is underway from East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. Anthony Kim leads the field after a first-round 6-under-par 64 score. By 4 strokes, he leads a trio of golfers: Trevor Immelman, Ernie Els, and Phil Mickelson.

Georgia sports for Monday, September 22nd

Atlanta Falcons--

The Falcons improved to 2-1 on the young NFL season with their 38-14 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Atlanta. Running back Michael Turner turned-in a 3 touchdown performance in the contest. The Falcons travel to NFC South rival Carolina next Sunday.

College football weekend--

The weekend saw wins for both Georgia and Georgia Tech. Georgia's Bulldogs scored the 27-10 win on the road at Arizona State. Georgia built a 21-3 halftime lead on the way to improving to 4-0 on the season. The Bulldogs maintain their #3 national ranking.

Georgia Tech rolled over Mississippi State 38-7 in Atlanta on Saturday. The Yellow Jackets are 3-1 heading into a bye week on the schedule.

Georgia Southern lost at home in Statesboro from the weekend, 22-20 to Elon College. The G-Southern Eagles are 2-2 on the season.

Atlanta Braves--

The Braves won 2-of-3 games from the New York Mets from the weekend at Turner Field, including Sunday's 7-6 victory. The Braves were playing the spoiler role as the Mets are fighting with Philidelphia for first in the NL-East. The game marked the end of the home season for the Braves--the team is on the road for the final week. Tonight, they open a series at Philidelphia.

Georgia sports for Monday, September 15th

Atlanta Falcons--

The Falcons suffered their first loss of the season, falling 24-9 on the road at Tampa Bay Sunday afternoon. The Buccaneers built a 17-0 lead in the game, helped by a pair of interceptions thrown by Falcons' rookie quarterback Matt Ryan. After a tough 1st-half passing in which he went 3-for-15, Ryan rebounded with his 2nd-half passing numbers: 10-for-18. Tampa was able to stifle the Atlanta-running attack, holding Michael Turner to only 42 yards. A week ago, Turner set an Atlanta single-game rushing mark with 220 yards. The Falcons are 1-1 through 2 games--they'll host Kansas City next Sunday.

**Breaking--Monday morning: Falcons' veteran safety Lawyer Malloy was booked on charges of DUI and speeding early Monday morning. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Malloy was booked into the Gwinnett County jail around 4:30 this morning. He reportedly posted bond in the 9am hour. Falcons' head coach Mike Smith is expected to address the situation in his regularly scheduled afternoon news conference.

College football weekend--

The weekend past saw wins for Georgia and Georgia Southern, while Georgia Tech lost their game on the road. The Georgia Bulldogs did enough to win 14-7 at South Carolina in the SEC-opener for both schools. Depsite the victory to improve to 3-0, Georgia fell to a #3 national ranking.

In other games, Georgia Tech was a 20-17 loser on the road at Virginia Tech. The Yellow Jackets suffered their first defeat under head coach Paul Johnson to drop their record to 2-1. Georgia Southern improved their early-season record to 2-1 with a win over Northeastern in Statesboro Saturday.

Atlanta Braves--

The Braves completed their weekend in New York with a comeback 7-4 win over the Mets Sunday afternoon. Trailing 4-2 in the 9th inning, Greg Norton blasted a 3-run homer to turn the game, stunning the Mets. The series marked the Braves' last visit to Shea Stadium.

Georgia sports for Friday, September 12th

Atlanta Braves--

The Braves completed a sweep of the Colorado Rockies in Atlanta with an 8-4 win Thursday night in Atlanta. The Braves erupted for 5 runs in the 6th inning to turn the game--the frame included a 3-run homer from shortstop Yunel Escobar. Kelly Johnson had a triple in the game to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. The Braves swept a series for the first time in weeks.

High school football--

Another weekend of high school football is here around Georgia. The action includes a matchup between Carver-Columbus High and Northside Warner Robins--in Columbus. That contest is the GPB featured game-of-the-week. You can watch a webcast of the game by going to gpb.org/football.

College football--

Tomorrow afternoon is the first true test of the season for the Georgia Bulldogs. The team takes its #2 ranking on the road for an in-conference tussle with South Carolina. The Bulldogs scored easy victories in their first 2 games, winning by a combined 63 points with decisions over Georgia Southern and Central Michigan. Georgia at South Carolina kicks-off at 3:30.

In other games of note: Georgia Tech is 2-0 under new head coach Paul Johnson. The Yellow Jackets play at Virginia Tech in a 3:30 start. Georgia Southern is 1-1 in the early going of their schedule--they'll be home in Statesboro tomorrow night for a 6pm kickoff against Northeastern.

Georgia sports for Monday, September 8th

Atlanta Falcons--

The Falcons began their new era with a bang in posting a 34-21 season-opening victory over the Detroit Lions inside the Georgia Dome Sunday afternoon. The win marked a successful debut for new head coach Mike Smith, and spotlighted strong performances from new Falcons. Rookie quarterback Matt Ryan's first pass of his career was a 62-yard strike to receiver Michael Jenkins on Atlanta's first offensive series and thrid play. Ryan was 9-of-13 passing for 161 yards and the touchdown. The bigger headline however, probably came from offseason signee Michael Turner--he rolled up 220 rushing yards, setting a new team record. The mark passed the old record held by Gerald Riggs--202 yards in a 1984 game. The Falcons' 318 rushing yards was a team record for a single game. The Falcons next week travel to Tampa Bay.

Atlanta Braves--

The Braves were 7-4 losers in 14 innings to the Washington Nationals Sunday afternoon in Atlanta.

Georgia sports for Monday, September 1st

Georgia Bulldogs/college football--

The top-ranked Bulldogs opened their season Saturday afternoon with a 45-21 domination of Georgia Southern in Athens. The Bulldogs rolled to a 30-0 lead in posting the victory. The game also marked the debut of UGA VII, the schools latest Bulldog mascot.

Atlanta Braves--

A dismal season continues for the Braves, punctuated by their weekend in Washington D-C. The Braves were swept in 3 games, capped by the Nationals' 8-4 Sunday win. The game turned in the 8th inning, when the Braves allowed 5 Washington runs. The Braves open a 3-game series this afternoon in Miami, facing the Florida Marlins. The Braves have faded to a 59-78 record--17 games out of first in the NL-East division. 25 games remain on the Atlanta schedule to close-out their 2008 season.

Georgia sports for Friday, August 29th

College football/Ga Tech and Georgia--

The debut of new head coach Paul Johnson was successful. He led his Yellow Jackets to a decisive 41-14 win over Jacksonville State in Atlanta.

A season of high expectations opens tomorrow afternoon in Athens for the Georgia Bulldogs. The team has been picked by many, including the national coaches and sportswriters poll, as the #1 preseason club. Georgia faces Georgia Southern at Sanford Stadium--kickoff at 12:30 Saturday.

NFL/Atlanta Falcons--

The Falcons wrapped their preseason with a 10-9 win at Baltimore last night. The win gave the Falcons a 2-2 record under new head coach Mike Smith for the exhibition schedule.

MLB/Atlanta Braves--

Charlie Morton's strong pitching effort, along with catcher Brian McCann's 3-run homer helped the Braves to a 4-2 win over the Florida Marlins in Atlanta Thursday night.

Georgia sports for Thursday, August 28th

Georgia Tech football--

A new era begins tonight for Georgia Tech football. New head coach Paul Johnson will lead the Yellow Jackets into their season-opening game against Jacksonville State. Tech hits its home-turf at Bobby Dodd Stadium with sophomore Josh Nesbitt making his first start for the team at quarterback.

College football / Georgia Bulldogs--

Ahead to the weekend, the preseason no-1 team in the country, the Georgia Bulldogs, will be home in Athens Saturday to face Ga Southern in their opener.

Atlanta Braves--

From major league baseball, the Braves were 4-1 losers to the Florida Marlins in Atlanta last night. Before the game, the Braves traded veteran outfielder Mark Kotsay to the Boston Red Sox for a minor league outfield prospect.

Georgia sports for Monday, August 25th

Atlanta Braves--

The Braves wrapped a 6-game road trip with only a single victory--that came Saturday night in St. Louis. Sunday, the weekend series in St. Louis concluded with a 6-3 Cardinals' win. The Braves had no answer for St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols, who had 8 hits in 11 at-bats in the series, including 2 home runs. Braves' manager Bobby Cox called it a "terrible road trip", as the Braves' pitching staff posted a 7.66 ERA over the 6-game span that included a stop in New York against the Mets.

The lead for Braves' 3rd-baseman Chipper Jones in the National League batting race has shrunk to a single percentage point. Jones holds the .359 batting average edge, to now only .358 for the Cardinals' Pujols.

Atlanta Falcons--

The Falcons have made their decision for a starting quarterback for the season--rookie Matt Ryan. The team's top pick and #3 overall selection in this April's NFL Draft will get the call for game #1 of the season on September 7th, when the Falcons host Detroit. The former Boston College star completed 15 of 21 passes for 102 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in the Falcons' preseason win over Tennessee Friday. The Falcons' final preseason tuneup is Thursday night at Baltimore.

Georgia sports for Friday, August 22nd

Atlanta Braves--

A lost season continues for the Atlanta Braves—their 5-4 loss to the Mets last night completed a 3-game series sweep for New York in Shea Stadium. The Braves have lost 5-straight, and 10 of their past 11 games. The Atlanta 1-run decision Thursday also represented the 27th-consecutive 1-run defeat on the road, which extends a major league record. The Braves tonight begin a series in St Louis.

Braves’ veteran pitcher Tom Glavine had successful surgery on his left elbow Thursday, as well as a procedure on his left shoulder. The rehabilitation time-frame from surgery would allow for Glavine to pitch again in 2009 if he chooses to do so.

Atlanta Falcons/preseason--

From the NFL, the Atlanta Falcons will play their third preseason game tonight—hosting the Tennessee Titans inside the Ga Dome. Rookie Matt Ryan is expected to get the start at quarterback.

High school football--

There is one high school football game on the schedule tonight, which is a sort of prelude to the regular season, with Berkmar hosting a team from Aiken-South Carolina. The high school season opens in earnest next Friday.

Georgia sports for Thursday, August 21st

Atlanta Braves--

The Braves turned-in a sloppy performance in their 6-3 loss to the Mets in New York Wednesday night. The Braves surrendered 5 1st-inning runs, and committed 3 errors in the game. Rookie Jair Jurrjens took the pitching loss. The Braves have lost 9 of their past 10 games--they conclude their series in New York tonight.

Tom Glavine/Braves--

Veteran pitcher Tom Glavine still could continue his Hall of Fame career. Glavine had his ailing left elbow examined by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham Wednesday--it was determined he has a partially-torn flexor tendon. Surgery would be followed by 4-5 months of rehabilitation. Glavine says with that diagnosis and rehab time, he would consider returning to pitch in 2009--if the Braves would have him.

College football/Georgia Southern--

Georgia Southern head coach Chris Hatcher has suspended eight players for the team's season-opening game against top-ranked Georgia. Hatcher says the players are in "violation of institutional rules". Three of the players will miss the first two games of the Eagles' season.