This is Getting Ridiculous

2008 Braves Baseball...It Just Doesn't Get Any Weirder!
How's that for an advertising gimmick?
It would at least be truthful.
For most of their incredible run from 1991's Worst to First through 2005, the Braves were remarkably injury-free. That's really the only way to have a great run. It doesn't matter how good your guys are, if they aren't on the field they can't help you. I can remember Greg Olson's ankle getting broken late one September as he blocked the plate; Smoltz had a couple of elbow surgeries over the years; Jeff Blauser missed a postseason after getting hurt. Otherwise, pretty fortunate run.
The Braves are making up for it this year.
Mike Gonzales was still on the DL from last year's surgery when the year began. Mike Hampton was looking to come back for the first time since 2005, but he's been kept out by a groin, a pectoral muscle and a hamstring. Then Raphael Soriano, the planned-on closer, went down with an arthritic elbow. And Smoltz tried to fake his way through Spring Training and a few starts before admitting that his shoulder was little more than ground beef. He tried to rehab it and come back as the new closer, but one outing ended that idea. Dr. James Andrews put him under the knife yesterday; he might come back next year. Or, at 42 by then, he may not. Tom Glavine had never been on the Disabled List in his long, distinguished career. Until this year. Trip number one came in late April/early May with a bad hamstring. Now, he's out with a strained elbow, until at least the All-Star Break. Matt Diaz wrecked his knee sliding into a wall trying to make a catch. Don't know when we'll see him back. Mark Kotsay had done a great job replacing Andruw Jones, at least until his back went out again. Jair Jurrgens has the promise of being a Number One Starter for a long, long time. But he fell down the steps in the Wrigley Field dugout the day before he was to start earlier this week. He hopes to pitch Monday.
Then there's Chipper Jones. Larry Wayne Jones, Jr., is now 36. He has had trouble the last three years with his feet, his groin, his hamstrings and his quads. So far this year, only nagging, chronic stuff. But prior to tonight's game, the Braves hadn't won without Chipper in the lineup. They did tonight, impressively, at Anaheim. Of Los Angeles.
Chipper was out of the lineup tonight due to an accident. During batting practice. While he was in the cage. No, not an oblique. Or a hamstring, groin, foot or quad. Even though he had a slight tear (slight tear?) in his left quad earlier this week. No, nothing so mundane. Not for Chipper. Not this year!
Chipper hit a ball, perfectly, right off of the pole that runs along the top front of the batting cage. Now, if you hit a ball off the top half of that pole, it just bounces harmlessly into the netting of the cage. If you hit a ball off the bottom half of that pole, it spikes into the grass between the cage and the pitcher's mound. But Chipper hit one perfectly. So that it came directly back at him, and hit him just under his left eye. He had to go for the obligatory (thankfully, negative) x-rays to determine if anything was broken, or simply bruised. His reappearance in the dugout in the latter half of the game was good news.
Until the next incident.
Be careful, boys. It's just not your year to be healthy!