Ubaldo Jimenez of Colorado became the Rockies' first pitcher to throw a no hitter when he blanked the Atlanta Braves Saturday night 4-0.
Tom Glavine made his retirement official Thursday after 22 big league seasons. The lefthander won two Cy Young awards and led the Braves to the 1995 World Series title. He has been hired as a special assistant to the Braves team president.
By Mark Bowman / MLB.com
ATLANTA -- The Braves family lost one of its most beloved members on Sunday, when Skip Caray passed away at his Atlanta-area home. He was 68.
Caray, who would have celebrated his 69th birthday on Aug. 12, went to take a nap Sunday afternoon and didn't awake. He is survived by his wife, Paula, two sons, Chip and Josh, two daughters, Shayelyn and Cindy, and seven grandchildren.
"Our baseball community has lost a legend today," said Braves president John Schuerholz. "The Braves family and Braves fans everywhere will sadly miss him. Our thoughts are with his wife Paula and his children."
The two sons will carry on the family's rich broadcasting tradition, which began with Skip's father, Harry Caray, a Hall of Fame announcer who remains one of the most popular figures in baseball history.
Baseball mourns loss of Skip Caray....
By JACK CURRY
The Los Angeles Angels have the best record in the major leagues, and with a double-digit lead in the American League West, they can already peek ahead to the playoffs. After acquiring first baseman Mark Teixeira from the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday, the Angels will probably start looking ahead to the World Series, too.
To obtain Teixeira and strengthen their ordinary offense, the Angels sent first baseman Casey Kotchman and the minor league pitcher Stephen Marek to Atlanta. Teixeira, a switch-hitter whom the Braves acquired at the trade deadline last year, will probably bat behind Vladimir Guerrero and should make the Angels, the strongest team in baseball, even more formidable.
Formidable Angels Acquire Teixeira From the Braves....
By Mark Bowman / MLB.com
MIAMI -- When Braves manager Bobby Cox learned Tuesday that Major League Baseball had handed him a one-game suspension, he obviously wasn't pleased. But it's safe to say he wasn't nearly as upset as he was during Sunday's heated argument with umpire Chris Guccione.
After reviewing Sunday's argument, Bob Watson, vice president of on-field operations for Major League Baseball, levied an undisclosed fine and the one-game suspension, which Cox chose to serve during Tuesday night's game against the Marlins.
In a release, Watson said that Cox's punishment was in response to "inappropriate conduct and comments."
Cox handed one-game suspension....
ESPN.com news services
ATLANTA -- Jeff Francoeur's stay in the minor leagues barely lasted a weekend.
Francoeur, who had four hits in his third game with Double-A Mississippi on Sunday, was recalled to the Atlanta Braves on Monday.
Francoeur was 7-for-13 (.548) with two RBIs at Mississippi.
The recall came after Francoeur, who hit .538 (7-for-13) with a triple and two RBIs in three games at Mississippi, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution he felt "betrayed" by the Double-A assignment.
Francoeur recalled, felt 'betrayed' after demotion....
By Mark Bowman / MLB.com
ATLANTA -- John Smoltz has said that he'll be content if he never throws another pitch. Now, just two days after he attempted to alleviate stress on his shoulder with a move to the bullpen, the Braves veteran pitcher finds this to be a more defined possibility.
The Braves have scheduled an 11:30 a.m. ET news conference at Turner Field and at that time, they are expected to discuss Smoltz's future. There has been talk that he will need to undergo season-ending surgery on his right shoulder.
The Braves said that executive vice president Frank Wren, manager Bobby Cox and Smoltz will be in attendance at the news conference.
STORY....
By Mark Bowman / MLB.com
ATLANTA -- Although he's returned to familiar territory, John Smoltz doesn't truly know what the next few days, weeks or months might bring. He expects to experience regular right shoulder discomfort and is quite certain the resulting pain will be easier to tolerate than his limited other options.
When the Braves activated Smoltz from the 15-day disabled list and allowed him to officially begin his second stint as a reliever on Monday night, the 41-year-old wasn't lamenting about the possibility that he may never again be a starting pitcher. Instead, he was feeling fortunate that retirement or surgery weren't his only options.
"This is going to be who I am for the rest of the season and I've come to grips with it," Smoltz said.
MORE....
ESPN.com news services
Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz had hoped to return by the end of May from a stint on the disabled list for an inflamed rotator cuff. That plan may have to be put on hold.
"It could be anywhere between the [late May] timetable I discussed and a lot longer," Smoltz told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for Monday's editions.
Smoltz told the newspaper that he had discomfort after bullpen sessions on Thursday and Saturday and that a cortisone shot and rest haven't solved his shoulder problems since doing on the 15-day disabled list.
ARTICLE....
