FanNation

Braves Notes: Moylan not to be confused with Chipper

I am currently making a three week trip through Georgia and Florida promoting our MLB, NYY, and NASCAR titles just released by the Sports by the Numbers team - and as part of that trip I made a stop in Atlanta where I was able to take in the Braves vs. Mariners at Turner Field on Friday night.

I'll also be at the Rays vs. Red Sox series in a few days, and I'll be at the Daytona Speedway for the running of the Coke Zero 400 to wrap up my trip the weekend of July 4.

MLB Update: Tigers are Hot, Braves and Mets Struggle

Sports by the Numbers MLB Stat of the Week

6 The Detroit Tigers gave up four runs in the ninth on Sunday to the Dodgers, but held on for a 5-4 victory and a (6) game winning streak - their longest to date this season. Detroit began play on June 10 trailing the White Six by 11 games, but after winning six straight since then - including a three game sweep of the White Sox - they will begin Monday's interleague match-up against the Giants trailing Chicago by only six games. Tigers' fans should not celebrate just yet, but maybe the club is starting to come around. Manager Jim Leyland said on Sunday, "People buried us [after their horrendous start to the season] - and they should have. Now we've got a chance to get them excited again."

Honorable Mentions

Let Coco Serve His Time In The Octagon

Sports by the Numbers MLB Stat of the Week

259 Coco Crisp is batting (.259) with two homeruns this season - and depending on your perspective, you could say his seven-game suspension for charging the mound against Rays' pitcher James Shields probably helps Boston. Crisp was wrong and he knows it - and good for Shields for hitting him, too bad five Rays' players got suspended while only three Red Sox players will have to sit out a bit. Tampa's Carl Crawford got suspended four games, and his response was to say, "Our guys got caught on tape." His manager, Joe Maddon, said, "I defend everything our guys did." Good for you, Joe - keep those "Devil" free Rays battling all year if you can.

Honorable Mentions

Oh, Manny! Welcome to Cooperstown

Sports by the Numbers - Manny Ramirez Career Retrospective

Manny finally got the milestone, and he wasted no time getting 501 - as he hit another bomb on Sunday, the day after he became only the twenty-fourth member of the 500-homerun club.

In his last 34 games prior to Saturday's historic big fly he had hit only three homeruns, so the milestone took some time in coming - but it was worth the wait. Manny said, "Every time you get to the hotel, people say, hey, when you gonna hit it? I'm just happy everything's done for now - I can go be myself and have fun."

Joba Is On The Way

Sports by the Numbers NYY Stat of the Week

607 The best winning percentage (.607) in the A.L. belongs to the team leading the East - no surprise there - but at 34-22, the Rays need one more win to get half their 2004 total when they won a franchise best 70 games. Yes, Yankee fans - the calendar now says June, and your club is 5.5 games back of a team that has never won more than 70 games in a season.

Honorable Mentions

3 Joe Girardi has finally decided to give Joba Chamberlain the ball to start a game, thanks to some vocal prodding from Hank Steinbrenner. Joba has tossed five-plus innings of scoreless relief in his last (3) appearances as he prepares for his first start of the season this Tuesday. In his last three stints, Joba has given up only three hits, while striking out eight batters - and when asked about his first start, he said, "You're still going to see the same person - I feel great."