Alan Cole
@alan-cole.bsky.social
Former sports writer now freelancing after a layoff. AP and a few other places. Used to cover South Carolina athletics, among other things. Be kind to others. Take care of your people.
No earned runs allowed in four innings, a fastball touching 99 and a pitch count into the 80s for the first time since his Tommy John surgey. A.J. Smith-Shawver feels like he's close. "I think tonight was a good one." www.gwinnettdailypost.com/sports/a-j-s...
A.J. Smith-Shawver on return to Braves: 'Whenever they call my name, I'll be ready'
LAWRENCEVILLE — Coming up on 14 months since he last pitched in a Major League Baseball game, A.J. Smith-Shawver is close. Very close.
gwinnettdailypost.com
No earned runs allowed in four innings, a fastball touching 99 and a pitch count into the 80s for the first time since his Tommy John surgey. A.J. Smith-Shawver feels like he's close. "I think tonight was a good one." www.gwinnettdailypost.com/sports/a-j-s...
A.J. Smith-Shawver on return to Braves: 'Whenever they call my name, I'll be ready'
LAWRENCEVILLE — Coming up on 14 months since he last pitched in a Major League Baseball game, A.J. Smith-Shawver is close. Very close.
gwinnettdailypost.com
I am back at Triple-A Gwinnett covering AJ Smith-Shawver's rehab start. The theme here is "2010s night" which I guess is far enough away to be an actual throwback. A brutal reminder of time's inevitable drumbeat as Smith-Shawver toes the rubber in his continued push to re-join the Braves.
I used to think the "Free Aliyah Boston" stuff was kind of overdramatic and South Carolina fans just wanting their star to be a league star and well, I was wrong.
Holly Anderson 🍇@hollyanderson.bsky.social · 2w agoSophie Cunningham has been trash, but the golly-gee framing from both the latest ESPN and Athletic articles is moving her bullshit barge right along in a way that makes me want to chew glass
From Acuña post-game: - Said he feels "better than before" - His swing is "getting better" but also that he missed a couple balls tonight - Wants "a couple more games with the guys here" but added "when they call, I'll be ready" re: Atlanta
Sharp base hit through the left side for Acuña in his first rehab AB at Triple-A. Kim followed it up by serving one into left-center and Ronald went first to third standing up.
Alan Cole@alan-cole.bsky.social · 2w agoObjectively crazy minor league baseball lineup
The officiating in this game has been tremendous. Probably as good as any championship type game/series in any sport I can remember. Every important decision has been correct and he hasn't interrupted the flow at all. Let Slavko Vinčić lift the trophy.
I don't know if it's because it's the middle of the afternoon or if it's playing in a parking lot nowhere near anything usually bumble around, but the World Cup Final has the aesthetics of like, a college football buy game. I'm waiting for a pan to a half empty student section at 45-0 in the fourth.
Downtown during earlier World Cup games: Fun and good vibes and everyone just trying to get a piece of the event. Downtown right now: Everyone walking around looks like they are about to go in for an internationally televised root canal
Is there a unified theory or reason why people just aren't going to baseball games in St. Louis right now? They're a young, fun to watch team and all three home weekend games have been deserted. That used to be a guaranteed 3 million people every year!
"Argentina vs. England World Cup semifinal in Atlanta, Georgia" is a real thing that is going to happen on Wednesday. Borderline surreal sentence.
Am I taking crazy pills? That is like, the dictionary definition of simulation. Wouldn't be remotely controversial if he wasn't already on a yellow.
The most talented roster Georgia Tech will ever field in any sport blew a six-run lead and a four-run lead at home in the space of 24 hours, then the team that clipped them went on to win the national title. Absolute nightmare fuel, think that fanbase would be justified to give up entirely.
I think the Austin Riley thing is he doesn't look close. There's no "hitting the ball well but getting unlucky" or "approach looks alright" to this mega slump. He looks exclusively overmatched in these at-bats.
If you pull a pitcher with a perfect game going and a pitch count in the 70s you will not see heaven. There is no way around it. The baseball gods will strike you down with fury. Maybe not tonight, but eventually.
Quite possibly the funniest thing I’ve ever seen as one of the many folks in downtown reading the Bible through a bullhorn spots an Argentina fan with a “Messi is God” sign and responded with hellacious fury. “MESSI IS A MAN, HE WILL DIE” he shouts repeatedly, to a person walking away not listening.
Please enjoy the Egyptian contingent at Centennial Olympic Park
Cannot believe Lionel gd Messi is playing a World Cup knockout game in Atlanta, Georgia. Atlanta! The place where the Falcons vomit all over themselves every week! They were at Kennesaw State yesterday! What a world.
Also by far the funniest possible outcome is another gross red card against the USMNT tomorrow.
Funny Sheep Ditch Jump and Rescue
Alt: Funny Sheep Ditch Jump and Rescue
static.klipy.com
"Why don't more people watch baseball?" MLB asks, as it took until the top of the 2nd of a national broadcast for Matt Vasgersian to start droning on about how he doesn't believe in underlying numbers and analytics.
Blatant corruption clearly benefitting the host nation is, if nothing else, very consistent with the history of the World Cup. www.nytimes.com/athletic/742...
Folarin Balogun available for USMNT vs. Belgium as red card ban suspended (Gift Article)
Balogun was set to be suspended for Monday's game but will be now free to be selected.
nytimes.com
Also I know you're not supposed to enjoy things on BlueSky but Lionel Messi is going to play a World Cup knockout game in Atlanta, Georgia and I think that's pretty dang cool! We didn't even have a stadium or an active MLS franchise a decade ago and now this is happening!
if there's sports gods who believe in any kind of fun at all Vozinha is going to score an equalizer.
Desparately hope those two Verdean families I met in Atlanta during the Spain game are in the stadium right now or watching somewhere completely bonkers.
Alan Cole@alan-cole.bsky.social · 2mo agoIf you will indulge me, I wrote about the afternoon in Atlanta. Drumming Cabo Verde fans, a nice family from Uruguay, my new friends from Glasgow and everyone rooting for the same thing: An unthinkable 0-0 draw. medium.com/@alancolejou...
