The Walk-off Phenomenon

It's no secret to anyone in Atlanta, Andruw Jones wants a fat payout next year. He's earned it - nine consecutive Gold Glove awards, 91 homers in the past two seasons combined, and a 2005 season which saw him place second in the NL MVP balloting, losing to his lord our savior Pujols.

But it's very obvious he is trying way too hard thus far, as going into today's game, he had climbed barely above the Mendoza line, starting the season with 26 strikeouts already, on pace to set a career-high in K's at this rate. He knows that homers = $$$, and he's swinging for the fences at almost every at-bat. During Spring Training, he even showed up to camp 20 lbs. lighter, and even swiped a few bases during Spring games. He hasn't stolen any bases yet this year, but he hasn't been getting on base as much, for that matter. If all goes well, he will finish the year with another 40+ homers, 120+ RBI, .260+ batting average, maybe 10 steals, and a tenth Gold Glove. And then Scott Boras will become the Sultan of Spin once again, and somehow get a team like Boston to shell out $150 million for seven years.

Many Atlantans have already resigned to the fact that Andruw Jones is as good as gone by the end of this year, because the jewing of the organization since Uncle Ted sold to Time Warner which sold to Liberty Media has cut payroll every year since, and paying Andruw his "market-worth" is going to be like asking a homeless man to borrow twenty bucks. So we are all just hoping for an Alfonso Soriano-like surge of production to at least benefit the team for one good run while he's here, and then deal with the loss of his numbers when it comes next year.

At least we'll still have Smoltz.

But all of this being said, the lack of production, the blatant money-grubbing words of Boras coming out of Andruw's mouth, and the constant strikeouts, Andruw Jones showed why he will be severely missed if and when he leaves next season.

Bottom of the ninth, with the score knotted up at 2-2. Tim Hudson's emotional performance was once again null and void by the no-decision. Bob Wickman, as I suspected was hurt in some fashion, and was put on the DL, but no worries, because Mike Gonzalez pitched a perfect ninth. Two men get on base, and Antonio Alfonseca faces Andruw Jones.

I was actually just getting into my car at this moment, because superstitious me didn't want to watch the game and potentially see a Tim Hudson performance go to shit on me. But I turn onto the Bull, just in-time to hear:

"Here's the pitch, BELTED... AND.... THAT... BALL... IS... OUT OF HERE! Three-run WALK-OFF homer for ANDRUUUUW JONES!"

The walk-off home run. One of the greatest spectacles in baseball.