Smoltz

Epic is probably too strong a word, but Wednesday night's Orioles-Yankees battle was another great playoff game. And once again, TBS delivered a telecast worthy of it in almost every way. Just as the images from Monday's victory for the O's at Camden Yards viscerally connected viewers to the joy in downtown Baltimore, Wednesday's made you feel the pain in the Bronx deep in your gut. Those images of the Yankees fans dancing and high-fiving late in...

Here are some final thoughts from a very tired TV/media critic who didn't miss an inning of Orioles playoff baseball while covering the rest of a huge and sprawling beat. This week, it ranged from the debut of ABC's "Nashville," to  Joe Biden  smirking his way through the vice-presidential debate with Paul Ryan. First, I loved every TV minute of Orioles playoff baseball the last week. It started last Friday night with the euphoria of winning the wildcard showdown in Texas, and for a week, it was like the first Friday of the NCAA basketball tournament for TV baseball addicts like me. I never clicked the set off of TBS, except to go to TNT when the backup channel was used for an inning or two of the Orioles or the Nationals.

Observations, opinions and musings from last week in Major League Baseball. There have been plenty of big-name players getting injured this year, but last week set the standard. St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols (calf strain) hit the disabled list, and so did Chicago Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano (broken hand) and Cleveland Indians catcher Victor Martinez (elbow surgery). Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman (shoulder tear) will be out for at least four more weeks, and Indians pitcher Jake Westbrook is done for the year after elbow-ligament surgery.

Epic is probably too strong a word, but Wednesday night's Orioles-Yankees battle was another great playoff game. And once again, TBS delivered a telecast worthy of it in almost every way. Just as the images from Monday's victory for the O's at Camden Yards viscerally connected viewers to the joy in downtown Baltimore, Wednesday's made you feel the pain in the Bronx deep in your gut. Those images of the Yankees fans dancing and high-fiving late in...

TORONTO It was not the prettiest effort of John Smoltz's career, six plus-innings, five hits, four walks and 114 grueling pitches.When Bobby Cox limped to the mound in the seventh inning to tell Smoltz he had done enough, the pitcher looked as if he might not have the strength to make it to the dugout. His scruffy face was drawn and his complexion pale. Yet Smoltz held his head high as he made his way off the field, the only cheers coming from his teammates."He said it was the worst game he's thrown in the postseason, said his catcher, Damon Berryhill.

ATLANTA -- If last night's opening game of the National League Championship Series between the Atlanta Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates had even remotely resembled the seventh game of last year's championship series, it would have been a classic.Atlanta pitcher John Smoltz did his part, looking as dominant last night as he did nearly a year ago, shutting down the Pirates in much the same fashion he did in the pennant-clincher last fall, holding them scoreless for eight innings then.Last night, Smoltz again held the Pirates scoreless, this time for seveninnings, and rode the bats of first baseman Sid Bream and shortstop Jeff Blauser to a 5-1 win over Pittsburgh, giving Atlanta a 1-0 lead in the NL playoffs.

ATLANTA -- From start to finish, Game 1 was an impressive display by the Atlanta Braves. They showed power. They got superb pitching and fielding. When it was over, the Chicago Cubs had been pummeled.With Michael Tucker's two-run home run providing an early lead, and Ryan Klesko's seventh-inning grand slam turning the game into a rout, the Braves opened the playoffs with an easy 7-1 victory over the Cubs yesterday before 45,598 at Turner Field.John Smoltz became the all-time leader in postseason victories (11)

ATLANTA -- At the All-Star break this season, the Atlanta Braves were 9 1/2 games behind the pacesetting Los Angeles Dodgers and seemingly headed for their usual lowly finish in the National League West.Pitcher John Smoltz had a 2-11 record, a 5.16 ERA and little confidence.No rivals in the division seemed concerned about the tomahawk chop, the tom-toms or the Braves' national following, which was girding itself for another disappointing season.But the destinies of the Braves and Smoltz began to change dramatically, and it was only fitting that he was on the mound Oct. 5 when the team clinched its first division title since 1982.

General manager Pat Gillick and assistant GM Kevin Malone will meet with owner Peter Angelos this week to complete the Orioles' 40-man roster and free-agent wish list, but it appears certain that signing starting pitchers David Wells and John Smoltz are priorities.The Orioles spoke with representatives for the free-agent pitchers yesterday and remain optimistic they will be in the hunt to sign both.Wells was 11-14 with a 5.14 ERA for the Orioles in 1996, but was a solid playoff performer for a team that needs left-handed starters.

ATLANTA -- The show of hands of all those who thought Danny Jackson would bail out the Philadelphia Phillies at the most critical juncture of their season could not have been a large one.Jackson had been kicked around Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium the last time he made a National League Championship Series start last year for Pittsburgh.But the 31-year-old left-hander, who won just one game after Aug. 24, came up large at precisely the right moment last night, beating the Braves, 2-1, to tie the NLCS at two games each.

Up until the ninth inning, it was a great game, and TBS provided coverage worthy of it. As I said in my review of Friday night's wildcard game, the broadcast team of Ernie Johnson on play by play and Cal Ripken and John Smoltz as analysts is a winner. Johnson's easygoing style creates a solid and steady baseline that allows Ripken and Smoltz to concentrate on taking viewers inside the game. Smoltz was especially sharp Sunday in explaining how C.C. Sabathia managed to keep the Orioles off balance at the plate all night.

Cable channel TBS Thursday announced that Cal Ripken will be in the booth Friday night as an analyst when the Baltimore Orioles take on the Texas Rangers in a one-game wild-card showdown in Texas. He will be joined by Ernie Johnson (play-by-play) and John Smoltz (analyst), with Craig Sager on the field. The telecast is scheduled to start at 8:30 p.m. Here's the release from TBS with the playoff lineups: TBS's coverage of the 2012 MLB Postseason will begin with the exclusive presentation of the first-ever, single-elimination Wild Card presented by Budweiser on Friday, Oct. 5, a doubleheader featuring the Atlanta Braves hosting the St. Louis Cardinals at 5 p.m. ET and the Baltimore Orioles visiting the Texas Rangers at 8:30 p.m.  Brian Anderson will provide play-by-play commentary for Cardinals/Braves with analysts Ron Darling and Joe Simpson and reporter Tom Verducci.  Ernie Johnson will call Orioles/Rangers with analysts John Smoltz and Cal Ripken, Jr., and reporter Craig Sager.

Former Cy Young Award winner John Smoltz, now a baseball analyst for TBS, had a chance to broadcast the Orioles-Yankees game Sunday. He spoke to me late last week about the Orioles and their surprising season. Here are some of his thoughts. On the team: "It is a remarkable story and a remarkable turnaround for the Baltimore Orioles to be in this position. " On closer Jim Johnson: "I am a big fan of his. I think when you can dominate to contact with that power sinker, I mean this guy just gets outs.

UPDATE (4:22 p.m.): Jake Arrieta will start tonight because of the injury to Brian Matusz's nose, so his trip to the bullpen will have to wait. But that doesn't mean you can't still read John Smoltz's analysis on Arrieta and the O's.   There haven't been many pitchers in baseball history who could master the different mindsets necessary to thrive as both a starter and reliever. I had the opportunity to catch up with one of them Tuesday afternoon, and John Smoltz shared a bit of the psychology that comes with Jake Arrieta's transition into the bullpen.

John Smoltz understands the stigma he's facing when he tees it up on the Nationwide Tour this week. Hall of Fame talent in other sports often doesn't mean a whit on the golf course — sometimes glaringly so. Then again, the onetime Atlanta Braves ace brings more fairway cred to the South Georgia Classic than past athlete-turned-sponsor-exemptions. Just ask Tiger Woods . "Smoltzy? I had not played with an amateur that had shot the scores he shot," Woods said recently.

Red Sox sign Baldelli; Smoltz, Penny deals next baseball Pitchers John Smoltz and Brad Penny are on their way to the Boston Red Sox. Outfielder Rocco Baldelli was already in Boston, holding up his new jersey. After missing out on the biggest free-agent prize of the offseason, first baseman Mark Teixeira of Severna Park, to the New York Yankees, the Red Sox were poised to make a series of smaller deals. They announced Baldelli's signing last night. General manager Theo Epstein would not confirm the deals for Smoltz or Penny, but as he spoke, Penny, a two-time All-Star, was on his way out of Boston after completing his physical.

ATLANTA -- Mike Mussina struck another blow yesterday for everyone who despises the designated hitter rule, though he was in no particular hurry.Remember the two singles in spring training, including a scorcher to right field off Montreal ace Pedro Martinez? That was nothing compared with his lengthy third-inning at-bat against Atlanta's John Smoltz.Batting left-handed, Mussina fouled off four straight two-strike offerings by the Cy Young Award winner, worked the count to 3-2, then lined the 10th pitch up the middle, off Smoltz's outstretched glove and behind the mound.

Although numerous baseball people say starter John Smoltz still is likely to remain with the Atlanta Braves, the Orioles could get a shot to court the free agent as soon as Friday.Myles Shoda, Smoltz's agent, said their initial meeting with the Braves did not go as well as planned, and it does not appear the sides will have a deal done by midnight tomorrow. That is when free agents are allowed to field offers from other teams.Smoltz, the National League Cy Young Award winner, led the majors with 24 wins this past season and made a base salary of $5.25 million.

Observations, opinions and musings from last week in Major League Baseball. There have been plenty of big-name players getting injured this year, but last week set the standard. St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols (calf strain) hit the disabled list, and so did Chicago Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano (broken hand) and Cleveland Indians catcher Victor Martinez (elbow surgery). Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman (shoulder tear) will be out for at least four more weeks, and Indians pitcher Jake Westbrook is done for the year after elbow-ligament surgery.

Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz has not only been one of the most versatile pitchers in major league history, winning a Cy Young Award as a starter in 1996 and Relief Pitcher of the Year honors in 2002, but he has also had to coax two decades out of his right arm with a constant series of medical procedures and pitching approach changes. It was announced yesterday that he's facing arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder that might signal the end of his career, although he's not conceding that yet. But Smoltz has already had Tommy John surgery (ligament replacement)