Turner Field

Braves: Kevin Millwood's one-hitter was the first by an Atlanta pitcher since Greg Maddux on May 28, 1995, against Houston. The umpiring crew was reduced to three for the first six innings. Frank Pulli did not arrive at Turner Field until the seventh because of a "complication" with his flight, team officials said.Pub Date: 4/15/98

Jason Hammel didn't arrive at Turner Field on Saturday night with many fond memories. He'd seen enough of the Braves in his three seasons in the National League. “These guys have given me nightmares, especially here,” he said. But it was here where the Orioles' 29-year-old right-hander would give his team its best pitching performance of the season. Hammel threw the best game of his seven-year career, taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning and finishing with his first complete-game shutout win. He allowed just one hit on the night - Jason Heyward's single to left with two outs in the seventh - propelling the Orioles to a 5-0 win over the Braves at Turner Field.

Janet Marie Smith had a vision, and it wasn't of Camden Yards.2 A comparison of Camden Yards and Turner Field:Camden ...... TurnerOpened ....... 1992 ........ 1997Landmark ..... Warehouse ... Coke bottleAvg. ticket .. $15.66 ...... $15.54Avg. beer ..... $3.50 ....... $4.50Hot dog ....... $2.00 ....... $2.50Crab cake ..... $6.50 ....... $7.50Pub Date: 6/13/97

ATLANTA — Goodbye, second-guessers. Hello, rocking chair. Bobby Cox, one of baseball's all-time great managers, pulled the strings of a major league game for the last time on an unusually chaotic Monday for a franchise that has been run with more order than any other over the last two decades. A day that began with Cox reaching out to Game 3 goat Brooks Conrad ended with the Braves being brushed to the playoff curb for the 14th time in their 15 trips behind Cox. The 69-year-old manager moved slowly on the outside, as always, but maneuvered like mad. He tried all the tricks — starting Derek Lowe on three days' rest, using every available bench player, including Conrad for a ninth-inning pinch hit — but couldn't keep the favored Giants from their date with the Phillies in the National League Championship Series.

Braves: Left-hander Steve Avery, coming back from off-season shoulder surgery, makes his third rehab start today. He'll pitch for Double-A Greenville. Expos: With three days off scheduled through May 4, Montreal plans to go with a four-man rotation of Dustin Hermanson, Hideki Irabu, Javier Vazquez and Carl Pavano. Padres: San Diego is 1-6 in one-run games after going 28-25 last season. Pirates: Pittsburgh has lost six straight games at Turner Field and is 1-9 in its past 10 games in Atlanta.

Scouting report: O's vs. Braves At Turner Field, Atlanta Day Time TV Starters Tonight 7:35 54, 66, TBS Sidney Ponson (9-3, 3.64) vs. Greg Maddux (5-6, 4.44) Tomorrow 7:05 13, 66, TBS Rodrigo Lopez (1-3, 6.50) vs. Horacio Ramirez (5-2, 4.39) Sunday 1:05 13, 66, TBS Jason Johnson (5-3, 4.00) vs. Shane Reynolds (5-1, 5.24) Radio: All games on WBAL (1090 AM) Forget the spring talk about the Braves being vulnerable this season. They're threatening to run away with the NL East despite major pitching changes-and numbers from Maddux that look strange next to his name.

ATLANTA - If a statement needs to be made that these Washington Nationals aren't simply the old Montreal Expos in shiny, blue "W" hats, last night would have been an excellent time to start. After playing even through six games, the Nationals headed for Turner Field, the ultimate house of horrors for their previous persona. For one night anyway, the new uniform produced the same result. Paced by a pair of two-run homers in the fifth inning and a strong performance by lefty Mike Hampton, the Atlanta Braves thumped the Nationals, 11-2, before 16,584.

Most people say they wash their hands after using the bathroom. But a new study suggests that many of them are not telling the truth. The researchers demonstrated that people were not as conscientious as they say they were by comparing answers given in a telephone poll with observed behavior. In the nationwide poll, conducted Aug. 19-22 by Harris Interactive, 1,013 adults were interviewed about their hand-washing habits. Then the researchers sent observers into public restrooms to see what actually happened.

Jason Hammel didn't arrive at Turner Field on Saturday night with many fond memories. He'd seen enough of the Braves in his three seasons in the National League. “These guys have given me nightmares, especially here,” he said. But it was here where the Orioles' 29-year-old right-hander would give his team its best pitching performance of the season. Hammel threw the best game of his seven-year career, taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning and finishing with his first complete-game shutout win. He allowed just one hit on the night - Jason Heyward's single to left with two outs in the seventh - propelling the Orioles to a 5-0 win over the Braves at Turner Field.

ATLANTA -- Before his three-day homecoming is over, Orioles pitching coach Leo Mazzone said that he planned on instructing his pitchers to take a look at the left-field facade at Turner Field. On a ledge under the out-of-town scoreboard are 16 pennants recognizing the Atlanta Braves' division titles, including one colored in red and blue for the 1995 World Series championship team. For all but two of those years, Mazzone led one of the game's greatest pitching dynasties, which abided by a philosophy that the 57-year-old pitching guru insists is quite simple.

ATLANTA — The video scoreboard at Turner Field showed a highlight of Brooks Conrad hitting a home run. The home crowd booed. Conrad stood with his hands by his side. The worst day of his career was playing itself out on a national stage. The stone-gloved second baseman had made two errors Sunday. The Braves were able to overcome the first two. They weren't able to overcome the third. A ninth-inning grounder by Buster Posey passed through Conrad's legs, allowing Freddy Sanchez to score the go-ahead run for the Giants, who went on to claim a 3-2 victory in Game 3 of the National League Division Series.

WASHINGTON -- It's a familiar sight in Washington: The president of a new administration takes over and promises change. Stan Kasten isn't the leader of the free world, but he is about to be president of the Washington Nationals baseball club. And he's looking a lot like a political candidate as he strides purposefully around RFK Stadium on a recent game night shaking hands, signing autographs and asking fans what needs to change. The answer, he knows, is quite a bit. When Major League Baseball signs the paperwork turning the club over to its new owners - it is expected to happen by the end of the month - Kasten already will be deep into creating a team bearing little resemblance to the one he's inheriting.

ATLANTA -- Before his three-day homecoming is over, Orioles pitching coach Leo Mazzone said that he planned on instructing his pitchers to take a look at the left-field facade at Turner Field. On a ledge under the out-of-town scoreboard are 16 pennants recognizing the Atlanta Braves' division titles, including one colored in red and blue for the 1995 World Series championship team. For all but two of those years, Mazzone led one of the game's greatest pitching dynasties, which abided by a philosophy that the 57-year-old pitching guru insists is quite simple.

Most people say they wash their hands after using the bathroom. But a new study suggests that many of them are not telling the truth. The researchers demonstrated that people were not as conscientious as they say they were by comparing answers given in a telephone poll with observed behavior. In the nationwide poll, conducted Aug. 19-22 by Harris Interactive, 1,013 adults were interviewed about their hand-washing habits. Then the researchers sent observers into public restrooms to see what actually happened.

ATLANTA - If a statement needs to be made that these Washington Nationals aren't simply the old Montreal Expos in shiny, blue "W" hats, last night would have been an excellent time to start. After playing even through six games, the Nationals headed for Turner Field, the ultimate house of horrors for their previous persona. For one night anyway, the new uniform produced the same result. Paced by a pair of two-run homers in the fifth inning and a strong performance by lefty Mike Hampton, the Atlanta Braves thumped the Nationals, 11-2, before 16,584.

HOUSTON - The raucous sellout crowd that gathered yesterday afternoon inside Minute Maid Park to cheer Roger Clemens and the Houston Astros to the franchise's first playoff series victory may have witnessed a historic moment, all right. Only it was the kind of moment that for so long has turned Astros fans' faces every shade of orange and red featured on the team's retro jerseys. After Clemens pitched five solid innings and departed with a three-run lead, the Atlanta Braves pounced on the Houston bullpen for a 6-5 victory in Game 4 of a National League Division Series that might have marked the final start of Clemens' Hall of Fame career.

WASHINGTON -- It's a familiar sight in Washington: The president of a new administration takes over and promises change. Stan Kasten isn't the leader of the free world, but he is about to be president of the Washington Nationals baseball club. And he's looking a lot like a political candidate as he strides purposefully around RFK Stadium on a recent game night shaking hands, signing autographs and asking fans what needs to change. The answer, he knows, is quite a bit. When Major League Baseball signs the paperwork turning the club over to its new owners - it is expected to happen by the end of the month - Kasten already will be deep into creating a team bearing little resemblance to the one he's inheriting.

ATLANTA - With the bruise still noticeable on his right hand, Melvin Mora was held out of the Orioles' lineup last night against the Atlanta Braves. Mora was hit on the base of his palm by a fastball from Greg Maddux in the first inning of Friday's game, and left in the second to have X-rays taken at Turner Field. They came back negative, and Mora doesn't expect to go on the disabled list. "It's sore, about the same as last night," he said. "But it's just a bruise." Sitting in front of his locker at Turner Field, Mora demonstrated how he could make a squeezing motion with his hand, but bending the wrist was painful because it pressed against the bruise.

Scouting report: O's vs. Braves At Turner Field, Atlanta Day Time TV Starters Tonight 7:35 54, 66, TBS Sidney Ponson (9-3, 3.64) vs. Greg Maddux (5-6, 4.44) Tomorrow 7:05 13, 66, TBS Rodrigo Lopez (1-3, 6.50) vs. Horacio Ramirez (5-2, 4.39) Sunday 1:05 13, 66, TBS Jason Johnson (5-3, 4.00) vs. Shane Reynolds (5-1, 5.24) Radio: All games on WBAL (1090 AM) Forget the spring talk about the Braves being vulnerable this season. They're threatening to run away with the NL East despite major pitching changes-and numbers from Maddux that look strange next to his name.