"Hometown Hero In Atlanta" - The Career of Carl Kent

[Bluejaysfan65]

Quote: Originally Posted by royals19

Dude, this is awesome... It makes me wanna start up a career!

You should!!!

[Frank is the Tank]

Quote: Originally Posted by royals19

Dude, this is awesome... It makes me wanna start up a career!

I'm sure if you did it would be amazing! I'd be following (along with a lot of other people)!

[Frank is the Tank]

EDIT: There's an error in the picture. The Braves will be going head-tohead against the Jacksonville Suns, not the Jackson Generals. My mistake, will be playing first game of the playoffs sometime today.

[Frank is the Tank]

Following the final game of the season, Coach Holbert called his team together for a meeting inside the clubhouse.

Quote: Originally Posted by Coach Holbert

Everyone get your a**es in here! I got a few things to say..

The team grabbed their chairs and placed them in front of Holbert, then continued to sit.

Quote: Originally Posted by Coach Holbert

Okay men, I know tonight was a little bittersweet for the team, we lost the series all together, but we have the momentum winning the last two games! Plus, we get to play those rat bastards again in a couple days after we kick the Suns' ***es as always! But! We gotta get our acts together if we want to get that far! I won't bring out the runs per game stats out like I promised, but, as a team we aren't the same as we were before the All Star Break. I wish I could tell each and everyone of you what to do to get out of your slumps and get hot, but that'll take too much time. You guys can figure that out on your own time, what you guys need is a little pep talk. Now hold on while I think of something...

The players looked at Holbert with shock that he didn't prepare himself and is just swinging with his eyes closed. They watch Holbert squint his face as he started to think. All of a sudden, Holbert struck a look of genious and began his pep talk.

Quote: Originally Posted by Coach Holbert

Men, we must forget everything that occurred the last couple months. But first look to your left, and your right, everyone in here is in this clubhouse to achieve the same goal, to achieve greatness. We must keep our heads forward and walk down the Road to Success and stay away from the rocky paths that will lead us to a dead end. I understand that not everyone will be a part of our team any longer as they'll be getting the phone call to the Show and continue their careers and take their talents to the popular world of the MLB. Before I continue I'd like to congratulate Ernesto Mejia, Chris Garcia, and Carl Kent, for their success this season and getting that call to the Bigs. It's bittersweet, but I'm glad to see these three young men achieve great things here, they worked all year to get this call and it's finally paying off.

Holbert looked at Carl after making that statement, Carl looking into Holbert's eyes, began to shed a tear, realizing what he'd be leaving if he chose to go to Atlanta. Carl quickly wiped the tear off his cheek with his hand before any of his teammates would notice. Holbert continued to speak.

Quote: Originally Posted by Coach Holbert

I respect the three of you dearly, and I respct your decision to go to the MLB, I know I would do the same thing. Anyways... we are the Braves! Not the p***ies called the Suns! They haven't worked half as hard as everyone in here, they don't have the same passion and heart and Baseball IQ of the game that you men do. I guarantee that we will sweep their a**es off the front porch with ease in a couple days.. We will work together and achive greatness, success, and the title of being the Champions. We deserve it, fellas! We deserve it!

Everyone in the clubhouse got out of the chairs and swarmed towards Holbert, and began to feel the adrenaline rush they haven't had in months. Big things were bound to happen...

[Frank is the Tank]

Immediately after things calmed down and the players resumed packing to get back to Mississippi for the playoffs, Carl called over Garcia and Mejia to his locker..

Quote: Originally Posted by Carl

Hey guys, I think I might stay..

Quote: Originally Posted by Chris Garcia

Carl, you can't turn down a call-up, that's incredibly stupid, down keep yourself down here! Just think of your future! They need you in the MLB Carl! Plus think of the treatment you get when you're up there.

Quote: Originally Posted by Carl

Trust me, I've been waiting to be in the Majors ever since I started playing tee ball! But, I wroked hard this year to get our team this far, and for me to leave just doesn't feel right. I'm sure this won't be the only time I get called up. Frank knows that he doesn't need me yet, and I don't know why he'd expose me to the bigs so early, even if my stats this year were deserving it. Plus, the Braves are going to be out of contention to play in October anyways, so there wouldn't be any point for me to play. I want to be on a winning team, and right now we are on one, so why leave it? You guys should feel that way, too! You both were key to the Braves offense, if the three of us leave, our team won't go far..

Quote: Originally Posted by Ernesto Mejia

Chris, the kids got a point, we worked hard to get to this point in the season and for us to leave would be sh***y of us. And we'd probably lose some respect from our friends here. I'm not positive that I may get the call to the Show ever again with me being 27 in AA, but, I don't want to leave Mississippi. We're a family, and family doesn't leave each other in the dust.

Quote: Originally Posted by Carl

Thanks for the support Ernie, but Chris, we won't be able to hold the trophy over our heads unless you stay down, too. We'll need you. What do you say?

Quote: Originally Posted by Garcia

I'm sorry, but I'm not missing this oppurtunity, and just to think that I want to decline the Call-Up is outrageously idiotic and stupid. But, it's your choice...

Chris walked away and continued to pack his things to get ready for his flight to Atlanta. Carl and Ernie were upset but knew that they'd have to quickly move on and win wothout him.

[Frank is the Tank]

Carl and Ernie walk through the gaping hole in the wall to enter Holbert's office where he'd be sitting on his chair looking through some spray charts and scouting reports on the Suns players. Where they'd be welcomed and sat in the chairs in frint of his desk.

Quote: Originally Posted by Holbert

Hey boys, you guys came to say good bye? That's just f***ing sweet of you, it's not like you guys could have stayed and help us win the f***ing championship! What the **** Wren, stealing my players when I need them most...

Quote: Originally Posted by Ernie

Actually Coach, we wanted to tell you that Carl and I plan on staying down for the postseason. We discussed it earlier in the locker room, and we thought that it wouldn't be right to leave just yet.

Quote: Originally Posted by Holbert

Really! OH YES! WE HAVE A CHANCE! Wait, where the hell is Garcia? Is he staying down, too?

Quote: Originally Posted by Carl

We tried talking him into joining but he decided to-

Through the hole came Garcia, walking up behind Carl and Ernie...

Quote: Originally Posted by Chris Garcia

Stay, Carl, was going to say stay. I realized that this team is more like a family, and like someone told me, family doesn't leave eachother in the dust. Especially in this situation.

As Holbert sat in his chair, he felt a huge weight come off his shoulders as he was happy that he didn't have to put Reed Johnson in the clean-up spot.

Quote: Originally Posted by Holbert

Like I said earlier, I respected your decisions then, and I definitely respect them now! Don't worry about breaking the news to Frank, I'll make sure he knows about the situation.

The trio walked out of the office with smiles on their faces as they were ambushed by their teammates that were listening to their conversation outside the hole.

Now, lets win a Championship!

[Frank is the Tank]

Ah yes, the Braves are finally here! Back home in Pearl where they'll take on the Jacksonville Suns for the first two and last game(s) of the series! It will be very difficult for the Braves to pull of the series win to advance to the Championship. Considering that the Braves are 3-7 against the Suns during the regular season. Analysts that took the time to make predictions thought that the Suns would win in 4 games against the Braves. Mississippi must have their offense come alive in this dog fight as power hitters Kent, and Mejia have been in an offensive slump heading into the playoffs hitting a horrific .233 in the last ten games.

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Carl stood in front of the lineup card... He noticed his name hasn't been written on there. Coach Holbert came up behind him, and put his hand on his shoulder, telling Carl why he won't be in tonight's starting lineup.

Quote: Originally Posted by Holbert

Don't take it harshly, I know you got the butterflies, but, I think it's better you get some more rest before you play your first playoff game. Plus, I'm letting Salcedo play since he's got a little more experience than you playoff-wise.

Before Carl was able to give his testimony, Holbert took the lineup card, ran down the hallway to the dugout, and headed up to see the umpire for the Plate Meeting..
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As the Braves found their way to a 6 run lead heading into the bottom half of the 8th, Holbert called Carl (who was already ready for his AB somehow) and told him that he'd be on deck to hit for Aaron Northcraft (who pitched great tossing 8 IP shut out ball). Carl quickly grabbed his bat and walked up the steps and onto the On-Deck Circle. The last time Carl was a pinch hitter, he pulled up the stirrups and kissed the ball goodbye as he'd hit a Grand Slam! Let's see if he could do a repeat.

Spoiler

Here are four steps on how to waste an At-Bat:
A-Get in the box.
B-Hit the borderline strike change-up.
C-Make sure the pitcher is able to field your weak hit.
D-Run slow enough to let the pitcher pick up the ball, set his feet, and make a weak throw to first.

And that's how you waste an AB!



Unfortunately, he was facing Lazo, who was unhittable this season for the Suns with over 30 IP and 33 K's, all with a 1.98 ERA (and why he hasn't been called up is beyond me). Kent would get to a 2-2 count, and then fish for a change-up that could have been called either way and pulled a dribbler that was close enough for Lazo to get to and throw Carl out at first to end the inning.

Following the pathetic attempt of a hit by Carl, the Braves would go into the 9th with a six-run lead. Andrew Russell would come in from the bullpen to take over. After walking the first two batters of the inning and then throwing a wild Pitch, Chris Coughlan would step to the plate and hit a 2-Bagger down the right-field line to bring in the two men on base. Immediately after, Holbert had seen enough and brought in the closer, Billy Bullock, who would give up two deep fly balls that would allow Coughlan to move to third, then score to make it a 3-run lead. The Suns shortstop, Danny Black, would then end the rally after striking out on three straight change-ups, giving Bullock the save, as well as the Braves the first game of the series.

[nowitsourtime]

Man...After you save Holbert by staying down in AA to help them win the championship, he benches you for the first series game? What a d***