Interesting article on "Skates" Smith
 

From the AJC .

The upshot is that he actually bought a gun to kill John Shuerholtz, because he felt he black-balled him from baseball. Of course, it could have had nothing to do with his cocaine addiction and his testifing in a trail against a drug dealer. Noooo!!

Still, at least he did kick the habit and saved the Atlanta Braves single handly, making women swoon and men come to tears.

Yeah, I guess we should forget Atlanta may not have even been in the series if it wasn't for his stellar play that year or the fact that two Braves choked with the bases loaded after his baserunning error, right?

Sorry, I realize skates had his problems. I also realize it was a horrible baserunning mistake. Still, he didn't cost them the WS. He started that rally in the first place by getting on base (something very few Braves were doing that night) He doesn't deserve that label IMO.

TroyF

Hey, it was a joke. Lighten up, Francis.

Or, should I say Lonnie? Is that you? Naaaaa!! He lives in Georgia according to the article.

Plus if you were Lonnie, you'd probably tripped on the way to the computer.

I've always liked Skates. Never knew about his problems. Glad he kicked the habit and is ok. Great read. Thanks for posting it.

Although when I read the headline I thought you were referring to Susan and wondered why you were calling her skates. :D

How quickly we forget.

Blaming that loss on Lonnie just doesn't sit well with me. We still had runners at 2nd and 3rd with nobody out. Gant hit a weak one for an out, and after a walk, Bream hit into a double play. They deserve as much or more blame than Lonnie.

I've never blamed the loss on him either but it does make a tantalizing what could have been scenario. I do remember that series well.

Boy, yall are making hay on a throw away line. It was a joke, people! Everybody knows that it was Bobby Cox that cost us that series (along with several others). Get over it!

I'm just glad someone else didn't read it as a joke either. You say it was a joke and I believe you. I didn't get the impression when first reading it, so I responded with why I thought the statement was wrong. No biggie.

TroyF

Ok, I edited it to make it more friendly to the rest of the board. :rolleyes:

I was at all the Metrodome games for that series, if that idiot Cox hadn't brought in Liebrandt to pitch to Kirby, there might not have been a need for a game 7.

Still, the Series ended up the way I wanted it to! :)

Cards,

That was a huge day. I was a huge Twins fan at the time. Watching Kirby steal the HR away and then hit one the next inning was a moment I'll never forget.

It was also the first time that MY team won a championship. (The Buffs came in '90, the Avs in 95, the Broncos in 97, 97. The Nuggets. . . nevermind. :)

TroyF

Actually he robbed Gant in the 3rd.