Have you ever heard the term “have your cake and eat it too“? You could certainly apply this to the Atlanta Braves announcer Joe Simpson. He’s a former major league baseball player that just runs in circles constantly; as the Braves Nation hears his poor views during their baseball games. I can’t believe he’s been with the team so long and his poor knowledge of the game doesn’t go unnoticed. I could give reasons all day long on why Joe Simpson is trying to have his cake and eat it too, but I think there are some more things I want to touch on too.

I will give you one example of how this MLB announcer runs in circles. Earlier this year we saw an incident in Tampa Bay, where all-star third baseman Evan Longoria took it upon his self to call out one of his teammates in the outfield for not hustling. Joe Simpson was against the actions of Longoria and basically told him to play ball, because that is what he gets paid for and let the coaches handle team issues, like a player not hustling. Now fast forward a few weeks into the future and see how the Braves shortstop Yunel Escobar is in Bobby Cox’s doghouse. Cox shows favoritism and he either likes you or he doesn’t. The out-dated coach in Atlanta doesn’t understand or get the body language of his former shortstop Yunel Escobar, so the Braves team did get rid of him. During some of these final days, Joe Simpson had no problems in players like Tommy Hanson and Troy Glaus deciding to put Escobar in their doghouse too. Mr. Simpson also chose to speak negatively of Escobar and put the Braves shortstop in his doghouse like the players were doing. It seems Evan Longoria can not show emotion for a player he doesn’t see helping his team, but it is ok in Braves country when Yunel Escobar is the target.

The whole Atlanta Braves organization should be ashamed at the way they treated their shortstop this year. The MVP (most valuable player) on the team last year was Yunel Escobar. How did manager Bobby Cox and the Atlanta Braves award him? By placing him in the 6th and 7th spots of the line up. While Chipper Jones hit for a .260 batting average last year and was given the 3rd hole in our line up again. Jones continues to struggle and there are no signs of improvement. Yet Cox keeps writing his name in the 3rd batting slot in the line up each night.

Chipper Jones made two mistakes Friday night against Milwaukee and each time it costed the Atlanta Braves a run, in a game they got beat in poorly. There was never a mention of his lack of focus (which Escobar has been accused of) or his selfishness (which Escobar has not been accused of). The lack of focus came with Chipper on first base and a runner at 3rd base with less than 2 outs. Glaus hit a shallow fly ball to right field; which was easily going to be caught. Chipper had time, if he would have hustled, to go back to 1st base and put him self in a tag up situation. Instead he just walks back toward first and the right fielder had to throw the ball in hard toward the plate, so the runner at 3rd base would not score. This throw skirted under the legs of the catcher and caused the pitcher to come up with the ball, who was backing up the play. If Chipper would have put his self in a tag-up position, he could have easily made it to 2nd base; when the throw got past the Brewers catcher. Next batter up was Brian McCann and he singles in the run at 3rd base and could have had an extra RBI, if Chipper would have been focused. Yunel Escobar does this, Cox and Simpson both would have jumped him good. The selfish act came later on when Chipper swung hard in a bases loaded situation and pulled his hamstring. He got hurt and continued his at-bat; while trying to hide the pain at the plate. He failed to get a hit and more importantly, he failed to get the runner home from 3rd base with less than 2 outs. Yunel Escobar does this and Joe Simpson would have pointed out this at-bat in the game and how Escobar hurt the team, by trying to stay in and finish the at-bat. Since it was Larry Jones that did this; all was forgiven and life goes on.

If you want to breakdown guys on the Atlanta Braves, you will see Chipper Jones has been the weaker player over the last 2 seasons; compared to former shortstop Yunel Escobar. Joe Simpson and Ernie Johnson both failed to “thank” the former shortstop for his services in Atlanta and for the great season he had last year for the team. Instead, Joe Simpson made it a point to tell the Braves viewers, that the whole team stood up and gave a big applause to Alex Gonzalez, when he first arrived in the locker room for his first day with the team.

Joe, you have some issues going on and they do not reflect the majority of Braves fans. You have brainwashed a few out there into believing your thoughts on the team, but you had no right to shine the spotlight on Escobar. It really got sad in these last few weeks; when you highlighted each mistake Escobar made and never pointing out the ones Chipper was doing.

Tommy Hanson is a over rated pitcher and has average stuff at best. His stare toward Escobar was wrong and he showed up Escobar for dropping that fly ball. The very next night Chipper Jones lets a grounder go through his legs and Tim Hudson didn’t show him up. Troy Glaus failed many times over, when he was given opportunity after opportunity, to produce runs with a runner at 3rd base and no outs, early on in the season. He blames Escobar for a throw, in which his hand got hurt by a runner hustling down the line. Yet against Milwaukee on Friday night, you missed a simple throw and got an error, to help the Brewers get another base runner on board.

The real Braves Nation can see with our own eyes who is to really blame. We also know this is a team sport and we win as a team and we lose as a team. Our team is going to have players that stick up for each other and play together. Bobby Cox and Joe Simpson pointing fingers at mistakes is just wrong. Especially when you choose to do it one-sided and don’t hold other players accountable for their mistakes and troubles too. I’m glad Escobar didn’t provide any home runs and gave poor offensive numbers this season. It just goes to prove how a number 7 hitter in the line up gets replaced after 1/2 of a season for poor performance; while the number 3 guy in the line up has gotten away with it for 1 year longer and still continues to hurt our team.

Bobby Cox and the Braves brass made a poor call on Escobar. It only made things worse when Escobar was given no thanks for his time in Atlanta and all of the big hits and great defensive plays he provided us with. His glitches were mild compared to the ones Chipper provides on most nights. Tommy Hanson and Troy Glaus are now worthless pieces of trash in my book, for adding salt to the wounds created by Bobby Cox and Joe Simpson. Both should have been punished and benched for the way they showed up Yunel Escobar on the field.

Hey Yunel? If you’re out there buddy, then my best wishes go to you and your new team. I was very glad to have you on my baseball team and I remember just how much you gave to the team. I’m sorry you got a raw deal and had to leave the Braves in the manner you did. I’m not alone and Joe Simpson and Bobby Cox has less support in the ATL; than they think. You never did beat your wife like Bobby Cox did. And you certainly didn’t complain and lay blame after a mistake was made, like Joe Simpson continues to do. Cox and Simpson will both get what’s coming to them and I plan to execute revenge on a much bigger scale!