Tonight is the start of a road trip from Atlanta to Miami to St. Louis. The Phillies then come home to host the Red Sox and Angels. Talk about a daunting stretch. Tonight it's Tim Hudson vs. Jamie Moyer. On the road the Braves are dismal but at home they are something like 24-8. The big news from Atlanta this week was that John Smoltz, just back from the DL, will have season-ending surgery. Smoltz says he hopes to return to baseball, but at his age it's iffy. Maybe his next baseball gig will be in the booth: he's always got an opinion on everything. My fave Bravo pitcher will always be Greg Maddux, but it's sad to see Smoltz's career come to an abrupt end.
Meanwhile, the baseball draft is here and just about gone. For the first time in a decade the Phillies had a lot of 1st-round picks. As usual, they seem to have gone for the high-ceiling, toolsy high school kids. Since I wouldn't know any of these players, high school or college, if I fell over them, all it means to me is a trip to Williamsport maybe next month.
