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Open Thread: Cubs vs. Braves, Friday 6/1, 1:20 CT

By Al Yellon

A significant major league career record might fall this weekend.

Which one? you're saying. If Braves manager Bobby Cox can get himself thrown out of two of the three games, he'll break the all-time record, 131, now held by legendary NY Giants manager John McGraw. Many of us have wondered why Lou Piniella, seen so many times throwing things in highlight videos, has not yet been thrown out as Cub manager. Jason Marquis, who has played for both Piniella and Cox, had this observation:

"Obviously, there's some more emotional managers on a daily basis. But Bobby stood up for what he believed in and believed in his players. If he felt his players were getting screwed or felt his players made a case in terms of a bad call, he'd stand up for them. If that meant getting thrown out of the game, then he'd get thrown out of the game."
There's something to that, I think. Maybe it's made Cox's players play harder for him, or respect him more. Cox, in my opinion, is the best manager in the game today and one of the greatest of all time.

Now let's go out and sweep his team. It's a new month, time to step up.

Today's Starting Pitchers
Carlos Zambrano
C. Zambrano
Cubs		 vs. Kyle Davies
K. Davies
Braves
5-4 W-L 2-3
5.24 ERA 5.51
51 SO 32
32 BB 26
13 HR 8
vs. Atl -- vs. Cubs
Davies and Z faced each other on April 18 in Atlanta, a game eerily prescient of the Cubs' bullpen failures. Z got pounded in the first inning for 4 runs, the Cubs took a 6-5 lead, only to have Scott Eyre cough it right back up. Neither Z nor Davies got the decision. Davies is coming off his worst start of the year last Sunday vs. the Phillies; Z had one of his better outings of 2007 last Saturday in Los Angeles. May those trends continue.

Once again, the Cubs will appear on national TV -- today, on TBS. You might even hear Chip Caray call some or all of the game. In fact, the entire series will be available nationally (tomorrow, WGN; Sunday, WGN and TBS). If you can't get those, there's always the Mediacenter.

MLB.com Gameday (2007 version)

MLB.com Gameday (2006 version)

And, for the Braves fan point of view, visit our SB Nation Braves site Talking Chop.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

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