This picture is from tonight's game. Julio Franco is wearing the #14 jersey, the one he had in 2005. #4 was the jersey number he had in 2001. #14 was the jersey number from 2002-2005. Seems he had a good night. He had 2 RBI night off a single in the 4th. I missed most of the game because I was busy planning for a school club. I did get home in time to see him take an at-bat. The AJC site has a good article on his homecoming: Franco glad to be 'home'. He wanted to come back to the Atlanta Braves, or he would have quit the game if the Braves did not sign him. He felt the Braves would be the only team to understand him, welcome him, and know how to use him in a game.
Some people are complaining that he's washed up. I guess the Braves brass didn't think so. It could be that the New York Mets' dynamic was such that the didn't need him. The Braves could use him. The Braves currently have a natural catcher (Jarrod Saltalamacchia) playing first base because of expected first baseman (Scott Thorman) can't hit. Julio can do no worse than Thorman. Saltalamacchia has a bat. Julio can spell Saltalamacchia (Salty) or play when Salty has to spell McCann, like tonight after the disaster yesterday afternoon. Julio can also teach the youngsters in the clubhouse. I believe the Braves missed him and his wisdom last year. Funny how last year, with the Mets, they won the pennant. This year, the Braves can win it again. The Braves had nothing to lose, save $200,000.00, to bring Julio back to the team.
Today was quite an adventure. This evening, we started the planning and leadership-skills building retreat for the school's ACM Chapter's Council. Besides starting to plan, we did games to work on skills. One game was Amazing Race-like on campus. My partner, Mike, and I did poorly. However, we were in second place. We ended up at Compass Point to look for something. It wasn't there, and Compass Point is on the other side of campus. I did run into Aric while out there, so as Mike and I headed back to Science Center and Aric went wherever he went, I caught Aric up on the website deal. That's a whole another story.
The other game was a drawing game I won. My time iSketching paid off on it. While the others just sat, I was yelling out any word I could think of. And it paid off. I was able to get JAVA and interface. Joey was drawing interface; he felt no one would get it. 
I ended up winning a cup and creamed everyone else.
Well, I'm off to bed. I have to be at school at 9 so the ACM Council can go to downtown and plan, as well as visit the Owens-Thomas house. I will be taking my camera on that tour.
[♪ Listening to: "It Must Have Been Love" - Roxette]
Posted by Shawn at July 20, 2007 12:26 AM in Baseball, Schooling.
