Wailing and gnashing of teeth dept.

With all due respect to my dear friend Angela, the consummate Braves fan, the Braves displayed their justly famous good sportsmanship in the wake of a losing weekend series at Shea:

Atlanta pitchers were furious after the game with the Questec Umpire Information System, saying it caused plate umpire Lance Barksdale to shrink the strike zone on them.

In other words, they didn't get the specialized Braves Strike Zone^tm, which is traditionally the size of Rhode Island.

"I wish I was close to the machine, so I could break it,'' said Ray King, who gave up a go-ahead single to Rey Sanchez. "The umps are more worried about the machine than calling the game.''

Translation: "The umps were more worried about not being exposed as our paid lackeys than they were about our win/loss record."

Eight days earlier in Phoenix, Arizona pitcher Curt Schilling attacked a Questec camera. The commissioner's office has not determined whether to discipline him.

Unless they want a rash of equipment loss, they'd better. Duh.

"This system is one of the worst things that has happened in baseball,'' said Darren Holmes, who gave up Burnitz's homer on a 3-1 pitch. "They are going to feel ramifications because of the system. it's a joke.''

Actually, Darren, I'd say you were the one feeling the ramifications. From where I sit the feeling's pure Chuck Mangione so far. Feels so good.