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August 2005
Astros least of playoff worries
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In all the discussion about the Braves having the potentially formidable task of facing starting rotation-rich Houston (if the Astros win the wild card) in the first round of the playoffs, what has been largely overlooked is another, perhaps even more ominous possibility.
St. Louis.
Yes, the Cardinals, the team with the best record in the NL by a wide margin, the team hungry to take the final step after getting trounced in the World Series last season by the Red Sox. The team with Cy Young candidate Chris Carpenter and, at least in my opinion, clear MVP frontrunner Albert Pujols. The team with arguably the best, most die-hard fans in baseball.
The reason we haven’t spent a lot of time discussing the possibility of the Braves facing the Cardinals in the first round is simple: It appeared the Braves would start to distance themselves from the rest of the NL East by now, once they got five games ahead a few weeks back. But it didn’t happen.
The Braves went 6-6 on their last homestand, when everyone thought they’d beat up on NL West teams. And at the same time, Florida, Philly and even the Mets all started playing better. Much better. And the Nationals didn’t fade, the way many assumed they would down the stretch.
The result is, the Braves have a month of crucial games against almost exclusively NL East teams coming up. Plenty of time for another NL East team to catch them and pass them, if the Braves keep muddling along at .500 on the road and, lately, .500 at home.
And if the Braves finish second in the NL East and win the wild card, they’d have to face the team with the best record in the NL, the Cardinals. And the Cards would obviously have home-field advantage (not that having home-field advantage in the postseason has meant much good for the Braves in recent years anyway).
There’s also an even uglier option. One that seems unspeakable among Braves fans: Two teams could pass Atlanta. Then the Braves wouldn’t have to worry about a first-round opponent; there wouldn’t be one.
Personally, I still think the Braves will hold on and clinch this thing. But they can’t be comfortable looking behind them and seeing all those other NL East teams sitting right there, nipping at their heels.
Your thoughts?
Hollandsworth can help
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Using so many rookies as brought a lot of renewed life to the Braves this season. But don’t underestimate the value of experience in the postseason.
That’s why general manager John Schuerholz swung a deal Monday night to acquire outfielder Todd Hollandsworth from the Cubs.
Is Hollandsworth a big name? No. Can he help the Braves? Yes.
The left-handed batter can play first base as well as the outfield, but his real value is as a pinch hitter. During the 2003 NLCS, Hollandsworth was called on four times by the Marlins against the Cubs. He was 3-for-3 with a walk, getting a double and two RBIs.
Hollandsworth, 32, makes $900,000 this season, so paying him for five weeks certainly won’t break the Braves’ payroll. Now, Schuerholz will continue to make a run at an experienced reliever. Don’t count him out.
To be eligible for the postseason, a player must be aboard by Wednesday. The clock is running.
Playoff rotation not just a worry here
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For most of the season, Tim Hudson hadn’t quite lived up to expectations.
That’s not the case anymore.
In back-to-back complete games, the former Oakland Athletics right-hander has been every bit as good as he was at his best in the American League.
With John Smoltz and Hudson, the first two spots in the Braves’ rotation offer no worries. It’s the third spot that still must be settled on going into the playoffs.
Mike Hampton is unlikely to be available and John Thomson hasn’t pitched well since coming off the disabled list. That leaves Jorge Sosa or Horacio Ramirez as the likely No. 3 starter in the first round of the playoffs.
Neither would cause panic from Braves fans, but a victory certainly isn’t a cinch, either. Sosa has been a pleasant surprise for the Braves, but he obviously didn’t come close to the postseason with Tampa Bay. Ramirez has been good at Turner Field, but far from that on the road.
Of course, some playoff contenders — especially in the American League — don’t even have two starters that they can count on.
I was just up in Boston watching the World Series champion Red Sox and their rotation certainly wasn’t a pretty sight.
Trust me, Vince and Jennifer are an item
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Clearing the decks after a day off spent in lovely Milwaukee, where you can buy Falcons gear on the discount rack at the sporting goods store in the mall next to my hotel:
OK, first things first. I’m told that Vince Vaughn and/or Jennifer Aniston deny there’s anything going on between them, that they’re merely shooting a movie together in Chicago. Folks, I know what I see, and what I saw Wednesday night at the Dwight Yoakam show at House of Blues in Chicago was Vaughn and Aniston with hands all over each other in an opera box overlooking the stage. And no, the movie cameras were nowhere around. If they’re not an item, they did a great job acting like one….
But enough of that. I know the seamheads are going, ‘If we wanted gossip on movie stars, we’d go to the lifestyle section.’ But man can’t live on Francoeur/Smoltz/Farnsworth/Chipper information alone, right? By the way, Yoakam was awesome, and I’d highly recommend purchasing a CD by his opening act, a dude named Jackie Green. He’s gonna be big, I predict.
OK, where were we? Oh, Francoeur. I can report … well, actually I can’t. He did nothing on the off day that I know about yet. I imagine he went fishing with some other Braves who had that on the itinerary. The team bused to Milwaukee after Wednesday’s day game, for once making the writers’ travel itineraries actually preferable to the team’s (we all stayed in Chicago the extra night, and a couple of writers stayed there last night, too. Me, I didn’t want to fight traffic driving out of Chicago this morning to get up here in time). This and Los Angeles-San Diego are the only driving legs of the baseball season for the team or the writers, with exception of spring training, of course.
But I did see Blaine Boyer at the Yoakam show. Smart rookie made his own travel plans to get to Milwaukee the next day.
So what do people who may have noticed it think about the little nugget in my Furcal story in today’s paper, about the team believing they can re-sign him? It was a surprise to me, honestly. I didn’t think there was any way they’d be able to afford him. But after being told otherwise by someone who should know, and examining where the Braves might save money because of all the rookies who’ve shown they’re ready, and realizing that Hudson will only make $4 mill next year in his heavily backloaded contract, I started to see how they might actually get Furcal signed if they can get him to a four-year deal for, say, $30-32 mill.
Folks, I think it’d be huge for them. Those who think you could just plug in Betemit and be on your way, think about it: Who’s gonna lead off? Giles? He’s no leadoff hitter. And who’s gonna be ready to back up the oft-injured Chipper if Betemit’s at shortstop?
They don’t have another legit leadoff hitter. The way Furcal’s played since late June, he’s been the best leadoff guy in the league for two months. Too bad he’s so inconsistent from half-season to half-season. But still, he’s a force for most of the time he’s in the lineup — and he plays most of the time, hurt or not.
The Braves will have dirt-cheap corner outfielder next year with Francoeur in right and either Johnson and/or Langerhans in left. They could have dirt-cheap catcher if they decide to go with McCann and trade Estrada (haven’t heard that they would trade Johnny, but since he’s gonna make some money next year as an arbitration-eligible player, it’s a possibility). They’ll have at least a few low-salary pitchers with Boyer, Davies, McBride, and a cheap utility guy in Orr, plus another low-salaried position at first base, assuming it’s Franco and LaRoche again.
The big money next year goes to the Joneses, of course, climbing all the way to $30 mill for that pair (Chipper gets $17 mill, though some deferred without interest; still counts against payroll). If Braves decide to bump payroll up a few mill in light of attendance improvement — and I don’t know that they will — they could keep Furcal and still make budget, but just wouldn’t be able to add big salary anywhere else, probably. They might be able to keep him even if they keep payroll around $80 mill.
Your thoughts?
Farnsworth’s closing credentials
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Did Kyle Farnsworth’s first save opportunity for the Braves on Wednesday signal a changing of the guard in the closer role for Atlanta?
Perhaps. But it’s too premature to drawn that conclusion just yet.
More likely, Farnsworth got the opportunity — which he converted, getting the last four outs and recording three strikeouts — because, as Bobby Cox indicated recently, he’s going to use a closer-by-committee with best matchups and who has the hot hand, etc., for the time being. That means Chris Reitsma, Farnsworth and possibly Dan Kolb all could get chances.
Reitsma threw 22 pitches on Tuesday in another poor performance, allowing three hits and two runs in the eighth inning of a game that was already a Cubs rout. What’s worth noting, of course, is that they used him for mop-up work. But Reitsma also hadn’t pitched since Saturday and Cox may just have wanted to make sure he got work Tuesday.
What I’m saying is that it will be a committee effort until Cox says one or the other is the closer, or until he uses one repeatedly in the role.
However, the Braves certainly are considering Farnsworth for the job, given Reitsma’s recent decline and Kolb’s season-long inconsistency.
The Braves are fully aware Farnsworth blew 13 of 14 save opportunities over the previous three seasons with the Cubs, but also wasn’t used for any significant stretch in a closer role, not long enough for him to get comfortable in the job. Earlier this season with Detroit, he was dominant in the setup job and then in a few weeks of closing right before the trade last month.
Consider these numbers: Farnsworth has a 2.26 ERA and .203 opp average this season, with 66 strikeouts and 21 walks in 51-2/3 innings. And in his past 41 appearances he’s got a 1.45 ERA, .188 opp average and is 7-for-7 in saves. Those are fantastic numbers, obviously.
Reitsma in his past 10 games: 10.80 ERA, .375 opp. average, 0-2 and 2-for-5 saves.
Kolb in his past 20 games: 4.24 ERA, .338 opp. average, 0-for-2 saves, seven strikeouts with three walks in 17 innings.
Well, folks, whaddya think? Time to let Farnsworth show if he’s up to closing in the spotlight?
Hampton out, Sosa in
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It isn’t often a team loses a starting pitcher and actually gets better. But for the short term, at least, that could be the case with the Braves after Mike Hampton went on the disabled list for the fourth time this season and Jorge Sosa returned to the rotation to replace him.
Let me be clear: Losing Hampton could be a major blow in the Braves’ playoff chances, because a healthy Hampton at the top of his game would give the Braves a No. 3 starter to match up favorably with any team in baseball, including Houston.
However, whether Hampton would have — or still can — get it all together before the postseason was already a major question mark, given that he hasn’t had a quality start (six innings or more, three earned runs or fewer) since mid-May — he’s pitched only 14 innings since then — and there’s only five weeks left before the postseason.
Even the optimistic Bobby Cox now concedes there may not be enough time left for Hampton to get going and be ready for the postseason, and Cox said that’s a big potential blow because he was counting on the playoff-seasoned Hampton to be big down the stretch for the Braves.
Whether Sosa’s Houdini-like escapes from pitching jams can continue through October remains to be seen, and he might give everyone ulcers doing that act in big games. But in terms of holding off the rest of the NL East in the next few weeks, gotta think Sosa has a better chance to help the Braves than Hampton did with his spotty performances between DL stints.
Walking a tightrope or not, Sosa has managed to go 5-2 with a 2.77 ERA in 12 starts entering today’s contest at Wrigley Field. Those are solid numbers, and at least he’s been healthy all year and reliable. Same obviously can’t be said for Hampton, who’s had a remarkable four stints on the DL in one season. That’s only one fewer DL stint than he has wins.
And to think, the Braves owe him $39 million over the 2006-08 seasons. Try trading that chunk of change.
Francoeur to test the SI jinx
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For better or worse, Jeff Francoeur is a Sports Illustrated cover boy.
He’s on the cover of this week’s issue that hits newstands Wednesday or Thursday, depending where you live. The cover can be viewed, at least from what I’m told, late this afternoon at SI’s website.
I’m only kidding when I say “for better or worse.” Well, half-kidding. As most of you know, some believe there’s an SI cover jinx, since the number of teams and individuals who’ve been sent reeling toward slumps, losses in big games, or injuries, after appearing on the magazine’s cover is rather alarming.
But, hey, what’s a silly so-called jinx to a kid who’s gone from hitting .275 at Double-A to hitting .362 with 10 homers and 30 RBIs in his first 35 games in the majors — all in under two months? Defying odds is nothing new for the dude with the 1930s-sounding baseball nickname, “Frenchy.”
The phenom from Lilburn and Parkview High can’t get much bigger or generate much more buzz than he has since arriving in the bigs. You’ll all be glad to know it really doesn’t seem to have changed him, and he’s still the same goofball with the unpretentious demeanor and ever-present smile. Let’s hope that never changes.
As for his performance, he’s 0-for-6 with four strikeouts in his past two games, but that’s on the heels of back-to-back three-hit games against San Diego. So I don’t know. Each time I think he might be starting what I figured to be an inevitable 1-for-20 or 2-for-25 or something like that, he bounces back with a two-hit or three-RBI game or makes a sensational throw to nail a guy at the plate. So we’ll see.
As for the Braves, last night’s 4-2 win was huge for two reasons: Chipper Jones and Tim Hudson. The Braves are going to need both of them to be at their best, I believe, to help carry the team down the stretch and into the postseason. And last night, they both were. Chipper looked like the 1999 MVP all over again, and Hudson looked like the pitcher who won more games than any other in the AL over the past five seasons with Oakland.
Braves try to get hot in cool Chicago
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Since a 12-game homestand and the chance to distance themselves from the rest of the NL East didn’t inspire the Braves to play a better brand of pennant-race baseball, maybe playoff weather will.
I just arrived in Chicago and the weather is spectactular, sunny and upper-60s, like an October afternoon in Atlanta. Should be crisp and gorgeous for tonight’s series opener, which features the best pitching matchup of the series _ Tim Hudson(9-7, 3.45) against Carlos Zambrano (10-5, 3.97), whose 2.24 ERA is the third-best in the NL. Pretty impressive, considering Wrigley is homer haven whenever the wind’s blowing out.
There are a few negatives in an NL baseball writer’s travel itinerary — frigid Milwaukee in April, steamy St. Louis in mid-July, Shea Stadium any time of the year — but there are many more positives, and one is Chicago in late August, with the air crisp and at least one day game (but preferably three) at Wrigley on the schedule. Damn those lights. The place wasn’t built for night baseball, as any writer knows who’s tried to navigate through the hordes of fans to get to the postgame interviews in the clubhouse, down the same ramps and aisles that the fans use.
Quite aside: After a division series night game here a couple years ago, the one that wasn’t decided until Sosa’s long flyout, I literally had to hang over the railing of a ramp and drop down to a hot dog cart to bypass the standstill pedestrian traffic jam, since all 38,000 or whatever it was stayed until the last pitch and left en masse. Anyway…hey, good that I’m still nimble, daring and athletic.
Another important week for Braves, because last thing they need is to lose more ground to East foes before facing them all down the stretch. The lead’s down to 3-1/2 over the Phils and 4-1/2 over the hard-charging Marlins. Not at all what the Braves had in mind when they opened their longest homestand of the season two weeks ago. But that 6-6 homestand is over, and now they’ve got a chance to win a couple of road series against a Cubs team that’s only 30-30 at home and a Milwaukee team that has no playoff aspirations. Of course, Milwaukee’s 61-64 record is barely worse than San Diego’s, and we know what happened there….
Hey, don’t know how you all feel, but I’m torn between which two ongoing concerns has moved into No. 1 on the Braves’ list of ulcer-inducers: The bullpen, or the Nos. 3-4 starters, Thomson and Hampton, or Hampton and Thomson … or is Ramirez now ahead of them in a potential playoff rotation? Actually, that last question hasn’t been answered, and won’t be until late September, probably. But it certainly could unfold that way, if the two veterans keep struggling and Ramirez pitches as he did this weekend.
As for the bullpen, specifically the closer issue, my guess is that Reitsma reemerges as the guy. I just don’t know if the Braves would trust the other options — Kolb and Farnsworth — in a pressure-save situation in September or October. But we’ll sure find out. They’ve got to hope that a little rest will reinvigorate Reitsma, whose recent struggles are alarmingly similar to his last-season fade last year.
Francoeur worthy of clip-and-save
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We all _ hard-core fans and sports writers _ can get a bit jaded and skeptical in this age of 24-hour sports coverage, too many televised games, and way too much hype and breathless ESPN coverage of the “next-M.J.” to come down the line.
But folks, what we’re seeing this summer at Turner Field is enough to shake even the most jaded of us to our senses and cause us to reflect, ponder and project.
I’m talking about Jeff Francoeur, of course. The kid’s first five weeks in the major leagues have been something to behold, and those who haven’t gotten a chance to see him in person might want to get out there now, while this thing is still in its early stages.
While it’s still too early to call him the next Dale Murphy or Vlad Guerrero, or to think he might become as big a star as Michael Vick or Lebron James, there is at least reason to believe anything is possible.
Now, I still wonder how long he can avoid a big slump, simply because I’ve seen too many guys start out strong _ OK, maybe not THIS strong _ and then have things even out quickly. And I still have a hard time believing someone can hit 100 points higher at the major league level than he was hitting earlier in the same season at the Double-A level.
But … but … my goodness. This dude is absolutely making us pause to reevaluate, to consider the possibilities, to ponder whether we may indeed be seeing the early stages of a true superstar talent.
I know that in 11 years of covering major league baseball, I’ve never seen anything like this from a rookie, the closest I’ve seen being Edgar Renteria with the Marlins, when he won the World Series with his 10th-inning hit against Cleveland in 1997.
Edgar was _ and is _ a solid all-around player with a flair for dramatic hits. But what Francoeur’s doing is something else entirely. I mean, nine homers and eight outfield assists in 28 games, not to mention 26 RBIs and a .382 average and .394 on-base percentagae WITHOUT A SINGLE WALK!
It’s crazy. It’s been something special to watch and chronicle. And it’ll be interesting to see how it plays out, not just the rest of the season and postseason, but of course where it goes from there.
No one can predict injuries and other obstacles that might slow a seemingly unstoppable talent, but everyone who’s gotten to know Francoeur agrees he couldn’t possibly have a better attitude, a better disposition, or a better foundation of skills, confidence and instincts to build a career on.
Stay tuned. And enjoy. If I were a fan, this is a player who’d probably motivate me to preserve newspaper clippings, photos and magazine covers, the way I used to with Ali _ and later Jordan _ Sports Illustrated covers.
They might be worth some money someday, or at least worth showing to the grandkids and telling them you were there when Frenchy hit town.
Some tough calls on Braves’ pitching staff
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Having a two-week homestand and 22 of 28 games at Turner Field is perfect for the Braves. Having three off days during the stretch really isn’t.
With the return of John Thomson and Mike Hampton, manager Bobby Cox has a dilemma. He has too many starters and not enough games.
Thomson will pitch Saturday and Hampton on Sunday. Kyle Davies is headed back to the minors and Horacio Ramirez to the bullpen.
Jorge Sosa opened the weekend series against Arizona, but may not start again for at least another week.
Cox says that Thomson and Hampton are ready and he has to see what they can do. But will they really be better than Ramirez, Davies or Sosa?
Ramirez doesn’t appear ready to immediately contribute to the bullpen, which could use help. Sosa has experience as a reliever, but greatly prefers to start and has done much better in the rotation.
How do you think the pitching staff should break down?
If Thomson is ready and Hampton can stay healthy, I guess I’d prefer this 12-man breakdown:
Starters — John Smoltz, Tim Hudson, Hampton, Thomson and Ramirez.
Bullpen — Sosa, John Foster, Kyle Farnsworth, Jim Brower, Dan Kolb, Blaine Boyer and Chris Reitsma.
Of course, it would be nice if GM John Schuerholz could pull off a bullpen upgrade before Sept. 1.
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