AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2006 > July > 27
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Intrigue over Chipper’s absence? Not really
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Chipper was out of the lineup today because he’s being traded to the Brewers for Carlos Lee.
Hello! Just wanted to make a splash there.
We kid. Chipper not being traded, just kept out of lineup for precautionary reasons because the strained left oblique (or side, as I like to say) hurts a bit more batting right-handed than left. And lefty Scott Olsen’s pitching for the Marlins (quite well, I might add, with only two hits allowed so far in three scoreless innings).
Chipper said he expects to play all three games against the Mets this weekend, including Sunday vs. the ‘ol lefty Tom Glavine, as long as his side continues to improve as it has the past couple of days.
Since everybody’s wondering: No, nothing new yet today on the Betemit/Proctor trade front. I can understand, certainly, why so many of you wouldn’t trade Betemit for him. You like Betemit, and he’s played very well this year, and seems invaluable given the recurrent injuries with Chipper and Marcus.
But you’ve got to give up something good to get something. And you can’t just trade Giles and his big salary because he’s not having a good year. See, other teams don’t exist to help the Braves win the division title. They’re also trying to do same (my one condescending line of the blog).
I said yesterday, the Braves won’t do the Betemit trade, probably not at least, unless they know they can finalize another trade soon for another “super utility” type of infielder. And no, I don’t know who that would be. They’re talking to teams on that front, is all I know.
You shouldn’t make too much of Proctor’s bad outing last night, other than to note that Torre isn’t using him as if he’s about to be traded. By that I mean, he pitched him for the third consecutive night, after using Proctor for two innings the night before.
The Yankees won’t be able to trade him if his arm falls off. But Torre has always been known to do that with his best relievers. He finds a guy he can rely on, then pitches him until he runs out of gas or gets hurt. He’s not the only manager known to do that.
Proctor had pitched nine scoreless innings (three hits, no walks, 12 strikeouts) in seven games over 11 days since the All-Star break before giving up four hits and a run last night. That’s a hell of a workload for a reliever, folks.
Speaking of bad outings, how ‘bout Wickman’s results since his horrible game at Cincinnati on June 29?
The big man _ and yes, Wick does look like he could move right into long-haul trucking when the baseball’s over _ gave up three runs, five hits, two walks and his only homer of the season during two-thirds of an inning at Cincinnati’s absurdly small park on June 30.
Since then? He’s given up a total of four hits and one walk in seven scoreless innings over seven appearances, converting six-of-six save opportunities. Oh, mercy, is this guy the salve the Braves needed for their bullpen, or what?
OK, gotta get back to covering the game, making calls, working on stories for tomorrow’s paper, etc. I apologize for the slowness of the blogosphere today, but it’s getting up near 600 posts, last I checked.
And I’m not used to these early wakeup calls after a night game. Usually takes me a couple hours and pot of coffee before I’m in writing mode. Didn’t have time to write a blog before I got here and had to get down to the clubhouse and then crunching numbers for scouting box for Mets series.
Anyway, you don’t want to hear my itinerary or moaning. Me and LaRoche don’t care what you think, anyway. KIDDING, folks, kidding. And I was pleased to see there weren’t many petty boos for LaRoche today when he came to bat, after his comments to me that ran in today’s paper.
If I was a fan, he’d be a guy I’d pull for, because honesty and real-ness is refreshing, and you shouldn’t just like a guy because he says what you want to hear. Look what that’s done for A-Rod, being perceived as a phony who always wants to say the right things. It’s backfired on him in a huge way.
LaRoche just doesn’t have a filter, and that’s good, in my book.
I swear, if all of you could have a beer and shoot the crap with every Brave, LaRoche would be near the top of most of your lists of guys you’d like to hang with. Seriously. There’s a bunch of them, especially younger ones, who are as normal and down-to-earth as your neighbor, and he’s one of them.
OK, I’m off my soapbox and back to work.
Anybody going to Ryan Adams this weekend at Tabernacle? I’ll be there for the Sunday show. If anyone’s going to Rascal Flatts (not me, thanks), keep an eye out for Braves. I know the head man (Bobby) is going with his wife, and I heard several players talking about going, including Hampton and some of the country-loving young players.
Cox asked me if I was going, and I said, not unless George Jones is opening. He liked that. He digs the Possum, like a lot of us do. His wife’s dragging him to this show _ I say dragging, because Bobby would prefer to stay on the farm in Adairsville and cook a steak after a day game, rather than head to Philips Arena.
That’s it. Now I am going to work.
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