AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2006 > September > 15
Friday, September 15, 2006
James shines in dance band on Titanic
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A few developments have prevented the final weeks of the Braves’ season from becoming nothing more than an agonizing exercise _ the steadiness of clutch-hitting 22-year-old Brian McCann, the realized talent of Adam LaRoche, the door-slamming effectiveness of Bob Wickman, who makes us wonder what might have been if the Braves had bucked up and acquired a closer last winter.
But has anything been more encouraging than the emergence of Chuck James?
He’s been the surprisingly good little tuba player in the dance band on the Titanic. And that’s a ragtag band has only had one other solid performer, John Smoltz.
(An aside _ I don’t really view these Braves as the Titanic in the long term, just this season, the ship going down metaphor for the end of the divisional reign. In the long term, they’ve got some work to do, but the foundation is in place, with plenty of young players and enough productive veterans to help steer a couple more years until turning the wheel over to the kids.)
An undersized lefty from Mableton, with a thick drawl and charismatic smile, James has proven that his dominant performance at every level in the minors can indeed translate to the majors, despite his 88 mph fastball and less-than-imposing stature (we harp on this because he’s about 5-10 and 175).
Scrappy kid can simply pitch. He’s 10-3 with a 3.33 ERA in 22 games (15 starts), all the decisions coming as a starter since he returned from Richmond and was inserted in the rotation on June 25. Suffice to say, he’ll at least have a rotation spot to lose entering spring training. At least.
He leads major league rookies in wins since June 25. And his toughness has manifested itself in several ways.
After getting rocked a few times while going 2-3 with an 8.14 ERA in five starts July 5 to Aug. 4, James learned his lessons, figured out the importance of keeping the ball down _ though still need to that more consistently _ and of not trying so hard to make perfect pitches. He’s learned just to trust his stuff and his defense.
Since allowing eight homers and a .309 opponents’ average in 24-1/3 innings during that skid, he’s gone 6-0 with a 1.70 ERA in his past eight starts, with a .212 opponents average and only three homers in 53 innings.
When Bobby Cox starts comparing a rookie to Tom Glavine _ he said last night they have “exactly” the same deception in their deliveries, which keeps hitters off-balance and guessing _ then you know that kid has impressed the old skipper. And impressing Cox is a very good thing to do in this organization.
Like Glavine long ago, his changeup makes him more effective against righties than lefties _ James’ .211 opponents’ average by right-handers is ninth-best among NL qualifiers.
And like Glavine, he doesn’t wilt. Pressure doesn’t faze this country kid, who worked out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam last night vs. Philly. He’s got a .215 opponents’ average with runners on base, seventh-best among NL starters.
All that said, don’t expect him to win the NL Rookie of the Year award. If he’d been in the rotation all season, perhaps. But he got too late a start, I’m sure.
Even if he reels off four more wins, it’s probably too late for him to overcome the rookie brigade of the Marlins, including All-Star second baseman Dan Uggla, who’s batting .292 with 24 homers and 85 RBIs, and a bevy of starting pitchers. How can Uggla not win it? (or maybe I’m missing someone; I haven’t looked closely, because I’m not voting).
They have Anibal Sanchez, who just threw a no-hitter and is 8-2 with a 2.40 ERA in 14 starts, including 7-2 since the All-Star break. And Josh Johnson, who’s 11-5 with a 3.03 ERA. And Scott Olsen, who’s 12-8 with a 3.98 ERA.
And there’s San Francisco rookie Matt Cain, who is 13-9 with a 3.75 ERA in 29 games (28 starts), with 163 strikeouts in 172 innings. Cain is 7-3 with a 2.21 ERA and .182 opponents’ average in 12 starts since the All-Star break. Again, I’m sure there are others, but those come to mind immediately.
But whether James finishes in the top 3, the top 5, or wherever, the important thing is he’s given the Braves plenty of reason to believe he can be an integral part of the rotation for years to come, and a second left-hander to go with Mike Hampton next year in case the team decides to cut bait and deal Horacio Ramirez, which I think they’ll do.
With John Thomson leaving as free agent and Ramirez possibly traded, and barring a surprise trade of Tim Hudson, the rotation will include Smoltz, Hudson, Hampton and James, the way I figure. And as I’ve stated many times, I think the Braves must and will try to bring in a proven veteran guy, a mid-priced starter who can be counted on for 30 starts and 200 innings.
Unless they believe Lance Cormier or Oscar Villarreal can be that guy, which, to me, would be a bit of a reach given the small samples of work by each in the starting role.
They can’t afford to have another season of piecing the rotation together all year. Need proven depth. Davies, Lerew, etc, can fight it out this spring and try to impress enough to challenge for the fifth spot. But if I’m the Braves, I can’t honestly look at what they’ve done so far and go into next season with either of them projected to be in the rotation. Or maybe I’m being too hard on Davies so early, considering his injury?
Your thoughts?
