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Monday, October 2, 2006
Braves give their playoff thoughts
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I asked five Braves how closely they’ll be watching the playoffs.
Bobby Cox, manager: “In the past, it was hard to be knocked out and watch two days later. But I always follow the postseason, whether we are playing or not. I guess I’ll get to watch a little more on TV this year. I don’t root for teams, but I sure will for guys like Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux, our old players. I still care a lot about them. There are a lot of ex-Braves with the Dodgers. And I always want the National League to win the World Series. I’ll watch a lot, but I am going down to Florida for our instructional league. I haven’t done that for a while because we were always playing in October.”
Jeff Francoeur, outfielder: “Absolutely I’ll be watching on TV. I know people say it hurts too much to watch if you’re out of it, but I don’t really feel that way. I’ll pull for the National League in the World Series, and you usually want to see a team from your division do well. This year, though, there are also a lot of ex-Braves on the Dodgers. I’m going down to Florida to spend some time at the beach, but I’ll be following the playoffs. If you’re a baseball player, I think you should be a baseball fan.”
Brian McCann, catcher: “I’m not going to lie and say that I’ll be watching a lot of it. I want to take a little time to get away from baseball. I’m going to take a trip. Probably, I’ll go down to my parents’ condo in Florida. I’m sure I’ll watch some, but probably not a lot. I don’t care who wins. Not at all. I don’t even care if it’s the National League or the American League who wins the World Series.”
Tim Hudson, pitcher: “I’ll be rooting for Oakland. I have to. I was there for six years. I’m still close to a lot of the guys, although the A’s have a lot of new faces. I want them to do well. I think this might be their year. I’ll definitely try to tune in when they’re playing.”
John Smoltz, pitcher: “I enjoy watching the playoffs. I think it is the greatest time of the year, right up there with March Madness. And I will be rooting for the Tigers. I don’t have a whole lot of people that I know over there, but I grew up loving the Tigers. Detroit is deserving of this great turnaround. There are so many good stories. The Tigers have a tremendous hill to climb, but I think they have a chance. With the Yankees, a lot depends on Randy Johnson. I think the Yankees have by far the best team on paper.”
How interested are you in this year’s playoffs, the first non-Braves postseason since 1990? And who do you think will win it all?
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No joy in Mudville the day after
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
There was no red, white and blue bunting being hung from the seating-deck facades at Turner Field. No workout day before a division series. No blow-dried TV guys or cliche’-filled group interview sessions.
Just an empty Braves clubhouse, Bobby Cox stopping by to chat, a few stadium employees walking around doing whatever, and a few disappointed autograph seekers outside the fence of the players’ parking lot. Kind of sad, really.
But Braves fans will be pleased to know this: Straight from a conversation today with a highly placed Braves official, I can assure you that payroll will not be reduced in 2007 or for the foreseeable future. Might even be raised “a few dollars.” That, the man told me, was definite, no question.
Thus the never-ending saga of the pending team sale is largely irrelevant, for the sake of fans and players.
I mean, it’s not going to affect any of you. Same management, same payroll, so who cares if the team is sold in November or … whenever? If it doesn’t affect the payroll or the front office or anything else that affects what we see put on the field, I don’t see why it’s of much interest. One corporation of another.
Unless Liberty backs out — and I’m told that’s not close to happening — and an individual steps in to buy the team, then we’re not going to see an owner wearing a Braves cap sitting in the owners’ box seats next to the dugout anytime soon.
As for those fans outside the players’ lot this morning: Hey, everybody around here is new at this no-postseason thing, and those fans figured they’d catch the players coming to empty their lockers like they’ve done after the final postseason game for the past decade and a half. But things change.
Since the Braves knew it was all ending with Sunday’s regular season finale, most of them had already packed their belongings and took them home. Others, mostly locals like Brian McCann and Jeff Francoeur, left locker stalls full, figuring they could stop by any time in the coming weeks. Besides, they’ll be back working out before long.
(By the way, one look at the lockers of housemates Francoeur and McCann indicates they’re the new Odd Couple, with Francoer playing the role of fastidious Felix Unger and McCann as the disheveled Oscar Madison. Francoeur’s locker is neat as can be; McCann’s look like he backed in a dump truck full of equipment and junk and let it fall into the stall.)
Coaching changes are probably going to be announced in a day or, with Eddie Perez replacing Bobby Dews as bullpen coach. Third-base coach Fredi Gonzalez is expected to take the Florida job, unless some other team (Giants, Nats) promises him the moon and he decides to wait a while and drive up the price.
But I think the Marlins are moving quickly. Like this week.
Also, bench coach Pat Corrales is expected to step down. Braves would promote from within to replace Gonzalez and Corrales, from what I’m told. Don’t know who the minor league coaches or managers being promoted would be, but wouldn’t surprise me if Jeff Blauser is in the mix after a year managing Double-A Mississippi.
Some have asked about Dews. It was his idea to step down from the bullpen job, only because he’s 67 and the wear and tear of squatting and warming up pitchers has finally started to catch up with him. He’ll move into some sort of special-assistant or advisory role and be at spring training and home games, from what I understand.
Gonna miss Dewsy and Corrales in the clubhouse, that’s for sure. Both really, really good guys. Dewsy’s a prince, both a grizzled baseball lifer and a writer of poetry and short stories. Corrales is as cranky as me on a bad day. God, I’m gonna miss him.
In case you’re wondering, Terry Pendleton will be back unless some team makes him a managerial job offer he can’t refuse, and pitching coach Roger McDowell will definitely be back. Though it was never announced when he signed with the Braves nearly a year ago, McDowell actually got a two-year contract, not a one-year deal like the rest of the coaches.
