AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2006 > December > 26
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Braves aren’t closed for business
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s traditionally a dead week in baseball, this week between Christmas and New Year, the industry’s slowest week bookended by the over-indulgent eating and drinking holidays.
But this whole offseason has been about over-indulgence of a different kind in baseball, what with the bloated free-agent contracts being gifted to some rather undistinguished pitchers and hitters by a bunch of anxious teams.
So maybe it’s appropriate that Big Unit trade rumors were rampant on Christmas Day, the Randy Johnson trade buzz signaling the start to a week that won’t be as slow for baseball as it’s been in the past.
The Braves could be involved, though their offices are closed and GM John Schuerholz is at his second home in Naples, Fla. He’s got the cell phone on and the laptop at the ready, believe it.
Schuerholz told me Tuesday that he even exchanged e-mails and phone calls with GMs on Christmas. And not to say Merry Christmas.
The Braves are still talking to teams, trying to add another quality arm and perhaps a leadoff man, but they’re not going to trade Adam LaRoche or anyone else unless it’s a deal they believe makes their team better — now.
“We’re still talking, still looking for moves we can make that make us stronger,” Schuerholz said. “But if we can’t [make any more] we think our team… it’s already stronger.”
He listed the reasons he believes that’s true: “Having a closer [Bob Wickman] from the start of season, and having a guy [Rafael Soriano] who’s one of the dominant setup men in the game setting up our closer is an advantage we didn’t have last year.
“Having a rotation anchored by John Smoltz and Tim Hudson, and now with Mike Hampton coming back…”
Schuerholz went on to mention Chuck James, who figures prominently in the Braves’ rotation plans, and Kyle Davies, who should have a spot if healthy.
He mentioned Tanyon Sturtze, the veteran reliever who should be ready by May. He mentioned Blaine Boyer and other relievers. He mentioned a lot of things in just a few minutes, as if he’s said this stuff a few times recently. He has.
Schuerholz has been getting calls from national writers, guys doing “state of the Braves” stories, guys wanting to know about Atlanta’s payroll or Andruw Jones or Adam LaRoche or blah blah blah.
Schuerholz doesn’t talk about possible personnel moves, of course, not until they’re already made or, in rare instances, when a move wasn’t made (like the Tom Glavine thing that ended unceremoniously a few weeks ago).
But he’s got the answers ready about the outlook for his team, and he says it with such conviction that you think he believes the Braves are going to contend.
Listening to him, I get a feeling the Braves might make another move or two, but also might not. I don’t get a feeling they’re working on a flurry of big moves, as some have suggested. Don’t get that feeling at all.
Schuerholz sounds like he’s comfortable enough to go to spring training with this team and see if he needs to add pieces then, rather than do another trade now just to do another trade. I get a sense that he’d trade Adam LaRoche, but not without a “wow” return.
“Our offense is going to be really good again, and we’re going to score a lot of runs again,” he said. “It’s a much more balanced team already than we had starting season last year.”
But enough baseball….
(NOTE: Non-music freaks, simply scroll down past this list to the part where you post or read the other folks’ posts. No need to read the music list and then tell me you wish I’d drop the music talk. Comprende?)
OK, here it is, 25 CDs released in 2006 that every music lover with eclectic, adventurous and excellent tastes should own, in my pompous opinion. In no certain order:
Tom Waits: “Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards”
M. Ward: “Post-War”
Bob Dylan: “Modern Times”
Johnny Cash: “American V: A Hundred Highways”
Clipse: “Hell Hath No Fury”
Arctic Monkeys: “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not”
Gram Parsons: “The Complete Reprise Sessions”
Neko Case: “Fox Confessor Brings the Flood”
The Thermals: “The Body, The Blood, The Machine”
The Coup: “Pick a Bigger Weapon”
Hank Williams III: “Straight to Hell”
TV on the Radio: “Return to Cookie Mountain”
Ghostface Killah: “Fishscale”
The Sadies: “In Concert, Vol. 1”
Josh Ritter: “The Animal Years”
Wilco: “Kicking Television”
Johnny Cash: “At San Quentin” (expanded box)
James McMurtry: “Childish Things”
Cat Power: “The Greatest”
The Raconteurs: “Broken Boy Soldiers”
Bruce Springsteen: “We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions”
Joseph Arthur: “Nuclear Daydream”
Drive-By Truckers: “A Blessing and a Curse”
Kris Kristofferson: “This Old Road”
Sonic Youth: “Rather Ripped”
The Hold Steady: “Boys and Girls in America”
Plus two local-band gems:
Black Lips: “Let It Bloom
The Whigs: “Give ‘Em All a Fat Lip”
Feel free to provide your own list, be they top 5, 10, or whatever. We’ll do movies next week.
