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January 2007
LaRoche: Braves, fans were spoiled
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Braves will hold their FanFest Saturday at Turner Field, and Chipper Jones, Brian McCann, Jeff Francoeur and 15 other players are scheduled to attend and sign autographs.
Not on the list, of course, is Adam LaRoche.
After being traded to Pittsburgh last month, he was the star of the recent Pirates FanFest, and told me this week he was overwhelmed by enthusiasm from followers of a team that’s been a perennial cellar dweller for 14 seasons.
He also said this about Atlanta fans: “They got spoiled, and they’ve got to know that. Somebody’s got to have told them by now. They were spoiled, and we were spoiled as players.”
LaRoche senses a very different vibe in Pittsburgh than he left in Atlanta, both among his new teammates and fans. Some of that’s good, some he’s not so sure about.
“It was pretty crazy; those fans were so into it,” he said of the Pirates’ FanFest. “I got to spend a little more time with the GM and the coaches, find out the direction they’re going. It’s going to be fun. It’s not going to be easy. It’s a real young team, definitely going to be a challenge. Their goal right now is about change, almost like their goal is to try to be a .500 team, then try get to playoffs later. They don’t know whether it takes three years or five years.
“In my opinion, they need to get the .500 thing out of their heads and go for the playoffs.”
Spoken like a player who was drafted and developed by the Braves, a team that made 14 consecutive playoff appearances before watching the postseason from home following their disappointing 2006 season.
LaRoche is going from a team that had swagger and walked on the field expecting to win, to a young team trying to develop a winning attitude.
“It really is lot different, good and bad,” LaRoche said. “They want to win, but I think nobody’s real sure how to do it. They’re looking for a couple of guys to come in and show them. That’s going to be the fun part.”
LaRoche knew his name had been mentioned in trade rumors in November and December, but two weeks into the new year he thought the discussions were over. He thought he was safe and would be back with the Braves.
Then John Schuerholz called Jan. 17 and told him he’d been traded to Pittsburgh for left-handed closer Mike Gonzalez. “It shocked me a little bit, because I thought [the trade rumors] had died out,” he said.
He was widely popular with his teammates, and LaRoche said leaving them and manager Bobby Cox was the hardest part.
“Those are basically my brothers,” LaRoche said. “Bobby tried calling me three or four times, and I finally got in touch with him a couple days ago. He said what you’d expect_ ‘It was a great three years, sorry we had to do it, loved you here.’ That was neat to hear.
“I got to tell him how lucky I was to play for him, what an honor it was to play my first three years with him and the guys I got to play for in the organization, learning how to win from them.
“I’m looking at it like I was lucky to get to play there. I don’t know if anybody’s ever left that’s not missed [Cox]. I like [Pirates manager Jim] Tracy; there’s lot of similarities. Tracy talks a little more. They’re both pretty laid back _ just hustle and be on time, sounds like those are the only two rules for both of them.”
LaRoche said he’ll be pulling for his replacement, Scott Thorman, and believes the rookie will do fine. But he added that it might take some time for Thorman to get comfortable and produce consistently.
“As a guy, he’s awesome,” LaRoche said. “He’s going to fit right in, where he’s pulling for guys and everybody’s liking him. I really like him. It’s going to be up to him in between the lines. It’s hard for anybody to say what’ll happen right away at the big league level.
“He’s had some at-bats, but it’s a different comfort level when you’re going to be playing a lot, when you know you’re going to be out there getting your at-bats every day.”
LaRoche was always refreshingly candid, not one to use the standard clichés and filter all thoughts into safe soundbites that said nothing. Now that he’s gone, he had a couple more things to say about his Atlanta experience:
“I can say it now, because now I’m not there. It was disappointing not to get in the playoffs, but those last three weeks we pretty much realized we were not going to be there, and I was saying, ‘Maybe this is what we need, to give us a chance to sit back and realize how lucky we were, and that it’s not going to be easy in the future.’ How that should make us realize we needed do everything we can to put the best team on the field _ not be so conscious of the budget issue all the time, although I know it’s easy to spend somebody else’s money.”
“It’s not necessary to put stars at every position, but try to make moves to field the best team, make the right moves to put together a team….”
“We got absolutely thumped in that division race last year.”
“I hope the [Atlanta fans] get fired up [now] the way I heard they were six or seven years ago, or however long it was, where they truly are pulling for the team and it’s not going to be 50-50 [mix] at the park with some fans just coming out be at a ballgame.”
“That’s hard for 14 years when you get in the playoffs and [with the fans] it’s like, ‘Let’s hurry up and get season over, get back in the playoffs.’ Now I think they realize it’s not that easy, like ‘What they did there was pretty incredible and we need to back them more.’”
“They need to get that fire back like I think teams have that don’t win. And it’s weird _ I’m seeing it in Pittsburgh, and they haven’t even been over .500 in how many years? These fans are going crazy, they’re the underdog, and these are their guys. It’s almost like they’re part of it.”
“Everybody knows the talent there [in Atlanta]. I think the future’s bright, if they can keep ‘em together. If it’s me, I’m locking up some of those guys [to multi-year contracts]. They’re going to be there, they’re going to be good, they’ve got the right attitude, so lock ‘em up.”
Hudson vs. lefties
I wrote a story on Hudson for the Thursday Journal-Constitution, and didn’t have room for a bunch of stats that you guys would probably find interesting. One of them is Hudson’s yield against left-handed hitters over the years.
Specifically, it’s pretty telling to see what lefties hit against the right-hander in the past three seasons, compared to Hudson’s first five seasons in the big leagues.
Here it is, Hudson vs. LEFTIES: batting average-homers-OBP-slugging
2006: .281-17-.353-.493
2005: .285-9-.365-.427
2004: .298-5-.354-.422
2003: .229-9-.286-.317
2002: .283-15-.337-.448
2001: .256-11-.314-.382
2000: .231-17-.301-.405
1999: .234-4-.318-.340
”Houses on the Hill” by Ryan Adams and Caitlin Cary
Well I found a bunch of letters/that were written for the fellow/ who broke your momma’s heart
and the envelope folds/ smelled of her ancient perfume
I’ll bet she didn’t know/how to respond before the blankets of snow
caught him out wandering alone/no place to go
There were stars in the sky/there were houses on the hill/and there were bottles of pills that were easy to buy
to keep her warm from the oncoming storm
well I found them in the northwest corner/ of the attic in a box labeled tinsel and lights
didn’t know what I was I looking for/maybe just a blanket or artifacts
Eisenhower sent him to war/he kept her picture in his pocket that was closest to his heart
and when he hit shore/must have been a target for the gunman
There were stars in the sky/there were bunkers on the hill/and there were caskets to fill where he will lie
shrouded in the red white and blue with the stripes
there were stars in the sky/there were houses on the hill/and there were bottles of pills that were easy to buy
to keep her warm from the oncoming storm
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What to do in left field?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Braves newcomer Craig Wilson never has and never will win a Gold Glove in the outfield, but the veteran is serviceable in the corners and does plenty of damage hitting left-handed pitchers. The Braves plan to use him in left field and first base, plus plenty of pinch-hitting.
Matt Diaz arrived a year ago with a reputation as a marginal defensive outfielder and platoon candidate who had hit well vs. lefties in limited major league duty. Then, he proceeded to show he wasn’t a defensive liability and could hit right-handers as well as lefties.
Which brings us to Ryan Langerhans, who plays undeniably great defense, far better than either Wilson or Diaz, but has been a mostly disappointing hitter for two seasons in the majors.
What will the Braves do about dividing the playing time in left field? What should they do?
Do they try to trade Diaz, perhaps figuring that his value will never be higher than now, that his .327 average and seven homers in 297 at-bats last season (including .357 with a .400 OBP vs. righties) was something of a fluke?
Do they actively shop Langerhans, hoping that some team that has enough offense will give up something in return for a fourth outfielder with an outstanding glove?
Or do they hang onto “Langy” and assume (hope?) that the offensive ability he showed in spurts will come around and eventually make him a solid outfielder _ he can play all three spots very well _ who saves runs with his glove and also drives in 70-80?
Hey, or maybe they should keep all three of them, though that would mean they probably would be able to start the season with only two backup infielders (assuming Kelly Johnson is the starting 2B) from among the group of Chris Woodward (a lock for one job), Willy Aybar, Pete Orr and Martin Prado, with prospects Yunel Escobar and Tony Pena outside looking in?
Decisions, decisions. It’ll be an interesting spring. And I really believe the Braves will deal away at least one of those young infielders and probably one of the outfielders, Diaz or Langerhans.
As much as I’ve suspected the Braves wanted to keep Langerhans for his great glove and hope his bat eventually came around, when the Braves signed Wilson recently it made me think Langerhans or Diaz is on the way out.
And the more I think about it and examine his production, the more I believe it could be Langerhans, simply because he’s been so woeful most of the time as a hitter in the majors.
Consider this: Matt Diaz has a .305 career average with an .800 OPS, 36 extra-base hits (nine homers) and 44 RBIs in 416 at-bats in the majors. That includes .307 in 218 at-bats vs. lefties and .303 in 198 at-bats vs. righties.
Langerhans has a .254 career average with a .746 OPS, 59 extra-base hits (15 homers) and 70 RBIs in 657 at-bats, or 239 at-bats more than Diaz.
And here’s a really alarming stat I just came up with. Knowing that Langerhans has had a couple of hot streaks, I decided to see how much of his production came in those relatively short periods. Answer: A whole lot of it. A frightening amount of it.
He hit .271 with five homers and 19 RBIs in 85 at-bats over a 28-game stretch from May 1 to June 8 in 2005, and started last season by hitting .406 with two homers and eight RBIs in his first 10 games through April 14.
That’s 36-for-117 (.308) with 10 doubles, seven homers and 27 RBIs in those 38 games over those two hot streaks.
Now here’s what he’s done in his other 238 career games: hit .243 with 28 doubles, eight homers and 43 RBIs. That’s .243 with eight homers in 540 at-bats, roughly a full season’s worth of at-bats for a regular.
Oddly, the left-hitting Langerhans has hit just .245 with 14 homers in 555 at-bats vs. right-handers, compared to .304 (albeit with only one homer) in 102 at-bats vs. lefties.
In other words, unless Bobby Cox and the Braves are going to completely ignore the fact that Langerhans has hit 50 points higher against lefties and only hit .254 vs. righties, he doesn’t appear to be a logical candidate for a platoon with the right-handed hitting Wilson.
In fact, Diaz, despite being a right-handed hitter, is statistically a better fit as a candidate to platoon with the veteran Wilson, who has a robust .296 career average and .938 OPS vs. lefties, compared to .253 with a .793 OPS vs. righties.
Last season with the Pirates and Yankees, Wilson hit .278 with seven homers and 24 RBIs in 133 at-bats vs. lefties, and .235 with 10 homers and 25 RBIs in 226 at-bats vs. righties.
Wilson figures to back up first baseman Scott Thorman unless the rookie struggles, in which case that position would likely become a platoon. But the Braves have indicated they want Thorman to have a chance to play every day, without looking over his shoulder and worrying.
So what do you think? What should the Braves do in left?
I haven’t even mentioned the possibility of a non-roster invitee such as former Mariner T.J. Bohn or a prospect such as Gregor Blanco competing for an outfield spot, mainly because I think it’ll take a trade for Bohn to have any shot at making the roster, and I’m told Blanco isn’t a serious opening-day roster candidate this spring.
Anyway, give me your theories and predictions. Maybe John Schuerholz, a blog reader, will take your thoughts under consideration. However, something tells me the Braves have discussed every possible option 1,000 times, and that much depends on both performance this spring and the needs of the Braves and other teams as spring training progresses.
The music portion of our program
OK, on another subject. We’ve kicked around a lot of music lists here this winter, including top 20 bands of the past 25 years, best guitarists, best bass players, etc.
Today I’m calling on an expert for a Top 10 (actually, 11) Drummers list: my friend Wayne Glass, who’s drummed for several local bands (currently in the spectacularly named The Lord Is My Shotgun), collects vintage drum kits (he has a two-story house in the Highlands and an understanding wife), and an amazingly thorough knowledge of drummers from all periods and all genres of music.
I asked him to focus on rock drummers, but to include anyone else he deemed necessary.
His list (not necessarily in order, unless noted):
John Bonham (Led Zeppelin) and Keith Moon (The Who): “The greatest rock drummers of all time, bar none.”
John Densmore (Doors)
Ringo Star (Beatles): “A lot of people don’t give him credit, but he’s great.”
Stewart Copeland (Police)
Charlie Watts (Rolling Stones)
Larry Mullen Jr. (U2)
Manu Katche: “He’s played with a lot of bands, including Peter Gabriel in the ‘80s. A great, great drummer.”
Martin Chambers (Pretenders)
Zach Starkey: “Ringo’s kid, he’s one of the best of the newer guys.”
OK, after he reeled off these guys I asked Wayne, “What about all-time, any genre?” He answered without hesitation:
“Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich. They’re the two greatest drummers ever. Buddy Rich was probably the best.”
Whaddya think of that list, folks? (Personally, I’d have found a spot for Ginger Baker, but Bonham and Moon would have to be at the top.)
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Taking matters into our own hands
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Well, since I’m tired of waiting for an explanation as to why the Braves blog shut down and none of the others did, I’ll just file another blog and see if that fixes the problem.
Anyway, it’s a shame it happened today, the Great Blog Crash or ‘07. A few of those www.deadjournalist.com readers are probably coming over and going, what’s the big deal with this lame blog _ nobody’s posted since about noon.
Hey, wish they could see the backlog of 50 or so comments you people continued to file even after they stopped showing up on the screen. Pretty impressive. Thanks for the dedication. I’ll post a few of them below if I can.
Now, what topic today for a clean slate? How ‘bout this, for one thing. Check out the first paragraphs of this story from the Philly Inquirer on Wednesday:
Jimmy Rollins typically is one of the coolest customers in the Phillies’ clubhouse, but even he sounded excited about their April 2 season opener against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park.
He likes their chances.
“I think we are the team to beat in the NL East,” the shortstop pronounced yesterday at a media luncheon at the ballpark. “Finally.”
“But that’s all on paper,” he continued. “You look at the Mets’ staff. When I look at them, I’m like, ‘They’re getting older.’ We have the young guns. Everybody is in their prime. Brett [Myers] is going to be looking to show that he’s still No. 1, which is going to push him and Freddy [Garcia] in a friendly competition. You’ve got Cole [Hamels], who’s just a superstar Hollywood stud. Adam Eaton throws darts. And you’ve got the veteran in [Jamie] Moyer, who’s going to snake his way through the NL East this year.”
The New York Mets won the National League East by 12 games last season, so the Phillies have considerable ground to make up. But in their two media luncheons in the last two weeks - Rollins, Ryan Howard, Hamels and Aaron Rowand attended yesterday - the theme has remained constant: They think they have the starting pitching to be a legitimate contender in the National League….
OK, ME TALKING AGAIN NOW: That mention of the opener vs. Atlanta was the one and only reference to the Braves in the entire story, which went on for another 10 inches or so and talked more about the Phillies, their bullpen and addition of Alfonseca, and about the Mets. But nothing else about the Braves.
So it’s official: The former NL East bullies are viewed by everyone as underdogs now, or at least non-favorites. Not surprising, but still a bit jarring to see in this context. Totally overlooked, at least by Rollins. And I’m just betting the Braves will make a lot out of their underdog status, as something to rally around.
They’ve actually been underdogs the past couple or three years, but always there was some kind of qualifier from opponents when discussing the division race before the season: “Yes, but you can never overlook the Braves,” or “They’re the favorite until someone beats them.”
Not now. Folks, this is going to be an interesting season, from spring training until the end.
OK, one other thing: We all know that there is a vocal minority here _ actually, two or three guys _ who believe Bobby Cox has been wrongly pegged by players (his and those who’ve never played for him), coaches, managers, and media as one of the best managers in history and a certain future Hall of Famer.
We know those folks here who love to act like we’re all idiots, all you bloggers, all us writers, all the other managers and GMs who’ve consistently voted Cox as one of, if not the, top manager in the game.
Those loud few fellas would have you believe they are the only ones who have the real insight on Cox, rather than those who actually made or make a living playing, coaching, managing, scouting, broadcasting or writing about the game (god knows not anybody who writes about the game). Makes sense to me.
Fine, they’ve made their case _ again and again and again…. And they’re free to make it again … and again … and again. We don’t block or delete anything here, long as it’s decent, not racist or extremely offensive to other groups, and not an unprovoked personal attack on other bloggers.
But instead of complaining about same bloggers who continue to bash Cox, just let them do it. Instead of continuing to debate this topic and clog up the blog with the same tired stuff, just let it slide. I only say this because obviously there’s no end to the debate, yet no one’s mind is being changed, and in fact both sides only dig in deeper, and in the process it turns away others who want to discuss broader topics.
So it’s my suggestion _ again, just a suggestion _ to ignore a topic you’re tired of, instead of continuing to encourage more of the same discussion by complaining about it and asking the person to stop with the same repetitive, tired points. Let’s talk about something else instead. Or eat pie. Anything.
FT. WORTH BLUES by Steve Earle
In Ft. Worth all the neon’s burnin’ bright/Pretty lights red and blue
But they’d shut down all the honky tonks tonight/And say a prayer or two/If they only knew
You used to say the highway was your home/But we both know that ain’t true
It’s just the only place a man can go/When he don’t know where he’s travelin’ to
But Colorado’s always clean and healin’/And Tennessee in Spring is green and cool
It never really was your kind of town/But you went around with the Ft. Worth Blues
Somewhere up beyond the great divide/Where the sky is wide and the clouds are few
A man can see his way clear to the light/Just hold on tight/That’s all you gotta do
And they say Texas weather’s always changin’/And one thing change’ll bring is somethin’ new
And Houston really ain’t that bad a town/So you hang around with the Ft. Worth Blues
There’s a full moon over Galway Bay tonight/Silver light over green and blue
And every place I travel through, I find/Some kinda sign that you’ve been through
But Amsterdam was always good for grieving/And London never fails to leave me blue
Paris never was my kinda town/So I walked around … with the Ft. Worth Blues
Give free-swinging Francoeur some time
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A few thoughts on Jeff Francoeur and other matters for all to ponder as I scramble to do taxes, clean gutters and other tasks before relocating the Braves/Man In Black blog to Dark Star for six weeks of spring ‘ball and painfully annoying theme-park fun (I’m kidding … it’s 6-1/2 weeks).
To the dude on the last blog who opined that Francoeur isn’t a good “bad ball” hitter. I respectfully disagree. Wholeheartedly. Francoeur is far better than most at hitting pitches outside the strike zone, and hitting them hard. That’s what baseball people mean when they say someone’s a good “bad ball” hitter.
Now, let me be clear: He isn’t nearly on the level of Vlad Guerrero in that regard; no one in today’s game is. Vlad the Bad has hit balls out of the park from a range that stretches from just above the top of his shoe tops to his neck. The man’s a freak like that, the greatest “bad ball” hitter of a generation.
Francoeur can hit ‘em out when they’re out of the zone, too. But the problem is that he swings at way too many pitches out of the zone, especially early in the count. He’s not Vlad, and needs to act accordingly. He gets behind in the count, and he’s at the mercy of pitchers, the better ones able to put him away frequently once they get him into a “pitcher’s count.”
Just tone it down a little, that’s what is needed. A compromise. Aggressive, but smart.
Francoeur swung at a major league-high 52.2 percent of the 686 first pitches he saw last season. Guerrero (49.2) was the only other hitter to swing at more than 45 percent of first pitches, and only five others swung at even 40 percent. Think about that.
There’s a reason Guerrero is never criticized for swinging at first pitches: Because, again, he’s unique. He thrives doing it his way. The man hit .329 with a .382 OBP and .934 OPS last season _ and that was his lowest OPS in his nine full seasons in the majors!
Meawhile, Francoeur hit .260 with an unsightly .293 OBP and .742 OPS. Yikes.
That said, Francoeur showed progress in his plate discipline and patience at times last season _ at times. But it was sporadic, and when he fell back into bat habits, he’d go through slumps and look frustrated and flail at the plate.
Nevertheless, he still hit 29 homers and drove in 103 runs. He’s a bit unusual himself, obviously. It’s tough to have a .293 OBP and nearly six times as many strikeouts as walks (23) and still say it was a productive year, but it was.
As hitting coach Terry Pendleton has said many times, the Braves don’t want to rein in Francoeur’s aggressiveness by telling him he has to take first pitches or that he must cut down the strikeouts.
It’s a fine line, but they don’t want to make him tentative or have him thinking too much at the plate, because his natural aggressiveness and lack of fear are two of his biggest strengths.
He’s only 23 had has had barely 1-1/2 seasons in the majors _ way too soon to say Francoeur is never going to be able to raise his OBP or hit for a high average. Long as he hits for a decent average with good power and drives in runs, the Braves can live with the low OBP _ for now. But eventually….
I agree with those who’ve speculated that his World Baseball Classic participation last spring hurt Francoeur. It was his first big league spring training, and he missed much of it while riding the pine for the U.S. in the tourney that caused more problems that it was worth.
Thankfully, they’re not having the thing this spring. Remember, Scott Thorman also played in the Classic for Canada (granted, the Canucks were out of it quickly, but that’s the last thing the Braves’ new 1B would need this spring, while preparing for the biggest year of his young career).
Francoeur _ and Thorman, Oscar Villarreal, et al _ can focus on working on things they need to work on in non-pressure situations this spring, getting at-bats and innings in spring training and preparing for the season. You know, the way spring training is supposed to be.
Stupid “Classic.”
(Actually, I ended up liking the Classic, but just don’t like how it affected many players and pitchers, especially in the early season. It’s got to be retooled, in my opinion, and moved to another time if it’s to work without adversely affecting the actual season that counts in the eyes of the vast majority of fans _ the major league regular season).
OK, those who might have seen the “key dates” listed in a box next to my Kelly Johnson story in today’s Journal-Constitution, please note those dates are wrong and I wasn’t responsible (don’t want someone showing up a late to spring training for P & C reporting date and blaming it on me).
Pitchers and catchers report Feb. 15 and have first workout Feb. 16. Rest of position players are due in Feb. 20, with first full-squad workout scheduled Feb. 21. But most non-catcher position guys will be there earlier than the 20th, and some (like Johnson) plan to arrive with the pitchers and catchers….
Shhhh: The gathering formerly known as “Camp Leo” is to be held Feb. 2-12 at Turner Field, but don’t expect to hear it discussed beforehand by pitching coach Roger McDowell or any Braves officials.
There’s been a crackdown of sorts on voluntary mini-camps held by teams before spring training, because the union felt teams have put pressure on players to attend said camps by discussing them publicly and talking as if they are important parts of the offseason program for the team (and the union was probably right to think that).
Players, especially young players, see such a camp discussed by the manager or the GM or whomever, and figure they’d better be there.
And so, a rule in the new collective bargaining agreement says team mini-camps must be completed by Feb. 5, which is why the Baltimore Orioles decided not to even have a Camp Leo (Leo Mazzone took the tradition to Baltimore with him last year and had the pitching camp before his first season with the Orioles) this year. They had already scheduled it for the week after that, so they just scrubbed it. Camp Leo was a bit too publicized to be held covertly.
The Braves are apparently getting around the rule by not acknowledging they are even having a camp. But if pitchers happen to show up on those days, it’s a good bet McDowell might just happen to be there to work with them. And I’ll bet Bobby Cox might happen to drop by, too.
By the way, this probably goes without saying, but the stadium isn’t open to the public. If you want autographs, you need to wait outside the players’ lot….
As a tribute to the great songwriters who’ll be part of the gig at Variety Playhouse on Saturday _ Guy Clark, Joe Ely, John Hiatt, Lyle Lovett _ here’s one of my favorite tunes by one of those brilliant, beautiful minds:
RANDALL KNIFE, by Guy Clark
My father had a Randall knife/My mother gave it to him
When he went off to WWII/To save us all from ruin
If you’ve ever held a Randall knife/Then you know my father well
If a better blade was ever made/It was probably forged in hell
My father was a good man/A lawyer by his trade
And only once did I ever see/Him misuse the blade
It almost cut his thumb off/When he took it for a tool
The knife was made for darker things/And you could not bend the rules
He let me take it camping once/On a Boy Scout jamboree
And I broke a half an inch off/Trying to stick it in a tree
I hid it from him for a while/But the knife and he were one
He put it in his bottom drawer/Without a hard word one
There it slept and there it stayed/For twenty some odd years
Sort of like Excalibur/Except waiting for a tear
My father died when I was forty/And I couldn’t find a way to cry
Not because I didn’t love him/Not because he didn’t try
I’d cried for every lesser thing/Whiskey, pain and beauty
But he deserved a better tear/And I was not quite ready
So we took his ashes out to sea/And poured `em off the stern
And threw the roses in the wake/Of everything we’d learned
When we got back to the house/They asked me what I wanted
Not the lawbooks not the watch/I need the things he’s haunted
My hand burned for the Randall knife/There in the bottom drawer
And I found a tear for my father’s life/And all that it stood for
Meet the new ‘pen. Not same as the old ‘pen.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
From eyesore to showpiece. From glaring weakness to formidable strength. From “pass the Mylanta” to “turn out the lights.”
That’s what the Braves have done with their bullpen this winter. They’ve transformed a rag-tag unit that sucked life out of last season’s team with its repeated meltdowns into a bullpen that, at least on paper, looks as good as any in the National League.
It’s not a stretch to say it also looks as potentially overpowering as any in Atlanta Braves history, after the Wednesday trade that brought hard-throwing lefty Mike Gonzalez from Pittsburgh in exchange for Adam LaRoche.
Judging from the first 500 or so responses on a blog the AJC posted for fan comments on the trade, reaction seemed fairly split down the middle, with opinions ranging from the far reaches of both extremes _ “Unbelievably bad trade,” one said; “We fleeced the Pirates,” said another.
The fact is, it’s too early to judge this trade. Like most trades, it’ll take time to see whether LaRoche builds on his breakout .285-32-90 season and becomes a consistent 35-40 homer guy, a streaky .270 hitter who strikes out too much in the clutch, or something in-between. Whether Gonzalez establishes himself as a consistent dominant setup man and heir-apparent closer, or if last year’s elbow problems were an alarming harbinger, or something in-between.
I do know the Braves are going to miss his excellent glovework, and that the traditionally strong Braves infield defense could take a big step back in 2007.
Think about it _ the right side of the infield might feature second baseman Kelly Johnson, who’s never played that position at any level, and Thorman, who’s a bigger target than LaRoche, but doesn’t scoop balls as smoothly or have a 90-mph fastball to start double plays better than most any other first baseman. The “hot corner” has Chipper trying to stay healthy.
I didn’t think the Braves should do the LaRoche trade unless they got two immediate-impact guys from the Pirates, not just Gonzalez but also either center fielder Chris Duffy or one of their top young starting pitchers.
But while they didn’t get one of those guys who could help this year’s team, the Braves did get a top prospect, shortstop Brent Lillibridge, 23, a five-tool player the Braves think could be playing shortstop or second base and batting leadoff for them in a couple of years.
Lillibridge, a former University of Washington star (that’s why he’s older than most low-minors prospects) had a breakout year of his own, batting .305 with eight triples, 13 home runs, 71 RBIs and 53 stolen bases in 65 attempts while splitting the 2006 season between two Class-A Pirates minor league affiliates.
I talked to a scout who said his defensive skills are even better than his offense, that he has a plus-arm, great range and quickness, and plays hard. We’ll see, but sounds like this guy could compete for a job as soon as a year from now, depending how he does this season in Double-A.
But getting back to the bullpen….
No National League team blew as many saves as the Braves (29) last season, and the only NL bullpen with a higher total of hits and walks allowed than Atlanta (763) was Chicago (785).
Considering the fact that Cubs relievers had a 4.04 ERA and an impressive ratio of 553 strikeouts to 255 walks, while the Braves had a 4.39 ERA with 383 strikeouts and 248 walks, the Atlanta ‘pen was statistically worse than the one on Chicago’s North Side.
In fact, by most measures Atlanta’s bullpen was among the worst two or three relief corps in the National League, ranking right down there with the tiny-payrolled Marlins (16-28 record and 4.67 ERA by relievers) and Brewers (league-high 5.00 ERA and 29 losses by relievers).
Schuerholz, at some point, decided there was no way, no how, he was going to allow a repeat in 2007. If the Braves were to lose the division again, it wouldn’t be because of blown leads.
When some of you saw that the LaRoche/Gonzalez deal was done Wednesday (actually it won’t be finalized until they pass physicals, with no announcement expected until Friday or even Saturday), you immediately speculated it must be part of some bigger plan.
Some of you figured _ or read the speculation on other websites _ that the Braves got Gonzalez only so they could “flip” him to the Yankees or Devil Rays (we love to obsess over Rocco and Crawford here … Hey, I’m guilty for fueling much of the Baldelli talk a while back).
While I’m not entirely ruling out the possibility, I was assured today by a Braves person I trust that they got Gonzalez to keep him in their bullpen, to make their bullpen a monster that will help reduce most games to 6-7 innings next season. Not to flip him to another team.
The dude is flat-out dominant. Converted 24-of-24 saves last year, totaled 64 strikeouts (with
31 walks) in 54 innings, and allowed only 42 hits and one homer. Opponents hit .213 with a .325 OBP and miniscule .259 slugging percentage against him, including .163/.265/.256 by lefty batters.
In 25 games after June 25, Gonzalez had a 1.07 ERA and .143 opponents’ average in 25 games, with 12 hits, 14 walks and 35 strikeouts in 25-1/3 innings.
They worked him hard in that stretch and he developed tendinitis in his elbow, but a postseason MRI and another exam since then have showed no structural damage and he says he’s been throwing without any pain. The Braves are surely looking at it closely today during his physical, just to make sure.
His numbers really are staggering. Going back to April 16, 2005, Gonzalez has a 2.18 ERA, 2.02 ERA and 27-for-27 saves in his past 99 appearances. And in his past 60, he’s got a 1.91 ERA with 73 strikeouts and one homer allowed in 61-1/3 innings.
Instead of pushing guys like Smoltz, Hudson and Davies to go an extra inning or two some nights for fear of a bullpen meltdown, the Braves and Bobby Cox should be able to preserve the starters now. No need to be heroes in June by pitching a complete game when you’ve already thrown 110 pitches after 7 or 8 innings and you’ve got that trio of studs in the bullpen.
And no need to have 38-year-old closer Bob Wickman pitch three consecutive nights when you’ve got Gonzalez to slip into the closer role whenever you need to.
Not to mention how much this helps with veteran Mike Hampton, who will have gone about 18 months between starts and obviously has to be considered at least a small question mark considering he’s coming back from Tommy John surgery.
The Braves wanted to do everything they could to erase doubts, to cover their bases, to fortify the bridge between the starters and Wickman _ not to mention having a backup plan should “Wick” fade or falter at any point during the long season.
They absolutely loved what they got from Wickman after trading for him on July 20, but it was too little, too late. They needed a closer earlier in the season, when the Mets were taking hold of the division and the Braves were having one of the worst Junes in recorded history.
The last thing the Braves wanted was to go into the ’07 season with a promising rotation and a veteran closer, but a middle-relief and setup crew of journeyman and/or young guys coming back from injuries.
So they traded Horacio Ramirez for flamethrowing righty setup man Rafael Soriano, then traded LaRoche for Gonzalez.
Now, a handful of those other guys will be competing for only a couple of spots in the ‘pen. Because at least four sports appear set _ Wickman, Gonzalez, Soriano and lefty Macay McBride. And the Braves expect Tanyon Sturtze to be ready in May, so that’s five.
I’d guess Oscar Villarreal could get serious consideration for a rotation spot if Kyle Davies doesn’t have a healthy and productive spring, but that’s just an educated guess at this point.
In the meantime, at least the Braves can rest assured that every night won’t be a late-innings adventure.
“Outfit,” by Jason Isbell (Drive-By Truckers)
You want to grow up to paint houses like me,/ a trailer in my yard till you’re 23
You want to be old after 42 years,/keep dropping the hammer and grinding the gears.
Well, I used to go out in a Mustang,/a 302 Mach One in green.
Me and your Mama made you in the back,/and I sold it to buy her a ring.
And I learned not to say much of nothing,/and I figured you already know
But in case you don’t or maybe forgot,/I’ll lay it out real nice and slow:
Don’t call what you’re wearing an outfit./Don’t ever say your car is broke.
Don’t worry about losing your accent,/a Southern Man tells better jokes.
Have fun but stay clear of the needle./Call home on your sister’s birthday.
Don’t tell them you’re bigger than Jesus,/don’t give it away.
Six months in a St. Florian foundry,/they call it Industrial Park.
Then hospital maintenance and tech school/just to memorize Frigidaire parts.
But I got to missing your Mama,/and I got to missing you too.
So I went back to painting for my old man,/and I guess that’s what I’ll always do
So don’t try to change who you are boy,/and don’t try to be who you ain’t.
And don’t let me catch you in Kendale/with a bucket of wealthy-man’s paint.
Don’t call what your wearing an outfit./Don’t ever say your car is broke.
Don’t sing with a fake British accent./Don’t act like your family’s a joke.
Have fun, but stay clear of the needle,/call home on your sister’s birthday.
Don’t tell them you’re bigger than Jesus,/don’t give it away.
Don’t give it away.
Sullied Barry plays in splendid ballpark
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
OK, so ESPN.com beat me to the punch and already ranked the ballparks this week. Doesn’t matter. They only did the top five and bottom one. That’s easy, lazy, weak (just kidding, Tim K., I know you guys have done this ratings thing exhaustively in the past).
Anyway, I’m going to give you my entirely subjective 1-through-30 rankings of every current stadium in the majors _ all of which I’ve visited, for better or worse (if time spent loving animals adds years to your life, what does time spent spent in rain delays at Dolphin Stadium do?)
Take a look and let me know if you agree or disagree with any or all of my choices. Give me your top five or 10 or whatever of the ballparks you’ve been to, or just base it on what you’ve seen on TV. Hey, as a wise man said, don’t cost nothing (unlike attending a game at Fenway, which costs plenty, including at least $30-$50 to park, if you must drive).
1. AT&T Park, San Francisco: Spectacular views, great location, a varied lineup of upscale restaurant concessions, aroma of garlic fries in the cool air, fog rolling in at night, a Willie Mays statue out front … and Barry in his recliner occupying one side of the clubhouse. OK, nothing’s perfect.
2. Wrigley Field, Chicago: Surely there can be no better place in America than a day game on a sunny afternoon in Wrigleyville. It was even better when Harry was still alive and singing.
3. PNC Park, Pittsburgh: Who would’ve figured the best _ by a wide margin _ downtown view in baseball would be in Pittsburgh? Hey, and a cool Andy Warhol museum a few blocks away, though I don’t expect it’s drawing much spillover from baseball crowds.
4. Fenway Park, Boston: Steeped in splendidly preserved tradition much like Wrigley, and first-timers will be awed by the enthusiasm of baseball’s most passionate _ if slightly overbearing _ crowds. But be prepared to hit the ATM. Repeatedly.
5. Petco Park, San Diego :Downtown on the water, beautiful views, incredible weather, Rubio’s fish tacos, an old warehouse incorporated into the left field fence. Sure is purdy.
6. Camden Yards, Baltimore: It was the first of the retro-design modern ballparks, and the place looks and feels as great as ever, though the crowds have gotten smaller over the past decade of mediocrity. Save room for a stop at Boog’s BBQ beyond right field.
7. Safeco Field, Seattle: When the roof’s open on a 70-degree, sunny Pacific Northwest afternoon, this is heaven for baseball fans. The free coffee in the pressbox is the good stuff here, as you might imagine. To me, Seattle is the country’s most beautiful big city.
8. Minute Maid Park, Houston: OK, the short porch in left field’s a joke for hitters, but otherwise this is about as close to perfect as a retractable-roofed stadium can be. While it’s 105 degrees and muggy outside, it’s nice and cool inside, and there’s a huge glass wall that lets in plenty of natural light. And the crowd-level pressbox allows for a steady stream of gorgeous _ uh-um _ Texas views. Yowza.
9. Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles: The more stuff they change with their seemingly semi-annual renovations, the lower this still-splendid park falls in my book. What happened to foul territory! What’s with the post-homer strobe lights! Still, nothing like a view of downtown L.A. at night from behind the highest seating deck. Jaw-dropping. And Dodger Dogs are almost worth clogging arteries for.
10. Jacobs Field, Cleveland :Another in the first wave of modern parks with retro flourishes, this one also was done right. Cleveland enjoyed a downtown renaissance over the past 10-15 years, and the nearby Rock & Roll Hall of Fame tops off a great weekend visit.
11. Coors Field, Colorado: I love everything about the place _ well, except most of the baseball games played there, and the occasionally frigid weather. Just when the ball humidor seemed to curtail double-digit scoring, by late season it was more 12-11 slugfests.
12. Chase Field, Phoenix: If it just wasn’t so gargantuan, this retractable-roof park would rank higher. It feels like an oversized airplane hangar and still has a silly pool beyond right field. But it’s as clean as the day it opened, the food’s good (try the Mexican food concession), and it’s comfy inside when it’s 115 degrees outside.
13. The Ballpark in Arlington, Texas: Great retro-design park, but too far out in suburbia, and hotter than Hades. They did a good job adding all those facades in front of the offices out in the outfield, sealing you into an environment that doesn’t let you see the nothingness that would constitute a view if you could see beyond the outfield.
14. Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia: I’ll start by saying what an epic upgrade Ryan Howard’s launching pad is over the dingy hellhole that was Veterans Stadium. The new park feels intimate, with great views of the field from most seats. Nice cheesesteaks and downtown view, but it’s just too easy for hitters to go deep, especially to left field.
15. Comerica Park, Detroit: Another well-designed new park, but they need to lose about 20 of those giant tiger statues at the entrances. I mean, was someone hallucinating when they came up with that menagerie? It feels like you’re entering the Detroit zoo.
16. Turner Field, Atlanta : Ah, my home away from home. Sorry about the rating, corporate owners. The ginormous video board is absolutely addictive, the field dimensions are fair, the in-game entertainment has improved each year. But concessions are still overpriced, MARTA doesn’t stop here, the synergy with Cartoon Network and all that is grating for those without children, and they really messed up by blocking the view of downtown Atlanta with the 755 Club, which should’ve been located in right field. Oh, and visitors tell me over and over that there aren’t any nice restaurants, bars or upscale hotels within safe walking distance.
17. Yankee Stadium, New York: Some of yuse guys are gonna get on me for the low ranking of “The Stadium,” I’m sure. Whatever. Yes, the place is steeped in history, but unlike Fenway and Wrigley, this stadium has been repeatedly renovated to the point of tackiness, and the ear-splitting music and endless advertisements pretty well wreck the nostalgia.
18. Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City: This 70s-era stadium is still a unique, gorgeous park; so what if it lacks enough revenue-raising luxury boxes? Like Dodger Stadium, they built this place with a vision and good taste, not like all the cookie-cutter multi-purpose dumps.
19. Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati: Another huge upgrade over the team’s old stadium (Riverfront), but it’s way too hitter-friendly and that river view beyond the outfield is flat-out boring. And one other thing, Cincy: Cinammon doesn’t belong in chili. Period.
20. Angel Stadium, Anaheim: Renovations made in the 1990s helped, but who decided fake rock beyond the outfield fence was the way to go? Seriously, who made that decision?
21. U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago: They should’ve just renovated Old Comiskey across the way, but this is a decent park, especially after they lessened the steep grade on the previously vertigo-inducing upper-deck seats.
22. Miller Park, Milwaukee: That fan-style retractable roof’s a bit of an eyesore, and the brats aren’t as good as they were at old County Stadium, but this place is actually not bad. And if you’ve never spent a weekend in downtown Milwaukee … well, good for you. The ballpark’s not downtown, so you won’t have to.
23. Busch Stadium, St. Louis: What a disappointment this new ballpark was for arguably America’s best baseball town. This one lacks old Busch Stadium’s charm, and the open, unheated, un-air conditioned pressbox is a cruel, cruel joke. A pox on Busch!
24. Rogers Centre, Toronto: The stadium formerly known as SkyDome no longer seems like a grand peek at the future. It seems more like a lot of poured concrete with artificial turf.
25. McAfee Coliseum, Oakland: That towering “Mount Davis” (so named for Raiders owner Al Davis) that is the new center-field seating deck was the hideous cherry added to top this charmless multi-purpose sundae. If driving, please lock your doors.
26. Shea Stadium, New York: Construction of the Mets’ new ballpark is underway in the parking lot of decrepit Shea. The new place can’t open soon enough; by the way, wonder if they’ll keep that lovely row of auto chop shops … er, body shops, across the street? Niiice.
27. Metrodome, Minneapolis: Multi-purpose stadiums are bad enough, but add a non-retractable roof and they’re far worse. Don’t ya love it when the football hash marks are visible? Beautiful.
28. Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg: To their credit, someone has worked hard to make the most antiseptic, misnamed domed stadium in America a bit more inviting than before, but it’s still a really bad, boring place to watch a game, and everything just feels cut-rate in there. It’s about as much a “Field” as my house is a “palatial estate.”
29. RFK Stadium, Washington: This multi-purpose concrete relic of the 1960s looks dated, feels dirty, and smells dank in the crowded concourses, but thankfully it’s only a temporary home until the Nats’ (stupid shortened nickname) new park is scheduled to open in 2008. By the way, Stan Kasten rules! (never know when you might need a handout someday)
30. Dolphin Stadium, Miami: It’s a not-so-great place for football and godawful place for baseball, featuring oppressive heat and humidity, countless sections of orange, empty upper-deck seats, daily showers that wash away batting practice, bad concession food, and the Mermaids, a team of “dancers” who look like they came over from the first shift at a low-end strip club on Biscayne Blvd. to desecrate baseball tradition with every shake of the hips. (OK, but the Mermaids still aren’t enough to pull this stadium out of No. 30).
Hammerin’ Hank & R.E.M. top these lists
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
On the day of football’s national championship and the announcement of Bobby Petrino as new Falcons coach, the biggest story nonetheless, at least to me, was R.E.M.’s election into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Damn straight.
And so, I’m devoting this Braves/Man in Black blog to two favorite topics: The Braves and rock ‘n roll. Feel free to talk pigskin if you want, but this blog, should you choose to take part, is going to require undivided attention.
And this exercise is undoubtedly going to raise some arguments. It better, or you folks aren’t nearly opinionated enough.
Here’s what we’re going to do. What we’ve done. Ranked the top 10 Atlanta Braves players — repeat, ATLANTA Braves — and top 10 rock bands of the past 25 years (bands are eligible for the Hall 25 years after their first record, and R.E.M.’s going in on the first ballot).
Keep in mind, this eliminates some great Braves who played all or most of their career with the Milwaukee Braves or with other teams, and eliminates a lot of rock bands who were already big before 1982, bands such as The Clash, Allman Brothers, X, Ramones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Pretenders, Talking Heads, Van Halen, Kiss — or Led Zep and the Stones, obviously. And also Husker Du, one of my personal faves.
(LATE EDITED CHANGE TO MY LIST: I dropped U2 after determining they were sufficiently big following pre-1982 releases of Boy and October albums, though they obviously got far bigger in the past 25 years. That’s why there’s going to be confusion when you read some posts before the change was made. Anyway, back to our blog, as filed earlier today.)
It also eliminates Bon Jovi and Journey, because I said GOOD bands, not cheesy bands that sold a lot of albums. Oh, that ought to get a couple responses right there. And for these purposes, we’ll consider Elvis Costello, Prince and others as solo artists, though they released plenty of sensational CDs in this era with bands (the Attractions, the Revolution).
Now, this is just my list, and I’m certain that very few of you are probably going to agree with all or most of my bands. That’s fine. This is about personal tastes, and, personally, I don’t care how many albums a band sells.
Also, a few of my very favorite bands, like Drive-By Truckers, Black Keys and Calexico, haven’t been around quite long enough or made quite a big enough impact to make my list, not like these 10 have. I cheated on Wilco and combined them with the band they stemmed from, Uncle Tupelo.
I though of including Public Enemy, but in the end I decided we needed to confine this to rock bands or it just gets unwieldy. Though I could argue Public Enemy rocked harder than some bands on my list, and have had a bigger impact.
Radiohead, Pearl Jam, Social Distortion, Pavement, Blur, Morphine, Oasis, Metallica, Flaming Lips, Red Hot Chili Peppers … a lot of great bands got left off my list. But I wanted to keep it to 10 to make it tougher to pick.
Now, as for the Braves list, I think we’ll probably agree on most of the guys on the list, but the hard part of that was ranking them. Unlike the bands, we’re ranking the players by their greatness, their impact while with the Braves.
To me, guys like Andres Galarraga, Terry Pendleton, Denny Neagle, Mark Wohlers and — OK, I’ll say it — John Rocker weren’t with the team long enough to make this list, though they may have had a few spectacular seasons in Atlanta.
And I admit, it’s splitting hairs on some of these guys. A year or two ago, I would still have had Dale Murphy ahead of Chipper, but as Hoss has passed Murph in a few major club records, I’ve gotta go with Chipper.
Also, though some may say it’s obvious because Niekro’s in the Hall of Fame, I really debated whether to rank him ahead of Glavine. If you look at their career numbers with Atlanta, it’d be easy to go with Glavine. And how to rank, say, Andruw compared to Chipper and Smoltz?
Javy Lopez was the toughest call, and he got the nod from me only because he was around twice as long as Terry Pendleton and a bit longer than Rafael Furcal. I wouldn’t argue strongly with anyone who chose two ahead of Javy, though.
It’s highly subjective and I might have a different opinion by the end of the season. Or the week. Who knows? But it’s fun, I think you’ll agree, to go through and try to rank them. Get out your reference books, or get ready to go back and forth to Baseball Reference or your favorite website for comparisons.
And if you want to skip either list, feel free. No worries.
Top 10 Atlanta Braves (in order)
1) Hank Aaron
2) Greg Maddux
3) Phil Niekro
4) Tom Glavine
5) Chipper Jones
6) Dale Murphy
7) Andruw Jones
8) John Smoltz
9) David Justice
10) Javy Lopez
Top 10 Bands of 25 years (no particular order)
Jane’s Addiction
The Replacements
The Waterboys
The Pogues
The Smiths
R.E.M.
Nirvana
Guns & Roses
Pixies
Wilco/Uncle Tupelo
Just wait till Barry’s on ballot
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If you think there’s controversy over Mark McGwire’s candidacy for the Hall of Fame _ and he obviously isn’t going to get in anytime soon _ can you even begin to imagine six or seven years from now, when Barry Bonds’ cranium … er, when Barry Bonds becomes eligible for election to Cooperstown five years after he retires?
Oh, Lawd. Please let something happen between then and now to make the central issues of that debate more clear-cut. For I cannot bear to hear one side pontificate on how Bonds never tested positive and the other side talk about what a jerk he was and blah blah blah.
On an entirely unrelated matter (wink) perhaps they’ll soon have an accurate test for human growth hormone or THG (“The Clear”), not that I suspect any current baseball or NFL players are using (wink) anything like that.
Anyway, I’ve stated my view on Big Mac _ I have a Hall of Fame vote, but AJC and several other major papers have policies that prohibit beat writers (and at some papers, all writers) from voting _ and that is, I wouldn’t vote for him, certainly not in the first few years and probably not ever.
He was not a great all-around player, basically one-dimensional, with that one dimension enhanced by his admitted used of Androstenedione and god knows what else (not that many, many others weren’t using the same things, but they’re not up for the Hall, and didn’t make fools of themselves in front of a Congressional committee, or hit 70 homers in a season.)
And I’ve also stated my stance on Barry _ don’t like him, think he’s bad for baseball, don’t want him to break Hank’s record, but if I could use my Hall vote when he became eligible, I’d vote for him. And please don’t start telling me that’s hypocritical or inconsistent.
I’m convinced he used a variety of steroids and that his home-run records are fraudulent.
However, I’d vote for Barry because he already had Hall of Fame numbers BEFORE his biceps, chest and head grew alarmingly and significantly in a span of several months when he was closer to 40 years old than 30 (yeah, that’s normal, Bonds supporters keep telling yourselves that).
His career with Pittsburgh and at the beginning in San Francisco was phenomenal, back when he was under 190 pounds _ remember he actually hit leadoff early on with Pittsburgh _ and he was the game’s best all-around player in my view, a Gold Glover and a guy who could have gone 30-30 or even 40-40 for 10 years if he’d wanted to instead of deciding he needed to become the biggest (literally) power-hitter the game has seen.
By the same token, I’ve said for the 13 years I’ve covered baseball that Pete Rose absolutely belongs in the Hall. Not in the game of baseball, managing or whatever; I agree he should be banned for life for betting on the game.
But he belongs in the Hall of Fame, because the Hall is recognition of what a player did on the field during his playing career, not what he later did with bookies when he was a manager.
Seriously, if he robbed a bank and was sent to prison, long as it occurred after his playing career, I don’t think it should keep him out of the Hall. Put a line or an asterisk at the bottom of his plaque noting that he screwed up, gambled, broke the law, etc., but that doesn’t negate what he did ON THE FIELD, where he piled up more hits than anyone before or since and busted his butt at all times, the very definition of a scrappy, blue-collar, hard-nosed player.
OK, enough Hall talk. Now, about the Braves.
Haven’t done anything this week. Or the week before.
Folks, I think most of you are probably starting to believe this is basically the roster the Braves are taking to spring training. Me, too. It wouldn’t shock me if they made another move, but I’m not expecting it. Nothing major, at least.
And that’s a good thing, in my view, at least in terms of not trading Adam LaRoche.
If they could get, say, Chone Figgins from the Angels to bat leadoff and play second base, along with Angels 1B prospect Casey Kotchman and maybe even another arm for the bullpen, in exchange for LaRoche, I’d do it.
Otherwise, shouldn’t trade LaRoche to add a piece to the bullpen or to add just a guy to the lineup who’s not going to approach LaRoche’s likely 30-40 homers and 100-plus RBIs.
They’ve tested the waters, mission accomplished. The Braves now know there’s big demand for LaRoche, and know they can trade him for plenty next winter if he’s going to be too expensive to keep for 2008. Or if they were to fall out of the race this summer, trade him in July, though I don’t at all envision the Braves being out of contention in July.
I get the distinct impression the Braves want Kelly Johnson to nail down the second base/leadoff job this spring, after talking to Bobby Cox a couple nights ago. He didn’t say that specifically, but that’s what I took from the conversation.
And the fact that Baltimore is talking about a contract extension for 2B Brian Roberts is yet another indication that earlier talks between the O’s and Braves involving LaRoche and Roberts are probably dead altogether.
Also, with free agent Mark Loretta off the market, there’s really no experienced, affordable free-agent options available, not that the Braves were apparently ever looking seriously at going that route anyway (free agency, for now, seems a foreign concept to the budget-restrained Braves, notwithstanding the signing of reliever Tanyon Sturtze and INF Chris Woodward).
By the way, to reiterate, the Braves got Woodward to be a utility man, not a starter. Some don’t want to believe that, but it’s true. Johnson and Martin Prado would probably have to fall on their faces this spring for Woodward to get consideration for the 2B job, and Willy Aybar might also get consideration before Woodward, though the Braves continue to say Aybar is tentatively slated for backup 3B/2B work….
In other news, if you Atlanta-area blog denizens want to see some good, free live music, get thee to Ella Guru record store, in the Toco Hill (don’t know why they don’t use plural on that, drives me crazy) Shopping Center on Tuesday at 6 p.m. A really good band from Lexington called Scourge of the Sea is playing in-store at 6 p.m.
Good stuff. I got their CD last week after listening on one of those Paste Magazine listening stations. And if Ohio State beats Florida, please give Don, the Ella Guru store owner, lots of grief. He attended that football and diploma factory down in Gainesville…
Noticed a couple of outstanding shows coming up at Smith’s Olde Bar, including Five-Eight on Saturday and Ron Sexsmith, the stellar and criminally underappreciated Canadian singer-songwriter, on Jan. 20. If you guys go, try the Fox Bros. barbecue from the bar downstairs.
This week’s can’t-miss, clear-the-dust, long-lost, long-overlooked, guarantee-you’ll-love-it CD recommendation: John Hiatt’s “Bring The Family” from 1987. If you don’t own it, I beg of you to purchase it, download it, steal it from your old man, etc.
“Your Dad Did,” by John Hiatt
Well the sun comes up and you stare your cup of coffee, yup/Right through the kitchen floor
You feel like hell so you might as well get out and sell/Your smart ass door to door
And the mrs. wears her robe slightly undone/As your daughter dumps her oatmeal on your son
And you keep it hid/Just like your did
So you go to work just to watch some jerk/Pick up the perks/You were in line to get
And the guy that hired you just got fired,/Your job’s expired/They just ain’t told you yet
So you go and buy a brand new set of wheels/To show your family just how great you feel
Acting like a kid/Just like your dad did
(Bridge)
You’re a chip off the old block/Why does it come as such a shock/That every road up which you rock/Your dad already did
Yeah you’ve seen the old man’s ghost/Come back as creamed chipped beef on toast/Now if you don’t get your slice of the roast/You’re gonna flip your lid
Just like your dad did… just like your dad did
Well the day was long now, supper’s on/The thrill is gone/But something’s taking place
Yeah the food is cold and your wife feels old/But all hands fold/As the two-year-old says grace
She says help the starving children to get well/But let my brother’s hamster burn in hell
You love your wife and kids/Just like your dad did
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