AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2007 > March > 06
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Dull only to the dull-minded
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tell you what, these morning drives around Central Florida ain’t bad when the sun is shining, you’ve got a good cigar to enjoy, and a rental car with a booming CD player putting out John Lee Hooker’s “Live at Cafe Au Go-Go (and Soledad Prison).”
So I roll into the pressbox this morning at Space Coast Stadium in Viera and scrawled on the message board is this: “Baseball is dull only to those with dull minds.” _ Red Smith.
Couldn’t have said it better myself. Actually, couldn’t have said it as well. But that’s why he was Red Smith. (But answer this: Could he have blogged? Could Mr. Poetic Old School Baseball Scribe have handled modern blogging? You’re damn right he couldn’t.)
Anyway, those of us who couldn’t have carried Mr. Smith’s typewriter appreciate our stations in life, much as everyone else connected in any way with baseball does. It might take years to develop a proper appreciation, but it usually happens.
You can see it in the faces on a March morning like day, when the venerable Bobby Dews is sitting in the visitors’ dugout sipping a steaming cup of coffee, in full Braves uniform, no longer a coach but not willing to stop coaching, at least in spring training.
Or Bobby Cox, holding court with a couple of old small-town scribes from Florida beach towns, treating them just as he would if we were at Yankee Stadium and he was talking to a couple of columnists who were around back when Cox played for the Yankees. Always with respect.
If Bobby’s ready to do something else in a couple years, he shows no sign of burnout on a morning like this, or any other morning when he’s in a uniform, for that matter. Only time I’ve seen the man look worn down and tired of the grind was last season, when the Braves were blowing leads and falling out of the division race and he was inwardly coming to grips with the end of their reign while outwardly trying to convince everyone it wasn’t over till it was over.
He really does seem rejuvenated by this year’s team. But I think he’d already made up his mind about giving it two more years and walking away, and saying so to reporters is maybe his way of making sure he sticks to the plan _ because if he doesn’t tell anyone he probably knows he’ll probably never walk away until someone kicks him out the door, and that ain’t going to happen.
So anyway, we all appreciate it, I think is what I was rambling about a few graphs back. Listening to John Lee Hooker singing “I’m Bad Like Jesse James,” as you pull into a stadium for another spring-training game … hey, we make a small fraction of what the guys playing make, but doesn’t mean you can’t make the most of it and enjoy it in your own way just as much as they do, right? Got to, since it pretty much makes a “normal” life and the pleasures that accompany a normal life impossible.
Cox: No trades necessary… The skipper says he still doesn’t know how second base and left field are going to pan out, but he made it clear this morning that those positions will be filled by guys on the roster. Just in case some of you were wondering, particularly about second base. “It always works itself out,” Cox said. “We don’t need to go out and trade for anybody, for dang sure. We’ve got it all here. Good looking kids. And Kelly [Johnson] is still a kid. He sat out a year with that [elbow] operation….”
Willy Aybar is likely to make his spring debut Wednesday against the Tigers in Lakeland. He’s been taking ground balls at shortstop, by the way, because the Braves want him to be able to play there in addition to second base and third base. “He needs to play everywhere,” Cox said of Aybar, who’s the principal backup at third base, where the Braves hope they don’t need him too often.
Cox had more praise for Martin Prado today, and pointed out that he’s actually a very good left fielder in addition to his slick infield work. “He’s smooth,” Cox said. “He makes all the plays. A lot of scouts like him.” Only drawback on the kid is the power, which sort of eliminates him from third base for most teams, unless they’re getting a lot of power from an unconventional power spot and don’t need it from the hot corner.
Chris Woodward hit off a tee yesterday and has begun riding a bicycle, but that strained calf muscle could keep him out at least another week or so. Braves expect him to be ready for opening day, but aren’t certain.
Don’t entirely rule out the possibility of Yunel Escobar , Prado or Pete Orr making this team. One way or another, I’ve got a feeling we’re going to see Orr this season, whether he’s on the opening day roster or this summer.
“Our fans probably don’t know Pete Orr is,” Cox said, “and he’s a good player. He’s played good for us. And he’s is a second baseman. Can’t keep him out of that mix. Remember he hit .340 one year in the minors.”
Actually, the best Orr hit was .320 at Richmond in 2004, but that’s pretty damn good. He was almost as bad as Jesse James that year.
Oh, one more thing: Bobby again downplayed Rafael Soriano’s sore shoulder, said he was going to throw this morning back at camp. So was Mike Hampton . Roger McDowell stayed back there this morning to watch the side sessions, then was supposed to come over here for the game.
So if I don’t forget, I’ll ask Roger about those guys after the game. Clubhouse is closed now.
Talk to you later. Time to watch some ‘ball.
Oh, and here’s a song to get us rolling, off Josh Ritter’s terrific “Animal Years” album from last year:
“GIRL IN THE WAR” by Josh Ritter
Peter said to Paul you know all those words we wrote/ Are just the rules of the game and the rules are the first to go.
But now talking to God is Laurel begging Hardy for a gun/ I got a girl in the war man I wonder what it is we done
Paul said to Peter you got to rock yourself a little harder/ Pretend the dove from above is a dragon and your feet are on fire
But I got a girl in the war Paul the only thing I know to do/ Is turn up the music and pray that she makes it through
Because the keys to the Kingdom got lost inside the Kingdom /And the angels fly around in there but we can’t see them
I got a girl in the war Paul I know that they can here me yell/ If they can¹t find a way to help her they can go to Hell/ If they can’t find a way to help her they can go to Hell
Paul said to Peter you got to rock yourself a little harder/ Pretend the dove from above is a dragon and your feet are on fire
But I got a girl in the war Paul her eyes are like champagne/ They sparkle bubble over and in the morning all you got is rain/ They sparkle bubble over and in the morning all you got is rain/ They sparkle bubble over and in the morning all you got is rain
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