AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2007 > March > 07
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Too early to raise warning flags
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s 12:10 p.m. here at Tigertown in sunny Lakeland, the only place where it feels as much like “real” spring training as Dodgertown does. Outstanding.
I’m walking back from the media dining spread and they just played, back-to-back, Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” and Johnny Horton’s “When It’s Springtime in Alaska.” Like I said, outstanding.
The place is packed, and here’s a great scene that could have come straight off black-and-white film footage from the 50s: The team lineups are posted on the wall on the concourse by the souvenir stand and hot dog vendor, and there’s a line of 12-15 mostly older fans, men and women, dutifully penciling in the names on their scorecards as Cash’s booming baritone plays over the PA system.
Hello, heaven.
OK, it’s only the first week of March, and they’ll probably just go three innings apiece, but this is a tantalizing pitching matchup today _ Michigan native John Smoltz, originally drafted by the Tigers, of course, vs. Jeremy Bonderman. Not bad at all.
The guys most of you folks are more concerned about, however, are probably Rafael Soriano, Mike Hampton, Kyle Davies and perhaps Mike Gonzalez. I only say Gonzalez because he’s been a bit erratic in his first two appearances and I saw Buster Olney quote a scout saying that Gonzalez’s mechanics are out of whack.
While he did look a little messy on a couple of pitches, I haven’t seen any reason for concern with his mechanics. Considering these were his first two appearances since August, and for a new team and teammates he’s naturally trying to impress, since they traded away a 32-homer first baseman for him.
But the important thing with Gonzalez at this stage is the elbow, and he says it’s absolutely fine and told me his “elbow issues” are a thing of the past and no longer even a factor. People, if he’s healthy, he’ll get guys out. Period. So don’t worry about his mechanics. Long as he’s healthy, he’ll be effective.
Hampton is scheduled to throw an inning Saturday vs. Toronto at Empire Sports Sector (Disney’s Wide World of Sports). It’ll be the most closely monitored three outs so far this spring. Roger McDowell said today he still thinks Hampton can be ready for the opening of the regular season.
The other most-scrutinized inning will be the first one that Soriano throws. There is some consternation in Braves Nation, because the former Seattle setup man was one week late because of visa problems and still hasn’t made his debut because of a sore shoulder.
Manager Bobby Cox and pitching coach McDowell again downplayed the situation today, and so far no one’s expressed any real concern to me, on or off the record (via rolled eyes or other telling looks) that would indicate they’re worried. So I’ll give it another few days before I raise big red flags.
However, the fact he’s had a couple of DL stints for shoulder soreness in the past is reason to keep an eye on it. More likely, perhaps, is that he just tried to do too much, to impress too much in the bullpen after arriving late to camp.
Sore shoulders in the first week of camp aren’t at all uncommon, so don’t get too stressed, even if Horacio Ramirez threw three scoreless innings for Seattle in his debut, and right now two of the Braves’ projected five starters (Hampton and Kyle Davies) either haven’t pitched in a game (Hampton) or haven’t pitched very well (Davies) in their most recent outing.
Fortunately for the Braves, they have not just a lot more quality in their bullpen, but a lot more quantity. Not that I think Soriano will need to start the season on the DL, but if he did have to have a stint on the DL now or later, the Braves had a lot of guys _ Tyler Yates, Chad Paronto, Macay McBride _ get a lot of pressure-situation experience last year.
Leyland on Smoltz: So this morning I go over to talk to my man Jim Leyland, whose Marlins teams I covered for two years that produced a lifetime of Leyland stories and jokes that can’t be told in a family newspaper. And I ask him one simple question: John Smoltz, what do you think of him? And here’s Leyland’s response, verbatim:
“I can tell you this. Hands down, take it to the bank, John Smoltz is the best postseason pitcher I’ve ever seen _ by far. Such a competitor. I don’t know him very well, but I’ve always had the utmost respect for what he’s accomplished. But he’s the best I’ve ever seen in the postseason.”
Then I said Smoltz wasn’t bad in the regular season, either.
And Leyland said, “Slam dunk Hall of Famer. He’s a special guy. One of those freaks who….” He stopped to re-phrase. “There are certain players and pitchers who, when they come on the field, people _ fans, other players _ stare at them a little longer and say, ‘What is it about this guy?’ There’s something special, an air about them.
“Even as an opponent, I enjoyed competing against John Smoltz. That’s what this business is all about.”
Then Leyland turned to go do his group press conference with Detroit writers. But he stopped and said again, “But without question, best postseason pitcher I’ve ever seen.”
Speaking of Leyland…. He also pointed out to Detroit writers that he’s 10-10 vs. Cox in postseason play. Leyland told me last year that he’s never been close with Cox, they just say hi to each other and shake hands, whatever. But he said he always appreciated Cox for being a straight-shooter who doesn’t act like he’s your best buddy when he hardly knows you.
Aussie Aussie Aussie!… Here’s some advice. If you’re ever around Australians, especially an Aussie relief pitcher with a biting sense of humor, don’t do their famous chant unless you do it right. A few days ago, when I was only two cups of coffee into a morning, quick-witted Peter Moylan walked by on his way to the Aussie corner (him and reliever Phil Stockman) of the clubhouse and I gave him a weak, “Aussie Aussie, oi.” It was pathetic, I’ll now admit.
I couldn’t remember the exact cadence of the sporting chant his countryman use, but that wasn’t it obviously. “See there, you embarrassed yourself, mate,” Moylan said in his thick accent. “It’s ‘Aussie Aussie Aussie, oi oi oi,” three times.” Then he shook his head at my Yank usage of a term apparently viewed as overused by some Aussies. “Rather primitive if you ask me,” Moylan said.
