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Monday, March 12, 2007
Chipper limps off field … again
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I was about to write about the probably futile but nonetheless commendable efforts of South Georgia’s Willie Harris to win an infield job on a team loaded with young, talented infielders.
But as I was wrapping up the blog … THIS JUST IN: Chipper Jones left the game in the first inning, limping off the field with what appeared to be a recurrence of his chronic foot problems.
Alas, an announcement 30 minutes later from the Braves said it was a sprained left ankle _ which, as long as it’s not severe, is a far less troubling injury than his foot injuries, which tend to linger and cause other, compensation-type injuries.
The Braves said he’s “day-to-day” (arent’ we all?) and that indicates to me it’s not severe. But I could be wrong. Should know more if we get to talk to Chipper when we go down to chat with John Smoltz in a few minutes.
(Oh, by the way, great outing by Smoltz, who allowed one hit and one walk with four strikeouts in four scoreless inniungs, and threw 30 strikes in 46 pitches. Ho hum, he’s pretty good.)
Chipper didn’t make it halfway down the first-base line on his first-inning groundout to first base. He limped back toward the dugout and was replaced by Pete Orr to start the bottom of the inning.
For a minute there, thoughts of Yunel Escobar were beginning to grind away in my head. After all, backup Willy Aybar has been out a few days with a strained hand, and Escobar is considered too good to keep on the team in a backup role anyway. So if Chipper’s out …
Meanwhile, back to our regularly scheduled blog:
When Willie Harris saw the Braves non-tender their second baseman/leadoff hitter (Marcus Giles), the journeyman decided his home-state team would be a good place for him to get a crack at the lineup or at least earn a roster spot.
If he’d looked a lot closer, that view might have looked a bit different.
Harris, who hails from tiny Cairo, Ga. _ hometown of Jackie Robinson _ is doing about all he can to win a job in spring training, batting .364 (4-for-11) before Monday with a double, three RBIs and four steals in four attempts.
But at the risk of sounding cold, it probably doesn’t matter.
The chances of the 28-year-old non-roster invitee winning an infield job on the opening day roster of this team seemed almost non-existent when camp opened, and haven’t improved much since.
This just in: The Braves are absolutely loaded with middle-infield talent, from veteran utility man Chris Woodward to top prospect like Yunel Escobar and everything in between.
Even with Woodward and Willy Aybar, who were projected to be the two backup infielders, both dealing with nagging injuries and not certain to be ready for opening day, Harris still seems like the longest of long shots to make it.
Prospect Martin Prado is more versatile, is having a great spring (.450 average before Monday) has shown he’s ready for a major league job. Tony Pena Jr. is a smooth fielder who’s out of minor league options, so he’ll need to be traded, kept on the roster, or likely be lost to another team on waivers.
If Woodward’s calf injury keeps him out of the lineup much longer, many assume Prado could be in line for his spot. However, Prado is viewed as more of a second baseman and third baseman than a shortstop.
Pena can definitely play solid defense at three infield positions including shortstop, but he’s just a .252 career hitter in the minors with 99 doubles and 25 homers in over 2,500 at-bats.
Escobar is the most talented of the youngsters, but the 24-year-old Cuban is too good a shortstop/third base prospect to have him play sporadically as a utility man in the majors.
Escobar only played 1-1/2 seasons of pro ball, and none above Double-A. He hit .264 with two homers and 26 errors at Double-A Mississippi last year, then hit .407 with 22 RBIs in 22 games to win the Arizona Fall League batting title.
He had some incidents and attitude problems at Mississippi that raised red flags in the organization, but he’s exhibited far more maturity this spring.
Anyway, if you’re Willie Harris, you keep plugging away and hope to either catch another organization’s eye or make a good enough impression with the Braves that they might call you up from Richmond this summer if they need help.
Phil Stockman update: For those wondering why the Aussie reliever who had the great stats at Richmond last year hasn’t thrown a pitch this spring, it’s because he can’t. Not until he gets his work visa.
It’s a rather complicated situation the Braves hadn’t mentioned until I asked today, but here it is in a nutshell: Stockman came to the U.S. for hamstring surgery in January, was allowed in without a work visa because of the medical reasons.
In order to get his work visa, he has to actually go to a U.S. consulate in another country (hey, I don’t make up the rules, I just report them). And since he was involved in his rehab and all and wasn’t ready to pitch anyway, he hadn’t done it yet.
He was supposed to be ready a couple weeks ago, but injured his back. Not a serious injury, but it slowed his progress. But now he should be ready to get in games once he gets his visa, which will happen in the next two days.
He was to fly to Nassau in the Bahamas today for an appointment to get his visa down there. Since it’s only a one-hour flight, that made more sense than flying to Toronto, the other place that’s easiest to handle this matter.
Peter Moylan, the other Aussie reliever on the roster, said he had a similar incident last year with Triple-A Richmond.
Richmond made a trip to Canada to play Ottawa, and he wasn’t allowed to re-enter the country because he had no work visa. Moylan had entered the U.S. on a tourist visa with his Aussie World Baseball Classic team last spring (didn’t need a work visa because he wasn’t paid to play for that team).
He didn’t know he’d be staying in the U.S., but the Braves signed him off that WBC team. Moylan had to stay in Canada a couple of days and get his work visa in Toronto before he could rejoin his Richmond team.
And if I never have to write another story about visa problems, I’ll be a happy man.
Anyway, Cox was disappointed that Stockman’s had problems with his back and the visa, because he really believed the hard-throwing Aussie had a chance to make the team this spring. Doesn’t look like he’ll have enough time now, and he’ll likely be part of a very solid Richmond bullpen in the early season.
OK, gotta see if I can find out more about Chipper’s injury.
Remind me to tell you guys a little about my first trip to Bike Week in Daytona Beach. I rode over on my motorcycle last Thursday on my day off. Quite a scene. LOT of scenery.
LATE ADD, by popular demand, lyrics (I’m on a Steve Earle jag lately):
“POISON LOVERS” by Steve Earle
I was almost out of here/Nearly left this time/I saw you in my rearview mirror/And I pulled up on a dime
But nothin’ ventured, nothin’ lost/You can’t say we didn’t try/That is unless you weigh the cost/Of every tear we cried
Why do we do this to each other/I guess we were always poison lovers
If you could look me in the eye/And tell me what you see/Maybe you can tell me why/I let you torture me
I know that your lips are soft/And they sing the sweetest songs/But Ive been listenin’ long enough/My heart has turned to stone
Why do we do this to each other/I guess we were always poison lovers
Another time, another place/Another wind to blame/Cover every track and trace/I’ll find you just the same
And even if we made our peace/And went our separate ways/You’d go west and I’d go east/And we’d meet here in this place
Why do we do this to each other/I guess we were always poison lovers
Why do we do this to each other/I guess we were always poison lovers
