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Monday, April 9, 2007
5-1 record, .220 batting average
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
First off day at home this season, listening to two great recent releases _ Son Volt’s “The Search” and Amy Winehouse’s incredible retro-swingin’-soul “Back To Black” album _ and contemplating the first two series and the Braves’ position atop the NL East standings at 5-1 despite a .220 batting average (some clutch hits and pitching).
It’s good to try and chill today, catch up on bills _ try explaining to the mortgage lender that you never received last month’s statement because the postal service isn’t very good at forwarding mail to Florida during spring training _ and converse with a few of the hardcore denizens of the Braves/Man in Black blog.
(And by the way, a pretty cool Fox producer-type fellow who accompanies Joe Buck everywhere is a big reader of our blog here, and at Saturday’s game engaged me in a discussion of the meaning of J.R.’s wearing black throughout his career. Interesting.)
Anyway, a few things that are on your minds, judging from e-mails and sometimes-irrational but always-passionate blog posts. A few statistical points to make, and some things I think will and won’t continue in the coming weeks and months.
Do you think the Mets left town wondering how they lost a series in which they hit .282 with a 2.16 ERA, while the Braves hit .207 and scored nine runs to the Mets’ 16?
Hey, as Livan Hernandez used to tell me every time I’d ask him about anything, from the reason that he did so well in the postseason to the reason the Marlins stunk on the road during one season: “That’s baseball.”
(Only he’d say it in that great accent, the one he used when he yelled, “I love you Miami!” on TV in the middle of the field after they won it all in 1997.)
But anyway, yes, the Braves won two of three in the first of six series with the Mets despite hitting .207 and scoring nine runs.
And that’s a good sign for a team that found a way to lose more often than not in similar situations in 2006. They are 4-0 in games decided by two runs or fewer, after going 36-44 in those games last season.
The Braves are 5-1 despite hitting .220 and scoring 25 total runs. They are last in the NL in average and first in homers (nine), neither of which will continue much longer, rest assured.
They are second in batter strikeouts (51), which better not continue, for their sakes. (Imagine where they might be in the latter department if they still had Adam LaRoche, who entering today led the majors with 13 strikeouts? Yikes.)
But Ol’ Rochy will be fine, and so will the Braves.
This is a good lineup that should finish in the top five or six in the NL in average and runs scored, and probably about the same in homers and slugging. The Braves’ lineup, I’m talking about. The Mets’ lineup is great, not good.
How ‘bout the Mets’ 1.38 ERA in six games? Their pitching obviously isn’t that good, and we all know it. But maybe it’s not quite as bad as we thought, as long as El Duque and Glavine stay healthy. Still, it’s not going to rank in the top five in the NL.
And that’s the reason I picked the Braves to win the division while we were at spring training. Now, if the Mets get Pedro back down the stretch and have him close to healthy for the postseason, provided they make the postseason, then they could beat anybody with Pedro and a healthy Glavine atop the rotation.
But that’s getting way ahead of ourselves.
Walks, walks, walks: Braves pitchers are fourth in the NL in strikeouts (48) but second in walks (32), behind only the godawful Nationals (33).
Macay McBride has issued six walks in two innings. That won’t continue, or he’ll be flogged (kidding, kidding). He’s strictly a situational lefty, in my opinion. Nothing wrong with that, either.
But he runs into problems when the Braves try to use him for an entire inning with a couple of righties. The stuff about him being a starter someday? Not seeing it. Not yet. Hasn’t proven he can get out righties.
Speaking of lefties, Mike Gonzalez has allowed seven hits and four walks in 3-2/3 innings, and nobody really expects that to continue, do they?
I haven’t seen any reason to believe his elbow’s bothering him, and he hasn’t said anything other than it feels great. So let’s give him a few more appearances before we start making any snap judgments.
Remember, he missed the last month of the 2006 season (elbow) and he’s a high-intensity guy who is trying to impress his new teammates and everyone else. Probably trying too hard.
Rafael Soriano? In a word, outstanding. The guy has intimidated opponents (and some team staffers, media members, etc) and fit in great (yes, those can coexist) since the day he arrived this spring, a week late because of visa issues but exuding confidence and swagger from the jump. He’s for real.
Don’t worry about his demeanor; the Braves love it. He’s not here to smile, he’s here to be a nasty, lights-out setup man, and he couldn’t have started out any better. He’s allowed one baserunner (walk) in 3-2/3 innings.
He was tied for the majors’ lead with five relief appearances through six games, and hitters are 0-for-11 against him, best in the majors before today. And all 11 at-bats were in late-and-close situations.
The Braves just have to make sure they don’t wear him out. Remember, he spent time on the DL last summer with a sore shoulder before he came back and got drilled in the head two weeks later by Vlad the Bad’s liner.
Soriano briefly had a sore shoulder this spring. Braves need to be careful with his appearances, if you ask me (and they won’t ask, so I just offered it here).
Bob Wickman? The Big Wick has picked up right where he left off last season, when he converted 18 of 19 saves after his trade to the Braves in July. It was too little, too late then, but now he’s got some power arms around him, and this bullpen is formidable.
(And what do you think of that Wickman intro music and video thing on the ginormous scoreboard? Personally, I thought they should have shown him working a jackhammer or loading a ship with one of those hooks like Marlon Brando slung over his leather jacket when he was working the docks in On The Waterfront.)
Braves have converted 5-for-5 saves, after blowing league-high 29 last year. What that means to the team, to the hitters and the starting pitchers and the manager, cannot be overstated.
Everyone is walking around feeling so much better about things before the game even starts, and then feeling immensely more confident as the late innings approach and the score is close.
No more holding their breath and crossing their fingers when the bullpen door swings open in the seventh or eighth inning.
They need Villarreal and McBride and Gonzalez to sharpen up, but you can’t expect everyone to come out perfect. Long as the ‘pen is 5-for-5 in saves and the big guns are healthy, things are good.
By the way, it’s one of only three bullpens in the NL without a homer allowed before today. That fact has helped make the league-high 18 walks against the ‘pen a lot less costly.
McCann is good, continued: An update on the boy-wonder catcher. Since April 21, 2006, McCann has hit .344 with 33 doubles, 23 homers, 94 RBIs and a .400 OBP in 419 at-bats over 122 games.
If I’m a GM and I could pick any catcher to start a team around, I’d have to go with him over Joe Mauer. Close call, but that’s the one I’d make.
Speaking of sustained surges: Went back to last season and noticed that Soriano had a few rough outings early. By early May he was dealing. So from May 7, 2006 to day, here’s what he’s done: 44 appearances, 1.72 ERA, 47 innings, 31 hits, nine runs, 16 walks, 47 strikeouts, .185 opponents’ average, one concussion.
And three smiles. Or 2-1/2.
Strikeout leaders: Andruw Jones never gets stressed about slow starts, so he won’t mind that we point this out. The NL hitters with the most strikeouts before today are LaRoche (13); Andruw, Prince Fielder and Troy Tulowitzki (nine apiece), and ex-Brave Mark DeRosa (eight).
But DeRo was also ninth in OPS (1.106) behind heady company including leader Miguel Cabrera (1.562, are you kidding?), 6. Jose Reyes (1.153) and McCann (1.144).
Betemit slooow start: Speaking of OPS, Wilson Betemit had a league-worst .330 OPS before today. The ex-Braves INF was 1-for-15 (.067) with a single, four walks, five strikeouts.
Daytime is the right time: For Edgar Renteria, apparently. After hitting .348 (64-for-184) with seven homers, 30 RBIs and a .953 OPS in 45 day games last season, he’s hitting .375 (6-for-16) with two homers and four RBIs in four day games this season.
Frenchy and other matters: Could get into how pleased the Braves are to see Francoeur take some pitches and hit the ball to right field more this spring and so far this season, and could speculate on what might happen when Cormier returns from the DL if Davies continues to pitch like he did yesterday … but gotta save some stuff for later.
Besides, I need to get to the gym, do something besides work on this off day.
“MIDNIGHT RIDER” by Gregg Allman
Well, I’ve got to run to keep from hiding,
And I’m bound to keep on riding.
And I’ve got one more silver dollar,
But I’m not gonna let them catch me, no,
Not gonna let ‘em catch the Midnight Rider.
And I don’t own the clothes I’m wearing,
And the road goes on forever,
And I’ve got one more silver dollar,
But I’m not gonna let them catch me, no
Not gonna let ‘em catch the Midnight Rider.
And I’ve gone by the point of caring,
Some old bed I’ll soon be sharing,
And I’ve got one more silver dollar,
But I’m not gonna let ‘em catch me, no
Not gonna let them catch the Midnight Rider…
But I’m not gonna let ‘em catch me, no
Not gonna let them catch the Midnight Rider….
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