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April 2007
Change is probably good for Langerhans
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Nostalgia aside, folks, the trade of Ryan Langerhans felt like relief to me. Gosh, with all due respect to such a nice guy, here is what my first reaction was to yesterday’s news: “ahhhhh” - like how it feels when you’ve just sat down in a hot tub.
It had gotten brutal to watch. It made you squirm in your seat or want to look away. And when you looked at Langerhans, walking by in the clubhouse, he would look away. Seemed he wanted to avoid your eyes. Painful.
Langerhans was hitting .068 (3-for-44). He had his first extra-base hit and first RBI yesterday. Together with three RBI from platoon-mate Matt Diaz, that gave the Braves the lowest RBI total among left fielders in baseball this year. Their .162 batting average was tied with the Washington Nationals for worst among left fielders in the majors.
My eyes nearly popped out of my head last Tuesday when Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez chose to walk him with first base open and two outs in the ninth inning. My eyes were still bugging when Pete Orr got to first, having driven in two runs.
Gosh, Langerhans is soft-spoken and a gentleman and not nearly as bad a player as this stretch made him look. That said, I have to think, as painful as it was to leave the team he came up with, a change has to be good for him too, just to break up what was going on.
For all intents and purposes, call-up Willie Harris would seem to be a temporary fix, someone to plug into a left field platoon with Diaz, until the Braves make a deal to bring in somebody proven.
But you also never know.
The Braves have caught lightning in a bottle before. Remember Chuck Thomas? Remember Nick Green? Come to think of it, from what I can tell, Harris has a little bit of Charles Thomas in him. (Thomas was known to be beyond media friendly, salt of the earth, regular dude.)
Harris approached me one day in spring training this year and said “Excuse me, but have we met yet? I’m Willie Harris.” He stuck out his hand. Thirteen years for me around baseball clubhouses, and that was a first.
Harris brings speed (7 steals in 17 games in Richmond), versatility (DOB writes he can play all three outfield positions, second and third) a little bit of experience (played parts of four seasons up with the Chicago White Sox and one with Baltimore), and a bat that might not have the greatest history (.238 career batting average in majors), but at least it’s got a shot at producing. He’s got a running start, having hit .362 in AAA Richmond.
The Braves always like a good glove, but left field is a place they need production, and it seems like they search out there almost every year. Check out the turnstile in the last 10 years.
Just opening day lineups alone, the Braves have played seven leftfielders in the last 10 years. (Ryan Klesko, Otis Nixon, Reggie Sanders, B.J. Surhoff, Chipper Jones, Brian Jordan and Langerhans.)
The most regular left field presence was Chipper Jones - out there from 2002, 2003 and part of 2004.
That list doesn’t include the other guys playing left field in 2004 like Eli Marrero and Dewayne Wise, who’s injury paved the way for Charles Thomas’ callup that June.
Many within the Braves organization didn’t even know who Thomas was. But he was the hot bat when they needed somebody new. He was leading the International League in hitting (.358) at the time. And he took off in Atlanta. He hit .372 in his first 28 games. He wound up hitting .288 for the Braves that season, a spark plug and fan favorite. For the season leading all National League rookies with a .378 on-base percentage.
He left in the trade that brought Tim Hudson from the Oakland Athletics.
My point is, there’s a precedent if Harris gets any big ideas.
And as a little aside, Harris is only the second player born in Cairo, Ga. to play in the major leagues. Need I say the other?
Should be an interesting day at the ballpark. We have Harris’ arrival. We have a chance to find out more about what is going on with Bob Wickman - candid as he was yesterday after another blown save when he said “I think there has to be something wrong that I can’t throw a strike.” We find out how Lance Cormier’s right triceps is doing and whether he’ll resume his injury rehab.
Oh and Hudson gets to return to the mound to try and forget that ninth inning meltdown in Florida that ruined his last start. Not to mention other things he’s trying to get off his mind like the recent deaths of his grandmother and former Auburn teammate Josh Hancock.
Stay tuned, good people.
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Wish you were here … and be nice!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With this blog today I feel like a New Orleans cop on horseback, moving in to disperse an unruly crowd (not that I ever witnessed that up close and personal or anything, not during JazzFest a decade ago, or anything like that….)
So much tension on the last blog, you’d never know you folks follow a team that was in first place before today with a 15-8 record, with the most road wins (nine) in the majors.
But hey, when you’re engaged in heated debate over how to better the back end of the starting rotation, like certain individuals here, then I can understand how you wouldn’t see the forest for the trees.
But anyway … hey, need to know if it’s worth the time of writing a new blog on a Sunday afternoon, when you all aren’t in the office jabbering online. Are there enough Braves/Man In Black blog denizens at homes or on weekend jobs or whatever to make it worth the time to post a new blog once on the weekends, either Saturday or Sunday, so the other one doesn’t sit there from Friday to Monday?
Show by responding with plenty of posts, please. Flood this thing. That’s the only way I’ll know. And let’s try to make them good posts, leaving some of yesterday’s garbage behind (but obviously continuing any relevant discussions that might actually be non-offensive to a good portion of the audience).
I don’t know what it’s like where you all are, but I’m telling you, there can’t possibly be nicer weather that what I’m in right now on this Sunday afternoon in Denver, where it’s about 80 degrees, 20-percent or so humidity, and not a cloud in the sky. Absolutely stunning weather, and perfect for ‘ball.
Let’s hope Kyle Davies and the lads make it a swell afternoon at the ‘yard.
Paronto on rehab assignment: In case you missed my post on the other blog an hour ago, Chad Paronto’s going to do a brief rehab assignment with Class A Rome on Monday and Ol’ Double-A Miss on Wednesday, after which he’ll be activated from the DL and rejoin the bullpen. The Braves will obviously be glad to get him back; he’s a big part of the ‘pen, literally and figuratively.
Funny scene yesterday, when Paronto was walking back from the weight room here at Coors Field, and me and another guy were standing by the clubhouse door. “Just lifted the whole weight room,” said Paronto, who is the size of a freezer.
McCann gets day off: Brian McCann is out of the lineup today, only the fourth game (in 24) that the catcher hasn’t started behind the plate. When I asked Bobby Cox if McCann was at all sluggish or needed a rest, he looked at me like I had two heads. As Bobby correctly pointed out, McCann is hitting balls as hard as ever, including one that was caught at the center-field wall Saturday.
He’s 1-for-13 in his past three games, but McCann was 5-for-13 with four doubles in the first three games of the trip, and also had a two-RBI game at Florida in the middle. He’s fine. The finger he hurt last weekend isn’t an issue, and McCann is still hitting .295 with 10 extra-base hits and 13 RBIs.
Chipper feeling … well, OK, what’s a synonym for “chipper?”… He’s feeling good, relatively speaking. Has a bit of tightness in his left thigh, apparently, but not anything to keep him out of the lineup.
And when I entered the clubhouse this morning, old Hoss was playing on a big rubber exercise ball like a little kid. Bunch of Braves were watching ESPN on the big screen hanging in the middle of the clubhouse, and Chipper puts the ball down in front of them and runs and dives on it, grinning like a kid.
He’s played every game, and all but a couple of innings all season. Cox said he won’t even let him take him out for a pinch-runner, so determined is the third baseman to keep playing and contributing.
And folks, he’s contributing in a huge way: Entering today, Chipper’s batting .319 with seven doubles, a triple, a team-high seven homers, 16 RBIs, a .421 OBP and a gaudy .648 slugging percentage.
He’s third in the NL in slugging behind Bonds (.828) and Miguel Cabrera (.688), and Chipper’s fourth in OPS (1.069) behind those two and Aaron Rowand.
I was curious and looked up Chipper’s numbers since last summer. In 74 games since June 24 he’s hit .364 (102-for-280) with 23 doubles, three triples, 26 homers, 67 RBIs, 64 runs, 42 walks, a .446 OBP and a 1.192 OPS. Again, 74 games.
OK, game’s starting. Gotta go … A little music, maestro:
“STILL FEELING BLUE” by Gram Parsons
Time can pass and time can heal/But it don’t ever pass the way I feel
You went away a long time ago/And why you left I never knew
The lonely days and lonely nights/Guess the world knows I ain’t feelin’ right
And when you’re gone the hours pass so slow/And now I’m still feeling blue
And baby/Since you’ve walked out of my life
I never felt so low/Can’t help but wonder why you had to go
There are many girls but I can’t say/They come and go but still I feel this way
And ever since the day you said goodbye/No one treats me like you used to do
I hope you’re out and happy now/Doing up the town cause you know how
Every time I hear your name I want to die/And now I’m still feeling blue
All right
And baby/Since you’ve walked out of my life
I never felt so low/Can’t help but wonder why you had to go
I hope you’re out and happy now/Doing up the town cause you know how
Every time I hear your name I want to die/And now I’m still feeling blue
And now I’m still feeling blue
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Smoltz move made perfect sense
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Not that I ever doubted John Smoltz would be back with the Braves and finish his career with the only team he’s ever pitched for in the major leagues, but here’s a few reasons it was a good move to sign him to an extension, and to do it now.
He’s about as reliable a veteran as you can find: Yes, even at 40 (next month) and after four elbow surgeries. Just consider a few numbers I crunched by going through his day-by-day pitching lines this morning:
Smoltz is 32-17 with a 3.34 ERA in 73 starts since moving back to the rotation in 2005 after three-plus season as a closer. Of the 73 starts, 49 were “quality starts” _ defined as six innings or more with three earned runs or fewer.
In 12 of the 17 losses, the Braves scored one or no runs while he was in the game, or while he was the pitcher of record. Which means in 12 of the 17 losses, he had almost no chance of winning.
And in four of the other five losses, the Braves scored two runs.
That leaves one loss. So in 73 starts, he’s lost once when the Braves scored more than two runs while he was in.
In 11 of his 24 no-decisions, the Braves scored two runs or fewer while he was in.
It should end anonymous “friend of the pitcher” rumors: You know, the rumors of how disenchanted Smoltz was with the Braves for haggling with him in the past and for making him wait before signing him to below-market extensions, etc. Or the ones about how he’s told friends he wants to finish his career back in Detroit.
If he was as disenchanted as those rumors would have you believe, or pined to go to Detroit, Smoltz would have waited and thrown himself into a free-agent bidding war in the fall. At the least, he would have waited to see what the Tigers would offer him.
He’s worth the money in this market, without question: Starting pitching is the most important component to a winning team. Period.
And if Smoltz has a season this year comparable to the past two, he could have gotten more than one guaranteed year in a contract with another team.
That’s what his new Braves contract includes _ one guaranteed year at $14 million in 2008, and a vesting option for $12 million in 2009 if he pitches 200 innings next season. Plus a club option worth either $12 mill or $13 mill in 2010, the salary to be determined by whether he pitches 200 innings in 2009.
A quick look through my salary lists shows these pitchers making $12 million or more this season, including prorated shares of signing bonuses: Curt Schilling, Carlos Zambrano, Javier Vazquez, Roy Oswalt, Bartolo Colon, Andy Pettitte, Johan Santana, Pedro Martinez, A.J. Burnett, Roy Halladay, Jason Schmidt.
Oh, and Mike Hampton.
Smoltz? He’s making $8 mill this season. Or half of what Colon is getting.
It reassures fans about new ownership: Not that the Braves did it for this reason, but maybe they actually did think about the public perception.
In any event, this move would seem to refute the notion of a segment of Braves Nation that’s convinced itself that payroll’s going to be stripped, and/or the Braves are paralyzed until the sale goes through, and/or new ownership won’t approve of big contracts because they aren’t going to care about winning and blah blah blah.
The sale could get approved in 2-1/2 weeks at the owners meetings. Repeat, could. No guarantee, but it seems likely, at least from what I’ve heard.
And if it is likely, you better believe a $14 million commitment for a 40-year-old pitcher in 2008 is something that team prez Terry McGuirk would run by his potential new bosses.
Approving of this move should tell you that new ownership at least understands the importance to Braves baseball of the iconic bearded man with the scarred elbow.
Long as they’re producing and aren’t priced at levels that make no sense to team payroll, in my opinion you simply must keep Smoltz and Chipper Jones in Braves uniforms as long as they want to be in Braves uniforms. Again, that’s as long as they produce and aren’t asking for new contracts that are priced beyond their contributions to the team.
Same thing for Andruw. But if you’re talking about $18-20 mill a year, that’s entirely different for a team with a payroll that’s likely to remain below $100 million _ perhaps well below.
OK, enough about Smoltz and that new contract.
Now let’s talk about the real rotation concern. The other news that got slightly overshadowed yesterday by the Smoltz announcement (the Braves, by the way, intended to announce Smoltz today, but it got leaked early last night, so they went ahead and announced it).
The other news of the day, about Lance Cormier. Scratched from his scheduled Friday rehab start because the upper right arm’s still sore.
So what do the Braves do with their rotation? Cormier is to be examined today in Atlanta, to make sure there’s no structural damage or a tear or whatever. But best-case scenario, you gotta figure he’s out at least another couple weeks. Worst case? Well, you can imagine.
Right now you’ve got a rotation with a 4.48 ERA that’s ranked 10th in the NL. Hampton’s done for the season before he ever started (I forgot to mention above, that part of the expected Hampton insurance payment, by the way, is probably going to pay the signing bonus to Smoltz this year; part of Smoltz’s $14 mill salary in 2008 is coming in the form of a signing bonus this year).
Mark Redman has a 10.13 ERA in four starts, and has raised concerns about whether he can be the pitcher the Braves envisioned he’d be when they signed him in March to replace Hampton.
Kyle Davies had a meltdown in his last start and has a 6.19 ERA with 16 hits, 11 walks and four homers allowed in 16 innings.
And even Chuck James has struggled in his last two starts before he faces the Rockies tonight at Coors Field. But James will be fine, I think. Maybe not as sensational as last season, but he’s down the list if he’s even a concern.
What to do about Redman and/or Davies, that’s the question. You probably should give them another couple starts, at least, to see where they’re at, to see if one is clearly in a worse situation than the other, with less hope for immediate improvement.
Then, in my opinion, you replace him with Oscar Villarreal. And here’s why:
Peter Moylan has shown in his past few outings that he can be the long man Villarreal has been in the bullpen since last season. Moylan gave up three runs in an appearance right after arriving from Richmond, but since then he’s been outstanding _ just one stinkin’ hit and three walks allowed in 6-2/3 scoreless innings over his past four appearances, including three innings to bail out Redman on Tuesday at Florida.
Villarreal is 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA in five career starts, including a 3.50 ERA in four starts last season. He’s allowed 22 hits, two homers and six walks in 21 innings as a starter _ tell me that doesn’t look nice, compared to Redman’s work?
Is it an ideal solution? No. He’s not going to give you seven innings because he’s not stretched out. But the way Redman and Davies are going, they’re taxing the bullpen more than Villarreal would with five quality innings, right?
There aren’t any good starting pitchers available out there, without sacrificing a huge piece of your future in trade, and even then it’d be more salary than the team is likely to be willing to take on.
(Remember, the salaries of Hampton, Smoltz and Hudson for next season will total $42 mill, though Hampton’s $15 mill salary counts as less than $9 mill for the Braves’ own payroll purposes, taking the total to about $35-36 mill).
So the Braves go with Villarreal _ that is, if Cormier’s out a while _ as a starter for now. They’ve got young who are about to knock at the door, guys to ease into the rotation in the next few years around Hampton and Smoltz (and, they hope, Davies). Guys like lefties Matt Harrison and JoJo Reyes. But they’re young, and need more seasoning (though who knows, maybe Harrison’s ready by late summer if you absolutely feel the need to bring him up. But I doubt it).
So for now, you turn to Villarreal. Give Redman and Davies a couple more starts, decide which one of them is killing you more than the other, and replace him with Villarreal. If it’s still Redman that’s a black hole in the rotation at that point, then waivers be damned. He’s only making $750,000, but so far he’s not looked worth even that price.
Can’t spell leadership without a Z and a Y: Our favorite female sports leader does it again. And folks, those who think I’m being sarcastic, I’m not. I mean, sort of, but not really. I dig coach Suzanne Yoculan woman’s fire and ice, her cool and swagger. She rocks.
The latest example, in a story in Thursday’s USA Today headlined, “Georgia inspired to repeat.” About her UGA gymnastics team’s pursuit of another national title (for those who don’t know, Georgia is, basically, to gynmastics what Tennesee is to women’s hoops, and then some. Am I right, those of you who know?) They’re trying to repeat as national champs this weekend.
“Nobody wants us to win for three reasons,” coach Yoculan said. “They think it would be better for the sport if we don’t win, and I can’t disagree with that. People root for the underdog, and we’re usually not the underdog. And, third, they don’t like me.”
Well, we do. A lot.
As Ms. Y said a week ago, don’t even put on the leotard if you ain’t in it to win it (I’m paraphrasing).
And now, a little music… Just found out the great Joseph Arthur is playing here Sunday night in Denver. Gonna have to try to make that show, for sure. Born in Akron, he lives in NYC, but in the early 1990s Arthur was playing local Atlanta clubs when he was signed by Peter Gabriel to Gabriel’s “Real World” label.
Very interesting, dark background to Arthur’s life. Lot going on in that man’s head, as you can tell just from the rather disturbing, but beautiful, album covers he’s painted for his own work. Not to mention his lyrics….
“REDEMPTION’S SON” by Joseph Arthur
I don’t know where we’ve been/Could you tell me where we are again?
And Jesus is my only friend/No one else knows who I am
I know I’ll never make it on the cross/Spent my days looking for what my daddy lost
He was too proud to have a boss/Sold himself out then he couldn’t afford the cost
No one knows how he felt/Hung himself in the county jail
There were those who said he would burn in hell/I don’t think they knew him very well
Angel of love/Shine a light on us
I was born to be/Redemption’s son
Angel of love/Shine a light on us
I was born to be/Redemption’s son
Forgive us for what we’ve done, Lord
Forgive us for what we’ve done
I don’t know were we are/Fearful eyes don’t see very far
Drivin’ in my daddy’s car/Ashtray full of his cigars
Is it real what I see…/His ghost ridin’ next to me?
‘Till he’s gone I won’t be free/From the burden of his misery
I know I’ll never make it on the cross/Spent my days looking for what my daddy lost
He was too proud to have a boss/Sold himself out then he couldn’t afford the cost
All over the neighborhood/Mostly he was misunderstood
In his heart the bad beat the good/Used to be a time I’da killed him if I could
Angel of love/Shine a light on us
I was born to be/Redemption’s son
Angel of love/Shine a light on us
I was born to be/Redemption’s son
Forgive us for what we’ve done, Lord
Forgive us for what we’ve done, Lord
Forgive us for what we’ve done….
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Frenchy on a new level
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jeff Francoeur played 20 games through April 24 last season, and he played 20 through April 24 this season. But that’s about where the similarities end.
The Golden Boy is on fire, surely making Lilburn and all of Braves Nation proud. The boy’s done growed up (OK, I’ll stop).
Anyway, going into tonight’s game he’s hitting .299 with four homers and a National League-leading 24 RBIs, and _ hang on to your seats _ his on-base percentage (.368) is actually closer to .400 than .300.
Let’s repeat: Frenchy is hitting .299 with four homers, 24 RBIs, a .368 OBP and a .900 OPS in 20 games.
A year ago today, he was hitting .188 with three homers, eight RBIs, a .205 OBP and a .518 OPS in 20 games.
He finished last season with a .260 average with 29 homers, 103 RBIs and an awful .293 OBP and .742 OPS.
OK, let’s take predictions here. I’m saying the Braves’ 23-year-old right fielder finishes this season at .280 with 32 homers, 120 RBIs and a .345 OBP, which would be one hell of a season and a huge improvement over last season.
But maybe some of you think he’ll finish with even better numbers. Wouldn’t shock me, but I’m gonna stick with the above predictions and see what happens.
In any event, it’s been fun watching him, particularly on this road trip. He has seven hits and six RBIs the past two nights, and Francoeur has raised his two-out RBIs total to a ridiculous 18 this season _ best in the NL _ and 71 since the beginning of last season _ best in the majors, just ahead of A-Rod.
That multi-year contract that he’ll probably get eventually? It’s going to cost more, I’ll bet, than it would have if the Braves had been able to work something out this spring with him, like they did McCann.
But, hey, can’t fault the team if they felt the player’s agent was asking too much (and I have no idea what numbers were bandied about, though I do know they at least had preliminary discussions).
Not everyone is willing to quickly accept a contract that’s reasonable for both sides, and one that’s potentially quite club-friendly, like the one McCann accepted. Good or bad, that’s just the way it is.
But never fear, folks. The Braves aren’t going to let Francoeur go anywhere. He’s not even eligible for arbitration until after the 2008 season, and it would be three more years after that before he’d be a free agent.
Between now and then, probably a lot sooner, I’m guessing the Braves will sign him to a long-term deal.
Now, a couple other things:
Redman bad, but not done: At least not done with the Braves, for now. First and foremost, they don’t have any options to fill the spot, at least not until Lance Cormier makes another rehab start or two and shows he’s healthy.
Please don’t give me Matt Harrison’s name. The young lefty’s going to be a real good major league pitcher someday, but not this week, or this month, and probably not this season.
We saw this spring a kid who was a bit overmatched and overwhelmed by his first experience against major league hitters. Give him some time to have success in the upper levels of the minors.
And besides, Kyle Davies needs to show that Monday night’s debacle vs. the Marlins was a fluke, or an aberration, and that he’s not going to lay an egg like that every few times out.
And Chuck James … well, it’s too early to judge anything. It’s not even May yet, folks, but so far, safe to say it’s a good thing Tim Hudson has stepped forward to reclaim his ace status.
Because between Hampton, Redmond, Davies and the injured Cormier, things haven’t exactly worked out as the Braves planned with the rotation. Their 4.55 ERA was tied with Colorado for 10th in the NL before today.
And people who’ve asked me who’s available on the trade market … no one. At least not that I’ve heard yet, no one who’s decent at least.
If there were, or when there are, plenty of teams would be lined up ahead of the Braves to pursue them, because plenty, including one team that spends about 2-1/2 times what the Braves do on payroll, a team located in the Bronx, have worse rotation problems than the Braves. A lot worse.
Hitting when it counts: The Braves are still tied for the NL lead in home runs (26), but some of their offensive numbers aren’t great _ eighth in average (.253), sixth in slugging, etc.
But they rank fourth in OBP (.347) and third in runs (104), and there are a couple of big reasons the Braves score a lot of runs, especially late in games.
They lead the league with a .290 average with runners in scoring position and two outs, with a whopping .450 OBP and .540 slugging percentage in that category; and they are second in the league with a .310 average in close-and-late situations, with seven homers in those spots (no other NL team has more than five) and a .590 slugging percentage (no one else is over .465).
Francoeur is 7-for-19 (.529) with five extra-base hits with RISP/two outs, and 5-for-13 (.385) with three doubles in close-and-late situations. Kelly Johnson is 4-for-8 with RISP/two outs, and Edgar Renteria is 5-for-11 with RISP/two outs and 5-for-12 (.417) with three homers in close-and-late situations.
Chipper Jones is 4-for-8 with two doubles and a homer in close-and-late situations.
And now, one of the greatest rock-and-roll songs ever recorded, even if it doesn’t appear in the top 10 of those surveys that magazines and whoever else does. It is definitely in the top 10:
“POWDERFINGER” by Neil Young
Look out, Mama, there’s a white boat comin’ up the river
With a big red beacon, and a flag, and a man on the rail
I think you’d better call John/’Cause it don’t look like they’re here to deliver/ the mail
And it’s less than a mile away
I hope they didn’t come to stay
It’s got numbers on the side/and a gun/and it’s makin’ big waves.
Daddy’s gone, my brother’s out hunting in the mountains
Big John’s been drinking/since the river took Emmy-Lou
So the powers that be/left me here/to do the thinkin’
And I just turned twenty-two/I was wonderin’ what to do
And the closer they got,/The more those feelings grew.
Daddy’s rifle in my hand/felt reassurin’
He told me,/Red means run, son,/numbers add up to nothin’
But when the first shot hit the docks/ I saw it comin’
Raised my rifle to my eye/Never stopped to wonder why.
Then I saw black,/nd my face splashed in the sky.
Shelter me from the powder/and the finger
Cover me with the thought/that pulled the trigger
Think of me/as one you’d never figured
Would fade away so young/With so much left undone
Remember me to my love,
I know I’ll miss her.
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Fast-starting Braves have stalled
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’ve always said, the bad thing about having an endorsement deal with an airline is you can’t fib about canceled or unavailable flights. Attababy, Mike.
But I digress….
So here we are on April 24, and issues that seemed so pertinent a week or two ago suddenly do not. Like, how on earth are the Braves going to decide who gets dropped from the rotation to make room for Lance Cormier.
With the way Davies pitched last night, and the incremental worsening of each of his three starts this season, it might be a case of, who’s the lesser of two evils for the final spot in the rotation _ and that’s assuming Cormier comes back in a couple weeks or so and gives them a solid No. 4 starter.
But hey, maybe Davies will surprise me and pitch great his next couple of times out, or at least pitch well.
Redman’s ERA skewed the entire rotation’s otherwise miniscule ERAs a couple weeks back, but now look: Tim Hudson (0.62 ERA), Chuck James (4.22), John Smoltz (4.26), Davies (6.19), Redman (8.62).
Yikes.
The Braves’ 4.11 ERA is ninth in the NL before today’s games, between the Cubs (3.84) and Brewers (4.17).
Atlanta starters’ 4.20 ERA ranks eighth in the NL. But the most surprising is obviously the bullpen’s 3.92 ERA, which ranks 11th in the NL, one spot ahead of Florida’s injury-riddled and youthful ‘pen (4.05).
If the Braves can start to get work like they got last night from Mike Gonzalez, who finally touched 95 mph a couple times with his fastball and didn’t give up any hits in his first inning back since the MRI on his elbow, it’ll be a big step toward getting the bullpen straightened out and lined up as intended.
Macay McBride made progress last night with three innings of no-walk ball for Richmond. Yes, he gave up five hits, but no earned runs and no walks, at this point that’s progress for him. Baby steps for the lefty reliever who walked 11 in his last four appearances for Atlanta before his demotion.
The unwelcome turnaround: The numbers aren’t encouraging, folks. After going 7-1 with a 2.88 ERA in their first eight games, the Braves are 5-6 with a 5.06 ERA in their past 11 before tonight’s middle game of the Florida series, which Atlanta must win to avoid its first losing series of the season.
They’re getting slightly better hitting than they got early, but not enough to make up the difference in runs allowed.
Hey, speaking of bad, check these road averages, and these are for the season: Scott Thorman (.190), Craig Wilson (.105), Ryan Langerhans (.056), Matt Diaz (.048).
It’s staggering how little production the Braves are getting from left fielders _ .134 with one homer, two RBIs, .203 OBP and .194 slugging.
The Langer Hands must be wringing…
One positive statistical note, Chipper Jones’ surge has him all the way up to third in the league in OPS at 1.090, behind that Giants left fielder (1.270) and Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez (1.125). Carlos Beltran (1.074) is fourth.
Huddy toes the slab Wednesday: Alright, how long can Tim Hudson keep this pace up, folks? I tell you what, count me among the convinced now. I was skeptical during spring, when he had a couple of outings that weren’t nearly as good as the numbers indicated. But not now.
What he’s done in the regular season is totally legit. He’s pitching like a true No. 1 starter now, absolutely dominating games, setting the tone and giving his team tons of confidence while leaving hitters muttering and asking each other what the hell Hudson did in the offseason to become … well, the old Tim Hudson again.
He’s 3-0 with an 0.62 ERA in four starts, enjoying one of the best stretches of his career, and Wednesday he’ll face a team he’s always dominated. Hudson is 5-0 with a 1.90 ERA in eight starts vs. Florida, including a 1.57 ERA in seven starts for Atlanta. In six of those seven, he held the Fish to one run and six hits or fewer.
But Redman goes tonight: Unfortunately for the Braves, they’ll have to turn to Mark Redman tonight, not Hudson, and hope that the lefty can help prevent a loss that would give the Braves their first losing series of the season.
As much as Redman has been bashed, he did pitch well enough to win last time out _ three runs over 7-1/3 innings of a 3-0 loss vs. Chicago. A quality start.
But he was rocked by the Marlins for seven runs in 2-2/3 innings of his previous start April 13. So flip a coin and hope it comes up, “Solid Redman” instead of “Journeyman-for-a-reason Redman.”
Right-handed hitters have an alarming .400 average (20-for-50) and nine extra-base hits against him. Yikes twice. Lefty hitters are 2-for-16 against him.
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First place in spite of things
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
They have been finding ways to win, folks. The Braves are in first place and have been finding ways to win late in games, getting big hits from a variety of people _ almost every time by someone not named Andruw.
They have the National League’s second-best record (12-6) entering tonight’s series opener here in South Florida, despite having only the 10th-best team batting average in the NL and ninth-best team ERA.
They have not lost a series yet, and won both series against the Mets, despite getting almost nothing so far this season from left field, getting very little from first base, and getting only a sliver of what they expect to get eventually from center fielder Andruw Jones.
They haven’t lost a game yet in which they led after six innings, and have won four of 10 games in which they trailed after six innings, despite not having their ballyhooed bullpen clicking on all cylinders yet.
Look at it this way: Even after the Mets’ bullpen meltdown yesterday, when the Braves scored six runs over the seventh and eighth innings to overcome a 6-3 deficit, the Mets’ bullpen still has a league-best 1.76 ERA that’s almost two full runs better than the Braves’ ninth-rated bully (3.71).
But Braves relievers are 5-0 and 8-for-9 in saves. Which illustrates the bigger picture I’m trying to convey here. And that is, the Braves are coming up big when it counts most. They’re coming up with clutch hits and crucial pitches, again and again and again.
And that’s the sign of a winning team. Even more than all the raw statistical data, a team that keeps winning close games, especially coming from behind to beat its rival _ the NL East defending champion _ before a crowd of nearly 56,000 iron-lunged Mets fans … that team has something going for it.
These mostly youthful Braves added another layer of confidence after their second series win of the season vs. the Mets, after taking two of three in front of huge weekend crowds at Shea and winning yesterday in a game in which John Smoltz gave up six runs and Tom Glavine had a quality start for the Mets.
A skeptic can take the other view of this and make a good case _ that the Braves are getting lucky, and eventually their luck will change.
But I really think this is more a case of, the Braves are winning games now while they still haven’t put it all together yet. And with the confidence they’re getting now, and the good vibe that’s going through the clubhouse and through the bullpen, it’s only going to be stronger when they get things going.
I mean, really get things going. When they’re getting better, consistent work from the back end of the rotation, and when Mike Gonzalez pitches like the lefty stud reliever the Braves traded for, and Andruw gets hot and carries the team for a few weeks at a time, and when they get more from Craig Wilson and Ryan Langerhans and Matt Diaz and Scott Thorman … or at least from a couple of those guys. Ok, maybe from one of them?
Anyway, this is a good team, folks. It’s not a fluke so far.
McCann is doing what he did all last year _ delivering clutch hits, hitting consistently. Francoeur has more two-out RBIs than anyone but A-Rod since the beginning of the 2006 season.
Chipper is being Chipper _ when healthy, he’s one of the top 10 hitters in the league, and so far he’s been healthy.
Kelly Johnson this past week showed exactly why the Braves believed he would be a better leadoff man that Marcus Giles _ because he’s got a much better approach at the plate, and has the power and patience to hit 20-25 homers and produce a high batting average and OBP over .400.
Now, about left field: It’s bad, man. Braves left fielders _ the platoon of Ryan Langerhans and Matt Diaz _ have a combined .143 average, 62 points below the next-worst team LFs in the National League (Washington .205) and 132 points below the NL average.
Braves LFs have a horrendous .214 OBP and .206 slugging. Worst and worst in NL in those, too. By wide margins. Extremely wide margins.
Langerhans is lost at the plate. He’s making adjustments now, already so frustrated that he’s moved away from what he was doing in spring training, shucking the toe-tap mechanism in his swing, trying to simplify, blah blah blah.
Bottom line, Langy _ who is such a good dude that everyone hates to see this _ is batting .063 (2-for-32) with 14 strikeouts and a .252 OPS (is that possible?). He has an .063 slugging percentage.
The man is 1-for-28 since getting a hit in his last at-bat in the season opener. He’s got one fewer extra-base hit and one fewer RBI than Tim Hudson, who has one of each.
Diaz is batting .244 with a homer, but hasn’t been much better than Langerhans lately. Diaz is 0-for-16 in his last four starts.
The Braves have a total of one home and two RBIs from left fielders, both from Diaz. Seven NL teams have double-digit RBIs from left fielders.
… and first base: It’s not a great deal better than LF. Braves first basemen _ Scott Thorman and Craig Wilson _ have a .180 average that’s better than only Pirates’ .092 (which means they’re better than only the guy they replaced, so far. LaRoche is off to a jaw-dropping bad start).
Braves 1Bs have two homers and four RBIs, the fewest RBIs in the league from the position.
That said, not a lot that can be done about 1B, for now. It’s way too early to give up on Thorman, a rookie they knew would probably struggle out of the gate, or Wilson, a veteran with a track record for hitting left-handers, even if he hasn’t hit much off anybody since early September.
But about left field…. Would the Braves consider going after one of the Cubs’ surplus guys? With Alfonso Soriano apparently about to move to left to accommodate rookie Felix Pie in center, the Cubs might have Cliff Floyd, Jacque Jones and Matt Murton competing for time in right.
Now, I don’t think Jacque is worth his salary anymore ($5.6 mill this season), and Murton is too young and cheap for the Cubs to let go, isn’t he? Which brings us to Floyd. I know, I know … some of you think the last thing the Braves need is another injury-prone guy.
But let me tell you. That big dude can still hit ‘em 450 feet, and he’s making a relatively low $3 mill this year. Beyond that, Floyd is one of the better clubhouse guys I’ve known, and I saw him during some bad times with the Marlins, when he was one of the few talented guys left on their post-1997 World Series fire sale team. He always was upbeat, always kept the guys loose, and like I said, he’s still got a lot of pop in that bat.
And he’s not a brutal outfielder, either. He’s slowed down a lot, but he can still surprise you with a great catch now and then.
My point is, I think he’d probably be a good platoon guy with Matt Diaz. I think Floyd playing half the time, or a little more once things get normal and the Braves stop seeing so many lefties _ they’ve seen more lefties than any team in the majors by the way, more at-bats vs. lefties than any team _ I think he could stay healthy, for the most part. And he’s a helluva bat off the bench.
Floyd told me countless times how much he’d like to play for Bobby Cox, how mch he respects Smoltz and Chipper and the way Cox trusts his players to be men and act professional, etc. He’d be motivated, for sure, if the Braves were to get him.
Whether than have or would have any interest whatsoever, I don’t know. I kinda doubt it. But I’m just throwing it out there. To me, he’d be a good pickup.
OK, gotta get down to the clubhouse here at fabulous Dolphin Stadium _ roll eyes _ where there is a 40-foot swath of outfield fence that somehow, for some reason, doesn’t have a hideous ad on it. Quick, someone sell that ad space to a casino or something.
I’ll talk to ya’ll later.
”POINT BLANK” by Bruce Springsteen
Do you still say your prayers little darlin’/do you go to bed at night
Prayin’ that tomorrow, everything will be alright
But tommorow’s fall in number/in number one by one
You wake up and you’re dying/you don’t even know what from
Well they shot you point blank/you been shot in the back
Baby point blank/ you been fooled this time
little girl that’s a fact
Right between the eyes/ baby, point blank
right between/ the pretty lies that they tell
Little girl you fell
You grew up where young girls they grow up fast
You took what you were handed/ and left behind what was asked
but what they asked baby wasn’t right/you didn’t have to live that life,
I was gonna be your Romeo/ you were gonna be my Juliet
These days you don’t wait on Romeo’s/you wait on that welfare check
and on all the pretty things that you can’t ever have
and on all the promises
That always end up point blank/ shot between the eyes Point blank/ like little white lies you tell to ease the pain
You’re walkin’ in the sights/ girl of point blank
and it’s one false move/ and baby the lights go out
Once I dreamed we were together again/baby you and me
Back home in those old clubs/ the way we used to be
We were standin’ at the bar/it was hard to hear
The band was playin’ loud and you were shoutin’ somethin’ in my ear
You pulled my jacket off and as the drummer counted four
You grabbed my hand and pulled me out on the floor
You just stood there and held me, then you started dancin’ slow
And as I pulled you tighter I swore I’d never let you go
Well I saw you last night down on the avenue
Your face was in the shadows but I knew that it was you
You were standin’ in the doorway out of the rain/You didn’t answer when I called out your name
You just turned, and then you looked away
like just another stranger waitin’ to get blown away
Point blank, right between the eyes
Point blank, right between the pretty lies you fell
Point blank, shot right through the heart
Yea point blank, you’ve been twisted up till you’ve become just another part of it
Point blank, you’re walkin’ in the sights
Point blank, livin’ one false move just one false move away
Point blank, they caught you in their sights
Point blank, did you forget how to love,
girl, did you forget how to fight.
Point blank they must have shot you in the head
Cause point blank
bang bang baby you’re dead.
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Braves, Mets will separate from field
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Go figure this: Here we are at Shea Stadium in Queens, masses of people coming over the walkover bridge from the 7 Train, and Edwin McCann is standing behind home plate playing an acoustic mini-concert.
Yes, Greenville, S.C.’s own McCain. He just sang “I Could Not Ask for More” and got a good round of applause from the folks already in the stadium, most of them still on their way to their seats.
Anyway, big game today, Smoltz vs. Glavine, Round II (not counting their 2005 matchup). Just did an interview on Baseball Tonight where they wanted to know how the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry plays in Atlanta, the idea being this Braves-Mets series is big but getting overshadowed by Yanks-Red Sox.
What I wanted to tell them was, yeah, it’s overshadowed because you guys at ESPN pump up the Yanks-Red Sox rivalry beyond all reasonable proportion and ram it down everyone’s throats until they submit and buy into the notion that it’s the biggest rivaly in the history of the planet.
But I settled for telling Karl that I thought Yanks-Red Sox was overdone and that in Atlanta, Carolina-Duke is bigger (I would’ve said Georgia-Georgia Tech and Auburn-Alabama were bigger, but didn’t want them thinking I’m some myopic regional rube who can’t put things in perspective on a national basis _ but of course, we know those two rivalries are indeed bigger, don’t we?)
Anyway, today’s game: Big because of Smoltz-Glavine, but more so because the Braves would obviously much prefer to leave New York leading the division by a half-game than trailing the Mets by 1-1/2, since the Braves won’t see them again until late May and won’t be back at Shea until August.
Talking to venerable NY Times scribe Murray Chass before the game, and we were in agreement that these two teams seem a good bet to both make the playoffs. And I was telling him how I’ve changed my view of that since the start of spring training, when I doubted that the wild card would come from the NL East.
At that time I thought the East teams would beat each other up too much during the season to allow any of them to win enough games to win the wild card. But at that time I thought there would be at least three and probably four very competitive teams in the division.
Now, I believe the Braves and Mets are clearly the best teams and will separate themselves from the others. The Phillies are the Phillies _ they can’t get out of their own way, year after year after year, no matter what moves they make.
And the Marlins, as I suspected and wrote, were too young to expect all those first- or second-year guys who met or surpassed all expectations last season to stay healthy this year and continue to progress. Some were going to get hurt, some were going to take a step back.
They had no key injuries last year, and have already had several this season. Now Miguel Cabrera has a strained side, and without him their offense is lackluster. Braves really need to win at least two of three in that series, though they’ll have to beat either Dontrelle Willis on Monday or Scott Olsen on Wednesday to do that. (Rick Vanden Hurk is pitching the middle game).
BOOM _ first pitch Kelly Johnson homer: As I was writing that last sentence Kelly Johnson just hit Tom Glavine’s first pitch over the right-field fence. Wow. 1-0.
Now they’re booing Chipper Jones like crazy. A few minutes ago they cheered like crazy when Tom Glavine was introduced. They love the guy here now, apparently more than willing to look past his fall flirtation with the Braves _ of course, if he wasn’t 3-1 with a 2.70 ERA before today, they’d probably not be quite so willing to forgive.
Alright, I’m gonna keep this blog short. Just wanted to get something new posted so you guys would have a clean slate to fire away during the game.
Lance Cormier makes his first rehab start today for Rome, at home vs. Columbus. That game’s at 2 p.m. I’ll let you know when I hear anything.
He’s tentatively scheduled to make three rehab starts, but that could change depending on how he feels, of course.
One other thing, on Andruw: Maybe he decided that his first two-hit game was reason enough to skip batting practice, because he didn’t take it today. Neither did Chipper, but Chipper’s hitting a bit better, if I’m not mistaken.
Hey, B.P. usually isn’t mandatory for these Sunday day games (it was optional today), and Bobby lets his veteran stars have a lot of leeway anyway.
I’d just think that with Andruw struggling as much as he has this season, and with that batting stance looking so particularly awkward right now _ I mean, can a hitter possibly get his legs spread out wider in a stance? _ you’d think Andruw would want to get in their and try to work it out.
But hey, what do I know? He’s hit 92 homers the past couple of seasons, right?
But between you and me, I think all the home runs have had almost a negative effect on Andruw’s overall offense. By that I mean, there’s no reason that he can’t be a more complete hitter, who hits for closer to a .300 average than a .260 average, and who can hit .300 or better with runners in scoring position instead of what he’s done in those situations in recent years.
But again, he’s done alright for himself and he’s going to break the bank as a free agent and probably hit 500-600 homers in his career. And I guess that and 15-16 Gold Gloves and a deserved rep as the best CF in the game ain’t too bad, right?
I guess. But you just wonder just how much there is there that could still be tapped.
“CARL PERKINS’ CADILLAC” by Mike Cooley (Drive-By Truckers)
Life ain’t nothing but a blending up of all the ups and downs
Dammit Elvis, don’t you know/You made your Mama so proud
Before you ever made that record, before there ever was a Sun
Before you ever lost that Cadillac that Carl Perkins won
Mr. Phillips found old Johnny Cash and he was high
High before he ever took those pills and he’s still too proud to die
Mr. Phillips never said anything behind nobody’s back
Like “Dammit Elvis, don’t he know, he ain’t no Johnny Cash”
If Mr. Phillips was the only man that Jerry Lee still would call sir
Then I guess Mr. Phillips did all of y’all about as good as you deserve
He did just what he said he was gonna do/ and the money came in sacks
New contracts and Carl Perkins’ Cadillac
I got friends in Nashville, or at least they’re folks I know
Nashville is where you go to see if what they said is so
Carl drove his brand new Cadillac to Nashville/ and he went downtown
This time they promised him a Grammy/He turned his Cadillac around
Mr. Phillips never blew enough hot air/ to need a little gold plated paperweight
He promised him a Cadillac and put the wind in Carl’s face
He did just what he said he was gonna do and the money came in sacks
New contracts and Carl Perkins’ Cadillac
Dammit Elvis, I swear son I think it’s time you came around
Making money you can’t spend/ ain’t what being dead’s about
You gave me all but one good reason not to do all the things you did
Now Cadillacs are fiberglass, if you were me you’d call it quits
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They’re sure ready at old Shea
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Just got off the 7 Train with more Braves players than I can ever remember seeing on that venerable old line from Grand Central Terminal. They must have finally gotten tired of getting stuck in traffic in cabs or the team bus.
Anyway, this Braves-Mets series starting tonight at Shea is big, folks.
No, not big enough to knock A-Rod and the Yankees off the front and back pages of the ever-understated tabloids _ “WOW!” and “A-Rod hits amazing 10th homer” on the front and “A-MONSTER!” on the back of the NY Post; “Deja Boom” on front and “RED HOT” on back of NY Daily News _ but it’s big nonetheless.
If you don’t believe me just listen to the first-place and defending NL East champion Mets, whose 10-4 record is the best in the majors (Braves’ 10-5 is third-best).
“It’s still early, but the Braves on a Friday night at Shea Stadium is going to be huge,” Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca told the Post.
“Met fans love when Atlanta comes into town,” Mets manager Willie Randolph told the Post (and he could have added that Met fans also love it when the Mets come to Atlanta, but that would have been a cheap shot).
“I don’t put a real lot of emphasis on early season stuff, but when you’re playing within the division, when you’re playing the Braves, it’s an early big series for us. The place should be rocking.”
No doubt about that. I just want to get through a few more Braves-Mets series here without the place crumbling beneath the din of foot-stomping, “Lar-ry” mocking New Yorkers who pack the place for weekend series against the boys from the South.
They’re building that beautiful new park with the unfortunate name “Citi Field” with two “I’s,” not a “y,” because CitiGroup or however it’s spelled is paying such an absurdly high sum that it can tell them to name it whatever they damn well please.
They’re building the thing as we speak _ or as we blog _ beyond the center and right fields of the current edifice, and it’s going to be nice. It really is.
Well, other than the fact it’s still going to be located in Flushing and presumably within a Carlos Delgado home run of plenty of chop shops (unless they force all those lovely “auto repair shops” to leave, which they’re probably going to do, I’d imagine, but for the sake of this blog let’s act like they’re not).
So how hot are the Mets? They’re hot. Very hot. They just won all three games on a rain-truncated road trip (I just said truncated _ yess!), two at Philly and one at Florida.
All they did was hit .377 with a 1.33 ERA while outscoring those guys 28-6 in the three games. That’s all.
The Braves, meanwhile, have hit just .229 and scored 27 runs in their past SEVEN GAMES, going 3-4 in that stretch. Yikes.
It’s warm here in NY, and it’ll be warm, of course, in Florida. So time to drop the cold-weather excuse and start getting some knocks.
Andruw has been bad early before: The Braves center fielder has looked pretty lost at the plate so far this season, but it’s hardly the first time Andruw Jones has struggled in April.
So I wouldn’t get too concerned. As anyone who’s followed the Braves for any length would tell you, he’s as streaky a productive hitter as there is in the game today, able to carry a team for several weeks, then become an out machine for two or three weeks at a stretch. He is what he is.
He’s hitting .170 with three homers, eight RBIs and a whopping 17 strikeouts in 53 at-bats over 15 games. He hasn’t had more than one hit in any game.
But remember in 2005? Andruw hit .182 with two homers, nine RBIs and 19 strikeouts in 21 games through April 26. Then hit .275 with 49 homers and 119 RBIs in 139 games the rest of the season. He hit nine homers that May and hit .317 with 13 homers and 26 RBIs in June.
Then there was last season, when he turned it around by starting out at .317 with eight homers and 23 RBis in his first 16 games. Remember what happened next? He hit one homer and struck out 30 times in 108 at-bats over his next 29 games.
He is what he is. A terrific defensive outfielder and a streaky hitter with prodigious power when he’s in a groove. When he’s struggling, he’s really struggling.
Oh, yesterday was pretty boring, huh? Riiiight. Between trying to find out something about the Gonzalez MRI and then having that very interesting conversation with Willy Aybar’s agent in late morning, it was a lot of work before noon the day of a night game. Thankfully, Ms. Rogers was covering the game itself. Or that 4:45 a.m. wakeup call today might’ve been even worse.
Haven’t heard anything yet, and might not hear much today, regarding Aybar’s scheduled meeting with MLB officials here in NY. I’ll try to reach the agent again, but I’m guessing he’s going to be unlikely to pick up the phone this time, after the avalanche of calls he got when our story was posted.
This stuff is generally kept close to the vest by both team and MLB officials, because of potential legal issues, etc. But we’ll try to find out what’s going on.
As for Gonzalez, that was obviously the best news the Braves and their lefty reliever could have hoped for yesterday, that MRI that revealed no structural damage. And with the weather warm here in NY, expected to be close to 70 Saturday and Sunday, and then 80 degrees in Florida, perhaps it’ll be easier for him to get back to being himself.
We’ll see. I agree that cold weather shouldn’t affect a guy’s velocity and location as much as he believes it did his, especially a guy who’s pitched in Pittsburgh for several years.
But I do believe that by June, if not sooner, Gonzalez will be a lot closer to his old form than he has been so far. Keep in mind, he didn’t throw at all in September and October, then started his winter program later than usual because of the elbow tendinitis that had him on the DL for the last five weeks of the season.
OK, gotta get down to the clubhouse.
Since we’re near Jersey, let’s turn it over to the The Boss. The real one.
”THE RIVER” by Bruce Springsteen
I come from down in the valley/where mister when you’re young
They bring you up to do like your daddy done
Me and Mary we met in high school/when she was just seventeen
We’d ride out of that valley down to where the fields were green
We’d go down to the river/And into the river we’d dive
Oh down to the river we’d ride
Then I got Mary pregnant/and man that was all she wrote
And for my nineteenth birthday/ I got a union card and a wedding coat
We went down to the courthouse/and the judge put it all to rest
No wedding day smiles no walk down the aisle/No flowers no wedding dress
That night we went down to the river/And into the river we’d dive
Oh down to the river we did ride
I got a job working construction for the Johnstown Company
But lately there ain’t been much work/ on account of the economy
Now all them things that seemed so important/Well mister they vanished right into the air
Now I just act like I don’t remember/Mary acts like she don’t care
But I remember us riding in my brother’s car/Her body tan and wet down at the reservoir
At night on them banks I’d lie awake/And pull her close just to feel each breath she’d take
Now those memories come back to haunt me/they haunt me like a curse
Is a dream a lie if it don’t come true/Or is it something worse
That sends me down to the river/though I know the river is dry
That sends me down to the river tonight
Down to the river/my baby and I
Ohh, down to the river we ride
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This & That: Beat blog notes
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Braves just rallied last night to beat the Cubs to get to 10 wins quicker than any Braves team has since 1997. Let’s wax nostalgic, shall we?
I can either show you my scribbling, of all the 7-6 records, the 9-7s, 8-8s, the Braves have been on the mornings of April 19 in ‘05, or ’03, or ’01. But I’m not sure how to scan my notepad into a blog. So how about some factoids to put in perspective just how long it’s been?
1997 was the Braves’ first year at Turner Field of course. Duh. Moving on. That 1997 team started the year 12-3 and went 19-6 in April, but actually started the season 0-2. They lost to the Astros’ Mike Hampton and Shane Reynolds, both of whom have come through the Braves clubhouse since. Hampton, you might have heard about.
The first win of the season came that third game of the series against the Astros when the Braves beat Darryl Kile. We wish he were still pitching today. Over a 13-game stretch the Braves went 6-0 twice, and in those 12 wins went 5-0 against the Cubs. One of the wins came when Greg Maddux pitched eight innings of a shutout against his former and soon-to-be again team.
Now, of course, Maddux is with the Padres and just pitched against the Cubs two days ago. Some Braves players and coaches — including Maddux’s old backstop Eddie Perez — watched Maddux pitch in Wrigley Field on TV in the cramped visiting clubhouse at RFK Stadium. (Maddux left after five innings of a 3-3 tie. The Padres went on to win 4-3 in 14 innings.)
And on this day in 1997? Tom Glavine woke up a happy man, having just pitched his second complete game shutout at Coors Field. It was a 14-0 pummeling. It was only the fifth shutout in Coors Field history, and Glavine had pitched two of them. And he didn’t have any help from any humidors.
I just went back and read what our Tom Stinson talked about in the Braves clubhouse this morning and it’s priceless.
Maddux’s description of what Glavine had just done:
“That’s a Triple Lindy,” Maddux.
A Triple Lindy?
“Yeah, the dive Rodney Dangerfield does in ‘Back to School,’ where he lands on all three boards,” Maddux said.
Glavine will be facing the Braves Sunday again as a Met, going against John Smoltz for the second time in two weeks.
All I’m saying is, the Braves are off to a great start. And time flies, doesn’t it?
NO-HIT STUFF: The Braves surely took interest in seeing Mark Buehrle’s no-hitter last night for the Chicago White Sox. They just saw him less than three weeks ago in an exhibition game in Turner Field.
He showed what a different style the White Sox have for their pitchers at the end of spring training. Where a Braves pitcher might tune down with maybe a handful of innings his last outing, Buehrle was stretching out. He threw 100 some odd pitches. But he was effective, going 7 innings, allowing only two earned runs (including a Chipper Jones homer). That lowered his spring training ERA to 6.95.
He’s on now, boy. On Wednesday night, he threw 105 pitches and struck out eight while no-hitting the Rangers in two hours and three minutes.
From the Notes Group… This time it was Paul Hagen of the Philadelphia Daily News with some great stuff. First on manager Charlie Manuel’s blowout with radio personality Howard Eskin. From Hagen’s point of view, Manuel tried to answer the questions politely about why he didn’t go off on his players (who had gone 0-for-11 with RISP in Tuesday’s 8-1 loss to the Mets which dropped them to 3-9.) But Eskin — a strutting, preening radio personality, as Hagen put it — kept at it. Finally Manuel went off.
The confrontation lasted several exchanges, the first with Manuel saying:
“I can show you I can get angry.”
Eskin: “OK, I’d be happy to.”
Manuel: “I’ll be waiting on you.”
Eskin: “Maybe if you did that to a player.”
There were two more exchanges, once behind closed doors but loud enough to hear, the other in full view.
So we go to Hagen, whose judgment we trust, for some overriding thoughts.
“Bottom line: Manuel came off looking bad and probably shouldn’t have reacted. But Eskin is a no good louse who set out to make himself the story and sadly, succeeded.”…
Oh, and the quote of the day. From Phillies former No. 1 starter Brett Myers, who was just sent to the bullpen (Panic city?). He had this to say after losing to the Astros Friday night to fall to 0-2 with a 9.39 ERA. “I’m pitching like a scared dog. If you pitch like a Chihuahua, you’re going to be eaten by a Rottweiler.”
And last but not least Ryan Howard — he of the 58 homers and MVP award last season — has got to have an MRI on his knee this morning. Not good for the Phillies.
Any way you slice it, they’re 9-4
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Hello again, denizens. Glad to be back after a couple days away from the team.
And before we get started, I would like to remind those of you bemoaning the Braves’ lack of offense — and those of you who play for the Thrashers, who apparently need an inspirational message — of the immortal recent words of Georgia women’s gymnastics coach Suzanne Yoculan.
She said before her squad’s regional meet last Saturday: “We should win easily, and we intend to make a statement. If you’re not out there wanting to win, there’s no business putting on the leotard.”
Notre Dame football has “Play like a champion today.” But give me, “If you’re not out there wanting to win, there’s no business putting on the leotard.”
Anyway, we digress. Where were we? Oh, yes…
The Braves were willing to sacrifice offense for arms this winter because they believed they’d still score enough runs to win if they could fortify their pitching staff. So far, they’ve been able to do exactly that.
Just did some numbers crunching, comparing last year’s start to this one, and came up with something interesting (and remember, last year’s start was in unseasonably cold, wet temps out in California, this year in similar, even colder conditions in … well, everywhere the Braves have been):
The Braves allowed six or more runs in eight of their first 10 games last season and allowed five in one other, which is why they hit .290, scored 6.9 runs per game and still had a losing record after 10 games.
This season they’ve allowed six runs or more in only two of the first 13 games (and five in one other), which is why they’ve been able to hit .235 and score just 4.6 runs per game and still have the majors’ second-best record (9-4).
By the way, the Dodgers (10-4) have the best record, and I’d like to take this time to pat myself on the back by noting that I picked the Braves, Brewers and Dodgers to win the NL divisions, and the Tigers to beat the Dodgers in the World Series. Now, if the Brewers would just cooperate….
The Braves got off to their good start despite getting very little from 1B and LF, and not much but walks from leadoff man/2B Kelly Johnson until his four hits Tuesday, and little other than a few homers from Andruw Jones.
They’re in first place despite getting two bad starts (actually one mediocre start and one horrendous start) from Mark Redman, and getting about three walks per inning from since-demoted lefty Macay McBride and less-than-expected from lefty Mike Gonzalez, one of the arms they sacrificed offense to get this winter.
So it’s hard for anyone to say the Braves’ record is flukey. On balance, with the starting pitching they have and the improved bullpen, and with what they expect to get out of the Jonses, Brian McCann, Renteria, et al, over the course of a season, this is definitely a team capable of winning the division.
They do need to get more production from LF, either by playing Diaz more and hoping he can continue producing in a full-time role as efficiently as he does in a part-time role, or by getting more from Ryan Langerhans in the platoon, or, in the absence of either of those developments, making a move eventually to improve the position. But it’s too early to be overly concerned.
For those who haven’t noticed, there aren’t a lot of trades made in the first couple months of the season, when most teams are taking a good, long look at what they have on their major league teams and what they might have ready in the minors. So don’t expect any trades to be made in the immediate future. Not the way it works. Maybe they’ll make an exception, but I don’t see that happening.
A good point to bold-face something: Just to break up the gray and keep people from losing interest. Now that I’ve got you back, consider this:
The Braves lead the NL with 18 HRs — no other team has more than 14 — but only the Nationals (.232) have hit for a lower average than the Braves (.235). And the Nationals, well, they’re really not very good. Not very good at all.
Only Colorado hitters have more strikeouts (102) than Atlanta hitters (99). However, the Braves do have those homers and 60 walks, more walks than any NL team except Philly (72).
If the role of the leadoff guy is primarily to get on base… then has Kelly Johnson really been as bad as some of you claim? Yes, the great leadoff hitters do more, including disrupting pitchers when they get on base.
But there aren’t many great ones around anymore. And Rickey _ or Fookie, for that matter — ain’t walking through that Braves clubhouse door anytime soon.
Yes, Johnson was hitting a godawful .154 before last night’s 4-for-5 raised his average to .222. But even when hitting below the Mendoza Line, his on-base percentage was well above .300.
Yes, teams want their leadoff guy to be closer to .400 than to .300 OBP, for sure, but I’m just saying it wasn’t as bad as some made it out to be, and certainly not bad enough to trash after two weeks all the planning and offseason work that went into making him the second base.
Bottom line, he’s got a .352 OBP today, with two doubles, two homers, two stolen bases, five RBIs, nine walks and 11 runs in 12 games.
The man he replaced, Marcus Giles, is off to a very good start for the Padres, by all accounts. But look closer and Giles — again, having a good year so far, I agree wholeheartedly — has a .365 OBP with with two doubles, two homers, two stolen bases, nine RBIs, four walks and eight runs in 14 games.
Compare their two lines, consider that Johnson missed the entire 2006 season, and tell me how the Braves would be a whole lot better off at this point of the season if Giles had been leading off. Seriously, compare their stats.
Cubs coming to town: And they’ve got some issues. Manager is throwing guys under the bus, Soriano’s hurt (not badly, but probably won’t play vs. Braves), their outfield defense is atrocious unless rookie sensation Felix Pie is in there…. Hey, they’re the Cubs. They’ll still fill Wrigley Pub all summer.
The Cubs committed, what, $300 billion, er, million, to free agents this winter? And right now they have eight home runs — 10 fewer than the Braves.
Noticed this stat that should give you some indication of how relatively lefty-loaded the NL East is this season. The Cubs, who so far have faced Cincy, Houston, Milwaukee and San Diego, have had a mere 30 at-bats (4-for-30) vs. lefties.
The Braves have had 174 at-bats — an astonishingly high number _ vs. lefties, and hit .253. They have almost 50 percent more hits (44) vs. lefties than the Cubs have at-bats vs. lefties.
Here’s another weird stat: Eight of the Cubs’ 35 extra-base hits have been homers, while 18 of the Braves’ 36 extra-base hits have been homers. Yes, half of their extra-base hits have been homers.
Trends continue, some good, some not: He’s one of the best defensive left fielders I’ve seen, but Langerhans continues to not save as many runs with his glove as he’s not driving in with his bat. (Did I just come up with a Yogi-ism? I think so. Or close.)
Since April 15, 2006, Langerhans has hit .211 with 12 doubles, five homers, 20 RBIs and 95 strikeouts and 308 at-bats. Wwith a .320 OBP and .632 OPS….
Since being traded to the Braves after the 2005 season, Edgar Renteria has played exactly 162 games and hit .293 with 42 doubles, 16 homers, a .363 OBP and an .801 OPS, with 18 stolen bases and 15 errors….
Adam LaRoche’s breakout 2006 season ended with a three-week slump that didn’t draw much attention because his overall stats were so good (.285, 32 homers, 90 RBI). But here’s what he’s done since Sept. 14: .155 (15-for-97) with three homers, six RBIs, nine walks, 36 strikeouts, .226 OBP, .504 OPS….
Craig Wilson hasn’t done much hitting since two weeks after he was traded to the Yankees from Pittsburgh. Since Aug. 16, he’s hit .157 (13-for-83) with one double, two homers, three RBIs and 29 strikeouts in 83 at-bats. The man has as many errors (three) as extra-base hits (three) in that 40-game span….
Which is not good, especially considering he’s in first-place platoon with rookie Scott Thorman, who also hasn’t hit for a while.
Thor was mighty in early July, hitting .382 with four homers and nine RBIs in his first 13 games that month. But since then? He’s hit .194 (18-for-93) with two homers, eight RBIs and 20 strikeouts, though he does have eight doubles in that stretch.
“EYES ON THE PRIZE” by M. Ward
Everything I’ve learned I have forgotten/Everything I’ve forgotten looks just like new
I pulled the ends out for the tie that binds/To keep my promise with you
With my eyes on the prize/And my mind on you
I put my pride on the line/My whole life, too
Now anything you ask me for is yours/Now say the word and I’ll lay it at your feet
I’ll meet the pavements down the line somehow/If you keep your promise with me
With my eyes on the prize/And my mind on you
I put my pride on the line/And my whole life, too
You say, take your axe and fashion me a kind of swing
Walkin’ blues have played a number on my feet
I’ll dance whatever dance you need to dance/’Cause you keep you promise with me
You’ll keep your promise with me
You’ll keep your promise
You’ll keep your promise
You’ll keep your promise with me
Hoping to avoid a letdown
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Is there such a thing as a letdown in baseball? The Braves started the season so well against the Phillies and Mets, two teams projected by a lot of people to finish ahead of the Braves in the NL East standings. They were ready to get going, ready to show off their new bullpen and came up with clutch hits. They won those series 5-1.
Since then, the Braves have gone 3-3 against the Marlins and Nationals, teams supposed to finish behind the Braves in the NL East.
Are “letdowns” and “overlooking teams” just for football and basketball or can baseball teams do it too? The argument against it is, you play baseball every day. Emotions don’t come into play as much. They can’t. It’s more clinical. Guys are hitting well or not, pitching well or not. Weather is cold. And tides turn on who’s pitching and how well. A team could face a great pitcher for a bad team.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. But if you ask me, the Braves were locked in before, and they’ve lost their mojo. The key hits aren’t coming. Even Brian McCann, who’s been the Braves’ most reliable hitter this season and hard to pick on, is a good example. He hit .364 (8 for 22) with two homers and seven RBI in those first two series. He’s hit .222 (4 for 18) since then, with no homers and one RBI.
So is it good news the Mets are coming up again already, when the Braves start a 10-day road trip this coming weekend? Perhaps. And for those who are on the conservative “this is baseball” side, the Braves can feel good about having their rotation lined up to go Tim Hudson, Chuck James and John Smoltz against the Mets.
A GOOD START: Left-hander Steve Colyer made his first appearance Monday night (1 2/3 innings, 0 runs, two hits, 3 Ks) since getting called up from Richmond to replace of Macay McBride. One thing he’s got ahead of McBride already is he’s throwing strikes. Of his 21 pitches, 16 went for strikes.
He gave up a couple hits, one a double on a groundball past Chipper Jones and one on a single to Dmitri Young, who was hitting everybody Monday night (3 for 4), but the Braves have to like it better than the three-walks-a-game clip McBride was putting out there.
Colyer did let one pitch loose to the backstop against Ryan Church, perhaps showing a few nerves or effects of the cold, but he came back to strike out Church and Brian Schneider to get out of the inning.
McBride ran into more control problems in his first outing Monday night for Richmond. He walked two batters and hit another before escaping the inning on a bases-loaded groundout. McBride got the win vs. Louisville.
DID YOU KNOW? Yes, Andruw Jones and Chipper Jones homered twice in five days to make that the 57th time both Joneses have homered in the same game. They lead all active teammates in that category (ahead of Jim Edmonds and Albert Pujols, who’ve done it 46 times) and are seventh all-time.
But thanks to the Braves’ SABR connection, David Vincent, who provided this information to Braves PR, we also know that Andruw and Chipper Jones homering 57 times in the same game is the most ever by teammates with the same name. Brooks and Frank Robinson did it 24 times. Edgar and Tino Martinez did it 24 times. Dave and Rickey Henderson did it 11 times….
And as good as the Braves bullpen has been in final results - 5 for 5 in save chances - they entered this Washington series leading the majors in baserunners allowed (16.71 per nine 9 innings) and in walks (26). They allowed another six baserunners Monday night, including two walks by Mike Gonzalez. Flirting with danger there.
Remembering Jake Rocker
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I just read about the death of Jake Rocker, John Rocker’s father, who died in a car accident this morning in Warner Robins. I’m wondering when the shocks are going to stop this week. I’m saddened by the news and my heart goes out to John Rocker and his family.
I feel compelled to write a little about this because I knew Jake fairly well, especially well for a parent of an athlete I covered. I first got to know him when I was writing for the Macon Telegraph covering high schools in the early ’90s. It was John’s last two years as the flame-throwing stud at First Presbyterian Day School, back in the days when he used to call me ‘ma’am.’
I used to see his dad all the time at baseball games, basketball games, football games, whatever games. He was a very involved parent. And John is an only child. I’m sure this is a very, very hard day for him.
As John came up through the minors, his family opened their home to other Braves minor leaguers. It was neat to see. Andruw Jones and former shortstop prospect Glenn Williams of Australia lived with the Rockers for the summer in 1995. I used to see Jake all the time at Luther Williams Field, supporting Macon Braves players even when John wasn’t pitching.
The whole Sports Illustrated mess took a toll on both John’s parents. Jake took it hard, but he took it standing up. He tried to defend his son publicly and sometimes it backfired. He ruffled his share of feathers. But I was personally indebted to him for his decision to notify me of meetings John had lined up one day with Hank Aaron and Andrew Young, in an attempt to begin to make peace and to rebuild John’s image.
I had been staying in Macon for a few days, hoping to get John to speak publicly on the subject. Jake called me back one morning. He didn’t tell me where we were going. I was to meet him at his office. I rode in his car with him to Atlanta where we met John and made our way to Young’s house. I spent the day getting unbelievable access to a story that wound up winning a national award. For that, I’m indebted to Jake.
I didn’t always make him happy with what I wrote, but I think if the two of us saw each other now, we’d be up for a good chat about the old days. I’m sorry I won’t get that chance.
Note: Funeral services for Jake Rocker will be at 11 a.m Friday at Ingleside Baptist Church on Wimbish Road in Macon.
No mojo in the dojo
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Is there such a thing as a letdown in baseball? The Braves started the season so well against the Phillies and Mets, two teams projected by a lot of people to finish ahead of the Braves in the NL East standings. They were ready to get going, ready to show off their new bullpen and came up with clutch hits. They won those series 5-1.
Since then, the Braves have gone 3-3 against the Marlins and Nationals, teams supposed to finish behind the Braves in the NL East.
Are “letdowns” and “overlooking teams” just for football and basketball or can baseball teams do it too? The argument against it is, you play baseball every day. Emotions don’t come into play as much. They can’t. It’s more clinical. Guys are hitting well or not, pitching well or not. Weather is cold. And tides turn on who’s pitching and how well. A team could face a great pitcher for a bad team.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. But if you ask me, the Braves were locked in before, and they’ve lost their mojo. The key hits aren’t coming. Even Brian McCann, who’s been the Braves’ most reliable hitter this season and hard to pick on, is a good example. He hit .364 (8 for 22) with two homers and seven RBI in those first two series. He’s hit .222 (4 for 18) since then, with no homers and one RBI.
So is it good news the Mets are coming up again already, when the Braves start a 10-day road trip this coming weekend? Perhaps. And for those who are on the conservative “this is baseball” side, the Braves can feel good about having their rotation lined up to go Tim Hudson, Chuck James and John Smoltz against the Mets.
A GOOD START: Left-hander Steve Colyer made his first appearance Monday night (1 2/3 innings, 0 runs, two hits, 3 Ks) since getting called up from Richmond to replace of Macay McBride. One thing he’s got ahead of McBride already is he’s throwing strikes. Of his 21 pitches, 16 went for strikes.
He gave up a couple hits, one a double on a groundball past Chipper Jones and one on a single to Dmitri Young, who was hitting everybody Monday night (3 for 4), but the Braves have to like it better than the three-walks-a-game clip McBride was putting out there.
Colyer did let one pitch loose to the backstop against Ryan Church, perhaps showing a few nerves or effects of the cold, but he came back to strike out Church and Brian Schneider to get out of the inning.
McBride ran into more control problems in his first outing Monday night for Richmond. He walked two batters and hit another before escaping the inning on a bases-loaded groundout. McBride got the win vs. Louisville.
DID YOU KNOW? Yes, Andruw Jones and Chipper Jones homered twice in five days to make that the 57th time both Joneses have homered in the same game. They lead all active teammates in that category (ahead of Jim Edmonds and Albert Pujols, who’ve done it 46 times) and are seventh all-time.
But thanks to the Braves’ SABR connection, David Vincent, who provided this information to Braves PR, we also know that Andruw and Chipper Jones homering 57 times in the same game is the most ever by teammates with the same name. Brooks and Frank Robinson did it 24 times. Edgar and Tino Martinez did it 24 times. Dave and Rickey Henderson did it 11 times….
And as good as the Braves bullpen has been in final results - 5 for 5 in save chances - they entered this Washington series leading the majors in baserunners allowed (16.71 per nine 9 innings) and in walks (26). They allowed another six baserunners Monday night, including two walks by Mike Gonzalez. Flirting with danger there.
Has there ever been a windout?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Greetings from Washington, where I’m wondering if there’s such a thing as a windout. Remnants of the nor-easter that hit the Northeast yesterday has winds gusting here at about 40 mph, at least according to my airline pilot.
(And that was nothing compared to the 70 mph gusts that had us sitting on the runway in Raleigh-Durham for an extra hour waiting for a 15-second window to take off. Just here from my college reunion. Not saying which one. Year, that is.)
No rain so far here, so maybe they’ll play. Just wouldn’t want to try to catch a pop-up tonight…or a flyball…for that matter.
So I guess the cold and windy conditions follow the Braves, who seem to be playing well in spite of it….
Upon seeing Jeff Francoeur’s bases loaded walk yesterday, it reminded me how many times already I’ve heard him say these first couple weeks: “This time last year I was 2 for 20-this or 2 for 20-that.” And he was right on. Through his first nine games last year (the Braves just played their 11th game Sunday) he had started 2 for his first 36 last year.
Eleven games into his season last year Francoeur was hitting .208 (10-for-48), and that was after he’d finally begun digging his way out of that hole. His on-base percentage this time last year? .220.
By comparison, through 11 games this year, entering this two-game series against the Nationals, Francoeur was hitting .268 (11 for 41) with a .333 on-base percentage. The walk he took Sunday against the Marlins was his third of the year. He didn’t take his third walk last year until May 26.
He’s still swinging at a lot of first pitches. He still strikes out a lot (10 strikeouts this year. He had 11 strikeouts at this point last year.) But he has begun to discover right field. And he’s taking a weekly walk. He’s making progress.
Part of the problem last year was how few at-bats he got while participating in the World Baseball Classic during spring training. Francoeur didn’t want to blame his early-season problems on that - he calls playing in the WBC one of the highlights of his life and a very proud moment. But it’s pretty clear how well seeing a few more pitches this spring (68 at-bats) is serving him.
Tidbits from the notes group the AJC is a part of (we exchange baseball beat stuff with hacks from papers from all 29 other MLB cities). This is from Larry Stone, who covers the Seattle Mariners for the Seattle Times.
“I’ve got to share with you my candidate for Quote of the Year. It comes from Ichiro, as translated by Seattle Times correspondent Brad Lefton, who speaks Japanese and does a lot of freelance pieces for us on Japanese players.
Unlike the watered down quotes via Ichiro’s interpreter, Lefton always seems to come up with lively stuff. It helps when you’re doing your own translation, I guess. Anyway, without further ado, here’s Ichiro talking, prior to Wednesday’s game, about the anticipation of facing (Daisuke) Matsuzaka for the first time since 2000:
‘I hope he arouses the fire that’s dormant in the innermost recesses of my soul. I plan to face him with the zeal of a challenger.’”
And this from Phil Rogers (no relation, though I call him a cuz) of the Chicago Trib, about Atlanta’s own Michael Barrett, the Cubs catcher who went to Pace Academy, on his way home to Chicago from a trip to Milwaukee.
“Barrett stopped for dinner at a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Kenosha, Wisc. After diners recognized him, he wound up picking up the checks of everyone in the joint. He said he asked himself, ‘What would Jody Davis do?’”
Davis was a fan-favorite catcher for the Cubs.
Will 1Bs and Langerhans hit?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s not a loss to Washington on Thursday that should concern anyone, though it was a bit alarming to see Smoltz once again come away with a loss after pitching so well, as was so often the case last season.
No, the thing that concerns me about this first-place Braves team, with its .226 team average that is ahead of only Pittsburgh before today, is the utter lack of production from a few spots _ first base, left field, second base _ and the very real chance that a couple of those could continue to be troublesome.
I do think second baseman Kelly Johnson will start to hit, and that it’s far too early to pass judgment on a guy who hasn’t played a full season in the majors, missed the entire 2006 season, and spent much of his energies in spring training getting acclimated to his new position, which he’s played quite well.
He’s only hitting .161 before tonight, but has a couple of homers, a few other balls hit hard at people, and seven walks for a .316 on-base percentage _ not what they need from a leadoff guy, obviously, but again, too early to judge.
On the other hand, I’ve gotta say I’m a bit alarmed by the LF and 1B platoons of Matt Diaz/Ryan Langerhans and Scott Thorman/Craig Wilson. Of those four players, only Diaz (.375) has met expectations in the early, early going _ again I know it’s very early _ picking up right where he left off last season.
Just as it’s too early to judge Johnson, it’d be hypocritical of me to judge Thorman, who’s in his first regular duty in the majors and trying to handle a very important job. But I was never as confident as the Braves seemed publicly in the chances that Thorman would be able to produce much in his first year.
Shortly after arriving in the majors last summer, Thorman hit .382 (13-for-34) with four homers and nine RBIs in his first 13 July games. But in 41 games since then he had a .198 average with two homers, seven RBIs and 20 strikeouts in 86 at-bats before tonight.
Wilson, frankly, has been a disappointment after making a strong initial impression in spring training. A guy with his track record deserves benefit of the doubt, and a month from now I won’t be shocked if his numbers vs. lefties are strong like they’ve always been during his career.
But right now? Yikes. He’s batting .071 (1-for-14) before tonight including 1-for-11 vs. lefties. But that’s such a small sample that it wouldn’t even raise an eyebrow with me if it weren’t for the fact he also struggled most of the spring, and for the last couple of months of the 2006 season with the Yankees (.212, 34 strikeouts in 104 at-bats after being traded from Pittsburgh July 31).
Going back to August 16, Wilson has hit .135 (10-for-74) with one double, two homers, three RBIs and 25 strikeouts in 36 regular-season games.
And Langherhans … remember how he said all spring that he wanted to be more aggressive, wanted to swing at good pitches when he got them? Well so far in two-strike counts he’s 0-for-10 with eight strikeouts.
Langerhans is 2-for-18 (.111) with no extra-base hits hits or RBIs, three walks and eight strikeouts before tonight. And like Wilson, it didn’t just start this season. In fact, it’s been almost a full calendar year of struggles for Langy.
Remember how he roared out of the gate last April? Maybe you don’t; I know it’s been a while. To refresh, he went 13-for-32 (.406) with four doubles, a triple, two homers, eight RBIs and wix walks in his first 10 games last season through April 14.
It looked like he might have turned the corner, the defensive whiz’s offense finally starting to catch up.
Well, looks were deceiving. In 129 games beginning April 15, Langerhans has hit .216 with 12 doubles, five homers, 20 RBIs and 92 strikeouts in 301 at-bats, with a .327 OBP and .319 slugging percentage in that nearly one-year span.
Since July 27, he’s hit .196 with one homer, seven RBIs and 33 strikeouts in 57 games before tonight, and only his 22 walks and .352 OBP in that stretch were respectable. Of course, with him patience has been a downfall, because he’s let too many hittable pitches go by him in that stretch, regardless of situations.
Braves first baseman ranked 15th in the NL with a .143 average before today, coincidentally ahead of only the Pirates’ 1B including 3-for-31 Adam LaRoche.
Braves left fielders ranked 14th with a .207 average and 15th with a .294 OBP.
The team led the NL with 13 homers, but the .323 team OBP and 73 strikeouts in 296 at-bats … just not good.
Fortunately they’re getting very good pitching, with a 2.79 ERA that ranked third in the NL before today, including a 2.51 starters’ ERA. And fortunately, the Braves know that the Joneses are going to hit more than they have so far.
Hopefully they can say the same about their first basemen, and about Langerhans and Johnson. Personally, I’m not so sure about several of those.
McBride still here: The Braves believe lefty Macay McBride can work on the adjustments he needs to make while continuing to pitch at the major league level and not require a minor league assignment to get things together.
He issued three walks while recording one out in the ninth inning Thursday vs. Washington, the third consecutive game he issued three walks during an eight-day span. He’s allowed three hits, three runs (two earned) and nine walks in two innings over that red-flag-raising stretch, needing 81 pitches to get six outs.
Pitching coach Roger McDowell said McBride, who has a 7.71 ERA and .632 opponents’ on-base percentage after four appearances, has been losing his pitching mechanics and throwing across his body. He said they looked at films comparing him during his good stretches last season, and it was clearly visible.
McDowell said he believes McBride can fix it up here and probably be used in a game, if not right away then very soon.
He posted a 2.97 ERA and .208 opponents’ average during 48 appearances from May 28 to Sept. 4. But in his 17 games since then McBride has a 5.27 ERA and .328 opponents’ average, with 19 hits and 12 walks in 13-2/3 innings.
Cormier progress: Looks like that decision is getting nearer. The one the Braves are going to face when Lance Cormier is ready to pitch in a game. He threw a short bullpen session Thursday and felt fine, then felt fine the day after.
Cormier is recovering from a strained triceps muscle in his throwing arm. He was the Braves’ best starter this spring and got hurt in his last spring start, which led to his DL sting and Kyle Davies’ recall from Richmond.
If Davies pitches well Saturday and Mark Redman isn’t impressive in his start tonight, it’ll be interesting to see what the Braves do when Cormier is ready to pitch, with that move possibly a week away but more likely a couple weeks after a rehab assignment.
“EL PASO by Marty Robbins
Out in the West Texas town of El Paso/I fell in love with a Mexican girl
Nighttime would find me in Rosa’s Cantina/Music would play and Felina would whirl
Blacker than night where the eyes of Felina/Wicked and evil while casting a spell
My love was strong for this Mexican maiden/I was in love, but in vain I could tell
One night a wild young cowboy came in/Wild as the West Texas wind
Dashing and daring, a drink he was sharing/With wicked Felina, the girl that I loved
So in anger I challenged his right for the love of this maiden/Down went his hand for the gun that he wore
My challenge was answered, in less than a heartbeat/The handsome young stranger lay dead on the floor
Just for a moment I stood there in silence/Shocked by the foul evil deed I had done
Many thoughts ran through my mind as I stood there/I had but one chance and that was to run
Out through the back door of Rose’s I ran/Out where the horses were tied
I caught a good one, it looked like it could run/Up on his back and away I did ride
Just as fast as I could from the West Texas town of El Paso/Out thru the badlands of New Mexico
Back in El Paso, my life would be worthless/Everything’s gone in life nothing is left
It’s been so long since I’ve seen the young maiden/My love is stronger than my fear of death
I saddled up and away I did go/Riding alone in the dark
Maybe tomorrow a bullet may find me/Tonight nothing’s worse than this pain in my heart
And at last here I am on the hill overlooking El Paso/I can see Rose’s Cantina below
My love is strong and it pushes me onward/Down off the hill to Felina I go
Off to my right I see five mounted cowboys/Off to my left ride a dozen or more
Shouting and shooting, I can’t let them catch me/I’ve got to make it to Rose’s back door
Something is dreadfully wrong for, I feel/A deep burning pain in my side
Something is dreadfully wrong, for I feel/A deep burning pain in my side
Although I am trying to stay in the saddle/I’m getting weary, unable to ride
It’s getting harder to stay in the saddle/I’m getting weary, unable to ride
But my love for Felina is strong and I rise where I’ve fallen/Though I am weary, I can’t stop to rest
I see the white puff of smoke from the rifle/I feel the bullet go deep in my chest
From out of nowhere, Felina has found me/Kissing my cheek as she kneels by my side
Cradled by two loving arms that I’ll die for/One little kiss and Felina goodbye
Is this Hudson the ace?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s only two starts, obviously too early to determine whether Tim Hudson is back to his peak Oakland A’s form.
So let’s do it anyway. (And I realize that Hudson pitched Tuesday, not last night, but I was off yesterday and didn’t blog, so I’m gonna address him today, then get to other matters.)
The Braves are 7-1, best in ‘ball, and there are signs that Hudson, with a nasty splitter _ vastly improved over the past few years _ and that extra 2-3 MPH he’s on his fastball when he’s reached back for it, could be back to 2003 form.
That’s the year he went 16-7 with a 2.70 ERA in 240 innings for the A’s, his last truly dominant season, the fourth year in a row he won at least 15 games, pitched over 200 innings, and posted more than 150 strikeouts.
In the three seasons since he hasn’t won 15, hasn’t recorded 150 strikeouts, and pitched 200 innings only once.
But after his seven scoreless innings of three-hit ball with seven strikeouts Tuesday against the hapless Nationals, Hudson is 1-0 with an 0.64 ERA in two starts, and his .111 opponents’ batting average (they are 5-for-45 against him) is 32 points better than the NL’s next-best among starters, and his .216 oppoents’ OBP and .200 opponents’ slugging are also in the top five.
Now, before we get carried away, it should be pointed out this is not the first time Hudson has gotten off to a great start in recent years, only to run into difficulties soon after. In fact, it’s his third strong start in four years.
And even Hudson concedes he hasn’t had a dominant season end-to-end since 2003.
In 2004 he went 2-0 with a 1.27 ERA in his first three starts, then 1-1 with a 5.73 ERA in his next three, all on the road including Yankee Stadium. He spent six weeks on the DL (his first DL stint) that summer for a strained oblique and finished 12-6 with a 3.53 ERA in 27 starts in his last year with Oakland.
In 2005, his first season with the Braves, he went 2-0 with an 0.96 ERA in his first four starts, then 1-2 with a 7.41 ERA in his next three.
But last season he went 0-1 with a 9.20 ERA in his first three, setting the tone for his career-worst season (13-12, 4.86 ERA, 25 homers allowed, 141 K/79 walks).
So the fast start, after his much-discussed intensified offseason conditioning program and his vow to get things right and get back to being the ace the Braves expected him to be, is viewed as a huge positive by the Braves and by Hudson.
But it’s not just the numbers he’s put up in two starts against the Phillies and Nationals, it’s the form he’s shown for most of the spring and these first two starts. The split is something we rarely saw from him since he came to the Braves, because Hudson, for whatever reason, wasn’t comfortable with it.
(Pitching is the greatest mystery in sports in so many ways. From year to year, guys can change so much, feel so good about this pitch or going inside on hitters one year, then completely different the next….)
Hudson says the last time he felt confident in his split _ splitter, split-fingered fastball, whatever your preferred term _ was in 2003 with the A’s.
Tim Hudson was 83-33 with a 3.23 ERA and .239 opponents’ average in the first 160 starts of his career, through April 21, 2004.
He was 36-27 with a 4.11 ERA and .271 opponents’ average in his next 87 starts through the end of last season.
The decline began midway through his final season with the A’s. Could it be reversed now? No reason it can’t, long as he’s healthy, which he is now. The guy is only 31 years old, so this should be the prime of his career.
Given his relatively slight build and all the torque he generates with his hips, some assumed he had begun an earlier decline that most pitchers in large part because of health issues that would continue to worsen and plague him.
But Hudson, so far at least, is showing plenty of reason to dispute that. He’s pitching like an ace. And let me tell you this: If John Smoltz pitches anywhere near as well as he has for the past two seasons since returning to the rotation, and Hudson pitches anywhere near as well as he did for almost his entire career with Oakland, then the Braves’ have a 1-2 punch that few teams can match.
And it can’t be overstated how much that helps Chuck James and the rest of the starters, who feel less pressure and probably won’t have to try to end any long team losing streaks.
Instead, they’ve got the two horses at the front of the rotation carrying the load, and the vastly improved bullpen behind them so they don’t have to pace themselves.
That’s the other thing _ Smoltz and Hudson, because of that bullpen, are less inclined to try to go that extra inning when they’re running on fumes. They know, even the proud and stubborn Smoltz, that the guys that Bobby Cox will be bringing in to relieve them probably have a far better chance of getting guys out than Smoltz or Hudson with their tanks on empty.
The last couple of seasons, Smoltz especially felt the responsibility to stay in games and try to finish them off, rather than turn it over to a shaky bullpen. Not necessary now. And if Hudson is pitching so well behind him, Smoltz also shouldn’t feel so much pressure if the Braves have a three-game losing skid or if the back of the rotation is struggling a little.
OK, I wore out that topic. Sorry for the long-windedness.
Francoeur at home: This home/road thing with Frenchy continues to boggle the mind. I mean, if all games were home games, he might be an MVP candidate, or at least get a few votes.
The guy is an offensive force at home. On the road? Uh, well….
The pride of Lilburn is 7-for-19 (.368) with two doubles, two homer and eight RBIs in five games this season at Turner Field, after going 3-for-13 with one RBI in the opening series at Philly.
No big deal, right? I mean, it’s just one road series. Means nothing.
Fair enough. Let’s wait and see what he does on the three-city trip to New York, Florida and Colorado at the end of the month before jumping to any conclusions.
Still, his start to his season only continues the trend he started last April.
Are you ready for this? In his past 84 home games, Francoeur has hit .313 with 17 doubles, 21 homers, 73 RBIs, a .349 OBP (yes, a .349 OBP) and a .907 OPS.
In his past 84 road games, he’s hit .218 with 10 doubles, 10 homers, 39 RBIs, a .247 OBP and a .614 OPS.
That’s more than 100 points higher in home average, more than 100 points in OBP, and nearly 300 _ 300! _ points higher in OPS.
Oliver Perez needs Braves: In case you missed it, the Mets lefty issued seven walks in 2-2/3 innings before getting lifted in Wednesday’s loss to the Phillies.
Our research into the Man Who Only Excels Versus Atlanta shows that Perez, since June 1, is 2-0 with an 0.56 ERA in two starts against the Brave. Against everyone else, he’s 0-9 with an 8.89 ERA in 12 starts over that wretched stretch.
That’s unbelievable. Or, as Livan Hernandez would tell me, “That’s baseball.”
Former Braves watch: Marcus Giles was 11-for-33 with two doubles, a homer, four RBIs and a .395 OBP for the Padres, all from the leadoff spot. Two other members of last year’s Braves are not doing quite as well. Adam LaRoche was 3-for-31 (.097) with a homer, two RBIs and 14 strikeouts for Pittsburgh, and Wilson Betemit was 1-for-19 (.053) with two RBIs for the Dodgers.
Two folks who haven’t hit lefties: Betemit (0-for-9) and Craig Wilson (1-for-11).
The latter is obviously a lot more of a concern for the Braves than the former, since Wilson is playing against lefties in a 1B platoon with Scott Thorman. But Wilson’s raked against lefties his whole career and will again. I think.
Andruw lagging in votes: Greg Maddux was a runaway leader for the 50th anniversary Gold Glove team in the early results of fan balloting at www.RawlingsGoldGlove.com.
But Andruw Jones was only fifth in the outfield voting (three will make the team) behind Willie Mays (34,995), Roberto Clemente (30,511), Ken Griffey, Jr. (12,804) and Jim Edmonds (11,306). Jones had 9,453 votes as of Monday.
Voting ends June 19. The All-Time Gold Glove team will be announced in July.
Some influential Braves: I just got a chance to look at some publications that were stacked up in my mail in recent weeks, and saw the USA Today Sports Weekly list of the 50 most influential people in baseball, as voted by a panel of experts they put together. There are three Braves among the 50 including No. 13 John Schuerholz (highest rated GM on the list), No. 27 Hank Aaron, and No. 42 Bobby Cox (only manager on the list).
It was a wide-ranging group including No. 1 was Bud Selig, No. 2 Donald Fehr, No. 6 Scott Boras, No. 15 Barry Bonds and No. 18 Derek Jeter. Don’t ask me how they came up with the criteria. I’m just relaying the results for those of you who might have missed it.
Also, I noticed in the last issue of that same publication before the season began, they had 14 of their writers pick the division winners and such, and only one _ ONE _ picked the Braves. My man Bob Nightengale, who knows his stuff.
Ten picked the Mets, two the Phillies, and Mel Antonen picked the Marlins.
By the way, in their list of MVP favorites, Brian McCann didn’t make the top 20 in the NL, but Garrett Atkins, Jason Bay, Todd Helton, Prince Fielder, Bill Hall and Jimmy Rollins did. Seriously.
In a related note, McCann leads the NL with a .600 average (6-for-10) with runners on base.
”THE PROMISE” by Bruce Springsteen
Johnny works in a factory and Billy works downtown
Terry works in a rock and roll band/Lookin’ for that million-dollar sound
I got a little job down in Darlington/But some nights I don’t go
Some nights I go to the drive-in, or some nights I stay home
I followed that dream just like those guys do up on the screen
And I drive a Challenger down Route 9/ through the dead ends and all the bad scenes
And when the promise was broken, I cashed in a few of my dream
Well now I built that Challenger by myself/But I needed money and so I sold it
I lived a secret I should’a kept to myself/But I got drunk one night and I told it
All my life I fought this fight/The fight that no man can never win
Every day it just gets harder to live/This dream I’m believing in
Thunder Road, oh baby you were so right
Thunder Road, there’s something dyin’ on the highway tonight
I won big once and I hit the coast
But somehow I paid the big cost
Inside I felt like I was carryin’ the broken spirits
Of all the other ones who lost
When the promise is broken you go on living
But it steals something from down in your soul
Like when the truth is spoken and it don’t make no difference
Something in your heart goes cold
I followed that dream through the southwestern flats
That dead ends in two-bit bars
And when the promise was broken I was far away from home
Sleepin’ in the back seat of a borrowed car
Thunder Road, for the lost lovers and all the fixed games
Thunder Road, for the tires rushing by in the rain
Thunder Road, Billy and me we’d always say
Thunder Road, we were gonna take it all and throw it all away
Could be wet at The Ted
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Hm. 80 percent chance of rain? Storms, damaging wind, hail, perhaps? That might be about the only thing that can dampen the mood of the Braves these days. Won’t exactly help the backup beat writer either, but hey, I stay dry in the press box.
Drive in was drizzly, and I actually had to reroute because of a fire. Looked to be somewhere down in the industrial section between Northside Drive and Turner Field. For just a split second I looked up and saw smoke on the horizon in the direction of the ballpark and thought……nah. Couldn’t be. And it wasn’t. Thankfully. Hope everybody is OK.
Tarp is on the field here and somewhere O’B might be chuckling, unless of course they have to postpone the game and make it up in a doubleheader tomorrow when he’s back on the beat.
The Braves have had like one rainout in the history of Turner Field, right? We’ll see what Bobby Cox, a very darn accurate weather forecaster, with a nod to grounds crew chief Ed Mangan of course. I will keep you guys posted on the status of the game…
As for some baseball thoughts this afternoon…It’s not just you guys noticing some boom missing in the Braves lineup these days. Here’s what Tim Hudson had to say during his postgame last night.:
“I still don’t think we’re playing as good as we can. Two of our big boppers are — they’re not struggling but — they’re not swinging the bat like we know they’re capable of. When that happens it’ll be a lot of fun to sit in that dugout and watch this team play.”
He was talking about the Joneses. Chipper and Andruw. Both got it going a bit Tuesday night — Chipper going 2 for 4 with a couple singles but he still doesn’t have a home run or an RBI.
Andruw got his first homer of the season Tuesday and stayed patient at the plate, drawing a couple of walks. That was a good sign, as was what he said after the game talking about how he had taken some video home with him and had done some work in his batting cage at home.
He’s still at only .154 (4-for-26) but you have to appreciate that he will acknowledge what’s going on and address it. It’s not simply “hey, slow start. Not many at-bats. Blahty blahty blah.” So keep an eye on him. Let’s watch if he improves what he said the problem was: his timing.
I know you guys have noticed but Jeff Francouer’s last two huge hits, run scoring doubles, came when he used right field. The Braves have to like what they see there. His two hits Tuesday raised his average to .310 with two homers and he’s leading the team by a ton with 9 RBI now.
OK, going on down to ask Bobby what the weather holds in store. Dave enjoy the Friday Night Light’s Season Finale. Dangit. Least I’m taping it. No, I don’t have DVR. I’m just now learning how to blog, people!
Another recovery begins for Hampton
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mike Hampton had his surgery this morning to repair a torn flexor tendon and it was successful, both Braves manager Bobby Cox and general manager John Schuerholz said this afternoon. And that’s good news for Hampton.
He went to New York prepared for the surgery if the worst happened and it did, so at least he was able to have it quickly. His prognosis is the same, six to nine months, and by all accounts the Braves expect him to come back ready to play out the final season of his contract next year.
The always positive Cox said Hampton would come back with a new arm. “I don’t think there’s anything left in there to tear,” he said.
Both Cox and Schuerholz have gone out of their way to keep the focus on their personal disappointment for Hampton, and not so much on where the team will go from here. Though I think it’s pretty evident that if they continue to get what they’ve gotten from Kyle Davis and Mark Redman and if Lance Cormier gets past his triceps issue, they’ll have plenty of pitching.
As for the insurance issue, which the Braves have kept close to the vest, Schuerholz would answer questions only in general terms, but in between the lines he seemed to acknowledge that the Braves are insured for a least part of Hampton’s salary and that portion could eventually go back in the coffers.
“It’s fair to assume some clubs, most clubs that try to insure their players when they can,” Schuerholz said. “That’s all I can say. We try to do the same thing.”
I asked him if that meant money coming back would go back into the payroll, he said:
“It would be a fair assumption to make if a player on any team were insured and the team was certain they would get a return on some portion of the player’s salary, they would likely invest it in the team.”
All the players and coached seemed in good spirits Tuesday after having their annual Braves luncheon with fans at the Hotel Intercontinental in Buckhead. The line of the day had to go to Cox, who relayed the story in the dugout Tuesday afternoon. Apparently each of the players and coaches was asked what player they admired growing up as a kid. Brian McCann said Eddie Perez. When Cox was asked the same question, he said Eddie Perez. Apparently it got a big chuckle for the still-fan favorite former backup catcher…
I finally hooked up with Dave Justice a couple weeks after he was named to the Braves Hall of Fame. Talked to him on the phone today. He seemed genuinely honored — and I will include that in the Braves notes — but the always outspoken Justice couldn’t resist a little backwards jab when he said the call came as a surprise because of his “lack of connection” ‘with the Braves in recent years.
When I asked him if he saw this one coming, he said “Heck no. I’ve been so disconnected with the Braves organization since I left. The New York Yankees have embraced me more than the Braves ever did and I only played there for two years.”
Justice, who is retired, is now living in San Diego but doing pre- and post-game analysis for the Yankees for about 40 games.
I asked him to expand on his point later in our conversation and he pointed out that he’s never been asked to throw out a first pitch by the Braves and that the only time he’s been invited back was for the 10th anniversary of the 1995 World Series team.
In the Braves’ defense, their marketing strategies seems a little bit more conservative than the Yankees, and most of the guys who throw out first pitches are corporate types. (Snooze.) But I figure it would make for some decent discussion with you guys. But in general Justice was very gracious, said he has nothing but love for the Braves and their fans and looks forward to his trip here for the ceremony in August.
In other news, Brian McCann is being presented with his Silver Slugger award before the game today by hitting coach Terry Pendleton. And the Braves haven’t officially announced it yet, but we here at the AJC got tipped off that Andruw Jones will be wearing Jackie Robinson’s No. 42 on Sunday when the Braves host the Marlins. Players from each of the 30 major league teams will be wearing No. 42, which will come out of retirement for the day, as baseball honors Robinson.
This series feels bigger than April
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s only the first week of the season, so it’s silly to make too much out of a one series. But this three-gamer with the Mets does feel a little more important than just any April series, doesn’t it?
There are reasons, of course. The fact that the Mets snapped the Braves’ string of 14 division titles last season and ended up running away with the NL East, finishing 18 games ahead of the Braves and 12 ahead of the Phillies.
That’s a big one, no doubt.
And the fact that plenty of folks believe these two teams will take it to the wire this year, the Braves with their beefed-up bullpen and the Mets with their same juggernaut lineup but an injury-riddled pitching staff.
Each of them swept their opening series, the Mets destroying the Cards 20-2 in St. Louis and the Braves taking three in Philly, including a pair of extra-inning games. The Braves only had 16 hits there, but six were homers, including four in late-and-close situations.
Then there’s the little matchup on tap for tomorrow, Smoltz vs. Glavine on national TV, the first time the close friends and longtime Braves rotation mates will square off in Atlanta and only the second time they’ve faced each other anywhere.
They each pitched seven innings of one-run ball in a July 2005 matchup in New York, with Smoltz getting the win.
After Glavine considered returning to the Braves this past offseason, before deciding to re-sign with the Mets when the Braves couldn’t make trades fast enough to clear up payroll and make him an offer before the winter meetings.
It’ll be interesting to see what kind of response Glavine gets from the Turner Field fans, who haven’t been very kind in his previous return visits. Folks, far be it from me to tell you how to act, because you pay for your tickets and have a right to boo anyone you damn well please.
But seriously, for what this guy did for the Atlanta Braves, isn’t it time to perhaps put aside feelings about his union stance or his decision to take a better offer from the Mets when he left five years ago?
If all of us knew exactly how the negotiations transpired that time, and how late it was before the Braves raised their initial offer (which was far below the Mets’ initial offer), well … oh, nevermind. I’m just saying, who cares about all that at this point?
Or, rather, who cares enough to let it continue to override what he did for the Braves, night-in, night-out, never missing a start, and pitching some pretty great games for the Braves in the postseason (and no, I’m not talking about his last Braves postseason vs. San Francisco, when he was bad, without question. I’m talking about a couple of rather huge games years before).
But like I said, far be it from me to tell you how to act. Just seems like a guy that is going to win 300 games and go to the Hall of Fame, almost certainly with a Braves hat on his Cooperstown bust, might eventually get polite applause or no worse than indifference. The booing? I don’t get that. Not this many years later.
OK, I’ll get off my soapbox on that one. If you boo, you boo. You’re well within your rights. You’re paying enough for the tickets that me or no one else should be able to tell you who to applaud and who to heckle.
But the series. That’s what we were talking about before I got sidetracked.
You folks coming out to this weekend are going to dig the new video montage they’ve put together. It’s about time the Braves showcased all their tradition and utilized that ginormous video board to its fullest potential.
Something about seeing Hank’s homer and Sid Bream’s slide and all the other highlights on that huge board.
Bundle up and enjoy if you’re coming out here. It’s gonna be chilly but sunny, and the field is as green as you can imagine. And hopefully if you’re coming tonight, you want have to go through the traffic snarl I just encountered.
Amazing how we just came from a city that’s bigger than Atlanta, but doesn’t have nearly the traffic. I think people in Philly know how to drive a lot more aggressively in traffic.
Van the Man is coming: Van Morrison is playing Chastain at the end of the month, tickets on sale tomorrow. Yessss…..
Kings of Leon rule: These Southern boys have put out another outstanding record, Because of the Times. Only listened to it twice, once driving in Philly and once driving today. And given that I wanted to scream (actually did a couple times) at fellow drivers in the traffic snarl, yet still enjoyed the CD, that’s a great sign. Don’t know if it’s as great as their first two full-length CDs, but it’s close. And a little different.
Alright, gotta get down to the clubhouse. I’ve been up since 5 a.m., working on fumes. But it’s the home opener. Let’s do this.
“GRAND TOUR” by G. Richey, C. Taylor & N. Wilson
and sung by The Possum, George Jones
Step right up,/ come on in
If you’d like to take the grand tour
Of a lonely house that once was home sweet home
I have nothing here to sell you/Just some things that I will tell you
Some things I know will chill you to the bone
Over there/ sits the chair
Where she brang the paper to me
And sit down on my knee and whisper, Oh I love you
But now she’s gone forever/And this old house will never be the same
Without the love that we once knew
Straight ahead/ that’s the bed
Where we lay and love together
And lord knows we had a good thing going here
See her picture on the table
Don’t it look like she’d be able
Just to touch me and say, Good morning, dear
There’s her rings/ all her things
And her clothes are in the closet
like she left them when she tore my world apart
As you leave you’ll see the nursery/Oh she left me without mercy
Taking nothing but our baby and my heart
Step right up, come on in
In-game blog: Braves going for a sweep
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The wind is howling, the fans are bundled up like it’s a Falcon-Eagles game on a raw day here in Philly that feels like November. But the sun is poking through the clouds and we’re playing some ‘ball, folks.
They’ve just finished playing their Jay-Z “Show Me What You Got” introduction video montage and now Adam Eaton is throwing the first pitch.
Braves are going for a sweep today with Chuck James toeing the slab. The lefty hates day games (as he said after each one in spring training), but we’ll see if he can get the juices going for his season debut (if not, then we’ll know for certain that the famously oblivious James, he of the “uncluttered mind” as my man Joe Simpson puts it, is operating on another mental plane than most of us).
OK, hot dog wrappers, napkins and other garbage just flew from the stands. Like I said, the wind is howling.
Ohhhh, but now a ball just flew from the hand of first baseman Ryan Howard, whose throw to second base on a Chipper fielder’s choice was just a bit high and wide of the base. Throwing error puts runners at first and second with one out for the Braves.
And we’re off. It’d be a good time for Andruw Jones to join the party about now, huh? He brings a .100 average (1-for-10) to the plate…. He just swung through a 3-1 pitch to go to a full count…. And now he’s walked.
Bases loaded for hot-hitting Brian McCann.
And he delivers yet again. Two-run single to the left-field corner. Another opposite-field hit from The Man of the Braves’ young season. It’s 2-0 Braves.
Now Francoeur has grounded into an inning-ending double play. Headed to the bottom of the first. Someone wake Chuck and tell him it’s time to pitch.
Keep it going here, folks. I’ll chat with you as the game moves along.
TOP OF THE THIRD
Well, Chuck doesn’t appear to have had had any difficulties getting up and into this one. The lefty looks tough so far. Gave up a leadoff walk in the first inning, but the nothing else in the inning _ sacrifice, fly ball, fly ball.
And in the second inning he started out with two strikeouts of Pat “The Bat … With the Hole In It” Burrell and ex-Bravo Wes Helms. Rowand singled before a groundout by Barajas.
Braves got the two-run single by McCann in the first, but only a walk and a single since. Eaton’s got a couple of double-play grounders from Francoeur in the first and Chipper in the third, Chipper’s coming after an Edgar Renteria leadoff single.
Edgar’s got two singles in his first two at-bats, after going 4-for-10 with two homers in the first two games.
At the other extreme, Andruw just struck out to end the third inning. He came in 1-for-10 and has drawn a walk and a strikeout in his two times up today. He can look so bad and then so good, the nature of a streak hitter, of which he most definitely is one. So far, he’s not looked very good. But we all know how quickly it can change with him.
BOTTOM OF FOURTH
Chuck J is in a bit of a bind here. After a leadoff double by Utley, he got a home-run-in-an-elevator high popup to Thorman, but Burrell hit a sinker liner to left and Langerhans tried a diving catch that didn’t work out well at all.
The ball landed a few inches in front of his outstretched glove, and Burrell had an RBI double. Helms followed with a single, but Burrell isn’t fast and held at third.
OK, Chuck, as Jay-Z said, show us what you got:
And Chuck does. Strikes out Rowand, then gets an inning-ending fly by Barajas.
He’s Chuck James, beey…
TOP OF FIFTH
For those already writing off Kelly Johnson, that two-run homer on an 0-2 pitch to trigger a six-run fifth inning is a big reason the Braves believe he’ll do just fine this season as their second baseman and leadoff man.
I hope that Jimmy Rollins is getting his answers ready for the postgame interviews, when the hard-bitten Philly scribes are going to ask him if he still thinks the Phillies are the team to beat in the NL East, as he’s said so often the past few months.
The Braves just put it to them in a fifth inning that’s got the boo-birds out in force here at corporate-bank field, where a stunned audience is watching the Braves put the finishing touches on a three-game series sweep to start the season.
The Braves chased Adam Eaton from the game in the fifth, when they totaled five hits including doubles by Andruw Jones and Scott Thorman. The big rookie laced a two-run double and was caught in a rundown between second and third to end the inning.
TOP OF SEVENTH
Villarreal gave up a run in the sixth after Chuck James finished off a solid debut.
Strong work from James, who gave up six hits and one run in five innings and made big pitches in several big situations. There were two on in the fourth when he struck out Aaron Rowand and induced a Rod Barajas to get out of the inning.
And there were two Phillies aboard when he struck out big Ryan Howard to end the inning. Good stuff from the country-boy lefty from Mableton. An encouraging performance, especially for those wondering if a sophomore jinx might await.
BOTTOM OF NINTH
The wind chill is below freezing now, and we’ve had some very light snow flurries, believe it or not. Macay McBride is in to close this out, but he’s faced four batters and given up three walks. Yikes.
And that’s it for him. Paronto’s getting the call. I tell you what, McBride just doesn’t seem to respond when he’s used in anything other than his role, which he excels in _ situational lefty, getting out lefty hitters in big situations. But not pitching whole innings in games that aren’t close, and not facing right-handers in general.
At least that’s my take on the situation, after watching him for a couple of seasons.
OK, Paronto just walked Helms to bring in a run. This is getting ridiculous. I know it’s cold and all, but….
Paronto strikes out Rowand. Two outs. Bases still loaded.
Soon as he puts the Phillies out of their misery, I’ll head downstairs and see what the fellas have to say about facing the Mets. Before the game no one wanted to talk about it much, and Bobby said he honestly hadn’t given the Mets a moment’s thought to that point.
Which is good, considering they still had a game to play against “the team to beat” (OK, enough piling on Jimmy Rollins. I don’t blame the guy for having confidence and trying to get his teammates to believe this is their year. But I’d be willing to wager it’s not, if I were a betting man.)…
Wait, I’m still here. Was about ready to head downstairs when Paronto issued another walk. Unbelievable. That’s seven batters, five walks, two runs in the inning. Bobby’s seen enough. Calls on Soriano. First-pitch swing, Carlos Ruiz popup.
Game is mercifully over.
Chipper on McCann: ‘You can tell when a guy gets it’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m starting to believe this local kid McCann might just be a keeper.
But seriously, just when you want to restrain yourself a bit, and not go completely over the top with career projections and praise for a guy who’s only in his second April in the majors, Brian McCann makes you say damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead. Let the projections fly.
Blog interruption. This just in: They want me to blog in-game again, so I’m going to post every couple innings or whenever something jumps out at me. Can’t do it every half-inning like Monday, however, because I have to write a state-edition game story (this is a 3:05 game, not 1:05 like Monday’s) that must be filed as soon as the game’s over and before I go down to the clubhouse. Can’t score the game, write a game story and blog constantly during the game. Love you guys, but I have only two hands and one modest brain. But we’ll do some in-game blogging again, again tacking on the updates at the end of this original blog, not in the comments below. ONE MORE INTERRUPTION: Ok, disregard the above notice. I’ve just been told they want a separate in-game blog. So hopefully that doesn’t throw people off or whatever, but they want me to do a separate blog with the in-game stuff. So that’s what I’m going to do. It’ll be up shortly. This one will stay up, so keep posting here and there.
Ok, back to McCann….
The guy is simply a terrific hitter, and that six-year, $26.8 million contract the Braves gave him last month might be the best investment the team ever made — and a huge bargain even if he hits all the escalator clauses and the team picks up his seventh year option, making the deal worth more than $41 million.
For a player like this, $41 million for seven years is practically a steal.
All he’s done in the first two games of the season is go 5-for-9 with two crucial homers. All he’s done since July 15 is bat .332 with 20 doubles, 20 homers, 67 RBIs and a 1.043 OPS in 67 games.
Oh, and on the road since the All-Star break, he’s hit — are you read for this? — .352 with 14 homers, 44 RBIs and an 1.119 OPS. Seriously. Read those numbers again.
In his last six road games before today’s series finale in Philly, McCann has hit .500 (13-for-26) with five homers and 15 RBIs. He’s got four homers and nine RBIs in his past THREE road games, at Colorado Sept. 24 and the first two games in this series against Jimmy Rollins’ team-to-beat Phillies.
Are you kidding me? McCann is one of the nicest people I’ve ever encountered in pro sports, and he’s this good at this young an age (23)? It’s almost too much. I’m jealous. I want to be Brian McCann.
“He’s a good hitter,” Phillies closer Tom Gordon told Philly writers last night, after McCann hit his first-pitch curveball to the right-field seats for a tying two-run homer in the ninth to suck the life out of Citizens Bank Park.
“I thought the pitch was down. You throw your best pitch in those situations, and I felt my curveball was my best pitch.”
Gordon shouldn’t feel too terrible about it. McCann’s hit a lot of dudes’ best pitches in the last, oh, when was it that he arrived in the majors? June 2005? He started hitting good pitches about then.
But since last summer, he’s just taken it to a whole new level.
“You can tell when I guy just gets it, when it clicks for him,” Chipper Jones told me last night, when I asked him about McCann and mentioned to Hoss that the catcher had 20 homers and 67 RBIs in his last 67 games.
Chipper paused a moment and said he didn’t want to say anything to jinx McCann. Then he thought about it again and said McCann’s too good a hitter to jinx. Like I said, damn the torpedoes.
“He’s grasped the art of what a good hitter is supposed to be,” Chipper said.
Consider this: In 631 career at-bats, McCann has a .320 average with 42 doubles, 31 homers, 120 RBIs, 59 walks, just 81 strikeouts, a .378 OBP, .534 slugging percentage, and .912 OPS.
After Chipper Jones’ first 630 at-bats in the majors, he had a .267 average with 27 doubles, 26 homers, 105 RBIs, 87 walks, 119 strikeouts, a .353 OBP, .446 slugging percentage, and .899 OPS.
Today Chipper has a .304 career average with 383 doubles, 357 homers, 1,197 RBIs, a .402 OBP, .541 slugging percentage, and .953 career OPS. Oh, and perhaps an eventual spot in the Hall of Fame. The one in Cooperstown.
McCann is good. Really, really good. Enjoy the Duluth kid. He’ll be a Brave for a long time.
LaRoche off to familiar start: So Adam LaRoche is 1-for-12 with seven strikeouts for the Pirates, huh? Pittsburgh fans shouldn’t worry too much. He hit .200 with 28 strikeouts and four homers and 12 RBIs in 75 at-bats last April, and ended up having a pretty good season (.285-32-90, .915 OPS).
‘Ol Rochy has a .199 career average in April, 64 points lower than his average in any other month. He’s a .298 career hitter in July, .288 in August, .303 in September.
Hitting when it counts: So the Braves are barely hitting .200, but they’re 2-0. That’s what happens when you get good pitching, coupled with key hits in crunch time. The Braves were batting .333 with four homers in close-and-late situations. Pittsburgh (three) was the only other NL team with more than one homer in close-and-late situations before today.
The Braves were just 5-for-41 (.122) with one homer in the first through sixth innings of the first two games, but 12-for-39 (.308) with four homers in the seventh inning and later. Not a recipe you’d want to try to continue on a long-term basis, but it sure has pumped up the team confidence to come through with big hits in the first couple of games and win the way they have.
Smoltz vs. Glavine on Saturday
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
OK, I’ll crank out a quick blog before heading out to get something to eat. Did you hear: Smoltz vs. Glavine on Saturday. Only the second time the buds will face each other, first since July 2005, and first time in Atlanta.
More on that in a moment.
All I can say is, good thing you all can’t smell the funk on me as I write this, because I just got back from running down Ben Franklin Parkway and up the steps of the “Rocky” building (the Philadelphia Museum of Art).
Hey, nothing wrong with acting like a tourist sometimes. But not too often.
(And right about now I’m reminded why I confine most of my running to a treadmill these days _ knees are aching from the sidewalk, curbs, etc. Old man knees, too many years of running….)
It’s an off day and the Braves’ workout was voluntary and brief, so I’ll blog accordingly. This time, I’m serious about keeping it being brief. I always say that, but this time, no question.
Obviously the news of the day is Lance Cormier and the Braves’ likely decision to put him on the DL because of his sore shoulder. Bobby Cox just told me that after he watched Cormier long-toss at the corporate-bank-name ballyard in Philly.
He’s going to throw again Friday, but I really think the decision has pretty much been made.
That’s too bad for Cormier, who pitched his butt off this spring to win a spot in the rotation. But by being cautious now the Braves hope to get him back quickly. They can retro the DL assignment to March 27, the day after his last spring start.
That would make him eligible to come off as soon as April 11, if my math’s correct (and we know how reliable my math is _ no comments from the peanut gallery).
It’s not official and Bobby said it wasn’t certain, but I think Cormier will be DL’d and Kyle Davies recalled from Class AAA Richmond to start Sunday vs. the Mets. Bobby even said he thought it would be Davies, before adding it wasn’t decided yet.
The Braves will probably have Cormier rest and rehab for the soreness in his triceps/armpit area. I don’t know if they’ve scheduled an MRI exam, but they probably will think about that if they haven’t set it up already, just to make sure there’s no structural damage.
Until he left that March 26 start against the Astros, spring was pretty much bliss for Cormier. Led the Braves with a 1.15 ERA and limited opponents to a .186 average while recording 13 strikeouts with one walk in 15-2/3 innings. Big stuff.
But it’s not like they’re bringing up some hack like a couple they had to turn to in binds last year. Davies also made progress late in spring training after simplifying his windup. He finished with a 2.84 ERA in five starts, allowing 14 hits and nine walks with 11 strikeouts in 19 innings.
If he can get past the damn first inning and not walk guys, Davies should do fine (he says, raising his eyebrows as if to say, those might be easier said than done).
Smoltz vs. Glavine: That’s the other news, the big matchup of friends, former teamamtes and golf partners on Saturday at Turner Field. They haven’t pitched against each other since 2005, and never in Atlanta.
Both pitched well in their only start against one another, July 15, 2005 at Shea. Smoltz allowed four hits and one run in seven innings and won. Glavine gave up one run and six hits in seven innings for no decision.
There had been some confusion about when Glavine would pitch in this series, but it came from the Mets’ end and was created, apparently, by their writers assuming Glavine would go on regular rest after his first start in their Sunday opener.
That would have put him in the Braves’ home opener Friday. But the team never announced that, and when they did announce pitching plans, it was Glavine going Saturday on an extra day of rest.
In this screwy first-week schedule the Mets have two days off and didn’t want to skip two starters in order to keep Glavien on regular rest. So he’ll go a day later than usual.
But we’ll get to that more in the next couple days.
The steps: Getting back to the run. Thought it was pretty cool that Sly and the Family Stone’s “Simple Song” (get it, Sly Stallone, Sly and the Fa… oh nevermind) was playing on my Ipod when I hit the steps. Then a Wrights song (have you heard them? Great husband/wife country group from Atlanta). Then I advanced the song to see what was next to run back down the stairs and, it was Townes Van Zandt’s “To Live is to Fly.” Not making that up.
Once again, I failed to keep it brief. Until tomorrow….
“THE PRETENDER” by Jackson Browne
I’m going to rent myself a house/In the shade of the freeway
I’m going to pack my lunch in the morning/And go to work each day
And when the evening rolls around/I’ll go on home and lay my body down
And when the morning light comes streaming in/I’ll get up and do it again
Amen
Say it again
Amen
I want to know what became of the changes/We waited for love to bring
Were they only the fitful dreams/Of some greater awakening
I’ve been aware of the time going by/They say in the end it’s the wink of an eye
And when the morning light comes streaming in/You’ll get up and do it again
Caught between the longing for love/And the struggle for the legal tender
Where the sirens sing and the church bells ring/And the junk man pounds his fender
Where the veterans dream of the fight/Fast asleep at the traffic light
And the children solemnly wait/For the ice cream vendor
Out into the cool of the evening/Strolls the Pretender
He knows that all his hopes and dreams/Begin and end there
Ah the laughter of the lovers/As they run through the night
Leaving nothing for the others/But to choose off and fight
And tear at the world with all their might/While the ships bearing their dreams
Sail out of sight
I’m going to find myself a girl/Who can show me what laughter means
And we’ll fill in the missing colors/In each other’s paint-by-number dreams
And then we’ll put out dark glasses on/And we’ll make love until our strength is gone
And when the morning light comes streaming in/We’ll get up and do it again
Get it up again
I’m going to be a happy idiot/And struggle for the legal tender
Where the ads take aim and lay their claim/To the heart and the soul of the spender
And believe in whatever may lie/In those things that money can buy
Thought true love could have been a contender/Are you there?
Say a prayer for the Pretender/Who started out so young and strong
Only to surrender
Believe this: It’s go time
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The sun is breaking through the clouds, the temp’s rising toward 70, the crowd is starting to fill the seats … we’re ready for some ‘ball, folks.
Or as the fired-up dude who produces the radio broadcast said to me just a while ago, “It’s go time.”
Walked past the clubhouse on my way back to the pressbox and glanced over and saw John Smoltz in there alone, changing into his game jersey while his teammates were out taking batting practice.
He had a look that said this was serious.
It’s time for some baseball. Some baseball that matters. Really matters.
“Best feeling in the world, Papi,” Brayan Pena said to me an hour ago, as he prepared for his first opening day in the majors. “Believe that.”
This is rich stuff, man. Opening day. New season. New stories everywhere you turn. And after today, there will be 161 to go. Then the postseason.
Oh, two quick things before we get started: Lance Cormier didn’t throw his bullpen today; they moved it back to tomorrow, because that’d give him four days until what would be his first start April 8 in the series finale vs. the Mets at Turner.
But that’s only if the shoulder feels good when he throws. If not, they’ll DL Cormier and recall Kyle Davies to make at least one start in place of Cormier.
And a request: If anyone would like to comment on your feelings about the upcoming Braves season in an AJC story that Steve Hummer’s doing, please e-mail him at shummer@ajc.com. Include your name, hometown, and phone number, in case he needs to call you to confirm.
Now, where were we?
We’re going to do a bit more today on the old Braves/Man in Black blog, by offering some thoughts and observations every half-inning, and maybe trying to answer a few questions (but absolutely nothing to do with Rocco Baldelli).
Let’s see if we can’t crack the ajc.com mainframe (is that what tech geeks say?) with an overwhelming show of posts here from the denizens of our blog, whaddya say?
Did I mention this is a beautiful sport?
If baseball doesn’t matter to you, well, I feel bad. Because the greatest game should matter to everyone who cares about sports, no?
I mean, baseball and Johnny Cash _ how can any good American not love both of those?
But I digress.
It is, indeed, go-time. Time to start this marathon. Time to kick off what could well be the best NL East race in a while.
The Mets look ready (or, at least their lineup and Tom Glavine do). The Phillies say they’re ready (can Jimmy Rollins be any more up-front in his opinion? Good for him, I say. If that’s the way he wants to fire up his squad, then good for him for caring enough to say something and take on leadership).
And the Braves? They certainly look ready. Encouraging spring for the Bravos.
Kelly Johnson’s first opening day in the majors, and he’ll be standing up there to face the first pitch of the season. Batting leadoff, playing second base for Atlanta. Can you even imagine the butterflies the guy’s got to be feeling?
And Smoltz. Twenty years since he reached the majors. Twenty! All in an Atlanta uni. An institution. An icon. One strong word of advice to the new owners: If you want to please the fans, make it known you intend to sign Smoltz to a new contract and will do all you can to make sure he finishes his career in Atlanta.
And make it known you’ll at least make a genuine, serious effort to sign Andruw, not some low-ball offer that is too far below the market value for him to even consider. Raise the payroll to $95 mill or so and you could make at least an offer he’ll have to think long and hard about.
But those are issues for another day. For today, it’s about the game only, the stuff on the field. About trying to make big pitches, get key hits, turning double-plays and running down a fly at the warning track.
The bunting’s hanging on the stacked seating decks here at Citizens Bank Park. The city skyline is peaking through the fog beyond center field.
The lineups:
Kelly Johnson, 2B; 2. Renteria, SS; 3. Chipper, 3B; 4. Andruw, CF; 5. McCann, C; 6. Francoeur, RF; 7. Scott Thorman, 1B; 8. Langerhans, LF; 9. Smoltz, RHP
Jimmy Rollins, SS, 2. Shane Victorino, RF; 3. Ryan Howard, 1B (after batting fourth the whole second half last season and all spring); 4. Chase Utley, 2B; 5. Pat Burrell, LF; 6. Wes Helms, 3B; 7. Aaron Rowand, CF; 8. Rod Barajas, C; 9. Brett Myers, RHP.
Go time.
Ya’ll ready?
TOP OF FIRST INNING:
Good start for Kelly, or at least good first pitch: He took it. Good leadoff man.
Wait, not as good after that. Took a strike, then fouled one back, then swung and missed. Four-pitch strikeout
Edgar lined one that I thought might be a gapper, but perspective is off from high in the pressbox here (I’m used to little spring stadiums) and ball was in air too long. Caught easily by LF Burrell.
Chipper being Chipper: Makes the pitcher throw him a strike. Works a five-pitch walk. Booed lustily when introduced. If they don’t boo or cheer for you, they don’t care, right?
Andruw infield pop-up on second pitch.
OK, that’s done. Now Smoltz.
BOTTOM OF FIRST:
Smoltz looks nasty. Struck out first two batters, Rollins swinging at 2-2 pitch in the dirt to start inning, then Victorino.
Howard single through the right side (I forgot he actually does hit singles sometimes). This just in: He’s still huge.
Utley, batting cleanup instead of Howard (skipper Charlie Manuel likes to throw a curveball now and then). Utley grounds out routinely to Kelly Johnson _ and those are words that Braves fans want to hear.
TOP OF SECOND:
Someone send Aaron Rowand a memo: McCann hit 18 second-half homers in 2006. Kid’s got some power. Rowand playing him too shallow, McCann doubles off his glove as Rowand races toward warning track.
Runner at second and none out. Good start. Braves need to score here, get it started right.
Francoeur hits a nubber, fails to advance McCann. Thorman flies out to LF, again fails to advance McCann. Langy does what he did most of the time when he wasn’t getting a hit this spring: Struck out. Inning over.
Braves 0-for-3 RISP.
BOTTOM OF SECOND:
Smoltz gets Burrell trying to check his swing on a nasty slider. K.
Kelly’s getting more defensive work than he got in most spring games _ he ranged well into right field to catch Wel Helms’ pop fly for second out.
Roward infield hit; Edgar had no play coming in.
Barajas pop-up to end inning. No harm done. No Phillie has reached second. (Is the singular of Phillies a Phillie? A Philly Phillie? Oh, the humanity.)
TOP OF THIRD:
Braves go down in order, as does my internet connection. Sorry, folks, but the wireless here is overloaded, and my wireless card just shut me down.
BOTTOM OF THIRD: Innings going too fast now, and my Cox Resource Portal has shut down. Oh, nightmare. Trying to log on desperately, while also trying to score and follow game. Welcome to 2007. I hate modern life.
What would Red Smith do? He’d say, what the hell’s a blog? That’s what he’d do. Then a shot.
Man, it sure is nice out here today. Nice skyline in Philly… wait, back to the game.
Three-up, three-down for Smoltz with TWO more K’s in the third. That’s five strikeouts in three innings.
He might be past his opening-day curse (actually he pitched very well in one of his three openers before today, but lost anyway).
TOP OF FOURTH:
Chipper draws leadoff walk. But another harmless pop-up by Andruw, who usually ranks at this ‘yard. Not a good start for ‘Dru.
McCANN two-run BOMB on first pitch. Almost a line drive to the right-field seats. And just like that, it’s 2-0 and the Philly folks are steamed.
McCann, by the way, is very good. That’s a double and homer in his first two at-bats. Maybe he wants to be an All-Star again….
Hey, forgot to mention: Albert Hammond Jr. is playing in Philly tomorrow night (the Strokes’ guitarist). Braves are off tomorrow, of course. Might have to go.
Supposed to rain tomorrow and Wednesday. Not good. I can already see the DH being scheduled for our next trip here….
BOTTOM OF FOURTH:
Another leadoff single for Howard. Oh, I get it: They move him from cleanup to third and he becomes a singles hitter.
OK, Utley just singled hard past 1B to RF, but NOOOO…. Howard is called out for interfering, ump says ball hit his foot on way through infield. Replays inconclusive, but if ball hit him it sure didn’t slow down much. It was a hard grounder that got to the outfield corner in a hurry….
Braves may have caught a break there. I was about to say, before the interference, that that was a play LaRoche makes because he’s left-handed and flicks his glove out to get that ball. Thorman had to reach over and try to back-hand it, and it was too hot for him to handle that way.
But irrelevent, right. Interference.
Now Burrell walks, runners on first and second with one out and ex-Bravo Helms up….
Nice play by Thorman to field Helms’ slow roller and under-hand throw to always-alert Smoltz covering first. Runners at second and third now, two outs. Rowand up.
Rowand lined out to Edgar. Big inning for Braves and Smoltz. Dodged a bullet (because Howard couldn’t dodge one) and now have a 2-0 lead, with that formidable bullpen waiting in the wings.
How many of you are anxiously awaiting the order of the Big Three, or waiting to see how Cox uses them not just today but the first week? We’ll have a better idea after a few games, but I’m wondering how it’ll go today. Couldn’t really get a handle on it just from spring training, when none of them pitched when they’d normally pitch.
TOP OF FIFTH:
Kelly gets behind 0-2, then fouls one off, then foul-tips another, then pulls one foul (that’s five pitches, no balls). Now takes one outside. Now swings and misses for third out.
OK, that was futile. Kelly’s having a tough time at plate, good day in the field.
After 4-1/2 innings, the two leadoff guys (K.J. and Rollins) are 0-for-5 with four Ks.
BOTTOM OF FIFTH:
Well, I spoke too soon about Jimmy Rollins. He just CRUSHED one to right-field seats, a two-out solo homer on a 1-2 pitch. It’s 2-1, folks. Good ballgame
TOP OF SIXTH:
Chipper lines a single to left-center on first pitch with one out. Having himself a game, folks, two walks and a hit in three PAs.
OK, Andruw’s popped up each of first two at-bats with Chipper on. This time…
Long fly ball to CF. Looks like it has a chance to go out, but no, caught near track. Chipper tags up and advances.
Myers gets McCann this time, strikes him out to end inning.
Braves are 1-for-5 with RISP, but the one was big _ McCann’s homer.
BOTTOM OF SIXTH:
Burrell hits a little bloop hit to center field with two outs on 90th pitch for Smoltz. I’m sure this will be all for him, this inning.
Helms followed with a loooong double that goes just beyond outstretched glove of a leaping Andruw Jones almost at the center field warning track, in front of the 409 sign to the left of straight center. DRIVES in TYING RUN, 2-2.
That’s 92 pitches for Smoltz, and the few have been costly. He’s staying in to face Rowand with potential go-ahead run at second.
Guess I also spoke too soon about Smoltz’s opening-day curse….
ROWAND’s BLOOP bounced out of Kelly’s glove in shallow center field. Ruled a hit. BAD, BAD CALL. Can only be a hit if he lost it in sun, and that landed in his glove.
That drove in the go-ahead run. Let’s see if they change the call. If not, Smoltz gets three earned runs. He’ll surely leave the game now trailing 3-2.
Brutal day for Kelly and the scorekeeper. Brutal.
TOP OF SEVENTH:
Three up and down for the Braves, including strikeouts by Francoeur to start and Langy to end. That’s 0-for-3 with two Ks for Langerhans.
Mike Gonzalez warming up in Braves ‘pen. He’ll have the seventh.
BOTTOM OF SEVENTH:
This day has sure taken a bad turn for the Braves the past couple innings. Gonzalez’s FIRST FOUR PITCHES as a Brave are balls _ TO THE DAMN PITCHER! Walks Myers on four pitches. Then Rollins doubles down left-field line.
Runners at second and third with none out.
Victorino strikes out. Now in comes the Big Man, Howard. Lefty on lefty.
Gets ahead 0-2, the second on a high curve Howard watched. Strikes him out on a checked swing. Damage averted so far. Strikeouts can sure be nice sometimes, huh?
Now the dangerous Utley. But again, lefty on lefty (also nice to be able to go to a guy who is as close to unhittable for lefties as anyone).
6-3 groundout. Inning over.
TOP OF EIGHTH:
Wilson pinch-hits for Smoltz, strikes out looking to start inning.
Kelly Johnson long fly out to the warning track just to left of center field.
Myers is roaring now, over 100 pitches.
Edgar LOOONG homer on 0-2 pitch OFF THE BRICK WALL BEYOND CENTER FIELD. Ball just kept going and going. Wow. Big, big knock ties score 3-3.
That’s it for Myers, 106 pitches, he’s leaving to a standing O from sellout crowd of 44,742.
Smoltz won’t get any decision.
By the way, Renteria came in a team-best 10-for-29 (.345) with a homer off Myers, so appropriate he’d be the one to chase him.
On comes lefty Matt Smith to face Chipper. Grounds out to end inning.
On to eighth and the scowling Soriano in his debut.
BOTTOM OF EIGHTH:
Soriano gets ahead of Burrell 0-2. Nice start. Then a ball, then he fouls one back. Then a ball. Burrell pulls next pitch just a few feet foul down left-field line. Pop out to Thorman for first out.
A middle-aged fan who looks to be 6-7 beers into his day catches foul ball just in front of the clubhouse. Yes, the sun apparently affected him less than Kelly (oh, cheap shot. First of the season). (If he’d dropped it, the scorekeeper was prepared to award a hit _ second cheap shot in one paragraph. Now we’re rounding into shape.)
Helms out on a nubber in front of plate.
Count goes to full on Rowand. Two outs. And the pitch … walks him.. Looked like a damn good pitch, caught the plate. Replay shows it was a great pitch. (OK, now I sound like Bobby. Sorry. But it was a good pitch.)
Soriano gets out of the inning with a groundout.
On to the ninth, A.J. up first.
TOP OF NINTH:
Andruw long fly out on a broken bat, sounded like.
McCann SINGLE to left, opposite-field knock, third hit of day for new face of the franchise.
Orr to pinch-run for McCann.
Don’t know that I like taking McCann out with potential extra innings. But Bobby must be hoping for Frenchy of Thorman to double and get Orr in with go-ahead-run….
Francoeur strikes out. Well, up to Thor.
ERROR on Howard, boots a grounder, then Tom Gordon late covering. Orr to second.
Langerhans infield single to second, LOADS BASES. Pena up to pinch-hit with two outs and bags juiced…
NO CHANCE. Gordon strikes him out, leaves bases loaded. On to bottom of ninth, the big dockworker set to enter the fray. Hello, Mr. Wickman.
BOTTOM OF NINTH:
Wickman induced leadoff groundout by someone named Greg Dobbs. No, really. Greg Dobbs.
… A quick perusal of my resources shows that Dobbs hit .370 _ albeit in 27 at-bats _ last year for Seattle.
On, to Rollins. Strikeout Rollins. That’s 3-for-5 with homer, double and three Ks for Rollins. Eventful day.
Now, Victorino, the man whose name sounds like it belongs to a Vegas lounge act.
No crooner, he: Victorino doubles to left-field corner. Now, trouble. Up comes … MVP.
Ryan Howard steps to the plate. How can this be? He always seems to come up in big moments against the Braves, doesn’t he? Maybe not. Maybe it just seems like it.
Anyway, here goes….
After he gets behind 2-0 on Howard, Braves elect to have Wick walk him intentionally. Crowd is booing more than it has since Chipper was introduced. All are on their feet now, with Utley coming up and runners at first and second, two outs, scored 3-3.
I mean, didn’t EVERY Brave-Phillies game last year end this way?
Utley pops out foul to Chipper near the fence. Whew.
On to extra innings. I’m telling you, these two teams have played more games like this than any two teams in the NL in recent years. Or at least I’m gonna say they have, without actually looking for evidence to support the statement.
TOP OF TENTH:
Chance for redemption for Kelly J. leading off against Ryan Madson.
Draws a walk.
Edgar up. Tries to bunt, fouls it back. Then fouls back another bunt. (oh, the lost art of bunting. I don’t know why hitters, not just pitchers, don’t practice it more).
It’s 1-2 count now. Fouls off one to the right side. Takes a ball in dirt, 2-2 count.
HOME RUN EDGAR! Wow. Second home of game for the shortstop, puts Braves up 5-3. Wow.
Edgar joked with me in spring training that he was stronger this year, would hit 40. He was only joking, though.
Sixth two-homer game of his career. Good for him. Great guy. I’ve known him since the Marlins brought him up as an 18-year-old in 1996, I believe it was. Classy kid.
BOTTOM OF TENTH:
Paronto in to pitch for Bravos (they’re not going to go two innings with Wickman this early, not after having him pitch so little in spring and all).
Paronto had four saves for Richmond last year and 34 in his minor league career, but this would be his first in his fourth opp in the majors, if he gets it.
Srikes out Burrell to start.
Helms flies out to shallow center.
Rowand 5-3 groundout to end it. Chipper pumps fist. Game over.
Braves are 1-0.
Five burning questions
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Braves beat writer David O’Brien asks and answers five questions fans might be wondering about. Do you agree or disagree with DOB? Post comments below.
1: Is the bullpen problem really fixed?
Yes. After re-signing closer Bob Wickman and trading for intimidating Rafael Soriano and lefty Mike Gonzalez, the Braves have contingency closers and a power trio that can shorten games to six innings and reduce last year’s league-high 29 blown saves by 10 or more.
2: Can Scott Thorman fill Adam LaRoche’s shoes?
No, but he doesn’t have to. Between Thorman and Craig Wilson, the Braves believe they can get 25 or more homers and 90 to 100 RBIs from first base. Between the two, they can come close to LaRoche’s production, though the defense won’t be as good.
3: Will Kelly Johnson make people forget Marcus Giles?
No, because many were enamored with plucky Giles for his reckless style. Johnson doesn’t play like that, and isn’t as good defensively. But he can produce a higher average, more homers and a higher on-base percentage as a leadoff hitter than Giles did last season.
4: Will Andruw Jones, eligible for free agency next winter, finish the season with the Braves?
Yes, because they wouldn’t trade him during a playoff race, and he could veto any trade if they tried. He totaled 92 homers and 257 RBIs the past two seasons and wants to stay where he’s comfortable all season and where he has the best chance to put up similar numbers.
5: Is this team good enough to reclaim the NL East title?
Yes, but only if at least two of the Big Three relievers stay healthy and at least three of the starters stay healthy and meet or surpass expectations. The lineup isn’t as good as the Mets’ lineup, but the pitching should be much better than New York’s or Philadelphia’s.
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