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Tuesday, May 1, 2007
What’s happening on the farm?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This blog is inspired by Wayne in Utah, in honor of his “Twas the Night before Opening Day” poetry in this wee hours last night. Well, no, it’s actually in response to a question of his earlier in the day yesterday, but we are just giving him props for his creativity and how connected he is on this blog.
Wayne wants to know what’s happening on the farm, and we’re here to oblige.
(If it were easy as surfing the web like “Coach” suggests, what good are we here at the AJC? We’re obliging Wayne. Granted we’re obliging the day after, thanks to Bob Wickman, Willie Harris, Mike Hampton stuff to write yesterday, but we’re obliging. At least for the parts that we thought were the most interesting.)
Macay McBride, as you know, was sent down to Richmond to work on his control problems, and he is still working those out. He had two walks in his first relief appearance (4/16), one in his second (4/19) then no walks in three innings of his first start April 23 against Indianapolis. Saturday night in his second start for Richmond, he walked three batters, but pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings against Norfolk. He lowered his ERA to 0.96. He is to pitch again Thursday against Charlotte.
Braves director of player development (aka farm director) Kurt Kemp said Tuesday afternoon, “He’s been throwing good, working on the things he needs to work on.” Translation: he’s still working at it.
Bobby Cox has said McBride was starting in Richmond so he would maximize his innings to get his work in. Kemp reiterated that, pointing to the importance of repeating what’s you’re working on, getting some muscle memory going.
Even still, if McBride can turn it around, it can’t be out of the question to see him make a run at a rotation spot in Atlanta, especially if Kyle Davies and Mark Redman continue to struggle and Lance Cormier continues to hurt.
Cox said last night after the game Cormier still wasn’t able to resume his rehabilitation assignment - he was scratched from his second minor league appearance Friday -and he would be evaluated again today. The inflamed triceps muscle is proving tricky.
Now on to Phil Stockman, the 6-foot-8, 251-pound Aussie reliever, with the mid-90s fastball. He had surgery in January on his hamstring, and then didn’t pitch in spring training because of visa problems and a sore back. He stayed in extended spring training to start the season at least in part, so he could work out in warm weather. So he’s just getting going.
He hit a bump in the road last week. Kemp says Stockman felt something in the hamstring area, perhaps scar tissue breaking up, and also had some problems with some gluteal inflammation (do I need to explain gluteal?!). So Stockman went back on the DL Friday. Kemp said it’s probably all be related to the surgery Stockman had in January but it isn’t expected to be super serious. “They think maybe seven or eight days,” Kemp said.
Blane Boyer, who’s been on the disabled list since the day camp broke in spring training with an oblique strain, is scheduled to throw his last rehabilitation session tomorrow in extended spring training. If all goes well, he should head out to Richmond early next week. Boyer hasn’t pitched in a year coming off shoulder surgery, so I’d be surprised if he is much of a factor for at least a couple months.
While we’re on Richmond, remember how poorly the Richmond Braves played last year? With players coming up to Atlanta and back and no sense of continuity, especially on the pitching staff? Well, Richmond is leading the International League with a 15-5 record. The R Braves had their best April winning percentage since 1985 (13-4, .765).
Another note, Jonathan Schuerholz, son of Braves general manager John Schuerholz, got called up to Richmond from Mississippi to replace Willie Harris on the roster. Schuerholz, an infielder, was hitting .182 (4-for-22) in 12 games in Mississippi.
And for Bubba, thanks for one of the most backhanded compliments I’ve ever gotten. Almost as backhanded as the time a friend of mine told me in college that my hair was so……bushy. Your post made me laugh though because you’re right. I did write stiffly I’m sure, when I was new on the beat.
And don’t we love blogs now because ain’t no way you could write stiffly on one of these and get away with it. (Stiffly is not quite how Bubba put it….And notice how I’m not saying anything about a guy who calls himself Bubba? Not a word.)
And by the way, Eric, I’m a girl and that’s not ever changing.
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