AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2007 > May > 31
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Successful surgery … blah blah blah
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Just got the e-mail from the Braves with the update on Mike Gonzalez’s “successful” Tommy John surgery today in Birmingham at the House of Elbow & Shoulder Surgery, otherwise known as James Andrews’ clinic (sometime I’ll give you guys the description of that cutting-edge, cash cow of a clinic, which I got from someone who went there to observe Alex Fernandez’s surgery with the Marlins years ago).
Anyway, glad to hear things went well. Of course, the next time we get an e-mail saying surgery was “unsuccessful” will be the first time.
Can you imagine, “Joe Flamethrower had unsuccessful surgery on his right elbow today. I mean, really bad stuff. Total failure. Dr. James Von Wealth said he had no idea of what he was getting into until he cut into the elbow and realized he would need assistance, which wasn’t available. He tried to fix it anyway, but might have actually made things worse. We’ll know in a few months.”
OK, anyway … the Cubs series. Folks, the Braves couldn’t have timed this trip better. As poorly as things went in that Philly series last weekend, the Braves took to the road to face a Milwaukee team that is in free-fall and a Cubs team that’s right there with them, having lost 14 of 20 and eight of their last 10.
The Little Bears have hit .229 with five homers while posting a 5.22 ERA in their past 10.
They Braves don’t even have to face former Friend of Leo — just kidding — Jason Marquis. Which may or may not be a good thing. The ex-Braves (and ex-Cardinals) righty is 5-2 with a 2.93 ERA and .211 opponents’ average in his first season with the Cubs, but he’s 0-2 with 14.40 ERA in three starts vs. the Bravos.
And let’s take one more moment to reflect upon that seven-run inning yesterday, which had the stuff that could be a catalyst for bigger things for the Braves. OK, minute’s up. Moving on….
Before I forget, Rosebud: No, not Citizen Kane. Burger. I can confirm that the colossal, dripping, artery-clogging cheeseburger at Rosebud Steakhouse in Chicago is indeed one of the greatest food items ever prepared, or at least ever consumed by me.
I saw it rated as a top-20 burger by the food dude in GQ magazine last year (I carry around that now-tattered list, trying to check them off as I move throughout the continent), and I’d have to concur with his rating after waddling back from Rosebud, which is two blocks from the team hotel, where I’m staying this time.
And since the GQ writer got it right with No. 1 — the mouth-watering burger at Le Tub in my old stomping grounds of Hollywood, Fla. — I should have known the Rosebud rec would be solid.
Anyway, while dinner digests I thought I’d knock out this blog, to carry us through the game tomorrow. Rosebud, when staying near Michigan Ave., I’d highly recommend it.
Andruw’s tatt is really big: The center fielder had the massive spider-web tattoo on his left arm finished finally (at least I think it’s finished; god I hope it’s finished). Andruw doesn’t just go to any old tattoo parlor like you or I (personally I like Liberty Tattoo on Ponce in Atlanta, if they’d like to gimme a free one next time for the plug).
No, ‘Dru has the guy from Miami Ink (the shop that’s the focus of the TV show on some network not on my favorites programmable cable-remote thing) do his work in Atlanta. The spider web now starts a few inches below his elbow and goes all the way onto the top of his shoulder, with a bunch of symbols and stuff I don’t understand drawn into the design.
(Andruw also hooked Peter Moylan up with the guy, and Moylan got his pitching arm tattoo, which was already substantial, expanded all the way down to his wrist. He’s The Illustrated Aussie. His daughter’s name is in the middle of the design. (Did I mention Pete’s Australian. Why do all people from that country seem cool?)
I noticed some scarring on Andruw’s tatt yesterday in the clubhouse and asked him, and he said he slept without it covered when it was still fresh, and the scab got pulled off somehow. Anyway, he’s gonna have that part touched up.
By the way, I think he started to heat up at the plate about the same time he got the tatt finished. Or maybe not, but it sounds like a good story that way, so I’ll not check with him, because if he says no, that he got the tatt three weeks ago it’ll ruin the story. This way, we’re all better for not knowing for sure.
For the record, Andruw is 8-for-23 (.348) with two doubles, two homers, five RBIs and one strikeout in his current six-game hitting streak, after going 11-for-73 (.151) with one homer, 12 RBIs and 26 strikeouts in his previous 20 games.
He had 20 strikeouts in 41 at-bats over his last 11 games before this little streak, and now he’s got one strikeout in six games. I’m thinking a homer binge might be near. Or another tattoo.
Difference in clubhouse digs: In going from a series at Milwaukee’s Miller Park to one at Chicago’s Wrigley Field, the Braves will experience radical change in clubhouse size and amenities, not to mention less cheese and sausage products.
Miller Park had a huge clubhouse, leather couches, big screen TVs, DVDs, and amenities your kids would love including big canisters of jawbreaker candy on each card table around the clubhouse, and a video-game room with the Golden Tee golf that Frenchy, Smoltz, McCann and others must have about worn out over three days.
Now, we’re at Wrigley, where the visitor’s clubhouse is virtually the same as it was 30 years ago, maybe even the same as it was 70 years ago (I don’t know if they’ve remodeled it along the way). It’s cramped, too hot, with no rooms for the players to go for privacy (away from us) other than a tiny food room and the training room. And the TV’s are like something in a truck-stop gas station, where the attendant watches horrible overnight TV with an antennae that brings in only the 2-1/2 fuzzy stations he can get out in the middle of Anywhere Rural.
One could hurt himself walking down the long, rickety stairway from the clubhouse to the long, dank, horrible-smelling tunnel/hallway that leads to the visiting dugout and the field (yes, there’s a urinal there to your right, no door, no room, just a urinal in the hallway behind the dugout, left over from an era when ladies wouldn’t have walked this tunnel). It’s like a wine cellar in that tunnel, only it smells like mold and mildew, which it should since it’s full of mold and mildew.
But the park is incredible. Wouldn’t trade the stink and mildew and crumbling concrete for modern newness. But that’s just me. I like decrepit, I guess.
Daytime raking: The Braves are 10-8 in day games despite a league-high 5.82 ERA (giving up 13 runs three times in 15 days in day-game losses at Pittsburgh and Boston and home vs. Philly tends to inflate the ‘ol day ERA).
The Braves are in the NL’s top five in day-game hitting, lead by Matt Diaz at .404 (19-for-47), though all but one hit was a single. Salty’s hitting .389 (7-for-18) with a homer and four RBIs in seven day games. Willie Harris is 6-for-16 (.375) with three extra-base hits in seven day games.
However, The Man of Daylight Ball has been Edgar Renteria, batting .370 (27-for-73) with five doubles, four homers and 15 RBIs in 17 day games. Wow.
Couple more stats: Kelly Johnson has been on base 90 times, which was tied with Hanley Ramirez for fourth-most in the NL before Thursday. Todd “Homers Ain’t For Me Anymore” Helton led with 101, followed by Jose Reyes (94) and Chase Utley (93)…. Scott Thorman’s .200 average (18-for-90) in May was tied for fifth-worst in the NL before Thursday’s month-ending games. SD’s Khalil Greene (.170) was the worst, Philly’s Pat “Wasn’t I Supposed to Be a Star By Now” Burrell (.179) was second-rankest…. Cubs’ Alfonso “Wise Investment” Soriano has one homer in 86 at-bats at Wrigley this season. No, seriously, one homer. And hasn’t homered at Wrigley or anywhere else in 73 at-bats over his past 18 games…. Mark DeRosa, too nice and cool to deserve this fate, is hitting .231 with two multi-hit games and one homer in May. Then again, he’s rich. And his wife’s gorgeous.
Let’s hear from the late, great Zevon:
“ACCIDENTALLY LIKE A MARTYR” by Warren Zevon
The phone don’t ring
And the sun refused to shine
Never thought I’d have to pay so dearly
For what was already mine
For such a long, long time
We made mad love
Shadow love
Random love
And abandoned love
Accidentally like a martyr
The hurt gets worse and the heart gets harder
The days slide by
Should have done, should have done, we all sigh
Never thought I’d ever be so lonely
After such a long, long time
Time out of mind
We made mad love
Shadow love
Random love
And abandoned love
Accidentally like a martyr
The hurt gets worse and the heart gets harder
