AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2007 > June > 20
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Macay traded away, Andruw benched tonight
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A lot going on today and not much time, so we’ll dive right in: As you know by now, Braves traded lefty reliever Macay McBride to Detroit for lefty Wilfredo Ledezma.
Oh, and Andruw Jones (.202) is out of the lineup tonight, assuring he’ll stay above the Mendoza Line at least until Friday (Braves are off Thursday). Willie Harris is in center.
Cox told Andruw after game last night he wanted to rest him today, give him two days off (off day Thursday) before he gets back in Friday. Willie Harris is in center, and Andruw handled it well, said it could do him good to sit and watch a game, get two days’ rest and try to get “on a new track” Friday vs. Detroit.
Hey, he stood before the cameras and patiently answered questions, and he was goofing around with us and teammates like always. So I can only assume he’s cool with sitting for a day.
Oh, and Edgar Renteria (sore back) is back in the lineup after coming out during rain delay last night.
More on the trade: This McBride-Ledezma deal reeks of the classic change-of-scenery trade, both teams hoping a change will do the pitcher they’re getting some good.
That, plus the Tigers wanted roster flexibility and Macay has options, while Ledezma does not. Macay can probably expect to be sent to the minors, in other words.
The Braves feel they got the better end of it (of course they do; so do Tigers, I’m sure).
Braves believe Ledezma (5.15 career ERA, 15-18 record in 106 games inc. 33 starts) can be a starter in the future, if they want to use him that way (and I think they do).
But John Schuerholz said they haven’t discussed when that might happen, and he’s a reliever now. (I’d bet they’ve discussed it, at least for long-range plans when they were talking about doing the deal. Of course they discussed it.)
By the way, the GM bluntly said the Braves obviously believe he’s an upgrade over Macay, or they wouldn’t have done it. Ouch.
Anyway, Ledezma, who’s 26, will be here Friday. He’ll come on the Tigers team plane, supposedly. Macay has already moved his stuff over to a storage closet in the visitors’ clubhouse (not kidding).
Joey Devine was called up and will be in ‘pen tonight, at least. Don’t know for sure if Devine will go back after Friday, but imagine he would.
Now, about the dude they got: Ledezma has a better arm than I thought, after talking to several folks who know. He throws harder than McBride, and Tigers still believed he might become a good starter.
But they don’t need a starter, they need roster flexibility with some guys coming back from the DL, including Kenny Rogers to face the Braves on Friday.
But the troubling part: McBride gets lefties out; Ledezma’s been torched by lefties for a .340 average (17-for-50) and .400 OBP this season.
McBride was .160 (4-for-25) and .300 OBP vs. lefties this season, but .294/.467 by righties (all those walks early on, remember).
For his career, Ledezma’s allowed an alarming .293 average (95-for-324) by lefties, .278 by righties.
In other words, he’s obviously more suited for middle relief or starting than situational lefty work. What good would a situational lefty be if he didn’t get lefties out?
I think the Braves are projecting him as a starter, though Schuerholz would only say that was an option that made him attractive, and that for now, and presumably this season, he’ll be in the ‘pen.
If some of you really thought they were going to get one of Detroit’s top young, accomplished pitchers in exchange for McBride, well, you’re not being realistic.
Ledezma has walked more (26) than he struck out (24) this season in 35-2/3 innings. He’s 3-1 with a 4.79 ERA in 23 games this season, all in relief.
Last time he was a full-time starter, it didn’t go well. At all.
He was 2-4 with a 7.07 ERA in 10 starts for the Tigers in 2005, when he gave up 61 hits (10 homers) and 24 walks in 49-2/3 innings.
But he was pretty solid last season, going 3-3 with a career-best 3.58 ERA in 24 games (seven starts) with 60 hits, 23 walks and 39 strikeouts in 60-1/3 innings.
McBride, 24, was 6-1 with a 3.99 ERA in 112 career appearances for the Braves, and was demoted to the minors after a walk spree in the first couple of weeks this season (he walked 11 in just 2-2/3 innings over a four-appearance stretch, which sent up all kinds of red flags, since that’s awful hard to do, to lose the ability to throw strikes like that so suddenly).
He pitched well (3.00 ERA, .222 opp. average, four walks, 14 K in 12 innings) since returning from a minor-league demotion.
“POOR, POOR PITIFUL ME” by Warren Zevon
I’d lay my head on the railroad tracks/And wait for the Double “E”
But the railroad don’t run no more/Poor, poor pitiful me
Poor, poor pitiful me/Poor, poor pitiful me
These young girls won’t let me be/Lord have mercy on me
Woe is me
Well, I met a girl in West Hollywood/I ain’t naming names
She really worked me over good/She was just like Jesse James
She really worked me over good/She was a credit to her gender
She put me through some changes, Lord/Sort of like a Waring blender
Poor, poor pitiful me/Poor, poor pitiful me
These young girls won’t let me be/Lord have mercy on me
Woe is me
Well, I met a girl at the Rainbow bar/She asked me if I’d beat her
She took me back to the Hyatt House/I don’t want to talk about it
Poor, poor pitiful me/Poor, poor pitiful me
These young girls won’t let me be/Lord have mercy on me
Woe is me
Well, I met a girl from the Vieux Carre/Down in Yokahama
She picked me up and she throwed me down/I said, “Please don’t hurt me, Mama”
