AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2007 > July > 15
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Should the Braves bring home Julio?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Seems like we could use a fresh blog, so here goes, unsolicited on a Sunday afternoon as the game’s getting underway. Before moving on to the scouting preview of the Reds, the notebook and scoring the game, an offering to the denizens.
First up, the Julio matter. Julio Franco. I really didn’t believe the Braves would or should try to sign the 48-year-old pinch-hitter/first baseman after he was designated for assignment last week by the Mets, much as I loved hearing him call me “Amigo!” in that baritone voice every time he disagreed with me.
But after sitting in John Schuerholz’ private box with the GM and his assistant, Frank Wren, I’ve got to say I do believe they’re serious about pursuing it. And frankly, given the way the likes of Scott Thorman and Chris Woodward have performed this season, it’s not a bad idea the more I think about it.
By that I mean, if the Braves can’t go out and get a Jeff Conine for bench help or a big-time slugger that would allow them to move one of their current guys to the bench, then by all means go for Franco, who comes dirt-cheap and could give you more in a pinch-hitting role than anyone on the current roster has provided this season, other than LF platoon man Matt Diaz.
Braves can wait for Franco to clear waivers a week from now, which he almost certainly will do, and then make him an offer at a prorated portion of the minimum salary, where they’d end up paying him, oh, about $150,000 for the rest of the season. Mets would still have to pay him rest of his $1.15 mill salary.
You guys know where Braves pinch-hitters rank in the NL? Going into today’s games, they were 12th with a .209 average and had only one pinch-hit homer in 129 at-bats. Among the rest of the NL teams, only the Padres and Nationals had fewer than two pinch-hit homers.
The Braves’ one pinch homer was by Woodward, who is only 4-for-28 (.143) as a pinch-hitter. Diaz is 10-for-25 as a pinch-hitter, and the rest of the Braves are a meager 17-for-104 (.163). That’s bad, folks. Real bad.
And guess where Braves first basemen rank in the NL? Dead-last by a wide margin, with a woeful .207 average that was 26 points worse than any other NL team at the position before today. Two-oh-seven, people.
With a .263 OBP and .367 slugging percentage, also dead last in both those categories. And 34 RBIs, also at the bottom of the league.
Thorman has hit .211 with nine homers as a first baseman before today, Saltalamacchia has hit .226 with two homers in 31 at-bats as a first baseman, and Craig Wilson hit .185 with one homer in 54 at-bats at the position before he was dumpied in May.
Oh, and Woodward was 1-for-10 with five strikeouts as a first baseman before today, when he’s in the starting lineup at the position.
Will the Braves’ semi-annual revolving door at first base ever stop spinning? Right now, Robert Fick practically looks like Fred McGriff, compared to the production the Braves are getting from their current first basemen.
Since April 30, Thorman has hit .196 (37-for-189) in 58 games with six homers, 22 RBIs, five errors, 46 strikeouts and a .578 OPS.
Chipper making it look easy: Entering today’s game, Chipper Jones had hit .402 with a .467 OBP in 25 games since returning from the DL. Since returning without benefit of a rehab assignment, we might add. That’s not normal.
Oh, wait, he just grounded into a double play in the first inning as I typed that. He is human.
But anyway, since getting hot late last June, Chipper hasn’t cooled for any significant period, injuries and the DL be damned. He’s hit .359 in 446 at-bats with 35 doubles, four triples, 34 homers, 92 RBIs and a .439 OBP and 1.123 OPS in his past 118 games.
That’s a very productive season, and he did it in 118 games since June 24, 2006. Problem of course, is that the Braves have been about 175 or so games since then.
But other than the flukey hand injuries this season, he’s stayed relatively healthy. No significant injuries to his sides, hamstrings, etc. So the Braves have gotta like the possibility of having him for the entire second half, don’t you think?
As of this morning, he was tied with Matt Holliday for the NL batting lead at .339, and Chipper ranked second in the NL in slugging (.603) behind Prince Fielder (.623) and third in OBP behind Bonds (.505) and Helton (.442).
Only the Personable Giants LF (1.075) ranked ahead of Chipper in OPS (1.027).
Oh, and Chipper had raised his career average to .306 and OBP to .403.
Alright, gotta get to work for print. Let’s let Nick Cave take us out with his tribute to the late, great Man in Black.
“LET THE BELLS RING” by Nick Cave
C’mon, kind Sir, let’s walk outside/And breathe the autumn air
See the many that have lived and died/See the unending golden stair
See all of us that have come behind/Clutching at your hem
All the way from Arkansas/To your sweet and last amen
Let the bells ring/He is the real thing
Let the bells ring/He is the real, real thing
Take this deafening thunder down/Take this bread and take this wine
Your passing is not what we mourn/But the world you left behind
Well, do not breathe, nor make a sound/And behold your mighty work
That towers over the uncaring ground/Of a lesser, darker world
Let the bells ring/He is the real thing
Let the bells ring/He is the real, real thing
There are those of us not fit to tie/The laces of your shoes
Must remain behind to testify/Through an elementary blues
So, let’s walk outside, the hour is late/Through your crumbs and scattered shells
Where the awed and the mediocre wait/Barely fit to ring the bells
Let the bells ring/He is the real thing
Let the bells ring/He is the real, real thing
Services »
