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Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Scout on Davies: “I’d take him”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
So I’m talking today with a scout of an AL team, a guy with a strong pitching background, and I ask him about Kyle Davies, then prepare for the worst.
But I didn’t get the worst. For you holding out hope and/or belief that the former boy wonder from Stockbridge will get it together and have a strong career, you’re not alone.
“Kyle Davies has a good arm,” was the first thing from the scout, when I asked him what he thought after watching Kyle pitch a couple nights ago.
Not, “Kyle Davies is a mess,” or “Kyle Davies’ confidence is shot,” but “Kyle Davies has a good arm.”
“He’s not throwing as hard as he did before he hurt his groin,” the scout said. “But he’s got a good arm.”
“So there are teams that believe Davies will be a good major league pitcher?” I asked him.
And he replied without hesitation, “I’d take him.”
So there. That’s the other side of the dilemma of Davies, if there is a dilemma. I say “if” because the Braves have to decide whether to keep him up in the majors, send him down to the minors - he does have options - or perhaps listen to trade offers.
Since returning from the DL in September after groin surgery, Davies has gone 5-12 with a 7.17 ERA in 23 starts, and posted a .306 opponents’ average with 60 walks and only 74 strikeouts in 106-2/3 innings in that span. That’s fewer than five innings per start, folks.
He’s won just one game in 10 home starts (1-5) in that span.
Of course the Braves might not see it as much of a dilemma with Davies, at least not yet. Since he still has minor-league options, they might view it as, “Hey, we’ll send the guy down and let him work on things in the minors, if we have to.” I don’t know exactly what they’re thinking right now, to be honest.
I will say this: He’s in the bullpen today, available if Braves need a long man. To open a roster spot for John Smoltz coming off the DL today, they sent down Joey Devine, who’s building up quite a bank of frequent-flier miles this season, if not innings.
When I asked Bobby Cox about it, about keeping Jo-Jo Reyes and Davies and sending down Devine, he first was as vague as you could possibly imagine. “Yeah, he [Reyes] is staying around for a while.”
Only after asked again 15 minutes later in a slightly different manner did he allow that the Braves needed to have a long reliever available, what with Smoltz coming off the DL and there always being some uncertainty in such a situation, and with Oscar Villarreal’s arm not made entirely of rubber and therefore not available for bullpen use every single day.
But for Sunday’s ESPN game, Davies is tentatively scheduled to start. Reyes isn’t on the rotation plans, as of today. Again, this could all change. If Davies were to be used in long relief today, maybe Reyes gets the start Sunday.
We’ll just have to wait and see how it plays out.
Given the dearth of pitching on the trade market, the Braves have got to be at least a bit encouraged by Lance Cormier’s much improved performance in his most recent rehab start. Who knows, maybe the guy will finally be ready to pitch like he did in the spring - but personally, I ain’t holding my breath for that one, not after seeing what he did in his couple of starts between DL stints.
By the way, don’t want to say I told you so on Bronson Arroyo a few weeks back, but he’s a good pitcher, still, regardless of his season numbers. He showed that last night.
He’d be a great fit in this ballpark and with this team, though I don’t know how available he is and what the Reds would want for him. Pittsburgh’s Ian Snell would also be a nice fit, and cheap for a few years, but Pirates GM Dave Littlefield is notorious for demanding too much for his young talent, and I don’t know that the Braves would be willing to give up Salty for Snell.
Salty’s in there again: Jarrod Saltalamacchia is making his second consecutive start at 1B against a right-hander today, which tells me the Braves are trying to decide whether they have to make a move at any cost for first-base help before the trade deadline.
If they don’t think Salty can give them production there for the stretch drive, they have to make a move. That point, seemingly, is not open for debate.
Here’s what I mean: Braves first baseman are hitting .203 with just 34 RBIs entering today’s game, worst in the majors in both. Repeat, .203 with 34 RBIs.
The Mariners (.206) are the only other major league team with first basement hitting below .230, and even they have 52 RBIs from first basemen.
The Braves also rank dead last in the majors, by even wider margins, in on-base percentage (.260) and slugging percentage (.363) from 1Bs. Average, OBP and slugging. The terrible trifecta.
Why, Mets pitchers (.230) are only 30 points below Braves first basemen in on-base percentage. Pitchers!
The bulk of the damage has been done by Thorman, batting .193 with six homers and a .230 on-base percentage in 60 games since Aug. 30.
He’s hit .071 (3-for-42) with one extra-base hit (double) and as many errors (three) as RBIs in his past 16 games. A scout told me he’s like a young Ryan Klesko, but without the “adjustment valve.” Said Thorman has too many holes in his swing and doesn’t make adjustments, keeps getting out on the same pitches by the same pitchers.
Salty hasn’t exactly torn it up at 1B, either, though in obviously limited opportunities. He was 7-for-38 (.184) with two homers and a .238 OBP at the position, compared to 25-for-67 (.373) with a .417 OBP at catcher.
Since his two-homer game June 26, Salty has gone 10-for-44 (.227) with two doubles, no homers and one RBI in his past 13 games.
Harris has cooled: Speaking of slumps, Willie Harris is in one. He’s 10-for-50 with no extra-base hits, seven runs and no RBIs in his past 20 games.
Harris is leading off again today, and you gotta like Kelly Johnson’s attitude about that. Kelly, who of course was the full-time leadoff guy for most of the first half, said he hopes Willie will get hot again in the leadoff spot because he runs and disrupts pitchers.
Not one word or roll of the eyes or anything else to tell me that Kelly has any problem hitting down in the order. He really does want Harris to get back to where he was, blistering hot until a few weeks ago.
Johnson is doing quite well hitting down in the order and platooning with Yunel Escobar.
Since June 29, K.J. was 15-for-34 (.441) with four extra-base hits, seven RBIs, seven walks and a .537 OBP in his past 14 games before today.
”I HAVE THE TOUCH” by Peter Gabriel
The time I like is the rush hour, cause I like the rush
The pushing of the people — I like it all so much
Such a mass of motion — do not know where it goes
I move with the movement and … I have the touch
I’m waiting for ignition, I’m looking for a spark
Any chance collision and I light up in the dark
There you stand before me, all that fur and all that hair
Oh, do I dare … I have the touch
Wanting contact
I’m wanting contact
I’m wanting contact with you
Shake those hands, shake those hands
Give me the thing I understand
Shake those hands, shake those hands
Shake those hands, shake those hands
Any social occasion, it’s hello, how do you do
All those introductions, I never miss my cue
So before a question, so before a doubt
My hand moves out and … I have the touch
Wanting contact
I’m wanting contact
I’m wanting contact with you
Shake those hands, shake those hands
Give me the thing I understand
Shake those hands, shake those hands
Pull my chin, stroke my hair, scratch my nose, hug my knees
Try drink, food, cigarette, tension will not ease
I tap my fingers, fold my arms, breathe in deep, cross my legs
Shrug my shoulders, stretch my back — but nothing seems to please
I need contact
I need contact
Nothing seems to please
I need contact
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