AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2007 > July > 28
Saturday, July 28, 2007
If Tex arrives, will Elvis leave building?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A few thoughts while wondering how many years it’s been since the Braves had a better lineup than 1. Johnson/Escobar, 2. Renteria, 3. Chipper, 4. Teixeira, 5. McCann, 6. Francouer, 7. Andruw, 8. Diaz/Harris.
Oh, wait, forgot I’m not the one making out the lineup. It’ll probably be 1. Harris/Escobar, 2. Renteria, 3. Chipper, 4. Teixeira, 5. Andruw, 6. McCann/Francoeur, 7. Francoeur/McCann, 8. Johnson/Diaz.
Anyway, it’s been a while. Probably since Marcus Giles was an offensive force and Javy Lopez was in a contract year and… Wait, what’s that? The Teixeira deal’s not done?
Not to worry, folks. It’s probably going to get done, unless Arizona’s interest has risen dramatically in the past couple days with their eight-game winning streak and sudden serious-contender status.
Before Saturday’s word that Arizona was now involved, it seemed only a matter of whether the Braves would give up both Matt Harrison and either Elvis or Lillibridge, in addition to Salty, without getting a pitcher in return along with Tex.
If they could somehow squeeze C.J. Wilson out of the Rangers, it’d be a phenomenal deal that puts the Braves over the top in the NL East race. But I don’t think the Rangers will part with the lefty, who’s got closer stuff and has a .190 opponents’ average that includes a jaw-dropping .099 (7-for-71) with 28 strikeouts by lefty batters. Wow. Dude is outrageous.
Even if they got Eric Gagne instead of him, it’d still tip the balance of power, in the division, in my opinion. But it also doesn’t look like that will happen. Rangers can get more for him in a separate deal.
Gagne has 16-for-17 saves, a 2.16 ERA and .192 opponents’ average that, by the way, included .155 by lefty batters before Saturday.
Even if the Braves “only” got 36-year-old Ron Mahay from the Rangers, that’s a huge upgrade over what they’ve got in the lefty ‘pen now, which is Wil Ledezma, who just isn’t very good in relief (0-2, 7.71 ERA since the Braves’ curious trade of him for Macay McBride).
Mahay had a 2.13 ERA and .222 opponents’ average before Saturday, including a miniscule 1.29 ERA and .184 opponents’ average away from hitter-friendly Arlington Stadium, with one homer allowed on the road.
He’s held lefties to a .213 average and righties to a .230 with one homer in 74 at-bats. Like I said, huge upgrade over the current lefty.
I f they don’t get one from the Rangers, well, then the Braves have still got to make a significant move to shore up that bullpen, and then it won’t be such a rosy-looking trade unless Teixeira just rakes the rest of the season and really becomes the difference-maker this year and/or next that the Braves hope he’ll be.
Braves really need to demand that reliever in the package. And if it means giving up Elvis, I’d do it to get that reliever in the package. And remember, I’m a huge Elvis fan, particularly the late-60s era Elvis, the “From Elvis in Memphis” album, which I consider his underrated masterpiece, with “In The Ghetto,” “Long Black Limousine,” “True Love Travels on a Gravel Road,” “Only the Strong Survive,” “Wearing That Loved On Look,” “Any Day Now” … man, what a great record.
You younger folks should get that one if you want to understand the Elvis power. He wasn’t some novelty act. The man had one of the greatest voices in popular-music history, and magnetism that’ll never be matched. Period.
Oh, and Elvis Andrus: Tremendous defensive skills, but there’s still some question about how much he’ll eventually hit. But he’s only 18, a supremely gifted fielder, and it’ll be hard to part with him, if the Braves do.
All that said, we realize, of course, that “Tex” is the reason the Braves are doing this deal. He’s the piece they’re missing, the switch-hitting slugger who’ll give them defense of the Adam LaRoche caliber, and offense … well, offense that’s comparable to a healthy Chipper Jones, the man he’ll be helping to protect by forcing pitchers to give Hoss a few more fastballs than he’s getting with Andruw Jones hitting behind him.
OK, let’s see if it happens before the weekend ends. Might not happen until Tuesday afternoon. But I’d (still) be surprised if it doesn’t happen.
”ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE” by Jerry Butler, Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff
I see you sittin’ there all alone
Crying your eyes out
While everything’s going wrong
You know there’s gonna be
A whole lot of trouble in your life
Listen to me, get up off your knees
‘Cause only the strong survive
Only the strong survive
Only the strong survive
Hey, you gotta be strong
You gotta hold on
I said don’t give up, no don’t
I said don’t go around
With your head looking down
Don’t you let’em make you feel like a clown
There’s a lot of opportunity
Out there just waiting for you
But you’ll never succeed if you’ve given up
And say your life is through
Listen this minute what I’m tellin’ you
Only the strong survive
Only the strong survive
Hey, you gotta be strong
Gotta hold on
You gotta be a man, take a stand
Only the strong survive
Only the strong survive
Weak fall by the wayside
You gotta hold on
You gotta keep on, keep on
Keep on, keep on, keep on gettin’ on
‘Cause only the strong survive
Only the strong survive
Weak fall by the wayside
You gotta be strong
You gotta hold on
You gotta keep goin’ on
Only the strong survive
Only the strong survive
Weak fall by the wayside
You gotta be a man
You gotta take a stand
Get up, set your body in motion
You know the strong survive
Wake up and get your education
So you can keep your family alive
Get away from negative situations
It can only bring you a lot of frustrations
‘Cause only the strong survive
