AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2007 > August > 02
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Full speed ahead on Tex Express
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
David O’Brien is off for a few days, for those of you not taking notice of the byline, but no way am I going to stop talking about what he’s been talking about: Tex, Tex, Tex. Have you had a look at the recent blog entries on the left side of the page? Tex this. Tex that. So today, it’s Tex the other.
The other? Must have been magic at the ballpark last night. I’d left before the game started for a meeting. But I personally loved watching the bases-loaded walk in Teixeira’s first at-bat. How many times do you hear the cliché “tried to do too much?” In his first at-bat, when Teixeira was probably as jacked up as he’s going to be, the man stayed patient. He didn’t let his adrenaline take him out of being a good hitter.
Yes, the home run was a nice touch. But I’ll take the total package, especially when the last cleanup hitter is addicted to trying to do too much.
The buzz is palpable, folks, and those of you who have been to the last two games already know that. Even before the game yesterday, it felt different. Having been around the Braves since the mid-1990s it shouldn’t have felt so funny to see so many cameras and media in the clubhouse yesterday. But it did. I almost got run over by a couple.
I guess you don’t realize what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone and the last couple of years, the hype is noticeably lessened. Well, noticeably, now that I noticed it. (And this observation does not apply to the this space here. You guys are the diehards. Bless you.)
Teixeira was trying to finish putting on his game whites to go have his mug shot taken for the video board, and two camera guys were right in his face, filming the last of the belt buckling. Riveting stuff. But Teixeira stood there patiently and didn’t shoo anybody away. Maybe it wasn’t so bad. It was actually one of the brief moments when he didn’t have a microphone in his face, too.
I asked him if he was going to smile for his mug. “Oh yeah. I always smile for the mug shot.” Excellent. Hey, this was news. Lots of those kind of things get taken at 7 in the morning in spring training when players barely have their eyes open and they do that macho straight-faced stare, to look intimidating.
The Braves employee waiting to escort him to the photo shoot condoned this sort of look, perhaps to look tough in the pitcher’s eyes.
“Nah, lull them to sleep,” Teixeira said.
I’m going to like this guy.
And for the what - one? two? - folks on this blog who did not like this trade, just listen to what the Baltimore folks are saying about their hometown boy, and how much they regret he’s in Atlanta.
“Orioles fans were crushed this week when hometown boy and switch-hitting messiah Mark Teixeira was traded to the Braves and not the Orioles,” wrote Dan Connolly of the Baltmore Sun in a message to others on our national notes group. “What Dudley from Dundalk doesn’t get is that the Orioles and their improving but still stinkalicious farm system had no chance in matching the quality of prospects the Braves offered.
“The Orioles felt that giving up starter Erik Bedard, 28, who is a having a tremendous season and is signed through 2009, for someone who can be a free agent at the end of 2008 was silly.”
So would that make the Braves farm system not stinkalicious? Baltimore fans are also apparently bummed that Teixeira might want to stay in Atlanta longer term, being a Yellow Jacket and all and having told his former coach at Tech Danny Hall he’s always wanted to live here when baseball was finished. But that would just be rubbing it in, wouldn’t it?
Another tidbit from around the notes group today, from the Royals on Kyle Davies. General manager Dayton Moore sounded a little defensive over the acquisition of Davies, if I’m reading between the lines properly. Here’s what he told Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star:
“Our focus was on young position players,” Moore said. “But at the end of the day, we felt this was the best deal for us based on the players who were offered to us. It’s as simple as that. We felt this was the very best deal for us to make.”
Mellinger also says we’re going to love Dotel by the way. Great guy by all reports.
From the Life Is Unfair file: I’m still trying to let it sink in how the business of baseball works sometimes, and that Julio Franco had to be designated for assignment when he’s done much more than Scott Thorman has anytime recently. I get why the Braves did what they did. Thorman is too young and too valuable a piece to let go on waivers, and he’d have to with no options left. This is one time when Franco’s age really jumped up and bit him. And he’s been defying that kind of thing for years.
And it’s almost as excruciating as thinking about Brayan Pena sitting in Richmond hitting .315 and awaiting a call-up. Corky Miller got the nod over him and might be the steadier backup catcher. Apparently Pena has been playing a lot of left field and first base too as the Braves must be trying to turn him into a utility guy.
Just thinking about his bad luck this season, though, after getting smashed on the head by a follow-through of Greg Dobbs’ swing on May 1 against the Phillies. Looking us in the eye in the clubhouse after he had trouble figuring out what day it was on the field and telling us he was fine and ready to go. He went on the DL; Jarrod Saltalamacchia had to come up. And that’s the way it is.
It’s just cruel sometimes. And Pena’s best friend is now up here too. Yunel Escobar. A September call will cure this for me, in case you’re wondering John Schuerholz, since I know my feelings are the Braves’ top priority.
Did you notice how close the Braves just came to being on the other end of Tom Glavine’s possible 300th win? After the Mets blew a chance for him at it Tuesday night, he’s still sitting on 299 and makes his next attempt Sunday in Chicago. If that doesn’t work out, his next start after that would be Friday the 10th, one day after his former club leaves town. The Braves have a three-game series in New York starting Tuesday that has plenty of other reasons to be big.
And it’s weird enough with the Braves having a guttural instinct to pull for the Mets the night Glavine is going for 300. They do. At least I know the manager does. How can they not want that for him? Glavine got 242 of his 299 wins as a Brave. They just don’t want it next Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, I can assure you.
Enough with the rambling. Your turn now.
