AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2007 > October > 01
Monday, October 1, 2007
Cleaning out Braves lockers, shutting ‘er down
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Just got back from the cleaning-out-the-lockers ritual at Turner Field, talked to Bobby Cox and a couple other coaches, etc.
But no players were there this time — since they got home so early last night, short flight and day game and all that, many went ahead and cleaned out lockers and packed up their stuff last night. The many who live around leave a lot of stuff in their lockers for winter workouts.
Really didn’t seem to be any of the depressing mood around the team in the past couple of days that there was after the division series losses in 2004 and 2005, or after last year’s season finale, when Braves were so far out of it and wondering about the sale of the team, direction payroll was heading, all that kind of thing.
There really seems to be a very positive mood in the clubhouse this time around, regarding the future and the Braves’ outlook for next season.
Chipper seems to be about the only one who believes there’s a good chance Andruw will return. Most others seem to have accepted that it’s probably not going to happen (which leads me to wonder if there might be a better chance than we believe, since when everyone’s in such agreement over something, it often goes the other way, right?)
But in this one, I’m just having a hard time seeing a scenario where he returns. I haven’t reported this before now, because I didn’t want to go on one unnamed source’s word, but Cox confirmed today what another Braves person told me last week — that Andruw’s agent, Scott Boras, told the Braves at beginning of the year, before season began, what they were looking for in a contract, and it was way, way above what the Braves would consider giving him.
So we’ll see if his poor season will affect that asking price. Boras has indicated it won’t, but we’ll see. Haven’t heard anything yet from other teams, as to what they might offer. But a team like Washington wants to fill seats, and might believe Andruw, who did hit those 92 homers in 2005-06 and will surely win his 10th consecutuve Gold Glove, might be the guy to do it. Stan Kasten’s the Nats president, remember.
I still believe the Angels might make a big offer, maybe the White Sox. Who knows. Too early. Haven’t heard yet. I’m probably covering World Series, and I should be able to get some good info there, if I haven’t heard anything by then.
Cox on Jo-Jo: In his last four starts, Jo-Jo Reyes was 2-1 with a 3.09 ERA, including 2-0 in his last three. He’s put himself in position to compete for a spot in the spring, it sounds like.
“He’s so close to being a No. 2 [starter],” Cox said today. “He still needs some work, but maybe we can handle that up here [in the majors].”
And Cox on Braves’ interest in Tom Glavine: “Tom has a decision to make with the Mets. He’s still got plenty left in that left shoulder. He’s like Smoltz — he can still pitch.”
Glavine was 13-6 with a 3.88 ERA in his first 31 starts for the Mets this season, but 0-2 with a hideous 14.81 ERA and .472 opponents’ average in his last three, including Sunday’s one-out, seven-run debacle in the final game of the Mets’ epic collapse. He gave up 25 hits in 10-1/3 innings over his last three starts.
NL batting title: As we wrote yesterday after Chipper Jones went 0-for-3 to drop his average to .337, it’s going to take an 0-for-5 or worse in tonight wild-card tiebreaker game for Colorado slugger Matt Holliday’s average to drop enough from .340 to give Chipper the batting title. An 0-for-4 would still give Holliday the edge, by the fourth number behind the decimal point.
So what’s the likelihood that Holliday, who’s been on fire down the stretch, would go 0-for-5 tonight against San Diego? Well, consider that Padres ace Jake Peavy will toe the slab. And consider that of Holliday’s three 0-for-5 or worse (he had one 0-for-6) performances this season, the most recent was just 10 days ago against the Padres and … Jake Peavy.
Peavy allowed three hits in seven innings of that Sept. 21 game at San Diego. So maybe Peavy, an Alabama boy and a big Braves fans growing up, will deliver the batting title to Chipper.
But I doubt it.
Holliday is 6-for-15 with a homer in his career against the right-hander.
Chipper will win the OPS title, if there is such a thing. Maybe a mythical title? Anyway, it’s a pretty good indicator of hitting prowess, better than batting average many would contend.
Chipper’s on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) is 1.029, ahead of Prince Fielder (1.013) and Holliday (1.011). Sir Cranium from San Francisco doesn’t have enough plate appearances to qualify on the Stats Inc leader board.
Albert Pujols beat out Chipper for the road batting “title” by finishing at .358 to Jones’ .353. Jorge Posada (.344) was the AL leader.
Chipper and Edgar Renteri (.336) were second and third in the NL in road average, and Francoeur (.316) tied David Wright for ninth.
By the way, Chipper hit .353 with 15 homer and 55 RBIs in 66 road games, and .320 with 14 homers and 47 RBIs in 68 home games.
Holliday has hit .301 with 11 homers and 55 RBIs in 76 road games, and .377 with 25 homers and 80 RBIs in 80 games at Coors Field.
Leading off, cleaning up: Yunel Escobar finished his stellar rookie season with a .326 average, 30 extra-base hits and an .870 OPS in 319 at-bats, including a .409 on-base percentage.
He hit .355 against lefties, .303 vs. righties, and he hit .336 with a .406 OBP after the break, after hitting .304 with a .339 OBP before the break.
As a leadoff man he hit .351 (53-for-150) with a .400 OBP, the second-highest leadoff OBP in the NL behind Florida’s budding superstar Hanley Ramirez (.405).
Kelly Johnson had a .372 OBP as a leadoff man, giving the Braves two of the top five leadoff OBPs in the league.
Meanwhile, here are the final results for Atlanta’s two primary cleanup hitters in 2007: Andruw Jones hit .220 with 19 homers, 64 RBIs, 85 strikeouts and a .774 OPS in 323 cleanup at-bats.
Mark Teixeira hit .317 with 17 homers, 56 RBIs, 46 strikeouts and a 1.019 OPS in 208 cleanup at-bats.
Pitching matches hitting: Statistically, at least, Braves pitching ranked even with their hitting in the NL. Hey, just telling you what the numbers say.
The Braves ranked third in the NL with a 4.11 ERA, behind the Padres and Cubs. Braves hitters finished in a three-way tie for second with a .275 average and ranked third with 810 runs and fourth with a .339 OBP.
The once-maligned bullpen, by the way, finished with a 3.54 ERA that trailed only the Padres (3.00 before tonight). And in close-and-late situations, Braves pitchers (starters and relievers) held opponents to a .227 average, tied with St. Louis for the league low).
Braves hitters, meanwhile, ranked eighth with a .257 average in late-and-close situations, and a mediocre .330 OBP and .381 slugging percentage.
”BRILLIANT DISGUISE” by Bruce Springsteen
I hold you in my arms
as the band plays
What are those words whispered baby
just as you turn away
I saw you last night
out on the edge of town
I wanna read your mind
To know just what I’ve got in this new thing I’ve found
So tell me what I see
when I look in your eyes
Is that you baby
or just a brilliant disguise
I heard somebody call your name
from underneath our willow
I saw something tucked in shame
underneath your pillow
Well I’ve tried so hard baby
but I just can’t see
What a woman like you
is doing with me
So tell me who I see
when I look in your eyes
Is that you baby
or just a brilliant disguise
Now look at me baby
struggling to do everything right
And then it all falls apart
when out go the lights
I’m just a lonely pilgrim
I walk this world in wealth
I want to know if it’s you I don’t trust
‘cause I damn sure don’t trust myself
Now you play the loving woman
I’ll play the faithful man
But just don’t look too close
into the palm of my hand
We stood at the alter
the gypsy swore our future was right
But come the wee wee hours
Well maybe baby the gypsy lied
So when you look at me
you better look hard and look twice
Is that me baby
or just a brilliant disguise
Tonight our bed is cold
I’m lost in the darkness of our love
God have mercy on the man
Who doubts what he’s sure of
