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Thursday, March 6, 2008
Glavine, Braves see familiar faces at Tigertown
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
TIGERTOWN, aka LAKELAND, Fla. — I’m a ittle late getting back up to the pressbox today, because I needed to ask Tyler Flowers a question I forgot to ask yesterday (story on him for tomorrow’s paper) and also wanted to see him take aim at the left-field berm in batting practice (he was in the last hitting group).
Anyway, it was worth the wait. He nearly hit three balls completely over the berm, clearing the fence in left-center by a good 50 feet. And the wind was not blowing whatsoever. Kid has serious, serious pop.
Anyway, talked to Tigers manager Jim Leyland a little before Braves got here. Love talking to the crusty old dude, who I covered for two extremely eventful seasons with Marlins in 1997-98. He always has a joke to tell, usually filthy. I was disappointed that today’s was G-rated. Won’t bother telling it here. Too long.
Asked about Macay McBride, the former Braves lefty reliever who’s lugging a 9.00 ERA and.476 opponents’ average after his first two appearances, with five runs (four earned), 10 hits and two walks with one strikeout in four innings. Yikes!
Leyland said it’s too early to tell if he’ll get it together, etc., but did tell me that McBride is being sent to Triple-A to be a starter. Tigers thing his varied pitch repertoire could make him better suited for that role than starting, and Bobby Cox said it was a good idea when told of the plan.
Talked to Edgar Renteria briefly by the batting cage, before a Tigers PR guy asked us to not talk to Tigers players until after the workout. Edgar looks good, though his average (.176, 3-for-17) does not.
Tigers writers said he’s played well in the field, been great in the clubhouse, etc. Leyland said he’s been so-so on the field, but he has no concerns about Edgar, knows what a player he is after having him in Florida years ago.
Oh, and Bowman and I are talking to Edgar when Jeff Francoeur walks over to greet his former teammate. Edgar looks at him and says playfully, “What’s wrong with you? You’re getting fat.”
Francoeur put on 17 pounds this winter, up to 239, but anyone who’s seen him knows it’s hardly fat. He’s ripped. There are a couple of Braves with bellies to work off, but he’s not one of them.
Speaking of bellies, how ‘bout that L.A. Times story about Andruw? Let’s just say, he’s not hitting his weight so far. Actually, he’s not hitting half his weight. Oy. Even Joe Torre said folks have noticed, though he added that Andruw gets benefit of doubt for now, based on his track record.
Today’s game: We’ve got a good matchup here today, lefties Tom Glavine and Dontrelle Willis of the Tigers toeing the slab for different teams than they were with a year ago. Everyone’s eager to see what Glavine will do in his second start, inching it up to three innings after going two in his spring debut.
Glavine just threw a 1-2-3 first inning with two flyouts and a Gary Sheffield popup. We’re heading to second inning as I post this.
Safe to say, anyone would have a hard time bettering the three-perfect-inning performance Wednesday by Jair Jurrjens the rookie right-hander the Braves got from these Tigers in the trade for Edgar.
When I told Leyland how good Jurrjens looked yesterday, Jim wasn’t the least bit surprised. He really liked Jurrjens and had him penciled in his rotation before the trade.
Oh, and today’s lineup has Scott Thorman at 1B, Josh Anderson in center, and Brent Lillibridge making his second start at 3B. Diaz is DHing.
I guess I could just give you the lineup, huh?
Here it is: 1. KJ, 2B; 2. Escobar, SS; 3. Francoeur, RF; 4. Diaz, DH; 5. McCann, C; 6. Lil’ Bridge, 3B; 7. Thorman, 1B; 8. B. Jones, LF; 9. Anderson, CF.
Sheff is batting third and DHing for the Tigres, but Edgar’s not in the lineup. Leyland confirmed Edgar will bat seventh when the season begins.
Diaz has a big fan here: Pete Van Wieren showed his credential to an old guy at the entrance to Tigertown, not that he needed to. The man recognized the venerable Braves broadcaster.
“Say something nice about my grandson,” the guy said to Pete.
“Who’s your grandson?” he replied.
“Matty Diaz,” said the man.
Diaz is from Lakeland, and yes, it was his grandfather.
Oh, and Pete pointed out how it would’ve been cool for Coulter Bean to have gotten that last guy out yesterday to complete the no-hitter (he gave up a two-out single in the ninth at Cleveland), as it would’ve been the first no-no by seven pitchers including ones with first names Jair,
Van Wieren pointed out it would’ve been first no-no with a Jair, Jairo (Cuevas), Francisley (Bueno), Royce (Ring) and Colter. There was also the relatively mundane-sounding Jeff (Ridgway).
Cox quote of the day: Asked Cox about Bean, a large-bodied (6-6, 255) Yankees castoff (and Alabama native) with command issues. He walked two and gave up a hit to a non-roster player, Danny Sandoval (at least I think that was his name; don’t have time to look, need to post this).
Bean, 31, piled up 643 strikeouts in 518 innings during his long minor league career, but allowed eight hits, seven runs and nine walks in seven innings of six major league appearances spread over three seasons.
Anyway, here’s what Cox said when I asked about the sidearming right-hander:
“If he could ever harness it, he’d get right-handers out in a heartbeat. But he hits ‘em. He hits right-handers, and the left-handers hit him.”
Priceless.
Now, we go from one wordsmith to another:
”TOWER OF SONG” by Leonard Cohen
Well my friends are gone and my hair is grey
I ache in the places where I used to play
And I’m crazy for love but I’m not coming on
I’m just paying my rent every day
Oh in the Tower of Song
I said to Hank Williams: how lonely does it get?
Hank Williams hasn’t answered yet
But I hear him coughing all night long
A hundred floors above me
In the Tower of Song
I was born like this, I had no choice
I was born with the gift of a golden voice
And twenty-seven angels from the Great Beyond
They tied me to this table right here
In the Tower of Song
So you can stick your little pins in that voodoo doll
I’m very sorry, baby, doesn’t look like me at all
I’m standing by the window where the light is strong
Ah they don’t let a woman kill you
Not in the Tower of Song
Now you can say that I’ve grown bitter but of this you may be sure
The rich have got their channels in the bedrooms of the poor
And there’s a mighty judgement coming, but I may be wrong
You see, you hear these funny voices
In the Tower of Song
I see you standing on the other side
I don’t know how the river got so wide
I loved you baby, way back when
And all the bridges are burning that we might have crossed
But I feel so close to everything that we lost
We’ll never have to lose it again
Now I bid you farewell, I don’t know when I’ll be back
There moving us tomorrow to that tower down the track
But you’ll be hearing from me baby, long after I’m gone
I’ll be speaking to you sweetly
From a window in the Tower of Song
Yeah my friends are gone and my hair is grey
I ache in the places where I used to play
And I’m crazy for love but I’m not coming on
I’m just paying my rent every day
Oh in the Tower of Song
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