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Monday, March 17, 2008
Erin go quickly … into off day
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jupiter, Fla. _ Top o’ the morning (or early afternoon) on St. Paddy’s Day from Day 2 of the Braves-Cardinals “series,” or, as it could be known today, let’s get this over as quickly as possible and get to the off day.
(Speaking of St. Paddy’s, a strip joint in Clearwater had this on its sign last Friday: “Erin Go Braless.” Hey, I’m just being an observant reporter giving you the facts.)
Yes, tomorrow’s the only off day on the spring-training schedule for the Braves, and the first time in recent memory when they didn’t at least have a starting pitcher getting in his work in a minor league game.
Most of the players and coaches have their plans for the off day, whether it’s going home to Atlanta for a night or two or seeing the theme parks (I think there are one or two in Orlando, from what I hear) with family, etc.
The every-fifth-day schedule would’ve had Jo-Jo Reyes and Chuck James pitching tomorrow on the off day, but James is pitching today in a minor league game back at Dark Star and Reyes is scheduled to star Wednesday against Houston.
Bobby Cox told me this morning that James is scheduled to go three innings today, and also said it’s not certain Chuck will begin the season at Class AAA Richmond, as has been widely assumed (by me, among others).
“Not necessarily,” Cox said. “We’re getting him ready. We’ll see.”
If you ask me, I don’t see how James could open with the big league club, not unless there were an injury between now and opening day. Just can’t see them not keeping Jurrjens in the opening day rotation.
And since a lot of you have asked, and the Braves have indicated a desire to have one reliever capable of spot-starting duties, I asked Cox if there was any possibility Chuck might be considered for the job (like many of you, I cringe at the thought of Chuck and his home-run propensity coming out of the ‘pen, but I had to, or wanted to, ask).
Anyway, Cox’s reply: “I don’t know. He’s too good of a starter, maybe….”
In other words, don’t be expecting James to open the season in the ‘pen.
Jeff Bennett’s last couple of performances (four innings, one hit, one walk) seem to have reestablished him as a leader in the “race” for that spot-starter job, if there is a race and if there is to be such a job.
But Braves could go with out-of-options Buddy Carlyle in the role, or could begin season with a ‘pen that has some combination of out-of-options hard throwers Chris Resop and Blaine Boyer and out-of-options lefty Royce Ring accompanying the “givens”: Soriano, Moylan, Acosta and Ohman.
We’ll see. Just too early to tell. Injuries can happen. Teams can call with attractive trade offers. So much can happen, and the Braves usually make a trade or two in the last 10 days of spring training, at least in recent years.
Resting Escobar: Cox sometimes rests a player the day before an off day during the regular-season schedule, to give them back-to-back days of rest while missing only one game. He’s doing that today with shortstop Yunel Escobar.
Martin Prado is getting the start at short and Escobar’s getting a rest, a day after hitting an opposite-field homer here that left “Esco” (the manager’s Coxian nickname for him) with a .472 average, two homers, 12 RBIs and a whopping .722 slugging percentage in 36 at-bats.
“I find myself wanting to take him out after one at-bat lately,” Cox said of the shortstop, “because he’s ready, and you don’t want anything funky to happen to him.”
Something like getting hit in the mouth by a pitch, for instance.
Speaking of Jeff Francoeur…. The right fielder left the team and traveled back to Orlando after returning from the hospital yesterday, where X-rays showed no breaks from the pitch he took off his left cheek and mouth in the second inning.
“Nothing’s changed,” Cox said this morning of Frenchy’s status. “I don’t know how he did last night [in terms of sleeping and pain], but nothing’s broken. We’ll give him a few days. He’s swollen up.”
By the way, Francoeur said the doctor was temporarily thrown for a loop trying to figure out the CAT scan pictures yesterday because of the plates Francoeur still has in the right side of his face from a 2004 beaning in A-ball.
That was a far more serious incident, which left him with a broken orbital bone and other damage to the eye socket. For a while in 2004, there were fears Francoeur’s vision would be affected by that previous incident. But it wasn’t.
Oh, the game’s started now (Kotsay picked off 1B in first inning), so let’s get to it.
Here’s Braves lineup: 1. Kelly Johnson, 2B; 2. Mark Kotsay, CF; 3. Chipper Jones, 3B; 4. Mark Teixeira, 1B; 5. Javy Lopez, C; 6. Joe Borchard, LF; 7. Jordan Schafer, RF; 8. Martin Prado, SS; 9. Mike Hampton, LH.
And here’s a tune by the mighty Irish rock band, The Pogues.
”BODY OF AN AMERICAN” by Shane MacGowan
The Cadillac stood by the house
And the yanks they were within
And the tinker boys they hissed advice
‘Hot-wire her with a pin’
Then we turned and shook as we had a look
In the room where the dead men lay
So big Jim Dwyer made his last trip
To the home where his father’s laid
But fifteen minutes later
We had our first taste of whiskey
There was uncles giving lectures
On ancient Irish history
The men all started telling jokes
And the women they got frisky
At five o’clock in the evening
Every bastard there was pisky [slang for drunk]
Fare thee well going away
There’s nothing left to say
Farewell to New York City boys
To Boston and PA
He took them out
With a well-aimed clout
He was often heard to say
I’m a free born man of the USA
He fought the champ in Pittsburgh
And he slashed him to the ground
He took on Tiny Tartanella
And it only went one round
He never had no time for reds
For drink or dice or whores
And he never threw a fight
Unless the fight was right
So they sent him to the war
Fare the well gone away
There’s nothing left to say
With a slainte Joe and Erin go
My love’s in Amerikay
The calling of the rosary
Spanish wine from far away
I’m a free born man of the USA
This morning on the harbour
When I said goodbye to you
I remember how I swore
That I’d come back to you one day
And as the sunset came to meet
The evening on the hill
I told you I’d always love you
I always did and I always will
Fare thee well gone away
There’s nothing left to say
‘cept to say adieu
To your eyes as blue
As the water in the bay
And to big Jim Dwyer
The man of wire
Who was often heard to say
I’m a free born man of the USA
