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March 2008
Back from D.C. … is it opening day?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Now that the Braves have done a whirlwind trip to D.C., helped open a new park and provided almost no offensive support for Tim Hudson (sound familiar?), time to open the season for real tonight against the Pirates at Turner Field.
What’s that? That game at Nationals Park counted? Oh, nevermind.
Why does tonight feel more like a season opener than Monday, even though that was nationally televised and had a president throwing out the ceremonial first pitch? Why, of course: Because tonight’s a home game, the start of a series, and yes, because Tom Glavine is making his much-anticipated first start back with the Braves.
You gonna cheer or jeer? I’m guessing the vast majority here tonight cheers. And I mean the vast, vast majority. But we’ll see.
But seriously, upon further review I’m going to have to revise my ballpark rankings, at least in one respect. This is important. Please pay attention (OK, it’s not really that important).
After I took another look at the bland exterior of Nationals Park as I was leaving last night, and then compared that to Turner Field when I drove by it on the way back home from the airport late this morning, I gotta say it’s no contest.
Say what you will about the kiddie carnival-like attractions at Turner Field — not what I look for in a ballpark, but I understand how those with little kids might love it — but there’s no denying the place looks like a ballpark, with the brick exterior and the exposed steel upper deck and all.
And though I like the interior of Nationals Park, gotta put it behind Turner Field and the new parks in Philly and St. Louis in terms of overall evaluation, because of the points the D.C. park loses for having an exterior that looks more like the Georgia World Congress Center than a ballpark.
OK, getting to the important stuff. Peter Moylan gave up a walkoff homer to Ryan Zimmerman last night, in case you were out and missed the ajc.com postgame update. Threw him a poorly located sinker that started up and away and ended up squarely over the middle of the plate, about belt-high. He did what a hitter such as Zimmerman is usually going to do with a pitch like that. Crushed it.
So what does this mean for Peter Moylan> He had a sore elbow early in spring training, then pitched well for most of three weeks, then had a rough outing in the last game at Florida when he pitched the first inning and gave up three runs against the Mets. So what does Sunday’s outing mean?
Well, probably nothing other than he made a bad pitch in his first outing. It’s not the first time, you might recall.
Last year in his first outing after being called up from Triple-A, Moylan gave up three runs, three hits and one walk while recording just one out in an April 15 game against Florida. He had slept little if any the night before, after scrambling to catch a flight from some Triple-A outpost.
Anyway, immediately after that rough outing, Moylan reeled off a torrid five-week stretch in which he posted a 0.43 ERA and .125 opponents’ average, allowing eight hits and one run in 21 innings over his next 14 appearances.
In fact, after that debut last season, and Moylan posted a stunning 1.51 ERA and .201 opponents’ average over his remaining 79 appearances and 89-2/3 innings.
Hoss’ homer in opener: Certainly there wasn’t a whole lot to recommend of the team’s five-hit offensive “performance” against Nationals starter Odalis Perez and four relievers including Ray “I Will Have a Job As Long as Baseball is Played” King.
But Chipper Jones hit a home run off a left-hander (Perez), and that’s potentially very good news for him and the Braves. Because if Hoss gets his right-handed swing on a par with his left, it could mean big things.
He led the NL with a 1.029 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) last season, but Chipper’s 1.171 OPS vs. righties dwarfed his .803 OPS vs. lefties.
He hit .274 with seven homers and a .458 slugging percentage in 201 at-bats vs. lefties, compared to .378 with 22 homers and an astounding .699 slugging percentage in 312 at-bats vs. righties.
But it wasn’t always this way. In fact, in some of Jones’ best seasons he actually hit as good or better against lefties than against righties.
As recently as 2006, he hit .293 with six homers and a .576 slugging percentage in 92 at-bats vs. lefties, and .332 with 20 homers and a .602 slugging percentage in 319 at-bats vs. righties. Not that dramatic a difference.
In his career-worst .248 season in 2004, he hit 30 points higher (.268) against lefties than against righties, and had a slugging percentage that was 105 points higher against lefties.
In his .305-27-106 season in 2003, he hit .306 against lefties and .304 against righties, but Chipper had only two homers and a .380 slugging percentage in 121 at-bats vs lefties, compared to 25 homers and a .555 slugging percentage in 434 at-bats against righties.
His power splits were fairly even in 2002 and 2001 (though he hit .376 vs. lefties and .320 vs. righties in ’01), but go back to 2000 and things really get interesting.
Do you folks remember what he did in 2000, the year after he won the MVP? Jones turned in a .311-36-111 season that included basically a demolition of lefties.
He hit a blistering .415 against left-handers, with 12 homers in 130 at-bats, along with a .480 OBP and .777 slugging percentage. Against righties that year, he hit .281 with 24 homers, a .382 OBP and .506 slugging percentage.
And in his MVP season (.319-45-110) in 1999, Chipper also fared better against lefties than righties. That year he hit .352 with 15 homers, a .450 OBP and .739 slugging percentage in 142 at-bats against lefties, while against righties he hit .308 with 30 homers, a .438 OBP and .598 slugging percentage.
So you see, that’s my very long-winded way of saying, if Chipper starts hitting lefties as well or better that righties, it’ll be interesting to see what kind of overall numbers he produces.
I just find it fascinating that a guy’s lefty-righty numbers can fluctuate so much from year to year, or at least every few years.
OK, gotta get to the park now. By the way, I’m listening to the new Van Morrison that comes out this week or next. Good tuneage. Someone let me know when you hear the new Black Keys CD produced by Danger Mouse. That’s one I’ve gotta get soon as it’s out (tomorrow?).
“DESOLATION ROW” by Bob Dylan
They’re selling postcards of the hanging
They’re painting the passports brown
The beauty parlor is filled with sailors
The circus is in town
Here comes the blind commissioner
They’ve got him in a trance
One hand is tied to the tight-rope walker
The other is in his pants
And the riot squad they’re restless
They need somewhere to go
As Lady and I look out tonight
From Desolation Row
Cinderella, she seems so easy
“It takes one to know one,” she smiles
And puts her hands in her back pockets
Bette Davis style
And in comes Romeo, he’s moaning
“You Belong to Me I Believe”
And someone says,” You’re in the wrong place, my friend
You better leave”
And the only sound that’s left
After the ambulances go
Is Cinderella sweeping up
On Desolation Row
Now the moon is almost hidden
The stars are beginning to hide
The fortunetelling lady
Has even taken all her things inside
All except for Cain and Abel
And the hunchback of Notre Dame
Everybody is making love
Or else expecting rain
And the Good Samaritan, he’s dressing
He’s getting ready for the show
He’s going to the carnival tonight
On Desolation Row
Now Ophelia, she’s ‘neath the window
For her I feel so afraid
On her twenty-second birthday
She already is an old maid
To her, death is quite romantic
She wears an iron vest
Her profession’s her religion
Her sin is her lifelessness
And though her eyes are fixed upon
Noah’s great rainbow
She spends her time peeking
Into Desolation Row
Einstein, disguised as Robin Hood
With his memories in a trunk
Passed this way an hour ago
With his friend, a jealous monk
He looked so immaculately frightful
As he bummed a cigarette
Then he went off sniffing drainpipes
And reciting the alphabet
Now you would not think to look at him
But he was famous long ago
For playing the electric violin
On Desolation Row
Dr. Filth, he keeps his world
Inside of a leather cup
But all his sexless patients
They’re trying to blow it up
Now his nurse, some local loser
She’s in charge of the cyanide hole
And she also keeps the cards that read
“Have Mercy on His Soul”
They all play on penny whistles
You can hear them blow
If you lean your head out far enough
From Desolation Row
Across the street they’ve nailed the curtains
They’re getting ready for the feast
The Phantom of the Opera
A perfect image of a priest
They’re spoonfeeding Casanova
To get him to feel more assured
Then they’ll kill him with self-confidence
After poisoning him with words
And the Phantom’s shouting to skinny girls
“Get Outa Here If You Don’t Know
Casanova is just being punished for going
To Desolation Row”
Now at midnight all the agents
And the superhuman crew
Come out and round up everyone
That knows more than they do
Then they bring them to the factory
Where the heart-attack machine
Is strapped across their shoulders
And then the kerosene
Is brought down from the castles
By insurance men who go
Check to see that nobody is escaping
To Desolation Row
Praise be to Nero’s Neptune
The Titanic sails at dawn
And everybody’s shouting
“Which Side Are You On?”
And Ezra Pound and T. S. Eliot
Fighting in the captain’s tower
While calypso singers laugh at them
And fishermen hold flowers
Between the windows of the sea
Where lovely mermaids flow
And nobody has to think too much
About Desolation Row
Yes, I received your letter yesterday
(About the time the door knob broke)
When you asked how I was doing
Was that some kind of joke?
All these people that you mention
Yes, I know them, they’re quite lame
I had to rearrange their faces
And give them all another name
Right now I can’t read too good
Don’t send me no more letters no
Not unless you mail them
From Desolation Row
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Welcome to Nationals Park; empty your pockets
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Washington, D.C. — Greetings from new Nationals (this space for sale) Park in our nation’s capital, where getting through the various layers of security to enter this place today made going to the airport feel like a breeze by comparison.
That’s what happens in a post-9/11 world when the president’s in the house, which he will be tonight for this nationally televised opener between the Nats and Bravos.
(By the way, that space really is for sale. They’ll rename this place soon as they settle on a multimillion naming-rights deal with some corporation.)
As for security, what a procedure the Crusading Everyman was put through: Leave your computer bag outside. Go through a scanner into a little room. Watch as a grim-faced security guy — another Secret Service member told me to “get over there, pal” and I did, immediately — rifles through everything in your bag and turns on every electronic device. Watch the dog sniff your Cohibas.
Oh, then repeat much of this upon entering the clubhouse, where you’re (meaning, me) wanded after emptying your pockets again. Hey, the players had to go through the same thing. Bush is going to stop by each clubhouse before throwing out the ceremonial first pitch tonight.
OK, but enough of that. Let’s get to the stuff you care about.
First off, a Smoltz update. Bobby Cox said he threw great today in the minor league game in Florida. I’ll give you the numbers when I get them from the PR man, but he went five innings without discomfort, according to Bobby. “He gave up five on hits on changeups — said he was throwing them too hard because he felt so good,” Cox said.
Again, I’ll give you the numbers soon as I get them. But Cox said Smoltz is on schedule to pitch next Sunday. “He’s ready,” the manager said. And no, Braves aren’t going to consider using a six-man rotation. “You can’t,” Cox said, and left it at that.
OK, tonight’s gam: It’s chilly already and going to get colder as we get into the late innings. It’s in the upper-40s now, gonna be in the lower-40s before we’re done. But only a slight chance of rain, that’s the good news.
Secondly, the ballpark. The place is very nice, and from my seat in the pressbox I’ve got a view of the Capitol dome beyond the left-field bleachers (any minute now I’ll have a view of Jeff Schultz’s shiny dome to my right, assuming they allow our dubious columnist through security outside).
It’s not a spacious pitcher-friendly ‘park like RFK, but also probably not the hitters’ haven that Philly or Houston is. Looks fair dimension-wise, 335 down RF line, 336 down LF line, 377 in LF power alley, 370 with a higher (14-foot) wall in RF power alley. The power alleys at RFK were nearly 395 feet, just absurd (the signs said 380, but those distances weren’t actually to the power alleys, but rather closer to the lines).
Oh, speaking of pressboxes … Having been warned ahead of time that they plan to open the windows to the pressbox — why do these teams believe that those of us working inside pressboxes care to get the “overall atmosphere” in these instances? Why?! — I’ve come prepared, wearing my lined Eddie Bauer jeans, wool socks, boots, two shirts and sweater, with the coat, fingerless gloves (perfect for typing) and Irish wool cabdriver-looking cap at the ready.
Bowman just informed me he has on four shirts. He’s a large human with merely one shirt, but with four he is bear-like.
Now, the ballpark. Very nice. Reminds me a lot of Philly’s park, and also has some Turner Field-ish touches you can tell Stan Kasten had included. I’m talking about the Chop House in right field and the railings and viewing decks at Turner Field where folks can stand and watch the game while drinking a beverage — there’s a lot of that here.
Is it incredible? No, but we’re jaded or spoiled these days in the era of stunning new ballparks. There’s no distinguishing features, like the view of downtown Pittsburgh at PNC Park, or the bay beyond right field at San Francisco, or the throwback brick-and-exposed-steel of a bunch of recently built ballparks, or the intimacy of the grand old cathedrals of ‘ball, Fenway and Wrigley.
But it’s nice, like Turner Field without the cartoon stuff. I’m told that the cherry blossoms will be blooming beyond the left-field fence by next week. When I asked why the ones all along the river are in full bloom already and not these, I was told they’re a different type. So there.
Anyway, this is a cool place. I’ve not had a chance to take the tour yet, because it took so long to get in. But I can tell you, the visiting clubhouse is the nicest in baseball, or at least tied with Colorado. It’s huge, with dark-wood locker stalls and a weight room that looks like an L.A. Fitness. The indoor batting cage behind the visiting dugout is massive.
Now, without taking a tour of the wide concourses or sampling the available food, I’d say this ballpark would rank on the edge or just outside my top 10, just slightly behind, say, San Diego’s new park and in the general vicinity of Turner Field or perhaps a couple spots ahead of our Atlanta ‘yard.
I ranked all 30 ballparks a couple winters ago, but I’ll recap the top 10 or so for those who might not have been blogging here back then. Let me point out, I’m not ranking them based on media amenities or clubhouses or pressbox location, etc. (if I was, believe me, Wrigley and PNC Park, with its nose-bleed level pressbox, would be near the bottom). Nor am I ranking them based on size of seats or available parking, etc (if I was, Fenway would be at the bottom).
No, I rank them based on overall aesthetic appeal as ballparks, as places to attend a game (and yes, I’ve sat out in the seats at every one of the places, at least for an inning or two).
And I didn’t save my rankings from a couple winters ago, so I’m not certain how I ranked them, but this is close, and it’s how I’d rank them right now.
Fenway Park; 2. Wrigley Field; 3. San Francisco (AT&T or whatever it’s called now; 4. Dodger Stadium; 5. PNC Park, Pittsburgh; 6. Camden Yards, Baltimore; 7. Safeco Field, Seattle; 8. Petco Park, San Diego; 9. Cleveland’s Jacobs Field (or whatever it’s called now); 10. Coors Field; 11. Royals Stadium; 12. St. Louis/Philly/Washington, et al (It’s too tough to distinguish or split hairs ranking the latter three, and yes, you could put Turner Field in there, too. I’m probably just jaded on Turner Field from being there all the time and noticing any annoyances that the occasional visitor might not have a problem with).
Oh, and I realize that plenty of people would put Yankee Stadium in their top five. I’m not one of them. Not since it’s makeovers robbed it of so much of its original nostalgiac appeal. Fenway and Wrigley still feel like they must have decades ago. Yankee Stadium does not, from the incessantly loud music during batting practice to the sensory overload of ads, etc.
Favorable pitching matchups: The first couple of pitching matchups look good for the Braves, who have Tim Hudson going against one-time Brave Odalis Perez and Tom Glavine going against Pittsburgh’s Ian Snell in the home opener Monday in Atlanta.
Hudson is 5-1 with a 1.09 ERA in eight career starts against the Expos/Nationals, including 4-0 with a 0.60 ERA in four last season.
Perez? He’s 1-3 with a 5.21 ERA in seven games (six starts) against the Braves, and was unemployed two months ago before signing a minor league contract with the Nationals.
Glavine is 22-12 in 43 starts against the Pirates, including 4-0 with a 2.76 ERA in his past eight. Snell is 1-2 with a 4.73 ERA in five games (four starts) against the Braves, and he’s given up five homers in 12-2/3 innings at Turner Field.
OK, are the denizens ready for some ‘ball? Some real ‘ball? Because in a few hours, we’re starting it, folks. One-hundred-sixty-two (at least) to go.
Let’s do this.
”THE RIGHTEOUS PATH” by Patterson Hood (Drive-By Truckers)
I got a brand new car that drinks a bunch of gas
I got a house in a neighborhood that’s fading fast
I got a dog and a cat that don’t fight too much
I got a few hundred channels to keep me in touch
I got a beautiful wife and three tow-headed kids
I got a couple of big secrets I’d kill to keep hid
I don’t know God but I fear his wrath
I’m trying to keep focused on the righteous path
I got a couple of opinions that I hold dear
A whole lot of debt and a whole lot of fear
I got an itch that needs scratching but it feels alright
I got the need to blow it out on Saturday night
I got a grill in the backyard and a case of beers
I got a boat that ain’t seen the water in years
More bills than money, I can do the math
I’m trying to keep focused on the righteous path
I’m trying to keep focused as I drive down the road
On the ditches and the curves and the heavy load
Ain’t bitching bout things that aren’t in my grasp
Just trying to hold steady on the righteous path
There’s this friend of mine I’ve known all my life
Who can’t get it right no matter how hard he tries
He’s got kids he don’t see and several ex-wives
And a list of bad decisions bout eight miles wide
Trouble with the law and the IRS
And where he’ll get the money’s anybody’s guess
He’s a long way off but if you was to ask
He’d say he’s trying to stay focused on the righteous path
Trying to keep focused as we drive down the road
Like we did back in High School before the world turned cold
Now the brakes are thin and the curves are fast
We’re trying to hold steady on the righteous path
We’re hanging out and we’re hanging on
We’re trying the best we can to keep keeping on
We got messed up minds for these messed up times
And it’s a thin thin line separating his from mine
Trying to hold steady on the righteous path
80 miles and hour with a worn out map
No time for self-pity or self-righteous crap
Trying to stay focused on the righteous path
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Braves return and summer’s not far behind
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Top of the morning to you, and happy first day of summer — hey, just going along with Jill Vejnoska’s very fine and enthusiastic story about getting baseball back at Turner Field tonight.
Really, these two games are kind of weird, exhibition games but at the home stadium. Not as many fans around and the final score still doesn’t matter.
But it’s still a cool time. The stadium is back in business. No more driving past Turner Field and thinking how sad the place seems with nothing going on inside, no reason to turn the lights on. Also interested to see what the new seats look like behind home plate. And to see if pitchers are aghast at the foul territory they just lost.
And besides, this weekend brings back one of my funniest, most embarrassing moments, that I still have to laugh at.
Ten years ago or so, the AJC bosses sent me out to cover these games to give the beat writer a rest, and I suppose, to see if I could handle the rigors of covering the team for the AJC (had done so for the Macon Telegraph, but a different deal.) What did I do with that opportunity? I referred to Curtis Pride as Charlie Pride. In print. I did…. And my only consolation was that it was in small print in one of our old game report boxes.
Oh, and that they gave me the beat job anyway. Amazing, ain’t it?!
So here we go again, this time giving DOB a chance to decompress. What a nice job he did with spring training, eh? And to add to the accolades he’s won for this here blog, he just racked up a newsroom award yesterday for his work here. Maybe the check he gets will help offset some of those CDs he loaded up on in spring training. Well done.
So me? I’ll just be dotting the i’s and t’s for him these next two days. I’d expect the final cuts to be announced after the game tonight and one more trade to be announced any time now. I will keep you posted, of course.
If they trade for a bench player, I’d say Brent Lillibridge would likely be the guy sent back to Richmond. Martin Prado is pretty well assured of making the team as a backup infielder, at least until Omar Infante returns to health.
Unless he’s part of a deal, or unless the Braves trade for a backup first baseman, Scott Thorman would be there. An interesting call will be as a fourth outfielder between Gregor Blanco and Josh Anderson, and backup catcher, where it would seem Corky Miller has the edge over Brayan Pena and Clint Sammons. And is there a chance Joe Borchard makes this team?
The bullpen figures to be Rafael Soriano, Peter Moylan, Manny Acosta, Will Ohman and now Chris Resop, Blaine Boyer, and Royce Ring. Then you could have Jeff Bennett with a roster spot as long relief/spot starter with John Smoltz opening the season on the DL.
All of this will be sorted out shortly. It’s time. As for who might be available to join the bench on short notice? I just saw where the Diamondbacks were sending Trot Nixon down. Not sure if Nixon, 33, is exactly what the Braves would have in mind — and he hit .222 this spring — but he did spend most of spring playing first base.
DOB reminded me yesterday that Jair Jurrjens will be pitching tonight against his beloved Indians, the team he faced in his major league debut (August 15, four runs allowed in seven innings of a loss) and got his first major league win against August 21 when he held them to one run on one hit in 6 2/3 innings. Both those outings were against ace Fausto Carmona, against whom Jurrjens held his own, and here he’ll go against Carmona tonight.
Jurrjens got his first major league win by beating Carmona 2-1 in a game Carmona went all eight innings for the Indians.
Jurrjens also beat the Indians with three perfect innings in a spring training game March 5. So what a perfect way for him to get a feel for pitching at Turner Field, against an old nemesis.
I know you guys can’t help but have noticed what happened to so many former Braves this week. Get a load of what it looks like to list them all together: former Braves who got released or sent down to the minors this week: Marcus Giles, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Kyle Davies, Pete Orr, Ryan Langerhans, Chris Reitsma, Rudy Seanez - and not too long ago were Horacio Ramirez, and from our camp Javy Lopez. Am I missing anybody?
Does that mean John Schuerholz and Frank Wren knew exactly what they were doing by letting those guys walk?
Speaking of former Braves, and this time it’s actually complimentary. It’s official. The pitcher the Braves will face in their season-opener in DC in Odalis Perez. This is a guy who went 8-11 with a 5.57 ERA for the Royals last year, giving him the highest ERA of a year ago of any projected Opening Day starter.
He had visa problems getting to Nats camp from the Dominican this spring and didn’t pitch his first game until March 15. He went 0-2 with a 4.96 ERA in three Grapefruit League starts but manager Manny Acta says he deserves it.
“He won more games than any one of our starters last year in the big leagues,” Acta told reporters. “He’s the only one of our staff who has won 15 games before and he has pitched well in spring training.”
If you have to justify the move, perhaps it’s not a great one. And this says quite a bit about what’s going on with their rotation - John Patterson was released and Shawn Hill is still having arm problems, for starters.
I do recall, from back in the day, that Perez has a thing for dramatic moments, remember how well he used to pitch coming on in relief when he first came up? Maybe there’s still some of that in him. We shall see. Very soon!
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Smoltz has “best day” and new mindset
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Lake Buena Vista, Fla. — Before I put Dark Star in my rearview mirror for another year and we take this act north, we’ll quickly tell you about an interesting morning here at the ballpark.
The past and the future collided, at least figuratively. One minute we’re talking to John Smoltz about his bullpen session — it went very well — and the next I’m watching big Jason Heyward take batting practice. More on that in a minute.
First, the Smoltz update.
Bearded Icon threw about a 20-minute session in the bullpen beyond right field this morning, then talked about it being the best day he’s had all spring, no discomfort in his sore shoulder, all systems go for his planned April 6 start.
When Smoltz has the me-against-the-world tone (or at least me-against-the-skeptics tone) that he had today, that’s usually a good sign for the Braves. Means he’s feeling good and eager to prove wrong whoever it is he believes is questioning his ability to be the ace he’s been, or questioning his spring throwing regimen, or whatever. Questioning something.
I firmly believe that Smoltz thrives on this scenario, which he probably exaggerates a bit in his mind for these purposes. Or maybe he’s just been on the ol’ blog here and seen the comments from some, or just heard from friends that they’re talking about him on the radio back home.
Point is, you can tell when he’s in a mood, when he acts as though he’s tolerating your questions, but that he’s running the show and he’s not going to allow your line of questioning, or the doubters or skeptics, to affect him whatsoever. When, of course, that’s precisely what is happening - like I said, he thrives on this.
It’s almost as though he’s got to have something to come back from, someone to prove wrong, to make the motivational forces complete. And right now, he’s got plenty.
He’s got injury (shoulder strain), doubters (he has pitched in only one game all spring), skeptics (why did he follow this program), and of course, Father Time (Smoltz will be 41 in May) all conspiring against him. Or at least that’s what I’m sensing is going on in that complicated mind of his.
But hey, I should probably stick to telling you what I know to be facts.
He strode out to the bullpen today and threw for 20 minutes without any hint of the soreness in the trapezius muscle, the problem that led to his being scratched from his Friday start and led the Braves to decide he’ll start the season on the disabled list and be activated — provided no setbacks — to make his first start April 6 against the Mets and probably Johan Santana in a Sunday afternoon game that will provide just the big-game atmosphere that Smoltz absolutely lives for.
“I got everything accomplished that I wanted to,” Smoltz said of today’s session. “It went really well. It was great. It was the best day I’ve had down here.”
He said this with a tone that said, Told you so, all you alarmists.
“I just needed some time for it to settle down,” Smoltz said. “Now it’s settled down.”
Smoltz said he threw a normal bullpen, threw all his pitches, and that the ball felt great coming out of his hand (pitchers always talk about how the ball felt coming out of their hand).
Smoltz will take two days off, then come back and throw in a minor league game here in Florida. How long would he throw in that game?
“I’m just gonna throw until I’ve had enough,” he said. “I got off the mound [today] when I had enough.”
Oh, folks, I’m telling you, the man is in one of those moods. You do not want to be in his way when he’s fueled by whatever it is that fuels him.
When a reporter asked him if he was concerned this might be a lingering type of injury that crops up again during the season, Smoltz looked him in the eyes and said, “Yeah, it’s a possibility. But I’m gonna change that mindset.”
In other words, he’s not going to worry about it or be pessimistic, whether others are or not.
“I’m going to have a real good time,” he said. “Have a blast, and hopefully win a lot of games along the way. I’m not going to get consumed, like before.”
Then Smoltz said something you could just tell he was waiting to say.
“I’ve got a lot of pitching left,” he said. “You can sometimes get caught up in things you have to explain.”
Then he repeated, “I’ve got a lot of pitching left.”
Get out of the way.
The Big Kid: I watched Jeff Francoeur’s reaction when a bigger, younger Atlanta-area kid passed him this morning in the dugout, where the entire team congregates for a few minutes each morning before going on the field.
Frenchy looked up to see who was so much taller than him, smiled, and tapped Jason Heyward on the back to say a silent hello.
“He’s all of 6-5,” Francoeur said after sizing up last year’s first-round draft pick from McDonough and Henry County High.
Heyward is only 18 years old, and he does indeed look a bit taller than his 6-foot-4 listed height. The Braves brought the right fielder over for today’s Grapefruit League finale, as they do for many of their top prospects who aren’t in major league camp, though they’re usually older than 18.
Folks, he’s going to be a big man. I see young Derrek Lee in Heyward, who is long-limbed and has a slender waist. He’s also got some of the strongest hands I’ve ever seen on a young kid.
I mean, watching his raw swing in BP, you’re amazed that he can hit 450-foot homers using practically nothing but hands. He doesn’t get his hips into the swing at all, doesn’t use his lower body. Really, it’s all hands and wrists.
“He’s strong,” said Braves hitting coach Terry Pendleton, who was asked if he saw a lot of raw material to work. “Absolutely. He’s strong. They say the fields back there are too small for him.
“And he’s going to fill out.”
When he gets a year or two in the system, working with hitting coaches, look out. He’s the No. 2-rated prospect in the organization, and looks like he could easily add 20 pounds to his 220-pound frame.
Like I said, Derrek Lee comes to mind. I covered D-Lee as a Marlins rookie. Immense talent, but it took a few years to put it all together in the majors.
Heyward’s raw power is at the top of the scouting scale, and some have projected him to be a 40-homer guy in the majors someday. He’s a right fielder for now and will play this season at Class A Rome, after getting only 43 at-bats in rookie ball last summer. Take a trip up there to see him if you can.
And don’t be surprised if, in a few years, he’s playing first base for the Braves. They haven’t said they have any intentions of moving him, but with the young outfielders they have in the organizatioin, and with Heyward’s size and left-handedness, I can see that getting a lot more consideration if Mark Teixeira leaves as a free agent after this season.
I asked Heyward if he was nerve-racking, hitting in front of Bobby Cox and Pendleton this morning. He’s a soft-spoken, classy kid whose parents attended Dartmouth. But he’s not passive or shy.
His response to that question: “No, that’s fun,” he said, smiling. “Nerve-racking — that time’s over with. I’m in professional baseball now. Time to relax and have fun.”
Trade watch: Nothing new to report on the trade front, but I expect the Braves to make a deal at any time between now and Saturday night. Just haven’t heard much in the way of rumors.
Did hear the Giants are looking for a backup catcher. Right now their options are Eliezer Alfonzo and Steve Holm, and I’d think Brayan Pena would be an upgrade over that.
Today’s game: Braves are using relievers and prospect Charlie Morton to handle the pitching today against the Mets (it was to have been Tom Glavine’s start, but he was moved up a couple of days to get ready for the Game 2 home-opener start Monday in place of Smoltz).
Expected to Toe the slab for the Braves today are Peter Moylan (who’ll start it), Chris Resop, Royce Ring and Morton. Mets are starting lefty Oliver Perez, noted Braves menace.
Braves lineups goes 1. KJ, 2. Escobar, 3. Chipper, 4. Tex, 5. Francoer, 6. Diaz, 7. Kotsay, 8. McCann, 9. Corky (catching). They’re using the DH and McCann is handling the duties. Heyward should get some playing time in the late innings.
”GHOST OF TRAVELIN’ JONES” by Ryan Bingham
An empty sack of dust
Or just a box of bones
Call me what you will, son
My name’s Travelin’ Jones
And I search for the fire
Stumbled upon with a precious desire
Travelin’ Jones
Have you seen the miles
Have you smelled the whiskey and the smoke
Burnin’ out underneath your tires
Travelin’ Jones
You’re the Travelin’ Jones
Tell me the secrets of an endless road
It’s not where you’ve been, son
It’s what you understand
Do you know the right from wrong
Tell me, boy, are you an honest man
Have you ever felt the fire
Stumbled upon with a precious desire
Have your fingers bled, boy
Off sin’s strings
Tied to that wooden box
That you’re playin’ across your knee
Have you ever felt the fire
Stumbled upon with a precious desire
Travelin’ Jones
I’ve seen the miles
I’ve played in every honky-tonk bar
Behind that chicken wire
Travelin’ Jones
You’re the Travelin’ Jones
Tell me the secrets of an endless road
An empty sack of dust
Or just a box of bones
Call me what you will, son
My name’s Travelin’ Jones
And I found the fire
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Yates traded, another move coming?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Lake Buena Vista, Fla. _ Ah, the last week of spring training, when the Braves trade away out-of-options guys like Tyler Yates (dealt to Pittsburgh this morning) and I try to stuff everything accumulated over the past six weeks into the luggage that was already full when I flew down here.
But I’m guessing you’re probably more interested in the Yates deal and other potential trades, rather than how I’m gonna make extra room to take home the 15 CDs and Bob Dylan coffee-table scrapbook and Harley-Davidson denim shirt and a few other things I’ve purchased since I got to Florida.
So we’ll get to it.
Oh, before I forget: Braves going with their “real” lineup today against Nats: 1. Johnson, 2B; 2. Escobar, SS; 3. Chipper, 3B; 4. Teixeira, 1B; 5. Francoeur, RF; 6. McCann, C; 7. Diaz, RF; 8. Kotsay, CF; 9. Bennett RHP.
OK, the trade. For the past week or so, it had become increasingly apparent that Yates was most likely to be moved from among the four out-of-options relievers. Blaine Boyer, Chris Resop and lefty Royce Ring remain standing, and I think the trio will probably make it to opening day.
The Braves got 22-year-old right-hander Todd Redmond in exchange for Yates. Redmond (yes, the name will make Braves fans cringe) was rated the No. 27 prospect in the Pirates organization, no great shakes but a potential back-end rotation member in a few years. He’ll go to Double-A. More on him in a moment.
GM Frank Wren said the Braves need to make one more move to make their roster “manageable” before opening day. He wouldn’t name names or even positions, but I’m thinking that either Brayan Pena or Scott Thorman (both out of options) will be moved in the next day or two, with Pena most likely to go.
The switch-hitting Cuban has drawn far more trade interest and is expendable due to the Braves having Corky Miller and Clint Sammons as backup-catcher options. Stay tuned. We’ll let you know something soon as we hear it.
Braves can take an extra reliever if they want to because John Smoltz will be DL’d for first week of the season. I just asked Bobby Cox and he confirmed that’s a possibility.
So the 12-man pitcher staff to open the season could go like this. First, the certainties: Starters Tim Hudson, Tom Glavine, Jair Jurrjens and Mike Hampton (they’ll begin the season in that order); relievers Rafael Soriano, Peter Moylan, Manny Acosta and Will Ohman.
Then you have Boyer and Resop, who both seem like sure things to me to be on the roster, unless the Braves get some too-good-to-refuse offer before opening day, which I don’t foresee. I also think Ring will make it, at least until Smoltz gets back, at which time they could try to get him through waivers.
And the extra spot? Jeff Bennett’s name is all over it, in my view. He’s not out of options, so the Braves could move him to the minors when Smoltz gets back. But he might also be too valuable as a spot-starter to send down.
Ring could be the odd man out a week in, but that’s getting way ahead of ourselves, and so much can happen between now and then, a sore elbow here or a trade offer there, etc.
Another Redmond: Hey, it’s not spelled Redman, it’s Redmond. Like Mike Redmond, the former Marlins catcher who used to wreck Tom Glavine and the Braves. Not like Mark Redman, the lefty who was merely a wreck for the Braves last season.
But anyway, the scouting report on this kid they got from the Pirates is that he has a very good curveball, good changeup and sinker, and excellent command. Tops out at about 90 mph with his fastball, which is just OK by big league standards.
He had a very good season in 2006 in low-A, going 13-6 with a 2.75 ERA and 148 strikeouts with only 38 walks in 160 innings.
Last season, not so good. He was 8-13 with a 4.39 ERA in 28 starts, 25 of them in high-A and three at Double-A. He gave up 166 hits and his strikeouts dropped to 107 in 160 innings, though he still kept the walks down (35).
And the positive note was that he pitched well after the promotion to Double-A, posting a 3.12 ERA in three starts with 15 hits, three wlks and 12 strikeouts in 17-1/3 innings.
OK, that’s more than really I care to write at this point about a former 39th-round draft pick with a 22-21 career record in three minor league seasons (but a solid 3.27 ERA with 318 strikeouts and 89 walks in 393 innings … seriously stop me, please.)
Could the Braves have gotten more? Obviously not, or they’d have pulled the trigger. Other teams were probably waiting to see if the Braves would release Tyler before the deadline Wednesday to do so and owe non-guaranteed contract players only 45 days’ termination pay.
But also, they didn’t have teams knocking down their doors, probably, because Tyler’s had a bad spring after posting a 5.18 ERA in a career-high 75 appearances last season.
Really good dude, Yates is. He’s a Hawaii native, and he and his wife liked Atlanta so much they just bought a house in the north ‘burbs. And he has a filthy slider and throws hard, too.
But command is sketchy at times, and he had too many bad streaks to rely on him in a prominent role this time around, in an improved bullpen and a team with serious playoff aspirations. The Braves had younger guys and/or other guys out of options who had better arms. So he got dealt.
“It’s part of the business,” Yates said, as he picked up his bag and headed out of the clubhouse. “See you guys Monday.”
The Braves play the Pirates in the home opener at Turner Field on Monday.
Tex for MVP: He’s batting .188 this spring, but Mark Teixeira isn’t the least bit concerned about his Grapefruit League batting average. And neither are the Braves.
Some great hitters have great springs. Some have terrible springs. They have one thing in common: Their spring results are quickly forgotten once the season begins.
“I never get hits in spring training,” said Teixeira, who’s a .286 career hitter in five major league seasons, and ranks fifth in the majors in extra-base hits (365) during that period, eighth in RBI (555) and ninth in homers (170).
“My spring training is more geared toward getting ready for 162.”
He played all 162 games in the 2005 and 2006 seasons for Texas, and last season had his first DL stint for a quadriceps injury when he was still with the Rangers.
Teixeira has 106 homers and 359 RBI in 456 games over the past three seasons, including a stunning 17 homers and 56 RBI (with a .317 average) in his 54 games for the Braves after a July 31 blockbuster seven-player trade.
Chipper Jones was dressing this morning in the clubhouse and Tex was sitting at his stall across the way.
“I just read a magazine where they predicted you’d be the National League MVP this year,” Chipper said.
“Whoopidy-do,” Teixeira replied, and both of them laughed.
“You should be flattered they think highly enough of you to predict you’ll be the MVP,” Chipper said, with his familiar smirk.
“You want to hit fourth and I’ll hit third, then maybe it’ll happen,” Teixeira said, smiling.
Chipper shook his head no, and smiled.
OK, so back to Tex’s spring. He’s 9-for-48 going into today’s game against the Nationals here at Dark Star. He’s got one double, one homer, eight RBI. His .271 slugging percentage is lower than Brent Lillibridge’s (.314), and his .250 OBP is almost as low as Thorman’s (.241).
And you won’t find one person on the team who is the least bit concerned (about Tex, that is). For good reason.
“The point of my spring training isn’t to get hits, it’s to get ready for the season,” said Teixeira, who said that he does so much extra work during the spring that he’s not going to be at his best for Grapefruit League games.
“Lifting extra weights, taking extra batting practice, if you do those things you’re probably not going to perform [well in spring games],” he said.
If you’re trying to make a team, that’s one thing, he said. You gear your work towards performing in the games and trying to earn a spot.
But if you have a spot, you gear it towards getting ready for the long grind ahead.
“If you don’t do the things to prepare for 162, you can peter out during the season,” he said. “Happened to me my rookie year. Couldn’t lift a bat the last month of the season. In spring training I played every day, wasn’t doing extra work.”
How does he feel this spring, entering his free-agent contract year?
“I feel great,” he said. “I’m happy with where I’m at. Ready to get out of here and start playing for real.”
Hitting coach Terry Pendleton said the switch-hitting Teixeira has gotten his swing into form as the spring’s progressed. And T.P. also agreed that spring training stats mean next to nothing for veterans.
“I was horrible in spring training,” said Pendleton, who was the NL MVP in 1991 for the worst-to-first Braves. “I remember in ‘92 we left [spring training] and went to Little Rock to plan an exhibition game against the Cardinals. The skipper [Cox] said to me, ‘I’ve got to be honest, I’m a little concerned.’”
“I said, ‘Don’t worry about me, I’ll be alright.’
Pendleton continued, “He said [before the Cardinals exhibition], ‘I’m gonna give you two at-bats today and then you’re out,’ OK?’
“I went deep twice, back-to-back [at-bats]. He said, ‘OK, we’re alright.’”
Lefties are different: Will Ohman blew into camp talking a mile a minute, often in a loud voice that filled the room. He’s gregarious, to say the least. This raised a few eyebrows in the low-key Braves clubhouse, at least initially.
But Ohman’s outgoing personality - he says he’s “loquacious” — has found a fit in the eclectic bullpen mix, with its tattooed, gregarious Aussie (Moylan) and its glaring but good-natured Dominican (Soriano) and quiet flamethrower (Acosta).
Or maybe I’m just letting the fact that I like Ohman’s musical tastes color my opinion. So be it.
He’s only the second major leaguer in 14 years who ever welcomed a music recommendation from me and actually purchased the CD I suggested. The other was also a lefty reliever, Vic Darensbourg of the Marlins in the late ‘90s.
Vic, a tough little dude from South Central L.A., and I used to talk about jazz and and old-school funk. And I recommended a CD by the jazz singer Cassandra Wilson, Blue Light ‘Til Dawn He totally dug it.
And Ohman? He’s a rocker, and I heard a Social Distortion song on his ringtone the first day he got to camp. We talked about Social D and Mike Ness (lead singer) and about how every album they put out was solid. Even the live album, I said.
He didn’t know about the live album I referred to, Live at the Roxy. Couple days later, he came in and said I was right, he had bought a copy and loved it.
So lefties may be “flaky” in the baseball vernacular, but they’re the ones with good musical taste.
Ahh, sweeping generalizations are a good thing.
”DON’T THINK TWICE” by Bob Dylan (covered later, much later, by Mike Ness — with a sneer)
Well there ain’t no use to sit and wonder why
If you don’t know by now
And it ain’t no use to sit and wonder why
It doesn’t matter any how
When the rooster crows at the break of dawn
Look out your window and I’ll be gone
You’re the reason I’m traveling on
But don’t think twice
It’s alright
And it ain’t no use in turnin’ on your light
The light I never knew
And it ain’t no use in turnin’ on your light
I’m on the dark side of the road
I wish there was something you could do or say
Make me wanna change my mind and stay
We never did much talking anyway
But don’t think twice
It’s alright
There ain’t no use in calling out my name
Like you never did before
And there ain’t no use in calling out my name
I can’t hear you anymore
I’m Thinking and wondering on the way down the road
I once loved a woman
A child I’m told
I’d give her my heart but she wanted my soul
Don’t think twice
It’s alright
Well going down that old lonesome road
Where I’m bound
I can’t tell
But goodbye’s too good a word
So I’ll just say fair thee well
Well I ain’t saying you treated me unkind
I coulda done better
But I don’t mind
Just kind of wasted my precious time
But don’t think twice
It’s alright
Yeah, don’t think twice
It’s alright
It’s alright
Don’t you ever think twice
It’s alright
Yeah, don’t think twice
It’s alright.
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Talking trades and Smoltz’s shoulder
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Port St. Lucie, Fla. _ We’re at beautiful Port St. Lousy, and we’ve got Tim Hudson going for the Braves and both Johan Santana and Pedro Martinez pitching for the Mets.
What’s that? Oh, nevermind. Santana and Martinez are both pitching on backfields here. So we’ll just get back to waiting for a trade announcement and keep an eye on this game to make sure no one gets hit in the face by a pitch.
By the way, we’re way behind on posting a blog today, so we’ll keep this one short. Had to stop by Dark Star Ballpark to watch John Smoltz throw today, the first time he’s done any kind of throwing since he was scratched from last Friday’s start with shoulder soreness.
The good news: He said he felt “normal,” and didn’t have the soreness he felt when he had to cut short a side session last Wednesday. But before anyone starts to wonder, no, the plan hasn’t changed. Smoltz to the DL to begin season.
He’ll throw again Wednesday or Thursday, then off the mound this weekend if there are no setbacks. He would pitch in a simulated game next week against minor leaguers at Class A Rome, just up the road from Atlanta for those of you not familiar with the Peach State.
Braves have some fallback plans in place (which they won’d divulge), but the plan they hope to follow has Smoltz returning April 6 from DL to start a Sunday afternoon finale against the aforementioned Mr. Santana, according to a couple of Mets writers who said that’s how their rotation shakes out the first week.
How big would that atmosphere be at Turner Field, with Smoltz coming off the DL and Santana making his first Mets appearance at Turner Field? Smoltz does like the big-game atmosphere, and that’s about as big as you’ll get in April, outside of opening day (but opening day is in March this year, so nevermind that).
Speaking of opening day, Tom Glavine is excited about pitching the home opener Monday against the Pirates at Turner Field. And I’m thinking that’s really going to feel more like opening day than the added Sunday night special opener at Washington, seeing as how that’s just one game and it’s the day after the Braves play two exhibitions against Cleveland.
With most of baseball opening on Monday, it’ll at least feel like a second opening day for the Braves, and not “just” a home opener.
So what’s the reception gonna be like for Glavine? To me, there’s little doubt it’ll be a big ovation. Sure there will be some boos, but in a packed house I doubt you’ll hear them over the cheers. Maybe I’m wrong, but that’s what I expect anyway.
OK, I told you I’d keep this thing short, and I’m going to. We’ll get it posted now, since the first inning’s already started and I want the good denizens to be able to have the usual banter and such.
It’s been good this spring, hasn’t it? It’s been a lot of good discourse here, really has. We’ve cultivated quite a motley (and I mean that in a good way) and knowledgeable audience of hardcore and not-so-hardcore Braves fans and a lot of music lovers, too. Makes doing this a pleasure (well, not always, but usually).
Oh, and if you’re ever in Winter Haven, do yourselves a favor and stop by Andy’s Igloo. The best milkshake in the world, I was told. So I drove a mile or so from the ballpark to this old-school walk-up (or drive-thru) burger joint and tried it. And you know what? It’s at least as good as any I’ve ever had.
Tremendous. Vanilla shake, very large for less than $3. Gotta love it. I skippled the goat’s milk fudge stop on the way back.
Made good time on the drive to Port St. Lucie today and caught the Braves bus twice (I had to stop for gas). Rober Earl Keen, the CD by the new super-duo The Gutter Twins (Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan) and Cohiba made for a nice driving experience.
Now I’m enjoying some ball and a pulled-pork sandwich, making it all but about two ballparks this spring where I’ve sampled the pulled-pork. This one’s tasty, or at least better than I’d expect to be served by New York types.
”DOWN THAT DUSTY TRAIL” by Robert Earl Keen
When I was a young boy
The only things that really mattered were
Making friends and having fun
Walkin’ down the railroad track
‘Til you reached the river
Turn around and head on back
When the day is done
Ain’t it like they always say
Everybody goes their own way
Nobody knows no one can tell
It’s always been the same for me
Guess it’s just the way it must be
Headin’ down that dusty trail
When I was a young man
The only things
that got me goin’ were
Gettin’ high and chasin’ love
Lyin’ down beside my girl
On the banks of the river
With nothin’ but some mustang wine
And all the stars above
It’s a twistin’ turnin’ windin’ road
I get lost and broken down
I’m a stumbler and it won’t be long
‘Till stumble back around
Since I became my own man
Everything that matters to me is
Making sure I’m staying true
To my friends and the ones I love
‘Till cross that river
All alone I’m movin’ on
Until my time is through
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Braves trades are brewing
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Winter Haven, Fla. _ I’ve always told myself that one of these years I’d stop by Webb’s Goat’s Milk Fudge in Haines City on my drive over to a spring training game in Winter Haven.
I was wrong.
Unless it’s open when I drive past tonight on my way back, or I have some other uniminagable reason to ever drive to Winter Haven again after the Indians pull up stakes and head to Arizona next spring, then it looks as though I will not be sampling any goat’s milk fudge. At least not from Webb’s.
Anyway, let’s get to it. Smoltz’s shoulder or trade talk, which do you want first? OK, trade talk it is.
No, wait, first I need to tell you, Bobby Cox confirmed this morning that Tom Glavine would slip into the home-opener start March 31 if sore-shouldered John Smoltz is on the DL, which seems like a certainty at this point.
Smoltz didn’t throw today at Dark Star, but said he would do some light throwing tomorrow for sure. If the arm’s ready, he’ll pitch in a minor league game or simulated game this week. Folks, you all probably realize this, but it’s DL for sure, with him expected to come back and pitch in the seventh game of the season April 6.
The Braves would open with Tim Hudson pitching opening night Sunday at D.C., then Glavine on Monday at Turner Field. After the Tuesday off day, Cox said either Mike Hampton or Jair Jurrjens could pitch Game 3, with the other going, obviously, the next day. He hasn’t decided whether to split up the lefties with Smoltz out of the rotation.
With Smoltz in the rotation, Cox said he would have split up Glavine and Hampton. He didn’t give specifics, but I think it would have gone Hudson, Smoltz, Glavine, Jurrjens, Hampton.
Oh, yes, without announcing Jurrjens was in the rotation, Cox did announce it by saying Jurrjens could go in the third slot, or Hampton could. You have to read between the lines, put 2 and 2 together, etc, a lot on this beat. Not that anybody expected Jurrjens wouldn’t be in the rotation, which has seemed like a done deal since that game March 5 right here in Winter Haven, when he pitched three perfect innings against the Tribe in his second Grapefruit League start.
By the way, Pirates plan to start Ian Snell in the March 31 game at Turner, followed by Tom Gorzelany and Paul Maholm.
OK, now trade talk: When I asked GM Frank Wren 20 minutes ago whether he anticipated a trade, he gave me a refreshing, honest answer: “I do. I think we’ll make a deal or two,” he said. “I’m not sure of the magnitude yet.”
The Braves are looking to add a bench player with a more-proven bat than they have now, but I can’t give you any names yet. You know how these things go - it’s likely going to be an extra player from another team that has a surplus at a position, like the Braves have a surplus of relievers.
Nobody thought the Jorge Sosa-for-Nick Green a few years ago was much of an impact deal for the Braves at the time, but Sosa ended up being a pretty major piece for the Bravos, at least for a season.
You know the out-of-options Braves relievers, but just to remind they are Blaine Boyer, Chris Resop, Tyler Yates and lefty Royce Ring. Boyer and Resop have had very good camps, and Ring’s shown at least some progress using more breaking balls to help him against right-handed hitters.
Not saying Ring won’t get traded, especially since Braves expect to have lefty Mike Gonzalez back from Tommy John surgery the first week in June, Cox said again today.
But to me, Yates looks like a goner. Plenty of teams interested in a guy who had 75 appearances last season and had a 3.96 ERA in 56 appearances in 2006. I look for Yates to be traded this week.
Who else? Perhaps catcher Brayan Pena, who has plenty of interest from catcher-needy teams. He’s a switch-hitter who can play a few other positions and not embarrass himself there (the outfield corners and the infield corners).
I don’t expect the Braves to keep both him and backup 1B Scott Thorman, both out of options. They might not keep either, but I definitely don’t see a 25-man roster with both of them on it.
Braves might trade Thorman and not have strictly a backup 1B (which is what Thorman is, a backup 1B and pinch-hitter; he hasn’t played any OF this spring). In the event Mark Teixeira got hurt, they could use one of several guys - Mark Kotsay, Matt Diaz, Pena if he’s on the team, Infante when he gets back - to play a few innings or games at first base.
And if Teixeira has a DL-type injury? Well, the Braves would need to go get a guy anyway, since Thorman has done nothing to make them believe he’d be ready to be a productive every-day 1B, no more than he was last season when he had that job.
So the Braves would have to make a trade for a Nick Johnson or someone else if Tex got hurt. Keep in mind, he’s only had one significant injury in five seasons, and that was a quadriceps muscle strain last year that kept him out about four weeks. Other than that, Tex has been extremely durable.
Oh, and this is a free-agent contract year for the Scott Boras client. He’ll be playing 155-160 games as long as he stays healthy.
Braves seem like they want to keep Corky Miller as their backup catcher.
They like rookie catch-and-throw guy Clint Sammons a lot, but he’s young and probably needs to keep playing plenty at the minor league level, rather than once a week in the majors. Plus, he’s not much of a hitting threat off the bench - Corky at least can give you a little pop (double-digit homers in the minors in ’05 and ’06, and a grand slam this spring, plus some mighty displays in batting practice. Hey, I still get impressed by B.P. sometimes, I’ll admit it).
Stay tuned. Trade news could happen anytime this week. We’ll let you know soon as we hear any rumors.
Oh, and I don’t get a sense the Braves are interested in Reed Johnson. They’ve got enough outfield depth, and he makes good coin. Robert Fick also drew no response that would lead me to believe Braves have interest.
Wes Helms? That’s a possibility, if they can’t do better.
John Smoltz update: OK, how’s your level of consternation over the Bearded Icon’s shoulder injury? Braves had said he’d do some light throwing today or tomorrow, but he didn’t throw today. Smoltz said probably tomorrow.
Unless and until he can’t pitch in the seventh game of the season April 6, or unless someone with knowledge of the situation will tell me otherwise, either on or off the record, then I’m going to have to assume Smoltz and the Braves aren’t downplaying the injury and that it is, indeed, just soreness in the trap muscle between his shoulder and neck.
“I think he’s coming along fine,” Cox said today.
Don’t know how they’d gauge that, other than Smoltz saying his shoulder feels better just moving it around (he hasn’t thrown since Wednesday).
Smoltz has rested his shoulder since being scratched from his Friday start, which would have been just his second Grapefruit League game (he skipped his other turns in order to follow his unique, some might say radical, throwing program of simulate games to let him work on breaking pitches).
“It’s stuff you go through in spring occasionally,” Cox said of Smoltz’s shoulder. “We wanted to play it safe. He’s ready to go. He’s been throwing since January, so he’ll be able to stretch out to six or seven innings.”
I’m not saying it might not be something worse, just saying there’s no reason to speculate irresponsibly just yet. Look around baseball and see how many veteran pitchers, and some young pitchers, have sore elbows or shoulders in spring training. It happens. A lot. I just noticed Kevin Millwood didn’t debut until last week for a similar situation.
Kelly’s sore knee: Martin Prado is playing second base again today in place of Kelly Johnson, who has a slightly sore knee from playing so much on the hard fields down here. “I’m just resting Kelly,” Cox said. “He’s played a ton. Too much, really.”
Today’s lineup: 1. Mark Kotsay, CF; 2. Yunel Escobar, SS; 3. Chipper Jones, 3B; 4. Mark Teixeira, 1B; 5. Jeff Francoeur, RF; 6. Matt Diaz, LF; 7. Martin Prado, 2B; 8. Brayan Pena, DH; 9. Clint Sammons, C.
Buddy Carlyle toeing the slab for the Bravos, RH Jake Wesbrook for the Tribe.
Music warning: Don’t read the next two paragraphs if you’re not into music (I always feel compelled to warn folks who like to complain about any divergence from baseball talk). I had my second and final CD buying splurge of spring training over the weekeend, my annual trip to downtown Orlando and Park Ave. CD, an outstanding indie shop. Found some terrific stuff.
I got Paul Thorn’s A Long Way from Tupelo, which I listened to on the drive over this morning. The white-boy former professional boxer and bluesy singer-songwriter is outstanding, on the appropriate named Perpetual Obscurity label. I also got Mike Doughty’s Golden Delicious, The Gutter Twins’ Saturnalia, and Bauhaus’ first CD or original material since 1983, Go Away White. And for the funk lovers out there, I strongly suggest the splendidly late-60s/70s era Carolina Funk compilation from the First in Funk set. If you like James Brown, you’ll love this stuff. I got two others from the fairer sex, and both are great: Kathleen Edwards’ new Asking for Flowers and a CD by someone I’d never heard of but loved when I listened to on the headphones at the store, Nicole Atkins’ Neptune City. Enjoy. I do.
“TOM TRAUBERT’S BLUES” by Tom Waits
Wasted and wounded, it ain’t what the moon did, I’ve got what I paid for now
See you tomorrow, hey Frank, can I borrow a couple of bucks from you
To go waltzing Mathilda, waltzing Mathilda,
You’ll go waltzing Mathilda with me
I’m an innocent victim of a blinded alley
And I’m tired of all these soldiers here
No one speaks English, and everything’s broken, and my Stacys are soaking wet
To go waltzing Mathilda, waltzing Mathilda,
You’ll go waltzing Mathilda with me
Now the dogs are barking and the taxi cab’s parking
A lot they can do for me
I begged you to stab me, you tore my shirt open,
And I’m down on my knees tonight
Old Bushmill’s I staggered, you’d bury the dagger
In your silhouette window light go
To go waltzing Mathilda, waltzing Mathilda,
You’ll go waltzing Mathilda with me
Now I lost my Saint Christopher now that I’ve kissed her
And the one-armed bandit knows
And the maverick Chinamen, and the cold-blooded signs,
And the girls down by the strip-tease shows, go
Waltzing Mathilda, waltzing Mathilda,
You’ll go waltzing Mathilda with me
No, I don’t want your sympathy, the fugitives say
That the streets aren’t for dreaming now
And manslaughter dragnets and the ghosts that sell memories,
They want a piece of the action anyhow
Go waltzing Mathilda, waltzing Mathilda,
You’ll go waltzing Mathilda with me
And you can ask any sailor, and the keys from the jailor,
And the old men in wheelchairs know
And Mathilda’s the defendant, she killed about a hundred,
And she follows wherever you may go
Waltzing Mathilda, waltzing Mathilda,
You’ll go waltzing Mathilda with me
And it’s a battered old suitcase to a hotel someplace,
And a wound that will never heal
No prima donna, the perfume is on an
Old shirt that is stained with blood and whiskey
And goodnight to the street sweepers, the night watchmen flame keepers
And goodnight to Mathilda, too
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Easter baseball fever — catch it
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Lake Buena Vista, Fla. _ All the best to you and yours on this holiday that feels like, well, every other day at spring training.
Mark Kotsay put it best when he walked by me while ago in the clubhouse and said “Happy Easter” in a weary tone as he held up the meatball sub he was carrying to his locker stall.
Buddy Carlyle also had a meatball sub he was about to devour after batting practice while ago. “This will hold me over until I can eat dinner with the family,” said the pitcher, who has his wife and two kids here with him.
Hitting coach Terry Pendleton is as eager as most here to get back home on Thursday and be with his family. By the batting cage this morning, I commented to him that it sure didn’t feel like Easter.
“No, it feels like … Wednesday,” he said. Then he turned to Marquis Grissom, seated next to him behind the cage. “Every day here feels the same, isn’t it?”
And it does. The schedule doesn’t vary, Monday through Sunday. It is mind-numbing, which is why it’s always nice to see what we saw this morning: Boxes and luggage, pile up in a corner of the clubhouse.
Yes, it’s that time. Taking this show north after Thursday’s game against the Mets, for two Friday and Saturday against Cleveland at Turner Field in what promises to be an extremely busy weekend for the Braves.
(Oh, before I forget, Grissom has been here a few days, interacting with fans, suiting up for pregame, etc. Frank Wren put into place a great program this year, to get Braves alumni more involved with the team. Niekro was here earlier this spring. They love it, throwing BP, talking to players, signing autographs, etc. And the current players genuinely appreciate having them here and talking with them. OK, just wanted to mention that. Now where were we?…)
Game here at Dark Star on Thursday, games in Atlanta Friday and Saturday, season opener Sunday night at Washington, D.C., then home opener Monday against the Pirates at Turner Field. Whew. Let’s hope for no inclimate weather to disrupt flight arrangements.
(By the way, forecast for D.C. isn’t good, temps in the 40s and good chance of rain Sunday.)
The active camp roster’s down to 34 now, and the sign on the wall this morning notified them that all of them are going north for the weekend games in Atlanta. The 25-man roster doesn’t have to be set until Saturday midnight, but cuts could be announced after Friday’s game.
The Braves have had recent trade discussions about several players, including out-of-options relievers Chris Resop and Tyler Yates. There was also interest in Ryan Drese, though he presumably put a damper on any chance there was of getting anything of value back after his five-consecutive-walk meltdown Friday.
I’m getting the sense the Braves will keep utility infielders Martin Prado and Brent Lillibridge on the opening-day roster, and that they haven’t decided between Josh Anderson and Gregor Blanco for fourth outfielder or between Corky Miller, Clint Sammons and Brayan Pena for backup catcher.
If I had to guess I’d say Miller will get that job, because they want Sammons to get at-bats at this stage of his career, and he won’t get many with the big club. Pena could still possibly make the club as a third catcher, pinch-hitter and emergency corner infielder/corner outfielder, but I don’t know for sure.
The Braves have received plenty of trade interest in Pena, but I don’t know if they have an offer they think is good enough. A scout told me it’s a certainty he’d never make it through waivers without being quickly snatched up by another team in need of catching.
As for the final bullpen decisions, much depends on whether they pull the trigger on a deal. But I do get the sense that out-of-options Blaine Boyer and left Royce Ring are going to make the team. Tyler Yates, I’m not sure about.
Who’d you rather have in your bullpen, Yates or Jeff Bennett? I know one’s out of options, and it’s not Bennett. But still, don’t know if that’s enough reason to retain Yates. I guess we’ll see.
If John Smoltz starts the season on the DL (more on that in a minute), it’ll open one spot for the first week of the season, but would only put off a potential waivers and/or trade decision for one week.
Speaking of waivers, 2 p.m. Wednesday (March 26) is the deadline for teams to request unconditional release waivers on players with no-guaranteed contracts without having to pay their full 2007 salary. (Such players would be owed only 45 days’ termination pay.)
It’s an important date for a lot of teams who might have underperforming players who fall into that group.
The Braves don’t really have any such non-guaranteed-contract players that fit the description, but it’s still an important date for them, because they might have interest in such a player on another team.
Regarding Smoltz: In case you missed it, he was scratched from his last start Friday with soreness in his right shoulder where the trap muscle meets the neck.
The Braves currently have Jeff Bennett listed as the starter Wednesday vs. the Nationals, which is Smoltz’s next turn to pitch. But that Bennett assignment isn’t surprising, because the only way the Braves could backdate a potential Smoltz 15-day DL assignment for up to nine days of spring training would be if he didn’t pitch in a Grapefruit League game in those nine days.
Smoltz could pitch in a camp game or in a minor league spring training game and not affect the DL backdating. Then if the Braves decide to DL him, he could slip into the rotation for the April 6 game the first time the Braves need a fifth starter.
Such a plan wouldn’t disrupt their rotation and wouldn’t require anyone to make a spot start.
I asked pitching coach Roger McDowell if Smoltz was still on schedule to pitch Wednesday and he said yes. When I said, “In a game?” Roger said yes again, then went into the coaches office to eat lunch. This was just an hour or so ago.
Smoltz was expected to rest for two days (Saturday and today) before testing his arm in a side session Monday. So until tomorrow, we probably won’t know anymore about his status.
I didn’t see Smoltz in the clubhouse today, so I’m not certain how he’s feeling (other than really good about Michigan State advancing to the Sweet 16).
No one with the Braves seems very concerned, on or off the record, about Smoltz’s status, so I’m going to assume it’s as relatively minor as he’s suggested, at least until there’s reason to believe otherwise.
OK, that’s enough for now. We’ve got an Easter Sunday game to play against the Astros, with Mike Hampton (0-0, 1.17 ERA toeing the slab for the Braves against the Woodman, Woody Williams (0-2, 13.89 ERA, oy).
Here’s the Braves lineup: 1. Kotsay, CF; 2. Escobar, SS; 3. Chipper, 3B; 4. Teixeira, 1B; 5. Francoeur, RF; 6. Blanco, LF; 7. Prado, 2B; 8. Corky, C; 9. Hampton.
Someone remind me in a little while to tell the story about Matt Diaz getting worried after not seeing his name on the board in today’s batting-practice groups or the list of available reserves for the game. Funny stuff.
Oh, and have I mentioned that Yunel Escobar is whistling again this spring? In the batting cage, on the field, he whistles. It’s his thing, which he did all the time in the minors, to the point it distracted folks.
But in big major league ballparks, with all the crowd chatter and other noise, that’s not an issue. When I mentioned to his buddy Brayan Pena that I took it as a sign that Escobar was getting more comfortable and at ease, Pena agreed. “It’s him, he’s being himself,” he said.
”NO PLACE TO FALL” by Townes Van Zandt
If I had no place to fall
And I needed to
Could I count on you
To lay me down?
I’d never tell you no lies
I don’t believe it’s wise
You got pretty eyes
Won’t you spin me ‘round
I ain’t much of a lover it’s true
I’m here then I’m gone
And I’m forever blue
But I’m sure wanting you
Skies full of silver and gold
Try to hide the sun
But it can’t be done
Least not for long
And if we help each other grow
While the light of day
Smiles down our way
Then we can’t go wrong
Time, she’s a fast old train
She’s here then she’s gone
And she won’t come again
Won’t you take my hand
If I had no place to fall
And I needed to
Could I count on you
To lay me down?
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Smoltz and alarming words: Sore shoulder
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Lake Buena Vista, Fla. _ Ah, just another bright, sunshiney Jimmy Cliff day here at Dark Star, gone are the dark clouds that … wait, what’s that? Smoltz has been scratched? Shoulder soreness?
Send up the flares! Call Dr. Andrews, stat! Or Adam-12! Or FEMA! (no, wait, we need immediate attention, so don’t call FEMA).
But seriously…. In case you missed it, Smoltz was sratched from today’s start against the Tribe because of soreness in his throwing shoulder. And of course, the immediate reaction among many is concern, or here-we-go dread.
But after talking to him and having him point out the location of the situation (oh, the alliteration) (BLOGMEISTER NOTE: double parenthesis being used, because a poster informed me later today that it’s assonance; so, oh the assonance. ok continue), I have formed a diagnosis. Which is, he’s getting old. We all are — or a lot of us, at least.
(Running a mere four miles on the road now leaves me feeling like I’ve been through some sort of boot camp.)
But as it’s not soreness in the rotator cuff/labrum area, and Smoltz assured me it is not, then there wouldn’t appear to be reason to panic. Concern, yes. That’s fair. Anytime it’s John Smoltz, your 40-year-old ace, and it’s a week until opening day, you should have some concern.
But honestly, this seems like the type of stuff he’s been dealing with the last couple of seasons, I’d guess more often than not. Certainly more often than he’s divulged at the time.
If it was the regular season, Smoltz would try to pitch with this. “That’s a no-brainer,” he said when I asked him about that this morning, to try to get a gauge of the severity.
If Smoltz was put on the DL to begin the season, the date could be backdated for up nine days into spring training (provided he doesn’t appear in a Grapefruit League game during that span).
With the Braves having a scheduled day off April 1 after the second game of the season, they could skip a starter and not need a fifth starter until April 6, when Smoltz could be back from the DL.
Jeff Bennett is filling in today, and Bennett might boost his chances of making the team with a solid effort. We’re about to get started here. He’ll be facing most of Cleveland’s regulars, though Travis Haffner isn’t in the lineup.
Back to Smoltz. He was standing at his locker, reading over his NCAA basketball pool sheets when I approached him after hearing about him being scratched. Chipper Jones said something funny to him about his first-day picks, etc.
In other words, there was no pall over the clubhouse, nor over his locker stall in particular.
The soreness is not in the shoulder that would indicate rotator-cuff or labrum problems, the type that most commonly require surgery.
“So many people the last few years have just been waiting to say, ‘This is it,’” John said, referring to those who’ve anticipated a career-threatening injury to the man who’s had four elbow surgeries.
“I will let everyone know when it’s it. That’s not a problem.” And this, he said, is not “it.”
He plans to make his final spring start on March 26, but he conceded possibility that he’d open the season on the DL.
And Bobby Cox said as much, too. The manager said he didn’t think he’d go on the DL, then added a “but…” and some other words, thinking-aloud stuff that wouldn’t look right in a sentence here.
He did drop an F-bomb, but it was only to say that “everybody else in baseball is doing the same thing,” referring to starters being held out of starts, etc. Well, I don’t know that everybody is, but a lot of older dudes are.
Again, Smoltz is getting old - in baseball years. As one Braves official told me, it takes a while to get these older guys cranked up, but once you do, they’re fine.
Smoltz will be fine. OK, wait, let’s got with “relatively fine.” Because I think it’s time that everyone stop expecting him to make 35 starts and throw 220 innings. It’s not going to happen, I’d suggest.
Smoltz knows his limitations, knows his body, which is why he has said since the end of last season that he hoped the Braves would have the luxury of having a “sixth starter” in their bullpen to fill in once in a while for an older starter who might need to skip a turn.
To his credit, he didn’t fight the decision to skip today’s turn, like he would’ve in the past. He knows that if he’s to be healthy for the long run, and particularly for the hoped-for pennant drive, then he needs to be smart and not pitch that extra inning or two when he’s fading, like he did in past seasons, or make that start when he’s aching, like he did last summer after hurting his shoulder when he slipped making that warmup pitch at Milwaukee.
He ended up on the DL a month after that incident, because he never rested it long enough for inflammation to subside. Sounds like he’s ready to be more realistic now. And cautious.
“‘CEPT YOU & ME, BABE” by Greg Brown
Half the people you see these days are talking on cell phones
Driving off the road & bumping into doors
People used to spend quite a bit of time alone
I guess nobody’s lonely anymore
‘cept you & me babe, ‘cept you & me
It’s raining sheets of rain everything is cold and wet
Nobody’s going out of doors
They’re all at home living it up on the internet
So I guess nobody’s lonely any more
‘cept you and me babe, ‘cept you and me
People meet somebody new & they leave the rest behind
We can have it all even though our lives are short
The kids they’ll get used to it it happens all the time
No one is even surprised any more
‘cept you and me babe, ‘cept you and me
I take my coffee black or with a little cream
I wake up every morning with the sun
I wanted to be your man that was nothing but a sweet dream
I always tell the truth to everyone
‘cept you and me babe, ‘cept you and me
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Decisions coming for Braves
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Lake Buena Vista, Fla. — Is this thing over yet? No? Then we trudge forward.
Spring training ain’t over, but we can see the figurative whites of the regular season’s eyes on the horizon. You folks ready? Because I sure as (hey now) know that I am.
Enough speculating, projecting, questions about far-fetched trades that would never be discussed, much less completed, and enough hearing how people are upset that this national media outlet or that person-with-a-blog didn’t give the Braves proper respect.
Let’s get between the lines at the new D.C. park, whatever they’re calling it, and play a game March 30. Or last least get to Turner Field and play a couple of exhibitions in a real major league park in a city where the traffic is made up of people going to work or to the store or wherever, and not people in rented PT Cruisers driving 20 mph in a 40-mph zone while reading a spread-out map and trying to figure out if that’s the right turn to Epcot or Animal Hell … er, Kingdom.
Yes, March 27 can’t get here soon enough. That’s the day the Braves play the Mets at Dark Star, and about 20 minutes after the last pitch, I’ll be marching to my packed-and-ready rental car and heading directly to the airport for my merciful escape flight out of Fun City Inc. and home to Atlanta.
(While I’m spewing venom, let me add that this CBS online feed of the KU-Portland State game that I’m watching as I type this, is an absolute joke. I get 10 seconds of moving figures on the screen every minute or so. And now it’s too late to drive to a sports bar to watch it before heading to the ballpark for the night game.)
(I know, no sympathy from you who are stuck in office cubicles right now, so I’ll shut up.)
But back to the business at hand, the last week of exhibition games, when things really start to get interesting (funny how that works; we’re all pretty well worn out and numb now after five weeks or relatively uneventful workouts and games with liberal substitution patterns; now the games start to mean something, the final cuts coming, the trade discussions start to become relevant, and we’re all just ready to be done with this and start the season).
But anyway, never fear, we’re on the case, making calls, sending e-mails and texts, trying to see if we can get a tidbit from a team official here or a beat writer in another town there, something that might indicate a trade that’s brewing. I’ll report anything I hear as soon as I hear it, you can be assured.
In the meantime, we’ll try to include as much music talk as time allows, for the benefit of the certain fella with a South Georgia-flavored screen name who tactfully offered the blog-content suggestion yesterday.
On Friday night I’m going to the Band Of Horses show (that’s a concert, Maconboy, not an equestrian event) at the Social here in Orlando. Yes, there are some cool music events here - it’s just that most take place in the other side of Orlanopolis, a good 30-40 minutes from Dark Star and nearly an hour from the spring rental home of the Braves/MIB blog.
Great matchup tonight: Tim Hudson is set to face Detroit’s Justin Verlander tonight in the last of four night games this spring. But despite that tasty starting matchup, the Tigers and plenty of their more savvy fans will be playing closer attention to Braves relievers who might get in the game.
Specifically, Braves out-of-options relievers.
The Tigers are looking for bullpen help, and the Braves have four out-of-options relief pitchers - Blaine Boyer, Chris Resop, Tyler Yates, lefty Royce Ring - and have drawn trade interest from Detroit. To what degree, I can’t tell you on each guy. But obviously, a few other teams would snatch up one or more of those guys on waivers before they fell to the Tigers.
So a trade is possible. But likely? I’m not sure. Given Braves GM Frank Wren’s relationship with Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski, his former Marlins boss, it wouldn’t at all surprise me if the Braves and Tigers did another deal (they already did the Renteria-for-Jurrjens & Gorkys deal (Jurrjens & Gorkys - kind of sounds like the name of a cool band, doesn’t it?)
Here’s the thing. Wren likes good arms, values them a lot. So I can’t see the Braves allowing Boyer, Resop or Ring to be snatched up on waivers, and Bobby Cox likes Yates a lot, so same thing. Plus, they tendered the arb-eligible Yates this winter; I don’t know that a bad spring can change their thoughts about a guy they watched all last season and obviously thought enough of to retain.
The Braves have Jeff Bennett and Buddy Carlyle (BLOGMEISTER NOTE: Carlyle’s not out of options; found that out today] for a reliever/spot-starter role. I could see them sending both to Richmond to begin the season.
That would give the Braves room to carry, in addition to the bullpen certainties — Soriano, Moylan, Ohman, Acosta — three from the out-of-options gang of Boyer-Resop-Yates-Ring.
So you trade one of those guys and keep the others. Not too difficult.
As for the other moves…. Well, it gets stickier when you start trying to figure out what to do with out-of-options position guys including catcher Brayan Pena and first baseman Scott Thorman.
Joe Borchard’s had a great spring, but he’s on a minor league contract, so it seems likely, to me at least, that the Braves will send the outfielder to Richmond and call him up when they need a power bat during the season.
Prospect Brent Lillibridge has struggled mightily with the slider all spring, and the Braves will send him back to the minors for more seasoning, unless they really believe it’s a must to have a second backup middle-infielder from Day 1, in addition to Martin Prado.
Yes, I see them keeping Prado for the utility infield job, at least until Omar Infante is ready a month or so from now. And they might keep Prado around after that, depending what he does and the way things play out at other positions between now and then.
Fourth outfielder is still a race between Gregor Blanco and Josh Anderson, and the sense is that Blanco has moved ahead of Anderson. Both have options and can be sent to Richmond, whichever doesn’t make the team.
One possible scenario, and it’s just a possibility: Braves could keep Pena, since he would be snatched up in a hurry by a catcher-needy team (and there are plenty). They could keep him on the opening day roster as a third catcher and emergency OF/1B/3B (he’s not much more than serviceable defensively at any of those positions, but is serviceable).
Then you could keep either fine catch-and-throw man Clint Sammons, Corky Miller or Javy Lopez as primary backup catcher and not lose Pena on options, then also keep Thorman as backup first baseman (unless or until you can trade him for something), and just have Prado as your backup infielder at the other spots, with Lillibridge a call away if anything happens.
Or you could just keep Pena as backup catcher and use that extra spot (no Javy/Sammons/Corky) for a second backup infielder or, if you really want Borchard’s bat, keep him as a fifth outfielder (only plays the corners) and emergency 1B (he’s played it a bit in the past, with Florida. Not good there, but can play it, and it’d only be in an emergency).
So many ways it can go. Stay tuned.
Speaking of tunes….
”OLD SIDE OF TOWN” by Tom T. Hall
Ain’t it strange how people change and almost over night
Who once was a country girl is now a socialite
We’re proud for you but when you’re through and seek some common ground
Oh we miss you on the old side of town
We still drink cokes and tell old jokes and we bowl at splits and strikes
Country music still plays on a jukebox every night
Society is not for me but I can still be found oh we miss you on the old side of town
RSVP is not for me and black tie’s not my style
I thought you’d like to know cause you ain’t been here for awhile
We read about your tour de force we’re glad you get around
But we miss you on the old side of town
We still drink cokes and tell old jokes and we bowl at splits and strikes
George Jones is still a hero on the jukebox every night
Society is not for me but I can still be found oh we miss you on the old side of town
Babe we miss you on the old side of town
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Blanco (finally) knocking at door
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Kissimmee, Fla. — Every once in a while comes a player like Gregor Blanco, who has plenty of physical tools, puts up good numbers annually in competitive Latin American winter leagues, but has something that’s keeping him stuck in the minor league system, something vague or unspoken by team officials.
Only when the player is shipped out, or brought up to the majors, do we find out more about what it was that had kept him down.
Well, now we know what’s kept Blanco down, despite his 181 stolen bases in the past six minor league seasons, his league-high triples totals in two of those seasons, his .280 or higher average at each of three stops the past two seasons.
He’s knocking at the door now, closer than ever to the majors, with a shot at making the team as the fourth outfielder, and manager Bobby Cox had revealing comments twice in recent days about Blanco, who’s toiled for the past three seasons in the high minors (Double-A, Triple-A) without a sniff of the bigs.
(Before we go further, I’ve gotta say I’ve covered spring training for 14 years, and every time I’ve ever written or said Kissimmee, I think of the song Kizza Me by the seminal alt-rock band Big Star, available on their Third/Sister Lovers album, or on Alex Chilton’s 19 Years: A Collection. Get it. You’ll be glad you did.)
OK, back to Blanco.
He’s a natural center fielder, but Cox stuck him in right field a couple of times recently and Blanco’s looked good out there, including one diving catch that was as good as any made by a Braves outfielder this spring (they just needed to confirm he could play the corners if he’s gonna be a fourth outfielder, different angles on balls coming off the bat and all that).
He’s hitting .333 (7-for-21) with a double and five RBIs, and looks so much better than he did last spring, both in batting practice and the games.
Twice in a week, Cox peeled back a layer and revealed his thinking on Blanco, going so far as to say he used to genuinely dislike watching the undisciplined kid play. The second time Cox talked about him, I made sure to write it down.
This was Sunday at Jupiter, when I asked about Blanco:
“He’s improved a lot from the first year,” Cox said. “He used to swing from the end of the bat and strike out way too much for a speed guy.
“Now he’s choked up. He used to swing from his ass. He’s leveled that baby [his swing] out so good. I like him.”
And this, “For me, he’s really grown up.”
In case you missed it, that’s the sound of a 24-year-old Venezuelan putting himself in job contention.
Now that’s a bad spring: The more you’re around baseball, the more you know not to put much value in spring-training stats. Because unless a player is fighting for a spot, the stats mean next to nothing and are forgotten two weeks from now. As Cox said: “People have to understand it’s getting in shape.”
That said, let’s analyze a few stats, shall we?
The stench from Arizona is coming from Rickie Weeks’ bat. The Brewers second baseman is having a bad spring. Oh, is he having a bad spring. Only Eliot Spitzer has had a worse spring than Weeks, who was hitting .125 with one homer, two RBI, three walks and — are you ready for this? — 20 strikeouts in 40 at-bats.
Weeks, who has 310 strikeouts in 1,140 career at-bats that actually count, leads the NL in strikeouts this spring. Second on the list was Milwaukee’s Corey Hart, with 16. Forget Harvey’s Wallbangers. How ‘bout Ned’s Whiffmeisters?
And speaking of former Braves (Ned Yost, ex-Braves 3B coach), everyone asks — OK, maybe one person ever 3-4 days asks, including Cox several times — how is Andruw Jones doing out West?
A check of the stats shows the new Dodgers CF was batting .212 (7-for-33) with one double, two homers, six RBIs, nine walks, nine strikeouts and a .636 OPS. He was eighth on team with 14 total bases.
Which brings me to a rare fantasy tip I’m going to offer you folks, just based on my own observations a few weeks ago at Dodgertown, buttressed by his performance since then: Buy Andre Ethier.
I know, I know, he might not have a starting job. For now. But he will eventually. Or at least he should (nice contract they gave Juan Pierre, eh?)
I watched him hit a couple of monster shots during BP at Dodgertown, including one impossible drive that cleared the entire right-field grass berm — with the wind blowing in.
This spring Ethier is hitting .340 with a league-high five homers, 13 RBIs, 34 total bases and 1.139 OPS. I smell breakout season, folks (it’s such a strong scent, I can even smell it over the odor coming off Weeks’ performance).
The young (and cast off) will lead them…. Speaking of stats (good thing we’re not putting much stock in them, huh?), I couldn’t help but notice that no Brave was among the 24 players from 10 NL teams who had three or more homers before Tuesday.
Yunel Escobar, Scott Thorman and Javy Lopez led the Braves with two apiece.
On a brighter note, Escobar was tied for third in the NL with 12 RBI, one off th lead, and Joltin’ Joe Borchard was tied for the NL lead with seven doubles and tied for ninth with 11 RBI (he also has a triple in his 10 hits).
Martin Prado, pushing hard for the primary utility infield job with Omar Infante out, was tied for second with six doubles and fifth with 52 at-bats.
Borchard, a non-roster invitee, has been so good this spring (10-for-31, .323, .977 OPS) that he’s got the Braves giving serious consideration to keeping him. It’s not easy to do, though, because he’s not really good enough at first base to keep as the primary backup at that position, and he doesn’t play CF and is only a serviceable-at-best corner OF.
So the only way to make it work might be as a fifth outfielder/pinch-hitter. Stay tuned. Like I said, he’s raked all spring, and even if we don’t see him in April I wouldn’t be surprised if we see him later this season.
Go to sleep, little … where’d she go? Matt Diaz crashed into the left-field wall making a spectacular catch a week or so ago at Wide World of Dark Star, and afterward needled Mark Kotsay for shouting “Plenty of room!” as Diaz drifted back to make the catch.
Cox gave Diaz the next game off to rest, so he got to spend a lot of quality time with his newborn daughter at the Diaz home in nearby Lakeland. Daddy took something for his stiff neck/back and sat down in his recliner with baby.
“The problem is, when you take a muscle relaxer and you’re holding your baby daughter,” he said, “and the next thing you know, she’s slipped down into your armpit.”
Good luck, Fredi: After enduring an injury-plagued first season managing the Marlins, Fredi Gonzalez is back for more. Things don’t appear to be getting any easier anytime soon for the former Braves 3B coach.
The Marlins face Johan Santana on opening day, and you know who Fredi and the Fish are expected to run out there to oppose him? Mark Hendrickson. Yes, a 33-year-old with a 43-55 career record and 5.01 ERA.
He’s their most experienced started and third-highest-paid player ($1.5 mill) after closer Kevin Gregg and outfielder Luis Gonzalez (did I mention Fredi is manager of The Other Half?)
Hendrickson’s apparently earned the opening day start (nothing official yet) with a 1.69 ERA in 16 innings this spring.
Among Florida’s other starters, Ricky Nolasco has a 7.84 ERA, Scott Olsen’s had shoulder tendinitis, Chris Volstad has seven starts above A-ball, and Andrew Miller has been all over the place with his control, or lack thereof.
When Bobby Cox was talking to us after Monday’s game against the Cardinals at Jupiter, someone asked about Fredi — the Marlins share a complex with the Cards - and whether he faced a difficult task as Florida manager.
“Probably the hardest job in baseball,” Cox said. “Lot of young kids on the team.”
This quote that Hendrickson gave ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick says it all:
“It would be an honor for whoever gets the nod,” Hendrickson said of opening day. “It’s something not many guys get the opportunity to do. But I wouldn’t consider any of us legitimate No. 1s — at least in my book, when I look at who I’ve played with before.”
Kudos for honesty.
Hendrickson was 4-8 with a 5.21 ERA while starting and relieving for Los Dodgers last season, and 6-15 with a 4.21 ERA for Tampa Bay and the Dodgers in ’06. His only winning season was 2005, when he was 11-8 for the the team formerly known as Devil Rays.
”KISS ME ON THE BUS by Paul Westerberg (The Replacements)
On the bus, that’s where we’re ridin’
On the bus, O.K., don’t say hi, then
Your tongue, your transfer,
your hand, your answer
On the bus, everyone’s lookin’ forward
On the bus, I am lookin’ forward
And everything ain’t OK.
I might die before Monday
They’re all watchin’ us
Kiss me on the bus
Kiss me on the bus
If you knew how I felt now
You wouldn’t act so adult now
Hurry, hurry, here comes my stop
On the bus, watch our reflection
On the bus, I can’t stand no rejection
C’mon, let’s make a scene
Oh, baby, don’t be so mean
They’re all watchin’ us
Kiss me on the bus
Kiss me on the bus
If you knew how I felt now
You wouldn’t act so adult now
Hurry, hurry, here comes my stop
If you knew how I felt now
You wouldn’t act so adult now
They’re all watchin’ us
Kiss me on the bus
Kiss me on the bus
Kiss me on the bus
Kiss me on the bus
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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
Not so fast on Braves backup jobs
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Lovetron … er, Jupiter, Fla. _ Coming to you not from Darryl Dawkins’ home planet, but from the spring home of the St. Louis Cardinals and Florida Marlins, a fine little ballpark with a good BBQ concession (just ate the pulled pork).
Before we go any further, do you folks realize (I’m sure you do) that it’s just TWO WEEKS UNTIL OPENING DAY! That’s right two weeks from tonight, Braves will be playing the Nationals on ESPN at the new ballpark in D.C.
Lot of decisions to make between now and then. More on that in a moment.
We often say we’re going to keep the blog short, but rarely if ever do it. But today I’m going to stick to the vow, because it’s Sunday, it was a long trip down here, and because I want to get this posted by gametime or shortly thereafter (it’s 12:50 p.m. as I start this thing; game’s in 15 minutes).
Had to set the cruise and be careful on the highway today, because the trooper were pulling folks over left and right, up and down the Florida turnpike. So I set it below 80, fired up a stogie, drank my coffee and listened to great tunes - George Jones’ “The Grand Tour” CD, Bruce Springsteen’s “Magic,” Black Francis’ (or Frank Black’s) “Bluefinger,” and the Hold Steady’s “Hold Steady Almost Killed Me.”
The turnpike makes for a good listening experience, no distractions.
The Bravos are here for back-to-back games with the Cardinals, the only overnight trip each spring for us. By now you’re so sick of your living arrangements outside Dark Star, you’re ready for a hotel, any hotel.
So it’s the team hotel, the nondescript but perfectly suitable Marriott just down I-95 from the ballpark.
I tell fans interested in seeing the Braves during spring training that this trip to Jupiter is always a good one to make, simply because the Braves bring all their position players here for the overnighter, the only time all spring where you can count on seeing basically the “real” lineup.
Today’s lineup: 1. Kelly Johnson, 2B; 2. Yunel Escobar, SS; 3. Chipper Jones, 3B; 4. Mark Teixeira, 1B; 5. Brian McCann, C; 6. Jeff Francoeur, RF; 7. Mark Kotsay, CF; 8,. Matt Diaz, LF; 9. Tom Glavine, LH.
Like I said, the real lineup.
Cardinals have a couple of high-number guys — OFs Skip Schumaker and Brian Barton at top of the order, one or both might make team — mixed in with Albert “Elbow Implosion Pending” Pujols, Troy Glaus, Rick Akiel, Yadier Molina, Adam Kennedy, Cesar Izturis. And they’ve got righty Todd Wellemeyer toeing the slab (he’s got a 2.61 ERA and .211 opponents’ average in 10-1/3 innings this spring, but has issued eight walks).
Decisions, decisions: Roster decisions have a way of deciding themselves many springs, what with injuries or great performances or trades or whatever.
But that’s not the case with the last few decisions the Braves have to make - couple of bullpen jobs, backup catcher and fourth outfielder.
As I typed that sentence, Chipper Jones just crushed a two-out homer in the first inning, solo shot. Hoss had the best batting practice I’ve seen all spring from him, hitting shot after shot to left, to right, just about everything clearing the fences and a few balls crashing into the Cards and Marlins offices beyond the outfields.
OK, back to positions, and wrapping this up.
The fourth outfielder job: We came to spring training assuming that Brandon Jones was going to be the fourth OF and platoon in LF. Quickly became apparent the Braves were leaning toward using Matt Diaz on a regular basis, more an every-day player than platoon.
It also quickly became apparent they were planning to go with a fourth outfielder who could play center field and play it well, since Mark Kotsay’s backup might have to play a lot (maybe you’ve heard, Kots has been hurt a little in recent seasons).
So Josh Anderson emerged as the early talk of camp and frontrunner for the fourth OF job. But don’t pencil him in just yet, folks.
Gregor Blanco has made significant improvement each of the past two seasons, maturing, refining his approach. He’s stopped swinging from his heels, he’s choked up on the bat, he’s not striking out like he used to, and he’s played very well in the OF, including a spectacular diving catch in RF last week - in is first game at the position.
Bobby Cox has gone from not liking Blanco as a player a couple of years ago, to really liking what he’s doing now. That’s a big plus for Blanco in the decision process.
He’s a natural CF, and Blanco could end up getting that fourth OF job. Anderson has options, so he could be sent back to Triple-A if the Braves decide to go with, say, Joe Borchard as power bat/fifth OF/1B or with two utility infielders.
Speaking of utility men, it looks like Martin Prado has moved ahead of Brent Lillibridge if the Braves take only one. Bobby Cox hasn’t said that, but it’s apparent talking to others with the team, that the general consensus is Lillibridge, while unquestionably a very talented player with a bright future, could use some more minor league seasoning in the hitting department.
We’ll discuss the relievers again later (we’ve kicked that subject around so much in recent days, just nothing new and interesting to talk about in that regard, but feel free to discuss).
But just one last word, about the catchers.
So much has been written about Javy Lopez’ bid for the backup job that some folks have assumed the job is his long as he’s healthy and can swing the bat. Not so fast, folks. Don’t count out Brayan Pena (out of options, always a consideration) or Clint Sammons, the best catch-and-throw guy of the quarter of candidate that also includes journeyman Corky Miller, who hit a grand slam Saturday (it was a bit wind-aided, but still a well-struck slam that tied the game before Blaine Boyer hit a couple of guys and gave up the winning run in the ninth).
OK, that’s it for now. I’ll be watching NCAA Selection Sunday from there, but gonna have to watch the Carolina-Clemson and KU-Texas game with glances over my shoulder here at the TV in the back of the pressbox.
How ‘bout a tune?
”I’M FREE” by Merle Haggard
Though I haven’t got a penny to my name
I’ve got wealth beyond compare just the same
In my mind the greatest treasure there could be
Just to live the way I live because I’m free
I’m not bound to anyone that takes my time or pleasures that will pray up on my mind
And I walk the roads and do just as I please my life belongs to me cause I’m free
I’m free from social ties that tend to bind me
Or to live the life that wasn’t meant for me
Competing for the things that have no meaning
I’m wealthy in my mind because I’m free
The ribbons of the land that keep me a knowing
There’s always something new for me to see
A whistle in the wind then I’ll be going to live the way I live because I’m free
Though I haven’t got a penny…
You missed Dinosaur City … Soriano to pitch!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Clearwater, Fla. _ With visions of Maria Bartiromo (see early morning comments on previous blog) now mercifully squeezing into brain space previously cluttered with spring-training baseball immersion, we come to you live today from beautiful Bright House Field.
If you haven’t been here or seen pictures, it’s the best ballpark built in Florida in, oh … when was Dodgertown built? Well, since then. Great little park, and Francoeur just hit one onto the thatched roof Frenchy’s burger joint above the left-field corner during batting practice. Seriously, he did.
The drive over from Dark Star used to be absolute hell, but now they’ve finally finished I-4 construction and it’s not bad at all, only about 75 minutes.
Love the scenes out the windows on the drive over, a mix of trailor-park trash culture, kitsch tourism, agriculture, old Florida and industry (distribution centers and such).
Had the Band of Horses’ great second CD blaring, then some Gram Parsons and the Flying Burrito Brothers live (from a show at the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco when they opened for the Dead) and finally, as I rolled into Clearwater, the terrific new John Doe album, his most rockin’ and best solo work to date. Great rock record.
Anyway … driving along, trying to avoid the many Polk County cops in marked and unmarked vehicles handing out tickets in bunches around the Lakeland exits, and I saw this guy enjoying what looked like absolute heaven to me at this point in the six-week spring grind — he was sitting in a bass boat on a huge lake along I-4, looked like his feet were up on the edge of the boat, a line in the water, and not a ripple on the lake or another boat in sight. I doubt he much cared if he got a bite.
What a slice of Americana that road is out there between Orlando and Tampa. A half-dozens RV sales centers, acres and acres of huge gas-guzzling tourist machines for sale, and one place had huge old Airstreams buried nose-down in the ground, their ends sticking straight up in the air, like the famous Cadillac Ranch in Texas.
There’s Dinosaur World just outside Tampa (with a huge sign you see as you drive past, “You’ve just missed Dinosaur World at Exit …” )There’s the Hooters that had the short-lived Hooters Motel behind it, which is now a Hooters with a big weed-filled sandy lot behind it, after they demolished both that impossibly tacky concept and the structure itself.
There’s Plant City, where they still have great strawberries, but no longer have major league spring training (the Reds moved a few years ago, to Sarasota).
And Ybor City in Tampa, the trendy, bar-filled neighborhood with restored buildings and the huge “Home of Cuesta Rey Cigars” sign over the warehouse you see from the road. Love it. So does The Hold Steady, apparently, since that great band has included Ybor City in several of its great songs over the years.
OK, enough with my travelog. I know some of you hate anything not related directly to the Braves, so I’ll stop now.
Smoltz Q&A:Had to go over to Dark Star this morning, opposite direction than Tampa from the rental house, because I needed to do a Q&A with John Smoltz that I’d forgotten about — it’s running tomorrow, should be posted online later today or tonight.
Got lucky and Smoltz was pulling into the players’ lot just as I was (and just as the Braves’ buses were pulling out, headed over here). Did the Q&A with John as we walked to the Braves’ clubhouse over there, then turned around, went back to my car and sped over here.
While I’m thinking about, sorry to those autograph-seeking fans who were standing at the fence by the batting cage at Dark Star when I walked past interviewing Smoltz. I ruined your opportunity. My bad. Had to get that interview done, though, and get on the road.
So now we’re here, and I just got back from the field/dugout, where Braves left field when it started raining. Oh, I didn’t mention that — rain. Thunderstorms expected later. Don’t know if we’ll get all or any of this game in.
As I walked past in the tunnel to the clubhouse, Cox was talking to Hudson about alternate plan if he can’t pitch today because of weather. Heard him say he’d prefer to pitch tomorrow if that’s the case.
Speaking of tomorrow, we have a Rafael Soriano appearance on the docket. Yes, release the pigeons, for the Braves closer is set to make his Grapefruit League debut tomorrow. He’s not pitched all spring because of a sore elbow (and a stomach virus of some kind).
That means Soriano and Smoltz will likely make their spring debuts in the same game, assuming Soriano pitches in the home split-squad game vs. Tampa Bay instead of the road game against Houston. (Jair Jurrjens is scheduled to start against the ‘Stros.)
Smoltz is scheduled to go five innings against the Rays, his first start after three simulated-game sessions (you might have read or heard something about those…). Said he feels great and that he actually threw more in those sessions than he probably would have thrown if he’d pitched in actual games.
”SIN CITY” by Gram Parsons and Chris Hilman
This old town is filled with sin,
It’ll swallow you in
If you’ve got some money to burn.
Take it home right away,
You’ve got three years to pay
But Satan is waiting his turn
This old earthquake’s gonna leave me in the poor house.
It seems like this whole town’s insane
On the thirty-first floor, a gold plated door
Won’t keep out the Lord’s burning rain
The scientists say
It’ll all wash away
But we don’t believe any more
Cause we’ve got our recruits
And our green mohair suits
So please show you ID At the door.
A friend came around
Tried to clean up this town,
His ideas made some people mad.
But he trusted his crowd,
So he spoke right out loud
And they lost the best friend they had
On the thirty-first floor, a gold plated door
Won’t keep out the Lord’s burning rain
Options, Tex’s future … and “outfits”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Lakeland, Fla. — Top o’ the morning to you from Tigertown. And let me tell you, there are worse ways to wake up than an 80-mph motorcycle ride down I-4 on a spectacular 65-degree cloudless morning in Central Florida.
Braves are late arriving and bringing a skeleton crew after back-to-back night games. Bus didn’t leave Dark Star until 10:30 (short trip over) and it’s 11:15 a.m. as I write this, still waiting for the first uniformed Brave to walk out of the dugout here at Joker Marchant Stadium (probably my favorite spring-training park; I like the entirety of Dodgertown better, including the terrific food spread, but the park itself is better here, renovated but retaining its old-school charm).
Anyway, here’s the lineup today, led off by the pride of Pulaski County, Ky., and Eastern Kentucky University: 1. Josh Anderson, CF; 2. Kotsay, DH; 3. Chipper, 3B; 4. Teixeira, 1B; 5. Javy, C; 6. Joe Borchard, LF (yes, they’re giving the journeyman a real look as a backup OF and possible backup 1B, but gotta tell you he’s rough at 1B); 7. Gregor Blanco, RF; 8. Martin Prado, 2B; 9. Brent Lillibridge, SS.
OK, couple things. I failed to mention recently the, uh, unusual ensemble that Tim Hudson wore recently to a road game when he started (it was at Dodgertown). Gray slacks, tight-fitting dress shirt, wraparound shades, square-toed dress shoes, and the piece de resistence: a black belt with a big ol’ Harley belt buckle. Clearly, his fashionable wife (she has a law degree, by the way) is not here to dress the man on the road….
Which reminds me. Talking to Kotsay the other day, noticed he had a pair of ultra-hip sneaker with “Death or Glory” on the side along with some avant-garde type design, like a piece of artwork on shoes. They were made with no laces. He mentioned the designer, said he frequents his store in Los Angeles.
They were not what you’d typically see on a white-boy baseball player.
Next day, he had on some very expensive looking black boots. Again, not typical, at least not in the Braves clubhouse, where John Smoltz’s golf attire Chipper Jones camouflage hunting hats and Brian McCann’s uh, well, everyman wardrobe set the tone.
“I know; I’ve gotta stop,” Kotsay joked. “I’ve got too much style for this team.”
BLOGMEISTER NOTE: Just had a 30-minute interruption while I went down to the clubhouse to talk to Cox and some of the boys before they hit the field.
And on the way out of the clubhouse I noticed Kotsay sitting there reading the paper, drinking a cup of coffee. And behind him, hanging in his locker, was a simple pair of blue slacks, a Tiger Woods golf shirt, and some black dress shoes. I commented that it looked like Smoltz’s locker.
“I know, I’m going conservative today,” Kotsay said. “I’m not playing golf, but I’m dressed like it.
OK, that’s it. I can hear some of you now: enough of the fashion crap. Hey, at least I didn’t call it an “outfit.” Don’t call what you’re wearing an outfit, fellas. Oh, and call home on your sister’s birthday….
Speaking of Georgia bands, my buddy who’s a drummer in Atlanta’s The Lord is My Shotgun just texted me to say REM’s new single rules. And I agree. The Athens lads are back. Not that they ever left, but they’re really back now. Even minus Bill Berry, they’re back to rockin’.
Now something a little more serious: It was suggested to me by one blogger a while back that I should not be a “muckraker” when it comes to the Mark Teixeira matter, that we should just focus on what happens between the lines and not worry about his contract and the future.
After considering that advice for at least seven seconds, I decided more fans than not would probably care to hear any news and/or relevant opinions when it comes to Tex and his future with the Bravos.
So I’m gonna clear out the notebook with some more stuff from Teixeira, and from Chipper Jones about Teixeira. This was a couple or three weeks ago.
Chipper on Tex fitting in right away: “He’s a very hard worker. You don’t have to get on him about effort — ever. As one of the best players on the team, that’s kind of the example you want to set for the younger guys.
“I’ve never had to go up to him and say, you know, ‘Let’s kick it in the butt, the kids are watching you.’ He’s always been a lead-by-example-first kind of guy.”
On knowing Tex might not be here beyond 2008: “I learned very early on, don’t expect anything, don’t take anything for granted. None of us know, none of us can see into the future. The best thing we can do as teammates, fans and what not, is try to impress him. That’s the only way to get him to stay.
“I doubt we’ll be able to compete [financially] with certain people. But I’m sure we’ll make an offer, and we’ll see what happens.”
On whether he (Chipper) might make financial concessions again to help re-sign Tex: “I don’t know. His situation’s going to be resolved before mine, so I don’t think I’m going to come into play much.”
Do you hope he’ll like it so much in Atlanta that he’ll stay? “Yeah, I mean that’s kind of the basket we’re trying to put our eggs in, isn’t it?”
What if Yankees decide to pursue him? “It’s pretty much over,” Chipper said. “That’s an awfully expensive infield, though. My goodness.”
OK, now HERE’s TEIXEIRA
On separating contract stuff from playing: “It’s very easy,” Tex said. “All my energy right now is getting ready for the season. And once opening day hits, it’s that game. The season is way too long to think about the future. If you worry about what’s going to happen in December, and it’s April, you’re going to have a long season.”
I asked him if it helps make it easier to play and not worry about contract stuff when you have an agent like Scott Boras handling it, like Andruw Jones did. And I added, “Even though it didn’t exactly work out for Andruw,” meaning he only got a two-year contract, albeit for $18.1 mill per season.
“Well, you could argue it did work out for Andruw,” Tex said. “He’s going to go back on the free agent market still at a young age. He [Boras] does a great job at that [letting the player play and the agent negotiate]. His job is business, my job is baseball. It works out very well like that.”
On what he does to unwind away from baseball: “After the game I just go and hang out with my family. Same thing before the game. There’s not much that I do during the season, but resting my body, preparing myself, eating well, getting the family time in and then going to the ballpark.”
So he’s not caught the Braves golf addiction? “No, there’s time for golf — it’s not during the season. I probably play once or twice all season, and those will be off days early in the season.”
OK, that’s it. Sorry if that got a bit long. Here’s a tune while we get ready to play some ball. By the way, Tigers have most of their horses in there today: Granderson, Polanco, Sheff, Ordonez, Cabrera, Renteria, Inge. Lefty Ryan Raburn is pitching.
We’ll talk about relievers and options and that stuff if you want. I gotta get writing on my notebook and a Blaine Boyer/relievers story, though. Suffice to say, Cox and the brass face some tough decisions, probably can only keep two of these three: Boyer, Resop, Yates. Other might have to be traded or lost to waivers.
And Ring’s days could be numbered. He’s not pitched well, is out of options, and Braves have other lefties and Gonzalez coming back in June.
”FROM THE BOTTLE TO THE BOTTOM” by Kris Kristofferson
You ask me if I’m happy now
That’s good as any joke I’ve heard
It seems that since I’ve seen you last
I done forgot the meaning of the word
If happiness is empty rooms
And drinkin’ in the afternoon
Well I suppose I’m happy as a clam
But if it’s got a thing to do
With smilin’ or forgettin’ you
Well I don’t guess that I could say I am
Did you ever see a down and outer waking up alone
Without a blanket on to keep him from the dew
When the water from the weeds had soaked the papers
He’d been puttin’ in his shoes to keep the ground from comin’ through
And his future feels as empty as the pocket in his pants
Because he’s never seen a single dream come true
That’s the way that I’ve been feelin’ since the day I started falling
From the bottle to the bottom stool by stool
Learnin’ hard to live with losin’ you
You wonder if I’m better off
With freedom now to do the things I choose
With all my times my own and
I got nothin’ left but sleepin’ time to lose
There’s no one here to carry on
If I stay out the whole night long
or give a tinker’s damn if I don’t call
I’m livin’ like I wanted to
And doin’ things I wanna do
And nothin’ means a thing to me at all
Did you ever see a down and outer waking up alone
Without a blanket on to keep him from the dew
When the water from the weeds had soaked the papers
He’d been puttin’ in his shoes to keep the ground from comin’ through
And his future feels as empty as the pocket in his pants
Because he’s never seen a single dream come true
That’s the way that I’ve been feelin’ since the day I started falling
From the bottle to the bottom stool by stool
Learnin’ hard to live with losin’ you
Mac, Tex struggling — but so what?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Lake Buena Vista, Fla. — Let’s determine the appropriate levels of concern for Braves fans — and these individual players themselves — when it comes to Grapefruit circuit struggles of Brian McCann (.167), Mark Teixiera (.182), Javy Lopez (.176), Scott Thorman (.190) and Brandon Jones (.150).
Those were their averages before Wednesday night’s game. So here we go:
First, let’s exclude McCann and Teixeira from the group, because there’s no reason for anyone to be concerned, long as they’re healthy, which they are.
I’d say their cases are more comparable to Ichiro than to B. Jones. Or haven’t you heard? Ichiro, the Mariners superstar and iconic Japanese hitting extraordinaire, is 0-for-21 this spring. Zero hits in 21 at-bats for a guy who has the major league record for hits in a season (262), the only dude in history to begin his major league career with seven consecutive 200-hit seasons.
Ichiro has hit .321 or higher in seven previous spring trainings, including .429 or higher in three springs. But you know what he told the Seattle Times’ Larry Stone after going 0-for-4 Tuesday?
Ichiro said (through a translator) of his hitless spring and the buzz it’s created among the posse of media who chronicle his every movement: “I don’t understand what I need to be worried about.” He added: “I’m very thankful that people, when I’m not hitting, care so much about this. It’s something that makes me very grateful.”
Perfect answer from a man who handles being a superstar better than anyone in baseball, at least anyone west of Derek Jeter.
As I’ve said before, he’s the player I’d pay to see on a regular basis. Love watching that dude play in the few chances I’ve had, when the Braves went out to Seattle for a series several years ago and at All-Star Games, and of course on Sportscenter highlights.
Ichiro also put into perspective what spring training stats mean for accomplished veterans: Not much. They’re here to “get their work in” and get their timing down and hone deliveries and swings.
(We’re all here getting our work in. Your Crusading Everyman scores early Grapefruit League games with a rollerball pen on the single-sheet generic scorecards they provide in the pressboxes, and only scoring the first few innings when the starting pitcher’s are in, and doing it all with a vodka on the rocks next to my laptop at all times. OK, kidding about that last part. But soon I’ll move to the regulation pencil, then start scoring most innings. But not until we take this thing north will I break out the actual scorebook and begin scoring carefully, every at-bat and every substitution.)
(In fact, the only similarities between covering games now and during the season, for me, is my consumption of huge amounts of coffee and the very funny putdowns exchanged between Mike Hampton and Mark Bowman, almost always about Hampton’s height and Bowman’s weight.)
(Oh, wait. Before we move on, did I ever tell you guys about Hampton’s all-time comeback line, when someone — maybe another player, maybe Bowman, I’m not sure — kidded Hampton about not being able to reach something in the shelf at the top of his locker stall? Hampton replied, “That’s alright, I’ll just stand on my wallet.” I was on the floor. Folks, if you know Hampton and his dry sense of humor and perfect timing, you’d know how funny this was. And you gotta keep in mind the context in which he was saying it, just in case some of you might think he was being arrogant or smug. He really wasn’t. The dude is flat-out funny. Now if he could just reinforce all soft tissue….)
Anyway, back to Ichiro and the Braves’ “slumping” spring hitters.
McCann is no Ichiro, obviously. For one thing, he’s a tad slower. But he is a very good hitting catcher with a smooth stroke and a .296 career average in 1,126 major league at-bats. He’ll be fine. He’s 3-for-18. Big deal. If he goes 2-for-3 tonight and again tomorrow he’ll be hitting .292. That’s how fast averages can rise and fall when it’s such a small number of at-bats you’re talking about.
And Teixeira? I don’t anyone out there is at all concerned about Tex. But if you are, don’t be.
He’s 4-for-22 with five strikeouts and one homer. So what? This is a guy with a .286 career average and 170 homers in five seasons, and more extra-base hits (365) than all but five other big leaguers in that stretch, and more RBI (555) than all but seven others.
Pencil him in for a .300 average, 40-45 homers and 130 or more RBI this season. Just don’t ask me where to pencil him in for next season.
Now, the other cases: Lopez, Thorman and Brandon Jones. Entirely different situations than McCann and Teixeira, obviously, because none of them came to camp with a job won.
Actually, change that. It’s possible Thorman has a job assured unless he’s traded, but I don’t really get that sense (that he had a job won, or that he’ll be traded; I get neither sense. So in this, I guess I’m senseless). I do believe the Braves are trying to upgrade their bench with a more proven big bat, but it’s not an easy thing to do.
They’re not going to replace him with some schlub who’s bounced for years or been in major decline, because there’s still a chance, perhaps a good chance, that Thorman could be a 20-25 homer guy if he gets 400-500 at-bats (which he won’t get with the Braves while Teixeira is here and upright. But you get my point, which is that Thorman might still become a quality major league player. He’s still got unbelievable raw power, but his defense is barely serviceable at first base and I can’t see any team being interested in him as more than a project or bench player, so trading him and getting anything back is tough, and he could very well be snatched off waivers if the Braves try to send him down, unless they’re able to do that around opening day when other teams have their rosters set. Problem is, Braves don’t have another backup 1B they’d trust to play the role for a couple weeks if Tex got hurt. Now I’m rambling, repreating a topic from the other day, so I’ll stop….)
What about Javy Lopez? Hit his second homer couple days ago, which is big. Braves need him to show he’s still got a power bat that would give them a big weapon in pinch-hitting situations, because they’re not going to keep him for his defense, that’s for sure. Yes, it’s better, but he’s still not a good defensive player, merely adequate. And his throwing arm is not good.
But if he gives the Braves a ton more offensive potential than catch-and-throw guy Clint Sammons or journeyman Corky Miller or Brayan Pena (also no defensive standout), well, then Lopez will most likely have the backup job.
Javy is 3-for-17 with two homers. Verdict’s still out, but both Tom Glavine and Bobby Cox had good things to say about him yesterday.
Cox said before last night’s game, when asked about the 37-year-old Lopez’s performance so far: “He looks good behind the plate, and leads the team in home runs.” And asked whether the backup job is still a wide-open competition, he said, “I think so.”
Lopez caught Glavine last night, when the 41-year-old once-and-again Braves lefty allowed one unearned run and two hits in four innings vs. Washington. I asked Glavine about Javy catching him.
“I never had a problem with him,” Glavine said, then smiled and added, “He always hit when he caught me, so I didn’t care about anything else. I liked his bat in the lineup.”
Then Glavine got serious and said Lopez has improved behind the plate and is trying to be a complete catcher now, focusing on defense and working with the pitcher more than he did when the two were teammates before with the Braves.
“He’s matured back there,” Glavine said. “He’s got a better idea what’s going on back there. We probably had more conversations out there tonight than we did during all the years we played together before.”
As for Brandon Jones, well, the outlook has really changed since the end of last season, when it seemed certain he’d be used in a platoon with Matt Diaz in left field in 2007. The Braves’ situation change with the addition of recently injury-plagued Mark Kotsay in center, since they now need a fourth outfielder who can easily slip into center for a significant period, if necessary.
Jones doesn’t do that. He’s only played center in winter ball, and the Braves don’t want him in center field for any significant period.
While Jones hasn’t done much in camp, Josh Anderson has impressed everyone from the first day he arrived. The former Astros prospect can play all three OF positions and has outstanding speed to cover some mistakes he’ll make in the fielde (not to mention give the Braves a legit base-stealing threat — he stole 78 in one season in the minors).
His arm is good enough to play out there, and he’s proven he can hit at every level so far, including a .358 average in 67 at-bats in his late-season callup with Houston.
On top of all this, there’s the Diaz situation. The Braves have discussed it at length, and seem in agreement that it’s time to give Diaz the chance to play every day, or at least most days. I’d be very surprised if he’s in a straight platoon like he was the past two years.
He’s hit .330 with 59 extra-base hits (19 homers) and 77 RBIs in 655 at-bats for the Braves over the past two seasons. It’s time for Matty boy to get a crack at being a lineup regular.
Whew. That was a long-winded analysis. I’ll save the other stuff I was gonna blog about for later tonight or tomorrow’s blog. Got to get to writing this Josh Anderson story for tomorrow’s paper.
Anyone see the Drive-By Truckers last night on by brother Conan’s show? I was hoping they’d crank it up and rock, but I gues they wanted to go the unplugged route. Hey, artists’ choice. Still a solid performance.
”POCAHONTAS” by Neil Young
Aurora borealis
The icy sky at night
Paddles cut the water
In a long and hurried flight
From the white man
to the fields of green
And the homeland
we’ve never seen.
They killed us in our tepee
And they cut our women down
They might have left some babies
Cryin’ on the ground
But the firesticks
and the wagons come
And the night falls
on the setting sun.
They massacred the buffalo
Kitty corner from the bank
The taxis run across my feet
And my eyes have turned to blanks
In my little box
at the top of the stairs
With my Indian rug
and a pipe to share.
I wish a was a trapper
I would give a thousand pelts
To sleep with Pocahontas
And find out how she felt
In the mornin’
on the fields of green
In the homeland
we’ve never seen.
And maybe Marlon Brando
Will be there by the fire
We’ll sit and talk of Hollywood
And the good things there for hire
And the Astrodome
and the first tepee
Marlon Brando, Pocahontas and me
Marlon Brando, Pocahontas and me
Pocahontas.
On lefties, Thorman, Maddux, Schafer….
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Lake Buena Vista, Fla. — After taking advantage of the first opportunity to sleep in during spring training (first night game is tonight), I thought it’d be a good day to clear out some stuff from notebooks that are beginning to stack up on the kitchen table here in the rental house.
So let’s fire it up while the sounds of Uncle Tupelo fill this otherwise bland living space….
Lefty relievers: I asked Bobby Cox a week or so ago about the importance of having more than one lefty reliever, since the Braves have a veteran lefty (Will Ohman) in their ‘pen and a few other options to choose from, including out-of-options Royce Ring and hard-throwing but unproven Jeff Ridgway. They also have Mike Gonzalez expected back from the DL in June.
“It just depends on how many right-handers you have that are good against lefties,” Cox said of the multi-lefty question. “It kind of makes the other manager think some if you do [have more than one]. La Russa always likes to take three…. I’ve got a bunch [to choose from].”
Dews, an American original: Couple of the most memorable moments of spring involved Bobby Dews, the venerable former bullpen coach and now special advisor, who still suits up for pregame work. This week he got behind the plate to catch a few pitches from Hall of Famer Phil Niekro, who put on full uniform and tossed some strikes from the mound before batting practice.
Then there was the vintage “Dewsy” moment a couple weeks ago, before the Grapefruit League opener at Dodgertown. I’m standing with Terry Pendleton at the batting cage during B.P., and Dews is hitting fungoes to fielders. A big black bird flies overhead, pretty low over Holman Stadium. Dews ducks and laughs.
“Got to watch them buzzards, at my age,” Dews shouted. “He might know something I don’t know.”
I asked Dews about his first visit to Dodgertown, and he said he came here when he was too young to remember, just after the place opened and saw his dad, Bobby Sr., then a Dodgers minor leaguer.
“He always loved the Dodgers organization because they mixed the minor leaguers with the major leaguers” in spring training], Dews told me. “They were one of the first to do that.”
Thorman’s potential: The Braves would like to upgrade their backup first base situation, perhaps with a slugger like Juan Rivera, an Angels outfielder who’s been working out at first base and is on the trade block.
But if they don’t trade Scott Thorman, who’s out of options, the Braves might have least one reason to believe the big Canadian will improve. Call it his second-year trend.
During his minor league career, Thorman showed marked improvement in his second season at Class A Myrtle Beach (.243 with 12 homers and 79 strikeouts in 445 at-bats in ’03, then .299 with 4 homers and 19 strikeouts in 154 at-bats games in ’04) and at Triple-A Richmond (.276 with 6 homers and 42 strikeouts in ’05, then .298 with 15 homers and 48 strikeouts in 309 at-bats in ’06)
I had a scout point this out to me last summer, in the middle of a season that saw Thorman hit .216 with 11 homers and 70 strikeouts in 270 at-bats, and lose the starting job that was handed him after Craig Wilson’s early season flameout.
When I mentioned the second-year thing to Cox, the manager said: “That’s what I’ve been told, too. Could be true. He’s swinging the bat better — not trying to it hit it 700 feet.” Bobby’s emphasis was on “700” when he said that, as if to say, the violent-swinging Thorman’s only tried to hit it about 500 feet this spring.
The Great Maddux: You guys wouldn’t believe how many times the name Greg Maddux still comes up in conversations with Braves and with Cox. His legendary control, his pitching-savant genius, his desk-job physique, his genuine decency, his dry sense of humor, and his notorious pranks (can’t say what he once did with a pair of sanitary hose, the white socks that old-school players wear under stirrups, other than to say there was nothing sanitary about them afterward).
Recently ESPN Jayson Stark stopped by camp and asked Cox if he could believe it when Maddux threw a pitchout on a 2-2 count, something almost unheard-of among the mere-mortal pitching population. Cox said Maddux didn’t surprise him with the move; to the contrary, the manager actually called for it.
“We did that all the time, because we knew he was going to throw a strike on 3-2 if we didn’t get the runner at second. That’s why it’s a great count to run on — nobody picks off.”
Pitchers hitting eighth: Someone mentioned to Cox that his former third-base coach, Brewers manager Ned Yost, was talking about batting a good-hitting pitcher eighth in the order, like the Cards’ La Russa has done on occasion.
“[Bleeping] Ned, he got into the stats - look out,” said Cox, who loves Yost, but isn’t quite on the same page as the younger manager when it comes to innovative use of stats.
Don’t expect Cox to bat a pitcher eighth anytime soon. “Might cost you more games than it helps,” he said.
Hampton facing long odds: Speaking of Stark, he had a great note in a recent blog about the last time a pitcher, age 35 or older, won more than 10 games after being out more than two years (Mike Hampton fits this description).
Stark had Elias Sports Bureau research it, and they had to go back to 1946 to find one: Schoolboy Rowe went 11-4 for the 1946 Phillies after missing all of 1944 and ’45, while seriving in the Navy during World War II.
Hampton’s 2-1/2-year absence has resulted from two elbow surgeries, so I’d think he faces an even more difficult assignment than ol’ Schoolboy.
OK, he gets it. He looks young: Just about everyone who sees Brent Lillibridge for the first time is shocked by how young the 24-year-old shortstop looks. So I asked him if it’s a blessing or curse to look so young.
“Well, I don’t think it’s a curse, at all. When I’m 33, 34 and they’re saying I look 26 — better than the other way around,” he said, smiling. “It’s a joke. I get kidded all the time.”
He really doesn’t seem to mind the kidding. It hasn’t exactly scarred him.
“I play baseball, and I’ve done well,” he said. “Fact is, it’s not going to be a determining factor in whether I make it. It’s cool. I’ve heard that I’m a batboy. I get carded a lot. I get carded with my wife.”
Schafer and the Hummer: Had to share this story about Jordan Schafer, the 21-year-old top-rated Braves prospect who’s still, well, 21. He drives a huge Hummer, but laments it’s a gas-guzzler.
He’s from nearby Haines City, only about 15 miles from the Braves complex. Yet Schafer is staying at the Marriott a couple of miles from camp during spring training, not at home. Why, besides the fact the team pays for it?
“All that gas,” he said. “I can’t do it.”
And now, a tune while I enjoy a cigar before heading to the ballpark:
”WHISKEY BOTTLE” by Uncle Tupelo
Persuaded, paraded, inebriated, and down
Still aware of everything life carries on without
‘Cause there’s one too many faces with dollar sign smiles
Got to find the shortest path to the bar for a while
A long way from happiness
In a three-hour-away town
Whiskey bottle over Jesus
Not forever, just for now
Not forever, just for now
There’s a trouble around, it’s never far away
The same trouble’s been around for a life and a day
I can’t forget the sound, ‘cause it’s here to stay
The sound of people chasing money and money getting away
A long way from happiness
In a three-hour-away town
Whiskey bottle over Jesus
Not forever, just for now
Not forever, just for now
In between the dirt and disgust there must be
Some air to breathe and something to believe
Liquor and guns the sign says quite plain
Somehow life goes on in a place so insane
A long way from happiness
In a three-hour-away town
Whiskey bottle over Jesus
Not forever, just for now
Not forever, just for now
Cox: We Can Work It Out
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Sitting here listening to the daily oldies loop of songs they play during batting practice at Dark Star, and figured I’d do this blog in the form of a cheesy radio DJ. Hey, don’t cost nothin’….
So I’m gonna give you the newsy stuff according to the order of the songs that have played in the past 20 minutes or so. (No kidding, these songs actually were played.)
We Can Work It Out: Bobby Cox said this morning the Braves have to “retool” their plans in light of Omar Ifante’s longer-than-expected recovery period from surgery for his broken hand. Infante is still in a cast and is probably not even going to play any during spring training, so I’d imagine he’ll miss most of April, though Cox wasn’t sure of the time frame for his return.
The manager did say he thinks the Braves have the guys to fill in, just a matter of how they’re going to do it. Infante’s absence effects a lot of how the final roster positions will be determined, since he was a good center fielder and would’ve given the Braves a competent backup at the position.
While Lillibridge can play CF, and play it pretty well, it’s not certain that he’ll even make the team.
OF Josh Anderson’s stock has climbed considerably during camp, not just because he’s a great kid and hard worker that everyone likes, but because he can play center field, something the Braves don’t think Brandon Jones can do well enough to serve as a backup to Mark Kotsay.
Look for Anderson to make the team as a fourth OF, and I don’t know if Braves will carry more OFs than that. Hasn’t been determined.
Matt Diaz is probably going to play more like an every-day starter than a platoon guy, that much is clear. Anderson could bounce between LF and CF to spell guys, and be used as a pinch-hitter and pinch-runner.
Couple of interesting twists in lineup today: Jordan Schafer in left field, where he told me he’s never played, and batting leadoff, which he did much of last season in his breakout year in A-ball. Schafer just wants to get at-bats, so he doesn’t care that he’s never played the position. He shagged balls out in left today in BP, “so I won’t get hit in the forehead by a fly.”
Braves love this top-rated prospect, and plenty of coaches and players give him crap about being a golden boy and driving a Hummer and walking with a strut. But they really liked him. Mark Kotsay said Shafer has the swagger you need as a young guy coming up, but said he doesn’t rub guys the wrong way, especially after they get to know him. Everyone who talks to him comes away impressed.
Very hard worker, here every morning at 7 a.m., wants badly to succeed, and really believes he’d be one of the best defensive CF in the game right now. Knows he still needs work offensively, but said he’d be able to handle it and play well if he was thrust into the lineup if something happened to Kotsay.
Other twist today is Martin Prado at shortstop. He’s know as a 2B and 3B who can also play some corner OF, but has never played much SS or impressed anyone when he has played there. Bobby Cox said there’s no reason Prado can’t play the position, since he has good hands and a good arm.
But the range … that’s the thing. We’ll see. Braves want to see him there because they need a guy to fill in for Infante, and Prado might be more ready to do the job than Lillibridge. If Prado could play SS like the versatile Lil’ Bridge, Prado would have the opening dayutility job nailed down, suffice to say.
Today’s lineup: 1. Schafer, LF; 2. Kotsay, CF; 3. Francoeur, RF; 4. Teixeira, 1B; 5. McCann, C; 6. Prado, SS; 7. Lillibridge, 3B; 8. Diory Hernandez, 2B; 9. J. Jurrjens, RH.
Sarah Smile: Don’t know if Sarah was smiling, but Mike Hampton and Peter Moylan were this morning. (OK, that was a cringe-inducing reach by me, but I told you I would use the songs that were played. Crusading Everyman takes no shortcuts).
Anyway … Hampton and Moylan. Hampton was in a good mood after throwing a bullpen as a test of the right groin he strained in his last start Friday. He’ll either make his next start Wednesday or pitch in simulated-game conditions that day, but either way he’ll stay on his every-fifth-day schedule, not push it back a couple of days as Cox had earlier suggested might be done.
Hampton said he felt a little tightness in his final 10 or so pitches in the 10-minute session today, but nothing major. He was able to run 12 wind sprints afterward without difficulty, and said the right hamstring he strained in his only winter-ball start felt better today than it’s felt since the injury.
I’ll bet he goes the sim-game route Wednesday, since there’s less danger of reinjury because he won’t be going after ground balls or covering first base or anything else that he might do in the competitive environ of a Grapefruit game. But we’ll see. Just my hunch. Either way, today’s test was a good one for him.
Moylan said his right elbow felt normal today after he pitched a perfect inning yester day, his first appearance in more than a week since being sidelined with soreness in his pitching elbow. He looked sharp Sunday and threw hard. His health is obviously a huge deal, since he was the Braves’ best and most durable reliever last season and will be their prime setup man this year and a closer option if Rafael Soriano goes down or has lingering issues with his elbow.
By the way, Soriano will throw off the mound in the next day or two and presumably make his Grapefruit League debut soon after. It’s getting that time, they really need him to start pitching in games because we’ve got only 2-1/2 more weeks down here. If he has any more problems with his elbow this month, the Braves are going to have to decide who’ll fill in at closer.
Walk Like a Man: Knucksy and Dewsy were walking like men. OK, like older men. But it was damn impressive to see 60-somethings Phil Nierko and Bobby Dews, in full uniform, forming the oldest batter to pitch at Dark Star in … well, ever?
Niekro, the Hall of Famer, put on the Braves uni and threw to Dews, the longtime bullpen coach who’s not a special advisor. It happened before the Braves took batting practice, and a lot of them were standing around watching, and loving it.
Niekro threw from the mound and threw nothing but strikes. Seriously, he was getting it up there at a good clip, not throwing knuckleballs. Great stuff.
Hard Day’s Night: Jeff Francoeur had one, sort of, on Sunday. Had the day off, but spent it at Disney them parks with his wife and her family, including kids of the niece-and-nephew variety. “We started at 9 a.m. at Animal Kingdom, and ended at Epco at 9:30 last night,” Francoeur said.
In my view, a day in Braves camp would have to be considered a vacation by comparison. Then again, Dark Star fun makes me cranky. Very.
Burning Love: One of our blog regulars, Choppinmama, brought out a sign to thank Chipper Jones for coming on the blog a few times this offseason. It said something along the lines of “Thnx for blogging, U Kno Who” (that’s the screen name Hoss used here).
Alas, Chipper has the day off and wasn’t here for batting practice. She plans to return to the park with sign in tow for tomorrow night’s game.
By the way, Braves have night games Tuesday and Wednesday, so we won’t be filing an early blog, unless I’ve forgotten how to sleep in.
Eight Days a Week: We don’t do eight days a week, but we sure do seven down here at spring training. Every day the same, doesn’t matter if it’s Sunday or Wednesday or Friday. Weekends are irrelevant for players, coaches and hacks down here.
However, we do get to mix it up a bit with the nights games this week, then the only scheduled off day of the spring next Tuesday, March 18.
Do you folks realize we’re only got 2-1/2 weeks left here before taking this thing north? Not that I’m counting the hours and minutes or anything….
OK, let’s wrap it up and turn things over to the denizens. But first, a great tune by Tom Waits, the theme song from possibly the greatest TV series ever, The Wire (if not the best, then tied with The Sopranos).
The Wire ended last night, and the final episode was terrific (unlike the unsatisfying conclusion to The Sopranos, but that’s another story…) Sundays aren’t going to be the same without McNulty, Bunk and the rest of that sensational cast.
”WAY DOWN IN THE HOLE” by Tom Waits
When you walk through the garden
you gotta watch your back
well I beg your pardon
walk the straight and narrow track
if you walk with Jesus
he’s gonna save your soul
you gotta keep the devil
way down in the hole
He’s got the fire and the fury
at his command
well you don’t have to worry
if you hold on to Jesus hand
we’ll all be safe from Satan
when the thunder rolls
just gotta help me keep the devil
way down in the hole
All the angels sing about Jesus’ mighty sword
and they’ll shield you with their wings
and keep you close to the lord
don’t pay heed to temptation
for his hands are so cold
you gotta help me keep the devil
way down in the hole
Roster moves … whither Thorman?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. _ Oh, man, that alarm came especially early this Daylight Savings Sunday morning at the blog satellite office some 10 miles west of Dark Star.
But we’re here at the ballpark, not quite bright-eyed but progressively approaching that state with each cup of coffee. The Braves are taking batting practice, the Cardinals are playing catch in the outfield, the sky is cloudless, gorgeous, the temperature rising quickly toward 60 (it was 45 when I bundled up and started the bike with the sun just beginning to rise this morning).
I think we can get motivated to watch some ball and write some stories about this team and how things are going to start picking up toward the end of this week and the weekend.
Oh, first I’ve gotta tell you about a scene when I came in this morning. I was walking along the warning track after coming from the parking lot through the opening in left field at Champion Stadium, and Mike Hampton was walking in front of me. Eddie Perez and Chino Cadahia were on the field, in uniform, getting ready to do some early work with the catchers.
The music is already going on the stadium P.A. system, and the song changes to Cameo’s “Word Up,” cranked at 8:10 a.m. on Sunday. Hampton is walking along and gives a little shoulder-shimmy of a dance for Eddie and Chino across the way. And then Eddie breaks into a hip-swinging, full-on boogie, baseball bat in hand.
It lasted about 5 seconds. It made me smile, even with a frozen face.
Anyway….
If you haven’t noticed, this is kind of a sluggish period in spring training, after the newness has worn off, after the first week of games played, and things sort of at status quo as guys kind of get through the blah period and teams start to think about what they need and what roster moves will be made first.
Braves have got back-to-back games against St. Louis today and Monday, and a couple of things to watch will be Peter Moylan’s scheduled appearance today, his first in a week since the sidearmer took a break to calm down a sore elbow.
Rafael Soriano will likely make his first appearance of spring Tuesday or Wednesday, the closer also coming back from a sore elbow, along with a stomach flu. You think his teammates will be watching him closely and maybe crossing fingers? I think so.
Of course, we’ve got the anticipated, Braves Nation-crosses-its-collective-fingers return of Mike Hamton on Wednesday, if he’s able to make the start (in case you’ve been out of the country a few days, Hampton strained his right groin in the second inning of his start Friday). Bobby Cox and Hampton said they believe he’ll be ready, but Cox also said if they have to push it back a couple of days they will.
Then we’ve got the first appearance of the spring for Chuck James on Thursday, as the left-hander tests his left shoulder in a game for the first time since he was diagnosed with a partial rotator-cuff tear after the 2007 season. No surgery was recommended, and James said he’s felt great throwing off the mound the past week, though it still seems almost certain he’ll open the season on the DL so he can rebuild arm strength at Richmond.
And finally, on Saturday we’ll bring John Smoltz out of his isolation unit, er, backfields workout regimen, to make his first Grapefruit League start. He’s spent the first weeks of spring training throwing in relative seclusion, either in the bullpen beyond right field, on a backfield, or on the main field only when the Braves (and us reporters) were over in Winter Haven for a road game.
Hey, let’s hope for his sake this experiment works. Because frankly, I think his teammates would probably have preferred to see Smoltz on the mound in games with them in the first half of the Grapefruit League season. But hey, who am I to judge? I’m sure if he clicks off a couple of good performances down here before they break camp, everything will be back to normal and this whole, unique regimen he’s followed, throwing in simulated-game conditions away from the team, will quickly be a mere foonote.
And if he pitches well right away, and has success with the sinker and off-speed pitches he went back there to work on, well, Smoltz will again look like he’s smarter than the rest of us for coming up with this plan.
Whither Thorman? Lot of folks commenting yesterday on rumors the Braves are trying to trade Scott Thorman this spring. Some wanting to know what I think.
Well, here’s the thing. As disappointing as Thorman was when given the job to lose last season (and he certainly lost it), the fact remains that the Braves don’t have another first baseman they’d feel real good about handing over the first-base position if Mark Teixeira required a stint on the DL.
I know, heaven forbid I even mention it, but folks, anyone can get hurt. As durable as Teixeira has been in his five seasons, he did spend five weeks on the DL last season with a strained quadriceps muscle in his left leg. So what if he does something like that again, who’s gonna play first bas?
Now, understand I’m not saying the Braves haven’t discussed trading Thorman, and I’m not saying it won’t happen this spring. But unless they get someone else who can play first base in that would-be trade or another deal this spring, I don’t see how they could do it and feel real comfortable going into the season.
Backup catcher Javy Lopez isn’t even a lock to make the team, period, so you can’t say he’s the backup first baseman. Besides, if he’s the backup catcher you’re not going to have him fill in for 15 days at first base. And he’s probably too old to play every day for that long anyway.
Matt Diaz? Mark Kotsay? Yes, they’ve played or worked out at first base in the past, but the Braves aren’t thinking of using one of them as their primary backup first baseman, of that I’m sure. Either of them, or Lopez, or even Brayan Pena — who’s looked better behind the plate this year, but still seems more likely to be traded than make this team — could play the position for a day or two in a bind, but the Braves don’t want some out-of-position guy filling in at an important position like 1B for any significant period.
Omar Infante can play 1B, but they didn’t get him to fill in at 1B for two weeks in a bind. He’s here to be the primary backup at a variety of other positions. Besides, he’s going to open the season on the DL for at least a couple of weeks anyway.
The minors? The Braves don’t have anyone on the farm who’s ready to come up and play 1B.
So again, I come back to thinking that the Braves could trade Thorman this spring, but I don’t think they’ll do it unless they have another first baseman coming back in that deal or in another deal finalized before they make that one.
Tex will probably play 155 or more games this season, maybe 160. So there’s a chance you will almost never need a backup first baseman. But Tex could also strain a hamstring or get hit by a pitch or have any number of other things happen to him between now and October. And if he goes on the DL, the Braves have to have someone they feel confident can fill in for more than a few innings or a few days.
Scott Thorman was fortunate to be out of options last year, assuring he stayed in the majors. And he might be fortunate the Braves don’t have another viable first-base option this year behind Teixeira.
Because to me, it seems they have to either keep him and hope he can give them a good power bat off the bench or at 1B when called upon, or they have to trade for another player who can handle first base for a significant stretch of games, if necessary.
Roster moves: The Braves’ brass and coaching staff is going to meet Tuesday to discuss the roster, and the first cuts could come after that, though that isn’t certain.
Expect a round of cuts after the Braves get back from the two-game March 9-10 trip to Jupiter to play the Cardinals.
This Wednesday is the last day for teams to release players with non-guaranteed one-year contracts in order to owe them only 30 days termination pay, but that date isn’t expected to have any impact on the Braves.
Teams have until March 26 to release players with one-year contracts and owe them 45 days termination pay. After that they are owed their full salaries.
These rules don’t apply to players on minor league contracts, i.e. non-roster free-agent invitees, who can be released at any time. The Braves have several of those kind of guys, including Javy Lopez and Joe Borchard.
”BARBEQUE” by Robert Earl Keen
Oooh when I was a little boy
Only one or two
The first thing I did enjoy
Was a plate of barbeque
CHORUS:
Barbeque sliced beef and bread
Ribs and sausage and a cold Big Red
Barbeque makes old ones feel young
Barbeque makes everybody someone
If you’re feelin’ puny and you don’t know what to do
Treat yourself to some meat eat some barbeque
Now there was a girl I knew
She treated me so mean
I offered her my barbeque
She licked my platter clean
CHORUS
Don’t give me no broccoli
Or any Swiss fondue
Baby if you want to rock me
Give me good ole barbeque
CHORUS
Don’t send me to heaven
It ain’t where I should go
Cause the Devil’s got a charcoal pit
And a good fire down below
CHORUS
Let your feet hit the street
Find a good place to eat
Get some barbeque
Braves relievers (and Pujols) are achin’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Things could be a lot worse for relievers Rafael Soriano and Peter Moylan. They could have Albert Pujols’ elbow.
But seriously … Soriano and Moylan, the Braves’ best two relievers, are both nursing sore elbows, though all parties are calling it typical spring soreness or tenderness or whatever.
We should know in a few days, if either or both are still out. Moylan told me this morning that he’s had some slight soreness on the inside of his elbow for a couple of weeks, and they decided now to rest and rehab a few days to knock it out rather than keeping pitching with it.
When I asked him if it’s just typical soreness, nothing to be concerned about, as the Braves have indicated, Moylan said, “I think so.”
He also pointed out that the soreness hasn’t been in one spot, but moved a few inches up or down his elbow. That’s generally a good sign, indicating inflammation rather than torn tissue of any kind. So we’ll see.
Blogmeister note: I’m adding a new paragraph here, subbing for original one after getting back from clubhouse with update on Soriano.
He threw in the bullpen this morning — “Soriano threw really well; we’ll see how he feels tomorrow,” said Bobby Cox, who said he threw hard and without difficulty. If all goes well, Soriano will make his spring debut next Tuesday or Wednesday.
“If it’s the middle of next week, it’s fine,” Cox said of Soriano’s timetable. “He’s not going to lose his control. He’s fine.”
The Braves believed all along that he’s only had minor inflammation in the back of the elbow, near bottom of the triceps muscle.
If it lingers and he’s not pitched by this time next week, well, then you’ve got serious cause for concern, I’d say.
By the way, in case you missed the news, Cardinals slugger Pujols has an elbow that’s ready to implode at any time. He’s been diagnosed with a high-grade ligament tear, bone spurs, inflammation, arthritis, and malaria.
OK, kidding about the malaria. But he does have all of those other conditions in his right elbow, and is apparently going to keep playing until it blows, then have total reconstructive surgery. Yikes.
Yeah, Buddy: Talked to the Budster this morning, journeyman pitcher Buddy Carlyle. Gotta tell you, he’s one you can’t help but pull for, such a down-to-earth fella, bounced around for a dozen years before really getting his first opportunity to stick with a major league club.
He’s got the best attitude imaginable, isn’t getting carried away with his four perfect innings in his first two appearances, and says he’ll “go with the flow” no matter where he’s pitching, Atlanta or Richmond, rotation or bullpen.
He’ll get his first start of the spring on Saturday in a split-squad game against Cincinnati over at Sarasota.
At 30, he said he feels like a new pitcher after adding a cutter a couple years ago, smoothing out his delivery some last year in his return to starting, and then adding a splitter this winter and further simplifying his mechanics.
He’s pounding the strike zone and has four strikeouts with no walks or hits allowed. And Carlyle said he doesn’t feel like it’s flukey at all - he feels that good out there, that smooth in his delivery, that confident.
“I think I learned more last year than the previous seven years,” he said.
Last year’s eight wins and early success when the Braves needed him in an emergency reinforced in his mind that he could be a successful big league pitcher, after all these years.
His wife Jessicia is thrilled that the family (they have two kids, 1 and 4) gets to be back at the same spring training site two years in a row and then probably another city they’re familiar with, be it Richmond or Atlanta.
In my mind I had Jeff Bennett penciled in for that long relief/spot starter role coming into spring. But Bennett missed more than a week with the flu, and Carlyle has probably put his own hat squarely in that competition with his performance so far.
Carlyle has a ton of experience in both roles through the years, and has the perfect attitude for it. He can easily move from three weeks in the ‘pen to making a spot start, and takes pride in that fact. “The more things you can do, the better,” he said, smiling. “A utility pitcher, if you want to put it that way.”
Renteria back with Braves: Funny scene in the clubhouse this morning. I’m talking to Chipper (he’s playing today, by the way) and I see him glance across the room and smile. I turned and there’s Edgar Renteria, putting down his Detroit Tigers equipment bag in front of a locker and starting to take out the clothes that were hanging in it.
He’s doing this with a straight face, until the laughter of several former Braves teammates is too much, and he breaks into a laugh himself. Edgar exchanged hugs and handshakes with everyone, including his pupil Yunel Escobar, who worked out with the veteran all winter in Miami and will now try to fill his shoes.
Kotsay leading off: For a day, at least. Today’s lineup goes like this — 1. Mark Kotsay, CF; 2. Escobar, SS; 3. Hoss, 3B; 4. Teixiera, 1B; 5. Francoeur, RF; 6. Diaz, LF; 7. McCann, C; 8. Prado, 2B; 9. Lopez, DH.
Mike Hampton making his highly anticipated second start today vs. Tigers lefty Kenny Rogers.
Split-squad games tomorrow vs. Reds in Sarasota and vs. Houston here at Dark Star. I’ll be at the place that doesn’t involve 3-4 hours of driving, and where the manager will be.
Francoeur, Diaz and McCann are going to Sarasota, other regulars will stay here to face Houston.
Jo-Jo Reyes is to face Astros lefty Wandy Rodriguez, and Carlyle faces Reds lefty Jeremy Affeldt.
”ACHIN’ TO BE” by Paul Westerberg
Well she’s kind of like an artist
Sittin’ on the floor
Never finishes, she abandons
Never shows a soul
And she’s kind of like a movie
Everyone rushes to see
And no one understands it
Sittin’ in their seats
She opens her mouth to speak and
What comes out’s a mystery
Thought about, not understood
She’s achin’ to be
Well she dances alone in nightclubs
Every other day of the week
People look right through her
Baby doll, check your cheek
And she’s kind of like a poet
Who finds it hard to speak
Poems come so slowly
Like the colors down a sheet
She opens her mouth to speak and
What comes out’s a mystery
Thought about, not understood
She’s achin’ to be
I’ve been achin’ for a while now, friend
I’ve been achin’ hard for years
Well she’s kind of like an artist
Who uses paints no more
You never show me what you’re doing
Never show a soul
Well, I saw one of your pictures
There was nothin’ that I could see
If no one’s on your canvas
Well, I’m achin’ to be
She closes her mouth to speak and
Closes her eyes to see
Thought about an’ only loved
She’s achin’ to be
Just like me
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
Smoltz faces Tiger again — this time on ballfield
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — Coming to you from old-school Chain of Lakes park, where I just watched big Tyler Flowers of Marietta put on another power display during batting practice.
Wait, THIS JUST IN: I’ve just been informed by our crackberry-wielding Braves PR man that Tiger Woods, yes, Tiger Woods, grabbed a bat and hit today during John Smoltz’s three-innings of simulated game conditions back at Disney. Yes, it would have been a good day to stay back at Dark Star.
(Now that I think about it, I’m wondering about the use of “simulated game conditions” in this case. I mean, Tiger Woods, simulated game?)
In a second missive from Dark Star to the PR man here, we’ve learned that Tiger went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts and a bleeder up the middle that was generously ruled a hit, that in his fourth plate appearance when his pal Smoltz threw him a few batting-practice quality mid-70s fastballs. Before that, he threw his real stuff at the megastar golfer.
After striking out his first two times up, Tiger either drew a walk or struck out looking, depending who was telling the story (hey, these are very informal sessions that Smoltz is doing on the backfield, with a coach or someone else calling the balls and strikes).
Braves didn’t provide a pitching “line” on Smoltz’s session, but Chipper Jones had a double off him, Jeff Francoeur had a single, and Tim Hudson was bragging about getting a couple of hits. Don’t know if anyone else hit other than Chipper, Huddy, Francoeur and that golfer dude.
By the way, I’m told Tiger wore shorts with a Braves jersey tucked in, and a batting helmet, of course.
There was no line on Smoltz’s performance, but Chipper had a double and Huddy bragged that he had two hits
Roger McDowell stayed back there this morning to watch Smoltz, and I should be able to get a quote from the pitching coach after today’s game.
(Postscript: Just talked to Roger after today’s game — after the real game — and he said Smoltz did indeed walk Tiger. But he also said Tiger’s hit wasn’t a hit, that a second baseman would’ve snagged it).
If I can reach Smoltz, I’ll add a quote from him here or below. His voicemail says he doesn’t generally answer his phone or check messages between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. down here.)
Anyway, back to Flowers: Before we were so rudely interrupted (OK, not really rudely), I was telling you about the latest potental Braves slugger from the Atlanta ‘burbs. I talked to him this morning, going to do a story on him tomorrow for Friday’s paper.
Good kid, great personality. And he wants everyone to know he’s 6-4 and 250, not 220 as listed in the media guide (that was years ago he weighed that), and that he’s from Marietta, not Roswell.
There weren’t any long balls today that were comparable to the now-legendary wind-blown bomb he hit during BP at Port St. Lucie on Monday, the one that longtime observers estimated at 480-500 feet, longer than any they’d ever seen hit there.
But he did hit a couple onto a grass berm beyond left-center field here today, and more importantly, he did it with an easy, smooth swing that has quickly caught the attention of Bobby Cox and Terry Pendleton, among others.
Did I mention the 250-pound non-roster catcher/first baseman has been perhaps the biggest surprise in the first week of spring training? Well, he has. He’s 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs heading into today’s game against the Indians, and he’s in the lineup as the DH batting eighth.
Cox’s excitement about the kid came through in an unrestrained moment during a conversation in the dugout this morning. “His swing is so [freaking] good,” he said. “He’s got a great, nice swing. No moving parts, so simple.”
When I mentioned being a future first-base option, Cox said, “Yeah … I don’t know. Maybe I’m out of my mind. But I like what I see.”
Flowers is not going to make the team out of camp, barring some rash of injuries or other unforeseen circumstances. But Flowers is definitely planting the seeds in the minds of decision-makers, giving the Braves something to think about for the not-too-distant future.
I’m not saying they’re gonna pencil him in as the man to replace Mark Teixeira if Tex leaves as a free agent after the season. Just saying he’s giving the Braves reason to believe he could be ready to fill such a role sooner than later.
“We’re a long way from the barn … but he’s been a pleasant surprise of camp,” said GM Frank Wren, employing an expression from the cow-milking days growing up on a farm. “We knew he could hit, but he’s kind of maturing before our eyes.”
In other words, let’s not get carried away and pencil Flowers in as the heir apparent to Tex, or as a catcher that could make Brian McCann expendable someday. Let’s just enjoy watching the strappin’ young lad in his first big league camp, and see how he does this year at high-A Myrtle Beach, I’m assuming. Or maybe he’ll get some time at Double-A Mississippi.
Last season at low-A Rome, he hit .298 with 34 doubles, 12 homers and 70 RBIs in 106 games, playing mostly first base (69 games) and DH until late in the season, when he split time between first base and catching.
He caught and played first base the year before at rookie-ball Danville, but a knee injury prevented him from catching for much of the 2007 season. The knee’s fine now, and Flowers is said to be a good defensive catcher, according to Cox.
“The pitchers love throwing to him,” Cox said. “He’s a big target back there.”
He said Flowers was just “OK” at first base, but just needs more work there to improve his defense. Anyway, he’s one to keep an eye on, now and in the future. Maybe the near future.
Soriano update: Closer Rafael Soriano could pitch in a “couple” of days, Cox said, and GM Frank Wren said Soriano’s sore elbow is not a concern at this point.
Wren characterized it as the typical type of soreness that so many pitchers around baseball get early in camp, and said Soriano’s stomach problem (flu or whatever he had) magnified the situation because he’s not pitched in a game yet due to the two ailments.
Cox also said that Soriano’s elbow was sore from the beginning of camp. However, Cox, Wren watched Soriano throw very well in early sessions, so it wouldn’t appear that he came to camp with an injury.
Braves flew him to Atlanta for a physical before he signed his two-year, $9 million contract in January. They say they’re sure he wasn’t hurt before he got the contract.
In a week this could blow over — if Soriano starts throwing in games. If he’s sidelined by this elbow for for another week or more, yes, there will be undeniable concern.
But for now, Wren says there’s more than enough time for Soriano to get ready for the season.
“He’s throwing in a couple of days,” Cox said. “He’ll be fine.”
Is there any reason for concern? “I don’t think so,” he said.
But I have to add, Cox didn’t sound entirely convincing when he said that.
”JERSEY GIRL” by Tom Waits (covered by Bruce Springsteen)
Got no time for the corner boys,
down in the street makin’ all that noise,
don’t want no whores on Eighth Avenue,
cause tonight i’m gonna be with you.
‘cause tonight i’m gonna take that ride,
across the river to the Jersey side,
take my baby to the carnival,
and i’ll take you all on the rides.
Down the shore everything’s alright,
you’re with your baby on a Saturday night,
don’t you know that all my dreams come true,
when i’m walkin’ down the street with you,
sing sha la la la la la sha la la la.
You know she thrills me with all her charms,
when i’m wrapped up in my baby’s arms,
my little angel gives me everything,
I know someday that she’ll wear my ring.
So don’t bother me cause i got no time,
I’m on my way to see that girl of mine,
nothin’ else matters in this whole wide world,
when you’re in love with a Jersey girl,
sing sha la la la la la la.
and i call your name, i can’t sleep at night,
sha la la la la la la.
Soriano’s elbow, Chipper’s hammy, and Tiger
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — We’re back on the case at Dark Star after three days home in Atlanta, three relatively relaxing days of bike riding, bill paying, sleeping in, watching The Wire and helping my girlfriend move into her new apartment.
Anyway, I can report to you that Rafael Soriano has a little bit more of a problem than we’ve previously been told, and Chipper Jones has a little less of a problem than we originally feared.
First, the closer. Soriano.
He hasn’t pitched yet and we’ve been told several times that a stomach ailment of some sort has been the problem. True that, but he’s also got some inflammation in his pitching elbow, or slightly above it where the triceps connects to the elbow.
I know this because Bobby Cox mentioned the elbow inflammation to me in passing when I was talking to him in his office an hour ago, after first reiterating that Soriano had some tests to rule out an ulcer or something along those lines that might be causing his stomach discomfort.
Apparently that is/was just a stomach flu, since the other tests came back negative.
More important, potentially at least, is the inflammation in the elbow. When Bobby walked through the clubhouse after my brief discussion with him in his office, he stopped by Soriano’s locker. He asked the pitcher how he felt and leaned in to hear Soriano’s response (the man of few words also talks in a quiet rumble of a voice). Soriano pointed to the area just above his elbow, in back of the arm.
Hey, could be that it’s nothing more than the typical soreness or minor irritation that a lot of pitchers get who haven’t thrown much in the offseason. For now, that’s the assumption.
But obviously there’s more attention paid, or will be paid, to Soriano given that he’s moving into the full-time closer role and the Braves gave him a two-year contract and, oh yeah, Soriano had Tommy John several years ago.
I would seriously advise everyone not to jump to any conclusions just because he had T.J. surgery. Every time a guy who’s had T.J. surgery has any elbow problems whatsoever, people assume the worse. I get that. It’s understandable.
But if most fans understood how often pitchers get a little irritation in shoulders and elbows, surgically repaired or otherwise, they’d understand that 95 percent of the time it’s really nothing to be concerned about.
That said, we’ll certainly be paying close attention to whether Soriano pitches in four days, as Cox indicated was the revised plan. He also typically downplayed any significance to Soriano missing the first week or more of games.
“If he gets out there four or five times [in spring training games], that’d be fine with me,” the manager said.
You can bet the Braves would like to see more than four or five spring appearances by their closer. But as long as he’s healthy when the season begins, that’s all that matters, ultimately.
So stay tuned.
Hoss update: Talked to Chipper and told him we really need to hook him up with a laptop down here so he can give Braves/MIB blog updates on his health at times such as these.
He tweaked or strained or did whatever you want to call it to his right hamstring on Saturday during batting practice, and for a while much of Braves Nation - at least that part with internet access — thought the worst.
Again, given his injury history, entirely understandable reaction.
“I can just hear the bloggers now, ‘Chipper’s gonna miss 50 games,’” he told me this morning in the clubhouse, smiling as he mimicked the typing motion, which we all know ol’ U Kno Who has some experience doing.
He hopes to be back in the lineup by the weekend. On Monday he took some ground balls and 30 swings from the left side, no problems other than a little soreness. Since he hurt it batting right-handed, he was going to wait another day or two before he hit from that side.
I asked him how many at-bats he requires in spring training to be ready for the season. “I need about 30 left-handed at-bats,” he said. “Right-handed, I’m good to go.”
Lillibridge at 3B: Bit of a surprise at 3B today and batting leadoff, young (and even younger looking) Brent Lillibridge.
Braves want to see if he can play third base good enough to be the backup to start the season, since Omar Infante is going to open the season on the disabled list.
They know what Martin Prado can do, but it sounds to me like the Braves are going to give Lillibridge a legit chance to win the super-utility job out of camp. Unlike Prado, Lillibridge can play center field.
The final bench decisions are all connected. For instance, the Braves have to have someone who can back up CF Mark Kotsay, and Brandon Jones doesn’t fit that bill. Josh Anderson has impressed everyone so far, and I’d say he’d be the clearly favorite for the fourth outfield job if the season started tomorrow.
Lillibridge told me he’s taken “random” ground balls at 3B, but hadn’t played there in a game since the Cape Cod League four years ago. When he entered the clubhouse today and looked on the lineup/reserves board posted on the inside of the door, he was surprised.
He looked at the reserves at the bottom and didn’t see his name. “Then I saw it up top [in the lineup] and said, ‘Here we go.’”
He doesn’t have a hit yet this spring, but Lillibridge has been pleased with his swings and how he’s felt at the plate in batting practice and the games.
“I’m really excited to see what I can do [at 3B],” he said. “If I’m gonna make the team, it’s going to be as a utility guy, at least for now.”
The baby-faced prospect wants to play badly, to help the Braves win the division this season, and would prefer a utility role in the majors over playing every day in the minors. But he’s not one to complain or bitch, privately or otherwise, about anything. He loves to play, period.
(By the way, he sees himself as a starting shortstop someday, here or elsewhere. But for now, he’s more than happy to play wherever Cox and the Braves ask him to play. He said Escobar absolutely earned the SS job and belongs in the lineup after what he did last season filling in for Renteria.)
Golf with Tiger: Smoltz, Glavine and Francoeur played 18 holes with Tiger Woods at the PGA megastar’s home course, Isleworth, near Orlando. It’s an annual rite of spring for Smoltz and whoever he picks to join him and his pal Woods (Francoeur has made the cut the last couple years).
I’m writing something now for the paper, should be posted shortly. Suffice to say, Francoeur got too geeked up and tried to outdrive Tiger on the first few holes.
Smoltz had three birdies, a strong round from the scratch golfer. And Tiger? “I think he had eight birdies,” Smoltz said. “No, I know he had eight birdies.”
“Unbelievable,” Francoeur said of the PGA legend. “I think he birdied five out of six holes in one stretch.”
The lineup: 1. Lillibridge 3B: 2. Kotsay, CF; 3. Francoeur, RF; 4. Tex, 1B; 5. McCann, C; 6. B. Jones, LF; 7. Prado, 2B; 8. Guzman, SS; 9. Hudson, RH.
Relievers: Carlyle, Stockman, Ohman, Yates, and RH Jorge Campillo. For Phillies, Kyle Kendrick is starting and their top four is loaded: Rollins, Victorino, Utley and Howard.
Music is good: Brought a stack of mostly just-released CDs to spring training with me, so while I was home I listened to some from a year or two ago. Forgot just how brilliant the most recent Graham Parker album (“Don’t Tell Columbus”)was/is, as well as Built To Spill’s CD from a couple years ago, “You in Reverse.” If you don’t know Built To Spill, you should. Great band from Idaho, criminally underappreciated.
They’re at the other end of the alt-rock spectrum from Boston band Guster’s CD from a couple years ago, “Ganging Up on the Sun,” a good-enough album was a terrific single, “One Man Wrecking Machine.” Guster has some radio-friendly songs, which is usually not such a good thing, in my view. But there’s are not cheesy.
Then there was the drive in from the rental house this morning, enhanced by a Cohiba, a large travel mug of great coffee, and The Voice — George Jones’ The Grand Tour, remastered and never better… “Pass me by if you’re only passing through.”
”DANCING WITH THE WOMEN AT THE BAR” by Ryan Adams
When I see the moon, I hear the sound of the strip
Just calling my name
Just calling my name
When I see the moon, I hear the sound of the strip
Just calling my name
Yeah it’s calling my name
Man I love the feeling
When I go out
Dancing with the women at the bar
Man I love the feeling
When I go out
I always know my woman’s close somewhere
My daddy saw the moon, heard the sound of the strip
It called out his name
It called out his name
My daddy saw the moon, and heard the sound of the strip
Yeah it called out his name
And it called his son’s name too
Man I love the feeling
When I go out
Dancing with the women at the bar
Man I love the feeling
When I go out
I always know my woman’s close somewhere
Close somewhere
When you see the moon, hear the sound of the strip
Yeah call out my name
Yeah call out my name
And if you see the moon, hear the sound of the strip
Yeah call out my name
Yeah call my friend’s names too
Man I love the feeling
When I go out
Dancing with the women at the bar
Man I love the feeling
When I go out
I always know my woman’s close somewhere
Close somewhere
A new deal for Frenchy
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sorry I’m late with the blog, denizens. Quite a bit going on this morning with Frency’s contract renewal.
Got word of it while driving down to Port St. Lucie this morning. Trying to scribble notes on a pad while driving wasn’t such a good plan (hope Mom’s not reading) but thankfully I had an exit appear out of nowhere. Anybody been on the Florida Turnpike? Desolate.
Anyway, it’s official. Braves renew Francoeur. He’s getting around $450,000 and probably just cost himself about $20,000. Looks like the long-term talks are over for now, though I imagine if either side wants to talk in the next three weeks, they will. Otherwise Frenchy said he wanted to concentrate on the season once the Braves break camp.
I’m not going to quote a bunch of folks here and repeat what should be in the news story on-line, but I’ll just say Frenchy said this: “Would I like to have gotten something worked out? Absolutely. At the same time, I’m looking forward to this year and having a big season. I have a year until I’m eligible for arbitration, then we’ll see what happens.”
Translation, the kid will take some time to earn some leverage. One more season until he’ll more much to say, really. And for in the grand scheme, this is not that big a deal. The Braves renew him on their pay scale and both sides move on. So he won’t be Brian McCann and lock up early. That was a rare thing. And there’s still every chance in the world the Braves will try to lock him up to a long-term contract in the coming years. Francoeur, 24, is not a free agent until following the 2011 season.
I hear the Marlins just renewed 12 players yesterday. It’s not something the Braves have seen a lot of in recent years, and Frank Wren said he doesn’t understand the motives, but he respects that it’s part of the process.
From what I understand, it’s a practice that Scott Boras used to employ so that once players got to arbitration, they could use it as a point in negotiation to say the player should be redeemed for that. Last year, Ryan Howard got renewed for $900,000 by the Phillies. Perhaps agents are using that as some kind of benchmark now. Then again he was coming off an MVP season.
Don’t know that Francoeur was looking for something like that, but maybe his point is just to say he has more value than what the Braves slot for players with zero to three years of service. But I don’t think settling for renewal was any big stance for him or big issue. When I talked to him on the phone a little while ago, he was munching on a Chick-fil-A sandwich and heading out to meet Smoltz and Glavine to play a round with Tiger Woods. Nice.
In addition to renewing Francouer’s contract today, the Braves agreed to terms on one-year deals with Jeff Bennett, Anthony Lerew, Peter Moylan, Brayan Pena and Scott Thorman. All 40-man roster players are signed now.
Now, as for what’s happening at Port St. Lucie. Kelly Johnson and Yunel Escobar are hitting first and second. Jordan Schafer is batting third, Scott Thorman fourth, Javy Lopez fifth and catching, Matt Diaz is hitting sixth and playing left. Josh Anderson is in right, hitting seventh. Martin Prado is playing third, batting eighth and Pena is the DH.
The Mets have had a ton of injuries, as you know. 10 of their 13 position players are nursing injuries. But the Braves do get to see Jose Reyes, David Wright and Moises Alou.
It’s breezy and beautiful down here, and when we weren’t talking about Francoeur, Bobby was just gushing about Tyler Flowers. He hit an absolute bomb during batting practice that went off the back screen of a minor league field behind the wall in left center field. Talking to Marty Noble of MLB.com, we determined it might have been 500 feet. But it’s hard to say. Maybe more like 480. Still, an absolute shot.
And Bobby had this to say about Flowers: “He’s got it. And our guys love throwing to him. He’s got a great swing. He keeps that left shoulder down like Escobar, stays over the ball. He hits the ball probably as hard as anybody we’ve got. His swing is impressive. Doesn’t have a lot of moving parts.”
Oh and Bobby reiterated that Chipper’s hamstring injury is not believed to be that serious. That’s it for now. Will try to keep you updated through the game. Jo-Jo Reyes has the honors today.
A new deal for Frenchy
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sorry I’m late with the blog, denizens. Quite a bit going on this morning with Frenchy’s contract renewal.
Got word of it while driving down to Port St. Lucie this morning. Trying to scribble notes on a pad while driving wasn’t such a good plan (hope Mom’s not reading) but thankfully I had an exit appear out of nowhere. Anybody been on the Florida Turnpike? Desolate.
Anyway, it’s official. Braves renew Francoeur. He’s getting around $450,000 and probably just cost himself about $20,000. Looks like the long-term talks are over for now, though I imagine if either side wants to talk in the next three weeks, they will. Otherwise Frenchy said he wanted to concentrate on the season once the Braves break camp.
I’m not going to quote a bunch of folks here and repeat what should be in the news story on-line, but I’ll just say Frenchy said this: “Would I like to have gotten something worked out? Absolutely. At the same time, I’m looking forward to this year and having a big season. I have a year until I’m eligible for arbitration, then we’ll see what happens.”
Translation, the kid will take some time to earn some leverage. One more season until he’ll more much to say, really. And for in the grand scheme, this is not that big a deal. The Braves renew him on their pay scale and both sides move on. So he won’t be Brian McCann and lock up early. That was a rare thing. And there’s still every chance in the world the Braves will try to lock him up to a long-term contract in the coming years. Francoeur, 24, is not a free agent until following the 2011 season.
I hear the Marlins just renewed 12 players yesterday. It’s not something the Braves have seen a lot of in recent years, and Frank Wren said he doesn’t understand the motives, but he respects that it’s part of the process.
From what I understand, it’s a practice that Scott Boras used to employ so that once players got to arbitration, they could use it as a point in negotiation to say the player should be redeemed for that. Last year, Ryan Howard got renewed for $900,000 by the Phillies. Perhaps agents are using that as some kind of benchmark now. Then again he was coming off an MVP season.
Don't know that Francoeur was looking for something like that, but maybe his point is just to say he has more value than what the Braves slot for players with zero to three years of service. But I don’t think settling for renewal was any big stance for him or big issue. When I talked to him on the phone a little while ago, he was munching on a Chick-fil-A sandwich and heading out to meet Smoltz and Glavine to play a round with Tiger Woods. Nice.
In addition to renewing Francoeur’s contract today, the Braves agreed to terms on one-year deals with Jeff Bennett, Anthony Lerew, Peter Moylan, Brayan Pena and Scott Thorman. All 40-man roster players are signed now.
Now, as for what’s happening at Port St. Lucie. Kelly Johnson and Yunel Escobar are hitting first and second. Jordan Schafer is batting third, Scott Thorman fourth, Javy Lopez fifth and catching, Matt Diaz is hitting sixth and playing left. Josh Anderson is in right, hitting seventh. Martin Prado is playing third, batting eighth and Pena is the DH.
The Mets have had a ton of injuries, as you know. 10 of their 13 position players are nursing injuries. But the Braves do get to see Jose Reyes, David Wright and Moises Alou. Mike Pelphrey is on the mound.
It’s breezy and beautiful down here, and when we weren’t talking about Francoeur, Bobby was just gushing about Tyler Flowers. He hit an absolute bomb during batting practice that went off the back screen of a minor league field behind the wall in left center field. Talking to Marty Noble of MLB.com, we determined it might have been 500 feet. But it’s hard to say. Maybe more like 480. Still, an absolute shot.
And Bobby had this to say about Flowers: “He’s got it. And our guys love throwing to him. He’s got a great swing. He keeps that left shoulder down like Escobar, stays over the ball. He hits the ball probably as hard as anybody we’ve got. His swing is impressive. Doesn’t have a lot of moving parts.”
Oh and Bobby reiterated that Chipper’s hamstring injury is not believed to be that serious. That’s it for now. Will try to keep you updated through the game. Jo-Jo Reyes has the honors today.
Chipper’s not down-hearted
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Here it is, a gorgeous, quiet Sunday morning, looking forward to seeing what Mike Hampton will do on the mound today in his first spring training start and oh, what’s that.
Chipper Jones is slamming his bat down in the dugout bat rack yelling “stupid” something (couldn’t make it out), before he heads straight up the tunnel.
Afterward, in the clubhouse, when the mood was a little lighter he announced it as his “first tweak of the spring.”
Jones’ right hamstring tightened up on him while hitting right-handed during a turn in the batting cage. He said he tried to get in there and see if it was any better left-handed and it wasn’t. So he immediately shut it down.
But he said it should be only a couple days. And the fact that he came out of the training room and talked about it should tell you something. It’s not so bad.
When asked if he was concerned, Jones said “No,” right away, interrupting the question. ”You’re going to do it down here from time to time. Caught it early enough, it shouldn’t be a big deal.”
He said he first felt a little soreness while taking infield. He didn’t pay much attention to it, then it balled up when he was hitting.
“I felt it pretty good right-handed in the cage and then I took two swings to see how it felt left-handed, and I figured I’d stop it,” Jones said. “Just overextended it a little bit.”
For all the injuries he’s had in recent years, he hasn’t had any problems with his hamstring since 2004 when he went on the DL with a hamstring strain, his right one that time too. But this is not even in the same ballpark, he said.
“This is hopefully a couple days,” said Jones, who’s had oblique, feet, and hands injuries more recently. “It’s not near as bad as 04, 04 was scary.”
As soon as Terry Pendleton told Bobby Cox about the injury in the dugout during bp, what came to mind for Cox was that the team had just stretched not that long before. I asked Chipper about that.
“I’m not the most flexible person in the world, so it really doesn’t matter how much I stretch,” Jones said. (Sorry, I can’t see myself calling him Hoss just yet.)
As for the bat slam?
“Any time I’ve got to take myself out, I don’t like feeling this way, but I’ve got to be cautious down here,” Jones said.
“I’m not going to go and blow it out and miss all of spring training. Just take my couple days now and get it behind me.”
Still, it’s not a great development for a guy who’s been struggling to repair his image as the guy who’s injury-prone and played only 109, 110 games two and three years ago. He played 137 last year, which was a big improvement even though he missed a couple stretches because of his basepath collision in Pittsburgh.
And here it is only the fourth game of the Grapefruit League season. But then again, happening so early is a good thing. He’s got plenty of time to get ready, regardless.
Personally, I just don’t want anything to mess with his mood. Chipper had been in such a great mood all spring long. You guys know. You’ve chatted with him.
And by the way, did I or did I not tell you something would happen with DOB off the clock this weekend? Let’s hope it stops here. ….And Hampton has a great two innings. Will keep you posted on that, of course.
Beginning to wonder if Kansas- Kansas State had anything to do with DOB wanting this weekend off? Hmmm.
And on to more pleasant topics….How fun would it be to be manager for a day? Marietta plastic surgeon Ted Fabian got to find out on Sunday. By virtue of his winning bid at Cox’s charity event for Paws Because, the homeless pets foundation Cox supports, he got to suit up in full uniform and shadow Cox for the day. Game included.
How much did he pay? Wife Kristin just said “A lot.” As Dr. Fabian (Cox just called him Doc) said: “It’s like the MasterCard commercial. Getting to manage with a future Hall of Famer? Priceless.”
And another tidbit: Omar Infante is headed to Atlanta tomorrow to have the pin taken out of his wrist. He said he was supposed to have the cast off and some kind of splint put on and could begin doing some hand exercises this week. Since my Spanish isn’t great, I’m not 100 percent sure what that’ll mean for what he’s able to do baseball workout wise. I do know that Frank Wren told me yesterday, at worst, they expect him to miss the first week of the season. No more.
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