AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2008 > May > 25
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Dewsy, ‘ball and The Boss
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
When you walk into the stadium on a Sunday morning and pass venerable Bobby Dews headed to the batting cage in full Braves uniform, offering you a smile and a “Good morning,” well, that’s when you’re reminded there are worse ways to spend a Memorial Day weekend than working, if working happens to be covering major league baseball.
Greetings from the ‘yard, folks.
Big crowd pouring into Turner Field for this afternoon game against the Diamondbacks, as there will be for tomorrow afternoon’s homestand finale. If you can’t be here, then hopefully you’re enjoying whatever it is you’re doing. Stay safe.
Anyway, we’re about to get started so I’m gonna have to keep it brief. Had hoped to write a long blog this morning after I got back from the clubhouse, but we had news (again) with Chipper’s back spasms and waiting for Smoltz to tell us how he felt after his rehab appearance last night against the Smokies in the Smokies.
(Smoltz pitched an inning for Double-A Mississippi against the Tennessee Smokies in some town near Knoxville. I’m sure it’s beautiful up there, but I don’t have time to look up the name of the place, so don’t be offended if you live there).
Anyway, Smoltz never came out. Sent word through a team official that he was a bit “under the weather” but otherwise fine. Apparently that meant his shoulder was OK, though Bobby Cox told us that Smoltz reported “normal” day-after shoulder soreness, or stiffness, as Bobby put it.
Anyway, Smoltz plans to throw a side session tomorrow here in Atlanta, then they’ll decide if he needs to go out and throw another rehab game or two before he’s activated. Sounds like they’re probably leaning that way.
As for Chipper’s back, he and his .418 average are on the bench for this game after the back locked up on Hoss last night while he was tussling with his kids at home. Said it locked up just like it did a month ago in New York, when he was reaching for a shirt at his locker and was nearly brought to his knees by the first severe back spasms he’d ever had in his life.
Now he’s had it again. Based on my own experience, I’ll predict it’s something Chipper’s going to have to deal with from now on and stay on top of, stretching daily and especially when he feels it coming on. He said he had some pain during Saturday’s game (didn’t stop him from getting two hits, of course — but what does?).
He’s hit .432 average in his past 32 games with 11 home runs, 26 RBI, 23 walks and a .516 on-base percentage. It’s remarkable what he’s doing, folks, and the only concern is that he can stay healthy and avoid any significant time missed. One or two games isn’t enough to get him out of his groove, but a DL stint might be (not that this is a DL thing; he might even be ready to pinch-hit late in today’s game, he told me. That’s how much it’s improved since he got to the ballpark at 8:30 a.m. today and started in with the treatment).
By the way, Chipper’s .417 average is the highest in the last 50 years in the majors this late in a season. He also leads the majors in OBP (.488) and ranks third in slugging (.680).
The Braves have two certain All-Stars in Chipper and Brian McCann, who’s hitting .426 with three homers and 19 RBI in 18 May games before today. Tim Hudson and Jair Jurrjens will also get consideration with a few more wins between now and the All-Star break.
McCann is seventh in the NL with a .337 average and seventh with a 1.002 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS).
As I type this…. Tom Glavine has already given up a leadoff homer and two runs in the first inning of today’s game. The difference is, the veteran lefty can do damage control, unlike young Jo-Jo Reyes, who gave up two homers and five runs in the first inning of Fridays’ 11-1 loss to Arizona, one of only two Braves losses in the first nine games of this 11-game homestand.
Rafael Soriano update: He’s expected to be activated on Monday, according to Cox. Soriano has been on the DL for six weeks, and the Braves’ bullpen has somehow not just gotten through that period without a closer, but actually prospered.
Bobby has said on several occasions how much “fun” it’s been for him and Roger McDowell and the relievers themselves to make this work, going with matchups and creating a we’re-in-this-together vibe down there in the bullpen. Those guys have all been pulling for each other and feeding off each other’s success, trying to match or surpass each other.
But no, I don’t think the return of Soriano, Smoltz and lefty Mike Gonzalez can be anything but good for the Braves. Those are three veteran power arms and three with plenty of closer experience. Chemistry’s great, but chemistry alone isn’t going to get you through 162 games.
Big talent added to good chemistry, that’s a nice formula. And these three guys are probably returning at the perfect time, while the patchwork bullpen is performing so well and before the possible slippage that could be expected if they had to keep relying on so many of the same young arms to get through the last few innings of so many games.
Diaz slump deepening: This is getting alarming. No, moving past alarming. Matt Diaz is 8-for-49 (.163) with zero extra-base hits and two RBI in his past 19 games, with three walks, 12 strikeouts and a .385 OPS in that span, including a .163 slugging percentage and .222 on-base percentage.
Reflecting on Big Unit: I just like to type that. But anyway, Randy Johnson’s performance yesterday convinced me he’s going to win at least the 12 more games it’ll take to make him the next and possibly last 300-game winner, thereby removing that distinction from Tom Glavine’s resume.
Johnson is back from two back surgeries and, while he doesn’t throw close to 100 mph anymore, his location seems as good or better than ever. And that slider is still nasty.
By the way, Johnson’s last three starts vs. the Braves: 2-0 with a 0.41 ERA and .120 opponents’ average. He’s allowed nine hits and one run in 22 innings with - are you ready for this? — 32 strikeouts and zero walks. Mind boggling.
Talk about matchups: It might not have quite the name cache of Thursday’s Johan Santana vs. Tim Hudson matchup, but the Monday matchup of Jair Jurrjens against Arizona ace Brandon Webb is even better, based on this year’s statistics.
Santana has not been the completely dominant ace he was in the American League, and Brandon Webb is at the very top of his game — and at the top of the game, period.
And Jurrjens? Well, you folks know how good the Curacao Kid has been.
Webb won nine straight decisions to start the season before losing this week at Florida. He leads the league with a 9-1 record and has allowed a league-low .251 on-base percentage and 9.0 baserunners per nine innings.
Webb’s 2.69 ERA includes a 1.85 mark on the road.
Jurrjens is 5-3 with a 2.64 ERA and .202 opponents’ average, including 4-0 with a 1.48 ERA in five home starts.
They’re both among the top six in the NL in ERA and opponents’ average.
OK, a tune: This one feels like Memorial Day to me. Or the Fourth of July. Or just America. Or something.
“BADLANDS” by Bruce Springsteen
Lights out tonight
trouble in the heartland
Got a head-on collision
smashin’ in my guts, man
I’m caught in a cross fire
that I don’t understand
But there’s one thing I know for sure girl
I don’t give a damn
For the same old played-out scenes
I don’t give a damn
For just the in-betweens
Honey, I want the heart, I want the soul
I want control right now
talk about a dream
Try to make it real
you wake up in the night
With a fear so real
Spend your life waiting
for a moment that just don’t come
Well, don’t waste your time waiting
(Chorus)
Badlands, you gotta live it everyday
Let the broken hearts stand
As the price you’ve gotta pay
We’ll keep pushin’ till it’s understood
and these badlands start treating us good
Workin’ in the fields
till you get your back burned
Workin’ ‘neath the wheel
till you get your facts learned
Baby I got my facts
learned real good right now
You better get it straight darling
Poor man wanna be rich,
rich man wanna be king
And a king ain’t satisfied
till he rules everything
I wanna go out tonight,
I wanna find out what I got
Well I believe in the love that you gave me
I believe in the love that you gave me
I believe in the faith that could save me
I believe in the hope
and I pray that some day
It may raise me above these
(Chorus)
mmmmmmmm, mmmmm, mmmmmm
For the ones who had a notion,
a notion deep inside
That it ain’t no sin
to be glad you’re alive
I wanna find one face
that ain’t looking through me
I wanna find one place,
I wanna spit in the face of these badlands
Chorus
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