AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2008 > August > 01
Friday, August 1, 2008
Braves Nation must know: Will Sammy displace Corky?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The trade deadline has passed, August is here, the fourth-place Braves have conceded they are out of contention, and the question on the minds of Braves Nation is this: Who’s catching tonight, “Sammy” or “Corky”?
Why would I use quotation marks around Corky, when that’s his actual name? This is a question for which there is probably no satisfactory answer, much like: “How has an .094 hitter remained on the major league roster all season?”
But anyway, will the tools of ignorance — baseball jargon for the dog days — be worn tonight rookie catcher Clint Sammons, who went 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBI last night in his second start this season?
Or will the starting nod go to grizzled journeyman backup Corky Miller, who is 5-for-43 (.094) with one homer and three RBIs all season? Stay tuned. We’ll let you known in an hour or so.
By the way, the catching reins could be handed back to All-Star Brian McCann by Monday, when the Braves open a two-city road trip at San Francisco (we’re gonna have highs in the 60s in ‘Frisco, then highs of 105-110 when we get to Phoenix).
Mac’s progressing well in his recovery from the concussion he sustained in his collision with Shane Victorino Sunday in Philly, and was supposed to see the doc last night to see about getting clearance to pinch-hit this weekend and resume starting duties next week. I’ll let you know how that went later today.
In the meantime, Sammy or Corky tonight? What’s your guess? I’m going with Sammons. The Braves want to take a look at a few young players over the last two months of the season, and I think Sammons might be one of them. Could he be slotted for the backup job next season? Don’t see any reason why not.
The Braves wanted the former UGA player (and former Parkview High quarterback) to get a solid year of work in Triple-A to continue learning to handle pitchers, and he’s done that.
Tonight’s game: It’s been a while since we’ve seen Chuck James, and a whole lot has transpired with these Braves since he was banished to Triple-A following his May 15 start at Philly when he gave up five runs and three homers in four innings and said he flat-out felt needed to learn to pitch again.
He went 2-3 with an 8.22 ERA in five starts for the Braves in April and May, but James has gotten back on track at Richmond, going 4-5 with a 2.48 ERA in 14 games, including 1-1 with a 2.12 ERA in his past three starts, with 17 strikeouts and five walks.
The little lefty has regained his arm strength and hasn’t had issues with his pitching shoulder (it was a partial rotator cuff last fall that played a big part in his decline, and prevented him from preparing for this season).
With all the question marks the Braves have in their rotation for next season, James might be getting an early audition for job consideration. Keep in mind, he won 11 games each of his first two seasons in the majors (2006-07), and was a quality pitcher before the homer totals soared with his ERA.
In his last 13 major league starts, James has allowed a staggering 21 homers in 62-2/3 innings, going 4-5 with a 6.75 ERA in that span.
If you’re looking for a positive, other than his progress at Richmond, here’s another couple of points to consider: Chuck is 4-0 with a 2.70 ERA in his past four home starts. He really is. He only gave up three homers in 23-1/3 innings in those four games, two starts in September and two in April.
(On the road? Oh, my. He’s 0-3 with a 9.47 ERA in his past six road starts, three last season and three this season, with 30 hits, 10 homers and 12 walks allowed in 25-2/3 innings.)
Two other reasons for Braves fans to have legit reason to believe tonight: Milwaukee starter Jeff Suppan is 1-3 with a 9.10 ERA in in his past six starts, and 1-5 with a 5.61 ERA in six career starts against the Braves.
By the way, the Brewers had a 2.22 ERA and hit .285 with 12 homers during an eight-game winning streak through July 24. Since then they are 1-6 with a 6.43 ERA and .228 batting average, including a current five-game losing skid (they were just swept in a four-gamer against the Cubs at Milwaukee).
Got this letter from a fan: Not everyone has converted to the blogosphere. Some still prefer to send an e-mail or, believe it or not, a letter (I still have a few waiting in my mailbox each time I stop by the office).
Here’s an e-mail that was forwarded to me, written on July 25. The guy said I could use it in the blog. We didn’t edit or add the elipses or anything else, other than replacing some of the numbers with X’s in his phone number.
Subj: Bobby Cox.
In today’s sports page David O’Brien in his article “Braves left behind by breaks” points out that there are many bloggers and venters calling for Bobby Cox to be fired. I wasn’t aware of this. I do not read blogs or vents. I don’t read anything less than twenty words. If you believe you can state a position in twenty words or less, you’re an idiot or a Carl Rove sound-byte technician.
Bobby Cox has created a culture throughout the Braves system. When a minor league player makes it to the big show with Cox’s Braves, he blends in; he knows how to play and how to carry himself. Bobby Cox is all about loyalty and character. These bloggers and venters are not baseball fans, they’re more like buzzards; mindlessly circling the stadium looking for a kill to feast on.
No, I don’t agree with every call Bobby makes during a game. But, let me tell you, as long as he wants to manage … not only let him, but honor the man while he’s here.
David Myler (Snellville 404-2XX-XXXX)
Manny circus leaves town: Doc Holliday, Shaun and other regulars on the blog were debating the big Manny Ramirez-to-L.A. Dodgers three-team trade, and Doc and some were arguing that the Red Sox are a lesser team now because Jason Bay is no Manny, etc.
Anyway, thought I’d chime in.
Bay’s not a Hall of Fame player and Manny is; everyone, I assume, can agree on that. But as much as a segment of bloggers here often states and apparently believes that clubhouse chemistry and attitude mean little, it’s not true. Particularly in extreme cases, prima donnas can become more trouble than they’re worth, can pass the point of diminishing return. Manny is a case study.
When it comes to someone who so blatantly ignores team rules and clubhouse decorum, flaunts his status, and time and time again makes a spectacle of himself with no apparent regard for game situations and little personal regard for the importance of winning, when one takes his behavior to such an extreme that even the adoring fans at Fenway boo one of their own, long-term superstars, well, then the situation has become so dire, the distraction so great, the risk too high for a team that needs to have everyone on the same page in order to win in a competitive division and in what promises to be a rigorous postseason test.
By the way, speaking of stats, since the 2006 All-Star break, Jason Bay has hit .268 with 122 extra-base hits, 57 homers, 191 RBI and 197 runs, with a .474 slugging percentage and, though not overly important, 16 steals in 17 attempts.
In that period, Manny has hit .305 with 109 extra-base hits, 51 homers, 193 RBI and 177 runs, with a .527 slugging percentage and one steal in one attempt.
I think a few of you are letting Manny’s unbelievably productive decade from 1995 to 2005 skew your opinion of this trade, and your view of him in the present. He’s 36 and tailing off significantly (just look at his numbers the past couple of seasons, compared to those previous years).
You should not just ignore declining production, enormous salary, outrageous behavior and legit concerns that the player is not going to play hard in crucial situations. You can’t. The Red Sox decided they couldn’t, or wouldn’t, and that they did not want to deal with it anymore.
Dog-days diversions: Finally had a chance to listen to a few CDs I picked up recently, and here’s three new ones I’d recommend: Beck’s Modern Guilt (co-produced by him and Danger Mouse), Partie Traumatic by Black Kids (sounds very much like great ‘80s-era new wave/post-punk stuff like The Cure), and Fire Songs by The Watson Twins, a solid alt-country/rock set by the ladies who did an album with Rilo Kiley’s Jenny Lewis a couple years back. What does this one sound like? I’m thinking Byrds, Gram Parsons, early Neil. Also, speaking of The Cure, there’s an improbable, unusual, cover of the Cure’s “Just Like Heaven” on this CD that actually sounds great.)
”BACK TO TUPELO” by Mark Knopfler
Around the time of “Clambake”
Movie number twenty-five
You and the lying Dutchman
are still in overdrive
You’re as strong as when you started
Mississippi in your soul
You can still be Marlon Brando
and the king of rock and roll
It isn’t just the records
No, you must have Hollywood
The songs alone are not enough
That much is understood
You’ll soon be back in Memphis
Maybe then you’ll know what to do
The storylines they’re giving you
are just not ringing true
Oh, it’s a ways to go
back to Tupelo
When you’re young and beautiful
Your dreams are all ideals
Later on it’s not the same
Lord, everything is real
Sixteen hundred miles of highway
roll back to the truth
And a song to give your mother
in your first recording booth
Around the time of “Clambake”
that old dream’s still rolling on
Sometimes there’ll be the feeling
things are going wrong
The morning star is fading
Lord, the Mississippi’s cold
You can still be Marlon Brando
and the king of rock and roll
But it’s a ways to go
back to Tupelo
