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Thursday, August 28, 2008
These are the dog-and-Dessens days
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
So the Elmer Dessens signing didn’t get the pulses jumping out there among the denizens, huh?
Folks, a few of you are getting worked up over something insignificant. Probably no need to get all indignant and angry over signing Dessens to contract for the last five weeks of the season.
He’s simply an arm, a body to help the Braves get through this spiraling season and hopefully take a little stress off their worn out, injury depleted pitching staff.
(For those who might not have noticed, Will Ohman and Blaine Boyer are tied for the major league appearance lead with 70 apiece, and Boyer has struggled mightily since July 1, after putting together a pretty solid first three months.)
The Braves’ pitching staff, after posting the second-best ERA in the National League before the All-Star break (3.69), apparently ran out of baling wire and glue and have seen the pieced-together staff come undone in the second half. Their 6.22 ERA since the break is more than a run higher than the next-worst in the NL (Pittsburgh’s 5.06).
Dessens has pitched well in the Mexican League, for whatever that’s worth. If he can give the Braves some innings, starting and/or relieving, then he’ll be worth the minimal sum they’re going to pay him the rest of the way. Hey, Tavarez has been OK.
These are not signals about the direction of the club for the future (if they were, we might recommend relocation.) They’re just about getting through this painful season, finishing this thing before the busy offseason project begins.
Who knows, maybe they can stick Elmer in the rotation if they’re able to land something of value in a trade for … Mike Hampton. Yes, Hampton.
Teams have three days to make a trade if they want to have Hampton available for their postseason roster.
After his eight-inning, three-run performance last night against Florida, who knows? It’s possible someone will think enough of him to offer the Braves a prospect. A few contending teams could use a back-of-the-rotation starter, at least to help them win a division or wild card and get to the postseason, even if not necessarily to have him on their postseason roster.
Braves could save a few million bucks by not paying him the rest of the season, in addition to whatever talent they might get in return.
Hampton has produced three consecutive quality starts (six innings or more, three earned runs or fewer), going 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA and .303 opponents’ average in that stretch, with 23 hits, five walks and 11 strikeouts in 20 innings.
No, not overly impressive. But not bad, and better than what a few contending teams are getting from the back of the rotation most nights. He’s only given up one homer in those last three starts, and that sinker is really coming around.
We’ll see. Could be interesting between now and Sunday. Not counting on it, but it wouldn’t shock me, either, if the Braves moved him.
Either way, he told me last night that he would “definitely be open” to returning to the Braves, if they’re interesting in signing him again. I have no idea if they have any interest whatsoever in going back down that road, but anything’s possible, I guess.
One thing’s certain, in my view: They need to get a couple of durable, quality starters for the top of the rotation, to go with Jurrjens. I wouldn’t consider Hampton to fit that particular bill.
The great power outage: You’re about as likely to see a home run hit by a Brave lately as you are to see a win by the Braves. Neither is a good bet.
Folks, it’s hard to do what the Braves have done lately, to have a complete and utter power outage up and down the lineup.
They’ve lost 13 of their past 16 games, and gone homerless in 12 of those 16.
With four games left in August, the Braves have hit just eight home runs for the month. Eight! That’s the fewest in the majors, and five fewer than the next-lowest in the NL (San Francisco, 13).
Ten of 16 NL teams have hit at least 25 homers in August. The Braves have hit eight.
The Braves are slugging .363 this month, higher than only the Pirates (.361) in the NL and more than 100 points lower than the Cardinals or Cubs.
Here’s the anatomy of a stunning blackout, a near-complete team power outage:
— Kelly Johnson is 24-for-91 (.264) with no homers, seven RBI and a .341 slugging percentage in 27 games since July 28.
— Jeff Francoeur is 33-for-146 (.226) with one homer, 17 RBI and a .281 slugging percentage in 39 games since July 11.
— Brian McCann is 21-for-84 (.250) with one homer, 10 RBI and a .333 slugging percentage in 23 games since July 26.
— Chipper Jones is 27-for-101 (.267) with one homer, 14 RBI and a .347 slugging percentage in his past 29 games since July 7.
— Casey Kotchman is 11-for-70 (.157) with no homers, five RBI and a .214 slugging percentage in 20 games since being traded to Atlanta on July 29.
— Yunel Escobar is 62-for-232 (.267) with one homer, 25 RBI and a .353 slugging percentage in 58 games since June 6 (though his 15 doubles and 25 RBI in that stretch make him relatively hot on this limping team).
— Gregor Blanco is 70-for-289 (.242) with no homers, 23 RBI and a .287 slugging percentage in his past 80 games, and has one homer all season.
— Mark Kotsay went 46-for-166 (.277) with two homers, 16 RBI and a .380 slugging percentage in his last 46 games for the Braves before he was traded to Boston on Wednesday.
And while some backups have been productive, they’re not big long-ball threats:
— Omar Infante is 26-for-84 (.310) with no homers, 12 RBI and a .405 slugging percentage in his past 24 games.
— Martin Prado is 26-for-65 (.400) with no homers, 12 RBI and a .585 slugging percentage on this team, which makes him practically Pujols-ian for this squad. He has one homer but a strong .504 slugging percentage this season.
— Greg Norton is 25-for-96 (.260) with three homers, 12 RBI and a .427 slugging percentage in his past 55 games. A homer every 32 at-bats, which Bonds-ian for the current Braves.
Since the Braves traded Mark Teixeira to the Angels on July 29, they’ve hit .267 with 10 homers in 28 games, and he’s hit .379 with seven homers and 22 RBI in 95 at-bats for the team in Anaheim.
Pujols takes lead: Albert moved ahead of Chipper in the batting race last night, and holds a .357-.356 edge entering today’s games. Matt Holliday is a distant third at .340.
Pujols is scorching at .396 (44-for-111) with 10 homers, 31 RBI and 26 runs in his past 29 games. He has only 11 strikeouts and a 1.280 OPS in that stretch.
”SNAKE FARM” by Ray Wylie Hubbard
Well a woman I love is named Ramona
She kinda looks like Tempest Storm
And she can dance like Little Egypt
She works down at the snake farm
Snake Farm — it just sounds nasty
Snake Farm — well it pretty much is
Snake Farm — it’s a reptile house
Snake Farm — Uuuggghhhhh……
Well Ramona’s got a keen sense of humor
She got a tattoo down her arm
It’s of a python eatin’ a little mouse
Wearin’ a sailor hat that says snake farm
Snake Farm — it just sounds nasty
Snake Farm — well it pretty much is
Snake Farm — it’s a reptile house
Snake Farm — Uuuggghhhhh……
I asked Ramona how come she works there
She says it’s got it’s charms
Nothing to do in the winter
Now and then some kid gets bit at the snake farm
Snake Farm — it just sounds nasty
Snake Farm — well it pretty much is
Snake Farm — it’s a reptile house
Snake Farm — Uuuggghhhhh……
Well Ramona likes her malt liquor
And a band from Wales that’s called The Alarm
She said she cried when they broke up
She still plays their records at the snake farm
Snake Farm — it just sounds nasty
Snake Farm — well it pretty much is
Snake Farm — it’s a reptile house
Snake Farm — Uuuggghhhhh……
Sometimes Ramona calls me up
And says come on down here, it’s getting warm
She runs everybody off
And we … you know … it’s a snake farm
Snake Farm — it just sounds nasty
Snake Farm — well it pretty much is
Snake Farm — it’s a reptile house
Snake Farm — Uuuggghhhhh……
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