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Sunday, September 28, 2008
Ruminating on the season and Hoss’ future
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Houston — One more game. Let’s slap a bow on this season and tuck it away. That, or shoot it and put it out of its misery.
No, but seriously … here we are in Houston, where the Braves will play their last baseball game of the year for the fourth time in five years.
Yes, the Bravos were eliminated in the division series with losses here in 2004 and 2005, and today they’re playing their regular-season finale here for the second season in a row.
Add in the 2006 regular-season finale against the Astros that was played in Atlanta, and it’s a solid half-decade in which the Braves have played this team in their last game before making tee times and vacation plans.
Wait, that’s it. We’ve figured it out.
Houston, we have a problem, and it’s you.
The Braves have missed the playoffs three years running because of the Astros curse. In each of those years, the last regular-season game on the schedule was against the Astros.
Next year the Braves finish the schedule with seven home games against the Marlins and Nationals. Curse lifted.
What’s that? Oh, you think the Braves have missed the playoffs the past few years because of a variety of other reasons, ranging from wholesale injuries and a few underachieving key players this year, to the heavy reliance on older and/or injury-plagued players, and the lack of emphasis placed on middle relief in the past, and the lack of a strong leadoff hitter since Rafael Furcal left, and the self-imposed payroll restrictions that have prevented the team from retaining a few key players or pursuing big-money free agents, and … oh, well. That’s a good point.
But a Houston curse sure would be a more convenient and easily rectified problem, wouldn’t it?
A few other matters before we get this lid-closing tilt underway (if a season opener is a lid-lifter, then the last game should be the lid-closer, right? We encourage old-school jargon here on the MIB blog).
MacDisaster: Brian McCann is not in the lineup again today, and no, it’s not because Bobby Cox doesn’t want him to display that accidental buzz cut to the world.
Have you seen this haircut? It’s the unfortunate result of an alleged accident while Jeff Bennett (the team’s unofficial barber on the road) was cutting McCann’s hair in the clubhouse yesterday. I say alleged, because someone supposedly ran into Bennett’s arm inadvertently while Bennett was going at Mac’s head with the clippers. I’m not so sure it wasn’t someone’s idea of a prank.
Anyway, the clippers dug in and left a significant nearly bare patch, and Bennett had no choice but to damn near shave MacDaddy’s head, or have him get a lot of stares from people wondering about his bare spot.
Truth be told, I gotta say I kind of like the look. Just takes some getting used to. It’s, well, severe. Definitely gives Mac a more serious look. He’s got more hair on his chin now than he has atop his dome.
Now back to the lineup thing.
Mac’s got an even .300 average, and whether it’s said or not, that’s a reason he’s been out of the lineup these last two games. (Not that McCann would ask out; he wouldn’t. Ever. But Cox wants him to keep that .300.)
Bottom line, he’s played hurt most of the season and has 508 at-bats in 144 games, a whole lot of work for a catcher.
So, once the Astros were officially eliminated from contention on Friday, there really wasn’t a compelling reason to play McCann in the last two games. He has 42 doubles, 23 homers, 87 RBI, a .374 OBP and a .524 slugging percentage.
Another stellar season for a guy who has by far the best overall offensive statistics of any National League catcher since the beginning of 2006.
In a season when so much went awry for the Braves, Mac and Jair Jurrjens were exceptions, the two most reliable members of the team (Chipper was the Braves’ best player, when he played. But he played 127 of 161 games before today).
Speaking of Hoss…. I asked Chipper today about coming back on the blog this offseason, and he assured me that he would. So we’ll see. We might give U Kno Who a code so his name comes up in a different color, like AJC bloggers.
Chipper’s going to win his first batting title at age 36, and this morning I asked him what that meant to him, and also about the future.
“It’s sweet vindication after a bunch of people said I was done,” he said. “The last couple of years have been awesome, from a numbers standpoint. To have had as good a year this year at my advanced age is awfully satisfying.” (He smiled after he said that.)
I mentioned that he said a couple years ago that he still had plenty left.
“Well, nobody knows my body better than me,” he said. “I know that I can still go out there and play the game at a high level. Last year, this year, next year … doesn’t matter. I just hope people will give me the opportunity to continue to go out and do the things that have made me successful for 15 years now.”
That said, I asked him if he still felt strongly about wanting to finish his career with the Braves.
“Yeah, definitely,” he said. “I was born and bred into this organization. It’s the only organization I’ve ever known. Bobby Cox is the only manager I’ve ever played for. I can’t imagine the grass being any greener on the other side.
“I don’t want that to happen, but every dog has his day.”
I told him that last line would be interpreted in different ways by fans. Did it mean Chipper doesn’t expect to stay with the Braves, or that he wouldn’t be surprised if they listen to trade offers at some point in the future?
He went into his familiar line about how Dale Murphy was traded by the Braves. And David Justice. And even the great Hank Aaron.
Chipper’s not under contract beyond 2009, an option year that already vested. I asked whether he expected to work out a new deal with the Braves this winter.
“I’m sure that we will be approached at some point this offseason,” he said. “Otherwise, with next year being my last year, God forbid we’re in the same boat we’re in now [not going to the postseason]. Otherwise, you could be looking at scenarios where that have me on the trading block next July.”
Jones has the power to veto any trade as a 10-and-5 player (at least 10 years of service, including at least five with current team). But he’s said he wouldn’t hold the Braves hostage, that if they wanted to trade him he’d listen.
“I don’t want to play somewhere I’m not wanted,” he said. “But in the same sense, of the places I would go - the list is very short. Got to be the right situation for me and my family. That’s what being in one place for so long does for you: allows you to go where you want to go.”
Perhaps knowing how that might sound, he quickly added: “But I don’t want to make it like it’s a foregone conclusion that I’m gonna be gone next year. My goal is to play my entire career with the Atlanta Braves.”
On that note, let’s watch some ball. The game’s started. But first, a great tune from a mighty Texan, about another such Texan.
”BOB WILLS IS STILL THE KING” by Waylon Jennings
Well the honky-tonks in Texas were my natural second home
Where you tip your hats to the ladies and the rose of San Antone
I grew up on music that we called western swing
It don’t matter who’s in Austin, Bob Wills is still the king
Lord I can still remember, the way things were back then
In spite of all the hard times, I’d live it all again
To hear the Texas playboys and Tommy Duncan sing
Makes me proud to be from Texas where Bob Wills is still the king
You can hear the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville Tennessee
It’s the home of country music, on that we all agree
But when you cross that ol’ Red River, hoss, that just don’t mean a thing
Cause once you’re down in Texas, Bob Wills is still the king
Well if you ain’t never been there then I guess you ain’t been told
That you just can’t live in Texas unless you got a lot of soul
It’s the home of Willie Nelson, the home of western swing
He’ll be the first to tell you, Bob Wills is still the king
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