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September 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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Closing it out in hurricane-scarred Houston
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Houston — Well, we just got a reminder that we’re in a city that is still recovering from a nasty hurricane: Power is out in my entire hotel.
With that in mind, and the indicator showing a laptop battery level that’s dropping steadily — someone should tell annoying dude in the Mac-PC commercials that Mac PowerBooks have weak batteries — let’s crank out a new blog.
(By the way, it’s getting warm quickly in my hotel room. By the time I add some lyrics to the end of this, I might be naked.)
First up, wanted to mention something I was going to write last week, about how I learned years ago from a manager (Jim Leyland) not to put too much stock in anything you see in September or spring training. That doesn’t mean to dismiss performance in those periods, but just don’t put too much emphasis on it.
I say that because so many see the first two starts by James Parr and assume he’ll win a spot in next year’s rotation. Then he gets knocked around a bit, as could have been predicted, and it’s obvious he’s far from a lock for anything next year at the major league level.
Or people see Josh Anderson have a three-hit, two-stolen base game (could have been a 4-for-4 game were it not for a horrible call by an ump) and assume he’s going to hit leadoff and inject the Braves with speed next season. Voila, new offense.
Not necessarily. He’ll probably get a crack at the CF job, might even be the frontrunner if Jordan Schafer isn’t ready and assuming the Braves don’t get another one-year Kotsay-type plug for center. But we should be sure not to overly emphasize what Anderson has done in September callups with the Astros and the Braves the past two years (and I think the more he plays this month, the more we’ve seen the weaknesses in his game).
Reason I bring this up now is because on Monday in Philly, before the series opener there, I asked Frank Wren if the performance of some younger players this month has been encouraging for the organization. And I also mentioned the axiom about not putting too much importance on September or spring training results.
“I think we are encouraged by some of the things we’ve seen,” he told me. “This September has been an opportunity for some young guys to get a lot of playing time, and even some of our other guys — we’re encouraged with some of our guys that have been around for a while, that have kind of come around in the month of September.
“You can’t overly evaluate what happens in September, just like you can’t in spring training. That’s an old cliche but there’s clearly some truth in it. Because we’re not playing for anything, per se. These guys are playing for jobs for ‘09, but we’re not in the pennant race, and when you’re not in the pennant race, some of the pressure’s off.”
(This, by the way, echoes what Chipper Jones told me a couple days later in Philly, when Chipper was praising the recent performance of Kelly Johnson but added the caveat about how easy it is to relax at the plate and perform when there’s really not much on the line, with a team long since out of playoff contention.)
“And so,” Wren continued, “we’re hoping to be in the pennant race again soon, we hope that [pennant-race] pressure’s on us full-bore. And we’ve just got to make sure that we re-fortifiy this club. Yes, we’re encouraged by some of the things we’ve seen, but it’s not the end-all.”
Then I asked if Jeff Francoeur and Johnson were two of those he was referring to who had “come alive” recently.
“They really have,” he said. “They’ve played very well. Jeff is more of late, but Kelly the last month has played extremely well — I think it’s shown up both offensively and defensively. He’s looked like the player that we’ve seen over the last few years and thought was coming down the pike.
“In Jeff’s case, I think Jeff’s made some adjustments that have been more productive for him probably in the last week or two. And I also think that — and Jeff’s said it very openly — that he’s at a better playing weight for his game. I think we’re seeing his speed. I think earlier in the season, the ball he hit on Sunday [a triple in the 7-6 win against the Mets at Atlanta] in the left-center field gap, there’s no way that’s a triple [for him earlier this season].
“But now he looks more like the Jeff of a couple of years ago, you know, running the bases and fielding. Those are encouraging things.”
I should add, folks, that it’s clear to me from conversations with Frank Wren and others, that Wren is very much a realist and not viewing Francoeur through any rose-colored glasses. My impression is that the erstwhile Golden Boy’s Atlanta ties and Parkview High legend won’t have anything to do with whether he has a long-term future with the Braves.
Francoeur’s a good guy, goes a lot of appearances for the team, still very popular with most Braves fans and all that, but assuming he’s back next season, he will have to perform much better than he did this year to stay a Brave.
(OK, I’m down to shorts and T-shirt now, having shed sweatpants and socks.)
Mets fans love Chipper: At least they did on Wednesday night. I got an e-mail from a Braves fan whose brother lives in New York and was at Shea Stadium on Wednesday. He said when they showed Chipper’s homer against the Phillies on the scoreboard at Shea, a lot of Mets fans started doing the tomahawk chop in salute to the guy who’s put the dagger in their own team quite a few times over the past decade.
After the game Wednesday, Chipper said he’d been approached by a couple of New York writers last week, after the Braves had won two series against the Mets sandwiched around a Phillies sweep of the Braves, and told him some New Yorkers believed if it was a conspiracy, that the Braves wanted the Phillies to win the division.
“This should put those questions to rest,” Hoss said with that familiar smirk after Wednesday’s 10-4 win at Philly.
Speaking of Josh Anderson… Kentucky’s White Lightning (dude can fly, and won a slam-dunk contest as a prepster) hit .358 in 21 September games for the Astros last season, and the Astros traded him to the Braves in November for the Vulture, Oscar Villarreal.
Now, Anderson returns for the first time to Minute Maid Park, where he has a .410 average (16-for-39) with three doubles and five RBI in 11 games.
“I like playing there,” Anderson said of the retractable-roof stadium in downtown Houston. “I like that ballpark, personally, because I don’t have to put sunblock on or deal with the sun.”
That’s not small consideration if you’re as fair-compexioned as Anderson. He lathers on the Bullfrog SPF 30 every day at most ballparks, but not at Houston. (I should’ve asked him if he’d played any games there with the roof open.)
By the way, Chipper Jones has been a monster at Minute Maid, batting .416 (42-for-101) with 16 doubles, seven homers, 27 RBI and a .483 OBP and .782 slugging percentage in 27 games (how’s a 1.265 OPS work for you?)
That’s his second-highest average and second-highest slugging at any of 38 stadiums/ballparks Jones has played in, and the highest marks in both categories at any venue where he’s played more than five games (he’s 11-for-17 with two doubles and a homer at the Metrodome, .647/.941 in five games).
But will we see him in anything more than a pinch-hitting role this weekend? I don’t know. Day-to-day question that won’t be answered until we get to the ballpark and probably not until he tests the shoulder again today with some throwing, after the Braves’ day off Thursday.
The only other active Brave with a homer at Minute Maid Park? That’d be Francoeur, who has been sort of all-or-nothing there, going 7-for-24 (.292) with a double, a triple, three homers and 11 strikeouts and one walk. That’s a .320 OBP and .792 slugging percentage, which is a rather unusual recipe for a 1.112 OPS.
OK, I’m down to shorts. Period.
Mad Dog’s future: A friend of mine, Tony Jackson of the L.A. Daily News, wrote a good story on Greg Maddux last week. Here’s the link
The batting title: Chipper’s pretty much got it wrapped up. Then again, Albert Pujols did go 3-for-3 Thursday (with a homer and four RBI).
If Pujols went, say, 10-for-12 this weekend and Chipper went, say, 0-for-3, Albert would finish a point with a .364 average. So I take that back. It’s not over. But it’s Chipper’s title to lose, obviously.
By the way, he regained his commanding lead in the race by hitting .424 (25-for-59) since Aug. 28, while Pujols hit .329 (28-for-85).
This despite Pujols being the far more productive hitter in that period, with 14 extra-base hits (seven homers) and 25 RBI in 24 games, compared to Chipper’s eight extra-base hits (three homers) and 11 RBI in 19 games.
Oh, one more thing: Chipper is 4-for-5 as a pinch-hitter this season, with a homer and four RBI. Before this season, he was 4-for-36 as a pinch-hitter, with one homer and six RBIs.
Etc. Braves need two wins in the three-game series to avoid their first 90-loss season since 1990, for those who care…. Will Ohman needs one appearance to tie and two appearances to break Chris Reitsma’s franchise record of 84 (again, for those who care). Ohman is also one behind Mets lefty Pedro Feliciano for the league lead in appearances. Oh, and Ohman was on my flight from Philly to Atlanta yesterday. He flew back to Atlanta on the off day and was headed to Peachtree City to pick up his dog at the kennel, then driving with said animal 700 miles to Houston, expecting to arrive in the wee hours today. Wife and children had packed up the rental house and flown back home to Phoenix.
OK, the power finally came back on. You don’t want to know what I was wearing as I typed that sentence. Seriously, you don’t.
Diversions: Very satisfied by the season premiere of The Office last night. Great stuff. Humbled Ryan’s return to Scranton. Dwight and Angela having regular sex in the storage room, while Andy plans his wedding with Angela. Show hasn’t missed a beat…. Got the new B.B. King album One Kind Favor last night and have to say, it’s the first really strong album he’s done in, well, I don’t remember the last one. This ain’t the typical schlock we’ve heard from so many aging legends who have a half-dozen friends mail in their parts on some duets that are entirely unnecessary and just done to line pockets. This is serious blues-guitar by the venerable B.B. and friends…. Also got the new Lindsey Buckingham CD Gift of Screws and I really liked it. Dude still rocks. OK, does reviewing B.B. and Buckingham make me old? Hey, the only reason I went to the place was to get Kings of Leon’s new CD and they were sold out. CD store clerks must love seeing me enter the room.
A tune from a Texan: Since we’re deep in the heart of the Long Star State.
”NOTHIN’” by Townes Van Zandt
Hey mama, when you leave
don’t leave a thing behind
I don’t want nothin’
I can’t use nothin’
Take care into the hall,
and if you see my friends
tell them I’m fine
not using nothin’
Almost burned out my eyes
threw my ears down to the floor
I didn’t see nothin’
I didn’t hear nothin’
I stood there like a block of stone
knowin’ all I had to know
and nothin’ more
man, that’s nothin’
As brothers our troubles
are locked in each others arms
and you better pray they never find you
Your back ain’t strong enough
for burdens doublefold
they’d crush you down,
down into nothin’
Being born is going blind
and buying down a thousand times
to echoes strung
on pure temptation
Sorrow and solitude
these are the precious things
and the only words
that are worth rememberin’
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Kotchman, Kelly, Hampton … will all be back?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Philadelphia — So, are the denizens feeling a little more at ease regarding first baseman Casey Kotchman after watching him the last few weeks? I know the Braves are.
Their new first baseman struggled mightily after being traded from Anaheim for Mark Teixeira. He played defense at a Gold Glove-caliber level, like Teixeira, but the bat … absolutely woeful early on. Groundout after groundout to the right side.
But now look at him. Kotchman is playing like the guy the Angels were reluctant to give up, like a guy who could become a .300-20-100 guy someday. Hey, I said “could.”
He’s hit .323 (20-for-62) with two homers, 11 RBI and a .408 OBP and .452 slugging percentage in his past 17 games, including last night’s decisive homer off Cole Hamels, his third in three games against the Phillies ace this season.
Quite a turnaround for Kotchman, who hit .149 with no homers, five RBI and a .256 OBP and .203 slugging percentage in his first 22 games for the Braves.
A lot of people have asked me if the Braves are comfortable with the right side of their infield, or if they’ll try to upgrade at second base or first base.
I usually answer, ‘Who the hell am I, Frank Wren?”
No, just kidding. As I’ve said before, the Braves didn’t trade for Kotchman and Wren talk him up as an affordable, solid 1B for the next few years, only to give up on him based on three weeks of struggling after the trade. He’s their guy for next season, at least from everything I’m told.
As for Kelly, with his torrid late-season push, including his current 21-game hitting streak, he’s certainly building a strong case for being retained as the starting second baseman. I get a sense, from talking to more than one team official, that the team is pleased with Kelly, just want him to be more consistent.
The defense, many of us have noted, can get ugly form time to time. But when I asked Bobby Cox about it yesterday, the manager looked at me like I was crazy. “Kelly’s great,” Cox said. “He was great last year.”
So there. Make of that what you will. Keep in mind, though, this is Johnson’s second full season in the majors and second season playing second base at any level.
As for the numbers, they’re becoming pretty special: He’s hit .415 with 18 RBI during his 21-game hitting streak, the longest streak in the National League this season. He’s hit .423 with 15 extra-base hits (three homers) and a 1.289 OPS in his past 20 games.
And after hitting .264 with a .336 OBP and .416 slugging percentage in his first 90 games through July 22, Johnson has hit .322 with a .372 OBP and .505 slugging percentage in his past 56 games, despite a cold spell in the middle of that latter period.
Cutting the fastball: After last night’s game Bobby Cox was raving about how good Mike Hampton’s cutter (that’s a cut fastball) was against the Phillies. Then we went into the clubhouse to talk to players, and Hampton said the cutter was, indeed, vastly improved and a key to last night’s success.
“That’s the best (cutter) I’ve had this year. Felt good to have that as a weapon, to be able to keep them off the sinker as much as possible. Definitely good tonight.”
Talking to Hampton after a game, you’re reminded of how different it is than talking to most of the pitchers we’ve talked to since the rash of injuries robbed the Braves of their veterans.
He knows exactly what he wants to do out there and approaches a game well-prepared, then afterward he’s able to discuss what worked or didn’t.
“Their lineup’s tough,” he said. “There’s not much breathing room anywhere. Lot of times, you look at lefty-lefty matchups and think you’ve got an advantage, but those guys are as good as it gets from the left side.
“I feel fortunate with the outcome. We just battled. Mac and I worked well tonight. That was a big out when he threw out [Shane] Victorino.”
Lefties have actually hit Hampton better than righties have this season, though much of that is probably due to the fact that teams usually only keep their best lefty hitters in the lineup against him.
Lefties have hit .357 (20-for-56) with a .387 OBP and .589 slugging against him, compared to .272 (59-for-217) and .347 OBP/.456 by righties.
But enough numbers. Question is, will Hampton listen if the Braves make him an offer? We don’t know if the Braves will make one, but I’m thinking that because of their unusual situation with Smoltz and Glavine possibly returning, and given Hampton’s injury history and the Braves rash of injuries the past couple of years, they might decide they can’t tie up any money with Hampton.
What do you guys think? I know there are certainly passionate views on the subject.
I don’t know, though. I don’t have a strong feeling either way about their intentions, and I don’t know if Braves have even discussed it seriously yet. I do know he’s shown he can still be an effective pitcher, and there’s some reason to believe he’d continue to get better as long as he stays healthy.
In his past eight starts, Hampton is 2-2 with a 3.63 ERA and seven quality starts (six or more innings, three or fewer earned runs). He’s allowed two earned runs in each of his past three starts, and the Braves scored three runs or fewer while he was in each of his past six starts.
So, did he allow himself to think that last night might have been his last Braves start?
“No,” he said. “There’s just too much left up in the air. Who knows what’s going to happen. I can’t play scenarios. I’ve just got to go out there and pitch, and prove to everybody that I can still do it. I know I can, and hopefully there’s people out there that like what they see.”
As you all probably know by now, there’s a possibility Hampton will start the season finale Sunday at Houston against the Astros, the team he was with when he had his career-best 22-win season in 1999 (and was Cy Young runner-up to Randy Johnson).
That’s Jair Jurrjens’ turn, but the talented kid has already thrown 188-1/3 innings, more than 40 above his previous career high. Hampton was uncomfortable with the thought of Jurrjens feeling any pressure to let the veteran make the start, and said he’d talk to the rookie just to see what he was thinking.
Cox said it’s up to Hampton. Jurrjens indicated last week that he wouldn’t be opposed to stepping aside. So we’ll see.
Howard for MVP? Ryan Howard went 2-for-2 with a triple and two walks last night against the Braves, which should probably be considered a moral victory for Atlanta pitchers — they kept him in the park, and he got no RBI.
Dude is a beast against about everyone, but an absolute force against Atlanta, with a .313 average, 20 extra-base hits (13 homers), 43 RBI and .741 slugging percentage in his past 30 games against the Bravos, including 22 Philly wins.
(We might add that Pat Burrell has also become a Braves destroyer, with six homers and 12 RBI in his past 13 games against them, including 11 Philly wins.)
Anyway, Howard. There’s a growing case for Big Ryan as MVP, and his huge September (.347-8-27) has vaulted him into the group of frontrunners.
As noted today in USA Today, if his current average (.248) holds up, he could be the first MVP with a batting average under .250 since Darrel Evans hit .248 with 40 homers in 1985.
So I was thinking that Howard’s basic stats are very similar to Andruw’s in 2005, when Andruw was MVP runner-up. And I just checked them out and was surprisedat just how similar they really were — with a couple of glaring exceptions.
Andruw hit .263 with 24 doubles, three triples, majors-leading 51 homers, 128 RBI, .347 OBP and .575 slugging percentage, with 64 walks and 112 strikeouts.
Howard has hit .248 with 25 doubles, four triples, majors-leading 46 home runs, 141 RBI, .338 OBP and .534 slugging percentage, with 81 walks and a whopping 195 strikeouts. He also leads the majors with 34 RBI that gave his team a lead.
Given Andruw’s still-Gold Glove caliber defense at that time, and Howard’s mediocre defense at first base, the clear edge in seasonal performance would appear to go to Andruw’s 2005, if you stacked them side-by-side.
But look a little deeper. Howard will probably end up with 145 RBIs to Jones’ 128, despite the lower batting average and all the strikeouts.
Reason is simple: Howard has hit .303 with 25 homers with runners on base, and .312 (54-for-173) with runners in scoring position.
Andruw hit .236 with 19 homers with runners on base and a woeful .207 (38-for-184) with runners in scoring position.
If he had hit Howard’s .312 with runners in scoring position, in 184 at-bats, Jones would probably have had 150-155 RBIs and very likely won the MVP award.
Etc. I’m thinking Chipper Jones will play at least a couple of games this weekend at Houston, where he’s got a .416 career average with seven homers and 27 RBI in 27 games…. Will Ohman is tied for the major league lead with 83 relief appearances, one shy of matching Chris Reitsma’s franchise record…. The Braves have hit .287 with a .360 OBP and .463 since the All-Star break, after hitting .245 with a .320 OBP and .391 slugging percentage before the break. However, they have a 5.65 ERA and 25-38 record since the break, after posting a 3.69 ERA and 45-50 record prior to the break.
A tune to close. Gonna go with another of the great tunes from The Baseball Project’s first album, Vol. 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails. We’ve noted it here a few times, how this is a bunch of cool musicians — including R.E.M’s Peter Buck, and Steve Wynn of the old Dream Syndicate — who happen to be hardcore baseball fans and got together to do an album of baseball-themed tunes, but this isn’t your typical cheesy baseball-song fare. These guys are all rockers and the music is outstanding, including my favorite song, Ted [Bleeping] Williams, the actual title of which I can’t write here.
Here’s the intro to this song from the liner notes: After winning his third Cy Young Award and cementing his status as the best pitcher in the game, Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers ponders the pros and cons of an early retirement at age 30. With a sore arm riddled with cortisone shots, Sandy did quit the game that season and was voted into the Hall of Fame five years later, the youngest player to ever achieve that honor.
”LONG BEFORE MY TIME” by Steve Wynn
The summer game has let me down
Standing lonely on the mound
A crossroads only I can see
Between oblivion and destiny
My mind and body say I’m done
But something says I must go on
Conventional wisdom does implore
You give it all and then give some more
Summer slowly turns to fall
It’s so hard to walk away from it all
Long before my time
My agent says I need to move
What do I have left to prove?
I falter when I hold my ground
For a couple of bucks you can keep me around
You’re only young just once, I know
But history will always show
You pad your best days with the chaff
A tarnished faded photograph
Dandy Don and Warren Spahn
Tell me that I must go on
I must go on, I can’t go on, I must go on, I can’t go on….
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Kelly, Chipper, long lines for roast beef, etc.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Philadelphia — Just a warning: The line at Tommy DiNic’s over in Reading Terminal was too long, so I settled for going the healthier route with shrimip and vegetable tempura across the way from DiNic’s. That, plus the chest cold I’m getting, has me in a pretty sour mood.
Well, not really. The tempura was outstanding (not DiNic’s outstanding, but very good nonetheless). But this chest cold irks me. Nearly made it through all of spring training and the entire season without getting sick once. Now, with five games left, I’m hacking up a lung.
But hey, let’s do this. Gonna throw a bunch of stuff in here quickly today, because I slept a little late and am already behind, and I do have a bunch of stuff I wanted to give you.
Kelly J. sizzling: Kelly Johnson’s two-run, game-tying homer last night extended his hitting streak to 20 games, longest in the National League this season.
And this isn’t one of those single-a-game hitting streaks. The Braves 2B has hit .410 (32-for-78) with 15 extra-base hits (three triples, three homers), 17 RBI and a .718 slugging percentage during this 20-game streak.
In 54 games since July 25, he’s hit .320 (62-for-194) with a .371 OBP and .505 slugging percentage (despite a cold spell in the middle of that period).
In 91 games through July 24, he hit .264 with a .335 OBP and .417 slugging percentage.
I was talking to GM Frank Wren about how some guys were playing a lot better lately, and here’s what he said about Kelly: “Kelly, the last month, has played extremely well — I think it’s shown up both offensively and defensively. He’s looked like the player that we’ve seen over the last few years and thought was coming down the pike.”
He also talked some about Francoeur and about some younger guys, and about how you can’t judge too much from September or spring training. I’ll give you that stuff later.
Also sizzling, the Phillies: They’re threatening to go into the postseason on the kind of torrid that Colorado took to the playoffs last year. The Phillies have won 10 of the last 11 games while slugging 17 homers, scoring 66 runs and holding opponents to three runs or fewer nine times in that 11-game stretch.
You all know what they’ve done to the Braves this season. It’s pretty remarkable. Won 14 of 16 games against them this season, including 13 of the past 14.
In that 14-game stretch, the Phillies have out-hit the Braves .304-.240, out-homered them 26-12, outscored them 88-55, and outpitched them 3.19-5.93. Tthe Braves scored three runs or fewer in all but four of those games.
The Braves are a stunning 2-16 against the Phillies since Sept. 26, 2007, and tonight they face Cole Hamels, who’s 6-1 with a 2.82 ERA in his past nine starts against the Braves, including 3-0 with a 2.30 ERA and .208 opponents’ average in four this season.
Good luck with that, Mike Hampton.
Power drought update: The Braves still don’t have any player with more than five home runs since the All-Star break. The Phillies have six players with at least seven homers since the break, including three with double digits: Pat Burrell (10), Jayson Werth (11), Ryan Howard (18).
The Braves still have only 25 homers all season from outfielders, which would be the fewest in two decades for any major league team’s outfielders in a full season not shortened because of a strike.
The Braves have a league-low .362 slugging percentage from outfielders, while the Nationals (.379) are the only other NL team below .413 and 13 of 16 teams are over .430.
Chipper’s title to lose: Don’t know for another hour or so whether Chipper will be in the lineup tonight, but he’s running - and walking - away with the batting title as Albert Pujols has gone into a mini-slump lately.
Chipper’s back up to .364, while Pujols has slipped to .348. It’s extremely unlikely that Pujols will catch him now with so few games remaining.
Jones, who had a pinch-hit single in the ninth inning last night, is 16-for-35 (.457) with five extra-base hits, 10 walks and a .578 OBP in 11 games since Sept. 7.
In that same span, Pujols is 11-for-49 (.224) with six extra-base hits, five walks and a .291 OBP in 13 games.
OK, that’s it. Had some other stuff, but I’m outta time. Have to catch a cab to the ballpark. This tune’s from the great album of a year or two ago by Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins, Rabbit Fur Coat.
“RISE UP WITH FISTS” by Jenny Lewis
What are you changing?
Who do you think you’re changing?
You can’t change things, we’re all stuck in our ways
It’s like trying to clean the ocean
What do you think, you can drain it?
Well it was poison and dry long before you came
But you can wake up younger under the knife
And you can wake up sounder if you get analyzed
And I better wake up
There but for the grace of God, go I
It’s hard to believe your prophets
When they’re asking you to change things
But with their suspect lives we look the other way
Are you really that pure, Sir?
Thought I saw you in Vegas
It was not pretty, but she was
But she will wake up wealthy
And you will wake up 45
And she will wake up with babies
There but for the grace of God, go I
What am I fighting for?
The cops are at the front door
I can’t escape that way, the windows are in flames
And what’s that on your ankle?
You say they’re not coming for you
But house arrest is really just the same
Like when you wake up behind the bar
Trying to remember where you are
Having crushed all the pretty things
There but for the grace of God, go I
But I still believe
And I will rise up with fists
And I will take what’s mine mine mine
There but for the grace of God, go I
There but for the grace of God, go I…
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Braves’ final shot vs. nemesis Phils
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Philadelphia — Greetings from the only city where the Braves have won a game against the Phillies in the past 365 days.
Yes, the Bravos have played the dastardly Phillies 18 times in the last calendar year, and won but thrice. All three wins were in Philadelphia — on Sept. 25, 2007, and this season on May 14 and July 25.
That’s it. That’s all. The Phillies have won the other 15 games between the teams, including 12 of the past 13 — one reason they’re sitting in first place in the NL East, 1-1/2 games behind the Mets, who are hanging in there, but have been lurching and threatening to fold the past week or two.
But back to the Phillies. Most of you are aware they are 13-2 against the Braves this season, including 9-0 at Turner Field. But did you realize the Phillies also won their final two games against the Braves in 2007?
Yes, that means they’re 15-2 against the Braves since Sept. 26. Staggering, isn’t it? Unbelievable. As the Braves would say, you tip your cap (and maybe shine their shoes while you’re at it — seriously, that’s some dominance.)
The Braves have posted a 5.90 ERA and batted .247 with 18 homers in those 17 games, and scored three runs or fewer in 10 of them.
The Phillies, meanwhile, have posted a 3.45 ERA and batted .303 with 30 homers in those 17 games, while scoring five runs or more in 13 of them.
Ouch.
As for Mr. Ryan Howard, he’s played all 17 of those games and hit a gaudy .358 with seven homers and 26 RBI.
Here’s one stat I stumbled upon. Before going 0-2 on Thursday at Turner Field, Howard had a 19-game hitting streak against the Braves in which he’d batted .355 with nine homers, 29 RBI and a 1.226 OPS (.789 slugging). Crazy numbers, folks.
OK, about this series: After a pretty dismal season, the Braves are at least finishing with a pretty encouraging month. They’re seeing some good things, some talent and spark, out of a few young players, and good attitudes from some others who could have gone through the motions in these last weeks.
But this Philly thing, it’s something they haven’t found an answer to. The Phillies beat them in low-scoring games, high-scoring games, close games and blowouts. At Turner Field, they beat them every time, including once after a routine popup was dropped by Kelly Johnson with two outs in the ninth with the Braves ahead.
If the Braves could come into Philly and win a series, it could really help get some of that bitter taste out of the Braves’ mouths. But it’s a big “if,” obviously.
In case you haven’t noticed, the Phillies are beating everyone lately, not just the Braves. Howard, Hamels, Utley, Rollins, Burrell and the rest are 9-1 with 60 runs and a 3.84 ERA in their past 10 games, including a sweep of the Brewers that got Ned Yost fired, and three one-run road wins (two at Atlanta, one at Florida).
(The Braves, at their current pace, would require about four years to get three one-run road wins … hey, I’m just saying.)
The Phillies have homered in all 10 of those games, including four multi-homer games. Did I mention that Braves home-run leader Brian McCann would only be tied for fourth on the Phillies’ home-run roll?
The Phillies have a lineup lined with power and plenty of speed. The Braves haven’t had much of either this season, and their modest power went to league-worst power after Teixeira was traded and Chipper stopped hitting homers.
The Braves’ speed has also been close to league-worst all season, in terms of stolen bases. We’ve seen in the past couple of weeks what just a few steals here and there can do to impact a game, particularly if you’re not hitting for power.
In other words, if you’re not hitting homers, you better be able to manufacture some runs other ways. Braves can’t make that same mistake again next year; they need to add some power, but also need to have more speed than they displayed this season. Plain and simple.
Since all signs point to the traditioinal power positions of third base, first base and right field being manned again by Chipper, Casey Kotchman and Jeff Francoeur, who might not hit more than about 75 homers between them, the Braves had best add power elsewhere, and perhaps also think more about speed than they did when this year’s team was built. And about how to utilize that speed.
Oh, how to win this series: Almost forgot. Getting back to that point. First of all, the Braves need Chipper Jones to play, at least a game or two in the series. If the shoulder’s too sore, then hey, it’s too sore. But if he’s able to get out there and play at anything close to his customary self, they’re better off with him than anyone else they have at full strength.
In 10 games against the Phillies this seaon, Chipper has a .424 average in 33 at-bats with five doubles, three homers, 14 walks and a .596 OBP and .848 slugging percentage. Problem is, Braves have played 15 games against them (16 after tonight). So he’s missed a handful or slightly more.
In his career against the Phillies, Chipper has a .339 average with 54 doubles and 40 homers in 188 games, with a .459 OBP and .622 slugging percentage. Hey, this just in: This cat is really good at baseball.
B-Mac also has a .340 average with three homers, 16 RBI and a 1.108 OPS in 15 games against the Phils this season.
And the surging Kelly Johnson also has five homers and 14 RBI in 17 career games at Citizens Bank, the ballpark that replaced The Vet (thereby handing the undisputed Most Decrepit Ballpark to Shea — but where will the “honor” fall now that Shea’s closing?)
Johnson has hit safely in every Braves game in September, a 19-game hitting streak in which he’s batted .405 (30-for-74) with 13 extra-base hits (three triples, two homers), 15 RBI and a .676 slugging percentage.
It’s a career-best hitting streak and longest active streak in the majors, and during that streak he’s hit .545 (12-for-22) in six road games.
If Johnson could just iron out the peaks/valleys in his game, if he could produce the numbers he produces in a season but do it a little more evenly from month to month, he’d have a secure future for years with the Braves. Maybe he does anyway, I don’t know. I’m just saying….
Chipper’s run: He’s almost certainly going to win the batting title, whether he does it on the field or from the bench (and yes, that’s not the way to do it, if you have any choice in the matter).
But anyone watching Hoss knows he’s not been the force that he was in the first months of the season, when he was the best all-around hitter in baseball. (It says plenty about how opponents view him that he would get intentionally walked yesterday in that situation, despite everyone knowing he’s been out with a bum shoulder).
Jones has hit .339 with only two homers in 115 at-bats in 33 games since Aug. 9, and actually has a higher OBP (.465) than slugging percentage (.461) in that span, with 28 walks and 18 strikeouts.
Here’s a startling stat: He has as many stolen bases (two) as homers in that period.
Chipper got a huge standing ovation when he came to the plate to pinch-hit in that eighth-inning situation Sunday (Mets walked him, and Prado made them pay with the big hit).
My question: Is it possible, even remotely a possibility, that that was Chipper’s last at-bat as a Brave at Turner Field? And my own answer would be, no, there’s almost no chance that was his last at-bat in Atlanta as a Brave.
Because they have no intentions of trading him this winter, and he has 10-and-5 veto privileges even if they did try. Not that Chipper would force the Braves to keep him if they came to him and said they needed to trade him to help the club.
He’s told me, and I believed the sincerity with which he said it, that he’d consider a trade if the Braves thought it made them better. And he’d consider a position switch, but only if the Braves had someone better to play third base.
But again, I’ve been told recently by people who should know, that the Braves are planning on having Chipper in 2009, and having him play third base. But I do think the transition, even if part-time, to first base might happen sooner than later.
Just look at the career of the great third basemen, the Bretts and Schmidts and others. They made the move, at least part-time, to first base at a younger age than Chipper is now (36).
But having said that, I’ll add that most nights, Chipper has been a well-above-average defensive third baseman. But you can see the age creeping in some nights, for sure. And just the fact that he’s missing so many more games than he hoped to miss this season.
I still believe Jones will retire a Brave. Jones and Smoltz, both. Braves know it’s important to try to make sure that happens, long as it’s workable. And I think Chipper will play a few more years. Not many 39-year-old third baseman in the history of baseball. Not many Ripkens out there (and, of course, he moved from shortstop late in his career).
OK, running out of time here. Gotta get to the ballpark. Anyone see Kings of Leon play two songs on Saturday Night Live? I don’t know if I’m too thrilled with the direction they seem headed in. But I’ll reserve judgment. I’ll need to hear the album, which is out tomorrow.
Very pleased to see so many of my favorite TV shows get so many Emmys, including Mad Men (as I’ve said, best show on TV since The Wire ended), Damages (very good show that doesn’t seem like it was viewed by many folks I know), Entourage, House, Breaking Bad (pleasantly surprised to see Bryan Cranston win win best actor in a drama) and 30 Rock (hey, I was a Seinfeld freak back in the day, folks, but I gotta say, 30 Rock and The Office are even better, funnier shows today, at least for me. I’m sure plenty will disagree with that assessment.)
Just a shame that The Shield didn’t receive more honors/nominations.
Oh, and I know that your ‘Dawgs have got a brutal stretch coming up, UGA fans, the toughest road of anyone to a potential national title. But I don’t feel sorry for you: My Jayhawks have four upcoming games against Big 12 teams currently ranked in the top nine.
Of course, we also ain’t aiming for a national title. Not in that sport….
Huge lines at the airport this morning. Only thing that calmed me was The Finger Wag. Oh, maybe those who don’t fly Delta much aren’t sure what I’m talking about. The blonde flight attendant in the video they show before takeoff. When she wags that finger and says there is no smoking allowed on any Delta flight … oh, we like.
OK, enjoy the game tonight. Jurrjens going for win No. 14, against the neophyte lefty J.A. Happ.
“DAY AFTER TOMORROW” by Tom Waits
I got your letter today
And I miss you all so much, here
I can’t wait to see you all
And I’m counting the days, dear
I still believe that there’s gold
At the end of the world
And I’ll come home
To Illinois
On the day after tomorrow
It is so hard
And it’s cold here
And I’m tired of taking orders
And I miss old Rockford town
Up by the Wisconsin border
But I miss you won’t believe
Shoveling snow and raking leaves
And my plane will touch tomorrow
On the day after tomorrow
I close my eyes every night
And I dream that I can hold you
They fill us full of lies
Everyone buys
About what it means to be a soldier
I still don’t know how I’m supposed to feel
About all the blood that’s been spilled
Look out on the street
Get me back home
On the day after tomorrow
You can’t deny the other side
Don’t want to die any more than we do
What I’m trying to say,
Is don’t they pray
To the same God that we do?
Tell me, how does God choose?
Whose prayers does he refuse?
Who turns the wheel?
And who throws the dice
On the day after tomorrow?
Mmmmmmm…
I’m not fighting for justice
I am not fighting for freedom
I am fighting for my life
And another day
In the world here
I just do what I’ve been told
You’re just the gravel on the road
And the one’s that are lucky one’s come home
On the day after tomorrow
And the summer it too will fade
And with it comes the winter’s frost, dear
And I know we too are made
Of all the things that we have lost here
I’ll be twenty-one today
I’ve been saving all my pay
And my plane will touch down
On the day after tomorrow
And my plane it will touch down
On the day after tomorrow
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Here’s a quarter…
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Call someone who cares? OK, OK, that’s no way to start a blog. Just paying tribute to our postgame performer, Mr. Tritt. I hear he sounds awfully good live. Will have to keep my ears open while I’m typing up the game story.
If you ask me, it’s a fitting tribute for the last home game of the season. Hasn’t this season been like one long country song? Strife (pitchers falling left and right), heartache (losing our friend Skip Caray), a little case of the blues (Jeff Francoeur’s return trip to the minors) and in the end, all that’s really left is a country boy making a stand (Chipper Jones).
Yes, OK, feeling a little punchy, and I’m not the only one. Just came up from the clubhouse where everybody’s acting a little wacky. It’s like the last day of the school year or something.
Will Ohman was running around with a SportSouth camera trying to interview his teammates. Mike Hampton and Jeff Francoeur were going at it in some sort of FSU vs. Clemson discussion. And there’s lots of packing and organizing and doing things like making out checks to the clubhouse attendants for their year-end bonuses.
Chipper suggested in my next life I should be a clubhouse attendant. Guess the check was pretty good.
When he wasn’t giving me a hard time, we checked in on the shoulder, which is still bothering him pretty good. He said the dose pack usually starts kicking in by the third day. Today is Day 3. As of the morning, he wasn’t feeling that great. He was holding out hope by the end of the day that could change.
“I’m almost scared to throw,” Jones said. “I just don’t know. I get to right here and there’s something that’s not right.”
He got his arm up about even with his ear, when he said that.
For proof that he was hurting the team by playing, he pointed to the error he made on Jayson Werth Thursday night, when his throw pulled Casey Kotchman off the bag before Pat Burrell’s homer put the Phillies up 4-2. Friday night, he pulled Kotchman off the bag on a ball from David Wright.
“I can’t get my arm in the position to make that throw with anything on it,” Jones said. “(On the Werth throw) I tried to get rid of it quick, got a two-seam grip on it, and the ball just sailed on me. (With Wright) I was in front of that ball, got my feet under me, it still killed to throw it over there.”
Given that there’s only a week to go and there’s a batting title on the line, I asked him if he had any fears of how this looks, to be sitting out at this stage in the game with the batting title on the line. (He’s already qualified and could probably win it if he sits the rest of the way, which he surely won’t.)
“I’m not worried about that to be honest with you,” Jones said. “I want to be out there and playing, but I’m not healthy. I can’t do what I’m supposed to be able to do out on the field right now. If Martin Prado can make a better throw or get the bat head where it needs to be gotten to, then it’s better that he be out there, especially when these games mean something for one side.”
LINEUP WATCH: Just for kicks, folks, I took a look back at the lineup from the home opener at Turner Field on March 31 vs. Pittsburgh. Here goes:
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 P
And now, we have today’s lineup.
- Josh Anderson CF
- Martin Prado 3B
- Kelly Johnson 2B
- Brian McCann C
- Omar Infante SS
- Casey Kotchman 1B
- Jeff Francoeur RF
- Gregor Blanco LF
James Parr P
One-third of it is the same (Kelly Johnson, Jeff Francoeur, and Brian McCann). That’s it. Two of the guys are ailing - Chipper and Yunel Escobar, who can still hit but not move near well enough to play shortstop.
I know things get scrambled come September with call-ups et al, but I thought that was fairly telling.
MCCANN AND THROWING: McCann has put up another solid, All-Star season, as our McFann can happily attest, but there is one area he’ll head into the offseason knowing he needs to work on: throwing out base-stealers.
Base-runners have run basically amok on him (and yes, the Braves pitching staff). Out of eight NL catchers with at least 70 stolen base attempts on them (0.4 per scheduled game), McCann ranks last, having throwing out only 18.0 percent (20-of-111).
Here are the eight:
- Jason Kendall MIL 40.2 percent (35-of-87)
- Bengie Molina SF 30.4 percent (28-of-92)
- Paul Bako CIN 26.4 percent (19-of-72)
- Geovany Soto CHI 20.7 percent (18-of-87)
- Ryan Doumit PIT 18.8 percent (15-of-80)
- Carlos Ruiz PHI 18.2 percent (14-of-77)
- Russell Martin LA 18.1 percent (15-of-83)
Brian McCann ATL 18 percent (20-of-111)
“I say this every year but I don’t want people to think of me as just an offensive catcher who we’ll stick behind the plate,” McCann said. “I hope to improve my all-around game behind the plate.”
McCann said he would make it a point of emphasis this off-season and heading into next year.
“I want to work on footwork, jump rope, do a lot of cardio, try to be more of an athlete,” McCann said. “I need to start getting the ball out quicker. I need to start getting throws more on the bag. I need to find a way to do it. I don’t know if it’s focusing on footwork. Whatever it is, I’ve got to find it and I’ve got to find it soon. I’ve got it in me. I had it all the way through the minor leagues and the first couple years I was up here.”
Also, McCann was hitting .298 entering play Sunday, and that was something he was shooting for too: ending the season at .300 or better.
A SHOUT-OUT: DOB is taking the last road trip to finish out the season, so this might be my last blog for a while. Between helping out with Falcons, Hawks and Thrashers in the winter, I might make an occasional cameo, but in the meantime, I just wanted to say thanks for your patronage, your interest and for putting up with me for another baseball season. Much obliged! CR
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Chipper poised to win Braves’ first batting title since T.P.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A few thoughts as we head to the weekend while wondering if the SEC (football) ever looked better or the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) ever looked worse, and also wondering who has the more secure future, detective Vic Mackey or Mets manager Jerry Manuel (I could have used a couple of Braves names instead of Girardi, were it not for the fact the team has already announced that all coaches will return along with Bobby Cox next season).
OK, let’s get to it.
Mets arrive for a three-game series this weekend at Turner Field, and for locals it’s your last chance to see the 2008 Braves unless you plan to schlep to Philly or Houston (hey, don’t smirk - I ran into one of our bloggers at the James McMurtry/Jason Isbell show Wednesday in Athens who said he’s going to the series up in Philly, and wearing his Braves gear while sitting 20 rows behind the visiting dugout. I told him I hope he’s not going alone in Braves gear.)
(Some of you are probably saying, “last chance” to see the 2008 Braves is an oxymoron. You’d probably suggest this is more accurate: Last chance to be subjected to the ‘08 Braves. But that would be cynical, so shame on you.)
Anyway, there is a race involving the Braves. Or a Brave. It is, of course, the major league (and NL) batting race, where Chipper Jones now holds a commanding 11-point lead over the Cardinals’ Albert Pujols with just nine games left on the schedule.
At 36, the favorite son of tiny Pierson, Fla. (and the Bolles School) is poised to win his first batting title and become the first Brave to win the honor since Terry Pendleton did it with a mere .319 average in Pendleton’s 1991 MVP season.
We say “mere” because .319 wouldn’t have you on the radar in the race many years, including this one. Jones is hitting .365, Pujols .354 - far and away the highest two averages in the majors - while Colorado’s Matt Holliday is a distant third in the NL at .325.
Chipper blew a 22-point lead in a span of a few cold weeks in August, but has since warmed up again and rebuilt a cushion.
Hoss hit .388 with 18 homers and a .640 slugging percentage in his first 77 games through July 6, then went into a 25-game tailspin (by his standards) in which he batted just .262 with one homer and a .321 slugging percentage.
That lasted from July 7 to Aug. 22, and since Aug. 23 Jones has rebounded to hit .394 (28-for-71) with 10 extra-base hits (two homers) and a .592 slugging percentaqe in his past 19 games.
Pujols is hitting for a lot more power than Jones; Albert has a .358 average with eight homers and a .765 slugging percentage in that stretch since Aug. 23. However, Albert is 1-for-11 in his past three games.
Jones is 15-for-31 (.484) with nine walks, a .600 OBP and a .710 slugging percentage in his past eight games. He’d probably have to go into a final-week slump, and Pujols would have to heat up again in that period to catch him.
By the way, against tonight’s Mets starter Oliver Perez, Jones is 11-for-23 with a homer and eight walks.
The Braves could really use shortstop Yunel Escobar tonight — he’s 4-for-8 against Perez. Escobar has been limited to two pinch-hit at-bats in the past five games since straining his right hamstring.
Before he got hurt, Escobar had hit .289 with 18 extra-base hits, 30 RBIs and a .371 OBP in his last 51 games, with more walks (22) than strikeouts (21). I’ll let you know soon as I do about whether he’s in the lineup tonight.
Speaking of Jones…. There’s a feature story about him in the October issue of GQ that hits newsstands next week. But we’ve got a link for you if you want to read it now: http://men.style.com/gq/features/landing?id=content_7467
Heres’s a few interesting quotes from the story:
Chipper …on PED used in baseball: “I was just talking about this in the clubhouse with [journeyman pitcher] Buddy Carlyle, who spent eleven years in the minor leagues or overseas playing baseball. Now you’re starting to see guys who, without being enhanced, can’t make it here in the big leagues. And you’re seeing guys like Buddy Carlyle getting their opportunity.”
>… on Barry Bonds: “You don’t know how many guys he played against revere him. When he walks up to the plate, he might see one hittable pitch the whole game. And when that one guy who has ego enough challenges him, he kills it. To have the patience, the eyesight, the hand-eye coordination to be ready for that one guy truly amazes me. He’s the best player I’ve ever seen, steroids or no steroids.”
…on Roger Clemens, and Greg Maddux: “I have never had to work so hard just to put a ball in play against a particular pitcher the way I have against [Clemens]. But Bonds and Clemens have the cloud following them. That’s what makes me proud to have been Greg Maddux’s teammate, because he’s done it the right way.”
…on the possibility of DH-ing someday for an American League team like the Yankees: “I would really need some time to think about that, not that I would go Brett Favre on it. Heck, I’ve seen it happen. The Braves traded Hank Aaron, they traded Dale Murphy, icons in this town. So I know my day is going to come. I’ll play as long as I have the desire, and if it’s not in an Atlanta Braves uniform, that’s very unfortunate. But I would have to go somewhere where I have the chance to win. I’m not going to a last-place team just so I can hit 500 homers.”
…on making the Hall of Fame: Jones says he believes he’s “on the cusp” of Hall of Fame viability. “A lot of people say that offensively the benchmark is 3,000 hits. They say it’s 500 homers,” he says. “I don’t know that I’ll reach either one of those.”
…on whether or not playing in Atlanta has denied him some recognition: “I think it has prevented me from getting more recognition. What is fair recognition and what is not is debatable.”
OK, there’s more there if you want to read it. Link is above.
So anyway, if you don’t watch The Shield on FX, then you don’t know Mackey or my reference at the beginning. And, I might add, you’re missing some truly outstanding television. The new show on that network, Sons of Anarchy, has also got me roped in. And now House is back, too. And Entourage. And the remarkable Mad Men … All I can say is, thank you, whoever invented the DVR.
Other diversions: The McMurtry/Isbell twin bill in Athens was an outstanding night of music. McMurtry played nearly two hours, and those college kids who showed up late just to catch Isbell’s two-hour set (that lasted until 1:30 a.m.) missed a helluva performance by one of the great singer-songwriters alive today. McMurtry was incredible, despite the smallish crowd at the beginning of his set (by the end of his set, the place was nearly full).
Got to shake hands with the Man outside afterward, when he stopped at the light beside the theatre as he and the band were pulling away (McMurtry was driving). I was talking to a regular reader of the Braves/MIB blog at the time, a cool dude who lives outside Athens and sells insurance. Don’t know if he wants his name used here or not.
Isbell really ripped it up in his late-night set, especially on the two Drive-By Truckers songs he does at every solo show, Decoration Day and Outfit, which had all the college dudes in their torn baseball caps singing along to every word and pumping fists. As did the cover of the Talking Heads’ Psycho Killer that the band does so well. They did just about everything off Isbell’s great solo record 2007, Sirens of the Ditch. Good night.
“TOO LONG IN THE WASTELAND” by James McMurtry
Hear the trucks on the highway
And the ticking of the clock
There’s a ghost of a moon in the afternoon
Bullet holes in the mailbox
Bullet holes in the mailbox
Key holes in my mind
Too long in the wasteland
Too long in the wasteland
I’ve fallen behind
She said why don’t you come see me
When the sun goes down
It’ll be just like the old days
When I used to let you hang around
Well I don’t know
I might not speak the language anymore
Too long in the wasteland
Too long in the wasteland
Will close some doors
The people in the village
Watch their children play
At the sight of a stranger
They call the kids away
Just leave that man alone
I hear the mother say
He’s been too long in the wasteland
Too long in the wasteland
’s what made him that way
Well, I hadn’t intended
To bend the rules
But whiskey don’t make liars
It just makes fools
So I didn’t mean to say it
But I meant what I said
Too long in the wasteland
Too long in the wasteland
Must’ve gone to my head
Jet trail in the sunset
A long way away
Cutting ‘cross the horizon
At the edge of the day
And it calls Jimmy
Come fly away
But I’ve been too long in the wasteland
Too long in the wasteland
I believe I’ll have to stay
Yeah, I’ve been
Too long in the wasteland
Too long in the wasteland
I believe I’ll have to stay
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U Kno Who goes hunting
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Everybody on this blog knows the talents and versatility of a certain “U Kno Who.” That he can pop up in unexpected places and engage us in ways we didn’t expect.
Well, it’s not just blogging, folks. Our friendly neighborhood third baseman has a new hunting video out, and I just happened to get my hands on it.
Now, let me start by saying, it’s not my cup of tea - hunting. Don’t do it, don’t know much about it. I’m more like the girl in Brad Paisley’s song “when you see a deer, you see Bambi.”
But there I was late last night after the game, watching “Buck Commander,” a reality-style show featuring Chipper, Adam LaRoche, Ryan Langerhans, and Mike DeJean (former Rockies reliever) amongst a bunch of shaggy-haired, camou-wearing, face-painted other guys. One of them is the Willie Robertson of Duck Commander, whom some of you might know?
Anyway, it was engaging, I have to say. Set to some hard-charging music, has some laugh-out-loud scenes, you get to follow these guys on hunts, getting to see a different side of them. Crazy, isn’t it? I don’t know what’s the matter with me, but I can get sucked in to a lot of male-oriented reality shows I wouldn’t expect.
Shoot, if you’re going to watch TV around the boyfriend it’s inevitable, I suppose. Whether it’s “Deadliest Catch” or “Dirty Jobs” or “Orange County Choppers,” I have to tell you, I’ve seen them all.
And this was kinda like that, only it was Chipper Jones under all the gear and face paint and jumping around like a little kid celebrating a kill. I don’t know. Is that what they call them?
I had to zone out a little bit when they approached the dead animal (oy, poor Bambi), but hey, it was a chance to see Chipper like you’ve never seen him. And that part was fun. The usually stoic guy in front of cameras at a baseball game is constantly cutting up. It’s obvious how much he loves his second sport.
There was one scene, where there’s a tight shot of Chipper bow-hunting. And he pulls back the bow - OK I don’t know the technical terms - and he basically popped himself in the face with his hand. And in what’s supposed to be the quiet scene - they do a lot of whispering to the camera as they’re scoping the deer - he just lowered his head and lost it. He was laughing as hard as I’ve ever heard him laugh.
Anyway, I got tickled. This is something I know is a lot of fun for Chipper and before it’s over, he’d love to have Buck Commander on a cable channel.
Now, granted, honesty compels me to say I turned it off before I got to the end because a) it was late, and b) I’m still “Not A Guy!” (thanks, Brad). I will also watch “Project Runway” at the drop of a hat. I’d seen enough deer going down for one night. (And funny, they never seemed to miss. Good shots all the time? Or did we only see the good ones?)
But hey, it’s out there if anybody wants to take a peek. They’ve got their own website, a spot on YouTube, etc.
POSTSEASON EXPERTISE: The Braves ain’t going, but John Smoltz is. Our favorite new analyst has got himself a gig with TBS during the playoffs. He’ll be part of the broadcast team that is covering all the Division Series games and the ALCS.
I still need to find out out specifics, but I’m sure it’s a cool opportunity for John, who’s obviously shown he can handle the pressures of the broadcast booth in the few games he filled in for Skip.
Our home boys Chip Caray and Joe Simpson will also be part of the broadcast team again. We would expect nothing less! And of course, there’s Ron Darling, for those of us who got crushes on him during the 1986 World Series. Ahem.
NORTON IN THE ATL: This much we’ve learned about Greg Norton this season - the cat can pinch hit. He got another one last night to raise his average as a pinch hitter to .333 (17-for-51) which is second in the NL to Greg Dobbs (21-for-60, .350) among those with a minimum of 50 pinch hit at-bats. His three pinch hit homers, including Sunday’s game-winner vs. the Mets, leads the league.
He’s a valuable guy off the bench. And while the Braves have much bigger pieces they need to fill next year, they’d be smart to get Norton back, if you ask me. And I was curious if Norton had interest in coming back, or if he was looking for a bigger role on another team.
He gave it a fairly resounding yes, that he’d like to come back. Here’s what he had to say:
“We obviously like the area because my wife and I have discussed buying a house out this way, regardless of what happens,” Norton said. “You can’t play for a better manager than Bobby. And the players that they have in this organization, you can’t ask for any more than that. If they’re interested, I’d definitely want to come back. But we’ll see if they are.”
Norton has rented a house in Alpharetta this summer. He, his wife Jaena and their kids have made their permanent home in Denver for the last five years, but now they’re looking around here.
“We’re both from California, my wife doesn’t like the cold in the winter,” Norton said. “The land that you have with every house that we’ve looked at: it’s an acre, acre-plus, whereas our house in Colorado, I think we have a quarter-acre, so my dog will be a little upset when he gets home on Saturday. The trees. Being out there (in Alphraetta), it’s like you’re out in the country. It’s nice. All I’ve learned is that you have to pick and choose when you’re going to go somewhere with the traffic. But you really don’t have to go downtown for anything.”
And hey, baseball players don’t mind affordability either.
“I like it because it’s a lot cheaper than Colorado and quite a bit cheaper than California,” he said.
No doubt.
OK, that’s all I got. More from the park this afternoon.
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Braves playing spoiler - in reverse
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Something tells me there aren’t many Mets fans sneaking onto this blog at the moment. Am I right?
Guess the Braves are playing spoiler in reverse. OK, fine, not that they would ever be happy about losing to the Phillies, and watching the Phils take over first place in the NL East again, but geez, they’ve got to be getting fairly used to it by now.
The Phillies are 11-2 against the Braves this season. Four of the games in the series have been decided by one-run - including last night’s 8-7 Phillies win - and surprise of all surprises, the Phillies have won all four of those.
So if the Braves win those four games, they’d be down only 7-6 in this season series. But the numbers won’t let those one-run games fool you either. The Phillies have been dominant against the Braves this season, no way around it. I give you Exhibits A, B and C:
• Runs: Phillies 83, Braves 61
• Batting average: Phillies .314, Braves .252
• Home runs: Phillies 25, Braves 13
• ERA: Phillies 3.81, Braves 6.47
• Saves: Phillies 7, Braves 1
And the Phillies come in hot, winning five in a row through last night and 8 of their last 11. Should we re-document this for the Mets faithful? The Phillies have gone from 3 ½ games back to first place in less than a week.
So is this Phillies team just that much better than the Braves? Or is there some mojo at work, the kind teams sometimes get against another team during the course of a season. The Braves seem to have a little of that against the Mets this year. Nothing like in, say ’99, but to some degree.
The Braves have a chance to put that to the test again and do some spoiling for real when the Mets come to town this weekend. It’s the last three games at Turner Field of the year. Are you coming out?
By the way, I’d say the Nationals are pretty good at this spoiler business - a sweep of the Dodgers Aug. 26-28, taking two of three from the Phillies Sept. 1-3, and now winning the first two in a four-game series with the Mets, including last night by 1-0 shutout. They’re trying to mess things up.
ROOKIE RECORD: Jair Jurrjens, who takes the mound tonight, needs two wins in his last three starts to match the Atlanta record for wins by a rookie pitcher. (And hey, why not, three wins in three starts and he breaks it.)
Craig McMurtry won 15 in 1983. Jurrjens leads all major league rookie pitchers with 13 wins. He’s won two of his last three starts and he’s coming off the 10-strikeout night against the Rockies.
Jurrjens is 1-1 in two starts this year vs. the Phillies. Remember his eight innings of shutout ball in Philly on July 25? The night before the world began to cave in? That’s what Jurrjens is capable of doing against this team, and he’s not pitching in a band box this time.
Of course, he’s not as charmed a pitcher at Turner Field as he was to start the season. Jurrjens went 5-0 with a 2.48 ERA in his first eight starts at Turner Field. Since then he’s gone 2-4 with a 5.44 ERA in his last seven starts at home.
And wouldn’t you know the turning point in that tide was a July 3 4-1 loss to the Phillies at Turner Field? See, you can’t make this stuff up.
Jurrjens did say after his last start against the Rockies, he’d made some adjustments in his workout routine to keep a little more life on his pitches over this last month. He said he was throwing less between starts and had cut out lower body workouts, which was helping keep his legs fresh.
His fastball was lively last Thursday - Bobby Cox said he saw it up to 95 mph. He could use a good one tonight.
RAYS WIN, RAYS WIN?: A source very near and dear to my heart tells me that a Tampa Rays announcer has been ripping off Skip Caray, using “Rays win, Rays win, Rays win.”
I heard it for myself on Sports Center with the “Pump up the Volume” call from the Rays’ 2-1 win over the Red Sox last night. Not too long (though not immediately) after a walk-off hit by Dioner Navarro, Dave Wills breaks into “Rays win, Rays win, Rays win.”
What do we say here folks, sincere form of flattery? Or does the guy need to come up with his own gig?
Speaking of Skip, there’s still time to vote on the Ford C. Frick award for Skip or Pete or Ernie Johnson. You’ve got until Sept. 30 to do it. Go to baseballhalloffame.org. Top three vote-getters will be on the ballot for consideration by the selection committee.
LEAVING LAS VEGAS: Ah, just read that the winter meetings are in Las Vegas this year. Funny, I guess some sports writers will be combining their vacations and their work come early December. Maybe tell a few white lies about how long the winter meetings actually last?
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Could Yost return to Braves?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Don’t know if you all remember, but I mentioned quite a while back that Ned Yost and family kept their home in Atlanta while he was managing the Brewers, living in an apartment in Milwaukee during the season.
To repeat what I said yesterday after the surprising announcement that the former Braves third-base coach was fired by the Brewers, I think if he’s not hired to manage another team next season, there’s a good chance Yost will be back on Bobby Cox’s staff in 2009.
That’s just a gut feeling, not anything I’ve heard since the firing yesterday, but it’s a pretty strong gut feeling.
When asked in the past about who I thought was heir apparent to Bobby Cox, I always mentioned Terry Pendleton at the top of the list. I think he’s still on it, but I also think former Braves third-base coaches Fredi Gonzalez and Yost have become strong possibilities, too.
Even if Ned gets another managerial offer this winter, you gotta wonder if he might turn it down if he he believes he’s got a good chance to get the Braves job in a year or two, to follow in his mentor Cox’s footsteps in Atlanta.
But hey, that’s getting ahead of ourselves. I’ve given up — or at least I should — predicting when Bobby’s going to step down. And I don’t really know how Frank Wren feels about the possible candidates we list, whether he has an aversion to one or a particular fondness for another. That’ll go a long way in the decision, I’d guess, assuming Wren is still the GM when that time comes.
By the way, don’t you think getting fired must’ve been about the last thing on Yost’s mind just a couple weeks ago? Just consider this: The Brewers won 18 of 23 games from Aug. 5 to Aug. 31, posting a 2.43 ERA and averaging six runs a game in that stretch as they improved their season record to a robust 80-56.
But since then, they are 3-11 with a .207 batting average, 4.68 ERA and three runs or fewer scored in 10 of 14 games. Ouch.
Still, I gotta say this announcement came completely out of the blue, from all I’ve heard. You just don’t hear of teams firing the manager of a contending team with only two weeks left in the season.
Yost appeared on XM Satellite Radio’s MLB Home Plate channel this morning with hosts Buck Martinez and Mark Patrick. Here’s a few of Ned’s quotes from the interview:
— When asked if he had hard feelings toward Brewers’ general manager Doug Melvin:
“Do I agree with Doug’s decision? No, I don’t agree with his decision. But do I respect it? Yes, I respect it. That what I’ve always asked my players to do: ‘Look, you may not agree with what I decide here or what I’m telling you, but I do ask that you respect the decision,’ and my players always did.
“That’s my philosophy. I can’t tell someone to do something and turn around and do another thing. I think the world of Doug Melvin. I think he’s one of the top three general managers in the game. If he thinks that a change was needed, I don’t necessarily need to agree with it, but I will respect his decision.”
— When asked if he was caught off guard by the firing:
“Yeah, a little bit. We were in Chicago and we got in late from Philadelphia the night before, and Doug called and asked if we could have a meeting, and I just thought it was one of our regular meetings that we have from time to time. When I got in there, I saw Mark Attanasio, our owner, and I knew that this would probably be a bit of a different meeting then we’d ever had before, and it ended up to be the case.”
— On what’s up next for him and his career plans:
“Right now, I’m packing up my apartment and moving a little slowly doing that. Just trying to find my way to get home back to Atlanta. You know, I’m just going to sit back and root for the Brewers for the next 12 games. When this is all said and done, we’ll see what happens, and go from there”
— And finally, when asked if he was too loyal to his players:
“I don’t know if it’s a bad trait. I understand that these guys are players, and as long as they’re playing hard and playing with some heart and some intensity, they’ll find a way — they’re good players — to work their way out of it, especially really talented players and guys that have done it before would find a way to work their way out of it.
“A lot of times, fans would get upset with that because I’d be playing a slumping player when I had other options. I just felt real strongly about a player that had a gamer’s heart. I wanted him on that field.”
Streaking trios: The Braves have three of the NL’s highest batting averages in the past 10 days: 2. Chipper Jones (.481), 7. Kelly Johnson (.400) and 9. Brian McCann (.385).
Milwaukee has three of the “coldest” five NL hitters in that period: Corey Hart (league-low .069, 2-for-29), Ryan Braun (.091, 3-for-33), Jason Kendall (.107, 3-for-28). That’s one way to help get a manager fired.
Hard to believe: Greg Norton’s is tied for the Braves’ homer lead since the All-Star break with five. Folks, Norton has only 55 at-bats since the break, and five other Braves have at least 155, including Jeff Francoeur (two homers in team-high 195 at-bats since break), Yunel Escobar (four homers in 181 at-bats since break) and Brian McCann (five homers in 158 at-bats since break).
Coen Brothers do it again: Mentioned last night that we saw the fine new Coen Brothers movie, Burn After Reading, and that while I didn’t think it cracked the top five of their incredibly rich and varied filmography, it certainly was close and a worthy addition to the catalog. It’s hilarious, at times in a deliciously dark way, as the Coens do so uniquely and consistently well.
Anyway, after careful consideration, here’s my Top 10 films of the Coen Brothers, though it’s really too difficult to rank them because some (most) of them are just so different. If you’re a big fan of theirs, please let us know if you agree or how you’d rank their movies, be it a top five, eight, 10, whatever.
No. 1 The Big Lebowski, 2. No Country For Old Men, 3. Raising Arizona, 4. Fargo, 5. Blood Simple, 6. Miller’s Crossing, 7. Barton Fink 8. O Brother, Where Art Thou, 9. Burn After Reading, 10. The Man Who Wasn’t There.
Other diversions: More interesting CDs released today, including the first full-length from local dudes Dead Confederate, Wrecking Ball, and a solo disc from Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham that’s getting rave reviews, and a new one from re-formed Brit rock band James.
If the Dead Confederate album is as good as the outstanding EP of theirs that I bought a year or so ago, then it’s a must-purchase. These young guys really are on the cusp of blowing up nationally. Gotta be. They’re an outstanding rock band, with a lot of grungy Neil Young influence. By the way, they’re having CD release shows Friday at the 40 Watt in Athens and Saturday at the EARL in East Atlanta.
“SIDE OF THE ROAD” by Lucinda Williams
You wait in the car on the side of the road
Lemme go and stand awhile, I wanna know you’re there but I wanna be alone
If only for a minute or two
I wanna see what it feels like to be without you
I wanna know the touch of my own skin
Against the sun, against the wind
I walked out in a field, the grass was high, it brushed against my legs
I just stood and looked out at the open space and a farmhouse out a ways
And I wondered about the people who lived in it
And I wondered if they were happy and content
Were there children and a man and a wife?
Did she love him and take her hair down at night?
If I stray away too far from you, don’t go and try to find me
It doesn’t mean I don’t love you, it doesn’t mean I won’t come back and stay beside you
It only means I need a little time
To follow that unbroken line
To a place where the wild things grow
To a place where I used to always go
La la la, la la la, la la la, la la la
La la la la, la la la, la la la, la la la
If only for a minute or two
I wanna see what it feels like to be without you
I wanna know the touch of my own skin
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Just don’t leave Mama’s at Shea
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Flushing, N.Y. — The sun’s breaking through the clouds, jets are roaring in and out of LaGuardia, and I’m in the pressbox, digging into a turkey hoagie with a big slab of fresh mozzarella, gravy and mushrooms, from the field-level Mama’s of Corona at Shea Stadium.
I sure hope Mama’s is moving with the Mets to the new Citi Field, because it is, without question, as good or better than any food you can get in a major league ballpark.
OK, so let me wipe the gravy off my fingers and try to type between bites of this big ol’ sandwich, as we settle in for the last game the Braves will ever play at Shea Stadium, barring some unforeseen development that would prevent the completion of the new corporate-bank ballpark that’s risen from the parking lot beyond left field, between the current stadium and dozens of automobile chop-shops … er, repair shops.
(I’m told the Sopranos … I mean, the proprietors of those shops, have a deadline sometime late in 2009 to be out of there so the city or whoever can raze all of those low-slung, dilapidated buildings in preparation for some sort of trendy shops-and-restaurant development. But they’re fighting their eviction in the courts. Regardless, at least next season those shops will still be there. To give you some idea how close they are to the gleaming new stadium, you could probably hit them throwing from right field … with Juan Pierre’s arm.)
But the new stadium look mighty fine, I must say. Not as beautiful and stately as new Yankee Stadium, but much nicer (at least from outside) than, say, the D.C. ballpark. And if they have Mama’s there, well, I’m sold.
Anyway, Chipper’s playing today, but Yunel Escobar is not. Forgot to mention that higher, and we’re getting too close to game time to edit. Escobar strained his right hammy scoring from second in eighth inning of doubleheader opener Saturday. He’s day-to-day. Hurts losing his bat, because he’s been at his best in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, Chipper told me this morning the back feels better after a couple of days of rest and stretching and muscle relaxers, etc.
He hasn’t seemed nearly as excited this year about the possibility of winning a batting title as he did a year ago at this time. I asked him about that this morning, and he said it was because the Braves fell out of contention so early, whereas last year they still had some playoff hopes until the last week or so of the season.
He’s got a three-point lead on Albert Pujols in the batting race — NL and majors — entering today’s games, .362-.359. Chipper is 11-for-26 (.423) in seven games since Sept. 2, while Pujols is 11-for-37 (.297) in nine games during that same period, albeit with four doubles, three homers and 10 RBI.
It’s a huge drop from Pujols to No. 3 Matt Holliday (.329) in what has been a two-man batting-title race for quite some time now.
Some people in e-mails to me, or here on the blog, have complained about Chipper winning the title while not playing. Well, folks, long as he gets 502 plate appearances, which he already has (he’s got 506).
By the way, Chipper’s still hitting .405 at home, 40 points ahead of No. 2 Pujols’ .365 average.
Now if he can add some pop …. Granted, he’s hitting mostly singles. But Casey Kotchman is getting a lot of hits lately, and the Braves are obviously pleased to see him start to produce before the season ends.
The first baseman went 5-for-7 in Saturday’s doubleheader and has a .423 average (11-for-26) in his past eight games with five RBI, six walks, only one strikeout and a .545 on-base percentage.
Ten of those 11 hits were singles, and the Braves hope Kotchman will start hitting more line drives and getting more lift on balls, as he did during some long stretches with the Angels.
The feeling is that he has the natural power to be a 20-25 homer guy without sacrificing average. One thing he doesn’t do is strike out much. Dude has just 35 strikeouts in 473 at-bats this season, and his ratio was the best in the American League before the July 29 trade that brought him east.
Before this recent surge, Kotchman hit just .149 (11-for-74) with five RBI in his first 22 games for the Braves. He still hasn’t homered in 100 at-bats for Atlanta, after hitting 12 homers in 100 games (373 at-bats) before the trade.
K.J. late push: After hitting .264 with 39 RBI, a .752 OPS and 10 errors in his first 90 games, Kelly Johnson has hit .318 with 23 RBI, an .879 OPS and one error in his past 47 games.
The 2B enters today with a 12-game hitting streak, but he’s not in the lineup against Mets lefty Oliver Perez. Martin Prado is getting a start at second base in place of Johnson, who’s 0-for-7 with six strikeouts against Perez.
Johnson has been the Braves’ hottest hitter since late August, batting .392 with a 1.027 OPS in his past 18 games, including a .478 average (22-for-46) with 12 extra-base hits, an .891 slugging percentage and 12 RBI in his past 11 games. He’s only struck out four times in that torrid 11-game period.
How can this be? Would you believe me if I told you the Braves have the highest on-base percentage, second-highest batting average and third-most runs in the NL since the All-Star break? I wouldn’t blame you if you said no.
But they do. They’ve hit .278 (second to Cardinals’ .286) with a league-best .356 OBP since the break, and their 267 runs trail only the Cubs (272) and Mets (271). But as we know, the Braves’ problem is they score so many of their runs in bunches, winning quite a few blowouts and losing a slew of one-run games.
And while they’ve scored the third-most runs since the break, their godawful 5.90 ERA is .81 higher than the next-worst in the NL, the Pirates (5.09).
In September, the Braves have hit a whopping .307 with a .380 OBP entering today, which would easily be their best month of the season if they can maintain it. Their best months in those categories so far were April, when they hit .282, and May, when they hit .280 with a .362 OBP.
They hit .263 or lower with on-base percentages of .343 or lower in every other month.
Oh, and the Braves’ 10 stolen bases in September already matched their previous single-month high for the season, which is hard to believe (well, unless you’ve watched them. The Bravos sure don’t run much, do they?)
OK, game’s starting. We need a tune to serve as punctuation for this thing. We ain’t messing around today. Heavy artillery.
”ROLAND THE HEADLESS THOMPSON GUNNER” by Warren Zevon & David Lindell
Roland was a warrior from the Land of the Midnight Sun
With a Thompson gun for hire, fighting to be done
The deal was made in Denmark on a dark and stormy day
So he set out for Biafra to join the bloody fray
Through ’66 and 7 they fought the Congo war
With their fingers on their triggers, knee-deep in gore
For days and nights they battled the Bantu to their knees
They killed to earn their living and to help out the Congolese
Roland the Thompson gunner…
His comrades fought beside him — Van Owen and the rest
But of all the Thompson gunners, Roland was the best
So the CIA decided they wanted Roland dead
That son-of-a-bitch Van Owen blew off Roland’s head
Roland the headless Thompson gunner
Norway’s bravest son
Time, time, time
For another peaceful war
But time stands still for Roland
‘Til he evens up the score
They can still see his headless body stalking through the night
In the muzzle flash of Roland’s Thompson gun
In the muzzle flash of Roland’s Thompson gun
Roland searched the continent for the man who’d done him in
He found him in Mombassa in a barroom drinking gin
Roland aimed his Thompson gun — he didn’t say a word
But he blew Van Owen’s body from there to Johannesburg
Roland the headless Thompson gunner…
The eternal Thompson gunner
still wandering through the night
Now it’s ten years later but he still keeps up the fight
In Ireland, in Lebanon, in Palestine and Berkeley
Patty Hearst heard the burst of Roland’s Thompson gun and bought it
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Braves make their last trip to Shea
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Flushing, N.Y. — Here’s a quick one before I head over to Shea Stadium for the opener of the Braves’ last scheduled visit to the fading behemoth of a stadium hard by the 7-train tracks.
The Braves would love nothing more than to follow up this week’s sweep of the Rockies by winning their last series at Shea, where the Braves had some memorable LCS games against the Mets, and where Chipper Jones had some of his finest moments during his 1999 MVP season (and plenty of others).
(Not to mention, the stadium where The Clash, The Who, The Beatles and Joe Willie Namath once played - yes, the Jets played here for a while).
But it ain’t going to be easy. Because the Metropolitans are rolling, folks. And Johan Santana is pitching every bit like the ace the Mets envisoned when they gave him that fat contract.
(Hey, before I forget, I should mention there’s a chance you fans in Atlanta will get to witness some important NL baseball this weekend - the Astros and Cubs are considering playing their series at Turner Field, the series that’s being moved from Houston because of Hurricane Ike. Stay tuned. I heard they were still in discussions, nothing final, but it could happen.)
Now, back to Braves-Mets. The Bravos come in on a bit of a roll - I almost forgot how to type that sentence, it’s been so long - having won six of their past nine games, including five of seven on the just-concluded homestand.
They are 6-3 with a 4.97 ERA, .314 team batting average and 62 runs scored in their past nine games, after going 4-17 with a 6.84 ERA, .259 average and just 80 runs in their previous 21 games. And in their past eight games, the Braves have an almost respectable (relatively speaking) 4.27 ERA.
But that all pales in comparison to the Mets, who have won 20 of their past 27 games and belted 36 homers in their past 26 games, fueled by the resurgent Carlos Delgado, who has hit well against the Braves throughout his career.
(Wait, I almost forgot: Anyone heard the new Metallica album out today? I’ve not heard anything yet, curious to get a review from someone today. OK, back to the Mets….)
Delgado looked done, finished, wiped out, old, while hitting .229 with 11 homers, 35 RBI and a .306 OBP and .396 slugging percentage during his first 75 games this season through June 26.
Well, he was a long way from finished.
In 67 games since then, Delgado has hit .304 with 24 homers, 69 RBI, a .395 OBP and .648 slugging percentage, and some observers - at least ones from New York - are trumpeting him for MVP consideration.
I can’t see that happening, no way. Not when Albert Pujols and others have put up the numbers they’ve put up this season. Delgado might be the second-half MVP, but I don’t know of anyone who hands out that award.
As for Santana, he’s pitching tonight. And he’s blazing. The lefty is 6-0 with a 2.31 ERA in his past 13 starts, with a .216 opponents’ average, 22 walks and 72 strikeouts in 89-2/3 innings. He’s got two complete games in that stretch, and he’s pitched 10 consecutive quality starts entering tonight.
This run followed a stretch in which Santana went 0-4 in five starts from June 6-28, despite a sparkling 2.53 ERA in that winless stretch. The Mets scored one run while he was in three of those games, and two in another.
Santana is still looking for his first win against the Braves, who’ve beaten him twice this season despite him giving up only four earned runs in 14 innings in those games, in April and May.
The former Twins ace is 0-3 with a 2.81 ERA in four starts against the Braves, who’ve hit far better (.301 average) in those 25-2/32 innings against him than most other teams have during his career.
By the way, Santana is 7-3 with a 2.24 ERA in 14 home starts this season, including 4-0 with a 1.45 ERA in his past six.
He’s matched against Mike Hampton tonight, which makes it three tough counterparts that Hampton will have faced in his past four starts, including Florida’s Josh Johnson in consecutive starts Aug. 27 and Sept. 1.
Skip Caray T-shirts: The long-awaited new batch of Skip T’s is in, and Jake Cook (radio producer extraordinaire and T-shirt designer) tells me that the denizens can get them here
Proceeds are going to the Caray Family’s preferred charities, though Jake couldn’t put that on the eBay ad because of the hoops they make you jump through to set that up as a non-profit entry.
Massive burger: If you live in the Atlanta area and have never had a “Ghetto Burger” (that’s the name on the menu) from Ann’s on Memorial Drive, you should do so at your first chance. I had my first one Thursday.
The joint (and that’s what it is) is not far from the ballpark, just a shack of a place with a screened-in front porch and about eight stools at the inside counter. Wait outside until Ann is ready for you to come in (seriously).
It takes her about 20 minutes to cook the massive gut-buster of a burger, start-to-finish. The Ghetto Burger goes for $7.75, but get the combo, with fries and a drink (great sweet tea).
It’s the biggest burger I’ve ever eaten, by far. The whole mess is nearly two pounds, with fries. It’s got chili, onions, cheese, two slabs of beef and mayo (I, of course, had her hold the mayo, because I do not eat mayo, as I’ve said before.)
It’s one of the best five burgers I’ve ever (Wall Street Journal rated it No. 1 in the nation, but I’m sticking with Le Tub in Hollywood Beach, Fla., as my No. 1).
“DOWN THERE BY THE TRAIN” by Tom Waits (written for Johnny Cash to perform)
There’s a place I know where the train goes slow
Where the sinner can be washed in the blood of the lamb
There’s a river by the trestle down by sinner’s grove
Down where the willow and the dogwood grow
You can hear the whistle, you can hear the bell
From the halls of heaven to the gates of hell
And there’s room for the forsaken if you’re there on time
You’ll be washed of all your sins and all of your crimes
If you’re down there by the train
Down there by the train
Down there by the train
Down there by the train
Down there where the train goes slow
There’s a golden moon that shines up through the mist
And I know that your name can be on that list
There’s no eye for an eye, there’s no tooth for a tooth
I saw Judas Iscariot carrying John Wilkes Booth
He was down there by the train
Down there by the train
Down there by the train
Down there by the train
He was down there where the train goes slow
If you’ve lost all your hope, if you’ve lost all your faith
I know you can be cared for and I know you can be safe
And all the shamefuls and all of the whores
And even the soldier who pierced the side of the Lord
Is down there by the train
Down there by the train
Down there by the train
Down there by the train
Down there where the train goes slow
Well, I’ve never asked forgiveness and I’ve never said a prayer
Never given of myself, never truly cared
I’ve left the ones who loved me and I’m still raising Cain
I’ve taken the low road and if you’ve done the same
Meet me down there by the train
Down there by the train
Down there by the train
Down there by the train
Down there where the train goes slow
Meet me down there by the train
Down there by the train
Down there by the train
Down there by the train
Down there where the train goes slow
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Remembering the events of 9/11
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Long time no blog, denizens. It’s Carroll making a cameo today while DOB gets ready for the final Braves trip to Shea Stadium.
It just so happens it’s Sept. 11 today, which always conjures up old memories, especially after turning on the TV this morning to see remembrances in both New York and Washington.
It got me to thinking about where I was that morning - at home, about this time, getting ready to cover a Braves-Phillies game that night, waking to multiple phone calls from friends and family telling me to turn on the TV.
I did a quick little search on the story I wrote that day, and thought you guys might be interested to remember too what the raw reactions were from players that day. Here are a few excerpts.
(If not, just scroll down. No harm, no foul.)
The future of the Braves’ biggest series of the season was unclear late Tuesday, but nobody seemed to care.
Several players said the cancellation of Tuesday’s game with the second-place Philadelphia Phillies was a no-brainer.
“It’s very petty to even think about playing a baseball game at this point, ” said Chipper Jones, who watched televised reports of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington from his home in Alpharetta. “It’s the most important game of the year, and it pales in comparison to what’s going on. Thousands of lives have been lost. I’d imagine we’ll take swift action to find out who did this. I think everybody is focused on that and not something as unimportant as a few September baseball games.”
The Braves, 3 1/2 games ahead of the Phillies in the NL East, were supposed to play the first of a three-game series on Tuesday night. But Major League Baseball canceled all games and commissioner Bud Selig said decisions on future games would be made on a daily basis….
John Burkett, who was supposed to start Tuesday, is one of a handful of players who were stranded at their respective homes. Burkett was scheduled to fly from Dallas to Hartfield International Airport on an 11 a.m. flight but never left his home in South Lake, Texas, after flights were grounded.
“I’m trying to get a (rental) car, ” said Burkett, who was planning to make the 14-hour drive to Atlanta. “I want to do what I can to pitch. I don’t see there being any way to fly in the next two or three days. I don’t know if I want to fly in the next two or three days. When I get there, I get there. At least I know my family is safe.”…
Braves players in Atlanta were notified that the game had been canceled around lunchtime.
John Smoltz first learned of the tragedy on the radio while dropping his kids off at school.
“I’m at a loss for words, ” he said.
“It just doesn’t make sense to go out and play something as meaningless as the game right now, ” Jones said. “First of all, people are scared to walk out of their homes. It’d be hard for me to go out and concentrate on a game, having seen what I’ve seen today. I saw, in slow motion, a 757 fly into the World Trade Center. That’s disturbing. We stay (in Manhattan). Two weeks later and we’re right in the middle of it.”
The Braves stay at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in midtown Manhattan, which is where they are scheduled to be for a three-game series with the New York Mets, beginning Sept. 21….
DEEP POCKETS: Anyway, back to what’s going on now. And what lies ahead. With millions to spend this winter - we’re estimating about $40 million - the Braves are about to go on a shopping spree this winter, via trades and free agency.
My brother asked me the other day when the last time the Braves signed a big free agent was: Greg Maddux? In December of 1992? Well, I knew that was the biggest, but I knew it wasn’t the last. But the question was a good one. There haven’t been a ton of free agent splashes in this organization in recent years. Mostly big moves have come by trade.
So I did a real scientific study. I rummaged through some transactions lists from the last 16 years since the Maddux trade and I came up with only a handful of multi-year, at least semi-big free agent signings. The whopping list?
Walt Weiss signed a three-year, $9 million deal on Nov. 17, 1997.
Andres Galarraga signed a three-year, $24.75 million deal on Nov. 20, 1997.
Brian Jordan signed a five-year, $40 million deal on Nov. 23, 1998.
John Thomson signed a two-year, $7 million deal on Dec. 10, 2003.
Is that it? I think so. The rest I came across were fringe-type players or one-year deals, like Tom Glavine’s of last winter. Please fill me in if I’ve missed anybody. It needs to be multi-year and not somebody like Robert Fick, Raul Mondesi or Darren Bragg, know what I mean?
Now that list looks mighty thin. So yes, it’s pretty obviously this hasn’t been the route the Braves have gone, especially in recent years of tight budgets. (Edgar Renteria, Tim Hudson, Mike Gonzalez, Mark Teixeira all came via trades, as did Mark Kotsay, Jair Jurrjens and hey, even Mike Hampton and Russ Ortiz).
But this winter, the Braves probably need to get into some free agent stakes twice over for their rotation - say, going after Ryan Dempster and Derek Lowe.
With left field, they might try trading since free agent pickings get thin after Adam Dunn and Pat Burrell. But regardless, they need to make a splash. And they haven’t done that in quite a while on the free agent market, eh?
BALK-OFF: For anyone who’s curious what Taylor Buchholz was thinking when he balked in the winning run on Tuesday night, this came in the notes group from Tracy Ringolsby of the Rocky Mountain News.
“I took the sign,” Buchholz said. “It’s something I’ve done a thousand times this year, pretty much. It was supposed to be a curveball, and I got the grip and just kind of juggled it in my hand, and then just kind of froze out there. Stupidest thing I’ve ever done, pretty much.”
MAPLE BATS: Things have been a little quiet on the maple bat front as major league baseball’s “safety and health advisory committee” continues to huddle. They have been gathering statistical information, hiring experts on wood, getting together with engineers and statisticians and consulting with bat companies on quality control, etc, etc, etc.
Curious what kind of information they’ve been gathering? This is what they said in a release the other day:
“Since its initial meeting in New York on June 24, the Safety and Health Advisory Committee has carried out a number of measures in the data collection process. Since July 2nd, MLB Authenticators have collected every bat that has broken during Major League games. To date, more than 1,700 broken bats have been collected for analysis.
“The Committee has compiled relevant information for each broken bat, including its manufacturer, the model, its dimensions, the situation of the game when it was broken, the area in which the bat fragments landed, and video footage from MLB.com of each broken bat incident. The bat collection concluded on September 7th, based on the experts’ determination that a sufficient number of bats were collected, but the Committee will continue to review video footage daily of each broken bat incident.”
Hey, no anecdotal evidence for these guys. And not sure what the point was of getting data from clubs around the league last year if they just wanted to re-do it themselves. But hey, this release tells me something right there: there have been 1,700 broken bats in a month and a few days.
Let’s just hope no fans get hit in the eye with a flying shard while these guys finish their math.
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Rehab isn’t hardest part for Moylan
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
His absence has been largely overshadowed by the injuries to John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, Tim Hudson and Rafael Soriano. But the Braves know how big a blow it was when Peter Moylan was lost just two weeks into the season.
The gregarious Aussie right-hander was the Braves’ best, most consistent reliever in 2007, and they were counting on him to be their top setup man and backup closer this season.
But he made only seven appearances before the elbow that started barking during spring training began to really throb. Moylan’s last appearance was April 11, and he tried rehab and rest before succumbing to the inevitable Tommy John surgery on May 8.
Braves fans will be pleased to know that Moylan began throwing last week and sounds like he can hardly wait to get to spring training, even though he’s not expected back on the roster until late April or early May.
“I feel amazing,” said the heavily tattoed dude with the great sense of humor and the nasty sinker. “It’s just everything I’ve been doing. I feel strong. I’ve never been a guy to do shoulder exercises before this happened. I’m doing them every other day.”
Moylan was to travel with Smoltz to see Dr. James Andrews today in Birmingham, both of them headed up to see the ridiculously busy doc for scheduled follow-up exams. Smoltz said his own shoulder-surgery rehab has been more grueling than any of his four elbow surgery rehabs, including TJ surgery, but that he’s ahead of schedule and feels terrific.
But we reported all that yesterday. It’s posted on our website, if you missed it.
Today I just wanted to include in the blog an update on Moylan, who proudly displays his TJ surgery scar and how Andrews managed to not deface any of the tattoos on his Moylan’s almost completely tat-covered right arm.
“I can see my shoulder getting stronger, feel it getting stronger. When I get back out there, it’s going to be incredible, because I’ll have a rebuilt elbow and a stronger shoulder, and I’m going to be fit because I’ve had nothing else to do.”
Moylan also has had Lasik surgery and had his hair buzzed in recent months, after it became too difficult to continue to conceal the thinning spot up top. “I did a pretty good job covering it up, though, didn’t I?” he said, laughing.
He’s more muscular in the upper body, and with the military-style haircut and no glasses to soften the look, he’s a pretty severe looking character these days. “The extreme makeover is almost complete,” he said, smiling.
With that accent and the ever-present smile, the image is still that of Mr. Amiable, one of the more popular characters in the clubhouse.
But there’s another side to Moylan, like so many others in the public eye. These guys probably seem like they’ve got it made to most of us middle-class folks, and in many respects they do have incredibly enviable lives.
However, often it comes with a high price, and we’re talking something way beyond the hard work they put in to refine their natural talent and get where they are.
I’m talking personal lives. As any of you know who travel a lot, it ain’t easy keeping together a relationship when you spend so much time away from home. Little things can fester and become big issues when you’re not there to has it out and talk it over with your spouse at the end of the day.
Divorce rates are extremely high for those whose work keeps them away from home. So one can only imagine what it must be like for a guy whose family is halfway around the world, in Australia.
Moylan and his wife filed for divorce shortly after last season ended. She had stayed back in Australia to have their second baby during the 2007 season.
It takes a year for divorces to be finalized in Australia, so the Moylans’ split won’t become official until next month. And then comes the really brutal part for him, personally.
The kids. He has two daughters, Montana, who’ll be 8 next month, and Matisse, who is 1. Moylan’s always upbeat, always cracking jokes, even before and immediately after his surgery.
But his mood changes when discussing his children, and how much he’s going to miss them.
“I saw the girls when I went back for two weeks recently,” he said.
They’re in Australia with their mother, and his daughters’ names are tattooed on his arms, one on each arm, the most prominent of all his tattoos.
“That’ll be the tough part,” he said of not seeing them this winter, other than for two weeks around Christmas. The rest of the time, Moylan will be in Atlanta, continuing his rehab with a Braves trainer at Turner Field.
Moylan says this quietly, barely able to smile at all. Frankly, it’s hard to hear, and I can only imagine how difficult it must be for him to discuss it and think about it.
I’m guessing he’s going to be lonelier than he’s ever been in his life this winter, when baseball season is over and there are fewer distractions to keep him from thinking constantly about his daughters half a world away.
“That’s the killer, staying here for the offseason,” he said. “But I’ve got the resources I need here to continue rehabbing and getting ready.”
Still, that’s not going to make it any easier when he sees his daughters’ names on his arms, when he looks at their pictures.
It’s a glamorous and enviable life they lead. No doubt about that. But that doesn’t mean parts of it aren’t hell.
Diversions:Listened to two great albums from recent years this morning before I filed ‘em away on the alphabetized wall of CDs I have, Sonic Youth’s Rather Ripped and Razorlight’s debut Up All Night. Now working to Waylon Jennings’ Dreaming My Dreams with live “Bob Wills Is Still the King” on it.
OK, here’s a tune to end this edition of the Braves/MIB thing. I really love Todd Snider’s cover of this song on Snider’s East Nashville Skyline album.
”ALCOHOL AND PILLS” by Fred Eaglesmith
Hank Williams, he came up from Montgomery
With a heart full of hard-luck country songs
But Nashville, Tennessee, they didn’t understand him because he did things
Differently than the way they were done
But when he finally made it to the Grand Ole Opry, he made it stand still.
He ended up on alcohol and pills
Elvis Presley, he came up from Jackson
With a brand new way of singing
A brand new way of dancing
And even from the waist up, he gave the world a thrill
He ended up on alcohol and pills
Alcohol and pills
It’s a crying shame
You’d think they might have been happy
With the glory and the fame
The fame don’t take away the pain
It just pays the bills
And you wind up on alcohol and pills
Janis Joplin, she was a wild and reckless
Then there was Gram Parsons, then there was Jimmy Hendrix.
The story just goes on and on.
I guess it always will.
They ended up on alcohol and pills
Alcohol and pills
It’s a crying shame
You’d think they might have been happy
With the glory and the fame
The fame don’t take away the pain
It just pays the bills
And you wind up on alcohol and pills
Sometimes somebody won’t wake up one day
Sometimes it’s a heart attack
Sometimes, they won’t say
When they pulled poor old Hank Williams
Out of that Cadillac Coupe de Ville
He ended up on alcohol and pills
Alcohol and pills
It’s a crying shame
You’d think they might have been happy
With the glory and the fame
The fame don’t take away
It just pays the bills
And you wind up on alcohol and pills
… on alcohol and pills
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Of Smoltz and other offseason matters….
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
While some people are busying making more out of John Smoltz’s recent comments to Atlanta magazine than the comments warranted, I thought I’d share with you a couple of recent conversations I had with GM Frank Wren that I found revealing.
But first, if you missed it: Smoltz told a writer from the magazine that if he gets through this grueling rehab from shoulder surgery and finds he can pitch again, and if the Braves don’t make him an offer, the 41-year-old (42 in May) said he’d definitely be ready to pitch for another team.
Smoltz also told the mag, “Make no mistake, I am absolutely, 100 percent committed to playing the rest of my career for the Atlanta Braves. But this can’t be my only option. … I may not be in the [Braves’] plans. It’s no given right, where I’ve spent 21 years here and [so] they owe me whatever I want.”
Folks, think about it: That’s all pretty obvious. He’s not putting in countless, painful hours trying to pitch again, only to let his fate be determined by the Braves. If they don’t want him back, and he can still pitch, of course he’d entertain offers to do so elsewhere.
Ask yourself, though: What team would be more inclined than the Braves to give Smoltz an offer this winter before knowing if he can even pitch, something we probably won’t know until the spring?
He’s said since surgery that he faced a lot of questions, the biggest two being whether he’d be able to make it back to pitch again, and then what kind of contract he’d get and from whom in 2009, since his 200-inning vesting option obviously for next season obviously didn’t vest.
Wren has said several times that it’s too early to know how the Braves are going to approach Smoltz and Tom Glavine (also coming back from elbow surgery, and hopeful of being ready for spring training), because the team first wants a better idea of whether either or both think he’ll be able to pitch.
I mean, you’re probably not going to give either guy a guaranteed contract if there’s no reason to believe they’ll be able to go to the mound again.
For a team with as many holes to fill as the Braves have to fill this winter, and with as much trouble with pitching as they’ve had the past couple of years, they shouldn’t count on either of those guys filling a need next year. You can hope one or both come around and are able to do so, but you have to make moves this winter without counting on it happening.
At the same time, I’d guess the Braves are probably going to need to say something sooner than they might want to, particularly regarding Smoltz. I mean, might be time to say something along the lines of, if John Smoltz can pitch, or believes he’ll be able to pitch, this winter we will certainly let him know we’d like to have him back and hope to work out a fair offer for both sides.
It’s a sensitive issue, the Braves have to realize. You don’t mistreat a career Brave who’s done all that Smoltz has for this team. If he can pitch, or there’s a reasonable chance he can, you make him a reasonable offer, perhaps see if he’ll take a conditional offer with a greatly increased salary should he make the 25-man roster.
But anyway, I’m not telling the Braves anything they don’t already know. They know how the vast majority of their fans feel about Smoltz. And no, I’m not forgetting Glavine, who’s also spent most of his Hall of Fame career with the Braves and has to be dealt with differently than just any veteran.
As I’ve said before, Braves can be creative if they want to be with these guys. And they should be. If you have to allocate funds above and beyond what the payroll would be without them in 2009, then you do it. It’s not a dangerous precedent, because I don’t think any 300-game winners or 200-win, 150-save, 3,000-strikeout guys are going to be coming along in the next decade or so who spend all or most of their career with the Braves before having season-ending injuries in the last year of their contracts.
Anyway, I’ll talk to Smoltz and hopefully Wren at the ballpark today.
Now, about those recent conversations with the GM…
Wren said a few things in a couple of interviews in the past few weeks, and for whatever reason I’ve not used these quotes yet. Should have, but here they are. They work well now, anyway.
A few weeks ago, when the Braves were settling into their season-is-over mode, Wren talked about how they don’t view this as a multi-year major rebuilding project, but rather a scenario where they can make a few big additions and be back in playoff contention next season.
He was asked about what he liked most about the future of the organization:
“The thing that makes me most optimistic is when I see the depth we have in the minor league system,” he said, adding that most of those top prospects were still at least a year or two away.
As for immediate needs, he said, “We’ve got some work to do in the outfield.”
And while I don’t want to make more of this than it might be, it’s definitely worth mentioned, this perhaps revealing quote from Wren on the right field situation: “If we don’t do something else, I’ve got to believe Jeff Francoeur will bounce back.”
Hey, just telling you what he said.
In another recent conversation, he said, “We’ve got our own pitchers, but they’re just a little young yet. So we need to make sure we have some established starters to lead the way. We know we’re going to have to add some veteran starting pitching, but I’m not going to get into specifics.”
And in that same conversation, when I asked him about a timetable for any decisions on Smoltz and Glavine and on acquiring pitchers this winter, he said, “It may take a while. There’s no way of knowing, right now, how quickly we might make moves. It might not be until December or January.”
By that, I’m sure he meant if the free-agent market takes a while to firm up this winter, if it becomes one of those domino-falling scenario where lesser pitchers have to waiting for top guys to sign before, and if teams don’t decide who they’ll make available for trade until seeing what the market is like, etc.
You just never know, entering an offseason, how soon clubs are going to start getting active. And as aggressive as you might want to be, it sometimes is impossible to make any real moves until other clubs are ready, until someone else makes the first move and the prices start to get set for free agents, all those sorts of variables.
It’s worth noting the GM meetings are real early this year, just a few days after the World Series. That’s in part because so few GMs now go to the World Series the way they used to. Since they’re not at the Series discussing potential deals, feeling each other out for ideas and intentions, they want to get the ball rolling at the GM meetings, so they’re a week or two sooner than they’ve been in the past.
Of course, most of the real action probably won’t start until the Winter Meetings in the first week of December, out in Vegas.
Gotta be the tape: Kelly Johnson says the secret to his recent hitting surge is the “power tape” that Greg Norton taught him how to wrap around his wrists. I think he was kidding. But he might have been half-serious, too.
How many more must the surgeons cut? OK, that was rhetorical and tongue-in-cheek, but seriously, the number of surgeries in baseball has gotten ridiculous.
It’s one thing for Tom Brady to have a season-ending knee injury in the first game of the NFL season — it is the NFL, after all, not just a contact sport but a collision sport. But in baseball? Twenty years ago, or 10 years ago, it was still a really big deal when a prominent pitcher had a season-ending and/or career-threatening arm injury.
I remember covering the Marlins when Alex Fernandez’s shoulder broke down, and it was a big deal, a story I hadn’t written. Now, it feels like me and just about every other baseball beat writer is doing that story a couple times a year - or a couple of times a month, in the case of these Braves.
Based on the rash of shoulder and elbow surgeries to prominent major leaguers in the past year or two, I can only believe that must be pushing the limit to what the human body can withstand. (This is based on know scientific study, no figures, no research, just observations.)
Plenty of those guys have pushed that limit through performance-enhancing drugs, but I’m sure many others got there simply through every-evolving forms of fitness training and conditioning.
Regardless, they reached it. And the human body ain’t evolving quickly enough to avoid this story repeating itself, over and over.
While there have always been injuries and surgeries in baseball, it’s reached near-epidemic proportions these days, wouldn’t you folks agree? Or no? I mean, it’s like a team is lucky these days if it gets through the season without at least a couple of prominent pitchers lost to injuries requiring surgery.
Then there are the Braves, who’ve lost the vast majority of their key pitchers to season-ending surgeries.
OK, that was just something I was thinking about. No real call to action or anything, just an observation. Seems like it’s getting almost safer to have your kid become a quarterback rather than a pitcher.
Oh, but the career longevity is still a lot longer, on average. And if he’s left-handed, well, forget it. Put a baseball in that tyke’s hand as soon as he can grip it.
Speaking of careers…. I’m guessing Elmer Dessens is near the end of his, at least the major league portion. That is, if the numbers are any indication.
In 20 major league games (five starts) since the beginning of the 2007 season, he has a 9.00 ERA and .340 opponents’ average, with 53 hits (seven homers) and 16 walks allowed in 37 innings.
In his past five big-league appearances, including two last season and three since the Braves signed him out of the Mexican league, Dessens has a 24.30 ERA and .452 opponents’ average, with 14 hits and 18 runs allowed in 6-2/3 innings, and twice as many walks (eight) as strikeouts.
Diversions: After months with only a couple of TV shows worth watching, it’s great to have some quality series up and running again. Thrilled The Shield is back, but severely bummed it’s the final season. Love the new Mad Men and Prison Break episodes. Dug the premiere of Sons of Anarchy,, and looking forward to Rescue Me starting back up. And, of course, can’t beat The Daily Show in times like these, and we’ve got The Office and 30 Rock returning soon. Good stuff.
New CDs by Calexico, Patty Loveless and Okkervil River today, and new Metallica in a few days. I know plenty of folks are curious and anxious about the latter.
OK, let’s turn to Ol’ Neil to close this thing out:
“DON’T LET IT BRING YOU DOWN” by Neil Young
Old man lying
by the side of the road
With the lorries rolling by,
Blue moon sinking
from the weight of the load
And the building scrapes the sky,
Cold wind ripping
down the alley at dawn
And the morning paper flies,
Dead man lying
by the side of the road
With the daylight in his eyes.
Don’t let it bring you down
It’s only castles burning,
Find someone who’s turning
And you will come around.
Blind man running
through the light
of the night
With an answer in his hand,
Come on down
to the river of sight
And you can really understand,
Red lights flashing
through the window
in the rain,
Can you hear the sirens moan?
White cane lying
in a gutter in the lane,
If you’re walking home alone.
Don’t let it bring you down
It’s only castles burning,
Just find someone who’s turning
And you will come around.
Don’t let it bring you down
It’s only castles burning,
Just find someone who’s turning
And you will come around.
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Kelly the cleanup hitter?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As we were saying about Kelly Johnson the other day, the man is about as streaky as they come. But when he’s hot, he’s seriously smokin’.
This past week, he’s been very hot, which explains why Johnson is batting cleanup today (well, that plus the fact that Brian McCann is out of the lineup, and no other Brave has hit more than four homers since the All-Star break. Seriously, folks, this is one punchless outfit Atlanta’s running out there.)
Johnson is hitting cleanup for the first time in his career, other than a couple of pinch-hit at-bats. He’s now hit in every spot in the order except ninth this season.
K.J., as he’s affectionately known when he’s hitting well, has batted .308 with 18 extra-base hits, 21 RBI and a .365 on-base percentage in his past 41 games, since July 23. But he’s so streaky, even his streaks include streaks.
Here’s what we mean: He hit .391 in 13 games from July 23 to Aug. 5, then .116 (5-for-43) with one double, three RBI, 14 strikeouts and one walk in a dreadful 14-game stretch from Aug. 6-21.
And since then? He’s been ablaze. Johnson has hit .386 with 10 extra-base hits and 12 RBI and a 1.058 OPS in his past 14 games, including 13-for-22 (.591) with six doubles, two homers and 10 RBI during his current streak of five consecutive multi-hit games.
I asked Bobby Cox this morning whether Johnson right now looks like the player that Cox envisioned in 2005, when he famously stuck by the rookie during a 1-for-30 skid at the outset of his career. He kept playing him then, and Johnson responded a week later by hitting .417 with three homers and 11 RBI to win NL Player of the Week honors.
“He still looks like he’s going to get a base hit every time, even when he’s slumping,” Cox said this morning. “He puts up the [overall] numbers pretty good, to me. He’s sure got some big hits lately.”
That’s the frustrating thing about Johnson, that he goes through a seemingly inordinate number of streaks, including more extended slumps than most hitters who produce similar overall statistics to him.
When he’s bad, he’s really bad. When he’s good, he’s one of the best offensive players at his position in the National League. In fact, Johnson leads NL second baseman with 36 doubles.
He’s batting .278 overall with 50 extra-base hits (five triples, nine homers), 60 RBI, 10 stolen bases, a .345 OBP and .432 slugging percentage. Pretty solid for a second baseman in his second full season in the majors, a guy who missed the 2006 season after elbow surgery and switched to 2B in 2007.
Does anyone realize that Johnson ranks eighth in the NL with a .330 average in 112 at-bats with runners in scoring position? Of the seven guys ahead of him, the only two with more at-bats with RISP are Houston hitters: Lance Berkman, who’s hit .352 in 122 at-bats, and Carlos Lee, who’s hit .338 in 139 at-bats.
So why does it feel like Johnson has had such a frankly mediocre season?
He said it himself, when I asked him: Because he’s had two really good months (including this one) and four mediocre ones. He knows it, and Johnson said he also believes he’ll continue to improve and become a more consistent player.
He was right about the two good months thing, which I hadn’t realized until he said it. He hit .355 with 15 extra-base hits and 14 RBI in May, and he’s hit .538 with eight extra-base hits and 10 RBI in six September games.
He hit .250 or lower in the other four full months, including .237 or lower in three. He did hit four homers with 12 RBI in April, the only other month where he’s hit more than two homers or reached double-digits in RBI.
So what do you do with him? I get a sense the Braves are planning to keep him for next season, and that while Martin Prado could get a crack at the job, they really like Prado in a super-utility type role, playing several positions.
As good as Prado was in August, he’s never shown the kind of power or extra-base proclivity that Johnson possesses. Defense is a wash; neither is going to win a Gold Glove at second base.
On a team that’s got so many other holes to fill, including a power-hitting left field, a couple of starting pitchers, another lefty reliever, and perhaps more (right field?), trading Johnson seems unlikely to me. I don’t think the Braves, with so little power now, are willing to have less at second base.
Speaking of punchless…. Did we mention the power is kaput, particularly in the outfield? Oh, we have? A few hundred times?
Well, let’s do it once more.
Braves outfielders have 25 home runs, folks. No, not since the All-Star break. Twenty-five home runs all season.
That’s the fewest of any outfield in the majors - 12 fewer than the next-lowest total in the NL, the Giants’ 37. Eleven NL teams have at least 50 homers from outfielders, while the Braves have 25.
Jeff Francoeur has 10 homers in 519 at-bat, while Nationals sometimes-leadoff hitter Willie Harris has 11 hoemrs in 296 at-bats.
But it’s not just outfielders. McCann has five homers since the break. You know who’s next on the team? Greg Norton, with four homers in 50 at-bats.
No other Brave has more than three homers since the break. Astounding. And besides McCann and Norton, the only other two who have more than two homers since the break are Mark Teixeira, who had three in 10 games after the break, then was traded; and Yunel Escobar, who hit his third since the break last night, a shot to straightaway center.
Chipper and Francoeur have two apiece since the break.
Chipper’s power drought: He’s not getting as many pitches to hit without Teixeira in the lineup, that’s for sure. But Chipper Jones would also be the first to tell you his swing hasn’t been what it was early in the season.
He’s hit .282 (35-for-124) with eight extra-base hits, 18 RBI and a .379 slugging percentage in his past 36 games, after batting .388 with 33 extra-base hits, 50 RBI and a whopping .640 slugging percentage in his first 77 games.
They’ve got tools:Don’t know if many of you saw the last issue of Baseball America, but it was their annual Best Tools issue, and it had a few Braves and/or Braves prospects featured prominently.
The organization had the “Most Exciting Player” in two different A-ball leagues — Gorkys Hernandez for Myrtle Beach in the Carolina League, and Jason Heyward for Rome in the South Atlantic League. Heyward was also the “Best Batting Prospect” in his league, and Hernandez was voted to have the “Best Outfield Arm” in his.
Myrtle’s Brandon Hicks was the “Best Defensive Shortstop” in the Carolina League.
In Double-A, Luis Valdez of Mississippi was rated “Best Reliever” in the Southern League.
And in Triple-A, Charlie Morton was rated the “Best Pitching Prospect” in the International League and Richmond’s Dave Brundage was “Best Manager Prospect.”
The issue also had the Best Tools for the majors, and they had top three in each category for each league (there was only one in each category in each minor league).
The only Braves who made the NL ratings this year were Chipper (second to Pujols in the “Best Hitter” category, and third in “Best Strike-Zone Judgment” behind Todd Helton and Pujols); John Smoltz (third in “Best Slider” behind Jake Peavy and Brad Lidge); and Francoeur (second in “Best Outfield Arm” behind Rick Ankiel).
Oh, and several of you will like this one: Bobby Coxwas once again first in “Best Manager,” ahead of Tony La Russa and Lou Piniella. In the AL, Mike Scioscia was rated “Best Manager” ahead of Ron Gardenhire and Jim Leyland.
OK, gotta cut this short… Game is starting. Here’s a great tune, and I always loved Glen Campbell’s cover version the most.
”GALVESTON” by Jimmy Webb
Galveston, oh Galveston
I still hear your sea winds blowing
I still see her dark eyes glowing
She was twenty-one
When I left Galveston
Galveston, oh Galveston
I still hear your sea waves crashing
While I watch the cannon flashing
And I clean my gun
And I dream of Galveston
I still see her standing by the water
Standing there, looking out to sea
And is she waiting there for me?
On the beach where we used to run
Galveston, oh Galveston
I am so afraid of dying
Before I dry the tears she’s crying
Before I see your sea birds flying
In the sun, at Galveston
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Dress like a champion, play like one?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I was reading a story in the Sports Illustrated that came in the mail today, comparing this year’s Tampa Bay Rays to the ’69 Mets. But what caught my eye was the full-page picture of a couple of Rays celebrating — one of them is Willy Aybar, and you gotta be happy for that kid after the troubles he had off the field as a Brave.
Specifically, what I noticed was the simple, classic-looking uniforms the Rays are wearing. Folks, isn’t it obvious that the Rays’ turnaround this season is directly related to their decision to drop the garish uniforms they wore as the “Devil Rays” and go with a clean, traditional uni, including a white home uniform with one thin, blue strip down the pants?
No, it’s not obvious? Some of you believe it’s the young talent that’s come into its own, the draft picks and prospects they acquired via trades over the years, the long-term contracts they gave to some now-productive players? Well, fine. But I’m sticking with the great-lookin’ uniforms story.
Which brings me to my point: The Braves stink because they sold their souls for a few (million) bucks at the team store. (Tongue’s in cheek slightly, folks). You know what I’m talking about. The blue uniform tops. The red uniform tops. The solid-blue caps with the white A.
Wrong, wrong, wrong.
The Braves’ regular uniform combinations, their classic home and road uniforms, rank among the best uniforms in baseball, along with the Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs (excluding any alternate jerseys a couple of those teams wear).
You do not change these uniforms by adding several “alternative” tops and/or combinations, like the Braves have done in recent years. It began with the garish red home-Sunday jerseys. They sold a ton of those, and a lot of people like them. Fine. I understand that’s the trend, that many or most teams in all sports have added an alternate jersey. (Still doesn’t make it right, but fine. Keep them if you must.
But they went off the rails this season with the addition of the blue road jersey and blue cap, which were debuted on opening day at Washington, a loss that served as forshadowing for the debacle the 2008 season would become.
Injuries, underperforming players, pestilence, cats living with dogs … this has been the season that will live in infamy for Braves fans. And I say it began with the blue jerseys (OK, and maybe relying on a couple of 40-something starting pitchers, but that diverts from my point, so nevermind that for now).
The blue jerseys must go. The blue hats must go. You are the Braves, so act like you’ve got some tradition and standards and aren’t just another organization that changes uniforms or alters uniforms from year to year. Enough.
If you must keep the red jerseys, then do so. But that’s it. One alternate jersey, nothing more. No blue caps. No blue jerseys. And certainly no mixing up the various caps and jerseys, as the Braves have done in desperate attempts to change their run of misfortune during the dog (& Dessens) days of this torturous season.
Sell blue jerseys in the souvenir stores. Sell blue caps. I mean, have you ever been to a Lidz store and seen the hideous colors you can purchase a Yankees (and even Braves) cap in, the pinks and purples and all the other cringe-inducing designs? Whatever. That doesn’t mean you have to wear them on the field.
Return to tradition. Two uniforms, one cap for all but Sunday home games, and even then, maybe you could make the red jerseys a bit less, well, red? That’s it. No more combos. You’re not the 1970s-era Oakland A’s, people.
You don’t have Reggie being Reggie. There is no Vida Blue, Rollie, Catfish or Blue Moon on the roster. That was a specific, unique moment in time and place, a brilliant, colorful team with a maverick owner in an era when garish was cool. (If you can’t tell, I loved that team as a kid, and those uniforms.)
Look at yourselves in the mirror. You are the Braves. Dress like it.
Oh, and try to play like it, would ya?
Batting race stays tight: With King Albert (Pujols) in a 2-for-10 skid (hey, that qualifies as a skid for that dude) in his past three games, and with Chipper going 12-for-33 (.364) with six extra-base hits in his past nine, the NL leaders are still separated by only a point, Albert (.360) ahead of Hoss (.359).
What’s amazing is how far ahead of everyone else they are, in average and OBP. Pujols has a .468 OBP and Chipper has a .460, while the only other NL hitters aveer .400 are Lance Berkman (.433) and Matt Holliday (.418). In the AL, the only player with an OBP as high as .415 is Milton Bradley (.446).
In the batting race, there’s a 27-point separation between Chipper and the NL’s No. 3, Berkman (.332). in the AL, Dustin Pedroia (.333) and Bradley (.327) are the only two hitting higher than .322.
By the way, Chipper is still hitting .406 at home, with a stunning .500 OBP and .635 slugging percentage. He’s only struck out 24 times in 197 at-bats at home (and 31 times in 198 at-bats on the road).
He’s also got a chance to finish the season with a .400 average against lefties. Right now he’s at .397 (54-for-136) against them (.340 vs. righties).
And finally, Jones has an outside shot at batting .400 with runners on base. Today he’s at .392 (74-for-189) with runners on, with 20 extra-base hits, 46 walks, a .504 OBP and a .577 slugging percentage.
Is this that bad? For all the talk about the Braves’ obvious needs entering the offseason, let me ask, does this seem like it should be one of them: A middle infielder who’s hitting .273 with 47 extra-base hits (nine homers), 56 RBIs and a .342 OBP.
A guy whose 3.07 assists per nine innings is the NL leader at his position, and whose .981 fielding percentage ranks fifth in the league at his position.
A guy whose .318 average with runners in scoring position ranks third on the team among hitters with at least 40 such at-bats, and first among those with more than 70 at-bats. He’s hitting .318 (34-for-107) with a .387 OBP and .505 slugging percentaqe with RISP.
Hey, I’m just asking. Because as much as it sometimes seems he’s struggling or lacks fire or strikes out too much in big situations or whatever, those are the season numbers for Kelly Johnson, in his second season at second base.
OK, special tune: Been listening to the Baseball Project CD, Vol. 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails, that we recommended here a couple months back. Anyway, it’s full of great tunes about the game we love, and not at all what you’d expect from such a hip assemblage of talent. The band includes Peter Buck (yes, you known him from R.E.M. and maybe from the Minus 5), Steve Wynn (the great songwriter/guitarist and ex-Dream Syndicate leader, not the billionaire developer who owns much of Vegas), Linda Pittman (awesome drummer, and married to Wynn) and Scott McCaughey (from Young Fresh Fellows and Minus 5).
One of my favorite tunes on the CD is “Ted [f*$%ing] Williams,” but we can’t post the lyrics to that gem in this space. Here’s a more family-friendly tune, and I’ll include the little intro they have in the liner notes:
A pitcher has thrown a perfect game when he faces the minimum 27 batters in nine innings and doesn’t allow a single man to reach first base. It’s only happened 17 times in history. This song tells the sad tale of Pittsburgh’s Harvey Haddix who threw nine perfect innings in 1956 but had to keep pitching that day because his team had also failed to score. After throwing three more perfect innings he finally lost the game and his chance at immortality in the 13th. Perfection? Flawed? You make the call.
”HARVEY HADDIX” by Steve Wynn (The Baseball Project)
May 26, 1959 in Milwaukee on the mound
Harvey Haddix of the Pirates was mowing ‘em down
27 up, 27 gone
Nine innings in the book and not a man had gotten on
Now, in history only 17 have thrown a perfect game
A most exclusive club, a most exalted fame
But after nine, the Pirates hadn’t scored
A perfect game and still old Harvey had to pitch some more
David Wells, David Cone
Sandy Koufax, Cy Young
Jim Bunning, Tom Browning
Charlie Robertson
Don Larsen in the series in 1956
Why don’t we add old Harvey to that list?
10th inning down, 11th inning down, he moved on to the 12th
Three straight outs and the fans were pinching themselves
The best game ever pitched and still a scoreless tie
Poor Harvey had to carry on and give it one more try
13’s never lucky so you can guess the rest
Harv gave up a hit and then he lost the whole contest
I wonder how he slept that night knowing how close he came
To a most exclusive club that should include his name
David Wells, David Cone
Randy Johnson, Addie Joss
Kenny Rogers, Mike Witt
Dennis Martinez
Don Larsen in the series in 1956
Why don’t we add old Harvey to that list?
The search for perfection is a funny thing, at least as I’ve been told
It drives you nuts, it makes you curse and eats away at your soul
Sometimes better ain’t better, sometimes justice just ain’t served
Sometimes legend isn’t laid where it’s most deserved
But humanity is flawed as the losers will attest
We’re drawn to tragic stories, the ones that suit us best
But for 12 innings on that fateful day, old Harvey was a god
A perfect game if nothing else because perfection’s always flawed
David Wells, David Cone
Lee Richmond, Monte Ward
Len Barker against the Jays
And Catfish for the A’s
Don Larsen in the series in 1956
Why don’t we add old Harvey to that list?
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Braves are still in race … to avoid cellar
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Start me up. After six days of down time, we’re rested and ready to cover these Braves in a September pennant race! What’s that? Oh, then nevermind.
But seriously, that was the intention when we did the schedule waay back in February. See, I figured I’d take off that six-day trip to Washington and Florida in late August/early September since, of course, the Nationals and Marlins would be way out of contention and the Braves could catcher their breath a bit before starting a crucial, perhaps decisive stretch in second week of September with series against Colorado, New York and Philly.
Things haven’t gone exactly as planned, have they?
So what have we got left before we dive into what has become the more anticipated “season” for these Braves, the offseason and the various moves they must make to foster hope of returning to one of the top rungs in the standings?
Well, the NL batting title is still up for grabs. No really. Since Albert Pujols’ 1-for-7 in the past couple games has reduced his lead to only two points over Chipper Jones (.360-.358) just when it appeared Pujols was about to run away with the thing (hot as he’s been for the past two months, he still could.)
So that’s still a race. Unfortunately for the Braves, so is fourth place. The head-to-head battle, as it were, to avoid the dubious distinction of last (fifth) place in the NL East resumes tonight with the Nationals’ arrival.
Who’d have thought, six months ago, that this series with the Nationals would be the September series that had the most relevance for the Braves? Either way you look at it, whether you want the Braves to avoid last place or your one of those folks who believes it’s better to finish dead last for draft purposes, this is arguably more important than any other series this month.
(Well, unless the Phillies and Mets are tied for the East lead when the Braves go to Philly the last week of the season, in which case you could argue that beating the Phillies would be more important in the bigger picture. But screw that, we’re going with our original premise. This is the big series. Stop laughing, it is.)
The Nationals are 10-4 against the Braves this season. Yes, 10-4. And they’ve won the last five in a row, including a sweep last week in Washington and two games in Atlanta July 19-20 when they outscored the Braves 23-8.
The Natty Nats have hit .352 - repeat, three-fifty-two in their five-game winning streak against Los Bravos. The Nats have double-digit hits in all five games, including 37 hits (only one homer, but who cares?) in last week’s series in the aesthetically underwhelming new ballpark in D.C.
How is this happening? Simple, really. The Nationals are a better team, or at least have been for the past few months. The depleted and now entirely lackluster Braves are playing like they want their embarrassing season to end, while the Nats are playing like they still want to win every single game.
After starting out 32-29 with a 3.64 ERA, the Braves since June 6 — 6/6, the evil turning point, if you will — are 28-51 with a 5.21 ERA.
The Nationals are 29-50 with a 4.56 ERA since June 6. Yes, they’ve been the Braves’ equal for nearly half a season, not including head-to-head battles, where they’ve been the clearly superior team.
The Braves since July 26 are 11-27 with a 6.47 ERA while hitting .277 with only 21 homers in 38 games. In that same period, the Nationals are 16-21 with a 4.84 ERA while hitting .264 with 25 homers in 37 games.
What’s amazing is that Willie Harris and Co. have been 5-1/2 games better than the Braves since July 26 despite enduring a 12-game losing streak. Yes, the Nats lost 12 in a row through Aug. 20. Since then, they’re 10-3 with a .297 team batting average and 4.42.
While the Nats are enjoying a late-season surge, the Braves have gone 5-18 with a 6.98 ERA since Aug. 10. They’ve scored three runs or fewer in 14 of those 23 games, and also gone homerless in 14 of 23.
They’ve scored 99 runs in their 23 games, and 37 runs came in three games. That’s 62 runs the Braves have scored in the other 20.
Elsewhere in the league…. Haven’t seen anything yet on Carlos Zambrano’s MRI that was scheduled for today. But if the report is bad, if “Big Z” is out for the rest of the season, then I’m going to have to reassess my midseason pick of the Cubs as the hands-down favorite to win the pennant.
There’s also some concern about Rich Harden, who had shoulder “discomfort” according to Lou Piniella. The oft-injured former A’s pitcher said his shoulder’s fine and that the Cubs just skipped his last turn because they want to keep him healthy, that the move had been planned since right after they traded for him. We’ll see. But if Harden has any woes, on top of Zambrano’s situation … oh, my, that changes the complexion of things. Hello, Milwaukee.
Black holes at outfield corners: Speaking of the Braves being homerless in 14 of the past 23 games. When the obituary is written on this sorry season, it’s going to obviously include a lot of talk about Braves injuries. Because frankly, even if everyone in the lineup had lived up to expectations, I don’t see any way the Braves could have overcome their multitude of pitching injuries.
However, everyone certainly has not lived up to expectations. Specifically, the two outfield corners have been woefully underperforming positions for these Braves, who will undoubtedly look for another left fielder in the offseason, but might also have to consider their right-field situation.
Their hodgepodge of left fielders have produced the fewest homers (six) and lowest slugging percentage (.364) at the position among 30 major league teams. They had counted on Matt Diaz there, and he struggled even before hurting his knee and missing most of the season.
In right field, the Braves were obviously counting heavily on Jeff Francoeur after he totaled 48 homers with two 100-RBI years in his first two full seasons in the majors.
Francoeur has played almost every day, and Braves right fielders rank dead last in the majors in average (.228), on-base percetage (.289) and slugging (.348), and only three of the other 29 teams have fewer homers (11) than Braves RFs.
Francoeur’s .232 average is third-lowest among NL qualifiers, six points off Michael Bourn’s NL-worst .226 for Houston. Since April 29, Francoeur has hit .217 in 108 games with eight homers, 44 RBIs, a .285 OBP and a .319 slugging percentage.
Diversions: Saw a great (free) show by Patterson Hood at the Decatur Book Festival on Sunday. He’s got a solo album coming out, he said, at beginning of next year. He played a bunch of stuff from it, and every song was strong. Some of it is stuff he wrote after moving to Athens in 1994, before forming Drive-By Truckers…. If you’re looking for a great new alt-rock album, tough to beat The Walkmen’s You & Me. They’ve had a couple of solid albums in the past, but this one’s the best, to me. Doesn’t seem as forced. Nothing as catchy as their great tune The Rat, but the overall album is a new high for these dudes…. Saw a terrific movie, Transsiberian. I’m a sucker for a great train-ride terror movie, and this is a great one. Six days across the frozen tundra from China through Siberia, and Woody Harrelson and his lady unwittingly get caught up in a drug-running mess that turns bloody. It’ll make you think and it’s nearly two hours long, but it’s well-written and directed and you won’t be able to predict the outcome an hour in…. If you’re at an event at see a catering truck for Chef of Soul Food, do yourself a favor and eat. Good BBQ sandwich and greens on the side. We went to the Superbike races last weekend at Road Atlanta, and these folks had their truck there. Good stuff…. Terrific new series on FX, Sons of Anarchy. And even if it didn’t involve motorcycles, I’d say that. Looks like it’ll be must-see viewing, based on last night’s gripping premiere episode. FX needs another series, since the void will be huge when The Shield final season ends. The premiere episode with warring Vic and Shane and the rest this week was as sublime as ever.
“DON’T GO TO NIGHTCLUBS ANYMORE” by Van Morrison
Don’t get around much anymore
The smoke has driven me out the door
All night I used to walk the floor
Don’t go to nightclubs anymore
Don’t see my old friend Mose
I don’t run into Mr. Clive
I cut out all that off the wall jive
I don’t go to nightclubs no more
I’m not a legend in my own mind
Don’t need juice to unwind
And don’t have no need to pretend
Ain’t got no huckleberry friend
Alcohol was too big a price
Listen I just said no dice
When it comes to the men and the mice
Don’t go to nightclubs anymore
I’m not a legend in my own mind
Don’t need booze to unwind
Don’t have no reason to pretend
Ain’t got no huckleberry friend
Alcohol was too big a price
That why I said hey no dice
When it comes to men or mice
Don’t go to nightclubs no more
Don’t go to nightclubs no more
Don’t go to nightclubs no more
Don’t go to nightclubs no more, I’m such a bore
Don’t go to nightclubs no more
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Let’s talk pitching - not Braves pitching
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Let’s take a minute and escape the Braves pitching issues, shall we? What better way not to talk about how a team gives up 14 runs and wins than focus on some dominant pitching elsewhere. And really, this is something I think you guys might be interested to throw around.
NL Cy Young award. Now due to the AJC’s new policies, I can no longer vote for an award like this, though I have in the past. And if I did, this one would be a fairly serious head-scratcher.
First, the glamour, wildcard pick:
You have CC Sabathia poking his head into voters’ minds, mixing it up despite only two months in the league. He has been nothing short of amazing since coming to Milwaukee in the trade from Cleveland. He’s 9-0 in 11 starts with a microscopic 1.43 ERA and a .217 opponents’ batting average. He has an unfathomable, in this day and age, six complete games in those 11 starts, including three shutouts, and a no-hitter that wasn’t.
Coupled with his stats from Cleveland, he’s 15-8 overall with a 2.82 ERA.
Now, the more traditional, can’t-miss, choices. There’s Brandon Webb of Arizona who’s any minute from his 20th win. He’s 19-6, leading the NL in wins, and has a 3.19 ERA, which is ninth in the National League. He’s pitching for a team in a pennant race and has been their ace throughout.
And of course, there’s Tim Lincecum. The young stud for the Giants is 15-3 with a 2.60 ERA, which leads the NL. He also leads the league with 216 strikeouts. He’s doing it for a team that’s 20 games under .500. Heading into Wednesday, the Giants were 59-79, meaning Lincecum had won 25 percent of their games. He’s been one of the most dominant pitchers day in, day out in the league.
So there you have it. Which way would I go? I’m leaning Lincecum. First I’d have to think long and hard about giving the NL Cy Young to a guy who hasn’t pitched a full season in the league. Rick Sutcliffe was the exception, winning the Cy Young in 1984 after being traded from the Indians to the Cubs and going 16-1 with a 2.69 ERA in 20 starts for the Cubs. It’s not out of the realm of possibility, but we’ll have to see how many more starts Sabathia has and if he ever loses!
And I go Lincecum over Webb because his ERA is almost half a run better and I think ERA is the best measure of a pitcher’s performance. That and if the Giants don’t blow so many saves, Lincecum is right there with Webb in wins.
That Lincecum has done what he has for such a bad team is amazing to me. He dominated the games I’ve seen him pitch and and to me, what’s impressive is that he hasn’t lost more. That 3 of the 15-3 is impressive. He’s not letting himself get beat.
Of course if Brandon Webb rolls off three more wins and leads Arizona to the NL West title and shaves a few points off that ERA, then I might have to reconsider. It’s a tough one, though.
I posed that question to a couple hitters this morning, to get their take since they are the ones who face these guys. Chipper’s going with Webb.
“I’m voting Brandon Webb,” Jones said. “He’s been the most dominant guy in the league all year. He’s been in the league all year. Stuff wise he’s top two or three in the league. Sabathia, he’s been tremendous, I could see him getting more MVPs votes than he got Cy Young votes. But I know as spectacular as he’s been, he’s going to take votes away from other guys when he probably shouldn’t.”
Simply because he hasn’t been in the league all year?
“Yeah,” Jones said. “I don’t know, it’s hard to say, it he ended up 14-0, it’s going to be hard to ignore. There are going to be some people out there who give him some votes. I just think you can’t discount what Brandon Webb has done.”
What about all Sabathia’s complete games?
“Complete games makes no difference to me to be honest with you,” Jones said. “That’s a pride thing for the pitcher.”
What about Lincecum?
“If he played on a little better team,” Jones said. “Stuff wise? It’s as good as it gets. He’s got as good a stuff as anybody. You go back to that whole Steve Carlton thing, where he won a big percentage of his teams games but he played on a bad team, his bullpen has blown some wins for him. (Carlton won four Cy Youngs for the Phillies.) He’s certainly going to get his share of votes, but I don’t think you can put Lincecum over Webb.”
Why?
“I think Brandon Webb is going to win 20 games,” Jones said. “His separation between wins and losses is tremendous. You think about the fact he could go 22-6 with a very good ERA. He’s got hit the last couple times out, which may hurt him, but strikeouts. He does it all. His team is probably going to win the west. He’s been the ace that has held that team together. Whenever they’ve struggled for wins earlier in the season, he was the guy who they could count on to win every game, and that can’t be forgotten.”
Jeff Francoeur wasn’t far away in the clubhouse, so I ran it by him too.
“For me it’s either Lincecum or Webb,” Francoeur said. “If Lincecum plays with a good team, he’d have 20 wins by now for sure.”
OK, feel free to jump in on the conversation. I’m curious your thoughts. If not, we can talk Braves pitching too. Just thought I’d throw this out there.
A quick round-up from the clubhouse this morning. Chipper is out of the lineup again with his knee but thinks he should be back in Thursday or Friday vs. the Nats.
Jo-Jo Reyes had a baby girl named Payton this morning. He’s still on target to make his scheduled start Thursday night vs. the Nats.
Lineup is: Anderson CF, Prado 1B, Escobar SS, McCann C, Infante 3B, Johnson 2B, Francoeur RF, Blanco LF, Campillo P.
OK, more as we go…and p.s. something to look forward to when the Braves get back to Atlanta. $1 hotdog nights - Thursday nights every game in September. Braves just announced it. Hey, it’s not Thirsty Thursday two-for-one like they used to have in Macon. But it’s something.
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Hate to say it, but countdown continues
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Past time for a new blog, so here it goes….Day after Labor Day and here comes the school year, real life, and soon enough, the fall. We’re down to 24 games left on the Braves season, and let’s hope it goes mercifully fast.
Sorry to the purists, but you know it’s an all-out free fall when the Braves game notes have been pointing out each day: 28 games to go….27 games to go….26 games to go.
It seems the Braves find new ways to lose one-run games, and at some point they’ve got to run out. It’s been 29 road one-run losses now going back to last August. The Braves are 7-27 overall in one-run decisions this year, 7-5 at home, 0-22 on the road.
This obviously follows that kind of trend, but I thought I’d mention it. The Braves have eight last at-bat wins this season, seven of them at home. The only road win in their last at-bat came June 18 at Texas when Omar Infante singled in the winning run. The Braves scored two more runs in the inning on a Gregor Blanco triple and a Kelly Johnson groundout.
The Braves finished August 9-20 (.310). If they play .310 ball the rest of the way, they’ll finish the season at 67-95. That’s not far off their record in 1990 of 65-97. That’s how far they’ve fallen.
Since the Mark Teixeira trade, the Braves are 10-23 and have won a whopping two series - at Arizona and last week at home against the Marlins. They’ve hit .269 in those 33 games, averaging 4.4 runs per game, and have a 5.85 ERA with only four saves.
Before the Teixeira trade? The Braves were hitting .265, scoring 4.5 runs per game, and the pitching staff had a 4.04 ERA. So the Braves are allowing almost two more runs per game the last five weeks.
So that suggests more than any effect losing Mark Teixeira’s bat has had on the offense, it’s been a downturn in pitching that’s eating the Braves, and no doubt a change in mentality, knowing they were out of it. Frankly, the offense hasn’t been very good all season, and the Braves hung around early in the season with some unexpected efforts from young and unknown pitchers and the guys that were still healthy at the time. Now pitching has run beyond thin.
BATTING TITLE: Entering Tuesday night’s game with the Fish, Chipper Jones had fallen behind Albert Pujols in the batting title by five points: Pujols .363, Jones .358.
Pujols has hit in 13 of his last 14 games, hitting a whopping .519 (28-for-54) dating back to August 15 with six homers and 16 RBIs. He’s had two three-hit games and a four-hit game in that time. Chipper has been getting his one, maybe two hits a game, but it’s not enough to keep pace. In that span since August 15, he has hit .305 (18-for-59) with one homer and eight RBIs, with no more than two hits in a game.
Jones maintained from the beginning he wouldn’t hit .400 and now he knows it’s going to be tough on him to keep up with Pujols.
“I think he’s the best hitter in the game, no doubt,” Jones said. “Nobody can do the things that he can do offensively. He doesn’t miss the sweet spot. He does it more frequently than everybody else in the game. Regardless of who wins the batting title, I don’t think there’s any argument who the best hitter in the game is right now. I just got off to an 11, 12-week start that was unconscious and I’m just trying to hang on.”
As for how much of an effect it’s been without Teixeira hitting behind him, Chipper said it’s not a factor if Brian McCann is hitting behind him. It is if he’s not.
“Mac is just as respected as a quality hitter that can drive in big runs in big spots,” Jones said. “He’s a guy who commands respect, so it’s not all that different. But it’s a heck of a lot different when Mac doesn’t play. And you can’t play every day because of the position he plays. But it’s going to directly affect pitches that I see.”
Having a batting title to gun for gives Chipper something to keep him going hard for these last 24 games. And that’s more than can be said for some of his teammates, whom CJ concedes are struggling with that.
“It’s a motivational tool,” Jones said. “We’re out of it, we’re not going to the playoffs, but you’re a professional and you’re expected to go out and entertain and represent your team. You have a job to do. You’ve got to go out there and perform. A lot of guys in here are having to really take it upon themselves to find something to motivate themselves day in and day out. For me it’s easy. For some of the other guys it’s not so easy. They’ve been struggling with it. I’m trying to help them through it as much as I can.”
TIDBITS FROM THE OLD-SCHOOL: The CR version of the Braves/MIB blog offers a shout-out of congrats to Greg Maddux for catching Roger Clemens yesterday. Think that doesn’t matter to him? Think again….It’s 354 and counting, one more to go before he moves into sole possession of eighth place on the all-time win list.
He could get four more starts - one against Arizona this weekend, a team he rarely pitches well against (5-11, 5.37 ERA for his career) and one at Coors Field, but after that it’s nothing but Giants and Padres.
And you gotta love Eddie Perez. Please stop reading if you think nobody is allowed to laugh anymore with the season gone down the tubes. Eddie bought this stuffed parrot that’s hanging in his locker in Florida. It can repeat whatever is said in English and Spanish, or just sounds of laughing and hooting. It was good for some belly laughs yesterday.
OK, newcomers from Richmond getting in today and Charlie Morton trying to put together a second strong start in a row. More from the ‘yard as we go.
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