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Monday, June 9, 2008
Braves need to teach new dogs old tricks
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I promise I’m not singling out Kelly Johnson when I ask the following question: Have the Braves’ fundamentals gone by the wayside?
That thought may have been inspired by Johnson’s dropped ball with two out in the ninth on Friday night, but it goes beyond an inability to use two hands to catch a pop-up. It’s base-running, hitting to the right side to advance runners, bunting … the whole fundamental kit and kaboodle.
The Braves are second in the National League in staff ERA and second in team average but eighth in fielding percentage and God only knows how many runners they’ve stranded in scoring position this year. I do know how many times Jeff Francoeur has come through with the bases loaded and less than two out this season: once in 12 chances. (The most opportunities anyone else has is six, so I’m thinking he might be in the wrong spot in the order.)
Frenchy’s place in the batting order is on Bobby Cox, but that’s not where I’m laying the blame for these young guys’ tough time with the basics. You shouldn’t have to teach a player how to play the game at the big-league level; that happens in Class A and Double A (if not Little League).
According to Joe Simpson, Yunel Escobar was asked to bunt all of four times during his time in the minors, and that just doesn’t seem right to me. The point of minor league ball is not to win games but to develop players. If a guy gets to the majors and can’t bunt, that’s a problem.
Chipper Jones is the most fundamentally sound Brave at the moment: He’s solid at his position, smart on the basepaths and does what it takes to advance runners. After him would be Brian McCann, who has earned the respect of his teammates — and a big payday — in only his third year in the majors.
What do those guys have in common besides knowing the game inside and out? Fathers who started teaching them the fundamentals before they were old enough to play Little League.
Here’s hoping Luis Ortiz, Sixto Lezcano, Gabriel Luckert (Gulf Coast League); Paul Runge, Carlos Mendez, Derrick Lewis (Danville); Rocket Wheeler, Rich Albert, Mike Alvarez (Myrtle Beach); and Randy Ingle, Bobby Moore, Jim Czajkowski and Angel Salazar (Rome) know what they’re doing with the next bunch of Baby Braves.
Upcoming TV Schedule
Monday: off-day
Tuesday: at Cubs, 8:05, Peachtree TV
Wednesday: at Cubs, 8:05, FSN/ESPN
Thursday: at Cubs, 2:20, Peachtree TV
Friday: at Angels, 10:05, SportSouth
Saturday: at Angels, 9:05, SportSouth
Sunday: at Angels, 8:05, ESPN
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