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Tuesday, August 1, 2006
Braves boot ball trading Betemit
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Furman Bisher
Whew! Just take a few days away from this little word machine and by the time you get back, the major leagues have been scrambled like truck-stop eggs. The Dodgers come to mind in a flash. They trade for Greg Maddux, 40 years old, with a losing record, due 13 million bucks next season, and the Dodgers are in last place, five games below .500. Are they serious?
(You know, I get a kick out of these stories that say “he can be nearer his home,” in this case Las Vegas. He’s on the road half the season no matter where he plays, and he’s at home in the off-season, no matter where home is.)
The Dodgers give up a shortstop to get him, then turn around and trade for another shortstop, which they don’t need because Rafael Furcal gets $13 million to play shortstop for them, and besides, Cesar Izturis was playing third base. Now the Dodgers have Wilson Betemit, and that’s a story that tugs at my heart. No, it infuriates me.
I’m sorry, I don’t usually get in a snit about Braves business off the field, but this was an act that confounded me. After all those seasons in the farm system as “the highest-rated prospect,” Betemit had finally lived up to it. A productive team player, write his name in anywhere, good person. Some of the infield members have been so fragile that he had become a regular just filling in. And wouldn’t you know it, the day he gets traded, Chipper Jones goes down again. Serves them right.
If you’ve been paying close attention, you’ve realized that this hasn’t been one of John Schuerholz’s banner seasons of bartering. Last season, every move he made turned to gold. This season they have produced more pewter. A revolving door has been installed on the bullpen, and their latest “closer” acquisition, Bob Wickman, is still on trial. They even have a backup “closer.” The Betemit trade produced him, Danys Baez.
And it’s not just the bullpen. John Smoltz is the only starter who can be counted on to give them seven or eight innings. Tim Hudson has fallen on his face, there was nothing about the 2006 Jorge Sosa that resembled the Sosa of ‘05, and frankly, any other guy starts, you hold your breath.
They have, for the most part, been trying to get by on Dollar General starters in a Neiman Marcus league. They’re using pitchers you can’t even find in the press guide, not to diminish the value of Tyler Yates, who has been giving them more for their money in relief.
One of the saddest stories of them all is that of Joey Devine, thrown into critical situations just out of college last season, now trying to relocate himself in a Class A league. For the life of me, I’ll never understand the rush they put on the kid, whisked from campus to the big leagues, then to be the pitcher who threw the final home run pitch of the season at Houston. It takes a tough kid to come back from that, and he still hasn’t.
You know who’ll be suffering the finger-pointing for the pitching crash of ‘06. Roger McDowell is new, he’s a background guy, speaks quietly and suffers on with what has been dealt him. No pitching coach ever won or lost a pennant.
Now, for today’s “closer,” the skewed Baseball Hall of Fame. It was a day for Cooperstown to forget. A pitcher who never started or pitched a complete game, who lost more games than he won, and who was a $10 million bust for Ted Turner was inducted.
Bruce Sutter was cast in the same category as Hoyt Wilhelm, Dennis Eckersley and Rollie Fingers, and while those three did distinguish themselves as relievers, they also had several turns as starters. Wilhelm even pitched a no-hit game.
Sutter’s leading credential, it seems, was that he “popularized” the splitter, though in reality, it was a pitch that Roger Craig introduced. If that be the case, consider George Blaeholder. Never heard of him? Probably not. He pitched for the lowly St. Louis Browns in the 1930s. He also lost more than he won. But the great Bob Feller, not one to cloak his opinions in shyness, once wrote, “If any pitcher belongs in the Hall of Fame, it should be George Blaeholder. Why, because he introduced the slider, and that has been the most effective new pitch in baseball.”
Of course, Blaeholder never made it, but 17 players of the old Negro Leagues, all deceased, all went in lock-step with Sutter, but that’s another story.
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Andruw should be untouchable
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jeff Schultz
10: I know Andruw Jones is one year away from free agency. I know any general manager will tell you there’s no such thing as an untradable player, and that the Braves need pitching help. That said, I can’t understand why a team ever would entertain trading the best center fielder in the game.
9: The Red Sox initiated the trade conversation with the Braves. According to our Dave O’Brien, Boston’s Theo Epstein asked John Schuerholz what it would take to pry away Jones. Schuerholz answered: Coco Crisp, Jon Lester (top pitching prospect), Craig Hansen (rookie reliever). Now, I suppose it doesn’t hurt to listen. But Schuerholz’ answer should have been: “He’s not available.”
8: Jones still plays his position as well or better than anybody in the game. He’ll drive in over 100 runs again this season. Through last year’s run of injuries, he carried a team largely comprised of kids. The only way he should be traded is if he asked out or there was no possible way he will be re-signed after next season, and I haven’t heard of either scenario being the case.
7: I’m guessing Mel Gibson’s next “Lethal Weapon” movie is about a bottle of tequila. Oy.
6: Got a slick color brochure in the mail from Atlanta Spirit on its community involvement. But the first sentence read: “The Atlanta Spirit family celebrated many successes this year in all facets of our business.” Sorry. You lost me at hello.
5: Got a “Certificate of Participation” in the mail from the IOC for the Olympics in Turin. I wonder if Bode Miller got one of these?
4: The Falcons already are ahead of last season. Questions about their receivers don’t usually start until after a few pre-season games.
3: The Braves start the post trade-deadline stretch standing 10th in the wild-card race and without having made a major trade before the deadline. Well. That should sell some tickets.
2: So how come nobody is screaming for congressional hearings on drugs in cycling?
1: Mark Richt’s new contract includes incentive clauses for almost every achievement, except for the one everybody talks about: beating Florida.
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