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Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Exercising rites of spring
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Furman Bisher
Lake Buena Vista, Fla. — This was the most popular day of spring training — a day off. Golf, fishing, going shopping with Baby. Well, that may be stretching it a bit. Time was, players didn’t take wives to spring training. Couldn’t afford it. Teams put players up in hotels with a roommate, the Bainbridge in St. Petersburg, the Manatee River in Bradenton, the Angebilt in Orlando, and the Astros were so cheesey players were stuffed into a dormitory on the grounds. That was many Marvin Miller years ago.
Spring training for the Braves this year was more or less for the exercise. Bobby Cox could have filled out his opening-day lineup card in February and it would still have played in April. This might be a hard sell among the clientele of Turner Field, who are not too happy that Marcus Giles was dropped like a hot potato and that Adam LaRoche was passed along for a short reliever. Or, that Kelly Johnson has been the second baseman since the first pulled muscle, and Scott Thorman the first baseman.
The brightest prospect in camp is another second baseman, Martin Prado, another one of those infielders from Venezuela. Johnson has picked it up with the bat, and by opening day he will have played his way into the manager’s heart. Thorman was a slow beginner, with a swing that needed some kick in it. He’s a big hunk, with the build of a tight end, and when he does start connecting, the fences won’t hold him. It all comes with confidence.
And if it doesn’t come, there’s Craig Wilson behind him. I don’t know how the Braves were lucky enough to pick up this guy running around loose. He has some wallop and three seasons ago hit 29 home runs for the Pirates. He’s a happy fellow with a clownish sense of humor and appears to have an aversion for barbers. In a pinch, he can play left field, where there’s already a dogfight on between Ryan Langerhans and Matt Diaz. The left-handed Langerhans has more power and is a classic defender, and it makes no difference to Diaz what side the pitch is coming from.
Cox will carry three backup infielders, and this is not a subject to be taken lightly, considering Chipper Jones’ uncertain underpinning. (Lord, how fast the warranties seem to run out on these young bucks.) Willy Aybar filled in ably last season, Chris Woodward is a reliable veteran, and the cheerful Pete Orr is good to have around for his variety of uses. And since Johnson is equipped for either infield or outfield duty, why not?
Two absolutes for this year and many down the road are Brian McCann, one of the purest hitters in the league, and Jeff Francoeur, and so much for that. Andruw Jones has reached such salary heights he may play himself out of town.
The subject of pitching is centered in the bullpen, where the Braves have been hoarding middle men, set-up men, closers and all sorts who fit those scientific terms. No excuses this season. They’ve tapped various resources to plug the gap that John Smoltz left when he went back to starting, then made divorce headlines.
Cox now has his choice of three closers, bear-like Bob Wickman; Mike Gonzalez, for whom they gave up LaRoche; and Rafael Soriano, for whom they gave up Horacio Ramirez.
Then when Mike Hampton began feeling his oats, he takes a few swings with the bat and discovers that he has one of those muscles they call “oblique.” Gone for two months. I think he’s supposed to be in his $14 million salary stage this season, I’m not sure, but any way you look at it, Hampton has been the Braves’ most depressing investment, in company with the deal that brought J.D. Drew to town in exchange for Adam Wainwright, one good season or a 10-year starter, or more.
Then I checked the latest season projections, and in Baseball Digest found that the Braves have fallen sharply in prestige, this team that thrived so handsomely for 14 seasons. In the division of five NL East teams, it is predicted they will finish ahead of one — the Washington Nationals, whose plight will surely revive the old term “lowly” this season. That means, behind the Mets, the Phillies and the Marlins, the Braves and Nationals bring up the rear. Bad company to keep, but they can renew an old acquaintance, Stan Kasten.
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The Tuesday Countdown
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jeff Schultz
(An online weekly stream of unconsciousness)
10: They’re building a “Hooters” in Tel Aviv. Oy.
9: You know, I have roots in Israel. Never did realize the “Promised Land” actually referred to a day of hope, when we could all orders wings from Bambi and stare at breastacles. Hey, look over there! There’s Abraham, Isaac and Jacob splitting a pitcher! Exodus. Stage left.
8: I’m Jewish but my wife is Catholic. Needless to say, I had to point out to her that Yeshiva won as many games in the NCAA tournament as Notre Dame. (Reminds me of a joke: A Bar Mitzvah is the day a boy realizes he can own a sports team, he just can’t play for one.)
7: (Transition) And speaking of sports teams: Kudos to Georgia State for the hiring of hoops coach Rod Barnes, formerly of Mississippi. Barnes has coached a team to the Sweet 16, and State has long had untapped potential to build a strong intown program. Lefty Dreisell realized some of that potential, but the administration wasn’t committed, in terms of dollars or facilities. It needs to be committed now.
6: I realize it’s not a scientific indicator of a conference’s strength. But I’m assuming the ACC isn’t going to brag about having only one school (North Carolina) in the Sweet 16, especially with the SEC getting three (Florida, Tennessee, Vanderbilt). And you KNOW conference officials and coaches would be gloating if they had three in.
5: Kentucky is not going to embrace Tubby Smith until he gets back to a Final Four, which may not happen any time soon. If I’m him, I resign to take the first good job that becomes available.
4: Instead of being upset with Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter for punching the Bengals’ Levi Jones, shouldn’t we celebrate the NFL player who didn’t bust up a bar, assault his spouse or get caught in a drug sting? Besides, it was a Bengal.
3: Nothing against Keith Tkachuk, whose acquisition gave the Thrashers a needed edge and a big body (an American body!) in front of the net on the power play. But Alexei Zhitnik has brought - and will continue to bring - more to the team than any other new player. He directs the power play, kills penalties, immediately became part of the first defense pairing (with Niclas Havelid, to the chagrin of plummeting Andy Sutton) and is averaging over 26 minutes per game in 10 games (two goals, 10 assists, seven points on the power play).
2: So if I understand this correctly, the Hawks only get to keep their first-round pick if they’re in the top three in the draft lottery. Otherwise, the pick goes to Phoenix as part of the Joe Johnson trade. Question: Anybody posting odds on them getting the fourth pick?
1: Would writing a prayer on a Hooters napkin for the Wailing Wall be deemed inappropriate?
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