AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2007 > June > 05 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USBuddy’s 2nd win a longtime coming
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Furman Bisher
When you go to the ballpark to watch a game between two pitchers with a collective record of 6-18, you’re not expecting a classic. As in Spahn and Koufax, or Hubbell and Dean. In fact, you’re wondering how these two happened even to be here, in Turner Field on a Tuesday afternoon.
The Braves were in desperation mode. Their guy was Earl L. Carlyle, who goes by the playground name of “Buddy” in the trade. If Bobby Cox had a full house of healthy starters, Buddy Carlyle would have been in Pawtucket, where the Richmond farm club was playing last night. On the other hand, take Fredi Gonzales’ situation with the Marlins. His starter was Sergio Mitre, who had to be pulled after four innings against the Cubs his last time out. Something to do with a hamstring, one of those infernal things.
Of the six games Mitre and Carlyle have won, five belong to the Marlins pitcher. Carlyle won his one game in relief, pitching for the Padres in 1999. For a guy 28 years old, the right-hander has a lot of mileage on his odometer. Twice he has pitched in Asia, first with the Hanshin Tigers in Japan, then, just last year, with a team called the LG Twins in Korea.
The Braves picked him up off the street last December, with the Richmond club in mind.
If you checked all the asterisks on the Braves roster, you’d get an idea of why they are in such a pitching bind. Mike Hampton hasn’t thrown a pitch in a pennant race in two years. Mike Gonzalez, thought to be a real catch from Pittsburgh, instead became another surgical case, as is Tanyon Sturtze, whom you haven’t seen throw a pitch. He was sort of an investment in futures, I’d guess. Lance Cormier just tried to make it back, but too soon. John Smoltz removed himself from action last week, and he was to give his business arm a test later in the evening.
But the Braves’ story is Buddy Carlyle, and you’ve gotta like it. He doesn’t blow you down with heat, Sometimes the big meter in left field registered in the 70s, but when he came in with his flame-thrower, the Marlins were shocked.
In seven innings they touched him for just one hit, damaging though it was. It was a home run by Aaron Boone in the third inning, and the game teetered on that thin line until the Braves came to bat in the seventh. Carlyle had filled the pitching void gloriously, given his team seven good innings, but still he was losing, 1-0.
Fate owed him something, and fate was about to pay off. Jeff Francoeur singled, one of his three hits. Scott Thorman popped out trying to bunt, and now came the kid, rookie Jarrod Saltalamacchia, whom the Braves have to fit in some place. Today he was the catcher, his natural trade. He looked at Angel Pinto’s first place, and he liked it.
The ball sailed like a rocket into the left-field stands, and if that wasn’t enough, Chris Woodward followed with another home run, and the scales of justice had balanced. Carlyle was staked to a 3-1 gift. The sparse gallery, a little over 21,000, was so elated it broke out into a wave, something you don’t see around here much anymore.
The rest was left up to the April-and-September battery of the moose Bob Wickman, 38, and the kid Saltalamacchia, 22, and they sauntered off into the glow of twilight. Which, I might add, had been blessed by spray of rain, not enough to hint salvation, but encouraging. The beautiful part of it all in the end was that the playing took only two hours and 20 minutes.
Now, that’s real baseball, played in the loveliness of a Georgia afternoon.
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By Jeremy
June 5, 2007 10:38 PM | Link to this
It is just to bad that of the 3 games we have played against the Marlins in this series, the one player to win gets sent to Richmond immediately following the game, after a 1 hit 7 inning performance.
Is Bobby trying to create a movie script?
By Bob Montag
June 5, 2007 11:46 PM | Link to this
Thanks Buddy! Hope you make it back soon.
By Charlie
June 6, 2007 6:08 AM | Link to this
This Braves’ team is something else. Frenchy complains of being at the ballpark a lot (fatigue). Wow! You’re a young athlete, making ungodly, undeserved amounts of money, and you’re tired. Get a real job that pays $20-$30,000,then complain. Why do we have a hitting coach? Nobody seems to listen. Nobody seems to have an approach at the plate. Just swing hard, in case you might hit it. (Andruw/Thorman approach) As hitters this years Braves have mastered the strikeout, and with RISP, they are automatic outs. TBS has 7 Braves games scheduled for the entire month of June. Good call, TBS. This team is a frustration to watch. As usual, Chipper is hurt, Andruw still hasn’t figured out what to do at the plate. (0 for 8 in this double header. Yes, I do believe Andruw is breaking out of his season-long slump. Sadly, he’ll still get $20 million next year.) There is no consistency to this team. The one thing that they seem quite good at is finding a way to lose. They have no heart. As reported, they “sleepwalk through the second game of the (Marlins) doubleheader”, and players complain of being tired. They are playing at home. What a joke. What an over paid bunch of babies. This is an under .500 baseball team, who, by seasons end, will battle Washington for last place. They have ONE clutch /money ball player (John Smoltz), and he can’t make up for the unmotivated (all be it) “tired” bunch that surrounds him in the clubhouse. If I hadn’t already bought tickets for games this month, I wouldn’t now. This group surely isn’t worth the price of admission.
By Chris
June 6, 2007 6:32 AM | Link to this
Mr. Bisher, when is the last time you attended a Braves game? That infernal Wave makes an appearance over and over again every single game!
By George
June 6, 2007 8:31 AM | Link to this
Did I miss something? Did the guy hurt his pitching arm? In seven innings they touched him for just one hit, and the send him down to Richmond. I guess pitching your heart out, giving all you have is not appreciated by this group. Where is the heart, the desire to win EVERY game never say die attitude. We have Soriano and Wickman the rest of the bull pen can’t hold the other team from adding to the score. disappointed with the desire to win on this team.
By S Mauney
June 6, 2007 8:46 AM | Link to this
It is a shame that the Braves can’t seem to get it together and play solid baseball. I believe you need a better first baseman and I think Salty is that player. Until Andruw can figure out his swing, he should not be in the line up at all. Put Willie in center field. And when Chipper gets off the D-List, I would not put him in the lineup right away because he has missed too much action, he will be rusty. Maybe it is time for some new blood at third base as much as I love Chipper. These Braves need to get some fire in their bellies and quick or they will find themselves again looking at the playoffs at home.
By STRETCH
June 6, 2007 8:49 AM | Link to this
THANKS CHARLIE FOR YOUR COMMENTS. YOU PRETTY MUCH HIT IT RIGHT ON THE HEAD. I AM SICK AND TIRED OF GUYS WALKING UP TO THE PLATE WITH RUNNERS ON AND WHIFFING. NOBODY LISTENS TO THE BATTING COACH. EVERYBODY IS LOOKING FOR THE FENCES AND I WOULDNT GIVE A. JONES ANY MORE MONEY…HECK NO!!!! PUT SALTY AT FIRST CAUSE THORMAN IS DONE.
IF IT WAS NOT FOR WILLIE HARRIS, K. JOHNSON, DIAZ, RENTEIRIA AND SMOLTZ, WE WOULD BE IN LAST PLACE RIGHT NOW!!!! AND THEN BOBBY COX SENDS CARYLE DOWN TO AAA…WHAT FOR??? THIS ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN GOING DOWN AND DOWN HARD. HAMPTON IS SUCKING IN UN-EARNED MONEY, CHIPPER IS DONE, HUDSON IS JEKYLL AND HYDE, AND ANDRUW HAS A BIG HEAD AND EGO WITH A LITTLE STICK AND PLUS HE’S GETTING A LITTLE PUDGY.
ITS TIME FOR THE FRONT OFFICE TO ASK PEOPLE TO TAKE SOME PAY CUTS AND GO AFTER A PITCHER IF THEY, THE PLAYERS WANT TO GET BACK TO THE POST SEASON. (THATS THE ONLY WAY THEY ARE GOING TO BE IN THE MIX IS ADD QAULITY PITCHING) AND IM GETTING TIRED OF WATCHING GUYS THROW GRAPEFRUITS AT THE PLATE. IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY INNING STARTS OUT WITH 1ST AND 2ND WITH NOBODY OUT THESE DAYS!
IS THERE ANYBODY THAT CAN THROW STRIKES? BUT I DONT SEE THAT HAPPENING CAUSE THEN YOU WILL START HEARING…”I GOTTA FEED MY FAMILY” CRAP. WELL I WISH I FORCED TO FEED MY FAMILY WITH A COUPLE OF MILLION DOLLARS!!!
BOTTOM LINE…THESE GUYS ARE PROFESSIONAL AZZ WIPES!!!!!
By George
June 6, 2007 9:00 AM | Link to this
Did I miss something? Did the guy hurt his pitching arm? In seven innings they touched him for just one hit, and the send him down to Richmond. I guess pitching your heart out, giving all you have is not appreciated by this group. Where is the heart, the desire to win EVERY game never say die attitude. We have Soriano and Wickman the rest of the bull pen can’t hold the other team from adding to the score. disappointed with the desire to win on this team.
By Ippississim
June 6, 2007 12:17 PM | Link to this
I think Diaz needs to be an everyday player, and Andruw is the one who should platoon with W. Harris. Plus, since Harris can play third base, keep him in every day by having him replace Escobar on Andruw’s days to play.
I personally think that veteran players should not be immune to platooning.
By Bob C
June 6, 2007 4:15 PM | Link to this
Thanks Buddy, I’m sure we will see you back here in Atlanta soon. You have shown everyone since spring training that you belong in the majors. I just hope the Braves realize it before another team picks you up.