The same reason Braves officials and umpires waited nearly four hours through a rain delay Monday night was the same reason some Braves players contacted the players’ union on Monday night – concerns over the day-night doubleheader awaiting on Tuesday.
“If we were just playing a night game today, it would have been a totally different situation,” Reed Johnson said Tuesday morning. “But we were just kind of concerned that we’ve got not only a day game but possibly two tomorrow as well.”
Pending weather delays Tuesday night, the Braves were on schedule to play three games in less than 24 hours. Monday night’s game didn’t end until 1:22 a.m. Johnson said the players’ union never got back with anything further, and the players were satisfied that the game was played within the appropriate guidelines.
“At least we got a win and didn’t burn any extra people,” said Johnson, referring to the Braves’ 2-1 win after they got seven innings from starter Tim Hudson.
Kris Medlen offered to go down to the bullpen and cover Alex Wood’s innings in the bullpen, if necessary, so Wood could go home and get some sleep before making his first major league start at 1:10 p.m. Tuesday. It would have been a side session day for him. But pitching coach Roger McDowell told him that wasn’t necessary. The Braves had Wood in the bullpen just in case more rain or extra innings force him into emergency duty. Then Paul Maholm would have pitched Game 1 of Tuesday’s doubleheader instead of Game 2, and the Braves would have called on a minor league to start Tuesday night.
The Braves booked rooms at the downtown Ritz-Carlton for a few players and coaches who didn’t want to make long drives home to the suburbs. Manager Fredi Gonzalez spent Monday night on a couch in the closet former manager Bobby Cox had built in the back of the manager’s office.
The Braves clubhouse staffers cancelled the cleaning crews that normally come through about 4 a.m. so he could get some rest.
“I got about 6 ½ (hours),” said Gonzalez, who lives in Marietta. “If you go home you get three hours. I watched the end of the Giants game, fell asleep, got up at about 9:15. Bright-eyed and bushy tailed.”
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