Braves quotes from Shelby Miller, Jonny Gomes and Fredi Gonzalez after Monday’s 4-0 loss to the Marlins.
**JONNY GOMES
“Right down to the 12th hour with the deadline coming up. Through the course of my career, how it’s panned out the last six years, been a nomad if you will. That comes with the status of playing this game for a long time on one-year deals, therefore you kind of become tradeable if things don’t work out with the team you’re on.
“I paid no attention to it. The first stuff I’ve packed is right now. Paid no attention to it. Got called in. I was ready to come up for my third at-bat, I was excited about it. That’s how it goes.”
Excited to go to a contender, sad to leave this team even thought it's skidding right now?
“Yeah. I mean, we’ve skid before during the year and came out of it. I’ve talked about it since the day I showed up in Atlanta, I full invested in this team. In the peaks and in the valleys. I’ll go play a game for Kansas City just like I played today. It’s not like I’m leaving here and am going to go turn it on. I left everything I possible had in between those lines when my number was called. With that being said, it’s a business. On to K.C.”
Good to go to a team playing for something, trying to get back to World Series?
“Yeah. I’ve learned, too, nothing is a guarantee once 162 (the regular season) is over. I’ve been on some good teams, won the World Series, lost the World Series, lost a playoff game to them last year, the wild card (game). Once a season’s over, everything’s a clean slate. Try not to take that for granted. Just go over there and just be Jonny Gomes, try not to clog it up and try to help them win.”
On his impact here
“Being on a one-year deal, I probably wasn’t going to be here to finish my career. I was fully invested in the kids (young players) all the way in Orlando. I was extremely thankful and soaked up so much from the veterans I played with, and I’m still using their words of wisdom, and how important that was to relay that back to guys. Whatever they do in between the lines, there’s not going to be an asterisk that Jonny taught me that, but maybe down the road I can get a call one day when it’s their first All-Star (selection), their big contract, just get a thanks then. It’s one of the things I don’t take for granted. I’ve always said, my statistics aren’t the thumbprint that I like to put on a team.”
**SHELBY MILLER
On starting on short notice after Foltynewicz was sick and got scratched Monday afternoon
“Obviously something’s wrong with Folty, I’m not sure exactly what. I hope he’s alright. When I first got to the field today Rog (Roger McDowell) came up to me and told me I’d be starting today. That’s not a big deal. Regular days’ rest, you’ve got to be prepared for these kinds of situations.
“That’s the first time I came to the field and found out I was pitching that day when I wasn’t expecting it, but at the same time, it’s regular rest, I was definitely ready to go.”
How’d you feel?
“I felt good. Real good. I had good command of my pitches tonight. I think Betty (Christian Bethancourt) called a good game. Made some good defensive plays, saved some hits with some great plays. But obviously a tough loss.”
Can you look at your ERA, opponents’ average, all that, and say, “Hey, I’m having a hell of a season?”
“I honestly don’t even know what all those stats are (for him), where they sit. I’m reading a book that Rog gave me that’s about how stats and all that doesn’t reflect on how you go out there and perform. You can make a good pitch and give up a hit or something like that. You want to put up great stats and you want to be the best you can be, but at the end of the day it’s all about going out there and just competing. The stats are a benefit on the side.”
On Gomes trade
“Obviously tough news. For such a great guy in the clubhouse, one of the best leaders I’ve ever been around and best teammates I’ve been around. Always in a posistive mood, and doing anything he can to make the vibe better. Obviously going to miss him a lot, and wish him nothing but the best with the Royals. He’s going to a great team.”
**FREDI GONZALEZ
On Shelby Miller
“He did an unbelievable job on short notice. He doesn’t get here till 2:30, he’s got the mindset that he’s going to be doing something else, and we ask him to start for us and he says, ‘Yeah, I’ll take the ball.’ Gives us seven innings of one-run ball, and we just couldn’t – I’ve never seen anything like it, to tell the truth. The more I’ve seen this, the more I believe that, forget about the wins and losses for a starting pitcher. We talk about it on the bench, kind of laugh about it. There’s a guy in Toronto who’s got the opposite record and he’s got like a 5.00 ERA. I can’t explain it. The only thing I can explain is the way Shelby has behaved through all this and the way he’s gone out and battled through everything we’ve asked him to do. He doesn’t change. He doesn’t flinch. I hope that continues.”
On Braves offense
“We had some good at-bats early. Freeman hit a sinking line drive to left field, Bethancourt hit a line drive to the shortstop…but again, those are outs. They’re allowed to catch it. The name of the game is scoring runs, and scoring runs when your best pitcher is out there – it’s been hard for us.”
On Gomes being traded, how tough to say goodbye
“I’m glad he’s going to a team that’s in a pennant race, because he’s going to help that club. He came as advertised, a guy that was good in the clubhouse, a good teammate. We’re going to miss him. We’re going to miss that leadership. But hopefully he was here long enough that he rubbed some of that off on the other guys, and they learned from the way Jonny Gomes carried himself day-in and day-out.”
How did Gomes take the news?
“He’s a pro. I think as soon as somebody told him, ‘Hey Fredi wants to see you downstairs,’ I think he knew. He just asked me, ‘Where to?’ So I told him, and he said, ‘Alright, thank you.’ He said some goodbyes in the dugout and left.”
Kind of guy you’d like to have back on your team possibly?
“You always like to have those type of people back. They’re winners, they’re guys that are good leaders, good character, and a very productive player.”
On Simmons’ sore ankle
“He’s had this before. Sometimes he gets going and – it was really late, just before 7 – and his ankle just bites on him. It’s the same thing he has every couple of months, it just grabs and bites on him. Nothing serious. He’s day to day, hopefully a couple of days.”
Does he have a bone spur?
“It’s something, I don’t want to get really technical with it, but it’s something that comes and goes. Sometimes he plays through it, sometimes we’ve seen him fall down on swings, or going down to first base it hurts him and he stays in the game. Today I guess it was just a little bit too much. He can get it just walking down the tunnel (to the clubhouse) and it grabs him. He was walking up the steps to get some running (in) before the game, and he said, ‘Skip, my anke’s acting up again.’”
Did you decide on a starter yet for Tuesday and Wednesday?
“We’re going to go with Banuelos tomorrow, and then Wednesday will figure it out.”
