Archive for September, 2009

   (Staff writer Carroll Rogers is filling in for David O’Brien to finish up this Florida Marlins series.)  

   Miami - So, keep me company while I replenish fluids from the three pounds I think I lost running this morning. Wow. Earlier in the day doesn’t necessarily mean better in this muggy South Florida heat, and maybe later doesn’t either. I’m starting to feel for these pitchers, like Javier Vazquez and his 120 pitches last night.
   So there were about five glaring things that went wrong last night, and they’ve been well-documented on the last blog (I’m thinking maybe a punching bag with Greg Norton’s face on it would help a lot of folks get through the day).
   But I figure a lot of it had to do with Vazquez running out of gas, not having his usual control, and maybe staying in little too long in what blew up into a five-run inning by the time Kris Medlen was through. I imagine Bobby Cox was concerned about not having some of his bullpen available, aka Rafael …

Continue reading “Goofy helmets” and one last shot at the Fish »

   (Staff writer Carroll Rogers is filling in for David O’Brien this Florida Marlins series.)  

   Miami - So Tim Hudson is back, he is looking a lot like his old self, and he’s going to give the Braves more starters than you can shake a stick at. I see multiple theories are being kicked around this morning as to what the Braves should do with all these arms.
   At the moment, the plan is to give Kenshin Kawakami a rest. Hey, maybe you rest him until the next stud pitcher is going for the other team and you run him back out there on last-minute notice. Not that he’d appreciate that too much, but what do you do? Bobby Cox said last week he planned to continue using Kawakami as a starter. Same with Hudson.
   Last night, when asked about Hudson’s addition to the rotation, Cox said: “It gives us six good ones. It gives us a lot of options.”
   I know there’s reason to think Tommy Hanson could use a break, or some kind of cutback, given how many innings he’s compiling, …

Continue reading Hudson and a crowded house o starters »

   (Staff writer Carroll Rogers is filling in for David O’Brien this Florida Marlins series.)

   Miami - So it’s finally here. Huddy Day. The ol’ baldheaded right-hander from Alabama is going to get back on the hill. (Sorry, the southern thing just slips in, when you start thinking about Tim Hudson and his voice pops into your head.)
   But it’s a big day for Hudson and the Braves. He makes his return from Tommy John surgery tonight against the Marlins. (I can say Tommy John on the blog and no editor will make me say elbow reconstruction surgery, wahoo!)
   No time to dawdle for Hudson either. The Braves are three games back in the wild card now and this is serious. And that sounds good for Hudson, who sounds so ready to jump right in. I asked him yesterday if this felt similar to an opening day start or his first start in the postseason or something, and here’s his response:
   “I guess you could say it has the first-game-of-a-season type feel, but to be honest with …

Continue reading Happy Huddy Day »