Live from Philly, where the Braves hope Beachy is just peachy
Here we are Citizens Bank Park, which is among the nicest around. (Shadowy photo by M. Bradley)
Philadelphia — For Game 1 of the biggest regular-season series the Braves have known since 2001, they’re handing the ball to Brandon Beachy, who had never before pitched a big-league inning. And this, in the grand scheme of all things Braves, made perfect sense.
The season began with a rookie hitting a three-run homer on his first big-league swing. The season turned when a guy who had nothing left became the National League’s player of the month for May. A season that has seen Chipper Jones lost for the duration and Brooks Conrad conjure up grand slams to order entered its final fortnight at Citizens Bank Park on Monday, and the starting pitcher was to be a young man the old skipper hadn’t seen pitch.
“Never have,” Bobby Cox said, speaking before the game. Then, brightly: “But our guys like him.”
Said Freddie Freeman, the young first baseman who watched Beachy work this summer at Gwinnett: “He’s not afraid to pitch. He’ll go on in and out on guys. He’s not going to be afraid of whoever’s standing in the box.”
Said Frank Wren, the general manager, speaking of the undrafted free agent: “Over the course of time, we got reports that were good but not great. Then he started turning the corner, and the reports became much more glowing.”
Beachy was summoned from the instructional league because Jair Jurrjens returned to Atlanta for an MRI on a tender knee. This would have been cause for greater hand-wringing had not Jurrjens stunk out the joint in his previous two starts. And the Braves, who infamously have undue difficulty against pitchers they’ve never seen, are hoping the same applies to the Phils.
About the decision to use Beachy, as opposed to Kenshin Kawakami: The Braves have seen more than enough of Kawakami, thanks very much. The chance exists that Beachy might dazzle the division leaders with footwork; there was no chance Kawakami would last three innings against this lineup. (And Kawakami is under contract for $6 million next season. Hurrah!)
Cox: “Kawakami hasn’t pitched in a long time. This kid is better prepared.”
Thought you'd enjoy the cover of the Philly Daily News.
(For the record, Beachy’s last Class AAA start was Sept. 3.)
As for the possibility of juggling the rest of his rotation, Cox said: “We could have bumped [Mike] Minor up, but he’s got to pitch tomorrow.”
As it stands, this is one of those games the Braves enter not fully expecting to win — they’d never admit as much, but you can’t be overly optimistic about the matchup of a rookie against 2008 World Series most valuable player Cole Hamels — but hoping nonetheless for the best. Because weird things happen in this sport. Because this Braves season has been nothing if not weird already.
And what if Beachy does go five good innings — “I’m hoping for seven,” said Cox, tongue only partially in his cheek — and the Braves eke out a couple of runs and open this massive series with a victory from nowhere? What if this forced deployment of Brandon Beachy turns out, as we say in Georgia, just peachy?
Let the record show that Beachy’s former Gwinnett mate is a believer. “I think he’s going to do just fine,” said Freeman, who turned 21 last week.
Said Wren, smiling: “I’d go with Freddie. He’s been around the game a long time.”
And with that, we’ll open the figurative floor for questions, comments and the usual razzing from our Philadelphia friends. I’ll be here to watch and report and chronicle, as Chip Caray had it, “the dawning of the Brandon Beachy era.” Join me, won’t you?
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1,104 comments Add your comment
Blue Fox
September 20th, 2010
6:13 pm
The kid will do fine after nerves settle.
CSpin
September 20th, 2010
6:13 pm
I think I’m gonna hurl
CSpin
September 20th, 2010
6:14 pm
Okay I’m better now.
Go brav….blleahhaheihoaihaoalahhhhhhhahah (splat).
oh gosh.
Enrico Palazzo
September 20th, 2010
6:18 pm
Mark,
Any idea who is singing the National Anthem tonight?
Neon yellow shirt guy
September 20th, 2010
6:19 pm
Sixth!
"Chef" Tim Dix
September 20th, 2010
6:20 pm
Over the course of 14 divisions titles, how many times were the Braves beaten by a guy they’d NEVER seen?
I have always said the unknown rookie would be my pitcher of those high powered Braves teams.
OK, this is not a high pwered Braves 9, but isn’t it time for the other shoe to drop in our favor?
here’s the ball kid, go get’em.
Dazed and Confused
September 20th, 2010
6:21 pm
Just throw strikes, dude.
They don’t know what to expect.
"Chef" Tim Dix
September 20th, 2010
6:21 pm
too many grammatical errors to count in the above post, hopefully you get my drift.
shawn
September 20th, 2010
6:22 pm
He will be a lot better than KK.
Mark, KK is under contract for $6.75 Mil not $8 Mol next year. He is as good as gone for next year.
Mitchell
September 20th, 2010
6:22 pm
Don’t you mean Brooks Beachy there Bradley?
Brandon Conrad?
Come on now. You’re better than that.
Or are you?
calzone
September 20th, 2010
6:23 pm
I am already nauseous. Let’s get this miserable game over with.
Hippie
September 20th, 2010
6:23 pm
Let’s just embrace one of our brothers tonight and love him regardless. Through peace and love, a higher frequency can be reached and nothing stands in our way!
And every day is earth day.
GT2010
September 20th, 2010
6:24 pm
“Back to you, Turner.” – Jason Snelling
Hard Days Night
September 20th, 2010
6:24 pm
Mark, is the aforementioned knee injury the main reason Jair has been off the past two starts?
Ex Lax
September 20th, 2010
6:25 pm
Can the offense please get some runs tonight?
Bushwacker
September 20th, 2010
6:26 pm
FILLY FANS, REMEMBER THIS:
You have Cheesesteak.
Atl has the most beautiful WOMEN ON THE PLANET, and its 2 to 1 girls!
GAME OVER, WE WIN!!!
Mark Bradley
September 20th, 2010
6:26 pm
Brandon Conrad. Brooks’ twin brother.
Drummerdad
September 20th, 2010
6:26 pm
This is the Braves’ version of Bullwinkle saying “Hey Rocky, watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat!”
Bushwacker
September 20th, 2010
6:27 pm
ITS TIME!!!!
It’s time to move Prado to #2 in the batting order and Heyward into the 3 spot.
You have your 2 best hitters hitting in front of Heyward who is killing the ball right now.
Anyone agree.
MB can you reach Bobby and get this change made before the first pitch?
Big Brother
September 20th, 2010
6:27 pm
Commence filters on all blogs. No one shall speak.
Mwahahaha.
Bobby Cox
September 20th, 2010
6:29 pm
Change bad. Fire good.
Heyward second.
Mark Bradley
September 20th, 2010
6:29 pm
Regarding Jurrjens: I have no clue, Hard Days Night.
Matt
September 20th, 2010
6:30 pm
This is depressing – hope the bullpen is ready for today and tomorrow with this kid and Minor going. The Phillies are absolutely raking right now, and Hamels, Halladay and Oswalt are dealing. Sad to say this, but I’ll be happy if the Braves just get 1 and are in the lead for the WC when the series is over. The deck seems stacked against us. Gotta stay hopeful, but jeez.
Bushwacker
September 20th, 2010
6:30 pm
Like I’ve been saying , Where would we be without McLouth and Derek Lee.
GO BRAVES!
Mark Bradley
September 20th, 2010
6:30 pm
Let the record show that I just consumed my first real meal in five days.
Mr. Turnip-Green Jeans
September 20th, 2010
6:31 pm
I occasionally get blitzed on Wild Turkey. Each time I’ve done so this season, we’ve won. I’ve got 1500-ml of 101 for this series.
A sweep is certainly in order.
Y’all save this for future reference..
Bobby Sands
September 20th, 2010
6:32 pm
Nice job.
My old Kentucky home
September 20th, 2010
6:33 pm
Mark….probably a good thing you’re only growing outward now….(couldn’t resist)
Kenshin Kawakami
September 20th, 2010
6:34 pm
zzzzzzzzzzzz……..
Kenshin Kawakami
September 20th, 2010
6:36 pm
Any Saito updates, Mark?
Beachdawg
September 20th, 2010
6:36 pm
To go one further, Bushwacker, what about inserting Nate McLouth in the top 3 and hit Heyward clean up?
Braves One
September 20th, 2010
6:36 pm
Perhaps Beachy can help “shore up” our starting rotation.
Tweets that mention Live from Philly, where the Braves hope Beachy is just peachy | Mark Bradley -- Topsy.com
September 20th, 2010
6:37 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Mark Bradley and Eric M. Dye, Howie Bruce. Howie Bruce said: RT @MarkBradleyAJC: LIve from Philly, where the #Braves send a rookie against the 2008 World Series MVP. http://bit.ly/dqJMxs [...]
Mark Bradley
September 20th, 2010
6:37 pm
MRI showed nothing amiss on Saito, according to Frank Wren.
Bravesfan54
September 20th, 2010
6:39 pm
uh…where’d our season go? (Your colleage claims that 9-3 is needed to make the playoffs! I don’t see that number at all, 8-4 more probable, even 7-5 is closer, 9-3 -when you have a 2-and-a-half game lead over your nearest wild card competitor, seems erroneuos. Has Schultz changed this prediction?
Mr. Turnip-Green Jeans
September 20th, 2010
6:39 pm
“I’ve got 1500-ml of 101 for this series.”
Guess I’d better mention that I’ll have help with that. Don’t wanna yap and pass-out before game’s won..
Bravesfan54
September 20th, 2010
6:40 pm
…sorry … make that “colleague”!
Phillies, Class of the NL
September 20th, 2010
6:40 pm
the Phillies, and their fans, are going to punish this kid tonight
Mitchell
September 20th, 2010
6:40 pm
This is very reminiscent to me of the ‘96 World Series. Yeah, I’m going there.
The only thing that’s missing is some smart @$$ Philly newspaper columnist saying that we have no chance to win.
Ironically, most of them are expecting a tough series from the Braves in spite of the supposed pitching mismatches.
It would appear that they’re just about the only people on the planet who think the Braves will win a game here.
The Braves just have to come out with some early runs and get the crowd out of the game.
I think we’re going to score some runs in this series. That’s pretty much what it’s going to take to get to the bullpen because Manuel, unlike Bobby Cox, is probably loathe to bring somebody in unless he absolutely have to.
I don’t think we can count on the pitch count to do the trick.
The Braves are getting zero respect from ESPN and MLBN, as if that should come as a surprise.
It’s time to stick it up their @$$es and shock the world.
Bravesfan54
September 20th, 2010
6:40 pm
…whoops, again, make that “erroneous”
Phillies, Class of the NL
September 20th, 2010
6:41 pm
play by play should look something like this
double, double, homerun — rinse, repeat.
Public Service Announcement
September 20th, 2010
6:41 pm
Please don’t drink and blog.
Beachdawg
September 20th, 2010
6:41 pm
MB…Does Chipper switch hit in golf too??
Phillies, Class of the NL
September 20th, 2010
6:42 pm
this kid is going to get rocked, i feel bad for him…
Dr. Jekyll
September 20th, 2010
6:42 pm
Mitchell, will you be blogging tonight under that name or “.570″?
Phredd
September 20th, 2010
6:42 pm
I’m nervous for this kid. I wonder if he’s puking right about now!
rekingball
September 20th, 2010
6:44 pm
What are the Braves going to do with KK next year?
Is there any chance that he will do the honorable thing, and resign, after all, he is from Japan?
Mr. Turnip-Green Jeans
September 20th, 2010
6:44 pm
I’m his designated blogger, Mr Jeans is in the Lazy Boy.
Jean Pierre
September 20th, 2010
6:45 pm
Zee Phils vil surrender!
Zee Braves’ la plage vil be Normandy!
tom r
September 20th, 2010
6:46 pm
Any idea/guess even as to when Jurrjens next start would be? I’m assuming it’s highly unlikely that he will just be pushed back a day or two and get a start in this series, correct?