Live from the ballyard: Could the Braves really lose to Jo-Jo?
May 23, 2008: Jo-Jo Reyes discusses key matters with former allies. (AJC photo by Jason Getz)
Jo-Jo Reyes used to be a Brave. He was the ride-along in the last summer’s Yunel Escobar/Alex Gonzalez trade. Lately he has become infamous for going 28 starts without winning, which matched an all-time big-league worst.
The good news: Jo-Jo Reyes starts against the Braves today.
The less-good news: He’s pitching better.
He has, believe it or not, won three of his past four starts, beating two decent teams from Ohio (Cleveland and Cincinnati, duh) and Baltimore. His ERA is a not-that-horrible 4.18. And he has actually been good in interleague competition (3-1 with a 1.79 ERA).
That said … even by Braves standards, it would look pretty bad to lose to a guy who went from June 13, 2008, to May 30, 2011, without winning a start. But the Braves, as we’re aware, often make ordinary pitchers they’re facing for the first time look like Christy Mathewson. And this will be the first time, not counting batting practice in spring training, the Braves will have faced Jo-Jo.
Meaning: Hold your breath.
While you’re holding it, I invite you to join me for all the online fun and frolic. First person to make a good Beatles/”Get Back”/Jo-Jo joke wins a round of coveted kudos.
By Mark Bradley
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238 comments Add your comment
Steve
June 22nd, 2011
2:50 pm
Thanks Mark!
Mike
June 22nd, 2011
2:55 pm
For God’s sake can we cut our losses on Uggla for the rest of the season? Let’s face it, 2011 is just not going to happen for him. Let’s go with Conrad the rest of the season or Prado when he gets back. I’d even give Diory a crack at it if you don’t want to go with the first two.
jimmya
June 22nd, 2011
2:55 pm
can venters go today mark
SG10
June 22nd, 2011
2:56 pm
Mark,
Why has it been so difficult for the Braves to get quality left-handed pitching? We can think of JoJo, Horacio Ramirez, Chuck James, Damian Moss (Bruce Chen before that). There have been fewer failures with RHP guys. Nobody has been able to stick around and be the next great pitcher. Minor was very good last time but he still has to prove himself. Do you see a possibility of Venters ever getting a call to go back to starting role? Wasn’t he a starter when he came up? If Kimbrel is our long term closer and if we can bring another guy for a setup role then perhaps Venters could be more valuable in the starting role in future.
Mark Bradley
June 22nd, 2011
2:57 pm
Beachy’s out after six innings, 96 pitches and 11 strikeouts.
Linebrink is your hurler.
Mark Bradley
June 22nd, 2011
2:58 pm
I’m not sure any of those you mentioned, SG10, was a prospect on the order of Tommy Hanson, say. Minor is probably the biggest-name lefty in a while.
Mark Bradley
June 22nd, 2011
2:59 pm
Charlie Morton was a righty, too, you’ll recall.
Mark Bradley
June 22nd, 2011
3:00 pm
Also Jasons Schmidt and Marquis.
Italian_29
June 22nd, 2011
3:01 pm
I cannot believe it, here we are leading 4-1 in the 7th inning with the 4th best record in ALL OF BASEBALL and our fans still aren’t happy. No wonder Atlanta is know as the worst city for sports in the WORLD. If we aren’t winning a World Series every single year, FIRE EVERYONE.
SG10
June 22nd, 2011
3:03 pm
Yes, I agree they were not top prospects but they were good enough (good record in minors) to be given enough opportunities with a major league ball club that is trying to win today and not just playing for the future. Couple of RHP failures that I could think of are Kyle Davies and Morton but Morton seems to have turned it around. It seems our failure rate with LHP is near 100% in the recent years.
jimmya
June 22nd, 2011
3:04 pm
im thinking of all the trades we could make this winter lot of teams will want some of our pitchers bad
SG10
June 22nd, 2011
3:05 pm
Well, with Schmidt and Marquis, the Braves had run out patience since they were trying to win today. At least they estabished themselves with other teams and had good years. The other lefties that I mentioned are nowhere now.
jimmya
June 22nd, 2011
3:06 pm
wainwright anyone
ClemsonBrad
June 22nd, 2011
3:06 pm
Kyle Davies is bad…he hasn’t figured it out in Kansas City either though…I’ll remember that first game he pitched of his career at Fenway, shutting the Red Sox down of 5 innings of work. Great Braves momemnt.
Mike
June 22nd, 2011
3:07 pm
@ Italian_29….we’d be higher than 4th in the league if we weren’t taking gas in the middle of the lineup with Uggla every night hitting a buck fifty. He’s obviously in Jeff Francoeur knucklehead mode: “I’m just going to keep doing the same wrong thing over and over and no one can tell me any different”.
ClemsonBrad
June 22nd, 2011
3:07 pm
Schmidt is really the guy you wish you had back….him and Jermaine Dye are two of the worst let-gos ever by the Braves…
Mark Bradley
June 22nd, 2011
3:07 pm
Wainwright is also a righty.
Peter
June 22nd, 2011
3:07 pm
I really believe that by the end of the year this is going to be one of the most potent lineups in baseball, especially with Schafer and Prado hitting 1-2.
Mark Bradley
June 22nd, 2011
3:08 pm
I’m trying to recall the last big-name lefthanded pitching prospect. Glavine, maybe?
Sutton's Fro
June 22nd, 2011
3:09 pm
Italian_29: Most of us aren’t looking at the Braves’ performance in view of the present — we’re projecting for the rest of the season and the playoffs. This team is struggling for wins against bad teams; can’t stay healthy; and isn’t getting production from the players that were hired or promoted to boost the offense. Just because the standings look *OK* now, when other teams are also struggling with injuries and cohesion, doesn’t mean that things will be rosy come October.
As an Atlanta sports fan of over 30 years, I’m getting tired of being called “fair weather” because I don’t get excited by merely having a winning record, or making the playoffs, or getting to the 2nd round of the playoffs. The respective owners of the Braves, Falcons, and Hawks are spending a ton of money on players, but only the Falcons seem to be putting together the right coaching staff to maximize those players’ performances.
I love the Braves, but looking good “on paper” doesn’t get us a title. They have to win it on the field.
ClemsonBrad
June 22nd, 2011
3:09 pm
Even though Schafer’s average is low, with his defense and speed…he just makes the Braves lineup so much better.
Mark Bradley
June 22nd, 2011
3:09 pm
Maybe Derek Lilliquist?
ClemsonBrad
June 22nd, 2011
3:10 pm
Sutton’s Fro…you forgot to mention the Thrashe….oh wait, nevermind.
SG10
June 22nd, 2011
3:11 pm
Steve Avery?
Mark Bradley
June 22nd, 2011
3:11 pm
D’oh! AVERY was a huge prospect. Totally forgot.
jimmya
June 22nd, 2011
3:12 pm
brett butler our biggest goof up
Mark Bradley
June 22nd, 2011
3:12 pm
Weird play. Conrad thought he had a home run, but the umps didn’t signal. And he got thrown out at third. They may reverse this.
ClemsonBrad
June 22nd, 2011
3:13 pm
Chuck James? After his rookie year, Braves were pretty pumped about him…I think there is some homeruns that he gave up that still haven’t landed.
Mark Bradley
June 22nd, 2011
3:13 pm
Replay shows it’s a homer. Umps will reverse this.
SG10
June 22nd, 2011
3:13 pm
When you define hot prospect, is it based on when they signed or how they did in minors? I recall Chuck James had pretty good minor league stats when he came up.
Mike
June 22nd, 2011
3:13 pm
Conrad. I rest my case.
Mark Bradley
June 22nd, 2011
3:13 pm
Yes. Home run.
Skeezix
June 22nd, 2011
3:14 pm
Way to go Brooks! For once, I’d love to see the offense keep scoring.
Mark Bradley
June 22nd, 2011
3:14 pm
James was kind of a sleeper. The Braves liked him because he got guys out for a couple of years.
Omnipotent One
June 22nd, 2011
3:15 pm
Terrell (Hiawatha) Wade……enough said.
Skeezix
June 22nd, 2011
3:16 pm
Agree, Brett Butler was the all time worse trade.
Joe Tess Fish House
June 22nd, 2011
3:16 pm
No way was that a HR
Mark Bradley
June 22nd, 2011
3:17 pm
Almost back-to-back. But Jose Bautista pulls Jordan Schafer’s ball back. Great grab.
Taylor
June 22nd, 2011
3:17 pm
Conrad is a great asset off of the bench. I’m really excited that he’s rebounded from a disappointing playoff performance. He is all heart and is definitely a great pinch hitter.
SG10
June 22nd, 2011
3:17 pm
Talking about wasted left handed pitchers, another one was Macay McBride.. if I remember he was a starter all his life and came to majors as a reliever..never worked out.
Joe Tess Fish House
June 22nd, 2011
3:18 pm
Braves has 2 cheat 2 win
Mark Bradley
June 22nd, 2011
3:18 pm
To answer a question posed earlier: Apparently Jonny Venters is available. He’s in to pitch.
Arvydis Sabonis
June 22nd, 2011
3:19 pm
Sutton’s Fro: Everything on paper looks bad for the Braves right now. But all their doing is winning on the field. You contradicted yourself, bud.
Skeezix
June 22nd, 2011
3:20 pm
Steve Avery was special. When I think of him, I always remember that awesome curveball of his.
Mark Bradley
June 22nd, 2011
3:21 pm
Avery was the most talented of the so-called Young Guns. Even more so than John Smoltz, which is saying a lot.
ClemsonBrad
June 22nd, 2011
3:21 pm
I forgot about McBride…I thought he was going to be a good one too. Him and Blaine Boyer kind of remind me of each other. Guys with great stuff and potential that never really came together for the Braves…
Joe Tess Fish House
June 22nd, 2011
3:22 pm
Braves maybe winnin 2day, but they almost got sweeped by the last palce Rangers.
Arvydis Sabonis
June 22nd, 2011
3:23 pm
@ Joe Tess Fish House: Rangers are in first place and please get a hobby you miserable troll.
Cagey Veteran
June 22nd, 2011
3:24 pm
ClemsonBrad
I’d almost forgotten Jermaine Dye for Michael Tucker.. why’d you have to remind me?
Doh!
SG10
June 22nd, 2011
3:26 pm
I guess then it is safe to say, Venters is the most successful Braves lefty since Avery? If we include pure relievers then we could include Rocker for 2 seasons. Since Venters is not a pure reliever but a converted one, he would be the next best since Avery that I can think of.