Rain Delay

Rocker takes pot shots at Glavine

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This is laughable at best. First of all, this is coming from the mouth of John Rocker, yes the one and the same. This time he opens his mouth, and takes a shot at Tom Glavine.

"He's had a few comments to make against myself that I thought were out of line and really sort of unnecessary and people took his side because he was the more mainstay Braves guy," Rocker said. "I just really thought as far as reaching out to younger players and reaching out to his teammates, somebody who could 'rah-rah' in the clubhouse, really kind of stayed to himself. ... You walk past him in the hall, he wouldn't even look at you.

Honestly I figured he'd fall of the face of the earth when get got released by that indy team. But no, it seems he was out shilling himself and his appearance on that new Spike TV show, "Pros vs Joes".

"You know, to go and get something to eat and sit down at a table with him for 10 minutes after a game and you grew up idolizing him and he won't even look at you, that's rude. Maybe that's just his personality and he's a quiet guy, but to me it was rude," Rocker said.

Oh, it gets even better. Then his famous comments that were in SI in 1999 got brought up, and then he was asked again if he'd play for either New York team.

"Oh yeah, it would be fun." That was in contrast to his quotes in the Metro newspaper yesterday in which he said he wouldn't play for the Mets because of Glavine.

I'm not sure exactly how to wrap this up. This guy just leaves me speechless because of his ineptitude. Hopefully once this episode airs, he'll once again crawl under the rock that he slithered out from. As much as I hate the Yankee's and the Met's, I wouldn't wish John Rocker on them, ever.

Thompson out, Davies in.

First, it seems that "Big Red" has a cranky elbow. He could possibly start the season on the Disabled List.

The Braves sustained another blow to their pitching plans when John Thomson was scratched from his start Tuesday with a tender elbow, effectively ending trade discussions involving the right-hander for the foreseeable future.

The Thompson news came only 12 hours after closer Chris Reitsma strained his left hamstring in the ninth inning Monday night against the Yankees, leaving his status in doubt for the opening day roster.

With that said a Rain Delay favorite will get the start in his place Tuesday night against the Dodgers. Kyle Davies.

Kyle Davies would be the likely replacement for Thomson in the starting rotation, and Oscar Villarreal or Joey Devine would be leading candidates for closer duties unless the Braves trade for someone better suited to the role.

I really hope it's nothing serious as far as Thompson goes. Though in that same article it stated that if for some reason Thompson was able to pitch, that Sosa would be moved back to the bull-pen to make room for Kyle Davies in the rotation.

Grissom hangs up the spikes

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Fomer Brave among other teams OFer Marquis Grissom hangs up the spikes, after seventeen seasons.

Outfielder Marquis Grissom, a four- time Gold Glove winner, retired from Major League Baseball after 17 seasons, the Chicago Cubs said.

Grissom, 38, was in the spring-training camp of the Cubs, with whom he'd signed a minor-league contract in January.

He's one of six players in major-league history with 2,000 hits, 200 home runs and 400 stolen bases, joining Roberto Alomar, Barry Bonds, Rickey Henderson, Paul Molitor and Joe Morgan.

The two-time All-Star was a member of the Atlanta Braves team that won the 1995 World Series and the American League champion Cleveland Indians two years later. He was Most Valuable Player of the 1997 AL Championship Series.

Grissom hit .272 with 227 home runs, 967 runs batted in and 429 stolen bases with Montreal, Atlanta, Cleveland, Milwaukee, the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco since 1989.

I'll always remember him as a Brave, though I was never one of his biggest fans. But he was part of the team that brought the World Series trophy to Atlanta in 95.

Jeremy Reed update

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Now the Seattle Times has the story. Apparently it's not broken.

The fracture the Mariners saw after they X-rayed it last Friday is actually a fracture Reed suffered previously — "maybe even as a 7-year-old, skateboarding in California," joked trainer Rick Griffin — who added that Reed did not aggravate that injury.

Doctors at the Seattle Hand Group performed tests on Monday — a CT scan, X-rays and an MRI among them — to determine how serious the fracture was and how much time Reed would miss. Instead, they discovered that there isn't a fracture.

"There's definitely relief," Reed said.

Reed will rehab his injured right wrist — the Mariners are calling it "sore" at this point — until Saturday, at which point the club plans to reevaluate the injury and set a timeline for Reed's return. Asked today if he could start on opening day if everything went perfectly, Reed said yes.

I would have to file this under "Good News".

Reed's wrist NOT broken?

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Not sure if this is accurate, as I can't find it any where else, but KOMOTV.COM is reporting that Jeremy Reed's wrist isn't broken and he should be ready by opening day.

SPORTS ALERT: KOMO 1000 News' Shannon Drayer reports that M's center fielder Jeremy Reed's wrist is not broken after all, and he could be ready for opening day.

It's right there at the top of the KOMO TV homepage. This would be a blessing if it holds to be true, I know that according to the Broadcast team last night that Jeremy was returning from Seattle to re-join the team in Peoria.

At least that would spell us from seeing a Joe Borchard/Willie Ballgame combo in CF for the first couple months of the season.

M's hold off Rangers, win 10-9

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You'd think that scoring 6 runs in the first inning would be enough?

Mariners: 10  Rangers: 9 (Box Score)

• There really an extreme lack of pitching in last night's game (on both sides). Gil Meche, after being awarded a 6 spot by the M's offense came out to the mound and promptly walked the bases loaded in his half of the first inning. Enter Rangers OFer Lance Nix who proceeded to launch a Meche 0-2 fastball into the cheap seats. End of the First Inning: 6-4. From the look of things, the M's offense is going to have to produce a huge amount of runs      when ever Gil Meche takes the hill Maybe John Thomson isn't looking so bad now that I think about it.

• So Meche finished like this: 6IP 4H 5R 3BB 4SO. Oh, and he allowed 2 homeruns one being that Grand Tater to Nix. Mateo would come on in relief pitch a less than perfect inning. He to would allow 2 homeruns Nix would take credit for another tater. Fruto would come on in relief of Mateo and toss a scoreless inning.

• Sean Green would come in, blow the save yet pick up the win. 2 innings of work for Green who would allow 2 hits, 2 runs, strike out 2, and walk 2. Boy that's a lot of two's in that line of his.

• Joe Borchard, again starting in Center and playing the whole game would go 0-4. And this is what we've got to look forward to until Reed comes off the DL in 6-8 weeks. There has to be another answer than Borchard in center. There were times last night that Joe just looked over matched, and these were minor leaguers that Texas was throwing at them. I'm almost ready to see Willie Ballgame get the nod for the first 2 months of the season in Center Field.

• Roberto Petagine, this guy needs a roster spot. I'm pretty sure he's out of options so if the Mariners keep him around, they're going to have keep him on the 25 man making a case to stick around with the M's when they break camp.

• Corky Miller is making a play to be Johjima's back up. He came in and corked the game winning hit, and for a fat kid he's got some wheels. Well, he's not fat but as you know most catchers aren't fleet of foot. He's got some hustle and pop on his bat, I'd like to see him stick with the team. Let Rivera get mucho time behind the dish in Tacoma.

• Grover has been advocating aggressive base running. This is something that could run them right out of a lot of games. Yes Lopez got a SB, but Ransom also got caught by at least 2 miles.

Things are really getting down to the nitty gritty now. Camp is due to break here pretty soon. They've got today’s game against the Cubbies, and then it's off to Vegas to play the Dodgers, then to Portland to take on the Padres. Not to mention playing Tacomaas well before opening day. Not a lot of roster spots left, its crunch time now.

Up Next: The Cubbies. King Felix was the scheduled starter for today’s Spring Training tilt, but because of shin splints rookie Thomas Oldham will get the start instead.

Reitsma strains a hammy..

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They don't think it's all that serious, and that most likely will heal by opening day.

We don't think it's anything serious, manager Bobby Cox said of the latest injury, which occurred when Reitsma was pitching to Yankees minor-leaguer Luis Garcia with two out in the ninth of a 5-4 Braves win. "We'll see. It's one of those things, you'll know the next day, if it bleeds. Or the day after that. We'll see.;

Reitsma felt a twinge on the first pitch to Garcia, but stayed in the game. When Garcia singled through the right side of the infield, Cox could see Reitsma flinch and went out to the mound to get him.

"I think it's just a little bit of a strain," said Reitsma, who has allowed three hits and no walks with six strikeouts in 4-2/3 scoreless innings this spring, and also pitched for Canada in the World Baseball Classic.

This isn't something out bull-pen needs this close to opening day. Though at least we know that if he's not ready to go on Opening Day, Joey Devine is waiting in the wings and more than willing to step back into that closers role. Honestly, I'd rather see Devine close and Reitsma be the set up guy. Like I've said before, I just think Reitsma lacks that closers mentality. Either way, lets hope this isn't a sign of things to come.

M's give up 35 runs in 24 hours

Yet another game wrap I was debating on writing, but since it's slow at work, I might as well do something usefull with my time.

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Mariners: 4 Halo’s: 15 (Box Score)

• In the span of a mere 24 hours, the Mariners were tagged for 35 runs. That has to be a record somewhere, right? I understand it’s ST and that most of the guys that got work in yesterdays game are either fighting for a bull-pen spot or not to be sent to the abyss.

• Clint Nageotte got the start and only stayed around for 2 innings, which was enough to get the damage going. In 2 innings he allowed 4 hits, 3 runs (All Earned). Clint also recorded 1 SO and 1 BB.

• Oh, it doesn’t stop their folks. Cruceta came in relief and allowed 8 hits, 5 runs in his 2-inning stint. Jeff Harris would fair much better and neither would Scott Atchinson. He’d allow 5 hits, 5 runs (2 earned) in his 1 inning of relief work.

• Big Richie went 2-3 with a home run. Other M’s to get multiple hits were Renee Rivera and  Cabrera.

• Borchard again started in Center Field and went 1-4.

Told you it wasn’t much to write about.

Up Next: The Texas Rangers. Gil Meche gets the nod tonight, the game will be on FSN.

Braves drop close one to Dodgers, 3-2

Again, just a reminder. Rain Delay will be moving here.

Braves: 2  Dodgers: 3 (Box Score)

• HoRam looked strong in his 6 innings or work. He allowed 5 hits, 1 run, struck out 3 and only walked 2 Dodgers. I'm still a bit iffy on Ramirez, but he gave me a bit of hope with the outing he turned in.

• So I'm ponying up the 14.95 a month for MLB.TV. So yesterdays game, I got the home team feed. It's been along time since I've heard Vin Scully call a game, and I must admit that I loved listening to him throughout the game.

• Marcus Giles is starting to make me nervous. For being our lead off guy now, he went 0-3. I know he's most likely playing catch up after missing a good chunk of the spring because of the premature birth of his daughter. With Opening Night, not that far off I hope he gets his head on straight. It still hard to think of him as a lead off guy, he's a perfect 2 hole hitter. He clocked in last year with a better OBP than Furcal.

• A former M started the game got the Dodgers: Aaron Sele. Who surprisingly looked pretty strong in his 3 innings of work. He pitched shut-out ball, allowed only 1 hit and struck out 1 and walked 1. I wonder if the Dodgers plan on keeping him around?

• Adam LaRoche swung a hot bat yesterday, going 3-4 with a dinger. Of course he only faced right handed pitching. Matt Diaz continued his spring eruption going 3-4 and pretty much nailing down the extra outfielder spot.

• Wilson Betemit may have only gone 1-3 at the plate, but it's his glove that made him stand out yesterday. He had a great day with the glove love.

• Only two other pitchers worked for the Braves yesterday. Aussie import Peter Moylan who could get tagged with the loss and Blain Boyer. Boyer looked solid in a inning of work, even recording a strike out in a 1-2-3 inning.

• The Braves are now 7-16-3 in Grapefruit League play. Not that any ones really counting.

Up Next: The Evil Empire (Yankees). Jorge Sosa takes the hill for the Braves. 

Thomson subject of more trade talk

It started with Seattle, and now the word is Pittsburgh and the Braves are talking about a possible deal that would include Pirates reliever Salomon Torres. Or at least that's the word from the Pittsburgh Press.

It's believed the Braves have interest in Pirates first baseman/outfielder Craig Wilson, who's due $3.3 million this season and who doesn't figure to play much because of the presence of everyday players Sean Casey at first base and Jeromy Burnitz in right field. 

Emphasis is not mine, unless noted otherwise. The deal could further expand to include:

The Braves also are believed to have some interest in right-handed reliever Salomon Torres. They could ask for him to be included in the deal, and the Pirates could counter that they'd sure like another player back from the Braves in that scenario.

Of course Pirates Manager Jim Tracy didn't have anything enlightening to say either.

But what transpires over the course of the next few days could possibly help that situation along," Tracy said. "I don't know what's going to take place -- or what could take place -- over the course of the next three or four days that could change that."

But could that second-game starter not be in camp yet?

As we're sitting here talking, we are working on making a decision within the framework of the people who come in here to work every day," Tracy said. "That's where we're at -- today.

Thanks, Jim that really clears things up for us. Either way I have a feeling that when the season starts, or shortly there after "Big Red" will not be in a Braves uniform. With opening day only a week away, things should pan out soon.