Geoff Jenkins has returned for the Brewers, which helps the Brew Crew immeasurably on defense and should provide an offensive boost as well... provided he is actually healthy.
Jenkins was not fully fit last year and his hitting numbers suffered. He's still the best defensive leftfielder in the game. Jenkins hit a home run and made the difference as the Brewers actually won again, 3-2 over the Buccos.
Paul Byrd needs surgery, bone spurs on the elbow is the problem. Don't expect him back this year, although it's a possibility. It's looking more and more like the Braves are going to struggle to contend, now without Byrd as well. I still think they will challenge, but my prediction of a Braves division title looks worse and worse with every Greg Maddux start.
Someone on Primer asked yesterday if Mark Prior was the best young pitcher ever. I brought up Rozema, Fidrych, Gooden, Saberhagen, Fernando, and Gary Nolan, amongst a couple others including Prior's teammate Kerry Wood. I probably could have mentioned a couple dozen others who were also better before 23 than Prior has been so far.... though Prior has been very, very good. Who was the best ever? Assuming we make post-deadball-era the primary qualification, my personal vote would go to Bob Feller.
Interestingly, in the 19h century, there was a venerable tradition of superb teenage pitchers who were washed up by their late twenties. That's what pitching 500 innings a year of anything will do to you!
I was going to write a note on some strange management decisions, including batting order shenanigans with Jeff Torborg in Florida, the end of the Jim Parque Experiment in Tampa (which I believe was some sort of hovercraft), and Buck Showalter's frankly bizarre insistence that "a decision has to be made quickly" on whether or not to move Chan Ho Park to the Ranger bullpen. But on further reflection, looking at the mess my own affairs are currently in, criticizing someone else for apparent managerial ineptitude seemed more than a tad hypocritical.
Enjoy the sweep tonight, everybody!
Jenkins was not fully fit last year and his hitting numbers suffered. He's still the best defensive leftfielder in the game. Jenkins hit a home run and made the difference as the Brewers actually won again, 3-2 over the Buccos.
Paul Byrd needs surgery, bone spurs on the elbow is the problem. Don't expect him back this year, although it's a possibility. It's looking more and more like the Braves are going to struggle to contend, now without Byrd as well. I still think they will challenge, but my prediction of a Braves division title looks worse and worse with every Greg Maddux start.
Someone on Primer asked yesterday if Mark Prior was the best young pitcher ever. I brought up Rozema, Fidrych, Gooden, Saberhagen, Fernando, and Gary Nolan, amongst a couple others including Prior's teammate Kerry Wood. I probably could have mentioned a couple dozen others who were also better before 23 than Prior has been so far.... though Prior has been very, very good. Who was the best ever? Assuming we make post-deadball-era the primary qualification, my personal vote would go to Bob Feller.
Interestingly, in the 19h century, there was a venerable tradition of superb teenage pitchers who were washed up by their late twenties. That's what pitching 500 innings a year of anything will do to you!
I was going to write a note on some strange management decisions, including batting order shenanigans with Jeff Torborg in Florida, the end of the Jim Parque Experiment in Tampa (which I believe was some sort of hovercraft), and Buck Showalter's frankly bizarre insistence that "a decision has to be made quickly" on whether or not to move Chan Ho Park to the Ranger bullpen. But on further reflection, looking at the mess my own affairs are currently in, criticizing someone else for apparent managerial ineptitude seemed more than a tad hypocritical.
Enjoy the sweep tonight, everybody!
