Rowland's Office

It’s obvious Hampton is going to do whatever he can to avoid pitching this year, so I say release him. Damn any financial consquences, just get him off the roster. The tenderfooted southpaw asked out of today’s game in the fourth inning, complaining of "discomfort in his strained left pectoral."

"He was throwing good and then he just started feeling it during those last three pitches," Braves general manager Frank Wren said. "He just thought it was best to come out."

"He" decided to further delay his alleged comeback. Is he suddenly that averse to pain, or is it something mental? And does he care that the Braves could use his services?

The team has been patient long enough.with Hampton. Time to cut the cord, lest he make them look the fool once again.

–CB

The Braves have Mike Hampton penciled in to start May 10th against Pittsburgh, though he doesn’t sound very convinced (join the club):

“I hope I’ll be ready,” said Hampton, who hasn’t pitched in a major-league game in 32 months because of injuries and two elbow surgeries. “I feel [the pectoral strain] some on every pitch. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t.

“If it doesn’t get any worse, I’ll be fine.”

What a gamer!

Huddy, meanwhile, swears he’s okay, but his velocity remains down, according to Kennesaw-based sabermetrician J.C. Bradbury.

“I think the Braves are being misleading,” he wrote me. “I tracked Hudson’s fastball on MLB’s Gameday, and his last start was very similar to his April 16 start against the Marlins in terms of fastball speed. On April 16 his average fastball was 88.81 MPH, and on April 26 his average fastball was 88.53 MPH. In his April 21 Washington start, his average fastball was 90.58 MPH.”

That doesn’t necessarily mean Huddy’s hurting, writes DOB:

I’ll point to two such incidents in the same season, the 2000 season with Oakland: Hudson gave up 11 hits, 11 runs and three homers in just four total innings during consecutive starts April 15-20 against Boston and Cleveland.

Then he went 9-0 with a 3.40 ERA and .210 opponents’ average in his next 13 starts.

Late that season he went 1-3 with an 11.72 ERA during a four-start span Aug. 6-23, giving up 27 hits in 17-2/3 innings including starts of 2-2/3 innings and 3-2/3 innings.

Then he went 7-0 with a 1.16 ERA and .163 opponents’ average in seven starts the rest of the season.

–CB

He’s open to the possibility (and optimistic he’ll be back on the mound within 15 to 30 days):

“Right now I’m sitting at ground zero, taking it day by day, looking at every option to help this team get to the playoffs and end my career the way I’d like to end it.”

Imagine a bullpen with Smoltz closing, set up by Gonzo, Acosta and Boyer. Scary, even more so if BMF comes back. The rotation would be weakened, of course, but Kid Dyn-O-mite, Huddy and Glavine make for a decent top three, followed by some combination of Jeff Bennett, (cough) Mike Hampton, Chuckie and perhaps Jo-Jo or Charlie Morton.

The Richmond hurlers continue to impress; Jo-Jo has given up just one run in 21 innings, while Morton has held opposing hitters to a .196 average. His walks are a tad high, but so are his strikeouts (nearly a K per inning).

Who knows, we may even see Tommy Hanson before season’s end. His numbers still dazzle: 29 IP, 9 HA, 1 ER, 38 strikeouts.

Speaking of future Braves, last year’s top draft pick, Jason Heyward, is hitting .337 with three homers, 15 RBI and seven steals for Rome.

–CB

For years we’ve assumed that Justice and Grissom for Lofton and Embree was JS’ biggest misstep, but no longer.

Try Jason Marguis, Burger King and Adam Wainwright for Just Disabled and Eli Marrero.

Ol’ JD had a nice season for the Bravos, batting .305 with 31 homers and 93 RBI. Shockingly, he played in 145 games, which helped him secure a big contract from the Dodgers, then a ridiculous one from the BoSox. His performance since has been pedestrian, as it would’ve been had he stayed in Atlanta. No need to prove that assumption, is there?

Meanwhile, Wainwright — whose dominant work out of the bullpen helped the 2006 Cards win it all — has developed into one of the premier starters in the NL. Last year, his first in a major league rotation, the Brunswick native topped 200 innings, winning 14 with a 3.70 ERA. He’s on track for even better results in ‘08.

Sure would look good fronting an Atlanta staff, along with Kid Dyn-O-mite, who are a combined five years older than Tom Glavine.

To be fair, Ol’ JD did collect four meaningless singles in the 2004 playoffs.

–CB

I will receive this as good news.

Of course, it’s never good to hear DL and inflamed rotator cuff about your No. 1 starter, after your closer and top set-up man are gone for awhile. But in Smoltzie’s case, the news is not as bad as it could be. He can get over this without surgery. And as much as it hurts to lose him now, maybe he can sit out for a couple or three weeks, then return and be healthy for the rest of the season and — we can hope — October.

Get well, No. 29. We need to see more of you tipping your cap.

–CD

Long-suffering Hawks fans, let me hear from you, ASAP. I’m working on piece about the team for tomorrow’s AJC. Deadline approaches, and I need some more voices.

Contact me at cboone@ajc.com, leave your contact info, and I’ll make you famous.

–CB

Supplementing, not supplanting, our namesake for the duration of Atlanta’s improbable playoff run, the Office will be dually known as *Steve’s Hawks, in honor of the handsome former center, Steve Hawes.

Hey, we owe the Hawks for distracting us from concerns over Smoltzie’s shoulder. It’s two large elephants in the room, as we all know the possible ramifications. But let’s not go there.

Let’s go instead to Joe Johnson’s 20 fourth quarter points, many on tough baskets. J2 showed a lot of class after the game, singling out the enthusiastic home crowd. It’s fun watching the city rediscover the Hawks. I know I have, already deciding on a favorite player, the fearless Al Horford (all apologies to Johnson and Josh Smith, who’s become a man this series).   

Upsetting Boston, twice, provides some measure of payback for 1988, the last time the Hawks demanded Atlanta’s attention. And it’s kind of cool hearing Mike Fratello on the mic.

At this point, winning the series would be nice, but respectability ain’t a bad consolation.   

–CB

*We considered Dan’s Round Balls, after former Hawk Dan Roundfield, but Rowland wasn’t amused. Tom McMillen’s Wife intrigued him, however.

All eyes on the Light Bulb tomorrow, as the Hawks try to even their series against Boston. I’m impressed they won one game, and I loved seeing Al Horford get in Paul Pierce’s face after sinking the game-clinching jumper Saturday night (watch the video here).

“He don’t need me to fire him up,” Horford said afterward. “It’s emotional out there. I made a big shot, and I let him know how I feel.”

Why not show some swagger — the Hawks are long overdue.

It’s been a long time since I followed the Hawks closely, but Saturday’s win made me nostalgic for the good old days. Nice bonus: my favorite player from that era, Doc Rivers, was on the court. Too bad he’s not coaching the Hawks, but no more dwelling on the past. This team might actually have a future.

–CB

(top photo via The AJC)

(via Atlanta Time Machine)

Fulco, then known as Atlanta Stadium, circa 1966:

Considering the troubling news about Smoltzie’s shoulder, I figured we could use some context. At least it’s not 1988.

Continuing our “celebration” of the 20th anniversary of the worst season in Atlanta Braves history, we flashback to April 27, 1988. A 5-2 loss to the Mets dropped the woeful Braves to 3-15; after 18 games, they were already 9-1/2 games out of first.

Before a crowd of 6,928 at Fulco, Zane Smith pitched seven shutout innings, and the local nine went into the ninth leading 2-0. Chuck Tanner brought in Paul Assenmacher — whose eight wins were second on the team that year — to pitch to fellow lefty Keith Hernandez. One swing of the bat later, the game was tied.

Check out the BA’s for the first four in Tanner’s line-up that night:

D. James: .192
R. Gant: .080
Murf: .250
K. Griffey: .133

–CB