Braves Sunday Chop TEX/Mex Style

Braves Tim Hudson hopes to return to the fold next year after a season ending injury in New York Photo Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

Greetings from sunny West Texas. I was poking around the web this morning for Braves news and came up with the following tidbits.

Nick Cardo over at Boston.com had a few Braves tidbits.

Tim Hudson. . . even at 38, wants to return from the ankle fracture he suffered in July. He should be OK by mid-December and able to resume normal baseball activities. Hudson will be a free agent who would prefer to stay in Atlanta. It all depends on the money. Hudson, a Brave for nine seasons, is earning $9 million in 2013. He’s 205-111 for his career, and was 8-7 with a 3.97 ERA when he got hurt.

(Ed Comment: If Huddy is indeed pitching again by spring and he is determined to do so, the Braves face an issue similar to the one they face with Tom Glavine. This time however Huddy won’t take a minor league deal and the Braves – Mike Minor, Julio Teheran, Kris Medlen, Brandon Beachy, Alex Wood – rotation looks set without him. Additionally they have J.R. Graham, David Hale, and Cody Martin knocking on the door with Sean Gilmartin a possibility if he can regain form. So, where do you put Huddy?)

Still from Cafardo:

Chris Johnson. . .Frank Wren gets credit for this one. Not bad to obtain a player who is battling for the league lead in hitting, and playing a decent third base. Red Sox infielder John McDonald, who played with Johnson in Arizona, always told him he needed to learn to let go from one at-bat to another. “This game is hard enough, you can’t bring your last at-bat into your next at-bat. Chris has learned a lot and now he’s just letting his talent take over. I’m happy for him,” McDonald said.

(Ed Comment: Sometimes you just get lucky like the Blue Jays with Jose Bautista and that’s what happened with Johnson. There was no particular insight in this. The Braves failed to pay Martin Prado what he was worth, he turned down the offer and became expendable. Juan Francisco wasn’t living up to Wren’s vision of him and the Braves needed a right handed alternative.  Johnson did well for the DBacks but with Prado arriving they had their third baseman – not the way it turned out but things seldom work out exactly as planned – so Johnson was expendable.  Like Bautista the light came on for CJ 2.0 this year. No one expected it no one predicted it and the gM isn’t a genius for asking for him. Like my Daddy used to say, there are times I’d rather be lucky as good. This time he was)

Apropos of nothing: Cafardo also reveals that Bobby Valentine who fired Mets (alleged) clubhouse steroid distributor Kirk Radomski. Okay that’s news but not a shock. What was a surprise at least to me is that Bobby V, he of the fake beard and glasses disguise – is now athletic director at Sacred Heart University.

In case you missed it the Phanatic took a Phall last week

Kevin McAlpin spoke to Scott Downs about his broken finger:

Mississippi Braves lose to Bay Bears  (Minor League Ball)

The Mobile BayBears defeated the Mississippi Braves 7-6 in game three of the Southern League South Divisional Series Saturday night at Trustmark Park. With the win, the BayBears take a two-games-to-one lead in the best-of-five-game-series. The two teams return to Hank Aaron Stadium in Mobile Sunday afternoon.

Jaime Pedroza and Edward Salcedo both put up three-hit nights at the plate. Salcedo also drove in two runs. Mississippi (1-2) scored six runs on 13 hits while Mobile (2-1) plated seven runs on 10 hits.

Salcedo had a really great catch as well.

Tweetables:

Andrelton Simmons:

Today’s game

#Braves lineup: 1. B Upton CF 2. Simmons SS 3. Freeman 1B 4. C.Johnson 3B 5. Gattis LF 6. Laird C 7.Uggla 2B 8. Terdoslavich RF 9. Maholm P

That’s A Wrap

The Braves look to Paul Maholm today to stop the skid. Unfortunately the Phillies handle Maholm pretty well against the Phillies he has a career ERA of 4.78 with a WHIP of 1.469. Maholm’s road split is awful – career 5.04 ERA 1.534 WHIP worse this year the ERA is 6.08 and the WHIP 1.558 – on the upside Citzen’s Bank Park is better –4.24 , 1.414 –  and oh yea, Cole Hamels is the Phillies starter. Against the Braves Hamels is a career 13-8 with a 3.60 ERA and a 1.188 WHIP, At home his career ERA is 3.26 with a WHIP of 1.096. To win today the offense will have to rise to the occasion in a big way. Go Braves.