Sunday, June 12, 2005
Braves battle but bow to Athletics
ATLANTA -- Kyle Davies had realized the hometown dream a few weeks earlier. This was Brian McCann's turn to take center stage and appreciate the sensation of being an Atlanta boy, wearing a Braves uniform.
Unfortunately Davies' inability to continue the impressive run that began his career prevented McCann from realizing the added satisfaction of making his Major League debut on a night in which his hometown team halted its downward spiral.
Although McCann's first big league hit helped spark a three-run third-inning, his contributions weren't enough to erase Davies' struggles or the decisive two-run, seventh-inning homer Eric Chavez drilled off Roman Colon in the Braves' 6-4 loss to the A's on Friday night.
Still the 21-year-old kid from Duluth, Ga., who is regarded as one of the game's best catching prospects, walked away with a smile and the memories of a memorable evening he was able to share with approximately 200 friends and family members that were in attendance.
"It was probably the greatest experience I've ever had," McCann said. "Stepping on a big league field was very, very special."
Braves manager Bobby Cox was so impressed with McCann's poise behind the plate and ability to provide a two-hit performance that he announced the youngster will back behind the plate to catch John Smoltz on Saturday afternoon.
It was just eight or nine years ago, when a young McCann went into the Braves' clubhouse with his father, a former baseball coach at the University of Georgia and Marshall University, and had the opportunity to have a picture taken with Smoltz, who later autographed the photo.
"It's going to be fun," said McCann, who with a second consecutive strong performance could earn himself a permanent roster spot, even when Johnny Estrada makes his expected return to the lineup on Monday.
Colon, who was one of six rookies the Braves utilized, has allowed six homers in 18 innings this year and is quickly falling out of favor in the bullpen rotation. Chavez's two-run shot landed in the right-field seats and ultimately prevented the hometown boys, who had played two Minor Leagues seasons, from celebrating their first night together under the bright lights.
Davies, who was raised 20 minutes south of Atlanta, played against McCann when the two were just beginning their teen years. They'll now go down in history together as one of the youngest battery mates ever. The last time a pitcher and catcher, under the age of 22, were in the same lineup was with the Mets in 1984, when 19-year-old Dwight Gooden teamed with 21-year-old John Gibbons.
"It was a lot of fun and hopefully we can do that a whole lot more," said Davies who allowed four earned runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings and watched his team lose for the 15th time in their past 23 games.
Davies, a 21-year-old right-hander who had provided scoreless performances in three of the four previous Major League starts he had made, experienced most of his struggles during a 38-pitch fourth-inning in which the A's tallied three runs and erased the three-run second inning the Braves had utilized to gain the early lead. The big blast came courtesy of Bobby Crosby's two-run homer -- the first surrendered by the young hurler this year.
"All night I had to battle to get the ball down, and especially in the fourth, it got exposed real quick," Davies said. "I was throwing mainly fastballs. I probably should have been mixing it up a little bit. But it's over now."
After Brian Jordan struck out to end the eighth with runners at first and second base, the Braves looked like they were going to mount another rally when McCann singled to begin the ninth against Huston Street. But the young catcher made a youthful mistake and was caught too far off first base when another 21-year-old, Andy Marte, lined to Chavez, who fired to first to double up McCann.
"I don't know what I was doing," McCann said. "It was definitely a big mistake at a crucial point of the game. I feel like I let some guys down."
Considering Cox's praise, that didn't seem to be the general feeling in the clubhouse.
"McCann had a great night behind the plate," Cox said. "I thought he had a super night, just receiving the ball period. He hit three balls real good ... I thought he looked terrific."
McCann had an RBI single in front of Davies' perfectly-executed squeeze bunt in the Braves three-run second inning against A's starter Danny Haren. But Marcus Giles' fifth-inning solo homer would be Atlanta's only further damage against the visitors, who had lost 11 straight road games entering this series.
While he wanted a different result, McCann could still elicit a youthful smile and look forward to the opportunity to spend the rest of the evening with his mother and father, who had thrown him countless pitches in the batting cage in hopes that the dream would come true.
"This is probably more of a thrill for [my dad] than me," McCann said. "He's put in long, long hours, and I just want to thank him."
Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/
Unfortunately Davies' inability to continue the impressive run that began his career prevented McCann from realizing the added satisfaction of making his Major League debut on a night in which his hometown team halted its downward spiral.
Although McCann's first big league hit helped spark a three-run third-inning, his contributions weren't enough to erase Davies' struggles or the decisive two-run, seventh-inning homer Eric Chavez drilled off Roman Colon in the Braves' 6-4 loss to the A's on Friday night.
Still the 21-year-old kid from Duluth, Ga., who is regarded as one of the game's best catching prospects, walked away with a smile and the memories of a memorable evening he was able to share with approximately 200 friends and family members that were in attendance.
"It was probably the greatest experience I've ever had," McCann said. "Stepping on a big league field was very, very special."
Braves manager Bobby Cox was so impressed with McCann's poise behind the plate and ability to provide a two-hit performance that he announced the youngster will back behind the plate to catch John Smoltz on Saturday afternoon.
It was just eight or nine years ago, when a young McCann went into the Braves' clubhouse with his father, a former baseball coach at the University of Georgia and Marshall University, and had the opportunity to have a picture taken with Smoltz, who later autographed the photo.
"It's going to be fun," said McCann, who with a second consecutive strong performance could earn himself a permanent roster spot, even when Johnny Estrada makes his expected return to the lineup on Monday.
Colon, who was one of six rookies the Braves utilized, has allowed six homers in 18 innings this year and is quickly falling out of favor in the bullpen rotation. Chavez's two-run shot landed in the right-field seats and ultimately prevented the hometown boys, who had played two Minor Leagues seasons, from celebrating their first night together under the bright lights.
Davies, who was raised 20 minutes south of Atlanta, played against McCann when the two were just beginning their teen years. They'll now go down in history together as one of the youngest battery mates ever. The last time a pitcher and catcher, under the age of 22, were in the same lineup was with the Mets in 1984, when 19-year-old Dwight Gooden teamed with 21-year-old John Gibbons.
"It was a lot of fun and hopefully we can do that a whole lot more," said Davies who allowed four earned runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings and watched his team lose for the 15th time in their past 23 games.
Davies, a 21-year-old right-hander who had provided scoreless performances in three of the four previous Major League starts he had made, experienced most of his struggles during a 38-pitch fourth-inning in which the A's tallied three runs and erased the three-run second inning the Braves had utilized to gain the early lead. The big blast came courtesy of Bobby Crosby's two-run homer -- the first surrendered by the young hurler this year.
"All night I had to battle to get the ball down, and especially in the fourth, it got exposed real quick," Davies said. "I was throwing mainly fastballs. I probably should have been mixing it up a little bit. But it's over now."
After Brian Jordan struck out to end the eighth with runners at first and second base, the Braves looked like they were going to mount another rally when McCann singled to begin the ninth against Huston Street. But the young catcher made a youthful mistake and was caught too far off first base when another 21-year-old, Andy Marte, lined to Chavez, who fired to first to double up McCann.
"I don't know what I was doing," McCann said. "It was definitely a big mistake at a crucial point of the game. I feel like I let some guys down."
Considering Cox's praise, that didn't seem to be the general feeling in the clubhouse.
"McCann had a great night behind the plate," Cox said. "I thought he had a super night, just receiving the ball period. He hit three balls real good ... I thought he looked terrific."
McCann had an RBI single in front of Davies' perfectly-executed squeeze bunt in the Braves three-run second inning against A's starter Danny Haren. But Marcus Giles' fifth-inning solo homer would be Atlanta's only further damage against the visitors, who had lost 11 straight road games entering this series.
While he wanted a different result, McCann could still elicit a youthful smile and look forward to the opportunity to spend the rest of the evening with his mother and father, who had thrown him countless pitches in the batting cage in hopes that the dream would come true.
"This is probably more of a thrill for [my dad] than me," McCann said. "He's put in long, long hours, and I just want to thank him."
Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/
