Sunday, June 12, 2005
Colon trying to kick homer habit
ATLANTA -- As the Braves entered this season, it looked like Roman Colon might develop into one of their primary relievers. But the rookie right-hander's inability to keep opponents from taking him deep has certainly halted his rise at the Major League level.
Eric Chavez' game-winning two-run homer off Colon in the seventh inning of Friday night's loss to the A's added to the 25-year-old reliever's struggles. In the 18 innings he had thrown entering Saturday, he had surrendered six home runs and posted an eye-popping 8.50 ERA.
"You know, when he first came up, he was kind of lights out," said Braves manager Bobby Cox. Colon didn't allow a homer and posted a 3.32 ERA in 18 late-season appearances last year.
This year has been a different story for Colon, who appears to be healthy. His fastball has been clocked as high as 97 mph on numerous occasions. But his inability to locate his heater has gotten him in trouble.
"I don't know what it is," Colon said. "It just happens with one pitch. I throw one bad pitch and they don't miss."
Chavez's blast came on a changeup that Colon left up in the zone. Cox was happy that the young hurler had gained some confidence in throwing the offspeed pitch, but as with the rest of the youngster's repertoire, the Braves skipper wants to see it located better.
Most of Colon's struggles are due to the fact that he hasn't been able to keep the ball down in the zone. But he points back to a May 22 game at Fenway Park where he thought he located two pitches well, but was nevertheless victimized by David Ortiz and Johnny Damon.
Ortiz, a dead-pull lefty hitter, reached out and directed an outside fastball into left field for a double. Damon had done the same two batters prior. Thus, the damage was more severe when Ramirez followed Ortiz with a long homer into the right-field seats.
"From what I see, I don't have any luck right now," Colon said. "I'm just kind of slumping right now. It's something a lot of the players go through. But I've got to get out of there. It's kind of like I'm stuck in there right now."
Still, Cox believes in Colon and sees a bright future for him.
"He's throwing the ball harder this year," Cox said. "He's throwing 96 or 97 [mph] all of the time. Even when he's throwing 94, it looks like 97 to me. He's going to be good."
Still believing in KJ: Cox gave Brian Jordan a rest and utilized Kelly Johnson and Ryan Langerhans as his corner outfielders on Saturday afternoon. Johnson and Langerhans, who lived together in Austin, Texas, during the offseason, are a couple of rookies who have experienced dramatically different fortunes lately.
While Langerhans has hit .393 (11-for-28) in June, Johnson entered Saturday with just one hit in the first 27 at-bats of his Major League career. Still, Cox had the struggling outfielder batting second in Saturday's lineup.
"I'd like to keep Kelly up in the front of the order, because he gets on base a tremendous amount," Cox said in reference to Johnson's plate discipline, which helped him compile a .438 on-base percentage and draw 34 walks in 44 games with Triple-A Richmond this year.
Langerhans also started the season slowly, and didn't begin producing consistently until he started focusing on hitting the ball to left field. Since heeding the advice presented by hitting coach Terry Pendleton and teammate Jordan, the left-hander has seen his batting average rise from .188 to .241.
Hudson's charity: Tim Hudson has agreed to team with good friend and former A's teammate Barry Zito in his Strikeouts for Troops program. For every strikeout Hudson records this year, he'll donate $100 toward a fund that will help bring some of the comforts of home to U.S. servicemen and women currently recuperating at military hospitals.
Other pitchers involved in the charity are Boston's Curt Schilling, Cleveland's C.C. Sabathia and Matt Miller, Joe Blanton of Oakland and Washington's Chad Cordero.
Hudson, who was traded to Atlanta in December, was trying to find a way to oppose Zito in Sunday's series finale. But Horacio Ramirez wasn't willing to alter his schedule and allow Hudson, who threw just 76 pitches on Wednesday, to come back on short rest.
Braves bits: Cox was inducted into the first class of the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame on Friday night. He was given his plaque during a pregame ceremony on Saturday afternoon. Other inductees included Hank Aaron, former Atlanta Hawk Dominique Wilkins, ex-Atlanta Falcon Tommy Nobis, former Georgia Tech football head coach Bobby Dodd and legendary golfer Bobby Jones. ... The Braves still haven't decided who will be their starting pitcher on Tuesday night against the Rangers. They will likely promote somebody from their Minor League system.
Coming Up: Ramirez (4-4, 5.05 ERA) will oppose lefty Zito (2-7, 4.41 ERA) in a battle of southpaws during Sunday afternoon's series finale against the A's.
Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/
Eric Chavez' game-winning two-run homer off Colon in the seventh inning of Friday night's loss to the A's added to the 25-year-old reliever's struggles. In the 18 innings he had thrown entering Saturday, he had surrendered six home runs and posted an eye-popping 8.50 ERA.
"You know, when he first came up, he was kind of lights out," said Braves manager Bobby Cox. Colon didn't allow a homer and posted a 3.32 ERA in 18 late-season appearances last year.
This year has been a different story for Colon, who appears to be healthy. His fastball has been clocked as high as 97 mph on numerous occasions. But his inability to locate his heater has gotten him in trouble.
"I don't know what it is," Colon said. "It just happens with one pitch. I throw one bad pitch and they don't miss."
Chavez's blast came on a changeup that Colon left up in the zone. Cox was happy that the young hurler had gained some confidence in throwing the offspeed pitch, but as with the rest of the youngster's repertoire, the Braves skipper wants to see it located better.
Most of Colon's struggles are due to the fact that he hasn't been able to keep the ball down in the zone. But he points back to a May 22 game at Fenway Park where he thought he located two pitches well, but was nevertheless victimized by David Ortiz and Johnny Damon.
Ortiz, a dead-pull lefty hitter, reached out and directed an outside fastball into left field for a double. Damon had done the same two batters prior. Thus, the damage was more severe when Ramirez followed Ortiz with a long homer into the right-field seats.
"From what I see, I don't have any luck right now," Colon said. "I'm just kind of slumping right now. It's something a lot of the players go through. But I've got to get out of there. It's kind of like I'm stuck in there right now."
Still, Cox believes in Colon and sees a bright future for him.
"He's throwing the ball harder this year," Cox said. "He's throwing 96 or 97 [mph] all of the time. Even when he's throwing 94, it looks like 97 to me. He's going to be good."
Still believing in KJ: Cox gave Brian Jordan a rest and utilized Kelly Johnson and Ryan Langerhans as his corner outfielders on Saturday afternoon. Johnson and Langerhans, who lived together in Austin, Texas, during the offseason, are a couple of rookies who have experienced dramatically different fortunes lately.
While Langerhans has hit .393 (11-for-28) in June, Johnson entered Saturday with just one hit in the first 27 at-bats of his Major League career. Still, Cox had the struggling outfielder batting second in Saturday's lineup.
"I'd like to keep Kelly up in the front of the order, because he gets on base a tremendous amount," Cox said in reference to Johnson's plate discipline, which helped him compile a .438 on-base percentage and draw 34 walks in 44 games with Triple-A Richmond this year.
Langerhans also started the season slowly, and didn't begin producing consistently until he started focusing on hitting the ball to left field. Since heeding the advice presented by hitting coach Terry Pendleton and teammate Jordan, the left-hander has seen his batting average rise from .188 to .241.
Hudson's charity: Tim Hudson has agreed to team with good friend and former A's teammate Barry Zito in his Strikeouts for Troops program. For every strikeout Hudson records this year, he'll donate $100 toward a fund that will help bring some of the comforts of home to U.S. servicemen and women currently recuperating at military hospitals.
Other pitchers involved in the charity are Boston's Curt Schilling, Cleveland's C.C. Sabathia and Matt Miller, Joe Blanton of Oakland and Washington's Chad Cordero.
Hudson, who was traded to Atlanta in December, was trying to find a way to oppose Zito in Sunday's series finale. But Horacio Ramirez wasn't willing to alter his schedule and allow Hudson, who threw just 76 pitches on Wednesday, to come back on short rest.
Braves bits: Cox was inducted into the first class of the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame on Friday night. He was given his plaque during a pregame ceremony on Saturday afternoon. Other inductees included Hank Aaron, former Atlanta Hawk Dominique Wilkins, ex-Atlanta Falcon Tommy Nobis, former Georgia Tech football head coach Bobby Dodd and legendary golfer Bobby Jones. ... The Braves still haven't decided who will be their starting pitcher on Tuesday night against the Rangers. They will likely promote somebody from their Minor League system.
Coming Up: Ramirez (4-4, 5.05 ERA) will oppose lefty Zito (2-7, 4.41 ERA) in a battle of southpaws during Sunday afternoon's series finale against the A's.
Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/
