Friday, February 24, 2006
Notes: Illness sets Chipper back
02/16/2006
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Chipper Jones has always been one of the first players to arrive at Spring Training. This year, deep concern for his hospitalized 1-year-old son, Shea, delayed his arrival.
When Jones arrived at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex on Thursday, he looked both mentally and physically drained. For the past week, he's battled the remnants of the flu and spent long hours at Shea's side with his wife, Sharon.
Last week, the Joneses were forced to place Shea in an Atlanta-area hospital because of an intestinal problems, caused by what has been termed the Rotavirus. The infant, who was born in August 2004, was unable to keep food and nourishment in his body.
Fortunately, Shea began returning to health this week and was sent home on Wednesday.
"He's gotten his personality back," Jones said. "When we took him in a week ago, he was in bad shape."
About three weeks ago, Jones says he was in top shape. His offseason work with a physical trainer had allowed him to gain the frame he'd hoped to carry into the season. But he got the flu in late January and went through an eight-day stretch in which he was carrying a fever. Consequently, Jones' weight has dropped from 228 to 220 pounds and he hasn't had much time to swing a bat. He took just one round of cuts in the batting cage on Thursday, before deciding it would be best for him to go home and get some rest.
Jones still plans to play for Team USA in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. But he says if Shea gets sick again, then he'll likely stay as close to Atlanta as possible.
Team USA will begin a minicamp on March 3 in Phoenix, where it is scheduled to play its first-round games March 7-10. The final two rounds will be held the next two weeks in California. If the team continues to win, there's a chance Jones wouldn't return to the East Coast until March 21, one day after the championship game is staged in San Diego.
"I would love to play, don't get me wrong," Jones said. "But my family is most important. My kid has been in and out of the hospital for a month now. If that continues to be the case, then I'll certainly want to be here, as opposed to out West."
Almanzar signed: As pitchers and catchers were reporting to Spring Training on Thursday morning , the Braves announced they had signed right-handed reliever Carlos Almanzar to a Minor League contract and offered him an invite to big-league camp.
Almanzar had Tommy John surgery in May and will not be ready to pitch at the beginning of the season. The 32-year-old right-hander went 7-3 with a 3.72 ERA in 67 appearances for the Rangers in 2004. He has appeared in 210 games for five different big-league organizations.
The Braves also announced that they have voided the Minor League contract that had been signed by right-handed reliever Jeff Bennett. He is still having problems with the elbow injury he suffered while pitching in the Brewers' Minor League system last year.
Best wishes: Braves camp opened without a familiar face. Bill Acree, the club's longtime director of team travel and equipment manager, was back in Atlanta recovering from a surgical procedure in which doctors removed a five-foot strand of his intestines.
Acree, who has been with club since its 1966 arrival in Atlanta, has told manager Bobby Cox that he plans to be arrive at camp sometime this week.
Braves bits: Kelly Johnson, who had arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow during the offseason, has seemingly made a full recovery. Other than the poison ivy that covered his arms, Johnson arrived at camp early and intent on fighting for playing time in left field. ... Cox says he would feel comfortable using Adam LaRoche against left-handed pitchers this year. But he wants to get a good look at James Jurries, an impressive right-handed hitter who could platoon with LaRoche at first base. ... Pitchers and catchers will hold their first workout on Friday at 10 a.m. ET. The first full-squad workout will come on Wednesday.
Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Chipper Jones has always been one of the first players to arrive at Spring Training. This year, deep concern for his hospitalized 1-year-old son, Shea, delayed his arrival.
When Jones arrived at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex on Thursday, he looked both mentally and physically drained. For the past week, he's battled the remnants of the flu and spent long hours at Shea's side with his wife, Sharon.
Last week, the Joneses were forced to place Shea in an Atlanta-area hospital because of an intestinal problems, caused by what has been termed the Rotavirus. The infant, who was born in August 2004, was unable to keep food and nourishment in his body.
Fortunately, Shea began returning to health this week and was sent home on Wednesday.
"He's gotten his personality back," Jones said. "When we took him in a week ago, he was in bad shape."
About three weeks ago, Jones says he was in top shape. His offseason work with a physical trainer had allowed him to gain the frame he'd hoped to carry into the season. But he got the flu in late January and went through an eight-day stretch in which he was carrying a fever. Consequently, Jones' weight has dropped from 228 to 220 pounds and he hasn't had much time to swing a bat. He took just one round of cuts in the batting cage on Thursday, before deciding it would be best for him to go home and get some rest.
Jones still plans to play for Team USA in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. But he says if Shea gets sick again, then he'll likely stay as close to Atlanta as possible.
Team USA will begin a minicamp on March 3 in Phoenix, where it is scheduled to play its first-round games March 7-10. The final two rounds will be held the next two weeks in California. If the team continues to win, there's a chance Jones wouldn't return to the East Coast until March 21, one day after the championship game is staged in San Diego.
"I would love to play, don't get me wrong," Jones said. "But my family is most important. My kid has been in and out of the hospital for a month now. If that continues to be the case, then I'll certainly want to be here, as opposed to out West."
Almanzar signed: As pitchers and catchers were reporting to Spring Training on Thursday morning , the Braves announced they had signed right-handed reliever Carlos Almanzar to a Minor League contract and offered him an invite to big-league camp.
Almanzar had Tommy John surgery in May and will not be ready to pitch at the beginning of the season. The 32-year-old right-hander went 7-3 with a 3.72 ERA in 67 appearances for the Rangers in 2004. He has appeared in 210 games for five different big-league organizations.
The Braves also announced that they have voided the Minor League contract that had been signed by right-handed reliever Jeff Bennett. He is still having problems with the elbow injury he suffered while pitching in the Brewers' Minor League system last year.
Best wishes: Braves camp opened without a familiar face. Bill Acree, the club's longtime director of team travel and equipment manager, was back in Atlanta recovering from a surgical procedure in which doctors removed a five-foot strand of his intestines.
Acree, who has been with club since its 1966 arrival in Atlanta, has told manager Bobby Cox that he plans to be arrive at camp sometime this week.
Braves bits: Kelly Johnson, who had arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow during the offseason, has seemingly made a full recovery. Other than the poison ivy that covered his arms, Johnson arrived at camp early and intent on fighting for playing time in left field. ... Cox says he would feel comfortable using Adam LaRoche against left-handed pitchers this year. But he wants to get a good look at James Jurries, an impressive right-handed hitter who could platoon with LaRoche at first base. ... Pitchers and catchers will hold their first workout on Friday at 10 a.m. ET. The first full-squad workout will come on Wednesday.
Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/
