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Monday, April 28, 2008

ajc: Smoltz complains of sore shoulder after shaky outing (RR)

As distressed Braves fans turn to puffing poisonous sternoclavicular-laced joints!

The ache in his shoulder, which landed him on the disabled list last summer and to start this season, seems unlikely to subside while he’s trying to throw fastballs and sliders past major league hitters.

All four of his arm surgeries have been on the elbow, but it’s been his shoulder causing problems the past four seasons. Smoltz has said before that he wouldn’t endure another major surgery and rehab.

On Sunday, he couldn’t make adjustments to pitch effectively and with tolerable discomfort.

“The [recovery] cycle has not been the way I would like it to be,” he said. “Meaning, certainly today, I didn’t have some of the stuff I had the first four games. And there was nowhere to get it.

“So that’s why I’m going to assess it, see what we need to do to either make the changes or rest it or do whatever we have to do. Because I can not pitch like [Sunday]. That’s not going to help the team.”

Repoz Posted: April 28, 2008 at 11:54 AM | 16 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: braves

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1. Robert in Manhattan Beach Posted: April 28, 2008 at 03:50 PM (#2761341)

Smoltz sounded pretty pessimistic even the day after. Looks like we may be at the end of the road.

2. Win one for Agrippa (haplo53) Posted: April 28, 2008 at 03:56 PM (#2761347)

Looks like we may be at the end of the road.

Sad if true.

3. Danny Posted: April 28, 2008 at 03:56 PM (#2761348)

I've seen a couple other Smoltz starts this year, and he seems to grab the shoulder in pain at least once an inning. Was he doing that last year?

4. Robert in Manhattan Beach Posted: April 28, 2008 at 04:01 PM (#2761356)

Was he doing that last year?

Occasionally. He looks a little more uncomfortable this season. I didn't see yesterday's debacle thankfully.

For the last few years you sort of knew it could be over at any time. But it went on so long it was easy to start thinking he would last forever. It would be a little easier to take if it didn't happen concurrently with Hudson having a dead arm or whatever is troubling him.

5. rb's team is hopeful for the new year! Posted: April 28, 2008 at 06:23 PM (#2761527)

He always looks good in the first inning. Maybe he could try a bullpen stint again. But i guess the recovery phase would hurt, having to go back to back days and all.

6. Perros Posted: April 29, 2008 at 01:02 AM (#2761879)

Obviously, the Braves are in trouble if Smoltz is done.

They had no real chance last year because of rotation issues, and they're pretty much in the same boat again this season.

Who was the last good starting pitcher they developed off the farm? Milwood?

7. Corn On Ty Cobb Posted: April 29, 2008 at 01:39 AM (#2761913)

His fastball was topping out at 87 mph yesterday. That just doesn't happen with Smoltz. He's pitched through tremendous pain the past couple years, but I never remember his velocity taking that big of a dive. I'd be very surprised if this is just the usual shoulder discomfort.

8. Crispix Attacks Posted: April 29, 2008 at 01:42 AM (#2761917)

Who was the last good starting pitcher they developed off the farm? Milwood?

It depends on your definition of "good" and "developed".

Jason Marquis? Adam Wainwright? Chuck James?

9. Corn On Ty Cobb Posted: April 29, 2008 at 01:50 AM (#2761924)

Wainwright. . . who they gave away for a one year rental of JD Drew.

10. Sam M. Posted: April 29, 2008 at 01:58 AM (#2761927)

His fastball was topping out at 87 mph yesterday. That just doesn't happen with Smoltz.

I'm pretty certain that wasn't the last we'll see of Smoltz -- he's too tough and determined not to at least try again, no matter what. But if by some chance it was, I'm going to be pretty ticked off to have missed watching the game because I was at the office. There was certainly a lot to dislike about him -- starting with the uni and how many times he broke my team's back and my heart -- but what a competitor and a great pitcher.

Both the Mets and Braves are brittle, brittle contenders, riding a lot of wings and prayers into battle this year. Pedro, Alou, El Duque, Delgado, Castillo for the New Yorkers. Smoltz, Chipper, Glavine (durable as all get out, but old . . . .), Hampton, and the ricketiest bullpen ever for the Braves. It's like a couple of Humpty Dumpties trying to keep the pieces together long enough to beat out the Phillies.

11. PASTE is not impressed by Albert Pujols (Zeth) Posted: April 29, 2008 at 02:01 AM (#2761929)

The Braves are probably toast this year without Smoltz, unless the NL East in general proves weaker than expected. But I'm not ready to write him off yet; John Smoltz is one tough SOB.

12. gay guy in cut-offs smoking the objective pipe Posted: April 29, 2008 at 02:28 AM (#2761952)

I thought I remembered Smoltz, after his last rehab, saying that that was it and the next time he'd retire rather than go through it again. I can't find a source, though.

I hope this isn't the end of the line; he's been so good when he's been able to pitch the past few years that you'd have to figure he can still come back and help a team, if he wants to. But if he doesn't want to put himself through that again, I couldn't blame him.

13. Sam M. Posted: April 29, 2008 at 02:53 AM (#2761985)

I thought I remembered Smoltz, after his last rehab, saying that that was it and the next time he'd retire rather than go through it again. I can't find a source, though.

Pedro certainly said that after his surgery and rehab. It wouldn't surprise me if Smoltz did, too.

14. Raskolnikov Posted: April 29, 2008 at 03:19 AM (#2762012)

I hope it's not true. I used to root for those Braves teams of Glavine/Smoltz/Avery. Of course if I knew they would come over to the East and dominate the division for the next decade, I wouldn't have been so supportive.

He really represents the last link to that Braves era in mind. But this is premature - I think Smoltz will be back. He's too much of a competitor not to be.

15. Sam M. Posted: April 29, 2008 at 03:31 AM (#2762021)

He really represents the last link to that Braves era in mind.

This guy just got thrown out of the thread for arguing your call, Rasky. Smoltz is the last link?

Oh, and didn't this fella just get rave reviews for his performance as the Prodigal Son in the Atlanta production of "Come Home, Little Tommy"???

How soon they forget!!!! ;-)

16. Raskolnikov Posted: April 29, 2008 at 03:46 AM (#2762032)

For Cox, he just doesn't evoke the images of those teams for me. Glavine, Smoltz, Bream, Hunter, Lemke, Blauser - I can still picture them vividly. For some reason, Cox doesn't enter my personal camera until later.

Glavine just doesn't scare me anymore. I think it's remarkable what he can still do, but he's not the Glavine who dominated 2 decades ago.

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ajc: Smoltz complains of sore shoulder after shaky outing (RR)

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