Kotsay: May Be A Good Catch Afterall

Andruw, Andruw, Andruw... where are you?

According to beat writer, Ken Gurnick of the Dodgers, Jones is experiencing what it feels like to rightfully ride the pine.

Gurnick states, "Struggling center fielder Andruw Jones and his .103 batting average were benched Wednesday by Dodgers manager Joe Torre, who returned Juan Pierre to the starting lineup in left field and moved Matt Kemp to center for the game with the Diamondbacks."

Referring to Jones, Torre says, "He just looks now like he's overanxious, that's the simplest explanation. It looks like he's doing more guessing than anticipating. We know it's not physical. He seems to be getting in his own way."

Even though Andruw Jones is no longer a Brave, I still find myself pulling for him. Don't get me wrong, the Braves are better off without him, but dang, you can't help but to pull for a guy who saved a great deal of runs for our pitchers for the past 10 years or so. Maybe that number is off.

I talked to a cousin of mine today, and he said, "If Jones would work out and quit being so lazy, he has the potential to go down as one of the best center fielders to ever play the game." I couldn't agree more.

Upon arriving to Dodgers camp this year, Torre said in an interview that Jones appeared chubby, having gained a hefty 15-20 lbs.

Even though Andruw is long gone, I think I will still pull for him, especially in games that doesn't involve the Braves. Many of the Braves squad, including our right fielder, Jeff Francoeur, have said that Braves fans will complain when a lot of balls fall in center field this year. So far, this has proven to be far from true.

When the Braves acquired an injury-stricken Mark Kotsay from the Athletics, many were skeptical of his ability.

And then, Braves' GM, Frank Wren, ventured so far to say, "[Kotsay] is one of the most fundamentally sound center fielders I've ever seen play the game."

Upon reading this, my immediate reaction was Wren has lost his mind. How could you exclude players such as, Ken Griffey Jr., Andruw Jones, and Tori Hunter. Then, I thought, well maybe he is the most fundamentally sound, considering the way in which Jones would nonchalantly flip his glove up on what appeared to be out-of-reach running grabs. I could go on and on about how Jones would make what seemed to be impossible catches look easier than easy.

But, what about this Kotsay? His stats last year looked pretty rough only hitting .214 in 56 games.

After spring training, there seemed to be a good deal of upset Braves fans when top prospect center fielder Jordan Schafer was sent back to the minors. Many hoped the Braves organization would gamble on him and make him our center fielder this year.

When he was sent down, Cox said, "[Schafer] looked good. He looked really sharp. I like Schafer. He's a good looking player. We look to have him as our center fielder starting the 2009 season."

So, Braves fans were left with no other choice but to depend on an ailing 32 year old Mark Kotsay. After 9 games into the season, I'm not so sure this is a bad thing. And considering our top prospect, 21 year old Schafer, was found guilty of using performance enhancing drugs recently, this idea of Kotsay being our center fielder may not be a bad thing at all.

Nine games into the season, Kotsay is batting a solid .273 with 3 RBIs and 1 homerun. Oh, and don't forget his defensive gyms that he's already put on his belt.

You may be seeing another year or two of Kotsay afterall. The Atlanta Braves organization has built its legacy on pure class, with no room for scoundrels. If you take a look at their history, players like John Rocker and others haven't stayed around too long. And don't forget that no Braves player was even mentioned in the Mitchell report this year.

While it's not safe to say whether they'll hang on to Schafer or not, don't be too surprised if you see this young, hot talent dealt in the next year or two.

Kotsay keep doing your thing. Oh, and you can take your shoes off, kick your feet up, and make yourself at home. You might be here longer than you thought.

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Tonight: Watch Hudson and the Braves face Chico and the Nationals at 7:35pm EDT on SportsSouth.