All Things Bubba

Paul Janish, boozing it up

The Braves clinched a postseason spot last night. Well, a wild card spot at least. It was at home, so Paul Janish got to join in the celebration. Would have been a bummer if it was an away game, since I don't think he's traveling with the team.

The photo makes him look like a wino or something, since a groundskeeper is the only other person in the frame. But I suspect he was out there with some teammates, high-fiving fans and spraying them with champagne, as the Reds did earlier this year and in 2010.

As for whether he'll be ready to play in the post-season...it sounds like they still aren't sure.

Gonzalez said backup shortstop Paul Janish will likely require surgery in the offseason to repair the dislocated shoulder he suffered diving for a ball in the ninth inning last Tuesday. The Braves are still hopeful, however, that Janish will be able to get healthy enough to be available for the National League Division Series, should they advance that far.

Looks like they've ruled out the one-game play-off for him. And surgery...yikes. Even if he does heal in time, you gotta wonder how well he'll be able to play with his unstabilized shoulder. Those diving stops are a trademark of his, but will it doesn't seem like a good idea before his shoulder his fully repaired.

Hope for the best, I guess...

Labels: Paul Janish

This has absolutely nothing to do with baseball or sports. I just think it's really cool. My sister saw and photographed the space shuttle Endeavour as it did its final victory lap across California.

Wish I could have seen it, but I'm on the wrong end of the country. I did hear a shuttle launch once, during a Blue Jays spring training game, but I've never seen it (except on TV, of course.).

Labels: off-topic

The Braves still aren't sure what they are going to do with Paul Janish.

Janish returned to Atlanta to have his shoulder examined by Braves orthopedist Xavier Duralde on Thursday. Gonzalez said the only update he had was that Janish would be out a minimum of two weeks and possibly three or four. He said the Braves hope he can avoid surgery and rehab the shoulder in time to be ready for potential postseason play.

Sounds like surgery is still on the table...I guess depending on how the rehab goes.

Labels: Paul Janish

No real news today, just a bit more detail. From MLB.com:

Gonzalez seemed less optimistic about Janish, who dislocated his left shoulder while making a diving stop on a Carlos Lee infield single in the ninth inning Tuesday. Janish wasn't with the team Wednesday, as he was catching a flight back to Atlanta so he could meet with team orthopedist Dr. Xavier Duralde on Thursday. "We don't know anything until [Thursday evening] about the shoulder," Gonzalez said. Janish will undergo a series of tests with Dr. Duralde to determine if he needs surgery, which would end his season, or if he just needs to rehab the shoulder and have a chance to return for the playoffs. Janish said after the game Tuesday that he has dislocated the shoulder at least eight or nine times in the past, but was able to pop it back into the socket on his own each time. That wasn't the case Tuesday, as he needed help to get it back into place. "When you manipulate it to go back in, that's when you can do some damage to the shoulder area," Gonzalez said. "They're going to do all the tests, whatever they got to do. He won't play for a while right now. He won't play for a while because it's significant."

Sounds like Janish was a bit over-optimistic when he said he'd only be out a few days. Hopefully he doesn't need surgery. Shoulder surgery is no bueno. Braves beat writer David O'Brien said via Twitter that they won't know more about Janish's situation until tomorrow. Fingers crossed that he'll be able to return for the post-season.

Labels: Paul Janish

Q. What has 8 arms and 8 legs?
A. Eight pirates!

I always remember the anniversary of the day Bubba Crosby hit the first and only walkoff homer of his life, because it's International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Arrrghhh, mateys!

Hard to believe it's been seven years since that magical night. Still my pick for the best game I've ever watched.

Labels: Bubba Crosby

Braves beat writer David O'Brien reports that Paul Janish has been sent back to Atlanta for further tests on his shoulder. Manager Fredi Gonzalez says Janish "won't be back soon," but could be back for the playoffs.

Labels: Paul Janish

David O'Brien posted some quotes at his blog, including some from Janish about his injury.

Fredi said you’d dislocated your shoulder before?

“Yeah, this time it actually dislocated and got stuck out. I’ve had that happen before where it subluxes my shoulder when I dive, and usually it just slides back in. It still hurts but it’s kind of something you just kind of shimmy in and deal with it. This is the first time I ever had it stuck and not be able to get it back in. When I got back up here [to the clubhouse] they popped it back in, which was a little painful, too, but at least it was immediate relief.”

“It’s usually sore for a few days, but it’s not too bad.”

So this has happened multiple times in the past?

“I’ve probably done it eight or nine times before, but never stuck, never got actually dislocated. But I’ll be fine.”

On X-rays

“Everything looked fine.”

So day-to-day?

“Yeah, I think so” (He said this as he was being led away to the training room for further treatment.)

Manager Fredi Gonzalez seemed a bit less optimistic:

“We’ll know more tomorrow, but in those situations where you’ve got to pop it back in, there’s tissue that gets torn or whatever. We’ll know more tomorrow, but it’s not a good injury. It’s a [shame]. You put him in there to play defense and he makes a hell of a play, and he hurts himself. But we’ll see tomorrow. I hope it’s nothing major. He’s had it before, maybe not to this extent. This one didn’t pop back in by itself. [Trainer Jeff Porter] had to manipulate it back in. That’s when you kind of do some damage when you manipulate it back in.”

With the expanded roster, there's no reason to DL him. But they're probably going to want him to be 100% before they put him on the postseason roster. Hopefully he heals up quick.

Labels: Paul Janish

Paul Janish went into the game as a LIDR tonight...only to leave with an injury after the first ball hit to him. He made a nice diving stop, but didn’t get up to throw it. Kind of flipped it behind him to 2B. Pretty nice flip, actually, but not fast enough to get the runner.

They showed it in slow motion, and you could see he tried to push himself up with his left arm to throw the ball, and just collapsed. He was holding his wrist as he left, but the announcers thought it was his shoulder.

He looked like he was in a lot more pain than when he broke his wrist. He was hunched over like an old man as he left the field.

It might not be as bad it looked, though. I thought his season was over, watching it. However, Braves beat writer David O'Brien says Janish was sent for x-rays, and they were good. Janish says he's had partial dislocations 8-9 times before, though this was the first time they had to pop it back in. He hopes to be back in a few days.

Kind of unfortunate timing; starting shortstop Andrelton Simmons is dealing with a sore shoulder, so Janish might have gotten some playing time if healthy. But there's hope, at least, that he'll be back in time for the post-season, or even sooner.

Labels: Paul Janish

US Presswire/Daniel Shirey
ESPN.com picked Paul Janish as the Defensive Player of the Month for August.

Janish and his mates on the left side of the Braves infield had a particularly good month. They combined to turn 77 percent of ground balls hit to the left of the second base bag into outs. The major-league average was 72 percent. In raw numbers, the Braves' left side was about 11 plays better than expected on those balls for the month.

The key to that was Janish, as evidenced by this: At month’s end, Baseball Info Solutions credited him with eight Defensive Runs Saved, the most by any player at that position in August.

The Braves wanted a good glove, and that's what they got in Paul Janish.

Janish has not been playing much lately. With the expanded roster giving Fredi Gonzalez more options, he's been starting less and being used as a LIDR more. With Andrelton Simmons being activated today, Janish will probably be getting even less playing time, since Simmons doesn't need a defensive replacement.

But Janish has played well enough that the Braves have released Jack Wilson. I'm guessing he has a good shot of being the backup SS next year, and probably during the post-season this year.

Labels: Paul Janish

Tony Cingrani got finally got his Major League debut today. It was because Reds ace Johnny Cueto was roughed up and pulled early, but still, a lot of fans were excited to see him.

I guess Cingrani's considered the long man, since he was a starter in AA. He pitched three innings after Cueto got the hook after four.

Cingrani looked very promising, if a tad raw. He struck out five, walked none, and gave up just one hit. Unfortunately, the hit was a home run. Cingrani now has a 3.00 ERA.

I think he could really be something one day, but currently, he's a little too reliant on his fastball. I'm guessing he'll end up in AAA next year, at least to start the season.

Labels: Tony Cingrani

From LiveScience:

Cooling Glove 'Better than Steroids' Lends Athletes a Hand

A cooling glove resembling a high-tech oven mitt has proven it can boost sports performance to levels beyond steroid users' wildest dreams — to the point where college and professional teams have already begun adopting the technology for their athletes.

The plastic glove cools a network of veins in human palms that typically act as radiators to expel heat from the body, according to Stanford University News. Such cooling appears to practically erase muscle fatigue regardless of the exercises done — pull-ups, bench presses, running or cycling.

"Equal to or substantially better than steroids … and it's not illegal," said Dennis Grahn, a biologist at Stanford University and co-inventor of the cooling glove.

No reference to baseball teams using this yet, but if it really works, it probably won't be long.

Labels: science of sports

The Reds announced it on Twitter, and beat writer John Fay confirms it: Tony Cingrani is being called up.

HOUSTON — Left-hander Tony Cingrani will be called up from Double-A Pensacola on Tuesday.

Cingrani, 23, was the club’s third-round pick in the 2011 draft. Cingrani went a combined 10-4 with a 1.73 ERA at Single-A Bakersfield and Double-A Pensacola. He struck out 172 and walked 52 in 146 innings. He limited hitters to .191 average.

Not sure what to make of this. There's some speculation that they're hoping to showcase him for a possible trade. Cingrani has never thrown a single pitch in AAA, and now he's a big leaguer?

On the other hand, while the Reds don't like to rush hitters, they are willing to rush pitchers. For example, Mike Leake skipped the minor leagues entirely before his major league debut.

Either way, it must be very exciting for Tony. Congrats, kid.

Labels: Tony Cingrani