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12B ♦ THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2006 Braves look for relief help, turn to Pirates By Travis Haney Morris News Service LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - John Schuerholz conceded Tuesday afternoon that the Braves’ trade talks with a handful of other teams have stalled to some degree. “It’s slowed down,” the Atlanta GM said. “The whole process has slowed down a bit.” Part of the reason? Schuerholz and other front office types are busy shut tling from meeting to meet ing and can’t get together to discuss personnel decisions. For instance, Schuerholz spoke with reporters just after accepting an award as one of Baseball America magazine’s 25 most influen tial people in the game. Q and A with racing newsmaker Brian France of NASCAR By Don Coble Morris News Service NASCAR chairman Brian France is responsible for keeping the wheels rolling for the nation’s most-suc cessful racing organization. Despite its success, he said NASCAR remains a work in progress. During a recent interview, he said the Chase for the Championship won’t get an overhaul during the off-sea son, but it may see some minor changes. He also talk ed about other issues that could affect the sport Here are excerpts of that press conference: Question: Will there be significant chang es in the Chase for the Championship? France: We’ll be looking at nothing new. Everything we’ll be looking at has been brought up by various peo ple in the last couple years. We’ll be looking at, is 10 the right number, as an example. We’ll be looking at the 400 point margin. We’ll be look ing at, you know, the final 10 races. I think we have the right mix, and I don’t think we’ll be changing that, but we’ll be thinking about the points structure; you know, should we add a little more to the win in the final 10. Just various things we think will build what we’re hoping for, which are big moments and a bigger stage for the drivers. That’s what the Chase has always been about. It’s about showcas ing their skills. ... So we’ll be looking at everything to see if we can make it a little bit better. There won’t be a dramatic changes because the basic format is working well. Question: There were a lot more fines and penal ties this year. Why? France: Well, I think the urgency to win and how many competitive teams, you know, that are just going to go to the line a little bit harder. And sometimes, they flop over, either accidentally or intentionally, doesn’t mat ter. We’ll take the kind of action we need to take. My sense of it is that, you know, there’s just more teams that are trying harder. And it’s more competitive. So you’re trying for every little inch I can gain an advantage on, and sometimes that puts us Grrrreaf Deals It hu have umettiins 0f( »« It sell and if sunder w -rr Si®? If, sc, call cur Co HMerp drts j&L classified dent+see’ll MdUimiiSr per week . mmt nm m 3 Rnei , Despite the distractions abounding at Disney’s Dolphin Resort, don’t count the Braves out of making a deal or two by week’s end. Of the half-dozen or so teams the Braves continue to barter with, Pittsburgh is emerging as the best match up for a potential trade. The Pirates are interest ed in a young, left-handed power hitter - and Atlanta’s first baseman Adam Laßoche qualifies. Laßoche, 27, hit a career high 32 homers this past season, but the Braves feel that Scott Thorman, also young and also left-handed, is ready for everyday play at first. To pique Atlanta’s inter est, Pittsburgh has arguably the most bullpen depth of in a position to have to react, and when we have to, we will. Question: Another thing on the Chase. Is it safe to assume it won’t return in its current form next year? France: I’d be very sur prised. Seeing what has gone across my desk now from people internally and race fans and just different places we get ideas from, including the media, some of them we like, but we’re sort of playing with. But I want to say, changes are one thing; adjustments are another. Adjustments tend to be smaller, tend to be less dramatic, and that’s kind of what we’re looking at. We’re looking at adjustments, not changes. Question: Is 10 the right number of drivers in the Chase? France: Well, there’s no magic number. We have zeroed in on other things, and whether we always thought that more than 10 might get in. It hasn’t hap pened yet. It could happen this year. So we’ll look at that 400-point mark. ... But is 10 the number? Is 12 the number? Would we like to see the 400-point issue come into play? I think it would be interesting. It would be nice to see. Call it a wild card if you will; some wild card teams jump in. I think that would add to the drama and excitement. So we’ll have to see how that plays out, and if we want to make that more attainable in the future, that’s what we’ll be working on. Question: Do you pay attention to what the fans want in the Chase? France: Oh, sure. We pay attention to what peo ple feel good about or don’t feel good about. You know, we take that into consider ation. We’re not doing this for ourselves; we’re doing it to excite fans. I think the most important thing is, you know, we want to build drama. Everybody wants to, and any sports commis sioner would tell you, in an ideal world, they would like to have a close, high-scoring game that goes down to the last play. We’re no different than that. The trick for us is, you can’t artificially do it. So we can do things that give teams more opportuni any team in the majors. The Braves have asked repeatedly about Pirates closer Mike Gonzalez, but Pittsburgh GM Dave Littlefield seems reluctant to trade the 28-year-old left hander - or any of his pitch ers, for that matter. Atlanta would love to slide the hard-throwing Gonzalez into the eighth-inning role to set up Bob Wickman, with future plans to move him into the ninth-inning slot after Wickman moves on or retires. Gonzalez converted all 24 of his save chances this past season before being shut down in late August after experiencing elbow tendini tis. The elbow ailment isn't thought to be a deterrent for ties to have big moments on a bigger stage, and all of those things. But as we look at that, we want to make sure that they are earning it, it’s performance driven. Not just because we feel like having 12 teams in there. ... It has to be thought of in the context of performance. Question: Is it in NASCAR’s best inter est for CART and IRL to solve their differences and become a single rac ing organization again? France: Well, 1 don’t know about what I’d prefer. It doesn’t really matter. The one thing I would like to see is a healthy open-wheel divi sion, or two, whatever it is. I would like to see all form of racing; that’s in our best interests, because the tracks run at most two Nextel Cup races. They need lots of con tent, lots of auto racing. And so the more healthy sports car racing is, open wheel, you name it, the weekly series we will get our spon sorship, whatever is going to be, earned by the teams and ourselves, we’ll get that. We’ll deliver enough value to put enough sponsorship GRAB IT, BUY IT, WRAP ITUP OUTLET jDssm I : .jg4y ; i - Si Hip Vp Adult Crew Neck Sweatshirts Select adult fleece styles. Colors and styles vary by store. Sizes S-2XL You Pay $/|B7 Original ticker price sl6 Vassarette Bras Select underwire bras in basic and fashion colors. Sues 34A 38D You Pay $ 3 87 Original ticket price $9 88 sll-98 © • ••r ii i Peach Shops at Byron, 1-75, Exit 149, Byron, GA, (478) 956-3275, Mon-Sat 10-9, Sun 12-6, www.vffo.com LOCAL the Braves or the handful of other teams who’ve asked about Gonzalez. Pittsburgh also has entic ing middle-relief options beyond Gonzalez - namely workhorse veteran Solomon Torres and lefty John Grabow. Torres, the 34-year-old who appeared in a major league-high 94 games last year, is owed a reasonable $2.6 million in 2007 and $3.2 million in 2008, with an option for 2009. Even with all those appear ances in 2006, Torres still kept his ERA at 3.28. He posted a 2.76 ERA in 78 games in 2005, a 2.64 ERA in 84 games three seasons ago. Torres also converted 12 of 13 saves at the end of last to work in our division. It’s not about dividing it up. The pie is big. Not only would I like to see all of auto rac ing healthy, No. 1, but all of sport healthy. When one sport, even when it’s outside of our category, struggles or has a major issue, that’s not good for us. We’re all playing to the same fan bases. So when things are healthy and going in a positive way in all sports, that’s in our best Question: Will NASCAR look at the way drivers have to compete while they’re hurt just to col lect points and stay alive in the championship? France: Well, you have to pass a certain physical level, depending on if it’s a head injury or something like that. We obviously will work with the doctors and make sure that somebody is at a minimum level to compete. Get in the car, go one lap and get your points. This always comes up when someone is injured and has to climb in the car. We look at it, but, you know, we want our drivers competing as much as possible. And so far, Savings! season after Gonzalez went down. Grabow isn’t the power arm that Gonzalez is, but he would still provide the Braves with an experienced left-hander that it doesn’t currently possess. Grabow, 28, has thrown an average of 61 innings each of the three full seasons he’s been in the majors. He went 4-2 with a 4.13 ERA this past year, his best season. Other Pirates pieces could be in play, as well. Atlanta was interested in center fielder Chris Duffy, a youngster who could hit in the leadoff spot, but the Pirates don’t want to lose him. Second baseman Jose Castillo, instead, is a more likely pawn. Castillo’s .258 average we’re comfortable with the policy. • 2 JHour Access • Personal Training • no Contracts Lee & Wrangler Adult Jeans Misses' and men's slightly irregular, selected styles and washes. Sizes 6-18 and 28-46 You Pay SOB 7 Original ticket price S2O Vanity Fair Panties Select hi-cut, bikini and brief styles in basic and fashion colors. Sues 5 -10 You Pay $2 87 Original ticket pnce 5675 - $950 Give the Gift ofFitness! *** * \ djett fit 1 2003" Ball Street (Downtown Perry) W 987-8516 HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL isn’t all that impressive, but some in Pittsburgh think a change of scenery might bring about a blossoming that isn’t possible in a los ing environment such as the Steel City. For the Braves, Castillo, 25, would provide a cheap replacement for Marcus Giles, who is expected to be traded soon because of sal ary and production consid erations. Having Castillo would put far less pressure on Martin Prado, the youngster who’s currently the leader in the clubhouse to fill Giles’ spot. All this said, a possible roadblock between Atlanta and Pittsburgh is the Pirates’ strong interest in Colorado’s Brad Hawpe, another young left-handed power hitter. People Pleasing! 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