| | KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Ten days later, Kerry Ligtenberg still
has a shiner and his right eye remains bloodshot.
Ligtenberg, who missed all of last season after surgery to
replace a ligament in his pitching elbow, got a slight cut on his
cheekbone and a bruise under his right eye when struck by a Quinton
McCracken one-hopper March 18.
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| Ligtenberg |
"It scared me a little bit when I got hit, but I got lucky it
didn't hit me in the eye or nose," Ligtenberg said. "I was just
happy there wasn't any blood and I could see. I saw the ball all
the way. It wasn't hit that hard, but it sort of skidded on the
grass and was on me before I knew it."
Ligtenberg has pitched three times since then and has shown no
ill effects. In six innings this spring, he has given up two runs
and five hits, a 3.00 ERA.
"It's been going pretty well so far," the right-hander said.
"It took me a couple of games to get back to getting comfortable
out there. Right now, I'm feeling pretty confident where I'm at. I
just need to add my split finger."
Ligtenberg, 28, uses the split finger to supplement a fastball and a
slider.
He had 30 saves as a rookie in 1998 before injuring
his elbow last spring. He has been throwing in the low 90s this
spring and is using his slider without pain.
Ligtenberg could open the season as the Braves' closer. John
Rocker, who had 38 saves last season, was suspended for the first
two weeks by commissioner Bud Selig for disparaging remarks about
gays, immigrants and minorities.
"Kerry has been throwing good. He hasn't been afraid to turn it
loose," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "He'll be fine."
Ligtenberg still hasn't thrown two days in a row, but he expects
that will happen early in the season as his arm strength continues
to improve.
"I can pitch every other day," he said. "Right now, I'm just
making sure I'm healthy. That's the only thing that I'm really
concerned with."
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