Braves’ lefty pitcher James ready after strong rookie year

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Need a reliable starting pitcher? Chuck James is your man.\nLooking for someone to install a set of double-pane windows or put in a new door? He can handle that, too.\nIn a throwback to the era when baseball players routinely worked during the offseason to make ends meet, James worked until January at a blue-collar job, getting up at daybreak and not returning home until long after the sun went down.\nNever mind that he was coming off a strong rookie season with the Atlanta Braves. Never mind that he now makes a six-figure salary. For James, it just seemed natural to return to the job that he’s had during past offseasons.\n“I don’t like being in the house very much,” said James, who went 11-4 with a 3.78 ERA in 2006. “Working a job keeps my mind off baseball and gets me out into the real world a little bit. I realize this is kind of my vacation. I treat my other job as work.”\nThe 25-year-old left-hander was employed by a family friend who contracts with Lowe’s to install windows and doors. It was hardly a glamorous job – James had to set his alarm for 6 a.m. so he could make a long drive through Atlanta’s notorious traffic to meet his crew, clean out the truck and pick up supplies.\nOnly then would he actually begin a project, staying at it as long as there was daylight. James would usually get home around 8 p.m., giving him a couple of hours to eat dinner, work out and spend time with his new wife before he headed to bed.\n“Putting in windows is kind of easy,” he said. “Doors are a little tougher. You’ve got to make sure you get them straight and all.”\nIf there’s anyone who appreciates the perks of being a major league player, it’s James. He can’t believe that someone is always standing by in the clubhouse, ready to take care of his every whim. Heck, he’s still amazed at how many pairs of cleats everyone gets.\n“I’m not going to say we came from the poor part of town. We did all right. But we got a pair of cleats and a glove, and we had to go out there and play all year,” said James, who grew up in a rural area northwest of Atlanta. “When I got two pairs of cleats in the minor leagues, I was pretty pumped up about that. When I came into spring training this year, it was like Christmas all over again.”\nWith his homespun demeanor and simple approach to life, James is a constant source of amusement in the Braves clubhouse.\n“Did you hear about the time he was bitten by a snake?” manager Bobby Cox asked reporters.\nJames recounted how he was walking through the woods at 4 o’clock in the morning – that’s another story – when he felt a piercing pain in his right leg. He took another step and felt an even stronger pain. Finally getting into the light, he saw one fang mark on the outside on the ankle, two more on the inside and blood pouring everywhere.\nThere wasn’t a hospital nearby, and it didn’t matter anyway because heavy rain had turned the road into a muddy mess. One of his friends looked at the wound and declared, “If it hasn’t killed you yet, you’re not going to die.” Even though his leg was badly swollen the next day, James didn’t even bother going to a doctor.