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© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1,721 comments Add your comment
spotts
April 21st, 2009
11:34 pm
I think we can all agree that the Braves have a lot more talent than the Nationals on their roster. So why do the Nats (and other teams) continually dominate the Braves?
Chop Chop
April 21st, 2009
11:34 pm
And the comma ruined it…
P-Town Brave
April 21st, 2009
11:34 pm
Pardo-
Unfortunately if we still have this group of management, Heyward, Freeman, and Hanson will all be ruined…
Doc Holiday (But its early......is it?)
April 21st, 2009
11:34 pm
Where are the smart people saying that it was better keeping norton because he had more power than Anderson??? __HAHAHA……………great move
Where are the smart people that were debating less than 24 hours ago that KJ had so much pop in his bat, that Prado couldnt even dream about…………….he barely got the ball out of the IF………poosssiiiee
Carroll Rogers
April 21st, 2009
11:35 pm
BMac said after the game he’s going to take tomorrow off, as he continues to get used to the contact. I think it was on his mind in the game. Could be a week, he said, before he gets adjusted to it.
“It’s going to be a process,” McCann said. “It’s going to be something where I’m probably going to sit out tomorrow’s game and get used to the contact….You definitely notice it, any time you don’t wear a contact for a year and a half. It’s going to be a process, and I hope it doesn’t take longer than a week to get under the lights, to start seeing like I did last year.”
MFin04
April 21st, 2009
11:35 pm
I think they need to clean house with some of the coaches…Bobby or TP has to go. It will never be Bobby…so TP has to go. I wish they’d fire Bobby he just makes so many stupid decisions.
Huh?
April 21st, 2009
11:35 pm
Pardo,
we had Frenchy, McCann, KJ, Chuck James, Kyke Davies and numerous other “prized prospects” that we just couldn’t wait until they got to the big leagues. The got to the big leagues and we still suck.
If Cox is still the manager, Hanson, Heyward and Freeman won’t heal this team. It will be a continuation of an old guy expecting players to manage themselves rather than being proactive and correcting attitudes and fundamentals.
If it’s simply, “they’re all adults and should know how to play,” then why the hell do you need a manager in the first place?
Latenight Bailbond Guy
April 21st, 2009
11:36 pm
Ah the dog days of April already.
BRAVES...the gayest team in baseball
April 21st, 2009
11:36 pm
what did the great boob say about this loss tonight carroll??
P-Town Brave
April 21st, 2009
11:36 pm
Carroll-
If Mac were smart he’d take a few weeks off and have the Lasix and get away from the sinking ship known as the 09 Braves…
TnBrian
April 21st, 2009
11:36 pm
PWHjort, oh but Ludwick is a “flash in the pan” like some on hear were screaming in the offseason. “Can’t trade Kelly, he’s going to break out!” WHATEVER… I think Kelly is a good hitter, but he needs to be more consistant since he lacks much power. His D? Not going there.
On the bright side, Phily and the Mets are off to bad starts too. Fla. looks to be coming back to earth, and that spark plug of theirs,Bonifacio, has hit a wall. Braves can turn it around, I still have faith that they will, soon.
Ronald Millsaps
April 21st, 2009
11:37 pm
A player needs to be used in accordance with his role. As I said before, Jordan Schafer needs to be batting leadoff on this team. I know he’s green, but at least he has speed and can turn slow-rollers into hits and put pressure on opposing defenses.
In 2007, Kelly Johnson tore the cover off the ball and batted either .374 or .347 threw 45 games when batting 6-8, yet Bobby returns him to leadoff and has kept him there over and over again. Last year, he gave Kelly days off over and over and shuffled him around the place. Late in the year, Kelly got to bad in a steady role and ended up with a 25-game hitting streak.
I’m not bashing Bobby; I’m just tired of seeing certain things happen that shouldn’t, and I’m tired of seeing this team not execute.
Why did this team only give Blaine Boyer, who worked hard with John Smoltz, not even two innings?
I have nothing against Garret Anderson. I just don’t see how he fits this team, as we have many guys who can hit. I’d either move Johnson to left and Prado to second or try, perhaps, moving Gregor Blanco to left and keeping Jordan Schafer in center.
This team made a mistake–a huge mistake–in trading Josh Anderson. He’s fast. He can hit. He can run. He’s a natural leadoff hitter, so why did we trade someone who filled a vital role?
Why did Frank Wren rescind his offer to Will Ohman?
Why did this team not even make Adam Dunn an offer? Wren could’ve gone with Clint Sammons and taken the money offered to Dave Ross and Anderson as money for Dunn’s services. All indications pointed toward the Braves having “no interest” in Dunn. I have serious questions as to how wise the $40 million got spent.
Part of the reason this team won in 1991 was its speed. Speed doesn’t slump. I’d move Blanco to left, let him bat leadoff, and have Johnson bat eighth and Francoeur cleanup. I’d then have Blanco run until his cleats fall off.
It sure seems like this team will find a way to lose and that it’s passive instead of aggressive. The Braves can do far better.
TNJeff
April 21st, 2009
11:38 pm
if cox had any balls, he’d make this sorry ass team watch the replay of this game on Sports South right now
Ronald Millsaps
April 21st, 2009
11:38 pm
through*, not “threw”
Skip Would Hate This Team
April 21st, 2009
11:39 pm
Good point P-Town Brave. They keep bringing in new faces like its not Bobby’s fault we suck.
It is over with him and not sure why everyone else sees this but owners. Oh wait… thats because owners only care about $$ and as long as people show up and do the stupid chop they are fine.
I think everyone on here that wants to see Bobby go should just type FIRE BOBBY COX!!! Let me start…..
FIRE BOBBY COX!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Doc Holiday (But its early......is it?)
April 21st, 2009
11:40 pm
Spotts,
Because of what I just said 10 minutes ago…….. Cox treats them (baby braves) as if they were royalty. They dont have to perform in order to have a spot on the starting lineup………JF and KJ specially. They just have to be that…….BABY BRAVES………thats enough. Now Cox is locked up with Norton…….in his head, he is the best PH ever and he will continue to put him in key situations. It is clear to anyone with a normal IQ that the guy is struggling and just should only PH him in non key situations until he gets his groove.
Problem is not the players……….its like saying that if a country is full of thieves the problem is the people………..or if a country is full of junkies the problem is the people………..noooooooooooo, the problem is the authorities and the system, not the individuals……….
P-Town Brave (Day after day calling for the mass firing of the entire Braves coaching staff)
April 21st, 2009
11:40 pm
I guess they are really looking forward to enjoying the empty seats at Turner just as the ppl in DC have because thats what will happen if drastic changes aren’t made soon…
Oh, and I hope everyone enjoys when Kelly turns it around in September again because by the time Sir Slump turns it around, we’ll be 20 games out again!
Tradeschoolonnorthave
April 21st, 2009
11:40 pm
You watch, this team is headed for 90 losses, and will be sellers at the deadline..I’m resigned to the fact that the braves are now the worst pro franchise in the city now, and won’t be good for a couple of more years….
ccrider
April 21st, 2009
11:40 pm
The crux of the matter is the holdovers from last year are the same non clutch players they have always been. Kelly Johnson and Matt Diaz are both decent hitters in non clutch situations, but that combined with their horrific fielding make them liabilities. Kotchman is what he is: a light average hitter that plays good defense. He should be in the 8 hole in the lineup until we can either acquire someone better or Freeman is ready. Chipper, McCann, Franceour, Schafer and Escobar are adequate and sometimes really good, but all need to quit trying to do too much on defense. The starting pitching of Vazquez, Lowe and Jurrjens has been solid, but have yet to get deep into games because of high pitch counts. The reason Lowe , Vazquez and Kawakami were signed was to pitch 7 or 8 innings to save the pitiful excuse for a bullpen. They so far have not done their job, which has exposed the weakest part of the team. Norton is following the same pattern of the rest of his career, 1 good year the next bad year. The solutions for the 2009 season? NONE! Bobby will not remove Kelly and Matt from the lineup, Release Norton and acquire a contact veteran hitter with proven success in the clutch; Mark Grudzelanek for example. He won’t inform the bullpen that they are pitching for their jobs and if they can’t pitch under that pressure they don’t belong here anyway. The Team will also not bring up Tommy Hanson for the 5th spot, until they are so far out of the race(which at the moment, may not be much longer). Schafer is the only new hitter in the lineup and he has been more clutch than pretty much all the veterans.. Change MUST come now, staying the course will end the same as last season.!!
monty
April 21st, 2009
11:40 pm
NJ Braves
I agree completely, it does defy logic that they simply cannot push a runner in from 3rd when it counts. Either the most unluckiest team in MLB or else some bad Karma on this team, which for all practical purposes (with position players) is the same team that lost all those one run games last year. Somewhere there just has to be a sacrifice of some manager or player I guess to appease the baseball gods.
Carroll Rogers
April 21st, 2009
11:41 pm
And Diaz said he lost that ball in the lights
Ronald Millsaps
April 21st, 2009
11:42 pm
wisely*
Hard to type well when you’re this frustrated.
TNJeff
April 21st, 2009
11:42 pm
AS for Diaz – still find it comical that he blamed a previous error on a dropped line drive on losing the ball in the lights despite the FACT that he had run straight to the right position and was looking down when the ball arrived and he short armed the attempt to catch it.
Missed tonight’s blunder but I image even is he was looking down, somehow he can manage to blame it on the lights, etc.
P-Town Brave (Day after day calling for the mass firing of the entire Braves coaching staff)
April 21st, 2009
11:42 pm
Skip Would Hate This Team-
Sadly as I just posted after you, I think the management will be looking at very many empty seats come July and August as we can all agree…
NO ONE wants to watch this CRAP!
ground_fog
April 21st, 2009
11:43 pm
So add Diaz to the list of eye problems on the Braves. Time to hire a full time Opthamologist to travel with the team.
TNJeff
April 21st, 2009
11:44 pm
Carroll
Amazing – Diaz blames the lights again. Are there mirrors in the left field grass at all these stadiums?
Doc Holiday (But its early......is it?)
April 21st, 2009
11:44 pm
Maybe the braves could play better if they turn the lights out in the stadium. just saying
braves70
April 21st, 2009
11:44 pm
As a lifelong Braves fan, I hope the Nats sweep us tomorrow. In fact I am hoping for a 100 loss season with attendence and revenues at the rock bottom. A major catastrophe like that may be the only thing that will wake up the owners to put a stop to this year-in, year-out bad dream and waste of all of our time.
PWHjort
April 21st, 2009
11:45 pm
Just like I don’t like how we’re skipping Reyes’ spot in the rotation this time through, I didn’t like our off-season. It was too much of an in-between win now and win later. If you want to win now, you get the Peavy deal done, you get a deal done for a big-time first baseman, and you add that power-bat for left field you’re talking about in addition to signing Lowe. If we want to win later, save money on the draft, don’t spend your money on stupid sh!t (Garret Anderson, Vazquez (I think Flowers was too much for Vazquez), overpaying big time for Lowe, overpaying for an Import (though maybe that’s an investment in our future getting stock in the asian market), etc), and you develop your own talent. Pick one.
spotts
April 21st, 2009
11:45 pm
Doc – couldn’t agree more. One of the greatest examples if Francoeur last year.
Bobby: hmm, Frenchy’s hitting .230 this season? Let’s bat him cleanup. He had some solid contact on those foul balls before striking out last night.
And it doesn’t just seem like it’s Bobby’s who’s in love with Norton. I’ve heard other people rave about him too. I don’t get it…he hit like, .240 last year. But everyone raves about how he’s a pinch-hit specialist.
But I also have a little beef with Norton. I went on a first date to a Braves game last summer and Norton was batting somewhere in the middle of the lineup. I say to her “WHY is Greg Norton batting there? He’s awful!” Then on cue, he hits a homer in his first AB.
P-Town Brave (Day after day calling for the mass firing of the entire Braves coaching staff)
April 21st, 2009
11:46 pm
CCRider-
I agree on every point and Bobby not changing any of his ways or anything for that matter that could possibly shake things up or lead to WINS gives me every reason to feel like he should be canned or at least given his notice that he needs to hold a presser and resign and take his entire staff fishing with him….
I am to the point now where I believe Joe Simpson and Jon Sciambi could do a better job managing this team from the booth…
H_ll, give me Ron Gant and he could probably win more games…at least if nothing else we know Ronnie wouldn’t put up with any of the sh_t thats going on right now out there!
TNJeff
April 21st, 2009
11:47 pm
Anyone – how do you lose the ball in the lights when you are looking down?
Man Up Diaz & just admit you suck
spotts
April 21st, 2009
11:48 pm
Tradeschool – Worst franchise in town? I wouldn’t go THAT far. As long as the Thrashers are in Atlanta, the Braves have at least 3rd locked up. Thrashers management makes Braves management look like the Reagan administration.
Tomahawkin
April 21st, 2009
11:48 pm
Ronald Milsaps…
I wanted Ibanez, I wanted Dunn, And I wanted Abreu…Anyone of those guy I would’ve settled for Instead we went Cheap and Got a DH to Play Leftfield…
I Expect A lot of empty seats during the next homestand… And when The Met are in town Turner Field Will be Know as Citi-Field-South…
turkey
April 21st, 2009
11:48 pm
Ok, I was wrong and I will admit it. Before the season I picked the Braves to finish 4th but the BAD NEWS BRAVES are BAACK. Dead last.
monty
April 21st, 2009
11:49 pm
I suggest in protest of this crap that no one blogs tommorrow say, beginning at noon tomorrow! Let’s send a statement!
TnBrian
April 21st, 2009
11:49 pm
Well, they didn’t need Kawakami, at least I don’t think. That $7.3M would have been more wisely spent on Abreu and a pen arm. Diaz is liability in LF, while Garret is just a liability, period!
TNJeff
April 21st, 2009
11:50 pm
one thing that I’ve seen consistently with teams that suck – everyone seems to get injured to find a way off the field and let others take the blame. I imagine the DL is going to grow with the embarrassing play of this team.
Dr. Martin VanNostrand
April 21st, 2009
11:51 pm
well everyone…..yes, the Braves have played poorly the last week or so. however, only 3 weeks into the season, a lot of time to turn it around. have to get everyone healthy and in the lineup, correct our bullpen issues, and things will happen for this team. way too talented to be a bad team this year. they are only .5 games behind philly and the mets, and everyone knows the marlins aren’t gonna be 11-3 all season long. today was an especially tough loss, poor baserunning by prado, diaz losing the ball in left, and the big chance lost in the 9th. the good thing about baseball is that tommorow is another day. we got jurrjens going tomorrow, hes nearly unbeatable on the road, lets see what happens folks
Chop Chop
April 21st, 2009
11:52 pm
PWH,
I rarely say this on here, but I absolutely agree with your post.
I’ve said this before, but Wren’s really trying to walk a fine line. He wants to win now and later. More power to him if he pulls it off, but it’s going to be damn tough to make it all work. Most GMs wouldn’t attempt it.
Tomahawkin
April 21st, 2009
11:52 pm
P-Town Brave, Your 11:46 Quote…
“I am to the point now where I believe Joe Simpson and Jon Sciambi could do a better job managing this team from the booth…”
Can I add that I nominate Don Sutton as our New Pitching Coach…?
McDowell Sucks…
spotts
April 21st, 2009
11:53 pm
monty – Send a statement to who? Dave O’Brien? Terence Moore? The AJC? Is that really gonna wake people up?
Liberty: No one blogged on the AJC yesterday. We’d better up payroll!
Mark in PA
April 21st, 2009
11:53 pm
I think Bobby or TP has got to get the Ax soon (MFin04)
I think it will take more than some cologne on the coaches to fix this mess.
TNJeff
April 21st, 2009
11:53 pm
this team has a will to lose and lose it will
Dr. Martin VanNostrand
April 21st, 2009
11:53 pm
hey P-Town Brave…can you tell me was that Bobby Cox hitting that bounced out to the pitcher in the 9th? was it Glen Hubbard getting thrown out at 3rd in the 7th? was it Chino that lost the ball in left field? i didnt think so. learn some baseball, they lost tonight because the players failed to perform like they should.
Skip Would Hate This Team
April 21st, 2009
11:54 pm
TNJEFF – if the players had any balls, they’d make the sorry ass manager watch the replay of this game on Sports South right now!!!
P-Town Brave (Day after day calling for the mass firing of the entire Braves coaching staff)
April 21st, 2009
11:54 pm
Doc-
This thing won’t turn around until we cut the fat so to speak…that means Bobby, Terry, Chino, Roger, and Snitker…
Monty-
I can’t agree to not come on the blog tomorrow, BUT I can agree that more than likely every one of my posts tomorrow is going to have a piece in it where I talk about the need to clean house of the coaching staff.
Skip Would Hate This Team
April 21st, 2009
11:55 pm
Hey even Ron Burgundy got fired!!!
uga-brave
April 21st, 2009
11:56 pm
carroll,
at least he did not say he lost it in all of the white T shirts in the crowd.
TNJeff
April 21st, 2009
11:56 pm
seriously doubt braves will see 500 again. Pattern in last couple of years is to get close to 500 and then choke when they have a chance to go above 500.
Head cases – no urgency / no panic / 4th place at best
Tomahawkin
April 21st, 2009
11:56 pm
Monty
If You want to do a better Protest just don’t show up to the games at the Ted and Watch the Gwinnett Team, They are probably more exciting to watch than those overpaid Millionaires anyway….
TNJeff
April 21st, 2009
11:58 pm
why would the kids over at the G-Braves want to get promoted up to play on this Bad News Braves team?
Tomahawkin
April 21st, 2009
11:59 pm
Someone just told me on Facebook that The Braves Had 2nd and 3rd with no outs in the Ninth and we failed to score…
Is there Turth to this…?
If so, then I’m glad I wasn’t watching the Game because I would’ve probably thrown my remote at the TV…
Huh?
April 22nd, 2009
12:00 am
Unfortunately, I have to agree with a few here that I think the best thing that could happen to this team is a 95-100 loss season. Even then, I don’t think they would let Cox go if he wanted to continue.
I’m saying this based on watching this team slide over the last few years, NOT on watching one short stretch of bad baseball.
This team is a loser until they have a manager change. Want to hear a cliche’? You can’t fire all the players, so you have to fire the manager if you hope to turn things around. Wanna know why that’s a cliche’? Because a cliche’ is a statement of the obvious and to any thinking Braves fan, it’s obvious that Bobby is where you have to make a change.
And by the way, Bowman is the only writer in Atlanta with enough testicular fortitude to question Cox’s judgment in writing. Kudos to him for that!
P-Town Brave (Day after day calling for the mass firing of the entire Braves coaching staff)
April 22nd, 2009
12:00 am
Doc-
I played baseball for 18 years and have continued to play softball since…I know more about baseball than you probably know about life…I’d suggest not calling out someone without asking them about knowledge first…
1) Bobby sent Norton to pinch-hit…already been discussed as to why this was a bad idea 3-4 pages back
2) Bad decision on Martin’s part, but these seem to happen very often w/ Snitker coaching 3rd and from the teams awful baserunning training…who is the team’s baserunning coach anyways?
3)Chino positions the players so he very well could’ve put Matt in a bad spot there for that play…then again, I’ll go to what someone else said….how can you lose the ball in lights when you’re looking straight ahead and down…also, if anyone noticed, they did a Slo-Mo cam on MASN and Diaz actually had his eyes CLOSED when the ball was 5-10 ft from his glove…
BUT all that being said…my point still holds Doc…we’ve had over 150+ players since 2006 and for some reason nothing has changed…
You can hold only the players accountable for everything for so long…at some point the finger also has to be pointed elsewhere…
Chop Chop
April 22nd, 2009
12:01 am
uga,
That was low, man. Nevertheless, very appropriate. By my count, Diaz has lost two in the lights so far. We’re 14 games in. I guess we’ll have to hope that the lights lose some of their brightness over 162 games. If they do, we’re set. World Series, baby.
A-ville Ranger
April 22nd, 2009
12:01 am
I think most on here miss the point when it comes to Cox.It’s not the moves he makes (for the most part at least).The thing is, he just can’t get players to perform anymore.The biggest part of winning coaches, managers, etc isn’t X and Os, it’s having the ability to get the best out of players.
braves70
April 22nd, 2009
12:01 am
There was a time in the late 80s when I finally just gave up on the Braves. I still liked them but by then the loses were expected and watching a game was the equivilent of watching a bad situation comedy. I just felt that no one cared in the least whether the team ever won or not. Sadly, I think I have now arrived at the same point once again. Time to watch and cheer the Cubs again. They care.
TNJeff
April 22nd, 2009
12:01 am
Tomahawkin
Its true. also ran into a third out at third base with Chipper at bat (thanks Prado). Also, (didn’t see it) but Diaz made a give up the lead error in left field due to those dang lights again.
P-Town Brave (Day after day calling for the mass firing of the entire Braves coaching staff)
April 22nd, 2009
12:01 am
Mark in PA-
Be careful w/ the cologne references…We don’t want Derek in Marietta to come back out of hiding…
Tom O'Hawke
April 22nd, 2009
12:02 am
Tomahawkin, I bet that Don Sutton would make one hell of a pitching coach. But I doubt you’d get him out of the booth.
N8
April 22nd, 2009
12:03 am
Even though the Braves made the playoffs in 2005, they finished that season quite average. Going 29-28 to finish the season after August the 1st. Then falling to the Astros 3 games to 1 in the Division series.
So, this stretch of mediocre baseball goes all the way back to the final two months of their LAST playoff bound season. If you count the 3 games to 1 series loss to the Astros in 05, the Braves are a stunning 271-289 since August 1st 2005.
Yet every year in the off-season since we “fall” for the hoopla, the marketing and the complete bs that this team can compete. Why? Because of #6.
Time to face if folks. Bobby’s teams have played BELOW .500 ball for almost 4 years. He’s gotta go, and until he does, the mediocre, uninspired baseball will continue.
It’s too bad that only a handful of people see it. Especially the ones who could actually do something about it.
Chop Chop
April 22nd, 2009
12:03 am
I wonder how many fans have managed to lose their remotes in the middle of their TV screens so far.
aswingruber
April 22nd, 2009
12:05 am
The Braves looked like the mediocre team that they are in losing tonight: poor defense which led to the blown lead, poor baserunning which saw Prado making the final out of the 7th at third base with our BEST HITTER at the plate (what the hell was he thinking), and finally no clutch hitting which stranded runners at second and third in the 9th after they got there with nobody out in the inning. This my friends is exactly how bad teams lose. Top this all off by the fact that it was a loss against the worst team in baseball and you’ve got reason to panic just 14 games in the season. Good teams find a way to beat bad teams like the Nats i.e. the Marlins last week. Bad and mediocre teams like the one we’re rolling out there on a nightly basis find ways to lose them.
This season will be a mirror image of last year. We’ll roll off a few in a row to give the most optimistic of us reason to maybe start believing that we’ve turned a corner, and then we’ll blow several in a row like we’re doing now. This trend of inconsistency (another tell-tale sign of mediocrity) will continue until we become sellers again at the trade deadline and start talking about the promise of next season.
14 straight seems eons ago.
Chop Chop
April 22nd, 2009
12:05 am
We need to start getting double pits to chesty with it ‘cuz I’m plumb sick of this no pits to chesty with it stuff.
P-Town Brave (Day after day calling for the mass firing of the entire Braves coaching staff)
April 22nd, 2009
12:05 am
A-Ville Ranger –
I do agree w/ not being able to get anything more out of the players and maybe a lot of it is because he IS in fact past his time in the game…
But I do believe a lot of it is because he’s just a ho-hum, old school I don’t have to yell or make an example out of anyone kind of guy…basically put, he’s “soft”, and thats one of the reasons why many want to play for him…
No one wants to play for Ozzie Guillen because he’s a certifiable “nutjob”, BUT he gets results because he’s fiery, passionate, and you d*mn well better believe that if you make a mistake, he’s gonna let you know about it!
At this point, I really believe thats exactly what we need…a complete 180 change in philosophy and personality.
Carroll Rogers
April 22nd, 2009
12:07 am
“It’s a line drive right at the angle of the lights, you’re just running in and try to wait for it to come out of the lights,” Diaz said. “Try to be in the right spot when it does. I just didn’t make the catch.”
And Schafer on his baserunning mistake:
“As soon as I got to second I remembered there were two outs and the pitcher is behind me,” Schafer said. “I tried to stop and go back trying to at least then if the pitcher gets out, I turn the lineup over. I was halfway by the time I stopped.”
“I saw him the bobble the ball, abnd that’s why I kept going, but that’s when I remembered. That’s something I’ve got to get used to, hitting with the pitcher behind me, where I have to play stuff a little more conservative and try to turn the lineup over.’
A-ville Ranger
April 22nd, 2009
12:10 am
P-Town, Guillen has been a hit and miss manager.He’s not the kind of manager who has a long, consistent career.Cox is burned out, it’s that simple.
TNJeff
April 22nd, 2009
12:10 am
Carroll
Why didn’t Jordan blame his baserunning on the lights?
N8
April 22nd, 2009
12:10 am
“i just thank GOD…Hanson, Heyward and Freeman are just a year or two away” Pardo
Why? As long as Bobby is still in the dugout, you can count on at least two of those guys NEVER reaching their potential.
Tomahawkin
April 22nd, 2009
12:10 am
TnJeff, Thanks…I would’ve gotten violent watching this game…
This crap has been going on too long…!
If we are 10-15 games out of the race in July (Still got a long way to-go til then) Trading Chipper might’ve been an option…But Now that he’s Locked up If we Trade him we are gonna half to eat up a lot of his salary becuase he is so Injury prone…That’s why I really didn’t like the extension to begin with…
Just a Random Thought
uga-brave
April 22nd, 2009
12:11 am
it amazes me how people can blame that loss on cox.
2nd & 3rd 0 out. two lefties (norton, k.j.) coming up against a rh reliever.
note cox did not bunt after the leadoff walk and got the situation he wanted on the road.
at some point players must execute. norton and k.j. did not period. it is on them.
this is a collection of average to below average players. there were no real plus additions to this offense so why the sudden suprise?
there will plenty more just like it.
tvsportscaster
April 22nd, 2009
12:12 am
Carroll, in your game story, you said it was Kelly Johnson who got thrown out at third in the 7th inning, leaving Chipper at the plate, in was not Kelly, it was instead Martin Prado, who had pinch-hit for the pitcher earlier in the inning, unfortunately Kelly wasn’t on base at all tonight.
TNJeff
April 22nd, 2009
12:12 am
Hey, I’m gonna give it a try too. When my report is late or I miss a deadline, I’ll just tell my boss it was due to them dang lights again.
P-Town Brave (Day after day calling for the mass firing of the entire Braves coaching staff)
April 22nd, 2009
12:13 am
A-Ville-
My point really had nothing to do w/ Guillen’s managerial record…more so to do w/ the difference in attitude, personality, and philosophy between him and Cox…
I think Yost has a bit of that too.
Of course, once again, none of that matters because the only person that can check Bobby outta Atlanta is God.
monty
April 22nd, 2009
12:13 am
I was only half serious about everyone not blogging tommorrow. I know the Braves players understand that there fan base is unhappy with their dismal play, but CArroll or DAve can’t say to Braves players “you know the fans are unhappy”, they would say “duh!” But, if Carroll or Dave said to them ,”Not one person blogged today,in protest.” THen that might very well send a message to someone. Of course not showing up for games hurts’em (ownership)where it hurts the most. But they would probably blame poor attendance on the economy and not their performance.
N8
April 22nd, 2009
12:14 am
Anybody else notice that Elvis Andrus is hitting .353 for Texas? Good thing Bobby and TP didn’t get a hold of him.
TNJeff
April 22nd, 2009
12:15 am
“But officer, I know I may have been exceeding the speed limit, but it’s all because I couldn’t read the Speed Limit sign due to the lights of the on-coming cars.”
P-Town Brave (Day after day calling for the mass firing of the entire Braves coaching staff)
April 22nd, 2009
12:17 am
UGA-
BUT it was BOBBY who put Norton up there knowing he hasn’t had a hit since last September and BOBBY who put Kelly in there knowing he’s in a major slump…All the while Omar Infante and even David Ross were BOTH on the bench gathering splinters even though they at this point are both better hitters than who Bobby actually threw out there…
Bobby obviously has never heard the term “go with the hot hand”
At some point you have to look beyond the players and realize this is 4 years now with a completely different group of guys (besides Chipper) and we still flat out SUCK!
Its not just the players that need to be changed anymore…
Chop It Up All-star
April 22nd, 2009
12:17 am
This is the second time this season that Diaz has used the “lost the ball in the lights” excuse. I’m not saying Mr. P90X is lying, but could somebody please give this man a visor or a pair of sunglasses or something!!
Mitchie-san
April 22nd, 2009
12:17 am
Oh, CHOP CHOP. Say it isnt so!
P-Town Brave (Day after day calling for the mass firing of the entire Braves coaching staff)
April 22nd, 2009
12:17 am
Also, anyone else realize we haven’t had a decent hitting coach since Don Baylor…
What was that, like 1998?
TNJeff
April 22nd, 2009
12:18 am
I’m sorry honey if a missed and I left the lid up, but those dang lights confused me when I went for my 3 am pitstop.
Huh?
April 22nd, 2009
12:18 am
I was going to post here, but I lost my post in the lights!
TNJeff
April 22nd, 2009
12:20 am
Hey, I’m glad the Apostle Paul didn’t use the LIGHT as an excuse
Chop Chop
April 22nd, 2009
12:20 am
Hahahahaha. I had to do it, Mitchie-san. It annoys me so much that I almost enjoy it.
I think Diaz needs to be more like Corey Hart, or maybe he can just tell everyone that the future’s really bright. I can’t make up my mind what his excuse needs to be.
uga-brave
April 22nd, 2009
12:21 am
n8,
maybe the mediocrity is in the nucleus of the everyday lineup.
2nd, ss, lf, 1b and rf, strike me as somewhat mediocre.
none of those positions have plus power or any semblance of speed.
blame bobby all you want. just dont see it.
melissa
April 22nd, 2009
12:21 am
And everyone said they would rather have Kelly Johnson and Matt Diaz than, Gary Sheffield and Orlando Hudson !!
Martin Prado
April 22nd, 2009
12:22 am
I thought the ball got by the catcher. I guess I lost the ball in the lights!
TNJeff
April 22nd, 2009
12:22 am
Douglas McArthur
I will return … unless I get lost in the lights
Kelly Johnson
April 22nd, 2009
12:22 am
The reason I popped out with the tying run on third is because I lost the ball in the lights out of the pitchers hand.
TNJeff
April 22nd, 2009
12:23 am
Tis better to have loved and lost than to ever have lost a ball in the lights
TNJeff
April 22nd, 2009
12:24 am
Give your poor, your retched, your left fielders losing balls in the lights
Bobby Cox
April 22nd, 2009
12:25 am
I was going to work on fundamentals this week with the team, but they all got lost in the lights and I couldn’t find them.
TNJeff
April 22nd, 2009
12:25 am
Of Course – the Terminator
“I’ll be back … unless (you know the routine by now)
N8
April 22nd, 2009
12:26 am
“it amazes me how people can blame that loss on cox.” uga
I don’t specificly blame TONIGHT’S loss on Cox. I blame the fact that this team has lost 286 of it’s last 556 games on Cox, Wren and JS.
SOMEBODY HAS TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS OWN PLAYERS!!!!!!
Sorry to yell, but you blind fait sob’s (no offense – just a figure of speech), that think that Cox can do no wrong and has “earned” the right to quit when he’s ready, are so frickin brainwashed, it makes me wanna throw up in mouth a little bit.
YES, he doesn’t bunt. He doesn’t lose balls in the lights. He doesn’t make base-running blunders. He doesn’t hurt himself when a stiff breeze comes up. He doesn’t have issues with his eye surgery. He can’t control where the ump calls balls and strikes. He can’t control the weather.
However, he IS in charge of a major league baseball team, and the way they play is a DIRECT reflection on HIM. If it doesn’t pizz him off, then there lies the problem.
Jeez. If only we could bring Hal McCrae out of retirement, for just one ten minute tirade in the dugout/office to show these guys that sucking, losing and playing sloppy, MEDIOCRE baseball will not be tolerated.
If the manager tolerates it (and the fans tolerate that manager doing so), why in the hell would the players (who have GUARANTEED contracts) give a rats azz about playing good?
It’s not like this team has a 25 or 30 million dollar payroll to deal with. It’s not like 4/5 of the rotation is on the DL like it was last year. It’s not like 2 of the 3 bullpen guys are out for the year, and the other is less than a year removed from TJ surgery.
What gives? What’s up? Why does this team CONSITENTLY play sloppy, mediocre baseball? And to some extent, underachieve.
A) If you believe that the Braves have talented players, and they can’t win games, then Bobby (or any manager they – or any other team – may have), IS TO BLAME. Good, bad or indifferent. The buck stops with him. Like it or not. In one way, shape or form, it IS his fault.
or
B) If you think Bobby is not to blame. Then this team needs MANY more players that actually know how to play the game, and can consistently focus, concentrate and excell in pressure situations.
IMO, there are too many talented guys on this team to believe that.
Bobby’s gotta go.
Chop It Up All-star
April 22nd, 2009
12:26 am
Kelly Johnson: “I would have been able to tie the game with two on and one out, but once I got a good read on the ball, I lost the trajectory of the pitch in the lights.” “What? Diaz told me if you fail to execute it’s a good excuse to use.”
P-Town Brave (Day after day calling for the mass firing of the entire Braves coaching staff)
April 22nd, 2009
12:27 am
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, men will cease to lose balls in the lights.
ccrider
April 22nd, 2009
12:29 am
I Hope the Braves can turn it around, but I am completely convinced that unless real changes( not cosmetic) are not made quickly, the team will slip into the same rut as last year. The best outcome would be a surprise reversal, but if it has to go downhill, LET IT BE FAST! Why you ask? If the Braves fall out of contention quickly, they have a lot of players with value that other teams might or WILL need. Need Bullpen help ? Soriano and Gonzalez will be free agents after the season. Need a 2nd baseman that can hit above average, Good defensive 1st sacker? Kelly and Kotchman are your men. Right handed pinch hitter? Matt Diaz is waiting for your call! Starting Pitching Woes? Vasquez or Lowe will help you contend! The future awaits: Schafer, Escobar, Heyward, Chipper, McCann, Franceour, Freeman, Prado. Pitching: Hudson, Hanson, Jurrjens, Morton, Medlen
P-Town Brave (Day after day calling for the mass firing of the entire Braves coaching staff)
April 22nd, 2009
12:29 am
N8-
AMEN!