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© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1,721 comments Add your comment
P-Town Brave (Day after day calling for the mass firing of the entire Braves coaching staff)
April 22nd, 2009
1:55 am
N8-
Good point on the streak comment…I felt the same way…
Also, maybe our players aren’t hitting their stride once they get to Atlanta because they aren’t utilized properly (ie Reyes, Morton, Schafer so far to name a few) AND because our current regime doesn’t know how to handle young talent…I mean look at how they turned Jeff who was a prototypical power hitter into a up the middle singles hitter…
Think of what the fans in St. Louis would do if LaRussa and Co. had turned Albert into the same type of hitter Jeff is now…
Enough to dwell on for the evening…I need some rest to try and forget this once again awful night that has become a broken record…
nolie
April 22nd, 2009
1:55 am
I know I would probably be on your ignore list, but really, it gets to be extremely difficult to not harp on the same players or manager when they continue to do the same things over and OVER again! (P-TOWN)
I really hate the thought of putting anybody on an ignore list, I read most posts by everybody here. It would be nice to be able to miss all the vents during and right after a loss though. I know I’m not the only one on here who feels that way. It’s not like there is much to be positive about, not saying there is. We are all angry and frustrated, and I understand the urge to vent, but I get mighty tired of reading several hundred posts in 4 hours that are all variations on the same thing. Fire Bobby.Fire Terry. (insert player or players name) sux.
as it often turns out I start the game on here and drift away if they get behind. It irritates me to have to do that because IMO ideally this board could be a support group type place when things are going poorly, but the incessant negativity defeats that possibility. Kinda like the Braves, there is likely no real solution of this dilemma either. Oh well.You can’t always get what you want.
Coach (2010 or bust)
April 22nd, 2009
1:56 am
Greg Norton, 11 at bats, ZERO hits, ZERO runs, ZERO RBI, one walk and four K’s.
Chop Chop
April 22nd, 2009
1:58 am
N8,
What’s even more ironic is if you heard the sermon, you saw the preacher at the store, and he was one booth over from you.
nolie
April 22nd, 2009
1:58 am
there’s nothing intrinsically wrong with being negative, as “negative” is not necessarily synonymous with “bad.” I’m a Christian, and all this new-age ideology about being “positive” is infuriating. As (RM)
there is something wrong with it when it is so prevailing that it drives others away from where they would like to be. And that does happen here. as usual the vocal minority rules.
Ronald Millsaps
April 22nd, 2009
1:59 am
Melissa, correction: You actually hurt your credibility when promoting the idea of acquiring Sheffield and shattered it when bashing Diaz and Johnson, both of whom are fine hitters/players.
Sheffield has residual respect from his incredible days of the past, which is no surprise, but he isn’t that good now–or at least wasn’t last year. Heck, I hope he does turn things around.
Gary Matthews, Jr. didn’t hit 50 home runs with the Angels, and if you really think Bobby doesn’t scout well, you’re showing just how little you understand the game. With the exceptions of Sid Bream and Terry Pendleton, who do you think built the 1991 team? The Braves, Bobby most notably, scout better than anyone else–unlike a few other teams, who opt to sign checks after players have become “ripe.” You can try to tell me I’m wrong all you want, but if you say Bobby doesn’t scout/sign good players, you’re not going to win a baseball debate.
Not going to sit and argue. I’ve been on here too long as it is. As I said, it’s time for the Braves to re-earn respect.
Coach (2010 or bust)
April 22nd, 2009
2:00 am
O yea, our defensively challenged Braves rank 28th in fielding percentage (.977), Good night.
Mitchell
April 22nd, 2009
2:00 am
“No Panic in ‘09 Braves” reads Carroll Roger’s headline.
What is there to panic about? They’re terrible. It’s an undeniable, irrefutable fact.
Same s***, different year. Might as well be the same year. I can hardly tell the difference.
I’m not panicking, I accept and acknowledge the fact that contrary to a decade and a half of evidence to the contrary, winning the division (any division, in any sport*) is very hard. And we’re clearly not gonna do it in 2009.
There’s no bouncing back from this, we can’t pick up these games later in the season. We may finish second, we may finish third but as much as I want to say and believe we’ll move on from this ridiculous, pathetic slump we’re just not that good.
That’s all there is to it.
*Every division except for the NL Central, NL West and NFC West.
P-Town Brave (Day after day calling for the mass firing of the entire Braves coaching staff)
April 22nd, 2009
2:01 am
Nolie-
At this point Im not quite certain that people asking for change would be considered the minority…
I mean it is now on the 4th season of mediocrity…and more than that if you consider we haven’t won a playoff series since 2001.
melissa
April 22nd, 2009
2:03 am
He did hit 50 homeruns ! You should look it up !
Mitchell
April 22nd, 2009
2:04 am
I just wrote a really long thing and it disappeared. What a horrible loss for all current and future Braves bloggers. They’ll never get to see what I had to say. Now I’m going to cry myself to sleep like I would have anyway after watching these geniuses lose another one.
Craptastic.
melissa
April 22nd, 2009
2:06 am
Respect for F#$$ what ?! Don’t no team respect the braves ! Where have your head been ?!! The way they have been losing lately, You respect that ?!! Yeah ! you are die hard alright !!!
P-Town Brave (Day after day calling for the mass firing of the entire Braves coaching staff)
April 22nd, 2009
2:06 am
Also, if you look at what some consider an important stat which is “Pythagorean W-L” since beginning of 2006 (not counting this year), it basically states that there were an EXTRA 18 games we should have won, but didn’t. That is 6 games per year right there saying that we should’ve been better than we were, and that doesn’t even count games we blew and lost by a lot.
P-Town Brave (Day after day calling for the mass firing of the entire Braves coaching staff)
April 22nd, 2009
2:09 am
Coach-
That stat is actually comical too considering the plays that haven’t been called errors that have cost us like Diaz’s 2 balls in the lights, the doubles Schafer has played into triples…Kelly Johnson’s grab in front of 2nd instead of tagging the runner who would’ve been CS 2nd…just to name a few…
nolie
April 22nd, 2009
2:12 am
At this point Im not quite certain that people asking for change would be considered the minority (P-Town)
I don’t mean that they are the minority, they may not be. I am referring to the constant anger and over-reacting and ranting every single time something goes wrong. You can make an intelligent logical post concerning your thoughts on a matter such as that or you can simply rant about it over and over again. It just gets overwhelming IMO and in the opinion of many others who have posted here saying just that thing. I think it’s a shame, but I see no solution.
I posted a long post earlier in the day about how much actual influence coaches actually have in MLB teams. Unfortunately I posted it next door on my cousins computer while I was over there and forgot to change his setting so it came out as Moby Grape. Anyway within that post I admitted that I am not all that impressed with TP as a hitting instructor, but it just really isn’t in my nature to rant on and on about players and coaches. I guess if you think of this as a rant I do go on about this subject, though I’m not really angry now and am trying not to be overbearing.
Enough.
AZBravoFan
April 22nd, 2009
2:16 am
If the team is going to play like this all year, I’d prefer they dump the dead weight and call up Hansen, Freeman, Heyward, Medlen, et al. and let them get their feet wet. They might not win more, but they sure as hell would be more hungry and more exciting to watch.
MFin04
April 22nd, 2009
2:21 am
Someone has to eventually take the blame for the team losing…that is how it goes….this team was built to win…and it isnt winning. We have decent/great starting pitching….and the team cant hit…and the bullpen decisions are horrible…where does the responsibility lie? if it is with players…then find new ones…or send them down. if it is coaches…then they need to be fired…
Ed
April 22nd, 2009
3:00 am
As soon as I got to second, I remembered there were two outs and the pitcher is behind me,” said Schafer, who is hitting eighth. “I tried to stop and go back … then if the pitcher gets out, I turn the lineup over. That’s something I’ve got to get used to, hitting with the pitcher behind me, where I have to play a little more conservative.
That in a nutshell is a big problem for the Braves. Shafer needs to be leading off and thinking agressively or more importantly being his natural self.
Britney Spears
April 22nd, 2009
3:17 am
I lost my virginity in the lights!
It's after 3am, do you know where your manager is?
April 22nd, 2009
3:32 am
BOBBY COX MUST GO!!!
PWHjort
April 22nd, 2009
3:52 am
P-Town Brave, that’s only considering our W-L record based on actual runs. If you look further, you’ll also see that our offensive components for the past 3 years have added up to WAY more runs than we’ve actually scored. I guess this is due to luck, also partially due to our botched 1-run strategies. When you use 1-run strategies perfectly you gain 0 runs in the long term. Considering all the botched plays when Bobby tries to play for 1 run, we’ve lost a few wins over the year because of them. Last year we were about 9 games under our 3rd order pythagorean expectation. And that’s with all the injuries we sustained. The ballclub wasn’t put together correctly health-wise last year, but it was talent-wise. And this year I think it was put together well enough to contend for the division. But we won’t. Because we’ll play 9 games under our heads again.
Braveheart
April 22nd, 2009
4:50 am
Benjamin Franklin may not have uttered the annoying insanity quote, but I’ll tell you what the definition of insanity is: Flying a kite with a key attached to it during a thunderstorm, hoping to get struck by lightning.
Now playing on Matt Diaz’s IPOD: Blinded By The Light
Frank from KS
April 22nd, 2009
5:35 am
I’m like a lot here……something needs to be done…..and soon. I was excited about the prospects of a awesome season last year (like I was THIS year before all the mess recently) and we ALL know how that turned out.
As much as I have a lot of respect for what Bobby has done, etc…..he needs to hang’em up and step aside. I definately agree the Braves definately need a new leader…..like say another Bobby…..Bobby Valentine.
Shamus Thacker
April 22nd, 2009
6:09 am
It’s April folks. Too early to panic, though many of you have already.
Random
April 22nd, 2009
6:09 am
Braveheart (April 21st, 20096:26 pm): “. . . come on, man . . .”
As I said earlier, just a favor for a friend.
No offense intended, not tryin’ to stir nothin’ up or nothin’.
PS: WW: ”And, actually, I kind of like Coach these days.”
Hey – me, too! Never doubt that.
derrick
April 22nd, 2009
6:09 am
We need to make some changes. It’s time to look at a new manager for the job.It has become unacceptable to keep having excuses after excuses each year for not winning. Until the change in philosophy at the top, it will not get better.
SOS
April 22nd, 2009
6:23 am
Ahhhhh. Nice to wake up and see that the group of fools called the Atlanta Braves blew another chance to win with 2nd and 3rd and no outs in the ninth. Did anyone expect that OLD FOOL Bobby Cox to pull it out. Come on. Greg Norton? Another example of how this team needs a new coach. Why does the same thing happen over, and over, and over, and over again? BOBBY COX. He has got to go.
Shamus Thacker
April 22nd, 2009
6:24 am
Why do I feel like MANY of you had never watched a Braves game before flagging-down a fair-weather bandwagon in the 90s? If you’d gone through the late 80s, you’d have much more patience now.
Shamus Thacker
April 22nd, 2009
6:26 am
Bobby Valentine?
OMG
LMFAO
SOS
April 22nd, 2009
6:33 am
Bobby Cox Braves ALWAYS find a way to lose. LMFAO.
cleve99
April 22nd, 2009
6:55 am
Y’all going to blame this one on Boyer as well?
ssiscribe
April 22nd, 2009
7:10 am
Patience, folks … as badly as I wanted to fling my remote across the sports garage and scream in frustration, it’s a long season.
Hang in there, and pass the painkillers
… win tonight, win two of three in Cincy, and come home and get things rolling again.
The Scribe abides.
–30–
Mitchie-san
April 22nd, 2009
7:11 am
no, if Boyer was in the last game we would have lost by alot more.
proeye
April 22nd, 2009
7:17 am
I’d like to know who the moron was who prescribed the ointment for Brian McCann’s eye. You don’t put ointment into a sports star’s eye. No way that he had an infection. It is just stupid. He just needed a better contact lens.
Jay212033
April 22nd, 2009
7:19 am
I still have faith in the Braves even though we’re going through a rough patch right now. If people really stop and look at it only the Marlins are playing good baseball at this point and I don’t think that’s going to last so for everyone acting like the season is over after the first 14 games spare me there are 148 games left if and only IF were still under .500 in June then you can gripe.
Shamus Thacker
April 22nd, 2009
7:36 am
I believe amateureye prescribed that proeye.
Bill M.
April 22nd, 2009
7:39 am
The Braves are in shambles. This team is going nowhere. Shake things up and I mean shake them up. How can Diaz keep making excuses. He’s just not a player. Get rid of him, Norton and Anderson and trade Kotchman. Bring up Hanson, Medlin, Heyward and Freeman. I know that Heyward & Freeman are not ready but it can’t be any worse. Let them grow at the major league level. I for changing this coaching staff next year. I don’t want Yost, Pendleton or Mazzone. I want Phil Wellman as the manager and Guy Hansen as pitching coach. He will put some fire under their @ss. Alot of these young players have played for him.
jason
April 22nd, 2009
7:43 am
Enter your comments here
jason
April 22nd, 2009
7:49 am
The Braves just lost 2 of 3, and at best 2 of 3 to the two worst teams in the National League. Some of you are right that we fans don’t have a right to be upset. That’s crap. It’s not that they lost, but how they lost. I am now on the band wagon for Prado to start at 2B. KJ is to damn streaky, and his streakiness is not in a positive way.LF sucks. The inability to take pitches and work counts is killing this team. The Pitching rotation does not allow runs, but throws alot of pitches; thus havng to leave games to soon for the BP to come in and blow saves. Brave’s fans, we are in for a looooooooooooog season.
Shamus Thacker
April 22nd, 2009
7:52 am
I’d like to see Maddux be our pitching coach at some point. It seems he wants to stay close to the game, maybe he’d do it. Nobody I’d rather see tutoring Hanson. Love to have him work with Jair too.
Peg Bundy
April 22nd, 2009
7:58 am
crap did we lose again?
Baba O'Riley
April 22nd, 2009
8:13 am
shamus- I agree 100% with your 6:24 and 6:26 post. Baseball is a long season- be patient. Some of you sound downright girly with your whining.
varoadrunner
April 22nd, 2009
8:15 am
Ya know – Bill M – I have to agree with your 7:39 suggestions. Anything! But we need change. When you continue to do the same things over and over (losing) – It’s time to change. I would trade Anderson (shame we traded Josh Anderson, but get rid of Garet), send Diaz to Mississippi, give Prado a break, he made a bonehead play – if he had made it, he would have been praised – turned into a bonehad play tho. I would move Kelly to LF and play Prado at 2B. Kawakami seems to spell trouble, Whereas, I fell god about Lowe, JJJ & Vasquez. #5? – maybe HANSON.
Seems with the praise Wren has gotten for hte rotation, Kawakami was a 30M mistake.
Except for the spring record, ‘09 is depressing.
varoadrunner
April 22nd, 2009
8:16 am
I need to spell-check more
jo jo the yo yo
April 22nd, 2009
8:23 am
First, DON’T PANIC… Next, remember that several of the best years of the 90’s and early 00’s were years where we were anywhere from not too good to absolutely horrid in April and even early May. It is a long (too long) season.
flange1
April 22nd, 2009
8:34 am
Random,
Thanks for the Pepperidge Farms! Our friend the Cooch!!!
Coach (2010 or bust)
April 22nd, 2009
8:43 am
The sky is falling, the sky is falling! Chicken little would love this team. Let’s go gurly men! I mean, bravo girls.
Ben
April 22nd, 2009
8:48 am
The Nats will surely miss the Braves when they leave. They had only won one game before the Braves came to town and now they have doubled those wins. The Reds will be eagerly awaiting the Braves.
Mixxo
April 22nd, 2009
8:49 am
This is embarrassing ……an opportunity to gain some ground with the fish dropping two straight, but no, we lose two one-run games instead.
Somebody say something about scoring with no out and men on 2nd & 3rd?
Peg Bundy
April 22nd, 2009
8:55 am
So who is up for free agency this winter?
1. Need a big bat
2. Need bullpen help
3. Need new pitching coach…(hello maddux or glavine if he retires)
4. Hate to say it but Bobby needs to go, he did great…But its time to turn the page I loved the 90s and early 2000’s but that is done….
McFann Ô
April 22nd, 2009
9:10 am
Well, last night’s game erased any possibility of me having dry-eye…
Tom O’Hawke–
Yeah, I guess we did. Escobar hit that one on the button, but right at the guy.
wilymo
April 22nd, 2009
9:11 am
On the topic of defense, Fangraphs has the Braves ranked second to last in terms of UZR/150, which is pretty bad.
Link
McFann Ô
April 22nd, 2009
9:13 am
So McCann’s got tonight off…good; they gotta lefty pitching, anyway. Hey, what ever happened to my buddy Bergmann?
Off-day for everybody tomorrow. Then they head to Cincy!! Hope McCann gets to play there…he does well at that park.
DirtyDawg
April 22nd, 2009
9:15 am
A week or more ago I was using the alliteration ‘Fightin’ the Phils For Fourth’…now I’m thinking it’s ‘The Least of the East’. Sad commentary for an organization that dominated for so long. I suppose it’s the price you pay for the success you had…everything evens out in the end and a river runs through it.
Efrim
April 22nd, 2009
9:33 am
“So who is up for free agency this winter?”
I’d be suprised if the Braves jumped into free agency this offseason. I know Soriano and Gonzalez’s contracts come off the books, but they have arbitration raises, a raise to Chipper and Heap’s salary. They’ll have to to do some trading to improve the roster. But it’s pretty early to be even thinking about that. I just love the hot stove season.
richbrave
April 22nd, 2009
9:35 am
GIL in MECHANICSVILLE’s and my telling comment after seeing last night’s festivities first hand: Looked like two teams playing for last place.
monty
April 22nd, 2009
9:45 am
“And the band played on”…watch the Titanic movie, one of the last scenes and you’ll get it. There are alot of people on this blog who refuse to believe the inevitable about this team and it’s coaching. It’s called denial. Let’s just hope we can get back to .500 baseball soon. The people who believe in the “It’s a long season” theory believe kind of like evolutionist that given enough “time” anything is possible. Frogs can grow wings and this team as it stands today is a playoff caliber team.
don
April 22nd, 2009
9:46 am
Is Anderson the new Hampton?
TnBrian
April 22nd, 2009
9:47 am
I love listening to Shuerholz on In My Own Words and how team chemistry is so important to success. He obviously either didn’t pass that along to Wren or F.W. just doesn’t think it’s all that important. I could be way off on Wren, but this team is not clicking right now.
Some of ya’ll are getting WAY too depressed and frustrated right now. No team, besides Fla. is clicking at all. Phily can’t win with that rotation and the Mutts are the Mutts again. I really think Bobby should bat Schafer at leadoff starting tonight. Move KJ in the 2, and NEVER, and mean never have Yunel batting 2nd again.
don
April 22nd, 2009
9:55 am
Boyer escaped. Good for him. He can team up with Wainwright. Anyone remember Wainwright?
Leave Heyward and Freeman alone. They are doing well in MB. Why destroy them by subjecting them to what is in Atlanta?
But, I’m sure “Big Tex” will soon bring us those championships that were promised by many of you. Maybe we can trade Heyward, Freeman, Hanson, and a couple more and get “Big Tex” back.
The Braves must never be allowed to forget that mindless trade.
Carroll Rogers
April 22nd, 2009
10:07 am
Good morning, denizens. I’m going to work on the new blog here in the next little bit and give you guys a clean slate before too long. Sounds like you need it. And for those who wondered where I “went” late in the game last night, it’s called deadline. When things happen in the game I have to write and rewrite, and I would think you guys would understand that, especially in a game delayed for an hour. And yes TV sportscaster I goofed on Kelly Johnson making the baserunning error. I have no idea what I was looking at, and I was able to fix it online. embarrassing. i blame blurry vision???
McFann Ô
April 22nd, 2009
10:09 am
Ms. Rogers–
McCann’s gonna get to play in Cincy, right?
Brad in MT
April 22nd, 2009
10:10 am
I will agree with many here that this team has looked terrible the last week, but as crazy as it sounds, its only been a week. For a lot of that week we were without our 3 best players. Nobody expected the Nats to keep loosing 9 out of every 10 and its unfortunate that we were the team that they started to win a few games against…but its only a few weeks into the season. I won’t panic and go crazy about how awful we are, I think that we just need to be patient, every team goes through bad stretches. However, if a month or two from now things aren’t any better, than we should worry, not on April 22.
Run Heap Run
April 22nd, 2009
10:11 am
Carroll, in keeping with the overnight theme of the blog you should’ve blamed the lights.
Peg Bundy
April 22nd, 2009
10:16 am
Did you dream of sugar plums last night Carroll while you slept? I dreamed that the Braves actually got AJ Burnett, Griffey, Furcal, and EVEN SMOLTZ!!!!
Then I woke up and heard the names of Gorky, Prado, Diaz and started to vomit in the toilet
Dreams are cruel very cruel…..
dogsbrekky
April 22nd, 2009
10:16 am
In finally had time to go back watch the archived games during our losing sequence
Several things stand out
1. Basic errors on basic baseball is costing us (unable to score with o outs and runners on 3rd etc)
2. KJ is not a 2nd baseman at a MLB level and probably never will be
3. Diaz is not an everyday player and his reading of the ball in OF is appalling
4. With McCann, Chipper, Garret and Yunie out/injured at time we look like a very poor team indeed.
The good news last night was that GONZO looked like he is back !
Go Braves
TBraveFan
April 22nd, 2009
10:20 am
Hey McFann – I have pics of your boy… and will get more in Cincy this weekend hopefully. Once I get a quality bunch, I’ll post them for you.
Carroll Rogers
April 22nd, 2009
10:20 am
McFann, McCann didn’t say anything about anything beyond today. I’d assume he’d get back in there in Cincy but I don’t know for sure yet. I know he thought it might be a week of “adjusting” to the contact. but knowing Brian, he’ll try to play through it here and there. Was probably pretty remarkable for him to get in there last night on his first day with the thing. Plus two of the games in Cincy are day games which should help his cause.
Good point, Run Heap!
TnJeff04 (née MFinBrian321)
April 22nd, 2009
10:23 am
TnBrian (9:47 am): “I love listening to Shuerholz on In My Own Words and how team chemistry is so important to success. He obviously either didn’t pass that along to Wren or F.W. just doesn’t think it’s all that important. I could be way off on Wren, but this team is not clicking right now.”
And what do you know about the Braves’ “chemistry”?
That’s right — absolutely nothin’.
Why pretend that you do?
RC
April 22nd, 2009
10:24 am
The mistake last night was using Greg Norton as the pinch hitter in the 9th. He was signed to this team for one reason, to pinch hit. So far this season he is 0-11 in pinch hit opportunities. I like Norton, and hope he turns it around, but pretty soon the team is going to have to consider cutting him and trying to find another veteran hitter to come off the bench.
coach joe
April 22nd, 2009
10:27 am
VERY DISCOURAGED and i love the Braves..
One-run road losses- same oh same oh
Kelly has a crucial error, costs us a a game and goes in the tank..whats new?
Kelly is not a lead off hitter-Cox is too stubborn to admit it.
G.Anderson is a bust- waste of money
Francoeur is better but its not enough
team has no spirit. they think they are good and their not..
i am really discouraged and it only two weeks into the season- bring up some of the kids from triple A. it can’t be any worse..
fat people sink faster
April 22nd, 2009
10:27 am
this team isnt that good. we have solid starters, some of the worst middle relief pitchers and some late inning guys coming off of injuries
we have no pop in LF, CF, RF, SS or 1B.
this team will be lucky to hit .500 this yr, which is better than yrs past….we cant continue to misplay flyballs, run the bases like clubfoots and swinging at anything near the strike zone.
PMC
April 22nd, 2009
10:28 am
How come players have to go out to Texas to relearn how to hit and the two best players on the team both use thier Dad’s more than the team paid hitting coach?
I know it’s blasphemous to blame coaches for anything ever… but honestly as much as I like Terry Pendleton for what he did as a Brave… I haven’t seen much of anything he’s accomplished as a hitting coach… seriously. Sorry, I know he’s “next in line” as manager as many believe but I don’t see what numbers he can stand on to say he’s a successful hitting coach.
McFann Ô
April 22nd, 2009
10:35 am
Thanks, Ms. Rogers! Yeah, I’m sure he’ll try to play with it…
Maybe Ross cann start the night game, though.
Steve from OH
April 22nd, 2009
10:35 am
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?
See, I don’t believe that for a minute. Yes, I do think that the manager’s attitude can rub off on players and yes, I do feel that a good screaming may be in order, but I don’t believe for a second that major league players need a manager to be a motivator. The motivation has to come from within, or those guys wouldn’t be major league ballplayers, plain and simple. Very, very few guys have enough talent to make it to the bigs without a little fire in their bellies. And you want me to believe that we’ve got 25 of them? Sorry to pick on your 1 paragraph out of the seemingly thousands you wrote last night, but it stuck out a bit to me!
Coach, regarding your post about the Mariners, Padres and whoever else’s ERA–that’s due to the fact that 15 games (give or take) are in the books, and strange things can happen. But I will say that I am pretty upset with our fundamentals so far. Baserunning errors like that would’ve had us running until it got dark back in high school. But then again, there’s the hope–we’re pitching well, and the offense isn’t struggling as badly as you would think when Kelly is hitting .225 and BMac is hitting .189 (not to mention Yunel, Chipper and BMac all missing significant time early on). Despite the sheer amateur fundamentals we’ve been seeing, I don’t see them lasting. We’re going to continue to pitch well (and the ‘pen seems to be coming around, knock on wood), and the offense will rebound, or at least return to a point where it will be good enough to win close ballgames. Our starting pitching has kept us in every ballgame we’ve played thus far, except for JoJo’s start (even that one, to an extent, I guess). When your starting pitching keeps you in games, you’re going to win more than you lose. Our offense will improve too, I think, once we get McCann back to full vision and get Kelly back on track. I don’t see us as being this fundamentally sloppy in the future, either defensively or on the basepaths.
That said, the fundamentals we’ve been seeing have been inexcusable, and I’d be fired up if I were anyone on the ballclub. Something that needs to be addressed, no doubt.
But like scribe said, we win tonight, take 2 out of 3 from Cincy, we’re back to .500 for a 9 game homestand. I’ll take that. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and we’re not out of it in the least. But if we keep running the bases like a JV team, we will be soon.
chipdip
April 22nd, 2009
10:36 am
this team is done…HORRIBLE PITCHING COACH…HORRIBLE BATTING COACH…NON EXISTING BENCH COACH…BOBBYS TIME IS UP…no heart…no life…no fire…RIP 2009 ATLANTA BRAVES.
BlawgDawg
April 22nd, 2009
10:37 am
RC–I agree on Norton. How does this guy go from being the best pinch hitter in baseball last year to what he’s done so far this year? At the moment he’s just taking up a roster spot and if he does start performing in the only role he’s being asked to fill, then he’s going to have to go. Hopefully though he will turn it around soon and be a great asset coming off the bench the way he was last season.
BlawgDawg
April 22nd, 2009
10:37 am
doesn’t start performing I meant to type, obviously…that’s what I get for not proof reading before clicking submit
TnJeff04 (née MFinBrian321)
April 22nd, 2009
10:38 am
Kim (April 21st, 2009 5:19 pm): “If “crib it” means borrow from other sources, yes I did. I was sitting in my cubicle this afternoon trying to avoid real work. I decided to amuse myself with sites relating to the hysterical Dos Equis commercials and Chuck Norris facts.
“Hopefully this doesn’t dampen your original enjoyment! I only meant to share the fun.”
Well first of all, thanks — it was funny as heck, and I’m sure I’d've never seen it if you hadn’t posted it here.
But yeah, imo you should have sourced it and provided a link. But perhaps that’s just me. (Though it would be nice to see what else might be on that site.)
Be that as it may, the bottomline is — Thanks!!! keep it up!
vabravesfan
April 22nd, 2009
10:41 am
haha 14 games into the year and the season is over huh? Some of these comments amaze me. Should we have won last night? Yes, but it is still early so give it some time. They don’t hand out any awards this early in the season
jay blaisdell
April 22nd, 2009
10:42 am
The Braves haven’t had a real cleanup hitter — a legitimate cleanup hitter — since, well … since Ted & Jane were here. ‘Tis a Time-Warner thing and will be ever more. Chippah’s the perfect No. 3 … McCann a really solid No. 5-6 guy … Francouer a 6 or 7… Schafer a 7 until he becomes a No. 2. There is no No. 4. It’s been a wonder lo these many years that Chippah does what he does without real protection in the batting order.
BlawgDawg
April 22nd, 2009
10:47 am
vabravesfan–What are saying? I thought there were only 16 games in the season, you mean there’s more???? The playoffs don’t start in May?? I think your mistaken friend, the sky has fallen and we need to start looking at the free agent list (free agency starts in June right?) Here I was thinking that the season ended before the NBA playoffs do (which may be the case regardless since the Hawks got two days off between game 1 and 2 in the FIRST ROUND, what a joke that sports playoffs are!)
Scuba Steve
April 22nd, 2009
10:51 am
Where is DOB???? Anybody??
travis
April 22nd, 2009
10:53 am
PMC…I have been saying the same thing on this blog for a year…It is beyond reason to continue to say that these players are don’t need coaching…if they didn’t why did they go to outside help..OH! maybe they needed coachng! Really good players have struggled under Pendleton. Fundamentals are gone.
Jersey Gil
April 22nd, 2009
10:53 am
CR…you alow one Mistake per week…but confuse Prado for Kelly, honey you need to see Mr Magoo to see if give his glasess.
oldmike
April 22nd, 2009
10:53 am
Let me be the first to say that the time has come for Bobby Cox to sail off into the sunset. This Braves edition eerily resembles the last non-playoff squda in lack of desire, lack of speed, poor fundamentals and all the other intangibles that separate a poor to decent team from a good one. It’s also time to briong up the farm system studa and let them learn on the job. I’d rather see anyone other than Kotchman “lumbering” around the diamond and providing no power. Don’t we have a hot prospect at that position and another in left field that could replace the Diaz/Anderson tandem. How much worse could it get?
travis
April 22nd, 2009
10:55 am
It’s time to stop playing around and get a left fielder that can actually catch a baseball.
pryguy
April 22nd, 2009
10:55 am
I think this blog is a joke. I am a die hard Braves fan and I don’t even bother looking on here after a loss because of all the negativity it produces after a loss. Everyone is pissed and thinks its B.S. we just lost 2 in a row to the Nats. Doesn’t mean I’m going to sell out on the same players all of you praise after a good win. Or a manager who took us to 14 straight playoff appearances. I think the only people who suck are those that come on here and bash the Braves, their supposed favorite team. Get a grip.
Willy Wally
April 22nd, 2009
10:59 am
Screaming only works when you’re coaching kids. Even then, the more you progress through your teens, the more likely the room bursts into laughter when the tantrum throwing coach leaves the room.
Have worked in quite a few places. Had quite a few bosses. Hasn’t been my experience that a boss who yells and screams is very effective. Usually it’s seen by all as a sign of weakness from the boss. Often tells everyone that the boss is panicking because he has someone breathing down his neck and he’s more likely to lose his job than any of us.
Usually also indicates that he’s too weak to do what he threatens he may do. If someone is gonna fire you, demote you, whatever, they just do it. You can often tell they’re about to axe you by how quiet they get when you’re around. The more quiet they get, the more you should believe plans are being made for your replacement. It’s really no different than the dweeb who threatens suicide or the girlfriend who threatens over and again to dump you. The more they yell and scream and threaten, the more you know they won’t. The quieter they get, the more you know they’re already gone.
travis
April 22nd, 2009
11:00 am
pryguy…then why do you read it?
travis
April 22nd, 2009
11:01 am
Oh! I know…so you can sound superior to all of us peons.
TnBrian
April 22nd, 2009
11:02 am
TnJeff, hey smart A**, I listened to Brian Jordan say twice last night that the team has no chemistry or very little… at least not yet. Who are you? Shut the hell up and realize this is a blog and fans have a right to speak their minds. I’m not the first and won’t be the last to feel that is a problem with this team. Take the “Tn” out of your name…you’re actually making rednecks look bad!
pryguy
April 22nd, 2009
11:06 am
travis,
because every once in a while, someone chimes in with an interesting or good point of view. After a loss, a flood of witty “fans” take over. Quite a difference after sifting through the blog after a win. Not to mention, DOB is a great blog writer. Just to name a few, not for self-gratification as you had previously thought.
ncscoots
April 22nd, 2009
11:06 am
Steve-OH, you cribbed my notes, man. I had pretty much that same post lined up, LOL.
vabravesfan
April 22nd, 2009
11:09 am
BlawgDawg, you would think some on here thought that. Got people saying they aren’t going to watch anymore and how everybody need to be fired. Maybe in a month or two if things are going bad then I would understand but right now umm no. Anybody watch sportscenter and see that the mets did the same thing last night. LF misplayed a ball and they ended up losing because of that. Murphy has lost them 2 games now and Diaz has pretty much lost us 2 games. Get over it, thats the best thing about baseball is they usually played the very next day
vabravesfan
April 22nd, 2009
11:10 am
I’m right there with you pryguy…some nights I will just search for either Carroll or DOB comments and skip all this negativity
Jersey Gil
April 22nd, 2009
11:10 am
Where is DOB???? Anybody??….yeah…if you notice, Bowman also is missing in action in the MLB.com
ABravesFan
April 22nd, 2009
11:10 am
There is no need to panic its not like bad defense and terrible at bats are going to cost any of the guys playing time.
Signed
Bobby Cox
Joe Fan
April 22nd, 2009
11:11 am
Folks, this team is not going to get any better until new ownership comes in with a passion for winning. Team management Wren, Cox etc. are way to comfortable and need to be replaced along with several players who are more than happy to just cash their checks. It is going to be a long season and maybe a couple of more in the future until Liberty Media is ready to sell the team. By then though there might not be enough fans left who really care.
richbrave
April 22nd, 2009
11:11 am
BRAVES don’t have “it” yet. That spirit in their play. The rally caps on display. The “yes we can” that our President tried to invoke during the fall campaign and early days of his presidency. The timely hit with a winning run on second late in the game. Of course neither did the NATIONALS, but at least one member of our little trio went home happy.
The opposition is trying to carry our starters deep into counts to use them up as quickly as possible. You can see the shift in strategy from the first half-dozen games this year. And its working. JEFF BENNETT continues to leak inherited runners. Spit JEFF. You’re too top heavy when you finish your delivery. Where’s the fireman pare excellence, MIKE REMLINGER when you need him? “Took the last train for the coast.”
Baserunning? SCHAFER’s oops out at second etc.,etc. at least was matched by our hosts throughout the game leaving lost runs at roughly three each. Errors? The old ball game. CHIP’s hand is NOT 100%, and it showed on almost every ground ball he handled, but we surely needed his 2-4 bat in there last night. McCANN should not have played. It is obvious he has a real problem with his eyesight. But what’s the alternative? ROSS,ROSS,ROSS night after night until he’s injured as well? MATTY’s slight hesitation before he went all out to catch that dying liner.
It all adds up to a one-run road loss of which the multitude of BRAVES fans all around us last night are far too familiar. Few of us in section 206 went home happy, but today we take ‘um. GO BRAVES.