Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
2,054 comments Add your comment
Lew
September 4th, 2009
4:29 pm
Thrillhouse-No, but Tennessee DOES now have Monty Kiffin as defensive co-ordinator, That ain’t good for we Dawgs-or The Buccaneers D.
Frank Wren
September 4th, 2009
4:29 pm
Exactly. Boy Cox sure has screwed up Hanson and JV and JJ
Imagine how good those guys would be without Cox holding them back.
Chipper has played his entire career under Cox and hit 400 + homers. Surely without Cox Chipper would have 6 or 7 hundred by now
Imagine what Brian McCann could be without Cox around? or TP?
Diaz hit .404 in August. You can make that a cool .600 without Cox
taxman kenneth
September 4th, 2009
4:31 pm
I read where Cox still says he stands behind Norton. Why would any manager with any sense say that about someone who is hitting about 140 or so and strikes out almost every time he bats and goes out of his way to do that by swinging at pitches in the dirt. Cox does not want to win. If he did he wouldn’t work the bullpen to death, keep Norton on the bench and do more hit and running and just plain out manage better. All he knows how to do is argue with the umpires. By the way why is he holding a glove in the dugout? I guess he will try to catch some balls that Chipper and Anderson cannot catch.
CB
September 4th, 2009
4:32 pm
The more you read the blog, the more it stays the same. You read through 50 Bobby sucks,Norton sucks, Chipper sucks to try to read a couple decent postings. Those who hate the above please start a new blog of your own and let Paul Lentz write it for you. He would love that.
Frank Wren
September 4th, 2009
4:32 pm
The people who complain about Cox remind me of people who believe in psychics.
The only count the hits not the misses.
Everything bad, Bobby’s fault. Everything good, in spite of Bobby
Its really ridiculous.
long time reader
September 4th, 2009
4:32 pm
Bobby’s won a World Series, Horray!!!
And Nixon won an election. too!
ncscoots
September 4th, 2009
4:32 pm
It’s the seemingly “no brainer” type stuff that makes one question BC’s judgment.
Man, that’s just it! There is no such thing as a “no brainer” decision in a baseball game, LOL. Anyone second-guessing (or even first-guessing; I don’t want to step on anybody’s toes, here) a tactical decision in a baseball game is just blowing gas, because you do…not…know, if your guess would have turned out any better (or worse) than the one actually made, LOL.
I’m not defending Cox; I’m disputing the thought that “no brainer” moves that the blog might have made in Cox’s stead would have been any more successful. Failure in baseball is the norm, not the exception.
McFann Ô
September 4th, 2009
4:33 pm
Thanks for the lineup, Chief.
Lew
September 4th, 2009
4:33 pm
dcp-Yeah, I sometimes wonder how I could ever function on this blog with no one to state the obvious for me. BTW-Did you know that the purpose of baseball is to score more than your opponent and that it’s good to keep the other team from scoring?
retired scout
September 4th, 2009
4:34 pm
Bobby Cox doesn’t “burn out’ the bullpen, the starting pitchers do. Cox would prefer every starter go 9 innings…after all, most guys in relief are pitchers who aren’t good enough to start, Braves starters nibble too much and are done in the 5th or 6th inning. In the final analysis, Braves pitching is probably good enough to make the play-offs. It is their every day line-up that isn’t. Most days, they have 2 career utility players (Prado, Infante)and a couple of career platoon players,(Church, Diaz)in the line-up. These players can be productive for a Stretches, but aren’t every day players. Eventually they will revert to performing like utility guys. The other big hole in the line-up is their “star”, CJ. He has fewer RBI this year than the guy everyone wanted out of town, Jeff F..
Lew
September 4th, 2009
4:34 pm
Actually, Nixon won two elections-that is unless Otis ran for something.
Mitch C
September 4th, 2009
4:35 pm
Dave, unless a miracle happens, this team is done for 2009. They’re probably been done for a couple of weeks. Losing two of three to the woeful Padres at home finished us, not to mention losing two of three to the Phillies, and then the Fish.
While we do have thirteen games left against the woeful Mets and Nats, I will still be very surprised if we pull this off.
Which brings me to the next question that no one seems to want to answer: If the Braves miss the playoffs, after improving our team significantly this year, is it time for us to finally have a new manager in 2010?
Mitch
Thrillhouse44
September 4th, 2009
4:35 pm
I’m sorry, gayle – I didn’t realize that people in the northwest live under a rock. Glad you have people to help out with blood drives though. (seriously)
So, you want to replace Bobby with Fredi Gonzalez? THE Fredi Gonzalez who signed a 2 year extension in Spring Training that keeps him with the Marlins through 2011? Do you see why that won’t work? If not, I’m sure we can find a volunteer to help out.
John Scheurholz has been with the Braves for the championship run as well – should we get rid of him? Why do you want to clean house of proven winners? It’s like not getting the tenderloin because it has always been good, but the corn on the cob sucked the last time.
Temporary Blog Idiot
September 4th, 2009
4:35 pm
[bold]Chief, why no McLouth tonight? Just curious. Thanks![/bold]
Mitch C
September 4th, 2009
4:36 pm
Sorry about the misquote about the Fish. I know we split four games with them, but I was right about us losing two of three to the other two teams I mentioned
Frank Wren
September 4th, 2009
4:36 pm
People who critisize Cox remind me of people who believe in Psychics
They count the hits but not the misses
Something bad happens, Cox’s fault
Something good happens, in spite of Cox
its really ridiculous
Piedmont Blues (ex-BFIR)
September 4th, 2009
4:36 pm
Based on nothing more valuable than a hunch, I think Bobby’s not coming back next year. He’ll be let go during the winter. Or perhaps he’s already let Wren know that he’d like to retire but he doesn’t want to announce it during the season.
I’ve always thought he would get the opportunity to announce his retirement in the offseason before he left so he could take what amounts to a victory lap, but maybe he doesn’t want one. No matter what you think of him, he’s never been one to draw attention to himself at the expense of his players (unless he was protecting them — that’s what probably 90 percent of his ejections are all about).
My additional intuition is that if he leaves, his successor won’t come from the current staff. It may be an outsider with Atlanta ties (Fredi Gonzalez immediately comes to mind). But it won’t be TP or Hubbard or Snitker.
Again, it’s just a hunch.
MFin04
September 4th, 2009
4:36 pm
Agreed failure is the norm in baseball, but you can’t have it both ways. Either hitters are the failures or pitchers are the failures.
I’m going to go with pitchers suceed and hitters fail. That being the case…it seems that the pitchers fail a lot when Bobby uses them, and the hitters (Greg Norton) fail as well.
Sometimes the failure lies in the person putting guys in situations to fail. I.e. Medlen pitching for his 3rd time in 3 nights and failing…and Greg Norton sucking over and over again, night after night.
Temporary Blog Idiot
September 4th, 2009
4:36 pm
McFann — How the heck do you do Bold and Italics on this blog? I can’t figure it out and it seems to be secret. I’m asking you cause you just did it in your last post. Thanks!
MFin04
September 4th, 2009
4:38 pm
Also, want to explain how to to the rolly-eye icon smiley thingy.
McFann Ô
September 4th, 2009
4:39 pm
Temp. Blog Idiot–
No problem. I just happen to always have the instructions handy…
Here you go!
Piedmont Blues (ex-BFIR)
September 4th, 2009
4:39 pm
TBI,
bold = (elminate the spaces between brackets)
ital = (ditto)
dcp
September 4th, 2009
4:39 pm
Thanks Lew – it’s great to be in the company of your presence. We are all so honored by your sarcastic thoughts. Keep up the great work – what would we do without all of your insider tips.
Piedmont Blues (ex-BFIR)
September 4th, 2009
4:39 pm
Dang, didn’t work for me again …
CB
September 4th, 2009
4:41 pm
While you are at it McFann,tell Lew some more rules of the game.
Kelly Johnson Fan Club
September 4th, 2009
4:41 pm
Kelly Johnson really should be in that line-up.
McFann Ô
September 4th, 2009
4:41 pm
MFin04–
Here’s a link to all the smilies and how to type them:
http://codex.wordpress.org/Using_Smilies
Personally, I wish there was a little wider of a variety…like, maybe a “pouting” face.
Lew
September 4th, 2009
4:41 pm
Yes, we’re better because we have Lowe and Vazquez (another thing bitched about mightily for the past six months). We’ll probably be even better next year when we have a power hitting outfielder and a 1B for the entire season that hits HR’s.
I find it hard to believe such other managing stalwarts like Weaver, Huggins, Stengal, McGraw and La Russa won all those games without the likes of DiMaggio, Gehrig, Ruth, Palmer, Frank and Brooks Robinson, and Mark McGwire. I suppose Billy Martin didn’t have Reggie or a suffiecient supporting cast. We all know it’s the manager and not the players.
Lew
September 4th, 2009
4:42 pm
dcp-Probably be even more clueless than you already are.
McFann Ô
September 4th, 2009
4:42 pm
CB–
Haha! Which ones?
Temporary Blog Idiot
September 4th, 2009
4:43 pm
McFann — Much appreciated. Thanks!
Test
September 4th, 2009
4:43 pm
Huddy's Ligament
September 4th, 2009
4:44 pm
Even if by some miracle we take the Wild Card slot, this team won’t make it out of the 1st round because…
the bullpen.
And the streaky offense.
Sound familiar?
Unlike the halcyon days of the ’90s with strong starting pitching, this team’s defense just feels shaky.
Chipper (shaky)
Loaf (shaky in slo mo)
Diaz (goofy helmet shaky)
Infante (out-of-position shaky)
Heap (can’t see shaky)
And after you’ve worn out Moylan, Gonzo and Sorry-ano, what are you going to do?
If I were Booby, which I’m not, why couldn’t he not ruin his reputation of being a players’ manager and have a meeting with the starting pitching staff and ask who would voluntarily go to the bullpen to help the team out – such as games last night?
You’d have to say that LaRoche and Escobar are the best defenders.
MFin04
September 4th, 2009
4:45 pm
Greg Norton’s official symbol as of now….
or 
which one?
McFann Ô
September 4th, 2009
4:45 pm
Temporary Blog Idiot–
You’re welcome! Always happy to be of service!
Test–
Looks like they worked!
Temporary Blog Idiot
September 4th, 2009
4:45 pm
Just trying it out…. Thanks McFann!
Literally Limited
September 4th, 2009
4:46 pm
(1)This is a HUGE series.
(2)It’s HUGE we hold them right here.
(3)That was a HUGE at bat.
(4)It’s HUGE he has a shutdown inning.
And of course my All-Time Favorite to be utilized in any situation:
That was HUGE!!!
Does Boog even realize he would describe the inhalation of a foot long sub as “HUGE?”
If you look up the word “HUGE” in the dictionary, you will soon realize that it rarely applies when utilized by the Huge One.
Is there anyone else who believes we deserve a moratorium from the hackneyed “HUGE?” I’m HUGED OUT. Boog looks as if he is returning to Hugeland.
Temporary Blog Idiot
September 4th, 2009
4:46 pm
Hey whaddaya know, it worked!!
RHR
September 4th, 2009
4:46 pm
NO MORE BOBBY
September 4th, 2009
3:36 pm
2010!!! 2010!!! 2010!!!
Don’t come back til then??? Don’t come back til then??? Don’t come back til then???
McFann Ô
September 4th, 2009
4:47 pm
MFin04–
Temporary Blog Idiot–
Waytago!
dcp
September 4th, 2009
4:47 pm
Lew – enlighten us all – exactly what should the manager do then, oh mighty one? You seem to be a really smart – thanks for sharing how much smarter you are than the rest of us
monty
September 4th, 2009
4:49 pm
ncscoots
you really and truly believe in your heart that you can’t know what you are going to get when you pinch hit with Norton? Really? I mean for sure if BC keeps using him on and on at some point he may (I repeat may) get a key hit. But to say you can’t know anything about a particular decision a coach makes and the probable outcome based on past performance is the (how shall I say this) stupidest thing I’ve ever read on here. In baseball history gives you insight into the future and those that fail to learn by history are doomed to repeat it. That’s BC in a nutshell. I guess you would pitch to Ryan Howard with the game on the line and a runner in scoring position since you can’t(according to you) make any assumptions about future outcome based on past performances.LOL! If that were the case you wouldn’t even need a manger at all, but that’s exactly what BC gets paid to do, to take into account all the different variables, information and intuition he has available to him and make an informed decision.
SouthernBelleBrave
September 4th, 2009
4:49 pm
Chief, why no McLouth in the lineup tonight? I thought he was supposed to return today? Thanks!
dcp
September 4th, 2009
4:49 pm
Boog is a little light on the synonyms for huge, no doubt. I think his heat miser hair limits his critical thinking skills
CB
September 4th, 2009
4:51 pm
McFann
wow
September 4th, 2009
4:52 pm
The braves will keep this loosing streak going and let me remind you the braves haven’t played the reds good at all the reds have dominated them the last couple of years. I see nothing that is going to change that especially with Derek Lowe going, its surely going to be another low point of the season goodbye playoffs.
DAP
September 4th, 2009
4:52 pm
hey we could have lou pinella. 1 pennant and 1 wold series championship 18 years ago, and people still act like he is some great manager skills.
Shamus Thacker
September 4th, 2009
4:52 pm
People would rather be satisfied to have one championship, than to face the reality that bad managing stripped us of a string of championships.
Bobby is loved by one and all in the baseball world. That doesn’t make him a good manager, nor does it (as we’ve seen) produce championships..
McFann Ô
September 4th, 2009
4:53 pm
CB–
Hey, ya know, I do have the rule book…
ncscoots
September 4th, 2009
4:53 pm
Agreed failure is the norm in baseball, but you can’t have it both ways. Either hitters are the failures or pitchers are the failures.
I was actually talking about decision failure, but, I get your drift.
Still, if you bang the manager for what doesn’t work, you have to exalt him for what does. Cox has made enough good decisions this year to make the team at least a pretender, and that’s with a roster that’s decidedly short on talent. Just sayin’.
Lew
September 4th, 2009
4:54 pm
dcp-It’s certainly not an accomplishment being smarter than one trick ponies who expound the same indefensible garbage on a daily basis, keep telling me how it’s their RIGHT to have an opinion, and get all upset when I express mine. You’re tired of hearing my self righteous proclamations? Bully for you. I’m tired of listening to the constant stream of BS, invective and idiocy from people who wish to hear nothing but agreement with what THEY have to say or the sound of their own voice.
Dude, you post something on a public forum, you’d damned well be ready to listen to feedback-positive OR negative. If not, then either don’t post or scroll past those who disagree with you. I do-unfortunately, more frequently than I would like. Used o be a time when Robert, YAACA, Lentz and some of the worst malcontents were radically outnumbered by those with something beneficial to say. Not so much, anymore.
Kelly Johnson Fan Club
September 4th, 2009
4:55 pm
Guess the Braves scouting and draft guys aren’t as dumb as so many on here said they are back during the draft.
I take exception to that statement. First of all, we never accused them of being dumb, just the ownership of being cheapskates and not committing to a better prospect for a higher price. Minor was taken because he was the best player that the Braves knew they could sign, not because he was the best available player. We were frustrated that the ownership and front office wouldn’t commit more money to a better player.
Secondly, Minor is 21 years old playing in the South Atlantic League. He’s been facing tougher competition than this for 3 years now. Wait until he gets to AA-AAA-MLB before you declare him a success.
monty
September 4th, 2009
4:55 pm
For those who care about such things we are hitting wise almost exactly what we were last year. Last year we hit .270, this year we are hitting .266. Last year we averaged 4.6 runs per game. This year we are averaging 4.6 runs per game. The difference is pitching. Last year we gave up 4.6 runs per game and this year we are only giving up 4.0 runs per game.
ncscoots
September 4th, 2009
4:55 pm
monty, I think you’ve mischaracterized what I’ve been saying, but, as you wish. I’m too stupid to explain it to you again.
Thrillhouse44
September 4th, 2009
4:55 pm
Cox has made enough good decisions this year to make the team at least a pretender, and that’s with a roster that’s decidedly short on talent. scoots
It all boils down to that one sentence, my man.
Larussa Invented Baseball
September 4th, 2009
4:56 pm
Lew, Is there another position in America where if your company performs well it is because of your leadership, BUT if your company performs badly people come out and say about you “Well, the personnel has to perform it’s not like he is responsible for what they do”
I’m perfectly willing to NEVER blame another manager for his club’s failings as long as I NEVER hear about how GREAT a manager is. Can’t have it both ways. And some of these guys get paid a lot of money for NOT BEING responsible.
Einstein
September 4th, 2009
4:56 pm
Retired Scout: “Cox doesn’t burn out the bullpen, the starting pitchers do…they nibble too much…usually gone by fifth or six inning”. I’m sure you’re right, but whose responsibility is it to fix this problem? We have a pitching coach hand picked by Bobby; why can’t he work with our pitchers (mainly the young ones) to get more innngs…throw strikes? What did the starting pitchers like Maddox, Glavine, Ryan, Palmer, Avery, Neigle (sp), Hunter, Blue Moon, and 1000’s more in the 40’s through early 90’s do differently? I would think our modern day starters are stronger and better conditioned to go longer in a game. They certainly make more money and get hurt more often, And, most of those older pitchers worked on fewer days off, too. Maybe the problem is with Cox’s philosophy and perception of today’s game. Anyway, thanks for your insight. Peace.
Lifetime Braves Fan
September 4th, 2009
4:58 pm
BREAKING NEWS: Bobby Cox to start Charlie Morton tonight. He wants Mortons arm to fall off before end of season.
Steve from OH
September 4th, 2009
4:59 pm
KJ Fan Club (4:55)–couldn’t have said it better myself!
Steve from OH
September 4th, 2009
5:00 pm
Let’s not forget this–we all thought Minor was a good pitcher. He was projected as a late 1/1S pick, which means he’s a helluva player. Don’t forget that.
Chop Chop
September 4th, 2009
5:02 pm
The way I see it, Bobby made the smart decision not to have injuries decimate his starting rotation and bullpen in 2009. He’s a very clever man.
jed
September 4th, 2009
5:06 pm
anyone defending cox HAS NOT BEEN PAYING ATTENTION THIS SEASON!
end of story.
dcp
September 4th, 2009
5:06 pm
Lew – we are just having a discussion – no need to lose control. I would just like to know what your opinion is – you obviously like Cox – point taken. I am not a manager basher – my point is that this team is not where it needs to be – to have the starting rotation perform as well as it has all year and not be further along is discouraging for Braves fans, not for me, as I am not a Braves fan. The GM deserves credit for having guys like Infante and Prado to step in and fill voids left by injury and poor play of others. The manager makes the in game changes – that’s why people are bent our of shape. You cannot possibly think the best alternative last night was to bring in Medlen, as bad as he was the night before. That’s on Cox; if he has no confidence in the others out there, he needs to head upstairs and talk to Wren about changes.
Ain't that the truth
September 4th, 2009
5:06 pm
Lew— your ideas are not unlike your lower intestines… stinky and loaded with danger.
CB
September 4th, 2009
5:07 pm
scoots, I think one of the things earlier you said about Cox not having the experienced staff he had before(Corrales,Williams,etc)is very true. It does bother me to look in the dugout and see only McDowell near him. It would seem to me if there is a fault right now it might be in the coaching staff.You would think there would be more experienced guys who would love to work with Cox,imo.
Just Me
September 4th, 2009
5:08 pm
Bobby Cox has had a problem managing a bullpen for several years. It didn’t just start this season. For example, if a starter only goes 6 innings then why doesn’t he put in one of the middle relievers for a couple of innings before using the closer. Instead he will burn three pitchers for those last three innings….and if the starter goes in the 5th inning, he will burn 4 relievers. The warming up and then going into the game to pitch is what wears out a pitcher’s arm. A reliever who pitches two innings one night and none the next night suffers MUCH less stress on his arm than a reliever that pitches one inning on successive nights. Another thing he does is continue to use his best relievers in 10 – 0 blowouts. Moylan, Gonzo, or Soriano should NEVER see the field with that kind of a lead. If the starter tires with a huge lead then put in ONE reliever and let him finish out the game.
I must say that I like what Joe Girardi of the Yankees said, he said that he doesn’t like to use any reliever on successive nights.
I read recently where one major league GM said that he is very reluctant to sign a free agent reliever that pitched the previous season with the Braves. The reason? He said that Bobby Cox uses his relievers too much. Case in point: Will Ohman.
Homeboy
September 4th, 2009
5:10 pm
FIRE LEW!
StingerSplash
September 4th, 2009
5:12 pm
Listening to the Dan Patrick Show today (which is odd in itself, since I generally abhor sports talk radio, but DP has a pretty good show) and their bumper music after the segment with Rich Eisen — Social Distortion’s “Ball and Chain.”
Yes. Yes. Yes.
monty
September 4th, 2009
5:13 pm
ncscoots
I said, “its the no brainer type decisions that leave a person questioning BC’s judgement”
You replied to that statement,”Man, that’s just it! There is no such thing as a “no brainer” decision in a baseball game, LOL. Anyone second-guessing (or even first-guessing; I don’t want to step on anybody’s toes, here) a tactical decision in a baseball game is just blowing gas, because you do…not…know, if your guess would have turned out any better (or worse) than the one actually made, LOL.”
I don’t think anyone on here claims to be physhic and that they know with 100% accuracy the outcome of a given managerial decision, if that’s your point I agree. But I don’t believe you can deny that there is a such thing as no brainer decisions. Like you don’t let Barry Bonds beat you when the game was on the line or don’t pinch hit with Norton with the game on the line if you have anyone on the bench who can hit above .200. I don’t believe I misrepresented what you said, unless you didn’t express yourself clearly enough.
M45
September 4th, 2009
5:15 pm
I think its safe to say the Braves are done they can’t compete with the upper enchalant teams in the NL.The need to get together there offseason plans starting with getting a big bat to compete in the division.THERE DONE!
Shamus Thacker
September 4th, 2009
5:15 pm
Thrillhouse44: Cox has made enough good decisions this year to make the team at least a pretender, and that’s with a roster that’s decidedly short on talent. scoots
It all boils down to that one sentence, my man.”"
How bout two?. A better game-manager, making more good decisions, could have made this short-on-talent team a contender. Schafer, KJ, Frenchy, Bennett; ALL profusely under-performing guys, and Bobby stopped using them ONLY when they were taken away. Norton is STILL having his round azz screwed into a square hole, every night. The handling of the pitching staff has been amazingly inept. Folks who can’t see these things are either blind or ain’t looking…
Lew
September 4th, 2009
5:16 pm
LaRussa-No, disagree with managers when you want. Hell-second guessing and Monday Morning Quarterbacking has been raised to an art form in this country. Far be it from me to take away one of life’s greatest pleasures for those so easily amused.
However-I’m just sick and tired of hearing how Bobby Cox sucks. Bobby Cox is senile. Bobby Cox has outlived his usefulness. The game has passed Bobby Cox by. Oh, BTW, Bobby Cox sucks. I’m sick of hearing three and four day long debates about every single little negative aspect of a game, from individual pitches to minor head moves by baserunners (who scored anyway), or how a player should not have swung at a pitch they hit in the stands for a HR, because it was a bad pitch.
Question all you want, the moves Bobby makes. Agree with them or not. But don’t expect that because you’re not happy with the way things are being/have been done that anything will change or that you’ve been given the right to talk about Bobby (or anyone) the way he’s spoken about on a forum that should, at the very least, appreciate that his tenure in Atlanta has lead to a team that succeeded at a rate exceeding anything ever seen from another club and was worlds better than any team we’d seen in Atlanta prior to his second coming (so to speak).
fastasballs
September 4th, 2009
5:19 pm
I’m beginning to doubt Bobby Cox will be back next season. He signed his extension for 2009 in May of 2008, but nothing has been done to this point for 2010. Granted it would be simple for the Braves to extend him at any point for next season, but so far nothing has been done/said. Has anyone seen Wren/JS or the Braves put out any statements about Cox being here next season? I don’t recall any, but I’m not from the area so I may have missed something.
Maybe Cox doesn’t want to return in 2010, but I’ve read countless quotes of his referencing 2010 as if he’s still managing the Braves. Several were quotes from DOB’s game stories or blogs. I can’t recall the exact wording of those quotes, but they were fairly clear he planned on being here in 2010 as manager.
Stumpknocker
September 4th, 2009
5:20 pm
If we just had the games in the win collumn that were lost after holding 5,6,7 run leads, we would be in a tight race right now. How in the world can Bobby Cox sit on the bench and let his pitcher get slaughtered and do nothing.
Braves Fan
September 4th, 2009
5:21 pm
Lifetime Braves Fan do you mean Chris Medlen you dumb a^^?
Steve from OH
September 4th, 2009
5:21 pm
As long as Bobby’s not bringing Norton in to pitch and Hanson in to play SS (can you imagine how funny that would be to watch?), the moves he makes have a much smaller overall impact on the game than y’all think. Some impact? Absolutely. Same impact as, say, Ryan Church grounding out with runners on 2nd and 3rd and 2 outs? Nope. If Chipper Jones’ 2008 campaign was worth ~7 wins, how can Cox be worth 10? 5? 2.5, even?
Steve from OH
September 4th, 2009
5:22 pm
Medlen spells his name “Kris.”
Lew
September 4th, 2009
5:27 pm
dcp-So we might not make the playoffs. Sad thing, that. But we’ve improved radically, have the nucleus of a great baseball team (pitching staff in particular) and much hope for next year and beyond. My point is to concentrate on the positive and what you DO have and not on that which went wrong. We’re better by far than we were in 08 and will be better yet in 2010.
I do realize you’re not one to throw the crass comments around and I’ll even apologize for the condescension towards you because of it, but it does happen way too much here and you did engage me on the topic.
What do I really think? I think that if Bobby Cox were not our manager, that this team would be fighting the Mets for fourth place in the division. Throughout a season which saw a very poor start, abject failure from our highly touted rookie center fielder, waving goodbye to the icons that are Glavine and Smoltz, attitudinal realignments for Yunel and Franceur’s continued decline into the offensive abysss, that no other manager would have been able to hold this team together anywhere near as well as Bobby has-much less allow them to compete and to be in contention for the playoffs (though, I will admit it ain’t likely).
Bottom line-Does Bobby make moves that I sometimes disagree with and does he do things differently than I would? Absolutely. But does he bring more to the table than he takes off of it? Absolutely again. Much, much more. There’s actually no comparison.
Lew
September 4th, 2009
5:29 pm
Ain’t that the truth-Really, are you sure it’s not your own ass your head’s up?
Lew
September 4th, 2009
5:30 pm
Hard to enjoy the sunshine when all you’ve seen for decades is hemorrhoids.
Lew
September 4th, 2009
5:32 pm
Inbred-We should just hope he never gets a college level Derrick Brooks.
mudcat
September 4th, 2009
5:33 pm
Cox has a history of overusing a small number of players while ignoring the rest of the players on the team. Remember all those playoff losses when Cox would use a 3 man rotation instead of a four man rotation? He’s always done the same with his bullpen. He use his 5 favorites, then ignores the other 2 except in cleanup situations. Cox has lost as many games for the Braves this year as Norton, and that’s way too many!
jed
September 4th, 2009
5:33 pm
lew–you think you’re sick of hearing us articulate bobby cox’s mistakes day after day? let me assure you that we’re sick of observing them. what kind of position are you taking anyway? “i’m sick of reading here every day that cox sucks because he mismanages the bullpen, is too loyal with deadweight players, and that his stubborn nature and decision-making has cost us the season.” that’s the point. get it? it has happened all season long and that’s why we’re probably not gonna make the playoffs. yet you support this manager….you’re kinda slow on the uptake arent you?
gayle
September 4th, 2009
5:34 pm
Wow, you have to live under a rock to miss something like Fat Phil? If that is the case, I like it.
I was not suggesting that the Braves pursue a manager who is under contract with another team, but if memory serves me right, this same Fredi Gonzalez was at one time in the employ of the Atlanta organization and left to take the job as manager for another team. One could assume he got tired waiting for the relic to leave. By clinging to Cox, opportunities have been lost.
If we want to talk about the front office, they seem to be as inept as Cox. A quick scan of the majors will show you how well some of the players cast off by the Braves are doing – Wainwright in St Louis, Marquis in Colorado, Elvis in Texas, Dye in Chicago – those were players cast off in the hope of that one last run before the team just ran out of gas. Those rent-a-players that have all moved on – JD Drew, Texiera, Sheffield, etc. I wouldn’t be bragging about Scherholz – this year will the the fourth straight that his team has been out of the post season.
And before that, they lost in the first round. As a matter of fact, this “dynasty” has not won a post season series since 2001.
So cling to Cox and the other relics of glory past – this team seems determined to just live in the past.
travis
September 4th, 2009
5:35 pm
Because of all the players that like to play for Bobby Cox you would want to believe that there is a reason they love him so much. When he continues to use players that are struggling he tries to bolster their confidence and make them better players for the future. I have yet to see a player that did a completer turn around in performance after a horrible year just because Bobby believed in them. If the proof were there that his abilities as a manager created super stars from trash then it must work. It hasn’t. Diaz, Prado and Escobar were players Bobby either openly had problems with or didn’t believe in and refused to play them over his favorites or wanted to trade them because of their fire. If you belong to the click in Atlanta you will be there forever untill calmer heads prevail. AKA Frank Wren.
jed
September 4th, 2009
5:35 pm
lew at 5:27 — i think lew’s out of kool-aid. somebody fill him up…jee-zuss…
Nova Scotia Steve - Is Worried
September 4th, 2009
5:36 pm
RE: M45 “THERE DONE!”
Don’t you mean They’re (They are) Done???
MiltonDawg
September 4th, 2009
5:37 pm
Its smoke or get smoked now. I thought McLouth was ready for this series…perhaps tommorrow?? Still pissed at GA for walking over to pick up that single that turned into a double bc/ he’s lazy as hell. Just afraid this team is going to play like the Reds..if so, by Tuesday..we can all move on to 2010.
KnowledgeDog
September 4th, 2009
5:37 pm
The problem with the Braves is poor management from Bobby Cox. Medline is a good pitcher but it was obvious he did not have his good stuff the past 2 games and he was ROCKED. Bobby had a chance to pull him but he didn’t. Next he pinch hits with Norton who at this point could not hit a softball pitched from a tee league pitcher. It looks like he is swatting flys or trying to catch nats.
The Braves will never win another championship with this kind of management.
TnBrian
September 4th, 2009
5:38 pm
I predict Cox is manager next year. I mean, duh.
Lew
September 4th, 2009
5:39 pm
jed-Yeah,. Whatever. I don’t agree with you, either. Are you losing sleep over it? I’m not. Keep ranting. It makes so much difference and brightens our lives to no end.
Shamus Thacker
September 4th, 2009
5:40 pm
Bobby is a lot of things, but I don’t believe “wife-neater” is one of them. Don’t recall ever seeing him fluff her hair, or pull her skirt out of her crack… Could be a closet wife-neater I suppose…
travis
September 4th, 2009
5:40 pm
At least Frenchy had the n-ts to challenge the dynasty and go for some real help outside the click.
Lew
September 4th, 2009
5:41 pm
Later y’all. I’m out of here. Resume the feeding frenzy. Be careful not to eat each other-or your young.
Shamus Thacker
September 4th, 2009
5:42 pm
lol jed
Shamus Thacker
September 4th, 2009
5:43 pm
I’m in like a human-size guppy breeding tank Lew.
MiltonDawg
September 4th, 2009
5:43 pm
So maybe instead we can start of list of players to be fired/not resigned for next year: Lets start with GA, Freakin Norton, KJ, Medlen, perhaps Church (if Heyward is still not ready), who else???
I would like to keep Conrad, Hernandez, Laroache (maybe Freeman??)
MiltonDawg
September 4th, 2009
5:45 pm
Cox, TP?? I think McDowell has done a good job this year with the pitching staff. Who’s in line for 3B in the minors??
Tomy Fournier
September 4th, 2009
5:46 pm
O’Brian…you forget….Norton (pintch hitter) and Medlen(reliever)…what a sh@@%%$&&## Mr. Moron Cox slap atlanta fan in the face last night…Norton and Medlen again…what was that???/same sh##@%%^^$ “WHAT EVER”!!!
Shamus Thacker
September 4th, 2009
5:46 pm
Ain’t Bobby’s brother’s name Lew Cox?