If Braves’ lackluster play continues, forget playoffs
Can they still win the division? Of course they can. If not the division, then do the Braves at least have a good shot at winning the wild card? Perhaps.
But we qualify those statements about the Braves with this: They’ve got to snap out of their current desultory stretch, and quickly.
Jurrjens and Braves need to snap out of funk, and quickly.
Because if you’re like me and watched last night’s game, you never got a sense that the Braves showed any inclination of coming back against the Cardinals and Adam Wainwright after Jair Jurrjens blew a 3-0 lead by giving up five runs in the second inning.
And that’s saying something, considering the Braves lead the majors with 23 wins in their final at-bat and have also scored more runs after the sixth inning than any other team in either league.
It says that they are playing with so little spark right now, you – or at least I — don’t sense that those other stats matter much on nights like last night, and too many others recently. It’s as if we watched a different team for much of the first three-quarters of the season than we’re seeing now.
The Braves are only one game behind Philly in the NL East and lead the wild-card standings by one game over San Francisco and 3-1/2 over Colorado.
But here’s the thing: Those three teams are playing better ball right now, and there are less than four weeks left in the season.
There’s not enough time for the Braves to have any sort of extended funk that stretches another week or two, if they reasonably expect to make the playoffs without a searing run in the final 2-3 weeks of the season.
And while they showed last season they are capable of a searing run over those final weeks, it’s not something they want to count on this season. Not when they played such good ball for so long this season, when they made their home field (somehow) the toughest place for any opponent in the majors.
Not when they held onto first place for more than three months and led the Phillies by as many as seven games in that period.
To sag like this late in the season, to see the Phillies overtake them in September and have the hot Giants and Rockies breathing down their wild-card necks, this is not how the season was supposed to go.
The Braves have lost six of their past eight games, and those eight games were against the Mets, Marlins, Pirates and Cardinals, four teams that were either already eliminated from playoff contention or had been written off by most folks.
The Braves lost six of eight against them, including both of their home games in that stretch (last night’s 11-4 debacle, and a Sept. 2 loss to the Mets, sandwiched around the 2-4 trip to Florida and Pittsburgh).
We should point out, a few Braves we talked to after last night’s game insisted the team remains confident despite the recent slump. They said there’s no panic in the clubhouse, that they aren’t feeling pressure.
Derrek Lee's first-inning homer was his first as a Brave, but it was the highlight of a Thursday night that went deteriorated rapidly for the Braves.
But I wondered if a couple of them were trying to convince themselves or really believed it. It’s the first time I’ve wondered that, or at least the first time since the nine-game losing streak back in April.
“We as a team expect to play better than we have lately,” catcher David Ross said last night, and he’s as straight a shooter as you’ll find in the clubhouse.
“When you’re not doing that, when you’re not doing the things that got you here, you’re disappointed, you’re a little frustrated,” he said. “It’s a down time, from a team standpoint, when you’re not playing up to your capabilities, especially in the last month.”
Someone asked about pressure, whether the Braves were feeling it.
“I don’t think anybody’s feeling pressure or anything like that,” Ross said. “Just frustration may be a little better word… It’s just one of those things where we’ve got to turn it around and get some positive vibes going in here. I don’t think you panic and start pressing, stuff like that.
“You want to do things that you’ve been doing all year that help you win. We’re not doing those right now. We’re waiting for those things to fall back into place. We need to make something happen from that standpoint.
“We have to pitch better, we have to hit better, we have to field better. We have to do the things that got us here.”
It should be pointed out, when Eric Hinske and other Braves said during the nine-game losing streak that the Braves could go one of two ways, and they were about to find out which it would be, the team went in the right direction.
After that 0-9 skid dropped the Braves’ record to 8-14, they proceeded to go on a 24-8 surge over the next five weeks, hitting 47 points higher and posting an ERA a run lower during that 32-game stretch than they had over the first 22 games of the season.
Then when they lost five of eight games from June 4 to June 11, the Braves rebounded with a 7-1 run to fend off the hard-charging division foes.
We mentioned those instances to show that the Braves have bounced back from previous rough periods, they have responded when pushed against a wall. And right now, the confidence derived from those responses could help them do it again when they desperately need to stem this rising tide.
“That’s what a season’s about,” Jason Heyward said after last night’s loss. “We’ve understood all year you’re going to lose games, there’s going to be spells where you go through losing streaks or losing tough games. All that’s going to happen, so that definitely gives you confidence [that you can bounce back].”
Easy for the preternatural rookie to say, though, right? After all, Heyward is blistering-hot right now, batting .442 with four homers, 11 RBIs and a .522 OBP and 1.197 OPS in his past 19 games. Dude’s probably feeling unstoppable about now.
Problem is, the Braves have won only 11 of those 19 games while he’s rocked the big bat again. And the rest of the outfield remains fairly punchless, along with just about everyone else in the lineup not named Brian McCann. (Omar Infante and Martin Prado keep hitting … and hitting, but neither is much of a power hitter.)
That outfield has been a problem all season, and it’s not going to change now unless, say, Nate McLouth has some unexpected return to something resembling his prime Pittsburgh days over this last month.
The Braves need first baseman Derrek Lee to do more of what he did last night, when he homered for the first time as a Brave and the fourth time in his past five games against the Cardinals.
The outfield? The Braves have just 34 homers and a .389 slugging percentage from outfielders, second-lowest in the NL in both categories. And Heyward has 16 of those homers, while Matt Diaz (six as an outfielder) is the only other Braves outfielder with more than four homers. That’s astounding.
But that’s a problem that needs fixing in the offseason. Nothing can be done about it now.
For now, the Braves had better hope they get a return to consistent pitching from starters other than Tim Hudson, and that the bullpen cogs can put together a strong run to the wire.
They better hope they can play better defense than they’ve played since the All-Star break, and start hitting with runners in scoring position in more than one or two blowout wins a week. (Those who point to run differential as a reason these Braves are still favored to make the playoffs, need to adjust their computer programs and take into account how many of the Braves runs came in blowout wins, and how many times they couldn’t get a single big hit in close losses.)
They can’t just hang their hats anymore on the fact that they finish the season with six games at home against the Marlins and those dastardly Phillies, not when the home-field advantage isn’t ridiculously large anymore, the way it was (somehow) for much of the season.
The Braves went 26-6 at home from April 30 to July 15. But they are only 18-10 at home since then, including 5-4 with a 4.56 ERA in their past nine home games.
Just when it was beginning to look like Jurrjens had gotten over his first-half injury problems and was back to being a strong potential No. 2 playoff starter for the Braves, he’s gone 4-2 with a 4.74 ERA in his past 10 starts, including 2-1 with a 7.06 ERA and .333 opponents’ average in his past four starts.
One of his two terrible starts in that span was at Coors Field, but the other was at home last night. And there was no explanation other than bad pitch location. He was staked to an early lead in both games, and couldn’t protect it.
Jurrjens is up for arbitration this offseason, and his early season injuries and lackluster performance in some recent starts is going to probably cost him at the arb table. If he’d had another strong season like his previous two, he might have commanded $5 mill or more in his first arb season. Now it’ll probably be $3-4 mill, I’d guess.
But he’d be the first to tell you, he’s not worried about that right now. What Jurrjens and so many other Braves are concerned about is how their recent performances are affecting the team’s playoff push.
After making it such a memorable, almost magical summer at Turner Field, the most important time of the regular season is here and the Braves are playing some of their worst ball.
Can they snap out of it, get to the playoffs and make a deep run behind their starting rotation and strong bullpen? Sure they can. But not playing and pitching the way this team has the past couple of weeks.
It’s that time. Soon it’ll be getting late quickly. The Braves responded early in the season when people were already beginning to write them off less than a month into this marathon.
Now let’s see if they can respond when the stakes are even higher, when teams like San Francisco and Colorado are playing their best ball and see a wide-open wild-card race with no clear-cut favorite and the Braves limping a bit.
It won’t be easy, beginning with the kid Mike Minor facing the Cards’ Chris Carpenter tonight. But nobody said it’d be easy. Everyone said it would not, in fact. And it’s not.
It’s going to be hard as hell.
Hang on.
Braves lineup
- Infante 2B
- Heyward RF
- Prado 3B
- McCann C
- Lee 1B
- McLouth CF
- Gonzalez SS
- Cabrera LF
- Minor LHP
♣ OK, let’s close with some Drive-By Truckers. Check it out here.
“TWO DAUGHTERS AND A BEAUTIFUL WIFE” by Drive-By Truckers
When he reached the gates of heaven
He didn’t understand
He knew that folks were coming over
Or was it all a dream?
Was it all a crazy dream?
♦
He saw them playing there before him
What were they doing there?
It felt like home, It must be alright
Or is it just a dream?
Is it just a crazy dream?
♦
Memories replay before him
All the tiny moments of his life
Laying round in bed on a Saturday morning
Two daughters and a wife
Two daughters and a beautiful wife
♦
Meanwhile on Earth his friends came over
Shocked and horrified
Dolls and flowers at the storefront
Everybody cried
Everybody cried and cried
♦
Is there vengeance up in heaven?
Are those things left behind?
Maybe everyday is Saturday morning
Two daughters and a wife
Two daughters and a beautiful wife
Two daughters and a beautiful wife
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Guides
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2012 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
2,282 comments Add your comment
GT Alum
September 10th, 2010
1:27 pm
That’s fine by me. I’d rather not back into the playoffs anyway. Win your way in or go home.
Nova Scotia Steve
September 10th, 2010
1:29 pm
PLAYOFFS!!??!!!??!!
We’re just trying to win a game! Forget playoffs!!!
FEAR
September 10th, 2010
1:32 pm
so how tha Braves doing? ……..oh yeah
MiaBchBravesFan
September 10th, 2010
1:33 pm
I wonder where all the JJ fans from yesterday are today?
Me? I hope he pitches well enough to have value so I can trade him this winter for an OF bat.
Brandon
September 10th, 2010
1:34 pm
Not sure what I dread more…. the disappointment of not making the playoffs or the embarrassment of making them and playing to a less then sold out Turner Field.
Salty Dawg
September 10th, 2010
1:34 pm
It says that they are playing with so little spark right now, you – or at least I — don’t sense that those other stats matter much on nights like last night, and too many others recently. It’s as if we watched a different team for much of the first three-quarters of the season than we’re seeing now.
They may still feel pretty confident in the clubhouse, but it certainly doesn’t show on the field. Last night they looked like they were ready to concede defeat once they lost the lead.
Nova Scotia Steve
September 10th, 2010
1:35 pm
Not when they played such good ball for so long this season, when they made their home field (somehow) the toughest place for any opponent in the majors.
Can anyone locate the key word in the sentence.
PS
I might add Dave O’Brien excellent write-up I think you captured the minds of most Braves fans and would be bloggers. But for the Braves to say they don’t feel pressure – that’s a load of crap complete BS.
I may not have been a professional baseball ball but I’ve played in important games and play-offs – you feel it. Don’t tell me some guys aren’t gripping that bat a little tighter these days. (and that comment isn’t directed at you DOB it’s directed at the comments from the team – just to be clear)
Salty Dawg
September 10th, 2010
1:36 pm
Not sure what I dread more…. the disappointment of not making the playoffs or the embarrassment of making them and playing to a less then sold out Turner Field.
Yeah, you can already tell attendance would be pathetic during any home playoff games. There doesn’t seem to be much enthusiasm from the team or the fans at this point.
ncscoots
September 10th, 2010
1:38 pm
I might add Dave O’Brien excellent write-up I think you captured the minds of most Braves fans and would be bloggers.
Throwing bread to the mob.
Salty Dawg
September 10th, 2010
1:38 pm
“I don’t think anybody’s feeling pressure or anything like that,” Ross said. “Just frustration may be a little better word… It’s just one of those things where we’ve got to turn it around and get some positive vibes going in here. I don’t think you panic and start pressing, stuff like that.
Maybe it’s just me, but this seems bassackwards. They should be feeling pressure right now because they are for sure in position where they need to start performing. What they don’t need to do is get frustrated because that won’t help.
Nova Scotia Steve
September 10th, 2010
1:39 pm
I can’t believe this attendance thing “The Ted” was rocking on so many night this summer? What going on in ATL?
What is taking the fans away??? I mean we’ve watched Monday and Tueday nigth games where the chop was out in full force – the kind of chop that gives you chills. Seriously what is going on???
Nick 2.5
September 10th, 2010
1:39 pm
Lame
Adrián
September 10th, 2010
1:39 pm
Braves should play like this:
RHP:
Infante CF
Heyward RF
Prado 2B
McCann C
Lee 1B
Hinke LF
Glaus 3B
Gonzalez SS
Pitcher
LHP:
Infante CF
Heywar RF
Prado 2B
Lee 1B
McCann C
Glaus 3B
Gonzalez SS
Diaz LF
Pitcher
Stop playing those center fields that we have, they are not producing, I think Glaus can produce more than them.
Melky is playing better but is not enough.
TennesseePaul
September 10th, 2010
1:40 pm
Thanks for the work D.O’B.
This was probably the toughest stretch of baseball for the Braves this season. I say that because “this stretch” is 33 games in 34 days.
33 games in 34 days.
The team has had only 4 off-days since the all-star break.
4 days off. In 8.5 weeks.
That will exhaust anyone, especially young arms under 25 years old.
MiaBchBravesFan
September 10th, 2010
1:41 pm
If the Braves split this weekend, I would really be impressed. Right now, the reality of the first two losses against the Pirates, the lost series against the Marlins last weekend, and last night’s blowout speaks more to this team’s present condition than Wednesday’s win.
It also speaks to Bobby Cx teams that never finish strong – with 1995 as the lone exception. His teams usually rely on strong May’s, June’s, and July’s, and tread water in August and September. Teams like the Philadelphia of recent vintage, the Rockies, and Twins always have strong last two months. Like the Jets teams of old, that died in December like an annual rite of passage you could set your watch to…
Bobby Cox teams die in August and September, to say nothing of October.
FEAR
September 10th, 2010
1:41 pm
Team support in ATL proper has always been lame.
MiaBchBravesFan
September 10th, 2010
1:43 pm
Miraculously, on a positive note, Nate McLouth had a multi-hit game last night!
First time since The Reconstruction.
bulldog bubba
September 10th, 2010
1:43 pm
I want to believe.They talk a good game of no pressure but the results are “I don’t care what happens,its not my fault we don’t win”! It is time for somebody to stand up and take charge of this team and start winning.Whos gonna be the leader on this team? Who??????
rjohn
September 10th, 2010
1:43 pm
David,
How has the recent slump been affected by the September roster expansion? It appears to me that the incoming players from the expansion have watered down the Braves Summer Mojo. Can we send them all back down to the Minors?
Mathman
September 10th, 2010
1:44 pm
The Braves choked in the final 2 weeks last year. Bobby will not hit and run, plays for the 3 run HR which seldom comes. Let’s face it. LaRussa had his guys swinging on the first pitch last night because they knew it was a fastball. McCann kept calling them. No knockdowns or curves on the first pitch. Why not?
McCann may be the worst pitch caller of catchers in the majors. JJ should have bounced them if necessary or walked a few, but he didn’t. Kimbrel and Dunn don’t have those problems. They just throw heat by the hitters, walk a few, but they aren’t hitting 400 foot HR’s off them.
Bobby will not change so things look bleak. No lineup changes. May even put McLouse back in. “2 good swings, Bobby will say. Then, he will go 0-4 tonight. Need a spark. From where? Freeman will not get a chance. Have to mix up the pitches early. If Minor has the same pitch selection, nothing but fastballs early, we are in trouble again.
Jesse Stone
September 10th, 2010
1:44 pm
anybody seen Christopher Chance? I haven’t seen him since he claimed that the Mets were going to give Frenchy a raise. The Mets traded him within hours of his proclamation. Oh well, maybe he changed his name.
Chop Chop
September 10th, 2010
1:44 pm
Efrim, wasn’t aware we had the best run differential in the league. Good stuff.
I’ve been aware of that for a while, Steve. As you know, past performance is not always an indicator of future success, so having a good run differential means nothing if the team is not playing up to the same level anymore.
You see (and maybe this is just the way I look at things, I don’t know), it is easier for an individual to find his mean and regress to it (one way or another) than it is for a group of 25+ guys. Hell, what is the mean for this current Braves team? You’ve got a new player at short, a new player at first, a new player in CF, a new starter, a new reliever, and that doesn’t even factor in some of the callups who won’t play enough to set a mean of expectations.
It is very possible that the group of players on this team right now would not produce the kind of run differential we saw at other times during the season, so there is no way that I can legitimately look at that and find comfort. I never played baseball, but I know what the grind of 162 games does to players. I’ve followed the game for over 20 years, and I honestly have no idea what to expect out of this crew.
However things shake out, I get the feeling that, as DOB put it, “It’s going to be hard as hell.”
29tigerboys
September 10th, 2010
1:44 pm
I don’t get to attend as many games as you, DOB…but the most recent ones I’ve gone to have left me with those same feelings. Baseball still is an emotional game and believe me, MO can quickly go either way. Braves and “Skipper” just don’t seem to WANT it enough. I just haven’t felt that sense of urgency in a while. Hope they can recapture the magic…we’ll see.
TennesseePaul
September 10th, 2010
1:45 pm
Mike Minor is on the mound?
eeesh. This will be tough. That kid was due to get lit up like a Christmas tree… How he adjusts will be a huge factor. My guess is he will hang in there tonight with a solid 5+ innings and 4 runs. But this team needs to hit to win to win. And that pen has to keep reaching back for more…
TennesseePaul
September 10th, 2010
1:46 pm
Throwing bread to the mob.
Yes. But the mob has to eat too.
Besides, the Braves have a choice, win or be like the Mets…. and p!ss it all away at the end of the season.
McFann Ô Ô
September 10th, 2010
1:47 pm
“Everything was up and they have a really good lineup,” Jurrjens said. “They have really good hitters on that team. If you leave pitches up, it’s like throwing [batting practice] to them. It seemed like I was throwing BP the whole game.
“Those first four hitters, every pitch was down,” Jurrjens said. “Then after that, everything was beginning to come up. It’s one of those things that you try to correct during the game when you’re pitching. But you just don’t find the answer and you keep throwing the ball where you don’t want to throw the ball.”
“Wainwright got straightened out, JJ didn’t,” manager Bobby Cox said. “His aim and location was just way off tonight. We’d sit inside and the ball would go outside. We’d sit outside and the ball would go vice versa. His location was just way off.”
Nova Scotia Steve
September 10th, 2010
1:48 pm
@SteveMac03
#Braves need a #DavidJustice war cry – Where are the fans??? Where’s the fire from these #braves??? Where’s the heart??? #mlb #nleast
Bob Horner
September 10th, 2010
1:49 pm
Great blog DOB…..one of your best…I think we should give McClouth some starts he looks like he’s remembered how to hit..last nite we go up 3-0 and then we go down 5-3 we got punched in the stomach and lost our will to fight….tonight is a new night…and Minor has good stuff
ncscoots
September 10th, 2010
1:50 pm
It also speaks to Bobby Cx teams that never finish strong – with 1995 as the lone exception.
Right. 31-26, 32-21, 34-18, 38-15 from 96 through 99 in Aug and Sept, and those are just the ones I looked up. Some fades.
Erin
September 10th, 2010
1:50 pm
DOB
Do you think the weather in Atl might be how the Braves dominated at home so much during the summer but not so much early and late in the season? I remember the Giants, I think it was, complaining about how no one from the west coast should have to play day games in Atlanta. Has it cooled off some there now and has that leveled the playing field some?
McFann Ô Ô
September 10th, 2010
1:50 pm
Thanks for the new Blog, Chief.
GT Alum
September 10th, 2010
1:51 pm
MiaBchBravesFan, so, what, you’d rather have KK back in the rotation? JJ’s still got a 3.48 career ERA and had 2 very find seasons in ATL in ‘08 and ‘09. My only worry is if he’s injured.
mcbravesgrl4lifeeeeeeeee
September 10th, 2010
1:51 pm
A guy here at work is a prime example of fair-weather Braves fans. He keeps asking me if I hate the Braves yet. Granted, I turned off the TV last night when the Cards got that 8th run, and I haven’t even wanted to read anything about them today. But, no, I don’t hate the Braves, and never will. Will I be totally disappointed if we end the season on 10/3? Sure, but never will I hate them. And, after this year, I am committed to getting to more than one or two games next year. I can’t wait to find out who the Braves will name as manager for 2011 and beyond, and I will be as happy and proud to be in the seats during his first season as Braves Manager as I was to be there in Bobby’s last season. I am, after all bravesgrl4life!!!
Let's Go Bravos!
September 10th, 2010
1:51 pm
I just hope we don’t get swept by St. Louis this weekend like we did earlier in the year with a 4 game series! The Bravos gave us a good run and gave us some entertaining ball this summer, but I think they must be ready to sit at home and watch football with the way they are playing now. There’s no excitement from anyone, including Prado who did a good job of getting this team fired up earlier this season.
Phillies Phan
September 10th, 2010
1:51 pm
Let’s go Cards! CG shutout for Carpenter tonight.
Adrián
September 10th, 2010
1:52 pm
Braves need to calm down and start to play simple baseball, start bunting, getting the runner to the other base, they are trying too hard and they are not getting the job done. In the road trip they left a lot men on bases, I think is the most I seen in the hole year. They have to start chilling out and try to get some hits and do the simple work. GO BRAVES!
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
September 10th, 2010
1:54 pm
quite a long column DOB- should’ve kept it simple- Braves about to blow a phenomenal season to a lackluster effort by THE ENTIRE TEAM in the final 2 months of the season. they’re boring now and im so glad football is here. absolutely pathetic group of idiots
Ryan
September 10th, 2010
1:57 pm
FIRE COX he cant beat TONY L . Cant stand the waddling fool. Sure we will see swing Ankiel tonight. Cant wait for 2011
NCBravesFan
September 10th, 2010
1:58 pm
I’m to the point where it seems like sticking Glaus in at third, moving Prado back to 2B and Omar to LF might be the way to go for a few games. It’s not like the defense will be that much worse than it has been, and Glaus might be able to spark the offense.
MiaBchBravesFan
September 10th, 2010
1:58 pm
ncscoots: “Right. 31-26, 32-21, 34-18, 38-15 from 96 through 99 in Aug and Sept, and those are just the ones I looked up. Some fades.”
31-26 = meh. So from ‘97 to ‘99, the Braves finished strong, a function of superlative starting pitching, bats such as vintage Chipper and Andruw, as well as Galarraga towards the end of that run.
Cox = unhappy endings.
Lesh Philling
September 10th, 2010
1:59 pm
This September swoon is just like 1983 all over again, but we don’t have Bob Horner’s broken wrist to blame this time.
GT Alum
September 10th, 2010
1:59 pm
McCann may be the worst pitch caller of catchers in the majors. JJ should have bounced them if necessary or walked a few, but he didn’t. Kimbrel and Dunn don’t have those problems. They just throw heat by the hitters, walk a few, but they aren’t hitting 400 foot HR’s off them.
If a pitcher can’t hit his spots, it doesn’t matter what the catcher is calling, especially if he can’t get the ball down.
Oh, and Smoltz made Brian his personal catcher because he liked how Brian called a game. No offense, but I’ll go with the evaluation of a pitcher that’s going into the HOF over some guy on a blog.
skip
September 10th, 2010
2:00 pm
Dave this article pretty much says it all. Seems to me most of the players are just mailing it in. I put that on the manager and the coaches. That said, as long as Liberty Media keeps Wren on a short leash we’ll never have a championship team in Atlanta.
Michael B
September 10th, 2010
2:00 pm
Sadly I think Phillies Phan is right
MiaBchBravesFan
September 10th, 2010
2:00 pm
Glaus at 3B = a buntfest!
Efrim
September 10th, 2010
2:02 pm
Costs too much.
Yup and that sucks.
GT Alum
September 10th, 2010
2:02 pm
Lesh Philling -
We do have Chipper’s torn ACL.
MiaBchBravesFan
September 10th, 2010
2:04 pm
After signing KK and Lowe, if I were Liberty Media, I’d keep Frank Wren on a short leash too. Vintage JS was the best; his hand-picked successor?
Well, we all know that the successor-in-waiting thing always sucks.
Plabo's Dog
September 10th, 2010
2:05 pm
Playoffs? Are you kidding me? Playoffs? (cue the Jim Mora tape: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3-eavMSBnk)
Felix Millan
September 10th, 2010
2:06 pm
I hope Minor has more heart tonight than JJ did last night.
ncscoots
September 10th, 2010
2:06 pm
So from ‘97 to ‘99, the Braves finished strong, a function of superlative starting pitching, bats such as vintage Chipper and Andruw, as well as Galarraga towards the end of that run.
Who cares about the why? You voiced an opinion as fact, and I merely showed that your perception was wrong.
Jodan Kincaid
September 10th, 2010
2:07 pm
Good article. Check out my take on the importance of this series at:
http://www.tnspsportsnet.com/local-sports/extra-bases-4/
The next three games will tell us everything we need to know about this team…
Chief
September 10th, 2010
2:07 pm
I think that old man in Florida should burn the Braves lineup card instead of the Quran. At least burn it whenever McLouth, Glaus and Lee are in it!
FEAR
September 10th, 2010
2:09 pm
Chief – BWAHAHAHA! Funniest thing on here in days
ncscoots
September 10th, 2010
2:10 pm
Better that they burn the old man in Florida, is my thinking.
Sparky
September 10th, 2010
2:10 pm
Try putting yourself in the players’ heads. You’ve just scored three runs in the first inning against a Cy Young candidate pitcher. Everyone in the dugout is smiling and high-fiving. Your pitcher goes out in the second and gives up five runs. That sucks the wind out of you, but it’s early in the game and you believe you can make up three runs. The opposing pitcher seems to have settled in and it’s looking tougher than you thought, but doable. Next inning, you sit on pins and needles as your pitcher loads the bases. You know he’s having a bad night and shouldn’t be in there, but your manager just sits on his can and lets him pitch. You breathe a sigh of relief as he barely gets out of it, but your confidence is shaken. Why is he still in, how many more runs will he give up? Their pitcher seems more determined to not give up another run. The next inning, your pitcher gives up a single followed by a homer. Your manager finally takes him out. You now have to make up five runs against a pitcher that has gotten in your head by publicly stating he will not lose again and pitching like he means it.
MiaBchBravesFan
September 10th, 2010
2:11 pm
Very clever indeed, Chief!
Largo
September 10th, 2010
2:11 pm
JJ is no longer the pitcher he was in 2009. . .not even close.
rammerjammer
September 10th, 2010
2:14 pm
This team is largely a bunch of overachievers (and a few underachievers). Not gonna intimidate anyone. Emotion is great, but even Little Leaguers holler a lot.
No, what the doctor’s ordered tonight is strong pitching and just enough offense to win. That’s been the prescription since May. The boys are gassed, but that’s tough. It’s September for everyone.
Felix Millan
September 10th, 2010
2:15 pm
there are folks on here who will blame last night’s pitching performance on Bobby, and that would be misguided. If JJ wants to be paid like a #2 or #3, he needs to pitch like one.
Conyers Braves Fan
September 10th, 2010
2:15 pm
I`m done with the Braves. However, I feel badly for my son and grandson
who are devoted fans to the point they are ordering playoff tickets. I hope
they will be able to use them.
raleighbravefan
September 10th, 2010
2:16 pm
Why in hell is Phillies Phan OBSESSED with our attendance? What’s up with that. Also, he seems gleeful at our current problems. He must have been terrified that we would eliminate them before the swoon. I think our 14 strait = Phillies p*n*s envy. That’s the only explaination I can come up with. They only have 11 more strait seasons to equal it.
ozzie
September 10th, 2010
2:17 pm
What do the fade stats look like 2000 and forward?
We cannot go back to the 90s for stats or use them as indicators of current or future performance.
For 25+ year fans (such as myself and peers) we can try to do that but it falls flat to the current or even 10 year fan.
No play off appearances since 2005 and lots of one and done from 2000-2005. That is a long time to flame out in Aug, Sept and Oct.
I blame corporate ownership over Bobby but he has been a playoff goat on more than one occasion.
The Braves continue to be a day late and a dollar short on key players that can reverse the fades and who rise to the occasion in pressure spots.
They just cannot get them or afford to keep them.
Until that changes good luck with September and October runs.
Bravesfan
September 10th, 2010
2:17 pm
Thank you DOB!!!!! Alittle fire alittle anger in the blog today I love it. Now all you need to do is mention to Bobby that the blistering hot jhey kid should bat 3rd or 4th since he hits almost .320 with RISP and he hits for more power than prado and will be good to go. Glad to see somebody finally called out the starting pitching bc they have to step up if we wanna make the playoffs however tonight won’t be are night bc righties hit .322 off of minor and pujols and holliday will have afield day with him it will be like extended bp for those two tonight!!
Chop Chop
September 10th, 2010
2:18 pm
I’m done with the Braves.
Let’s go Yankees.
Will
September 10th, 2010
2:19 pm
good blog. This team just has too many glaring errors and its all catching up to them. This offense is atrocious and its just that simple. I even said during that blowout wednesday night it was hilarious how they are pouring on runs when they dont need them, but cant hit at all in the other two games. Bobby Cox’s teams have always gotten tight when it matters most and nothing has changed this year.
ncscoots
September 10th, 2010
2:19 pm
JJ is no longer the pitcher he was in 2009. . .not even close.
Should we have expected him to have a career ERA under three? Just keep banging out those 2.60’s year after year, LOL?
Some posters here have reflected on some of his peripherals from 2009 being unsustainable (small voices drowned out by the roar of the crowd, mostly), and he’s come back to earth a little this year, but so what? The kid is a good pitcher.
Efrim
September 10th, 2010
2:20 pm
I still think run differential is an important thing to look at. Runs that are produced/prevented in blowouts still count. If you don’t think they do, don’t put emphasis on team stats at any point in the year because I’m sure those were accrued in blowouts too. Braves lost some close games in the beginning of the second half because of the bullpen, then the offense sucked, then it was the starting pitching and then it was a mix of both. Let’s hope they can just do enough to get into the playoffs.
Fargo
September 10th, 2010
2:20 pm
Please don’t pheed the trolls Raleigh…I was so proud of the denizens for not responding to his drivel
DaveinNEPA
September 10th, 2010
2:20 pm
I’m kind of at a point now where I don’t care if we make the playoffs or not.
I mean do I want to be disappointed now and get it over with or would I rather be disappointed in October, because either way, as a Braves fan, I’m going to be disappointed.
rammerjammer
September 10th, 2010
2:20 pm
Can’t get over how crowded the ledge is today.
Mike McDonald
September 10th, 2010
2:21 pm
Dave:
Strike up a few choruses of “The Great Pretender”. The Braves held on to the lead for over three months only because in the land of the blind they were the one-eyed king. Now that there are a number of teams who can see with both eyes, the pretense of the Braves as a playoff contender has been revealed to be an optical illusion. Also, play one for Bobby: “The Party’s Over”
Baseball_2010
September 10th, 2010
2:22 pm
The Braves are done. After tonight they will be tied for the WC lead. By Monday they will be 4 back in the East and 2 back in the Wild Card. At the end of the season ATL will be 8 games out of first and it will look like the Phillies handed us our @$$es..
Fire Starter
September 10th, 2010
2:22 pm
ncscoots, if ur gonna burn an old man, make it Bobby.
ncscoots
September 10th, 2010
2:22 pm
What do the fade stats look like 2000 and forward? We cannot go back to the 90s for stats or use them as indicators of current or future performance.
You missed the context there, bubba. I was disputing a factual point, not using the data as an indicator. I didn’t look up any others, because the point was made with just the few I did look up.
Fargo
September 10th, 2010
2:24 pm
Baseball_2010 = Philly Phan
Efrim
September 10th, 2010
2:24 pm
I don’t get why people want to trade Jurrjens this offseason just because he is arb. eligible next year.
oldmike
September 10th, 2010
2:24 pm
How bad is the trade for Ankiel and Kerosene Farnsworth looking? Blanco at the top or bottom of the order getting on base and maybe manufacturing runs would have been preferable to the disaster that has been Ankiel. Let’s not even touch on big Kyle’s gutless efforts. ANd, way too much waiting for the old 3 run homer by old Bobby (again!)
DAP
September 10th, 2010
2:25 pm
nice job DOB, very nice.
weve talked all season about the character of this team…lets see it.
Mark Duncan
September 10th, 2010
2:25 pm
The time is now for the Braves. They need to go out, starting tonight, looking, feeling, and playing like they are going to win every game. Even if they don’t the opposing team must know they were in a brawl and will be in another one the very next day. This attitude needs to carry over until the season ends in death or glory. I’m from Albany, New York and back in the mid to late 80’s me and my buddies would watch a young and relentless Mike Tyson dominate each and every opponent even when he was not at his best. It was his attitude and the way he carried himself which spoke volumes. It all came crashing down of course in February of 1990, but the Braves need to assume that kind of mind set from here on out. Keep the faith people.
Fargo
September 10th, 2010
2:25 pm
Efrim….I think it also has to do with him being a Boras client as well
Jordan
September 10th, 2010
2:26 pm
I’m not overly concerened. The Braves can still right the ship and at least win the Wild Card. I wrote an article on my outlook. Check it out- http://www.tnspsportsnet.com/local-sports/extra-bases-4/
Bravissimo
September 10th, 2010
2:26 pm
Ive been a braves fan ever since my Dad took me to the 3rd game ever played at Fulton County stadium. Ive seen a lot of up and downs, mostly downs, especially during the 70’s and 80’s.
But Im always the eternal optimist during spring training. And now that you do such a wonderful job DOB,I get even more optimistic at springtime.
But youre definitly right,If they dont start executing better now,there will be no playoffs. But I didnt think they really had a chance coming out of spring training, I was just my usual optimistic self.
So win or lose (I certainly hope we win) Ill be reading your reports from spring training,dreaming of that WS trophy. Not to mention your bbq joint reviews!
ncscoots
September 10th, 2010
2:26 pm
Can’t get over how crowded the ledge is today.
Too bad we can’t get the sumbees to just go ahead and jump, LOL. There is obviously no talking them down, but, unfortunately, you can’t push them, either.
Ryan
September 10th, 2010
2:27 pm
The offense just needs to be decent. The problem is Jurrjens and Hanson – they have significantly underperformed expectations at the beginning of the year and their previous stats. This year both have been complete Jeckyll & Hides – one start of 7 innings 1 run ball, followed by a 5-9 run outburst – we need more consistancy.
raleighbravefan
September 10th, 2010
2:29 pm
Fargo – Point well taken. Feeding a troll is like feeding a ferrel cat, or an unwanted guest! In fact, they ARE an unwanted guest.
ncscoots
September 10th, 2010
2:29 pm
I don’t get why people want to trade Jurrjens this offseason just because he is arb. eligible next year.
Last synapse fired and left no functioning brain cells?
Philly Phanatic
September 10th, 2010
2:29 pm
I just started reading this section of the paper about a week ago from Nashville to see if the Braves fans are like the Phils fans. They are. They win 9-0 and bitch why they can’t even score 10 runs. Another observation is getting on Frank Wren for not bringing in high profile players via trade or free agency. It’s simple. It’s the Braves fans or better put the lack of them. To compare the Phils/Braves attendance difference. the Phils average 45,000 every night, the Braves 30,000. Do the math. 15,000 x average ticket price (say $25.00) is $375,000 per night x 81 is over $30,000,000. Last night I watched a bit and it seemed the whole upper deck was empty. It looked like a Marlins game. One other point is your manager who is very difficult to not like. Getting thrown out of games is fun to watch and usually incites the fans and players. In the long run, do you really think you’re going to get that close call in a tight situation when the guy sitting in the dugout has put on his vaudville act to embarress you several times during the year. Meanwhile, that redneck who’s dumber than a fox sits in the Phils dugout and realizes he’s batting .000 changing umpires minds.
Efrim
September 10th, 2010
2:29 pm
I’m kind of at a point now where I don’t care if we make the playoffs or not.
Come on…are you serious? Heck man, I’ll take a first round exit. I want to at least taste the playoffs again.
Salty Dawg
September 10th, 2010
2:31 pm
The time is now for the Braves. They need to go out, starting tonight, looking, feeling, and playing like they are going to win every game. Even if they don’t the opposing team must know they were in a brawl and will be in another one the very next day.
Agreed. Bust it out of the box like you’re running from an attack dog, hard slides when the opportunity arises, running down fly balls even if you have to eat the wall, occasional chin music for the opposing batters. If there’s a player leaving the field without dirt on his uni he needs a blanket party in the clubhouse. If the Braves start playing with some fire they will win and the fans will show up.
La bala de plata
September 10th, 2010
2:32 pm
Atlanta braves are very patetic team
Murph
September 10th, 2010
2:32 pm
Time for a closed door, players-only meeting. What? Oh yeah, I forgot, this team doesn’t have any leadership and hasn’t for a long, long time. Ok then, I’m sure Bobby will say something about his team’s horrible play. Huh? Right, that’s not his style. He’ll tell them how great they are doing as they lose 8 out of their next 10 and drop out of the race completely.
Well, there’s always next year. I’m sure Wren will go out and fix the outfield problems. Really? He built this outfield? Hmmmmmm. There’s always Falcon football I s’pose.
La anaconda
September 10th, 2010
2:33 pm
They have not heart at this point.
Chop Chop
September 10th, 2010
2:34 pm
The Braves are 28-25 with a +49 run differential since the ASB.
What should their record be in the second half based on run differential?
I’m asking because I don’t know.
(By the way, the team was 52-36 in the first half with a +69 run differential.)
La anaconda
September 10th, 2010
2:34 pm
Everi years is more the sem
Luman Harris
September 10th, 2010
2:35 pm
MiaBechBraves fan –
You have a short memory. How do you think Bobby Cox teams got in the playoffs in 91 92 93 ….. with huge stretch runs.
Why don’t you go root for the Yankees or something? You have a lot of nerve calling yourself a fan.
Luman Harris
September 10th, 2010
2:36 pm
Murph –
How would you have any idea who this team’s leaders are?
Luman Harris
September 10th, 2010
2:37 pm
and the rest of you bandwagon jumpers, go right ahead.
hope no one breaks an ankle on the way off.
Fargo
September 10th, 2010
2:37 pm
your patetic La bala de plata
Peter
September 10th, 2010
2:37 pm
Dave…you can’t teach SPEED.and we don’t have any…..Period
Our outfield beside Hayward is SLOW…..balls get to the wall easily….and wow the ERRORS !
In general we are and old bunch of over weight guys who are clumsy and slow.
Bobby Cox is the team example, we have a few guys that look good..but the rest..well they look like weekend beer drinking softball players.
They are tired……. we are one of the oldest teams in the majors…..Look it up !
Wren killed the chemistry…… and what will we have to look forward for next year ?