Presley’s a candidate for Braves hitting coach job
Jim Presley is a finalist to become the next hitting coach of the Braves, who are expected to interview one or two more candidates before making a decision.
New Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez had Presley as his hitting coach for 3-1/2 seasons with the Florida Marlins, who fired those two and bench coach Carlos Tosca on June 23.
Tosca will rejoin Gonzalez in Atlanta as bench coach, joining four holdover coaches from former manager Bobby Cox’s staff: pitching coach Roger McDowell, third-base coach Brian Snitker, bullpen coach Eddie Perez, and Terry Pendleton.
Pendleton was switched from hitting coach to first-base coach in place of Glenn Hubbard, who was dropped from the Braves staff along with bench coach Chino Cadahia.
Presley, 49, played eight seasons in the majors including 1990 with Atlanta, when he started 133 games at third base. Coincidentally, Pendleton took over at third base in 1991, the year Pendleton won the National League MVP award and helped lead the Braves from worst to first in their division.
Presley played for Seattle during his first six seasons and was an All-Star third baseman in 1986, when he hit .265 with 27 homers and 107 RBIs.
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316 comments Add your comment
Obee
October 26th, 2010
6:11 pm
cool, Elvis’s brother.
Dale_in_nc
October 26th, 2010
6:12 pm
Great. I was afraid of this. Instead of hiring the best coach, he’s going to bring in everyone who was fired with him in Fla.
turnin2
October 26th, 2010
6:20 pm
Why? oh yeah, because he’s Fredi’s buddy…. can’t go with the best choice of course (or else we’d have dropped TP permanently). The baseball version of the Good Ol’ Boys Club – who cares if they are the most qualified, they are buds!
Birdman
October 26th, 2010
6:21 pm
I remember Pressley from 1990. I had season tickets to the worst team in the league at the worst stadium. About 5k showed up to each game, so if you yelled at a player he would hear you. Pressley struck out looking on 3 pitches, and I yelled from about row 5 as he walked back to the dugout, “if you swing the bat you might get lucky and hit it”. He stopped in his tracks and stared at me for what seemed an eternity but was probably a few secs. I hope that message stuck with him if he is to be our hitting coach.
chris
October 26th, 2010
6:22 pm
Dale_in_nc- right now, not too many good hitting coaches want to be the hitting coach for the braves. the lineup was pretty weak the last couple of seasons. coaches dont want their jobs in jeopardy.
Chop Chop
October 26th, 2010
6:24 pm
Jim Presley, he of the career .247/.290/.420.
As they say, those who can’t do (all that well), teach. Let’s hope Presley lives up to that.
Birdman
October 26th, 2010
6:25 pm
DOB, any idea about what targets we might have for outfielders? Right now you could hire McGwire and Bonds as co-hitting coaches and it would take about a ton of cream and clear to get this team to hit. Someone mentioned the Rays werent thrilled with Upton in the middle of last year. Any chance he is available to patrol center plus another professional hitter we can target for left? Upton had a bad year but is talented.
Obee
October 26th, 2010
6:26 pm
Lighten up, guys. The clubhouse music should be very good.
billy
October 26th, 2010
6:33 pm
Enter your comments here
Tami
October 26th, 2010
6:35 pm
I’m with Chop Chop. A little soon to pass judgment, but I’m not exactly thrilled. I wanted Baylor for hitting coach, actually. But then again, I’m not Fredi Gonzalez.
foultip
October 26th, 2010
6:44 pm
I say we skip hiring a hitting coach and use the money on an outfielder.
Instead of the hitting coach, just buy some DVD instructional hitting tapes.
Baylor4Help
October 26th, 2010
6:51 pm
The choice is obvious. Get the Big Bopper Baylor back into a Braves uniform!!!
We need him Fredi.
Thank you
Birdman
October 26th, 2010
6:55 pm
foultip, very good idea. Also dont forget we have Chipper on the bench collecting about 13mil. Lets get our money out of that and have him be a player-hitting coach. I am sure he knows how to turn on a DVD player as well. if he hits .250 but somehow gets Heyward hitting like a young Chipper it will be a good investment.
Desibrave
October 26th, 2010
6:55 pm
I have no problem with anyone as hitting coach.. Anyone for that matter should be better than Terry Pendelton.
Just check this out guys.. Chipper’s dad , Mccann’s dad helped them better than Pendelton. What does that tell us? Those guys who are not even good enough to be hitting coaches were better than Pendelton and whereas the Preisley guy has 3 1/2 years of coaching experience with marlins.
Lets go for it.. done deal
Bryan G.
October 26th, 2010
6:56 pm
What…was Odibe McDowell not available? How about Alexis Infante? Nick Esasky?
Eric In Albany N.Y.
October 26th, 2010
6:56 pm
I honestly dont care who the hitting coach is as long as its someone other than TP i think its fair to give gonzalez the chance to have the say in some of his coaching staff. i think the braves know you have to let a manager put his own finger print on the team. i honestly dont know how this presley guy has really done in his career and what he may be able to do. however i think if freddie is going to do a good job as skipper i believe he needs the ability to take control an hire his own coaches.
im not so sure what i think about freddie and his crew being fired. from what i could tell everyone around baseball seemed to know that freddie was going to try to come to atlanta. i think the marlins knew this too. i think the marlins knew they were likely going to lose some of these guys and they used a bad streach of the season to fire freddie in order to move on forward mid season rather than try to hire someone right now. i wouldnt put any stock in these guys being fired.
Billionaire Ted
October 26th, 2010
6:57 pm
The Billionaire had Jim on my payroll in 1990 and telling you Fredi not a great decision. Go get Jack Clark.
Tallahassee Fan
October 26th, 2010
6:58 pm
I agree, Baylor is the best choice. Presley had too big a swing as a player–every at bat was either a home run or a strikeout.
Presley's Kinsman
October 26th, 2010
7:04 pm
Give Jim a chance, a’ight? Don’t be Cruel. Keep them premature opinions Way Down. Wise men say only fools rush in. I Just Can’t Help Believing Jim’ll get Atlanta to The Promised Land. It’s Now or Never In the Ghetto. Could do with a Little Less Conversation from all these Suspicious Minds.
Reid in EAV
October 26th, 2010
7:09 pm
Andres Thomas? No?
kudzu
October 26th, 2010
7:15 pm
Baylor’s out…he’s going to the Diamondbacks…
Jim
October 26th, 2010
7:19 pm
Honestly, when was the last time that a hitting coach, a third base coach, or a first base coach got anyone to the playoffs or further? It is a job that the teams feel they need but they really have very little effect on the product. Let the new manager pick his coaches and move on. Go Braves!!
Kat
October 26th, 2010
7:21 pm
Interesting to hear Presley’s name thrown in there. It makes sense he’s gonna want to bring some of his people with him to Atlanta. I agree that right now it will be great to get anyone different in there to see how they can get these guys to produce at the plate.
Eric In Albany N.Y.
October 26th, 2010
7:22 pm
SAY IT JIM!!!! LET THE NEW MANAGER PICK HIS COACHES AND MOVE ON!!! if he is happy he will do a good job as manager!
Vahidawg
October 26th, 2010
7:24 pm
Howie McCann 2010
“see the ball. Be…be the ball”
Vahidawg
October 26th, 2010
7:26 pm
Eric, since you dont care at all and it doesn’t matter- why not Pendleton?
steveP
October 26th, 2010
7:27 pm
really? This is the best we could do?
david
October 26th, 2010
7:27 pm
he cant do any worse, don baylor would still have been my first choice
kd
October 26th, 2010
7:29 pm
I find it interesting that there are so many authorities on hitting coaches. Can anyone tell me Presley’s philosophies about hitting? What about his teaching ability? I would imagine the only thing that I will get is some snide comment about TP.
I get that TP and our hitters didn’t make a connection. It is time for a change. However, teachers can only do as their students will allow, and as the student’s ability will allow.
Relax. The correlation between Presley’s career average and his ability to instruct, have very little in common. Many good hitters/players perform because they are naturally superior. They can’t teach what they do, nor can they relate to many different needs/styles/approaches.
Many times, a guy that has struggled has to have learned “how” to hit, how to adjust- thus making the connection to other players’ needs. A great teacher isn’t how much they know (see most PhD’s), but rather how they covey the information.
There is zero proof that being a great player makes for a great coach.
It is very shallow thinking to say that a guy that .265 hitter can’t teach hitting.
Earl
October 26th, 2010
7:29 pm
I didn’t know Jim Presley was the brother of Elvis!! LOL……..The club house pre-game theme song shuld be “Just a hunka hunka Burning Wood”.
Tommy Boggs
October 26th, 2010
7:34 pm
Mike Maddux is a great pitching coach, but a below average pitcher.
Give the guy a chance or change the name of this blog to the Braves whine line.
Bubba Joe
October 26th, 2010
7:35 pm
Pete Rose for hitting coach.
Eric In Albany N.Y.
October 26th, 2010
7:36 pm
“Eric, since you dont care at all and it doesn’t matter- why not Pendleton?”
i was for a new manager because i think a new fire in the clubhouse makes all the difference. i think any new fire or change in the clubhouse is a good thing. i think its time to change terry but i think he will be great as an infield coach. i think he can create a new fire. i also think that his fire went out as a hitting coach. i dont think it matters who is the coach but i do think it matters that the job doesnt get stail for the person doing it.
if you dont understand what i mean by fire in the clubhouse… see also eric hinsky! i think there is just some people who make the team stay alive over the long long long spring training and regular season.
jj
October 26th, 2010
7:38 pm
Who was M.Prado and Afante’s batting coach?I wonder was it the batting coach or who was batting.I think the big move was getting a new manager,and I hate it was two(2)years too late.GO BRAVES
Mike A
October 26th, 2010
7:49 pm
What of the incident where Presley allegedly choked his mother when playing for the Braves in 1990? That’s the first thing I thought of when his name was brought up for hitting coach. I don’t recall how it was resolved, but I remember it being an embarrassing time for the Braves organization. Perhaps charges were dropped, but still, it seems a bit strange to bring him back.
sealift
October 26th, 2010
7:50 pm
What I remember about Pressley was his foot rocking batting stance, no sense of
rhythm in his swing. Much like a golfer with nervous yips feet.
where is Brett Butler these days. there’s a guy who could work the count, get his
pitch, move the runner.
tjhook
October 26th, 2010
7:56 pm
Since we’re bringing back old Atlanta Braves performers pre-1991, why not send in a call to Ken Oberkfell. He had the best average of the Braves’ regulars.
Smitty
October 26th, 2010
8:01 pm
Jim Presley couldn’t hit his way out of a paper bag he failed.
JD
October 26th, 2010
8:05 pm
You gotta be kidding me? A career .247 hitter as a hitting coach? C’mon this is a joke right? Hang on, i’ll bring my 13 year old over, he’s hitting .475 or so against so-so pitching this fall. Nothing to write home about, but then again, this isn’t either….
*yawn* – isn’t Dale Murphy available?? at least he was a career .265 hitter….
I’m just saying –
Freddi, if you’re going to hire a hitting coach, hire a hitting coach and not your best friend…
JD
October 26th, 2010
8:05 pm
@smitty – couldn’t agree more.
UGA Bail Bonds
October 26th, 2010
8:07 pm
This is kind of crazy to me,the new skipper thing. My three fav teams haven’t changed the top guy in over 15 years. Utah Jazz,Sloan 22 yaers. Tenn Titans,Fisher 17 years and the Braves and Bobby. Coaches come and go but this is going to be interesting during the hot stove season. Go Braves, we need a big stick at clean up.
Poorbrave
October 26th, 2010
8:08 pm
Sure would love to see Greg Walker as hitting coach. Not a fan of Presleys but understand the good ole’boy system…nothing changes except thank God TP is not hitting coach. He should be gone.
Owner of a Lonely Heart
October 26th, 2010
8:15 pm
Presley’s Kinsman – Thank you very much!
George Brett for hitting coach
October 26th, 2010
8:21 pm
Why on earth is Snitker still our 3rd base coach? This would be a perfect role for Pendleton. I beleive he would florish in this role. Snitker hasn’t got a clue on how to be a 3rd base coach.
StevenG
October 26th, 2010
8:35 pm
What was wrong with Hubbard as the first base coach? I know he was credited with also being a great help to our young second basemen over the years. Pendelton on the other hand only has one thing going for him and it can’t be spoken for fear of being politically incorrect. Let’s at least make an effort to get the Texas Rangers hitting coach. It can’t hurt, and he’s well known to be the best in the biz.
Mike Jay
October 26th, 2010
8:36 pm
You all are way overestimating the value of a hitting coach whilst knowing nothing of how Presely coaches, his philosophies or teaching ability. It’s more psychology and knowledge then one time ability.
sdwhite
October 26th, 2010
8:46 pm
If you look at what the Marlins did with the bat while having the lowest payroll in baseball you’ll realize that Presley must be doing something right. Give him a chance.
Atlanta braves fan of south
October 26th, 2010
8:50 pm
The hitting coach needs let players swing on the 2 pitch . The 1st pitch will always be a ball in most cases and then number 2 outside left , 3rd is down the middle .
I think most hitting coaching is trying to find out when to swing . Hitting is hard, and what better guy to have as a hitting coach than someone on the 1991 1992 braves that went from worst to first . they seen bad pitches and bad hitting and good pitching and good hitting . they would know
bluedevilcbw
October 26th, 2010
8:53 pm
**** Presley. Get Don Baylor. It makes the most sense and it’s what Chipper wants.
UGA Bail Bonds
October 26th, 2010
8:58 pm
@stevenG The Rangers hitting coach is now Clint Hurdle,the former Rockies skipper. You might be thinking of the of the guy,can’t remember his name,who is now the Cubs hitting coach.
DK
October 26th, 2010
9:05 pm
Here are the marlins team batting averages for the three full seasons FG and his staff were in there.
2007. BA. 267. Ranked 8th in the NL.
2008. BA. 254. Ranked 11th in the NL.
2009. BA. 268. Ranked 3rd in the NL.
The stats are from baseball reference.com
o-me
October 26th, 2010
9:16 pm
blue how do u know what chipper wants?
Just say no to Presley!
David O'Brien
October 26th, 2010
9:21 pm
Let’s at least make an effort to get the Texas Rangers hitting coach. It can’t hurt, and he’s well known to be the best in the biz. — StevenG
If you’re talking about Rudy Jaramillo, he left the Rangers a year ago, was with the Chicago Cubs in 2010. The Rangers did OK in the first year he was gone.
JC Bravo
October 26th, 2010
9:35 pm
You knuckleheads realize that many hitting and pitching coaches never even made it to the bigs, right? The “great” Rudy Jaramillo is an example of this. I could care less whether a guy could hit big league pitching- that comes down to skill. Many times great players can’t teach because most of what they did was god given and can’t be articulated.
Cornfuzed
October 26th, 2010
9:40 pm
I would also like to see Don Baylor come back. He did an outstanding job when he was here before. But I’m going to give Fredi and Frank the benefit of the doubt with this choice- I think you have to.
Looking Forward to Freddies (both of them)
October 26th, 2010
9:45 pm
DK – thank for posting the stats.
Unfortunately, it is such a small sample size containing so many variables that it is extremely difficult to conclude anything about Presley’s ability to coach hitting. I like the 2009 .268 line but am less enthused by the 2008 .254 line. The Marlin’s had (have) a good hitting line up and they have hit decently – I do not know whether that is due to coaching, the hitters themselves, or a mix of both.
I do not specifically remember anyone on the Marlins slumping last year (like McClouth and Escobar did here). Neither does anyone on the Marlins come to mind as a player who utterly failed to fulfill expectations as a hitter. I guess these could be good signs that at least Presley is not a bad hitting coach…still his stats as a player were not that impressive – even when he was an all-star.
I do not think the Braves hit to their potential under Pendleton. I think they underperformed. Thus I was one of the people arguing that Pendleton should go (..though I am very glad he remained with the organization).
David O'Brien
October 26th, 2010
9:46 pm
JC Bravo: Yeah, I guess these same folks drawing connections between a player’s career averages and coaching ability would sure never have hired Leo Mazzone. Or Jaramillo. Or Mike Maddux. Or Dave Duncan (certainly not as a pitching coach, since he didn’t pitch). And on and on….
sgarcia
October 26th, 2010
9:51 pm
or bobby cox
Hit A Single
October 26th, 2010
9:52 pm
Don Baylor will be in Arizona.
Dawgdad (The Original)
October 26th, 2010
9:53 pm
You guys who would not hire Pressley because of his inability to pitch, should realize that Leo Mazzone never was a good enough pitcher to make the majors, neither was Tommy Lasorda. Mike Maddux and Randy St Clair and Roger McDowell are good pitching coaches, who were not outstanding pitchers. Bobby Cox was no Mike Schmidt in the majors.
lee
October 26th, 2010
9:53 pm
well now we go from having Pendelton, the worst hitting coach in baseball, to having a lot to do with the braves defense!!! talking about going from the “frying pan into the fire” when Pendelton said he was excited to get to other aspects of the game where he thought he had some great ideas to help the team, it gave me nightmares. i mean this is the “brain” that allowed him to say to himself that he was a “great” hitting coach!!!!!! he should have been gone and should have NO influence on this team!!!
Dawgdad (The Original)
October 26th, 2010
9:54 pm
should be inability to hit
Looking Forward to Freddies (both of them)
October 26th, 2010
9:55 pm
Hit A Single
October 26th, 2010
9:52 pm
Don Baylor will be in Arizona.
….and that is a crying shame.
Hit A Single
October 26th, 2010
9:58 pm
Don’t know if he would be interested but Fred McGriff always seemed like a good managerial or coach. He sure could hit and heard he did clinics. Would be a great hire. We could have another Fire Night to get the bats hot.
Hit A Single
October 26th, 2010
9:59 pm
Pendleton catches alot of flack, but he sure contributed in the worst to first.
Pepe Frias
October 26th, 2010
10:01 pm
At this rate….Fredi’s time in Atlanta will be short. He makes poor choices for coaches. He probably will be given a half-ass team by ownership and management. I figure two seasons and Chuck Tanner, Russ Nixon……..just add Fredi to the list of losing managers.
Looking Forward to Freddies (both of them)
October 26th, 2010
10:03 pm
Hit A Single
October 26th, 2010
9:58 pm
Don’t know if he would be interested but Fred McGriff always seemed like a good managerial or coach. He sure could hit and heard he did clinics. Would be a great hire. We could have another Fire Night to get the bats hot.
Haha….In all seriousness, though, I agree. I am pretty sure I saw him in a handful of instructional video advertisements. I do not know whether that was just star power or whether he really did coach hitting well. I would be open to the idea. He could be a real fire starter for this organization, just like he was the first time around.
hAL
October 26th, 2010
10:07 pm
all prestley has to know about is fake thumb injurys lol
JOJO
October 26th, 2010
10:11 pm
DON BAYLOR WAS HIRED AS HITTING COACH BY THE DIAMONDBACKS TODAY!
bamakirk
October 26th, 2010
10:14 pm
You guys are nuts. Being a good hitter does not make you a good swing coach. Look at all of the great swing coaches on the PGA tour. They are teaching guys who can beat them by 10 shots, but they must be pretty good at what they do.
Michael Ruffin
October 26th, 2010
10:14 pm
How ’bout Mike Lum?
kd
October 26th, 2010
10:22 pm
Again….show evidence that correlates good player to good teacher. Being able to do something well, and being able to teach it well are completely separate things.
Good players struggle to understand different approaches because they are naturally gifted. Typically, they don’t have to work as hard as some, and they do things so naturally that they can’t understand why others can’t. Often, they can’t relate to, or are not patient enough to work with those that can’t do as they do. Understanding multiple concepts and being able to translate the information is very different than being able to hit.
This isn’t a difficult concept to grasp.
Puma
October 26th, 2010
10:23 pm
Why don’t they hire Don Baylor?? (joking)
Gene
October 26th, 2010
10:28 pm
Fredi gets to pick his coaches. We will know how well he did this time next year.
Craig
October 26th, 2010
10:33 pm
I always love the “glass is half empty” crowd that always comes on these blogs to add their intelligent incites to the local sports world. It’s great we live in a country where you can express your opinions. That being said, a few of you are total morons who would not know a baseball if it was shoved up your a**. That is my opinion.
The Need To Know
October 26th, 2010
10:37 pm
D.O.B. any idea who the others being considered for hitting coach may be?
Me personally, I like the Brett Butler suggestion but am not sure about his
health these days. But if he is fully recovered and healthy he not only would
possibly make a good hitting coach but could help with base running also.
Nobleman
October 26th, 2010
10:39 pm
A good choice, his player stats not the deciding factor, it’s also chemistry.
turnin2
October 26th, 2010
10:41 pm
Promote Jamie Dismuke…
JD
October 26th, 2010
10:43 pm
DOB’s got a good point, I stand corrected. Check this link out for even more backup on hitting coaches:
http://www.halosheaven.com/2010/8/20/1630102/fire-hatcher-five-myths-about-mlb
Great article.
Just a thought.....
October 26th, 2010
10:45 pm
What About Milt Thompson?
John in Wichita
October 26th, 2010
10:47 pm
George Brett’s most notable hitting coach was Charlie Lau. mlb.com says Lau only hit .255 and many seasons below the Mendoza line. The swing he taught ole George was pretty sweet.
Doug in Tally
October 26th, 2010
11:06 pm
Vote for Bob Horner
Old man
October 26th, 2010
11:17 pm
I guess the best thing Frank and Fredi could do to insure success is read the comments on AJC.com every day. The Atlanta area has an abundance of self proclaimed experts on playing, managing, and coaching.
The only thing they would have work out is how the Braves could have six managers, forty five players, ten coaches, an unlimited budget, and how to be excluded from MLB rules.
Chop Chop
October 26th, 2010
11:20 pm
Note: If Wren upgrades what the hitting coach has to work with, the hitting coach will look smart.
Lank
October 26th, 2010
11:30 pm
I was hoping they would ask Julio Franco.
Tired Of It
October 26th, 2010
11:36 pm
For all of u who hate T.P.(for no good reason) and want him gone from the Braves completely, why not take it a step further and get rid of all the African Americans on the team completely? Oh i forgot, they already did, and it’s one of the reasons this team will never be more than a 1st round loser. It seems(to me anyway) that the braves lack of success for the last 6 years correlates to the lack of(purposely?) american diversity, making for no speed on defense, or offense. It seems every time the braves have men on 1st base they are not able to make it home on doubles hit into the corners, or get back on balls hit to the wall when on defense, not to mention the lack of basestealing ability. The only thing they can count on is hitting home runs, and they don’t do that well either. As long as they purposely try to limit players with speed and power, they will continue to be a 1st round knockout, if they make it that far. Having no creativity on offense, and no flair on defense= losing, regardless of who’s managing or coaching.
big dawg
October 26th, 2010
11:45 pm
The only thing I don’t like about Ol’ Jim is if you notice all the Marlins done was hit homeruns. This Braves team can’t put up homers like Ramirez, Uggla, Cantu(when he was there), and the Stanton kid, Just saying if the Braves had the bats with power then I am all for Jim but they don’t. So why don’t they go after someone who can show them how to go to the opposite field. I can’t remember which game it was against the Giants but dude was painting the outside corner to our lefties and they let it go, gotta learn to go to the opposite field. If you need pointers then ask J-HEY he did it better than anyone on the team.
Thomas
October 27th, 2010
12:17 am
The credit given to hitting coaches and the criticism are both undeserved. Phils fire their hitting coach when the team was not hitting, but he was the hitting coach in 2007 – 2009 when they outhit everyone. Was he the reason they were doing so good and if so did he all of a sudden became worthless? apparently his replacement was no good either, based on their performance in the playoffs.
I doubt Freddi Gonzalez would hire Pressley because he was with him in Miami, also if that was the case he would have named him at the time he named the bench coach.
Freddi I belieeve you want to win here and therefore will hire the person you consider best for the job, good luck Freddi.
Jeff
October 27th, 2010
12:19 am
I guess Biff Pocoroba wasn’t available… or Terry Harper… or Brad Komminsk… or Rufino Lineras… or Randy Johnson… or Jeff Treadway.
I’m not crazy about JP as a potential hire, but I’ll give Gonzalez some time… we in Atlanta had BETTER give Fredi a couple of years to turn this into HIS team… it can’t happen overnight. If, in year 3, this team is worse than it was in 2010, then we can think about changes… but personally, I like Fredi and his intelligence and his leadership style, so I’ll defend him until proven otherwise.
That being said… the Braves should go after whoever was the Washington Nationals’ hitting coach this year… they KILLED the Braves and they ALWAYS got clutch hits when I saw them! And THAT guy had very little talent to work with… just food for thought.
Bob M.
October 27th, 2010
12:20 am
Glenn Hubbard may be the nicest guy in baseball. I remember the early 80’s when he used to sit in his truck and talk baseball to kids in his neighborhood. He signed every autograph and was always friendly to the fans… and he was/is a good first base coach. If anyone should have kept his job it’s Glenn.
Rick Riehl
October 27th, 2010
12:29 am
how about Lemke at least he could hit in October . I would have wanted Baylor too but there has to be some up and comers .
In Fredi I Trust
October 27th, 2010
12:39 am
Chill everyone, it says that this guy is a finalist, he hasn’t been hired as of yet. I am sure their are several other options out there, we just need to wait and see what happens.
Baylor would have been a good choice, Bob Horner or Dale Murphy would be great choices, Fred McGriff would be a nice addition, and I love the idea of Pete Rose but because the commissioner of baseball Bud Selig is a knob, that won’t ever happen.
I don’t know enough about this Presley guy to pass judgment just yet, but I really hope that Fredi makes the best choice for the team, and doesn’t go off of personal feelings. There is a time for real options, and there is a time for friends. When a team is trying to get back to being a World Series contender, they need to get the right personnel in place without looking back.
Dave
October 27th, 2010
12:45 am
Okay, let’s see then; here’s the stats, you guess the player:
MLB Appearances: 47
AB: 99
Hits: 25 (all singles)
HR: 0
RBI: 4
Lifetime BA: .253
Give up? It was Walt Hriniak, one of the foremost hitting instructors/coaches in baseball history.
Still though, whoever becomes the hitting coach needs to teach how to put the ball in play, not just swinging for the bleachers. The Braves need to repay the favor of being base-hit to death throughout the years. They have the pitching, now they just need the conversion to being a station-to-station team. Brooks Conrad probably won’t be around next year to save the day with a bottom of the ninth inning grand slam.
DaveDawg96
October 27th, 2010
1:11 am
This is Fredi’s club and Fredi’s call to make. If he wants Presley, then Presley it should be. I support whoever he wants. Really people, go become a MLB manager before second-guessing Fredi’s possible hires. Or at least give Fredi the chance to actually manage a game for the Braves before doubting him.
Tired of it, what , tired of being a fool?
October 27th, 2010
1:20 am
“why not take it a step further and get rid of all the African Americans on the team completely? Oh i forgot, they already did, ”
Last I checked, Heyward is Black( I refuse to use that silly A A term) and we traded for Derek Lee.
How many blacks have to be on the roster to make you happy?
Kawakami + McLouth = a Rasmus jersey
October 27th, 2010
2:57 am
“why not take it a step further and get rid of all the African Americans on the team completely? Oh i forgot, they already did, and it’s one of the reasons this team will never be more than a 1st round loser. It seems(to me anyway) that the braves lack of success for the last 6 years correlates to the lack of(purposely?) american diversity, making for no speed on defense, or offense.”
Grow up dude
yogi2
October 27th, 2010
3:34 am
good choice in Pressley. he tutored alot of good hitters in Florida.
I guess we could make Mclouth hitting coach and use reverse psycology.
Frank Wren should release McLouth, Kawakami, and Conrad. A new manager should not be burdened with those players and expect to win.
Biff Pocaroba
October 27th, 2010
5:45 am
Why not Biff Pocaroba?
I love the Braves
October 27th, 2010
5:54 am
Bill Meeks would be the smart choice. I once saw him beat an ant hill all to hell with a bat. Leon could sell him a car to drive. Chuck will crush it. Barbara will eat it.
Chipper's ACL
October 27th, 2010
6:05 am
I don’t agree with the TP move either. A first base coach should have the ability to assist the team with base running. I would have prefered Dave Collins. Not surprised Pressley’s name mentioned. McDowell has been a fair pitching coach but Curt Young from Oak would’ve been a huge signing. Talking about developing young arms, this guy has dont it.
dagnabit
October 27th, 2010
6:12 am
Andres Thomas? Talk about a blast from the past. A shortstop who couldn’t stop anything.
Rowland Office
October 27th, 2010
6:33 am
Mike A, yeah that mother shoving incident was the first thing I thought of too (he may have more Jerry Lee in him than Elvis).
That, and I think he was maybe the first Braves interviewed while walking into the team hotel, the day Murph was traded.
tim
October 27th, 2010
6:34 am
Great he gets to bring in his buddy and by Liberty Media standards must be the cheapest one out there too. He keeps TP and gets rid of Hubby terrific way to get off to a fresh start Bobby , I mean Freddi guess we won’t see any difference.
Duggo
October 27th, 2010
6:45 am
Why don’t we just run a Tom Emanski instructional video on a loop in the dugout? That would save some money. What are those things, 29.99 plus shipping and handling? Get on the phone now!!!
jdawg
October 27th, 2010
6:50 am
Not so sure ’bout that Birdman. Last I heard, Chipper had a chipped fingernail. He won’t be pushin’ any buttons on the DVD player for awhile.
Duggo
October 27th, 2010
7:10 am
Ha!!! Well, looks like someone beat me to that joke. Thanks jdawg.
Horse With A Name
October 27th, 2010
7:48 am
Yeah Braves hired Freddy because he is just like Bobby, laid-back and let’s the players run the team. I wanted a new manager that was young and energetic. Instead we get an incarnation of Bobby. Bobby should have just stayed on if they were going to hire his clone. Why not hire Cal Ripken Jr or Tony Gwynn as manager ? They know what a winner is and how to hit and teach the Braves to hit. Freddy is about a zero.
Rod
October 27th, 2010
7:48 am
Seriously?
Career he was at: .247 / 135 / 495
A career .247 hitter who’s best year was at .275 – and that’s a hitting coach? And, no – he doesn’t have great power either. 135 total career homers and he never hit 30 in a season.
Aren’t hitting coaches supposed to be good hitters?
Ocee
October 27th, 2010
7:49 am
We keep Pendleton and don’t keep Glenn Hubbard go figure.
Horse With A Name
October 27th, 2010
7:51 am
Freddy’s giving his Marlins buddies jobs. Why not interview and hire the best qualified person ? Cronyism rules baby !
Horse With A Name
October 27th, 2010
7:54 am
Rod, it appears that mediocrity is acceptable with Freddy & Wren. The Cardinals hire McGwire and Braves wanna hire Pressley… Ouch ! Give Cal Ripken Jr. a buzz , Wren…
JobEasy
October 27th, 2010
7:55 am
I personally think they should just promote Rafael Belliard from roving minor league instructor to hitting coach.
Horse With A Name
October 27th, 2010
7:59 am
Wouldn’t logic tell you that a hitting coach should have been a great hitter to be qualified to instruct other hitters ? So Pressley’s gonna teach them all to hit .240 like him ?
puff
October 27th, 2010
7:59 am
Presley could hit. He was arrested for hitting his mother, if memory serves.
SavannahBraves Fan
October 27th, 2010
8:00 am
I don’t understand all the hating on TP. Yes, Atlanta had a bad year hitting this year. The greatest hitting coach in the world couldn’t do any better with that we had this year. Everyone keeps saying they wanted Baylor now, but truth be told, Atlanta didn’t have a tremendous hitting year when he was here. I agree, he is a good coach, but he didn’t do better than TP did here. Look at these numbers:
Baylor, 1999: Team Avg .266
Merv Rettenmund, 2000: Team Avg .271
TP, 2001-2010, Five Times Team Avg over .270 with a high of .284!
There was only one season where the team hit under .260, which was this year. Change should be good, but there is no reason to hate on TP!
Horse With A Name
October 27th, 2010
8:01 am
Does DOB have naked photos of Tom Waits er sommin’ ?
Horse With A Name
October 27th, 2010
8:03 am
TP was fantastic at sitting in the dugout eating 2 bags of sunflower seeds while Braves got shutout game after game. The stadium clean up guy hated TP.
Horse With A Name
October 27th, 2010
8:05 am
“Jamey Johnson on Leno tonight.”
And just who is this Jamey Johnson any way ?
Horse With A Name
October 27th, 2010
8:06 am
If it were Randy Johnson maybe we sports fans would care about Leno.
Horse With A Name
October 27th, 2010
8:09 am
Why doesn’t Freddy use his Marlins ties to hire either Andre Dawson or Gary Sheffield as hitting instructors / Those guys could rake. Presley ? I cracked a rib laughing…
E-6
October 27th, 2010
8:10 am
Not sure that Presley is the answer but his .247 average means squat. There were a couple hitting coaches who both played for the Braves whose career averages were .253 and .255 respectively. Their names were Charlie Lau and Walt Hriniak. A third guy who’s also done pretty well, Rudy Jaramillo had a .258 MINOR LEAGUE average – never made it to the majors.
Horse With A Name
October 27th, 2010
8:11 am
I guess Braves figure if a 53-60 Roger McDowell can be pitching coach then a .245 Presley can be hitting coach ? Just toss logic straight the hell out da window.
Horse With A Name
October 27th, 2010
8:12 am
.253 & .255 respectively ? What’s to be respected about being a crummy hitter ?
Horse With A Name
October 27th, 2010
8:14 am
If a guy can’t sky dive how can he teach somebody else to sky dive ? There ya go…
Horse With A Name
October 27th, 2010
8:16 am
Just let Kenshin Kawakami be the new pitching coach while you are hiring sorry hitting coaches…
Horse With A Name
October 27th, 2010
8:19 am
If I were manager, John Smoltz would be my pitching coach and Cal Ripken Jr. my hitting coach (assuming they would accept the jobs). Instead we get McDowell & Presley ? LMAO.
SavannahBraves Fan
October 27th, 2010
8:35 am
You must be pretty bored Horse….either that or need a job
lefty fielder
October 27th, 2010
8:41 am
i think Horse should be banned for not knowing who jamey johnson is
jc
October 27th, 2010
8:45 am
nick esasky was considered but he kept getting dizzy and falling over during the interview.
Mike Jay
October 27th, 2010
8:50 am
Horse, there is zero correlation between being a good major leauge hitter and being a good batting instructer. Of course don;t let logic get in the way of a good rant.
The Braves shoud hire that guy who turned two bench/utility players into all stars competing for a batting title. What was his name?
Versiroth
October 27th, 2010
8:54 am
A lot of times, great players aren’t good coaches. Do you really think Pujols could teach batters to hit like him? No, because he has natural ability that allows him to do what he does. I’m sure this Presley guy has been a coach for a while and I’m sure Fredi saw something in him that he liked. Could be work ethic. Could be that he can relate to a lot of different groups well, etc. It takes WAY more to be a good hitting coach than simply being a good hitter. TP was a pretty good hitter and you guys hated him.
The good thing about these new coaches are that they are not ethed in stone line Bobby was. If we’re doing poorly, the front office would be able to replace them without it being a huge deal. They couldn’t do this with Bobby and his staff.
sid's bream
October 27th, 2010
9:00 am
i vote for brian mccann’s dad…
oh, you mean I don’t get a vote?
meh
October 27th, 2010
9:04 am
get “The Big Hurt” Frank Thomas
just a long time braves fan
October 27th, 2010
9:10 am
don’t know about the hitting coach, but if the braves can get prince fielder to play first and adrian beltre to play third, we won’t have to worry so much about hitting.
beachcomber
October 27th, 2010
9:11 am
Good points by DOB, E-6 and Mike Jay. A career BA means little in selecting a good hitting coach.
Heisenberg
October 27th, 2010
9:16 am
Dave Duncan may have never been a pitcher, but he was regarded as a very good defensive catcher and knew a lot about how to call a game and recognize when his battery mate had good or bad stuff. He caught Catfish Hunter, Vida Blue, Ken Holtzman. It comes as no surprise he is one of the best pitching coaches in the game.
Cecil34
October 27th, 2010
9:17 am
Remember fellas who owns the Braves…..
These type coaches fit the financial profile.
No Smoltz or Ripkin for us!
yogi2
October 27th, 2010
9:26 am
McLouse will make all hitting coaches look bad. The braves need better minor league hitting coaches.
Mike
October 27th, 2010
9:38 am
My fondest memory of Jim Presley was watching him make 3 errors in an inning in 1990 with 3,000 of my closest friends at the old stadium. I was in high school then so my memory could be failing me but that image has stuck with me for some reason – even if it never really happened. Time has a funny way of messing with what we recall and merging events so don’t crucify me if I’m wrong here.
Of course, this has nothing to do with his qualifications to be the HC, nor does his MLB batting record. And I don’t know enough about his work in FL to pass judgment at this point. But I am leery about the perception of Fredi using this as an opportunity to hire his buddies.
Mike Jay
October 27th, 2010
9:43 am
Hey Cecil,
I wasn’t aware that Smoltz and Ripken wanted to be coaches. Did you talk to them recently?
Jesse Stone
October 27th, 2010
9:45 am
Wasn’t Presley arrested in 1990 while with Braves for pushing his mother-in-law?
Chuck M.
October 27th, 2010
10:02 am
Hey you Guys,They have not hired the guy yet,Fredi still has a couple of candidates to interview,so hang on!
David O'Brien
October 27th, 2010
10:04 am
Horse With A Name: Honestly, I don’t even know what that means. Should I laugh, be angry, scratch head, or, as you put it, “sommin’ else”? (Love that homespun humor, by the way. Sommin’.)
o-me
October 27th, 2010
10:09 am
DOB, Horse ? is just being a smart a@@.
wesley
October 27th, 2010
10:11 am
Those Tom Emanski instructional videos are the key!! I mean they are endorsed by “super star Fred McGriff”
CARRAMROD
October 27th, 2010
10:12 am
DOB – Has anyone thought about going after the Crime Dog Fred McGriff as a possible hitting coach?
Casey
October 27th, 2010
10:16 am
It’s just like anything else: whatever hack you hire brings his own set of hacks with him. Maybe Fredi’s hacks will be as good as Bobby’s hacks. What I don’t get is putting Pendleton at first. Why don’t you just fire the man and let him preserve his dignity.
David O'Brien
October 27th, 2010
10:17 am
o-me: Got it. So just change the “smart” to another word and it’s perfect description.
The Grinch
October 27th, 2010
10:17 am
First of all, the man hasn’t been hired yet, only interviewed. And if he does get hired, give him a chance. I swear, reading this blog is like continuously reading “Chicken Little,” only that children’s book was more intelligent than most of the posts.
I’m not immediately excited about replacing Hubbard with Pendleton, or keeping Snitker at third either. But it’s our team, and we ought to respect what management decides to do and at least give it a CHANCE to work before we grab pitchforks and torches.
This is why Aristotle said true Democracy was the worst possible form of government, akin to “mob rule.” You people would DFA every hitter after an o-fer if you could.
ej
October 27th, 2010
10:17 am
Freddie is the head of the household…..he should be able to choose the staff that he can work with,emotionally and psychologically….Now, I would like to have Chipper as a hitting coach and his Father as a back up….Players would relate to Chipper, I believe.
Diamond Bill
October 27th, 2010
10:19 am
Well, at least we know that Horse wasn’t ridden through the desert.
Jesse Stone
October 27th, 2010
10:23 am
What was Hubbard’s job? I’m sure Pendleton can yell, “BACK!” as good as Hubbard was. Wasn’t Hubbard also in charge of infield defense? How was that last year? Losing Hubbard is not a big deal at all.
Chuck M.
October 27th, 2010
10:27 am
DOB You mean Jack!
Owl Hunter
October 27th, 2010
10:31 am
To everyone who’s whining about every little move the organization makes; what’s your solution? Oh yeah, YOU DON”T HAVE ONE! You’re all clowns who have nothing to add but whining. Especially Horse with no Ideas.
Cecil34
October 27th, 2010
10:32 am
Mike Jay –
John said he isn’t interested.
Don’t know Cal.
so I was 50% accurate….
Owl Hunter
October 27th, 2010
10:32 am
Let’s go get Bonds for hitting coach, and Clemens for pitching coach. That should work!
Toyt Like A Tiger
October 27th, 2010
10:35 am
Chipper and Murph are available.
Obee
October 27th, 2010
10:36 am
Jeez, don’t you guys think Fredi is going to hire the guy he thinks is best for the job, if nothing else for self preservation? Why would he just go out and hire some friend?
Mike Jay
October 27th, 2010
10:40 am
Cecil34,
I figured SMoltz still had delusions of the PGA tour. Well that and he hasn’t officaly retired from playing baseball.
Oh and your math is wrong you were 100% inaccurate because Smoltz wasn’t interested. In order for you to be 50% accurate he would have had to of been interested and turned down due to wanting more money than liberty was willing to pay. Oh and tell Smoltz isaid thanks for being an ass to my kid when he asked for an autograph.
Peter
October 27th, 2010
10:41 am
My question is…. what were the marlin’s batting when he was the coach ?
What was their ability to move a runner, bunt, and get a productive out, while he was their hitting coach ?
Peter
October 27th, 2010
10:45 am
Hey Ocee …….Glenn Hubbard was not just the first base coach….he was the infield coach as well.
I am assuming TP will take over that role.
If you hadn’t noticed, we stuck up the league with errors…..part of that was the coaching of Hubbard.
ernesto
October 27th, 2010
10:56 am
Roy Hobbs would be an awesome hitting coach, what’s he up to these days?
The Legend
October 27th, 2010
10:58 am
Why has nobody mentioned Mark Grace? That man could hit. Also, a great mentor for Freddie Freeman. I’m just saying.
Braves Fan
October 27th, 2010
11:00 am
All I know is people blame Terry Pendleton but if the players they sign couldn’t hit elswhere what makes people think Terry Pendleton could perform miracles with sorry ballplayers.Whoever they get to be the hitting coach can’t make sorry ballplayers hitters!!!
The Grinch
October 27th, 2010
11:20 am
Braves Fan, every single player that was brought here last season hit considerably better where they came from than they did when they got here. I understand part of it is Turner Field, but not all of it. Alex Gonzalez had 20 HR at the AS break, it seemed like he had 19 total at the end of the season. Derrick Lee had 4 HR in three games before he came here, then Turned into Nate McLouth. Oh yeah, what about Nate McLouth?
I’m not saying TP doesn’t know how to hit. I AM saying during his tenure as hitting coach the players who didn’t respond and even regressed far outweighed those who did. Either he wasn’t helping, or they weren’t listening. Either way it was time for a change.
The Grinch
October 27th, 2010
11:30 am
The Mets are hiring Sandy Alderman as GM. What was wrong with Omar Minaya? They managed to stay ahead of Washington despite a miniscule payroll.
lexbrave
October 27th, 2010
11:33 am
who cares who they hire? it’s not like the braves are gonna spend the money to bring in anybody who can hit anyway. they will either trade for some mediocre hitter who has flashed some limited occasional success at the plate (i.e. mcclouth, melky) or bring in a washed up veteran who can’t walk, much less hit (i.e. glaus, anderson)
no hitting coach is gonna be able to do much with either.
josh
October 27th, 2010
11:39 am
Playing the race card? Really? Do you not see that most of this board is asking for don baylor? I’m not sure if you know this, but, he is black! Heyward is black. Its hard to have a lot of african americans when there are only 5 percent blacks in all of mlb. Very ignorant comment
ByteMe
October 27th, 2010
11:39 am
My vote would be Hoss for hitting coach. Doubt he wants the job yet, though.
David O'Brien
October 27th, 2010
11:41 am
lexbrave, you’re a real ray of sunshine. (whew … someone go hug lexbrave, quickly)
SavannahBraves Fan
October 27th, 2010
11:42 am
The Grinch, I agree it is time for a change, just for change sake. I don’t think it should all be blamed on TP, which was the point I was making. As far as Gonzalez goes, he was due to come back down to earth. He was having a career year up to the point he came to Atlanta. DLee had been struggling all year and was playing injured. Nate, God only knows what happened to him. I think it was more mental than physical. Maybe TP lost communication with the players, but can’t be totally blamed.
New Era
October 27th, 2010
11:47 am
Here is a tad found about Coach Presley. It may be a year or so old, but it’s better than just guessing at what he has done. Sounds like a good coach to me.
COACHING CAREER
Enters his 21st season in professional baseball, 14th in Major League Baseball, and his fifth year as the Marlins hitting coach. Under Presley, the Marlins have set single-season club records in runs (790 in 2007), hits (1504 in 2007), doubles (340 in 2007), home runs (208 in 2008), RBI (749 in 2007), average (.268 in 2009), on-base percentage (.340 in 2009) and slugging percentage (.448 in 2007). Since 2006, the Fish rank third in the National League in sluggin percentage (.433) and fourth in home runs (750)..Prior to joining the Marlins in 2006, Presley spent five years as a hitting instructor in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization, with the last three seasons at the Major League level…In 1999, the NL West Champion Diamondbacks boasted league highs with 908 runs scored and 865 RBI…In 1998, the Diamondbacks inaugural season, Presley joined Buck Showalter’s coaching staff as the hitting coach…a position he held through 2000…Spent one year as hitting coach with South Bend Silver Hawks (A) in 1997…Presley guided Lethbridge (R) to Pioneer League single-season records for home runs (88) and runs scored (637) as the hitting instructor in 1996
Versiroth
October 27th, 2010
11:53 am
I’m glad Hubbard is gone. It’s the first base coach’s job to read pitchers and help his runners know when they should and shouldn’t run. Heck, even fast people on our team would get thrown out by 3 feet (Heyward comes to mind). Not to mention how poor our infield defense was last year. Maybe TP can up our SB success rate a little.
sheepdip
October 27th, 2010
11:54 am
BRING BACK LONNIE SMITH. Yeah, I know. Skated in the OF, but could sure hit.
The Grinch
October 27th, 2010
11:55 am
I don’t think it should all be blamed on TP either. There’s only so much a coach can do whether he’s good at it or not. It just seems like most people here are either “TP SUX!” or “Wren SUX” and I don’t beleive it’s that clear cut. I think the iniquity should be fairly evenly divided between mediocre hitters, a tough park to hit in, and a hitting coach who many if not most players don’t seem to be benefiting from for whatever reason. I ALSO think Wren is an astute GM and will bring in and develop more talent, and that current and future players will benefit from a fresh perspective whoever it may come from. I trust in management, and feel we’re on the rise.
Ghost of Nick Esasky...I'm feeling dizzy
October 27th, 2010
11:55 am
Oh wait. Did someone mention my name? If feeling dizzy and need to go back to bed.
Fastball
October 27th, 2010
11:59 am
DOB, any word on Chip Carey and Joe Simpson returning to do TV. Thanks.
joe
October 27th, 2010
12:02 pm
Might as well bring back Greg Norton in come capacity…
Chuck M.
October 27th, 2010
12:15 pm
I know, bring Melky back as hitting coach
Carolina Gent
October 27th, 2010
12:19 pm
Great stuff, New Era, good work digging that stuff up!
Brava
October 27th, 2010
12:22 pm
New Era, thanks for the info on Presley. Sounds like a very good hitting coach to me. Hope he can help the Braves improve their offense and also work with players such as Nate, Gonzalez and Heyward who have talent, but can’t seem to consistently unleash it at the plate.
lexbrave
October 27th, 2010
12:32 pm
dave, that did sound mighty depressing didn’t it? perhaps a more positive spin.
ahem…
it doesn’t matter who they hire. wren is going to put together a team with a well balanced mix of cheap young power hitters approaching their prime and wirey low cost, no risk / high reward veterans that will once again have the braves contending for a playoff spot.
Tell It Like It Is
October 27th, 2010
12:36 pm
A life time 265 hitter as a hitting coach. So what is he going to do for the majority of players on this team who cannot hit? What a piece of crap this is going to be.
Chopper
October 27th, 2010
12:38 pm
DOB,
You should do a piece about what hitting/pitching coaches do on a dailey basis. I think then people could make a more informed decision about whether they think a particular person is better for that job.
I think most people think the value of a hitting coach is how well they hit when they were there. I mean would anyone pick Presley to go to the plate over Pendleton? No, but maybe Presley is a better TEACHER of hitting. I don’t think there is some formula that always works. Some great hitters couldn’t tell someone else how to get better (think of Manny) but Tony Gwynn would probably be the best hitting coach ever. And some guys who had trouble hitting as a pro was because of lack of physical ability, not the knowledge.
My personal opinion was that TP had done a fine job, but Wren was not enamored of him, otherwise he probably would have at least gotten an interview for the manager job. I think his friendship with Fredi is why he is still on staff, albeit not the hitting coach. In what world is first base coach/infield coach a position that has MORE influence on the game than hitting coach?
Abnerish
October 27th, 2010
12:46 pm
Why are peole pointing to Presley’s stats when deciding whether or not he can be an effective hitting coach? Did Tiger Woods review Butch Harmon’s PGA Tour record before hiring him as his swing coach? Of course not, that’s because being a coach has nothing to do with whether or not the coach can do it, but how effectively he can analyze, evaluate, and communicate with his “student”. Chipper will make a great hitting coach when he hangs up his spikes, but not because he’s a future HOFer and a great hitter, but because you can tell by what he says that he loves that aspect of the game: analyzing swings, working with the other players on fixing flaws, etc. He really seemed to get a kick out of seeing McLouth improve after he helped him iron out a few things in Sept. So, look back at what the Marlins did while Presley was there. Did they hit the ball well? Yes. Did they have a good approach at the plate? From what I saw, I’d say yes. If Fredi trusts him and thinks he will mesh well with the organization, then who are we to say he’s not the right guy for the job? I realize we are all bored and waiting for the WS to be over so the Hot Stove can heat up, but c’mon!
David O'Brien
October 27th, 2010
12:52 pm
Fastball, Chip signed a multi-year contract and Joe isn’t going anywhere, far as I know. Joe’s a fixture, why would he be going anywhere?
David O'Brien
October 27th, 2010
12:54 pm
Chopper: Sorry, but I don’t see how that’s a story for late October — what hitting coaches do on a daily basis.
wins-by-a-link
October 27th, 2010
1:10 pm
If TP was not any good as hitting coach why should he be first base coach? Why reward failure? I think Hubbard got screwed on this deal, I would have thought BC would have taken better care of such a loyal member of his former staff. At least offer him a position some place in the organization.
collegeballfan
October 27th, 2010
1:15 pm
Not a single person writing on this subject has the slightest idea what the heck he is talking about.
So allow me to join the crowd.
Coaching or teaching, same thing, is a matter of communicating with 25 separate individuals.
Fastball
October 27th, 2010
1:17 pm
DOB, Thanks for your reply. I’ve enjoyed both Chip and Joe and look forward to the Braves games on TV here in Illinois. Also enjoy your articles and blogs. …and your sense of humor.
Mike
October 27th, 2010
1:21 pm
Great coaches do NOT have to be great players!!! Great players do NOT always make great coaches!! Larry Bird, Diego Maradona, Isaiah Thomas…. the list goes on and on. It has already been said. Do all the posters ignore any previous comment with common sense?
Why don’t we just hire “__fill in favorite player regardless of if they have ever coached, plan to ever coach, or even still interested in working__”
Horse With A Name
October 27th, 2010
1:26 pm
Braves even hire sorry hitters as broadcasters like Joe “Mendoza Line’ Simpson. Chip got his job because of grandpa and daddy. This whole MLB scene reeks of cronyism.
Nativebird
October 27th, 2010
1:28 pm
Chipper’s Dad for Braves Hitting Coach!
Horse With A Name
October 27th, 2010
1:31 pm
It might surprise you that Ripken or Eck might be interested in jobs if they were asked. But go ahead and sign Presley Braves. Its par for the sorry and ultra cheap course.
Mike
October 27th, 2010
1:32 pm
forgot a few…. Mike Singletary, Wayne Gretzky
Horse With A Name
October 27th, 2010
1:32 pm
Nativebird,Poad,etc.,etc. you’re the jobless one. The blogs will die down after you die…
Horse With A Name
October 27th, 2010
1:34 pm
Croynism proof :
Freddy Gonzalez former Braves 3B coach now replaces Cox as Braves mgr.
Gonzalez hires former coaches he had with Marlins.
Chip Caray Braves announcer because dad was Braves announcer.
Scrate up cronyism !
Horse With A Name
October 27th, 2010
1:37 pm
The toss’ em or keep ‘em poll is a great idea. I just hope Wren listens. Hinske,Infante,and Ross should be kept. Put the rest (D.Lee,McLouth,Glaus,Ankiel,KK,TP) on a space ship to Pluto…
Horse With A Name
October 27th, 2010
1:39 pm
Oh yeah, jettison Mr. Error Conrad to Siberia as well…
Horse With A Name
October 27th, 2010
1:40 pm
Make sure you order 1,000 bags of David sunflower seeds to put on the ship for TP…
Horse With A Name
October 27th, 2010
1:49 pm
DOB, what good does having 45 great pitchers (30 in A,AA,AAA) do for you when you have no CF and LF worth starting in the majors ? Ask Mr. Wren that !
Da Side
October 27th, 2010
2:16 pm
Marquis Grissom needs to be bought back into the fold. Great coach, great motivator, and most of all a great pro. Oh by the way he’s from the darn city.
Tired Of It
October 27th, 2010
2:59 pm
You guys want the truth? Well here it comes! You’ve had no more than one black(african-american) player on the team for the last 6 years, most of those years there were none. Other teams are able to find those players; why not the braves? They(braves) don’t even keep the black latins in the orginization, they either trade or release them, because they don’t seem to want them here! Heyward was the only one on the team this year until the last mo. of the season, and D. Lee will not be returning, and mark my words; before Heyward gets a big contract here, he will be traded also. He(Heyward) will be the only one on the team next year also, at least until they rent a player for the final mo. of the season. And before anyone brings it up, no, i haven’t forgot about J.J., he won’t be around very much longer, it’s their(braves) track record.
Leslie Howard
October 27th, 2010
3:13 pm
Why not let Chipper play third and also be the hitting coach. You couldn’t find a better one
Jamiejay
October 27th, 2010
3:13 pm
I also remember the incident involving Presley allegedly attacking his mother. According to archived articles on the WESTLAW NEWS database, the claimed incident took place on June 26, 1990 when Presley’s mother arrived at his apartment late in the evening. There was evidently an altercation, also involving Presley’s wife, culminating with Presley allegedly choking his mother. The mother ultimately decided against pressing charges and Presley was not indicted. It is disturbing, for sure. Does it disqualify him for the job if he has otherwise been a good citizen for the last 20 years? In my opinion, probably not, but it damn sure should be a question in his job interview.
lin
October 27th, 2010
3:28 pm
here we go with stupid ideas let j smoltz or tommy galvine due it. u do not bring in people with bad records and i just say this if we get above last place next yr we be lucky. i did say b4 be suprise if our new mgr freddie last year and half. who cares what chipper wants he needs retire or sit the bench.
braves fan
October 27th, 2010
3:30 pm
no Retired PGA tour players are swing coaches
The Grinch
October 27th, 2010
3:30 pm
Tired of It, please take that tired act somewhere else. We’re not above stupidity on this blog, apparently, but we ARE above racism. Go away.
JamieJay, there’s always the glass half full way to look at that incident. At least he’ll teach an aggressive and decisive approach.
RedandBlack
October 27th, 2010
3:33 pm
Chipper Jones as a Player/Coach should be the Hitting Coach for the Atlanta Braves. Hire someone with a track record of actually getting hits with a career 300 batting average to be the batting instructor. The Braves need to learn how to field the ball a lot better at all positions. Way too many errors in 2010. Way, way, way too many for professional MLB. This is not Richmond or Gwinnett.
Tallcarl
October 27th, 2010
3:40 pm
What about Tony Gwen.
Joe Simpson the Great
October 27th, 2010
3:40 pm
The players make enough money let them hire their own hitting coaches.
NEW CARS
October 27th, 2010
3:46 pm
DOB,
Any rumors out there in Braves land on whether a position change is in the works for Lipka and Mycal Jones. Seems like both would profile at 2b or cf, with Jones being a possible candidate to be on the fasttrack with a position change.
Mr. Turnip-Green Jeans
October 27th, 2010
3:52 pm
I think we shoulda hired a “professional hitter,” in the mold of a Loaf, or a Greg Norton.
I’m assuming Brad Komminsk was unavailable?
Ackshully, Don Baylor was my choice. Folks batting under his tutelage prolly feel like they’re swinging for their lives. Fear might even convince Nate to stop swinging for the fences. Just kidding, but I do think he’s as good a choice as there WAS, too bad he’s already gone.
I’d be lying if I didn’t say I’m mildly disappointed with the Elvis pick, if finalized. Just a feeling in my gut, nothing more.
Maybe a guy who wasn’t a great hitter could know more than somebody who was. To a great hitter, more things might come naturally/more easily, he may not need as much instruction. A lesser hitter, always trying to improve, always tinkering, trying anything/everything during struggles to keep his head above water. The latter might be the one to look to for different ideas, different approaches.
Take J-Hey; there not gonna do a radical makeover of his swing, EVER.
Brooks Conrad? Bet he’s seen (tried) every hitting philosophy known to humankind. He had to struggle year, after year, after year, to even get a smell. He’s seen it ALL hitting-wise.
Who (after Heyward has played 15-years) would make the better hitting coach of the two?
My rationalizing has totally relieved the feeling in my gut. Lets give Elvis a shot!
wishes
October 27th, 2010
3:52 pm
how about clarence jones…….
Mr. Turnip-Green Jeans
October 27th, 2010
3:59 pm
wishes:
how about clarence jones…….”
Is he still with us?
Mr. Turnip-Green Jeans
October 27th, 2010
4:00 pm
Or, among the living?
milesarcher33
October 27th, 2010
4:01 pm
Nobody’s mentioned Jeff Blauser or Ozzie Virgil, Jr.
Mr. Turnip-Green Jeans
October 27th, 2010
4:04 pm
You’re right, milesarcher33, they sucked to a sufficient degree as hitters to make fine batting coaches.
David O'Brien
October 27th, 2010
4:04 pm
NEW CARS: Both Lipka and M. Jones could be candidates for move to outfield in future, but not yet.
Playoffs 2010
October 27th, 2010
4:07 pm
I got two words for you….Rufino Linares !
*BlondeBomb*
October 27th, 2010
4:16 pm
Fredi is a smart guy who knows what he’s doing. The Marlins had some great hitters under Pres including Ramirez, Uggla, Cantu, Ross, Cabrera and many, many more. My point: support the manager by supporting Presley. They’ll do some great things for the Braves. Incidentally, Presley is NO relation to Elvis. I thought that was funny when I read it.
We_Run_This_Country
October 27th, 2010
4:18 pm
Is Tony Gwynn Sr. being interviewed? He is a minor league coach currently. I’m sure he would love to be back up in the Bigs if given the opportunity. Thoughts?
Barry
October 27th, 2010
4:18 pm
If Fredi thought Pressley was a bad hitting coach he would not be considering him. To have had Pressley and want him again must prove something to all of us who don’t know how good of a hitting coach he is.
Crime Dog
October 27th, 2010
4:21 pm
What about Fred McGriff? He was always a real student of hitting.
Marshall
October 27th, 2010
4:24 pm
I hate to see Hubbard go. Hard to believe there is not a position for him in the organization. Maybe a roving minor league instructor.
mark bradley's 70's fro and mustache
October 27th, 2010
4:25 pm
Birdman
October 26th, 2010
6:55 pm
foultip, very good idea. Also dont forget we have Chipper on the bench collecting about 13mil. Lets get our money out of that and have him be a player-hitting coach. I am sure he knows how to turn on a DVD player as well. if he hits .250 but somehow gets Heyward hitting like a young Chipper it will be a good investment.
Chipper is a switch hitter, awesome idea!
Barry
October 27th, 2010
4:32 pm
The best way to save money is hire Rick Camp to be pitching and hitting coach.
Ed Glennon
October 27th, 2010
4:43 pm
How does TP keep his job at all? Would he have been able to work with Marcus or Kelly to get better in the field. TP is a nice guy but he should not be on the staff. Glenn Hubbard should still be there.
kwajbraves
October 27th, 2010
4:46 pm
We are hiring the wrong Presley to be the batting coach. They need to hire Elvis Presley for the job. The king is been dead for so long that he may relate better with the corpses of the Atlanta Braves line up. Just saying!
Sam Fossela
October 27th, 2010
4:49 pm
How about we go get some players who can hit and field and don’t need to be platooned?That’s the starting point,not the hitting coach. I know the Braves are working within certain payroll parameters, but coaches need talent to work with. That said, we shouldn’t forget this flawed team won 91 games.
ROOSTERJIMMIE
October 27th, 2010
4:57 pm
we run this country,tony gwynn sr is not a minor league coach, he is a college coach at san diego state university
Notso Fast
October 27th, 2010
4:59 pm
You don’t have to have been a great hitter to be a good hitting coach. You aren’t trying to teach them your swing but seeing the holes in the player’s swing and correcting that hole. I think TP was a good hitter but just not a good coach.
Joe Simpson the Great
October 27th, 2010
5:15 pm
In 1991 TP replaced Presley as the Braves starting 3rd basemen. Now it’s Presley’s turn to replace TP.
In Fredi I Trust
October 27th, 2010
5:19 pm
For those wondering why Pendelton was kept on this staff, its real simple. He and Fredi Gonzalez are close friends. I believe one gave the other a new Harley Davidson a few years back. On that decision alone it was about friendship and not what was right, or deserving.
I guess for me as long as TP didn’t get the managers job I am at peace. I highly doubt he can mess up the 1st base coach/ infield coach like he did being the hitting coach. That is the least of the Braves worries going into next season.
The more pressing needs are finding a true power hitting OF, hope that CJ returns to form and can stay healthy, rid this team of useless players just taking up a roster spot, and hoping like heck that Jurrgens, and Hanson can return to previous form. If that all happens, I like the Braves chances next season.
remember?
October 27th, 2010
5:42 pm
Remember Bobby’s storied playing career with the Yanks? Or LaRussa’s career as a player? Or Leo Mazzonne’s career as a pitcher? No? Didn’t think so. The best coaches are very rarely the most accomplished players.
Mikey
October 27th, 2010
5:54 pm
Major league hitters know how to hit otherwise they would be selling insurance. The value of a hitting coach is to develop a philosophy and approach that can be utilized consistantly to assist the batter in his one on one battle with the pitcher. Chipper is an example of a hitter with a plan, approach and philosophy for every at bat. Rick Ankiel is an example of a hitter who’s appoach is see the ball & swing as hard as he can, and he will not change regardless of the hitting coach. Same for Jeff Francour.
Drez
October 27th, 2010
5:56 pm
It really doesn’t matter who the hitting coach is, if he doesn’t have hitters to coach. The Braves lineup is anemic with the exception of McCann, Prado, Infante, and Heyward. A hitting coach is only as good as his hitters. Someone mentioned Chipper’s dad….was Chipper’s dad coaching him last year when he was batting in the .240’s most of the year? Is a new hitting coach going to turn the post-steroid McClouth into a .300 hitter? Or maybe he’s going to teach the post-hgh Ankiel to make contact and layoff of high fastballs. A hitting coach is only as good as his talent. The braves couldn’t hit consistently because they had career inconsistent hitters through out their lineup. I can care less who the new hitting coach will be. I’m more concerned with who the 2 new outfielders will be.
Drez
October 27th, 2010
6:03 pm
Why should Hubbard still be here? What did he do that deserved him not being dismissed? I know that he worked with the infielders on fielding…hmmmm! How did that work out this past year? Seems like we can point the finger at TP for coaching minor league hitters, but no one wants to mention Hubbard’s name for the atrocious defense played in the infield.
benchwarmer
October 27th, 2010
6:06 pm
During one NLCS telecast one of the commentators showed with film proof that the SF catcher (ROY) was a strict lowball hitter. If he went after any high stuff he flailed. Just sort of a hitting coach kind of observation. Maybe we could hire that commentator.
Tired Of It
October 27th, 2010
6:46 pm
To the grinch…, of course u don’t want to address it, because it’s true, and u(and others) can’t handle the truth. But the truth doesn’t stop u(and others) for flat out lying about T.P., while glorifying all these scrubs the Braves keep foisting off as major leage players. Mccann hasn’t upped his level of play(sos every year), Chipper hasn’t done anything in years, and both these guys are so-called stars of the team with their fathers as their personal hiting coaches. When’s the last time either of these guys hit at least 25 horme runs in a year or drove in 100 runs??? The outfield has been an all-scrub outfield for the last 6 or 7 years, and the infielders probably lead the nl in errors every year, under Hubbards’ tutelage, but you people continue to try and blame everything on Pendleton, and if anyone calls you out about it, you guys try and poo pah it. typical, typical, typical! The 2 main studs get payed 8-13 mill each per year, and can’t hit 30 homers or drive in 100 runs. they barely post those nos between the 2 of them, and they’re the 3-4 hitters in the line-up. That’s a lot value on the hoof for about 21 million dollars.
Billionaire Ted
October 27th, 2010
6:51 pm
Billionaire would like to see Otis and his bag of dust come back as hitting coach. I’ll even throw in brother Donell Nixon to work the Cartoon Network booth.
Mr. Turnip-Green Jeans
October 27th, 2010
7:04 pm
Tired, unless Melky would shame George Hamilton into a graveyard, I don’t believe for a minute he was a white dude.
If you think Heyward is going ANYWHERE, EVER, you are monumentally mistaken — and quite probably and idiot..
Mr. Turnip-Green Jeans
October 27th, 2010
7:23 pm
Barry:
“If Fredi thought Pressley was a bad hitting coach he would not be considering him. To have had Pressley and want him again must prove something to all of us who don’t know how good of a hitting coach he is.”
This makes a Hell of a lotta sense. Why wouldn’t Fredi want to put himself in the best position to succeed? He’s taken what must be one of the most enviable managerial positions in baseball. He’s following a legend in a great organisation. I think those things would weigh heavy on his mind. I believe he’ll hire the best hitting coach available, and for all we know, it’s JP.
Frenchy
October 27th, 2010
7:26 pm
How can a loser player help anyone hit when he couldn’t do it himself?
Aaron Presley
October 27th, 2010
7:32 pm
Jim aint Elvis’s bro. Terry had a better mlb ba than jim.
Hit A Single
October 27th, 2010
7:35 pm
Load them up and take them over the great East Cobb program. That is where all the stars are made if you listen to them. Who needs a hitting coach when you have East Cobb
matt w.
October 27th, 2010
8:23 pm
In Freddi I Trust,
That was Brian Jordan who gave Freddi the Harley in exchange for the number Freddi was wearing , the second time brian was with the Bravos
matt w.
October 27th, 2010
8:27 pm
I don’t know any of their names,but i would look in to the Angels coaching staff. Not just for the hitting instuctor. Mike S. preaches fundamentals this attitude rubs off on people and lets face the Bravos need a whole lot of rubbing! just my opinoin.
Doc Holiday
October 27th, 2010
8:29 pm
Man those ranger are having fun………this is looking like a sweep already.
Hit A Single
October 27th, 2010
9:11 pm
Man is Buster Posey something else. Clean cut kid that plays the game the right way and looks right in doing it. Man he is something that sports needs.
charles tetterton
October 27th, 2010
9:44 pm
charlie lau was one of the greatest hitting coaches of all time he was not a great hitter as a player
Tired Of It
October 27th, 2010
10:05 pm
Mr. Turnip-Green Jeans@7:04pm…, Heyward was a rookie this year so he had to spout the company line, but wait until he matures a little bit and starts to develop his own ideas, digresses a little from the co line, and he’ll be gone faster than David Justice. All he did(Justice) was tell the truth as he saw it, and he was ran out of atlanta in a new york second. If Justice had been allowed to flourish here, he would have been the Braves best 1st baseman ever, except he wouldn’t muzzle himself. Instead he helped other teams win world series.
Harmon
October 28th, 2010
1:21 am
@ Craig:
“intelligent incites to the local sports world” You meant INSIGHTS, but your spelling error actually makes sense. There are a lot of intelligent posters on this board who get a mighty big laugh inciting the dummies.
Smiling Jack
October 28th, 2010
2:17 am
Greg Norton anyone? Some folks on here are really, really stupid.
Total Grace
October 28th, 2010
5:20 am
I wonder if TP gets any credit for the season Prado, and Infante had at the plate? HHHMMMM
Fredi Gonzalez
October 28th, 2010
7:30 am
Bobby Cox is a good man
John in NY
October 28th, 2010
7:48 am
Barry Bonds wants to be a hitting coach. I know this would be controversial for the Braves but Bonds was a great hitter as well. PEDs didn’t teach Bonds how to hit, he could already do that. Thoughts?
Atlanta braves fan of south
October 28th, 2010
8:11 am
Do any of you think Bobby cox would be interested in being a hitting coach for the braves ? That would be cool for him to the be hitting instructor and the new manager . It would be like keeping it all in the family . No one ever leaves they just move to a new role .
I always would like to say the Braves season was the best season in 3 years .
Bruce Benedict's Wife
October 28th, 2010
8:12 am
All these unfounded complaints about Jim Pressley not being a good hitter, you guys just don’t know your baseball history. JP was quite the “slugger” his one year in Atlanta, although I have to admit that he may not have used his bat(but he may have), when he slugged his own mother and was charged with domestic abuse. It was this slugging ability that landed him on my ALL-TIME WORST ATLANTA BRAVES TEAM. If the team’s hitting issues are caused by problems stemming from their mom, then JP is the hitting instuctor we’ve been looking for. (I guess not all Pressleys love their momma)
DoninTococca/78
October 28th, 2010
8:18 am
Just a minute here. This is getting really foolish.
Atlanta braves fan of south
October 28th, 2010
8:19 am
Joe Torre played for the Atlanta braves and was the Manager for the Braves in the 1980s . why not ask him to be the Hitting coach ?
Terrible TP
October 28th, 2010
8:24 am
Real smart Doc Holiday “Rangers having fun looking like a sweep already”. Rangers lost game 1.
The job of the hitting coach is to look at film and help correct timing,stance,balance of hitters when they go into slumps. TP is too stupid to do this and that’s why McOut,Ankiel,Glaus,and even Heyward went into long slumps. You would think TP could eat sunflower seeds and watch film of hitters at the same time. I guess that’s asking too much of the former MVP ?
Atlanta braves fan of south
October 28th, 2010
8:25 am
A hitting coach must be someone who can teach hitters when to swing . Like ball 1 , ball 2 , then green light baby , there it goes to deep right field , back back back .Home run . Braves lead 12 to nothing . AND its a shutout . that kind of games .
Terrible TP
October 28th, 2010
8:32 am
I never got your answer DOB about having no CF and LF but having 30 pitchers down in the minors that aren’t contributing to the Braves MLB team. So the thinking is stockpile pitchers in the minors and have sorry CF & LF ? Reeeeeeealy smart right thar…
Terrible TP
October 28th, 2010
8:34 am
I’d do whatever it took to sign Carl Crawford as my CF. But the Braves will use patchwork McOut & Ankiel to cover CF and hit .225 collectively.
Terrible TP
October 28th, 2010
8:43 am
Some hitting coaches and managers were stars (Dusty Baker,Joe Torre,Lou Pineilla,Don Baylor,Don Mattingly,Mark McGwire) and some were sorry players (LaRussa,Cox,Hriniak,Scioscia,etc.) but the bottomline is if the guy was a star hitter then he knows how to hit without question. Whether he can teach others is THE question. But a good hitter would have an edge over a .200 hitter any day in techniques.
Ted M
October 28th, 2010
9:18 am
Barry Bond’s just said he wants to be a hitting coach. Just sayin’
yogi2
October 28th, 2010
9:21 am
being a good hitter does not mean your a good teacher. Teaching is a gift
dean
October 28th, 2010
9:33 am
Hit A Single @ 0911:
You just got scratched off Tired Of Its Christmas list.
And….I wish the Braves would hire John Kruk in any capacity. Bench clown, philosopher, etc.
ChillyMutt
October 28th, 2010
9:40 am
ummm Presley couldn’t hit when he was a player
dean
October 28th, 2010
9:52 am
Uh, Barry Bonds?
NO!
http://www.ajc.com/sports/barry-bonds-wants-to-696338.html
o-me
October 28th, 2010
10:12 am
He!! no to Bond!!!!!!!!1
Poorbrave
October 28th, 2010
10:13 am
GREG WALKER from White Sox for hitting coach………………………………..
In Frdi I trust
October 28th, 2010
10:37 am
THANKS MATT W</strong?
I thought it was TP that gave the Harley to Fredi, or the other way around. Now that you said it was Brian Jordan that gave Fredi one, I remember that. Thanks man.
Chuck M.
October 28th, 2010
11:10 am
Why not Barry Bonds, He can hitt better than anyone I know of,If the Cards can hire Mcguire then whats wrong with trying Bonds?
Chuck M.
October 28th, 2010
11:11 am
Hell yes to Bonds!!!!!
hAL
October 28th, 2010
12:13 pm
well it took you idiots exacly one blog to start on cox’s replacement i figured first day of st but i underestimate the idocy lol
hAL
October 28th, 2010
12:16 pm
and dont forget chippers got that dislocate eyebrow that effects his swing from the right side lol
hAL
October 28th, 2010
12:24 pm
pedeltons dignity walked off the field with him the day in philly that glavine wouldent throw at the murph since that day ive detetested the man and all he stands for good ridence hope you end up wiping counters at wendys lol
Chuck M.
October 28th, 2010
12:30 pm
hAL you need help.You make no sense with your idiotic rambles!
Drez
October 28th, 2010
12:48 pm
Hal,
Get your facts straight. Pendleton walked off the field when Marvin Freeman wouldn’t hit Tim Belcher of the Reds after Belcher had drilled 2 Braves in the previous inning. TP said if his pitchers wasn’t going to protect their players, he wasn’t going to field for them. It was unprofessional but it sent a message to the team to grow some balls. So, Hal i guess you detest a man for an event that never happened. Idiot!
And by the way, Glavine did throw at Murphy after Roger McDowell hit Otis Nixon in the previous inning.
Horrible Hubbard
October 28th, 2010
12:54 pm
Thank you Fredi Gonzalez for getting rid of our 1st base/infield coach. Our infield defense was horrible. Maybe our new 1st base coach will help improve our defense since TP was a much better fielder than Hubbard.
braves70
October 28th, 2010
2:08 pm
Found this about Presley’s attack on his Mom in 1990:
Article: Mom defends Presley
Article from:Chicago Sun-Times
Article date:June 30, 1990
PENSACOLA, Fla. The mother of Atlanta Braves player Jim Presley is now defending her son against battery charges she filed against him, saying the incident was caused by differences between the third baseman and his wife.
“Jimmy’s just a different person when the three of us are together,” Lucinda Brazel told the Pensacola News Journal. “She doesn’t like me when I’m around.”
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4005471.html
Well I hope things got worked out. Funny how the Braves shun negative actions with players but look the other way when a manager abuses his wife or a potential coach abused his Mom.
sbllump
October 28th, 2010
2:39 pm
Early in September, when the Braves played the Marlins, the position player starters for the
Braves had 257 BA; while the Marlins had a 275 BA. Which tells me the Marlins Hitting
coach was doing something right??
what a joke
October 28th, 2010
2:46 pm
Chuck , Bond would be great if he put all the players on his secret drugs. (Braves would knock the fences down) Hell no to BOND…………..
what a joke
October 28th, 2010
2:53 pm
abllump…no it tells u that the Marlin players were better hitters. The Coach can teach and coach but u got to has some ability to go with it. Everyone can’t pitch…run..steal..throw..hit… they have got to have the talent, ability desire etc to get better. The Best coach in the world can’t make everyone hit!
Glenn Hubbard
October 28th, 2010
4:20 pm
Hey Fredi,
I know you just fired me, but i’m a .244 lifetime hitter. I think i’ll make a great hitting coach.
Thanks
hammer
October 28th, 2010
7:46 pm
I think Larry Parrish would make a great hitting coach for the Braves.
Former Cox Player
October 28th, 2010
9:34 pm
Joe Simpson for HC, Rufino Linares is in baseball heaven, maybe Brian Jordan deserves a political favor
Burgess
October 28th, 2010
9:43 pm
I’m still waiting for an explaination why Hubbard wasn’t offered a job in the organization. It’s fine for a new manager to want his own people, but I can’t believe Hubby wasn’t offered a job somewhere in the organization.
Is that any way to treat a life long Brave ?
Ian
October 28th, 2010
10:51 pm
MLB Trade Rumors said the Braves signed Beau Tolbert, a power hitter……….
David
October 29th, 2010
1:59 am
I’d call the move from Teddy Pendergrass to Elvis Presley a definite upgrade.
Johnny
October 29th, 2010
4:35 am
…… Why not to interview CHRIS CHAMBLISS as a hitting coach? He is the winner of October in te mid 1970s, former Braves 1st baseman 1980-86,former Yankees hitting coach in 1996-00….. Did you know Yankees batting average boosted every year star like Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, ect….. Chambliss is one of the best choice for the Braves.
Billy
October 29th, 2010
7:50 am
The Atlanta area has an abundance of self proclaimed experts on playing, managing, and coaching. Problem here is that all the experts, that post here, have never played, managed or coached baseball at any level and it shows when reading these ignorant posts.
These coaches are hired as supportive help. The players know how to pitch or hit when they reach the majors. Baseball is a game of adjustments and the coaches are on board to help when needed, not teach.
In Fredi I Trust
October 29th, 2010
8:16 am
All I know is that I hope the Giants sweep the Rangers now if for no other reason I want the offseason to officially begin. I want to see who we end up with as our HC, and I want to see who we target for our big bat in the OF, and I want to see what players we dump.
That all right there will tell me all I need to know, and help me in the process to decide whether I will be spending the big money on the Extra Innings package next year, or if I will be saving that money. One thing is for certain, I am tired of wasting my hard earned money watching these grown men playing a kid’s game fall on their faces year after year.
Joey
October 29th, 2010
9:16 am
Does Presley sing?
hornblowermg
October 29th, 2010
9:19 am
arggghhhh!!! more,more,more of the same,same,same. anybody seen or heard of,from, Mike Schmitt?
what a joke
October 29th, 2010
10:20 am
Billy—Help when needed but not TEACHING—
How stupid do U get? Teaching is everyday process from coaches and players etc..u never stop learning and teaching…WAKE Up and learn something.
U sound like No-Bama talking to the US Citizens…….
Billy
October 29th, 2010
11:05 am
“what a joke” you are now the poster child on this blog for the most ignorant poster award. And do not be so lazy that you can’t add a Y and an O to your U. You seemed old enough to spell out all your other words.
Giving advice and teaching are not the same. Now, let me give you some advice. Pick a subject you know something about before you criticize someone. Now, let me teach you something. Major league baseball hitting coaches are not hired to teach major league hitters how to hit. Major league hitters advance to the major league level because they have excelled in many ares of hitting during their rise to the major league level.
ramblingman
October 29th, 2010
11:26 am
Good Grief, there are some stupid comments on this blog (and others). People want to crucify a new hitting coach for not having a better career himself – I guess they want TP to remain? After all, he had a better career avg than Presley. Others are going off the deep end dredging up 20 year old stories that they don’t have all the info on in order to attempt to make the new coach look bad. Add in that a lone gunman trying to stir in some good old racial hatred by just flat out lying and making stuff up as he goes and then changing tactics when faced with some actual facts.
Nothing like simply being anti-Braves, and whining and crying incessently about every little move or non-move. Don’t ever give anyone a chance, try to destroy them before they even get a chance. Any player the Braves get this winter should immediately come into your target sights as a complete loser who doesn’t deserve to be a waterboy much less a player.
Those of you who are so much smarter than everyone else and come on here to pronounce from the mountaintop that this person or that person will definitely fail only accomplish two things. One – you make yourselves look foolish. Two – you remind me of all the times you (many of you are the same people) came in here and “pronounced” that the Braves would never make the playoffs, then that the Phillies and Yankees would be in the Series, then…you get the drift. Or you would, if you have any common sense.
If you dislike the Braves that much, the nearest site for the Mets or Phils is just one click away. Don’t let us hold you back.
what a joke
October 29th, 2010
11:49 am
Billie y(ou) still a joke!
They excelled on their own..right..get a life.
Fred
October 29th, 2010
11:57 am
DOB we would love a new report.
hammer
October 29th, 2010
12:13 pm
I still think Larry Parrish is the best man for the job.
Elvis
October 29th, 2010
12:23 pm
Jim Presley knows nothing about hitting, can’t sing and he stole my last name.
Billy
October 29th, 2010
12:24 pm
what a joke – you are the perfect example of someone who has never played the game, at any level, that feels the need to embarrass themselves publicly. You are an inspiration that education on any level, even sports is necessary. I also see you have a keen eye for detail. Billy is spelled with a Y, not an ie. Next time when you respond to someone look at their name or if spelling is not your bag contact me and I will TEACH you how to copy and paste.
Silly Goose
October 29th, 2010
12:26 pm
How about Ken Griffey Sr.? Just a thought.
David O'Brien
October 29th, 2010
1:09 pm
Fred: A new report on all that’s happened since I filed Monday’s blog? That really wouldn’t take long.
Braves Fan Since "80
October 29th, 2010
1:42 pm
We need Chipper to play like the old guys at SF….. I have seen 3 plays made by Egar that our SS would have not have been in the play…… Uribe has made plays at third that were simply amazing….. Chipper needs help next year so that he is healthy when it counts……. OK Haters now is the time to talk about Uribe’s weight as we watch him play for a WS ring
Tale of Woe
October 29th, 2010
2:13 pm
Larry Parrish will be announced as the new hitting coach according to Bowman and 790 the zone
Fred
October 29th, 2010
2:24 pm
Braves just hired Larry Parrish hitting Coach…..Damn good pick Thanks Fredi!
Fred
October 29th, 2010
2:27 pm
DOB…Every little bit helps..Thanks Man @1:09
Old guy
October 29th, 2010
2:32 pm
Why was Hubbard dropped from the Braves? His idea or the team’s idea?
cardvol
October 29th, 2010
2:38 pm
Re; Hubbard. Yeh, it would be my choice for someone fire me.
What a joke
October 29th, 2010
3:12 pm
Billie…Read what Wren said in DOB’s last post of Larry Parrish about “”TEACHING”.
Spelling for some Billy’s is Y some other Billie’s is ie but there is a reason?
Toppa
November 3rd, 2010
6:01 pm
Google Charlie Lau and check his stats. Yet he was probably the most respected hitting coach in the 70’s until his untimely demise from cancer.
Carroll Rogers
May 24th, 2011
9:18 pm
Matt Diaz to pinch hit…..the plot thickens