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© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
538 comments Add your comment
The Monger
September 29th, 2011
10:59 am
From Yesterday’s postgame quotes, this sums up the loser Brave’s mentality from the worst leader to have on a team Chipper Jones…
this is truly the saddest but yet most accurate reflection of Chipper Jones’ mentality and attitude about the game of baseball. Now, I’m not the type of guy that will agree that one quote can sum up a man’s entire baseball career. Most of the time I would even say it is almost impossible, but I want you all to read, and I mean really read Chipper’s remarks when DOB asks him about his struggles whith elite pitchers like Lee, Oswalt, and Vazquez (although I wouldnt rank Vazquez in those 2 guys class), but also Wang and Deitweiler. Listen to this response, and tell me if it sounds familiar…
“Yeah but I can’t really disrespect those guys because they executed their pitches. I was out there 60 feet, six inches away from them and I’m getting backdoor sliders with two strikes on the black. We’ve run into a string of pitchers that have executed. Can we run into some guy that just doesn’t have it one night? Haven’t been too many of those lately”
-Chipper Jones, word for word quote…
WOW!!! CHIPPER FREAKING JONES!! I know I will get flamed for this but I dont care, because I have known of this attitude from Chipper for ever!! I have told countless people he is not a leader, and its mainly this attitude right here as too why we sadly wont win another WS with him as our leader. Yes, occasionally mediocre to poor pitchers execute their pitches, but it is your job as a MAJOR LEAGUE hitter to hit pitches even when executed, take the pitch the opposite way, wait for a mistake, make the pitcher work the count. It is YOUR JOB to find a way against guys like Wang and Deitweiler…Other teams dont have this attitude of “they were just too good. hats off to them, tip your cap fellas”, that is a losers mentality. Freddie Gonzalez has this disease, Chipper has it, and Bobby to some extent had it. It is a disease, because it eats away at clubhouses, and suddenly a 14-run loss to the Astro’s 17th best Single-A pitching prospect becomes… “man, that guys was painting, I mean I think the 27 yankees would have been no-hit, he was just lights out, tip my cap…tip my cap….cap tippin”.
Sad……….. just sad….Thanks Fredi and Chipper for this horrible loser mentality leading to one of the worst collapses in MLB history.
Phanatic
September 29th, 2011
11:00 am
Hey Ghostrider -
Thanks for the hate and keep watching. Knowing you’ll be gritting your teeth while we’re in the playoff is awesome. Enjoy loser.
PeteInPhilly
September 29th, 2011
11:01 am
Naboo the Enigma said: “They only thing that wil lighten the sting of this EPIC FAIL would be if the Phils get sent home in the first round.”
Huh. I can certainly understand the bitterness; Philly and Atlanta fans haven’t had a lot of love between them in a lot of years. But I’d think it would be better if the Phillies went all the way and won the WS. Wouldn’t that take the sting out of this loss more? Knowing that the Braves were beat by a WS Champion and not a first-round loser?
Besides, last night’s game was certainly not an “I hate Philly” game. We respected the game but also gave you a chance by putting out a pitching lineup that was there to tuneup for the playoffs. We COULD have put Hamels out there for the entire game. He pitches third in the rotation against St. Louis, but that game isn’t until Tuesday. That’s normal rest plus one day for Hamels.
ATL Fan
September 29th, 2011
11:01 am
Bag-O-Bats,
Getting two all-star quality pitchers back next year will not help us score runs, however, it should reduce the number of runs we need in order to win.
alex
September 29th, 2011
11:01 am
@elaine, your points and excuses for the braves and sox are PATHETIC,give yourself a trohy and slither away….sheeesh-idiot/moron/whatever
jim
September 29th, 2011
11:02 am
If people on this blog take a more realistic look around at the division, they might cool their optimism for next year a bit.
The Phillies might lose Rollins, but they still have the 5 aces, Utley, Pence, Howard, and Victorino + a big budget — they are not ready to fade into the sunset any time soon.
The Nats have a true ace — Strasburg, a very good bullpen, a lot of young talent about to come up from the minors (they have made a lot of good high drafts the last 3 years, not just Strasburg and Harper) + Zimmerman, Morse, Desmond, Espinosa, and the cave man.
The Marlins get Johnson and Hanley back and go into their new stadium with Stanton, LoMo, and Ozzie
The Mets — even if they lose Reyes, their offense was still pretty good with Murphy and Davis returning, and Bay showing signs of regaining his previous form. Duda looked like a pretty tough out at the end of the year. Who knows what will happen with their finances, but if they could get some pitching, their lineup was one that worked the count and bunched hits — two things we didn’t see much from the Braves.
ccrider
September 29th, 2011
11:02 am
GO SNAKES!!!
Kimbrel rocks
September 29th, 2011
11:03 am
fredi needs to go. i’m sorry but this is the biggest collapse in braves history. the MANAGER is the problem.
alex
September 29th, 2011
11:03 am
@pete, your better, you beat us with callups, move on man….send a cheesesteak, PLEASE
elainewilliams
September 29th, 2011
11:05 am
pmc…if someone hired you for 16 million dollars..to do a job….I bet you would turn it down real quick…sure you would.As far as the snide remark about Buckner….he was never berated by the Boston Fans…we treat our players with more respect than some of you Atlanta Fans…As a matter of fact he has been back in Boston several times since that infamous bloop….and had alway been treated with great respect.;..;..it was a game….and one that we all got over quickily….and life still went on for the Boston Red Sox and there fans. By the way are you contributing to his salary….if not…
and my advice is if you know he,s pitching….stay…..home. Try sipping on honey today…….
Naboo the Enigma
September 29th, 2011
11:06 am
Pete not even close, I’ve hated Phily for years. The Eagles can follow the Phils straight to Hades.
The next best thing after rooting for you favorite team to win is rooting against the team you hate most. It’s pretty easy if you think about it.
dave morgan
September 29th, 2011
11:06 am
Finally, 1991 Atlanta Braves pitcher Charlie Leibrandt has some much needed company with closer, Craig Kimbrel. Just wait ’till next year… as we so often say!
BRAVES FAN
September 29th, 2011
11:06 am
CLEAN HOUSE! FREDI HAS GOT TO GO (MANANGED LAST MONTH LIKE A HE DIDNT HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT TO DO) OTHER TEAMS HAVE PROBLEMS BUT SEEN TO OVERCOME THEM, THE BRAVES MANAGER AND COACHING STAFF LOOKED LOST THE WHOLE MONTH. WREN HAS HAD LONG ENOUGH AS GENERAL MANAGER, IF THIS WERE THE YANKEES HE WOULD HAVE BEEN GONE A LONG TIME AGO, I KNEW THE BRAVES WERE DOOMED AT THE WAIVER DEADLINE WHEN HE REAQUIRED DIAZ (NO POWER, NO SPEED) HIS MANAGER HAD SPEED ON THE BENCH AND LEFT IT THERE (CONSTANZA) AND PLAYED HEYWARD (A .220 TO .230 HITTER) THE OVERWORKED BULLPEN SHOWED THE LAST MONTH AND YOU COULD MAKE EXCUSES FOR INJURIES (HANSON AND JAIR) BUT HOW LONG DOES YOUR GENERAL MANAGER SIT AROUND AND WAIT FOR SOMETHING TO GET BETTER BEFORE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT. NEXT YEAR THE BRAVES GO INTO THE OFF SEASON NEEDING A LEFT FIELDER THAT CAN HIT MORE THAN 13 HOME RUNS OR AT LEAST STEAL A BASE, THEY NEED A RIGHT FIELDER, SHORTSTOP AND A PITCHER THAT CAN LAST 200 PLUS INNINGS THEY ALSO NEED A NEW GENERAL MANAGER, MANGER AND COACHING STAFF, AFTER SUCH A COLLAPSE YOU CANT LEAVE IT THE SAME AND EXPECT THE FAN BASE TO ACCEPT IT)
John H Rocko
September 29th, 2011
11:08 am
I still can’t believe the Atlanta Braves blew that ..what was it? 7.5 or 8.5 game wild card lead with 3 weeks left in the season??? there is NO excuse for this… a team that plays like the Braves did this September don’t deserve to be in post-season play. I say send all of these no hitting players back to the minor leagues and teach them how to hit again, that was pitiful and pathetic. I get so tired of getting my hopes up over this team only to ALWAYS have something go wrong at the end of the season, or getting their tails kicked in the first round of the playoffs. I saw ads on TV yesterday about Post season tickets….ha ha! what a joke. Atlanta Braves??? i say the Atlanta Chokers would be a better name for them.
PeteInPhilly
September 29th, 2011
11:09 am
Sorry, Alex. I had no intention of rubbing salt in the wound. The Phillies are better than the Braves. THIS year. And maybe next year and for a couple years after that. And maybe not. Nobody knows losing quite like the Phillies do.
That doesn’t mean it stings any less to have your team lose like last night. I just think the Braves are better than some of the fans here seem to think; that there truly is reason to look forward to 2012. There are a lot of teams that would take your present heartbreak if it came with your near future potential.
PMC
September 29th, 2011
11:11 am
No one is being fired, they aren’t going to make major changes. There’s no reason to even discuss it. That’s not how this team operates.
Kudos to Kimbrel for owning it and showing real true emotion the way he feels. No one is going to be mad at a guy who didn’t give up a run for seemingly half the year. He’s really good, he was awesome this season.
jim
September 29th, 2011
11:14 am
Sean made some points earlier about Prado and chemistry. But maybe the chemistry is good, but it is too familiar and has produced contenders but not winners the past 3 years. Prado is a tough decision to make — with arbitration he will be making > $5 million dollars next year. With the Uggla trade, he doesn’t have a defined role on the team. He is neither a true left fielder nor third baseman. He was having an off year even before the staph infection. I think being jacked around between LF and 3B (two new positions) took a toll and hurt him both in the field and at the plate. I hated that idea right from spring training. Being put into power positions may have hurt too — too much weight training and became too pull happy. In the past Prado hit a lot of 2Bs to the right center field alley. This year he served a couple of grounders to right in a few key spots, but much of the time he was committing to pull and only hitting weak fly balls on outside pitches.
alex
September 29th, 2011
11:15 am
Pete, don’t need your platitudes, I need a real philly cheesesteak and a pretzel to go with it with lots of hot mustard!!!!
Phredd
September 29th, 2011
11:15 am
Elaine, you are a liar! I live in the Boston area. Buckner’s entire family was threatened. His daughter had to change schools and he eventually left MA out of fear for his family. He declined to even show up in Boston for over 20 years. You are an uninformed fool!
cardsfan
September 29th, 2011
11:16 am
THANKYOU BRAVES! No more god forsaking tomahawk chop………….is that all you can come up with? Enjoy the playoffs……………from your couch lol
PeteInPhilly
September 29th, 2011
11:16 am
@Alex: I won’t argue that. It’s a sweet, sweet thing seeing the Dallas Cowboys lose. It’s not that way for the Braves, though. At least not for me. I love beating the Braves, but not because I hate them. It’s just because for years they were the team the Phillies looked forward to playing and beating.
As for the Eagles… I like them. But I grew up in Wisconsin during the 1960s, so my team will always be the Packers.
ATL Fan
September 29th, 2011
11:18 am
Mr. Kimbrel,
Great job all year. It’s unfortunate that last nights game was the last of this season. Use it as motivation for next year. You’re a great pitcher.
I’m looking forward to you getting 40+ saves next year too.
Larry
September 29th, 2011
11:18 am
THIS is journalist courage…
http://blogs.ajc.com/jeff-schultz-blog/2011/09/29/braves-collapse-and-the-sh
PeteInPhilly
September 29th, 2011
11:19 am
@Alex: *lol!* Fair enough.
I know there used to be a company here that specialized in sending out “Philly care packages”, promising a 24-hour delivery of hot cheesesteaks, still salty pretzels, and packages of Tastykakes. I don’t know if they’re still around or not, though.
John H Rocko
September 29th, 2011
11:19 am
Freddie G couldn’t manage a little league team…he kinda reminds of Dan Henning’s coaching in the NFL…with no emotion, no spirit, and indifference….i am DONE with the Braves!! i don’t care if they move to another city, good riddance…
ccrider
September 29th, 2011
11:20 am
SEASON’S OVER!!! you folks need to get a life!!! seriously!!! i’ve been reading your comments for a while now and, WOW, what a bunch of fools. i guarentee you that in 3 days you will all have something else to gripe about. i’m retired, but why aren’t the rest of you at work (or looking for work)? maybe that’s why you’re not working. all to do is berate, gripe and complain and coworkers won’t put up with you!!! IT’S JUST A FREAKIN’ GAME!!! GET A LIFE!!!
jim
September 29th, 2011
11:21 am
The Philly fans might take a little less pleasure in what just happened when they sober up later today. Their road to that championship just got a lot tougher.
leftrecursion
September 29th, 2011
11:21 am
What a bunch of classless Philly Fans!
Brick
September 29th, 2011
11:22 am
Look at it this way………….89 wins with one of the worst offenses in MLB………….Not bad. We just need a few changes,here and there. Learn from this trainwreck. NOBODY is going to GIVE you anything and THEY DIDN’T…………….The sun still rose up this morning and baseball is DONE for Atlanta. Wait til Spring training…………….bring on football!!
Braves Fan
September 29th, 2011
11:23 am
2012 starting rotation will be:
Delgado
Teheran
Minor
Beachy
Medlin
Take offers on Hudson, Hanson & Jurrjens, and unload Lowe by whatever means necessary !
A starting thirdbaseman & leftfielder should be TOP priorities, with an upgrade at SS !
Chipper needs to ride off into the sunset !
Phredd
September 29th, 2011
11:25 am
maybe we are all retired! If it’s just a game to you, then why care at all? why get happy or sad about any outcome? I think people have a right to any emotion they want. You invest time and money into something you can’t control. I think griping and/or boasting is at the sportsfans’ discretion.
John H Rocko
September 29th, 2011
11:25 am
PeteinPhilly: I am also a huge Packers fan…for 45 years now~! and i didn’t grow up in Wisconsin…i grew up right here in GA.
mpimentel
September 29th, 2011
11:26 am
mr. lobosolo…so we have to be proud of this team ah…let me explain you something WE HAVE JUST MADE THE WOERST COLLAPSING PERFORMANCE IN THE NATIONAL LEAGUE HYSTORY…EVEN WORST THAN THE METS A OF COUPLE YEARS AGO…SORRY BUT WE CANNOT BE PROUD OF IT…
mpimentel
September 29th, 2011
11:29 am
this fans deserve a better team to cheer…a lot of bloggers here have made a good observation….we need for the next season a LF,SS AND A MANNAGER…trade jj , get rid of lowe…send chipper to the retirement …and fire the complete coaching staff
Rowsdower
September 29th, 2011
11:30 am
A truly devestating turn of events. I never thought it would actually come to fruition. Having a 3 game lead with 5 to play and not able to get a single win is pretty tough to swallow.
I am proud of how this team played for 5 months. Not so much in September, obviously. They certainly didn’t phone it in, they just couldn’t get anything going offensively all month. The pitching, with the exception of bLowe, was pretty solid. Clearly the backend of the bullpen was out of gas. Those guys just didn’t have much left in the tank. You could tell from their command.
I have the utmost confidence that Wren will improve this team this Winter and we’ll be right back in the thick of it next year. Go Braves.
Damn this hurts…
Phredd
September 29th, 2011
11:31 am
DOB is right though, with nagging knee injuries, there isn’t a team in the league that is going to pay for JJ or Hanson with shoulder issues.
ccrider
September 29th, 2011
11:32 am
reverse the situation with the braves’ fans and the phils’ fans. you would be as equally bad winners as you are bad losers. IT’S JUST A FREAKIN’ GAME!!!
stoky
September 29th, 2011
11:32 am
Joe Simpson dissed Shane Victorino last night when he hit into a double play. Very unfair!!! so here goes a little more unfairness. Please tell Chipper (larry) that we are sick of his gull-wing homerun trots (all 18 of them) we are also sick of the ugly faces of Uggla and Gonzo. They look like they are mad at the world… I’m sick of the whole bunch of braves and their stupid chop-singing.. all 22,000 of them. Can’t even fill a stadium with a pennant race on the line. Ya’all stink
Phredd
September 29th, 2011
11:32 am
is it just a game? or just a freakin’ game?
jim
September 29th, 2011
11:36 am
The complaint I have with Freddi is that he never figured out how to make full use of Bourn’s speed at the top of the lineup. I liked the idea of the double steal in the 3rd inning last night. How many times have we seen Chipper or one of the other middle order hitters ground into a DP (or K like last night) It didn’t work, but it was the right call. We were playing a better team and we needed to be aggressive. What NEVER happened was a hit and run. Prado seemed an ideal hitter to hit the ball to the right side behind the runner but it never happened in 2 months time. I would have liked to see them try the hit and run in the 12th after Heyward’s single instead of the bunt. How often have we scored with a runner on 2nd and 0 or 1 out over the past month?
alex
September 29th, 2011
11:37 am
There are bad philly fans, but we’ve got lobo,et al.Kum by ya(sp?), I.m thinking phillies and yanks in the WC with the phillies winning in 5….But ,I’d love to see the brew crew,great tailgaiters there, win it all.. Holidays and birthdays on the horizon, 2 children..have agreat winter, in spring:hope springs eternal!
ccrider
September 29th, 2011
11:38 am
yes phredd, it’s only entertainment. sometimes you’re more entertained than othertimes but, yes, IT’S JUST A FREAKIN’ GAME!!! your comment sounds like something i heard on a grade-school playground.
ccrider
September 29th, 2011
11:42 am
unless, of course, you lost some serious cash and nobody, unless you’re a problem gambler, bets on baseball. way too many variables.
Mister Frisky
September 29th, 2011
11:43 am
Where to begin,this eulogy might be in several parts over many days.First the easy and obvious.Lowe has pitched his last game for us 15 mil or not don’t let him anywhere near the bump wearing the tomahawk.Gonzalez,Prado,Mc Cann,Heyward definitely gone.Freddie and Bourn you stay.As for Uggla I think he could be moved especially to the AL to dh.If Uggla stays he bats in the 8 hole.Dude is a two trick pony either a strikeout or solo HR.Chipper stays takes 5 mil to PH and fill in at 3b deferring the rest of his $ over the next few years.If Chipper doesn’t come back the image of him huddling the guys together in dugout before the game is something I will never forget. Too bad that didn’t happen when we were great there might be a couple more WS banners hanging at the Ted.Hudson and every young live arm in the rotation.Two more set up guys for O ‘Ventril till the starters prove they can go more the 5.It ain’t rocket science Frankie start working now.
Antoino DiMarco
September 29th, 2011
11:45 am
To say “I’m proud…” of this club is crap. You lost a 8.5 game lead in 23 days. You also went 0-9 against your two biggest competitors (Philadelphia and St. Louis) in Sept. and lost three consecutive series to the division’s crap (Mets, Marlins, Nationals). You choked. You are NOT good enough. The Phils know how to win and what it takes. Take a lesson from them and enjoy the off-season.
PMC
September 29th, 2011
11:46 am
Elaine, you’re on a Braves blog spouting off about how bad a fans we are. I provided you a mirror. Bill Buckner was CRUCIFIED in Boston for one mistake, so much so that only after 2004 was he brought back and people apologised for being so mean to him. He couldn’t walk around in Boston. Your memory is selective and it’s wrong. They treated him worse than Cubs fans treated Steve Bartman. Boston fans are some of the most myopic, critical and cynical fans in the world.
Derrick Lowe had an absolutely terrible year and he deserves criticism. People online always take criticism over the top but everyone knows this and Derrick doesn’t care and doesn’t read this stuff, he counts his money and goes home. He’s happy, this won’t bother him in the least. He’s up for another 15 million next year whether he pitches well or not and or contributes to the team winning.
Let it go, and look in the mirror. Go to southy and see what they think of Francona this morning or John Lester.
Phredd
September 29th, 2011
11:47 am
ccrider these are just fan comments. you don’t have to read them or be here to tell us all that, “IT’S JUST A FREAKIN’ GAME!!! nobody asked for your input, but here you are giving it just like everyone else. I wonder how great your memory must be to remember statements made to you or around you during your grade-school years. As far as your constant reminders about what constitutes a game and/or entertainment, some would say that everything is a game or a form of entertainment. right now, you and I are entertaining each other and probably boring everyone else.
bring back blauser
September 29th, 2011
11:48 am
if terry francona gets fired get him immediately. he has a axe to grind against philly and he has always had a great rapport with players. maybe he will find someone who like freddy freeman knows how to just try to make contact and move runners over. that was the truly bright spot on the braves this season other than those great young pitchers whom we will have many chances to see in the future. this is a great team and i hope they learned from this and carry the anger over to next season and make everyone pay
Banned Poster
September 29th, 2011
11:49 am
ccrider
September 29th, 2011
11:20 am
“SEASON’S OVER!!! you folks need to get a life!!! seriously!!! i’ve been reading your comments for a while now and, WOW, what a bunch of fools. i guarentee you that in 3 days you will all have something else to gripe about. i’m retired, but why aren’t the rest of you at work (or looking for work)? maybe that’s why you’re not working. all to do is berate, gripe and complain and coworkers won’t put up with you!!! IT’S JUST A FREAKIN’ GAME!!! GET A LIFE!!!”
Now that is comical coming from a poster who has a UGA blog dedicated to ripping Mark Richt and any fan that likes him. Maybe you need to take your own advice sometimes, you know, ITS JUST A GAME.
Mister Frisky
September 29th, 2011
11:49 am
CC Rider see what you have done.Francona would be perfect.
wow
September 29th, 2011
11:50 am
Braves = EPIC FAIL
Phils Phan 80
September 29th, 2011
11:51 am
Only ones to blame for this is the players. The Phillies were ready to come into to Atlanta and just roll over. With the exception of playing for franchise record in wins and Charlie Manuel becoming franchise leader in wins, they had NOTHING to play for. They weren’t even trying these past few games. Otherwise they would not have had Joe Blanton start this game.
Hello, its me
September 29th, 2011
11:51 am
The combined IQ of the Braves is lower than that of Barry Obama plus they are bigger losers than the Presidential loser. I didnt think it was possible.
AH HAHAHAA~~~!! SCREW YOU BRAVES!!! LMAO! LOOOOOOSSSEEERRRSSS!!! LMAO!
bobby cerasuolo
September 29th, 2011
11:52 am
Chipper needs to call it quits Frank Wren needs to call any and all GMs and ask for how much for thier star 3rd baseman
NYM
TB
BAL
anyone and The big three of Teheran Vics and Minor will be open to a trade
mpimentel
September 29th, 2011
11:52 am
starting rotation 2012:
1.- hudson
2.- beachy
3.- hanson
4.- minor
5.- vizcaino
keep medlen, teheran and delgado for any need down the strecth
make a trade involving jjj and lowe
2013 lineup:
1.- bourn cf
2.- freeman 1b
3.- (a LF from free agency or via trade)
4.- (a RF from free agency or via trade)
5.- mccann c
6.- uggla 2b
7.- prado 3b
8.- (a SS from free agency or via trade)
9.- pitcher spot
….chipper do something rigth for the team AGAIN an please retired yourself
….heyward need a complete or almost a complete season in minors, to find himself
….constanza is cappable enought to be productive, but been the 4th. outfield
….keep hinskie in the bench
….get rid of conrrad, wilson, diaz
bullpen 2013:
kimbrel cl
venters
o’flaherty
medlen
delgado
….release linebrick, c.martinez and sherryl
bring up someones from AAA and look in winters leagues for veterans (but just a couple)
coaching staff:
new managger (fredi had just made that any other managger in nl history has done)
new pitching coach (2 yaers of a start pitchers plagued of injuries and 2 years of tired bullpen)
new hiting coach (we din’t have an offensive lineup in 3 season in a row)
new coaching staff (new and modern baseball blood)
…………………………………………….PLEASE DO IT F WREN …………………………………………
Brave4life- tough pill to swallow
September 29th, 2011
11:53 am
Jason Heyward is not deserving for an interview, if anything he cost us games this year
1 really depressed fat fan
September 29th, 2011
11:54 am
I will say this…..Chippers true colors really showed this season. He is not a leader. I love the guy, he was a good ball player. But I cant believe we are paying 14 million dollars to a guy who has 2 bad knees and at best will play 120 games(start 95-105). The team will be in contention next year but will not get the wild card. No shot with San Fran coming back. Braves have at least 2-3 years away from being a contender.
I will say in 2-3 years the future is bright… BUT! THAT is only depending on the development of freeman, heyward(dear lord), kimbrel(clutchness), venters(wore down again),hanson, jurjenns(be nice to join us down the stretch)
SR
September 29th, 2011
11:54 am
A lot to be proud of, are you freakin kidding me? They went down in flames, epic fail beyond belief, reaching the pantheon of shame reserved only for the grandest of chokers and someone wants to talk about things of which this team can be proud??!! There are none!!!! Every single player on this 25 man roster contributed at one point or another to this complete meltdown, from McCann’s worthless at bats to the bullpen’s walks and walk off homers, to batters flailing away at pitches they couldn’t possibly hit like Prado. From mindless errors such as Wilson’s to Alex Gonzalez, the double play machine. From Lowe’s miserable softballs catching the entire plate to Chipper losing a ball in the lights. And to Fredi Gonzalez’s inability to get more out of this team when it really mattered. Proud??!! That is an adjective that has no connection to this team, the word shame is far more accurate and appropriate. That and shameful.
Phils Phan 80
September 29th, 2011
11:56 am
Francona with an axe to grind against Philly? If you think that former managers/GM’s don’t like Philly, you should take a trip to Houston and ask the fans there if they think Ed Wade still likes the Phillies. How he GAVE the Phillies Brad Lidge, Roy Oswalt and Hunter Pence.
Austin
September 29th, 2011
11:59 am
The Braves won 91 games last year. They won 91 games with Kenshin Kawakami, Troy Glaus, and Melkey Cabrera..and with an injured Chipper for most of the year.
This team won 89 games with Dan Uggla essentially replacing Melky, Freddie Freeman replacing Glaus, and Brandon Beachy replacing Kawakami. Oh, the bullpen was also better, Jurrjens and Hanson has career years, and Chipper had a better year. Granted, Lowe, Heyward, and Prado also suffered from setbacks, but those are nothing in compared to how the team improved.
I haven’t though Fredi Gonzalez was a good manager from the start. I’d fully support the firing of him. Not because of how the season ended, but because this is easily a 95-win team. I’m also not a fan of Larry Parrish. No batter in our lineup made vast improvements under his watchful eye. They were all almost worse.
ccrider
September 29th, 2011
12:01 pm
frisky, love your comments and agree with most. gonzales must go. hayward might be salvagable but needs to quit being a “legend in his own mind” and work on being a good, never great, but a good major leaguer. bunch of tradable parts like prado, beachy, minor, venters and payroll reduction in kk, mcclouth, gonzales etal. if chipper would just retire and take 5 mil and lowe could be dumped. don’t think anybody would be interested in either jj or tommy. hanson was headed for the dl from the jump because of that funky delivery and jj is mediocre at best. the off-season will be interesting.
bring back blauser
September 29th, 2011
12:03 pm
are you people crazy? in no way do you give up on heyward. he needs someone to work with him extensively in spring training. this kid along with freeman are our future. it is true he had a terrible season but he will surely turn it around. i really hope to see the same starting 8 back next year. trade lowe if possible. the young pitchers have everyone else salivating to get any of them.
ccrider
September 29th, 2011
12:06 pm
hey banned poster, must be a different ccrider, i’m in columbia, sc and we beat your sorry “dawgs” two weeks ago. GO GAMECOCKS!!!
SR
September 29th, 2011
12:09 pm
Good points Austin, at one point last night, no matter which Philly pitcher was on the hill, the pathetic Braves hitters were overmatched- following Uggla’s homer, from the 4th inning to the 13th, 10 “hitters” struck out and 10 feebly grounded out. Pitiful.
smithyred
September 29th, 2011
12:09 pm
I think manager did a good job. Need to get another hitting coach.
It will be nice to see different clubs in playoffs for a change. Thank goodness, no Boston Red Socks and maybe Yankees will get beat. Tired of them.
smithyred
JAFO
September 29th, 2011
12:11 pm
An absolutely stunning display of managerial incompetence not only last evening but all season. He was over matched and unable to stay ahead of the game. STH who attended 60+. I will not renew until FG is removed. A vote of ‘no confidence.’ i will not allow my loyalty to be exploited any longer. Why are we forced to accept mediocrity with our baseball team? Does that make me a fair weather fan? No, it makes me an informed consumer.
Sean
September 29th, 2011
12:14 pm
Thanks to Sean for some of the best comments on the crybaby threads all season… Sean, these armchair cryboys don’t realize any of what you said about the game… they don’t know the game and are not smart enough to figure the “game of inches” part out… They are basically just a bunch of whiners that sit on their behinds and yell at the TV after they failed once again to set the world on fire in their own miserable jobs… They are stupid and jealous of the fact that ball players and managers make so much more than they do, and feel like because they do that they are owed a perfect game every night… They live in a world of 20-20 hindsight, convinced that they would have made the correct decision every time Fredi made one that didn’t pan out… They don’t know the game and refuse to learn about it, or are just incapable of doing so…. They don’t realize the beauty of the simpleness of the game, one given to failure most of the time…
They don’t take a season of finishing in the top ten in all of the major leagues as an accomplishment, just like they don’t appreciate the accomplishments of Bobby Cox’s years, because they just flat out DON’T UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF THE GAME… I’ll bet there’s not one of these whining, sniveling, sissy crybabies that is anywhere near the top ten of their professions…
I for one am as disappointed as any over their loss, but I enjoyed this team battling through injuries and slumps to remain in the chase until the bitter end… To play as well as they did, relying on so many rookies, was heartening… They did a great job… watching Uggla break out of his slump was heartening, too, given how hard he played and his failure to make excuses… Watching the chemistry of the team in the dugout was great, something you don’t see on teams that don’t have it or a manager who supports his players no matter what…
These jacklegs that have nothing better to do in life but complain failed to see any of these and the other positives of the season… They talk about heart… I can’t imagine that there was one player on the team that didn’t try his heart out this year, but the blubbering bozos on here think that, in addition to their “expertise” about every facet of the game, from hitting and pitching to strategy, that they are all mind readers, and that their self-appointed genius can tell what a player is thinking by looking at him while sitting in their armchair with a nice cushion on their behind… If the Braves had made it and won the World Series, these same cryboys would be walking around gloating about how “their” team won it all, while all year long they had NOTHING but derogatory and derisive comments to make about “their” teammates…
Have a miserable Fall and Winter, Cry-bots… try to do something useful, like LEARN something… I imagine you’ll just be transfering your “expertise” to the drudgery that is football, where you really belong… I imagine y’all know everything there is to know about that, too… As your rear end spreads wider by the day, and what remains of any sense you have dwindles down to peanut proportions, consider giving up on the team you so love to kick, yell, and scream at… They don’t deserve such a bunch of enlightened know-it-all-CRYBABIES as you…
Congrats, Bravos… you gave it your all, of this I am sure… As with every baseball season I experience, I got to see some great moments of stellar play to tamper the bad days, as always happens in a season this long… Thanks Fredi, for finishing in the top ten in your first year… looking forward to next season for sure… Can’t wait to see how all the young’uns pan out..
And finally to you sissy-boy crybabies… A BIG TIP OF THE CAP… you are the champions of the boorish, whiney, sports fan louts… You win the booby prize of truly being the best at what you do, and have set a very high bar for the rest of the rest of the oafs in the country that are trying to keep up with you…
************************************
Thanks Lobo…thought I would tell them how I feel. I’ve been sitting back for most of the season. You were dead on, a world of 20/20 hindsight. That’s just not baseball. Or anything in life, really.
ccrider
September 29th, 2011
12:15 pm
JAFO spot on!!!
GumbyWilkinson
September 29th, 2011
12:16 pm
Good Bye Chipper–great career, but you can no longer hit a lick. I do think that the Braves should build a statute of Chipper Jones to be placed outside the grounds of Turner Field to go alongside Hank Aarons statue. Chipper helped bring a world series to Atlanta in 1995 and was the GREATEST SWITCH-HITTER IN THE HISTORY OF MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL, EVEN BETTER THAN MICKY MANTLE. Chipper Jones is one of the top 10 greatest baseball players of all times.
Mister Frisky
September 29th, 2011
12:17 pm
CC good points as well.Would love to see Heyward work out.Only concern is this,It’s a corner outfield spot that has to bring offense to the table.If they upgrade LF and SS big time than we can wait for Heyward if they don’t another 225 year will leave us in a bad spot.
Sean
September 29th, 2011
12:18 pm
Like I said before about Fredi, let’s give him more of a chance here. How can you say it’s his fault completely? We all know it’s not. It can’t be.
We have enough talent to beat the Phils and the Nats. Heyward and Prado will have big seasons next year. Lowe will do better, he cannot get worse. Our pitching is just the right mix of vets and young guys. Our lineup is solid, especially with Bourn.
We lost this year, but I can’t wait for next year. The returning talent is enough to win it all if they play like they’re supposed to. Heck, it was enough to get to the playoffs this year, barring an unheard of September collapse. We won’t see that happen again in baseball for a long time, I’d bet.
Braves Fan
September 29th, 2011
12:24 pm
Gumby,
Take your medication !
Chipper is a better switch-hitter than Eddie Murray, Pete Rose & Mickey Mantle?
You must be his mother.
Braves Fan
September 29th, 2011
12:25 pm
Fredi was a loser with the Marlins & he’s a loser in Atlanta.
Joe Torre should have been hired on a 2-year contract as an interim until someone qualified was fouind
GumbyWilkinson
September 29th, 2011
12:25 pm
Listen folks, no matter how much you hate Chipper, Fredi and the boys for choking, remember Chipper Jones helped deliver us a world series championship in 1995. Without that, the Braves would have continued to have been the LAUGHING STOCK OF BASEBALL. At least since 1995, the Braves franchise has been among the elite franchises in all of baseball, second only to the New York Yankees. YOU CAN THANK CHIPPER JONES FOR THAT!
Braves Fan
September 29th, 2011
12:29 pm
Since the Braves’ became “Chipper’s team” its been a lot of losing and a lot of near misses.
Time for Chipper to retire or accept a trade to the AL where he can DH and reach career milestones.
His daily quotes will not be missed. Time to “Man UP” !
Brick
September 29th, 2011
12:32 pm
Braves did not treat Joe Torre in a professional manner when they sent him away. Torre had class,but that was a long time ago,anyway.
Braves Fan
September 29th, 2011
12:33 pm
Gumby,
Chipper was not a major factor in the 1995 Championship. It was his rookie year and we had leaders named Maddux, Smoltz, Glavine, Avery, Justice, McGriff, Lopez, Grissom, Blauser, Lemke & a host of others. Chipper was a very small cog in the machine that wonderful season.
I’ll give Chipper kudos for the 1999 season, our last trip to the World Series. That was 12 years ago.
There has been nothing “elite” about the Braves since 1999.
You are still sniffing the fumes off the 1990s. This is 2011 !
Freddie t
September 29th, 2011
12:34 pm
The difference between the Braves and the Phillies is having a brilliant GM. The Braves didn’t want to give away some of their best prospects for Hunter Pense while the Phillies knew that Pense is a difference maker and made that deal. Pense is better than any player on the Braves and will be for years to come.
ccrider
September 29th, 2011
12:35 pm
thax for the comeback frisky. ya gotta look at who’s available and at what price and what kind of contract. who’s out there??? cory hart? new contract but the cost would be too high and would make to brewcrew even stronger. i really like the the descalso kid in st louis as a prado type but no power and would cost prado and a pitcher. scott hairston (now a met) would available and affordable but not a starter (better than diaz though). how about mccann and a young arm for david price? interesting lol.
GumbyWilkinson
September 29th, 2011
12:37 pm
I DONT CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS ABOUT CHIPPER. CHIPPER MUST DO THREE THINGS TO SECURE HIS PLACE AMONG THE GAMES MOST ELITE PLAYERS AND MAKE SURE HE HANDLES HIS CAREER HIMSELF AND NOT LEAVE IT IN THE HANDS OF FATE THE WAY FRED MCGRIFF RUINED HIS CAREER [AFTER FINISHING ONLY 7 HOME RUNS SHORT OF 500].
CHIPPER NEEDS TO DO THREE THINGS TO BE CONSIDERED AS GREAT AS HENRY AARON, JOE DIMAGGIO OR EVEN WILLIE MAYS:
#1: Accept a trade with an american league ballclub where he can continue to hit home runs until he reaches 500. [i dont care if he has to do that in a wheelchair]. HIS SUPREME LEGACY IS AT STAKE.
#2: Do more of what he did last night–phony pre-game speeches that was too-little too-late. If Chipper had been doing that every night since the penant races started on september 1st, the Braves would have made the playoffs. Why did chipper wait till the LAST GAME of the season before he made a fool of himself last night.
#3: If you take care of #1 and get to 500 home runs, then #3 will take care of itself.. A STATUE WILL BE ERECTED OF LARRY JONES TO BE DISPLAYED AT TURNER FIELD, to indicate one of the greatest careers of all times.
Chipper if you are reading my blog, take care of #s 1, 2 and 3 will be done automatically. CHIPPER JONES–THE GREATEST LIVING LEGEND IN BASEBALL TODAY.
Brava
September 29th, 2011
12:38 pm
elainewilliams, I don’t know what relation you are to Derek Lowe, but your posts in support of him are pathetic. What do you not understand about a pitcher whose record is 9-17, sports a 5.05 ERA, a 1.51 WHIP and a .285 opponent average? I’ll grant you that he didn’t get much run support, but neither did any of the other pitchers who managed to achieve much better results.
You’ve admitted that you’re not a Braves fan, so why are you here? You’re making yourself look very silly.
nashvillewill
September 29th, 2011
12:40 pm
So the Braves disappoint again (I’ve been a Braves fan since 1957) and most likely will disappoint me again by not firing Gonzales. He mismanaged this team in historic fashion, but the former Beaneaters will not acknowledge this and will point to the injury situation. My wish list in order:
1. Fire FG
2. Fire Parrish
3. Fire McDowell
4. Sign or trade for a LF with experience and a track record of .310 BA or better
5. Sign or trade for a SS with experience a track record of .280 or better.
6. Acquire a 3B prospect to groom and play in Chipper’s off days, which will become more numerous
7. Release, buy out or otherwise remove Lowe from the roster
8. Assign Heyward to AAA until he gets his swing together
9. Release Diaz, Conrad, Hinske, Wilson, Alex Gonzales.
10. Return Prado to the utility role
11. Decide future of Ross: either play him more, use him to PH, or let him go. Major underused talent
12. Insist McCann up his off-season conditioning program
13. Inform Delgado and Teheran that starting roles are theirs to lose.
14. Inform Minor and Beachy they will be starters.
15. Release or trade Jurrgens.
That would be a start. Or just fire FG
Komminsk
September 29th, 2011
12:41 pm
Really should have traded Lowe to the Tigers at the deadline and gotten some more bullpen help. The trade for Bourn was a great move, but just not enough.
Biggest disappointment of the year is Heyward. Biggest surprise is Freeman.
2012 rotation:
Hudson
Hanson
Beachy
Delgado
Teheran
Bullpen: Kimbrel, Venters, Medlen, O’Flahtery, Martinez, Minor, Morylan, Viscaino
Trade: JJ
Fire: Lowe
ccrider
September 29th, 2011
12:45 pm
if chipper was a real leader gonzales would have either run out grounders and pop ups or be run out of town. this team had no leadership from ownership, the front office or from the players themselves. gotta light a fire but if ownership accepts profit and mediocrity as the standard, whatta ya gonna do?
WBW
September 29th, 2011
12:46 pm
Sean, what you waiting for next year the same BS…I worked for braves 7 years and somethings just don’t change. Thats why I’m gone..Braves need reconstruction from top to bottom. You right about one thing Braves don’t have the balls to make right changes. Therefore nothing will change always will be 2nd place. Win or Lose old Fredi will be there till death do us part.
Sean
September 29th, 2011
12:46 pm
I guarantee Chipper would NEVER be traded to the AL. He would trade every home run, every MVP award, every batting title and other career accolade for Braves wins. He’d retire before he got traded. That’s the way he plays the game. He knows more about the Braves than we ever will–he played on the team.
I cannot believe that this blog would call for Chipper’s trade. The guy hit above the league average in batting average this year, and has come up with numerous clutch hits. No, he’s not the player of old, and yes, his salary to production ratio is not good. But I don’t CARE. If ANYONE on this team deserves $15million in 2011 it IS Chipper Jones. Every single person in that clubhouse, including the guys that produce more than Chipper, will tell you that. Just because DOB hasn’t typed it up doesn’t mean the team doesn’t feel that way.
I NEVER wanna hear trade Chipper or force him to retire again. That is a ridiculous claim.
Madame Headhurts
September 29th, 2011
12:47 pm
To all the classless Phillies fans who have come on here to gloat, may Karma pay you your just rewards. I am cooking up a little curse to help her along. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
bill
September 29th, 2011
12:48 pm
Nashvillewill..agree on 99% of your plan.
!st fire Fredi G..asp
Sean
September 29th, 2011
12:51 pm
Yeah Nashvillewill, let’s just release our entire team and fire our coaching staff. In fact…let’s just not have the Atlanta Braves anymore. Man, they sucked so badly this year.
You make me sick.
O-me
September 29th, 2011
12:54 pm
Sean..you the homer that makes everyone sick..who are u anyway ..just another smart *#@ kiss up to Braves.
Buck Nasty
September 29th, 2011
12:56 pm
Hey Madame Headhurts…lay off the moonshine for a while…the only thing that’s cursed is your stinkin’ Braves….They got smacked around by the best team in baseball…live with it…tomahawk chop this, suckers!!
Cornjolio
September 29th, 2011
12:56 pm
“CHIPPER JONES–THE GREATEST LIVING LEGEND IN BASEBALL TODAY”
Time for someone to call the mental institution to see if one of the inmates has escaped !
Sean
September 29th, 2011
12:57 pm
Being realistic with an optimistic outlook is kissing up? I’m defending the team I love? What? Unheard of, I know. What the heck is a homer anyway? What does that mean? I live near Atlanta yeah…
Cornjolio
September 29th, 2011
12:57 pm
Chipper Jones is the face of the Brasves, and its an ugly, losing face !
He will never be mentioned in the same breath as Dimaggio, Aaron & Mays.
InnocentBystander
September 29th, 2011
12:58 pm
Chipper DESERVES a SALARY RAISE next season from $15 million per season to $30 million per season. CHIPPER HAS DONE MORE THAN HIS SHARE SINCE HE WAS A ROOKIE YEARS AGO. Chipper has been an MVP, a batting champion, multiple all-star starting positions and has ammassed over 450 home runs during his illustrious career. Chipper will soon eclipse 500 home runs and is a shoo-in to be enshrined into Cooperstown. What more do you want from Chipper? He has done it all in his career and will continue to be great until he is finished. The blame for this seasons epic collapse dosesnt fall on the shoulders of Chipper Jones. The reason for the Braves failure to make the playoffs should be placed at the feet of Fredi Gonzales. FIRE THE MANAGER AND YOU HAVE SOLVED THE PROBLEM.
afan
September 29th, 2011
1:00 pm
Sean you sound like Joseph are the other guy named reckingball always playing Dr Phil. Braves can do no wrong. Go back to you gameroom where you always control the out come.
Bill
September 29th, 2011
1:03 pm
Make no change and expect the same.
Fire Fredi and Wren~~~Make the move.
Preston Thompson
September 29th, 2011
1:04 pm
You folks want to keep BM behind the plate just love heartache. So he finds an acorn here and there, but how many dp’s and his defense is pathetic. Ross is hands down a better catcher.
And look at Minor, how many times did he go into the 6th inning with no runs? I don’t see how any young pitch can keep his ethusiasm intact when the team around him is dead. Beachy the same thing. The coaching staff as a whole is lost. They all have lost respect for themselves and their jobs.
Why not just move the Dominican National Team up here and put them in the stadium, each with his own translater.
PreciousStevens
September 29th, 2011
1:04 pm
Looks like the Chipper LOVEFEST has continued into the afternoon. Everyone was down on Chipper when he was hitting about .218 earlier in the year. Like he always has done throughout his entire career, Chipper got hot and almost carried the team to an improbable playoff appearance. Chippers average went over .280 and was very respectable, and he finished close to .277 which is incredible for a 39-year old player. I believe chipper could hit .300 in his sleep and if he was blindfolded at the plate, chipper would still hit close to .300. THAT IS WHY I SAY THAT CHIPPER JONES IS A FIRST-BALLOT HALL OF FAMER and there is absolutely no doubt about that!
chris hill
September 29th, 2011
1:05 pm
Tough way to end such a wonderful season. I am a die hard Braves fan and the problem i see with the braves are they are one of the worst fundamentally sound baseball i have see. They left so many runners in scoring position. How many times coming down the stretch, was a runner on second, no outs second and third, one out and they never moved from that base. Can any of the players bunt a guy over, hit backside to get a runner over or in. That is on the coaching staff for not practicing or calling the play and if the player can’t do it find someone who can. It is so frustrating seeing players hitting 230 or less coming to bat and continuing to swing as hard as they can and leaving runners out there. Come on Coaches have some balls next year and make these guys do the routine baseball plays that you learn in little league.