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359 comments Add your comment
Gomer Pyle
September 29th, 2011
8:49 pm
Geez, talk about a knee-jerk reaction: one day after a debacle and the crew of the Titanic is coming back for another year of re-arranging deck chairs. I won’t be spending my entertainment dollars at the Ted, that’s for sure.
George Stein
September 29th, 2011
8:51 pm
How does Fredi still have a job today? He spent the whole season mismanaging this team. I think this calls Wren’s judgment into question now.
kdawg1017
September 29th, 2011
8:52 pm
im pretty sure that roger mcdowell had a terrible year his first year and everyone here was saying fir him give him one more shot maybe the players progress for him like our pitchers did for roger
BosnianBaller
September 29th, 2011
8:55 pm
DOB if you were GM what would you do?
teeheehee
September 29th, 2011
8:58 pm
Enter your comments here
JR from Iowa
September 29th, 2011
9:00 pm
MaCann goes to his brother.
Chipper talks to his Dad
Herward talks to Chipper
WAY DO WE NEED A HITTING COACH?
teeheehee
September 29th, 2011
9:01 pm
1… 2… fredi’s comin’ for you
3…4… better buy some more…
5…6… 6 packs of Coors
7… 8… don’t stay up late
9… 10… and be tricked by the sorry excuse for management and coaching and hitting and pitching lame braves that trick you every season for the past 20 years except for one that David Justice made us win
discuss.
Sparky Anderson
September 29th, 2011
9:05 pm
“On the morning of Aug. 26, the Braves were up 9 ½ games in the National League wild card race and 10 ½ games on the Cardinals, who were a game behind the Giants at the time. Former Baseball Prospectus statistician Clay Davenport calculated Atlanta’s odds of making the playoffs at that point by simulating the remainder of the season a million times and gave them a 98.99 percent chance, or barely more than a one-percent chance of failing to make the playoffs.”
That’s from SI.com, and we’re to believe no changes are necessary after one of the most amazing debacles in baseball history? God willing, Liberty Media will sell the Braves to someone with spirit and we’ll be rid of the vampires running this team. It’s disgraceful.
jw
September 29th, 2011
9:16 pm
Braves have no fire and all starts with the manager
Joe Maddon
September 29th, 2011
9:19 pm
Mr. Enigma,
Dang it, another typo! I meant “contending” team. My mistake, gang. Those Nats give everybody fits, though. Still, the Phillies will soon realize that Prince Albert, Holliday and Big Puma ain’t no easy out!
Kimbrel rocks,
Now that’s the spirit! Don’t let these bitter people in Philly get you boys down! The Braves have been a solid organization for many and they didn’t need a $150M+ payroll to do it! Always remember that! YOU WILL BE BACK IN 2012! Maybe a Rays-Braves matchup in next year’s World Series, eh?
GO RAYS GO!!!!!!!!!!
The Future
September 29th, 2011
9:20 pm
2012 Braves season:
yawn, chipper’s hurt again
yawn, no one goes to the games, because we suck
yawn, the braves can’t hit
yawn, jair & hanson are very fragile little whiny babies
yawn, happy 60th looking b-day jason “the loser” heywood
yawn, dan cooly uggla aka mr. 1/3 season
yawn, fredi g & alex g, marlins rejects
yawn, lowe, i can’t pitch but they keep paying me, cool
yawn, diaz & wilson? please, bring back keith lockhart
One-Eyed Mac
September 29th, 2011
9:23 pm
This morning I said I was not ready to run Fredi out of town yet….I’m now a step closer to that point. If he wants to go down with Parrish, so be it.
Joe Maddon
September 29th, 2011
9:25 pm
One more thing: Tell your GM Wren to take a look at the Willngham kid out in Oakland. He hits for power (almost 30HR), has a great attitude and is from Alabama, if I’m not mistaken. Probably only cost you about 15-16M total for a two year deal, too. He’d be a GREAT fit for the Braves out in LF. Just move Prado to utility and start grooming him to take over at 3B.
RWO, Bro!
NagoyaBrave
September 29th, 2011
9:27 pm
This is the most ridiculous news I’ve heard. As a fan since the Hank Aaron era, I have a right to complain. Anybody out there calling us morons or idiots for our remarks about the Atlanta Braves organization needs to think about it. We, the fans, are the ones who support this team, make it go round, give them the millions to buy Porches and mansions in Buckhead, etc. Without us, these guys (well probably not these guys, just the ones who love baseball) would be in a corn field somewhere or in an alleyway, playing catch, losing balls in the corn or busting out windows, whichever. We have a right to speak our mind, and probably 99% are in aggreement that this “announcement” is totally uncalled for. It does show you that these good-old-boys are living high and mighty in their gold castle in the sky, totally out of touch with the reality of the fans, the people who line their pockets, cheer for them no matter what. What’s scary is that this team is good enough to win in spite of the coaching. So I say they will be in contention again next year. How many future HOFers did Bobby have? At least four. So no matter what Fredi says or does, it comes down to the players. They are proud, grown men and will make themselves better in spite of their coaches.
bostonbravo
September 29th, 2011
9:36 pm
wow…love it…I was going to cancel my mlbtv sub. for next year tomorrow…see others beat me to it.
Let’s NOT go to games until REAL changes are made.
Coach
September 29th, 2011
9:43 pm
I sincerly hope that the comments by Fredi about keeping the entire coaching staff was simply an outburst on his part. We all know that Parrish has never coached in the fine arts of hitting( and the numbers don’t lie), but give me a freakin break. SOMEONE has to be held accountable. Just because Fredi says they are all coming back, what does that mean?? Is he the manager/GM? Upper management has to take a long look at the coaching staff (and they’ll have all of October and the rest of the year to evaluate). Chipper Jones has stated that the best hitting coach that he ever had was Don Baylor, and guess where he is now???? ARIZONA!! Maybe he only signed a 1 year deal with them, and the Braves can open their wallet a little and get him back. If the entire staff comes back. I’d be shocked. DOB tweeted earlier in the year that there was issues with Parrish and the players, that there was possibly friction there. That would have been the time to make a change. Chipper was seen at times helping Heyward in the cage with his mechanics toward the ladder part of the year. I think its sad that current players have more knowledge and potential coaching ability as the coaching staff. I see Lowe gone in the offseason, and us eating 3/4 of his salary, and I’m ok with that. With the $4 million that we would save, we could land another strong arm in the pen. Though, I’m not sure anyone would want a 17 game loser on their team. Changes would have to be made to make the fans realize that a ton of mistakes were made that cost us the season as well as the playoffs. TP wasn’t the greatest hitting coach, but hell, he got in there and worked his fat little tail off in the cage and putting forth a conscious effort with his players. Think about it, when TP was the coach, he was always talking with andruw and the players either before or after an at bat. How many times did you guys see players go to Parrish for advice or questions during a game? NEVER!!! How many times did you see Parrish go to the players to talk about anything? NEVER! I hope someone in the office over there looks at these comments from fans or former fans as a way to let them know that this city is pissed.
bobbymahlon
September 29th, 2011
9:51 pm
Basically Prado was a utility man this year as he played leftfield,third base and first base. Remember he was an allstar second baseman last year. Lets not give up on him because he had one bad year after setting out because of a bad infection.
Brandon
September 29th, 2011
9:51 pm
Strange.. the FIRST guy that should start packing is making this bold of a statement….
Peytonallen
September 29th, 2011
9:56 pm
I certainly understand everybody’s frustration, but who here honestly expects changes? Fredi should be given the right to judge and hold his staff together, certainly after his first year on the job.
I know it’d make many of you eternally happy to see Parrish fired, but most of you wanted TP gone last year. If this team was broken offensively a year ago, and is today…who’s fault is it? A better question would be what type of offensive team did Parrish inherit?
I missed the cheerleading and constant ejections of Bobby, but what other manager does either of those things? A month ago LaRussa had all but worn out his welcome in St. Louis, now he’s a genius again. I thought Fredi did a good job. He stuck with Kimbrel when many of you wanted Venters to close and in turn he helped foster one of the great, young, closers in the game. He changed the batting order often, he played the hot hand. It’s not his fault for much of the second half the Braves were forced to go with 2013’s starting rotation.
Is it Fredi or Parrish’s fault McCann hit under .200 the last two months of the season? Heyward was in a funk coming out of spring training, Prado never backed up the year he turned in last season. Players having bad years isn’t an Atlanta problem. Look at Crawford in Boston. It happens. But does the hitting coach get credit for turning Uggla around? For Freeman’s season? For Chipper being better this year than he was last?
The reality is our starting pitching through injury and poor performance let us down, and a couple key players never got it going all year. You couple that with the fact that because we’re a corporate owned team on a fixed budget, the Braves are operating as a low income team and have to heavily rely on low cost options and the farm.
This team was a weird mix of veterans and young players, guys like Chipper Jones, Hudson and Lowe were caught in the crosshairs of more or less a rebuilding project.
If the Braves trade Heyward they’re idiots. But, they have to get the kid headed back in the right direction. This team won’t spend on Rollins or Reyes, so we’re looking to go young or cheap at short again. The questions are do you shop Prado for a legit Left fielder and do you trade some pitching for a proven starting pitcher?
Can we count on Hanson?
In both collapses this year, Boston and Atlanta were two teams that were slowly leaking air, via pitching depth, etc.
If Atlanta makes the right moves (which can be done within their budget) and Heyward returns to form this team can challenge the Phillies. It didn’t happen this year, but really, we had no bullets left to fire at anyone in October.
Atlanta Braves
September 29th, 2011
10:13 pm
Did you honestly think we’d do anything substantive to improve the club? We don’t care. We just want your money.
Mark
September 29th, 2011
10:19 pm
Why bring Parrish back when the Braves couldn’t hit their way out of a wet paper bag? Also, they strike out way too much and don’t do the little things when there are men on base.
bravesfaninNashville
September 29th, 2011
10:28 pm
As if we didn’t already know this… This PROVES that Fredi is a terrible choice to do what’s best for this team. He is a pleaser and not a manager. Pleasers do not usually make good business decisions. I’m sorry but Frank Wren now needs to prove to me that he is not just a pleaser and Fire Fredi. This should be done no later than the end of the day tomorrow. I like many others here on this blog know that if he is not replaced I will not take this team seriously. Even if they made the playoffs this year I’m convinced he would have been exposed quickly and out-manuevered as he was by Tony LaRussa who had a 10-1/2 game disadvantage as of Aug 25. It only would have taken one win against the Cardinals to make the last weekend meaningless but he couldn’t get it done. Tony had almost no margin for error and got it done while Fredi had countless opportunities and blew them all..
bravesfaninNashville
September 29th, 2011
10:33 pm
I’ve been checking sports headlines all day hoping that the silver lining in the dark cloud was getting to hear that the Braves have fired Fredi G.
That would give me hope that they were doing something to get this team back on the right track.
smoltz29
September 29th, 2011
10:33 pm
If Fredi manages this team for 100 years, he still won’t be a pimple on the great Bobby Cox’s ass! WE MISS YOU BOBBY!
smoltz29
September 29th, 2011
10:35 pm
Prado must be traded, he’s another version of Omar Infante! How about a year’s rental of Carlos Beltran- a professional hitter? Can’t be worse than 12 hrs and 60 rbis out of left field!
bravesfaninNashville
September 29th, 2011
10:38 pm
Dear Atlanta Braves Front Office,
Please reward your fans that you just allowed to endure one of the worst collapses in sports history with enough respect to ensure us that it will NEVER happen again at the hands of the man who let it happen this time.
Please Fire Fredi Gonzalez today.
Sincerely
A long time loyal Braves fan who spends lots of hard earned money on a team he and his family loves.
Braves R A Joke
September 29th, 2011
10:38 pm
That is why its so easy to not order the MLB package next season. This team will finish worse next season then they did this season in the win/loss column. This coaching staff is so predictable its not even funny. Maybe a lot of Heyward’s struggles this season were because of Larry Parish. That is not to far fetched to believe as several Braves had a down season this year.
All I know is that there is no way that all the Braves coaches should be returning. The one thing that the Braves front office could do to get fans back on board is to make a coaching hire that would be a huge PR move. Say like hire David Justice to be the hitting coach, or maybe bring in Smoltz or Glavine to be the pitching coach. If one or both of those moves happened, I would probably even order the package again from the start because I would believe the hype like I have done for so many years now. As it sits now, I don’t believe their hype and I am not spending my time or money on this team any longer.
The Answer
September 29th, 2011
10:38 pm
Here’s the Answer: the people of Atlanta should take this into their own hands, and begin circulating a petition vowing to not attend another Brave game until Freddi Gonzales is gone. Get enough signatures, and presto! Goodbye Freddi. You’ve got to hit them in their bottom line, folks. That’s the only kind of reason they’ll listen to.
Braves R A Joke
September 29th, 2011
10:44 pm
Also, if Frank Wren allows the coaching staff to remain intact, it will send a huge sign to me that he doesn’t care about anything. They collapsed tremendously in 3 weeks, someone needs to be used as an example, and it needs to start with a coach on this staff, preferably Fredi I TIP MY CAP TO EVERYONE Gonzalez.
bravesfaninNashville
September 29th, 2011
10:46 pm
The Answer….. I’l sign your petition…….. how many others will?
Proof in the Pudding
September 29th, 2011
10:47 pm
Enter your comments here
phoenix
September 29th, 2011
10:51 pm
2012 is gonna be great! Chipper & Lowe will be one year older! J-Hey’s sophomore slump year will be behind him! Uggla will hit .200 and a bunch of solo homers! Alex Gonzalez will never take a walk, and swing at anything between the on-deck circles! Brian McCann & Eric Hinske will buy stock in Krispy Kreme! David Ross will get paid more, and play even less! The Braves may find more bargain-basement relievers like Proctor & Linebrink! AND: all the coaches will be back! Watch out Phillies…the 2012 Braves are stacking up pret-ty solid, if you ask me.
Proof in the Pudding
September 29th, 2011
10:52 pm
If anyone doubts the ineptitude of the Braves coaches, just take a look at the former Braves and how they do under another hitting coach. Did anyone notice that the Royals had the 4th best BA in the majors this year? And who was their best hitter? Melky Cabrera! And who was their third best hitter? Jeff Francour! And who was the next best hitter on the Blue Jays after Bautista? Yunel Escobar! Come on guys. If I was a Braves hitter I’d beg to go to another team so I could revive my career.
bravesfaninNashville
September 29th, 2011
10:53 pm
I’ve seen some people comparing Fredi to Terry Francona because Boston is not blaming the collapse on Francona… First of all Terry is the manager that Broke The Curse and won 2 world series for Boston. He has proven he can lead a team to the top of the mountain twice and therefor deserves a pass here. He also wasn’t consistently out managed he had no pitching at the end and lost Youk and several players went cold at the same time that Tampa’s pitching got red, no make that white hot. If he had even one more pitcher that he could have counted on he would have won the WC. Fredi had Teheren and Delgado sitting available and chose to pitch Lowe again and again down to the last week of the season. Just one win in those key 6 loses at the end and we’re not having this blog. Fredi needs to go…. Sorry… nice man , weak leader….
mpimentel
September 29th, 2011
11:05 pm
who that hell fredi thinks he are…man you aren´t sure for the next season neither…such a mediocre cuotes about a man who managged a team to the biggest collapse in national league history..BS…
mpimentel
September 29th, 2011
11:15 pm
LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING FREDI I´VE BEEN A BREVA FOR MUCH MUCH TIME THAN YOU… ok you as a managger and myself as a fan but I have plenty of knowledge in baseball ¨not because I´d preffered go to college instead of play a lottery in my country pro baseball´s rules (i’m from rep dom)”…if someboddy near of you are in this planet have to tell you this: You are a mediocre managger with pleantly of talent to be in post-season and instead of support your coaching staff you have to figure out how the whole baseball world can forget the worst collaps in NATIONAL LEAGUE HISTORY…forget about melky, francoeur and escobar,even kotchman hits better out of braves’s town
We can beat those Cheese Steaks!
September 29th, 2011
11:24 pm
Fredi=Jim Moron, CLUELESS!
Insanity to bring him and his whole staff back after being punked like that. His team played like a bunch of sissies!
Unacceptable performance from those over paid underachievers…
Maria
September 29th, 2011
11:35 pm
Someone posted a link to Liberty Mutual earlier today and I can’t find it now. Will you please report that?
JAFO
September 30th, 2011
12:00 am
Well said BFN. Absolutely no comparison. To come out with this ridiculous announcement this soon is a PR disaster despite the tolerance of mediocrity in this town. Spend 10 minutes listening to boston radio and understand what true passion about the game is. We deserve all of the criticism of loserville. As someone mentioned from an SI writer- ‘what time is kickoff tomorrow?’ Zero accountability. Listen/watch how the sox handle their meltdown and understand how REAL baseball teams deal with failure. FW should be utterly embarrassed by his mgr making this announcement the DAY AFTER a historic collapse.
Denver Braves
September 30th, 2011
12:01 am
we need to add a better/more productive bat. and how is larry parrish? why is Terry P not the batting coach, or have chipper platoon between batting coach and third,
go get kemp in the outfield, maybe tulowitski, make a big deal that will attrack fans, get lowe out of there
JAFO
September 30th, 2011
12:12 am
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.
An Angry Fan
September 30th, 2011
12:18 am
Fredi must go! Fredi must go! Fredi must go! Fredi must go! Fredi must go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
M
September 30th, 2011
12:19 am
WHAT??? ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? INTACT????? MAN GO INTACT YO A$% IN A CHAIR AND WATCH THE PLAYOFFS DUDE.
Check it out!
September 30th, 2011
12:22 am
Not the same sport—but Mike Shula came to Alabama and kept all the same coaches and never fired any of them!! And where is he today??? Gone and Bama is back—fire Fredi G!!!
M
September 30th, 2011
12:26 am
IN THE REAL WORLD IF YOU ARE NOT PRODUCING YOU ARE LAID OFF OR FIRED. I WONDER IF PEOPLE CAN GO BACK TO THEIR FORMER JOB AND GET INTACKED?????
Smoove Criminal
September 30th, 2011
12:36 am
All I can say is I’m glad I don’t have Frank Wren’s job right now. That announcement couldn’t have been timed more poorly.
Tucson AZ
September 30th, 2011
12:37 am
If someone puts a website together to get FG and LP fired please post it on the blog,I’m sure you would get a million signatures.
Smoove Criminal
September 30th, 2011
12:38 am
Well, I take that back. It could have been announced 24 minutes after the conclusion of the game last night and not 24 hrs.
Tdavis
September 30th, 2011
12:48 am
I wish we had the phillies management. They dont mind going out picking up the pieces they need to stay on top. Frank and Fredi should take a page out of their book or continue to be losers…
Rob In Fayetteville
September 30th, 2011
12:50 am
Folks, we can send all the petitions in the world, with thousands of signatures (someone suggested one of my posts be sent to Liberty Media), and the “powers that be” will place them in the “Fan Suggestion Box,” also known as the garbage can.
The Atlanta Braves are not so much a baseball team as they are a PRODUCT, and as long as enough people will go see that product, and buy their team jerseys, caps, balls, and other assorted stuff to bring in revenue, then all the squabbling in the world won’t accomplish anything.
The Braves’ front office and management are tone deaf, that’s for certain. They seem more interested in maintaining a tradition than in fielding a baseball team that is fundamentally sound and has enough fortitude to compete with the big boys. Fredi Gonzalez is part of that “tradition,” being a lieutenant for Bobby Cox for so long, and now following in his footsteps as manager. The Braves’ coaching staff also are tuned in to that “traditional formula,” the whole “strong pitching, defense, and timely hitting” bit, but if these guys can’t perform under pressure, all that falls by the wayside.
The Braves seem completely uninterested in changing their approach, even though that same, tired, “business-like, laid-back” attitude clearly hasn’t worked, and it bit them again this year. So expect more tradition in 2012.
What the Braves aren’t going to expect, but will be shocked to find, are all the empty seats at Turner Field because I truly believe the fan base has finally grown sick of tradition.
They want a winner.
Petitions won’t work, but speaking loudly to the front office with your wallet will.
Smoove Criminal
September 30th, 2011
12:54 am
FW and Fredi have no control over that aspect, that falls on Liberty Media who sets the payroll. I will say this though, I think as long as Liberty owns the team and Fredi manages the team they will never get to a World Series much less win one. Liberty is only concerned with padding their pockets from a business standpoint and Fredi wants to be everyone’s buddy and liked by all. Never wants to step on any toes or hurt any feelings.
JAFO
September 30th, 2011
1:06 am
Get Francona NOW!
Bravesfan4life
September 30th, 2011
1:13 am
ARE YOU F********* KIDDING ME, DON’T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU AND YOUR COACHING STAFF IN THE A** ON THE WAY OUT FREDIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We can beat those Cheese Steaks!
September 30th, 2011
2:17 am
Suckers born everyday…
Betcha 55k show on opening day?
That is an arrogant Organization that’s in your face blatant butt holes…Thats why the idiot said he and his staff will be back. Yes they will try and beat Boston’s Epic meltdown…
“Gant, Justice, Grissom, McGriff ”
The Four Horseman!
Now we got Four Hamburgers!
Retired 6 years too late
September 30th, 2011
4:09 am
Would you THINK this organization would do anything differently but announced via Bobby-Lite, that all his staff would be returning for 2012? I’ve never seen a baseball team that can’t BUNT a runner over…………..pitchers usually can bunt to move runner over but not this staff. Hudson is the only pitcher that can do this. This team will end an inning with 4 pitches trown by the opposing picture and our pitcher throws 20 or more pitches to get out of a inning. This goes back to Da Manager! As everyone has said Chipper decides who is added to this roster. He must be someone who is liked in the clubhouse. I don’t care how he gets along in the CLUBHOUSE if he can produce on the feild in clutch situations and help to WIN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS. There is TOO MUCH waste(players) on this team who does nothing to get this team a WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. Until Liberty Media SELLS this team the status quo will continue. This team will never be a top tier team to challenge Philly until New OWNERSHIP IS IN PLACE AND THE FRONT OFFICE IS CLEANED OUT!
Randal Patrick McMurphy
September 30th, 2011
6:14 am
As I’ve previously posted: ZERO ACCOUNTABILITY!!!
No surprise either…
Randal Patrick McMurphy
September 30th, 2011
6:16 am
He won’t finish next season as the Braves manager… mark these words…
newnan_dawg1963
September 30th, 2011
6:25 am
Insanity doing the same thing over and over again and expecting
different results. Albert Einstein Fredi Gonzalez I’m sure that L.P. [Parrish] will sit back and evaluate some things, maybe do some things different, like we all will,” WHAT ? SPRING AND 162
GAMES. Hey Genius you had 162 games to change. you are what you are. MR John Schuerholz
you need to take this team back over NOW! eat the contracts and let him be known as FREDI GONE ZALEZ
davidinvirginia
September 30th, 2011
6:34 am
Of course they’ll all be back…incompetence loves company.
Tommy Boggs
September 30th, 2011
6:46 am
The J-Hey kid was the biggest bust this year and I want to know what the hitting coach did to help him. He stands so far off the plate and swings a telephone pole sized bat. If Parrish couldn’t re-tool his approach at the plate he should have been sent down to the minors. If Heyward could have hit what 39 year old Chipper hit (275. 18 homers, 75-80 rbis) the Braves win wild card walking away.
Couldn’t help but notice that 4th outfielder for Philly (Mayberry) had more homers then any Braves outfielder.
Charlie
September 30th, 2011
6:52 am
Fredi G, The ultimate idiot…”…We hired people to let them do their job…” How in the hell does that idiot figure that Larry Parrish did his job? What criteria does he use? Parrish IS the hitting caoch, right? Did the Braves not have some of the poorest hitting, with RISP? Obviously Parrish is hired to aid hitters. What the hell good did he do? It certainly showed up in the month of September, didn’t it? Of course Fredi himself, sucked for most of the season, inept in game management, and the bullpen staff. He sucked at his job, so I guess the idea is to keep all the losers together, and let them do their magjic another year. Fredi just led his team to the second worst collapse in the history of baseball, yet he stays, and keeps his slack-assed staff together.
LOSERVILLE continues in Atlanta. It’s clear that NO ONE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EPIC COLLAPSE. JUST WITTNESSED IN ATLANTA. IT must have been fate, or karma. If that’s the way it works, why have a coaching staff at all? It’s up to the gods anyway…apparently.
Quite an organization! I guess they deserve Fredi and Larry (and Moe and Curly, and Shep).
mike
September 30th, 2011
7:36 am
really after the way the team played those last three games where charlie out managed fredi ! i think fredi so get fired! we were playing to not lose those games! i was there monday & tue night and it was embarrassing to say the least!
Bravesfan60
September 30th, 2011
7:42 am
The more I hear Freffie Gonzalez talk the more I know that the Braves will go no where with him. It is bad enough that he personally cost the braves 12 to 14 games this year with just boneheaded managerial moves but to act like there is not a problem on this team that the current manager and coaching can’t fix is just stupid. May the braves will trade freddie Gonzalez the way the White Sox traded Ozzie.
Tomahawk Squawk
September 30th, 2011
7:43 am
This is a travesty. No other way to put it.
Larry Parrish coming back for another dismal year? Sad
I live in NY. The Mets organization is constantly being criticized in the papers and on TV but at least they are cleaning house, trimming the fat
The Braves need to trim some FAT too…it starts with the Manager and Hitting Coach.
Gonzalez is the most listless, apathetic, dull, innovative, boring manager that ever put on a uniform
He rates right up there with Art Howe, lol.
Tomahawk Squawk
September 30th, 2011
7:45 am
Great Everyone is coming back.
I guess Derrick Lowe is penciled in as the number five starter again
and Jason Heyward will start in left…and so it goes, and so it goes, and so it goes, and so it goes, …where its going no one knows…..
Tomahawk Squawk
September 30th, 2011
7:47 am
One other thing, Chipper is retiring after next year, Alex Gonzalez is a free agent this year (even if he stays hes like 35yrs old) What is the future of the left side of the infield??? And please dont tell me
Prado takes over at 3rd because he has NO RANGE.
bill
September 30th, 2011
7:54 am
Fredi was sending a message to the fans, and the media. I am the manager and i might get fired in two or three years when the team changes hands but until then, I am untouchable I am Fredi and i am now and have always been an arrogant ahole lapdog to Bobby Cox. When I get fired it will be because I am Hispanic and not because I have played and managed for thirty years and I still do not understand the double switch, the bunt, the hit and run, the double steal, and when to take the trip to the mound. When things are going poorly I move from one side of the dugout to the other to change the mojo. Next year I plan to spread chicken bones in the on deck circle if things do not go well.
I have a serious question. At what level and with what team has Fredi been a champion. It appears he is like the guy who is the most improved player in High School. He isn’t very good but with reduced expectations he can be rewarded for taking mediocre skills personally and team to higher mediocrity. We need a manager who can take us to a championship. Fredi is not that guy. Why is he qualified to manage a major league team? He was a mediocre ball player never over AA. Does not mean he is a bad guy. He did almost have a .500 record at Miami but the team was merely swimming in circles. The team never IMPROVED under Fredi. I am sure the owner and GM tried to suggest some changes and Fredi showed his arrogant butt to them and they canned him. Bobby the ever loyal freind hired him and here we are. Maybe he desrves another chance but how long do we stick with him next year?
jch
September 30th, 2011
8:07 am
insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results – Albert Einstein
Can we move back to Boston where they’ll spend money and make changes when they need to be made?
Sid Smith
September 30th, 2011
8:13 am
This is insane. Less than 24 hours after the end of one of the most disappointing seasons in the club’s history, management announces that there will be no changes. Where is the accountability? Who is running this ship, Fredi or Frank? This announcement tells you just how bad things are with the team. Shame on the GM and the club’s President..
Donovan
September 30th, 2011
8:17 am
“I’m sure L.P. will sit back and evaluate some things, like we all will”. This is typical of how FG rolls. We don’t need any kind of sit back mentality on this team. That’s the damn problem with this team. Those days of “going out and having fun and being loose” need to come to an end. It only enables a playground atmosphere and a team that plays with no sense of heart. Get rid of FG and his merry band of men.
rme
September 30th, 2011
8:17 am
Remember, Kimbrel would not have had that many saves if the Braves hitting, fielding and pitching got them into a win situation. Heyward needs to go to the winter league and work everyday to find what he had last year. Stick with him through Spring Training and if it’s not working…make a change. Derek Lowe needs to go. $15 million salary for a 9-17 season. Not acceptable for a winning club. Constanza is ready to play everyday and along with Bourne, will add a NEW dimension for the Braves…SPEED! If Chipper decides to play another year, good. Even with his knee problems, he is the backbone of the team. He still hits the long ball and is the best on defense. Not sure about Alex Gonzalez. He seems to be Mr. Attitude but I would hate to lose his defense. McCann’s bad hitting in September is something he will get through. Linebrink need to be shown the door. Let’s go Braves. show your fans you mean business and WANT a World Series. Make the changes which need to be made!!!!!
jch
September 30th, 2011
8:18 am
How can you justify doing nothing after a season like this?
Yes, we won 89 games and came perilously close to the playoffs. You can hand those accomplishments to the pitching staff and defense. However, we were 26th in BA – just imagine if we were even AVERAGE in hitting? Where would we be? We might have won the division!!!
You’ve got to look at that and make some changes. Coming out the day after the season ends, especially ending the way it did, and not only saying you’ll keep your staff but going as far as to have already spoken with the staff and confirming their positions are safe is simply nuts.
I don’t see our roster changing significantly so how can we as fans expect to see anything different offensively next season?
afan
September 30th, 2011
8:22 am
Fredi dont care as long as he has a paycheck. Keeping Parrish is the dumbest thing i have ever heard. we were at the bottom in almost every offensive category.
Go ahead Fredi, I dont care anymore. Im tired of this junk every year.
Lets go watch the redsox. at least they seem to have a little fire about what happened to their team.
geez
afan
September 30th, 2011
8:25 am
this business is money driven and fan based. Sometimes you have to do things to appease the fans. Otherwise your job will be short lived. so go ahead Fredi. At least we will know that after you lose again next year we will be that much closer to canning your ……
rme
September 30th, 2011
8:31 am
Wow…you guys are pathetic. I bet you were not talking this way when the Braves had the 81/2 gaqme lead. Things happen and I blame the players and coaches alike. Reviewing what happened after the fact is always a heckuva lot easier than having to make the decisions. Yes, mistakes were made but the big failure came across the board for various reasons. None of our bullen past O’Flaretty, Venters and Kinbrel were worth a crap. Lowe should have been benched a long time ago. Oh…we can’t do that. He is the highest paid player. Who would think McCann would slump when we needed his bat the most. All in all, it cracks me up in April when a team goes on a losing streak and you hear the comment, “It’s only April!” Two years in a row, we have proof…every game matters!!!!! To be a winner, you have to have the mindset to go with who is hot at the time. Heyward needs to work all winter and be required to WIN his position back.
Anon21
September 30th, 2011
8:31 am
I love the Braves, but they’re a zero-accountability franchise. (Unless you commit the unforgivable sin of whistling on the field. Miss ya, Yunel!)
I don’t know if this team’s putrid offensive performance was Parrish’s fault or not, but he should be gone. The team improved its offensive talent over the winter, but hit worse (relative to the rest of the league) than it did last season. That shouldn’t have happened. Either Parrish screwed a lot of good hitters up by forcing them to change their plate approaches, or he had no effect, and the hitters just screwed themselves up. Either way, there is no excuse for bringing him back.
The dream scenario would be Frank Wren stepping in tomorrow and overruling Frediot, announcing that none of the team’s coaching staff–including the Frediot–will be back next season.
varoadrunner
September 30th, 2011
8:34 am
Let it gooooooooo. It’s over! and YES, the Braves collasped in September. Simple as that! For those of you that are fair weathered fans….see ya.
afan
September 30th, 2011
8:51 am
The pitching may have failed some in the end. But this team won because of the pitching.
Our hitting from day one was bad. If we had any kind of offense at all this team would have won the division. NO HITTING is why we ended up where we did.
ijudgenot
September 30th, 2011
9:00 am
There goes Fredi doing his best Bobby Cox imitattion. he gave the exact answer Bobby would have given, but Fredi you are not Bobby. Fredi that question was never asked of Cox during the whole Penndleton era, not once. As Dizzy Dean would say “Pardner the dogs have treed a coon, and you ain’t the dogs”. Trying to show upper management that you are a very good Cox imitator at this juncture, after that epic collapse is not good thinking. I did not read all the responses on this blog, but a fair smpling has 99% against your statement. Many claim to be season ticket holders. Those are the ones Liberty makes its money off of. I thought you might be able to get to spring training and with a few winter tweeks to the team by Wren,be able to generate some fan interest, but man, when asked another question by the media take a deep breath before you answer
jeff
September 30th, 2011
9:04 am
I wasn’t aware we had a coaching staff. No strategy, no motivation, no hitting, no telling the Manager the RP’s were spent. Just stare forward is what Braves players & coaches do. We need Lemke & Greg Olson on that bench -firing these babies up!!!!!!!!!!!!!
jch
September 30th, 2011
9:13 am
Jeff, you’re right, the most we heard out of any coach this year was when McDowel threatened a gay couple on tape in front of an arriving crowd.
How he survived that with his job was amazing! However, in light of Fredi being happy with the status quo, I guess it makes more sense now.
rico carty
September 30th, 2011
9:17 am
Nobody is held accountable for anything, it is the BRAVES WAY! Good thing none of these coaches are in Boston.
panamajack
September 30th, 2011
9:28 am
MY FINAL QUOTE; If Fruti, Larry Parrish, Chipper, Lowe and Linebrink are on this team when spring training breaks there will be one less fan next year. I would have included Heyward but if they get a decent replacement for mFredi Gutless then he will deal with Heyward in the proper manner.
Ralph
September 30th, 2011
9:31 am
Fredi said he had asked his entire staff to return, I haven’t heard Wren say he has asked FG to return, if he does then I won’t.
Jimmy G
September 30th, 2011
9:36 am
New manager. New hitting coach. New pitching coach.
Freddi G has too much of the “laid back” Bobby Cox approach. He should have been fired yesterday. We need a manager with fire in his belly. And players like that as well. And don’t leave it up to Chipper to decide if he comes back….give him the boot as well. Maybe that will teach him to leg out ground balls instead of trotting to first.
Freddi
September 30th, 2011
9:40 am
If it’s broke, why fix it?
Tired of Losers
September 30th, 2011
9:45 am
Rob in Fayetteville, on your 12:50 a.m. post- well said!
Tired of Losers
September 30th, 2011
9:47 am
Boycott this dysfunctional organization!!!
Packer Ed
September 30th, 2011
9:51 am
TO THE BRAVES OWNERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT, HAVE YOU NO PRIDE?
The Phillies came in town for meaningless games played all their regulars, eliminated and embarrased the Braves and you are bringing backl your entire on the field managment that give new difinition to losers and chokers?
tina
September 30th, 2011
9:52 am
Agree with everyone FIRE FREDDI hell we cant hit SF. Could of had suicide squeeze 30 times this year with man on third and less than two outs and better chance than SF. Why do we waste money on having a hitting coach. Francour, Milky K Johnson hit better leaving us. McClouth had great year before we got him look what we did with him. WE need to rid are selfs of what I call garbage LOWE Gonzo Sherrill Linebrink Conrad wilson and Moylan just because of his tatoos and ugly face. Trade Prado and JJ for LF that can drive in some runs. Heyward to AAA where he can start over maybe learn how to slide beside head first.To me if Lowe and Gonzo are on this team will not buy season tickets. Make them . learn how to advance a runner and for Chip Carey to shut mouth when when we have ABC inning then fail next 30 times then he says nothing. I to think Freddi should been fired as he is just like Cox. Cox 20 some years one world series hell Brenly from AZ won one in 5 years and has been fired. Now Boston getting rid of theres and he has won two . GO BRAVES 2012 without FREDDI GONZO and MOYLAN.
Don
September 30th, 2011
9:54 am
YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING.
The name of the game is PITCHING. How can the Braves ever hope to be competitive with TWO or THREE Or FOUR of their STARTING PITCHERS down with injuries EVERY SINGLE SEASON (since McDowell has been the PC). You may as well not talk about anything else – nothing else matters, will have any real significance – AS LONG AS THIS Continues.
The Braves SHOULD HAVE HAD the core of a GREAT PITCHING STAFF FOR YEARS TO COME – with JJ, Hanson, and Medlin — Now they are ALL DOWN WITH INJURES – and who knows if they will EVER COME BACK and be really effective?????
And THIS IS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG. In the 6 or 7 years since he has been the Pitching Coach, what have we had – TWO or THREE of our Starters down with injureis EVERY SINGLE SEASON. One year, wasn’t it FOUR out of the FIVE???.
Since he has been the PC, what have we had – about 15 or so different Starting Pitchers — HOW MANY OF THESE, OF ALL OUR STARTERS (if they pitched any length of time) HAVE NOT BEEN INJURED?????
And this doesn’t even memtion injured relief pitchers.
Be it his conditioning program, or the way he handles pitchers, or just plain bad luck — It is way, way past time for a change.
THERE WAS NEVER ANYTHING LIKE THIS UNDER LEO.
Braves Fan Since 1966
September 30th, 2011
10:09 am
Not a really good time for such an announcement. Actually, the timing is totally wrong even if the entire coaching staff is deserving. After such a collossal choke of a performance in the clutch as the Braves delivered in September, you’d think some changes were due. It’s hard to imagine even one person at the management level within the Braves organization thinking this was good timing…or even a good idea. I think that Frank Wren owes Braves fans an apology for his team’s collapse or some kind of statement/action aside from hiring the same coaching staff for another year.
Don
September 30th, 2011
10:21 am
For some teams – when you bring players up or acquire players, they continue to improve/develop significantly as hitters. For the most part, this has not been true with the Braves – They have either not improved or regessed. A couple who have improved, unbelievably had coaching help from family members. If you have incompetentce at the top, this is going to generate to the entire team or most of it.
Stratos
September 30th, 2011
10:21 am
Bringing back the “lack of hitting” coach is just another bad decision in a long line of bad decisions made by Fredi all year long. Can’t wait to see what bad decisions he makes this off season.
Tomahawk Squawk
September 30th, 2011
10:42 am
Bringing back Larry Parish??
Do the Braves know that Uggla-Bourn-Freeman trio were
back to back to back in strikeout totals this year??
You want to know why we get them on base and cant get him?
There is Exhibit A
Tomahawk Squawk
September 30th, 2011
10:45 am
A typical Brave reaction to all this will be that they will make no moves in the offseason.
Sighting the collapse due to injuries to JJ and Hanson.
Wren will feed us his pablum how the current roster was good enough for 89 wins and there is no
need to re-tool.
The only tool will be the fans, for paying money to watch this all over again!
FBGuy
September 30th, 2011
10:49 am
Un-frickin-believable. FGredi wants to bring back his entire staff??? In Boston they’re already making plans to unload John Lackey and some of the screw-ups who contributed to the Six collapse. And in Atlanta we’re hearing the manager say his staff did a good job and deserve to come back? Talk about “Brownie, you’re doing a heck of a good job” for FEMA after Katrina! I wasn’t for getting rid of Fredi before this — now let’s clean out the staff entirely. Fresh start.
lexbrave
September 30th, 2011
10:53 am
just wanted to point out that the red sox blew a 9 1/2 game lead and it’s being reported that they just fired francona. the dude that managed them to 2 championships.
and we can’t even get a new hitting coach after our collapse.
No cap to Tip
September 30th, 2011
10:55 am
Fredi’s announcement is the equivalent of “tipping his cap” to his coaching staff. I don’t know which – if any – need to be fired at this juncture. It’s early. But this announcement so early was a bad (see comments above) PR move. Something went horribly wrong, and unless Fredi has already pinpointed it and has tested his hypothesis AND the solution ( and we know there hasn’t been time for that) his message should have been – “We need to analyze the problem and start working toward a solution and that includes possible personnel changes, including the coaching staff. This was unacceptable and will not happen again under my watch or I deserve to be fired.” That message resonantes better among the fan base (the source of a large part of the $$$ to pay these guys) than “LA DI DAH, LA DI DAH”)
Michael M Beard
September 30th, 2011
10:56 am
What a bone headed decision to keep Parrish. I do not know why Wren replace Pendelton.