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226 comments Add your comment
Ted
September 30th, 2011
10:44 pm
Fredi is over his head. And I am out of mine.
Vino Fino
September 30th, 2011
10:44 pm
“…our biggest deficiency was our situational hitting.”
Wren nailed it right there. Love his comparison to the Phillies in the last series. They had professional at bats up and down the line-up, took what pitchers gave them, and adjusted their swing for the situation at hand (see Utley’s abbreviated swing for sac fly on Wednesday). We looked totaly incompetent by comparison. Swung at bad pitch after bad pitch, swung out of our shoes for the 5 run homer every at bat, and simply couldn’t do the little things.
Parrish is certainly not wholly to blame for the Braves offensive woes, but something had to be done and this was a strong statment move by Wren.
Vino Fino
September 30th, 2011
10:45 pm
totally
Who Me?
September 30th, 2011
10:48 pm
Looks like FW was watching the same games we were after all. That’ll teach FG to open his mouth and make general statements his fanny can’t carry. having said that –
Its the right move. We all know it, and thankfully, SOMEONE at HQ was minding the store. LP was THE guy, now we can move on and get these guys into some kind of one-on-one’s for the next 4 months and get them ready to go for next year.
LP, you’re a good guy I’m sure, but a hitting coach you ain’t my friend.
Adios Amigo
Jeff R
September 30th, 2011
10:49 pm
Yeah, the Braves fire Parrish. The Braves are guarenteed to win the World Series now. Larry was the source of ALL the Braves’ problems.
brave braverson
September 30th, 2011
10:50 pm
bold move. one of the bold moves that needed to be done
Geno
September 30th, 2011
10:56 pm
Would it kill them for Heyward, McCann, Gonzalez,and Freeman to learn how to lay a bunt down when you got two on and no outs?
Halo the Cat
September 30th, 2011
10:56 pm
The Braves organization has been loyal to a fault. Shuerholtz was always loyal to Bobby. Fredi was loyal to Parrish, Lowe, Proctor and anyone else not getting the job done. To Wren’s credit he got rid of Proctor and Parrish, put Lowe in the stable, and put Heyward on notice. Hopefully he’s got the the guts to do what needs to be done with Fredi.
nique
September 30th, 2011
11:06 pm
Excellent move by Wrenn! Makes complete sense – if the guy can’t convince you that he’s got a plan of attack to cure the hitting woes he should go. Now force Lowe into the bullpen or retirement.
Ted
September 30th, 2011
11:06 pm
I expect McGuirk will be discussing things with Wren. He just doesn’t seem to get his arms around the problems.
RHR
September 30th, 2011
11:08 pm
Hire Julio Franco!
I kinda like this idea. Ol’ Julio knew how to work the count, even when he was 78 years old.
Ted
September 30th, 2011
11:10 pm
Just shows how screwed up Fredi and Frank are. Parrish is fired by Frank one day after Fredi offers Parrish a job for next year.
Henry Aaron's Ghost
September 30th, 2011
11:16 pm
Phase one: Fire the hitting coach. Done
Phase two: Fire the GM.
Phase three: Fire the manager.
Phase four: Fire the pitching coach.
Phase five: Get new ownership.
Phase six: Release, git rid of: Chipper, Gonzo the dud SS, Heywood, Pendleton, Diaz, Hinske, McLousey, Heywood, Conrad, Wilson, Mather, Lowe, trade Prado, Proctor, Moylan, Sherrill, Linebrink.
It is time to start over and redo this model. What they have ain’t working. Simply ain’t working.
Pete Rose
September 30th, 2011
11:36 pm
He would be an excellent hitting coach. But, I think he is still ban from baseball. What about Rod Carew. A career .328 hitter should know something about hitting…
Powder Blue
September 30th, 2011
11:41 pm
Good riddance. The owner, the manager, and a few players need to go with him.
BraveJacket
September 30th, 2011
11:51 pm
I remember him as a player, and thought he was good…but wasn’t impressed at all with him as a coach. The (depressing) stats David O’Brian mentions don’t lie.
ML
October 1st, 2011
12:00 am
Terry Francona’s available………….
Summerteeth
October 1st, 2011
12:00 am
It’s pretty obvious that Fredi Gonzalez has no control over anything. He isn’t man enough to fire someone. Actually, no one in the Braves organization knows how to man up and admit they screwed up. Everyone just gets a pass on everything. Excuses are made and it’s pushed under the rug. It’s really low to fire a hitting coach. Anyone who thinks this solves anything has no clue.
ML
October 1st, 2011
12:06 am
Like they say, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Put Pendleton back as hitting coach. He’s here, the players know him and he did a pretty decent job.
Maria
October 1st, 2011
12:08 am
No matter what way they go about it now—Parrish being axed is the news of the day to me! I LOVE IT. I wanted him fired at the All Star break.
A guy on a Braves Facebook page recommended Will Clark for hitting coach. I wouldn’t mind having him. He had that balls to the walls approach at not giving up at bats when he played. The kids need someone like this that will drill that into their skulls—battle for every AB. Even if you make an out, you’ve made the guy work to get that out. He wasn’t home run crazy either and they need that taught to them too. Do not be so dependent on the home run ball.
Tony Gwynn is another one but I doubt he’d move from the west coast to the east. On that note, Clark might not either. I’m really surprised the Padres have not grabbed up Gwynn.
ML
October 1st, 2011
12:11 am
Gwynn’s not going anyplace. He’s the head baseball coach at San Diego State Univ. and a native. He’s set.
ane43
October 1st, 2011
12:17 am
Now if were that easy to fire mcdowell. The Brave pitchers, especially the relief pitchers looked like they could not pitch anylong this season. Linebrink? It was good to see Medlin come back at the end. Maybe Lowe could be sent to A ball like KK. mcdowell should go.
reckingball
October 1st, 2011
12:23 am
I would bet that Pendelton is glad that they moved him out of hitting coach coach job this season.
He still has his job.
steve
October 1st, 2011
12:53 am
Frank Wren has done everything possible to put a good team on the field, he does have a budget unlike the Phillies, Yankees, Red Sox, Mets and Cubs who have all tried to buy a World Series or two, baseball is the only sport without a salary cap, the majority of owners need to wise up and vote to put one in place for the good of the game. Frank said the same thing that I said about how bad at bats our players have in that they hardly ever work the counts and with 2 strikes they should just be trying to put the ball in play, also our situational hitting was a nightmare in that our players appeared to not understand the concept of moving runners over to 3rd with no outs or getting them in from 3rd with 0 outs or 1 out, instead of hitting a sac. fly they appeared as though they were trying for a hit and ended up not hitting a sac. fly and leaving the runner at 3rd which happened way too many times. When we picked up M.Bourne I thought our lineup was pretty darn good but who would have thought that Prado,McCann<Uggla, Heyward and Gonzalez would all hit below their averages, in closing Lowe has probably hit that age where he will never be able to give us 6 or 7 good innings but he could go back to the bullpen and gives us 2 innings out of relief because no one will take him from us because of his contract and age and he did bullpen pitching in the past.
Bill
October 1st, 2011
1:00 am
If I was Wren I’d call Greg Walker this Sat. morning and offer him the hitting coach job..Greg Walker resign yesterday from the White Sox after 9 very good years.
Greg excelled at his craft as WS ranked third in major in Homers with 1789. Ranked 10th in majors with 6722 runs scored. Konerko hit 30 homers 6 times after Walker got there. Konerko still considers Walker his hitting coach after leaving. Beckham and Lillibrige gives Walker credit for resurrecting there offensive game in 2011. I could go on but just go to the White Sox link and read for yourself all the players giving Walker credit. Walker has been with White Sox since 2003.
Greg is not resigning because of Ozzie leaving it was a personal reason. Walker is from South Georgia and would like to get back to Georgia. I’ve worked with Greg and you couldn’t find a better person are one that puts his heart and soul in his job more that he does. Greg knows baseball, he would even make a great manager if he choose too.
There is no-one better in my opinion and he is now available.
Nevada Roy
October 1st, 2011
1:21 am
Any way Tony Gwinn be motivated to become the Braves hitting coach?
Lamar
October 1st, 2011
2:32 am
THEY FIRED THE WRONG DAMN COACH!! Gonzales is the WORST MANAGER I HAVE EVER SEEN! He dont know how to play ABC BASEBALL! All year they struggled to score runs and get hits with runners in scoring position, yet when they had a chance to score runs without getting a hit the sorry manager did’nt take advantage of it! Numerous times, even in the last game, the braves would get a lead off double but instead of bunting the guy to 3rd where a ground ball or flyball would score him they let the batter swing for the fences and strikeout! Thats a non productive out instead of a productive one! In the 3rd inning of the last game Bourne got a lead off double. The next batter walked and they had 1st and 2nd with no outs. The next batter WASHED UP CHIPPER, was not asked to bunt them in scoring position. They let him swing and STRUCK OUT! Then Bourne had to try and steal 3rd and was safe, but called out! Hell he should have been on 3rd by Chipper bunting him there! Gonzalez is GARBAGE AND I HATE THE BRAVES BECAUSE OF HIM!
Caleb
October 1st, 2011
2:41 am
Im going to say what no one else will say. But everyone else is thinking. Chipper Jones accomplished every thing and historical feat this year. He came back from an injury no 39 year old could have. 1500plus rbis. 2500plus hits. 450plus home runs. Another all star appearance and a life time average over 300. First ballot hall of famer. Probably will win his first gold glove. I dont want him to go out on a (lowe) note. Thought that was funny but anyways. He is by far the best third baseman and switch hitter of all time. I love ya chip pleaseeeeeeeee retire on a high note
Caleb
October 1st, 2011
2:44 am
lamar your an idiot. chip is not washed up
Brian
October 1st, 2011
2:51 am
Hire cal ripken jr. he can teach them all how to stay healthy…..
TeheranTime
October 1st, 2011
3:26 am
With all the money saved with 20-23 million off the books plus the possibility of Derek Lowe being done, Atlanta could feasibly get a lot better. You have to think that with all of that money being available that they lost really no one. Frank Wren mentioned the payroll possibly increasing. If you would pay Derek Lowe 15 million, why not make a run at Jose Reyes? Wren mentioned Tyler Pastornicky being near ready for the bigs but is Atlanta going to be content with going into next season not knowing if Pastornicky can contribute offensively in the bigs? Many players have looked like stars at AA or AAA and fallen flat of their faces in the major leagues. Josh Willingham could provide some power in left field. Move Martin Prado to the super utility role that he excels in. Right field is a concern and I never thought I would be saying that at the beginning of this year. The Braves have got to have tough outs throughout the lineup if they are going to make the playoffs let alone compete with Philadelphia. The only name I have heard mentioned in regards to the hitting coach position that I remotely like is Greg Walker. Ther rest are retreads. It’s a long winter but I just don’t realistically see the changes that need to be made actually being made with Frank Wren as GM.
heartofdarkness
October 1st, 2011
7:01 am
Hitting coaches function something like transmissions, they have to match the engine and chassis to which they are connected. The search should start with an assessment of from where the lineup is likely to come in the next five years, and what kind of hitters do you want in your core.
richbrave
October 1st, 2011
7:26 am
OMG, please hire DON BAYLOR away from the D-BACKS. Whatever it takes, and thank you for a bit of vindication in removing LANCE PARRISH as hitting coach.
Bring in a hit and run guy to coach since WREN wants a re-mold of the offense away from the all or nothing sudden HR theory of hitting.
Halo the Cat
October 1st, 2011
7:47 am
Could you imagine signing Jose Reyes. Leading off with Bourn and Reyes. We would have to invest in someone to knock them in though.
Piedmont Blues
October 1st, 2011
7:53 am
Wren seems to understand the value of good at-bats and making opposing pitchers work. Parrish apparently didn’t. Whether Fredi does remain to be seen. Coaches/managers usually get too much credit when things go well and too much blame when they don’t, but the difference in the results the Braves got from TP and LP was striking. Nice job to make the change, Frank.
Let's Go
October 1st, 2011
8:17 am
Please Fire Roger McDowell too. The Braves had a chance to get rid of this waste after that fiasco in San Fran this summer and they let him stay. Come on, get a pitching coach with a clue.
Dasha
October 1st, 2011
8:20 am
Without a doubt, the best man for the job is Fred McGriff. Have any of you ever heard him talk about the art of hitting? Incredible knowledge that he of course put to great use in the field. And what an intense, inspiring yet also calming presence in the dugout he would be. Let’s start a petition, asap.
sparky
October 1st, 2011
8:23 am
Wren did right, but what does that say about Freddie? Lowe is gone and Heyward needs someone who will kick his ass until he gets it. Chipper needs to go and perhaps a hitting coach slot is a smart move. Prado needs to be on a short leash too. We don’t play smart baseball, and we don’t run. Jorge was a nice lift and should have stayed in the line up. He had speed, he could bunt, and he had over 30 hits in his short stint. No he is not the whole answer, but he was the one element that changed our line up fpr the better. Of course with bourne and jorge a 1/2 punch, we still stunk with getting them moved up or in. We have no patience at the plate, and zero patience. Gonzo is magical in the field, but he has to go. I’ll take a little less magic and more bop at the plate.We have assets to trade to get someone, so lets do it. We need to keep bourne, Freddie, Brian, Uggla, Hinske, Jorge, the back up catcher, Wilson as a back up infielder, Prado to play 3rd and bat 3rd 9 with the understanding that he is to move the runners first by bunt or hitting to right, If you get Heyward to change his approach then I’d keep him, if not package him. Pitchers:, Medlin,JJ, Hanson, Huddy, Delgado, Moylan , Venters, O’F, and the closer, Viscano, Martinez. I will build around these guys. I would not be hurt by moving Hanson. I know that will freak a bunch of folks, but I am not a big Hanson fan. If he could get me another good asset, bye bye
Alexander Hamilton
October 1st, 2011
8:32 am
I know you Braves fans don’t think much of this past season, but your team proved it has a very bright future assuming ownership commits to the tasks at hand.
And for what its’ worth, you get to regularly meet and discuss things on this blog, which is hands down the finest piece of daily sports coverage in any major paper anywhere in the country. Well done David and Carroll. I live in lower Manhattan, follow the Phils, and yet here I am on an ATL site. Keep up the great work.
Piedmont Blues
October 1st, 2011
8:45 am
McDowell’s the star of this staff and has been since replacing Leo. Fredi’s the guy who decides to remove starters after five innings, even if that means burning out your arms in the pen. The fact that the staff was a strong as it was despite the abuse is a testament to McDowell’s teaching skills.
Piedmont Blues
October 1st, 2011
8:47 am
The Braves have finished in the top four in NL ERA the past three seasons. McDowell’s fine.
Chillahill
October 1st, 2011
8:56 am
Can you say Rollins He is younger than Gonzo cheaper than Reyes and with he and bourne at 1-2. We might do something. Also he has fire, is a winner, plays the game the right way but most important he is a FA that will be ready to retire after 2013 and would be s great mentor for pasternicky. And heck he may be able to help some of these hitters understand that hitting truly is as much art as science!! Go Bravos
Piedmont Blues
October 1st, 2011
9:08 am
Chillahill,
From all reports, Rollins wants a four or five year deal. The Braves won’t go for that.
jbl
October 1st, 2011
9:11 am
McDowell does need to go. I agree Greg Walker would make a good hitting coach.
Tim from Alabama
October 1st, 2011
9:15 am
It is also time for a new pitching coach too. I’ve never cared for Roger McDowell. And, that incident he had last year only cemented it. Anyone who would do such in front of someone’s kid should not represent the Braves. Roger, I hope you are the next one out the door, buddy.
davidinvirginia
October 1st, 2011
9:16 am
Hey Frank. How about firing yourself for hiring this idiot in the first place? Fredi needs to go, too, since he’s the one who watched Parrish does hit best to destroy several Braves hitters this season, and did not a damn thing to stop it. Of course, that would have required Fredi to know what he’s doing, too, so no chance of that. Now watch the morons in the front office go out and find someone even worse than Parrish.
Randal Patrick McMurphy
October 1st, 2011
9:26 am
Parrish is a scapegoat… nothing more. Appearance of mgmt actually doing something…. sorry, it doesn’t wash. Just more rearranging of the deck chairs on the Titanic. The on-the-field management staff REQUIRES a clean sweep – there ain’t a good one in the bunch. Worse yet, they’re exposing some pretty promising kids to the cancerous ways of recent seasons past. As I’ve said here before – there will be ZERO true accountability to this debacle called the Atlanta Braves…
vermont 39
October 1st, 2011
9:27 am
I don’t cheer negativity for other people…but I do applaud needed change…also…how about a conditioning program that promotes quality baseball after August 31.
Dave from Decatur
October 1st, 2011
9:46 am
May be a good move. But can anyone coach clutch? That’s what we needed all year. Are any of these guys clutch? If not, can it be coached?
Packer Ed
October 1st, 2011
9:51 am
Good move Mr. Wren, do not stop with firing of Larry Parrish.
Fire your manager because he pitched Lowe in game 161, decided to pitch to Hunter Pence in game 162, and most of all looks comatose (no fire and passion). Fredi looks flat and so does the Brave team.
After you fire Fredi, Mr. Wren, would you then proceed to dismiss yourself? Your record of signing free agents reflects nothing but medicority.
Mr. Wren, you are very fortunate that the owner of the Braves has no ego, hides under rocks and is more concerned about his balance sheet than the Championship hardware that is handed out at the end of the year.
I treat my Brave annual disappoitment by now rooting for a winner, The New York Yankees!
Packer Ed
October 1st, 2011
9:55 am
How many Randall Patrick McMurphy’s and Packer Ed’s are there out there?
If I owned the team, I would fire everyone in mangement, this pathetic.
Too bad the Atlanta writers will not come forward an say this.
I have never seen a fracnchise squander so much talent, that why they are losers.
Senor Beisbol
October 1st, 2011
10:12 am
Main problem….Braves have too many players…that see absolutely nothing wrong…with striking out 150 times per year. BTW..Any way we can trade for Mark Reynolds ??… cos’ he cut back on Ks this year to ONLY 196…and would fit right in with most of these guys.
Mark's for the Braves
October 1st, 2011
10:41 am
Great move, Frank! I hate to see anyone get fired, but even TP was a better hitting coach than Parrish. We need to get a hitting coach who emphasizes plate discipline and hitting the ball where it’s pitched. In 2011, we had no plan at the plate at all and it resulted in the epic collapse we had.
Ragweed
October 1st, 2011
10:56 am
It doesn”t matter who the hitting coach is if the players can’t hit to begin with. If they can’t control their bats and don’t know what a strike zone is, they are all exactly what they are, strike out artists, and opposing teams can’t wait for them to have a feast on them.
Mountain Braves Fan
October 1st, 2011
11:32 am
Larry Parrish was a career .263 hitter with a career OBP of .318. What, exactly, did the Braves expect when they hired him in the first place?
birdo
October 1st, 2011
11:39 am
Does anyone see attitude as the problem? Could just making the playoff’s , be good enough? Do we need to get rid of the Bobby Cox attitude? Could one bad apple (Chipper) be infecting the team? Just asking. Could we ask for some pride, heart and hustle? Are our players in the best physical shape? Why do we continue to get rid of players that start hitting? Why do we take on hot hitters and they go stone cold? Why?
alanfalcon
October 1st, 2011
11:48 am
Small ball is part of the game and the braves didn’t seem to understand the necessity of being able to move runners over so that scoring a run or two is a way to winning. The position players also did not seem to understand that working the pitch count helps wear down opposition pitchers and gives the batter a better understanding of what he has thats working and whats not.
SIMPLE RULES THAT HELP WIN BALL GAMES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By the way, and this belongs to the pitching stall, throwing 1st strikes go’s along way in being in control (look at the great pitchers) and if you can’t hit the corners don’t pretend that you can, make the batter hit the ball, remember when pitching, 1 good thing can happen for the batter (a hit) or four things can happen to him (strike out-ground out-. pop out- or fly out.
LEARN TO PLAY THE GAME OR THE GAME WILL PLAY YOU AS IT DID IN SEPT.
nick p
October 1st, 2011
11:49 am
look, when you go for a player like Uggla, who is a lifetime .255 hitter, you are not seeking situational hitter, you were seeking a power hitter since HR production was the problem in 2010, Alex Gonzalez is a lifetime.245 hitter, its the players you seek that dictate the hitting strategy, in the major league level they are who they are, they are not going to change their swing because in their mind it has gotten them this far, so they are who they are, perhaps if you didnt always put your eggs in the pitching basket and actually went after proven hitters who have .290 or higher life time hitting average you would get what you want, for example with Biurne’s speed how come he does not try bunts more often, or drag bunts, or even just fake bunt to draw the defense and get into their head, the answer, Bourne is not a Otis Nixon style hitter, he is a swinging lead off hitter, so you cant all of a sudden expect him to do that when its his fourth or fifth year in the majors, good hitters come at a price, and Braves have shown since about 2000 they will not give market money for good hitters to bring them here, i think everyone saw what Pence did to us in the last two series, we had a chance to bring him here, but Braves refused to part with any pitching to do so, you get what you paid for, Bourne is good, but he does not do all of the things lead off hitters are supposed to do, only way things will change is with a balance view fo hitting and pitching, but you know Braves philosophy!
DONSY
October 1st, 2011
11:49 am
YEAR IN REVIEW: Best trades of 2011 were Bourne and Uggla. Both have speed, get on base, get upset when they don’t do well and NEVER MAKE EXCUSES. Best Pitcher Hudson. Lots of movement, 4 or more pitches and hates pitching poorly. Gonzales, McCann (love David Ross) and Freeman are keepers, too. I say get four more starters just like them. I’ll always be a Chipper fan, but I’d rather see him go 50/50 with some new young blood. Heyward? Really needs some winter ball. Lights kind of went out after pitchers figured him out. Bullpen? Needs a few changes, but really just got overworked this year. Add some bats, speed and a couple of new starters, would be like night and day.
bronkelliott
October 1st, 2011
12:13 pm
Good firing and maybe Freddi G will be on a short leash. Can’t wait for Chipper’s days to be finished also. the team was always fashioned in chipper’s image with Bobby Cox yelling “atta boy chip” Time for some new leadership and maybe McCann will stay in shape and work harder. Does anyone want Prado to return? Seriously, he was awful and I don’t think it was an aberration. It would be nice to find a Hunter Pence kind of kooky, angry sort of guy to bring some fire to the team. Wouldn’t you agree? Do you still want Prado with his swinging at bad pitches and killing rallies?
garcia
October 1st, 2011
1:17 pm
Poor hitting was the main reason that this season tanked. I can not imagine being called to Wren’s office, after the dismal hitting, and not having a plan of attack for next season. Parrish basically showed up to his boss’s office with an unprofessional attitude. We can’t blame Fredi for Parrish’s attitude. LP deserved to be fired. If FG is smart, he will evaluate his leadership technique and make some changes. Failing to do so, should result in his dismissal.
Finding a new hitting coach is a logical first step to deal with the problem. Our team needs to approach plate performance from a different angle. We have to master the basics: get on base then advance the runner. It doesn’t get any more simple than that. To that end, the Braves need to find an highly disciplined hitting coach. A guy that can set the tone for every plate appearance. I would stay away from former hitting stars. Stars tend to make lousy teachers. I would do some heavy research into the Japanese league. The general philosophy in the Japanese leagues is to get on base, not swing for the fences. I wonder how our players would perform under the tutelage of a solid old school Japanese coach.
Trying to think outside of the box.
up north
October 1st, 2011
1:22 pm
more to come, I hope
John A.
October 1st, 2011
1:38 pm
I have finally figured out why guys like Frenchy and JHEY do so poorly in their second seasons, and then completely fall on their faces afterward. They burn themselves out that first season, and then figure they can live on what they did that first season.
As for FRANK & FREDI, they both need to go. FRANK has been a disaster waiting to happen ever since his arrival from Baltimore. I have been saying this since his beginning, so instead of believing what I am saying I suggest that all Braves fans check FRANK’S track record in Baltimore.
FRANK was so bad along with Mike Flanagan that they (ORIOLES) are still trying to figure how to fix the mess both of those clowns constructed. They fired FRANK (he came to Atlanta) and Mike Flanagan under pressure finally committed susicide. Flanagan was a good pitcher with a lot of pride, but his management skills suffered greatly. His inabilities and pride are what did him in. FRANK on the other hand has nothing in his background to sugget that he knows anything about baseball. He has been (and still is) a LOSER from the beginning. How John can sit and watch his disastrous decisions is ABSOLUTELY UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!
As an example of FRANK’S abilities, his most recent BLUNDER is announcing that the entire staff would return. Then after smelling the fire start to burn, he decide to axe Larry Parrish. DO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW FRANK AND JOHN THINK? THEY THINK “THE SHEEP WILL FOLLOW”……THINK ABOUT IT!!!!!
It’s time to BOYCOT OPENING DAY!!!!! That will be a statement to both participating teams…..along with Major League Baseball.
It’s time to take a stand….FANS ARE THE ONES THAT PAY ALL OF THEIR SALARIES, AND IT’S TIME WE GET OUR MONEY’S WORTH. This awe shucks routine there is always the game tomorrow, or wait til next season just doesn’t get it. Either don’t get it or don’t care….I for one am sick and tired of paying out the nose (in excess of $600) to take my kids to a ballgame. I feel I deserve more for the money I spend. By the way…that $600 doesn’t include caps, baseballs, jackets, T-shirts etc. The expence mentioned is for only one game, and we normally attend at least 12 games per season. If management doesn’t make some serious changes you can “BET YOUR A** THIS FAMILY WILLNOT ATTEND ANY GAMES NEXT SEASON AND PERHAPS FUTURE GAMES”. This mindset is the payoff for the CAVALIER APPROACH taken by BRAVES MANAGEMENT.
Next season I’m going to focus on the Marlins and Nationals. I know that Ozzie, and Davey (former Brave 2nd baseman) willnot tolerate the stupid crap we have endured all this past season.
I only feel sorry for the young upcoming players. THEY DESERVE BETTER AS DID WE!!!!!
nick p
October 1st, 2011
1:38 pm
bring back Don Baylor, “make him an offer he couldnt refuse!”
John A.
October 1st, 2011
1:48 pm
FRANK…..for a hitting coach…..have YOU ever considered ROD CAREW or WADE BOGGS? Neither one of those guys EVER made the money of TODAYS SCRUBS, but always hit over .300…..THEY WERE HITTERS!!!!
YOU CAN PROBABLY HIRE THEM CHEAP!!!!!!!!!!!
Dave
October 1st, 2011
2:06 pm
John A. why do you feel the need to write in caps almost every other word? Kind of annoying to be honest with ya. Also, was it Frank that said the whole coaching staff would return or was it Fredi?
John A.
October 1st, 2011
2:08 pm
By Fredi wanting to bring back ALL of his coaches……doesn’t that tell (even a child) you that he doesn’t have a clue? If he doesn’t see problems with the coaches, he surely won’t have the ability to select a team out of spring training.
By the way…..has it ever occured to any of the coaches that a serious conditioning program needs to be established? What does Roger McDowell do other than sit in the dugout? Why hasn’t someone been on his ass for all these young pitchers being hurt? Come on…a knee on a pitcher that doesn’t play everyday? A pitcher that has shoulder problems due to his mechanics (a child could see that)? What is Roger being paid for?
And just what does a bench coach get paid for? It sure isn’t monitoring haircuts and beards! Most of our players have personal pride in their appearance, but there are others that are quetionable. Don’t the BRAVES have a code governing appearance? Don’t these guys make enough money to afford a razor? I know razor companies will pay them to advertize their product, if only they would shave….HANSON & CHIPPER included. This is still a game and kids look up to these guys. If they want to be CONSIDERED PROFESSIONAL, THEN MAKE THEM DRESS, GROOM, ACT, AND CONDUCT THEMSELVES AS SUCH.
I suggest that if I were to present myself at their (players) doorsteps in the manner as they, they would more than likely run me off. Don’t they have any PRIDE in how they look?
The Abs Man
October 1st, 2011
2:19 pm
The Abs Man
October 1st, 2011
2:10 pm
Quoting David Simon, creator of truly authentic HBO show, ‘The Wire,” “That’s my money.
“Man, money ain’t got no owners. Only spenders.”
That’s all Braves want: Your money.
NO need to excel.
What a joke.
The Abs Man
October 1st, 2011
2:21 pm
You really couldn’t take team/organization seriously final years of Cox.
Now acorn Fat Fredi. Biggest rock ever.
Cruel joke.
The Abs Man
October 1st, 2011
2:23 pm
Kudos:
archie, Gonzalez = Cox Lite, Ted, Summteeth, Wally, Robert.
jer
October 1st, 2011
2:32 pm
There is a lot wrong with the Braves’ hitting but if they don’t address the way their strong bullpen was handled, it won’t matter how much better the hitting gets. They need to use Medlin, Matinez and at least one of the young pitchers in long relief to take the overload off Venters, Kimbrel and O’Flaherty. Larry Dierker, former Astros pitcher and manager, always maintained that continuing to use pitchers in one inning relief roles was problematic, because when you threw in their warmup times for each game it led to too heavy a workload. By using middle relievers more to bridge to the late innings one can avoid always using the 3 top relievers to save one game. If this year’s pattern continues I predict both Venters and Kimbrel will end up being on the injury list for long periods. I think its no accident that O”Flaherty, whose stuff was not as commanding as the other two, ended up being the most effective at the end because of his two stints on the injured list left him better rested down the stretch.
BBraves
October 1st, 2011
2:45 pm
I bet Jim Pressley ends up the hitting coach not year truthfully that is who they should have hired in the first place. We khow one thing and that is Uggla played well under him.
LuisG - Hire Julio Franco
October 1st, 2011
3:37 pm
Julio would be a good choice. He hit everywhere he played. He understands hitting, getting into deep counts, was good at spraying the whole field. I think he would make a great hitting instructor.
The thing is he’s made it clear he wants to be a manager. Actually, he managed in Venezuela. Don’t know if he still has his job down there, though.
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110204&content_id=16573754&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb
Ed Glennon
October 1st, 2011
4:13 pm
Gerald Perry sat out the last game of the season so after a September swoon he could hold on to his .300 average. He makes Reyes look good.
ijudgenot
October 1st, 2011
4:57 pm
jer
“Larry Dierker, former Astros pitcher and manager, always maintained that continuing to use pitchers in one inning relief roles was problematic, because when you threw in their warmup times for each game it led to too heavy a workload.”
jer, this stupidity of using the same pitchers for the 7-9th innings was started by Cox .cox did not like making decisions, so you got the same lneup everyday with the only change being the one or two positions designated for platoon play, and the same pitchers following the starting pitcher to the mound. I agree let Medlen,Martinez, and Vizcaino take turns each day going 2-3 innings.
TN Jeff
October 1st, 2011
5:01 pm
Nobody questions McCann’s pathetic defense since he can’t throw anyone out at second. But more importantly nobody questions his game calling. I heard that Huddy was 9 & 3 in games Ross started and only 7 & 7 in games McCann started. Ummmm – seems like McCann’s offense even before the all-star break does make up for his poor game calling. When you take in consideration that the Braves relied on a number of green starting pitchers, it begins to make sense why they struggled the third time through the opposing team lineup. These guys were young & used to pitching late in games so they weren’t tired. It was a matter of them NOT shaking off called pitches by McCann and the results were other teams began to hit them (usually around the 5th inning). I DON’T think McCann does his defensive homework to call good games.
bring back blauser
October 1st, 2011
5:33 pm
fire fredi and let chipper be player manager
BWKBravesFan
October 1st, 2011
6:16 pm
Save Money By Moving Terry Pendleton Back To Hitting Coach, Or Retire Chipper Jones And Hire Him As Hitting Coach. Both Scenerio’s Is A Win-Win.
bigbrave
October 1st, 2011
6:50 pm
“I saw Bobby the other day, and he said, ‘Aren’t you glad you aren’t the hitting coach now?’” Pendleton said, laughing. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110701&content_id=21244612&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb
bigbrave
October 1st, 2011
6:56 pm
Go after Dwayne Murphy in Toronto!
RETIRED AGENT
October 1st, 2011
7:46 pm
LP is a quality guy and a quality baseball man. All this I know for a fact. In this business some one has to take the pike and it was LP. Hang in there bro, youll be back.
Bravos
October 1st, 2011
7:53 pm
Braves general manager Frank Wren also said it’s not certain that Derek Lowe(notes) will have a spot in the rotation next season, even though the team still owes him $15 million on the final year of his contract.
The 38-year-old right-hander had a miserable season, going 9-17 with a 5.05 ERA.
On a similar note, Wren said right fielder Jason Heyward(notes) will have to fight to keep his job in spring training after hitting just .227 with 14 homers and 42 RBIs.
Stumpknocker
October 1st, 2011
9:36 pm
Who in the world would want Pendleton back as hitting coach? Parrish gets fired because he had no plan or philosophy for fixing whats wrong with Brave hitters……Pendleton has never had a plan….period…..only an extra bag of sunflower seeds.
reason
October 1st, 2011
11:00 pm
Face it, no matter who the hitting coach is, he can’t hit for them, the batters looked like a bunch of Zombies at the plate waiting to take the third strike. Don’t even know why they took a bat to home plate, they were truly a sorry bunch.
Fredi, needs to step back and say as little as possible, he’s not Bobby Cox.
Fredi, did got the Zombies to second place.
But, toward the end, he was not impressive in his first year as manager of the headache Atlanta Braves.
Gonzalez, is good baseball man, but lack the firmness that was needed with the Braves team.
For next year he needs to change his format.
We know, he is and will be bash, for the lack of [what ever] in his first year, but remember the last five years of Cox reign, were just as bad and Pendleton was just as bad as Parrish.
So lets not go there.
The could have, should have, trying to analysis the season, will go on all winter.
The GM Wren, how was his job performances? not that good? if so who and when will he be fired?
Also, The thing I notice about C. Jones, is that he is a typical two face hypocrite.
billmaier
October 2nd, 2011
12:13 am
after further review- fredi g fired as a manager to remain as third base coach they only thing that he is above mediocre at – it is what it is
Tom
October 2nd, 2011
12:46 am
Paging Julio Franco. Paging Julio Franco. quite frankly he knew how to hit. knew how to do so till his body would not let him at 47 years of age or abouts. I hope he will
get the job.
scottbravesfan
October 2nd, 2011
3:26 am
About damn time!
Eddie
October 2nd, 2011
9:05 am
Anybody but me think that our manager is just not very bright? Admittedly Phillies’ Charlie M is no Rhodes scholar, but……
Ralph
October 2nd, 2011
9:13 am
Offer the moon for Tony Gwynn, money talks.
bustersonly
October 2nd, 2011
9:20 am
Players at this level should already know how to hit or they wouldn’t be here, a hitting coach needs to be more than a veteran hitter, he needs to be able to reconize what hitters are doing wrong and get them back on track and not change the swing that got them to this level, help the make adjustments to pitchers adjustments to them, takes a very special talent.
bustersonly
October 2nd, 2011
9:36 am
Wholesale changes need to be made to this team starting with Fredi Gone and I wouldn’t hesitate to include our all star catcher in a package that would improve our defence and at the same time get us a proven hitter, he has great trade value and Ross is a very capable replacement plus we have a very good back up catcher in the minor leagues, Chipper and Lowe both should retire. Heyward should be able to rebound with a good hitting coach on board and if he can’t turn it around in spring training then let him get more minor league experience. Getting rid of Lowe should solve any pitching concerns we have.
Ralph
October 2nd, 2011
9:51 am
Prado should only be used as a utility player next season, Heyward back to the minors, Chipper as a bench player, Lowe to the scrap yard, Linesuck joins Proctor with the Yankees, resign A-Gon, Uggla to winter ball, trade McCann. After that all we need is two corner outfielders a back up catcher for Ross, a third baseman and most of all a manager, FIRE FRUTI
Gordon
October 2nd, 2011
11:14 am
All I can add to this topic is after reading most comments the participants sharing their thoughts have very little knowledge about the Braves Organization, Management, Coaches or players. In today’s Internet world Google is a handy way to become very informed. A simple search and a bit of first hand info goes a long way. Before writing anything in the future I suggest a lot of research first. It makes for more interesting reading if the people sharing their thoughts had in depth knowledge about what they were talking about. Being misinformed and trying to talk on any subject is embarrassing to those who actually know the subject or topic.
Brave New World
October 2nd, 2011
11:51 am
Getting rid of Parrish was long overdue. Not only did the Braves’ hitters as a group grossly underachieve, but this guy was invisible most of the season. We would have been better off hiring Chipper’s dad, and next year, I wouldn’t mind seeing Chipper himself as the batting coach/part-time third baseman.
poolcue
October 2nd, 2011
1:20 pm
I MITE NOT BE HERE NEXT YEAR BUT IF IM NOT I WANT TO BE THE FIRST TO SAY , FREDI WILL .LEAD THE BRAVES TO ANOTHER PAINFUL LOSING SEASON!!! LIBERTY WONT EVEN NOTICE. PLEASE SELL THE TEAM TO SOMEONE WHO WILL THINK ABOUT THE FANS!
fordcobra
October 2nd, 2011
1:25 pm
BDK@
Lord, I hope not 3 more years of Chipper. In 3 years we might get 1 year of work out of him without being injured. We need to clear the dead wood no matter how emotionally attached you may be to some of these players. I agree with those who say LP was offered up as the Judas Goat. Holes abound in the Braves offense and pitching, not to mention Management. When Bobby Cox had Mad Dog, Glavine and Smoltz during the season it was pretty much a rocking chair. But when the playoffs came and management came to the fore front how often did the Braves come out on top.Of course all of this is just MHO.
TechRon
October 2nd, 2011
3:18 pm
After reading today’s AJC article about Gonzalez (where he says he questions himself, as well), I have not changed my opinion of the situation at all. I do not blame Fredi. I blame the fools who hired him and who sat and watched the whole thing unravel over the course of a month. He doggedly sticks to his plan even after it is shown not to work. He hangs with his starters long after they show they do not have it. He replaces relievers when they show that they are cruising, in favor of another reliever who might or might not have it that day. He plays the pitiful Heyward hoping he will play his way out of a slump when Constanza is showing that he is a sparkplug and the team is doing well with him in the lineup. Heyward is not going to “play his way out of a slump” when he cannot hit a low inside pitch and as long as he is trying to pull outside pitches. Parrish needed to go, that is obvious. Fredi and Wren need to go too, and now. I am not going to forget this, just shrug my shoulders and say “oh well.” Many thousands of other Braves fans feel the same.
TechRon
October 2nd, 2011
3:26 pm
And the vehemence in John A.’s comments above are well placed and exactly right. I am not going to buy this product any more. Screw them. They need wholesale changes.
Tell it like it is
October 2nd, 2011
3:47 pm
The Braves have fired or demoted more hitting coaches in the last 10-15 yrs, than probably any other team in the league, the hitting coach is always made the scapegoat, on this level if a hitting coach means that much to a player then that players doesn’t need to be in the Majors. A hitting coach can do only 3 things-(1) show you what your tendencies are, (2) show you how to possibly make adjustments,(3) show you what the pitchers tendencies are,-NO HITTING COACH CAN HIT FOR ANY PLAYER. Gonna be hard to find anyone whom wants to come here to coach!!!!
Choppinmama
October 2nd, 2011
6:40 pm
Fire Larry Parrish : as soon as I heard the news, I knew you were the happiest guy on the planet. Christmas 2011 came early for you.
Talk about despair to delirium in 24 hrs. – “All my coaches are coming back” “Uh, better baseball minds prevailed, Parrish is gone.”
Ya think they’ll hire someone with a little experience this time??