After further review, Braves fire hitting coach Parrish
After further review, Larry Parrish was fired as Braves hitting coach on Friday.
One day after manager Fredi Gonzalez said his entire coaching staff would return in 2012, Braves general manager Frank Wren announced that Parrish would not be brought back. Parrish was fired with a year left on his two-year contract, which will be paid in full.
The firing came two days after the Braves completed a 9-18 September collapse and blew an 8-1/2-game wild card lead in 3-1/2 weeks, equaling the largest September lead every blown by a National League team.
Wren said the move was not made to satisfy fans or media members who wanted someone held accountable.
“That was not the reason that we did it,” he said. “There were enough questions in our mind that we couldn’t go forward to 2012 with the feeling that changes would be made — and changes needed to be made. They need to be made with a number of our hitters, and with our whole offensive production. Bottom line, you’ve got to have confidence that that can be done.”
Wren said the team would conduct a wide-ranging search for a replacement, and that there was no timetable or rush to make the hire.
The Braves ranked 26th in the major leagues in batting average (.243) and on-base percentage (.308) in 2011, after finishing fourth in the majors in OBP (.339) in 2010 under former hitting coach Terry Pendleton.
They hit .205 while averaging 2.6 runs during a 3-9 skid that closed the season, including five consecutive losses capped by Wednesday’s 13-inning defeat in the season finale.
“I want to see guys be tough outs,” Wren said. “We didn’t have enough tough outs. The bottom line is, we didn’t battle at the plate. And that’s got to change.”
Wren said Gonzalez might have been caught off-guard when asked by a reporter Thursday morning, just 12 hours after the season-ending loss, about the status of his coaches.
Wren said he asked Gonzalez this week whether he wanted all his coaches back, and Gonzalez told him yes, but with some reservations because he thought issues needed to be addressed. Wren and Gonzalez met for three hours Friday to discuss all aspects of the team.
Gonzalez said Parrish should not be made a scapegoat for the Braves’ collapse, and Wren said there was blame to go all around, including veteran hitters who know what’s required.
“Larry’s not ‘the guy,’ you know?” Gonzalez said, meaning Parrish wasn’t the cause for the collapse. “It’s just that maybe we need to do something a little different…. I got off the phone while ago with him, we talked for about 35 or 40 minutes. He understands the business.”
Parrish, 57, was one of two new coaches hired last season after Gonzalez was hired to replace retired manager Bobby Cox. Bench coach Carlos Tosca was the other new hire brought in by Gonzalez, after serving in that capacity to Gonzalez when he managed the Florida Marlins.
Parrish, a former major league player and successful Detroit Tigers minor league manager, was hired despite having no experience as a hitting coach at any level other than roving minor league instructor. Glowing recommendations influenced the hire.
Some players said it was apparent during spring training that communicating within a new organization would take time for Parrish. The Braves’ offense slumped badly at the beginning of the season, then improved during the summer before hitting rock bottom during the playoff race.
Several players including Jason Heyward and Martin Prado regressed sharply from 2010. Without naming specific players, Wren said he was not confident, after meeting with Parrish and Gonzalez on Thursday, that Parrish had a plan to help key players going forward.
The Braves were at or near the bottom of baseball in hitting with runners in scoring position from mid-May through the end of the season, and were particularly bad advancing runners and driving them in front third base with less than two outs.
“It’s situational hitting, it’s not just settling for a good swing and then a strikeout,” Wren said. “That’s a bad at-bat in my mind. Philadelphia just left here. They battled every day, up and down that lineup. They’re going to make a pitcher work to get them out. Too many times if you made three or four good pitches against us it was pretty easy to get through our lineup. That needs to change.
“That was probably our Achilles heel. We had a team that very easily could have won 95 games, but just …our biggest deficiency was our situational hitting.”
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226 comments Add your comment
Fire Larry Parrish
September 30th, 2011
7:28 pm
BEST DAY OF THE SEASON.
GIVE US THE 2012 TROPHY NOW.
Joe Maddon
September 30th, 2011
7:30 pm
Good move for you guys. Wren is the one in charge, Fredi is just running his mouth and is clearly in over his head. Hire someone with major league experience and a track record for success and you’re set.
Been fun, guys. Back to coaching my Rays! Still doubting me?
RAYS WORLD ORDER!!!!!!!!!
Braves Fan in PA
September 30th, 2011
7:33 pm
I hope Don Baylor is OK heard he fainted early. He was the last really impactful hitting coach I remember the Braves having too bad we couldn’t get him back!
tennisbrave
September 30th, 2011
7:34 pm
Nice job by Wren to take the leadership in this situation.
JEB
September 30th, 2011
7:36 pm
Good move! The right move!
Parrish had NO plan for helping or changing the situation.
Clarence Jones sat in the same situation several years in a row,
players would get into a slump and never get out!
He had to go – Parrish had to go!
Runnin
September 30th, 2011
7:37 pm
I don’t know if firing Parrish will make a difference, but it’s refreshing to hear Wren speak in plain and honest terms about the team’s weakness. This is good news and the off season has begun on a positive note.
JoeBravesFan
September 30th, 2011
7:37 pm
Amazing news! Can I recommend Dale Murphy to replace him? Who else is available?
JC
September 30th, 2011
7:39 pm
Wren said he asked Gonzalez this week whether he wanted all his coaches back, and Gonzalez told him yes, but with some reservations because he thought issues needed to be addressed
Well, even though Gonzalez had his reservations regarding the change needed (and I don’t know if those reservations were on what was done today), I still don’t consider Gonzalez to be a true leader.
Peter
September 30th, 2011
7:41 pm
Hire Larry Jones, Sr!!!
Realist
September 30th, 2011
7:42 pm
They need to fire that Jones fellow. 15 million for that crap. Come on people.
Innocent Bystander
September 30th, 2011
7:43 pm
Yes, finally! Can’t wait to see who Wren is interested in.
falcon
September 30th, 2011
7:44 pm
somebody had to take the fall. it wasn’t going to be gonzalez or wren. bye bye parrish. fact is……this is not a playoff caliber team. the lineup is full of holes with too many easy outs. the horses aint there….it wasnt LP’s fault.
Realist
September 30th, 2011
7:44 pm
The next time I lose a ground ball in the sun will be the first time.
luvthosedawgs68
September 30th, 2011
7:48 pm
I had a feeling that demoting Terry Pendleton would be a bad idea, he was big on not giving up at-bats…… We need someone who will help the players battle, mentally and physically.
Realist
September 30th, 2011
7:49 pm
I think Dave Justice would make a good hitting coach. He knows what a nut sack looks like. And he got us our only ring.
Kat
September 30th, 2011
7:50 pm
Thanks for the post on Parrish and Wren’s quotes.
luvthosedawgs68
September 30th, 2011
7:52 pm
Lowe needs to go. Starters need better conditioning. Deeper bullpen, although I believe that having Moylan healthy will help. Christian Martinez needs more set up work.
Hy Ronatt
September 30th, 2011
7:52 pm
Perfect solution. Retire NOW Larry, and become Hitting Coach.
BRAVESFAN
September 30th, 2011
7:54 pm
Liberty Media’s solution:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/coaching-baseball-for-dummies-the-national-alliance-for-youth-sports/1008212805?ean=9780470089606&itm=1&usri=coaching%2bbaseball%2bfor%2bdummies
jimbo
September 30th, 2011
7:54 pm
For me it’s one down and one to go. FIRE FREDI!
Realist
September 30th, 2011
7:58 pm
I still don’t know who or what Liberty Media is.
BravesfaninAugusta
September 30th, 2011
7:58 pm
Great to see these honest remarks by Wren….he is absolutely right about the Braves being easy outs so I hope they’ll get a good hitting coach this time.
Ryan K
September 30th, 2011
7:59 pm
Can Frank show Fredi the door as well?
jimbo
September 30th, 2011
8:01 pm
How about hiring a manager that knows how to coach hitting in case the next hitting coach sucks too.
Realist
September 30th, 2011
8:01 pm
Larry “chipper” Jones is a narcissistic loser.
Realist
September 30th, 2011
8:02 pm
Ask his first wife.
Methinks
September 30th, 2011
8:09 pm
Good start….but I’m already tired of the “la dee da” attitude of Fredi…..for god’s sake Fredi…either show that you are angry about what happened or leave town…..it should be that simple.
Ken Stallings
September 30th, 2011
8:09 pm
I actualy wish the Braves would convince Chipper Jones to retire and immediately accept the job as the Major League team hitting coach. Then, have Liberty unload some money and get a third baseman and left fielder with good gloves and bats (and some speed would be nice also).
I know this will not happen, and therefore Chipper is still an above average player.
But, I really believe the man would be an excellent hitting coach.
john
September 30th, 2011
8:11 pm
Ok, now make Freddi the hitting coach and Hire Franconna!
Hiawatha Terrell Wade
September 30th, 2011
8:14 pm
RUDY JAMARILLO
Sid Bream's Leg
September 30th, 2011
8:19 pm
Regardless of intent, firing Parrish gives the appearance of “he’s the guy to blame”. Sounds a lot like Wren and Fredi aren’t on the same page in the least.
It wasn’t Larry Parrish’s fault that Fredi overused the bullpen. Parrish didn’t put a 9-16 Derek Lowe with a 4.96 ERA (at the time) and no win’s in Sept. on the mound with a 1 game lead in the wild card and 2 games left in season. We know how that turned out. Fredi’s comments on Lowe all along had been “He’s hit a rough patch, but I stand behind him and he’ll be on the mound.” Very similar to comments he had made about Scott Proctor. Please Wren, don’t let Lowe start for the Braves anymore.
Columbus
September 30th, 2011
8:20 pm
Chipper Jones should be player/hitting coach. Then hitting coach when he retires if he will do it. I know he wants to coach but probably wants to manage and start coaching in the minors. I dont know what his future holds as far as where he will be coaching and to what extent but I do know he would be a great hitting coach. MUCH better then Pendleton, Parrish or Clarence Jones for sure. I didnt understand ANY of those hires myself.
ab initio
September 30th, 2011
8:21 pm
“Wren said the move was not made to satisfy fans or media members who wanted someone held accountable.”
Says it all right there. Straight from the donkey’s mouth, and just as stubborn.
This is why futility is this organization’s middle name. If Wren were as smart as he thinks he is, he would fire himself next. We could probably get a hitter who can at least hit double his weight.
Lazy Andy
September 30th, 2011
8:22 pm
“Glowing recommendations influenced the hire”
And what’s that supposed to mean ? Who recommended that guy, Charlie Manuel ?
Fred McGriff
September 30th, 2011
8:22 pm
Tom Emanski should be the hitting coach.
I give him my full endorsement.
Mike t
September 30th, 2011
8:23 pm
Realist is a douche. Chipper
Ost that chopper in the lights while playing in a football stadium. Chipper is loyal. Did you see him taking that role Bedford Wednesday’s game? I think Roger McDowell is the one who should go. What was he doing when Kimbrel struggled and Freddi should have told him to get out there.
Ken Shelton
September 30th, 2011
8:24 pm
I second what an earlier fan had suggested that Don Bailor was the last hitting coach that made an obvious impact. on players. I, too pray the former Braves, and current Arizona hitting coach is OK? Now let’s hope we can get someone with a strong theory/plan on how to gain needed production in 2012 by a roster of what should be a very-very successful lineup of all tough outs! I comment Frank Wren for being pro-active and showing leadership at least.
This does what?
September 30th, 2011
8:26 pm
This move does what for the Braves? A batting coach in the pros is like a swing coach to a pro golfer. Their nice to have but don’t have to have. If a big leaguer can’t make adjustments at the plate then he needs to refund the club the money he’s stealing. This is a token move. Braves will be serious when they first lose Larry. Trouble is you can’t get much value for him now so you’re probably stuck. Dude doesn’t even reside in the Peach State in the off season. Please get a real LF and put Prado back at third. There has got to be some hot shot SS in the minors that they can bring up or better yet package the drunken Lowe and get a middle inf in here. Don’t let Lowe toe the rubber again, his value diminishes with every pitch he throws. Move 34 year old Gonzo, lock down Bourne long term, send J-Hey to winter ball so he can get his head together . With his skills he should be dominating and making a 30/30 year look routine. Changing the batting coach is insulting to those of you suckas that pay top dough for season tix.
NickGranite
September 30th, 2011
8:26 pm
For everybody talking about Chipper being a hitting coach….why in the world would a guy probably worth a 100 million dollars spend six months of the year in a dug out or a hotel room. Not to mention off season preparation. This guy can afford to sit on a yacht in the riviera.
me
September 30th, 2011
8:31 pm
Did not understand the demotion of Terry Pendelton. why not a promotion. Manager and Hitting coach all in one. Not since the Otis Nixon, Marquise Grissom era have we produced runs by stealing bases. Not just the Head Coach, but Derek Lowe can follow Parrish.
JHey's Better
September 30th, 2011
8:31 pm
WOW did anyone check out the offical website Wren Said he doesnt think Lowe will be a starter next year. Wren seems pissed about time the team showed some fire! A spade is a spade point blank period!!!
ab initio
September 30th, 2011
8:32 pm
“For everybody talking about Chipper being a hitting coach….why in the world would a guy probably worth a 100 million dollars spend six months of the year in a dug out or a hotel room”
Why?
Simple.
Because people who make as much as Chipper, in whatever field they choose, do so because they love what they do, more than the money and success it brings.
bart
September 30th, 2011
8:33 pm
They’ll give it some time but you will see – Pendleton will return as hitting coach.
NagoyaBrave
September 30th, 2011
8:33 pm
Good news. It’s a good day.
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
September 30th, 2011
8:34 pm
still trying to figure out why the braves hired him in the first place- he’s never been a hitting coach before.
Kyle
September 30th, 2011
8:35 pm
This guy is just the scape goat for the year. The entire coaching staff should be gone and send Wren with them since he backed this crap to begin with.
exiled1974
September 30th, 2011
8:38 pm
Chipper has to go!!! I have been saying this for the last 3yrs…We can use that 15 million dollars on someone younger!!! The hitting coach was not the problem at all. He was just the lamb that got ate! Go bring up some of the younger pitcher’s, Lowe needs to Go! Hudson has about 1 more yr left in him but hell we over pay him also for 16 wins and over 10 losses! Heywood needs to go and play in the winter league along with Freddie… An why dont we go after B.J. Upton???? Stop being scared and make moves and spend the money on players that will stay for yrs and not a summer!!!
JHey's Better
September 30th, 2011
8:39 pm
Ok the numbers with TP were better OBP and blah blah blah at the end of the day it is PLAYERS I agree with being loyal to your guys but if they are not getting it done that is when loyalty goes in the crapper. Yes Uggla struggled but he has done it in the BIGS and the Braves want power and they got it. For how many years has this team been a station to station 3 run homer to score team they need more production from the outfield positions and I dont care what Fredi says you still need some production from your shortstop I like Gonzo too and wouldnt oppose to him coming back. He saved runs and made alot of great plays but if this team would have scored more than 2 runs a game this wouldnt have been an issue
mr. baseball
September 30th, 2011
8:39 pm
Boston has won two Championships in the last 10 years and they can their manager for having the same finish that the Braves did. What do the Braves do? They fire their hitting coach. This is a snapshot of the difference between a team that will accept nothing shot of a Championship and that would have been satisfied to back into the post season as a wild card.
The Braves should be sending gifts and money to the Red Sox because the Sox are taking all the heat for being an utter failure when in truth both teams failed. The difference is that people expect it of the Braves.
wins-by-a-link
September 30th, 2011
8:40 pm
This makes FG look like a fool, Coming out and saying his staff would return in tact for 2012, Maybe he thought he was in charge, I guess FW had to show FG who was really in charge, I think I know why FG was fired by Fla, He really didn’t impress as Manger of Braves, Boston fired Francona for Sept crash, I think Braves would have been better served by firing FG and replacing him and his entire staff with fresh leadership, I don’t think FG will get respect from fans or players next yr and will not advance the team to play offs.
JHey's Better
September 30th, 2011
8:42 pm
He is prone to getting hurt but Reyes would be nice. We need impact bats not a great clubhouse team guy soooooo tired of hearing that BS cliche from baseball people they need someone that is going to get the job done!
crusher dawg
September 30th, 2011
8:42 pm
Changes needed to be made. Why not start at the top? The man doesn’t have any spunk. We’re back to the same old Braves. The Braves of the 70’s.
Halo the Cat
September 30th, 2011
8:43 pm
I agree with others about the hire of Larry Parrish who had no experience as hitting coach. I also think the hiring of Fredi Gonzalez was to quick and reactionary. They didn’t even interview anyone else. See what you got there, Frank Wren. Fredi seems to be as sweet and cuddly as Bobby Cox, but he can’t manage very well. Wren had to do Fredi’s dirty work and fire Parrish, Fredi couldn’t manage to do it.
jerry
September 30th, 2011
8:45 pm
They got their scapegoat.
nelson
September 30th, 2011
8:46 pm
next fire gonzales .. next mgr braves terry francona , next to go : chipper, gonzales, lowe ,
windu
September 30th, 2011
8:49 pm
Until they change the team culture of “we just quietly go about our business,” the Braves will continue to fall short. Passion has been missing from the clubhouse. Everyone acts as old as Chipper. Everyone shouldn’t try to be the quiet, wise old veteran. Someone needs to be the eager, stubborn, young warrior always running towards a fight. The enthusiasm of the young players has been completely muted. Jason Heyward carries himself like an old geezer.
JHey's Better
September 30th, 2011
8:49 pm
HEY PEOPLE THERE IS GOOD NEW TOO Kawakami and Mclouth come off the books thats 18 million Sherril and and linebrink arent coming back so there is about 20-23 million there you have to add in the bumps in pay Prado Bourn Hanson JJ will get though
nelson
September 30th, 2011
8:49 pm
and mc dowell bye bye .. where is leo mazonee……//?????
windu
September 30th, 2011
8:51 pm
I can’t remember the last time I saw or heard about the Braves in a fight or a Braves player charging the mound. Admittedly, I don’t watch many games during the regular season but I do watch Sportscenter.
jonathan Simeone
September 30th, 2011
8:51 pm
Firing Parrish was the right thing to do but the way it went down doesn’t look good. A professional organization would not announce a guy was keeping his job and then criticise him while firing him a day later. This is another indication that Fredi is in over his head as the manager of a team that has designs on winning.
JHey's Better
September 30th, 2011
8:52 pm
LEO Mazzone the “Rock” He had Maddux Glavine and Smoltz they made Leo look like a pitching guru but when he went to Baltimore he realized how good he had it with 3 future HOF’s to make him look good
JHey's Better
September 30th, 2011
8:54 pm
GAME 162 WAS THE ONLY TIME I SEEN THIS TEAM THE WHOLE YEAR HAVE THAT FIRE AND EMOTION AND DRIVE TO WIN THE GAME!
kdawg1017
September 30th, 2011
8:55 pm
wake up people chipper is only retiring to be with his family
Braves Fan Since 1966
September 30th, 2011
9:02 pm
Looks like GM Wren came back from a few days off and looked at a report and decided that at least some change needed to be made. At a minimum it looks like there’s a communications gap between the field manager and the General Manager. While it’s not hard to believe (given the collapse and the announcement that all coaches would be back), it doesn’t give the ticket buyers and the TV fans as much confidence as we’d like to have that the franchise is being managed in accordance with sound management principles. I still think that Frank Wren needs to say something meaningful to Braves fans. There’s way too much talent on that team for the collapse that we just witnessed to ease on into history without so much as an “I’m sorry and here’s what we’re going to do about it.”. Give us something, Mr. Wren.
Braves Fan Since 1966
September 30th, 2011
9:02 pm
Looks like GM Wren came back from a few days off and looked at a report and decided that at least some change needed to be made. At a minimum it looks like there’s a communications gap between the field manager and the General Manager. While it’s not hard to believe (given the collapse and the announcement that all coaches would be back), it doesn’t give the ticket buyers and the TV fans as much confidence as we’d like to have that the franchise is being managed in accordance with sound management principles. I still think that Frank Wren needs to say something meaningful to Braves fans. There’s way too much talent on that team for the collapse that we just witnessed to ease on into history without so much as an “I’m sorry and here’s what we’re going to do about it.”. Give us something, Mr. Wren.
Braves Fan Since 1966
September 30th, 2011
9:02 pm
Looks like GM Wren came back from a few days off and looked at a report and decided that at least some change needed to be made. At a minimum it looks like there’s a communications gap between the field manager and the General Manager. While it’s not hard to believe (given the collapse and the announcement that all coaches would be back), it doesn’t give the ticket buyers and the TV fans as much confidence as we’d like to have that the franchise is being managed in accordance with sound management principles. I still think that Frank Wren needs to say something meaningful to Braves fans. There’s way too much talent on that team for the collapse that we just witnessed to ease on into history without so much as an “I’m sorry and here’s what we’re going to do about it.”. Give us something, Mr. Wren.
JHey's Better
September 30th, 2011
9:02 pm
At the end of the day its players. No opposing pitchers looked at the lineup that they threw out there with concern. This team made soooo many no name first year Starters look like a All star Cy Young award winner! How many times did you guys hear which still makes me cringe “TIP YOUR CAP” to the opposing pitcher? I hardly ever heard I just didnt get it done from hardly any of these players. Then that same pitcher that made the braves look stupid at the plate goes into his next start and gets rocked from the other team!
noseknows
September 30th, 2011
9:02 pm
Hiawatha Terrell Wade is Right – Hire Rudy!
dlo bryan
September 30th, 2011
9:03 pm
Pretty sure that Chipper has said after he retire’s that he’s done, no coaching and it’s family time then. Terry Pendleton was only half a notch better than Parrish. He only kept the job because he’s a former Brave and Cox liked him. We need a bona fid hitting coach. Wren’s comment that he’s taking his time and not rushing with the hire pretty much sounds like the guy he’s after is coaching with a team that’s still playing.
ub
September 30th, 2011
9:04 pm
What did the BRAVES do under bobby cox. Good season next year looks great lets go BRAVES.
DC Braves Fan
September 30th, 2011
9:10 pm
That was an impressive interview with Wren. He gets it. I’ve been lamenting all year how we make bad outs. You don’t always have to get hits, but you can’t make bad outs all the time. We get no production out of so many at bats, and I loved how Wren compared our lineup to Philly on that score. I’m still baffled why he brought in guys who are known to give a way a lot of at bats, but that said, he at least understands the problem and that gives me confidence he’ll address it. Well done.
JHey's Better
September 30th, 2011
9:11 pm
Another cliche that is getting old ” You can never have enough starting pitching” on alot of levels I totally agree with that statment but you still have to score runs to win a baseball game! Perfect example the 2011 San Francisco Giants look at how many games that rotation lost because their hitters gave them 1 or no runs to work with. Cain and company should have at least 4 more wins but no run production killed them just like it killed our bullpen with so many extra inning and tight ball games
rally
September 30th, 2011
9:15 pm
Potential Replacement?: Former Brave Gerald Perry
The Athletics said Friday they aren’t renewing the contracts of bench coach Joel Skinner, pitching coach Ron Romanick and hitting coach Gerald Perry.
I know Perry used to be the batting coach in St. Louis.
Hmm
September 30th, 2011
9:15 pm
Good job! Can we get rid of Fredi and McDowell next? Hire Francona!
wins-by-a-link
September 30th, 2011
9:19 pm
After Boston fired Francona for blowing a big lead in sept, The Braves give FG a vote of approval for doing the same thing that got Francona fired, FW just lost my respect as GM, Someone should have lost their job for this epic loss, And not the just the hitting coach, Come to find out Parish was never a hitting coach before FG hired him as such, FG has poisoned the well as far as I am concerned, Fire him and start over, He was in over his head from the start, Why in the hell do you think Fla fired him?.
dlo bryan
September 30th, 2011
9:24 pm
Getting Michael Bourn was a great, but we still needed a power hitting, right handed, right fielder.
How many times did Bourn get on and steal second only to be stranded there. Say “NO” to Lowe in the bullpen, it will be Scott Proctor all over again. If we are down 3-2 in the 7th, we will end up losing 10-2 with Lowe relieving. His time has come and gone.
rally
September 30th, 2011
9:26 pm
Correction on Perry: Played for Cardinals but was not coach.
Gerald June Perry (born October 30, 1960 in Savannah, Georgia) is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball who played from 1983 to 1995 for the Atlanta Braves, Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals. Perry was selected to the 1988 National League All-Star team. In 1993 he tied a St. Louis Cardinal single-season club record with 24 pinch hits, and in 1995 he became the Cardinals’ all-time pinch-hit leader with 70th Cardinal pinch hit.
Perry was hitting coach for the Seattle Mariners from 2000-2002, the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2003-2005, the Oakland Athletics in 2006, and the Chicago Cubs from 2007 until he was fired on June 13, 2009. The Cubs replaced him with Von Joshua. In 2011, the Athletics re-hired him as batting coach.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Perry
noseknows
September 30th, 2011
9:29 pm
If Rudy won’t come, pay Kevin Long of Yankees whatever he wants – great philosophy.
san diego steve
September 30th, 2011
9:29 pm
DOB..Thanks for all of your and Carroll’s hard work. Best blog in baseball hands down. I have a few questions for you. Who is in charge of the players off-season conditioning program? It is impossible the watch over players with most leaving for either their native Latin American country or another state where they reside. It should be mandatory to prescribe everyone either P90X or CrossFit and have the players report to spring training in shape. This team has quite a few players that need better conditioning. My second question is about winter ball. Can the team make a player participate in winter league? Jason could sure use time in the winter league to work out the holes in is long swing. It is a lot to ask of the young man after a grueling 162 game season and I am almost certain he would only receive a per diem for compensation. I’d love to see him show up to spring training hitting moonshots to left and left-center.
BDK
September 30th, 2011
9:31 pm
LP makes TP look like a genius, yet we had just as much trouble scoring runs last year. Which means we need a bat via trade or free agency. Someone will have to go. Bmac slumped but is still the best hitting catcher in the national league. Freeman was very impressive And can only get better. Uggla, well slow start and all, You can’t throw away 36 hrs. Gonzo I would trade for a ss with better stats. Freddi likes his defense though so that’s not happening. Chipper’s stats were still pretty good in a down year For offense. He was not the problem. Chipper bashers should get over it. He will be back next yr deservingly so. That only leaves the outfield. Bourne was a needed addition to the team, but he is only to set the table. Someone else has to drive him in. Now we’re down to Prado and Heyward. We could have chipper as many as 3 more yrs if he stays healthy and the braves want to pick up his options, so I don’t know if you want to make prado a utility player and sign someone to take his position. The player that should be benched is Heyward. I wouldn’t trade him. Too much potential. He’s young and needs to develop his whole game. Braves can’t have another 220 avg in their lineup next yr. Bottom line is use some of that 15-16 mil they will have available to get a proven hitter in the outfield, or as fans, we can expect similar results next yr.
wins-by-a-link
September 30th, 2011
9:35 pm
FG should be fired for starting lowe in game 161, With the WC on the line, After losing his last four starts, Lowe was clearly not the best Pitcher for this important game but FG for some reason chose to start Lowe, What was he thinking? That Lowe would pitch a great game after blowing his last four starts, I just don’t see how FW can have confidence in FG, And I don’t think the players Have confidence either, Lets fire FG and hire someone we can trust to restore the Braves to the play offs and respectability.
Lost Cause
September 30th, 2011
9:39 pm
I am sure glad those of us who post on these blogs don’t really coach the Braves. No Lowe and No Parrish will be the start of better things. Enjoy it!
bring back blauser
September 30th, 2011
9:39 pm
put chipper in as player-manager and then see what happens. at least he knows what the score is and what goes on in the field. the players listen to him.
Boston Braves fan
September 30th, 2011
9:43 pm
Glad to see Wren show that this collapse isn’t acceptable. Am tired of seeing the Braves choke every year although most of the time it has been during the playoffs. Fredi should be next. I am so sick of hearing his excuses for the failure of the team and players. I would love to see someone on the Braves call out some of the losers — D Lowe for example. Also, Fredi wore out the bullpen with his quick hook. I got so exasperated when a starter was going strong and then for whatever reason, he always went to O’Flaherty, Venters and Kimbrel almost every game. Leave the starters in when they are going good. Please show Fredi the door and bring in someone who will shake things up!!!
In The Flesh
September 30th, 2011
9:55 pm
Firing Parrish was a move that probably had to be done, but it’s not like the guy could bat for his players. Next in line to go should be Heyward. He is a lazy, undisciplined hitter and is even worse in the field, often giving up on balls and frequently taking the wrong angle on them. I’m sure the company that he keeps in his spare time doesn’t impress the Braves front office, either. Don’t get me wrong, he could be great, but I don’t believe he has the work ethic. I think his rookie year will be as good as it gets for him.
Mr Heyward
September 30th, 2011
9:57 pm
Wow! I am shocked they actually held someones feet to the fire. Wren must be on the hotseat as well.
LuisG
September 30th, 2011
9:59 pm
Hire Julio Franco!
Michael, The Abbreviation
September 30th, 2011
10:00 pm
fire freddy gonzalez, hire terry francona
Old Brave
September 30th, 2011
10:01 pm
Even I knew Lowe was done for the season. How could he be the starter for such a key game. All coaches should be fired.
dlo bryan
September 30th, 2011
10:02 pm
The hiring and job performance of Fredi Gonzalez and subsequent reaction to his job performance by Frank Wren reminds me of a recent college basketball coaching situation. An up-and-coming coach was hired quickly to replace a winning and highly respected coach. The new coach’s true nature came out that proved he was in over his head. It took the AD 2 seasons to recognize his own job was on the line for the disastrous hire, so he quickly fired the coach and hired a high profile coach who is getting instant results. The coach he should have hired to being with.
Hopefully a good manager with a proven track record will be available after next season when Wren realizes his neck in on the chopping block and he needs to make a change.
We can beat those Cheese Steaks!
September 30th, 2011
10:06 pm
Its not enough..Hey Fredi are your bags packed? Delta is ready!!
Robert
September 30th, 2011
10:10 pm
These are good moves, but what about someone taking responsibility for the monumentally stupid decisions to pay Derek Lowe and Kenshin Kawakami a combined $23,000,000 this year?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…Frank Wren has absolutely no business being a major league GM. At what point is he held responsible for his foolish decisions?
Jake
September 30th, 2011
10:11 pm
I like what I hear Wren saying. He did a good job of bringing people in (Uggla, Bourne, Constanza), and he held on to the golden arms. But I agree Parrish had to go (Joe Simpson would make a great hitting coach if he communicates as well to players as he does to viewers), and I’m not convinced Fredi is big league material. Esp. the way he ran down the bullpen, and sat Constanza after the guy lit the team up.
Logan
September 30th, 2011
10:12 pm
Another take on the interview from AP writer.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-braves-changes
We can beat those Cheese Steaks!
September 30th, 2011
10:22 pm
Hire Justice asap!
Nokahoma
September 30th, 2011
10:26 pm
J Hey has to quit trying to pull everything. How? Beats me. Wish Skip was still around. Can you imagine how drunk he would have been on Wednesday night into Thursday morning.
Cottonmouth copper rattler
September 30th, 2011
10:33 pm
Jack Wilson boots one, lays down a perfect bunt where the show should have been in right field. Instead, a perfect bounce to Utley. We were snakebit.
blackdog
September 30th, 2011
10:40 pm
Need someone like Gibson with diamondbacks
John A.
September 30th, 2011
10:42 pm
The person to quetion is not Fredi……Frank is suppose to be the man in charge, and should know what changes need to be made. Therefore IMO Frank and Fredi both need to go…..it’s the BLIND LEADING THE BLIND.
blackdog
September 30th, 2011
10:44 pm
Pitchers have to go more than 5 innings!!!
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??
Tell it like it is
October 2nd, 2011
7:48 pm
it tells you what type of team the Braves have when a 2nd year guy(Heyward) a guy whom only make a little more than league minimum, gets that much criticism and blame when the Braves struggled. That only shows me that the Braves had NO veteran leadership, a 2nd year guy shouldn’t have been beat down like that like that. However , I noticed some of you are giving Uggla a free pass cause he hit some homeruns and had that hitting streak, he was really one of the Braves biggest problems- 600 at bats and the Braves didn’t have 50 sacifices. Check the stats Uggla is at the top of the list in runners left on base, and strikeout with bases loaded or runners in scoring position, big waste of money, lifetime .255 hitter. Braves made the playoffs with Infante!!!!!!
Dave
October 2nd, 2011
8:18 pm
The BEST available person to be the hitting coach for the Braves is CHIPPER JONES!
I am NOT saying he would be willing to do it, but he IS the best qualified person!
nashvillewill
October 2nd, 2011
8:29 pm
Parrish is a good start. Reading Gonzales’ comments second-guessing his decisions regarding Constanza versus Heyward and using the bullpen, I think he left out a few self-criticisms. E.g., continuing to start Derek Lowe vesus using the young pitchers; yoyoing Minor from AAA to the majors; failing to note JJ’s problems early on; failing to deal with Prado’s slump proactively. All these failings add up to a major ineptitude issue with the manager and suggest he should precede Parrish out the door. Let the new manager determine the hitting coach.
By the way if McDowell also agrees with the 80 plus appearances of pitchers in the bullpen he should also find the door open for his departure.
RETIRED AGENT
October 2nd, 2011
9:54 pm
Dont give up on the fact that Lowes ineptness helped start a down slide. Guys know when a guy is going bad. That knowledge helps stick moral right up the you know what. Its like – oh crap I hope we aint in a hole quick. FG could be ok. He should raise hell once in a while like Bobby did – the players pick up on that.
disbot3000
October 3rd, 2011
9:54 am
Does everyone still think TP was a terrible hitting coach? I didn’t think so. Sweet vindication for Mr. Pendleton, but sad for our team. See if Don Baylor wants to try it again.
Sneaky Pete
October 3rd, 2011
10:18 am
Nobody has mentioned the Gwinett hitting coach Jamie Dismuke. Guess where here is this present moment!
Broom
October 3rd, 2011
11:28 am
Get closer to the plate, choke up, put the ball in play. I’ll only require $50,000 a year to keep that posted on the locker room wall.
MR.MARK CUBAN
October 3rd, 2011
12:54 pm
hurry up and get rid of liberty media so i can buy the braves, and take them to the promise land like I did the mavericks.
MR.MARK CUBAN
October 3rd, 2011
12:55 pm
you fans are passionate , i want to own a baseball team the braves are on my radar.
MR.MARK CUBAN
October 3rd, 2011
1:03 pm
AS far as a batting coach, i would hire ROD CAREW, or gary matthews, or david justice, or dale murphy, or ozzie smith, or THE MAN JOSE CANSECO. his partner in st, louis did just fine, as a hitting coach, i want to buy the braves and make them winners again just like ted did, off to coasta rica for vacation fans. SEE you all when BASKETBALL starts back.
Pegg
October 3rd, 2011
1:50 pm
I think that if Mr. Cuban bought our squad that we would instantly sign Milton Bradley or Nyjer Morgan…. we’ve got to have our DeShawn Stevenson to constantly spar with Pujols or Ryan Braun. Then we could hire Sammy Sosa as our hitting coach… this team would be so much better if we could get more cameos on Entourage. Go for it, Cuban.
Pat
October 3rd, 2011
2:35 pm
To the guy posting as Mark Cuban, keep dreaming. The owner of the team needs to agree to sell the team before someone can buy them. And as far as I can tell, the Braves make a nice lil profit for Liberty Media… given payroll is near the middle of the pack. Dream on.
Jjordan
October 3rd, 2011
4:07 pm
Good move, getting rid of Parrish, still a couple more that needs to go in my opinion, but that’s a step! No way can you not make any changes after that disastrous batting display the last month of the season.
TaurusBull
October 3rd, 2011
4:50 pm
I wonder if Larry Walker would like to come to the States to coach our team?
I bet he would be a very good hitting coach.
Mike in Marietta
October 3rd, 2011
4:50 pm
We need to get Larry Sr. as the new hitting coach. He’s been doing the job for Chipper his whole career.
Preston Thompson
October 3rd, 2011
4:51 pm
You all got it wrong. The Braves have multiplue problem. One main one is hanging on coachs who have been here and played here. You think Pendleton is an answer, my my you are dreamers. I’m afraid the upper management looks at payroll as a factor on who they hire. The gotta a lotsa money to pay out on Chipper a Lowe. Pluse the bench players they need to unload. Naugh, Parrish ain’t gonna change a thing. You gotta start with the bland manager and work your way down. What was ever wrong the Hubbard? I thought he did a pretty good job. The Braves have major problems and till somebody has the balls to own up to it and do something, you gonna see the same thing next year. Heywood is a joke. He’s had so much smoke and hot air blown his butt his eyes are cloudy. The dude can’t hit. If you’re willing to accept a homer now the thing, he’ll do. I would take J Constanza any day as a defensive right fielder, and his speed can’t be matched, on this team anyway. He is the example of hustle.
Yep, many problems the “bosses” won’t accept to do anything about, so just wait till next year. You’ll see the same thing. For sure a part time 3rd baseman. I like him as much as anybody, but he knows to hang it up but he want to “earn” his next $14 million.
To many problems and nobody to fix any of um. Sigh
SemperFi
October 3rd, 2011
4:52 pm
fans were saying the same bs about bobby cox back in 1990 as they are about fredi gonzalez today. what ever happened to holding grown men accountable for their own actions? Every player on that team is a ML baseball player. Period. Any more questions from the “microwave” generation? If so, refer back to your GQ, People, Star or Jerry Springer. Have a nice day, ladies
smyrnabob
October 3rd, 2011
7:31 pm
Frank, use some of the kk and mclouth cash to lure Rudy Jaramillo out of retiremant.
BIOMASS
October 3rd, 2011
9:53 pm
They need to hire an Indian to reflect the “community.”
I think Obama is going to make that a law.
Plate Appearance
October 4th, 2011
4:16 am
FIRE FREDI TOO!
Fredi needs to go too!
Wren made a terrible decision to hire him in the first place.
After watching Fredi over the course of the entire season, he’s clearly not competent to manage the Braves. He’s just not tactically sound and doesn’t make wise decisions.
Fredi’s the primary reason the Braves didn’t make it to the playoffs!
Come on Frank, don’t try to save face here. Fire Fredi and bring in someone like Ryne Sandberg, who’s had great success in the minors — or see if you can pry Joe Maddon from the Rays, much like the Marlins did with Ozzie.
It would be very tough to stomach another season with Fredi at the helm!
You’ll have to unload him sooner or later, as he’s not a championship caliber manager. Be bold and FIRE FREDI sooner Frank!
FIRE FREDI NOW!
We’ll applaud you if you do!
Bernie
October 4th, 2011
7:54 am
Maybe it’s time to look at the job Mr. Wrenis doing . It’s pretty obvious that hitting isn’t important to him. In 2009-10 we had the same problem as 2010-11 and all he got was Bourn. If I were the GM I’d surely keep Bourn and Prado but everybody else besides the pitchers wouldn’t be safe in there job.On the pitching side Hanson and Jurjiens always fade in the later part of the year so they wouldn’t be safe either. It seems as though when the tough get going the Braves players are all washed up.As far as Freddi as manager I’d look at him to. Heyward would surely go. So that’s my vent will we see any changes next year or will it be the same as this year.
Jim Adams
October 4th, 2011
12:39 pm
The Braves have not had a good hitting coach since Don Baylor left. Get him back even if you have to double his salary, he is worth it.
phil
October 4th, 2011
1:05 pm
Fire FG…
Nothing else matters until this guy is gone.
Ben
October 4th, 2011
5:00 pm
Get rid of McDowell!
bvillebaron
October 4th, 2011
5:41 pm
Who would ever have thought that a guy who had never served as a hitting coach at any level would be fired after one abysmal year?
bvillebaron
October 4th, 2011
5:42 pm
Bernie:
I nominate you for GM because I want to see if the team could lose 100 games with your plans.