Braves return home to a crowd (but whose?)
Boston fans cheered the Braves' Derek Lowe (formerly of the Red Sox) at Fenway Park. But they'll invade Turner Field by the thousands to back their own team this weekend. (AP photo)
Fortunately, they will be checking tickets and not allegiances this week at Turner Field.
Revenue isn’t the worst fallback. You take what you can get if you’re the Braves, particularly when three of the visiting teams on a home stand — the Cubs, Yankees and Red Sox – come with overstuffed caravans and the term “meaningful games” locally appears to have a decreasing shelf life.
But if the Braves want to excite somebody other than Bob in accounting, this would be a good time to start. June is melting into July, and a .500 record is starting to resemble some lofty objective. Hammering home the reality of it all, the home team ranks 19th in attendance, creating ample room in the parking lot for incoming convoys from Chicago, New York and Boston.
“We picked up a couple of games on the Phillies in the last three days and we’ve just got to keep grinding,” Braves general manager Frank Wren said Sunday before the Braves finished a series in Boston. “That’s what you’re looking for – a team that will grind and won’t quit. But we know that at some point you can’t just grind, you have to win games. We’re getting close to that point where we have to start winning series.”
Actually, they’re probably at that point. The Braves lost in Boston, 6-5, Sunday. They dropped two of three at Fenway. No shame there. But they lost all three series on a 3-6 trip and have failed to win a series since sweeping Toronto May 22-24 (0-5-3 in series and 9-16 in games since).
Loading ...The Braves own one of the worst home records in baseball: 15-17. It’s not a great backdrop for a 10-game stretch against Chicago (makeup of a rainout), Boston, New York and Philadelphia.
The sellouts at Turner Field will be a nice change of pace. But they’ll be an aberration if this team doesn’t start impressing the masses. For all the spin about bad weather hurting attendance to this point and the expectation of crowds increasing now that school is out of session, franchise officials know this is a hard-to-please market.
Sports fans already seem to be counting down the days to football season. Or even football practice. The Braves never will have a better chance to grab some attention.
Wren understands the crowds this week will be largely opponent-driven.
“You wish that weren’t so but that’s the reality,” he said. “But in past years when we’ve played against teams with a large number of fans, when we play well our fans drown them out. And when we don’t fare well, we hear it from their fans. This isn’t any different from what we’ve seen in the past.”
Slightly more pronounced, perhaps. The economic component can’t be ignored. But there’s also the hangover of three missed post-seasons and failed expectations, particularly last season and this one. The bottom line: The Braves’ average home attendance of 24,828 is down nearly 4,800 per game through 32 home games compared with 2008 (29,622) and is on pace to be the Braves’ lowest average since 12,100 in 1990 at Fulton County Stadium. (Since moving to Turner Field in 1997, the team has averaged under 30,000 only once: 29,399 in 2004.)
Fans want championships, sure. But more than that, they just want a good product. They want a reason to pay, a reason to believe ownership and management are trying off the field and players are trying on it. Somewhere along the way, a lot of people have stopped believing.
The Braves knew the Yankees and Red Sox games would be the year’s hot tickets. It’s one reason why they initially sold them only through multi-game packs, also hoping to limit the presence of New York and Boston fans. But that plan didn’t fill the stadium. Individual game tickets eventually went on sale three weeks ago.
The pitching this season has been solid. The offense, “has shown signs of coming around,” Wren said. This would be a good week to prove it. Crowds will be watching.
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98 comments Add your comment
BBrown
June 21st, 2009
5:27 pm
First
BBrown
June 21st, 2009
5:31 pm
A 7-3 homestand sure would be a huge boost. If significantly less, Wren may need to think about a fire sale come the trading deadline.
NCBravesFan
June 21st, 2009
5:33 pm
JS – nicely put and I would add one thought to the last paragraph … the defense has been way too spotty. Braves better tighten that up (especially on the left side of the diamond) or the hitting and pitching won’t matter a heck of a lot.
Powder Springs Jacket
June 21st, 2009
5:37 pm
Lowe, Jurreins and Vasquez are a combined 16-17 this year, but their combined ERA is only 3.42…that is ridiculous…unless we can get someone like Matt Holliday, or bring Mark DeRosa back, or even trade for Brian Roberts, this team is not going anywhere. Heck, the Rockies have a better record than the Braves do right now.
The Dust
June 21st, 2009
5:43 pm
Rock bottom was today. Chipper as hot as he as ever been and ejected. Yunel making a bad defensive play (again). Jurrjens pitches well enough to win and doesn’t (again). Bennett blowing the game (again). Former Brave Nick Green and a journeyman until this season, makes the Braves pay on one pitch in the ninth. Why come home at all? Phone the rest of the season in already.
Keith
June 21st, 2009
5:45 pm
BBrown are you that big of a loser? “First?” Were you waiting around all day in order to be “first?”
BT
June 21st, 2009
5:45 pm
Well written Jeff. Wren is not being a realist, everyone who has watched the Braves know that the hitting has been almost non-existent. No immediate help in the minors.
BT
June 21st, 2009
5:46 pm
You are correct NCBravesFan but saying the defense has been spotty is rather kind.
Sowega Dawg
June 21st, 2009
6:01 pm
Listen closely-the fat lady is SCREAMING!!!
Will
June 21st, 2009
6:01 pm
It’s amazing!, another player that the Braves Head Office traded has come back to beat us. If it’s not a pitcher we traded away, it’s a hot young prospect, that can’t seem to be coached well with our team, but goes to another team and not only starts for that team but is hitting well every game. What has happened to our team?
Shoeless Joe
June 21st, 2009
6:07 pm
By the end of the month you’ll be able to turn out the lights on this season. Phil’s and the rest of the division are really struggling and we’ve been unable to make-up any ground. If we’re sellers at the trade deadline, we can only hope that what we get in return fits in with some comprehensive plan to make this team better next year, and thereafter.
Having good starting pitching is nice, but having neglible offense with no team speed, makes this a very boring team to watch.
Sox Fan in ATL
June 21st, 2009
6:09 pm
As an Atlanta resident who is from Boston and a diehard Sox fan I think it is great that Atlanta fans don’t support their team. It allows Sox fans like myself to get tickets at a reasonable price while making it seem we are at Fenway…..Get used to hearing “Let’s Go Red Sox!!!”"
Ted Striker
June 21st, 2009
6:15 pm
Sox Fan, if you can scream loud enough for the noise to make it to Athens, I’ll hear you. Otherwise….
reality
June 21st, 2009
6:17 pm
Nothing like a former brave (nick green) to beat us today. Maybe if Smoltz pitches and Wren hears the crowd he will realize just how wrong he is.
Tim and Jim
June 21st, 2009
6:20 pm
Why does Bobby Cox keep bringing in Bennett to pitch,he should have enough sense to realize that Bennett is a lousy pitcher who can’t pitch.Why isn’t he giving Medlen more pitching from the bullpen, Medlen is a lot younger and a helluva better pitcher than Jeff Bennett.Bennett definitely needs to be DFA and let Medlen get more experience. Bobby Cox always says that Bennett is the long man in the pen, Well Medlen can be also, he has starting experience and has looked good from the pen, at least he has looked better than Bennett.Also Cox needs to think about putting Tim Hudson into the bullpen when he returns.My husband and I both think that Hudson would be an excellent closer and should be given that opportunity. Remember when Smolts was our closer how well he did.We both believe Hudson can do the same.
Jeff Bennett has got to go.
Stenger
June 21st, 2009
6:31 pm
Will, you really oughta check Nick Green’s ticket stubs before you post. He’s a journeyman who didn’t have a single major league at bat last year. He worked his butt off in order to try to make the big league team but didn’t get a shot until their regular short stop was on the DL. He’s worked hard to keep the job. To say that he was uncoachable while with the Braves is ridiculous. He was blocked. There were guys at every position that could play better than he was and he was tradeable. I’m very happy that he’s doing well in Boston, but you make it sound like he’s the MVP that got away and that’s simply not the case.
john
June 21st, 2009
6:33 pm
please tell me why bennett is in and not soriano in the 9th and why gregor blanco is allowed to play
varodrunner
June 21st, 2009
6:46 pm
More than anything – I’d like the the publicity department to tone down the hype. Now that’s their job, but somehow, when are clearly in a rebuilding and hope mentality and to say otherwise is (lol) “false advertising”. This team has no chance of anything except embarrassment. Wren did a good job of beefing up our starting rotation, but somewhere in the process, he forgot about the other aspects of the game. Shuerholtz took a look at the entire program and its needs. Wren appears incompetent to perform his job to its full expectation.
Don’t sell us hype! Put a competitve team on the field and quit wrecking our farm system to get hand-downs and trash. Your bonus should be non-existent Wren!
Brownie
June 21st, 2009
7:03 pm
Vorodrunner, you are dead wrong on this one. Sure, in the 90’s with an uncapped payroll, JS was a “genius” (and he also had 3 HOF Cy Youngers) and the results were incredible. But after the turn of the century, with a restricted budget, JS made a mess of the Braves. He literally gutted our farm system to bring in rental players, e.g. Drew, Renteria, Sheffield, Castilla, Wickman, Kotsay, and the worst trade ever…Texeira. None of these teams were built to win a world series, yet JS kept doing it, and you saw the last 3 years what we had left (especially the pitching). He then retires and hands over the keys to a broken down bus to Wren, who in less than 2 years has rebuilt the starting rotation and a pretty solid pen (notwithstanding Cox’s mismanagement of it). “On the cheap” he also brought in Garrett Anderson (who you will note is getting his stroke back), McLouth and Kotchman – all of whom are an upgrade to what JS had here.
I like most of the decisions Wren has made. He didn’t overpay for Burnett, gut the team to bring in Peavy, get stupid to bring back Furcal, resign Smoltz (yeah, I like him too, but after last season there is no way the Bravos could afford to pay out millions to a huge question-mark for part of the season). The only major mistakes Wren has made is letting Josh Anderson go and signing Glavine in the first place – they didn’t need him, and it was only going to end in disaster: either as it did or with TG literally throwing batting practice to our opponents.
It takes time to rebuild a playoff caliber team with a limited payroll (and it may be impossible in today’s baseball economics)….we’ve got to give him some more time.
Oh, and by the way, its been a great run, but it is time for Cox to head to Adairsville.
blazerdawg
June 21st, 2009
7:22 pm
The Braves draw fine enough crowds and have finished higher in attendance than in the standings the past few years. They even drew 3M before the Yankees did back in the 1990’s, and at one time owned the NL all time attendance mark, wth 3.8M, before the Rockies played in Mile High with a 75,000 seat per game capacity.
There is alot to do in ATL. I imagine that if Turner Field’s capacity were reduced by 15,000, was moved to Peachtree and W. Paces Ferry, and that winter were three months longer in ATL; then the Braves would draw just as well at the Cubs or the Sox, because that is the situation that they have.
GO BRAVES!
Jan
June 21st, 2009
7:24 pm
“Got no where to run…no where to hide” was a popular song years ago. It fits these bumpkins pretty well. Too many holes on the field, in the bullpen, and with the bats. No changes in the years to come unless major bucks are spent to upgrade RF, 2nd, and LF. “Bye bye birdie” was, also, a cult hit song. Wish we could be singing “By bye Bobby”. It would be nice to write and read about something else as all writers have been saying the same thing for months (2 years?). Still intrigued with Furman Bisher’s thought to trade Chipper if we aren’t going to pay to play with the big boys. This year and last year are not fun to watch.
Ken Stallings
June 21st, 2009
7:35 pm
Jeff, last I checked, the unemployment rate for Georgia crept over the 12% mark. That means when you add in those who aren’t even actively looking for a job anymore along with those who aren’t confident spending the money for a ballgame, it’s logical to believe around 25% of the Atlanta population are no longer in the economic position to attend a Braves game.
Why is it that sports columnists cannot comprehend that “loyalty” is among the last reasons locals aren’t attending games right now?
You offered several additional points couched in the language of “excuses.” School in session, weather, and home record are still not central to the real reason. People are suffering an economic downturn worse than at any time since the Great Depression.
Again, Jeff, 25% of Braves fans who would have paid to attend a game last year aren’t going to do so this year simply because economically they feel a more vital need for the money. That’s the real reason. That you could not devote a single sentence to that reason reveals again you are out of touch with the people of Atlanta, and perhaps the nation itself.
You can do better than this, Jeff. I sincerely hope you will in the future.
Reid Adair
June 21st, 2009
7:37 pm
Jeff, at this point, Frank Wren and Terry McGuirk should be happy to sell tickets – even if it’s to fans of the Cubs, Yankees and Red Sox.
Dropping today’s game at Boston, which the Braves could have won, is just another disappointment – and another example that there are still unresolved issues with this lineup and roster.
DHD
June 21st, 2009
7:48 pm
I can understand fans who moved here from Boston and New York. It makes sense that they would move way from those cesspools. .I understand them cheering for their teams. what I don’t understand is people who are from Atlanta being so weak as to cheer for another team. I say cheer for YOUR hometown team. Otherwise, you’re a loser.
sad brotha
June 21st, 2009
7:52 pm
Get rid of McGiurk! He is the problem.
Mike
June 21st, 2009
7:52 pm
A 7-3 homestand? Exactly when has that happened this season? I keep asking…….when will someone do the ERA of the bullpen from the 7th inning on. It has got to be close to double digits.
NRBQ
June 21st, 2009
7:56 pm
Get a clue, Will.
Here’s one: Green hasn’t had a major league job in two years.
Mitch C
June 21st, 2009
7:58 pm
What is most disheartening about the Braves is that if they could have gone, say, 5-4 on this trip, and played a stretch of 500 ball in the last ten days to two weeks, they would only be one or two games out of first. The Phillies and Mets are stinking up the division, big time. Philly has lost six in a row, and the Mets eight out of ten. Eventually, the Braves need to hit a hot streak, if they want to have any hope, because one cant expect Philly and the Mets to keep playing as badly as they are. One of them is going to get hot, at some point.
It’s amazing to think that as badly as the Braves have played, that they are only four and a half games out of first. If Philly and the Mets continue to falter for the next week or so, and the Braves could have, say, a six and four, or seven and three homestand, very questionable considering the opponents due, and how the Braves have played, maybe the Braves could really get into “Contention”.
This homestand is the most important of the season. We need to play well, now. We should know at the end of this ten days whether or not we still have a chance for something in 2009, or whether we need to look ahead to 2010. Hopefully, it will be the former.
Mitch
Supes
June 21st, 2009
8:06 pm
I can’t believe I’m going to say this…but good job Jeff Schultz. I agree wholeheartedly with your article/blog.
Chuck Uga
June 21st, 2009
8:11 pm
There are way too many sportswriters and fans who live in a world of denial. The Braves are NOT contenders for anything. They do not have the money nor the management to bring in the right players, and Cox has one foot into retirement. I am a Braves fan, but I cannot see how anyone could think they actually have a chance. Trade some of the “fan favorites” and maybe they would improve their offense. I just don’t see the committment from the current ownership for anything more.
Jeff Schultz
June 21st, 2009
8:14 pm
NCBravesfan – Good point on the defense. That’s how the Braves got it down through the 90s: pitching and defense.
TheDust: Who was that, and what has he done with Nick Green?
KenStallings: So the fact that the Hawks’ attendance went up, and Georgia attendance didn’t drop 25 percent (or at all), and the Falcons’ attendance will go up next season – how does the economy and the unemployment rate fit in there?
Supes: We’ll keep that our little secret.
dd
June 21st, 2009
8:45 pm
If any of the sox fans or any other northern teams fans don’t like Braves fans and are unhappy with what they see and hear in Atlanta, let me throw one thing out to you that the late, great Lewis Grizzard used to tell yankees with big mouths who could only be critical and put down the SOUTH.
“DELTA IS READY WHEN YOU ARE”
We would love to see you go!!!!!!!!!!! Actually, we might help you pay for the ticket.
JSS
June 21st, 2009
8:56 pm
Left you a message on your last blog (coughing at that insinuation), too bad they have too much class to poison the food in Squirrel Hill… Best T-Shirt I ever saw on the Strip in the PGH (AKA the ‘Burg)
: Ebola, HIV, or Swine Flu (All are preferable to being named Jeff Fill in the seven letter blank!)
blazerdawg
June 21st, 2009
8:58 pm
JS – Gwinnett is averaging 7,000 a night; that w/ the economy (and the poor weather early) may account for some of the attendance.
RC35
June 21st, 2009
9:01 pm
“They want a reason to pay, a reason to believe ownership and management are trying off the field and players are trying on it. Somewhere along the way, a lot of people have stopped believing.”
This is it in a nutshell. Thank you for stating what Braves players and management seem oblivious to. Frank Wren trying to sell us used plow mules and Shetland ponies as Kentucky Derby contenders is transparently fraudulent, and players who show less “want to” than slow-pitch softball players on a hot night after a full day at work do not excite those of us who remember when the players gave it a major-league effort every day.
jj
June 21st, 2009
9:07 pm
I just don’t understand why Escabor gets blamed for everything.If people look at that play and can say for sure Escabor was to blame,my question is,why was Chipper not blamed?Is it because Boog and Chipper’s personal cheerleader,Joe Simpson,said so?Escabor ain’t perfect,but I don’t think he should be made the scapegoat for the Braves failures.
Supes
June 21st, 2009
9:12 pm
You can give legit reasons for the down numbers in overall attendance, but the bottom line is this: If the Braves were a 1st place winning team with players who the local fans cared about and wanted to see, the numbers would be a lot better inspite of the bad economic situation our state and country are in right now.
You know in 2011, when Freeman, Johnson, Heyward are all up here and Tommy Hanson is an established ace, I guarantee attendance goes up.
Chuck Uga
June 21st, 2009
9:25 pm
Supes:
Great points, but you have to fear Frank Wren. He will have traded every one of those prospects by then for a 1/2-season/single season “rent-a-player.” Hell, Scott Boras will not even negotiate with the Braves organization anymore. He stears his clients elsewhere. Hence we will be waiting a LONG TIME before we see another Braves team in the post-season. Wren and Schuerholz BOTH need to go.
WildBill
June 21st, 2009
9:36 pm
Who in their right mind would watch the Braves today instead of watching the US Open Golf Tournament. The Braves had better sober up and get serious about their future. Even the most loyal Braves fans will admit the Braves are falling short of even the lowest expectations.
MIKE lump
June 21st, 2009
9:49 pm
last place Braves… it’s not a matter if? as much as it is a matter of Wren!
mike
June 21st, 2009
9:51 pm
If the Braves were in the American league they’d be an also-ran most years. This team is no longer serious about winning. They’re serious about “trying” to win on a lower tier budget. Face it. We don’t have the Oakland front office making decisions for the Braves. Atlanta will get exactly what it pays for.
Clue
June 21st, 2009
9:56 pm
Hello…..can someone tell me where a guy by the name of Wren is? I understand he’s been looking for me.
NO MORE BOBBY
June 21st, 2009
10:19 pm
Red Sox fans have a lot of class and I love the way they actually watch the games. I hate going to Turner and always people around me asking what just happened. Watch the game!
NO MORE BOBBY
June 21st, 2009
10:22 pm
MIKE lump – The Wren comment was clever.
it's time
June 21st, 2009
10:25 pm
Keith, there are losers on every blog who apparently wait all day to be ‘first’. With a capital ‘L’.
John, is French so much better than Blanco that we’re better with him? Finally,
this upcoming homestand is the rubber hitting the proverbial road. With our top three starters era under 3.5 and yet they have a cumulative losing record, the rubber hit the road already, and the rubber lost. Unless FW is able to work some magic soon, the season is lost and attendance will drop like the batting average at second base.
George
June 21st, 2009
10:42 pm
The Diaz at bat is emblematic of what is wrong with the Braves. Swung at a high fastball that is no where close to the strike zone. We will not contend with Jeff F and Kelly J batting at the pace they are going. I was happy though to see Chipper show a little fire in his belly. Maybe a little of that pointed at the non-producing members like Jeff F and Kelly J could start something…
George
June 21st, 2009
10:45 pm
Jeff Bennett needs to go the way of Blaine Boyer. All our relievers have a tendency to pitch behind in the count and sooner or later that comes back to bite you.
KingfishStevens
June 21st, 2009
10:48 pm
As Jed Clampett would say, pitiful just plain pitiful.
bravesfan27
June 21st, 2009
10:56 pm
hey lets puy it this way. we are only 41/2 games out.I think the fire the team showed today will give us a pretty good homestand. Im looking forward to a good week .LETS GO BRAVES
Jack G.
June 21st, 2009
11:08 pm
JSS
The best T shirt i ever saw was worn by a well endowed young lady, and simply sait ‘YES I DO BUT NOT WITH YOU’
lagnamor
June 21st, 2009
11:13 pm
Welcome back Jeff and Happy Fathers day.
JSS
June 22nd, 2009
12:10 am
Too bad your momma didn’t tell your daddy that Jack… Stay out of something that wasn’t addressed to you… I’m not the one for you to step to…. Jeff wants to be a big boy, he knows where to reach me… And you best stick to letting a grown man have the backbone to come to the table if he has the guts…
(The Old Street saying) Don’t start none, and there won’t be none
Kudzu Wildcat
June 22nd, 2009
12:10 am
The Braves rank 12th out of 16 teams in the NL and are going into a 20 game stretch where they play the Cubs 4 games, Boston 3 games, Yankees 3 games, Phillies 3 games, Washington 3 games and Colorado 4 games in Denver. This is the make or break part of their schedule, and it does not currently look good for the Braves. Something has got to give with the hitting and the defense if they are to stay alive in the NL East race, and NOW.
Unfortunately I do not hold out much hope for the rest of 2009.
Wayne
June 22nd, 2009
12:25 am
The Braves need to think about working out a deal with the Dodgers. Manny will soon be coming
back and a good outfielder will have to go back to the bench as a part time player.Give Jeff to the
Dodgers and what ever else they want and we will have 300 hitter and a speedster to play right field.
That just might be the piece this team is missing . Pay the money and we will never miss Jeff in
the long run.
homemanagement.co.in » Blog Archive » Braves return home to a crowd (but whose?) | Jeff Schultz
June 22nd, 2009
12:40 am
[...] Continued here: Braves return home to a crowd (but whose?) | Jeff Schultz [...]
Ken Stallings
June 22nd, 2009
1:04 am
I’ll tell you Jeff, and you should have known the answer yourself.
Baseball is played nearly every day. A football game is played once a week and a basketball game at most three times a week.
Half the games on the road. You can do the math.
Also, attendance wise 10,000 at a Hawks game is good attendance, while it would be considered a terrible crowd at a baseball game.
Lastly, the Bulldog’s and Jacket’s season’s completed before the economy turned south and the unemployment rates hit double digits. The Hawks’ season was on the brink of a playoff run with the season nearly over anyway by the time things got bleak.
But it wasn’t until May that the unemployment rate hit 12%. So, what does a football season and college basketball season that concluded before March have to do with an economy that didn’t reach it’s terrible condition until mid-May?
Any other questions for me?
Coach (2010 or Bust)
June 22nd, 2009
1:12 am
They’re done, stick a fork in them. Lets eat.
scottbravesfan
June 22nd, 2009
1:27 am
Chuck UGA,
Hey genius, who is Derek Lowe’s agent? That’s right Scott Boras, who encouraged Lowe to sign with the Braves saying how they have a lot of talent in the minors about to be major league ready. Go jerk off to some UGA highlights because you are absolutely an idiot when it comes to baseball and just making crap up.
And Schultz,
Original column how an Atlanta sports team is going to be outdrawn by another team’s fans like that never happens. And there are a few more baseball home games than football or basketball so your analogy concerning the Hawks and especially the Falcons is a waste of time. The Falcons couldn’t even sell out games last year and they made the playoffs and the Hawks made the playoffs again and averaged around 16,000 fans a game. The Braves are averaging 24,000 fans a game, play every day, and have been a bad team for the last three years I think there is a huge difference between the franchises.
Brett
June 22nd, 2009
2:24 am
Many people who have never even set foot in Boston are now calling themselves Red Sox fans. Even though they have virtually no connection to Boston or anywhere else in New England. These people are all over the country. One thing you have to understand is these are not real Red Sox fans. The “B” is for bandwagon.
Sowega Dawg
June 22nd, 2009
2:52 am
Good point Brett-I know an idiot Yankee from New York who has absolutely no ties to the University of Florida, but he is the most obnoxious Gator fan you ever met. We,ll see how much Gator stuff he flaunts in the near future when they come back down to Earth-and mark my words-they will.
Coach (2010 or Bust)
June 22nd, 2009
3:26 am
.407, that the the current BA of Joe Mauer. Not to mention the 14 HR’s and 42 RBI in just 42 games played……Ridiculous isn’t it ?
In my not so humble opinion, we may be watching the greatest baseball player to ever set foot on a major league baseball diamond. Just maybe. Albert Pujols is in the process of obliterating the record books and the man doesn’t even consider himself a power hitter. I believe that the Cardinals first baseman is the best pure hitter in the game today. Pujols is driven, intense, prickly and motivated to be the best.
If he maintains his current pace, sometime in 2017 or 2018, Pujols will surpass both Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds for the all time HR record. Pujols will be just 38 years of age in 2018. I think he will eventually be the greatest player the game has ever seen. Think about it. Both Aaron and Bonds were 42 when their respective careers ended. Pujols could potentially put the HR record out of reach.
So sit back and enjoy baseball fans! we are watching history unfold before us.
Coach (2010 or Bust)
June 22nd, 2009
3:29 am
The the current BA of Joe Mauer is .407, not to mention the 14 HR’s and 42 RBI in just 42 games played……Ridiculous isn’t it ?
In my not so humble opinion, we may be watching the greatest baseball player to ever set foot on a major league baseball diamond. Just maybe. Albert Pujols is in the process of obliterating the record books and the man doesn’t even consider himself a power hitter. I believe that the Cardinals first baseman is the best pure hitter in the game today. Pujols is driven, intense, prickly and motivated to be the best.
If he maintains his current pace, sometime in 2017 or 2018, Pujols will surpass both Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds for the all time HR record. Pujols will be just 38 years of age in 2018. I think he will eventually be the greatest player the game has ever seen. Think about it. Both Aaron and Bonds were 42 when their respective careers ended. Pujols could potentially put the HR record out of reach.
So sit back and enjoy baseball fans! we are watching history unfold before us.
RBrave
June 22nd, 2009
7:00 am
What’s with all the negative beat writers (and that Fisher blog?) Are you just trying to create controversy ? There may be a lot of fans at the home stand rooting for other team, but they are not rooting “against” the Braves. Atlanta is a big metropolitan area with new residents from all over the country. Don’t spin that negative crap !
The Real Fan
June 22nd, 2009
8:02 am
8th in the wild card race.
It will not even be close.
Mikey101
June 22nd, 2009
8:16 am
Maybe just my imagination, but Bennet does a great impersonation of Chris Reistma (remember him?)
Mac
June 22nd, 2009
8:25 am
Bennett needs to be gone. Today.
Ken
June 22nd, 2009
9:05 am
Nothing about the “Braves” other than Chipper resembles Braves. Our young guns are old and gone, we have no Crime Dog, no Skip or Pete, no Ted Turner. You hate to say it, but why do we even keep putting a team on the field. As for Frank Wren, here’s a guy that got fired by making the ORIOLES even WORSE than usual. As long as Time-Warner owns the team and Wren is GM, expect the Braves to strongly resemble the Orioles. Ho-hum team with a few good pieces, but not enough talent to win. Fire Wren NOW!
Steve McP
June 22nd, 2009
9:21 am
If the Braves had made it a bit easier for fans to buy tickets early then they might have got more support. The refusal to make single game tickets (or even series tickets) available until the last minute put me off making plans to go and see them.
Braves fan since '66
June 22nd, 2009
9:45 am
I suppose that, since the Braves are now a small market team, we should be satisfied to be the underdogs against the Red Sox, Yankees, Cubs and many more. I’m not. I pulled for the Braves through the 25 years (mostly losing) from ‘66 to ‘91 and don’t like being back to doing so…particularly since they are so close to being a good team. LF, RF and 2B are glaring problems. Is there no way that any of them can be fixed?
Chris Jackson
June 22nd, 2009
9:54 am
Time Warner doesn’t own the Braves any more!!! You just watch I predict a second half turn and a division title then where will all you brave bashing losers be!!!!!!!!!
Kentavo
June 22nd, 2009
10:02 am
Bennett joins a long list of Braves relievers that I abhor.
I guess we could give him the Golden Kolb Award.
Ben
June 22nd, 2009
10:06 am
If the Braves have to depend on hitting from Diaz and pitching from ole Bennett to win games, the Braves are in trouble. Diaz swings at one over his head and Bennett throws the ole home run ball. How many other teams could these guys play for?
Paul H
June 22nd, 2009
10:12 am
How some of these guys can still put on a major league uniform baffles me. Moylan and Bennett especially. And yes, we “need” a 7-3 homestand. We’ve “needed” stuff like that from day 1. Problem is, we never get it. IT’s same old same old. This team hasn’t gotten what it’s “needed” in 3 years. Why will that change with the league’s best coming to town?
BravesFan
June 22nd, 2009
10:18 am
“Maybe just my imagination, but Bennet does a great impersonation of Chris Reistma (remember him?)”
PERFECT!!!
Tell It Like It Is
June 22nd, 2009
10:18 am
Braves fan since ‘66,
I really believe that this team needs to be gutted from top to bottom(except Chipper, McCann and Escobar). I have been here since the 70’s and this team could not beat our worse teams during that period. No matter how you look at it,the talent on this team is that bad. I can not spend my money to bring my grand kids to Turner Field to view this inferior and boring team. Braves management has a big problem to overcome.
fieldofdreams
June 22nd, 2009
10:26 am
Because the East is so weak, the Braves are alive and kickin’. Plug Infante into second, and deal for a home run hitting right-fielder, and you’ve got the division champs.
beantown
June 22nd, 2009
10:39 am
GO SOX!!!
yellerjacket
June 22nd, 2009
10:41 am
I know it is natural to desperately seek out a scapegoat, but this is getting a little ridiculous. I have read these blogs over the last several weeks as the Braves have floundered in mediocrity and inability to put together a run and have consistently chuckled to myself as bloggers scream for the heads of Bobby Cox, Terry Pendleton, Frank Wren, and now Terry McGuirk of all people. Bobby Cox is untouchable, you all know it, so let it go. TP has kept the Braves near the top of the NL in all batting categories that matter since he came over, until this year. Frank Wren made move after move this past offseason and during the current season to make this team better while being forced to operate in a relatively limiting payroll situation (compared to the top teams in baseball, at least).
It is ridiculous for you armchair quarterbacks on here to whine and bellyache about how the Braves aren’t what they used to be. I’m pretty sure that Smoltz, Glavine, announcers we no longer have, and any one else that is gone that y’all bemoan would not have improved the W-L record this year. Let’s try and remember that Smoltz has yet to throw a pitch in the majors this year and Glavine himself admitted that he wasn’t going to pitch this year. We’re better off without them. If nothing ever changed on the Braves roster we’d have geriatrics on the field, people. Releasing 40+ year old pitchers following multiple arm surgeries is a no brainer when you’re operating under budget constraints.
As the immortal Lloyd Christmas screamed to the nurse on the elevator in the number one comedy of all time, “Move it or lose it, sister!!!” I say the same to you Braves “fans” out there who do nothing but call for firings and demotions, but fail to offer any semblance of a solution. Let the real Braves fans handle the blog comments from here on out. The fans who are excited about the next few years for the Bravos and who commend Frank Wren for bringing Lowe, Vazquez, (the constantly improving and adjusting) Kawakami, the budding ace Jurrjens, and the building block that is McClouth.
Oh, and just to rile up any else out there who hasn’t felt a ruffled feather yet: Francouer’s defense, frozen rope spewing right arm, and underrated speed in the field mitigate the .250 average for the must part, for me.
Kelly Johnson is poop, Infante will become the everyday man ASAP, and Prado is the only utility man we need.
Bring back DeRo, forget Holliday, and we can win this division.
Mark my words, if the Braves can emerge from this gauntlet that is the next two weeks near .500, Wren will make a move for a slugging 2B or OF and the Braves will get hot and expose the Phillies and the Mets for what they are (thin), enroute to a soul-stirring run at the pennant (or Wild Card). WHO’S WITH ME????
bocagator
June 22nd, 2009
10:43 am
Sowega Dawg – Gators coming back down to earth? When are you predicting this? That has to be the funniest thing I have heard in awhile. You do realize that the Mighty Gators will win another National Championship this year don’t you? UGA will lose another 3 or 4 this year and including the yearly beat down in Jax. Stick to gymnantics!!!
Missing the Braves of the 90's...
June 22nd, 2009
10:53 am
Funny thing, yesterday when Bennett came in I told my wife, this guy sucks- there goes the game. One minute later, and one pitch later….game over. I hate being right sometimes.
In summary, get rid of Bennett. Moylan makes me nervous too, but what else we got?
Also, just think how bad we would be if Nate M. wasn’t here…..thank God at least he seems to be a tough out. Thats about the only one on the team i want up in the clutch. Even Chipper has been swinging at crap lately.
On a positive note, we are only 4.5 games out and still have a chance. Big things have to happen! If the team of 91 could do it, maybe these guys can…………….. (just don’t bet on it)
Tell It Like It Is
June 22nd, 2009
11:15 am
yellerjacket,
You need to stop smoking those funny cigarettes. You are delusional to think that this team can win anything.
Helluva Engineer
June 22nd, 2009
11:18 am
Braves are done. Stick a fork in em.
Kelly Johnson is horrible.
Just A Fan
June 22nd, 2009
11:44 am
How many days until football season? Go Falcons
Lee
June 22nd, 2009
11:53 am
The economy is not the reason attendance is down. Atlanta has not supported this team for years. Turner Field didn’t even sell out for playoff games. Red Sox and Yankee fans have been filling up this staduim every year they come to town. This is nothing new and it’s not the economy. Ken Stallings, go look at the box scores when the Braves play the Red Sox and Yankees in 2007 and 2005, those games sold out. Go read the game stories from those games, the stories reflect that a “large number of Red Sox and Yankee fans filled up the staduim.” The economy is not the reason Turner Field is empty. The reality is the city of Atlanta is largely a transplant city with fans from up north moving down here and the fans simply don’t support the Braves. This was the case when they were winning the division.
J williams
June 22nd, 2009
12:05 pm
Brownie,
Your 7:03 pm post hit the nail on the head! Nothing left to say.
James
June 22nd, 2009
12:24 pm
I was born and raised in Toronto I’ am a Blue Jays and Braves fan I root for both teams and wish nothing but the best for them. As for the Jays they are playing well I hope they can stay competitive in the Al East but as for The Braves I think they really need a change in coaching Bobby Cox is not the right fit for the braves right now I think they also think a few players need to go such as Kelly Johnson, Jeff Francoeur, Manny Acosta, Jeff Bennett, Peter Moylan & Eric O’ Flarherty,
James
June 22nd, 2009
12:29 pm
I agree with Lee @ June 22nd, 2009 11:53 am
This City of Atlanta is a transplant city with fans who have moved to Atlanta from other cities such as Boston, Chicago, New York, L.A. & Philadelphia. I think it is dumb though that people who move to Atlanta still root for their home cities cause why would they have moved to Atlanta then obviously their home city wasn’t good enough so who not show some support your new home city which is Atlanta.
blazerdawg
June 22nd, 2009
12:29 pm
Lee-
Check the Baseball Almanac for attendance for the Yankees, Red Sox, and Braves over the last 30 years. You will be very surprised. The Braves have been at or above the National League average 23 out of the 43 years in Atlanta, and that includes some bad teams. Braves outdrew the Yankees and Red Sox all through the 90s.
j
June 22nd, 2009
12:41 pm
sure is some venom being spit out on this blog
JK
June 22nd, 2009
12:51 pm
move the stadium to gwinnett county and you will sell tix
TPM
June 22nd, 2009
12:53 pm
Let’s avoid whining about the Yankiee and Red Sox Fans. For the first time this year Turner Field will be soldout and fans will spend money at hotels and restaurants. That is a good thing. The construction on the downtown connector last summer killed the Braves. The Atlanta economy needs a week like this.
Lee
June 22nd, 2009
1:31 pm
blazerdawg, you’re correct in the 1990’s the Braves outdrew the Red Sox and Yankees at times. However, that has not been the case since 2000. The Braves DO NOT sell out their stadium unless the other team’s fans fill it up. Look at the 2002 playoffs against the Cubs, the Cubs filled up our stadium. Being at the National league average is nice but it’s not selling out your stadium. The fact that fans of Atlanta didn’t come out when the Braves were winning the division in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005, says it all. I love the Braves and I will be in town for the Red Sox series from North Carolina. For whatever reason, the City of Atlanta and it’s citizens don’t come out and fill up Turner Field. Atlanta is a transplant city full of Yankees, Red Sox, and Cub fans.
UGA Fan
June 22nd, 2009
2:07 pm
Where are all the fans that were screaming playoffs and World Series during the preaseason? I got trashed on here for saying that the Braves were at best a 3rd place team in the NL East.
Here is the reality though. As bad as the Braves are right now, they are still only 4 1/2 games out of first. The pitching is good but the offense stinks. It is time for Mr. Wren to make a trade to try to get some offense in here. Not an over the hill player that is trying to hold one but a good young offensive threat that is in his prime. I remember when McGriff came in and set the Braves and the stadium on fire. That is the kind of trade that I am talking about and I have a name to throw out…Adrian Gonzalez of the San Diego Padres. Has Mr. Wren done any asking to see if he is available? It may costs us a few good prospects but he has the kind of bat that we need. Just a thought, but Frank needs to do something and he needs to do it fast.
Lee
June 22nd, 2009
4:25 pm
Agreed UGA fan. I actually think this Braves team is a lot closer then a lot on here realize. The pitching is outstanding and for the most part the bullpen is solid with Soriano and Gonzalez. This team needs a big bat to put it all together. The lineup is strong in parts but needs that big bat threat.
varodrunner
June 22nd, 2009
6:28 pm
Brownie
I won’t argue with you except on one point – Furcal. Otherwise, you are as entitled to your opinion as I am. Wren has not been able to “close” the deal far too many times. We almost had Bay. We had the name on the back of a jersey, but didn’t close the deal. And in my limited mind, he has missed many moe opportunities. but like I said, I won’t argue, just state my opinion.
xoxoxoxox
Ken Stallings
June 22nd, 2009
9:46 pm
Lee, the Braves’ home game attendance during the balance of the 90’s was among the best in baseball. Fenway is a small park, and therefore we outdrew the Red Sox that entire decade.
The attendance this year is significantly down from last year. Yes, the attendance since the team started failing to make the playoffs did go down from the excellent numbers of the 1990’s. However, it’s significantly down from last year.
The only difference is the economy. Twelve percent unemployment is a horrible development. Again, people, it is the worse unemployment numbers for Georgia since the Great Depression. I do not recall the numbers during the 1970’s downturn got over double digits.
If this year’s Braves team played like the championship teams of the past, then no question the attendance would be up somewhat, but I think it wouldn’t be as much as folks might expect. The issue is that vice a season ticket, or planning to attend 20 games, folks might put aside the money to attend one series, perhaps two.
The impact is overall the attendance is down. But was that because said fan was less loyal or enthusiastic? Clearly, said fan is more concerned about losing his job and thinking how badly he might need that extra $500 that attending one series vice 20-60 games represents.
Honestly, anyone who cannot see this point obviously hasn’t had to face a dire economic situation themselves. To those who have faced, or are currently facing, such a challenge, the logic of my point is undeniable.
michaelgee
June 22nd, 2009
10:48 pm
since Peachtree TV took over control of the Braves, most of South Georgia has lost interest. How much did peachtree TV pay to control viewership for the entire state? I followed the Braves for decades but lost contact when PTV blacked out the rest of the State except for the ATL viewers. Isn’t what PTV has done the REAL REASON the Braves are no longer followed in Georgia and the main reason that nobody attends the games? Why buy a local ticket when teh games are all on local TV? doh, what a brain fart!
Lee
June 22nd, 2009
11:00 pm
Ken, please explain why the attendance has been poor well before this season and why series against the Yankees in 2004, 2005, and 2007, series against the Yankees and Red Sox fans filled up Turner Field and were the only times during those seasons when the stadium was full. Explain why Atlanta fans failed to sell out playoff games since 2000? The economy was not the problem then. Yes, the economy hurts but the economy is not why Turner Field was full of opposing fans in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, etc. Yes, the economy hurts but the Braves attendance has been POOR for 8-9 years now.