Wren’s problem: He hasn’t earned benefit of doubt
Here's Troy Glaus looking at a called third strike Wednesday night. He's hitting .203. So much for that experiment.
Frank Wren spent Wednesday at a high school game, coughing from pollen that triggers his allergies. That night, the Braves lost their eighth straight game in St. Louis, coughing from their apparent allergy — the other team.
They can’t hit long. They can’t hit short. Some nights they can’t field. Some nights they forget to tag up. Usually, they can pitch pretty well, although St. Louis hung 10 on them Thursday and there are some nights when Derek Lowe looks like he’s allergic to mounds.
When the Braves broke spring training, they looked like a possible playoff team. Now they have the second-worst record in baseball.
What is Wren doing about it? Nothing. Not trading. Not panicking. Not even twitching. Just waiting for the rain to wash away the pollen.
He will tell you the Braves have the advantage of time. But don’t even baseball time frames get shortened when a team has its longest losing steak since 2006 (the same year this non-playoff string began)?
“You can go from last place to first place pretty quickly this time of year,” he said. “I know everybody is jumping off the ship now. But this is like if the Falcons had played two games. We’ve only played one-eighth of the season.”
The math is accurate. But in the NFL, nobody asks, “When is the last time we lost two in a row?” When losing streaks are being researched, there’s a problem.
The Braves lost Thursday, 10-4. That makes nine straight. One more and marketing is going to have to start including lobster with the all-you-can-eat seats.
Their record is 8-14. They’ve been outscored 16-4 in the last two days. Total offense in the nine losses: 17 runs (including three shutouts).
Wren is preaching patience. If he is having a hard time finding support, it’s because that philosophy carries more weight when the preacher has a resume. The Braves have missed the playoffs four straight seasons. Wren is 0 for 3 since taking over. When the team hit a bump during John Schuerholz’ regime, it was easy to remain calm. Wren hasn’t earned the benefit of the doubt.
The leadoff spot figured to be a problem. It is. Chipper Jones’ health and production figured to be questions. They are. Troy Glaus figured to be a risk. Confirmation received. Nate McLouth, Melky Cabrera – it doesn’t end.
It was easy during the 10-game losing streak in 2006. You could look into the bullpen and say, “Their fault.”
Most of Bobby Cox's problems haven't been on the mound (Derek Lowe notwithstanding).
Now, the problems are everywhere. Every day is a new Bobby Cox lineup. Wednesday included six starters hitting .203 or less. Thursday’s lineup opened with Cabrera and Yunel Escobar, both hitting .197. (The blip is Martin Prado. He has no allergies.)
Wren said he is free to make a trade. He said, “We have some flexibility in our payroll,” though he didn’t quantify that.
“The other factor [in a trade] is how it affects us talent-wise. We have a farm system that we’re carefully stocking. We don’t want to do something that will lessen our ability to compete long term.”
It’s at this point that I mention the name: Mark Teixeira. In 2007, the Braves dealt a boatload of prospects to Texas for Teixeira. They hoped he would turn them into a World Series team. He didn’t. The thought occurs that memories of that deal would dissuade the Braves from making a significant prospects-for-All-Star trade again. (San Diego’s Adrian Gonzalez comes to mind.) But Wren said no.
“The Teixeira trade hasn’t impacted us at all,” he said. “If you look at the players we gave up, I’m not sure it’s had any effect on the major league club. We had Escobar ahead of [Elvis] Andrus at shortstop, we had [Brian] McCann ahead of [Jarrod] Saltalamacchia at catcher, the other guys wouldn’t have made our club. Neftali Feliz would be in our bullpen.”
So you wouldn’t be gun shy?
“No, not at all. We’ll make a trade if we feel it helps us.” But he added he won’t deal a prospect whom he feels can be part of the Braves’ future. That list presumably begins with Freddie Freeman.
It’s the end of April. General managers “tend to look at the quarter-poll,” Wren said. “Mid-May is when you start to get a sense where your club is. Really, June 1 is when you start making decisions.”
The math could work out. But if 8-14 turns into 16-28, just remember how early the cough started.
♦
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548 comments Add your comment
Steve-O
April 29th, 2010
5:53 pm
Hey, at least Kelly Johnson’s having a good year. Dude’s hitting the cover off the ball.
John G
April 29th, 2010
6:00 pm
What has Pendelton done for us since he became hitting coach? Absolutely nothing, well actually he hurt us in the past and is continuing his fine tradition. He ruined Andrew He ruined Jeff Francuer….. if I was in the batting cage and he walked up I’d run the the little league T-ball stadium.
ozzie
April 29th, 2010
6:10 pm
JEFF – would you kindly do a blog piece of the idea of getting Don Mattingly in here as the next manager?
I know its likely taboo this early in the season but we need to get this idea in Wren’s noggin before he signs some back room deal with the Dodgers.
If your editors won’t go for it then send Wren a text.
Gearon is mum on Woodson but expects Hawks 'to go far' | Jeff Schultz
April 29th, 2010
6:20 pm
[...] ♦ Wren’s problem: He hasn’t earned benefit of the doubt [...]
John G
April 29th, 2010
6:45 pm
Hey Ozzie,
I’m with you a bit on this, but I go further, what would be wrong with bringing in the new MGR now if its the right one, and I believe he’s on the team now…. Glen Hubbard, Heck if Ozzie G can do it Glen can do it. Just make sure Pendelton goes.
FUZZUP
April 29th, 2010
6:56 pm
Enough of this!!!!! ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Joe Fan
April 29th, 2010
6:58 pm
I imagine Cox wishes he had retired last year. This team is just an embarassment. The sad thing is you just cant throw lout all the pieces. You’ve got to play out the season but its not to early to start making moves where you can, providing they are beneficial long term. I am just not certain Wren is the man for the job. His track record in Baltimore was not any better.
SR
April 29th, 2010
7:10 pm
Enter your comments here
Wren Must Go!
April 29th, 2010
7:12 pm
Wren doesn’t have a clue–the braves are a national laughingstock–maybe the worst team in the majors.
davejb4
April 29th, 2010
7:12 pm
His name is Frank Lren. How do we make a deal for that first baseman playing for the Diamondbacks?
Baghdad Bob
April 29th, 2010
7:14 pm
I take it as an insult that anyone would compare me to Frank Wren! Frank Wren is a much bigger joke than I am.
Tomy Fournier
April 29th, 2010
7:14 pm
sh…..!
Tomy Fournier
April 29th, 2010
7:15 pm
what the “HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL”!!!
heartofdarkness
April 29th, 2010
8:04 pm
I remember taking in a game or two back in the late 70s while in school. Maybe 1500 people actually showed up in Atl Fulton County Stadium. You could have a conversation with the people sitting behind the dugout on the other side of the field. And simulating a wave, trying to time the pulse through all the virtual fans was a real crowd pleaser. The concession lines were short and the prices almost reasonable. Folks, we might enjoy this more than you know.
UA Alum92
April 29th, 2010
8:05 pm
When the season began, my wife and I were thinking about taking our boys, 8 and 10, to their first MLB game, but now there is no way I’m blowing that kind of cash on this garbage.
Also, expect the Bravos to start having even more problems enticing top-notch pitching talent to our fair city when they know they’ll have no run support. Defense feeds offense and vice-versa. Stats are everything to pitchers and Atlanta is becoming a career killer.
Damn. I was so excited about Heyward…
Braves73
April 29th, 2010
8:11 pm
Frank Wren aka “The Maestro” has completely destroyed this version of our beloved Braves. I have stated before, that Wren made moves this off season for the sake of making moves. There was ZERO logic behind the Glaus signing as they already had Laroche and knew what he would give them. To make things more confusing, Wren blows up a very good bull pen of young arms for the aging wonders of Wagner & Saito (who may only pitch one more year).
The Vazquez trade is not one that I am completely sold on. I know his current stats with the Yanks are not good, but he is made to pitch in the National League. Instead, Wren traded another proven commodity for a fourth outfielder and unproven minor league player. I may be wrong, but his philosophy is lacking sound logic, but leave it to “The Maestro” to orchestrate this mess.
OldTimer
April 29th, 2010
8:28 pm
A Braves game is an ambiance. A backdrop to a conversation with friends. Their struggles are not yours. Tune in occasionally and engage when appropriate.
kennyh
April 29th, 2010
8:33 pm
would everyone stop being politically correct and state the obvious!! terry pendleton is the worst hitting coach ever..he has killed good hitters..they come here and die..fire him..
Old Fashioned
April 29th, 2010
8:39 pm
I doubt very many people care,but I really wish the folks who write here had a better grasp of the English language. For a start perhaps everyone could learn the difference between (1) write—right ,(2) your—-you’re, (3) their—they’re. That’s not too much to hope for,is it?
A Call for Action: Is Atlanta Braves GM Frank Wren the Problem? | braves.baseball-news-update.com
April 29th, 2010
8:39 pm
[...] offers this analogy to Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution : The Braves have only completed one-eighth of the season. He contends that if this were football, [...]
Cooter
April 29th, 2010
8:42 pm
Old Fashioned, didn’t I keek you’re ace in PE?
Roy updike
April 29th, 2010
8:56 pm
Frank hasn’t received the benefit of the doubt??? In what situation, Furcal(?), Griffey(?), Smoltz(?) Johnson(?), La Roche(?), Melky(?), Glavine(?) – shall we go on??? What has he done right?
tj wrensucker
April 29th, 2010
9:06 pm
WREN SUCKS !!!
Jesse Stone
April 29th, 2010
9:17 pm
Mattingly as manager? why? Has he even managed a little league team before?
falcon
April 29th, 2010
9:18 pm
The Atlanta Braves suck. Season ticket holders must feel cheated. Cox is good at finishing 2nd. Baseball is dead to me. Go Falcons!
Jesse Stone
April 29th, 2010
9:19 pm
Roy- He got us Jesse Chavez for Soriano. Remember, he claimed we wouldn’t have a problem trading Soriano because there was a ‘good market fo closers”. and the best he could do was …Jesse Chavez.
braves and cubs sit home
April 29th, 2010
9:22 pm
well u see today cubs game gee that sorry Kelly johnson had 3 hits n is battin 316. and that rent a player larouche who we not had 2 homeruns n is battin over 290 now so glad see why and look in dugout n say TP u clod! 8-14 amzin after sunday be 8-17 and lead east cellar by 6 games after sunday.Remember this the same Wren tryed rid cal ripken from baltimore n end his streak.So 680 can kiss me ass if by supportin Wren. i see 64-98 season.
MitchC
April 29th, 2010
9:29 pm
Jeff, thank you! If I could come up to you, and shake your hand for writing the truth, I would!
This lineup the Braves are fielding is pathetic! Our starting pitching has to be feeling “If we give up one or two runs, we lose”. I would not want to be a starting pitcher on the Braves right now.
What you said about 8-14 turning into 16-28 is so true. This is exactly what I’ve been saying throughout this whole horrible week and a half. Right now, as we know, the hated Metropolitans are hot, but all it got them was a tie for first place. We are very, very lucky that Philly has been having problems. If they had played the way they are capable of, all season, Philly would be long gone.
If Wren claims he has “payroll flexibility”, then how the heck doesn’t he do something with this team playing as poorly as it is? With the schedule being as it is, and as poorly as this team is playing,I dont see us going on a six or seven game winning streak, unless Wren does something drastic.
Frank needs to do something, very, very soon. If he doesn’t, and the Braves season continues to spirial downward, I really feel that he should be held responsible for that with the loss of his job as Braves GM.
.
April 29th, 2010
9:36 pm
477 comments against Braves Management . 99.9% of blog. Fire TP, Wren, McQuirk, Bobby and Paul Hewitt at GT and Woody at Hawks.
MitchC
April 29th, 2010
9:45 pm
Jeff, what doesn’t make sense to me is this: Everyone is upset about the Hawks blowing the lead last night, and surely, it was deflating. Yet, here’s the bottom line: While it would be very, very disappointing for the Hawks to lose to the Bucks, you have fans and writers on the Hawks blog blasting the Hawks, and calling for Woodson to be canned, when, in reality, the team’s record has improved in the regular season, every year that Woodson has been coach. We all know that the playoffs in any sport is a roll of the dice. Why is everyone, calling for Woodson’s head, while people seem to be all La-de Da about Frank Wren sitting clueless, as the Braves are headed for oblivion? My feeling is, every writer on the AJC, those covering Hawks and Braves both, should write scathing columns calling for Wren to do something immediately, or be fired. While I realize it’s only April, that excuse wont cut it, if the Braves fall 25 games out, and Wren does something, when its too late.
I propose that all AJC sportswriters write columns criticizing Wren as soon as possible, and for every Braves fan who sees the columns to post for him to do something. If he fails to, he should either resign and turn the reigns over to someone else, or be fired, immediately!
MitchC
April 29th, 2010
9:49 pm
I should also point out, of course, that I’m so critical of Wren for two reasons. One, the team’s pitiful situation now, and two, their failure to make the playoffs at all, since he took over the GM reigns from John S. This is a sorry excuse for a team, a far comedown from the one that won fourteen straight division titles, and had that streak end just four years ago.
Not all Wren's fault
April 29th, 2010
10:05 pm
Wren’s brought us some good players, some bad ones. Schuerholz is to blame for some of the mess we find ourselves in, too. Traded too much for Drew, too much for Texiera, and now we find ourselves without a decent hitting outfielder, Heyward notwithstanding. What’s happened to Diaz? It’s still early, yes, but it won’t be for long.
Don't Give Up
April 29th, 2010
10:16 pm
Bobby Cox is a proven winner. We can’t give up on him. It is way too early. A 6-game win streak changes everything. The talent is there to pull it off.
I agree Wren is not doing a good job. He is the weak link that will drag this franchise back into 1970/80’s/90’s mediocrity if he is allowed to stay in his current position.
Hopefully Schuerholtz will replace him – and better yet – step back into his shoes.
Don’t give up yet on the Braves…. way too early!!!
They will get hot and erase all these bad memories over the last couple of weeks.
Go Braves!
basebal fan
April 29th, 2010
10:19 pm
Bobby should have left last year andtaken TP with him.It appears that former braves hit better when TP is not their batting guru,ex: kelly,laroche,frandouer.The team needs a mgr. that shows and expects enthusiasm.This team needs to change their name to the Atlanta Indifference.
ozzie
April 29th, 2010
10:28 pm
Mattingly has managed in the minors. He has been a hitting coach (a capable one – how refreshing) for the Yankees and Dodgers under Joe Torre and was a great hitting 1B in his day.
You think he might be able to help a kid named Freddie Freeman at 1B in 2011? He also would be a draw for FA and prospects coming up from LA etc.
A former Yankee star would even help with ticket sales. Heck Mattingly would probably sign more autographs than 1/2 our current team combined.
The Braves marketing dept would love this move.
Former Yankee great managing the Braves, working with FF, Heyward et al. A complete break from a broken system.
Dominic
April 29th, 2010
10:29 pm
Kelly Johnson – is playing extremely well for the diamondbacks
Adam LaRoche – a fan favorite is playing extremely well for the D’Backs and provides the great defense at 1st that fat boy Troy Glaus cannot
Melky Cabrera – the dumbest trade in the history of baseball. We gave up our pitcher who finished 3rd in the cy young voting last year
Mark Teixeira – we traded away all of our prospects for him then trade him away for a guy nobody knew in Casey Kotchman who isnt here anymore. Even dumber the braves didnt send him to boston when the red sox were willing to give up Kevin Youkolis for Teixeira and Kotsay who we eventually gave away.
Troy Glaus – cant hit a ball off of a tee and yet he is still here
Frank Wren is terrible! He hasnt made one good deal because keep in mind we still have no back up plan for Chipper especially since he is hurt every other week now. The braves havent had a lead off hitter since Rafael Furcal yet Frank Wren likes a guy who hit in the middle of the order for Pittsburgh (McLouth) to bat lead off for us. Then his back up was odd ball Melky Cabrera who was the fish outta water with the Yankees
ozzie
April 29th, 2010
10:30 pm
PS – I am talking about getting Mattingly for 2011.
Bobby is going no where unless he decides to quit before the season is out.
JRW7
April 29th, 2010
10:33 pm
Have tickets for Friday night game, I cant even give them away. Fire TP!!!!!
cucu
April 29th, 2010
10:41 pm
let me tell all you good folks what is wrong with the braves. j.s wasn’t responiable for 14 flags. it was turner money. mattox,mcgriff, grissom and many others got to atlanta because of the money.when turner sold the braves it was lights out.j.s. and wren are the worse gm’s in baseball. untill someone buys the braves and spends the money to put the talent on the field to compete like the phillies have done, then there want be much to shout about at the THE TED.
Michael
April 29th, 2010
11:08 pm
When does the axe start swinging toward Terry Pendleton? It’s almost as if some of these guys hit despite the coaching. Did you notice the 180 Francoeur did in New York? It took a week before he turned back into a solid .280ish guy who can hit a few homers. He’s doing the same this year. I’m not saying Heyward shouldn’t be playing, but this team is better with Francoeur and Heyward in the outfield instead of Heyward and the two offensively challenged stooges thrown out with him. As far as first, bring up Barbaro if you don’t want to “ruin” Freddie. Barbaro is only hitting .240, but that’s All-Star material for this lineup.
Ph.D.
April 29th, 2010
11:15 pm
The last nine days and nine consecutive losses merit poignant remarks. Thank you, Jeff, for placing your finger over the most glaring wound for the franchise: Mr. Wren. While I wholly disagree with Jeff’s assessment of Javier Vazquez (a jedi pitcher in Braves uni, irrespective of his current stats in Yankee Doodle land)-whose professionalism, work ethic, composure, example, and winning attitude are sorely missed–, I do place almost all the team’s blame on the shoulders of the the mastermind of our lineup, and that is Wren. It does not require high intelligence to know that if you follow the $, you follow what Bobby Cox must put out there day in day out. If Baseball is a business, the brand new, feel good, Bad News Braves are bankrupt: bankrupt after Javier Vazquez, bankrupt at first base, bankrupt, indeed, all over the lusterless, error-prone diamond. Who is successful in sports? Those who have masterminds at the top, not the feeble minded, penny-pincher. I challenge our journalists to take us behind the scenes more, to show the interactions in the clubhouse, in team preparation, in the off the field conversations. Who speaks up, who has an opinion other than a one sentence blurb? What is the Braves’s philosophy? What does Wren really think? Above all, I expect, like Jeff has admirably done here: to pose the tough questions to mastermind Wren. The Hudson-Vazquez debate, by the way, is bankrupt as well, and no one can prove me otherwise: no matter what stats, no matter what spin. Vazquez is the reason we did well last year, period, for he sit the tone, and setting the tone is like our current leaderless flops. All of them.
shawn
April 30th, 2010
12:12 am
If we signed Johnny Damon, it would have solved only 25% of the problems with this team. Defense is horrible to watch. Who is goin to fix that?
Eric C.
April 30th, 2010
12:25 am
Another outstanding column Jeff…thanks!
1991 Redux
April 30th, 2010
12:27 am
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of worst to first, the Braves must first get back to worst.
Big B CH 99
April 30th, 2010
12:32 am
KK is struggling, but I don’t think his 5 + ERA is all his fault. We’ve scored like what 5 runs in his 4 starts. He knows that we can’t score, so he has to press and every pitch has to be perfect, & to help things out we can’t field either.
If I was pitching for the Braves my mindset would be to win I have to throw a perfect game w/ 27 K’s. I have to strike everyone out b/c we can’t play D and have to shut ‘em out b/c we can’t score.
FUWren
April 30th, 2010
12:49 am
This is an exciting streak. The 1977 number is way up there, but I think we’ve got a shot. What are the records for fewest runs scored and most times shut out? Anything else we can look forward too? How about fewest homeruns? Fewest saves? Have we ever had a team where nobody hit 20 HRs? This could be a record breaking season in Braves Country. Hopefully buy July the beer at the Ted will be free, and if you show up early enough they’ll let you bat leadoff.
Walker Anderson
April 30th, 2010
2:40 am
The Braves early season struggles have already been blown way out of proportion by Braves fans and national media alike, and ironically, they may be to blame. The bottom line is that the Braves didn’t give themselves a chance this spring to start the season off well. The talk surrounding the Braves camp months before opening day was all centered around the 20 yr old phenom Jason Heyward. Say again, 20 years old. Everybody was in on it. Fans in Atlanta were all buzzing about Heyward and Atlanta sports columnists told the world that this kid was going to ressurect a formerly dominate NL east force. Soon players such as Chipper Jones and Derek Lowe were telling the AJC that Heyward was hands down the best young hitter they’d ever seen. Finally ESPN writers and bloggers began reporting on this young hitter saying that he would turn the Braves into the playoff contenders they once were.
With all the attention on Heyward, the stage was seemingly set for the Braves to make an early season impact on the NL landscape. In his first game, Heyward captivated fans by living up to hype that had seemed too good to be true. As a result, the Braves strung together some early season wins. Only what about when this 20 yr old inevidibly struggled to find his timing at the plate early in his MLB career? Answer: Braves would be lost. And so we’ve seen. Now that the smoke has cleared around Heyward, the Braves have lost their identity. “If not Heyward than who?”. The Braves have never been a team centered around one player. Even during they’re run of 14 straight division titles they never had a player that drew as much media scrutiny as Heyward did this Spring.
The Braves will turn this ship around and make the playoffs this year. But the last month may be evidence of a new era in Atlanta. Not one filled with the scrappy blue-collar rosters of the 90’s, but rather one centered around something rare in Atlanta: A Superstar. And as we wait for Heyward to become just that, perhaps Atlanta has lessons to learn. Lesson 1: Don’t rest all your hopes on a 20 yr old. Lesson 2: Yet.
willieg hates bill shanks
April 30th, 2010
5:56 am
I said it from the start the reason the braves are struggling is fact they went into this season with athird baseman who you knew would miss 60games or more,a first baseman who is coming off major surgery ididnt see st louis trying to get him back ,now you know why a left fielder that ibelieve the reason he is so bad he doesnt know national league pitchers at all he will get better or will be released to a trade in july hayward is a bright spot thats for sure mclouth was not that good period in pittsburg the talent pool in the minors has been lacking for several reasons to many to write about so when a third of yr team is no good yr not goona win case point a 9game losing streak and this will be a bad season for the braves 5out now wait till they come off that 2week road trip they will be out of the nleast race so the wild card ithink not .
willieg hates bill shanks
April 30th, 2010
6:07 am
YOU FIRED DON BAYLOR AS HITTING COACH , also bobby its called manufacturing runs , when you cant score runs you need to go back to school tourself cox and re learn the fundamentals of baseball YOU DONT HAVE PLAYERS THAT CAN HIT THE 3RUN HOMER ANYMORE bunt more ,steal home, hit and run ,BOBBY WATCH THE LOW LIFE MARLINS AND THE TAMPA BAY RAYS THEY will show you how to do it again the problem is LIBERTY MEDIA IS NOT GOING TOP GIVE YOU THE MONEY TO GET REAL BALLPLAYERS ,no wonder this has been the easiest 10 days of making money off the braves as ive ever had this is why im not as mad iwould make more if they coild win because they are such an underdog now and this weekend they will beat the astros and everybody will say were back in it dint fool yourself its not going to happen until the braves get FRIGGIN MAJOR LEAGUE PLAYERS.
Dejay
April 30th, 2010
7:58 am
From watching this team (who can’t hit for average or power, has no speed, can’t create runs, nor field) and the Hawks blow a home playoff game to the Bucks this week, I feel like I’ve been put in the hot tub time machine and sent back to 1989. I’m looking for an afro-pick to get my high-top fade together as we speak.
Anyway, EW is 100% right, bullseye on the target. Everyone on this forum knew that the team needed at least one more big bat going into the season. Everyone knew about the surplus of starting pitchers the team had going into the offseason. We all expected that surplus to be flipped into a 35/110 player they so desperately needed but what did we get instead? Our best pitcher from last year being given away for a 5th outfielder, a couple of minor leaguers, and a case of Stroh’s. Instead of at least tending an offer to the guy who carried the offense on his back the second half of last season, Wren decided in his infinite wisdom that signing a 34-year old coming off season-ending shoulder surgery (any shock that he only has warning-track power now?), and putting him at a position he probably hasn’t played since high school was a better idea because it would be a few million dollars cheaper. How’s that working for you so far?
You see, stuff like that is why folks long ago decided to stay away from Turner Field (along with the fact that Cox and Co. blew what should’ve been the run for the ages by only winning one world title). After all, why pay for the movie when you already read the script off Wikipedia’s website weeks ago? You can’t tell us that you have free reign to make moves in order to fire up your fanbase under a false pretense that REAL players were on the way, bring in garbage guys and reclamation projects that other teams didn’t try to outbid you for instead, then whine and cry about financial restrictions when they don’t pan out while telling us to stay patient; you can’t have it both ways.
The only way this franchise will ever reclaim the fandom from the first half of their run is to recommit themselves to putting a contender back on the field. Telling us that old Troy Glaus, broken down Chipper, a 20-year old rookie, and Melky Cabrera is the answer is a flat out insult to every Braves fan who saw David Justice, Fred McGriff, Gary Sheffield, Javier Lopez, and Andres Galarragga hit moonshots to Piedmont Park. They know it’s a lie and WE know it’s a lie so quit trying to insult our intelligence. We’ve heard enough about the low attendance from Terry McGuirk but not nearly enough about why this team can’t hit themselves out of a wet paper bag dipped in battery acid. When they get do away with trying to catch lightning in a bottle and counting what was made in the Chophouse and back to the business of trying to win a world title like the Yankees and Red Sox (and the Rays, Cardinals, and Phillies for that matter), then we’ll come back in droves. Otherwise, we’ll stay home and wait on football season to start. Your call, Frank…