Braves could lose Fredi Gonzalez to Cubs if they don’t hurry
Fredi Gonzalez isn't back in a Braves' uniform just yet.
Two months ago, when Florida Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria outdid even his own usual moronic tendencies by firing manager Fredi Gonzalez, I wrote a blog suggesting the Braves needed to bring him into the fold immediately.
The obvious reasons: 1) He is the perfect candidate to replace Bobby Cox next season; 2) He would be in demand when other managerial jobs opened up.
Well, it just happened.
In the wake of Lou Piniella’s recent retirement, the Cubs reportedly have put Gonzalez atop their wish list. In fact, a story in today’s Chicago Sun-Times makes it sound like Gonzalez’ move to Wrigley could be imminent.
Here’s an excerpt:
Don’t be surprised if former Florida Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez winds up a leading candidate to replace Lou Piniella within the next few weeks.
Sources say that Gonzalez is at the top of general manager Jim Hendry’s wish list in the early stages of the process and that he prefers a manager with major-league experience — with Class AAA manager Ryne Sandberg considered the strongest, if not only, serious candidate without that.
Gonzalez would not comment specifically about the Cubs job, but he told the Sun-Times that he and Hendry “go back to my high school days. He coached one of the opposing teams when I played. And we worked together with the Marlins.”
This part of the story also is interesting:
At least one source close to the Braves said that while public perception has Gonzalez as Cox’s heir apparent, the Braves have not given Gonzalez any such indication — which would seem to leave a wide-open path for Hendry to pursue.
Personally, I’d be stunned if Gonzalez preferred the Cubs’ job over the Braves. He already lives in Atlanta and he certainly would be inheriting a better team here than in Chicago. But if the Braves wait too long before making a commitment, Gonzalez could opt for the sure thing.
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231 comments Add your comment
No playoffs since Mazzone not Cox
September 1st, 2010
4:15 pm
Leo Mazzone is the reason for the braves’ success. He left in 2005 and the braves have not been to the playoffs since 2005.
Donny Corleone
September 1st, 2010
4:17 pm
I think Smoltz, Glavine, and Maddux might have something to do with that.
Donny Corleone
September 1st, 2010
4:20 pm
Boy, ol’ Donny can kill a blog faster than Glaus can kill a rally.
Donny Corleone
September 1st, 2010
4:21 pm
Sorry Jeff.
Herschel Talker
September 1st, 2010
4:23 pm
Schultzie:
He ain’t takin’ the Cubs job. He and the Braves have already worked out a deal, they just aren’t going to announce it until the season is over.
HT
Donny Corleone
September 1st, 2010
4:23 pm
Is there an echo in here? Today…today…today………I feel like the luckiest man…………..
bowman
September 1st, 2010
4:26 pm
Comment posted in response to Jeff Schultz’s July 23, 2010, blog:
Had the same thought, Jeff, when I heard Gonzalez got fired. I named him as my favorite to succeed Cox a long time ago, but Gonzalez’s contract ran through the 2011 season. Thank the Marlins took care of that problem. It’s as if the fates aligned like we want.
Rather than hire Gonzalez now as the head of whatever, I think he should be hired as the hitting coach. That takes care of two problems for next season. Gonzalez gets promoted and he won’t have to fire the worthless Pendleton.
bowman
– -
“Art will always be Art.” – Goethe
Jo-Bu
September 1st, 2010
4:26 pm
I’d love to have Leo back as the pitching coach. Leo Mazzone would take that job back in a heartbeat.
Jo-Bu
September 1st, 2010
4:29 pm
Donny Corleone
September 1st, 2010
4:17 pm
Yeah, I too agree that Leo had lots of talent to work with back in the day. All a pitching coach can really do is be a sports psychologist — Leo was really good at it. Plus, Leo really ROCKS!
5150 P.O.A.D
September 1st, 2010
4:30 pm
I would take 1 PETE ROSE over 10 Mannys any day. If a Chicago Team took Manny I would not like to be a coach for any of their baseball teams.
Donny Corleone
September 1st, 2010
4:31 pm
Good one Jo-Bu.
ed simmons
September 1st, 2010
4:31 pm
Who is our hitting coach at AAA they have done the job.
richham
September 1st, 2010
4:34 pm
I have to say the Cubs are stupid if they don’t hire Sandberg. Perfect fit. I don’t care if he doesn’t have major league experience. That certainly didn’t help LP this year.
Donny Corleone
September 1st, 2010
4:34 pm
Do y’all think we could just bring up some bats from AAA? They seem to have a lot of hits in them.
Chief pitchanono
September 1st, 2010
4:41 pm
Yeah, I’m sure if the Braves really want him they won’t let the cubs steal him away. But thats the thing, I don’t know if the Braves are sure right now, or if their even in a position to worry about it. Trust me if worse, comes to worse and they get in a position in the off-season and their not happy with their list of candidates, then I’m sure Bobby would have no problem filling in for one more year. My gut feeling is that Bobby is going to have allot to do with picking his replacement, but it has to happen during the off season. Its a different conversation now that Braves are back on topp, and I think people will be lineing up for the job, which means they have to take their time making their minds up. They can’t be rushed by what someone may do before this season is over.
Bull
September 1st, 2010
4:47 pm
I’m glad you don’t run the Braves organization Schultz
No playoffs since Mazzone not Cox
September 1st, 2010
4:54 pm
Fredi Gonzales as manager and Leo Mazzone as pitching coach= More than one world series!!!
blazerdawg
September 1st, 2010
4:55 pm
TP! I like our current “image”
Freddie : G
September 1st, 2010
5:03 pm
Listen to Mazzone and you would believe he wrote the book on pitching, you would also realize real soon that he is a d**b A*s made famous by Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz.
Saint. Dawg>
September 1st, 2010
5:04 pm
CHIPPER JONES is your next manager folks…Or maybe our Player/mang…And Tom Glav. will be asst. manager/asst. pitchin coach…Thats why Chipper is with the team and will be in the dugout the rest of the season..END OF STORY..Now GO BRAVES finish off the MUTTS..
skip
September 1st, 2010
5:06 pm
What’s so great about Fredi G.? Come the end of the season there will be half a dozen guys just as qualified to choose from.
RuthieA
September 1st, 2010
5:07 pm
I would like to see Brian Jordan as the Braves manager. Yea!
5150 P.O.A.D
September 1st, 2010
5:12 pm
RuthieA Brian Jordan can’t even talk on the Braves pregame show. He is so tongue tied it is funny.
Kapoonka
September 1st, 2010
5:15 pm
Gred Maddux pitching coach, Chipper batting coach, Marquis Grissom 1st base coach, TP Coach. Nuff said……
Norm Maracle
September 1st, 2010
5:33 pm
Jim Fergosi is the Braves’ next manager. Bet on it. He is already an advanced scout w/ the organization.
JEB
September 1st, 2010
5:33 pm
Fredi G. will be the Atl. Braves coach at the end of the year.
I’m sure FW has already got that issue taken care of in secret.
Mitchell
September 1st, 2010
5:38 pm
Plate Appearance
September 1st, 2010
2:33 pm
THE BEST SCENARIO
The Braves win the World Series!
Bobby decides to stay another year to defend this championship — much like a Phil Jackson.
And Freddie gets hired as a Braves coach — to still wait in the wings.
THE BEST SCENARIO
The Braves win the World Series!
Bobby goes away and anybody but Terry Pendleton is named new Braves manager.
Jack G.
September 1st, 2010
5:42 pm
This aint FOOTBALL folks. Football has a coaach—-BASEBALL has a manager
Jack G.
September 1st, 2010
5:43 pm
coach
big mack attack
September 1st, 2010
5:44 pm
Whats so hot about Freddie? What did he ever do with great talent at Florida…but lose?
Im sorry but 2 FREDDIES is one too many.
jerry
September 1st, 2010
5:46 pm
This column is about as much mularkey as I have ever read. Their are thousands capable of being the manager. Jeff must be in love.
big mack attack
September 1st, 2010
5:46 pm
I thought the pitchers hated Mazzone cause he was a hard azz and blow hard.
big mack attack
September 1st, 2010
5:49 pm
Brian Jordan IS BAAAAD on TV and Radio. G-Braves and the real ones are better off with Ronny Gant.
JayD
September 1st, 2010
5:52 pm
What has Fredi ever won? Their current manager seems to do more with the same team – and the players actually like him. Why Fredi? – Go out and find the right guy. It’s the BRAVES – The one team in Atlanta that people what to Play for or Manage/Coach.
bushwacker
September 1st, 2010
5:52 pm
I’m with you Donny, Pete would be great but the idiot commissioner will not reinstate him.
What he did does not come close to the damage done by BONDS,MCGWIRE AND CLEMENS AND THE REST.
Forget Freddie, how about Ned Yost, UNLESS Sweet Lou is ready to manage again next year!!!
B-MAN
September 1st, 2010
5:54 pm
It is absolutely stunning to me how little most of you guys on this board know about baseball. Starting with J.S.. I have to admit though, it is mildly entertaining.
JayD
September 1st, 2010
5:55 pm
FYI – Hitting coaches don’t TEACH guys how to hit .Some of the guys that you all are blaming TP for simply can’t get it done.
ozzie
September 1st, 2010
6:03 pm
Fredi will get paid more (with a longer contract to boot) in Chicago, have a much higher payroll to work with and his team will play to packed stadiums every night.
Yes the Cubs needs work but Fredi is not following in the foot steps of a dynasty guy like Cox. Pinella was there 4-5 years & he will be easily forgotten plus the performance bar is lower.
In ATL if he doesn’t win the division every year the place will be half empty. Payroll is hovering around 85mm today and Bowman is already indicating it won’t be going up in 2011.
After this season the Braves will need a CF, LF and possibly a 3B with little money to spare.
Where do you think Fredi will get more money for FA if he lacks rookies to fill key positions? After FF there is not much in AAA or AA to write home about offensively.
You have to factor those realities into what is a good gig in ATL.
JASon
September 1st, 2010
6:03 pm
Here’s the deal: once gonzalez is fired by the marlins, you get in touch with him. You say hey, we have a vacancy at manager next season and we want you to fill it. We can’t hire anyone yet, and this conversation is off the record. But we will hire you in atlanta at the end of the season.
So, if gonzalez is hired by someone, anyone else, then frank wren has failed.
Dirty Dawg
September 1st, 2010
6:06 pm
Hey folks, you may not recall but not a single Braves pitcher – not Glavine, not Smoltz and not Maddux – went out of their way to credit Mazzone with their success. Sorry, but low and outside and long toss is hardly enough of a repertoire for a pitching coach.
I too like Freddi, but if he’s willing to consider the Cubs job then it would appear that Atlanta has told him that they would be conducting a wider search….to include Torre perhaps. Even so, Joe’s probably gonna only manage for a couple of more years and by then Freddi will have worn out his welcome in Chicago – the curse, you know – plus who’s to say that Torre might not want to go back to New York and coach the Mets back to prominence over the Yankees?
Steve
September 1st, 2010
6:11 pm
@WreckBuzz … seriously?
“And TP has always stayed in Atlanta despite having the same opportunities to interview that Fredi Gonzalez did.”
TP has not had the same opportunities that Fredi has had. No one outside of the Braves organization has even given a thought to making him a manager. Period. If you think he has had thattype of opportunity presented to him and he turned it down to stay in Atlanta you need a better education.
Jeff is right on this one, and everyone should stop and actually read what he said. There is no doubt that Fredi would prefer Atlanta over Chicago .. NONE! The problem is, if Fredi isn’t getting a good vibe that Atlanta is definitely interested in him, the he has to take the Chicago discussion seriously. He would be a fool to turn down Chicago thinking Atlanta was a done deal if we haven’t even mentioned it to him.
The Braves should have brought Fredi in immediately as a consultant or something. That would have let him know they were interested without talking openly about the next season. If TP got upset by that, then he is NOT the type of guy we would want as a manager anyway. I personally think TP is smart enough to know that Fredi is probably on the Braves list, and he is man enough to accept the challenge.
C from Marietta
September 1st, 2010
6:13 pm
People the Braves are 3rd in the NL in scoring. Where are all these batting problems you cry about?
Dirty Jacket
September 1st, 2010
6:17 pm
I am horribly terrified that TP is the next manager of the Braves…and that is scary.
dave
September 1st, 2010
6:25 pm
Neither Torre nor Jim Leyland can win without a payroll. Cox took crap teams like the Braves (78-81, 88-89 (GM), 90-present) and Blue Jays (82-87), and made contenders out of them, and didn’t always have a zillion dollars to work with. Honestly, I have no clue who should replace Bobby, be it Fredi Gonzalez, TP (please, no!), Chipper (if he retires as a player), me (just kidding
) ; whoever it is needs to wean them off living for the long ball, and turn the team into one with strong pitching (pretty much there), and who base hits the crap out of the other guys, rather than swinging for the bleachers at every at-bat.
Trey
September 1st, 2010
6:36 pm
Maybe Sonny could manage. I hear he is great with the players and will pay for their Dairy Queen trips.
5150 P.O.A.D
September 1st, 2010
6:37 pm
F can’t spell Freddie or Fred Gonzlez say the BRAVE’s Jock Strap is too BIG for my lil Talent. I need to go to Chic-a-car-go. Terry CLOTH can’t be a MANAGER if he can’t coach the base paths better and batters better. HAHHA just poking fun. The Braves need a GAME Manager. Find the best guy to manage the talent the Braves already have.
Mike10
September 1st, 2010
6:37 pm
I say go get Ozzie from the white sox just what we need.
Lobosolo
September 1st, 2010
6:40 pm
Ah, the experts of Atlanta weigh in as is their wont to do everyday… There ain’t one of you that knows jack about baseball from your comments… You whine like young’uns over something everyday, even whining the next when what you were whining for in the first place happens… All of this while the Braves are near the top of the league in scoring runs, are percentage points from having the best ERA in the league, and are tied for the 3rd best won-lost record in the MAJOR LEAGUES!!! What a buncha MAROONS!!!!
you heard it here
September 1st, 2010
6:44 pm
Tony LaRussa will manage the Braves next year. To bad we missed out on Buck Showalter
5150 P.O.A.D
September 1st, 2010
6:49 pm
The best thing that this bolg proves is that College Baseball coaches are not ready to move to the MAJORS, but NFL teams think college football coaches can compete in the NFL.