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
Frankie Knuckles
September 2nd, 2010
11:34 am
Smoltz for manager in 2011.
John Brown
September 2nd, 2010
11:50 am
I’m all for letting Torre succeed Bobby Cox for the second time as ATL manager (1982). We’ve got a core here that could make a serious run at a title for a good 5 years. I think Torre has at least 3 left. Wouldn’t mind Mazzone back. I’m even open to Roger McDowell as manager if that means rehiring Mazzone.
Don
September 2nd, 2010
11:54 am
Lobosolo, glad you explained things to us.
I had been too stupid too understand:
(1) How great a job of managing by Cox it was to keep Infante on the bench during the first 1/4 of the season while he played both McLouth and Melky in the outfield at the same time every day with both of them producing almost nothing at that time and the Braves losing game after game – even going through a nine game losing streak.
Somehow, I had mistakely thought that this was the same “Infante” who was named to the All Star Team and who may win the battign title.
(2) How great a job of managing it was for Bobby Cox to keep Chipper in the 3rd spot in the batting order all season – even though for most of the season he was hitting well below .250 (in the .220s and .230s part of the time) and very low RBI production for a third place hitter.
I didn’t realize that even though he was going to be in the lineup – that he had to be in the 3rd spot in the batting order. I guess that this is a baseball rule that I was not aware of.
(3) How great a job of managing it has been for Cox to continue to use both Chavez and Farnsworth in relief roles key spots and blow games with them (when everyone else seems to know that they are not dependable)
(4) How great a job of managing it was to keep Hinske on the bench during the first 1/4 of the season and lose game after game while he used both McLouth and Melky every day with neither of them producing significantly – as described in #1
(5) How great a job of managing it was – when Heyward came up at the beginning of the year and on his own was being very patient and selective and the plate and hitting great – then Cox said that he should be more aggressive (just the opposite from what Managers try to get youg players to do) – then Heyward stopped being selective and patient and started overswinging and trying to pull lot more – and his hitting tanked. He is just now recovering from the Cox advice and starting back to hitting good. I assume that we just don’t want a young player to be too good too quickly.
(5) How great a job of managing it has been for these things to have cost the loss of what – 5 to 10 games or more — when he could have done a lot of other things that would lost a lot more games
(6) Oh, I forgot, we have not even touched on questionable in game strategey moves and a lack thereof.
But you are correct – this is one of Cox’s better seasons as a manager – compared to things he has done in other years.
Thanks again for setting us straight.
And, of course, you are right – how a team does in the post season is just luck – is a crap shoot – has nothing to do with the ability of the manager – yeah right.
And as far as winning a WS title in Post Season opportunities, Cox’s teams have FAILED only 93.7% of the time — and it would and should have been 100% FAILURE, had it not been for Glavine’s 1 hit shutout of the best team in the American League with the Braves scoring only one run on a home run.
big mack attack
September 2nd, 2010
11:54 am
just get someone that is positive. young players need to b talked up.
Reid in EAV
September 2nd, 2010
11:54 am
It’ll never happen, but I just love the idea of Joe Torre. Chuck Tanner was the manager when I first started following the Bravos as a little kid, but it was Torre the next year, and you know what happened then. Then Ted fired him because he “couldn’t work with young players.” Yeah, right.
John Brown
September 2nd, 2010
11:58 am
And the CUBS? Lol. Hire Sandberg. Yea, he’s a winner. Seriously, the guy lost in the first round twice; that’s all he ever did with the Cubs. Sandberg is one of the most overrrrrrrrrrrrrrrated players ever. And he’s a total D-Bag. I live in Chicago now and with all the drama I’ve seen around the Cubs, I just have trouble respecting a guy who was cuckolded(allegedly) by half his teammates. That guy is supposedly Ryno. Could be total falsehood, but that’s been a prevalent rumor in Chicago for years.
John Brown
September 2nd, 2010
11:59 am
And hey Don – You a glass half empty guy much? Thanks for the dissertation though.
ML Scout(retired)
September 2nd, 2010
12:09 pm
I think Roger McDowell is the next manager for the Braves.
Fan in MS
September 2nd, 2010
12:14 pm
Screw Mazzone for Pitching Coach. That job should belong to Glavine or Smoltz if they’d be interested, and I think they both would.
2010-Go Braves
September 2nd, 2010
12:21 pm
This is a stupid discussion, and I’m stupid for reading and contributing. Who knows what’s going to happen in 2011. Win the East, NL Pennant and World Series this year. Those are the things we should hope for right now. I don’t care if Jerry Glanville manages in 2011 if we are WS defending champs.
2010-Go Braves
September 2nd, 2010
12:26 pm
The next manager for the Braves will be Russ Nixon, and the next pitching coach will be John Rocker. What happens at the end of the season will have a lot to do with who does what. We are still in a playoff race.
2010-Go Braves
September 2nd, 2010
12:30 pm
Almost forgot, the new owner will be Rush Limbaugh.
Lobosolo
September 2nd, 2010
12:37 pm
You just prove my point, Donnie… The season is a long one, taking much tinkering by every manager and making adjustments along the way… did I miss something? Are we not right where we need to be at this point of the season… Do you look at everything and formulate your opinions based on hindsight? If this, then that? Daggum, Man, if my aunt had a dick she’d be my uncle. 20-20 idiocy…
If there are managers with multiple wins in the series, they’ve been lucky to manage teams with consistently good players… Joe Torre would not have won all of his rings with today’s Pittsburgh Pirates, nor would Tony LaRussa, Connie Mack, Casey Stengel, etc., etc. Accept my challenge and go do your research… You will be hard pressed to find many with a better record than Cox…
Managers make mistakes sometimes, too, like anyone else… Sometimes a move that would be hailed as genius if it worked just doesn’t pan out… There is a lot of luck involved… An error here, a bad pitch there… whatever… Baseball IS a game of percentages… Cox usually plays them and succeeds…
Your diatribe is full of what if this, what if that, blah, blah, blah conjecture… ask anybody who knows more about baseball than you do… (shouldn’t be hard)… They’ll all tell you how good of a manager Cox is…
My main point is this – You’re either a fan of the Braves or not… If you’re a fan, you cheer them on regardless… Tell me, if you had a son playing ball and he wasn’t doing so well, what would you say to him? My guess is something along the lines of “YOU STINK!” The Braves, or any other team in any sport, for that matter, don’t need crummy fans. It’s like you are trying to live vicariously through a sports team, for Chrissakes, instead of having a team to root for. You just don’t get it, do you?
Go get ‘em, Bravos!!! Most of is are pulling for you all the way… If you don’t make it, we’ll still pull for you next time!!!
Mike McDonald
September 2nd, 2010
1:04 pm
Bobby’s understudies, i.e. his coaches, have under-performed as MLB managers thus far: Grady Little, Jimmie Williams, Ned Yost and Fredi Gonzalez. I shudder to think about Pendleton, McDowell, Snitzer et al. On the other hand, savvy, successful and still youthful Braves’ all-star players such as Shmoltz, Glavine and Chipper could make for a lot of interest and enthusiasm if they were picked individually and/or in tandem. In tandem, they might end up as major owners when the legal holding period for Liberty Media expires in the near future. Could be a continuation of the move started by the Texas Rangers with Nolan Ryan’s deep involvement. The Cubs could follow suit with Sandberg and Maddox.
Phil
September 2nd, 2010
1:45 pm
“You will be hard pressed to find many with a better record than Cox…”
Cito Gaston has 2 World Series win, Bobby Cox has 1.
Oh wait, are you just talking about the regular season? Yea, sorry, that’s what counts, the regular season. Winning the WS doesn’t mean anything.
I got one for you: Name any manager with a WORST post season record than Bobby Cox. You can’t because there is none!!!!!!!!!
oasisbraves
September 2nd, 2010
2:03 pm
EDDIE PEREZ PLEASE!!
grandpa peckinpah
September 2nd, 2010
2:47 pm
RE: Braves could lose Fredi Gonzalez to cubs if they dont hurry…GOOD!
Bill Rea
September 2nd, 2010
3:19 pm
Freddie should be way down the list. The Braves just need a Brave…..Joe Torre, John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, or Chipper.
Martinez is only average. BUT, my Gawd, the Braves have bigger problems NOW. Brian McCann is having HUGE eye problems and no one even notices or does anything about it. Am I the only one that sees how obvious it is?
iop brave
September 2nd, 2010
3:48 pm
what about hubbard – is he not a possibility?
Anon21
September 2nd, 2010
4:40 pm
I hope they do “lose” him to the Cubs. He has nothing to recommend him.
Michael Owen
September 2nd, 2010
5:51 pm
We need Bobby Valentine.
Jborodawg
September 2nd, 2010
6:14 pm
To all you Bobby and TP detractors: you don’t know much about BB, obviously. EG, Bobby’s body of work and the Braves are like 2nd or 3rd in the NL in team BA, with TP as batting coach.
As for hiring Gonzalez, he did pretty darn good with the Marlins…overall; considering an always miserly payroll and not much fan support. But, I trust Schuerholz and Wren will come up with a good hire, after the season.
Steve Lynn
September 2nd, 2010
10:42 pm
Glenn Hubbard should be the next manager! Hands down.
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cubsfan
September 3rd, 2010
2:31 pm
Hello everyone. GET REAL! Freddie Gonzales is a nice guy, and definately a baseball man, but CAN”T WE DO BETTER? How about a really good manager like Joe Torre or Jim Leyland. Perhaps these winners are available. Check it out. I say get a proven winner and motivator, since the Braves have the team, and good utility players. We just haven’t had a good manager in Bobby Cox for years. What an opportunity the Braves have to finally select a great manager for the team. It is not Freddie’s time just yet. Braves front office; don’t blow this! How can you do better than the team we have now, and a true winning manager that motivates the team always. Front office, be selective, and the Braves will be winners for years to come. Go Braves!
whogee
September 15th, 2010
4:58 am
the braves are getting to be nothing but bargain basement cripples these cheap ripoff owners are looking
whogee
September 15th, 2010
5:03 am
for. what fan is stupid enough not to know that bobby cox is nothing without ted turner
whogee
September 15th, 2010
5:16 am
so you don’t like my comment’s
whogee
September 15th, 2010
5:22 am
ted turner phil
whogee
September 15th, 2010
5:30 am
bobby cox must have failed his history classes and taken up hunches instead