Fredi Gonzalez is Braves’ perfect choice to replace Cox
Fredi: The Braves have a jersey that will fit a little better than that one.
From the moment he inexplicably was fired as the Florida Marlins’ manager — and maybe even before — Fredi Gonzalez looked like the obvious choice to replace the Braves’ Bobby Cox.
Apparently, it was so obvious that Cox’s desk chair won’t have a chance to get cold.
Our David O’Brien is reporting that Gonzalez, the former Braves coach, will be introduced as the Braves’ new manager on Thursday — one day after Cox is scheduled to hold his going away news conference at Turner Field and three days after the team was eliminated in the National League Division Series.
If the timing is surprising, the choice isn’t.
Earlier Tuesday, I posted a column saying that the challenge of Cox’s replacement will be recreating the same clubhouse chemistry that Cox helped cultivate this year. Gonzalez will do that.
Braves general manager Frank Wren could not have made a better decision. Gonzalez is liked and respected by players. That was the case as a coach in Atlanta and the manager in Florida, despite being fired by Jeffrey Loria, the Marlins’ clueless owner. Loria is the same classless moron who ordered his team to not honor the retiring Cox in the Braves’ final visit in Florida, making Florida the only organization to do so. (Cox had criticized Loria for Gonzalez’ firing, and the truth apparently doesn’t go over well with him.)
I’ve banged the drum for Gonzalez before:
♦ Here when he benched the petulant Hanley Ramirez.
♦ Here when he was let go by the Marlins.
Gonzalez, who has maintained his home in Marietta, had winning teams in Florida in 2008 and 2009 despite working with the lowest payroll in the majors. He is like Cox in many ways in that he’s honest and up front with players, keeps an open line of communication and expects only hard work and unselfish play in return. He can be unlike Cox in that he will call out a player publicly if he is pushed to, as in the Ramirez case.
He does not play favorites, and that plays well in the clubhouse. Ramirez is Florida’s best player. But Gonzalez pulled him for loafing after a ball, then benched him the next night for throwing a fit and ripping his manager publicly.
Ramirez was quoted as saying:: “He never played in the big leagues,” and added: “It’s his team. He can do whatever he [expletive] wants.” He and Loria deserve each other.
Somehow, Gonzalez took the fall. But Gonzalez will end up with a better job, and the Braves will end up with the perfect replacement for Cox.
♦
EARLIER TODAY:
♦ Challenge of Cox’s replacement will be recreating chemistry
♦
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306 comments Add your comment
damn
October 12th, 2010
10:39 pm
Joe Tess. Dude forget about baseball. Go learn how to spell and type etc… You have bigger fish to fry bro. Dum? Loose? Misteak? Smolts? Look, it’s Dumb. Lose. Mistake. Smoltz. We’ll work on numbers next week!!!
Pauly D
October 12th, 2010
10:40 pm
did you kill anybody today dirty harry?
Jeff Schultz
October 12th, 2010
10:40 pm
Vino — No, but wouldn’t surprise me if Gonzalez retains most of staff.
Matt the Brave
October 12th, 2010
10:40 pm
Man, good hire. I would have liked to see some other interviews, but that’s not to say that Frank Wren’s not been doing that during the season and not just broadcasting it.
Joe Tess Fish House
October 12th, 2010
10:41 pm
At least I dont use curse words 4 my name.
Jeff Schultz
October 12th, 2010
10:41 pm
Bobby C — I believe Fredi and TP are friends.
Pauly D
October 12th, 2010
10:41 pm
Steve sense you think you know baseball so well why is this a good hire? seems to suck, to me.
xman
October 12th, 2010
10:42 pm
I just hope that Fredi DOES NOT keep Terry Pendleton as the hitting coach. TP deserves the Braves managers job as much as Fredi…and TP would be a good manager…he’s just not a hitting coach.
Best of luck Fredi, the Braves would not have gone wrong with either you or Terry.
I hope Terry gets a shot at managing really soon.
Bobby C
October 12th, 2010
10:42 pm
Thanks Jeff…….agree too about keeping the coaching staff. Just thinking out loud.
Bob Horner's Ghost
October 12th, 2010
10:42 pm
I can think of .160 reasons why Pendleton should be sent out of town on the first thing smokin’. I’m a big Glenn Hubbard fan too, but after the defensive meltdown in the NLDS, I don’t see how he sticks.
Jeff Schultz
October 12th, 2010
10:43 pm
Reid — Put it this way: I’m sure everybody in organization, from Terry McGuirk on down, was in agreement on Gonzalez. But ultimately I think it’s Wren’s call. If he didn’t want him, it wasn’t going to happen. Cox is retiring. Schuerholz is semi-retired. McGuirk isn’t going to make a baseball decision like that.
Joe Tess Fish House
October 12th, 2010
10:43 pm
hahahaha….He can check the IP adress and see how is the imposer and who is really me.
Andy
October 12th, 2010
10:43 pm
Chris, what does “a new direction” even mean? Do you think that Fredi, who hasn’t been in Atlanta since 2006, will become some sort of Bobby Cox robot? Should we have hired Joe Torre? Or would that not have been a new direction, since he played for the Braves in the 60s.
dexterthedawg
October 12th, 2010
10:44 pm
Ok people this is America the home of the free, it sucks that anyone would call someone stupid because they misspell a word or two! Joe Tess Fish House should feel free to participate without being put down and made to feel awful. Or do only people that think that they are super genius get to post here? Us mere mortals have to take a back seat to the elite class of super intelligent spellers who try and police the internet and call people names. In other words learn to be graceful, not disgraceful. Courtesy goes along way, and we do not have to put other people down to raise our selves up. In other words it totally sucks. Yep It sucks. Yepper, no doubt it really sucks. Sucks to the hilt. Sucks to infinity. It just plain sucks.
Joe Tess Fish House
October 12th, 2010
10:45 pm
Joe Tore would have of been a great hire.
Fire Tee Pee
October 12th, 2010
10:45 pm
Fire him before Heyward becomes another Francoeur…if it’s not too late already.
Demetrius
October 12th, 2010
10:45 pm
I had a misteak once…terrible. The seasoning was all wrong….
lsmidnite
October 12th, 2010
10:45 pm
Joe Tess you seriously struggling, fredi was 3 games under .500 managing one of the worst franchises in baseball in the florida marlins, Joe torre had a loosing record before going to new york. 2nd, why you bringing up chipper jones and hooters when that happened almost ten years ago.
xman
October 12th, 2010
10:46 pm
Joe Torre will be the next gm of the Mets
MB
October 12th, 2010
10:46 pm
EXCELLENT! Glad to see this move! I bet we have many years of great baseball coming to us!
Steve
October 12th, 2010
10:47 pm
“Pauly D” I guess you need spelling lessons also? “Sense” should be since you moron. Good hire for all of the above reasons Jeff mentioned.
Hooters Waitress at Spring Training
October 12th, 2010
10:47 pm
I know why Chipper is coming back.
Tweets that mention Fredi Gonzalez is Braves' perfect choice to replace Cox | Jeff Schultz -- Topsy.com
October 12th, 2010
10:47 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by hayleydrew, Sean Womble, Tim Yonkers, Rachel Baribeau, Jeff Schultz and others. Jeff Schultz said: Meet the #Braves new manager — and the perfect choice: #Fredi Gonzalez. Click: http://tinyurl.com/2fgmtg5 [...]
Bobby C
October 12th, 2010
10:47 pm
Torre as GM? Will retire or coach the Mets IMHO
Jeff Schultz
October 12th, 2010
10:48 pm
I support Joe Tess Fish House’s right to misspell words and have a different opinion. HOWEVER, the person who is impersonating him (and yes, I know who you are) can be banned for tasteless comments. So stop now.
Joe Smoe
October 12th, 2010
10:48 pm
Great hire!
Great Timing!
Fredi had class enough to be promoted as a manager by the Marlins. He was respected by players and coaches alike, and for his accomplishments and actions. He is youth, and understands the game. Just what the Braves need at this point (no disrespect to Cox). Here is to a hopeful fresh start.
Now we just need some payroll over the 84 Million and we will be on our way.
dexterthedawg
October 12th, 2010
10:49 pm
Oh disregard, Joe Tess Fish House is a freaking moron! an ignoramous! I thought that he was just a little slow, He is freaking nuts!
Bobby C
October 12th, 2010
10:49 pm
I’m glad we have a teacher in the crowd Steve
Andy
October 12th, 2010
10:49 pm
Well played, Demetrius.
Blog Moderator
October 12th, 2010
10:49 pm
I don’t exist.
Jeff Schultz
October 12th, 2010
10:50 pm
Bobby C — That’s OK. Obviously there’s a lot of interest in the coaching topic.
damn
October 12th, 2010
10:51 pm
my Name is Joe Tess Fish House. Momma said life is like a box of chocolates….
Bobby C
October 12th, 2010
10:51 pm
Haha……one email address with multiple names. Busted!
Tweets that mention Fredi Gonzalez is Braves' perfect choice to replace Cox | Jeff Schultz -- Topsy.com
October 12th, 2010
10:51 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Leo McCrary, Charley Beans, NelliesBravesUpdates, Tim Yonkers, Sara Goodman and others. Sara Goodman said: RT @JeffSchultzAJC: Fredi Gonzalez is perfect choice for Braves http://bit.ly/9XhyUn [...]
Bobby C
October 12th, 2010
10:53 pm
See ya jimmymack
Jeff Schultz
October 12th, 2010
10:53 pm
Jimmymack — You’re kidding me, right? Don’t try that again.
JRW7
October 12th, 2010
10:53 pm
Great, good choice, FG is just who the BRAVES need. GO FREDI, win us a pennant in 2011!!!!!!!
Bobby C
October 12th, 2010
10:54 pm
thanks Jeff
Steve
October 12th, 2010
10:54 pm
Jeff who do like between the Giants and Phillies? I’m pulling for the Giants after the class they showed last night. Rough night for the Cox family.
Brad
October 12th, 2010
10:54 pm
im pulling for the rangers. they have the 4th lowest payroll. yanks payroll is 4 x larger. unbelievable
http://baseball.about.com/od/newsrumors/a/2010baseballteampayrolls.htm
The Imposer
October 12th, 2010
10:55 pm
Just messing around with an idiot. Don’t be so sensitive.
Younger Than That Now
October 12th, 2010
10:55 pm
No surprise here! I haven’t read all the other comments, but I think this is the best thing that could happen with the Braves, both in the person and the timing of it. Fredi will carry on a great tradition here and still make some subtle moves that will benefit the team… and he’ll do it with a sure and steady hand and handle things correctly. IMO he has been tutored by the best manager as far as temperment and how to treat players is concerned and I don’t there’s any question about his abilities as field general.
Schultzie… thanks for letting the ole cat out of the bag.
Bobby C
October 12th, 2010
10:56 pm
Think about it……Chipper back and Freeman at first next year. Pitching is fine and maybe a couple of new outfielders……looking good for next year
Gumby
October 12th, 2010
10:56 pm
I have to say that I got the best laughs out of both the posts by Joe Tess Fish House and responses. Joe I’m not sure if some of this was menat to be comedy but if not I can direct you to a new career, right up there with Larry the Cable Guy.
JRW7
October 12th, 2010
10:56 pm
Welcome back FREDI GONZALES, now hire CHIPPER as new hitting coach!!!!
BravesFan
October 12th, 2010
10:56 pm
Great choice. Now hopefully he will fire TP and McDowell, bring in a real hitting coach and Mazzone back as pitching coach.
Crast
October 12th, 2010
10:56 pm
I am not even watching the game. I am watching the rescue of the chilean miners. Now that is amazing stuff.
Jeff Schultz
October 12th, 2010
10:57 pm
Steve — Phillies sweep or in 5. Giants great starting pitching but otherwise they didn’t impress me.
TheAntiMe
October 12th, 2010
10:57 pm
Fredi G. is a great hire and the Braves are lucky to have him. Just like Bobby Cox was, Gonzalez is well respected by the knowledgeable people inside of MLB.
Of course, it’s not a shock that the clueless ones who always bashed Bobby Cox after the games but would never give him credit for the moves that he made that worked – and there were many as you don’t win 2,500 games without knowing how to manage – they are wasting no time trashing Gonzalez and I’m sure will continue to trash him every year that he doesn’t win a World Series Title. It has never occurred to them that if it were so easy to win one then you wouldn’t have teams that have gone a century without winning one.
They may have the biggest mouths but, believe me, just as the Cox bashers were, they are in a very cluless minority.
Steve
October 12th, 2010
10:57 pm
When was the last time the home team lost every game in a playoff series? Tampa is about done.