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
Gen Neyland
October 13th, 2010
7:28 am
Guess Bobby got a gift from the Marlins afterall…
Kudzu Rules
October 13th, 2010
7:28 am
Big G,
Give Joe Torre or Tony LaRussa the talent Bobby Cox had from 1991-96, Atlanta would have 3 World Championships instead of one.
Troy Glaus
October 13th, 2010
7:34 am
Joe Torre? He is a terrible manager. He jumped ship in LA because the Dodgers wont give him talent. He is the most overrated manager. Anyone can win with the Yankees, look what Joe Garidi did in his first year
LaRussa had Carpenter, Wainwright, Pujols, Hallday and couldnt make the playoffs lol
ATLfan15
October 13th, 2010
7:35 am
I like the idea of having Fredi G. as our new manager. Have to be honest though, it wasn’t much of a surprise to me.
Welcome back Fredi…looking forward to spring training 2011!
Go Braves!!
Bill M.
October 13th, 2010
7:45 am
I’m find with the choice but he has to be his own man. I think they should try a different hitting coach. Please don’t start bring back Mazzone. Mazzone left on his own for more money and you see what happened. McDowell is respected by the pitchers and he is alot younger than Mazzone. I’m sure Fredi would want to bring in some of his coaches.
Daphne
October 13th, 2010
7:46 am
Congratulations Freddy on your new job!!!!!!!!! I remember seeing you play ball at Southridge in 1982 (SMH). Go Spartan!!!!!!!!!! Now I have a reason to purchase Braves tickets.
Tami
October 13th, 2010
7:56 am
Beautiful news! I knew it wasn’t a question of IF the Braves would name Fredi the new manager, but WHEN. Welcome back, Fredi!!
jfreak13713
October 13th, 2010
8:01 am
Gonzalez on paper looks like a great hire and I’m sure glad to have him here in Atlanta. However, its up to Wren to give him something to work with. Either way its a pretty safe pick and hopefully a good one.
Wright
October 13th, 2010
8:01 am
I think this is a good choice. Hopefully Fredi can manage a pitching staff better than Bobby, that was Bobby’s main weakness.
Ricardo
October 13th, 2010
8:04 am
You heard it hear first – Atlanta Spirit will openly try and purchase the Braves from LM in the nxt 6 months. I’m not saying that I want it to happen, only that it will.
Atlanta news | Minute by minute (Oct. 13) | Atlanta News | Minute by minute
October 13th, 2010
8:09 am
[...] 8:05 p.m. The AJC reported last night that Fredi Gonzalez will be named the next Atlanta Braves manager and will be introduced Thursday to the media. Two unmanned sources confirmed the report. Gonzalez, 46, will succeed his former boss and mentor Bobby Cox, who retired after 29 seasons as a major league manager, including 25 with the Braves. Jeff Schultz: Gonzalez is the perfect fit. [...]
papadawg
October 13th, 2010
8:13 am
I hope he’s NOT just like Cox and knows how to win with small ball and doesn’t keep Pendleton
Jack This
October 13th, 2010
8:18 am
hiring a fired manager not the smartest move, they are usually fired for a good reason…Joe Torre already managed the Braves and everyone else, please just go away to the retirement home along with Cox, why does management keep hiring these people?
ATLfan15
October 13th, 2010
8:18 am
@jfreak: starting out, i think Fredi has just as much to work with now (roster-wise) as Loria gave him with the Marlins…which isn’t saying a whole lot. LOL
ATLfan15
October 13th, 2010
8:20 am
let me clarify my comment: same low payroll without a bunch of stars in the lineup. and yet, the Marlins managed to compete.
mark bradley's 70's fro and mustache
October 13th, 2010
8:23 am
McDowell is great. We should not get rid of him. Look what he did with Lowe at the end of the season.
papadawg
October 13th, 2010
8:33 am
Mazzone got to much credit for what he supposedly did in the 90s. I could have coached that group of pitchers. He & Cox both are going to the hall of shame on the backs of Smoltz, Maddox & Glavine
scott
October 13th, 2010
8:47 am
If Fredi doesn’t work out there is Smolts and Glavin waiting in line for the Brave manager job . And i predict one day soon that Chipper will become the Braves new hitting coach .
Blackberry Cobbler
October 13th, 2010
8:47 am
Now, get rid of TP and bring on Smoltz as pitching coach and Chipper as hitting coach.
1911A1
October 13th, 2010
8:59 am
+1 on Chipper as hitting coach. Welcome home, Fredi!
wardenerd
October 13th, 2010
9:00 am
we braves fans look on the Marlins as a bunch of losers but the truth is they have twice as many world series wins as we do. How they went about it makes no difference. facts are facts. The Braves under achieved when they were the best team in baseball and overachieved when they weren’t. Good bye Bobby although you won’t be going very far to the front office. You can’t let a reliever with a 99 mile an hour fastball throw sliders from the front office so we haave a chance to win some big games.
Turtsnap
October 13th, 2010
9:01 am
Gonzalez is liked and respected by all players, minus Hanley….
Gonna Miss Bobby But Like Fredi, That's For Darn Sure
October 13th, 2010
9:05 am
Perfect hire and glad he’s on board! The Organization rocks on!
Kevin
October 13th, 2010
9:07 am
I didn’t realize Florida didn’t honor Cox. What a joke! No wonder those people love wearing Jorts and neon colored clothing.
The Temporary Mascot formerly known as Russ
October 13th, 2010
9:07 am
He’s permanent, right? Not a temp? I wish him well and hope he will conduct an entirely different spring training for these Braves. Let’s get the pitchers where they can run to base without pulling a hammy. Let’s get the fielders going to the right base and hitting the cutoff. Everyone learns to bunt and hit behind a runner. Everyone learns to run the bases. Less golf. Less fishing. Less NASCAR. More baseball. Win early. The early games count the same as the ones in September. Most importantly, no nose picking. None. Even a little dog knows not to pick his nose on television.
Chipper's ACL
October 13th, 2010
9:07 am
With new management comes change. Even though Fredi was tought by Cox, he has his own style. He believes in small ball and the three run homer. He has also gotten the most from his players. Uggla is a good example. The concerns shouldn’t be with the coaching staff but with how Wren is going to build this team for the future. The team is stuck with 2 bad contracts (Nate and KK), the weakest outfield group in MLB again, and defense that mirrors a 5-6 year old team. Do they continue to up Diaz salary? Good person, good against lefties but at 2.5m with a possible raise? Do you trade Infante with his value being at a peak? Let’s all hope this winter will produce solid long term pieces and not band aid issues any longer. No Glaus signings. No Farnsworth trades. Dig in, search long and hard, and build a team. May not all fall in place next year but do it the right way. I’d love to see a deal worked out with TB for Bartlett and Zobrist.Could be possible if the Rays try to keep Crawford.
I think we all see issues with this team and could configure the roster to be competitive in our own way. All we can hope for is Wren lays it all on the table this winter and impacts this teams future in a positive way. I’m not holding my breath, but there’s always hope.
NEW CARS
October 13th, 2010
9:14 am
Jack,
What do Casey Stengel, Leo Durocher, Joe McCarthy, Joe Torre, Tony Larussa, Bobby Cox, Lou Piniella and Fredi Gonzalez all have in common….They were all fired from managing positions..My biggest question is whether TP will be back and whether we will try to become a little more agressive offensively…I would like to see us run a little more, but that will depend on who’s playing LF and CF, as all the other positions are pretty much set.
I guess I’m fine with McDowell coming back as pitching coach, although I do think that we need to work on scouting and game plans with these young pitchers. It seems that too many times, the other teams were sitting on certain pitches, ala Huff against Dunn the other night..I think the key for Hanson, Kimbrell, Dunn, Venters as well as Beachy and Minor is to command the fastball, throwing it for strikes so they can work off it with their secondary pitches. that’s one thing that Leo seemed to pound into the guys and I’m not just talking about the big three. Guys like Remlinger, Burkett, Millwood were never better than when they were working with Leo.
AFSOC 1st Sgt
October 13th, 2010
9:16 am
Only time will tell if Fredi’s a good hire, but at first blush he looks like a good fit. As for Chipper becoming the hitting coach, yeah he’s probably pretty good at it, but why in the world would he want to do it? He wants to stay home with the kids not spend just as many days on the road a a coach as a player would. Oh…and how long before we get the Terrence Moore “Braves Miss Opportunity to be More Inclusive by not Hiring Terry Pendelton as Manager” cloumn?
Delvin
October 13th, 2010
9:18 am
As long as he is legal, I have no problem with the choice.
Dan
October 13th, 2010
9:21 am
Lets top this off with a cherry and go get Carl Crawford!!!!
Reid in EAV
October 13th, 2010
9:21 am
I love this hire, and saw it coming ever since Fredi turned down a shot at the Cubs. In Fredi we’ve got someone who is like Cox in all the best ways: loyal to players, dealing with issues behind closed doors instead of in the media (unless you are a bonehead like Hanley Ramirez, who went to the media first to whine). Plus, I happen to think he’s a slightly better in-game tactician than the great Cox. (Don’t get me wrong, you don’t win 2,500+ games without doing many things right, but I credit that more to Cox’s unerring ways in dealing with people than his knowing the exact right moment to make a pitching change.)
I think he’ll keep a lot of the same coaches — thank goodness — but TP may wish to move on of his own accord, since he didn’t get the job. He definitely should be a manager somewhere and deserves the opportunity. But I think we already have a darn good hitting coach already in the organization in Jamie Dismuke. Keeping Eddie Perez and Roger McDowell around is a must… particularly the latter. (Though I wouldn’t be surprised if Eddie ends up managing somewhere too — maybe in AAA.)
And if Chipper chooses to retire, we’d be idiots not to anoint him a part-time roving instructor and send him out to mold our youngsters.
As someone who saw an often hapless organization flail in the ’80s and remained a Braves fan anyway (hey, we’ll lose fewer than 90 games this year… right???) the way this organization now is going about his business is absolutely refreshing and great to see. I wish Fredi all the best and the opportunity to manage 20+ years, just like his mentor.
Biff Pocoroba
October 13th, 2010
9:22 am
Roger McDowell is probably staying. He and Fredi are neighbors.
jerry
October 13th, 2010
9:26 am
The evidence is clear. Talent wins, not managers. Gonzales had friends in high places and most certainly was not hired based on his record, which really is not as important as talent. If Wren and Liberty Media give him the talent to win, he will, if they don’t, he won’t.
DoninTococca
October 13th, 2010
9:27 am
Gotta say it … Fredi …is a great choice! Players like him and will play for him and he probably will keep most of the other coaches. It will be interesting next year. But, before then I’m just saying …. some heads will roll.
Tucker T
October 13th, 2010
9:29 am
The only thing surprising about this move is that it happened so fast. Great choice. Can’t wait for next season.
@WreckBuZZ
October 13th, 2010
9:32 am
Honestly, if they don’t sign Jayson Werth or Carl Crawford to play LF/CF, then it won’t matter who the manager is.
They need a big bat or a dynamic leadoff hitter to create some offense.
wintervillebrave
October 13th, 2010
9:33 am
Good hire. I think he has a little more fire than Bobby but generally runs things the same. I’ve often felt that edge is what the Braves needed in the postseason. I think if we can get the owners or a new owner that will support getting a complete team on the field then this could be a great thing for the Braves.
wintervillebrave
October 13th, 2010
9:35 am
Stop mentioning the losing record. It’s only becuase he waw working with an impossible situation in South florida. Baseball people know this and saw what Fredi was able to do with that. This guy can flat out coach!
wintervillebrave
October 13th, 2010
9:36 am
They need a big bat but I’m worried that Werth only succeeds because of who is surrouding him in the lineup. He was awful during the injury issues with the PHillies. But, I’d welcome seeing him come on board. As for Crawford, he’s a headcase and the Braves don’t get invovled in that kind of thing.
New to ATL
October 13th, 2010
9:44 am
go out and get Carl Crawford
jerry
October 13th, 2010
9:46 am
Gonzales was 35-36 when he was fired. The next manager went 45-46. If Gonzales made such a difference, there should have been a great drop off after he was fired. Where is it?
Dr. Phil
October 13th, 2010
9:48 am
Fredi is a great choice, but Wren remains an idiot whose stupid trades will hamstring any manager.
Randal Patrick McMurphy
October 13th, 2010
9:50 am
This is more of the same mediocrity we’re all accustomed to – Freddie Gonzalez IS NOT the answer to the manager question. Wanted some with exposure to the Braves organization with some FIRE in his belly… the answer quite well might be Ozzie Guillen… I’m just sayin’…
daBraves
October 13th, 2010
9:51 am
Hope Gonzalez doesn’t load down the Braves with all Latin players. They seem to have a chip on their shoulders. Tesh the Fish House guy is pulling somebody’s chain ding-a-ling! Gonzalez was an obvious choice as he has experience, ties to the Braves, and will make changes that will help the club without pissing everyone off right from the start. I hope Chipper can play 5 more years. He has learned alot this year and I believe it has helped him as a player and a potential coach and future manager. I apologize to the Latinos. I, also, dislike lazy white players, Afro-American’s that complain, and Native Americans who can’t do the chop correctly!
NEW CARS
October 13th, 2010
10:01 am
Jair Juurjens for Delmon Young. Anyone else interested in that deal…Then send McLouth, KK and Dunn to Toronta for Vernon Wells and cash…Resign Hinske and go pickup Wes Helms and a Coco Crisp type as the 4th outfielder and gave Vazquez an incentive laden contract and we are set.
Prado
Young
Heyward
Wells
Chipper
McCann
Freeman
Gonzalez
Infante
Helms
Ross
Crisp
Diory
Hinske
Hudson
Hanson
Lowe
Vazquez
Minor/Beachy
Venters
Kimbrel
Martinez
Moylan
Beachy
O’Flaherty
I like that lineup….If we are more agressive on the bases, Prado, Young, Wells and Heyward can all steal in double digits..We have too many slow guys locked in to turn into the ‘85 Cardinals…I think Young or Rasmus would be fair for Juurjens, as long as he’s proven healthy…Their salaries will be similar and he’s proven over 21/2 years to be a solid top of the rotation guy..I would feel better about having Vazqez in the rotation rather than both Beachy and Minor…A one year deal for him to reestablish he value and tide us over for Medlen, Teheran, Delgado or Beachy to be ready is fine with me..I will be curious to see, if they don’t trade Dunn, if Venters is given a shot at the rotation as some have speculated. His pitches would seem to play as a rotation guy. His stuff would seem to be wasted a little as a setup guy and I think Kimbrel is the man at closer.
We won 90 games with a mismatched lineup that got very little real power production and consistent starting pitching from really only three guys all season (Hudson, Hanson and Medlen) and inconsistent work in the field AND 2-3 black holes in the lineup AND no true SB threat AND injuries at every starting position AND lost 2 of their top 3 hitters and 2 starters basically for the season in August AND had last year’s team MVP go completely in the tank and Bobby still had the team in the playoffs (greatest runon sentence ever). Don, PL and the rest of clowns that have derided him over the years need to chew on that.
I would love to see him have one more year with the lineup constructed above.
My other big hope for the offseason is that Heyward gets healthy and gets those kinks out of his swing so he can go back to being the hitter he was earlier in the season.
MB
October 13th, 2010
10:22 am
AFSOC 1st Sgt:
Terrence Moore hasn’t written for AJC in quite a while. Where have you been?
Lanier Dawg
October 13th, 2010
10:42 am
Great hire and I am glad Freddie is back with the team. As far as the coaching, I am pretty sure everyone will be back. I don’t quite get the Roger McDowell stuff. He has been a great pitching coach for the Braves and really did well working Lowe and Hanson through their troubles this year. Look at what they were at the end of the season and understand that Roger helped these guys get back on track. Both have given him credit for it too. I will hold judgment on Pendleton until he has a chance to work with Gonzalez. Got to remind ourselves about the talent we had this year was average at best.
Oh and Kudzu – Tony LaRussa had much more talent than Bobby Cox has had in three different places. In Chicago he got one measly AL West pennant. In Oakland he had the best team on paper hands down from 1988 thru 1992 and got one Championship out of it. Now in St. Louis, he has had one the best NL teams this decade and has only one World Championship to show for it and even that was a fluke. This year he had the best pitching staff in the league and couldn’t muster 90 wins. Don’t sell Bobby short, because the Braves ran into some bad luck during the 1991-1996 playoff run.
Fred
October 13th, 2010
10:46 am
First GREAT move made Mr. Wren. Now if he can follow this by dumping all the garbage his has brought in then we will have much to look forward to in 2011;
Tennessee Brave
October 13th, 2010
10:46 am
Keep Lee and Gonzalez while Freeman and Hicks are coming up to speed. The pitching staff is fine as is. Spend the $$ and outbid the Yankees for Carl Crawford. We need the speed and power in the lead off spot. Write Kawakami a check and give him a plane ticket to Tokyo. They will win 100 games next year
bronkelliott
October 13th, 2010
10:47 am
Great hire, Hoping for a great season and a fresh start for The Bravos! I like his passion and think he is right for the position. Go Braves and let’s take it to the next level!