Poll: Should Braves start Lowe in playoffs (if they make it)?
Derek Lowe wasn't awful Wednesday. Would you want to see him in playoffs?
When the Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez went to the bullpen at Florida Wednesday night, play-by-play announcer Chip Caray said, “Pitching change for Atlanta. Derek Lowe did not pitch poorly.”
Interesting choice of words. Then again, it seems this qualifies as news.
After allowing 15 earned runs and 26 hits in 13.1 innings over his last three starts, Lowe didn’t stink against the Marlins. He allowed three runs and six hits in 6.1 innings. It wasn’t Cy Young, but it wasn’t bad Vaudeville, either.
Loading ...So here’s the thing. Last season, I made the mistake of writing off Lowe — for which he never let me forget — and he ended up becoming the Braves’ best pitcher down the stretch and in the postseason. This year, he has been a mess. But minus Tommy Hanson and Jair Jurrjens, the team needs a third starter for the playoffs, assuming they make the playoffs, and, yes, I realize that’s a dangerous assumption. (The Braves lost to the Marlins 4-0, St. Louis defeated the Mets 6-5 and suddenly the wild card lead is down to 1½ games.)
Bit if they make it, here’s the question: Do the Braves start Lowe?
For the sake of this argument, let’s assume Jurrjens will not be available for the wild card round (safe assumption) and Hanson will still be rehabilitating from a shoulder injury (50-50). That leaves Tim Hudson and Brandon Beachy as the logical Nos. 1 and 2 starters.
Your choices for the No. 3 starter: Lowe (9-16, 4.92), Mike Minor (5-2, 4.27), Randall Delgado (1-1, 2.70) or Julio Teheran (1-1, 5.40). The debate is whether you go with the veteran with postseason experience in the hope that he comes through, or one of the young pitchers in the hope that he doesn’t implode.
I’m going to play Switzerland on this subject. At least for another week.
But you may now vote, and fire away . . .
By Jeff Schultz
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519 comments Add your comment
STH
September 22nd, 2011
3:00 pm
Wrens Nephew I change my mind and agree with you, give it to the kid, atleast in the first the rounds :^) if we can make it there. NO MO LOWE!!!
Instant Dawgma
September 22nd, 2011
3:00 pm
Hey B, I wasn’t around for the ‘27 Yankees but I know the history!….hehehehehe
STH
September 22nd, 2011
3:00 pm
sorry meant first three rounds off playoffs :^)
Instant Dawgma
September 22nd, 2011
3:07 pm
I love kids today that say they don’t know anything about what happened before they were born.
“What? You’ve never HEARD of the Beatles?!!, Elvis?!”. You get my point…
Especially in the day and age of the most informative technology EVER….Too informative maybe (big brother). Kids should know just as much or more than we ever did. Oh, that’s right, they think they still do!!!hehehe Get off your playstations, twitter, facebook, cell phones and live and learn!
Jim
September 22nd, 2011
3:09 pm
GET RID OF DEREK LOWE!!!!!!!!!!!
Instant Dawgma
September 22nd, 2011
3:09 pm
Go Braves…..,See ya
a football fanatic
September 22nd, 2011
3:14 pm
No need for this question…….Brave will not be in the playoffs…….Chokers…unreal
Bob Davis
September 22nd, 2011
3:17 pm
Hey, “Jim, ” so how are we to “get rid of him”? Again, no team in their right mind would be willing to take on his $15 million salary next year. My suggestion would be to let one of the kids take over his spot and put Lowe in the bullpen.
STRETCH
September 22nd, 2011
3:19 pm
Rain delay in St. Louis…maybe that will slow em down!
mike murphy
September 22nd, 2011
3:28 pm
lowe has been bad since the dui if we pitch him again wont make playoffs so wont need the vote
nique
September 22nd, 2011
3:29 pm
No way to Lowe!!!!! He’s not capable at this point of pitching well, even in the postseason. His last start was basically a postseason game due to the importance and he wasn’t too good.
For me it’s between Minor and Delgado, and if you look at the stat lines from each of their last handful of starts it’s pretty clear that Delgado has pitched better.
Minor is pretty much guaranteed to pitch 5-6 innings and give up 3-4 ER. Unfortunately, with the Braves hitting these days that means they’re going to lose.
Delgado has a chance to only give up 1-2 ER through 5-6, which means the Braves have a chance to win those games. Delgado is definitely who I’d go with.
Mike Taylor
September 22nd, 2011
3:30 pm
I wouldn’t worry too much about starters for the wild card play-off. The braves will be sitting in their own living rooms watching on T.V. This last month has been pitifull. They don’t seem to want it very much. I believe in giving a manager a chance, but Freddie has at best been average. He can’t seem to motivate his players, and doesn’t have the fire in the belly Bobby had
Tony
September 22nd, 2011
3:38 pm
IF Hanson returns, should go with Hudson, Hanson, Beachy and Minor. Put Lowe in the pen.
Old Dawg Fan
September 22nd, 2011
3:42 pm
First off-I would be suprised if they even make it as the “wild card” team. They remind me of the Braves of old-they are terrible.
Secondly-Derek Lowe is probably the worst picture making over $1million a year in MLB.
He should be sent home much less letting him pitch any more this year!!!
Braves lose, Braves lose, Braves lose!!!
Slaphead
September 22nd, 2011
3:43 pm
I’m voting with the “It’s not going to matter anyway” camp. The Braves aren’t going to the NLDS and even if the Cards completely melt down and the Braves squeak in, it’s going to be a one and done thing. I’d rather not go than be humiliated as the team that shouldn’t have been there in the first place. You can’t slide into the post-season with a .300 wining % in Sept and hope to advance. Breaks my freakin’ heart to say it, but let’s just wait til next year!
Jay Dubu
September 22nd, 2011
3:48 pm
If the Braves make it to the playoffs, Lowe will start a game.
Fredi will need to have a very short leash for him tough. If he starts to struggle, regardless of the inning, take him out pronto.
Too many times this season, not just in Lowe starts, the Braves have found themselves trailing after one inning.
They do not have the offensive prowess to spot teams runs. Especially in the playoffs, when all the opposing pitching will be very good.
ash
September 22nd, 2011
3:50 pm
Sure are a lot of fair weather fans on here. GO BRAVES!
sally
September 22nd, 2011
4:05 pm
I agree with BIG WALLY. Braves can’t hit; try only for home runs; the only dependable hitter is Martin Prado. Prado cannot be expected to carry the whole team. Do the Braves have a hitting coach and if so where has he been? All blame does not belong to pitching.
GaryinBham
September 22nd, 2011
4:14 pm
To answer the question: No real options if they get there. Lowe is experienced. You have to hope for a decent effort. Right now it’s only Huddy, three rookies and Derek. The rookies all have looked great at times and terrible at times–it’s a lot of pressure for them.
I think the schedule favors the Cardinals, but whoever their fan who predicted the Cards in the series is a joke. They’re one and done.
Billy Profitt
September 22nd, 2011
4:15 pm
If they had benched Lowe 2 months ago, we would done have wild card locked.He needs to be playing in a church league
B
September 22nd, 2011
4:16 pm
great STL already up 2-0 and only 2 batters into their 1/2 of the first, looks like it’ll be a 1 game lead going into tomorrow…
the truth...
September 22nd, 2011
4:16 pm
From my viewpoint I think it is a 90% chance that our Braves WILL NOT make the playoffs…
Therefore the point of the question has virtually zero likelihood of taking place.
And if they do make it, I have ZERO confidence that Fredi and Frank would do anything other than start Lowe if without Hanson and JJ…
I would love to be wrong, but I think come next Wednesday we won’t have a team playing baseball in Atlanta until next April…
Robert
September 22nd, 2011
4:19 pm
“that is why so many pitchers walk him when the game is on the line”
Lately, when the game has been on the line, Chipper has either been on the bench sitting out for no apparent reason, home visiting his family on a work day, or, on the rare occasion he has actually been on the field when the game is on the line, losing ground balls in the lights
An absolutely shameful month from a man who supposedly wants to be thought of as a leader on this team
Jack G
September 22nd, 2011
4:46 pm
Speaking of Lowe, I am reminded of the words of Winston Churchill—”Never Have the Braves Paid so Much for so Little”
choo choo coleman
September 22nd, 2011
4:54 pm
Mr. Wren’s decision to sign Lowe? A gamble that padded Derek’s pocket nothing else. Very stupid business decision and dare I say Kawakami is collecting Wren’s charity too.
rayraysbraves
September 22nd, 2011
4:57 pm
Please don’t act as though you are a Braves fan. How can anyone who knows the History of WWII even think of quoting Winston Churchill when talking about a baseball game. Did any of you ever think maybe your “negative” ways is a part of this? It is Baseball – that is what it is. If the Braves needed your advice – then you would be asked. Meanwhile – if your blogging is the only ways people will listen to you – then continue. Please know you don’t do anything but show your ignorance.
Robert
September 22nd, 2011
5:18 pm
I just dont agree with putting this on Derek Lowe
Lowe has done a decent job for the Braves. He is in his late 30’s. He is going to have his slumps.
It’s unfortunate that he is slumping right now – but he isnt the cause of the Braves’ real problems
I can not believe that the team and the fan base are ok with the team’s supposed leader abandoning his post at a moment of crisis for a nonemergent family situation
If this is really ok with his teammates, then that’s the problem with the team. I suspect that they were just saying that it was ok to keep from having to deal with a hissy from the prima donna
It’s crunch time. Do or die. And Roger Dorn TALKS about balls to the wall – but his actions suggest he really doesnt care.
Heck, if he can get paid the same $14 million and not have to play those extra games in October, it’s better for him, right?
Braves20
September 22nd, 2011
5:26 pm
Anybody but Minor, he is shockingly reminiscent of Chuck James. Boy, if Houston was holding out for him to make the Hunter Pence deal did we blow it by not gift wrapping him.
Terry Trippe
September 22nd, 2011
5:31 pm
If the Braves lose the first two games, let Lowe start the third game to assure the Braves can
clean out their lockers the next day and go home. There is no way the Braves can win the postgames with most of their pitching corp hurting. They gave us lots of thrills this year. Next
year will be better when the bats come alive and give the pitchers more support than they did
this year.
TheBravesCollapse
September 22nd, 2011
5:40 pm
I am definately disappointed in the Braves this year. After all the years of post season collapses that we have seen, this one holds the worst sting. We were up 9.5 games a couple of weeks ago – now (and after todays game) we will be at 1. Fredi Gonzalez, the Cox disciple, is the culprit. You don’t see Charlie Manuel playing with the lineup day in and day out. I was never a fan on the way Cox would platoon players in and out, or would allow a pitcher to dictate when they came out of the game. Now we see Fredi Gonzalez trying to emulate that behavior and doing an extremely poor job of it. I have watched pitchers get into jam after jam and Fredi just sits there…waits for them to give up 4 or 5, the lead, etc. until the deficit is too far to over come. Go back and look at why Florida fired him…exact same reasons. Fredi took alot of talent this year and moved it in and out of lineups, then changed lineups around, then put it back, until it didn’t even look like a real team. (Pitcher batting in the 8th position – when was the last time that was done – seriously look it up). This guy shouldn’t be a minor league manager, more or less one of the esteem of the Atlanta Braves.
Robert
September 22nd, 2011
5:49 pm
“1. Fredi Gonzalez, the Cox disciple, is the culprit. You don’t see Charlie Manuel playing with the lineup day in and day out
Fredi G is NOT a Cox clone. If Cox were managing, this team wouldve been out of it at the All-Star break
I dont care what Charlie Manuel is or isnt doing. Personally I have my doubts whether he could even read a lineup card, but he manages the Phillies and they are not my team. I dont care what they do.
I DO care what the Braves do. And I dang well expect the team’s supposed leader to be with the team during their time of crisis.
I cant say my opinion of Chipper has changed, I have ALWAYS said that he is a great hitter who had nothing else going for him, and that opinion was just reenforced by his actions yesterday.
wins-by-a-link
September 22nd, 2011
5:51 pm
It would be hard not to start Lowe, He has shown he can pitch in post season with success, But his last few starts excluding the last have been below par, Delgado would be the alternative to Lowe, But his being a rookie and inexperience in post season would be a negative, At this point I don’t think it matters because the Braves are not going to make post season, The Cards are red hot and may be the best team in MLB at present time, Braves have been in decline since allstar break with poor starting pitching and underpar hitting, Bull Pen has been worn out, FG has big decision on post season roster if they should make it.
the truth...
September 22nd, 2011
5:52 pm
@Robert
Yep you’re right on Chipper… a great hitter but it pretty much stops there.
Robert
September 22nd, 2011
5:55 pm
“http://content.usatoday.com/communities/dailypitch/post/2011/09/former-braves-pitching-coach-leo-mazzone-john-smoltz-cheated/1″
WOW – check this one out – Mazzone says Smoltz put pine tar on baseballs
Robert
September 22nd, 2011
6:00 pm
“a great hitter but it pretty much stops there”
There aint no “pretty much” about it
Chipper Jones IS Roger Dorn. Any respect I had for him went out the window with that stunt he pulled yesterday
Someone is dying – yeah, you leave. Youve clinched a playoff spot, you leave
And I dont blame the Braves for okaying him leaving two weeks ago – they figured it wouldnt matter
But if Chipper had any desire as a player he shouldve stayed with the team. Yes thats tough to tell your family. Yes, a seven year old might have been unhappy.
But a $14million a year job sometimes means having to make some tough decisions – having to play when it hurts, or when it’s not convenient
I can tell you this – if I were a player on that team, I wouldnt want him on the field with me after that stunt.
You wanna be with family? Fine, go be with them. Just kindly dont make your team and teammates think you have made a committment to them. And it would be nice if you wouldnt take $14million either but thats between him and the front office.
His teammates need him there. He is a big league hitter. He is a supposed leader. For him not to be there sends the message that it doesnt really matter
And y’all are surprised that the team is flailing at crunch time?
What Jones did yesterday is just un conscionable
rayraysbraves
September 22nd, 2011
6:03 pm
I think the team and its fan base looks for the leader to “abandon” his post at a moment of crisis because family comes first.
I believe the team has to ignore the “fan base” that is not really the fan it pretends to be.
the truth...
September 22nd, 2011
7:38 pm
Robert…
You’re wrong on being with his son……………….wrong pal…wrong…
Chipper did what he had to do for his son; I was surprised that the surgery couldn’t have been done today instead of yesterday. Maybe they did schedule it two weeks ago, I don’t know what the deal is with that one…
Chipper is a Hooter’s hang out guy, that one we know for sure…but you know what, half of the Hall of Fame is a bunch of hard drinking, tough fighting rough necks….and
Chipper is today’s Southern Red Neck version…..
UGAJD
September 22nd, 2011
7:39 pm
And yet there is hope in Muddville- the mighty Cardinals, have flamed out !!
Robert
September 22nd, 2011
8:24 pm
“Chipper did what he had to do for his son; I was surprised that the surgery couldn’t have been done today instead of yesterday. Maybe they did schedule it two weeks ago, I don’t know what the deal is with that one…”
I disagree. The kid wasnt dying.
$14million dollars – you gotta be there for your team in the crunch.
Maybe they did schedule it two weks ago – thats ok – back then it seemed it would be no problem. And Im ok with the team letting him go and not retracting that
It is to Chipper to realize that he he is being paid to be there in the crunch and that if this isnt life threatening, he CAN NOT abandon his team at that time
Forget it – let’s win one tomorrow. Got a big gift tonight from the Mets – Maybe they were repaying us for when Boby Cox tried his darndest to get them to the WS in 1999
Robert
September 22nd, 2011
8:26 pm
“I think the team and its fan base looks for the leader to “abandon” his post at a moment of crisis because family comes first”
Family need yes. If the kid were dying , yes. If it were emergent yes.
Family want – no.
He’s being paid $14million a year to put the Braves ahead of his convenience and desire for 8 months of the year
Capt. Lou Albano
September 22nd, 2011
11:50 pm
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! LOWE!!!!!!! For the playoffs.
NickGranite
September 23rd, 2011
8:05 am
Is this a trick question?
THE BIG R
September 23rd, 2011
9:16 am
START DELGADO HE’S TO YOUNG AND INEXPERIENCED TO GET NERVOUS, LOWE JUST DOESN’T HAVE IT, THOUGH BRAVES DON’T SCORE ANY RUNS FOR ANYBODY!
Savannah Seer
September 23rd, 2011
9:25 am
The title of this article may qualify (and hereby wins) the dumbest question of the year, maybe in the history of earth. Derek Lowe should be convicted for stealing money. Count your sheckles DL (apt initials) and just shut UP! You suck !!!!
Savannah Seer
September 23rd, 2011
9:44 am
And another thing…With what the sairlines are charging for BAGGAGE these days on flights, I would leave DLOWE off the roster, just to save some of that money we paid this bag of doughnuts. Otherwise, leave a six pack of beer in the clubhouse and let him have one each inning that he pitches. It couldn’t hurt, I guess.
Jaime
September 23rd, 2011
10:23 am
NO…NADA…NOPE…do not understand the thinking of a MGR. that puts a losing pitcher on the mound when wins are critical. I thought he liked his new job…
Jaime
September 23rd, 2011
10:29 am
and yet another way of bashing Chipper…this time for being excused to be with his son who was having surgery…shame shame. Happy to know he is a DAD first…imagine the criticism if he wasn’t.
playoff loss
September 23rd, 2011
11:11 am
the braves will go out meekly in the first round as usual. They need a new GM and manager, ASAP! Enough of these chokes every year.
Brunetti
September 23rd, 2011
11:46 am
You have to go Lowe game 3; I dont care if Minor, Delgado pitch better, Lowe is a playoff gem and a veteran leader. You have to go experience in the post-season!
mudcat
September 23rd, 2011
12:31 pm
My biggest nightmare? Knowing Lowe is coming back again next year. Damn!