Braves collapse, and the shine just came off Fredi Gonzalez
Fredi Gonzalez watched as the Braves blew an 8½-game wild-card lead in 23 days. (Curtis Compton/AJC)
Fredi Gonzalez was quietly handed the Braves’ managerial job before Bobby Cox ever stepped out the door in a wink-wink, nudge-nudge deal, and nobody really had a problem with it.
He had the resume and the personality. Everybody liked and respected him. He knew the players, the organization and the city. The Braves weren’t making over the manager’s office as much as they were changing a light bulb.
Something went wrong.
This is not a “Fire Fredi Gonzalez” column. But we’ve just witnessed one of the worst collapses in sports history, and the Braves can’t just assume that a few roster tweaks are going to fix the problem. When a team goes 10-20 down the stretch — including 0-9 against their two biggest competitors (Philadelphia and St. Louis) — and loses three consecutive series to the division’s flotsam (Mets, Marlins, Nationals), this isn’t about just injuries or a few guys going into a slump.
The vibe was missing this season. That’s on Gonzalez. The team fell apart when it needed to come together, blowing an 8½-game lead in 23 days. That’s on Gonzalez. The Braves seemed tight and meek and borderline frightened, as if waiting, hoping, white-knuckle-praying for a playoff spot to just fall into their lap. They didn’t just take it, and didn’t play like they felt they deserved it.
That’s certainly on Gonzalez. The shine just came off the perfect replacement.
I understand this isn’t football. Managers make in-game decisions, but they aren’t calling plays. They change the lineup and the batting order. Gonzalez did that. He pulled Chipper Jones out of the No. 3 spot. He benched Jason Heyward.
Ultimately, the question is whether a manager is making a team better, making it believe. The Braves clearly weren’t, therefore Gonzalez clearly didn’t.
Even with injuries, this was twice the team that reached the postseason last year and lost three one-run games to the eventual World Series champions in San Francisco.
Gonzalez doesn’t need to go. But he needs to change. Or maybe someone. Gonzalez said Thursday that all of his coaches are coming back. But for all the screams from the cheap seats about former hitting coach Terry Pendleton, his replacement, Larry Parrish, didn’t bring anything to the table.
Maybe Gonzalez just needs to change himself. Maybe he came in and, consciously or subconsciously, didn’t want to disrupt things too much in the first season after Bobby Cox retired. It was such a feel-good season last year, that would be understandable. But if that was the strategy, it backfired.
When asked about the collapse following Wednesday’s final loss, Chipper Jones said, “It’s cruel, because probably nobody in Atlanta sports is probably under as much scrutiny as he is filling in for Bobby Cox. To have it slip away in late September, it’s cruel. It’s really cruel. It’s not indicative of the way this team played, the way he managed, and what we deserved in this situation.”
Not sure about the “deserved” part of that quote. The Braves just played 162 games. That’s enough time.
They blew it. They blew it like no team in Atlanta sports history. That blew it like few teams in all of sports history. The only people who aren’t saying today that they blew it live in Boston — because they have their own problems.
What just happened is mind-numbing. But even before the collapse, the Braves seemed to have chemistry issues. They never quite came together like most anticipated. This was a team that figured to challenge Philadelphia in the National League East and possibly for a World Series.
There aren’t a lot of tangible things we can pin on Gonzalez. He certainly stuck with Derek Lowe too long, and the decision to start him Tuesday over rookie Julio Teheran blew up in the manager’s face. He made the bold decision to go with Jose Constanza over the struggling Heyward in right field for several starts, which seemed to ignite the lineup. But then he switched back to Heyward, who is the better player, but still seemed to be a mess.
But it never should have come down to that decision, or to a few starts by Lowe. When a team goes 10-20 to close the season and gets swept at home in the last three games, the issues are bigger than that.
Implosions like this are on the manager. He didn’t make the team better. The Braves underachieved. And Gonzalez just lost the benefit of the doubt.
By Jeff Schultz
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845 comments Add your comment
alexcox
September 29th, 2011
6:36 pm
el culpable fue WREN trayendo material malo y karo|(KK LINEBRANIC MARTINES\PROTOCOR ect,|) los filis son ejemplo d una organisacion trabajadora q tiene las piesa corectas para ganar ejemplo ruben amaro jr apenas 2o3 temporadas como gerente lee holiday pence oswalt ect vs WREN 9a10 temporadas protocor linebranic kk helms wilson martines sherill garet anderson ect.la pregunta q nos duele como \fans seguiremos con este ciclo perdedor , me gustaria si los due`os dlos bravos pudieran contestar
Braves
September 29th, 2011
6:42 pm
go root for the falcons losers
jerry
September 29th, 2011
6:58 pm
You guys can put down your ‘fire fredi’ signs cause he’s not going to be fired after just ONE season.
I’d say Fredi will get 3yrs at the very least, probably 4 or more, to fail before he gets the axe. His staff got the nod for another season (which is not really a surprise to hear) so next season’s outcome will impact some of those guys. But Fredi is safe for awhile. So you may as well just get ready for the long ride thru dismal seasons.
Nick
September 29th, 2011
7:03 pm
Fire all the Coaches including Freddie! No excuses to lose a 10 game lead!
where my money
September 29th, 2011
9:27 pm
i bought 2 playoff tickets from some dude outside the stadium before the game–how do i get a refund? where do I go? I want my money.
NO MORE PARRISH
September 29th, 2011
9:38 pm
Parrish is coming back in 2012? Fredi just got dug his own grave. So fired after next season. Good luck with that rednecks. Wow! Turner Field won’t see my face at any games.
Only the Braves…..
mace224
September 29th, 2011
10:32 pm
The Phillies and Yankees sell out only because they have good teams. If they tank, so do the crowds. Only the Cubs have a loyal fan base, whether they’re good or bad. And they’re usually bad. And to the Yankees, there’s no such thing as a rebuilding year.
We can beat those Cheese Steaks!
September 29th, 2011
11:14 pm
Fredie=Jim Moron, CLUELESS…………
We can beat those Cheese Steaks!
September 29th, 2011
11:16 pm
That whole chump coaching staff will be back..Expect similar results! INSANITY…..
Larry30
September 29th, 2011
11:28 pm
If I spent my company’s money the way Wren did, I would be lucky to have another chance to be in charge of the organization. He spent over half of this year’s payroll on 5 players: Lowe, Jones, McCann, McLouth, and Kawakami. If he can’t do any better than that going forward, this franchise is going to look like the Orioles. Isn’t that where he came from?
VolunteerRoy
September 30th, 2011
12:21 am
I just think that all year long the Braves hitters had a poor approach at the plate. Seemed to always take first pitch get-ahead fastballs and flail away at breaking stuff behind in the count. Did not really see anyone other than Uggla get better as the season wore on and even he had one of his worst seasons, other than home runs, as far as batting average. The numbers don’t lie. 14th out of 16 teams, might be time for a change in either hitting coach or philosophy. Thought the pitching staff did OK in spite of all the injuries. Maybe think Lowe could have used some time off to recharge. Remember, he was pretty good last September. Do wonder why Kimbrel threw all the breaking balls when he has a 98 mph fastball.
NO MORE PARRISH
September 30th, 2011
12:25 am
Yahoo nailed it and pointed out what some AJC reporters know but won’t say anything.
ATLANTA (AP)—A franchise known for its postseason flops switched to fast-forward this time.
The Atlanta Braves went ahead and blew it before the playoffs.
Atlanta had a 10 1/2 -game lead on St. Louis in late August. The margin was still 8 1/2 games the first week of September. But the pitching faded, and the offense that had been a problem all year was finally exposed.
NOTICE HOW THEY POINT OUT THE OFFENSE? AND PARRISH IS COMING BACK. GOOD LORD! FREDI DIDN’T EVEN TAKE SOME TIME TO THINK THINGS OVER.
Mister Frisky
September 30th, 2011
1:04 am
Well put Schultzy.You nailed it in that article.A few tweaks here and there won’t cut it.To save face with the few enthusiastic Brave fans in ATL.Some major moves must take place.I think due to the size and scope of this historic tank that everyone that is still under contract should be on the table.
kevin
September 30th, 2011
1:32 am
Dozer
Said it perfectly. Acceptance rules here. They will tell us it was a great season and give us a repeat next year. Like the out of town writer said everyone here will forget in 5 minutes.
chuck
September 30th, 2011
7:11 am
Fredi IS an idiot. He is NOT a leader. He has no brain for management. He just led Atlanta to their greatest collapse in history. He didn’t do his job. He made stupid, baseless decisions. He is a perfect example of the Peter Principle…he reached his level of incompetence as a third base coach. He may be a nice guy, but he is a total loser in the dugout. He has no clue, as to what to do. Idiot and loser as a manager.
Will he learn from any of this. I doubt it. He gave a good indication of not getting it, when he immediately brought his whole staff back. Idiot.
Someday Fredi the Idiot will leave the Braves organization. THAT will be a wonderful and blessed day. It can’t happen soon enough. Worse part is, Fredi has no clue what happened in September. He can’t fix what he doesn’t understand, and obviously, he understands very little. He is an incompetent clown. Rue the day he was brought in as manager of anything.
Mike is Back
September 30th, 2011
7:51 am
All right Schutlzy, I have to admit you call it RIGHT…on this…jeeeze.
U made the right call about the Braves not needing to make the post season…I guess the Baseball Gods were listening to you.lol
TD has no clue!
September 30th, 2011
9:07 am
Wait til next year.
Gatorhater
September 30th, 2011
9:33 am
Chipper, what was deserved is exactly what you received-to sit and watch the playoffs!
Anyone who sat as much as you did, over the course of the season, (and career), should really be the last one to speak about his team deserving anything. People who paid to see you play often deserved more than they received, if you played at all.
fire freddy
September 30th, 2011
9:35 am
Hire Francona!
Brave-less
September 30th, 2011
9:38 am
“There is some sentiment within the organization that Atlanta might be better off dealing Jason Heyward,”
lol, and yet some AJC writers didn’t want to compare the Heyward and Francoeur situations and yet here we are … again (although to be fair these same writers were talking about the playoffs all cocky and confident before anything was even locked up)
Tal
September 30th, 2011
9:57 am
Jeff: I’ve been a Braves Fan since I was 14: I am now 56. I can not agree with you more regarding our coaching; every player who plays the game, wants to win the game. Mismanagement of players and situational decisions before and during a game, impact the outcome of a game. It just so happens, that I live in Missouri and do follow the Cardinals. The Cardinal culture is 180 from the culture of our Braves. Is it our Braves’ culture, our expectations, or our coaching? Have we come to a fork in the road with our expectations of our coaches? What is that Yogi Berra saying? When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” Go Braves 2012!.
ashevile dawg
September 30th, 2011
10:14 am
there is a reason the Marlins fired Gonzalez. Maybe we just witnessed it.
ashevile dawg
September 30th, 2011
10:15 am
Enter your comments here
your daddy
September 30th, 2011
10:30 am
better trade heyward now before the rest of mlb figures out what a bust he is… another brad kominsk, jeff franceour
Shane
September 30th, 2011
10:37 am
Is Heyward really the better player?
Pit Bull
September 30th, 2011
10:44 am
ITS BASEBALL WHO CARES………..YAWN,,,ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzz.. go dawgs !!!
JChikara
September 30th, 2011
10:53 am
Whether the Braves like it or not, the time has come to put an end to the over-reliance on Chipper Jones. Trade Jurrjens and obtain someone who can hit at 3rd base.
Gonzalez made some questionable decisions, but the fact is that I applaud him for making moves that were needed, like benching Heyward, who really needs to see a shrink this offseason.
The Braves will fall behind the Nationals and Marlins in the next few years if they’re still relying on Chipper’s old legs to carry them.
sparky
September 30th, 2011
11:10 am
I am sort of glad the Braves didnt make the playoffs. Simply because they didnt deserve too go! This is all on Fredi… Oh-good article Jeff!
Coach (2011 Fredi G. FAILED)
September 30th, 2011
11:26 am
Yea, Fredi Failed and here is how……..
Day one, Fredi went with two rookies in Brandon Hicks and Matt Young, then proceeded to let them rot on the bench before sending both back to the minors.
He went with Derek Lowe as the Braves opening day starter, nothing could have stung more for Tim Hudson. The ensuing season proved Fredi wrong in his assessment of his pitching staff.
Fredi’s decision to bat Prado at the top of the Braves order was a disaster right from the word go. Prado did hit .283 with an OBP of .323 but he also stole one base, scored an anemic 28 runs in 47 games, and got caught four times before Fredi finally wised up while realizing foot speed was more important.
The bullpen. Fredi burned’em and I’m talking toast. The man simply overworked Kimbrel, Venters and O’Flaherty. They were all gassed at the end…all three.
But what has got me steaming mad, ticked off and ready to throw Fredi under the bus is one single game. The one where Fredi showed such poor judgement that he arguably blew their whole season.
I’m talking about 19 inning affair on July 26th. I watched the whole damn thing. I saw McCann come up lame in the third inning with the sore oblique again. I watched Fredi keep Mac in the game into the tenth inning when McCann really did severely injure his oblique in extra innings. Mac went on the DL and never recovered his swing afterward. All because our manager didn’t have the common sense to bring Ross into the game knowing his catcher was already hurting.
As for Fredi’s decision to keep marching Derek Lowe out to the mound game after game…..the results speak for themselves. Only suicide could have been more effective at tanking the entire season.
Finally, yanking Chipper out of the three hole was robbing Peter to pay Paul. The switch went nowhere fast and really irked Chipper in the process. In the end Fredi showed impatience, indecision, poor judgement and really disappointed this fan beyond words.
William
September 30th, 2011
11:34 am
Yep.. and today Freddie comes out with all the coaching staff will be back .. tomorrow will be “Derek Lowe will be our number 1 starter”
how long are we going to put up with this?
tdmorgan
September 30th, 2011
1:15 pm
After a collapse, some of you are trying to look through rose-colored glasses and see Constanza as if he would have saved the whole entire lineup. Get over it and look at the stats after he messed up his ankle in the Cubs game. Your so called golden boy batted .129 (4 for 31) since August 25. For the season he saw less than 3.5 pitches/plate appearance, less than Alex Gonzalez and any other Brave with 100 plate appearances. His OBP since August 25 was .129 and a .129 slugging percentage. Heyward was at least competent and hit .258 in September with a ,375 OBP and .364 slugging percentage, certainly not great…but some semblance of a turnaround.
Looking Forward to Freddies (both of them)
September 30th, 2011
1:53 pm
As I said in response to the announcement on DOB’s blog that all coaches will come back: I will not purchase tickets, buy merchandise, or attend a single game until the management and/or coaching staff owes up to and accepts responsibility for this. I don’t think they get it: this was the worst choke in NL history and it was due primarily to mismanagement on nearly every aspect of the game except the farm system and midseason trades. I go to many games a year and have been a fan my entire life, but until someone is held accountable for this (looking at you Parrish and Fredi) I will not attend another game. I love going to the Ted but I refuse to financially support such ineptitude, irresponsibility, and unaccountability.
I need a new Braves hat but will not purchase one until the organization shows me that I can wear the team colors with pride. Right now I have no pride in this organization….and the fault lies not as much at the feet of players as it does with management.
Robert
September 30th, 2011
1:59 pm
I find it perversely bothersome that when for twenty years the manager was THE problem on this team and the franchise, the media and the fans pointed fingers anywhere and everywhere but at the manager while now that when the manager was the least of the team’s concerns, the media and the fans are all calling for the manager’s head on a stick
NO MORE PARRISH
September 30th, 2011
2:03 pm
So the Red Sox fire Francona but lazy old man Parrish keeps his job here? WE ARE LOSERS!!! I won’t be going to Turner Field again until I see this team is serious about winning.
Robert
September 30th, 2011
2:03 pm
“The vibe was missing this season.”
Yeah, it was.
The vibe that began every year the day that Cox showed up at spring training that said “we’re screwed”
Robert
September 30th, 2011
2:07 pm
“The team fell apart when it needed to come together, blowing an 8½-game lead in 23 days. That’s on Gonzalez”
Really?
For years now, you Atlanta fans and media people have been telling me that the manager doesnt hit or field or run the bases so when games are lost it’s not his fault
Now, suddenly,when Donk isnt managing any more, that all changes and now it’s the manager’s fault
If you were trying to be sarcastic – you failed.
If you were being serious, you’re “and idiot”
Robert
September 30th, 2011
2:09 pm
“It’s cruel, because probably nobody in Atlanta sports is probably under as much scrutiny as he is filling in for Bobby Cox”
Actually, it was the easiest follow up act in history. Think about it. Following in Bobby Cox’s footsteps. As long as I dont pick my nose on national tv and dont pee myself I have done better than my predecessor
Looking Forward to Freddies (both of them)
September 30th, 2011
2:21 pm
Robert:
While I wasn’t the biggest Bobby Cox fan either, he was infinitely better than Gonzalez. At least Boby Cox fought for his players and knew how to motivate them. Cox also usually did a decent job of filling out the lineup card. Fredi clearly showed that he could do none of those things. At no point did Cox blow and 8 1/2 game lead in the final month. In fact, Cox’s teams made the playoffs every SINGLE year from 1991-2006 despite the fact that in those latter years we did not have the players to legitimately compete. Fredi Gonzalez inherited a team with one of the best rotations in baseball and a lineup comprised of Allstars at nearly every position, including at least 1 future HOFer, and he still blew an 8 1/2 game lead in the final month going 0-9 against our direct competitors.
While Cox was not the greatest in game manager (which is what I often faulted him for) he was WAY better then Fredi at that very thing.
Cox at least handled somethings decently, Fredi literally failed in every aspect of the game which was in his control.
Braves NJ
September 30th, 2011
5:17 pm
10 and 20 has more mistakes than can be counted.
No team makes the playoffs when two of their top three starters bite the dust at the All-Star break. JJ and Hansen where injured shortly after the break. Pitched poorly and then when on DL. This also contributed to wearing out the bull pen and causing them to crash the last month.
The hitting was atrocious almost all year.
We were lucky to have the big lead and where playing above our talent through mid August.
Lowe may not be salvageable and no one will take him. See how the spring goes and send him to AAA if no improvement. AA A, maybe embarass him into quitting. Plenty of young arms to step in. Chipper should retire for the good of the club and free up the money. Bring back Ross and let him see more playing time and let McCann rest more. Hope JJ and Hansen can come back as good as they were in first half.
Go Braves. We are not the far from being a championship caliber team.
Braves NJ
September 30th, 2011
5:29 pm
J Hey will be back but I doubt he will be as good as Francouer
Defensively there is on comparison.
Hopefully J Heys bat and head will come back. He shows glimmers of being a good hitter.
klmbbfan
September 30th, 2011
5:36 pm
Gonzalez couldn’t make it in Florida what the thinks he could make it here. He is and has been one of the worst decision making coaches in the league. If he had any balls he would have sent Lowe to the house in August -just like San Francisco did with Zitto last year and look what they did. Chipper just looks old out there and should hand up the cleats and Heyward is so overated, please look at my blog I wrote 160 games ago about the lazy right fielder. Gonzalez must go too
Chillahill
September 30th, 2011
6:33 pm
And yet this should be a fire fredi column now shouldn’t it!
Chillahill
September 30th, 2011
6:37 pm
41 games attended – dinner at every game for 4 – not another dime until our SS is reyes or rollins or matt young. Prado rose to his imcompetence jhey refused to adjust as did Fredi g Maccann refused to sit so we found out an80% mcclard azz may not really be better than a100% ross. This lineup starts 2012 ill wait it out cause this is hwy robbery!
It won't be easy for Braves to turn fans back into believers | Jeff Schultz
October 2nd, 2011
11:29 am
[...] – Braves collapse, and the shine just came off of Fredi Gonzalez [...]
HosBeforeBros
October 5th, 2011
1:16 pm
Fredi Gonzalez used to use my friend’s house to cheat on his wife.