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
•
Follow me on Twitter @JeffSchultzAJC; friend me at Facebook.com/JeffSchultzAJC
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
845 comments Add your comment
Abnerish
September 29th, 2011
10:19 am
Constanza would be in the Hall of Fame if not for Fredi Gonzalez! And pitching a rookie who didn’t look ready in his early season call-ups over a playoff-tested veteran makes all the sense in the world. Whatever. The team choked, plain and simple. Up and down the lineup and from the front of the bullpen to the back of the rotation, everyone during the month of September did something to cause this collapse to happen. Even the manager to some extent. This is a total team meltdown and no words or lineup changes would have stopped it. But, not to contradict myself, perhaps there was something to old #6 after all.
Oatmeal Raisin Bran
September 29th, 2011
10:20 am
Gotta Tip Your Hat to Jeff Schultz…..* Rolls Eyes* I really hate that stupid saying he uses.
DetroitBraves
September 29th, 2011
10:20 am
@chuckw/deadjournalist – deviations from the pythagorean projections have been shown to be due somewhat to a strong bullpen, which the Braves had, but mostly just randomness. The key is that the pythagorean is based on the run differential equation, which is realized. If Gonzalez didn’t optimize his lineups, and didn’t deploy his bullpen effectively then the projected record would simply be based on a subpar differential. That the real record deviates little to none, one way or another, is just a matter of regression. A slight positive deviation does not absolve Gonzalez anymore than a negative one would condemn him.
twoote
September 29th, 2011
10:22 am
His decision to start Derrick Lowe on Tuesday nite in a must win game, is dumbfounding.
Lowe has been awful the second half. It was apparent to everyone he didnt have the stuff
to win a game. There is not logical reason why he gave him that start.
Kathleen
September 29th, 2011
10:22 am
STUPID on AJC’s part to lead their so-called ’sports’ page with an opinion piece?? Put this frivolous nonsense where it belongs: in the opinion/commentary section.
Nobody hit this season. Was it Fredi at the plate swinging the bat? STFU.
Change the brain
September 29th, 2011
10:22 am
a few years ago Chipper was hitting about 360, but he actually said he felt bad because all he was hitting was singles. Maybe that is the problem, they really don’t understand how the game should be played.
bvillebaron
September 29th, 2011
10:22 am
Karl Hungus:
Now why did you go and ruin the days of all of those people who think that Jose Constanza is the second coming of Rickey Henderson with FACTS?
Eric
September 29th, 2011
10:22 am
Agree with Dozer. The Braves haven’t won a playoff series since the 90s. The Phils and Marlins have won the WS and even the Mets have got to the Series since then. It seems like everyone is living off the success? of the 90s. One WS in how many playoff appearances. Just be good until college football starts that’s all Atlanta cares about.
GeorgiaBorn
September 29th, 2011
10:22 am
Funny how nobody in the press today has mentioned that once again Heyward didn’t hustle in right field. Happened last year in the playoffs, costing us a game. Last night in the 12th, Utley gets a hit into right field. Heyward isn’t on his horse hustling to the ball and Schneider, who was on 1B, almost stops between 1st and 2nd but trots his way into 3B because Heyward took his time getting to the ball. The next Phillies weak ass broken bat infield single scores the eventual winning run from 3rd. If Heyward is hustling on Utley’s hit, Schneider stays on 2B and absolutely does not score on that infield broken bat single. The game probably turns out the same because the Braves could not get hits off the Phillies AA and AAA pitchers but it doesn’t end in the 13th inning. How much is Heyward paid not to hustle in a do or die game?
Larry
September 29th, 2011
10:23 am
“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.”
Most concise and apropos comment of the year!
It really is that simple, folks!
Jeffro Bodeen
September 29th, 2011
10:23 am
The Braves will lose more money from this collapse and missed post season, than they would have lost by simply letting Derek Lowe go at the trade deadline. Good money straight up a wild hogs a**!!!
mjn99
September 29th, 2011
10:23 am
Thank you, finally someone called this team out instead of making excuses for them.
What's that?
September 29th, 2011
10:23 am
Look at their BATTING averages. Good team expected to challenge Philly? And just how are they going to do that with NO .300 HITTERS? The team can’t HIT, period, end of story. When a couple of their pitchers went down with injury, that’s was the end of this NO HIT DISASTER.
gcs
September 29th, 2011
10:24 am
Once again, the fans were right. We said:
1. No more Lowe
2. Keep starting Constanza
3. Stop overusing Venters and Kimbrel
I cannot give Wren credit for getting Bourn because this is a move that came 2.5 years too late. The Braves have needed OF for years and he keeps getting losers like McLouth, Ankiel, Melky…
Glad The Season is Over
September 29th, 2011
10:24 am
Now for a bit of rest – not having to hear how Fredi screwed up or how LOUSY Heyward is playing or Chipper pontificating about leadership – RETIRE CHIPPER – Glad it is overwith and I hope someone takes a knife to this hapless Braves Roster and gets rid of some SLACKERS!!!!! Lowe first, Heyward second, Fredi and Parrish next in the order of boot out the door!
Dan Lowe
September 29th, 2011
10:24 am
How do you pitch to Pence?!?!?!!…Pitch to an all star or to utility reserve player when the game is on the line…..Previous inning…Bourne gets on base and he doesn’t attempt to get in scoring position against the backup catcher?!?!?!…..
mam
September 29th, 2011
10:25 am
Jeff, you are to kind to this team. I spent way too much money going to games this year. If there are not drastic changes, I will not be back next year. Same ol same ol is not working for me.
twoote
September 29th, 2011
10:25 am
I don’t think, however, its Gonzalez’ fault. He deserves to remain the Manager. Much of this collapse lies on the backs of the Braves players, especially the veterans (like Jones, Lowe, Hudson, McCann), and the General Manager.
Since 66
September 29th, 2011
10:25 am
The Braves have never asserted themselves as a consistant team that is always in the hunt. The early days give you a look at what we have today. Luman Harris takes a team to the playoffs in ‘69 and gets swept by a Mets team that got lucky. Bobby Cox came in got fired when he couldn’t break the same lack of enthusiasum from the previous years of just fielding a team of players behind Hank Aaron to break a record. After he was gone they just lived off Aaron’s legacy with sub-par talent. Torre came in and showed them how to win but that died a quick death and he was fired. After a fool hardy hiring of the Braves AAA manger went south Chuck Tanner came in. He got us some pitching talent through the draft but he got canned. Cox came in as GM but his manager Norm Nixon was a bust. Then Cox comes back to the dugout with John Shuerholtz taking the GM. But it still doesn’t get them the rings and I use the plural term. Who knows what it’s going to take. I guess it’s one of those things that comes from that special manger that knows how to shake this franchise up.
derek
September 29th, 2011
10:25 am
It’s really all on Schultz for not writing more inspiring and confidence building columns. If he had, the Braves would have won it all. Thanks a lot Jeff for killing the braves and the bulldogs. There is talk that Phil Neikro is interested in managing the Braves along with Buzz Capra ad pitching coach and Ralph Garr as hitting coach. We will see.
mam
September 29th, 2011
10:26 am
Hudson? You cant be serious!
Isam
September 29th, 2011
10:27 am
Jeff, you have articulated this so well. I completely I agree with you.
Leadership that makes a difference was missing especially from the manager
but also from the senior players. On a related note, I couldn’t help but think
about the ending on 10/5/91 which was almost 20 years ago (minus a week)
from this one; there we won the division in game 161..
DC
September 29th, 2011
10:27 am
Kathleen go back in the kitchen.
Joseph F. McNulty
September 29th, 2011
10:27 am
Is anyone surprised by the collapse? How important was this game to the Phillies? So important that, during the extra innings, the Phillies used pitchers who were NOT even on the roster and who had spent the entire year in the minors until September call-ups. Did the Braves take advantage of this? Of course not. They continued to swing at pitches that were balls and that were so far off the plate that they could not have been hit with a broom. Why did Fredi not have Michael Bourn running when the rookie pitcher, apparently suffering an attack of nerves, having thrown a ball in the dirt to first, was subject to being rattled. Instead, Bourn was kept at first base while three batters futilely swung at pitches. So much for the distuptive effect of Michael Bourn’s speed. Once Kimbrel — who obviously is not the dominant pitcher he was in July — gave up the lead in the ninth inning, one could count on the Phillies, even without Ryan Howard, who was hit by a pitch and taken out as a precaution, scoring, while the Braves continued their hitting drought. It was like a slow-motion car wreck, and they worst thing is that you had the feeling the you had seen it all before.
Some questions for the Braves. Is Scott Linebrink a bad relief pitcher or just “snake bit”? Somehow, when Linebrink came in (was Fredi’s pitching cupboard really that bare?), you had to think that the end was near. What has happened to Jason Heyward? It almost appears that opposing pitchers have discoverd some hole in his swing. What has happened to Martin Prado, who seemed impossible to get out last year until he got hurt, and has never been the same since then? Is Chipper Jones really held together with bailing wire and duct tape? He is the closest thing the Braves have to a traditional power hitter (at least since the collapse of Brian McCann), but he seems to pull a muscle every time he twitches. Is Brian McCann still having trouble with his eyes? Based on his hitting — or lack thereof — he is.
Finally, is Fredi’s “sang froid” (his Bobby Cox impression) helping — he had a “closed door” locker room meeting to tell the team, after a crucial loss (one of many) that he could not think of a group he would rather be with to face a big game. His attitude may work with a soccer team of 11 year olds, but is this the way you motivate grown professionals?
The Braves collapse is hard to believe, except they did something like this last year (but they still made the playoffs on the last day). Embarassing to all involved, including Fredi Gonzales.
Larry
September 29th, 2011
10:27 am
Kathleen,
This is a gentleman’s forum.
Please bring me a cup of coffee and a danish.
STRETCH
September 29th, 2011
10:28 am
Wow, where do we start?
Man, a lot of things went wrong this season.
But down the stretch, they REALLY went wrong!
Blown saves, injured pitchers, Chipper missing a routine ground ball(lost in the lights, go figure), errors, Uggla jogging around 3rd last night and being out at the plate, Bourn thrown out with replay showing he was safe, Freddi hiding Constanza so Hank Aaron Jr can play RF and stink, the Astros coughing up 5 run lead, Martinez running down Chipper’s drive to the wall…man i can go on and on. But clearly, a team can not overcome all that especially with that lineup everyday.
Brave Hokie
September 29th, 2011
10:28 am
Does it matter who manages this team???
The Braves are losers: I call it the curse of Jim Leyritz ’cause since his HR in ‘96 the Braves have played like losers in @ crunch time…
& the curse goes on.
Bryan
September 29th, 2011
10:29 am
Take down the 2010 Wild Card Pennant. It’s lovely Bobby got to see the fruits of his swan song, but the Wild Card should not be a goal. The Mets don’t even have anything to signify their Wild Card appearances and look how classy they are.
Rusty
September 29th, 2011
10:29 am
Fredi wore out his bullpen, just like Bobby did last year. How many times can you go to the well with O’Flaherty, Venters and Kimbrel? That’s my only criticism of him as a manager. Everything else was on the team. Simply couldn’t hit w/ RISP. Either a HR or nada. Sorry, but this was just another typical Braves el foldo when it counted most. It’s part of their fabric. Just ask Chipper.
steve whitmire
September 29th, 2011
10:29 am
I AGREE WITH YOU about Fredi, good column, but consider this: down the stretch the team lost two starters Hanson and Jurgens. That hurt. Lowe was terrible but makes a huge amount of money and has experience as opposed to starting a rookie. (our rookie pitchers were sensational this year however). Prado and Heyward were dreadful the entire season. McCann had a poor second half. If our starters had stayed healthy, and those three guys had hit halfway decent, we would have made the playoffs. We need to go with Jurgens, Hanson, Hudson and two rookies next year as starters and trade for a decent left fielder and right fielder. That doesn’t take away from the fact that this year was a horrible heartbreaking disaster.
Oldbaldy
September 29th, 2011
10:30 am
Feelings today tied to a classic song……….” I feel like I’m tied to the whippin post “
Tommy Gunn
September 29th, 2011
10:30 am
You gotta tell these guys in crucial situations, get it done or move over! “Connecting” just does not cut it! Give me a Jim Leyland, Larry Bowa type ANY day to a behind patting “atta boy” you gave it your best. This is for money and they get big money to deliver!
Ouch. . .My Oblique!!!
September 29th, 2011
10:30 am
I want to thank the Phillies for ending this slow torture. Injuries or not,this team lacks the mental/emotion toughness needed to succeed. I love baseball, but I can’t help but feel that I have wasted my time watching this team all season. Thank God it’s football season, and I may have to take a break from this squad next year.
Peter
September 29th, 2011
10:30 am
AS a team that can’t hit…….the manager picked the hitting coach.
Secondly Frank Wren has left Atlanta with some awful contracts, and really he has to go….last year he took a good team, and ruined the chemistry, this year we had holes in the outfield…..and the answer was Matt Diaz ?
Any team with Frank Wren at the helm, is going no where fast !
CG
September 29th, 2011
10:30 am
Something must be done in response to this but nothing will be done. The attitude is the holdover from the Cox/Scherholz years in which, after playoff collapses due to poor managerial decisions and poor performance, we were repeatedly lectured by JS, and occassionally Chipper, that we ought to just shut up and be thankful for the year. I recall years ago after one of the playoff losses Chipper made a comment like, it was a good year, we put buts in the seats, etc. A culture of acceptance is a great way to put it. Fredi made some bad bad decisions in September and last night that killed us, and clearly did not demand enough of his players because he is a Cox clone, and that’s just what Cox did. People love to play here because not much is asked of them by the organization, which blames the fans just as soon as they dare to express anger over things like pitching to Hunter Pence with a base open and presiding over one of the worst collapses in MLB history.
STRETCH
September 29th, 2011
10:30 am
Almost forgot, Freddi sticking with D Lowe too many times! Do you think Larussa would have made such a blunder??? NO! Thats why he is one of the best managers in the game today.
Swaga1
September 29th, 2011
10:31 am
@Bibbs….I wonder why that is? (sarcasm). I think you know why.
We can beat those Cheese Steaks!
September 29th, 2011
10:31 am
Fredi= Cox
cannot x and o under pressure!! Expecting different results is insanity!
Fredi blew it big time!!!!! His mistakes added up to a huge meltdown.Worst ever in 145 years!
Congrats to this organization which continues the tradition.. 10.5 lead on 8-25-11
This tops them all as Choke Jones said in post game interview..
Buy Chipper out and send him fishing with his buddy Clueless Cox…
Florida Mike
September 29th, 2011
10:31 am
I grew up with the Braves via TBS so I consider myself family…traditionally family can and should be more critical of its members. Your column has merit…the collapse was definitely a team effort…but as JFK said, success has many fathers but failure only one.
HH
September 29th, 2011
10:31 am
and what we deserved in this situation
sounds like a liberal complaining they don’t have a gov’t job anymore.
Walker
September 29th, 2011
10:32 am
The only thing Freddie needs to do is get some of Bobby’s fire in his belly. How long do you think Bobby would have lasted last night with the sorry calls that were made at 3rd on Borne and the strike 3 call on Mac and the non calls and the obvious squeeze the ump put on our closer. It was sickening watching the umpire minipulate the game and Freddie sitting and doing nothing. The players need to know he has their back and I think it might lite a fire if he showed this passion.
The Herniated Scrotum of Larry Parrish
September 29th, 2011
10:32 am
Let’s fire Larry Parrish. He’s a HORRIBLE hitting coach. He’s worse than Terry Pendleton.
Tommy Gunn
September 29th, 2011
10:32 am
The Phillies may have shot themselves thoough, did they REALLY want the red hot Cards in the playoffs?
Braves Fan in NC
September 29th, 2011
10:32 am
Good, much-needed column, Jeff. I agree. How a team plays ultimately rests with the manager. I am glad it is over, I hated to see the Braves go down the tubes like they did. On to UNC Tar Heels basketball. However, each year pull for the Braves, been a fan for years. Maybe next year will be different.
Pocaroba sausage
September 29th, 2011
10:33 am
It falls on everyone that had an at bat in September. The team fell apart, the manger didn’t do enough to halt it from happening. Sure, Lowe stunk it up but honestly, rookie or accomplished vet, it’s all monday morning quarterbacking. They failed, it rest on the managers resume. The players didn’t perform. I would say they need to go find a very good hitting coach.
DetroitBraves
September 29th, 2011
10:33 am
@bvillebaron, c’mon. Haven’t you heard that the new Moneyball, undervalued resource is twice released, 28-year-old minor league free agents that have repeated every level? Given the apparent star quality of these kind of players I guess I have a newfound appreciation for the Braves recent reluctance for going over slot in the draft. Why pay for amateur talent when you can get Rickey Henderson basically for free?
Abner Doubleplay
September 29th, 2011
10:33 am
Yeah, right. Because Fredi is a “light’s out” closer who blew two saves in September; one in a “must win game”. Because have you seen Fredi’s batting avergae with RISP? It’s like the stock market, Schultz; are you a Warren Buffet (buy and hold, look for dividends; or a speculator and short seller). OF COURSE the buck stops with the manager; and starting Lowe the other night was certainly his call, but even the most sound manager in terms of tactics and strategy is beholden to the execution or inability to execute, of the team. You ham and egg armchair analysts amuse me. Not because what you write is not true, but because regurgitating trite baseball axioms is far less challenging than managing a major league baseball team.
GTFanny
September 29th, 2011
10:33 am
Yeah, the manager is partly to blame, but who in this equation gets paid millions of dollars to perform ON the field? These players perfomred lazily, incompetently, unenthusiastically and were just not mentally focused. That, my friend, lays squarely on the spoiled, overly-compensated players.
birddawg92
September 29th, 2011
10:34 am
It’s more than personality—Gonzalez made bad decisions all year. The final Lowe start was only the last of them. One in particular, from several weeks ago stands out in my mind. I believe it was another among the seemingly endless 1-run games this year, bottom of the 6th at home, Braves down with runners on base WITH LESS THAN TWO OUTS and Gonzalez didn’t hit for Hudson. He later said something about wanting to rest the bullpen (and the Braves did end up winning that one despite themselves as I recall), but the point is, you play to win TODAY. Figure out tomorrow win it gets here. As the Braves just painfully learned, you don’t take that approach, you find yourself headed home.
And situational hitting by this team is atrocious, and has been for at least 3 years. It’s becoming a revolving door but it’s probably time to try something else.
The whole situation unfortunately reminds me of the one up in Athens—you’ve got someone in over his head, any objective observer can see it, but everyone likes the person in question so much they don’t want to pull the trigger on him. All that does is prolong the inevitable—it’s gone on for 6 years in Athens, who knows how long we’re in for with the Braves?
We can beat those Cheese Steaks!
September 29th, 2011
10:34 am
Fire Fredi!
He’s in Over his head…..