Fredi Gonzalez says Braves’ autopsy over — he’s moving on
It took a while for Fredi Gonzalez to let go of last season's collapse. (Curtis Compton/AJC)
Four months after the last game, the last loss, the 20th loss in 30 games, it still doesn’t make sense. Players get hurt. Players slump. But does one get one’s mind around the worst collapse in franchise history and one of the worst ever in sports?
“You go over it in your mind a million times. You ask yourself, ‘Is there something I could have done better?’” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “After a while, it drives you crazy. This is really the first time I’ve talked about this, although I’m sure I’ll be asked 200 times at spring training. But we tried things. We had meetings. We had meetings for everything. We had meetings to decide about meetings. After a while it’s like, ‘How many times can I perform an autopsy?’”
Four months after the last game, the last loss, the spiral that crushed a team and its fan base, Gonzalez is going to struggle to convince anybody that he’s really over it. But he knows the calendar gives him no choice. The Braves open their annual prespring pitching camp Monday at Turner Field. They head to Florida in a few weeks. Before the first full-squad workout, players can expect to hear a positive message from Gonzalez — not about how they let a playoff berth slip away, but rather how they dealt with the aftermath.
For at least one month after the season, Gonzalez tried to avoid all media references to the Braves’ late-season drain-circling. But he was curious what was being said by his players, so he asked one of the team’s public-relations people to sort through articles. He was looking for player quotes that conveyed some sort of fractured clubhouse. There weren’t any.
“One thing I’m proud of is that nobody on this team did any finger-pointing,” he said. “There were no quotes about it being this guy’s fault, that guy’s fault. We all took ownership of what happened. That tells you a lot about these guys. You don’t see that in sports all the time. Look at what happened to the Jets. Oh my goodness — they lost two or three games, they didn’t make the playoffs and then they went after each other.”
When Bobby Cox passed the baton (or ball) to his former coach, Gonzalez seemed like the obvious choice. (AP photo)
OK. So the Braves can lose and still hold hands and sing Kumbaya. That’s not a bad thing.
But Gonzalez also knows the reality of 2011: What happened is unacceptable.
Good teams – and most would consider the Braves just that – can’t lose consecutive series to East Division clown acts like the Nationals, Mets and Marlins in a playoff race. Good teams don’t blow 8½-game wild-card leads in 23 days.
Players were injured. Players slumped. But Gonzalez, being the manager, was assigned blame. It was his first season after taking over for Bobby Cox. He was handed a playoff team, a potential World Series team. The Braves failed, so he failed.
“Our goal is to win a championship, and we didn’t do that,” he said.
It’s that simple.
What would he do differently than a year ago? He’s not sure. But something. Because if the Braves go into a similar funk in 2012, he said he will try anything. “Maybe I tell them to come to the park late or we skip batting practice,” he said. “I can’t really say right now.”
The Cox-to-Gonzalez transition was expected to be a smooth one. Gonzalez had coached here. He knew many of the players. There was a new vibe in spring training. Players were doing more running, working more on fundamentals. But it seemed the Braves never fully hit their stride, whether it was Dan Uggla flopping out of the gate, or Jason Heyward’s sophomore slump, or Martin Prado getting shelved by a staph infection. Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson were dented by injuries, and by the final month of the season the rest of the pitching staff – starters and bullpen – was toast. Something always was off.
After the season, Gonzalez went kind of numb. He didn’t watch a playoff game until Game 6 of the World Series, and he turned that off after five innings.
“It was one of the worst games I’ve ever seen, so I went to sleep. I TiVo’d the rest.”
The next morning, he learned that St. Louis rallied to win in 11 innings over Texas and the Cardinals. The Cardinals, who reached the postseason largely because of the Braves’ fizzle, went on to win the Series.
Gonzalez went to Sea Island for a few days with his wife. He spoke to friends, in and out of baseball. He had several conversations with his long-time buddy, Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, as well as Bill Parcells and others.
Van Gundy and Parcells didn’t provide any wonderful insight, unless you count this: “They all said if you’re at this long enough, things like this will happen to you.”
Gonzalez knows this: It can’t happen again, but he’s fine with that pressure. He says he’s looking forward to the first day of spring, the first game of the 2012 season, because that’s the easiest way to move on.
“After something like last year happens, the first thing you want to do is get back on the saddle,” he said.
He said he’s happy that management “didn’t blow up the team,” adding, “We have a good ballclub, but I’m not going to blow smoke either. We have some guys who need to do better than they did last year.”
A gentle jab. That can’t hurt. Something has to change for the ending to change, even if you can’t quite figure out what went wrong last time.
By Jeff Schultz
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224 comments Add your comment
Let's Be Honest
January 29th, 2012
7:24 am
““One thing I’m proud of is that nobody on this team did any finger-pointing,” he said.”
That’s great and all, but I don’t recall anyone stepping up to accept blame either. Everyone just packed their bags and ran away.
collegeballfan
January 29th, 2012
7:58 am
“We all took ownership of what happened.”
That is an important idea. Also, the fact that the team returns intact with a couple of big money exceptions. There is no knight in shining armor riding in to the rescue.
Starting with the pitcher camp the team has ownership of the season.
Phillisux
January 29th, 2012
9:12 am
The Braves had a good season last year, but (no doubt) should have made the playoffs. That said, they had plenty of company as far as collapses go: The Red Sox; The Phils (with Oswalt gone, I guess the “greatest” rotation in baseball history will be short-lived); The Yankees; The Rangers; The then-defending World Champion Giants; etc. About the only team that over-performed was The Cardinals. Pretty soon we will see the start of the 2012 season, so 2011 is gone. GO BRAVES!
Danny Boyle offers glimpse of Olympic opener | Belfast Downtown
January 29th, 2012
9:26 am
[...] Fredi Gonzalez says Braves’ autopsy over — he’s moving on [...]
SMOLTZ 29
January 29th, 2012
9:26 am
If the season started today, we are looking at an 84-87 win club if everything breaks right.The Braves never picked up the right handed LF bat, and shouldn’t have stood pat this offseason. Inactivity= no improvement! WAKE UP WREN
MJ
January 29th, 2012
9:35 am
geez, I love the start of baseball season with all the great critics. Good stuff, funny stuff, at least no one can say we dont have a passionate fan base. Here’s hoping the Braves have a great year – they will have to do it on their own – its for darn sure the owners won’t step up and spend money. Everyone just acknowledges that the Phillies will win the division and we’ll hopefully get a shot at the wild card – we really were spoiled by Maddux, Smoltz, and Glavine. They brought us home every year just like the Phillies staff is doing, and we never gave them the recognition they deserved. I know I can be accused of being blindly loyal, but I still like see #10 in the line-up. Last year down the stretch he was our most effective hitter, which was clear. I think he’ll finish with a great year and really go out on a high note. Our pitching should be ok, and our team speed ok as long as we keep Bourn on the team. It would be great to seem him stick around, but our faceless owners, who have no connection to this city, will not sign him and we’ll end up trading him by July. Prado will be back tonormal – BMac will be back to normal which will be a great benefit. Keys for the offense will be what Uggla and Heyward get done. Uggla right now looks like Dave Kingman of 20 – 30 years ago. Might lead the league in HR’s, but struggles to hit his weight, and leads the league in K’s. If Heyward cannot get over his sophmore jinx, then he needs to be traded. Frenchy’s numbers were not as bad as Heywards when the fan base turned on him and the Braves rolled over and traded him. Lots of question marks for this team- I cannot wait to watch how this plays out.
Ted M
January 29th, 2012
10:46 am
yep, the Braves traded Frenchy and got NOTHING for him. Now he’s a good player for the Royals. Francoeur is and always has been a 10 time better fielding RF the Heyward…that’s probably an understatement.
I’m pulling for Heyward…hope he turns it around.
katherine
January 29th, 2012
10:53 am
It’s the start of a new season….lets see how it goes before we start criticizing. I’m sure the braves organization knows what it’s doing…that is their job. The rest of your negative opinions are like a holes….everyone has one…..Go Braves
Ralph
January 29th, 2012
10:54 am
from Gonzalez — ” not about how they let a playoff berth slip away, but rather how they dealt with the aftermath”.
It would appear to me that they haven’t dealt with anything and have decided to just do as good as they can with what they have and prepare for next year and the future, NOT A BAD IDEA.
rayk
January 29th, 2012
10:59 am
noone has explained why Lowe was started every 5th day when it was clear he didn’t have it.
they haven’t done anything to improve the team while Fla. and Wash have improved. so, we won’t have to worry about missing the playoffs by 1 game this year-it won’t even be close.
expecting everyone to play at injury free 100% capacity is a pipe dream and that is what they are basing their hopes on.
talk is cheap-and so is Libetry Media.
wins-by-a-link
January 29th, 2012
11:08 am
If the Braves are to reach the play-offs they must score runs and take the pressure off the starters and the BP, Braves lack of offense hurt the pitchers, Especially during the last third of season when they were pretty much worn out.
phil
January 29th, 2012
11:17 am
I’m not moving on until FG is fired.
I’m not attending another game until FG is fired.
This guy needs a sports psychologist if this is how he handles the epic collapse.
Do nothing? Just sit there? Whine? Pout? Hope for better?
Wayward is a bust, as will finally be evident this coming year. Maybe we’ll then dump the bum and move on. More Uggla? Can’t wait to hear the excuses for him come mid-May!
Prado? Utility guy at best. Don’t hold your breath on his resurgence.
The only good news is no more Gonzo flailing wildly at every pitch.
Phillisux
January 29th, 2012
11:19 am
rayk January 29th, 2012 10:59 am
noone has explained why Lowe was started every 5th day when it was clear he didn’t have it.
rayk: I think are several reasons Lowe was allowed to pitch: 1) he went 5-0 in 2010 and arguably was the number one reason we made the playoffs that year; he has been a proven winner in big games; with Hanson and Jurrjens out, Lowe was our best alternative (yes, some of the young pitchers stepped up, but Lowe is a veteran with playoff experience). I hept waiting for Lowe to deliver, but he was downright awful last year.
rafael
January 29th, 2012
11:21 am
“Slashing concession prices” to boost attendance????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Give me a BREAK…. anyone who took an Economics 101 course in college KNOWS you INCREASE attendance by putting a BETTER/WINNING product on the field, NOT by “slashing concession prices!!!!!!!!!”
Liberty CHEAPIA won’t spend a “dime” on our Braves; yet, they think by lowering the prices on Turner Dogs will have the fans flocking into the stadium.
Simple ABC’s… teams that WIN draw fans, not LOSING teams whose ownership expects you to pay your hard-earned dollars to watch Matt Diaz starting in the OF (Liberty CHEAPIA loves those “AFFORDABLE” ballplayers.
The ONLY way to get that lousy low-life LIBERTY CHEAPIA to SELL the Braves to “SOMEONE” who wants to WIN is to NOT (I repeat NOT) ATTEND Braves games.
Hopefully they’ll get the message that lowering the price of a hot dog is not the key to HUGE attendance.
Ralph
January 29th, 2012
12:46 pm
Gartrell may be our only hope for another outfielder.
BravesfaninWis
January 29th, 2012
1:17 pm
Point blank, it doesn’t matter what Fredi Gonzalez thinks about the collapse, its what the fans think about it. Fredi Gonzalez doesn’t buy tickets to the games, he doesn’t buy all the merchandise, he doesn’t pay for parking on game days, and he doesn’t buy food and beverages at the games. Its us fans that make it possible for these players and coaches to get paid the way they do to play a kids game.
So when a team has that kind of collapse and doesn’t do a damn thing to fix anything, then this fan takes the other road and doesn’t spend a single cent on any of the things I mentioned above. Sure I love the Braves, always have, always will, but I refuse to spend money on a team who refuse to spend money to improve that said team. The Braves have done NOTHING to improve this club, NOTHING!!! So why should us common folks spend our hard earned money just so these players that fell on their faces, and these coaches that dropped the ball can make millions for the rest of their contracts?
I can’t speak for the rest of you, and I won’t even attempt to. For me though, this is about the most un-interested I have been this close to the start of the season since I was a little kid and cared more about playing baseball then watching it. For me, its because the Braves have done nothing to improve their team. I don’t get their games here in Wisconsin, but I have ordered the MLB Extra Innings package every year since it has been offered. I won’t be wasting my money on it this year, and the only time I will watch a Braves game this year is if its on free tv. I hate to be that way, but I down right refuse to support a team that has to be cheap year after year and just prays like hell they will compete. I am not a fan that sits idly by and just hopes every year, I expect that the team that I support and spend money on will compete or at least counter the other teams in your division. The Braves haven’t done any of that, so in my opinion, they don’t deserve to have support this year.
WHOGIVESASHYT...
January 29th, 2012
1:38 pm
Fredi has the same team and will get the same results. He is an below average to average manager, who doesnt understand situational baseball. Good Luck Braves fans. You are really gonna need it.
FG....really?
January 29th, 2012
2:33 pm
Freddi has to got to be the biggest boob in the NL. Booby did less with more, and now we have this guy. Guess “ya gotta tip your hat” to Liberty Media.
Coach (2011 Fredi G. FAILED)
January 29th, 2012
3:00 pm
What happened in 2011 wasn’t due to the failure of talent, physical ability or baseball acumen.
It was mental, as in total lack of toughness between the ears. They folded because of their lack of confidence in themselves. Great managers inspire such confidence. Bobby Cox was one of those managers. Fredi Gonzalez isn’t Bobby Cox.
That said, Fredi and his troops have been through their worst nightmare. Live and learn as not to repeat such horrific endings. 2012 will be different. How so depends directly on the mental toughness of the same said baseball team.
Go Braves!
Bernie
January 29th, 2012
3:12 pm
The Braves haven’t done anything to improve the team as far as offense so don’t expect a whole lot this year. For about 3 years offense has been the problem because the team can’t hit and move runners over that have gotten on base. I like Chipper and thank him for his contribution to the Braves for all these years but he needs to move on and ride off into the sunset. GO BRAVES!!!!!
Sonny Clusters
January 29th, 2012
3:36 pm
How did they lower prices on concessions? Two words . . . Deer Dogs. Hot dogs made from deer meat.
Falcaints
January 29th, 2012
3:58 pm
Yawn, let me know when they collapse.
Dan Uggla
January 29th, 2012
4:03 pm
BravesfaninWisc has it right. We Braves really are screwed up this year. Probably going to lose 90-100 games. And the fans can get cheaper hot dogs at WalMart.
Boy, with the low attendance we are gonna have at the games, I sure hope my paychecks keep coming.
As for me, I’d rather be with my porn star girlfriend.
Phil57
January 29th, 2012
4:09 pm
My dad, a successful businessman, always told me “You can move forward or fall back but you can never stand still. If you stand still you will eventually fall back.” My fear is that “standing still” describes the Liberty Media Braves. Not good.
bulldogbubba
January 29th, 2012
4:13 pm
Sonny will you and Stinky go to Spring Training just in case they need some direction.Maybe take the statue to relieve 3rd base?
Liberty Media
January 29th, 2012
4:15 pm
You guys can rest assured that the company has taken every step possible to maximize its bottom line and the bonuses for the executives.
bulldogbubba
January 29th, 2012
4:19 pm
Does anybody know if Chipper is sueing the NFL for concussion like symptons.It says some players are affected by light and maybe that is why he lost the ball in the lights last year.
Sonny Clusters
January 29th, 2012
4:36 pm
Uh, Chipper Jones is going to clean up selling the Braves deer meat for the new, cheaper, hot dogs. We was wondering if he is going to have some deer jerky in the dugout for his teammates? We was also wondering if Dan Uggla is going to have to deal with a lot of itching this season? It is never good to go to the plate itchy.
it is what it is
January 29th, 2012
4:51 pm
Enter your comments here
it is what it is
January 29th, 2012
4:56 pm
joke ajc column
bulldogbubba
January 29th, 2012
4:56 pm
How about antler caps?
it is what it is
January 29th, 2012
4:57 pm
chipper stay away from hooters
prado quit missing mommy she is here now
moylan get a sex change since u rather be a woman anyway
Dan Uggla
January 29th, 2012
4:59 pm
sonny
maybe u like to tell that to me personally?didnt think so jerk
F.Wren
January 29th, 2012
5:01 pm
Get your season ticket folks!!!
Enjoy the reduced prices
Told you i make move
We are al set,we got jack wilson
I love my job.
Thanks for the support and my nice raise Liberty Media
it is what it is
January 29th, 2012
5:04 pm
Jeff
Cant wait when we play milwaukee and heyward grounds into a dplay started by gonzales and conrad
Later on conad hits home run,and gonzales has 4 hits ,wins a game
You know its coming look what franceur has done along with bettermit
hey sec east champ
January 29th, 2012
5:12 pm
Clusters is funny, Missed ya bud. Do not post much,,,& always w a new handle..like they used to say about Clapton,,U R god.joke guys.deer dogs Just dang.
Mike Mangan
January 29th, 2012
5:25 pm
I just wish we could have gone back to the trade deadline and re examine the Bourn deal.We will lose him after this year for sure and we could have had Hunter Pence(A right handed hitter Hello)Pence would have been under team control for at least three more years and all we would have given to Houston was one of the three young stud pitchers.
With a minor league system on pitching overlad we could have done just that.Pence and Heyward on the corner positions and Scheafer still in the middle who all and all was a better five tool player than Bourn.
Did anyone notice how many times Bourn wiffed while wearing a Braves uniform?What I am saying is hind sight is 20/20 yet our minor league teams are loaded with pitchers,young catchers and solid infielders.We could have had Pence and the Phillies now have him under control for at least three more years.Anybody want to trade an abundance of talented minor league outfielders for one of our A double AA or Triple A pitchers?Well the good news is we have Robert Fish!!!
ab initio
January 29th, 2012
5:41 pm
All I know is that what we saw outta Fredi could only be compared by a Russ Nixon managed ball club.
And Frank Wren is the worst.
katherine
January 29th, 2012
6:16 pm
geez…maybe the people that says atlanta has the worst fans are right…..you all suck as fans!!! Fredi had one season so far…if he does bad this year im sure he’ll be gone. Can’t you so called fans just enjoy it…have some fun maybe? Every team except one will not win the world series…so does that mean the fans of all the other teams that don’t win should b^^ch and moan and act like spoiled brats all season long…or just go to the games with their families and have fun. I have fun at the games no matter what…life is what you make it. If you don’t want to go to the games, or watch them, great…don’t. Your negativity is annoying and takes all the fun out of it for everyone else.
Frank McCourt
January 29th, 2012
7:48 pm
Hey, are you all tired of corporate ownership? Do you all want me to buy the Braves? Did you see the turnaround I made with the Dodgers after buying them from those faceless corporate clowns at Fox?
Obee
January 29th, 2012
9:21 pm
All right, we’re back in full-whine mode!
phil
January 29th, 2012
9:38 pm
Fire FG!!
TheAntiMe
January 29th, 2012
10:06 pm
Fredi Gonzalez says Braves’ autopsy over — he’s moving on
If Fredi is performing autopsies then perhaps he can persuade Quincy to make some guest star appearances as the Braves manager and figure out the mystery of why this Bravo offense can’t seem to score enough. That sounds only fair to me.
Michael Bryan
January 30th, 2012
7:19 am
The posers that post on these blogs suffer from some kind of malady that makes them think they all could run a baseball team… It is mind-boggling to me that any of you can enjoy anything… You guys cry just like Sarah Palin… what a bunch…
Call it like it is
January 30th, 2012
10:33 am
Tip my hat to the diehard braves fan. Not sure how you do it year after year with these guys. Everyone talks about Bobby, well I for one don’t think he was that great. All the talent he had over the years and one single ring to show for it. Yeah he had something like 3000 division wins, so what. The Braves have the greatest ability to take talent and either trade it away or make sure it under performs. This year will be no different, they will choke as usual, and the fans will be saying wait till next year. Only way to make a change is with your money. Stop paying to see these bums then change will occur.
Taxi Smith
January 30th, 2012
10:44 am
So the plan is just to forget it? It don’t work that way in real life, fellers. Fellow screws up that bad, he often is shown the door.
JoeFan
January 30th, 2012
10:53 am
Is Fredi really moving on? Where is he going and who is the new manager for the Braves? Just kidding, that is way to much to hope for.
Common
January 30th, 2012
11:00 am
Will happen again this year….Well, nevermind we won’t even be in the conversation for it to happen.
PMC
January 30th, 2012
11:18 am
Haven’t we made it to the future by now dippin dots? Liquid Nitrogen isn’t THAT expensive. SHould be cheaper by now anyway.
Quake her oats
January 30th, 2012
11:20 am
Oh well, the Braves are going to be mediocre forever