Braves crumbling at first sign of adversity, just like 2011
Frank Wren and Fredi Gonzalez may have problems beyond team injuries. (Jason Getz/AJC)
The Braves hope this is just about injuries. They hope it’s just about a ground ball freakishly caroming off Chipper Jones’ calf and the fact none of their starting pitchers suddenly can make it through three innings without getting hit on the head with a mallet.
But when a team seemingly crumbles whenever adversity hits, there’s something wrong.
The Braves have gone from the third-best record in baseball (26-16) to losing eight consecutive games, the past five by a combined score of 36-15. Stay calm, say the eternal optimists. It’s a mere hiccup. Maybe. But if this spiral is being magnified, it’s justified.
The slide comes with the backdrop of last season’s unraveling. General manager Frank Wren brought back the same team that went 10-20 in the final stretch in 2011 because he viewed the drain-circling as an aberration. But here we are again, watching players do dumb things in the field, throw two-strike grapefruits down the middle and grip bats like they’re dangling from a rope bridge over a rocky canyon.
Injuries, erratic pitching and a deteriorating defense are all significant issues. But what happened to remembering how to compete? What happened to intangibles such as chemistry and leadership? The Braves are at the point now where they have to prove those things exist in their clubhouse because there certainly has been no evidence of them.
They want to forget about last year. Sorry. Saying it’s behind them and playing like it’s behind them are two different things.
They had a certain chemistry two years ago when they reached the postseason in Bobby Cox’s final season. They survived losing starting pitchers. They survived injuries to Jones and Martin Prado and the great Troy Glaus Belly Flop of 2010. They found ways to win games. There were many nights they left you thinking, “How did they do that?”
Resilient teams don’t hit a bump and face-plant. They don’t get body-slammed in a four-game series at Cincinnati, then come home and get hammered again in a three-game series against Washington.
The Nationals were missing Mike Morse, Jayson Werth and Wilson Ramos. Did they groan? Nope. They just won — 7-4, 8-4 and 7-2.
St. Louis came to town Monday and won 8-2. The Braves were outscored 30-12 in the first four games of this homestand.
So where’s the evidence that last year was an aberration?
Wren has done little. There were two minor moves Tuesday: reliever Kris Medlen was sent to Gwinnett to get in a couple of starts, with the intent of eventually adding him to the Braves’ rotation. Jose Constanza was called up to fill out a dented bench.
It was the equivalent of dusting the furniture when a ceiling caves in.
There have been no major trades, and Wren suggested he’s not close to that mindset. He said the uncertain status of so many players, as opposed to having guys on the disabled list, makes it difficult to get a read on the team.
“Freddie Freeman may suddenly wake up one day and be able to see,” Wren said.
He probably didn’t mean that to sound as funny as it did.
I understand Wren’s dilemma. But isn’t it fair to question to makeup of a team that pulls apart and not together?
“We haven’t seen any of that,” he said. “One thing you can be pretty sure of is this group is very close. They’re in each other’s corner. When you have four guys who are in or out of the lineup on any given night, it impacts what you can do in the lineup, it impacts how long you stay with a pitcher and when you hit for him. Believe me, these are things we talk about every day.”
Nor does Wren believe any of this should fall on his manager, Fredi Gonzalez.
“He didn’t blow sand in the eyes of Freddie Freeman,” Wren said. “He didn’t give a virus to Brian McCann. He didn’t hit a ball off Chipper’s ankle.”
True. But should a manager be doing more to help his team through a crisis?
Everything is on the table. Everything should be being questioned. Bad things happen to good teams every season. But good teams don’t get punch-drunk and keel over.
And this is starting to look a little too much like last September.
By Jeff Schultz
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234 comments Add your comment
TomB
May 30th, 2012
8:35 am
Marty, you are full of it. It may be early as you say, but the Braves of the past never had pitching this bad. When was the last time a Bobby Cox coached team lost eight in a row not to mention last year’s debacle. See a pattern yet? I’ve never worried about offense, because the Cox coached Braves of the past never lost more than three games in a row because of superior pitching. Those Braves were never great offensive teams; what seperated them from the rest of the league and this Braves team is pitching. I hate to tell you but Wren is responsible for this team from the head coach, pitching coach down to the bat boy. He is one who decided to sit on his hands last summer and do nothing to improve the quality of this team. He is the one who believed our pitching was good enough to pay Cleveland 10 million dollars for the services of Derek Lowe. Oops. You are wrong on this one.
Larry30
May 30th, 2012
8:59 am
The comment about the great belly flop by Troy Glaus is about the dumbest thing you’ve said, schultz. Glaus was NL player of the month in May and personally carried the team from last place at the end of April to first place at the beginning of June. The real belly flop was by the resident hall of famer who stunk it up for two solid months, drove down to turner field the middle of June for a pity party, and then was injured a month later. Glaus was injured at the end of June and the braves exiled him. By the second game of the playoffs in SF they finally gave him a start at 3rd and he made one of the most memorable defensive plays in recent braves history by turning another Kyle farnsworth debacle into an inning ending double play. Glaus had more guts tan 98% of the players on that team and never whined about the way he was treated. A real pro.
observer
May 30th, 2012
9:19 am
The Braves stood pat because:
1. Everyone said Heyward wouldn’t hit 240 again this year (they were right; more likely to hit 225). He is not a major league hitter.
2. Everyone said McCann won’t hit 260 again. Right again, he will probably hit 245.
3. They said the Braves have great leadership in Jones and McCann; only problem is it is hard to provide leadership when you don’t play much and/or don’t produce much.
4. Everyone said Jair would “bounce back” from his lousy 2011 performance…he will have to do it in the minors apparently.
5. Everyone said the Braves bullpen was a great strength, and even better with the addition of the great Livan H. ( a washed up has-been that no one else wanted). Outside of Kimbrel the bullpen has been mediocre.
6. Everyone said the Braves didn’t need much out of shortstop position since their line-up was so strong; just solid defense and a little offense. So far, they have gotten neither.
7. Everyone said Braves were strong (even had a surplus of starting pitching). Reality; outside of Hudson and Beachy there is no reliable starting pitching.
This team is a mess, with little or no leadership from the manager. He is giving it all he has; problem is he doesn’t have much to give. We may as well get used to watching a 4th or 5th place team. Right now, if you compare what the Braves have compared to other teams in the Division there is no reason to expect more.
Michael from Roswell
May 30th, 2012
9:20 am
This column is a knee jerk reaction. It is still May. Let them play through June and see where they are. after that you adjust with trades. Patience is a baseball requirement.
Gene
May 30th, 2012
9:25 am
The Braves regained a little self respect last night, in spite of not hitting. Wren is more of a liability than Fredi. Wren gave us Lowe, Kawakimi ,and McOut and gave away Andrus, Feliz, Harrison, and Saltamacchia. He brought in Fredi Gonzalez at a bargain price. Check out the stats for Melky Cabrera, who is doing quite well after leaving Atlanta. The criticism of Fredi is valid, but until Wren goes away, expect more front-office stupidity.
Nick
May 30th, 2012
9:30 am
Yeah! Fire Fredi! He’s awful! He is a bum. Oh, wait… Didn’t he make the decision to bring up Constanza and bat him 9th in the lineup last night? And didn’t that lead to the 1 run the Braves needed to win the game??? Hmmm… All you “Fire Fredi” fanatics are ridiculous. Didn’t hear much of this two or three weeks ago, but at the first sign of trouble you come out of the wood works! Since Venters, Hanson, Hudson, and McCann are going through a tough streak should we fire them too??? Wow.
BLK09GT
May 30th, 2012
9:31 am
@Sonny Clusters…see March 29, 2011 2:30 PM Jeff Schultz article entitled “Strange but justified? Braves hang wild card banner” He states he is neutral on the issue of the wild card banner, however if your beef is also with pennants get over it. As far as I am aware all teams recognize pennants. Don’t you think winnning the division justifies recognition? 5 other teams have also recognized the wild card. So the Braves are not the first and will likely not be the last. Why don’t you get to your point instead of beating around the bush? You don’t like the fact that only one of the banners have red letters. Pennants are something to be proud of, certainly winning that many in a row.
MLH
May 30th, 2012
9:33 am
You may want to check your facts Gene. Wren did not give away any of those players.
Nick
May 30th, 2012
9:33 am
@TomB Bobby Cox coached a team with that kind of losing streak in 2010… The went on to win the Wild Card.
Dirty Bird
May 30th, 2012
9:50 am
Let’s get Oswalt, oops!
Jeffrey
May 30th, 2012
9:51 am
I think the medlin move is smart. Even if it means all righties it still gives us a better chance to win Also, it was a waste bringing him in after the starter has already lost it. I also think fredi should think about who gives us the best chance to win in other ares even if that means bringing in guys from the minors. If we’re gonna lose I prefer anyone who plays hard.
TomB
May 30th, 2012
9:56 am
Yea Nick, I knew that, but you undrestand my point perfectly or you would have found another example. Think back to when the Braves were actually good, back when there pitching was superior under Smoltz, Glavin & Maddox, which was the point I was trying to make.
Taylor Wooten
May 30th, 2012
10:08 am
Here’s your answers for the “problems”……go to Liberty Media website and dig into their financials.
Their ANBLC (Atlanta Braves) is bleeding money. The last 3 years:
2011 Lost $39 million
2010 Lost $47 million
2009 Lost $40 million
First quarter 2012 Lost $17 million
No way they are pouring any money (sign players) into a leaking bucket.
TomB
May 30th, 2012
10:09 am
The fact that the Braves won the wild card in 2010, Nick, is more a testament to the coaching of Bobby Cox than anything Wren did. Like I said earlier, Cox made Wren look halfway decent in his job, but look at the results after Cox. Remember Wren gave Cox a starting rotation that included Kenshin Kawakami.
Sonny Jackson
May 30th, 2012
10:24 am
What exactly would you do if you were Fredi? I’d like to hear some specifics from all you “experts’ out there… on the other hand, is it just me, or does Livan look bored when he’s out on the mound?
phil
May 30th, 2012
10:28 am
Fire FG!!
Tumbledown
May 30th, 2012
10:33 am
Given last year’s late season collapses of the Red Sox and Braves, it has been interesting to trace their respective results this year. The Red Sox made many changes with management and coaching while the Braves did next to nothing in all areas of the organization. The early results favored the Braves. Now, the Red Sox are playing better, the Braves are fading, and the teams’ records and placement in their divisions are now rather similar.
Why do I feel these teams are like ships passing in the night, with the more aggressive Red Sox organization reaping more benefits as the season progresses?
DogTheMan
May 30th, 2012
10:46 am
The Braves have a bad Manager. That is not just hyperbole, its true. The front office is wither hamstrung by ownership or has no clue. We aer a .500 baseball team that is playing below its limited capabilites. We will get on a modest winning streak and then loss 7 in a row and Freddie will say we just need to keep plugging. At least Bobby always had his club contending..
Still LOUSY after all these years....
May 30th, 2012
10:48 am
Yay – not – 1 freaking win….this team is still LOUSY after all these years and the responsiblility is laid right at the feet of the LOUSY MANAGER and LOUSY PITCHING COACH we have for this team….FG and RM should be run out of town as fast as possible…..there is no Pride or Esprit de Corp on the team…..FG is too dang busy “tipping his cap” to the enemy…..make no mistake the other team is not your friend…they are the enemy….they need to be decimated…..but not by tubby a$$ Fredi Gonzalez – the Bobby Cox look alike clone…..
Peter
May 30th, 2012
10:56 am
frank Wren has provided some help….but really the 40 year old doesn’t play the first four games and they loose all…….He gets hurt again and they loose 8 games in a row.
Brian McCann is having a tough season, and Jason Hayward doesn’t appear professional.
I don’t think a team that can only win when a 40 year old guy is on the field is a winning team.
Numnerts
May 30th, 2012
10:58 am
Denial is a medical condition Frank Wren is engulfed in…
Numnerts
May 30th, 2012
11:00 am
While Medlen practices at AAA to be a starter why don’t they call up Teheran right now ? He’s more capable than Minor.
Numnerts
May 30th, 2012
11:03 am
Depending so heavily on oft-injured Chipper was a huge gamble most GM’s wouldn’t take.
As for McCann, I’ve never heard of a player missing 7 games with a flu ever.
So the answer is Medlen & Constanza ? Anybody remember the Constanza experiment last year ?
Instead of trading for real help the Braves just call up journeymen to fail.
yellerjacket
May 30th, 2012
11:08 am
Yes, a trade is needed for a starting pitcher and an outfielder so prado can play more third, but we had a terrible losing streak and righted the ship with a win against a good StL team last night. We’re 3 games out of first place and we have a good core of players. If Wren makes a move for Greinke/Dempster and a decent left fielder, I’ll have renewed faith in his non-reactionary GM style.
TomB
May 30th, 2012
11:18 am
Yellerjacket, what makes you think Wren will do either? Bourn was his best move in years, but something tells me he’s gone after this year. Wren should have made a move in the offseason, but he sat on his hands instead. He was so confident in his lousy starting pitching, that he’s paying Cleveland 10 million dollars for the services of Derek Lowe…..Lowe by the way has a 3.3 era this year.
Rick
May 30th, 2012
11:19 am
WOW! It has come full circle. Now Jeff is bashing the Braves before we get to the All Star Break. What next?
Atlanta sports writers must be bi-polar
May 30th, 2012
11:26 am
Jeff, did you forget to take your meds? You and Bradley were singing the Braves praises just two weeks ago and now you’re all doom and gloom.
Atlanta sports writers must be bi-polar
May 30th, 2012
11:27 am
“Now Jeff is bashing the Braves before we get to the All Star Break. What next?”
Next up: UGA will win the SEC title….
Brave Hokie
May 30th, 2012
11:28 am
Did you REALLY expect anything different this season?
This is why no one was going down to the TED when this team led the division 15 days ago. Atlanta is a smart but frustrated sports town; tired of being asked to support weak and frail losers.
Braves management: dim and complacent
Braves players: weak both in soul and body
Another season in Loserville.
benchwarmer
May 30th, 2012
11:32 am
Problem is can the Braves hit against the East division which has superior pitching with their lineup so full of subs. The depth on the team has been shown to be pretty weak of late and the best they can do is call up Canstanza? Sure the man was hot for a while last year and then he returned to earth. Not so much about anything that won’t self correct except the need for better quality bench.
Strange Murphy
May 30th, 2012
11:36 am
Fredi has no idea what he’s doing.
TomB
May 30th, 2012
11:37 am
Well, Rick, Memorial day is the first checkpoint of the baseball season, and the Braves ERA is the 13th best for starting pitchers in the 16 team National league. The only reason the Braves were winning earlier this season was because the bats were extremely hot. How did the Braves win through the 1990’s and early 2000’s? It wasn’t hitting I can tell you that. Most people understand you don’t stand a chance in this league without excellent starting pitching so Wren and the Braves have some tough decisions to make…. Should have already made them in my opinion.
It's about TIME!!!!
May 30th, 2012
11:58 am
It is about time that Schultz, Bradley, & O’Brien all started speaking the TRUTH!!! Instead of sucking up to FW, FG, and the rest of the Braves Team…..they are scared to speak the truth because they are afraid “They Won’t Like Us Any More” so they engage in Hugging and Fanny Patting like the rest of the lifeless team we call the Braves…….Grow some you guys!!! And start telling it like it really is….This team and its’ management is LOUSY!
Braves in last palce by the all star brake
May 30th, 2012
12:00 pm
Last place by the brake.
Mark my wrods.
Tommy
May 30th, 2012
12:01 pm
Life rules for armchair Braves fans:
1) The team should never lose more than 2 games in a row, despite being in a league that hasn’t seen a 110-win team in 100 years;
2) The manager should always be fired, and replaced by someone else who should also be fired immediately;
3) Everyone is in AA is better than anyone on the current major league roster, and
4) Every prospect, as soon as he is called up, will be compared to Brad Komminsk until he is run out of town.
I think that about covers it.
The next few weeks will tell. If they are still struggling in mid-June, then this season is a bust. Tough to compete with the middle of the lineup injured.
Loosing Managar = Loosing Record
May 30th, 2012
12:08 pm
I dont get it Mr Tommy. What does being an alcholic have 2 do with the Braves? Unless you are tlaking about Drunky Hansen.
Sweet Old Buck
May 30th, 2012
12:10 pm
The Braves are a mess. They need a mindset like Theo Epstein’s – no one is off limits.
TomB
May 30th, 2012
12:16 pm
Thanks Tommy, that was so simple and nice. We’re all armchair Braves fans except for you, that is? Ask yourself this: how many organizations keep their manager and pitching coach after going 9-18 in the final month of the season? The Braves were 80-55 with a 81/2 game lead going into the final month. Did the RedSox keep Francona after all his success with their organization? Heck, even the Mets fired Randolph early in 2008 after their collapse in 2007.
DetroitBraves
May 30th, 2012
12:20 pm
@BLK09GT, no, I’m sorry but Sonny Clusters is correct. Or at least correct more times than you may think. Division championships are all well and good since they enter you into the tournament but as accomplishments themselves? Not necessarily. The divisions are arbitrary, based only on geography. One team’s first place finish is another team’s third, and for no other reason than where their city is located. I don’t think teams should have to apologize for it, it’s not more their fault where they reside than it is the third place teams, but there’s nothing wrong with having a little perspective too. I guess they can celebrate whatever they want but these celebration do not necessarily imply greatness.
TomB
May 30th, 2012
12:22 pm
And, that was after your pitching coach embarrassed the organization and the entire city last year, after his outburst in LA or was it San Francisco. Are you starting to see a pattern with this organization and it’s decision makers?
DetroitBraves
May 30th, 2012
12:22 pm
@TomB, you know the funny thing is the Red Sox probably overreacted by forcing Francona out while the Braves didn’t react enough by keeping Fredi.
james
May 30th, 2012
12:25 pm
Very well said. We lost hall of fame manager & GM so I expected a less of a team. What I did not expect is young players not being developed, lazy play, and deer in highlights looks from the players. Fredi is the problem, wren is the problem, lack of desire is the problem, leadership is required to fix the problem so we need some new faces
TomB
May 30th, 2012
12:42 pm
You may be right DetroitBraves, I guess time will tell if Francona gets back in coaching which I assume he will. The RedSox did recognize that a manager is responsible for the cohesiveness of a team even though I think the decision was a mutual one. I think Francona retired because he didn’t feel he had 100 percent support from the organization. Anyway, my point was Freddi never had the success of a Francona yet the Braves organization felt he wasn’t the problem. Give it another month and we should find out more regarding that decision.
Mister Frisky
May 30th, 2012
12:45 pm
At the end of game 162 the result will be the same.Not enough steaks in the freezer.For the exception of Bourn and Prado,this is a collection of fat,slow,unathletic,talentless losers.
gwbroo
May 30th, 2012
12:57 pm
Jeff, you sound like a panicky girl. Losing streaks suck but they end. Go Braves!
Largo
May 30th, 2012
1:05 pm
Tell it like it is. Good job, Jeff.
DetroitBraves
May 30th, 2012
1:07 pm
@TomB, I agree with you. With Francona I don’t know how much of the collapse he should take responsibility for. Like you said, he had success there before. It may or may not be fair to blame him and I really have no idea what was going on in that locker room. Apparently there were issues. That said, I’ve always heard baseball people say it’s easier to fire the manager than 25 players so it’s kind of the way it goes sometimes. Right or wrong, not that surprising. As for Fredi, he had issues long before the September collapse. Kind of like how we should not blame the manager too much for every time a team loses, I think the Braves gave Fredi too much credit when they were winning. Thought the collapse may have been enough for them to see it the other way. I guess not. The truth appears to be that the Braves are pretty good when healthy and clicking, but lack some depth to carry them through when they are not. When they are healthy and clicking the talent is good enough to win despite Fredi. When they are playing more at the margins his flaws are that much more exposed, but make no mistake – those flaws are always there. Winning or losing there’s no reason to pay a substandard manager a 6-figure salary to misallocate millionaire resources.
AZBravoFan
May 30th, 2012
1:24 pm
Wow Jeff, you’re just as bad as all the alarmist people on the AJC blogs! Good grief! So we had a couple bad turns through the rotation and lost 8 in a row. It’s MAY!. We’re still only 3 games back. No one has run away with this division. Do you really think Hudson, Hanson, and Beachy are going to pitch like this the rest of the season? Do you really think Mike Bourn is going to slump the rest of the season? Take a deep breath dude.
Coach (2012 Fredi's Beisbol Fandango)
May 30th, 2012
1:27 pm
BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
Where was Jeff Schultz when this team was in first place?
p.s. Schultz, Eight games do not a season make.
BrickHead OKelly
May 30th, 2012
1:32 pm
Jeff may be on to something. This team needs a Shrink bad……………..How does a team coming off a sweep of the World Champ St.Louis Cards on their home field,suddenly go in “the tank”? Looks like some internal confidence should have been wide spread among the team…..Not this team. It goes in a FUNK