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
BrickHead OKelly
May 30th, 2012
1:33 pm
DetroitBraves
May 30th, 2012
1:34 pm
@AZBravoFan, if you’re saying the Braves are better than they’ve looked the last 8-10 game or so you are most assuredly correct. If you’re saying they are without flaws (and I don’t think you are) then you are most assuredly wrong. The losing streak isn’t really the issue but it may be the best time to point out the flaws and realistically hope to see some changes. If you try to point out the flaws when they are winning it’s hard to be heard over all the cheering – everybody clap your hands – clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!!!
JoeFan
May 30th, 2012
1:36 pm
Wren is ultimately responsible for this mess and should be the first out the door. Get the right GM in place and let him proceed to assemble the right pieces. Don’t blame the team or the manager, start at the top with Wren.
Columbus
May 30th, 2012
1:45 pm
At first site of adversity like 2011? The Braves played ALL of 2011 with adversity but it finally caught up with them when they needed starting pitching and the arms were no where to be found. Remember all the hitters having career lows at the plate? Remember all the starting pitching that was injured after the all-star break? Remember the other injuries?! Remember Derek Lowe? First sign?!!! The first sign was the first month of the season!
Jerk……!!!
Can you please move to another city and be negative 90% of the time there please?
John A.
May 30th, 2012
1:52 pm
I for one get ick and tired of reading about the lack of money the Braves have to spend. Buck Showalter works for an organization that is dirt cheap (Orioles), but hee doesn’t complain….he takes care of business and look where the Orioles are today….1st place. Liberty has nothing on Peter Angelos, so stop complaining about money to spend. Look at where the money went…..Lowe is being paid to play for Cleveland….McLouth is being paid to sit on his butt because Pittsburgh just cut him…..Kaminamiki or whatever is probably sitting back laughing his butt off in Japan. That was enough money to have any player we needed in the outfield that can hit.
Frank Wren must hold some special secret on John S or his butt would have departed long ago.
JOHN IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE STONES TO FIRE THIS CLOWN……PLEASE RETIRE….GO HOME AND FISH OR WHATEVER YOU DO IN YOUR TIME OFF
Felix
May 30th, 2012
1:59 pm
I agree—FW should be the first to get the boot. He’s the architect of this mess.
baseball nut
May 30th, 2012
2:09 pm
Stop, Stop already with references to Chipper not being in the lineup.
Sure we all wish he was there and understand the value he adds to winning games but,
if you’re a real Braves fan such printed or spoken references at this point in time
are so, so short sighted. What will you be saying next year (2013)?
Like “Oh if Chipper were only here”?
Blah! Blah! Blah, etc. etc. etc.
Come on, let’s forget about Chipper not in the lineup. If he plays, great. If he doesn’t
there’s nothing that can be done about it so move on.
Stinger2
May 30th, 2012
2:10 pm
To all Braves anti-fans: Your heads are in the sand. The Braves are only 3 games out of first place in the NL East on May 30 with four months to go. What is your problem? Go get some cookies and milk like little kids do.
DetroitBraves
May 30th, 2012
2:23 pm
To all Braves apologists: Your heads are in the clouds. The Braves have allowed the 4th most runs in the league and are led by one of the few managers left that acts as if baseball’s statistical revolution never happened. If this is your idea of success then you must be partaking of something a bit stronger than cookies and milk. Don’t forget to clap your hands at the appropriate moment (hint: it’s when they get to the point in the song that goes ‘everybody clap your hands’).
alex
May 30th, 2012
2:24 pm
@stinger, get your head out of your a*&, now where are the cookies?
Devil's Advocate
May 30th, 2012
2:26 pm
21 seasons since “The Run” started and we still have some fans using the “give them more time card”. LOL. My goodness. How much time does it take? It’s not even about championships, it’s about giving fans hope. Look at the Spurs in the NBA and the Patriots in the NFL. Even when those teams fail to win a championship they compete in such a way that their fans actually have real hope (not fanatical fake hope) that any given season they could win it all and it wouldn’t shock people. The Braves had that even after the great collapse against the Yankees in 1996. But by 2000 or so it became obvious that the Braves just weren’t going to go out and win championships no matter how good they looked in the regular season. The fan base started looking only towards the postseason.
The funny thing is that the Falcons and Hawks are about at the same point. It’s not about winning championships, it’s about competing and giving your fans hope. If you overachieve and lose, fans remain excited. If you underachieve and don’t compete well down the stretch and lose, you start losing the hearts of fans.
Always leave the fans saying “if we had just one more chance” rather than “if we had just more one all-star or a different head coach…”
TomB
May 30th, 2012
2:27 pm
Right on John A., thats what I’ve been saying all along. Wren must go if this organization is going to turn things around. Misallocation of resources, this is the source of the Braves problems, and should rest on Wren’s shoulders. The contract for Lowe, Kawakami, and the trades for McClouth, Kothchman and Ryan Church. His best move was last years trade for Bourn, but I’m not convinced he can keep him. Let the Wren fly.
CrumblingMustBe WinningStrategy
May 30th, 2012
2:29 pm
Let’s see. Braves are in the toughest division in baseball, a full third of their offense is out with injuries, they just lost 8 games in a row, and they are THREE GAMES out of first place.
If that’s crumbling, then it looks like the Braves can crumble all the way…all the way to the WORLD SERIES!
TomB
May 30th, 2012
2:29 pm
Fly away, far far away
Stinger2
May 30th, 2012
2:33 pm
Detroit Braves and alex: Two stats that never and never will change: The team that scores the most runs wins the game. The team that wins the most games wins the division title.We are three games behind. Rest my case.
Oh alex, do you want some animal crackers or do you prefer something else?
DetroitBraves
May 30th, 2012
2:37 pm
@Crumbling, winning teams and losing strategies are not mutually exclusive. However, sustained winning with a losing organizational approach isn’t likely. Can the Braves win this year with the talent on-hand? Quite possibly. Should they evaluate the process from a broader perspective. Most definitely. Admittedly, there are a lot of people criticizing the Braves as a reaction to the recent losing streak and for no other reason. That can often be short-sighted. To others the losing streak merely heats the iron, and given the problems that abound no matter the daily fortunes of the club, there may be no better time to strike.
TomB
May 30th, 2012
2:41 pm
Stinger2, your logic defies an understanding of baseball. The idea is to keep teams from scoring more than you, and you do that in this game with pitching. The Braves did well early on because their bats were red hot, and they were winning high scoring games like 9-8, etc. And, this will happen over the course of a season, but what determines success in this league is your pitching staff especially your starting pitching. And, here the Braves are failing. Braves pitching right now ranks toward the bottom in ERA, Quality starts, Whip, and opponents batting average. Either the starters they have now start pitching lights out, the Braves make some trades, or your scenario is a dream.
DetroitBraves
May 30th, 2012
2:42 pm
@stinger2, thanks for the math lesson but I believe your case was rested months ago. If you find some spare time between espousing mathematical principles and suggesting diets take a look at the standings and then look up joint probability. After that we’ll see who needs some cookies.
TomB
May 30th, 2012
2:44 pm
Pitching and defense are the constants, Stinger2. Hitting can change with the wind.
Not a Schultz fan
May 30th, 2012
2:49 pm
Really?? The Braves need Chipper and Freddie in the lineup. They need Heyward to bat higher than .230. They beat the Dodgers (1st place team) on the road. They lost the the Nat’s (1st place team), the power hitting Reds (1st place team), and one game to the Card’s and you’re casting them off for the season already. It’s not even the 1st of June and the Braves are only 3 games out. With an eight game losing streak their still 3 games over .500. Wish the AJG rag would hire some real sports writers. Ask for a transfer to the Home and Garden section of the paper please Schultz.
alex
May 30th, 2012
2:50 pm
ginger snaps, good for the nausea associated with watching the braves. Thanks for asking….
Anyway, mabye Wrenn has something up his sleeve looking for a trade…….SS,3rd,RF,Catcher,anything but FF,Prado, and Bourne
TomB
May 30th, 2012
2:59 pm
Hey, Not a Schultz fan, have you checked out the Braves record against the NL East? The NL East has the best pitching in baseball and the Braves stink when they run into these teams. Haven’t you people learned anything about why we were successful in the 1990’s and early 2000’s? Pitching, pitching and defense. Remember when we would win 1-0, 2-1 back when the Braves had Glavine, Smoltz, and Maddox. Everyone is dreaming if you think we can hit ourselves into first place….not gonna happen.
TomB
May 30th, 2012
3:03 pm
Someone tell me when was the last time a Brave starter pitched a complete game?
TomB
May 30th, 2012
3:07 pm
Other than Beachy this year vs Miami
nobobfan
May 30th, 2012
3:17 pm
Hooray for the truth , Jeff!
Not a Schultz fan
May 30th, 2012
3:23 pm
TomB, With a bullpen like the Braves and with the youth of the staff, why would you need or want someone to pitch 9 innings. Also, here’s some stats: Braves rank 12th in the National League in team ERA. NL East teams ahead of them, Nat’s (1st), Marlins (7th), and Phillies (9th). So we need pitching, and our pitchers to throw nine innings??? There’s a reason we are losing to the NL East competition,and we need our best hitters in the line up to win. By comparison, before the losing streak, Freeman was NL player of the week twice. Without him, we have a bad losing streak…coincidence??? Don’t think so.
George
May 30th, 2012
3:25 pm
I said it last year and will say it one more time. Fredi and Frank are, I am sure very nice people, however they are not Championship caliber managers. Sorry but without a change in leadership this team is middle of the pack at best.
Sonny Clusters
May 30th, 2012
3:26 pm
We was reprimanded by another blogger for saying the team that finishes first in its division did not win a pennant. C’mon, that’s just simple baseball logic. The National League champion that goes to the World Series is the pennant winner and champion of the league. The team that wins the division gets to play for a pennant and now two wild card teams do, too. We’re just saying to the Braves . . . don’t tell us about all the storied “championships” you’ve won because we are a fan and we know how many times the Braves have lost in the first round and how few times they have been to the World Series of late. If you want to be called champions, win the National League pennant.
nashvillewill
May 30th, 2012
3:38 pm
The Braves are not a great team and not a terrible team. They are a middle-of-the-pack group who will have winning stretches and losing stretches. Is this good enough for the injury-riddled NLEast? Probably not – as the Nats and Marlins both play with more “resiliency” than the Braves (i.e., they have more bench talent and enthusiasm). Since limitations of payroll (a given that is just the way things are) preclude a meaningful trade the Braves have few options to improve the talent level and enthusiasm. I suggest the following: promote from within and release the bench players who are not helping. Release Wilson, bring up Simmons; release Hinske, bring up Mejia; release Diaz and bring up Parraz, Durango, or Gartell. I don’t see how this hurts the team since Wilson, Hinske, and Diaz bring little to the table, either offensively or defensively(except Wilson, and Simmons would be a defensive upgrade onR Wilson!). This would infuse the team with youth and energy and might produce some young talent. Just making one or two of these moves might help. Also, Gearrin, Redmond, and Carlyle have been effective in Gwinnett. Release Livan, send Venters away to work on his control and bring up two of these guys. You never know what you might find, but you pretty much know what you’ve got in veterans who no longer produce.
TomB
May 30th, 2012
3:40 pm
Present day baseball Sonny is for the birds. Baseball history was all about winning the pennant, you win the pennant and your team was in the history books forever. Not anymore, now we have wild cards, pampered million dollar players who don’t know how to play injured; starting pitchers who don’t know there are nine innings in a game, only six maybe seven, and million dollar relief pitchers who sit on their butt most of the time. Where are the Gehrigs, Ruths, and Cal Ripkin Jr’s of today?
pat
May 30th, 2012
4:07 pm
Yep…We have to be able scratch out wins when we’re hurt. 8 game skid hurts and it’s inexcusable for a team as supposedly talented as we are. I can see a 4 game skid, or going 3-5 during a trying stretch, but it seems like as soon as they have an excuse to lose, they lose.
I am sorry, but one more skid like this and Gonzoles has to go. How many chances are we going to give him?
I want a championship. Losing sucks, leave that for the Hawks.
pat
May 30th, 2012
4:07 pm
Yep…We have to be able scratch out wins when we’re hurt. 8 game skid hurts and it’s inexcusable for a team as supposedly talented as we are. I can see a 4 game skid, or going 3-5 during a trying stretch, but it seems like as soon as they have an excuse to lose, they lose.
I am sorry, but one more skid like this and Gonzoles has to go. How many chances are we going to give him?
I want a championship. Losing sucks, leave that for the Hawks.
pat
May 30th, 2012
4:10 pm
NEW BLOG RULE:
Anybody who posts “First”, from now on is an automatic idiot and a loser, and should be banished from the blogs for a day….
Who’s with me? Post ‘aye’ or ‘nay’
Bill in VA
May 30th, 2012
4:13 pm
You are right on, Jeff. There is little leadership. McDowell should have been fired after his incident last year, etc. By etc., I mean the Lowe car crash and the Uggla porn queen. Lose them all! A manager who stands by and watches and makes excuses should go too!!! The Braves need professional ball players, not f-in’ head cases!
JASON W.
May 30th, 2012
4:18 pm
I LIKE YOU MITCHELL!!!! I’LL TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER. IT’S CALLED ATL SPORTS. THE FALCONS DISAPPERED AT THE MOST CRUCIAL TIME OF THE PLAYOFFS, AS DID THE BRAVES, AS DID UGA, (SEC CHAMP GAME AND BOWL.) DOES ANYONE REALIZE THAT IF THE CELTICS WOULD HAVE WON THE NBA TITLE THIS YEAR THAT WOULD MEAN ALL THREE MAJOR ATL SPORTS TEAMS GOT BITCH SLAPPED BY THE EVENTUAL WORLD CHAMP………..THAT WASNT SUPPOSED TO EVEN COME CLOSE? WHEN ARE WE GOING TO BE THAT TEAM THAT TEAMS ACTUALLY FEAR IN THE POST SEASON. MAKING THE PLAYOFFS JUST ISNT ENOUGH ANYMORE.
Milburn Drysdale
May 30th, 2012
4:22 pm
For all of you armchair GMs saying Medlin should have been starting all along, have you seen him pitch lately? He has for the most part, getting bombed. Be careful what you hope for.
SawThat1nce
May 30th, 2012
4:26 pm
Good teams don’t have losing streaks Shultz?
How about the World Series winners of 2011, and 2010, do you consider them to be bad teams?
Because they had some bad streaks the years that they won it all.
You are no better than the slobbering, teeth gnashing, ‘negative fans?’ that infest the AJC blogs.
Just look at your blogs of recent days, 4 in a row about the Braves when they are going bad, but when they are doing pretty good, maybe 1 blog out of 7. That is just like the doomsdayer ‘fans?’.
Troll feeding the rest of the trolls, that’s you.
Go Braves!
Jean Claude Killy
May 30th, 2012
4:29 pm
Pat,, get used to it., we have bigger fish to fry. If being first blows your dress up then say it loud and proud. First!… What gets me are the people such as yourself that get there boxers in a bunch over people saying First!
Baseball In Ga Sucks
May 30th, 2012
4:33 pm
The Braves are acting like little biatches
TomB
May 30th, 2012
4:39 pm
You are wrong SawThat1nce. Schultz sees what others are seeing, and that is the numbers. When was the last time a Braves team won anything with only average pitching? That’s what Schultz and others see who don’t have a blind eye to facts. The Braves may be three games out of first place, and there bats may have been on fire some this year, but the pitching tells the story. The Braves have a team ERA of 4.23 which ranks 22nd in the league, a Whip of 1.37 which is 24th, 20 quality starts which ranks 26th, and opponents batting average which ranks 23rd. Unless something changes overnight with this pitching staff, you are in La La land if you think they have a chance.
bbua
May 30th, 2012
4:40 pm
I can’t believe the crying I’m seeing from this group. You know the phrase “be careful what you wish for, you might get it”? A couple of years ago ya’ll were complaining that Bobby Cox was too old and had to go. He finally retired and you got a younger manager. When Jason was in AAA everybody wanted him promoted, well he was promoted and currently hitting 238. Last year you complained about Alex Gonzalex at SS, he was a good defensive player but you wanted an offensive SS. Ya’ll wanted TP and couldn’t wait for him to get here. Well he’s here and now you want Simmons called up because he is good defensively. You are willing to have a light hitting SS in order to get better defense.
This team could win 162 games, win the playoff and the world series and some of you knuckle heads would be complaining about something. Go spend some time in St Louis and learn how real fans behave. As Charlie Brown says “good grief”.
Myers
May 30th, 2012
4:41 pm
Two quick moves that the Braves need to make! Heyward and Pastornicky, need to be traded ASAP!
TomB
May 30th, 2012
4:45 pm
Well, Milburn Drysdale, Medlin did come up as a starting pitcher. Maybe he’s more comfortable as a starter vs a reliever. Who’s to know because management hasn’t even tried, and I’ll never understand this pansy era of baseball where you have to send a pitcher down to the minors to get ready to pitch.
DW
May 30th, 2012
4:46 pm
I know I’m going to get blasted, talked about and ridiculed, but here it is. The whole Braves organization is a bunch of punks and you just can win in professional sports with a punkish attitude. I watched a game and listened to Joe Simpson talk about what Cole Hamels did to Bryce Harper and how disgusting it was. The Phillies have won I think 5 NL East titles and I respect Hamels becuase he was in no uncertain terms telling this kid that until otherwise proven, we’re still it and don’t you forget it. The whole Braves organization needs some balls. You get some balls and the winning will come.
TomB
May 30th, 2012
4:50 pm
What the heck are you talking about bbua? Who is this group anyway that you speak of. Why don’t you add something intelligent to the conversation. Please bring back Bobby Cox. Whaa Whaa!
Chase
May 30th, 2012
4:55 pm
Jeff Schultz crumbling the home town teams at first opportunity, just like 2011.
bbua
May 30th, 2012
5:07 pm
Tom B – Medlen started out as a reliever in the minors and converted to a starter. He came up as a reliever and converted to a starter where he had a good bit of success before the injury.
TomB
May 30th, 2012
5:09 pm
The Braves have a problem…Pitching. Jurrjens was a fail, and the two kids are struggling. Minor has a 6.98 ERA and a WHIP of 1.47, while Delgado has a 4.58 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP. Hanson hasn’t been his old self with a 3.84 ERA, and Hudson has been OK with a 4.12 ERA. Beachy has been the star holding down a 1.77 ERA. I believe Hanson and Hudson will probably get better as long as they stay healthy. Beachy should have a big year, he might fade a little down the stretch. Medlin might help here, but it’s way too early to tell So, the Braves have a decision to make on the two kids. Do you keep pitching them or do you make a trade for a quality pitcher. If the Braves were out of it, I would say just keep pitching them, but they are only three games out so I would make the trade. And, while I was at it, I would trade for a good hitting outfielder as insurance if Prado becomes our everyday third basemen. Come on Wren, earn your paycheck.
TomB
May 30th, 2012
5:11 pm
bbua…. Medlin and Hanson came up as starting pitchers in the minor league…the same year I might add. Yes, Medlin has pitched in relief as well, but he came up as a starting pitcher.
mtdflash
May 30th, 2012
5:20 pm
Well, the Braves have gone from worst to first to worst. Is there no middle ground? What a mess! Pitching sucks. I am seeing a total lack of hustle from some of the “elder” players, and some sloppy throws and terrible catches from most of the team’s fielders. This is a meltdown. When are the team managers and coaches going to step up, chew some butts, and build a fire under these men? They are paid too well and their fans invest way too much time and money to be treated to awful home games like we’ve seen. Come on and do something about it or be fired. Fans deserve better.