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
Therut
May 29th, 2012
5:12 pm
First?
prattvillenolzfan
May 29th, 2012
5:12 pm
I just don’t see this getting any better. Now, I said the same thing after the Braves went 0-4 to start the season, and they started to prove me wrong. The question is this, is the 2012 Braves the team that went 0-4 & 0-8, or the team that went 22-9 in between these two streaks!!!!!
Therut
May 29th, 2012
5:13 pm
When we were 26 & 16 I thought we were being managed by the worst manager in baseball!
Turtsnap
May 29th, 2012
5:14 pm
Excellent article Jeff! Wren being so defensive means that he, too, must be questioning his decision to stand pat after last years collapse.
prattvillenolzfan
May 29th, 2012
5:16 pm
Actually, turtsnap,,,Wren COULD be feeling the heat from upstairs………All of this mess starts at the top. As much as I think Fredi is a AA manager at best, Wren is the one who should take FULL RESPONSIBILITY for this train-wreck of a line-up
Larvell Blanks
May 29th, 2012
5:18 pm
Last year i was defending Fredi but now i’m ready for new leadership. Can’t TP take over?
iTiSi
May 29th, 2012
5:20 pm
As I said 3 days ago, I still think it’s a “silent mutiny”. These things do happen without even being coordinated.
Keith
May 29th, 2012
5:26 pm
Jeff,
You saying that this 8-game skid is a sign of deeper issues might be a little bit of stretch.
Quite knee-jerk and reactionary.
Of course, I guess you could be right. To go from best in majors to last in division is saying that the potential is there to be great or poor. Thing is, we dont have large enough sample.
GO BRAVES!
Keith
May 29th, 2012
5:26 pm
Did you see that Fredi is batting Delgado 8th tonight? Maybe he’s went reactionary, too.
iTiSi
May 29th, 2012
5:27 pm
Thank you JS, we can at least trust one AJC sportswriter to tell it like it is. Love that statement by JS:
“It was the equivalent of dusting the furniture when the ceiling caves in”. Good one, and original!
Oh, would like to give a caption for the photo. Here’s what FW is saying to FG: “Just shut up, I don’t want anymore excuses!”
Sonny Clusters
May 29th, 2012
5:30 pm
A little leather on the ball hit to Chipper and there’s no bruise to deal with. When we was playing third Coach told us to catch those.
D.A. Nuggla
May 29th, 2012
5:30 pm
“Larvell Blanks”, there are two TP’s now. Don’t forget Tyler Pastornicky! (the SS that should be a 2nd baseman)
Herschel Talker
May 29th, 2012
5:31 pm
Schultzie:
Tremendous stuff. It’s obvious that these guys have quit on Fredi, so it’s time for that clown to get fired. If Wren doesn’t fire him, he should get fired. Two fools.
HT
Larry in SC
May 29th, 2012
5:32 pm
Nice as usual, Jeff..How about a pep-rally?
Keith
May 29th, 2012
5:32 pm
Jeff,
I’m going tonight so let’s hope they get a win.
iTiSi
May 29th, 2012
5:33 pm
Right on, SC. Had a high school coach tell me one time, after getting hit on the knee with a linedrive, “catch it with your glove and you won’t feel a thing next time”!
Fansince66
May 29th, 2012
5:34 pm
I saw that Medlen was sent to Gwinnett to get a couple of starts to get ready to come back and go into the rotation. I’m really glad, but wont it be about 10 starts late. Should have been there all along. These are kind of bad decisions that remind me of Kawakami and Lowe.
Sonny Clusters
May 29th, 2012
5:35 pm
We’d like to know where Jeff stands on those little signs in the outfield and all those “championships” Schuerholz used to brag about. This team has no aspirations that we can see – but if they did it would probably be to “win” the second wild card “championship” and squeak into the playoffs. We remember when they decided last year to just “win” the wild card and not burn too much energy trying to dispose of the Phillies. How did that work out?
AlanFalcon
May 29th, 2012
5:37 pm
September has come early this year, its going to be a long summer, we have no leadership (that goes for Chipper, McCann, Freddie and Frank), glad the OTA’s are here at least its somethng you can use to get away from the miserable showing thats going on at the TED.
TomB
May 29th, 2012
5:39 pm
For Wren to say none of this should fall on the manager shows just how inept of a GM he is. How many times did this happen to a Bobby Cox managed team? And, make no mistake this is Frank Wren’s team; he made the decision to sit on his hands this offseason, and believe his pitching staff was good enough. The success or failure of an organization starts at the top, and Wren is demonstrating that he is a big failure.
done
May 29th, 2012
5:43 pm
Terry Francona…this teams needs something new.
Darth Obama
May 29th, 2012
5:46 pm
Jeff,
I guess everytime the braves go on a losing streak you are going to bring up 2011. Where was this 2 weeks ago? Why don’t you just follow the trend and say “Fire Fredi” and get it over with?
Train Wreck Bystander
May 29th, 2012
5:47 pm
Forget the postseason for now. This team needs to convince the management to be buyers this year instead of sellers at the trade deadline.
Nativebird
May 29th, 2012
5:47 pm
Three words this franchise simply could NOT afford to come true these last 4 years: Jason Heyward: Bust.
CaiN
May 29th, 2012
5:49 pm
Great article, Schultz.
“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.”
This says everything right here, and it perfectly conveys the ineptitude of Wren and his abilities as a GM. It’s bad enough that the guy didn’t fire Fredi’s dumbass after last years calamity, but to act as if nothing is seriously wrong with this team is absolutely disgraceful. It’s a show of disrespect to not only the fans, but to the players as well. The entire team knows they’re in trouble, as it’s readily apparent when you look at their faces; they have no one to lead them and they know it, they KNOW they’re all alone on this. They’re not going to get help from their “manager,” nor from the front-office. They are stuck between a bumbling idiot in Gonzalez and an incompetent Wren. That 22-9 record shows just how talented this team could be, as they accomplished that feat by themselves. If they had a better manager and a GM who gave two shits about them, they would be one the best teams in the MLB.
“Everything rises and falls on leadership” Dr. Lee Roberson
Lil' Barry Bailout
May 29th, 2012
5:54 pm
The Braves need a few thugs to enforce expectations among the players and get in people’s faces. There’s no attitude to this team. They’d make a great book club.
D-bo
May 29th, 2012
5:55 pm
Now do you agree?
Get rid of McDowell, shake things up.
Management should let freddie g know he is on the hot seat. Light a fire under him.
PMC
May 29th, 2012
5:56 pm
Realistically though Jeff, this was the team we expected. Good when they had everyone, but RAZOR thin.
There is no need to be upset about it. Everything they are is borderline WC and hope it goes well.
The team is duck tape and bubble gum on the best day. They will eventually turn this around and win 7 or 8 in a row.
Right now they are a very bad baseball team.
TomB
May 29th, 2012
5:57 pm
Management is the problem as in General management. Wren needs to go, no more Kenshin Kawakami’s and paying Cleveland 10 million for the services of Derek Lowe.
T-Bone
May 29th, 2012
5:58 pm
The question that FW has to answer is which was the aberration, the phenomenal start that led to the 3rd best record in baseball or the last 8 games.
PMC
May 29th, 2012
5:58 pm
You are what your record says you are. Period. Wren didn’t change much because he didn’t have much money to work with.
Obviously the minor league talent is vastly overrated. Anyone living here knows that they overrate thier own talent internally and they are very poor at scouting outfielders particularly.
sheeesh
May 29th, 2012
5:59 pm
If you want to draw comparisons to 2010, it is interesting to note that the Braves had a 9-game losing streak that season, including getting swept in a 3-game and 4-game series. Was that not a faceplant? If not, why not? Because the season ended with a playoff appearance?
Stop jumping to conclusions via irrelevant comparisons. This is baseball. And it is still May. sheeesh
Joe
May 29th, 2012
6:00 pm
Gotta agree with TomB. Just don’t see this team getting to the postseason with Frank and Fredi running the show.
TomB
May 29th, 2012
6:00 pm
The difference PMC is pitching, We never had great offensive teams during Bobby Cox’s run, but the one constant was great pitching, and one reason the Braves never lost more than 3 games in row back then.
PMC
May 29th, 2012
6:01 pm
I’m not sure really if there is a team in this town that has high aspirations.
The Falcons say they do so I’ll take that at face value, but seriously, when you look at how they are run, the Braves and Hawks are just hoping people will attend thier games, they aren’t trying to win.
john
May 29th, 2012
6:02 pm
Great article. Fredi Gonzalez has shown that he can manage the team when they are playing good but can’t do squat when they are faltering. He did nothing to stop the slide at the beginning of the season it was Chipper Jones who did.
Fredi is not what this team needs.
TomB
May 29th, 2012
6:04 pm
Wren is responsible for Fredi. The truth is Cox made Wren look OK, and now that he’s gone….well you see the results.
Falling Apart
May 29th, 2012
6:05 pm
A manager should do more to help his team through a crisis.
Tdawg
May 29th, 2012
6:08 pm
Geez does this team have any pride? Of course not. They’re millionaires. Who needs pride when you got million’s of dollar’s.
TomB
May 29th, 2012
6:11 pm
Its hard to image this happening to a Bobby Cox coached team, which is precisely the point, and the reason Wren is an idiot to suggest this isn’t Fredi’s fault. What is the definition of managing anyway. You know what happened to Francona last year when it happened to him, and he had great success in the past. Clean house starting with the pitching coach.
bravesfan
May 29th, 2012
6:12 pm
I love these guys but I think the mix here does not work. They’re sellers at the break, for sure. Bourne, Uggla, Hudson should bring in a great haul of prospects. Not sure what you do with Heyward; he may be someone who just needs a new environment. Don’t mind losing if young talent is learning how to win, but that’s not what we currently have, in large part.
donte080
May 29th, 2012
6:13 pm
My gosh, this blog is full of it….The Sky is falling! The Sky is falling! weren’t you clowns (Schultz) all whining when Braves started season 0-4?
Season isn’t even 1/3 done yet…..
Fredi
May 29th, 2012
6:13 pm
I’m open to serious concrete suggestions, anyone, as to exactly what I can do. I know I should have started Medlen from the get go, now what else to do with this team as it is now?
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
May 29th, 2012
6:14 pm
i agree with earlier posts that this team has no identity. when they lose, they lose bad!! pretty sad when an entire team relies on a 40 year old man to be offensively successful.
2011champs
May 29th, 2012
6:18 pm
I have said it repeatedly today…. The Atlanta Braves do not have any leadership. Not from the dugout nor from the field. This might be the dullest team in the National League. They do have alot of talent, but it is wasted talent. The Reds, Cardinals, Phillies, and even the Nationals take the field EXPECTING to win. If they lose, it is a shock. A few weeks ago, the Braves swept the Cards in St. Louis. I was shocked. Even Braves fans, that I work with, celebrated like they had won the World Series. They tried to make me feel bad, but I just yawned and told them that they did have cause to be excited, because the Cardinals expected to win. That is just what they do. 2008 is the last time the Braves handled the Redbirds. It is expected, because they have leadership. Leadership that starts with the owners, right on down to the GM and the manager (Matheny had never managed before this season), and extends to the players who pick each other up. The last real leaders the Braves have had were McGriff and Justice. They will never play to their potential until there is some leadership.
Packers Ed
May 29th, 2012
6:26 pm
Tax Deduction for a large Corporation, Liberty Media.
Pretty much says it all, at least the Braves do have a purpose.
Mitchel
May 29th, 2012
6:32 pm
Braves crumbling at first sign of adversity, just like 2011
Just like 2010, just like in the playoffs and just like 2009.
This isn’t news.
This is like the New York Times writing on their front page tomorrow, “Barack Obama’s race and unorthodox upbringing is a divisive issue for voters.”
Thanks, we knew that already.
More great work by Jeff Schultz and the AJC.
rob g
May 29th, 2012
6:37 pm
@Fredi:
You could resign. That would force Wishy-Washy-Wren to select a new manager. I’m pretty sure he can’t do worse.
Jt
May 29th, 2012
6:45 pm
Very valid points Jeff! Team seems very fragile and not just physically. McCann will get well, Freeman will get back in the line-up but Chipper cannot be depended on and the difference in their winning and losing without him cannot be overstated. They lack consistency- and consistency is a mental state.
LakeDawg
May 29th, 2012
6:49 pm
Braves crumbling at first sign of adversity
YEP
DawgDad
May 29th, 2012
6:56 pm
“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”
And there you have it. An utterly wimpy move by a wimpy organization. You telling me Medlen can’t make a couple of 3+ inning appearances at the MAJOR LEAGUE level to “stretch it out”? Just cue him up on the days Mike Minor starts. Geez, back before I turned 40 spot starters got pulled straight out of the back of the bullpen with an expectation they’d go at least 5 innings.
Sure, Wren’s roster-building grades out an “incomplete”, but the Braves problems stem from the roughly $25 million invested in Jones and Lowe, forcing them to rely on a 40-year old and a catcher to anchor the middle of the order (making the offense far less consistent than it should be), a AAA shortstop, and a collection of starters either too young or too beat up to chew up innings.
CGD..
May 29th, 2012
7:13 pm
Yawn…Wake me in September…….
Go FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ted Striker
May 29th, 2012
7:19 pm
Page hit!
dawg4u
May 29th, 2012
7:25 pm
@2011champs – You said it all in that there is no leadership on this team from the dugout or from the players. McGriff and Justice were leaders and Chipper leads by example when he’s in the game which isn’t much these days. The Braves need a very competitive, edgy type of guy who hates to lose and lets everyone else know it. They may have a guy like that now but I’ve seen no evidence of it. FW says this latest slide should not be put on the manager. That sounds even funnier than the the line about Freeman waking up one morning and being able to see. We need a greater sense of urgency in getting things turned around. The manager should be motivating these guys to perform better and I would expect a quote along the lines of “We are really playing awful right now and I feel responsible being the manager because it’s my job to get these guys to do their jobs and perform.” I’ll admit that it’s still early but this team looks totally helpless right now in all phases. Chipper has become the genie in the bottle or the genie on the DL.
Najeh Davenpoop
May 29th, 2012
7:28 pm
This team is a disgrace. Trade in those Braves tickets for some quality Hawks seats, while there are still a few available.
Tim
May 29th, 2012
7:30 pm
Braves will start on a roll tonight and win 15 of the next 20. Write it down.
Necromancer
May 29th, 2012
7:31 pm
Mr. Blank,
You can make your move anytime now!!!!! Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Greg
May 29th, 2012
7:33 pm
We’re a NL average team, at best. Average. Get used to it. It isn’t going to be fixed for a long time, if ever. Here’s an analogy: It’s just like the U.S. economy.
Pal Joey
May 29th, 2012
7:39 pm
My sentiments exactly. Jeff. This group looks like the gang that couldn’t shoot straight. Their miserable collapse at the end of 2011 seems to have carried over to this year. Without some pitching help from some seasoned pitchers and some timely hitting, the Braves could well end up at the bottom of the heap in the NL East. This division has some cracker jack pitchers, and it seems none of them are in a Braves uniform.
David G from Moultrie
May 29th, 2012
8:02 pm
The St. Louis Cardinals had two 8 game losing streaks and one 7 game losing streak the year they won the World Series in 2006. Just sayin’…
little girl blue
May 29th, 2012
8:10 pm
Well they better get over it because one thing you can count on all season long. Chipper Jones will be out more then hes in.
I took a look at the pitching and here is what I thought. We have two pitchers making over a million. One his Hudson, the other is in AAA and that’s JJ. Now we have three pitchers earning the minimum and that means no experience and a real starter in the pen who is itching to start, that being Medlen. Time to move some players and spend some money.
Nabob
May 29th, 2012
8:22 pm
The difference is that the St Louis Cardinals get to the playoffs and defy odds and win championships. The Braves last made noise in the playoffs 17 years ago. Not gonna change any time soon.
Par for Atlanta sports teams. When was the last time anyone thought an Atlanta team had a shot at winning it all? The Falcons 2 years ago? That played out like it always plays out.
dawg4u
May 29th, 2012
8:30 pm
As manager Casey Stengel once remarked about the first year NY Mets in 1962 – “Can’t anybody here play this game?”
10 Bears
May 29th, 2012
8:30 pm
The Braves starters have a Coors field ERA…just pathetic
The Braves have 27% of their payroll tied up on the mound in Cleveland and the DL. Without any money they have to go with youth and no depth. The young pitchers (except Kimbrell, Beachy and sometimes Venters) suck. Hanson? sucks, JJ? out of the majors, Minor? headcase with average stuff, Delgado? Grand Slam machine. Never seen a team down by 4 runs in the first inning or two as often as the Braves. The good news is that Hanson and JJ are Boras clients…bye bye
This is a bad mix with predictable results.
AJ
May 29th, 2012
8:33 pm
What is the caption for the photo above?
FSUBrave
May 29th, 2012
8:33 pm
wren is clueless..he’s never built a winner..He was run out of baltimore..I just hope someone up will man up and run him out of atlanta too..
Gman
May 29th, 2012
8:34 pm
Lollygaggers!
Braves, same story, different year
May 29th, 2012
8:51 pm
In the ’90’s when Turner owned the Braves, there was a “care” of greatness and a relentless passion for a championship. Ever since Turner sold the team, the Braves have been just a business. Make a team competitive enough to make money and to heck with everything else. Manager Gonzales does the best with the nothing that the executives have given to him to play. When Chipper and McCann sit, there is $25 million sitting. The young Braves will be here until it is time to pay and they will be gone. I love Chipper but when he doesn’t play, Prado needs to be at 3rd. Juan Francisco is a JOKE. Delgado has more excuses than the entire Bush family. Jack Wilson, need I say more? Jason Heyward is a bust, and we got rid of Francouer. At least Frenchy can play D. Bourn will be here until contract time, and he’s gone. A triple a SS is not the answer there either. The sad part is with McCann, Freeman, Ugla, Bourn, and Hudson is a great core to build around but a Colorado based owner could care less. The Braves have to be the world leader in sports saying “we are close to being great” as it can be said every year except for 1995. This is a terrible team that has fallen apart. Until someone who cares about Atlanta, the Braves, and the fans, the Braves will always be mediocre at best.
Braves, same story, different year
May 29th, 2012
9:02 pm
Sorry I forgot, did the Braves install a height rule this year? Must be a certain physical specimen? Constanza was a fireplug last year and now nothing. Constanza in left, Prado on 3rd is a LOT better than Prado in left and the joke Francisco at 3rd.
Look what toll all that pitching took on Venters especially, as well as Kimbrel and O’Flaherty. Venters was one of the best pitchers in baseball last year, but I haven’t seen the same guy out there this year. Major renovation is needed.
Fredi
May 29th, 2012
9:09 pm
Still waiting for a sensible answer.
phoenix
May 29th, 2012
9:09 pm
In addition to Werth, Ramos and Morse, the Nats are also missing their closer, Drew Storen. Not that the Nats NEED a closer when they play the Braves…
SOS Braves
May 29th, 2012
9:20 pm
Get Venter’s no pitching a** out of there.
SOS Braves
May 29th, 2012
9:20 pm
GD you Venters. You SUCK.
Skeezix
May 29th, 2012
9:46 pm
When will the nightmare be over? Are we going to see a turnaround or are we entering the Braves version of the Dark Ages?
Thanks You! Thank You!
May 29th, 2012
9:53 pm
Thanks Jeff for actually saying what people who aren’t either job scared media folks or pollyanna fans have known since last September. This is the same team that choked in September and they are again showing fundamental flaws in their competitive character. Wren’s empty words immediately after the fold of expecting accountability from the troops rang hollow then and his words today ring hollow as well.
Lip service from the company mouthpiece. Things ain’t gonna change.
Skeezix
May 29th, 2012
10:02 pm
I don’t get Medlen to Gwinnett; it smacks of indecision—go ahead and put him in the darn rotation and let him “stretch out” his arm for Atlanta. He can improve his stamina and work up to 7 innings over two or three starts for Atlanta as well as for Gwinnett. After all Atlanta has a bullpen too.
Jmh13
May 29th, 2012
10:26 pm
They will bounce back. Come on Jeff! The glass isn’t always half empty.
Joe
May 29th, 2012
10:26 pm
Freddie is dead……he got to go!!!
NorCal Brave
May 29th, 2012
10:31 pm
Only thing different about tonight’s offense is that Uggla hit a 3-run homer. Five total hits, 10 whiffs at the plate. Fortunately O’Flaherty and Kimbrel are still reliable out of the ‘pen.
VinceVanGo
May 29th, 2012
10:50 pm
I pose a question. Does Chipper still get to collect his “farewell goodies” from opposing teams while he is on the D.L.? It seems quite appropriate to do so after the last several years. Let’s see, that means that the Braves are paying him $14-15 million this year to wave goodbye and fill up his trophy room. Good deal for Chipper and great planning by Frank Wren. I agree with a previous blog a few days ago that suggest that there should be minimum performance clauses in ballplayers contracts or they start forfeiting some money. I don’t think that Scott Boras will go for it though!
Chris
May 29th, 2012
10:53 pm
What exactly do you expect when the team can’t spend any money? When Bobby Cox was winning all those years in the 90s the Braves had one of the top payrolls in baseball right there with the Yankees. Now the company that owns the team spends more money in a year for the salary of it’s CEO than it spends on the entire Braves payroll…but then says that can’t afford to spend more to make the Braves better…yep.
rufus
May 29th, 2012
11:08 pm
The truth, as always, doesn’t dwell on the margins. This team isn’t as bad as the current streak would indicate and its not as good as its record prior to this streak would lead you to believe. This is a .500 team, and will end the season where it currently resides- 3rd in a 5 team division. We shouldn’t expect anything more; we shouldn’t settle for anything less.
Keith
May 29th, 2012
11:22 pm
Jeff,
So I WAS a good luck charm. 2-0 at Turner Field when I’m in attendance. Think you can get me into every home game?
jlrbrave
May 29th, 2012
11:41 pm
Who really got the better of the deal?
The Marlins got the solid veteran leader Omar Infante – guy still produces for them and provides the leadership he gave us in 2010 (btw .319, 6 hrs, 20 rbi)
We got Uggla who either walks, strikes out, or swings for the fences and shows no leadership for the team (instead really needing it). His states .260, 7 hrs, 27 rbi – not including tonight.
braveslover
May 29th, 2012
11:49 pm
First: need to get solid up the middle (Simmons would solidify this). Walker will help with his bat if he needs it but remember he had beaten Pastorknuckle out of the job in the spring until he got hurt.
Second: Gotta drop McCann in the batting order. I like the guy but he just can’t make it as a fourth, fifth or sixth place batter.
Third: Heyward is working on his feet????
Fourth: Freddi man you’ve got to show some fire and get thrown out of a game. Cox would have done that after the fourth loss. Your laid back style may be good as a grandparent but these are supposed to be adult men playing a kid’s game. No excuse for them to loaf or play like little leaguers.
Fifth: Great points Mr. Schultz.
Bryan
May 29th, 2012
11:59 pm
Freddi just needs to go… It’s time for someone who isn’t a clone of Cox in the bad ways.
Boo Boo
May 30th, 2012
12:24 am
Maybe its me, but when a team’s shortstop cannot move ten feet to his left, field a hard hit ground ball in stride, and make a clean throw to first base, that team is in for a LONG season. There once was a time when Rafael Ramirez was a vast improvement at short for the Braves, even making 30 errors in a season. This “Put me out to” Pasture Nicky is a minor leaguer, at best. He makes Rafael Ramirez look like a gold glover. No hit, no field. What can he do? Play for $30k a year? Is this a cost saving plan? Defense up the middle – catcher, pitcher, shortstop, second baseman, center fielder – that wins games when you cannot hit. This team is liable to give up 5-6 runs a game, just because a professional shortstop saves 2 runs a game that a minor leaguer allows, simply because a pro makes plays and a minor leaguer does not – and I am only talking about the earned runs. Add in unearned runs and the Braves pitching does not stand a chance. Work hard in Atlanta’s heat and humidity and then watch a shortstop let ground ball after ground ball get called a hit, just because he could not move ten feet, and they start trying the outfielders by throwing up in the zone. Bam. 3-run home run, and game over.
Columbus
May 30th, 2012
12:55 am
First of all, look at the Phillies and how they are handling their adversity as a measuring stick.
Shultz, How old are you and how long have you been watching baseball? You are overreacting like an emotional woman. It is a LONG season and instead of being the voice of reason and wisdom, you use fear to blow something out of porportion and create STRESS instead of maturity. Do you think ANYONE in the Braves organization or roster has the perspective you have? How about you try to print your newspaper, get it out and delivered with inexperience and eqiptment that cant do the job while being in a contest against to see who does it best against competition that is running on all cylinders? You just hope to not get embarassed and compete and maybe somebody does exceptionally well and you might actually win a competition here and there. You cant have ALL these factors hit you at one time, facing good teams and great pitching and not having Freeman, McCann and Jones and rookie pitchers going through growing pains. You call that crumbling? Man, that is #1 not fair, #2 not accurate, 3# immature or #4 ignorant about the situation or the game.
There is ABSOLUTLEY NO CRUMBLING going on except at the AJC. The WILT at the first sign of trouble and go negative, start speaking fear into the masses and basically do not have a clue, 9 times out of 10. You make sure you pass that on to Bradley also. What a team you too Bozo’s make!
It is a long season. Do not let the ups and downs take you for a ride. It will. Especially the first month and a half. Especially with injuries and rookie pitchers and facing great teams. Dont act like an emotional girl. Grow up. Get some backbone. Be a voice of wisdom and reason instead of jumping to conclusions and freakin!
Think of it is as if you lost the middle of your lineup at AJC. How would you make it without Obrien, Towers and Ledbetter? With only you and Bradley, that ship is SUNK!
Secondly, look at what the Braves have had hit them and we are NOT talking about a LITTLE adversity but a MACK TRUCK.
Lose your 3 4 AND 5 HITTERS! What team can handle that kind of loss WHILE having young pithcers going through growing pains AND facing great pitching and very good teams?
The Braves are NOT crumbling but ARE dealign with adversity and keeping their heads up and their attitude and will come out on the other side of it a better team. Things have hit from about EVERY area. What do you expect facing excellent pitching without NO 3,4 or 5 hitters? Let the same teams face us in a month. You will see a MUCH different story. You should be ashamed for comparing this to last year. This is TOTALLY different even if it appears similar on the surface. Dig a little deeper and find out the truth. Things happen.
Ask the mighty Phillies. Did they crumble? No. They they have been undermanned. Last Septmeber the Braves crumbled and were also outmanned and IMO a significant managerial mistake was made by not playing Constanza the last month. He is a run scorer and that is what the game is all about and with so many braves slumping, runs were hard to come by and they certainly would have won a few more games with Constanza in the lineup even half the time.
Personally, I would have Constanza on the bench as a reserve instead of Diaz or Heinske even though he hits lefty. He can do so many things and when its all said and done, he would win more games during a season than both of them combined…..
Columbus
May 30th, 2012
1:11 am
BTW, getting Constanza in the lineup was NOT a minor move, it was the BEST move they could have made. Schultz, its 8 games. Dont be freakin and trying to make this into something its not. By the way, Werth sucks and Washinton gives us problems ANYWAY and they have not been hot with HALF the issues the Braves have ALL at ONE time. Sheesh. You are clueless when it comes to baseball….and football now that I think about it. Why dobt you leave this to O’Brien in the future?
The Braves have NOT pulled apart. Moronic. How are you so blind and ignorant? Just trying to get all the haters riled up? That is lazy journalism and not taking the higher ground. You say they are pulling apart? And you are the authority on this? I see NO concrete evidence of this, I see the opposite and I see the FACTS, THE WHOLE PICTURE….not a small snipit as you do. That is like taking 1 or 2 verses out of the Bible and starting a new denomination or saying that is how it is when 90% of the rest of the verses on the subject are in conflict with your view. The parts are never greater than the whole. The Bible must be a huge problem for you to grasp with thinking like you have in this column. There is a big picture, with many factors involved and just taking one area and putting a negative spin on it does not encompass the whole picture or its meaning correctly. Especially when your deductions and conclusions and inferences are wrong…you are good at being wrong 99% of the time. Unless you are taling about the Hawks. Leave the Braves, Falcons and UGA alone because you are not an authority. Bradley neither.
Plate Appearance
May 30th, 2012
1:37 am
WREN’S MEETING WITH FREDI
After hearing about Wren calling an “urgent” meeting with Fredi yesterday, I was hoping (against hope) that today’s news would be that Fredi had resigned (the more equitable way to fire someone).
It wasn’t to be. But that day will eventually come. It has to — based on lamentable Fredi’s track record with the Braves and his very limited skill set.
I have to believe that Wren sees the many liabilities in Fredi as well, but is “covering” his original decision to hire Fredi. Frank’s current backing of Fredi is at least in part about Wren saving face.
I’d love to see Ryne Sandberg, an up and coming manager who has had success on every level, replace Fredi.
Oh hasten the day!
Make the move Frank! We’ll applaud you for it!
drew
May 30th, 2012
6:25 am
Jeff = Chicken Little.
It’s too early to tell.
Reid in EAV
May 30th, 2012
6:25 am
A simple question: how do we know what the manager is doing? Fredi is a lot like Bobby, who got criticized in similar ways. He’s just not going to say anything publicly that is less than fully supportive of his players (with rare exceptions like Juan Francisco’s showboating in Cincy after his HR) or his team.
But we now know that Bobby was pretty tough with guys behind closed doors, and I have every reason to believe that Fredi operates the same way — just because he doesn’t jump up and down in interviews doesn’t mean he’s unaware and ineffective, and we’ve already seen players who aren’t producing get sat down or sent down — and I suspect a similar fate awaits Minor once Medlen gets stretched out.
The fact is that our pitchers are incredibly green (wouldn’t we all love another Huddy or two?) and our biggest bats have been out of commission — and we don’t have much depth beyond them. There’s not much that a manager can do about all that beyond what he’s already been doing.
I hate eight-game losing streaks as much as the next guy but I know that a 162-game season is full of a lot of ups and downs. You’re not as good as it seems when you’re reeling off wins, and you’re not as bad as it seems when you can’t buy a win. And as others have pointed out, that 2010 playoff team had a 9-game string of losses too.
Serena Williams lets big lead slip at French Open – Atlanta Journal Constitution | The Time of Press
May 30th, 2012
6:57 am
[...] Braves crumbling at first sign of adversity, just like 2011 [...]
BobDawg
May 30th, 2012
7:33 am
COLUMBUS, like your comments… Schutzie, I like your writing, usually and maybe the team will get POed about the article and start a winning streak. But this was written too soon AND several years ago they had a bad streak early (remember 11 or 12 in a row to start then season) and they bounced back fine… I’m just glad the bandwagon folks are gone and us old-timers can enjoy the rest of the season….
Joe Adcock
May 30th, 2012
7:45 am
If the photo accompanying this article is titled: “Brain trust of the Atlanta Braves.” we are in a world of hurt with some deep doo-doo seeping in.
Marty
May 30th, 2012
7:56 am
Alarmism at its finest. I know that’s what Jeff gets paid for, but the idiots making comments below have no excuse. Breathe deeply and remember it’s May and AFTER an 8-game slide, we are a grand total of 3 games out of first place and 1.5 away from the top wildcard spot. I’m as frustrated as anyone about how poorly the Braves have been playing, but this stuff happens. Those of you calling for Frank Wren’s job — you’re the same morons who complained about Schuerholrz all those years. Move along.
meh
May 30th, 2012
8:10 am
we got McCann back and hopefully those glasses they ordered for Freeman will help him see. having those two back will help a lot. I think between those guys boosting the offense and Medlin joining the rotation things will get turned around.
Interested observer
May 30th, 2012
8:21 am
You want whining? Read these comments. All the arm-chair athletes just KNOW things would be better if they were filling out the lineup card and managing the trades.
It’s just entertainment. If you don’t enjoy it, watch the 1994 Rose Bowl on ESPN Classics or turn to Swamp People. Sheesh!
Jax Falcon/Dog Fan
May 30th, 2012
8:22 am
One thing has been evident all season so far – center field has been the very least of all concerns. I don’t know enough about salary caps and such, but I do know that if I were looking to the future and something to build around, I’d be staying up nights trying to figure out a way to sign Michael Bourne to a long term deal. He is disruptive to the opposition on the base paths and isn’t bad defensively, either. He shows up, does his job to the best of his ability, and doesn’t take days off for a hang nail. We can’t make Chipper younger and he’ll be gone soon enough. Somebody has to step up to take a leadership role on the offensive side of the ball. I vote for Mr Bourne.
CRMAC300
May 30th, 2012
8:28 am
Can’t really blame the team for quitting on Fredi. He does nothing to inspire! Bobby Cox was on the dugout steps for every pitch, yelling encouragement. Fredi looks like he picking a restaurant for a late dinner. Bobby would defend his players, charging out of the dugout to make a point. I have yet to see any passion from Fredi. You think that doesn’t make an impression on the players? I remember Braves teams that would mob each other in the dugout when someone hit a big home run. Now it is just ho hum! I live in the Tampa Bay area. Guess I will watch our local team, with just as many injuries as the Braves, contend for first place in an equally difficult division with team spirit and a manager that won’t let them quit!
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
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.
Runnin with the Dawgs
May 30th, 2012
5:47 pm
I don’t get it. We don’t even have a winning record on our own home field.
Jo
May 30th, 2012
5:54 pm
Heart & Soul of the team is Chipper. Without him they look lost. 2013 will be terrible
Bueno
May 30th, 2012
5:58 pm
Braves should have thrown the 4M at Oswalt that Texas did. Would have been worth it
SawThat1nce
May 30th, 2012
6:11 pm
TomB………Go ahead and throw in the towel.
You are probably one of the defeatist, that threw in the towel during spring training.
Of course, they have a chance to get into the playoffs.
THE SEASON IS NOT OVER YET.
GO BRAVES!
Roja
May 30th, 2012
6:16 pm
Once an idiot, always an idiot… Why the AJC keeps you on payroll is beyond my comprehension.
D-Man
May 30th, 2012
6:17 pm
We are THREE games out of first place….yaaawwwwwnnn. Nothing to panic about yet, chill out the sky is not falling.
Tampa Fan
May 30th, 2012
7:31 pm
Wren’s constant excuse making is getting tiresome.
Ronald Millsaps
May 30th, 2012
7:37 pm
“donte”— If you’re moving in the wrong direction, you need to change course immediately. You sound like the kind of parent who says about his brat kid, “Oh, he’s just a kid; he’ll learn.” If you’re driving from Atlanta to Stone Mountain and realize you’re heading toward Knoxville, do you make the u-turn immediately or wait until you cross the Tennessee border?
Injuries have been a factor, indeed. The losing streak hasn’t been the main concern on my mind but instead the lack of starting pitching. At least the bullpen has gotten some rest, as evidenced by the strong outing last night. Jair is down. Beachy and Hanson aren’t doing that well. Lowe should still be here. Hudson is probably pitching with soreness. Delgado is improving a little. Overall, the rotation, which is stout on paper, has been skinny on the mound. Glad to see Medlen in transition back to the rotation, and now I’d like to see Teheran back up. Not calling Teheran up within 48 hours would baffle me greatly. The incumbents need a fresh face of health and support.
Roy Oswalt would’ve been nice, but the apathetic and incompetent staff otherwise known as the Braves’ ownership never would’ve offered him a free ticket to a home game, let alone millions, just like they’re unlikely to offer Josh Hamilton a dime this offseason.
Glad to see Dan Uggla show signs of getting his power back. He was sitting on six homers through seven weeks, which is a bit low for him. Heyward needs to step it up also. I still don’t know that he has an identity as a hitter, and he needs to discover what his calling at the plate is. I think he needs to focus more on power and less on average. I think also he needs to find a way to relax and not listen too much to everyone coordinating his stance, swing, etc..
Last night’s win was fairly huge, actually, as it at least stopped the bleeding and stemmed the tide. I’m fascinated in how Hudson delivers tonight. A win gives Atlanta five out of six wins against St. Louis after losing five out of six against them last year.
Don’t rush Freeman back to the lineup, and again, don’t be quick, organization, to say someone’s okay. Get your facts together. Perhaps play Prado at first, Francisco at third, and Constanza in left. Perhaps give Heyward a day off or two and utilize Prado and Constanza as corner outfielders, Francisco at third, and Ross at first.
Francisco was quite a find. Five homers in limited playing time combined with timely hitting is very impressive.
“JT”—Consistency is a “mental state”? You have to work for it; you have to decide to make the right sacrifices repeatedly. You don’t just “…think; therefore, I am” it.
Michael Jordan opted not to sign Patrick Ewing as coach, showing in the process perhaps some kind of irrational revenge factor. Ewing’s career cannot be deemed “unsuccessful” because he and the Knicks didn’t beat Jordan and Chicago, as success isn’t measured that way, contrary to what the masses say. He’s definitely one of the best big men ever. I respectfully differ with Mark Bradley’s assessment that not being the best in your position for at least a year makes you overrated. Olajuwon was just better. Later, Robinson passed him for a time, and later Shaquille did. The Hawks, who truly lack a post game, would do well to sign Ewing to work with an Al Horford/future big man. They would do well to have Dominique work with the team’s scorers. Tracy McGrady is one of the purest scorers in the sport’s history, and he’s the best go-to guy the team has.
Glad to see the Falcons with Asante Samuel on the team. They should’ve made a move for him when he was last available, didn’t, and saw the Eagles beat them again by pursuing and signing the man before lunch, but at least we have him now. Hard to believe the AJC misspelled his last name in their e-mail headline about him this morning.
If I’m Boston, I’m going with an extremely-rare gameplan, which would be to have Rajon Rondo shoot first and pass later. I would want him attacking the rim and looking for his shot, setting up his teammates by his willingness to score, not by distributing the ball in a half-court attack and feeding off his teammates. He’s the one young guy their main attack has, and he can bring speed, quickness, agility, and endurance that the main three lack. He also can draw fouls and loosen up the pressure from his teammates’ shoulders. Defensively, I’d really get after anyone with the basketball and reduce their line of sight passing-wise because Miami throws a lot of oops. I’d also cut off the middle as much as possible and challenge the big two to make their cuts via the baseline. Playing zone might not be bad, either. I’d also put my main defender on Wade, not James, because Wade’s a purer scorer. I’d rather James have the onus of scoring 40 because he to this day doesn’t have the identity that a true scorer needs and finds himself oftentimes highly indecisive as to whether to pass or shoot. He’s also not as good at the free-throw line.
For fascinating information, I strongly recommend searching and watching on youtube “Ventura conspiracy theory full episode banned”. You might be rather shocked.
MrDan
May 30th, 2012
7:50 pm
Armchair managers. Worthless peckerwoods.
D-Man
May 30th, 2012
7:58 pm
5-0….see the sky isn’t falling, Braves not faltering. Calm down people.
JAFO
May 30th, 2012
8:42 pm
Now THIS is a blog. Nice piece JS. Great job killing off the apolomists. Make that 5-4 dman.
Ronald Millsaps
May 30th, 2012
8:49 pm
“dan”–watch the language and ignorance.
Ronald Millsaps
May 30th, 2012
8:52 pm
Constanza advanced on the wild pitch but not sure why he wasn’t sent already, anyway.
I seriously, seriously recommend watching the video I referenced.
TomB
May 30th, 2012
9:24 pm
Oh, all you rah rah go braves we’re only three games out first fans just don’t get it….we aint winning anything with this pitching staff. Even tonight’s game is an ominus sign of things to come.It doesn’t matter if we win this game or not because if the braves keep pitching this way they will end up in last place. Hudson’s ERA just jumped again and our starting pitching is as bad as I can remember a Braves team having in years.
Jacob Thompson
May 31st, 2012
1:22 am
Jeff – what you fail to mention in referencing 2010 is that team lost 9 in a row early in the year. Yes that team showed a lot of heart and resiliency. Maybe we will look back and determine this years team doesn’t have that but maybe we will look back and say similar thing. We just don’t know yet. Fact is we are 2 back in a competitive division. At least reference the bad with the good if you are going to compare the two years.
Not so fast Freddie
May 31st, 2012
8:12 am
Sign David Wright with the Lowe/Chipper money next year & resign Bourn, leave Prado in left, wait & see what Heyward does this year, may have to give his job to Jose!!!
Braves Fan
May 31st, 2012
8:30 am
Yeah boy – they sure crumbled the last two games with the Cardinals! I think you’re projecting – it’s your writing that has crumbled, not the Braves : – )
Lobosolo
May 31st, 2012
8:35 am
No, Jeff, it’s you that (as usual) crumbles at the first sign of adversity… you seem to have no more grasp of the game than the armchairs that you draw as an audience… stick to something you understand (NBA, maybe?)…
Larry30
May 31st, 2012
8:41 am
Hey Schultz. About that Glaus “belly flop”………the truth is without Glaus in 2010 the braves still wouldn’t have a playoff appearance since 2005.
BravesFan
May 31st, 2012
9:13 am
Jeff you are an idiot. You have been talking this September collapse stuff since spring training. Talk about the real issues or shut-up. Remember when Terrance Moore could not think of anything to write about so he dreamed up the stupid story about no blacks in baseball, you are headed in the same direction.
Corleone
May 31st, 2012
10:33 am
“I don’t want anything to happen to Fredo while my mother’s still alive”. Pitching will ultimately doom this team. Unbelievable how you had a superstar-to-be (slam dunk) in Teheran, who everyone projected would be helping this team by this point and has shown nothing at the big league level. Jason Heyward, the 2nd coming of Darryl Strawberry, who has shown us that he is at best a .240-.250 hitter,, Tommy Hanson, who looks to be a #3 or 4 ,, but easily looked like a #1. I still say Hanson injured his shoulder when he broke the Braves strike out record against the Astros last year. Huddy is just old, Medlen will be a gamble, Hanson will struggle, Delgado could get better with more innnings, Beachy will be fine, Minor to the minors, and JJ is done.
When teams hit tough stretches, you then see what their leadership is all about ,, and Fredo is no leader and is incompetant to boot. He needs to go.
Ozzie
May 31st, 2012
11:54 am
Fair article but then of course as soon as you write it they win two in a row. Granted win one was on the back of 3 run homer by Uggla and yesterday was a back n forth scrap where the pitchers all stunk it up after the in the later innings. In both cases you still notch a W.
The concern remains that no Braves pitcher can go out there for more than a one game (in a row LOL) an pitch 7+ solid innings, heck even 5.
With a weaker pen IMHO things could get ugly bu July. Games that seem in the bag will be given away in the 7, 8 or 9th innings.
Bottom line Wren needs what he needed the past three years. A true fire ball Ace pitcher (who can toss 200+ innings & 3-4 CGs) and a power hitting LF (110+ RBI guy).
Until he gets those two things the team will be bi polar as usual. Being up n down is a symptom of a unfinished roster versus crappy managing or one player getting a hurt.
FG has no seat waiting for him at the baseball equiv of Mensa however the bipolar nature of this team is all on Wren & Liberty’s salary cap.
splendid splinter
May 31st, 2012
2:54 pm
OK Jeff, you did it! You wanted to get everyone stirred up and get the ole blog rolling hot and heavy. You did it!
Fact is – Columbus got it right. It’s still early.
For all the talk about the mighty Cardinals, the Bravos have taken 5 of 6 from them. They can still win it all, and they can still stink it up. There could be a rash of injuries which could cause them to finish 30 games out. Let’s see what August 1 brings before we fire FW, FG, RM, the entire pitching staff, and all of the starting eight.
And in case anyone has looked, there are 18 other teams in the majors who would like to be as good as the Braves. Would you rather trade for them? Hey – they could be the Cubs.
realfan
May 31st, 2012
8:56 pm
look at ur comments when the braves are in 1st again. ur a bunch of idiots that fall off the bandwagon when we have a bad week in a 162 game season. get a f’kn clue about baseball
Ronald Millsaps
May 31st, 2012
9:50 pm
“lobo”– You can speak for yourself in terms of those on the blog not knowing the game.
JohnnyOnTheSpotWalker
May 31st, 2012
9:53 pm
Trade Brian Mccant. We won’t be able to afford him once his contract is up. We could get an awesome pitcher in a trade involving him.
2 GOOD DOGS
May 31st, 2012
11:14 pm
WREN’S A FREAKING IDIOT.
Jborodawg
June 1st, 2012
8:41 am
@splendid splinter, and a few others are right on. To say the Braves are “crumbling” is near ludicrous. Yes, 2-8 over the last ten; but that’s not necessarily “crumbling”. Why not say, “Bourn crumbling…” or “Freeman crumbling…”? Whoda thunk Jurgens wouldn’t be in the lineup? Whoda thunk Hanson and Huddy would struggle? How bout Venters and Oflaherty? Heck, even Kimbrel has had a bad couple outings.
I don’t think any of that is Fredi’s fault; nor Wren’s. A team with a winning record is not “crumbling”. All the pundits said the Cards were “crumbling” last year. For the millionth time: It’s a long season.
Taxi Smith
June 1st, 2012
11:45 am
Do you still believe your headline (June 1)?
BravesFanForever
June 1st, 2012
12:33 pm
Bobby Cox… Just by his aura inspired teams to do better. Fredi Gonzalez doesn’t have that luxury. He has yet to prove himself to his own team let alone the fans. I completely agree with Jeff on this one. Fredi has got to pull this team together. Okay, they are supposedly “close”, well, then let’s get some INSPIRED TEAM PLAY ON THE FIELD!!
Come on: Seriously… Should this team take that much of a nosedive just because we lose a couple of players?
Brian McCann –> David Ross
Chipper Jones –> Juan Francisco
Freddie Freeman –> Eric Hinske
Normally there wouldn’t be a HUGE drop off in offense but why in the world the three replacements have fallen off the map is the big question.
GTL
June 1st, 2012
5:47 pm
Ronald Millsaps: Does anyone really read your “windy” comments? Who do you think you are a “blog” writer or sumpin???
Quit Trying to Make Excuses for JJ
June 1st, 2012
9:04 pm
Don’t give a ding dong dang if JJ is throwing up out on the mound…..HE SUCKS….Braves need to trade him for a bag of balls…….don’t want to hear FG’s crap about he was throwing good….his velocity is up…..HE SUCKS PLAIN AND SIMPLE – Get rid of the Kawasucki Clone.
7
June 1st, 2012
11:42 pm
Idiots of the weak…’real and braves fan’… you 2 couldnt find your ass with a funnel. Take fg’s mommy lobotomy with you. The tolerance for medicority is unceasing.
donte080
June 9th, 2012
12:48 am
millsaps,
You sound like the kind of parent who beats his kids with a baseball bat first time he makes a mistake…check out how braves have done since this dumbdown article was posted, and you posted your ignorant post….Bravos go on a win streak, and will be in 1st place before you know it. So much for my team ‘crumbling at first sign of adversity’
Dumb post, man, really dumb.