Sad to say, this Braves’ season could be over very soon
Folks, the Braves could be finished by the Fourth of July. They’re 30-33, no longer even in third place in the NL East. Of their next 15 games, not one is scheduled against a team under .500.
There’s no reason to think they’ll make a big move in the standings this next fortnight. They haven’t since the season’s first week. There’s a basic reason for that: They’re just not very good.
The starting pitching is solid but not 1990s-era solid. The relievers are so-so. The offense is awful. They’ve already made one major trade, and they’re 4-7 since Nate McLouth arrived. There’s not much more they can do to better themselves except play better, and at this point it doesn’t appear they’re capable.
Loading ...They’ve scored 37 runs in the 11 games since the McLouth acquisition, and even those numbers are misleading. Seven times in those 11 games they’ve scored three runs or fewer, and all seven times they’ve lost. Not to put too fine a point on it, but they just can’t hit. And I doubt they’ll ever hit much.
Twelve of the next 15 games are against the Red Sox, Yankees and Phillies. Those teams can hit. I wish I could say I’m optimistic, but I’d be lying. By the time the Peachtree Road Race gets here, the 2009 Braves could be done running.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
406 comments Add your comment
country boy
June 17th, 2009
3:28 pm
Can’nt wait to see your read on Bobby Cox tomorrow MB – so long as it is an honest attempt at professional journalism and not a warm and fuzzy touchy feeling kinda thing. For my unimportant opinion I think Cox receives something I will call ” tenured leniency” from journalist and the Braves. This means he does not have to be held accountable for his results. Anyway I’ll be looking for your column tomorrow. I respect your thoughts.
Supes
June 17th, 2009
3:29 pm
Mark,
I’m still waiting on either you or Shultz to call out Frank Wren on the carpet. He gets all the credit for fixing our pitching woes (and he has) but where is the AJC criticism over the failure that is the Braves lineup. Braves have “half a lineup” most nights. When the bottom part comes up with runners on, it takes a miracle to score any runs. Only way Braves are scoring runs is for 1-5 to knock them in right now. Wren left us with this OF situation. Where it the AJC calling out Frank Wren, the GM, the person responsible for having the likes of Anderson, Jeff F. in the corner OF positions?
Braves Fan
June 17th, 2009
3:29 pm
With the 2009 Braves, the whole is significantly less that the sum of the parts. When good things happen to them, they can’t sustain anything and bad things seem to beget more bad things. They seem to have a very good “half team”, a good bench, good enough starting pitching and the bull pen is getting better…but put the whole package together and it’s on the low side of mediocre.
DP
June 17th, 2009
3:31 pm
The Braves were done before this season started. How can you expect to win with deficient offense at 5 positions (first, second and all 3 outfield spots before the McLouth trade), no team speed and a low budget bench? Plus their only 2 outstanding hitters (Chipper and McCann) play about 130 games each.
Homer
June 17th, 2009
3:31 pm
FIRE BRADLEY!!!
It's business not personal
June 17th, 2009
3:31 pm
MB,
The organization is not spending their money very wisely and is hesitant at making the needed changes. Granted they took a chance on Lowe and KK, but truthfully only 1 is half way decent. Yet he is near the end of his prime. Jair, Hanson and Vasquez could be the foundation of the Braves pitching for the next few years. Heck, we still Hudson coming back late in the season. They were HOPING that the KJ and Francour experiment would have a 50% success rate, neither has worked out. Signing Chipper, who is near the end of his career, was a honorable thing to do, but was not right for the team’s long term success. Letting Bobby Cox and Tp stick around while the ship goes down is pathetic. In a corporate world, if a team is not performing, you change the personal within the team. After making those needed changes on the team and they still not produce positive results, you make managerial changes. This shows the investors (or fans) that the organization is dedicated to making the needed changes for the company to be successful.
LSU
June 17th, 2009
3:31 pm
Mark,
Tell Bobby that I thought Sid Bream was out at home plate, and also tell him that Ron Gant should have kicked Kent Hrbek in the groin with his free leg.
Raleigh Dog
June 17th, 2009
3:32 pm
Could be out by July 4? This has been over for a while. Statisical analysis of the games played so far would demonstrate that this is the way it’s going to be. They’ve established themselves–as losers.
Beautiful Monte
June 17th, 2009
3:33 pm
I wonder if Mr. Bradley has “great affection” for any of the current Braves.
Since none of them has a LONG track record of ABHORRENT behavior, I kind of doubt it.
All I'm Saying
June 17th, 2009
3:33 pm
Baseball is a simple game and (like most sports) you can’t win if you can’t score. That’s written, I’ve been a baseball fan long enough (for over 35 years) to know that as long as you are within 10 games of first place, then you still have a shot. Why? Because all you need is a hot streak to play yourself into contention and there are a slew of examples of somnambulant teams suddenly turning into giant-killers. With our solid pitching staff, we still have a chance. At this point, we have to take anyone off the bench who is a threat to hit and plug them into the line-up. Hopefully, Kotchman will return as somebody else and go on a hitting binge—all you need is one guy to get it jump started. We also need to grasp the fact that Frenchy needs to sit with someone else starting. If we can get past Chipper’s annual injury binge and have him play most every day then he and McCann can carry us. We have to focus on contact and forget about homers. With Nate, we finally have someone with some speed and we can play some small ball. Keep the faith people! LET’S GO BRAVES!!!
Mine This Bird
June 17th, 2009
3:33 pm
Schultz says in his comments today that you and I should find a bar for Smoltz’s start with the Red Sox and boo him together. I’m down if you’re down. Meet at Stats next Thursday? Gametime? Let me know.
It's business not personal
June 17th, 2009
3:33 pm
Finishing my opinion,
I like the move on not resigning Smoltz, Glavine and Tex. That’s business.
StingerSplash
June 17th, 2009
3:33 pm
Wonder if DOB has any The Smiths in the vast record collections. Maybe digging up “How Soon Is Now” for wondering when the Braves’ season will be over might be on target.
bravesfalconhawk
June 17th, 2009
3:34 pm
trade frenchy now!! its best for both parties
taxman kenneth
June 17th, 2009
3:34 pm
I agree that the team is awful. They don’t have the makeup of a team to contend with the Mets and the Phillies not to mention the Marlins. They are destined for 4th or maybe last place. I don’t see the team making up any ground in the next 15 days considering who they are playing. They can’t beat the Pirates or the Reds. No team speed and no power at all. Take Chipper out of the lineup that is when he wants to play and what do you have left in the power department? McCann does very well but he cannot do it alone. I don’t know why in the world they continue to let Anderson play in left field. The young players couldn’t possibly do any worse. With no power, no speed, and so-so pitching and bullpen what division could they possibly compete in. I don’t know. If they had not give the farm away to Texas and Chicago they would have some trading chips but they don’t have anybody to trade. The Tex giveaway will haunt them for years.
alan
June 17th, 2009
3:35 pm
Thanks Mark for saying that the Braves season is done. The obvious is that they STINK and STINK bigtime. When are Braves fans going to realize That they STINK from
Frank wrenn on down, terry pendleton, mcdowell and even slick bobby cox, who has won 2000 games but should retire. The braves are fortunate to be even playing around .500. The relieve staff is hoorendous and has been since mcdowell came. The offense is offensive, the braves need a major shakeup. Probably any other teams would have had a shakeup by now. This team is an embarrasement to ATL. This is the 4th season of sub 500 baseball we have endured. Maybe we are studying the pirates, who stink but still draw crowds, they beat us anyway. BOYCOTT THE BRAVES UNTIL WE GET A REAL TEAM—-BOYCOT THE BRAVES, save your money in this recession.
Ozzy
June 17th, 2009
3:35 pm
One thing about Bobby cox – Too much Patience. WAY TOO MUCH. That is what made him great manager in the past where all the players got a fair chance to prove their ability on the field.
However, it is now working against him. We’ve seen enough struggles from JF & KJ and they need to be benched several games a week. Garrett ANderson needs to be forced into retirement and Moylan needs to head
back to Australia and start playing cricket instead.
Braves fans have seen enough of cox’s patience and we have no more patience with these players and Bobby cox’s strategies..
Father of 5
June 17th, 2009
3:37 pm
An intelligent article about Bobby Cox would say that he’s done all he can with a team that lacks power, speed, and defense. He’s not the best manager by any means, but he does what he does very reliably. He is not a worse manager than he was during the 14 year run (but he’s not the type of great manager that gets something extra out of the players).
Wren is the cause of the Braves downfall. He created such a bad team offensively, he was forced to overpay (by $15M over the Mets’ outrageous offer) to get a #2 pitcher; he was forced to give away too much talent to trade for an expensive #3 pitcher; and a journeyman reliever (Ohman) saw the writing on the wall and accepted 1/3 the money to play for a winning team in LA. Wren treats icons like dogs, can’t handle the press, and whines when agents are mean to him. If the Braves want back in the playoffs, they need to promote Wren to customer.
nique
June 17th, 2009
3:38 pm
I liked the McClouth move, but we are definitely missing a prototypical lead-off guy with a good OBP and who works a pitcher for a bunch of pitches.
Bill
June 17th, 2009
3:39 pm
I believe you will be in Bobby’s doll house all the way. He’s the Best you’ve ever known, etc,etc.
The real Mark (fair and balanced) I hope will just tell the truth and not what you wish it to be. ex. your Glavine post.
LSU
June 17th, 2009
3:39 pm
DeRosa would’ve been huge for this team…Too late for this season.
cvbraves
June 17th, 2009
3:39 pm
True! Braves chances at playoffs may be over by trading deadline, but it won’t be because of Frank Wren, Bobby Cox or Terry Pendleton. It will be because the Braves’ players didn’t play up to their ability, individually or collectively.
Wren did a great job coming up with a starting staff and adding McLouth with the funds available. The coaches did a good job in spring training getting them ready to play and, indeed, they played well in spring training.
That early promise hasn’t panned out because the players themselves, with the exception of Chipper, Brian, on-again off-again Yunel, and good starting pitching, just hasn’t continued into the regular season.
In my opinion, which means nothing, Bobby Cox has done all he can do with what he’s got to work with…he’s got them all in their proper positions, Terry has taught them which end of the bat to use…the players themselves have to take the majority of the responsibility for their lack-luster performance.
It is fashionable, I guess, to look for a scrapegoat of two — we bloggers sure spend a lot of time every day doing just that. Truth is players have to be accountable in their jobs just like the rest of us.
tommyc
June 17th, 2009
3:41 pm
What I don’t understand the Braves loyalty to some and not others. I can’t understand why the braves have not made a move with Jeff Francouer. I realize his trade value is minimal but he does have options left. He is absolutely killing the braves. Opposing pitchers can afford to walk the three hitters in front of Francouer with one or more outs and expect Francouer to end the inning. But let’s not blame it all on Francouer. The entire line up 5 thru 8 needs to be changed. None of them can hit.
Murph
June 17th, 2009
3:42 pm
The Braves threw up the white flag last year when they let Tex go. Braves fans don’t want another white flag this year, we want to win. Everybody on this team acts as if they have the Swine Flu! No life.
Mark, I think what you are going to write tomorrow is that we need a more youthful manager. Bobby Cox is a baseball genius and has had great success but he doesn’t seem to have enough energy to even argue with the umps anymore. I imagine a Braves locker room that is very low key as reflected in the manager. We have a team here that needs a butt kickin’ and I don’t think Bobby has it in him to do that anymore on a consistent basis. I say keep Bobby involved but not in the dugout. It seems even Mclouth has already been affected by the Braves doldrums. We need some fire! Like an Ozzie Guillan type manager.
hem o'roid
June 17th, 2009
3:42 pm
The reason the Braves don’t win is simple. They have one bonafide player–McCann. Don’t give me “I stumped my toe Chipper or, Yunel brain-dead hersheybar, please. It’s too sickening too even watch, as a matter of fact, I don’t and won’t until they bring in some people that WANT to play. The rain delay allowed more than ample time to get over their sorry arses. I flipped over to the Food Channel, got hungry and ate 2 giant bowls of souped-up Moose Tracks ice cream. Now that’s productive. Selah
O'brien
June 17th, 2009
3:43 pm
Mark,
I think Bobby’s time has come and gone. However, he cannot hit, he cannot pitch. And if he decides not to send KJ or Frenchy out there, then who does he send?
That being said, sometimes I wish we had a manager who had some fire (like Ozzy). A manager to call players out sometimes, light a fire under their tail…
Braves73
June 17th, 2009
3:43 pm
Mark, if you are finally going to step up and write an article about Bobby please include the following.
Bobby WAS great but he IS not dealing with his team(s) & management of old. Bobby is old school & is used to having players that can mash the baseball and create the “three-run-homer”. Those days have passed. The Braves no longer have “dominant pitching” and their offense is OFFENSIVE. We all have to admit that Bobby has never been creative with the lineup, but now he doesn’t have the players to plug into situations. Not to mention that Bobby’s strengths do not include late inning management (see many situations were we have all scratched our heads wondering WTF).
Please write something worth reading…as you normally do.
erik
June 17th, 2009
3:44 pm
We need to get a few hitters in the line up. Our starting rotation is great but Kawakomi (sp)? is awful. We need an overhaul on our bullpin. We also need power.
Mark Bradley
June 17th, 2009
3:45 pm
Thanks for the input. I have a feeling I might surprise you.
getsomepower
June 17th, 2009
3:45 pm
I agree. Braves season could be over by the end of the July 4 weekend.
Kramerica Industries
June 17th, 2009
3:46 pm
Mark, your Bobby Cox article should go something like this. Bobby was smart enough to win in the 90’s with a very good team, but now he is old & senile & forgot how to manage. The angry masses / Bobby haters have to be right. A “good” manager with this team would have Garrett Anderson playing like he was young again & happy & motivated & not loafing. He would be batting .300 with 15 HR’s with a “good” manager. A “good” manager would utilize the great team speed. Bobby refuses to turn speed demons like Kotchman, McCann, & Garrett loose on the basepaths. A wise manager would instantly make Jeff Francoeur a smart & patient hitter and his OB% would skyrocket to .450 & his power would instantly return. Escobar’s brain cramps would end. Kelly Johnson would remember how to hit. Maybe even Greg Norton would improve from .100 to .200. Ah yes, Mark, this would be the best team in baseball if it weren’t for that tired old geezer Bobby Cox.
(Sorry to steal the thunder of your article in advance…)
richbrave
June 17th, 2009
3:46 pm
LSU:
Since your team is looking dominant in the COLLEGE W-S, my question to you is this, Could the BRAVES beat out the TIGERS in a best of seven? My money goes to the boys from BATON ROUGE right now.
tommyc
June 17th, 2009
3:46 pm
I have to wonder how the Braves’ handling of Smoltz and Glavine has affected the psychology of the team. I wonder if it is constantly in the back of their minds that they are going to be the next one to go which has either put too much pressure on them to perform or caused them to quit on the season knowing they will be gone
steveh
June 17th, 2009
3:46 pm
I just wish the Braves had come to the realization that they were a mediocre ballclub 3 years ago. If they had, they might be in a lot better shape today. It is best that the Braves and front office accept the truth and plan for the future. No more trading multiple young players for that “one guy” who they think will push us over the top. JD Drew couldn’t do it, Texiera could not do it, McClouth won’t be able to do it. One big free agent signee like Derek Lowe won’t do it either.
If the Bobby Cox and the front office are guilty of anything it is that they are overly optimistic. Instead of trading young guys, we should be trading the older players and playing the young guys. Let’s take our lumps now and let it pay off for us 3 or 4 years down the road. If the front office had taken that approach earlier, we might be in the midst of a great pennant race right now.
Tami
June 17th, 2009
3:46 pm
The Braves need a major lineup shakeup: Rearrange everyone except Nate in the batting order — assuming he’s batting first. Permanently MOVE Francoeur to the darn bench! Bring Schafer back to play RF, where that COULD be his spot next season. And, then just throw caution to the wind. Maybe, just maybe these guys might be inspired to catch fire. But, the starting pitching is inconsistent. When they’ve got it together — albeit briefly — the bullpen implodes. Each group of the pitching staff flip-flops accordingly. The hitters AND the pitching can’t seem to get into a groove and stay there. But, sometimes, if the batting order gets completely revamped (and not just tweaked), it can ignite a whole team. Otherwise, I’m inclined to agree with Mark. They’re almost done. Sniff-sniff.
Alpharetta
June 17th, 2009
3:48 pm
Watched Jeff F’s 1st AB last night: swing the 1st pitch, swing the 2nd pitch. Then he learned his lesson: did not swing the 3rd. But the 3rd was a charm: a strike.
JIm (not Mora)
June 17th, 2009
3:49 pm
Sad to say, Bobby needs to go. It’s time. Bring someone in who will kick some *** and take names. Time to shake things up a bit. I was happily shocked to see him pull Escobar. Hey Bobby, while you’re at it, tell Anderson that in this league, you are actually allowed to dive for a ball. And tell Frenchy to take more pitches or you’ll bench his butt too. Too much coddling going on here.
Eagle83
June 17th, 2009
3:50 pm
I miss Ted. Arthur Blank please buy the Braves. Bobby can’t do anything with these bums. Strong ownership is the only way to get us back to the glory days.
Kramerica Industries
June 17th, 2009
3:50 pm
I agree 100% Steve H. The rental player trades set this franchise back many years.
Mrs. Chanandler Bong
June 17th, 2009
3:50 pm
Personally, I hold the players themselves accountable more so than Bobby. At that age, and when you’re being paid that much, you should know how to bring it. True, Bobby does seem to be lacking here of late in the motivation department, but at some point, it rests upon the players to come together as a team and motivate themselves.
Karl Childers
June 17th, 2009
3:53 pm
How about some frech fried potaters?
mmmmmmmmmmmm…………
LSU
June 17th, 2009
3:53 pm
richbrave,
My Tigers are looking dominant right now. I sure as hell hope it continues in the CWS…Also, Erin Andrews is looking very good in Omaha too.
As for the Braves vs LSU,
Aluminum Bats….LSU wins
Wooden Bats….Too close to call
Cutler
June 17th, 2009
3:57 pm
If Cox had any balls he would implement the following changes. Bench Francouer and Kelly Johnson for good and use them as utility/pinch hitters. Give Diaz the starting the RF job and let Prado hold down 2b until Infante gets back when we then put him at 2b permanently and move Prado back to the bench.
Next, we have one of the best bats on the bench playing one game a week at best in David Ross. Start platooning him at first with Casey Kotchman’s worthless behind or play him there regularly and call up Sammons to back up at catcher if he’s that worried about McCann’s health. This is the one thing that has gnawed at me about Cox for so long. His unwillingness to experiment at all with position players and his belief that they are limited to only certain positions. This isn’t basketball where a center clearly cannot run the point. I don’t think Ross will have any trouble fielding the rare ground ball hit to first or catching a baseball thrown to him as even my mom could catch a ball thrown to her with a glove on.
The lineup would then be as follows
1- McClouth
2- Escobar
3- C. Jones
4- McCann,
5- GA
6- Ross
7- Diaz
8- Prado
Somebody tell me how that couldn’t be better than the lineup we currently have.
Blackberry Cobbler
June 17th, 2009
3:58 pm
Bradley– Why I are just now coming to this conclusion? Most folks on here, myself included, have been saying for 2-3 weeks that the Braves are toast. Welcome off the bandwagon. If you’d get out of the shadow on Booby Cox butt long enough to see what’s really going on, you’d see this team is awful……… better pitching than last year but that ain’t saying much, bullpen too inconsistent, no speed, not enough power, too many losers like French-Maid, KJ, and Anderson, and $**t for brains Escobar. And this glorious cast of misfits managed by Booby Cox.
RobertNAtl
June 17th, 2009
3:58 pm
I kind of disagree that Wren gets all the blame. I think Schuerholz gets a lot of the blame with some of his trade-a-bunch-of-prospects-for-a-one-year-fix obsession his last few years. Just off the top of my head, this year’s team *should* have had Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Elvis Andrus, Adam Wainwright, Matt Harrison, Neftali Perez, and Jason Marquis on the roster. That in turn probably would have saved us at least the $$$ we spent to bring KK to Atlanta and maybe the Lowe $$ as well which we could have invested in some quality hitting (Adum Dunn? Abreu? Ibanez?)
Brave Fan in Arkansas
June 17th, 2009
3:59 pm
Sad to say, Mr. Bradley’s analysis is spot on. The sad truth is that when you do not have Major League level hitters at first base, second base or right field, you put tremendous pressure on the other five hitters to produce every night, and that is not the nature of the game. Add in these facts: (1) the shortstop seems to be on the outs with the manager and exhibits prima donna tendencies on the field from time to time without the numbers to back it up; (2) the third baseman is great but 36 years old and we know his injury history; (3) there hasn’t been anything consistent in left field since Ron Gant’s bike injury (or whatever it was); (4) and the center fielder has never had to produce on anything resembling a contending team, and this is just not a good line-up. At all. Blame it on unstable, corporate ownership, blame it on the fact that this organization has produced and held on to exactly two — Chipper and McCann — Major League level position players since the beginning of the glory days, blame it on whatever. The sad truth is that we are witnessing a return to consistent mediocrity. Does not matter to me. I’ll still watch and cheer. Guess that makes me part of the problem.
Chris
June 17th, 2009
3:59 pm
Im with you Father of 5, I dont lay this on Bobby. Bobby has managed the same way these past few years when the team has not made the playoffs as he had during the 14 year run of division titles, the five pennants and the one world series in 1995. The issue is WREN who has done a terrible job putting together a team that as you say lacks power, speed and just common sense competitiveness. It has been painful watching them lose to last place teams they should have whacked like the Orioles and Pirates and just stink up the field. Mark, you’re right on target. By July 4th, we’ll all know what the final verdict on Braves will be pretty much. Maybe since we have at least scrapped together a decent pitching staff, not great, but very good, we can start dumping some dead weight on offense, bring in some big boppers and at least make Turner Field the launching pad again. Id rather lose 11-10 than keep losing these 2-1, 3-0, games. Jeez, at least watching teams hit is more fun that watching this pathetic lineup look like minor league hitters against major league pitching. I felt we missed it by not going after Adam Dunn more; yes hes a liability in field but we could have stuck him at first; and Mark Derosa is now rumored to be headed to NY to help the Mets cause he’s knocking the daylights out of the ball. The issue is the front office and their unwillingnes to look at how good playres actually are compared to what they feel they “might” be a year or two down the road. We need players NOW!
dude
June 17th, 2009
4:02 pm
I hate to admit it, because my family luvs Jeff Francouer,but he does need to be BENCHED. He just cant get it together and he continues to have difficulty. Its an automatic out. Im sorry to say.
Id rather have Brandon Jones up cause the other pitchers may not know how to get him out.
And Kelly? Hes got to be benched too. You have to give us fans some reason to tune in(or come down to park).
Let Prado play or Diory at 2nd.
Bobby —-YOU have been PATIENT and your a good manager but these GUYS R KILLIN US!!!!!!!!
Bobby –Dont you want to try to win a playoff birth or have aWINNING SEASON just ONE MORE TIME?
For the love of God man……change out some of these guys who are not giving us anything. Forget their egos…and your own for a change.
JeanE
June 17th, 2009
4:02 pm
This team plays up & down to it’s level of opposition, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them get pumped & play these teams hard. They seem to take nights off against the crap teams…we’ll see.
LSU
June 17th, 2009
4:03 pm
Sadly, Chipper & McCann are just part time players.